Search:the best of 2011

Concentric Records presents Radiant, the third compilation of its introductory release trilogy. Featuring music by ASWA, HOLOVR, Max Loderbauer, Petre Inspirescu, Supply, The Waves, William Selman, the album evokes luminous, iridescent and ethereal sonic spaces - a journey that overcomes struggles, spinning upward towards the light.

The album opens with calm, bright and assertive tonalities, evoking mental spaces prone to exploration and wondering. Molecular textures and real-world sounds bring us closer to an intimate and physical sphere, a voice. Ultimately everything dissolves into a synthetic domain of acid-like washes, in a cinematic sense of departure.

MAX LODERBAUER has been an active engineer, producer, and musician across four decades. He first came to notice in the late ‘80s as a member of Fischerman’s Friend. Known then as Daimler Max, Loderbauer’s associates included Stephan Fischer and Tom Thiel, as well as producer Thomas Fehlmann. Once the group went dormant, Loderbauer and Thiel established Sun Electric; one of the leading sources of entrancing downtempo and ambient techno through the ‘90s. During the 2000s and 2010s, Loderbauer collaborated in numerous settings, including NSI with Tobias Freund, Chica & the Folder with Paula Schopf, and Moritz von Oswald Trio with Vladislav Delay and Moritz von Oswald. Loderbauer was partly responsible for some of the most progressive and experimental electronic music released during these years. In 2011, he and contemporary Ricardo Villalobos assembled Re: ECM, a project that involved radical transformations of ECM label recordings by the likes of Bennie Maupin, Christian Wallumrød, John Abercrombie, and Arvo Pärt. More recently he consolidated the collaboration with Ricardo Villalobos via the Vilod project, and with Samuel Rohrer and Claudio Puntin as Ambiq - both described as ‘a fertile patch of inspiration, shaking up the principles of minimal techno with the loose, expressive qualities of jazz’. The album opening track - ‘Harmonic’ - feels like a glowing dream. Composed of stunning electronics in a polychromatic, blinding and shimmering light; harmonious interwoven melodies calmly wind down invoking a serene mental state and grounding peace.

WILLIAM SELMAN was the very first artist ever approached by Concentric Records prior to the label’s birth, back in 2018, following his defining release ‘Musica Enterrada’. A musician and multimedia artist currently based in Portland, Oregon, his work employs analogue and digital synthesis techniques, live percussion and instrumentation, and his own rich field recordings to create compositions and sound art focused on the ideas of place and environment. Selman's recent works have been released on Mysteries of the Deep and Hausu Mountain.

PETRE INSPIRESCU is an extremely versatile composer. As co-founder of the legendary RPR Soundsystem together with Rhadoo and Raresh, he mostly produced club-ready, heavily textured takes on tech-house and minimal techno. In 2015 he released his first album on Mule Musiq, considered a significant departure from his previous work, scoring piano, strings and woodwind instruments for the first time, resulting in a set that sat somewhere between ambient and neo-classical. Since then, he continued to explore further sonic territories, adding in vintage synthesizers and occasional nods to dub techno, resulting in melodious sequences of musical movements that relate to the work of classical composers, American minimalists and ambient legends. ‘The Garden’ is a dreamy, intimate and nature inspired composition, recorded in his home studio in Ibiza sometime in the Summer.

DJ and producer SUPPLY (youngest so far on the label) was born and raised in Gießen, within sight of the skyscrapers of Frankfurt am Main, and has been living in Berlin since 2017. Musically socialised through hip hop, he found his connection to electronic music produced in Chicago and Detroit in the 90s by moving to FFM in 2013. For almost 6 years he has hosted his own events in his hometown. His productions connect the dots between hip hop, retro futuristic movie soundtracks and techno, he recently released on YAY Recordings. ‘Inhale / Exhale’ was created during a time of stress and mental tension, partly self-inflicted, partly result of my surroundings, as it turned out in retrospect. The track tries to capture a moment of taking a deep breath by releasing that tension for a moment. I came up with the first sketch one night around 4am, the final arrangement found its way onto a C60 Chromoxid Cassette - inhale - exhale.’ - Supply

THE WAVES is a post-punk and synthwave-inspired project led by Maayan Nidam, that places her vocals at its front and centre. As a musician obsessed with sound and the technology behind its creation, her workflow places a strong focus on the studio environment. Triggering chain reactions between guitar pedals, drum machines, modular synths and acoustic instruments, generating sounds in unpredictable ways. Drum machines keep a steady groove as to give support to an array of guitars and synthesisers, all topped with The Waves own, mostly unmasked, lyrics and voice. ‘Hold On’ was written by Maayan during the 2020 pandemic as she dived deeply in studio work in Berlin. Her lyrics are featured as part of the art print insert, and have became a central statement to the LP and its narrative - the power to hold on and break through.

Jimmy Billingham's HOLOVR project has racked up various releases on some of the most forward-thinking electronic music labels over the past few years, including Firecracker Recordings, Likemind, Further Records, Opal Tapes and his own Indole Records. Though best known for melodic, drifting acid techno and electronica, he's equally at home crafting textured ambient soundscapes. HOLOVR's deeply emotional synth passages and pads will take you on a journey into the outer. 'Melancholy of Time came out of a period exploring ways of producing and recording outside of the grid-based structures that I was previously working with. I wanted to strip it back to what I often find to be the emotional core of a piece of electronic music - ebbing and flowing synth pads - but to push and pull it a bit to create a slight disjointedness, unpredictability and shop-worn texture, as if it's coming apart and fraying, yet retaining a sonic clarity. I recorded it live using looped and layered synth phrases, underpinned by a layer of hiss and pin-prick textures. I find reflections on time and its passing to be a recurrent feature of my work, both in a more straightforward way of harking back to music of a certain period or pieces of equipment but also in a more abstract sense of creating a feeling where time doesn't matter - a deep feeling of now; that escape that you find in music and other ecstatic experiences. Though of course we’re always in - and running out of - time, and hence the melancholy.’ - Jimmy Billingham

Hailing from the German underground scene, ASWA aka Attila Fidan has an intricate, hypnotic style of electro, techno and ambient. Coming from visual arts and not primarily a trained musician, Attila produces under various and multiple monikers: ‘I never really start out knowing which moniker the track will be made under’. Since 2017 he runs a boutique Berlin label named ‘Tape Archive’. ‘Dust Palace’ is a synthetic piece that resonates with a cinematic vastness, closing the LP in an uplifting tone that evokes new departures and new beginnings.

Kuniyuki´s "Earth Beats" from 2012 (MM 151) is available again!
This Track Is Still One Of Our Favorite Releases And Maybe The Best Work Of Kuniyuki.
Great DJ Support by Kevorkian, Laurent Garnier, Luciano And More.
This More Dance Floor Oriented Live Version Is Recorded For His European Tour In 2011.
We Added Legendary Larry Heard Remixes To The Package. All Versions Are Excellent.

Über den Zeitraum von mehreren Wochen während des Lockdowns entstanden, präsentieren Nick Cave & Warren Ellis in dieser Woche ihr neues Gemeinschaftsalbum: Carnage – was zu Deutsch so viel wie Blutbad oder Gemetzel heißt. Cave beschreibt das Gemeinschaftswerk denn auch als „eine brutale, aber wunderschöne Aufnahme, eingebettet in eine gemeinschaftliche Katastrophe.“ Obwohl die beiden schon viele Soundtracks zusammen komponiert und aufgenommen haben, und Ellis zudem seit geraumer Zeit Mitglied von The Bad Seeds ist, handelt es sich bei Carnage tatsächlich um den ersten Longplayer, den sie auch offiziell als Duo eingespielt haben.

„Die Arbeit an Carnage war eine komprimierte Phase intensivster Kreativität“, sagt Ellis, „denn es dauerte gerade mal zweieinhalb Tage, bis diese acht Songs in irgendeiner Form standen. Dann erst sagten wir uns: ‘Ach komm, lass uns doch ein Album machen!’ Das alles war also nicht sonderlich geplant.“

Das Klangspektrum der neuen Aufnahmen reicht vom düsteren, elektronischen Puls des Stücks „Old Time“ bis hin zum sehnsuchtsvoll-wunderschönen „Albuquerque“, einer klassischen Ballade, die auf einer kreisförmigen Klavierfigur basiert, überzogen mit hypnotischen Streicherparts. Insgesamt hat das Album eine etwas rastlose Energie, die Perspektive ist im Vergleich zum gefeierten Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds-Vorgänger Ghosteen eher nach außen gerichtet – wobei die beiden auch dieses Mal versuchen, die Grenzen des Songformats zu verschieben, immer wieder neu auszuloten, was ein Song eigentlich alles sein kann…

Während die eigentlichen Aufnahmen in recht kurzer Zeit stattfanden, waren die Songs von Carnage schon davor länger herangereift, in den ersten Lockdown-Wochen, die Cave damit verbracht hatte, „zu lesen, regelrecht zwanghaft zu schreiben und einfach nur auf meinem Balkon zu sitzen und über die Dinge nachzudenken.“ An ein Album dachten die beiden denn auch gar nicht, als sie zusammen ins Studio gingen, um zu jammen. „Das Album“, so Cave, „ist dann einfach so vom Himmel gefallen. Es war ein Geschenk.“

Carnage ist die Fortsetzung jenes kollektiven Improvisationsansatzes, auf den die beiden schon für Ghosteen gesetzt hatten – was Cave zugleich erlaubte, das klassische, eher narrativ strukturierte Songwriting hinter sich zu lassen. Als Rohmaterial dienen ihnen Textideen, die Cave zuvor über einen längeren Zeitraum verfasst und verfeinert; sie handeln zumeist von wenigen Kerngedanken und -themen, einzelnen Bildern und Metaphern, die er mit Worten umkreist. Die eigentlichen Songs entstehen dann in ausgedehnten Improvisations-Sessions im Studio: Anfangs sehe das so aus, wie Ellis berichtet, dass „da zwei Menschen im Raum sitzen und sich etwas trauen, indem sie erst mal einfach passieren lassen, was gerade passiert“. Ihre endgültige Form bekommen die Stücke daraufhin erst durch intensives Editieren und Filtern, wenn Musik und Text zu einer Art Klangcollage zusammenkommen. Das Element der Überraschung spielt bei jedem dieser Schritte eine zentrale Rolle, und mal geht alles ganz schnell – „Shattered Ground“, zum Beispiel, sei, so Ellis, „gleich im ersten Take fertig“ gewesen, während andere, wie beispielsweise der Titelsong, „sich erst kurz vor dem Abschluss der Mixing-Phase zu erkennen geben sollten.“

Wenn man bedenkt, dass Carnage in relativ kurzer Zeit entstanden ist, wirkt die enorme Bandbreite an Themen und Stimmungen um so beeindruckender, denn das Resultat klingt einerseits absolut eindringlich („Old Time“), andererseits auch zutiefst kontemplativ („Lavender Fields“). Wie sich die Stimmungen und Energien verschieben und überlagern, erkennt man auch daran, wie die beiden gewisse Zeilen, Refrains und flüchtige Bilder auf immer neue Weise in den verschiedenen Songs wieder auftauchen lassen, was dem Album insgesamt etwas Kaleidoskopisches gibt. In Songs wie dem aufrüttelnd-aufgebrachten „White Elephant“ und dem fast schon fiebrig-psychedelischen „Balcony Man“ kollidieren surreale Bildwelten, so dass die Zeilen nicht mehr wörtlich zu verstehen sind und an ihre Stelle etwas Suggestives, Impressionistisches tritt.

Die einzigartige kreative Chemie zwischen Cave und Ellis basiert auf einer langen gemeinsamen Geschichte, die sie als Kollegen und Solokünstler verbindet: Erstmals begegneten sich die zwei schon 1993, als Ellis die Geigenparts für einige Songs von Let Love In einspielen sollte, das achte Album von Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Wenig später schaute Cave bei einem Konzert von Ellis’ Band Dirty Three in Brisbane vorbei – und landete schließlich auch selbst auf der Bühne, wo sie gemeinsam Interpretationen von Neil Youngs „Helpless“ und Roy Orbisons „Running Scared“ zum Besten gaben. „Damit fing das alles an“, erinnert sich Ellis, der schließlich selbst festes Mitglied von The Bad Seeds wurde. Auch beim 2006 gegründeten Bandprojekt Grinderman arbeiteten sie zusammen, was laut Nick Cave ein Ventil für „die beste Midlife-Krise war, die sich ein Mann wünschen kann“. In dieser Konstellation sollten sie zwei Alben aufnehmen, Grinderman 1 und 2, bis sie die Band dann 2011 wieder auflösten.

Seit 2005 haben Cave und Ellis zudem an etlichen Soundtracks für Film, TV und Theater gearbeitet – u.a. für The Road (2009) und Lawless (Die Gesetzlosen; 2012), beide entstanden unter der Regie von John Hillcoat, sowie für David MacKenzies Hell or High Water (2016) und Taylor Sheridans Wind River (2017). Das gemeinsame Erschaffen derart atmosphärischer Instrumental-Scores, wobei oftmals elektronische Loops von Ellis als Ausgangspunkt fungierten, über denen Cave am Klavier improvisieren sollte, hat ihre Arbeitsweise und ihr Songwriting nachhaltig geprägt.

Mit Carnage legen sie das nächste Kapitel ihres musikalischen Abenteuers vor: Ein Album, das quasi aus Versehen entstehen sollte, während des langen, weltweiten Stillstands der Pandemie-Monate. Die verschiedenen Stimmungen und auch das Rastlose an diesen Aufnahmen spiegelt die existentielle Ungewissheit wider, aber zugleich flackern auch immer wieder Momente der Ruhe auf, Augenblicke der meditativen Selbstbesinnung. Unterm Strich ist es ein Album, entstanden in und gemacht für diese unbeständigen Zeiten, das durchsetzt ist mit Augenblicken konzentrierter Schönheit. Aufnahmen, die ihre unumstößliche Zuversicht fast schon trotzig zum Ausdruck bringen.

Produced by long-time friend Cate Le Bon, ‘Boy from Michigan’ is Grant’s most
autobiographical and melodic work to date. Grant stopped being a boy in Michigan aged
twelve, when his family moved to Denver, Colorado, shifting rust to bible belt, a further
vantage point to watch collective dreams unravel. Across 12 tracks, Grant lays out his
past for careful cross-examination.
In a decade of making records by himself, he has playfully experimented with mood,
texture and sound, all the better for actualizing the seriousness of his thoughts. At one
end of his musical rainbow he is the battle-scarred piano-man, at the other a robust
electronic auteur. ‘Boy from Michigan’ seamlessly marries both.
With Le Bon at the helm, Grant pared back his zingers, maximizing the emotional impact
of the melodies. A clarinet forms the bedrock of a song. One pre-chorus feels lifted from
vintage Human League. There is a saxophone solo.
‘Boy from Michigan’ ultimately swings between ambient and progressive, calm and livid.
The album’s narrative journey opens with Grant at his artistic prettiest, three songs drawn
from his pre-Denver life (the Michigan Trilogy, as Grant calls them): the title track, ‘The
Rusty Bull’ and ‘County Fair’. Each draws the listener in to a specific sense of place,
before untangling its significance with a rich cast-list of local characters, often symbolizing
the uncultivated faith of childhood.
Elsewhere, tracks like ‘Mike and Julie’ and ‘The Cruise Room’ offer an affecting plunge
deep into Grant’s late teenage years in Denver, while the midpoint of the album is
highlighted by ‘Best In Me’ and ‘Rhetorical Figure’, a pair of skittish, scholarly dance tunes
that build on the lineage of Grant’s electropop heroes, Devo.
Childhood as a horror narrative is the theme of ‘Dandy Star’, which observes a tiny Grant
watching the Mia Farrow horror movie ‘See No Evil’ on an old family TV set and finally, on
‘The Only Baby’, Grant removes his razor blade from a pocket to cleanly slit the throat of
Trump’s America, authoring a scathing epitaph to an era of acute national exposition.
Though he has lived in Iceland since 2011 - the same year he was also diagnosed HIVpositive - Grant spent his childhood and formative years in the US and maintains US
citizenship. Growing up, Grant was subjected to a deeply ingrained hatred of anyone
perceived as homosexual at school. Following the demise of his first band The Czars,
Grant left music entirely for over five years, only to achieve greater success as a solo
artist (his acclaimed 2015 solo LP ‘Grey Tickles, Black Pressure’ went Top Five in the
UK). Grant has sold out Royal Albert Hall, performed at Glastonbury, Latitude and more
and his song ‘Snug Snacks’ was featured on Pitchfork’s Songs That Define LGBTQ Pride.
BBC Radio 6 host Mary Anne Hobbs described Grant’s music: “Most songwriting, even if
it’s based on a true story ... is embellished in some way. But John's lyrics - they’re so true
they might as well be written in blood.”

Deluxe 2LP pressed on 140g black vinyl in inner sleeves with paintings by Gil Corral, 2
unique prints, 36-page photo booklet, pull out lyric sheet and digital download card, all
housed in a beautiful black velvet O-Card gatefold sleeve with Glitter Spark Eye.

Produced by long-time friend Cate Le Bon, ‘Boy from Michigan’ is Grant’s most
autobiographical and melodic work to date. Grant stopped being a boy in Michigan aged
twelve, when his family moved to Denver, Colorado, shifting rust to bible belt, a further
vantage point to watch collective dreams unravel. Across 12 tracks, Grant lays out his
past for careful cross-examination.
In a decade of making records by himself, he has playfully experimented with mood,
texture and sound, all the better for actualizing the seriousness of his thoughts. At one
end of his musical rainbow he is the battle-scarred piano-man, at the other a robust
electronic auteur. ‘Boy from Michigan’ seamlessly marries both.
With Le Bon at the helm, Grant pared back his zingers, maximizing the emotional impact
of the melodies. A clarinet forms the bedrock of a song. One pre-chorus feels lifted from
vintage Human League. There is a saxophone solo.
‘Boy from Michigan’ ultimately swings between ambient and progressive, calm and livid.
The album’s narrative journey opens with Grant at his artistic prettiest, three songs drawn
from his pre-Denver life (the Michigan Trilogy, as Grant calls them): the title track, ‘The
Rusty Bull’ and ‘County Fair’. Each draws the listener in to a specific sense of place,
before untangling its significance with a rich cast-list of local characters, often symbolizing
the uncultivated faith of childhood.
Elsewhere, tracks like ‘Mike and Julie’ and ‘The Cruise Room’ offer an affecting plunge
deep into Grant’s late teenage years in Denver, while the midpoint of the album is
highlighted by ‘Best In Me’ and ‘Rhetorical Figure’, a pair of skittish, scholarly dance tunes
that build on the lineage of Grant’s electropop heroes, Devo.
Childhood as a horror narrative is the theme of ‘Dandy Star’, which observes a tiny Grant
watching the Mia Farrow horror movie ‘See No Evil’ on an old family TV set and finally, on
‘The Only Baby’, Grant removes his razor blade from a pocket to cleanly slit the throat of
Trump’s America, authoring a scathing epitaph to an era of acute national exposition.
Though he has lived in Iceland since 2011 - the same year he was also diagnosed HIVpositive - Grant spent his childhood and formative years in the US and maintains US
citizenship. Growing up, Grant was subjected to a deeply ingrained hatred of anyone
perceived as homosexual at school. Following the demise of his first band The Czars,
Grant left music entirely for over five years, only to achieve greater success as a solo
artist (his acclaimed 2015 solo LP ‘Grey Tickles, Black Pressure’ went Top Five in the
UK). Grant has sold out Royal Albert Hall, performed at Glastonbury, Latitude and more
and his song ‘Snug Snacks’ was featured on Pitchfork’s Songs That Define LGBTQ Pride.
BBC Radio 6 host Mary Anne Hobbs described Grant’s music: “Most songwriting, even if
it’s based on a true story ... is embellished in some way. But John's lyrics - they’re so true
they might as well be written in blood.”

Deluxe 2LP pressed on 140g black vinyl in inner sleeves with paintings by Gil Corral, 2
unique prints, 36-page photo booklet, pull out lyric sheet and digital download card, all
housed in a beautiful black velvet O-Card gatefold sleeve with Glitter Spark Eye.

Founded in 2010, Hussle’s All Money In made an epochal debut with its very first release, “THE MARATHON,” marking Hussle’s fifth official mixtape and follow-up to his introductory “BULLETS AIN’T GOT NO NAME” trilogy. Named among XXL’s “100 Best Mixtapes of 2010,” the collection was quickly followed by 2011’s “THE MARATHON CONTINUES” and then 2013’s “CRENSHAW.” Along with his work as a lead artist, Hussle has previously collaborated with a veritable who’s who of contemporary hip hop, including Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Rick Ross, YG, Ty Dolla Sign, Meek Mill, DJ Mustard, Young Thug and many more. As if his musical career and role as label boss weren’t enough, Hussle is also successful entrepreneur. In addition to The Marathon Clothing line and store, Hussle also owns a number of successful businesses including The Marathon Agency, SC Commercial Ventures, Proud 2 Pay, and of course, All Money In No Money
Out Records.



[b] 2 Rap Niggas [Explicit]

The Black Keys release their tenth studio album, Delta Kream, via Nonesuch Records. The record celebrates the band’s roots, featuring eleven Mississippi hill country blues standards that they have loved since they were teenagers, before they were a band, including songs by R. L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, among others. Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney recorded Delta Kream at Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville; they were joined by musicians Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton, long-time members of the bands of blues legends including R. L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. The album takes its name from William Eggleston’s iconic Mississippi photograph that is on its cover.

Auerbach says of the album, “We made this record to honor the Mississippi hill country blues tradition that influenced us starting out. These songs are still as important to us today as they were the first day Pat and I started playing together and picked up our instruments. It was a very inspiring session with Pat and me along with Kenny Brown and Eric Deaton in a circle, playing these songs. It felt so natural.”

Carney concurs, “The session was planned only days in advance and nothing was rehearsed. We recorded the entire album in about ten hours, over two afternoons, at the end of the “Let’s Rock” tour.”

Auerbach says of Delta Kream’s first single ‘Crawling Kingsnake’: “I first heard John Lee Hooker’s version in high school. My uncle Tim would have given me that record. But our version is definitely Junior Kimbrough’s take on it. It’s almost a disco riff!” Carney adds, "We fell into this drum intro; it's kind of accidental. The ultimate goal was to highlight the interplay between the guitars. My role with Eric was to create a deeper groove."

The music from northern Mississippi, which came to life in juke joints, has long left an imprint on the band’s music, from their cover of R.L. Burnide’s ‘Busted’ and Junior Kimbrough’s ‘Do The Romp’ on their debut album, The Big Come Up; to their subsequent signing to Fat Possum Records, home to many of their musical heroes; and to their EP of Junior Kimbrough covers, Chulahoma.

Formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001, The Black Keys, who have been called ‘rock royalty’ by the Associated Press and ‘one of the best rock ‘n’ roll bands on the planet’ by Uncut, are guitarist/singer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. Cutting their teeth playing small clubs, the band have gone on to sell out arena tours and have released nine previous studio albums: their debut The Big Come Up (2002), followed by Thickfreakness (2003) and Rubber Factory (2004), along with their releases on Nonesuch Records, Magic Potion (2006), Attack & Release (2008), Brothers (2010), El Camino (2011), Turn Blue (2014) and, most recently, “Let’s Rock” (2019), plus and a tenth anniversary edition of Brothers (2020). The band has won six Grammy Awards and a BRIT and headlined festivals in North America, South America, Mexico, Australia, and Europe.

A reliable traditionalist with a penchant for bittersweet songs of heartbreak and loss, Ashley Monroe pulled a complete 180 for her spectacular new album, Rosegold, riding the joyful emotional wave that followed the birth of her son to create her most ecstatic, blissed-out collection yet. Written and recorded over the past two years, the record finds the GRAMMY-nominated Nashville star pushing her sound in bold new directions, drawing on everything from Kanye West and Kid Cudi to Beck and The Beach Boys as she layers lush vocal harmonies atop dreamy, synthesized soundscapes and sensual, intoxicating beats. Monroe worked with a variety of producers on the album, letting the tracks dictate her direction rather than any arbitrary adherence to genre or tradition, and the result is a record as daring as it is rewarding, an ecstatic, revelatory meditation on happiness and gratitude that tosses expectation to the wind as it celebrates our endless capacity to love, and to be loved, even in the midst of chaos and tragedy.Born in Knoxville, TN, Monroe first began turning heads in Nashville as a teenager, when she arrived in town with a notebook full of mature, emotionally sophisticated songs that belied her young age. A jack-of-all-trades, she picked up work behind the scenes at first, singing on sessions at Jack White’s Third Man Studios and penning tunes that would appear on albums by the likes of Guy Clark, Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, and Miranda Lambert. Monroe and Lambert forged a close personal bond through their collaborations, and in 2011, they teamed up with fellow Nashville journey woman Angaleena Presley to launch the critically acclaimed trio Pistol Annies, which would go on to top the Country Album charts, crack the Top 5 on the Billboard 200, and earn a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album. Monroe’s solo output was equally lauded, with NPRhailing her work as “subtle and breathtaking” and Rolling Stone praising her writing as “riveting and sharp-witted.” Over the course of three studio albums, Monroe would land her own GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album, share bills with the likes of Vince Gill and John Prine, and perform everywhere from The Tonight Show and Conan to Late Night and The View.

Tom Smith (Editors) and Andy Burrows (We Are Scientists,
Razorlight) return with their second album and follow up
to their 2011 debut ‘Funny Looking Angels’ (which every
year grows in stature as the alternative go-to soundtrack
for the Winter / festive season).
Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Jacquire
King (Kings Of Leon, James Bay) and packed with classic
songwriting, the new album ups the pop ante with a
cannon of heart lifting songs including three singles
already lighting up both radio and streaming playlists
across the world.
The video for ‘Parliament Hill’, directed by Mat Whitecross
(Coldplay, Liam Gallagher), was shared by Coldplay to their
12.2 million Instagram followers.
Just before Christmas they also turned in an amazing
filmed performance of ‘When The Thames Froze’ (from the
first album) for The Late Late show with James Corden in
the US, with James declaring it “the perfect song for
Christmas 2020” and the album being “the greatest
Christmas album ever.”
‘All The Best Moves’ also elicited an apt response from Ben
Stiller, who tweeted “if this was a 45 I would have bought
it.”
TV - The Late Late Show with James Corden, Channel 4
Sunday Brunch.
Press - Reviews & features in Sunday Times.
Radio - Radio 2 playlist, New To 2, Jo Whiley, Ken Bruce Tracks
Of My Years feature, 5Live Nihal chat & session, Virgin Chris
Evans session.
Online - Tim’s Twitter Listening Party feature.

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.)

The popular mixture of extreme metal mixed with timeless melodies, driving riffs and epic parts as well as the aggressive screams and the choral vocals was retained and expanded with a lot of flair by several nuances. WOLFCHANT was founded in 2003 in Sankt Oswald, Lower Bavaria by Lokhi, Skaahl, Gaahnt and Norgahd. After the two demo self-productions "The Fangs Of The Southern Death" and "The Herjan Trilogy" WOLFCHANT signed their first record deal in 2005. With the albums "Bloody Tales Of Disgraced Lands" (2005) and the groundbreaking "A Pagan Storm" (2007) WOLFCHANT was able to gain a large fan base. This was shortly thereafter expanded internationally with the albums "Determined Damnation" (2009) and "Call Of The Black Winds" (2011) and the band played more tours, concerts and festivals in other European countries. The typical melodic pagan metal of Wolfchant was strengthened from this point on by the clear vocals of Michael Seifert (Rebellion) and the epic factor of the songs was expanded. After the release of "Embraced By Fire" (2013) and "Bloodwinter" (2017) WOLFCHANT managed to take another big step forward and further develop their fanbase worldwide. In addition to festivals such as Wacken, Summer Breeze, the 70000 Tons Of Metal (USA), WOLFCHANT played numerous national and international festivals, concerts and tours and earned a place at the forefront of German Epic Pagan Metal. In 2020 the band signed a new contract with REAPER ENTERTAINMENT and for 2021 the new disc "OMEGA : BESTIA" is now in the starting blocks waiting to be released. Blurb IG#1: With their first single "Komet" epic metal heroes WOLFCHANT strike back with everything they have! Blasting straight into the listeners ears "Komet" might become a new WOLFCHANT classic. Blurb IG#2: Der Geist und die Dunkelheit: A powerful hymn with a groovy and driving riff, combined with superb guitar playing and a epic chorus and lyrics in german!

Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen - guitar/Ellen Brekken - bass/Ivar Loe Bjornstad - drums. Only nine months after her momentous debut solo album Ekhidna, the guitarist is back fronting her trio. With their previous album, Smells Funny, this explosive and expansive trio experienced a breakthrough of sorts, having gone from strength to strength through five albums since their 2011 debut Shoot!, gathering respect from both rock and jazz camps, sharing big stages with the likes of John McLaughlin and Black Sabbath, and being equally comfortable on jazz and rock stages. Hedvig enforced this breakthrough with Ekhidna, appearing on both jazz and rock best of 2020 lists, like coming in third in Prog's "Album of the Year" poll. She was included in Downbeat's "25 for the future" and received heaps of international attention and great reviews.With the hypnotic title track, the spacious ballad Four Candles and generally a more varied mood, Ding Dong. You're Dead. is the trio's most dynamic album to date. That said there's still enough solid and creative riffing here to satisfy the headbangers, as well as the jazzheads, as they further explore the free and open landscapes most notably started with their Black Stabat Mater album and continued with Smells Funny. As Nate Chinen wrote about "Black Stabat Mater" in JazzTimes: Her trio, which has Ellen Brekken on bass and Ivar Loe Bjornstad on drums, caught my ear then with its audacious style references: the loose swagger of early Black Sabbath; the density and prowl of peak Led Zeppelin; the expeditionary urge of Jimi Hendrix; the incantatory fervor of John McLaughlin. As recent performances have shown, online and in the flesh, this trio radiates confidence and have become a surefire hit on the Norwegian live scene. Hedvig first picked up her mother's acoustic guitar at ten, before discovering a whole new world through her father's jazz and rock record collection as a teenager. She was given her first electric guitar and amplifier as a confirmation present. Hedvig met Ellen and Ivar at the Music Academy in Oslo and asked them to join her after she received the Young Jazz Talent of the Year award at Molde International Jazzfestival in 2009. They have stayed together since, and all previous albums have been released on Rune Grammofon to wide international acclaim.

Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen - guitar/Ellen Brekken - bass/Ivar Loe Bjornstad - drums. Only nine months after her momentous debut solo album Ekhidna, the guitarist is back fronting her trio. With their previous album, Smells Funny, this explosive and expansive trio experienced a breakthrough of sorts, having gone from strength to strength through five albums since their 2011 debut Shoot!, gathering respect from both rock and jazz camps, sharing big stages with the likes of John McLaughlin and Black Sabbath, and being equally comfortable on jazz and rock stages. Hedvig enforced this breakthrough with Ekhidna, appearing on both jazz and rock best of 2020 lists, like coming in third in Prog's "Album of the Year" poll. She was included in Downbeat's "25 for the future" and received heaps of international attention and great reviews.With the hypnotic title track, the spacious ballad Four Candles and generally a more varied mood, Ding Dong. You're Dead. is the trio's most dynamic album to date. That said there's still enough solid and creative riffing here to satisfy the headbangers, as well as the jazzheads, as they further explore the free and open landscapes most notably started with their Black Stabat Mater album and continued with Smells Funny. As Nate Chinen wrote about "Black Stabat Mater" in JazzTimes: Her trio, which has Ellen Brekken on bass and Ivar Loe Bjornstad on drums, caught my ear then with its audacious style references: the loose swagger of early Black Sabbath; the density and prowl of peak Led Zeppelin; the expeditionary urge of Jimi Hendrix; the incantatory fervor of John McLaughlin. As recent performances have shown, online and in the flesh, this trio radiates confidence and have become a surefire hit on the Norwegian live scene. Hedvig first picked up her mother's acoustic guitar at ten, before discovering a whole new world through her father's jazz and rock record collection as a teenager. She was given her first electric guitar and amplifier as a confirmation present. Hedvig met Ellen and Ivar at the Music Academy in Oslo and asked them to join her after she received the Young Jazz Talent of the Year award at Molde International Jazzfestival in 2009. They have stayed together since, and all previous albums have been released on Rune Grammofon to wide international acclaim.

Cool Ghouls - a band fledged in San Francisco on house shows, minimum wage jobs, BBQ's in Golden Gate Park and the romance of a city’s psychedelic history turns 10 this year. What better a decennial celebration than the release of their fourth album, At George's Zoo!

How did San Francisco's fab four arrive at George's Zoo? The teenage friendship of complimentary spirits Pat McDonald (Guitar/Vox) and Pat Thomas (Bass/Vox) serves as square one. The Patricks were munching on Eggo-waffle-sandwiches and downing warm vokda in suburban Benicia (San Francisco bay) years before McDonald would hear George Clinton address his fans as "Cool Ghouls". The boys played their debut gig as Cool Ghouls at San Francisco's legendary The Stud in 2011, but there's no doubt the musical moment cementing the band's trajectory was much earlier at the 18th birthday party for boy-wonder Ryan Wong (Guitar/Vox) - at the Wong household.

You might remember the Ghouls' earliest days... McDonald’s hair hung luxuriously past his waist, Thomas dreamt of no longer having to crash on friends' couches to call SF home and Wong looked forward to turning 21. Cool Ghouls' Pete Best, Cody Voorhees, thrashed wildly – but briefly - on the drums and Alex Fleshman (Drums), who still claims he's not really "a drummer", turned out to be a really good drummer. Thomas would sleep pee on tour. Those were golden days!

Flash forward to today and everything is up in flames. No shows, parties or bars. Cool people are streaming out of SF. It's been 2 years since the last time Cool Ghouls have even played. The STUD is gone, The Eagle Tavern is for sale and The Hemlock has been demolished for condos. Your boss is an app. Fascism is no-knocking down the door. There's a pandemic.

Fortunately for us, the Ghouls got an album in before it all went to shit, and they made it count. At George's Zoo includes 15 of the 27 tunes they managed to eke out while simultaneously working through major life moves. It was a 5-month, all out, final sprint down the homestretch (to Ryan's moving day) with affable engineer Robby Joseph, at his makeshift garage studio in the Outer Sunset (pictured on the cover). Instead of recording the entire album over a few consecutive days - like they'd done with Tim Cohen, Sonny Smith and Kelley Stoltz for the first three LPs - the band took it slow by working through a few songs each weekend after rehearsing them the week before. Robby would cue up the tape, McDonald would throw some steaks on the grill and they'd get to work - much to the neighbor, George's, chagrin.

These guys have a real commitment to elevating as songwriters, musicians and ensemble players. It's always been for the music with Cool Ghouls and this long-awaited self-produced outing is a track by track display of the ground they've covered and heights they can achieve. Their vocals and trademark harmonies are front and center and out-of-control-good. Ryan's guitar solos are incredible. The horns by Danny Brown (sax) and Andrew Stephens (trumpet) hit in all the right places. Maestro, Henry Baker (Pat Thomas Band / Tino Drima), plays keys throughout. There's even a mesmerizing string section ("Land Song") by sonic polyglot, Dylan Edrich.

None of this growth is to the detriment of the fun, natural, feeling that fans have come to expect from the band. This is a fully realized Cool Ghouls album. It paints a remarkable portrait of SF's homegrown heroes and the many corners they've explored over the last decade. The songwriting, harmony and playing are nothing if not solid. The lyrics are keen. Robby's recording and mixing sound great start to finish and even better after mastering by Mikey Young. It's a triumphant addition to their catalogue. Recommended for Stooges and Beach Boys fans alike. Listen and see!

Yes, many things have changed since 2011. Who knows what the 20's will have in store for life on Earth, let alone the Cool Ghouls? We at least know that 2021 has At George's Zoo for us, a beautiful keepsake from the Before Times when we used to stand in living rooms together while bands played.

GRAMMY® Award nominated producer/songwriter/performer Maggie Rogers releases a special collection of archival music: Notes from the Archive: Recordings 2011-2016. The 16 track collection features newly remastered versions of tracks from Maggie’s early albums including Blood Ballet (2014), The Echo (2012) and six previously unreleased songs. After graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Rogers released her EP, Now That The Light Is Fading and was quickly tipped as an artist to watch. Rogers’ 2019 Capitol Records debut album, Heard It In A Past Life entered Billboard’s Top Album Sales Chart at No. 1, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 Chart and received widespread critical acclaim from the likes of NPR, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, TIME Magazine, Vogue and many more. Some of her television performances include “Saturday Night Live,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Today,” and “Austin City Limits.” Rogers has sold out headline tours across North America and Europe, performed at major festivals worldwide and was nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for Best New Artist. She is currently at work on her next album.' Pressed on two colour LPs, with two printed sleeves, a gatefold jacket with an overall matte finish and each print element has an additional metallic finish, plus a sticker.This remastered album includes previously unreleased tracks.

Emmylou Harris made her Nonesuch Records debut with the release of her album Red Dirt Girl 20 years ago, in September 2000. To mark its twentieth anniversary, Nonesuch releases the album – which won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album – on limited-edition, translucent red vinyl.

Harris – whom the Los Angeles Times dubbed ‘the most captivating female artist ever in country music’ – wrote all but one of the twelve tracks on Red Dirt Girl, marking only the second time in her career that she had been so involved in the composition of an album. ‘In songs about lonely journeys and lost companions,’ said the New York Times, ‘Ms. Harris has found herself.’

Red Dirt Girl was produced by Malcolm Burn, who had worked with Harris engineering and mixing her previous solo studio recording, 1995's Wrecking Ball, and features Burn on piano, guitar, and bass; Buddy Miller on lead guitar; Daryl Johnson on bass and drums; and Ethan Johns on drums, guitar, and other miscellaneous instruments. Dave Matthews sings a duet with Harris on the album, and Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa, and Patty Griffin also contribute vocals.

Commenting on her new label and record back in 2000, Harris said: "I take pride in my new association with Nonesuch, a label for whom I have great admiration. Red Dirt Girl is a very meaningful record for me. I’ve only written this much for an album once before – The Ballad of Sally Rose – and I’m very pleased as well with what we have accomplished in the studio."

Nonesuch Records President David Bither said at the time: "We have had the privilege over many years to work with some of the most creative and influential artists and producers in music. This launches a new area of musical exploration for Nonesuch, and we are thrilled that Emmylou is the artist to open this door for us. It is an honor to work with an artist who has such a formidable body of work behind her, but who is now creating possibly the best music of her career."

Harris has since released three additional solo studio albums on Nonesuch, Stumble into Grace (2003), All I Intended to Be (2008), Hard Bargain (2011); reissues of Wrecking Ball (2014) and her 1992 album with the Nash Ramblers, At the Ryman (2017); two duo albums with Rodney Crowell, the Grammy-winning Old Yellow Moon (2013) and The Traveling Kind (2015); two releases in 2006 with Marc Knopfler, All the Roadrunning and Real Live Roadrunning; and vinyl box sets of her early albums, in 2017 and 2019.

Whitesnake celebrates the blues sound that helped inspire its multi-platinum career on a new collection that features remixed and remastered versions of the group’s best blues-rock songs. The Blues Album is the third and final release in the band’s Red, White and Blues Trilogy, a series of compilations organised by musical themes that began earlier in 2020 with Love Songs (red) and The Rock Album (white). The new compilation delivers a potent mix of hits and deep tracks that originally appeared between 1984 and 2011 on six Whitesnake studio albums and Coverdale’s solo album, Into the Light.

Whitesnake’s singer-songwriter David Coverdale says, the music reflects how blues artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and the three Kings (Albert, B.B. and Freddie) continue to inspire him. In the album’s liner notes, he writes: “It’s hard to find the words to show how profoundly they connected with my soul. But ‘blues’ to me is a beautiful word that describes emotional expression… feelings, be it feelings of sadness, loneliness, emptiness… but, also those that express great joy, celebration and dance, sexiness and love!!!”

The Blues Album showcases two of the band’s biggest songs: “Slow An’ Easy,” a big hit in 1984 from Whitesnake’s massive album Slide It In, and the smash “Give Me All Your Love” from the band’s 1987 self-titled globally successful album. Other choice tracks from Whitesnake are also featured: “Looking For Love” and “Crying In The Rain,” and “Steal Your Heart Away.” The collection also includes “If You Want Me,” a studio recording released in 2006 as a bonus track on the live album, Live…in the Shadows of the Blues. Coverdale also taps his 2000 solo album, Into the Light, for “The River Song.”

+ Download Code

Denmark's WhoMadeWho have always been hard to pin down. Their music sounding as effortless as it is stylistically and sonically adventurous. Fusing pop and disco memes with punk paraphernalia, the genre-bending trio made up of Jeppe Kjellberg, Tomas Høffding and Tomas Barford honed their skills on stage and in the studio, releasing a series of bestselling records topped off by their 2011 mini album "Knee Deep" on Kompakt.

2020 PRESS

The original orchestral/electronic score from Karel Kachyna’s 1976 Czech film adaptation of Hans C. Anderson’s The Little Mermaid, composed by Zdenek Liska (The Cremator / Fruits of Paradise) featuring Lenka Korinkova. Available for the first time since being originally pressed in 2011 as part of the ongoing Finders Keepers’ 15th anniversary retrospective. Check!

Liska's legacy in the history of European cinema is huge in volume but relatively modest in it’s celebrity. Having already composed nine scores for Kachyna’s films to add to his 1976 filmography of 150 completed soundtracks.

Back in 2005, five years before Finders Keepers Records released Zdenek Liška’s soundtrack to Malá morská víla for the first time, folklore and fairy tale fanatics around the globe celebrated the 200 year anniversary of the birth of one of the world’s most celebrated children’s authors of the published era. This Danish born writer’s stories have been translated into over 150 languages and have continued to enchant and inspire children and adults, arts and crafts, film and theatre, providing a creative binding substance in modern society’s social fibre. With a life story that entwines equal measures of tragedy, mystery, intensity and majesty to that of his own written work, Hans Christian Andersen’s early years balancing contradictory roles as a weaver’s apprentice, a soprano singer, a fledgling poet and an abused grammar school pupil with speculative links to the monarchy, manifested themselves in his written world of fantasy and fiction. His running themes of mutation, metamorphosis, rebirth, prejudice and class distinction are none more prevalent than in what are perhaps his two best known tales The Ugly Duckling, first published 11th November 1843, and the bittersweet surrealist tale of The Little Mermaid, printed in the third booklet of the first volume of Eventyr, Fortalte For Børn (Tales, Told For Children) in 1837.

One of the most idiosyncratic and haunting undiscovered scores in the annals of European cinematic history, Liska’s forward thinking score has all the hallmarks of a Broadcast record, some 20 years before the band first committed sound to vinyl..

Beautifully remastered with updated liner notes including rare photos ith the full cooperation of the seminal Barrandov studios in Prague.

The Mighty Mocambos' new album "Showdown" sets another cornerstone in their prolific career as a globally active instrumental funk outfit. While maintaining their organic approach of recording real musicians live on tape, the group has refined their trademark sound with a dramatic edge, a hard hitting production and ventures into less obvious musical territories. While highly enjoying themselves as the tight unit they are, The Mighty Mocambos invited an exciting list of guests to contribute to their musical "Showdown": German film composer icon Peter Thomas, hiphop godfather Afrika Bambaataa, rap legends Charlie Funk aka Afrika Islan (member of the original Rocksteady Crew) and Donald D (of Ice-T's Rhyme Syndicate), plus Nichola Richards, Shawn Lee, DeRobert from peer label GED Soul in Nashville, Zulu Nation MCs Deejay Snoop & DJ Hektek and organ genius Guillaume Metenier all joined the group for their new musical adventure. "Showdown" is released on vinyl LP by Mocambo Records and on CD and digital incarnations by Légère Recordings.

About the Mighty Mocambos:

The Mighty Mocambos and their many incarnations have released dozens of 45s and several albums on their own imprint Mocambo Records and other labels such as Kay Dee, Truth & Soul, Tramp, Légère and Favorite Recordings, to name a few. They have collaborated with musical legends such as Afrika Bambaataa, Lee Fields or Kenny Dope, put new talent like Gizelle Smith and Caroline Lacaze on the map, brought Caribbean steel drums to funk clubs with their alter ego Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, and have toured through all civilized parts of the continent and beyond for the better part of the last years. Their unique style and trademark sound are loved by peers, fans and critics alike and distinguishes them from mere retro-copycat-acts as well as overproduced plastic soul. The Mighty Mocambos continue to deliver their brand of funk with blazing horns, soulful guitars, driving drums and basslines combined with an extra bit of quirkiness. When not producing records for one of their many incarnations and collaborations, the band is touring steadily. Whoever witnessed a concert will tell you about the musicality, passion, energy, humour and joy that the band loves to bring to the people. Background What started out years ago as a take on "deep funk" and its associated vinyl culture has completely grown into its own oeuvre d'art. With the launch of their production studio and record label in 2006, things started to gain momentum. Apart from self-releasing the group's own recordings, Mocambo Records became a household name by putting out highly collectable vinyl 45s by today's best funk outfits as well as unearthing lost library funk treasures. The Mighty Mocambos however did not restrict themselves solely to their own label. Their interpretation of the Furious Five classic "The Message", released under a pseudonym on an obscure phantasy label without proper distribution, got picked up and remixed by Grammy- nominated producer legend Kenny Dope (Masters at Work, Bucketheads). Their first single with UK funk singer Gizelle Smith, "Working Woman", became an overnight smash and a prime-time club favourite of funk & soul DJs worldwide. Initially released on the Finnish private press imprint Old Capital, it got the remix treatment by Kenny Dope and a re-release on Kay Dee Records as well. After earning their credits through vinyl 45s, the band stepped up their game with the full- length "This Is Gizelle Smith & the Mighty Mocambos" in 2009. The album received rave reviews, got lots of airplay - and sold a bunch of physical copies too. Its success led to an extensive tour throughout Europe with club dates from Marseille to Oslo, performances at massive festivals such as the Printemps de Bourges in France and live radio appearances at respected FMs such as the BBC and Radio Nova. With the following album "The Future Is Here" (2011), the band stepped further into the spotlight and explored new sounds with features by hiphop legends Afrika Bambaataa and Charlie Funk, French singer Caroline Lacaze and German rare groove queen Su Kramer, while manifesting their unique raw funk sound and refining their unmistakable instrumental style that had long gained international reputation. The album was toured extensively, including a legendary performance with Afrika Bambaataa at Hamburg's Reeperbahn Festival (covered by ARTE TV), support gigs for Lee Fields and headline shows at renowned venues such as Amsterdam's Paradiso, Islington Assembly Hall in London, Paris' Bellevilloise, Tempo Club in Madrid, or at home at Hamburg's Mojo Club. After producing the critically acclaimed debut album "En Route" (2013) of French soul singer Caroline Lacaze, where their adapted their sound to deliver a stunning mix of French Beat, Soul & Psychedelic Rock, the band went on to record a full length under their moniker Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band. Their interpretation of 50 Cent's P.IM.P. had long become a cult classic and was often mistaken for the original sample. The group's approach in stretching the boundaries of funk by adding Caribbean steel pans caught the interest of Brooklyn's finest label Truth & Soul who signed the band for the album "55", an explosive mix of funk and hip hop cover versions as well as original compositions that showcase the band's singularity in today's funk circuit. The Mighty Mocambos' recent album "Showdown" (2015) sets yet another cornerstone in their prolific career as a globally active instrumental funk outfit. While maintaining their organic approach of recording real musicians live on tape, the group has refined their trademark sound with a dramatic edge, a hard hitting production and ventures into less obvious musical territories, with a diverse list of special guests ranging from German film composer icon Peter Thomas to hiphop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa.

Recorded live during their headline North American tour in the summer of 2019, A Royal Affair Tour was a must-see best-of-British-rock show and featured support by Asia with the return of founding member Steve Howe in a special performance, John Lodge of The Moody Blues, and Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy with guest vocals by Arthur Brown. The Yes performing line up was Steve Howe (guitar – joined 1970), Alan White (drums since 1972), Geoff Downes (keyboards; first joined in 1980), Jon Davison (vocals since 2011) and Billy Sherwood (guitar/keyboards in the 1990s and the late Chris Squire’s choice to take over bass/vocals in 2015), with Jay Schellen on additional drums. Yes performed songs from their storied career, one of rock music’s most prized bodies of work, and their set was in honor of the memory of YES members Chris Squire and Peter Banks.
Continuing the British theme, the set featured Alan White of YES’ tribute to John Lennon; White was the drummer on Lennon’s solo material including the recording of “Imagine.” Of the tour, Steve Howe said “Yes is delighted to headline this celebration of British music which has been so warmly received in America over the past five decades.” Alan White: “I’m looking forward to joining a number of classic British talents that have delighted so many fans over the past half century.” Geoff Downes: “This is a unique celebration of the British contribution to classic rock over many decades. It will be inspirational to be a part of. And I know it is what John Wetton would have wanted.”
A Royal Affair Tour – Live was recorded live at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Friday 26 July 2019.

The packaging features brand new artwork by legendary artist and longtime Yes collaborator, Roger Dean.

The Games new album - Born 2 Rap - gets a limited 3LP unoffical Record Store Day release!
• ***PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A NON-DISCOUNTED TITLE***
• The Game, two-time GRAMMY® Award nominated multiplatinum Compton rapper, songwriter, producer,
actor, and entrepreneur. He locked down a place in the pantheon alongside greats of both coasts by a
combination of bar-for-bar bravado, provocative observation, hard-hitting hooks, and sharp introspection.
And now the prolific rapper returns with his 9th album fittingly titled, Born 2 Rap. Collaborated on the
album with artists such as Ed Sheeran, Miguel, Anderson .Paak, Nipsey Hussle, 21 Savage, Bryson Tiller,
Chris Brown, Trey Songz, and many more.
• The Game’s prior album 1992 debuted #1 on Billboard’s “Top Rap Albums Chart” and tied Drake for most
#1 album debuts since the chart began in 2004. Also, the album gave The Game his eighth #1 on
Billboard’s “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart” tying him for third with 2Pac and Lil Wayne. He started this
impressive legacy with double platinum 2005 full-length debut, The Documentary. It not only bowed at #1
on the Billboard Top 200 and garnered GRAMMY® nods in the categories of “Best Rap Song” and “Best
Rap Performance By a Duo or Group,” but it also emerged as a classic avowed by Pitchfork among the
“Top 50 Albums of 2005”. The 2006 followup Doctor’s Advocate retained his spot at #1 on the Billboard
Top 200 and went platinum. Maintaining positions in the Top 10, he ignited a prolific string of blockbuster
releases—L.A.X. 2008, The R.E.D. Album 2011, Jesus Piece 2012, Blood Moon: Year of the Wolf
2014, The Documentary 2 2015, The Documentary 2.5. [2015], and 1992 [2016].
• “Born 2 Rap” has over 75 million streams worldwide and peaked at #2 on Billboard charts

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- GATEFOLD SLEEVE
- ALBUM FEAT. SKRILLEX, EXCISION, DATSIK, NOISIA,
KILL THE NOISE, AND 12TH PLANET
- FIRST TIME ON VINYL
- LIMITED FIRST PRESSING OF 2.500 INDIVIDUALLY
NUMBERED COPIES ON COLOURED (SILVER AND
BLACK MIXED) VINYL

The Path of Totality is the tenth studio album by American nu metal band Korn. Originally released in 2011, the album finds Korn shifting gears and exploring new territory.

On The Path of Totality band collaborated with some of the leading dubstep and electronic producers in the world, including Skrillex, Excision, Datsik, Noisia, Kill the Noise, and 12th Planet. This resulted in something completely new, yet utterly and definitively Korn.

The title The Path of Totality refers to the fact that in order to see the sun in a full solar eclipse, you must be in the exact right place in the exact right time,' Korn frontman Jonathan Davis explained.

The album includes the singles Get Up!', Narcissistic Cannibal', Way Too Far' and Chaos Lives In Everything'.

The Path of Totality won Album of the Year at the 2012 Revolver Golden Gods Awards. This was Korn's first victory at the Golden Gods Awards, a ceremony that celebrates the best in hard rock and heavy metal music. Korn was also inducted into the Kerrang! Hall of Fame during the 2011 Kerrang! Awards.

Available on vinyl for the first time, the first 2500 individually numbered copies are pressed on coloured (silver and black mixed) vinyl! Strictly limited!

It was a busy 2019 for Asian Dub Foundation with the long-awaited reissue of their Mercury Prize-nominated 1998 classic Rafi’s Revenge. The reissue garnered ecstatic reviews, all of which agreed that the sound and the message that ADF threw down in 1998 is as relevant now as it was then-perhaps even more so. So it’s timely that in 2020 the band are set to release their 9th album “Access Denied” which finds them as uncompromising as ever. The album showcases ADF in full spectrum mode from the tough Jungle Punk sound of “Stealing The Future” and “Mind-lock” through to the orchestral meditation of “Realignment” and the reggae lament of the title track.

With guestspots from Greta Thunberg, incendiary Palestinian shamstep warriors 47 Soul, Chilean revolt’s rap main figure Ana Tijoux and radical UK comedian Stewart Lee, Asian Dub Foundation continue their sonic opposition to the powers that be and “Access Denied” kicks harder and higher than ever.

Asian Dub Foundation are a genre unto themselves. Their unique combination of tough jungle rhythms, dub bass lines and wild guitar overlaid by references to their South Asian roots and militant high-speed rap has established them as one of the best live bands in the world. During their long and productive career Asian Dub Foundation have shared the stage with the likes of Rage Against The Machine, the Beastie Boys and Primal Scream also collaborating on record with the likes of Radiohead, Sinead O’ Connor, Iggy Pop and Chuck D.
The story began in the early 90’s when ADF formed from a music workshop in East London at the institution which is their spiritual home, Community Music. Their unique beginnings in a music workshop in east London marked out both their sound and their wider educational aspirations, as showed by their early involvements with Roma Youth in Budapest, hooking up with the leg-endary Afro Reggae in the favelas of Rio, and setting up their own education organisation ADF Education (ADFED), not to mention their campaigns on behalf of those suffering miscarriages of justice. Building a solid live reputation in the mid-90’s, particularly in France, they eventually es-tablished themselves as an important worldwide force and particularly as an explosive alterna-tive to the backward-looking obsession with Britpop in the UK.
In addition to their blistering live reputation ADF were one of the first bands to experiment with the now more commonplace live film re-score, beginning with their rapturously-received interpre-tation of the French classic La Haine back in in 2001. They’ve continued to perform said project or nearly two decades, taking in David Bowie’s Meltdown at London’s South Bank and a contro-versial show at the Broadwater Farm Estate, scene of the events that led to the London Riots of 2011.They’ve also rescored George Lucas’ debut THX 1138 (with encouragement from Mr. Lu-cas himself) and they’ve recently revived their explosive live interpretation to the continually rele-vant Battle of Algiers at the Museum of Immigration in Paris.

2011 album available on vinyl for the first time. Master percussionist Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah joins forces once again with dubmaster Adrian
Sherwood at the controls and a whole host of guest musicians, including contributions from dancehall pioneer Jazzwad and electronics from Adamski.

All the elements of a classic African Head Charge album are present: spaced out dub, tribal chants, ecstatic trance but updated with a rugged sound system undercarriage. Arguably some of the hardest hitting AHC rhythms laid down in the studio to date.

Cut as a double LP for maximum dynamics by King Kevin Metcalfe. Includes digital download card for full contents and double-sided poster insert containing new interview with Bonjo on the making of the record.

Originally released in 2011 as CD and digital exclusives on Ikebe Shakedown's debut self-titled album, "Asa-Sa" and the B-side "Pepper" are both horn-driven, heavy, Afro-influenced slices of funk best-served on the 7" format. 'Ikebe Shakedown' has kept their signature funk, tight horns and impeccable rhythm through several releases including their most recent album "Kings Left Behind" on Colemine Records which made it to #2 on Billboards Jazz chart.

To mark the tenth anniversary of the release of "I’m New Here" - the thirteenth, and last studio album from the legendary US musician, poet, - and author 'Gil Scott-Heron'. XL-Recordings will release a unique reinterpretation of the album by acclaimed US jazz musician Makaya McCraven.

Titled "We’re New Again", the album will be released on 7th of February 2020; exactly a decade after the release of Scott-Heron’s original Richard Russell-produced recording.

It’s set to follow in the footsteps of Jamie xx’s highly acclaimed 2011 remix album We’re New Here and will be McCraven’s first release of 2020, following the huge global acclaim heaped upon his 2018 album Universal Beings.

One of the most vital new voices in modern jazz, McCraven is described by the New York Times as a "Chicago-based drummer, producer and beat maker, who has quietly become one of the best arguments for jazz’s vitality".

To mark the tenth anniversary of the release of I’m New Here , the thirteenth - and last - studio album from the legendary US musician, poet and author Gil Scott-Heron, XL Recordings will release a unique reinterpretation of the album by acclaimed US jazz musician Makaya McCraven. Titled We’re New Again , the album will be released on 7th February 2020; exactly a decade after the release of Scott-Heron’s original Richard Russell-produced recording. It’s set to follow in the footsteps of Jamie xx’s highly acclaimed 2011 remix album We’re New Here and will be McCraven’s first release of 2020, following the huge global acclaim heaped upon his 2018 album Universal Beings . One of the most vital new voices in modern jazz, McCraven is described by the New York Times as a "Chicago-based drummer, producer and beat maker, who has quietly become one of the best arguments for jazz’s vitality".

A Winged Victory For The Sullen veröffentlichen auf Ninja Tune ihr neues Album, das musikalisch zwischen Neo-Klassik, Ambient und Electronic angesiedelt ist!

A Winged Victory For The Sullen, Spezialisten auf ihrem Gebiet der zeitgenössischen und elektronisch inspirierten Ambient-Musik, kehren auf dem neuen Album, „The Undivided Five“, mit einem mutigen Schritt zurück. Das Duo, bestehend aus Dustin O'Halloran und Adam Wiltzie, hat ikonische Filmmusik und zukunftsweisende Ambient-Projekte geschaffen und eine Reihe von Platten für Erased Tapes und Kranky veröffentlicht. Auf „The Undivided Five“ beleben sie ihre einzigartige Partnerschaft für nur ihr zweites Stück Originalmusik außerhalb von Film-, Fernseh- und Bühnen-aufträgen und kreieren ein Album, das Ritual, höhere Kräfte und ungekannte kreative Energien kanalisiert. Mit ihrer fünften Veröffentlichung (nach ihrem Debütalbum, zwei Film-Scores und einer EP) visieren sie konkret die Rolle der Nummer fünf an, inspiriert von der Künstlerin Hilma af Klint und der steten Wiederholung des perfekten fünften Akkords.

Auf diesem Album kreieren sie mutige neue Arbeiten, die auf ihren Fundamenten in Ambient und neoklassischer Musik aufbauen. Seit ihrem selbstbetitelten Debüt im Jahr 2011 ist das Duo Teil einer viel gelobten Szene mit Kollegen wie Max Richter, Nils Frahm, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Tim Hecker und Fennesz.

LTD Edition!

A Winged Victory For The Sullen veröffentlichen auf Ninja Tune ihr neues Album, das musikalisch zwischen Neo-Klassik, Ambient und Electronic angesiedelt ist!

A Winged Victory For The Sullen, Spezialisten auf ihrem Gebiet der zeitgenössischen und elektronisch inspirierten Ambient-Musik, kehren auf dem neuen Album, „The Undivided Five“, mit einem mutigen Schritt zurück. Das Duo, bestehend aus Dustin O'Halloran und Adam Wiltzie, hat ikonische Filmmusik und zukunftsweisende Ambient-Projekte geschaffen und eine Reihe von Platten für Erased Tapes und Kranky veröffentlicht. Auf „The Undivided Five“ beleben sie ihre einzigartige Partnerschaft für nur ihr zweites Stück Originalmusik außerhalb von Film-, Fernseh- und Bühnen-aufträgen und kreieren ein Album, das Ritual, höhere Kräfte und ungekannte kreative Energien kanalisiert. Mit ihrer fünften Veröffentlichung (nach ihrem Debütalbum, zwei Film-Scores und einer EP) visieren sie konkret die Rolle der Nummer fünf an, inspiriert von der Künstlerin Hilma af Klint und der steten Wiederholung des perfekten fünften Akkords.

Auf diesem Album kreieren sie mutige neue Arbeiten, die auf ihren Fundamenten in Ambient und neoklassischer Musik aufbauen. Seit ihrem selbstbetitelten Debüt im Jahr 2011 ist das Duo Teil einer viel gelobten Szene mit Kollegen wie Max Richter, Nils Frahm, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Tim Hecker und Fennesz.

Die Martinez-Brüder Chris & Steven aus der New Yorker Bronx sind seit über 10 Jahren in der House-Szene aktiv. Seit 2011 haben sie eine feste DJ-Residenz auf Ibiza, legen auf renommierten Festivals wie Ultra, Time Warp oder Tomorrowland auf und kollaborieren für ihre eigenen Tracks mit Grössen wie Chic(!), Miss Kittin und Tiga. Sie betreiben mit Cuttin' Headz ein Label und gleichnamige Partynächte und legten 2014 dem Mixmag UK-Magazin einen exklusiven CD-Sampler bei. Grund genug für Fabric, sich das berüchtigte DJ-Duo zu packen und ihr erstes offizielles Mixalbum zu veröffentlichen. Dieses bestreiten die Brüder mit 23 erstklassigen Tracks, die von Chicago-Innovator Paul Johnson bis Detroit-Multiinstrumentalist Amp Fiddler reichen. Dazwischen steuern The Martinez Brothers mit "Jam Joint", "Mistakes" und ihrer Top-Kollabo mit NY-House-Legende Louis Vega ("Let It Go (TMB Alternate Version)") drei exklusive eigene Produktionen bei. Die DJ-freundliche Doppel-LP enthält 12 ausgesuchte Perlen, darunter von Mahony & Flogg, Roots Orchestra und zwei Exclusives der Martinez-Brüder.

Mit ihrem dritten Album "Screamadelica" aus dem Jahr 1991 rechtfertigte die aus Glasgow stammende Band Primal Scream ihren soliden Ruf als eine der innovativsten Rockbands der Nineties. Die Scheibe gewann 1992 den ersten Mercury Music Award und wurde 1996 von der Zeitschrift Select als bestes Album der 90er Jahre bezeichnet. Die 20th Anniversary Collector's Edition von 2011 wird nun als 4CD Bookset neu aufgelegt. Enthalten sind: vier CDs (auf CD1 das komplett remasterte Album, CD2 stellt einen Live-Set von 1992 vor, CD3 glänzt mit 14 Remixes der vier Singles plus zwei Bonus-Tracks und CD4 ist die remasterte Version der legendären "Dixie Narco EP" von 1992). Mit 20-seitigem Booklet mit Photos von Grant Fleming/Kevin Westerberg sowie Interviews mit Bobby Gillespie, Andrew Innes und Andrew Weatherall über das Making Of dieses legendären Albums.

Kate Tempest returns with her third studio album, The Book of Traps and Lessons.

The highly anticipated album was crafted with Rick Rubin and Dan Carey over the course of the past five years. It follows Tempest’s previous releases, 2014’s Everybody Down and 2017’s Let Them Eat Chaos, both of which were shortlisted for Mercury Prize in 2014 and 2017, respectively. Last year, Kate Tempest was nominated at The BRIT Awards for Best Female Solo Performer.

A handful of words often tell you everything you need to know. When asked, who is Kate Tempest? She gives a brief, albeit telling answer. “Kate Tempest is the words,” she responds. You haven’t ever seen, heard, or experienced anyone quite like her. Tempest uncovers the missing link between the Golden Ages of literature and hip-hop. The London-born BRIT Award-nominated spoken word artist, rapper, poet, novelist, and playwright rhymes with a century-turning fury. Since her emergence in 2011, she has redefined what it means to be a wordsmith in the Modern Age. To date, she has published three poetry collections, staged three plays, and released two studio albums. Along the way, she entranced audiences on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, NPR’s “Tiny Desk,” and more. Not to mention, she garnered widespread critical acclaim from The New York Times, The New Yorker, Forbes, and more, to name a few. In the midst of this whirlwind journey, she performed a passage of her popular 75-minute narrative poem, Brand New Ancients, on Charlie Rose. Legendary producer and American Recordings Founder Rick Rubin caught the show, tracked down her phone number, and made a call. This set a series of events in motion that led to her 2019 debut album for American Recordings, The Book of Traps and Lessons, set for release on June 14th.

- Utopia Music are extremely proud to present UM022, Hydro's debut album 'Lateral Thinking'. - Spread over 3 plates (4 including the sampler), Hydro manages to really showcase the variety and musicality that he's known for. With over 20 years of experience, he manages to comfortably wear his many influences whilst offering something both fresh and new at the same time. The palette covers light and dark, warm & cold, ambience, jungle, funk, soulful, techy, rolling, half time, 130 & 140 bpm, hip hop, jazz, tribal, and even meditative vibes. Inspired by a lifetime of music, travel and memories the aim was to deliver an eclectic album that could satisfy both the DJs and the headz whilst also being able to transport the listener elsewhere on an emotional and cerebral level. Dance music that can work beyond the dance floor.

- Hydro has been releasing incredible music since 2003 on almost all of the big labels. Since his production beginnings collaborating with Break, he has continued to work on many different styles and with many other different producers. He's become known for his musical diversity and his name is synonymous with quality & finesse. It's an absolute honour to be able to introduce his debut album to you. This project also features War, who again establishes himself as one of the best engineers in the game. Since first collaborating in 2011, Hydro & War have proven to be a formidable team, known for consistently delivering essential releases, including for Utopia. The only other artist featured on the album is Mateba, who joins in for two of the more uplifting tracks. A talented French producer and a long time collaborator of both Hydro & War.

Laid back and chilled out, Andrew never lets anything or anyone bother him. He has an air of mystique about him which others often envy.

(Andrea Solitario) ANDREW SOUL Andrew from his real name, Soul as the part where his inspiration come from, is a native italian producer born in 1986.

Music has been the first and everlasting love for this guy who soon came into his city's underground scene: he was 15 years old when he walked into a club for the first time. Then everything came by itself: a fusion of house and techno, the passion for the acidized sounds filled his mind and his heart.

But listening wasn't enough: the love for the music was to much for not to create something.

So Andrew started a path made by wicked grooves, dropping acid synths and emotional vibes, huge baseline, soulfoul vocals, roland tr-707 on the drums: these featuring characterize at best Andrew's sound.
The love for the analog sound push him over the years to purchase some vintage drum machine and keyboards, to make his sound as better as he can, and to add to his sound some cool old flavour.

Having DJd for years in his native Italy, Andrew turned his hand to production a few years back and promptly set about making some of the most emotive and engaging analogue house and techno around.

Vinyl collector, record lover, for him there's nothing better than watching a wax riding a turntable and listen the music that come from it.
As an eclectic artist, in his sets, Andrew likes to mix from deep to techno, through the house, but people never know what to expect from his large underground music knowledge; old, classic, brand new tunes and own productions makes his set really sophisticated and different each time.

After working on music collaborations for several years, with some friends , early 2011 was time to start sharing solo productions with his first release on Paulatine Records, wellknowed Uner's label. 4 tracks that take attention of many wellknowed djs, like X-Press2 that played the tracks at MOS and on their radioshow, Adam Port who said "Finally something different..." and many others..
Then two vinyl release: first one on the great Barcelona based Kiara Records "Too Much Love Will Kill You", Julien Chaptal on remix, and second one on the New York based imprint Stranjjur Inc, on remix Kris Wadsworth and Baldo; "Close To You" placed 29th on RA Chart.
A great tune with the close friend Frank Naht alongside a remix for Fabio Monesi on friend's label Blackrose Records, and an EP on Espai Music to follow.
End of 2012 was good: EP come out on the Defected's sub label "Tenth Circle"
November 2012 was also time for releasing on Safari Numerique with David Labeji on remix, and the track "No Way" played by Richie Hawtin.
2013 full of work and innovation, with 2 remixes on italian Moan Rec for Meeph, and U.S. based Undulate Recordings for Frank Nath, a really deep EP on his new family Popcorn Records, and jacking mode on for the new release on Safari Numerique.
2014 starts with a vinyl only release on Popcorn Records Ltd, special collaboration with Peter JD and remixes from Amir Alexander and Franco Cinelli.

The path is long and Andrew's research is still long way to end...

James Baldwin was an unparalleled master of the written and spoken word. He was best known for his brilliant essays, plays and novels that shone light on his insights into race, sexuality, spirituality and humanity. Baldwin was an incredible orator who commanded the power of words. Whether on the pages of his books or in speeches and debates, he was passionate, compelling and powerful. This EP is the second half of a project that is a tribute to Baldwin. It features extracts from the audio portion of a documentary film shot of a discussion led by James Baldwin and Dick Gregory at the West Indian Student Centre in London in 1968.

Peabody & Sherman is a partnership between Phillip C Hertz and Curtis Ruptash - drummer and bass player respectively. They share common interests in dub, afrobeat, funk, jazz, ambient and improvisational music. They have long histories of the employing 'studio as instrument' approach to recording. The foundations for this EP was P&S rhythm tracks recorded at the Wayback Machine Studio in 2011. Supplemental instruments were layered on to create the final product. The same original sessions were also the source for their James Baldwin EP released in 2012. That EP featured remixes by Area and Afrikan Sciences.

The same concept is applied here, with remixes being contributed by Waajeed and BusCrates. Waajeed is a Detroit producer known for inventive and genre-defying music. He is background includes his work with Slum Village through to the Platinum Pied Pipers and to his work with his own Dirt Tech label today. BusCrates is a Pittsburg based producer known for his inventive use of electric and vintage synths to create deep layers of analog goodness.

In 1991 Baritone Tiplove released the highly acclaimed 'Young Ladies Drive Me Crazy' 12' on Easy Street
Records introducing the world to the bizarre minds of this fictional duo. The 12' was well received and
followed up by the cassette only LP 'Livin Foul' which has gone on to be a highly sought after rarity and has
even been called the greatest cassette only rap album. In 2017 Diggers With Gratitude released the first of a
planned three part series of unreleased Baritone Tiplove material, recorded across the late 80's and early 90's.
Now, in December 2018, In Effect Recordings and Diggers With Gratitude are proud to announce the second
EP in this series.
Many people know Baritone as the alter ego of the multi-talented Phill Most Chill (aka Soulman) who has been
enjoying somewhat of a resurgence in popularity of late amongst hip-hop vinyl fanatics. Recent collaborations
with DJ Format ('The Foremost') and Paul Nice ('The Fabreeze Brothers') have been widely acclaimed, as
have his numerous guest appearances, and our previous release of vintage material from Phill, 2011's 'All
Cuts Recorded Raw', remains our best selling release to date and is now highly sought after. Suffice it to say
we expect these to sell out quickly, don't say we didn't warn you!

Set for release on June 23 via Asylum Records, x (multiply) is the hugely anticipated new album by Ed Sheeran.
It follows his critically acclaimed and hugely successful 2011 debut +; an album that was certified 6 times platinum in the UK alone and has achieved worldwide sales of over 4 million copies to date. It also saw Ed asthe recipient of various awards for the record, including 2 Brits, an Ivor Novello and multiple Grammy nominations.
Never an artist to stand still, Ed recorded x at various locations around the globe (all the while drawing on experiences and influences encountered on his over three years of unrelenting touring) with such luminary producers as Rick Rubin (Eminem, Jay-Z, Red Hot Chilli Peppers), Pharrell Williams (Daft Punk, Robin Thicke, N.E.R.D), Benny Blanco (Rhianna, Wiz Khalifa) and Jeff Bhasker (Alicia Keys, Jay-Z) adding new flavours to the classy work of key collaborators Johnny McDaid (Snow Patrol) and Jake Gosling (who produced +). xhas the musical ingredients to make it one of the most important global releases of this year.
The new set showcases the exponential growth (both vocally and musically) of an incredible artist, who at 23 exhibits the poise of a seasoned veteran. The songs for x came together whilst touring + and, in the same way as the latter was a snapshot of his life and relationship to-date, x charts his loves and life since. Only 'One', the perfect album opener and first song written for the record (in 2011 whilst on tour in Australia) looks back to that time and is the link between the two records. With 'One' under his belt, almost before he noticed he was writing, Ed had ten new songs and counting.
The breath-taking album-closer 'Afire Love' was written about his grandfather who passed away last Christmas. 'Always the hero of the family - such a cool guy - he'd been suffering with Alzheimer's for some time and I actually started writing that song two weeks before he passed away," Ed says. "I was thinking 'What if' and then he did...' Then there is the timeless ballad 'Photograph' written in May 2012 in a hotel room in Kansas whilst on tour with Snow Patrol. McDaid had a piano loop playing on his laptop while Ed was making a Lego X-wing Fighter to give to a charity auction. He just started singing as he put the pieces together and the song grew from there. 'Don't' started life as a riff on his phone and grew into another of x's massive moments. The deluxe version of the album also includes the original song, 'I See Fire', which Ed wrote, produced and recorded for the second Hobbit movie. This was after Academy award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson personally commissioned him. With no promotion besides 3 tweets from his personal twitter account, it reached #2 on the UK iTunes chart.
However it's the Pharrell-produced lead single 'Sing', due out in the UK on June 1, that's pushing the envelope for Ed. #Sing was the number one trend on twitter globally ahead of launch with the track immediately tearing up airwaves nationwide including a 7-week add to Radio 1 and an unprecedented addition straight to the Super Hit list at Capital FM and Kiss Network. The audio upload on YouTube was Ed's biggest ever video launch, clocking 650k views in its first 24 hours. Already i-tunes Top 5 in 15 different countries (number 3 in the US), Top 20 in 36 countries and with all chart positions climbing, 'Sing' is well on the way to being a global smash.
On the back of 'Sing's' launch, x reached No.7 in the UK iTunes chart on pre-order alone with that success mirrored internationally with No.1 positions in the US and Canada, Top 5 in New Zealand, Sweden, Australia and Top 10 in 20 countries.
'I'm really proud of my new album and can't wait for people to hear it.' Ed says. 'It's definitely my best work.'

* "Of all the dubplates in my bag from this last few years, the ones I've selected most often have Walton's name scribbled on the sleeve. 'Black Lotus' is a unique creative statement; I'm very proud to release it on Tectonic and to support Walton, who I believe is a true talent." Pinch

* On July 6th Tectonic recordings presents the game-changing second album by 26 year old Mancunian Sam Walton, better known as simply Walton.
* 'Black Lotus' follows his inclusion on Tectonic's landmark 100th release - Riko Dan's 'Hard Food' EP, plus the 'Praying Mantis'/ 'Koto Riddim' 12' (also on Tectonic) and the 'Taiko' EP on Kaizen - the latter two of which hinted at the album's sound, but didn't fully prepare us for the brilliance to come.

* Abstract electronics, grime, dubstep and new styles that don't even have a name yet coalesce perfectly on this classic in the making. It finds Walton at peak power, reaching just as far (if not more so) than anything on the Pan, Different Circles, Boxed or Tectonic catalogues for pure futurism and new-terrain-traversing brilliance.

* Spacious and modern sounding, with just the right amount of grit, on 'Black Lotus' Walton has taken things the next level - setting an impressive new high bar. This is the best music to take inspiration from far eastern culture since Photek's seminal 'Ni - Ten - Ichi - Ryu' and 'The Water Margin'.

* Cinematic may be a term bandied about too often, but on this record it unquestionably applies, with the whole thing playing out like an epic movie, full of highs, lows, action, reflection and changing scenes.

* The album kicks off with 'Black Lotus', which makes it quickly evident that this isn't just another generic longplayer; a weightless/sino style intro segues into a mystical kalimba line, which is then is enveloped by huge waves of synthesized, pitched-down brass.

* 'Point Blank' offers locked, harsh mechanical funk, full of aggravated excitement, before sleek, spacious grime and disguised pop garage achieve twisted anthem status, on the hugely satisfying 'Koto Riddim'.

* 'No Mercy''s Yakuza crime riff is perfect for Riko Dan's threatening menace, especially at the point his voice gets distorted into a guttral and unsettling, demon-like wretch.

* 'Mad Zapper' is abstract, comprised of simple yet challenging beats, tones and stutters, whilst 'Angry Drummer''s taiko/kumi-daiko style percussion has a rousing, heavy thump.

* 'Pan' sounds equally enthralling whether soundtracking a dark movie scene of impending danger, or carying enratptured ravers on a danceflor journey, especially one suited to the synapse-prodding drama of a high production, lazer-heavy festival set.

* Choppy drums and bouncy bass tones are laced with the georgeos melody of 'Ehru', and 'Vectors' is sleek 'n' deep breakbeat-garage-meets-IDM.

* Although already known for elements of musicality, Walton raises his game even higher with the beautiful closing track 'White Lotus', which has a wow factor akin to hearing Aphex's Twin's 'Jynweythek Ylow' for the first time.

* 'The title came from the idea that I wanted it to be sweet and melodic in areas, but dark and grimey at the same time', recalls Walton. 'I never really listened to much Japanese and Chinese music before working on this, and that element originally came from listening to a lot of Sino grime stuff. It wasn't until I was deep into the process of making the album that I started listening to loads of traditional stuff on YouTube for melodic ideas, which changed how it turned out. The whole dubstep techno crossover thing was also a big influence.'
* 'I'm really happy to have Riko Dan & Wen on there', he adds. 'I've done a few remixes of Riko tunes which have had a great response, so it's been wicked to get some original material done together. The track with Wen was first started a while back, so I'm glad it was finally finished and will see a release.'
* Walton has been steadily gaining serious clout through releases since 2011 on Hyperdub, Keysound, Tectonic and Kaizen, with supporters including Mumdance, Logos, Slimzee, Laurel Halo, Wen, Hodge, Mary Anne Hobbs, Giles Peterson, Paleman, Teki Latex, Commodo, Loefah and Kode9. Key club, festival and radio shows include FWD at Plastic People, Fabric, Outlook, NTS, Rinse and BBC 1xtra.

Never one to be constrained by musical genres, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Adam Gibbons (aka Lack of Afro) has taken it up several notches with his sixth studio record 'Jack of All Trades', a multi-genre tour de force that combines soul, funk, hip-hop, disco, rock and everything in-between, all wrapped up in his signature chunky production to create arguably his finest work to date.

The album is blessed with some incredible vocal performances. Regular collaborator Elliott Cole, Nick Corbin (formally of New Street Adventure), ex I Am Giant vocalist Ed Martin, Wax & Herbal T, Alyssa Marie, Camila Recchio, Juliette Ashby & Emma Noble are all on scintillating form on an album that is crammed full of infectious hooks, top musicianship, and more importantly, vibe by the bucketload!

Classic soul ('Back To The Day', 'Reach Out'), hip-hop ('Back In Business', 'Take It Up A Notch'), disco ('Only You & Me'), rock ('Over & Out'), modern soul ('Baby Be Mine'), folk ('Home') and a healthy dose of funk ('The Messin' Around Intermission', 'Good Love'), all combine to create an album that is stuffed with gorgeous phonic gems of all varieties and represents a definite step up from anything he has done before.

Packed full of beautiful horns and lush strings (and all recorded onto tape through a 1970's mixing desk), 'Jack of All Trades' is Adam doing what he does best and then some - blending the old and new to come up with a crossover classic that's entirely his own, whilst all the while ensuring that the songwriting takes centre stage.

Lack of Afro continues to go from strength to strength. 2016's 'Hello Baby' picked up a BBC 6 Music 'Album Of The Year' nomination & appeared in the Top 10 of the iTunes R&B / Soul chart in 21 countries worldwide.

His music also continues to be in high demand across all aspects of film & TV by networks such as ABC, Fox, NBC, Sony Pictures & the BBC. More recently he has signed to licensing label A Remarkable Idea, an imprint of Universal Music alongside artists such as Maximo Park, Pulled Apart By Horses, Alt J & label boss Benson Taylor. A remix of his 2011 song 'P.A.R.T.Y' by French duo Ofenbach (released on Warner Music in March) is all set to be one of 2018's tracks of the year, whilst his debut album 'Press On' (2007) has just been given 'classic' status by Future Music Magazine.

'Jack of All Trades' is supported by a live band UK tour in May & also at various festivals throughout the summer.