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"The Witness" markiert eine gewitzte, unkonventionelle Linkskurve und zeigt Suuns in ihrer angenehmsten, offensten Form. Selbst aufgenommen und selbst produziert über den Großteil des Jahres 2020, ein Jahr voller Streit, Einsamkeit und Reflexion, zeigt "The Witness" die Band mit einer Lupe über ihren eigenen Standardzustand des Spielens und Auftretens. Es ist eine rasche Abkehr vom Vorgänger-Album "Felt" und erfreut sich daran, zufällige Ideen in ihren embryonalen Demo-Versionen zu ernten, als ob man ein glorreiches Feuerwerk in den Himmel entlässt. Mit dem Ausstieg von Max Henry als Vollzeitmitglied im Jahr 2018 und dem Wohnort-Wechsel von Ben Shemie, der jetzt einen Ozean entfernt in Paris lebt, manifestierte sich eine neue Herausforderung für das Trio, sich wieder zu finden, sowohl sozial als auch kreativ. Mehr als jede andere Suuns-Platte verwendet "The Witness" eine Jazz-Mentalität, die einen kontinuierlichen Vibe über die Vorstellung von separaten Kapiteln stellt. Es gibt eine Ebene der Entspannung, des Akzeptierens der Urinstinkte der Band und einen konzentrierten Versuch, diese Instinkte zu maximieren und zu überarbeiten. Für eine Band, die für ihre kryptische Anziehungskraft bekannt ist, markiert "The Witness" das bisher großzügigste, reduzierteste und berührendste Werk von Suuns.

"The Witness" markiert eine gewitzte, unkonventionelle Linkskurve und zeigt Suuns in ihrer angenehmsten, offensten Form. Selbst aufgenommen und selbst produziert über den Großteil des Jahres 2020, ein Jahr voller Streit, Einsamkeit und Reflexion, zeigt "The Witness" die Band mit einer Lupe über ihren eigenen Standardzustand des Spielens und Auftretens. Es ist eine rasche Abkehr vom Vorgänger-Album "Felt" und erfreut sich daran, zufällige Ideen in ihren embryonalen Demo-Versionen zu ernten, als ob man ein glorreiches Feuerwerk in den Himmel entlässt. Mit dem Ausstieg von Max Henry als Vollzeitmitglied im Jahr 2018 und dem Wohnort-Wechsel von Ben Shemie, der jetzt einen Ozean entfernt in Paris lebt, manifestierte sich eine neue Herausforderung für das Trio, sich wieder zu finden, sowohl sozial als auch kreativ. Mehr als jede andere Suuns-Platte verwendet "The Witness" eine Jazz-Mentalität, die einen kontinuierlichen Vibe über die Vorstellung von separaten Kapiteln stellt. Es gibt eine Ebene der Entspannung, des Akzeptierens der Urinstinkte der Band und einen konzentrierten Versuch, diese Instinkte zu maximieren und zu überarbeiten. Für eine Band, die für ihre kryptische Anziehungskraft bekannt ist, markiert "The Witness" das bisher großzügigste, reduzierteste und berührendste Werk von Suuns.

Bad Waitress’ antsy art punk revels in fits of fury and ego. It spits in your face and winks, ferocious and playful. The Toronto-based four-piece play like they’re conspiring or casting a spell, each member wielding a different power, howls and erratic drum fills and fiery riffs fueling one another.
That improvisation spirit doesn’t stop at their music. Katelyn Molgard, Nicole Cain, Kali-Ann Butala, and Moon finish each other’s sentences. Their conversations flow like free jazz. When asked to describe Bad Waitress’ sound, they agree on one word: conviction. “We play with conviction. There's nothing apologetic about it,” Kateyln says. “Even with our bizarre song structures, we don't hide anything in our music. It's just very...I don't like the word raw, it’s overused, but...raw.” The band fidget between genres, instead honing a distinct energy. “It's energetic. It's electric,” Moon adds. “It's whatever word that we can think of later that's better than raw.” Nicole suggests, “Honest?” Katelyn jumps in, “Rawnest.”
Bad Waitress’ debut full-length album, No Taste, finds strength in mood swings, from upbeat “groovin down the street” songs like “Strawberry Milkshake” to “I'm gonna fucking punch everyone” songs like “Lacerate,” as Nicole puts it. “It’s good to listen to when you're walking alone at night. I get really anxious, but I feel powerful when I listen to this album, like I’m fucking untouchable. It’s basically a self-defense album.”
Traces of Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and The Stooges can be heard throughout No Taste. The band also cite jazz as an inspiration. Moon’s background playing improv jazz, blues and swing makes it an essential force, at the core of Bad Waitress’ music and collaborative process. “Moon usually has a weird drumbeat that they’ll play spontaneously, then Nicole will jump in with her wack ass music sensibility on bass, and then Kali will play something that’s super wrong in a good way,” Katelyn says. “And then I’ll make sense of it and find where the chords are. It’s bizarre.”

Underground rock festered and splintered as it spread through the U.S. in the mid-’90s, the alternative boom giving rise to microcosmic regional scenes singularly focused on feral powerviolence or screamo songs about breakfast. Boston’s Karate emerged as a force that could grip a national youth movement whose disparate tastes still commingled in the inky pages of fanzines overflowing with florid prose and on concert calendars for volunteer-run DIY spaces, community centers, and bowling alleys. In this world, Karate’s music was an enigma, one equally inviting to sneering punks and highfalutin indie-rock aficionados.Their 1996 self-titled debut, issued on Southern Records, set the standard.

Lasooing together white-knuckle posthardcore tension, sharply focused slowcore serenity, and resplendent jazz complexity, Karate eschewed settling in any one definiable style. But they certainly used the language of punk to get their point across; occasionally, guitarist Geoff Farina abandons his warm, hushed cadences for a hoarse shout that made him sound ragged, intensifying an aggression that burst out with every snaggletoothed guitar riff or drum snap that went off like canonfire.

Few followed their path—but who could keep up? Karate could make pensive moods blossom into feverish rollicking (“What Is Sleep?”), gracefully tip-toe around aggressive punk explosions without getting bent out of shape (“Bodies”), and stretch out

slowcore’s quietest reveries till their reflective notes sound ripped from an improvisational jazz session (“Caffeine or Me?”). Karate formally introduced the trio as a vital part of an independent U.S. punk scene stubbornly flowering in the face of the major labels’ ’90s harvest.

Priya Ragu’s story is just as fascinating as her music. She was born and raised in Switzerland following her parents' escape from the Sri Lankan civil war in the early eighties. As she grew older, the Swiss and Sri Lankan cultures began to clash. Although they are now fully supportive of their daughter, Priya’s parents were initially strict, she wasn’t encouraged to listen to Western music or hang out at the mall after school. However, her musical ambitions soon began to take root.

At the age of 16, she performed Alicia Keys’ ‘Fallin’’ to her brother, who insisted she perform at a show he was doing with his rap group. Her father discovered their plans and stopped her from performing, but Priya wasn’t deterred. She instead made her ambitions more covert, sneaking out to jam sessions and open mic nights, before decided to fully pursue her ambitions by moving to America with the help of her friend, the rapper Oddisee. Working remotely with Japhna, the pair created several tracks which would provide the launchpad for where she is today.
‘damnshestamil’ Priya Ragu’s debut mixtape is a result of her highly productive creative partnership with her producer and brother Japhna Gold, featuring all Priya’s singles to date, including the international sensation ‘Chicken Lemon Rice’, ‘Good Love 2.0’, ‘Forgot About’ as well as her most recent single ‘Kamali’ which launched with a BBC Radio 1 ‘first play’ – with Annie Mac, and most recently A-Listed with the BBC Asian Network – showing no signs of slowing down.
Priya has coined the term ‘Raguwavy’ for her vibrant sound which defies standard genre definitions. It signposts the next era of forward-thinking R&B and electro-pop by tapping into the sonic accents of her Sri Lankan roots.
The current single ‘Kamali’ was inspired by a short BAFTA nominated film of the same name. It explores the story of Suganthi a single mother living in a small village in India, who was raised in a culture in which gender roles are clearly structured and as a result she stayed at home until she was old enough to marry. Suffering through abuse– she escaped to create a better future for herself and her daughter – Kamali. Musically and visually Priya connected to the story of Kamali and brought her world to life through song, placing emphasis on the important of motherhood and the circle of life.
As the road to the mixtape approaches - Priya fulfilled a lifetime ambition when she played a sold-out show as part of the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Later Latitude Festival in July, and scheduled to perform at All Points East in August, where she begins to peel back the layers of her first body of work, to a live audience.
She will end the year on a high by embarking upon her long awaited debut UK & European headline tour. Consisting of nine shows spanning six countries, the tour includes a London show at the Jazz Café which is now sold out and will culminate with a homecoming show in Zurich a week later.

Porcupine is Echo & The Bunnymen’s most profound and personal album from their early period. Weathering band turmoil, rejections from their record company and spans of songwriting drought, the group emerged with a passionate and compelling set of songs described by vocalist Ian McCulloch as “coming to terms with the opposites in me.” Following their fourth Peel session in early 1982, the band chose Ian Broudie, leader of The Lightning Seeds and co-producer of Echo’s 1980 album Crocodiles, to produce Porcupine. While the album includes both “The Back of Love” and “The Cutter” (two of their most upbeat and successful singles), most of the material was fairly introverted and autobiographical.

Unfortunately suffering negative reviews upon release (including a misguided hate-piece in the NME), Porcupine has since become a gold standard for both the band and British underground rock from the ’80s. It’s also simultaneously their most retro album and their most forward-looking. The production is full of guitar effects that must have set the mind of Kevin Shields onto the path to My Bloody Valentine’s own masterpiece, Loveless.

In addition to the “The Cutter” and “The Back of Love”, Porcupine includes songs such as “My White Devil,” “Heads Will Roll,” and “Porcupine” that transcend and enlighten to this day. It’s an essential album from one of the most influential bands of the post-punk movement.

Time and troubles seem to melt away during the fifteen enrapturing minutes of “Idle Moments,” the opening track of Grant Green’s sublime 1963 album of the same name. As the piece unhurriedly unfurls all the unique colours of the ensemble present themselves with Green’s soulful guitar joined by Duke Pearson’s elegant piano, Bobby Hutcherson’s crystalline vibraphone, Bob Cranshaw’s reassuring upright bass, Al Harewood’s subtle drums, and Joe Henderson’s magnificent tenor saxophone. The pace quickens for the rest of this tremendous set including the nimble Green original “Jean de Fleur,” a bluesy take on John Lewis’ MJQ standard “Django,” and a driving performance of Pearson’s original “Nomad.” This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

More than any other album in the canon of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, 1958’s Moanin’ — featuring the great drummer with trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Benny Golson, pianist Bobby Timmons, and bassist Jymie Merritt —was the perfect crystallization of the band’s bluesy, soulful sound, and it still stands today as perhaps the most quintessential hard bop recording of all-time.

Originally self-titled, the album was later renamed Moanin’ due to the popularity of Timmons’ unforgettable opening track. The album also introduced several indelible Golson compositions that would become standards of the jazz songbook including “Along Came Betty” and “Blues March.”

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

The core tenets of Morgan Wright's music have long tested club music's context; the rituals and customs that define it, and how each of those genres change once removed from their traditional settings.
It's a space Morgan Wright feels at home in; one where he's constantly asking questions of the structure club music resides within, and what it means to create a new space for familiar sounds. And over the course of his debut album, Class Tourist, Morgan has found new ways to elevate those same questions - whether by way of intention, or a pandemic-induced coping mechanism.
In Class Tourist, Morgan again borrows from familiar strains of the subgenres which have come to form his musical identity. This time, he fuses sounds of post-punk, IDM and breakbeat, hopeful they converge to form a bastardised rendition of the latter, with "Australiana" at its core.
It's a sound that was made possible by a change to his songwriting approach, after pivoting from a loop-based production style - one which he has applied to a slew of other projects, for the better part of five years - to one which lends itself to a more standardised, contemporary format.

Moving through the record, Morgan toys with musical tropes of contrast with a calculated refinement unheard throughout his previous work. The coalescence of melodic optimism and bleak, mournful soundscapes feature on Class Tourist again, as you would expect. But this time, contemporary structure - with the exception of a few songs - along with the features of label-mate, Purient, and frequent collaborator, ENDL355, breathe new life, and even a new genre, into Morgan's work.

DEEWEE ‘s new releases now worked with Because Music. Formed in 2012, Asa Moto purvey non-standard body music from their Ghent outpost, Studio Martino. Closely affiliated with famed Soulwax imprint, DEEWEE, the Belgian duo’s recorded offerings carefully juxtapose expert synth-work with aesthetic imperfection. Charming melodies and throbbing rhythms come courtesy of archaic tone generators and acoustic instrumentation alike, landing Asa Moto in a zone of confident sonic idiosyncrasy. Their studio prowess has hardly gone unnoticed and during their breakout year of 2018, Resident Advisor, Redbull and the BBC were quick to take note of the group’s steady ascent. Via their ever-changing live performances, Asa Moto have become regular fixtures on the European touring circuit, touching down for club nights and festival appearances across the continent. As astute selectors, they operate a bi-monthly radio show in Brussels, digging into their sprawling collection, ranging from obscure jazz records to contemporary electronic cuts. Asa Moto have re-adapted their unmistakable strain of body music into a live show, which premiered on the Mainstage of the Lokerse Feesten 2019 and at the 40th anniversary of Ancienne Belgique in Brussels. In 2020, they co-produced and mixed the Turkish band, Altin Gün album 'Yol' marking the first time that the band has collaborated with outsiders.

Let’s Face the Music and Dance is the 61st studio album by American country legend Willie Nelson and his band The Family. Produced by Buddy Cannon, this album features a collection of standards that Nelson and his sister Bobbie Nelson played throughout their careers. He recorded the album at his Pedernales studio in Austin, Texas.

Critics gave the album favourable reviews, citing how incredible it is that even at then nearly 80 years old, Nelson’s voice and guitar playing still sound fresh and timeless. The album charted in both the Billboard Top Country Albums as well as the regular Billboard 200 chart.

Ten songs, ten exorcisms of negative energy, ten lifesavers:
Before the last sounds of the gripping finale ‘Mountains’ have faded you have
become aware that this could be the new gold standard for contemporary metal, a journeyman’s piece that in a just world will propel VENUES up the ladder.
And then, at some point in the future, we can all say: Well, I always knew they’d
get that big!

20 unforgettable hits from Dean Martin. Limited edition 180g vinyl LP,
housed in a gatefold sleeve.
One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th
Century, Dean Martin was nicknamed the “King of Cool”. This collection presents his top 20 hits, including a mixture of swing standards, Italian songs, and
wonderful ballads.
Dean Martin, vocals. Orchestras conducted by Nelson Riddle, Dick Stabile &
Gus Levene. Recorded in Hollywood, Los Angeles, 1952-1961.

NMB are releasing their much-anticipated fourth album, “Innocence & Danger”, on 27th August 2021. The band comprise Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Randy George, Bill Hubauer & Eric Gillette. With NMB’s previous two releases being concept albums, it’s perhaps remarkable that “Innocence & Danger” is a series of unrelated songs, but drummer Mike Portnoy says “After two sprawling back to back double concept albums in a row, it was refreshing to get back to writing a collection of unrelated individual songs in the vein of our first album.” Six years on from “The Grand Experiment”, Morse is more enthusiastic than ever about the talents and contribution of his fellow band members on “Innocence & Danger”: “The band is really so extraordinary – and is such an amazing team: Mike’s drums are huge, Randy’s bass playing is an ever-solid foundation and Eric’s vocals are becoming crazy good now: often I’ll sing the verse, Eric sings the chorus, Bill sings the bridge and Eric will bring it home. It seems to work really, really well. And both Bill and Eric’s soloing is amazing: they have really hit it out of the park on this record.” Available on Ltd 2CD+DVD Digipak (feat. ‘Making Of’ Documentay), Standard 2CD Jewelcase, 3LP+2CD Boxset & as Digital Album.

Norway’s inventive Rock mavericks LEPROUS return with their seventh studio album, “Aphelion”. Although unmistakably the work of the same band that made “Pitfalls” in 2019, “Aphelion” immediately stands out as a radical statement: Veering from some of the most intense material of their career to some of the most delicate music in the LEPROUS career, “Aphelion” is an album of beautifully crafted and meticulously arranged mini-masterworks. Recorded at three different studios (Ghost Ward / Sweden, Ocean Sound Recordings / Norway and and Cederberg Studios / Norway), mixed by Adam Noble (Placebo, Biffy Clyro, Nothing But Thieves) and mastered by Robin Schmidt (The 1975, Placebo, The Gaslight Anthem, etc.), “Aphelion” is available from InsideOutMusic as limited Mediabook CD with two bonus tracks, as Standard Jewelcase CD and as Gatefold 2LP on 180gr. vinyl with two bonus tracks and the entire album on CD as bonus.

Mondo, in collaboration with Walt Disney Records, is proud to present Alan Silvestri’s soundtrack to the film WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, available on vinyl for the first time in 30 years.

To this day WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT is still considered a landmark achievement in filmmaking, seamlessly combining 2D animation and live action, with a clever take on the interior lives of the world’s most beloved cartoon characters.

Following their previous successful collaboration with Robert Zemeckis on BACK TO THE FUTURE, Alan Silvestri’s score is one of his most ambitious. An inspired genre blend, bouncing from pot-boiling noir, to the madcap zaniness of a cartoon serial, to the songs and standards of the 1940's.

Featuring all new artwork by Stan & Vince and pressed on 180 Gram black vinyl

Von Annie Mac, Bonobo und Gorillaz bis hin zum Billboard, NME, Crack, Mixmag oder DJ Mag wird TSHA als eines der aufregendsten Talente aus Großbritannien gehandelt. Ihre kommende EP, „OnlyL“, die am 27. August 2021 auf Ninja Tune erscheint, zeigt eine selbstbewusste Kreative, die ihr eigenes Gefühl und ihren Sound ständig weiterentwickelt und verfeinert.

Die Veröffentlichung folgt auf einen fulminanten Lauf der jungen Künstlerin, zu dem auch der Start ihrer neuen, zweimonatlich erscheinenden „Jackfruit Radio“-Show auf Apple Music gehört, die Ausstrahlung ihres ersten BBC Essential Mix’ sowie die Ernennung zum „Future Artist“ von BBC Radio 1 im Januar 2021 und zum „Star of 2020“ durch BBC Introducing. Ihre letzte EP, „Flowers“, vom letzten Jahr, schaffte es auf mehrere Jahresendlisten und wurde von Billboard, NME, NPR, Resident Advisor, Mixmag, DJ Mag und vielen mehr gelobt.
Auf dem Titeltrack der EP, „OnlyL“, zeigt sich TSHAs angeborenes Talent, genreübergreifenden, stilvollen elektronischen Pop zu produzieren. Die Vocals von NIMMO alias Sarah Nimmo und Reva Gauntlett sind ein sofortiger Ohrwurm, wobei TSHA die düsteren Lyrics einem Upbeat-Instrumental des Tracks gegenüberstellt. „Power“ spielt mit einer weiteren Liebe von TSHA: Clubmusik. „I Know“ zeigt eine weitere Facette von TSHAs außergewöhnlichen Produktionsfähigkeiten. Die hier vollzogene perfekte Verbindung von Live-Musik und Elektronik ist ein wunderschön strukturiertes und melancholisches Werk, das um ein wunderschönes Hang-Trommel-Motiv herum aufgebaut ist.

- Lilafarbenes Standardvinyl im Disco Sleeve. Artwork von Felicity Marshall.

Type O Negative is an American goth-metal band formed in Brooklyn in 1989 by Peter Steele (lead vocals, bass), Kenny Hickey (guitar, backing vocals), Josh Silver (keyboards, backing vocals), and Sal Abruscato (drums, percussions), who was later replaced by Johnny Kelly. Slow, Deep and Hard is their debut studio album, released in 1991 on Roadrunner Records. The album, originally titled None More Negative and released in 1990 under the group’s former name Repulsion, launched the band’s career. The album has a rawness that was prominent in Peter Steele’s previous band, Carnivore, but it incorporates elements that became standard for Type O Negative, merging styles including doom metal, gothic rock, new wave and industrial music.
Slow, Deep and Hard is a semi-autobiographical album with heavy amounts of black humour, based on a failed relationship in which the vocalist/bass guitarist Peter Steele was involved. In keeping with the band’s notable humour, the album’s cover artwork is a blurred image of sexual penetration. According to guitarist Kenny Hickey, Steele based a riff of “Gravitational Constant: G = 6.67 x 10 – 8 cm – 3 gm – 1 sec – 2” (later known as “Gravity”) from the theme song of the 1964 American sitcom The Munsters. For the 30th anniversary of Slow, Deep and Hard, Roadrunner Records in conjunction with Run Out Groove, is reissuing the debut on vinyl in all it’s remastered glory.

New York Hip Hop revolutionaries Ced-Gee, Kool Keith, Moe Luv and T.R. Love, known as Ultramagnetic Mc’s dropped their seminal debut album Critical Beatdown in 1988. Immediately grabbing the attention and pushing the boundaries of hip hop into new horizons, it was hailed as a masterpiece by the underground. Influential hip hop magazines The Source and Hip Hop Connection both listed Critical Beatdown in their Top 100 charts, naming it one of the best 100 hip hop albums ever. The 1986 single “Ego Trippin” is one of the first tracks to use the SP1200 drum machine (programmed by producer Ced-Gee), and the SP1200 would later become the golden standard for many hip hop producers. This expanded edition features not only the original album with the 15 tracks, it also includes 6 bonus tracks: the original 12” versions of “Funky”, “Bait”, “A Chorus Line” featuring Tim Dog, “Mentally Mad” plus “Traveling At The Speed Of Thought (Hip House Club Mix)” and “Ego Trippin (Bonus Beats)”. It also contains a 4 page booklet with interviews, rare photos and liner notes written by Angus Batey, the author of Rhyming and Stealing: A History Of The Beastie Boys and a writer for Hip Hop Connection and Mojo magazine.

Black vinyl w/ standard sleeve. Juju is the brainchild of Sicilian multi-instrumentalist Gioele Valenti (Lay Llamas, Herself) and this Fuzz Club Session LP finds Valenti and band (Vincenzo Schillaci, Simone Sfameli) storming through four tracks at I Candelai in Palermo, Italy. The resulting session is released as a series of videos and pressed on vinyl. Due for release August 13th on London-based label Fuzz Club, the session comprises two tracks from their 2017 second album 'Our Mother Was A Plant' ('In A Ghetto' and 'And Play A Game') and two from 2019's 'Maps and Territory' LP ('Master and Servants' and 'Motherfucker Core'). Juju's worldly, genre-bending experimentalism fuses psychedelia, new wave and krautrock with touches of afrobeat, funk and zamrock and it's in a live setting, such as that captured here, where that captivating blending of sounds is at its most spellbinding and hypnotic. Juju's Fuzz Club Session (the latest in a series which has previously included the likes of A Place to Bury Strangers, Night Beats, Holy Wave, The Entrance Band and more) makes all too clear why the band have been praised as one that "resets the coordinates and makes the past seem startling new again" (The Quietus).

Limited Coke Bottle Green vinyl, 250 copies only for the UK. Any future pressing will be on black vinyl. Massage feature Alex Naidus from Pains At Being Pure At Heart. Recorded by Lewis Pesacov (Fool’s Gold, Foreign Born, Peel’d). Massage was supposed to be low-stakes, no big deal "anti-ambition," as Andrew Romano, guitarist and vocalist, put it. The L.A.based jangle-pop group's first album, 2018's Oh Boy, was a sweet and simple weekend warrior's affair, or more specifically, an every-other-Monday one, as the band members gathered to bash out songs that offered messy but heartfelt tribute to their chosen heroes: The Feelies, the Go-Betweens, Twerps, Flying Nun. For Romano, not taking things too seriously is a dead-serious affair: “Nothing kills the kind of music we want to make faster than the sense that a band is trying too hard,” he says. The kind of music Massage makes sunny, bittersweet, tender is less a proper genre than a minor zip code nested within guitar pop. Take a little "There She Goes" by the La's, some "If You Need Someone" by the Field Mice; the honey-drizzled guitars from The Cure's "Friday I'm In Love," a Jesus & Mary Chain backbeat, and you're almost all the way there. Indie pop, jangle pop, power pop whatever you call it, pushing too hard scares the spirit right out of this sweet, diffident music, and Massage have a touch so light the songs seem to form spontaneously, like wry smiles. Still, on their sophomore effort, Still Life, they manage to take a quantum leap forward in songwriting, production, and depth, all somehow without seeming to try. These 12 deft songs are full of late-summer sunlight and deep shadows, pained grins and shared jokes, shy declarations of love and quietly nursed heartbreak. Still Life resurrects a brief, romantic moment in the late-'80s, right after post-punk and immediately before alt-rock, when it seemed like any scrappy indie band might stumble across a hit. When Andrew Romano and Alex Naidus first met in 2007, Naidus had just joined a band with his friends Kip Berman and Peggy Wang that was about to stumble into many of them. When Naidus finally left Pains for L.A. in 2013, two hit albums and a few world tours later, he started playing with Romano to recapture the no-stakes, suburban-garage joy of making music for its own sake. It was "friendship incarnate," Naidus remembers. The other members came from within the friend circle Gabrielle Ferrer (keyboard/vocals) is Romano's sister-in-law, Michael Felix (drums) is one of Naidus’ best friends, and David Rager (bass) is a childhood friend of Felix’s. When Felix moved to Mexico City in early 2020, Naidus’ wife, Natalie de Almeida, stepped in. The result is the finest batch of songs they've ever produced. From Naidus' velvet-lined JAMC tribute "Half A Feeling" to Ferrer's Let It Be-era Replacements-tinged lament "The Double" to Romano's "In Gray & Blue," these are gold-standard indie-pop gems from emerging masters of the form. Still Life glows with the sincerity and unfakeable warmth of the era they so lovingly channel. Like the best Gin Blossoms chorus you still remember, the songs on Still Life stir big, pure emotions, but beneath them, uneasy truths about adulthood linger, just below the surface. Maybe the exact mix of ringing guitars and two-part harmonies can chase those feelings away, or redeem them, for at least a minute or three. Massage won't stop trying.

"On August 13th, the first-ever vinyl reissue of UK top 5 album 12 Memories from Travis continues the reissue streak from the Scottish rock band. Cut at London’s Metropolis Studios & features all original packaging replication including photography by Anton Corbijn. As well as the standard black vinyl, a limited white vinyl edition will be available exclusively at Travis’ official store & Independent record shops.
None other than Sir Elton John raved that 12 Memories would “take you on a real journey… like The Beatles’ Revolver”. And, just like The Beatles in 1966, Travis were at a critical juncture when it came to recording their fourth album & the follow up to the multi-Platinum international breakthrough The Invisible Band. 12 Memories is the third vinyl reissue from Travis so far in 2021, it follows 2007’s The Boy With No Name vinyl re-release May 28th & the first ever vinyl reissue for debut album, Good Feeling released April 2nd via Craft Recordings. "

Kolektif Istanbul verbindet traditionelle anatolische und thrakische Melodien mit Funk, World und Jazz zu einem treibenden Sound, der ebenso Schmelztiegel ist wie ihre Heimat Istanbul. Türkische Rhythmen und westliche Einflüsse verschmelzen zu einer immer tanzbaren Melange, die man mit einem Augenzwinkern als progressive Hochzeitsmusik bezeichnen könnte und für ausgelassene Stimmung unter den Zuschauern sorgt. Das dabei entstehende kreative Chaos lässt einen dabei zu keinem Zeitpunkt vergessen, dass die einzelnen Bandmitglieder ausgezeichnete Instrumentalisten sind, die eine enorme Bandbreite an musikalischen Genres zu bieten haben - vom Jazz über Balkanmusik bis zu türkischen Standards. Gayda (Dudelsack), Klarinette, Tarogato, Saxofon, Akkordeon, Sousafon (ähnlich der Bass-Tuba), Zurna (eine Art türkischer Oboe), Perkussion und Schlagzeug dominieren die Klangästhetik, die durch Asli Dogans klare Stimme eine ganz besondere Ausdruckskraft erhält und die Sensibilität der Songs perfekt einfängt.

STANDARD 2LP VINYL EDITION - LIMITIERT Geboren 1970 in Tokio, verbrachte Jonathan Meese seine frühe Kindheit in Japan, und kam mit drei Jahren 1973 gemeinsam mit seiner Mutter zurück nach Deutschland. Als Kind sprach er nur japanisch und englisch. 1995-1998 Studium an der HfbK in Hamburg, 1998 Durchbruch als bildender Künstler auf der Berlin Biennale. In seinen Gemälden, Performances und Aktionen thematisiert Meese immer wieder die Rolle Deutschlands und deutsche Mythen. Eine ursprünglich beauftragte Meese-Inszenierung des ûParsifalë 2016 in Bayreuth wurde 2014 wegen angeblicher Unfinanzierbarkeit gekündigt. Der Münchener Techno- und House-Produzent Hell ist seit zwei Jahrzehnten ein Bewunderer Meeses. Als Hell vor zwei Jahren bei Jonathan Meese anfragte, ob dieser das Cover für Hells neues, kürzlich erschienenes Album ûHouse Music Boxë gestalten wolle, sagte dieser sofort zu. Die Wertschätzung entpuppte sich als gegenseitig. Man verabredete eine experimentelle Studiosession, um auszuloten, ob die polarisierenden Sprachperformances von Jonathan Meese in Verbindung mit Musik von Hell eine eigene Qualität entwickeln würden. 2019 nahmen Hell und Meese zum ersten Mal gemeinsam auf. Meese steuerte Textideen auf Papier bei, Hell hatte Instrumentals vorbereitet, die sowohl Hells stilistische Interessen, als auch Meeses musikalische Vorbilder - von DAF über Sisters of Mercy bis hin zu Kraftwerk - berücksichtigten. Hell: ûMir wurde in vielen gemeinsamen Gesprächen klar, wie musikaffin er eigentlich ist und wie viel unterschiedliche Musik er kennt. Und vor allem: Wie sehr die Musik ihm auch in seiner Kunst als Inspirationsquelle dient.ë Die Sessions - insgesamt drei, davon zwei gemeinsam mit Meeses 91-jähriger Mutter Brigitte - fanden im Trixx-Studio am Berliner Moritzplatz statt. Meese assoziierte Freestyle über Beats und Loops von Hell. Hell: ûIch bewundere Jonathan Meese nicht zuletzt als performativen Künstler - und gerade auch seinen stimmlichen Vortrag. Im Studio sang, sprach oder flüsterte er dann seine improvisierten Texte über die Tracks, die ich vorbereitet hatte.

The original Rio beach boy returns in style, with a new record of unabashedly feel-good Brazilian party music. Featuring Azymuth bassist Alex Malheiros (responsible for some of Brazil’s all-time funkiest low-end licks), a horn section including Valle’s go-to high-trumpeter Jesse Sadoc, and percussion master Armando Marcal, Sempre has all the masterful composition, exceptional musicality, and forward-thinking ideas you’d expect from the Brazilian titan, and it’s fresher than a fruity caipirinha in the Copacabana sunshine.

Updating Marcos Valle’s seminal boogie-era sound, Sempre spans ecstatic disco, cosmic samba, and late-night jazz-funk, drawing obvious comparisons to some of Valle’s late-seventies and early-eighties output. ‘Estrelar’ (1983), for example, an ode to the joy of exercise, has become one of the biggest Brazilian disco hits of all time. But lyrically the new album is more closely reminiscent of Valle’s progressive early seventies’ releases. Heralding love, tolerance and living in the present, while satirising political corruption, the new release recalls a time in which Valle, together with his brother Paulo Sergio, was writing subtly subversive lyrics in order to bypass the censorship imposed by the military dictatorship, which ruled over Brazil between 1964 and 1985.
The album marries compositional genius with pure pop perfection. From the blistering brass arrangements on up-tempo disco hit ‘Olha Quem ta Chegando’ and the infinitely classy ‘Vou Amanhã Saber’, to the nine-minute synth heavy instrumental funk stepper ‘Odisséia’, which gradually morphs into an interplanetary samba jam, the songs are tightened and given an extra coat of gloss, by London based producer Daniel Maunick (son of Incognito frontman Bluey). More moments of boogie delight come in the form of ‘Minha Roma’ (a musical nod to the famed ‘Estrelar’), and the sunshine anthem title-track ‘Sempre’.

Translating as ‘Ever’, Sempre is a testament to the continual drive for development and reinvention that has defined Marcos Valle’s astounding six-decade career. Ever changing, ever moving forward, he began as one of the second-wave of early bossa nova composers in the sixties, writing the world famous bossa standard ‘Summer Samba (So Nice)’ for his sophomore album ‘Samba 68’. After a brief stint in the States, Valle returned to Brazil, and the early ’70s saw the release of four ground-breaking Valle albums which incorporated progressive rock, psychedelic influences, pop, jazz, soul and cinematic arrangements. These albums would see Valle work alongside a number of hugely influential Brazilian bands, including Milton Nascimento’s backing band Som Imaginaro, the prog-rock band O Terco and jazz funk legends Azymuth. Returning back to the US in ‘75, Valle resided in LA, writing music for the likes of Eumir Deodato, Airto Moreira, Chicago, Sarah Vaughn and Leon Ware, before returning to Brazil once more, where after releasing a handful of hit pop records, he took a hiatus from recording.

Since the mid-nineties, Marcos Valle has been experiencing a renaissance with London based label Far Out Recordings, where his approach to music has remained, as always; decidedly open to new influences, possibilities and technologies. Sempre is Marcos Valle’s fifth album for the label, following 2010’s critically acclaimed Estatica.

Just in time for summer, Sempre is out on Vinyl LP/ CD on 28th June 2019 on Far Out Recordings, and Marcos Valle and band will be touring Europe in May /June (see below for dates).

These Foolish Things is the debut solo studio album by Bryan Ferry, who at the time was still Roxy Music’s lead vocalist, released in October 1973 it consists entirely of cover versions. Most of the tracks on the album were personal favourites of Ferry’s and spanned several decades from 1930s standards such as the title track “These Foolish Things” through 1950s Elvis Presley to Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones. The Music press agreed that, throughout These Foolish Things, “Ferry’s instantly recognizable croon carries everything to a tee, and the overall mood is playful and celebratory”, calling the album “one of the best of its kind by any artist.” A commercial and critical success, peaking at number five on the UK Albums Chart. It received a gold certification from the British Phonographic Industry in May 1974. Lovingly Re-Mastered from the original tapes by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios. London. Featuring artwork that has been faithfully restored to reflect its original first press “These Foolish Things” is presented on 180g heavy weight vinyl and is one of those classic albums that would not look out of place in any record collection.

The Bride stripped Bare Bryan Ferry’s fifth album released independent of Roxy Music. Ferry approaches much more effectively, allowing him to cover such romantic soul standards as “That’s How Strong My Love Is” alongside his despondently modern “When She Walks in the Room.” It has been considered as Bryan Ferry’s most stunningly personal album. Lovingly Re-Mastered from the original tapes by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road Studios. London. Featuring artwork that has been faithfully restored to reflect its original first press “The Bride Stripped Bare” is presented on 180g heavy weight vinyl and is one of those classic albums that would not look out of place in any record collection.

Café Society opened the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews. Woody Allen became the first and only director to have three opening night films selected for the Cannes Film Festival.

It’s New York in the 1930s. As he has more and more trouble putting up with his bickering parents, his gangster brother and the family jewelry store, Bobby Dorfman feels like he needs a change of scenery. He decides to go and try his luck in Hollywood where his high-powered agent uncle Phil hires him as an errand boy.

In Hollywood he soon falls in love, but unfortunately the girl has a boyfriend. Bobby settles for friendship - up until the day the girl knocks at his door, telling him her boyfriend just broke up with her. All of a sudden Bobby’s life takes a new turn, and a very romantic one at that. The soundtrack features a great collection of the music from the 1930’s. The music is featured prominently in the movie and has been chosen by Woody Allen himself and features newly recorded jazz standards by Grammy Award winners Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks and classic recordings from Ben Selvin, Benny Goodman and Count Basie.

Woody Allen says about the soundtrack: “The soundtrack consists of music from the 1930s since that’s when the picture takes place. Most of the material is Rodgers and Hart who is very dominant in those year and Lorenz Heart have that bitter sweet romantic quality that defines the spirit of the movie itself.”

This is a limited edition of 500 individually numbered copies on blue coloured vinyl. A 4-page booklet with pictures from the film and credits is included.

Cindytalk is the mercurial, expressionist outlet of Scottish artist Cinder. An evolution of her early 1980's Edinburgh-based punk band The Freeze, she launched the project upon moving to London, inspired by the crossroads of exploratory UK post-punk and early European industrial. Her work thrives on chance and transformation, collaging elements of noise, balladry, soundtrack, catharsis, and improvisation. After a series of celebrated albums for the Midnight Music label as well as collaborations with This Mortal Coil and Cocteau Twins, Cinder migrated to the United States, becoming involved with various underground techno collectives around the Midwest and West Coast. Subsequent relocations to Hong Kong and Japan further expanded Cindytalk's horizons, resulting in a fruitful partnership with Viennese experimental institution Editions Mego, for whom she released five albums of swooning, granular atmosphere. 2021 finds her as engaged as ever, at the precipice of long-awaited back catalog reissues alongside multiple new works, guided by her lasting love of discovery and deviation: “new pathways always being uncovered.”

Across decades of activity Cinder’s body of work has forever followed its own elusive muse but nowhere is this restless spirit more apparent and ambitious than the 4th Cindytalk LP, Wappinschaw. Conceived as “a call to arms” inspired by Scotland and its struggle for independence, the title refers to an archaic Scottish battle inspection during which clan chieftains surveyed their group's weapons to ensure they were combat ready. A mindset of reflective preparation threads throughout the record, manifested in forms both naked and noisy, ancient and anguished.

Opening with an aching solo vocal rendition of the British folk standard “The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face),” the album then surges into the Cindytalk classic, “A Song Of Changes,” sparkling and spiraling in strange waves of sorrow and joy. From there the mood fragments, tracing asymmetrical paths of feverish dirge, pensive spirituals, noir abstraction, spoken word (landmark Glaswegian writer Alasdair Gray guests on “Wheesht”), bagpipe drone, and apocalyptic post-punk. Given its aggressive eclecticism, it's not surprising that Cinder describes the creation of Wappinschaw as a “precarious” process, composed from “scraps” with abruptly shifting personnel – a situation only compounded by the impending dissolution of their label at the time, Midnight Music.

Cindytalk is the mercurial, expressionist outlet of Scottish artist Cinder. An evolution of her early 1980's Edinburgh-based punk band The Freeze, she launched the project upon moving to London, inspired by the crossroads of exploratory UK post-punk and early European industrial. Her work thrives on chance and transformation, collaging elements of noise, balladry, soundtrack, catharsis, and improvisation. After a series of celebrated albums for the Midnight Music label as well as collaborations with This Mortal Coil and Cocteau Twins, Cinder migrated to the United States, becoming involved with various underground techno collectives around the Midwest and West Coast. Subsequent relocations to Hong Kong and Japan further expanded Cindytalk's horizons, resulting in a fruitful partnership with Viennese experimental institution Editions Mego, for whom she released five albums of swooning, granular atmosphere. 2021 finds her as engaged as ever, at the precipice of long-awaited back catalog reissues alongside multiple new works, guided by her lasting love of discovery and deviation: “new pathways always being uncovered.”

Across decades of activity Cinder’s body of work has forever followed its own elusive muse but nowhere is this restless spirit more apparent and ambitious than the 4th Cindytalk LP, Wappinschaw. Conceived as “a call to arms” inspired by Scotland and its struggle for independence, the title refers to an archaic Scottish battle inspection during which clan chieftains surveyed their group's weapons to ensure they were combat ready. A mindset of reflective preparation threads throughout the record, manifested in forms both naked and noisy, ancient and anguished.

Opening with an aching solo vocal rendition of the British folk standard “The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face),” the album then surges into the Cindytalk classic, “A Song Of Changes,” sparkling and spiraling in strange waves of sorrow and joy. From there the mood fragments, tracing asymmetrical paths of feverish dirge, pensive spirituals, noir abstraction, spoken word (landmark Glaswegian writer Alasdair Gray guests on “Wheesht”), bagpipe drone, and apocalyptic post-punk. Given its aggressive eclecticism, it's not surprising that Cinder describes the creation of Wappinschaw as a “precarious” process, composed from “scraps” with abruptly shifting personnel – a situation only compounded by the impending dissolution of their label at the time, Midnight Music.

Tape

"Precision ambient might be a suitable genre description for metra.vestlud's work. Every element has a clearly delineated meaning and purpose, and the precise interaction between these elements makes the musical pieces seem more like songs rather than Eno-style ambiences. From flowing water, to nervous birds and rich emotional textures, ∞ sends us onto a deep and thoughtful sonic journey about the flow of life and the many springs therin."

Artem Dultsev was born in 1993, in Revda, Russia. In 2010 he started to write music and later released under different aliases: Artem Dultsev, Moon Rabbit, Virusmoto. In 2017 he founded with a friend Daniil the label Faktura, where they began to release records from the Urals region. The history of metra.vestlud began In 2019 with the release of the album - Hydrogen Lifeforms (Faktura).

metra.vestlud began as a protest against the standard principles of sound recording and musical theory. All the rules and boundaries were shifted towards the unconscious - that something unique would emerge. But on the album ∞ - the other side of this sub-personality showed itself, the sensual side. The music of metra.vestlud is inspired by the eco-futurism and new age of the 80's-90's.

“The album is dedicated to my wife. In April 2021 we had a son.”

"Two days before the birth of our first child, I was sitting at home alone while my partner was already in the hospital. I wasn't able to visit due to Covid restrictions. Anxiously waiting for any updates, while Germany being in complete lockdown, searching for distraction, I did something I rarely do: look into the public-facing email account of my previous label. Normally, I only find spam in there, but this time there was an email that looked different, it was a demo I was supposed to consider for release. I could tell this person had listened to previous music I had been involved with and deliberately chose to send this to me. I could also tell right away that something special was being sent to me. I downloaded the music, listened to it, and to my surprise, was moved to tears. This was on a Friday night in Leipzig, around 32 hours before our child was born.

Sometimes this world can be incredibly strange but in the most beautiful way. For some reason, someone from Yekaterinburg in Russia, close to where the European and Asian continental plates meet, decided to send me an unspeakably beautiful album for release on my new label (which I technically hadn't even founded yet). The album is centered around love and birth, and it sounds like emotion-fueled beginnings, like a meta-version of spring you can visit any season you like. And I received it less than two days before the birth of our child and a couple of months before the birth of their child - what are the odds? And not just that, I had visited Yekaterinburg many years ago with my parents due to a somewhat mysterious obsession my father had with the place and it had left quite an impression on me. There are some moments in life where you think: "please just pinch me". I am just not sure anymore how much of all of this can be attributed to chance. Probably a lot, but if so, it also means incredibly unlikely and beautiful things do happen even if they probably shouldn't.

In any case, I am grateful metra.vestlud reached out to me at this very special moment in time and I am grateful we have created something that will forever document a very special time in our lives. And we are incredibly happy that we are able to share this document with the world." - kofla tapes

∞ is dedicated to metra.vestlud's wife, In April 2021 they had a son.

- North American version on CLEAR vinyl (2XLP) - Limited DOUBLE 180g Vinyl Edition (500 copies) with obi strip - Rare Dutch studio recordings, one of Art's last sessions before he passed away - Comes with insert/liner notes // Art Blakey (1919-1990) actually needs little introduction, the American Jazz drummer and bandleader made a name for himself in the 1940s & 1950s playing with contemporaries such as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. He is often considered to have been Thelonious Monk's most empathetic drummer (he played on both Monk's first recording session in 1947 and his final one in 1971). In the decades that followed Blakey recorded for all THE labels that mattered in the field of jazz (Columbia, Blue Note, Atlantic, RCA, Impulse!, Riverside, Prestige, Verve, etc.). His collaborations were numerous and include working with equally legendary artists such as Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, Chet Baker, John Coltrane_.and countless others.Art Blakey was a major figure and a pioneer for modern jazz, he assumed an aggressive swing drumming style early on in his career and is known as one of the inventors of the modern bebop style of drumming. His signature polyrhythmic style was amazing, exuding power and originality, creating a dark cymbal sound punctuated by frequent loud snare and bass drum accents in triplets or cross-rhythms. A loud and domineering drummer_but Blakey also listened and responded to the others in the band. He was an original, an important drummer you'd hear_and would recognize immediately.Art Blakey was inducted into the Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame (1981), the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame (1991), the Grammy Hall of Fame (1998 and 2001) and was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 2005. He was sampled and remixed by renowned acts such as Raekwon, Black Eyed Peas, A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, Buscemi, KRS-One and Madlib.In the mid-1950s he and Horace Silver formed `The Jazz Messengers': a group that Blakey would perform and record with for the next 35 years. Originally formed as a collective of contemporaries_but over the years the band became known as an incubator for young talent that included artists such as Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton, Chuck Mangione, John Hicks_and MANY others. Art Blakey went on to record dozens of albums with a constantly changing group of Jazz Messengers. Blakey's final performances were in July 1990. He died on October 16 of lung cancer. The legacy of Art Blakey and his band is not only the music they produced, but also the opportunities they provided for several generations of jazz musicians.Released on the legendary Dutch jazz label Timeless Records and one of his final recordings_on the album we are presenting you today (Chippin' In) you'll find ten sublime tracks recorded at Rudy van Gelder's Recording Studio in February 1990. Art Blakey passed away just 8 months after these tracks were cut and you can't hear any signs of him slowing down at all. For these specific recordings, The Jazz Messengers were expanded from its usual quintet or sextet into a septet and they showcase their energetic signature sound with remarkable style, musical knowledge, a dash of good humor and camaraderie you'd expect from a world class band who have entertained, thrilled and amazed for almost five decades. The line-up on these fantastic sessions includes non-other than Essiet Okon, Geoff Keezer, Dale Barlow, Javon Jackson, Frank Lacy, Steve Davis and Brian Lynch_impressive to say the least!Chippin' In sounds as successful, young and vibrant as ever! Expect supercharged hard bop with striking notes, no-holds-barred musicianship, high swinging solos, screaming choruses and plenty of solid virtuosity to spare. This electrifying set of tracks contains both originals and several eclectic versions of standards_making this release a bonafide hit and a must have for any self-respecting jazz fan or collector.

From their genesis as members of the Venus club in-house band in the early 70s, Hailu Mergia and the Walias Band were at the forefront of the musical revolution during an era where modern instruments and foreign styles superseded the traditional fare to become the staple sound of Ethiopia. No one would argue that the Walias were the trailblazing powerhouse of modern Ethiopian music. They were the first band to form independently without affiliation to a theatre house, a club or a hotel; unprecedented and risky as they had to raise all funding for expenses by themselves including buying equipment. They were the first to release full instrumental albums, considered to be commercially unviable at the time. They opened their own recording studio, with band members Melake Gebre and Mahmoud Aman doubling as technical buffs during sessions. They were also the first independent band to tour abroad. In short, they were the pioneers every band tried to emulate; some more successfully than others.
Odds are, any Ethiopian over the age of 35 who had access to TV or radio by the early 90s, will instantly recognize the sound of Walias. What is not a given is, how many would actually identify the band itself. Barely a day went by without hearing the Walias either in the background on radio or as an accompaniment to various programs on TV.

This Tezeta album, the band’s second recording, released in 1975, is one of those that have been impossible to find for nearly three decades. Sourced by Awesome Tapes From Africa and expertly remastered by Jessica Thompson, its unique and funky renditions of standards and popular songs of the day are so quintessentially Walias, flavorful and evocative. Hailu's melodic organ, unashamedly front and center in every track, makes even the complex pieces accessible.
Profoundly engaging; it's an immersive trip down memory lane for those of us getting reacquainted with it, while also an enthralling and gratifying experience for fresh ears.

Virtually unknown recording outside Ethiopia.
Documents Mergia & Walias legendary early period.
Follow-up to reissue of hugely popular seminal Ethiopian instrumentals LP Tche Belew (ATFA012)

Cassette-only, released in 1975 on the band’s in-house label to fund their record store.
Beautifully-rendered instrumentals of classic Ethiopian standards.

The Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition Original Soundtrack features over one hour of ethereal, surreal and organic music created specifically for the exploration of the Salt's surreal world. Blending eclectic electronic scores with sweeping, melodious soundscapes, Thommaz Kauffmann's score is like taking a ride into a new, wonderous land.

Dandara's light but incredibly strong presence was the starting point for all the sound presented in this album, consisting of a soundtrack that sounds hopeful and melancholic at the same time. Her lonely journey into the corrupted regions of Salt narrates each gesture made to fight the fears deep inside the Salt's most uncharted caves.

The textures and musical aesthetics in this soundtrack match a world that suffers from its abandonment to spontaneity, creativity, and vitality. It is with the presence of Dandara that there is a break in these standards imposed in Salt by an authoritarian regime.

Wrapped up in a beautiful, sturdy tip-on gatefold with a rough, black and white aesthetic, this vinyl 2xLP comes with two "Salt" white 180g in two printed inner sleeves.

Composed, produced and mixed by Thommaz Kauffmann

Artwork by Luísa Almeida

Game developed by Long Hat House

Published by Raw Fury

Café Society opened the 69th annual Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews. Woody Allen became the first and only director to have three opening night films selected for the Cannes Film Festival.

It’s New York in the 1930s. As he has more and more trouble putting up with his bickering parents, his gangster brother and the family jewelry store, Bobby Dorfman feels like he needs a change of scenery. He decides to go and try his luck in Hollywood where his high-powered agent uncle Phil hires him as an errand boy.

In Hollywood he soon falls in love, but unfortunately the girl has a boyfriend. Bobby settles for friendship - up until the day the girl knocks at his door, telling him her boyfriend just broke up with her. All of a sudden Bobby’s life takes a new turn, and a very romantic one at that. The soundtrack features a great collection of the music from the 1930’s. The music is featured prominently in the movie and has been chosen by Woody Allen himself and features newly recorded jazz standards by Grammy Award winners Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks and classic recordings from Ben Selvin, Benny Goodman and Count Basie.

Woody Allen says about the soundtrack: “The soundtrack consists of music from the 1930s since that’s when the picture takes place. Most of the material is Rodgers and Hart who is very dominant in those year and Lorenz Heart have that bitter sweet romantic quality that defines the spirit of the movie itself.”

This is a limited edition of 500 individually numbered copies on blue coloured vinyl. A 4-page booklet with pictures from the film and credits is included.

When Glen Campbell walked onstage at the Troubadour on West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip on August, 19, 2008, he was even more iconic than the legendary venue that birthed The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Elton John, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles. 'Performing a stunning mix of songs embedded in our DNA (“Rhinestone Cowboy,” “Galveston”) and unexpected jewels from Lou Reed (“Jesus”), Foo Fighters (“Times Like These”), Tom Petty (“Walls (Circus),” “Angel Dream”), Paul Westerberg (“Sadly Beautiful”) and Green Day (“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”), Campbell is in fine voice and demonstrates on more than one song his dexterity, tone and emotional transparency on guitar. With a band that includes four of his children, session and live veterans from Beck, Jellyfish, Jane’s Addiction, Murphy’s Law, D Generation and Danzig, it was a night of music that explored the commonalities of genres, country-tinged arrangements and how good live music feels. RADIO: BBC Radio 2 Play, Chris Country Premiere, Absolute Country, Downtown Country, Smooth Country PRESS: Country Music Publications TW: 19.7K, FB: 339K, IG: 12.5K Available as a standard CD jewelcase and 2-disc vinyl.

This group represents the germ of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and marked the path
for the future. Brown, pianist Horace Silver, and alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson were
somewhat established, but skyrocketed to stardom after this band switched personnel.
This was perhaps Blakey’s most acclaimed combo, along with the latter-period bands
featuring Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter. Three of Silver’s greatest compositions can be
heard here: “Split Kick”, “Quicksilver”, and “Mayreh” (a reharmonization of the standard
“All God’s Children Got Rhythm”).
Clifford’s wonderful ballad playing is showcased on “Once in a While”. This music was
first released in 1954 on three 10” LPs, and then remarketed in 1956 on two 12” LPs,
whose configuration is followed here.
“This recording launches an initial breakthrough for Blakey and modern jazz in general
and defines the way jazz music could be heard for decades thereafter. Everybody must
own copies of all volumes of A Night at Birdland.”

In their 6 years on air, Flip The Script Radio has become the industry standard, the go-to radio show where fans and industry heads alike flock to hear the next hip hop superstars before they blow up. Steeped in the rich history of the scene, FTSR's focus on real MCs, genuine turntablism and their 'do it for the culture' approach has garnished them praise from every corner of the hip hop universe.

To celebrate their 6 Year Anniversary, Flip The Script Radio has joined forces with Good For You Records and one of the greatest MCs of all time for a very special, limited edition 7" release. We are beyond excited to present this work of art by a cultural icon, one of the best lyricists of all time, Grand Puba. This special edition vinyl release revisits one of Puba's most beloved classics "I Like It", reinvented with an 8 piece band, an acoustic version, featuring freshly re-spit verses by the rap legend himself, breathing new life into this crowd favourite.

Muse celebrate the twentieth anniversary of ‘Origin Of Symmetry’ by releasing ‘Origin Of Symmetry: XX Anniversary RemiXX’ on Warner Records. The new edition features remixed and remastered audio plus re-imagined artwork and will be released on digital formats on June 18th before two vinyl packages follow on July 9th.



As the album’s anniversary approached, Muse asked the Grammy-winning producer Rich Costey, who has produced or mixed material on almost every subsequent record, to revisit the original recordings. Whereas most remix albums aim to radically rework the material, or to switch to an entirely different genre, the band and Costey wanted to provide a renewed clarity with a more open, dynamic and less crushed sound. This highlights parts and ideas previously buried or muted on the original mixes, like a harpsichord on ‘Micro Cuts’ and Abbey Road recorded strings on ‘Citizen Erased’, ‘Megalomania’ and ’Space Dementia’.



And that’s precisely what has been achieved. From the visceral opening riff of ‘New Born’ to the cinematic melancholy of the closing ‘Megalomania’ via the staggering scope of fan favourite ‘Citizen Erased’, the remix unveils every facet of the album’s intricate production alongside a new-found warmth. It further benefits from mastering courtesy of Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios.



Matt Bellamy said:



"In revisiting the album what we found was the original mixes on the singles, like ‘Plug In Baby’ and ‘Bliss’, were pretty good so they were the hardest ones to improve. It was the deeper album tracks like ‘Micro Cuts’ where we were able to make massive breakthroughs."



The ‘XX Anniversary RemiXX’ also adds ‘Futurism’ to the tracklist. Originally a bonus track on the album’s Japanese edition and subsequently tagged to the end of the album on streaming services, ‘Futurism’ now adds a burst of energy to bridge the gap between ‘Feeling Good’ and ‘Megalomania’. This reflects its placing on the 2019 box set ‘Origin of Muse’.



‘Origin of Symmetry: XX Anniversary RemiXX’ is completed with a modernised reimagination of the album’s cover art courtesy of Sujin Kim. The visual artist has created a hyper-realistic 3D rendering of William Eager’s original cover image.



‘Origin of Symmetry: XX Anniversary RemiXX’ is now available to pre-order, with ‘Citizen Erased’ provided as an instant download. A limited edition exclusive 140 gram coloured double-vinyl set is available from the band’s official store. A striking package and a must-have item for collectors, it features LP1 on translucent sun yellow vinyl and LP2 on translucent orange vinyl. It will also be released on double black vinyl and digital formats. Both versions of the vinyl feature an unorthodox detail: the sides are marked M, U, S and E rather than the standard format

Limited Edition Classic LPs - 180g Virgin Vinyl -Audiophile Pressing Gerry Mulligan, Baritone Sax; Thelonious Monk, Piano; Wilbur Ware, Bass; Shadow Wilson, drums. New York, August 1957. Produced by Orrin Keepnews. Thelonious Monk was a creator in the true sense of the word. The current LP includes one of his rare albums that could fit within the standard formula of “jazz star 1 meets jazz star 2”. The pianist seldom shared the bill with other stars or accepted playing second fiddle to anyone. Two rare exceptions include his two 1950 sides backing singer Frankie Passions (“Especially to You” and “Nobody Knows”), and his 1950 studio session backing Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. But Monk is the leader on most of his recordings, and in a way, he was also the leading voice on this meeting with Gerry Mulligan. Most of the tunes played here are compositions by Monk, with the exception of the standard “Sweet and Lovely” - a favourite of Monk’s, who recorded it dozens of times - and Charlie Shavers’ “Undecided”, which could well have been Gerry’s only call for the evening. Although it remains clearly recognizable, the latter tune was slightly modified here, retitled “Decidedly” and attributed to Mulligan himself. No other recording of “Undecided” by Monk is known to exist. “’Round Midnight” was a Mulligan request for the session, as he wanted to record the song with its composer. It is clearly one of the best tracks of the whole album. However, the fact that no new compositions by Monk were recorded on this date seems to indicate that Monk always preferred to make his own albums and didn’t dedicate too much time to such experiments as Mulligan Meets Monk, which he may have regarded as a “commercial” venture. 4.5 Stars - Down Beat “The minutes of this meeting are very interesting indeed. They begin with a lyrical “’Round Midnight” and continue through Monk’s brittle “I Mean You”. In between, there are stretches of good to excellent Mulligan, brilliant Ware, and good to excellent Monk.” (Dom Cerulli)







g b4 | Straight, No Chaser [Alternate Version]

COS might not be the first genre defying progressive music group you’ve heard who share both wordless onomatopoeic vocals and a snappy three letter title (complete with philosophical leanings and alchemic penchants) but on listening to this first ever custom Cos compendium you might have just discovered a new favourite!

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that COS share close spiritual, stylistic or social connections to the aforementioned bands, as one of the few long-withstanding single-syllable ensembles to remain utterly idiosyncratic and incomparable within their hyper-focussed and impenetrable creative bubble. But as a 1970s group that effortlessly MIX head-nod prog, synth-driven jazz, cinematic sound-designs, dislocated disco, arkestral operatics and high-brow conceptual anti-pop grooves, it’s easier to remember the name COS than thumb the vast amount of genre-dividers in your local record shop which COS COULD occupy. With the crème de la crème of Belgian jazz/prog/psych/funk within their ranks, their combined idea-to-ability ratio litters the Cos-ography with concepts that aficionados, future fans, collaborators and critics still haven’t began to unravel.

With their earliest roots in the compact jazz group Brussels Art Quintet the group spent their sapling years creating art-school prog under the name Classroom, this flourishing collective, cultivated by multi-instrumentalist mainstay Daniel Schell, would soon shed its leaves, dropping band-members and typographics reducing its moniker to simply COS (a multi-purpose, globally recognised word, with links to Alchemy and philosophy, with a hard phonetic delivery to suit the groups heavier rhythmic approach). In it’s new skin COS also shed all forms of orthodox language to find its true exclusive voice. Fronted, in the conventional sense, by the daughter of author and part-time jazz player Jean De Trazegnies, the bands wordless singer changed her name to Pascale SON, to accentuate the French word for “sound”. Drawing comparisons with sound poets like Polish jazz legend Urszula Dudziak or Hungarian Katalin Ladik, but retaining the crystalline femininity (and funk) of Flora Purim, while effectively sharing an imaginary lyric book of non-words with Damo Suzuki, Magma or a future Liz Fraser... To use the word “unique” would, by COS academic standards, be lazy journalism.

TROJAN JAMAICA / BMG is proud to announce the release of U-ROY’s final full-length, SOLID GOLD U-ROY. The album was originally set to come out in 2020 with plans for a worldwide tour in support, but unfortunately, the pandemic delayed the release. Now, with the heartbreaking loss of U-ROY on February 17, the album has become a celebration of one of the most profoundly influential reggae stars of his generation. An originator of the chatty rhythmic vocal style known as toasting — a key foundational element in the development of rap in its nascent stages in the 1970s — U-ROY left behind an unmatched legacy which is clearly on display on SOLID GOLD U-ROY, with its guest appearances including ZIGGY MARLEY, SHAGGY, MICK JONES of THE CLASH, SANTIGOLD, SLY & ROBBIE, DAVID HINDS of STEEL PULSE, and more. The album arrives on
July 16, 2021.

SOLID GOLD U-ROY is being heralded today by the release of “MAN NEXT DOOR” (Feat. SANTIGOLD). One of the great reggae songs of all time, the track features an indelible guest appearance by the incomparable Santigold. “Man Next Door” is a beloved reggae standard written by John Holt and released in 1968 by his group The Paragons. U-ROY sampled the song in 1982 for “Peace and Love in the Ghetto” on his Original DJ album. Pre-orders of SOLID GOLD U-ROY will come with an instant grat download of “MAN NEXT DOOR”

Second solo album, twenty five years after his solo debut "Little Bruises" was released. This record see's Gary in a reflective mood across the 11 songs. Standard black vinyl LP and CD formats. Ads, features, interviews and reviews across all press. TV promo includes BBC Breakfast, This Morning, Sunday Brunch and more TBC. Radio support with spot plays, interviews and sessions across R2, 5Live, Talk Radio, ILR network. Online/social media activity and poster campaign/database mailout.

180g Coloured Vinyl Series. Contains New Specially Prepared Liner Notes By Penguin Guide To Jazz’s Writer Brian Morton And By Paris’ Prestigious Jazz Magazine. “....The mood of their Verve recording together, though, was deliberately gentler, less taxing, more intimate. These tunes, light in their way, almost homespun, are invested with an extraordinary humanity. There isn’t an ounce of sentiment in “Under a Blanket of Blue” or “Isn’t This a Lovely Day?”, but there is deep feeling and a profound sense of human solidarity. They were not singing about civil rights, there is no erotic charge in the encounter; when they sing about breaking hearts, it’s clear that everything is mendable. The challenge of bebop had been met and quietly negotiated. Here was jazz with its original message: the individual matters, but others matter, too. The mutual respect with which Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and the other four exceptional musicians go through a repertoire of unforgettable standards selected by Granz is readily apparent. Songs like “They Can’t Take That Away from Me”, “Tenderly” and “April in Paris” make Ella & Louis a jewel of simplicity and timeless humanity.” Vocals; Louis Armstrong, Trumpet & Ella Fitzgerald Vocals; Oscar Peterson, Piano; Herb Ellis, Guitar; Ray Brown, Bass; Buddy Rich, Drums Hollywood, August 16, 1956. Original Session Produced By Norman Granz. *Bonus track: Ella Fitzgerald (vc), Louis Armstrong (tp, vc) with Bob Haggart & His Orchestra. New York, January 18, 1946. 5 Stars - Down Beat Magazine Ella & Louis is one of the very, very few albums to have been issued in this era of the LP flood that is sure to endure for decades.” (Nat Hentoff)

4th album on Columbia Records from Brit Award winning/Ivor Novello award winning British singer/songwriter. A 16 track album available on standard black vinyl and standard CD. TV promo includes Graham Norton, Lorraine, Martin & Roman, The One Show, Sunday Brunch. Radio support across R2, R1, Absolute, Virgin, ILR network. Ads, features, interviews and reviews across all press. Online/social media activity. UK tour dates in early 2022. Poster campaign and database mailout.

Pianist McCoy Tyner was an acknowledged force of nature. On the aptly-named Expansions, Tyner fronts a remarkable band consisting of Woody Shaw on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Gary Bartz on alto saxophone, Ron Carter on cello, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Freddie Waits on drums. Stand-out tracks in a program of four Tyner originals and one standard include the timeless masterpiece “Peresina” and the immersive opening track “Vision.” Blue Note Records’ Tone Poet Audiophile Vinyl Reissue Series is produced by Joe Harley and features all-analog, mastered-from-the-original-master-tapes, 180g audiophile vinyl reissues in deluxe gatefold packaging. Mastering is by Kevin Gray (Cohearent Audio) and vinyl is manufactured at Record Technology Incorporated (RTI).

DEATH's landmark Spiritual Healing record is nothing short of genre-defining. Originally released in 1990, Spiritual Healing marked a new turn in the DEATH discography, one which ushered in cleaner production, a new level of boundary pushing musicianship and songwriting skills that were previously unimaginable from a metal band. Spiritual Healing sets the standard for riffs, insane time changes and of course mainman Chuck Schuldiner's masterful guitar solos. Includes Digital Download

Back in print ! Inascoltable is the first album from Bolognese group Skiantos, the band that added a completely different flavor to the italian underground with their delirious performances and over the top lyrics. Released through Oderso Rubini's Harpo's Bazaar label (later Italian Records) in 1977 on cassette format, the album was recorded in one night in November 1977 in a session that was almost improvised. It was later printed on LP in 1979. This reissue from the original master does full justice to the insanely creative playing of the band fronted by Freak Antoni, who were true forerunners of demented rock and virtuous artists capable of colorfully interpreting all the non-standard rock movements from the British and American underground. This record wouldn't be out of place in the Zappa discography, although the whole turned out a little bit more punk...

Milan Records release - much anticipated new film from Leos Carax set to open the 74th Cannes Film Festival on July 6th 2021 (general release in France on the same date). Based on an original story and music by Ron and Russell Mael, Annette began life as an (unreleased) album but was transformed into a musical after they met Carax. Having successfully maintained a five decade long career as one of the world’s most innovative and creative bands, it comes as no surprise that their collaboration with the visionary French director has resulted in a unique piece of film-making. Music is composed and performed by Sparks and also features vocal performances from the stars of the film: Adam Driver (Henry), Marion Cotillard (Ann) and Simon Helberg (The Conductor). Produced by Sparks and Marius de Vries (musical director of 'La La Land' and 'Moulin Rouge'). Formats include a 15 track CD presented in a digi sleeve with a 12 page booklet featuring the lyrics and stills from the film and a standard black 180gm vinyl LP with gatefold sleeve and poster. Specialist promo/marketing activity across all media outlets.

'The inventive record producer and vocalist Lee 'Scratch' Perry was involved in every musical shift of note in his native Jamaica, from the rhythm and blues that pre-dated the arrival of ska in the early 1960s through the slower and more spacious rocksteady style that appeared middecade and, of course, the frenetic sound of reggae, which he helped to birth as an independent producer during the late 1960s. Operating as 'The Upsetter' from his base in a downtown Kingston record shop, Perry found his greatest success with instrumental music during this phase, the organ and saxophone re-castings of standard vocal issues proving exceptionally popular overseas.

'Scratch The Upsetter Again surfaced early in 1970 as a largely instrumental set, but with dreamy reverb a hefty feature and keyboards veering away from standard organ motifs. Dave Barker, who was soon to hit the pop charts as part of Dave & Ansel Collins, tackles The Shirelles' 'Will You Still Love Me' in soul reggae mode, only for Perry to shift things towards the emerging dub spectrum with 'Take One.'

'As Perry inched ever closer to the dub experimentation he would turn into an art form at his own Black Ark studio later in the decade, Scratch The Upsetter Again shows him moving away from the standard approaches of his competitors in his quest to test the very limits of recorded sound. And reggae was all the richer for it.'
—David Katz (excerpt from the liner notes)

Re-mastering by: Cicely Baston at Alchemy/Air Mastering, London

Electric blues guitarist Melvin Taylor had been sporadically recording solo albums for 20 years when Dirty Pool arrived — and was somehow just beginning to find fame. Already a hit in Europe, it had taken a steady run of performing in Chicago’s famed blues clubs to slowly earn Taylor a well-deserved reputation as an equal talent among the giants before him, such as Otis Rush, Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

While early records like Melvin Taylor Plays the Blues For You show off an equally amazing jazz side, Taylor traded away his Wes Montgomery-inspired runs for more Luther Allison/Jimi Hendrix attacks with the formation of the trio Melvin Taylor and the Slack Band in the mid ’90’s.

The title song of the second album by that outfit, “Dirty Pool,” is actually more the balls-to-the-wall, no-compromise, hard-rockin’ electric Texas blues of Vaughan and Johnny Winter than the sweet Chicago soul of Buddy Guy.

Indeed, three tracks on this 1997 release, including “Dirty Pool,” were SRV tunes. Other standards, like “Kansas City” and “Floodin’ in California” also have more of a Lone Star State approach to them. But the Jackson, Miss.-born Taylor’s guitar is cleaner than his forebears and technically, he even surpasses them, yet the anger and sorrow of the blues is readily evident in his playing.

This rare combination of qualities really comes out in a slow blues tune like his solo in “Dirty Pool,” which after repeated listens, still makes me head shake in disbelief when I hear it.

“Too Sorry” is a good example of how well Taylor fares when he treads in Jimi Hendrix territory, whereas his rhythm work is the best I’ve heard from a lead guitarist since Vaughan; listen to “I Ain’t Superstitious,” “Born Under A Bad Sign” and the funky “Telephone Song” for your proof.

It also helps that Taylor’s drummer James Knowles is well in synch with him, while Ethan Farmer completely owns the low end of the sound. Farmer’s peppering bass lines in and “Floodin’ in California” is the textbook way electric blues bass should be. Overall, a tight little band.

Taylor’s vocals certainly won’t draw any comparisons to the Wide-Brimmed–Hatted One but he holds his own just fine until it’s cuttin’ time. This is right at the top of my list of best blues guitar playing on record over the last couple of decades. If you decide to give this one a listen, prepare to be blown away.

The legendary soundman and record producer, Lloyd Coxsone, began his career in the 1960’s soon after arriving from Jamaica. He was one of the first soundmen to play at West End clubs where a generation of British pop stars like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones first heard music from Jamaica. Sir Coxsone sound then dominated the seventies, when Bob Marley & Dennis Brown were among his greatest allies, as heard on unforgettable dub-plates from that era.



He formed the Tribesman Label and issued King of the Dub Rock before recording the likes of Fredlocks, Willy Stepper & Jimmy Lindsay. King of the Dub Rock 1 & 2 are recognized as reggae classics. They not only feature Lloydie’s own productions but also riddims by Jamaican producer Gussie Clarke and heavyweight dubs by mix master Scientist. On King of the Dub Rock 3, Lloydie teams up with Jahsolid Rock Music, who’s albums with Brinsley Forde, Apple Gabriel and Earl 16 were regularly heard on Sir Coxsone playlists. This album features exclusive dub mixes and vocal tracks from these artists plus brand new tunes by Mutabaruka, Chezidek, Micah Shemaiah, Var & Ras Teo.



King of the Dub Rock 3 is an essential companion for all Coxsone fans wanting to complete the trilogy. It delivers such a high standard of musical quality that it promises to be a modern day classic!

Born in rural Mississippi and associated with Memphis, versatile entertainer Rufus Thomas is a legendary figure, having been a tap-dancer, comedian, and DJ before recording for Satellite in 1961—the label that soon became Stax. Thomas’ improvised hit, ‘The Dog,’ led to immortal follow-up, ‘Walking The Dog,’ so massively popular that it became the centrepiece of his debut LP, an irresistible blend of funk and soul with lashings of Thomas’ trademark humour. Whether with originals or standards like ‘Ya Ya’ and ‘Land Of 1,000 Dances,’ Thomas keeps the action tight and in addition to both ‘Dog’ hits, there is further instalment, ‘Can Your Monkey Do The Dog,’ co-penned with Stax’s Steve Cropper. A killer set!

From their genesis as members of the Venus club in-house band in the early 70s, Hailu Mergia and the Walias Band were at the forefront of the musical revolution during an era where modern instruments and foreign styles superseded the traditional fare to become the staple sound of Ethiopia. No one would argue that the Walias were the trailblazing powerhouse of modern Ethiopian music. They were the first band to form independently without affiliation to a theatre house, a club or a hotel; unprecedented and risky as they had to raise all funding for expenses by themselves including buying equipment. They were the first to release full instrumental albums, considered to be commercially unviable at the time. They opened their own recording studio, with band members Melake Gebre and Mahmoud Aman doubling as technical buffs during sessions. They were also the first independent band to tour abroad. In short, they were the pioneers every band tried to emulate; some more successfully than others.
Odds are, any Ethiopian over the age of 35 who had access to TV or radio by the early 90s, will instantly recognize the sound of Walias. What is not a given is, how many would actually identify the band itself. Barely a day went by without hearing the Walias either in the background on radio or as an accompaniment to various programs on TV.

This Tezeta album, the band’s second recording, released in 1975, is one of those that have been impossible to find for nearly three decades. Sourced by Awesome Tapes From Africa and expertly remastered by Jessica Thompson, its unique and funky renditions of standards and popular songs of the day are so quintessentially Walias, flavorful and evocative. Hailu's melodic organ, unashamedly front and center in every track, makes even the complex pieces accessible.
Profoundly engaging; it's an immersive trip down memory lane for those of us getting reacquainted with it, while also an enthralling and gratifying experience for fresh ears.

Virtually unknown recording outside Ethiopia.
Documents Mergia & Walias legendary early period.
Follow-up to reissue of hugely popular seminal Ethiopian instrumentals LP Tche Belew (ATFA012)

Cassette-only, released in 1975 on the band’s in-house label to fund their record store.
Beautifully-rendered instrumentals of classic Ethiopian standards.

Now releases on LP - JUSTICE includes “Holy” feat. Chance The Rapper, “Lonely” feat. Benny Blanco, and “Anyone,” the three global smash hit singles that have garnered over two billion streams worldwide and amassed over 250 million in weekly radio audience, as all three currently reside in the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart. Released as 2 x standard weight vinyl, gatefold sleeve

Released on the We Are Vinyl label via CMG - chronicles Aretha's RCA and Arista recordings. An excellent retrospective of the 'Queen's' last act showcasing Aretha's 80's work in all its glory. The crisp, synth heavy soul pop sound of her later career remains essential to this day. Originally released in 2012 this latest edition adds Aretha’s powerful cover of Adele's 'Rolling In The Deep' to the original tracklist, which also includes "Who's Zoomin Who?", "Sisters Are Doin' It", "A Deeper Love", "I Knew You Were Waiting...", "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "Freeway Of Love", "Jimmy Lee" and more. An 18 track album pressed on standard black vinyl with download code. Marketing.

Standard version on black vinyl. 2LP in gatefold sleeve with liner notes. Utopic Cities is an eclectic selection of forward-thinking jazz from the Belgian underground, including the left-field fusion of Marc Moulin's Placebo, Koen De Bruyne, Solis Lacus and more.

Standard version on black vinyl. 2LP in gatefold sleeve with liner notes. Utopic Cities is an eclectic selection of forward-thinking jazz from the Belgian underground, including the left-field fusion of Marc Moulin's Placebo, Koen De Bruyne, Solis Lacus and more.

"On June 11, rock legends KISS will launch their new official live bootleg series, KISS – Off The Soundboard, with Tokyo 2001, recorded by the band at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan on March 13, 2001. This marks the first in a series of upcoming live releases through UMe and will be available as a 3-LP standard black vinyl set and a 2-CD set.
Tokyo has always held a special place of importance throughout the KISStory of the band and Off The Soundboard: Tokyo 2001 captures KISS giving the packed 55,000 seat venue the quintessential KISS live experience, direct from the soundboard with such classic anthems as “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” “Heaven’s On Fire,” “Rock & Roll All Night” and the #7 1976 Billboard hit “Detroit Rock City,” as well as rarities such as “I Still Love You” from 1982’s Creatures Of The Night. The 21-track concert is a celebration of the band’s musical legacy and features co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, with Ace Frehley on guitar and Eric Singer on drums."

“The term ‘Front Porch Singin’’ may actually be a metaphor for
many creative and conceptual musical ideas. But, for us, this title
has become more of an attitude than anything else. What if the
four of us were sitting on a porch together and someone begins to
sing a favorite old Gospel song, like ‘Swing Down Chariot’, or a
country and Western standard like ‘Red River Valley’, and
everyone else just joined in?
“That is what happened at RCA Studio A. But, as usual under
producer Dave Cobb’s leadership, this album turned into so much
more. The Front Porch Singin’ attitude remained prevalent
throughout, as songwriters, musicians, Dave and all four of us
kept coming to the table with terrific creative ideas to enhance our
Front Porch experience.
“This project is quite honestly one of the most heartfelt albums we
have ever recorded. Perhaps it is because we recorded these
songs in the middle of a raging pandemic that changed the face of
America and obviously took a huge toll on those of us in the music
business. It was a bit strange to social-distance from each other in
the studio, but we believe it drew us all closer and, in doing so, we
may have inadvertently recorded the perfect project for this time
period. These songs, whether new or old, reflect a certain
optimism and a deep-seated faith that God will work all of this out
as we move forward. ‘Life is beautiful’, as one song says. We must
embrace it and celebrate it with all of our being.
“Join us on The Front Porch and, if it is God’s will… Let’s keep on
SINGIN’.” - The Oak Ridge Boys
Produced by six-time Grammy award-winning producer Dave
Cobb (John Prine, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Sturgill
Simpson, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit), who also co-wrote several
of the songs on the album.
The Oak Ridge Boys are members of the Country Music Hall of
Fame and The Grand Ole Opry. They are Grammy, ACM, CMA
and Billboard Award winners. They have had 12 gold, three
platinum and one double platinum album, more than a dozen
national Number One singles and over 30 Top Ten hits.

Lotus Wash drops his debut album on LBD Sounds, bringing a whole load of fresh material which came out from his experience as a session musician, and performing his experimental live sets around the Czech Republic. He connects the dots between classically trained musician and modular synth-head, working in Prague's DIY shop and creative community Noise Kitchen. The album spans across 6 original tracks of pure analogue bliss and live ideas, alongside three remixes from his closest allies, local producers Oliver Torr, Vision of 1994, and Hrtl.

The Field Theory was created during a period of deep fascination with quantum physics, with the tracks being conceptually and aesthetically inspired by some of its phenomena. Acoustically, it's mostly a slow and dark affair, with Lotus Wash only letting the light in very briefly when the sun is young (Magnetic Moment), keeping the shutter firmly closed for the rest of the record. His music does not rely on banging beats to drive it, instead letting intense grooves do the job from deep underground, just like on earth-shattering album opener Vacuum Fluctuation. He masters his craft of building atmosphere, a skill learnt during multiple collaborations with various Czech theatres. Of course, he lets the steam out occasionally, and always with devastating effect (Higgs Field, Casimir Force), but mostly choses to keep it capped, humming and hissing. When the sky clears, he opts for a minimalistic and hypnotic approach, only to disturb this peace with a killer bassline in one of the album's highlights – Spooky Action in A Distance – later re-imagined and re-electrified by Oliver Torr. Standard Model is anything but your standard techno, while Hrtl's remix of Magic Moment flirts with techno too, but on a dubbier and brighter side. Bringing the album to a close is Vision of 1994's downtempo take on the same track, finally letting you breathe out.

“In some respects, Trust is a simultaneous documentation of progression and regression. A homecoming of sorts, influenced by the interim where we developed our skills as producers and our skills as artists. Armlock, as a vehicle, seems like returning full circle to where we started.”

Trust, out June 2, 2021, is the debut release of Australian duo, Armlock. It’s a nuanced record that explores trials felt in personal growth, from resentment to submission to complacency. A quiet, thrashing gem of songcraft, the record makes as much use of the intimate, empty space as it does of its layered, heavy instrumentals. Each one of these songs conjures a summer storm of internal conflict, with the angst and uncertainty that comes with realizing that you’re finished growing, and rather than feeling a sense of ease you’re left restless and discontented.

Multi-instrumentalists Simon Lam and Hamish Mitchell met studying jazz together at Monash University in Melbourne. While rehearsing standards for a small ensemble in 2010, the two discovered their mutual hatred of the genre, opting to explore experimental, song-based electronic music. Alongside Solitaire Recordings owner, Dan Rutman, they went on to form the group I’lls, releasing four records in five years, and, later, the two went on to form Couture. Simultaneously, Lam (along with his cousin Chloe Kaul) found success with the synthpop group Kllo, amassing over 100 million streams on Spotify and critical acclaim from Pitchfork, The Guardian, GQ, NME, NYLON, and Stereogum. Lam’s solo project Nearly Oratorio (also on Solitaire Recordings) has achieved acclaim in its own right, as has Mitchell’s work as a producer and designer for artists like Jack Grace.

With their first release as Armlock, the duo maintains the depths of I’lls’ electronic soundscapes but brings the warmth of analogue instruments with Lam’s clear, disillusioned singing up front. He sounds both heartfelt and dejected in equal measure, with a dispassionate coolness that synergizes with the vulnerability of his lyrics. Live, the duo are backed by a reel-to-reel tape, with Mitchell on guitar and Lam singing, bridging their electronic past and indie present.

Liz Phair announces ‘Soberish’, her highly-anticipated new album and first collection of original
material in eleven years. Produced by Phair’s longtime collaborator Brad Wood - known for helming
Phair’s seminal albums ‘Exile In Guyville’, ‘Whip-Smart’ and ‘whitechocolatespaceegg’ - ‘Soberish’ is
released via Chrysalis Records.
Almost thirty years since her peerless debut album ‘Exile In Guyville’ was released (voted #56 in
Rolling Stone’s 2020 list of the 500 Greatest albums Of All Time), Phair returns with a new record that
will both intrigue and satisfy her long-standing fans and introduce her to a smart young audience
whose contemporary heroes have been reading from Phair’s playbook since they first picked up a
guitar.
Liz Phair has achieved the kind of status in her industry rarely bestowed on recording artists. Her
albums in the 1990s were central to the indie rock canon of the day. Her image was featured in
countless magazines, early Apple commercials and Gap ads. Her eponymous album for Capitol
Records in 2003 took Phair in a pop direction that ruffled some critics’ feathers but nonetheless went
gold, galvanizing a host of new fans, particularly among young women who fell in love with hits like
‘Why Can’t I’ and ‘Extraordinary’, tracks that were featured in several major films and TV shows,
including 13 Going On 30, Raising Helen and How To Deal. Liz has picked up two Grammy
nominations and a spot in Pitchfork’s Greatest Albums Of The 90s, with over five million record sales
to date (including three US gold albums). She sang ‘God Bless America’ at the opening game of the
Chicago White Sox World Series victory in her hometown in 2005.
‘Soberish’ is a portrait of Phair in the present tense, taking all of the facets of her melodic output over
the years and synthesizing them into a beautiful, perfect whole. She’s at the top of her game in the
recording studio, drawing upon years of experience in television composition to weave through the
songs daring and unexpected sound design. With Brad Wood’s exquisite engineering and masterful
production, the result is a wholly fresh yet satisfyingly familiar sound that challenges on the first listen
and seduces with each subsequent play through. The earworms are strong with this one.
Phair says, “I found my inspiration for ‘Soberish’ by delving into an early era of my music development,
my art school years spent listening to Art Rock and New Wave music non-stop on my Walkman. The
English Beat, The Specials, Madness, R.E.M.s Automatic for the People, Yazoo, The Psychedelic
Furs, Talking Heads, Velvet Underground, Laurie Anderson, and the Cars. The city came alive for me
as a young person, the bands in my headphones lending me the courage to explore.”
None of the arrangements on Soberish are traditional songwriting standards but the hooks are so
catchy, the imagery so compelling, that the listener is drawn effortlessly along with the music. There
are the off-kilter, unexpected guitar chords listeners will recognize as her signature style, a mainstay
from her earliest work; the instantly knowable choruses of her most pop-friendly songs of the early
2000s; the frank lyricism and storytelling that has opened doors for countless women picking up
guitars and attempting to speak about their experiences.
Phair shares insight into the meaning of her title: “‘Soberish’ can be about partying. It can be about
self-delusion. It can be a about chasing that first flush of love or, in fact, any state of mind that allows
you to escape reality for a while and exist on a happier plane. It’s not self-destructive or out of control;
it’s as simple as the cycle of dreaming and waking up. That’s why I chose to symbolize ‘Soberish’ with
a crossroads, with a street sign. It’s best described as a simple pivot of perspective. When you meet
your ‘ish’ self again after a period of sobriety, there’s a deep recognition and emotional relief that
floods you, reminding you that there is more to life, more to reality and to your own soul than you are
consciously aware of. But if you reach for too much of a good thing, or starve yourself with too little,
you’ll lose that critical balance.”

Unknown recording outside Ethiopia which documents Mergia Hailu & The Walias legendary early period. Beautifully-rendered instrumentals of classic Ethiopian standards, "Tezeta"is the follow-up reissue of the hugely popular seminal Ethiopian instrumentals LP "Tche Belew" (ATFA012). It was a Cassette-only release in 1975 on the band's in-house label, to fund their record store. From their genesis as members of the Venus club in-house band in the early 70s, Hailu Mergia and the Walias Band were at the forefront of the musical revolution during an era where modern instruments and foreign styles superseded the traditional fare to become the staple sound of Ethiopia. No one would argue that the Walias were the trailblazing powerhouse of modern Ethiopian music. They were the first band to form independently without affiliation to a theatre house, a club or a hotel; unprecedented and risky as they had to raise all funding for expenses by themselves including buying equipment. They were the first to release full instrumental albums, considered to be commercially unviable at the time. They opened their own recording studio, with band members Melake Gebre and Mahmoud Aman doubling as technical buffs during sessions. They were also the first independent band to tour abroad. In short, they were the pioneers every band tried to emulate; some more successfully than others. Odds are, any Ethiopian over the age of 35 who had access to TV or radio by the early 90s, will instantly recognize the sound of Walias. What is not a given is, how many would actually identify the band itself. Barely a day went by without hearing the Walias either in the background on radio or as an accompaniment to various programs on TV. This Tezeta album, the band's second recording, released in 1975, is one of those that have been impossible to find for nearly three decades. Sourced by Awesome Tapes From Africa and expertly remastered by Jessica Thompson, its unique and funky renditions of standards and popular songs of the day are so quintessentially Walias, flavorful and evocative. Hailu's melodic organ, unashamedly front and center in every track, makes even the complex pieces accessible. Profoundly engaging; it's an immersive trip down memory lane for those of us getting reacquainted with it, while also an enthralling and gratifying experience for fresh ears.

30th Anniversary Edition of 'Seamonsters', the third studio album by Leeds indie/alt/cult outfit. Recorded in ten days in America, 'Seamonsters' had a rougher, harsher overall sound than the group's earlier albums due to producer Steve Albini working with the band. The 2 LP package includes the studio album alongside the 'Dalliance', '3 Songs' and 'Lovenest' EP's. Rounding out the music on the release are a set of live 'BBC Peel Sessions' recordings. This 30th anniversary bundle also includes a CD comprising the studio album and EPs. Pressed on standard black vinyl. Marketing.

Helsinki-based US bassist Nathan Francis steps up as a bandleader with his debut project Nathan Francis Quartet. Together with a grade-A cast of Finnish musicians, the four-piece presents some of Nathan's favorite tunes from the standard repertoire (J.Hicks, C. McBee & J. Coltrane) as well as original compositions from members of the group. As Nathan puts it, "in terms of compositions, the group acts somewhat like a collective. We play compositions of each member but with an energy and interpretation that belongs completely to the moment."

Francis' debut album features the Finnish jazz legend Eero Koivistoinen on tenor saxophone. "Eero has given immensely to the jazz scene here in Finland and abroad. He carries a sound that is so deep and intense. I feel he is the perfect fit for this band", the young bassist explains. Koivistoinen has also composed two songs for the album, the soulful opening track Minor Solution and the bluesy track entitled Late Show. Markus Niittynen plays the piano and drummer Aleksi Heinola mans the drum seat. The former has also composed the album's third track Crystal Clear and the latter is well known as the inspired leader of his own quintet.

Now settled in Helsinki, and matriculating at the Sibelius Academy, Nathan is ready to release his debut LP. Nathan's primary wish was to form a "cross generational band as a tribute to his musical ancestors", a testament to the character of this young jazz musician. In his own words, Nathan says "meeting Finnish jazz legend, Eero
Koivistoinen, sealed the deal", and this eloquent musical project came to its fruition at the studios of the Sibelius Academy.

Double red vinyl in standard 5mm spine sleeve with printed inserts
for each vinyl.
“When BO NINGEN decided to re-issue their first album on vinyl for the first time ever. Originally it was only out on CD, they didn’t want to do the usual ‘remastering’ or ‘re-takes’. No. They “re-built” their our own debut album from a decade ago, using exactly the same material/sounds, “re-mixing”” with their new interpretation and perception.. Taigen says
“we simply wanna listen to our 1st album again with fresh ears and mind” and we invite you to do the same. 10 Years on, BO NINGEN’S debut is more fresh and relevant than it ever has been. “

Domino are immensely proud to announce the signing of my bloody
valentine, with new physical editions of the band’s seminal catalogue
being made available. ‘Isn’t Anything’ and ‘loveless’ have been
mastered fully analogue for deluxe LPs and also mastered from new
hi-res uncompressed digital sources for standard LPs, with each
being made available widely for the first time ever. Fully analogue
cuts of ‘m b v’ will also be available on deluxe and standard LPs
globally for the first time.
my bloody valentine, the quartet of Bilinda Butcher, Kevin Shields,
Deb Googe and Colm Ó Cíosóig, are widely revered as one of the
most ground-breaking and influential groups of the past forty years.
During an era in which guitar bands denoted, at best, a retroclassicism, not only did my bloody valentine sound unlike any of their
contemporaries, the band achieved the rare feat of sounding like the
future.
With their debut album, ‘Isn’t Anything’ (originally released in 1988),
my bloody valentine revolutionised alternative music and heralded a
new approach to guitar music for generations to come. The album
birthed a sound which became a template for thousands of new
subgenres, heralding a new approach to guitar music and studio
production. Not only was it a new type of music, it paved the way for a
new type of journalism; inciting comparisons to elemental
phenomenon, tapping into how the music affected the psyche.
Shields and Butcher frequently sang in a similar vocal range that
allowed their voices to blend together. This had the effect of making
their gender indistinguishable, to the point where their voices could
be used as another melodic layer to complement the vertigo-inducing
sounds made by Shields’ guitars. It is a record characterised by the
ominous sense of space that inhabits many of its songs, which
veered between the harried and propulsive, to the subdued and eerie.

Domino are immensely proud to announce the signing of my bloody
valentine, with new physical editions of the band’s seminal catalogue
being made available. ‘Isn’t Anything’ and ‘loveless’ have been
mastered fully analogue for deluxe LPs and also mastered from new
hi-res uncompressed digital sources for standard LPs, with each
being made available widely for the first time ever. Fully analogue
cuts of ‘m b v’ will also be available on deluxe and standard LPs
globally for the first time.
my bloody valentine, the quartet of Bilinda Butcher, Kevin Shields,
Deb Googe and Colm Ó Cíosóig, are widely revered as one of the
most ground-breaking and influential groups of the past forty years.
During an era in which guitar bands denoted, at best, a retroclassicism, not only did my bloody valentine sound unlike any of their
contemporaries, the band achieved the rare feat of sounding like the
future.
The second my bloody valentine album, ‘loveless’, was released in
1991. Musically, it took an unexpected leap forwards, standing ahead
of anything released at the time. Shields and the band moved further
towards a music of pure sensation, creating textures and tones that
could be felt as much as heard; with ‘loveless’ the band created an
album that overwhelmed the senses. ‘loveless’ is widely considered a
flawless whole and rightly regarded as a masterpiece; a 1990s
equivalent to ‘Pet Sounds’, ‘In A Silent Way’ or ‘Innervisions’, a record
constructed by exploring the edges of what a recording studio is
capable of. It is a record best experienced as a whole, in one sitting -
a listening experience like no other and unmatchable in its sonic
brevity.

Domino are immensely proud to announce the signing of my bloody
valentine, with new physical editions of the band’s seminal catalogue
being made available. ‘Isn’t Anything’ and ‘loveless’ have been
mastered fully analogue for deluxe LPs and also mastered from new
hi-res uncompressed digital sources for standard LPs, with each
being made available widely for the first time ever. Fully analogue
cuts of ‘m b v’ will also be available on deluxe and standard LPs
globally for the first time.
my bloody valentine, the quartet of Bilinda Butcher, Kevin Shields,
Deb Googe and Colm Ó Cíosóig, are widely revered as one of the
most ground-breaking and influential groups of the past forty years.
During an era in which guitar bands denoted, at best, a retroclassicism, not only did my bloody valentine sound unlike any of their
contemporaries, the band achieved the rare feat of sounding like the
future.
Re-emerging in 2013, after two full decades in relative hiding, my
bloody valentine’s third album, ‘m b v’, is by turns their most
experimental record but also their most melodic and immediate; proof
real of their unerring desire for re-invention. Continuing to push
boundaries of both music and genre, ‘m b v’ is an album of
astonishing music, some of which could lay claim to being of a type
never been made before. Otherworldly, intimate and a visceral listen,
‘m b v’ is a startling and beautiful metamorphosis of what was known
of the my bloody valentine sound, pushing the boundaries of genre
unlike any other band. The album’s closer, ‘wonder 2’, is an example
of this, seeing Shields meld hypnotic guitar with drum & bass to
astonishing result.

MONSTER MAGNET’s A Better Dystopia dominates with a psychotic selection of proto-metal and psych-rock obscurities! "Take a trip inside the mind of psychedelic rock legend Dave Wyndorf with MONSTER MAGNET’s A Better Dystopia – a delightfully psychotic selection of proto-metal and late-era psych songs that fit the band like a glove! With wonderfully obscure song choices and excellent sequencing, the mighty Magnet pay homage to some of their favorite songs of all time, crafting another exciting and unique listening experience alike what they’ve become famous for. While the album marks a new frontier for MONSTER MAGNET as their first covers record, this is not your typical set of standards released to pass time. Wyndorf is at the top of his game on A Better Dystopia – howling, crooning, speaking… whatever it takes to get the emotional message of these very special tunes across, delivering each lyric in his own inimitable style. Musicians Phil Caivano, Bob Pantela, Garrett Sweeney and Alec Morton own the sound on A Better Dystopia – vintage and old school, dense and heavy, with searing fuzz leads and pounding bass and drums all played in a deft style that's almost been lost in modern music..

Several years ago, the Disco Records DJ Crew members got their hands on a couple of original 70s obscurities, while these standout records shone brightly in their own right, the team finally decided to put them out as those obscure old records fetch eye-wateringly high prices on the second-hand market. Due to popular request & lovingly mastered to the highest possible standards, they are now available to play and share in very special moments at parties around the world. This will surely be one of the most keenly anticipated disco release of the year. For our first release, we are extremely proud to bring you at last, three very hard to find disco anthems on sides A & B in their glorious full extended versions

The fourth album by Rhys Celeste aka Microlith on Fundamental. "We always tried to release all the tracks Rhys sent to us as best as possible and this new album follows the same concept, design and the same quality standards, the best." Fundamental Records has the authorization and full support of the Rhys family to release this album and also the previous albums that Rhys composed during the years 2015 and 2016, albums that never were released on vinyl before. "We can proudly say we did all we can to keep the music of Rhys alive and available on vinyl in the best possible quality. All tracks have been thoroughly mastered for the best possible sound quality." This is the last project that will be released under the Fundamental Records label. As you can imagine they wanted to say good bye with something really special. Limited to 300 copies. No re-press.

The sixth album by Rhys Celeste aka Microlith on Fundamental. "We always tried to release all the tracks Rhys sent to us as best as possible and this new album follows the same concept, design and the same quality standards, the best." Fundamental Records has the authorization and full support of the Rhys family to release this album and also the previous albums that Rhys composed during the years 2015 and 2016, albums that never were released on vinyl before. "We can proudly say we did all we can to keep the music of Rhys alive and available on vinyl in the best possible quality. All tracks have been thoroughly mastered for the best possible sound quality." This is the last project that will be released under the Fundamental Records label. As you can imagine they wanted to say good bye with something really special. Limited to 300 copies. No re-press.

Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin includes pop standards penned by
America’s legendary songwriting duo George and Ira Gershwin.

As Willie tells it: “Ira and George Gershwin were just fantastic writers. They wrote some of the greatest songs ever. The Gershwin songs have been here for many, many years. When I was just a small guy, I remember hearing all these great Gershwin songs and they’ll be around forever because great music like that just does not go away.”

Among the 11 Gershwin classics recorded by Willie Nelson for the album are two duets: “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off” with Cyndi Lauper and “Embraceable You” with Sheryl Crow.

Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin debuted at number one on the Traditional Jazz and Top Jazz Albums Billboard charts, becoming Nelson’s third album to top the latter. Meanwhile, it reached number fourteen in Top Album Sales and reached number forty in the Billboard 200.

Now available as a limited edition of 1000 numbered copies on transparent red vinyl, including an insert + Willie Nelson on Music On Vinyl catalogue insert.

The Black Keys release their tenth studio album, Delta Kream, via Nonesuch Records. The record celebrates the band’s roots, featuring eleven Mississippi hill country blues standards that they have loved since they were teenagers, before they were a band, including songs by R. L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, among others. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney recorded Delta Kream at Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville; they were joined by musicians Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton, long-time members of the bands of blues legends including R. L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. The album takes its name from William Eggleston’s iconic Mississippi photograph that is on its cover.

Auerbach says of the album, “We made this record to honor the Mississippi hill country blues tradition that influenced us starting out. These songs are still as important to us today as they were the first day Pat and I started playing together and picked up our instruments. It was a very inspiring session with Pat and me along with Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton in a circle, playing these songs. It felt so natural.”

Carney concurs, “The session was planned only days in advance and nothing was rehearsed. We recorded the entire album in about ten hours, over two afternoons, at the end of the “Let’s Rock” tour.”

Auerbach says of Delta Kream’s first single ‘Crawling Kingsnake’: “I first heard John Lee Hooker’s version in high school. My uncle Tim would have given me that record. But our version is definitely Junior Kimbrough’s take on it. It’s almost a disco riff!” Carney adds, "We fell into this drum intro; it's kind of accidental. The ultimate goal was to highlight the interplay between the guitars. My role with Eric was to create a deeper groove."

The music from northern Mississippi, which came to life in juke joints, has long left an imprint on the band’s music, from their cover of R.L. Burnide’s ‘Busted’ and Junior Kimbrough’s ‘Do The Romp’ on their debut album, The Big Come Up; to their subsequent signing to Fat Possum Records, home to many of their musical heroes; and to their EP of Junior Kimbrough covers, Chulahoma.

Formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001, The Black Keys, who have been called ‘rock royalty’ by the Associated Press and ‘one of the best rock ‘n’ roll bands on the planet’ by Uncut, are guitarist/singer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. Cutting their teeth playing small clubs, the band have gone on to sell out arena tours and have released nine previous studio albums: their debut The Big Come Up (2002), followed by Thickfreakness (2003) and Rubber Factory (2004), along with their releases on Nonesuch Records, Magic Potion (2006), Attack & Release (2008), Brothers (2010), El Camino (2011), Turn Blue (2014) and, most recently, “Let’s Rock” (2019), plus and a tenth anniversary edition of Brothers (2020). The band has won six Grammy Awards and a BRIT and headlined festivals in North America, South America, Mexico, Australia, and Europe.

Otto A Totland's modern compositional elements are most widely recognized as half of the Norwegian duo Deaf Center, where his melancholic, intricate piano work provides haunting relief to the beds of noise and deep strings from Erik K Skodvin. Pinô is the first full-length release by Totland, though his solo work has been released once, as the 5-minute A-side of Sonic Pieces 7inch Harmony From the Past. Otto's previously brief vignettes are now expanded into a fully personal realization of his own style.
Initial track Open fills itself with heavy, knowing pauses that quickly become overwhelmed with the desire to understand what's to come. Each silence leads into quick flutters of keys, preparing the listener for a vast terrain of giddy beauty, bleak depths, and true contentedness. Pinô quickly recalls deep winter; in front of a fireplace for days on end, you lose how far along you've ventured into the 18 tracks without any idea how far is left to go. The experience feels inevitable, with no other option but to curl up somewhere cozy and appreciate the sense of timelessness that Totland has created. His album is a haunting modern compositional treasure, expressed through instrumentals completely unique to Totland and captured masterfully by Nils Frahm at Durton Studios.
With Pinô, Otto A Totland appears out of the Norwegian landscape, sharing an achievement that will provide a relief during the brooding winter darkness. Though a highly personal endeavor, the recognizable continuation of Totland's compositions will attract fans of Deaf Center, and the cinematic and classical components of his solo work will hold sway for those familiar with Harold Budd or Dustin O'Halloran.

The Pinô 2nd edition LP comes in a reversed cardboard jacket, printed in- and outside with full tone colours and holds printed innersleeves with the original artwork.

Michel Legrand was one-of the most gifted musicians of his generation. Born in a musical family, he studied at the Conservatoire in Paris where his precocious talents revealed themselves. Everyone noticed his entry into the jazz world in 1954 with an album of French popular songs for which he wrote jazzy arrangements. That first album’s success gave Legrand the right to make an album of his own with Columbia (Philips making a deal with Columbia US). This new album, entitled 'Legrand Jazz', was a sequel featuring legrandissime arrangements of American jazz standards. You could already, and even with tunes heard a thousand times, hear that distinctive Legrand style and the phrases, themes and leitmotifs that later appeared in 'Umbrellas of Cherbourg' or 'The Young Girls of Rochefort'. These album’s four sides feature all the ingredients composing Michel Legrand style that still “fills the world with envy.”

Now as standard black vinyl unlimited edition! - The 10-track longplayer with eight re-recorded favourite songs from the band’s catalogue and two new tracks, one called "Passive Restraints" with guest vocals by Randy Blythe from Lamb Of God!

Beginning in the summer of 2019 Weathermaker Music started to release digital only Clutch covers and re-recorded songs from their own vast catalog as a way to keep the band in the mix and in the media. The campaign is called "The Weathermaker Vault Series" and it has been successful so far with the digital release of eight singles. An album of 10 tracks on CD format was released Nov. 27, 2020 and the limited edition "Opaque White" white LP was out on January 29, 2021 entitled "The Weathermaker Vault Series Vol. I". The album contains two unreleased tracks: "Passive Restraints" with guest vocals by Randy Blythe from Lamb of God and a Spanish language cover version of "Algo Ha Cambiado", an old punk rock track by an Argentinian legend, Norberto Napolitano. As vinyl is such a thought after item these days and since the limited edition "Opaque White" LP version sold out so very quickly Weathermaker Music decided to add another LP format, this time on black vinyl.

Clear Vinyl

Post-minimalist American composer Rafael Anton Irisarri makes his Umor Rex debut with his new album, The Shameless Years. Inspired by a troubled socio-political climate, buried melodies punch their way through a bleak cover of noisy drones, periodically veering into some of Irisarri's most eerily pertinent music to date.

One of Rafael Anton Irisarri's most thematically and sonically cohesive records to date The Shameless Years came together in a relatively short burst of creativity starting at the end of 2016. Rediscovering some relatively older tools - namely Native Instruments' Reaktor, Absynth, and Kontakt software - Irisarri combined them with his collection of guitars, pedals, amps, and analogue processing gear, turning his Black Knoll Studio north of NYC into a powerful writing tool. Completed quickly by Irisarri's standards, let alone during a period of social upheaval in American society, the record faces down several key personal themes. The title, suggests Irisarri, could in fact be seen as a reflection of the era of shamelessness we're currently living in, a time of fake news and alternative facts.

Two tracks were completely remotely between Irisarri in New York and Umor Rex veteran Siavash Amini from his home in Tehran, Iran. This music came together at the peak of all the anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric happening in the USA, not to mention the banning of Iranians from entering the country, explains Irisarri. The diptych with Amini, 'Karma Krama' and 'The Faithless', seems bathed in additional waves of sorrow and dread. The wash of symphonic stormclouds of synth drones and processed notes on the latter gradually appears and disappears over the course of thirteen mournful minutes.

'Rh Negative' marches gigantic guitars through towering valleys of scarred ambient noise dealing with Irisarri's own heritage, many of his ancestors having come to America to escape poverty and oppression. The refusal of modern America to extend similar sanctuary to refugees escaping turmoil weighs heavily on the composer. Elsewhere an emotional onslaught of notes buried in mounds of greyscale noise on 'Sky Burial' aims to deal with Irisarri's very own mortality - something he was recently confronted with following health scares, an accident, and a near-death experience in 2016. Pushing 40 as this album was being made, the composer is constantly aware that he's already outlived his own father, who died at the age of 32. Facing down both intolerance and the void, the epic soundscapes of The Shameless Years are a vast cry of emotion from Irisarri. The clock is ticking - gotta make the most out of it while you still can.

All songs written and performed by Rafael Anton Irisarri, except #5 & #6 written and performed with Siavash Amini. Design by Daniel Castrejón, photos by Camilo Christen. Mastered by James Plotkin.

It is with great joy that we present the Mr Bongo edition of Marcos Valle's 1983 self-titled masterpiece. A pure vintage that features the ultimate Brazilian-boogie cult-classic ‘Estrelar’ and iconic 80s cover art that sees a gloriously sun-drenched Marcos dressed in a pink v-neck t-shirt surrounded by a generous selection of deadly-looking neon cocktails.

The album was produced by the legendary Lincoln Olivetti and Marcos' brother Paulo Sérgio Valle. It showcases a real who's who of Brazilian music at the time, with stellar performances from vocalists and musicians such as Rosana, Serginho Do Trombone, Robson Jorge and Oberdan Magalhães to name but a few. This was Marcos’ second album, after having moved back to Brazil from his time living in Los Angeles, and that US influence is evident through its prominent boogie, soul and funk sounds. It also features collaborations with the US singer-songwriter, composer, pianist, keyboardist, and record producer, Leon Ware, who co-penned three tracks including 'Estrelar'. To complete the album there are tracks such as 'Fogo Do Sol', which is pure AOR / Balaeric vibes, and tracks that are more MPB and pop-inspired, making a well-balanced track list for both home-listening pleasure and dancefloor business.

What could we do to give one of Marcos' most celebrated albums the treatment it deserved and produce the most definitive re-issue possible? The answer was to enlist the services of Miles Showell, Abbey Road Studios Mastering and lacquer-cutting engineer and all-around audio-magician, to cut a special half-speed master edition. Miles had previously worked his half-speed magic on our Arthur Verocai album re-issue, and once again we are totally blown away by the richness which Miles has brought out in his mastering technique. He has enhanced the listening experience and taken this wonderful album to another level.

To celebrate the release we have pressed up several vinyl versions; both standard master, and Miles' half-speed mastering editions on Black vinyl, alongside special limited edition Rose and Mint-Green coloured vinyl variants that were inspired by the audacious-looking cocktails on the cover - sheer 80s excess!

It is with great joy that we present the Mr Bongo edition of Marcos Valle's 1983 self-titled masterpiece. A pure vintage that features the ultimate Brazilian-boogie cult-classic ‘Estrelar’ and iconic 80s cover art that sees a gloriously sun-drenched Marcos dressed in a pink v-neck t-shirt surrounded by a generous selection of deadly-looking neon cocktails.

The album was produced by the legendary Lincoln Olivetti and Marcos' brother Paulo Sérgio Valle. It showcases a real who's who of Brazilian music at the time, with stellar performances from vocalists and musicians such as Rosana, Serginho Do Trombone, Robson Jorge and Oberdan Magalhães to name but a few. This was Marcos’ second album, after having moved back to Brazil from his time living in Los Angeles, and that US influence is evident through its prominent boogie, soul and funk sounds. It also features collaborations with the US singer-songwriter, composer, pianist, keyboardist, and record producer, Leon Ware, who co-penned three tracks including 'Estrelar'. To complete the album there are tracks such as 'Fogo Do Sol', which is pure AOR / Balaeric vibes, and tracks that are more MPB and pop-inspired, making a well-balanced track list for both home-listening pleasure and dancefloor business.

What could we do to give one of Marcos' most celebrated albums the treatment it deserved and produce the most definitive re-issue possible? The answer was to enlist the services of Miles Showell, Abbey Road Studios Mastering and lacquer-cutting engineer and all-around audio-magician, to cut a special half-speed master edition. Miles had previously worked his half-speed magic on our Arthur Verocai album re-issue, and once again we are totally blown away by the richness which Miles has brought out in his mastering technique. He has enhanced the listening experience and taken this wonderful album to another level.

To celebrate the release we have pressed up several vinyl versions; both standard master, and Miles' half-speed mastering editions on Black vinyl, alongside special limited edition Rose and Mint-Green coloured vinyl variants that were inspired by the audacious-looking cocktails on the cover - sheer 80s excess!