quête:the birds

A tangle of word and melody, old and new, NIGHTJAR evokes journeys along ghostly paths, country lanes and starlit shorelines, alive with shimmering patterns of a flowing tide. Stories of childhood, of loves and rivalries, fair maidens, cruel sisters and winged sorcerers are interwoven with glimpses of the natural world. NIGHTJAR is Liz Overs' debut solo release, having previously been signed to Atlantic in the late '90s as part of indie-dance crossover band Pocket Size, and she was also lead singer and songwriter for the Sussex-based folk band Chalk Horse Music.
Liz's haunting, unaccompanied version of The Birds in the Spring was featured in Dylan Howitt's award-winning documentary The Nettle Dress, and she performed live at several key screenings of the film in the UK.

Standard weight single black vinyl LP in picture sleeve

Silberfarbenes Vinyl. 80er-Jahre-Synthie-Rock-Pop-Magie für Fans von Vierspuraufnahmen. Der DIY-Außenseiter Rick Cuevas war ein Post-Punk-Flüchtling auf der Suche nach einer Vision für einen Hit. "The Birds", 1984 zu Hause aufgenommen, ist der 40 Jahre verspätete Viralkracher und eine von acht retro-futuristischen Hymnen, die Cuevas' Debütalbum ausmachen. Diese von den analogen Bändern neu gemasterte Jubiläumsausgabe repliziert das Original, das in einer Auflage von nur 200 Exemplaren erschienen war, für maximalen Teleportationswert.

Singer James Ambrose Johnson, born on February 1, 1948, in Buffalo, New York, fled to Toronto, Canada, to avoid the draft. There, he started The Mynah Birds, a rhythm & blues band and changed his name to Rick James. In 1966, Neil Young joined the band, but their journey ended when James was exposed as a draft dodger and jailed. After serving his time, Rick James joined several bands, including The Great White Cane, and developed his unique funk style. In 1978, Motown signed him to their Gordy Records, releasing his debut solo album Come And Get It! featuring the hits “You and I” and “Mary Jane.” The album climbed to number 13 on the U.S. charts. Rick released multiple successful albums, such as Bustin’ Out Of L Seven and Fire It Up, with hits like “High On Your Love Suite' and “Bustin’ Out (On Funk).” His 1981 album Street Songs marked his internationally breakthrough, blending funk, rock, and new wave. It produced hits like “Ghetto Life,” the massive “Give It To Me Baby,” and “Super Freak,” earning gold records and Grammy nominations.

His follow-up albums included Throwin’ Down, featuring “Dance Wit’ Me” and "Standing On The Top" with The Temptations, and Cold Blooded, with “Ebony Eyes”a collaboration with Smokey Robinson. Furthermore Rick wrote and produced “Party All The Time” for Eddie Murphy, reaching number 2 on the Billboard charts. Also included on this Collected album are the hits “Glow”, “Loosey’s Rap” featuring the queen of hip hop Roxanne Shanté and his collaboration with Busta Rhymes of “In The Ghetto”

Rick James Collected includes most of his hits and early songs and the 2LP, is available on black vinyl and includes liner notes.

2025 repress

Wilson Tanner come to shore with a new album of floating melodies, lightly salted. Throwing electroacoustic conventions overboard, Andrew Wilson (Andras) and John Tanner (Eleventeen Eston) recorded this new work aboard a 1950s riverboat with a resourceful array of weatherproof electronic instruments and a long extension lead. These eight compositions pull in a by-catch of maritime folklore; of Siren and Selkie, Seagull and engine oil slick. A change of course from their debut album 69 (Growing Bin Records, 2016), the ambient temperature drops as II casts out to sea in uncertain weather and returns to the safe harbours of Port Phillip Bay.

The seafarers head out to My Gull's poised optimism. The birds watch but do they listen? By the arrival of Loch and Key, the shoreline has dissolved completely, the boat floating in serene infinity as the rest of the world spins. Conditions soon take a treacherous turn on Killcord Pts I-III - a 12 minute odyssey that battens down the hatches as these sailors eye merciless waves and blinding ocean spray, jointly channelling Berlin-school electronics and sea legs. In the aftermath, the waterlogged bleeps of Idle survey the damage as our parched crew sound the distress signal and ultimately descend into delirium.

Known for navigating individual courses as solo musicians, Wilson and Tanner's collective storytelling is saturated in detail, buoying between tension and harmony. II modestly stands as some of both artists' most accomplished material.

TOTEMIC MODULATIONS, UNEARTHED FROM WIND AND WORDS

“The album Chênes mainly brings together songs. These songs are narratives of scenes that unfold in the forest, or in the city but with animal and plant protagonists. One song also tells the story of a solitary walk in the mountains. They are like zoomed-in snapshots of the world of insects, amphibians, birds, and mammals. They are also celebrations of growing life, and the pleasure and joy it brings.

Composed over the course of about two or three years, it was a deliberate choice to bring them together for this album, even though they were not initially connected to one another. One of them is an exception and is more of a collection of vocalizations and cries without actual words, composed in a language incomprehensible to humans because it is nonverbal.

This collection of imitated chants and sung songs had to be illustrated by the collages of my friend Fen. Even though the stories describe real species and elements, they are indeed imagined tales. Her collages are, too. There’s also the violin that adds a wandering touch to the pieces, and other instruments that shape the environment and setting of these stories. Bells, bird calls, whistles, flutes, jaw harp, harmonica — all imitate more or less imaginary species. Each has its role and its life, down to the horsehair of the bow that rubs the strings of my violin to bring forth the sound.

Chênes is a title that pays homage to trees I love so much, though without preference over others. They have embodied several giants that I’ve often come across, greeted, and embraced” ~ Roxane Métayer

Sex Mask is a 3 piece post-punk/alternative rock band based in Melbourne, Australia, drawing members who hail from various parts of the globe.

The self-contained writing/production unit comprises Vicente Moncada on drums/production, Ry Gray on vocals and lyrics, and Kaya Martin on guitars and synths.

Their music is described as "vague pop instilled with the ancient genius of your own blood," suggesting a blend of introspective lyrics, innovative soundscapes, in a context of absurdist punk.

Sex Mask has released several tracks, including "Tv Movie," "How To Be Cool At Parties," and "Birds." They have a growing organic base of listeners on streaming platforms.

Their captivating live show in 2024-25 has seen them support Fcukers, Big Special, Fat White Family and festival stages around Australia.
Following an exciting Bigsound Brisbane and SXSW Sydney in late 2024, the chaotic trio will embark on their first UK tour this spring, covering stages at Dot To Dot, Great Escape, Get Together as well as their debut headline show in London.

Regina Spektor's 2009 follow-up to Begin to Hope, available on limited edition Velum Clear vinyl. On Far, Spektor invites four esteemed producers, Jeff Lynne, Mike Elizondo, David Kahne, and Garret "Jacknife" Lee, to collaborate on intricate and adventurous soundscapes for her songs. Includes “Two Birds”, “Eet, “Laughing With", “Dance Anthem of the 80’s,” and more

Remember: you could be dreaming. Sinking or flying, sound-catching or singing. Witnessing a distant storm in silence, how it exposes purple clouds in unpredictable flashes. Hearing a submarine eruption and finding natal comfort in the warm, fragrant smoke that only wants to sheathe all your edges. The circus has left, only placards remain. And the snow. Look how the flakes sway to your feet without effort - any distance is misleading, illusory. There’s only dream and memory – the two wings of a bird that flaps with an ocean wave, blinks with an eye of a lighthouse. Fragile, you could be dreaming not alone, holding hands with the core of things. The molten core, like touching ice. You could be dreaming. Dreaming in perfect memories of shapes imperfect. Dreaming of the earth raining from the sky, of the wind inside the sea, of the lighthouse & the ship kissing, of exotic fishes in the bay of your ear. Everything is real. If you play. If you dare to ignore the margins. Echoes go on forever. They play with themselves in a stream of mirrors. Echoes of a forgotten language, of a language unwritten - a soothing, indifferent creole that reconciles feeling with understanding. Bathe in the fountain at the source of resonance. Bathe in the clouds on the eyes of intimate strangers passing. Disappear. Disappear and be seen, like the moonlit mist behind your eyes. And sway between hope and wisdom.

All songs written, performed and produced by Sasha Vinogradova and Alina Anufrienko
Recorded in Garnet village, Dmitrovsky region, Russian Federation (February 2020)

A Chaos Of Flowers is an album that builds on their ferocious 2023 album nature morte. BIG|BRAVE"s music has been described as massive minimalism. Their fusillades of textural distortion and feedback emphasize their music"s frayed edges as much as its all-encompassing weight. The potency of the trio"s work is their singular artistry combining elements of traditional folk techniques and a modern deconstruction of guitar music. Gain, feedback, and amplitude are essential. For A Chaos Of Flowers guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie drew heavily on the poems of artists whom Wattie found kinship in, their words resonant with experiences of those often sidelined by cultural norms. "I discovered that most poems from folk traditions or in the public domain seem to be by men - to which I could not quite relate. In my search, I rediscovered some of my favorite works and poets," says Wattie. Guitarist Mathieu Ball and drummer Tasy Hudson help Wattie shape poetry into pieces as dense and impenetrable as they are vulnerable. BIG|BRAVE achieve their colossal sound through minimalist approaches, a deft understanding of dynamics and an inventive employment of percussion and distortion. The trio reconceptualize what it is to be heavy or minimal, challenging perceptions with their illumination of painfully overlooked perspectives. Guest guitarist Marisa Anderson lends earthen, blues-inflected atmospheres to the album, where guitarist Tashi Dorji and saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi amplify the squall. Working closely with frequent collaborator and producer/engineer Seth Manchester, the internal tumult of Wattie"s voice rings out in warbles, haunting echoes, and unearthly harmonies across bold immense walls of distortion. BIG|BRAVE have collaborated with metal monsters The Body on a previous Thrill Jockey release, Leaving None But Small Birds, and have toured internationally with bands like SUMAC, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, SUNN O))), and Lingua Ignota. As they continue to ascend in their journey as pioneers in the contemporary metal scene, it"s safe to say that BIG|BRAVE are here to stay.

2025 Repress

DJ Koze might be one of the world's best producers, but above all he's a DJ, and it's his DJ ear that governs. J
ust as in a great set, so with his releases: 'Seeing Aliens' came out of nowhere, a big buzzing beast of a track, to announce that Koze was back on the scene and prime everyone for the coming album, knock knock.
But now that Koze has your attention, it's time to remind everyone what's most important about club music, pull things back, take a turn to the left, and get deep into the groove.

Thus 'Pick Up': the second single from knock knock is 100% pure groove, doubly so in the extended 12' version.

In a sense it's incredibly familiar - it is essentially a filter disco record, very close to something you could imagine coming out of Paris around the turn of the millennium. But of course, this is Koze. Nothing is normal or familiar in his world, and he's taken this most foundational of clubland staples into new territory. Flipping amples of Gladys Knight & the Pips 'Neither One Of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)' and Melba Moore's 'Pick Me Up, I'll Dance', it creates something completely airborne, shot through with emotions such as gods must feel: not quite explicable to the human mind but strong enough to knock you off your feet. In its way it's absolutely as powerful as 'Seeing Aliens', but it comes in like the proverbial iron fist in a glove of velvet.
The flip, a ten-minute new track, 'The Love Truck' is a big contrast again. If 'Pick Up' is giddy flight,
'The Love Truck' is woozy floating. Its sharp, clicking percussion recalls 2000s minimal techno, but this time absolutely nothing is generic. The long, intense, on-and-off bass tones, the flickers of birdsong, the pure voices slipping in backwards as if from the future... it's all like the most blissful dream, and culminates in a coda so subtle yet so beautiful it's like ever time you've ever seen the sun rise and thought 'I never want this to end', all the while understanding deep down that the fleeting nature of the pleasure is also what give it its power. But of course, being created with that consummate DJ's ear, it's also full of the thrill of wondering what Koze has in store next.

This is soul travelling music from the Nordic countries. As the theme of the album is inspired by the journey of migrating birds – Maija Kauhanen and Johannes Geworkian Hellman invite the audience to travel with them through an enchanting musical landscape. As world touring artists and virtuoso players of their traditional instruments the kantele and the hurdy-gurdy – Maija and Johannes are internationally recognized as a forefront force of the modern Nordic Folk music scene,

Bugge Wesseltoft has long been a shaper of his own jazz idioms, through his diverse solo albums, his group projects such as New Conception of Jazz, OKWorld! and RYMDEN, and collaborations with artists such as Sidsel Endresen, Henning Kraggerud or Henrik Schwarz.

"Am Are" features special constellations of superb musicians that spans both generations and styles, and is an exploration of sonic textures, dynamic contrasts of mood and style, and ranges from sparse arrangements through to complex layers of dubs and loops and improvisational interplay.

The album begins with Bugge alone on "How?" with layers of undulating atmospheric synth, brought into focus by Bugge's piano at the forefront, creating a minimalist miniature that is both emotive and serene. For "Villrein" Bugge is joined by Elias Tafjord on drums, beginning with a santur-like synth figure, floating over ominous formant sci-fi bass synths bubbling and pulsing, and overlaid by phrenetic piano that only stops to lock into the santur figure before relaunching on its own journeys, all underpinned by Elias Tafjord's expressive drumming. "Is Anyone Listening?" demonstrate's Bugge's songcraft, layering muted percussive piano behind Rohey's distinctive and beautiful vocals punctuated by Martin Myhre Olsen's tenor saxophone, creating a soulful mood tinged with desperation.

"BAG" presents the first classic piano trio of the album - Bugge on piano and synths, Arild Andersen on bass, and Gard Nilssen on drums - announcing itself with an insistent riff, chattering drums, breaking into a progressive rock-style passage of bass and piano in unison. "Reel", the second track from this trio, is a mellow soundscape that evolves to become hazy urban downbeat jazz.

The second piano trio of Bugge (Rhodes and Korg MS20 synth), Sveinung Hovensjø (Electric Bass), and Jon Christensen (Drums and Bells) offers a completely different perspective. The first track "Render" features Bugge's Zawinul-esque Rhodes and monosynth leads, Sveinung's fuzz bass in something of a leading role, all carried with chattering gusto by Jon Christensen's dynamic drumming that brings texture and space as well as rhythm to the piece. "Vender" begins as an atmospheric piece, with reed organ-like synth washes, and octave-processed bass with a somewhat sitar-like tone, meandering until the track breaks down into drums and bass weaving around an insistent drum machine loop, dripping with synth pads and monosynth lead.

"JazzBasill" introduces the third piano trio - featuring Bugge (Piano), Jens Mikkel Madsen (Acoustic Bass) and Øyunn (Drums) - and offers a classic piano trio style with urban sophistication, that is lyrical, and interspersed with staccato cadences, giving a feeling of broken swing, slightly staggered yet driving forwards. The title track "AM ARE" is late night jazz, with baroque whispers, and distinctly melodic.

The final track, "Think Ahead" features the non-standard trio of Bugge (Piano/Organ), Oddrun Lilja (Guitar) and Sanskriti Shrestha (Tablas/Harp). Beginning with a minimalist piano figure, table, and sustained guitar, the track breaks down to a noise surge and ambient windscape, with guitar birds and abstract grinding, before returning to minimalist melodicism.

The shifting personnel across the album, as well as the three different studios in which it was recorded - Village Recording in Copenhagen, Rainbow Studios in Oslo, and his own Buggesroom Studio - creates a feeling of dynamic change and musical variety that is unified by Bugge's piano and keyboards. His playing moves between foreground, where he allows the music to elevate him, and background, where he move gently like a beneficent presence, tending to the demands of the spirit of the musical moments he has captured. It is an album powered by restless exploration and shaped by distinctive musical personalities; it is a journey through different moods, illuminated and brought into focus by Bugge's measured approach and guiding hand.

Japanese artists Yumiko Morioka and Takashi Kokubo unite for Gaiaphilia, a journey through ambient soundscapes that seamlessly blends Morioka’s graceful piano compositions with Kokubo’s immersive field recordings and atmospheric synthesisers.

This collaboration brings together two of Japan’s most influential pioneers in ambient and new age music, each with decades of groundbreaking work. Morioka, celebrated for her 1987 album Resonance—reissued to critical acclaim by Métron Records—infuses her introspective playing with Kokubo’s vivid environmental textures, creating a dialogue between nature and melody.

After releasing Resonance, Morioka stepped away from music, moving to America to raise her family. For years, her work was quietly cherished by fans, only gaining wider recognition with its reissue in 2020. A devastating wildfire destroyed her California home seven years ago, prompting her return to Tokyo where she became a chocolatier before rediscovering her passion for the piano in recent years, playing live shows and making new recordings.

Takashi Kokubo’s legendary discography spans over 30 years, and has found wider acclaim in recent years via YouTube algorithms and bootleg uploads, wracking up tens of millions of plays. Yet he is probably best known for his sound design work, specifically the Japanese earthquake alert sound as well as credit card payment jingles - his creations are pervasive in Japanese society.

“From our love and concern for our planet, we both offer a unique sensibility and spirit of inquiry which we express through our music.”

Rooted in shared philosophical interests, Gaiaphilia reflects a profound reverence for nature’s resilience and harmony. Themes of Gaia, Mother Earth’s renewal, and the interconnectedness of life are central, with inspirations drawn from cosmology, sacred geometry, and Japan’s mystical Katakamuna tradition. The album invites listeners into a meditative space where sound mirrors the delicate balance of the natural world.

A master of sound design, Kokubo enhances this vision with his distinctive field recordings, captured using a self-made binaural microphone shaped like a crash test dummy’s head. From the jungles of Borneo to the gentle rhythm of ocean waves, Kokubo’s globe-spanning recordings transform into immersive soundscapes that perfectly complement Morioka’s introspective piano compositions.

“The title, Gaiaphilia, is a newly created word to encompass our love and respect for nature and life, this feeling is the theme we hoped to express.”

Released on Métron Records on 12/03/25 and with artwork from Ventral Is Golden, Gaiaphilia marks a remarkable new chapter for Morioka and Kokubo. Recorded at Kokubo’s log house studio named Studio Ion in Yamanashi, their collaboration offers listeners a deeply emotional and transcendent experience, rooted in the timeless beauty of Japan’s natural landscapes.

2025 cassette edition, originally released in 2023 on 2CD/digital.

Recordings + booklet of the unveiling of »Katharina AW«, a relational artwork by Joris Martens. The unveiling event took place at St. Catharine’s Church in Hoogstraten - a city in the northeast of Belgium - on two Saturdays in May 2021.

While beholding the artwork, a woven tapestry, you listen to organ music by Miaux. Outside the church, you hear the carillon gurgle with music by Lieven Martens and town carillonneur Luc Dockx, prolonging the event into the public space.

Joris Martens created »Katharina AW« for the city hall of Hoogstraten. The tapestry now serves as an informal conversation starter in the conference room. Joris Martens is a multi-disciplinary artist and works in the field where applied arts and fine arts meet.

Miaux played her own compositions on the church organ. The songs appeared on the albums Black Space White Cloud, Hideaway, Dive and Gigi - released by Ultra Eczema, Lal Lal Lal, and Alien Passengers - and were originally written for electronic keyboard. Mia demonstrates that the church organ, which is normally used as an underscore for sadness or compelling thoughts, is a fitting instrument of connection. Through its resonance, we communicate our sounds.

Lieven Martens invented sketches for the carillon—by loading bird sounds into the computer program Melodyne, varying them and converting them to musical notes. As a nod to the religion crazy Olivier Messiaen, who considered the birds to be God’s chosen singers and songstresses. The trifles were translated on the carillon by town carillonneur Luc Dockx. The playing comes into and out of focus. In this way, Lieven creates a dreamscape and breaks with the dreary carillon as an instrument of power.

Luc Dockx studied church music at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven and the carillon at the Royal Carillon School in Mechelen. He is the city carillonneur of Hoogstraten since 2002. Dockx is an active practitioner of the art of improvisation on the carillon.

Some record crates deserve a sub-category called 'play it again, Sam'. tracks that spin on the turntables without a push. Funk Kraut, Zombie Zombie's second LP on Born Bad, is of this kind. This well-proportioned classic is a fine example of the style the trio has been embodying: instrumental for synths and drums music played live. This time it was a quick affair, recorded by Laurent Deboisgisson in the studio of Cheveu's singer. A pretty straightforward job, and a far cry from their previous concept album. Let us praise Krikor Kouchian's mix: drums have been resampled with some restraint, and that Linn Drum kick lightens up the overall mix. It marks a notable evolution in the band's sound, and adds some dynamic. The album kicks off with 'No cruise control', a big bad sedan that effortlessly eats up the distance at 120 BPM. Kraut as can be, with a twist. And as far as funk goes, it's not Bootsy Collins, but there's a whiff. Space is structured by synth patterns, for optimized drumming : forward, straight and fluid, top-notch suspension (Cosmic Neman / Dr Scho?nberg take care of business on drums). They treat themselves to a diversion via Darmstadt to take some musique concrete on board : mechanical birds chirp, the odd atonal piano here and there. Nerds will appreciate liner notes detailing the equipment used : about twenty synths and they still describe it as minimal. With 'Densite?', we've just passed a polyphonic milestone: outright chords ! Long, suspended pads, pierced only by fat claps. Clapping hands are not far off. The band shows it has mastered concise pop formats. That same vibe can be found in 'Jungle the Jungle', paradoxical tune, catchy and moody at once. You'll get some brass riffs in 'Helix', which takes off on a synth moving from one speaker to another to herald the crash of syncopated drums to come.Zombie Zombie sounds ready to write themes for niche TV series.'Aurillac Accident' documents a haphazard soundcheck which, once in the studio, became a bitter ballad, breaking apart into dubby gravy. Live with two drummers performing, this aspect showcases in 'Snare Attack' and 'Double Z', with its jogging hi-hats and creepy little toy piano motifs. Cardio levels are high on 'Dodorian', perfect track for depraved spinning classes, with its moving filter, disco arpeggios and flashes of synthetic brass. 'Magnavox Odyssey', a nostalgic but bouncy synth lasagna, brings this album to a majestic close. The cover by Dddixie sets the tone with its 'Motorik Vibes & Stereo Grooves' sticker. Motorik, absolutely, it's autobahn time for 45 minutes. And when it comes to stereo grooving, the acoustic image is as wide as the canyons of Mars. DO NOT MISS THIS ALBUM (or the previous Vae Vobis)!

Bria Salmenas Solo-Debütalbum "Big Dog" erzählt eine Geschichte der Transformation - eine zutiefst persönliche Erkundung der Widerstandsfähigkeit und eine Erklärung der künstlerischen Unabhängigkeit, die durch Zusammenarbeit geschmiedet wurde. Lange Zeit als Frontfrau der kanadischen Post-Punk-Band FRIGS und als Sängerin in Orville Pecks Live-Band gefeiert, erreicht Salmena mit "Big Dog" den vorläufigen Höhepunkt ihrer künstlerischen Entwicklung. Getragen von ihrer souveränen Stimme, die abwechselnd zart, rau und trotzig ist, durchquert das Album das Terrain der Verletzlichkeit und Verbundenheit und markiert die Ankunft einer Künstlerin, die mutig zu sich selbst findet. "Big Dog" ist ein Album mit großen Gefühlen und großen Ambitionen. Musikalisch vereint es Elemente von hypnotischem Krautrock und schimmerndem Shoegaze, opulentem Gothic und pulsierendem Darkwave mit einer Mischung aus elektronischen Texturen zu einem ausgefeilten und oft unheimlichen Sound. Inmitten dieser weitläufigen Klanglandschaft stehen Salmenas kraftvolle lyrische Bilder und ihr großartiger Gesang im Mittelpunkt. Für Salmena ist es unmöglich, die persönliche Reise, die "Big Dog" darstellt, von der Zusammenarbeit zu trennen, die zu seiner Entstehung führte. Salmena arbeitete mit dem Produzenten und Multiinstrumentalisten Duncan Hay Jennings zusammen, der sowohl bei FRIGS als auch in der Band von Orville Peck spielte. Vor "Big Dog" gaben die beiden auf Brias zwei "Cuntry Covers" EPs klassischen und modernen Americana-Songs eine Gothic-Dream-Pop-Behandlung. Jennings, der nicht nur Salmenas engster kreativer Mitarbeiter, sondern auch ihr engster Freund ist, schrieb "Big Dog" mit Salmena über mehrere Jahre hinweg, in denen Salmena in LA und Jennings in Toronto lebte. Graham Walsh (Holy F**k, METZ, Debby Friday, Alvvays) half den beiden, ihre aufkeimende Mischung aus Rock und elektronischer Musik weiter zu verfeinern, während Meg Remy (vom von der Kritik gefeierten experimentellen Pop-Projekt U.S. Girls) sich vor allem auf Salmenas Gesang konzentrierte. Remy half dabei, die unvergesslichen Darbietungen, die im Mittelpunkt von "Big Dog" stehen, durch eine Reihe von kathartischen Treffen herauszukitzeln und drängte Salmena dazu, noch tiefer in die Bedeutung ihrer Texte einzudringen und wirklich über verschiedene Möglichkeiten des Einsatzes ihrer Stimme nachzudenken. Als "Big Dog" zusammenkam, wurde deutlich, dass Salmenas Songwriting eine rohe und intime Wendung genommen hatte, die weit über die Arbeit von ihr und Jennings auf ihren vorherigen EPs hinausging. Der Sound von "Big Dog" schwebt zwischen zwei Welten, düstere Punk-Ehrlichkeit, die immer unter einer glänzenden Atmosphäre brodelt, die man nicht ignorieren kann. Es gibt Anklänge an den Alternative Rock - man denkt an Holes "Live Through This", The Distillers, Mazzy Star - und mit Lee Ranaldo von Sonic Youth steuert eine echte Alternative-Rock-Ikone die Gitarre zu "See'er" bei. Aber es gibt auch eine Geschmeidigkeit, die ebenso sehr an den Coldwave der 80er Jahre erinnert wie an ekstatische Formen der Tanzmusik. Salmenas satte Stimme ist allgegenwärtig, ein konstantes warmes Glühen in einem Geflecht aus mechanischen Klängen. In seinem Kern ist "Big Dog" mehr als nur eine Platte über die Entdeckung, wer man ist, indem man schmerzhafte Erfahrungen verarbeitet. Es ist eine Platte über die Entdeckung, dass man nie wirklich allein ist.

BLACK/RED VINYL

A match made in heaven and hell, since forming in the cradle of Europe Athens, back in 2012, dark synth duo Selofan have paved their own perditious way, reinventing the modern Darkwave scene throughout the continent and worldwide with their prolific creativity and work ethic over the past decade. Through varied experimental synth-scapes conjured with keen ears for sound design, production, and theatrical aesthetics, Selofan rest not on the laurels of just creating highly danceable coldwave infused music, but with together with Joanna Pavlidou's haunting vocals, and Dimitris Pavlidis' throbbing bass guitar, and modular synth compositions, the pair conjure whole other worlds and narratives throughout each album and music video they create. Thus far the Selofan have released 5 studio albums, issued through their own legendary label they curate themselves: Fabrika Records. Through their Fabrika family, Selofan have championed such acts as Lebanon Hanover, and She Past Away, aiding these bands in becoming two of the most popular Darkwave acts worldwide. Drab Majesty even cameoed in a She Past Away video while being hosted by Selofan during one of the band's frequent stays in Athens, and Kaelan Mikla, a handpicked favorite of The Cure, were first championed by Selofan, through the release of the Icelandic Trio's self-titled debut in 2016. In the Spring of 2020, Selofan released the video for the hopelessly plaintive "There Must Be Somebody", the first single from their forthcoming sixth studio album Partners In Hell, the follow-up to 2018's widely popular Vitrioli LP. "There Must be Somebody" is a discordant composition, mimicking the startled song of birds after a disturbance in a wooded enclave on a mountainside, while a magick ritual unfolds. The album itself opens with "Grey Gardens", a menagerie of morose melodies setting a sombre tone for the rest of a bleak record whose sound design and dreamscapes evoke the best sounds of British and German post-punk of the 80s. "Almost Nothing" is a brooding bell-driven track with a dark and pirouetting melody that is the perfect soundtrack to a figurine twirling in a music box. The German language "Nichts" means No, and this song is both sinister and cinematic with sighing keys, shuddering drum machines, and German lyrics sung with sorrowful conviction. "Zusamen", is a word often asked if you are together, or separate, is a dark ballad whose shadowy keys weave a nightmarish delirium, evoking the soundscapes of a lullaby sung in a haunted dollhouse. "4am" is a restless rhythm, whose soft percussive melody tosses and turns alongside subtle bass and string accents overlaid with despondent vocals. "Happy Consumers" sounds like the swirling of a finger drawn upon the edge of crystalline glass, with vocals and drum machines coming emanating from an adjacent room with echoing acoustics, collectively evoking the sound like lingers when the somnambulist wakes from his dream. "Absolutely Absent" hums onward like a phantom train ride that is a one-way ticket to madness, and with the next track "Metalic Isolation" the locomotive beats gather more steam, propelled forward with anachronistic melody. The album closes with "Auf Dein Haut", which translates as on your skin, and the song is both tactile and tenebrous with sensuously dark synth textures amidst howling German vocals that take flight like witches during a sabbat. Partner's In Hell was mixed and produced by Serafim Tsotsonis, and mastered by Doruk Ozturkcan. Genre: Alternative / Post-Punk / Cold Wave

Unverfälschter, kaputter Art-Punk aus San Diego's Gravity-Szene Mitte der 90er Jahre. Hier gibt es drei Alben von Clikatat Ikatowi - "Orchestrated And Conducted By...", "River Of Souls", und eine erstmalige Vinyl-Pressung ihres 1993er Demos, alle neu abgemischt und remastered von den analogen Originalbändern. Das 24-seitige Begleitbuch enthält Tony Rettmans farbenfrohen Essay mit Dutzenden von Fotos und Flugblättern aus dieser Zeit, die die Geschichte einer Stadt und einer Szene erzählen, die die spätere Form des kommenden Lärms definierte.

Unverfälschter, kaputter Art-Punk aus San Diego's Gravity-Szene Mitte der 90er Jahre. Hier gibt es drei Alben von Clikatat Ikatowi - "Orchestrated And Conducted By...", "River Of Souls", und eine erstmalige Vinyl-Pressung ihres 1993er Demos, alle neu abgemischt und remastered von den analogen Originalbändern. Das 24-seitige Begleitbuch enthält Tony Rettmans farbenfrohen Essay mit Dutzenden von Fotos und Flugblättern aus dieser Zeit, die die Geschichte einer Stadt und einer Szene erzählen, die die spätere Form des kommenden Lärms definierte.

Im Herbst 2022 lebte Phil Cook allein in einem kleinen Haus am Rande von Feld und Wald in North Carolinas Piedmont. Die meiste Zeit seines Leben lang lebte er in der Nähe der Herzen der Städte, die er sein Zuhause nannte, in der Nähe des ächzenden Verkehrs und des Trubels in den Coffee Shops. Diese Nähe Nähe trug dazu bei, dass der gesellige Cook ein produktiver Mitarbeiter wurde, als Mitbegründer von Megafaun bis zur Zusammenarbeit mit The Blind Boys of Alabama, Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger und unzähligen anderen. Aber Cooks nächster war ein Wanderweg, und so ging er hin und lauschte, hingerissen erst von der Stille und dann von den vielen Vögeln. Er begann, sein Fensterbrett jede Nacht einen Spalt offen zu lassen, damit der Chor der Vögel im Morgengrauen ihn begrüßte. Cook begann, diese verworrenen Vogelstimmen aufzunehmen, und er schloss sich ihnen an. Wenn die Sonne schließlich hoch stand, hörte Cook sich die Aufnahmen des Tages an und improvisierte in Echtzeit auf dem Instrument, das seine erste und unerschütterlichste Liebe seines musikalischen Lebens geblieben ist: das Klavier. Als Cook diese Hütte nach einem Jahr verließ, zog er in ein eigenes Haus in Durham, mit viel Platz für seine beiden Jungs zum Spielen und für etwas, das er noch nie besessen hatte: ein richtiges Klavier. In den nächsten Monaten verbrachte Cook unzählige Stunden damit, an diesen Stücken zu feilen. Während des Unterrichts beim großen Südstaaten-Gospelpianisten Chuckey Robinson hatte dieser Cook aufgefordert, weniger Noten zu halten und seine Melodien nicht mehr durch die Verwendung der Pedale des Instruments als Krücken zu benutzen. Seine Musik hatte plötzlich mehr Klarheit, und die Klänge und Gefühle, die sie transportierten, hatten mehr Raum zum Funktionieren. Cook grub sich in die Gefahr und Freude, in die Idee, dass wir unsere Körper zu Knoten verdrehen um zu verstehen, was das Beste für unsere Herzen ist. Im April 2024 kehrte Cook in das Chippewa Valley in Wisconsin zurück, wo er aufgewachsen war. Sein lebenslanger Freund und Bandkollege, Justin Vernon, hatte gerade die Renovierung von April Base abgeschlossen, dem Studio, in dem Cook in den letzten 15 Jahren an mehr als einem Dutzend Platten gearbeitet hat. Cook bat Vernon, Appalachia Borealis so einfach wie möglich zu produzieren, nur zuzuhören und in zwei ausgedehnten Nachmittagssitzungen Feedback zu geben, um die richtigen Takes auszuwählen, die, die das Herz erfasst haben. Natürlich wurde das Ganze komplizierter, als sie anfingen in dem Prozess zu experimentierten. Vernon fügte die Vogelstimmen zu Cooks Kopfhörern hinzu oder entfernte sie, um zu sehen, wie sie sich auf sein Spiel auswirkten. Oder sie leiteten seine Noten durch eine massive Hallkammer und Cook reagierte darauf mit hauchzarten Improvisationen. Appalachia Borealis ist eine zutiefst ergreifende und persönliche Sammlung von 11 Klavier Meditationen, die die emotionale Bandbreite einer vollen und offenen Existenz abbilden. Inspiriert von diesen Improvisationen auf der Fensterbank, spiegelt es nicht nur die Aufruhr und die Traurigkeit einer schwierigen Zeit für Cook, sondern auch die Hoffnung, das Licht und die Freude, nach der anderen Seite zu schauen. Manchmal kann man noch die Vögel hören, deren Melodie und Zeit so viele dieser Lieder inspiriert haben. Selbst wenn sie nicht in Hörweite sind, bleibt ihre Essenz bestehen.

Tuning the Wind was created in 2022 as an installation piece. Since then, it has been adapted into multichannel, 4DSOUND, and stereo installations, as well as performed live on numerous occasions around the world. The piece has a duration of 36 minutes and 15 seconds. For the vinyl pressing, it has been divided into two parts.

Composer Aimée Portioli, known professionally as Grand River, recorded various types of wind and then reworked them through layering and pitch adjustment to create a musical piece where the wind itself becomes a prepared instrument. At times, the sound of the wind is tuned to the 440 Hz reference, while at other times, the instruments are tuned to the sound of the wind. In Tuning the Wind, nature and music merge seamlessly. Synthesizers and wind recordings become indistinguishable, blending natural sounds with human-made instruments. The boundary between a gust of wind and an instrument-generated sound fades away. Human artistry and nature’s symphony merge to become one.

Wind is air in motion. It makes no sound until it encounters an object. The sounds it produces depend on the strength of the wind and the shape and material of the object it touches. When the wind blows, trees sway, buildings rattle, materials move, and sound waves are generated. Some believe that temperature changes create layers of air, and that the friction between them forms a unique sound—perhaps the true voice of the wind, which birds may be the only creatures capable of recognising. Sometimes the wind howls; at other times, it sings or whistles, shifting from a gentle murmur to an angry roar. The wind’s range of frequencies, tones, and timbres is vast and varied. Tuning the Wind is a piece about the wind, made with the wind—an abstract expression of our ongoing conversation with nature.

Concept, composition and production by Aimée Portioli. Wind recordings by Aimée Portioli and Pablo Diserens.
Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri. Front cover photo by Bárbara Cameán and Aimée Portioli. Back cover photo by Maria Louceiro. Design by Daniel Castrejón.

"I imagine that one of the first things I heard in the world was the
explosion of a Russian ammunitions factory on the outskirts of my
hometown. It blew up the night I was born a new GDR-citizen. I´m not
sure I heard a noise when the Wall came down, but it still echoes in my
body. The echo contains many frequencies. Some of them sound like Gabber
playing in my childhood room over the speakers my grandfather once stole
from a Leipzig radio station. Some of them sound like me and my friends
running through the streets. They sound like my mother laughing and
consoling women in the women´s shelter where she worked in 1992. They
sound like birds: my father swears after the Reunification the great
crested grebes on the town lakes lost all fear of humans. Some of them
sound like these recordings."

Neu remasterte Reissue des zweiten Studioalbums der australischen Indierock-Band Birds Of Tokyo als Picture Disc. "Universes" (2008) mit den Singles "Broken Bones" und "Silhouettic" verhalf der Band erstmals zu ihrer heutigen Stadiongrösse. Von der Original-LP existierte bislang nur eine limitierte 300er Vinylauflage. Die Picture Disc kommt im Stanzcover samt doppelseitiger

Einlage, die fast haargenau dem Originalcover nachempfunden ist

Dear Life Records is proud to present the physical reissue of the self titled debut of MJ Lenderman. MJ Lenderman is a songwriter born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. The anatomy of an MJ record might go something like this: warped pedal steels and skuzzed out guitar; a voice reminiscent of the high-lonesome warble of a choirboy; the keen observations and reflections of a front stoop philosopher. Songs snake their way from a lo-fi home recording to something glossier made with longtime friends at Asheville's Drop of Sun studios, but the recording setting doesn't seem to matter much - at its core, a Lenderman song rings true. "MJ Lenderman" was recorded, mixed and mastered for digital in 2019 by Colin Miller in Asheville NC, and was self-released online to quiet but firm acclaim. Now available as a Double LP and remastered for vinyl by Heather Jones, it offers a glimpse into the formative steps of a style; focused and precise, yet expansive and rough around the edges, that remains consistent across MJ's catalogue to date (see also 2021's `Ghost of Your Guitar Solo' (DLR 016) and 2022's `Boat Songs' (DLR 031)). Looking as firmly to the legacy of 90s slowcore as it does to the tenor of Magnolia Electric Co. and sound wall of Neil Young and Crazy Horse, these 9 songs clock in at just over an hour and offer warm, patient worlds of heavy color that blow by breezily. These are songs that wrap mysterious and urgent feeling in layers of patience and clarity that unfold anew with each timeless listen.

2025 Repress
Anenon's tenor saxophone breathes an emotive contemplation on loss, meshed with sustained piano and field recordings. 'Moons Melt Milk Light' is a hyper-personal statement contained in a visceral beauty.

LA native Anenon returns with a highly anticipated new album 'Moons Melt Milk Light' on Tonal Union, bearing his most personal, expressive, and arresting works to date. Anenon is the ongoing solo studio and live project of Brian Allen Simon, whom since 2010 has released multiple albums and EPs to critical acclaim, including the highly revered 'Tongue' (2018) and 'Petrol' (2016).

'Moons Melt Milk Light' is direct, efficient, and unwavering in its immediacy. Anenon departs from the electronics of previous works, and embarks on a reductive, almost entirely acoustic approach consisting of piano, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, and field recordings. All of the music was improvised with everything recorded as either a first or second take with no edits. Any layering happened fast and in the moment, and yet the sonic architecture of the whole feels both planned and refined.

"I feel a kinetic and messy honesty that doesn't exist in any of the other music I've ever made. There is also a sense of being settled, of calm. There is no faking it here."

Marilyn Manson"s ninth studio album, "The Pale Emperor", is available as a White 2LP housed in a Gatefold Sleeve and a 12" photo art print. This iconic record marked Manson"s return to the forefront of the music scene with its highest opening week sales since "Eat Me, Drink Me" (2007). Topping Billboard"s Hard Rock Albums chart and achieving chart-topping success throughout Europe, "The Pale Emperor" solidified Manson"s status as a rock icon. Featuring hit singles like "Third Day Of A Seven Day Binge" and "Deep Six," the vinyl edition of "The Pale Emperor" offers a tangible glimpse into Manson"s monumental achievement. This is a must-have for collectors and music enthusiasts alike. Experience the electrifying resurgence of Marilyn Manson"s commercial dominance and relive the unparalleled success of "The Pale Emperor".

Having collaborated with John Carroll Kirby on his last two albums, Eddie Chacon teamed up with Nick Hakim to produce this new collection of songs of loving and letting go.

’之 / OF is a word that can be used as a preposition to express the relationship between a part and a whole. It is an unfinished tone, a broken sentence, a start and a whole. It is sustainable, full of potentials and longings.’’

London based performance and sound artist Li Yilei shared an experience familiar to many migrants during the past year of COVID-19 chaos. With their UK visa set to expire, and family back in China, Li made a last-minute dash to return to their nation of birth. Able to board one of the last few flights to China during the initial turmoil of the coronavirus outbreak, Li made it back to Shanghai for a two-week stint in a quarantine hotel.

Though Li had already begun creating OF, the reality of the pandemic began to seep into the recordings. Each of the 12 tracks is a study in horology, using metaphorical sound transcriptions and atmospheric extractions to focus on the temporal relationship between experience and surroundings. Li’s awareness of their own understanding of time became increasingly heightened during quarantine and the emotional involvement found within these new realities informed many of the sounds created.

‘’I tried to portray each song as a short, scattered poem - a moment that I captured to represent each hour.’’

Composed using analogue synthesisers, vocal samples, field recordings and string instruments such as the violin and guqin, Li indulges in moments of grief, panic, healing, cessation, melancholy, vastness, hope, joy and emptiness as they explore the acoustic relations between humans and the many forces of nature.

The art of the Song Dynasty, with its ancient traditions of poetry and timekeeping, were also great sources of inspiration for the album - whilst paintings from the period, specifically those of flowers and birds, are common themes throughout the tracks. Indeed, it is within the vastness of time that the album artwork comes to relevance. The eighth emperor of the Song Dynasty, Huizong, was a revered artist and a scene from his work ‘Finches and Bamboo’ adorns the album cover.

Low-key R&B legend Eddie Chacon returns with Lay Low, out January 31st. Having collaborated with John Carroll Kirby on his last two albums, Eddie Chacon teamed up with Nick Hakim to produce this new collection of songs of loving and letting go.

Beirut Birds (طيور بيروت) is a sonic memory capsule honoring (inter)personal stories of migration, displacement, and the cyclical turbulent circumstances in Lebanon. Transforming her multi-year project, multidisciplinary artist and composer Nour Sokhon crystallizes the performance Beirut Birds (طيور بيروت) into her long-awaited debut album. When presented and performed live, it is accompanied by juxtaposed images of the Lebanese capital’s city life and avian migration across the Mediterranean Sea, representing themes strongly woven into the music.

In her variegated artistic process, Nour has undertaken and recorded interviews with diasporas and repatriates to commemorate, share, heal, and envision. These source materials become the album’s core elements that loop, narrate, and return throughout time, with Nour responding with both instruments and her voice. Chanting in dialogue with the interviewees, crafting near-mantras, Nour further congregates these materially-rooted soundscapes by including field recordings that she gleaned during 2018–2021 in Lebanon and her subsequent move to Berlin.

Embedded within the composition are manipulated sounds from objects that symbolize migration, such as office bells, a luggage wheel, car parts, and bureaucratic paperwork. Musically, the songs are enriched by Nour’s improvisations on classical piano, electronics, synthesizers, violin, and various percussion instruments. As time is sculpted and the layers blur, words become specters, while an entropic orchestra of drums and melody rises, giving shape to an in-between space for those who have left, and stayed.

Music and artistic research by Nour Sokhon, 2018–2024. Recording, editing, and mixing by Rabih Beaini at Morphine Raum, Berlin. Mastered by Rashad Becker at Clunk.

"Recorded in Jeremy Loops' home studio in Cape Town, South Africa ‘Feathers and Stone’ is an organic response to a world increasingly shaped by digital and artificial sounds, and showcases Jeremy's depth as an artist and a songwriter.

Following on from critically acclaimed albums Trading Change (2014), Critical As Water (2018) and Heard You Got Love (2022), ‘Feathers and Stone’ reflects the balance between heaviness and lightness by mixing both uplifting melodious music with melancholic moments, sophisticated guitar licks and vocal turns. Produced by Will Hicks (Ed Sheeran, Lilly Allen, Bastille), Loops hopes that listeners will feel the depth and honesty in all eleven tracks on the record.

After previous collaborations with industry luminaries like Ed Sheeran, Steve Mac and Edd Holloway, this album includes collaborations with South African choral group and five time Grammy Award Winners, Ladysmith Black Mombazo on the single ‘Coming Home’ and prolific German born folk/pop duo, Amistat on ‘Loveblood’, a powerful and euphoric track which found its feet while they toured through Europe and South Africa with Jeremy.

Previously, Jeremy Loops carved a niche for himself through electrifying live performances, progressing from small bars to selling out 5000-seat arenas globally and earning him accolades and awards at the South African Music Awards and MTV Africa's Best Alternative Artist award and & Best Pop Album."

"Recorded in Jeremy Loops' home studio in Cape Town, South Africa ‘Feathers and Stone’ is an organic response to a world increasingly shaped by digital and artificial sounds, and showcases Jeremy's depth as an artist and a songwriter.

Following on from critically acclaimed albums Trading Change (2014), Critical As Water (2018) and Heard You Got Love (2022), ‘Feathers and Stone’ reflects the balance between heaviness and lightness by mixing both uplifting melodious music with melancholic moments, sophisticated guitar licks and vocal turns. Produced by Will Hicks (Ed Sheeran, Lilly Allen, Bastille), Loops hopes that listeners will feel the depth and honesty in all eleven tracks on the record.

After previous collaborations with industry luminaries like Ed Sheeran, Steve Mac and Edd Holloway, this album includes collaborations with South African choral group and five time Grammy Award Winners, Ladysmith Black Mombazo on the single ‘Coming Home’ and prolific German born folk/pop duo, Amistat on ‘Loveblood’, a powerful and euphoric track which found its feet while they toured through Europe and South Africa with Jeremy.

Previously, Jeremy Loops carved a niche for himself through electrifying live performances, progressing from small bars to selling out 5000-seat arenas globally and earning him accolades and awards at the South African Music Awards and MTV Africa's Best Alternative Artist award and & Best Pop Album."

The duo Weekend Affair, gazing up at the sky, composed and wrote their third French album, Vol Intérieur, with clouds, planes, and birds in mind—everything that floats in the air and gives the impression of a certain kind of freedom. The lyrics reflect the love stories so dear to Louis Aguilar, sung over Cyril Debarge’s minimalist synth-pop instrumentals, where the bouncing bass and strong kick are never far behind. As in 2018 with the album Du Rivage, the duo teamed up with Reims-based producer Yuksek to refine their artistic vision and bring their songs to the edge of dance music.

This subtle balance has become the duo’s signature, growing more distinct with each album. The album consists of 10 tracks, including a cover of Le courage des oiseaux by Dominique A. The 150,000 streams of the first two singles from the album show that their listeners haven’t forgotten them and are quite on board with this new release.

2024 Repress

New label by Innershades, presenting banging house tracks with a raw edge!

Das sechste Studioalbum der schottischen Band Franz Ferdinand!

In The Human Fear geht es um das Menschsein und die Ängste, die uns dazu machen, aber man hätte es auch kühn nennen können. Kühn auf eine Art, wie wir es gerne sind. Es ist ihr sechstes Album, das sie mit dem Produzenten Mark Ralph hauptsächlich in Schottland aufgenommen haben, mit ein paar Overdubs in London und Paris. Bob Hardy und Alex Kapranos gründeten die Band 2002, Julian Corrie und Dino Bardot kamen 2016 dazu und Audrey Tait 2021. Dies ist die erste vollständige LP mit Dino und Audrey, obwohl sie auf den letzten Singles mitgewirkt haben und mit der Band ausgiebig getourt sind. Unsere Ängste definieren unsere Menschlichkeit. Wir finden unseren Charakter und unsere Persönlichkeit, wenn wir unsere Reaktion auf sie verstehen. Was sie auslöst. Es ist nicht unbedingt die Angst selbst, die uns menschlich macht, sondern das, was wir mit ihr machen oder was wir zulassen, dass sie mit uns macht. Was wir nicht wählen können und was wir können. Unsere Ängste sagen uns, wie wir menschlich sind. Jeder Song hängt an einer anderen Angst. Es geht darum, in den Abgrund zu blicken und dann zu sagen:
"Scheiß drauf... ich kann genauso gut noch einen trinken, bevor ich hineinfalle." Es gibt klangliche Überraschungen und verschiedene Perspektiven auf dem Album, aber wenn man die Band kennt, weiß man, dass sie es gemacht hat. Die es genossen haben, es zu machen. OK, einige der Themen können ein wenig düsterer werden, aber es gab Licht und Freude beim Zusammenstellen.
Das Album beginnt mit dem Track "Audacious" der als Vorabsingle den Ton für das Album angibt. Die zweite Single, die im November erscheinen wird, ist "Night Or Da"y, die sowohl in den Texten als auch in der Musik die Spannung zwischen Angst und Spaß darstellt. Das klangvolle Synthie-Stück "Hooked" zeigt eine andere Seite des Albums und wird unser Fokus-Track bei der Veröffentlichung sein. Das Album wird Mitte September zusammen mit einer Reihe von Live-Terminen in Großbritannien und Europa angekündigt und am 10. Januar 2025 veröffentlicht. Die Band wird außerdem im Oktober und November für Live-Shows nach Mexiko und Südamerika reisen.

Bluish Green was 15 + years in the making, passively percolating bi-coastly in the background of three family members' lives, waiting for the perfect opportunity to present itself. That moment came in January 2024 when Ball Sisters & N1_Sound settled into the Spiritual World home base of Studio Z in Toronto, Canada. What started as three casually blissful days, resulted in a debut album, combining a unique blend of dub, neo soul, ambient & downtempo. Bluish Green sits halfway between a low-key dance floor and late night back room.

The album was almost entirely created live in the studio with very little discussion, conversation or conscious direction. There were no goals or future plans, just mutual appreciation for the moment. Repeat takes were few and far between, with the group moving fluidly from one track to the next. This preservation of emotion and human touch is deeply embedded into the music, allowing the listener to share in the raw moments that were experienced while Bluish Green was organically taking shape.

Sonic themes of the natural world run throughout the five song, 30 minute album. “R U 4 Real” welcomes the listener into T3AL’s unique ecosystem with intimate cicade-esque shakers. A reverberous güiro frog (acquired on a family trip one year ago) and synthesized ocean waves create an ambient wetland on the album's 8 minute instrument track “Frog Legacy ''. Bluish Green comes to a shimmering close on “Flip That Switch” with dubbed out crystalline slide-flute melodies resembling ocean birds that fade into an iridescent horizon.

Digital drum patterns skip & stride around contemplative circular lyrical themes on four of the five album tracks, while spatial flute melodies simultaneously spin just under the surface. The bass guitar on Bluish Green is a continuous harmonic support system, repeating on a different tectonic rotation, much slower and deeper, offering familiar footing that stops the listener from drifting out in the rippling undertow of analogue delay feedback.

“R U 4 Real”?... A question that T3AL revisits frequently when thinking of the surreal weekend that resulted in the trio’s debut album, Bluish Green

Das sechste Studioalbum der schottischen Band Franz Ferdinand!

In The Human Fear geht es um das Menschsein und die Ängste, die uns dazu machen, aber man hätte es auch kühn nennen können. Kühn auf eine Art, wie wir es gerne sind. Es ist ihr sechstes Album, das sie mit dem Produzenten Mark Ralph hauptsächlich in Schottland aufgenommen haben, mit ein paar Overdubs in London und Paris. Bob Hardy und Alex Kapranos gründeten die Band 2002, Julian Corrie und Dino Bardot kamen 2016 dazu und Audrey Tait 2021. Dies ist die erste vollständige LP mit Dino und Audrey, obwohl sie auf den letzten Singles mitgewirkt haben und mit der Band ausgiebig getourt sind. Unsere Ängste definieren unsere Menschlichkeit. Wir finden unseren Charakter und unsere Persönlichkeit, wenn wir unsere Reaktion auf sie verstehen. Was sie auslöst. Es ist nicht unbedingt die Angst selbst, die uns menschlich macht, sondern das, was wir mit ihr machen oder was wir zulassen, dass sie mit uns macht. Was wir nicht wählen können und was wir können. Unsere Ängste sagen uns, wie wir menschlich sind. Jeder Song hängt an einer anderen Angst. Es geht darum, in den Abgrund zu blicken und dann zu sagen:
"Scheiß drauf... ich kann genauso gut noch einen trinken, bevor ich hineinfalle." Es gibt klangliche Überraschungen und verschiedene Perspektiven auf dem Album, aber wenn man die Band kennt, weiß man, dass sie es gemacht hat. Die es genossen haben, es zu machen. OK, einige der Themen können ein wenig düsterer werden, aber es gab Licht und Freude beim Zusammenstellen.
Das Album beginnt mit dem Track "Audacious" der als Vorabsingle den Ton für das Album angibt. Die zweite Single, die im November erscheinen wird, ist "Night Or Da"y, die sowohl in den Texten als auch in der Musik die Spannung zwischen Angst und Spaß darstellt. Das klangvolle Synthie-Stück "Hooked" zeigt eine andere Seite des Albums und wird unser Fokus-Track bei der Veröffentlichung sein. Das Album wird Mitte September zusammen mit einer Reihe von Live-Terminen in Großbritannien und Europa angekündigt und am 10. Januar 2025 veröffentlicht. Die Band wird außerdem im Oktober und November für Live-Shows nach Mexiko und Südamerika reisen.

While she was waiting for her last album 'Pripyat' to be released, Catalan composer and producer Marina Herlop was restless. She was concerned about her (by then) uncertain music career, and felt emotionally unmoored. "Some days I used to sit on the balcony of my flat to catch some sun," she explains, "I would close my eyes and start visualizing myself as a gardener, pulling out purple weeds from the soil, every bad memory or emotion I wanted to expulse being one of the plants." As the days dragged on, the fantasy deepened, and Herlop discovered that parts of the garden was withering; the energy she had been putting into the non-musical side of her life had seeped into her creative pasture and poisoned it. She knew what she needed to do to overcome the blight: plant some seeds and tend to her art to help it blossom and bloom once again. 'Nekkuja' is a place for Herlop's warmest, sweetest sentiments to rise to the surface and crack through the topsoil. She describes the record as a way for her to seek and affirm inner light, and it's undoubtedly her brightest, poppiest statement to date. The forward-thinking, experimental touches that nourished 'Pripyat' are still present, but blessed with a level of positivity that's rare to find in a scene so entranced by darkness and melancholy. Skittering fragments of ornate acoustic instrumentation provide a serene welcome to 'Busa', punctuated by precise electronic processes that shuttle the sound towards abstraction and fantasy. Herlop's voice grows over the tangle of sounds from a childish giggle into a layered, matted mantra, sounding passionate, hopeful and full of energy. The vitality spills over into 'Cosset', where she wraps powerful motifs around ricocheting beats and dramatic piano rolls. Herlop's garden opens up dramatically on 'Karada' when bucolic field recordings crack like sunlight over harp plucks and willowy vocals. Her voice seems to bend around the whooshing streams and chittering of birds as if she's singing to the manicured land itself - a utopian paradise that Herlop employs as a metaphor for the creative process. In contrast to the view that an artist is an isolated genius or an idol to be worshipped, Herlop believes that the garden helps us see the process as closer to devotion or perseverance. A gardener brings order to the wild chaos of the outdoors, collaborating with nature to arrange something vibrant and enduring. Blending familiar sounds with fanciful concepts, Herlop traces an imaginary garden, imploring us to wander and wonder. And by the album's billowing final track 'Babel', it's flowered into a flush of pruned vocal phrases and delicately groomed orchestral rushes, painted in orange, green, blue and red.