Hyper-On Experience need no introduction. This is their latest "Family" EP, and it is three unbelievable tracks. As ever, these are timeless works, with an intricacy and skill that belies their simple sounding and powerful rhythms. Technically superior whilst sneakily killer, The Family Business EP is going to be loved long into the future, with tracks like "Playground Tactics" regarded as anthems to be.
This Moment' - Shakti's first new studio album in more than 45 years - is
a work of immense depth and radiant optimism
With John McLaughlin (guitar, guitar synth) and Zakir Hussain (tabla) joined by
vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan, and percussionist
Selvaganesh Vinayakram, the Shakti of now is a powerfully dynamic collective,
defined by deft interplay, dazzling unison passages, extraordinarily dexterous
improvisations, and the ability to draw from a vast well of global traditions and,
miraculously, put them in conversation with one another.
As a cornerstone of what is now called World Music, the vision and virtuosity of
Shakti has inspired generations of musicians from around the world to explore
sonic hybrids once thought impossible. Born of the musical and spiritual
brotherhood shared by the revolutionary British guitarist and bandleader John
McLaughlin and master Indian percussionist Zakir Hussain, Shakti's soulful,
organic intermingling of Eastern and Western musical traditions has proven
transformative for both the band's members and its listeners. Fifty years after the
informal conversations and jam sessions that sparked the band into existence,
their music continues to resonate and evolve.
Despite the large gap in their studio discography, Shakti has persisted
intermittently over the years as a live proposition, releasing several concert
recordings. "Shakti is very much a 'live' band, " explains McLaughlin. "A part of the
problem with making a studio recording has always been the fact that we live on
different continents, and we all follow our individual careers – in addition to
working together in Shakti. 'This Moment' is the result of me calling everyone in
the fall of 2021 and persuading them to use today's recording technology to
realise it."
Recorded and mixed in the U.S., Monaco, India, and Great Britain, This Moment is
nevertheless cohesive, bound by the deeply held bond shared by the players - a
bond that is audibly apparent across the album's eight tracks.
Multi Culti return with an expansive 8-track mini-LP showcase timed for summer solstice celebrations.
The a-side kicks off with the musically-gifted Mytron’s genre-defining title ‘Shisha House’, Italian Ayala teams up with Abrao on ‘Magia,’ Jamie Paton slices up the low-slung, serpentine ‘Sub Ritual,’ and Xanga & Zebulon deliver a literal love letter to the ‘Coca Leaf’.
B-side action begins with Ecuadorian newcomer Kunturi, whose ‘Eclosión’ portends a new wave of Nicola Cruz inspired, folkloric techno, Italian duo Future Island (Oltrefuturo teamed up with treasure island) rock an impressive slow-mo trance dub on ‘Wide Music II,’ Aiku debut out of Germany’s Harz mountains with ‘Fried Acid,’ while Argentine wizard Balam finishes the journey off with the incense and sitar laden ‘Caravana.’
While they may dabble in orientalist tropes, these are not mere Tulum-chasers out for shamanic DJ duty. This is avant-garde folk-Tronica that tows the limbo line and once again asserts cult supremacy in the great Psychonautical odyssey.
The electric eels were the first punk band, full stop. They may not have “started” the genre, but they were the first to tick all the boxes. The eels rejected every 1970s rock convention—professionalism, virtuosity, subject matter, image. Dave E.’s caustic vocals, complete with an aggressive lisp and a head full of snot, would become de rigeur a few years after the group disbanded. Meanwhile, the songs’ focus on car crashes, suicide, neuroses, and generally hating people were as far out of the mainstream as possible. The two eels tracks that do approach the subject of romance couch it in terms of not really caring that much about it (“Jaguar Ride”) or placing it in the context of a grisly murder (“Silver Daggers”). Also consider John Morton’s signature guitar sound, a nails-on-chalkboard tone with brutally free soloing inspired more by Albert Ayler than the blues or aspirations to technical facility. Ditto Dave E.’s clarinet playing and affection for lawnmowers and vacuums during live performance. They were notoriously violent not only among themselves, but towards audiences, police, and anyone unfortunate enough to be around them when things went south. Then of course there are the leather jackets, the clothing festooned with rat traps or safety pins. And no bass player, why bother. There is simply no other “proto” band to have had all these pieces in place circa 1973- 1975. Yet it is a mistake to consider the eels exclusively in such a context. Yes, the eels could and did shock anyone who encountered them, but they also had great songs. While both Dave and John were visionary writers, they also had rhythm guitarist Brian McMahon, a melody and riff machine who wrote many of the band’s signature songs. And they were no one-trick pony. Although much of the band’s material is appropriately high-energy, there is also the downer eels—morbid, harmonically risky, and in full existential crisis. Although it’s not a focus of this compilation, the eels also had a penchant for completely free improvisation. Over the last forty plus years, there have been several electric eels compilations. Spin Age Blasters is quite simply the best one ever assembled, every single key track is here in its best version, properly mastered by John Golden, and sequenced with an eye towards both flow between tracks as well as individation between sides. A true monster of an album.
In 1990, a friend was thinking about acquiring a synthesiser...
Synthesisers... mysterious keyboard instruments with lots of knobs that made strange sounds. Something we’ve always known about but never really had an opportunity to experience up close. Most of the music we grew up listening to and loved featured synths.
So we trawled through the Trading Post and found an old Roland JX-8P going cheap. I had a car, my friend had the cash - now we had a synth! We wanted to make electronic music, but something was missing...
Shortly after, a drum machine was acquired. Like the synth, we had no clue about them but very soon a Roland TR-707 was acquired. Pooling our remaining funds, we purchased a 4-track tape recorder and began to learn how to use these instruments to compose music.
Fast forward to 1991, SWLABR was born. I'd fallen down the techno rabbit hole and amassed several more electronic devices... synths, samplers, sequencers and began composing tunes with a techno flavour in my bedroom studio - some of which feature on this EP in all their original glory, tape hiss included!
Salute to the Sun: Live at Halleì St Peter's documents a very special concert recorded at the iconic Manchester venue during lockdown.
Released in November 2020, Matthew's Halsall's Salute to the Sun was the trumpeter's first album since 2015's Into Forever, and marked the debut of his new band. A hand-picked ensemble featuring some of Manchester's finest young musicians. The album drew it's energy from the band's weekly sessions and was inspired by Halsall's love of nature. Lush and spiritual it received universal praise, but Halsall and his band were frustrated that they were unable to share their beautiful new sound live with an audience.
On November 25th 2020, Halsall took his band into the iconic Manchester venue, Hallé St Peter's, for a concert recording in aid of the charity Mind, that was streamed on January 21st 2021 to a global audience in the thousands. The concert was also recorded for posterity.
"When we recorded Salute to the Sun, I wanted to create something playful but also quite earthy and organic that connected to the sounds in nature. It seemed to strike a chord with people and I was blown away by the response to the album. Our concert film, recorded at the height of last winter's lockdown was a special moment for us all and I feel that the concert recording captured something beautiful that we wanted to share".
Salute to the Sun: Live at Halleì St Peter's features Matthew Halsall– trumpet, Matt Cliffe- flute & saxophone, Maddie Herbert– harp, Gavin Barras– bass, Liviu Gheorghe– piano, Alan Taylor– drums and Jack McCarthy- percussion
The recording has been mixed by Matthew Halsall and George Atkins at 80 Hertz and is mastered by Peter Beckmann at Technology Works. The vinyl was cut at Calyx in Berlin and the album is pressed at Optimal in Germany. It is presented in the form of a limited edition 2LP set with artwork by legendary designer Ian Anderson of The Designers Republic.
Spread over three sides of the vinyl LP for maximum fidelity the fourth side of the LP (side D) features an etching of Daniel Halsall's now iconic artwork for the album Salute to the Sun and copies are strictly limited with just 3000 available in total. The album will also be available for download and on streaming platforms.
Detroit's John Beltran can do no wrong if you ask us, and what he does do is always famously varied, from sound design for TV to melodic techno excellence via ambient beauty. Here for MotorCity Wine he revisits his Back To Bahia series with a third volume that finds him flexing his Afro-Brazilian deep house chops. The 7" opens up with the jazzy boogie of Lsaura' which is steeped in Minneapolis funk and will get cultured dancefloors in a spin. 'As The Sunsets' that appears on the flip and is a superbly emotive sound with wispy late night melodies and glowing harmonies and shuffling Latin grooves. Essential.
Repress!
‘Shapes,’ the third album from London-based multi-instrumentalist, Robohands, fuses elements of jazz, krautrock, hip hop and ambient music. For fans of Khruangbin, Yusef Dayes, CAN, Coltrane and 70s library music moods.
Shapes is the solo project of London based composer, instrumentalist and producer Andy Baxter. His debut LP Green was released on Village Live Records in 2018 and was received with much love and acclaim in the UK Jazz, hip hop and surrounding scenes.
His follow up full-length, 'Dusk’, dropped in 2019, combining soul, funk, Latin & experimental moods. It featured vocalists & musicians from around the world including legendary New York French horn player, John Clark, who has worked with Isaac Hayes, Gil Evans Orchestra, McCoy Tyner, Jaco Pastorius, Ornette Coleman and many more greats.
'Shapes' is inspired by 1970s library music and their legendary composers including Piero Umiliani, David Axelrod, Brian Bennett and co. The album builds on these influences and incorporates modern motifs, contemporary jazz/hip hop drumming styles with a nod to 1990s Mo Wax artists such as DJ Shadow. The theme for the record is future/nostalgia, mixing vintage & modern instruments and production techniques.
Much of ‘Shapes’ was recorded with JB Pilon at Buffalo Studios in Limehouse, London. Due to the COVID restrictions that changed everything in 2020, the remaining parts were recorded in Andy’s flat using a collection of old mixing desk preamps and instruments.
For the heads – ‘Shapes’ features an array of vintage snares, including a 1960's Ludwig Pioneer and a mono, overhead ribbon mic on the drum kit provided extra old school points! The kick drum was re-amped through a huge vintage bass amplifier on a couple of tracks to give it some real character: “My favourite guitar sound achieved on this LP project is a Sontronics Sigma ribbon microphone in front of a WEM Dominator amp, which you can hear on the track 'Odysea'. The bass sound for all the tracks is a 1973 Fender Precision into an old Altec valve preamp, the one used on most Motown recordings."
Black Duck captures a band already deeply in tune with one another. The three-piece super-group consists of Douglas McCombs, Charles Rumback, and Bill MacKay each has a distinct musical voice that is instantly recognizable, yet blends seamlessly with one another-their time performing together, playing to the moment and reading each other and the spaces they"re in formed a fluency between the trio which allows them to follow each other down winding paths and short tangents alike. McCombs is a founding member of Tortoise, Pullman, and Brokeback and the long-standing bassist for Eleventh Dream Day, an artist whose contribution to the music world can not be overstated. MacKay began releasing records in the early 2000s. He has released several acclaimed solo albums with Drag City as well as a duo album each with Nathan Bowles (Banjo, Black Twig Pickers), and Katinka Kleijn (Cello, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO)), and two beloved records with Ryley Walker. Rumback burst onto the fertile Chicago improvised music scene in the early 2000"s. His fluid technique and expressive playing garnered him much attention. In addition to his solo releases, Rumback has recorded with Ryley Walker, jazz greats such as Jim Baker, James Singleton, and Greg Ward. Black Duck"s debut is a testament to that fluency, an expedition led by three veterans into alluring worlds bathed in myriad splendors. Black Duck is a gallery of sonic tapestries, unbound by any genre constraints. Black Duck redefines what two guitarists and a drummer can do, pieces move from breezy shuffles to stormy blues rumbles to gorgeous textural drones. Playing entirely improvised live sets for years helped develop the trio"s acute senses for one another, knowing precisely how to listen to the others and bolster whatever direction they move in. In the short time the trio have played together, they have performed at Big Ears Festival and alongside acts like Yo La Tengo.
In the digital age, words are no longer just symbols of communication, but a powerful tool that gives rise to meaningful interconnections between different universes.
Words have the power to transcend time and space, connecting two souls destined to meet.
Il Significato delle Parole (the meaning of words) is Adiel's new effort on her DanzaTribale, a crossover of two minds, generated together with musician Flavio Accorinti: techno sounds like the restless soul that pervades our days, deconstructed atmospheres like shattered generational dreams. The fusion of two cosmic currents, two ways of thinking and creating, characterized by an immanent power, pushing us to imagine new urban primitivism. Two creative processes, transcending individual boundaries to connect into a single overarching vision, to explore new forms of art and storytelling.
The EP, mixed by Donato Dozzy and mastered at Rome's Enisslab Studio by Giuseppe Tillieci, starts with Nulla Resta, a defragmented, dreamlike, ascending climax markedly cyberpunk: dense with references to 90s Progressive Dream, Nulla Resta, with its dulcet melodies, transports us to an artificial reality, a spiritual reality albeit dominated by technology. A reality suspended between fantasy and materialism.
Suspended, like the second track (Sospesa): dark trip-hop's echoes adorned by the voice of Jordie Devlin Mcmorrow. "Shadows on the walls orchestrate our downfall." Dystopian futures intertwine with mysteriously dreamy pasts in a fatal spiral of redemption.
But words remain the catalysing element of this EP.
Parole(words) represents a communicative rare faction that embraces tribes near and far. Black drums echo in the distance in an intimate ballad, in an epic ride, in an ethereal metaphysical journey to the dissolution of the boundary between time and space, between memory and perception.
Notturna, on the other hand, is the epilogue we all deserve; a solemn twilight, a lysergic, dragging escape from the objectivity of the real world.
The images of life do not simply exist in a vacuum. They are defined by the energy that surrounds them, and it is the explanation behind each of these words that we must find if weare to truly understand them. Thanks to the meaning of words, sooner or later, we will be all united again.
Wiederveröffentlichung des Umse Albums aus dem Jahr 2008 als Vinyl! Das 2008er Konzeptalbum des Ratinger MCs ist durchweg an eine Tageszeitung angelehnt. Seinem eigenständigen und ebenso intelligenten wie humorvollen Stil ist Umse hier durchgängig treu geblieben - nicht zuletzt dadurch konnte er sich stets deutlich vom aktuellen Hip Hop-Geschehen in Deutschland abheben. Chefredakteur Umse nähert sich auf diesem 12 Song-starken Konzeptalbum sämtlichen Themen von "Politik" und "Wirtschaft" über "Kontaktanzeigen" hin zum "TV Programm", dem "Wetter" oder den "Todesanzeigen" mit einem Augenzwinkern: Als Aufhänger dienen all seine persönlichen Erlebnisse zwischen bundesweiten Liveauftritten bis hin zum Fernsehabend auf der Couch. Umses technisch versierter, leidenschaftlich kreativer und perfektionistischer Schreibstil lädt den Hörer hierbei zur akustischen Langzeitlektüre ein. Die Beats auf "Rheinisches Blatt" stammen von Deckah, Firstar, Tesk und DJ Radrum. Besonders die Verwendung zahlreicher Vokal-Schnitte aus der ersten Golden Ära Hip Hops deutscher Machart, machen "Rheinisches Blatt" zu einem Hip Hop-Album klassischer Prägung, mit welchem die Fans der ersten Stunde definitiv ihre Freude haben werden.
Breakbeat Paradise Recordings has teamed up with hip-hop legend Paul Sitter who has gather some of dopest MCs on the planet to feature on the epic LP: Hip-Hip Delivery.
The LP is a celebration to the oldskool hiphop vibes that started it all by cutting and scratching up the classic funk record, twisted in a brand-new way with MCs from around the world dropping fire on the mic.
Starting out with the intoxicating Global Chremistry with Craig G and some big funky grooves. Moving on to the Go Move featuring the awesome Andy Cooper on a smooth boom bap joint. The classic Wild Thing gets a oldskool hiphop twist with some big rhymes by Birdapres and cuts by DJ Robert Smith. The breaks are about to get serious as Chromedrops some high paced rhymes on the Who's Nice Kid track. Finally the A-Side finishes up paying some respect to some of the classics beat and breaks from the early hip days on the King Of Rock jam.
The flip side kicks off with more groovy, soulful hip hop featuring Andy Cooper on the catchy Chasing the Funk. Paul Sitter breaks is down nice on another slick hip hop anthem B-Boy Impressions before letting Dr Syntax take it over on the mic on the It's On Like That jam.
The last 3 joints on the album lets Paul Sitter get busy on some funky hip-hop creations showcasing his classic breakbeats and heavy sample techniques.
Breakbeat Paradise Recordings' first full album release since 2019 to drop on 12" vinyl but with an instant classic release like this we felt there was no other way to do it.
**Debut album from former 'Eighties Matchbox B Line Disaster' front man Guy McKnight's new band.** **ORANGE MARBLE COLOURED VINYL - VERY LIMITED!!** The DSM IV’s debut album, “NEW AGE PARANOIA,” is an impressive collection of stories, beats, guitars, and noise. The album seamlessly weaves together sobering but dream-filled songs that explore the ways in which our collective minds are influenced by mass media, entertainment industries, and social media. Formed by Guy McKnight of critically acclaimed and cult favourite The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster. The DSM IV has a dark sound that blends noise-rock, synth-pop and industrial, that delivers a unique musical experience. Their music is cacophonous and epic, featuring rich textures and melodic hooks that keep listeners captivated. The band’s powerful soundscapes, combined with their thought-provoking lyrics, create a mesmerizing atmosphere that both entertains and encourages introspection. The album prompts important questions about our society, such as what’s driving the normalization of a narcissistic culture that prioritizes personal desires over altruism. It delves into the ways in which technology, social media, and mass media shape our collective psyche and affect our relationships with ourselves and each other. The DSM IV’s music offers a timely and compelling commentary on these issues. The DSM IV is a band that creates music with a powerful message that resonates with people who feel that a kinder world is possible. Their songs are both nasty and nice, reflective and entertaining. With “NEW AGE PARANOIA,” The DSM IV has crafted an album that will captivate and inspire listeners, while also prompting deeper reflection on our society’s values and priorities.
Factory Benelux presents the very first vinyl edition of the only soundtrack album recorded by The Durutti Column, the Factory Records ensemble fronted by lauded guitarist and composer Vini Reilly. A limited edition of 1000 copies on 180gm black vinyl have been pressed for Record Store Day 2023. (NonReturnable) Treatise on the Steppenwolf is a soundtrack to the performance piece of the same name by experimental theatre group 12 Stars, written and directed by Gerard McInulty (of fellow Factory band The Wake), first staged in Glasgow in May 2003. Freely adapted from the celebrated counter-culture novel by Hermann Hesse, the performance is a portrait a divided character in an ongoing state of conflict.
‘Steppenwolf was something I’d read recently and when we approached Durutti Column with the idea it turned out they were interested too,’ explained McInulty. ‘People have described their music as ambient, although that’s a description they don’t care much for. It’s certainly atmospheric and there’s something about their sunny-sounding guitar that seemed appropriate to a book that, although published in 1927, didn’t become popular in America until the 1960s.’
This expanded vinyl edition combines the studio recordings of the 12 pieces performed live by The Durutti Column during the Glasgow run, along with 3 long and previously unreleased tracks from the Human Avatars art installation at Manchester MOSI in 2005.
Newly mastered for vinyl by Peter Beckman at TechnologyWorks, this limited Record Store Day edition also features new gatefold artwork by Howard Wakefield.
Autokinetic’s techno roots reach back to 1993 when Mike McClure and John Golden formed Auto K in Minneapolis, forming the vibrant MPLS rave scene alongside Freddy Fresh, Woody McBride, and DVS1. Auto K then changed their name to Auto Kinetic, and now Mike McClure is ripping hypnotic modular techno in hyperspace solo as Autokinetic. These tracks have been secret weapons in DVS1 sets for the past couple years.
“great stuff as always” - Decoder
“Very cool” - Justin Cudmore
“It bangs!” - CMD
“Really good” - 2Lanes
“Great release!” - PlayPlay
“Sounds great!!” - Golden Medusa
“Big blend potential with these trax!” - Escaflowne
The A side consists of “Sidewinder” and the cheekily titled “Didgeradont”. Both of these are bonafide heady techno hits. I mean, the production on these…higher consciousness inducing dancefloor rolling mania. For the old ears and fresh feet alike.
The B side opens up with “File003”, which has a robotic restraint and up-beat bassline to keep you locked in for the never ending tunnel ride of a track. “Wakeword” ends the EP with a proper, slightly acidic challenger to meet all late night crowds with taste. But no chin scratching here. This is techno at its tastiest. Mike is a pro who knows how to kick and punch with full peak euphoric power. He’s been in the game for three decades at this point, and is still pushing his craft and himself to new heights.
300 copies pressed worldwide. Not to be missed out on.
Produced and performed by Mike McClure in MPLS, MN USA
Mastered by Dietrich Schoenemann.
Design by Nick Owen.
Distributed by One Eye Witness.
Clear Vinyl
* Eomac has injected a new level of consciousness into beat making by recording water drips and drops. This edge of real life and water frequencies feels like opening a door in your mind and taking a rhythmic sound shower, finding tiny minimal melodies within the water itself.
*Distorting reality, in the most beautifully crafted and playful manner, Eomac’s Water Tracks are made with natural sounds of water and they not only make your body want to dance, they are a joy for the minds ear; sound design full of life and character, refreshing for the soul too. If hyper-real Techno was a genre - perhaps Eomac has invented it here - the idea to use micro melodies found in drips, drops and sploshes of water feels clever and inventive, Swimming up-stream against the standardized sound of Techno’s machine-made Electronic presets.
* Eomac is a project from Irish composer and producer Ian McDonnell, releasing genre-spanning electronic music via Planet Mu, The Trilogy Tapes, Bedouin Records, Killekill, Phantom Limb, Emika Records and more. Eomac’s sound draws from obscure samples and raw sound design in a continuing exploration of the furthest reaches of intense, visceral music for body and soul. He digs deep into light and dark mysticism for the dancefloor, as experienced in numerous performances at festivals and clubs across the globe.
Distorting reality, in the most beautifully crafted and playful manner, Eomac’s Water Tracks are made with natural sounds of water and they not only make your body want to dance, they are a joy for the minds ear; sound design full of life and character, refreshing for the soul too. If hyper-real Techno was a genre - perhaps Eomac has invented it here - the idea to use micro melodies found in drips, drops and sploshes of water feels clever and inventive, Swimming up-stream against the standardized sound of Techno’s machine-made Electronic presets.
Wiederveröffentlichung des 2018er Albums!
Umse ist ein Kind des Ruhrpotts – und ewig Reisender. Ein Malocher-MC mit langem Atem, der sich endlich auszahlt. Der Top-20-Künstler chartete mit seinen letzten beiden Alben „Kunst für sich“ (#36) und „Haiwanischer Schnee“ (#16), die über die Indie-Institution Jakarta Records erschienen. Für sein neues Album nahm er sich zwei Jahre Zeit, musste Tiefschläge überwinden, um „Durch die Wolkendecke“ gehen zu können. Heute präsentiert er mit „Bescheid“ das erste Video zu seinem neuen Album, das am 28. September erscheint.
In zwei Jahren hat sich einiges angestaut: an Texten und Erfahrungen. So veröffentlichte Umse erst im Mai die 6-Track starke „Flammenwerfer“-EP und nun bereits Ende September ein neues Album. Der Ruhrpott-Rapper, der in einer Tugend-Tradition mit den lokalen Legenden RAGund Too Strong steht und doch nach State of the Art klingt, tourte jahrelang durchs Land und erspielte sich von Konstanz bis Kiel einen exzellenten Ruf als Live-MC.
Über die Jahre hat sich Umse eine loyale Fanbase aufgebaut, die ihn für seine Bodenständigkeit schätzt. Er verkörpert die Werte der alten Schule, vereint Technik und Tiefgang und befriedet mit seinem Neo-Boombap-Entwurf die Rap-Generationen. „Durch Die Wolkendecke“ setzt diesen Weg konsequent fort und zeigt dabei neue Impulse und Perspektiven auf. Der Titel deutet bereits an, dass es düsterer und nachdenklicher zugeht; er steht aber auch sinnbildlich für: „Sky is the limit“.
Dieses Limit ist für den Grown-Man-Rapper noch lange nicht erreicht: Er ist weder hängengebliebener Oldschooler noch gesichtstätowierter Mumble-Rapper, und doch fruchtet sein Scheuklappen-freier, samplelastiger Trademark-Sound im Hier und Jetzt. Mal erinnern die Sing-Sang-Hooks an den frühen 50 Cent, mal an die Crowd-Control-Choruse der Dilated Peoples.
Das Regionale und das Reisen sind zwei Konstanten und Extreme, die sich durch die Karriere von Umse zu ziehen scheinen. Nachdem er sich mit Hofproduzent Deckah für die Produktion von „Hawaianischer Schnee“ in einem Landhaus in der niederländischen Provinz einmietete, flogen sie für „Durch Die Wolkendecke“ bis nach Colorado und Teneriffa. Der Track „Wenn Die Ferne Ruft“ thematisiert dieses Fernweh, das für Umbeck so inspirierend wirkt, mit markanten Lines: „Man tut es wieder, wenn man merkt, das Reisen Wunder bewirkt.“
Der Opener „Bescheid“ ist nur vordergründig ein Representer und offenbart bei genauerem Hinhören reife Reflexionen eines Mittdreißigers. Auf „Mach Das Kleine Groß“ zeigt Umse dialektisches Talent, schließt von dem Großen auf das Kleine, vom Lokalen aufs Globale, von sich als Individuum auf die Gesellschaft und Szene. Das rührende Outro „Jederzeit“ klingt wie eine Art Testament, mit der sich Umse endgültig in den Real-Rap-Analen als eine der wichtigsten Stimmen seiner Generation verewigt.
Umse sagte einmal sinngemäß über die Langlebigkeit von Alben: „Es interessiert keine Sau, wie lange du daran gearbeitet hast, es zählt, wie lange sie rotiert.“ Und eine lange Haltwertszeit hat dieses zeitlose, detailverliebte Werk ganz sicherlich.
A precedent of sorts to, erm, Armand van Helden vs Fatboy Slim’s 1999 bout, ‘The Heavyweight Sound Fight’ takes pride of place among iDEAL’s hall of oddities with one of the zaniest recordings by three international leaders of the avant-garde. Double LP with an LP-sized 12-page booklet designed by Sean McCann of Recital.
Adapting all the pomp and ceremony of a boxing match to ludicrous ends - including a flier depicting each artist with their dukes up - they produced what sounds like a great night out for NYC’s experimental cognoscenti with Charlie Morrow (USA) vs Carles santos (Spain) each backed by a band - Soho Baroque Opera Company with the assistance of the New Wilderness Foundation - while Sweden’s Sten Hanson acts as referee, and Armand Schwerner takes the role of announcer in thick, nasal New York brogue. It’s brilliantly daft and subversive but accomplished in a witty way that maybe escapes too many solemnly po-faced avant-garde conceptualists nowadays, and remains a strange outlier in the history of NYC avant garde and beyond.
“Operating as an aural window into an happening that occurred more than 40 years ago, “The Heavyweight Sound Fight” unveils a different context of experimental music than is not often encountered today. Running across the album’s four sides, within all the seriousness of art and technique, is the unmistakable presence of humor, play, and the absurd. The audience can’t help but laugh and cheer as the announcer - effecting a deep New York accent and nodding toward notable attendees like Allison Knowles, Dick Higgins, and Jackson Mac Low - takes an active role in the fight, each artist delivering an array of vocalizations - from extended technique utterances to rants - against the next, with the bands weighing in and engaging in their own battles, ranging from big band dirges and marches, to outright experimental electronic madness. It’s a trully raucous affair that brings that radicalism carried by its sounds into entirely new zones.
According to Marrow, he was deemed “winner” in an “off-script” move by the judges, and Santos never spoke to him again, continuing the wild and wonderful mystery and humor of the performance into the present day. Who knows what Santos, who sadly passed away in 2017, would say.”
Ltd coloured 2LP edition, w/ etching on side D! "I'm obsessed with late 90's Meshug- gah, early Dillinger Escape Plan, and early Cult of Luna," explains guitarist Pierre Carroz deftly about the influences behind the sound of his brainchild. Combining the sonic agility of the American math-core pioneers with the relentless ferocity of the Swedish progressive metal innovators, Herod produce a brand of heavy music that is truly face melting. Having played with le- gendary metal acts like Obituary, Napalm Death and Carcass, Herod are no strangers to the international metal scene, and it shows in the calibre of their music. Their upcom- ing third album The Iconoclast puts the full power of their artistry on display, redefining musical heaviness and atmosphere at every turn imaginable. Iconoclast sees the Swiss quintet paint with a consistent palette of groovy syncopated riff- ing, heavy breakdowns, and a diversity of vocal techniques and deliveries. Using similar col- ours and textures to create many different pictures, it's an approach that feels almost experi- mental. Like great abstract painters like Kazimir Malevich or Jackson Pollock, Herod continue to develop their technique and method throughout their oeuvre. Iconoclast is a creation of pure magnificence, combining an undeniable artistic mindset with the best of what modern metal has to offer. «The Edifice» features the incredible Matt McGachy from Canadian technical death metal legends Cryptopsy while the album closer sees the band collaborate with long-time friend Loi"c Rosetti: «The Prophecy» poses him against a most ferocious backdrop, capturing two amazing vocalists of the past and present Ocean Col- lective teaming up and facing off, since Herod's vocalist Mike Pilat was the main vocalist on The Ocean's «Precambrian» album (2007). FOR FANS OF Meshuggah, Gojira, Cult of Luna, LLNN, Vildjharta, Primitive Man, Uneven Structure
Mint Condition would like to dedicate this release to the life of Nathan Coles, who sadly passed away on February 12th 2023. A true tech-house originator and underground party starter, his productions laid down a blueprint for the tech-house sound that has become a global phenomena today. A much lauded DJ & producer, he graced the decks of the best clubs globally. As well as his solo productions, Nathan had multiple collaborative projects, Housey Doingz, Mashupheadz, Two Right Wrongans, Get F@cked, to name but a few, that saw him tackle tech-house, deep house, breaks and electro with such skillful aplomb.
The now highly sought after original appeared on Wiggle in 2000, and for this release Nathan teams up with his longtime Wiggle partner, and legend of the scene, Terry Francis for 2 fierce tech-house jams under their 'Delinquents' alias. A-Side 'Disc' opens with heavy kicks and speaker rattling percussion.The hypnotic 303-line builds, layered synths add to the tension, then comes the drop where infectious chord stabs enter the fray. B-Side - 'Funktional' takes a more stripped back approach, the bass line and percussion delivers a groove capable of destroying any discerning dancefloor. Darker acid and synths riffs build around the melody to deliver a bass heavy roller of the highest order that sounds as fresh, exciting & relevant today as it did over 2 decades ago.
This slab of wax is an essential and key release in the evolution of the UK underground that we hope celebrates Nathan's dedication, musical vision and positive energy. His unique talent leaves behind a legacy that populates legendary labels such as Wiggle, Surreal, The End, Eukahouse, Swag, Eye 4 Sound, 10 Kilo and Plastic City. 'Discfunktional' has been legitimately re-released with the full involvement of Terry Francis and Nathan Coles, lovingly remastered by London's Curve Pusher from the original sources especially for Mint Condition. 100% legit, licensed and released. Dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your favourite reissue label - Mint Condition!
