300: Rise of an Empire is a 2014 American epic action film written and produced by Zack Snyder and directed by Noam Murro. It is a sequel to the 2007 film 300, taking place before, during, and after the main events of that film, and is loosely based on the Battle of Artemisium and the Battle of Salamis.
Its score was created by Dutch DJ and composer Junkie XL. This was made possible because in 2013, Hans Zimmer became responsible for the creation of the score to Snyder’s Man of Steel, for which he asked Junkie XL to collaborate with him and Snyder loved the end result. The score to 300: Rise of an Empire was performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony, led by Nick-Glennie Smith. The vocals were provided by Hilda Örvarsdóttir and MC Rai. Junkie XL himself added the guitar, bass, drums, piano and synthesizer parts and mixed the full soundtrack at the Computer Hell Cabin studio.
Search:that s
2 LP Reissue From Prog Pioneers Remastered And Printed On Vinyl For The First Time Tangerine Dream have been a fundamental influence on electronic music since Edgar Froese founded the band in West Berlin in 1967. Providing the groundwork for multiple electronic music genres including ambient and electronica,
inspiring musicians & other art forms.
The group have received seven Grammy nominations, written over 100 studio albums & were led by Froese, who developed an instantly recognisable synthbased instrumental music based on a meditative musical experience that came to prominence in the 70’s and 80’s.
‘Chandra: The Phantom Ferry Part 1’ consists of nine tracks, based on a breathtaking science fiction manuscript found in 1977 in a military camp in Greenland, the album is largely a conceptual work completely composed and performed by Edgar Froese.
Presented on vinyl for the first time, the album has been lovingly remastered by Harald Pairits especially for vinyl and repackaged using the original design in association with Bianca Froese-Acquaye.
‘Chandra: The Phantom Ferry Part 1’ is released on 2 LP via Kscope on 30th April 2021.
180 gram Vinyl LP Producer - Jah Thomas Toyan aka Ranking Toyan (born Byron Letts, died 1991) was a Jamaican reggae deejay active since the mid-1970s and best known for his early 1980s recordings.
Toyan began his career in 1974, deejaying on Kingston’s sound systems, such as Socialist Roots and Romantic HiFi. He recorded his debut single, “Disco Pants” in the late 1970s for producer Don Mais. He went on to work extensively with Joseph Hoo Kim and Jah Thomas, resulting in a string of hits including “Girls
Nowadays”, “Kill No Man”, “John Tom”, and “Talk of the Town”, as well as combination hits with The Mighty Diamonds (“Pretty Woman”), Badoo (“Rocking the 5000”), and Freddie McGregor (“Roots Man Skanking”).
In 1981 he joined Henry “Junjo” Lawes’ Volcano Sound system, and toured Canada. With Lawes, he recorded the album How the West Was Won, and went on to produce his own work and that of others such as Billy Boyo and Anthony Johnson. He toured the United Kingdom with the Jah Prophecy band and performed in Jamaica alongside Dennis Brown. He was murdered in Jamaica in 1991.
Mailout to relevant music press and radio. Promotion across social media platforms Advertising in Riddim, Black Echoes and Record Collector Magazine
Optimo Music presents “Janara” the new album from Italy’s José Manuel. We always have our ears open for music that is unique, powerful and that can conjure up a ritualistic atmosphere, and this meistrerwerk did all that, and then some. We knew we had to release it after the first listen.
We’ll let José tell you about it….
This album is a result of the necessity of exploring and opening my mind to new musical horizons, by testing the main traditional instrument of the Italian region Campania, whose name is “Tammorra”. It is a big drum, which must not be confused with the typical tambourine, made from a wrap of wood shaped in a circle and covered with dried skin (almost always goatskin or sheepskin). This instrument was used during playful events, especially during rituals and ceremonies, such as the frequent devotional pilgrimages in honour of the Virgin Mary. By using this instrument, the sound, the rite and the magic could take possession of the mind and the body creating a perfect union. Also, the dancers, as if they were bitten by a tarantula and possessed by a strange evil, launched themselves to an uncontrolled dance by moving every part of their body.
In addition to the Tammorra, I also inserted some texts, which have been written by some Neapolitan friends and interpreted with Neapolitans voices, in honour of the “JANARA”. The Janara represents a popular belief of the Southern Italian regions, particularly of the Benevento area. The Janara is one of the many types of witches represented by folktales belonging to the rural tradition.
The Janara was expert in medical herbs, which were also be used for her magical practices, such as the manufacturing of ointment. The ointment gave her the power to become incorporeal with the same nature as the wind. According to the tradition, in order to snatch the Janara it was necessary to grab her by the hair. It was also said that if anyone was able to capture the Janara during her incorporeal moment then Janara herself would offer protection to them and their family for seven generations, in exchange for her freedom.
With this work I hope that the listener might get carried away by the spirit of this pagan and popular legend that can be still be considered as current. As a matter of fact, the folk tales speak of a probable comeback of the Janara, who after being burned at the stake seems to be thirsting for revenge for the evil suffered.
The 'Abroad EP' catalogues a period of time spent travelling Japan in the spring of 2019. Throughout the course of the month-long trip, Rudy carried around a portable recorder, capturing various sounds that caught his ear. That collection of found sounds would eventually become the foundation for the EP, each track utilizing a handful of different recordings ranging from bird calls in Tokyo's Yoyogi Park, to windchimes in the coastal town of Kawazu. The EP took a full year of patient, daily work to complete, during which time Rudy invited a diverse group of collaborators in to help finish the songs. Throughout the recording process, harp, saxophone, and violin parts were added to create a unique blend of organic and electronic sounds.
POSY is the recording name of Rudy Klobas, Portland-based producer and multi-instrumentalist with a unique sound that intersects jazz, R&B, and electronic music. Originally trained on classical guitar, POSY gradually taught himself piano, bass, and drums and began writing and recording his first songs on a four-track cassette recorder. POSY's music is lush and densely layered, but maintains an element of simplicity that ultimately leaves one feeling relaxed, nostalgic, and hopeful all at the same time.
La grande vallée (1993/95), 20'41
Musical composition, design and sound production carried out at the INA grm Studios (Paris) in 1993/95
Original audio recordings in the Drôme and the Mont Ventoux areas
Voice: Hélène Bettencourt
Vocal occurrences: Frédéric Malenfer, Bruno Roche, Lionel Marchetti
Bass clarinet (for processing): Jean Andréo
Micro-climat (1989/90), 21'33
Micro-climat is the first movement of the Sirrus cycle (Micro-climat, Passerelle, Sirrus) composed in 1989/90
Musical composition, sound design and production, audio recordings in 1989/90 at the CFMI studios in Lyon (Lumière University, Lyon 2)
"I wonder if my fascination for clouds (without being an obsession) may have risen at the end of the 80s as, whilst composing Micro-climat, I would regularly wander between the Vercors mountains and the high plateaus of the Monts du Forez discovering, through my eyes, body, breath, active observation and walk, that natural forms when constantly changing and yet swollen with a unity of matter (in this instance, water) open one up to a deep, fundamental breath and a clear field for the mind. The sky and its forces: our ally.
A model for a natural music which, although fixed, as in musique concrète (a rule of the genre), moreover on a recording tape, will remain charged with such a poetic quality that (isn't it its role or rather its reality?) it will ensure a perpetual renewal for our senses, so as to reach another idea of the world, far more open and richer than what we could have imagined."
Lionel Marchetti, 2011
Lionel Marchetti is a major figure of the "third generation" of concrète musicians, a term he values. Listening to these works, imbued with poetry and traversed by micro-narratives, one can indeed retrieve the original concrète spirit, the one that draws from the sonic world, with ears wide open, so as to extract a fertile, rich and multiple substance then shaped and conveyed towards a formal and musical abstraction. Lionel Marchetti has mastered this process, but his real distinctive feature is a truly unique talent for setting climates (as one sets traps) and keeping us on constant alert. The two pieces in this record perfectly illustrate the entrancing dimension of Lionel Marchetti's music, whose charm leads us, through each successive listening, to become voluntary captives so as to better liberate ourselves.
François Bonnet, Paris, 2020
LTD. NEON PINK & NEON GREEN VINYL
The Impossible Kid, released in 2016 on Rhymesayers Entertainment, marked Indie-rap mainstay Aesop Rock's first solo venture since 2012's Skelethon. Aesop continued finding new ways to improve on the skills that have made him one of the kings of indie hip-hop. His creative process now includes a newfound willingness to open up about his personal life, going deep on topics like depression, his sometimes rocky relationship with his family, and the turbulent handful of years that culminated in Aesop leaving his adopted home of San Francisco to live in a barn out in the woods, where he recorded the foundations of The Impossible Kid. There's also moments of levity though, as Aesop taps into the funny side of his persona that he suppressed during the period where being taken as a serious lyricist was more of a priority. Like Skelethon, Aesop exercised complete creative control over every aspect of the album, from the production (which he handled himself, with instrumental help from Philly's Grimace Foundation) to conceptualizing the cover art by his friend Alex Pardee.
Released in 1983, Sandra Sá's 'Vale Tudo' is one of the essential Brazilian-boogie-funk records of the era. Pure class throughout, with a dream team of incredible musicians and producers behind the scenes. For some, this album is regarded as Sandra's magnum opus.
It is drenched in the essence of the Brazilian 80s boogie and funk sound. A driving force behind this is the writing, arrangement, and musicianship of Lincoln Olivetti, who was instrumental in forging this unique sound within Brazilian production at the time. It is heightened even further by the astonishing team that feature on the record. Brazilian icon and heavyweight Tim Maia, Robson Jorge, Serginho Trombone, Oberdan Magalhães, Claudio Stevenson and Jamil Joanes (of Banda Black Rio fame), Junior Mendes, the list goes on. This crew of musicians synergised perfectly with Sandra's vocal style, all complementing each other to create a classic.
One of our favourites from the album is the opening track 'Trem Da Central', an infectious groove that when paired with Sandra's cool and relaxed swaggering vocal resulted in an essential dancefloor jam! Equally delightful and dancefloor summoners are the catchy boogie funk of ‘Candura’, and the Earth, Wind & Fire sounding 'Pela Cidade'. Tim Maia features on the fast-paced duet 'Vale Tudo', which was written especially for Sandra to sing with Tim, who at the time was one of the biggest stars in Brazilian music. These boogie and funk compositions are balanced by fine slow jams giving the album a satisfyingly well-rounded feel.
Sandra had been working in music since the 70s and continues to do so to this day, but this period of the early 80s was a rich and prolific time for her. If you are a fan of Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti's self-titled album from 1982 or Marcos Valle's 1983 album featuring the song 'Estrelar', then this one is definitely for you. 'Vale Tudo' is a must-have record from a talented artist at the top of her game and Sandra makes it all sound so effortless.
After a year off, Increase the Groove Records is back in force with a release eclectic AF, like the vibe that has instilled into this label since its creation. The EP of ALYHAS & LIAM FATTORI, includes 2 remixes of the very tallentuous : Idris Bena and Harry Wills !
Lowride & enjoy it.
Minimal Wave presents ‘Recordings 1980-1982’ (MW077), a triple 7” box set by pioneering south Florida synth-punk band Futurisk, in honor of their 40th anniversary. Founded by Jeremy Kolosine in 1978, Futurisk recorded many songs and performed live throughout the early 1980s. Though they had released two 7”s that sold out, had a legendary live show, and even some videos, by 1984 Futurisk was history. Eventually, the main core of Futurisk would be the Jeremy Kolosine, Richard Hess, and Jack Howard line-up though much happened leading up to this point.
In 1979, the teenage Jeremy Kolosine won studio time and money in a competition with his drum-machine-triggered guitar-synth act called ‘Clark Humphrey & Futurisk’. He decided to form a band around the name to record a more punk release titled The Sound of Futurism 1980 / Army Now. It was an ambivalent anti-war anthem with Jack Howard on drums, Frank Lardino on synth, and Kolosine on vocals and guitar synth. Many live shows ensued with the line-up which included Jeff Marcus on bass and Vinnie Scrimenti on drums but in 1981 a rift between the band caused them to part ways. They continued for a bit as ‘Radio Berlin’ (no relation to the Vancouver act) and Kolosine, who had gotten absorbed in a new analog synthesizer with sequencer continued as Futurisk.
He recruited synthesist and recording engineer Richard Hess who had a myriad collection of Moogs, Oberhieims, and CATs. Jack Howard returned on drums and syn-drums and the lineup for the Player Piano EP was cast. The EP, like the live show, was a strange blend of punk, minimalist, and disco-influenced electro-pop, with drum machine triggered synths and often frantic real drums all led by Kolosine’s schizophrenic Bowie / Ferry / Foxx adulations. It was recorded by Richard Hess and the band in the rooms of a friend’s house. The drum sound, recorded in a bathroom, rocks, even today. Reportedly, Futurisk may have been the first synth-punk band in the American South, and their 1981 track ‘Push Me Pull You (Pt. 2)’ was an early pre- ‘Rockit’ excursion into electro-funk.
The ‘Recordings 1980-1982’ box set includes three 7”s, an Army Now (1982) Flexi 5” x 7” postcard, and a 16-page full-color booklet featuring unpublished photographs of the band, the history of the band, and an interview with founder Jeremy Kolosine. The three 7”s are The Sound of Futurism 1980 / Army Now which includes an unreleased track from the same session, the Player Piano five-song 7” EP from 1982, and the Ocean Sound 7”, which has not been released in this format until now. All three 7”s are remastered, pressed on heavyweight 70-gram vinyl, and housed in heavy color printed matte sleeves featuring the band’s original artwork. The box is case wrapped and depicts an early illustration of the band printed in black on white with a spot gloss. Limited edition of 600 copies.
Some fresh material from Olivier Romero is always welcome here . Two new tracks with his special vibe between minimal and house’s micro voices .This time , the collaboration for the remix is coming from Paul Walter with 2 different versions.Sure that every one will find a preference in these 4 differents tracks that made an eclectic release!.
Just in time for the holidays comes a brand new Christmas classic from Academy Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino (Up, Ratatouille & Lost) and if the world ever needed a shot of positivity right now then this is it!
The idea of writing a Christmas single happened whilst hosting a Christmas party with Richard Kind at the Royal Albert Hall in 2019. During that party, they heard a radio announcement regarding a Christmas song competition, and they immediately began trying to
write a song and find someone to sing it! Throughout the party, guests turned up, but no one wanted to sing the song, that is until Himesh Patel and UK band Itchy Teeth knocked on the door and took up the challenge. Himesh was fresh from starring in Danny Boyle’s film Yesterday, and Itchy Teeth were the band that performed with him throughout the movie.
Recalling classic Christmas earworms such as Wings ‘Wonderful Christmastime,” the single is written by Michael Giacchino, Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson and performed by Itchy Teeth. The B-side is a beautiful smokey lounge version of Christmas Number One performed by the John Robert Wood Yule Sextet.
The LTD 7’ comes complete with a digital download card and is presented in gatefold Christmas card cover, ready and waiting to be given as a gift and inscribed with your very own holiday greeting.
Let us see 2020 out in a flurry of positivity, optimism and fun, so get ready to be singing this song around the christmas tree this year with all your family (even if that mean doing so on Zoom)
Happy Holidays!!!
- A1: Exactly Like You
- A2: Solitude
- A3: Ain’t Misbehavin’
- A4: Runnin’ Wild
- A5: Body And Soul
- A6: Hot Lips
- A7: When Day Is Done
- A8: Rose Room
- A9: Liebestraum No 3
- A10: Miss Annabelle Lee
- B1: Tears
- B2: Mystery Pacific
- B3: Big Boy Blues
- B4: Montmartre
- B5: Solid Old Man
- B6: Finesse
- B7: I Know That You Know
- B8: Low Cotton
- B9: Japanese Sandman
- B10: Minor Swing
This reissue features 20 tracks, including two bonus tracks, by the virtuoso gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. Included are recordings with violinist Stephane Grappelli, co-founder of the Quintette Du Hot Club De France, Bill Coleman, Rex Stewart, Barney Bigard and Dicky Wells.
The 20-page booklet contains complete information with specially prepared liner notes by Penguin Guide to Jazz’s writer Brian Morton and by France’s prestigious Jazz Magazine. “Django’s virtuosity continues to astonish guitar masters and young musicians today. He passed away at the zenith of a short career, leaving behind a body of recordings that give indisputable proof of his authentic creative genius.” Jazz Magazine
p Solid Old Man Solid Rock
q Finesse Night Wind
Part of the new brigade of artists making their mark on the label, Veerus lands his fifth release in two years on Drumcode.
With a pair of EPs and numerous contributions to the coveted A-Sides compilation under his belt since his debut in 2018, Veerus has established himself as a talented go-to producer for Adam Beyer; from his stirring cut ‘Hypnosis’ that highlighted the Drumcode founder’s Cercle performance, to the killer ‘System’ that provided an early 2020 moment for the label.
His consistent vein of form will result in a coveted spot at Drumcode Festival Malta 2021 in September.
‘Recovery’ continues the Italian’s talent for crafting powerful melody-led techno projections.
The title track is an ace. What begins as a smoky atmospheric cut is quicky elevated to beast status as intergalactic robot stabs shatter the mist, while an acid-underbelly adds to the mood. ‘Dysfunction’ brims with a distinct 90s synth aesthetic, propelled by a crisp and classy bottom end.
REPRESS!!
These tracks were recorded by Kevin Low and Fiona Carlin in Kevin’s bedroom in Gayfield Square, Edinburgh, in 1986. Me and my dad, Kevin, dug out a huge bunch of his tapes over the lockdown (about 80 of the them at first). Some were…better than others, however, the Gayfield Square demos were the pick of the lot. Previously Kevin and Fiona were part of the Post Punk / indie band ‘Wild Indians’, whose first release “Stolen Courage” had come out in 1983 – released on Flexi Disc via the Edinburgh fanzine Deadbeat. Throughout the mid-1980s they performed across Edinburgh’s clubs, including at the Hoochie Coochie Club (name checked on track 7), where they played alongside bands and close friends Pop Wallpaper and Visitors. The band went on to release two 12” singles, “Love of My Life” in 1984 and “Penniless” in 1986.
After the band broke up Kevin sold his guitar amp and 7inch collection, Fiona her saxophone and they went out and got themselves a Yamaha RX-5 drum machine, Yamaha QX7 sequencer and a Yamaha DX-100. These bedroom tracks are the fruits of their first venture with this hardware, combining their experimentation with synthetic sounds (mostly the DX-100’s famous pre-sets) with a post-punk vocal style.
These eight tracks are also, in part, the fruit of the “Enterprise Allowance scheme” - a policy venture of Margaret Thatcher’s UK government that gave unemployment claimants access to an extra £40 to top up the basic dole money. Following Thatcher’s election victories in 1979 and 1983, the policy sought to reduce the figures of mass unemployment which hung over Britain well into the 1980s. This policy, according to Kevin, helped to keep up the credit payments. He notes that, “when Fiona and I turned up at the DHSS office with the sure-fire money-making plan of making a business as a ‘song-writing’ duo they signed us up. However, I still think they thought we said, sign writing as they were filling out the form.”
Kevin and Fiona stopped making music together shortly after these tracks were recorded so unfortunately, they never saw the light of day…until now!
Fiona went on to work in Film and Television sound. Kevin became a photographer, working mostly in theatre. He is now an artist/painter working in Glasgow.
"For their fourth release, East London based label want? welcome seminal Frankfurt artist Frost to the fold. It’s a special happening and the first time that label owner Matteo Manzini has invited a guest artist other than his studio partner Fabrizio Maurizi to contribute to the label. The collaboration comes from a place of both personal and professional respect for the Pressure Traxx founder following many meetings in the sacred halls of Robert Johnson. Frost has been an influence on many levels to want? and his spirit of education and music sharing is the backbone of this EP.".
Deap Lips is Wayne & Steven from THE FLAMING LIPS with Julie & Lindsey from DEAP VALLY. This special collaboration came together after a friendship formed between the bands.- - The seeds of Deap Lips were first planted years ago, when Troy and Edwards each fell in love with the music of the Flaming Lips. The Lips' 1999 classic The Soft Bulletin is one of Edwards' top ten of all time. "You can listen to their entire catalogue and the experience is so intact, full of experiments, philosophy, hooks, and the sublime," says Edwards. "There are very few artists who can offer the same experience on a decades-spanning deep dive."
Flash forward to 2016 as Deap Vally were touring with Wolfmother and Coyne turned up at a show in Raleigh (Edwards was on maternity leave at the time). Wayne, in town scouting the best edible giant gummy props, came for the show and Troy and Coyne were introduced after the set.
After that chance meeting Coyne started following Deap Vally on Instagram and would tag them in random posts of the Lips in the studio, much to their delight and amusement. Deap Vally wondered:
is Wayne hinting at a collaboration? They had this theme on the brain as Edwards and Troy had recently embarked on a series of yet to be released collaborations with the likes of KT Tunstall, Peaches, Jamie Hince (The Kills), Soko, Jenny Lee (Warpaint), Jennie Vee (EODM), Zach Dawes (Queens of the Stone Age, Mini Mansions), and Ayse Hassan (Savages).
- 1: Unlawful Assembly
- 2: Content 3. Before I Ask
- 4: Why Are We Waiting
- 5: Create The Visitor
- 6: We Can Really Feel Like We?Re Here
- 7: More Data
- 8: I Didn?T Know I Was Dead 9. Failure
- 10: Don?T Don?T Get Freaked Out
- 11: Anything Else
- 12: Attractive Target
- 13: Open Your Mouth
- 14: Incomprehensible Solution
- 15: The World Will Decide
Negativland’s mirror image sequel to last year’s True False, The World Will Decide turns the focus away from the very human inability to accurately define reality, and towards the technologies being built to do a better job at it. But if sorting true from false seemed like a full time job back when all one had to keep track of was one’s own mind, life alongside the machines built to connect everyone only seems to multiply the uncertainties. On The World Will Decide, those uncertainties are made almost deliriously danceable: a netweb of densely sampled voices melting speech back down into music and back again, into what everyone can agree are the real questions—did that firefly really land on your finger? Would you like to be arrested? Does this app connect you to people, or replace them? Is this post an example of inauthentic behavior? Do people have to die? Or, as one of the many sampled voices on this work assures the listener: we can really feel like we’re here.
Hailing from Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, Gacha Bakradze is one of the national scene’s leading electronic music exponents. He returns to Lapsus Records with his new album 'Obscure Languages', his second release for the Barcelona label.
Following the superb LP 'Word Color' Lapsus Records, 2018, which appeared in several ‘album of the year’ lists for publications such as Pitchfork and XLR8R, the prolific producer now presents 'Obscure Languages'. This new piece of work could well be described as a sound continuation from his previous album and maintains a powerful narrative at its core.
‘Obscure Languages' delves into the world of cinematic soundscapes, replete with microscopic details and fragments that showcase a luscious IDM style audio palette, laced with ambient, avant-techno, bass and sound design.
We are in 1987 and 2 years have passed since Vinicio Adames debut album "El Comienzo Del Camino" when Venezuelan painter Ernesto Leon asks Vinicio to compose music for his New York Art Exhibition at Lincoln Centre. The result is an exceptional composition and modern sound interpretation of their national heritage the Amazonas. Both Amazonia I + II, each version in its own way, honor the majesty and mystery of one of worlds greatest nature reservoirs. Both compositions were never intended for commercial release, and were only given out by hand in Flexidisc format during the exhibition. We at TrueClass Record felt, that the time has come to present this gem to all musiclovers worldwide.
Short Info:
Venezuelan Electronic Music Pioneer Vinicio Adames Synth-Pop Masterpiece from 1987.
One off album by an all-star ensemble of musicians and singers, many of whom had played with Fruko y sus Tesos and other Colombian orchestras previously. There is cumbia, salsa, bolero, son montuno, descarga and even calypso, including 'Cumbia y tambó (En la lluvia)' which has been an international dance floor staple for many years. One of the best tropical records released by Codiscos that receives its first-time reissue here in glorious remastered sound.
If you don’t know already, Last Nubian is a South London producer that has been making waves with his signature style of deep house for the last few years. This 808 driven project showcases a slightly darker side to his talents, whilst nodding to inspirations from the London Jazz scene and his explorations into analogue backed production methods.
This fast-paced four track EP hints at a different direction for Flat White Records, and this could well mean there’s more to come from Last Nubian in the future.
This little beauty comes from Greymatter and Black Fan, two long-term friends and ex-studio partners.
Greymatter aka Graham Luckhurst continues to steadily release his unique blend of dance & electronics on labels including Toolroom, Future Disco, WOLF Music, Brownswood and more. His track “Tesla” treated by Black Fan (Local Talk, WOLF Music) in a Soundfactory way: powerful and reduced House music! Black Fan’s “Cuttlefish” on the flipside is this groovy, dreamy electronic music – was that once called “intelligent techno”? Anyway, just a pure bliss! More to come from Black Fan on Quintessentials soon! Ah yeah, this 7” is limited to 111 copies, so better be fast.
Limited edition 180g vinyl reissue of ‘Workin’ With The Miles Davis
Quintet’ on blue vinyl. Classic Miles Davis Quintet studio session from
1956 (released Jan. 1960) produced by Bob Weinstock for Prestige Records.
“This is the sort of thing that is going to be owned and played and dug and redug for all time. Few bands in the history of jazz have had the quality of this group. The whole LP is a gas. I don’t see how anyone can do without it.” - Ralph J. Gleason, DownBeat
With their 25th anniversary celebrations well underway, Hospital Records are bringing their esteemed ‘Classic Symptoms’ series into 2021 with four stellar selections.
The fifteenth edition will be the first to celebrate the label’s milestone achievement by shining the spotlight on some of the original versions of tracks from the highly anticipated ‘H25PITAL’ compilation set to be released on 26th March 2021. Expect an eclectic mix of sound supplied by Netsky, SKC & Bratwa, Hugh Hardie and Q-Project pressed to an extremely exclusive vinyl run.
An undeniable anthem which has cemented itself in the hearts of countless drum & bass lovers, Netsky’s ‘Memory Lane’ marked his first release on Hospital Records and is the perfect starter for ‘Classic Symptoms 15’. Opening the ‘Sick Music 2’ compilation which originally came out in 2010, ‘Memory Lane’ is now approaching its 11th year in circulation.
“It was an exciting time, I had been sending demos through AIM to Hospital for some time, hoping something would get picked up.” - Netsky
Hailing from Hungary, SKC & Bratwa’s nostalgic ‘Heart Of Love’ follows. First seeing the light of day as part of the ‘Weapons Of Mass Creation’ compilation in 2004, this one will take you on a funk-infused liquid trip back to the days of the original Hospital loungecore sound.
Bringing things back to the future, Hugh Hardie’s soulful slammer ‘Tearing Me Apart (feat. Kyan)’ provides ‘Classic Symptoms 15’ with alluring groove and, of course, that infamous double bass melody. Initially released on the ‘Hospital: We Are 18’ compilation back in 2013, it’s safe to say this one is timeless.
Sending it way back to 2006, Q-Project steps up with the title track of his 2006 ‘Computer Love’ electro-infused smasher. Rugged breaks and future-retro synthesis, this one sounds just as good now as it did back then.
Don’t sleep on securing your extremely limited press of four Hospital classics.
This one is for the serious collectors - once they’re gone, they’re gone.
Rich in musical associations yet utterly singular in its voice, joyous with an inner tranquility, the music of Natural Information Society is unlike any other being made today. Their sixth album in eleven years for eremite records, descension (Out of Our Constrictions) is the first to be recorded live, featuring a set from London’s Cafe OTO with veteran English free-improv great Evan Parker, & the first to feature just one extended composition. The 75-minute performance, inspired by the galvanizing presence of Parker, is a sustained bacchanalia of collective ecstasy. You could call it their party album.
This was the second time Parker played with NIS. Joshua Abrams: “Both times we played compositions with Evan in mind. I don’t tell Evan anything. He’s a free agent.”
The music is focused & malleable, energized & even-keeled, drawing on concepts of ensemble playing common to musics from many locations & eras without any one specific aesthetic realization completely defining it.
“The rhythms that Mikel plays are not an exact reference to Chicago house, but that’s in there,” Abrams says. “I like to take a cyclic view of music history, can we take that four-on-the-floor, & consider how it connects to swing-era music? Can we articulate a through line? I dee-jayed for years in Chicago & lessons I learned from playing records for dancing inform how I think about the group’s music. The listener can make connections to aspects of soul music, electronic music, minimalism, traditional folk musics, & other musics of the diaspora as well. It’s about these aspects coming together. I don’t need to mimic something, I need to embody it to get to the spirit, to get to the living thing.”
For jazz fans, the sound of Parker’s soprano & Jason Stein’s bass clarinet might evoke Coltrane & Dolphy, even though they didn’t necessarily set out to do that & they play with complete individuality. Abrams sees a bridge to the historical precedent, too. “Since we first met in the 1990s, one of the things that Evan and I connected on was Coltrane’s music,” he says. “I hoped that we would tap into that sound world intuitively. In this case, I think that level of evocation adds another layer of depth, versus a layer of reference.”
Indeed, this is a performance in which the connections among the ensemble & the creative tension between improvisation and composition build into a complex mesh of associations & interactions. While the band confines itself to the territory mapped out by Abrams’ composition, they are remarkably attentive & responsive, making adjustments to Parker’s improvisations. When Parker’s intricate patterns of notes interweave with the band, the parts reinforce one another & the music rockets upward. Sometimes, Parker’s lines are cradled by the group’s gentle pulse & an unearthly lyrical balance is struck.
Drummer Mikel Patrick Avery is locked-in, playing with hellacious long-form discipline, feel & responsiveness. Jason Stein’s animated, vocalized bass clarinet weaves in & out with Lisa Alvarado’s harmonium to state the piece’s thematic material; the pulsing tremolo on the harmonium brings a Spacemen 3 vibe to the party. Abrams ties together melody & rhythm on guimbri, a presence that leads without seeming to. Like his bandmates, he shifts modes of playing frequently, improvising & then returning to the composed structure.
“As specific as the composition is, the goal is to internalize it & mix it up,” Abrams says. “The idea is to get so comfortable that we can make spontaneous changes, find new routes of activity, stasis & byways every gig. It’s like a web we’re spinning. If someone makes a move, we all aim to be aware of it, make room for it. Experiencing & listening is what it’s about, & Evan supercharges that.”
& “supercharged” is the word for this album. With Parker further opening up their music, descension (Out of Our Constrictions) is the sound of Natural Information Society growing both more disciplined and freer, one of the great bands of its time on a deep run.
Aguirre edition: Mastered by Helge Sten, Audio Virus, Oslo. Lacquers by Dubplates & Mastering. Liner Notes by Theaster Gates. LPs pressed on premium audiophile-quality vinyl at Pallas Records. US 2xLP edition available thru Eremite records.
Alan Vega’s name is synonymous with unfettered, tireless creativity. Beginning in the late 1950s, when he was a fine art student at Brooklyn College, through his years playing in Suicide, and all the way up until his death in 2016, Vega was constantly creating. That
process naturally led to a wealth of material that didn’t see the light of day immediately when it was recorded, which came to be known as the Vega Vault. Mutator is the first in a series of archival releases from the Vault that will come out on Sacred Bones Records.
Mutator was recorded alongside Vega’s longtime collaborator Liz Lamere at his NYC studio from 1995-1996, and it serves as a document of a particularly fertile time in his creative life. He had 11 full-length solo albums come out during the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s - plus numerous collaborations, and Suicide records A Way of Life and Why Be Blue. Mutator wasn’t shelved intentionally, but Vega’s back-to-thegrindstone M.O. meant that he had moved on to making his next record before this one was finished. Lamere and Vega’s friend and confidante Jared Artaud (The Vacant Lots) rediscovered the raw, unmixed recordings from the Mutator sessions in the Vault in 2019. Soon after, they mixed and produced them into the visionary album that was lurking within those tapes.
“Our primary purpose for going into the studio was to experiment with sound, not to ‘make records,’” Lamere recalls. “I was playing the machines with Alan manipulating sounds. I played riffs while Alan morphed the sounds being channeled through the machines.”
At the time of the Mutator sessions, Vega was massively inspired by what was happening in the streets of New York - not only the hip hop scenes that were exploding throughout the outer boroughs, but also the literal sounds of the streets, the traffic noise and industrial ambience of city living. That influence trickled into the sounds he and Lamere captured in those sessions. That sensibility, paired with Vega’s unmistakable voice and force of personality, is what made it the great album it is now. The final piece was the production job, completed by Lamere and Artaud 25 years after the songs were first captured.
Alan Vega’s name is synonymous with unfettered, tireless creativity. Beginning in the late 1950s, when he was a fine art student at Brooklyn College, through his years playing in Suicide, and all the way up until his death in 2016, Vega was constantly creating. That
process naturally led to a wealth of material that didn’t see the light of day immediately when it was recorded, which came to be known as the Vega Vault. Mutator is the first in a series of archival releases from the Vault that will come out on Sacred Bones Records.
Mutator was recorded alongside Vega’s longtime collaborator Liz Lamere at his NYC studio from 1995-1996, and it serves as a document of a particularly fertile time in his creative life. He had 11 full-length solo albums come out during the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s - plus numerous collaborations, and Suicide records A Way of Life and Why Be Blue. Mutator wasn’t shelved intentionally, but Vega’s back-to-thegrindstone M.O. meant that he had moved on to making his next record before this one was finished. Lamere and Vega’s friend and confidante Jared Artaud (The Vacant Lots) rediscovered the raw, unmixed recordings from the Mutator sessions in the Vault in 2019. Soon after, they mixed and produced them into the visionary album that was lurking within those tapes.
“Our primary purpose for going into the studio was to experiment with sound, not to ‘make records,’” Lamere recalls. “I was playing the machines with Alan manipulating sounds. I played riffs while Alan morphed the sounds being channeled through the machines.”
At the time of the Mutator sessions, Vega was massively inspired by what was happening in the streets of New York - not only the hip hop scenes that were exploding throughout the outer boroughs, but also the literal sounds of the streets, the traffic noise and industrial ambience of city living. That influence trickled into the sounds he and Lamere captured in those sessions. That sensibility, paired with Vega’s unmistakable voice and force of personality, is what made it the great album it is now. The final piece was the production job, completed by Lamere and Artaud 25 years after the songs were first captured.
TRANSVITAEXPRESS is a psycho-phonic tale of the afterlife. Maybe one of the weirdest italian albums ever released.
'TRANSVITAEXPRESS is the sonorous realization of an idea that had been developing in me for some time and to which the encounter with the poet Barbarino gave the decisive push. I used the "tape-sound" technique, that is the organization and integration of sounds, noises, speech, song and rhythm, of which the resulting sound, being the result of electronic manipulation of the sound events themselves, is audible, therefore repeatable, only by means of magnetic tape. The sound material is, in part, reportage, so the work often takes on the character of a “disc-truth”, in part it is a faithful reconstruction of parapsychological events. We have defined this work "Psycho-phonic tale" in fact it is a sound experience, that is, a journey into the world of sounds of an "afterlife", rooted in us due to childhood, ancestral reminiscences, superstitions, legends, anxieties, utopias and above all fear. Fear of the mystery, fear of the unknown.
TRANSVITAEXPRESS is therefore the sound representation of these cultural and existential limits, and is therefore a critical, liberating, provocative work. I certainly do not expect, and perhaps I do not want someone after having listened to tell me that it is "beautiful".
TRANSVITAEXPRESS is the name of a train full of ... that travels in an afterlife so "beyond" that it coincides with the most central point of my ego. Perhaps the most logical "end-continuation" of life, the least imaginative, the least corrupt. The distortions, things that are too, or too little, defined, realistic situations, clichés, monotheisms and captions are embedded in the most traditional dream fabric, the most suitable in my opinion to promote approaches with the mysterious, with the esoteric, with the magical.'
M. GIOMBINI
Scottish producer Gavin Sutherland revives his Other Lands alias with a collection of tracks that were crafted between 1997 and 2012, and were transferred straight from the original cassette.
"What Year Is It? Who Is The President?", is Sutherlands' first full offering with PULP. After multiple remixes for the label (under his Fudge Fingas alias), the release schedule for the Other Lands guise has picked up in the last few months. This resurgence of previously unreleased material will add to Sutherland's elaborate catalog, and confirm that even bits that never saw a release at the time, are sounding relevant and superbly produced.
"What Year Is It? Who Is The President?" (PULP13) starts with "The Caged Bird", which is a synth laden, lush sounding cut that is built around a playful bass sound and beautifully orchestrated chords. The drums are swinging as ever, and the hypnotic character of the lead is present throughout.
"Kaleidoscope" is a venture into the otherworldly. Deep splashes of synth and fx come together effortlessly to create an almost meditative state. The musicality of it all is remarkable, and hard to capture in a few words. The rhythm section is always the backbone, but the fx are equally as important. Fans of Sutherland's work will surely recognize and appreciate the ambiance that is set in Kaleidoscope.
The flipside starts with "It's Something Else". The main lead is indeed something refreshing. In a sense, it's reminiscent of a guitar, but it's clearly not that. The dance floor nature of everything else is supporting the wildness of the lead. Altogether this is something to space out to. On a dance floor, at home or perhaps even during a run.
The final track on the B-side is called "Mind Like A Steel Trap". This sample heavy, hazy sounding piece of beauty is blending soulful flutes, drums and the catchphrase of the song - no more mind games - together with an astonishing ease
On February 27, 2018, Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band (comprised, in this iteration, of long-time SMB bassist Peter Kerlin and Kerlin’s Sunwatchers battery mate Jason Robira on drums) were close to wrapping up an 18-date tour of the EU and UK with a two-set, one hour and 45 minute show at Cafe OTO, London’s premier venue for adventurous music. Highlights of that show are included in this live release, RARE DREAMS: SOLAR LIVE 2.27.18, recorded before a packed house seated mere feet from the band’s amplifiers. These recordings reveal a band that is clearly in high spirits and high gear, operating with an expansive, improvisatory fleetness that allows them to stretch the material to almost ludicrous extremes and then let it to snap back to some semblance of form while somehow seemingly never wasting a note, a beat, a gesture. The four tracks included here comprise material culled from (at the time) the two most recent Solar Motel Band records DREAMING IN THE NON-DREAM (No Quarter, 2017) and THE RARITY OF EXPERIENCE (No Quarter, 2016) plus covers of two Neil Young songs - the autobiographical plaint “Don’t Be Denied,” lyrically relocated by Forsyth from Young's Canada and Hollywood to the more personally relevant geography of New Jersey and Philadelphia, and encore “Barstool Blues” (they’d run out of material to play, so another Neil Young tune it was). While the covers establish Forsyth’s basis, serving as an homage to Young and the quest for self-realization, the long tracks’ jams showcase the trance-inducing power of the Solar Motel Band as a performing entity. Kerlin’s gymnastically propulsive bass playing locks in with Robira’s relentless thud, each serving as counterpoint to some of the most blistering guitar work of Forsyth’s career. The telepathically dynamic interplay of the trio explodes with whiplash intensity across the 15-plus minute takes of “Dreaming In The Non-Dream” and “The First 10 Minutes of Cocksucker Blues,” each song’s structure serving as a framework for extended lava flows of energy. At one point late in the “Dreaming” jam, Forsyth unplugs the jack from his guitar, dragging it across the strings and lashing the body of his single-pickup “parts" Esquire, producing a desiccated barrage of percussive static. This is music beyond the notes; it is an expression of pure electric ecstasy, a simultaneous negation and celebration of rock music’s (indeed all musics’) essential energy. In contrast to the expansive but meticulously detailed guitar arrangements of his recordings, here Forsyth’s unhinged live guitar sound positively roars with a barely restrained vocal intensity, from liquid melodic lines to gnarled blasts of free jazz scree, to pulsating lead/rhythm vamping. I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing this band up close for a number of years now and I can authoritatively attest that while every show is different, when the SMB is running down a steep hill at full speed (as on these takes), they become a single leaderless vibrating sonic tornado, possibly beyond the control and logic of the players themselves, picking up listeners along the way and taking them along for the ride straight into a solar furnace of sound. - Jerome Onfront, Philadelphia
"We want to make people feel good about things that we feel terrible about." says David Brewis, who has co-led the band Field Music with his brother Peter since 2004. It's a statement which seems particularly fitting to their latest album, Flat White Moon released on 23 April via Memphis Industries. Sporadic sessions for the album began in late 2019 at the pair's studio in Sunderland, slotted between rehearsals and touring. The initial recordings pushed a looser performance aspect to the fore, inspired by some of their very first musical loves; Free, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin and The Beatles; old tapes and LPs pilfered from their parents' shelves. But a balance between performance and construction has always been an essential part of Field Music. By March 2020, recording had already begun for most of the album's tracks and, with touring for Making A New World winding down, Peter and David were ready to plough on and finish the record. The playfulness that's evident in much of Flat White Moon's music became a way to offset the darkness and the sadness of many of the lyrics. Much of the album is plainly about loss and grief, and also about the guilt and isolation which comes with that. Those personal upheavals are apparent on songs like Out of the Frame, where the loss of a loved one is felt more deeply because they can't be found in photographs and compounded by the suspicion that you caused their absence, or on When You Last Heard From a Linda, which details the confusion of being unable to penetrate a best friend's loneliness in the darkest of circumstances. Some songs are more impressionistic. Orion From The Streets combines Studio Ghibli, a documentary about Cary Grant and an excess of wine to become a hallucinogenic treatise on memory and guilt.. Others, such as Not When You're In Love, are more descriptive. Here, the narrator guides us through slide-projected scenes, questioning the ideas and semantics of 'love' as well the reliability of his own memory. The result is a generous record of bounteous musical ideas, in many ways Field Music's most immediately gratifying to date.
LTD EDITION TRANSPARENT VINYL
"We want to make people feel good about things that we feel terrible about." says David Brewis, who has co-led the band Field Music with his brother Peter since 2004. It's a statement which seems particularly fitting to their latest album, Flat White Moon released on 23 April via Memphis Industries. Sporadic sessions for the album began in late 2019 at the pair's studio in Sunderland, slotted between rehearsals and touring. The initial recordings pushed a looser performance aspect to the fore, inspired by some of their very first musical loves; Free, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin and The Beatles; old tapes and LPs pilfered from their parents' shelves. But a balance between performance and construction has always been an essential part of Field Music. By March 2020, recording had already begun for most of the album's tracks and, with touring for Making A New World winding down, Peter and David were ready to plough on and finish the record. The playfulness that's evident in much of Flat White Moon's music became a way to offset the darkness and the sadness of many of the lyrics. Much of the album is plainly about loss and grief, and also about the guilt and isolation which comes with that. Those personal upheavals are apparent on songs like Out of the Frame, where the loss of a loved one is felt more deeply because they can't be found in photographs and compounded by the suspicion that you caused their absence, or on When You Last Heard From a Linda, which details the confusion of being unable to penetrate a best friend's loneliness in the darkest of circumstances. Some songs are more impressionistic. Orion From The Streets combines Studio Ghibli, a documentary about Cary Grant and an excess of wine to become a hallucinogenic treatise on memory and guilt.. Others, such as Not When You're In Love, are more descriptive. Here, the narrator guides us through slide-projected scenes, questioning the ideas and semantics of 'love' as well the reliability of his own memory. The result is a generous record of bounteous musical ideas, in many ways Field Music's most immediately gratifying to date.
"Flowers Bloom, Butterflies Come" is the result of a dialog between the stunning Japanese photographer and artist Miho Kajioka and the wonderful UK musicians and composers Ian Hawgood and Craig Tattersall (The Humble Bee), initiated by IIKKI, between August 2019 and January 2021.
Born in the United Kingdom, Ian Hawgood spent most of his adult life living in Japan, Italy and Poland. Currently he calls Peacehaven (on the south coast, near Brighton) his home. Since 2009, he’s well-known with his work as the curator of the Home Normal label. He makes music using an array of reel-to-reel and tape machines in his studio by the sea, where he also master works for many labels and artists alike. You could often catch him on the coast with his faithful Nagra recorder, hydrophone and field microphones. These days his focus of music is on decayed ambient works using old synths and reels mostly, alongside his childhood piano. (site)
Craig Tattersall is a former member of The Remote Viewer and Famous Boyfriend bandmate Andrew Johnson. Tattersall's music can be found these days more often under his alias The Humble Bee; as a founder member of The Boats; and in his collaborative works with the likes of Bill Seaman in The Seaman And The Tattered Sail. He has run the wonderful label Cotton Goods from 2008 to 2015 and since 2009 he has recorded 12 albums on his moniker The Humble Bee.
Miho Kajioka (b. 1973, Japan, lives in Kyoto) is an artist and a photographer since 2011. Kajioka’s work has been exhibited in Spain, Italy, France, the Netherlands, the USA, Germany, Belgium, Portugal and the United Kingdom. Kajioka’s latest book ‘so it goes’ won Prix Nadar in October 2019. "Kajioka's artistic practice is in principal snapshot based; she carries her camera everywhere and intuitively takes photos of whatever she finds interesting. These collected images serve as the basic material for her work in the darkroom where she creates her poetic and suggestive image-objects through elaborate, alternative printing methods. Kajioka regards herself more as a painter/drawer than as a photographer. She feels that photographic techniques help her to create works that fully express her artistic vision. Her images evoke a sense of mystery in her constant search for beauty. The focused, creative and respectful way in which she uses the medium of photography to creating her works seems to fit in the tradition of Japanese art that is characterized by the specifically Japanese sense of beauty, wabi sabi. (…) According to her, photography captures moments and freezes them; printing impressions is like playing with the sense of time and getting lost in its timeline." (Ibasho Gallery)
‘Crestone’ is the debut feature written and directed by
Marnie Ellen Hertzler in partnership with Memory.
Hertzler enlisted the pioneering experimental act
Animal Collective to compose the film’s score, a first
for the band.
Marnie Ellen Hertzler on the score: “The town of
Crestone is not only the location of the film, but also
an important character. I wanted a score that was able
to highlight and elevate its importance. There are no
musicians I’d rather work with more on this film, and
no band that can sonically describe a landscape better
than Animal Collective can.”
Set in the desert of Crestone, CO over the course of
eight days, ‘Crestone’ follows a group of SoundCloud
rappers who live in solitude, growing weed and
making music for the internet. When an old friend
arrives to make a movie, reality and fiction begin to
blur.
Animal Collective previously created the audiovisual
album ‘Tangerine Reef’ (2018) in collaboration with
Coral Morphologic, released ‘Transverse Temporal
Gyrus’ (2012) as the music for an installation at the
Guggenheim Museum alongside the visual work of
artist Danny Perez and released the visual album
‘ODDSAC’ (2010), also in collaboration with Danny
Perez. ‘Crestone (Original Score)’ is the band's first
film score.
140g black vinyl LP with colour labels and standard
3mm spined jacket plus digital download card.
Inspired from Romanian cultural heritage, be it film, dance or musical instruments, Folclor Abstract is a glance back to the roots in search of a meaningful future.
The first track is inspired from the soundtrack composed by Cornelia Tăutu for the Romanian historical adventure film “Buzduganul cu trei peceți” (1977). The film presents a politicized version of the events that led in 1600 to the unification of the three Romanian countries, in the aftermath of a victorious battle against the Ottoman invasion (Călugăreni, 1595). Dance your way through as the story unfolds.
Dans cu balans is the result of a personal fascination for the cimbalom, an instrument of high versatility, frequently used in the Romanian fiddle music. In contrast to orchestral performances, which adhere to the composer’s notes to reproduce a work faithfully, fiddling is also open to improvisation and tends to produce rhythms that focus on dancing, with associated quick note changes.
Searching for inspiration within Romanian folklore, I found Ivan Braga who was on his own pursuit of cultural heritage, experimenting with a variety of traditional instruments and rhythms from different regions of the country. Doba lu’ Braga is Ivan’s modern take on Romanian drum patterns performed on a traditional Moldavian drum (dobă) with an uplifting twist and arrangement for the dancefloor experience.
Reverie is an expression of the creator’s state of mind. Lost in thought, stolen by imagination, haunted by memories, liberated by dreams
Following recent super-deluxe editions and multi-format releases of classic Who albums – ‘My Generation’, ‘Tommy’ and ‘Quadrophenia’, and the success of ‘Live at Fillmore’, we follow with The Who Sell Out – this set shaping up to be the most superlative of all…!!
Released in December 1967 – the album reflected a remarkable year in popular culture. As well as being forever immortalised as the moment when the counterculture and the ‘Love Generation’ went global, 1967 produced tremendous musical upheavals as “pop” metamorphosed to “rock”.
Originally planned by Pete Townshend and the band’s managers, as a loose concept album including jingles and commercials linking the songs styled as a Radio London broadcast – born out of necessity as the band’s managers wanted a new album and there weren’t enough songs.
The original plan was to sell advertising space on the album – Jaguar cars, Coca-Cola etc. The jingles pay tribute to the pirate radio stations and expose the myths of ‘pop-culture’ and mock consumer society – way ahead of their time…
The homage to pop-art is evident in both the advertising jingles and the iconic sleeve design – created by David King (art director at the Sunday Times) and Roger Law (who invented Spitting Image) producing four giant images for each band member – Odorono deodorant, Medac spot cream, Charles Atlas and Heinz baked beans (Roger apparently caught pneumonia from sitting in the cold beans for too long).
Photography by renowned portrait photographer David Montgomery (rare out-takes included)
The album is a bold depiction of the period in which it was made – the tail-end of the ‘swinging-60s’ meets pop-art mixed with psychedelia and straight-ahead pop craft. It’s glorious blend of classic powerful Who instrumentation, melodic harmonies, satirical lyrical imagery crystallised for what was only the group’s third album – the ambition and scope is unrivalled by the Who, or any others from that period.
Within the bold concept, were a batch of fabulous and diverse songs – I Can See for Miles (a Top Ten hit) is a Who classic, Rael, a Townshend ‘mini-opera’ with musical motifs that reappeared in Tommy and the psychedelic blast of Armenia City in the Sky and Relax are among the very best material of the 1960s.
One of the most extraordinary albums of any era – it’s The Who’s last ‘pop’ album. Two years later came Tommy – a double concept album about a deaf, dumb and blind kid…
“We were hoping to get free Jaguars. We got fifty tins of free Baked Beans”
Pete Townshend
Sdban Records will reissue parts of the library serie 'A Special Radio ~ TV Record' released on the Belgian based Selection Records between 1976 and 1981 on vinyl. Sdban Records teams up with publisher Hans Kusters wo recently bought this catalog. Nonetheless, the first release will be a contemporary adaptation of the original concept by composer Reinhard Vanbergen (Das Pop, Rheinzand).
When Hans Kusters heard some music of Reinhard Vanbergen on the radio, he started dreaming of a new chapter. When asking Reinhard if he would be interested, Reinhard gladly accepted after finding out that one of the original composers from the Selection series, Rene Costy, had a very similar background, being a Belgian violinist and composer. It seemed like a perfect fit.
While respecting the concept of the past, Reinhard tried to give the record a modern touch, by simulating 10 geometric shapes, using immersive audio. With headphones on, you can detect the geometric shapes that move around your head in a little dance of their own. The mix of vintage and modern synths are an homage to the past while trying to give it something new and bring the concept into modern times. The new album, Selection 19 - Geometric Shapes opens the door to a new special radio and TV-records series, to continue in the same spirit from the past, but with an eye for the future.
Vomito Negro is the mythical EBM-industrial act formed in Belgium in 1983. The band has a vast discography that started with a self-titled EP in 1985 and continued with diverse releases on renowned labels like KK Records, Antler-Subway and more recently on Out of Line and Scanner.
Vomito Negro’s musical approach, essentially based on the European “Industrialist” tradition, takes a different angle on every record with synthesized psychodramas that range from danceable to contemplative, from instrumental and ambient to voice-ridden and brutal.
The new album “Entitled” was created with unreleased tracks from the early 80’s. All songs were re-arranged and re-recorded by Gin Devo at his own studio, “The Lab”, with the use of original vintage hardware synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines.
Marking Voitax's 25th release "Venice Pavillion", Farron delivers a beautiful blend of electronics that straddle the lines between jungle, IDM, electro, and techno. The A-Side kicks off with rough breaks, moody Reese basses, and fast footwork rhythms that crown the EP with its very own sparkling character - modern jungle topped with dystopian pads and pressing basslines are perfectly melted into the break-fuelled ride. The flip side doesn't cool things down - fluid drum patterns and hammering toms are continually chased by dramatic synths, with a constant weight brought to the table by the chunky low ends. The energy is maintained throughout, as jungle and electro live side by side in harmony in the track list before the release is brought to an emotional halt with a classy ambient piece.
‘Any Other City’ by Life Without Buildings, the only
album recorded in their brief existence, is
repressed and available again. Originally released
on Tugboat Records (a Rough Trade affiliated
label) in February 2001, ‘Any Other City’ has slowly
become a widely admired cult album.
Life Without Buildings formed in Glasgow in 1999,
they existed for three years and then split in 2002,
having released just one album and three double A
side singles, yet they’ve continued to build a
strong underground following in the years since,
which has culminated in copies of the original
album on vinyl changing hands for exorbitant
figures and numerous musicians citing it as a
major influence and inspiration.
Frontwoman Sue Tomkins’ unique vocal delivery
which is somewhere between talking and singing,
a kind of narrative, combined with the often spiky,
course backing that the rest of the band provide,
tends to prove magnetic after a few listens.
Life Without Buildings managed to be utterly
unique in the sound they made and ultimately
that’s what has made this album’s reputation grow
over time to be deemed absorbing, timeless and
utterly essential listening.
What's the equation that reveals your love? On the latest single from Alba & The Mighty Lions, the question is posed and answered in the form of a beautiful soul slow-roller. Alba Ponce de León's charming word play, both mathematically-minded and straight from the heart, is calculated as a sum of English and Español, and multiplied by the suave accompaniment of a Mighty Lions' backing track that cruises the border of lowrider soul and enchanted exotica. Adding it all up, you may find an answer to this magical schoolyard test, depending on how the numbers align for you. A witty and passionate take on a classic formula, "Matemática" is a deep and sweet flow, a slow dance mood for the heads and lovers alike.
A ground-breaking new collaboration for fans of African music (Ali Farka Touré, Oumou Sangaré) as well as contemporary orchestral music (Max Richter, Olafur Arnalds, the London Symphony Orchestra)
Kôrôlén is a very special collaboration between two titans in music: Toumani Diabaté, the Grammy-winning Malian kora virtuoso, and the London Symphony Orchestra, renowned worldwide for their performances of orchestral music on record, film and stage.
Diabaté, a griot whose musical lineage stretches back generations, is well known as one of the most creative musicians on the African continent, and is almost single-handedly responsible for bringing the iconic sound of the kora to worldwide audiences. No stranger to a genre-defying collaboration, he has recorded two Grammy-winning albums alongside desert blues pioneer Ali Farka Touré, as well as projects with Taj Mahal, Björk, Béla Fleck, Damon Albarn and Afrocubism.
Commissioned as a special project by the Barbican Centre in London and produced by World Circuit, these recordings feature Diabaté and his group of eminent Malian musicians (including Kasse Mady Diabaté and Lassana Diabaté), accompanied by the soaring presence of the LSO, in dedicated arrangements by Nico Muhly and Ian Gardiner and conducted by Clark Rundell.
The title bestowed by Diabaté on this unique and groundbreaking release, ‘Kôrôlén’, translates from the Mandinka language as ‘ancestral’ - a fitting theme for an album that brings together ancient griot melodies and Western orchestral arrangements, resulting in an achingly beautiful and fresh Afro-neo-classical sound that will appeal to admirers of African, traditional and new classical, and ambient music.
On October 12, 1929, Kathryn Culp and Sammie Lee Brown had the idea to name their first-born baby Napoleon. With such a vital beginning, little Nappy was already predestined to hit the mark, so from a very young age he stood out for his vocal qualities, well cultivated in gospel, which he practiced assiduously in The First Mount Zion Baptist Church run by his father.
To Mr. Brown's chagrin, after his first forays into religious music participating in vocal gospel groups such as The Golden Crowns, Golden Bell Quintet and The Heavenly Lights, with whom he recorded his first single for Savoy in 1954, the young Napoleon decided to try his hand at secular music, convinced by Herman Lubinsky, the big boss man of the New Jersey label.
In this way, between 1954 and 1962, Napoleon recorded a total of 28 singles at Savoy, clearly marking the transition from Rhythm & Blues to Rock’n’Roll, and also his subsequent jump to Soul, being the natural link between the late 40s southerners like Wynonie Harris or Big Joe Turner and artists like Jackie Wilson or James Brown, who cemented the black sounds of the 60s.
This LP includes a compilation of some of his best songs at Savoy, high class rock'n'roll, with a lot of dancefloor favourites like DON'T BE ANGRY, compiled in its two versions, or JUST A LITTLE LOVIN ', but also his more Bluesy sides, with songs like the fabulous DOWN IN THE ALLEY, which would be recorded years later by that certain singer born in Tupelo, Mississippi, that many times declared how much he dug Nappy Brown’s Rhythm & Blues.
In the same bluesy way Nappy wrote the iconic THE RIGHT TIME, one of the first stones of the Soul cathedral, originally recorded by Nappy on 1957, and revised one year before by Ray Charles. Ray’s version, renamed Night Time Is The Right Time, would be included as the main theme of the award-winning film IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT. We´ve also included Nappy’s own answer to this song, recorded in 1961 and titled as ANY TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME.
Finally can´t avoid to name some of the backing musicians you´ll hear in these tracks, Sam ‘The Man’ Taylor, Mickey Baker, Panama Francis… have a look on notes bellow, oh boy! the A-Team of the mid-century New York Rhythm & Blues!
Nappy disappeared from the music scene in 1962, remaining anonymous until 1969, when he would return to Rhythm & Blues on Elephant Records with an LP whose title could not be more eloquent: THANK YOU FOR NOTHING.
Since then, Nappy was very active until his death in 2008, alternating his love for gospel and Rhythm & Blues, touring the United States and Europe and releasing no less than a dozen LPs.
His father used to be an electrician. Twentysomething years after leaving the cradle, he lets his lifelong-influence show with a superb debut single that will convince all minimal lovers with its subtle charm and dreamy ambience. "Blond" is the prototype of a KOMPAKT EP. Two tracks ambient, two for the floor.
Dettinger’s Vater war Elektriker. Knapp zwanzig Jahre, nachdem der kleine Olaf das Kinderzimmer hinter sich gelassen hat, lässt seine großartige Debütsingle irgendwie immer noch den väterlichen Einfluß erkennen. Eine Platte, die mit ihrem subtilen Charme und verträumten Ambiente alle Liebhaber des Minimal überzeugen wird. "Blond" ist der Prototyp einer KOMPAKT EP. Zwei Tracks Ambient, zwei für die Tanzfläche.
- A1: Thunder In My Heart
- A2: Easy To Love
- A3: Leave Well Enough Alone
- A4: I Want You Back
- A5: It's Over
- B1: Fool For Your Love
- B2: World Keeps On Turning
- B3: There Isn't Anything I Wouldn't Do
- B4: Everything I've Got
- B5: We Can Start All Over Again
In a career spanning 45 years, Leo Sayer has sold more than 80 MILLION records worldwide. ‘Thunder In My Heart’ is Leo Sayer’s 5th album, originally released in 1977, reaching #8 in UK Albums Chart and features the hit ‘Thunder In My Heart’, which was remixed in 2005 and reached #1 in February 2006. This was the second of three albums that Leo recorded in Los Angeles, with legendary and in- demand producer Richard Perry and marked a departure from his early albums. Richard Perry brought in a variety of songwriters and collaborators to work on the projects with Leo; it was a venerable Who’s Who of the record industry. Leo Sayer has overseen his entire reissue programme and from reading the reviews from many of his sold-out concerts, he remains one of the UK's great singer / songwriters and performers of all time.
Visions EP , an ode to the heroes, creating that certain Joie de Vivre in the new world order. Visions serve like a bouquet of treats firing on all cylinders.
Cabaret Deluxe kicks off with an uplifting celebration of hooks, horns , bells and efx. Delicately placed over a revving arpeggiated disco bass line. Star Gazer reminds us of those long cherished summer days. Those stand out numbers sounding extra lush in the sunshine.
Night Tribe takes the intensity up yet again with a Moroder type Caribbean workout. Organs and Horns heavenly intertwined.
Disco Nomad is as playful as it is sparse. Smoothly crafted vox cuts glide over a seductive bassline with drum hits sprinkled throughout.
Behind the finest and most moving pieces of contemporary-classical music lie deeply personal and poignant stories, and Simon Goff's new album Vale is no exception. The British violinist and composer's dazzling exploration of the interface between violin and technology and between the poles of intimacy and grandeur, as rich and deep and wide as the landscape that lies its heart, named after the Vale of York where Goff grew up. The album encapsulates not just a landscape but a place in time and an identity forged through youth and adulthood, all viewed from his current base in Berlin. Goff's artistic project is one which has been informed by his previous collaborations as both a performer and recording engineer, performing with artists such as Thor Harris (Swans, Amanda Palmer) and Federico Albanese, playing in concert halls across Europe. On his very first day working at the legendary Vox-Ton studios, Goff was introduced to Adam Wiltzie (half of the venerated post-classical/ ambient duo Stars Of The Lid/A Winged Victory for the Sullen), and over the next two years, he worked with post-classical and post-rock visionaries such as the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, Hildur Gudnadóttir (notably on the film soundtracks for Chernobyl and Joker), Dustin O'Halloran and Yair Elazar Glotman.
- A1: The Smile
- A2: Miyako Hideaway
- A3: Sparkle
- A4: Is That So?
- A5: What Are We Waiting For?
- B1: Strangers
- B2: The Powder Room Plan
- B3: The Program
- B4: All Of These Days
- B5: Comeback
• Marion formed in Manchester in 1994 and released their debut album This World And Body in 1996. The album reached number 10 in the UK album chart and the band found further success with the singles ‘Let’s All Go Together’ and ‘Sleep’.
• To follow up on their triumphant debut, the band returned to the studio to record The Program with exSmiths guitarist Johnny Marr on production duties.
• Demon Records is proud to present The Program pressed on 180g heavyweight translucent green vinyl.
PM Warson grew up in an English town, in a post 9/11 world, drifting into financial crisis, against the staple suburban musical landscape of heavy rock, the ghost of the New Wave, and the fading star of the Indie Boom of the Noughties. He found his own fit in the form of Rhythm & Blues from half-a-century before, drawn in by records in the family collection, engaging at a visceral level, abstract from any subcultural connotations. While an outlier stylistically, he found camaraderie and direction among musically inclined peers, saving up two summers straight for a Rickenbacker guitar, getting the taste for playing live with an archetypal teenage power trio. After a move to London to study, he was without a band for a while. The Rickenbacker was sold for an archtop, and he delved deeper into his musical vocabulary - delta blues, Americana, early jazz and Rock'n'Roll. Meanwhile, via the capital's blues clubs and soul nights, he discovered a new setting for the music that had enticed him the first place, existing, not in a vacuum, but alive and in the moment.
A chance audition thrust him into full-time work as a touring musician. He found himself, blissfully under-qualified, serving an apprenticeship alongside conservatoire-trained jazz musicians and session pros. Meanwhile, the inevitable downtime in new cities on the road allowed for significant crate-digging between coffee spots and sound checks, while feeding off the knowledge of the players around him. Becoming more and more interested in production, ever-drawn to the Golden Era of record-making, he befriended the proprietors of Soup Studio, then an all-analogue facility based on Cable Street. He started moonlighting on production projects and learning the inner workings of a studio environment. A network was building, and when it was time to break out on his own, everything was in place.
Shedding the construct of a 'band' or a 'singer-songwriter', and perhaps the monoculture of contemporary music-making, he started cutting sides with a band of friends and acquaintances found along the way. Without any wider ambition, it was as much about the process as the outcome, evoking the R'n'B records of the '50s and '60s in practice rather than emulation. His first effort, the ramshackle "You Gotta Tell Me" became a de facto single, and after being urged to press a few copies to vinyl by a friend, it began to cause a few ripples on the local DJ scene. Meanwhile, a wild, off-the-cuff cover of 'Hit The Road Jack' caught the attention of a London music agency, giving his lineup an outlet for playing out. This included house-band sets at London establishments such as the Blues Kitchen, Old Street Records and notably at the opening of the Mary Quant Fashion Exhibition at the V&A Museum.
In Spring 2021, Seoul-based label Extra Noir will make TENGGER’s first EP, Electric Earth Creation, available on vinyl for the first time. Previously limited to a small run of CDs sold only in Korea, this 5-song 2013 collection reveals the genesis of what would become TENGGER’s signature sound: hypnotic synths, spectral vocals, rhythmic propulsion and nature motifs. Electric Earth Creation, however, presents a harder, less ethereal and more danceable version of the band. The EP was produced on Korea’s Jeju island, after the birth of RAAI, son of Marqido (synthesizers and programming) and Itta (vocals), which followed the dissolution of their previous musical project, 10. Conceived in response to the house-bound isolation of becoming new parents and the wild nature that surrounded them outside, the songs of Electric Earth Creation feel like rituals to summon and celebrate Earth’s primordial forces.
Despite a COVID-19-related separation between Japan and Korea, TENGGER have gained increasing recognition throughout 2020, and are confirmed to play 2021’s SXSW Online, with their most recent LP Nomad appearing in multiple “Best of 2020” lists and Pitchfork describing the album as imbued with “rustic majesty”. Fans of TENGGER’s later work will find Electric Earth Creation an essential part of the band’s catalog.
2LP on crystal clear vinyl. In these trying times, where intimacy and closeness are fraught with danger, Dans Dans (Dance Dance) brings you the sound of connection, communication, passion and togetherness.
In these trying times, where intimacy and closeness are fraught with danger, Dans Dans (Dance Dance) brings you the sound of connection, communication, passion and togetherness.
Dans Dans unites the talents of three of Belgium's most prolific music makers in Bert Dockx (Flying Horseman), Fred 'Lyenn' Jacques (Lyenn, Lanegan band) and Steven Cassiers (Dez Mona, DAAU). An utterly unique musical collective, the trio are set to release new album 'Zink' on the 23rd April via Ghent based independent, Unday Records.
From jazz, psychedelic blues and ecstatic noir soundtracks to spacey rock 'n' roll, Dans Dans cut their teeth on the cool jazz cafe scene in Flanders, Brussels with their sensational live performances and have since gone on to become a mainstay on the flourishing Belgian musical landscape.
Releasing their self-produced, eponymous debut album back in 2012, their highly distinctive, intuitive mix of musical styles and their ever-imaginative live shows caught the attention of discerning music lovers, journalists and promoters. A relatively unknown tour de force outside the Benelux region, Dans Dans have built a solid fan base since their inception with limited edition runs of early releases becoming collector's items among vinyl enthusiasts.
Well-received appearances at Cactus Festival, North Sea Jazz and Pukkelpop, as well as Gent Jazz, Ljubljana Jazz and Jazz Middelheim have confirmed their reputation as one of the most unique and exciting bands to come out of Belgium. In recent years, the group has been touring throughout Europe, garnering enthusiastic reactions beyond the Belgian borders as well. There's a case to be made that Dans Dans even played a key role in breaking down the wall between the Belgian jazz scene and the pop/rock circuit (years before pop journalists began referring to a New Wave of Belgian Jazz).
Opening with the moody noir rhythms of 'Cinder Bay', Dans Dans look to construct their own musical universe across 'Zink'. 'Naiad' unfolds into a devastating explosion of heavy feedback and wild, crashing drums before subtle electronica and baroque art-rock collide on 'Anemone' giving a good indication of Dans Dans' eclecticism. There's unquestionably a deep, underlying filmic beauty to the music, an evolving darkness and a perpetual sense of dread and paranoia. Elsewhere, 'Ravine' is intoxicating, provocative and uncompromising while the beatific 'Shell Star' is an infectious exploration of hypnotic grooves, atmospheric sounds and mind-bending melodies.
Producer Christine Verschorren (Philippe Catherine, Ivan Paduart) accentuates the music's wondrous fluidity throughout 'Zink'; the intriguing interplay; the subtle ties; the deep layering. Musical styles and influences are being blended organically and sublimated into what can only be called Dans Dans-music. "This is no fusion, no rock or jazz or ambient. This is the sound of the searching, intuitive human; of a timeless, mysterious dream; of the heart, the gut and the soul," says Dockx.
- A1: Midnight Rush
- A2: La La Land
- A3: Makin’ It Up
- A4: It Is What It Is
- A5: Or
- B1: I Don’t Wanna Be A Rock
- B2: Reach You
- B3: New Kind Of Fool
- B4: Care For You
- B5: Same Old Moon
• Although no longer part of the current Band line-up, Hamish Stuart remains integral to the continuing Average
White Band catalogue reissues, a band that is widely regarded as one of the best ever soul and funk bands.
• For the last 40 years, Hamish Stuart has been an in-demand songwriter, producer and studio/live performer,
working with Paul McCartney, Chaka Khan and Aretha Franklin, being part of the Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band,
or the occasional meet-up of the 360 Band, which also featured former band mates Steve Ferrone and the lateMalcolm ‘Molly’ Duncan.
• Hamish has also written for Smokey Robinson, George Benson, Diana Ross Jeffrey Osborne and Atlantic Starr,.
• ‘Sooner Or Later’ was his first solo album, released worldwide between 1999 and 2000, so although celebrating
it’s Coming-of-Age, 21 years later, it’s the album’s debut release on vinyl.
• ‘Sooner Or Later’ has been edited and reconfigured by Hamish to give it a tighter sound and includes the single
‘Midnight Rush’, co-writer with Incognito’s Jean-Paul ‘Bluey’ Maunick.
• Other song writing collaborations include ‘It Is What It Is’, with Richard Darbyshire and Frank Musker and ‘I Don’t
Wanna Be A Rock’, with Graham Lyle.
The term "Guitar Hero" is bandied about loosely these days. Seems like all you have to do is look good holding the thing and you qualify. But if you ask the actual guitar heroes---like Brian May, Jeff Beck, and Eric Clapton---who THEIR Guitar Heroes are, Steve Cropper is definitely on the shortlist. If all he had done were the records with Otis Redding that would be enough, but shortly thereafter he was leaving his fingerprints on records by Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Johnny Taylor, Albert King, and virtually anybody worthy who came within earshot of Memphis. He was a Guitarist's Guitarist, and a Songwriter's Songwriter.
Fire It Up is Steve Cropper's first album of new Soul/R&B material in 10 years. The album was produced by Steve and Jon Tiven, and will be released worldwide on April 23, 2021 via Mascot Label Group/Provogue.
- A1: Scorpio’s Dance (First Movement)
- A2: Alaska Country
- A3: Sally Was A Good Old Girl
- A4: Daemon Lover
- A5: Scorpio’s Dance
- A6: Little Cooling Planet
- A7: I Love Voodoo Music
- B1: Seven Is A Number In Magic
- B2: Keep It If You Want It
- B3: Water Boy
- B4: Send Me A Postcard
- B5: Mighty Joe
- B6: Hello Darkness
- B7: Pickin’ Tomatoes
Although considered a singles-band, Shocking Blue released a couple of high quality albums. One of the best is Scorpio’s Dance, and not just in a musical way: its cover has been chosen as one of the most legendary LP covers in Dutch pop history. The album continues the band’s exploration into country music and Americana with tracks like “Alaska Country” and “Sally Was a Good Old Girl”. However, the band still stays true to its rock roots as well.
Scorpio’s Dance is rereleased as a limited edition on pink coloured vinyl. This edition contains four bonus tracks that were not available on the original LP.
- 10: Avalanche Warning (Remix)
- 01: Nem-X Intro
- 02: Bombs
- 03: Fire (Feat. Maniac, El Da Sensei &Amp; A.g.)
- 04: Bad Weather (Feat. Vegamonster &Amp; Med)
- 05: Mind Power (Remix)
- 06: Raw Essence (Feat. Prince Po)
- 07: Head In The Clouds (Feat. Opio)
- 08: Shotgun (Feat. Sadat X, Edo G &Amp; El Da Sensei)
- 09: Sat Nite Interlude
- 11: Fuck What You Heard (Feat. Psycho Les)
- 12: Raps In A Suit (Feat. Tony Patagonia &Amp; Slaine)
- 13: In Wine There&Apos;S Truth (Feat. Talib Kweli &Amp; Main Flow)
- 14: Sell Me A Dream (Remix)
- 15: About Time (Feat. Seedless & Lmno)
- 16: Point Blank (Feat. King Magnatic, El Gant, Bloodsport & Nbrown)
Los Angeles emcee Pawz One returns with Featured Unreleased Collab Kollection Issue Two (F.U.C.K I.T!), the second installment in the series that features guest appearances, unreleased songs and remixes.
The 16 track album includes artists like Talib Kweli, Ras Kass, A.G. of D.I.T.C and others are featured on the album along with artwork done by Gift Revolver who recently did artwork for Conway, Wu-Tang and Big Pun. Producers include Snowgoons and many others from Japan, Netherlands, Chicago and Los Angeles.
e 05: Mind Power (Remix) [feat. Termanology & Ras Kass]
[j] 10: Avalanche Warning (Remix) [feat. Percee P]
[e] 05: Mind Power (Remix) [feat. Termanology & Ras Kass]
[j] 10: Avalanche Warning (Remix) [feat. Percee P]
Surprise!! This is number 7 of this 6 x 45s collection !!
With this new releases you will be able to complete your complete series, but be careful that you will not be able to fit it into the mosaic!
Do not hesitate as this new release in a limited edition of 500 copies will make you enjoy the sounds to the fullest.
TT Syndicate steps forward big time into the direction of early '60s rhythm'n'blues, with the addition of a solid stash of early soul.
Black Market Brass is a Minneapolis-based group performing their own brand of originally composed Afrobeat/Afrofunk music, as well as completing authentic renditions of the classic 1970's West African sound. Taking their cues from the godfathers, the band draws on complex polyrhythmic percussion, driving bass lines, dizzying guitar interplay, rolling keyboards, and room-commanding brass. The result? An eclectic blend of cool deep funk and driving Afrobeat grooves that will lure you to the dance floor and never let you leave.
"It's Only Us" is the sound of Monophonics continuing to grow as songwriters, musicians, performers and people _ reflecting on where they've been, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the years to come. The title track from their most recent album is arguably the song that epitomizes the album's sonic palette best: soulful, psychedelic, and looking forward. It is now available as a 7-inch single. Including a bonus B-side titled "Get The Gold".
After NEF's album in 2019, Ici Bientôt is happy to present today the reissue of Comme Au Moulin by Nyssa Musique.
Paris 1985... ‘Extra-European’ Traditions meet Jazz and Minimal Music. An unusual array of instruments turn music into a dialogue. For a unique record ... vivid, full of texture, somewhere between Midori Takada, Don Cherry and Jon Hassell.
Beginning of the eighties, 5 musicians rehearse in a contemporary dance class hall, upstairs from the ‘’New Morning", renowned Music venue in Paris. Nyssa Musique is born. Passionate for a long time about traditional music, like those of the Middle East, India and East Asia, but also about African traditions, they throw a bridge between Jazz and ‘Extra-European’ traditions, resulting in what would be called "Spiritual Jazz" today, a little bit in the style of Don Cherry's Organic Music or Pharoah Sanders. With the notable difference, however, that their creations are strongly infused by contemporary classical and repetitive music, notably Steve Reich's work with whom they share a great interest for the traditional cultures of Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and its gamelans.
In the original group we have Armand Amar, Ballet Music composer and John Boswell. Both specialists of traditional hand percussion which they had been studying for a long time in India and the Middle East, they are also very fond of synthesizers. Three other talented musicians quickly join them: Jean-François Roger, percussionist, marimba and vibraphone specialist, Henri Tournier, multi-flutist and Renaud Garcia-Fons, double bass player, who has a passion for the Middle East and has developed a virtuosic play of the bow, reminding that of Cecil Mc Bee.
Each of them enriches the ensemble with their personality, originality and musical generosity. The rehearsal hall is rapidly invaded by the phenomenal instrumentarium put together by Armand Amar. A great opportunity for the musicians, for the dancers, to have access to an endless choice of instruments, offering infinite possibilities for mixing different colors and timbres. Their sense for being a group and their great capacity for improvising culminates, in 1986, in the composition of their first and only album Comme au Moulin (« As by the windmill"), testimony of years of creating without hidden agenda.
Authentic, free and vibrant, still today, this album has no real equivalent. Even though it recalls the Fourth World current by its combination of traditional instruments with a subtle use of synthesizers, Comme au moulin gives more space to improvisation. It may also recall those of Midori Takada, less the New Age esthetics. An album that should delight as well lovers of "Love Supreme" by John Coltrane, of "Vernal Equinox" by Jon Hassell, as those of Moondog, an artist who, like them, invented a music based on the use of untypical percussions, at the confluence of 'Extra-European' traditions, Jazz and Classical, all together complex and hypnotic.
Afrosound's mission was to emulate the guitar-heavy tropical sounds emanating from Perú and Ecuador at the time. To add to the hippie vibe, there were plenty of whacky improvised vocal asides (called 'inspiraciones'), plus custom fuzz, wah-wah, flange and echo effects boxes for the guitar and keyboards. A barrage of odd sounding synths, drum machines and other electronic flourishes were also sprinkled in to spice up the proceedings. The dozen tracks on Afrosound's debut long play make for a surprisingly diverse palette from which these Colombian musicians painted their daring portrait of Peruvian cumbia, returning the favor in bold colors that still resonate almost 50 years later. "La danza de los mirlos" kicks off with most famous Afrosound hit of all, 'Caliventura', a genius blend of funk and cumbia. Aside from the cumbia amazónica title tune, there are several other covers including three popular songs by Nelson y Sus Estrellas, plus radically reimagined versions of various Colombian costeño classics published by Fuentes. Mario "Pachanga" provides a sad but still groove-oriented Christmas son montuno / cumbia hybrid while Fruko brings us the bomba-funk ditty 'El chorrillo' and the rocking cumbia andina gem 'Cabeza de chorlito' where Sepúlveda channels Enrique Delgado. Fruko collaborator Hernán "Hercovalle" Colorado Vallejo rounds things out with the melancholic psychedelic cumbia 'Esperando por ti', proving that every tropical party has to have its down side as well. The record was also released in the US, Ecuador, Perú, Panamá, Mexico and Venezuela, and probably had an influence of its own, at least in South America. The cover of this lovingly restored reissue features the artwork for the Peruvian edition, which was licensed and issued by Lima's El Virrey label in 1974. The original Fuentes artwork, with a far more outrageous "cheesecake" image, can be seen on the back cover.
Incl. Chris Geschwindner Remix
To kick off with their series, SINM presents its first record: First try Fridays (incl. Chris Geschwindner remix). The tree tracker consists of a blend between UK Garage, House and Electro to bring forward cutting edge rave sensations with futuristic vibes.
A side takes you straight to a two-stepper projectile, setting the tone with "First Try Fridays" and its powerful wobble sub and short electric stabs. Perfect for threatening the dance-floor in peak time hours alongside mysterious DDA's approach.
On the flip side, Realness teleports you to a nostalgic scenario with its polished chord progressions and breakbeat strikes. Slowly building up with vocal cuts and glitchy transitions, B2 reaches a both nostalgic and mysterious climax. To close the EP, Beam Dump's boss man captures the beautiful essence of Realness bringing beach-like sensations to a tune that's perfect for warming up a dance-floor or enjoying the after-hours.
More to come soon from the SINM crew, stay tuned!
Veteran NYC based Scottish electronic musician Drew McDowall's latest work is his loftiest, most liturgical, and least industrial outing to date —and potentially the apex of his recent discography.Named after an ancient Greek word for votive offering, Agalmaexudes a hooded, devotional aura, creaking and keeling under vast rafters of stone, stained glass, and shredded wires. It's a music of majesty and mystery but also modernity, McDowall's refined modular system shape-shifting strings, piano, pipe organ, and choral masses into disorienting synthetic mirages of the sacred. He cites the intersection of “joy, terror, and the elegiac” as a centering inspiration –or, phrased more bluntly, “that 'what the fuck is going on' feeling.”
As a career collaborator himself, with stints in Coil, Psychic TV, and countless other shorter-lived partnerships, it's telling that McDowall chose this project to gather such an impressive spectrum of peers. Italian synthesist Caterina Barbieri, American drone organist Kali Malone, prolific multi-instrumentalistRobert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, operatic Humanbeast vocalist Maralie Armstrong-Rial, Saudi producer MSYLMA, and warped futurist beat-makers Bashar Suleiman and Elvin Brandhi cameo across the album's 42 minutes, contouring McDowall's nuanced negative spaces with shudders, shadows, and shivering flickers of serenity. Each of them shines in their spotlight, elevating these elusive alchemical states into surreal revelations of texture and transcendence.
McDowall's original working title for the record is revealing: Ritual Music.He speaks of his creative practice in ceremonial terms, negating binaries by seeking the middle path to anuminousequilibrium that erases the distinction between the inner and outer worlds.These compositions feel similarly processional and intuitive, at the crossroads of holiness and hallucination, the sacred vertigo of yawning naves rising into untouchable night skies. It's a vision of industrial music as enigma and invocation, cryptic hymnals of shroudedbeautysummoned in catacombs and crumbling cathedrals.
Despite its depths, Agalmais also an album of immediacy and emotion. Celestial laments of and for times of unrest and suffering. McDowall characterizes his initial intention for this music as an to attempt to convey experiences he felt incapable of putting into words: “To try and approach sublimity, or at least acknowledge it in some way.”Agalmamore than acknowledges the ineffable –it embodies it.
Sometimes a work of art comes unintentionally from a place from deep within the soul. It meanders and flops onto a table and sits and waits for its birth.
The album begins with "Wait Till The Stars Burn", a planetary ode to the Sun. The second track "Tribute to the Pharoahs Den", is a requiem for Danny Ray Thompson (R.I.P.) of the Sun Ra Arkestra, his music and legacy now floating above us in the infinity of space. Both tracks and featuring Marshall Allen and Knoel Scott (of the Sun Ra Arkestra).
The album ends with a requiem for Hal Willner (R.I.P.) whose devotion to celebrating the weird and insane was like an insatiable thirst leading to deep introspection and joy in harmony and sonic dissidence.
These compositions have all come from this place inside my bipolar, seroquil ridden mind. It is as much a tribute to the great composers who have inspired me; Alice Coltrane, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Philip Kelan Cohran, Bernard Herrmann, Ennio Morricone, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, John Carpenter, Quincy Jones, Old Bollywood, Film Noir, to name just a few. In my 23 years of being a composer of music I have had the great opportunity to score several films all of which never got any commercial fame. These films were made from the blood and sweat of film directors and their crews who tirelessly made incredible documents that were ultimately ignored by humanity. But that never stopped them nor will it stop me. These tracks are from the infinite celluloid that runs deep in my mind, body and soul. In my lifetime i never thought i would see the deaths of "Celluloid" or "analog recording". I refuse to accept the coroner reports on said fatalities, so here is my offering to the canon of cinematic overtures and analog self-preservation, for the films in our heads yet to be made.
HIGHLIGHTS 180g vinyl reissue of the mega rare Mexican-only Luiz Eça album from 1970 in facsimile artwork and remastered sound. The Brazilian pianist and founder member of Tamba Trio is accompanied here by a large group of top-notch Brazilian musicians including Joyce, Nana Vasdoncelos, Wilson Simonal and Claudio Roditi delivering an outstanding mix of energetic arrangements and delicate vocal harmonies. A samba jazz masterpiece. Exclusive RSD 2020 release. DESCRIPTION Tamba Trio (Helcio Milito, Bebeto Castilho and Luiz Eça) released their first LP in 1962 and quickly became one of the most popular bossa jazz combos out of Brazil. By the mid 60s the band would expand becoming Tamba 4 and Luiz Eça would record his first albums as a leader. Trained as a classical pianist, Eça's style was a mix of jazz and pop then blended into bossa resulting in a fresh and unique sound that evolved over the years towards an even more eclectic blend. "La Nueva Onda del Brasil" was recorded in 1970 by Luiz Eça accompanied here by " La Familia Sagrada", a large group of top-notch Brazilian musicians including Joyce, Nana Vasdoncelos, Zeca do Trombone, Mauricio Maestro, Claudio Roditi_ even Wilson Simonal joins the group on Jorge Ben's 'Pais Tropical'. The album was released years later on the tiny Mexican label RVV, run by Rogelio Villareal, also home to the very rare LPs by Primo Quinteto or Rozana in a similar vein. Villareal was the owner of the Camino Real hotels group and the RVV records were exclusively available for sale at the hotels premises, as souvenirs for visitors. The band spent some periods of time touring Mexico, performing at different Camino Real locations. The album distribution was very limited and never got a local release in their native Brazil (or anywhere else) making this LP a very sought-after record that has reached cult status among Brazilian music collectors Worldwide. "La Nueva Onda del Brasil" includes both standards and originals, all performed in a very free style, an outstanding mix of energetic arrangements and delicate vocal harmonies, a sort of very late and evolved bossa mixed with jazz, emphasizing the rhythmic elements with an afrosamba twist. A samba jazz masterpiece.
Freddy Cole's 'The Cole Nobody Knows' is available as digipack-CD & limited vinyl-LP / Holy Grail soul jazz album by Freddy Cole, singer, pianist, Nat 'King' Cole's youngest brother and uncle of Natalie. Privately pressed LP recorded 1976 in Atlanta, including famous version of 'Brother Where Are You' and nine more excellent rare groove tracks, most of them suitable for the jazz dance scene. Outstanding quartet takes throughout with stunning jazz ballad performances of 'Live For Life' and 'Miss Otis Regrets', jazz dance pearls 'Wild Is Love', 'Moving On - Place In The Sun' plus rough blues tracks like 'A Man Shouldn't Be Lonely' and 'Waiter Ask The Man To Play The Blues'. First 1:1 reissue of an extremely rare and highly sought after vinyl LP on the small imprint 'First Shot' from Georgia, remastered and with original first press cover art. Sonorama is proud to release a legendary and sought after soul jazz LP that will send shivers down your spine. 77-year-old singer & pianist Freddy Cole, youngest brother of Nat 'King' Cole and uncle of Natalie Cole, is a truly unique interpreter with an impressive career from 1952 until 2010. This very rare and privately pressed LP was recorded back in 1976 and finally gets its first remastered 1:1 reissue with original cover artwork (First Shot label), including such greats as 'Wild Is Love', 'Brother Where Are You' and 'Live For Life'. The original press album is highly sought after all over the world and fetches ridiculous prices at auctions. Even another LP release of the same set of recordings with different cover art, pressed 1977 on the Audiophile label, is nearly impossible to find today. 'Freddy Cole has had a great career, wether or not you've ever heard of him' (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2006) and he is still going strong: His quartet is currently touring the U.S., Switzerland, Germany or Lebanon and will come back to Europe for more shows in May 2010. Check 'freddycole' to find out about the man who 'just might be the most attractively understated jazz singer currently at work' (The Chicago Sunday Times 2000).
- A1: Oxygene 1
- A2: Oxygene 19
- A3: Rendez-Vous 1
- A4: Millions Of Stars
- B1: Chronology 1
- B2: Oxygene 20
- B3: Equinoxe 2
- B4: Waiting For Cousteau
- B5: The Heart Of Noise (Origin) (Origin)
- C1: Industrial Revolution (Part 2)
- C2: Oxygene 4
- C3: Equinoxe 5
- C4: Oxygene 2
- C5: Zoolookologie
- C6: Bells
- D1: Equinoxe 4
- D2: Magnetic Fields 2
- D3: Rendez-Vous 2 (Laser Harp)
- D4: Rendez-Vous 4
- D5: Chronology 4
- E1: Coachella Opening
- E2: Arpeggiator
- E3: Automatic (With Vince Clarke - Part 1)
- E4: Exit (With Edward Snowden)
- F3: Stardust (With Armin Van Buuren)
- F4: Herbalizer
- F5: Revolutions
- G1: Ethnicolor
- G2: Souvenir Of China
- G3: Blah Blah Cafe
- G4: Music For Supermarkets (Demo Excerpt)
- G5: Roseland/Le Pays De Rose
- G6: La Cage
- G7: Erosmachine
- H1: Hypnose
- H2: The Song Of The Burnt Barns/La Chanson Des Granges Brulees
- H3: Happiness Is A Sad Song
- H4: Aor Bleu
- H5: Last Rendez Vous
- F1: Equinoxe 7
- F2: Oxygene 8
This New Collection Is Released To Celebrate The Electronic Music Pioneer Being At The Forefront Of His Genre For Over 50 Years. This Extensive Double Album Comprises 41 Tracks That Has Jmj Hand Picked Himself. All Songs Have Been Digitally Remastered. Formats Include A Limited Quadruple Deluxe Lp Set, Deluxe Double Cd And A Super Deluxe Limited Fan Box Set. Press Ads, Features And Reviews. Online/social Media Activity. Poster Campaign And Database Mailout.
- A1: The Killers - Mr Brightside
- A2: Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
- A3: The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
- A4: The Bravery - An Honest Mistake
- A5: Mgmt - Kids
- A6: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps
- A7: The Libertines - You're My Waterloo
- B1: Kasabian - Club Foot
- B2: The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You
- B3: The Vines - Get Free
- B4: The Hives - Walk Idiot Walk
- B5: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Whatever Happened To My Rock 'N' Roll (Punk Song) (Punk Song)
- B6: The Rapture - House Of Jealous Lovers
- B7: Razorlight - Rock 'N' Roll Lies
Exclusively on vinyl - 14 defining tracks from the most glamorous indie rock & roll legends.
Kicking off with The Killers ‘Mr Brightside’ and Franz Ferdinand’s ’Take Me Out’ - both huge anthems from the post-punk revival of the early 2000’s - a genre that took inspiration from the distorted rock scene of the late ’60s alongside the guitar & synth driven new wave of the early ’80s and produced some of the most creative and bruised tracks of the past twenty years. Some acts found mainstream appeal and delivered huge radio and chart friendly pop - The Bravery, Razorlight and Kasabian (represented here with ‘Club Foot’ which sounds as fresh today as it did when it was released).
The scene gave rise to bands whose growing fanbases could easily identify with them, not only for the music, but also the look and attitude. From New York, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Rapture are included here and from the West Coast, Dandy Warhols hit big with ‘Bohemian Like You’ and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club who scored a Top 5 album with their debut release. With particular emphasis on captivating live shows and an alignment to grittier rock aesthetics, The Vines, The Hives, The Libertines and The Fratellis all represented different elements of Indie Glam, while MGMT delivered one of the greatest debut albums of the period by melding Indie Pop with synth-driven psychedelia which included the incredible cut ‘Kids’, also featured here.
14 Essential Tracks on one vinyl album - ‘Glamorous Indie Rock And Roll’
Before Bob Marley came on the scene, many in Britain
dismissed reggae as either the stuff of one-hit wonders or
skinhead dance music. Now it is recognised as a highly
influential style, which has not only sold millions of records
worldwide but had a major effect on the mainstream. We all
knew his music was timeless. Enjoy a trip back in time with
reggae’s greatest name.
- A1: Feelin (Rashad Ft Spinn & Taso)
- A2: Show U How (Spinn & Rashad)
- A3: Pass That Shit (Rashad Ft Spinn & Taso)
- A4: She A Go (Rashad Ft Spinn & Taso)
- B1: Only One (Rashad Ft Spinn & Taso)
- B2: Everyday Of My Life (Rashad & Dj Phil)
- B3: I Don't Give A Fuck (Rashad)
- B4: Double Cup (Rashad Ft Spinn)
- C1: Drank, Kush, Barz (Rashad Ft Spinn)
- C2: Reggie (Rashad)
- C3: Acid Bit (Rashad & Addison Groove)
- D1: Leavin (Rashad & Manny)
- D2: Let U No (Rashad Ft Spinn)
- D3: I'm Too Hi (Rashad Ft Earl)
Die Footwork Legende aus Chicago, DJ RASHAD, beschließt ein erfolgreiches Jahr auf Hyperdub mit seinem ersten Album für das Label und baut damit auf zwei EPs auf, die deutlich demonstriert haben, wie sich der Sound von ihm und seinen mannigfaltigen Teklife Kollaborateuren im Jahr 2013 entwickelt hatte. Benannt nach dem Freizeitcocktail aus Sprite und Kodein treffen auf ,Double Cup" traditionelle 808 Footwork Ausbrüche auf die neuesten Mutationen des Sounds und zeigen so die Vielseitigkeit und Kraft der Chicago Szene im Jahr 2013. Das Album wirft Hip Hop, R&B, Acid, House, Techno und Jungle in seinen Footwork Shredder und spuckt diese auf der anderen Seite als zusammengeklebte Fragmente wieder aus, zusammengehalten durch schnurrende 808 Subtriplets und kantige Polyrhythmen. Das Album wärmt sich langsam mit einem G-Funk Swing auf, der typisch ist für RASHAD und SPINNs Kollaborationen mit TASO aus San Francisco. Diven mit Schluckauf räkeln sich auf den Rhythmen von ,Show U How", ,Only One" und ,Everyday Of My Life" mit Raps von der Crew auf ,Pass That Shit", ,She A Go" und ,Kush, Drank, Barz". Das bereits veröffentlichte "I Don't Give A Fuck" markiert den düsteren Dreh- und Angelpunkt des Albums; das Tempo zieht in der zweiten Hälfte an mit dem treibenden Viervierteltakt des Titeltracks ,Double Cup", dem donnernd gepressten ,Acid Bit" und dem Chicago House von ,Reggie" und ,Leavin. Den Höhepunkt markiert die Breakbeat Wissenschaft von ,Let U No" und ,I'm Too Hi". ,Double Cup" ist vorausschauende Musik für die Tanzfläche und unterstreicht, dass Footwork an der Macht ist.
Hilltown Disco welcomes St. Theodore, Larionov & Sheepray to the label in a Russian affair, proudly presenting ‘Black Earth Strikes Back’.
‘Black Earth Strikes Back’ is a twisted tale of two-halves – the story of unrest, a battle of the dark, cryptic underbelly looking to overthrow normality, fused together with the outer-core of electro.
Larionov and Sheepray stand for the A-side and take the reins with 3 tracks of warm bleeps, gentle electro beats with elements of sci-fi funk and aspects of italo.
St. Theodore supplies the mechanics for the B-side with three tracks filled with murky, rumbling analogue bass, with piercing acid-lines seeping through. Music that is geared for the dancefloors of the future.
On the Corner have taken a deep dive into the murky waters whereancient percussion are jolted through history with a high voltageshock of experimental electronics. Across the territory of 'When theWaters Refused Our History', Sunken Cages channels his ownjourney and that of the world of his ancestors and adroitly breachesthe porous frontiers being pushed by the cosmic adventures-led OntheCorner. Sunken Cages is the moniker for Ravish Momin, an Indian-borndrummer, electronic music producer and educator. For the pastdecade, Momin has been experimenting with enhancing his acousticdrum sounds with electronic ones, and has crafted a unique electro-acoustic approach. He triggers sounds and textures, layers live-loops and manipulates them 'on the fly', to blur the lines betweencomposition and improvisation. While rooted in Indian folk and BlackMusic traditions, Sunken Cages is also influenced by the streetsounds of South African G'com, Angolan Kuduro and Egyptian Mahraganat. He currently leads the electronic music focussed duo 'TurningJewels Into Water' with Haitian percussion virtuoso Val Jeanty.Ravish's unique approach quickly led him to work as a sideman witha diverse cast of musicians ranging from pop-star Shakira tolegendary avant-saxophonist Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre (of theAACM).
LEGENDARY SESSION ! FIRST TIME EVER ON VINYL AND CUT DIRECTLY FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES WITH NO DIGITAL PROCESS WHATSOEVER!!!
TIP ON SLEEVE PRINTED JUST LIKE THE OLD NIMBUS LP’s FROM THE 70’s and 80’s… BRAND NEW ARTWORK FROM ORIGINAL SESSION PHOTOS AND LINER NOTES BY Mark Weber
At long last…On Vinyl…From original tapes. 3/5ths of the Quintet that recorded "‘the Giant is Awakened’ LP in 1969…this album sat unreleased for 20+ years before it saw a small run on cd (with poor mastering the early 2000’s), now, 40 years after it was recorded, finally released in the original format it was intended for….This LP sounds fresh and amazing…if you’ve only heard the cd, you’ve not truly heard this lost gem in its full glory. edition of 500
Born in Mississippi in 1937 and beginning to play the saxophone at 14, Billie Harris relocated to Los Angeles in 1965 after a 4 year stint in the Air Force, becoming one of the great, unsung forces of underground jazz in the city for many years (he later relocated to the Mojave Desert, where, at last record, he still plays in a church band). A Venice Beach street musician and longtime member of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra - you can hear him playing on Live at I.U.C.C. and Flight 17, as well as Jesse Sharps Quintet & P.A.P.A.’s Sharps and Flats (reissued in 2018) - he was also director of the AZZ IZZ jazz club in Venice Beach during the 70s.
On April 29 and May 3, 1980, Harris entered the studio, backed by Horace Tapscott on piano, David Bryant on bass, Daa’oud Woods on percussion, and Everett Brown Jr on drums, recording, over those two days what was to be his only outing as a leader. Once heard, the tragic lack of further material can’t be ignored. It is a truly stunning piece of work, even more surprising for the fact that it sat unreleased for over 20 years, only to be released as a small, poorly mastered edition on CD during the early 2000’s. Now, finally appearing very first time on the format and label for which it was intended, 40 years after it was recorded, we can hear this lost gem in all its glory.
Harris was 43 years old at the time of the Nimbus West sessions that resulted in I Want Some Water, and the power and experience of his playing, honed over three decades, shows in full force. The band is equally imbued with power, sensitivity, and experience. Tapscott, Bryant, and Brown’s working partnership goes back to 1969, when they recorded Tapscott’s debut as a leader, The Giant Is Awakened. In quintet’s hands, channeling the heavy modal relationships pioneered by Coltrane, heavy spiritual groove lock and unfurl, threaded by the release via incredibly forward-thinking improvisation.
Like so much of the work that came out of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra scene, I Want Some Water has a giant sound, each track long in length, building slowly over time toward towering heights that leave the listener immersed in one of the greatest treasures of spiritual jazz that almost nobody ever heard. Rhythmic, rollicking, and tonally inspired, the joyous interplay of the band goes deep, locked in, and challenging the predictable path, while making nods to numerous, discreet traditions of music.
As far as reissues go, Nimbus’ first ever vinyl pressing of Harris’ I Want Some Water is about as good as it gets. Not only does it deliver some of the best music we’ve heard all year, but it takes huge steps toward allowing a crucial artist to be celebrated in a way that he’s always deserved.
Cut directly from the original master tapes, featuring brand new artwork from the original sessions and liner notes from Mark Weber, and issued in a limited edition of 500 copies, it’s an absolute must that can’t be missed.
Half & Half Colour Vinyl Disc 1: Yellow/Magenta Disc 2: Turquoise/ Magenta
Double album that includes;
45rpm bonus disc with the singles and B sides
Gloss laminated gatefold sleeve
printed inner sleeves, containing lyrics, photos and interview by The Mouth Magazine
“Pleasure Bag” containing 4 postcards, 2 stickers, A stencil, Repro Tour Poster, Repro promo posters for “Go For Gold” and “Politics/ Its Fashion” singles. Press photo and Press Flyer
In 1980 post punk pop indie band GIRLS AT OUR BEST came out of nowhere (Well, Leeds actually) with GETTING NOWHERE FAST and was the NME’s Single Of The Week reaching the Top 10 of the indie chart. The band, fronted by Judy Evans, released four further singles plus the album PLEASURE which reached the UK album charts in 1981, before splitting up two years after that first record.
Girls At Our Best were one of the finest, most life-affirming of a new breed of independent bands who cropped up at the turn of the 80s – long-standing fan John Peel once referred to them as one of the few groups that made the period bearable. Formed in Leeds from the ashes of punk band SOS, the group were fronted by distinctive female vocalist Jude ‘Jo’ Evans, forming a songwriting team with guitarist James Alan and bass player Gerard Swift after they met at art college. All four of their singles for their own Record Records, Rough Trade and Happy Birthday Records are included here as bonus tracks on a 45rpm 12”– including the wonderful ‘Getting Nowhere Fast’ (later covered by The Wedding Present), its coruscating b-side ‘Warm Girls’, ‘Politics!’, ‘Go For Gold’ and ‘Fast Boyfriends’
Their influence can be seen on innumerable C86/indie bands who came afterwards
The Besnard Lakes have passed through death and they’r e here to tell the tale. Nearly five years after their last lightning-tinted volley, the magisterial Montreal psych-rock band have sworn off compromise, split with their long-standing label, and completed a searing, 72-minute suite about the darkness of dying and the light on the other side. The Besnard Lakes Are The Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings is the group's sixth album and the first in more than 15 years to be released away from a certain midwestern American indie record company. After 2016's A Coliseum Complex Museum - which saw Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas attempting shorter, less sprawling songs - the Besnards and their label decided it was time to go their separate ways; with that decision came a question of whether to even continue the project at all. What use is a band with an instinct for long, tectonic tunes - rock songs with chthonic heft and ethereal grace, five or 10 or 18 minutes long? How do you sell that in an age of bite-sized streaming? How do you make it relevant? "Who gives a shit!" the Besnard Lakes realized. Ignited by their love for each other, for playing music together, the sextet found themselves unspooling the most uncompromising recording of their career. Despite all its grandeur, ...The Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings honours the very essence of punk rock: the notion that a band need only be relevant to itself. At last the Besnard Lakes have crafted a continuous long-form suite: nine tracks that could be listened together as one, like Spiritualized's Lazer Guided Melodies or even Dark Side of the Moon, overflowing with melody and harmony, drone and dazzle, the group's own unique weather. Here now, the Besnard Lakes finally dispensed with the two/three-year album cycle, taking all the time they needed to conceive, compose, record and mix their opus. Some of its songs were old, resurrected from demos cast aside years ago. Others were literally woodshedded in the cabanon behind Lasek and Goreas's "Rigaud Ranch" - invented and reinvented, relishing this rougher sound.
The Peterson Brothers - keyboard player Ricky, bass player Billy, drummer / guitar player Paul and their nephew, saxophonist Jason - are true
brothers in arms, Minneapolis institutions, members and survivors of that city’s musical revolution. They lay the music out like an
uptown groove buffet.
You don’t need to be smart to feel the beat of the heart; you don’t need to play dumb to feel the beat of the drum. This is music everybody can get with.
Natural talent by the yard and years of playing with the some of the best of the best - from Prince to Bonnie Raitt, Eddie Harris to Mose Allison, Dave Sanborn to Boz Scaggs, Fleetwood Mac to Bob Dylan, and that barely scratches the surface - make this tribute to a legendary musical family a back-slapping, finger-popping good time.
The fact that it took a couple of decades to get these world travellers together into the same room for a couple of days only proves that when the time is right the real deal is on the table. Praise the lord and pass the ammunition, the Peterson Brothers are in town!
A chirp, a wine and a gurgle are the sounds that make the song of swallow. You won't find any of them on here though. The third installment of this sampler series features well-rounded dance and prance material instead. Four artists, four hits. Berlin duo Cyrk pay tribute to their favorite Sunday parties with Italo Blade. Barely hidden by its name, it cuts right through any heart of stone with aural infatuation and elation. Portraying the best moment in someone's life after a gig at the infamous Papaya Playa Project, Smallville records associate Snad, delivers a skippy and irresistible MPC jam that makes one want to whistle along. The baroque effect and element of Voon's music is a given. The Italian duo made that clear with Rose in Japan and is able to repeat the trick with Brando. Like Rondo Veneziano at a rave, it's larger than life and happily jumping over the inhibition gate of restraint. Finally, Lukas Lehmann takes the boiling pot off the stove. Juno Cuts A Caper is an ode to synthesizer number six of the renowned Roland series and a masterclass in simmering down. All in all: fun, fun, fun.-
Kink Gong is back with his unique take and re-interpretation of the music he’s been recording and documenting for years in the South East Asian highlands.
Zomia Vol.1 takes the conceptual idea of ZOMIA, proposed by James C Scott in The Art of Not Being Governed, an Anarchist History of Upland South East Asia, to construct its very own mythological soundscape inspired by a semi-utopic region where state rules don’t apply. Zomia might be (almost) gone but Kink Gong is keen keep its spirit alive by releasing a series of albums celebrating the region’s quasi mythological features.
‘’Zomia is an idea, a concept that, not so long ago, there were two very distinct worlds in southeast Asia, the valley VS highland/hinterland, the civilisation VS the primitive, paddy rice VS slash and burn agriculture, Buddhism VS Animism, fixed territory VS movement/migration, written system VS oral culture, the state VS anarchy, property VS squat, controlled population VS autonomy, bricks VS bamboo and wood and, at my level museumified traditional mainstream music VS real emotions/songs of devastated lives and/or gongs ceremonies with buffalo sacrifices, extreme heat in the valleys VS shade in the jungle. I could go on and on but let’s not forget that ZOMIA is disappearing fast, if not altogether already. How many of the people I’ve recorded are still alive?
As you might know, before composing new music from my own ZOMIAN experience (from 2001 to 2014 in Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and China) I had to find those musicians, be able to communicate with them, record them as good as I could with very limited finances and gradually release a collection of 160 CDrs. It is very important for me to make sure you to listen to the fantastic original recordings before or after you’ve listened to this experimental reconstruction I called ZOMIA!
Expect more volumes to come, this is my biggest source of inspiration, and the reason why I’ve been involved for years in constructing a mythological experimental musical ZOMIAN soundscape.’’
Laurent Jeanneau, Berlin 2020
- A1: Harry Wolfman - Upstream (2021 Version)
- A2: Kiwi - We Are Here
- A3: Jad & The - 232 (Raw Tool)
- B1: Karl Hector & Nicolas Tounga - Ngunga Yeti Fofa (The Joaquin Joe Claussell's Electric Afrika Version (2021 Version)
- B2: Vito & Druzzi - Night Masquerade
- C1: The Barking Dogs - Mamarracho Feat Marcelo Burlon (2021 Version)
- C2: Capablanca & T Keeler - No Hay Ritmo
- C3: Kapote - Besamo Fly
- D1: Hard Ton - Food Of Love (Dj Sprinkles Grub Dub (2021 Version)
- D2: Munk - The Bolero Bunuel (Red Axes Remix)
- D3: Art Alfie - Dance To The Conga (Edit)
The MUSHROOM HOUSE compilation is a collection of balearic, afro and cosmic disco tracks that have been released on several Toy Tonics EPs over the last 5 years. Toy Tonics now releases some of these EPs on a double vinyl together. This is the second part. Featuring eleven tracks. (Vol 1 was released in 2020.)
Original tracks and remixes by friends of the label: Kiwi, Red Axes, Karl Hector, Hugo Capablanca, Harry Wolfman. Very special contributions by New York's legendary Joe Claussell and fashion designer Marcelo Burlon, who contributed the vocals to a song by Milan’s Barking Dogs. Art Alfie from Studio Barnhus is featured also with an exclusive track and legendary DJ Sprinkles with a magic rework of a Hard Ton song.
A few of the tracks had been already released on Gomma records. The now sleeping indie-electronica label that was the „mother“ of Toy Tonics records. Some were made exclusively for Toy Tonics.
Nearly two decades into her storied career, 9-time GRAMMY-winning singer, songwriter, pianist, and 2020’s most livestreamed artist Norah Jones will release her first full live album ‘Til We Meet Again on April 16. The collection presents globe-spanning performances from the U.S., France, Italy, Brazil, and Argentina that were recorded between 2017-2019. The first single “It Was You,” which is available to stream or download today, was recorded at the 2018 Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California with Pete Remm on organ, Christopher Thomas on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. Additional musicians featured on the album include bassist Jesse Murphy, guitarist Jesse Harris, flutist Jorge Continentino, and percussionist Marcelo Costa. ‘Til We Meet Again can be pre-ordered now on vinyl, CD, or digital download.
The 14 songs featured on ‘Til We Meet Again also span Jones’ entire career from her 2002 debut Come Away With Me (“Don’t Know Why,” “I’ve Got To See You Again,” “Cold, Cold Heart”), 2004’s Feels Like Home (“Sunrise,” “Those Sweet Words”), 2012’s Little Broken Hearts (“After The Fall”), 2016’s Day Breaks (“Flipside,” “Tragedy”), as well as her more recent singles series (“It Was You,” “Begin Again,” “Just A Little Bit,” “Falling,” and the GRAMMY-nominated “I’ll Be Gone”). The album closes with Jones’ stunning solo piano performance of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” a tribute to Chris Cornell that was recorded at the Fox Theatre in Detroit just days after Cornell’s death following a performance at the same venue.
- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- FIRST PRESSING OF 750 NUMBERED COPIES ON
ORANGE VINYL
Fronted by ace drummer Sly Dunbar and his venerable sideman, bassist Robbie Shakespeare, The Revolutionaries were a conglomeration of many of reggae's finest studio musicians. At the time of recording Black Ash Dub, the group were in their prime, boasting a stellar line-up that included the fanes Riddim Twins
alongside such luminaries as Ansel Collins on organ, Bingy Bunny on guitar, Gladstone Anderson on piano.
The LP provides ample evidence of their talents, harnessed by leading producer Jah Thomas, with revered dub masters, Prince Jammy and Scientist, mixing the
killer selection.
Originally released in 1980 and featuring 2 major club hits in Marijuana' and Cocaine', Black Ash Dub is today widely heralded as one of the finest dub collections of the era and considered an essential addition to the collections of all serious fans of the genre.
Available in a limited first pressing on 'Trojan' orange vinyl!
- A1: Ele 2 Intro (Feat Chris Rock, Rakim & Pete Rock)
- A2: The Purge
- A3: Strap Yourself Down
- A4: Czar (Feat Mop)
- A5: Outta My Mind (Feat Bell Biv Devoe)
- B1: Ele 2 The Wrath Of God (Feat Minister Louis Farrakhan)
- B2: Slow Flow (Feat Old Dirty Bastard)
- B3: Don't Go (Feat Q-Tip)
- B4: Boomp!
- B5: True Indeed
- B6: Master Fard Muhammad (Feat Rick Ross)
- C1: Yuuuu (Feat Anderson Paak)
- C2: Oh No
- C3: The Don & The Boss (Feat Vybz Kartel)
- C4: Best I Can (Feat Rapsody)
- C5: Where I Belong (Feat Mariah Carey)
- D1: Deep Thought
- D2: The Young God Speaks
- D3: Look Over Your Shoulder (Feat Kendrick Lamar)
- D4: You Will Never Find Another Me (Feat Mary J Blige)
- D5: Freedom? (Feat Nikki Grier)
- D6: Satanic
About:
As the first album from the legendary, Busta Rhymes in eleven years, Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God, Rhymes enlisted Chris Rock to tease the album announcement. The art, done by world renowned contemporary artist, Chanelle Rose.
With 2 singles released so far; "The Don & The Boss" which features legendary Jamaican artist, Vybz Kartel; and YUUUU which features, and is produced ed by the musical savant, Anderson .Paak. The album also features many other heavyweight features that have not yet been revealed.
Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God marks Rhymes' return with his star-studded follow up to the seminal 1998 three-time Grammy nominated, RIAA Certified Platinum album E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front.
In the blistering Los Angeles Summer of 2019, a chance encounter occurred between pals Yu Su and FIO, whilst both dishevelled and on their own separate journeys to overcome immigration bureaucracy. In the midst of filling out forms and enduring long waiting periods (pre pandemic) the pair managed to spend some time in the studio, two afternoons to be exact. The result; YUF-O. Four tracks that comprise of a charming and characteristic blend of both artists' personalities, yet totally unexpected in the best possible way. A mixture of absurd house, blissful ambient, accidental trance and some totally weird and wonderful other stuff.
Built on a foundation of authenticity, passion and innovation, Archie Lee Hooker & The Coast to Coast Blues Band is a spearheading group that has established itself in the world of music. Formedby Archie Lee Hooker, the nephew of John Lee Hooker, Archie and his leading handpicked team arehighly recognised for creating compelling, soul-enriching productions that leave their audienceswanting more.
Archie was born on Christmas Day of 1949 in Lambert, Mississippi, just 20 miles from thecrossroads where Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the devil. He was the son of a sharecropper, and up until age thirteen, that was the life he was accustomed to. That all changed when he headed up north and found himself standing in the big city of Memphis,Tennessee.
The paved roads and city lights felt like a new world to Archie, one that was filled with opportunities. Inspired by the Memphis music scene, it didn’t take long for Archie to begin singing with his first gospel group called The Marvellous Five. However, December of 1989 was when hispassion for Blues started to surface. During this time, Archie lived with his uncle, John Lee (the Boogieman himself) until his death in 2001. Being surrounded by him and other committed, talented, and influencing musicians is what became the catalyst for Archie to crave sharing his own life experiences through music and leave his lasting impression.
Though Archie left for France in 2011 to join Carl Wyatt & The Delta Voodoo Kings to tour Europe, he eventually chose to seek the right musicians to have on his side. He wanted a team that resembled family, chemistry, and a bond unlike any other. Once he found them, Archie founded the Archie Lee Hooker & The Coast to Coast Blues Band, which was specially named after the late John Lee’s Coast to Coast Blues Band. Since then, the crew has done nothing but thrive and impress.
They released their first album called ‘Chilling’ under the French label Dixiefrog in 2018, which received a 5-star review in Rolling Stone Magazine. Fast forward to today, they have recorded a new 12 song CD called ‘Living in a Memory’, and this all-original playlist of storytelling art is set to be released through Dixiefrog worldwide on April 16th, 2021. In the end, every song and performance that Archie Lee Hooker & The Coast to Coast Blues Band creates paints an incredible picture that inevitably provokes uplifting emotional influences and invested attraction.
They are entirely passionate about delivering remarkable music, and continuously provide fully authentic productions that have shaped them to become what they are today. With their immense drive and determination, it is exciting to see what they will launch next.
Isasa’s fourth LP is a guitar excursion from a skillful, humble guide. Minimal, contemplative songs, rich in atmosphere and warm in spirit.
Some musicians give their name to their first album, signifying introduction. Some hold it in reserve — it took Wire 39 years to get around to calling an LP Wire. But whenever they do so, they are making a statement. For Conrado Isasa, an acoustic guitarist from Madrid, Spain, the decision to call his fourth album Isasa reflects the fact that his music’s relationship to his own identity has evolved. Isasa presents an artist whose work reflects that he knows and accepts where he comes from.
Between 1993 and 2003, he played electric guitar in the hardcore metal band Down For The Count and the post rock combo, A Room With A View. These were collective statements, communications between small groups and a select underground community. After the latter group’s demise, Isasa stepped back from recording, and for a while from guitar playing as well. He spent some time learning to play the trumpet, but was inspired to return to the guitar in 2007 after he heard Geoff Farina play a Mississippi John Hurt song for the encore of a Glorytellers gig. Then came another period of learning, during which he studied the playing of Hurt, John Fahey, Jack Rose, and Glenn Jones.
Performing as Isasa, he made three records, each of which can be heard as confrontation with an artistic challenge. Las Cosas (2015) is between the man and his acoustic guitar; what could he do with his fingers, a slide, six steel strings, and a box of wood? Los Días (2016) faces the broader issue of how to deal with the requirements of the American Primitive guitar style. Like Fahey, Rose, and Jones, Isasa sought to make an album that used a cohesive sequence of guitar and banjo instrumentals to express personal experiences. With its references to the sights, sounds, and tastes one might encounter in Madrid, it is like a poetic diary written with the distance that comes from having mastered a second language. After making that record, Isasa toured parts of the United States, and played at The Thousand Incarnations Of The Rose, a festival that gathered representatives of American Primitive guitar’s past, present, and future in Takoma Park, the town where the style’s original synthesist, John Fahey, was born. Insilio (2019) began to look beyond that style, dealing with Hindustani raga forms and adding other instrumental textures.
And now comes Isasa. The name suggests something very personal, and it’s true that it draws upon Isasa’s closest relationships. Two compositions are either named for or feature the voices of his children, but their presence helps this music to transcend the purely personal. For what could be more universally shared than the joy and love one feels for children? Others invoke concepts — absence, liberty, love, reunion. They may mean one thing to Isasa, and another thing to you, but by sharing his reactions to them, he invites you to recognize yours. Isasa isn’t just using his experiences to tell you about his life; he is using what he knows about life to help us know a little more about ours.
Songwriter and fingerstyle guitarist, Jason McNiff releases his 7th full length album, Dust Of Yesterday, on April 16th. Produced and engineered by Roger Askew (Joe Strummer, Wilko Johnson, Christy Moore) the album was recorded throughout the summer and autumn of 2020 in Roger's home studio in Eastbourne, UK. It features McNiff's signature acoustic guitar work throughout with significant contributions from Beth Porter (of Eliza Carthy's band) on cello and Basia Bartz (most London based folk bands) on violin.
His first album since leaving London - McNiff is now based in Hastings - Dust of Yesterday is an elegy on moving away from a beloved place and a lament for lost youth. We are treated to a musical tour of McNiff's life to date, from his 8-year residency as a Flamenco guitarist in a Spanish bar in Waterloo (Damaged Woman) to hopping the northbound train from King's Cross, hiding in the lavatory up to Nottingham (A Load Along). All the songs on Dust of Yesterday, in one way or another, speak of the past. But it is not bleary-eyed nostalgia.
"I read somewhere that it is possible to literally change the past and I became very interested in this idea. It so happened around the same time that I discovered the Greek/Egyptian poet, Cavafy. In his poems he would talk about the past, but the memory is not a thing of the past, but something that is still part of him in the present. I could relate to that. "
Musically, Jason is influenced by the British acoustic guitarists (Jansch, Graham, Wizz Jones) and the great folk/rock troubadours of the 60s and 70s. He loves Mark Knopfler in the early days; the English teacher turned reluctant rock star, singing about Leeds and Newcastle and sounding like JJ Cale. For McNiff, the lyrics are central, and he has been especially captivated by those considered poets and writers as well as musicians. He loves literature and cites Hemingway, Chekhov and the aforementioned Cavafy, as major influences in his work. ( He has 'translated' Hemingway's 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' into a song on a previous album, 'Nobody's Son')
Jason McNiff was born in Bradford, Yorkshire in 1974 to an Irish father and Polish mother. Academically gifted, he did well at school and went to the University of Nottingham to study French and Russian. He fell in with the Folk & Blues scene in that city before moving to London in the mid-nineties to do another degree in English Lit. He was just in time to catch the Bert Jansch residency at the 12 Bar club. For 6 months, every Wednesday night, McNiff would be in the front row of Soho's tiny club learning fingerstyle from the master. He would later sign his first record deal with Snowstorm Records, a label run by Bert's brother-in-law and found himself opening for Bert on numerous occasions.
There followed a string of albums on various labels, including 2003's Nobody's Son (Americana UK album of the year) and 2011's April Cruel (nominated for best alt-country album at the Independent Music Awards in the US.)
Chet Baker was the epitome of cool... the possessor of the kind of
looks that usually only featured in the most elegant of Hollywood
movies. He also played the trumpet in a way that transcended jazz
boundaries, and won him countless admirers among those who didn’t
normally stoke their hi-fis with bebop sounds. An opportunity to play
alongside the legendary Charlie Parker provided Chet’s start in the
jazz life - and that same year, 1952, he became a member of Gerry
Mulligan’s ground-breaking piano-less quartet - a combo that made
the sort of recordings that were essential to those of a hip genre.
Surrender is the debut full length from DJ, producer, and songwriter Endgame. Stepping out for the first time as a vocalist, and lyricist, Surrender is his most ambitious and vulnerable work to date; a striking statement of intent, with moments of beauty and brutality. Endgame has carved an iconoclastic niche in club culture. Breaking into the scene as co-founder of the legendary collective Bala Club, and resident of the radical club-night Endless. Whilst continuing almost a decade hosting his infamous NTS radio show (and now label) Precious Metals, he has forged a path against the tide of formulaic club music. A visionary DJ and producer, Surrender sees Endgame continue this trajectory, with a project that both amplifies the ferocious club constructions he's known for, whilst making space to open up wounded memories and with sombre unfeigned requiems. Having previously released records on Hyperdub, PTP, Golden Mist and Infinite Machine, Endgame's first release on his own Precious Metals imprint, is him at his most reflective. Surrender is a deeply personal record, about loss and finding meaning in despair. Death is a prevailing theme, with the passing of his father a totemic subject. The recollection of his father's torturous final moments leaves him to mournfully contemplate temporality. Using this sense of anguish, he blurs reality-creating a world where angels and demons are among us in a decaying cityscape; akin to the work of Todd McFarlane. The opener Faithless, propels us into this world, with the slow build of industrial precision amidst the sombre build of harsh melodic synths. We descend deeper into this vision with Barbed Heart, featuring a defining vocal from scene staple and long time collaborator Yayoyanoh, as 808's and skittering hi hats ricochet off one another beneath his bass driven vocal. No Heroes continues our journey into the unknown with a chaotic rush of acidic riffs, pounding percussion, and a reference to the brutalist anthem from hardcore punk band Converge (where the track borrows its name). Requiem acts as the turning point of the record as Endgame steps into the foreground as a vocalist. As the name suggests, this lament is a sombre reflection of grief; its minimalist instrumental allows Endgame's haunted verse to rise into the foreground, like an apparition amidst the smoke in the depths of a dimly lit club. The dark clouds fade into the distance in Exhumed, as the elegant melancholic vocal of Bala Club affiliate and gifted vocalist Organ Tapes reflects off Endgame's sanguine verses bringing hope into the heartfelt instrumental filled with melodic flourishes and bass-bin rattling subs. The thematic haze thickens in Abyss, as the pulsating and doom laden instrumental interweaves with Endgame's sepulchral vocal. Like a message from the void, his words act as an agnostic hymn that pulls apart his sense of self. The contrast of his plaintive verse with the intensity of the instrumental creates a contrast that is symbolic of the record itself, a duality that presents moments of soft reflection against a severe sonic palette to create moments of transcendence.
- A1: Need Somebody To Love
- A2: Quarter Moon
- A3: One More Chance
- A4: Things Aren’t What They Used To Be
- A5: Love Is A Golden Word
- A6: Causing Complications
- A7: Just Can’t Let You Go
- A8: Hippy Hippy Shake
- A9: I’m Perfect
- B1: I Thought You Were My Friend
- B2: Stuttgart Special
- B3: Run Run Belinda
- B4: Who Knows
- B5: Janine
- B6: I Believe
- B7: Boy Of The City
- B8: Can’t4Lieve It’s True
17 Track compilation of all of their studio recordings, remastered and pressed on Electric Blue Vinyl. Presented in gatefold sleeve with never seen before photographs ,a printed lyric inner sleeve and poster.
The VIP’s were formed in 1978 while at Warwick University. Within weeks they were gigging at clubs in the Midlands, often on the same bill as THE SPECIALS in Coventry. Soon they found a manager, Clive Solomon, who with Timmy Mallet (now a TV and Radio presenter) and both students at the university, financed the group’s first single the EP ‘Music For Funsters. In the summer of 1978 they built up a loyal following in London. The single was picked up by John Peel, who played it constantly on his BBC radio show through the year. The 3 track EP, featuring ‘I’m Perfect’, ‘I Believe’ and ‘Boys of the City’ was released on Clive Solomon’s own ‘Bust’ label.
In 1979 the VIP’s could be found playing all over the country, frequently on the same bill as Squire, stablemates on Clive Solomon’s label.
In early 1980 they went into Olympic Studios in Chiswick to record some tracks with ex-THE ANIMALS bass player and SLADE/Jimi Hendrix manager Chas Chandler. The track ‘I Thought You Were My Friend’ was recorded at these sessions A few weeks later a major record deal was agreed with Gem Records/RCA and ‘Causing Complications’ came out in March. To coincide with the release the VIP’s went on tour supporting SECRET AFFAIR.
After the tour the single ‘The Quarter Moon’ was released, another track produced by Mike Leander. It received extensive airplay around the UK and beyond, and was also picked as BBC Radio 1’s Record of The Week by DJ Mike Reid on his Morning Show, as well as being Radio Luxembourg’s ‘Power Play’ for two weeks. The constant touring, recording and radio play had earned them a spot on Top of The Pops but they were suddenly told -on the afternoon that they were due to appear - that an industrial dispute at the BBC had resulted in the show being cancelled. Disappointed, they continued to record and tour, this time with MADNESS, THE BEAT and DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS amongst others. This time Bob Seargent (of The BEAT and HAIRCUT 100 fame) was recruited to give ‘Need Somebody To Love’ that sparkle and edge to capture The VIP’s live sound on vinyl. Although perhaps the most representative of the band’s sound, Top of The Pops again eluded them.
By the end of 1980 the VIP’s were selling in Spain, Germany, Italy and France through the RCA label but they seemed to be losing heart with the business. Illness -Jed had been touring with a collapsed lung - and tensions saw the band play their last concert at Leicester University. A fourth and final GEM single, ‘Things Aren’t What They Used To Be’ (a song taken from their earlier Mike Leander recording sessions) proved to be their last. With several songs still to be recorded, it was a frustrating time for all.
Paul Shurey and Guy Morley has already made alternative plans for THE NEW VIP’s and recruited Simon Smith from THE MERTON PARKAS to play drums while Paul returned to his native keyboards. With Tony Conway on guitar and Andy Godfrey on bass they became MOOD SIX.
Paul Shurey played a central part in the birth and proliferation of the Rave movement in the 80’s, 90’s and 2,000’s, initiating a great a great many DANCE RAVES all around the world. Very sadly he died in 2017. He was also a gifted artist/cartoonist, and it’s his picture which graces the album’s sleeve. He is a brother very greatly missed.
Guy Morley works in film editing and Andrew Price is involved in developing community projects in and around his native Bristol.
“We became lifelong friends and shared a great and very exciting rock and roll dream.”
Far Out Recordings is delighted to present Mora!, and for the first time ever on vinyl Mora! II. Mexican-American percussionist and former member of the Sun Ra Arkestra, Francisco Mora Catlett originally recorded and released his debut solo LP as a private press in 1987, but the sequel he recorded over the course of the next few years with an expanded Detroit jazz brass section was shelved for decades to follow. A pan-American melting pot of hypnotic afro-cuban rhythms, frenetic batucadas and fiery sambas, Mora I & II are holy grails of latin jazz, masterminded by an unsung hero of the genre.
Born in Washington DC, 1947, Francisco Mora Jr is the eldest child of two highly prominent Mexican artists, Francisco Mora Sr and Elizabeth Catlett, to whom this project was dedicated. Being born into a mixed heritage bohemian family provided Mora Jr with what he called a “creative, progressive, and healthy arts environment”, building the foundations for a fascinating career journey ahead. Mora grew up in Mexico City where he began working as a session musician for Capitol Records in 1968, before moving to study at Berklee Music College in Boston, MA in 1970. Once he’d completed his studies in 1973, he very briefly returned to Mexico City with the best intentions of cultivating an avant-garde movement in the city, but when the Sun Ra Arkestra came to perform, Mora ended up leaving with the band to tour the world for the next seven years, a decent innings within a group famous for its constantly evolving line up.
Settling in Detroit after his years with the Arkestra, Francisco set to work on his self-titled debut, gathering an ensemble of musicians that included keyboardist Kenny Cox, founder of the legendary Strata Records, esteemed bassist Rodney Whitaker of the Roy Hargrove Quintet and percussionists Jerome Le Duff, Alberto Nacif, and Emile Borde. The album openly embraces and unites the broad spectrum of improvisation, rhythm, and jazz that has thrived throughout the American continents for centuries. In Mora’s own words the album intended to “manifest the African heritage presence in the American continent.” Epitomising this outlook, album opener ‘Afra Jum’ deploys a melody based on Haitian, African and Native American motifs, which is expanded upon by the soulful excellence of the Detroit veterans Cox and Whitaker, amidst a backdrop of afro-cuban inspired percussion.
The sequel Mora II was recorded shortly after with an expanded line up that included trumpet legend Marcus Belgrave, famed for his work with Ray Charles, Charles Mingus, Hank Crawford, Eddie Russ and Wendell Harrison. Continuing the concept of the first album, the follow up moves deeper into South America with the samba jazz dance belter ‘Amazona’, led by the rich vocals of Francisco’s wife Teresa Mora. The ‘Afra Jum’ concept is further explored, with the original motifs beefed up by the additional horns, and interspersions of Sun Ra inspired rumbling free improvisations. This follow up album remained shelved until 2005, when Mora put it out as a now obscure CD titled River Drum, but only now has it been given the high quality vinyl treatment it so deserves, presented as the sequel to Mora! as originally intended.
Through the 90s and into the the 21st century Mora would continue his Pan-American explorations, moving toward a more electronic afro-futurist direction as part of Detroit techno pioneer Carl Craig’s Innerzone Orchestra. Mora also worked with Carl Craig, moog synth wizard Craig Taborn, and his former Arkestra colleague, the legendary Marshall Allen, to form the Innerzone Orchestra spin-off Outerzone, released in 2007 on Premier Cru Records. Mora I & II will be out as two vinyl LPs, CD and digitally 16th April 2021.
Conceived at the heel of Italy's boot-shaped peninsula in Apulia, Patrick Belaga's Blutt makes music for the unruly imagination. The title is an old German word for 'naked', 'bare', but it can also mean 'blood' when spelt blut. Take away another letter and it makes 'butt'. None of these definitions and adaptations were what prompted the classically-trained composer and cellist to name his second album with a word simulating the sound of a punctured artery. That came later. Blutt's nine woozy compositions are inspired by a contemplative road trip with a friend, and the mysterious muffled music heard from an unidentified source. It was a combination of jazz and classical music that haunted Belaga's wanderings through the Byzantine town Gallipoli, and soon infected his dreams of long-gone civilizations. This record is its outcome, where organic instrumentals and electronic production merge into a sound that's both contemporary and ancient. Samples of mewing incantations and tape hiss sway atop the waltzing thud of piano chords on "Sigh". Composite layers of Belaga's cello play in downcast harmony on "Rust". There's a wistful sense for the romantic, in the eerie rhythm of a piece like "Momentum". The quarter tones of an Eastern European and Middle Eastern folk scale probe a profound melancholy via Kai Knight's violin. Its notes are haunted by a field recording of running water on "Unsoft", echoes of panpipes and a Jew's harp on opener "Lilt". As a consummate composer and performer known for his work with artists Wu Tsang, boychild, Josh Johnson and Asma Maroof, Belaga's Blutt is itself marked by flawless collaborations. Vocalist and instrumentalist Jazmin Romero sings and composes the surreal melodies of "Grey Eye". Multidisciplinary dance artist and producer Riley Watts contributes to the muted, motorik movement of "The Tunnel is a Tower". Together, the record plays as a stunning soundtrack to the strangeness of sleeping, and the heartbreaking transience of time. Like an intense dream half-remembered, the emotions persist after waking but for the sharp machinations just outside of the mind's reach. The album is mastered by Rashad Becker, featuring artwork by Giovanni Furlino & design by N MRE 08.
KOOL KEITH is the most legendary trailblazer of hip hop music. With characters spanning from Dr. Octagon to Tashan Dorsett to Black Elvis to Dr. Dooom, Keith is always delivering realness, spectacles in word and sound, and creating new worlds with his many auras. SCORN is the electronic beat project of acclaimed exNapalm Death drummer Mick Harris, the Dark Lord of ambient dub. Mick Harris' prolific ventures across numerous projects include Painkiller (with John Zorn and Bill Laswell), Quoit, Lull, Monrella, and many more. SUBMERGED is the King of Underground Drum n Bass DJs, having pioneered the scene for the hard sound from Astana to Sao Paulo to Kiev to Brooklyn. He is the founder of Galactic Enterprise that is Ohm Resistance. DISTORTION is a collaborative single with some of the 100% certified dopest Kool Keith verses. He is tuned into his co-authors, dropping lines about "Power sources, Mediterranean bosses", going "52 states, European, Worldwide", discussing "more power to explore", and knowing how to "stick my hand out the speaker and reach y'all". A massive energy liftoff occurs as Keith joins his multiverse with that of the Ohm Resistance artists. Mick Harris' instantly recognizable bludgeoning beat carries the weight, as he trades off bass blast duties with the organic overdriven bassline of Submerged. A warning shot fired in advance of Scorn's album, "The Only Place", this single adds the missing element to Scorn that brings out the richness and flavor of Mick Harris behind the mixing desk. "I'm so happy to be working with a great voice - I could do more of, it adds another dynamic to Scorn." says Harris. Submerged explains his usual streak of unusual luck - "I had a bassline I had written and wanted to send to Mick Harris for Scorn. When the opportunity came to work with Kool Keith, Mick made his beat, and my riff fit exactly - so we coordinated the forces to put this record together". With Kool Keith being one of the most-named influences by many of the Ohm Resistance artists, his arrival to the label couldn't have come at a better time - a integrated circuit across 4 dimensions, connecting 3 legendary musicians around the globe. Mixed by MJ Harris in the Lad's Old Room B14; Vocals by Kool Keith Recorded at Studio G Brooklyn; Engineered by Tony Maimone, Assisted by Ross Colombo; Bass Guitar by Submerged at Blue Site I, Saaremaa; Mastered by Daniele Antezza for Dadub Mastering Studio; Artwork by Sagana Squale, Layout by MachineÖ
- 1: Jfet
- 2: Dor
- 3: Xem W/ Gazelle Twin
- 4: Oct W/ Simon Fisher Turner
- 5: Uvu
- 6: Iln W/ Nik Void
- 7: Abii W/ Astrud Steehouder
- 8: Veq
Coloured[19,54 €]
MICROCORPS is the new project by artist and musician Alex Tucker (Grumbling Fur, Alexander Tucker, Imbogodom) exploring electronics, cello and voice. The debut release XMIT, an eight-track album featuring collaborations with Gazelle Twin, Nik Void, Simon Fisher Turner and Astrud Steehouder, is out on 16 April 2021. Tucker's ever-evolving soundworld continues to unfold with this collection of harsh realms centred around processed electronic systems, strings and vocal manipulations. On the new album, MICROCORPS employs altered voices, sound synthesis and atomised beat constructions. In a move away from previous projects XMIT investigates erasing the self, removing obvious traits of the hand and voice, and allowing a focus on the humanoid rather than the human. Instead of recognisable lyrics and coherent imagery, MICROCORPS evolved synthesised voices to generate alternate characters. He expands, "I was investigating how language brings our world into being and how manipulating the actual grain of the voice could open up momentary shifts in perception." Each track is born from a balance between composition and improvisation within set parameters. At each stage audio is heavily processed and then reconfigured. Setting up systems that are non-repeatable, where decisions can be premeditated and intuitive but never the same with each performance, using hardware and instruments outside of the computer to make live stereo takes that have limited room for editing and mixing. "I'd been looking into combining dream music with machine rhythms, but there are so many great examples out there of both music forms, so I started to cut up the drones and really filter the drum patterns to create a hybrid space." The album artwork features manipulated ink drawings by Tucker that originally featured in his recent comic ENTITY REUNION 2. XMIT refers to a time in which information both physical and nonphysical transfers at an alarming rate beyond human comprehension into an age which is at once banal and terrifyingly alien.
Needle Paw is the first solo album by Nai Palm, the lead singer and composer of R&B future soul outfit Hiatus Kaiyote. A two-time Grammy nominated singer, songwriter and musician from Melbourne, Australia, Nai Palm is a composer, instrumentalist, producer, vocalist and poet who approaches all of these self-taught disciplines with an intuitive, infectious grace. This gift has sent her and her band Hiatus Kaiyote on a journey to sculpt songs that have been received and treasured across the globe. Their success set the stage for Nai’s first solo effort.
Comprised almost entirely of her guitar playing and vocal arrangements, Needle Paw is Nai Palm’s self-imposed challenge to explore the potential for immortality and timelessness within her music by stripping away the produced layers to focus on the element that is closest to the source of the human soul: the voice.
Needle Paw is the rawest glimpse into Nai Palm’s musical world. It is dreamlike, honest, and beautifully transparent, revealing her musical ruminations to listeners with a courageous vulnerability and artistic generosity. Nai sees this album as a reminder to musicians that they don’t have to rely on production to expose their gifts.
Needle Paw features acoustic versions of Hiatus Kaiyote favorites “Atari,” “Mobius,” “When The Knife,” “Molasses,” and “Borderline With My Atoms”, as well as covers of songs by David Bowie (“Blackstar”), Radiohead (“Pyramid Song”) and Jimi Hendrix (“Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)”).
MICROCORPS is the new project by artist and musician Alex Tucker (Grumbling Fur, Alexander Tucker, Imbogodom) exploring electronics, cello and voice. The debut release XMIT, an eight-track album featuring collaborations with Gazelle Twin, Nik Void, Simon Fisher Turner and Astrud Steehouder, is out on 16 April 2021. Tucker's ever-evolving soundworld continues to unfold with this collection of harsh realms centred around processed electronic systems, strings and vocal manipulations. On the new album, MICROCORPS employs altered voices, sound synthesis and atomised beat constructions. In a move away from previous projects XMIT investigates erasing the self, removing obvious traits of the hand and voice, and allowing a focus on the humanoid rather than the human. Instead of recognisable lyrics and coherent imagery, MICROCORPS evolved synthesised voices to generate alternate characters. He expands, "I was investigating how language brings our world into being and how manipulating the actual grain of the voice could open up momentary shifts in perception." Each track is born from a balance between composition and improvisation within set parameters. At each stage audio is heavily processed and then reconfigured. Setting up systems that are non-repeatable, where decisions can be premeditated and intuitive but never the same with each performance, using hardware and instruments outside of the computer to make live stereo takes that have limited room for editing and mixing. "I'd been looking into combining dream music with machine rhythms, but there are so many great examples out there of both music forms, so I started to cut up the drones and really filter the drum patterns to create a hybrid space." The album artwork features manipulated ink drawings by Tucker that originally featured in his recent comic ENTITY REUNION 2. XMIT refers to a time in which information both physical and nonphysical transfers at an alarming rate beyond human comprehension into an age which is at once banal and terrifyingly alien.
Columbia, South Carolina’s Chaz Bundick (aka Toro y Moi) rose to the fore of the music blogosphere in sum- mer 2009 when he and a few peers made their hazy bedroom recordings the most talked-about sound of the season. Critics across the board took notice of the range of his compositions, and his debut album, Causers of This, showcased his ability to make elements of Brian Wilson’s pop, 80s R&B, and Stone’s Throw hip hop coalesce into a distinct sound that’s as suitable for a dancefloor as it is a pair of headphones.
When Chaz first signed to Carpark Records, the plan was to release two records in 2010 — one electronic and one with live instrumentation — and although it didn’t quite fit into the same calendar year as his debut, Underneath the Pine is that latter offering. This release sees him following the same creative urges to com- pletely different ends. Having spent the year listening to film composers like Ennio Morricone and François de Roubaix, Bundick returned to his home in Columbia, the birthplace of many Toro tracks of yore, to bring his new ideas to fruition. The result of these sessions is an album evocative of R. Stevie Moore’s homespun rumi- nations, David Axelrod’s sonic scope, Steve Reich-ian piano phrasing, and the pervasive funk of his first record. Underneath the Pine announces a new phase for an art- ist whose talent defies classification.
In 2019, Parisian cinema composer Jean-Gabriel Becker and Japanese composer and multi- instrumentalist Susumu Mukai embarked on the making of an album that was ultimately going to become ‘Time Very Near’.
The album was finally released to great acclaim in April 2020 through the strangest time in history for its singularity and originality. Prompted by a few unsolicited offers for remixes, Becker & Mukai saw an occasion to invite their community of musician and producer friends to re-invent, deconstruct and rebuild the songs on ‘Time Very Near’.
Joe Goddard (Hot Chip), who, from his studio next door, had witnessed the birth of the project from day one, was kind enough to unleash his killer beats on Spice War. Old friend Jas Shaw (Simian Mobile Disco) transformed the tropical sounds of Dark Fields Of The Republic into a dance-floor ready techno workout.
Long-time collaborator and friend Sasa Crnobrnja (In Flagranti, Mytron & Ofofo, Auf Togo) took Time Very Near on a trip to Jamaica. Label mate AMA//MIZU stripped Tout Azimuth down to its core to rebuild it with his unique production skills. Dreems delivered a sweltering 19 minute version of Dark Fields Of The Republic and a shorter version more suited for a vinyl listen. And finally Becker & Mukai chose to don their alternative monikers (Zongamin and Lux Prima) to re-interpret the duo’s own compositions.
Like the original album, this remix project gathers sounds and inspiration from an ever-expanding palette of influences, assembled into something amorphously intangible that’s simultaneously refreshing and sharp, meandering and cosmic, futuristic but timelessly vintage and manages to expand where the original album left off.
With no touring in 2020, and possibly this year, Woods
decided to take a deep dive into their archives and put
together the first volume of their much discussed archival
series, Reflections. Featuring rare and unreleased
recordings from 2009 - 2013, including a ghost town desert
jam off the side of the highway, their first live performance
in Big Sur, the first recorded version of “Bend Beyond”
and some shelved diamonds in the rough that were finished
up during quarantine. Their hope is that it plays like a “lost
record” from an extremely strange and fruitful period in
Woods history.
- A1: Cowboy
- A2: Who’s That Girl?
- A3: Let Me Blow Ya Mind (Feat Gwen Stefani)
- B1: You Had Me, You Lost Me
- B2: Got What You Need (Feat Drag-On)
- B3: Gangsta Bitches (Feat Da Brat & Trina)
- C1: That’s What It Is (Feat Styles P)
- C2: Scream Double R (Feat Dmx)
- C3: Thug In The Street (Feat Lox)
- D1: No, No, No (Feat Stephen Marley)
- D2: You Ain’t Gettin None
- D3: Life Is So Hard (Feat Teena Marie)
- D4: Be Me (Feat Mashonda Tifrere)
Scorpion is the second studio album by Eve. It was by Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Interscope Records on released 6th March, 2001. The album’s title is a reference to Eve’s zodiac sign, Scorpio. It features the Grammy-winning hit single, “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”, a duet with Gwen Stefani, winning their first Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, a new category at the time.
Scorpion was a critical and commercial success, debuting at number four on the US Billboard 200 and became her second consecutive number-one album on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Scorpion was later certified Platinum by the RIAA on 10th May, 2001. Scorpion was also nominated for Best Rap Album at the 44th Grammy Awards in 2002
Scorpion will release on 16th April in 2LP 180 gram black vinyl.
A metaphor about diversity and passion for athletics. Looking for inspiration in our environment, as diverse as quality electronics, as extensive as a marathon. Biome Laps wants to take a lot of laps within the IDM universe, electro and the most evocative ambient. This new Madrid electronic music label of José Merinero, which in 2021 celebrates 20 years in music, 15 since he launched his �rst references on his own labels such as City Archives or Ultrix Records and 10 since the creation of .Àrtico Netlabel, his pretty girl, which has allowed him to move in the national underground, and in festivals like L.E.V. and what has been your home to look for that diversity, to �nd that electronics without labels under the name of JM. Here, in addition, it has been able to count on the collaboration of great spanish producers in some references. Passion for electronics speaking of José, he falls short, so he decides to create Biome Laps, where we will �nd timeless music, on vinyl and digital, and above all local music, made with a lot of passion. A veteran who debuts with his own name, showing himself without more, with a single objective, to give back to the music he believes in, everything he has received in return…
Zaumne's new album titled Élévation is a multifaceted yet subtle work, an abstract collage that is equally entrancing and immersive. Quoting passages from Baudelaire’s “Flowers of Evil”, the Polish musician promises to elevate the soul and consciousness “Beyond the sun / Beyond the ether”. Yet simultaneously, the artist wants us to stay where we are and focus on the immediate surroundings in search of our personal attachment to the world.
Initially recorded for the WET (Weird Erotic Tension) online community the four pieces are an exploration of erotic aspects of the environment and uncanny intimacy with other beings and objects that dwell in our nearest proximity. Just like on previous releases for labels like Czaszka Rec. or Perfect Aesthetics, on Élévation Zaumne maintains his interest in emotional aspects of sound and internet culture – he builds his compositions from fragments of ASMR-whispered poetry, samples of natural phenomena and field recordings from his family home and its environ.
What starts as an escapist exercise driven by uneasiness and ennui becomes an individual healing process, in which the subject rediscovers the strangely intimate relationship with the world and opens up to almost magical methods of communicating with other beings. ASMR samples and sounds of the artist touching, playing with and exciting different objects are an experiment in establishing contact with the non-human realm and a method of attuning the body and the mind to the reality in which everything is interconnected.
Zaumne tests Einstein’s “spooky action at a distance” through radical, sensual intimacy with what’s near, finding a glimpse of the absolute in his own room, again quoting Baudelaire: “To a child who is fond of maps and engravings / The universe is the size of his immense hunger”.
Zaumne is the moniker of Polish musician Mateusz Olszewski. In the past few years, he has released music on labels like Magia, Perfect Aesthetics, BAS or Czaszka Rec. Élévation, released by Mondoj and initially commissioned by WET, is his first vinyl release. Blending elements of genres like ambient, dub, minimalism and tape music with ASMR samples, field recordings and spoken word, he creates work with deep emotional focus and impact.
Following the hard-hitting return single ‘Anxious’ and a slew of mysterious ‘West Gazette’ posters appearing around the UK hinting at the announcement (including Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Bristol and London), West London’s AJ Tracey assumes the character of a rising young basketball player appearing in a livestreamed press conference to reveal his next move: a lucrative deal with major
franchise Revenge Athletic ahead of a crucial playoff game. The broadcast ends with the true reveal: AJ’s highly anticipated sophomore album ‘FLU GAME’ will finally arrive.
Always pushing boundaries with his creative output, AJ’s campaign draws influence from the story of Michael Jordan and his Chicago Bulls team in the late 90s, with ‘FLU GAME’ referencing one of MJ’s most memorable championship games where he overcame a nasty bout of food poisoning (brought on by a dodgy takeaway pizza) and took the Bulls to the championship. Revenge Athletic are a franchise on the brink of a massive championship win and AJ is their new star. All we know for now is that AJ is about to take us into this new world, as he dons the number 10 jersey and states he’s “ready to get going and do what I’ve always done.”
‘FLU GAME’ sees AJ showcasing twelve brand new tracks, with tantalising features including Kehlani, T-Pain, SahBabii, NAV and Millie Go Lightly. On the production
front, AJ calls on regular collaborators Nyge, The Elements, Kazza, AoD and Remedee.
The project also features the UK Top Five singles ‘Bringing It Back’ with Digga D, ‘West Ten’' with Mabel and the Platinum smash ‘Dinner Guest’ featuring MoStack. AJ Tracey is a man on an unstoppable, independently built trajectory. 2020 was his
biggest year to date, with (certified Gold) single ‘West Ten’ alongside Mabel landing in the wake of chart-scaling ‘Dinner Guest’ featuring MoStack (Platinum), Number 1 charity single ‘Times Like These’ (alongside Dua Lipa, Rag & Bone Man and The Foo Fighters) and the Platinum-certified TikTok sensation ‘Rain’ with Aitch, which went on
to become the most watched UK YouTube video of 2020. AJ finished the year with a stand-out feature on Headie One’s enormous anthem ‘Ain’t It Different’ alongside Stormzy, a Platinum certified track that peaked at Number 2 in the UK Singles Chart.
In 2019, AJ released his debut self-titled album which, after landing at Number 3 in the UK Official Charts, has gone on to clock over 350 million streams globally and is certified Gold. His Conducta-produced breakout hit ‘Ladbroke Grove’ was officially the
top selling independent single of 2019, spending an astounding 14 weeks in the UK Top 10, and is now certified Double Platinum (over 1.2 million sales). It was nominated for a BRIT, was named Best British Song at the NME Awards and is now the biggest-selling UK Garage record of all time - an incredible feat. AJ rounded off a
huge 2019 with two sold-out headline shows at London’s 10,000 capacity Alexandra Palace.
A music and cultural icon, and boasting over 1 billion global streams independently, AJ’s formidable talent and unmatched creative vision is set to see him scale even higher heights in the coming months.
a Anxious [prod Remedee]
[b] Kukoč (ft. NAV) [prod Pxcoyo + Yung Swisher]
[c] Bringing It Back (with Digga D) [prod. The Elements + AoD)
[d] Cheerleaders [prod Kazza & Swidom]
[e] Draft Pick [prod 5ive Beatz] Eurostep [prod AJ Tracey]
[f] Cherry Blossom [prod Nyge & AoD]
[g] Glockie [prod The Elements & AoD]
[h] Little More Love [prod YOZ BEATZ, RyFy & Mark Raggio]
[i] Top Dog [prod Nyge & AoD]
[j] Summertime Shootout (ft. T-Pain) [prod Nyge & AoD]
[k] Perfect Storm [prod YOZ BEATZ & JBJ]
[l] Coupé (ft. Kehlani) [prod The Elements]
[m] Numba 9 (ft. SahBabii & Millie Go Lightly) [prod The Elements]
[n] Dinner Guest (ft. MoStack) [prod The Elements & AJ Tracey]
[o] West Ten (with Mabel) [prod FRED & Take a Daytrip]
[a] Anxious [prod Remedee]
[b] Kukoč (ft. NAV) [prod Pxcoyo + Yung Swisher]
[c] Bringing It Back (with Digga D) [prod. The Elements + AoD)
[d] Cheerleaders [prod Kazza & Swidom]
[e] Draft Pick [prod 5ive Beatz] Eurostep [prod AJ Tracey]
[f] Cherry Blossom [prod Nyge & AoD]
[g] Glockie [prod The Elements & AoD]
[h] Little More Love [prod YOZ BEATZ, RyFy & Mark Raggio]
[i] Top Dog [prod Nyge & AoD]
[j] Summertime Shootout (ft. T-Pain) [prod Nyge & AoD]
[k] Perfect Storm [prod YOZ BEATZ & JBJ]
[l] Coupé (ft. Kehlani) [prod The Elements]
[m] Numba 9 (ft. SahBabii & Millie Go Lightly) [prod The Elements]
[n] Dinner Guest (ft. MoStack) [prod The Elements & AJ Tracey]
[o] West Ten (with Mabel) [prod FRED & Take a Daytrip]
With his seventh studio album, Shapes of the Fall, Piers Faccini, pursues his passion for the kind of cross-cultural dialogues that have long been heard on Mediterranean shores throughout the centuries, bridging southern Europe with the Near East and Africa. Although the songs are written and sung in English, the musical influences in Shapes of the Fall draw heavily on Faccini's own Mediterranean ancestry, creating a musical voyage whose geography varies from song to song, crossing multiple frontiers with his voice over the course of the journey, from the snow tipped anglo-american Folk registers of songs like Paradise Fell or Together Forever Everywhere to the eerie desert blown notes of Middle Eastern or north African modes in tracks like Firefly or Dunya. Ruin or repair and hope or despair are the album's parallel narratives and if shapes of the fall are the myriad endangered forms that make up the mosaic of our environmental collapse, the descent, Faccini sings, is of our doing or undoing. ''Bring me my home back'' the chorus of the album's emblamatic opening song They Will Gather No Seed is not then, the singer's personal cry for a home but the animal lament of innumerable species on the brink of extinction. Faccini who has previously collaborated with cellist Vincent Segal for their 2014 duo album Songs of Time Lost has collaborated over the years with musicians far and wide in search of musical dialogue such as Ballake Sissoko, Ibrahim Maalouf or Jasser Haj Youssef. Two exceptional voices feature on the album; Californian singer-songwriter Ben Harper, a collaborator from his 2005 album, Tearing Sky and Moroccan singer and master of the trance traditions known as Gnawa, Abdelkebir Merchane. The album was co-produced by Piers Faccini and Fred Soulard.
Selectors Choice is a collection of Reggae tunes from some of the best producers and artists cut to limited edition vinyl.
The 12"s concentrate on compiling tracks of the same riddim that have never been released together that include unreleased versions and brand new releases. They are specifically catered for any Reggae collector, selector and DJ
To mark his highly anticipated album announcement, Saint Raymond releases a fresh IG track titled Solid Gold. "Solid gold is about trying to rekindle the spark and make things work because you know that there is something special in the relationship and it’s worth fighting for. It’s about knowing that all of the good things override the negatives." - Callum (Saint Raymond) Saint Raymonds follow up to the UK top 10 album 'Young Blood', will be titled 'We Forgot We Were Dreaming' and is out on April 16th 2021. It will be followed by a run of warm up shows in April 2021 and full tour in Nov 2021.
ollowing the demise of emo band Mineral in 1997, singer/guitarist Chris Simpson (Mineral/ Zookeeper/ Mountain Time) and bassist Jeremy Gomez reunited to form The Gloria Record. Taking an acoustic and more organic approach than their previous work, The Gloria Record (with the addition of guitarist Brian Hubbard, drummer Matt Hammon, later replaced by Brian Malone and Ben Houtman on the keys, organs and synthesisers) were unarguably the logical progression from Mineral’s emo throes - quieter, delicate and fervently impassioned. Heralded as a “band with big visions and bombastic sounds”, the quintet fostered their admiration for artists with similar arena sized visions ( Radiohead, REM, U2) to produce a sound that was reminiscent of their British contemporaries and American indies. In 1998 the band released their self-titled EP, followed by the intricate offering of 2000’s A Lull In Traffic and 2002’s full length effort Start Here, before disbanding after extensive US tours in 2004. Start Here, the brilliant debut album from The Gloria Record is back on vinyl at long last. Originally released in April 2002, the ten songs are bolstered with four bonus tracks including rarity The Dead Brother, a live version of L’Anniversaire Triste and demos of I Was Born In Omaha and My Funeral Party. Start Here will be released on black double vinyl in a gatefold sleeve on April 16th. The Gloria Record in the press: “…stacked to the gills with nuances that pay back repeat listens in a big way.” - Austin Chronicle “Where their earlier works were true emotional explorations -- singer Chris Simpson's heart fully on sleeve -- The Gloria Record abandons their emo roots for an indie rock growl” - Popmatters “Simpson’s work in Mineral and the dream-pop act The Gloria Record had long established him as a formidable songwriter…”
Having become one of the premier German death metal bands - and rapidly rising the ranks of the genre as a whole - Endseeker storm back into the fray with Mount Carcass. Building on the groundwork laid down on 2017’s Flesh Hammer Prophecy and having the difficult task of besting 2019’s stunning The Harvest they have returned with a streamlined, powerful collection that further raises the bar. To keep the genre sounding fresh in 2021 Endseeker focused on the production, having just a touch of the old school vibe to remain rooted, and they did not limit themselves too hard to the Swedish death metal style of songwriting they previously embraced, but also let other influences into their songs. “You can hear all kinds of stuff that is inspired by bands like Morbid Angel, Bolt Thrower, Slayer, Dissection, Gorefest, etc. We listen to so many different bands and somehow a bit from all of this keeps adding to our music.”
Hailing from London, UK, PUPIL SLICER are preparing to release their debut album, Mirrors, via Prosthetic Records. Combining all the sharp edges of angular mathcore with the bonecrushing intensity of grindcore, PUPIL SLICER are guaranteed to leave their mark on 2021. Mirrors captures the frenetic energy that propels PUPIL SLICER forward, making their snarling blend of mathcore, grindcore, death metal and more a truly essential listen. For all the disjointed chaos and jagged edges present on Mirrors - and there are many - PUPIL SLICER has created an enticing, cohesive collection of songs that represent a marked period of time in the lives of its creators. Complemented further by the distinctive collage cover art by Nick Povey, this debut album is equal parts grit and sass.
- 1: Invocation Summoning
- 2: Heart Of The Mind World
- 3: Scarlet Cassocks
- 4: The Death Knell Tolls
- 5: A Cabalist Under The Gallows
- 6: I Am The Ritual
- 7: Radiant Transcendent
- 8: Wayward Confessor 9. Diamonds
- 10: A Stranger's Grave
- 11: Conversations With Rosa
- 12: The Tunnel At The End Of The Light
- 13: Solomon's Song
- 14: Wychwood Shrine
- 15: Oracle Of The Starlit Dawn
Hexvessel and Svart Records celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Hexvessel’s debut album Dawnbearer with a set of reissues, including CD, double vinyl. “Dawnbearer is a very important album for us, being our first album but also the first original album release for Svart Records. It’s also a very special record for our fans, and one that’s particularly close to my heart, in a world of its own when compared to the other records we have made. Considering that it’s been out of print now for some time, I’m delighted to be able to oversee a reissue of this album, together with original demos and out-takes, and liner notes showing the making of this album which carries the initial DNA of Hexvessel’s musical and spiritual journey”, says band leader Mat McNerney, “We haven’t touched a thing on the original layout, but added some bonus material for the limited edition, should you wish to own a luxury edition of this, our now classic debut.” Hexvessel band was founded by English singer/songwriter Mat McNerney (Beastmilk, Grave Pleasures, Carpenter Brut etc) after he moved to Finland in 2009. Their style of music has been referred to as “forest folk” or as Noisey/Vice puts it: “Weaving English folk, lilting Americana, and mushroom-induced psychedelia”. Their debut album 'Dawnbearer' was released worldwide in 2011 on Svart Records and is considered to be an influential classic record of the modern Occult Rock revival. Highly popular with Hexvessel fans and unique in their catalogue, featuring guitars by Andrew McIvor (Code), violin work of Daniel Pioro (who works on Paul Thomas Anderson’s soundtracks with Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead), the early production work of Jaime Gomez Arellano (Ghost, Paradise Lost), and guest vocals from Carl Michael Eide (Virus, Ved Buens Ende, Aura Noir). “Think Woven Hand, haunted ’60s/’70s pastoral folk, or a darker riff on Midlake. McNerney covers Clive Palmer’s post-Incredible String Band crew C.O.B. and successfully transforms and darkens Paul Simon’s “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes.” He quotes Crowley, Truman Capote, Isaac Babel, etc. Unlike black metal-ready folk, this is folk by a talented, ambitious black metal musician. But the energy’s there. As is the atmosphere.” - Stereogum “(Part of) a new wave of bands who share many of the original occult bands' musical and philosophical characteristics, spearheaded by Ghost, from Sweden, and the Devil's Blood, from Holland – have begun to lure in a new generation of fans, predominantly from the metal scene, their names alone – Ancient VVisdom, Hexvessel, Blood Ceremony– point to a focused step back to the age of Wheatley and Hammer. ” - The Guardian (2011)
This new quartet recording by saxophone maestro Evan Parker is the first for many years to be released on vinyl. Parker, one of the great
post-Coltrane saxophonists, has played a monthly gig at the London club The Vortex, for a considerable time.
Evan called these events his ‘jazz’ gigs and it seemed that the trio’s performance came close to seeing Coltrane or Ayler playing at the 5 Spot or one of the legendary New York venues. When Cadillac asked Evan if he would record an album for the label, it was this aspect of his multifaceted talents they had in mind. The quartet you hear on this album (with Paul Lytton, John Edwards and Alexander Hawkins) came together for a gig at the Vortex in Evan’s regular slot on June 20th 2019, and what a fine gig it was!
Then the next day they relocated to the beautiful barn-like studio of Rimshot, deep in the Kent countryside to record the album. The location, close to Evan’s home, had other resonances, which journalist Chris Searle has described in his
sleevenote. The subsequent (and over long) process of mastering and producing the album coincided with the first Covid lockdown and the coincidence of Evan and Mike @ Cadillac both reading Defoe’s “Journal of the Plague Year”, which provided context and some track titles.
This put in mind of Stephen Fowler’s brilliant rubber stamp artwork, and he has created a visual representation that expresses many of the themes of the
album.
Color Vinyl With no touring in 2020, and possibly this year, Woods
decided to take a deep dive into their archives and put
together the first volume of their much discussed archival
series, Reflections. Featuring rare and unreleased
recordings from 2009 - 2013, including a ghost town desert
jam off the side of the highway, their first live performance
in Big Sur, the first recorded version of “Bend Beyond”
and some shelved diamonds in the rough that were finished
up during quarantine. Their hope is that it plays like a “lost
record” from an extremely strange and fruitful period in
Woods history.
Holy Hive is back with a new set of songs while they are still enjoying the growing success of their 2020 debut album, Float Back To You. Their signature "Folk Soul" sound has earned them a diverse group of fans around the globe and sets them apart from fellow groups lumped into the indie/folk algorithm. These two songs were written and recorded at a small house in the desert of the Yucca Valley. Both of them are stripped down to Holy Hive's core instrumentation of bass, drums, guitar and vocals. The A side "I Don't Envy Yesterdays" is a tune that deals with the role time plays in the human experience. Spring's falsetto vocals wax poetic about futility and acceptance while Homer Steinweiss' drumming in itself creates a subplot about the boundaries of time. In true Holy Hive fashion, they take on these deep philosophical and abstract concepts yet come out sounding as light and easy as a Summer day. The B side is a story of lost love. Paul paints a beautiful picture for the listener. But this time, instead of committing to not living in the past, he is overcome by the memories that the rain conjures up. The title "Color It Easy" aptly describes Holy Hive's ability to capture emotion with simple songs and arrangements. While these songs might not paint the most detailed and intricate picture, the simplicity of the colors and brush strokes are filled with longing and love. This 7" should hold everyone over while they put the finishing touches on their sophomore full length record due out in Fall of 2021.
2012 tracks for the first time on vinyl in an edition of 200 copies
These tracks where once included on a CD-R that came with the first 100 S.M. Nurse 12" EP’s “30th Anniversary 1980-1983” (Domestica Records) - now remastered and better sounding, available for the first time on vinyl including an extra track!
Robby Horsfall († 2013): lyrics, vocals
Menko Konings: compositions, instruments
* remix (2021) by Rude 66
** remake S.M. Nurse track
- Rumble, Young Man, Rumble! - Terence Blanchard
- Sam Cooke Comes To Stage / Copacabana Introduction - One Night In Miami Band
- Tammy - Leslie Odom Jr
- Howl For Me Daddy - Terence Blanchard, Keb’ Mo’ And Tarriona ‘Tank’ Ball
- Do Us All Proud - Terence Blanchard
- I Believe To My Soul - One Night In Miami Band
- Salah Time - Terence Blanchard
- I'm King Of The World! - Terence Blanchard
- Put Me Down Easy - Hampton House - Leslie Odom Jr
- Put Me Down Easy - L.c. Cooke
- Greazee - Billy Preston
- Ain't Yo Stuff Safe Here - Terence Blanchard
- Malcolm Looks Out The Window - Terence Blanchard
- You Send Me - Leslie Odom Jr
- (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons - Leslie Odom Jr
- Brother, What Is Going On? - Terence Blanchard
- I Wanna Damn Party - Terence Blanchard
- Lonely Teardrops - Jeremy Pope
- Chain Gang - Leslie Odom Jr
- Good Times - Leslie Odom Jr
- A Change Is Gonna Come - Leslie Odom Jr
- Speak Now - Leslie Odom Jr
One Night in Miami is a 2020 American drama film directed by Regina King (in her feature directorial debut), from a screenplay by Kemp Powers, based on his stage play of the same name.
It had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 7, 2020 and was the first film directed by an African-American woman to be selected in the festival’s history. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with critics praising King’s direction, the performances and the writing.
It is scheduled to be released in a limited release on December 25, 2020, followed by digital streaming on Prime Video on January 15, 2021
On one incredible night in 1964, four icons of sports, music, and pop culture gather to celebrate one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. When underdog Cassius Clay, soon to be called Muhammed Ali, (Eli Goree), defeats heavy weight champion Sonny Liston at the Miami Convention Hall, Clay memorialized the event with three of his friends: Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge).
Based on the award winning play of the same name, One Night In Miami is a fictional account of the actual night that these formidable figures spent together in the hotel. It looks at the struggles these men faced and the vital role they each played in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the 1960s.
More than 40 years later, their conversations on racial injustice, religion, and personal responsibility still resonate.
Live At Robert Johnson welcomes Amsterdam-based DJ and Producer Alain van der Born aka Perdu to the Club, who already made his marks with Releases on DGTL Records, Heist, and Let’s Play House amongst others. His contribution is a Four Track EP called Soaring Flights, including a Digital only Bonus Track. On this EP, Perdu champions a full-on 1980s sound, which hits more than one Chord in Live At Robert Johnson’s very own set of Styles.
Dystopia (co-produced by Tjade) is a High Energy Track, in which a raw and stoic Bass Riff slowly working its way into a Break. It’s the first Break in which the Atmosphere heats up significantly and subsequently sustains for the remainder of this quite enjoyable, and not quite dystopian rush on the Dance Floor. Retrograde immediately kicks off with a South American infused Rhythm Loop, joined by a deep and analogue Bass Serpentine, with bubbly Acid sprinkled along the way. Rise Of F5 brings back those 1980s signature pumping Kick and gated reverb Snare Drums, employing melodic and slightly haunting elements, which eventually dissolve in Euphoria and a Melody to hum along with (or shout, if you prefer). Somehow It’s Different Now concludes in a slightly different and quite mellow vein, that lets you leave this EP on the easy side. Available Digital Only is the Bells Mix Version of Perdu and Tjade’s Dystopia, for those inclined to a more melodramatic Dystopia with added playfulness thanks to—you guessed it—Bells (no whistles, we promise) …
Melvin Ukachi needs little introduction, the Lagos (Nigeria) based vocalist and bandleader is a living legend. Melvin is known for his fantastic solo albums, his vocals for the afrobeat star-groups M.F.B. and Ozzobia_but his biggest legacy is without a doubt him being the singer and bandleader of Ofege. Melvin formed Ofege in the early 1970s (when he and the other band members were all still a bunch of teenagers). Due to their vibrant combo of sweet harmonies, hooks & fuzz, Ofege would become one of the most legendary Nigerian groups of all time, with expressive sales and national stardom to follow. At the turn of the century (and because of tracks appearing on various compilations) Ofege would receive international acknowledgment for being the first of their kind and THE ultimate West-African psychedelic funk band! Melvin Ukachi recorded four milestone albums with Ofege: 'Try and Love' (1973) 'The Last of The Origins' (1976), 'Higher Plane Breeze' (1977) and 'How Do You Feel' (1978). When the Ofege story came to an end, Melvin recorded two astonishing solo albums: 'Evolution-Bring Back The Ofege Beat' (1981) and 'I am Ok' (1985). Both of his solo recordings have now become much sought-after holy grails for collectors and fans alike. On the album, we are presenting you today (Evolution-Bring Back The Ofege Beat) the listener is treated to the trademark Ofege sound (as the title of the record obviously suggests). Next to the rootsy and raw Ofege sound, we're shown a perfect glimpse of the late '70s afrobeat works combining soul, jazzy rhythms, William Onyeabor style synths & fluid boogie-danceability Expect some serious 'all-star' guest musicians as well_featured on the album are Chyke Madu (The Funkees) on drums, Berkley Jones (Ofege) on guitar_and many other local legends. To top things off the tracks were recorded and mixed at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London_all slickly engineered by Rafiu Ayoade (The Apostles) and produced by the president of sound himself Odion Iruoje (known for his work with Manu Dibango, Fela Kuti_and many others). 'Evolution-Bring Back The Ofege Beat' was released on EMI Nigeria in 1981 and is a total Afro-psych-funk classic that begs for a special place in your record collection. It's tight, funky and Melvin's soulful vocals are to die for. This record is a monster! Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the first-ever reissue (supervised by Melvin Ukachi himself) of this amazing Nigerian Afrobeat album. This RARE classic (original copies tend to go for large amounts on the secondary market) is now finally back available as a limited 180g vinyl edition (500 copies) complete with the original artwork made at Grafikad (who were responsible for designing landmark sleeves for renowned artists such as Fela Kuti).
Just like Freddy Krueger, Final Dream resurrects from the past to haunt your nights and deliver to the masses his threatening message. Author of a mighty album and three collector EP's on experimental techno label Audio Illusion Recordings from 1995 to 2002, British Electro veteran Phil Klein aka Bass Junkie returns with a vengeance under his most frightening alias. 19 years after his last transmission, he serves up a new four tracker full of his infectious strain of corrosive and weird electro.
The A-side opens with the mental "Dark Flow", a pounding tune based upon hammering beats surrounded by sinister strings and a gloomy atmosphere. The title track "Project Fear" coming next goes deeper into the realm, merging lethal frequencies to demonic beats.
The flipside introduces "Force Majeure", a milestone of an instant classic made of robotic drums sequences fused into subtle acid lines while "The Devil's Playground" concludes the 12" with 7 minutes of brain manipulations. Present "Project Fear EP" appears as an opened window to the future, an invitation to foresee what Evil is cooking for you in his laboratory. Just a reminder that there's no way to hide, accept your fate, nothing can stop the darkness!
For volume 86 in the Brazil45 series, we return with a pair of stellar 1970s Brazilian-Funk / Black Rio nuggets by two of the greats of the genre, Toni Tornado & Zeca Do Trombone.
'Sou Negro' (I'm Black) is taken from Toni Tornado's (aka Antônio Viana Gomes) sought after 1970 four-track compacto EP on Odeon Records. Already having had some experience in show business as a dancer in the 1960s, Toni started his musical career in 1970 and adopted the stage name 'Toni Tornado'. The influence of James Brown flowed through his music, with Toni becoming one of the first Brazilian artists (alongside Tim Maia) to introduce the soul and funk sound into Brazilian music. Together with other contemporary musicians and bands such as Banda Black Rio, Gerson King Combo and Cassiano, this new sound led to DJ's throwing soul parties. This unique Brazilian take on soul and funk (and later on disco) became coined as 'Black Rio'. A movement that celebrated pride in its Black identity and consciousness.
Zeca Do Trombone has an impressive repertoire which has seen him releasing a handful of solo albums and working with some of the greats of Brazilian music, such as Tim Maia, Ivan Lins, Joyce, and Luis Vagner. The track 'Coluna Do Meio' is taken from his 1976 collaboration project 'Zé Do Trombone E Roberto Sax' with saxophonist Roberto Sax, which additionally features the heavyweight Wilson das Neves on percussion. This catchy Wah-Wah guitar-led dancer has become a favourite with DJ's over the years and will continue to be championed for years to come.
Antonio L. Newton AKA Tony Newton (born 1948) is a multi-instrumentalist from Detroit, MI who began his professional career at the age of thirteen, playing bass guitar with blues legends like John Lee Hooker and T-Bone Walker. Discovered by Motown executive Hank Cosby while playing the Detroit blues circuit at the age of 18, he became the touring bassist with Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on the famed 1965 European ‘Motown Review’ tour. Within two years, Newton became the Miracles’ musical director.
Tony Newton also toured and recorded with other Motown artists such as The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5…and countless others. Earning the nickname “the Baby Funk Brother” he left his trademark of solid, hard-driving and deftly clever grooves on such timeless hits as “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Stop In The Name Of Love,” “Nowhere to Run,” “ABC,” “Never Can Say Goodbye,” “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” and many others. Next to his impressive body of work for Motown, Newton can be heard on several hit singles from labels like Invictus-Hotwax and Stax. Later, Newton gained recognition as a member of both the acclaimed jazz-rock fusion group: The New Tony Williams Lifetime (headed by Miles Davis’ drummer Tony Williams) and the British hard rock group: G-Force (with veteran guitarist Gary Moore).
Tony Newton also recorded several solo albums during his impressive career, including the two total classics: ‘Mysticism & Romance’ (1978) and ‘Novaphonia’ (1987).
On the album, we are presenting you today (Novaphonia from 1987) the listener is treated to something UNIQUE (and this is not an overstatement). Newton really puts the ‘multi’ into multi-instrumentalist, playing the synthesizers, the electric bass and the drum machine. Experimental is the keyword here, sounds vary from psych/trance (almost like a soundtrack from a space movie), to funk, fusion, rock, R&B, soul and jazz. Novaphonia has both elements of Tony Newton’s impressive musical past and his vision for the future.
Spacious synths, unusual instruments and an all-around cosmic approach make this an ‘out of this world’ and VERY intriguing album. Resonant, sonically rich, sonorous, colorful, mind-expanding sounds are what one should expect from the 20th century Novaphonic sound developed to its greatest extent. These harmonies are innately pleasing to the human ear, mind and nervous system.
Explore new musical frontiers intended to catapult the listener towards new dimensions…this is an album that just begs for a special place in your record collection!
Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the first-ever vinyl reissue of ‘Novaphonia’ since its release in 1987. This rare & private-pressed album (original copies tend to go for large amounts on the secondary market) is now finally back available as a limited 180g vinyl edition (500 copies) complete with the original artwork.
Following the release of their Top 20 charting second album So When You Gonna..., Dream Wife (Alice Go, Bella Podpadec and Rakel Mjöll) now share live album IRL – Live in London 2020, a limited vinyl pressed on Neon Orange wax. Fortuitously recorded by their FOH engineer at London's Peckham Audio this past January, it documents what was expected to be the band’s first of many shows of 2020. Featuring highlights from their first and second albums, plus the previously unreleased song "Cheap Thrills", the recording has undoubtedly captured a blistering performance that showcases the trio's trademark ferocity.
Immerse yourself into the universe of your favourite Marvel characters through this new limited edition that gathers the best songs from Avengers Movies.
November 13, 2020 – Beneath the simplicity of the title of the latest single from HEADACHE – “mike’s back” – you can find the story of Mike Duce, putting his ghosts to rest – PRESS HERE to listen. The former frontman of Lower Than Atlantis – a band proclaimed as the future of British alternative-rock – the artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist wondered if he “might have already seen the best days of his life.” Fighting his doubts, Mike approached his new EP, Get Off The Internet, as an opportunity to create change in himself and his outlook. As a result, each song on the release leans into a more positive and imaginative aura, signaling a return of confident artistry. By taking a broader, more organic approach to songwriting, he found inspiration in his current music diet, using everything from boom bap to jazz to help curate his neo-soul sound which Mike describes as "a regurgitation of an amalgamation of music I’ve been into all my life." While Get Off The Internet’s title rallies against our overreliance on social media and online personas, its lead single, “mike’s back”, is a surefooted, motormouthed burst of positivity. “I feel like I’m back to myself,” says Mike. “I was depressed and didn’t really know what I was doing before, but now I’m back in the game and back on the form, personally and musically.” HEADACHE, who has already garnered attention from BBC Radio One, DORK Magazine, and Kerrang! with the release of his first EP Food For Thwart, is enthusiastic that his expanding audience will be drawn to his the positivity of Get Off The Internet.
Virtuosic ‘70s rock guitar ruminations encounter an irrefutable mixture of astonishing modern elements and classic psychedelic / progressive rock trademarks: Icelandic frontrunners THE VINTAGE CARAVAN return with their fifth studio album, Monuments, out April 16, 2021 via Napalm Records. After countless high-voltage live performances at festivals such as Roadburn, Wacken and Hellfest, and touring with Opeth, the Icelandic band’s new full-length impressively demonstrates that they have matured both musically and lyrically – presenting their very own potent mixture accented by bold, nostalgic nuance. On 11 diverse tracks, these youngbloods from Reykjavik truly cast a spell on fans of bewitching, guitar-driven classic and blues rock influences. The album opener, “Whispers”, clearly showcases the band’s musical progression without sacrificing their tried-and-true, retro-inspired sonic trademark. “Crystalized '' convinces with light blues influences, encircling the listener in enchanting guitar lines and quickly rising to the full extent of its power while evoking anecdotes of retro nostalgia. “Can’t get you out of my mind” takes its listener on a blistering ride through pounding drums, intense guitar solos and an undeniably catchy chorus, while tracks like “This one’s for you” represent a stunning blueprint in THE VINTAGE CARAVAN’s musical universe with unconventional, surprisingly calm melodies and Óskar’s gripping, tranquil vocal power. In contrast, bold drumming merges with fast-paced riffs, enveloping an impressive galloping vortex and pronouncing tracks like “Dark Times” and “Said and Done” as top notch rock pieces. The soft plugging, atmospheric sound of album closer “Clarity” symbolizes the crowning culmination of a 60-minute journey through the eternal landscapes of Iceland and the poetic lyricism of the trio.
The first new music since their 2017 release, Outrage! Is Now, Death From Above 1979 return with the unmistakably DFA album ‘Is 4 Lovers’, further pushing the boundaries of sound that they've constantly been recreating. Available on Gold LP. Release has moved back from 26/03/21 when the CD is released. EXISTING ORDERS STILL STAND
“A Woman’s Heart” is a classic album by any standards and now available on vinyl.
Originally launched in 1992, this album has since gone on to become one of the best selling traditional albums of all time. 12 tracks that capture the varied vocal and musical talents of Maura O’Connell, Frances Black, Dolores Keane, Sharon Shannon, Eleanor McEvoy and Mary Black.
- A1: That's Amore
- A2: Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu)
- A3: On An Evening In Roma (Sotter Celo De Roma)
- A4: Sway
- A5: The Naughty Lady Of Shady Lane
- A6: Dream A Little Dream Of Me
- A7: Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)
- A8: Innamorata
- A9: I Can't Give You Anything But Love
- B1: Memories Are Made Of This
- B2: You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You
- B3: Let Me Go, Lover
- B4: Buona Sera
- B5: Mambo Italiano
- B6: I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
- B7: When You're Smiling
- B8: Rio Bravo
- B9: Return To Me (Ritorna A Me)
Winter Family is a duo made up of Ruth Rosenthal and Xavier Klaine, who met in Jaffa in 2004. Their dark, saturated and dense music is described as "Death Swing", "Weird Wave" or "Funeral Pop".
They recorded new parts of this new album in St Martin church of Maxéville, France. Xavier: "I recorded the pipe organ there, inspired by the Alsatian philanthropist organist Albert Schweitzer whose slow, bombastic performances, limited by faulty technique have always touched me deeply. In 2006, my aunt Loulou agrees to lend me the keys to the church. Ten years later, Loulou passes away, I play on this same pipe organ during her funeral. During the fall of 2018, in her room with old floral wallpapers, so cold, that I empty, surrounded by her missals and huge crucifixes I remix this pipe organs and the voice of Ruth. Through this late remixing, we wanted to deliver this woman from her agony, her eyes turned to the milkish Lotharingia sky and beyond, trying to illustrate this Catholic France of yesterday, as vain and terrifying as a month of November in this cold and humid garden, within reach of the incessant song of the A31 highway."
- 1: The Miracle None
- 2: Engine Years (Feat. Ezra Hampikian)
- 3: The Towel (Feat. Declan Rowe John)
- 4: The Car Wash (Instrumental)
- 5: Furniture
- 6: Comodify (Feat. Ezra Hampikian)
- 7: Truth Below Surface
- 8: Regenerate The Engine
- 9 3: Waters (Feat. Declan Rowe John)
- 10: Inferno Cone
- 11: Mc / Mc (Feat. Declan Rowe John)
- 12: Today And Forever (Feat. Liam Neupert)
Maximum Crisis/Maximum Calm was released within the context a solo exhibition by Rory Pilgrim at Badischer Kunstverein in 2020. The LP is based on the soundtrack of the 50'min film "The Undercurrent". Produced in collaboration with ten young climate activists from Boise, Idaho, the film and its soundtrack is a powerful statement about the era of climate crisis that explores how people are coping with this global issue on intimate and personal levels.
While musical composition has long been a core aspect of Rory Pilgrim's practice,Maximum Crisis/Maximum Calm - featuring the singers Declan Rowe John and Ezra Hampikian - is the first vinyl release of the artists's music. Interweaving spoken reflections and songs including The Towel, 3 Waters and Regenerate the Engine, the LP also features additional songs and spoken word material extracted from the film. With orchestral parts also masterfully arranged by Pilgrim for the Up North Session Orchestra the record culminates with a moving speech given at the youth climate strike at the Idaho State Capitol on September 20, 2019 by activist Liam Neupert.
ESCAPE THE FATE is a three-word phrase synonymous with heavy rock n’ roll and hooks, post-hardcore with weight, and unrelenting genre-redefining anthems built for diverse audiences. Over a decade into their young career, they have proven to move crowds equally at major rock radio festivals, the legendary Vans Warped Tour, or on the road with Five Finger Death Punch. CHEMICAL WARFARE is the sound of a band that’s more comfortable in their own skin than ever, recharged for the next era of their career, reinvigorated, and redefined, without losing any edge. The vinyl version of the album comes coloured in Translucent Yellow with black splatter.
Jonathan Fitoussi is a French composer that explores an electronic music versed in futuristic tones that evokes the vision of the future as it was perceived in the 60s or 70s, mixed with the perception of a unique, utopic world, yet to be reached, yet to be build.
After his last album Plein Soleil on the label, he offers here a limited run of 300 copies for his new release, contained in a transparent sleeve with postcard.
"Rayons" illustrates Les Rayons (Sarus), 2016, a sculpture by Xavier Veilhan. "Silences" illustrates Music for Mutant Stage 8 (2017) a film by Xavier Veilhan with Marie-Agnès Gillot & Dimitri Chamblas. On B side, you'll find an laser engraved original drawing by Xavier Veilhan called "Volume".
The sound of MARTIN MERZ is a scenario of gloomy soundscapes and analogue bass figures, paired with elements from Industrial and EBM which takes the listener into the abyss of an urban future.
For his electronic compositions MARTIN MERZ isn’t only fishing in technowaters as he also lets his listeners glide through ambient landscapes which transform into pumping organic shapes of groove and synth melodies.
It’s those bubbly basslines making love to space-filling spheric sounds and tribal drums that turn everything into a timeless and dancy work of art.
Master craftsman James Welburn’s new LP, Sleeper in the Void, marks the 50th Miasmah release.The six years after his monumental debut have bred six tracks Welburn brings to fruition with the help of past co-conspirators from the Norwegian underground scene - Tomas Järmyr (Motorpsycho, Zu, Barchan), Hilde Marie Holsen (Hubro Records), and vocal artist Juliana Venter (W/V, Phil Winter).
On Sleeper in the Void, Welburn expands the domain of his sound, unveiling surprises until the very end of the album’s 36 minute playtime. While the character of the record is unmistakably his own, the tracks veer into many different territories, including a banging foray to the dancefloor.
The LP begins slowly with Raze, where Järmyr’s ritualistic cymbals introduce layers of Welburn’s signature sculpted bass drones and noise, building into a heart-wrenching epic of a track. This is perhaps the closest we ever get to Hold - Welburn’s previous LP. Falling from Time immediately surprises with it’s subdued mechanical techno beat, stark and cold as a glacier. Welburn’s texture-work is the star of the show, creating curious nooks and crannies of drone adorned with eerie melodies straight out of oblivion. This sense of wonder shines through to the album’s title track as well, where Welburn and Järmyr build another patient, echoing, and deeply cinematic piece, the drum patterns slowly shifting around a metallic hum that evokes the vision of church bells, ringing out under tonnes of seawater.
Sleeper in the Void feels like a story in two parts, rising lethargically, but with gargantuan power. The second begins with the momentous In and out of Blue, where Juliana Venter’s disembodied, spectral dirge takes center stage among the furious drums and bassy riffs, reaching a full crescendo with seconds to go. Parallel marks a release - Hilde Marie Holsen’s nostalgic soundscapes, pristine as glass, meeting the distant thunder of Welburn’s strings on the horizon. And finally, Fast Moon ends the record in a most surprising way - a tribal industrialized banger, complete with vile distorted beats and every other spice in demand on a blackened dancefloor.
Welburn’s Sleeper in the Void is a generous shapeshifter. Every inch of its soundwave breathes emotion and imagery - an invitation to take a dive and linger.
Instead of archiving early works from the 1980s, Wah-Wah Whispers focuses on Banabilas more recent output.
It is a collection of works showcasing many facets of his music: a journey visiting the minimal and cinematic sample scape in the opener Take Me There, a robotic reggae-like rhythm (Tic Tac), contemplative ambient / fourth world scenes evolving into a downright funky beat (Hidden Story), the synth version of Secunde, and more. The album ends with a kaleidoscope of atmospheres gradually building up to a noise climax in Narita (the only collaboration track on the album, with Rutger Zuydervelt / Machinefabriek). No single compilation album could really do justice to the massive scope of Banabilas output since 1983, but with Wah-Wah Whispers, Bureau B did a wonderful job to facilitate a view into his more recent work (2013- 2020, with the exception of Tic Tac, which is from 2001). This album is an invitation that may lead to explore Banabilas back catalogue and dive deeper into the work of one of Hollands most creative independent artists.
Keith Tucker and Gerald Donald of Dopplereffekt did it......They finally got together two of the originators from the monumental Detroit electronic groups Aux88 and Drexciya. The combination of these two musicians has created a retro bombardment of funk as only Keith Tucker and Gerald Donald can bring.
That unearthly eerie funk and strings from other worlds. This release gives a sense of a melding of Cybotron and Kraftwerk....That snappy intelligent funk that Detroit so heavily influenced and unleashed to the universe
1) "Star Gazing"- Is reminiscent of Cybotrons eclectic funk style with Tucker unmistakable electronic vocals and electronic beats slapping you in the face.
2) "Telescope Array"- Is an extension of Gerald Donald legendary aliases that give listeners that cold minimal drum and beautiful arps that hypnotize. Thumping bass line and .....bonus vocal interlude at the end of this interstellar track
Limited edition of 12′ vinyl release. Presents its sixth vinyl release with an interesting collaboration between a contemporary project such as Dot Product, the tandem formed by Adam Winchester and Christopher Jarman, and the Japanese legend of experimental rock and noise Kazuyuki Kishino. Known as KK Null, this artist had a first stage as a guitarist in several bands, it is worth remembering that at that time he collaborated with Merzbow in several albums and that years later he changed the guitar for electronic devices. 404 Not Found opens side A with a first cut by the English duo. Error Message combines grainy, strummed textures with a humanized sonic profile in which a beautiful melody makes its way in the face of bleak adversity. The second cut of this side is by KK Null, in this track the Japanese artist shows a high dose of metallic sounds that travel at the free will of the author to end up yielding in front of a complex and disorderly structured rhythm. Unlike side A, side B of this EP shows a work created jointly by Dot Product and KK Null. Pause Frames is an industrial cut, with hard percussion and numerous sound patterns such as pads, strong resonances and highly saturated components. 10-4-10-409-Conflict is the fourth and final track on the release, again employing a hard-hitting rhythm with a series of crunchy textures and a harmonic conjugation of dissonant chords. Picture: Stefan Alt / Salt (Ant-Zen) Mastered: Daniele Antezza / Dadub Written: Kazuyuki Kishino, Adam Winchester and Chris Jarman
Cold Body Music vol 1 is the first part of a new series of releases focused on cold wave, EBM, industrial etc. Vol 1's concept, curation and design are all our own work which we build around demos we’ve had in our hands for a while now. That is to say, all music on the album is previously unreleased. The format, design and fidelity pay homage to the early 80s “cassette culture” championed by bands such as Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, Clock DVA, and many more
Artists on the release: Victor 25-2 / Often A / Antoine Heroics / Silens Letum / Halvtrak / Schnell Funktion (H. Puolitaival & K. Rapatti)
11001 Records is a Berlin-based record label focused on techno, ambient, experimental and other forms of abstract visions. Co-founder of Teufelsberg Domecast, a sound installation podcast series with ambient experimental live performances using the dome at the top of Teufelsberg as a natural parabolic reverb. In ‘Dimensional Perception’, each song revolves around an object in outer space: A1 RYUGU Ryugu is the name of an asteroid. In June 2018, a Japanese spacecraft called ‘Hayabusa2’ landed on it, took some measurements and samples. After a long journey it landed successfully in the desert of Australia early December 2020. The goal is to discover what asteroids carry with them across the universe. If they carry water this could explain how life is spreading in the cosmos. A2 QUASAR A Quasar also known as a quasi-stellar object, is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus, in which a supermassive black hole with mass ranging from millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun is surrounded by a gaseous accretion disk. They are capable of emitting hundreds or even thousands of times the entire energy output of our galaxy, making them some of the most luminous and energetic objects in the entire universe. B1 SEDNA Sedna is a large planetoid and possible dwarf planet in the outer reaches of our solar system. Its surface is one of the reddest among Solar System objects. It is a possible dwarf planet. It has an exceptionally long and elongated orbit, taking approximately 11,400 years to complete and a distant point of closest approach to the Sun at 76 AU. Understanding its unusual orbit is likely to yield valuable information regarding the origin and early evolution of the Solar System. Scientists continue speculations on its origins of this trans-Neptunian object. B2 NAMAKA Namaka is the smaller, inner moon of the dwarf planet Haumea at a distance of 25,600 kilometres. It takes 18 Earth-days for the moon to complete one orbit around the dwarf planet. Discovered on 30 June 2005 it was named after Nāmaka, the goddess of the sea in Hawaiian mythology and one of the daughters of Haumea. Photometric observations indicate that its surface is made of water ice.
After making a name for itself through acclaimed reissues of forgotten gems, Lyon’s Tunnel Vision Records is back, this time with a previously unreleased cult EP from the Serbian underground: InnVision’s Lake produced by Welljam aka Velja Mijanović, one of the pioneers of electronic music in Serbia and host of the legendary “Liquid” show on Yu Radio.
While it is fairly common these days for tracks to reach cult status after being uploaded to Youtube and picked up by its recommendation algorithm, the story of the Lake EP is truly unique.
Picture this: it’s the summer of 94 in Serbia and despite US sanctions, something was going on in the country’s musical underground with open-air parties on lakesides and other natural locations, fuelled by a feeling of freedom and creativity. At the time, InnVision was a 26-year-old producer inspired by the likes of The Orb, Brian Eno, Underworld, and Spooky. Unconcerned with adhering to trends or finding ways to make commercially-viable music, he created the tracks on this EP with Cubase running on an Atari computer and several synths fairly common at the time.
But the result was beyond anything common or ordinary. Described by its creator as “organic (ambient) house, but you can call it trance”, LAKE is rapture in its highest form. Pure enthusiasm seems to be driving this uplifting track, with an abundance of heavenly arpeggios and positive energy, along with masterful arrangements that make it even more grandiose, while retaining a light and dreamy quality (perhaps it is no coincidence that Lake in Serbian evokes weightlessness). It is one of those rare tracks that have a deep impact on body, mind, and soul and for which the repeat button was created. While adhering to a central theme, it never feels stale and this is explained by the fact that it was arranged live, with InnVision muting and tweaking everything in one go, which makes this track a “deskmix”, to use dub terminology. In fact, the producer remembers jumping around and shedding occasional tears while he recorded the final take.
On the flipside is another previously unreleased track, the forward-thinking NIGHTY. By no means filler, this is a timeless track with a subaquatic feel. With lush pads and elements doused in delay and reverb, you’d think this is a purely ambient cut, but it’s much more than that. Subtle melodic and rhythmic elements are engaged in a dialogue, and distant breakbeat samples can be detected in the background, enough to induce movement but never overtaking the vibe carefully created by InnVision. The result is a track that is at the same time featherlight and impossible to listen to without some sort of movement. Once again, truly unique music that transcends time and place.
Island of the Hungry Ghosts is a hybrid documentary that moves between the natural, human and spiritual worlds. Located off the coast of Indonesia, the Australian territory of Christmas Island is inhabited by migratory crabs traveling in their millions from the jungle towards the ocean, in a movement that has been provoked by the full moon for hundreds of thousands of years. Poh Lin Lee is a trauma therapist who lives with her family in this seemingly idyllic paradise. Every day, she talks with the asylum seekers held indefinitely in a high-security detention centre hidden in the island's core, attempting to support them in a situation that is as unbearable as its outcome is uncertain. As Poh Lin and her family explore the island's beautiful yet threatening landscape, the local islanders carry out their "hungry ghost" rituals for the spirits of those who died on the island without a burial. They make offerings to appease the lost souls who are said to be wandering the jungles at night looking for home. This album presents the original score Aaron Cupples created for the film. Rich in texture and harmonics, the music is characterized by the bespoke instruments and recording techniques employed in its creation. The soundtrack also features sound recordist Leo Dolgan's vivid field recordings. All captured on Christmas Island, the four pieces recall insect choruses, strange and ominous bird calls, erupting blowholes, fire, ocean, and Buddhist prayers for the dead. The album is mastered by Rashad Becker, featuring design by N MRE 08. *LP comes with an obi strip, a booklet containing stills from the documentary & liner notes, as well as a postcard granting access to the full film*
The first Azu Tiwaline's album, after been acclaimed by DJs like Lena Willikens, upsammy, Shanti Celeste and a bunch of electronic medias (Bandcamp, RA, Crack), is now remixed by a Lyon-Bristol-Berlin trifecta of similarly minded rhythmic innovators - twisting and warping her work into new shapes, featuring Don't DJ, Laksa & Flore reinterpretations.
Nothing happens overnight. Behind every emergence, there’s years of work, thought and preparation - both intentional and unconscious - that’s gone unseen.
So the past year might have been a ‘breakout’ year for Azu Tiwaline, but it was really built over two decades of experimentation, soul-searching - both creative and personal - and exploration. “A new name for a new spirit” as she likes to say, but with an unmistakable identity rooted in her history and ancestry.
On her debut album as Azu Tiwaline, Draw Me A Silence, a record released in two parts with her family at I.O.T. , she fused together two halves of her own heritage, inspired by a new home in the desert. Personal history collided with family heritage: half step rhythms from a career in bass music met the warm winds and wide open silence of El Djerid in Tunisia.
When music is sincere and honest, it tends to reverberate more widely, and deeply. The tracks written for the Magnetic Service EP were sent to one label and one label only, Livity Sound, who picked it up instantly. Something about the spacious, yet dense sonics - crafted with the help of percussionist Cinna Peyghamy - resonated with listeners starved of both the community of the dancefloor and the space of the outside world. The EP became one of the Bristol label’s most heralded releases of 2020, featuring in end of year coverage from Bandcamp to Resident Advisor.
Beneath the calm of her productions, a restless spirit inhabits Azu, born out of months and years spent on the road. In 2020, it was her music that took her places. She put together a series of podcast mixes that echoed the percussive, rhythmic curves of her own productions, for Boiler Room, Dekmantel and Crack Mag. She distilled Fazer Drums’ percussive experiments into dubby downtempo with a remix, and contributed her most rooted track yet - Violet Curves with Cinna Peyghamy - to On the Corner’s Door to The Cosmos compilation.
This will be followed by the Extended version of the album with a gorgeous ambient bonus track “Eyes of the Wind”, accompanied by a video clip directed by Azu Tiwaline, shot in her desert lands. This track will be appearing in a digital reupload reunifying Draw Me A Silence Part.I and II. As a sort of final chapter of this debut album.
As for the rest? We’ll see what 2021 has to offer for both the world and Azu Tiwaline. In the meantime, take inspiration from her music: keep the tempo steady, let some light in, and listen for the silence.
Following the Four Tet, Batu, Damian Lazarus, remixes of electronic hero Krust’s critically acclaimed album ‘The Edge Of Everything’, the A-list versions keep flowing with Calibre, LCY and Flynn each re-working a different track from the LP on Krust - TEOE Remixes #2.
Fellow D&B don Calibre turns ‘It’s A Lot’ into a warm, glowing two-step roller with serrated analogue bass and a subtly masterful musicality befitting of his classical training.
Rising new school queen LCY is clearly a kindred spirit, rivalling Krust with her future-facing breakbeat science that’s equally as compelling and inventive as the original, but also totally unique.
Rounding off the remixes with a rugged halftime head-nodder and bringing things full circle is Krust’s brother Flynn; a fellow member of 1989 ‘Wishing On A Star’ hitmakers Fresh 4 alongside Krust – and also a jungle legend in his own right – as half of veteran duo Flynn & Flora.
With such inspiring source material, it’s unsurprising that all of the remixers have brought their best game to this impeccable collection.
Australian label Ernest’s Way is back with their follow up to last year's debut.
Featherstone makes a return with his Tunnel Vision EP, a 4 track release that explores some of the early musical influences that shaped his sound.
Expect chopped up drum breaks, melodic acid lines, swelling JX pads and a few sneaky vocal cuts.
Metamorphic is happy to announce a new artist to the label family! MirrorTouch is a new project from London-based producer Tim Van Zandyke. The sound of Mirror Touch can best be described by a moment in time when mid 90's trax records from the US Midwest combined techno's brutalist grooves with layers of emotive harmonies harking back to Detroit's funk, soul and jazz legacy. Then techno sound hurtled forward, blazing new paths of experimentation, minimalism and hypnosis. MirrorTouch points back to that magic moment when Techno emerged from Detroit, with a series of hardware tracks that combine emotional rawness with the flow of 21st century techno.
- A1: Sacha Hladiy & Paul Behnam – Abyss
- A2: Romain Azzaro – Chloe's Dream Machine I
- A3: Romain Azzaro – Chloe's Dream Machine Ii
- A4: Romain Azzaro – Chloe's Dream Machine Iii
- A5: Paul Behnam – Strat My Love
- A6: Sacha Hladiy – Solstice D´hivert
- B1: Nicolai Johansen & Ruth Mogrovejo – Catharsis
- B2: Sacha Hladiy – Grasshopper
- B3: Paul Behnam , Joao Comazzi, Sacha Hladiy – From Carnival To Quarantine
- B4: Ruth Mogrovejo – The Black Curtain
- B5: Paul Behnam & Sacha Hladiy – Tente Natalie
After a long hiatus, Romain Azzaro is reactivating his Rouge Mécanique Musique imprint with an exciting collaborative project, exploring new musical territories.
As the world started to flip on its head early in 2020, a quintet of musicians formed in Berlin : Paul Behnam (guitar), Sacha Hladiy (grand piano), Nicolai Johannsen (vibrating metal plates), Ruth Mogrovejo (viola), and Azzaro himself (zither) recorded their first album over 3 months in Azzaro’s living room, studio and basement. In Hladiy’s words, “a magical musical circus”. The collision of these different personalities and sensibilities makes Colours Of Now a singular, spontaneous and inimitable object, exploring neoclassical, ambient and experimental music.
“Romain had a wide open vision for a brand new project, connecting musicians from different horizons,” says Paul Benham, “a lot of different processes and beautiful vibrations were shared at this moment in his place.”
Nicolai Johannsen adds: “Colours Of Now is a portrait of a time which was and wasn’t; an alternation between existence and its opposite. The album is a collective formation, realized through different energies drawn to the same centre.”
“This album has become a compilation of people,situations and emotions to me,” explains Ruth Mogrojevo. “2020, the year in which we all met, has been an orderly metamorphosis from which we cannot exclude our professional activities. We all met playing music and deep down we knew that the whole project could be something great and actually meaningful.”
« Colours of Now » is a quintet that formed in early 2020 during quarantine in Berlin. The self-titled album, produced and mixed by Romain Azzaro, explores the different shades of sound in a time where uncertainty leads to the present moment.
Making Covid-19-references when writing about popular culture can feel tiresome, living in the midst of it but let “Taken From A Fixed Point” by In Fields console you in this age of pandemic. This album pierces through you like sunbeams through the blinders of your quarantine-ridden apartments’ windows.
This isn’t In Fields first appearance on the label. In 2019 the artist released a collaboration with Golden bug and the exiting dynamics of that album resounds in this one. Though a little easier on the disco influences and a turn towards ambient, In Fields’ music is still “tension and release” dance music produced to perfection. In Fields characteristic sound contain contrasting elements where soft airy synth pads meet more frightening sounds dug up from somewhere deep and dark like in “Ghostnights”.
The tracks are dynamic where growing crescendos fast and suddenly fades out and you realize your mind have been focusing on a completely different part of the sound. Underneath those surprising elements sits a skeleton of well-sounding bones keeping the songs together tight and steady.
“Taken From A Fixed Point” is dance music for a dance floor in your head and triggers the muscle memory in quarantinenauts tired of hard lock-down. Though produced in a dark place, this album gives a somewhat positive vision of the future and life on the other side.
A maelstrom, the chaos, a vortex, a turmoil. These are appropriate words to describe the hard work of the prolific French producer.
With a cryptic history incorporating nearly two decades of aliases and side projects born out of free parties in warehouses, fields and basements, it is under this moniker that the artist has truly come into his own.
His skill and vision spanning from 135 bpm wave powerful to a pensive and subtle ambient track, Maelstrom's sonic universe is both precise and limitless, described better by feeling ('approaching storm over river/horse with the bit in its teeth/sliver of moon') than genre. Maelstrom cofounded the label RAAR in 2015 with frequent collaborator Louisahhh where he released his debut album «Her Empty Eyes» in 2017. Throughout the next 2 years, he has delivered exciting collaborations with cutting edge electro imprints such as CPU and Cultivated Electronics in the UK, Private Persons in Moscow, or Mechatronica in Berlin, while playing an all electro live set in clubs and raves, from Paris to London or Tokyo.
2021 will see the release of his second album, Rhizome, with a focus on the concepts of interdependence and creative ecosystems
- A1: Biphonic - Difficult People
- A2: Chuck Daniels - Feel You (Feat Shaun J Wright)
- B1: Majorettes - Never Sleep
- B2: Francois Dillinger - Lost Loops
- C1: Dj Holographic - Faith In My Cup (Feat Apropos - Detroit Love Mix)
- C2: Juliet Mendoza - That Thing (Feat Jesse Smith)
- D1: Shaun Alan - There We Go Again (Feat Javonntte)
- D2: Shiro Schwarz - Feel Your Body Move
Carl Craig has announced Detroit native and hotlytipped selector DJ Holographic is next in-line for his prestigious 'Detroit Love' mix compilation series dropping on Planet E Communications. Following in the footsteps of predecessors like Stacey Pullen and Wajeed, being invited to mix vol.05 of the series is testament to DJ Holographic being one of Detroit's most anticipated breakthrough DJ's. Born and raised in the Motor City's deep musical legacy, Ariel Corley aka DJ Holographic is an ambassador for Detroit through and through. Having cut her teeth as a DJ in the local scene over the past decade DJ Holographic is admired for her versatility, eclecticism, and impeccable taste. Ariel has firmly established herself as a staple of Detroit's modern underground scene, a core member of the city's LGBQT+ community and a devoted activist for local humanitarian causes - love for Detroit underpins every element of Ariel Corley's life. Released 16th April via Planet E and K7!, Detroit Love Vol. 05 is packed to the brim with exclusive tracks handpicked by DJ Holographic who takes the listener through a vibrant and flawlessly-mixed showcase of breakthrough artists, ones to watch, and longestablished artists Ariel has a personal affiliation to. The mix was curated by DJ Holographic at the artist creative hub below Submerge Records in Detroit - home to labels such as Underground Resistance, Transmat, Red Planet, and Distorted Soul.
Cardinal & Nun returns to L.I.E.S. now with his debut lp, 8 songs of full on rotten stripped back, fuzzed out, synth punk mayhem. Straight to the head beautifully thrashing anthems, Cardinal & Nun goes in with catchy basslines, dissonant guitar chop ups, and vocals that creep from the shadows throughout the affair. Don't gas out though, there are some somber cuts on the b-side's "Whats Goin On Tonite?", "Pandemonium" and "Day After Day". A true gem in the French scene, now get in the pit and slamjack! Recommended.
- A1: Monday Morning
- A2: Say You Love Me
- A3: Dreams
- A4: Oh Well
- A5: Over & Over
- B1: Sara
- B2: Not That Funny
- B3: Never Going Back Again
- B4: Landslide
- C1: Fireflies
- C2: Over My Head
- C3: Rhiannon
- C4: Don’t Let Me Down Again
- C5: One More Night
- D1: Go Your Own Way
- D2: Don’t Stop
- D3: I’m So Afraid
- D4: The Farmer’s Daughter
- E1: Fireflies - Demo
- F1: One More Night - Demo
When Fleetwood Mac released their first live album in December 1980, it captured the legendary band’s most iconic lineup on stage demonstrating the full scope of their collective, creative powers. Recorded mostly during the world tour for Tusk, Fleetwood Mac Live delivered a double-album’s worth of exhilarating performances that included massive hits like “Dreams” and “Go Your Own Way,” “Rhiannon,” and “Don’t Stop.”
Rhino gives the band’s live debut a much-deserved encore with a new 3-CD/2-LP collection that features a remastered version of the original release on both 180-gram vinyl and CD, plus more than an hour of unreleased live music recorded between 1977 and 1982 on the third CD. The set also includes a bonus 7-inch single featuring previously unreleased demos for “Fireflies” and “One More Night.”
This Super Deluxe Edition is presented in a 12 x 12 rigid slipcase and comes with a booklet filled with rare photos, a full itinerary for the Tusk Tour, plus a history of the live album by writer David Wild.
FLEETWOOD MAC LIVE: SUPER DELUXE EDITION will be available from 9th April 2021.
Lothian Buses’ is an EP of genre collisions with Proc Fiskal amalgamating his twinkling, caffeinated grime sound with the rhythms and sounds of other genres, without ever overthinking it. To kick off, ‘Thurs Jung Yout’ is a kind of shoegaze drill with strings and gentle tones swelling and dissipating against busy drill beats. ‘Baguettes’ is a more classic Proc sound, a galloping rhythm against a sparse melody that was a quick fix up for a show that turned out well. ‘Choco Frito (Calamari)’ was influenced by the good life, DJing in Portugal in the sunshine and hearing Kuduro played out. The latticing drum patterns nod to the style, dropping into a sunny accordion chorus with a plucked guitar line. ‘Scarab Aloph’ is Proc's style compressed, full of micro-glitches, tight drum fills and incidental drop-outs across a pretty melody, while ‘HopeTak2’ is his percussive, breezy take on funky house with smiley melodic stabs. Finally, ‘Mullit Madollock’ takes the sonics of airy Bukem-style atmospheric jungle, an instantly recognisable inspiration that's not been as foregrounded in Proc’s work before, refitted and updated with grime-inspired melodic bass kicks.
Afrikan Sciences carry the torch and grant the sight. This is his second offering for the ESP Institute. On the A side, 'The New Dun Language' shows us the meaning of loose. Literally everything about this masterpiece takes its time and operates in its own space, rhythms work together but stand apart, timbres inherently laidback are made aggressively present, like the diffused attack of a shaker that’s shook with such purpose it’s no longer granular but razor sharp. The soundstage drops all around you like percussion shrapnel, splitting your attention every which way, while the string lines remind you that no matter how deep inside your head you’ve gone, there is always a nearby exit to the comforts of familiarity.
Flip the record over, however, and the track 'In His Convenient Way' will even further discombobulate your sense of self. Do you have dreams you’re on a merry-go-round and with each revolution you try to hop off, but you can’t? Each time you cycle around, the tension grows and grows? Well, this is like that, menacing but not dark, a demented odyssey through an impossibly thick swamp where you swear the trees are whispering to you but can’t quite understand their language, yet still you manage to communicate. As the time passes, and you near end of the track, the impenetrable veil slowly lifts and you realize you’ve been in control all along. These two songs will two songs will help to contemplate, heal and transcend.
Vibe's Maestro Khan Jamal's "Infinity" features a Stellar line up, a drums and percussion-rich sextet that includes Legends Byard Lancaster and Sunny Murray amongst others. The music stands up to anything released on the great Jazz labels like Blue Note, Prestige, Verve or Impulse.
The most well known tune is "The Known Unknown" which has been featured on several compilations back in the 1990's , but the whole album is one of those records that is a complete undiscovered gem.
Self released in 1984 and long out of print, original copies fetch $1000 and upwards, so Jazz Room Records are proud and pleased to bring this Spiritual Soul Jazz highly in-demand Holy Grail out to a wider audience.
London-based record label Wisdom Teeth kicks off 2021 with something close to home: Blush - the playful, dynamic debut LP by label co-founder, Facta. Recorded unusually quickly over a short stint in early 2020, the record is the product of a period of refreshed and unfussy creativity. It’s an innovative and distinctly contemporary album that moves a good few steps beyond the artist’s work to date - loosely rooted in UK dance music but taking added influence from ambient, modern classical, dreampop, Balearic, folk music and beyond. The result is a lush, ornate record populated by aqueous pads, bleeping arps, wandering melodies and sparse broken rhythms; acoustic instruments that play out alongside FM synths, all processed with a pristine UV sheen inherited from modern pop music. The record opens with ‘Sistine (Plucks)’ - a crystalline synth piece with a stumbling, shifting metre revolving around an odd-ended MIDI harp loop, coloured through with washed-out pads and snatches of found sound. This breezy mood follows through to ‘On Deck’, where an FM vibraphone rings out on top of woozy, warping chords and a subby soca groove. Moving forward the record moves cohesively through a range of shifting moods and hues. The machine jazz of ‘Brushes’ is tense and coiled, with nods towards Burnt Friedman, Photek and Eli Keszler. ‘Iso Stream’ sees a rich, colourful sprawl of arpeggiated synths and dissociated vocal chops unspool slowly to form pooling, lowlit melodies. Title track ‘Blush’ is a forlorn Autonomic love song built from clicks-n-cuts - like dBridge & Instra:mental reduced and reinterpreted by SND. Throughout, bold, broad melodies take centre stage, and the tracks build like compositions rather than loops or club tools. There are echoes of the dancefloor - particularly in the slo-mo bruk of ‘Verge’ and the glacial subs underpinning ‘Diving Birds’ (a collaboration with friend and Trilogy Tapes regular Parris) - however the end results find us somewhere far off. ‘Blush’ is the second long-form release to come from Wisdom Teeth following K-LONE’s 2020 debut album, ‘Cape Cira’, which was widely ranked as one the best LPs of 2020.
A little known release on Scott Diaz’s now defunct Connectd records makes its first appearance on vinyl! Anyone that knows Caserta knows his affinity for '90s r&b. For (M) he snags a vocal from one of the most underrated and under appreciated vocalists of that time period. With two mixes featuring the keyboard stylings of the incomparable Yuki 'U-Key' Kanesaka the Dub version gets top billing on the A Side. Smooth keys by the aforementioned Kanesaka with a stripped down arrangement are sure to keep you 2 stepping no matter where your are.
On the B Side Caserta uses the same set up but this time with the classic 909 Drum Machine to keep take things to the next level!
"...a swirl of the bedrock elements that make up modern music, his LP lifts from Soul, Funk and Hip-Hop to create this ode to Detroit House."
A NATION OF MILLIONS
EARLY SUPPORT FROM ALEXANDER NUT ("Tight beats from Snips as always. Dexters Pain is my fave here. Big ups"), KARIZMA ("Proud to hear a friend grow musically, great work on the album my friend...Full Support. K'), RED RACK'EM, SK VIBEMAKER
SNIPS delivers the first vinyl release on Houseology. The Barbershop LP is a tongue in cheek play on the production techniques Todd Worsnip aka Snips normally uses when making his Hip-Hop work. This 8 track LP is meeting of the two worlds of House and Hip-Hop tapping into Snips' raw ability to find the best cuts and chops needed for any genre.
DJ Snips began his career at legendary London record store Deal Real', where he ran the open mic night alongside British host and comedian Doc Brown, Snips' years at Deal Real saw him DJ'ing alongside performances from several US heavy hitters including Kanye West, Mos Def and the Black Eyed Peas.
Snips' knack for manoeuvring through a wide range of Hip Hop oeuvres has seen him play around the world, Specifically in NYC where he has been a guest at legendary parties including Everyday People, Bible Study, Mobile Mondays and Ginny's Supper Club. As well as being a regular in NY, Snips has also headlined events in The Philippines, Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, The Netherlands, Qatar, France, Norway and Spain. When Snips isn't touring or on the Club circuit, he's known for churning out beats for some of the most talented MCs on both sides of the Atlantic. His production work includes tracks for several major US recording artists including M1 (Dead Prez), Capadonna (Wu Tang), Sean Price.
Work on the Houseology record label allows Snips the opportunity to articulate himself even more so within his skilled production, by drawing a definitive line between the House/Hip-Hop relationship which has existed for years.
Long out of print and highly anticipated repress of the Andrew Weatherall ‘anti-produced’ long player. The Twilight Sad’s third full-length, No One Can Ever Know, marked a sonic shift for the band
'No One Can Ever Know' was released across all formats on 6th February 2012 and was the follow-up to 2009's acclaimed break-through 'Forget The Night Ahead'. Already flagged by the widely leaked 'Kill It In The Morning' and forthcoming first single proper, 'Sick', 'No One Can Ever Know' marked a sonic shift for The Twilight Sad. Freshly inspired by a listening diet of Caberet Voltaire, Liars, Magazine, Autechre, Banshees, Fad Gadget, PiL and Can, a synth-heavy sound characterizes 'No One Can Ever Know', a record thematically akin to 'Holy Bible' era Manics, 'Violator'-era Depeche Mode and 'The Downward Spiral' -era Nine Inch Nails.
"We wanted to be a lot more spontaneous, get outside our comfort zone - not to fall back into repeating what we've done previously", explains guitarist Andy MacFarlane. "So we moved to London for a month to record at The Pool and got Andrew Weatherall involved to bounce ideas off and to generally reassure us of the direction we were already progressing in - toward a sparser sound, with a colder, slightly militant feel."
Under the guidance of Weatherall the band experimented with vintage analogue synths - borrowed from Ben Hillier - to work on the core sounds they wanted, finding inspiration too in the distinctive production style of innovators like Martin Hannett and Conny Plank. For the first time the drums were also recorded separately utilising a lot of synthetic effects which allowed for the easy manipulation of the sounds and samples later in the process. Stylistically, the guitars tend to refract John McGeogh (Magazine/ Banshees) or Keith Levene (PiL) rather than the 'wall of sound' approach that defined The Twilight Sad's previous recordings.
Lyrically 'No One Can Ever Know' finds singer James Graham on typically ominous form, delivering lightning bolts of malevolent threat. "I'll find you - don't worry" he promises on forthcoming single, 'Another Bed' - The Twilight Sad's most radical and anthemic moment yet, it's driving disco motorik and glacial keys pushing a dizzy emotional uplift.
Shapes of Rhythm welcomes Emanative to the label for his first vinyl project following contributions to its Isolation Compilation and an Awkward Corners EP both earlier in 2020. Known for his love of collaboration, Emanative connected remotely with Bex Burch during the global lockdown. Disrupt #4 is the result of a meeting of two percussive minds in the midst of a pandemic, and like all good things it started with a groove. Nick initially provided Bex with a hazy, electrified afrobeat sketch. What followed was a musical dialogue which quickly gained momentum. A punk-esque vocal mantra was added, reflecting the here and now of 2020 to drive the track forward. Bex's trademark Ghanaian Gyil xylophone is the conversation with the groove throughout the track. Hector Plimmer also joins the collaboration, seasoning the mix with synthesizers and fx.
Following his stunning Dislocation Songs LP, the label drafted in Awkward Corners AKA Paradise Bangkok's Chris Menist for a remix on the flip that heads towards the club (remember clubs?). Adding 808s, his own conga recordings, synth lines, a sprinkle of acid and a warped vocal treatment, this is classic Awkward Corners: pumped with feeling and rhythm. If Andrew Weatherall was still with us today he'd be digging this take on the a-side.
- A1: Intro
- A2: Come Back To Me (Feat Junie & Rick Ross)
- A3: Wake Up Love (Feat Iman)
- A4: Lowkey (Feat Erykah Badu)
- A5: Let's Build (Feat Quavo)
- A6: 1800-One-Night
- B1: Mornin' (Feat Kehlani)
- B2: Boomin' (Feat Missy Elliott & Future)
- B3: 69
- B4: Killah (Feat Davido)
- B5: Bad
- B6: Wrong Bitch
- C1: Shoot It Up (Feat Big Sean)
- C2: Bare Wit Me
- C3: Lose Each Other
- C4: Concrete
- C5: Still
- C6: Ever Ever
- D1: Try Again
- D2: Friends
- D3: How You Want It? (Feat King Combs)
- D4: Made It
- D5: We Got Love (Feat Ms Lauryn Hill)
Being a jack of trades has enabled Teyana Taylor to become a master of all. From her smoky melodic vocals to her dynamic dance moves, the R&B superstar entertainer dips ’n dives between her talents as singer, songwriter, producer, director, dancer/choreographer, actor, fitness guru, model, and mother. When it comes to describing herself, the Harlem native can only think of one word: Everything. In 2014, Teyana’s love for the arts and R&B earned her the title of the first woman signed to Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint.
THE ALBUM, released June 19 2020, was tapped by Pitchfork as one of the “most anticipated albums of the summer.” In addition to "Wake Up Love," Teyana’s masterpiece included her new graduation anthem "Made It," pegged by NPR as a “a triumphant, isolation-proof anthem for the Class of 2020.” In August, it was announced that "Made It" was picked by President Barack Obama as one of the tracks on his 2020 Summer Playlist.
Debuted at #1 on the Billboard R&B Charts, the album has spawned a number of standout creative moments, from her self directed video for “Lose Each Other” featuring Elton John. Following the release of her album, Taylor was awarded Video Director of the Year at the 2020 BET Awards.
































































































































































