quête:the bomb 2

LTD PINK PANTHER LP

Nach zwei Alben auf Morr Music erscheint das dritte Album der Münchner ALOA INPUT auf dem Wiener Label SILUH RECORDS. Der versponnen-psychedelische Krautpop-Entwurf mit Independent Folk-Anleihen wird konzeptuell erhöht und darf Liebhabern der Beta Band, Jane Weaver, späten Tame Impala oder Animal Collective nicht entgehen. ALOA INPUT ist im besten Sinne eine Experimental Pop Band. Das dritte Album der Band um Angela Aux, Marcus Grassl und Cico Beck (The Notwist, Joasihno) ist ein Konzeptalbum, hört auf den Namen "Devil's Diamond Memory Collection" und erscheint im Mai 2021. Fünf Jahre sind seit dem letzten Album von Aloa Input, der einstigen Speerspitze des "New Weird Bavaria", vergangen. Eine für die Band ungewöhnlich lange Zeit. Angela Aux, Marcus Grassl und Cico Beck verbrachten sie damit einen endlosen Strom an Demomaterial zu produzieren. Bei Sessions in Ateliers, Kinos und Kellerräumen in München, Mexico City und Montreal entstanden knapp 50 Stücke. Am Ende blieben 14 übrig, die im ersten Konzeptalbum der achtjährigen Bandgeschichte gipfelten. Das Thema? Die ,gefühlte Ewigkeit"! Jedes der 14 Lieder ist aus einer anderen, fiktiven Perspektive aus einem unbestimmten Zeitpunkt in der Zukunft erzählt, eine Rückschau auf die Fetzen unserer Zivilisation. ,Wir wollten eine Platte machen, die wir selber in 20 Jahren anhören würden und sagen, ja: So erschien uns damals die Zukunft". Doch wie lässt man eine Zukunft vor dem inneren Ohr auferstehen, die nur in unseren Gedanken existieren kann? Aloa Input haben auf ,Devil's Diamond Memory Collection" den richtigen Ton getroffen, irgendwo zwischen alienated und alltäglich. "Devil's Diamond Memory Collection" ist der Soundtrack für ein Science-Fiction-Szenario, das nicht als fortschrittsoptimistische Utopie oder bombastische Endzeitvision daherkommt, sondern als geradezu beiläufige Erkenntnis, dass wir längst in unserer Zukunft angekommen sind. 180gr Vinyl in festem Klappcover plus Download Code

YELLOW VINYL
A taste from his upcoming debut album, Biesmans’ ‘Cold Void’ EP is brilliantly wistful and nostalgic, traversing indie dance, rock, electro and pop-tinged cuts.
Released in February, the artist’s ‘Planes, Trains & Automobiles’ EP laid the retro groundwork, taking inspiration from ‘80s video games. ‘Cold Void’ takes the baton and runs with it. The title track sees
Biesmans team up with guitarist Boi Wonder and Tom The Bomb, front man of Belgian rock outfit The Guru Guru. The resulting track is driven by steel blue synths, a massive guitar riff and memorable vocal
hook. A certified gem.
Disco Halal label founder Moscoman links up with emerging Ukrainian producer Komilev to beef up ‘Cold Void’s’ bottom end, adding ascendent pads and lush melodies, shifting the vibe into punchier dancefloor territory. ‘When Will It Stop’ is a woozy indie dream, propelled by robotic vocals and ‘80s piano chords. A handy radio edit of Moscoman & Komilev’s remix rounds out the package, promising broad appeal.

Mother Freedom Band’s Cutting The Chord is a funky modern soul classic. It’s both a criminally under-appreciated album and a hard-to-find record so we’re delighted to be giving this sweet disco-funk groover the reissue treatment it deserves.

Produced by the great Al Goodman from The Moments and originally released in 1977, Cutting The Chord seems to be one of the lesser known releases on the curious, and often great “All Platinum” label. Other than a 7" of a couple of these tracks, the only thing that the band seem to have released is this album, and what an album it is. Unbeatable soul-funk of the highest quality.

The album bursts open with “Love Will Stay In Your Corner”. It’s a soulful dancer that reliably slays any funk set you care to drop it in. It’s followed by the lithe disco funk “Flick Of The Wrist” that’s all bubbling baselines and elegant horns. The groovy, horn-enhanced sweet soul of “Gotta Get It Back” is equal parts heartbreaker/hip-shaker and the acidic organs on “Mr Brother” are an experiment in synth soul.

Perhaps the group’s best known track, “Beautiful Summer’s Day” might well be worth the price of an original copy alone. It’s pure piano-driven paradise soul. A tropical birdsong intro sets the scene of a warm, perfect sunshine day and the lead vocal soars over the lush, clean production. The tempo oscillates between contemplative and stomping. Essential.

The brilliantly-named “(Assistants Rag) When You’re Hot, You’re Hot” opens side two. Another huge highlight, its title refrain repeated over this laid-back, power-funk workout. It still sounds incredibly modern, like something off the last D’Angelo record, and if Public Enemy and Diamond D both sampled it you know it knocks hard.

The horn-heavy, clav-stabbing-stomper “We Like To Boogie” keeps things fast and funky before the airy, heavenly harmony soul of “Come On Home” mellows us all out. Things pick up again with “Touch Me”, and you might recognise its addictive elements sampled in Jay-Z’s Kanye West-produced “A Star Was Born”. The magical, reggae-tinged, gospel-influenced “Sweet Love” closes out this assured, classy set.

We dare to say that Cutting The Chord is a rare example of a funk-soul LP which is killer from start-to-finish. Sure, there are the stand-out bombs, but the whole thing is a complete and varied album of feel-good vibes held together by its fluid horns, tight, tight rhythm section and beautiful vocals.

Mastered for vinyl from the original analogue tapes by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and artwork restored at Be With HQ, this new edition should hopefully stop this album slipping any further into obscurity. It’s just too good to be forgotten.

IZIPHO SOUL are thrilled to announce their next release: Early 80s music from New Jersey of the highest order and a first time re-release on a 45.

IF YOU WANT MY LOVIN’ is a synth-soul boogie bomb that we’ve taken to another level. The ‘Sunshine Mix’ by Philip Ward - miraculously restructured - giving it the feel of a 12” but keeping it under 5 minutes, the instrumental break in the latter stages is simply stunning. The sublime flip ‘HARDLY NEED TO SAY’, hardly needs an introduction. Whilst the Rhodes and intricate guitars weave their way throughout the track, June’s vocals shine with passion and power.

The Bright Lights of America is the seventh album released by American punk rock band Anti-Flag. Released in 2008, the album marked a change in the band’s sound: although still very much punk, the album is their first to feature a string section and child choirs. Two singles were released from the album: both the title track and “The Modern Rome Burning”. Other popular songs from this album are “Good And Ready”, “Spit In The Face” and “Vices”. The song “Wake Up The Town” features guest vocals by Billy Talent-songer Benjamin Kowalewicz. Produced by Tony Visconti, Anti-Flag sounds fiery and angry as ever on this album. This is a limited edition of 500 individually numbered copies on solid red vinyl. The lp’s are housed in a gatefold sleeve with a deluxe leather laminate finish, and contains a double-sided poster with lyrics and liner notes.

Los Angeles emcee Pawz One returns with Featured Unreleased Collab Kollection Issue Two (F.U.C.K I.T!), the second installment in the series that features guest appearances, unreleased songs and remixes.

The 16 track album includes artists like Talib Kweli, Ras Kass, A.G. of D.I.T.C and others are featured on the album along with artwork done by Gift Revolver who recently did artwork for Conway, Wu-Tang and Big Pun. Producers include Snowgoons and many others from Japan, Netherlands, Chicago and Los Angeles.





e 05: Mind Power (Remix) [feat. Termanology & Ras Kass]




[j] 10: Avalanche Warning (Remix) [feat. Percee P]





[e] 05: Mind Power (Remix) [feat. Termanology & Ras Kass]




[j] 10: Avalanche Warning (Remix) [feat. Percee P]

Afrosound's mission was to emulate the guitar-heavy tropical sounds emanating from Perú and Ecuador at the time. To add to the hippie vibe, there were plenty of whacky improvised vocal asides (called 'inspiraciones'), plus custom fuzz, wah-wah, flange and echo effects boxes for the guitar and keyboards. A barrage of odd sounding synths, drum machines and other electronic flourishes were also sprinkled in to spice up the proceedings. The dozen tracks on Afrosound's debut long play make for a surprisingly diverse palette from which these Colombian musicians painted their daring portrait of Peruvian cumbia, returning the favor in bold colors that still resonate almost 50 years later. "La danza de los mirlos" kicks off with most famous Afrosound hit of all, 'Caliventura', a genius blend of funk and cumbia. Aside from the cumbia amazónica title tune, there are several other covers including three popular songs by Nelson y Sus Estrellas, plus radically reimagined versions of various Colombian costeño classics published by Fuentes. Mario "Pachanga" provides a sad but still groove-oriented Christmas son montuno / cumbia hybrid while Fruko brings us the bomba-funk ditty 'El chorrillo' and the rocking cumbia andina gem 'Cabeza de chorlito' where Sepúlveda channels Enrique Delgado. Fruko collaborator Hernán "Hercovalle" Colorado Vallejo rounds things out with the melancholic psychedelic cumbia 'Esperando por ti', proving that every tropical party has to have its down side as well. The record was also released in the US, Ecuador, Perú, Panamá, Mexico and Venezuela, and probably had an influence of its own, at least in South America. The cover of this lovingly restored reissue features the artwork for the Peruvian edition, which was licensed and issued by Lima's El Virrey label in 1974. The original Fuentes artwork, with a far more outrageous "cheesecake" image, can be seen on the back cover.

ollowing the demise of emo band Mineral in 1997, singer/guitarist Chris Simpson (Mineral/ Zookeeper/ Mountain Time) and bassist Jeremy Gomez reunited to form The Gloria Record. Taking an acoustic and more organic approach than their previous work, The Gloria Record (with the addition of guitarist Brian Hubbard, drummer Matt Hammon, later replaced by Brian Malone and Ben Houtman on the keys, organs and synthesisers) were unarguably the logical progression from Mineral’s emo throes - quieter, delicate and fervently impassioned. Heralded as a “band with big visions and bombastic sounds”, the quintet fostered their admiration for artists with similar arena sized visions ( Radiohead, REM, U2) to produce a sound that was reminiscent of their British contemporaries and American indies. In 1998 the band released their self-titled EP, followed by the intricate offering of 2000’s A Lull In Traffic and 2002’s full length effort Start Here, before disbanding after extensive US tours in 2004. Start Here, the brilliant debut album from The Gloria Record is back on vinyl at long last. Originally released in April 2002, the ten songs are bolstered with four bonus tracks including rarity The Dead Brother, a live version of L’Anniversaire Triste and demos of I Was Born In Omaha and My Funeral Party. Start Here will be released on black double vinyl in a gatefold sleeve on April 16th. The Gloria Record in the press: “…stacked to the gills with nuances that pay back repeat listens in a big way.” - Austin Chronicle “Where their earlier works were true emotional explorations -- singer Chris Simpson's heart fully on sleeve -- The Gloria Record abandons their emo roots for an indie rock growl” - Popmatters “Simpson’s work in Mineral and the dream-pop act The Gloria Record had long established him as a formidable songwriter…”

Winter Family is a duo made up of Ruth Rosenthal and Xavier Klaine, who met in Jaffa in 2004. Their dark, saturated and dense music is described as "Death Swing", "Weird Wave" or "Funeral Pop".

They recorded new parts of this new album in St Martin church of Maxéville, France. Xavier: "I recorded the pipe organ there, inspired by the Alsatian philanthropist organist Albert Schweitzer whose slow, bombastic performances, limited by faulty technique have always touched me deeply. In 2006, my aunt Loulou agrees to lend me the keys to the church. Ten years later, Loulou passes away, I play on this same pipe organ during her funeral. During the fall of 2018, in her room with old floral wallpapers, so cold, that I empty, surrounded by her missals and huge crucifixes I remix this pipe organs and the voice of Ruth. Through this late remixing, we wanted to deliver this woman from her agony, her eyes turned to the milkish Lotharingia sky and beyond, trying to illustrate this Catholic France of yesterday, as vain and terrifying as a month of November in this cold and humid garden, within reach of the incessant song of the A31 highway."

Keith Tucker and Gerald Donald of Dopplereffekt did it......They finally got together two of the originators from the monumental Detroit electronic groups Aux88 and Drexciya. The combination of these two musicians has created a retro bombardment of funk as only Keith Tucker and Gerald Donald can bring.
That unearthly eerie funk and strings from other worlds. This release gives a sense of a melding of Cybotron and Kraftwerk....That snappy intelligent funk that Detroit so heavily influenced and unleashed to the universe

1) "Star Gazing"- Is reminiscent of Cybotrons eclectic funk style with Tucker unmistakable electronic vocals and electronic beats slapping you in the face.

2) "Telescope Array"- Is an extension of Gerald Donald legendary aliases that give listeners that cold minimal drum and beautiful arps that hypnotize. Thumping bass line and .....bonus vocal interlude at the end of this interstellar track

For Fans Of: The Burning Hell; Belle & Sebastian; Iron & Wine.

Following swiftly on from last year’s Tiny Men Parts EP, Quiet Marauder re-enter the sonic fray with their latest Bubblewrap Collective long-player, The Gift, on 9th April 2021. Taking a strong divergence from the bombastic pop-punk of its predecessor, The Gift sees backing vocalist Kadesha Drija step to the foreground for the majority of the album, standing afront a richly crafted, multi-instrumental acoustic-folk backdrop.

Recorded pre-pandemic, January 2020, in The Burning Hell’s (Canada) pop-up Snowbird Studios, aka an art deco villa in Riofreddo, near Rome (Italy), this release marks another chapter in the ongoing international collaboration between the bands. For this album, Quiet Marauder’s (Wales) contributions of acoustic guitar, bass, trumpet and layered lead and backing vocals are granted further textural depth from their Canadian counterparts. These include minimalist harmonic splashes of flute, piano, organ (Jake Nicoll), electric guitar, bouzouki (Darren Browne) and bass clarinet (Ariel Sharratt).

Returning to the conceptual songwriting approach of previous releases MEN and The Crack And What It Meant, The Gift charts the narrative of a troubled teenage girl (Willow) haunted by visions of a mysterious house fire. Willow’s path is traced through well-meaning foster parents, teenage love interests, time-bending superpowers, distrust of domestic appliances and, ultimately, her own memories; covering themes of self-identity and the fallibility of human recall. Though the album marks a more overtly serious tone for the band, the sensitive subject matter is delicately handled through their trademark low-key, observational and, sometimes, darkly humorous lyrics.

From Tumaco, in the deep pacific coast of Colombia, Plu con Pla carries forward essential styles such as Bunde and Currulao, which were created by the African diaspora in response to the realities of life in this coastal jungle territory. The musical language of the South Pacific region is traditionally interpreted with a marimba handmade from the wood of the Chontaduro palm tree and resonating tubes of Guadua (similar to bamboo), a large, two-sided bass drum called the bombo, two slender, high-pitched drums called cununos, and cylindrical shaker called a guasá, along with powerful call and response vocals. Plu con Pla brings a mastery of this language and repertoire together with an urgency of exploration and growth, incorporating hard-hitting urban styles such as Hip Hop and Reggae into their expression, and bringing Bass, Drum Set, Keys, and more into the mix. True to their roots, collective process and social justice consciousness is central to both their music and their actions, with lyrics that address hard themes such as racism and civil war, and a continuing commitment to teaching, leading workshops and accompanying the peace process in Colombia.

10Questions is a record label by Dam Swindle's Lars Dales and graphic designer Bas Koopmans. The first release promises a lot for the coming series with signing the first EP with Demi Requisimo. Demi is one of the rising stars in dance music due to his energetic tracks and signature style, combining italo and electro with chopped up disco samples from around the globe.

The EP starts of with it's namesake track. 'Dictionary of fools' is a great example of Demi's knack for creating dancefloor bombs. The razor sharp bassline cuts through the track like a knife through butter but it's the female vocal that covers the track like a warm blanket. This track will get anyone's blood pumping and makes you wish you heard it first on a sunny festival.

'Noisey Cricket' ventures more into the 80's proto-house territory with it's distinctive drum programming and italo style bassline. The pads and vocal chops elevate the track to another level and underscore Demi's nose for finding just the right balance between electronic sounds and samples.

The final track of the EP, 'Atomic' is one of those tracks that sneak up on you. Demi takes a ballsy approach and let's you wait a full 3 minutes before the bassline comes in but lord it has never sounded sweeter. This is a party starter if you ever heard one and a beautiful example of how well Demi understands crafting a deceptively simple track with maximum impact. A master of his craft.

10Questions is a label build on the concept that the record and record sleeve are an integral part of the full experience of an EP. The artist is given a questionnaire and depending on his/her answers the artwork is made. This way the music and art co-exist in the same creative universe, that of the artist and the label alike.

The Norweigan wunderking of demented psychedelic song(de)struction is back with a fantastic collection of new songs. Gaute Granli is a one-man band, taking a complete stranger with thirsty ears by the nose, to leave him/her/them behind, confused and hungry for more recognisable hope. There's a constant form of recognition running through these 8 stretched songs, these strange flirts with folk music you think you already know, vocals that don't sound like they consist of words one knows and pop parts that are destroyed with a loop peddler. Although everything magically works, and made into a songstructure of sorts, a melancholic- almost religious air of desperation sits uncomfortably on top of all these songs like a frog that already got licked on its back twice in one morning. Limited to 300 copies, comes with an insert, download code and an Ultra Eczema sticker.

Limited edition white vinyl. Two signature Average White Band funk bombs, much danced to and sampled across the years - but nothing beats the originals and the first time either have been pressed on 12".

The A side houses 'Pick Up The Pieces' an essential sax laden gem loved by hip hop producers the world over, for that melt in the mouth funk hook. The flip a cover of the incredible Ned Doheny anthem 'Get It Up For Love', featuring the mighty Ben E. King on lead vocals.

*Repress*

Jerome Hill revives his Itsu Uno guise for the first time in 7 years and starts 2021 with some much needed fun.
He serves up 2 Cut n Paste Party Rocking Funk Bombs for the B-Boys and B-Girls.

No prizes for guessing the inspiration for "Shooter (Super Sharp B-Boy) although you'll not have heard it like this before. Meanwhile in "Battle Of The Breaks", Itsu Uno goes to town and serves up all manner of funky-ass beats and samples culminating in a finale that will get you ‘jumpin'

Fat Hop was started by Jerome in 2009 to house B-Boy Break jams, Old Skool style Hip Hop and Britcore.

British Heavy Metal legends Saxon will deliver a full-roar-fun-down set of covers on March 19th 2021 (Silver Lining Music), with their latest album Inspirations, which drops a brand new 11 track release featuring some of the superb classic rock songs that influenced Biff Byford & the band.

From the crunching take on The Rolling Stones’ ‘Paint It Black’ and the super-charged melodic romp of The Beatles’ ‘Paperback Writer’ to their freeway mad take on Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Stone Free’, Saxon show their love and appreciation with a series of faithful, raw and ready tributes. Recorded at Brockfield Hall near York, UK, with a firm eye on the old school way using Marshall cabs, Marshall amps and real drums, Saxon approach the likes of Motörhead’s ‘Bomber’ (with added whistle!), AC/DC’s ‘Problem Child’, Black Sabbath’s ‘Evil Woman’ and a raucous Deep Purple’s ‘Speed King’ with refreshingly warm, unfiltered, “vintage” sounding renditions.

Byford takes on some new vocal challenges, which he duly smashes on the likes of Thin Lizzy’s ‘The Rocker’. Saxon do a supreme job of entertaining both themselves and their audience throughout Inspirations. For even more proof of the validity behind that statement, wrap your ears around their sparkling take on Toto’s ‘Hold The Line’ and consider Saxon’s Inspirations a mission accomplished.