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Despite its title, Ratboys’ new album Singin’ to an Empty Chair is not defined by what’s missing. Rather, it’s the beginning of an important dialogue with a close loved one, vocalist Julia Steiner finds herself estranged from. The music on the band’s sixth studio album – its first for New West Records – fills the space that person left behind with 11 songs showcasing Ratboys at the peak of their powers — twangy, effervescent, as confident as they’ve ever been, and perhaps more emotionally interrogative than ever before. The four-piece Chicago band followed up 2023’s highly acclaimed The Window by reconvening with co-producer Chris Walla to begin tracking at a rural Wisconsin cabin before taking the songs to Steve Albini’s famed Electrical Audio studios in Chicago and later to Rosebud Studio in Evanston, Illinois. The results veer from bubbly power-pop on “Anywhere” to irresistible post-country on “Penny in the Lake,” along with heart-piercing ballads like “Just Want You to Know the Truth” and an exhilarating detour into the extraterrestrial on “Light Night Mountains All That,” which Steiner dubs the band’s mammoth “wormhole jam.” Singin’ to an Empty Chair also marks the first Ratboys album written since Steiner began therapy, which the singer/lyricist credits for the clarity found across the album’s unflinching examinations of relationship and self. Fittingly, as the album begins by extending a hand into the void, it concludes with a scene of serenity – all while weaving candid honesty, humor, chaos, and whimsy along the way. “It's not all doom and gloom,” Steiner says. “The experience of making this record definitely gives me hope for whatever happens next.”

Despite its title, Ratboys’ new album Singin’ to an Empty Chair is not defined by what’s missing. Rather, it’s the beginning of an important dialogue with a close loved one, vocalist Julia Steiner finds herself estranged from. The music on the band’s sixth studio album – its first for New West Records – fills the space that person left behind with 11 songs showcasing Ratboys at the peak of their powers — twangy, effervescent, as confident as they’ve ever been, and perhaps more emotionally interrogative than ever before. The four-piece Chicago band followed up 2023’s highly acclaimed The Window by reconvening with co-producer Chris Walla to begin tracking at a rural Wisconsin cabin before taking the songs to Steve Albini’s famed Electrical Audio studios in Chicago and later to Rosebud Studio in Evanston, Illinois. The results veer from bubbly power-pop on “Anywhere” to irresistible post-country on “Penny in the Lake,” along with heart-piercing ballads like “Just Want You to Know the Truth” and an exhilarating detour into the extraterrestrial on “Light Night Mountains All That,” which Steiner dubs the band’s mammoth “wormhole jam.” Singin’ to an Empty Chair also marks the first Ratboys album written since Steiner began therapy, which the singer/lyricist credits for the clarity found across the album’s unflinching examinations of relationship and self. Fittingly, as the album begins by extending a hand into the void, it concludes with a scene of serenity – all while weaving candid honesty, humor, chaos, and whimsy along the way. “It's not all doom and gloom,” Steiner says. “The experience of making this record definitely gives me hope for whatever happens next.”

Haf is the third album from Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 in little over a year, no mean feat in and of itself but especially considering Carwyn’s work with other artists (including Edwyn Collins and the North Mississippi Allstars) this year too.

The album picks up where their last (Fontana Rosa) left off, with around half the album being recorded analog to tape at Gizzard Studios in London, with one last tune remaining from their sessions at the legendary (but now closed) Toerag Studios.

There are echoes here of their first album, Joia! - the recordings were once again instigated by the great Brazilian producer and multi-instrumentalist who happened to be visiting London earlier in the year. He suggested doing something.... so they did. And there is a return to more definite Brazilian influences too - Tonnau Ar Tonnau is an homage to ‘Onda’ by Cassiano, Keep On Smiling has a distinct samba / chorro feel. Gwenyn y Gwanwyn (about helping a bee out if you see it struggling) is very much a nod to the psychedelic samba funk of Antonio Carlos e Jocafi. But other Latin styles still loom large: on the sultry salsa of Bella Estrella or the melancholic Andean ballad, Lagrimas Frias.

Anglo-Brazilian singer Nina Miranda features on the Lalo Schifrin goes samba Shades of Red, while new addition to the Rio 18 family (at least on record), Miriam Isaac adds a real RnB edge to the record, along with some beautiful duets: the Salsoul banger Como Te Amo and the gorgeous Whistling Sands (about a beach in North Wales) are standouts.

In reverse to how Carwyn made the first two Rio 18 albums, Haf was recorded in London
and Wales and mixed over five hectic days in Rio. Three days later, it was mastered and at
the pressing plant. Time doesn’t wait for Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18!!

Finally, the song ‘Haf’ and the album itself are dedicated to Haf Morris, Carwyn’s late music teacher - he says, “her focus, guidance and patience shaped me like no other. I hope she’s enjoyed my musical journey, from wherever she’s watching. Diolch, Haf”.

Logical Absurd is very proud to present the 20th Anniversary of the album "She And Me Fall Together In Free Death" by Nurse With Wound. "She and Me Fall Together in Free Death" is probably the most approachable, largely "musical" album that NWW has released since Rock N' Roll Station. It's also one of his strangest concepts, a marriage of trance inducing Krautrock grooves with a traditional jazz standard and some jarringly atonal musique concrete. Side A is the 20- minute title track: a slow-motion jam reminiscent of of one of Can's sidelong tracks on Tago Mago or the more avant-garde grooves of Tony Conrad and Faust's Outside the Dream Syndicate.

The propulsive Jaki Liebezeit drumbeat is the foundation for a long jam session with what sounds like a dijderidoo and layers of guitar feedback. It's a massive, heavy sound, the kind that Julian Cope would devote a whole chapter to in his "Kratrocksampler". Side B is one long piece with three distinct movements. Beginning with those familiar, World Serpent-trademark windchimes, the listener is quickly ushered into Staple- ton's singing debut (!) in a rendition of the oft-covered traditional jazz ballad "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair" This was a favorite of the recently deceased Nina Simone, and also of the avant-jazz screamer Patty Waters. Nurse With Wound's version is backed by cello drones, repetitive guitar strums and tambourine, sounding very much like The Velvet Un- derground's "Venus in Furs".

It's such a treat to hear Steven Stapleton's multitracked vocals cover this classic song, and this eerie version rates as one of my favorites. This song and the title track prove to the naysayers that Nurse With Wound is equally adept at rock n' roll songcraft as he is at demented sound collages. The creepy jazz cover seques into "Chicken Con- cret (For Missy E)", a truly warped tape-edit job that juxtaposes chicken squawks and sythesized birdcalls with random bleeps, speaker hiccups and gongs.

Ivan The Tolerable returns with Chromophobia, an expansive new double album and his fourth for Riot Season after ‘Water Music’ & ‘Vertigo’ (both 2024) and ‘An Orphan Form’ (2025)
Chromophobia carries with it a deep personal history. The earliest recording sessions date back to 2018 at the IDI in Middlesbrough, engineered by longtime collaborator Nigel Crooks over the course of three weekends. The material was left unfinished for years, shelved for reasons that accumulated and compounded - until the tragic passing of Crooks in 2023. His unfinished work lingered, and the desire to complete it became a mission.
“In the end, I finished this record for Nigel, above all else,” says Oli Heffernan (Ivan The Tolerable). “It always annoyed him that it never got done.”

To bring the album to completion, the original stems were passed to producer Hugh Major (formerly of Benefits) in early 2024. Across a year of meticulous experimentation - countless versions, radical reconstructions, entire songs torn down and rebuilt - the album transformed into something wholly new. The final collection spans 14 tracks, reimagined from the ground up yet still anchored to the spirit of the sessions that began it.
“It’s a very different beast from where it started,” Heffernan adds, “but I think Nigel would really like it - and be glad it was finally finished.”
Chromophobia stands as both a reinvention and a tribute: a document of persistence, creative overhaul, and the enduring impact of a lost collaborator.

Drummer/producer Teppo Mäkynen's 3TM returns with a new album, "Lake", on 29 November on Helsinki's We Jazz Records. The album is the much awaited follow up to 2017's successful 3TM debut "Form", which was awarded as the "Jazz Album of the Year" in Mäkynen's native Finland. "Lake" was preceded by the ambient electronic album "Abyss" in August, which set the mood for what's to come next: A compact yet far-reaching body of work bringing together the trio's acoustic jazz sound and ideas rooted in abstract electronic music in a remarkably boundless way.

"Lake" is a collection of 9 Mäkynen-penned originals ranging from the looping, hypnotic compositions such as first single "Laws Of Life" to the delicacy of tracks such as "Woods". There is a sense of long form narrative here, evident in glorious, slowly evolving tracks such as "Lake" and "A Pile Of Broken Dreams". The overall sound is swinging, melodic, deep and futuristic. It's acoustic jazz and abstract electronic music understood deeply and used as the base of a new sound, which goes beyond the usual distinctions of "acoustic jazz" or "electronic music". This is music for the present day, moving forward.

3TM's "Lake" will be available as white and black vinyl versions, complete with printed inner sleeve featuring Mäkynen's essay about the theme of the album. On vinyl, "Lake" will also be available as a 2LP bundle with "Abyss", and the CD version includes both discs, "Lake" and "Abyss".

In the 3TM trio formation Mäkynen is joined by sax man Jussi Kannaste and bassist Antti Lötjönen, both Finnish scene mainstays. The band will celebrate their new release at Helsinki's We Jazz Festival on 7 December.

US sax player Stanley J. Zappa and Finnish drummer Simo Laihonen come together on the new album "Muster Point" on We Jazz Records, August 7. The two students of Milford Graves add bassist Ville Rauhala on a couple of tracks to make a bold and adventurous album captured both live and in the studio while Zappa was touring in Finland with the Black Motor musicians. This is a set full of fire and thunder, but also features some more meditative spiritual jazz. RIYL: Milford Graves, ESP-Disk', spiritual jazz

"Muster Point" consists of short trio bursts ("Muster Point I-IV"), deep duo cuts such as "Pleasant Avenue" and the inspired material linking the stylistic bookends. The music herein comes from the long standing tradition of independent improvised jazz music, and moves forward in the now, relying in the natural communication and the chemistry between the musicians. At its core, the album is a testament to the importance personal connections between like-minded creative musicians in creating something new.

Stanley J. Zappa, originally from New Jersey, now based in Oliver, BC (Canada) is a highly expressive musician whose career has so far progressed largely under the radar. Part of the lineage of a musical family (his uncle Frank should need no introduction), Zappa's story is that of a true craftsman, now coming into fruition with a like-minded collaborator, Simo Laihonen. Laihonen is best known from his long-standing trio formation Black Motor, also featuring bassist Ville Rauhala featured on the trio tracks on this recording.

Rising from Warsaw’s underground, Infernal Flame conjure a bleak and uncompromising vision on their debut full-length The Grave. Originally self-released digitally on February 13, 2025, the album now sees its first physical incarnation through Apostasy Records - soon available on CD, vinyl and cassette. Across nine tracks, the Polish quartet fuse the weight of cavernous death metal with the scorched atmosphere of black metal, forging a sound that feels both raw and deliberate - a ritual equal parts feral energy and fatal precision. From the slow-grinding opener “Dreadead” through the tar-soaked menace of “Cauldron of Black Tar,” the feverish descent of the title track and the final farewell of “Godbye,” The Grave unfolds like a single, unbroken passage through dread and decay. Formed in 2024 and operating deliberately outside the label system, Infernal Flame channel a rehearsal-room immediacy that recalls the early second-wave spirit while carving out a distinctly modern darkness. Still largely unreviewed and shrouded in underground obscurity, The Grave stands as an intense and authentic statement - from a band intent on burning their own path through Poland’s black/death scene.

LP, Green Slime Vinyl

The Portland, ME trio returns with Feels Like Hell, their most self-assured and emotionally charged record yet. Despite the title, the album is a celebration of personal growth, creative freedom, and defiant joy in the face of a chaotic world.

Coming off the burnout and frustration captured in their 2021 album Quitter, Feels Like Hell finds Sonia Sturino (vocals/guitar), Annie Hoffman (bass/vocals), and Adam Hand (drums) leaning into clarity, gratitude, and renewed purpose. Sturino’s lyrics are as raw and honest as ever, but now they reflect strength rather than despair. It’s an album that drags existential dread into the daylight and sets it on fire.

“I decided to stop being such a sad-sap negative person,” Sturino says. “Now I practice being grateful, being proud, being happy, and not being envious.” That mindset shift shapes the tone of Feels Like Hell, which looks at darkness but chooses not to be consumed by it.

The record also marks the band’s first foray into co-writing, with Hoffman playing a significant role in shaping its sound. Embracing a more intuitive recording process, the trio stripped back the excess and focused on what felt right. The result is a record that’s resilient, cathartic, and brimming with creative energy.

While the world may still feel like it’s falling apart, Feels Like Hell pulses with the power of letting go. Letting go of fear, of perfectionism, of the illusion that vulnerability is weakness. With driving guitars, unflinching lyrics, and a renewed sense of purpose, Weakened Friends prove that it’s possible to stand in the wreckage and still find something worth singing about.

Best known as the frontman of the influential indie rock trio Dinosaur Jr., J Mascis has also been a solo artist, producer, and film composer. Getting his start as a founding member of the hardcore band Deep Wound, Dinosaur Jr. was founded in 1984 and the group emerged among the most highly regarded alternative rock. By introducing volume and attack in his songs Mascis shed the strict limitations of early 1980’s hardcore, becoming an influence on the burgeoning grunge movement. Mascis’ body of work continues to inspire a generation of guitar players and songwriters today.


In 1997, Dinosaur Jr. disbanded and Mascis released More Light, his first recording under the moniker J Mascis + The Fog. Members and collaborators of The Fog have included Mike Watt (Minutemen / fIREHOSE), Ron Asheton (The Stooges), Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices), Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine), Dave Schools (Hard Working Americans / Widespread Panic) and Kyle Spence (Harvey Milk).

Hello Games and Laced Records are embarking on a new intergalactic journey as they bring 32 new songs from the No Man's Sky universe onto vinyl.

Composed by Hello Games' audio director Paul Weir and Sheffield instrumental band 65daysofstatic, No Man's Sky: Journeys has been crafted from the ground-up as a fully-fledged companion piece to the original No Man's Sky soundtrack.

This new soundtrack includes 32 new songs born out of the endless, dynamic soundscapes from the Pathfinder update. Until now, these soundscapes have been sitting inside the video game generating infinite variations of themselves. Now they're landing on vinyl - a sonic representation of the game's constantly evolving journey over the last nine years.

Brooklyn based baritone saxophonist Jonah Parzen-Johnson presents his new work "Imagine Giving Up" on Helsinki's We Jazz Records. The album, to be released on 17th January of 2020 sees Parzen-Johnson move into new domains of sound as he uncovers newfound energy and pulse in his music.

In addition to the sonically rich analog synth elements that accompany his earlier solo saxophone work, Jonah has layered heavily sound designed samples of his own saxophone to create truly one of a kind percussive snaps, reverberant basses, and warbling leads. At it's core, the music remains deeply devoted to almost vocal sounding melodic lines and patiently developed compositional ideas.

A compact set of 6 originals, "Imagine Giving Up" is Jonah Parzen-Johnson's most ambitious album yet. While taking a step away from the previous world of "ambient jazz", his new music stems from the use of drone-like sounds for baritone saxophone, a style which is uniquely his own. Electronics are blended in for good measure, creating a coherent vision of abstract jazz with depth. As with all of Parzen-Johnson's releases, the music comes with a deeper narrative which he will continually explore in live performance.

The manifesto for the album reads as follows: "Only a few people can really start over. Everyone else is left to struggle down the path they were assigned. The option to give up, to choose your own path, is power, and, hopefully, a call to action: take a risk to help someone." "Imagine Giving Up" by Jonah Parzen-Johnson, will be available via 'We Jazz Records' on violet and black vinyl versions, CD and digitally.

Helsinki quartet Alder Ego, led by drummer/composer Joonas Leppänen, returns with their new album "III" on 9 April on We Jazz Records. A follow up to their successful 2018 We Jazz album, "III" finds Leppänen and his bandmates extracting more depth and punch out of their tenor sax + trumpet + double bass + drums setup, which echoes the greats in the game, such as Ornette Coleman, yet adds a readily identifiable edge to it all. Leppänen's writing is evolving, becoming more and more of a signature of the band and sounding delightfully angular yet easily flowing. On "III", Alder Ego features Leppänen on drums, Jarno Tikka (of OK:KO) on tenor sax, Tomi Nikku (of Bowman Trio) on trumpet and the new addition Nathan Francis on bass.

Kicking off with a key track introducing the band's deep sound, "Love And Maladies", "III" moves through a sonic landscape which is constantly surprising yet identifiable as Alder Ego guided by Leppänen's musical vision at all times. This is true even during moments when the composer himself steps aside, namely in the Tikka–Nikku duo cut "Impermanence" and Nathan Davis's highly memorable solo outing "Nathan's World".

The album's many highlights include singles "November Ghost" and "I Saw It In a Dream", plus the stunning closing track "Ephemeral", featuring Natalia Castrillon on harp.

Alder Ego "III" is available on We Jazz Records on as orange and black vinyl editions, digitally, plus as a bundle bringing together "III" and the band's 2018 album "II".

Her natural command on stage, paired with a voice that feels quietly seasoned, has made her one of the most exciting young live musicians emerging from the region. Now, with her first release, a double single featuring the raw, one-take folk recording 'Poison Ivy' and the dreamlike, psychedelic shimmer of 'Forget About' -- Grant introduces the full spectrum of her sound. One track close to the bone, the other lost in a dream, both unmistakably hers. 'Poison Ivy' was recorded when Grant was just 16, in a spontaneous midnight session after finally playing her songs to her dad. With only one microphone, no click, and a single take, the track became a time capsule of her earliest songwriting voice -- fragile, real, and impossible to recreate.

Now featuring Dan Bridgewood-Hill's evocative violin, it stands as a folk recording filled with warmth, instinct and unfiltered emotion. "I tried re-recording it," she says, "but nothing touched the magic of that first take." In contrast, 'Forget About' showcases Grant's emerging production instincts. Influenced by Zero 7, the song began as a kitchen jam before evolving into a lush mix of psychedelic keys, airy electronics and indie- rock textures. Self- recorded in Logic, the track reveals a new dimension to her writing, cinematic and rhythmically hypnotic

Cutting by Tohru Kotetsu — one of Japan’s leading mastering and cutting engineers!

To commemorate the 35th anniversary of ZARD’s debut, the best album Golden Best ~15th Anniversary~ is being released on analog vinyl!
The release is set for February 4, just before the 35th anniversary of their debut (February 10, 2026).

Originally released in 2006, Golden Best ~15th Anniversary~ is the ultimate ZARD best album, achieving million sales. It is also the final work
Izumi Sakai released during her lifetime before her passing in 2007.
For the vinyl release of such an important work, the cutting was entrusted to Tohru Kotetsu, one of Japan’s top mastering and cutting engineers and
a devoted fan of ZARD. The timeless ZARD classics engraved by Kotetsu have resulted in a truly exquisite finish. Please enjoy the warmth and depth
of sound that only analog vinyl can deliver.

The news arrives in tandem with the release of two powerful new singles, "The Toughening" and "The Softening", shared in recognition of World Mental Health week At its core, 'Everythinglessness' is a record about masculinity and the mental health crisis facing young men, a subject Wolfe has lived through and now gives voice to with unflinching honesty. Turning his own experiences of depression, anxiety and ADHD into something raw, intimate and cinematic, Wolfe invites listeners into a world where vulnerability is not weakness, but a form of survival. Written after a period of intense personal reckoning, including time spent in a mental health rehab facility in 2023, 'Everythinglessness' is Wolfe's most emotionally resonant work to date, an album that unpacks what it means to be a man in a society that often demands silence and stoicism instead of softness and support.

Wolfe's voice channels the emotional resonance of Justin Vernon of Bon Iver and Nick Cave, while his songwriting explores everything from grief and generational trauma to love, loss and survival. The singles have been getting loadsa positive press. Radio support includes interviews and live performance on BBC London, Times Radio & 5 Live. More to come. Album launch show in Hastings, followed by UK and Europe tour supporting Alice Merton.

Overtoun is a Death/Thrash band based between Santiago, Chile, and Boston, MA, fusing the rich musical heritage of Latin America with the complexity and aggression of technical death metal. Founded by Agustín Lobo and Matías Bahamondes, the band solidified its lineup with Yoav Ruiz-Feingold (Atheist, Graviton) on vocals and Matías Salas on bass. Fused with Chilean rhythms, folk-inspired guitars, and memorable riffs, it features guest appearances by MAX PHELPS (CYNIC, DEATH TO ALL), ENRICO H. DI LORENZO (HIDEOUS DIVINITY), and SHANTANU VYAS (HAZING OVER). With virtuosic musicianship and a raw, organic sound that recalls the primal spirit of classic metal, Overtoun channels both precision and rage. Produced by renowned Argentinian producer MARTIN FURIA (DESTRUCTION, BARK) and released via Time To Kill Records, Overtoun asserts itself as one of the most exciting and promising Latin American Metal acts today.

From Johannesburg, via Tsukuba. This is Japanese Amapiano.
The pinnacle of Japanese-made Amapiano albums, which took the club scene by storm, is finally available on vinyl!!
audiot909, one of Japan's foremost amapiano producers and DJs, will release his album “JAPANESE AMAPIANO THE ALBUM” on vinyl three years after
its initial digital-only release in 2023.
Featuring 11 tracks domestically interpreted and woven together without losing respect for the Amapiano genre and the culture and background that shaped it.

NYC's Sweater on Polo follows up his acclaimed L.I.E.S. 12 inch from 2023 with debut full length double LP, "Almighty Grand Essence" This is pure to form 1985-1988 Chicago House worship, and while many have attempted to recreate this sound, most fail to deliver with correct reverence. Names like Saunders, Mixx, Virgo Four, undoubtedly appear in this conversation with Sweater on Polo taking cues and transforming the vintage sound into re-imagined dancefloor classics. Raw but clean, psychedelic but functional...this nine track record can move the crowd in all the right ways, with the lush deepness of "The Creation" to the nu-wave-house hybrid of "Proto Wave" or BMX beat track closer Psychotic Seance, its rare to find a young producer tapping into the vaults in such a focused, effective manner. Highly recommended to house heads worldwide.

Goose Bumpsis Hutter's second solo release and was produced by Hi-Style Records's Jimmy Sutton (JD McPherson, Pokey LaFarge, The Bellfuries). Sutton assembled an all star cast of musicians, including Alex Hall (engineer, drums) and Joel Paterson (guitar). Almost all recording was done live at the analog Hi-Style studio in Chicago. Bonafide contemporary rock star JD McPherson wrote "Everybody's Valentine" for Hutter; it could easily find its way into the next Bond film. Emanuela's influences draw from disparate historical musical threads like doo- wop, German punk, and classic country. From the balladry of "Monday Morning" to the punk-surf rock of "The Voices," Hutter's original songwriting shines throughout. Goose Bumpsis a must listen for fans of modern rock with a classic twist

Colmillo de Leche marks a defining moment in Carín León’s artistic evolution, reimagining his sound and signaling the true beginning of a career rooted in authenticity and fearless creativity. Awarded the 2023 Latin GRAMMY for "Mejor Álbum Norteño", the album cemented his status as one of the leading voices in the new wave of regional Mexican music.

140g Black 2LP in widespine jacket with printed inner sleeves

Celebrate the epic conclusion of Netflix’s Stranger Things with the official Season 5 soundtrack, a nostalgic journey back to 1987. Featuring iconic tracks that underscore the final battle in Hawkins.

It's been a decade since the Soderhamn quintet last released a full album, 2016's Machina Viva, and four years since their last EP, 2021's A Darkened Sun, raised hopes that they were back with a vengeance. Throughout their career, Wolverine have always carried a similar dark emotional heft to their fellow countrymen Katatonia, driven by a sonic wall of sound. Lyrically too, singer Stefan Zell's lyrics pack a powerful emotional punch, and on Anomalies he's at his peak, drawing on those years of exasperation. The Swedes have evolved continuously, from their earliest days toying with death metal sounds, before adding in a more progressive influence on 1999's Fervent Dream EP, before setting themselves up as purveyors of the finest in melancholic prog metal, a flag they continue to carry aloft to this day.

Designers is a new trio by Joachim Florent (double bass), Will Guthrie (drums) and Aki Rissanen (piano). Florent and Guthrie are based in Nantes, France, Rissanen in Helsinki, Finland, and their debut album on We Jazz Records presents a band with highly original, forward-reaching sound that builds on the long tradition of the jazz piano trio, updating it successfully.

Mit ihrem neuen Werk "Liturgy of Death" bekräftigen MAYHEM ihren Status als kompromissloseste Kraft des norwegischen Black Metal. Nach vier Jahrzehnten des Exzesses hat die Band einen neuen Höhepunkt erreicht: schneller, heftiger und finsterer als alles andere in ihrem bisherigen Schaffen. Das Album entfaltet sich als unerbittliche Meditation über den Tod in all seinen Erscheinungsformen - existentiell, spirituell und absolut. Vom wütenden Chaos von "Despair" und "Funeral of Existence" bis zur düsteren Erhabenheit von "Ephemeral Eternity" und "Aeon's End" zieht jeder Track den Hörer tiefer in ein Ritual des Elends und der Transzendenz hinein. "Propitious Death" und "The Sentence of Absolution" verbinden Brutalität mit einer bedrohlichen Atmosphäre, während "Life Is a Corpse You Drag" und "Sancta Mendacia" keinen Zweifel daran lassen, dass Mayhem nach wie vor unübertroffen darin sind, Verzweiflung in Klang umzusetzen.

Mit Necrobutcher, Hellhammer, Attila, Teloch und Ghul, die enger denn je zusammenarbeiten, präsentiert "Liturgy of Death" eine Band, die sich nicht mit ihrem Erbe zufrieden gibt, sondern entschlossen ist, die Grenzen des Extremen selbst zu erweitern. Das Ergebnis ist ein gnadenloses Album - düster, schnell und unerbittlich -, das Mayhem in ihrer gefährlichsten und vitalsten Form einfängt. Vierzig Jahre nach ihrer Gründung in Langhus verkörpern MAYHEM weiterhin das Chaos und beweisen einmal mehr, dass der norwegische Black Metal eine Kraft ohne Ende ist.

Die 2011 erschienene, herausragende EP ,What a Pleasure" der Brooklyn-Bedroom-Pop-Pioniere Beach Fossils wird neu aufgelegt. Der Songwriter und Komponist Dustin Payseur hat mit diesem optimistischen Nachfolger des selbstbetitelten Debüts seiner Band eine raffinierte Erkundung verträumter Gitarrenklänge, üppiger Synth-Arrangements und bekennender Songtexte geschaffen. Entstanden ist ,What a Pleasure" aus nächtlichen Jam-Sessions mit seinen Bandkollegen und dem langjährigen Kollaborateur Jack Tatum (Wild Nothing). ,What a Pleasure" erweiterte die Klanglandschaft von Beach Fossils und führte zu einigen der unvergesslichsten Tracks von Payseur. Die EP hat sich nach und nach zu einem Kultklassiker unter den Fans der Band entwickelt, und viele ihrer Songs finden auch heute noch Eingang in die Live-Sets von Beach Fossils.

Bangkok Impact - alias of Finnish producer Sami Liuski - helped define the early-2000s Italo-disco and electro revival. Missionary On Mars became an underground club hit across Europe with its spacey synths and retro-futuristic vibe, earning cult status among DJs. With Caro and La Musche his reputation for sleek, hypnotic grooves that bridged classic Italo influences with techno energy got cemented. Remastered repress for a new generation.

When I first started Future Retro London, primarily as a club night, the first event was meant to take place in April 2020, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the date got pushed to June 2020 in the hopes that venues in the UK would have re-opened by that time. They very much were not re-opened by then and navigating the various lockdown periods that occurred meant the first event didn't actually happen until December 2021.

Dead Man's Chest was part of the original lineup intended for the first event but by the time it was actually able to happen, he had temporarily relocated to Portugal & it meant he wasn't able to make it for it. Various attempts were made afterwards to try & include him in events I was doing but nothing came together until I finally had him play the 2nd joint event I did with Distant Planet in December 2024.

He runs a label called Western Lore which I've featured on previously, with 2 different remixes I did of Plastic Face by Response & Pliskin, as well as a track featured on the first Blunted Breaks compilation. It only made sense to eventually work on a joint label project as his label is a key figure in the current wave of jungle music, plus I hadn't put any music from him on Future Retro London yet so now I can finally tick him off the list!

Big up to Dead Man's Chest for his work on the collaborations & for his involvement in making this release a reality.

Last Summer, Kelly Finnigan made you a mixtape. It was an eclectic mix of ideas. Now, Colemine Records is excited to share two of those tracks on vinyl for the first time. The A-side 'Leave You Alone,' is a stone-cold classic R&B soul cut, and a certified ear worm. It tells a love story from the female perspective, inspired by the soulful sounds of Bettye Swann. This track features the Ramey Brothers (of Monophonics, The Ironsides) and highlights Kelly on all other instruments. TheB-side, 'Thom's Hartbreak' is at hank you letter to Thom Bell & William Hart, two names that are synonymous with the 60s/70s "Philly Sound". This instrumental tune is an homage to a sound thats haped American music and left an indelible mark on the future of soul.

Loaded with tension and anchored by bold textural and stylistic contrasts, Sam Slater’s third solo full-length finds the British sound artist, composer, and engineer grappling with his creative contradictions head-on.

Having spent a life time in bands and producing records, Sam transitioned somewhat by accident through his work with Johan Johansson into working as a composer on high profile projects such as his collaboration with Hildur Guðnadóttir on the Grammy Award-winning Joker and Chernobyl, and with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mstyslav Chernov on the soundtrack to the lauded 2000 Meters to Andriivka. Having a vast set of interests and influences is an asset when helping realise a directors vision for a soundtrack, but one's own musical voice can end up being constrained. In Lunng, Slater has gone back to his wildly divergent range of influences and rather than shy away from the extremes, he's used them to create a singular vision.

Take the opening track “Heatsick”: Slater imagines an extravagant fusion of 2000s drone metal and vintage British brass, welding ear-splitting overdriven drones and blown-out choral vocals to stirring trombone swells from veteran player Hilary Jeffery. On paper, it’s hard to imagine—but Slater’s intentionality conducts these polarizing elements into a surreal blur of sonic extremes, with the guitars’ relative harshness softened by Jeffery’s eerily nostalgic colliery echoes.

His last solo album, I do not wish to be known as a Vandal (Bedroom Community, 2022), showcased this breadth by assembling a team of collaborators including Sam Dunscombe and Yair Elazar Glotman. On this record he’s linking up with acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Maria W. Horn, idiosyncratic sax virtuoso Bendik Giske, versatile percussionist Adam Betts, and the aforementioned Jeffery, Slater ushers these players toward a lattice of calculated confutations.

Working to explore the tension between the divergent practices of his collaborators—Lunng was meant to be challenging. On “Praya”, Giske’s familiar overblown horn phrases are almost vaporized, vanishing among Slater’s weightless synths and Horn’s chillingly hoarse vocals. There are traces of Horn’s Funeral Folk project, but Slater shifts the emphasis, letting her voice brush past the other elements like a hallucination.

Slater’s use of extremes isn’t just in the micro; dynamics drive the album’s overall flow. “Praya” sets the stage for the record’s heaviest, most prickly moment: “Passengers”. Here, Horn’s voice cracks, rasps, and gurgles over serrated synths and Betts’ ritualistic drums. Slater turns an industrial symphony into a folk opera—dark, dramatic, and strangely beautiful—etched with Giske’s fluttering phrases.

But the mood soon shifts. Slater careens toward chaos, unleashing double-time rhythms and piercing textures familiar to anyone with a soft spot for classic black metal. These grotesque incongruities are deliberate; Slater surveys years of musical conflict and leans in, using dissent as fuel to build kinetic energy.

The weight of sentimentality bears down on “Black Metal Rewind (Night Drive Astra, 2006)”, melting teenage memories into hypnagogic ambience—shoegaze dreams whirled with angelic choral delusions. On “Death by Nostalgia, 1688”, he ventures further into polarizing territory, distorting AutoTuned voices with cryptic strings and medieval tonalities, unsettling any stable sense of past or present.

In this record Slater focuses on pure energy, color, and mood. Lunng distills years of listening into a bracing brew—boiling each sound down to its essence, then serving it with unflinching intent.

John Twells, 2025

Dubcore 27 features DJ Badshape from Leipzig’s vibrant breaks and bass scene with her full vinyl debut. She already made her solo debut with Hurrican Kick on Defrostatica Records and dropped some tunes on some compilations like Bassmæssage Second Drop as well as on cassette on human togetherness. While producing tunes she dj and regularly uploads her Temper mixes on SoundCloud.

The first two tracks, “Facebreaker” and “Entitled,” were produced shortly after Bangface. Hours of waiting at Humberside Airport turned into long talks about music — the festival's energy and conversations inspired this creation. The tune “Spring Bird Symphony” is the first track I produced with the KO2 media sampler from Teenage Engineering. It was the best birthday present my boyfriend could have given me! You hear the spring fever in it? ;) Finally, “Der Fallende Bach” is an ode to the flora and fauna of the Austrian Alps, imagining the joy a drop of water must feel as it rushes down a waterfall, riding nature’s own rollercoaster.

Continuing our Parish series, here's two bad pieces of a killer driving uptempo digi rhythm with the classic '87 sound. Total vibes of the time, with a youthman singjay & deejay both giving you a slice of everyday reality via the tune. One of the best rhythms of this style, both tunes are truly hard to find on originals and both reissued here straight from master tapes, as with all in our Parish series.

Bristol based artist 'Unkey' drops his debut EP on Artikal in fine style.

Following his deadly remix of J:Kenzo's 'Desired State' he brings 4 heavyweight tracks to the label.

Unkey's minimalistic but raw style of production shines throughout, making these tracks instant heaters for the dance floor.

Damian Lazarus reveals the eighth chapter of Crosstown Rebels acclaimed annual ‘SPIRITS’ VA compilation series.

The latest instalment sees the label founder once again curating a carefully balanced lineup of emerging voices and established names, with the eight-track collection set for release on 30th January 2026.

Since its inception in 2017, Damian Lazarus’ SPIRITS series has become a trusted barometer for the year ahead, spotlighting forward-thinking artists and cutting-edge club music from across the global electronic landscape. With ‘SPIRITS VIII’, Crosstown Rebels continues this tradition, delivering a refi ned yet adventurous selection that moves seamlessly between hypnotic house, melodic depth, and late-night energy - building on the momentum of previous volumes and capturing the label’s unmistakable essence.

Opening the release, Raz Alon sets the tone with ‘Hey It’s Me’, a warm and immersive opener that draws listeners in with emotive touches and fluid groove work. Lost Desert follows with ‘Ultima’, leaning into trippy, melodic-tinged sensibilities as tumbling rhythms meet expansive atmospheres and subtly evolving motifs. On the flip, TIMANTI ventures into a captivating voyage with ‘Warrior Spirit’, pairing swirling synths with hazy melodies, before STEB delivers ‘House Of STEB’, a groove-led cut packed with personality, swing, and club-ready flair.
The journey continues with Yuvèe’s ‘Set The Fire’, featuring FADO, a hypnotic and vocal-led track that balances emotional weight with understated rhythmic pressure. Ekoboy then ups the intensity on ‘Lose Control’, combining crisp percussion with infectious momentum designed for peak-time moments. On the final stretch, MADI brings a reflective buy playful touch with ‘Around Me’, weaving lush textures and subtle dynamics into a deeply absorbing listen, before JUAAN closes the compilation with ‘Bass Cliente’, a punchy and bass-forward finale that rounds things out with raw club energy.

With its continued ability to champion new talent while welcoming respected artists into its orbit, Crosstown Rebels remains a vital force within electronic music. SPIRITS VIII stands as another clear statement of the label’s vision, reaffirming its role in shaping the sound of contemporary house and techno.

There’s a rare tenderness to the way Byron The Aquarius makes house music. Across every release, the Alabama-born producer brings a deep sense of humanity - chords that breathe, basslines that sway, and melodies that seem to remember. On 'One of a Kind (Love Affair)', his debut for Hard Times, that emotional clarity shines through once again.

A master of the keys with a discography that spans Eglo, Signature, Apron, Axis, and more recently Skylax and Star Creature, Byron has long blurred the boundaries between jazz, soul, and machine groove. Here, he builds four tracks that each glow with feeling and finesse.

‘A New Life' opens with uplift and propulsion - crisp kicks and fluid sax lines circling around tender vocal refrains. 'The Last Mile of the Way' drifts inward, its spoken-word cadence and pulsing rhythm turning reflection into hypnosis. On the flip, 'I Be Like Dat' pushes forward with a tougher, more percussive edge. A laser-guided club moment that still hums with soul. Finally, '4 Mike Huckaby' closes the record as both elegy and celebration: shakers, muted horns, and shimmering keys floating in quiet reverence for a lost friend and inspiration.

As its title suggests, One of a Kind (Love Affair) is less about romance and more about devotion.

In conjunction with the 2025 re-pressing of the Nora Guthrie "Emily's Illness/Home Before Dark" 7-inch single, we have here, in the same format, a lovely cover of the latter tune, performed by Eddie Marcon, a band based in Himeji, Japan. The band's vocalist Eddie Corman and musician/producer Shintaro Sakamoto wrote the Japanese lyrics for this gorgeous version, recorded in 2024 and originally unintended for public release; however, this slice of sweetness, delivered by the full band comprising guitar, keyboards, bass, percussion and wistful winds is now available to the lucky listener. The flipside, recorded in 2025, is an intriguingly ghostly recomposed version for cello and flute by TORSO, a Tokyo instrumental duo, who used the basic tracks from the Eddie Marcon version of "Home Before Dark" as a 'guide' before finally deleting the basic tracks.

Repress!

4 To The Floor are committed to delivering seminal house music to wax, making sought after heritage tracks readily available on vinyl for crate diggers to add to their collections. On Volume 1’s A-Side you’ll find a track with one of the most famous lyrics from house music history MD X-Spress’ ‘God Made Me Phunky’, the record has inspired countless producers to sample and remix it, but this 90’s gem still sounds amazing in its original glory. On the flip are two mixes of a Three Kings classic, ‘Shake Dat Booty’. The A Pal Joey Interpretation matches looped vocals with harmonious keys that perfectly complement each other, while the Wahoo Main Mix utilises energetic drums and techy synths to up the ante.

DJ Homicide is a celebrated American DJ, musician, rapper, singer, record producer and radio personality. With a career that spans more than three decades, he has left a lasting mark, mostly as a key member of the multi-platinum band Sugar Ray, though he has also made some fine solo moves. And he backs that up here with a couple of full-fat jams on CA to get the new label underway in style. 'Pause Lion' starts things off with some raw, guttural vocals and low slung boom-bap drums that are direct and edgy and on the flip, 'Ghetto Scenario' rides a more smooth groove with some ragga vocals that call to mind the best of Sean Paul.

2023 Repress!!

Pampa is a new label from old pals DJ Koze and Marcus Fink, dedicated to releasing club music that's seriously danceable without recourse to the tried and tested ingredients.