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The mighty Channel One Studios,Kingston, Jamaica, has its place set in Reggae's Musical History.Its distinctive sound the studio created on opening its doors in 1972 to its closure in the early 1980's made it the Producers, Singers and Musicians studio of choice during this furtive period. Achieving that vibe and clarity, separated it from the other Kingston establishments.

Run by the Hookim Family's four sons, Jo Jo the eldest followed by Paulie, Ernest and Kenneth. Their father originally came from China and married a Chinese Jamaican lady and settled in the St Andrews district before moving to Kingston Town itself. The family business was built on jukeboxes and one armed bandit machines in and around Kingston. A lucrative venture until the gaming laws changed in 1970, outlawing the gaming machines. So the music side of the business would have to be expanded. So it was decided to open a studio to make the music to supply their already established Jukebox enterprise. The four brothers opened Channel One Recording Studios in 1972 at 29 Maxfield Avenue, Kingston 13. Initially as we stated the purpose of the studio was for the brothers use only, but this would soon change when the various Producers all looking for that Channel One sound came asking for studio time.

The brothers had used the services of Bill Garnet a renowned and well respected technical engineer on setting up the studio. They spent a lot of time laying out the space to get the right acoustics and picking the right quipment. They went with a four track API desk and the best quality microphones such as Neuman, Sony and AKG, vital in obtaining the quality sound and track separation that would prove so worthwhile after the music was recorded to give the best flexibility on the final mix downs. Jo Jo would take over the production duties after the initial hiring of Syd Bucknor a producer who had worked closely with Coxonne Dodds Studio 1 stable. The first release on the Channel One label would be 'Don't Give Up The Fight' by Stranger Cole and Gladstone 'Gladdy' Anderson.The initial two thousand run being swallowed up by their Jukebox interests and so the steady flow of hits would run up to the brake through hit of 1975 'Right Time' by  the Mighty Diamonds.

1977 saw Jo Jo extending his stays in New York to a semipermanent status, returning mainly to oversee recording sessions and then taking the results back to America for worldwide distribution. His brother Paulies senseless killing in that year also added to Jo Jo's decision to spend more time with his Hit Bound Manufacturing set up in New York. The Channel One studio would be upgraded in 1979 to sixteen tracks and although Jo Jo and Ernest still covered the mixing and engineering duties Kenneth would now supervise sessions. An often untold part of Channel Ones history is the involvement of Producer Niney The Observer. The mid to late 1970's were heavy times both musically and politically and Maxfield Avenue was in the heart of this crossfire. Some artists and musicians were weary of using the establishment especially when sessions ended late at night and exiting the studio at these times could be somewhat dangerous. But Niney’s fearlessness seen him over running and in many cases running the all night sessions with his trusted set of musicians loosely called The Soul Syndicate. Having the run of the mighty Channel One studio's allowed Niney to build up and work on a stockpile of rhythms that he still has yet to unleash on the world. We have been lucky to select a bunch of material from Niney's vaults for this release. Some great unreleased rhythms and some different cuts to some tracks you might already know. Niney's work with Dennis Brown and his own distinctive heavy roots style productions have been documented and indeed his work on Channel Ones Yellowman releases stand tall also. We hope this fine set of Niney Productions set inside the hollowed walls of Channel One will sit beside them as they so richly deserve.

Written and recorded throughout 2025 in their longtime ex-taxi-office-turned studio 'Cherry Lips', and produced by frontman Richard Archer alongside longtime collaborator Wolsey White.

The album looks outside the window to the fractured present, and paints it in bold musical strokes, with the same sharp- eyed social commentary that powered their classic debut Stars of CCTV, but with fresh perspective, new sounds and hard-earned freedom.

Written and recorded throughout 2025 in their longtime ex-taxi-office-turned studio 'Cherry Lips', and produced by frontman Richard Archer alongside longtime collaborator Wolsey White.

The album looks outside the window to the fractured present, and paints it in bold musical strokes, with the same sharp- eyed social commentary that powered their classic debut Stars of CCTV, but with fresh perspective, new sounds and hard-earned freedom.

Originally released on Umor Rex on cassette a year ago, “El Sol de los Muertos” deeply shaped the evolution and vision of Mexican producer Concepción Huerta’s sonic work, becoming a reference point for a kind of experimental sound deeply connected to Latin American critical thought. This is the second album in a series of four special, limited reissues to be released in 2026 to mark the 20th anniversary of Umor Rex.

Crafted entirely through subharmonic structures and tape manipulation, “El Sol de los Muertos” stands as Concepción Huerta’s most abrasive and emotionally charged work to date, rooted in drone, musique concrète, and visceral textures. The album reflects on dispossession, extraction, and colonialism, while connecting deeply with Latin American critical thought and Indigenous resistance across the region. Inspired in part by Eduardo Galeano’s work, it is not a manifesto, but an invitation to reflection, memory, and vigilance against the enduring forms of fascism and colonialism.



Recorded by Concepción Huerta in 2024 between Berlin, The Hague, and Mexico City. Original master and remastered for vinyl by Rafael Anton Irisarri at Black Knoll Studio, New York. Volcano photography by Magaly Ugarte. Design by Daniel Castrejón in Mexico City.

“All I can do is make my art from an honest place with an honest intention.” Earth-o-Naut.

Earth-o-Naut is a songwriter, drummer, musician and producer. He was born in Liverpool and raised in one of its satellite towns, Skelmersdale. He was raised by his mum and uncles on music from every genre, falling in love, amazement and awe with the groove and the craft of songwriting. Nothing has changed to this day. Songwriting has also always been a constant. That quest to create something original and use the songwriting process as some form of catharsis. Learning guitar and piano was the next logical step, to help with the creation of new ideas into new songs. A lot of time was spent playing drumming gigs and then taking his own songs on the road, solo with just an acoustic guitar, learning the ropes and serving his apprenticeship. Great songwriters The Beatles, Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, Neil Finn and many others inspire Earth-o-Naut to this day.

Earth-o-naut has worked hard for many years on his studio chops and is the writer, arranger, recording engineer, mix engineer and producer on all of his own material, and he also works with other artists as a producer. Earth-o-Naut's debut album, 'This Is Nowhere. This Is Everywhere.' will be released on Agogo Records in June 2026. The debut album features UK drumming legend, Steve White and also the vocals of Amalia Estradas and Suzanne Maddock. 2026 will also see Earth-o-Naut take his songs on the road and play some live shows.st singular, emotive, and genre-defying releases of its era.

John Ringhofer, der Mann hinter Half-Canded Cloud, ist ebenso fröhlich und genügsam wie seine Musik. Als sparsamer Mensch zieht Ringhofer die U-Bahn dem Taxi vor, recycelt Plastik, macht sich zwanghaft Notizen und ist ein geborener Optimist. Half-Canded Cloud begann 1999 als Heimstudio-Projekt in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Ringhofer lebte später über ein Jahrzehnt lang in der kalifornischen Bay Area (wo er als Teilzeit-Hausmeister arbeitete), bevor er 2015 mit seiner jungen Familie nach Helsinki, Finnland, zog, um die linguistische Forschung seiner Frau zu unterstützen. Half-Canded Cloud versteht es, komplexe theologische Konzepte in eingängige und erhabene Kinderlieder zu verpacken, die sich weder ihrem Thema noch ihrem Zuhörer herablassend nähern.

Michael J. Sheehy has been making records for almost three decades, initially as founder and mouthpiece of mid-"90s cult band Dream City Film Club, then as a solo artist and frontman of rootsy garage rock act Miraculous Mule. He has toured with the likes of Kristin Hersh, Tindersticks, John Cale and Peter Murphy, while his songs have been utilised in films such as "Intimacy" and the TV show "Deadwood". Following a six-year hiatus, Sheehy has just "Don"t We Deserve Some Kind of Love?", his seventh solo album but first for Dimple Discs. "Don"t We Deserve Some Kind Of Love?" features contributions from Fiona Brice (violin), Sandy Mill (backing vocals), Ian Burns (drums) and Patrick McCarthy (guitar). It was recorded at home over a five-year period while Sheehy was a stay-at-home father and working evenings at a bar in Camden, north London.

Younger Than Yesterday is The Byrds' fourth album and was originally released in 1967. As on its predecessor, the album features elements of psychedelic rock like experimenting with new musical textures, including brass instruments and reverse tape effects.

On the other hand, the first country and western influences can be found on the album, being early indicators of the country rock direction the band would pursue on their later albums. Younger Than Yesterday is considered one of The Byrds' finest albums., as illustrated by the fact that Rolling Stone magazine, who ranked the album at #124 on their 2003 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Younger Than Yesterday is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on turquoise vinyl.

Freddie McGregor was born in Clarendon, Jamaica on June 27, 1956. At age seven, he started singing backup for a local ska harmony duo called The Clarendonians and did his first recordings aged 10 years with the name "Little Freddie" or "Young Freddie", and as a duo with Ernest Wilson aka "Freddie & Fitsy".

During the 1970s, McGregor was closely associated with the legendary Studio One label. He sang lead for groups like Generation Gap and Soul Syndicate, and also recorded off and on as a solo act during the '70s. In 1975, McGregor converted to Rastafarianism.

His debut album Mr. McGregor was released in 1979. The album opens with "We Got Love" featuring a Tower of Power influenced horn section underneath McGregor's tale of love conquering all. The classic "Rastaman Camp" combines muted horn and an earthy, Nyahbinghi-like chorus for one of producer Niney's deeper constructions, but the lightweight fare is equally welcome as the easy strolling and not too sugary version of "Brandy" displays.

Mr. McGregor is available as a limited numbered edition of 750 copies on orange vinyl.

Sam Cooke, inventor and true King of Soul, recorded Mr. Soul in 1963, the same year as Night Beat, and seems to be its more adult counterpart, with soulful ballads taking up most of the album. A laidback tempo and rich arrangements lay the foundation for Sam's somewhat melancholy voice floats, creating an uplifting spirit that can mend anyone's broken heart.

With standards such as "Willow Weep For Me", "I Wish You Love", and "For Sentimental Reasons", Cooke shows a quiet emotive side of himself without losing his keen sense of melody, using the strength of his voice without overpowering the listener. Had Sam Cooke lived longer, we might have had more music of this rare quality. As it stands, we must make do with the treasures he left behind.

Mr. Soul is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on orange vinyl.

Snoop Dogg’s 22nd album is a tight, 35-minute project that blends his classic G-Funk style with a more futuristic sound.

Featuring production from Pharrell Williams, Swizz Beatz, and Erick Sermon, it moves between high-energy tracks like

“Step” and smoother moments like “QTSAMYAH” with October London. The album presents a polished, cinematic look at Snoop’s evolution,

reinforced by an accompanying short film, showing his style and influence remain strong in 2026.

Sucata Tapes present the debut album by I'A'V, a conjuration born from an invitation extended by gnration in Braga to Inês Malheiro, completed Violeta Azevedo. Three inescapable figures amidst the portuguese scene, whose precious body of work resonates here in ineffable style.

A blessed triangulation of artists, each with a fully formed vision and a path forged across multiple fronts, I'A'V trace a course of dreamlike songs that blend into a long and volatile poem, where a rarefied electronic landscape of arpeggios, glassy textures, and ruptures seeps into the lyricism of Casellas's cello lines and Azevedo's flute breaths, guided by the Voice.

At times stripped bare, at others soaked in a torrent of post-human effects, settled on Malheiro's expressiveness and elevated by the Azevedo. Volatile Poem, recorded during the mentioned residency, unveils mysteries and conceals realities in a fluid sequence of communal ascension moment

Seasoned sunset soundtrack label-owner, DJ and composer Mark Barrott returns with new album The Exit Diaries. A constant innovator and master of chillout, the record is a rich, deluxe affair comprising two long-form instrumental pieces that weave together soul, jazz, orchestral composition and electronica. With over three decades of output across multiple aliases, Barrott has carved out an influential space spanning early breakbeat futurism, Balearic folk, orchestral ambient and global electronica. He has earned widespread acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork, Mojo, Uncut alongside radio support from Mary Anne Hobbs, Elizabeth Alker and Hannah Peel. His new album ‘The Exit Diaries’ features two movements: side one, ‘Light Variations’, is inspired by “Sunday tunes” - a warm, slow-unfolding soundtrack of soul, Alice Coltrane–esque textures and gentle synths, elevated by the fluid drumming of Leo Taylor (The Invisible, Floating Points, Hot Chip). Side two, The Stone Tape, opens with the sweeping ‘When Devils Become Gods’, before drifting through the ambient landscapes of ‘Quarries’ and the cinematic, emotionally rich compositions ‘The Stone Cutter’s Dilemma’, ‘Land (iii)’ and ‘Closer’. Throughout, Barrott demonstrates a rare ability to transport listeners into deeply atmospheric, meditative spaces, delivering a deeply immersive and quietly profound addition to his catalogue.

‘MASH DOWN BIRMINGHAM: THE EARLY RECORDINGS OF MUSICAL YOUTH’ NEWLY UNEARTHED EARLY RECORDINGS BY THE FIRST LINE-UP OF MUSICAL YOUTH Mastered from the original tapes by Guy Davie at Electric Needle Mythology, the label founded by music writer, author and broadcaster Pete Paphides, is thrilled to announce ‘MASH DOWN BIRMINGHAM: THE EARLY RECORDINGS OF MUSICAL YOUTH’ – an album of rare and unheard early recordings by Musical Youth, the Birmingham reggae group propelled to worldwide fame with the release of their chart-topping single PASS THE DUTCHIE. ‘MASH DOWN BIRMINGHAM: THE EARLY RECORDINGS OF MUSICAL YOUTH’ combines songs from Musical Youth’s first John Peel session, recorded in 1981 with newly unearthed recordings taken from quarter-inch reels stored for over 40 years by the group’s mentor and producer Toney Owens. The project was seeded as early as 2020, when Paphides sent a speculative message to Owens, after he saw his producer credit on the group’s independently released 1981 single Generals/Political. Paphides wanted to know if Owens had made more recordings of the group in a similar heavier roots reggae vein to those on their debut single. Happening upon the message by chance three years later, Owens allowed Needle Mythology access to his archive of quarter-inch tapes, dating back as far as 1978. The recordings gathered together on ‘MASH DOWN BIRMINGHAM: THE EARLY RECORDINGS OF MUSICAL YOUTH’ shine a light on the exceptional musicianship inculcated into the group by their first frontman Frederick Waite, formerly singer with revered Jamaican rocksteady group The Techniques. Backing Frederick Waite in the early lineup of Musical Youth (originally billed by Toney as Cultural Musical Workshop Youths, were two pairs of brothers) Patrick and Junior Waite, and Kelvin and Michael Grant.

Citing sources from early Dub influenced Clash, Blitz and The Modern Lovers - Spiritual Cramp exist in a strange vacuum somewhere between David Byrne's oversized suit and a bar fight between a bunch of drunk goons on Polk Street in SF. Hate for the police, the government and the status quo are reoccurring themes in Bingham's lyrics. The sounds borrow from the past, echoes of late 70's / early 80's working class rock and punk, which function on the upbeat, showcasing very bright guitars yet generating darker vocal rhythms and darker patterning.

As WARNING prepares to release Rituals of Shame - their first new music in twenty years,vocalist/guitarist Patrick Walker is self-effacing about what led to this moment. Over the last two decades he continued to write and release music, satisfied that he had achieved what he set out to do with WARNING. In those intervening years, interest in WARNING swelled, organically gathering an ardent fanbase. In particular, the 2006 album, Watching from a Distance, has gained a cult following. In response to a transformative period in his life, Walker turned towards writing new songs, and it soon became apparent that these belonged to WARNING. In early January 2025, he started with a completely blank canvas, and piece by piece, he started to fill it with ideas that evolved to become the songs that make up Rituals of Shame.

His immersion in the project became a full-time pursuit. After successfully demoing the five songs, Walker retreated to a remote house on a hill outside Florence, Italy, to refine the lyrics. Recording took place at The Arch Studio, a 140-year-old former church in Southport, UK. Chris Fullard (Idles, Sunn O))), Ulver) handled the recording and mixing. Walker's lifelong musical inspirations can be traced through Rituals of Shame. The ambitious structural arrangements harken to Marillion’s complex but soaring episodic songs. They retain a sparsity that is reminiscent of June Tabor’s economic arrangements; thick with melody but with a diaphanous air to them. Citing John Brenner of Revelation as an enduring inspiration, Patrick credits him with introducing the idea of how to infuse heavy music with significant emotional depth. Often reluctant to discuss the minutiae of his lyrics, Walker does acknowledge that making this album was a direct response to the immediate concerns of his current life period. Rituals of Shame also echoes the enduring themes and fixations that have marked most of his work: guilt, shame, personal failure, obsession, longing, and separation, but, most of all, he says, love. Short: WARNING return with Rituals of Shame - the pioneering Doom band's first new music in 20 years! FFO: My Dying Bride, Candlemass, YOB, Black Sabbath, 40 Watt Sun, Pallbearer, Pagan Altar

DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS is proud to present the much-needed reissue of WITCHING HOUR’S sophomore album, Past Midnight…, on vinyl LP and CD formats. Under license from Evil Spell Records. Originally released in 2011, as well as on tape through Dying Victims in 2012, this album introduced the evolvement of the band’s sound from rough and straight forward black thrash to a more varied, multilayered approach to the genre. The fast and evil aspects are still present, yet the band managed to weave in the early version of their yearning, melancholic and ancient heavy metal atmosphere. Ancient heavy metal black thrash

DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS is proud to present IRON KOBRA’s highly anticipated third album, Eternal Dagger, on CD and vinyl LP formats. Additionally their two previous albums will be re-released at the same time. Formed in 2008, Germany’s IRON KOBRA began with a noble mission: to bring heavy metal back to its unpolished, rough, and weird roots. Influenced by heroes of old like Iron Maiden, Cirith Ungol, Living Death, Manowar, and Tank with a sprinkle of punk, the band brewed up a venomous concoction of catchy-yet-speedy heavy metal with maximum potential for engagement – whether it was singing along to, banging your head, and / or raising your fist! Their first few years were busy, releasing the Cult of the Snake demo in 2009 and the Battlesword EP the year after. After playing extensively all throughout Europe and earning a reputation for being a force to be reckoned with live, IRON KOBRA teamed up with DYING VICTIMS in 2012 for the release of their momentous debut album, Dungeon Masters, and three years later for their more refined second album, Might & Magic.

The years after – especially those around the pandemic – brought the band’s external momentum to a crawl. But behind the scenes, they were still writing and playing select shows, even venturing as far as Japan. Now, at very long last, IRON KOBRA return to stake their claim as kings of swords & sorcery metal with Eternal Dagger! Granted, the characteristically amazing cover artwork suggests a sci-fi bent, but the timeless HEAVY METAL the Germans unleash here is vintage IRON KOBRA: immediately recognizable as them, but still reflecting on (and refining) their past, incorporating influences from their favorite bands to result in something that will be YOUR favorite soon enough! Aided by the gleaming & glorious production of Stefan Castevet (Vulture, Luzifer), Eternal Dagger explodes with excitement at every turn, its nine songs ranging speed metal tracks like “Trembling Dungeons” to NWOBHM-fueled rockers like “Shibuya Nights” and epics like "Mountains of Madness.” It goes without saying that IRON KOBRA’s arsenal here offers a wide variety of pure metal gold, evoking the likes of Exciter, Brocas Helm, Diamond Head, and early Running Wild but, of course, with their undeniable personality and panache. So strap yourselves to your seats, maniacs: the Cult of the Snake is back, bringing you heavy hymns that will pierce your eardrums like a heavy metal drill

Mit "The Gods Laugh" erreicht Alison Cotton einen neuen Grad an emotionaler Tiefe und klanglicher Klarheit. Das Album ist ein eindringliches Werk zwischen Folk, Drone und Minimalismus, getragen von Improvisation, Wiederholung und einer meditativen Offenheit. Ausgehend von langsam kreisenden Drones entfalten sich Stücke von großer innerer Spannung, die Raum für Intuition und Resonanz lassen. Entstanden in einer Phase persönlicher Umbrüche, wirkt The Gods Laugh zugleich fragil und kraftvoll. Alison Cotton arbeitet überwiegend mit akustischen Instrumenten - Viola, Harmonium, Klavier, Dulcimer, Recorder - ergänzt durch sparsame rhythmische und elektronische Akzente. Die meist in einem Take eingespielten Aufnahmen bewahren eine besondere Unmittelbarkeit. Das Album bestätigt Alison Cotton als eine der eigenständigsten Stimmen der zeitgenössischen britischen Folktradition - experimentell, erdverbunden und zutiefst berührend.

Kill Your Idols' debut release, This Is Just the Beginning, compiles their early recordings, including the original Kill Your Idols 12". The album captures the band's raw intensity and DIY ethos, solidifying their place in the late '90s New York hardcore scene. This record became a blueprint for their no-frills, high-speed hardcore sound that would influence countless bands.

Anfang der 1960er Jahre, als der Vibrafonist Cal Tjader von Fantasy Records zu Verve Records wechselte, befand er sich in einer seiner produktivsten Phasen. Zwischen 1961 und 1968 nahm er unter der
Regie der Produzenten Creed Taylor und Esmond Edwards fünfzehn Alben für Verve auf, auf denen er sich
künstlerisch freier entfalten konnte denn je zuvor. Auf “The Prophet”, seinem letzten Album für Verve,
schöpft der Vibrafonist aus einer breiten Palette von Jazz-, Latin- und Blues-Einflüssen. Das Programm
besteht je zur Hälfte aus eigenen Kompositionen und Stücken des brasilianischen Keyboarders João Donato,
die von Don Sebesky orchestral arrangiert wurden. Das von Donato geschriebene Stück “Aquarius” wurde
1993 von der Hip-Hop-Band A Tribe Called Quest für das Album “Midnight Marauders” gesampelt.

Als John Coltrane 1965 für Impulse! Records das Album “Ascension“” aufnahm, war er sowohl in künstlerischer als auch in kommerzieller Hinsicht einer der erfolgreichsten Jazzmusiker. Das Album besteht
aus einem fast 40-minütigen Stück, das am 28. Juni 1965 im Rudy Van Gelder Studio in zwei verschiedenen Takes (Edition I und Edition II) aufgenommen wurde, die nun erstmals gemeinsam auf einer
Doppel-LP präsentiert werden. Für die Aufnahme hatte Coltrane sein bestens eingespieltes Quartett um
sieben Musiker zu einer Art Big Band erweitert. Die Musik, die Coltranes entschiedene Hinwendung zur
Avantgarde markierte, wechselt zwischen dicht strukturierten kollektiven Improvisationen und ausgedehnten Solopassagen und entfesselt einen wahren Wirbelsturm aus Klängen

Wie Amerika selbst ist auch die Geschichte von Chess Records eine Geschichte von Chancen in neuen Ländern, in denen Grenzen zwischen Hautfarbe und Kultur überwunden wurden, um Rhythm and Blues-Musik
zu schaffen, die Zuhörer auf der ganzen Welt beeinflusste. Das beeindruckende Künstleraufgebot von Chess
– und seine Gründer – haben den Blues von Volksmusik zu populärem Sound weiterentwickelt und verändert.
Im Jahr 2025 feiert Chess Records sein 75-jähriges Jubiläum. Anlässlich dieses historischen Meilensteins
wird Chess im Oktober dieses Jahres eine umfassende Jubiläumsreihe mit einer kuratierten Auswahl audiophiler Vinyl-Neuauflagen starten, beginnend mit Muddy Waters’ „The Best of Muddy Waters“ und Howlin’
Wolfs „Moanin’ in the Moonlight“.
„I Was Walkin’ Through The Woods“ versammelt Buddy Guys frühe Aufnahmen für Chess Records, die
allesamt in den frühen 1960er-Jahren entstanden. Die Sammlung rückt sein glühendes Gitarrenspiel in den
Mittelpunkt und zeigt eindrucksvoll, warum Guy zu den herausragenden Talenten der neuen Generation
von Bluesmusikern in Chicago zählte. Zu den zentralen Titeln gehören „First Time I Met The Blues“ und
„I Found A True Love“.
Mitte der 1960er-Jahre veröffentlichte Chess Records eine Reihe von Alben unter dem Titel „The Real
Folk Blues“, die Singles aus den Karrieren einiger der bedeutendsten Künstler des Labels bündelten. John
Lee Hookers „The Real Folk Blues“ unterschied sich von vielen dieser Kompilationen, da es eigens für Chess
neu eingespielte Sessions enthielt.
Diese legendären Aufnahmen aus dem Jahr 1966 fangen die Essenz seines unverwechselbaren Sounds und
seines einzigartigen Zugangs zum Blues ein. Zu den herausragenden Titeln zählen „One Bourbon, One
Scotch, One Beer“, „Stella Mae“ und „I’m In The Mood“.

Wie Amerika selbst ist auch die Geschichte von Chess Records eine Geschichte von Chancen in neuen Ländern, in denen Grenzen zwischen Hautfarbe und Kultur überwunden wurden, um Rhythm and Blues-Musik
zu schaffen, die Zuhörer auf der ganzen Welt beeinflusste. Das beeindruckende Künstleraufgebot von Chess
– und seine Gründer – haben den Blues von Volksmusik zu populärem Sound weiterentwickelt und verändert.
Im Jahr 2025 feiert Chess Records sein 75-jähriges Jubiläum. Anlässlich dieses historischen Meilensteins
wird Chess im Oktober dieses Jahres eine umfassende Jubiläumsreihe mit einer kuratierten Auswahl audiophiler Vinyl-Neuauflagen starten, beginnend mit Muddy Waters’ „The Best of Muddy Waters“ und Howlin’
Wolfs „Moanin’ in the Moonlight“.
„I Was Walkin’ Through The Woods“ versammelt Buddy Guys frühe Aufnahmen für Chess Records, die
allesamt in den frühen 1960er-Jahren entstanden. Die Sammlung rückt sein glühendes Gitarrenspiel in den
Mittelpunkt und zeigt eindrucksvoll, warum Guy zu den herausragenden Talenten der neuen Generation
von Bluesmusikern in Chicago zählte. Zu den zentralen Titeln gehören „First Time I Met The Blues“ und
„I Found A True Love“.
Mitte der 1960er-Jahre veröffentlichte Chess Records eine Reihe von Alben unter dem Titel „The Real
Folk Blues“, die Singles aus den Karrieren einiger der bedeutendsten Künstler des Labels bündelten. John
Lee Hookers „The Real Folk Blues“ unterschied sich von vielen dieser Kompilationen, da es eigens für Chess
neu eingespielte Sessions enthielt.
Diese legendären Aufnahmen aus dem Jahr 1966 fangen die Essenz seines unverwechselbaren Sounds und
seines einzigartigen Zugangs zum Blues ein. Zu den herausragenden Titeln zählen „One Bourbon, One
Scotch, One Beer“, „Stella Mae“ und „I’m In The Mood“.

Wenn Leidenschaft, Freundschaft, Identität und Kunst aufeinandertreffen, kann es sich anfühlen, als würden dir kämpferische Worte aus den Adern spritzen. Und während die postmoderne Gesellschaft bröckelt, springen Die Spitz ausgelassen zwischen einem Dutzend verschiedener Möglichkeiten hin und her, um sich zu wehren. Wenn die Welt der Rockmusik eine Eisdiele wäre, hätte das Quartett aus Austin jede Sorte probiert, den Gefrierschrank umgeworfen und angefangen, mit den Angestellten zu tanzen, denen sie geholfen haben, sich zu organisieren. Auf ihrem Debütalbum ,Something to Consume" kämpfen Ava Schrobilgen, Chloe De St. Aubin, Ellie Livingston und Kate Halter gegen den unausweichlichen Konsum, der das Leben umgibt. ,Das hat eine politische Seite, aber auch Sucht und Liebe können alles verzehrend sein", sagt Livingston. Und während die vier ihre Instrumente tauschen, sich beim Songwriting und Gesang abwechseln und kraftvolle Songs in mitreißenden Ausbrüchen schreiben, haben Die Spitz ihre eigene kleine Welt geschaffen, in der wir alle gemeinsam am Abgrund stehen können.

Composer Vasco Mendonça presents his third album “Third Places”. The album brings together a collection of landmark performances and features some of the leading names in international contemporary music, including countertenor Iestyn Davies, mezzo-soprano Barbara Kozelj, the Porto Casa da Música Symphony Orchestra, the ensemble Het Muziek, and conductors Brad Lubman and Ernest Martínez Izquierdo.

More than just a record, “Third Places” stands as a space for artistic and political reflection on the present. Inspired by Ray Oldenburg’s concept of the ‘third place’ – a space beyond home and work where community life takes place – the album’s title refers to the venues where these works came to life, Casa da Música and the Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ in Amsterdam: spaces for encounter, dialogue and cultural resistance. For Vasco Mendonça, these spaces symbolise “the ability to elevate the way we communicate with one another and to resist our most primitive and violent impulses”.

The voice lies at the heart of this work. The compositions explore the theatrical, intimate and political dimensions of vocal expression, drawing on texts of great social and emotional weight to create a shared space for listening and questioning the current state of the world.

One of the album’s central works stems from a profound contemporary concern. Inspired by the turbulent political climate in the United States following the 2016 elections and by his discovery of the poetry of Terrance Hayes and Tracy K. Smith, Vasco Mendonça composed a cycle of songs initially conceived for voice and percussion, later transposed for orchestra. The result is described by the composer as “a kind of imaginary American folklore”, where excess, transcendence, fascination and fear coexist.

The album also includes a reworking of material from the opera “Bosch Beach”, created in 2016 to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Hieronymus Bosch, commissioned by the Dutch foundation Stichting Bosch 500. Based on a libretto by the writer Dimitri Verhulst, the work reflected on the European migration crisis through a scathing portrait of human indifference. In “Third Places”, Mendonça revisits some of this musical material to construct an incisive reflection on contemporary political discourse, transforming the opera’s numbers into archetypes of election campaigns, populism and performative communication.

Straddling contemplation and confrontation, lyricism and political tension, “Third Places” stands as one of the most ambitious recording projects in contemporary Portuguese music, offering an experience that is both aesthetic and critical, where music and thought intersect in a visceral way.

The digital version of the album will include a bonus track, “Marathon”, which explores the analogy between music and long-distance running, creating a piece in which time is transformed through breathing, the heartbeat and the ritualised repetition of movement and the body, in a constant tension between exhaustion and survival.

The third volume dedicated to the legendary Stax/Volt label.
It features two originally unreleased tracks by Mable John and William Bell, alongside two beloved album cuts, available for the first time on 7- inch.

At the beginning of the 1960s, at the Berklee College of Music, Byard Lancaster met some feisty friends: Sonny Sharrock, Dave Burrell and Ted Daniel. It is easy to see why he rapidly became involved in free jazz. Once he was settled in New York, he appeared on Sunny Murray Quintet, recorded under the leadership of the drum crazy colleague of Albert Ayler.

In 1968, the saxophonist and flutist recorded his first album under his own name: It’s Not Up To Us. The following year he came to Paris in the wake of... Sunny Murray. He would come back to France in 1971 (again with Murray) and in 1973 (without Murray for a change). This is when he met Jef Gilson, the pianist and producer who encouraged him to record under his own name again. On Palm Records (Gilson’s label), he would release four albums: Us, Mother Africa, Exactement and Funny Funky Rib Crib.

The recording of “Exactement” required two sessions in the studio: February 1st and May 18th 1974 – in between the two dates, Lancaster recorded, alongside Clint Jackson, the excellent Mother Africa. Two names appear on the cover of “Exactement”: Lancaster (Byard) and Speller (Keno). Byard Lancaster wanted to be precise, moving regularly from one instrument to another: first on piano, which was the first instrument he learned. On “Sweet Evil Miss Kisianga”, his inspiration is first and foremost Coltrane (even if leaning more towards Alice than John), this announces the storm to follow.

It is Lancaster’s horn-playing which really stands out: on alto (the sound of which is transformed by an octavoice on one track, "Dr. Oliver W. Lancaster") or soprano saxophones, as well as on flute or bass clarinet, the musician walks a tightrope making the most of all the risks he takes. Using the full register of his instruments, he has fun with the possibilities.

Then, Lancaster invokes or evokes Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy and even Prokofiev, before going into a danse alongside Keno Speller on percussion. Above all, he has a unique sound. Byard Lancaster, on whatever instrument he plays and by continually seeking, always ends up hitting the right note... ends up by playing exactement the note he had to play.

King Jammy–produced full-length debut from rising reggae songstress Aza Lineage, Rebel Daawta. Features appearances from Hi-Times Band, Jessie Royal, and Johnny Osbourne. Beautifully packaged in a full-colour sleeve.

Discover Joshie Jo Armstead's Giant recordings in the brand new limited edition 8 record box set containing unissued music and 2 interviews about the Savadors & Rhetta Hughes + Booklet to document the project.

o black heavyweight LPs
o 39 tracks from the expansion to Monster Hunter: World
o Rigid board outer box
o Printed inner sleeves

The fearsome co-op team of Laced and Capcom have hunted down more rousing music from the Monster Hunter series.

Monster Hunter World: Iceborne was a significant expansion to the hit action role-playing game, introducing players to the icy environs of Hoarfrost Reach and pitting them against intimidating foes including Velkhana and Zinogre.

The sound team for Iceborne comprised Akihiko Narita, Akiyuki Morimoto, Zhenlan Kang, Yuko Komiyama (comymusic), and Tadayoshi Makino (SpinSolfa Co., Ltd.). In true series fashion, the composers used rip-roaring orchestral and percussive instrumentation to alternately rouse and soothe players; from the propulsive "Spark of Blue - Zinogre" to the homely, Celtic folk-inspired "Theme of Seliana".

This vinyl set features artwork by Capcom highlighting the game's key monsters, with tracks pressed to heavyweight vinyl.

All music has been specially mastered for vinyl by Joe Caithness.

London based producer Akhavelli’s debut (instrumental) album "Moorthodox Psyence", operates like a recovered transmission from a fractured timeline. The project is built around a fictional rupture in 1996 where memory, signal and culture begin drifting out of phase, framing the music as something intercepted rather than composed. Drawing on the dense collage tradition of sample-based production, the record blends experimental Trip-Hop, turntablism and psychedelic rhythm with the hypnotic repetition of Krautrock and the tactile grit of analogue Hip-Hop. Its palette pulls from Japanese Soul and Funk, ex-Soviet Psychedelia, Turkish and North African sources, Arabic textures and classic 90s vocal cuts and scratches. Beneath the surface sits a subtle Sufi influence, positioning the producer less as author than as receiver: sampling as remembrance, sound as a way of piercing the veil between timelines. The result is what Akhavelli calls Breakbeat Psyence: a hypnotic, transportive body of work that feels less like a conventional album and more like a lost artefact recovered from inside a loop in time.

The name Akhavelli is a layered reference. It plays on Machiavelli, both the historical figure and Tupac’s Makaveli, filtered through his background and perspective. Even though "Moorthodox Psyence" is Akhavelli's first release, he has been working under the name Yvng Face, as a producer and as a professional mixing and mastering engineer for over two decades now. He runs a high-end hybrid analog studio and has mixed and mastered major records across multiple genres. That technical background feeds directly into the precision, sonics, and consistency of this album, even though Akhavelli is a distinct artistic identity.

"Chance animates the smallest parts of the universe: the scintillation of the stars is its power, a wildflower its incantation."
—Georges Bataille, Le Petit

"Even on my way to the gambling hall, as soon as I hear, two rooms away, the clink of the scattered money I almost go into convulsions." —Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Gambler

Video gambling addicts, academic researchers, and industry professionals alike describe the trancelike state into which problem gamblers suspend themselves with remarkable consistency: they unanimously call it the machine “zone,” a kind of inner experience during which the rhythmic flow of human-machine collusion borders on mysticism. Time is abolished in the act of contemporary video gambling —simulated slot reels roll, virtual poker decks deal, and all worldly concerns are lost—leaving only the aura of total zone immersion in its wake. Sometimes characterized as the crack cocaine of gambling, the intensity of the machine zone is a symptom of casino ergonomics: emotionally manipulative fragrance-saturation, mesmerizing lights, subtly controlling walkways and, as captured here, meticulously engineered sonic environments all play a role in evoking the timeless void of the zone.

Although I was not yet aware of the extent to which casinos tailor their environments for maximum comfort (and, correspondingly, profit), I did know as I crossed the threshold of my first casino floor last year that I would be back for more. Hit by a cornucopia of slot machine tones, triggering aleatorically and coalescing into shimmering masses, I was struck by the need to return and record the sounds that so entranced me. It wouldn't prove to be easy—casino security is intense—and due to the clandestine nature of the operation, my recording techniques were by no means sophisticated. Equipped with nothing but an Olympus LS-11 recorder's internal microphone stashed in a sweaty coat pocket, I allowed the lure of the zone to guide me through a series of ambling recording sessions, the best of which are included here.

I learned a lot about casino sonics in the process: game designers, for example, once tuned all their machines to the key of C major in order to optimize harmonic cohesion (strict adherence to the key is no more but C still dominates the game floor); one team of designers, the story goes, even spent a month perfecting a single 'ding' sound on one machine. In the interest of preserving the true ambient sounds of the casino these recordings are untreated, but lost in the sea of chance I did exert some affirmative control by means of meandering intent and my actual playing of the machines. And by participating in the games myself I got a taste of the financially debilitating consequences that accompany the enchantment of video gambling. The cassette in your hands represents my endeavor to bring you the zone experience without the harsh comedown of its unfortunate reality.

—Adrian Rew

Futurismo präsentiert das legendäre Debütalbum "Only Theatre Of Pain" (1982) der Gothic-Legenden Christian Death in neuen limitierten Deluxe-Formaten - remastert und erweitert um frühe Demos und rarem Material, samt Poster. "Only Theatre Of Pain" gilt als Meisterwerk und Ursprung des Deathrock - ein wegweisendes Epos von unheiliger Kraft und tiefschwarzer Emotionalität. Obwohl seine Wurzeln im Punk liegen – die Ursprünge der Christian Death-Originalbesetzung liegen in der Früh-1980er Hardcore-Explosion in Südkalifornien –, kann die Bedeutung dieses Werks für die nachfolgende Musiklandschaft nicht hoch genug eingeschätzt werden. Wie ein Adrenalinstoß ins Herz der Finsternis entspringt diese ungezügelte und geheimnisvolle Aufnahme bis heute jeder Kategorisierung. Mit dem visionären Rozz Williams (damals noch Teenager) sowie Punk-Legende Rikk Agnew (Adolescents), James McGearty und George Belanger präsentiert "Only Theatre Of Pain" eine musikalische Erkundung, geprägt von psychosexueller Lyrik und einem tiefen Glaubenskampf, aufgenommen innerhalb weniger Tage mit Produzentenlegende Thom Wilson. Klanglich und visuell seiner Zeit voraus, ist dieses Stück sakrilegischer US-Punk ein absolutes Muss für alle, die sich für Gothic begeistern, für Fans von The Misfits, Bauhaus und The Cramps.

Ten years ago, Anderson .Paak didn't just release an album; he staged a full-scale takeover of the soul and hip-hop landscape. Released on January 15, 2016, Malibu served as the definitive arrival of an artist who had spent years grinding in the underground before a star-making turn on Dr. Dre’s Compton. While his previous work hinted at his potential, Malibu was the moment the world met the "Cheeky Andy" persona in full—a virtuosic drummer, a raspy-voiced crooner, and a sharp-witted rapper all rolled into one. The album is a sprawling, sun-drenched journey through the Southern California coast, blending 1970s funk, church-reared gospel, and gritty boom-bap into something that feels both nostalgic and entirely futuristic. With a heavyweight production lineup including 9th Wonder, Madlib, Kaytranada, and Hi-Tek, the record maintains a warm, analog texture that was a breath of fresh air in an increasingly digital era. It’s an album that breathes, full of intentional imperfections and the kind of "in-the-pocket" groove that can only come from a seasoned live performer. Beyond the infectious, dance-floor-ready energy of tracks like "Am I Wrong" and "Come Down," the album is a deeply autobiographical masterwork. .Paak uses the 65-minute runtime to unpack his life story with startling clarity, touching on his mother’s gambling addiction, his father’s incarceration, and his own brushes with homelessness with a sense of resilience that never feels heavy-handed. He weaves these heavy themes through a lens of triumph, grounded by vintage surfing documentary samples that give the project its cinematic, coastal atmosphere. It’s a celebratory record born out of struggle, anchored by his impeccable technicality on the drums and a guest list—featuring ScHoolboy Q, Rapsody, and The Game—that feels hand-picked to complement his specific brand of West Coast swagger. A decade later, Malibu stands as a modern classic and the blueprint for the soulful revivalism that would eventually lead .Paak to global superstardom and Grammy-winning heights. It remains a testament to the idea that the most profound music often comes from the most personal places, proving ten years on that the best way to move forward is to stay rooted in the groove.

Titled Castle Park and recorded in 2011, the previously unreleased record will be available on 19 June, 2026 and comes as part of a comprehensive reissue of Coxon's complete solo catalogue, spanning 9 studio albums and 3 original soundtracks, across the next 12 months. Produced by Ben Hillier (blur - Think Tank), Castle Park was recorded in 2011 as part of the A+E (2012) sessions. Originally intended as a follow up to A+E, the release was postponed due to blur activity in 2012, before Coxon moved on to other projects. Castle Park is a collection of 10 songs that lean into the artist's classic mod sound, with lead single 'Billy Says' - a longtime feature of Coxon's live set - already familiar to fans and now finally available for the first time.

Arriving just over a year after their last release, Fragile World marks a striking shift in tone and energy for the band. Recorded live to tape in New Zealand by Paddy Hill, with production by Tom Healy (Tiny Ruins, The Chills, Folk Bitch Trio), Fragile World captures The Veils in an urgent and instinctive mode. The album's title is both a reflection of the present moment - a time in which many institutions appear to be crumbling before our eyes - and a metaphor for the act of creation itself. The process of making music, Andrews notes, is a delicate and fragile undertaking where thousands of small decisions gradually coalesce into a finished whole.

The 1970s/'80s duo is most well-known for the most requested song ever on the Dr. Demento radio show, "Fish Heads." The video for the hilarious classic track had national TV exposure airing on Saturday Night Live in December 1980. The clip often aired in the early days of MTV and it has over 6.9 million views on YouTube. Their "Best of" compilation was an early Rhino Records release back in 1987 and this 16- track album features many beloved Demento classics like "Boogie Woogie Amputee" and "Party In My Pants." Includes their version of "What's New Pussycat" from Devo's late Bob Casale and the track "Blithering" from Gerry Beckley from the band America. Also features guest appearances from Steve Perry of Journey, Dewey Bunnell of America and Joseph Williams of Toto on the track "Don't' You Wanna Go To The Moon". The album has never been re-released.

Recorded by J. Robbins (Jawbox, The Dismemberment Plan), mixed by Barrett Jones (KARP, Autoclave, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Mission Impossible), mastered by Matthew Barnhart (Silkworm, FACS, Metz). "We have a limited amount of time on this Earth." A.C. Thompson, author of Torture Taxi stood mouth to ear, and gave me an earful. "So if I have to choose how I want to spend this time I absolutely don't want to spend any of it doing stupid shit." It was a cold and overcast San Francisco night but the words had the ring of the eternal and remembering them while listening to Birth (Defects) final record of alt takes, covers and unreleased from an underground songbook of significance, a rejoinder: you're goddamned right.

With its sunny pop, hypnotic groove and elegant synth-rock, French saxophonist, keyboardist and composer Laurent Bardainne brings together the Poni Hoax team featuring Pupajim & Melissa Weikart on Prologue EP Laurent Bardainne's eclectic musical career includes Poni Hoax (the best French rock band of its generation), Limousine (five albums of cinematic jazz between 2005 and 2023), via Lost (with Camelia Jordana) and Tigre d'Eau Douce with its comforting saxophone. Much like its iconoclastic and delightfully offbeat cover, created by one of the rising figures of the comic book scene, Salome Lahoche, Bardainne shares a taste for sidestepping norms, fertile ambiguity, and joyfully blurred boundaries.