“The combined forces of Frederik Valentin & Loke Rahbek first found a way into the world in 2017 with the album 'Buy Corals Online'. Together they now present 'Elephant', an eight-track album that composes an inquisitive space with it's parts.
The economy of movement across Rahbek and Valentin's new collaborative album makes for a gentle transmission of its abstract intimacies. This presence, which we caught glimpses of on their previous work 'Buy Corals Online', is shaped by the delicate interplay between acoustic instrumentation and synthetically rendered sounds. Hauntingly melodic at times, the album feels like a suite of uncanny lullabies that grant access to realities that can only be found in dreams.
Rahbek and Valentin are always leading us somewhere and showing us something—one piece of the scene at a time, coming and going with different parts of a puzzle that eventually settles into a complete form. And through all this we perceive an inviting restlessness on their behalf, encouraging us to stray further and further into the private space of 'Elephant'. Valentin is perhaps best known for his work in the exquisite atypical pop group Kyo, though his widereaching music and videography practices covertly underpin his flagship projects.
Most recently, Valentin has been working with Yung Lean as both producer on his 'Nectar' album as Jonatan Leandoer127 as well as on their commission for Sweden's Cullberg Ballet. As Croatian Amor, Rahbek has made similar forays into unworldly pop and his work with Christian Stadsgaard as Damien Dubrovnik has been as critical as their cofounding of Posh Isolation.
Modest interventions from processed field-recordings and semi-erupting synths invite you to zoom in enough to hear the human hand. An attention to listening, to how sounds cradle the small movements and gestures that naturally accompany the playing of guitar, piano, and viola, is acutely developed by Rahbek and Valentin.
It's in this way that 'Elephant' persuades us that even small stories unfurl into the most intricate and tremendous of sagas"
Cerca:the best of dream
For years, Rhythm Buro and Zadig have maintained a special relationship. The French DJ and producer (real name Sylvain Peltier,) became involved with the Ukrainian institution when he headlined their first party in Kyiv back in 2014. In the few years since, both Sylvain and Rhythm Buro have developed into strong international brands that have become well-known and trusted. They are thus ready to present another form of collaboration: Zadig's debut record on the Kyiv-based label. "Takara-machi" EP is the sixth release in Rhythm Buro's catalogue, following previous releases by Haze, Na Nich, Cyspe and a few VAs on the imprint.
RB006 is particularly notable for its sonic diversity. Zadig, often known for his uncompromising and hard-hitting techno ventures, explores a deeper musical side here, and delves into his wide range of influences and inspirations. A good example of this is found in the manga series "Amer Beton", with the excellent soundtrack by Plaid, hence the Japanese name for the record's title track. At least three of the six tracks on the record follow this influence precisely and are rather cinematic: these are A and B sides' closing tracks; "Shores of Sorrow" and "Kuro & Shiro". Both of which play to a certain dreamy ambient field. The title track on B2 exemplifies Zadig's passion towards an old-school 100 bpm-ish tempo.
And then there's the more dancey side of the record. The EP's opener, "No-face" on A1, and its following tune on A2, "What We Become" are both a clear take, albeit more modern, to classic Detroit techno. Rich with melodies and 909 patterns, both A1 and A2 are conscious in their reference to Detroit, and pay homage to the master minds that spawned the genre in their studios 30 years ago and started it all. The B-side's opening track is another dance floor friendly stomper, although in a different way: "A World of Children" may be best labelled as "slower-electro". Its synth-heavy, almost naive essence, describe its name perfectly.
Despite its aforementioned diversity of sound and tempos, Zadig's "Takara-machi" EP still possesses and maintains a unique commonality and voice across the spectrum. It is dreamy, it is soulful, it puts substance over form. In other words, it has something the vast majority of today's techno palette is missing. Rhythm Buro doesn't miss the mark in unearthing and releasing pure quality for those who know and care.
First Word Records is incredibly proud to present 'Starts Again', the debut album from Tawiah.
The latest signing to the Worldwide Award-winning indie label, Tawiah is somewhat of a trailblazer in the world of alt-soul. Despite this being her debut album, she's long-established in the UK music scene, having previously self-released two EPs and a mixtape, as well as high-profile collaborations with Cinematic Orchestra, Blood Orange, Mark Ronson, Kindness, Cee-Lo, Wiley, Zed Bias and Eric Lau. Additionally being championed by the likes of Zane Lowe, Gilles Peterson and The Guardian, and supporting Moses Sumney on his recent EU tour, it's finally time to unleash a full solo project into the world.
'Starts Again' is an exploration of her identity as a queer woman of colour, raised in a pentecostal family, and a determination to express her musicianship in all its raw glory, free of the constraints of major label wrangles from before.
Co-produced with Sam Beste (Hejira), the album also features vocals from Sharlene Hector, Vula Malinga, Ladonna Young, Ade Omotayo and Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne, as well as glorious string arrangements composed by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, with a series of field recordings from Ghana, amongst the varied components.
In Tawiah's words; "the process of creating this record independently has taken years!! From self-produced demos to live recording sessions with my good friends; Blue May, Sam Beste, Alex Reeve, Alex Bonfanti, Nathan Allen and Lewis Wright. Sam and I then had two years of long joyful studio sessions working on the post production. With no external deadlines or briefs we had the freedom to create whatever came. It was a privilege to collaborate in this way".
A triumphant 10-piece opus, the music seamlessly blends avant-garde sensibilities with low-slung beats and layered harmonies. The vestiges of Tawiah's early church vocal training contrast subtly against a distinctive South London accent, which has helped place her firmly at the vanguard of the British alternative soul movement, and establish a rep as one of the country's most exciting live performers. Time Out even saying "she slays so hard, you better hope there's a doctor in the house".
With a series of immersive live shows being planned in collaboration with spatial artist, Studio Myrrh, the latter half of 2019 headed into 2020 is looking to be a busy time for Tawiah. A decade on from her debut EP, 'Starts Again' is a creative reset of-sorts, though she is already highly revered within the music industry. A unique talent, this debut album should rightly cement her status as one of the UK's finest recording artists and songwriters.
For Patrick Flegel, Cindy Lee is more than just a recording music project. It is the culmination of a lifelong exploration of art, the electric guitar, queer identity and gender expression. "Singers like Patsy Cline and The Supremes carried me through the hardest times of my life," explains Flegel, "and also provided the soundtrack to the best times."
Following the dissolution of Canadian experimental indie band Women, Flegel would delve deeper into songwriting that bends further toward high atmospherics and bracing melodies – a unique space where splendor naturally collides with experimentation. Delivering moments of sheer beauty through somber reflections on longing and loneliness, Cindy Lee is something to hold onto in a world of disorder.
What's Tonight To Eternity, Cindy Lee's fifth long-form offering, showcases the project's most entrancing strengths: ethereal snowdrift pop and sly nods toward classic girl-group motifs. Recorded at Flegel's Realistik Studios in Toronto and featuring younger brother Andrew Flegel on drums, the album travels hand in hand with a spectral guide.
Flegel found inspiration for Cindy Lee in the form of Karen Carpenter, drawing on the singer / drummer's early recordings as well as her look and style. "I found a deep interest and comfort in Karen's story, which is a cautionary tale about the monstrosity of show business, stardom at a young age and being a misfit looking for connection. The darkness and victimizing tabloid sensationalism she suffered is easily tempered and overwhelmed by her earnest output, her artistry, her tireless work ethic. Something utterly unique and magical takes shape in the negative space, out of exclusion. What I relate to in her has to do with what is hidden, what is unknown."
What's Tonight To Eternity remains a mix of pop culture indoctrination, pain and suffering, hopes and dreams, fierce confrontations and wide-open confessional blurs. Closing with the song "Heavy Metal" (dedicated to the memory of former Women bandmate Chris Reimer) and adorned by Andrea Lukic's Journal of Smack artwork, the album continues the bold and rewarding path on which Cindy Lee has embarked.
- A1: Starfish – This Town
- A2: Vampire Lezbos – Stop Killing The Seals
- A3: Nubbin – Windyyy
- A4: Saucer – Jail Ain't Stopping Us
- A5: Machine – Blind Man's Holiday
- A6: Medelicious – Beverly
- A7: Hitting Birth – Same 18
- A8: Nubbin – Wonderama
- B1: Crunchbird – Woodstock Unvisited
- B2: The Ones – Talk To Me
- B3: Pod – 123
- B4: Thrillhammer – Alice's Palace
- B5: Yellow Snow – Take Me For A Ride
- B6: Helltrout – Precious Hyde
- B7: Bundle Of Hiss – Wench
- C1: Starfish – Run Around
- C2: Thrillhammer – Bleed
- C3: Chemistry Set – Fields
- C4: My Name – Voice Of A Generation Gap
- C5: Small Stars – It's Getting Late
- C6: Shug – Am Fm
- C7: Treehouse – Debbie Had A Dream
- D1: My Name – Why I Fight
- D2: Soylent Green – It Smiles
- D5: Saucer – Chicky Chicky Frown
- D6: Attica – The System
- D3: Kill Sybil – Best
- D4: Calamity Jane – Magdalena
Soul Jazz Records new release takes us on a serious road trip into the North-West region of the USA, 1986-97, to explore the amazing lost and forgotten sounds of the Grunge era.
This Deluxe massive 28-track Double CD with 44-page outsize booklet features extensive text, band features and interviews, exclusive photos. Also Worldwide digital release + Ltd.Edition Two seperate double-vinyl albums with full notes and free download code.
The underground music scene of the North-west of America arose from the early 1980's, strung out in isolated towns across the vast state of Washington. In its early days bands who showed an allegiance to their roots of punk. Yet, by 1991,Nirvana, the biggest band in the world, had been born from this community of outsiders.
This compilation features some of the many divergent bands who emerged out of the North-west during this era. Intensely researched and documented this album features many bands who have now disappeared from history after releasing maybe just a couple of singles, or an album, or even never making it onto vinyl – alongside some bands that continue to this day.
Perhaps most fascinating is the wide-ranging styles that these grunge bands incorporated - from punk to metal, experimental and more.
All Roads lead to Nirvana: 17 of the bands featured here played alongside Nirvana in the period 1987 to 93. All 23 bands featured feature members who shared a stage with Nirvana. Jack Endino (The Ones) produced 37 Nirvana songs. Dave Foster (Helltrout) was Nirvana's 3rd drummer. Bundle of Hiss became TAD who played more gigs with Nirvana than any other band.
With fantastically in-depth sleevenotes, interviews with most of the bands, exclusive photography and all sonically remastered tracks this is a comprehensive double CD (and 2 volumes of 2x12" vinyl releases) bringing together the hidden, lost and forgotten sounds of the North-west grunge era.
Reviews & Articles: Seattle Times feature here. Irish Times here. Read article by compiler Nick Soulsby in Nirvana Legacy here Read second article by the compiler here. Read article about the artwork here.
'WRWTFWW Records' is insanely excited to announce the first ever vinyl release of Tom Raybould’s award-winning movie soundtrack for excellent AI-themed sci-fi thriller The Machine (2013). The limited edition LP boasts 16 superb tracks and is housed in a special glow in the dark sleeve.
"Tom Raybould’s Music For The Machine Is Amazing" - Bloody Disgusting.
Undoubtedly one of the greatest (and most overlooked) movie scores of the 2010's, The Machine finds its influences in the works of John Carpenter, Vangelis, Brad Fiedel, and Tangerine Dream, but presents its own unique twist, one that cleverly evokes the thin line between man and machine that haunts the whole film.
Cold and tenacious rhythms suggest mechanical killer instincts, brooding synths crystallize the fear of an AI-controlled future, but the warm and gentle sounds of guitar and piano ease the tension and bring hope of humanity. From its menacing introduction to it's tender ending, Tom Raybould’s masterwork ingenuously blends ambient, electronic, neoclassical, and synthwave to recontextualize and upgrade the classic 80's sci-fi movie score template, holding it's own against mammoth soundtracks like Blade Runner or The Terminator. Truly.
Cold with a touch of humanity like the perfect machine, Tom Raybould’s movie score won the BAFTA Cymru award for Best Original Music in 2013.
- A1: Way The World Is
- A2: You Tear The World In Two
- A3: Sea Of Sound
- A4: True Coming Dream
- A5: Little Hammer
- B1: Insubstantial
- B2: A Deep Sleep For Steven
- B3: Language Of Flowers
- B4: Fell From The Sun
- B5: Sight Of You
- B6: Time Thief
- C1: Sight Of You
- C2: Way The World Is
- C3: Language Of Flowers
- C4: You Tear The World In Two
- C5: Fell From The Sun
- C6: A Deep Sleep For Steven
- C7: Time Thief
- D1: Sea Of Sound
- D2: Insubstantial
- D3: Little Hammer
- D4: True Coming Dream
- D5: She Rides The Waves
- D6: You Tear The World In Two
- D7: Way The World Is
- D8: Time Thief
On the eve of a post-Thatcherite Britain, the Pale Saints, alongside the likes of Lush, Ride and Slowdive, were ushering in a new wave of British indie. And in 4AD, they found a perfect home for their music - an exciting & undeniable meld of noise and dream-pop.
Their debut album, The Comforts of Madness, didn’t disappoint, now standing as one of the best of its era. Pitchfork placed it in their Best 50 Shoegaze Albums Of All Time saying, “There’s a restless urgency, particularly when the volume swells and the rhythms intensify. That energy not only keeps (it) vital, it emphasizes Pale Saints’ inventiveness, how they channelled softness and rage into something distinctive.”
Nearly 30 years on and The Comforts of Madness is finally getting the reissue treatment. Having been remastered, a faithful LP repress on black vinyl is being released as well as double CD and double clear vinyl editions, both of which come with a bonus disc of previously unreleased demos and the band’s only John Peel Session, recorded in 1989.
- A1: Theme For A Hunter (2:12)
- A2: The Hunter (Link 1) (0:11)
- A3: The Hunter (Link 2) (0:09)
- A4: The Hunter (Link 3) (0:09)
- A5: Heavy Lead (1:43)
- A6: Uneasy Silence (2:05)
- A7: Hideout (1:56)
- A8: Hideout (Shock) (0:08)
- A9: Hideout (Let Down) (0:16)
- A10: Approach (2:00)
- A11: Approach (Shock) (0:08)
- A12: Approach (Sting) (0:08)
- A13: Approach (Exclamation) (0:07)
- A14: Flashing Knives (1:18)
- A15: Solid Pursuit (1:04)
- A16: Flying Squad (1:08)
- A17: Nightwatch (2:44)
- B1: Adventure Story (1:23)
- B2: Adventure Story (Link 1) (0:11)
- B3: Adventure Story (Link 2) (0:10)
- B4: The Investigator (2:48)
- B5: Passing Hours Suite (4:21)
- B6: The Set Up (2:01)
- B7: Stake Out (2:17)
- B10: Speed Trap (Link) (0:13)
- B11: Battle (1:00)
- B12: Battle (Link 1) (0:06)
- B13: Battle (Link 2) (0:17)
- B14: Attack (0:51)
- B15: Casing The Joint (1:33)
- B16: The Foil (1:31)
- B17: Scream (0:11)
- B18: Meanwhile (0:12)
- B8: Knife Edge (1:33)
- B9: Speed Trap (0:55)
They Say: “Composite themes and incidental cues for dramatic application”.
We say: Well, it’s definitely dramatic. No wonder this LP was mined by a multitude of 70s and 80s crime shows. Much like Beat Incidental, this true gem includes a raft of enjoyable sub-ten second incidental cues alongside satisfyingly stretched out, hard-knocking sleuth-funk.
The Hunter (Drama Suite) / Adventure Story is a real library-head’s library album. We’re treated to some of the best works of no less than five different heavyweights of the genre: drummer Brian Bennett, guitarist Clive Hicks (of The Gentle Rain), saxophonist Duncan Lamont, rock bassist Dave Richmond and keyboard session giant Steve Gary! Something of a dream line-up, they each contributed stellar efforts to create one of the most sought-after of the legendary KPM albums.
Both sides of this LP are dripping with insidious grooves and dramatic spy-score themes, bursting with heavy guitars, swirling flutes, creeping piano-funk and drum breaks galore. Originally released in 1975, it’s clear that these library heroes were heavily influenced by the tough funk and street soul sonics emerging from the cutting edge Blaxploitation soundtracks.
Dave Richmond’s taut swagger and wah-wah guitar licks of “Nightwatch”, Steve Gray’s sleazy horn and clav-funk on the A-side opener “Theme For A Hunter” and Brian Bennett’s rolling strut of “The Investigator” are just three of the highlights here. That last one being sampled by Jeff Jank under his Captain Funkaho guise on “My 2600” for Stones Throw back in 1999.
As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for The Hunter (Drama Suite) / Adventure Story comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. We’ve taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity.
And don’t worry! Those KPM stickers aren’t stuck directly on the sleeves!
Since forming in 2006 post-punk experimentalists Sebastian Melmoth have been on a thoughtful and adventurous musical journey. In a constant state of aural evolution, the London-based four-piece has a delivered a string of albums and EPs that variously touch on everything from garage-rock, grunge and lo-fi pop, to electro, new wave, dark ambient and music concrete, all the while drawing on a myriad of literary and artistic influences.
The band’s first release for Artificial Dance digs deep into their admirable and eye-opening catalogue and draws together some of the Amsterdam-based label’s favourites from the more electronic end of the band’s output. Entitled “The Dynamics of Vanity” – a comment on Western culture’s obsession with rehashing the past and the band’s own in-built distrust of artistic naval-gazing – the set is not a ‘best of’ retrospective but rather a ‘sort of’ selection of stylistically interconnected cuts that gives a very specific snapshot of the band’s work.
Check for example “Icarus”, a drowsy, hypnotic and sample-laden soundscape that effortlessly joins the dots between post-rock, pitched-down electronica and early morning ambient, or the slowly unfurling throb of thought-provoking opener “The Engineering of Consent”, a swelling, melancholic post-jazz meditation on propaganda and governmental mind control featuring spoken word samples from William S Burroughs in conversation with Brion Gysin, Timothy Leary, Les Levine and Robert Anton Wilson.
The showcased songs are typically hard-to-pin-down, too, with the re-imagined gothic horror break-up cut “Prosopagnosia’ and slow-burn audio addition of “Waiting For Godot” being joined by the wide-eyed morning dream-pop hallucinations of “Seeds (Descent Into Decadence)”. It all adds up to a collection that expertly showcases one engaging thread – of many – running through Sebastian Melmoth’s esoteric body of work.
COMA haben etwas sehr Seltenes geschafft: sie haben Songs geschrieben, die ein authentische Gefühl von Nähe, Wärme und, ja, auch Emotionalität ausstrahlen.
Die Kölner Elektronik Band verwebt auf ihrem Album Voyage Voyage verschollen geglaubte Ebenen der Erinnerungen in ein vielschichtiges zugleich aber auch irre zugängliches Album zeitgenössischen Elektro Pops. Musik, die sich freimacht von Zwängen, von Zeitgeist und genau deshalb eine einzigartige Stellung einnimmt. Das Album besticht durch verträumte Leichtigkeit und umarmt gleichzeitig eine melancholische Grundstimmung. Voyage Voyage klingt voller spannender Sound Ideen – es zischt und rauscht und hallt und klappert – und ruht doch entspannt in sich und vor allem aber jagt es nicht irgendeinem flüchtigen Moment hinterher, dieses Album steht ganz für sich, für COMAs leicht entrückten Pop voller Möglichkeiten. COMA sind typische Kinder der aufregenden Nullerjahre, Marius und Georg wurden musikalisch aufgezogen mit 80er-Jahre Zuckerwatte, haben dann in zerrissenen Jeans und Indie-Rock der 90er die Adoleszenz durchlebt, wurden erst von den Prinzen der Kölner Clubwelt wachgeküsst und erspielten sich mit diversen EPs und zwei Alben auf Kompakt viel internationales Lob und Anerkennung. Der britische Guardian attestierte ihnen begeistert “playfulness, prettiness and the kind of intense pleasure that results from perfectly interwoven melodies“.
Es ist genau diese vielgelobte unkonventionelle und spielerische Herangehensweise, die sie wohl auch dazu inspirierte, selbst noch während einer Clubnacht im Berghain ihre Gitarre auszupacken. Es liegt also alles in ihrer DNA, doch noch nie waren COMA-Tracks so persönlich und von Vocals und Texten geprägt.
LTD Edition!
COMA haben etwas sehr Seltenes geschafft: sie haben Songs geschrieben, die ein authentische Gefühl von Nähe, Wärme und, ja, auch Emotionalität ausstrahlen.
Die Kölner Elektronik Band verwebt auf ihrem Album Voyage Voyage verschollen geglaubte Ebenen der Erinnerungen in ein vielschichtiges zugleich aber auch irre zugängliches Album zeitgenössischen Elektro Pops. Musik, die sich freimacht von Zwängen, von Zeitgeist und genau deshalb eine einzigartige Stellung einnimmt. Das Album besticht durch verträumte Leichtigkeit und umarmt gleichzeitig eine melancholische Grundstimmung. Voyage Voyage klingt voller spannender Sound Ideen – es zischt und rauscht und hallt und klappert – und ruht doch entspannt in sich und vor allem aber jagt es nicht irgendeinem flüchtigen Moment hinterher, dieses Album steht ganz für sich, für COMAs leicht entrückten Pop voller Möglichkeiten. COMA sind typische Kinder der aufregenden Nullerjahre, Marius und Georg wurden musikalisch aufgezogen mit 80er-Jahre Zuckerwatte, haben dann in zerrissenen Jeans und Indie-Rock der 90er die Adoleszenz durchlebt, wurden erst von den Prinzen der Kölner Clubwelt wachgeküsst und erspielten sich mit diversen EPs und zwei Alben auf Kompakt viel internationales Lob und Anerkennung. Der britische Guardian attestierte ihnen begeistert “playfulness, prettiness and the kind of intense pleasure that results from perfectly interwoven melodies“.
Es ist genau diese vielgelobte unkonventionelle und spielerische Herangehensweise, die sie wohl auch dazu inspirierte, selbst noch während einer Clubnacht im Berghain ihre Gitarre auszupacken. Es liegt also alles in ihrer DNA, doch noch nie waren COMA-Tracks so persönlich und von Vocals und Texten geprägt.
Hot off the heels of Aluxes, his 2018 Lumière Noire debut EP, young Mexican DJ/producer Iñigo
Vontier is inviting Chloé's label on a trip to the far corners of the body & mind with an album of
demented grooves, psychedelic take-offs and imaginary comic strips of mystical rituals. A
bewitching debut full-length. Mexicans may never possess the sonic science of the Germans,
the hedonistic madness of the English or the gift for synthesis of the French, but, as proven by
Iñigo Vontier's first full-length for Lumière Noire, their universe is much more exciting than
anyone would have ever thought.
The DJ/producer fully asserts his origins by brandishing the album’s title "El Hijo del Maiz" ("the
son of the corn") almost as an emblem: "in Mexico, corn is eaten daily. It has long been defined
as 'the gold of America', and I consider all Mexicans as children of corn". A spiritual and
embodied vision Iñigo's first Lumière Noire release, the four-track Aluxes, set the tone of the
young talent's distinctive interpretation of dark disco, which creeps up on the dancefloor from its
iconoclastic side. The two tracks and two remixes (one by Flügel, the other by Inigo himself)
featured on the 12" for lead single "Xu Xu" (featuring Red Axes-affiliate Xen's irrelevant vocals)
was a full-bodied confirmation that Vontier sees the dancefloor as an arena for the occult –
whether from the peoples of the equatorial jungle, the Middle East or, even from indocile
machines. But, while the spiritual element seems part and parcel of the Jalisco native’s output, it
is in no way the only ingredient of this first long-player: "this album best reflects my own vision
and spirituality, and the way I feel it" he says.
Whether contemplative or frenetic, the collection of tracks that make up “El Hijo Del Maiz” takes
the kitchen sink and throws it out the window: languid rhythms, haunted vocals, and mysterious
percussion fuel a discombobulated house set that scrambles the listener's five senses, leaving
one disoriented and exposed to the vagaries of vertigo. Following the demented, dystopian “Xu
Xu” EP, which explored an imaginary jungle that harbored Mayan and Egyptian pyramids,
Middle Eastern accents are once more present in the off-kilter “Bo Ni Ke” and its Japaneseinfluenced vocal trickery, which Moroccan flutes à la Jajouka transform into a feverish trance.
With the following three tracks, Iñigo Vontier raises himself to the same level of excellence as
the Pachanga duo (of which pride of the Mexican scene Rebolledo, is also known as a prolific
artisan of deconstruction): “Awaken”'s slumbering voice, heard as through the veil of hypnosis,
slowly introduces a techno beat which, as in follow-up “Time”, literally brings the listener to a
levitative state. In a housier vein, yet continuing in the same psychedelic, 90s-infused spirit,
“Don’t Go Back” disrupts the genre’s usual signatures with an out-of-tune keyboard that is
becoming the artist's trademark, destabilizing the listener into a drunken vertigo, with a good
helping of sexiness: "I think the sexy dimension definitely brings a kind of magic to music," says
Vontier. “I'm sure I felt this magic during my DJ sets, and I like to think that sorcerers use this
element in their practices. I might consider myself a bit of a sorcerer when I take over the DJ
booth, by the way." A mood and sound that can once again be found – in a quieter, more
bucolic version – on “Chiquitita” (feat. the flute stylings of pioneer DJ Rocca, now a partner of
cosmic disco legend Daniele Baldelli). The more cinematic, fast-paced and dreamy beat of the
no less captivating “Little Monster” might evoke the mischievous spirit of the Mayas' minor
mythological creatures, while ode to the magical herb Marijuana (feat Thomass Jackson)
proudly tramples into the debate that such a provocative title inevitably provokes: "psychedelic
drugs are powerful tools to reach a higher level of consciousness about what surrounds us, but
we must learn how to complete this psychic journey by ourselves, notably through meditation
and love.
In the end, El Hijo del Maiz is an album-length confirmation of Iñigo Vontier's uniqueness, and
his adherence to Lumière Noire's policy of letting artists fully express their vision – while letting
their passions guide their idiosyncrasies and explorations of innovative electronic signatures
After a three year absence, Kasper Bjørke returns to hfn music with a sublime new double EP entitled
“Nothing Gold Can Stay”. Having followed a deeply personal ambient music path that last year led to
the release of “Kasper Bjørke Quartet: The Fifty Eleven Project” on Kompakt Records, (named 5th
Best Contemporary Album 2018 in The Guardian), Kasper has found his way back to producing some
of his signature leftfield danceable beats, which “the past decade has seen Bjørke steadily rising amongst the ranks of artful, eclectic electronic producers…” (XLR8R).The Double EP “Nothing Gold Can Stay” explores both the analogue and organic side of his production work on Side A - while Side B reflects on sounds that he would play today, in one of his nightclub DJ sets. Side A contains four collaborations with four friends from LA, New York and Copenhagen. “Water” feat. Toby Ernest, the slow mo opener to the EP, revives the partnership with Toby that was last seen on 2014’s After Forever album (on the single “Rush”). Toby also provides the vocals on the cover version of Alessi Brothers’ 1975 classic “Seabird” - a track that came about through Kasper’s friendship and musical synergy with DJ and vinyl digger Christian d’Or, who is lead crooning while Toby delivers his signature falsetto. The “Seabird” cover adds a distinct contemporary feeling to the original version while staying true and respectful to the delivery and mood of the songs core. The 2nd half of the release, Side B, is directly aimed at the floor. Having stepped away from releasing club jams for a few years, Kasper is clearly enjoying getting back to the business of making people move. Side B of Nothing Gold Can Stay is both a testament to Kasper’s versatility as a producer and an all-out dancefloor assault, made with precision and sensitivity.
- A1: Bomb Pops 'Girl Daredevil
- A2: The Claim 'Hercules'*
- A3: Love Parade 'Out To Sea'*
- A4: Hope 'Funny
- A5: Lorelei 'Burro
- A6: Boyracer 'No Fuel
- B1: My Favourite 'Modulate' (7' Version)
- B2: Vinegar Blossom 'Perfection Found In Good Health
- B3: Hulaboy 'Garden
- B4: Tea 'Two Weeks
- B5: Hope 'Whining And Whining'*
- B6: Decemberists Of Liverpool 'Simpler To Say'*
- B7: Hula Hoop 'French Kiss '66
- C1: The Claim 'Waiting For Jesus
- C2: Love Parade 'Lazy Days
- C3: Hope 'There's A Place
- C4: The Apple Moths 'Miserable Town
- C5: Feverfew 'Bed Of Roses
- C6: Boyracer 'My Town
- C7: Sugar Plant 'Orange Filter
- D1: Boyracer 'The Useless Romantic
- D2: The Gravy Train 'Make It Better
- D3: Feverfew 'Paint It Blue'*
- D4: Juniper 'You Don't Hide So Well
- D5: Tree Fort Angst 'You Should Have Seen The One That Got Away
- D6: Hellfire Sermons 'Door To My Backyard'*
- D7: Antiseptic Beauty 'Illuminate Me
- E1: The Apple Moths 'Fred Astaire
- E2: Eva Luna 'She Sines
- E3: Tea 'Breathing' (7' Mix)
- E4: Hellfire Sermons 'Bill And Sarah
- E5: Secret Shine 'Unbearable
- E6: Hula Hoop 'She's A Bad Motorcycle'*
- F1: Remember Fun 'Train Journeys'*
- F2: The Ropers 'These Days
- F3: The Dreamscape 'Blackflower
- F4: Boyracer With Even As We Speak 'Friend
- F5: The Claim 'Plastic Grip
- F6: The Rileys 'Time Will Pass
- F7: Love Parade 'Life
The return of A Turntable Friend Records starts with an opulent 40 track retrospective compilation of their heydays in the 1909s. Peers of Sarah Records and Slumberland Records but far from copying their style, ATF Records always had their own musical identity allowing for a roster as diverse as Boyracer (with Even As We Speak), Secret Shine, The Claim, The Ropers, the Hellfire Sermons + Lorelei.
This compilation is a feast of highlights from the long-deleted back catalogue plus 8 unreleased tracks from the period. Many of the original 7s & 12s are much sought after collector items and several tracks appear on cd for the first time.
Indie guitar popof the best variety delivered by bands from the UK< USA, Australia + Japan.
The release is luxuriously packaged in a tri-fold sleeve for the triple vinyl, strictly limited to 500 for the world. It includes a 12 x 12 full colour booklet and a download code.
The double cd comes with the same tracks also in a gatefold sleeve with full colour booklet.
This compilation is a fundraiser for the William Wates Memorial Trust in the UK with all profits being donated.
- 1: Something So Strong
- 2: Weather With You
- 3: It's Only Natural
- 4: Chocolate Cake
- 5: Fall At Your Feet
- 6: Distant Sun
- 7: Better Be Home Soon
- 8: Four Seasons In One Day
- 9: Don't Dream It's Over
- 10: Mean To Me
- 11: Locked Out
- 12: Don't Stop Now
- 13: Pineapple Head
- 14: Instinct
- 15: Fingers Of Love
- 16: Private Universe
- 17: Not The Girl You Think You Are
- 18: Nails In My Feet
- 19: Pour Le Monde
UMC are proud to present the first ever vinyl release of ‘The Very Very Best Of Crowded House‘! An institution in their homeland, a two-album wonder in the U.S., and, during the last half of their ten-year career, bona fide stars in the U.K. and most of Europe, Crowded House recorded some of the best pop music of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Leader Neil Finn’s carefully crafted songs, meticulous eye for lyrical detail, and gift for melody are matched by few other songwriters. The songs of Crowded House & Neil’s songwriting acclaim have been championed by the likes of Ariana Grande & Miley Cyrus, Chris Martin & Eddie Vedder & most recently Fleetwood Mac, for which Neil is currently the touring guitarist/vocalist. The 2010 chart-topping compilation features all the band’s major hits including ‘Fall At Your Feet’, ‘Weather With You‘ & ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ plus many (many) more. The 19-track collection is cut across 2 x 180-gram black vinyl LPs featuring printed inners & essay. DL codes included.
“This sound / synapse transposition is as haunting as it is beautiful—surely Grouper’s best.”—Tiny Mix Tapes
“If past Grouper releases have inhabited abyssal trenches and damp backwoods, here Harris takes us journeying across constellations and stars. Two of the most beguiling albums of the year, exquisitely realized and singularly evocative.” —The Quietus
“This music feels both spacey and expansive and also oddly intimate and grounded, the work of someone who has mastered her tools and knows how to get the most out of them.”—Pitchfork “Harris nds a way to dive deeper in simple and unassuming ways.”—NPR
NO MORE don't need much of an introduction - the legendary Kiel-based (No)Wave / PostPunk band project took the worlds dancefloors by storm with the release of their seminal single "Suicide Commando" in 1981 which was later re-introduced to the Techno / Electro youth of the world, when Munich's DJ Hell famously reinterpreted the tune in 1998.
Still actively touring and releasing on a regular NO MORE are now making their debut on the freshly launched Intrauterin Recordings-offshoot EL CABALLO SEMENTAL..
The labels cat.no. 001 is a first time on vinyl release taken off NO MORE's "The Return Of The German Angst" digital mixtape and sees one of the bands hit tunes being reworked in a unique, highly captivating manner, pressed exclusively as a limited to 200 copies whitelabel edition on purple / violet vinyl.
"123456789 (baze.djunkiii + Herr Brandt Dream A Nudream Remix)" exceeds the bands natural musical realm by far and transfers the song into MoombahGoth / DubWave territories previously unheard of, not only for a classic band like NO MORE.. The rework picks up latest developments from the urban and bass music world whilst keeping the haunted vibe of the original songs chorus intact, slighty references NuBeat / PostPunk and Dub, adds lush, dreamy Cosmic guitar textures and even winks to the underground whistle and rave posse with a sweet as candy piano breakdown.
In their conjunctional remix work we see Intrauterin Recordings-founder baze.djunkiii, quality electronic music activist and prolific DJ for more than 20 years, and Herr Brandt, founding member of the classic German Wave / Indie / Alternative outfit The Convent as well as of the praised underground Synth Pop / Minimal Wave band Sonnenbrandt, effortlessly merge the best of two musical worlds to create something new and captivating, like they used to do on the decks with their former BETA-ZERFALL parties which were the main and initial reason the two of them and NO MORE came together in the first place.
a A- 123456789 BAZE.DJUNKIII + HERR BRANDT DREAM A NUDREAM REMIX
We love pop music. You’ve probably noticed. Witness our vinyl love-ins with Kylie, Róisín and Cassie if this has somehow passed you by. So when Lou Hayter (London-based musician, style-DJ to the stars, one of our besties) asked us to put her sumptuous funk-lite hit “Cherry On Top” on vinyl it felt like a neat fit. But this isn’t just any old Be With record. We decided such a monumental track would make the perfect inaugural release on Be Pop, our new, most likely sporadically active, side-label.
For those not paying attention in 2005, Lou Hayter was the keyboardist in Mercury nominated electro-pop outfit New Young Pony Club (who were a really good band, beyond the hype, and arguably a little ahead of their time) and she is currently one half of electronic duo Tomorrow’s World, a project with Air’s Jean-Benoît Dunckel. Her comeback single “Cherry On Top” originally appeared in late October 2018, but as a digital only concern. Unsurprisingly it caused a blog stir (Gorilla vs Bear correctly gushed) and what seemed like 6 Music’s entire roster of DJs had it on repeat.
But it’s not a proper single unless you can buy it in a record shop. So accordingly we’ve issued it as a full picture sleeve 12", pressed on white vinyl. And just to make certain, the instrumental and a cappella are on the flip. This is our homage to the classic dance/pop 12" singles of the late 80s and early 90s.
Riding an infectious sample of Marc Jordan’s yacht-rock classic “Generalities”, it’s a glistening, sun-soaked daydreamy jam, perfect for convertibles, pool parties, and roller-discos. It’s quite delicious. Whilst it’s pop without question, it wouldn’t be a Lou Hayter track without ice-cool nods to other magical genres; with Italo flecks and dream-pop vocals, this is cherry coloured funk indeed.
“Cherry On Top” screams “Mighty Summer Pop Radio Anthem”. We might have just missed the end of Summer 2019, but this 12" comes out just in time for every summer from now until the end of time.
- A1: Pleasure Centre
- A2: In Plain Sight (Feat Ivar)
- A3: Soul Liberator (Feat Sanguita)
- B1: Don't Want This To Be Over (Feat Satchmode)
- B2: Sommeron (Feat Imugi)
- B3: Twilight (Feat Izo Fitzroy)
- B4: Echo Park
- C1: Same Blood (Feat The Palms)
- C2: Say The Word (Feat Nic Hanson)
- C3: 24Hr Fling (Feat Wolfgang Valbrun)
- C4: Sweet Time (Feat Izo Fitzroy)
- D1: Guilty Discomforts (Feat Wolfgang Valbrun)
- D2: Out In The Daylight (Feat Gavin Turek)
- D3: I Think (Feat Berenice Van Leer)
- D4: Naked (Feat Ivar & Berenice Van Leer)
Kraak & Smaak's 6th studio album - 'Pleasure Centre' is the culmination of two years hard work since their critically acclaimed 'Juicy Fruit' LP and their first Kraak & Smaak LP released on their own label – Boogie Angst. As expected it's a glorious record packed with future classics, flitting between funky dancefloor focused jams and more relaxed downtempo affairs.
The album has a definite US West Coast vibe to it and sees them fuse classic 70's and 80's yacht rock, dream pop, and indie influences in with their signature electronic funk sound. And this result is no mere accident or emulation… Working on the demos in their own studio before travelling to LA for a month last year to meet and work with featured artists, they stayed in Echo Park and recorded in local studios and sometimes even in the homes or backyards garages of their collaborators.
Hand- picking the best of the local talent: dance diva - Gavin Turek, indie upstarts - The Palms and dream pop dealer – Satchmode all contribute their talents to the cause.
The Dutchmen have earned a deserved reputation in particular for the A&R side of the industry, with both the discovery and collaboration of new rising acts high on their agenda. Previous successes include working with Parcels, Alxndr London (championed by Annie Mac) Eric Biddines (6Music playlisted) and Cleopold (signed to Nick Murphy fka Chet Faker's own label). And they continue to uncover hidden gems outside of LA on this record too...
Moon Boots collaborator – Nic Hanson, Jalapeno Records' gospel/soul powerhouse - Izo FitzRoy and soul man Wolfgang Valbrun (Ephemerals/Kungs), New Zealand's imugi and previous collaborator and soul songstress - Sanguita are accompanied by regular members of the Kraak & Smaak live band - IVAR and Berenice Van Leer across 15 fantastic new tracks.
'Pleasure Centre' is everything you'd want in an album and everything we've come to expect from these dance stalwarts – innovative, relevant, and modern tracks with great production and exciting guest features that are guaranteed to fire up your own pleasure centre!
k 11 Sweet Time (feat. Izo FitzRoy) clip
Inc. Pfirter Remix
M. R. E. U. X. Is back with a new project which incorporates the elegance and quality of old school techno. The track “pulsation” is extremely psychedelic and creates a rollercoaster of emotions and positive vibes. Furthermore Pulsation will get you on the dance floor in no time and you simply won’t be able to stop dancing. The next track “noise dream” gets you in a magical atmosphere right from the first notes. The feeling will be overwhelming...close your eyes and get carried away by the outwardly beats and let your mind take over cause this also happens to be M. R. E. U. X. ‘S favorite tune. To complete this amazing new venture comes producer Pfirter gifting us with a banging remix of Pulsation reconfirming his quality contribution to all things techno. Be sure to look out for this track cause it will stick with any techno hardcore lover. Bottom line is that Blumoog music label is once again reconfirming themself as one of the best techno labels in the world. Stay tuned for new adventures.




















