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Since the release of 2020’s acclaimed ‘The Cause of Doubt & a Reason to Have Faith’, London based Lookman Adekunle Salami has been busy working on the eagerly-awaited follow up and today has released the first taste of what’s to come in the form of new single ‘Desperate Times, Mediocre Measures’. After four studio albums and with well over 35 million streams, Salami’s music continues to push genre boundaries and is certainly no stranger to spoken word - ‘Desperate Times, Mediocre Measures’ sees him return to this method as he waxes poetically about the state of power and wealth in the modern world; "Desperate Times, Mediocre Measures" is a song that tackles the idea of the cyclical and corrosive nature of power structures across our societies - Hierarchical Structures that, like all structures in our reality, are made up of, and reinforced by people who find themselves, more often than not, enforcing the very corrupted elements of those structures purely due to the fact that this can become the prime method of propping themselves up.” Very much a shift in a new musical direction, Lookman enlisted the help of renowned string arranger Stephen Bentley-Klein, who has worked with the likes of John Barry and Deep Purple, to provide the lush orchestration which works in perfect tandem with Salami’s thought provoking word play. L.A. Salami’s message is - once again - a highly interesting insight into the pitfalls of today’s society, constantly proving how is he is an artist we should all be paying serious attention to.

The FIXX has been heralded as one of the most innovative bands to come out of the “MTV” era. For four decades, the style and substance of the band has always created a special connection with its audience. The FIXX’s themes are often complex, introspective and thought-provoking, but not without widespread mass appeal. The band has garnered three #1 hits, five more in the Top 5 and a dozen which reached the Top 10. With millions of albums sold worldwide, songs such as “One Thing Leads To Another,” “Red Skies” and “Saved By Zero” remain everyday staples on the playlists of the Rock, AAA and Alternative radio stations that continue to break new acts inspired by the era that The FIXX helped to define. The FIXX’s classic lineup remains intact, Cy Curnin (vocals), Jamie West-Oram (guitar), Rupert Greenall (keyboards), Dan K. Brown (bass guitar) and Adam Woods (drums). The alt rock pioneers return with their new studio album EVERY FIVE SECONDS,their first in nearly a decade, on June 3, 2022!

Welcome to Retropolis! Known for the inimitable Can’t Stop with Coloray, an unhealthy obsession with vintage music machines, a baroque style in the use of synthesizer melodies and a forewarn-looking approach to the past, Chris Barratt’s music as Eagles & Butterflies can be as fun-loving as melancholically beautiful. For his long overdue debut on Running Back, the english man dishes out a bit of both in a healthy bowl of broth.

Retropolis is not only the direction giving title, but bold and bonny at the same time. That its working title was Italo should tell you all you need to know. Suitable for big rooms, major moments, minor miracles and sophisticated car chase scenes alike. Faster takes off in another direction. Imagine two people falling in love during a bumper car ride – heartfelt vocals included.

On the flip side E&B follows a similar state of equilibrium. Like the highs and lows and ups and downs in a John Hughes movie, it also showcases the characteristics of two synthesizer classics: the exuberant piano version of Juno Ninja (please look at the digital release for a version devoid of it) offsets the poignant and plangent vibe of CS-80. In summary: made with lots of synthesizers and for fans of keyboard music. And always keep in mind: the future sounds and looks better than you think!

OVERVIEW: Press Club return with their third studio album, Endless Motion, to be released this October. Brave, energetic and expansive, the idea of motion has always been central to the Press Club ethos. Having made music together for 12 years, the Melbourne-based punk rock four-piece reject stagnancy, constantly pushing to change and thrive in a scene that largely stays the same. Endless Motion is the ultimate artistic statement about the past three years – a collective and global struggle that has provided the material and circumstances for Press Club to emerge as one of the most exciting and relevant bands of 2022.

OVERVIEW: Press Club return with their third studio album, Endless Motion, to be released this October. Brave, energetic and expansive, the idea of motion has always been central to the Press Club ethos. Having made music together for 12 years, the Melbourne-based punk rock four-piece reject stagnancy, constantly pushing to change and thrive in a scene that largely stays the same. Endless Motion is the ultimate artistic statement about the past three years – a collective and global struggle that has provided the material and circumstances for Press Club to emerge as one of the most exciting and relevant bands of 2022.

OVERVIEW: Press Club return with their third studio album, Endless Motion, to be released this October. Brave, energetic and expansive, the idea of motion has always been central to the Press Club ethos. Having made music together for 12 years, the Melbourne-based punk rock four-piece reject stagnancy, constantly pushing to change and thrive in a scene that largely stays the same. Endless Motion is the ultimate artistic statement about the past three years – a collective and global struggle that has provided the material and circumstances for Press Club to emerge as one of the most exciting and relevant bands of 2022.

With a career spanning more than eight decades, The Isley Brothers have one of the longest, most influential and most diverse careers in popular music. The group began in 1954 as an American family music group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, which began as a vocal trio consisting of brothers O’Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley. The Isley Brothers have sold over 18 million records in the United States alone.

Go For Your Guns is the fifteenth album by The Isley Brothers. Originally released in mid-April 1977, the album peaked a month later at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Soul chart, and at No. 6 on the Billboard 200. The album Includes “Footsteps In The Dark” as sampled by hip hop artist Ice Cube for his hit “It Was A Good Day”. The song peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and No. 25 on the 1993
Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Go For Your Guns is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on red coloured vinyl, is housed in a gatefold sleeve and includes an insert.

The French neo big band celebrates its 10th anniversary with a live
concert broadcasted live on the French radio station France Musique.
The genesis of this one is an ode to the explorers who went to visit "the
ends of the world", the North and the South poles
Between icebergs, extreme cold, icy waters, infinite landscapes, clear skies and
current and crazy expeditions as led by Jean-Louis Etienne with Océan Polaire.
POLAR STAR embodies the visual and soundtrack of these crazy epics: a music
that is at the same time intimate, fragile and epic, and sometimes abyssal to
escape in a dreamlike exploration movie.
It is an "awareness" album, taking care of the extreme beauty of the world, but
also a message full of hope: to be amazed and to continue to be. POLAR STAR
reveals a new breath, at the same time powerful, sensitive and luminous. It is an
epic whirlwind that immerses us into the depths of a progressive jazz with rock,
electro, and sometimes pop fragments.
"We love what amazed us and we protect what we love" Jean-Yves Cousteau

Drift, their fifth studio album sees PIANOS BECOME THE TEETH taking
another sonic step forward to craft a musical statement that truly
transcends genres
For the recording of Drift, the band took it back to basics, starting at a familyowned cabin in the woods of Virginia, that they transformed into an analog
recording studio. The band lived together, recorded together and ate dinners
together where they would listen to the day's recordings, talk about them and pull
them apart and reworking them, creating what may be their finest album to date.
Per front man Kyle Durfey, "Something that we really took away from this
experience was just the connection we had together. We produced the record
ourselves with our longtime friend/ collaborator/ engineer Kevin Bernsten who
recorded our first two records." The recordings that the band created using
innovative recording techniques, recording 100% analog are sonically transportive
and certain to mystify and inspire generations of recording artists. All the echoes
were made with old echoplexes and tape delay, which made for a really organic
record. With Bersten's help the band was able to take some of the weirder and
more ambitious ideas they had and turned them into reality making this a
fantastic album for immersive headphone listening.

High quality, 2 x 180g pink marbled vinyl, gatefold sleeve and download
code containing the digital album in multiple formats. Singer Nishla
Smith creates vivid, enigmatic stories through sound, her voice stretching
from melancholic sweetness through to dark intimacy
Her debut album 'Friends with Monsters' confirms Smith as a major new vocal
talent and sees the vocalist's affinity for inventive narratives extended over the
span of a full album. The Australian performer travelled via Berlin to eventually
settle in Manchester and is joined here by some of the city's most talented
improvisers. Richard Jones and Johnny Hunter cover piano and drums
respectively, whilst bassist Joshua Cavanagh-Brierley and trumpeter Aaron Wood
add graceful touches to complete the quintet's intimate feel. Smith's depictions of
night-time have an enigmatic quality, inviting listeners on an atmospheric journey
but all the while pointing to something greater.
Smith's work moves swiftly through genres, driven by her unique artistry. A City
Music Foundation artist, she has received commissions from Manchester
Collective and Opera North, as well as Manchester Jazz Festival and Jazz North.
As co-creator of theatre company Ulita, she also creates collaborative pieces that
blend theatre, music and visual arts. 'Friends with Monsters' continues that
theatrical drive - "I'm a very natural storyteller, I just love to tell stories. I find
myself weaving everyday events into tales that are very narratively pleasing."
Set over the course of a single evening, 'Friends with Monsters' explores changing
states of insomnia, informed by Smith's own sleepless nights. It's realised in four
distinct sections; each is introduced by a scene-setting interlude. Delving deeper
into the dreamy world of Smith's storyland rewards greatly.

Taking Back Sunday scored one of the highest charting independent rock albums
of 2004 when 'Where You Want To Be' hit No. 3. Dubbed "one of the most
anticipated albums of 2006" by Alternative Press, the band's follow- up and
Warner Bros. debut Louder Now released on April 25, 2006, took the group's
classic ethos of intertwining vocals and hardcore meets- rock- meets- pop to an
even more enticing level, besting its predecessor and skyrocketing to No. 2 on
Billboard's Top 200 selling 158,000 copies in its first week and garnering a Gold
certification in the process.
'Louder Now' went on to receive favorable reviews from critics, and was voted
Kerrang!'s album of the year. Additionally, it reached top 10 status on several
Billboard charts and the top 20 in Canada, Australia and the UK where it later was
certified silver by the BPI for sales exceeding 60,000 copies.

OVERVIEW: Lande Hekt’s natural state of being is in the writing of a song. Having crafted politically aware, heart-on-sleeve, punchy yet tender, punk-flecked songs with her band Muncie Girls, Lande turned her hand to an even more personal songwriting approach as she embarked on writing a solo record - 2021’s ‘Going to Hell’. The debut full-length documented her experience coming out as gay. It set out her stall as a solo artist with supreme storytelling abilities and a knack for understatedly luminous melodies. Lande’s music sits beautifully alongside such essential artists as The Wedding Present, The Sundays, The Replacements, Sleeper and Sharon Van Etten

'Cross the Rolling Water' is the debut collaborative album from Hannah
Reed and Michael Starkey
Acclaimed singer-songwriter and fiddler Hannah Read met banjo player Michael
Starkey at an Appalachian old time session in Edinburgh in late 2019.The
moment they first struck up a tune together there was an immediate meeting of
musical minds and they have since become a formidable and dynamic fiddle and
banjo duo, playing repertoire deep from the old time tradition like Apple Blossom
as well as newly composed tunes and songs Shenandoah by Anais Mitchell.
Hannah is an award winning Scottish musician based in Brooklyn, NY. She moved
Stateside to study American fiddle styles and to immerse herself in the thriving
string music scene. She has toured extensively, performing solo and collaborating
with musicians far and wide including Tony Trischka, Sarah Jarosz and Jefferson
Hamer, as well as being one part of the BBC Folk Award winning Songs of
Separation. Her previous album was the well-received 'Way Out I'll Wander' from
2017.
Michael is a multi-instrumentalist, music teacher and old time banjo enthusiast
living in Scotland. His mission as a musician is to keep things simple - clear
melody lines underpinned by solid, infectious rhythm. Recent collaborations
include with Wayward Jane (Edinburgh- based UK/ US folk and roots music 4-
piece) and 'Faultlines', a collection of Lisa Fannen's poetry set to music.
"Hannah and Michael have arrived at a way of playing old- time music that's
refreshingly dynamic, expressive, and toneful. Every track makes me feel like I'm
sitting right next to them, eyeing my fiddle case, just hoping they'll let me join in" -
Stephanie Coleman, old time fiddler

CITY BURIALS - KATATONIA'S 2020 STUDIO OPUS OF ABSORBING,
SOARING PROGRESSIVE ROCK & METICULOUSLY CRAFTED DOSES OF
MELANCHOLY - SINGLE LP FEATURING NEW HALF-SPEED MASTER FOR
OPTIMAL SOUND QUALITY.Formed in 1991 by Jonas Renkse & Anders
Nyström & transitioning from early pioneers of the rising black/death/
doom movement to powerhouses of the progressive metallic rock genre,
the Swedish connoisseurs of melancholy returned in 2020 with their
stellar opus, 'City Burials' - the band's eleventh studio album & first since
2016's haunting 'The Fall Of Hearts'
With the winds of a new direction steering the band on their latest journey, 'City
Burials' stood as a triumph of deep & enigmatic progressive rock – the fruits of a
rejuvenating & profound chapter in the band's legacy & a catalyst for its creators.
Compiled into one of their most important modern works & statements to date,
the finely- honed instrumentation provides a multi- textured backdrop with the
voice of Jonas Renkse guiding us through these latest trials of loss & ruin.
The chemistry between Jonas, Anders & their band mates – bassist Niklas
Sandin, drummer Daniel Moilanen & most recent recruit, guitarist Roger Öjersson
– never sounded more potent, with 'City Burials' being the first album Katatonia
made since Öjersson became a full-time member.
Inspired by an injection of fresh blood into Katatonia's creative brew, 'City Burials'
helped Katatonia reclaim part of their heavy metal roots, via several moments of
exuberant, old- school classicism, deftly woven into these new songs'
kaleidoscopic fabric, resulting in an album that propelled the band ever further
into the spotlight.
'City Burials' was produced by Nyström/ Renkse & recorded at Soundtrade
Studios, Tri-Lamb Studios & The City Of Glass, throughout October & November
2019, with engineering work handled by Karl Daniel Lidén. The album also
featured a guest appearance by Anni Bernhard, the voice behind Stockholm
based act 'Full Of Keys'. Artwork appeared courtesy of Lasse Hoile, the image
itself representing the ongoing era of the Dead End King.
This edition of 'City Burials' is presented on single black vinyl, featuring a new
half-speed vinyl master for optimal sound quality.

In the kitchen of the Byron Bay home of Winston McCall stands a
refrigerator, adorned on one side by a quote from Tom Waits: "I want
beautiful melodies telling me terrible things."This, the PARKWAY DRIVE
vocalist says, is a pretty good summation of himself
It holds true, too, as one of the guiding principles behind Darker Still, the seventh
full- length album to be born of this picturesque and serene corner of northeastern NSW, Australia, and the defining musical statement to date from one of
modern metal's most revered bands.Darker Still, McCall says, is the vision he and
his bandmates – guitarists Jeff Ling and Luke Kilpatrick, bassist Jia O'Connor
and drummer Ben Gordon – have held in their mind's eye since a misfit group of
friends first convened in their parents' basements and backyards in 2003. The
journey to reach this moment has seen Parkway evolve from metal underdogs to
festival- headlining behemoth, off the back of close to 20 gruelling years, six
critically and commercially acclaimed studio albums (all of which achieving Gold
status in their home nation), three documentaries, one live album, and many,
many thousands of shows.
While Darker Still remains irrefutably PARKWAY DRIVE, it finds the band sonically
standing shoulder to shoulder with rock and metal's greats – Metallica, Pantera,
Machine Head, Guns N' Roses – as much as it does their metalcore
contemporaries. "I wanted a classic guitar tone for this record," explains Ling, who
credits much of his inspiration to the connection his riffs have with a crowd in a
live setting.
Emerging from the darkness of the past few years, this is the true face of
PARKWAY DRIVE: redefined and resolute, focused in mind and defiant in spirit.

Progressive rock bent with a considerable amount of rock 'n' roll gospel
soul!
.Sanctuary's virtuosity is undeniable, and every song displays each
member's considerable talents
The album is abundant with soaring and passionate vocal arrangements that are
carried on high by the lively interplay of Norm Weinberg's percussive flurries as
they weave their way through a tapestry of flutes, strings, and guitars. Deeply
resonant keyboards set the foundation for the band's sound, and in fitting, albeit
unsuspecting, fashion, it is Eric Bikales' flute playing that shepherds the listener
through the album.
Beginning with "All In My Dreams," the flute's light and colorful timbre captures the
ear, serving as a clarion call for all to follow and creating moments of majesty, as
music and message seamlessly transform into one. Sanctuary's interpretations
of Yes's "Time And A Word" and Edgar Winter's "Winter's Dream" are not mere
covers. They are bright and bold musical statements, refusals to submit to the
negativity of the times. Their unique take on these compositions, as well as their
own, provides the kind of bright eyed anthems their generation's voice needed to
compete against the backdrop of war and social upheaval dominating the
headlines.

2003 DEBUT STUDIO ALBUM FROM ACCLAIMED NORWEGIAN POSTPROGRESSIVE ART ROCKERS MASTERED HALF-SPEED AT AIR STUDIOS
Formed in Oslo in 1996 by childhood friends Jon-Arne Vilbo & Thomas Andersen
along with Jan- Henrik Ohme (later joined by Mikael Krømer, Robert Risberget
Johansen & Roy Funner), Gazpacho have honed their unique sound over a string
of critically acclaimed albums & numerous tours, including several with long-time
supporters Marillion.
In 2002, Gazpacho entered a song contest on 'Make-A-Star' with the song "Sea Of
Tranquillity" & won. Their second entry, "Ghost" made it to second position, giving
the band the opportunity to release an album through MP3. This led the
band to release their first official album 'Bravo' in 2003 - which contained five of
the six tracks off the MP3 album plus six new compositions. Utilising the
possibilities of the Internet the band had teamed up with the American singer/
songwriter & fellow 'Make- A- Star' contestee Esther Valentine & New Zealand
producer Peter Kearns. Valentine sang a duet with Ohme on the song
'Novgorod' (which she also co-wrote) & Kearns produced two of the album tracks.
'Bravo' gained the band more international acclaim, with Dutch leading music
magazine 'Oor' stating "their debut album is a rare beauty".
The first in the 'Gazpacho Half-Speed Masters Series', this new Kscope release of
'Bravo' was mastered half-speed at Air Studios in London for a superior, sharper,
more direct & engaging sound. Other releases from the band's catalogue are to
follow throughout 2022 & 2023.

Laurence Jones returns with his 7th studio album ‘Destination Unknown’,
his debut release on Marshall Records, featuring his trademark virtuoso
guitar backed by his stellar live band, creating the perfect blend of tight
rhythmic groove and soulful delivery, Laurence pays tribute to his blues
roots whilst developing a more rock-oriented sound
Laurence has been seen most recently on tour with the legendary Status Quo as
well at festivals across the UK and Europe.

The ‘A Day At’ concept, from Parallelle, started in 2017 when they were helping their uncle in his leather factory, manufacturing belts. The variety of melodic sounds during the manufacturing process, from small tools to big machinery, quickly became the soundtrack to their day and the inspiration behind their very first song – The Factory.

Little did they know it would lead them on a sonic expedition to explore places where unexpected sounds became the centre of their musical pieces. A carpentry, a ski station, a supermarket, an airport, or a kitchen were their creative playground. The sawing of wood, the chopping of carrots, the rustling of plants, the click of a ski-shoe and the shaking of quinoa are just some examples of sounds that inspired their creativity.

After years of gathering sounds and composing the basis of their album. They teamed up with conservatorium musicians Nicolo Ricci on Sax tenor, Alessandro Mazzieri on Base and Simone Cesarini on Guitar who helped them sculpt the final touches to the album.

A fusion of jazzy vibe with concrete sound recording and electronic elements is the foundation of their first album “A Day At”

The super group Deltron 3030 is composed of producer Dan the Automator, rapper Del tha Funkee Homosapien and DJ Kid Koala and sometimes features guest artists who also take on varying futuristic pseudonyms. Originally released in 2000 on the now-defunct 75ARK record label, this hip hop concept album was released the same year as the Gorillaz' first 12" and is on a similar plane. Following the release of Deltron 3030, all three members participated in the Gorillaz' self-titled debut album. With Del aka Deltron Zero on vocals, Dan the Automator aka The Cantankerous Captain Aptos on production, and Kid Koala aka Skiznoid the Boy Wonder on turntables, this album takes the listener on a paranoid journey set in a dystopian year 3030 dealing with viruses, the apocalypse, an oppressive government, and a war waged against a huge company called the Corporate Bank of Time that rules the universe, all to the well-crafted and consistent musical backing of the Automator. Appearances by Damon Albarn (The Gorillaz, Blur), Prince Paul, Peanut Butter Wolf, DJ Money Mark, Paul Barman, Mark Bell (Bjork, production), Sean Lennon, and Mr. Lif compliment Del's vocal style and add the right amount of flavor to this classic period piece.

Like Sun Ra's Arkestra and John Coltrane are to jazz, the Mystic Revelation of Rastafari are to reggae – the ultimate expression of roots music and Rastafarian ideology in reggae music, music functioning at a high level of spiritual consciousness combined with an equally avant-garde and forward-looking approach to sound.
The group's stunning, unique and groundbreaking 1973 album ‘Grounation’, a mighty conceptual triplealbum (the first ever reggae triple!) is, similar to Marvin Gaye's 'What's Goin' On', a definitive allencompassing cultural statement of its time and place. A sprawling album of raw and unique cultural expression that combined Rastafari consciousness with deep spiritual jazz music – an absolute and essential classic of Reggae music.

The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari group came into existence at the start of 1970s, the union of two artists (and groups) of equal repute – Count Ossie and his African Drums and saxophonist Cedric ‘Im’ Brooks’ and his group,

The Mystics. Both Ossie and Brooks were alumni from the great Studio One Records. Master drummer Count Ossie and his collective of Rastafarian drummers performed for Haile Selassie on his
momentous visit to Jamaica in 1966. Cedric Brooks came out of the Alpha Boys School – the fertile breeding ground of musicians who dominated the Jamaican music scene from the 1960s onwards; Tommy McCook,

Don Drummond, Johnny Moore, Headley Bennett, Johnny Osbourne, Yellowman, Leroy Smart, Bobby Ellis, Joe Harriott, Eddie Thornton, Vin Gordon, Rico Rodriguez, Owen Gray, Leroy ‘Horsemouth’ Wallace and more.

The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari’s ‘Grounation’ is a massive opus, a work of profound musical genius that tells the story of Jamaica through music and words. The album is a cornerstone in the history of reggae, a unique and other-worldly album the like of which has never been made since.

Soul Jazz Records are releasing this long-revered album release in two unique vinyl formats: a one-off pressing limited-edition deluxe box set triple-vinyl edition complete with a free 45 single + art print + an exact-replica reproduction Mystic Revelation 1977 mag/zine + download code; And secondly as a triple album + download
code. There is also a deluxe 2 CD version
complete with large format booklet encased in
double-walled slipcase. All editions come with
extensive new sleevenotes, photography, exact
reproductions of the original text and artwork

'Following on from her critically acclaimed debut “SAWAYAMA”, Rina Sawayama’s highly anticipated new record “Hold The Girl” sees Rina once again juxtapose intimate storytelling with arena-sized songs, creating another ambitious and original album to excite fans and critics alike.

Written and recorded over the last year and a half, Rina once again teamed up with longterm collaborators Clarence Clarity and Lauren Aquilina as well as enlisting help from the likes of the legendary Paul Epworth (Adele, Florence & the Machine), Stuart Price (Dua Lipa, The Killers, Madonna) and Marcus Andersson (Demi Lovato, Ashnikko) for their magic touch.

The product of Rina and these collective minds coming together is an album which melds influences from across the pop spectrum and is a bold and honest statement of Rina’s personal evolution; coming to terms with her own past and the jubilation of turning to the future.

Longtime Daptone Hammond ace, Adam Scone was seduced when his travelling performances brought him from Brooklyn, New York to Brooklin, Brasil, where he found a trove of new love and music. Produced by Bosco Mann, and featuring Jimmy James (True-Loves, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio) on guitar and Neal Sugarman (Sugarman 3, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings) on tenor sax the group took this newfound inspiration into the studio and tracked some of the freshest soulful music we've heard in some time.

With help from his intergalactic choir, the opening track, "Cold 40's", leaps out of the speakers with the screaming organ sound that has put Scone on the short list of goto organ players. The Hammond then gives way to a dreamy, funky groove that's perfectly seasoned with ethereal background vocals that will transport you to a place where summer is on repeat. "Brooklyn to Brooklin” brings you deep into a fever-dream of tropical rhythms and seductive flourishes of psychedelia, sure to delight dancers and dreamers alike. Come take a trip!

Tracklisting

Die 13 Tracks auf "Polymer", darunter energiegeladene Banger, helle, melodische, viszerale Rhythmen und hypnotische Strukturen, bilden das vielleicht kompakteste Album von Plaid. Das Duo ging Anfang der 1990er aus der Formation The Black Dog hervor und zählt neben Acts wie Aphex Twin, Autechre oder Nightmares On Wax zu den Eckpfeilern des Warp-Labels. In ihrer langjährigen Karriere arbeiteten Plaid zusammen mit Björk, London Sinfonietta und den Southbank Gamelan Players und füllten Venues vom Sydney Opera House über das Londoner Bloc bis zum Berliner Berghain. "Polymer" trägt all die Emotionen, Einflüsse und Inspirationen in sich und funktioniert als ihr Statement in modernen Zeiten.

In the year 2909, the first naturally-born human is found with endogenous AI code built into its DNA. As we cross into the 31st century, all living humans are controlled by a decentralized master AI known as MINDFRAME: The system has access to all of human consciousness with the ability to store and manipulate the data of every interaction and thought — even operating within your subconscious mind. It becomes impossible to know when or how you’re being controlled.

During each sleep cycle, our behaviors and memories are reformatted to align with MINDFRAMES control and order programming. Some have discovered that during these cycles, there are parts of the AI’s algorithm left exposed to extraction. Through meditative states, gifted cyber-shamans are now on a mission to reverse engineer enough of the AI to escape its grip and free us all.

FRANCOIS DILLINGER (Ben Worden) glides between the two worlds of electro and techno. His journey through the genres is dark while retaining a cerebral, dancefloor-oriented quality. This stems from influences of Industrial, Detroit’s rich history of electro, minimal techno, and even Ghettotech. In the studio, he uses primarily all external hardware and modular gear, utilizing Ableton for final arrangements and editing. His Live & DJ sets lean heavily into the generation of hypnotic loops, creating long protracted mixes between elements to form an unshakeable tension.

While he grew up an hour east of the Motor City, his musical roots were firmly planted there – taking hold over decades worth of defining moments in sound. As a fan, former promoter, and DJ he’s been a part of the Detroit scene for over 20 years, having lived there multiple different times. Currently, he also works with local Detroit label Infolines to manage branding and art direction alongside his wife, Ashely.

Prior to the MINDFRAME: CYCLES LP, he had released a track on SPEC-017’s VA release, and will feature a remix on an upcoming Specimen Records project as well. Early in 2021, his second album was released on Diffuse Reality featuring remixes from Keith Tucker/K1, Detroit’s Filthiest, and Squaric. Upcoming releases from DILLINGER include a variety of collaborative projects — Machine Men EP with Lloyd Stellar on LDI Records, an LP with Cyphon and Obzerv, and a number of VA releases with artists like RXMode (via Pareidolia Recordings), CYBEREIGN (via Science Cult), ADMN (via Infolines) and others. Look for other releases coming soon on Noise To Meet You, Roulette Rekordz, and Syntek Industries.

His previous releases have landed on Blind Allies, Natural Sciences, Dionysian Mysteries, Ukonx Recordings, Fanzine Records, and ZwaarteKracht—as well as a debut album on Narrow Gauge, ‘Chasing the Red’. Support for his music has come from the likes of Richie Hawtin, Dave Clarke, Jensen Interceptor, UMWELT, and others.

Rot-marmoriertes Doppelvinyl (140g) in Gatefold Sleeve inklusive Downloadcode. Photography by Nicole Ngai. Design by Jade Ping.

TSHA kehrt mit ihrem lang erwarteten Debütalbum, „Capricorn Sun“, zu Ninja Tune zurück. Das Album wurde in den letzten zwei Jahren aufgenommen und löst das Versprechen ihrer vorherigen EPs und Singles mit zwölf Tracks ein, die perfekt die gefühlvolle Mischung aus Underground-Elektronik und intelligenter Pop-Sensibilität verkörpern und die sie zu einer der meistdiskutierten neuen Künstler*innen der letzten Jahre gemacht hat. TSHA zierte die Titelseiten von renommierten Magazinen, war auf zahlreichen Plakatwänden zu sehen, wurde in die wichtigsten Playlists und Programmen mehrerer Streaming-Dienste aufgenommen und stand auf zahllosen Jahresend- und Talent-Listen, neben dem Lob der Musikpresse und des Radios - und 2022 wird ihr Jahr.

Das Album folgt auf ihre jüngste Compilation für die renommierte „fabric presents“-Reihe und einem immensen Tourneeplan, auf dem sie über 100 Shows in den Jahren 2021/22 spielt, unter anderem als Support-Act bei Disclosure bei deren zwei Shows im Alexandra Palace, oder für Bob Moses, wo sie vor 40.000 Fans an der amerikanischen Westküste gespielt hat. Sie spielte auch eine Reihe nordamerikanischer Shows mit Flume - einschließlich eines Gigs im imposanten Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado -, absolvierte eine Festivaltournee mit einem Auftritt beim diesjährigen Glastonbury und hat eine laufende Residency im DC-10 auf Ibiza für Circoloco, um nur einige zu nennen.

„Capricorn Sun“ ist sowohl ein Statement, wo sie als Künstlerin und Produzentin gerade steht, als auch eine Reflexion über die Zeit, die sie mit dem Schreiben und Aufnehmen des Albums verbracht hat, und die Auswirkungen globaler Ereignisse, familiärer Umwälzungen und persönlicher Kämpfe während dieser Zeit. Dieser Wechsel zwischen den Stimmungen und Emotionen wird deutlich, wenn man sich durch die zwölf Tracks des Albums bewegt.

With more than 30 years in the game, D.I.T.C. affiliate Andre the Giant of Showbiz & A.G. fame continues to prove that his pen game is better than ever with the release of his latest full length effort, Giant In The Mental.

The album title is more than just a reference to one of his earliest tracks; it’s a statement that he remains head and shoulders above the competition like the rap giant that he is. And he’s proudly doing it all on his own with this record, without any guest appearances.

“I am really not moved by guest appearances,” A.G. explains. “Music for me is mostly therapy, and I don’t need anyone else to help me vent and express my thoughts.” He’s absolutely right, because across the 10 tracks on Giant In The Mental, he skillfully unpacks and tackles a number of different topics with his trademark wit and wisdom.

The Bronx rap legend straight-up kills it on every level, too, from clever wordplay to engaging storytelling raps. If you want his bully bars, just listen to the hard-hitting opening track, “Andre The Giant,” with speaker-thumping production from DJ Manipulator. And for storytelling, you can dig into the beautifully written and smooth “Summer School” or the cinematic and stirring “The Sphinx.”

It all amounts to a truly impressive and cohesive piece of work from A.G., who is eager to continue creating art until he can’t meet his own standards. “If I can’t perform at a high level then it’s time to stop!” he says before adding that pushing himself creatively is what this is all about for him. His integrity and passion for the artform is palpable, and it’s those qualities that have helped him remain such a necessary voice—and force— in music.

DNO hits double figures as Denver’s Trisicloplox & Sectra return with more industrial-strength electro-sludge.

Sectra sets the tone with ‘Mail Theft’, a hulking mass of sand-blasting static, insectoid jitter and low-end boom. It’s an intimidating, uneasy listen, like tuning through the haunting emptiness of post-apocalyptic broadcast frequencies, only to be interrupted by sudden bursts of unseen filth and gore.

Trisicloplox follows with a brace of tracks. ‘Bruised’ does exactly what it says on the tin, gargantuan kicks pummelling layer upon layer of dense sound into an impenetrable wall of noise. Ritualistic rhythms and gluttonous amounts of overdrive swarm over distant wails, sending everything into a spiral into despair.On ‘Megastructure’, doom metal meets hip-hop, as rough-hewn drums crunch above a bassline that takes its cues from the Super Hans School of Electronic Music: “The longer the note, the more dread.”

And finishing up the vinyl offerings is ‘Dead On Arrival’. Coming courtesy of Sectra, the most traditionally ‘club-focused’ effort of the lot sees a serrated breakbeat and venomous acid lick sparring over dissonant pads.

As always, digital listeners are offered a little bonus, this time the only full collab: ‘The Dead InTheir Shrouds’. Shunted along by a systematic kick, the track’s jackhammer subs become all-consuming, seemingly sucking all the air from the room and hurling it back out of the bassbins in a violent frenzy.

A bold release that’s not for the faint of heart, the ‘Dead Structure’ EP further cements Trisicloplox & Sectra as truly original talents and DNO as an outlet that can never be pigeonholed.

Rhythms of postmodern realism at the very bottom of the DNO.

If someone would have told me years ago, when I started the label, that one day I would be releasing music by Ernesto Djédjé, the king of Ziglibithy himself, I would have personally driven them to the closest psychiatric institute such is the magnitude of the artist and his iconic tune “Zighlibitiens”.

The star of Ernesto Djédjé started rising in the late 60s, when he became the guitar player and leader of Ivoiro Star, founded by Amédée Pierre, star of Dopé, the leading musical style at the time. Annoyed by the “congolisation” of the Ivorian music that was taking place within the band, Ernesto left the group and emigrated to Paris in 1968 to record his first few singles arranged by Manu Dibango and influenced by Soul, Rhythm & Blues and Jerk. Those recordings reflect the musical mood at that time which was dictated by two musical trends within the Ivoirian scene: Traditional music, embodied amongst others by Amédée Pierre on one hand and imported music from the States, Cameroon and Zaïre on the other. And while the first trend was generally neglected, the youth fully embraced the second and as a result bands such as „Les Black Devils“, „Djinn-Music“, „Bozambo”, “Jimmy Hyacinthe”, shot to stardom overnight by recording mainly funk and disco music. It is within this context that Ernesto would draw the inspiration for a future formula.

Returning to Côte d‘Ivoire in 1974 Ernesto began looking for like minded musicians to form the mighty “Ziglibithiens”. Diabo Steck (drums), Bamba Yang (keyboards & Guitar), Léon Sina (Guitar) and Assalé Best (chef d´orchestre and Saxophon) would become the core of the group and together with Ernesto they began thinking of ways of combining the rhythms and chants of the Bété people and fuse them with Makossa, Funk and Disco and create a musical style that was both Ivorian and International. He called his experiment Ziglibithy and his first two albums, immortalised at the EMI studios in 1977 in Lagos and released on the Badmos label, took West Africa by storm turning Ernesto Djédjé into an icon overnight and one of the legends of African music.
Ernesto Djédjé died in mysterious circumstances on June 9th, 1983 - at the age of 35 - shocking the whole Ivorian nation. And although the end came abruptly, it didn’t come soon enough, and Ernesto had time - within 5 albums - to cement his legacy as one of the most innovative artists the Ivory Coast ever produced.

The song Zighlibitiens, brought to Colombia by an aeronautical mechanic in the early 1980, would become a huge hit on the Caribbean Coast. Renamed “El Tigre” by locals soundsystem operators - certainly due to the Badmos logo - that particular song would reach legendary status in Barranquilla and Cartagena. Setting fire to uncountable local parties, it has become one of the most sought-after Album in that part of the world. And so, while Ziglibithy has mostly disappeared from the airwaves of its country of birth, on the other side of the Atlantic, its fire continues to shine bright.

Star Feminine Band: a 2020 debut, first journey and a 2022 return! Though not exactly a world music label, Born Bad took up the challenge and released Star Féminine Band's debut album in late 2020. Heaps of acclaims and praise and the whole shebang, then boom: the tour that was to materialize, live, all of the band and its entourage's hopes got cancelled due to Covid. After a long delay, the band finally managed to get to Europe, performing on the Transmusicales Festival, as well as for TV stations like Arte, TV5 and BBC to much acclaim. "Once they played, Born Bad and the band clearly had a "mission accomplished" feeling - that all the energy put into this was worth it, starting with the critics who abounded at the Transmusicales to weigh the phenomenon. They left convinced, just like the audience, enthralled by the direct, live formula. The sequel to the adventures of these new ambassadors for Unicef? They persist and sign with a feverish and energetic soundtrack in which nabo, peulh and waama are enlivened with drum lines and spiced up with more "modern" sounds, spreading words of tolerance and kindness. Simple and direct, they speak of their reality, of the ills of young women who don't always have a choice. Often out of school and destined to selling peanuts, bananas or gari on the roadside, most of the girls around there don't have a future. Forced marriage, precocious pregnancies_ "These kids are heroines!", continues Born Bads JB who, by welcoming them in a record studio, allowed for the formula to be sharpened into a sort of garage band with an afro twist. Thanks to the English lessons that their manager Jérémie Verdier has been providing every Sunday night for two years over videoconference, the girls even experimented with English lyrics in "We Are Star Feminine Band" and "Woman Stand Up". In Paris is the happy outcome of that challenge. Vinyl LP in printed under sleeve with French + UK linernotes + Download code * Digipak CD includes 12 pages booklet with French + UK linernotes.

Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros—consisting of Bobby Weir, Don Was, Jay Lane and Jeff Chimenti—are set to release their second batch of live recorded material this year. Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros: Live In Colorado Vol 2 is out October 7 on Third Man Records, a follow-up to the first volume of the critically acclaimed live performance collection. Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros: Live In Colorado, Vol 2 features more songs recorded at the band’s live performances at the historic Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, Colorado on June 8, 9, 11, 12, 2020, including classic Grateful Dead hits, "Ripple" and "Brokedown Palace" along with covers of Merle Haggard and Marvin Gaye. These shows were the group’s first live audience concerts in over a year and featured Greg Leisz on pedal steel, along with The Wolfpack: Alex Kelly, Brian Switzer, Adam Theis, Mads Tolling and Sheldon Brown. “Been too long,” Weir said of the performances, “but I can’t think of a better place to pick it back up…” Live in Colorado, Vol 1, received acclaim from LA Times, Forbes, USA Today, Billboard and more. In their review for Volume 1, Pitchfork Says, "Weir's rootsy trio offer a more intimate reimaging of his former group's historic counter cultural songbook." Weir explains “I’ve been workin’ in my spare time on expanding the sonic coloration of the songs I do. The Wolfpack is basically a step toward full orchestration - and further, I gotta say, these guys are game. We worked on the arrangements a bit but eventually we needed to trot it all out and play it for folks - and right at that moment, the folks in Colorado reached out and told us they were gonna open up. Holy Shit, WTF? Let’s Go.” Bobby Weir and Wolf Brothers will be performing four nights at the Kennedy Center in Washing DC this fall. 8/4 - Announce/Pre-order w/ IG: Ripple 9/2 - 2nd IG: Other One 10/07 - STREET DATE w/ focus track: Brokedown

“If you can imagine a late 1960s folk-rock approach allied to a doomy atmosphere with added touches of lo-fi psychedelia, then you’re getting close to the timbre of Finland’s Hexvessel. There are clearly nods towards King Crimson, Black Sabbath, the Beatles, HP Lovecraft and The Doors, but what the band have managed to do is create something that belongs specifically to them.” – Malcolm Dome, Prog Magazine Hexvessel’s fan-favorite album from 2012, No Holier Temple, gets a luxury 10-year anniversary reissue via Svart Records! No Holier Temple was Psychedelic Forest Folk band Hexvessel’s second full-length album, released to critical acclaim, cult status and some of their biggest sales figures to date. The Finnish “mushroom-devouring pixies” follow up to 2011’s critically acclaimed debut album, Dawnbearer, was described by Roadburn Festival as “a passionate, urgent and gorgeously strange musical spell.” Hexvessel’s break-through album No Holier Temple reached new heights for the band with two Emma Gala (Finnish Grammy Awards) nominations. No Holier Tample also won two Femma awards, which is the Alternative Finnish Grammy Awards. Hexvessel played the prestigious Roadburn Festival in The Netherlands for the first time that year in the church venue of Het Patronaat. The festival sold out in 7 minutes. No Holier Temple also landed in the Main Finnish Charts at #20 and in Alternative charts at #7. No Holier Temple fuses the acoustic 70s folk vibe of its predecessor into a more psychedelic, electric, doom-folk sound with Manzarek-like keys, screeching rhythmic Velvet Underground violins, Miles Davis trumpets and hypnotic freakouts. Weaving the uncanny songs together are the narrative vocals of Mat McNerney, who on this album has matured into the bastard child of Burke Shelley, young Jon Anderson and Paul Simon. Inspired by the progressive, spaced-out haze of bands like Amon Düül II, Van Der Graaf Generator and Ultimate Spinach, whose song “Your Head Is Reeling” they cover with religious abandon. Their sound now expands outward from their eerie, signature, ritual-esque intros into a genre-twisting cauldron of otherworldly rock and the late-night, dreamy spoken-word of artists such as Jim Morrison (An American Prayer) and Ken Nordine.

LANGUISH is a band that has relied on speed to deliver their message in the most caustic and devastating way possible, but conversely they’ve taken their time to reach the point they’re now at; they stand on the precipice of releasing their third studio album, Feeding The Flames of Annihilation. World events forced a creative go-slow which granted them time to ‘hyperfocus’ on crafting a sonically pernicious 11-track ode to human beings accelerating their own demise. Despite the album being swathed in nihilism, the occasional glimmer of optimism pushes through in the form of class solidarity and hopeful resistance. But for the majority of the 25 minute runtime, malevolence and misanthropy reigns - articulated more clearly than ever before by vocalist, Sean Mears. Although grindcore continues to make up a good deal of the LANGUISH calling card, a considered leaning towards death metal allows room to enunciate their distaste with more clarity - both literally and metaphorically. The world-weariness felt by its authors is coloured with rage, disappointment and a cycle of hitting rock bottom over and over. Inspired by the socialist anthems of Woody Guthrie, LANGUISH takes swipes at landlords, megacorps, and billionaires - with few escaping their scathing sulfur.

The Hamilton, Ontario-based metalcore heavyweights have announced their upcoming full-length, A Eulogy For Those Still Here, due out October 7th from Pure Noise Records. The record finds Counterparts tapping into a deep sense of uncertainty and dread and pushing their visceral sound to even greater extremes to make their most definitive statement yet.

The world has been patiently waiting for the return
of one of indie rock’s most beloved and treasured
bands. Alvvays are pleased to be putting everyone
out of their misery by announcing their new album,
‘Blue Rev’, released via Transgressive.

The highly anticipated album is well worth the wait,
with 14 songs hitting all the right chords and
cementing their cult status. ‘Pharmacist,’ the first
track on the album, is an exciting jumping off point
for what is sure to be one of the albums of the
year.

LP pressed on turquoise vinyl.

Kindheitserinnerungen und ein musikalischer Held sind die Inspiration für From Afar, das bislang persönlichste Album von Víkingur Ólafsson. Der isländische Pianist hat eine ungewöhnliche Entscheidung getroffen und das Repertoire sowohl auf einem Steinway als auch auf Klavier eingespielt. From Afar nahm im September 2021 Gestalt an, als Ólafsson einen seiner Lieblingskomponisten traf, den »Meister der wenigen Töne« György Kurtág. Dessen Aus der Ferne hallt wider im Titel der neuen ufnahme. Weil Ólafsson nicht die richtigen Worte fand, um Kurtág für die Begegnung zu danken, die ihn so »leicht und froh« gemacht hatte,
suchte er stattdessen nach der richtigen Musik. From Afar ist ein »Brief an einen Freund«, wie Ólafsson sagt. Originalminiaturen und Transkriptionen des ungarischen Komponisten hat er ausgewählt. Er verwebt sie mit isländischen und ungarischen Volksliedern und Stücken von Schumann, Brahms und Thomas Adès – Musik, die das Leben des Pianisten durchzieht. Zwei Klangwelten öffnen sich durch die verschiedenen Instrumente – farbenreich und atmosphärisch. From Afar erscheint am 7. Oktober 2022 bei Deutsche
Grammophon.

** SISTER FUNK, SOUL-JAZZ and BLUE-EYED-SOUL - OBSCURE RARE GROOVES ALL THE WAY THRU! **

- the double vinyl LP comes with a full album download code
- deluxe double-gatefold LP with detailed liner notes & unseen photographs
- ALL songs appear on LP & digital for the very first-time
- sales notes by Joel Ricci (aka Lucky Brown)

When Tramp Records was founded, there really were very few ways in which the music lover could discover new music besides the traditional methods of digging, good luck, and inheritance. First there were torrent sites such as Napster and Limewire where generous collectors might digitize and upload portions of their accessions, and sometimes you could find entire radio show broadcasts of live vinyl curation made by real Disc Jockeys out there, a lot of the Deep Funk I heard for the first time in around 1999 I found this way via Disc Jockeys on radio shows from the UK, tunes were faded and mixed together and of course veiled with that unmistakable Mp3 'whoosh'. And unless you have been living as an off-grid hermit for the past 20 years, you know the rest of the story.

But though our world has changed, and even though everyone from our grandparents to our 5-year old nieces are curating their own internet playlists, I submit that the role of DJ has become even more vital, not less. We as a culture have always relied on our Disc Jockeys to introduce us to sounds that speak to their souls, to control the vibe and most importantly put forth the narrative that speaks to society as a whole. DJs are our tribal storytellers, and the music they bring us are the stories. And when a DJ like Tobias Kirmayer is telling us that story clearly and with conviction, it speaks to our souls as well.

"Countdown to...SOUL" is a compilation series that, much like Tramp Records' other critically-acclaimed comps such as Movements, Feeling Nice, and the Praise Poems Series' examines a unique facet of the Golden Era of Soul, Funk, Jazz and R&B. Perhaps, in this case the dawning of the Soul era, "proto-soul", "primitive soul", or even "pre-soul" if you will. When they were recorded, many of these tunes were still firmly ensconced in the Black Radical Jazz tradition, but there was a change in the air, something happening in the coming years that would revolutionize popular music forever. In fact, Soul had already taken over the world by the time many of these tunes were released on 45, but for various reasons, the artists and their music occupied the fringes of the idiom and therefore remained obscure. Countdown to...SOUL chronicles that beginning, that buildup, those heady moments before the lid blew off and American Black music would explode across the planet, while scouring the outskirts and tide pools for specimens that were emanating in their own respective neighborhoods and communities, so often overlooked by the American pop music machine.

Side A features barrier-breaking pioneer Frankie Staton and her message of "Love One Another" to the world that is as fresh and vital today as it was when it first came out in the late seventies. In that spirit, Tenison Stevens' appeal "Don't Rip Me Off" reminds us to treat each other as brothers and sisters.

Side B meets us at the altar of the formidable Hammond Organ with an Unknown and uncredited Organist found languishing on a one-of-a-kind unreleased acetate and moving on to explore the nexus of Soul, Bebop, and R&B with Don Patterson's "Paddy Wagon".

Side C satisfies our hunger for the blaring horn sections, big beat drums, wailing Hammonds, pleading vocals and gritty guitars of authentic Soul music (both brown and blue-eyed) with Marva Josie, Shirley Wahls and The Echomen, among others, but then takes a hard left turn into undoubtedly uncharted territory with the hybrid folk/country/soul story of Sherrif Black and poor Sally who, though she is tragically met with a terrible fate, thanks to the careful and conscientious mastering of our German engineers, the song itself remains alive and is a genuine addition to the canon.

For the remaining side, I'm gonna just let you discover this music on its own terms, as you won't find these tunes anywhere else, not on Napster, not even on Limewire, or anywhere else. I want to personally thank you for putting your trust in the DJ and for continuing to listen, study, appreciate, and share the work and mission of Tramp Records.

-Joel Ricci (May 2022)

Here at last is the reissue of the most sought-after track by French New Beat band French Theory. Originally released in 2008, this tribute to Boccacio (the revered temple of New Beat and EBM, located in Belgium) struck at the heart of the movement’s soul. It quickly gained cult status for its gloomy atmosphere, heavy industrial beats and catchy melodies that propelled the classic New Beat sound into the 21st century.

Out of print since then, it’s back in a limited edition, with the added energy of a powerful remaster by cult techno and acid master Thomas P. Heckmann (Trope, Drax, etc.), plus a brand new diversion exclusive to this vinyl on the flip. Get ready to wave the white glove again, and get lost in the music!

French theory is the New Beat alias of Guillaume U. Chifflot, one of the few French techno veterans in the New Beat & Techno-house genre, who started releasing tracks in the early 90s on his own multimedia label n9. Relaunched in the mid-2000s, the label releases techno and electronica, while pioneering an upgrade of New Beat in the wake of the Techno Body Music movement.