Originally released in 2005, Street Education is the explosive debut from Street Life - longtime Wu-Tang Clan affiliate and Method Man’s onstage partner-in-rhyme. Executive produced by Method Man, the album delivers raw street wisdom, classic East Coast grit and features production from Rockwilder, Allah Mathematics, Inspectah Deck and Fantom of the Beats. Tracks like “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop,” “A Star Is Born,” and “What’s Up”
showcase Street Life’s sharp lyricism and his undeniable chemistry with Method Man.
THIS SPECIAL 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION ARRIVES IN
TANDEM WITH THE WU-TANG CLAN’S ENTER THE FINAL CHAMBER FAREWELL TOUR, A GLOBAL EVENT
CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF ONE OF HIP-HOP’S GREATEST COLLECTIVES.
Originally released in 2005, Street Education is the explosive debut from Street Life - longtime Wu-Tang Clan affiliate and Method Man’s onstage partner-in-rhyme. Executive produced by Method Man, the album delivers raw street wisdom, classic East Coast grit and features production from Rockwilder, Allah Mathematics, Inspectah Deck and Fantom of the Beats. Tracks like “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop,” “A Star Is Born,” and “What’s Up”
showcase Street Life’s sharp lyricism and his undeniable chemistry with Method Man.
THIS SPECIAL 20TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION ARRIVES IN
TANDEM WITH THE WU-TANG CLAN’S ENTER THE FINAL CHAMBER FAREWELL TOUR, A GLOBAL EVENT
CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF ONE OF HIP-HOP’S GREATEST COLLECTIVES.
‘Time Flies… 1994 – 2009’ is Oasis’ complete singles collection.
Now available with remastered audio, this quadruple vinyl deluxe box set is released to celebrate its 15th anniversary and ahead of the band’s eagerly anticipated Oasis Live ’25 tour, and includes a limited edition print. Released on Big Brother Recordings, the tracklisting spans fifteen years across Oasis’ staggering seven consecutive number one albums. 1994’s ‘Definitely Maybe’, 1995’s ‘(What’s The Story) Morning Glory?’, 1997’s ‘Be Here Now’, 2000’s ‘Standing On The Shoulder Of Giants’, 2002’s ‘Heathen Chemistry’, 2005’s ‘Don’t Believe The Truth’ and ‘Dig Out Your Soul’ from 2008. Starting with their irresistible debut, ‘Supersonic’ and finishing with their last release ‘Falling Down’, this compilation features all 26 singles - including ‘Whatever’ and ‘Lord Don't Slow Me Down’, which have previously never appeared on an Oasis studio album.
The legendary Beatnuts bring the sound of the 90‘s back to the streets -“Street Level”, the iconic debut album, is being reissued and is available in various exclusive formats: a Standard CD, Music Cassette, Black Double Vinyl and a Limited Splatter Double Vinyl.
TWO BONUS TRACKS:
“HELLRAISER“(ORIGINAL VERSION) AND TWO AND “DAWN OF THE DEAD“
Old school flavor, Latin vibes & sample magic - that‘s the unmistakable Beatnuts sound.
With classics such as “Props Over Here”, and With and “Hit Me with That” the Queens duo made hip-hop history.
The legendary Beatnuts bring the sound of the 90‘s back to the streets -“Street Level”, the iconic debut album, is being reissued and is available in various exclusive formats: a Standard CD, Music Cassette, Black Double Vinyl and a Limited Splatter Double Vinyl.
TWO BONUS TRACKS:
“HELLRAISER“(ORIGINAL VERSION) AND TWO AND “DAWN OF THE DEAD“
Old school flavor, Latin vibes & sample magic - that‘s the unmistakable Beatnuts sound.
With classics such as “Props Over Here”, and With and “Hit Me with That” the Queens duo made hip-hop history.
In the mid-1970s, a force of nature swept across the continental United States, cutting across all strata of race and class, rooting in our minds, our homes, our culture. It wasn’t The Exorcist, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, or even bell-bottoms, but instead a book called The Secret Life of Plants. The work of occultist/former OSS agent Peter Tompkins and former CIA agent/dowsing enthusiast Christopher Bird, the books shot up the bestseller charts and spread like kudzu across the landscape, becoming a phenomenon. Seemingly overnight, the indoor plant business was in full bloom and photosynthetic eukaryotes of every genus were hanging off walls, lording over bookshelves, and basking on sunny window ledges. The science behind Secret Life was specious: plants can hear our prayers, they’re lie detectors, they’re telepathic, able to predict natural disasters and receive signals from distant galaxies. But that didn’t stop millions from buying and nurturing their new plants.
Perhaps the craziest claim of the book was that plants also dug music. And whether you purchased a snake plant, asparagus fern, peace lily, or what have you from Mother Earth on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles (or bought a Simmons mattress from Sears), you also took home Plantasia, an album recorded especially for them. Subtitled “warm earth music for plants…and the people that love them,” it was full of bucolic, charming, stoner-friendly, decidedly unscientific tunes enacted on the new-fangled device called the Moog. Plants date back from the dawn of time, but apparently they loved the Moog, never mind that the synthesizer had been on the market for just a few years. Most of all, the plants loved the ditties made by composer Mort Garson.
Few characters in early electronic music can be both fearless pioneers and cheesy trend-chasers, but Garson embraced both extremes, and has been unheralded as a result. When one writer rhetorically asked: “How was Garson’s music so ubiquitous while the man remained so under the radar?” the answer was simple. Well before Brian Eno did it, Garson was making discreet music, both the man and his music as inconspicuous as a Chlorophytumcomosum. Julliard-educated and active as a session player in the post-war era, Garson wrote lounge hits, scored plush arrangements for Doris Day, and garlanded weeping countrypolitan strings around Glen Campbell’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.” He could render the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel alike into easy listening and also dreamed up his own ditties. “An idear” as Garson himself would drawl it out. “I live with it, I walk it, I sing it.”
But as his daughter Day Darmet recalls: “When my dad found the synthesizer, he realized he didn’t want to do pop music anymore.” Garson encountered Robert Moog and his new device at the Audio Engineering Society’s West Coast convention in 1967 and immediately began tinkering with the device. With the Moog, those idears could be transformed. “He constantly had a song he was humming,” Darmet says. “At the table he was constantly tapping.” Which is to say that Mort pulled his melodies out of thin air, just like any household plant would.
The Plantae kingdom grew to its height by 1976, from DC Comics’ mossy superhero Swamp Thing to Stevie Wonder’s own herbal meditation, Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants. Nefarious manifestations of human-plant interaction also abounded, be it the grotesque pods in Invasion of the Body Snatchers or the pothead paranoia of the US Government spraying Mexican marijuana fields with the herbicide paraquat (which led to the rise in homegrown pot by the 1980s). And then there’s the warm, leafy embrace of Plantasia itself.
“My mom had a lot of plants,” Darmet says. “She didn’t believe in organized religion, she believed the earth was the best thing in the whole world. Whatever created us was incredible.” And she also knew when her husband had a good song, shouting from another room when she heard him humming a good idear. Novel as it might seem, Plantasia is simply full of good tunes.
Garson may have given the album away to new plant and bed owners, but a decade later a new generation could hear his music in another surreptitious way. Millions of kids bought The Legend of Zelda for their Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1986 and one distinct 8-bit tune bears more than a passing resemblance to album highlight “Concerto for Philodendron and Pothos.” Garson was never properly credited for it, but he nevertheless subliminally slipped into a new generations’ head, helping kids and plants alike grow.
Hearing Plantasia in the 21st century, it seems less an ode to our photosynthesizing friends by Garson and more an homage to his wife, the one with the green thumb that made everything flower around him. “My dad would be totally pleased to know that people are really interested in this music that had no popularity at the time,” Darmet says of Plantasia’snew renaissance. “He would be fascinated by the fact that people are finally understanding and appreciating this part of his musical career that he got no admiration for back then.” Garson seems to be everywhere again, even if he’s not really noticed, just like a houseplant.
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“(Cheer-Accident have) earned a reputation for extreme left turns - following collections of complex, metallic art rock with albums stuffed with piano-driven balladry cementing a practice of defying expectations that’s endured for more than three or four decades, depending on when you recognize as the group's actual genesis” - THE WIRE
From Cheer-Accident's liner notes: It’s weird to have so few words to say about our best album to date, but… well…
Our Best Album? Out of 26?
That’s not nothing.
What makes it “our best?” Is it the songs? Is it the production? Is it the convergence of those two elements? What if we added “accessibility?” It is, after all, a pop album. You know, very much in the same way that “The Why Album” and “What Sequel?” are. In fact, we very nearly named it “Now What”, viewing it as the final installment in this pop trilogy.
But that started to feel wrong, because: Why get locked into a “series” every time we happen to lean on the more melodic and concise aspect of what we do?
You know, and the thing is, this isn’t any kind of “return.” This is something new. Though it certainly shares DNA with the aforementioned What/Why releases, it also very much incorporates the rock and dissonance and experimentation present in many of our other forays. Maybe this is simply where we landed. Maybe this is what we are now. Maybe we’ve finally found the combination of ingredients that so perfectly synthesize as our aesthetic that there’s no need to go on from here. Maybe we’ve stopped. Maybe we’re done. Maybe we’ve finally found that sweet spot between the “adventurous” and the “palatable,” and we now intend to rest on our laurels.
Special new 25th anniversary edition of this most popular and highly-acclaimed of all Soul Jazz Records' Dynamite! series - 300% Dynamite is jam-packed with reggae tunes that crossed-over to become dancefloor hits and are 100% guaranteed to rock any party!
Out of print for the last 15 years, this new edition is being released in a one-off limited-edition heavyweight special-edition yellow coloured vinyl pressing + download code exclusively for Record Store Day 2024. This album is fully remastered, relicensed and with new tracks exclusively for RSD 24. Wayne Smith's booming anthem "Sleng Teng", Althea & Donna's worldwide hit 'Uptown Top Ranking', Sister Nancy's classic "Bam Bam", Augustus Pablo, Lee Perry - it's all here as 300% Dynamite joins the dots between reggae, jazz, funk, dub and soul.
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Probably the finest work of Hector Rivera - Latin soul at it’s best. A non-stop
boogaloo party that never lets up with plenty of cha-cha and funky grooves.
• Two tracks taken from Hector Rivera’s debut album “At The Party with Hector Rivera”
originally released in 1966 on Barry Records.
• Remastered by Phil Kinrade and presented in a 7” Discobag sleeve.
• Part of the Demon Records Singles Club.
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Over 25 years ago DJ Maaco and P Dog aka Detroit In Effect released the mean green "Only Time Can Stop A Dream" EP on their M.A.P. label. Tracks like "313 Frequency" and "Sike Yo Mind", just to name a couple, banged dance floors from Detroit to Europe! Now with new generations of music lovers almost three decades later catching on to sounds some would now consider vintage, we feel it's only right to pull out some throwbacks and make them available again! So here's to old and new, the reissue of Detroit In Effect - Only Time Can Stop A Dream.
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Franky Wah makes Crosstown Rebels debut with ‘Disconnect’ EP, featuring Kuuda. Out on 20th June 2025, the four-tracker sees the acclaimed UK producer make his first appearance on the revered imprint.
A producer known for balancing dancefloor energy with introspective songwriting, Franky Wah’s rise has been fuelled by a string of chart-topping singles, non-stop global club and festival appearances, and the launch of his own imprint and event brand, SHÈN. With musical influences stretching from trance and breakbeat to afro-house and techno, he now brings that rich sound palette to the Crosstown fold for the first time with a release that’s equal parts euphoric and deep as it is driving. Delivering a powerful and emotionally charged four-track release, 'Disconnect' showcases the Yorkshire-born artist’s blend of underground grit and melodic sophistication, featuring two standout collaborations with rising vocal trio Kuuda.
Opening the EP, the title track pairs swirling textures, brooding basslines and crisp percussion with commanding vocals, setting the tone for the journey ahead. The synergy continues on ‘Off The Wall’, a hazy, late-night jam elevated by Kuuda’s signature warped vox interjections. On the flip, ‘Desert Dance’ continues further into hypnotic territory with wicked bass licks and layered synth work, before closing track ‘Freak In The Sheets’ delivers another impactful, heads-down groove laced with attitude. Featured on two of the EP’s four cuts, Brighton-based trio Kuuda continue to emerge as a rapidly ascending vocal project within electronic music. Known for their genre-fluid songwriting and dynamic live presence, their collaborations with Hot Since 82, Yousef and Artche have earned them widespread support from the likes of Pete Tong, Danny Howard and RÜFÜS DU SOL. Blending emotional depth with club-ready impact, ‘Disconnect’ marks an inspired meeting point between Franky Wah’s expansive production style and the Crosstown Rebels spirit—one that looks set to soundtrack dancefloors throughout the summer and beyond.
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Soft Cell’s second long-player was the groundbreaking mini-LP ‘NonStop Ecstatic Dancing’… the world’s first remix album and a huge influence on subsequent generations of clubbers, DJs and remixers. Reissue of the original album, remastered, and bolstered by the inclusion of extended versions of its two related hit singles – ‘Torch’ and ‘What!’ – and bring it up to date with a second disc of unreleased mixes and highlights from 2007’s long-deleted ‘Heat – The Remixes’. The release will be laser-focussed to celebrate Soft Cell’s pioneering work in the clubs of Leeds, London, New York and Berlin and clear the decks for our next full deluxe edition ‘The Art Of Falling Apart’ in Q3 2025. Barring the super 6CD version would follow the formats that were so successful for ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret’ reissue with a 2CD and 2LP coloured as the physical versions with a digital deluxe mirroring the 2CD set. We know this artist has a wide appeal AND a solid fanbase and this album is also legendary in DJ / club / electronic circles.
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Mit “Stop And Listen” gelang dem Hammond-B3-Organisten Baby Face Willette 1961 ein Album, das in keiner Soul-Jazz-Sammlung fehlen sollte. Zumal es auch Willettes letzte und beste Aufnahme für Blue Note war. Kritiker nennen diesen Klassiker oft in einem Atemzug mit Grant Greens Blue-Note-Debüt “Grant’s First Stand”, das kurz zuvor mit exakt der gleichen Besetzung eingespielt worden war.
Yet another EP from the Miami underground to land on Bruno Schmidt’s Domesticated imprint. Next up we have ctrl.opt with 4 versatile tracks aimed straight for the floor. “Mono_Pro” kicks off with a bumpy late night house burner; think of if Chez Damier’s U Ain’t Dancing had been made in Florida. Purple-infused vocals and huge floorshaking toms make this an obvious cut to reach for when needing to igniting the function floor. “Make Me Feel”is a hypnotic, humid loopy number with a nagging live bass. “Rock Don’t Stop” keeps true to its roots; a monster ghetto-themed Miami Bass cut. Lastly the b2 has a midwest timbre and feel to it. Reminiscent of early noughties tech house, this will most likely line the crates of the more seasoned selector. Unmissable dance music, cop on sight. Domesticated does it again!
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Impressed proudly presents the soundtrack to Memoir of a Snail, a 2024 Australian stop-motion animated film directed by Academy Award-winning animator Adam Elliot, on a very special golden swirl picture disc.
The film follows the story of Grace Pudel, a quirky, book-loving misfit with a passion for collecting snails, whose world unravels when she is separated from her twin brother, Gilbert. As she faces challenges, Grace finds unexpected hope and inspiration in a heartwarming friendship with Pinky, an eccentric and wise elderly woman. Together, they embark on a journey of self-discovery, proving that even in the most difficult times, connection and courage can shine through.
Composed by Elena Kats-Chernin, and performed by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the soundtrack masterfully blends classical, contemporary, and emotionally dynamic arrangements to mirror the film's emotional journey. This 42-track record is both delicate and powerful, with soft piano passages, rich strings, and an overall mood that is whimsically bittersweet.
Critics have lauded the soundtrack for how it beautifully captures the heart of the film through its effortless flow between reflective intimate moments and dramatic passages.
Impressed präsentiert den Soundtrack zu "Memoir Of A Snail" (2024), einem australischen Stop-Motion-Animationsfilm des Oscar-prämierten Animators Adam Elliot, auf einer extravaganten 180g Golden-Swirl-Picture Disc mit nummeriertem Obi-Strip. Der von Elena Kats-Chernin komponierte und vom Australian Chamber Orchestra eingespielte OST mischt meisterlich klassische und zeitgenössische Arrangements, die in ihrer Dynamik die emotionale Reise des Films widerspiegeln. Die 42 Tracks sind sowohl zart wie kraftvoll, mit sanften Klavierpassagen, satten Streichern und einer insgesamt skurril-bittersüssen Stimmung. Kritiker loben den Soundtrack dafür, wie schön er durch seinen mühelosen Wechsel zwischen nachdenklichen, intimen Momenten und dramatischen Passagen das Herz des Films einfängt.
Die vierköpfige Instrumentalband Yuuf signed bei Ninja Tune-Sublabel, Technicolour, und veröffentlicht ihre neue EP, „Alma's Cove“ am 20. Juni 2025!
„Alma's Cove“ umfasst fünf Tracks und ist eine meditative Klanglandschaft, die die Hörer:innen auf eine klangliche Reise durch die Natur mitnimmt, abseits des Alltagsstresses. „‚Alma's Cove‘ ist ein verträumter, tropischer Raum ohne Stress, in dem man sich zufrieden und präsent fühlen kann. Ein geschütztes Paradies, das man in aller Ruhe genießen kann.“, so die Band. „Als wir die EP schrieben, war das Hauptziel, einen Ort zu schaffen, der das komplette Gegenteil unseres Londoner Lebens ist und z.T. aus Stress, Angst und Überforderung besteht. Sich wieder mit der Natur verbinden und die Gegenwart genießen. Ein Traumland.“
Zusammen mit der Ankündigung veröffentlichen Yuuf den Titeltrack der EP, „Alma’s Cove“, der heute auf Technicolour erschienen ist. Reich an organischen Texturen, schimmernden Details und psychedelischen Rhythmen, lädt die Single Zuhörer:innen in die heitere Welt von „Alma's Cove“ ein. „Die Hörer:innen spazieren umher und nehmen die Natur, die Geräusche und die Aussicht in sich auf und schwelgen in ihrer natürlichen Schönheit.“. Zur Single gibt es auch ein offizielles Musikvideo, das eine komplette Live-Session zeigt, die während der jüngsten Reise der Band nach Kreta gefilmt wurde. Die Vermischung internationaler Klänge und globaler Einflüsse steht im Mittelpunkt des Ethos von Yuuf. Selbst die Mitglieder der Band kommen aus verschiedenen europäischen Ländern - aus der Schweiz, Dänemark, Frankreich und England. „Wir vermischen auf natürliche Weise unsere verschiedenen musikalischen Vorlieben aus der ganzen Welt, um den Sound unserer Musik zu formen.“, erklärt die Band. „Alma's Cove“ ist ein Paradebeispiel dafür, inspiriert von klassischer spanischer Gitarre, Americana-Soundscapes und der Musik der Filme von Studio Ghibli. Yuuf starten im Mai eine Europa-Tournee mit mehreren Stopps bei verschiedenen Sommerfestivals, darunter Wilde Weide Festival, Green Man, Chez Hubert und Psych Festival. Die Band hat im Sommer 2024 ihre Debüt-EP, „In The Sun“, veröffentlicht, die bereits über 1,5 Millionen Streams allein auf Spotify erreicht hat und von BBC 6Music, KEXP, KRCW und der Instagram-Plattform, Somewhere Soul (919K Follower:innen), unterstützt wurde. Das gleichzeitig mit der EP veröffentlichte virale Live-Session-Video von „The Sun“ hat mittlerweile beeindruckende 1,8 Millionen Views, 84.000 Likes und 4.000 Kommentare auf Youtube.
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Hampus Lindwall’s Brace for Impact might just be the first album of post-internet pipe organ music. It’s an album of five new contemporary classical compositions, all performed by the composer himself on the 78-stop grand organ at St. Antonius church in Düsseldorf, Germany. Featuring the electric guitar of SUNN O)’s Stephen O’Malley on the title track. A highly visceral forty-five minutes of music with undeniable elemental power.
As 2024 came to a close, in New York and Paris chords rang out from thirty-two-foot pipes for the first time in half a decade. Following twin fires in 2019, the grand organs at the cathedrals of St John the Divine and Notre-Dame, amongst the largest instruments in their respective countries, had finally been restored. The news was justly celebrated in the international press, but the incidents were far from isolated. In England, the city of Norwich hailed the return of its cathedral’s five manual organ in 2023 and just two years earlier York Minster heralded a “once-in-a-century” refurbishment of its own 5,000-plus pipe instrument. Meanwhile, further organ restoration projects are ongoing at churches in Liverpool, Bradford, Bristol, Winchester, and Washington DC. Significant as they are to their respective communities, they’re also emblematic of a wider rebirth for one of humanity’s oldest musical instruments.
The organ is having a moment. Over the last few years, albums by the likes of Kali Malone, Ellen Arkbro, Anna von Hausswolff, FUJI|||||||||||TA, and Áine O’Dwyer, as well as projects in the visual arts by Sollmann Sprenger, Cory Arcangel, Massimo Bartolini and many other talented artists, have given a new prominence to the old ecclesiastical stalwart. The pipe organ bears historical traces which stretch back to the third century BC. But that doesn’t mean it can’t speak to a contemporary moment haunted by algorithms and networked culture. Hampus Lindwall’s Brace for Impact is an album of organ music for today.
Khadim is a stunning reconfiguration of the Ndagga Rhythm Force sound. The instrumentation is radically pared down. The guitar is gone; the concatenation of sabars; the drum-kit. Each of the four tracks hones in on just one or two drummers; otherwise the sole recorded element is the singing; everything else is programmed. Synths are dialogically locked into the drumming. Tellingly, Ernestus has reached for his beloved Prophet-5, a signature go-to since Basic Channel days, thirty years ago. Texturally, the sound is more dubwise; prickling with effects. There is a new spaciousness, announced at the start by the ambient sounds of Dakar street-life. At the microphone, Mbene Diatta Seck revels in this new openness: mbalax diva, she feelingly turns each of the four songs into a discrete dramatic episode, using different sets of rhetorical techniques. The music throughout is taut, grooving, complex, like before; but more volatile, intuitive and reaching, with turbulent emotional and spiritual expressivity.
Not that Khadim represents any kind of break. Its transformativeness is rooted in the hundreds upon hundreds of hours the Rhythm Force has played together. Nearly a decade has passed since Yermande, the unit's previous album. Every year throughout that period — barring lockdowns — the group has toured extensively, in Europe, the US, and Japan. With improvisation at the core of its music-making, each performance has been evolutionary, as it turns out heading towards Khadim. “I didn’t want to simply continue with the same formula," says Ernestus. “I preferred to wait for a new approach. Playing live so many times, I wanted to capture some of the energy and freedom of those performances.” Though several members of the touring ensemble sit out this recording — sabar drummers, kit-drummer, synth-player — their presence abides in the structure and swing of the music here.
Lamp Fall is a homage to Cheikh Ibra Fall, founder of the Baye Fall spiritual community. The mosque in the city of Touba is known as Lamp Fall, because the main tower resembles a lantern. Soy duggu Touba, moom guey séen / When you enter Touba, he is the one who greets you. After a swift, incantatory start Mbene sings with reflective seriousness. Her voice swirls with reverb, over a tight, funky, propulsive interplay between synth and drums, threaded with one-two jabs of bass. Cheikh Ibra Fall mi may way, mo diayndiou ré, la mu jëndé ko taalibe... Cheikh Ibra Fall amo morome, aboridial / Cheikh Ibra Fall shows the way forward, he gives us strength, he gathers his disciples... Overflowing with grace, Cheikh Ibra Fall has no equal.
Interwoven with Wolof proverbs, Dieuw Bakhul is a recriminatory song about treachery, lies, and back-biting. Over moody, roiling synths and ominous, lean bass, Mbene throws out fluttering scraps of vocal, as if re-running old conversations in her head. The music shadows her despair to the verge of breakdown, at one moment seemingly so lost in thought and memories, that it threatens to disintegrate. Bayilene di wor seen xarit ak seen an da ndo... Dieuw bakhul, dieuw ñaw na / Stop judging your friends and companions... A lie is no good, a lie is ugly.
Khadim is a show-stopper; currently the centrepiece of Ndagga Rhythm Force live performances. The song is dedicated to Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, aka Khadim, founder of the Mouride Sufi order. Serigne Bamba mi may wayeu / Serigne Bamba is the one who makes me sing. The verses name-check revered members of his family and brotherhood, like Sokhna Diarra, Mame Thierno, and Serigne Bara. Though Islam has been practised in Senegal for a millennium, it wasn’t until the start of the twentieth century that it began to thoroughly permeate ordinary Senegalese society, hand-in-hand with anti-colonialism. The verses here recall Bamba’s banishment by the French to Gabon, and later to Mauritania, in those foundational times. During exile, his captors once introduced a lion to his cell: gaïnde gua waf, dieba lu ci Cheikhoul Khadim / the lion doesn’t budge, it gives itself over to Cheikh Khadim. Deep, surging bass, steady kick-drum, and simple, reverbed chords on the off-beat lend the feel and impetus of steppers reggae. A reed plays snatches of a traditional Baye Fall melody; the dazzling polyrhythmic drumming is by Serigne Mamoune Seck. Mbene compellingly blends percussive vocalese, narrative suspense, exultant praise, introspection, and grievance.
Nimzat is a devotional tribute to Cheikh Sadbou, a contemporary of Bamba, buried in a mausoleum in Nizmat, in southern Mauritania. Way nala, kagne nala... souma danana fata dale / I call upon you and wonder about you... If I am overwhelmed, come to my aid. The town holds special significance for Khadr Sufism. An annual pilgrimage there is conducted to this day. The rhythm is buoyantly funky; the mood is sombre, reined-in, foreboding. Punctuated by peals of thunder, Mbene sings with restrained, intense reverence; huskily confidential, steadfast. Nanu dem ba Nimzat, dé ba sali khina / Let us go to Nimzat, to seal our devotion.
Mbene Diatta Seck: vocals.
Bada Seck: bougarabou, thiol, mbeung mbeung bal, tungune.
Serigne Mamoune Seck: bougarabou, khine, mbeung mbeung, tungune.
Text by Mark Ainley (Honest Jons).
Mastered by Rashad Becker.
Everything else by Mark Ernestus.
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Das Eels Album 'Souljacker' (2001) wieder verfügbar auf rotem Vinyl! 'Souljacker' ist ein wildes, ungezähmtes Biest - eine Mischung aus rauem Gutter-Blues und verstörender Wiegenlied-Ästhetik. Produziert von John Parish (PJ Harvey), tauscht Mark Oliver Everett (E) die orchestrale Wärme von 'Daisies of the Galaxy' gegen eine kantigere, düsterere Klangwelt ein: verzerrte Gitarren, gespenstische Loops und Texte, die zwischen Bedrohung und Melancholie balancieren. Vom entfesselten Stampfen von 'Dog Faced Boy' bis zur filmischen Weite von 'Fresh Feeling' - Souljacker ist ruhelos, unberechenbar und fängt das Beste aus Tom Waits’ rauer Poesie, Becks Exzentrik und der dunklen Seite amerikanischen Storytellings ein. Diese Reissue auf rotem 1LP-Vinyl holt das finstere Herz des Albums zurück ans Licht.
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Karma Sutra had already been a band for five years when they released their elusive one and only album ,released on their own Paradoxical Records label in 1987. The Daydreams of a Production Line Worker came towards the end of the bands life span and all they had to show prior was a few demos and some tracks on compilations on Mortarhate. By the time the band entered the studio KARMA SUTRA was spreading their musical wings, moving from a straight ahead anarcho sound to a more dense and thoughtful place, adding flourishes of post punk and moody atmospheres to their agit-prop political stance thus creating one of the most idiosyncratic concept albums of their time, where situationist politics meet the most ambitious anarcho punk sound.
The album was recorded in Sheffield at Vibrasound Studio and co-produced by Spon of UK DECAY, which added yet another layer to the already complex album.
When released The Daydreams Of A Production Line Worker had little fanfare due to the rigid approach to punk of the time. But as time passed, so did this albums importance. It would sit perfectly in your collection next to bands who had ambition, tunes and thought provoking lyrics like CHUMBAWAMBA, THE MOB or THATCHER ON ACID.
The Daydreams Of A Production Line Worker reissue comes with a reproduction of the originally included 28 page booklet, which the band viewed as an inseparable part of the album to understand the concept. Dense at times and intended to be thought provoking it covers class oppression, gender, culture brainwashing, prison struggle et all the capitalism society illnesses written from an anarchist perspective and aligned with the situationism theory of revolution of every day life.
Chapter Music's landmark collection of Australian 70s-80s post- punk, originally released in 2001, gets its first ever vinyl release!
Can’t Stop It! documents a fantastically inventive and dynamic era, when Australian acts stepped out of the shadow of overseas influence and asserted their own musical identity for perhaps the first time.
Featuring tracks by future members of bands such as Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Einsturzende Neubauten, Dirty Three and The Go- Betweens, Can’t Stop It! is a vivid survey of the creativity and innovation bubbling away under the surface of Australia’s fairly unadventurous music culture of the time.
All of the bands on Can't Stop It! released their music independently, either themselves or through the handful of visionary labels of the era such as Au-Go-Go, M Squared, Missing Link or Innocent Records.
On its original release in 2001, the compilation got Chapter Music its first major international attention, written up in The Wire magazine, stocked at Other Music in New York and selling out numerous CD pressings.
Remastered with updated liner notes and photos, this deluxe 2LP set expands on the original 20 track CD with six bonus never- before-reissued tracks.
"A bracing corrective to the Northern Hemisphere's stranglehold on post-punk nostalgia" - The Wire
Germany's iconic deep funk collective digs into a new soundscape: "A Higher Frequency" was recorded with a nine-piece live to tape at legendary MPS studio in the Black Forest, adding an airy, jazzy flavour to their trademark raw and breaks-heavy funk. Ten tracks full of spiritual grooves, soulful themes, loose funkiness and organic interplay, captured with state-of-the-art 1960s gear in a super-vibey room - but the title A Higher Frequency is not just about the pristine analogue sound quality of the recording, it is also a reference to a trancendant wavelength where minds meet and music connects.
Together with long-time friends and collaborators Daniel Kimaz on flute and Guillame Métenier, who worked his magic on the studio's historic Bösendörfer grand piano and Hammond organ, the group spent a week in the Black Forest, with full focus on the mission to capture the live energy and togetherness of the ensemble.
The result is an album bursting with positive energy and power, rooted in a universal funk groove with excursions into many colourful branches like outernational, cinematic, soulful jazz, psychedelic & disco.
The common thread is a propulsive, driving-forward feel: "Open The Gate" welcomes us with hard-hitting breakbeats and dramatic crime brass, followed by the cool groovin' piano-led soul jazz of "Get Loose", while "Spinning" takes us on a ride through cinematic horn choruses and folky-psych flute and guitars. "Back And Better" is Nichola Richards' time to shine, laying her sweet vocals over the sparse hiphop-infused soul beat to tell a comeback story. "Sweet Company" is a lighthearted uptempo tune inspired by TV and library themes of the 1960s. The swampy groove of "Sparks Of Joy" best reflects the fun of the band playing together and "Phantom Power" combines a trademark Mocambo breakin' theme with an unusual instrument, an electric phin from Thailand – a nod to the many so-called "world music jazz" recordings that the MPS studio gave birth to. On "Can't Stop This Fire", soul singer Carlton Jumel Smith from New York City takes over the mic as a special guest and brings the house down with a heavy funk delivery. "When We Roll" builds another highlight where bouncy drums play off disco-jazz horn themes and finally, the gospel-flavoured cine-soul epic "Homebound" drives it all home.
The vinyl record comes in a limited first edition in hand-made tip-on sleeve.
Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain is the third studio album from the enchanting songstress, Raveena. Blending powerful storytelling with early 2000s pop, Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain sees music continuing to play the central role as both a catalyst and medium in her personal and creative growth. With newfound clarity, Raveena delves into themes of new love, maturity, comfort, and domesticity that reflect the peace of mind she currently inhabits. Speaking on this evolution and how it informed the album’s creative, she shares, “Butterflies are so delicate that they have to hide in leaves and flowers until the rain passes so that their wings don’t get crushed in the rain. I felt like that was kind of a metaphor for where I was in my life. I needed to go back to comfort—to deep rest—and stop weathering storms.” On the most instinctual level it’s an album that should conjure simple pleasures like the joy of a summer road trip with loved ones.
Embracing the sounds of classic artists like Fleetwood Mac, Brandy, Bob Marley, Joni Mitchell, and Marvin Gaye, to name a few, Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain draws inspiration from people who, “are really good at capturing the beauty and loss of life in the same breath,” she describes. In her signature style, Raveena seamlessly unites that expansive songwriting with traditional Indian instruments and feel-good early 2000s pop hits —putting forth a work that’s more unabashedly herself than any that’s come before.
Raveena reflects on her forthcoming album, “I don't think I've ever understood a record so well before—It wasn’t like the process I used to have with past albums where I was more anxious about being at my best. This time, it was all intuition, and I knew the album was right when I finally had the feeling of rest.”
The deluxe release sees the addition of 3 tracks. Sun Don't Leave Me - contemplating the feeling of wanting to hold onto one more beautiful sunset, one more passionate embrace, before things change again and hard times strike again - and a reimagined version of Lose My Focus with UMI, bringing fresh energy to an album that’s more unapologetically Raveena than ever.
"As one of the biggest albums of the ‘80s, Foreign Affair showcased Tina Turner at her very best, further cementing her position as The Queen of Rock ‘n Roll. Celebrated in this 2LP white vinyl edition (33rpm), it includes the original album fully remastered for the first time.
Foreign Affair was Tina’s third studio album since her dramatic global resurgence, following the monumental success of Private Dancer (1984) and Break Every Rule (1986), as well as her lead role in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome in 1985. It went on to be a multi-platinum record across the world, including UK, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Australia and many more. The biggest track to come from the album was the 80s anthem, “The Best.” The track continues to transcend generations, with one of the most recognisable choruses in music history. On top of The Best, the album is complimented by several Tina favourites, such as Steamy Windows, I Don’t Wanna Lose You and the title track Foreign Affair."
Die britische Gitarrenvirtuosin und kraftvolle Singer-Songwriterin Joanne Shaw Taylor meldet sich mit ihrem elektrisierenden zehnten Studioalbum 'Black & Gold' zurück. Wieder vereint mit dem legendären Produzenten Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Journey, Joe Bonamassa), verschiebt Taylor die Grenzen des Blues-Rock und verwebt Fäden aus Americana, Indie-Rock und Retro-Pop der 80er Jahre. Von herzzerreißenden Balladen bis zu knallharten Bluesrock-Krachern ist das Album ein Meisterwerk an emotionaler Tiefe und roher Energie.
- Ltd. Col. LP: (180g Color Vinyl mit Innentasche und Download Card)
Der finnische Komponist Lauri Porra lädt dich auf eine Reise durch die "Seasons in Moominvalley" ein. Pünktlich zum 80-jährigen Jubiläum der Veröffentlichung der ersten Mumin-Geschichte von Tove Jansson, komponierte Porra 21 atmosphärische Stücke für Klavier, Streichensemble oder eine Kombination aus beidem (manchmal sogar mit Naturgeräuschen), die dich die Jahreszeiten, Strände und Wälder des Mumintals ganz neu erleben lassen.Jedes Stück bezieht sich auf eine bestimmte Szene aus den Büchern - zum Beispiel ist "A Song for the Sea" inspiriert von Muminpapa, der am Wasser steht und über die Launen des Meeres philosophiert, während "A Song for Winter" eine Szene aufgreift, in der ein Charakter erkennt, dass der Winter die Jahreszeit ist, in der schüchterne und zurückhaltende Tiere und Menschen aufblühen. Dieses Album ist eine liebevolle Hommage an Tove Janssons zeitlose Geschichten.Veröffentlicht von Sony Classical, ist "Seasons in Moominvalley" sowohl physisch als auch in digital erhältlich. Die CD-Edition enthält ein wunderschön gestaltetes Booklet, das die Auszüge aus den Geschichten zeigt, die mit den einzelnen Liedern verknüpft sind. Für Vinyl-Liebhaber ist die limitierte 180g Picture Vinyl Edition ein echtes Sammlerstück, das vier exklusive Postkarten und zwei hochwertige Lithografien als Beigaben beinhaltet. Zudem besticht das LP-Design mit einem faszinierenden Zoetrope-Effekt, der die Illusion einer Animation erzeugt, wenn die Schallplatte auf einem Plattenspieler dreht.
here may still be electronic music artists in this age of overflow and convenience who follow their own artistic vision regardless of what attention it might bring, if any. With an output that shows individualism, ideas and a signature sound. An ongoing creative process, uncompromising and adventurous, even eccentric, with results of consistent quality and determination. Dennis Busch aka James Din A4 is an archetypical example for this type of artist. He flooded the scene with releases in the 00s with numerous monikers, mostly on his own Esel imprint, and they were all great. On the outside you had his singular artworks (he is also a very accomplished collage artist) and quirkily humorous titles, and on the inside you had his music, also seemingly informed by a collage approach (only with samples), managing to sound focussed and out of focus, often at the same time. If you listen to a James Din A4 track it probably is simultaneously playful and disciplined. Anything can happen, and a lot if it actually does.
For quite some years, music releases by James Din A 4 were scarce. Jan Jelinek, an ardent fan, re-interpreted some of his favourites from the vast back catalogue as an album in 2014, then ten years later the album „Ins Licht“ appeared, and it quite nonchalantly continued what seemed to have stopped, right on the same level of greatness. And now we know that it still continues, as the label Live At Robert Johnson releases the new album „Never Look Back“. Its title should not be taken too literally, as all the trademarks of his musical legacy are perfectly intact. You will find the light and air that seems to seep through the sounds, the frisky structural details, the jolly melodies, the subtle deepness, the minimalistic yet not too strict grooves.
But do not be mistaken, this album is not looking back too much, of course. After all, this is music that is still evolving. Let’s hope for more glimpses of James Din A4‘s special and spacious world, they are ever
needed.
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Last delivered 15 months ago available to reorder, subject to availability