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If this LP exists it is thanks to the vision, energies, work and perseverance of Thomas M. Lopez, aka Meatball Fulton. He is the president and one of the founding members of the ZBS Foundation (ZBS stands for Zero Bullshit), where the audio dramas written by Lopez himself were born. Dramatic programs with stories that blended noir, comedy and science-fiction genres such as Ruby The Galactic Gumshoe or Jack Flanders were produced to critic and public acclaim. It was in Ruby The Galactic Gumshoe that the Android Sisters, who would later have their own spin-off series, first appeared. The characters represent two robotic siblings that Tom Lopez created under big influence from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the Philip K. Dick novel that was taken to cinema by Ridley Scott in Blade Runner. The Androids were performed by actresses Ruth Maleczech and Valeria Wasilewski.



The big success of these “cosmic and comic” sci-fi series, as they are described in the ZBS Foundations website, led to the releasing of cassette tapes, CDs, USBs and podcasting of the stories. Along with these, several music albums were also released in different formats. One of them is Songs Of Electric Despair, the first of two released by the Android Sisters. The songs contained are written by Tom Lopez and his long time collaborator experimental musician Tim Clark.



The Android Sisters Songs Of Electronic Despair LP was originally released as a ZBS Foundation cassette and also as a vinyl LP on Vanguard in 1984. It featured 11 compositions (two bonus tracks not on the original LP have been added to the Wah Wah reissue) on which the experimental synthesizer music of Tim Clark finds a perfect counterpoint in the deliciously surrealistic, cosmic social satire of Tom Lopez’s texts, magically performed by the robotic, yet sensual voices of the Android Sisters as performed by Maleczech and Wasilewski. Clark composed and performed the backing tracks on the Synclavier II synthesizer.



The Wah Wah reissue comes with two bonus tracks not on the original 1984 LP, respects the beautiful original album artwork and enhances it with a 4 pages full colour insert with notes and lyrics of the songs.



BARBARELLA MEETS PHILLIP K. DICK!



RIYL : SYNTH POP CYBERPUNK with DEVO’s sense of humor, LOGIC SYSTEM, FRANK CHICKENS or even some 1990s things to come such as LIKE A TIM or ARPANET.

Drone legends Earth, the Seattle group led by Dylan Carlson, ready their first release on Fire Records. Deluxe Ltd edition 'Dark Star' effect vinyl with matte and spot UV sleeve, DL card. Unreleased live recording taken from their show at London's KOKO in 2016. Includes live renditions of fan favourites 'The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull' and 'High Command'. For fans of: Sunn O))), Sleep, Boris, OM, Spacemen 3, Witch, Hawkwind, Boris, Melvins. Seattle drone-rock titans Earth release their latest live document, WEM Dominator (Live in London NW1, 2016), an unrelenting display of the band's seismic force, recorded during their performance at London's KOKO in 2016. Sharing the bill with legendary heavyweights Neurosis, Earth delivered a set of hypnotic intensity, crushing volume, and towering, glacial beauty. For over three decades, Dylan Carlson and his ever-evolving ensemble have been crafting tectonic soundscapes that defy convention, forging a path between meditative drone and colossal doom-laden riffs. WEM Dominator is an album of mesmeric modal patterns, it's a recording that captures the trio's intricate, slowly evolving euphoria in a period when their experimentation swerved through endless possibilities. From the creeping grandeur of "The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull" to the ominous crawl of "Even Hell Has Its Heroes," the album presents Earth at their most immersive and powerful. This record reasserts Earth's mastery of atmosphere and weight, where every note feels tectonic, and silence itself becomes an instrument of crushing tension. It is a hypnotic, stripped down sonic symphony embracing influences as wide ranging as the Velvet Underground, Terry Riley and La Monte Young, a visceral slow-motion reading of the original sound that inspired Sun O))) and the generation that followed. The lineup of this performance was Dylan Carson (guitar), Jodie Cox (baritone guitar) and Adrienne Davis (drums), it was recorded live at KOKO, London on November 7th 2016 and is mixed and mastered by Mell Dettmer at Studio Soli in Seattle.

Colored vinyl repress of last Pinback album, originally released in 2012. On one hand, their fifth album, Information Retrieved, is the logical and accessible realization of a sound Pinback have been developing and refining for over a decade. However, that consistency that we've taken for granted is what makes Information Retrieved such a euphoric surprise; their finest and most fully realized album, a dozen years deep into a career that includes bona fide modern classics like "Good To Sea" and Summer In Abaddon. Simply put, this is better than we ever could have expected. They could have coasted on automatic pilot to another lauded album that likely would have made it onto plenty of year-end lists, but instead they shot the moon, and the result is a major triumph. The touchstones are still there: Zach Smith's stunningly unique bass guitar acrobatics driving both rhythm and melody in lock-step unison; the incredible immediacy of Rob Crow's voice that could make a phone book sound compelling; and the musical and lyrical interplay between the two of them that made Pinback so special in the first place. The difference now is their exquisite control over dynamics and a greater emotional resonance throughout. It's the most complete and soulful Pinback album by a fair distance, the finest moment in the career of a band whose unfettered brilliance we've come to count on, but will never again take for granted. For Fan of The xx, Deerhunter, Built To Spill, Broken Social Scene

Cindytalk is the mercurial, expressionist outlet of Scottish artist Cinder, inspired by the crossroads of exploratory UK post-punk and early European industrial. Her work thrives on chance and transformation, collaging elements of noise, balladry, soundtrack, catharsis, and improvisation. "We were trying to find our own space," says Cinder of the formative period Camouflage Heart emerged from, amidst a move from Edinburgh to London and Cinder's evolving exploration of gender identity, well before culture at large was equipped to understand. With contemporary discourse we see that the project manifested her transgender ideas as visceral music. The guttural, feral sound marked a notably darker turn from The Freeze's sixyear run on the fringes of punk. Changing the project's name became vital, not just because they kept hearing the former was already taken, but the desire to embody the spiritual and sonic shift, "to uncover new pathways_to feminize it," she says. Cinder, with bandmates David Clancy and John Byrne, arrived at Cindytalk, a winking nod to Sindy, the British fashion doll rival to Barbie known then for its pull-string talking mechanism. "The goal was to have a more interesting narrative, more interesting dialogue. Music was ultimately my only way of talking to people. That was my conversation with the world, an abstracted conversation_an attempt to make some kind of tiny, tiny mark, if possible, you hope somebody will notice." Over the years, Cinder has heard from fans who did pick up on the signals and find refuge in Camouflage Heart. Camouflage Heart plays with tension and pace, from creeping to feverish to claustrophobic. The percussion moves between restless marches and barely-there pulses; for some parts, they scratched and hit a tin bath, among other objects. Guitar lines vibrate and stab as Cinder contorts her voice freely. She pulls poetry from a cerebral abyss, like "make the snake in your eye, pierce the camouflage heart" on the slow-droning centerpiece "The Spirit Behind the Circus Dream." In that register is raw power, both vulnerable and menacing, an ability to locate something deep and emotionally charged within. "I still remember that person who was way too intense for their own good," Cinder reflects. "I couldn't make a record like that now, certainly not vocally, while that anger hasn't dissipated; there's still a kind of warrior." For all the destruction and disintegration of Camouflage Heart, Cinder maintains the objective was never full-on fatalistic; these songs seek not to destroy but to poke and provoke, to transform and heal, to find cracks of light in a crumbling world. She points to the last lines of the opening track, "It's Luxury": "Don't look down," the lyric pines through static and rhythm. Cinder extrapolates, "I'm essentially saying, just keep fucking going. As time went on, for me, that falling became flying. Camouflage Heart is the beginning of believing in flight."

wetdogg was born in a grotto in Detroit, Michigan with a mission to information to the masses. Through sonic awakening, wetdoggs mission is to enlighten the subconscious and shine light on the deepest crevices of the human psyche. Allowing pathways back into animalistic intuition and away from the technocracy, dig a hole, plant a seed, run in circles and free your mind.

Coming out of Detroit based label Hold Me Records started by Detroit Techno aficionado MGUN and Underground don of all dons Ryan Spencer, wetdogg releases her first Album pssssssp…

From the artist:
"When a dog runs into a river and comes out and shakes itself dry, there is no data collected, technology does not aim to control those that it cannot. Numbers are definite and infinite, a linear path to doomsday. With every move we make, we are tracked and traced and categorized in order to sell ourselves into data hell. Intimacy used to have meaning, the present moment, truth and love but so much of it has been taken captive by technology that seeks to psychologically manipulate and control. A dog runs into the water because that is what dogs do, but it seems these days we are starved from our natural instincts, instead relying on someone else's answer that we of course seek online. "

Using the primitive technology of the password journal (often marketed to little girls to keep their secrets) wetdogg uses the idea of the password journal to imagine a utopia free of the surveillance state in her upcoming album pssssssp…

Founded in 2022, Hold Me Recordings is an independent record label based in southwest Detroit, MI. It is run by Manuel Gonzales (MGUN) & Ryan Spencer, who with a deep-rooted connection to the city's musical history, showcase innovative sounds that challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of contemporary electronic music. Focused on promoting both emerging and established artists, Hold Me is releasing genre-defying tracks that blend unconventional productions with the sincerity of Detroit's legacy. From experimental techno, to downtempo and ambient, Hold Me is committed to offering music that sounds fresh, exciting, and unlike anything you've heard before.

“Less than a month after one of the most violent fire events in the history of the continent, new shoots had burst through the scorched hardpan, nourished by the still-vital roots of those flayed and blackened trees.” John Vaillant, Fire Weather.

Loscil (aka Scott Morgan) returns to kranky with Lake Fire, a nine-track offering of ash-laden sonics that mine the tension within the cycle of destruction and rejuvenation.

Lake Fire is the result of a disjointed creative process. Originally conceived as a suite for electronics and ensemble, most of the original compositions were deserted, save for Ash Clouds, featuring James Meager on double bass. The remaining tracks were reshaped and remixed, built anew out of the remnants of the abandoned work. The result is a phoenix, an album burnt to the ground only to be reassembled out of its cinders. Fragments of the original lurk beneath a densely overpainted canvas of sound.

Infused into the resulting rearrangements are impressions from a road trip into the mountains marking a personal half-century milestone, surrounded by the ominous proximity of wildfires and dense smoke; celebrating life while the world burns. The album’s title comes from the striking irony that forest fires are often named after regional lakes - perhaps subconsciously referencing ancient lore. The cover photos were taken from this same trip, while sitting in a rowboat staring into the grey abyss of an opposing mountainside outside of Revelstoke, BC, obfuscated by smoke from a nearby lake fire.

Press quotes for previous solo release “Clara”:

"The sound sculptor Scott Morgan continues to astound.” Pop Matters

"A beautifully nuanced work, Clara is both revealing and mysterious -- and loscil fans wouldn't expect anything less.” Allmusic

press quotes for previous collaboration release with Lawrence English “Colours of Air”:

"As you might expect from the steady hands at the tiller, this is a cortex-hugging drone record of beauty and depth.” The Quietus

"One of the thrills of listening to this record is how its initially predictable veneer fades on subsequent listens to reveal layers of mischief underneath.” Resident Advisor

Calibro 35 unleash a limited 7" feat Piero Umiliani's Italo-Cosmic-Disco classic 'Discomania' and Azymuth Brazilian-Disco stormer 'Jazz Carnival' on the B-side. Calibro 35 continue their journey into the world of cinematic jazz-disco-funk with the release of a new 7" featuring two afro-disco stormers. On the A side Calibro 35 deliver an heavily afro-funk infused version of Piero Umiliani's Italo-Cosmic-Disco classic 'Discomania' while on the flip side the Milanese band drop an equally explosive B-side with their own reinterpretation of Brazialian-Disco hit 'Jazz Carnival' by Azymuth. Both songs are taken from the highly anticipated new album 'Exploration' that drop June 06 worldwide via Record Kicks. The 7" is limited to 500 copies worldwide and is an instant's collector item. Described by Rolling Stone as "the most fascinating, retro-maniac and genuine thing that has happened to Italy in the past few years," Milan-based Calibro 35 enjoy a worldwide reputation as one of the coolest independent bands around. Active since 2007, during their long career, they 1 have been sampled by Dr. Dre on Compton ("One Shot One Kill" feat. Snoop Dogg), Jay-Z ("Picasso Baby"), The Child of Lov & Damon Albarn ("One Day"), and Demigodz ("The Summer Of Sam"). They 2 have played major venues and festivals all over Europe, and as unique musicians, they have collaborated with, among others, PJ Harvey, Mike Patton, John Parish, Stewart Copeland, and Rokia Traoré.

Claire Chicha aka Spill Tab is feeling more free than ever before. The LA-based, French-Korean songwriter and producer,has spent the past five years as spill tab honing a sound that is as raw-edged as it is refined, channelling low-slung guitar-strumming confessionals as well as the earworming melodic hooks of anthemic pop to produce a heady and distinctive mix.

Following the 2019 release of her intimate and infectious debut single “Decompose”, Spill Tab has evolved her spill tab project through three EPs: 2020’s synth-pop influenced Oatmilk, 2021’s playful, uptempo Bonnie, featuring Gus Dapperton and Tommy Genesis, and 2023’s co-produced, sonically-intricate Klepto, which gleefully meanders from the Hiatus Kaiyote-influenced jazz freakouts of “CRÈME BRÛLÉE!” to the guitar-chugging thump of “Splinter”. Live, meanwhile, Spill Tab has been tapped for her explosively energetic presence to open the North American leg of popstar Sabrina Carpenter’s tour, as well as touring through Australia with alt-rock trio Wallows.
With “PINK LEMONADE”, opening single from her forthcoming debut album “ANGIE” , spill tab’s freewheeling sound finds its fullest expression, harnessing this onstage experience and recorded experimentation with her bass-weight and pitched-up vocals. Here we find Chicha only ever chasing that “weird thing”, fizzing with an infectious enthusiasm and intricate musicianship. “The best songs come from writing the main idea in a day, as it’s so instinctual,” she says, such as “PINK LEMONADE” recorded “from a clip taken out of a 40-minute jam that we then chopped and spliced”.
Born to her French Algerian composer father and Korean pianist mother, Claire Chicha spent her early childhood in the mixing room of her parents’ LA post-production studio, bringing coffees to artists as they tracked scores for exciting new projects. “I hung out in that studio all the time until I was around 10 years old, absorbing jazz music my dad was into and classical music that my mom loved,” Chicha says. “My mom had a big hand in making me an adventurous kid, always trying new things from piano to harp and violin, forever soaking up new sounds.”

At 12, Chicha’s life was uprooted as she relocated to Thailand to live with her mother’s family following the collapse of her parents’ business after the 2008 recession. What followed was an unstable and formative few years of early teenagedom, navigating new cultures and life changes. In Thailand, Chicha began learning guitar to cover the Paramore and Green Day tracks she had grown to love while also becoming immersed in Thai traditional music. After a year, she moved once more to live with her aunt in Paris and there she was introduced to the classic sound of Serge Gainsbourg and Édith Piaf before ultimately returning to LA following the untimely death of her father.

“I had to become a real people person to fit in everywhere I was moving, and it immersed me into so many different styles of music,” she says. “I went from listening to the nasal singing of Thai traditional music at muay thai fights in Bangkok, to emotive classic French songs. It definitely informed the need to experiment with my sound as I became more interested in making music.”

At high school in LA, Chicha joined one of the country’s foremost show choirs and realised a natural aptitude for stagecraft and performance as she sang medleys in competitions throughout the US. Going on to study Music Business at NYU, Chicha found a love for the alternative soul and singer-songwriting of the likes of Moses Sumney and Bon Iver, as well as developing her own sound while spending summers interning as an A&R at Atlantic Records and being exposed to the gamut of New York’s live music scene.

“I was going to so many shows as an A&R intern and seeing just how much a lot of music sounded alike,” she says. “It made me realise I wanted my music to feel different, to cut through the noise but still make something that felt honest to me.”

Beginning to independently release tracks, Soill Tab gradually built a loyal fanbase with the release of wistful early numbers “Calvaire” and “Cotton Candy” and soon found herself signed to a major label. Yet, as her career progressed through the COVID pandemic the demands of a corporate major began to conflict with her own searching style. “My last two EPs were under contract and it felt like I was always chasing the carrot,” she says, “I felt a certain pressure to put out tracks quickly and find that ‘hit’. It wasn’t the right environment to truly make what I wanted.”

Ultimately parting ways with her label, Chicha began work on a new album, exploring new sounds and ideas with her LA-based community of collaborators like producer David Marinelli, Solomonophonic, Wyatt and Austin and John DeBold, without expectation. “It became this beautiful experience of only following ideas that I really believed in and exploring all the musical avenues I hadn’t before,” she says. “I’ve never been more excited about songs and I’ve never felt like a project is more mine.”

Writing and recording while touring with Sabrina Carpenter and Wallows, Chicha road-tested her new tracks to see what might land best with an audience who had likely never heard her music before. “You have to win people’s hearts as an opener and you can see what resonates and what doesn’t,” she says. “I would watch people fall in love or not and it’s usually always the song you’re having the most fun with that does the best. That’s what I put on the record.”

« Angie », Spill’s Tab debut album is relased on because Music and expected for May 16th release.

Two Times Juno awards listed and 2 times Polaris price listed, Canadian Soul Star Tanika Charles unleash the new album "Reason To Stay that drops on May 16 via independent soul label Record Kicks. Reasons To Stay is Tanika Charles' fourth full-length album, and her most introspective to date. Where her songs have typically touched on romantic love and heartache, the core love and loss of this record is family focused. It has taken years for Tanika to be able to publicly reflect on the childhood trauma and family breakup that occurred during her teens. The majority of the album was composed by Tanika with the tight knit team of Scott McCannell (Lydia Persaud, Henry Nozuka), Kyla Charter (Aysanabee) and Chino de Villa (Jessie Reyez). Kelly Finnigan of the Monophonics joined in to mix the bulk of the project and apply some trademark analogue grit to Tanika's sheen. Guests include Quebec-based Soulful singer/songwriter Clerel on the last track "Win", as well as Toronto soul artists Aphrose and Claire Davis providing additional vocals. "I love this album. I love singing these songs. I love that it's made me step outside of my comfort zone. It's forced me to face the root causes of my own insecurities that I carry to this day. Why am I striving so hard to seek validation, and why take it so personally when it doesn't come? That distortion has prevented me from celebrating my own successes at times. This album is me trying to change that." "I love the conversations that have begun with these songs. It's about childhood trauma, but it's not a victim story. I'm doing well, despite the baggage I carry. I want others to be able to carry theirs too." In the last few years, Canadian Soul/R&B powerhouse Tanika Charles has transformed from an emerging solo artist to a commanding performer and bandleader, cementing her status as a staple in the Canadian soul scene. Her previous studio albums - "Soul Run" (2017), "The Gumption" (2019), and "Papillon De Nuit" (2022) - have propelled her to international acclaim, earning her two JUNO nominations, two Polaris Prize listings, and a growing global fanbase. Extensive touring across North America and Europe has further solidified her reputation, with standout performances at festivals such as Trans Musicales in France, Fusion Festival in Germany, Mostly Funk & Soul Festival and Jazz Festival in the UK, Holy Groove Festival in Switzerland, and Canarias Jazz Festival in Spain. She has also shared the stage Estelle, Mayer Hawthorne, Haitus Kayote, Lauryn Hill, Bedouin Soundclash and Macy Gray. Tanika's meteoric rise and undeniable artistry have been widely championed by outlets such as KCRW, KEXP, BBC6 Music, Exclaim!, CBC Music, Uncut Mag, PopMatters, Albumism .. further solidifying her position as a global soul sensation.

In 2012 Gruff Rhys embarked on a solo 'investigative concert tour' through the heart of America following the route taken by his distant relative John Evans. Every night he presented songs augmented by a power point presentation that detailed his relative's unbelievable history, along with any new piece of information that had come his way during the day. He was ultimately looking for Evans's lost unmarked grave. Along with many major cities, the tour took him to play shows at the Mandan and Omaha tribe reservations, a Missouri vineyard, villages that no longer exist and lay at the bottom the Mississippi river and a New Orleans bordello. What transpired from that ‘investigative concert tour’ was a 2014 album, American Interior, plus a book, film and exhaustive tour of the same name. With the aid of the dusted-off power point presentation, Gruff Rhys and a full band revisits the project in 2025 to perform the songs that formed both the album, and the soundtrack to the film.

Gruff says of the reissue -

“Revisiting American Interior 11 years later, feels very prescient. In following the unusual story of explorer John Evans (1770-1799) it becomes clear that faked narratives can have profound and unpredictable consequences in real life. His barely believable journey of verification in searching through continental scale wilderness for a fictitious Welsh speaking tribe believed to be living on the Great Plains of North America (an ancient folk tale perpetuated by the Elizabethan court following the subjugation of Wales, to make colonial claims on behalf of the British on the Americas) had a dramatic political effect on the fledgling USA and a devastating impact on himself and some of those who helped him on his way. I wrote an album of songs inspired by his life; American Interior, which also served as a soundtrack to a documentary film based on a book that detailed his journey, intertwined with my own investigative concert tour, all three of which I worked on simultaneously during a 2-year fever 2012-14. By far the most ambitious undertaking I’ve ever attempted. Living with one foot in the 18th century, wearing the same clothes (for cinematic continuity) for that entire period, left me pretty exhausted. (Imagine a cold extra from The Revenant movie). It took me a while to process the whole experience and its lessons and feel I owe it to my former self to take these songs back on the road for a couple of months and re-tell the story for a new decade. To celebrate it further Rough Trade will reissue a remastered version of the album with previously unreleased tracks.”

The anniversary edition comes in a gatefold-sleeve on clear / golden marbled vinyl with an exclusive poster. It all started in Gothenburg, Sweden back in 2003. After various incarnations the band we've now come to know as EF hit their stride by opening up their heavy distorted guitar palet to a much richer, textural approach with haunting melodies and harmonies. The band started touring and built up a dedicated fanbase throughout the years. The experience and confidence gained from these 22 odd tours have taken them all over Europe and Asia. It has shaped them to become the explosive, energetic and cathartic live band they are now today. As it goes with age and experience also comes growth. Although the sound of the band has evolved away from the hardcore infused post-rock of their early days, EF have always kept their hardcore d.i.y. ethics alive. By running their own record label, And the Sound Records, and setting up their own worldwide distribution they sold thousands of records along the way. In 2010 EF started to collaborate with German label Kapitän Platte by releasing the third album "Mourning golden morning" on vinyl. Now 15 years later, especially as the record is long time out of print, it's time to celebrate this anniversary with a new edition of this album that reached in the meantime the status of a post-rock masterpiece, to name in a row with bands like Caspian, Mogwai or Explosions in the sky.

In 2012 Gruff Rhys embarked on a solo 'investigative concert tour' through the heart of America following the route taken by his distant relative John Evans. Every night he presented songs augmented by a power point presentation that detailed his relative's unbelievable history, along with any new piece of information that had come his way during the day. He was ultimately looking for Evans's lost unmarked grave. Along with many major cities, the tour took him to play shows at the Mandan and Omaha tribe reservations, a Missouri vineyard, villages that no longer exist and lay at the bottom the Mississippi river and a New Orleans bordello. What transpired from that ‘investigative concert tour’ was a 2014 album, American Interior, plus a book, film and exhaustive tour of the same name. With the aid of the dusted-off power point presentation, Gruff Rhys and a full band revisits the project in 2025 to perform the songs that formed both the album, and the soundtrack to the film.

Gruff says of the reissue -

“Revisiting American Interior 11 years later, feels very prescient. In following the unusual story of explorer John Evans (1770-1799) it becomes clear that faked narratives can have profound and unpredictable consequences in real life. His barely believable journey of verification in searching through continental scale wilderness for a fictitious Welsh speaking tribe believed to be living on the Great Plains of North America (an ancient folk tale perpetuated by the Elizabethan court following the subjugation of Wales, to make colonial claims on behalf of the British on the Americas) had a dramatic political effect on the fledgling USA and a devastating impact on himself and some of those who helped him on his way. I wrote an album of songs inspired by his life; American Interior, which also served as a soundtrack to a documentary film based on a book that detailed his journey, intertwined with my own investigative concert tour, all three of which I worked on simultaneously during a 2-year fever 2012-14. By far the most ambitious undertaking I’ve ever attempted. Living with one foot in the 18th century, wearing the same clothes (for cinematic continuity) for that entire period, left me pretty exhausted. (Imagine a cold extra from The Revenant movie). It took me a while to process the whole experience and its lessons and feel I owe it to my former self to take these songs back on the road for a couple of months and re-tell the story for a new decade. To celebrate it further Rough Trade will reissue a remastered version of the album with previously unreleased tracks.”

"Ars Moriendi" is the natural continuation of SlugoS' sound and his most ambitious work to date, taken to a new level of sophistication and sensitivity. This album not only stands out for its musical innovation but also as a conceptual piece that allows the listener to get closer to the artist's inner world.

Inspired by global funeral rites and shaped by industrial, dissonant, and distorted techno, Ars Moriendi unfolds as a spiritual and emotional descent, both brutal and transcendent. Aggressive yet elegant, this album flawlessly fuses elements: from apocalyptic dancefloor destroyers to introspective, IDM-tinged moments, the album offers more than just techno for the body; it is a ceremonial passage for the soul.

Composed of 12 original tracks, each gains new meaning as part of a whole, allowing for a listening experience that flows both from beginning to end and in reverse order. With a refined and detailed sonic palette, the album reaches an audience less attuned to the usual rawness of the artist's work.

In a musical landscape where intensity is often associated with a lack of sensitivity, Ars Moriendi comes as a breath of fresh air, proving that hardness does not have to be at odds with subtlety. With this release, Caedite Eos reaffirms its place at the forefront of uncompromising hard techno.

AAA Gripper have seemingly dropped out of nowhere but the story goes back. The idea was conjured in the summer of 2023 at the first Wrong Speed Records festival in the town of Glastonbury. Inspired by a weekend of radical sounds and fine company a decision was made - 'let's try something'.
Recording hours and hours of bass and drums in deep Somerset then editing it down to a sharp and concise 32 minutes. From Can's Lost Tapes boxset to No Means No's 0+2=1 via a thousand song structure decisions. Wild guitar strafe and precise hyper vocal added. Nine tight tunes magically appeared. The band raised a glass of tea. The band was born. The 'something' had worked.
We Invented Work For The Common Good is a deep dive into the world of the working person. How we end up. Why we climb onto the conveyer belt and never get off. The front cover is one of many of the same photo taken every day, on the walk to work, the dark mills looming - KEEP THEM BUSY, THEY WON'T RISE UP.
Music is therapy. They think it's part of the bread and circuses. We know it's armour. We know it's weaponry.
Gigs being planned.

There are bands that you feel you have known forever -- recent ones, new
ones even -- because you are already so familiar with what you know they are
going to offer, familiar with the anticipation and the need, with the pleasure
you expect them to, quite rightfully, provide the masses (by which I mean
people who have once considered calling their first-born Kang)
VERDICT is such a band. It has members of MEANWHILE, NO SECURITY,
WARCOLLAPSE, 3- WAY CUM, TOTALITAR, and too many other bands, and even
though I have never actually met any of them, I still have had more interactions with
them through (over)playing and rocking to their records than I have had with some
members of my family, which, to be honest, is definitely for the best. VERDICT is a
rather new (but experienced in the things of the D) kang hardcore band, and they know
exactly what they are doing and how to do it. Had they produced something different,
that would have completely taken me aback -- something horrendous like ska- punk
would have made so little sense that I would have had to quit punk altogether. Alright,
what about The Rat Race, then. This is the follow-up to last year's Time to Resign, and
this one has even more punch, fury, and pummeling power than its predecessor.
Unoriginal, in a good way, and thoroughly checking all the correct boxes: the
drumming is pure and relentless, the riffs' efficiency is religiously executed in a
"Scandicore 101" way, the vocals are angry, direct, and raspy. Think a joyous orgy
between NO SECURITY, UNCURBED, and TOTALITAR.
This is the kind of record that makes the world a better place to rock. Thank you
Phobia Records. Kang up your life.

A fully licensed, analogue reissue -- sure, on cassette and not on vinyl, that's a
long story -- of the first Index LP, originally released in 1967
The "Black Album" is one of the all-time holy grails of psychedelia, with originals going
for more than $4,000. It is an album "with a really druggie sound, full of feedback and
fuzzy guitars. The vocals, when present, are not easily heard. The cover of 'Eight Miles
High' is very good, probably one of the best cover versions I have ever heard. The
original songs all follow a similar pattern as the covers, with hazy guitar riffs and loud
rhythms. The last track is particularly noisy and unstructured. Hidden in amongst the
echoing canyons of sound there's some really snotty punk attitude wrapped up in
trippy velvet fuzz."
This record is magnificent-- bizarre, atmospheric, amateurish (in the best of all
possible ways). It has a wonderful bleak sound, both droning and murky... the atonal
sound of 1960's rock that would leave the most lasting impression on what would
become future punk, post-punk and indie rock artists.
"Much has been written about this incredible band. Much of it isn't true. Index was
formed in the early spring of 1967 in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. I was 18 years old
when I met a chain-smoking 16-year-old named Gary Francis. Our conversation soon
got around to rock and roll. He told me that he and his friend, John Ford, were forming
a band. I told him that I played drums and we arranged a jam session at John's home
on Lakeshore Drive. Our first meeting was incredible. Our sound was full and
powerful. John's lead guitar techniques were fresh and innovative. After our first
sessions we knew we had something special. Index was born. Soon we hit the local
'sock hop' circuit, playing at high schools and teen clubs in the area. We poured our
unique sound out at The Hideout, Undercroft and G.P. War Memorial every weekend.
One afternoon John pulled out a new album he had been listening to. It was a new
band with a mind-shattering sound called 'The Jimi Hendrix Experience.' John played
some songs he had written inspired by this 'psychedelic' sound. Over the next few
days, 'Fire Eyes,' 'Shock Wave' and 'Feedback' were written. This album was recorded
in December of 1967 at the Ford estate. It is recorded in mono with literally one
microphone and with all instruments and vocals recorded at the same time. The cover
photo is of founders of a singing group John joined at Yale. The stiff, board- like
figures seem to characterize the exact opposite of this musical collection. This
reissue is taken from the original recordings. Nothing has been added and all songs
are in their original length. Over the years various bootleg copies of this album have
surfaced but this is the original work." --Jim Valice

This is a four-track sampler taken from parts one and two of the One Hundred and Fifty Steps VEP series which is all about exploring the rise of 150 bpm dubstep, a sound that is characterised by fast basslines, broken rhythms and heavy halftime pulses. From VEP pt. 1, L.A.'s Carre delivers pacey wobblers and then Berlin's Formella debuts with playful breaks and more wobbly bass on 'Dripstep'. VEP pt. 2 features Leipzig's Old Man Crane with their intricate, syncopated style shinning through on 'Grey' and Valencia's Andrae Durden then shows class with a Kryptic Minds-inspired low-end powerhouse.

This latest Unxpozd release has taken a hot minute to arrive but it's been worth the wait, because once again DJ Aakmael shows off his deep house class. '6minutes' kicks off with the sort of whimsical late-night chords that soon get you dreaming as the loveably lazy grooves slouch on. 'Just A Track pt. 8' shows Aakmael's sample skills as he chops up the sounds with some nice jazzy keys. You won't find a groove more lush and smooth than the gently cosmic 'Track 123' while 'Autumn' is perfectly stripped back to chunky kicks, slowly ascending chords and a hint of Kerri Chandler soul with a gospel vocal hook.

With French Lessons, Jeff The Fool delivers a dazzling display of musical diversity, exploring a myriad of styles and influences. From the melancholic rain of Paris to the warm rays of the Californian sun, each track showcases remarkable technical precision and infectious energy.


Set for release in 2025, this album stands out with its array of international guest artists such as Fleur de Mur, Oden & Fatzo, Mangabey, and Phat Kat. It brings together singers and rappers from Lagos, Detroit, and Atlanta, infusing the work with a unique cosmopolitan dimension. On compositions imbued with French accents, these artists lend their voices to traverse house, hip-hop, jungle, trap, and afro-soul. French Lessons is a true ode to innovation, illustrating Jeff The Fool’s determination to push genre boundaries and reinvent himself alongside talented collaborators. This album pays tribute to the electronic music scene while asserting his unique artistic identity.


Here, Jeff The Fool continues his creative journey, marked by a subtle blend of underground house sounds and more accessible grooves. Since his notable debut with the Pay Your House EP in 2018, he has consistently expanded the horizons of house music, skillfully combining soulful samples and deep rhythms, crafting tracks designed for the dance floor.
Building on the success of his 2022 album Russian Dolls, released under Nowadays Records and amassing millions of streams, Jeff The Fool continues to captivate house music purists while drawing in a broader audience. His live performances, intense and eclectic, blending house, techno, disco, and electro, have taken him to international stages, showcasing the breadth and richness of his talent.

Following the success of his recent single "Just A Flute Thing," DJ Scientist returns with his latest release, "The Baku Files". This project delivers another stunning instrumental Hip-Hop gem, built on rare samples.

The first track features one of Scientist's most captivating and jazzy Boom Bap beats in years, sampling Azeri jazz from the Soviet era. With vocal cuts taken from old rap records he crafts a unique fusion of cultures and eras.
Side B of the single is entitled "To See You," a DJ-friendly rework of a track by the renowned Soviet composer Murat Kashlaev, originally re-issued a few years ago on Spasibo Records.

These two standout tracks are available on the vinyl, while the digital EP offers additional material.

"The Baku Files" is a beautiful Rare Groove Hip-Hop release, perfect for DJs and Soviet groove enthusiasts alike. It comes with beautifully designed artwork inspired by Soviet-era aesthetics.

After more than two decades of captivating fans with their signature harmonies and timeless love songs, 98 Degrees returns with Full Circle, an album that marks a new chapter in the group's storied career. This highly anticipated release features five brand new tracks that showcase the evolution of the band’s sound, while still staying true to the essence that made them icons of the '90s and 2000s. Collaborations with powerful vocalists Katrina Velarde and Janine Teñoso bring fresh, dynamic layers to the album, with each artist adding their unique touch to these modern pop-soul anthems. In addition to the new material, Full Circle includes five of 98 Degrees' classic hits, re-recorded and remastered for a new era. These beloved tracks have been given a polished, contemporary update, with richer instrumentation and renewed vocal energy, offering both longtime fans and new listeners a fresh experience of the band’s greatest hits.

From the soulful ballads to the infectious up-tempos, Full Circle perfectly blends the familiar smooth melodies that fans know and love with a more contemporary edge. The title Full Circle reflects the journey the group has taken—from their meteoric rise in the late '90s to their ongoing passion for making music together. With their signature harmonies stronger than ever, Full Circle is a testament to 98 Degrees' enduring legacy and their commitment to creating music that resonates across generations.

After "RUINER", "CLEAN" and "GOLD", Atlanta's noise juggernauts WHORES. return with fierce new album ,WAR". American Muscle to drown out the American Dream as it careens into the ditch_ "WAR" is a an album full of brazen rhythms, serpentine riffs, walls of feedback, and howls of contempt. It is an album that is as rowdy and boisterous as it is anxious and savage. "Helmet comparisons are understandable but Helmet wishes they sounded this authentic and convincing in 2024", Heavy Mag wrote in their rave review, and Rolling Stone included "WAR." in their 20 best metal records of 2024. "It pisses me off when people talk shit about us. They don't know the lengths I go through to keep this band going" says guitarist/vocalist Christian Lembach in an interview with New Noise Magazine on why it's taken eight years between albums. Personal issues, accidents and then the pandemic presented obstacles for the band. Lembach injured both of his knees and tore the meniscus in his right one, and he broke both elbows and his ribs in an accident at his day job. WHORES. have dealt with setbacks that would have killed other bands, but instead it's made them stronger. And Lembach's high standards haven't exactly accelerated the making of "WAR": "It takes a while because I need to make a record I can stand behind. I just don't want to put anything out to just do it. I never think the one I'm working on is a masterpiece. To me the masterpiece is the next one", he says. "Lyrics are the most important part to me. Not the riffs not the song structures but the actual words" Lembach elaborates. "I always have the title before I write the lyrics. All the lyrics and song titles fit thematically into the album title. In this case I did a lot of soul searching. I was trying to figure out what it takes to be happy. I had to confront the ugly parts of myself. The title isn't political, it's about conquering the ugly parts of yourself." "WAR" is a battering ram of a live band, slugging like a doomsday clock towards midnight. Originally self-relased in 2024, we are happy to finally release in Europe what we're sure will become a noise rock genre-classic. PRESS "time is just a construct and Whores. are forever" - Everything Is Noise " ein weiterer musikalischer Schlag in die Magengrube" - Visions 10/12 " Frontman Christian Lembach is not so much a singer as a verbal assailant a spitting cobra of a human who leaves you drenched in his venomous wordplay." - Heavy Mag FOR FANS OF CHAT PILE, HELMET, HIGH ON FIRE, KEN MODE, INTERCOURSE, UNSANE, NAILS

After "RUINER", "CLEAN" and "GOLD", Atlanta's noise juggernauts WHORES. return with fierce new album ,WAR". American Muscle to drown out the American Dream as it careens into the ditch_ "WAR" is a an album full of brazen rhythms, serpentine riffs, walls of feedback, and howls of contempt. It is an album that is as rowdy and boisterous as it is anxious and savage. "Helmet comparisons are understandable but Helmet wishes they sounded this authentic and convincing in 2024", Heavy Mag wrote in their rave review, and Rolling Stone included "WAR." in their 20 best metal records of 2024. "It pisses me off when people talk shit about us. They don't know the lengths I go through to keep this band going" says guitarist/vocalist Christian Lembach in an interview with New Noise Magazine on why it's taken eight years between albums. Personal issues, accidents and then the pandemic presented obstacles for the band. Lembach injured both of his knees and tore the meniscus in his right one, and he broke both elbows and his ribs in an accident at his day job. WHORES. have dealt with setbacks that would have killed other bands, but instead it's made them stronger. And Lembach's high standards haven't exactly accelerated the making of "WAR": "It takes a while because I need to make a record I can stand behind. I just don't want to put anything out to just do it. I never think the one I'm working on is a masterpiece. To me the masterpiece is the next one", he says. "Lyrics are the most important part to me. Not the riffs not the song structures but the actual words" Lembach elaborates. "I always have the title before I write the lyrics. All the lyrics and song titles fit thematically into the album title. In this case I did a lot of soul searching. I was trying to figure out what it takes to be happy. I had to confront the ugly parts of myself. The title isn't political, it's about conquering the ugly parts of yourself." "WAR" is a battering ram of a live band, slugging like a doomsday clock towards midnight. Originally self-relased in 2024, we are happy to finally release in Europe what we're sure will become a noise rock genre-classic. PRESS "time is just a construct and Whores. are forever" - Everything Is Noise " ein weiterer musikalischer Schlag in die Magengrube" - Visions 10/12 " Frontman Christian Lembach is not so much a singer as a verbal assailant a spitting cobra of a human who leaves you drenched in his venomous wordplay." - Heavy Mag FOR FANS OF CHAT PILE, HELMET, HIGH ON FIRE, KEN MODE, INTERCOURSE, UNSANE, NAILS

The Scream, Siouxsie & the Banshees' first album, was released late enough in the punk era to bear some claim as the first post-punk album, with only a minor traces of 'punk' (one lingering early song, "Carcass" comes to mind) and enough hints of what had come even earlier, Andy MacKay-like saxophone flourishes - to feel utterly new. Not to mention the effort producer Steve Lillywhite must have put into the album, his first fully-credited major label production. Siouxsie was clearly the focus of the band, with her unique vocal style and lyrics, but the real star, we've always known, was John McKay, who wrote most of the album's music (as well as singles like "Hong Kong Garden"), creating a wholly new guitar sound - harsh and brittle, yet melodically intoxicating . . . best articulated by a somewhat confounded Steve Albini years later ". . . only now people are trying to copy it, and even now nobody understands how that guitar player got all that pointless noise to stick together as songs". McKay's influence lives on; many of the most influential guitarists of the past four decades credit him as a major influence - Geordie from Killing Joke, Jim Reid of The Jesus And Mary Chain, U2's The Edge, Thurston Moore, Johnny Marr and even the two guitarists - The Cure's Robert Smith and Magazine's John McGeoch - who followed him in The Banshees. McKay's burgeoning status as the anti-guitar hero was halted when he and Banshees drummer Kenny Morris - at odds with Siouxsie and bassist Steve Severin - fled the band just after the start of a tour supporting the group's second album, Join Hands. It was a weekly music paper scandal, later the subject of a BBC documentary, and Siouxsie's vitriol working its way into the lyrics of a later Banshees b-side, "Drop Dead / Celebration". Aside from a solitary single on Marc Riley's In Tape label nearly a decade later, no music was heard from McKay again. So it comes as a major surprise to learn of a pile of excellent recordings made in the years just after he left The Banshees, unheard by all but a very few, some of which feature drummer Kenny Morris, plus Mick Allen from Rema Rema, Matthew Seligman of the Soft Boys and longer-term collaborator Graham Dowdall and John's wife Linda . . . the latter three of whom now all sadly deceased. Sixes And Sevens is an historic lost album. Brazenly genius and bearing fair claim as the lost treasure of the post-punk era, the album collects eleven studio tracks, carefully mastered from original tapes. It's a masterpiece which best speaks for itself.

Alternate versions of classic Dwarves songs played live in studio 2000. Hyped frenetic tempos. Standout tracks include Follow Me, Speed Demon, Dominator & Surfing the Intercourse Barn. Originally first released in 2001 on Reptilian Records, new 2025 artwork! 16 tracks (without intro), Surfing the Intercourse Barn taken from the book "Armed To The Teeth With Lipstick" by Blag Dahlia and Marc Rude. The 2000 live in studio DWARVES were Blag Friday, Gregory Pecker, HEWHOCANNOTBENAMED, Rex Everything & The Fresh Prince Of Darkness. Reissue now with new comic sleeve art.

fabric Records has enlisted Turkish-Italian DJ and producer Carlita for the next instalment of its prestigious mix compilation series, ‘fabric presents’. Set for full release on April 11, fabric presents Carlita will showcase her meticulous curation, featuring two new original tracks.

The double vinyl sampler features eight full length tracks taken from Carlita’s mix. Her two exclusives ‘Raf’ and ‘Stop Now’ are cut to A1 and C1 respectively.
The two black vinyl plates are 140g and are packaged in black inners, inside a matt printed reverse board printed sleeve. The vinyl package accompanies the CD, digital download and streaming of fabric presents Carlita mixed compilation across all major platforms on 11th April 2025.

The announcement of Carlita’s mix arrives alongside the release of the first single, “Raf,” a collaboration with Toronto producer Andre Zimmer, out now via fabric Records. “Raf” is a high-energy fusion of classic house and rave influences, crafted with the dancefloor in mind. The track pairs infectious, soulful vocal elements with punchy synth stabs and rolling breakbeats, all anchored by a deep, groovy tech-house bassline. “Raf,” along with an additional original from Carlita, “Stop Now,” is nestled among storied house and techno juggernauts such as Butch, Alex Metric, and Paco Osuna, as well as rising underground producers Prunk, Toman, Alinka, and more.

Beyond the club and festival circuit, Carlita is a leading figure at the intersection of music and fashion. She’s been featured in British Vogue and on the cover of Vogue Italia, performed at exclusive events for Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Fendi, and curated performances featuring The Blessed Madonna and Heron Preston at her own multi-sensory Senza Fine parties. Most recently, she collaborated with Audemars Piguet to mark the release of her debut album, Sentimental.

Carlita (real name Carla Frayman) comes from a background of musical mastery, having played classical cello for the Royal Academy of Music in London in her earlier years (after learning to play piano at age 3). Since her earliest memories, Frayman has never stopped developing her musical talent, picking up more instruments, learning music theory, and after university, saving up enough money to pursue it full time. She hasn’t stopped chasing her dreams and is now playing high-profile DJ slots (check out her Cercle set at Cinecittà in Rome), and has quickly risen as a producer with her phenomenal debut album Sentimental on Ninja Tune last year, as well as remixes for Disclosure and RÜFÜS DU SOL.

Coming up, Carlita be performing at festivals and clubs in Puerto Rico, Switzerland, Germany, and many more. On April 12, celebrating her fabric presents release, Carlita will be taking over Room 2 at fabric alongside Jennifer Loveless, Tommy Gold, and Pedrose.

12" EP. Azmari is thrilled to announce the release of their fourth opus, 5-track EP 'In Oculis'. The EP is a reflection of the band's collective desire to reinvent themselves. With a more minimalistic approach, the four musicians have created an eclectic, intense, and vibrant body of work, recorded during various residencies in Belgium and abroad. The result is a fusion of genres that range from powerful grooves to cinematic jazz, from floating melodies to entrancing soundscapes.

For this new project, Azmari teamed up with a long-time collaborator, Guillaume Souffrice (alias Mosso Mosso), who had already been Azmari's guitarist in the band's early days. Souffrice's expertise as a music therapist and multi-instrumentalist, combined with his passion for cross-cultural rhythms and melodies, adds a new depth and dimension to the band's sound.

Souffrice's extensive travels have taken him from Iranian Kurdistan, where he studied the daf (a large frame drum used in Sufi ceremonies), to northern India, where he immersed himself in the modal subtleties of the shehnai (Indian oboe). His love for psychedelic guitar tones and the classic wha-wha pedal remains at the heart of his musical approach, creating a fusion of tradition and experimentation.

The EP opens with 'Night Plants Can Run,' a track that starts with a rhythmic loop on the Berimbau, a Brazilian percussion instrument traditionally used in Capoeira. The song offers a steady, groovy journey between Rio de Janeiro and Sarajevo, with a guitar theme doubled by the saxophone, all underpinned by a deep 4/4 groove. The middle part of the track introduces a lot of percussion (an Azmari signature move) that gives a sense of urgency and chase, inspired by the band's experience playing the track in the studio, imagining a pursuit through the depths of the Amazon.

Next, 'Disassembling the Matrix' takes listeners on a 9/4 march that feels both elusive and powerful. Born from a jam session where an arpeggiator loop wouldn't stop, the band decided to continue with it, highlighting the beauty of a spontaneous creation once again. 'Lizzard's Dream' is a guitar-driven trip that gradually intensifies in energy. The song surprises with a sudden groovy break - a moment that was initially the core of the track - before returning to its soft and introspective theme, closing out the A-side of the vinyl.

The fourth track, 'Eyelights,' was born from the shores of Vevey Lake in Switzerland. It reflects the result of a long period of mental observation and rhythmic exploration. Three different time signatures were used to create the song's intro, which comes together as they go along. The melody loops with a peaceful and nostalgic vibe, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. Under the direction of Frederik Segers, who produced the EP, 'Eyelights' takes on a cinematic feel, with classical upright piano sounds that are a first for Azmari.

The EP closes with "17th Tiger Print," which takes us to the banks of the Ganges. Souffrice's shehnai leads the track into a hypnotic, hallucinatory dimension, where the interplay between his instrument and the baritone saxophone creates a textured, mystical atmosphere. This track encapsulates the essence of Azmari, a sound that bridges cultures and emotions in a minimalist yet highly effective way.

'In Oculis' marks another milestone in Azmari's musical evolution, blending the band's signature style with new influences and experimentation. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to their sound, this EP promisesto take you on another ride around the world.

Gifted Yorkshire producer Sikka delivers an outstanding 6-track selection of cuts taken from his forthcoming “Junglist Code” LP on New York’s Liondub International label. Sikka’s exciting take on 90’s Jungle is unmatched in its authenticity, musicality, drum sequencing, and soulful sample selection. These are throwback Jungle gems crafted with brilliant modern production values and techniques. Dedicated to the old school, but made for the new, these tracks maintain the sound and feel of the classic Jungle music that we came to know and love, but they are tastefully updated for 2023 by one of the most powerful, versatile and under-rated producers in the UK right now.

BRVTAL has taken a new direction in its sonic journey, moving beyond its early sound to embrace the raw mystique of proper techno. This shift has already been reflected in recent digital releases, but BRV007 marks the first vinyl of this new era, a powerful compilation uniting top-tier international and Hungarian producers.

The record features the driving force of Italy's Alarico, the relentless energy of Croatia's Insolate, and the raw intensity of New Zealand's Keepsakes, who already collaborated with BRVTAL in other ways. Joining them are Spain-born techno heavyweight P.E.A.R.L., alongside Hungary's own CVRDWELL and the fierce alliance of Indirect Movement & AGA2L.

This is BRVTAL's boldest statement yet, uncompromising techno, pressed to wax

GEP are very excited to announce the release of ‘Dominion’, the longawaited new album from IQ.

Peter Nicholls: “Hot on the heels of ‘Resistance’ six years ago! Yes, it’s been
a long time coming (we couldn’t be accused of rushing these things!) but
we‘re confident this album is really strong and has been worth the wait. To
be releasing a new IQ album in our 44th year feels genuinely exciting”.

Mike Holmes: “We did actually write a lot more material for Dominion, but
this choice of songs (and the running order) feels like a cohesive album to
me. Even in this age of streaming individual songs I still approach a new
album with a ‘side one’ and ‘side two’ thing in my head and the selection and
placement of songs for Dominion just feels like a classic album should (I
know, I’m using ‘old people’ speak!).
The original intention was to have a second disc of other material but that
would have taken a lot longer to put together and we figured six years was
quite enough. It does mean that there’s already quite a bit of stuff ready for
the next one”.
With a 44-year history, IQ are widely regarded as one of the world’s most
highly respected progressive rock bands. 2025 sees the release of
‘Dominion’, IQ’s 13th studio album and one of which the band are justifiably
proud. The year will see them promoting the album by playing an
unprecedented number of live shows around the world, including UK,
Europe, Canada and the prestigious Cruise To The Edge in the USA.

 HOME?' is a heartfelt tribute to what Wretch 32 calls home, exploring the complexities, questions, and deep connections that come with it. The artwork, shot at the heart of his origins the very Tiverton estate where it all began - paints a rich tapestry of the inspiration taken from his Caribbean roots and the Windrush Scandal, encapsulating a raw slice of the Black British experience. Centering on belonging, place and identity as well as themes of love, life and loss, the album features words from his father and uncle who became community activists after the Tottenham Riots.

DESCRIPTION
Looming above Hastings on the South Coast of the UK, carved into East Hill, three black shapes are visible from a distance. Mysterious and ominous, they assume the aspect of the entrance to a church or a portal to dimensions unknown. Closer inspection however reveals them to be no more than mere follies carved and painted into the rock, as hoaxster John Coussens sought to convince visitors that an elaborate subterranean kingdom lurked within. Centuries later, this coastal town remains a place that serves as a magnet to the wyrd and the mischievous. And it’s here that the meeting of minds took place that led to 'Folly' - the second release for Rocket’s Black Hole series - an imprint focused on the unorthodox, otherworldly and esoteric. The journey that led to ‘Folly’ began in the dingy cellar of a wine bar in the town. Black Arches formed around a regular local experimental night in such environs aptly named Weird Shit, initially as a freeform musical outlet for author and musician Gareth E. Rees’ later incorporating Matt Frost from his garage rock troupe The Dirty Contacts, and frequent collaborator James Weaver, to form a vehicle for wild experimentation and psychic abandon. Given he was also a regular attendee, it was no surprise when Sexton Ming, arch maverick outsider artist and uncompromising iconoclast of over four decades standing, entered the picture. Soon after a perplexing but serendipitous chain of events took place, with demons conjured up via improvised sessions, poetic licence taken, dystopias chronicled, audio files gone awry, vocals overdubbed and laptops lost, Somehow amidst the sturm-und-drang ‘Folly’ was summoned in all its murky glory. As we embark on the second quarter of an uncertain century, just maybe this psychic travelogue is a dark prism to make sense of the chaos we confront. Whichever, it remains a spectacle as compelling as that by which Black Arches were named

'Back in 1975 Parliament found the perfect groove releasing two seminal albums in the same year. First up was “Chocolate City” that celebrated the love for Clinton and his troops in the Washington DC black community and this was followed up by “Mothership Connection” widely considered to be the perfect example of P-Funk. George Clinton led his Funkadelic/Parliament troops into the galaxy long before Star Wars came along to join in on the fun. Featuring a galactic line-up that included Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Maceo Parker, Fred Welsey, Gary Shiner, Glen Goins and even the Brecker Bothers on horns this album kicks funky butt from the opening blast of ‘P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)’ right to the very last drop of ‘Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples’. It’s a joyous album and as well as spawning the ‘Star Child’ character on the title track saw the band start to tour with a spaceship as a stage prop paid for by record label Casablanca. “Mothership Connection” went top 20 and platinum stateside. Three singles were taken from the album including an edit of ‘Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off That Sucker)’ that sold a million copies.

As time has passed and the legend of Funkadelic, Parliament, George Clinton and the entire P-Funk stable has grown new generations of fans and musicians have bought, enjoyed and sampled “Mothership Connection.” Today it is seen as a classic and essential album.'

Repress!

Excursions in Gwoka vol. 2 is another adventurous outing for the Beauty & the Beat label that takes them ever deeper into the gwoka scene of Guadeloupe. it is the celebrated carnival outfit Akiyo who are in focus here with two tracks taken from second and supremely hard-to-find long player, Mouvman, in 1993. 'Deboule' is a real heater with bustling drum funk and chatting tribal vocals all run through with synth wizardry from Marie-Galante Jacques-Marie Basses. 'Blo' is just as steamy and intern with percussion, whistles and big beats all making quite the impact. Breakplus adds a London twist to 'Deboule' while CW adds a cosmic air to 'Blo.'

Our fourth album finally gets the vinyl pressing it so richly deserves.

Originally released in 2007, Rude Mechanicals found us firing on all cylinders. The nine years since our debut had been spent touring our cutting-edge audio-visual show round the world, playing everywhere from Tokyo to Tauranga, Portland to Paris, Leeds to Las Vegas, finding fans and absorbing new sounds along the way.

We successfully combined and refined the stand-out elements of our previous releases to create an album that is alternately danceable and meditative: a genre busting excursion in sound, heaving with warm basslines and complex rhythms, topped up by haunting melodies and immersive soundscapes.

From the evocative opening South of the Line to the stepping 1000 Mile Drift, the dub is strong, as one would expect, and so is the influence of drum’n’bass on the bottom-heavy Bird Soul and the atmospheric Please Leave Quietly; trance on the pulsating Sonic Colonic (Live at Minikami) and slinky Transient Transmission (fig.2); ambient on the burbling Harmonia and softly snarling Fragile Ladders. The title track, meanwhile, finds us addressing climate change and greed, with lyrics by Auckland MC KP.

To create the double-vinyl release, Angus McNaughton re-mastered the original audio files, while Hamish Macaulay polished the source artwork by Tom Quarelle and created a brand new collage for the centrefold using pictures taken at the time.

Rude Mechanicals will be released on 11th April 2025, except in Aotearoa New Zealand, where it will be released on 12th April 2025 as part of Record Store Day.

2025 Repress

DJ Koze might be one of the world's best producers, but above all he's a DJ, and it's his DJ ear that governs. J
ust as in a great set, so with his releases: 'Seeing Aliens' came out of nowhere, a big buzzing beast of a track, to announce that Koze was back on the scene and prime everyone for the coming album, knock knock.
But now that Koze has your attention, it's time to remind everyone what's most important about club music, pull things back, take a turn to the left, and get deep into the groove.

Thus 'Pick Up': the second single from knock knock is 100% pure groove, doubly so in the extended 12' version.

In a sense it's incredibly familiar - it is essentially a filter disco record, very close to something you could imagine coming out of Paris around the turn of the millennium. But of course, this is Koze. Nothing is normal or familiar in his world, and he's taken this most foundational of clubland staples into new territory. Flipping amples of Gladys Knight & the Pips 'Neither One Of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)' and Melba Moore's 'Pick Me Up, I'll Dance', it creates something completely airborne, shot through with emotions such as gods must feel: not quite explicable to the human mind but strong enough to knock you off your feet. In its way it's absolutely as powerful as 'Seeing Aliens', but it comes in like the proverbial iron fist in a glove of velvet.
The flip, a ten-minute new track, 'The Love Truck' is a big contrast again. If 'Pick Up' is giddy flight,
'The Love Truck' is woozy floating. Its sharp, clicking percussion recalls 2000s minimal techno, but this time absolutely nothing is generic. The long, intense, on-and-off bass tones, the flickers of birdsong, the pure voices slipping in backwards as if from the future... it's all like the most blissful dream, and culminates in a coda so subtle yet so beautiful it's like ever time you've ever seen the sun rise and thought 'I never want this to end', all the while understanding deep down that the fleeting nature of the pleasure is also what give it its power. But of course, being created with that consummate DJ's ear, it's also full of the thrill of wondering what Koze has in store next.

Lunchbox's legendary lost album "Evolver" is lost no more! Sparklingly remastered for the album’s twentieth (and a few!) anniversary and available on CD, cassette and (for the first time) vinyl, this psychedelic masterpiece fills a crucial hole in the band's discography. Recorded in the couple's 1990s Oakland basement between stays in Berlin, tour dates in London, and dreamy sojourns up the rugged Mendocino coastline, "Evolver" fuses jangle and jungle, ambient and dub into a striking pop statement.

Marrying refined songcraft to the serendipitous magic hidden in half-broken reel-to-reel tape decks and vintage synthesizers, the "Evolver" plants its pop flag on the terrain of magic and mystery. Dreamy jangle pop gems emerge seamlessly out of a sea of loops, drones, and dubbed-out horn fanfares, cascades of tape echo feedback and whispers from outer space providing a trance-inducing backdrop to the pop sensibility for which Lunchbox is well-known. Hook-filled and hypnotic, "Evolver" is a sublime slice of post-pop psychedelia that you won't want to miss.

For this special and long-overdue reissue we've raided the bands vaults for three previously unreleased tunes that add extra dimensions to the album's uniquely trippy flow. And for the vinyl heads we're pressing this as a double LP for maximum fidelity and playability, including a vinyl-only fourth side of beats, loops, interludes and puzzling aural ephemera, all taken directly from the original master tapes. Super cool!

"Acid Floresta" is the result of a process of sonic recognition and translation. A term that has taken shape over the past few years to name a search that, in reality, began more than a decade ago: the intersection between foreign rhythms and the music that inhabits the streets, with its social dynamics and its irreducible vitality.



This album is born from the observation and listening of the everyday sounds that shape the sonic identity of the neighborhood: the corner store, the metro, the billiard hall, the street corner. Spaces where music is not a choice but a constant pulse of life. The percussion of the street, the echo of a distant radio, the spontaneous phrasing of a conversation—these become raw material. From there, the process moves to the studio, where bass, synthesizers, drum machines, and samplers serve as tools of translation: what begins as a documentation of reality transforms into a musical interpretation.



At this point, a tension emerges between what is learned and what is felt. For years, tropical music and vallenato were part of a sonic landscape that coexisted with external influences, generating both distance and affinity. But within that push and pull—between the familiar and the unknown—a common thread was revealed: sabor. Not as a genre, but as an essence, a vital and irreplace able force.



"Acid Floresta" is structured in three and the performative stage, where music returns to the streets, closing the cycle. It is in this final moment that its true nature emerges: in the shared vibration, in danceability, in what connects beyond geography and context.

The album proposes a dialogue between intimacy and collective experimentation, between latineo and electronic music, between the raw and the processed. A space where the music of the streets and the music of the floresta converge to create a new sonic memory.

Blues Music Award-winning, GRAMMY-nominated, Memphis-based family band plays original, modern soul and roots music that is uplifting and timeless. The first single "Found A Friend In You," was released last September and charted at Triple A radio, seeing ads at format stalwarts like WFUV/New York, . The release of the track coincided with a 9-date run on the Bob Dylan/Willie Nelson headlined Outlaw Music Festival. In addition to the excellent exposure these shows afforded Southern Avenue, Willie was knocked out by the Jackson sisters' singing and had them sing backup during his set. Not only that, Bob watched their performance from the side of the stage and consented to have his photograph taken with them. On "Family," their fourth album and first for Alligator, the band unleashes one musically memorable performance after another, all delivered with soul-healing power. From triumphant opener Long Is The Road to the emotionally resonant Found A Friend In You to the raucous Rum Boogie, the music is a vibrant blend of Memphis soul and blues, warm sister harmonies, and positive messages reminiscent of The Staple Singers. From the irresistible Upside to the fierce determination of Flying to the closing, ruminative We Are, Family unveils hard-hitting, universal truths about the unshakable power of togetherness.