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Katy Kirby is a Texas-based songwriter and indie rock practitioner with an affinity for unspoken rules, misunderstanding and boredom. She was born, raised and homeschooled by two ex-cheerleaders in small-town Texas and started singing in church, amidst the pasteurised-pop choruses of evangelical worship. Like many bible belt late-millennials, Katy grew up on a strict diet of this dependably uncool genre and accordingly, Cool Dry Place finds her dismantling it. "I can hear myself fighting that deeply internalized impulse to make things that are super pleasant or approachable," she says. Though Katy hasn't fully overcome the itch to please, it's to a listener's benefit. Instead of eradicating the pop sensibilities of her past, she warps them, lacing sugary hooks with sneaky rage, twisting affectionate tones into matter-of-fact reproach, and planting seemingly serene melodies with sonic jabs. The fun is in the clash. The nine tracks that make up Cool Dry Place are miscellaneous in subject (motherhood, late capitalism, disintegrating relationships) but unified by the angle from which they're told: from a person re-learning to process life with intense attention. Each song is a catalogue of fragments, the number of segments in an orange or the cut of an obsessively-worn shirt, distilled into meditations on the bizarre and microscopic exchanges that make up modern life - a relationship splintering, an uncomfortable pause, an understanding finally found. These emotional dioramas are moderated by the angular storytelling that unites Gillian Welch and Phoebe Bridgers, a favour for the conventions of short fiction over confession.

Katy Kirby is a Texas-based songwriter and indie rock practitioner with an affinity for unspoken rules, misunderstanding and boredom. She was born, raised and homeschooled by two ex-cheerleaders in small-town Texas and started singing in church, amidst the pasteurised-pop choruses of evangelical worship. Like many bible belt late-millennials, Katy grew up on a strict diet of this dependably uncool genre and accordingly, Cool Dry Place finds her dismantling it. "I can hear myself fighting that deeply internalized impulse to make things that are super pleasant or approachable," she says. Though Katy hasn't fully overcome the itch to please, it's to a listener's benefit. Instead of eradicating the pop sensibilities of her past, she warps them, lacing sugary hooks with sneaky rage, twisting affectionate tones into matter-of-fact reproach, and planting seemingly serene melodies with sonic jabs. The fun is in the clash. The nine tracks that make up Cool Dry Place are miscellaneous in subject (motherhood, late capitalism, disintegrating relationships) but unified by the angle from which they're told: from a person re-learning to process life with intense attention. Each song is a catalogue of fragments, the number of segments in an orange or the cut of an obsessively-worn shirt, distilled into meditations on the bizarre and microscopic exchanges that make up modern life - a relationship splintering, an uncomfortable pause, an understanding finally found. These emotional dioramas are moderated by the angular storytelling that unites Gillian Welch and Phoebe Bridgers, a favour for the conventions of short fiction over confession.

Gold-certified bluegrass band The Dead South announce Served Live, their first double live album, available for pre-order now. Recorded during the Served Cold World Tour, which traveled the USA, UK and Ireland before the live music industry was shut down by the pandemic, Served Live is a full concert set list taped at iconic and beloved venues, from London’s Brixton Academy and Denver’s Mission Ballroom to The Belasco Theatre in LA. Featuring new material from the JUNO Award winning album Sugar & Joy, alongside the band’s top charting, global viral hits from previous records, Served Live puts you in the front row in your own home, where we hope you’ll stay safe. "We've often thought of ourselves primarily as live, performing artists as opposed to recording artists. Our studio albums exist as a reflection of and advertisement for what we really do, which is put on high-energy shows. While a "live recording" is a bit of a paradox, we're very excited to give our fans a glimpse of what we do best. If you've seen us before, we hope this record will in some small way bring you back to the sweaty, loud live experience we've all been missing. If you have yet to see us, we hope this record excites you to come see us in the (hopefully) near future.” Served Live will be released January 29, 2021 via Six Shooter Records.

Distressed of sound and disturbed of subject matter, “Down-Faced Doll” sees the classic indie outfit connect with their dark-sides to deliver a cacophonous alt/folk stomp unlike anything they’ve released before. Based on a chilling true story told through the eyes of a discarded toy, its lyrics like clues, begin to lay evidence to a scene enough to turn anyone’s blood blue.

As vocalist Ian H. says:

“By far the most disturbing song I’ve ever written. Some songs seem to have a strange compelling energy which no one can rightly claim authorship to. They ‘write themselves’ but of course a great deal of working and shaping occurs too… A true story - well the first two verses are. The last two verses are my attempt to imagine “how did it ever get to this”…”
Customised with discomposing Eastern-inspired guitar riffs and clamouring percussive rhythms, “Down-Faced Doll” instils an unshakable feeling of paranoia, pursuit and unsease to match its haunting storyline. “Ewan and Stephen immediately tuned into its unsettling vibrations to create sounds and dark corners as you are unwillingly dragged through the scenario.” Ian adds.

Created & produced by Bradford (Ian Hodgson, Ewan Butler & Stephen Street), “Down-Faced Doll” was mixed by Stephen Street (Blur/New Order/ Kaiser Chiefs) and mastered by John Davies. It is taken from what will be Bradford’s first new studio album in over three decades: ‘Bright Hours’ - set for release early-on in 2021.

Bradford are a revered indie band formed in Blackburn in 1988. Championed by Morrissey, the band earned a cult status with their acclaimed debut album 'Shouting Quietly' in 1990, a record as-produced at the time by Stephen Street. Touring with the likes of Joe Strummer, The Sugarcubes, Morrissey and more, the band burned brightly and brilliantly. Fading away against the neon glow of the Madchester era, the band split in 1991.

Fast forward to 2018 and a re-mastered 30 song collection entitled ‘Thirty Years Of Shouting Quietly’ was released on Turntable Friend Records. The album was re-appraised as a 'lost English classic'. This rekindling of belief slowly re-ignited the magic and chemistry that always existed between the band now Ian H and Ewan Butler and Stephen Street. So much so, that Stephen decided to join forces with them and become a fully fledged member of the band.

With a new look line-up on illuminating form, as a trio Bradford have lovingly crafted a jewel of a new album: ‘Bright Hours’ to be released early in 2021.

Directly following “Like Water”, their latest single “Down-Faced Doll” is a definitive signal that ‘Bright Hours’ will be every bit worth the long wait...

Katy Kirby is a Texas-based songwriter and indie rock practitioner with an affinity for unspoken rules, misunderstanding and boredom. She was born, raised and homeschooled by two ex-cheerleaders in small-town Texas and started singing in church, amidst the pasteurised-pop choruses of evangelical worship. Like many bible belt late-millennials, Katy grew up on a strict diet of this dependably uncool genre and accordingly, Cool Dry Place finds her dismantling it. "I can hear myself fighting that deeply internalized impulse to make things that are super pleasant or approachable," she says. Though Katy hasn't fully overcome the itch to please, it's to a listener's benefit. Instead of eradicating the pop sensibilities of her past, she warps them, lacing sugary hooks with sneaky rage, twisting affectionate tones into matter-of-fact reproach, and planting seemingly serene melodies with sonic jabs. The fun is in the clash. The nine tracks that make up Cool Dry Place are miscellaneous in subject (motherhood, late capitalism, disintegrating relationships) but unified by the angle from which they're told: from a person re-learning to process life with intense attention. Each song is a catalogue of fragments, the number of segments in an orange or the cut of an obsessively-worn shirt, distilled into meditations on the bizarre and microscopic exchanges that make up modern life - a relationship splintering, an uncomfortable pause, an understanding finally found. These emotional dioramas are moderated by the angular storytelling that unites Gillian Welch and Phoebe Bridgers, a favour for the conventions of short fiction over confession.

This is the latest album by UK hip hop artist, Uncle Mic Nitro. Following releases as a member of Dark Craftsmen, Ill Psychosis, The Bomb Factory & The Pick Pockets, he released his first solo album, Mind State Krakatoa, for B-Line Recordings in 2016.

B-Line are a highly respectable UK hip hop label run by DJ Specifik and have released a number of 7” singles, 12” singles, EP’s and albums from the likes of Whirlwind D, Sir Beans OBR, Chrome & Illinspired, Def Defiance, Heavy Links, Carpetface, etc.

Hip Hop Be Bop Records started with a release by US hip hop veteran and member of Fantasy 3, Silver Fox. This was followed with singles by Sugar Bear, best known for his 89 hit “Don’t Scandalize Mine”, Unique (“Axe Maniac”), newcomers 05:21 and Bla.Ze plus a previously unreleased album by UK hip hop veterans, Outlaw Posse (“My Afro’s On Fire Vol. 2”).

B-Line and Hip Hop Be Bop have now teamed up to release “Vincent On Horseback” by Uncle Mic Nitro. The album is pressed on neon yellow vinyl and comes with a cut-out face mask. Production is by Ollie Knight, Ryan Mac, Featurecast, Djar One, Speaks, Djar One, etc and featured artists include DJ Krash Slaughta, DJ Jabbathakut, DJ Tones, Micall Parknsun, Joe Burn, Specifik, Juga-naut, Klashnekoff, Greg Blackman and Ced Gee from Ultramagnetic MC’s.

Highlights include ‘Lemonade’ (Video link below), ‘Where The Monster Is’ and ‘Write’ which samples Stevie Wonder’s ‘Do I Do’ (Shhhh!) and features the vocal talents of Greg Blackman. This is definitely one for the summer.

Collection of Peggy Lee’s most famous tracks from the 50s and 60s.

After the heaviest of years, it should be time to take a little weight off with the playful sounds of The Person. Mapping its own Bermuda Triangle between dub-pop, sugary synthwave and Balearic boogie, ‘Tide Life’ transports Compass Point to Soggy Bottom, providing maximum fun, sun and bitmap escapism.

The eagle-eared may recognise The Person from the aspirational Italo-rockers Steaming Jeans, whose chalet-ready romp on Bordello A Parigi scored a Winter Olympic gold back in early 2020. Now left to her own devices, Minna Wight swaps the slopes for a jet ski and takes a Wave Race from Summer Bay to Monkey Island across 11 cuts of vintage oddball pop.

Whether she’s borrowing Brenda’s Beach Balls for the dubby daydream of ‘Snail Cafe’ and ‘The Place’, serving lost library cues to SNES club scenes on ‘Barry R Reef’ and ‘Elastic Shoes’ or spinning high school slow jams into synth soul ballads like ‘Nice Feeling’, Minna disguises serious musicianship behind a naive aesthetic. Disarmed by charm, we’re powerless to resist her tidal pull.
Patrick Ryder

'Rodriguez', the enigmatic subject of the 2012 Academy Award®-winning documentary, Searching for Sugar Man, released two albums with Sussex Records, 1970’s Cold Fact and 1971’s Coming from Reality. Out of print on vinyl for several years, both albums are newly remastered by Alex Abrash at 'AA Mastering set for release on August 30 release by Sussex/UMC on CD and 180-gram black vinyl.
'Cold Fact' is the debut album from singer-songwriter Rodriguez.

It was released in the United States on the Sussex label in March 1970. In 1971 the album was released in South Africa by A&M Records.
In 1976, several thousand copies of Cold Fact were found in a New York warehouse and sold out in Australia in a few weeks. It went to Nr. 23 on the Australian album charts in 1978, staying on the charts for 55 weeks. Coming from Reality is the second and (to date) final studio album from singer and songwriter Rodriguez, originally released by Sussex Records in 1971.

The CD for Coming from Reality features three additional bonus tracks, originally recorded in 1972-’73 for a third album that was never completed. The tracks were co-produced by Dennis Coffey and Mike Theodore, who also co-produced Cold Fact.
The tracks were first issued in 2009 on the Light in the Attic CD release, and they were also featured on the Searching for Sugar Man soundtrack.

Demon Records presents Distortion: 1996-2007, the second in a series of four expansive vinyl box sets chronicling the solo career of legendary American musician Bob Mould.
Bob Mould’s career began in 1979 with the iconic underground punk group Hüsker Dü before forming the beloved alternative rock band Sugar and releasing numerous critically acclaimed solo albums. Volume two in this new series covers 1996 to 2007, beginning with the 1996 self-titled solo album and continuing through to Mould’s 2006 collaboration with Rich Morel BLOWOFF.

• 6 studio albums across 8LPs, including – Bob Mould, The Last Dog And Pony Show, modulate. (first time on vinyl), Long Playing Grooves. (first time on vinyl), Body Of Song, and BLOWOFF (first time on vinyl).
• Each album is presented with brand new artwork designed by illustrator Simon Marchner and pressed on 140g clear vinyl with unique splatter effects.
• Accompanying the studio albums is a new compilation Distortion Plus: 1996-2007 which features an array of bonus tracks including the demo version of ‘Dog On Fire’ (Theme from The Daily Show), B sides and other rarities (pressed on clear vinyl).
• Includes a 28-page companion booklet featuring: liner notes by journalist Keith Cameron; contributions from Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino; lyrics and memorabilia.
• Mastered by Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering in Boston.

Bridges To Bremen is a full-length show performed by the Stones on the fifth and final leg of the Bridges To Babylon Tour. Filmed at the German city’s Weserstadion on September 2, 1998, the band had by then completed four legs in the stadiums and arenas of North America (twice), Asia and South America before finally landing in Europe early that summer. This concert film has been meticulously restored from the original masters, and the audio remixed and remastered from the live multitrack recordings. Four tracks from their Soldier Field performances in Chicago are included as bonus features. Eagle Vision’s SD Blu-ray range presents upscaled standard definition original material with uncompressed stereo and DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound for the best possible quality. Formats include a 3 x 180gm black vinyl release. DVD details Region: 0, Picture Format: NTSC, DVD Aspect Ratio: 4:3FF, DVD Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, DTS 5.1 Surround Sound, DVD Format: DVD-9. Blu Ray: Region: ABC (all) Picture Format: NTSC, BD Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (4:3PB, BD Audio: LPCM Stereo, DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio, BD Format: BD-50

Roots and full of energy. That's the best way to express it for me !

Barry Brown one of reggaes vastly overlooked talents. His militant conscious style has over time lost none of its appeal. Truly one of the sweetest roots vocalists to come out of Jamaica.

Born in 1962, Kingston, Jamaica, he cut his musical teeth working under producer Bunny Lee. Their first release was a track called ‘Girl You’re Always on my Mind’, although a minor hit, Bunny Lee saw his potential  and was rewarded with his 1979 cut ‘Step it up Youthman’ which became a hit  and has become a roots classic, leading to an album of the same name.  The late 70’s was a great period in Barry Brown’s career and its from this period that we have culled this set of tracks. Straight from the master tapes some of his finest moments and some unreleased gems that we believe should be heard. A great set from his timeless 'Trying Youthman' a tail of struggling times in the heart of Kingston Jamaica.
His rastafarian inspired chants 'Stop Them Jah Jah','Give Thanx and Praise','Natty Rootsman' and 'Lead Us Jah’ work alongside socially charged cuts as 'Politician', 'Big Big Pollution' and 'Mr Money Man'. As with all his tales and inspired lyrics they are put across in such a tuneful way that like all the best songs that carry a message can be remembered also through the strength of the song.

As with many of his artists Bunny Lee encouraged him to go into self-production, and after a time spent with producer Linval Thompson ‘Separation’, and Sugar Minott ‘Things & Time’, he did just that and produced his first release ‘Cool Pon Your Corner’ in 1980 followed in 1981 by ‘Problems Get You Down’.

 We hope this release will find a place in your collection and remind us of the talent  of Mr Barry Brown. If somewhat overlooked, but certainly now not forgotten. Let’s celebrate with the man and  go to the blues one more time....

Original selecta of unrealese tunes, escaping the usual mental tribe sound to explore some more creative ways.

For instence that second tune on each side... crazy stuff !

London duo Andy Clutterbuck and James Hatcher – better known as HONNE – have cultivated a huge and fiercely dedicated global fan base since the release of their critically-acclaimed debut LP, ‘Warm on a Cold Night’, in 2016. Boasting over 150 sold-out shows outside of the UK, collaborations with everyone from Tom Misch to BTS and over 1.4 billion global streams, their music is deeply emotive; from the glistening, sugar-coated highs of international hit ‘Day 1’, to the heartache and angst played out on ‘Sometimes’ – both standout cuts from 2018’s sophomore record, ‘Love Me / Love Me Not’. Laying themselves bare in their songs, HONNE are hyper-connected with fans both in the UK and all over the world – in 2018 alone, they played a sold-out Brixton Academy for the first time, embarked on an extensive, 26-date US headline tour and saw ‘Warm on a Cold Night’ officially certified as 6x Platinum in South Korea.

It's been four years since Sweatbox Dynasty, the fourth solo LP from Pennsylvanian experimentalist TOBACCO. In that time, Tom Fec's project has toured with Nine Inch Nails, provided the theme song to HBO series Silicon Valley, and teamed with Aesop Rock for a collaborative album as Malibu Ken. He now returns to Ghostly International for Hot Wet & Sassy, a full-length album oozing with his most playful and approachable songs to date, which, conversely, express notions of antilove, self-hate, and disappointment in others. Pop impulses have always surged beneath the surface of his sound - blown-out bass, analog synths, drum machines, and Fec's unmistakable analog gurgle and hiss - here they've bubbled to the top. "I feel like it's the most I've been able to refine what I'm doing," says Fec. "For the past decade I've had this motherfxcker on my shoulder that makes me pick away at structure and melody. Purposely covering up moments because I can. That really came to a peak on Sweatbox. So I wanted the opposite this time. Write the songs without ripping them in half. I went from 'what would the Butthole Surfers do?' to 'what would Cyndi Lauper do?'" And what would Trent Reznor do? Fec found his answer straight from the source. Their collaborative track, "Babysitter," fuses their voices into one deranged presence: "I'm the new babysitter," they alert, before pivoting into a menacingly saccharine bridge. The track tumbles on a tom fill, then a punishing synth line rips into a cacophony of drums and feedback like a lawnmower gnawing through the living room carpet. "This was new for me, but I wanted to write a song that was everything I am and have been, and then like one notch further. Trent was the notch further," adds Fec. The collaboration is a work of alchemy seamlessly blending TOBACCO's trademarks with Reznor's industrial rust and sonic gore. Downcast, sincere, woozy, "Jinmenken" might be the closest Fec has come to a ballad. "Maybe you can find me down the line," his vocoded delivery bounces along the beat. "It's me trying to write a Jets song," says Fec. Album opener "Centaur Skin" presents the stylistic concoction that has been the TOBACCO MO from the beginning, crossing dreamy melodic shimmer with the sinister tones and slime. This has become easier to digest, but also far more potent. A motorik beat steadies the track's galloping arpeggio, acting as a springboard for Fec's dark ruminations as well as an uncharacteristically crystalline synth solo. "It's my feel good self hate anthem. Don't worry, I'm good. It was fun to write." TOBACCO hasn't been reinvented, but it has been refined and distilled. Brighter, sharper, and far more dangerous because of it. Hot Wet & Sassy is practically staring at the sun without shades and feeling those corneas roast. Everything looks good as your vision fades. The pop-forward structures exert their undeniable hooks with baneful precision, pulling listeners into their clutches; once there, sugary melody rewards submission.

The Ascension, the eighth solo studio album from singer, songwriter and composer Sufjan Stevens - and the long awaited follow-up to Carrie & Lowell - is set for release September 25 on Asthmatic Kitty Records.

Reissue of this long lost funky Afrobeat/Reggae classic from 1978
For fans of Fela Kuti, Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Segun Bucknor

The year is 1978 and one hot thing from the musical underground is Reggae music from Jamaica, the USA or the UK, where most of the acts had musicians of Caribbean descent. Reggae had the groove, the rebel spirit, and the relaxed attitude all in one, to enchant a big part of the world’s inhabitants. And while at least Jamaica as a relatively poor and so-called "Third World“ country proved to spawn Reggae acts of the highest quality, literally nobody dared to look further and dig deeper into the underground except of a few maniacs who were not satisfied with spinning Marley over and over again. And maybe they stumbled over the 1970s Afro Beat sound from countries like Zambia or Nigeria and then got interested. What did they find in the simmering metropolises of this still mysterious continent? Somewhere in Nigeria, they would have certainly caught a glimpse of mind-blowing performances of The Sea Lions, a six-piece group mixing the then hip Reggae and Afro Beat styles to generate fresh and furious music with a hypnotizing atmosphere.



Polyrhythmic beat patterns build the foundation, the utterly fruitful soil for the heartwarming melodies wailed out by the guitars and the commanding vocals with their conjuring charm. Great organ work builds the link between the groove section and the melody instruments. You can imagine what a pleasant experience this band might have been live back in 1978 when their sole album "Free The People“ got released. And this album, of which copies in only good conditions already fetch prices of $450, while nice clean pieces might go up to $1200, lives up to the expectations one might have from watching a live show by the Sea Lions. The sound is vivid, transparent, powerful, and clean enough to make the music a real pleasure listening to, but earthy enough to present nothing but the band going wild here. The songs all have a similar pace, not too fast, but swinging and pulsating to spread their energy to and among the listeners. The melodies are simple but come from the depth of the heart. This feels typical for African 70s music and despite being kind of reduced, these melodies keep haunting you still even hours after the record been taken off the turntable and put back into its sleeve. They bring images of an ever pulsating city by night, warm climate, palm trees, people at the bar, a witches cauldron of sounds, smells, voice, and pictures. And you feel the magic floating through the air while this groove will not let you go so easily.

You can either dance your soul out to this ultimate reissue or you can sit down, listen and let the music tell you a story of the dark corners of the big city, the narrow alleys that lead you into a boiling labyrinth of mystical dreams. And in songs like "You Can Make It If You Try“ you will find the whole magic of the African world, a world so fascinating for us Europeans but still so unapproachable in some ways and dangerous for the weak. Do not try to resist, this is your pleasure. Grab a copy and the Sea Lions will carry you off to their place. I haven’t heard such a killer Afro Beat and Reggae album with songs this exciting and wild in a long time. If you equally love Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Segun Bucknor, and Fela Kuti, look no further. Here is the spiritual essence of all these great artists merged into one giant act.

Roman Flügel presents: Sister Midnight!
What started as a party series that saw Roman inviting friends and favorites is turning into a full-fledged label adventure now. Shaped to be the vehicle for old and new Roman Flügel music alike, unreleased surprises and previously released sure shots from the archives, it’s the first time after his involvement in the seminal Playhouse and Klang label universe, that he tends to such an enterprise himself - with the help and support of Running Back records.
Now, the journey of Roman Flügel’s own Sister Midnight label starts with the valuable Tracks On Delivery series. Originally released on the third jewel in the Playhouse crown (Ongaku Musik) from 2000 to 2002, it’s a meditation on and contemplation of techno. Remastered, recut and repackaged as a triple vinyl edition with the addition of two previously unreleased „Patterns“. Pristine sound design, hypnotic wizardry and dry then architecture let all of them appear as if they haven’t aged a day.
Or as Roman says himself:
“I’ve always tried to push myself into new territories since I started music production. Those new territories can surely be achieved by the endless possibilities of inspiration, chaos and will power. At the time of the production of my Pattern series as under the name Tracks On Delivery I was highly inspired by some of Andrew Weatherall’s Techno sets while visiting London for some of his Blood Sugar Parties. Tracks On Delivery is unthinkable without the crude ‚germanic‘ mixture of Detroit labels like Jay Denham’s Black Nation and Weatherall’s own UK Techno imprints like Emissions Output. The Pattern Series, back then created for the Frankfurt based Ongaku Musik label, and now I am very happy to be able to release 15 original Patterns along two unreleased Patterns on my own Sister Midnight label.“

Demon Records presents Distortion: 1989-1995, the first in a series of four expansive vinyl box sets chronicling the solo career of legendary American musician Bob Mould. Bob Mould’s career began in 1979 with the iconic underground punk group Hüsker Dü before forming the beloved alternative rock band Sugar and releasing numerous critically acclaimed solo albums. Volume one in this new series covers 1989 to 1995, beginning with Mould’s first post Hüsker Dü album Workbook and continuing through to Sugar’s final studio album File Under: Easy Listening.

Each album is presented with brand new artwork designed by illustrator Simon Marchner and pressed on 140g clear vinyl with unique splatter effects.

Includes a 28-page companion booklet featuring: liner notes by journalist Keith Cameron; a foreword by writer and actor Fred Armisen; a tribute from Richard Thompson; lyrics and memorabilia.

Mastered by Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice at Peerless Mastering in Boston.

Featuring an array of bonus tracks including Sugar’s 1995 collection of Bsides and non-album tracks Besides, along with Distortion Plus: 1989-1995 a new and exclusive collection of rarities and collaborations (pressed on clear vinyl).

LTD. CLEAR VINYL-

The Ascension, the eighth solo studio album from singer, songwriter and composer Sufjan Stevens - and the long awaited follow-up to Carrie & Lowell - is set for release September 25 on Asthmatic Kitty Records.

Following 2019’s release of Azymuth’s Demos (1973-75), two more home-recorded demo tracks by the Brazilian psychedelic jazz-funk masters have surfaced from a tape in drummer Ivan Conti’s private archive. These five-decade old recordings by the young band show the maturity, musicianship and distinctive style that saw Azymuth become one of the most important groups in Brazilian history.

Featuring an instrumental take on Roberto and Erasmo Carlos’ 1969 Jovem Guarda hit “As Curvas da Estrada de Santos”, and spacey psych-folk oddity “Zé e Paraná”, the new 7” release via Far Out Recordings shines yet more light on this critical period for Azymuth.

As is the case with many of Brazil’s pop icons, Roberto and Erasmo Carlos had been backed by Bertrami, Malheiros and Conti either on stage, in the studio, or with compositions (in Bertami’s case) since the late sixties. Conti notes that “As Curvas da Estrada de Santos” was a big hit in Brazil when it came out in ‘69 and had already been covered by Elis Regina a year later.

But where both Elis’ version and the original were grand pop-rock ballads, Azymuth’s take is a moody, melodic jazz excursion, featuring Bertami’s incredible Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes and grand piano juggling, Ivan Mamao Conti’s distinctively tough drums, and unusually, Alex Malheiros plays a double bass instead of an electric one.

As the title suggests, “Zé e Paraná” is guitarist João Américo (Paraná) playing alongside Bertami’s Rhodes comping, synth embellishments and dreamy wordless vocals. While credited as the composer and guitarist on “Linha do Horizonte” a track from Azymuth’s debut album which would become the theme tune for a famous novella, Paraná has to this day, remained relatively unknown.

Both tracks were recorded in Jose Roberto Bertrami’s house in Rio de Janiero at some point between 1973-75. These tracks were not recorded in a professional studio, meaning the sound quality differs from other Azymuth releases. At Far Out we take great pride and extreme care in ensuring our releases and reissues are produced to the best possible sound quality. In this case the original source material had not aged well and was considerably damaged. The sound has been restored to the best possible condition but there is still some noticeable tape hiss and slight distortion on ‘Zé e Paraná’. For this reason, we strongly advise listening to preview clips before buying this release.

Keyboards: José Roberto Bertrami

Guitar: João Américo ‘Paraná’

Produced by Azymuth and José Roberto Bertrami

Recorded at José Roberto Bertrami’s home studio in

Laranjeiras, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 1973

Issue and project co-ordinator: Joe Davis

Additional tape restoration by Daniel Maunick at the Sugar Shack

Mastered by Frank at Carvery Cuts

Two things become immediately clear when you hear “Body Electric”, the third original album by White Haus, João Vieira (X-Wife / Dj Kitten)’s solo project. The first is that we’re faced with an insatiable music lover, with an exemplary historical awareness. The second is that is music, although it channels all that passion, does it in such a way that is increasingly all his own. The thing is, that if on one hand, in these twelve new tracks, we’re assailed by the presence of the tutelary Talking Heads and their satellite projects, by Vivien Goldman, Sexual Harrassement or Konk’s New York No Wave, by the electronic pop of Soft Cell or New Order, by the hybrid funk of Prince and his Minneapolis accollites, by the Italo-Disco inspired by Giorgio Moroder or Patrick Cowley or the Acid House of Adonis or Maurice.

Along with its sister imprint Fluid Electronics - dedicated to all things more muscularly 4x4 oriented, from house to techno via ambient, Fluid Funk will offer a platform of choice for creators and lovers of soulful house, hip-hop, jazz, funk, disco et al. The goal of the label is to bring a community of like-minded people together, cleared from the complexities that sometimes hamper the good course of the label-artist relationship.

First to grace Fluid Funk's dance floor-ready grooves is Rotterdam-based emerging talent Beau Zwart. Fresh off a choice inaugural sortie on INI Movements that hit the streets a few weeks ago, Beau steps in with his debut 12", "Beyond Two Souls" - an infectiously smooth and solarpowered six-track platter featuring Dutch duo Fouk on remix duty.

Expect lavishly orchestrated cascades of ankle-twisting breaks, prismatic synthwork and summer-flavoured melodies to wrap your ears around as your feet and body give in to the power of that funky bass. Brewing elements of fuzzy pop, pixelated soul and tropicalised rhythms, Beau Zwarts sound takes us on a wildly enjoyable ride across luxuriantly flowered scapes and fluttering cosmic house horizons. Interlaced with sugary Rhodes stabs and 8-bit harmonics a la "Floating Points", Sykes' warm vox intonations shows us the way into a pulsating heart of wonky, bop-infused boogie.

Expanding to further out-there, club-optimised bravura, Fouk's take on the title-track is the kind of track that'll make an impact in the sweatbox as well as in a more cabaret-like setting. Pulling out the weirdo harmonics and left-of-centre jazz aerobatics, "Ixodus" lets its free spirited sense of playfulness take over completely. Flip sides and here's "Marble Book" unbolts the spacious pads and whirling alien riffs as a sturdy sub-bass and gut-churning kicks beat time onto further estranged
dimensions.

A slightly more muscular but thoroughly sensuous workout, "Bustin Out" fuses classical two-step-indebted breaks with lascivious "P-Funk" tropes into one compelling club heater, before the EP's sluggish closer "Illustrate My Way" sends us into orbit for good with its slowed down romanticism and otherworldly piano fantasy.

GEN-Y debuts on BAKK with a release that hits every corner. Four refreshing tracks that dabble in familiar styles without a single concern for tradition. Packed with three tracks by GEN-Y solo and one as G.F. together with Paule Perrier. Whether you like acid breaks, snappy electro, dreamy psychedelica or ghetto house with a twist, GEN-Y got you covered. Comes freshly served in screen printed comicly radiant artwork by the BAKK Catharsis Company.

Producer, arranger, composer, saxophonist, band leader Willie Henderson started working for Brunswick. Records in 1968 and his sound and musical talents can be heard across many of the labels hits such as Tyrone Davis, Jackie Wilson, Chi-Lites and Barbara Acklin. With super funky instrumental takes on soul & funk classics, this 1974 album includes highlights such as ‘Loose Booty’ sampled by the Beastie Boys, ‘The Funky Chicken (Part 1). 1974 album is reissued on 140g classic black vinyl with original artwork and printed inner sleeve.

Alastair Galbraith is considered nothing less than a genius around these parts. A New Zealand underground legend active since the '80s, his solo works have seen release on Siltbreeze, MIE, Emperor Jones and Grapefruit Records while his own labels, Xpressway and Next Best Way have released the likes of The Dead C and Damo Suzuki. His list of collaborators reads like a who's who of freeform musicianship: Peter Jefferies, Bruce Russell, Robert Scott (The Clean; Flying Nun) and Maxine Funke to name but a few. Seconds Mark III is Galbraith's first solo album since Mass (2010) and is a collage of pensive, longing and almost forgotten pieces stitched in his inimitable style. A thrilling addition to A Colourful Storm's ever-expansive catalogue. 21-track LP

The Humans were Toyah, her musical director Chris Wong and multi-instrumentalist the late Bill Rieflin (drummer for King Crimson and latter-day REM, as well as Ministry, the Revolting Cocks, Lard, KMFDM, Pigface, Swans, Chris Connelly, and Nine Inch Nails).
Recorded in 2010 at London’s Scala theatre, and issued in its entirety for the first time, the concert features Guest Human throughout, Robert Fripp. The set list includes Humans favourites “Labyrinth”, “Sugar Rush” and “Demigod”, as well the two encore tunes, covers
of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”.

Ten incredible albums culled from the deepest, weirdest coop of record enthusiasts ever gathered under one banner. We’ve spared no expense packaging these, pairing the idea of the Art of Compilation with living and breathing art, creating little fortune cookies baked in a factory of forgotten dreams. Video games, pyramids, trading cards, matchbooks, mazes, lottery tickets, film canisters, yearbooks, and various other exercises in design absurdity.

The lost yearbook from Louis Wayne Moody High’s graduating class of 1967, chronicling the peaks and valleys of teenage angst, lost loves, and life after summer vacation. Fourteen moody melodies of surf kings, guitar Bettys, talent show psychers, and pre-S.D.S. soft- poppers. Walls of jangly guitars, maudlin organs, and melancholy harmonies deliver the bummer to ring in the summer.

After a way long and overdue pause with music the Sugarloaf Gangsters duo is back again where they belong...on GAMM!

Mark & Cliffy aka Sugarloaf Gangsters have a long history with Brazilian and world inspired dance music and have that magic touch when it comes to spotting rare tunes that needs their signature rework style.Â

The A side 'Temarasa' literally explodes from the first breakbeat with a big Brazilian funk-jazz monster, peak time music.
The flip is all about the drum! 'Chor Gway' is an African style percussive jam that's got everything from crazy chants, sound efx and DJ friendly tempo changes.Â

Another G.A.M.M sureshot !!

The Berlin based label Sonar Kollektiv has been waiting for it anxiously: Key Elements' debut album leads Jazz music into the new decade down-the-line. The music Key Elements create is fresh, merciless and ruthless and has always the finger on the pulse of the time. The album's eight tracks are all far away from Broken Beat nostalgia or Beatmaking nedism, they breathe inspiration from the young, thriving British jazz scene. Key Element's initiator, DJ and producer Marian Tone, built up a reputation in the Berlin hiphop, soul and jazz scene over the years (also as a co-founder of Beatkollektiv). With all of his compositions you always feel this heritage and his love and passion for hiphop. But the other two allys within ëKey Elementsû, drummer Waldi and the keyboard or bass player Jim Dunloop made their contribution with compositions and ideas as well. An album which was initially designed to be a mere solo project became an effort of a trio over the years being inherently consistent.

BBE Music announces the first repress of the classic Roy Ayers albums ‘Virgin Ubiquity’ 1 and 2 since 2006, on luxurious 180g vinyl with brand new sleeve notes written by Sean P. The music on 'Virgin Ubiquity' was selected and mixed down from previously unreleased multi-tracks recorded between 1976 & 1981, which Roy had in storage. It's all unmistakably Ayers, but is diverse and fresh enough to be more than a mere adjunct to one of his most productive and popular periods - testament to his and his musicians' creative abilities, as much of most revered Ayers output stems from this time. These discoveries take their place beside some illustrious company in a timeline bookended by 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine' and 'Africa, Center Of The World', several solo and Ubiquity albums, collaborations with Wayne Henderson & Fela Kuti, as well as guesting on LPs by Buster Williams and Herbie Mann. Out of print on vinyl and CD for over a decade now, BBE is delighted to re- present these groundbreaking Roy Ayers titles, neatly coinciding with the 45th anniversary of his classic album ‘Mystic Voyage’ and a UK tour to commemorate it during April 2020.

The self-titled 1996 studio album from Hüsker Dü and Sugar vocalist and guitarist, Bob Mould. Reissued on vinyl for the very first time. Housed in a reverse-board sleeve and pressed on heavyweight 180g clear vinyl. Recorded and mixed after the break up of Sugar, Mould moved away from a band approach and played every instrument on the album himself. Includes the singles ‘Egøverride’ and ‘Fort Knox,
King Solomon’.

The second collaborative album between alternative rock artist Matthew Sweet and Bangles singer/guitarist Susanna Hoffs. First released in 2009, on Under The Covers Vol. 2 the duo cover 26 of their favourite tracks from the 1970s. For this edition in the series, Sweet and Hoffs invited guests into the studio including Lindsey Buckingham on ‘Second Hand News’, Dhani Harrison on a cover of his father’s ‘Beware Of Darkness and Steve Howe reprising his guitar parts on a version of the Yes track ‘I’ve Seen All Good People’ Pressed on two heavyweight 180g green vinyl.

The fourth solo album from Hüsker Dü and Sugar vocalist and guitarist, Bob Mould. Reissued on vinyl for the very first time. Housed in a reverse-board sleeve and pressed on two heavyweight 180g clear vinyl. On this release, Mould continued to develop the driving alternative rock sound he had become known for as well as experimenting with sample heavy electronica which feature heavily on his future solo albums. Includes the double A-side single ‘Classifieds’ / ‘Moving Truck’.

Silver Age is the critically acclaimed tenth album from Hüsker Dü and Sugar vocalist and guitarist, Bob Mould. The album was a return to the alternative rock sound which Mould had perfected over his career, featuring his distinctive pop melodies and scorching guitar sounds.
“Silver Age's bounty of direct, distorto-pop hits measures up to Mould's gold standard” - Pitchfork. Pressed on heavyweight 180g silver-coloured vinyl for the first time

Mental Acid tribe music... Deep and melodious. sugar kiss !

Canadian born, Berlin based producer Aquarian makes his full length album debutThe Snake That Eats Itselfon Bedouin Records.
This record follows his collaborative EPs with Deapmash as 'AQXDM" and is his first solo release since his 2016 experimental mixtape for Quiet Time. Nearly five years in the making, 'The Snake That Eats Itself' is Aquarian's most complex, diverse and emotive work to date, plunging his trademark UK sound-system/techno hybrids into a self-contained, cinematic universe streaked with heavy influences from industrial, IDM, drone and dark pop music.

It's written in Brooklyn, New York, in a deeply transitional, yet seemingly endless period preceding his relocation to Berlin, the title of the album refers to the Ouroboros, a mythological serpent symbolizing the cycle of birth and death and infinity itself.
'The Snake That Eats Itself' pits Aquarian's most abrasive and brutal moments next to his most wistful and introspective.

Viscerally thick layers of tape saturation envelop the album as sludgy synths ooze against brittle atmospheres; breakbeats fragment, explode and disintegrate into swarms of delay and noise; scorched, metallic percussion - sampled from a year-long demolition and construction project next to his apartment - forge the rhythmic backbone of the album. These elements, however, seamlessly make way to startlingly crystalline and shimmering ambient passages, offering a sense of reprieve and balance.

At home, in the islands of Cabo Verde, there was grog, or grogu, a strong sugarcane moonshine not dissimilar to Colombian aguardiente, copiously consumed at Funaná parties. In the diaspora, in Europe, there was leite quente (hot milk). "I can still remember the taste of the first leite quente I drank in Lisbon," says Antonino Furtado Gomes, Pilon's drummer and current band leader.

Synthesize the Soul, Ostinato Records' second compilation, revealed chapter one of the Cabo Verde cultural story in Europe, zooming in on visionaries like Paulino Vieira who made Lisbon the headquarters spearheading the musical revolution taking place within Cape Verdean emigre communities across Europe in the 1980's. Musicians from across the diaspora would eagerly travel to the Portuguese capital to record.

Grupo Pilon represents the second chapter of the Krioulu diaspora story. In smaller pockets, second generation musicians were independently contributing to one of the most lush periods of cultural innovation by immigrants in Europe. In Luxembourg, in 1986, a group of teenagers formed the largely unknown (outside of Cape Verdean circles) but consistently brilliant band named after the blunt instrument used in the islands to pound corn for Cabo Verde's national dish, cachupa.

With only five members, Pilon combined searing estilo Krioulu drumming and the hybrid ColaZouk style with blissful synth work and rugged guitar licks, creating a stripped-down, addictive sound that masterfully straddled two worlds, a seductive electro-Funaná carnival born from the first few sips of hot milk.
The band drew from the inspiring political changes of the day: the release of Nelson Mandela in South Africa and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The right to democracy became a constant theme in Pilon's songs.

With access to better opportunities than their parents' generation, Pilon's roster were part time musicians. Music was not part of their academic upbringing nor a full-time gig. Their rhythm and style were wonderfully imperfect, made out of rawer skills and inexperience. Pilon did not follow the templates established by revered Cabo Verde bands. Keyboard player Emilio Borges played off beat and the band preferred arranging their songs to start from the beat normally heard in the middle of a composition rather than the beginning.

These two elements made Pilon's music simple, unique, and inimitable. From 1997-2015, a lack of concerts and professional musicians proved near fatal. Today, Antonino and what remain of the original quintet are slowly piecing back together the puzzle of their once mighty outfit from an unlikely pocket of Europe. In it's heyday in the 90's, Pilon serenaded audiences in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lisbon, Rotterdam and Frankfurt, securing their reputation as a respected and unifying cultural force.

This LP, drawing from the six most powerful songs from Pilon's three-album catalog, is the serving of still fresh leite quente to spice the summer and maybe even fuel the next generation of musicians in the Krioulu corners of Europe.