Adventurous big band jazz featuring such renowned composers and arrangers as Masao Yagi, Kiyoshi Yamaya, Norio Maeda, and Masahiko Sato. This is Sharps & Flats' greatest masterpiece.
Sharps & Flats, led by Nobuo Hara, has led the Japanese big band jazz scene with its diverse activities and outstanding musicality. They have produced many works throughout their long career, but this album, Little Giant, is considered one of their most representative works. The original was released in 1970 as part of Victor's Japanese Jazz series. Of note is the participation of such renowned composers and arrangers as Masao Yagi, Kiyoshi Yamaya, Norio Maeda, and Masahiko Sato.
In addition to the original songs by each member, the album also features a unique arrangement of Oliver Nelson, who has a close relationship with Sharps & Flats. The arrangements are as detailed as they are adventurous, and the performance quality is high enough to make them a reality. The hipness of "Little Giant," the strength of "Dark Horse," the edgyness of "Orbit 8:11," the elegance of "Flexibility"... The dynamic performance with the right amount of tension is captivating. This is a masterpiece that brings out the best of Sharps and Flats' ability and charm.
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(Standard black vinyl version) With their anticipated new album, Black Flower delves into the transformative power of rhythm and motion.
Each groove, rhythm and pulse channels raw energy, acting as a disruptor that drives transformation. When the mind feels stuck-cemented in patterns, rigid in its views, overwhelmed by obstacles-Kinetic serves as a reminder that the body's motion can be the force to shatter those confines. To move is to adapt, evolve, and transform.
The album embodies a philosophy of flowing with change rather than resisting it, offering a bold, dynamic statement on breaking free from life's limitations. Kinetic is a call to dance through life's chaos and to harness the power of movement as a tool for liberation.
The album showcases Black Flower's signature blend of Ethio-jazz, oriental influences, dub, and afrobeat. The jazz combo, hailed by tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson, The Gaslamp Killer, and Lefto Early Bird, has performed live sessions on BBC Radio 3 and Worldwide FM. Their previous albums earned widespread acclaim, with glowing reviews from prestigious publications such as MOJO, Stereogum, Q Magazine, and Uncut Magazine. The band has toured extensively across Europe, building a strong fanbase.
File under: contemporary Jazz / ethio jazz
In 1970, Akira Ishikawa, central to the jazz rock scene, embraced the chaos of the times and challenged himself with this ambitious work, pushing the boundaries of jazz. "Electrum" represents the pinnacle of Ishikawa's exploration into the genre, characterized by its intense and precise groove, where musicians compete to reach new heights.
This album includes standout tracks such as the storm-like "Electrum," the intricately layered "Revulsion," and the serene "Speak Under My Breath," evoking the clarity of dawn. The participation of two genius pianists, composers, and arrangers, Masahiko Sato and Hiromasa Suzuki, further enhances this dense and exhilarating work.
Regarded as one of Akira Ishikawa's masterpieces, "Electrum" is a significant revival within the Victor "Japanese Jazz" series.
DJ Support: Carlita, Dar Disku, Disco Arabesquo & Moving Still
Melbourne-based producer Rami Imam unveils Safara, the latest release on his own label, Ponda Records, which he founded in 2020 as a platform for his cross-cultural sound explorations. Drawing from the rich traditions of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean, Safara is a six-track odyssey of energetic and euphoric house and disco house, deeply rooted in both nostalgia and innovation. Safara is the culmination of Imam's immersion into the golden eras of global music, channelling the soulful rhythms and melodies of Afro-Funk, West African Highlife, Arab Disco, Bollywood, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Libyan Reggae, and Algerian Rai. By blending these timeless influences with a modern, dancefloor-oriented focus, Imam creates a sound that is both steeped in history and refreshingly new.
With a sonic palette that includes iconic synths such as the Juno 106, Super 6, SH 101, Moog Model D, and the 303, Imam weaves the analog warmth of these instruments into lush, modern productions. Piano and strings—his favourite classical instruments—add an organic layer of emotional depth, connecting the pulse of the dancefloor with the timeless elegance of traditional composition.
Safara is more than a collection of tracks; it is a journey across continents and eras, where the pulse of the past meets the driving force of the present. Recorded in Melbourne but influenced by sounds from around the world, Safara invites listeners to traverse vast musical landscapes—from the hypnotic grooves of North African rhythms to the sun-drenched melodies of Mediterranean shores—culminating in a transportive experience that lingers long after the final beat fades.
By balancing the ancient with the futuristic, Imam has crafted a record that feels both comfortingly familiar and daringly innovative. Safara is a testament to the endless possibilities of blending cultures, genres, and eras into something that is not just heard but felt—music for the soul as much as for the dancefloor.
’之 / OF is a word that can be used as a preposition to express the relationship between a part and a whole. It is an unfinished tone, a broken sentence, a start and a whole. It is sustainable, full of potentials and longings.’’
London based performance and sound artist Li Yilei shared an experience familiar to many migrants during the past year of COVID-19 chaos. With their UK visa set to expire, and family back in China, Li made a last-minute dash to return to their nation of birth. Able to board one of the last few flights to China during the initial turmoil of the coronavirus outbreak, Li made it back to Shanghai for a two-week stint in a quarantine hotel.
Though Li had already begun creating OF, the reality of the pandemic began to seep into the recordings. Each of the 12 tracks is a study in horology, using metaphorical sound transcriptions and atmospheric extractions to focus on the temporal relationship between experience and surroundings. Li’s awareness of their own understanding of time became increasingly heightened during quarantine and the emotional involvement found within these new realities informed many of the sounds created.
‘’I tried to portray each song as a short, scattered poem - a moment that I captured to represent each hour.’’
Composed using analogue synthesisers, vocal samples, field recordings and string instruments such as the violin and guqin, Li indulges in moments of grief, panic, healing, cessation, melancholy, vastness, hope, joy and emptiness as they explore the acoustic relations between humans and the many forces of nature.
The art of the Song Dynasty, with its ancient traditions of poetry and timekeeping, were also great sources of inspiration for the album - whilst paintings from the period, specifically those of flowers and birds, are common themes throughout the tracks. Indeed, it is within the vastness of time that the album artwork comes to relevance. The eighth emperor of the Song Dynasty, Huizong, was a revered artist and a scene from his work ‘Finches and Bamboo’ adorns the album cover.
In February 2023, multi-instrumentalist, producer, songwriter, and “genre-defying melody man” (Billboard) Amtrac released his highly-anticipated third album ‘Extra Time’ via Openers.
Inspired by a period of deep reflection during the 2020 lockdowns, ‘Extra Time’ consists of a handcrafted fuse of delicate textures and gritty styles into an unfiltered sonic trip, with each song depicting the process of emotions during a time of uncertainty for the future. It’s a 13-track exploration of forced introspection, a cohesive story that finishes with a surreal feeling of hope.
Amtrac stated: “I made this record to encompass what I was feeling during the times of uncertainty in the world, it helped me cope and was my outlet for everything I was going through. When the listener is done with this album I’m hoping to create the feeling of when you left the movie theater as a child and just saw something that made you think differently.”
Designed to mimic the tension and release of a classic film score, the unique sound of ‘Extra Time’ was heavily influenced by Amtrac’s immersion in the worlds of Jazz and 90s video game music, particularly the classic 90s computer game Grim Fandango and the sonic landscapes of Miles Davis and Stanley Turrentine in addition to the groundbreaking work of fellow electronic pioneers such as Bonobo and Dan Snaith.
Album highlights include kickoff track “Heard Me Right” which was described by Billboard as a “moving mix of rhythmic bass lines and atmospheric melodies”, “Contrast” featuring vocalist Reva Devito, and “Domino” featuring Future Islands frontman Samuel T. Herring that Fangoria described as “like John Carpenter and Basement Jaxx had a baby”. The album also features vocals from his friend Naeem, who worked closely with Amtrac on the jazzy and suspended-in-time groove of “Hesitation.” “Nobody Else” flips a vocal from the Four Tops classic “I Can’t Help Myself” over energetic drums and sultry guitar, and “Dancing With You” unfolds with traditional house elements toward an explosive climax of layered synths. Having made his name with intense DJ sets and creative remixes and collaborations, ‘Extra Time’ is the perfect showcase for Amtrac’s trademark stylistic dexterity and melodic sensitivity - and redefines what it means to create electronic music in 2023.
This follows his collab with Diplo and Leon Bridges on “High Rise” and the recent release of “I’ll Be Around”, his collaboration with English vocalist/producer Elderbrook.
HTRK step into their 21st year on reflective terms, launching a series of collaborations, covers/remixes, installations, and performances alongside the new repress of their full-length debut, Marry Me Tonight. First released in 2009 via Blast First Petite, the album saw its first vinyl pressing in 2015 via Ghostly International and has since been out of stock. In late 2024, Marry Me Tonight becomes available in limited edition pink and black vinyl, also finally on streaming services. Few groups in history elevate mood to such singular, smoldering supremacy as the Australian duo of Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang, aka HTRK (or "hate rock" if informed). Across two decades of work and wounds, HTRK's sound has shape-shifted between densities and intensities, noise and nakedness, but never wavered in its delicate poetic gravity. In HTRK's sound world, cavernous reverberations of dub techno are mixed with frosted post-punk motifs and the gravelly imperfections of industrial, reimagined in the setting of a dingy basement. Like all HTRK albums, Marry Me Tonight was singular in sound and circumstance. It's the only album the outfit recorded from start to finish as a trio, and it's the only HTRK record that bears the co-production stamp of Rowland S. Howard. Breathy, caustic, and rife with contradiction, Marry Me Tonight took the raw material recorded on 2005's Nostalgia and transformed it into a pop record _ pop that buckled and warped beneath the glare of Howard, fellow producer Lindsay Gravina, and the HTRK trio: Jonnine Standish, Nigel Yang and Sean Stewart. Howard died at the end of 2009; Stewart died the year after. Things would never be the same. The band would carry on and reach new heights despite it all, but as a trio, this is their definitive document.
X-Coast unveils 9-track 2xLP The Riviera Collection on his label Riviera Records.
Hot on the heels from remixing instant dance hits such as Shygirl's '4eva' and DJ Gigola's 'La Batteria' and spotted in the studio with adored vocalists Eartheater and Miss Bashful, Serbian-born, NYC-based DJ/producer X-Coast returns with a collection of signature tracks that feel like the lost treasure chest of his dance island.
X-Coast is your favorite DJ's favorite producer, whose tracks you’ve undoubtedly danced to, whether on a massive festival stage or at an intimate, underground rave. Over the past decade, he has quietly but consistently shaped the pulse of dancefloors worldwide, with a distinctive style that traverses genres like house, techno, electro, drum and bass, and trance. This rare versatility has led X-Coast to release on the likes of Mall Grab’s Steel City Dance Discs, Diplo’s Higher Ground, Anetha’s Mama Told Ya and DJ Haus’s Unknown To The Unknown, to name a few.
What sets X-Coast apart is not just his ability to move fluidly between styles but the unique character embedded in every track. His productions have an undeniable warmth and authenticity, often evoking the raw, euphoric spirit of the 90s and 00s rave era. This nostalgic yet forward-thinking approach makes his music feel timeless, effortlessly blending old-school rave energy with modern production techniques. It's a quality that has made him a go-to for DJs across the board, whether they’re playing peak-time techno sets or deep, groovy house sessions.
On The Riviera Collection, released on his own label, Riviera Records, X-Coast opens the vault to reveal a diverse range of tracks that showcase his deep connection to multiple eras of electronic music. This collection reflects the breadth of his eclectic DJ sets, where various sounds and styles converge into a cohesive journey. Each track feels like a contemporary reimagining of a classic moment in dance music history.
From the early 2000s tribal influences layered with X-Coast’s signature chord work on ‘Neapolis,’ to the soaring, synthetic trance energy of ‘Desert Storm,’ and the infectious, camp vibe of the diva house ‘Hold Me Baby,’ the collection takes us on a nostalgic trip back to the origins of rave culture. It echoes a time when DJs crafted a journey through genres, playing everything from house to trance to techno in one seamless night.
The collection’s first hidden gems and long-awaited singles are “Da Boing Boing Trak” and "Put Your Hands Together". Both staples in his sets at iconic venues and festivals like Pitch Music & Arts, fabric, Circoloco, AVA Festival, Melt!, and Intercell, this track has been in high demand among fans, finally seeing its release. With The Riviera Collection, X-Coast continues to cement his status as a versatile producer capable of bridging the gap between past and present, while delivering music that moves crowds everywhere.
Konstantin Sibold makes his debut on Adam Beyer’s revered imprint with compulsively danceable, highenergy, abrasively dark yet, in Sibold’s expert hands, somehow upbeat three-tracker ‘Lost In Space’. Previously releasing on Afterlife, Running Back, Aufnahme + Wiedergabe and Innervisions, the German producer eschews any genre straitjacket with his underground roots and mix of very diverse sub-genres. As a DJ, Sibold plays iconic venues worldwide inc.
Panorama Bar, Fabric, Tomorrowland, Awakenings and is famed for his marathon B2B sessions with artist inc. Solomun, Kobosil, Kerri Chandler, Kevin De Vries, and his remixes of such differing luminaries as Vintage Culture, Rebuke, Adriatique, Lana Del Rey, Laibach, Royksopp & many more. For the title track, Konstantin collabs with rising 20-years-young Brazilian talent KAF3R who aims to bring ‘sentimental and memorable experiences’ to all, creating a maelstrom of yin & yang. ‘Lost In Space’: This Peaktime Mainstage Melodic Techno monster efficiently resets the dance floor and turns it upside down at the same time.
A spacey robot vocal riff predicts a massive synth orchestrated shutdown. Konstantin Sibold debuted this beast at Tomorrowland Winter Mainstage. Heavily supported by Kolsch, Vintage Culture, ANNA, Kevin De Vries, Innellea and many more. ‘The Arrival’: This catchy stadium singalong hymn unites the dance floor with its Hands-Up hook, gated vocals and rolling baseline. Feels like a retro futuristic classic you already seem to know from a distant euphoric memory. ‘Dark Matter’: A hypnotic, recurring melody transcends between light and darkness. Referring to Konstantin Sibold’s old melodic techno hits such as 'Mutter', but with the addition of a trippy, alarming vocal fragment.
2024 Repress alert
Space Ghost is excited to announce the release of Dream Tool, a four track 12” EP produced by Space Ghost himself. Dream Tool offers up four spacious house tunes exploring Space Ghost’s signature style of dance music. Each track is equipped with groovin’ drums, atmospheric pads, catchy piano melodies, and bouncy basslines. Dream Tool is the debut release of Space Ghost’s new label, Peace World Records.
With the launch of Peace World Records, Space Ghost aims to harness his passion for music to create a unique platform for like-minded artists in the Bay Area and beyond. Since moving to Oakland in 2009, Space Ghost has been a consistent fixture in the Bay Area music scene, DJing regularly and refining his production skills. For Space Ghost, honing his craft and creating enduring, high-quality art is essential, making the establishment of his new label a natural progression in his artistic journey.
Space Ghost has garnered an international following over the years by steadily dropping a diverse array of LPs and EPs. He has collaborated with Danish label Tartelet Records for multiple projects and has also put out music with acclaimed labels such as Apron Records, Pacific Rhythm, and PPU. Across his releases, Space Ghost’s production style weaves between ambient and dance music, drawing inspiration from the underground scenes of the '80s and '90s while adding a contemporary touch.
The launch of Peace World Records and its debut release, Dream Tool, marks Space Ghost’s inaugural step towards his goal at a full-time music career. Embodying his journey, this debut release truly is his Dream Tool.
Ocean Moon - alias of producer Jon Tye (MLO).
In addition to running the long-standing label Lo Recordings, Tye has recorded under various names and been involved in numerous projects over the past three decades. Keen fans of the label may also notice that this isn't Tye's first collaboration with MFM; his work during the 1990's as part of UK ambient group MLO captured our attention years ago, leading to the release of their retrospective album 'Oumuamua' in 2021.
Releasing archival work alongside new material from an artist has been a fundamental aspect of Music From Memory's identity since we began the label, and is something that continues to bring us immense joy. With Jon continuing to produce work under a wide range of names to this day, the short step to releasing this new work was organic and natural. Working under the name Ocean Moon Jon carries echoes of his work with MLO into the modern day, weaving an ambient electronic music that radiates gentle positivity.
The title 'Ways To The Deep Meadow' is inspired by the poem 'Universal Solar Calendar' written by poet, mystic, shaman, and visionary Angus Maclise. Maclise began as the percussionist in an early iteration of La Monte Young's Theatre Of Eternal Music and later played with the Velvet Underground before moving to Nepal, where he wrote and published an impressive collection of poetry and music.
Side one of the album was created at a time when Tye had been exploring ideas around artificial intelligence, delving into books such as 'The Physics Of Immortality' by Frank J. Tippler, 'Novacene' by James Lovelock, and '12 Bytes' by Jeanette Winterson, seeking an alternative to the prevalent, negative views of AI. He was also inspired by the Buddhist perspective of AI as an integral part of consciousness evolution, as evidenced by the creation of a Buddhist robot that preaches in the Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto.
Side two consists of two long-form pieces, one composed for Janine Rook's 'Made In Dreams' exhibition and the other for Vix Hill Ryder's 'Wild Edges' film. For 'Made In Dreams', text from the exhibition catalogue was processed via the Holly Herndon Holly + app to create an environment that is simultaneously otherworldly and warm.
As with much of Jon's work, this music seeks to nurture an optimistic outlook in the listener, something he achieves here with subtlety and a truly delicate touch. The immersive ambient music of 'Ways To The Deep Meadow' reaches out to the listener like gentle trails of light, offering it's spells,invocations and enchantments to all who choose to listen.
'Ways To The Deep Meadow' will be released on 31st January 2025 on LP as well as digitally. Sleeve art and design by Michael Willis.
- A1: Dance On A Volcano
- A2: Entangled
- B1: Squonk
- B2: Mad Man Moon
- C1: Robbery, Assault & Battery
- C2: Ripples
- D1: A Trick Of The Tail
- D2: Los Endos
180-gram 45 RPM double LP. Pressed at Quality Record Pressings. Tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jacket with textured stock by Stoughton Printing
Genesis' seventh studio album was released in February 1976 on Charisma Records and was the first to feature drummer Phil Collins as lead vocalist after the departure of Peter Gabriel. The album was a critical and commercial success in the U.K. and U.S., reaching No. 3 and No. 31 respectively. A Trick Of The Tail was a landmark album for the band, and it still stands today as one of their best with classics such as "Dance On A Volcano" and "Squonk."
In the wake of Peter Gabriel's departure from the band, the remaining members of Genesis were determined to forge ahead, showcasing their songwriting prowess and recording prowess in the absence of their iconic frontman. This period marked the genesis of A Trick of the Tail. In mid-1975, the band embarked on an intensive creative journey, crafting new compositions and diligently rehearsing them. Their quest for a new lead vocalist led them to sift through a staggering 400 audition tapes.
As the autumn leaves began to fall, Genesis found themselves at Trident Studios in October, accompanied by producer David Hentschel. Surprisingly, the recording sessions began with an air of uncertainty regarding who would take on the role of lead vocalist. However, fate intervened when Phil Collins was persuaded to step up and deliver a powerful rendition of "Squonk." The strength of his performance not only won over the band but also paved the way for him to assume lead vocals for the entirety of the album.
Genesis has always been synonymous with grandeur and innovation, both in their electrifying live performances and their trailblazing studio albums. From timeless classics such as Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England By The Pound, to the epic concept album The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway, the band has consistently pushed the boundaries of musical creativity.
Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, and housed in a tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jacket with textured stock by Stoughton Printing.
Over the span of four remarkable decades, Genesis has left an indelible mark on the music industry, having sold a staggering 150 million albums worldwide. Their influence extends far and wide, inspiring artists ranging from the indie rock stylings of Elbow to the experimental sounds of The Flaming Lips, and even the soulful resonance of Jeff Buckley. A Trick of the Tail stands as a testament to their enduring legacy and their ability to adapt and thrive in the face of change.
- Prince Of Darkness
- Pee Wee
- Masqualero
- The Sorcerer
- Limbo
- Vonetta
- Nothing Like You
Filled with aural magic and enchanting musical spells, Sorcerer is true to its name. The third of five albums by Miles Davis’ legendary Second Great Quintet — and the second record in a still-unprecedented string of eight consecutive releases within a four-year period that forever changed the face of jazz — the 1967 effort mesmerizes with instrumental colors, subdued musings, and subtle details. These crucial characteristics blossom with vibrant realism on Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 33RPM SuperVinyl LP.
Sourced from the original master tapes and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, this numbered-edition audiophile edition of Sorcerer joins the ranks of other essential Davis records given supreme sonic and packaging treatment by Mobile Fidelity. Longtime listeners will immediately recognize a wealth of information and depth of tonality unavailable on prior versions. The myriad shadings, interwoven textures, and relaxed nuances that tie the post-bop set’s warm compositions together are rendered with utmost realism. Credit goes to MoFi’s engineers as well as the label’s groundbreaking SuperVinyl profile that features the lowest-possible noise floor as well as sublime transparency, dead-quiet surfaces, and superb groove definition.
By any measure, this is a reference reissue. You’ll hear poetic lyricism pouring out of Wayne Shorter’s horn, the breadth and definition of the notes spreading across an enormous soundstage. Never before have drummer Tony Williams’ rim shots ricocheted with such purpose or his light percussive work mirrored that of a feather touching skin. Similarly, Herbie Hancock’s piano runs occupy their own space, where their relationship to the central rhythms and front line becomes clearer.
Prizing inflection and nuance more so than heady solos or uptempo flights, Sorcerer mesmerizes with cerebral properties and cascades of emotional interplay. Such beauty emerges in the mellow ballad “Pee Wee,” an indelible statement of restrained authority and sophisticated expression. The swirling title track unfolds as jazz shadowplay, Hancock, Shorter, and Williams mirroring one another’s moves with guile and purpose. The opening “Prince of Darkness” showcases the ensemble’s reach and communication, every musician going in seemingly different directions yet ending up on the same page.
A lasting example of Davis’ visionary insight, Sorcerer is comprised entirely of pieces written by his band mates. Indeed, save for the closing “Nothing Like You” — a brief tribute to Davis’ eventual wife, who also graces the cover, recorded in 1962 and adorned with vocals from Bob Dorough — the album represents a further maturation and refinement of a quintet that stands as one of the finest in jazz history.
MoFi SuperVinyl
Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever devised. Analog lovers have never seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light and see) and produces the world’s quietest surfaces. This high-definition formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are virtually indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest approximation of what the label’s engineers hear in the mastering lab.
2025 Cream VINYL REPRESS.
When Alex Stephens (A.K.A. Strawberry Guy) self-released his debut single last year, he was merely doing it out of a love for songwriting. What he wasn't expecting was a million Youtube streams and an avid fanbase. Now, the South-Wales born, Liverpool-based songwriter is ready to release a full EP of his compelling, lushly produced dream-pop.
Born outside Cardiff, Strawberry Guy moved to Liverpool to study music and grow as a writer. 'I knew that it was a very artistic city with all it’s creative history, it seemed like the perfect place to move to.' he says. Whether it's playing keyboards in The Orielles or just being part of the city's growing musical scene, Alex plays music for the love of music, something that heavily translates into his adept songwriting.
The intense emotional feel of the tracks he writes is down to Alex's songwriting process, recording the entire EP in his bedroom & producing it himself. 'I feel that it’s important to me to only write/record when you’re channeling some kind of emotion, so I would only work on it when I was in the right mood to do so.' He answers when asked about the isolated environment into which he put himself for the recording process.
Much of the inspiration for Alex's work comes from experience rather than other artists. 'When something significant happens to me, all I want to do is make music.' In terms of musical touchstones however, there's the obvious dream-pop contemporaries such as Beach House and Weyes Blood, coupled with great songwriters of old like Nat King Cole or Harry Nillson. Sonically, a blend of orchestral & synthesized melodies layer together to act as a platform for his heartfelt lyrics.
Opener 'Without You' is a fine example of this, a break-up song of sorts, with an infectious keyboard melody and swirling synths over which Alex contemplates whether it's even possible to find lasting love. The lyrics 'Do you really have to talk about the things you do with him? Do you really have to talk about your love?' hit particularly heavily.
Contrast this with the final track, the titular 'Taking My Time To Be', a powerful song of self-discovery. Beginning with downtempo piano and drums, the song breaks out into a saxophone and synth solo that wouldn't go amiss on a Badalamenti soundtrack. 'The song is about me learning to be comfortable with myself, but then wondering if I'll be accepted for being myself' Alex imparts. It's a fitting closer to a EP driven by emotion and experience.
- A Shared Sense Of Purpose
- Rapid Transport Links
- Cul-De-Sac
- Summer All Year Round
- Facilities For All Ages
- Pedestrian Shopping Deck
- A New Town With An Old Sense Of Community
Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan's new album, Your Community Hub, compellingly continues his sonic exploration of the New Towns movement. The issues the councillors, planners, and architects set out to solve still resound and echo throughout society.
For the latest instalment in this unique project, Gordon Chapman-Fox turns his laser eye to focus on Community and the Community Centres that populated Warrington and Runcorn in order to provide all the facilities people needed within a five minute walk from their home. These planning ideas predated the current discussions of fifteen minute cities by fifty years.
Those 50 years have seen a decline in our community centres and services: handy access to a GP or dentist, Post Offices, youth clubs, local shops, banking and much more. Successive governments have undermined and eroded those basic services. The decline in community services has also been matched with a decline in community and shared experiences with a knock-on effect on the population's health and well-being. The disastrous austerity policies imposed over the last 15 years have exacerbated this long, slow reduction in available spaces for people to meet and communicate, with seemingly no recognition of the societal impact that causes. Short-termism at the expense of the community and how we live our lives.
Margaret Thatcher's statement that "there is no such thing as society" has been taken as a mission statement by successive Conservative governments who have aimed to remove as much support and communality from the citizens as possible. It continues now, the wrong-headed idea that everyone can be left to fend for themselves.
Chapman-Fox's latest album decries the cruelty of where we find ourselves in 2024 and his quiet incandescence about the loss of optimism for what communities should be and could be. It's his most powerful work, and as always, it will deeply resonate with those who tune in to his unique vision and unparalleled productions.
As ever, beautifully packaged and designed by Gordon, the album artwork features photographs from the archive of the architect Peter Garvin, which was kindly provided by his son Richard Garvin. The photographs show Peter's work on the Castlefield Community Centre, a sleek modernist structure clad in white ceramic tiles.
- A1: Home
- A2: The Plan
- A3: How Does It Feel?
- B1: All To Blame
- B2: This Is Me Trying
- B3: Revenge
- C1: One By One
- C2: You’ve Ruined Everything
- C3: I Hate You
Das französische Rock-Quartett Last Train aus Lyon kündigt sein drittes Studioalbum 'III' für den 31. Januar 2025 an! Aufgenommen wurde das Album mit dem langjährigen Produzenten und quasi fünften Mitglied Rémi Gettliffe in einem verfallenen Schloss mitten in Frankreich mitten im Winter. Dementsprechend düster, aber vor allem wütend klingt die neue Platte. In den letzten Jahren konnte sich die Band nicht nur eine engagierte und leidenschaftliche Fangemeinde aufbauen, sondern verdienten sich auch die Anerkennung von Bands wie Muse und Placebo, die beide Last Train einluden, sie auf Tour zu begleiten. Ähnlich wie die beiden britischen Rockgiganten hat Last Train mit 'III' ein Album voller atemberaubender Kontraste geschaffen, mit einer rohen Dynamik, die einen direkt fesselt. Von ungezügelten, lauten Gefühlsausbrüchen bis zu ruhigeren - manchmal packenden, manchmal bedrohlichen Momenten, leben die neun Songs auf 'III' von einer Leidenschaft und Intensität, die ihresgleichen sucht.
2LP 180gm 45 RPM audiophile edition, printed insert, polylined inners, gatefold sleeve, numbered Obi strip. The Alan Parsons Project "Pyramid" is re-issued in a variety of different formats including this 2LP heavyweight, 45 RPM Audiophile edition. The first pressing comes with a numbered Obi-strip. This edition was expertly cut by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, October 2023 on a customised Neumann VMS 80 lathe at half speed using high-resolution archive transfers taken from the original 1978 mastertapes. As with other The Alan Parsons Project albums, the focus was on very high-quality studio sound production, and they recorded the album at Abbey Road Studios in London. There were a variety of different lead vocalists employed including John Miles, Colin Blunstone, Lenny Zakatek, David Paton, Jack Harris and Dean Ford. Plus, a selection of session musicians such as guitarist Ian Bairnson and drummer Stuart Elliot with arrangements by Andrew Powell.
- A1: Overture
- A2: End Of An Era
- A3: Houdini
- A4: Training Season
- A5: These Walls
- A6: Watcha Doing
- B1: French Exit
- B2: Illusion
- B3: Falling Forever
- B4: Anything For Love
- B5: Maria
- B6: Happy For You
- C1: Love Again
- C2: Pretty Please
- C3: Levitating
- C4: Sunshine
- D1: Cold Heart
- D2: Be The One
- D3: Dance The Night
- D4: Don't Start Now
‘Dua Lipa Live From The Royal Albert Hall’ offers a thrilling new way to experience Dua Lipa’s greatest hits reimagined with The Heritage Orchestra, a fourteen person choir and a seven piece band. The album features a medley of fan favourites, from the infectious pop hits “Levitating” and “Cold Heart” with the incredible Elton John, alongside the bold new sounds of Radical Optimism, from ‘Training Season’ to ‘These Walls’. vinyl on December 13th, this highly anticipated live album captures the magic of Dua's unforgettable performance at one of the world's most iconic venues.
Getting to perform at The Royal Albert Hall was unlike anything I’ve ever done,” Dua shares. “For the longest time, I’ve had this idea to reimagine my music with an orchestra, and when I was making Radical Optimism, I was constantly thinking about the live element and how these songs would transform on stage, so when The Royal Albert Hall show came up, it presented itself as the perfect opportunity to not only reconstruct these songs, but also celebrate them in such a beautiful and intimate way. The experience was entirely thrilling and equally rewarding. It was a dream come true, and something I’ll always take with me.”
- 38-17: 34
- Chamomilla Sabinae
- Dreaming Of Saba
- Hmmm
- Independance
- Promis Of Sigma
- Anigre
Obwohl Rüdiger in den siebziger Jahren als Mitglied einer lokalen Beatgruppe beeindruckte, drängte ihn die zunehmende Beschäftigung mit Künstlern wie Neu!, Tangerine Dream, Reich und Riley in Richtung Elektronik und Experimentalmusik, ein Stil, der besser zu seinem einsamen Temperament passte. Auf der Suche nach klanglichem Ausdruck überwand er seine mangelnden elektrischen Kenntnisse und lötete mutig weiter, um Orgeln, Effektgeräte und selbstgebaute Effektgeräte und selbstgebaute modulare Systeme, die alle im Dienste seines spezifischen Sounds stehen. Was genau ist nun der Sound von Synrise"? Ausgewählt aus seinen ersten vier Veröffentlichungen, "Queen of Saba" (1981), "Silver Steps" (1981), "Wonderflower" (1982) und "Earthrise" (1983), bietet dieses Septett Sci-Fi-Hymnen und Sinuswellen-Requiems, nebulöse kosmische Collagen aus schnarrenden Rhythmusboxen, gurgelnden Sequenzen und synthetisierten Chören. Obwohl sie ursprünglich auf vier verschiedenen Kassetten veröffentlicht wurden, gehören diese sieben Tracks alle zum selben Klanguniversum - nur nicht zu dem, in dem wir leben.
- Atleti
- Sport Sull' Acqua
- Concentrazione Agonistica
- Ginnastica Artistica
- Scherma
- Velocità
- Maratona
- Pentathlon
- Fondo
Trumpetist Francesco "Cicci" Santucci and saxophonist Enzo Scoppa cut their teeth in the late "50s, playing with the Italian group Modern Jazz Gang, along with other Italian jazz greats such as Sandro Brugnolini and Amadeo Tommasi. In June 1971, "il maestro" Piero Umiliani made his Sound Workshop recordingstudio in the heart of Rome availableto them, so that they could create an album under his supervision. The result was Olimpiade, a jazz-funk album featuring Franco d"Andreaon electric piano (who would go on to play with the group Perigeo a year later), and Belgian musician Joel Vendrokenbrak on organ. It should be noted that this session was also released on Dire, under the name On the Underground Road, but is here reissued for the first time with its magnificent original cover. A poster of the artwork and a printed insert featuring the Sound Workshop studio are also included with this reissue.




















