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The official new edition from this rare and great Afrobeat & Soukous masterpiece from Nigeria !

"Vibro Success Intercontinental Orchestra was an extraordinary group from the Central African Republic, founded by the sax player Rodolphe 'Beckers' Bekpa, also known as Master Békers, in the late 60's. The band achieved surprising domestic success after Beckers introduced the first drums to the Congolese Rumba rhythm. His innovation proved to be wildly popular so they were hired as the resident band of “ciel d’Afrique au Km5”, a night club in Bangui. The club was renowned as the temple of the Olympic Réal football team's fans and that visibility propelled them into becoming the official national orchestra.

1970 marked beginning of the band's international fame . Their fame spread beyond national borders until they became so popular that invitations began to arrive from nearby countries like Cameroon and Chad, the former of which the band would then tour that same year. The success of their performances prompted a further tour in 1972. According to Rodolphe Bépka, the audience enthusiasm Vibro encountered was bewildering. "We filled the old military stadium in Yaoundé in 1970, in 1972 the new Amadou Haïdjo stadium ... We are running with great success in the cities.” Their popularity was also growing in Chad, where they would tour several times through the early and mid 70's.

Towards the end of 1976, Vibro Success decided to take their music global and introduce Central African music to listeners worldwide. It worked. The turning point came in Nigeria. There the group achieved extraordinary success, with live performances followed by contracts with local labels like Scottie and Ben/Clover resulting in hit releases. Most of their LP's were originally released on this later label, Ben Limited, owned by Ben Okonkwo.

Ben, also known as Clover Sounds, brought a great number of the biggest bands from the country to market, bands like The Apostles, Akwassa,The Doves, Aktion, The Visitors, Mansion, Folk 77 and many others. Nearly all those groups started their recording careers in the label's studios based in the commercial heart of Aba, Abia State, one of Southeastern Nigeria’s largest cities. Aba at that time was a flourishing city, an important crossroads of people and culture with an intensive and active and cutting edge live music and nightlife.

But after that golden era the group began to lose its popularity. In the 1980's they returned to Bangui and resumed their old-time gigs in dance halls there - only to realize that their music didn't have the appeal it used to. Making matters worse, the domestic economic downturn accelerated, forcing the orchestra to slowly end its activities . Vibro Succès Intercontinental Orchestra disappeared at the end of the 80s and most of its members died in the 90s.

We discovered this LP during our first trip to Nigeria in 2016. While traveling in the east to meet up with a musician, we stopped for a night in a village. As often happens in Nigeria, information has a way of traveling fast. The news that a couple of white guys looking for records had arrived in the village the day before spread like light. When we awoke, we found a couple of elderly music lovers in the hall of our hotel with a little pile of records for sale. The nice cover of the “Drunkard” album was right on top!

At first we thought it was just another really good soukous album made by Vibro Success but after we heard “Drunkard” - we knew we had stumbled onto something very special. That was the “easy” part. Soon after, we had the idea of reissuing this LP and that was a bit harder. There were no credits on the cover and not much information about Vibro Succès. We started to ask to our friends to ask around, see if somebody knew them or the producer. That's when sadly we discovered that Ben Okonkwo had passed. So with no leads to follow and seemingly without any possibility of making progress on the matter, we "gave up" and returned to Italy.

A couple years later, in the summer of 2019, we found ourselves again in Aba. This time we had the chance to meet Nnamdi Okonkwo, the eldest son of the late Ben Okonkwo. After Nnamdi's mother and family agreed, he was glad to cooperate with us for the re-release of this special album."

In 2006, THE DRAFT was formed by Hot Water Music members Jason Black, George Rebelo, and Chris Wollard shortly after singer/guitarist Chuck Ragan's departure. The three remaining members of the band wanted to continue making music together but chose not to continue under the Hot Water Music name, opting for a fresh start instead. The initial writing and demo sessions included the legendary punk rock guitarist Brian Baker (known for Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion). However, due to conflicting schedules, Baker couldn't commit as a full-time member, leading fellow Florida resident and former Discount member Todd Rockhill to join the band. After releasing their debut album "In a Million Pieces" (produced by the esteemed Brian McTernan) on Epitaph Records in 2006, the band embarked on extensive tours with acts like Samiam, The Gaslight Anthem, and Paint It Black. They also released several singles on the renowned No Idea Label before disbanding in 2008. With both "In a Million Pieces" and all 7" records being out of print for years, THE DRAFT has now teamed up with End Hits Records and Equal Vision Records to release a deluxe vinyl version on double vinyl. For the first time, you can find every track ever recorded by THE DRAFT: Included are the twelve album tracks, six songs featured on three 7" records, two unreleased demo versions, as well as four songs recorded during a radio session in the UK that have never been released before. Not only were all songs remastered specifically for vinyl by Brian McTernan, and detailed liner notes have been added to tell the band's history from beginning to end, but the packaging has also been completely overhauled. A special feature for collectors: the European and American versions come in different gatefold covers, which together form a complete work of art.

For fans of Dead and Company, Digital Tape Machine, and Jazz Improvisation! Chicago native and Guitar prodigy, Marcus Rezak has connected with GRAMMY-award-winner Paul Nelson (Johnny Winter) to produce his next body of work entitled Guitar Head, a blues-oriented album that melds his prestige in the jam, improvisation, and songwriting world with his roots that hail from the “Home of the Blues.” Rezak is joined by fellow stalwarts on today's scene Ray Paczkowski (Trey Anastasio Band), Adrian Tramontano (Twiddle & Kung Fu), and Chris DeAngelis (Kung Fu & The Machine) throughout the album, and Little Feat's saxophonist, Erik Lawrence joins the ensemble for four tracks. Guitar Head comes highly anticipated as Marcus’ best work to date. With a outstanding team in place and properly coordinated merchandise, performances, and promotion. This album will bring Marcus to the top, once again, as one of the nations most prominent guitarists and composers.

Silver Biplanes are Tim Vass (one half of Razorcuts - the Creation-signed indie pop darlings) and Vanessa Vass (singer of Radcliffe jangle pop favourites The Melons. "A Moment In The Sun" is the debut long player by silver biplanes, a melodic indie band based in Bedfordshire, England. The band features wife-and-husband team Vanessa Vass and Tim Vass alongside drummer Rob Scott and the album is the pinnacle of a musical career which has previously seen Vanessa and Tim release songs on no fewer than 30 different labels between them! The band are lifelong fans of the highways and bi-ways of music and the album draws upon a wide range of influences. It's a heady mix of choruses, hooks and catchy tunes in which you'll hear traces of psychedelia, post-punk, krautrock and more. Tim was bassist and lyricist in cult indie band Razorcuts, co-writing all of their songs. Razorcuts releases regularly featured in the higher reaches of the independent charts throughout the late 80s, and included two top five albums recorded for the famous Creation label. Both albums were reissued in sellout deluxe vinyl editions in 2020. Razorcuts continue to appear on numerous compilations and their influence is often cited in books and internet articles. Tim has also played in Red Chair Fadeaway, Dandelion Wine and the Forever People. Vanessa was the singer in 90's indie band The Melons who are probably best remembered for their two legendary live sessions on Mark Radcliffe's Radio 1 show. The Melons released 6 singles and were regularly featured in the British music press.

Eclectic graffiti artist, DJ and producer Dj Marrrtin unveils his new album opus "Cyclothymix".
Following the success of his album "La Pie Bavarde", a duet with Tino, mc from Dayton, U.S.A., Marrrtin delivers a moody, intense, indeed psycho-musicographic psychomusicographic. He promises us a finely mixed set, at the heart of his inspirations: Hip Hop, Funk, Sound Illustration, Jazz...
Opening with "Awakening", straight out of a Dilla beat tape, followed by the Brazilian with the very Brazilian "Estrellas", an up-tempo theme sublimated by the gentle voice of Carla Vallet, who also infuses her suave voice on the track "Darjeeling", a bewitching call to let go. In his global wanderings, he takes us to New York with the track "L.O.V.E."an ode to love, featuring the Temple's guardian, A.G. of the mythical collective DITC and his protégée Hii Siddity, from the duo The Girll Codee. "Taraxacum" plunges us into a languorous atmosphere, sublimated by sublimated by the flute of Antoine Laloux from The Selenites Band. Then comes "Ben", a boom bap - melancholy jazz production, where the grain of vinyl mingles with the roughness of the Akai S950 sampler. Marrrtin's musical drifting and whirling is a tribute to breakdance culture to breakdance and hiphop culture with "Inspiration Medley", a nod to anthems such as SWAT, backed by the keyboards of his Funky Bijou teammate, Deheb. A duo whose famous classics are played for the biggest world Breakdance Battles. Sample culture, drum breaks, Abstract Hip Hop, for the tracks "True" and "Time for Love", in which a guru preaches pan-love in the time of the Apocalypse. "Indian Groove", an Indian echo of Marrrtin's many travels, which leaves us and saturates us with dopamine. "Cosmic Consciousness Without Transition", in the spirit of a mood-changing we plunge into the strange, scandalized prescription, guardian of the garden of love.
To close this essential album, "Headhunter", a dark Jazz Funk track with dusty soundtrack tinges, brings us to a close.
of dusty seventies soundtrack, with saturated clavinet responding to obsessive
melodies of Medline's flute.
Ultimately, "Cyclothymix" is conceived by Marrrtin as a mirror to our changing moodsand seasons.

NOW Music is proud to present the second in our ongoing series of vinyl compilations, NOW That’s What I Call 80s Dancefloor. Each edition features an essential collection of tracks representing key genres from the incredible diversity that were all part of 1980’s Dance music.

This volume, featuring 29 tracks across 2-LPs, pressed on 1 Purple and 1 Pink vinyl, presents the best in DISCO and ELECTRO.

Following the height of its’ popularity in the late 1970s, Disco in the early 1980s retained the irresistible melodies and beat but became primarily synth driven. The era saw some of the genres’ biggest hits including this collections’ opener ‘Flashdance…What A Feeling’ from Irene Cara – this theme from the film ‘Flashdance’ was not only a massive selling single, but the song also won multiple awards including an Academy Award. Lipps Inc. produced a timeless hit with ‘Funkytown’, and Shalamar with ‘A Night To Remember’, Odyssey with ‘Use It Up And Wear It Out’ and Indeep’s ‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’ were all huge commercial Disco hits.

Disco royalty Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic feature here in their roles as producers and writers with Diana Ross’s massive hit ‘Upside Down’, ‘Why’ from Carly Simon, and the peerless ‘Spacer’ from Sheila & B. Devotion and in 1984 remixed Sister Sledge’s ‘Lost In Music’ which became a massive hit again and is included here in its full 12” version.



Amii Stewart’s classic version of ‘Knock On Wood’ was remixed and a hit again, Donna Summer enjoyed huge success with ‘She Works Hard For The Money’, and other established Disco superstars celebrated returns to the charts with an 80’s Disco sound including, and featured on this collection, KC & The Sunshine Band, Patrick Cowley feat. Sylvester and Evelyn “Champagne” King.



The prevalence of the synth in the 1980s gave rise to new and exciting sounds and to tracks that were created with fusions of genres. On this collection we are celebrating ‘ELECTRO’ – a sub-genre of Electronic Dance music that combined elements of Disco, Funk and Hip-Hop and featuring a heavy synth backing, and the commercial Electro-Pop hits it produced. In 1984, Chaka Khan who had achieved huge success with the Disco classic ‘I’m Every Woman’, had a worldwide smash with a cover of Prince’s ‘I Feel For You’ which combined Disco, Funk, R&B, Synth-Pop and Hip-Hop – to stunning effect. Also a hit in 1984, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced a classic fusion of Disco, R&B, Funk and Synth-Pop for the S.O.S Band with ‘Just Be Good To Me’ and also included here are hugely influential Electro-Pop gems from Freeez, Rockers Revenge feat. Donnie Calvin, Malcolm McLaren, Break Machine, and Rock Steady Crew.



In the latter half of the 80s, Disco and Electro-Pop continued to evolve and fill dance-floors. Taking influences from both genres, Expose and Company B enjoyed ‘freestyle’ hits and DJ, remixer and producer Jellybean had a string of hits including ‘Just A Mirage’, and Whitney Houston became a global superstar. One of her signature tracks ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)’ serves as a stellar example of how Dance music had evolved through the decade and remained as vital and uplifting as ever.

For Fans Of... Jerry Butler, Wee, Adrian Younge, Roy Ayers, Unlimited Touch. New York's Ben Pirani & The Means Of Production team up with Ohio's Wesley Bright to deliver a midtempo rider suitable for a breezy summer's night. Upon the Means pulsing mellow groove "The Honeyman" begins to make it sweet indeed. The tune opens with a bright Rhodes melody that sets the stage for Wesley's gentle tenor. The song archs upward - with professing of love and devotion - toward an irresistible hook punctuated with sweet soft harmonies. Six Minute Mile is backed with a spaced out part two. Swirling delayed synth melodies and acoustic guitar fill out the groove. Ben Pirani has begun to establish himself as a writer and producer in recent years. With the Means Of Production as house band you can expect much more from the Palmetto Street gang

André Roligheten is known for his strong presence in a number of collaborations with everything from Gard Nilssen's Acoustic Unity, Team Hegdal, Friends & Neighbors, Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Susanne Sundfør, to his own release "Roligheten - Homegrown" from 2017.With his new adventurous ensemble, he is now releasing brand new music on the album "Marbles" (Odin, 03.11.23). The album contains a collection of compositions that facilitate bold interaction. The compositions are conceived as parallel universes with their own, improvised musical forms. Imagine that Sonny Rollins and Egberto Gismonti met on the beach at a yoga retreat in Hawaii and decided to make an album together! Roligheten brings out a highly personal expression in his warm tenor saxophone together with a star team of Scandinavian musicians. Each and every one of them adds a unique depth and substance to the musical universe; Strøm's rigorous double bass, Ståhl's bold vibraphone, Nilssen's elastic drums and Lindström's gripping pedal steel. This merges into a unique sound that carries Roligheten's compositions on a golden stool. The gallery of people in this ensemble has prestigious names, and they have worked with artists and bands such as Tonbruket, Bushman's Revenge, Ane Brun, Paal Nilssen-Love, Bobo Stenson, Supersonic Orchestra and Georg Riedel.

For fans of Mt. Eerie and Wolves In The Throne Room. Experimental, highly idiosyncratic take on black metal from Oakland California / Olympia Washington two piece. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Nicholas Wilbur (The Microphones, Have A Nice Life, Planning For Burial). Previous releases with on cult DIY label An Out Recordings. 2018 split release with Thou. Ragana is a duo whose members alternate duties on drums, guitar, and vocals to produce some of the most unique and affecting dark music in metal today. The two-piece came together in 2011 in the DIY punk scene of Olympia, WA and are now based in Olympia and Oakland, CA. In their time together so far, Ragana have self-released five albums and teamed up with genre-favourite Thou for a split release in 2018. The following year, Ragana released their heralded We Know That The Heavens Are Empty EP and have quietly been working on new music ever since. The band signed with The Flenser in late 2022 and now present their forthcoming debut album for the label, Desolation's Flower. On Desolation's Flower, Ragana draws upon a number of influences from the flora and fauna of their Pacific Northwest origins to the darkly nostalgic folk of Mt. Eerie and, yes, their Olympian forebears Wolves In The Throne Room, synthesising them into an experimental, highly idiosyncratic take on black metal. Held together by an intense focus on raw emotion and haunting atmospherics, Ragana shifts seamlessly from tender, mesmerising vocal harmonies to piercing, heart-ripping screams and back again, yielding music that is heavy, beautiful and punishing all at once. Written over the past few tumultuous years, Desolation's Flower is the band's most devastating effort to date, containing seven incantations of loss, rage, pain and hope. Expertly engineered by the masterful Nicholas Wilbur at the Unknown Studio in Anacortes, Washington (Planning For Burial, drowse, Divide and Dissolve, Have a Nice Life), the album serves as the culmination of the past decade plus of the band's ethos and execution.

For fans of Mt. Eerie and Wolves In The Throne Room. Experimental, highly idiosyncratic take on black metal from Oakland California / Olympia Washington two piece. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Nicholas Wilbur (The Microphones, Have A Nice Life, Planning For Burial). Previous releases with on cult DIY label An Out Recordings. 2018 split release with Thou. Ragana is a duo whose members alternate duties on drums, guitar, and vocals to produce some of the most unique and affecting dark music in metal today. The two-piece came together in 2011 in the DIY punk scene of Olympia, WA and are now based in Olympia and Oakland, CA. In their time together so far, Ragana have self-released five albums and teamed up with genre-favourite Thou for a split release in 2018. The following year, Ragana released their heralded We Know That The Heavens Are Empty EP and have quietly been working on new music ever since. The band signed with The Flenser in late 2022 and now present their forthcoming debut album for the label, Desolation's Flower. On Desolation's Flower, Ragana draws upon a number of influences from the flora and fauna of their Pacific Northwest origins to the darkly nostalgic folk of Mt. Eerie and, yes, their Olympian forebears Wolves In The Throne Room, synthesising them into an experimental, highly idiosyncratic take on black metal. Held together by an intense focus on raw emotion and haunting atmospherics, Ragana shifts seamlessly from tender, mesmerising vocal harmonies to piercing, heart-ripping screams and back again, yielding music that is heavy, beautiful and punishing all at once. Written over the past few tumultuous years, Desolation's Flower is the band's most devastating effort to date, containing seven incantations of loss, rage, pain and hope. Expertly engineered by the masterful Nicholas Wilbur at the Unknown Studio in Anacortes, Washington (Planning For Burial, drowse, Divide and Dissolve, Have a Nice Life), the album serves as the culmination of the past decade plus of the band's ethos and execution.

Only 200 copies of black 180g vinyl was made.

"Macrodose" is an album recorded in the classic form of Producer & MC, (Antiquant and Prykson Fisk). JuNouMi Records (est. 2002) gives this hip-hop project the highest mark of quality. Real underground rap album including many guests such as Axel Holy and King Kashmere from UK.

Prykson writes about the album as follows: Macrodose is a lyrical "trip report" with a perfect musical accompaniment, a diary of a total life transformation inspired by the power of medicine contained in entheogens.

To emphasize the urban character of the project, we asked the well-known street artist TYBER to create the graphic design of the album, which is ultimately based on a dedicated mural painted in September in Gdańsk.

Mr. Aleksander aka Prykson Fisk aka Fred Flin100NER is 170 kg of live hip-hop. Beat-boxer, MC and DJ, associated with Hip-Hop culture since 2003. Prykson is an experienced psychonaut and owner of the KOMORA REC home studio. Creator and author of over 20 albums and mixtapes. His official debut K02M02 (2020) landed in the respectable 7th place of OLiS... Representative of the MOST BLUNTED team, KOLOKOS - one of the creators and founder of such projects as: Renegaci Funku, Hedora, Prykson Ifs and Dusty Vibez. He played beats in every genre, from dubstep, grime, drum and bass, through rap, to jazz and funk played live with a band. He has conducted countless workshops in the field of hip hop (beat-box, rap) throughout Poland... A fan of good food, underground music, multidimensional visual art and conspiracy theories. An experienced gourmand of life and a well-known local healer.

Antiquant - 24-year-old producer from Zielona Góra. He has collaborated with artists such as Ryfa Ri, Mada, Asthma, Mareceli Bober. With his beats, he tries to drown the listener in an ocean of cosmic sounds. The axis of its production is the artistic achievements of producers such as flying lotus, monte booker and j dilla. In his songs, he does not limit himself to one style, his beats are often a patchwork of various genres of music. In his productions you can hear boom bap drums, trap eight hundred eighth notes and jazz trumpets coexisting in the strangest musical ecosystems. Antiquant appreciates experiments, loves to push his boundaries, look for undiscovered sounds and use effects in ways they shouldn't be used.

Collecting orders for repress!

Afro Dub Funk & Punk Of Recreational Records '81-‘82

Emotional Rescue returns to what it does best by unearthing musical gems of the British post punk scene with a double pack compilation of Bristol's short lived Recreational Records.

Teaming up with Bristol Archive Records, 10 songs are remastered, reissued and cut loud for DJs and collectors. What is most striking is, although created in the space of just two years, with a disparate collection of artists, musicians and producers coming together, the music holds a considerable cohesive sound.

Set up in 1981 by Bristol based shop, Revolver Records, Recreational was formed as an independent label with its own distribution, as part of the co-operative, Cartel. The label was a natural progression from the shop's punk's DIY aesthetic, acting as a hang out and inspiration for local artists from Mark Stewart to later staff member, Daddy G.

'Get It Right' starts with a one-off project in Scream + Dance, who similarly, alongside local bands Glaxo Babies, Maximum Joy and Rip Rig & Panic, explored post-punk with funk and jazz all underpinned with heavy tribal and dub influenced rhythms. 'In Rhythm', with its infectious groove, acts as a call to arms for the compilation, coming in two parts, the latter dropping away to explore the links with dub.

Next is possibly the label's biggest band in Talisman, going on to be active up to today, their release 'Run Come Girl / Wicked Dem' are both featured in long 12" mixes that explore the classic 'discomix' of vocal and dub in longform.

Animal Magic lead with the pack's title, 'Get It Right' a short-driven punk funk burst that captures the label's sound to perfection. However, much of the compilation is given over to the more experimental side of the bands, with a high percentage the B sides where they headed to the mixing desk for echo chambered dub inspired versions.

X-Certs' 'Untogether; Electric Guitars' 'Don't Wake The Baby' and Animal Magic's 'Trash The Blad' are culled from the flips of various 7" singles and all are a fusion of percussive rhythms, studio trickery and dub inspired techniques, played out against the "Do it Yourself" aesthetic of the time.

To complete is London based, soukous, kwela and afrobeat inspired collective, Ivory Coasters' 'Mungaka Makossa' and two rhythmic curveballs by Scream + Dance in 'Giocometti (Wicked Mix)' and their riotous (and short) closer, 'In Pink & Black'. "Get it right this time, get it right!".

Saxophonist Alex Hitchcock continues his mission to seek out new sounds and textures at the forefront of contemporary jazz, and to act as a catalyst to bring together some of the finest musical talents drawn to the fervid internationalism of the contemporary London scene His response to the current challenging climate for artistic endeavour is to go big and go bold: Dream Band: Live in London is a truly groundbreaking project presenting three different 'dream bands' of his favourite musicians, captured live over three nights at London's legendary Vortex club performing music specially composed for each ensemble. The extraordinary line- ups he assembled are testament to the respect he has earned among his peers as a composer, player and bandleader with a uniquely inspiring vision. The band for the first night features the frontline of Mark Kavuma's trumpet and Liselotte Ostblom's vocals blending together over the trio of Rob Luft, Rio Kai, and Jamie Murray: the second features James Copus on trumpet with longtime musical partners Kit Downes on piano and Lewis Wright on vibes, and Conor Chaplin and Marc Michel supplying bass and drums, and the third sets Downes' piano alongside the guitar of Ant Law and Alexandra Ridout's trumpet, with the international all-star rhythm section team of Orlando le Fleming and James Maddren. Part of the album's delight lies in the unexpected combinations of these acclaimed players, and the new levels of creativity that they bring forth; the constant presence of Hitchcock's unmistakeable voice on tenor sax and the strength and consistency of his writing gives the project a compelling unity. Each of the three bands brings their own unique blend of voices to Hitchcock's compositions, taking them in directions unforeseen even by their composer.

GER "Wir suchen nach Glitzer, nach dem hellsten Geröll und Blitzen. Wer sich heute Nacht verliert, wird sich nicht finden. Ihr sucht in uns die Perfektion der Generation Maximum.." An was noch glauben. Mit ihrem dritten Album Generation Maximum nehmen CULK den Druck von einer Generation, die den Horror der Gegenwart wie durch Magie doch noch zu etwas Positivem wandeln - und richten ihn bewusst auf diejenigen, die ihre Zukunft zerstört haben. "... Ihr sucht in uns die Revolution, bürgt uns auf, was ihr nicht leisten wollt. Wer sich heute nicht mehr wehrt, wird übrigbleiben." Generation Maximum ist sicherlich kein Album, bei dem im SUV laut mitgegrölt wird, weil der Refrain so schön in die Sonnenuntergangsstimmung passt. Niemand klatscht vor Freude über den nächsten Waldbrand die Hände zusammen. Stattdessen beobachtet Sängerin Sophie Löw ihre Umwelt durch ein Brennglas und nimmt die Zuhörer:innen mit auf eine lyrische Rückblende der letzten zwanzig Jahre, in denen sie selbst vom Kind zur Zeugin wurde. Das selbstbetitelte CULK Debut (2019) erschien beim Wiener Label Siluh Records, einer der verlässlichsten Quellen für spannende Indie-Musik in all seinen Facetten. Vom Spiegel-Magazin gab es dazu das Attribut "Suchtsound". Mit ihrem zweiten Album "Zerstreuen über Euch" (2020) schuf die Gruppe ein famoses Konzept-Album. Es wurde von vielen Seiten als eine Kampfansage an tiefverwurzelte patriarchale Strukturen gedeutet und schaffte es u.a. in die TOP 5 der Jahresbestenliste des Spiegel-Magazins. Mit "Generation Maximum" übernimmt Jakob Herber die Rolle des Bassisten von Gründungsmitglied Benjamin Steiger. Herber ist von Anfang an ein wichtiger Wegbegleiter im engen Zirkelder Band, Sängerin/Gitarristin Sophie Löw hat im August 2022 als SOPHIA BLENDA ihr Solo-Debüt-Album "Die neue Heiterkeit" veröffentlicht. "Die neue Heiterkeit" ist eines der stärksten deutschsprachigen Pop-Statements der jüngeren Zeit" - Spiegel. Für ihr neues und nun drittes Album "Generation Maximum" hat sich die Band mit dem Produzenten Wolfgang Lehmann, vormals Wolfgang Möstl, zusammengetan, der unter anderem für seine Arbeit mit Voodoo Jürgens, Clara Luzia, Jungstötter, Dives uvm. bekannt ist. Und bringen es musikalisch nach draußen zu den Menschen, die vor lauter Existenzkämpfen fast vergessen hätten, die Revolution zu starten ("Generation Maximum"). Kein Ausbaden. Generation Maximum ist ein progressiv lauter werdendes "Nein" zur auferlegten Bürde, ein Appell an mehr Verletzlichkeit ("Eisenkleid") "Jede Rüstung erzählt von Verletzlichkeit. Stärke zeigt, wer Narben teilt." und weniger Elend im Privaten wie im Öffentlichen. Letztlich aber auch eine Suche nach einer neuen "Ode an die Freude" und Mut um uns. "Wir erheben Stimmen, auf dass sie für immer klingen. Wo sollen wir heute Zukunft finden?" Wer genau hinhört, findet sie: Lieder über unausgesprochene Träume, die durch epische Gitarrenklänge und Löws entrückten Gesang näher wirken, als sie eigentlich sind. LP klassisch schwarzes Vinyl.


With their third album Generation Maximum, CULK take the pressure off a generation that magically transforms the horror of the present into something positive after all - and deliberately direct it at those who have destroyed their future."... Ihr sucht in uns die Revolution, bürgt uns auf, was ihr nicht leisten wollt. Wer sich heute nicht mehr wehrt, wird übrig bleiben." Generation Maximum is certainly not an album to be bawled along to loudly in the SUV because the chorus fits so nicely into the sunset mood. No one claps their hands together in joy over the next forest fire. Instead, singer Sophie Löw observes her environment through a burning glass and takes the listeners on a lyrical flashback of the last twenty years, during which she herself went from child to witness. The self-titled CULK debut album (2019) was released on the Viennese label Siluh Records, one of the most reliable sources for exciting indie music in all its facets. Spiegel magazine gave it the attribute "addictive sound". With their second album "Zerstreuen über Euch" (2020), the group created a fabulous concept album. It was often viewed as a declaration of war against deeply rooted patriarchal structures and made it to the TOP 5 of the Spiegel magazine's best of the year list and gained the band a following in various scenes and audiences. With "Generation Maximum", Jakob Herber takes over the role of bass player from founding member Benjamin Steiger. Herber has been an important companion from the beginning. Singer/guitarist Sophie Löw released her solo debut album "Die neue Heiterkeit" as SOPHIA BLENDA in August 2022. "Die neue Heiterkeit" is one of the strongest German-language pop statements of recent times" - Spiegel. For their new and now third album "Generation Maximum", the band teamed up with producer Wolfgang Lehmann, formerly Wolfgang Möstl, who is known for his work with Voodoo Jürgens, Clara Luzia, Jungstötter, Dives and many more. And they take it musically outside to the people who almost forgot to start the revolution because of all the struggles for existence ("Generation Maximum"). No payback Generation Maximum is a progressively louder "no" to the burden imposed, an appeal for more vulnerability ("Eisenkleid") "Every armour tells of vulnerability. Strength shows who shares scars" and less misery in private as well as in public. But ultimately also a search for a new "Ode an die Freude" and courage around us. "Wir erheben Stimmen, auf dass sie für immer klingen. Wo sollen wir heute Zukunft finden?" Wer genau hinhört, findet sie: Lieder über unausgesprochene Träume, die durch epische Gitarrenklänge und Löws entrückten Gesang näher wirken, als sie eigentlich sind. RIYL Nu Wave, Independent, Shoegaze

GER "Wir suchen nach Glitzer, nach dem hellsten Geröll und Blitzen. Wer sich heute Nacht verliert, wird sich nicht finden. Ihr sucht in uns die Perfektion der Generation Maximum.." An was noch glauben. Mit ihrem dritten Album Generation Maximum nehmen CULK den Druck von einer Generation, die den Horror der Gegenwart wie durch Magie doch noch zu etwas Positivem wandeln - und richten ihn bewusst auf diejenigen, die ihre Zukunft zerstört haben. "... Ihr sucht in uns die Revolution, bürgt uns auf, was ihr nicht leisten wollt. Wer sich heute nicht mehr wehrt, wird übrigbleiben." Generation Maximum ist sicherlich kein Album, bei dem im SUV laut mitgegrölt wird, weil der Refrain so schön in die Sonnenuntergangsstimmung passt. Niemand klatscht vor Freude über den nächsten Waldbrand die Hände zusammen. Stattdessen beobachtet Sängerin Sophie Löw ihre Umwelt durch ein Brennglas und nimmt die Zuhörer:innen mit auf eine lyrische Rückblende der letzten zwanzig Jahre, in denen sie selbst vom Kind zur Zeugin wurde. Das selbstbetitelte CULK Debut (2019) erschien beim Wiener Label Siluh Records, einer der verlässlichsten Quellen für spannende Indie-Musik in all seinen Facetten. Vom Spiegel-Magazin gab es dazu das Attribut "Suchtsound". Mit ihrem zweiten Album "Zerstreuen über Euch" (2020) schuf die Gruppe ein famoses Konzept-Album. Es wurde von vielen Seiten als eine Kampfansage an tiefverwurzelte patriarchale Strukturen gedeutet und schaffte es u.a. in die TOP 5 der Jahresbestenliste des Spiegel-Magazins. Mit "Generation Maximum" übernimmt Jakob Herber die Rolle des Bassisten von Gründungsmitglied Benjamin Steiger. Herber ist von Anfang an ein wichtiger Wegbegleiter im engen Zirkelder Band, Sängerin/Gitarristin Sophie Löw hat im August 2022 als SOPHIA BLENDA ihr Solo-Debüt-Album "Die neue Heiterkeit" veröffentlicht. "Die neue Heiterkeit" ist eines der stärksten deutschsprachigen Pop-Statements der jüngeren Zeit" - Spiegel. Für ihr neues und nun drittes Album "Generation Maximum" hat sich die Band mit dem Produzenten Wolfgang Lehmann, vormals Wolfgang Möstl, zusammengetan, der unter anderem für seine Arbeit mit Voodoo Jürgens, Clara Luzia, Jungstötter, Dives uvm. bekannt ist. Und bringen es musikalisch nach draußen zu den Menschen, die vor lauter Existenzkämpfen fast vergessen hätten, die Revolution zu starten ("Generation Maximum"). Kein Ausbaden. Generation Maximum ist ein progressiv lauter werdendes "Nein" zur auferlegten Bürde, ein Appell an mehr Verletzlichkeit ("Eisenkleid") "Jede Rüstung erzählt von Verletzlichkeit. Stärke zeigt, wer Narben teilt." und weniger Elend im Privaten wie im Öffentlichen. Letztlich aber auch eine Suche nach einer neuen "Ode an die Freude" und Mut um uns. "Wir erheben Stimmen, auf dass sie für immer klingen. Wo sollen wir heute Zukunft finden?" Wer genau hinhört, findet sie: Lieder über unausgesprochene Träume, die durch epische Gitarrenklänge und Löws entrückten Gesang näher wirken, als sie eigentlich sind. LP klassisch schwarzes Vinyl.


With their third album Generation Maximum, CULK take the pressure off a generation that magically transforms the horror of the present into something positive after all - and deliberately direct it at those who have destroyed their future."... Ihr sucht in uns die Revolution, bürgt uns auf, was ihr nicht leisten wollt. Wer sich heute nicht mehr wehrt, wird übrig bleiben." Generation Maximum is certainly not an album to be bawled along to loudly in the SUV because the chorus fits so nicely into the sunset mood. No one claps their hands together in joy over the next forest fire. Instead, singer Sophie Löw observes her environment through a burning glass and takes the listeners on a lyrical flashback of the last twenty years, during which she herself went from child to witness. The self-titled CULK debut album (2019) was released on the Viennese label Siluh Records, one of the most reliable sources for exciting indie music in all its facets. Spiegel magazine gave it the attribute "addictive sound". With their second album "Zerstreuen über Euch" (2020), the group created a fabulous concept album. It was often viewed as a declaration of war against deeply rooted patriarchal structures and made it to the TOP 5 of the Spiegel magazine's best of the year list and gained the band a following in various scenes and audiences. With "Generation Maximum", Jakob Herber takes over the role of bass player from founding member Benjamin Steiger. Herber has been an important companion from the beginning. Singer/guitarist Sophie Löw released her solo debut album "Die neue Heiterkeit" as SOPHIA BLENDA in August 2022. "Die neue Heiterkeit" is one of the strongest German-language pop statements of recent times" - Spiegel. For their new and now third album "Generation Maximum", the band teamed up with producer Wolfgang Lehmann, formerly Wolfgang Möstl, who is known for his work with Voodoo Jürgens, Clara Luzia, Jungstötter, Dives and many more. And they take it musically outside to the people who almost forgot to start the revolution because of all the struggles for existence ("Generation Maximum"). No payback Generation Maximum is a progressively louder "no" to the burden imposed, an appeal for more vulnerability ("Eisenkleid") "Every armour tells of vulnerability. Strength shows who shares scars" and less misery in private as well as in public. But ultimately also a search for a new "Ode an die Freude" and courage around us. "Wir erheben Stimmen, auf dass sie für immer klingen. Wo sollen wir heute Zukunft finden?" Wer genau hinhört, findet sie: Lieder über unausgesprochene Träume, die durch epische Gitarrenklänge und Löws entrückten Gesang näher wirken, als sie eigentlich sind. RIYL Nu Wave, Independent, Shoegaze

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Major Arcana, Speedy Ortiz will release a remastered edition, on Carpark Records.

On their debut full-length, Western Massachusetts' Speedy Ortiz manages a bit of magic by conjuring the spirits of classic American indie rock, while twisting those ghosts into new shapes. It's easy to hear the influences of Helium, Jawbox, and Chavez on this album, as well as nods to their contemporaries including Grass is Green, Pile, and Roomrunner. Sweet vocal harmonies run up against gnarly distortion, aided by basic, chunky bass parts and heavy, fill-laden drums.

The album was recorded in a few days in November at Justin Pizzoferrato's (Dinosaur Jr., Chelsea Light Moving) studio, Sonelab, a huge space in an old factory in Easthampton, Mass. The sessions went from very early in the day until very late at night, with the band taking its time to experiment. Pizzoferrato's collection of old distortion pedals were utilized on both the record's guitars and vocals.

The theme of the occult and the supernatural runs deep through Major Arcana, inspired by singer-guitarist Sadie Dupuis' reading on black magic. Dupuis' sometimes knotty and abstract lyrics bring to mind fellow wordsmith Stephen Malkmus, while referencing horror film tropes, chemistry, and neuroscience. Major Arcana's literal translation is 'major mysteries,' a phrase from tarot cards. 'I don't write in a narrative way and am more concerned with use of language than meaning,' Dupuis says, 'so I like the open-endedness of the title and the way it invites interpretation.'

After too much time freelance writing and watching re-runs in a windowless Brooklyn basement, guitarist and songwriter Sadie Dupuis left New York City for the wilds of Northampton, MA in order to pursue a master's degree in poetry. In doing so, she began Speedy Ortiz, a self-recorded lo-fi project named after a minor character from the Love and Rockets comic series. Speedy Ortiz soon became something else entirely as bassist Darl Ferm, guitarist Matt Robidoux, and drummer Mike Falcone teamed up to form a full band, balancing abrasive noise with infectious earworms. The newly minted Speedy Ortiz quickly found an audience in the Boston DIY scene, playing frequently with their friends Pile, Grass is Green, Fat History Month, Sneeze, Krill, and Arvid Noe.

Almost immediately, the band recorded a two-song single, 'Taylor Swift' and 'Swim Fan,' with Paul Q. Kolderie (Pixies, Hole) and Justin Pizzoferrato (Chelsea Light Moving, Dinosaur Jr.), and self-released it in March of 2012. Shortly thereafter they spent a few weekends at the dingy yet atmospheric Sex Dungeon Studios in Philadelphia recording the Sports EP, a five-track, loosely conceptual 10' released that June on Exploding in Sound Records.

The creation of Major Arcana, their full-length debut, marks the evolution of Speedy Ortiz into a wholly collaborative effort. Darl leans toward basic, chunky parts, while Mike, a talented songwriter in his own right, helped arrange while also providing aggressive, boisterous drums. And Matt is a classically trained guitarist, but his experience in noise and experimental music comes through in his anti-melodic guitar solos, which counterbalance Sadie's angular, scalar guitar riffs and poppy vocals.

The end result is a band able to distill their influences and creative impulses into something at once dissonant and melodic, noisy yet undeniably pop.

Univers Zero's new album (since 10 years) follows the lineage of 'Phosphorescent Dreams', originally released only on CD in Japan in 2014, and reissued as an LP on the Sub Rosa label in 2019. Lueur is the fruit of two years' work and reflection, the foundations of which were laid by Daniel Denis (keyboards, drums, percussion...), then enriched by the contributions of Nicolas Dechêne (guitars), Kurt Budé (clarinet / bass clarinet) and Nicolas Denis (bass, percussion, vocals), all three present on Phosphorescent Dreams.

With this reduced line-up, Lueur offers a dense journey, rooted in the balance between power and calm, raging and serene sound. A balance, too, between complex arrangements and more contemplative moments. While this album continues the avant-rock tradition of Univers Zero, it also features some very short pieces, more electronic, tribal and haunting sounds, and voice work that is new to the U.Z. universe. Between tradition and subtle evolution, Lueur is a major new contribution to the discography of this band, which will be celebrating its fiftieth anniversary in 2024.

Univers Zero represents one of the longest-living bands in Belgium. It was established in 1974. Drummer Daniel Denis had the brilliant idea to gather together a team of professionals sharing the same taste for music. The band has adopted an instrumental progressive style. Over the last couple of decades, the band has also implemented a series of influences from chamber music - most commonly, chamber music from the 20th century. Even if the line-up changes a lot over the years, the overall sound of UZ remained fairly consistent.

Univers Zero's new album (since 10 years) follows the lineage of 'Phosphorescent Dreams', originally released only on CD in Japan in 2014, and reissued as an LP on the Sub Rosa label in 2019. Lueur is the fruit of two years' work and reflection, the foundations of which were laid by Daniel Denis (keyboards, drums, percussion...), then enriched by the contributions of Nicolas Dechêne (guitars), Kurt Budé (clarinet / bass clarinet) and Nicolas Denis (bass, percussion, vocals), all three present on Phosphorescent Dreams.

With this reduced line-up, Lueur offers a dense journey, rooted in the balance between power and calm, raging and serene sound. A balance, too, between complex arrangements and more contemplative moments. While this album continues the avant-rock tradition of Univers Zero, it also features some very short pieces, more electronic, tribal and haunting sounds, and voice work that is new to the U.Z. universe. Between tradition and subtle evolution, Lueur is a major new contribution to the discography of this band, which will be celebrating its fiftieth anniversary in 2024.

Univers Zero represents one of the longest-living bands in Belgium. It was established in 1974. Drummer Daniel Denis had the brilliant idea to gather together a team of professionals sharing the same taste for music. The band has adopted an instrumental progressive style. Over the last couple of decades, the band has also implemented a series of influences from chamber music - most commonly, chamber music from the 20th century. Even if the line-up changes a lot over the years, the overall sound of UZ remained fairly consistent.

Neil Hamburger presents a new work from the songwriting team of Gregg Turkington and Erik Paparozzi. Seasonal Depression Suite is an album-based musical, sung by an all-star cast whose voices embody various guests stuck in a perfectly average chain-hotel, wallowing in self-pity and paranoia, re-living personal catastrophes both real and imagined, or simply trying to use the hotel vending machine. Expert music played by an all-star band, to boot! To sing these parts, a once-in-a-lifetime all-star cast was assembled - including Neil Finn (Split Enz, Crowded House, Fleetwood Mac), Annabella Lwin (Bow Wow Wow), Alan Bishop (Sun City Girls), Bonnie Prince Billy, acclaimed singer/performance artist Puddles Pity Party, voice actress Natalie Peyser, J.P. Hasson (Pleaseeasaur), enigmatic vocalist (and Frank Sinatra"s granddaughter) A.J. Lambert, Paparozzi himself and, of course, Neil Hamburger. Among the many musicians accompanying the cast were Scarlet Rivera (Bob Dylan"s Rolling Thunder Revue), Danny Heifetz (Mr Bungle), Bär McKinnon (Mr Bungle), Prairie Prince (The Tubes), Atom Ellis (Dieselhed), Jason Schimmel (Secret Chiefs 3), and Alex Jules (The Monkees band) - an international assemblage whose talents give Seasonal Depression Suite its epic sweep. With all hands on board, Turkington and Paparozzi created their own kind of masterpiece, like Sinatra"s late-period concept album Watertown fused with the misfit comedy of Neil Hamburger - a work that looks at a cast of characters both ordinary and bizarre, as they make their way from one grievance to another, traveling from place to place, hoping to live, while waiting to die.

The debut album of soul singer, Maiiah is also the third full-length by Hamburg collective, Angels of Libra, following on from the success of their collaboration with Irish singer, Nathan Johnston.

Maiiah is a singer with roots in the Balkans but residing in Düsseldorf, the city of the legendary Unique Club and the label of the same name. Soul left its mark on her early on, and when she met Hamburg producer, musician and composer Dennis Rux (Hamburg Spinners/Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Studios) during the pandemic, the two realized they shared a similar musical vision. Their common love of soul music and old rhythm & blues brought them together, and they started recording music together in Hamburg with the Angels of Libra. Lo and behold, their first single together "Obey" got into rotation at tastemaker station Radioeins and confirmed them as a winning team.



Following in the footsteps of many a classic soul tune, second single, "No No No (I'm So Broke)" is a social critique and commentary. In it Maiiah literally wears her heart on her sleeve, as she sings about the back- breaking job she was working at the time and the poor earnings as a hotel service employee.



But naturally life has more to offer than just work and so a large part of the songs on this record revolve around love. Maiiah gives her own spin to the classic "I'm A Good Woman", which the spirited singer has performed live many times. The story goes that the late DJ and Unique Records label owner Henry Storch sent Maiiah the original song by Barbara Lynn to comfort her after a heavy heartbreak. The song thus holds a very important place in Maiiah's heart, and it was released as the third advance single, recorded during her tour with Nathan Johnston at Bekegg Studios in Rastede, Lower Saxony.



With Dennis Rux at her side and the powerful arrangements of the Angels of Libra, Maiiah has found the right partners for her personal debut. On "Kava" & "Plenty of Life", Hamburg's jack-of-all-trades Carsten Meyer aka Erobique is featured as a guest on the keyboards, so here the rhythm section of the Hamburg Spinners comes together again. The love for old soul, rhythm & blues and the analog sound of the sixties is also fully expressed on this album. The longings and deep feelings in Maiiah's lyrics are carefully picked up musically, whether as a classic R&B song as in "Please Come Home" or in boogaloo party mode as in the Croatian-sung "Kava", the fourth single. "Plenty of Life" is a song for self-cheering and a call to open up to the beautiful sides of life despite all adversity. In "I wanna go", on the other hand, Maiiah longs for her Croatian homeland. The crowning finale of the album is the intense "Infinity" about life's phases and the recurring ups and downs as the essence of human existence.



The ingredients of Maiiah and the Angels of Libra's recipe are authentic lyrics, to the point arrangements, tight horns, rousing background vocals and the spirit of the golden age of soul music, as it was shaped by labels like Motown and Stax. Recorded in part with original equipment from the 50s. Producer Dennis Rux says, "We wanted to create a record that people would go dance to at the Komet" (a neighborhood club on St. Pauli in Hamburg, the band's second home). The joint album combines the Hamburg soul of the Angels of Libra with the passion of Maiiah, who can fully live out her temperament on the mic.

Experience the captivating soundscape from one of 2023’s biggest blockbusters on the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Original Score) vinyl. The sequel to 2019’s Oscar-award winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse broke the global box-office on release, and the critically acclaimed, viral hit-making score is now available on vinyl and CD for the first time.



Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA-nominated composer Daniel Pemberton returns to expand upon the Spider-Verse’s iconic, multi-versal soundscape with a genre-defying score that seamlessly combines a 100-piece orchestra with DJ scratching, operatic vocals, techno beats, punk rock, acid-house-inspired Indian percussion, soaring synth solos, and even…a prominently sampled goose. From the Gwen Stacy’s fan favorite motif to Spider-Man 2099’s internet-breaking theme music, the film and its intricately-woven score is sure to transport you into some wildly unexpected parallel dimensions.



This double vinyl release comes pressed on two white and dark purple marbled LPs, featuring highlights from the score hand-selected by Daniel Pemberton. The package includes a stunning soft-touch gatefold jacket with spot gloss, a double-sided collectable poster and two printed sleeves with custom art – plus, an 8-page art booklet featuring liner notes from Daniel Pemberton and art from the film.

This performance by Waylon Jennings was no April Fool's joke. This was the "new" Waylon, both personally and professionally. He had kicked a 20-year drug habit, split with RCA and signed a new deal with MCA Records. He discovered a passion for songwriting, teamed with legendary producer Jimmy Bowen, and produced some of the best work of his 30-year-plus career. He credited his wife and soul mate, Jessie Colter, for much of his inspiration. This was Waylon's second trip to the ACL stage, but the one that best captures the raw edge and driving urgency that pushed country music way past its Nashville boundaries starting in the mid-1970's. He was described as the leader of the country "Outlaw" movement, which he often dismissed as just another marketing scam, but there's no denying that he turned the music on its head and took it way beyond its rural southern roots. This West Texas boy who worked as a DJ and started his own band at 14, then later played with Buddy Holly, left an indelible mark on the music he loved. He was a class act, this man called Hoss. -Terry Lickona (Producer Austin City Limits®)

Drittes Soloalbum des dänischen Pretty Maids Sängers Ronnie Atkins-" Trinity". Seit bei Ronnie 2019 Lungenkrebs im vierten Stadium diagnostiziert wurde, hat er keine Sekunde seiner Zeit verloren, die er mit dem Komponieren und Aufnehmen von zwei sehr erfolgreichen Veröffentlichungen "Make it Count" und dem Debüt "One Shot" verbracht hat, die beide von Kritikern und Fans gleichermaßen sehr gefeiert wurden. Vor kurzem hat er auch Live-Shows mit seiner eigenen Band und mit dem Avantasia-Projekt wieder aufgenommen. Später in diesem Jahr plant er, wieder auf Tour zu gehen, um das neue Album zu unterstützen. "Ich glaube, ich habe heutzutage eine andere Perspektive auf das Leben als noch vor 4 Jahren", sagt Ronnie. "Lassen Sie mich hinzufügen, dass die Arbeit, die in meinem Fall darin besteht, Songs zu schreiben und auf der Bühne zu stehen, das ist, was mich am Laufen hält, denke ich. Ich konzentriere mich gerne auf die positiven Aspekte des Lebens und gönne mir Dinge, die ich wirklich gerne tun möchte." Never change a winning team und so wurde das Album erneut von Chris Laney produziert und Jacob Hansen kümmerte sich um den Mix und das Mastering.Das Album ist vielleicht etwas härter geworden, da alle Songs auf der Gitarre komponiert wurden. Seit Beginn seiner Rock'n'Roll-Reise mit Pretty Maids hat Ronnie Atkins seine Fans immer wieder mit qualitativ hochwertigem, melodischem Hard Rock beschenkt und "Trinity" zeigt ihn erneut in Höchstform.

Born in Roma in 1959, Guiseppe “Peps” Cotumaccio arrived in South Africa when he was two years old. He was the mastermind behind the band “Sweet Reaction”, singing and playing keyboards.

In the early 80’s, the group used to back various artists including one of the South African top singer “Neville Nash”. Both artists were on the same record label: Music Team. Throughout his lengthy career, Peps has collaborated with Johnny Clegg, Ronnie Joyce, Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse, P.J. Powers, Mark Alex, Neville Nash, and Mara Louw just to name a few.

The lead singer of the band, Dion Williamson, started performing in Johannesburg’s nightclubs and got quickly very successful, always in demand! People loved his gravel and sensual voice as he used to sing some of Joe Cocker’s popular songs. Unfortunately, during the Apartheid, the South African Government were not allowing black and white audiences, and the band split.

On this BIG5 Boogie#2, Enoch Ndlela produced 2 Modern Soul killer tracks.
Recorded in 1981, "Take it easy", where the music is evidently influenced by Willie Hutch (Easy does it - 1978) offers Dion a way to fully explain himself doing his own version of the tune. And what an explosive result!

On the same side of this 12”, our 2 Frenchies in Cape Town aka Simbad & Fred Spider enjoyed delivering us a fat broken beat version of the track, while the very “En Vogue” Aroop Roy from London turned it into a funky house summer hit.
Side B starts with a superb composition from the band: “African Sunrise” where Dion Williamson is on top, this tune is a bomb!
To finish this E.P, the well-known Kid Fonque from Johannesburg, who freshly moved to London working for the glorious house record label Defected, couldn’t wait to produce a super groove deep house refix. The result is a second essential dancefloor release from Voom Voom Records!

Remastered in 2022 by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Studio. Recorded in 1995 at Water Music in Hoboken, NJ, with producer Ted Niceley at the helm, House of GVSB captures Girls Against Boys at the zenith of their musical prowess. The album has a simmering anxiety throughout, a kind of vertigo, a taste of what the band was actually experiencing at the time. Released in 1998, on House of GVSB, Girls Against Boys hit their stride. "Super-Fire" leads off the album with more of a swagger than a bang. Follow that up with songs like "Click Click," "Zodiac Love Team," and "Disco Six Six Six," among others, and you've got the recipe for love, destiny, and straight up gin. No going awry with a song like "Crash 17 (X-Rated Car)." All together they play "TheKindaMzkYouLike." In 1998, Girls Against Boys left the Touch and Go stable for a run with major label and later with Jade Tree Records (2002). In recent years, apart from select short tours and shows in Europe, Girls Against Boys has remained on official hiatus. House of GVSB remains probably their most favorite album.

Originally released in 2008, MACHINE 15, celebrates it"s 15th anniversary with a long awaited vinyl repress, remastered for vinyl by Dan Swanö. With an impressive string of releases behind them, nearly two million records sold worldwide and having shared stages with the likes of Blink 182, the Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, the Orebro based quartet of vocalist/bassist Nikola Sarcevic, guitarists Erik Ohlsson and Mathias Farm and drummer Fredrik Larzon show that they are on top of their game. While upholding the classic Millencolin sound, they chose to diversify, evolve and progress on the new album The explosive result is pop infused punk at its all-time best with driving beats, anthemic choruses and irresistible melodies that prove the band is back to kick ass and take names. For Machine 15, Millencolin re-teamed with producer Lou Giordano (Sugar, Taking Back Sunday, Plain White T"s), who previously worked with the band on 2003"s Home From Home. "We wanted the kind of crisp sound that Lou is notorious for. Plus we have a great chemistry with him," guitarist Erik Ohlsson adds.

and Sebastian Kokus and the prolific Ulf Schütte, the Hamburg-based trio has tirelessly expanded upon its sound and extended its musical style. After 2022’s »S/T« documented the results of their first jam sessions as a newly-founded group, »V.A.« started even more modestly and became an even bigger undertaking. Originally conceived as a small one-off release, it grew into a full record which sees the group embracing dub music, collaborating with Peaking Lights’ Aaron Coyes and inviting other artists—No UFO’s, Seekers International, Coco Em—who reworked select tracks in true dub style. »V.A.« is marked by inconsistency, openness, and heterogeneity in the best sense of those words: ever-changing, constantly surprising and consistently in motion.

The starting point for »V.A.« was a Hamburg concert in December 2022 together with Coyes, who played a solo set as Peaking Lights. On the request of the event organiser, Cloud Management teamed up with him for a jam session after the gig, laying the foundation for a track that the group took to the studio before sending it to Coyes to record vocals for it. Another song quickly followed and even though the band initially intended to release »PST« and »0rten Pitch« as standalone 7” single, they soon decided to have others create versions of the two tunes to round them off in the form of a 12” EP. Once more though, one thing led to another and now »V.A.« collects five original pieces by Cloud Management as well as three—four on the digital version—remixes by other artists.

Collaborating with Leipzig-based Canadian producer No UFO’s, the Canadian Seekers International collective, and Kenyan multi-disciplinary artist Coco Em came about organically. As fans of their friend Konrad Jandavs’ work for labels such as Spectrum Spools, Root Strata and his own Nice Up International, Korf, Kokus and Schütte asked him for a remix and granted him full creative freedom for his take on »PST«. Jandavs also connected them with the prolific Richmond-based soundsystem worshippers, who present their take on the same track on this record as well as a version of »Electric CD.« Also this track appears three times on the record, having been re-rubbed by Emma Mbeki Nzioka, who was introduced to the the trio by its label Altin Village & Mine.

There isn’t really a common thread running through the rough digi-dub of No UFO’s take on »PST«, Seekers International’s traditionally-minded yet infinitely playful dub-psychedelia and Coco Em’s bass-heavy, percussive, pulsating take on »Electric CD.« However, as a group dedicated to staying in flux at all times, Cloud Management ended up embracing the creative differences between their own work and those of their respective collaborators. In calling it »V.A.,« they paid tribute to their somewhat loose, but conceptually consistent concept of giving various artists full creative licence over their own work. Neither a true album in the strict sense of the world nor just a compilation, »V.A.« is actually the essential Cloud Management record: ever-changing, constantly surprising, consistently in motion.

The funky, atmospheric, evocative and sometimes downright weird output of companies such as DeWolfe, Cavendish, Burton and the ubiquitous KPM have always been a guiding inspiration for ATA Records, as evidenced in the spooky soundtrack vision of The Sorcerers, the big band brass of The Yorkshire Film & Television Orchestra and even in the soul-jazz of The Lewis Express & Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble. It only seemed natural for the team at ATA Records to scratch their own Library itch and so "The Library Archive Vol. 1" was born in 2019. Recorded over a series of sessions in the Aladdin's Cave of vintage recording equipment that is ATA studios, it featured many of the ATA stable of performers. Released in 2021, "The Library Archive Vol. 2" still had the golden age of European Library music squarely in it's sights, but this time the focus was drawn more to the off-kilter soul organ sound of Italian quartet I Marc 4. These two volumes garnered praise from Library aficionado Shawn Lee ("Holy...

London based multidisciplinary artist and DAYTIMERS internal team member Zar (Arun) is returning once again in 2023, this time on The Tabula Rasa Record Company, to release his second EP: “Unfurl”.

It is the next expression of progression in sound for Zar, a movement further into, above and beyond the foundations laid down from his debut EP “Practice Makes Miracles” - which was listed on Bandcamps’ “Best Electronic Music of March 2023” and described by DJ Mag as “a striking solo debut that sets Zar out as an exciting prospect in the sphere of electronic composition.”

Sitting at that murky midpoint between UK Garage, Tech-House & Bass, the songs literally bloom outwardly, wrapping around the listener leaving trails of familiarity, and feature the tendrils of earworm worthy melodies that strike a balance between serene, uplifting, dense and thoughtful, all whilst resting upon deep thumping drums, clever vocal sampling and unconventional song structures. As a follow up to an already ambitious debut EP, Unfurl is an incredibly full-filling listen.

For the third of Sonic Youth's sound experiment series, they teamed up with legendary nosie-nik Jim O'Rourke. Building on the ideas from the brilliant extended version of "The Diamond Sea" (from WASHING MACHINE); the series explores the (mostly) instrumental side of the band. Though sold as an EP, the three tracks on the CD version of clock in at just over 56 minutes, and can sit quite comfortably with any of SY's best work.

The title track opens the record with over 20 minutes of drenching feedback, saxophone tints, and cut-up television dialogue suggesting the soundtrack to a film-noir set in an industrial wasteland. The comparatively short (at 6 minutes) "Hungara Vivo" is the middle track of this extraordinarily strong trio and is the band's first true "ambient" soundscape: even the master himself, Brian Eno, might be a little envious. The closer, "Radio-Amatoroj," is a 29-minute mediation that structurally recalls "Hyperstation" from the seminal DAYDREAM NATION album. Though this record, and indeed the series to which it belongs, is not aimed at fans of the band's more pop-oriented material, as a whole, it is easily the best work they have done in years. All text written in Esperanto. Eye-fucking cover art.

Combo Aspik is a session band project founded and led by musician, producer and DJ Magic Manfred. The bass player teamed up with some of Berlin’s finest session musicians to produce a self-titled debut album fusing live music and club culture. The tunes are heavily influenced by Boogie and Jazzfunk of the late 70s and early 80s such as the music of Bernard Wright, Don Blackman or any underground Disco gems.

Critically-acclaimed experimental band New Age Doom has teamed up with Norwegian indie singer Tuva Hellum Marschhäuser, known as Tuvaband, to create There Is No End, an original collab album
releasing on October 27, 2023 through We Are Busy Bodies. This record showcases New Age Doom's evolution towards a more melodic direction while retaining their signature freewheeling chaos.
Co-producers Eric J. Breitenbach and Greg Valou worked with Tuva and a range of new and returning collaborators to craft a record of profound sonic contrasts. Tuva's ethereal vocals elevate New Age
Doom's genre-bending, densely-layered sound with lyrical themes about rebirth, emergence from the underground, living fearlessly, and the subjective nature of time.

Following the news that all three Lush albums are going to be reissued, Emma Anderson, the band’s co-founder, has announced her debut solo album, Pearlies. One of the most underrated British songwriters to emerge from the era that encompassed shoegaze and Britpop, she has teamed up with producer James Chapman (aka Maps) for this collection that combines effervescent electronic pop with psych and folk textures with lyrics covering themes such as confronting your fears, embracing independence and moving on in life.

Quantize Recordings proudly present a special 12-inch release from the master John Morales, as he remakes two of Curtis Hairston’s biggest tracks ‘I Want Your Lovin’ and ‘I Want You All Tonight’, to bring that mid ‘80s brilliance to the modern dancefloor.

Master of the boogie sound, Hairston had many a hit both as a solo artist and as part of the legendary BB&Q Band. Mid-tempo groovers, laced with funk-fuelled basslines, cosmic synths and strutting guitars, tied together with Hairston’s luscious vocals, ‘I Want Your Lovin’ and ‘I Want You All Tonight’ are shining examples of boogie at it’s best.

Fast forward to 2023 and the masterful John Morales, who originally mixed ‘I Want You (All Tonight)’ alongside Sergio Munzibai, unlocks the vaults to the multitracks, creating four brand new mixes. Teaming up with one of the original writers and producer of both tracks Greg Radford to replay and reconstruct elements that have been lost over time. The result, a wondrously weighty vocal and dub mix of each of these certified classics that retain all that disco-channelling greatness whilst adding an extra punch and brightness that will rock any modern dance floor they’re put before.

Nicky Prince has never been bound by musical genre. The Milton Keyes born and raised. Vocalist has the versatility to fit any vibe while not compromising her signature sound. Although best known for her Garage hits with Zed Bias in the early 2000s, Nicky was performing and recording with various acts well before the height of Garage’s popularity. She started her career singing in Soul and Funk bands, and over the last two decades has lent her voice to Electro, Hip-Hop, Drum & Bass, House, and Ska tracks.
In 2009 Nicky graced listeners with her debut solo EP “See What You Mean.” Within only five tracks the singer-songwriter displays impressive range, from the up-tempo, energetic funk of “I’m Hearing You” to a bluesy rendition of Nina Simone’s “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” to the hushed tones of the EP’s sole acoustic number, “Balancing Scales.” She is backed on this effort by her band Soul Selecta, which includes renowned UK session players Dave Baldwin on Hammond organ and Robert ‘Skins’ Anderson on drums/percussion. Sadly, the release was criminally slept-on.

While “See What You Mean” was available on streaming services and CD, the EP
never received the vinyl treatment. So, rather than simply reissuing the project, Nicky has teamed with KU to offer what she calls a “reincarnation” of her debut on wax.

Now retitled “Listen Up,” this underrated affair has had new life breathed into it. To bring out the best in the original recordings, each song has been meticulously remastered by Christian Obermayer at Strype Audio. Then to fill out the 12”, Nicky has added a handful of unreleased songs, including a heavy groove cover of Michael Jackson’s “I Can’t Help It,” which sees her reconnect with Zed Bias; a punchy, funked up tune titled “Listen Up;” and the original version of “Balancing Scales” that reveals what the track sounded like before it was stripped down to just guitar and vocals. This offering perfectly captures Nicky’s distinct tastes and inspirations. Further, it fills a hole in your record collection that you didn’t know was there until now.

Catatonic Suns is Patrick Shields (guitar, vocals) , Jakob Christman (bass) and Caleb Strobl (drums) Catatonic Suns new album sees them blend the underground psychedelia of the late 80s / early 90s Pacific Northwest with the shimmering shoegazery of Britain from the same time. Heavy and soft guitars, songs that soar, these new recordings verge on the epic. For fans of The Verve (early), Screaming Trees, Truly, Ride, Slowdive, Alice In Chains. Pennsylvanian threepiece Catatonic Suns release their brand new album via Agitated records this autumn (Fall if you reside in the US), Patrick and Jake have known each other since birth, obsessing on punk rock, but the band actually formed in 2019. Vocalist / guitarist Patrick and fellow guitarist Llambro Llaguri began creating homemade psychedelic psychedelic 4 track cassette demos during the Winter of 2015, taking heavy inspiration from an eclectic mix of acts ranging from Ween to R.E.M. As these early songs were created, the duo sought other like minded individuals in their hometown of Allentown, PA to take these primitive demos to the next level. It was then that Patrick recruited another childhood friend, Jakob Christman, to fill the role of bass along with another mutual friend Caleb Strobl completing the rhythm section of Catatonic Suns. In 2019, the group put out their first release, the Catatonic Suns demo, a collection of lo-fi recordings made by Patrick over the years. During this period, the band began to make a name for itself by playing shows across eastern Pennsylvania including the Lehigh Valley where local garage rock heroes Original Sins hailed from. During the months of August and September of the same year, Catatonic Sun's reputation for wall of sound psych-grunge was really brought to life when the group teamed up with local record producer guru Matt Molchany of Shards Recording Studio to track their debut studio venture “Aphelion” (more an extended EP). Self -Released in the December, the album found an audience beyond the local music circuit of Pennsylvania, even reaching countries such as the U.K.,Germany and Japan. The band continued to play shows growing their fanbase and honing their skills as a cohesive unit resulting in radio airplay across the country and a feature on the compilation “Pedal Worship” by Bummer Recordings. During this same period, Matt Molchany once again helped the band carve their next album (a full length) “Saudade” along with mastering engineer Matt Poirier (War On Drugs), which was also self released, in February 2022. They played plenty more gigs, and ventured to the west coast for some shows in LA with local friends Laurel Canyon, one especially wild night was with both bands supporting Strawberry Alarm Clock at the Whiskey A Go Go. Now a three piece and into 2023 the band record the 7 original songs and one Original Sins cover for this new release.. Recorded early 2023 at Shards Recording Studio, Bethelem, PA with tracking and mixing once again by Matt Molchany. Mastered by Mikey Young. Agitated/ Catatonic Suns intend to remaster/ reissue Saudade on LP / CD formats in 2024, to coincide with debut UK shows.

Eine der dienstältesten, deutschen Oi-Punk Bands feiert ihr Jubiläum mit einem brandneuem Album… eigentlich haben sie es knapp verpasst: 41 Jahre HERBÄRDS, da darf man sich zurecht als "Alte Strassenköter" bezeichnen. 1982 gegründet, veröffentlichen die Stuttgarter mit "Eu se Bois" ihr Debutalbum, was zurecht bis heute als ungehobeltes, rotzfreches Kultalbum gilt. Das Nachfolgewerk "Wakos" bekam vom Label das Branding "German Oi Attacke" und nach einem schwerem Motorradunfall von Sänger "TEK" löste sich die Band auf, um kurz vor der Jahrtausendwende mit dem dritten Album "Wir sind zurück" reanimiert zu werden. 2017 dann ein neues Kapitel mit der Buchpräsentation und Ausstellung "Wie der Punk nach Stuttgart kam" und ein neues Lebenszeichen mit der Mini-LP "Oi! Oi! Oi!". Musikalisch "Back to the roots", begleitet von vielen Konzert- und Festivalauftritten, schrieben die Herbärds dann die neue offizielle Hymne des Eishockey-Teams "Stuttgart Rebels". "Alte Strassenköter" vereint alles, was diese Band ausmacht: Oi!-Punk der alten Schule, Texte direkt aus dem Bauch, der Szene und dem bewegten Leben…von Parole Spaß ohne Zeigefinger ("Rebels" / "Fußball Liebe") …mal fast als Selbsttherapie verpackte Hymnen wie ("Punk ist meine Therapie" / "Krüppel") …bis hin zu eindeutigem Klartext: ("Fass mich nicht an" / "Verraten und verkauft") . Und mit dem Offbeat versetztem Partyhit "Alte Männer tanzen nicht" beweisen sie genau das Gegenteil. Die HERBÄRDS sind sich selbst über die Jahrzehnte und ihren Fans gegenüber treu geblieben, ohne auf Trends oder den großen Markt zu schielen. Wenn Du eine der authentischsten, deutschen Oi!-Punk-Bands mit Rückgrat und klarer Kante hören willst und dabei auch noch jede Menge großartiger Szenehymnen, dann ist das ein klarer Anwärter für Deinen Plattenschrank.

The 2007's Blackbird marked the creative launch of Alter Bridge, the follow-up project to Rock radio's favorite Creed. After Creed's demise Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall teamed up with singer Myles Kennedy, and formed Alter Bridge as an outlet for their creative energy.

Kennedy contributed a considerable amount to the overall songwriting process of Blackbird, which resulted in a heavy, groovy and aggressive album. Alternating acoustic interludes and hard-hitting choruses, the band's new found songwriting freedom resulted in a fresh start for this Florida based Rock band.

The D-side contains a beautiful etched artwork - must be seen to believe!

This 10th Anniversary Edition is limited to 1.000 numbered copies on red vinyl.

The party goes on! Here, in the second part of the historic Christmas salsa album Asalto Navideño, Willie Colón and vocalist Héctor Lavoe treat us to more of the special sounds that made Volume 1 of the collection one of the most popular Latin music albums of all time. In Volume 2, the team of bandleader/trombonist Willie Colón and inimitable singer Lavoe joins forces again with premier cuatro player Yomo Toro and legendary percussionists Milton Cardona and José Mangual Jr. to cook up New York salsa versions of typical Christmas songs familiar to Puerto Rican audiences of all ages. This típico sound of traditional country music, called música jíbara, is mixed and blended, salsa-style, with a range of other rhythms, starting with Cuban guaguancó and son montuno and African-American jazz.