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Carrboro, NC’s inimitable synthesizer duo MARV follow up their well-received 2021 opus Keyboard Suite I with a second volume co-released by enmossed and Softer Recordings. As a (regrettably) posthumous release, Keyboard Suite II documents MARV in their fully matured state with melodies that eschew easy categorization and a much-expanded studio effects and processing palette. But the same dreamy languidity marking their previous releases remains, drawing us into their visions of a summer day spent in the shade, by a babbling creek. As a storm approaches from the distance - keyboards saturated by tape into distortion, bursts of noise from idiosyncratic electronics, aleatoric stuttering - MARV grants us an album’s worth of sonic sublimation.

"I stood on top of the mountain and looked out over the landscape. It was so beautiful that my chest hurt. The light vibrated, time stood still, and the contours dissolved for a moment. Everything had changed; I felt it then. I took their little hands so as not to lose contact with the ground. Then we ran down the mountain, scraping our knees. Still, we didn't make it. You had already put away all the nautical charts, loosened the moorings and steered out among the skerries. Mum stood waving from the jetty. You were alone, you wanted it that way. It was to be just you in the boat this time. I called out to you. I think you heard me and felt less lonely. We couldn't carry each other anymore, no matter how hard we tried. We washed our wounds on the shore and scattered tears and rose petals in the bay. The children laughed and searched for treasures under water. We called to them that it was time to come up. They were cold, and we hugged them to warmth. One ran ahead, the other up on our shoulders. Up the mountain, our mountain."

In 2020 Anna Högberg put her widely celebrated band Anna Högberg Attack on hold, retraining as a nurse whilst continuing a solo practice and playing in other groups. With Ensamseglaren she makes a spectacular return with her own ensemble — this time a double sextet — performing an album length suite of new music written in dedication to her late father — the titular ‘ensamseglaren’ pictured on the LP cover as a young boy.

 (ensam in Swedish can mean both alone and lonely, seglaren = the sailor).

Shot through with renewed energy and a brutally affective emotional punch, Högberg’s formal experimentation opens up vibrant possibilities for the assembled musicians to let loose with some of their wildest and most ecstatic playing on record.

Högberg’s contention with grief leans into collective joy as method of mourning — the big band as extended family; where bonds are made through a shared experience of being together. Where everyone gets to be themselves without expectations of who they should be or what they can do. It’s a radical commitment to care — of her self and others — that animates and unifies this suite of music’s radical dynamics and variations in colour: from whisper-quiet textural intensity to harrowing distortion and double drum chaos; raucous and solemn song.

"Throughout history, humans have had different images of the transition between life and death. Imagine standing on the seashore on a summer evening and seeing a beautiful vessel being prepared for departure. The sails are hoisted. The evening breeze comes, the sails fill and the boat glides out onto the open sea. You follow it with your eyes as it heads towards the sunset. It gets smaller and smaller, until it finally disappears as a tiny dot on the horizon. Then you hear someone next to you say, ‘Now they have left us.’ Left us for what? The fact that they got smaller and smaller and finally disappeared is only how we see it. In reality, they are just as big and beautiful as when they were here, lying on the beach by our side. Just as you hear that voice say ‘Now they have left us’, there may be someone on another beach who sees them appear on the horizon, someone waiting to welcome them when they reaches their new port."

DEADLETTER frontman Zac Lawrence’s latest solo venture hones in on the songwriter’s love of the contemporary folk scene of the 60s. Though not necessarily a conventional “Folk” sound, the acoustic guitar led songs intertwine the singer’s passion for lyricism and literacy with heart-string tugging melodies and arrangements. With the first single from this project expected in the summer of 2025, he brings a new band together made up of Misty Miller on vocal duties, Blossom Caldarone (English Teacher) on Cello, and Nathan Pigott (also of DEADLETTER) on clarinet. Antithetical to what we know from him as the frontman of the aforementioned, expect laid back, fingerpicked numbers that take you anywhere from Hamburg’s most gruesome hotel, to him imagining himself as a fifty something looking back on a life that he didn’t live in the way that was intended.

END[GER] Die Band Wednesday aus Asheville, North Carolina errichtet im Laufe der zehn Songs von "Rat Saw God" einen Schrein voller aufregender Details: Halb lustige, halb tragische Botschaften aus den Südstaaten, die sich klanglich irgendwo zwischen dem wimmernden Skuzz von Neunzigerjahre-Shoegaze und klassischem Country-Twang entfalten - mit verzerrter Pedal Steel und Frontfrau Karly Hartzman, die mit ihrer Stimme, den Lärm durchschneidet. Ein Song von Wednesday ist wie ein Quilt. Eine Kurzgeschichtensammlung, eine verschwommene Erinnerung, ein Flickenteppich aus Porträts des amerikanischen Südens, der disparate Momente einfängt und als Ganzes doch irgendwie einen Sinn ergibt. Karly Hartzman, die Songschreiberin, Sängerin, Gitarristin und Leiterin der Band, ist eine Geschichtensammlerin als auch eine Geschichtenerzählerin: Eine aufmerksame Beobachterin von Menschen und witzigen Bemerkungen. "Rat Saw God", das neue und beste Album des Quintetts aus Asheville, ist ekphrastisch, aber ebenso autobiografisch und vor allem sehr einfühlsam. Es wurde in den Monaten unmittelbar nach der Fertigstellung von dem zweiten Album der Band, "Twin Plagues", geschrieben und innerhalb einer Woche im Drop Of Sun Studio in Asheville aufgenommen. Die Songs auf "Rat Saw God" erzählen keine Epen, sondern das Alltägliche. Sie sind lebensnah, erzählen vom wahren Leben, sie sind verschwommen und chaotisch und seltsam zugleich - was Hartzmans eigenem Ethos entspricht: "Everyone's story is worthy. Literally every life story is worth writing down, because people are so fascinating." A Wednesday song is a quilt. A short story collection, a half-memory, a patchwork of portraits of the American south, disparate moments that somehow make sense as a whole. Karly Hartzman, the songwriter/ vocalist/guitarist at the helm of the project, is a story collector as much as she is a storyteller: a scholar of people and one-liners. Rat Saw God, the Asheville quintet's new and best record, is ekphrastic but autobiographical and above all, deeply empathetic. Across the album's ten tracks Hartzman, guitarist MJ Lenderman, bassist Margo Shultz, drummer Alan Miller, and lap/pedal steel player Xandy Chelmis build a shrine to minutiae. Half-funny, half-tragic dispatches from North Carolina unfurling somewhere between the wailing skuzz of Nineties shoegaze and classic country twang, that distorted lap steel and Hartzman's voice slicing through the din. Rat Saw God is an album about riding a bike down a suburban stretch in Greensboro while listening to My Bloody Valentine for the first time on an iPod Nano, past a creek that runs through the neighborhood riddled with broken glass bottles and condoms, a front yard filled with broken and rusted car parts, a lonely and dilapidated house reclaimed by kudzu. Four Lokos and rodeo clowns and a kid who burns down a corn field. Roadside monuments, church marquees, poppers and vodka in a plastic water bottle, the shit you get away with at Jewish summer camp, strange sentimental family heirlooms at the thrift stores. The way the South hums alive all night in the summers and into fall, the sound of high school football games, the halo effect from the lights polluting the darkness. It's not really bright enough to see in front of you, but in that stretch of inky void - somehow - you see everything. The songs on Rat Saw God don't recount epics, just the everyday. They're true, they're real life, blurry and chaotic and strange - which is in-line with Hartzman's own ethos: "Everyone's story is worthy," she says, plainly. "Literally every life story is worth writing down, because people are so fascinating." But the thing about Rat Saw God - and about any Wednesday song, really - is you don't necessarily even need all the references to get it, the weirdly specific elation of a song that really hits. Yeah, it's all in the details - how fucked up you got or get, how you break a heart, how you fall in love, how you make yourself and others feel seen - but it's mostly the way those tiny moments add up into a song or album or a person.

2025 Repress

Die „Girls Gang Remixes“ 12“ wartet mit Clubversionen und Remixen von befreundeten Künstlern wie dem legendären DJ Hell, dem Dark-Disco-Allstar Damon Jee, dem italienischen Produzenten Phunkadelica und dem französischen Sänger und Filmkomponisten The Populists (alias Yan Wagner) auf. Ausserdem enthält sie noch Clubversionen von den beiden Singles „Promise Me feat. Curses“ und „Schall & Rauch“ und eine griechische Version von dem Sommerhit „Halkidiki“.

DJ Hell ist der Pate des Electroclash und Gründer des einflussreichen Labels International Gigolo Records. Helmut Geier steht seit vielen Jahrzehnten hinter den Decks und spielt entweder in den größten Clubs der Welt, auf riesigen Musikfestivals oder bei Laufstegshows für die angesagtesten Modemarken, neben der Produktion von Musik, der Schauspielerei in Filmen und dem Designen von Kleidung. Sein Extended Mix von FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) ist eine krachende, genreübergreifende Reise durch Zeit und Raum. Eine neue Baseline, treibende Hihats, Live-Atmosphäre und ein druckvoller Kick heben den Track auf ein neues Level und machen ihn zu einer Waffe auf der Tanzfläche. Der aus Südfrankreich stammende Damon Jee ist eine Pionierfigur in der Dark-Disco-Szene. Mit über zwei Jahrzehnten Erfahrung in der elektronischen Musik hat der Dust & Blood-Labelbesitzer einen ganz eigenen Sound entwickelt. Er verwandelt „Girls Gang“ in eine Clubbombe, indem er seine charakteristische Big-Room-Energie einfließen lässt, einen epischen Break hinzufügt und die Vocals in eine andere Welt verzerrt. The Populists ist das cluborientierte DJ-Projekt des französischen Sänger-Produzenten, Gesaffelstein-Kollaborateurs und Filmkomponisten Yan Wagner. Seit 2014 veröffentlichte er EPs und Tracks auf Tastemaker-Labels wie Lumière Noire, Zone, Detriti, Ritmo Fatale & XXX. Auf seinem Remix von 'Disco Goth' kombiniert er entspannte Italo-Disco-Grooves mit New Beat Drums und verleiht dem Original ein ganz anderes Feeling.

Girls Gang wurde überragend aufgenommen und unter anderem Magazinen wie Rolling Stone, Mixmag, Musikexpress, Kulturnews, Visions, TAZ, Penthouse, Brigitte sowie Sonic Seducer (Album des Monats) und Orkus abgefeiert. Radiostationen wie KEXP, BBC Radio 1, Sunshine Live (Album der Woche), Radio Eins, Flux FM, WDR 1Live und Deutschlandfunk berichteten über das Album, das mittlerweile auf über 20.000 weltweite Radioeinsätze und mehr als 1 Million Streams kommt. Auch führende Online-Plattformen wie Spiegel Online, Plattentests (Album der Woche), Laut.de (Song der Woche) und Tonspion (#6 Album des Monats) lobten die Veröffentlichung in höchsten Tönen.

Format: Schwarzes Vinyl (140 g) mit alternativen & Clubversionen sowie Remixen von Damon Jee, DJ Hell, Phunkadelica & The Populists.

Cate Le Bons siebtes Album 'Michelangelo Dying', dessen Entstehung von purer Emotion geleitet wurde, hat das Album, das sie zu machen glaubte, verdrängt. Als Produkt eines alles verzehrenden Herzschmerzes überwanden ihre Gefühle ihren Widerwillen, ein Album über die Liebe zu schreiben, und wurden in diesem Prozess zu einer Art Exorzismus. Herausgekommen ist ein wunderbar schillernder Versuch, eine Wunde zu fotografieren, bevor sie sich schließt - und dabei auch in ihr zu stochern.

Musikalisch gibt es eine Fortsetzung und Erweiterung eines Sounds - eine Maschine mit Herz -, der auf ihren letzten beiden Platten 'Reward' (2019) und 'Pompeii' (2022) Gestalt angenommen hat, da Le Bon zunehmend selbst die Kontrolle über das Spielen und Produzieren übernommen hat. Wenn Gitarren und Saxophone durch Pedale gepresst und Perkussion und Stimmen durch Filter gejagt werden, entsteht ein schillernder, grüner und seidiger Sound, in dem die künstlerischen Eigenheiten von David Bowie, Nico, John McGeoch und Laurie Anderson aufblitzen und wieder verschwinden.

Was übrig bleibt, ist eine sich ständig verändernde, kontinuierliche Einheit, eine Art Songzyklus. Jede Iteration reflektiert die letzte und entwickelt sie weiter. „Jede ist eine Scherbe desselben zerbrochenen Spiegels“: Sie verschiebt sich, glitzert, verbirgt und enthüllt, je nachdem, wie sie im Licht gedreht wird. Letztendlich gibt es, so Cate, „keine Enthüllungen. Keine Schlussfolgerungen. Es gibt keinen Grund. Es gibt nur Wiederholungen und Chaos. Ich habe mir schließlich erlaubt, einen offenen Geist zu haben, um es ohne Widerstand zu erleben, ohne nach einer Offenbarung oder Ordnung zu suchen.“

'Michelangelo Dying' ist eine Übung in der Viszeralität des Lebens, der Liebe und der Menschlichkeit, sowohl für den Hörer als auch für die Künstlerin selbst, und es weiß, was es heißt Halt zu geben, gehalten zu werden aber auch sich ganz und gar allein zu fühlen. „Die Figuren sind austauschbar“, schließt Cate, „aber am Ende bin ich es, der sich selbst begegnet.“

- LP: (Vollfarbige Hülle, 140g schwarzes Vinyl, bedruckte Innenhülle und Download-Karte)

"Oh Snap features twelve very personal songs by Cécile McLorin Salvant - plus a cover of a verse from the Commodores’ 1977 hit “Brick House” - mostly recorded outside of a traditional studio environment and showcasing her genre-spanning tastes and influences. The album features longtime collaborators Sullivan Fortner, Yasushi Nakamura, and Kyle Poole, as well as cameos from singers June McDoom and Kate Davis. Salvant has US and international tour dates throughout the summer and autumn; find more details at nonesuch

The MacArthur Fellow and three-time Grammy-winning singer and composer wrote these short, intimate songs as part of a creative quest: to place spontaneity and joy at the center of her writing process. She originally recorded them alone, at home, never intending for them to be released, using digital tools and effects that she had never played with before, like GarageBand, Logic, AutoTune, Midi plugins, drum loops, vocal effects, reverb, and filters. The songs reflect Salvant’s wide-ranging musical influences from her 1990s childhood in Miami - from boy bands to grunge to classical to folk - and include party tracks with beats, samba grooves, and quiet folk songs.
"

Georgette Sayegh & Melhem Barakat – Belghi Kull Mawaidi & Instrumental:

Finally, hopping across from Egypt to Lebanon for this infectious number, Georgette Sayegh delivers what some consider her magnum opus in a captivating duet together with Melhem Barakat, and on the flipside a stripped-down instrumental version that’s equally catchy.

Georgette Sayegh is a legendary Lebanese singer and actress known for her tender and dulcet voice that echoed the grace and beauty of the inimitable Fairuz yet carried its own unique warmth. Her passion for collecting vinyl at an early age formed her eclectic musical palette, and she eventually caught the eyes of the Rahbani brothers and played the lead role in a monthly play written by Fairuz’s son, Ziad. Georgette’s household classic "Yay Yay Ya Nassini” shot her to stardom across the Arab world in the 1970’s, and till this day carries the exact same nostalgia of a Lebanese summertime anthem – flirtatious, jolly, and unfettered. In Belghi Kull Mawaidi (I cancel all my appointments), Sayegh’s voice entwines with compatriot and fellow household staple, Melhem Barakat in an emotional display of longing and depth - her voice delicate yet powerful, effortlessly blending with Barakat's commanding baritone.

The instrumental version on the flipside (surprisingly a stereo mix) reveals a highly catchy arrangement that is lush and emotive, driven by strings that glide smoothly through the melody, while brass instruments add a touch of drama. The rhythm section, punctuated by a steady percussion, anchors the track, allowing the interplay of instruments to build a sense of urgency and longing, accurately reflecting the struggles and emotional resilience that defined Sayegh’s own life.

This reissue, remastered with painstaking care, brings both versions of Belghi Kull Mawaidi back to life, making it an essential addition to any avid listener, DJ or collector’s shelf. It captures the timeless beauty of two of Lebanon's most cherished musical icons, their voices and instruments merging to create a track that resonates through the ages.

Muhammad Al-Najjar
London, April 2025

credits
Audio restoration and vinyl mastering: Colin Young
Lacquer cut: Timmion cutting lab
Sleeve and label artwork: Grotezk Studio
Under License of Voix de L'Orient

Palham Music releast post mortem eine Zusammenstellung von Tracks des Künstlers Flavio Diners. Seine Sassy Bearbeitung versprüht leichten sommerlichen Vibe, auf Bubblejam freestylt er sich der untergehenden Sonne entgegen. Auf Ohhhs and Yeahs werden auf krautig transzendente Weise Körper und Geist getrennt. Auf der B-Seite werden 2 Bearbeitungen seines A Night at Finsbury Park angeboten, die uns gönnerhaft durch die Blackstock Road vorwärts schieben. Bei Some Deep Vibes halten wir dann nach durchtanzter Nacht unsere Beine ins Wasser und genießen diese. Pew pew.

Palham Music presents a posthumous collection of tracks by artist Flavio Diners. His Sassy rework exudes an easy, summery vibe, while on Bubblejam, he freestyles his way into the sunset. With Ohhhs and Yeahs, body and mind drift apart in a transcendent, kraut-inspired soundscape. On the B-side, two reinterpretations of A Night at Finsbury Park guide us graciously along Blackstock Road. And with Some Deep Vibes, after a night spent dancing, we cool our legs in the water and simply savor the moment. Pew pew.

After the conceptual depth of "Parallel Traces of the Jewel Voice" (2021), dj sniff returns to Discrepant with a more direct and visceral document: Turntable Solos.

Composed from live recordings made during the latter half of 2024, Turntable Solos captures dj sniff’s improvised performances in their rawest form. At the core of his setup is Cut ’n’ Play, a software sampler he originally built in Max / MSP in 2007. Since then, he has continued developing custom tools and instruments that extend what Derek Bailey called the “instrumental impulse” — the tactile, responsive relationship between musician and machine that defines improvisation.

Following a summer 2024 tour of Japan with Gonçalo Cardoso, sniff was encouraged to document and release a selection of his live sets. Not long after, a performance at 20α (Alpha) in Hong Kong would become the emotional and conceptual anchor for the project.

In the liner notes, sniff reflects on the eerie parallels between recent footage of protestors in Los Angeles — assaulted by police using so-called “less-lethal” weapons, and civilians being abducted into detention centers — and the 2019 Hong Kong protests. A place once filled with personal nostalgia began to feel like a grim foreshadowing of what might unfold in Western societies.

In this turbulent context, 20α stands out as a space of resistance and renewal — a beacon for a new generation of experimental musicians, growing in defiance of increasing censorship and surveillance. "Turntable Solos" is both a personal statement and a public act of sonic resilience.

Roland Van Campenhout is for sure one of the most unique Belgian artists. Active since the 60’s of the past century Roland built up an extensive and eclectic discography. More than 20 albums on which folk, blues, rock, world music, movie- and theatre soundtracks … all celebrate together, creating a new musical dimension defining the true free musical spirit Roland really is. He received multiple Awards, toured the world with Rory Gallagher and played with Tim Hardin, Leo Kottke, Ian Anderson and the entire Belgian scene.

Issued in May 2000, Toploader’s debut album was a major success, reaching number four on the UK chart and going multi platinum within a matter of months. It was mostly written by lead singer and keyboard player Joseph Washbourn, with the exception of ‘Just Hold On’ and the huge worldwide hit ‘Dancing In the Moonlight’, which had been a success across the pond for King Harvest in 1972. A retro-sounding record upon release, with an impressive vitality and soulfulness, it remains a highly enjoyable experience; an album that evokes some of the best sounds of the 1970s and blends them all together with great skill.

pen·ti·men·to - eine sichtbare Spur früherer Malerei unter einer oder mehreren Farbschichten auf einer Leinwand - frühes 20. Jahrhundert: aus dem Italienischen, wörtlich "Reue". Auf ihrem ersten Album seit "Still Life" (2022) bewegt sich Carson McHone an der Grenze ihrer musikalischen Vorstellungskraft und kanalisiert so unterschiedliche und überraschende Einflüsse wie Gitarrenrock, pastoralen Folk, Poesie, Feldaufnahmen, visuelle Kunst, Erinnerung, Familie und Landschaft zu ihrem bisher tiefgründigsten Werk. "Pentimento" ist ein kühnes und lohnendes Album. Es ist auch eine Abrechnung: Wie können Liebe und Schönheit in der Gegenwart von Brutalität existieren? Beunruhigend. Dissonant. Gegen ihren Schatten und mit ihre Spuren. Das ist es, was McHone und ihre Mitstreiter (zu denen Daniel Romano, Steve Lambke von den Constantines und andere gehören) auf "Pentimento" mit der Subtilität von Aquarellmalerei und dem Reichtum von Versen einfangen, mit Geisterstimmen und Kinderstimmen gleichermaßen. Jede Schicht ist ein Universum für sich und offenbart den Puls, der Carson McHones kreativen Antrieb belebt. Hier arrangiert und als Ganzes ausgedrückt, ist es ein Meisterwerk. "Alle Lieder von Pentimento entstanden als Gedichte vor dem Hintergrund globaler Krisen, nationaler Grenzen, ziviler Unruhen, Geburt, Tod, schlechter Liebe, neuer Liebe, wahrer Liebe. Sie wurden im Frühling und Sommer in der Wüste geschrieben. Dort werden Geschichte und Zeit in der Dramatik großer Felsbrocken sichtbar, in Schichten auf einer Felswand - das Potential und die vergangene Energie des alten Meeresbodens. Einige dieser Texte wurden auf Postkarten und in Briefen geschrieben. Andere entstanden als Verzierungen auf Aquarellbildern oder als Bildunterschriften für ein Foto in einem Tagebuch, oder sie wurden als Antworten am Rande eines Tagebuchs an ein neugeborenes Kind aus einer vergangenen Generation geschrieben. Diese "Artefakte" des Schreibens/Lebens gaben Aufschluss darüber, was schließlich zum Material für diese Aufnahmen wurde. Später, am Meer und während des ersten Schnees der Saison, kam eine besondere Gruppe von Musikern zusammen, um das Album zum Leben zu erwecken. Während die Hälfte der Songs nach einem strengen "Plan" aufgebaut wurde, kam die andere Hälfte bei dieser Gelegenheit zum ersten Mal zusammen und wurde an Ort und Stelle geprobt und live eingespielt. Über sechs Tage hinweg wurde alles auf einem 8-Spur-Bandgerät aufgenommen, einschließlich zufälliger Rückkopplungen, Bassdröhnen und spontanem Gelächter." - Carson McHone

glo-worm produce chiming pop music of a nonbouncing variety that sounds pure, forlorn and unencumbered. Glo-Worm are at the heart of the `90s East Coast independent pop music scene that brought us Slumberland Records, Velocity Girl, Versus and chickfactor magazine. glimmer KLP054 brings all the various glo-worm 45s together under one roof. It's a real charmer, and now available for the first time as a long playing (LP) phonograph record. glo-worm formed in Washington D.C., summer 1993 and features the voice of Pam Berry ( cofounder of chickfactor magazine) accompanied by Dan Searing (drums, percussion) and Terry Banks (guitar). Previously, Pam had sung in Black Tambourine. Terry played in Tree Fort Angst and a stint in English underground combo St. Christopher. Dan had been in Whorl. During the course of glo-worm's two-and-a-halfish year lifespan, the band released three 7" EPs (issued by the Somersault, Slumberland and K labels) and had songs on a couple of compilations, all leading up to the glimmer [KLP054] album, which compiled the 7" EPs and added a cover of The Cure's `Friday I'm in Love' and was released by K in 1996.

Ltd Edition!

Das beeindruckende Solo-Debütalbum von Sydney Minsky-Sargeant, dem Kopf der Alt-Electro-Band Working Men's Club.

"Lunga" ist das beeindruckende Solo-Debütalbum von Sydney Minsky-Sargeant, dem Kopf der Alt-Electro-Band Working Men's Club. Während der Katalog von Working Men's Club Industrial-Post-Punk für den Indie-Dancefloor neu interpretiert, ist "Lunga" eine introspektive Platte, auf der Minsky Sargeant über das Erwachsenwerden und die Zeit zwischen Kindheit und Erwachsensein reflektiert. Die Tracks von "Lunga" wurden über mehrere Jahre hinweg in den Pausen zwischen den WMC-Verpflichtungen geschrieben und dann mit Alex Greaves im "The Nave" in Leeds aufgenommen. Die Lieder sind nachdenklich und suchend, mit einfachen Refrains, die oft über spärlichen Gitarrenlinien wiederholt werden. Minsky Sargeant spielt den Großteil der Instrumente selbst und erschafft mit zarten Drum Fills, unheimlichem Cello und dezenten Synthies eine bezaubernde Welt. Minsky Sargeant dachte, er hätte ein neues Wort kreiert, als er die Platte betitelte - etwas, das die selbsthinterfragende Stimmung der Platte und die Erforschung der Beziehung des Menschen zur Natur zusammenfasst. Dass sich "Lunga" dann als der Name einer unbewohnten schottischen Insel herausstellte - zerklüftet, isoliert und in ständiger Bewegung - ist der Beweis für eine einzigartige künstlerische Vision.

Das beeindruckende Solo-Debütalbum von Sydney Minsky-Sargeant, dem Kopf der Alt-Electro-Band Working Men's Club.

"Lunga" ist das beeindruckende Solo-Debütalbum von Sydney Minsky-Sargeant, dem Kopf der Alt-Electro-Band Working Men's Club. Während der Katalog von Working Men's Club Industrial-Post-Punk für den Indie-Dancefloor neu interpretiert, ist "Lunga" eine introspektive Platte, auf der Minsky Sargeant über das Erwachsenwerden und die Zeit zwischen Kindheit und Erwachsensein reflektiert. Die Tracks von "Lunga" wurden über mehrere Jahre hinweg in den Pausen zwischen den WMC-Verpflichtungen geschrieben und dann mit Alex Greaves im "The Nave" in Leeds aufgenommen. Die Lieder sind nachdenklich und suchend, mit einfachen Refrains, die oft über spärlichen Gitarrenlinien wiederholt werden. Minsky Sargeant spielt den Großteil der Instrumente selbst und erschafft mit zarten Drum Fills, unheimlichem Cello und dezenten Synthies eine bezaubernde Welt. Minsky Sargeant dachte, er hätte ein neues Wort kreiert, als er die Platte betitelte - etwas, das die selbsthinterfragende Stimmung der Platte und die Erforschung der Beziehung des Menschen zur Natur zusammenfasst. Dass sich "Lunga" dann als der Name einer unbewohnten schottischen Insel herausstellte - zerklüftet, isoliert und in ständiger Bewegung - ist der Beweis für eine einzigartige künstlerische Vision.

pen·ti·men·to - eine sichtbare Spur früherer Malerei unter einer oder mehreren Farbschichten auf einer Leinwand - frühes 20. Jahrhundert: aus dem Italienischen, wörtlich "Reue". Auf ihrem ersten Album seit "Still Life" (2022) bewegt sich Carson McHone an der Grenze ihrer musikalischen Vorstellungskraft und kanalisiert so unterschiedliche und überraschende Einflüsse wie Gitarrenrock, pastoralen Folk, Poesie, Feldaufnahmen, visuelle Kunst, Erinnerung, Familie und Landschaft zu ihrem bisher tiefgründigsten Werk. "Pentimento" ist ein kühnes und lohnendes Album. Es ist auch eine Abrechnung: Wie können Liebe und Schönheit in der Gegenwart von Brutalität existieren? Beunruhigend. Dissonant. Gegen ihren Schatten und mit ihre Spuren. Das ist es, was McHone und ihre Mitstreiter (zu denen Daniel Romano, Steve Lambke von den Constantines und andere gehören) auf "Pentimento" mit der Subtilität von Aquarellmalerei und dem Reichtum von Versen einfangen, mit Geisterstimmen und Kinderstimmen gleichermaßen. Jede Schicht ist ein Universum für sich und offenbart den Puls, der Carson McHones kreativen Antrieb belebt. Hier arrangiert und als Ganzes ausgedrückt, ist es ein Meisterwerk. "Alle Lieder von Pentimento entstanden als Gedichte vor dem Hintergrund globaler Krisen, nationaler Grenzen, ziviler Unruhen, Geburt, Tod, schlechter Liebe, neuer Liebe, wahrer Liebe. Sie wurden im Frühling und Sommer in der Wüste geschrieben. Dort werden Geschichte und Zeit in der Dramatik großer Felsbrocken sichtbar, in Schichten auf einer Felswand - das Potential und die vergangene Energie des alten Meeresbodens. Einige dieser Texte wurden auf Postkarten und in Briefen geschrieben. Andere entstanden als Verzierungen auf Aquarellbildern oder als Bildunterschriften für ein Foto in einem Tagebuch, oder sie wurden als Antworten am Rande eines Tagebuchs an ein neugeborenes Kind aus einer vergangenen Generation geschrieben. Diese "Artefakte" des Schreibens/Lebens gaben Aufschluss darüber, was schließlich zum Material für diese Aufnahmen wurde. Später, am Meer und während des ersten Schnees der Saison, kam eine besondere Gruppe von Musikern zusammen, um das Album zum Leben zu erwecken. Während die Hälfte der Songs nach einem strengen "Plan" aufgebaut wurde, kam die andere Hälfte bei dieser Gelegenheit zum ersten Mal zusammen und wurde an Ort und Stelle geprobt und live eingespielt. Über sechs Tage hinweg wurde alles auf einem 8-Spur-Bandgerät aufgenommen, einschließlich zufälliger Rückkopplungen, Bassdröhnen und spontanem Gelächter." - Carson McHone

Teresa Rotschopf, a musician and composer from Vienna, presents her second solo album, »Currents and Orders« – a radical, delicate, yet grandiose sonic journey between experimental pop, new music, and improvised composition. The album will be presented live on August 27 as part of the »Pop-Kultur« festival (silent green, Berlin) and at the »ORF RadioKulturhaus« (Vienna) on 12 September.

»Currents and Orders« was recorded in an unusual location: a stalactite cave in Styria, Austria. Together with a small group of musicians (Maria Gstättner: bassoon, contraforte; Alex Kranabetter: tuba, trumpet, French horn; Patrick Dunst: saxophone, duduk; Florian Klinger: marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, cymbals, gong, stalactite; Patrick Pulsinger: gong, stalactite; Ulrich Schleicher: gong) and in co-production with Patrick Pulsinger, Rotschopf recorded the album in June 2023 – deep underground, far from daylight, but all the closer to archaic sounds and resonances.

The cave becomes not only an acoustic stage, but also a symbolic space of memory, retreat, and transformation. The album comprises four pieces – including two large-scale tracks:
- the opening, mantra-like title track »Currents and Orders« (over 10 minutes)
- the final, free-jazz, expressive »I Open My Gates (for You)« (over 20 minutes)

With a minimalist structure, choral voices, vibraphone, percussion, and wind instruments, fragile yet powerful soundscapes emerge, whose spatial depth is also palpable through the cave reverberation.

Rotschopf first developed the desire to record in a cave in the summer of 2022. What began as a visual and sonic image became a concrete project – supported by the Austrian Cave Association. In June 2023, Rotschopf and her musicians spent three days in a cave in the Styrian forest. Almost a kilometer of cable was laid, and equipment and instruments were carried deep underground. Rotschopf describes the recording situation as a kind of return to herself: »I descended into this cave, as if I could descend into myself, into my own womb ... What we did in the cave could just as easily be called ›recording music,‹ but it could also be called ›remembering‹ – remembering the earth, the cave, and humanity.«

»Currents and Orders« is an album like a ritual: haunting, atmospheric, bold in its form, and deeply rooted in both physical and emotional space. Music that takes its time, uses space, and pushes boundaries.

The pre-release single »O Please My Soul (Rest On My Back)« (release: July 17, 2025) is accompanied by a striking music video shot by Antoinette Zwirchmayr on 16mm film: Teresa Rotschopf holds a real owl in her hand – an image that is as magical as it is enigmatic.

Label owner Martin Hossbach read a review of Rotschopf's first solo album, »Messiah,« in 2018 and contacted the artist. Joint releases followed, including a drone album on the sub-label Martin Hossbach Score and a Pet Shop Boys cover version on Martin Hossbach Cover.

Teresa Rotschopf, Musikerin und Komponistin aus Wien, präsentiert mit »Currents and Orders« ihr zweites Soloalbum – eine radikale, zarte und zugleich groß angelegte Klangreise zwischen experimentellem Pop, Neuer Musik und improvisierter Komposition. Das Album wird am 27.8. im Rahmen des Festivals »Pop-Kultur« (silent green, Berlin) und am 12.9. im »ORF RadioKulturhaus« (Wien) live vorgestellt.

»Currents and Orders« entstand an einem ungewöhnlichen Ort: in einer Tropfsteinhöhle in der Steiermark, Österreich. Gemeinsam mit einer kleinen Gruppe von Musiker:innen (Maria Gstättner: Fagott, Kontraforte; Alex Kranabetter: Tuba, Trompete, Waldhorn; Patrick Dunst: Saxophon, Duduk; Florian Klinger: Marimbaphon, Vibraphon, Glockenspiel, Becken, Gong, Stalakmit; Patrick Pulsinger: Gong, Stalakmit; Ulrich Schleicher: Gong) und in Ko-Produktion mit Patrick Pulsinger nahm Rotschopf das Album im Juni 2023 auf – tief unter der Erde, fern von Tageslicht, dafür umso näher an archaischen Klängen und Resonanzen.

Die Höhle wird nicht nur zur akustischen Bühne, sondern auch zum symbolischen Raum der Erinnerung, des Rückzugs, der Transformation. So umfasst das Album vier Stücke – darunter zwei großformatige Tracks: - das eröffnende mantraartige Titelstück »Currents and Orders« (über 10 Minuten) - das finale, free-jazzig-expressive »I Open My Gates (For You)« (über 20 Minuten)

Mit minimalistischer Struktur, Chorstimmen, Vibraphon, Schlag- und Blasinstrumenten entstehen fragile und zugleich mächtige Klangwelten, deren räumliche Tiefe auch durch den Höhlenhall spürbar wird.

Der Wunsch, in einer Höhle aufzunehmen, kam Rotschopf im Sommer 2022. Was als visuelles und klangliches Bild begann, wurde zu einem konkreten Vorhaben – unterstützt vom Österreichischen Höhlenverein. Im Juni 2023 begab sich Rotschopf mit ihren Musiker:innen drei Tage lang in eine Höhle im steirischen Wald. Fast ein Kilometer Kabel wurde verlegt, Equipment und Instrumente tief unter die Erde getragen. Rotschopf beschreibt die Aufnahmesituation als eine Art Rückkehr in sich selbst: »Ich stieg in diese Höhle hinab, so als ob ich in mich selbst hinabsteigen könnte, in meinen eigenen Schoß [...] Was wir in der Höhle taten, könnte man ›Musik aufnehmen‹ nennen, genauso gut aber auch ›Erinnern‹ – Erinnern von Erde, Höhle und Menschsein.«

Currents and Orders ist ein Album wie ein Ritual: eindringlich, atmosphärisch, mutig in der Form und tief verwurzelt im physischen wie emotionalen Raum. Musik, die sich Zeit nimmt, Raum nutzt und Grenzen sprengt.

Die Vorab-Single »O Please My Soul (Rest On My Back)« (VÖ: 17.7.205) wird begleitet von einem eindrücklichen Musikvideo, das Antoinette Zwirchmayr auf 16mm-Film drehte: Teresa Rotschopf hält darin eine echte Eule auf ihrer Hand – ein Bild, das genauso magisch wie rätselhaft wirkt.

Labelbetreiber Martin Hossbach las im Jahr 2018 eine Rezension des ersten Rotschopf-Soloalbums »Messiah« und nahm Kontakt zu der Künstlerin auf. Es folgten gemeinsame Veröffentlichungen – etwa ein Drone-Album auf dem Sub-Label Martin Hossbach Score und eine Pet-Shop-Boys-Coverversion auf Martin Hossbach Cover.

"Irritating Post Punk New Wave Kraut Disco Trash Duo from Switzerland in Glitter Tights and Spandex Wigs with obscure and high potential Dancing Beats and and songs that stick in your brain like chewing gum". It's their fifth' full lenght amd second for VVR! DIE GROSSE KUNST DER REDUKTION: BLIND BUTCHER ist ein abstraktes musikalisches Künstler/Musiker-Duo aus Luzern der Schweiz, welches Glitzer-Leggings trägt und das Gesicht hinter einem Leuchfarben-Spandex Vorhang versteckt. Ihre Ästhetik und Outfits werden angefertigt von Corinne Odermatt, aber vor allem überzeugen sie durch ihre Musik, die einem, wenn mensch sie live erlebt, nicht aus dem Staunen herauskommen und perplex im Raum stehenlässt. Wie zwei obskure Kreaturen von einer anderen Galaxie treiben sie ihren Disco Beats durch den Raum, oder wie hier durch die Rille einer Vinyl-Schallplatte. Aufgenommen wurde diese zweite Produktion für Voodoo Rhythm beim renommierten Swamp Land Studio in Toulouse Frankreich mit Lo Spider (Destination Lonely) und gemastert in Detroit von Bill Skibbe at Third Man Mastering. Das Coverfoto und Artwork entwarf Ralph Kuehne. Classic black Vinyl LP 180g including Booklet and free Download Card

Everything Is Recorded, ist das musikalische Kollaborationsprojekt von XL-Recordings Chef Richard Russell. Auf dem Album "Temporary" sind zu hören u.a. Sampha, Bill Callahan, Noah Cyrus, Florence Welch, Maddy Prior, Berwyn, Alabaster Deplume, Jah Wobble, Yazz Ahmed, Laura Groves, Kamasi Washington, Ricky Washington, Roses Gabor, Jack Penate, Samantha Morton, Clari Freeman-Taylor und Nourished By Time. "Temporary" entstand im Verlauf von vier Jahren in Russells Londoner Copper House Studio und während einiger zusätzlicher Sessions in Tottenham, Cumbria, Dorset, Los Angeles und Las Vegas Es schließt an die vorangegangenen Releases wie das 2018 für den Mercury Prize nominierte Debüt an. Auf dem neuen Album erfährt Russells musikalische DNA allerdings ein Reboot: Sein Cut & Paste Approach reicht in die Zeit vor Sampling-Helden wie The Bomb Squad und Prince Paul zurück bis hin zu Innovatoren wie Steve Reich, Robert Rauschenberg und William S. Burroughs. Während Russells Musik bislang geprägt war von Rhythmus, Worten und Melodie - in ebendieser Reihenfolge - tauschen zwei Aspekte diesmal ihre Rollen. Der Rhythmus tritt zugunsten der Melodie in den Hintergrund. Musikalisch ist "Temporary" vom Gedankenexperiment "what if folk music had "gone digital" in the 80s, just as reggae had?" geleitet, während sich in spiritueller und lyrischer Hinsicht vieles um Trauer und den Verlust von Freunden, Familienmitgliedern und Kollegen dreht. Im Ergebnis stehen leuchtende und gelassene Kompositionen, auch dank der faszinierenden und vielfältigen Gästeliste, die "Temporary" mitbringt. Die fragilen, zärtlichen und stillen Tracks liefern vielleicht eines der sanftesten Alben, die je über den Tod geschrieben wurden. "Das Album zu machen, war erfüllend, eine Art, das Leben zu heiligen", so Russell. "Temporary" ist die erste reguläre Veröffentlichung von Everything Is Recorded nach über vier Jahren. In der Zwischenzeit war Russell allerdings nicht untätig. Via Soundcloud und Bandcamp erschienen zuletzt "Summer Solstice", "Autumn Equinox", "Winter Solstice" und "Spring Equinox", die alle mit einer Reihe von Gastmusikerinnen und -.musikern im Rahmen ausgiebiger Jams an jeweils nur einem Tag entstanden. Mit der Schauspielerin und Regisseurin Samantha Morton tat er sich zum Duo Sam Morton zusammen, welches sein Debüt "Daffodils und Dirt" veröffentlichte. Für Peter Gabriels Comeback-Album "i/o" produzierte Russell den Song "Four Kinds of Horses".

Phantasy are delighted to introduce Greek duo Boys' Shorts for their debut EP on the label, ‘Athena’. The project of music obsessives Vangelis and Tareq, the Boys’ Shorts sound has helped redefine timeless strains of disco, house and Italo for Europe’s queer club underground, with similar charisma spilling into their collaborative productions on labels including Live at Robert Johnson, Permanent Vacation and Polari.

Boys' Shorts appearance on Phantasy is coupled with their most ambitious and fulfilling songwriting to date. Featuring a rare vocal performance from beloved selector and cosmic disco expert Budino, appearing alongside Elisa Paradiso, the instantaneous lead cut ‘Summer’s Here and Summer’s Missing’ recounts a sun-drenched romance cut short. The duo’s soft, bittersweet synthesis mingles with Budino’s Italian-language lyrics, gently pulsing to find closure, or at least further pleasure, while up late in a Balearic discoteque.

Under those same hot lights, Boys' Shorts go deeper still with the leading oscillations of ‘Stereo on Acid’, in which classic, wobbly-hearted 808 sounds flirt playfully with a bassline that bumps like downtown traffic on a sweltering Athens afternoon. Reflecting the hidden pleasures and true underground culture of the city after nightfall, title track ‘Athena’ is a sensual and sophisticated groove with an epic yet understated touch, that one can imagine soundtracking a future soiree or centuries of ancient history alike.

A Side: Er Mar (Submarine Mix) "Maracaibo, dance to the barracuda, yes but dance naked, zà zà! " So sang Maria Luisa Colombo, known to all of us as Lu Colombo. It was 1982, the meteoric song became and still is today a worldwide Hit that everyone has sung at least once in their life and almost never sober. Let's make a leap in time, we are in 1993 the track is taken up and remixed in several versions between Latin and Euro House, we have taken up the track Er Mar (Submarine Mix), dreamy, lustful, psychedelic, evocative, Summer in its purest form. To dance on the beach, preferably in company of Miguel and naked

B Side: FeelFly – Onda Erotica Remix A Cosmic sabba in the forest. You’ll get lost with this hypnotic sound and a minute later you’re ready for a proper trip into your hidden Erotic Dreams. With this almost ten minutes long and original version, Feel Fly delivers to all of us a signature track of the highest order. Feel Fly is an Italian electronic musician and DJ. Defined by Gerd Janson as a linchpin of the underground scene, he recently released some Balearic trance tracks on International Feel and Internasjonal by Prins Thomas, as well as transversal EPs on New Interplanetary Melodies and Hell Yeah.

Mr. Fiel returns with a new collection of introspective sounds on his own label, Faith In Truth. The release — available soon on vinyl and digitally — marks the imprint’s second vinyl outing, exploring deep house and ambient textures beyond the club floor. Dreamy, meditative and emotionally rich, these tracks invite the listener into a gentle inward journey.

Peaceful mind - a warm deep house journey built on deep bass, soft rhodes, and subtle background chords. Peaceful and immersive – a perfect track to slow down and reflect.
No life without dreams - driven by a heavy bassline and hypnotic synths and congas, this track is mainly made for the dancefloor. A surprising flute outro adds a delicate, uplifting twist to the groove.
Beautiful day - emotional deep house with a nostalgic touch, like flipping through old photographs. Warm textures and soft melodies evoke memories of brighter days.
Into the Galaxy - ambient meets electro in a cosmic exploration of NASA-inspired sounds and samples. A spacious and otherworldly piece – are you ready for a sonic spaceflight?
Eternal sunrise - slow-burning at 110 BPM, this track unfolds with deep basslines, ambient pads, and layered synths. Perfect for quiet moments or watching the sunrise in a reflective state of mind.
Echoes of the divine - thick pads and trippy acid tones collide with slow breakbeats and textured drums. A surreal ride into another dimension – hypnotic and unpredictable.

All tracks were written, produced, and mixed by Mr. Fiel between the summer of 2024 and the spring of 2025.

In an ever-expanding musical universe, Azymuth have long existed as a celestial giant, drawing countless artists, musicians and followers into their orbit. Marking fifty years since their 1975 debut album Azimuth, their new album Marca Passo proves that the band’s alchemic brew of Brazilian jazz-funk and cosmic samba soul remains as vital as ever, as the group honours the profound legacy of their departed founders.

Recorded in Rio de Janeiro, Marca Passo is the first full-length release since the passing of founding drummer Ivan "Mamão" Conti in 2023, following the earlier loss of keyboardist José Roberto Bertrami in 2012. Alex Malheiros, the sole remaining original member, sees his stewardship of the band’s musical legacy as his spiritual duty. He is joined by the equally devoted Kiko Continentino (Milton Nascimento, Djavan) on keyboards, who has been with the group since 2016, and new recruit Renato Massa (Marcos Valle, Ed Motta) on drums.

Yet since their earliest recorded music, Azymuth have always been far greater than the sum of their parts. The "three-man orchestra’s" unmistakable sound is rooted in Brazil's MPB studio scene of the 1970s and early 1980s—a time when artists blended traditional Brazilian rhythms with global jazz, rock, and emerging psychedelic and progressive elements. Marca Passo continues this legacy, seamlessly fusing Brazilian musical traditions with global influences while showcasing the exceptional musicianship that powers Azymuth's distinctive, multi-dimensional sound.

The album is produced by studio mastermind Daniel Maunick, responsible for Azymuth’s two previous studio albums, Fênix in 2016 and Aurora in 2011. Daniel’s credits also include albums by Marcos Valle, Sabrina Malheiros and Terry Callier. Azymuth also invited Daniel’s father, British jazz-funk royalty Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick, of Incognito, to play guitar on a new version of Azymuth’s eighties classic “Last Summer In Rio”, in tribute to the song’s composer, José Roberto Bertrami. Equally, “Samba Pro Mamao” is a new composition dedicated to Azymuth’s beloved original drummer, Ivan “Mamão” Conti.

Credits:

Alex Malheiros - Bass, Acoustic Guitar & Vocals: 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Kiko Continentino - Keyboards, Organ, Vocoder & Vocals: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Renato Massa - Drums & Vocals: : 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
Ian Moreira - Percussion: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
Sidinho Moreira - Percussion: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10
Dudu Viana - Keyboards & Vocals: 1
Victor Bertrami - Drums: 1
Mangueirinha - Repinique: 3
Jean Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick - Electric Guitar: 5
Jose Carlos Bigorna - Soprano Sax: 9
Daniel Maunick: Additional Percussion, Synths & EFX: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Produced, Engineered, Mixed & Arranged by Daniel Maunick
Co-Produced & Arranged by Alex Malheiros
Executive Producer: Joe Davis


Recorded by:
Daniel Maunick & Leonardo Vieira @ Estúdio Nos Trilhos, Santa Teresa, Rio, Brazil
Daniel Maunick & Amadeu Signorelli @ Sigstudio, Niterói, Rio, Brazil
Daniel Maunick & Alex Malheiros @ Estúdio Basslab, Piratininga, Rio, Brazil
Mixed by Daniel Maunick @ The Sugar Shack, Carluke, Scotland


Artwork & Design: Tyler Askew

An analog version of the original album "RADWIMPS3 ~The one I forgot to take to a deserted island~" released on February 15, 2006.

In the spring of 2020, Ben Cook _ a.k.a. Young Governor, Young Guv, or just Guv _ was holed up in the New Mexico high desert, his U.S. tour having been abruptly covid-cancelled during a southwest swing. He and his bandmates were living moment to moment in something called an Earthship, a solar-rigged adobe structure sustainably constructed with, among other things, recycled bottles and tires. And out there in the serene vastness, as a short ride-it-out stint turned into a nine-month sojourn, Ben was writing music, slowly, little by little, mostly at night while the others slept. By the New Year, almost in spite of himself, he had created a new album, two new albums actually, and through the ordeal he was forever changed. In a place he never expected to be, under circumstances no one could have predicted, and in the face of physical isolation, emotional desolation, and existential dread, Ben created GUV III & IV, a collection of songs dedicated and testifying to the eternal healing power of love _ how to find it in the world, in others, and most importantly, in himself.

This is the second pressing of the highly sought after debut LP from dutch synth funk wizard Shook.

The special edition reissue is dedicated to Shook’s fans and special fan Nasa Astronaut Christina Koch who played the song ‘Always’ to her husband while she was in space during her ISS mission. In Koch’s words the song was “one of the most memorable anthems” of her mission.

To celebrate this achievement it was the right time to repress this masterpiece of exploratory electronic music with a special variant cover made by Marvel comics artist Stefan Tosheff based on the story of Koch.

Back in 2013 Harder Blogger Faster said: This debut album showcases Shook’s talents in a multitude of sonic intensities, emotions and styles without it ever being too show-y.

The album manages to find a perfect blend between nostalgic love letters and Shook’s need to combine cutting edge electronic instrumentation with his virtuoso abilities on the piano.

next instalment in our ongoing ‘Yearbook’ series – pressed in lovely-lime-green vinyl on a 3-LP set packed with 47 stellar tracks celebrating a brilliant year of pop singles. NOW – Yearbook 1976.



LP1: Kicking off in magnificent style with signature songs from legendary artists: A #2 in 1976, Queen’s ‘Somebody To Love’ is first up, followed by Electric Light Orchestra with ‘Livin’ Thing’, Fleetwood Mac with ‘Say You Love Me’, and 10cc with ‘I’m Mandy Fly Me’. Dr. Hook had a huge hit with ‘A Little Bit More’, and Chicago hit #1 with their all-time classic ballad ‘If You Leave Me Now’, while the side closes with Eric Carmen’s enduringly popular ‘All By Myself’. Flip the LP over for huge hits from the year – including 4 #1s: 14 years after making their UK chart debut, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons enjoyed their first chart-topper with ‘December 1963 (Oh What a Night)’, whilst Leo Sayer reached #2 in the UK, and #1 in the US with ‘You Make Me Feel Like Dancing’. Pop gems follow from David Dundas, Bryan Ferry, Sailor, Smokie – and Slik, featuring a pre-Ultravox Midge Ure reached the top with ‘Forever And Ever’. Showaddywaddy celebrated their biggest hit and their first #1 with ‘Under The Moon Of Love’, and the UK won at Eurovision, with the winner ‘Save Your Kisses For Me’ by Brotherhood Of Man not only hitting the #1 spot but also becoming 1976’s biggest seller and bringing the first LP to a close.



LP2: Opening with a stellar run of pure-pop classics. Elton John celebrated his first UK #1 single, in a duet with Kiki Dee on ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’, and Cliff Richard with ‘Devil Woman’, ahead of dance-floor favourites – and both #1s in ’76: Tina Charles with ‘I Love To Love’ and The Real Thing with ‘You To Me Are Everything’. More pop nuggets follow from Billy Ocean and Dana, before the side finishes with R&J Stone with ‘We Do It’ and the sublime ‘Midnight Train To Georgia’ from Gladys Knight & The Pips. Over on the second side, ‘Silly Love Songs’ gave Wings a UK #2 and became ‘76’s biggest seller in the US and opens a run of great vocalists; Neil Diamond, Daryl Hall & John Oates with ‘She’s Gone’, Paul Simon’s ’50 Ways To Leave Your Lover’ and a trio of the year’s classic rock smashes: ‘The Boys Are Back In Town’ from Thin Lizzy, ‘Squeeze Box’ from The Who, and closing with the epic ‘Music’ from John Miles.



LP3: Celebrating ‘76’s dancefloor with a stunning collection of disco and soul gold: First up, Donna Summer with her debut smash ‘Love To Love You Baby’ before ‘More More More’ from Andrea True Connection and Candi Staton’s timeless ‘Young Hearts Run Free’. Melba Moore with ‘This Is It’ comes ahead of Diana Ross with the genre-defining ‘Love Hangover’, and the side is completed with huge floor-fillers from Tavares and Barry White ahead of The Isley Brothers with the soul standard ‘Harvest For The World’ and over on the final side country music is represented with Dolly Parton making her UK singles chart debut with ‘Jolene’ three years after it was a hit in the US, but it was a Dutch band, Pussycat, who hit the top with their country-pop track ‘Mississippi’. Bonnie Tyler made her chart debut with ‘Lost In France’, and ‘Forever And Ever’ gave Demis Roussos a ’76 chart topper, and an easy-listening classic, whilst Guys N Dolls had a second Top 5 hit with their cover of ‘You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me’. The LP ends with a trio of the year’s most beautiful ballads: Gallagher And Lyle with ‘Heart On My Sleeve’, ‘Love And Affection’ the stunning singles chart debut for Joan Armatrading, and finishing with a second peerless single on this collection from Elton John with ‘Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word’.



NOW – Yearbook 1976 – a celebration of the diversity and wonderful creativity of a truly fabulous year in pop.

LA-based composer/arranger E. Lundquist (aka Eric Borders) returns with ‘Art Between Minds’. Having cut his teeth in the LA hip-hop and beats scene and explored realms of cosmic-funk under previous monikers, E. Lundquist’s music displays a rich tapestry of influences including the cinematic & experimental jazz-infused library music that influenced his previous LP ‘Multiple Images’. Now he is back with another ample helping of his hallucinogenic sonics, utilizing a bevy of vintage gear to replicate that warm glow of ’70s jazz-funk. From the Fender Rhodes MKI to the ARP Odyssey, to the Mellotron, the keys and synths he employs on these tracks display a genuine appreciation for the groove-driven music of The ‘Me” Decade.

The album plays like the score to a cult classic B-movie. The sun-drenched haze of “Soliloquy” could easily be what you hear during the calm before the storm in a Blaxploitation flick and the laidback crawl of “Euphoria” seems ripped right out of a fuzzy ‘70s blue movie. But there is a certain sophistication here, like the way the horn section, slinky guitar, and trippy synths combine on “Escape” to sound like liquid one moment and like a summer breeze the next.

While E. Lundquist’s artistry will eventually take him to new plateaus of sound, where he is right now is undoubtedly a high watermark in his career. He has become a torchbearer for jazz-funk in a new jazz revolution, updating the sub-genre with his delicate balance of digital and analog elements that will easily appeal to fans of Kamaal Williams, Surprise Chef, BADBADNOTGOOD, Khurangbin, Robohands and similar.

Nach zwei Jahren unermüdlichen Tourens und zahlreicher Festivalauftritte kehrt die finnische Melodic-Death-Metal-Band Suotana mit ihrem bislang ambitioniertesten Album zurück: „Ounas II“, dessen Veröffentlichung für den 29. August 2025 geplant ist.

Als epische Fortsetzung von „Ounas I“ aus dem Jahr 2023 hebt dieses Album den charakteristisch frostigen Sound der Band auf ein neues Level und liefert eisige, zugleich mitreißende Melodic-Death-Hymnen, die das Genre neu definieren werden. Nach dem Erfolg ihres letzten Albums begab sich Suotana Anfang 2024 auf eine Asientour mit Kalmah sowie auf eine Europatour mit Finntroll und brachte ihren energiegeladenen, atmosphärischen Sound einem neuen internationalen Publikum näher. Auch bei namhaften Festivals wie Summer Breeze, Ragnarök Festival, Nummirock, Tuska und dem Hellsinki Metal Festival konnte die Band ihren Ruf als ernstzunehmende Größe der Szene weiter festigen. Die Rückkehr ins Studio mündete in einem Werk, das Aggression, Melodie und monumentales Storytelling meisterhaft vereint. Ounas II ist ein eindrucksvolles Zeugnis für Suotanas Weiterentwicklung – epische, frostklirrende Melodic-DeathHymnen mit Einflüssen aus Black und Power Metal. Songs wie „Twilight Stream“ und „Winter Visions“ demonstrieren das gereifte Songwriting und die eiskalte, zugleich elektrisierende Atmosphäre der Band. Das unbestrittene Herzstück des Albums ist jedoch „1473 Ounas“ – eine zehnminütige Melodic-Death-Odyssee mit einem atemberaubenden Gastauftritt von Zoe Marie Federoff-Šmerda (Cradle of Filth). Ihre eindringlichen Gesangslinien verschmelzen nahtlos mit Suotanas Signature-Sound und machen den Song zu einem sofortigen Klassiker.

Zum Abschluss der Ounas-Saga präsentiert Suotana eine eiskalte Neuinterpretation des Children-of-Bodom-Klassikers „Hatebreeder“, in ihrem eigenen, rauen und arktisch geprägten Stil.Das beeindruckende Cover-Artwork, erneut geschaffen von Simo Räsänen, fängt die majestätische nordische Landschaft und die rohe Intensität perfekt ein, die Suotana auszeichnet. Mit „Ounas II“ festigt Suotana ihren Platz in der Elite des nordischen Metals und liefert ein Album ab, das die Maßstäbe des Melodic Death Metals mit Black-Metal-Einflüssen neu setzt.

"Los Angeles-based ska-punk band The Interrupters have just released Live In Tokyo! via Hellcat Records. The live record, produced by guitarist Kevin Bivona, is taken from the band"s 2019 performance at Tokyo"s Summer Sonic Festival in support of their latest album, Fight the Good Fight (2018). The past few years have been pivotal for The Interrupters. Fight the Good Fight debuted #1 Heatseekers, #5 Current Rock, and #5 Current Alternative Album on the Billboard charts. The lead single, "She"s Kerosene" charted #5 at Alternative Radio in US, #1 Alternative in Canada, and #1 Rock in Canada making The Interrupters the first female-fronted band with an Alternative Radio hit since No Doubt. The follow-up single, "Gave You Everything" charted #19 at Alternative Radio in US, and #2 Rock in Canada. In addition, the band made their US TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and were featured as iHeartRadio"s On The Verge Artist (Fall 2018)"

In 2047, amidst the deafening yet oh-so-familiar soundscape of the Movement Festival in Detroit, we met again: I, pdqb, and Scape One, known as two of the most respected electronic music composers worldwide. The air pulsed not only with the latest beats but also with a barely perceptible energy only the two of us knew. We hadn't simply flown in; we'd arrived with our fantastic "Diskmind" time-travel machine, an incredible invention, capable of effortlessly catapulting us through the centuries.

"It's unbelievable, isn't it?" I shouted over the bass, eyebrows raised. "A machine that lets us travel through all of history, and there isn't a single song that honors it! Not one!"
Scape One nodded vigorously, his gaze sweeping over the stage lights. "That's absurd! How can such a revolutionary invention remain unsung? It's almost an insult to music history itself."
We looked at each other, a silent understanding in our gazes. The mission was clear: The "Diskmind" needed its anthems. And who, if not us, who used and loved it, should create them?

And so, we decided to become the musical chroniclers of the "Diskmind," ready to tell the story of our time machine across four different eras...

For Synaptic Cliffs, it's an extraordinary honor to present these three Scape One variations of the original song 'Diskmind' (first released on The Electrifying Dojo, 2025). Each masterpiece was recorded in different future decades of the 21st century (of ourse with the help of the Diskmind time travel machine) and reflects the corresponding trend in electronic music. A1: A timeless, pristine Electro composition from the year 2035. A2: An IDM marvel from late summer 2075, recorded in the Zero gravity of Space Station 775. B: An Experimental Electronica symphony recorded at pdqb's Studio 577 on Mars Outpost 47A. Only musical equipment that doesn't currently exist was used for this release

Get ready for a musical journey like no other as Apollo Junction, the dynamic and innovative indie rock sensation, prepares to launch their eagerly awaited new album, ’What In The World’ on August 22nd. The members of Apollo Junction hail from Leeds, UK. Known for their electrifying live performances and genre-blurring sound, the band has captured the hearts of music enthusiasts worldwide.

With a strong and dedicated fan base, Apollo Junction continues to push the boundaries of their craft, creating music that resonates on a profound level. Apollo Junction’s new album ‘What in the World’ has been years in the making - born from highs, lows, countless gigs, and all the chaos in between. It’s the most honest version of the band yet, a record shaped by every late-night argument, every breakthrough, every crazy story they have ever told each other.

Recorded at Chairworks Studio with David Watts (The Reytons, OMD, Paul Heaton, and Kaiser Chiefs) the album also features tracks co-written with Eliot Kennedy (known for his work with Bryan Adams and the Spice Girls) and includes a track with a powerful guest vocal from Brianna Corrigan of The Beautiful South. Lead singer Jamie Williamson explains the importance of the album: “This album feels exactly right for where we are now. Every track is a snapshot—of getting lost, finding our way back, and remembering why we started. It’s about making something that feels like home. We went looking for meaning and realised it was right in front of us: the band, the songs, this record. ‘What in the World’ isn’t just a title—it’s the answer we’ve been chasing all along.” Leeds-based quintet Apollo Junction is made up of Jamie Williamson (singer) Matthew Wilson (guitarist), Ben Hope (bassist), Jonny Thornton (drummer) and Sam Potter (keyboards). Their shared love of live music and dedication to performing, coupled with an incredible hard-work ethic has taken them on this magical journey which has included support slots for Shed Seven, Kaiser Chiefs, Richard Ashcroft and performing at festivals including the prestigious Isle of Wight Festival. Coming up this summer, the lads will be playing with Blossoms, Manic Street Preachers and Doves

Cherry Red Records is double delighted to present not one, but TWO brilliant brand-new albums from Jim Bob this summer! • Following his sold-out show at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in April, Jim Bob (Carter USM, Jamie Wednesday) returns with two new solo records (his 13th and 14th), released on the same day – Friday 22nd August 2025.

One album is ‘AUTOMATIC’ and one album is ‘STICK’. This is NOT a double album, double albums allow filler in and there is NO filler on ‘Automatic’ or ‘Stick’. You won’t find any skippable Instrumentals or reprised versions on these beauties, just wall-to-wall, floor-toceiling bangers - 22 of them – 11 songs on each excellent record. ‘Automatic’ features the full band from the last three Jim Bob albums (‘Pop Up Jim Bob’, ‘Who Do We Hate Today’ and ‘Thanks For Reaching Out’ - also available on Cherry Red Records) and includes the opening sing-a-long ‘Victoria Knits The Wars’ which features on the first 7” single. ‘Stick’ is a punkier, dirty power-trio, guitar record and features the poppin’ punky ‘S’ side of the 7” ‘Every Day’s a Discotheque’. Both albums are also available in colour gatefold vinyl and digital formats. ‘Automatic’ and ‘Stick’ are both the greatest album Jim Bob has ever made

Cherry Red Records is double delighted to present not one, but TWO brilliant brand-new albums from Jim Bob this summer! • Following his sold-out show at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire in April, Jim Bob (Carter USM, Jamie Wednesday) returns with two new solo records (his 13th and 14th), released on the same day – Friday 22nd August 2025. • One album is ‘AUTOMATIC’ and one album is ‘STICK’. This is NOT a double album, double albums allow filler in and there is NO filler on ‘Automatic’ or ‘Stick’. You won’t find any skippable Instrumentals or reprised versions on these beauties, just wall-to-wall, floor-toceiling bangers - 22 of them – 11 songs on each excellent record. ‘Automatic’ features the full band from the last three Jim Bob albums (‘Pop Up Jim Bob’, ‘Who Do We Hate Today’ and ‘Thanks For Reaching Out’ - also available on Cherry Red Records) and includes the opening sing-a-long ‘Victoria Knits The Wars’ which features on the first 7” single. ‘Stick’ is a punkier, dirty power-trio, guitar record and features the poppin’ punky ‘S’ side of the 7” ‘Every Day’s a Discotheque’. Both albums are also available in colour gatefold vinyl and digital formats. ‘Automatic’ and ‘Stick’ are both the greatest album Jim Bob has ever made.

When they performed a handful of concerts as a duo in the summer of 1998, Kristen Noguès and John Surman had already worked a lot on the interweaving of genres: Noguès had confronted traditional Breton music with contemporary music and Surman had changed his jazz into atmospheric numbers that would be amongst the finest recording on the ECM label. As a duo, the harpist and the saxophonist would go on to invent something different: free folk, traditional ambient, modal ‘fest- noz’ … it is difficult to label, because the duo Noguès / Surman is one of a kind.

Diriaou, means “Thursday” in Breton. It is also the title of the first piece that Kristen Noguès and John Surman played together in 1991. Noguès learned the Breton language as a child, at the same time as the Celtic harp, – taking lessons with Denise Mégevand, who would go on to teach others, notably Alan Stivell. At the beginning of the 1970s, Noguès discovered Breton singing (soniou and gwerziou) At the beginning of the 1970s, she discovered the Breton song tradition (soniou and gwerziou) and became involved in Névénoé, a cooperative of traditional expression founded by Gérard Delahaye and Patrick Ewen. She recorded a single with the two musicians in 1974, then her first album, two years later.

Everyone who has listened to Kristen Noguès debut Marc’h Gouez, is now aware of her mysterious plucked strings. Her art, leaving Brittany, would go on to take in all landscapes and folklores, in the same as that of John Surman, conceived a little further north including vernacular jazz, international fusion with Chris McGregor or Miroslav Vitouš, and exploring more personal territory. Remember the Cornish landscapes in one of the best albums on the ECM label : Road To Saint Ives.

Kristen Noguès and John Surman thus shared an ‘extra-Celtic’ inspiration infused with free improvisation. On this recording, made in 1998 by Tanguy Le Doré at the Dre Ar Wenojenn festival, the duo uses original compositions which refer back to traditional songs (Maro Pontkalek, Le Scorff). The musicians then create fantastic impressions: Baz Valan, on which Noguès and Surman have a heavenly exchange; Kernow, on which the shared theme slowing disappears into the mist; Maro Pontkalek and Diriaou which move from the storm to the calm. Elsewhere, there is singing, first with Surman (Kleier) and then moving on to Noguès (Kerzhadenn and her signature song Berceuse). On a canvas of traditional music, the two musicians weave countless memorable landscapes.

It’s been ten years since Drew Lustman aka FaltyDL last released on Planet Mu. In the meantime he's been running his own label Blueberry Records, been in-house producer for Mykki Blanco and has become a dad. The best things come out of play and it was Drew’s relationship with his young daughter that switched on this playful side of his music. The album in question, ‘Neurotica,’ expresses Drew’s fun in creating such energetic pieces people will want to move to. It's a dizzying sugar-rush at a high-speed bounce; the music is fresh and inviting and most important of all, joyful."Summer of ’24, we were in Catalonia. My girl, our young daughter, the old folks. Days by the village pool, afternoons on the dirtbike. At night, I made salads. Simple things. Good things. One afternoon, lying back, phone in hand, I saw a friend post a GRWM. The music behind it stopped me. A song grabbed hold. The track was ‘Secret’ by Mietze Conte, which is fast-paced euro-pop dance music, like soft fluffy gabber with childlike vocals. I hunted down the full version. Played it again. And again. Twenty times over the next few days. It unlocked something. The best music does that. Like the first time I heard Burial. Had to know what was happening under the surface. That time, it led to ‘Love Is A Liability’ in 2009. This time, it led to ‘Neurotica.’“ “I started to record, getting down fast, bright, sugar-rush sounds. 185 to 200 BPM. I wrote them quick—half a day per track. In between, I slowed things down. Gave space for breath. Mike Paradinas helped shape the album, his ear guiding the flow. I tested the tracks. Played them for kids barely out of diapers and grown folks who still move like they are. It worked, on all ages. I kept it simple. Only two rules: keep it moving and don’t look at my phone. Cut the vocals like I used to.” ‘Neurotica’ is FaltyDL with his mojo refreshed, a new life squared, do yourself a favour, crack a smile and feel the joy.

CATCHY, MESMERIZINGLY BEAUTIFUL, DREAMY CHAMBER POP WITH A FOLKY TWIST

Music can have a multitude of emotional impacts and can create inner worlds out of voices, sounds, and moods.
If you open heart and ear to the mesmerizing, hauntingly beautiful soundscapes of AURI, you might find a beacon of light inside a sonic realm untouched by today’s often scary, grim realities; a dreamscape that can be profoundly uplifting.
On their third studio album, III - Candles & Beginnings’ the stars have aligned yet again. Propelled by the unique and celestial voice of Johanna Kurkela, the magical textures of Nightwish mastermind Tuomas Holopainen and the almost unlimited musical palette of Nigtwish multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley, Auri have presented a world to be unlocked with the senses, blending folk, progressive and symphonic elements, world music, pop and avantgarde.
Right after completing Nightwish’s 2024 monument Yesterwynde, the songwriting for the third chapter in Auri’s musical adventures started in 2023, with Troy writing in Yorkshire and Tuomas and Johanna working their creative magic in Kitee, Finland. By Autumn 2024, a 10-song demo was complete, setting the stage for what would become another breathtaking Auri journey. The band and their trusted engineer Tero “Teecee” Kinnunen took the mixing process to sunny Spain, letting the Andalucian vibes infuse the music whereas in March 2025 mastering was wrapped up by Tim Oliver at the legendary Real World Studios - a ground-breaking recording complex started by Peter Gabriel in 1989.
The album is a tapestry of emotions - each song a world of its own, touching on childhood memories, vivid life experiences, and even a nod to one of the group’s most beloved places on Earth - The Lion Inn at Blakey Ridge, a historic spot nestled in the North York Moors and one of the most remote pubs you will ever find.
Visually, the cover artwork by Pete Voutilainen, layout and watercolors by Mikko Pankasalo plus calligraphy by Johanna Kurkela provide wonderful illustrations perfectly capturing Auri’s unique musical visions.
With guest musicians like Frank Van Essen (strings), Jonas Pap (cello), Juho Kanervo (basses), and the incredible drumming and percussion courtesy of Nightwish’s Kai Hahto, Auri III - Candles & Beginnings is as lush as it is atmospheric and provides astonishing dynamics.
Having been a studio endeavor in the past, Auri is finally going on tour with their first-ever live European trek kicking off in August 2025, followed by summer festivals in 2026, allowing you to hear, see and feel songs from their previous two albums, as well as brand new pieces from III - Candles & Beginnings.

Selected songs from Yu Hayami's album "Delicacy of Love" released in 2016, are now available on vinyl from SLENDERIE RECORD, a music label
led by Takashi Fujii!

Contains two songs "" Tokeruyouni kiss me"" a masterpiece with lyrics by Yu Hayami, music by Takashi Fujii, and arrangement by Ken Tomita, and "Boogie
Boogie Love Train (English Version)" an English cover of Anne Lewis' "Koi no Boogie Woogie Train" which was not included on the album.
Experience the charm of the songs anew with the sound that only an analog record can provide. Limited quantities available, so don't miss out.

Yu Hayami Profile
Made her debut as a singer in 1982 with "Isoide! Hatsukoi".
Has had many hits, including "Natsuiro no Nancy" and "Passion"
Yu Hayami spent her childhood in Guam and Hawaii, and is bilingual, fluent in both English and Japanese.
Graduated from the Department of Japanese Culture, Faculty of Comparative Culture, Sophia University. In 1992, she participated in the Earth Summit held in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is active on a global scale.
She is also a certified wine expert and dance fitness ZUMBA® instructor. She has a diverse range of charms not only in music but also in lifestyle.
In 2022, she will celebrate her 40th anniversary since her debut and release her best album, "Affection ~Yu Hayami 40th Anniversary Collection~".
In the summer of 2024, she released a new song, "DISCO de DISCO" (composition: DJ Night Tempo), which she wrote the lyrics for.
She currently appears regularly on NHK Radio's "Midnight Flight NEXT" and NHK World's "Dining with the Chef". She also hosts BS-TBS's "MUSIC X".
Her annual summer solo concert, "Natsuiro no Nancy Festival 2025" is scheduled to take place at Otemachi Mitsui Hall on July 13th.
In recent years, she has also been working on jazz, pursuing new musical possibilities through the fusion of pop and jazz.

BACK IN PRINT! Glenn Branca’s first full-length album The Ascension is a colossal achievement. After touring much of 1980 with an all-star band featuring four guitarists (Branca, fellow composers Ned Sublette and David Rosenbloom, and future Sonic Youth member Lee Ranaldo) along with Jeffrey Glenn on bass and Stephan Wischerth on drums, Branca took his war-torn group into a studio in Hell’s Kitchen to record five incendiary compositions. Originally released in the summer of 1981, The Ascension effectively tears down the genre-ghettos between 20th century avant-garde and ecstatic rock ’n’ roll. On “The Spectacular Commodity,” chiming, shimmering tones unfold into sinister drone-territory à la Tony Conrad, while abrasive guitars and repetitive beats retain the raw primitivism of No Wave. The title track attains a densely packed, larger-than-life sound and (as author Marc Masters says best) “never stops climbing skyward.” With artist Robert Longo’s stark front cover that depicts Branca battling an unidentified man, The Ascension is a must-have record not only for fans of early Swans and Sonic Youth, but also of Steve Reich or Slint’s Tweez.

CRAIG DAVID RETURNS WITH NEW ALBUM 'COMMITMENT'.

Created with Mike Brainchild, Toddla T, Tre-Jean Marie and Wretch 32 and featuring collaborations with Jojo, Tiwa Savage and Louisa - one of the greatest British singers and songwriters of all time returns this summer with a brand-new album.

'Commitment' is Craig David's ninth full-length record and it is a total triumph. Imbued with a resounding sense of joy and playfulness, the 13 track-player balances a powerful feeling of confidence and ebullience alongside an agile nuance and delicate vulnerability.

This is Craig David at his very best.

Opening emphatically with the rallying cry of UKG head turner Wake Up, 'Commitment' spans the best of British music; from the rich house refrains of Leave The Light On, through to the perfect tropical pop of SOS and the warm embrace of Afrowave on the utterly gorgeous title track. Craig also flawlessly delivers, throughout, those signature R&B riffs, ad-libs and runs that he is so known and loved for. And while there are nods to the past, this is a body of work that exists very much in the present. Like Craig classics before it, 'Commitment' embodies the best of what's been before while pushing things firmly forward.

Last summer, after living across the country from each other for several years, the four members of Anamanaguchi decided to try something new. Their label Polyvinyl had rescued the famed American Football house from potential destruction, so the band took the opportunity to move in and write together. Over the course of a month, Anamanaguchi – pioneers of hyper-melodic 8-bit rock, whose extraordinary ascent has led them to topping charts with virtual pop star Hatsune Miku and scoring Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game and Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim Takes Off – flipped their typically meticulous digital process on its head. Anyway, the result, is the most personal record of their career. And it's a rock record for the ages.

Recorded straight to tape by Grammy-winning rock producer Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, MGMT, Sleater-Kinney), Anyway united the members around live instruments and lyrics sung by everybody in the band. As Anamanaguchi has always been an instrumental band, the decision to sing suddenly confronted them with the question of what the band’s voice would ultimately be. They explore this newfound power in every song, making it their most emotionally resonant work yet.

Anyway captures a band creatively and personally energized by the experience of four best friends reviving their connection in a disconnected world. On “Rage (Kitchen Sink),” the band confront loneliness and boredom, two epidemics of the digital age that seem to be humanity’s only common bond. The power-pop ballad “Darcie” finds inspiration in small gestures from a local unsung hero, who brightens their lives and allows unforeseen amounts of fun to happen. Taut and dynamic, “Buckwild” is a rock sing-along that serves as the album’s genesis story: a band making an effort to do something new, while accepting the risks that may bring.

USA, Anamanaguchi’s critically-acclaimed second album and debut for Polyvinyl, anticipated a crucial cultural shift in moving from escapist, nostalgic fantasy to a more introspective exploration of digital identity. Described by Pitchfork as the band’s “most emotionally grounded record,” USA laid the foundation for the openness and honesty that defines Anyway. Where USA made sense of life online, their third album Anywayventures into the world outside the front door.

London’s melodic punk outfit Burnt Tapes have released their most powerful and emotionally chargedrecord to date: New Lungs. Out now via Lockjaw Records, the album is a cathartic journey throughmental health struggles, lost connections, and the desperate hope for renewal.

Produced by Daly George (Creeper, Milk Teeth), New Lungs was recorded in two parts — split between the rustic isolation of an old stable-turned-studio in Aldershot and the famed Ranch Studios in Southampton. The band took a more collaborative, experimental approach to writing this time, building tracks piece by piece and capturing the visceral energy of their live shows.

Sonically, New Lungs builds on the grit and heart of 2019’s Never Better, but cranks up the intensity. Think big, anthemic sing-alongs, driving guitars, and a heavier edge, without losing the melodic honesty fans have come to love. Thematically, the record deals with the toll of depression, anxiety, broken relationships, and the disorienting struggle of trying to move forward while feeling stuck in the past.“

This album nearly killed us to make,” the band admits, “but it feels like the closure we needed. It’s us working through everything—the burnout, the self-doubt, the weight of the last few years.”

With standout tracks like MOTHERSGUILT, New Lungs, You Only YOLO Once, and Graveyards, the album delivers both punch and poignancy—perfect for fans of Hot Mulligan,The Menzingers, and Heart Attack Man.

Burnt Tapesare set to support the release with appearances at Manchester Punk Festival and a run of live dates through the summer.

Issued in October 2014, debuting at number two on the UK Album Chart and at number five on
the Billboard 200 in the US, where it also became his second chart topper on the Dance/Electronic
Albums chart, Motion is Harris’ 4th studio album and a platinum-seller in the UK.
Packed with EDM crowd-pleasers as well as an impressive range of guest vocalists, including Hurts,
Haim, Gwen Stefani, John Newman and Ellie Goulding, it has been available on vinyl only once
before, a Record Store Day exclusive in 2015.
As Entertainment Weekly noted, “The best tracks on Motion…focus more on high-caliber vocals
than on booty-blasting low end... he's taking his chances with the most unpredictable technology
of all: the human voice."

2025 repress in a new colour variant (Pearl White colour vinyl) with printed innersleeve. The third album proper for "Country-got-Soul"s finest, The Delines, on Decor Records sees them exploring the US Gulf Coast, not far from where Amy Boone grew up. The songs in this cinematic opus all focus around this area and are inspired by when Amy asked Willy Vlautin to write her a song like Tony Joe White"s "Rainy Night In Georgia" after her tragic accident being hit by a car in 2016 and her 3 year recovery. This follows on from 2019"s The Imperial which was number one in the UK official AMA charts for two weeks. Written and partially recorded before lock down the rest of the album was finished last Summer, produced by John Morgan Askew at his Bocce studios just outside of Portland, Oregon.

The Rebel returns on Legofunk with the first two tracks of his new album World of No Nation out this summer. Ethnic influences, a jazz touch and a clubby perspective in these completely original songs also thanks to the collaborations of excellent musicians from the roman scene and beyond.
Atom's Dance - produced by Tommaso Taroni, keys David Assuntino, flute Livio Ricci, drums Federico Balestra,percussion Nené Vasquez, double bass Luca Lauria.
Jungle Jazz - produced by Tommaso Taroni, Congas Massimiliano Troiani, sax Matteo Acclavio, Keys David Assuntino.

The Verve Remixed volume debuted in 2002, its concept – inviting top DJs and producers to select songs from the label’s storied vaults – was an instant success, introducing classic jazz recordings to a new generation of listeners and kickstarting a global trend of jazz-electronic fusion.

Now back on vinyl for the first time in 20 years, with the series’ inaugural project VerveRemixed we hear what happens when Master’s at Work meet Nina Simone, and Dzihan & Kamien take on Billie Holiday. Experience the interpretations of renowned remixers with this refreshed physical format.

Hitomi Toi's famous cover album "YOUR TIME Route #1", released in 2012, is being reissued on a colored LP for the first time in 13 years.

Produced by Kunimondo Takiguchi (Ryusenkei) as a sister album to the summer classic "CITY DIVE", it covers a number of famous Japanese pop songs, mainly from the early 1980s.


Included are Yuming's "Tenohira no Tokyo Tower" from the 1981 classic "Sakuya Oimasho", Takeuchi Mariya's "Natsu no Koibito" with lyrics and music by Yamashita Tatsuro,
Miyamoto Noriko's "SILVER RAIN", and the radio song "Black Moon" by Kisugi Etsuko and Minami Yoshitaka.
The selection of songs is also amazing, capturing the atmosphere of that era, including EPO's "Saturday Night Paradise," the ending theme of "Oretachi Hyokinzoku" and Akemi Ishii's "CHA CHA CHA" the theme song of "Nanjou ni Natsu Monogatari"

The music that sparkled in the streets back then is revived.

Simmer Pine, a five-member indie pop band known for its nostalgic, somewhat sad melodies and floating sound, has released their long-awaited first record with "Bubble" featuring a light ska-like rhythm and dreamy guitar.


"Bubble," included on Side A, is a song that draws you into Simmer Pine's unique lyrical worldview, with a light ska-like rhythm and a hazy, dreamy guitar sound that blendstogether comfortably. It evokes the feeling that past seasons and nostalgic scenery suddenly come back to life in the midst of the gently flowing time.

On the other hand, "milkshake" on Side B is a complete contrast, with a refreshing guitar riff in the intro that runs through it, making it a perfect song for the summer atmosphere.

The pop and light finish makes you want to listen to it with the windows open on a sunny afternoon. Simmer Pine's freshness and openness can be felt throughout the song.

This is a must-have album for both those who are experiencing their music for the first time and long-time fans alike, as it will gently accompany you through the seasons.

The warm sound quality that only analog can provide will bring out the delicate expressions of the songs even more

Ken Muramatsu's debut album, released in 1983 when he was only 21 years old at the time.

From mellow songs to groove-heavy songs that would later be called British JAZZ FUNK, Ken Muramatsu's piano plays melodies against the backdrop of perfect arrangements.

This is a rare J-FUSION masterpiece, which is also highly acclaimed because the CD was out of print for a long time.

Kevin Saunderson’s E-Dancer combine with DJ Minx to create an instant classic and am anthem for a long hot summer.

If is a triumphant colloboration between Techno godfather Kevin and his son Dantiez, who as well as being part of E-Dancer co-wrote and co-produced this latest gem from Detroit’s electronica lineage.

The result is an insanely catchy proud homage to the Motor City’s Techno roots propelled by one of by one of those unforgettable Reese bass lines.

The Electrifying Mojo, Juan Atkins, Carl Craig, Mayday, Stacey Pullen, UR, Ken Collier, MK, Moodyman, Jeff Mills, Terrence Parker and Octave One are amongst the Area Code 313 legends name checked in the lyrical romp.

DETROIT made its’ debut at the city’s recent Movement celebration of all things Techno and was acclimated as a gem by those who understand that you can’t tell the Motor City’s how to play its’ music. Kevin followed this up with a DJ trip to Ibiza where DETROIT created Detroit mayhem.

“WHATTUPDOE —WE’RE THE D”

Things just get heavier and heavier in Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich’s career and his short-lived classic band The Hidden Hand is no exception. Formed in 2002 and already disbanded in 2007 the trio featured Wino, Bruce Falkinburg on bass/songwriting/vocals and drummer Dave Hennessy.
If The Obsessed, St. Vitus, Shrinebuilder, Probot and Spirit Caravan aren’t enough to bring Wino's CV to legendary status, stop reading now.
LINER NOTES from WINO:

"When I returned from California after The Obsessed Columbia record deal fell apart, I didn't have any gear at all and after we put together (SHINE) which became Spirit Caravan, I was hustling to put a guitar rig together. I discovered ATOMIC MUSIC a super cool store in MARYLAND that encouraged trades, and had a lot of cool shit there,we had met another cat Sonny, who being the gregarious friendly cat he was befriended us (the band) and introduced me to his friend who's recording studio shared space with Atomic Music, Bruce Falkinburg and Phase recording studio. Bruce was a very interesting and hyper intelligent guy, bassist, knowledgeable in all things but specializing in recording rock music. We had decided to diversify our recording process and parted ways with one of my old friends Chris Kozlowski and PolarBearLair studios who had recorded everything Spirit Caravan had done so far.

I hired Bruce to record the version of Darkness and Longing that was our song on the Sixty Watt Shaman -Spirit Caravan split single. We liked what he did on that recording and decided to record more with Bruce at Phase and so we did ;the last SC single -" So Mortal Be/ Undone Mind" and recorded three tracks that were eventually released on "The Last Embrace." Bruce and I had firmly cemented our friendship and when shit fell apart with Spirit Caravan , we decided to form a band. Out of a very interesting list of possible band names Bruce's idea" The Hidden Hand " seemed to resonate the most and once Bruce had recruited Dave Hennessy (guitarist for OSTINATO) to play drums it was ON. Over the next couple years and a couple different drummers, The Hidden Hand would record one single, one split ep ,one compilation song and Three full length albums. Knowing Bruce, and working with everyone in The Hidden Hand realm enriched my life greatly . Bruces enthusiasm, knowledge, creativity, intellect and musical abilities remains an inspiration. Thanks Bruce, Sonny, Louis and Eric and all at ATOMIC MUSIC, Dave Hennessy,Matt and Jeremy Osinato ,Evan Tanner, J Robbins, Mcarthyism records, Andreas at Exile from Mainstream records, Greg Tubevision, 930 club ,Black Cat, Gussound, Diana W, Woody, Stinking Lizaveta, Jadd Schickler and Meteor City, Southern Lord records and extra special thanks to Gianluca and Improved Sequence for keeping this music alive!"
Wino - summer 2024

Things just get heavier and heavier in Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich’s career and his short-lived classic band The Hidden Hand is no exception. Formed in 2002 and already disbanded in 2007 the trio featured Wino, Bruce Falkinburg on bass/songwriting/vocals and drummer Dave Hennessy.
If The Obsessed, St. Vitus, Shrinebuilder, Probot and Spirit Caravan aren’t enough to bring Wino's CV to legendary status, stop reading now.
LINER NOTES from WINO:

"When I returned from California after The Obsessed Columbia record deal fell apart, I didn't have any gear at all and after we put together (SHINE) which became Spirit Caravan, I was hustling to put a guitar rig together. I discovered ATOMIC MUSIC a super cool store in MARYLAND that encouraged trades, and had a lot of cool shit there,we had met another cat Sonny, who being the gregarious friendly cat he was befriended us (the band) and introduced me to his friend who's recording studio shared space with Atomic Music, Bruce Falkinburg and Phase recording studio. Bruce was a very interesting and hyper intelligent guy, bassist, knowledgeable in all things but specializing in recording rock music. We had decided to diversify our recording process and parted ways with one of my old friends Chris Kozlowski and PolarBearLair studios who had recorded everything Spirit Caravan had done so far.

I hired Bruce to record the version of Darkness and Longing that was our song on the Sixty Watt Shaman -Spirit Caravan split single. We liked what he did on that recording and decided to record more with Bruce at Phase and so we did ;the last SC single -" So Mortal Be/ Undone Mind" and recorded three tracks that were eventually released on "The Last Embrace." Bruce and I had firmly cemented our friendship and when shit fell apart with Spirit Caravan , we decided to form a band. Out of a very interesting list of possible band names Bruce's idea" The Hidden Hand " seemed to resonate the most and once Bruce had recruited Dave Hennessy (guitarist for OSTINATO) to play drums it was ON. Over the next couple years and a couple different drummers, The Hidden Hand would record one single, one split ep ,one compilation song and Three full length albums. Knowing Bruce, and working with everyone in The Hidden Hand realm enriched my life greatly . Bruces enthusiasm, knowledge, creativity, intellect and musical abilities remains an inspiration. Thanks Bruce, Sonny, Louis and Eric and all at ATOMIC MUSIC, Dave Hennessy,Matt and Jeremy Osinato ,Evan Tanner, J Robbins, Mcarthyism records, Andreas at Exile from Mainstream records, Greg Tubevision, 930 club ,Black Cat, Gussound, Diana W, Woody, Stinking Lizaveta, Jadd Schickler and Meteor City, Southern Lord records and extra special thanks to Gianluca and Improved Sequence for keeping this music alive!"
Wino - summer 2024

Rockitman and Millennium Man were recorded in the summer of 1996 around the time bushpilot re-emerged from a hiatus following making the recordings that would become the album '23' to appear 3 times in short sucession at that years Leeds Sound City festival. The appearances led to interest from a major label in the USA, but as usual life got in the way ..With a new drummer in the shape of Nick Tonge of Leeds heavy noise merchants Zoopisa Rockit man and Millennium Man took from improvisations developed working with legendary Leeds producer Richard Formby in his studio and turning them more into songs: Richard thinks of them as 'Frankenstein creations'. We think noise rock with heavy Can influence compressed into two 3 and half minutes blasts of furious joy.The video was created by award winning Leeds artist Sarah Doyle, who also created the cover artwork. The video stars British rocker Vince Taylor, a key unfluence on a young David Bowie, and a host of model spaceships.
Originally intended for release in 2021, well covid got in the way, so here it is at last!

'Maybe I'm Dreaming' ist die neueste Sammlung von Mikey Young (Total Control, Eddy Current Suppression Ring) und Keith Abrahamsson (Gründer und Leiter A&R bei Anthology Recordings) - den Köpfen hinter den beliebten Kompilationen 'Follow the Sun', 'Sad About the Times' und '...Still Sad'. Die zwanzig Tracks von 'Maybe I'm Dreaming' weichen von ihren Vorgängern ab. Sie stammen vollständig aus privaten Pressungen und umspannen neue Jahrzehnte und Produktionsmodi innerhalb der Genres Homepunk-Folk, Softrock und sonstiger FM-Radio-Musik der 70er und 80er Jahre. Die Magie von 'Maybe I'm Dreaming' liegt in den unerzählten Geschichten der Künstler:innen, die hinter diesen Liedern stehen - diejenigen, die den großen Durchbruch verpasst haben, deren Songhandwerk und unerwiderte Sorgfalt aber die richtigen Töne treffen.

'Maybe I'm Dreaming' taucht tief in die isolierte Wildnis ein - eine private Welt, in der Produktionsmacken, nächtliches Bandrauschen und Ein-Mann-Studio-Träume keine Wahl waren, sondern das ausgeteilte Blatt.

Die Songs wurden in persönlichen Sammlungen, in den Tiefen von YouTube, in verfallenen Webarchiven und in den düsteren Ecken von Discogs ausgegraben. Die Auswahl vieler Stücke basiert dabei nicht nur auf Intuition, sondern auch auf persönlichen Verbindungen. Einige Tracks wurden über Freunde entdeckt und fügen der Zusammenstellung einen unsichtbaren, aber tief empfundenen Faden der Kameradschaft hinzu.

Zwar entfernt sich 'Maybe I'm Dreaming' vom Archetyp des „traurigen Mannes mit Gitarre“, der über den Vorgängern schwebte, aber die vertraute emotionale Schwere bleibt erhalten - eine Balance aus Sehnsucht und Leichtigkeit, die diese Ecke des musikalischen Universums definiert. Jeder Track schwankt sanft zwischen Resignation und Hoffnung, Traurigkeit und Gelassenheit, als würden die Künstler selbst einem unerreichbaren Traum hinterherjagen und die Aufnahmen nicht wegen des Ruhmes, sondern aus dem einfachen Bedürfnis heraus machen, diesen ursprünglichen, kreativen Drang in die Welt hinauszutragen.

'Maybe I'm Dreaming' ist eine Einladung, noch ein wenig länger mit halb geschlossenen Augen im Grenzbereich zwischen Erinnerung und Vorstellung zu schweben. Vielleicht träumst du. Vielleicht bist du wach. Vielleicht spielt es keine Rolle.

- 2LP: (Das Doppel-LP-Set mit dem Artwork von Dang Wayne Olsen wird in einer breiten Kartontasche mit bedruckten Innenhüllen geliefert. Zudem enthält es einen Traumtagebucheintrag von Josh Lewellen, dem Experten für Artefakte aus dem pazifischen Nordwesten.)

Blue and orange Stardust vinyl, limited to 500 copies. Since 2016, Indiana's Wraith have been emitting their incendiary brand of blackened thrash and speed metal into the world. Summer 2024 will see them release their debut full length under the Prosthetic Records label banner; prepare for Fueled By Fear. What started as a one-man band many moons ago has evolved into a propulsive beast of a band. Channeling a reverence to classic metal from a bygone era, Wraith incorporate their distinctively blistering sonic signature to create something urgent and contemporary. The band have previously described their collective mission as follows: a war of aggression on the dour confines of the modern metal scene and total sonic annihilation. Fueled By Fear captures the raw punk edge of their previous releases; a sound that will already be familiar to converts who have caught the band live in all their full-throttled abrasive glory. The album was self-produced by the band in Griffith, Indiana -, with engineering, mixing and mastering handled by CJ Rayson. Each member brings their own influences and stylistic flourishes to the table, combining to create a tightly wound, cohesive collection of scorching tracks that reflect their individual personalities and tastes.

Die Südlondoner Sängerin Jaz Karis präsentiert mit 'Favourites' ihren ersten Tonträger mit 15 Songs aus ihren bisherigen, digital erschienenen EPs. Jaz' stilistische Vielfalt reicht von R&B über Reggae bis Afrobeats, als Gäste sind TINYMAN, Blue Lab Beats und Afronaut Zu & Sillkey vertreten, als Producer u.a. P2J (bekannt für seine Arbeiten mit Beyoncé, Wizkid, Stormzy, FKA Twigs, Tems, Doja Cat) und Juls (Mr Eazi, Stonebwoy, Goldlink, Wanda Coal, Burna Boy).

sued in January 2015, dedicated to the late Amy Winehouse and featuring the smash hit ‘Uptown
Funk’, Uptown Special was Ronson’s first UK number one album, also going top five on the US
Billboard 200.
Talented collaborators abound, with Stevie Wonder, Kevin Parker, Jeff Bhasker, Mystikal and of course
Bruno Mars making significant contributions to an accomplished blend of pop, R&B and funk.
As Q Magazine put it: "It's quite a feat to produce music that works for the mind and the hips, but
Ronson has pulled it off magnificently, with virtually every track sounding like a single“

Foehn & Jerome feat. Sonya Zlo - Macho Madness (PFFD003)

Berlin, Summer 2025 - A raw, hypnotic, and deeply conceptual collaboration is about to make waves. Austrian DJ and producer duo Foehn & Jerome, residents of Berlin's iconic Club Der Visionaere and founders of the Perfumed Freedom label, team up with Ukrainian artist and producer Sonya Zlo to present "Macho Madness" - a wild and genre-bending release born from an unfiltered studio jam that spiralled into something bigger. In addition to their experimental project Space Curls, with which the three artists also perform live shows, Sonya, Fabian, and Jerome have been working on their new techno/house project.

In a world where stereotypes wrestle for power, "Macho Madness" challenges everything we thought was normal. Overblown masculinity, the illusion of strength, and staged rituals of dominance – that is what we call the "Macho Madness".

Foehn & Jerome, known for their electrifying DJ sets, have been shaping Berlin's underground scene for over a decade. Sonya Zlo, who moved to Berlin from Kyiv in 2022, stumbled upon their gig by chance - and what started as a conversation about track ID's turned into a full-on collaboration.

"Working with Foehn & Jerome has taught me so much," says Sonya. "I come from a jazz background, so this was completely new territory for me - but bringing my melodic instincts into this heavy, industrial sound was crazy exciting".

Following Perfumed Freedom's recent releases "The Frisbee of No Return" and "Hermanngirl", the new record "Macho Madness" will be released in summer 2025. Play it, stream it, or pick up the limited vinyl - just don't expect anything ordinary.

Italy’s Tuccillo is back on Kaoz Theory this July with his ‘First Summer’ EP, once again showcasing his widely lovely interpretation of stripped-down, groove-led house. Making his start in the 90’s and still as relevant as ever, Tuccillo, has become highly sought after both for his records and as a DJ, his name is synonymous with gritty, groovy and dance floor focused jams which have found a home on many reputed imprints such as Visionquest, 20/20 Vision, Free-range, his own House Of Tucci and of course Kerri Chandler’s Kaoz Theory where he returns here. Tuccillo also operates as one half of the Doublet duo alongside Holic Trax boss Tomoki Tamura amongst many other sonic side ventures. Opening is title-track ‘First Summer’, perfectly setting the tone with Tuccillo’s distinctive style which utilises, fluttering stab sequences, bouncy bass tones, choppy vocal cuts and a bulbous bass groove atop a raw, reduced rhythm. ‘One More’ follows next and leans heavily into dub house realms with gritty, echoing dub chords, ethereal pad textures and murky bass swells delicately ebbing and flowing around a saturated swinging drum groove. ‘People For The People’ follows next and lays down organic percussion with filtered funklicks, a snaking bass line and jazzy keys before ‘Gotta Be Free’ concludes the release, heading back to a more stripped-back aesthetic courtesy of twitchy acid-tinged bass hits, fluttering synth melodies, crisp drums and an amalgamation of processed vocal chants throughout.

Limtierte Anzahl in creme-farbenen Vinyl erhältlich! Mit "Moonlight Concessions" kehren Throwing Muses zu ihren Wurzeln und abgedrehten Stärken zurück - dank Kristins gestochen scharfen Skizzen und ihren passend rauen musikalischen Arrangements. Das Album folgt auf ihr gefeiertes ,Sun Racket" aus dem Jahr 2020, ein berauschendes Werk voller harter und zarter Geschichten, gespickt mit surrealen Bildern. Das neue Album wurde von Kristin Hersh im Stable Sound Studio von Steve Rizzo in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, produziert und ist eine Sammlung von Schnipseln aus dem täglichen Leben - man denke an die Short Cuts von Raymond Carver, belauschte Gespräche, erzählte Begebenheiten und treffende Einzeiler, die alle zusammengefügt wurden, um die Zeit zu illustrieren, in dieser sie langsam heranreiften, gespickt mit dem Elan und der Kraft der Original Muses. "Drugstore Drastic" ist ein Selbstgespräch am Straßenrand auf dem Weg zu einem verlockenden Rendezvous. Aufgebaut auf einem flotten akustischen Strum mit einer Gitarren-Submelodie, die das Geschehen untermauert, ist es eine sich entfaltende Geschichte über soziales Bewusstsein aus einem verschwommenen Unterbewusstsein. Summer Of Love" begann als Wette mit einem Typen um einen Dollar, die sich um die Idee drehte, dass die Jahreszeiten uns nicht verändern. Der Opener des Albums ist eine eindringliche barocke Ouvertüre, gestrichen und grüblerisch. Die Streicher von 'Libretto' kompensieren das akustische Ambiente, das heiße und kalte Gefühl der Sehnsucht im Herzen des Stücks, ein thematischer Treiber, der mit Wärme in einem sicheren, von Tequila geschmierten Hafen abgelegt ist. "Moonlight Concessions" wurde in den unterschiedlichen Umgebungen der Südküste des Golfs von Mexiko und Südkaliforniens geschrieben und schöpft aus den Sternenhaufen, die beide beleuchten, und erzeugt Optimismus und Hoffnung in unterschiedlichem Ausmaß. Hersh erklärt: ,In New Orleans sehen die Sterne grünlich-blau aus, weil sie unter dem Meeresspiegel liegen und den Sumpf beleuchten. Aber am Moonlight Beach leuchten sie eisig weiß. All diese Songs wurden an diesen beiden leuchtenden Orten geschrieben, was unserem Sounddesign half, sich selbst zu finden."

The Mighty Rootsmen features the unparalleled talents of Reggae superstars
Toots Hibbert, Luciano, Gregory Isaacs, Michael Rose, and the rhythmic prowess of Sly & Robbie, Mikey Chung, Robbie Lyn, and Sticky Thompson, alongside Zap Pow Horns members David Madden, Calvin ‘Bubbles’ Cameron, and Glen DaCosta. A groundbreaking collaboration – it is a celebration of reggae’s iconic artists, seamlessly blending the genre’s rich rhythms with rock and soul classics.

Brought together by producer Ralph Spall (Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Cat Stevens) and recorded at the famous Anchor Studios in Jamaica. The album’s unique sound comes from the decision to let the musicians’ instincts drive the creative process, striking a balance between homage and innovation. Featuring classic tracks from the likes of Tom Petty, The Steve Miller band, The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. It is produced with a reverence for authenticity and musical mastery. This once-in-a-lifetime project brings together a dream team of Jamaican legends, paying tribute to their artistry and the art of collaboration.

This is Timeless classics with a reggae supergroup. Tracks like “Fly Like an Eagle” showcase Steve Miller’s unexpected, soulful guitar work layered over a reggae groove. Meanwhile, Mike Campbell’s guitar on “I Won’t Back Down” deepen the album’s connections to rock royalty. Yet, the project remains firmly rooted in reggae. "My intention was to try to do something that hadn’t been done in reggae before by putting these giants of the genre together to make a record that leaves you with good feelings, they’re very recognisable as the songs they are but have a distinct reggae feel and stamp.” reflects Ralph.

The Mighty Rootsmen stands as a tribute to the enduring power of reggae music—an album that brings joy, good vibes, and a profound connection to musical history.

Explosiv, emotional, kompromisslos und zu laut. In einer Rocklandschaft, die zunehmend zwischen Retro-Glanz und digitalem Kalkül pendelt, übernehmen THE EXTRAS eine Rolle, die längst verwaist scheint: Die einer Band, die Emotionalität nicht mit Pathos verwechselt, die Punk-Wurzeln mit Songwriting-Können paart - und die Haltung hat, ohne Parolen zu schreien. Gegründet 2023 in Köln, aber mit internationaler DNA, zwei der vier Mitglieder stammen aus den USA, verbindet sie den rohen Geist des amerikanischen Undergrounds mit europäischer Gegenwartskultur. Die Gründer Elmar Freels (Köln) und Jon Manierre (New York) werden komplettiert durch Transgitarristin Killer Krissy, Drummer extraordinaire Leroy Kaldenbach und Bassist Pat Bewick. Mit ihrem eigenständigen Breitwandsound, ausgefeilten Lyrics und Rollkragenpullovern nach Lou-Reed-Vorbild (nur in weiß) sind THE EXTRAS eine stilvolle Ausnahmeerscheinung. Sie vereinen rohe Energie mit Zugänglichkeit, Melancholie mit Wut, Punk mit Pop - und zeigen, dass Empowerment auch laut, chaotisch und kollektiv sein kann.

Peter Cunnah and Al Mackenzie, a.k.a D:Ream land with their brand new, fifth studio album Do It Anyway, a well crafted, feel good blend of pop-electronic songs. Do It Anyway's songs draw on a combination of the duos current & past life experiences, a 30 year journey through pop music and UK club culture plus some wry geo-political commentary. When added to some finely honed song-writing skills that delivered ten Top 40 hit singles Do It Anyway proves to be an accomplished album. Do It Anyway is preceded by the release of the self-titled lead single, D:Ream's homage to the not-so-innocent golden days of 90s clubbing adventures and will be priority promoted to radio & press alongside the album, aiming at mainstream national radio, BBC Radio 2, 6 Music, Capital plus red top and broadsheet press. A further single, The Geek Who Rules The World, is slated for release post-album to continue the campaign through the summer and will similarly be promoted as a priority single. D:Ream are probably best known for their hits Things Can Only Get Better and UR The Best Thing. However, there is so much more than that to discover. They scored two UK Top 10 albums: 1993's D:ream On Vo1 and 1995's World, plus ten Top 40 singles! Things Can Only Get Better was no.1 for four weeks in 1994 then was famously co-opted as the anthem in 1997 by Tony Blair's Labour Party, writing D:Ream into English history; pop, political and otherwise!