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Für sein treffend betiteltes Solo-Debütalbum "Introducing..." hat Aaron Frazer mit Dan Auerbach von The Black Keys zusammengearbeitet. Soft spoken und mit dem Aussehen eines leicht unzufriedenen Matinee-Idols aus den 1950er Jahren gesegnet, besitzt Frazer eine einzigartige Stimme, die sowohl zeitgemäß als auch zeitlos klingt. Der in Baltimore aufgewachsene, zurzeit in Brooklyn lebende Songwriter wurde als Schlagzeuger und Co-Vokalist von Durand Jones & The Indications bekannt. Jetzt tritt er mit "Introducing..." als Solist hinter dem Drumkit hervor und demonstriert nicht nur seine beeindruckenden stimmlichen Qualitäten, sondern auch sein Können als hochklassiger Songschreiber. Schon die erste Single "Bad News" sorgte für Aufsehen ("a gorgeous piece of vintage R&B" - CLASH), die sich anschließende Lead-Single "Over You" ist inspiriert von elektrisierenden Northern Soul 45s der 60er Jahre. Nur zwei Belege der erfolgreichen Zusammenarbeit zwischen Frazer und Auerbach. Die zwölf Songs auf "Introducing..." verbinden gekonnt den Soul der 70er Jahre mit Dan Auerbachs besonderer Sensibilität für Vintage-Sounds im neuen Gewand. "Introducing..." enthält klassische Message-Songs im Stil von Künstlern wie Gil Scott-Heron sowie motivierende Liebeslieder, die von Disco-, Gospel- und Doo-Wop-Einflüssen durchzogen sind. Das gesamte Album wurde innerhalb nur einer Woche in Auerbachs berühmten Nashville-Studio nach einer schnellen und produktiven Songwriting-Session aufgenommen. Auerbach holte auch den legendären Songwriter und Falsettspezialisten L. Russell Brown (schrieb früher Hits für Frankie Valli von The Four Seasons) an Bord, der den wunderschönen Opener "You Don't Wanna Be My Baby" auf dem Album mitkopmponierte. Für "Introducing..." rekrutierte Frazer eine beeindruckende Schar alteingesessener Session-Musiker aus Nashville. Darunter Mitglieder der legendären Memphis Boys (die in Dusty Springfields "Son of A Preacher Man" und Aretha Franklins "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman" mitspielten), den Perkussionisten Sam Bacco sowie diverse Musiker aus dem Daptone/Big Crown Records-Umfeld.

Random Vinyl. In einem langen und emotional anstrengenden Jahr, in dem ich drinnen war (allein, in meinem Fall), habe ich mich dabei ertappt, über Spiegel nachzudenken. Wie man es vermeidet, an den meisten Tagen zu viel Zeit vor ihnen zu verbringen. Eine Bestandsaufnahme des echten, physischen Selbst ist harte Arbeit, Arbeit, gegen die ich nicht gänzlich etwas einzuwenden habe, die für mich aber sofort gefährlicher wurde, als ich mit ansehen musste, welchen sehr realen Tribut Zeit, moderne Ängste, Isolation und Langeweile von mir forderten. Es schien einfacher, mich in eine nicht allzu ferne glorreiche Vergangenheit zu versetzen, die Erinnerung als Mittel sowohl zur Begeisterung als auch zur Heilung zu nutzen. Aber wo wir gerade von Aufregung sprechen: Ich stolpere gerne auf eine Band zu, die keine Agenda und keinen Zweck hat und deren Sound fast zufällig entdeckt wird. So habe ich Wednesday zum ersten Mal gehört. Die Band kam zu mir und ich weiß nicht mehr, wie oder warum. Sie tauchten einfach auf, als wären wir unser ganzes Leben lang aufeinander zugegangen. I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone prägte meinen Sommer 2020, und in Klang, in Geist, in den zentralen Themen und deren Umsetzung versetzte es mich zurück in eine Zeit vor der heutigen, was ich damals gebraucht hatte. Die Vergangenheit kann sich weniger höllisch anfühlen als die Gegenwart, wenn wir manchmal nicht ganz ehrlich zu uns selbst sind. Da ist dieser Trick der Nostalgie, mit dem ich in meinem eigenen Schreiben viel Zeit verbringe und der mich in meinem eigenen Leben etwas quält. Die sehr reale Vorstellung, dass Nostalgie sowohl ein nützliches Werkzeug als auch eine Waffe ist, wenn sie nicht mit etwas gepaart ist, das einer Art rigoroser Ehrlichkeit nahekommt. Aber wenn ich noch einmal auf all diese Ideen von Nostalgie und unseren alten, kniffligen, vergangenen Ichs zurückkommen darf, die tatsächlich Teil des Backsteinhauses sind, das unser gegenwärtiges Selbst ausmacht, dann hoffe ich, dass du, lieber Hörer, an diesem Album genau den Moment am Anfang von ,The Burned Down Dairy Queen", in dem Karly singt: ,I was hiding in a room in my mind / and I made me take a look at myself." Denn wenn du, so wie ich, Spiegel gemieden hast - sowohl metaphorische als auch echte -, dann wird das Album hier zu einem Leuchtturm, der hell durch die Dunkelheit meiner ansonsten dunklen und leeren Kammern hallt. So viele dieser Songs beschäftigen sich mit der Vergangenheit auf weit weniger romantische Weise, als ich es bisher getan habe, und ich sehnte mich verzweifelt nach der Neuausrichtung, die dieses Album bot. Also, ja, die Songs sind gut. Vielleicht kurbelst du an einem angenehmen Tag auf der richtigen Strecke in der warmen Jahreszeit die Fenster herunter und drehst die Lautstärke auf, wenn ,Birthday Song" richtig laut und zum Mitsingen wird. Vielleicht sitzt du nachts auf einem Dach, näher am Mond als du es auf dem Boden warst, und lässt dich von ,Ghost Of A Dog" durchschütteln und zu einer nächtlichen Erkenntnis treiben, die du in der Stille nicht hättest haben können. Aber selbst über all dem, über all den Freuden und der Gnade, die die Klänge dieses Albums bieten mögen, hoffe und glaube ich auch, dass es jeden, der zuhört, daran erinnern wird, dass wir eine Ansammlung vieler Reflexionen sind. Die alle Geduld verdienen. - Hanif Abdurraqib

Everything I Ever Saw finds THE MENZINGERS entering a new era in what"s already been a storied career. The Philadelphia punk legends" eighth album chronicles moments of significant change-the personal, the political, and the universal-while returning to the core creative principles that first put them on the map with listeners the world over. Twenty years in, the Menzingers have discovered that the wisdom gained with time"s passing is even stronger than the emotional armor they once wore in their youth, and Everything I Ever Saw captures the quartet embracing the here and now while strengthening the bonds that have held them together. THE MENZINGERS have always created as a four-headed unit, with all members (vocalist/ guitarist Greg Barnett, vocalist/guitarist Tom May, bassist Eric Keen, drummer Joe Godino) throwing in their respective talents as part of the craft-but for Everything I Ever Saw, the group worked in creative symbiosis more than ever before. "The way we made this record feels the most like how the band was in the very beginning: Me and Tom coming to the band with the most basic element of a song, and the four of us shaping that," Barnett says. Instrumental in building that excitement was locally centered and nationally renowned production legend Will Yip, who threw in with the Menzingers on 2017"s After the Party and their sonically expansive 2019 record Hello Exile. This time around, Yip once again became an unofficial Menzinger while the band crafted these 11 songs in their South Philly space. "Working with Will was like a homecoming," May beams while talking about Yip"s contributions. "We"ve grown up together over these years, and we"re still incredibly close friends. He"s the best at gassing you up and making sure everybody"s on the right page, but he"s also so good at pointing out stuff that might not fit the vision without being a fucking prick. He"s the hardest working person that we"ve come across in the music industry, and he"s incredibly inspiring."

Seit 1982 ist Benjamin Sportes prägender Bestandteil der alternativen Szene Frankreichs, in chronologischer Reihenfolge: Les Wanderes, Torpedo, Sportes, Sporto Kantes und seit 2017 als Futuro Pelo. Das Album "Sketches Of Loss" ist entstanden aus einem Jahr der Trauer und einer brutalen Nähe zum Tod. Nach einer zehnjährigen Pause von der Gitarre markiert Sketches of Loss eine radikale Rückkehr zu den ureigenen Wurzeln von Rock 'n' Roll, Garage und Punk, ist Sportes intensives, ungefiltertes Ventil der Emotionen. Eine Klangexplosion aus Rock'n'Roll, Elektro, Garage, Punk und Pop. "Sketches Of Loss" reduziert die Musik auf ihr ureigenes Skelett: eine Stimme, eine Gitarre und ein stetiger Drum-Loop. Inspiriert von der Dringlichkeit von The Gun Club und der Theatralik von John Maus, zeugt Futuro Pelos neue Ära von unerschütterlicher Widerstandskraft und Energie- ein zeitliches Kräftemessen zwischen seinem 24-jährigen Ich und dem Mann, der er heute ist. Eine Rückkehr zum ungefilterten Rock 'n' Roll, Garage und Punk als Solo-Projekt - geboren aus einer existenziellen Dringlichkeit und einer brutalen Nähe zur Sterblichkeit. Tipp! Alternative Rock'n'Roll, Independent, Garage, Elektro-Punk für Fans von Sleaford Mods, Electronicat, Suicide, The Kills, Crocodiles, La Femme, Bracco, The Devils, Reverend Beat-Man & The New Wave, Bad Decisions

Seit 1982 ist Benjamin Sportes prägender Bestandteil der alternativen Szene Frankreichs, in chronologischer Reihenfolge: Les Wanderes, Torpedo, Sportes, Sporto Kantes und seit 2017 als Futuro Pelo. Das Album "Sketches Of Loss" ist entstanden aus einem Jahr der Trauer und einer brutalen Nähe zum Tod. Nach einer zehnjährigen Pause von der Gitarre markiert Sketches of Loss eine radikale Rückkehr zu den ureigenen Wurzeln von Rock 'n' Roll, Garage und Punk, ist Sportes intensives, ungefiltertes Ventil der Emotionen. Eine Klangexplosion aus Rock'n'Roll, Elektro, Garage, Punk und Pop. "Sketches Of Loss" reduziert die Musik auf ihr ureigenes Skelett: eine Stimme, eine Gitarre und ein stetiger Drum-Loop. Inspiriert von der Dringlichkeit von The Gun Club und der Theatralik von John Maus, zeugt Futuro Pelos neue Ära von unerschütterlicher Widerstandskraft und Energie- ein zeitliches Kräftemessen zwischen seinem 24-jährigen Ich und dem Mann, der er heute ist. Eine Rückkehr zum ungefilterten Rock 'n' Roll, Garage und Punk als Solo-Projekt - geboren aus einer existenziellen Dringlichkeit und einer brutalen Nähe zur Sterblichkeit. Tipp! Alternative Rock'n'Roll, Independent, Garage, Elektro-Punk für Fans von Sleaford Mods, Electronicat, Suicide, The Kills, Crocodiles, La Femme, Bracco, The Devils, Reverend Beat-Man & The New Wave, Bad Decisions

Der Ursprung des Albums "Cellophane Memories" von Chrystabell und David Lynch geht auf eine Vision zurück, die David bei einem nächtlichen Spaziergang durch einen Wald mit hohen Bäumen hatte, über deren Wipfeln er ein helles Licht sah. Wie er sich erinnert, verwandelte sich das Licht in den Klang von Chrystabells Stimme und offenbarte ihm ein Geheimnis. Aus diesen geheimnisvollen Konvergenzen von Licht und Klang, Tag und Nacht, Sternenhimmel und schwarzem Wald hat sich die Zusammenarbeit von Chrystabell und David entwickelt. Für "Cellophane Memories" sind die beiden durch verschiedene Portale gereist. Passend dazu spielen viele der Songs in Märchenwäldern, auf Berggipfeln, in Schwimmlöchern, auf dämmrigen Autobahnen und in dunklen Schlafzimmern. Dies sind die Orte der Einsamkeit und der Romantik, die Art von erhabenen Landschaften, in denen Menschen oft allein auf der Suche nach einem verirrten Liebhaber unterwegs sind. Aber es sind auch gestaltlose Atmosphären_von Farben, Wetter und Atem: blauer und weißer Himmel, rote Rosen, sich verdunkelnde Gewitterwolken, wirbelnde Winde und Sommerdüfte, die den Reisenden schnell in die übernatürlichen Empfindungen anderer Welten eintauchen lassen. Die Zeit ist in den Liedern von Chrystabell und David Lynch ein wankelmütiges Geschöpf. Die Figuren sind kaum mehr als schräge Skizzen der alltäglichen Melodramen der Zeit: Menschen kommen und gehen als Fremde, Fremde stürzen in Verzweiflung und Liebe, Liebende trennen sich an der Kreuzung und finden im Traum wieder zusammen. In dieser Quantenmatinee des täglichen Lebens ist jede Figur sowohl Star als auch Statist im Hintergrund. Zeitliche Irrungen und Wirrungen tauchen immer wieder in Chrystabells Gesang auf, der in Harmonie-Schichten auftaucht, sich auflöst und zurückschleift. Überlagert werden sie von Davids und des verstorbenen Komponisten Angelo Badalamenti Orchester aus von Waldeinsamkeit inspirierten Streichern, eigenwilligen Gitarrenglissandi und Hallwolken, deren Melodien das Gefühl vermitteln, als würde die Zeit für einen ersten Kuss innehalten. Wie ein Großteil von Chrystabells und Davids früherer Arbeit führt uns "Cellophane Memories" zu einer zentralen Frage zurück: Was ist ein Mysterium? Leider bleibt das Rätsel ungelöst. Aber jedes Mysterium enthält Bruchstücke der oben beschriebenen Vorstellungen und Gefühle: das Weggehen und das Wiederkommen, die Landschaft, die Atmosphäre und der Atem, die auf den Kopf gestellten Mechanismen der Zeit, die Erinnerungen an das Vergangene, ein fernes Licht, das aus der Dunkelheit strahlt, Musik in der Stille, Liebe.

Everything I Ever Saw finds THE MENZINGERS entering a new era in what"s already been a storied career. The Philadelphia punk legends" eighth album chronicles moments of significant change-the personal, the political, and the universal-while returning to the core creative principles that first put them on the map with listeners the world over. Twenty years in, the Menzingers have discovered that the wisdom gained with time"s passing is even stronger than the emotional armor they once wore in their youth, and Everything I Ever Saw captures the quartet embracing the here and now while strengthening the bonds that have held them together. THE MENZINGERS have always created as a four-headed unit, with all members (vocalist/ guitarist Greg Barnett, vocalist/guitarist Tom May, bassist Eric Keen, drummer Joe Godino) throwing in their respective talents as part of the craft-but for Everything I Ever Saw, the group worked in creative symbiosis more than ever before. "The way we made this record feels the most like how the band was in the very beginning: Me and Tom coming to the band with the most basic element of a song, and the four of us shaping that," Barnett says. Instrumental in building that excitement was locally centered and nationally renowned production legend Will Yip, who threw in with the Menzingers on 2017"s After the Party and their sonically expansive 2019 record Hello Exile. This time around, Yip once again became an unofficial Menzinger while the band crafted these 11 songs in their South Philly space. "Working with Will was like a homecoming," May beams while talking about Yip"s contributions. "We"ve grown up together over these years, and we"re still incredibly close friends. He"s the best at gassing you up and making sure everybody"s on the right page, but he"s also so good at pointing out stuff that might not fit the vision without being a fucking prick. He"s the hardest working person that we"ve come across in the music industry, and he"s incredibly inspiring."

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 40 years ago that we started out as a cover band in the night clubs of California before writing and recording our own songs and selling millions of albums. Just like our musical heroes The Beatles, Rolling Stones, or even Jimi Hendrix, all artists who honed their craft by learning cover songs from the legends before them, we did the same as youngsters and still enjoy paying tributes and recording cover songs today. HOMAGE is our new album that not only pays tribute to legends but gives us a chance to showcase our lead singer’s diversity as well as the musical dynamics we learned as a band many years ago. And now, our new album HOMAGE is a thank-you note written in sound. An offering to the great singers and songs that shaped the music we grew up listening to and the songs we would eventually write.

Each track showcases Jeff Keith’s incredible vocal ability Something that may have been overlooked throughout our long career. But not by our fans.........!!! HOMAGE isn’t about imitation. It’s about acknowledgment. About tracing the line from influence to identity, from listening to becoming. You ask why ? .....why not! It felt like a good thing to do, it’s been 20 years since we did Real to Reel.....It sparked writing a new original Tesla song called “Never Alone” And it’s what bands are supposed to do ..make music. These songs were picked for various reasons… Mostly because they’re some of the greatest singers of all time: Elvis Presley Freddie Mercury Sam Cooke David Ruffin Etta James James Brown And some of the others because we liked the songs and grew up hearing them on the radio or on our turntables. Anyway, we hope you all enjoy this as much as we did making it....Thank you for all the years ..Keep it Real and keep Rockin!!!!!

PUBLIC HOUSE are a rising punk act from Melbourne, formed in 2023 by Wolfgang Buckley (Stiff Richards) and James McClurg. The band quickly moved from bedroom demos to commanding stages across Melbourne and Europe, earning a devoted following through their high-energy performances. PUBLIC HOUSE delivers a high-octane blend of raw energy and howling riffs an explosive sound that sits somewhere between the past and the future. With their debut album on the way, PUBLIC HOUSE are ready to return to Europe bigger and better than ever. BEWARE

Der Name Packaging mag eine zynische Einstellung zur Musikindustrie vermuten lassen, aber die Musik, die das Duo Daniel Lyon (Spirit Award) und Daniel ,Connor" Birch (Flaural) macht, ist alles andere als zynisch. Stattdessen ist es eine leidenschaftliche Verschmelzung von Elementen aus ihren ganz eigenen Stilen: krautrockige Rhythmen, psychedelische Klänge, elektronische Pracht und eingängige Melodien, gewürzt mit einer Prise spritziger Selbstwahrnehmung. Ihr Debütalbum, Packaging, ist eine Sammlung emotional berührender Songs über Entfremdung, Langeweile und rastlose Bewegung. Mit dabei sind mehrere musikalische Mitwirkende, darunter Luke Temple (Here We Go Magic), Ash Reiter (Sugar Candy Mountain), James Barone (Beach House) und Andy Rauworth (Gauntlet Hair). Das Album ist, genau wie eine echte Verpackung, ein haptisches Erlebnis. Vom herzklopfenden Rausch von ,Running Through the Airport" und ,In My Pocket" bis hin zur benommenen Melancholie von ,Didn't Wanna Stay" und dem leise erschütternden ,On Holiday" verbinden Lyon und Birch ihre Talente auf eine Weise, die sie gegenseitig zu neuen emotionalen Höhen treibt. Unheimlich für alle Beteiligten schien sich ein glücklicher Zufall über das Projekt zu legen: keine Herausforderungen, keine Probleme, nur unheimliche Zufälle und intuitives Schaffen.

One of the finest singing brother duos of all time, The Everly Brothers ' close harmonies became one of the most identifiable sounds of the early rock & roll era of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Presented here are the very best of The Everly Brothers' pop charting-singles from the peak of their career. "There have been some wonderful harmony pairings in popular music: John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Michael Stipe and Mike Mills, Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell, everyone will pick their own; but there is something very special about family and especially sibling harmony. A modern group like The Proclaimers took their inspiration directly from the Everleys, who borrowed something in turn from The Louvin Brothers and other acts of the time. The voices were not just in tune but shared a very particular timbre. The brothers fell out in time, as brothers do, but when they sang - and there's no need to list the songs; they're stitched into the history of rock'n'roll - they didn't sound like two men, but like one." - Brian Morton "Phil and Don were the most beautiful sounding duo I ever heard. Both voices pristine and soulful." - Paul Simon

Futurismo are thrilled to present Give Thanks, the long out of press 1984 hardcore classic by Articles Of Faith. Produced by Bob Mould, and newly remastered directly from the original tapes, this powerhouse of a record is now coming on both LP and CD after being unavailable for decades. Originally released in 1984, the debut LP Give Thanks by Chicago hardcore legends Articles Of Faith, is proof a hardcore record can be both political and poetic. Fuelled by rage, introspection and a musical progression that could be seen as a blueprint for what would later become known as post-hardcore, this album ticks every box you want from a record of the era: intense, emotive, scathing, unpredictable, all topped off by the masterful production of Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü/Sugar). Give Thanks is perhaps overlooked in many top ten’s of the genre, but leaving the bands debut LP off that list would be a mistake. A demonstration in raw emotion and political angst, Give Thanks harnesses a sound that could have only happened during the Reagan era. Hardcore was of course a musical explosion built upon aggression and discontent, yet Give Thanks forcefully fuses this concept of raw power with a multitude of musical influences at a time when some of their contemporaries perhaps seemed to tread water. Whilst the principles and sonics harnessed on AOF’s debut album may have had more in common with the sounds coming out of Washington D.C., this record has an authentic Chicago savvy running through it, effortlessly projecting a street level tone whilst simultaneously aiming to show the possibilities of what a hardcore record could be. In retrospect, AOF’s debut was a hardcore album ahead of it’s time, perhaps the reason it’s fervent themes and artistry still feel so fresh and relevant. Whether that’s due to Vic Bondi’s gravelly tones geared to critique the societal regime at play, or the considered guitar work aimed to both blast and texturize, or the intense drums rhythms inspired by jazz and dub, there is a depth to the final album that feels like a band testing their parameters, one listen to ‘Every Man For Himself’ and you know you are listening to something special. Familiarity and originality rarely crossover, but in this case they coexist to leave us with a forward thinking punk record that is more interested in shouting it’s emotions from the street, than it is screaming into a vacuum.

A true American hardcore record, and a must for fans of Minor Threat, Dead Kennedy’s, Bad Brains and Fugazi.

Gloss laminated digipak CD & Limited edition pink & white colour vinyl.

Erstmals seit über 35 Jahren ist Clock DVAs "White Souls in Black Suits" - ursprünglich 1980 als limitierte Kassette auf Throbbing Gristles Industrial Records veröffentlicht - (in einer neu gemasterten Version) auf grauem Doppel-Vinyl und CD erhältlich, neu aufgelegt über The Grey Area of Mute und erweitert um vier Bonustracks aus derselben Zeit.

Unter der Leitung des visionären Adi Newton bleibt Clock DVA eine der geheimnisvollsten und wandlungsfähigsten Bands aus Sheffield. Ihr Repertoire umfasst Mutant Funk, Noir Jazz und Coldwave-Elektronik. "White Souls in Black Suits" bietet zusammen mit den zusätzlichen Tracks einen Einblick in die frühe Morphologie ihres Sounds. Das Album umfasst eine Besetzung mit Newton (Gesang, Synthesizer, Klarinette, gestrichene E-Gitarre und Tape-Bearbeitung), Gründungsmitglied Steven James Turner (Bass-Bearbeitung), David J. Hammond (Gitarren-Bearbeitung), Charlie Collins (Saxophon, Flöte und Percussion), Roger Quail (Percussion) und Simon M. Elliott-Kemp (Synthesizer).

Das Album wurde im Western Works Studio von Cabaret Voltaire aufgenommen, ist locker strukturiert, weitgehend improvisiert und stark von der frühen Industrial- und Goth-Szene Sheffields beeinflusst. Es beschwört eine Welt der Überwachung, Besessenheit und psychologischen Zersetzung herauf - ein Debüt, das den Ton für die sich ständig weiterentwickelnde Vision von Clock DVA angab und ein essentielles Dokument der ursprünglichen Industrial-Ära ist.

Format: Schwarze 2LP

Joseph Tholl is widely known as a Swedish multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. He gained international recognition as a founding member and guitarist for the speed metal band Enforcer (officially leaving in 2019). Following his time with Enforcer, he formed Black Trip (later Vojd) and is currently playing guitar for Tribulation. Following 2019’s »Devil’s Drum«, »It Might Be Art« is his second solo album (and the second for High Roller Records). It was recorded and mixed at Humbucker Studio, which he co-owns with Robert Pehrsson (who’s also on High Roller Records). On »It Might Be Art« Joseph Tholl is singing, playing guitar and most of the bass, he also handles piano and synthesizer parts. Robert Eriksson (The Hellacopters) and Jakob Ljungberg (Second Sun) share drum duties on this album. Besides that, there’s a few guest appearances by musicians such as Johannes Andersson (Tribulation), Tobias Lindkvist (Tyrann), Pia Stjärnvind (Serpent Omega), Adam Zaars (Tribulation) and Robert Pehrsson (Dundertåget, Robert Pehrsson’s Humbucker). Joseph Tholl thinks that despite its broad variety »It Might Be Art« is still suitable for heavy metal fans: “I couldn’t see why not. I mean it’s not heavy metal. But I hope people will like it for what it is, a very honest and well-crafted melodic rock album.” “»It Might Be Art« is both darker and brighter than »Devil’s Drum«,” compares the Swede both his solo albums. “Musically it probably sounds a little brighter and poppy overall. But then there’s songs like ”I’m In A Darkness” or ‘The Burial’, which are very dark.” At times, influences of Sisters Of Mercy, The Cure, New Model Army and Midnight Oil can be detected on »It Might Be Art«, leading Joseph Tholl to ponder: “It’s incredibly hard to name a few bands as influences, there’s just too many. Besides those bands you mentioned, there’s a mix of grunge, heavy metal, Swedish pop/rock, AOR etc., that I mold into my own kind of rock n roll.”

If you have kept a keen eye on what is going on in German thrash these days, you cannot have missed the comeback of Protector, legendary thrash/death outfit from Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. Formed in 1986, Protector first called it a day in 2003, only to return in 2011 and releasing their “Reanimated Homunculus” on High Roller Records in 2013. Protector are widely regarded as one of the most underrated outfits from the prolific German thrash/death scene of the Eighties. Their debut-EP “Misanthropy” from 1987 is a thorny gem of uncompromising thrash metal, raw and fast, and with a strong feel of evil blackness. This first official release laid the base for Protector's reputation as “Germany’s most brutal band”, as some people called them. Protector? Really? Some band from some far out place in Lower Saxony? It’s true, Protector never rose to the same heights of fame as Kreator, Sodom and the likes, but back in the days, they made a name for themselves by playing not only fierce and sharp thrash metal, but always being extremely harsh, brutal and very very evil. “Misanthropy” is a perfect testimony for this: In its six-tracks-brevity, Protector’s debut-EP is a violent attack on the listener, giving you six razor sharp cuts and leaving you behind, crushed and bleeding. “Misanthropy” was recorded in the summer of 1987 at the White Lines Studio in Braunschweig. While the band's main influences at that time were Slayer’s “Reign in Blood”, Possessed’s “Seven Churches” and Exodus' “Bonded by Blood”, “Misanthropy” actually sounds like none of these albums – but very unique; In part this is due to Martin Missy's extraordinary extreme vocal performance, which always bordered on the verge of death metal growls and thus added a lot to Protector’s very own way of evil. The reactions to “Misanthropy” were mixed: Fans and the underground media celebrated the release, while the bigger magazines were sceptical about Protector's brutal and aggressive style and sound. Anyway: “Misanthropy” made people aware of this four-piece who lived in the shadow of the then still intact German Wall, far away from the Ruhr-Area, the heart of Teutonic thrash. For the High Roller re-release, nothing will be changed about the sound, which makes total sense, given that “Misanthropy” is great just as it is. Instead, “Misanthropy” comes with a very special feature: To make the release as complete as possible, High Roller includes the two songs from the demo from 1986, “Protector of Death” and “Apocalyptic Revolution”, something Martin Missy totally appreciates: “I think this is a great thing to do. That way the fans get an idea about what Protector sounded like before the EP was recorded.” One thing is already clear: Protector never got any more aggressive, sharp and shattering than on „Misanthropy”.

Mexico’s Phantom bring raw, unrelenting energy to speed and thrash metal, and their 2022 “Hellspeed Death” demo is now hitting a wider audience with a High Roller Records re-release, complete with two bonus tracks. “Hellspeed Death” remains a true demo in spirit: raw drums, gritty vocals and guitars that cut with sharp precision. The songs are steeped in old-school influences — early Slayer, Venom, Tank, Motörhead and Voivod — but still full of the band’s own ferocious personality. Tracks like ‘Payback,’ ‘Reaper’s Bane,’ and ‘Death Crusade’ race forward with galloping, punk-tinged thrash energy, while ‘Onslaught’ and ‘Speedhammer’ deliver blackened, high-velocity assaults that leave no room for compromise. Phantom write what matches the mood of the music: fast, loud, and aggressive themes like war, revenge, horror, and dark chaos, aiming to leave a mark and revitalize the underground. At this stage, the band had already experienced moments that hinted at bigger things to come. Thus, the new edition of “Hellspeed Death” showcases a fledgling band full of energy, attitude, and DIY ethos. Their mission has been clear from the outset: to push their music as far as it can go, play relentlessly, and prepare for a debut album (“Handed to Execution”, 2023) that eventually turned quite a few heads.

Kevin Toro returns to Limo Trax after his Limo debut earlier this summer with a five-track stunner of a release. Here he solidifies a formula of music that is simultaneously driving and hypnotic, bouncy and trippy. In other words, he’s directly tapped into the sound of Limo.

The magic of this EP is that each track can be played in a warmup, at peaktime, or in the after hours. Simply put, they’ll be staples in your bag or on your stick for a long time to come.

The second Jai Alai album takes its name from a track on Winners (1979) by New York band Kleeer, who evolved from Pipeline via The Universal Robot Band before becoming a major force on the soul and boogie scene; their full-length “Open Your Mind” is simply sublime.

Two originally unreleased tracks will delight completists of Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick. Aretha co-produced “The Boy From Bombay” with Quincy Jones — perhaps a little too quirky at the time — while Warwick’s Ashford & Simpson-produced “Someone Else Gets The Price” has all the hallmarks of a missed hit.

Philadelphia’s Pieces Of A Dream, discovered by Grover Washington Jr., were fêted across Europe throughout the 80s. Their Elektra album Imagine This (1983) yielded the wonderfully moody “It’s Time For Love”. Further mining of the Elektra vaults yields a highly collectable Phat Phili Mix of Teddy’s “Believe In Love”, alongside a jewel from Leon Ware’s Rockin’ You Eternally (1981). I was lucky to know this genius, still underappreciated as a master of sensuous soul; “Got To Be Loved” ranks among his finest.

There’s not enough space here to fully cover Gerald Levert’s “What About Me”, but my liner notes to the Jai Alai release JAR14 “Top Of My Head” detail just how talented he was — and this is further proof.

The two least-known artists make a strong impression. Andy Bey’s “I Know This Love Can’t Be Wrong” recalls Jon Lucien at his best, while Phajja — a promising Warner Bros. signing in 1997 — disappeared after just two albums; their Cutfather & Joe production here is as polished as The Emotions.
By the time Etta James recorded “Evening Of Love”, she was four decades into her career, delivering this beautiful ballad with total assurance. Truly epic Southern soul.

Baby Ford perfected the minimal sound with his impeccable early run of releases. Now, one of them gets reissued many years on and it still sounds as strikingly new as ever, not least because it has been remastered by the legendary Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin. The sought-after EP from Peter Adshead emerged during his shift toward stripped-back techno and tech-house and captures a deeper, more hypnotic side of his craft. 'Serpentine Tale' coils through hissing rhythms and shadowy bass pressure, while 'Night D3 Died' pairs crunchy drums with mournful synth chords. Closing cut 'The Introducer' drifts into warm, spacious territory.

Darwin Chamber is a veteran of the prog game, and now that sound is very much back en vogue, it's no wonder new generations are falling for the American's sounds. Back in March, he dropped this EP which was inspired by a San Fran acid trip, and it became an instant classic that meant the initial translucent yellow vinyl edition, limited to 303 copies, soon sold out. Now it reappears on black wax and obviously it still bangs. 'The Acid Test (DJ Spun mix)' is a heavy, raw jam with plenty of trippy details, warped pads and vocals that come and go so subtly you can't really be sure they're there. 'Never Coming Down' is a deep and dark workout with cold analogue hits and paranoid vocals, then '25th Century Acid Cat' is a little brighter with its synths but no less of a mind-fuck. 'Get Down' is gurgling, coruscated, sleazy and mid-tempo acid techno for the freaks. Brilliant.

The next release in M-Plant's Perpetual Masters series is Robert Hood's "Invincible" EP, freshly remastered for 2026 by Thomas Heckmann.

Originally released in 2001, "Invincible" stands as another defining example of his stripped-back, approach to Techno while still radiating tough funk and groove. Released during a period when Hood was refining the minimalist aesthetic he helped pioneer, the record balances mechanical precision with emotional intensity. The tracks unfold through subtle shifts in percussion, looping synth patterns and driving basslines, to create a meditative momentum that sounds just as fresh today. "Invincible" draws its power from restraint, demonstrating Hood's belief that minimal elements can produce maximum impact on the dance floor.

Each track will be released digitally in May, followed by the full vinyl EP in July.

Repress!

Sublime deep House of the highest order from New Jersey's very own Kerri 'Kaoz 6:23' Chandler

'The Mood EP' is pure quality from start to finish & is one of Chandler's lesser spotted releases that is undoubtedly a classic

Released on the legendary Nervous label in 1998 it still stands head & shoulders above most other releases of the time

Fresh, essential & lovingly re-mastered & reissued for 2014

Having built a reputation through an impressive run of standout releases on labels such as Life and Death, United Identities, HOME//GRXWN. and Berg Audio, coupled with an ever-growing presence behind the scenes, Dutch DJ/producer M-HIGH arrives on Up The Stuss for his label debut with ‘What’s Going On’ - a four-track collection that shifts shape as it moves.

A friendship dating back years, with Chris having been a key early supporter of M-HIGH’s productions, regularly digging through fresh sketches and unreleased ideas while both artists carved their own individual paths, that connection now comes full circle here with a heavily anticipated first outing on the label that has long felt inevitable - it was simply a case of when.

Never holding still in one form for too long, he plays with tension and release across the individual tracks, balancing airy, vocal-led moments with weightier, more grounded rhythms, allowing each idea room to unfold without losing momentum. There’s a constant sense of motion that runs through the record from the first minute to the last, yet it’s an EP that showcases distinct sides to his growing sound across each production. Melodic passages drift in and out of focus, giving way to tougher, more angular sections before circling back again.

Subtle nods to classic house touches, from organs to retro-leaning motifs, are reframed through a more off-center lens and direction, while flashes of electro influence and low-slung grooves keep things unpredictable for the later hours. It’s a record that feels built for both peak dancefloor use and also the in-between moments, when the energy shifts, the room resets, and the direction isn’t quite locked yet.

Brannten Schnüre is an experimental dark folk group out of Würzburg, Germany. Christian Schoppik composed and played all the music, Katie Rich whispers, recites and sings. Together they make astoundingly beautiful folk with a rich instrumentation leaning towards the atonal spectrum. Instrumental wanderings stand alongside Nico-esque poetry tales. Christian plays the accordeon and in some songs guitar and flute. Inspired by hierophants like Nový Svet and David Jackman, solemn song fragments (a lot of old greek rembetiko-recordings) are modified and looped, with additional instruments and voices being integrated later on. Their music has been described as 'surreal folkcollage' and 'german hauntology'.

With the emergence of Schoppik's second project, a dada cabaret called Agnes Beil in 2010, Brannten Schnüre moved closer to the song structures of its frivolous sibling. The songs of Schoppik's latest creation Sommer im Pfirsichhain are further accompanied by a female singing voice, lending the pieces the voluptuous quality of a stickily tense midsummer. Sommer Im Pfirsichhain (Summer In The Peachgrove) is the second part of a quartet of releases. The first being Aprilnacht which got released on Sic Sic Tapes last year. Part three Geträumt hab' ich vom Martinszug and part four will follow later.

Reference points are bands like Winter Family and Twinsistermoon. Music etched on folkloric, ritual elements transferred into the 21th century. Also worth mentioning is the hand-drawn artwork which is made by artist Gwénola Carrère.

Originally released in 2008. Although this album invites aesthetic comparisons to works by the likes of Philip Jeck, William Basinski, and Janek Schaefer – draped as it is in an obfuscating, soupy crackle – there’s a very specific conceptual agenda at work here.

Part of the success of »Persistent Repetition of Phrases« comes from the attention it pays to the function of »the loop«, not only as a narrative ordering system in modern music, but as a means by which the brain itself recalls and interprets information; it’s as old as recorded sound itself, but in this context the repetition of small shards of auditory information becomes an elegy to fading memory and the worn-out synapses of old age. The track titles offer signposts through Kirby’s labyrinth of faulty remembrances, pointing their way towards the peculiarities dictating the manner by which the mind stores and attempts to recover information: »Lacunar Amnesia« references a condition that leaves a specific event absent from the sufferer’s memory, and Kirby’s music sounds suitably stuck on a prelude to something that never happens.

Bathed in gusts of crackle, the piece gets stuck on what might be a start of something, but we never get to hear what. Many of the pieces refer to different ways the memory might find itself caught in a holding pattern: »Von Restorff Effect«, »Rosy Retrospection«, and the title track itself are all suggestive of reliving a single event or point in time – here, both music and memory are united by the notion of »glitch«, whereby a fault or fissure causes the replaying of the same pocket of data over and over again, but what distinguishes Kirby from so many other musicians operating within the field of loops and broken recordings is the unnerving, ghostly sentimentality that courses through this process. »Long Term (remote)« is particularly explicit in its reaching back through the first half of the 20th century, exhuming snatches of music hall romance, now warped into a sinister new form by the erosions of time. It’s like watching John Carpenter’s »The Fog« only to find that instead of vengeful phantoms emerging from the mist, it’s The Glenn Miller Band. Which is infinitely more disturbing. More eerie still is the detachment from authorship endemic to this sound – at no point do you really sense the presence of a composer’s hand; this album just... is. A remarkable thing that only seems to have improved with age (which is either highly appropriate or highly inappropriate, I can’t quite decide which), »Persistent Repetition of Phrases« is an even better fit on vinyl, a medium which itself wears and fades just as the memory does.

In spring 2025, Abul Mogard and Rafael Anton Irisarri created the source material for their second album, Where Light Pauses in the Silence of the Sun, during a three-day residency at Morphine Raum in Berlin. Functioning as both recording studio and performance venue, the space has no stage, with the audience gathered around the performers. Working within an open framework, the duo reshaped the music each evening while recording the performances live to multitrack. Rotary speakers, modular synthesizers and bowed guitar formed the core of their sonic language, captured through a 1970s mixing console and microphones placed around the room.

Back in Mogard’s studio in Rome, the material was further crafted as motifs were stretched, fragments isolated, and tempos dissolved. Irisarri recorded additional guitar textures and treatments in New York, while passages recorded by Martina Bertoni and Andrea Burelli in Berlin reinforced the harmonic centres and brought breath, refinement and a new sensibility to their compositions. The process continued as Mogard’s layering and subtraction reassembled everyone’s parts into the final arrangement.

The album opens with “In the Eastern Wild,” building from a sparse outline into a monumental formation of low-frequency weight, its internal motion shaped by the rotating Leslie speaker. “Over the Domes” widens into a broader acoustic field, where sustained modular tones meet waves of softly plucked guitar. The music then turns inward with “A Blue Descent,” centred on Bertoni’s cello, whose growling timbre introduces a melancholic depth.

At the album’s centre, “In a Quiet Radiance” unfolds around a slow guitar ostinato, its luminous stillness opening into a more expansive and reflective state. Across its ten-minute span, Burelli’s violin lines and Bertoni’s lower cello phrases gradually surface, weaving through the harmonic field. Mogard brings Burelli’s processed voice to the fore, its emotive, operatic presence becoming one of the record’s pivotal moments. “Of Blessed Ages” suspends the sonic flow, shifting between parallel major and minor chords as lingering, slowly decaying melodies shape the music’s internal drift. The closing “Among Shadows” settles into a darker resonance as layered textures recede.

Mogard and Irisarri’s shared language balances restraint and maximalism. UK magazine Crack describes the music as “a tidal wave held in suspension,” while Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant writes, “What a colossal sound, and how this music strikes at the emotions.” Reflecting on the residency sessions, Irisarri recalls: “At moments I genuinely couldn’t tell if a sound was coming from me or from Abul. It stopped feeling like two people making decisions and began to feel like we were inside a system moving on its own."

Marja de Sanctis’ cover artwork revisits the vessel sculpture from the duo’s first album, Impossibly Distant, Impossibly Close. There it appeared as raw, unfired clay. Here it has been fired in the kiln and finished with a glaze. Light gathers on its polished surface and spills into the surrounding space. As she explains, “I wanted to convey the idea of continuity within the duo, and the vessel became a kind of container for that idea. However, their music felt different this time, and with the collaboration of Martina and Andrea, I felt it should have a sleeker, softer, more glamorous look, very distant from the first raw appearance.” The transformation of the vessel from raw clay to fired form suggests a passage from immediacy toward permanence, mirroring the music’s gradual expansion.

In spring 2025, Abul Mogard and Rafael Anton Irisarri created the source material for their second album, Where Light Pauses in the Silence of the Sun, during a three-day residency at Morphine Raum in Berlin. Functioning as both recording studio and performance venue, the space has no stage, with the audience gathered around the performers. Working within an open framework, the duo reshaped the music each evening while recording the performances live to multitrack. Rotary speakers, modular synthesizers and bowed guitar formed the core of their sonic language, captured through a 1970s mixing console and microphones placed around the room.

Back in Mogard’s studio in Rome, the material was further crafted as motifs were stretched, fragments isolated, and tempos dissolved. Irisarri recorded additional guitar textures and treatments in New York, while passages recorded by Martina Bertoni and Andrea Burelli in Berlin reinforced the harmonic centres and brought breath, refinement and a new sensibility to their compositions. The process continued as Mogard’s layering and subtraction reassembled everyone’s parts into the final arrangement.

The album opens with “In the Eastern Wild,” building from a sparse outline into a monumental formation of low-frequency weight, its internal motion shaped by the rotating Leslie speaker. “Over the Domes” widens into a broader acoustic field, where sustained modular tones meet waves of softly plucked guitar. The music then turns inward with “A Blue Descent,” centred on Bertoni’s cello, whose growling timbre introduces a melancholic depth.

At the album’s centre, “In a Quiet Radiance” unfolds around a slow guitar ostinato, its luminous stillness opening into a more expansive and reflective state. Across its ten-minute span, Burelli’s violin lines and Bertoni’s lower cello phrases gradually surface, weaving through the harmonic field. Mogard brings Burelli’s processed voice to the fore, its emotive, operatic presence becoming one of the record’s pivotal moments. “Of Blessed Ages” suspends the sonic flow, shifting between parallel major and minor chords as lingering, slowly decaying melodies shape the music’s internal drift. The closing “Among Shadows” settles into a darker resonance as layered textures recede.

Mogard and Irisarri’s shared language balances restraint and maximalism. UK magazine Crack describes the music as “a tidal wave held in suspension,” while Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant writes, “What a colossal sound, and how this music strikes at the emotions.” Reflecting on the residency sessions, Irisarri recalls: “At moments I genuinely couldn’t tell if a sound was coming from me or from Abul. It stopped feeling like two people making decisions and began to feel like we were inside a system moving on its own."

Marja de Sanctis’ cover artwork revisits the vessel sculpture from the duo’s first album, Impossibly Distant, Impossibly Close. There it appeared as raw, unfired clay. Here it has been fired in the kiln and finished with a glaze. Light gathers on its polished surface and spills into the surrounding space. As she explains, “I wanted to convey the idea of continuity within the duo, and the vessel became a kind of container for that idea. However, their music felt different this time, and with the collaboration of Martina and Andrea, I felt it should have a sleeker, softer, more glamorous look, very distant from the first raw appearance.” The transformation of the vessel from raw clay to fired form suggests a passage from immediacy toward permanence, mirroring the music’s gradual expansion.

In spring 2025, Abul Mogard and Rafael Anton Irisarri created the source material for their second album, Where Light Pauses in the Silence of the Sun, during a three-day residency at Morphine Raum in Berlin. Functioning as both recording studio and performance venue, the space has no stage, with the audience gathered around the performers. Working within an open framework, the duo reshaped the music each evening while recording the performances live to multitrack. Rotary speakers, modular synthesizers and bowed guitar formed the core of their sonic language, captured through a 1970s mixing console and microphones placed around the room.

Back in Mogard’s studio in Rome, the material was further crafted as motifs were stretched, fragments isolated, and tempos dissolved. Irisarri recorded additional guitar textures and treatments in New York, while passages recorded by Martina Bertoni and Andrea Burelli in Berlin reinforced the harmonic centres and brought breath, refinement and a new sensibility to their compositions. The process continued as Mogard’s layering and subtraction reassembled everyone’s parts into the final arrangement.

The album opens with “In the Eastern Wild,” building from a sparse outline into a monumental formation of low-frequency weight, its internal motion shaped by the rotating Leslie speaker. “Over the Domes” widens into a broader acoustic field, where sustained modular tones meet waves of softly plucked guitar. The music then turns inward with “A Blue Descent,” centred on Bertoni’s cello, whose growling timbre introduces a melancholic depth.

At the album’s centre, “In a Quiet Radiance” unfolds around a slow guitar ostinato, its luminous stillness opening into a more expansive and reflective state. Across its ten-minute span, Burelli’s violin lines and Bertoni’s lower cello phrases gradually surface, weaving through the harmonic field. Mogard brings Burelli’s processed voice to the fore, its emotive, operatic presence becoming one of the record’s pivotal moments. “Of Blessed Ages” suspends the sonic flow, shifting between parallel major and minor chords as lingering, slowly decaying melodies shape the music’s internal drift. The closing “Among Shadows” settles into a darker resonance as layered textures recede.

Mogard and Irisarri’s shared language balances restraint and maximalism. UK magazine Crack describes the music as “a tidal wave held in suspension,” while Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant writes, “What a colossal sound, and how this music strikes at the emotions.” Reflecting on the residency sessions, Irisarri recalls: “At moments I genuinely couldn’t tell if a sound was coming from me or from Abul. It stopped feeling like two people making decisions and began to feel like we were inside a system moving on its own."

Marja de Sanctis’ cover artwork revisits the vessel sculpture from the duo’s first album, Impossibly Distant, Impossibly Close. There it appeared as raw, unfired clay. Here it has been fired in the kiln and finished with a glaze. Light gathers on its polished surface and spills into the surrounding space. As she explains, “I wanted to convey the idea of continuity within the duo, and the vessel became a kind of container for that idea. However, their music felt different this time, and with the collaboration of Martina and Andrea, I felt it should have a sleeker, softer, more glamorous look, very distant from the first raw appearance.” The transformation of the vessel from raw clay to fired form suggests a passage from immediacy toward permanence, mirroring the music’s gradual expansion.

Off the back of an epic 3 part triple album “Sidequests”, Session Victim kept the collaborators in tow with “The Disconnect” EP, featuring the talents of Kenneth Scott, Rossano Snel, and Quarion across 5 tracks. It’s the Empire Strikes Back of Rhythm Section EPs – following up from widely acclaimed and best seller “Basic Instinct”. Balancing funk elements of breakbeats, bass guitar, rhodes and mellow synths with finessed modern production, the duo have assembled another masterclass in precise yet characterful house music.

The record begins with “Hey, Activate!”, oozing funk, ambient pads, a groove bassline and optimal arpeggiated synth noodling sets the tone for the whole EP. “Dream Theory” is quite it’s namesake, with a distant sax solo, tremolo sine motifs and a sumptuous lick combining piano and the Session Victim trademark bass guitar.

B-side opener “Flotsam” comes through with smooth breaks and incidental style sampling harking back to the vibes of Herbert, with slow filtered chord groove referencing the vibes of early French Touch masterminds Cassius.

Progressing into more relaxed territory, still ideal for dancefloor moments: “Open Minds” is indebted to old soul jams with bongos, muted guitars and rhodes followed by “Loom”, using similar elements with a vibe akin to early Bonobo.

This EP is testament to Session Victim’s mastery of housemusic, being their 40th EP and standing firm in a crowded scene. Their consistent application of production precision is carried by an emotional heart of gold that you can hear in every record they make. Not to be missed.

Due to demand, ‘Completely Deep Patterns’, the 2025 debut album of the Deep Patterns project of Bristol producer Ben Dubuisson, is to be reissued as a full vinyl release on 14th July. Originally released on very limited edition lathe-cut vinyl, tracks from Deep Patterns have been supported on BBC 6 Music, FIP, Jazz FM, KEXP, NTS, Rinse FM, and SWU; with Electronic Sound magazine describing it as “An immersive 1970s soul bath scented by lo-fi hip hop and dub” and Twisted Soul calling it “Nothing short of a triumph…indicative of its architect’s boundless talents and fascinating vision”.

Lush, late-night tracks rooted in hip-hop foundations, live instrumentation, rare samples, and recurring motifs; the album was crafted in collaboration with a revolving cast of musicians Dubuisson has built deep connections with over the years, including BEAK> bassist Billy Fuller, Dan Harris on piano, Jamichael on flute, and vocals from The Epoch House Choir. Sliding between soul, jazz, library, and cinematic soundtracks, the album is filtered through a gritty, modern Bristol lens. At its heart, it’s a meditation on loss, longing, and the strange beauty of the world we’ve made for ourselves. From running cult Bristol record shop Purple Penguin and co-founding the city’s influential club Native, to his releases as Hundred Strong, Dubuisson has long championed soulful, forward-thinking music. Having collaborated with everyone from Taskforce and A-Trak to Joseph Malik, Alison Crockett, Amp Fiddler and Boca 45; ‘Completely Deep Patterns’sees him push deeper still, weaving a sonic world that feels both timeless and freshly alive.

* 180 gram audiophile vinyl
* Gatefold sleeve
* High quality PVC Protective Sleeve
* 4 page booklet with liner notes and photos
* Selection of easy listening songs, includes "Ticket To Ride", "Rainy Days and Mondays", "Please Mr. Postman", "Yesterday Once More" and solo songs by Karen's "Still Crazy After All These Years" and Richard's "Karen's Theme"
* Limited first pressing of 3.000 individually numbered copies on white vinyl

The Collected album by the Carpenters brings a beautiful collection from the immense popular soft-pop duo. From their humble beginnings in the late '60s until today, siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter are one of the most successful duos in musical history. With Karen's absolutely perfect vocal delivery and Richard's creative arrangements, they are unstoppable.

This 2LP set inside a gatefold sleeve brings together their hits, album tracks and more. It delivers the best selection of easy listening songs in a nutshell. Glorious pop nuggets by the Carpenters will melt the heart and uplift the soul, including "Close to You", "Ticket to Ride", "We've Only Just Begun", "Superstar", "Rainy Days And Mondays", "Bless the Beasts And the Children", "Hurting Each Other" and many more.

An Easter egg is the track "Karen's Theme" by Richard Carpenter, who dedicated this song to Karen after her tragical death in 1983.

Producing a distinctively soft musical style, they became one of the best-selling music artists of all time. During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded 11 albums, 31 singles, five television specials, and a short-lived television series.

The Carpenters had three No. 1 singles and five No. 2 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and fifteen No. 1 hits on the Adult Contemporary chart. In addition, they had twelve top 10 singles. To date, the Carpenters' album and single sales total more than 100 million units.

As Is. Nimm es oder lass es. Girl Trouble sind seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 1984 in ihrer Heimatstadt Tacoma, Washington, ihrem ganz eigenen Stil des Northwest-Garage-Rock treu geblieben. In diesen 42 Jahren, in denen sie dem Ruhm aus dem Weg gegangen sind, hat Girl Trouble in vielen erstklassigen Studios und für viele verschiedene Labels aufgenommen. In den letzten 15 Jahren hat die Band Dutzende neuer Tracks aufgenommen und dabei den Sound gefunden, den sie suchten: etwas Roheres und Echtes. Etwas Neues. Während sie das Experiment fortsetzten, beschloss die Band, alle ihre jüngsten Aufnahmen zu einem ,Rock-Tapestry" zusammenzufassen. Diese Sessions repräsentieren sowohl das ausgefeilte, überlagerte Girl Trouble im Studio als auch das spontane, schnörkellose Girl Trouble live im Raum - genau das, was sie schon immer auf einer Aufnahme festhalten wollten. Das Ergebnis ist das Beste aus diesen beiden GT-Stilen und allem, was dazwischen liegt. Aufgenommen in verschiedenen Klangumgebungen, wobei nur das Songwriting und die Darbietungen von Track zu Track gleich geblieben sind, ist Girl Trouble stolz darauf, endlich diese neue Sammlung von Rock-'n'-Roll-Songs ,As-Is" präsentieren zu können.

Matt Scottoline - Sänger, Songwriter und Frontmann von Philadelphias bester Indie-Rock-Band, HURRY - ist ein Grübler. Das ist verständlich; wir leben in unruhigen Zeiten, in denen sich die Welt so schnell verändert, dass man kaum noch mithalten kann. Für Matt treffen diese Ängste diesmal jedoch näher an seinem Herzen: die bevorstehende Vaterschaft, ein runder Geburtstag am Horizont und quälende Fragen über seinen Platz in der Musikszene. Braucht die Welt wirklich ein neues Hurry-Album? Nach den zehn Songs zu urteilen, aus denen ,Zoned Out" besteht - Hurrys sechstes Album in voller Länge und das vierte bei Lame-O Records -, lautet die Antwort ein klares Ja. Aufgenommen im The Metal Shop von Ian Farmer und koproduziert von Farmer und Scottoline, zeigt das Album Hurry in Bestform. Erneut unterstützt von Rob DeCarolis am Schlagzeug, Joe DeCarolis am Bass und Justin Fox an der Gitarre, klingt die Band geschlossener denn je - so perfekt aufeinander abgestimmt, dass sich alles mühelos anfühlt. Schon beim Eröffnungstrack ,All Sunk In" mit seinen stampfenden E-Gitarren und der Ohrwurm-Melodie ist der Ton sofort gesetzt. Die Verstärker sind lauter, der Groove strahlt eine selbstbewusste Lässigkeit aus, und Matts Stimme klingt besser denn je. ,Moving After You", das Highlight des Albums, klingt wie der beste Song, den Teenage Fanclub nie aufgenommen hat - was den Gastauftritt von Gerard Love umso perfekter macht. Es ist zeitlose Popmusik, gemacht für diese Zeit.

Frisch gekrönt mit ihrem ersten GRAMMY Award in der Kategorie ,Bestes R&B-Album" für ihren Beitrag zu Leon Thomas' MUTT kehrt die unverwechselbare Sängerin/Altistin mit "Yearnalism" zurück, ihrem dritten Studioalbum, das von Selbstbewusstsein, Fürsorge und befreiender Liebe durchdrungen ist. Die Singer-Songwriterin und Produzentin definiert ,Yearnalism" als den Prozess und die Dokumentation von Sehnsucht in ihren vielen Formen: ,Sehnsucht nach Freiheit, Sehnsucht nach Liebe, Sehnsucht nach dem, was man nicht haben kann, Sehnsucht nach Erweiterung." Diese kompakte LP mit 12 Songs, die bald zu Klassikern werden, zeichnet eine holprige Roadmap der Sehnsucht, frei von Ego. Baby Rose hat fast ein Jahrzehnt lang auf diesen Moment hingearbeitet. Aufgewachsen zwischen Washington D.C. und Fayetteville, N.C., geprägt von Künstlern wie Nina Simone, Donny Hathaway und Janis Joplin, ist die als Jasmine Rose Wilson geborene Musikerin seit ihrem Debüt ,To Myself" aus dem Jahr 2019 eine feste Größe im Alternative R&B. Damals waren es der rauchige Klang ihrer Stimme und eine für ihr Alter ungewöhnlich reife Ausstrahlung, die die Zuhörer zum ersten Mal in ihren Bann zogen. Seitdem hat sie sich auf Alben mit Ari Lennox, Big K.R.I.T., Q, BADBADNOTGOOD und J. Cole behauptet. Sie lieferte den Abspann-Song zum Hollywood-Blockbuster ,Creed III" und brachte ihr Talent sowohl vor als auch hinter der Kamera in A24s ,Materialists" ein, indem sie dem Soundtrack des Films zwei Songs von eindringlicher Textur schenkte und in einem Cameo-Auftritt als Hochzeitssängerin auftrat. Zu ihren Bewunderern in der Branche zählen Schwergewichte wie SZA, Alicia Keys, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, H.E.R., Kehlani, James Blake und Olivia Dean.

,Enigma" ist das zweite Studioalbum von Kira Roessler (Black Flag, dos). Nach ihrem Solo-Debüt von 2021 baut das Album ihren minimalistischen, bassbetonten Sound weiter aus und verbindet karge Arrangements mit einer zurückhaltenden emotionalen Intensität. Co-produziert mit ihrem Bruder Paul (Screamers) und mit Backing-Vocals von Petra Haden entfaltet sich ,Enigma" mit einer ruhigen Präzision, die Kiras einzigartige Stimme und ihre kompositorische Zurückhaltung hervorhebt.

Kassel Jaeger (alias François J. Bonnet) kehrt nach ,Swamps / Things" (SP119), ,Shifted in Dreams" (SP144) und der jüngsten Neuauflage des Klassikers ,Zauberberg" (SP068) - einem gemeinsam mit Akira Rabelais und Stephan Mathieu komponierten Werk - zu Shelter Press zurück. Mit diesem bedeutenden neuen Album mit dem Titel ,Sub Re" setzt Bonnet seine langjährige Erforschung der musikalischen Möglichkeiten von Klang fort. Dabei erweitert er den konkreten Ansatz, den er bei der Groupe de Recherches Musicales (dem historischen und bedeutenden Pariser Studio, das Bonnet seit 2018 leitet) entwickelt hat, und belebt ihn neu durch eine Herangehensweise, die sich weniger auf die klare Manifestation von Klangmaterial als vielmehr auf dessen mehrdeutige Evokation konzentriert. ,Sub re" kann im Lateinischen ,unter dem Ding, unter der Substanz, unter der Materie" bedeuten. Genau dieser direkte Zugang zur Musik, der sich auf die Gewinnung von rohem Klangmaterial stützt, bildet die Grundlage dieses Albums. ,Under the matter" verweist somit auf den konkreten Aspekt der Musik, jedoch nicht auf das Konkrete, das verklärt wird und zu Dampf und Form wird, zum Substrat einer Idee. Vielmehr verweist es auf das Konkrete unter dem Konkreten, in der Immanenz der Klänge, in ihrem Werden, als treibende Kraft, wie eine Flut, wie ein Gewölbe aus gebieterischer und mächtiger Materie. Um dies zu erreichen, greift Bonnet auf eine Vielzahl von Klangquellen (akustisch, elektronisch, natürlich oder künstlich, absichtlich geschaffen oder zufällig gefunden) und eine Vielzahl von Kontexten und Anlässen zurück, um ihnen Gestalt zu verleihen. Der Satz ,a shell, a bell, a spell" (etwa: eine Muschel, eine Glocke, ein Zauber) war beispielsweise erstmals während eines Konzerts in Venedig zu hören, das im Zusammenhang mit Latifa Echakhchs Beitrag zum Schweizer Pavillon auf der Kunstbiennale 2022 organisiert wurde, während der letzte Satz auf der Platte, ,signalmirror", ein Stück abschloss, das 2023 auf der ersten Sound-Biennale in Sion (Schweiz) präsentiert wurde. Diese Elemente, geformt und losgelöst von ihrem ursprünglichen Kontext des Erscheinens, von den Orten und Menschen, die sie ermöglichten und ihnen lauschten, tragen zu einer komplexen Schichtung von Stimmungen und Klangwelten bei und helfen, ein kontrastreiches Album zu schaffen, in dem Dichte und Zartheit in einer Abfolge bewegter Wellen koexistieren, mal voller Erinnerungen, mal voller Bedauern, stets in Bewegung gesetzt durch ihre eigene Morphologie. Sub Re bezieht sich auch auf ein Kapitel in Victor Hugos ,Die Arbeiter des Meeres", eine Schlüsselstelle, in der sich die Hauptfigur angesichts einer kolossalen Aufgabe allein mitten auf dem Meer wiederfindet, unter einem gigantischen Schiffswrack, das in den Klauen eines isolierten Riffs gefangen ist, umgeben von Wasser, Strömungen und Winden, allein, um sich dem Unmöglichen zu stellen. Denn tatsächlich ist es unter der Oberfläche, wo Handlungen entstehen, Entscheidungen getroffen werden und die Intuition uns leitet.

„Mittelalter: Medieval Spirits 2026“ entführt alle Fans mittelalterlicher Klänge, epischer Geschichten und kraftvoller Folk-Rock-Hymnen in die faszinierende Welt zwischen Burgen, Tavernen und Ritterfesten. Die neue Vinyl-Compilation vereint die bekanntesten Bands der deutschen Mittelalterund Folk-Rock-Szene auf einem Album und liefert den perfekten Soundtrack für Mittelaltermärkte, LARP-Events und stimmungsvolle Abende. Inspiriert von der erfolgreichen „Medieval Spirits“-Reihe von ZYX Music.

Mit dabei sind unter anderem Schandmaul, Feuerschwanz und Subway To Sally – ergänzt durch weitere Szenegrößen und genretypische Hymnen voller Dudelsäcke, harter Gitarren und mystischer Melodien. Die Compilation verbindet traditionelle Mittelalter-Sounds mit modernem Rock und sorgt für echtes Festival-Feeling zuhause.

Die Genres ignorirenden Tropical Fuck Storm präsentieren eine Sonderedition ihres von der Kritik gefeierten Albums Fairyland Codex. Die Pressung von 2026 in Glacial Blue enthält ein großformatiges Poster mit einer Arbeit von Joe Becker. Aufgenommen mit Co-Produzent Michael Beach im Dodgy Brothers Studio der Band in Nagambie, Australien, lassen uns die Songs auf "Fairyland Codex" in das Chaos eines schicksalhaften Erdrutsches eintauchen und die Charaktere herauspicken, die den drohenden Zusammenbruch der Gesellschaft besudeln. Sauer, bissig, anarchisch: Tropical Fuck Storm beherrschen das Wortspiel, das durch knurrende Gitarren, pulsierende Rhythmen und explosive Salven unterstrichen wird, und bevölkern ein Hinterland zwischen Licht und Dunkelheit. Das stimmliche Zusammenspiel zwischen Liddiard und den hochfliegenden Harmonien von Kitschin und Dunn schafft einen schwankenden Balanceakt, der durch die verzweifelten Erzählungen, die sich aus ihrer kollektiven Psyche entwickeln, noch verstärkt wird. Tropical Fuck Storm entstand, als The Drones - die vorherige Band von Gitarrist und Sänger Gareth Liddiard und Bassistin und Sängerin Fiona Kitschin - 2016 in eine Pause ging. Zusammen mit der Gitarristin, Keyboarderin und Sängerin Erica Dunn und der Schlagzeugerin Lauren Hammel hat die Gruppe eine Reihe von der Kritik gefeierten Alben veröffentlicht und sich einen Ruf für ihre aufrüttelnden Live-Shows erworben. Glacial Blue farbenes Vinyl.