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UK-rock band Neck Deep have announced their upcoming self-titled album Neck Deep, set
for release on January 19, 2024, via Hopeless Records.
“We’re so stoked to announce our new self made, self titled record,” shares vocalist Ben
Barlow. “With a return to roots approach, we made this record ourselves at our warehouse
in North Wales, with Seb at the helm, and the rest of us over his shoulder, like it was at the
start.”
In the little over a decade since Neck Deep formed in the Barlow brothers’ spare room in
Wrexham, Wales, a lot has changed. From the scrappy, naively hopeful beginnings that
define the starting of so many teenage bands, the pop-punks have gone on to be one of
British Rock music’s most successful global exports in recent memory: top 5 records in both
the US and UK, global touring, viral hits and over a billion streams just some of the fruits of
ten years spent mastering their craft.

Out of print for quite a few years now, this album is a stunning power-pop gem recorded at a time when this kind of girl group pairing with punk rock was unusual.b This is one of the most iconic albums released on Greg Shaw's Bomp! Records. It now includes bonus tracks on top! Definitely stood the test of time. Check out the titles, these young ladies were wearing their collective hearts on those sleeves of theirs. This kind of girl group pairing with punk rock was unusual at the time and it provided a much-needed antidote to the male dominated skinny tie brigade. Nikki looked like Pam Dawber (Mindy from Mork and Mindy) and sounded like Clare Grogan (of Altered Images) what was not to be instantly smitten by. Born and bred in Detroit, Miss Corvette reportedly ran away from home at age 16 because her mother refused to allow her to attend an MC5 show. Greg Shaw wrote the following in the liner notes to the 20th Anniversary label compilation, Destination Bomp! "Nikki was a tireless worker. Like some coalminer's daughter, she'd travel around the country with her band. Playing 200 shows a year. She knew everybody and was a lot of fun to hang out with so, I figured that if all her friends bought the record... so I signed her. The girl had style and attitude galore plus, she had master guitarist/songwriter and former Romantic Peter James. One of Detroit's most savvy cats." The lady herself kindly supplied the following summary. "We went to LA and signed with Bomp in maybe 1979 but Greg wasn't sure what to do with us. We did the Honey Bop single with Ronny Weiser at Rollin Rock and a couple songs with the Kessel Brothers. We started something with Kim Fowley that did not work out. They kept trying different producers until we finally decided to go back to Detroit and do the album on our own. We didn't have a lot of experience but we knew what we wanted and Detroit was part of that so we recorded the album and had a blast doing it. Peter wanted us to be poppier and I wanted to be more punk. We sort of met in the middle with what I've always called Bubblegum Punk. I can't believe it's been 43 years since this came out and there are still kids discovering it and people who grew up with it that still listen to it. I constantly hear from people all different ages, all over the world about how much they love it album and that really means so, so much to me!" Hear the phenomenon for yourself.

The first release from the remastered catalogue campaign on Melanie’s own revitalised Neighbourhood Records label (via UKs Easy Action) features the song recently used on the cult TV show Black Mirror, backed with an unreleased version of the 60s hit ‘Bo Bo’s Party’. This year Shindig Magazine did a 3-page feature on Melanie as more and more people start to ask who is she? The 7” is limited to 350 coloured vinyl copies and comes in a spined picture sleeve. Melanie landed in the New York City music and radio scene in the late 1960’s. Her first single Beautiful People immediately became a turntable hit. Her first tour began with an impressive 40-day run of shows at Paris’ world-famous L’Olympia Theater at the personal invitation of Bruno Coquatrix. In the years to come she would entertain millions: at An Aquarian Exposition (the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival), at Carnegie Hall, and the Isle of Wight and Glastonbury music festivals, The Sydney Opera House, the South Korean DMZ, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the Royal Albert Hall, and other Venues around the globe. Melanie launched Neighborhood Records, making her the first American woman to open a mainstream record label. She recorded over 20 chart hits. Melanie received an Emmy after composing lyrics for the theme song of the hit television series Beauty and the Beast. “What Have They Done to My Song Ma” was re-recorded by Ray Charles with the Count Basie Band. Nina Simone delivered a remarkable rendition, as well. “(Lay Down) Candles in the Rain” was re-recorded by Mott the Hoople on their 1971 album Wildlife. Meredith Brooks and Queen Latifah later re-recorded the anthem. “Some Say (I Got Devil)" was re-recorded by Smith’s frontman Morrissey. Melanie has always known her calling in life was to entertain. Audiences have welcomed her to the stage for more than fifty years, and she continues to perform today.

To celebrate Minus the Bear’s 20th anniversary, Suicide Squeeze is issuing the band’s earliest recordings on color vinyl. 'This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic' is the starting point, Minus the Bear’s debut. Originally released on CD in 2001, this edition was remastered for vinyl by the legendary Bernie Grundman, the Hollywood-based sonic icon behind many of the industry’s landmark recordings. This pressing is limited to 1,000 copies

finally available again on vinyl, note the new price. The most critically revered and commercially successful Eluvium album finally released on stand-alone vinyl for the first time ever. Originally released on CD and Digital formats only, Copia was eventually available on vinyl exclusively as part of the Life Through Bombardment Vol. 1 box set. With thatset long out of print – and Copia celebrating its 10-year anniversary – we are finally giving this landmark album the vinyl reissue that it unquestionably deserves. Remastered for vinyl by Francesco Donadello at Calyx Mastering in Berlin, this deluxe 2xLP set is packaged in a full-color wide-spine jacket with dual heavyweight full-color inner sleeves. // “The grandest, most sweeping Eluvium record to date.” Pitchfork // “A magnificent set, awash in textures, atmospheres, moods, and emotion.” AllMusic // “Copia is the sound of Cooper surpassing himself, combining his patented minimalist drones with beautifully rendered piano.” – Drowned In Sound // Following a string of increasingly remarkable albums, Eluvium's Matthew Cooper set out to broaden his instrumental palette, while maintaining the uncanny emotional resonance that has become his trademark. The result is Copia, an hour-long epic that applies Eluvium's heartache-inducing ether to a symphony of strings, brass, keyboards and piano. Noticeably absent but hardly missed are the washes of guitars that color most of Eluvium's previous material. The deliberate exclusion of traditional rock instrumentation serves as sufficient proof that the instrument is not Eluvium's driving force. At best it is a catalyst, a vehicle to that netherworld in the back of your head, where your life starts to uncontrollably reevaluate itself. Also Available From Eluvium: False Readings On CD, 2LP, Life Through Bombardment Vol. 2 7LP, Nightmare Ending 2CD, The Motion Makes Me Last CDEP, Leaves Eclipse The Light CDEP, Similes CD, Talk Amongst the Trees CD / 2LP, An Accidental Memory In the Case of Death CD, Lambent Material CD

MONO’s beloved debut album finally available again on vinyl, note the new price. Remastered for vinyl by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service. Features all-new cover art // One of the most distinctive bands of the 21st century.” – Pitchfork // “Essential, really” – Exclaim! // “MONO have now well and truly sealed their place in the pantheon of rock history.” – Rock Sound // Under The Pipal Tree is the debut album by now-legendary Japanese experimental rock band, MONO. Released in 2001 on avant-garde icon John Zorn's Tzadik label, Under The Pipal Tree showcased a young Japanese quartet whose wide range of influences - most notably Sonic Youth, Mogwai, The Velvet Underground, and Neil Young's Crazy Horse - were on ferocious and ambitious display. Though MONO would eventually become known for their expert marriage of metal and classical genres, Under The Pipal Tree highlights the band's psychedelic roots. Long stretches of hypnotic, melodic washes give way to scorching guitar freakouts that evaporate into haunting silence. It's remarkable not just for its earnest exploration, but for its startling execution. Fifteen years and eight albums later, Under The Pipal Tree stands as one of the great debut albums by a seminal underground band. Finally released on vinyl for the first time ever, Under The Pipal Tree has been remastered for vinyl by longt ime friend and tour mate, Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service. The double album is packaged in all new artwork, and is pressed onto audiophile-quality 100% virgin vinyl. This stunning album has never looked, sounded, or felt better

'Erotic Probitoic' is Nourished By Time’s debut EP on Scenic Route, following hot on the heels of his featured track , ‘Wild Thang, Sweet Thang’, on the critically acclaimed Scenic Route 16-track digital compilation, The Road Less Travelled Vol.1, supported by BBC 1Xtra, Dazed, CRACK, BBC 6 Music, Lot Radio, NTS, The Wire and Resident Advisor. The Erotic Probiotic is an intimate glimpse into the world of Baltimore native, whose two track EP shows the duplicity of this exciting singer/songwriter/producer.

Side A, ‘Give It Away’, a beautiful multi layered serenade, showcasing the breadth of his vocal range, with delicate textures sprinkled throughout; heartaching guitar riffs and celestial chords enveloping you into this contagious dream pop melody. Give It Away is a lush R&B ballad about choosing yourself over love but choosing love over pride. The Live performance video was shot at his sold out Servant Jazz Quarters show, in April, directed by Jono Canning.

Staring Into The Fireplace, a relatable anarchist anthem for anyone working a dead-end job, filled with angst and a foreboding energy driven by eerie drums and a melancholy tone. Written whilst employed by Whole Foods during COVID , spraying down shopping carts, what he describes as “the most soul destroying job”. The song explores America’s social constructs moulded by race and capitalism, through his gravelly baritone vocals over lo-fi punk sound, with lyrics reinforcing his ‘bun down Babylon’ sentiment. Along with a self directed music video.

The Erotic Probiotic is the first EP with Scenic Route as he looks to cultivate his unique off beat, guitar driven pop sound in the lead up to his album.

The stars and their reflection on the sea still inspire Pellegrino and his live band Zodyaco. Their second LP 'Morphè' released on Early Sounds Recordings, is an ode to Naples as seen from Vesuvius. The ensemble that follows him through this musical journey has been enriched with new members for the continuous development of the label's distinctive Mediterranean sound; this marks a further step into the evolution of their Neapolitan melodic disco from the slopes of Vesuvius.
The sound and aesthetic metamorphosis of this second release, which gives the title to the LP the greek word "Morphé" is inspired by the conflicting scenarios of the Neapolitan metropolis; always caught up between the never ending and frenetic flow of its narrow alleys and the soothing relief of the sea, with the night as the backdrop that is not able to light it up its inner depths.

GLBDOM sub-label GLBDOM Classic is dedicated to nostalgic house sounds inspired by the great styles of Chicago, Detroit and New York vibes, with hints of Italo-Dream house and even the Balearics. We get all that here on this new split EP from French house producer Sunny Galaxy and Englishman Dan T.

Sunny opens up with some happy, piano-laced party starters, well-swung garage-house grooves and steamy basement jams, then Dan T offers a B-side trio headed up by the gloriously vocal laced 'Wrong Time.' 'My Desire' cuts up the groove with some nice raw percussion and 'Want To Love You' is a sultry and jazz-tinged number for lovers.

The first in a four-volume retrospective of Kuduro and tarraxinha pioneer DJ ZNOBIA. Incoming unto the world for a very long time from the musseke of Rangel, home of Casa da Mé&e Ju, in the Angolan capital o Ldanda, one if not the pivotal visionary of his country’s music electronic and digital modernism DJ Znobia, o/fum/an inventor. Usually considered the first purveyor of the fluency regarding tarraxinha (drinking in its foundational slow shuffle from the city of Benguela), as well as a main player in free thinking, spontaneous, funny, depressive, silly, melancholic, hilarious all encompassing beats within kuduro, batida, techno and beyond, his influence as a producer, DJ, MC and public fiuce has had a great imprint in Angolan culture for the better part of the last three ecades. This venture went through over 700 tracks of his archive (more than double are lost in the meantime between his and the NNT library) in order to collaboratively select a fiercely representative albeit balanced affair from his production, between instrumentals for sung kuduro, instrumental kuduro/batida, sung and instrumental tarraxinha, and other creative styling from the late 90’s to the mid 2000’s. Forms now heard around the world which started here, with Znobia a decisively influential contributor, along with several of his peers and collaborators, which will be also in evidence in this four volume retrospective. His story is way too far flung for this endeavor to try and make a simple narrative out of it. You have to be him, you have to be within this territory, and we ask of the people who will approach to ask him what has happened with the history of this music and what is the current reality at ground zero Luanda, as he is a mirror and visionary of its streets, in a country with such complicated dynamics and brutal treatment of its citizens. To try to put in a clean slate for this conversation, let’s talk to a genius of street music. Your question. First, here's the opening collection of what we have to share with you.

Certainly going out to all Imperial Junglists, this track first started doing the rounds on dubplate in 1993, making an immediate impact on dancefloors across the UK and beyond. Whilst this track made waves, there were several other mixes, which were confined to DAT, never to see the light of day… Until now! Now, after many years, it’s time to liberate these mixes, as they’re just too good to be forgotten! Featuring the vocal talents of none other than Stevie Hyper D, with the original concept and premise from Remo Don and Colin Grainge. Remix production comes from Danny Styles and Eternal Bass.

Trip Hill is a one-man operation by Fabrizio Cecchi out of Florence, Italy. With a naïve approach to making music and inspiration from all over the world he is making his own homemade and original version of trippy psychedelia and krautrock. Fabrizio Cecchi played in various garage and psych rock bands in the early 90's but by 1994 he set his own cause and started to work alone and in his own universe. Originally a bass-player he since taught himself guitar, drums, keyboards and various other instruments to be able to find his own way in making psychedelic music. Ain't Trip Ceremony is the latest output in a long string of experimental home productions recorded in his basement studio. Until recently it was only available on his Bandcamp and as a very cool limited edition CD-R with covers printed on thick cardboard with a special linograph technique. But now it gets the proper release on vinyl via Bad Afro Records that these recordings deserve. 1st print is limited to 500 copies on black vinyl.

Number 6 is a special one. The new Kri record goes back to the buzzing 1980s in Yugoslavia, where numerous art projects, including bands such as Laibach, were testing the censorship and unity of the Communist Party. One such project was a punk and later post-punk/industrial band called O! Kult which took a hard stance against bureaucracy, technocracy and alienation. Their test was successful as it brought censorship and surveillance by the state and media authorities.

O! Kult’s late industrial-ish period started in the second half of the 80s after Brane Zorman experienced the British Summer of Love firsthand. The track Zvestoba (Loyalty) has never been officially released until now. Kri Records are bringing the track to life after digging it out of the cult Radio Študent archives.

The track and its mystical vibe have been reimagined by Silent Servant, Christian Kroupa (1/2 of Black Dot) and 198319831983, adding fresh EBM, electro and melancholic techno edge to the record. We want to thank Brane Zorman for trusting us with O! Kult material, all the producers and the Ministry of Culture of Slovenia for the support with the release of KRI006.

Repress!

10 years since the consumerist musings of Tesco, Matthew Herbert reanimates his Wishmountain project and heads deep underground to find the source material for Stonework: 1000 metres down.

Like many of Herbert’s projects, Wishmountain releases revolve around specific, material sound palettes, and for this latest album he’s drawn from a sample library created as a commission for the Stone Techno festival, which took place at the UNESCO World Heritage Zollverein mine in Essen, Germany. Working with sound recordist Lorenzo Dal Ri, Herbert and Dan Pollard captured a varied and wide variety of hits, tones, textures and one-shots from the frozen-in-time remnants of the Ruhr region’s coal-mining industry and from specific materials in the nearby Ruhr Museum and Mineralien-Museum. A sample library created by Matthew and Dan of the recordings was also used for the Stone Techno series, from which tracks have been commissioned by the likes of Luke Slater, Megan Leber, Ben Sims and KiNK drawing from the same sounds heard on this album.

These stone-cast sounds lend themselves to the Wishmountain framework – skeletal, quasi-industrial techno with an angular impulse and a subtle swing. Much like the breakthrough hit, 1996’s ‘Radio’ (made using samples of a broken radio), the limitations on the source material sharpen the focus of the music. What started out as a practical hardware restriction in the early 90s became a purposeful way of working for Herbert – one which carried through the 1999 album Wishmountainisdead to 2012’s Tesco with its sampling of the British supermarket chain’s 10 most popular products.

Musically, Stonework is consistent terrain for Wishmountain – austere and forbidding in one sense, playful and irreverent in another. But from a club music perspective, which Wishmountain absolutely is, it offers DJs a variety of rhythmic formations within the tool-like minimalism of the arrangements, opening up intriguing possibilities for mixing into, out of, or somewhere in between. For every 4/4 thrust and jerk there is a fractured, snaking meditation pivoting around other time signatures.

Crystal clear in its creative intention and simultaneously successful as surface-level club music, Stonework: 1000 Metres Down is a natural continuation for one of Herbert’s most celebrated, albeit intermittent, aliases.

Croatian Amor returns with “A Part of You in Everything” a companion piece to last year’s “Remember Rainbow Bridge”.

“My younger brother died at birth and I never had a chance to meet him. Growing up he was my ghost friend, someone told me he lived in the stars which I accepted. I had not paid attention to him for many years but when I was making "Remember Rainbow Bridge” and waiting for my son to come into the world he suddenly appeared again. I partly dedicated Remember Rainbow Bridge to him, but I knew that it wasn’t his record, so I thought I should make one just for him and here it is; “A Part of You in Everything”, 8 songs about being human on Earth. I think it’s music which is best listened to at night out under the stars. Thank you to all my friends who helped making it!”

Upon what instrument are we two spanned?
And what musician holds us in his hand?
- Rilke

London-based producer Otik releases his first album 'Cosmosis' on Martyn's label 3024. The 11-track LP signifies the fourth album on the imprint across its ten-year tenure, showcasing a more introspective side to Otik's musical output.

The album leans into delicate melodies, hazy atmospheres and lush analogue sounds, often evoking blissed-out feels and ripples of brilliant colour. Produced three years ago during lockdown, 'Cosmosis' comes after a period of spiritual struggles, where Otik questioned his faith, religious beliefs, and the concepts of right and wrong. While the pandemic allowed ample time for reflection, Otik translated these thoughts into music from his Peckham-based studio, later finding a home on 3024's evolving discography.

Following Otik's EP 'Soulo' in 2021, 'Cosmosis' marks the second release from the Bristol-born DJ and producer on 3024. This time, his sound stems from a broader palette, touching on slower, aerated ambient notes through to rugged D'n'B, displaying the far-reaching breadth, vision and maturity of Otik's aesthetic.

Keen to release a body of work that explores the journey of enlightenment and the struggles to get there, Otik drew inspiration from the luminary filmmaker Terrence Malick and how Malick portrayed ideas and philosophies in films like The Tree of Life and Voyage of Time. As a result, the record conveys a compelling narrative of rebirth, told through exquisite sound design and a push-pull pace that oscillates across the album.

The lead single 'Cosmosis' binds astral breakbeats with a star-lined melody stitched against a spacious backdrop. Sparse, celestial vocals punctuate the soundscape and add a spiritual feel, culminating in a dazzling trip at just over five minutes.

In February of 2022 we released 'Ina Vanguard Style', a long form documentary on Iration Steppas. The film takes us straight back to the 90s when the two founding members; Mark Iration & Dennis Rootical; met and started building tracks together, taking dub music to brand new realms…

Through the documentary, a whole new generation of young dubbers get introduced to Iration Steppas' initial project: Kitachi!
Hype quickly built around this mysterious side project and bookings stared pouring in for the duo to re-form the group alongside their 3rd musical accomplice Jack Roobles. Since then, lucky skankers have experienced 'Iration Steppas meet Kitachi' live shows at major festivals & dub events around Europe.

It's now time for Kitchi’s 1st full length album 'A Strong Unit' to be re-issued on the label; 1h20 of heavyweight year 3000 dub infused with trip-hop and rave sounds. A project first released in 1996, built at the High Rise studio in Leeds at the same time as the classic Iration Steppas' 'Original Dub D.A.T.' LP. A project which led Kitachi to tour alongside the likes of The Prodigy back in the 90s.

'A Strong Unit' featuring key tracks ‘Kitachi in Dubwize’, ‘Constructive’ & ‘Stalking’. A sonic experience for those who share the Vanguard of Dub spirit, for bass freaks and chronic fanatics!

The third album of the amazing dub duo NORMAL BIAS, consisting of YAC (Piotr Krupiński) and 77 (Tomasz Karczewski). "LP3" is a kind of closure to the trilogy started in 2016. By inviting Dariusz Dudziński (drummer of the legendary Polish indie band Ewa Braun, currently Titanic Sea Moon) to participate in the recordings, the Normal Bias musicians create a symbolic loop centered on the hometown of all three artists - Słupsk - the place where it all began, where Tomek and Darek years ago they shared their bands' rehearsal space in the famous "independent garage" - a city whose spirit naturally became the leitmotif of the entire "LP3".

The album was mixed again by the duo themselves under the reliable supervision of Kwazar, and the mastering (including cutting the lacquer!) was entrusted to Stefan Betke - co-founder of the famouse ~scape label from Berlin, which can also be treated as a symbol. The graphics based on Martiszu's design were completed by a Znajomy Grafik.

Hilit Kolet debuts on Rekids with ‘Hot Mess’, including remixes from the legendary Mike Dunn.

Following her remix of Terry Farley & Wade Teo’s ‘Why We Dance’, Hilit steps up to the Rekids plate with her debut EP for Radio Slave’s label with her single ‘Hot Mess’. A relentlessly driving drum machine werqout, ‘Hot Mess’ sees her masterfully mixing compulsive, marching rhythms with a fiercely impassioned spoken word vocal.

With added raw jackin’ energy in the ‘Even Hotter Mix’, this has the kind of late night runway energy that demands the
Sound Factory be rebuilt. On the B-side, Chicago house legend Mike Dunn’s remix of ‘Hot Mess’ is a deep groove that adds a wriggling earworm bassline, while still embracing the enchanting vocal of the original.

Hilit Kolet has been an integral part of London’s house scene ever since she started slinging vinyl at Soho’s legendary Black Market Records. Her distinctive, energetic DJ style then established her behind the decks everywhere, from high fashion shows to some of the most celebrated underground clubs in London. 2023 saw Hilit going global with shows from Ibiza to Shanghai via Printworks, Warehouse Project and Ministry of Sound.

Her summer single on the Faith imprint ‘POV Siren’ has been embraced by DJs as diverse as Robert Hood and Paul Woolford, and her edit of Laurent Garnier’s ‘Crispy Bacon’ was rinsed by many from Carl Cox to Patrick Topping, before seeing an official release by Garnier himself. ‘Hot Mess’ sets Hilit Kolet up as a serious name to watch out for in 2024.

Aroop Roy’s star is deservedly in the ascendancy! As one of London’s most exciting selectors, he’s managed to position himself in the sweet spot of being the DJ’s DJ and causing wild scenes wherever he plays, with headline grabbing sets at Defected Croatia, We Out Here, Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide and many more.

As a producer, musician and label owner, he continues to excel, armed with a vast knowledge of outernational sounds, from rare African disco, jazz, funk, to house, UKG and seemingly everything in-between. His open-minded approach has led to brilliant releases and remixes for labels as diverse as Soundway, Heavenly Sweetness, Permanent Vacation, Club Bad, Delusions of Grandeur, Atjazz Recordings and his own Vive La Musique imprint.

Having played a few gigs together, it was only a matter of time before Jimpster convinced Aroop to get an EP together for Freerange and the resulting Re Bulele EP couldn’t be any more satisfying!

Leading the charge, 'Mama Mwana' captivates with entrancing thumb piano loops and a traditional African vocal all propped up by a subtle yet chunky house beat to lock the dancers in.

'Re Bulele' features the hypnotic vocals of Botswana native Fox Meropa. Aroop masterfully combines a deep, techy Afro House groove with glassy synth pads to form a stripped back instrumental with the vocals front and centre. Seemingly disparate elements shine on this wonderful alternative to the deluge of maximal Afro House tracks being released these days.

Moroccan producer FNX Omar delivers the goods with a sublime remix of Re Bulele. Creating tension with layers of looping vocals along with a rolling, percussive groove. Like the original, this remix transcends genres and will create special moments on the dancefloor, whether it be in a dark, sweaty basement or daytime festival in the sunshine.

red marbled vinyl

After early work with Lady Gaga, Lady Starlight immediately entered techno's upper echelons playing live alongside Surgeon, earning the respect of one of the genre's most legendary hard asses, no small feat for an artist only then emerging. Forming a strong alliance with Len Faki's Figure reinforced her upward trajectory, so it's with considerable stature we introduce 'Choose', her first full solo EP since 2020.

'Choose' makes its choice from the beginning when the mutated, squealing vocal sample and insistent percussion command dancers to the floor. She adds sophistication with melodic ideas, quick breakdowns, and constantly shifting drums, the instability maintaining momentum. 'Permian-Triassic' could refer to earlier eras of techno Lady Starlight seeks to bury, although droning pads poke out of her deep soundscapes like fossils from the 90s framed elegantly. Excited like its title, 'In a Tizzy' centers its nervous energy around a seesawing motif until it breaks apart halfway through, then rides it into oblivion on top of rapid-fire drum fills and a return of the theme. The title track closes in the darkest mode, its tricked-out breakbeat evading dancer's expectations and the heavily-processed noises squalling in the background providing no respite.

The follow up to last years initial release, The Key To Our Love Vol.2 continues to highlight the rarer side of Sweet Soul by recording artists from the late 60s onwards.

The album comprises of musicians who shared their hope & dreams through independent vinyl releases. The obscurity of these privately pressed singles limited their audience; originally released in small quantities and sold locally, the artists remained largely unknown but created some of the most poignant & timeless tracks.

Bill Ryder-Jones veröffentlicht sein 5. Studioalbum "Iechy Da" am 12. Januar 2024!

Iechyd Da ist das fünfte Studioalbum von Bill Ryder Jones. Es wurde über die letzten Jahren in Bills West Kirby Yawn Studio aufgenommen. Bill setzt sich auf Iechyd Da mit verlorener Liebe, Trauer und seinen persönlichen Dämonen auseinander. Die 13 Tracks reichen von dem zarten Gal Costa-Sampling "I Know That It's Like This (Baby)" über die ausgedehnte Downbeat-Soundlandschaft von "...And The Sea..." bis hin zu der gewaltigen orchestralen Explosion von "This Can't Go On". Umhüllt von Streicherarrangements und überschwänglichen Gesangseinlagen des Chors der Bidston Avenue Primary School ist dies ein Album, das ein überwältigendes Gefühl der Hoffnung ausstrahlt, aber auch die Entschlossenheit, dass die Dinge besser werden können und werden.
Durch seine Liebe zur walisischen Musik (u.a. Gorky's Zygotic Mynci & Super Furry Animals) und die Nähe der Halbinsel The Wirral zur walisischen Grenze war Bill bereits ein Cambrophile (A lover of Wales or Welsh culture). Doch seine Leidenschaft für Cymru vertiefte sich, als er die verlorenen walisischen Wurzeln seiner Familie entdeckte, was ihn dazu veranlasste, Walisischunterricht zu nehmen und schließlich auch zum Albumtitel führte. Wörtlich übersetzt bedeutet "iechyd da" so viel wie "gute Gesundheit" und ist der walisische Ausdruck, mit dem man auf etwas anstößt.

Bill Ryder-Jones veröffentlicht sein 5. Studioalbum "Iechy Da" am 12. Januar 2024!

Iechyd Da ist das fünfte Studioalbum von Bill Ryder Jones. Es wurde über die letzten Jahren in Bills West Kirby Yawn Studio aufgenommen. Bill setzt sich auf Iechyd Da mit verlorener Liebe, Trauer und seinen persönlichen Dämonen auseinander. Die 13 Tracks reichen von dem zarten Gal Costa-Sampling "I Know That It's Like This (Baby)" über die ausgedehnte Downbeat-Soundlandschaft von "...And The Sea..." bis hin zu der gewaltigen orchestralen Explosion von "This Can't Go On". Umhüllt von Streicherarrangements und überschwänglichen Gesangseinlagen des Chors der Bidston Avenue Primary School ist dies ein Album, das ein überwältigendes Gefühl der Hoffnung ausstrahlt, aber auch die Entschlossenheit, dass die Dinge besser werden können und werden.
Durch seine Liebe zur walisischen Musik (u.a. Gorky's Zygotic Mynci & Super Furry Animals) und die Nähe der Halbinsel The Wirral zur walisischen Grenze war Bill bereits ein Cambrophile (A lover of Wales or Welsh culture). Doch seine Leidenschaft für Cymru vertiefte sich, als er die verlorenen walisischen Wurzeln seiner Familie entdeckte, was ihn dazu veranlasste, Walisischunterricht zu nehmen und schließlich auch zum Albumtitel führte. Wörtlich übersetzt bedeutet "iechyd da" so viel wie "gute Gesundheit" und ist der walisische Ausdruck, mit dem man auf etwas anstößt.

Sun Ra is better known to most as a musician than a poet, but he identified equally as both. My Words Are Music provides direct access to the sentiments of a poet who never called Earth home. The spoken word album hosts an inspired array of artists who personally chose their favorite Sun Ra poems to recite. Freed from the page, his poetry acquires an unexpected simplicity and poignance it possessed all along.

This all-star and intergenerational lineup of artists conjure wisdom from his words: spoken word elder Abiodun Oweyole of The Last Poets; rapper, and singer-songwriter Saul Williams; jazz experimentalist Melanie Charles; British-Trinidadian poet, novelist and musician Anthony Joseph; poet Mahogany L. Browne; poet, playwright, and conceptual artist Carl Hancock Rux; musician/digital composer L’Rain; singer, actor, and director Tunde Adibempe of TV on the Radio singer; British DJ and BBC radio host Zakia Sewell; ballistic hip-hop poet Jive Poetic; and longtime members of the Sun Ra Arkestra, Marshall Allen, Knoel Scott, and Tara Middleton.

Punctuated by impish electronic interludes composed and played by Marshall Allen, these voices bless Sun Ra’s poetry with new life My Words Are Music offers the opportunity to follow Sun Ra into a
better future. “Prepare for the journey,” he writes in his poem “The Cosmic Age”, “You have a rendezvous / With the living wisdom.” My Words Are Music is a project developed in conjunction with Living Sky, the all-instrumental Sun Ra Arkestra album released on Omni Sound in 2022

The first bunch of remixes for Kito Jempere's Green Monster. The album itself was a versatile journey thought all music styles and patterns you can imagine, remixes are keeping the same direction.

EP opens with a remix from multi-talented and prolific studio genius Ewan Pearson, the man behind hundreds of remixes, production and studio engineering duties for artists like Tracey Thorn, Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, The Chemical Brothers and many many more. And Mr Pearson is taking Kabwato on a journey! Originally recorded as two and half minutes as some say mid-album filler, this boat (kabwato in chewa language) is going deep down the tropical river and through breezy morning rainforest valleys. A perfect trip for your midday staying home alone errands or for your early morning ray of light at the bar with a beautiful panorama.

Same track is getting treatment from the mighty Cable Toy! Unmistakable peak time euphoria manifest - going back to my roots-esque piano meets 90s cable tv dance show house party!

On the flip is the remix by The Dawless. The Dawless are Ramil' Goddeem from LAUD and Sergey Gol'd, producer and owner of GoldxFish Music studio. They recently released their debut album "Broken Aux" on System 108, got remixed by DMX Crew and became residents of LOUD BOYZ label. The project has simple ethics: computers not allowed, only real gear and vibes. The duo has created a true rage rave anthem for Kito Jempere now. Having already been played in a lot of DJ-sets blasting through packed warehouses, now it became available to everyone.

EP closing opus is by Kito's frequent collaborator - UK born and Japan based producer Max Essa. Every Kito's album was accompanied by Max's remixes and this time he's delivering pure beauty again. Creating some Golden-era "8 1/2 weeks" vibes, Max transforms the track into a post-summer voyage anthem.

Zur Feier des 20-jährigen Jubiläums von „Ether Song“ dem zweiten Album von Turin Brakes, wird es als limitierte blaue Doppel-Vinyl neuaufgelegt! Lange Zeit vergriffen, ist es seit dem Release in 2003 das erste Mal, dass das Album neu gepresst wurde!

Clear Vinyl

The fourth Exposure Series release is upon us. If you have not heard, the Exposure series is our signature compilation series that features multiple artists and is pressed on vinyl for the most discerning DJs and collectors. 'Linear Radiance' gathers together 4 extremely hot artists in the scene for one special 12'.

The EP begins with 'Raizel' by the hot newcomer Grush. This early set builder is smooth in the constraint it has rolling along in the sweet spot. A beautiful jaunt that is rich and fluid.

Next, is the amazing Philipp Priebe. 'So Glad' is another Priebe heater. A very talented producer, you can always count on him for great dancefloor business. The melody sneaks up on you as it builds from deep within. A sublime and subdued corker!

'Sonic Shadows' starts out on the B-side from skillful Nicolas Barnes. His contribution is a combination of a big club techno sound and a melodic flow that is almost reminiscent of some prime late 1990's progressive house.

Finally, is 'Grey Rythem' by Cirkel Square. Riding a catchy micro dub sound that is clever, fun, and surprisingly deeper than we could have ever hoped! All four tracks make for a healthy, well-balanced piece of wax!

Linear Radiance is lovingly pressed and shared on crystal clear 180- gram vinyl. Act quick while copies are in stock. This compilation is sure to get picked up by DJs, collectors, and fans.

Bullet Train is the 2022 American action-comedy film by the Deadpool 2-director David Leitch and is based on the 2010 novel Maria Beetle, written by Kōtarō Isaka. In Bullet Train, Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug's latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe - all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives - on the world's fastest train...and he's got to figure out how to get off.

The film features a number of original tracks. Most notably, the film contains Japanese language covers of "Stayin' Alive" by Bee Gees and "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler. Composer Dominic Lewis noted that the film's soundtrack represents "all vibe and no technique".

For the first time, the soundtrack for Bullet Train is available on vinyl and comes in different editions, all based on the characters in the movie. All editions include a 4-page booklet, but each edition contains an exclusive Bullet Train boarding pass with corresponding picture of the character. This is the limited edition on Lemon coloured vinyl.

a A1. アヴちゃん (AVU-CHAN QUEEN BEE) - STAYIN' ALIVE

[a] A1. アヴちゃん (AVU-CHAN [QUEEN BEE]) - STAYIN' ALIVE

‘Cull Portal’ was an idea that came to life during Sydney’s 2nd lockdown in 2021 when the world was in limbo and time felt like it was standing still.
It’s an exploration of modal harmony and improvisation, extrapolated over the course of the eight tracks. Woozing analog synths, grand piano, live drums and Jeremy Rose’s tenor sax set the tone for this fusion spiritual jazz/ electronic release. Cull Portal definitely nod’s its head to the past while intrinsically pushes the genre forward at the same time.
“I set myself the task of writing something as economical as possible that slowly unfolds into larger, more complex structures. The seed idea started as a solo piano piece, which later formed as ‘Cull pt II’ and from a two chord modal vamp. The rest of the album grew organically from there.
The live instrumentation you hear on this album was recorded remote during lockdown and is a true testament to the abilities of the performers, especially Jeremy Rose who brought so much life to the parts.
I was fortunate enough to record the original Yamaha CS-80 (The synth made famous in the cult classic Bladerunner score by Vangelis) down at MESS in Melbourne for the album, once the borders re-opened and we were allowed to travel again.”

In keeping with tradition, the new year brings another offering from Portuguese pianist and composer Tiago Sousa. »Organic Music Tapes Vol. 3,« the third instalment in Tiago’s ongoing series, continues to develop a freeform dual approach to organic and fluid compositions for Piano and Organ - this time adding a real church tube organ to the proceedings.

Evolving from the foundation laid in the first two volumes, Sousa introduces the pipe organ into his signature piano compositions, expanding his sonic palette into an even more otherworldly organic realm.

Much like its predecessors, »Organic Music Tapes Vol.3« immerses listeners in a nebulous sonic landscape, where the compositions exist in a nebulae-like state— eternally floating over stars and planets. The contours of these musical pieces are indefinite and indeterminate, refusing to settle or conform, a testament to Sousa's commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional minimalism while still paying respect to the American pioneers of the genre, such as Terry Riley and Steve Reich.

Enter then the third volume and be locked in a new theatre of eternal music by an artists that keeps pushing his own style to ebullient highs.

"Over the past five years I’ve seen the darkness and now I’ve come to the light. I’ve learnt wisdom. It’s humbling to see where I’ve come from.”
The past half decade has seen Unknown T establish himself as among the most creative and authentic voices in British Rap. A string of seminal singles and mixtapes have pushed, and then shattered, the musical boundaries of UK Drill, his distinct voice offering stark yet poetic accounts of life in the overlooked corners of London. Now, he is ready to release his debut album Blood Diamond. 13-tracks long, Blood Diamond is a vivid journey into his mind, spirt and history, illuminating on the trials, traumas and triumphs he has met along the way. “It’s not easy to come through what I’ve been through, and making something out of it,” he says, “It’s a good feeling coming out of that environment and seeing what I’ve made possible.”"

White Death & Black Heart, originally released in 2011, is the second album by rock duo Peter Kernel, aka Barbara Lehnoff (Camilla Sparksss) and Aris Bassetti. It immediately picks up where the band had left it with their previous LP, hammering in their unique and unmistakable brand of music. With a greater place granted to the multi-faceted female voice that sets the band's signature sound apart, this second opus is irresistible from start to finish.

The third album of the amazing dub duo NORMAL BIAS, consisting of YAC (Piotr Krupiński) and 77 (Tomasz Karczewski). "LP3" is a kind of closure to the trilogy started in 2016. By inviting Dariusz Dudziński (drummer of the legendary Polish indie band Ewa Braun, currently Titanic Sea Moon) to participate in the recordings, the Normal Bias musicians create a symbolic loop centered on the hometown of all three artists - Słupsk - the place where it all began, where Tomek and Darek years ago they shared their bands' rehearsal space in the famous "independent garage" - a city whose spirit naturally became the leitmotif of the entire "LP3".

The album was mixed again by the duo themselves under the reliable supervision of Kwazar, and the mastering (including cutting the lacquer!) was entrusted to Stefan Betke - co-founder of the famouse ~scape label from Berlin, which can also be treated as a symbol. The graphics based on Martiszu's design were completed by a Znajomy Grafik.

2011 als Gyze gegründet, veröffentlicht die japanische Samurai Metal Band RYUJIN am 12. Januar 2024 über Napalm Records ihr erstes selbst
betiteltes Album Ryujin unter neuem Bandnamen. Nach dem sie bereits vier erfolgreiche Alben veröffentlicht haben und weltweit auf großen
Festivals aufgetreten sind, haben RYUJIN ihren ganz eigenen Sound entwickelt, der Melodic Death Metal mit Power Metal und traditioneller
japanischer Musik verbindet. Benannt nach dem japanischen Drachengott des Meeres, lässt das Trio um den Leadgitarristen Ryoji Shinomoto
japanische Instrumente wie Shamisen, Drachenflöten, Erhu und Taiko auf rohes Guitar Shredding und reißende Vocals treffen, womit sie dem
Drachengott eine würdige musikalische Huldigung bieten. Auch auf dem neuen Album treffen High Speed Riffs und atemberaubende Gitarrenlinien
auf traditionelle japanische Elemente und erzeugen einen Sound, der stark an alten orchestralen Gagaku bis hin zu modernen Anime-Themen
erinnert. Ryujin wurde von Matthew Kiichi Heafy (Trivium) produziert und von Mark Lewis gemischt und gemastert und enthält Gastbeiträge von
Heafy (Gesang und Mitwirkung auf verschiedenen Tracks) und Mukai Wataru vom Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra (Cello). Die Texte von RYUJIN sind
durch die Sprache des Ainu-Volkes von Hokkaido (Heimatregion der Band) geprägt, thematisieren die Kraft des Meeres und sind unter anderem von b

Who said industrial was dead?

One of the freshest acts to come to light over the last few years.

Praised by Manu Le Malin, supported by many since.

The French prodigy RaBBeAT got to be on our radar ever since Manu told Tripped to check him out back in 2021.

The ultimate result is A 4 track, kick drum heavy EP sounding straight from hell.
Doomy soundscapes, lots of distortion and reverb, including a Tripped remix.

What's not to like?

Happy to be the first ones to press Julien and his signature sound on a 12" record, and he's just getting started.

This album was originally only released for the Japanese market and is now
available worldwide for the first time.
In the early 1990s, Makoto Kimata repeatedly asked Eugen to record the lullaby
"Berceuse" by the French composer Benjamin Godard (1849-1895) for his
grandson. This is how the 'Lullabies' project started. Since it was not possible to
record in Japan, Eugen Cicero rented the radio studio of the former SWF in Mainz,
Germany.
Here, he recorded twelve lullabies within three days together with Ringo Hirth on
drums and Decebal Badila on bass. It was to become the last studio recording of
his career. However, the 'Lullabies' were only produced for the Japanese market.
Eugen Cicero enjoyed cult status in Japan. The Japanese love jazz and classical
music equally, and do not tend to differentiate, as is the case in Europe, especially
in Germany.
When one speaks of lullabies, jazz enthusiasts immediately think of "Lullaby Of
Birdland" by George Shearing. The classically educated music lover, however, will
have the songs of Brahms, Mozart and Schubert in mind. Well, you may find both
genres combined on this album.
While many people do find their nightly rest with sleeping pills, head phones or
iPhone in hand these days, this music gives you an attractive alternative.

Change Everything is an apposite title for this album, the first since Waking
Hours, their breakthrough record which had appeared in 1989. Starting off as a
janglesome Scottish indie group, Del Amitri had developed into a west- coast
influenced leftfield pop act, and now with the wind of success in their hair (after
the protracted build of Waking Hours), the group – Justin Currie, Iain Harvie,
David Cummings, Andy Alston and Brian McDermott – paired up with producer Gil
Norton and crafted a handsome rock album to capitalise on their success.
It's a varied, expansive selection. Ballads are represented by the delightful First
Rule Of Love and Be My Downfall, but it is the uptempo numbers that shine,
typified by Change Everything's lead single, Always The Last To Know, a No 11 hit
in the UK and a No 30 stateside. All 12 tracks emphasise just how important Del
Amitri were to 'the other 90s': straightforward, intelligent music, away from the
headline fads

There are two versions of the vinyl - classic black and triple-color limited Indie Shop edition.

Both have special insert inside with the bands bio and photos.

Generacja JAZZ is a project showing a fragment of the new wave of Polish jazz, treading its own path, creating, touring and jamming across Europe. Borders don't exist - especially musical - the new generation is engaging with nightclubs, festivals and playlists. The time has now come to show its broader perspective. We created a project which involves a handful of groups that have already racked up debut albums and festival wins, as they set out on their musical odyssey. The groups also have other things in common, like their passion, originality and, for the needs of the project, age - all the artists during the recording of this album were under 30 years old. This is the new generation - the Jazz Generation.

For the Jazz Generation record we invited five bands who had already released debut albums: Immortal Onion, Klawo, Rejoin, Twoosty Mayonez and USO 9001. We also reserved two spots on the compilation for the winners of our open call competition, whereby on the basis of the jury's choice (jury: Monika Borzym, Paulina Przybysz, Envee, Wojtek Mazolewski i Marcin Groh Grośkiewicz) we met the winning bands: Kosmos and quietet.

The sleeve artist is Kornelia Nowak, who won our open call for young designers and graphic artists. Here once again we could rely on the opinion of a prestigious jury comprised of: Beata Śliwińska Barrakuz, Bovska, Maciej Animisiewasz Grochot, Grzegorz Forin Piwnicki i Marcin Groh Grośkiewicz.

Generacja JAZZ LP is also a start of the new imprint - U JAZZ ME, which will be focused on jazz from Poland.

And here are the bands from the album:

1. Immortal Onion - A band from the Tri-City playing a broad spectrum of instrumental music.

Band members: Wojtek Warmijak (percussion), Tomir Śpiołek (piano, synths), Ziemowit Klimek (Upright Bass, synths).

The band Immortal Onion has already established itself as one of the most interesting projects of the new wave of Polish jazz, and is consistently being labelled as such abroad. After two well received albums ("Ocelot of Salvation" (2017) and"XD Experience Design" (2020) U Know Me Records) they released their third album "Screens" in 2022, which was recorded with the well known Tri-City composer and saxophonist - Michał Jan Ciesielski.

The inspiration behind the band's formation were such artists as: Esbjörn Svensson, Hiromi Uehara, Tigran Hamasyan and Tosin Abasi.

The group's guiding principle from the very beginning was the fusion of often disparate musical styles, which bore "post instrumental aggressive gay pop". Despite the stylistic discrepancies, between which they swim, the group has forged its own identifiable language, characterised by complicated rhythmical structures, energetic riffs and trance beats with lyrical melodies.

The trio has performed its original material at many venues and festivals around Europe and Asia.

2. Klawo - seven adventurous adventurers from Gdańsk, who were brought together by their love for music, halvah and throwing Frisbee. Their self-named début album, released in 2022 on the local label Coastline Northern Cuts, is an amalgam of the inspirations of each of the team members and played backwards contains tips on how to reach the Kashubian pyramids. After a win at the international competition Jazz in the Park, held in Cluj-Napoca in Romania, the band began work on their second album. Meanwhile, they were also travelling the length and breadth of Poland on a mission to infect people with the idea of Baltic Funk.

3. Kosmos is a Łódż based jazz quintet. It was formed in 2020 by Pianist Stanisław Szmigero, Saxophonist Iwo Tylman and Trumpeter Jan Ostalski. However, it wasn't until 2022 that Kosmos found its true form when Kamil Gużniczak (Upright bass) and Kacper Kuta (Percussion) joined the line-up.

Their compositions are influenced by Polish yass bands, electronic music and hip-hop. Kosmos music is a mix of lyricism, space, intensity and elements of experiment.

The band members are all eccentric characters possessing different means of musical expression - looking at them, one could even argue they are a group of oddballs. Despite this, for reasons unbeknownst to themselves, the members of Kosmos complement each other on stage and form a unified artistic vision of the world around them.

Kosmos officially released their début single "Ja" in June 2023. They regularly play concerts across Poland and recently were selected as distinguished artists at JAZZiNSPIRACJE (JAZZiNSPIRATION) - a competition held during the 13th Lublin Jazz Festival.

4. Quietet (formed at the beginning of 2023) is the result of meetings between five talented musicians with a deep passion for musical creation. Its sound is a unique blend of Jazz and classical music with a hint of hard rock. The band is inspired by the Scandinavian approach to making music, which brings a characteristic atmosphere and melodies to their work. Their music captivates listeners with its originality, refined improvisations and flawless technique. Both classical and modern musical trends feed their inspiration when creating passionate and emotional compositions.

Their works are full of sound experimentation, which equally surprise and expose new musical horizons. Through their compositions, "Quietet" aims to share their emotions evoked during performances, creating a musical journey that affects and inspires.

5. Connecting jazz with electronic music in fresh interpretations, six young musicians make up the group Rejoin. The group re-formed in 2020 after a four-year break, playing their debut concert at Lotos Jazz Festival Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa. The musicians in Rejoin have performed alongside such artists as: Urszula Dudziak, Krystyna Prońko, Marcin Masecki, Szczyl, Kuba Więcek and Paulina Przybysz.

Most of the members of Rejoin are students from the Katowice Music Academy, where they also develop their own projects. Rejoin was a recipient of the Fabryki Norblin Music Masterclass Foundation scholarship.

6. Twoosty Mayonez is something your grandad would listen to with his younger sister. The non-standard approach to jazz alongside a pursuit of strange sounds, culminated in the conceptual album entitled "Carmin". The material was created by Bartosz Wolerta (percussion) and Dominik Kaniewski (bass guitar/synths). "Triceradiplodocus" tells the story of a mechanical dinosaur that lives on the yet undiscovered planet Carmin.

Four essential cuts from Ghana & Cape Verde, compiled by Arp Frique...

Music is a great connector, bringing people together in many ways. On his journey in music so far, Arp Frique has been fortunate to meet many beautiful artists. The songs on this first edition of "Radio Familia" are deeply connected to the musicians he performs with. Join the music family on a trip through exciting sounds from Ghana and Cape Verde and listen to their story in both words and music.

Arp Frique never played a show without including Americo Brito’s epic song “C’est Dudu”. The song originally appeared on his album “Fidjo Di Mizeria” from 1989 but he had been performing his anthem for years and it came in many shapes and forms. After spending a lot of time in Paris, he (like many others in those days) got inspired by new records from Guadeloupe and Martinique, especially “kadans”. Incorporating latin piano motifs borrowed from salsa and merengue and a bold choice to sing in French, the song and album became an instant success for Americo in and outside the clubscene (note: DJs were not the primary source of dance music in those days, bands played all night to keep the dancers moving). The addition of C’est Dudu to this compilation became especially relevant since Americo recently passed away. Fortunately, his anthem just like all his other music will remain with us for decades to come.

While going through the archives with Americo Brito for the Radio Verde compilation, he introduced Arp Frique to a band called Imilux Star, of course again well connected with Americo. This Cape Verdean band residing in Luxemburg (where there is a substantial Cape Verdean community) definitely added a different flavor to the musical pallet the islands are famous for: heavy syncopated rhythms coming from the drum computer. They released two albums which both became very popular in their scene and the track “Yolanda” from their 1988 album “Jota Dê” got to Arp Frique’s attention too late to add to the Radio Verde comp. The band is still performing to this day in the Luxemburg-Cape Verdean live circuit.

While Arp Frique was on the road with his lead singer Mariseya, they talked much and deep about Ghanaian music (especially highlife) and he learned a lot about the community from Ghana in the Netherlands, mostly in Amsterdam and The Hague. Mariseya’s dad, Nana Adomako Nyamekye, came to see their liveshow while in the UK which was very special to them considering he is one of the highlife artists Arp Frique has grown to be very fond of. His deeply funky and bubbly bass driven song “Obra Twa Owuo” is about life and death, telling us we should all love each other as we still have life to live. Originally released on “Ano Plan” from 1982, the album is filled with philosophical advice. In his own words: “A message to all humans that something awaits us all at the end of life. Let’s live together with love.

Bnnyhunna, from the Ghanaian community in the Netherlands, joined Arp Frique’s live experience several times playing keyboards and synthesizers. His dad Elvis Kwasi Ankomah, just like him, developed a high level of musicianship while performing regularly in church. The song “Fa Wokoma Mame” (give me your heart) from his only studioalbum “Mfa Menko” released in 1995 is about showing his love to a lady but only if she puts her trust in him completely. The album talks about love, pain, relationships and life. Having worked with artists like Daddy Lumba, Nana Ampadu, Amakye Dede and many other hiplife and highlife legends, he still plays in church every week and has been doing so ever since he was 15 years young.

EP compilation of essential UK house cuts recorded between 1987 - 1990. TIP!


Before British house and techno found its’ distinctive groove at the turn of the 1990s, one act led the way: Bang The Party, a trio who emerged from London’s vibrant underground party scene in the mid 1980s and proved, beyond any doubt, that UK producers could make music every bit as magical as the pioneering productions put forward by their counterparts in Chicago, Detroit and New York.

By the time long-running DJs and party promoters Kid Batchelor and Leslie Lawrence joined forces with trained engineer Keith Franklin at legendary North-West London reggae studio Addis Ababa in 1987, they’d spent years as DIY dance music activists in Britain’s capital city. They channelled these experiences and their love of imported house and techno sounds into a new project, Bang The Party, in the process becoming the first British act to appear on Transmat, a reflection of the quality and authenticity of their music.

The latest Rush Hour Reissue Series release offers a snapshot of some of the numerous gems nestled in the Bang The Party catalogue, delivering a much-deserved celebration of one of Britain’s most significant early acid house collectives. It features four fully remastered cuts recorded and released between 1987 and 1990 – on-point and far-sighted club workouts that sound as fresh and timeless now as they did when Britain was sweltering under its infamous ‘second summer of love’.

Fittingly, the EP begins with ‘I Feel Good All Over’, the group’s ground-breaking debut single. Dedicated to their home city and one of the earliest UK interpretations of house music, the track exists in the grey area between Chicago house and New York ‘garage house’ – all jaunty organ stabs, jacking Windy City beats, restless bass and soulful vocalizations. ‘Jacques Theme’, which follows, originally nestled on the B-side of that single release. An early, acid-flecked expression of hip-house with a British twist, breakdance-friendly bongo patterns and a dose of Larry Heard-inspired deep house dreaminess, the track remains an under-appreciated classic whose rap verses reflect the popularity of hip-hop in London at the time.

1988’s ‘Release Your Body’, Bang The Party’s most celebrated early release, was reissued in the United States by Transmat, reflecting the strong working relationship between Derrick May and Kool Kat Records’ Neil Rushton. A hypnotising affair propelled forwards by sweat-soaked drum machine beats, jacking fills and an addictive bassline, the track offers another near perfect distillation of the band’s Black American musical influences while delivering something genuinely new and fresh.

Rounding off the EP is a choice cut from Bang The Party’s sought after 1990 album Back To Prison. Doused in the star-lit synth sounds of the Motor City with jaunty organ stabs inspired by the kind of New Jersey jams championed at East Orange institution Club Zanzibar, ‘Let It Rip’ is a superb slice of deep house soul featuring a lead vocal every bit as emotive as anything laid down by Robert Owens. Like the rest of Bang The Party’s output, it has stood the time better than anything laid down by their London contemporaries.

Following their contribution to the 2022 International Women’s Day compilation, and a co-production credit on “Dreaming is Essential” by Byron Yeates, Eoin DJ drops their first release on Radiant Records, Total Body. The 4-track EP is replete with mind-bending, lustrous tracks waiting to be spun out to sweatbox dancefloors.

“Total Body” invites movement from its first seconds. Layers and layers of snares, shakers and rhythmic synth stabs build tension before the pulse of a rolling bassline cements the elements into a cohesive hard house groove. Fragments and chops of sensx’s vocals wrap in and around the sonic field, leaving wisps of reverb and echo in their wake before repeating the track’s Total Body mantra in the breakdown. The result is a lushly-scored density of sound, with a relentless stomp that never feels overcrowded or too heavy.

Angel D’lite’s remix takes a more skeletal approach to “Total Body”: a snare and clap march beneath chiming vocal stabs, rumbling low end and rolling breakbeats, flipping the original into a modern bass-heavy hybrid number. The rhythmic synth from the original, reversed and efex’d, ushers us in, and then out of the track, around extra bass stabs and pitch shifted “Total Body” chops.

On the B side, “Ultra Soft” lifts off with a firm kick and a rolling 3-note bassline. Despite the title, the track hits harder than “Total Body” and sings with Eoin DJ signatures: swirling funnels of processed vocals, rich, ear-itching textures, stripped back percussion and rave-ready samples are sprinkled with 303s, to create a track that sits comfortably with both classic trance and techno and contemporary “Progressive” dance music.

The EP’s closer, a remix of “Ultra Soft” by Byron Yeates, compresses the astrally-inclined scale of the original track into shining slices of sound. A playful, chiming melody starts off the track alongside the kick, working through precise grooves, knife-sharp snares, a throbbing bass and chopped-up, smokey vocals. The result: 6 minutes of total embodiment from the Radiant Records boss.

Grey Marbled Vinyl

The official re-release of the scarce DJ classic. Ralf Nowy produced this unique mix of Krautrock, Space Disco and proto Techno vibes in Berlin in 1980. The collaboration featuring also famous German star producer Jack White and Tom Müller aswell Vicky Brown from UK as singer who worked together also with bands as for example Pink Floyd, Roger Waters, Cerrone and Bryan Ferry.

Detroit producer Apollo Brown has made a name for himself as one of Hip-Hop’s most legendary new producers while maintaining a golden era sound. His production credits are a who’s who of Hip-hop greats from Danny Brown to Ghostface Killah, Ras Kass to Westside Gunn. Even Chance the Rapper used a pair of Apollo beats on his debut mixtapes. Known for bringing the best out of musicians, Apollo has a knack for making timeless classics. Brooklyn’s Joell Ortiz started on none other than Dr. Dre’s Aftermath label and built a huge buzz in the industry. He’s worked with legends like Just Blaze among others. He then signed to Shady Records as ¼ of the supergroup Slaughterhouse. He’s worked with Hip-Hop titans Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss, Akon, and Big Daddy Kane. Now the pair of Hip-hop luminaries are celebrating the 5 year anniversary of their first collaborative album on Mello Music Group with a deluxe edition including 2 new songs. It’s nothing short of a masterpiece: Mona Lisa.

70's Movie Hits Collected is a compilation of Coloured Vinyl, High Quality, Insert 33 pop tracks released as 2-LP on 15 Dec 2023. 70's Movie Hits Collected includes a.o. the following tracks: “Giorgio Moroder - Chase (from "midnight Express")”, “Mick Jagger - Memo From Turner (from "performance")”, “Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells (from "the Exorcist")”, “Isaac Hayes - Theme From "shaft" (from "shaft")” and more.

Saint Abdullah & Eomac is a long distance, ongoing collaboration between New York based Iranian-Canadian brothers Mohammad and Mehdi Mehrabani (Saint Abdullah) and Ian McDonnell a.k.a. Eomac, based in Wicklow in Ireland. They tested the waters with their first album on Nicolas Jaar's Other People label last year, but 'Chasing Stateless' is their fullest expression so far.

The creative mindset behind the album starts with bravery and eschews escapism. Says Saint Abdullah's Mohammad, "As a collective, we exist to test the revolutionary possibilities within sound and sonic storytelling. As a means to finding a vision of the future and for building cultural dialogue today. Our belief is that the expressiveness of this vision should be pushed to its utmost limits to reveal anew. I always felt that the intensity of the middle eastern soul needs to be revealed more potently. Ian and the Irish have it too. I suspect most historically oppressed cultures do."

The music on 'Chasing Stateless' avoids easy middle eastern tropes — "I think what we're proposing here is that you don't need to water down our culture, you don't need to take only the bits that fit your idea of who we are, what we are. You ought to take it in its entirety."

Musically, the album approaches established genres and re-orientates them towards middle eastern rhythm and melody with an iron soul. Songs are rough and intense. Rusty polyrhythms, daf drums wrapped in a thick coating of distortion or punchy kicks with micro-edited samples of middle eastern life spiralling across them. Mournful melodies are squeezed out until the music teeters on the edge of rhythmic collapse. 'Chasing Stateless' is rough and energetic but also tender and reflective too. It's a human sound, utilising technology but not about technology. Sample heavy with expressions of anger, sadness and hope present and deeply felt.

The album's title speaks to a loss of collective societal imagination; of 'chasing status'. As Moh says "This generation, man, we're really good at putting up walls, despite all our openness. But where does this all lead to? What exactly are we chasing? This is where I especially love the name 'Chasing Stateless,' because if all this continues, we indeed will end up stateless, society-less, community-less, neighbor-less. Just a bunch of same-sies, living in an imaginary bubble, where we all look / think / say / CHASE the same things."

"Impératrice" bedeutet "Herrscherrin" auf Französisch, und der Bandname ist für Nicht-Frankophone wohl am schwierigsten zu begreifen - musikalisch gesehen gibts es bei L'Impératrice nichts, was man übersetzen muss. Die Pariser greifen auf eine Reihe von Genres zurück, von Space-Disco der 70er Jahre bis zum Downtempo-Synthpop der 90er Jahre, wobei sie dabei auch die französischen Filmkomponisten wie François de Roubaix und Michel Legrand mit einbeziehen. "Albums that sold 500 copies in the 1970s are the records that interest us most," sagen L'Impératrice. "Matahari" ist das glitzernde, kinematographische Ergebnis der letzten sechs Jahre harter Arbeit, das auf einige der besten musikalischen Fundstücke und schon vergessene Schätzen zurückgreift, die sich in Plattenkisten im ganzen Land verstecken. Versehen wird das ganze mit L'Impératrice' eigenem, unnachahmlichen 21st century twist. Subtil und dennoch majestätisch, L'Impératrice haben eine strahlende Zukunft in ihrem Heimatland, aber wenn das sechsköpfige Ungeheuer drauf und dran ist, wirklich in die musikalische Königsklasse Frankreichs aufzusteigen, dann müssen sie auf ihre têtes, ihre Köpfe, aufpassen. Boisseguin hat alles richtig gemacht, seit er seinen Journalisten-Job vor sieben Jahren geschmissen hat. Wenn der leise und stetige Aufstieg von L'Impératrice zur Vormachtstellung in ihrem Heimatland Teil eines Plans wäre, dann könnte man erwarten, dass in Zukunft mit der Weltherrschaft zu rechnen ist.

Midnight Creeper was the third in a series of stellar soul jazz outings saxophonist Lou Donaldson made for Blue Note in the late-1960s with key players including Hammond B3 organ virtuoso Lonnie Smith, young guitar star George Benson, funky drummer Idris Muhammad, and the bluesy trumpeter Blue Mitchell. This stereo Tone Poet Vinyl Edition was produced by Joe Harley, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in a deluxe tip-on jacket.

Zwei Tapete Records Acts, die sich kennen und schätzen, veröffentlichen eine gemeinsame Split-7", auf welcher sie sich gegenseitig covern: Pete Astor und Die Liga der gewöhnlichen Gentlemen. Während Pete Astor aus dem Liga-Hit "Alle Ampeln auf Gelb" ein zu Herzen gehendes psychedelisches Moritat namens "Amber Lights" zaubert, verwandelt die Liga die Ballade "Like Frankie Lymon" von Astors ehemaliger Band The Weather Prophets in einen Modern Lovers-esken Uptempo-Song inkl. Saxophon-Solo ("Wie Frankie Lymon). Fun Fact: Pete Astor verbrachte die Sommerferien oft bei seiner Tante in Pinneberg bei Hamburg. Nur ein paar Kilometer entfernt hockte, vermutlich zeitgleich (!) einer von der Liga der gewöhnlichen Gentlemen in seinem Jugendzimmer und lauschte der Original-Version auf der Creation Records-Compilation "Purveyors Of Taste" und hatte natürlich keine Ahnung, dass der Interpret und Autor des The Weather Prophets-Songs, mithin ein waschechter britischer (Indie-)Pop-Star, quasi in der Nachbarschaft zur Sommerfrische weilte. Man kann also sagen, dass sich mit vorliegender Split-7" ein Kreis schließt.

Driving weirdo techno, warm melodic acid and daring sound experiments - Killekill welcomes a new duo on board: SKEW & SATIRIST are Max Cooper and Gareth Williams who met in the Not- tingham, UK club scene in the early 00s, living together for a number of years, leading to an effec- tive collaboration.
Max learnt production from sitting and watching Gareth in the studio, Max helped show Gareth the way with his DJing. Both became successful in their solo projects, Max as a regular guest
on stages all over the world, Gareth starting a music technology business with partners such as Richie Hawtin, John Acquaviva or Daniel Miller.
Over the years the musical collaboration between the two friends has continued in the background and they've finally found the time to bring it to fruition and start this project for their darker, more extreme and twisted techno which has been lying dormant over the years.

Buzz Fuzz, a.k.a. Mark Vos, is considered one of the most prominent DJs and producers in the international hardcore scene for over 30 years. He started his deejay career in 1987, mixing hiphop and swingbeat at the Zorba in Amsterdam. In 1991, he became inspired by a live performance of The Prophet and decided to focus solely on hardcore house. Within a few years, Buzz Fuzz became a headliner on festivals like Hellraiser, Thunderdome, Dance Valley and Multigroove.

Together with DJ Dano, The Prophet and DJ Gizmo he formed the infamous “Dreamteam”, and in both 1997 and 1998 he was named
‘Best Hardcore/House Producer.

A selection of his best tunes, including “XTC Love” and “Jealousy Is A MF”, are compiled on the album Hardcore Legends, which is part of the brand-new series by Be Yourself Music, focusing on groundbreaking and essential artists in the Hardcore scene. The album features the brand-new remix of “XTC Love” by Dither, which was presented during Dither’s DJ set at Thunderdome 2022 in Utrecht (NL).

Hoodie SZN ist der Nachfolger von The Bigger Artist, dem Debütalbum des New Yorker Rappers, auf dem auch seine mehrfach mit Platin ausgezeichnete Single "Drowning" erschien. Hoodie SZN wurde ursprüngich am 21. Dezember 2018 veröffentlicht. Features waren unter anderem Juice WRLD, 6ix9ine, Nav, Offset, Tyga, Young Thug und Queen Naija.

The Church’s Starfish is a dreamy, atmospheric masterpiece, guitar-driven alt-rock before alt-rock was a term. It includes the timeless smash hit “Under the Milky Way,” and “Reptile,” both First Wave staples.

Intervention's 2X 180-Gram LP, Artist-Approved Expanded Edition is 18-tracks total, including 8 amazing bonus tracks that were not on the original LP. These bonus tracks kick off with wonderful acoustic versions of “Under the Milky Way” and “Antenna.” The other tracks are so strong that it’s very apparent that Starfish could have been a potent double LP.

Starfish is 100% Analogue Mastered with the original repertoire cut directly from THE Original Master Tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound. Intervention's cut expands the original 10-song repertoire to three vinyl sides opening up the already massive soundstage and presenting this amazing recording with FULL bass extension and dynamic power. All of the 8 bonus tracks are 100% Analog Mastered from separate tape reels assembled by Ryan K. Smith.

The 180-gram LPs are ultra-quiet, pressed at boutique press, RTI in Camarillo, CA. Intervention replaces its stampers every 500 copies so every pressing is is a hot stamper.

Starfish’s album art was lovingly restored by Intervention's Art Director Tom Vadakan, and the original inner sleeve here is printed as the interior of a gorgeous gatefold jacket. The jacket is an “Old Style” gatefold made by wizards at Stoughton printing in LA. It's printed on heavy stock and film-laminated for superior colour depth, beauty and durability. The centre labels are printed by Dorado.



Mastering Notes
Starfish is 100% Analog Mastered from THE Original Master Tapes by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound. Intervention's cut expands the original 10-song repertoire to three vinyl sides for maximum bass and dynamics. Even the bonus tracks were mastered 100% Analogue from tapes assembled by Ryan K. Smith.

The official new edition from this rare and great Afrobeat & Soukous masterpiece from Nigeria !

"Vibro Success Intercontinental Orchestra was an extraordinary group from the Central African Republic, founded by the sax player Rodolphe 'Beckers' Bekpa, also known as Master Békers, in the late 60's. The band achieved surprising domestic success after Beckers introduced the first drums to the Congolese Rumba rhythm. His innovation proved to be wildly popular so they were hired as the resident band of “ciel d’Afrique au Km5”, a night club in Bangui. The club was renowned as the temple of the Olympic Réal football team's fans and that visibility propelled them into becoming the official national orchestra.

1970 marked beginning of the band's international fame . Their fame spread beyond national borders until they became so popular that invitations began to arrive from nearby countries like Cameroon and Chad, the former of which the band would then tour that same year. The success of their performances prompted a further tour in 1972. According to Rodolphe Bépka, the audience enthusiasm Vibro encountered was bewildering. "We filled the old military stadium in Yaoundé in 1970, in 1972 the new Amadou Haïdjo stadium ... We are running with great success in the cities.” Their popularity was also growing in Chad, where they would tour several times through the early and mid 70's.

Towards the end of 1976, Vibro Success decided to take their music global and introduce Central African music to listeners worldwide. It worked. The turning point came in Nigeria. There the group achieved extraordinary success, with live performances followed by contracts with local labels like Scottie and Ben/Clover resulting in hit releases. Most of their LP's were originally released on this later label, Ben Limited, owned by Ben Okonkwo.

Ben, also known as Clover Sounds, brought a great number of the biggest bands from the country to market, bands like The Apostles, Akwassa,The Doves, Aktion, The Visitors, Mansion, Folk 77 and many others. Nearly all those groups started their recording careers in the label's studios based in the commercial heart of Aba, Abia State, one of Southeastern Nigeria’s largest cities. Aba at that time was a flourishing city, an important crossroads of people and culture with an intensive and active and cutting edge live music and nightlife.

But after that golden era the group began to lose its popularity. In the 1980's they returned to Bangui and resumed their old-time gigs in dance halls there - only to realize that their music didn't have the appeal it used to. Making matters worse, the domestic economic downturn accelerated, forcing the orchestra to slowly end its activities . Vibro Succès Intercontinental Orchestra disappeared at the end of the 80s and most of its members died in the 90s.

We discovered this LP during our first trip to Nigeria in 2016. While traveling in the east to meet up with a musician, we stopped for a night in a village. As often happens in Nigeria, information has a way of traveling fast. The news that a couple of white guys looking for records had arrived in the village the day before spread like light. When we awoke, we found a couple of elderly music lovers in the hall of our hotel with a little pile of records for sale. The nice cover of the “Drunkard” album was right on top!

At first we thought it was just another really good soukous album made by Vibro Success but after we heard “Drunkard” - we knew we had stumbled onto something very special. That was the “easy” part. Soon after, we had the idea of reissuing this LP and that was a bit harder. There were no credits on the cover and not much information about Vibro Succès. We started to ask to our friends to ask around, see if somebody knew them or the producer. That's when sadly we discovered that Ben Okonkwo had passed. So with no leads to follow and seemingly without any possibility of making progress on the matter, we "gave up" and returned to Italy.

A couple years later, in the summer of 2019, we found ourselves again in Aba. This time we had the chance to meet Nnamdi Okonkwo, the eldest son of the late Ben Okonkwo. After Nnamdi's mother and family agreed, he was glad to cooperate with us for the re-release of this special album."

Texan country blues legend Lightnin’ Hopkins was a fingerpicking genius with a mournful voice who, after a spell in prison, first came to prominence through recordings for Aladdin and Gold Star in the late 1940s. Somehow, by the mid-1950s, his star had waned, but when Samuel Charters appeared at his one-room Houston apartment with a bottle of gin, Hopkins agreed to cut ten unaccompanied songs for Folkways, the resultant Lightnin’ a pivotal success that reignited his career, sparking the blues revival in the process. Full of haunting loneliness, despair, sly innuendo and doses of good humour, this must-have LP is absolutely brilliant!

Repress!

For those who know, Bambooman is one of the most sought-after, probing, and distinctive voices in UK electronic music right now.

The Yorkshire-born producer's catalogue builds into an aural mosaic, comprising everything from scrunched up hip-hop to techno deviance, all delivered with an impish sense of individuality.
'Whispers' certainly resonates. It's a lengthy, bucolic work, an album of great breadth but also one of sustained mood – think those hazy summer evenings when shadows stretch out across the road, and autumn lingers around the corner.

This new album has a dusty, organic, and decidedly personal feel, much more at home with Jon Hassel's 'fourth world' aesthetic than the club.

The results are also imbued with an incredible sense of mystery, with Bambooman's productions frequently being shot through with a hallucinatory sense of the uncanny. Entirely self-composed, 'Whispers' utilises "lots of field recordings that I've collected over the last few years, while within the tracks you can find lots of the instruments, percussion, bells and whistles that have been gathered throughout my life."

In certain ways 'Whispers' is entirely autobiographical: Bambooman reaches back to his varied alter egos, to the ambient releases, art commissions, and soundtrack projects that litter his discography. The cover art was even pieced together by Oliver Pitt – of Glasgow group Golden Teacher – who was an early ally in the producer's sonic quest.

Stylistically 'Whispers' veers from avant hip-hop of Flying Lotus to the theoried composition of Terry Riley, from the future-forward percussive energy of Battles to the ever-evolving electronics of Mark Pritchard. It's a record marks by a fiercely independent spirit, but also by a close-knit cast of collaborators.

King Kashmere takes a starring turn, following the pair's collision on the recent 'SUPERGOD' EP.

Each vocal is recorded, chopped up and then spliced across the album, with Elsa Hewitt also making a number of appearances and re-appearances.
credits

Repress.
Mar & Sol first release Is Aleluia Lp from the Cabo Verde singer Pedrinho. At the time, late 70's, this Lp was one of the biggest successes from Cabo Verde music. Singer Pedrinho moved to Lisbon when he was 18 years old, and recorded this album, the first one of his career.


Aleluia was produced in the same street where Mar & Sol is based nowadays, in Rua de S.Bento, Lisbon, Portugal. This street was also where Pedrinho come to live when he arrived in Portugal, like the majority of the musicians and emigrants from the old African Portuguese colonies move at that time, to try a new luck.

A big community grew here and these artists got the opportunity to record their own traditional music by the hands of local labels.
Now is the time for Mar & Sol to give a new life to all this music, this is the first of many reissues that are coming to start the series of the label.

REPRESS!! Although he is still completely unknown to Western audiences, for Ethiopians, Tlahoun Gèssèssè (pronounced Guèssèssè) is THE VOICE.The first-ever pan-Ethiopian star, he has embodied such nonstop unanimity since the end of the 1950s that is a role-model and a point of reference.

Hailed as the ‘Godmother of rock ‘n’ roll,’ the pioneering singer and guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe was the first major gospel star, her skills on electric guitar and blend of the sacred and secular a major influence on Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Elvis, as well as Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Jeff Beck. She began recording in the 1930s and Gospel Train, her first for Mercury, was a dynamite comeback, recorded in 1956 with quartet the Harmonizing Four, its popularity leading to a four-month UK tour. It’s a killer set from start to finish and required listening for lovers of rock, blues, and gospel. Get it and be awed!

Texan country blues kingpin Lightnin’ Hopkins was rated one of the top 100 guitarists of all time by Billboard, and was a notable influence on Stevie Ray Vaughan, among others. Recordings for Aladdin and Gold Star cemented his reputation, and after performing at Carnegie Hall with Pete Seeger and Joan Baez, ‘Mojo Hand’ was a breakthrough hit. The superb 1961 LP Lightnin’ (The Blues of Lightnin’ Hopkins) benefits from the understated presence of King Curtis’ drummer, Belton Evans, and jazz bassist Leonard Gaskin, placing Hopkins’ guitar licks and raspy voice at centre stage, playfully relating heartbreak and woe.

Classic Solo Album From Founding Member of The Byrds!

"... one of the greatest singer/songwriter albums ever made." -All Music

Gene Clark's 1971 classic "White Light" is a bittersweet and knowing statement from a singer/songwriter at the peak at his creative powers. Having fronted The Byrds, Clark on his own here is stripped down in guitarist Jesse Ed Davis' stark production. The lyrics, singing and guitar playing are so powerful that less production here is immeasurably more musically.

White Light was 100% Analogue Mastered by Kevin Gray at CoHEARent Audio from the best source available- phenomenal-sounding 1/2" safety copies of the original stereo master tapes. The results are amazing! The beautiful guitar playing is finally full and rich, and you can hear the full body of the instruments, not just the strings. Gene's aching vocals have never been so emotive and immediate.

Texan rhythm and blues icon Barbara Lynn made an incredible impact in 1962 with the chart-topping debut single, ‘You’ll Lose A Good Thing,’ which has since been covered by Aretha Franklin, Freddy Fender, and countless others. A southpaw guitarist who wrote her own material, debut LP You’ll Lose A Good Thing captured our heroine at her best, the soulful smoky voice a striking contrast to the blues base of her backing musicians (including Dr John on keyboards). Containing the follow-up hits ‘Second Fiddle Girl’ and ‘Letter To Mommy And Daddy’ as well as the cherished title track, it’s a winner from start to finish.

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At one time participating in ground-breaking medical scientific research, in another a relentless road-trip, hoovering up rare records and tapes, in the nooks and crannies of France, Algeria, or any country that he happens to land in. And then there’s his long standing show for Rinse France.

Following his slamming mix for the Japan Blues show on NTS last year, he kindly offered up a selection for Japan Blues’ first tape release. Algeria is the focus of this tape, taking a brief dip into Sameer’s broad collection, coinciding with his research for his documentary film about the social history of Rai music, "Rai is not Dead" for Arte.

Words from the Hadj: “The medehates are traditional vocal formations of women from western Algeria. Their main role is to give some compliments to the future wife during a wedding, and pray to all the saints through long songs which could last for hours, until reaching a sort of transcendental state amplified by looped percussions, traditional flute, and violon notes. Exclusively for women, no men (including young boys) admitted. This ceremonial tradition gave an intimate space for women to speak out about taboo topics like men-women relationships, love, sins like alcohol consumption etc. Since then, some of them started freely to mention all of that in this small circle and some of them have been recorded live for release on 7″. I picked up a few from my collection in order to make this mix. They represent one of the most powerful and wildest roots of the raw traditional form of rai which appeared in the 50/60s in Algeri

Trailblazing instrumental synth pop experiments created to soundtrack Japan’s booming 1980s cartoon and comic industries. The brightly futuristic instrumentals on this collection reflect the mindset of composers and musicians who believed in a technological future where everything was possible.

In the late 1980s Japan experienced a brief but heady period where societal changes combined with new-found wealth to open up a world of possibilities. A huge influx of cash - artificially created by slashed interest rates after an agreement with the US to weaken the dollar relative to the yen - resulted in the inflation of real estate and stock market at a rapid pace. While the economic bubble it created was unprecedented and impossible to sustain, for a while money was in plentiful supply.

The musical genre City Pop reflected the aspirations of the country’s booming leisure class. Video games flourished with Nintendo's 1983 launch of their Family Computer (or FamiCom). Studio Ghibli was founded 1985 to later became one of the most famous and respected animation studios in the world, and Anime and Manga were established as major forms of entertainment for all generations of the Japanese public.

Music was no mere footnote to the anime and manga boom: the two forms of media often went hand in hand, and not simply through the presence of background melodies. With generous budgets available, even two-dimensional static manga comics could be released with an accompanying soundtrack of original music known as an ‘Image Album’.

Composer and arranger Kazuhiko Izu was one such beneficiary of this open budget approach. Written to accompany artist Katsuhiro Otomo’s manga comic Domu, the composer and arranger took advantage of the world-leading (and wallet-busting) Japanese synthesiser technology available at King Records’ fully equipped studio. Featured on this compilation, A3: Act 2 Scene 26 reflected the story’s sci fi themes with a blazingly futuristic yet warmly funky slice of synth pop that presents a joyful celebration of synthesisers and their seemingly endless possibilities.

Kan Ogasawara was another composer who made early mastery of the litany of synthesisers, drum machines and sequencers that had become available. Two tracks written to accompany the 1985 period manga Yume No Ishibumi are featured here; Honowo’s experimental electronic textures add spice to a jaunty electro pop melody that recalls the Rah band’s 1983 hit Messages From Stars; the jazz-tinged Utage rounds out Ogasawara’s shimmering synth textures with beautifully crafted backing from legendary musicians Yuji Toriyama (guitar), Pecker (percussion) and Jun Fukamachi (piano).

Before becoming one of the pioneers of Japanese Kankyo Ongaku (Ambient Music), Takashi Kokubo worked on the proto techno track Kiki (Jungle At Night). It was put together for the 1984 anime film Shonen Keniya (Kenya Boy) using some of the most expensive music technologies available at the time. This Africa-Inspired dance track offers a contemporary parallel to the early techno music that young Detroit based producers were then creating using cheap Japanese Roland drum machines and synthesisers.

This is the first compilation of Japanese anime and manga soundtracks curated by Kay Suzuki and Rintaro Sekizuka from Vinyl Delivery Service (a Tokyo based online record shop which also operates in East London's renowned wine and hifi shop Idle Moments). With a cover by artist Kazuki Takakura and two pages of liner notes, this vinyl only compilation of music never before released outside of Japan, captures a vital aural snapshot of an era whose forward-thinking sounds went hand in hand with cutting edge technology.

Since the release of Foodman’s debut album Shokuhin in 2012, the music of this Japanese artist has found ever larger audiences, developing along its own inimitable path, as heard on a growing pile of albums and single releases, as well as at concerts all around the world. Now, more than ten years later, it is worth going back to the fascinating beginning, which sounds as refreshingly weird today as it did back then. While Foodman’s music has often been described as a sort of lopsided relative of the Chicago-based footwork, it doesn’t really resemble anything else, and this idiosyncratic approach was evident right from the start. Here, by being cut and diced into strange rhythmic structures, samples gain a dreamlike life of their own, simultaneously alien and charming, and without any resemblance to the real world from which they came. With this re-release of Shokuhin, the album is not only being reintroduced to new Foodman fans, it is also being released on LP for the first time, in a collaboration between Orange Milk and the new label Xtroplast, which is focusing on vinyl releases of electronic music hitherto not available on that format.

Lyra Valenza set the tone for their first full-length album ‘Low Gear No Pressure’ with an idyllic ambience, which then tumbles into feisty, heartfelt dance workouts. Across eight tracks, the Danish duo explore the pixellated euphoria of their previous ‘Scan, Deliver’ and ‘Nightshade Edition’ EPs with a more focused sensitivity. At the start of 2020, Lyra Valenza had been freshly nominated by music platform SHAPE. With the pandemic in hand, however, plans changed: instead of playing a slew of festivals, the duo spent weeks in a summer house in rural Sjælland, right at Denmark’s North Eastern coast, making early versions of the tracks in this album. ‘Low Gear No Pressure’ refers to the unusual calmness of that time, away from music industry stress and burnout; inspired by friendship. More than previous EPs, the album is shaped by the duo’s live set, which they’ve been performing in Denmark and Europe for many years now. The album breezes through different modes with confidence and ease, tracks morphing fluidly into one another to create a cohesive listening experience. A cool, expansive breakbeat on track two, ‘True Computer’, hints at the psychoactive journey to follow. ‘Truthwork’ plays with arps over a half time groove: subtle synths which reach their final form in ‘Joy Divided’. These agile swells and drops recall peers-in-precision Minor Science and 96 Back. On the flip, ‘Gameshow’ looks back over one shoulder to eurodance, while ‘Life on the Line’ goes out to the soulful junglists, but with a touches of trance in the samplework. On ‘Who Might Win’, the album’s ecstatic hyperactiveness melts into a slo-mo heartbeat, reminding us there’s a chillout room somewhere in the building. And just when we think it’s time to go home, the album gifts us with “one more tune”, and the soaring pop vocals of featured artist Saltmother on ‘Stretch Your Arms’.

Originally reissued as part of the Promise Kept: The Complete Artist House Recordings boxed set, now available separately. LP contains the original 4 tracks – CD/Digital include an additional 6 bonus tracks. Remastered by Grammy® winner Michael Graves, with vinyl cut by Jeff Powell.

Minneapolis' Chris Bartels aka Blurstem, and Philadelphia's Andrew Tasselmyer of the likes of Hotel Neon and Gray Acres have hooked up once more for a second collaborative album Midnight Letters. This album's starting point was original concepts played out on guitar which were then processed and experimented with through an ages-old analog tape machine. Add in an array of iPad audio processing apps, samplers, and Ableton software and you have a perfect mix of tools to serve up a sonic journey that perfectly merges the old with the new. The resulting ambient soundscapes are immersive and sparse but packed with subtle details that convey all manner of emotions.

Analogue Productions (Atlantic 75 Series)
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Atlantic Records!
Hello, I Must Be Going! — Phil Collins' second solo studio album
Featuring "You Can't Hurry Love" and "I Cannot Believe It's True"
180-gram 45 RPM double LP release
Mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and cut to lacquer from a 1/4" EQ'd Dolby tape copy of the original master tape
Pressed at Quality Record Pressings and RTI
Tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing



On his first solo album, 1981's Face Value, Genesis drummer-singer Phil Collins showed that he wasn't about to be left behind in the mire of classical-rock sludge. That LP boasted shorter songs and demonstrated that Collins had a true pop sensibility. Hello, I Must Be Going! continues that trend, with some familiar patterns emerging, wrote Rolling Stone's John Milward.

"First, there are the dramatic rock dirges that use drums as a lead instrument; 'I Don't Care Anymore,' with Collins' one-man band playing alongside Daryl Stuermer's atmospheric guitars, wins in this category. Then there are the buttery ballads, of which "Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away" is the best by virtue of a Beatles-like melody that buoys Collins' anonymously sweet voice. Both of these styles were already Genesis staples; it was Collins' uptempo soul tunes on Face Value and Genesis' Abacab that surprised old fans and found new ones. 'I Cannot Believe It's True,' with Earth, Wind and Fire's Phoenix Horns casting out clean lines, clobbers the other soul contenders on Hello, I Must Be Going!, especially his remake of the Supremes' 'You Can't Hurry Love.' Collins took the golden-oldie route on that song and the result isn't soulful, it's superfluous. Despite its trend-bucking boast of an 8-track recording, the album's rich luster is of the old classical-rock school. In fact, the LP sounds like stripped-down Genesis, ornamental but not too ostentatious. — John Milward, Rolling Stone (3 Stars)."

This Analogue Productions (Atlantic Series) reissue of Hello, I Must Be Going! has the essential elements that make it a standout for your collection. First, we turned to Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering to cut lacquers from a 1/4" EQ'd Dolby tape copy of the original master. Pressing on 180-gram vinyl is by Quality Record Pressings and RTI, and the album is housed in tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing.

Hello, I Must Be Going! was a triple-platinum-selling hit in the U.S. for Collins in the 1980s and it stayed on the U.K. album charts for more than a year, peaking at No. 2. For the fans it is a drummer's album, a record that expresses rage and desperation as well as loneliness and longing. Not an album for every day, but one that really speaks to you when you need it, wrote Martin Klinkhardt, in a review for genesis

Analogue Productions (Atlantic 75 Series)
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Atlantic Records!
Bad Company's eponymous 1974 debut featuring "Ready for Love"
180-gram 45 RPM double LP
Mastered directly from the original master tape by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound
Pressed at Quality Record Pressings and RTI
Tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing

From the wreckage of Free came Bad Company, the English hard rock supergroup fronted by singer Paul Rodgers and featuring his drummer bandmate Simon Kirke, Mott the Hoople guitarist Mick Ralphs, and King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who managed the rock band Led Zeppelin, also managed Bad Company until 1982.

The group's eponymous 1974 album debut decidedly proves the band is proudly not progressive — the details make a difference, as do the pastoral acoustics of the closing "Seagull" — reducing their rock 'n' roll to a strong, heavy crunch; compare "Ready for Love," a tune Ralphs brought over from Mott the Hoople, to the original to see how these quartet members keep their heads down as they do their business. Appropriately enough given their name, there's a sense of slow, churning menace to Bad Company, writes AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine.

Their first three albums, Bad Company (1974), Straight Shooter (1975), and Run with the Pack (1976), reached the Top Five in the album charts in both the U.K. and the U.S.. Many of their singles and songs, such as "Bad Company," "Can't Get Enough," "Good Lovin' Gone Bad," "Feel Like Makin' Love," "Ready for Love," "Shooting Star," and "Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy," remain staples of classic rock radio. They have sold 20 million RIAA-certified albums in the U.S. and 40 millon worldwide.

The self-titled debut album was recorded at Headley Grange, Hampshire, in Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S, and No. 3 on the U.K. Albums Chart, spending 25 weeks on the U.K. charts. The album has been certified five times platinum in the U.S., and became the 46th-best-selling album of the 1970s. The singles "Can't Get Enough" and "Movin' On" reached No. 5 and No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 10.

All the hallmarks of a top-notch Analogue Productions reissue are here for your pleasure: Mastered directly from the original master tape by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound and cut at 45 RPM. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings and RTI, and housed in tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing.

Chunklet Industries is proud to announce a breakthrough in broadcasting technology. For the first time, the BBC working hand-in-hand with intergalactic audio pioneers Man…or Astro-Man? present to you seven volumes of their famed U.K. radio sessions.The band’s debut session in Maida Vale 3 was also the first time they stepped foot on English soil. It all started with Birdstuff sending a postcard to John Peel insisting that he not play the band's music and it led to December 1993, at the special request of the legendary, who became one the earliest, most visible and most vocal supporters of the band on English soil, five songs were recorded and three tracks are being released on this initial single.t to you seven volumes of their famed U.K. radio sessions.

This is the soundtrack to flipping through the filing cabinet at the mortuary in Return of the Living Dead. You are running out of time before ending up on the slab yourself at the end of a bad day at work. Wash away the blues with a pint and 12 tracks clocking in at just under 14 minutes whilst Stiff Meds take you on a journey to see the many faces of death. Starting in 2019, Stiff Meds arose from the grand tradition of fast as fuck music that has always been at the centre of UKHC from Napalm Death to Voorhees. Taking that history, along with some more US influences such as No Comment and Infest, vocalist Seth marries that with tales of the macabre as metaphors for daily life. Each song contains more riffs than most brains can compute in real time and is a testament to the skill level of the band. Not surprisingly they have grown a reputation as a ferocious live machine that blasts through 20+ songs with ease and without stops with wild crowd reactions to match. If you don’t believe us, then check out the Live at the Mersey Shore Set as an exclusive special feature of the physical vinyl release of Tales from the Slab. Don’t delay, it’s time to pick up your prescription. Check them out on tour in Europe, November-December 2023.

This A&M/CTI debut album by George Benson signaled the arrival of a true star in the jazz scene. Creed Taylor signed Benson immediately after Wes Montgomery's passing in 1968 -- he was being groomed for it by Verve's house producer, Esmond Edwards, and arranger, Tom McIntosh, before he ever came to CTI. Taylor paired Benson with arranger Don Sebesky (who had done plenty of work on Montgomery's A&M sides) and engineer Rudy Van Gelder. Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter (both members of the Miles Davis Quintet with whom Benson had guested earlier that year), bassist Richard Davis, and pianist Hank Jones were all guests.

Sparky Deathcap AKA Los Campesinos! multi-instrumentalist R N Taylor is the first to admit he’s an unlikely candidate for viral stardom. And yet, almost 15 years on from his final EP, Taylor’s alt-folk solo project is now getting a much-deserved reappraisal, entrancing a whole new generation of listeners. Championed by prominent Twitch streamer/YouTuber Wilbur Soot, his beautifully bruised pocket symphony ‘September’ has racked up over 36m streams on Spotify and soundtracked more than 750,000 creations on TikTok. Now, Los Campesinos!’s own indie imprint Heart Swells are delighted to release a newly mixed edition of its parent EP, Tear Jerky. Musically, you can trace the influence of Phil Elverum’s Microphones, of Magnolia Electric Co and Sufjan Stevens, and of Ys-era Joanna Newsom. From the beautifully lo-fi baroque-pop of ‘Glasgow Is A Punk Rock Town’ to ‘Send It To Oslo’s’ maximalist mix of analogue sounds, these ambitious yet intimate compositions prove the perfect foil for deeply autobiographical tales of heartbreak and recovery.

A bona fide legend from the ghettos of western Kingston, Gregory Isaacs was a true reggae original whose voice is one of the greatest of the idiom. His ballads made him a favourite with the ladies, but Gregory addressed social issues with equal conviction, and tales of rude boy life were sung firsthand. Maximum Respect is a digital killer from the early 1990s, cut for the pioneering sound system owner Count Shelley, the durable rhythms provided by Steelie and Clevie and the Firehouse Crew. With love ballads, reality tunes and songs praising the dancehall, Gregory covers all the bases and more. This is a must for all true Gregory fans!

In 2006, THE DRAFT was formed by Hot Water Music members Jason Black, George Rebelo, and Chris Wollard shortly after singer/guitarist Chuck Ragan's departure. The three remaining members of the band wanted to continue making music together but chose not to continue under the Hot Water Music name, opting for a fresh start instead. The initial writing and demo sessions included the legendary punk rock guitarist Brian Baker (known for Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion). However, due to conflicting schedules, Baker couldn't commit as a full-time member, leading fellow Florida resident and former Discount member Todd Rockhill to join the band. After releasing their debut album "In a Million Pieces" (produced by the esteemed Brian McTernan) on Epitaph Records in 2006, the band embarked on extensive tours with acts like Samiam, The Gaslight Anthem, and Paint It Black. They also released several singles on the renowned No Idea Label before disbanding in 2008. With both "In a Million Pieces" and all 7" records being out of print for years, THE DRAFT has now teamed up with End Hits Records and Equal Vision Records to release a deluxe vinyl version on double vinyl. For the first time, you can find every track ever recorded by THE DRAFT: Included are the twelve album tracks, six songs featured on three 7" records, two unreleased demo versions, as well as four songs recorded during a radio session in the UK that have never been released before. Not only were all songs remastered specifically for vinyl by Brian McTernan, and detailed liner notes have been added to tell the band's history from beginning to end, but the packaging has also been completely overhauled. A special feature for collectors: the European and American versions come in different gatefold covers, which together form a complete work of art.

Foreigner's debut spawned massive FM hits "Feels Like the First Time," and "Cold as Ice"
180-gram 45 RPM double LP
Mastered directly from the original master tape by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound
Pressed at Quality Record Pressings and RTI
Tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing

Arena rock heroes Foreigner crushed with their 1977 self-titled album debut, spawning some of the biggest FM hits of that year, including the anthemic "Feels Like the First Time" and "Cold as Ice," both of which were anchored — like most of Foreigner's songs — by the muscular but traditional riffing of guitarist Mick Jones, the soaring vocals of Lou Gramm, and the state-of-the-art rock production values of the day, which AllMusic reviewer Andy Hinds says allowed the band to sound hard but polished.

The architect behind Foreigner's extraordinary catalog, Mick Jones has crafted some of rock music's most enduring songs. Grammy and Golden Globe-nominated songwriter, performer and producer and winner of the prestigious Ivor Novello songwriter award in 1998, Jones first began playing guitar in his early teens.

After starting his own rock band and opening for the Rolling Stones in pubs across South London, Mick's first big break came in 1964 when he moved to Paris and was hired to play with French singer Sylvie Vartan.

After a brief stint in England to reform the band Spooky Tooth, Jones moved to New York City and formed Foreigner with Ian McDonald and Dennis Elliott and Americans Lou Gram, Alan Greenwood and Ed Gagliardi.

Foreigner defined a generation of rock music to people across the globe. From its iconic debut album, the band moved on to record-breaking hits including "I Want To Know What Love Is," "Waiting for a Girl Like You," "Double Vision," "Hot Blooded," "Juke Box Hero" and many more.

Now on 180-gram 45 RPM double LP you'll hear Foreigner in all its phenomenal glory. Mastered from the original tape by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound, this reissue rocks. Double LP cut at 45 RPM, pressed at Quality Record Pressings and RTI, and housed in a Stoughton Printing tip-on old style gatefold jacket. That's how you upgrade a classic.

A real soul gem from 1970 on the James Brown affiliated Deluxe label, the first and only album by this mysterious singer: Marie Queenie Lyons.
It is perhaps apropos that Queenie Marie Lyons’s best known song is titled ‘See And Don’t See.’ For all the acclaim that song has accrued, and all the times it has been compiled, reissued and, yes, bootlegged — for all the times it has been seen — Queenie herself has somehow remained unseen. How did a singer from Ashtabula, Ohio record one of the great female-led soul albums and then simply fall off the map, never to record or perform again? Queenie was a natural performer and a gifted singer. At the age of fifteen, she was doing three shows a week at a local venue. In early 1962, Queenie moved to Queens and was soon playing gigs across the city — an early engagement was with Gene Krupa at the famous Metropole Café in Times Square — as well as touring with established acts like Fats Domino and Ray Charles. The following year, Queenie made her debut recording, for a subsidiary of RCA called Groove, credited to an entirely fictitious “Shelley Shoop and the Shakers.” It remained Queenie’s only presence on wax until early 1968, when a Nashville-based label called Sims gave her her first accurately attributed single, “A Minute Of His Goodtime / Good Soul Lovin’.” Although the 45 is now a highly collectible part of the Northern Soul and Lowrider Oldies pantheons, it made no impact at the time, as Sims was focused on more typical Nashville sounds. A few months later Queenie was back in New York City, performing R&B and pop covers with her band when a man passed her his business card at a performance. The card read James Brown Enterprises. James Brown “was my idol,” she says, and someone whose business acumen and stage presence she strove to emulate. Although Queenie ended up on tour with James Brown for only a month or so, when the group reached Cincinnati in mid-’68 she entered the King Records studio there to record what would become the
album you hold in your hands. The songs were a combination of covers, some of which she’d been doing in her live shows, like ‘Fever’ and ‘Try Me,’ and originals written by producer Henry Glover and pianist Don Pullen, who was the bandleader on the session. The album opener, ‘See And Don’t See,’ was also recorded by the veteran R&B singer Maxine Brown, but Queenie’s version blows hers away. “Soul Fever” is a supremely funky and soulful affair, with Queenie’s powerful and captivating voice magnetically attractive, with an urgency that is impossible to ignore. ‘Your Thing Ain’t No Good Without My Thing,’ ‘Your Key Don’t Fit It Anymore,’ and ‘I Don’t Want Nobody To Have It But You’ are as funky and soulful as the best of Tina Turner and Aretha — a statement not to be made lightly!
The album was critically acclaimed — the October 10, 1970, issue of Billboard listed it as their sole “four star” pick in the Soul category — but perhaps due to the tumult at Starday-King, whose stewardship had turned over several times in only a few years, it never seemed to be able to break through to a larger audience.

Silver Biplanes are Tim Vass (one half of Razorcuts - the Creation-signed indie pop darlings) and Vanessa Vass (singer of Radcliffe jangle pop favourites The Melons. "A Moment In The Sun" is the debut long player by silver biplanes, a melodic indie band based in Bedfordshire, England. The band features wife-and-husband team Vanessa Vass and Tim Vass alongside drummer Rob Scott and the album is the pinnacle of a musical career which has previously seen Vanessa and Tim release songs on no fewer than 30 different labels between them! The band are lifelong fans of the highways and bi-ways of music and the album draws upon a wide range of influences. It's a heady mix of choruses, hooks and catchy tunes in which you'll hear traces of psychedelia, post-punk, krautrock and more. Tim was bassist and lyricist in cult indie band Razorcuts, co-writing all of their songs. Razorcuts releases regularly featured in the higher reaches of the independent charts throughout the late 80s, and included two top five albums recorded for the famous Creation label. Both albums were reissued in sellout deluxe vinyl editions in 2020. Razorcuts continue to appear on numerous compilations and their influence is often cited in books and internet articles. Tim has also played in Red Chair Fadeaway, Dandelion Wine and the Forever People. Vanessa was the singer in 90's indie band The Melons who are probably best remembered for their two legendary live sessions on Mark Radcliffe's Radio 1 show. The Melons released 6 singles and were regularly featured in the British music press.

A Little While Longer: a longing for a brief moment in time. A thought back to days past and time spent with loved ones or friends. What we do with the brief moment we have in this life. What we decide is important enough to spend it on.