quête:stranger

Für einige ist Pavement die vielleicht größte Band der Welt, oder zumindest Nordamerikas, ganz sicher aber die beste Band der amerikanischen Westküste. Nun veröffentlicht die mindestens mal Kultband ein "Best of"- Album für alle die, die sich immer noch Fragen wer zur Hölle eigentlich Pavement sind. "Hecklers Choice", so der Name des "Best of" leistet dabei Aufklärung und führt den Hörer aus dem Tal der Ahnungslosen in einen Garten Eden voller blühender Gitarren-Feedbacks und sprießender Indie-Riffs. "Hecklers Choice" ist die bereits zweite "Best of"-Kompilation der Band. Es ist schließlich mehr als ein Jahrzehnt vergangen und man kann nie genug gute Pavement-Songs kompakt in der Sammlung besitzen. Als "Quarantine the Past" 2010 erschien, gab es TikTok noch nicht. Diese neu überarbeitete Titelliste berücksichtigt alle viralen Seltsamkeiten der letzten Jahre ("Harness Your Hopes"), und repräsentiert gleichzeitig die zeitlosen Stücke, die über Generationen hinweg fester Bestandteil von Playlisten und Mixtapes für Liebhaber der Band geblieben sind.

An enthralling weave of cathartic, introspective spirituality and thrumming, industrial darkness; The Wounded Healer is the first full-length from PREYRS, the new incarnation of Irish singer-songwriter Amy Montgomery and her band as one formidable entity. From the fourpiece's new janiform name; a twisting, conflicting play on the tenderness and innocence of prayer and the deadly dance of prey and predator to the band's fiercely independent journey, PREYRS is a project already steeped in story. After breathtaking album opener `Humble Eyes', lead single `Wave of Wisdom' immediately lays this concept bare as Amy's incandescent delivery of uncertainty, "lesson learned / don't know how / but here I am again / stronger than before", soars over a defiantly discordant clash of alt-folk slide guitar and Mormecha's pummeling industrial percussion. Elsewhere, the high-octane `Zeros, Ones & Lies' wrestles with the spiritual toll of being fed constant footage of atrocity and catastrophe by a media that accepts no responsibility for their part in the global race to the bottom. As such, the track bursts into furious life with urgent, double-time drums met by guitars distorted to the brink of destruction before the song all but caves in on itself as Amy quietly asks of us "Can you feel it? / like a river / it flows so silently / it flows so violently". By contrast, `Bring Ur Bruises' radiates resplendent, self-empowering positivity. Centred once again on the concept of the wounded healer, `Bring Ur Bruises' implores the listener to welcome their trauma in, to own it and wear it as a paradoxical means of ultimately letting it go as triumphant, reverb-soaked guitars soar ever higher. If it wasn't already clear, PREYRS are no strangers to doing things differently and, across every iteration, the band have always taken a DIY approach to every aspect of their existence. From covering themselves in paint and rolling over every single early album cover to, until recently, booking all of their own shows and festivals as diverse as Glastonbury, Green Man (UK), Blizzarrrd Rock (GER) and Bloodstock (UK), last year the band found themselves touring the UK as Amy Montgomery in support of musical heroes and British post-punk legends New Model Army. In November 2025 they will be joining New Model Army again on tour across Europe, but this time as PREYRS performing tracks from The Wounded Healer, the same four people but an entirely different beast. FOR FANS OF Nine Inch Nails, Chelsea Wolfe, Sonic Youth, Julie Christmas, Alanis Morissette, My Bloody Valentine, Siouxsie and The Banshees, Melvins

An enthralling weave of cathartic, introspective spirituality and thrumming, industrial darkness; The Wounded Healer is the first full-length from PREYRS, the new incarnation of Irish singer-songwriter Amy Montgomery and her band as one formidable entity. From the fourpiece's new janiform name; a twisting, conflicting play on the tenderness and innocence of prayer and the deadly dance of prey and predator to the band's fiercely independent journey, PREYRS is a project already steeped in story. After breathtaking album opener `Humble Eyes', lead single `Wave of Wisdom' immediately lays this concept bare as Amy's incandescent delivery of uncertainty, "lesson learned / don't know how / but here I am again / stronger than before", soars over a defiantly discordant clash of alt-folk slide guitar and Mormecha's pummeling industrial percussion. Elsewhere, the high-octane `Zeros, Ones & Lies' wrestles with the spiritual toll of being fed constant footage of atrocity and catastrophe by a media that accepts no responsibility for their part in the global race to the bottom. As such, the track bursts into furious life with urgent, double-time drums met by guitars distorted to the brink of destruction before the song all but caves in on itself as Amy quietly asks of us "Can you feel it? / like a river / it flows so silently / it flows so violently". By contrast, `Bring Ur Bruises' radiates resplendent, self-empowering positivity. Centred once again on the concept of the wounded healer, `Bring Ur Bruises' implores the listener to welcome their trauma in, to own it and wear it as a paradoxical means of ultimately letting it go as triumphant, reverb-soaked guitars soar ever higher. If it wasn't already clear, PREYRS are no strangers to doing things differently and, across every iteration, the band have always taken a DIY approach to every aspect of their existence. From covering themselves in paint and rolling over every single early album cover to, until recently, booking all of their own shows and festivals as diverse as Glastonbury, Green Man (UK), Blizzarrrd Rock (GER) and Bloodstock (UK), last year the band found themselves touring the UK as Amy Montgomery in support of musical heroes and British post-punk legends New Model Army. In November 2025 they will be joining New Model Army again on tour across Europe, but this time as PREYRS performing tracks from The Wounded Healer, the same four people but an entirely different beast. FOR FANS OF Nine Inch Nails, Chelsea Wolfe, Sonic Youth, Julie Christmas, Alanis Morissette, My Bloody Valentine, Siouxsie and The Banshees, Melvins

Zur Feier des zehnten Geburtstags von "In Colour", dem 2015er Debüt von Jamie xx, kündigt der Londoner Produzent und DJ eine limitierte Picture Disc Version der LP an. Das ikonische Cover Artwork des ursprünglich am 29. Mai 2015 erschienenen Albums befindet sich bei der 10th Anniversary Edition direkt auf der LP. "In Colour" hat sich über die Jahre zu einem modernen Klassiker entwickelt und wird gemeinhin als eines der prägenden elektronischen Alben der 2010er Jahre betrachtet. Der kaleidoskophafte Trip durch die UK-Dance-Kultur landete bereits im Jahr seines Erscheinens in zahllosen Bestenlisten. Mit Tracks wir "Loud Places" (mit Romy), "Gosh" oder "I Know There"s Gonna Be (Good Times)" (mit Young Thug und Popcaan) wahrt das Album die Balance zwischen Crossover Appeal und Underground Credibility. Es war für den Grammy und die Brit Awards nominiert und landete auf der Short List für den Mercury Music Prize. Auch ein Jahrzehnt später brilliert "In Colour" nicht nur durch seine Produktion, sondern auch durch die emotionale Dimension, die es auf den Dancefloor gebracht hat. Es ist ein Album, das einen persönlichen Liebesbrief an die britische Clubkultur in ein globales Statement verwandelt hat.

NYC electronic music collective P.E. return with their third and final album Oh!, due October 3 on Wharf Cat Records. Oh! Is the sound of a startled exclamation punctuating an exit, and the embodiment of the music within: fun and fluorescent, fluid and flirty, dirty and a little dangerous. From their conception in 2017 through the NOPE Tape series, P.E. existed as an experiment in co-conspirited collaboration. Oh! continues to cast a wide net, featuring an expanded lineup from their original formation, including Eleanor Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces on the lead single "Color Coordinator". The resulting music ranges wide as ever, from the jubilant grooves of the title track and "Color Coordinator" to "The Fiction Writer" - a tender duet between Veronica Torres and Jonny Campolo - through the city pop sounds of "(Do You Like) So So?" and "Purple On Time", and into the abstracted beyond. This isn't a goodbye, but a "see you around". A tear falls down the cheek of a stranger, dancing as they catch your smile in the reflection of a glass building. Ceremoniously, serendipitously, they sidewalk surf away, stepping on something sharp - "Oh!" - leaving a teardrop on the city pavement. Following the last P.E. show, Jonny Campolo fully embraced his persona of The Grayscale Clown. You can hear him crooning in pets (along with Nick Campolo and Chase Ceglie) and droning in Microfibers (featuring Keegan & Eugene of Decor). His brother Nick Campolo successfully uploaded his consciousness to the cloud. He & his simulacrum perform in the aforementioned pets and solo as Nick Nun Ca. Ben Jaffe was in a freak nuclear waste accident when his DNA merged with a puma - he is now known as The Puma Man. You can catch him prowling around NYC with Sleaze Generator and as a sax beast for hire. Bob Jones went on a silent meditation and forgot how to speak. He now quietly releases music under the name R.A. Jones (as on his recently released Whispered to A Child), and as Scythe with David West (on A Colourful Storm). Jonathan Schenke disappeared for six months without a trace; when he returned he had developed a nervous tic anytime he heard a 909 rimshot or a saxophone. His recent solo album Passages (on No Gold) features neither of the above, nor does his project Gift Horse with Matthew Hord. Veronica Torres headed west to pursue her studies, developing a ceramic polymer whose beauty has caused madness in certain individuals. Her band Cha Cha 9 is a darling of the Minneapolis scene. P.E. would like to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who listened to our records and danced at our shows - your love is felt. Thank you so much to Wharf Cat Records for all of the support over the years. Thank you to the fans. Thank you Pill and Eaters. Mitwirkende

Grim days call for fierce love. And Mavis Staples, one of the most enduring figures in American music, is laying it down. Sad And Beautiful World is the latest solo album from a national treasure and multigenerational talent. Produced by Brad Cook, Sad And Beautiful World spans seven decades of the American songbook - a range nearly as vast as Mavis" career - and includes reinventions of timeless songs by Tom Waits, Sparklehorse, Gillian Welch, Frank Ocean and more. Cook imagined an album in the tradition of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band"s Will the Circle Be Unbroken, a group of artists coming together to celebrate community - in this case, one centered on Mavis. Collaborators include Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Tweedy, Derek Trucks, Katie Crutchfield, MJ Lenderman, and Justin Vernon. Inducted into several halls of fame (Blues, Rock, and Gospel), a Kennedy Center Honoree, a winner of multiple GRAMMYs (including a Lifetime Achievement Award), Mavis is musical history. She"s collaborated with nearly every major figure of her era(s), from Bob Dylan to Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Willie Nelson - not to mention countless stars from subsequent generations.

Grim days call for fierce love. And Mavis Staples, one of the most enduring figures in American music, is laying it down. Sad And Beautiful World is the latest solo album from a national treasure and multigenerational talent. Produced by Brad Cook, Sad And Beautiful World spans seven decades of the American songbook - a range nearly as vast as Mavis" career - and includes reinventions of timeless songs by Tom Waits, Sparklehorse, Gillian Welch, Frank Ocean and more. Cook imagined an album in the tradition of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band"s Will the Circle Be Unbroken, a group of artists coming together to celebrate community - in this case, one centered on Mavis. Collaborators include Buddy Guy, Bonnie Raitt, Jeff Tweedy, Derek Trucks, Katie Crutchfield, MJ Lenderman, and Justin Vernon. Inducted into several halls of fame (Blues, Rock, and Gospel), a Kennedy Center Honoree, a winner of multiple GRAMMYs (including a Lifetime Achievement Award), Mavis is musical history. She"s collaborated with nearly every major figure of her era(s), from Bob Dylan to Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Willie Nelson - not to mention countless stars from subsequent generations.

Wounds is the band's long-awaited fifth album - their first in six years, their most eclectic and ambitious work to date. As heavy as it is haunting, the record masterfully blends doom, post-punk, and driving krautrock in a dynamic, hypnotic maelstrom - pushing London's most exciting cult band into intoxicating new territory. "Wounds is a series of songs about the different ways people live with and process 'the wounds' of their lives," explains vocalist Maya. "A strange celebration of that formative pain we have all experienced in some way. The loss and joy of survival - the celebration of finding others like us, the gift of knowing life comes after fire." Wounds was recorded by Mike Bew, on location at Foel Studio. The band could be found working deep into the witching hours, experimenting with new sounds and filling the valleys with cantankerous wails of sound, bursting from amps borrowed from My Bloody Valentine. "The Welsh countryside has a mystical quality to it," says guitarist Adam. "We recorded in a deep, dark valley; misty days and shooting stars at night. You could wander through nearby woods and stone circles during breaks. Foel Studios is woven into this setting with a transcendence of its own - its storied history includes sessions by Electric Wizard, Hawkwind and The Fall." Synths on the album are arranged by Berlin-based Bow Church, an influential figure in the dark electronic scene and a longtime collaborator of the band. His work weaves icy and atmospheric textures into the album's tracks. While meticulously crafted, Wounds captures the visceral energy of Cold in Berlin's renowned live shows. The album's arrangements and raucous sound remain true to the unrelenting intensity and atmosphere of their stage performances - every track retains the sweat, urgency, and immediacy of a band performing in the moment.

Acclaimed electronic musicians, producers and sound architects Max Cooper and Rob Clouth team up for a new collaborative EP; a dark, playful four-track dive into ambient, breakbeat and techno’s subconscious flow, featuring a standout vocal performance from South London rapper FLOHIO.

Recorded over a series of spontaneous London sessions, “8 Billion Realities” channels years of creative exchange between two of the genre’s most quietly innovative artists and is a result of a decision between the longtime friends to refrain from conceptual overthinking in favour of instinct and joy.

As long-time admirers of each other’s audio/visual work, Cooper and Clouth collaborated in London together after both emerging from intense, idea-heavy album cycles. What followed was a series of exploratory sessions, half-improvised, half-built around half-formed thoughts.

The result is a club-ready EP that feels alive and human: imperfect and hypnotically rich.

“Rob Clouth has been one of my favourite electronic music producers since I first heard his work in 2011,” says Cooper. “His work is more full of ideas and structure than anyone else.” “We were both coming from extensive conceptual studio albums and both in the mood for simplifying things and having some fun with the music, so that’s what we did”.

For Clouth, no stranger to Max Coopers Mesh label having previously released an array of EP’s plus his 2020 debut album “Zero Point” this record marks a new chapter, both creatively and personally.“Something pretty new for me is collaborating,” he says. “You kind of have to when to stop, because if you develop an idea all the way to its endpoint, the other person has nowhere to jump in.”

The first “A Moment Set Aside” began as a break from another idea, a live, unplanned improvisation based around arps and ambience. “The track was written in about as long as it took to play it,” says Cooper. “It was pulled from a 1 hour recording session, more or less as you hear it… the energy and excitement grew as the unplanned moment bore some magic.”

“The lesson being that sometimes it’s helpful to set aside a moment without forcing results, and let the subconscious have something to say.” What followed was darker, heavier. “Asymptote” is detuned techno. Subversive and euphoric in its descent. “We found a sort of brain mangling, half consonant, half wandering detuned techno pulse, which we started chatting about being a sort of pit of spiralling body parts we were falling into,” says Cooper. “It was a lot of fun to work on and let loose with bigger kicks than I usually ever get to unleash.”

Then came “8 Billion Realities”, featuring a standout rap performance from FLOHIO; an emerging figure in the UK grime and rap scene. The track was inspired by conversations about algorithmic echo chambers and hyper-personalised online worlds. Frantic, direct, and South London to the core, FLOHIO brings this tension to life. Her sharp, intense flow cuts through distortion and rhythm, landing the track somewhere between chaos and control instantly making it one of the most striking moments in either artist’s catalogue. “A different reality for all 8 billion of us,” says Cooper. “We weren’t sure if it would work… but there was something about the energy of the percussive idea and the story which felt like it might fit.” “Then FLOHIO had a play with it and straight off the bat absolutely killed it, not just with the lyrics and energy, but the harmonising too, it was a beautiful process.”

The final piece on the EP “Candeleda” originated from Clouth’s solo experiments with a live rig made entirely of vocals and keys, using his self-developed “cheatbox” system. “He put forward a beautiful stumbling melodic sequence which we bounced back and forth adding harmonies and synth layers,” says Cooper. “It rounds off a collection covering some of the breadth of music that we both love.”

»Magic 8 Ball« ist wie eine Reihe von Kurzgeschichten aufgebaut. Jeder Song handelt von einer anderen Figur, die an einem Wendepunkt steht. Momente, in denen sich etwas für immer verändert, egal ob sie es kommen sehen oder nicht. Musikalisch bleibt das Album dem Kern von Gazpacho treu: Atmosphärisch, vielschichtig und emotional, aber fokussierter. Ohne unnötigen Ballast. Nur acht Geschichten, erzählt mit Klarheit und Spannung. Das Album wurde gemischt von Thomas Juth (Elton John, Paul McCartney u.a.

"Imagine More is the follow-up to Lophae's acclaimed debut Perfect Strangers (January 2025).
Recorded live to 2-inch,16-track analogue tape with the band all in one room, engineered and mixed by Benedic Lamdin (Nostalgia 77), and mastered by Caspar Sutton-Jones (Gearbox Studios), this second offering from guitarist and composer Greg Sanders' quartet ventures deeper into their distinctive blend of modern jazz, psychedelic exploration, and world music flourishes.
Four gifted improvisers navigate Sanders' compositions with mercurial dialogue and musical communion, weaving melodic elegance with rhythmic complexity, creating sound-worlds that echo Jeff Parker, Joao Gilberto, and Blake Mills while channeling the sophistication of Stan Getz, Bill Frisell, and Edu Lobo.
Fizzing electric guitar, flowing saxophone lines, and skittering rhythmic interplay transport listeners from north-west London's Fish Factory recording studio to the musical capitals of New York, New Orleans, Rio De Janeiro, Bamako, and Johannesburg - anchored by Sanders' unmistakable compositional voice and the quartet's intuitive sensitivity."

Erste Auflage des Debütalbums der neuseeländischen Dream-Pop/Indie-Rock-Band Mild Orange auf schwarzem Vinyl. Das 2018 im Eigenvertrieb erschienene "Foreplay" wurde mit seinen Singles "Some Feeling" und "Mysight" schnell zum Achtungserfolg und erreichte über 100 Millionen Streams bis heute. Die neue Auflage erscheint in limitierter Stückzahl pünktlich zu ihrer Herbsttour durch Europa.

Amonita, the ethereal musician known for her enchanting compositions and captivating live performances, is set to release her latest body of work, the Rainbow EP, under Lee Burridge’s esteemed record label All Day I Dream.

Since her debut in 2017, Amonita has been on a steadfast mission to craft iconic melodies that resonate deeply with listeners, evoking emotions that linger long after the music fades. She seamlessly blends live instrumentation with electronic elements, creating an immersive sonic experience that transports audiences to a world of serenity and wonder. Amonita is no stranger to All Day I Dream; In addition to her Secret of Happiness EP in 2019 and Aura EP in 2021, Amonita has contributed tracks on two A Winter Samplercompilations, and was featured on Gorje Hewek’s 2021 Collages album released on the label.

Drawing inspiration from her time spent in Turkey surrounded by nature, Amonita infuses the Rainbow EP with the essence of the awe-inspiring beauty she experienced: sun-kissed landscapes, tranquil seas, and the vibrant hues of a majestic rainbow. Her music speaks to the hearts of true dreamers – those who believe in love, walk barefoot in the rain, watch sunsets, admire the stars, and are impressed by the mystery and beauty of the moon.

In her own words, Amonita shares, "No matter how difficult your path through storms and thunder is, after that you will see a rainbow!"
This sentiment encapsulates the overarching theme of resilience and hope that resonates throughout the EP, serving as a beacon of light in challenging times. The Rainbow EP is a testament to Amonita's boundless creativity and passion for storytelling through music. From the shimmering melodies of title track ‘Rainbow’ to the hypnotic rhythms of ‘Amulet’ to the dark and mysterious ‘Moon Dust’, each track invites listeners on a transcendent voyage of discovery.

Prepare to be spellbound as Amonita unveils the Rainbow EP on March 29th. Experience the magic for yourself and let the music transport you to a world where you can dream while awake and rainbows reign supreme.

Word is the name of the next EP which has been announced on the label as you can see right now. It was written by the prominent artist Orbet that has been making waves in his native country Russia and has played nearly all the hottest events and festivals there are and continuing doing it without any will to stop. It has been 5 years since his last vinyl release which was a sellout hit so this is an important year we marking in the artist’s life and sound output and celebrating his return to releasing the music again. The design of the record comes in the style of graffiti that is very close to the artist as Orbet is no stranger to this art being an artist of graffiti himself. The tracks have a wide range of sound and would be able to work at different times of the party whether it’s prime, warm up or the afters. The four tracks presented on this disc are ready to be worked round the clock strictly for the pleasure of the people of the underground. I think that should conclude my verbal ramblings as it’s best to test this record in action to see it for yourself.

37 years after the release of her multi-million selling debut album "Ancient Heart" Tanita Tikaram will release the sequel entitled "LIAR (Love Isn"t A Right)". The long-awaited new album reveals the emotional and societal differences between the woman Tanita was at just 18 when she made "Ancient Heart" to the woman she is today, taking in four decades of life experience. Her first album in almost a decade, "LIAR (Love Isn"t A Right)" is an album of haunting beauty and exquisite musicianship underplaying her unique voice that tells a masterful story of emotional, political and personal truths. When it was released in 1988, the multi-million selling "Ancient Heart" was the story of an uncertain 18-year-old brown gay woman living in middle England feeling like a stranger in her own home. Almost 40 years later that same woman, now feeling like a stranger in her own country as politics and society become more divisive. "LIAR (Love Is A Right)" is a full circle moment: a comment on community and its importance for all our futures and the perfect accompaniment to her classic breakthrough.

37 years after the release of her multi-million selling debut album "Ancient Heart" Tanita Tikaram will release the sequel entitled "LIAR (Love Isn"t A Right)". The long-awaited new album reveals the emotional and societal differences between the woman Tanita was at just 18 when she made "Ancient Heart" to the woman she is today, taking in four decades of life experience. Her first album in almost a decade, "LIAR (Love Isn"t A Right)" is an album of haunting beauty and exquisite musicianship underplaying her unique voice that tells a masterful story of emotional, political and personal truths. When it was released in 1988, the multi-million selling "Ancient Heart" was the story of an uncertain 18-year-old brown gay woman living in middle England feeling like a stranger in her own home. Almost 40 years later that same woman, now feeling like a stranger in her own country as politics and society become more divisive. "LIAR (Love Is A Right)" is a full circle moment: a comment on community and its importance for all our futures and the perfect accompaniment to her classic breakthrough.

Italian producer, musician, DJ, and groove architect Sam Ruffillo drops his long-awaited debut album Tipo Così on Toy Tonics – a sun-drenched, genre-blurring statement that blends classic house with Mediterranean flair, romantic funk, and tongue-in-cheek Italo vibes. Over 11 expertly crafted tracks, Ruffillo delivers a dancefloor-ready, emotionally rich LP that connects deep musicality with irresistible rhythm and light-hearted elegance.

After three acclaimed EPs and collaborations with revered artists such as Barbara Boeing, Kapote, and Fimiani, Ruffillo has firmly cemented himself as a core artist on the Berlin-based label. Known for his unmistakable signature sound — a warm mix of vintage disco, 90s house, and Italian vocals — Sam’s music has garnered widespread DJ support from tastemakers like Gerd Janson, Palms Trax, Seth Troxler, and DJ Tennis, while becoming a staple on Italian airwaves. His infectious summer anthems like Danza Organica and Perfetta Così have soundtracked countless club nights and festivals, creating a loyal following that eagerly awaited this full-length debut.

Tipo Così is the natural culmination of a musical journey that’s both playful and profound — a travel diary written in grooves, synth stabs, and melodies that feel like postcards from a parallel Mediterranean universe. The album expands and deepens Ruffillo’s world into a fully immersive experience: lush emotional chords meet tight syncopated grooves, vintage synth textures collide with irresistibly catchy pop refrains, and the boundary between sincerity and playful irony is exquisitely blurred.

Entirely written, produced, and recorded in Italy, in his beloved hometown of Bologna, the album finds Ruffillo at the helm on keys, drum machines, and production, supported by a talented cast of musicians contributing live bass, guitar, and other organic elements — further enriching his trademark fusion of electronic grooves and natural instrumentation. There’s a tactile warmth in these tracks, a hands-on feel that adds soul and depth to every beat.

This album also marks Ruffillo’s heartfelt return to singing in Italian, with standout tracks like House Tipo Così, Mi Fa Volare, Ancora, and Dentro Di Me, where romantic naïveté meets pulsing club energy in a way that feels both timeless and refreshingly new. The vocal performances add an intimate, human touch to the music, reinforcing the personal stories woven into each song. There’s poetry in the casual, a bittersweet elegance in the way the lyrics float over groove-heavy production.

Having toured extensively across Europe, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Mexico — with sets at iconic venues like Panorama Bar and festivals such as Sónar Barcelona — Ruffillo has fine-tuned much of this album in front of live audiences. The real-world testing ground infused the record with a dynamic energy and immediacy that only comes from genuine crowd interaction. These songs weren’t just made in the studio — they were lived on dancefloors around the world.

Tipo Così is not just a collection of tracks. It’s a philosophy — playful, stylish and unmistakably personal. A modern club album bursting with heartfelt emotion and sophistication. Music for dancers with taste; for lovers of beauty, rhythm, and the little imperfections that make things feel real.

But what exactly is Tipo Così? More than just a phrase, it’s a way of being. It’s about embracing elegance without effort, mixing irony with sincerity, and letting nostalgia slip into the room without taking over the party. It’s Sam Ruffillo’s signature language: relaxed, confident, meticulous yet never rigid — where a chord progression can say as much as a lyric, and every beat carries intention.

The album’s visual identity complements this vision perfectly. The artwork and promotional materials lovingly reference Italian design from the ’80s and ’90s, combining bold graphic elements with playful pop culture nods. This aesthetic mirrors Ruffillo’s music — a fusion of vintage warmth and contemporary freshness, delivered with authenticity and charm.

Sam Ruffillo belongs to a new generation of European artists who are reshaping electronic music by blending past and present, analog and digital, groove and emotion — without nostalgia or pose. His artistic universe is coherent, vibrant, and alive; a rich tapestry of sound, images, and stories that coexist with lightness, precision, and a distinctive voice.

Reflecting on his artistic journey, Sam describes music as a vital, deeply human impulse — a tribal connection to rhythm and body that has driven him since he was a teenager. His creative process balances meticulous planning with room for spontaneity, usually sparked by clear melodic ideas that evolve naturally. Collaborations with close friends, especially vocalists like Ninfa, add warmth and authenticity, exemplified in tracks like “House Tipo Così.” For Sam, music is honest self-expression — crafted for listeners who crave memorable melodies and rhythms imbued with genuine feeling.

While technical perfection is tempting, Sam prioritizes emotion, knowing that what truly resonates is the soul behind the sounds. His long-standing partnership with Toy Tonics has been key in nurturing his vision, offering a blend of creative freedom and professional support. Looking ahead, Sam Ruffillo is excited to broaden his live performances, and release new projects that continue to blend electronic grooves with organic, heartfelt sounds — maintaining the delicate balance between playful irony and sincere emotion that defines Tipo Così.




Kurzversion:
Italian DJ, producer and musician Sam Ruffillo drops his debut album Tipo Così on Toy Tonics - a sunny blend of house, funk, Italo and pop, full of groove and emotion. Written and recorded in Bologna with live instruments and Italian vocals, it’s a playful, elegant journey shaped on dancefloors worldwide. A stylish, sincere club album where nostalgia, irony and rhythm meet in perfect harmony.

- Mi Fa Volare
Road-tested across continents and now finally released, “Mi Fa Volare” channels 90s uplifting euphoria with big breakbeats, lush chords, and Italian vocals built to stick. Somewhere between balearic bliss and piano house nostalgia, it’s a feel-good club weapon made for peak-time moments - already sung back by crowds after just one listen.


- Ancora
“Ancora” is a vibrant hi-NRG track inspired by 80s Italo disco, sung entirely in Italian. It blends driving rhythms with dreamy melodies, capturing the radiant spirit of the decade. This fresh yet nostalgic song delivers euphoric vibes and timeless energy, making it a perfect fit for both dancefloors and reflective listening moments worldwide.


- Dentro Di Me
“Dentro Di Me” channels ‘90s sensuality through a fast-paced, UK house-inspired lens. Entirely in Italian, it’s a bold and contemporary dance track where hypnotic vocals meet high-energy grooves. Blending nostalgic textures with forward-thinking production, the result is a seductive and euphoric trip - equal parts emotional and club-ready.


- Amigo
“Amigo” blends Latin groove, acoustic guitar-driven rhythm, and Mediterranean flair into a warm, magnetic, cross-cultural dance anthem. Sung in Spanish and Italian, it celebrates connection, inclusivity, and the joy of moving together - whether stranger or friend. With its unstoppable rhythm and vibrant energy, it’s a feel-good track with a unifying spirit.


- Ma Sei Fuori
“Ma Sei Fuori” is a tongue-in-cheek dancefloor bomb blending raw house energy with catchy vocal phrases and a nod to classic French touch. Driven by hypnotic vocal lines and a playful attitude, it doesn’t take itself too seriously - while still proving serious club impact. Built for late-night moments, it’s bold, bouncy, and impossible to ignore.

Doja Cat’s highly anticipated fifth studio album, “Vie”, is slated for release on September 26th. The 15-track album is rich with retro textures and a sonic background charged by various influences from the 70s and 80s. “Vie” highlights Doja’s own personal evolution and brings audiences into the world of love, life and the mess in between.

Pulso and Translate sets their first Semantica 12", an extended EP claiming purity and identity trough a sound design they have been rising during years on some of the best techno labels. 'Film (Negatives)' sets a new standard into their own scale resulting a vinyl hard to miss.

Reissue

his ultimate 6LP Boxset presents the works of Pascal Comelade from 1984 to 2024 and his 40 years producing instrumental music. Each vinyl has been thought as an album in itself , with its own identity, that could be listened as it is. According to the artist, "Improperies- compositions et enregistrements magnétiques (1984-2024)" is a music puzzle which doesn't obey to any rule with the exception of Pascal Comelade's creation and art thoughts that kept moving over the years.
Limited numbered to 500 copies - 6 x Black Vinyl in spineless sleeve, heawyweight cardboard slipcase/custod numbered at the back, includes an insert-photo signed by the artist. The boxset artwork is an original creation by Miquel Barceló.

The Mighty Diamonds are one of the most famous vocal groups to come out of the Jamaican Reggae scene.
Their perfect harmonies ride over the wholesome and Garveyite influenced lyrics to such great effect that they will always evoke memories of that time and place, but also like all great music never seems to date.

The Mighty Diamonds consist of Donald ‘Tappy’ Shaw (lead vocals) Fitzroy ‘Bunny’ Simpson and Lloyd ‘Judge’ Ferguson providing those fantastic harmonies.
They began their recording career working with producers Stranger Cole and Rupie Edwards but found their breakthrough success with producer Joseph ‘Joe Joe’ Hookim at the legendary Channel One Studios recording ‘Hey Girl’ and covering two foreign tunes namely ‘Country Living’ (The Stylistics) and ‘Stoned Out of Mind’ (The Chi-lites) which suited their vocal styles perfectly.

The vocal group also cut tracks with other famous producers of the time Joe Gibbs ,Gussie Clarke and Mr.Tappa Zukie of which we focus this release on.On listening, these tunes work perfectly with harmonies weaving together and lifting the songs to another level.
The group also leave some room for a history lesson in the shape of ‘Morgan the Pirate’ and the thought provoking ‘Do You Want to Spend Your Time Wasting Time’.
Well waste no more and enjoy this set by one of Jamaica’s finest vocal groups….

"Ingredients In A Recipe For Soul proved that Ray Charles didn’t so much ignore genres, but, by the ’60s, had become a genre unto himself. An academic might want to separate this stack of songs into neat little buckets—country, jazz, standards, blues, pop—but those are just the ingredients. Ray Charles sings whatever he likes and whatever he sings comes out as a Ray Charles song, with a flavor all its own.

Two hit singles, “Busted” and “That Lucky Old Sun,” made Ingredients In A Recipe For Soul an instant Top Ten when it was released in 1963. Bootlegged across Europe for decades, this is the fi rst and only legitimate reissue of this essential album on vinyl (and its fi rst appearance on CD since the 1990s), now fully restored and remastered with the full cooperation of the Ray Charles Foundation."

‘Acker Bilk was a bowler-hatted Titan of Trad jazz who conjured a warm, sentimental sound from his clarinet.’ So began the Daily Telegraph’s affectionate obituary for Acker Bilk, who died in November 2014, aged 85. It inevitably and correctly identified ‘Stranger On The Shore’, his biggest hit, as ‘among the best-selling records of the 20th century. Enjoy not only ‘Stranger…’ but many more examples of his mellifluous mastery here on this 180g Vinyl set.

"Songs For Other People's Weddings" ist ein Begleitalbum zum gleichnamigen Buch von Jens Lekman und dem preisgekrönten Bestsellerautor David Levithan, das am 5. August 2025 über ABRAMS erscheint. Das Projekt wurde von der überraschenden Nebenkarriere des beliebten schwedischen Künstlers als Hochzeitssänger inspiriert, die zufällig zustande kam, nachdem Fans seinen Song "If You Ever Need A Stranger (To Sing At Your Wedding)" aus dem Jahr 2004 wörtlich nahmen und ihn einluden, auf ihren Hochzeiten aufzutreten. "Songs For Other People's Weddings" ist ein fiktives Werk über J, einen unglücklich verliebten Musiker, der nebenbei als Hochzeitssänger arbeitet. J trifft sich mit Paaren vor ihrem großen Tag, um mehr über die intimen, seltsamen Dinge zu erfahren, die sie zusammengebracht haben, um einen originellen Song zu schreiben, den er ihnen auf ihrer Hochzeit vorträgt. Aber trotz Js Vorliebe, die perfekten Worte für andere zu finden, scheint er nicht in der Lage zu sein, dasselbe für seine eigene Liebe zu seiner Freundin V. zu tun. Lekman bemerkt: "Die Idee, ein erzählerisches Konzeptalbum (eine Rockoper?) zu machen, fühlte sich verboten an. Was für mich normalerweise ein Zeichen dafür ist, dass ich auf dem richtigen Weg bin. Als ich mich mit dem Genre der narrativen Konzeptalben beschäftigte, wurde mir klar, dass eines meiner Lieblingsalben, Frank Sinatras "Watertown", genau das war - eine Platte, die eine chronologische Geschichte über die Länge einer LP erzählte. Da ich nie ein Fan von Musicals oder Rockopern war, diente mir dieses Album als Inspiration. Ich schrieb das Album, während das Buch noch in Arbeit war, und an einigen Stellen begann ich mir vorzustellen, was zwischen den Kapiteln des Buches geschah. Das Buch und das Album waren schließlich miteinander verflochten, gingen aber auch ihre eigenen Wege. Das Buch gab die Struktur der Geschichte vor, aber das Album schlich sich manchmal hinter die Kulissen. Geschichten aus den Liedern fanden ihren Weg in das Buch und umgekehrt." "Songs For Other People's Weddings" folgt der Beziehung von J und V und verändert sich musikalisch, während das Paar durch die Höhen und Tiefen der Liebe navigiert - wobei jede neue Hochzeit ihren eigenen klanglichen Hintergrund bietet. Das Album ist eine orchestrale, romantische Sammlung, die sich zwischen pastoralen Streichern, verträumtem Pop, sanftem Jazz-Saxophon und traurigen House-Beats bewegt. "Die Figur des J kann seine eigenen Emotionen nicht aus seinen Liedern heraushalten, und Jens unterstreicht dies auf eine Weise, die den Hörer immer wieder überrascht", sagt Levithan. "Oft wird er von Matilda Sargren begleitet, die Vs Gefühlen und Gedanken eine Stimme gibt. Ursprünglich sollte sie nur auf den Demos singen, aber als sie anfing, V zu singen, war es keine Frage, dass sie auf dem endgültigen Album zu hören sein würde. Wenn Jens und ich unsere Arbeit getan haben, erzählen der Roman und das Album beide Seiten von Js und Vs Geschichte - und die Spannung entsteht dadurch, wie diese Seiten zusammenpassen." Lekman fügt hinzu: "Auch wenn es in dieser Geschichte um eine Beziehung geht und darum, wie sie sich in den Beziehungen und Hochzeiten anderer widerspiegelt, denke ich, dass es vor allem eine Liebesgeschichte über Musik und ihren Wert in einer Zeit ist, in der sie von Tech-Unternehmen abgewertet und in Inhalte verwandelt wird. Ihre Fähigkeit, zu beruhigen und zu verbinden und ihre Rolle in den Übergangsmomenten unseres Lebens, wie zum Beispiel bei Hochzeiten. Es ist ein Liebeslied an Liebeslieder."

Since 2006, listeners have been curious about the origin of the label name Italians Do It Better. Some say it's an homage to Italo Disco, others guess it's related to ancestry, but in fact it's a nod to the iconic T-shirt Madonna wears in the "Papa Don't Preach" video circa 1986.
Fast forward to a world pandemic... To encourage creativity & lift spirits, Italians Do It Better President, Megan Louise asked every artist “If you could cover your favourite Madonna song…What would it be?”

As a tribute to their label muse & the impact Madonna’s music has had on the world around us, Italians Do It Better are sharing a compilation of covers simply titled “Italians Do It Better”. One of the tracks (“Lucky Star” by Club Intl) is even produced by Max Kamins, the son of Mark Kamins, the New York DJ who helped break Madonna in the early 1980's. From the experience he says “Dance music was the soundtrack of my early childhood. Working on "Lucky Star" reconnected me not only to my father, but also reminded me that a good song is timeless".

Executive produced by Johnny Jewel, the compilation is a passport to 20 covers from the bedrooms of 19 artists across 10 different countries.

Released in 1985, Misplaced Childhood includes the hit single ‘Kayleigh’, hit #1 in the UK and stayed in the charts for 41 weeks. As the band’s first concept album, Misplaced Childhood explores themes of lost love, sudden success, acceptance and the fading innocence of youth.

Gusgus are continuing their weird fusion of 80’s and 90’s vibes in the spirit of their last album DanceOrama. This time its nostalgic futuristic raving, delivering 2 nasty bits for those Dj’s bringing stranger journeys on floor, or some madness when the crowd is vulnerable for some alter reality experience.

2025 Repress

After a short hiatus Deep In Dis intl. is back in the game. This time bringing you a split EP by two young prolific producers who have been in our radar for quite sometime now, Eric OS and Lewis. With both artists being based in Sweden and each one of them with a characteristic sound, we thought it would be a good idea to split our next release between these two cutting edge talents and that's how the Timebomb EP came to life.

We first discovered Eric tunes through a Binh set last year at the Nostromo Festival and we instantly knew we had to get Eric on board for a future project with us and here we are. With releases on System Error, Eya Records and his own imprint Space Trace, Eric brings to the table all those elements that made us get up off the back stage sofa and lose it on the floor. Flipping the record we have the Data Flow head label Lewis bringing us another two special club cuts. Having released a digital EP with us before, we couldn't wait to press some of Lewis analog soundscapes.

A1. 'Eden' is a true dance floor filler , endless groove and quirky sounds penetrating your brain while taking you in a break with some dreamy pads and even stranger synth lines. A2. 'Timebomb' keeps the vibe going, even higher this time. The formula seems to be timeless. Progry melodies, wonky bassline, and solid drum patterns.B1. 'Project Mayhem' invites us to close our eyes and travel without moving with its hypnotic groove, the feeling of pleasure, energy and empathy increases and floats the dancefloor in a never ending way. Closing the EP 'Acid44' spills a lysergic groove on the floor with no possibility of escape or return. Infected synth lines, snappy snares and some serious bassline are the powerful potion of the track.

The album introduced a lush, complex dream world that the singer, composer, and producer created and inhabited largely on her own. She produced all the songs, and wrote and performed everything on the self-released collection outside of a re-imagined cover of Pink Floyd’s “Green is the Colour” and 2 other tracks (“The Time,” “Give It Back To You”), which started as instrumentals written by Survive’s Kyle Dixon (who composed the Stranger Things soundtrack with his bandmate Michael Stein), to which Ainsworth wrote melodies and added lyrics. Ainsworth, who’s relocated to Los Angeles from Toronto since 2017’s Darling of the Afterglow, explains that the collection revealed itself to her “as a play taking place in Mother Nature’s vanishing home,” aka Phantom Forest, and that she’s singing from 3 perspectives: herself, Mother Nature, and Greek Chorus. For instance, of the album’s opener, “Diamonds Cutting Diamonds,” she explains: “The Greek Chorus sets the scene, narrating and offering direction on how to enter Phantom Forest. It’s my hope that the listener will imagine the narration to be directed to them as well, as they begin the journey of the album.” You’ll get a sense of this from the collection’s edenic cover art and the playful, pastoral video for the album’s first single, “Can You Find Her Place.” Its inspiration came from Ainsworth’s love for Italian Renaissance painter Botticelli’s 15-century masterpiece “Primavera,” an allegorical representation of the burgeoning fertility of the earth in spring. She notes: “The video features the Greek gods of the painting in a choreographed Baroque style dance.” Keeping with the personal feel of the collection, her sister Abby Ainsworth directed the clip. In line with the classical and historical depths of Phantom Forest, Ainsworth, who holds a Masters Degree in film scoring composition from NYU and studied composition as an undergrad at McGill, notes that although the album might be considered pop, she approached it as an orchestrator. “Even if I’m dealing purely with synths,” she says, “The songs are like a score, each one an evolving journey. I love to use strings so I’ve included my string arrangements on ‘Tell Me I Exist’ and ‘Can You Find Her Place.’ I recorded live musicians on drums, bass, and guitar on ‘Edge of the Throne,’ ‘The Time,’ and ‘Floating Dream,’ and wove those live elements into my programmed elements.” Phantom Forest is a beautiful, vast collection that mixes the historical and the hands on, with hooks about the apocalypse and people obsessively using face-recognition software to see what paintings their face match with, in search of some kind of connection. It’s a journey that holds up to close listening (and lyric reading) and to dance floors, but that can also exist on a purely emotional plane. In all cases, it asks that you listen, and take some kind of action.

ll star cast from 4 different cosmic corners comes the more electronic side of Hamam. T hink of it as the dorian gray of Frankfurt airport , but instead it's at the hamam in istanbul. Fattish - no stranger to electronic versions of loved and cherished turkish songs, Fattish delivers a monster cinematic piece, strings section...the whole lot...check anything he puts his hands on, this one made it to the wax Kozmonotosman - our man on the moon, he visits regularly so if u need any rocks or bits ask him he will bring u, I got loads of rock so u can ask me alternatively.

My man delivers a super dope and groovy number from a not so well known jam from the 70's . Just get down and boogie on this. Kurt Adam - one of the new faves of the Hamam camp, delivers a taverna cut in a housey affair. Don't be fooled by the electronics, I drink raki to this any day at the drinkery. Hold me down if u can m gonna dance in euphoria, hear the wolfman roarrr.