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Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision is the latest in-depth project from Experience Hendrix, encompassing 5 LP / 1 Blu-Ray of previously unreleased music Jimi Hendrix recorded at his newly created recording facility in 1970. The deluxe box set offers 39 tracks (38 previously unreleased) that were recorded by the new-look Experience (Billy Cox on bass, Mitch Mitchell on drums) at Electric Lady Studios between June and August of 1970, just before the legendary musician’s untimely death the following month.

The project also includes 20 newly created 5.1 surround sound mixes of the entire First Rays Of The New Rising Sun album plus three bonus tracks “Valleys Of Neptune,” “Pali Gap,” and “Lover Man”. The Blu-ray includes the critically acclaimed, full-length documentary Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision. The film chronicles the creation of the studio, rising from the rubble of a bankrupt Manhattan nightclub to state-of-the-art recording facility inspired by Hendrix’s desire for a permanent studio. Directed by John McDermott and Produced by Janie Hendrix, George Scott and McDermott, the film features exclusive interviews with Steve Winwood who joined Hendrix on the first night of recording at the new studio, Experience bassist Billy Cox, and original Electric Lady staff members who helped Hendrix realize his dream. The documentary includes never-before-seen footage and photos as well as track breakdowns of Hendrix classics such as “Freedom,” “Angel” and “Dolly Dagger” by recording engineer Eddie Kramer. The 5LP’s were pressed on audiophile grade vinyl by Quality Record Pressings and the box set includes an extensive booklet filled with unpublished photos, Hendrix’s handwritten song drafts, and comprehensive liner notes.

After a handful of EPs and a Long Player, Athens CHAIN CULT are back, and bring more post-punk angst. Their 2nd album continues the ideas of their previous releases, but in a much more thoughtful and crafted manner. Indeed, the production has stepped up and the result is an album that surpasses any of their previous work. A precise rhythm section overlaid by a dreamy soundscape of cleverly interwoven guitar work frames catchy anthems which depict an inner anguish or the collateral damage we all suffer from our capitalist hellscape, or both. Imagine listening to THE CHAMELEONS or THE SOUND but you wished for a harder edge, more direct, more straight, and a more punk take on things. Then Harm Reduction is what you need. Both singles of the album come accompanied by videos to be hosted at LVEUM YouTube Channel. An album to be listened to over and over; an apt accompaniment to watching the world burn

After dipping into the archive to deliver a series of essential reissues, Bureau B continue to encourage the chaotic brilliance of Faust with an LP of brand new music curated by originator Zappi Diermaier and a band of musical friends, including fellow founder Gunther Wüsthoff. Over the years Faust has become many things, each as separate as the fingers, but as together as the hand which makes up their eponymous fist. From 1971 to 1974 the Hamburg band blazed a bold sonic trail, helping to create the distinct and delirious strand of German music we"ve come to know as Krautrock. Uncompromising, innovative and experimental, their releases in that period, and the stories accompanying their creation, are nothing short of legendary, and the fact that after a hiatus, the band returned and remained active in a variety of separate and simultaneous incarnations is entirely fitting for these musical revolutionaries. On Blickwinkel, Diermaier"s incarnation embrace synchronicity and chance in order to capture the moment in a six track snapshot of industrial churn, unsettling ambience and psychedelic motorik.

Maelstrom returns to Central Processing Unit for the fourth time, and it's the one born Joan-Mael Péneau's lengthiest drop on the Sheffield label yet. The French artist has been a mainstay in the European electro game since the 2000s, and Malestrom brings that experience to bear on new LP The FM Tapes. He goes about this album with the assurance of a seasoned pro, combining his mastery of electro production techniques with a trademark guile to craft an expertly-paced eleven-track affair.

The first section of The FM Tapes sets out the album's stall with style and aplomb - listeners are in store for a rich feast of off-kilter machine-funk which will feature no shortage of intriguing detours. On opener 'Ondes Courtes' the mix throbs with all manner of strange electronic gristle: a distorted bass hum rattles the monitors; wisps of distortion float across the mix; eerily pretty keys wax and wane before giving way to a radar pulse.

'Ondes Courtes' is an ominous slouch of a scene-setter, and it lines things up perfectly for following cut 'Alt50ser' to lock in. This track's churning, gurgling mid-tempo rattle brings to mind the wacky insistence of Modeselektor. Maelstrom repeats the slow-fast one-two again directly afterwards - 'La Vie Sociale Des', a strange nugget that sounds like an early Eski instrumental stripped for parts and blasted into the cosmos, is an ideal prelude to the twitchy space-funk of 'My Digitone'.

Maelstrom's staying power in the electro world comes, in no small part, from his ability to apply his delightfully idiosyncratic choices to some of the genre's staple production tropes. On The FM Tapes, he marks himself out once more as a pleasingly unorthodox talent by taking tracks in unexpected directions to produce surprising - and often rather moving - results.

There are multiple cuts here which channel the more cerebral end of Richard D. James' AFX/Analord output: 'My Digitone' may be a quicksilver techno-electro number, but there's still something cinematic about the synth treatment here which softens the edges; 'Suede's minor-key oscillations bring other CPU veterans like Cygnus and Bochum Welt into view; 'Res 06', one of two Fasme collaborations on the record, is full of pathos even as the beat programming bangs and whirrs throughout.

While there's a deep emotional undercurrent to The FM Tapes, though, Maelstrom's commitment to bringing the thrills surfaces time and again. If 'Res 06' had Maelstrom and Fasme getting wistful, the album's other Fasme link-up 'Trempo' is one of the hardest club joints here, a piece of old-school Detroit energy replete with some great cascading drum production. Indeed, 'Trempo' comes in the middle of a run towards the album's end where Maelstrom takes the handbrake off - there's a wild-eyed sense of fun to 'The Operator' and 'Upside Down DX7' which has one thinking of the zany cut-and-thrust of KiNK's best work.

Maelstrom's latest drop for Sheffield's Central Processing Unit label is an album of leftfield electro numbers that bring both pounding beats and poignant production.

RIYL: KiNK, Modeselektor, Cygnus, Bochum Welt, AFX

As many artists before them (Gainsbourg, Snoop Dogg, Lavilliers, Sinead O'Connor…), DA BREAK embarques us to revisit their best tracks “Inna Reggae Vibe”, and invites us listeners to rediscover their repertoire with a more than ever “Roots” sound. An enchanted break that will seduce the early fans as well as reggae connoisseurs; A suspended moment with a band on their new musical quest, assuming a different side of their DNA.

The idea of an “old school reggae auto remix” had bloomed for quite a long time, with the will to dive into the 60s & 70s sound esthetics and to pay tribute to this reggae culture - this unique cultural temple they love and respect so much.
DA BREAK concerts are always rich and intense musical moments, thanks to a crew of solid musicians, so the choice to record LIVE, all in the same room, was quite obvious; with “vintage” instruments and microphones, to enjoy this warm and authentic sonic texture. The result is a “Roots & Rock Steady” album without electronics, leaning towards sweaty and rough Jazz, tropical Soul or even Gospel with sand between the toes… definitely Reggae!
DA BREAK remains DA BREAK, with its inner light, this time looking towards the Caribbean musical culture.

Given the historical influence of Jamaican Sound Systems on the American Block Parties, it seemed logical for DA BREAK to pay tribute to the artists that influenced them since day one, and still do today: Bob Marley & the Wailers, Jimmy Cliff. Culture, Toots & the Maytals, Burning Spears, The Gladiators, YellowMan, Israel Vibrations, LKJ & Mad Professor, UB40, Shaka Demus, Peter Tosh... Just to name a few.

Puddu (Al Dente/Schema Records) with a solo release discography of 16 albums, among which stand out the three original volumes of the red-light soundtracks of Danish films ” The Golden Age Of Danish pornography", and also known for his collaborations with Edda Dell'Orso (Maestro Ennio Morricone's legendary vocalist,) Joe Bataan, Lonnie Jordan of L.A funk band War, and Gene Robinson Jr of Breakwater.

Alex Puddu will follow the previews singles Texas Blonde and Pullover Grigio releasing after the summer, for the first time a brand new album in Italian language, called ”Deliria” proposing a new sound that drags us into the Italian funk music of the late seventies and early 80s, and the new music from the italian indie pop and new disco scene, within names like, Nu Genea, Pellegrino. Viscardi & Il Duo Magnetico, Frah Quintale, Marco Castello and up to the electronic sounds, between adult oriented soul and disco that are part of the unmistakable style of Alex Puddu's writing and production.

For almost 10 years and with 3 albums on the clock, Voilaaa has established itself with a unique style, reviving African rhythms and atmospheres in the colors of Disco dancefloors and Funky arrangements, all often accompanied by lyrics and vocals tinged with humor and commitment.

As a result, the Afro-Tropical adventure launched by producer Bruno “Patchworks” Hovart today leaves behind a host of hits (“On te l’avait dit”, “Spies Are Watching Me”, “Ben Bene La”, …), as well as trips around the globe and as many gigs and festivals, but also and above all numerous and lasting collaborations with singers like Lass, Pat Kalla, Sir Jean, Ayuune Sule, Rama Traore, or Fouley Badiaga, the latter which also marks its great return on two tracks of the album.

With C'est tout, Voilaaa returns to us without revisiting this unstoppable recipe, while seasoning things with a more Latin and Caribbean inspiration, brought back in Bruno Hovart's suitcases after several stays in South America in recent years. Introduced last spring with the release of a first maxi single, this new opus once again delivers hit after hit.

As on the already famous “Faché” alongside Pat Kalla, which displays all the classic assets of Voilaaa’s sound: punchy Afrobeat horns, woozy chords and crunchy clavinet licks rising above a low-slung, hypnotic, dub disco-meets-Afro-boogie groove. The rest of the album is not to be outdone with a total of 14 wild tracks entirely composed by an unstoppable Bruno Hovart.

Two exceptions confirm the rule, a beautiful interpretation of the song "Love and Death" by Ebo Taylor, where Voilaaa's Afro skills perfectly melt with Angolan and Brazilian vapors, beamed by Joao Selva's lovely vocals; as well as a magical cover of “Too Young to Die”, transporting Jamiroquai to the crossroads of Africa and the Antilles, carried by the superb vocal performance of singer Olivya (Dowdelin) for a first collaboration.

Well, Voilaaa is back as its best, “that’s all” (C’est tout).

Sonor Music Editions is honored to announce the reissue of the very rare LP Aquarium Sounds by Italian composer Filippo Trecca. Originally released in 1979 as a promo-only item, “Aquarium Sounds” is a hybrid collection of tracks; some were used as the soundtrack to the thriller TV series “Così Per Gioco” (1979), directed by Leonardo Cortese; others from the talk show “Acquario” (1978-1979) hosted by Italian journalist and writer Maurizio Costanzo. The album also includes “Elena Tip” which features playful vocals by a young Ilona Staller (aka Cicciolina).

Aquarium Sounds were composed by Trecca himself, Achille Oliva (bass), Alessandro Alessandroni Jr. (keys), Giancarlo de Matteis (guitars), and Marco Parisi (drums), playing together for the creation of this progressive pop gem sought after by many collectors from around the world.

The album, recorded using simple acoustic elements and early synths, is a treasure buried deep into the ocean of time that Sonor Music Editions is bringing back to the surface; a journey into the depths of our music memory as well into the universe of Italian music heritage.

Tokyo's Ryota OPP, who has released for Meda Fury / R&S, Le Temps Perdu, is going to start his own label Encrypt Nude and release his own sounds.

He has a long experience as a buyer and curator of the 2nd hand record shop "Coconuts Disk Ekoda" in Tokyo.
From this experience, he represents the influences that come from his favourite non-dance music such as Santana, Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock, and managed to implement the mood of jazz, minimal, experimental, ambient, world, psychedelic feeling into his deep house music productions, and his DJ style.

'Palace' on the A takes us to an ambient/electric deep house place, utilising ethnic oriental percussive sounds in combination with cosmic Detroit flavours

On the B-side, a magical, psychedelic sound with chord progressions influenced by Terry Riley or the minimal moments of Jaco Pastorius forms into a deep house progression, equally influenced by the raw machine soul of the motor city.

photography by Julie Sundberg
artwork by Ayako Goka
mastered by Isao Kumano (PHONON Studio)

Over the past four years and under his Tyresta alias, Nick Turner has been integral to operations at PITP's sister label, Fallen Moon Recordings. His meticulous curation for FMR showcases top-tier sound collages and experimental electronic music and that dedication shines in Lia Kohl and Daniel Wyche's latest release, 'Movie Candy. It's a captivating exploration of free-spirited electronic music that seamlessly blends cello, guitar, synths, voice, field recordings, and electronic treatments into a record that brims with both nostalgia and innovation. Wyche describes it as an homage to the obscure ephemera of films-like the allure of candy wrappers and the mesmerising cinema carpets-forging vivid memories that linger and evolve through time.

Johnny Tillotson burst onto the pop scene in 1959 with the classic 'Poetry In Motion' to be followed by other country flavoured biggies such as 'Send Me The Pillow You Dream On', 'Jimmy's Girl' and 'It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin' - all were hits in Britain. Born in Florida, Johnny's big break came when in 1958 he was signed to the small Nashville label, Cadence, together with another unknown act at the time - the Everly Brothers. Johnny has always regarded himself as a
country singer and many of the songs featured here are his own compositions recorded at the height of his career. His style is remarkable in that it has blended the best of country and pop qualities without losing the validity of the basic essentials of either. He had his own style and he has held on to it without making any concessions to a fickle industry that swings from one personality to another at the drop of a needle. We hope you'll enjoy this album of his best recording

Johnny Tillotson burst onto the pop scene in 1959 with the classic 'Poetry In Motion' to be followed by other country flavoured biggies such as 'Send Me The Pillow You Dream On', 'Jimmy's Girl' and 'It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin' - all were hits in Britain. Born in Florida, Johnny's big break came when in 1958 he was signed to the small Nashville label, Cadence, together with another unknown act at the time - the Everly Brothers. Johnny has always regarded himself as a
country singer and many of the songs featured here are his own compositions recorded at the height of his career. His style is remarkable in that it has blended the best of country and pop qualities without losing the validity of the basic essentials of either. He had his own style and he has held on to it without making any concessions to a fickle industry that swings from one personality to another at the drop of a needle. We hope you'll enjoy this album of his best recordings.

Originally released in 1959, this is Blue Mitchell's third release as a leader. The brilliant trumpeter is joined by an all-star lineup that includes Wynton Kelly on piano, Philly Joe Jones on drums, Sam Jones on bass, Curtis Fuller on trombone, and Jimmy Heath on tenor sax. A great piece of forgotten late '50s hard-bop, it is truly a treasure of an album finally resurrected by Wax Love. This is one of the most precious jazz recordings of a year that would soon give sway to the Blue Note sound, and is in many real and important ways as much of a prelude as any other statement. It's a must-have for all serious mainstream jazz fans.

Guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli hold unique places in the history of jazz music. As the mainstays of the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, they are the first European musicians to directly influence what was until their heyday, a totally American-based genre. The pair could hardly have been more different, yet it was this contrast that apparently fired up their partnership. Even though they collaborated with many famous figures, their work with the Quintet of the Hot Club of France
remains the most celebrated of their careers. Celebrate their collaboration with eighteen specially selected pieces, which includes works penned by the pair; Swing Guitars, Djangology, My Sweet, Daphne, Swing '39, Nocturne, Hungaria, H.C.Q. Strut and Swing From Paris

The Blues’ was B.B. King’s second Crown LP drawn from his RPM singles recorded between 1951-1958.

This album traces his early development into a world class artist. ‘The Blues’ used a single hit tune (in this case “When My Heart Beats Like a Hammer,” a Top Ten R&B chart entry in 1954)

to help sell a package of lesser-known material, but thankfully the label also picked some great tunes that hardly sound like filler, even if they didn’t make the charts.

King’s songwriting was already stellar, with “I Want to Get Married,” “Don’t You Want a Man Like Me,” and

“Ruby Lee” demonstrating his way with a melody and a lyrical conceit. ‘ The Blues’ demonstrates he was already near the top of his class.

The LP is extended with 2 bonus tracks.

Analog Mutants consist of Phill Most Chill on the vocals, DJ Snafu of Bankrupt Europeans fame on production and the inimitable DJ Grazzhoppa on the cuts.

Vocals: Phill Most Chill

Phill Most Chill grew up in Conecticut half hour away from Boogie Down Bronx and by the late 80s had already established himself in the hip hop scene, having released a very strongly received (and eventually highly collectible fetching amounts in the high three digits) single (On Tempo Jack/ That Girl), the preccedent setting left field Baritone Tiplove releases and writing for the seminal Rap Sheet magazine. The Arcahaelogists' Classics and Soulman's World of Beats tape series and column further established him as an elite beatmaker and sample collector, with highly acclaimed producers seeking him out to purchase records in conventions. The random rap craze brought renewed attention to Phill Most's releases in the late 90s, leading to reissues of On Tempo, the release of previously unissued Baritone Tiplove records, his return with the Lo-Fi EP, and then the highly influential Fast Rap EP on Nobody Buys Records which led to a flurry of funky uptempo releases across the globe again. The interest in Phill Most records over the whole 2010s was rabid, with further releases produced by Bankrupt Europeans, Mr. Fantastic and Chris Read flying off the shelves, and two full length albums produced by 90s stalwarts Paul Nice and DJ Format, as well as the recent Jorun-PMC album being now considered classics in the boom bap scene. Having now signed with Chuck D's Spitslam label, Phill Most continues his journey in stepping all over MC conventions, and these first two Analog Mutants release are a perfect example of this.

Produced by DJ Snafu

DJ Snafu has been part of the Bankrupt Europeans crew since 2004, co-founding Nobody Buys Records in 2012 with the other two Bankrupt Euros members. Huge collector of vinyl from the 50s ad 60s primarily, and with an interest in modular production, FM synthesis and marrying modern techniques with the love of sampling old records, the Analog Mutants project is his first without the Bankrupt Euros crew. Having produced among others for Chill Rob G on his seminal return to music with the classic Tell 'Em on the Chilled Not Frozen EP, Roc Marciano on the Goodfelons label, DITC legend AG on The 21st Day and Chicago legend MC Juice's return to vinyl after 15 years, this is Snafu's first whole album to produce since Rise of Demigodz' debut album The Cornerstone in 2006 (released in 2013). Snafu shows he's honed his skills and developed an even crazier side to his production in the 5 year that passed between the last Bankrupt Euros project and the Analog Mutants album and the first three Analog Mutants singles are a sign of things to come in the post Bankrupt Euros years.

Scratches: DJ Grazzhoppa

DJ Grazzhoppa got infected in 1983 with the hip hop virus, demolishing local DJs and winning the European DMC Championships in 1991, and taking 3rd place in the ITF World Championships in 1998! His unique and immediately recognizable style was first heard on Blade's legendary 12” Clear The Way, and caught so many ears that the list of MCs and producers who queued up to work with him is seemingly endless. From MF Doom, Ruste Juxx, Guilty Simpson and Cage to Necro, Keith Murray, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap and of course the Bankrupt Europeans projects with Phill Most Chill, MC Juice and Chill Rob G! This is a short list of a page of credits spanning over 4 pages long- if you have hip hop records, Grazzhoppa is already in your collection!

Analog Mutants consist of Phill Most Chill on the vocals, DJ Snafu of Bankrupt Europeans fame on production and the inimitable DJ Grazzhoppa on the cuts.

Vocals: Phill Most Chill

Phill Most Chill grew up in Conecticut half hour away from Boogie Down Bronx and by the late 80s had already established himself in the hip hop scene, having released a very strongly received (and eventually highly collectible fetching amounts in the high three digits) single (On Tempo Jack/ That Girl), the preccedent setting left field Baritone Tiplove releases and writing for the seminal Rap Sheet magazine. The Arcahaelogists' Classics and Soulman's World of Beats tape series and column further established him as an elite beatmaker and sample collector, with highly acclaimed producers seeking him out to purchase records in conventions. The random rap craze brought renewed attention to Phill Most's releases in the late 90s, leading to reissues of On Tempo, the release of previously unissued Baritone Tiplove records, his return with the Lo-Fi EP, and then the highly influential Fast Rap EP on Nobody Buys Records which led to a flurry of funky uptempo releases across the globe again. The interest in Phill Most records over the whole 2010s was rabid, with further releases produced by Bankrupt Europeans, Mr. Fantastic and Chris Read flying off the shelves, and two full length albums produced by 90s stalwarts Paul Nice and DJ Format, as well as the recent Jorun-PMC album being now considered classics in the boom bap scene. Having now signed with Chuck D's Spitslam label, Phill Most continues his journey in stepping all over MC conventions, and these first two Analog Mutants release are a perfect example of this.

Produced by DJ Snafu

DJ Snafu has been part of the Bankrupt Europeans crew since 2004, co-founding Nobody Buys Records in 2012 with the other two Bankrupt Euros members. Huge collector of vinyl from the 50s ad 60s primarily, and with an interest in modular production, FM synthesis and marrying modern techniques with the love of sampling old records, the Analog Mutants project is his first without the Bankrupt Euros crew. Having produced among others for Chill Rob G on his seminal return to music with the classic Tell 'Em on the Chilled Not Frozen EP, Roc Marciano on the Goodfelons label, DITC legend AG on The 21st Day and Chicago legend MC Juice's return to vinyl after 15 years, this is Snafu's first whole album to produce since Rise of Demigodz' debut album The Cornerstone in 2006 (released in 2013). Snafu shows he's honed his skills and developed an even crazier side to his production in the 5 year that passed between the last Bankrupt Euros project and the Analog Mutants album and the first three Analog Mutants singles are a sign of things to come in the post Bankrupt Euros years.

Scratches: DJ Grazzhoppa

DJ Grazzhoppa got infected in 1983 with the hip hop virus, demolishing local DJs and winning the European DMC Championships in 1991, and taking 3rd place in the ITF World Championships in 1998! His unique and immediately recognizable style was first heard on Blade's legendary 12” Clear The Way, and caught so many ears that the list of MCs and producers who queued up to work with him is seemingly endless. From MF Doom, Ruste Juxx, Guilty Simpson and Cage to Necro, Keith Murray, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap and of course the Bankrupt Europeans projects with Phill Most Chill, MC Juice and Chill Rob G! This is a short list of a page of credits spanning over 4 pages long- if you have hip hop records, Grazzhoppa is already in your collection!

Analog Mutants consist of Phill Most Chill on the vocals, DJ Snafu of Bankrupt Europeans fame on production and the inimitable DJ Grazzhoppa on the cuts.

Vocals: Phill Most Chill

Phill Most Chill grew up in Conecticut half hour away from Boogie Down Bronx and by the late 80s had already established himself in the hip hop scene, having released a very strongly received (and eventually highly collectible fetching amounts in the high three digits) single (On Tempo Jack/ That Girl), the preccedent setting left field Baritone Tiplove releases and writing for the seminal Rap Sheet magazine. The Arcahaelogists' Classics and Soulman's World of Beats tape series and column further established him as an elite beatmaker and sample collector, with highly acclaimed producers seeking him out to purchase records in conventions. The random rap craze brought renewed attention to Phill Most's releases in the late 90s, leading to reissues of On Tempo, the release of previously unissued Baritone Tiplove records, his return with the Lo-Fi EP, and then the highly influential Fast Rap EP on Nobody Buys Records which led to a flurry of funky uptempo releases across the globe again. The interest in Phill Most records over the whole 2010s was rabid, with further releases produced by Bankrupt Europeans, Mr. Fantastic and Chris Read flying off the shelves, and two full length albums produced by 90s stalwarts Paul Nice and DJ Format, as well as the recent Jorun-PMC album being now considered classics in the boom bap scene. Having now signed with Chuck D's Spitslam label, Phill Most continues his journey in stepping all over MC conventions, and these first two Analog Mutants release are a perfect example of this.

Produced by DJ Snafu

DJ Snafu has been part of the Bankrupt Europeans crew since 2004, co-founding Nobody Buys Records in 2012 with the other two Bankrupt Euros members. Huge collector of vinyl from the 50s ad 60s primarily, and with an interest in modular production, FM synthesis and marrying modern techniques with the love of sampling old records, the Analog Mutants project is his first without the Bankrupt Euros crew. Having produced among others for Chill Rob G on his seminal return to music with the classic Tell 'Em on the Chilled Not Frozen EP, Roc Marciano on the Goodfelons label, DITC legend AG on The 21st Day and Chicago legend MC Juice's return to vinyl after 15 years, this is Snafu's first whole album to produce since Rise of Demigodz' debut album The Cornerstone in 2006 (released in 2013). Snafu shows he's honed his skills and developed an even crazier side to his production in the 5 year that passed between the last Bankrupt Euros project and the Analog Mutants album and the first three Analog Mutants singles are a sign of things to come in the post Bankrupt Euros years.

Scratches: DJ Grazzhoppa

DJ Grazzhoppa got infected in 1983 with the hip hop virus, demolishing local DJs and winning the European DMC Championships in 1991, and taking 3rd place in the ITF World Championships in 1998! His unique and immediately recognizable style was first heard on Blade's legendary 12” Clear The Way, and caught so many ears that the list of MCs and producers who queued up to work with him is seemingly endless. From MF Doom, Ruste Juxx, Guilty Simpson and Cage to Necro, Keith Murray, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap and of course the Bankrupt Europeans projects with Phill Most Chill, MC Juice and Chill Rob G! This is a short list of a page of credits spanning over 4 pages long- if you have hip hop records, Grazzhoppa is already in your collection!

The Man With The Horn is the 1981 album by Miles Davis, which he recorded after persuasion by his nephew Vince Wilburn, a drummer in a Chicago group that played music that combined funk, soul, and fusion jazz. Miles also met the saxophonist Bill Evans, the bass guitarist Marcus Miller and called the drummer Al Foster. The studio result was a hybrid record, divided between the Chicago group’s pieces that he himself referred to as “bubble gum music” and a very free jazz-rock. However, it's less somber and dense than the damp jungles he wandered through without direction during the 1970s. The hit “The Man With The Horn” and its sugary-sweet refrain received a lot of airplay on FM stations. Jazz lovers, rejoicing in Miles’ return, delighted in the rest of the repertory. But it was Mike Stern’s incandescent solo on “Fat Time” that everyone relished. The Man With The Horn is available as limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on gold and black marbled vinyl.

As the 21st century was born, so Kreator underwent what was nothing less than a seismic creative rebirth. By this time, the iconic German band had released nine studio albums in the 1980s and '90s, which had established them as one of the most important metal names of these decades.In the first period, they had helped to shape and pioneer the thrash scene through such releases as 'Pleasure To Kill' (1986), 'Terrible Certainty' ('87) and 'Extreme Aggression' ('89). During the following decade, the band had opened up exciting horizons of experimentation on albums like 'Coma Of Souls' (1990), 'Renewal' ('92) and 'Endorama' ('99).
Now, though, it was time to move into a fresh era, as vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza explains.
“During the 1990s, we were definitely experimenting with what the band were doing. But (drummer) Ventor and I decided that for this album – our first of the new millennium – we wanted to go back to the sort of sound that we had at the start of Kreator. In other words, to get back to the reason why we began the band in the first place.”

There was also new guitarist introduced, as Sami Yli-Sirniö (who had made his reputation with Finnish band Waltari) took over from Tommy Vetterli. The latter (also known as Tommy T. Baron) had joined in 1996 and played on the 'Oucast' (1997) and 'Endorama' albums.

The producer for this album was Andy Sneap, who was now making a name for himself as one of the pre-eminent masters of this art in the modern metal world.“I had known and liked Andy since the days he had been the guitarist in Sabbat, as they were signed to Noise Records as Kreator were on that label. He was our first choice to work on this new project. I liked what he'd done for Testament on their album 'The Gathering' (released in 1999). He had given them a sound they'd never had before, and that really was what we were after. It was natural and organic, and also very modern. I remember phoning him at his Backstage Studios in England (Ripley in Derbyshire). And Warrel Dane, the vocalist in Nevermore, answered. Andy was producing their new album at the time ('Dead Heart In A Dead World', 2000). And when I heard this, again I was very impressed. So, I was delighted when he agreed to produce the new Kreator album.”

The album title came from something Petrozza had read. “In a book I came across a comment that John F. Kennedy said (in 1962). This was: "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable”. I thought 'Violent Revolution' would make a good title for an album. So, I kept it in my mind for this record. I think 'Violent Revolution' is a title that makes a real impact.”

One interesting aspect of the track listing was that the 52 second instrumental 'The Patriarch' actually came after the opening song 'Reconquering The Throne'. Fans might have been expected that it would have opened the album. But for Petrozza, there was a logical reason for this not to happen. “We really wanted to lead off with a thrashing track, to show everyone what we were now doing musically. After 'Endorama', it was important that everyone should recognise this was a new era for Kreator.”

'Violent Revolution' is without question an excellent album. While in some ways it does hark back to the glories of the band's earlier days, nonetheless it does not sound at all nostalgic. The performances and production values are very much part of the contemporary era, and the strength of the compositions themselves are of the highest values. Rising to the challenge offered by a new generation of ambitious metal bands, Kreator proved they were far from being a spent force. Unlike so many of their peers, here was a band who still had so much creativity to offer, and were also clearly excited themselves by what they were doing. And when you hear the band themselves enjoying the entire process, then you know this is a bona fide revitalisation.

Tahiti 80, the cult French group, is back with a tenth album entitled Hello Hello.

Since their formation in Rouen in the 90s, Tahiti 80 have built a substantial discography, collaborating with artists such as Cornelius, Tore Johansson, Adam Schlesinger and Richard Swift. The indie pop quintet offers us today twelve irresistible and captivating songs on a solar tenth album. With its welcoming title, Hello Hello presents itself as a desire to merge the spontaneity of live performances with the chemistry of a band working in the studio. Xavier Boyer, lead singer and songwriter, explains: “We felt a slight frustration with our previous album, Here With You, released in 2022. The pandemic had forced us to record separately at home. When we realized our new demos were going in this live direction, we looked for the perfect place to capture that spirit."

It is at the Paraphernalia studio, located in the French countryside, that the members of Tahiti 80, including in addition to the singer, Pedro Resende, Médéric Gontier, Raphaël Léger and Hadrien Grange, perfected their musical interactions for ten days during the summer 2023. Integrated very early in the process, Stéphane Laporte, aka Domotic, brought his distinctive experimental touch to the arrangements and production. The vocals and additional synthesizers were then finalized between Paris, Rouen and Montpellier in the fall

The twelve songs that make up Hello Hello form a homogeneous suite, highlighting the creativity, diversity and maturity of a group which has just celebrated twenty-five years of career. Opening the album, “Every Little Thing” subtly mixes shoegaze guitars and synth pop. It’s also one of the rare Tahiti 80 tracks that keeps the same chords from start to finish. The singer confides: “It was an exercise in minimalism, with the constraint of finding varied vocal melodies revolving around the same chords. Singing the line ‘I Love Every Little Thing About Us’ made me realize that it could also be about us as a group.” The title song also plays the simplicity card with Boyer’s unique timbre, complemented by a drum machine passed through a tape echo and a catchy recorder theme – proof that years of practice of this instrument in French schools was not in vain!

The other distinctive trend is Brazilian: “Lose My Head”, “Soft Echo” or “Poison Flower” each display tropicalist attributes: swaying rhythms, rounded bass, soft guitars, all enhanced by a reverberated sound treatment. “From Caetano Veloso to Tim Bernardes, there is a unique way,” notes the vocalist, “of linking rhythm and melody that has always inspired us.”

However, the Tahiti 80 touch is not being put aside. “About Us”, sung by guitarist Médéric Gontier who can also be heard on “1+1” and “Anyway”, marks a return to the roots of indie pop. An impression confirmed by the hit “Vertigo” and its signature all in major sevenths supported by the elastic groove of bassist Pedro Resende. The song which sounds like a quick return trip between late 70s California and Tokyo City Pop, will find its place after “Crush!” and “Heartbeat” in the Rouennais’ songbook. Xavier Boyer concludes: “ if we manage to surprise ourselves, it will also work for the listener. but when you reach the tenth album, you must also manage to renew ourselves without denying ourselves what we did previously.”

With their innovative and unique approach to indie pop, their timeless melodies and their sophisticated productions, Tahiti 80 has never ceased to resonate with fans around the world. Their latest collection, Hello Hello, should easily consolidate their status as a singular group and esteemed personalities on the international music scene.

A new piece by minimalist / experimental composer PHILL NIBLOCK (1933 - 2024), co-composed and performed by ANNA CLEMENTI & THOMAS STERN. Intense, menacing layers of thick drones and alien sounds.

In summer 2022, within just a few weeks and by pure coincidence, 2 proposals regarding PHILL NIBLOCK albums arrived: one suggesting an overdue vinyl reissue of a CD release (more on that when the time has come for it), the other email was from ANNA CLEMENTI saying she and THOMAS STERN were working on new pieces that PHILL NIBLOCK has written for her … when "Zound Delta 2" was complete, PHILL sent photographs for the two artworks, we met twice to discuss details, but unfortunately he died unexpectedly early january this year so the album now is, sad as it is, a posthumous release … an intense goodbye from one of 20thcentury most iconic composers.

Phill Niblock

Phill Niblock (1933-2024, USA) was an artist whose fifty-year career spans minimalist and experimental music, film and photography. Since 1985, he has served as director of Experimental Intermedia, a foundation for avant-garde music based in New York with a branch in Ghent, and curator of the foundation's record label XI. Known for his thick, loud drones of music, Niblock's signature sound is filled with microtones of instrumental timbres that generate many other tones in the performance space. In 2013, his diverse artistic career was the subject of a retrospective realised in partnership between Circuit (Contemporary Art Centre Lausanne) and Musée de l'Elysée. The following year Niblock was honoured with the prestigious Foundation for Contemporary Arts John Cage Award.

Anna Clementi

Italian-Swedish singer Anna Clementi grew up in Rome, where she first studied the flute and completed acting training before moving to Berlin and studying experimental vocal music and experimental music theater with the composer Dieter Schnebel at Hochschule der Künste (now UdK Berlin). Anna Clementi sees herself as an "actress of the voice" rather than exclusively as a singer. In this way she also articulates the diversity of her artistic expression, with which she is always searching for new connections between voice, gesture, language, dance and theater.

During her decades spanning career, Anna Clementi has performed at the most important festivals, has premiered numerous works, many of which have been composed especially for her, and worked with Fast Forward, Michael Hirsch, Rupert Huber, Christian Kesten, Alexander Kolkowski, Olga Neuwirth, Josef Anton Riedl, Iris ter Schiphorst, Dieter Schnebel, Laurie Schwartz, Elliott Sharp, and many others.

A special focus of hers is the work of John Cage, whose pieces she has performed worldwide.

Thomas Stern

Born in Bremen, Thomas Stern moved to Berlin in 1984 where he joined Mona Mur with Alex Hacke and F. M. Einheit (both from Einstürzende Neubauten, with which Stern also worked as live sound engineer for many years). Around 1987 he co-founded the Berlin set up of Crime And The City Solution (Mick Harvey, Alex Hacke a.o.). Over the years, he has has collaborated with artists like Ulrike Haage, Phew, Nick Cave, Ton Steine Scherben, Meret Becker, Nina Hagen, Jaki Liebezeit, Ben Becker, N.U. Unruh, Gry, Iris ter Schiphorst, Automat, Swans, Hans Joacxhim Irmler and many more, on the road or in his own Sternstaubstudio.
credits:

Anna Clementi: voice

Thomas Stern: slide guitar, bass and soundprocessing

Composition by Phill Niblock, Anna Clementi and Thomas Stern

Recorded and mixed by Thomas Stern at Sternstaubstudio, Berlin

Mastering and lacquer cut: Kassian Troyer at D&M, Berlin

Cover photography by Phill Niblock

Layout and design by kaidoh

Two seminal 12" mixes of a pair of Michael Wycoff heavy hitters from 1982. One a two-step favourite and one a Loft classic, these sought-after versions have never been paired on the same record.

Side A features the smooth-gliding anthem "Looking Up To You". The unmistakable snap of that sighing intro is unlike anything else. As such, it's no surprise that Leon Ware, celebrated master of the unexpected chord, has his fingerprints all over the track. Co-written with Zane Grey, "Looking Up To You" stands among the very best of Leon's staggering bank of compositions, both solo and with Michael Jackson, Minnie Riperton and Marvin Gaye. It's such an influential track, serving as the sample foundation of a massive top five R&B hit for Zhane in 1993, but it has never been bettered upon. Original 12" copies - if you can find them - go for over £50 today, making this side worth the price of admission alone.

If that wasn't enough, it's arguable that the B-Side wins again. A staple of David Mancuso's New York Loft parties, the Tee Scott mix of uplifting boogie gem "Diamond Real" is on another level entirely. A DJ legend of infamous clubs Better Days and Zanzibar and a trailblazing innovator, Tee Scott mastered the art of the reconstructive club mix.

For maximum destruction of discerning dancers, we've opted for here for his heavenly dub. 7 minutes of devastatingly slick dance floor dynamite, at once polished and dilapidated, its ecstatic charm is universal.

Devout lovers of modern soul have long worshipped the rapturous, sophisticated funk of Michael Wycoff. In combining that richly elegant voice, redolent of Donny Hathaway, with the production of keyboardist and arranger Webster Lewis, it's no surprise that both of these tracks became vital club classics of the early 80s R&B scene. Clear, full-bodied and bright - the 12" versions of these tracks are notoriously punchier than those featured on Wycoff's LP, and feature boomin' low end and neck-snapping drums. Buy on sight.

From Cape Town to Cairo, and now to fans, stages and screens around the world, PJ Morton shares his newest album, fully made in the motherland. Cape Town to Cairo is a collection of songs that he created in 30 days throughout 4 countries in Africa — South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Egypt. Described as the best trip of his life, this transformative journey began as just the seed of an idea last fall, but instantly grew into his most sonically-sprawling and immediately-inspired record to date. With no music, lyrics or preconceptions, he stepped foot onto the continent with two thoughts: a wild dream to write and record his next LP in less than a month, and a mission to immerse himself in as many different cultures, stories and communities as he could.

Surrounded by featured collaborators like Fireboy DML, Mádé Kuti, Asa, Ndabo Zulu, and Soweto Spiritual Singers, as well as additional producers including P.Priime and The Cavemen., his own live band and local musicians, PJ Morton used music as his common language. Always his greatest way of communicating, he expressed his feelings and experiences of Africa through songs he and others were forming together on the spot, side-by-side in different studios, cities and towns for the very first time. None of the tracks were written before he arrived or after he left, and the arrangements showcase both the countries’ native genres as well as the innate, stylistic instincts that have made Morton a 5x GRAMMY-winner and 20x GRAMMY-nominee, whether it be his soul, R&B and gospel roots, or the pop prowess he has further honed as a member of Maroon 5.

“When you’ve been in music as long as I have, you’re constantly looking for inspiration,” says PJ Morton. “And you’re looking for the things that made you want to do it in the first place. I’ve made albums every type of way you can think, so I wanted to try something I hadn’t done before. As a Black American who had never been to South or West Africa, I knew there was something there waiting for me. So I put a little pressure on myself to make a full record in a month, but I also said, ‘If I’m gonna go to Africa, I want to see Africa.’ We made music, but we also formed connections. We made new friends, and this is just the start.”

ESSENCE adds, "This trip is not just a physical move, it's a spiritual return…The soul of Africa pulses through every note he plays and every word he sings,” and VIBE adds that “the multi-faceted artist is fully embracing a new phase in his life.” Cape Town to Cairo marks PJ Morton’s first album since 2022’s Watch The Sun, which featured collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Nas, JoJo, Wale, Jill Scott, Alex Isley and more. Since then, Morton has become the first Black composer to write an original song for a Disney attraction, having just finished making the music for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, opening on June 28th, 2024 at Disney World and Fall 2024 at Disneyland. He also won his latest GRAMMY earlier this year, worked with Samara Joy on “Why I’m Here” for Regina King’s Netflix film Shirley, and landed a cover of his song “Don’t Let Go” as the soundtrack to Apple’s iPhone 15 commercial.

PJ Morton recently returned from headlining his debut shows in Asia, New Zealand and Australia, and announced an extensive Cape Town to Cairo Tour for North America summer and fall 2024. Following iconic performances at New Orleans Jazz Fest, The Kennedy Center, Roots Picnic and Newport Jazz Fest, Morton will embark on a run of more than 25 dates across the country, including New York City’s Beacon Theatre, Chicago’s Chicago Theatre, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Los Angeles’ The Wiltern, and dozens of others.

On the heels of his headline tour and Maroon 5’s Las Vegas residency, PJ Morton will publish a life-spanning new book titled Saturday Night, Sunday Morning. The memoir sees him recounting and reflecting upon a trailblazing path that continues to defy expectations and straddle the tensions of music and faith, race and culture, expression and identity. As the son of two pastors and gospel artists, Morton grew up grounded by the sound of the Church, but soon found himself drawn to R&B, pop and soul, writing songs that the industry, his family and community struggled to understand. In the face of mounting pressure, rejection and constant miscategorization, he committed himself to a steadfast path of independence: making music on his own terms, launching his own record label, joining one of the biggest bands in the world while staying true to his New Orleans roots. The risks he took paid off, and through his transformation from preacher's kid to the busiest man in showbiz – performing everywhere from his local congregation to the Super Bowl, collaborating with everyone from his father to Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Jon Batiste and Lil Wayne – he hopes to encourage readers and listeners to overcome obstacles as they seek their dreams.

"In partnership with Milan Records, Waxwork Records is proud to release KINDS OF KINDNESS (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) with music by multi-instrumentalist, producer, and Oscar®-nominated composer JERSKIN FENDRIX. The album reunites Fendrix with director Yorgos Lanthimos following the breakout success of Poor Things, which earned the first-time composer an Oscar® nomination and marked Lanthimos’ first-ever collaboration with a composer. For Kinds of Kindness, Fendrix has crafted a soundscape rooted in solo piano and choral music, peppering the 22-track collection with hymnals throughout. Rounding out the soundtrack album are pop tracks like Cobrah’s “Brand New Bitch” and Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” both of which were featured in the film’s trailers, plus a cover of “How Deep Is Your Love” by film star Margaret Qualley as well as a demo from Fendrix’s personal discography. Searchlight Pictures’ Kinds of Kindness is available in theaters now.

Similar to Poor Things, Fendrix began working on Kinds of Kindness with relatively few materials, utilizing only the film’s script, black and white photographs from set, and conversations with Lanthimos as a guide. This time around, however, Lanthimos provided Fendrix with specific guidance on instrumentation, instructing the composer to craft a soundscape rooted in piano and choral music.

“I love working with Jerskin, and I guess he’s the reason why I am now working with a composer – I’ve found someone that works for me,” says director Yorgos Lanthimos, continuing, “Jerskin worked on this in the same way he worked on Poor Things, which is before even seeing a frame of the film. I gave him the script and started sending him black and white pictures that I shot on set. Our agreement in the beginning was, ‘This time, I want to use piano and choir, and go down that direction,’ which was very different to Poor Things. When I went into the edit, he had this library of music that he created to work with, and it turned out great.”

Also helpful to Fendrix at the start of the project was a conversation with Kinds of Kindness star Jesse Plemons, who helped the composer wrap his mind around the complexity of Lanthimos’ triptych story.

“I was very lucky to go on set at the very beginning of filming, and I asked Jesse about the emotions because I was struggling to understand where so many of these characters were coming from,” composer Jerskin Fendrix confesses. “He spoke to me about his interpretation, and how he planned to embody his characters, which was great. I ended up thinking about the abstract space between the emotions and whether that space was empty or noisy. From there, I utilized the piano and choir to explore those spaces.”

Waxwork Records is thrilled to release KINDS OF KINDNESS as a picture disc featuring artwork and design by Vasilis Marmatakis housed in a crystal clear poly-bag.

ABOUT KINDS OF KINDNESS

KINDS OF KINDNESS is a triptych fable, following a man without choice who tries to take control of his own life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife who was missing-at-sea has returned and seems a different person; and a woman determined to find a specific someone with a special ability, who is destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader."

Dean Spunt"s all-new Basic Editions is an excursion in electronic sound that instrumentally unpacks his fascination with language - in this case, the syntax of systems and processes. By turns meditative, compulsive and consumptive, Basic Editions distills a 64 voice module through a head full of ideas - somewhat like pouring a cornucopia of possible ambient moods and EZ listening impulses backwards through a funnel, inspiring a deceptively absurd rainbow of soul to spray out the other end. With this new release, Dean IDs his process as "using sounds, rather than making sounds". This approach to music-making is a train of thought that"s been rolling out from the far horizon of the past for ages now - but for Dean, whose previous works within and without No Age depended on their making of sounds, it"s a fresh work stance. Given, however, No Age"s traditional sonic manipulations (via loops and treatments), Basic Editions delivers further unexpected hard-rights and lefts in the non-aesthetic aesthetic that has defined Dean"s path over the past two decades. Steering toward wacked digital soundscapes that bounce colorfully across the stereo azimuth, Dean creates a kind of post-ambient neo-exotica that hinges upon a giddy conflation of cosmic and comic.

Two seminal 12" mixes of a pair of enormous tracks from Surface. Housed in the super-rare and - until now - French-only picture sleeve of the eternal "Falling In Love", we've backed that classic with Be With's favourite deconstructed mix of the swirling electronic soul / synth-driven slow jam "Happy". These sought-after versions have never been paired on the same record before. This fresh Be With edition ensures these legendary tracks now sound, looks and feel as sensational as they deserve to. You know what to do...

American post-disco/R&B trio Surface were a New Jersey vocal group made up of Bernard Jackson, David Townsend and David Conley. The majesty of boogie ballad "Falling In Love" was their first single, released in 1983 on Salsoul Records. The mellow magic of this track is loved the world over; it's a feel-good smooth boogie jam that's forever coveted. The slick, crystal clear beat, the legendary minimoog bassline, the melody, Karen Copeland's superb vocal, the great flute solo (referenced on the cover) all of it is literally perfect and beautifully encapsulates that mid 80s international club vibe. This here is the original Shep Pettibone mix in its entirety - it's the only one you really need.

Flip for the legendary "Love Mix" of 1987 hit single “Happy". You all know the original. At least, you *should* all know it. But the "Love Mix" is a deconstructed, boldly produced mix which is the one the heads have turned to for so long. Yet, in our opinion, its hypnotic groove has flown under the radar for too many years. This killer remix begins with Jackson's spine-tingling isolated vocal, cleverly subverting expectations by actually delivering the first words of the original's second verse "You must be Heaven sent...Sent into my life...And I compliment you baby...Baby" before a heavy 808 drum kicks hard with echoey handclaps. It's super sparse and a dubbed out slow-mo boogie banger like no other. The synth bass, atmospheric synth pads and synthesized flute glide in and out with effortless style and the whole thing is a wonder to behold.

It's a slow jam, for sure, but crafted in the straight up funk tradition, using the digital tools of the day and this sparser than sparse version almost sounds like a precursor to UK Street Soul. A unique combination of undeniable funk, electro beats and an earnest, youthful tenor; it should be slamming out of every jeep forevermore.

Simon Francis remastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12" well and truly slaps. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this incredibly sought-after treasure finds a home in many more collections, this and every year. Simply flawless.

In the story of Los Sanders, many sources can be found to understand the emergence of “chicha”, a style associated with the life of migrants in the city that saw its heyday in the 1980s, but also to understand the connections between youth music, “new ola”, and rock with tropical rhythms.

Los Sanders serve as a bridge between periods and styles, and their ability to adapt to musical genres and reinvent them has given them a unique style. Los Sanders de Ñaña reflect a Lima that was transforming, giving way to a new face and a new urban soundtrack.

In the universe of Peruvian tropical music, one can distinguish a wide variety of styles. One of the most unique is known as the “carretero” style, also referred to as the “Carretera Central” sound, which alludes to the sound developed by a series of musical groups that became known during the 1970s in the areas surrounding this major highway. At that time, this area received a large influx of migrants from the provinces who came to the capital in search of a better future. The initiators of this carretero style were Los Sanders de Ñaña, and following them, other groups emerged, not only creating a unique style but also establishing a circuit.

"Mountain Music is Nina Nesbitt as fans have never heard her before. Having risen to fame at a young age with her disarming, candid pop – the Scottish musician is now found in an entirely new realm. It is inspired in part by the two years she spent touring the States in support of her second studio album: the critically acclaimed Top 40, The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change, which has now accrued over a billion streams. These songs are permeated with gorgeous nods to US folk and Americana. It’s made all the more extraordinary by the face that, not long ago, Nesbitt was considering quitting music altogether. Produced by Peter Miles and Nesbitt, mixed and mastered by Miles at his stunning studio MiddleFarm in south Devon, and released via her own label, Apple Tree Records. A playful nod to her 2012 debut EP, TheApple Tree, this marks the start of an exciting new era for Nina Nesbitt. While it might sound strange that Nesbitt was drawn to the music of Appalachia, heard echoing through the vast, verdant mountain ranges of the eastern United States, it makes more sense when you consider how traditional Scottish ballads and hymns are threads in that rich tapestry.

Empathy is one of Nesbitt’s greatest strengths. We hear it on “Painkiller”, a Joni Mitchell-indebted ballad on which her heart breaks for the men who believe they have to suppress their own feelings. One of the album’s standout qualities is, perhaps, the dynamic that Nesbitt creates from one song to the next. Where many folk artists might lean into quiet introspection, she craves the full spectrum of emotion – so ensconced around “Painkiller” you have the tender “On the Run’, with its distant shivers of percussion and crystalline piano, but also “Anger”. She’s in a nostalgic mood on the rousing “Coming Home”, a Springsteen-inspired, driving-with-the-top-down journey back to the places and people she loves. We all lose ourselves sometimes. The trick is learning how to find our way back, pushing those clouds away to see the blue skies beyond. For artist Nina Nesbitt, hard-hitting truths and revelations take precedent on her remarkable, career-best album, Mountain Music. Nesbitt knows exactly who she is, and now, she’s ready to tell the world."

Today, Los Diablos Rojos are known around the world for a unique tropical sound that has transcended passing fashions and managed to hold its own in an era marked by transience and oblivion. Over the years, they have become the forerunners of a trend that has been developing for half a century and is gaining more and more praise and recognition. They have become a musical reference for other contemporary tropical music bands that have found in Los Diablos Rojos, above all, an example of creativity and resilience.

The Peruvian cumbia band Los Diablos Rojos was born within the quincha and adobe walls of Cañete Chico with a proposal very different from what all the musicians of the time were working on: an instrumental tropical music style of their own. Even Enrique Delgado (Los Destellos), Beto Cuesta (Los Ecos) and Berardo Hernandez (Manzanita y su Conjunto), who all found a source of income in música criolla, did not limit themselves to working for hire. They were all crossing the same bridge, the bridge of tropical music. Above all, the sense of renewal was the incentive for this bet. If they wanted to change the paradigm, they would not do it by copying styles they had already heard many times before.

Continuing his fruitful relationship with Discrepant after the third volume of his ongoing Organic Music Tape Series on Sucata Tapes, Tiago Sousa returns with two longform pieces for organ with 'A Thousand Strings'. A self-explanatory title in itself, 'A Thousand Strings' drifts fluidly into a celestial realm of cascading melodies and cycling patterns that never feel forced or strict throughout its two hypnotic tracks. Pulsating with life and ecstatic abandon.

Taking cues from the tradition of American minimalists like Steve Reich and, particularly, Terry Riley, the Portuguese composer's work flows with a life of his own, that, while acknowledging those influences, transcends them into his own signature. On the A side, 'A Thousand Strings' goes seamlessly from intertwining crepuscular harmonies to ascending keyboard runs in the manner of 'Persian Surgery Dervishes' finishing with a coda of rhythmic marimba-like pulses. On the flipside, 'The Things Passed' creates this maze-like tapestry of melodies that seem to drift apart only to converge back again into its internal process before setting on sustained tones infused with a sense of longing. For all things passed. For what is yet to come.

"Justin Townes Earle released Kids In The Street, his first record on New West Records, in May of 2017. The album received critical acclaim and further cemented Justin’s legacy as one of the best active songwriters in music. Songs like, “Champagne Corolla” showcased his wry sense of humor as well as his deft ability to build upon the music that came before him while at the same time creating something unique and new. Familiar, inventive, creative, and clever.

Justin would release his second album with New West Records in May of 2019. The Saint of Lost Causes was hailed as one of the best albums of 2019 by Rolling Stone Magazine with “half a dozen or so career classics.” “I was trying to look through the eyes of America,” Earle says. “Because I believe in the idea of America - that everybody’s welcome here and has a right to be here.” Earle tells these American stories in detail and without judgement. While some songs cite historic events like “Flint City Shake It,” and “Don’t Drink The Water,"" other tracks present fictionalized narratives that are no less harrowing, or true-to-life , as heard in ""Appalachian Nightmare,” “The Saint Of Lost Causes,” and “Over Alameda.""

Justin Townes Earle was always a champion of the underdog and All In features in depth looks at the hopeful, and the hopeless. Fueled by empathy, baked in the blues, Justin was never without something poignant or humorous to say. Sadly, Justin passed away in 2020 at the age of 38. ALL IN: Unreleased & Rarities (The New West Years) is a fitting tribute to Justin’s legacy. The collection features many never heard before songs, demos, and cover tunes, spanning his time as a New West Records recording artist."

CAR CRASH SET were one of the very few electropop acts coming out of New Zealand and have released several vinyls nationally between 1983 and 1986. Basically, the CAR CRASH SET consisted of synthesists/composers David Bulog and Nigel Russell and guitarist/producer Trevor Reekie, and was formed in late 1981, then still with Nick Jenkins on synths. They created such outstanding electropop songs with a Roland TR-606/808 and such lovely sequencing, – e.g. “Fall from Grace” is definitely a song that Anna will take with her into her grave – that it is indeed a shame that they didn’t receive more attention. Anyway, their 1983 12” ‘Two Songs’ (including “Outsider” and “Fall from Grace”) and the V/A ‘We’ll do our best’ LP (including CAR CRASH SET’s “Toys”) are at least highly collectible items amongst electropop connoisseurs and many people will be happy to see these tracks being available again as well as four previously unavailable demos from both their earliest and later days and seven more songs added to this CD version. CAR CRASH SET are currently recording again together though not only with the original Roland gear (“nothing else will do” as Dave once said): TR-606, Jupiter-4, MC-4, System 100m modular and System 104 sequencer as well as Nigel’s Korg MS20, Poly-61, Polysix and way more!

LP (3rd edition) features: limited edition of 317 copies, 180 grams yellow flame vinyl, A3 poster/revised lyrics sheet, sticker, revised hand-numbered double-sided postcard.

Cool Calm Pete has been featured in the past with MF Doom, RJD2, El-P, Morcheeba, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Aesop Rock, and others. More recently with Kool Keith, Real Bad Man, Heems, and Lee Scott.
Lost (Director’s Cut) kicks off Petes return with some new projects on deck.
Sometimes it takes time for something to establish its proper place in culture, and the modern-day discourse never fails to rush to label an album to be a classic or a flop. Then there are albums like Cool Calm Pete’s “LOST.” Adored by its dedicated fan base upon its original release in 2005 on Embedded Records and Definitive Jux, this record has continued to garner attention over the years from those who are familiar with it. While word-of-mouth alone may not have been sufficient to propel the album to mainstream success, its enduring popularity two decades later is a testament to its well-deserved recognition as an indie rap cult classic. The Korean-American emcee born as Pete Chung wasn’t asking to be a pioneer but having been raised in Queens NY during the golden era of hip hop, rhyming better than his peers just naturally became his identity. Throughout his debut album, his slow-paced, conversational flow fit like a glove to the self-produced “working class” beats that color most of the album. His education in fine arts as a painter and his day-job with a then-burgeoning lifestyle brand called Supreme sometimes took precedence in his professional life, but his dedication to the craft as a hip hop artist was evident, and fans took notice. The album hasn’t been re-released since its initial 2005 drop. and vinyl copies haven’t sold on the collectors’ market for less than $100 in years. With its first official re-release, the laws of supply-and-demand will surely alter that market, and chances are that with more ears to hear the album, those original pressings will only become hotter. In the meantime, the new “LOST (Director’s Cut)” has been re-mastered and extended for release on Cool Calm Pete’s own label Bubble Wife Records, with never-before-heard cuts led by a remix of the title track by Blockhead. Find it.

Long time in the vaults, soon out in pop heaven: Andrea & Alexander, a handsomely nostalgic pop project by Andrea Noce aka Eva Geist and Alexander Arpeggio. Originally launched in 2014, revitalized in 2023, the project originated as a live set-up consisting of synthesizers, ePects pedals, and analogue drum machines. From there it slowly metamorphosed into a crew of songs with raw minimal-wave grooves and romantically haunting English and German pop lyrics, loosely evoking the aura of Siouxsie Sioux, Gudrun Gut or Nadine Bal. After becoming a live mainstay in the Berlin based underground club Sameheads, they went on a tour through Lithuania and soon after several unfortunate troubles led to the break-up of the band, prompting both Andrea and Alexander to focus on their solo careers. Andrea became Eva Geist and released for various international labels, played live and formed the female duo As Longitude. Alexander founded his own label Eine Welt, took over the management of the renowned underground festival Camp Cosmic and created two musical projects with Cid Hohne, Otto and Aufgang B. Now, years later, almost becoming a Soundcloud corpse some Andrea & Alexander recordings caught the attention of the R.i.O. folks and just seconds later they offer six freshly recorded cuts of Andrea & Alexander tunes that stood the test of time as authentic, soulful pop music. “What are we going to wear for tonight’s party?” Andrea Noce asks in their song “Tiney Party”. The answer is “Loved Up” a musical celebration outfit of six sincere recorded, emotionally accorded songs, who make the dance, give verve a chance, to be there, in that moment of all moments. An album for the listener that likes to dance. In his head, on the local carpet. “Loved Up” humming Andrea & Alexander tunes.

Confirmed feature article in Electronic Sound Magazine and other media. “There’s A Rhinoceros In The Mega Church” is their debut LP released on Sound Records. U.S.E. (also often expressed as Unicorn Ship Explosion, but feel free to interpret this yourself), are unfortunately two boys known to their mums as Rob & Sash. Since we last saw Rob he has been working really hard as a multi-instrumentalist. He’s almost mastered the drums (he’s even been to jazz school), and he’s near to the final chapter of piano lessons. He’s really talented. He has his own music studio where he produces & writes music for the likes of, The Staves, Holysseus Fly & other fantastic acts that are well worth a listen if you have the time. Sash (or Sasha) is a great guy. Everyone loves working with him. He’s an average musician with big ideas, which is why he uses modular synths. He has written much music for many artists you’ve probably not heard of and has collaborated with some musicians you’ve definitely heard of. He sometimes works as a sound designer for some fashion brands you can’t afford, but you wouldn’t want to wear them anyway (so don’t feel bad for not being successful enough to spend £400 on a t-shirt). Sometimes a really cool woman called, Agnieszka Szczotka, collaborates with these two loveable boys. She is a performance artist of great skill. She studied art at the Royal Academy and chose to abandon her supreme painting and sculpture skills to dedicate her life to confrontational live performance art. Big respect. Together they are Unicorn Ship Explosion (not yet known as U.S.E. as it hasn’t caught on yet). It’s a creative attempt to be in the present and not overwork music as is often the norm these days.As a result an exciting new genre is emerging from this album. The genre hasn’t a name yet, but what is certain is that A.I. can’t recreate it, and wouldn’t want to either. Let’s be human together and accept and appreciate we can’t always be great. Enjoy the good moments with the bad. And together, yes together, you the reader and us(e) your new best friends, shall show A.I. that humanity is beautiful.

Worm Records is thrilled to present its debut release, featuring four tracks that blend danceable rhythms with melodic audible hints, from some of the scene's finest producers. The A Side kicks off with “Rockin”, a sonic deep-dive from Bristol-based producer Gallegos. Next up is “Festern” a track from Canadian native, The Mole with his deep trade-mark sound. The B Side switches the vibe with “Booster” a moody one from Wallace which feels like it lives in the same universe as Afefe Iku’s - “Mirror Dance”, but with the right amount stripped back. The final track on the EP is a stretched-out remix of Ruf Dug’s “Manctalo Beach”, a discofied journey by More Amour (Artwork & Jon Solo), described by Artwork at last year’s Pikes Halloween as Punk Electro.

All proceeds will support UK Food Banks through the LIVEFORLOVE campaign.

Big thanks to Prime for their incredible support on this project.

Designs by Jay Vaz & Daniel Lovrinov.

Phantastic Ferniture, the delightfully lightheaded project of Julia
Jacklin, Elizabeth Hughes, Ryan K Brennan and Tom Stephens,
release their self-titled debut album via Transgressive Records.
The mission is obvious: don't overthink it. These artists' shared
want to shake the shackles of their meticulously crafted solo
work to experience a second, giddy adolescence is evident in
the garage-pop perfection introduced today.
I'd gone straight into folk music,' says Jacklin, 'so every
experience I'd had on stage was playing sad music with a
guitar in my hand. I thought, I would love to know what it's like
to make people feel good and dance.'
Phantastic Ferniture's spiritual home may be the garage but
they were born in a bar, specifically the hallowed basement of
Frankie's Pizza in Sydney. One late night in 2014, on Jacklin's
birthday, a group hug manifested amid the pinball machines,
with all ten participants vowing to form a band. 'Only four of us
remembered the next day,' notes Hughes.
United by fern puns and a love of leisurewear, the band met up
whenever schedules would allow, writing songs and playing
smatterings of dates to an increasingly devoted audience.
Eventually it was decreed that this was no side project and an
album should follow. The result is one of the most enjoyable
albums of 2018. 'It feels really good,' Jacklin says with
satisfaction. 'It's like having an alter ego.'
A slice of defiant brilliance that feels effortless in its
execution.' - London In Stereo
LP pressed on pink vinyl with digital download code.
Press - Reviews in Clash, DIY, Q , Loud & Quiet, The Skinny. Radio - 6Music Lauren Laverne Track Of The Day
Online - DIY, Too Many Blogs, Most Radicalist, Giglist, London In
Stereo, Loud and Quiet, The Skinny, God Is In The TV Zine.

Weißes Vinyl im Klappcover! Die dänisch-brasilianische Band The Courettes war von Anfang an eine Rock'n'Roll-Sensation und ist mit ihrem vierten und bisher besten Album zurück: "The Soul Of... The Fabulous Courettes". Und dieses Mal sind sie größer, breiter und tiefer als je zuvor, denn sie haben ihrem fulminanten Ramalama, mit dem sie in Großbritannien, Europa, den USA und Japan für Furore sorgen, noch mehr hinzugefügt. The Courettes treffen genau den richtigen Punkt zwischen Garage-Rock, Girlgroup-Pop, Doo-Wop-Harmonien, Herzschmerz und allem, was dazwischen liegt, und bauen auf dem Schwung des Vorgängers "Back In Mono" mit einer Sammlung von Songs auf, die ihren klanglichen Spielraum erweitern, während sie sich mit dunklen, emotionalen Themen auseinandersetzen, um "The Soul Of_ The Fabulous Courettes'" zu enthüllen. "Wir wollten kein "Back In Mono 2" machen", betont Schlagzeuger Martin Couri. "Wir versuchen immer, uns in eine Zone des Unbehagens zu begeben, in der meiner Meinung nach aufregende Dinge passieren, anstatt immer wieder das Gleiche zu tun", stimmt Sängerin, Gitarristin und Multiinstrumentalistin Flavia Couri zu. Mit jeder Albumveröffentlichung hat sich das Duo weiterentwickelt und "The Soul Of... The Fabulous Courettes" lässt sich von den zahlreichen Vorbildern des Duos inspirieren, die zuvor nur angedeutet wurden. "Wir wollten unsere Liebe zur Spector Wall Of Sound und Motown zeigen", verrät Flavia. "Es war eine klare Mission und wir haben sie absolut erfüllt." Von den glorreichen Eröffnungsbeats und den stechenden Fuzz-Hupen von "You Woo Me" bis hin zu der abschließenden emotionalen Rührung von "For Your Love" über die fuzzige Dringlichkeit von "SHAKE!" und die feierliche Wärme von "California" haben The Courettes ihren Sound mit einer Instrumentierung und einer allgemeinen Raffinesse erweitert, die sowohl in ihrer Produktion als auch in ihrem Songwriting deutlich wird. Und vor allem haben sie dies erreicht, ohne etwas von dem Rock'n'Roll-Kern zu opfern, der von Flavias Gitarrensaiten und Martins ramponiertem Schlagzeug abgekratzt wurde. Bei ihrem Streben nach klanglicher Perfektion haben sie einige Gastmusikern und Klang-Zauberer im Hintergrund unterstützt, z.B. La La Brooks (The Crystals) mit Backing Vocals bei "California" und "Run Run Runaway" (bei denen auch noch Brian Wilson-Kollaborateur Darian Sahanaja den Gesang gemischt und mit einem Beach Boys-Vibe versehen hat). Produzenten-Legende Richard Gottehrer hat "Keep Dancing" und "Boom Boom Boom" abgemischt, Peter Kehl und Kasper Wagner (beide Black Tornado) geben sich mit diversen Blasinstrumenten bei "Shake!", "Better Without You" und "Stop! Doing That" die Ehre. Zu den Courettes gesellt sich in ihren eigenen StarrSound Studios in Dänemark erneut der Multi-Instrumentalist Soren Christensen, der Mellotron, Orgel, Klavier und Backing Vocals beisteuert und das Album gemeinsam mit C.T. Levine produziert hat. Während sich die Musik akustische und 12-saitige Gitarren, Bass, E-Bögen, Kastagnetten und Pauken einbezieht, haben sich auch die Emotionen entwickelt, die man zuvor nicht mit The Courettes in Verbindung gebracht hat. "The Soul Of... The Fabulous Courettes" richtet sich an Herz und Kopf, es tanzt durch die Dunkelheit und feiert die Freude am Leben.

Die dänisch-brasilianische Band The Courettes war von Anfang an eine Rock'n'Roll-Sensation und ist mit ihrem vierten und bisher besten Album zurück: "The Soul Of... The Fabulous Courettes". Und dieses Mal sind sie größer, breiter und tiefer als je zuvor, denn sie haben ihrem fulminanten Ramalama, mit dem sie in Großbritannien, Europa, den USA und Japan für Furore sorgen, noch mehr hinzugefügt. The Courettes treffen genau den richtigen Punkt zwischen Garage-Rock, Girlgroup-Pop, Doo-Wop-Harmonien, Herzschmerz und allem, was dazwischen liegt, und bauen auf dem Schwung des Vorgängers "Back In Mono" mit einer Sammlung von Songs auf, die ihren klanglichen Spielraum erweitern, während sie sich mit dunklen, emotionalen Themen auseinandersetzen, um "The Soul Of_ The Fabulous Courettes'" zu enthüllen. "Wir wollten kein "Back In Mono 2" machen", betont Schlagzeuger Martin Couri. "Wir versuchen immer, uns in eine Zone des Unbehagens zu begeben, in der meiner Meinung nach aufregende Dinge passieren, anstatt immer wieder das Gleiche zu tun", stimmt Sängerin, Gitarristin und Multiinstrumentalistin Flavia Couri zu. Mit jeder Albumveröffentlichung hat sich das Duo weiterentwickelt und "The Soul Of... The Fabulous Courettes" lässt sich von den zahlreichen Vorbildern des Duos inspirieren, die zuvor nur angedeutet wurden. "Wir wollten unsere Liebe zur Spector Wall Of Sound und Motown zeigen", verrät Flavia. "Es war eine klare Mission und wir haben sie absolut erfüllt." Von den glorreichen Eröffnungsbeats und den stechenden Fuzz-Hupen von "You Woo Me" bis hin zu der abschließenden emotionalen Rührung von "For Your Love" über die fuzzige Dringlichkeit von "SHAKE!" und die feierliche Wärme von "California" haben The Courettes ihren Sound mit einer Instrumentierung und einer allgemeinen Raffinesse erweitert, die sowohl in ihrer Produktion als auch in ihrem Songwriting deutlich wird. Und vor allem haben sie dies erreicht, ohne etwas von dem Rock'n'Roll-Kern zu opfern, der von Flavias Gitarrensaiten und Martins ramponiertem Schlagzeug abgekratzt wurde. Bei ihrem Streben nach klanglicher Perfektion haben sie einige Gastmusikern und Klang-Zauberer im Hintergrund unterstützt, z.B. La La Brooks (The Crystals) mit Backing Vocals bei "California" und "Run Run Runaway" (bei denen auch noch Brian Wilson-Kollaborateur Darian Sahanaja den Gesang gemischt und mit einem Beach Boys-Vibe versehen hat). Produzenten-Legende Richard Gottehrer hat "Keep Dancing" und "Boom Boom Boom" abgemischt, Peter Kehl und Kasper Wagner (beide Black Tornado) geben sich mit diversen Blasinstrumenten bei "Shake!", "Better Without You" und "Stop! Doing That" die Ehre. Zu den Courettes gesellt sich in ihren eigenen StarrSound Studios in Dänemark erneut der Multi-Instrumentalist Soren Christensen, der Mellotron, Orgel, Klavier und Backing Vocals beisteuert und das Album gemeinsam mit C.T. Levine produziert hat. Während sich die Musik akustische und 12-saitige Gitarren, Bass, E-Bögen, Kastagnetten und Pauken einbezieht, haben sich auch die Emotionen entwickelt, die man zuvor nicht mit The Courettes in Verbindung gebracht hat. "The Soul Of... The Fabulous Courettes" richtet sich an Herz und Kopf, es tanzt durch die Dunkelheit und feiert die Freude am Leben.