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NEW YORK – (June 7, 2024) – Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Ciara's Goodies, the groundbreaking debut that launched the superstar in 2004, with an expanded 2LP limited-edition in opaque hot pink pressing.

The 15-track Goodies (20th Anniversary) includes the original album and two rarities – “Crazy” and “Represent Me” – both tracks were previously released on the bonus CD packaged with 2004’s Goodies: The Videos & More DVD. The album closes with the premiere of a fresh dance mix of “Goodies” from Dipha Barus.

Jeder, der sich ein wenig mit aktueller elektronischer Musik auskennt, hat den Namen Mechatok, alias Emir Timur Tokdemir, schon einmal gehört. Er machte sich einen Namen durch weltweite Tourneen und eine Reihe von Veröffentlichungen und Kooperationen mit einigen der innovativsten Künstler*innen des letzten Jahrzehnts - darunter Drain Gang (Bladee, Ecco2k, Whitearmor, Thaiboy Digital), Charli XCX und Lorenzo Senni. Oft zurückhaltend im Ausdruck, verbreiteten sich diese Arbeiten sowohl in der Underground-Szene als auch im angrenzenden Mainstream und prägten dabei subtil die Entwicklung von experimentellem Pop und Clubmusik. Tokdemir versteht Mechatok als eine Art Avatar, der es ihm ermöglicht, neue Facetten seiner selbst zu erforschen und dem kreativen Prozess Offenheit und Freiheit zu verleihen. Als Inspirationsquellen nennt er Künstler wie Daft Punk und Gorillaz: zeitlose Figuren, die das Konzept des künstlerischen Projekts selbst zu einem Kunstwerk erhoben. Nach Jahren der Klangforschung als Mechatok präsentiert er nun "Wide Awake" - sein fast schon kaleidoskopisches Debüt-Soloalbum. Die Platte kristallisiert eine sehr persönliche Reise heraus und etabliert Mechatok nicht nur als herausragenden Kollaborateur, sondern als unbestreitbaren Solo-Künstler, der seine Vision voll im Griff hat. Durch die Mechatok-Persona findet er Ausdrucksformen, die paradoxerweise intimer - und zeitloser - wirken. Alles auf "Wide Awake" wird durch eine verspielte, aber zutiefst intuitive Klangwelt und eine Reihe haikuartiger, zentraler lyrischer Themen zusammengehalten. Das Album stellt Fragen nach der Möglichkeit von Authentizität und dem Status von Selbstausdruck im Zeitalter algorithmischer Vereinheitlichung. Mechatok vermeidet utopische Lösungen und entscheidet sich stattdessen dafür, mit seltsamen Mehrdeutigkeiten zu leben und deren schöpferisches Potenzial zu nutzen. Mit Features von Bladee, Ecco2k, Isabella Lovestory, Tohji und anderen deckt "Wide Awake" ein breites emotionales und stilistisches Spektrum ab, bleibt dabei aber stets durch Tokdemirs präzise Vision gefiltert. Das Ergebnis ist ein sorgfältig komponiertes elektronisches Pop-Opus - eine Sammlung süchtig machender, persönlicher Mantras; Fragmente, die gleichzeitig flüchtig und dauerhaft erscheinen.

First Word Records are proud to bring you 'Penny Ballads', a 5-track EP from Royce Wood Junior.

Royce Wood Junior is a Grammy & Mercury Award-nominated musician, songwriter and record producer from London, currently based in Brighton. As a multi-instrumentalist, he's collaborated with a litany of brilliant artists over the years, such as Jamie Woon, Nao, Disclosure, Jessie Ware, Olivia Dean, Joy Crookes, Jamie Lidell and Jordan Rakei, additionally to touring with the likes of the legendary Thomas Dolby. He's released two acclaimed solo albums to date ('The Ashen Tang' in 2015, and 'No Two Blue Ticks' in 2021).

'Penny Ballads' demonstrates RWJ's varied talents, with a collection of alternative soul compositions, each one as unique as the next. It includes the first two singles, the Poplife-Prince era flavoured 'Go Get Your Money', and the double-time future funk adrenaline shot, 'Clean Up', along with three previously-unreleased tracks. 'Beretta' is low-slung soul funk, beginning with quirky squelchy synths, before the soulful lead vocal of feature artist Lucey Way breezes in to melt everyone's hearts. 'Things' sweeps in next, an infectiously soulful midtempo heavy soul bop, with an instant earwork of a hook, like a modern-day Steely Dan / Doobie Brothers, complete with a head-nodding string section to end the track. The collection concludes on a more melancholy downtempo tip with 'Rolling'; an almost-folktronic anthem, with a key refrain that wouldn't be out of place on a 70's Stevie piece.

RWJ (aka Jim Wood) says of this project… "Back in the 17 and 1800's Troubadours and minstrels would go from Tavern to Tavern selling Penny Ballads, single sheets of music and lyrics written quickly and frivolously to make a quick buck.. It strikes me that we're in a similar phase in the way we value music in 2025. An old Penny Ballad was cheap and dog-eared, ink-smudged, sung aloud by firelight, Now songs live in the digital ether, dissolved in the air, a ghostly breath paid in micro cents. The new era of Penny Balladry is here, and weird.

This EP is a snapshot of my writing over a two year period. Focussed on minimal recording styles, one mic on the drums, generally first or second takes on parts and vocals, I wanted the music to feel like small moments with lyrics that talk about the weird nuances of being alive as a latter stage human on the cusp of the Ai revolution. Culturally so evolved, but physiologically still just a bunch of mammals walking about with primitive fears and needs. Just trying to reconcile it all moment to moment…"

Previous support for Royce's music has included Radio 1's Future Sounds, BBC 6 Music's New Music Fix, Annie Mac, Clara Amfo, Jo Whiley (BBC Radio 2), Mary Anne Hobbs, Jamz Supernova, Tom Robinson, Huw Stephens (BBC 6 Music), Zane Lowe and MistaJam. There have been sessions previously for the likes of Red Bull and press from Huck, Line of Best Fit, Clash, Aesthetica & DIY magazine.

Entirely self-written and self-produced, this EP gives a solid taste of RWJ's talents. A deeply funky diverse set of music from an immensely talented individual.

'Penny Ballads' is due to be released on vinyl & digital, 24th October 2025.

The vinyl version also includes an exclusive additional mix of the first single 'Go Get Your Money'.

Clear Red Vinyl. In den späten 1990er Jahren zog Peter ,Sleazy" Christopherson mit Jhonn Balance - seinem Lebens- und Coil-Partner - von London ins ländliche Weston-super-Mare, und schuf ein Umfeld für alles, was ,musick, musick, musick!" heißt, mit einer wechselnden Mitgliedern, darunter Thighpaulsandra. Coil's Coil verdoppelte sich fast, und inmitten dieser fruchtbaren Zeit stellte Thighpaulsandra die einfache Frage: Warum spielt Coil nicht live? Nach einer 16 Jahren Wartezeit, dank des rasanten technischen Fortschritts in Form von MacBooks, DAWs, VSTs und Plug-ins waren Coil in der Lage, ihre Musik auf die Bühne zu bringen, wie sie es sich immer vorgestellt hatten. Mit der Performance konnten sie die Risiken und Freiheiten der Echtzeit-Klangmanipulation, wie Sleazy anmerkt: ,Die Show wird Minute für Minute umgestaltet die Show Minute für Minute... die Richtung ist sehr spontan, nicht so sehr in Jazz-Improvisation, sondern in einer Art Bewusstseinsstrom - Thighpaulsandra brachte uns seine Weisheit, und er konnte uns überzeugen, dass wir es schaffen konnten." Wenn Coil live spielten, waren sie, wie eine Schlange, die sich häutet" alle sechs Monate in etwas völlig anderes; in der Vorbereitung auf das 2004er "Even an Evil Fatigue"-Liveserie vorbereiteten, begannen Coil mit der Arbeit an ihrem nächsten, die Zeit definierenden Meisterwerk Black Antlers. Black Antlers zeigt die späte Coil-Periode: reduzierter, straffer und schlanker. Die Musik wurde rhythmischer, mit einer größeren Betonung auf Beats: ,Die Songs, die wir gemacht haben, sind eher... nicht Rock im eigentlichen Sinne, aber du weißt schon, konventioneller in Bezug auf die Struktur, aber jetzt ist das, was wir tun, eine Art elektronischen' Genre." Der Sound von Black Antlers ist eine mitreißende Energie, die Thighpaulsandras fortschrittliche Synthese, Balances poetische Lyrik und Christophersons Flirten mit Jazz und Ableton-gestütztem PowerBook Maximalismus. Vervollständigt wurde das Trio durch den renommierten Drehleierspieler Cliff Stapleton auf einer ,speziell in Auftrag gegebenen" elektrischen Variante, die sich in die ,seltsame und weltfremde Musik" der Band zu integrieren; der an der Royal Academy of Music ausgebildete Perkussionist Tom Edwards (der auch mit Thighpaulsandra in der der Live-Band von Spiritualized auftrat); und der Spezialist für europäische und nahöstliche Blasinstrumente Mike York an Pfeifen, Bombarde, Duduk und Balalaika.

Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings brings together the complete studio recordings by the Bill Evans Trio featuring Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian. Included are the albums Portrait in Jazz and Explorations, plus 26 alternate takes - 17 previously unreleased. The collection includes rare photos, introduction by John Densmore (The Doors), and new liner notes by Eugene Holley Jr. and audio is newly remastered by Paul Blakemore, with lacquers cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio.

Wer auf Hardrock und traditionellen Heavy Metal steht, sollte sich den Namen Wings Of Steel genau merken. Die beiden ersten Alben der amerikanischen Band, »Gates Of Twilight« (2023) und »Winds Of Time« (2025), fanden in der Szene großen Widerhall.

Wings Of Steel nehmen ihren Anfang, als sich Sänger Leo Unnermark und Gitarrist/Bassist Parker Halub beim Musikstudium in Los Angeles über den Weg laufen. Beide verbindet dieselbe Vision und ähnliche musikalische Vorlieben. 2019 beginnen sie, gemeinsam Songs zu schreiben. 2022 erscheint die erste, selbstbetitelte EP von Wings Of Steel.

Wings Of Steel erhalten in der Fachpresse durchweg wohlwollende Kritiken, speziell in Kontinentaleuropa, wo das deutsche Rock Hard den Gesang von Leo Unnermark bewundernd als Kreuzung aus Geoff Tate und Bruce Dickinson beschreibt.

Über High Roller Records erscheint die ursprünglich von der Band in Eigenregie produzierte Debüt-EP mit den Songs „Stormchild“, „Wings Of Steel“, „Rhythm Of Desire“, „Khamsin Riders“ und „Black Out The Street“ nun zum ersten Mal offiziell als internationale Lizenzpressung.

Die ideale Gelegenheit also, um sich mit dem frühen Material dieser herausragenden neuen Band vertraut zu machen.

By 1967, the Jamaican music industry in the UK was flourishing, its success primarily due to the efforts of a number of talented British-based singers, songwriters and producers, among them being the young multi-talented music maker Robert Thompson a.k.a. Dandy. Thompson’s popularity on the UK Jamaican music scene resulted in the release of his popular debut album ‘Rock Steady With Dandy’. This record contains one of the biggest rocksteady hits ever made: "People Do Rock Steady" also known as "Let's Do Rock Steady", and was first released in October 1967 as the flip side to his single "We Are Still Rude".

The classic album Rock Steady With Dandy is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on orange coloured vinyl.

Sonetos del Amor Oscuro is an ode performed by four enchanted souls who have intertwined their hearts and conjured harmonies and rhythms that wander endlessly among the spellbinding words of a poet from Granada... Federico García Lorca;
He wrung, pushed and vibrated words like tectonic plates, transforming plains into poetic mountain landscapes. He then covered them with a Moorish carpet of snow crystals and had them reflected by the dark locks of hair of a gypsy girl from Albaicín who, with a voice forged in gold and silver, sings her little sister to sleep with a soothing lullaby.

Helena Casella – vocals
Myrddin De Cauter – flamenco guitar
Stijn Kuppens – cello
Stefan Bracaval – flute, bass flute

Helena Casella, the Belgian-Brazilian vocalist with a deep, soft and warm voice, translates her multicultural background and personal thoughts into music in a passionate, soulful and refined way. With her roots in an exceptionally musical family, her music exudes this unique heritage. She effortlessly interweaves genres such as R&B, soul, hip hop and modern jazz, while remaining true to the vibrant sounds of Brazil, an essential part of her roots.
Her debut album was released earlier this year on W.E.R.F. records.

Myrddin De Cauter's music is deeply moving, complex, passionately rhythmic and deeply emotional. He has mastered the compás of flamenco, which gives him the freedom to converse with elements from jazz or classical music. His speed sometimes seems otherworldly, but those who take the time to listen closely to his music will quickly discover an immense world of pure emotion, beauty and tranquillity. After six albums and countless concerts, Myrddin proves that great virtuosos do not necessarily have to come from Spain. At the tender age of eleven, his father taught him to play the clarinet in jazz and gypsy swing style; he became part of the family orchestra and gained his first experiences on stage. A classical melody composed on the guitar prompted him to ask his father to teach him the basics of flamenco guitar. Soon after, Myrddin seemed ready for the real thing and went to Andalusia to learn from Manolo Sanlucar and Gerardo Núñez. This inspired him to compose in his own unique language, deeply rooted in the pure flamenco tradition but enriched by boundless creativity.

Stijn Kuppens is a cellist, composer and producer. In his own genre, which he describes as non-classical cello, he uses the cello in his own unique way. His profound knowledge of the complex history and techniques of the style is clearly audible: Kuppens' mastery of classical music is evident in every note he plays, whether he is performing solo or collaborating with other musicians. His skill as a musician and ambition to explore the boundaries of conventional classical music is evident in his ability to seamlessly blend different genres.

Stefan Bracaval is a classically trained flutist who graduated from the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp. His fascination with the expressive potential of improvisation led him to jazz, where he became a self-taught jazz flutist. Bracaval has collaborated on projects with prominent jazz figures such as Charles Loos, Bert Joris and the Brussels Jazz Orchestra. In addition, he worked as a soloist and arranger with the VRT Radio Choir in 2016. Bracaval leads the Stefan Bracaval QU4RTET, which emphasises the flute as a central jazz instrument and brings new repertoire rooted in jazz traditions.

Live
31/10/2025 – Café Silverio, Gent (BE)
15/01/2026 – Kloosterkapel Diepenbeek (BE)
16/01/2026 – ‘t Ey, Belsele (BE)
17/01/2026 – Sint-Luciakerk (kerkconcerten Merode), Engsbergen (BE)
23/01/2026 – Muziekcentrum Dranouter (BE)

Vinyl only release of dynamic chicago improvising quartet consisting of Marilyn Crispell - piano * Jason Stein - bass clarinet * Damon Smith - double bass * Adam Shead - drums. Recorded live on the 18th of June 2023 at The Hungry Brain, Chicago by Bill Harris. A cross-generational summit between the legendary pianist Marilyn Crispell (member of the Anthony Braxton Quartet and Reggie Workman Ensemble) and Midwest improvising trio of bass clarinetist Jason Stein, bassist Damon Smith, and drummer Adam Shead delivers all the range and expressivity one would expect from such seasoned players. The concert captured on Live at the Hungry Brain moves organically from searing free jazz to contemplative, lyrical balladry, all of conceived in the urgency of the moment and revealing a long-ranging, intricate approach to free improvisation.

2025 Repress

Two revered dance music institutions come together here as Pye Corner Audio steps up to Emotional Response with his debut EP for the label. What's more, it is a two-parter with the second half also available now. This one from Martin Jenkins finds him making an homage to the acid house he has always loved with opener 'Stegan Acid' starting with slow grocers and foggy moods run through with subtle 303 modulations. 'Magnetic Acid Three' is another deep and stripped-back sound with rumbling drums and bass coloured with soft acid contours and 'Thermionic Acid' gurgles a little more as the icy hi-hats cut through a mutant deep techno swamp. 'Magnetic Acid One' is one final meditation on acidic house depths.

Relive the early years of Madness with 'Hit Parade Vol. 1 1979-1986'. This 23-track 2LP set remembers the early years of Madness; containing a selection of their biggest hits and best loved tunes. It includes 23 UK Top 40 hits such as 'One Step Beyond', 'Embarrassment', 'My Girl', and 'Night Boat To Cairo'.

Beautifully packaged in a deluxe, gatefold sleeve, this 2LP collection is pressed on translucent red vinyl. The fully illustrated inner sleeves contain new liner notes with various band members and long-time producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, in conversation with renowned author and journalist Paul Sexton.

Firmly established as national treasures and as one of the UK’s most cherished and beloved bands, Madness are adored by their loyal and huge following. Their consistently sold-out shows illustrate their enduring qualities resulting in their popularity continuing to grow and grow.

Brixton Heights Records is releasing a new original One Drop track, which is a collaborative effort of the Brixton Heights Crew, Kieko De Stefanis and Gaudi. The riddim is composed by Italian producer Kieko De Stefanis.

The lyrics are a re-adaptation of an old Italian reggae song by the Genoese band Sensasciou, voiced by the legendary Peter Hunnigale.

The track features drum and bass by Mafia and Fluxi, piano by Gaudi, brass by Ital Horns and a set of arches by N. Gatti at the Violin and R. Rassi at the Viola. On Side A you will find the sweet voice of the original Mr Honey Vibes, Peter Hunnigale, one of the most formidable contemporary British Reggae artists who is responsible for the rise and fame of Lovers Reggae in Britain in the 80s and 90s, with his chart-topping tunes and award-winning albums.

On Side B the track Caruggi Jazz is an homage to the Italian alleys of Genoa, where the sound of live musical instruments fuses with the perfume of lovers who exchange effusions protected by the shadows of old buildings, in a seductive harmony which mixes unconditional feelings, warm memories and affectionate hopes for the future.

The tracks were mixed by Gaudi and mastered at Anchor Studios by Augustus "Gussie" Clarke. The final result is a unique production that blends vintage vibes with modern sounds.

Talk Show is a new duo collaboration featuring Steph Richards on trumpets and resonating surfaces and Qasim Naqvi on drums, almglocken bells and modular synthesizer. Having worked together on other projects for almost two decades, Miss America, released by We Jazz Records, marks their first, pure duo collaboration - a space to engage with a sonic language they"ve been cultivating together for years. The album was recorded live, with Qasim crafting real-time electronics and drum set work, and Steph using trumpets and resonating percussion to summon sympathetic vibrations and otherworldly sounds through timpani, snare and water. The trumpet sounds electronically processed, though every sound is acoustic. Both artists wanted to retain the live nature of their process, so what you hear is virtually untouched.

Nach einer legendären Tribute-Performance bei den VMAs vereint sich Aerosmith mit YUNGBLUD auf
„One More Time“, das am 21. November bei Capitol Records erscheint. Die 5-Track-EP enthält Vocals
von Steven Tyler und YUNGBLUD, darunter 4 neue Songs, die von Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, YUNGBLUD
und Matt Schwartz geschrieben wurden, sowie eine neu interpretierte Version des Aerosmith-Klassikers
„Back In the Saddle“.

Inspiriert von Ornette Coleman wagte sich der Altsaxofonist Jackie McLean Anfang der 1960er auf eigene
Faust in die Welt der Avantgarde vor. Dabei gab er dennoch nie seinen feinen Sinn für Swing und musikalische Strukturen auf. Ein Musterbeispiel für diese experimentierfreudige Phase ist sein 1963 erschienenes
Album “One Step Beyond”, das bei AllMusic die Höchstwertung von fünf Sternen erhielt. Darauf schuf
McLean mit einem einzigartigen Quintett einen unverwechselbaren neuen Sound, den er selbst als “InsideOut” bezeichnete.

Killer tune produced by Sly & Robbie at Channel 1 in the early '80s. Never released at the time, but it was played by some sounds on dubplate and has become hunted by steel seekers ever since. Great lyrics and the early Taxi trademark spare, heavy mix elevates this tune to something more. Warning for the punters, this is mastered from dubplate - loud and raw.

»Lilac« is the first Donna Regina album since 2019’s »Transient.« The world has changed considerably since then, which has also left its mark on the Berlin indie pop duo. The songs released as part of the 2021 single »Welt in einer Stadt« (»World in a City«) for Karaoke Kalk had already dealt with the pandemic-induced standstill and its effects on urban space, and also the rest of the album shows that Günther and Regina Janssen have been influenced by recent social and political developments. »In ›Lilac,‹ I imagine good ol’ Earth as a big ol’ bear shaking us off because it can’t stand us anymore,« says Regina Janssen. It has become a serious album, Günther affirms, but he is also adamant that it is not a sad one. Musically, Donna Regina have remained true to the spirit of their early work, recently re-released by Karaoke Kalk: their arrangements are as minimalist as they are emotionally rich.

»The music is always there,« says Regina Janssen about the creation of the tracks on »Lilac.« As always, the two record their music »track by track and without computers,« as Günther notes. Samples play a smaller role this time than on earlier albums, with analogue instruments such as a monophonic synthesiser and, above all, guitars coming to the fore again. This frames lyrics that are being delivered by Regina in German, English, or in both languages. They delve even further into the intricacies of urban life. »Cities are underrated! What a civilisational achievement it is to have so many people living under one sky,« says Regina. »They constantly put you in touch with the unfamiliar. Sometimes they’ll be overwhelming, and they are always alive.« This ambivalence shapes the tone of the album that ponders on the state of the world today.

Starting with the ominous sounds of »Whole World In My Town,« through the dreamscapes of »Autumn In Paris,« to the elegiac conclusion of »No More Roses,« Regina and Günther Janssen move through different timbres and styles with a few select means. Their preference for minimalist electronics becomes evident at times, while elsewhere the pieces open up to balladic arrangements in which the guitar plays a leading role. This turns »Lilac« into a city by itself, the songs forming its soundscape: every neighbourhood looks different, every street has its own character.

London-based Aketi Ray are all-acoustic dub-jazz dons that blend double bass, drums, upright piano, horns and percussion into original compositions rooted in post-independence Jamaican instrumental traditions. Their sound also weaves in Ethiopian jazz, West African percussion, US jazz influences and UK Steppas vibes. Here they join up with K�ln, Germany duo Hidden Sequence, regulars on the likes of Mosaic and Lempuyang. 'Call On His Name' is flute lead and liquid dub, 'Time Is Now' has a mystic quality and moody sax lead, then 'Sinai' brings slowly unfurling melodies and lovely woodblock hits that echo away to infinity. Alternate versions on the flip make this a timeless excursions into endless dub depths.

Moving freely through time and space via experimental DIY recordings since 2009, Joasihno return with their fourth album "Spots".

“Find your spot in the shade,” a truly laid-back and incredibly soft-spoken MC once advised, yet in a world that seems to get shadier every day, it’s probably time to finally get out and face the sun. Southern German experimental pop duo Joasihno – initial solo founder Cico Beck (The Notwist, Aloa Input, Spirit Fest) and drummer/composer Nico Sierig (Instrument, Fehler Kuti) – seem to know exactly when it’s time to shine. Idiosyncratic genre tweakers since day one, they have been operating at their own pace, mostly staying in their own shady corner. Yet, almost a decade after their most recent “Meshes” (an album that came with a whole legion of tiny music robots), it’s high time for them to take over more corners, to reclaim even more spots between lo-fi and sci-fi, retro electronica and contemporary classic. Drawing upon influences as varied as Reich, Riley, and Ryuichi, múm, Meek, and Moondog, while also nodding to other experimental twosomes (e.g. The Books), the duo’s fourth full-length “Spots” is set to arrive via Alien Transistor in late 2025.

Leaving soulless automation and all things artificial to others, Joasihno launch the latest record on “2 Squares” that feel like a peaceful, almost bucolic version of retro space age: lights blink ever so softly as easy-going bass tones point at today’s introspective flight arc. Electronic shapes align and things lift off – with a majestic 8-bit sunrise soon appearing right in front of us. Whereas playful title song “Spots” is a miniature Rube Goldberg kind of device, with quirky plucked strings and glitches setting off more and more contraption layers, “Crackleboom” is uncharted energy, an open landscape, an expanding bonfire that leads to a long-forgotten piano, all dust-covered in some kind of saloon. Space might be only noise to others, here, it’s foreboding screeches (“Dizzle Whistle”) that make room for A-side center piece “Forest Lights”: a steady beat that lures us to a clearance in the woods. Things break and shatter in the distance, but this spot right here is for hypnosis, dancing, sylvan spirits. And yeah, it’s surprisingly hot down here in the undergrowth…

Opening side B with a fun banger that takes the unhinged dancing to the playground – “Characa Orb.” feels like French kids on swings going crazy, a tipsy, tongue-in-cheek electro blow-out between Oizo and Orbis Tertius –, things get even more cinematic throughout the second half. Even the cheapest, lo-fiest gear is sufficient to make “The Slow Hour” glow like true, timeless pop royalty. In fact, the very same pop spirits roam and celebrate freely in the chirpy coves of mesmerizing “Detune Lagoon” – more hand-crafted sci-fi/lo-fi loops you’ll only find after facing the ghosts of Lynch or Sakamoto on those night-time trails under the “Deep Moon”. It’s all DIY spots, spots that leave room to dream or dangle, drape yourself over or dive into. Returning to the leafy bower on a melancholy post rock tip, we eventually learn that “Death Is Real” – and so we’re left with a laterna magica that turns and turns and turns. It’s a beautiful spot where light and shadows keep on dancing, just like they’ve always done, ever since the dawn of this madcap universe.

Househead London launch their 2nd 12" release - a limited-edition Chicago Vs London sampler featuring Glenn Underground and Emmaculate Remixes.

Following a string of critically acclaimed events featuring Chi-Town royalty, Househead London further cement their relationship with Chicago on this vinyl release which features two of the city’s esteemed producers - Glenn Underground & Emmaculate - remixing two sterling new tracks from two of the UK’s most exciting producers - Prefix One and Wez Whynt.

Opening the EP is an artist who needs very little introduction, Glenn Underground. A leading international producer & DJ who seems to effortlessly slide between Deep, Soulful, Disco, Jazz and beyond, Glenn boasts an exceptional discography that very few could compete with. His Cosmic Disco Journey Mix here weaves its lo slung groove in a funky off-kilter disco style with piano ripples as Nambi’s voice shimmers on top. Nambi’s heartfelt soars across Glenn’s Cosmic Journey remix unfurling beautiful piano and taut Chi-town beats. Deep and vocal, it’s got that raw soul power that both Glenn and Chicago are known for.

Known for his exquisitely high attention to detail and quality, Emmaculate is one of the go-to producers and sound engineers in Chicago. Working closely with Terry Hunter on a multitude of projects and a shining light across the global soulful house scene, he’s regularly featured across impressive labels such as Dopewax, Yorubasoul, United Music, Soulstice Music and S&S Records. His lush, tough-edged Remix of ‘Feelin’, rolls on with melodic piano hooks to unlock the groove and boosted with extra keys and vocal refrains before the full vocal unfolds. Solid and deep, “Feelin’ is pure joy for the dance floor.

Das Ich, die Wegbereiter der Neuen Deutschen Todeskunst,
melden sich nach Jahren der Stille mit ihrem lang erwarteten
Album zurück. Das Album, dessen Titel „Fackel“ oder
„Leuchtfeuer“ bedeutet, ist ein brennendes Zeugnis einer
untergegangenen Zivilisation. Aus den Trümmern
menschlicher Errungenschaften und zerbrochener Ideale
zusammengesetzt, warnt vor den Geistern der
Vergangenheit und Gegenwart, die durch die Ruinen unserer
Welt geistern. Mit ihrer einzigartigen Mischung aus
elektronisch-sinfonischen Klängen, expressionistischer Lyrik
und harschen Industrial-Elementen schaffen Stefan
Ackermann und Bruno Kramm ein Werk, das sowohl
musikalisch als auch thematisch tief unter die Haut geht.
ist eine musikalische Reise durch die Asche gefallener
Imperien, digitaler Netzwerke und zerrissener Seelen. Die
Texte, inspiriert von philosophischen und literarischen
Konzepten, greifen Themen wie Verrat, Vergänglichkeit,
Hybris und die Selbstverachtung der Menschheit auf. Die
Flamme des Fanals, zusammengesetzt aus „Knochensplittern

Four decades on, "Around The World In A Day" has been newly remastered in stereo by Bernie Grundman and is available on limited-edition 140g blue marble vinyl. The record ultimately yielded four commercial singles: “Raspberry Beret” with its spectacular kaleidoscopic video featuring Prince in a suit inspired by the clouds and sky on the sleeve, “Paisley Park” (released only overseas), “Pop Life”, and “America”.

Four decades on, "Around The World In A Day" has been newly remastered in stereo by Bernie Grundman and is available on 140g black vinyl. The record ultimately yielded four commercial singles: “Raspberry Beret” with its spectacular kaleidoscopic video featuring Prince in a suit inspired by the clouds and sky on the sleeve, “Paisley Park” (released only overseas), “Pop Life”, and “America”.

Four decades on, "Around The World In A Day" has been newly remastered in stereo by Bernie Grundman. The Deluxe Edition of the album, available on 140g 3LP formats, features the extended versions of the A & B sides with the remix of “Paisley Park” along with the extended version of “Girl” and “Hello (Fresh Dance Mix)” and the nearly 22-minute 12” version of “America”.

Extended Field vereint Horse Lords und Arnold Dreyblatt für die achtzehnte Ausgabe von FRKWYS, einer generationsübergreifenden Zusammenarbeit abenteuerlustiger Musiker, die sich von der klanglich strahlenden Welt der reinen Stimmung angezogen fühlen - einem alten Stimmungssystem, bei dem die Tonintervalle aus ganzzahligen Verhältnissen abgeleitet werden. Dreyblatt tauchte erstmals in den 1970er Jahren in New York in diesen Ansatz ein, während Horse Lords fast vier Jahrzehnte später begannen, dessen Möglichkeiten zu erforschen und anzuwenden. Gemeinsam schaffen sie eine lebendige harmonische Umgebung, die von ihrer gemeinsamen Leidenschaft für Rhythmus angetrieben wird und eine Verbindung von diskreter, aber verwandter Ästhetik für die Ewigkeit herstellt. Dreyblatt ist ein Pionier des psychoakustischen Phänomens und war von 1975 bis 1977 Assistent von La Monte Young, bevor er bei dem legendären Alvin Lucier an der Wesleyan University studierte. Er entdeckte die klangliche Kraft angeregter Saiten, rüstete einen Kontrabass mit Klaviersaiten nach und schlug mit schnellen Schlägen darauf, um einhüllende Wolken metallischer Obertöne zu erzeugen. Dreyblatts Album Nodal Excitation aus dem Jahr 1982 legte einen klanglichen Entwurf fest, der bis heute das Herzstück seiner pulsierenden Musik bildet. Schließlich zog er nach Berlin und leitete im Laufe der Jahre verschiedene Ensembles, die das kompositorische Gerüst, das er um seine klingenden Töne herum aufgebaut hatte, verstärkten und interpretierten. Im Gegensatz zu Dreyblatts hyperfokussierter Praxis haben Horse Lords einen ganz eigenen ekstatischen, hybriden Sound entwickelt: Hard-Driving-Rhythmen unterstützen eine Kollision aus traditioneller Ritualmusik, Free Jazz und spektral brillanten elektronischen Schauern psychoakustischer Klänge. Nachdem sie sich mit ihrem 2020 erschienenen Album ,The Common Task" eine treue Fangemeinde aufgebaut hatten, zog der Großteil der Band 2021 nach Deutschland, wobei sich Gitarrist Owen Gardner und Bassist Max Eilbacher in Berlin niederließen und Saxophonist Andrew Bernstein nur wenige Stunden entfernt in Bayern. Schlagzeuger Sam Haberman blieb in Baltimore, trifft sich aber weiterhin mit der Band für Albumaufnahmen, darunter das 2023 erscheinende Album ,Comradely Objects", und ausgedehnte Tourneen. Ohne es zu wissen, teilten beide Seiten ein gegenseitiges Interesse an der Musik des anderen. Anfang 2017 schlug Dreyblatts langjähriger Kollege und Freund Werner Durand ihm vor, sich die Band anzuhören. Er erinnert sich: ,Nachdem ich sie gehört hatte, antwortete ich schnell: ,Klingt großartig! Ein bisschen wie meine Musik. Ich habe noch nie von ihnen gehört!` Ich schickte ihnen eine Nachricht über ihre Bandcamp-Seite, und sie antworteten: ,Hallo! Danke für die Nachricht, wir sind große Fans deiner Musik!` Aber erst als Dreyblatt die Band im Oktober 2021 in Berlin sah, kreuzten sich ihre Wege endlich. Einige Tage später schlug Bernstein eine Zusammenarbeit vor. Dieser Prozess verlief langsam, aber sicher; beide Seiten waren sehr beschäftigt, und als die Musiker schließlich zusammenkamen, mussten sie unterschiedliche harmonische Vorstellungen miteinander in Einklang bringen und brauchten jemanden, der Haberman am Schlagzeug ersetzte. Dreyblatt schlug Andrea Belfi vor, einen angesehenen italienischen Schlagzeuger und Komponisten, der in Berlin lebt. In den folgenden Kompositionssitzungen lernten Horse Lords und Dreyblatt die Feinheiten der harmonischen Vorlieben des jeweils anderen kennen und fanden Wege, diese zu einem einheitlichen Klang zu verschmelzen. ,Andrew und Owen schlugen Strukturen für die Navigation durch meine Tonsysteme vor", erklärt Dreyblatt, ,während Max in SuperCollider gewichtete algorithmische Frequenzmuster entwickelte." Viele Bewohner des Stimmungsuniversums haben hartnäckige Überzeugungen darüber, was richtig und was falsch ist, daher ist die Geduld und Offenheit beider Seiten ziemlich ungewöhnlich, wobei die Partnerschaft faszinierende Akzente und Veränderungen hervorbringt. ,Als Fans von eingeschränkter/algorithmischer Kunst (nicht der schlechten Art!) haben wir beschlossen, diese Matrix in den Mittelpunkt unserer Entscheidungsfindung zu stellen, um uns sowohl eine nicht willkürliche Möglichkeit zu geben, die ansonsten unendlichen Möglichkeiten zu begrenzen, mit denen man bei der Komposition mit Zahlen konfrontiert ist, als auch einen Ausweg aus festgefahrenen Gewohnheiten", schreibt Gardner über die Schaffung von Grenzen für ihre harmonischen Welten. Anstatt den Prozess einzuschränken, zwang diese Entscheidung die Musiker, ihre Komfortzone zu verlassen, und erforderte mehr Einfallsreichtum und Bedachtsamkeit bei ihren Entscheidungen. Das Endergebnis ist weit mehr als die Summe seiner Teile, da beide Parteien sich auf die Ideen des anderen einlassen, ohne die Vorrangstellung ihrer eigenen Ideen zu opfern. Der galoppierende polyrhythmische Antrieb, der ein charakteristisches Merkmal der Musik von Horse Lords ist, bleibt allgegenwärtig, und ein Stück wie ,Extended Field" nutzt die numerische Matrix von Dreyblatts System sowohl harmonisch als auch rhythmisch. In dem sich endlos wandelnden Drone-Stück ,Suspension" umschmeicheln Horse Lords Dreyblatts gestreifte Bogenstriche mit ihren eigenen pulsierenden Tönen. Obwohl ihre Rolle in den jeweiligen Werken unterschiedlich ist und sie im Verhältnis zu anderen Elementen in unterschiedlichen Anteilen vorkommen, ist die harmonische Erforschung das Herzstück dieser atemberaubenden Zusammenarbeit. Wie man im Schlussstück ,Impulse Array" erkennen kann, führt das Stöbern der Horse Lords in Dreyblatts Matrix zu den klanglichen Entdeckungen, für die sie leben. Wie Gardner bemerkt: ,Jede Wendung offenbart einen überraschenden, aber irgendwie unvermeidlichen neuen Akkord, dessen Verlauf seltsamerweise an einen Bach-Choral erinnert, der sowohl sehr zielgerichtet als auch ohne Ziel ist."

Drummer and NEA Jazz Master Billy Hart releases his first live album, MULTIDIRECTIONAL, with his longtime all-star quartet featuring saxophonist Mark Turner, pianist Ethan Iverson, and bassist Ben Street. --- Legendary drummer Billy Hart credits the great Rashied Ali for introducing him to the term “multidirectional” – a descriptor for the elusive, daring approach to the kit that Hart and others of his generation had developed intuitively in response to the increasing freedom and exploration of the era’s jazz experimentation. “Rashied Ali told me that ‘multidirectional’ was what John Coltrane called this freeform feel, where conventional structure was abandoned and the rhythms could cut in any direction,” he writes in Oceans of Time: The Musical Autobiography of Billy Hart, his captivating new memoir. Hart had begun to explore that style under the influence of Coltrane’s pioneering work, first venturing into the terrain while playing with Pharoah Sanders at the famed East Village club Slugs’. More than half a century later, Hart has refined and evolved the approach into a singular percussive voice of unparalleled elegance, finesse, and intricacy – as exemplified on MULTIDIRECTIONAL, the first live recording by his longstanding quartet featuring tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, pianist Ethan Iverson, and bassist Ben Street.

»La Traversée« (»The Crossing«) is Matthias Puech’s second album for Hallow Ground and follows up on 2023’s »Mt. Hadamard National Park.« Profoundly inspired by re-reading »The Odyssey,« the French composer, instrument designer, and scholar used a Eurorack modular synthesizer to create four pieces that are by far the most intuitive and emotionally charged in his ever-expanding catalogue. Puech’s masterful command of sound comes to the forefront with even more urgency on this record. A wandering meditation on the human condition, »La Traversée« is an album that is constantly in motion—complex electronic music at its most gripping and evocative.

The foundation for »La Traversée« was laid when Puech prepared a live set for a tour organised in collaboration with Hallow Ground in support of »Mt. Hadamard National Park.« Before writing the first three pieces—»Ennosigaios,« »Polyphármakos,« »Nekuia«—the 18½-minute-long »Ithâké« was composed in near-total isolation in the South of France at the end of 2023. Puech performed the material live several times before taking a step black from it for a while. He revisited the pieces when preparingthem for a release. »I was struck by how the technical process and the intention behind the music had completely vanished from my memory,« he says.

What remained intact, however, was Puech’s association of the material with one of the most influential texts of Western literature. Reading a graphic novel adaptation of »The Odyssey« with his two four-year-olds, he noticed the effect that it had on them and himself. »Its themes of longing, fear of and attraction to the unknown, unresolved quests, and the struggle for control felt topical,« he says. »I was completely taken. Every story ever told seemed contained in this ancient tale; every story I have ever tried to tell as a composer seemed inscribed in this framework.« This also extended to formal motifs such as the repetition of incidents, narrative developments, or dramatic effects that also mark »La Traversée.«

Puech says that he perceived Homer’s writing as musical, »like an old Delta blues or a Renaissance counterpoint,« which inspired his writing process. »With a couple of knobs on my Eurorack system, I could control the unfolding of a story,« he notes. »This made me pass through different emotional statesand led to moments in which everything made sudden sense—when you as an artist get a glimpse atsomething essential, can touch upon something universal.« This shines through »La Traversée,« a wildly imaginative album that is deeply personal while also telling a story far more wide-reaching than that of its creator.

Sex Tapes From Mars presents Outdom Records' boss, LATENT, who shares a brand-new four-track EP that spars with breakbeat, electro, house, and left-field electronics, neatly centring them all into a steady, sexy collision. The record as a whole captures genuinely original-sounding, rough-edged b-boy breaking badness - nostalgic, but never polite. It's a few BPMs slower than Sex Tapes' last few outings, but no less effective. Arguably, it's more late '80s sounding than ever, although, in fact, it's a brand-new, stonking release that showcases the label's versatility and unpredictability.

The opening track, "Break Machine", sets the pace with a clear nod to the '80s US group of the same name, bringing tidy drum workouts and clipped vocal samples that recall early Chicago, as well as choppy rave and street party energy at its most unfiltered.

"Disco Hijack" pushes the clutch into a more functional gear, merging delay-heavy, druggy, chuggy, sludgy bass with more robotic vocoder tropes, sharing something playful but IDM and European skewed. It's a dancefloor tool with a wink - just the style this now accomplished label has made its identity. Oh, don't forget the amens and clattering jungle breaks. 1990 or 2040? Fuck knows.

On "Distress Robot", pneumatic percussion and malfunctioning android chatter bring a darker, more mechanical edge, while "Virtual Body" closes with a spacious, garage-leaning shuffle that pulls the EP into recognisable contemporary yet still very much peak-time territory.

LATENT gives lean grit, pushes the edges, and lets the tracks feel alive in their imperfections. It’s music that thrives on tension between old-school reference points and modern floor pressure.

Bristol's label head Elon Dust HAS done it again.

Vinyl-only as per, don't sleep."

Enjoy a Madness career-spanning overview with Hit Parade; a 15-track highlights LP, featuring 13 UK Top 40 hits including Our House, It Must Be Love, Baggy Trousers, Lovestruck, and the No.1 single House of Fun.

Pressed on classic black vinyl, the fully illustrated inner sleeve contains new liner notes with various band members and long-time producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, in conversation with renowned author and journalist Paul Sexton.

Beautifully packaged in a deluxe slipcase, this 4LP box set combines the red vinyl.

Volume 1 and blue vinyl Volume 2 2LP collections. The fully illustrated inner sleeves contain new liner notes with various band members and long-time producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley,

in conversation with renowned author and journalist Paul Sexton.

AOKI takamasa and Tujiko Noriko’s 2005 album »28« has become a cornerstone in the artists’ respective discographies. 20 years after its initial release, Keplar issues it on vinyl for the very first time. Three years in the making, »28« saw the sound artist and the avant-pop singer-songwriter combine their distinct aesthetics for an album that defied categorisation. Their combination of advanced electronic experimentation and pop appeal paved the way for a new generation of artists and turned »28« into an enduring fan favourite. Remastered by Stephan Mathieu, the reissue comes with a brand-new artwork by Joji Koyama and a changed track listing—authorised by Takamasa and Tujiko—for the vinyl version to fit it on a single LP, while the digital version remains identical to the original release.

Tujiko and Takamasa first shared the stage together after the turn of the millennium. Both were emerging solo artists, with Takamasa a mainstay on the Progressive Form label and Tujiko forging a connection with Mego in Vienna, Austria. »I simply liked Noriko’s voice and music, and since we often performed at the same events, it felt like a natural progression for us to start working together,« remembers Takamasa. They first collaborated in 2002 for two shows at the Fondation Cartier in Paris and at SonarLab in Barcelona, respectively. The first joint piece was a rework of Tujiko’s »Fly« from »Hard Ni Sasete (Make Me Hard)« by Takamasa, appearing as the album opener »Fly2« on »28.«

After that, the Paris-based Tujiko and Takamasa, still based in Osaka, worked sporadically and remotely on new material. For the first two years of their collaboration, the two met in the context of live events or Takamasa’s visits to the French capital to discuss their process and exchange hard drives while also occasionally sending each other CDrs in the mail. »Aoki made beats and sounds that complemented my music perfectly, building the foundation on which my voice could float,« Tujiko says today. Takamasa used hardware such as the Nord Modular, the Korg Z1, and the Korg ER-1, while also working with different kinds of software and plug-ins as well as Logic. Tujiko was using Cubase, her preferred piece of gear at the time being an AKAI MPC.

After Takamasa moved to Paris in 2004, this enabled the duo to finish the album together in person. Starting with its subtle use of glitches to the almost-anarchic way in which it deals with the structures of a song, »28« came to be an incomparably intricate album. 20 years on, it remains timeless because of its flawless synthesis of the cutting-edge avant-garde ideas of early 2000s electronica with an idiosyncratic but accessible pop sentiment. Both artists look back fondly—though not uncritically, with Takamasa noting a certain »youthfulness« in his contributions—to the album that was titled after their respective age at that time. »Maybe we should make ›51‹ now?,« quips Tujiko. See you in three years, perhaps.

Iptamenos Discos kündigt Houdini an, die neue EP der Labelgründer Local Suicide. Die Platte enthält drei ihrer dunkelsten und kraftvollsten Originaltracks bis heute, ergänzt durch markante Neubearbeitungen des französischen Electroclash-Pioniers David Carretta und der aufstrebenden griechischen EBM-Kraft Alpha Sect. Die Houdini EP entstand im Berliner Studio von Local Suicide während zahlloser nächtlicher Sessions mit Skelesys in derselben kreativen Phase, die auch ihren gemeinsamen Hit Moustache, die Surface Of The Sun EP und Faster Faster auf Curses’ Next Wave Acid Punx-Compilation hervorbrachte. Das Ergebnis ist ihr bisher düsterstes Material, das ihren Technodisco-Sound in noch härteres Terrain führt - mit hypnotischen Basslines, industriellen Texturen und analogen Vintage-Synths. Damit zählt es zu den mutigsten Releases im Katalog von Iptamenos Discos. Die EP eröffnet mit Obsessions, einem Track zwischen Darkwave und Techno, aufgebaut auf einer brutalen Bassline, analogen Synths und eindringlichen, mantraartigen Vocals. Die wiederholte Zeile „Obsessions, they come and go“ spiegelt den unerbittlichen Sog des Stücks wider und unterstreicht seine klaustrophobische, sich ständig wiederholende Energie. Submission, eine Zusammenarbeit mit Langzeitkollaborateur Skelesys, steht dem in nichts nach: ein düsterer Low-End-Sound, verzerrte, stark bearbeitete Vocals und der Sprechgesang „Resistance, no submission“ durchziehen den Track wie eine Trotz-Erklärung, die Spannung in Kraft verwandelt. Der Titeltrack Houdini ist etwas zugänglicher, behält aber die gleiche schattige Atmosphäre. Unheimliche Orgelmelodien und der Text „The great Houdini, the big escape“ beschwören Transformation und Befreiung herauf, zollen dem legendären Illusionisten Tribut und verleihen der Nummer eine theatralische Note. Der französische Kult-DJ und Produzent David Carretta interpretiert Obsessions neu mit seiner unverkennbaren retro-futuristischen Handschrift. Seit den 1990ern bekannt für die Fusion von industrieller Präzision mit Italo-inspirierten Synths, hellt er den Track mit glitzernden Disco-Melodien und einer erhebenden Stimmung auf – eine Version, die sich bewusst vom dunklen Original absetzt und sofort für die Tanzfläche taugt. Der in Straßburg ansässige Alpha Sect, das Projekt des griechischen Künstlers George McCall, führt Submission in kompromisslose Dimensionen. Verwurzelt in Electro und Body Music mit Punk-Einflüssen, beginnt sein Remix als wuchtiger EBM-Stomper und entwickelt sich zu einem clubtauglichen Track, der Intensität mit Katharsis in Balance bringt.

What once slipped out under a veil of anonymity now steps into the light: the original mystery record was, in fact, Tuff City Kids. The duo’s playful fingerprints are all over it— equal parts homage and mischief.
Fast forward to today, and the circle closes with an EP that reimagines the spirit of that covert release, pushing it into sharper, modern focus. Where the first outing thrived on secrecy, this one thrives on revelation—same DNA, but recut for the present tense.

Step into the new vinyl series (Saturn Systema) from Feros Records. With Saturn and Its Satellites, embark on a space- fueled adventure where pulsating techno rhythms orbit in a galactic soundscape.

Following releases on Longform Editions and her own Paralaxe imprint, Dania descends on Somewhere Press with crepuscular, quixotic pop that hits a sweet spot between Mark Clifford’s Cocteau Twins remixes and Massive Attack.

Parked next to Alliyah Enyo, Slowfoam, and Angel R, Dania’s found an ideal home at Somewhere Press, and »Listless« is her most confident, transcendent set to date. Her last few albums were steeped in meaning – a way for the Iraq-born, Tasmania-raised artist to explore her identity and probe the impacts of colonisation. Here, she gives herself more room to breathe, thriving in the mysteries of nighttime – a direct reference to her nocturnal existence as an emergency doctor in Australia. The album was completely composed in the midnight hours, but it’s not self-consciously dark in the way you might expect. Opening track »On a Grassy Knoll« is one of the prettiest – and poppiest – tracks Dania has released, cracking open her voice with thrumming harmonies that she complements with granulated, Guthrie-esque guitars and, most unexpectedly, half-speed drums. It’s the first time Dania’s used percussion, and it suits her extremely well.

In fact, even when the powdery breaks drop away in the album’s final breaths, you can almost hear an outline of where they might remain. On »Write My Name«, Dania loops her voice between waved strings and slippery piano phrases, and the hypnotic closer »A Hunger« is a thudding, sub-heavy 4/4 away from being Peak Oil-style contemporary dub techno.

But the big draw here is Dania’s batch of hazy dream-pop miniatures, like the Seefeel-adjacent »Heart Shaped Burn« (with Rupert Clervaux on drums), and the Bristolian »Car Crash Premonition«, that features a rolling bassline taking us right back to 1998. Very strong – peak listening if you’re into Bowery Electric, MBV, or Mark Van Hoen.

“In a concert, I show something with a beginning, a middle and an end. But, there is no end. Of course, there is no end. Because I am the music, and I am still here.” - Sophie Agnel

‘Learning’ - Sophie Agnel’s first solo LP, feels like the dark, physical inversion of her excellent ‘Song’ which came out on Relative Pitch earlier this year. Sinking her unique sound into vinyl for the first time, the LP arrives as Agnel recovers from a brain tumour - a shocking discovery that will require Agnel to start again with the piano. It’s a terrifying prospect, but Agnel has been here before, having reorientated herself almost entirely away from her early classical training over the last 4 decades of her work.

‘When I was young I had very good ears, oriole absolute. Then later I began to make strange sounds with my piano, to do different kinds of music. I was more interested in the sounds than the melody, for example. I remember once I sat down in a shop to try to read the scores of Schubert and there was a light emitting a very strong bzzzzzzz. And I couldn't listen to my oriole internal - I couldn't read the score. I was entirely subjugated by the sound of the light. And I understood that something had changed. Ten years before I could read and not hear the light. Now I understood that my ears were completely different. I was more open to the sounds of life.”

Born in Paris in the 60’s and playing her parents piano as soon as she could stand up, Agnel quickly grew tired of the classical world. What frustrated her was the strange disconnect between the frame of the piano and its keyboard - a weird boundary that seemed to form some hushed code of etiquette. “The first thing I put inside the piano was a plastic goblet. I’d seen a few pianists do it: Fred Van Hove, for example, put rubber balls inside his. But what didn’t appeal to me was that there seemed to be no link between the pianos outside and inside.”If you see Agnel play now, the body of her piano is littered with fish tins, ping pong balls, wooden blocks - not that you’d recognize their sounds. Having absorbed the language of the European avant-garde, Agnel is known for pulling the piano’s interior outside of itself by tipping her handbag into it. But these ‘strange sounds’ don’t just come from Cage - they also share the poetic force of Cecil Taylor and ‘Learning’ demonstrates that Agnel’s work on the piano's keyboard is just as important as what she’s littered on its strings. The record lets loose her ability to unleash a formidable sound mass and then rope it back to one single, clarifying note. With one hand, Agnel plays 88 tuned drums and on the other an enormous guitar - with the LP rotating through oncoming trains, and blues harmonica and feedback. It’s single minded stuff, borne out of a dedication to a wholly personal language of gesture, accumulation and deft reduction. “Maybe when I’m 80 I will not need anything,” Agnel says in a recent film made at her home. “I will do the same but with one note, and one finger. Maybe it's enough.”

‘Learning’ arrives in a reverse board sleeve designed by Jereon Wille. Recorded live at Cafe OTO by Billy Steiger on 6th June 2023 and 4th June 2024. Mixed by James Dunn and Benjamin Pagier. Side B edited by Benjamin Pagier. Mastered and cut by Loop-O. Front photograph by Aimé Agnel. Typography and layout by Jeroen Wille.