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Mit elf bisher unveröffentlichten BBC-Session-Aufnahmen und allen fünf Songs der ersten beiden Creation Records-Singles fängt 'Reverberations (Travelling In Time)' perfekt ein, was viele für eine entscheidende Ära einer der wichtigsten britischen Gruppen halten, die eine ganze Reihe von aufstrebenden Bands beeinflusste, allen voran The Stone Roses. Es ist eine Sammlung, die einen Schnappschuss der jugendlichen Unschuld und ungezügelten Leidenschaft bietet, die ihre frühen zweiminütigen Indie-Pop-Abenteuer kennzeichneten.

2019 zog Duff McKagan in sein eigenes Aufnahmestudio, was ihm die lang ersehnte Möglichkeit gab, „endlich Songs weiterzuentwickeln, die ich vielleicht in der Nacht zuvor geschrieben habe, oder an alten Riffs von vor Jahren weiterzuarbeiten. Das ist eine große Sache für mich.”

Er verbrachte einen Großteil der folgenden zwei Jahre damit, mit seinem langjährigen Produzenten/Kollaborateur Martin Feveyear (Mark Lanegan, Brandi Carlile) an einer Reihe von sehr persönlichen neuen Songs zu arbeiten.

»Lighthouse« ist das erste Album in voller Länge, das in McKagans privatem Studio entstanden ist: 11 Songs, die in Tenor und Umfang variieren.

»Ich habe sozusagen einen Ort gefunden, an dem ich mich wohlfühle, wie meine eigene Musik klingen soll«, sagt McKagan sagt. »Das sind wirklich nur einfache Punksongs, die ohne mein Geschrei auskommen. Die Themen sind breit gefächert, aber das werdet Ihr sehen und hören. Die Idee, diese Platte mit einer Ode an meine Frau zu beginnen und mit einer Ode an das Leben zu enden, verkörpert die beiden Dinge, die ich am meisten liebe."

2019 zog Duff McKagan in sein eigenes Aufnahmestudio, was ihm die lang ersehnte Möglichkeit gab, „endlich Songs weiterzuentwickeln, die ich vielleicht in der Nacht zuvor geschrieben habe, oder an alten Riffs von vor Jahren weiterzuarbeiten. Das ist eine große Sache für mich.”

Er verbrachte einen Großteil der folgenden zwei Jahre damit, mit seinem langjährigen Produzenten/Kollaborateur Martin Feveyear (Mark Lanegan, Brandi Carlile) an einer Reihe von sehr persönlichen neuen Songs zu arbeiten.

»Lighthouse« ist das erste Album in voller Länge, das in McKagans privatem Studio entstanden ist: 11 Songs, die in Tenor und Umfang variieren.

»Ich habe sozusagen einen Ort gefunden, an dem ich mich wohlfühle, wie meine eigene Musik klingen soll«, sagt McKagan sagt. »Das sind wirklich nur einfache Punksongs, die ohne mein Geschrei auskommen. Die Themen sind breit gefächert, aber das werdet Ihr sehen und hören. Die Idee, diese Platte mit einer Ode an meine Frau zu beginnen und mit einer Ode an das Leben zu enden, verkörpert die beiden Dinge, die ich am meisten liebe."

2019 zog Duff McKagan in sein eigenes Aufnahmestudio, was ihm die lang ersehnte Möglichkeit gab, „endlich Songs weiterzuentwickeln, die ich vielleicht in der Nacht zuvor geschrieben habe, oder an alten Riffs von vor Jahren weiterzuarbeiten. Das ist eine große Sache für mich.”

Er verbrachte einen Großteil der folgenden zwei Jahre damit, mit seinem langjährigen Produzenten/Kollaborateur Martin Feveyear (Mark Lanegan, Brandi Carlile) an einer Reihe von sehr persönlichen neuen Songs zu arbeiten.

»Lighthouse« ist das erste Album in voller Länge, das in McKagans privatem Studio entstanden ist: 11 Songs, die in Tenor und Umfang variieren.

»Ich habe sozusagen einen Ort gefunden, an dem ich mich wohlfühle, wie meine eigene Musik klingen soll«, sagt McKagan sagt. »Das sind wirklich nur einfache Punksongs, die ohne mein Geschrei auskommen. Die Themen sind breit gefächert, aber das werdet Ihr sehen und hören. Die Idee, diese Platte mit einer Ode an meine Frau zu beginnen und mit einer Ode an das Leben zu enden, verkörpert die beiden Dinge, die ich am meisten liebe."

2019 zog Duff McKagan in sein eigenes Aufnahmestudio, was ihm die lang ersehnte Möglichkeit gab, „endlich Songs weiterzuentwickeln, die ich vielleicht in der Nacht zuvor geschrieben habe, oder an alten Riffs von vor Jahren weiterzuarbeiten. Das ist eine große Sache für mich.”

Er verbrachte einen Großteil der folgenden zwei Jahre damit, mit seinem langjährigen Produzenten/Kollaborateur Martin Feveyear (Mark Lanegan, Brandi Carlile) an einer Reihe von sehr persönlichen neuen Songs zu arbeiten.

»Lighthouse« ist das erste Album in voller Länge, das in McKagans privatem Studio entstanden ist: 11 Songs, die in Tenor und Umfang variieren.

»Ich habe sozusagen einen Ort gefunden, an dem ich mich wohlfühle, wie meine eigene Musik klingen soll«, sagt McKagan sagt. »Das sind wirklich nur einfache Punksongs, die ohne mein Geschrei auskommen. Die Themen sind breit gefächert, aber das werdet Ihr sehen und hören. Die Idee, diese Platte mit einer Ode an meine Frau zu beginnen und mit einer Ode an das Leben zu enden, verkörpert die beiden Dinge, die ich am meisten liebe."

The Cinematic Orchestra kündigen eine limitierte Vinyl-Reissue ihres erstmal 2003 veröffentlichten Klassikers 'Man With A Movie Camera’ an. Im Rahmen der Filmfestspiele zur Europäischen Kulturstadt Porto im Jahr 2001 wurde Jason Swinscoe vom Cinematic Orchestra beauftragt, einen Soundtrack zu einem Stummfilm zu komponieren, der einmalig aufgeführt werden sollte. Bei dem Film handelte es sich um Dziga Vertovs Experimentalwerk „Der Mann mit der Kamera“, einen frühen Dokumentarfilm aus der Ukraine von 1929, den viele, darunter das British Film Institute, fast 100 Jahre nach seiner Entstehung als einen der besten Filme aller Zeiten bezeichnen. Die Aufführung fand im historischen Coliseu do Porto statt und endete mit stehenden Ovationen von 3.500 Menschen. The Cinematic Orchestra hat die Show im Laufe der Jahre auf internationalen Tourneen aufgeführt, unter anderem im Barbican in London, im Winter Garden des World Trade Centers in New York und im Sydney Opera House.

OVERVIEW: This is essential. We don't just refer to the album title: this new record by multi-instrumentalist and producer Thysenterprise is essential material for lovers of spiritual jazz with a hip-hop edge. As described in the liner notes: "The spirit of Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, and Coltrane permeate the music here. At times, Thysenterprise and his guests meld the influence of the great jazz cannon with the rhythms of hip-hop."

'ESSENTIAL' moves with ease from spiritual sounds to hip-hop-infused head nods. The liner notes by writer John Morrison perfectly encapsulate the type of sonic trip you're in for: "While the improvisational heights that Thysenterprise and crew reach throughout the album owe a debt to hardbop and the avant-garde, there are beats and textures here akin to the work of Karriem Riggins or A Tribe Called Quest. The result is a truly contemporary sound that plays freely within the depths of human feeling."

'ESSENTIAL' is by far Thysenterprise's most personal album to date. From beginning to end, he pays a heartfelt tribute to his late father. The artist revisits and rearranges melodies from iconic jazz records that formed a profound connection between the two of them. Throughout the album, there are nods to songs that were essential for Reinier's musical upbringing. It shows that the saxophonist plays with heart and doesn't shy away from expressing grief and loss. Or as stated in the liner notes: "We play for pleasure, we play to understand ourselves and the world around us, we play to celebrate and remember our loved ones."

Renowned Dutch alto saxophonist Benjamin Herman joins Thysenterprise for intimate call-and-response on "Feedback of Silence." Next to that, Michael Moore graces "Happiness Is a Memory" with a heartfelt bass clarinet solo. Moore is part of the Han Bennink-founded ICP Orchestra. It's safe to say that Thysenterprise builds on that rich lineage of improvisation, playfulness, and distinct originality. On 'ESSENTIAL,' he takes that to new heights. The album comes beautifully packaged as a gatefold 2LP with vinyl-exclusive alternate takes on the D-side.

Lil Uzi Vert’s long awaited ‘Pink Tape’ album is available now to stream on all platforms. It will be released physically on CD & Vinyl on the 20th October with pre-order going live on the 17th July. ‘Pink Tape’ features the hit singles ‘Just Wanna Rock’, ‘Flooded The Face’ & ‘Endless Fashion (feat. Nicki Minaj)’.

Known for being part of the INNA DE YARD family for almost 20 years, Jamaican singer extraordinaire DERAJAH is a major figure in Kingston music scene. He is the bridge between the old and new generations, passing the knowledge from the elders to the youths. We are delighted to present his latest effort in collaboration with A-class studio band The 18th Parallel: ‘PROSPERITY’. A showcase album of 6 songs with dub versions produced between Geneva, Switzerland and Kingston, Jamaica. With the expert touch of mixing maestro Westfinga, the 11 tracks of ‘Prosperity’ are sonic masterpieces, timeless and innovative.

In between the raw and brutal sound of 80’s Jamaican rub a dub and today’s sophisticated and polished modern sound. Derajah's raw and emotive vocals paint vivid pictures of struggle and resilience, carrying a profound message of social consciousness and resistance against oppressive forces, while The 18th Parallel's ultra-solid riddims create a rich tapestry of sound that will transport you to the heart of roots reggae. With its impeccable production quality, ‘Prosperity’ captures the essence of reggae's golden era.

This groundbreaking album is a testament to the enduring power of music to inspire, uplift, and ignite change.

The story towards the creation of this album also needs to be shared. As Fruits Records members were in Jamaica on tour and to record their first projects, they crossed Derajah paths a couple times without getting a chance to work together. But this was enough to set a strong foundation to a relationship that goes way beyond the musical side only. A few years after this meeting, one phone call only was enough to start the process. The rest is pure magic! Spontaneity, trust and loyalty became the guidelines for the creation of this gem, which stand out of time and space, and aim to carry on its path anyone seeking for knowledge, love and prosperity.

INDUSTRIAS MEKANIKAS returns to the fray, and comes with force, with this new release from producer CUTE HEELS.

This Colombian producer and DJ based in Berlin, and who has published in labels like; Dark Entries, Moustache Records or Schrödinger’s Box, lands in the Madrid label to present us his latest work “Steel Field”, a 12″ of six tracks in mini LP format, where the producer shows us his darker side.

All his tracks converge in styles with a very marked influence of EBM and the most hypnotic Techno, along with the treatment of his vocals with distortion and delay effects, as well as lyrics with a very devastating message,

His new Mlp “Steel Field”, will make you travel from the beginning to the end, will take you to the darkest and murkiest worlds of electronica, will make you can not stop dancing, playing, thinking and moving between the sensations and the most recondite desires of your mind.

We have known Big Bug for many years… 29 in fact! He lives near to us here on the South Coast and he has been a big inspiration. A truly authentic sound that was years ahead of the competition.

This release was originally put out by Bournemouth based Underdog Recordings, run by Olly Underdog, back in 1995. Around this time the musical landscape of drum and bass changed dramatically and the ‘intelligent’ sound of Bukem and Fabio lead the way. Big Bud ended up recording for both back then, he was just embarking upon his musical voyage.

Interesting fact – the B-Side was never supposed to be called New Vision. Keiron from Aquasky was recording under that name in 1994, also for Underdog, and Olly got the names muddled up when making the labels… so the track was accidently renamed and ‘New Vision’, the track name, was born!

Moana Pozzi in the late 1980s, following in the footsteps of her illustrious colleague Ilona Staller/Cicciolina, made her official singing debut by recording several songs arranged and produced by Jayhorus. The music ended up in several of her films as well as being performed in her hot live shows.

Discographically at the time only a few tracks were released on 7″ and 12″ singles that are now cult collector’s items for fetishists and weird DJs.

At last, Cinedelic has gotten their hands on the original masters, unearthing some unreleased ones as well, producing a luxurious gatefold LP.

This is part two. From the original master tapes. Unmissable!

Slave To Society pays homage to the legendary cultural theorist and philosopher, Mark Fisher. Diving into some of the conceptual ideas of Fisher’s literature and philosophy, you'll feel like you're wandering through a post-apocalyptic landscape in the future with this hard hitting, haunting and atmospheric piece.

‘The Future That Never Arrived’ experience the paranoia and anxiety of the digital age with this gritty and dissonant track. Fisher's ideas about technology's impact on society come to life in a sonic onslaught.
‘Cyberspace’ exploration of desire and its endless repetition. The frenetic energy of this track mirrors the insatiable hunger of consumer culture.
’Is There No Alternative’ the title track offers a sense of reflection and departure. It echoes Fisher's thoughts on escaping the boundaries of the present moment.
‘Ghosts Of My Life’ this track encapsulates Fisher's critique of our modern capitalist society. The heavy beats mirror the relentless grind of capitalism, while the haunting melodies reflect the loss of authentic experiences.

„Selbst auf dieser Platte gibt es Momente, in denen es etwas psychedelischer zugeht, aber wir waren schon immer große Fans klassischer Rockmusik wie ZZ TOP, JAMES GANG, ALLMAN BROTHERS – und natürlich CREAM.“

Formed by Monster Magnet’s John McBain and Soundgarden’s Matt Cameron & Ben Shepherd in 1993 during some downtime from their day jobs and side project Hater (who released a self-titled album in 1993), Wellwater Conspiracy set about immersing themselves in the dayglo world of sixties psychedelia, channelling the vibrations of Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd and the 13th Floor Elevators to produce the garage lo-fi-lysergic assault on the senses that is their debut album ‘Declaration of Conformity’. Originally issued on Mudhoney’s Steve Turners Super Electro label in 1997, the album was met with critical acclaim upon its release, and Rolling Stone magazine said, “Declaration’s tinny, fuzzed-out sonics decidedly evoke the Summer of Love.” God Unknown Records are proud to be welcoming the album back into print and on all digital platforms, and this coming September 22nd will see the release of a remastered vinyl pressing with extra tracks and new artwork taking influence from Blue Note Records’ fabled artwork. From start to finish, ‘Declaration Of Conformity’ is a loving homage to the true beginnings of psychedelic rock, long before the music got harder and heavier. Songs like ‘Green Undertow’ and ‘Sleeveless’ hark back to the time when The Beatles were spinning the world on its axis with ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’, Syd Barrett was the piper at the gates of dawn and Roky Erickson was introducing the world to his Texan psychedelic sounds. Wellwater Conspiracy’s music exists at that moment when pop music started to fracture and go far further out. It was still pop music, but the edges were starting to blur and the sounds were starting to fracture. This is where ‘Declaration of Conformity’ sits; at the dawn of one of the biggest cultural shifts in musical history. The Bandcamp link will also feature two bonus download-only tracks, a cover of ‘Akka Ragga’ by Shocking Blue and ‘Late Night’ by Syd Barrett. Both tracks feature Josh Homme on guitar and bass. Tracklisting A1 Sleeveless A2 You Do You A3 Trowerchord A4 Green Undertow A5 I Love You Every Day Sandy A6 Nati Bati Yi A7 Far Side Of Your Moon B1 The Ending B2 Space Travel In The Blink Of An Eye B3 6-6-5-4-3-2-1 B4 Shel Talmy B5 Lucy Leave B6 Declaration Of Conformity B7 Palomar Observatory

TOP PRIORTY RELEASE. Escape Music is delighted to announce the release date for the long awaited Jelusick debut album title “Follow The Blind Man” featuring Dino Jelusick the most well loved and respected vocalist in the Rock World! will be available on CD, Vinyl, and digital platforms! The Vinyl will be limited edition to 500 copies only! “Blade Bullet” colour and all will be numbered 1-500.Jelusick is: Dino Jelusick – vocals, keyboards, guitar / Ivan Keller – guitar / Luka Broderick – bass, backing vocals / Mario Lepoglavec – drums, backing vocals / Produced by Dino Jelusick, Mixed and Mastered by Simon Jovanovic, Executive Producer Dario Jelusic - JELUSICK played on 4 European tours during 2021- 2023 which also included Guitar Scene festival 2021 where they played with all star band together with John Norum and Gus G. The same line up also played there in 2022 and shared the stage and jammed with Airbourne, Johnny Depp & Jeff Back, Black Label Society, and Beth Hart. Dino Jelusick, born 4 June 1992, is a Croatian rock singer, musician, and songwriter. He was the founder, principal songwriter and lead singer of hard rock band Animal Drive, which was formed in 2012. and dissolved in 2020. Since 2016 Dino became a permanent member of American rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He also worked with Gus G, Mike Mangini, George Lynch, Will Hunt, Michael Romeo, Jeff Scott Soto, Joel Hoekstra, Steve Smith, Jon Oliva, Kip Winger, John Macaluso, Deen Castronovo, Phil Demmel, Mike Portnoy, Henrik Linder, Justin Johnson, Tony Franklin, Kyle Hughes, Virgil Donati, Kiko Loureiro, Jordan Rudess, David Coverdale, Tommy Aldridge, Reb Beach, Michele Luppi, Lachy Doley etc. On July 27th, 2021, upon direct phone call from David Coverdale shortly after that David announced that Dino had become the new member of Whitesnake! In 2009 he started recording a new studio album in Melbourne, Australia which was finalised with producer Robert Ahrling in Malmö, Sweden. The album named “Living My Own Life” was released in August 2011. Between 2012 and 2013 Dino was hired to take part in an international project in South Africa named “Synkropation” where he was featured in several songs and played to an audience of 50.000 people in Johannesburg and also participated in two rock operas. In 2015, American drummer John Macaluso (Ark) invited him as singer and the keyboardist for his new American-Croatian band Stone Leaders. During this time, Dino was also a member of Croatian metal band The Ralph with whom he released the album “Enter Escape” in February 2017. In February 2016 he was noticed by American rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra. After auditioning and meeting with producer Paul O’Neill and Dino was chosen to join the group. 2018 his band Animal Drive released debut album, “Bite!”, to critical acclaim. April 2019, they released a covers EP titled “Back to the Roots”. Dino was also featured singer on two songs on Magnus Karlsson “Free Fall” album. 2020 Dino Joined ex-Krokus members and Mandy Mayer (Gotthard, Asia, Unisonic…) for a concert project named Gotus and they released a video for the song “Souls Alive” (Unisonic). July 2021 Michael Romeo, guitar master from NY insisted that Dino should sing on his new album “War of the Worlds part 2” and it became a great and successful collaboration. 2022 Dino toured Europe with Whitesnake. As the last part of the EU tour was cancelled due to some DC health issues, Dino joined The Dead Daisies tour replacing Glenn Hughes who got unwell at the end of November 2022.A 2 year long legal battle with Dino’s ex-label was over and he immediately started recording new songs for his band JELUSICK…Welcome back Dino!

As for the direction of their new album, DÉCEMBRE NOIR reveal the following: "Your Sunset | My Sunrise" is the cry for inner peace set to music. A heavy heart full of tears, which threatens to plunge its bearer into the abyss at any moment. Even if this means giving up oneself, in the end only the long-awaited silence counts. It is the escape on the wings of addiction from the battlefield of never-ending depression. The approach of the band from Thuringia, Germany also reaches deep on their fifth full-time album - both lyrically and musically. This is already known from the previous records "The Renaissance Of Hope" (2020), "Autumn Kings" (2018), "Forsaken Earth" (2016) and "A Discouraged Believer" (2014). DÉCEMBRE NOIR act consistently atmospheric, gloomily tuned and open to interpretation. The underlying thoughts, emotions and intentions of the songs of the quintet are not always clearly determinable. And they don't have to be. For the nuances and forebodings set to music have a special significance in the German band's playing. What once started between doom and death metal, has developed over the years and releases to an independent, organic gloomy sound, which achieves its ominous effect space and its captivating fascination quite independently of liking or style questions. On "Your Sunset | My Sunrise", produced by HEAVEN SHALL BURN's Alexander Dietz at his Chemical Burn Studio, DÉCEMBRE NOIR again rely on melancholic as well as melodically addressed pieces that stand completely on their own and therefore captivate because they are presented so heavy, dark and atmospheric.

Having been deck slaying as near their London headquarters as Germany and as far as Canada, goth techno prodigy Lesser Of is steadily approaching double digit release count. With an established residence at queer x trans focused, revolutionary event series Subverted, their efforts have been welcomed to a formidable list of industrial electronic labels and remixed by a tidy sum of high profile scene icons.

Here at Depth.Request our sonars are attuned to emanant potential, and so we conscript Lesser Of to hammer out our fourth acetate offering to date. To this, harsh noise and drone music inspirations are declared, alongside an artistic secret of the trade: lights-off sessions in live room of a recording studio vibrating with the pulse of a bass guitar ran through a freeze pedal were what begot the tracks, and they are well intent on assaulting your headphones with noise. Reeko on the remix - yes, this record fucks.

Prolonged, ominous intro? Nah. Have a face full of Crude Manifestation Of Power instead, as an insatiable, 10-minute long opener braces your ears for a week of ringing with a sonic equivalent of metallic thrashing one could expect from being a sinful, rave-lusting scoundrel. On title-diverting continuation Within My Fragility the words "strength in fragility" are truly alliterated as the pace, abrasiveness and intensity of pummelling are all ramped up fiercely, with linear open hats thrown against them from time to time for good measure. Having reached 140 BPM and concrete mean, Masked proceeds in a well anticipated ra(n)ge: infernal atmosphere, sandy hats and layered tectonic tremors achieved with increasingly undefined low end consisting of a rumble line and rolling kick morphing into abrasive haze. Winding the tempo back a notch, a halftimearranged contemplation Our Descent grows in direct, hyperborean vector: glassy drones and sharp syncopulsation first - atonal reverberations, distorted arpeggios and punchy stabs endwise. Reeko's analog reinvention of Masked convolves the drum structure by borrowing from breakbeat narratives and authorizes the dystopian ambiance to rise and fall on more gradual, panning, confined terms; adding, however, more disorder to the mix with spectrum slicing, high-range chaos.

As you would have learned to expect from Depth.Request, Within My Fragility EP is not an easy listening five-tracker. If by the end of it you find yourself feeling as if you just stepped out of a pounding warehouse at 3AM and you don't know what day it is, you wouldn't have been experiencing this mindspace alone.

The first half follows all of the paths that lead in circles, the tangled yarn that never finds the end. But it holds on. It's stronger than you think.

The second half is how we untangle and get put together again. The final song features a recording I took at the end of last summer, a warm night with a campfire, some crickets, and the people we love. Because even when we unravel, there are ways to be put back together.

If you were to ask for a defining Habibi Funk track, there are a few that come to mind: from Fadoul’s “Sid Redad,” Dalton’s “Soul Brother” to Ahmed Malek’s “Omar Gatlato.” However, none are as widely connected with us at this point as Hamid Al Shaeri’s “Ayonha.” We heard the track for the first time when we were working on selecting tracks for your first compilation and we instantly loved it. We obviously had heard of Hamid El Shaeri’s music before, but only material from his Al Jeel phase when he was already the full-blown
superstar he is now.

Listening to his releases from the early 1980’s opened a whole new door for us. At the time, Hamid had just left Libya to pursue his career in Egypt via a detour in London, where he recorded his first album. Hamid’s distinct sound of the sound is quintessentially reliant on heavy synths and so it was particularly important to purchase these synths in a timely manner. “Whenever a new one synthesizer would come out, we would have to buy it immediately, otherwise someone else would get their hands on that sound.” London also played an important role for Hamid as a musical epicenter.

He fondly reminisces about the many live shows he attended there, including some of the biggest international musicians like Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson. After returning to Cairo where he also recorded his following albums, he connected with SLAM! for the
release of his debut, laying the foundation of a collaboration that lasted for 5 albums. Luckily, we were able to connect with Hamid through our friend Youssra El Hawary, whose extensive network has opened many doors for us within the Egyptian music scene. We met Hamid for the first time probably in 2016 at his office / rehearsal studio in the outskirts Cairo. We were expecting a larger-than-life
character in-line with his status as a certified superstar, yet the actual person turned out to be very approachable and super easy to connect with. He liked the idea of an effort to amplify his early works again,
which, when originally released, were far from an economic success.

While he was down to assist with an interview and his blessing for the project he also told us that for any license we needed to speak with the original label SLAM! who released these songs, still held the rights and also remained in business over the decades though they didn’t actively release any new music. Hany Sabet had started SLAM! records in the early 1980s and focused on cassette tape releases, the
format that expedited the success of a new generation of record labels in Egypt. By the mid 1980’s, SLAM! had become one of the most successful and economically dominant record labels in Egypt, with Hamid El Shaeri being just one of their key artists, alongside Mohamed Mounir, Hanan, Hakim, Mustafa Amar and many more. Luckily, Hany Sabet turned out to be a friend of our colleague Malak Makar’s father, which probably helped to warm him to the idea of licen- sing “Ayonha” to this - in the scale of his world - tiny label
from Germany. Eventually “Ayonha” ended up becoming a widely successful release and either Hany or we brought up the idea of a full album dedicated to Hamid El Shaeri’s work on SLAM!.


"Maktoub Aleina” is the first single and will be released January 14th. Following the massive success of "Ayonha,” “Maktoub Aleina” is another mid-tempo groover with a beautiful, synth-forward melody, that brings together a lovely combination of soul, disco and Arabic pop music of the highest order, giving a taste of full album. The second single, “Yekfini Nesma Sotak” will be released January 28th and combines Hamid’s unique formula of soul and pop, held together by a catchy synth melody. “Yekfini Nesma Sotak” picks up the
pace a bit, making the uplifting mood of the track even more powerful. Third single, arriving February 11th, is “Dari Demou’ek,” one of the stand out tracks of Hamid’s early recordings done for SLAM! in the early 1980s. Dominated by a disco infused bassline, the track offers a lot of space of the funky production to shine while Hamid inserts his vocals at all the right moments. A masterpiece of disco touched by Arabic pop music.

Full album arrives February 25th. This release is dedicated to Hany Sabet, the founder of SLAM! and his wife Rosemary Jane Sabet (who
took the photos we used for the cover and the booklet), who sadly passed away during the time it took us to prepare the release.
Vinyl comes with an extensive booklet with an interview with Hamid as well as unseen photos

We are thrilled to kick off our label endeavors with one of the rarest and simultaneously best-recorded independently released German new wave singles in history: "Jede Nacht derselbe Traum" ("The Same Dream Every Night") by Total.

Back in late 1983, Total found themselves in a pivotal rendezvous with CBS Records in a Frankfurt hotel lobby. The entire band was present, along with the esteemed NDW manager Jim Rakete, who had played a role in launching Nena to national and international stardom. Also in attendance were the A&R representatives from CBS. It was on this day that Total was presented with the opportunity to ink an album deal with CBS. However, since they had only recorded the titular song thus far, negotiations hit a snag. CBS insisted on a full album rather than a standalone single.
Ultimately, the band decided to independently issue a limited 7" run of "Jede Nacht derselbe Traum" under Günther Mannschreck's Schreckschuss label in January 1984. These vinyl copies became the band's currency for pursuing record deals and promotional prospects. However, despite the potential to achieve commercial success and garner radio airplay, the song and the "Total" project gradually waned from the music landscape. Regrettably, only a few vinyl copies have managed to endure over time. This NDW "holy grail" may have prompted a fair share of dreams for serious vinyl collectors, as to this day, not a single physical copy has been put up for sale on platforms like eBay or Discogs. Interestingly, Maisenbacher has even fielded an offer of over 400 Euros for an original copy, although he regretfully couldn't fulfill the request due to possessing just a single copy himself.

The song itself is a fusion of diverse musical styles. Crafted using the Oberheim OB8 system, complete with the DMX drum machine and a bassline woven from a Jupiter 8 keyboard, it carried a groove reminiscent of New York's electro hip-hop sound in "The Message," setting it apart from typical German new wave productions. Additionally, a Korg Polysix was integrated, and guitar effects were layered to finalize the infectious synth-pop instrumental. Newcomer to the band, Andrea Ströbel, laid down a flawless vocal layer that steered the song towards a straightforward NDW direction, giving it a resonance that surely resonated with mainstream and radio audiences. To complete a B-side for the original vinyl single, the legendary state-of-the-art L480 Lexicon reverb was used. In the more experimental "Maxi Mix," now known as the "Dub Mix," Mannschreck expertly manipulated the machine. The outcome stands as a historical example of incredible studio craftsmanship and the cutting-edge techniques of the 80s.
For the new 12" release, Mannschreck unearthed an alternative mix of the song on the original tapes, featuring a distinct introduction, break, and exciting edits. In addition, DJ Friction, who contributed to the transfer and mastering for the release, treated us to a superb edit that cleverly melds all versions of the song while incorporating a few extra bassline groove elements.

The captivating reissue cover spotlights vocalist Andrea Ströbel, who gazes with determination. A hand reaches out to grab her shirt, attempting to pull her down. Symbolizing the song's theme, it embodies the unsettling dream conveyed by the lyrics-yet she steadfastly resists.

In summary, we are elated to present a significant gem for vinyl enthusiasts: a splendid mid-tempo tune that dances on the boundary of synth-pop, new wave and electro. The new 12" single underwent meticulous mastering, and the outcome is nothing short of astounding, surpassing the sonic quality of the original pressing.

We are thrilled to kick off our label endeavors with one of the rarest and simultaneously best-recorded independently released German new wave singles in history: "Jede Nacht derselbe Traum" ("The Same Dream Every Night") by Total.

Back in late 1983, Total found themselves in a pivotal rendezvous with CBS Records in a Frankfurt hotel lobby. The entire band was present, along with the esteemed NDW manager Jim Rakete, who had played a role in launching Nena to national and international stardom. Also in attendance were the A&R representatives from CBS. It was on this day that Total was presented with the opportunity to ink an album deal with CBS. However, since they had only recorded the titular song thus far, negotiations hit a snag. CBS insisted on a full album rather than a standalone single.
Ultimately, the band decided to independently issue a limited 7" run of "Jede Nacht derselbe Traum" under Günther Mannschreck's Schreckschuss label in January 1984. These vinyl copies became the band's currency for pursuing record deals and promotional prospects. However, despite the potential to achieve commercial success and garner radio airplay, the song and the "Total" project gradually waned from the music landscape. Regrettably, only a few vinyl copies have managed to endure over time. This NDW "holy grail" may have prompted a fair share of dreams for serious vinyl collectors, as to this day, not a single physical copy has been put up for sale on platforms like eBay or Discogs. Interestingly, Maisenbacher has even fielded an offer of over 400 Euros for an original copy, although he regretfully couldn't fulfill the request due to possessing just a single copy himself.

The song itself is a fusion of diverse musical styles. Crafted using the Oberheim OB8 system, complete with the DMX drum machine and a bassline woven from a Jupiter 8 keyboard, it carried a groove reminiscent of New York's electro hip-hop sound in "The Message," setting it apart from typical German new wave productions. Additionally, a Korg Polysix was integrated, and guitar effects were layered to finalize the infectious synth-pop instrumental. Newcomer to the band, Andrea Ströbel, laid down a flawless vocal layer that steered the song towards a straightforward NDW direction, giving it a resonance that surely resonated with mainstream and radio audiences. To complete a B-side for the original vinyl single, the legendary state-of-the-art L480 Lexicon reverb was used. In the more experimental "Maxi Mix," now known as the "Dub Mix," Mannschreck expertly manipulated the machine. The outcome stands as a historical example of incredible studio craftsmanship and the cutting-edge techniques of the 80s.
For the new 12" release, Mannschreck unearthed an alternative mix of the song on the original tapes, featuring a distinct introduction, break, and exciting edits. In addition, DJ Friction, who contributed to the transfer and mastering for the release, treated us to a superb edit that cleverly melds all versions of the song while incorporating a few extra bassline groove elements.

The captivating reissue cover spotlights vocalist Andrea Ströbel, who gazes with determination. A hand reaches out to grab her shirt, attempting to pull her down. Symbolizing the song's theme, it embodies the unsettling dream conveyed by the lyrics-yet she steadfastly resists.

In summary, we are elated to present a significant gem for vinyl enthusiasts: a splendid mid-tempo tune that dances on the boundary of synth-pop, new wave and electro. The new 12" single underwent meticulous mastering, and the outcome is nothing short of astounding, surpassing the sonic quality of the original pressing.

Lucky number 17? You better believe it. We here at Brown Acid have been scouring the highways and byways of America for even more hidden stashes of psych/garage/proto-punk madness from the so-called Aquarian Age. There’s no flower power here, though—just acid casualties, rock stompers and major freakouts. As always, the songs have been officially licensed, and all the artists get paid. Kicking off this trip, Grapple’s “Ethereal Genesis” is a heavy psych gem from 1969 written by J. Bruce Svoboda, a.k.a. Jay Bruce, formerly of The Hangmen and The Five Canadians (who were actually the same San Antonio band). The latter’s 1966 garage favorite “Writing on the Wall” has been endlessly covered, but Grapple were never heard from again. With a guitar riff that blatantly rips off Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath,” Image’s mostly instrumental lysergic obscurity “Witchcraft ’71” (originally unveiled that very year) also boasts a horror-movie organ intro, a voodoo drum break and some championship chanting. Private press heads might recall late Image drummer John Beke from his ’80s reemergence with country rockers Crossfyre. Stone Hedge were a seven-piece rock band out of Michigan with a penchant for Creedence and anthropomorphism. “Smokey Bear” is their 1972 tribute to the official mascot of the U.S. Forest Services—not to mention the A side of their sole single—and it recalls the kind of organ-drenched swamp jam that soundtracked many a Burt Reynolds flick back in the day. If you think being a Southern rock band from Milwaukee doesn’t make much sense, that’s probably why Crossfire changed their sound along with their name—to Bad Boy—after signing with United Artists. Bad Boy’s severely underappreciated second album, Back To Back, is a 1978 hard rock jewel, but you can hear their boogie-woogie roots on this rare 1975 single. With a band name like Primevil and song title like “Too Dead To Live,” you probably expect some gnarly proto-metal riffage. Instead, you a get a harmonica-drenched, soul-infused rock rave-up from 1972. Primevil would release their sole LP two years later: Entitled Smokin’ Bats at Campton’s, it’s a reference to their trusty singer, harp player (and bat smoker?), Dave Campton. Brown Acid regulars already know Pegasus from their appearance with “The Sorcerer” on our Seventh Trip. “Ready to Rave” is the flipside to that 1972 single, in which they explain how they like their whiskey cold and their women hot. It’s another killer glimpse of what might have been if these one-and-done Baltimore hard rockers had been able to keep it together. One of two obscure singles released by Texas musician Bobby Mabe in 1969 (the other appears under the name The Outcasts), “I’m Lonely” delivers a heavy dose of vocal soul to the otherwise psych-garage presentation. Fans of fellow Houstonians the Moving Sidewalks—whom Bobby and his Outcasts may well have gigged with—will especially dig this one. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, may not be known as a cultural mecca, but they did give us Truth & Janey. This deadly hard rock trio delivered their holy grail full-length, No Rest for the Wicked, back in 1976. “Around and Around” is a Chuck Berry cover that originally appeared on a 1973 single the band released under the earlier name Truth. Originally released in 1973, “High School Letter” is the debut single from San Diego rock squad Glory. This infectious bonehead cruncher features future Beat Farmer Jerry Raney and the original rhythm section of Iron Butterfly in bassist Greg Willis and drummer Jack Pinney. Glory is what they got up to after their former bandmates left for L.A.’s garden of Eden. “Jack the Ripper” is a mercilessly bootlegged Cleveland classic from 1978 with a serrated punk edge and vocals that recall Mick Blood of Aussie savages the Lime Spiders. Or maybe it’s the other way around—the Lime Spiders formed the year after Strychnine carved off this lethal paean to the infamous Whitechapel slasher of olde.

Since forming in 1999, Suishou No Fune (A Ship Of Crystal), the vehicle for long-term musical collaborators Pirako Kurenai (guitar, voice) and Kageo (guitar), have been one of the most compelling groups in the Japanese underground. Their long, languorous songs are devastating in their simplicity, as though the gently sung ballads of the Velvet Underground’s third album were re-scored by the legendary Japanese free-rock gang, Les Rallizes Denudes. Their new album, 風は春、空は虹、愛は波間に隠れている (The wind is spring -. There is a rainbow in the sky - Love is hiding in the waves.), documents a live performance from May 2021, at Silver Elephant, where the duo are joined by Matsuedo Hideo on bass, and Mark Anderson (Greymouth, Mysteries Of Love) on drums.
The duo of Pirako Kurenai and Kageo have come a long way since their early performances and self-released CD-Rs – in the intervening decades, they’ve released albums on P.S.F., Holy Mountain, Important, Archive, 8mm and Essence, amongst others, each album another manifestation of the duo’s ever-changing same. You can hear them patiently toiling over these beauteous songs, with their choral melodies and lush waves of tonology, Kageo’s guitar radiating bejewelled chimes and dense passages of texture, pulling the songs into a black hole of quietude and sadness. And as Kurenai once told journalist Phil Kaberry, “Suishou No Fune’s songs, sounds and words are often born from heartrending feelings like sadness and pain”.
The wind is spring. There is a rainbow in the sky. Love is hiding in the waves begins with the deep blues of “Cherry”, a drawn-out drift-song that pivots on a most elegant two-chord mantra, as Kurenai sings, siren-like, amidst the sheets of noise Kageo peels from six strings. There’s something painterly about the duo’s playing here, and indeed, Kageo was a painter and Kurenai was a doll maker and watercolour painter when they met in the late ‘90s. On the flip side, a spare, spaced-out improvisation, “A Rainbow Is Floating”, acts as a prelude to “Endless Descent”, one of Suishou No Fune’s most remarkable songs, where a mesmeric guitar line endlessly coils and twines around the flicker and toll of Kurenai’s hypnotic one-chord strum. It’s a bruised, quietly desperate ending to an album that has an achroamatic air, as though the songs were transmitting to a cabal of lost spirits.

Black vinyl, in 3 colour variations of silkscreened jacket with obi in black or kraft, with inserts and a postcard Liner notes by Jon Dale Printed by Alan Sherry

Even as a little boy, Johnny Cash has a feeling he was going to be famous one day. It wasn’t the kind of premonition he could go about telling people. They’d have thought dreams of fame and riches pretty far removed from the Cash’s barely-productive 40-acre cotton farm in Arkansas. Especially since Johnny had no idea how he was going to make his mark.

Johnny left the farm to go into the Air Force — and in his travels he acquired first, a wife — and secondly, a guitar. Assigned to Germany and forced to leave his wife behind, Johnny found a faithful companion in his guitar. The boys in his barracks seem to like his “pickin’ and singin'” and gradually the plan for a career began to take shape. He would be a singer — a country singer.

When he got back from service, Johnny was not so modest about his plans for the future. He let his Memphis friends know he was going to be a singer — a good singer, a famous singer — a singer who would revolutionize country music. No matter how long it took — he was determined!

As it happened, Lady Luck inclined her face toward Johnny almost immediately. His releases on the Sun label were instantly acclaimed, and in 1956, one year after Johnny Cash launched his recording career, he was named the most promising country and western artist of the year in four separate polls.

After the success of “I Walk the Line” as a simultaneous C & W and popular hit, it was indicated the course Johnny’s career should take. Though always identifying himself as a singer for the country fans — a favorite entertainer on the Grand Ole Opry — Johnny Cash with “Ballad of a Teen-Age Queen” came to be a top selling artist in the pop recording field.

Almost reluctantly, Johnny evolved a pop-county style in arrangement and instrumentation, evident in such hits as “Guess Things Happen That Way” and “The Ways of a Woman in Love” to supply the demand for Cash records by fans of both types of music. It is ironic that Johnny Cash caused more of a revolution in pop music than in country music, as was his aim, by being one of the first C & W artists exposed on national “general entertainment” TV shows; and the first C & W artist to capture the LP market with one great release (Sun 1220).

Johnny Cash — in his voice, looks and demeanor — carries a certain aura of “specialness.” He is a very dramatic figure — tall, muscular, with blue-black hair. He looks the part of a folk singer — a 20th century wandering minstrel. And his fatalistic style, both in composing and singing, has a quality of monotone, but of “emotional monotone” that defies analysis, but which is genuinely powerful.

Johnny Cash is one of those persons endowed with an exceptional talent which has to express itself. And being expressed, his talent has been uniquely recognized and applauded by many loyal fans, who will enjoy this reminiscent album of the songs which to date are landmarks in the career of the one and only Johnny Cash.

Full of shimmering guitars, opulent harmonies, and good ol' rock 'n' roll, the band was limited to a handful of singles before going their separate ways. Here you'll find a full LP's worth of The Gestures on vinyl, all killer no filler!

In California, The Gestures were especially well- received, maybe because "Run, Run, Run" had the lightness, the hook, and infectious drive of the California surf and car band hits. Record World's hot picks column called it a surf-like sound that should endear them to teens. The slice is a hard-driving ditty. Cash Box said The Gestures bow was a hard- rock- ing, Liverpool- sounding affair... powerhouse instrumental support on this haunting entry. There's a complete change of pace in the soft-sounding uptempo undercut.

"'Run, Run, Run' hit #1 in the Twin Cities, #3 in Los Angeles, #1 in New York and #3-5 in Oklahoma City. It reached the top of the local C&N Sales jukebox charts, cracked Billboard Magazine's top 40, and as I mentioned before, was even played on Bandstand. It was right up there with records by the Hondells, Gene Pitney, Jay & the Americans, and all the early British bands - including the Beatles."
- Dale Menton (of The Gestures)

A live recording from 1977! First time on vinyl! Previously only available on CD as part of the Past & Future Landslide 3CD box set! LIVE AT THE QUEENS HOTEL MARGATE 1977 It was 1977 and things were progressing extremely well. We had signed to Beggars Banquet and our first single ‘Shadow’ b/w ‘Love Story’ had been released. John Peel had been playing both sides of the single most nights on his radio show, so we were getting heard by a lot of people. But we didn’t yet have a "proper" tour bus, so we all piled into a transit for the trip down to Margate with our tour manager Mike Stone in the driving seat. The Queens Hotel turned out to be a pretty good venue. There was a nice high stage which we much preferred over the low-slung platforms of some of the places we played. It meant that the crowd wasn’t totally swamping us the whole time, although there would still be a constant stream of people jumping on and off stage, bumping us, knocking equipment over and so forth. We weren’t sure if many people would turn up on a cold and windy night so close to Christmas, but it was a good turnout, and they were out for a good time too. There was none of the aggro stuff which would become a problem later on at our shows. The actual gig was typical of a Lurkers show at that time, being fairly chaotic with a lot of crowd "interaction". There is a recklessly fast version of ‘Pills’ on the recording, and I think we were playing ‘It’s Quiet Here’ for the first time live. Howard was on good form too; it would be his birthday on Christmas Day. My favourite quip from him is towards the end of the show when he says "eat your heart out Hank Marvin" after one of my more eccentric Shadows guitar intros. PETE STRIDE 2022

Standard LP on 180g clear vinyl, printed inner-sleeve, download card included. 'Interiors' is the fifth studio album by Brooklyn-based minimalist post-punk/synth-pop duo The Vacant Lots. The 8 songs on 'Interiors' synthesise all of the band's past work while pushing forward into the future. It's Jared Artaud and Brian MacFadyen's darkest and most visionary work yet. Ethereal metallic synths and blistering electronics are driven by disco-on-downers dance beats lashed with gutter-rock guitar riffs and icy detached vocals with evocatively concise and lacerating lyrics. Recorded over many sleepless nights and amphetamine-fueled mornings in the project's isolated Brooklyn bunker home studios, the album follows the band's minimal is maximal aesthetic coalescing into dark bedroom anthems for loners and lovers with nods to 70s/80s punk and nightclub music ala Joy Division, Iggy Pop's The Idiot, Depeche Mode, and New Order. On the lead single "Amnesia," Jared Artaud says "It's about dealing with duality and integrating the conflicting feelings within a relationship. It's about feeling dissociative and getting burned by the fire. Then coping with how this inevitably leads to the dissolution of the relationship. This is a mantra for all the songs on the album.

My Brutal Life delves into the profound aspects of our artistic endeavours encompassing brutalism, the environment, and humanity. Throughout our ongoing creative journey, we consistently gravitate towards these themes, documenting and exploring the human experience within these environments. Our unwavering fixation on Symmetry, Synchronisation, and Repetition are the driving force in our artistic expression. Moreover, we strive to peel away superficial layers to expose the underlying emotional strata of the human aspect, unearthing the often overlooked beauty within the ordinary. Although frequently disregarded, the human aspect resonates with echoes from the past, enlightening and guiding our artistic process. Even the failures encountered serve as poignant reminders of the delicate structures we construct. My Brutal Life constitutes a pivotal component within an enduring exhibition, meticulously crafted to delve into the aesthetic and human facets of brutalism.

"Destroyer" sees the core trio fostering their sound by continuing to migrate towards the sonic realms that capture the fine equilibrium allying the somber, austere, the vigorous, and vibrant. A striking singular vision of abyssal maritime desolation expressed by carving sonic territory that seamlessly blends elements of French coldwave, European post-punk, and first wave shoegaze.

Ever since their debut EP "A Life Of None" (2017), followed by their widely celebrated "Black Sand" EP (2018), FEARING have been procuring a constant flow of commendable releases.Through vigorous touring and live endeavors (having toured alongside the likes of Gatecreeper, She Wants Revenge, Soft Kill, 200 Stab Wounds, Choir Boy, Narrow Head, and Death Bells, along with playing notable festivals as Substance, Home Sick, and Out From The Shadows), ever since the release of "Shadow", FEARING have fastened themselves as one of the apex artists in today's post-punk current.

Anticipated follow- up to the band's debut LP "Shadow" which was one of the most acclaimed post-punk/darkwave albums of 2020. "Destroyer" likewise will be recognized as one of the most important albums within said genre of this year.

Prior to the release of "Destroyer", FEARING's touring/ live experiences include tours with bands such as Gatecreeper, She Wants Revenge, Soft Kill, 200 Stab Wounds, Choir Boy, Narrow Head and Death Bells. They have also played such festivals as Substance, Home Sick, and Out From The Shadows. Expect more notable touring in support of "Destroyer".

"Destroyer" sees the core trio fostering their sound by continuing to migrate towards the sonic realms that capture the fine equilibrium allying the somber, austere, the vigorous, and vibrant. A striking singular vision of abyssal maritime desolation expressed by carving sonic territory that seamlessly blends elements of French coldwave, European post-punk, and first wave shoegaze.

Ever since their debut EP "A Life Of None" (2017), followed by their widely celebrated "Black Sand" EP (2018), FEARING have been procuring a constant flow of commendable releases.Through vigorous touring and live endeavors (having toured alongside the likes of Gatecreeper, She Wants Revenge, Soft Kill, 200 Stab Wounds, Choir Boy, Narrow Head, and Death Bells, along with playing notable festivals as Substance, Home Sick, and Out From The Shadows), ever since the release of "Shadow", FEARING have fastened themselves as one of the apex artists in today's post-punk current.

Anticipated follow- up to the band's debut LP "Shadow" which was one of the most acclaimed post-punk/darkwave albums of 2020. "Destroyer" likewise will be recognized as one of the most important albums within said genre of this year.

Prior to the release of "Destroyer", FEARING's touring/ live experiences include tours with bands such as Gatecreeper, She Wants Revenge, Soft Kill, 200 Stab Wounds, Choir Boy, Narrow Head and Death Bells. They have also played such festivals as Substance, Home Sick, and Out From The Shadows. Expect more notable touring in support of "Destroyer".

Waiting For The Rain was produced by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers) and recorded at Rockfield studios in Monmouth and The Libertines Albion Rooms studios in Margate. Having just completed an Arena Tour of America with Louis Tomlinson, Andrew Cushin is on the road again with Louis across Europe in August/September. Wor Flags, released last month is the fifth track (following It’s Coming Round Again, 4.5%, You’ll Be Free and Dream For A Moment) to be taken from Waiting For The Rain. A new single Just Like You’d Want Me To is released August 30th. 23-year-old singer-songwriter Andrew Cushin is Newcastle’s fastest rising star. He has already recorded with Noel Gallagher and counts Paul Weller and Sam Fender among his biggest cheerleaders. Andrew grew up on a council estate in Heaton, Newcastle. His songs, delivered in a gorgeous baritone that sounds way beyond his years, are full of his experiences growing up, his lust for life, his grief at the loss of loved ones, his hopes and fears, his love and his stoicism. Andrew Cushin released his debut single It’s Gonna Get Better (2020) followed by Waiting For The Rain (2020); ’Where’s My Family Gone’ (2021) featuring production and guitar from Noel Gallagher and in 2022, through Peter Doherty’s Strap Originals label, You Don’t Belong EP and double A Side single You’ll Be Free / Dream For A Moment. Press quotes: “Cushin recalls acoustic Noel Gallagher circa Morning Glory.” – Sunday Times Culture // “The kitchen-sink realism of his songs, raised on the concrete turfs of council estates and smoke filled social clubs of Newcastle, is something the chart-topping Toms, Jacks and Georges of guitar pop are not only desperately lacking, but entirely unaware of.” - The Line of Best Fit // “Andrew Cushin is a newcomer being feted by actual icons.” – Clash // “Has built enough hometown momentum to suggest he could ‘do a Sam Fender’ very soon.” - Music Week // “It's clear to see the future is bright for Andrew whose backing from big names as well as a loyal following sets him up nicely to take the scene by storm.” Daily Mirror // “Transforming his native infused-sound, Andrew Cushin releases a banger.” Wonderland // “A set of personal yet relatable songs that connect immediately and directly.” Louder Than War

Waiting For The Rain was produced by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers) and recorded at Rockfield studios in Monmouth and The Libertines Albion Rooms studios in Margate. Having just completed an Arena Tour of America with Louis Tomlinson, Andrew Cushin is on the road again with Louis across Europe in August/September. Wor Flags, released last month is the fifth track (following It’s Coming Round Again, 4.5%, You’ll Be Free and Dream For A Moment) to be taken from Waiting For The Rain. A new single Just Like You’d Want Me To is released August 30th. 23-year-old singer-songwriter Andrew Cushin is Newcastle’s fastest rising star. He has already recorded with Noel Gallagher and counts Paul Weller and Sam Fender among his biggest cheerleaders. Andrew grew up on a council estate in Heaton, Newcastle. His songs, delivered in a gorgeous baritone that sounds way beyond his years, are full of his experiences growing up, his lust for life, his grief at the loss of loved ones, his hopes and fears, his love and his stoicism. Andrew Cushin released his debut single It’s Gonna Get Better (2020) followed by Waiting For The Rain (2020); ’Where’s My Family Gone’ (2021) featuring production and guitar from Noel Gallagher and in 2022, through Peter Doherty’s Strap Originals label, You Don’t Belong EP and double A Side single You’ll Be Free / Dream For A Moment. Press quotes: “Cushin recalls acoustic Noel Gallagher circa Morning Glory.” – Sunday Times Culture // “The kitchen-sink realism of his songs, raised on the concrete turfs of council estates and smoke filled social clubs of Newcastle, is something the chart-topping Toms, Jacks and Georges of guitar pop are not only desperately lacking, but entirely unaware of.” - The Line of Best Fit // “Andrew Cushin is a newcomer being feted by actual icons.” – Clash // “Has built enough hometown momentum to suggest he could ‘do a Sam Fender’ very soon.” - Music Week // “It's clear to see the future is bright for Andrew whose backing from big names as well as a loyal following sets him up nicely to take the scene by storm.” Daily Mirror // “Transforming his native infused-sound, Andrew Cushin releases a banger.” Wonderland // “A set of personal yet relatable songs that connect immediately and directly.” Louder Than War

Waiting For The Rain was produced by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers) and recorded at Rockfield studios in Monmouth and The Libertines Albion Rooms studios in Margate. Having just completed an Arena Tour of America with Louis Tomlinson, Andrew Cushin is on the road again with Louis across Europe in August/September. Wor Flags, released last month is the fifth track (following It’s Coming Round Again, 4.5%, You’ll Be Free and Dream For A Moment) to be taken from Waiting For The Rain. A new single Just Like You’d Want Me To is released August 30th. 23-year-old singer-songwriter Andrew Cushin is Newcastle’s fastest rising star. He has already recorded with Noel Gallagher and counts Paul Weller and Sam Fender among his biggest cheerleaders. Andrew grew up on a council estate in Heaton, Newcastle. His songs, delivered in a gorgeous baritone that sounds way beyond his years, are full of his experiences growing up, his lust for life, his grief at the loss of loved ones, his hopes and fears, his love and his stoicism. Andrew Cushin released his debut single It’s Gonna Get Better (2020) followed by Waiting For The Rain (2020); ’Where’s My Family Gone’ (2021) featuring production and guitar from Noel Gallagher and in 2022, through Peter Doherty’s Strap Originals label, You Don’t Belong EP and double A Side single You’ll Be Free / Dream For A Moment. Press quotes: “Cushin recalls acoustic Noel Gallagher circa Morning Glory.” – Sunday Times Culture // “The kitchen-sink realism of his songs, raised on the concrete turfs of council estates and smoke filled social clubs of Newcastle, is something the chart-topping Toms, Jacks and Georges of guitar pop are not only desperately lacking, but entirely unaware of.” - The Line of Best Fit // “Andrew Cushin is a newcomer being feted by actual icons.” – Clash // “Has built enough hometown momentum to suggest he could ‘do a Sam Fender’ very soon.” - Music Week // “It's clear to see the future is bright for Andrew whose backing from big names as well as a loyal following sets him up nicely to take the scene by storm.” Daily Mirror // “Transforming his native infused-sound, Andrew Cushin releases a banger.” Wonderland // “A set of personal yet relatable songs that connect immediately and directly.” Louder Than War

Two x Grammy nominated band Code Orange return with their highly anticipated fourth studio album, The Above, their first for Blue Grape Music. The Above is the follow up to 2020's critically lauded album Underneath, which earned the band their second Grammy nomination.

Underneath closed out 2020 on multiple year-end lists including NPR, The New York Times, Billboard, Noisey and Revolver.

The band has major global touring planned in support of the new album and have shared the stage with $UICIDEBOY$, Deftones, Slipknot, Korn, System of a Down, Loathe, Power Trip and many more.

The new album features the single "Take Shape" featuring Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins.

The Silence of the Perfect Dark is the debut release by The Silence, a project formed by Ophidian and Eye-D as an outlet for all things dark, brooding, funky and dirty. This special vinyl edition features eight of the tracks from the album that outline some of the many musical directions you'll be hearing The Silence exploring in the near future. Highly recommended if you like music slightly unsettling.

HAVEN is proud to present another new catalogue number with the first full EP on the label from London-based Greek producer of hard-edged speedy techno MarcelDune, following on from their contribution to the Sardonic Tonality Vol. 4 VA compilation.

The A1 kicks off with 'I Am Looking For Date Ideas' - a hectic 4-4 dance-floor assault with chugging synths, hardcore kicks, overdriven percussion and cheeky vocals loops. This is followed by 'Final Loose' with its addictive vocal hooks, charging drum patterns and playful melodies. The A-side is closed with 'The Scene' with rolling bass-lines, bubbling synth sounds and distorted vocal breaks.

On the B-side 'Independence Creating Distance' hits us with hypnotic vocal loops and ear-worm synth patterns amongst its speedy drum patterns sure to get feet moving. HAVEN main-stays New Frames close out the record with their remix of the B1, with their usual heavy drum programming interplaying with dubbed out synth work creating another club killer to end another dance-floor focused record from the imprint.

Includes an alternate take of 'Looking Good tonight ' appearing for the first time ever on vinyl.

"Blues for a Reason stands out from much of the work of the period." - The Penguin Guide to Jazz

"It's strange to think that two of the greatest stars of "cool jazz," Chet Baker and Warne Mash, would never record together, given that they were nearly the same age, and that they both rose to fame in Los Angeles around the same period.

However, that would have been the case if Gerry Teekens, founder of the Criss Cross label, had never had the bright idea of bringing them together in 1984.

Surprisingly, they would end up cutting their only collaborative album, Blues for a Reason, in Monster, The Netherlands!" - **** AllMusic

Als sich The Damned 1989 erstmalig trennten, gründete Leadsänger David Vanian die Phantom Chords. Ihre erste Single, ein Cover der John Leyton-Nummer 'Johnny Remember Me' erschien 1990 und ihre Version von 'Town Without Pity' folgte 1992. Erst 1995 wurde schließlich von Big Beat ein Phantom Chords-Album veröffentlicht, das gekonnt die Genres Rockabilly und Gothic Rock miteinander verschmolz. Zu den Tracks gehörten u.a. mit 'Voodoo Doll', 'Big Town', 'Fever In My Blood', 'Jezebel', 'Chase The Wild Wind' und 'Swamp Thing' eine Mischung aus Covern und Originalmaterial, die aufgrund zu geringer Verkaufserwartung der LP eine reine CD-Veröffentlichung war. Jetzt, fast drei Jahrzehnte später, wird dieser Fehler korrigiert und 'David Vanian And The Phantom Chords' endlich auf Vinyl als 2LP-Set (Black Vinyl) veröffentlicht - natürlich auf Ace Records!

Nach Veröffentlichung von drei Alben innerhalb von drei Jahren und einer anschließenden vierjährigen Pause sind Tomb Mold auf ihrem vierten Album "The Enduring Spirit" wiedergeboren worden, ein durch und durch unverfrorener Schritt in neue Gefilde. Doch bei all dem frenetischen Wagemut und kühner Erkundung ist "The Enduring Spirit" nie etwas anderes als unverkennbar TOMB MOLD!

Während neue Strukturen die TOMB MOLD Architektur um neue Einflüsse bereits auf dem im letzten Jahr selbst veröffentlichten Tape "Aperture of Body" erweiterten, insbesondere beim letzten Stück "Prestige of Rebirth", treten sie bei "The Enduring Spirit" deutlich in den Vordergrund. Die Zeit, in der Derrick Vella mit Dream Unending im Doom-Genre erschuf und ausbaute, ist zweifellos in Tomb Mold eingeflossen- ganz zu schweigen von Payson Power und Max Klebanoffs Erkundungen in ihrem eigenen Projekt, Daydream Plus.

Mit dem Album-Opener "The Perfect Memory (Phantasm of Aura)" kommt das kantige, Dimensionen verschiebende Riffing der Band sofort zum Vorschein, während der Track durch verschiedene Stufen des progressiven Death Metal und einige der bisher extremsten Stücke der Band wandert. "Will Of Whispers" beginnt mit einer jazzartigen Fantasiesequenz, bevor es in ein blendendes weißes Lichtfeuer, geschmackvolle Gitarrenleads und zurück in ein verträumtes Serpentinenmuster kippt, das in seiner fast 7-minütigen Laufzeit ganze Universen umspannt.

Die hintere Hälfte des Albums setzt die Reise in das fort, was innerhalb der Death Metal-Normen möglich ist, und erreicht den Höhepunkt mit dem über 11-minütigen Albumschlussstück "The Enduring Spirit Of Calamity", einer jenseitigen Reise in einen Strudel, in dem alle Dinge in Raum und Zeit zusammenlaufen und den Baum des Lebens durch eine leuchtende himmlische Komposition bildlich greifbar machen.

Nach vier Jahren Pause war es für eine Band mit grenzenloser kreativer Energie, wie Tomb Mold es sind, eine Selbstverständlichkeit, den Umfang ihrer Vision zu erweitern - auf "The Enduring Spirit" haben sie ein Album mit einer cineastischen Umgebung geschaffen, die unbegrenzte Möglichkeiten der Erforschung bietet, sowohl für sie selbst als auch für den Hörer.

- Tomb Mold werden auf dem November 2023 Cover des Decibel Magazins zu sehen sein (erscheint Ende September)
- Beide früheren Tomb Mold-Alben gehören zu den 20 Buck Spin-Bestsellern aller Zeiten
- Artwork von Jesse Jacobi, der auch das Artwork von Planetary Clairvoyance gestaltet hat
- Aufgenommen von Sean Pearson (Tomb Mold, Dream Unending) und gemischt und gemastert von Arthur Rizk (Tomb Mold, Dream Unending, Kommand, Gravesend, Power Trip)
- Die Vinyl-Version enthält ein 4-Panel-Insert und ein riesiges 36x24-Zoll-Poster.

Die Sonne braucht die Dunkelheit, um noch heller zu erstrahlen. Aber die Dunkelheit braucht die Sonne ebenfalls, um in vollem Kontrast zu ihrer Helligkeit zu stehen. Doch die Tragik liegt in der Beziehung zwischen den beiden: Die eine kann ohne die andere nicht existieren, aber beide werden sich nie begegnen können. Es ist eine Wechselwirkung und eine Abhängigkeit: eine Symbiose - auf die auch der Bandname SYMBIONTIC verweist.

“The Sun And The Darkness” scheint erstmal nur der zweite Release in der Geschichte von SYMBIONTIC zu sein, aber für die Melodic Death Metaller aus Dortmund ist es gleichwohl das Ende einer langen Reise. Nach der Veröffentlichung ihres Underground-Juwels “Vaya” löste sich die Band bereits 2011 auf… Zehn Jahre später kehrte sie jedoch zurück, inmitten der Pandemie, mit dem Gefühl, dass da noch etwas ist, was es zu sagen gilt.

SEVENDUST is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1994 consisting of members Lajon Witherspoon (lead vocals), Clint Lowrey (lead guitarist), Vince Hornsby (bassist), Morgan Rose (drummer), and John Connolly (rhythm guitar). Since formation, SEVENDUST have attained success with three consecutive RIAA gold-certified albums, a Grammy nomination, and have sold millions of records worldwide. The group has released a total of thirteen studio albums, and this compilation features 7 incredible records from their catalog

Nearly fifteen years of touring with peripheral regional projects (Mixtapes, Ogikubo Station, The Homeless Gospel Choir, Direct Hit!, The Mimes, Boys) has kept her tethered to both the road and to sounds that were not always her own.The solo endeavor marks the beginning of an autonomous output for her vision, harkening to sounds that are distinct to Ohio's brand of humble experimentation, roots aesthetics and pop-centric reliability.

Together, they veer from pummelling odd time signatures and downtuned riffs into ascendant, widescreen climaxes that subvert tired black metal tropes.

Ballantyne is an in-demand performer, playing guitar for DEBBY FRIDAY's breakout album GOOD LUCK (Sub Pop), writing and performing electronic music as City, and performing endurance performance art with Chinese collective TRANCE. The result is an ideological and sonic crystallization that pushes Anti- God Hand's cosmic black metal into something still more emphatic, distinctive, dynamic.

'THE HARMONY CODEX - the seventh album by Steven Wilson - takes you on a trip. A genre-spanning collection that opens up like a musical puzzle box, it presents a series of endlessly beautiful vistas that roll out and shift in front of you.

Arguably the best album Wilson has made during a career that’s spanned more than three decades both as a band leader and as a solo artist, it represents the apotheosis of a life spent fully absorbed in music.

"The Calling Quiet" von Wolves In Winter jetzt erhältlich in limitierter Auflage auf Purple Vinyl.

Die während des Lockdowns 2020 gegründete britische Band Wolves In Winter schaffen auf ihrem Debütalbum eine zermalmende Fusion aus traditionellem und zeitgenössischem Doom Metal.

- Ltd. Col. LP: (Purple Vinyl)

"I worked on this album over 3 years while juggling a lot of life transitions" says Adrian. "It was an intense period of time, but I found meaning and purpose in the music".

A balance of isolation and collaboration mark the new Adrian's new album with delightful tension- the synth infused, moody tracks express an untethered longing while upbeat numbers "Where To Begin" and "Me and You" transform anxiety into courage and a sense of grounded acceptance. A sparkle of pop influences - think Rex Orange County and Vampire Weekend - combine with Adrian's vulnerability on "After This" to speak to the disorienting personal growth that comes with major upheaval. "After This" sees Adrian moving through challenging and unexpected scenarios to discover hope and belonging.

It stands as a beacon of hope for those among us that have temporarily lost our footing.

Es ist ein seltenes Glück, auf ein Album zu stoßen, das weit herausragt aus dem Meer der wöchentlichen Veröffentlichungen. Das als Kunstwerk so schlüssig und selbstverständlich dasteht, als hätte es schon immer existiert.

Das emotional sofort andockt, Song für Song für Song. INSTINCTIVE TRAVELS ON THE PATHS OF SPACE AND TIME ist eines dieser Ausnahmewerke: von erhabener Schönheit, unmittelbar relevant. . Ein Klassiker? Vielleicht.

Wird die Zukunft zeigen. Womit wir schon beim Thema wären. INSTINCTIVE TRAVELS ON THE PATHS OF SPACE AND TIME ist der musikalische Teil einer Trilogie, mit der sich Florian Kreier als Angela Aux an die Grenzen des Vorstellbaren wagt. „Nach dem Ende der Zeit“ heißt die zugehörige SciFiNovel, „Introduction To The Future Self“ das transmediale und alles verbindende Theaterstück - uraufgeführt in den renommierten Münchner Kammerspielen vor einem Publikum,
das diesen Abend wohl nicht vergessen wird.

Der kanadische Sänger/Gitarrist JW-Jones, Billboard Top 10 Blues Artist, IBC-Gewinner 2020 und JUNO-Nominierter, ist mit seiner 12. Veröffentlichung zurück. Nachdem er bei der International Blues Challenge 2020 in Memphis als „Bester Gitarrist“ ausgezeichnet wurde, begann Jones mit der Arbeit an „Everything Now“, einem reinen Originalprojekt mit Special Guest Jimmie Vaughan und einer Produktion von Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar). "Lieder! Es dreht sich alles um die Songs!“ sagte der von JUNO nominierte Jones, dessen sengende Kunstfertigkeit in den letzten Jahren von den legendären Blueskünstlern Buddy Guy und Chuck Leavell (The Rolling Stones) gelobt wurde. „Während es viele brennende Leadgitarrensoli gibt, wollte ich mich öffnen und mit den Texten persönlicher denn je werden. Von der wahren Geschichte „Papa’s in the Pen“ bis „When You Left“, die ich mit Tränen über den Tod meiner Mutter gesungen habe, sind dies Geschichten, die ich endlich durch meine Musik teilen
kann.“

††† (Crosses) —Chino Moreno (Deftones) and producer/multi-instrumentalist Shaun Lopez — release their anticipated new album Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete. on October 13th with notable features from EL-P and Robert Smith.



The arrival of Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete. will follow the band's critically acclaimed EP PERMANENT.RADIANT, which recently received a new spin on the duo's PERMANENT.RADIANT.REMIXED. The reimagined release contained remixes from a noteworthy list of electronic innovators including Hudson Mohawke, suicideyear, AWAY, and Machinedrum.



With new single “Invisible Hand,” Moreno and Lopez embark upon a new chapter filled with merciless creations as they continue making music without compromise.

Auf ihrem umfangreichen neuen Album "Water Made Us" stellt die Chicagoer Musikerin und Dichterin Jamila Woods die Frage, was es bedeutet, sich der Liebe voll und ganz hinzugeben. Auf "Water Made Us" umarmt Jamila neue Genres, verspielte Melodien und hypnotisierende Wortspiele, während sie durch die berauschenden Turbulenzen von Liebeswracks und Zuflucht watet. Während Jamila auf "HEAVN" (2017) ihre Community innerhalb der schwarzen feministischen Bewegung feierte und auf "Legacy! Legacy!" (2019) ihre Lebenserfahrungen durch die Geschichten schwarzer und brauner Künstlerinnen und Künstler verarbeitete, ist "Water Made Us" eine völlig neue Art der Selbstoffenbarung und damit ihr bisher persönlichstes Album. "Water Made Us", das sie zusammen mit dem in LA ansässigen Produzenten McClenney aufgenommen hat und auf dem langjährige Freunde aus Chicago wie Saba und Peter CottonTale zu hören sind, ist ein weitläufiges und intimes Porträt der Selbstreflexion, das geschickt die verschiedenen Phasen einer Beziehung widerspiegelt: Die Anfänge, in denen man leicht Kompromisse eingeht, kokettiert und Spaß hat; das vorsichtige Aushandeln von Momenten des Konflikts oder der Verletzung; die Trauer über etwas Verlorenes; und die zärtliche Erkenntnis am Ende von allem, dass die Person, die gegangen ist, einen nie wirklich verlässt, sondern bei einem bleibt, während man bereit ist, es noch einmal zu versuchen, erfrischt und beruhigt. Der Titel des Albums - eine Zeile aus dem Highlight des Albums "Good News" - ist eine subtile Anspielung auf das berühmte Toni-Morrison-Zitat "All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was". Es ist dieses Gefühl - der Erinnerung, des Ortes und der Rückkehr - das als Pfeiler für den Bogen des Albums dient. "Water Made Us" erinnert uns daran, dass die Liebe im besten Fall ein warmer, stiller Ozean ist. Tief, schimmernd und endlos in seinem Wunder. Und im schlimmsten Fall kann die Liebe ein reißender Strom sein, der uns so weit von uns selbst entfernt, dass wir kaum den Weg zurückfinden, ja nicht einmal mehr wissen, wie wir schwimmen sollen. Und doch ergibt sich Jamila dieser Brandung - jeder Welle und jedem Sog - weil vielleicht sogar die schmerzhaftesten Enden eine Einladung sein können, die sie zurück nach Hause ruft, zurück ans Ufer, zurück zu sich selbst.

Auf ihrem umfangreichen neuen Album "Water Made Us" stellt die Chicagoer Musikerin und Dichterin Jamila Woods die Frage, was es bedeutet, sich der Liebe voll und ganz hinzugeben. Auf "Water Made Us" umarmt Jamila neue Genres, verspielte Melodien und hypnotisierende Wortspiele, während sie durch die berauschenden Turbulenzen von Liebeswracks und Zuflucht watet. Während Jamila auf "HEAVN" (2017) ihre Community innerhalb der schwarzen feministischen Bewegung feierte und auf "Legacy! Legacy!" (2019) ihre Lebenserfahrungen durch die Geschichten schwarzer und brauner Künstlerinnen und Künstler verarbeitete, ist "Water Made Us" eine völlig neue Art der Selbstoffenbarung und damit ihr bisher persönlichstes Album. "Water Made Us", das sie zusammen mit dem in LA ansässigen Produzenten McClenney aufgenommen hat und auf dem langjährige Freunde aus Chicago wie Saba und Peter CottonTale zu hören sind, ist ein weitläufiges und intimes Porträt der Selbstreflexion, das geschickt die verschiedenen Phasen einer Beziehung widerspiegelt: Die Anfänge, in denen man leicht Kompromisse eingeht, kokettiert und Spaß hat; das vorsichtige Aushandeln von Momenten des Konflikts oder der Verletzung; die Trauer über etwas Verlorenes; und die zärtliche Erkenntnis am Ende von allem, dass die Person, die gegangen ist, einen nie wirklich verlässt, sondern bei einem bleibt, während man bereit ist, es noch einmal zu versuchen, erfrischt und beruhigt. Der Titel des Albums - eine Zeile aus dem Highlight des Albums "Good News" - ist eine subtile Anspielung auf das berühmte Toni-Morrison-Zitat "All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was". Es ist dieses Gefühl - der Erinnerung, des Ortes und der Rückkehr - das als Pfeiler für den Bogen des Albums dient. "Water Made Us" erinnert uns daran, dass die Liebe im besten Fall ein warmer, stiller Ozean ist. Tief, schimmernd und endlos in seinem Wunder. Und im schlimmsten Fall kann die Liebe ein reißender Strom sein, der uns so weit von uns selbst entfernt, dass wir kaum den Weg zurückfinden, ja nicht einmal mehr wissen, wie wir schwimmen sollen. Und doch ergibt sich Jamila dieser Brandung - jeder Welle und jedem Sog - weil vielleicht sogar die schmerzhaftesten Enden eine Einladung sein können, die sie zurück nach Hause ruft, zurück ans Ufer, zurück zu sich selbst.

Die in Antwerpen ansässige Progressive-Hardcore-Band BEAR meldet sich mit ihrem mit Spannung erwarteten neuen Album "VANTA" triumphal zurück. Entstanden aus dem Schmelztiegel persönlicher Prüfungen - Krebs, eine globale Pandemie, zerbrochene Beziehungen und tiefgreifender Verlust - haben BEAR ein Album geschaffen, das den Schmerz, die Qualen und die Angst widerspiegelt, die unsere menschliche Erfahrung ausmachen."VANTA", benannt nach der dunkelsten bekannten Substanz, repräsentiert die Reise der Band durch ihre schwierigsten Zeiten. Es ist ein Zeugnis ihrer Unverwüstlichkeit, eine unapologetische und unerbittliche akustische Reise, die furchtlos durch den Sturm der Widrigkeiten navigiert. Doch hinter der wilden Fassade des Albums verbirgt sich auch die Schönheit, die im Leiden liegt, und es unterstreicht die tiefe Wahrheit, dass es kein Licht ohne Dunkelheit gibt. Mit seinen elf Tracks ist "VANTA" ein Leuchtfeuer der Beharrlichkeit und Stärke im Angesicht der Turbulenzen des Lebens. Das Album beginnt mit "Atone" und endet mit "Andram" und führt den Hörer durch eine Achterbahn der Gefühle, wobei jeder Track ein Kapitel in seiner persönlichen Saga darstellt. Tracks wie "Cisplatin" und "Defeatist" verdeutlichen den Kampf mit dem Krebs, während "Earthgrinder" und "Cells" den mentalen Kampf offenlegen, der durch die Isolation in der Pandemie hervorgerufen wird. "VANTA" ist nicht nur ein Album. Es ist die Verkörperung von BEARs Reise durch persönliche und globale Umwälzungen, ihre Verwandlung von Opfern der Umstände zu Vorboten der Hoffnung. Es ist ein klarer Ruf an alle, die es hören: Im Angesicht der größten Finsternis kann es immer noch Licht geben.Während BEAR sich weiterentwickeln und ihren Weg formen, bleibt eine Sache sicher: Fear The BEAR! Für Fans von The Dillinger Escape Plan, Botch, Converge, Meshuggah, Frontierer, Lo! Ltd Single Colour LP (Transparentes Vinyl, Transparent Blood Edition) in Gatefold-Cover w/ copper foil embossing

The DAPHNI (AKA CARIBOU) remix of DONNELL PITMAN's "DO YOU WANNA"? first surfaced on CARIBOU's BBC Essential Mix in early 2020. After receiving tons of requests it was time to get it out officially. 2 summertime gems on the flipside: "SUMMERTIME GIRLS" & "NEED MY LOVE". Due end of OCT

Das Electro / Synthwave - Trio LSSNS aus Leipzig und Helsinki nimmt nach der 'Tempest EP' und tollen Collabs u.a. mit Adam Port oder Magdalena endlich den Faden wieder auf. Im Oktober erscheint das erste Full-Lenght-Album 'Transit'.

'Transit' erzählt in 10 düster-flimmernden Synthiepop-Songs vom Ausharren im Ungewissen, von Brüchen, von Reisen ohne Ziel. Aber auch von der Schönheit, die sich irgendwo in der Dunkelheit finden lässt.

ltd Edition transparent green Vinyl

Knife of Sin was recorded by Steve Albini and Greg Norman at Electrical Audio in Chicago and mastered by Carl Saff. It was originally released November 16, 2018 in unique, futuristic aluminum packaging by Computer Students, a new imprint of North of the Internet,Inc.

RIYL: The Fall, Royal Trux, The Dead C, Shirley Collins, ’70s British progressive rock, Dean Blunt.
Throughout their legendary, decade-long run, the Shadow Ring were an enigmatic force on the international musical sub-underground. Before their disbandment in 2002, this shambolic rock outfit, formed by a group of rowdy teenagers in southeast England, left behind a mighty run of eight LPs, a handful of 7"s, and a spate of raucous live shows and cryptic zine appearances on both sides of the Atlantic, all which have bolstered their enduring word-of-mouth mystique. Beginning this year with the first-ever vinyl pressing of the self-released pre-Shadow Ring tape The Cat & Bells Club (1992), Blank Forms Editions is conducting a systematic retrospective of the storied group, including a multi-year LP reissue effort and a forthcoming comprehensive CD box set and an over five hundred page book. Recorded in summer of 1994 at S.H.P studios (frontman Graham Lambkin’s parents’ home), the group’s sophomore record Put the Music In Its Coffin is a more sinister, saturnine affair than their debut City Lights. Coffin was many listeners’ introduction to the Shadow Ring, who had hitherto self-released their music, courting a steady stable of international fans through the magazine and mail-order catalog Forced Exposure. For their follow-up, the duo reached out to the ascending Philadelphia label Siltbreeze, whose eclectic roster of sneering, low-fidelity rock and noise connected disparate subterranean scenes from rust-belt America to the English Midlands, Dunedin, and beyond. As luck would have it, Siltbreeze proprietor Tom Lax was already a fan of the band’s first record and arranged to release both a 7” and their “difficult second album.” The connection proved to run deeper than vinyl within six months, Lax would pick up the pair from the airport for their spring 1995 US tour. This episode marked not only their first trip to the States but their first live performances at all, formally introducing the Shadow Ring to the American underground and solidifying the allure of the Folkestone pair. From the get-go, the record has a menacing, vile ambience. Its opening track “Horse-Meat Cakes,” inspired by an anecdote by pulp author Philip K. Dick about how he and his wife subsisted off low-grade pet food when he first arrived in San Francisco, sets the tone lyrically and sonically. Subsequent tracks are filled with Rabelaisian body horror and sinewy, haptic diction. “I try to pass out vital organs, convinced that they are waste,” intones Lambkin in “Heart, Liver & Lungs,” before a chorus of detuned guitars kicks in, nearly drowning out the speaker’s account of consuming chevaline intestines. Later songs similarly detail vernacular cooking (“Caribbean Porridge,” about a cornmeal hangover cure), bodily processes (“Nocturnal Middle Rumbles,” about nighttime defecation), and creaturely conflict (“Crystal Tears” and “Spin The Animal Dial”). The album’s makeshift percussion and teenaged rawness resembles the verve of City Lights, while its screeching strings and gnarly distorted vocals give it a sparse, miasmic atmosphere that look towards the uncompromising, otherworldly experimentation of the band’s Hold Onto I.D. (1996) and Lighthouse (1997), making this one of the Shadow Ring’s most distilled musical statements

Tube Alloys have made a type of record that is in short supply these days. A record that is untethered to prevailing musical trends, punk or otherwise, in either their native Los Angeles or further afield. It's in keeping with a tradition, sure, one pioneered by bands like Wire, Swell Maps and This Heat, who sought to combine the vitality of punk music with an omnivorous ear for the avant-garde. But Tube Alloys honour this tradition with their disinterest in nostalgia and their ability to cast an irreverent eye towards our present and - crucially - our future, rather than endlessly rehashing our past. In short, Tube Alloys are adventurous where many of their contemporaries are content to play it safe. In doing so they tick a lot of boxes for those with open minds and open ears, while simultaneously making sense of the innate contradictions found in any great work of art. Their songs are muscular without being boneheaded, clever without being nerdy. A dry Australian humour is barked with an American sense of self-assuredness. Songs end before you've had a chance to digest their brilliance, or they explode right when you think they've already peaked. And just when you think you're comfortably along for the ride, the songs disappear altogether, and the record's centrepiece abruptly takes shape as an oblique spoken riff on Time. And Time it is, for something a little different. Finally! If you are in need of refreshment, then look no further, you have found your Oasis!

On October 20, 2023, Anetha will release her third tempetuous compilation on her label Mama told ya entitled MTY-AIR «Mille attaques, les vents contrèrent», just one year after MTY-TERRE «Contre tout, toutes et tous, la terre demeure» and two years after MTY-EAU «L’eau repousse les feux agressifs».

Through air element, the compilation comes up with the collaboration of 22 artists with 20 tracks, divided into 4 vinyls: Once again, Anetha carried away with her a generation of electronic artists from around the world to simply blow our mind.

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ON AIR: After twelve successful releases on Mama told ya, Anetha paraglides in our skies with the stormful MTY-AIR, a volatile new compilation: 4 swirling vinyls, 20 aerodynamics tracks, 1 wind blowing perfume.

Entitled «Mille attaques, les vents contrèrent», it will be the third of a series around the four elements. Capricious yet vigorous, air sweeps out everything on its way. Nothing can save you when you’re in the eye of the cyclone: prepare to fly hard. Alongside our windbreaker artists, skydive into the celestial vastness of sound: Gusts of disturbed techno, squalls of groove, mental tornado, minimal bass hurricane, cloudburst of psytrance… Time to get some fresh air.

Piercing pampero, mad mistral, forceful cierzo are blowing, blazing khamsin, steady sirocco, sharp shamal, dank nor’wester are entwining… Techno winds from all around the world are joining the fight against humanity. This is « Endgame » (B2). Final chapter, twisters and typhoons are cleansing the surface of earth, overthrowing everything on their path. Poor soul, don’t try to confront air’s blast as it will « Facelift » (D2) the shit out of you in less than a second. Take shelter as air is untouchable, unpredictable, unstoppable. Or if you’re brave enough, you’ll jump into the sky, looking for the currents to carry you up, sailing whirlwinds, riding airwaves, on the road to the « Temples of Quantum » (H2). Now jump!

The artwork has been once again entrusted to visual artist Karin Kimel, who worked on MTY-EAU’s artwork. She delivers an aerial scenery where supernal wafts are swirling, embalming our air. Diplomatie Studio took care of the design, mastering was entrusted to Sixbitdeep. And for the second time, with a direct message from earth to Earth, we opted for recycled vinyls.

Introducing the eagerly awaited second instalment of Fabio's meticulously curated collection of liquid Drum & Bass classics - 'Generation Liquid.'

Fabio, a true legend in the music industry for over three decades, kickstarted his illustrious career as a Pirate Radio DJ in the mid-80s. Throughout the years, he masterfully evolved his style across various musical genres, ranging from Dub and Hip Hop to House, until he ultimately solidified his position as one of the pioneering forces behind Jungle and Drum and Bass. Fate played a remarkable role in Fabio's extraordinary musical journey. Serendipitously, he landed a pivotal spot on the pirate radio station Phase One, all thanks to a connection through a close friend. This opportunity allowed Fabio to showcase his raw talent and hone his early skills. As destiny continued to guide him, Fabio formed a powerful partnership with Grooverider, and together, they soared to fame, headlining numerous major outdoor raves and orbital M25 parties during the late '80s acid house boom. The duo's magnetic presence and innovative sound captivated audiences, setting them apart as trailblazers in the electronic music scene.

As club culture blossomed, Fabio and Grooverider became the distinguished residents at the iconic club night RAGE, hosted at Heaven in the heart of London. Their influence was immense, as they were credited with moulding the early Jungle sound and orchestrating the world's first-ever weekly Jungle night. Fabio's unwavering passion and dedication to music have not only left an indelible mark on the industry but have also inspired countless aspiring artists. His boundless creativity and willingness to push the boundaries continue to shape the ever-evolving landscape of electronic music, solidifying his status as a true pioneer and a living legend.

After the Jungle scene declined and underwent a distinct shift in sound and style, Fabio took the initiative to establish London's first dedicated soulful deep Drum and Bass night, known as Speed. Week after week, Fabio shared the decks with LTJ Bukem, and their skilful sets eventually garnered immense popularity, drawing in not only junglists but also celebrities, club kids, record label A&R representatives, and the who's who of the West End at that time. When the curtain fell on Speed Fabio's legacy continued to flourish with the inception of his legendary Swerve weekly residency at The Velvet Rooms, which later relocated to the iconic club, The End. The influence of Swerve was profound, serving as a catalyst for the creation of influential labels like Hospital Records, Tony Coleman (also known as London Elektricity) became a regular attendee, further contributing to the scene's growth and innovation.

The term 'Liquid', was born out of Fabio's deep admiration and support for his protégé, the talented Northern Irish producer and DJ, Dominick Martin, famously known as Calibre. This inspiration led to the creation of his acclaimed 14-year radio show on BBC Radio 1, 'The Liquid Funk Show', which drew from Calibre's masterful productions that Fabio likened to "liquid gold" for the ears. Through this show, Fabio played a crucial role in breaking numerous iconic records, and artists such as Chase & Status, High Contrast, and many many more.

Now, 'Generation Liquid' takes the baton from the legacy of Speed, Swerve, and 'The Liquid Funk show', capturing the essence of the era and the soulful, deeper music that Fabio has championed throughout his illustrious career. This meticulously curated collection celebrates records that embody the spirit of soulful D&B, making it a must-have for anyone who has followed Fabio's musical journey since the vibrant days of the 1990s up until now.

The second volume of this immersive exploration into the soulful realm of Drum & Bass is just as indispensable as its predecessor. It boasts a curated collection of rarities, timeless classics, and straight-up anthems from the vibrant liquid D&B scene. Esteemed artists such as DJ Marky, Calibre, Calyx & TeeBee, and dBridge all contribute to what is undeniably becoming a seminal anthology of the subgenre. The track selection and seamless programming are expertly guided by none other than Fabio himself, providing listeners with a nostalgic glimpse into the electrifying atmosphere of being right on the dance-floor at iconic events Speed and Swerve.

'In 1972, trumpeter Baikida Carroll and some of his colleagues from the Black Artists Group (more precisely saxophonist/flutist Oliver Lake, trombonist Joseph Bowie, drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw and trumpeter Floyd LeFlore) took the advice of their friends in the Art Ensemble Of Chicago and left their native Missouri to come and discover the bright lights of Paris for themselves. The following year they would even get the chance to record their only album which would rapidly attain mythical status and a collector’s item: “In Paris, Aries 1973”.

Therefore, it was not surprising that they crossed paths with Jef Gilson in the capital. He was always on the lookout for new artists for his recently formed Palm label and had been active on many fronts in jazz since the end of the 50s. The French bandleader / pianist / composer / sound engineer had already recorded, in the preceding months other American musicians who would go on to have great careers: Byard Lancaster, Keno Speller, Clint Jackson III, Khan Jamal... Gilson therefore offered Baikida Carroll the chance to record his first album under his own name, which would be the 13th release on the label. Carroll logically asked Oliver Lake to join him. He also recruited Manuel Villaroel, a young Franco-Chilien pianist from the group Matchi-Oul, who had already released an album on Futura in 1971 and would release another on Palm in 1976. The group was completed with the addition of Brazilian percussionist Naná Vasconcelos, who had just released a well-received album on the Saravah label. They were ready to enter the studio for the 3rd, 4th and 5th June 1974.

The first side of the album is divided into two long tracks which send free jazz back to its long-lost African roots. The opener “Orange Fish Tears” indeed rolls out a jungle of percussion of all sorts and sizes -the whole group is involved- which weave and mix together reaching a point where all bearings are lost, lending a sense of wonder to the majestic entry of the brass and woodwinds, flying suddenly out from the undergrowth. “Forest Scorpion” (sic) is a real voodoo ceremony where a venomous percussive groove backs the fiery solos from keyboards and saxophone in a furious trance. A warning; after these two tracks listeners are physically and emotionally wiped out!

The other side is more introspective. Deliberately using dissonance and repetition, “Rue Roger” -the only composition by Oliver Lake- in a long dialogue between trumpet and saxophone, could almost remind us of Terry Riley in his favourite ballpark. “Porte D'Orléans”, the fourth and final track on the album, has the group back to their old tricks in a long hallucinatory jam which owes as much to the contemporary music of György Ligeti as to the most angst-ridden Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack music (remember the heavy chords which beat through “Planet of the Apes»).

With these two sides, and in under 45m, Baikida Carroll and his musicians show just what they can do, from cerebral to charnel without ever simplifying things. This is an essential album if you are a fan of free-wheeling avant-garde music from the Art Ensemble of Chicago to Sonic Youth and including Shabaka Hutchings and Rob Mazurek. For those with good taste, in other words.'

Sublime ethereal minimalism from Hiroyuki Onogawa on this retrospective compilation album for
Mana, the first dedicated release and remaster of his soundtrack compositions.

The album August in the Water: Music for Film 1995-2005 plots a decade of Onogawa’s compositions for films by the renowned filmmaker Gakuryū Ishii (formally known as Sogo Ishii). Ishii’s leftfield and trailblazing cinema has proven highly influential - Crazy Thunder Road (1980) is frequently cited as the starting pistol for the Japanese cyberpunk genre - and unfathomably difficult to source outside of Japan. This, coupled with the mysterious and artistic nature of the films, has seen him build a cult-like following. Most of his oeuvre remains undistributed outside Japan, though Third Window Films has recently taken great strides toward making some titles available internationally.

This retrospective publication, sequenced into an album by Onogawa himself, spans a fertile period of collaboration with Ishii, through soundtracks for three remarkable films: August in the Water (1995), Labyrinth of Dreams (1997), and Mirrored Mind (2005). Each feels texturally and sensually linked with the spiritual, ambient, dreamlike quality that lingers in Onogawa’s music.

The sound Onogawa conjures for these films is elegant and patient, often minimal or essential in form, but saturated in a poetic emotion and atmosphere that feels strange and otherworldly, touched by the metaphysical in subtle ways. Boundaries are crossed between New Age and science fiction, locating a blissfulness, melancholy and paranoia within the same spectrum, and moving toward an enchanting sense of mood and colour.

It’s notable that the compositions on this album straddle the millennium, and the mix of divine and uncertain themes in the music carry that currency. New listeners might hear links to Mark Snow’s compositional work for the X-Files and Millennium, or other celebrated future-facing and future-fearing Japanese anime or cyberpunk.

Onogawa’s music adds great depth and tenor to the sensory experience of the films themselves, but it stands just as strongly as a listening experience on its own terms, a virtuosic example of ambient that changes in hue when turned in the light. Remarkably, and in similar circumstances to Ishii, Onogawa’s work has never been widely available outside of (always highly enthusiastic) underground fan posts, usually sourced from extremely limited and private CDs limited to Japan. This retrospective seeks to remedy that, and hopes to achieve recognition for Onogawa as one of the great composers of the last three decades.

Onogawa continues to work in film, both in the creation of soundtracks, and now as a producer and director. He composed the music for Koji Fukada’s Harmonium (2016), which won the Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival, as well as for Fukada’s A Girl Missing (2019). As a director, he received the Grand Prize for Best Short Film in the Noves Visions category at the Sitges Festival in 2022 for Flashback Before Death (Guu), co-directed with Rii Ishihara.'

Jdotbalance left the moon and the sky for a city that works. This is their first offering for the ESP Institute. On side A, 'Sublimate' combines two aspects of a digital pipe and mallet assortment—both as the percussive base for a groove, and as an interstitial layer where inherent resonances are massaged into melody. Bubbles and squeaks dance around the sound-stage periphery, occasionally pierced by high frequency statements, presenting as either ghostly yelps from the aether or as bursts of kaleidoscopic shards. A third of the way through the track, the instrumentation truly does sublimate, crystallizing into a new self—bolder and naughtier, abandoning its pensive optimism for a detour around the spectrum's dark end. On the flip, 'Precipitate' continues with its predecessor's primer of metallic percussion, but accelerates the pace to reveal Jdot’s attitude leaning toward cunty malice. The kick drum relentlessly pounds us as 16th note droplets metamorphose from chrome-dipped hail into full-blown acid wind. As intensity retreats beneath the digital rubble and the track draws to a close, so does our stream of Jdot’s consciousness. These two songs will accelerate your nervous system.

Wewantsounds is delighted to release 'Sharayet el Disco' a selection of
Egyptian '80s disco and boogie tracks curated by Egyptian DJ Disco
Arabesquo from his vast collection of cassettes and officially released on
vinyl for the first time
Remastered for vinyl and including colour insert with liner notes by Moataz Rageb
(Disco Arabesquo). Most tracks have never been released on any other format
and are making their vinyl debut with this set. A journey through the funky sound
of 80s Egypt, Sharayet El Disco (which can be translated by "Disco Cassettes")
features Simone, Ammar El Sherei and more obscure names from Cairo's
cassette culture.
The audio has been remastered for vinyl by David Hachour/Colorsound Studio in
Paris and the LP features artwork by young Egyptian graphic designer Heba Tarek
and a 2-page insert featuring artwork of the original cassettes plus insightful liner
notes by Moataz Rageb.
The set is a unique insight into the diversity of the Egyptian Disco sound, from the
pulsating Disco of "Hezeny" by Hany Shenouda's Al Massrieen band to the boogie
of Simone's "Merci," via Firkit El Asdekaa's tongue-in-cheek "Eklib el Sheriet" ("turn
the cassette to the other side"), produced by legendary Egyptian musician Ammar
El Sherei.

Attentat have been going strong since 1978, but as they were working on this album things came to a
crashing halt when vocalist Jönsson ended up in a coma. The whole experience ended up just
strengthening the band's resolve to plow through. Jönsson recovered in record time, the band
replaced both a few songs and a member and ended up with a banger! Swedish singalong punk rock
reminiscent of classic English bands like Buzzcocks and The Clash as well as later US groups like
Rancid and Social Distortion with a little bit of Slade and Sweet sprinkled on top.

“coming of age” motif flows freely through She’s In Parties’ debut EP, End Scene. The four piece wanted to construct a record that’s influenced by the idea of a final, reflective monologue scene in a movie, and would fit nicely in an 80’s coming of age film like The Breakfast Club, but with their own generational twist to it. The listener can expect quintessential developmental milestones interwoven throughout the listening experience, with themes centering platonic and romantic relationships, mental health battles, illicit substance experimentation and more.

“We’re coming of age ourselves - apart from Granddaddy Matt,” the members joke, with 3⁄4 of the band having just begun their journey into their 20’s. “It’s something we relate to and, whether we like it or not, reflects itself in our music writing".

If you were to ask for a defining Habibi Funk track, there are a few that come to mind: from Fadoul’s “Sid Redad,” Dalton’s “Soul Brother” to Ahmed Malek’s “Omar Gatlato.” However, none are as widely connected with us at this point as Hamid Al Shaeri’s “Ayonha.” We heard the track for the first time when we were working on selecting tracks for your first compilation and we instantly loved it. We obviously had heard of Hamid El Shaeri’s music before, but only material from his Al Jeel phase when he was already the full-blown
superstar he is now.

Listening to his releases from the early 1980’s opened a whole new door for us. At the time, Hamid had just left Libya to pursue his career in Egypt via a detour in London, where he recorded his
first album. Hamid’s distinct sound of the sound is quintessentially reliant on heavy synths and so it was particularly important to purchase these synths in a timely manner. “Whenever a new one synthesizer would come out, we would have to buy it immediately, otherwise someone else would get their hands on that sound.” London also played an important role for Hamid as a musical epicenter.

He fondly reminisces about the many live shows he attended there, including some of the biggest international musicians like Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson. After returning to Cairo where he also recorded his following albums, he connected with SLAM! for the
release of his debut, laying the foundation of a collaboration that lasted for 5 albums. Luckily, we were able to connect with Hamid through our friend Youssra El Hawary, whose extensive network has opened many doors for us within the Egyptian music scene. We met Hamid for the first time probably in 2016 at his office / rehearsal studio in the outskirts Cairo. We were expecting a larger-than-life
character in-line with his status as a certified superstar, yet the actual person turned out to be very approachable and super easy to connect with. He liked the idea of an effort to amplify his early works again,
which, when originally released, were far from an economic success.

While he was down to assist with an interview and his blessing for the project he also told us that for any license we needed to speak with the original label SLAM! who released these songs, still held the rights and also remained in business over the decades though they didn’t actively release any new music. Hany Sabet had started SLAM! records in the early 1980s and focused on cassette tape releases, the
format that expedited the success of a new generation of record labels in Egypt. By the mid 1980’s, SLAM! had become one of the most successful and economically dominant record labels in Egypt, with Hamid El Shaeri being just one of their key artists, alongside Mohamed Mounir, Hanan, Hakim, Mustafa Amar and many more. Luckily, Hany Sabet turned out to be a friend of our colleague Malak Makar’s father, which probably helped to warm him to the idea of licen- sing “Ayonha” to this - in the scale of his world - tiny label
from Germany. Eventually “Ayonha” ended up becoming a widely successful release and either Hany or we brought up the idea of a full album dedicated to Hamid El Shaeri’s work on SLAM!.


"Maktoub Aleina” is the first single and will be released January 14th. Following the massive success of "Ayonha,” “Maktoub Aleina” is another mid-tempo groover with a beautiful, synth-forward melody, that brings together a lovely combination of soul, disco and Arabic pop music of the highest order, giving a taste of full album. The second single, “Yekfini Nesma Sotak” will be released January 28th and combines Hamid’s unique formula of soul and pop, held together by a catchy synth melody. “Yekfini Nesma Sotak” picks up the
pace a bit, making the uplifting mood of the track even more powerful. Third single, arriving February 11th, is “Dari Demou’ek,” one of the stand out tracks of Hamid’s early recordings done for SLAM! in the early 1980s. Dominated by a disco infused bassline, the track offers a lot of space of the funky production to shine while Hamid inserts his vocals at all the right moments. A masterpiece of disco touched by Arabic pop music.

Full album arrives February 25th. This release is dedicated to Hany Sabet, the founder of SLAM! and his wife Rosemary Jane Sabet (who
took the photos we used for the cover and the booklet), who sadly passed away during the time it took us to prepare the release.
Vinyl comes with an extensive booklet with an interview with Hamid as well as unseen photos

The Mapendo album of the Mighty Cavaliers, up to today, has been shrouded in mystery. If you look at the original cover of this very rare Kenyan funk-infused album all you will find are the names of the engineer and the producer, as EMI Kenya omitted the names of the musicians and the songwriters. Digging deeper a rather sinister story of deceit develops whereby Mapendo becomes symbolic for all what was wrong about the Kenyan record industry in the 1970s, and the music industry in Africa as a whole. As this maltreatment of artists proved endemic throughout the continent, although little talked about.

One of the three surviving members of the Mighty Cavaliers, bass player Bonnie Wanda - who started his career in 1971 with Gloria Africana - vividly remembers participating in the recording of the two albums the band made in 1976 and 1977 - Fisherman and Mapendo - and how they, especially on the last album, got short-changed by shrewd record label executives. In the 1960s it was mostly Indian and European record bosses that called the shots and usually gave musicians the chance of a one-off payment for their session time and recorded songs or wait for - hopefully - a generous royalty check. In most cases records didn't sell more than a thousand copies with an occasional hit selling in the tens of thousands, so musicians were reluctant to register themselves with the Music Copyright Society of Kenya. Although without doing so one couldn't receive royalties.

'For two years the Mighty Cavaliers performed five nights a week at the Starlight Club for five hour sets.

The re-release of Mapendo, the first of the German Want Some Records label, is another exciting puzzle piece in the tapestry of groovy Kenyan music. It proves that there are still great gems out there to be re-discovered for audiences worldwide.

Text written by Michiel van Oosterhout

This Album is dedicated to the musicians
Bonnie Wanda, Rashid Salim, Vuli Yeni, Juma Waweru Njuguna and Athmani 'guitar boy'."

Northern California psychedelic sorcerers Carlton Melton are brain surfers, mind trippers, … “psychlists,” if you prefer. The band will take your head for a ride, occasionally rushing at superluminal speeds through a wormhole or gliding softly on a gentle breeze in a leafy glade. Sometimes your brain needs to rage, and sometimes it needs to repose. For a decade and a half, the band has yo-yo’ed, almost schizophrenically, between these two modes: walloping space jams with furious guitar solos in one hemisphere of the brain and ethereal, feather-light splashdowns in the other. Not to mention a track here and there that builds from the latter into the former. But with two new releases in 2023, the band has evolved. Whether psych rock or ambient trance, their sound remains driving, organic, and flowing. With the addition of Anthony Taibi (White Manna, DDT), however, the group’s metal freak-outs are Hawkwindier and their droning kraut trances are Spacemen 3-er. In January, the quartet released the playfully spacey Resemble Ensemble, recorded in Taibi’s home studio 3D Light. October now sees the band Turn To Earth, a work with scents of Autumn, a season of death and transition. The cover art evokes a vine-covered, electric crucifix. The sound is, well, earthy but also gritty and striving towards change. The album was recorded in Fall 2022 and now harvested in Fall 2023. Phil Becker (Terry Gross, Pins Of Light) contributed drums and percussion to a few tracks on Turn To Earth, recording the album at El Studio in San Francisco.

With Becker at the helm, the synths have become more prominent (“Cosmicity,” “Roboflow,” “Migration”) and the tone heavier on the doom (“Cloudstorming,” “Unlock The Land,” title track): several moments could even serve as background music for epic dark fantasy films like Conan the Barbarian, Fire and Ice, or Heavy Metal. As exquisite as Turn To Earth is, Melton are best appreciated as a live act: their recordings as well as their gigs are largely improvised – not so much composed as birthed. And yet their most recent tour ended abruptly and perilously. The group had to cancel its final three shows once members were admitted to Arnhem hospital in the Netherlands. Five years later, reinforcements have strengthened the band and restocked its arsenal of great tracks. After the rockus interruptus of that 2018 tour and the tantric tease of the intervening Covid lockdown, Melton have some unfinished business. An October 2023 tour is poised to set the freshly minted quartet back onto the stages of Europe and within the cerebral folds of its fans. Turn To Earth, sure … but keep your head in outer space. Carlton Melton is: andy duvall – drums/gtr; clint golden – bass; rich millman – gtr/synth; and anthony taibi – synth/gtr.

20 albums and 25 years into her recording career and only now does Thea Gilmore feel enough of herself to make the self-titled album that renews her vows to music - her first love. The album is released on 6th October. The album was entirely written, played and produced by Thea. Thea Gilmore is absolutely the record she wanted to make. In many ways the record she had to make. Sustained by the very public dissection of her personal life laid bare on her last full-length release, the stunningly intimate Afterlight, Thea's hard-earned reputation as one of the most distinctive, strident and bold singer songwriters of her generation propels her to reach for new ground and this new release feels like a great leap forward into tomorrow. "That's why this is my first self-titled album," she explains. "On my last album I changed by name to Afterlight and drew a line under everything I'd done up to that point. Not to invalidate it, but to put an end to the 'before'. It was a very inward-looking record that was rooted in the darkness of everything that happened to me up to 2019, whereas this album has its head up and is eyeing the world as a challenge. It's a logical forward motion - the emergence from the shadows of Afterlight into the relative lightness of Thea Gilmore - in a renewal of my vows to music; my first love. In a weird way it feels like a debut of sorts so it made sense to make it eponymous." Across 12 tracks Thea delves into the cracks between the paving slabs of life's big themes. She's exploring the understanding that comes with experience, choosing her battles and finding out who she is now. The stunning 'She Speak In Colours' is a song for love and loss written as part of BBC Radio 2's critically lauded 21st Century Folk project; while 'The Next Time You Win' with its simple piano figures and its collage of spoken and sung lines seems to both accept the way the world works while reaffirming the pledge to stand on the frontline of change. Thea is also excited to bring the album to the stage. She will play London’s Union Chapel on 12th October and then an 11-date tour around the UK in early 2024. Full dates below. Thea Gilmore has made 20 albums since the release of her first, Burning Dorothy, in 1998. The veteran of hundreds of festivals, she has sold out shows across the globe.

Throughout their legendary, decade-long run, the Shadow Ring were an enigmatic force on the international musical sub-underground. Before their disbandment in 2002, this shambolic rock outfit, formed by a group of rowdy teenagers in southeast England, left behind a mighty run of eight LPs, a handful of 7"s, and a spate of raucous live shows and cryptic zine appearances on both sides of the Atlantic, all which have bolstered their enduring word-of-mouth mystique. Beginning this year with the first-ever vinyl pressing of the self-released pre-Shadow Ring tape The Cat & Bells Club (1992), Blank Forms Editions is conducting a systematic retrospective of the storied group, including a multi-year LP reissue effort and a forthcoming comprehensive CD box set and an over five hundred page book. Recorded and self-released by the group's own Dry Leaf Discs in 1993, City Lights is the debut record of the then duo Graham Lambkin and Darren Harris_an assured arrival statement teeming with stripling angst and ambition. Lifelong chums Lambkin and Harris were barely nineteen and living at home in the seaside town of Folkestone, Kent, with few overhead expenses. The two were freshly employed as a forklift operator at a hardware store and an aide at a home for children with disabilities, respectively, affording them the time and funds to commit to a proper full-length release. Frontman Lambkin describes the album as a "microscopic examination of leisure activities, this time centered around a nightclub," a conceit surging through its lyrics, song titles, cover art (depicting an audience of cats and mice at the Leas Club, a Folkestone fixture), and flip side (replete with fictional bandmates and pseudonymous liner notes). On a recently-acquired secondhand guitar, Lambkin plays repetitive, brooding licks that form the record's backbone, weaving in and out of sync with Harris's free-form percussion and the pair's sing-song poetry. Tracks range from unraveling nursery-rhyme ditties to extended jams awash with Casiotone and toy piano noodling. The duo's musical hobby-horses work themselves in: the influence of Mark E. Smith's breathless deadpan, the headless outer-edges of ESP-Disk's back catalog, the eerie atmospherics of Hirsche Nicht Aufs Sofa, and the deconstructed rock tunes of the Dunedin scene are all detectable, although there is a sui generis quality to the Shadow Ring's artless temerity. "I've got to see and taste those city lights," intones Lambkin on the album's title track_indeed, this is a record of naked drive and pent-up desperation, and a shimmering glimpse of what's to come. For Fans of The Fall, Royal Trux, The Dead C, Shirley Collins, '70s British progressive rock, Dean Blunt.

Alien Transistor is proud to announce a reissue of Such December, the fourth album by Japanese indie folk-pop artist, Gratin Carnival. Listeners might already know Gratin Carnival from their appearance on the Alien Parade Japan compilation of indie pop groups working with brass and woodwind; compiled by Markus Acher of The Notwist and Saya of Tenniscoats, it introduced this beautiful genre to the wider world. Gratin Carnival’s “Just Watching” was one of the many highlights of that compilation, and its gentle bossa-folk glide reappears on Such December.

Originally released in 2020, Such December captures beautifully the happy-sad charm of Gratin Carnival. The project of Koreyuki Mitsunaga, Gratin Carnival started in 2011; Mitsunaga had been home recording for some time and decided on the name as an umbrella for his music-making. Mitsunaga’s main instruments are guitar, which he uses to great effect throughout, his gorgeous acoustic playing reminiscent of players like Ueno Takashi of Tenniscoats or João Gilberto, and alto saxophone and clarinet. Those three instruments make up the core of Gratin Carnival’s sound, along with Mitsunaga’s charmingly doleful singing.

Recording at his parents’ home, with a four-track cassette recorder and a MacBook, Mitsunaga created Such December during 2020, though the songs on it stretch back to 2016. The closing “On The Train” was the first song written for the album – “a song about a small trip,” Mitsunaga recalls – and from there, he built a beautiful collection of songs that sit together perfectly. There’s great clarity in Mitsunaga’s writing, with nothing extraneous getting in the way of the lucid arrangements and gorgeous melodies; there’s something of chamber jazz about it at times, so it’s no surprise that Mitsunaga shares his love of Benny Goodman’s small group playing.

He's also a fan of Japanese folk artists like Kenji Endo and Kyouzou Nishioka, and grew up listening to Japanese popular music, The Beatles, and The Carpenters. You can hear trace elements of all this in Such December, in the clear-headedness of the melodic decisions made by Mitsunaga, and the quiet charm of the song’s gentle arrangements. They take on different shapes live, too, where Mitsunaga often invites other musicians to join in – his live band currently includes Masafumi Ezaki (trumpet), Nahoko Kamei (bass clarinet, piano, keyboards) and Tadashi Yonago (trombone, self-made instruments).

As with plenty of musicians from the Japanese underground, Mitsunaga is involved in other music, too – he’s been working with The Otoasobi Project, which performs music in collaboration with individuals with learning disabilities, and their families; and he’s also involved in improvised music. With Such December, though, you get to hear Mitsunaga’s music at its most personal and individual, ten songs of still, gorgeously poised indie folk-pop, where the swooning clang of six strings meets the breathy bliss of woodwind and brass.

The most potent memories I have of music are from my early childhood listening to the oldie's station, riding in the back of my Pops' 1975 Cadillac Seville to work alongside him moving plants in Sacramento at the now long gone Capitol Nursery during white hot summer afternoons, and then the drives back home in the purple twilights and oily blue-oranged nights. I'm talkin' The Temptations, War, Earth Wind and Fire, Al Green, Sly and the Family Stone, The Delfonics, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan...soul music. I loved the melodrama of it all. The world outside refracted and transmuted through the crackling speakers past Pops' thumping thumb and my tiny whirring mind and left whatever road behind us fundamentally changed in our wake. Through the years other sounds too left its imprint well before I picked up a guitar. Rap, Punk, hardcore, dub, R&B--and a little later in middle school, blues, folk and country. But those early Cadillac memories always remained the bedrock. With folk and blues music, I fell in love with the immediacy of it and found the acoustic guitar economical for all the solitary roaming of my early 20's. All the while I knew that one day, when I had something I felt like I could add, I wanted to incorporate the sound of those early Cadillac memories. But only after I felt established as a songwriter in its most simple form, banging on a wooden guitar and yodeling up some melody did I feel comfortable exploring other sounds and only recently did I find the time and space to do that. The pandemic trapped all the world in their rooms. While recording my last record in the height of it and at the behest of my friend and You, Yeah, You producer Brad Cook and his friend Justin Vernon, I bought my first keyboard. A Roland Juno DS. I started tinkering on it throughout the past couple of years and as I became more stationary started writing songs on different instruments that I accumulated. Layering sounds on garageband in my apartment writing bass and horn parts, making drum loops, adding synth... I became pretty obsessive with the endless possibilities it brought and got quicker and quicker at making songs that way. It was just so fun and limitless.

The most potent memories I have of music are from my early childhood listening to the oldie's station, riding in the back of my Pops' 1975 Cadillac Seville to work alongside him moving plants in Sacramento at the now long gone Capitol Nursery during white hot summer afternoons, and then the drives back home in the purple twilights and oily blue-oranged nights. I'm talkin' The Temptations, War, Earth Wind and Fire, Al Green, Sly and the Family Stone, The Delfonics, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan...soul music. I loved the melodrama of it all. The world outside refracted and transmuted through the crackling speakers past Pops' thumping thumb and my tiny whirring mind and left whatever road behind us fundamentally changed in our wake. Through the years other sounds too left its imprint well before I picked up a guitar. Rap, Punk, hardcore, dub, R&B--and a little later in middle school, blues, folk and country. But those early Cadillac memories always remained the bedrock. With folk and blues music, I fell in love with the immediacy of it and found the acoustic guitar economical for all the solitary roaming of my early 20's. All the while I knew that one day, when I had something I felt like I could add, I wanted to incorporate the sound of those early Cadillac memories. But only after I felt established as a songwriter in its most simple form, banging on a wooden guitar and yodeling up some melody did I feel comfortable exploring other sounds and only recently did I find the time and space to do that. The pandemic trapped all the world in their rooms. While recording my last record in the height of it and at the behest of my friend and You, Yeah, You producer Brad Cook and his friend Justin Vernon, I bought my first keyboard. A Roland Juno DS. I started tinkering on it throughout the past couple of years and as I became more stationary started writing songs on different instruments that I accumulated. Layering sounds on garageband in my apartment writing bass and horn parts, making drum loops, adding synth... I became pretty obsessive with the endless possibilities it brought and got quicker and quicker at making songs that way. It was just so fun and limitless.

From small beginnings in 1974 as a local cinema and university event, Film Fest Gent has grown yearly in stature and is now recognised as one of the major destinations for the film industry. A vital component is the celebration of film music in the shape of the World Soundtrack Awards which honours the very best composers at work in the world of cinema. In 2016 the award went to one of the most brilliant composers of his generation, Ryuichi Sakamoto. This is the first overview of his remarkable catalogue of film scores, fully approved by the composer and performed by the masterful Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of Dirk Brossé. Sakamoto was already a celebrated pioneer in electronic music and composer/pianist/singer in Japan when director Nagisa Oshima asked him to write the score for Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence in 1983 and also to star alongside David Bowie. In a 30 year plus career since then he has worked with the cream of film directors including Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor), Brian De Palma (Snake Eyes), Pedro Almodovar (High Heels) and most recently Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (The Revenant). This compilation is a fitting tribute to his status as one of the greatest living musicians and film composers.