Space Drum Meditation’ first release on Paryìa dives deep into their artistic identity, blending tribal rhythms with hypnotic techno. Known for their ability to fuse ancient and modern soundscapes, the duo has developed a signature style, combining esoteric instruments with modern electronic elements to create an immersive genreblurring sound. This release embodies their signature style, balancing hypnotic textures and combining them with driving energy. Adding a new twist, the artist Blue Hour delivers a more fast and powerful techno remix, intensifying the rhythmic flow while staying true to the duo’s entrancing aesthetic.
Pushing their sonic vision forward, Space Drum Meditation once again showcase their ability to bridge fast and slow tempos, creating music that moves both — body and mind. For the first time, they step beyond their own label to release on Paryìa, marking their first debut- EP outside of their own Label.
Suche:the flow
A Chaos Of Flowers is an album that builds on their ferocious 2023 album nature morte. BIG|BRAVE"s music has been described as massive minimalism. Their fusillades of textural distortion and feedback emphasize their music"s frayed edges as much as its all-encompassing weight. The potency of the trio"s work is their singular artistry combining elements of traditional folk techniques and a modern deconstruction of guitar music. Gain, feedback, and amplitude are essential. For A Chaos Of Flowers guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie drew heavily on the poems of artists whom Wattie found kinship in, their words resonant with experiences of those often sidelined by cultural norms. "I discovered that most poems from folk traditions or in the public domain seem to be by men - to which I could not quite relate. In my search, I rediscovered some of my favorite works and poets," says Wattie. Guitarist Mathieu Ball and drummer Tasy Hudson help Wattie shape poetry into pieces as dense and impenetrable as they are vulnerable. BIG|BRAVE achieve their colossal sound through minimalist approaches, a deft understanding of dynamics and an inventive employment of percussion and distortion. The trio reconceptualize what it is to be heavy or minimal, challenging perceptions with their illumination of painfully overlooked perspectives. Guest guitarist Marisa Anderson lends earthen, blues-inflected atmospheres to the album, where guitarist Tashi Dorji and saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi amplify the squall. Working closely with frequent collaborator and producer/engineer Seth Manchester, the internal tumult of Wattie"s voice rings out in warbles, haunting echoes, and unearthly harmonies across bold immense walls of distortion. BIG|BRAVE have collaborated with metal monsters The Body on a previous Thrill Jockey release, Leaving None But Small Birds, and have toured internationally with bands like SUMAC, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, SUNN O))), and Lingua Ignota. As they continue to ascend in their journey as pioneers in the contemporary metal scene, it"s safe to say that BIG|BRAVE are here to stay.
‘Zeitgeist’, the debut LP from celebrated Italian electronic music producer Dukwa, begins with a timeless dancefloor equation; swung drums, a clattering cobwell and flickering hi-hats lurch forward into a serious bassline. Within seconds, dancers are flung into the house anthem ‘You Don’t Want It’ that’s equally raw and charismatic, sensual and powerful. For the next forty-five minutes of rhythm, melody and studio trickery, ‘Zeitgeist’ continues to bend time, eras and bodies.
Having released EPs on respected labels including Numbers, Gudu and Diynamic Records, invariably with the support of Jackmaster, Peggy Gou and Solomun, Dukwa folds into the Slacker85 philosophy with ease, laying down a statement of intent that’s squarely for the dancers. Indebted to a youth digging in Florence’s record stores, embracing the peerless Italian rave scene, as well as his recent appearances at Circoloco and Kappa Future, ‘Zeitgeist’ subverts it’s knowing title to dance between styles with an urgency you can feel in your heels.
Before long, Dukwa is smoothly oscillating between acid overdrive and weightless house on ‘Catch All’, while the balance between softness and severity is refined even further on ‘Show Me’, showcasing the record’s first euphoric breakdown, a heads down, hands up moment that sacrifices none of his organic flow. Ably mastering many corners of his record box, ‘Avec Moi’ makes a confident left turn into tunneling trance, interspersed with a sensual french vocal.
‘All You Need’ provides the record’s beating heart, Dukwa’s overarching philosophy front and center around layers of synthesised groove, build and release: “The world is full of fighting, ignorance and greed, but right here on the dancefloor - the rhythm’s all you need”. Meanwhile, ‘My Turn’ channels more cinematic instincts, zoning in on an elegant piano riff in order to unravel a quietly epic deep house trip.
As ‘Zeitgeist’ heads toward its conclusion, Dukwa effortlessly squeezes the most emotive juice from his well-oiled studio. ‘Sad Eyes’ possesses the emotional punch of many vintage end-of-night anthems, still driving yet touched with a wistful ecstasy. Finally, for closing passage ‘Stck1’, Dukwa truly lets the machines sing, capturing a brief symphony of harmonising modulations that dip into weirdo electronica, without ever skipping his signature beats.
Wewantsounds continues its extensive Meiko Kaji reissue program - in partnership with Teichiku Records and Kaji herself - with the release of Yadokari, her third album from 1973. This marks the first time the album has been reissued on vinyl, featuring its original artwork and newly remastered audio. Renowned for her iconic 1970s films (Lady Snowblood, the Stray Cat Rock series) and admired by Quentin Tarantino, Meiko Kaji also released a string of outstanding albums on Teichiku, blending Japanese pop with cinematic grooves. Yadokari, is reissued here with its original deluxe gatefold sleeve andOBI plus a two-page insert featuring new liner notes by Hashim Kotaro Bharoocha. As a special bonus, this edition includes a 7" EP single featuring Shura No Hana, famously featured on the Kill Bill soundtrack.
Sa Pa's trademark fantastical and thickly textured sound twisted in four new directions, closely treasured and finally released: some of his most delicate and hypnotic work, and fathoms deep. Switch on your sub or find one to borrow!
The first release on Short Span, a new label from Matthew Kent, co-runner of the label Mana before this, and who ran mix music platform Blowing Up The Workshop before that.
A series of longer, dubbed out, ambient and flowing tracks. techno, minimal, bass and groove. Chosen and cut to drop the needle on and just let play for a while. For warming up, coming down, never leaving the house.
Mastered by Miles.
Photography by Will Bankhead, layout by Bene Pooley.
The compositions of Miłosz Kędra (b. 2001) explore synthetic sound, electroacoustic music, and self-built acoustic instruments, seeking diverse timbres, tunings, and textures. His main field of work is the pipe organ. Through minimalist motifs, he has transported the instrument’s sound beyond the church space by synthetically processing its tones. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in New Media Music at the Academy of Music in Poznań and recently completed a Bachelor’s degree in Electroacoustic Composition, during which he built his own pipe organ from scavenged pipes.
~ Liner notes ~
Miłosz Kędra - "their internal diapasons"
The pipes that Miłosz Kędra used to craft his own organ emulator have lived many lives. They come from churches scattered across Greater Poland—some trimmed for a more presentable façade, others left to gather dust in parish houses until, stripped of purpose, they were cast away. Their first voices have faded, their inner resonance unsettled, yet with patience, one can teach them to sound again—to sing in their altered state, to be gently coaxed out of silence.
Audiomancy—the conjuring of lost sounds—is the word that lingers when I try to grasp the lore crystallizing with Kędra’s second album.
The resolve with which the musician and composer has inhabited his self-built instrument recalls Witold Szalonek and his search for “unexploited properties of wind instruments in classical music.” Szalonek sought to map these hidden voices into a system of multiphonics, revealing over 160 on the oboe alone by 1968. Some sound eerily alike, yet emerge through distinct gestures—“a particular breath, a precise choreography of levers and apertures, the seamless fusion of the two.”
The splitting of a single note into its spectral fragments—allowing a melodic instrument to speak in two, three, even four voices at once—enabled Szalonek to bend the rigid structures of Western music. "their internal diapasons" follows a similar path: an aesthetic bypass through which Kędra taps into the sacred gravity of the church organ, only to reveal it as a domesticated echo of something far older—the primal theater of transformation. To listen closely to an instrument is to learn its flaws, to turn its imperfections into a new way of speaking.
Each of the nine compositions on "their Internal diapasons" is an invitation—to approach the material world with the intent of letting it speak beyond expectation. An instrument that is at once a sculpture, a performance, and a manifesto of voicing the discarded suggests that its creator—following the path of Didier Eribon (Returning to Reims)—might take as his motto, a principle of asceticism, Sartre’s words: “What matters is not what is made of us, but what we ourselves make of what is made of us.”
Filip Szałasek
The Crippled Flower was a post-punk band from Düsseldorf - and they arrived late. However, unlike many young, unsuspecting, hairsprayed hopefuls from that time, in 1985 they could sense that the end of their era was approaching. They knew too much to want to take the world by storm. They were four individualists searching their own way. Each of the band members only found their calling after the time that they had spent together – but that's exactly what makes The Crippled Flower still seem really interesting today, this static energy that does not discharge, but is simply there.
Searching dreamers should sound like that and that's what they were. Singer Phil Elston, for example, had brought his love of Kraftwerk from England to Düsseldorf. Even his bandmates found this strange, but they were also entangled in their own longings. This is because the times were still so crazy and these searchers were "on fire". A fire that glows in the band's recordings.
Listening to the songs today, The Crippled Flower sound like they are hugely at the height of their game; think of Wire, Felt, Scritti Politti or Minimal Compact. The variety of musical themes, as well as different soundscapes, which the band created can only be listened to in amazement. Often, it is only Phil Elston's Sprechgesang that confirms that this is really the same band. However, it was back in 1985 when, importantly, the catalyst that brought the musicians together - the short lived eclectic record store "Heartbeat" in Düsseldorf Bilk - occured. It was there where post-industrial and pop, melodic minimal music and sound attacks awaited those who wanted to discover music by artists and bands they did not yet know.
Cassette releases. All recorded on 4-Track. The Crippled Flower succeeded in this medium. Firstly, with a cassette just entited The Crippled Flower, working from project-like studio recorded sketches. Four more tracks from the short-lived band appeared in 1986 on "A Heartbeat Rendezvous“. A demo tape submitted to Les Disques du Crépuscule, however, did not lead to a worldwide career and so, unfortunately, it was soon over.
Stefan Krausen moved on to the follow-up project Deux Baleines Blanches with Stefan Schneider, which, in 1994, gave rise to the band Kreidler. Krausen was already drumming with the I-Burnettes on AtaTak and much later he studied painting in Munich. Nina Ahlers moved from Düsseldorf to Paris to study art, because in the 80s it was still the case that Paris was the destination of choice for those really wanting to become an artist – and that's what she did. Her work is characterized by a non-academic minimalism focusing on everyday objects. Stefan Schneider remained connected to music. Only Phil Elston, who helped sabotage fox hunts in England and wrote these observant lyrics about environmental destruction and time travel, seems to have escaped the social-media world. Whether he found Kraftwerk-fulfilment in Düsseldorf or moved on disillusioned remains a mystery to us. And somehow this also fits in with that peculiar, special band. - Oliver Tepel, Köln 2025 (Translation by Philipp Elston)
Neon Orange Vinyl[29,20 €]
Macht Euch bereit für die Magie von "LOVE", dem neuen Studioalbum der schwedischen Prog-Rock-Legende The Flower Kings, die auf eine über 30-jährige Karriere zurückblicken. Als The Flower Kings am 20. August 1993 ihr allererstes Konzert in Schweden gaben, ahnten sie wahrscheinlich noch nicht, dass sie im Begriff waren, Prog-Rock-Geschichte zu schreiben. Mit nunmehr 17 Studioalben, unzähligen Live-Aufnahmen, welt-weiten Tourneen und Festivalauftritten hat die Band ein Vermächtnis geschaffen, das nur von wenigen Bands übertroffen werden kann - und sich als Pioniere der Wiedergeburt des Prog-Rock erwiesen. Das Line-Up besteht aus den drei Originalmitgliedern Roine Stolt, Hasse Fröberg und Michael Stolt sowie den später hinzuge-kommenen Mitgliedern Mirko DeMaio und Lalle Larsson. Gemeinsam haben sie ein Album geschaffen, das den wahren Geist dessen einfängt, was Progressive Rock immer sein sollte: eine kreative Revolution, frei von den Zwängen kommerzieller Hitfor-meln. "LOVE" erinnert an die goldene Ära der späten 60er und frühen 70er Jahre und strotzt nur so vor Vintage-Vibes, epischen Kompositionen und einer reichen Mischung an Einflüssen - von Klassik und Jazz bis hin zu elektronischer Musik und Filmsound-tracks.Auf "LOVE" bieten The Flower Kings über 70 Minuten klangliche Erkundung in 12 Tracks, die von ausgedehnten 12-Minuten-Epen bis hin zu prägnanten 3-Minuten-Perlen reichen. Das Album verwebt Themen zu einem kohärenten Ganzen, das man am besten als eine zusammenhängende Reise erlebt: zugängliche Melodien gepaart mit experimentellen Momenten, wilden Gitar-rensoli und virtuoser Synthesizerarbeit, die an ihre frühen Werke erinnern. Mit neuem Selbstbewusstsein und neuer Kreativität beweisen die Flower Kings einmal mehr, warum sie die Könige des Progres-sive Rock sind. Zur Erinnerung: Krieg ist nur Angst und Versagen, Angst, die sich in kleinen Leuten mit zweifelhaften politischen oder religiösen Absichten manifestiert - LIEBE ist immer der Sieger.
Black Vinyl[27,69 €]
Macht Euch bereit für die Magie von "LOVE", dem neuen Studioalbum der schwedischen Prog-Rock-Legende The Flower Kings, die auf eine über 30-jährige Karriere zurückblicken. Als The Flower Kings am 20. August 1993 ihr allererstes Konzert in Schweden gaben, ahnten sie wahrscheinlich noch nicht, dass sie im Begriff waren, Prog-Rock-Geschichte zu schreiben. Mit nunmehr 17 Studioalben, unzähligen Live-Aufnahmen, welt-weiten Tourneen und Festivalauftritten hat die Band ein Vermächtnis geschaffen, das nur von wenigen Bands übertroffen werden kann - und sich als Pioniere der Wiedergeburt des Prog-Rock erwiesen. Das Line-Up besteht aus den drei Originalmitgliedern Roine Stolt, Hasse Fröberg und Michael Stolt sowie den später hinzuge-kommenen Mitgliedern Mirko DeMaio und Lalle Larsson. Gemeinsam haben sie ein Album geschaffen, das den wahren Geist dessen einfängt, was Progressive Rock immer sein sollte: eine kreative Revolution, frei von den Zwängen kommerzieller Hitfor-meln. "LOVE" erinnert an die goldene Ära der späten 60er und frühen 70er Jahre und strotzt nur so vor Vintage-Vibes, epischen Kompositionen und einer reichen Mischung an Einflüssen - von Klassik und Jazz bis hin zu elektronischer Musik und Filmsound-tracks.Auf "LOVE" bieten The Flower Kings über 70 Minuten klangliche Erkundung in 12 Tracks, die von ausgedehnten 12-Minuten-Epen bis hin zu prägnanten 3-Minuten-Perlen reichen. Das Album verwebt Themen zu einem kohärenten Ganzen, das man am besten als eine zusammenhängende Reise erlebt: zugängliche Melodien gepaart mit experimentellen Momenten, wilden Gitar-rensoli und virtuoser Synthesizerarbeit, die an ihre frühen Werke erinnern. Mit neuem Selbstbewusstsein und neuer Kreativität beweisen die Flower Kings einmal mehr, warum sie die Könige des Progres-sive Rock sind. Zur Erinnerung: Krieg ist nur Angst und Versagen, Angst, die sich in kleinen Leuten mit zweifelhaften politischen oder religiösen Absichten manifestiert - LIEBE ist immer der Sieger.
- Stone
- La Pelea Del Gobernador
- Pobre Gato
- Nunca Cambias
- Nada De Nada
- Algun Dia
- Swarlb
- Sookie Sookie
- Coge Mi Mano / Gimme Little Sign
- No Time
Discover the groundbreaking sound of Los Texao, a legendary Peruvian rock band that helped shape the music scene in the 1970s. Born in the culturally rich city of Arequipa, Los Texao's journey to stardom was paved with innovation, passion, and an undeniable connection to their roots. Their music fused the energy of psychedelic rock with Latin American influences, captivating audiences across their native Peru, Los Texao's psychedelic phase was marked by experimentation with new sounds and instruments. This release comprises their complete recordings, including all their singles and also covers of some of the most influential rock bands of the era, most of them previously unavailable on vinyl. Formed in 1969, the band took their name from Arequipa's emblematic flower, the nasturtium, and made an immediate impact with their debut at a local band contest. Soon after, they recorded their first 45 RPM single, which included covers of tracks by Chilean group Los Beat 4. But it was in the early 70s when Los Texao truly found their voice. With a dynamic lineup, including the talented Fernando "Feño" Humbser and Juan Núñez on guitar, Víctor Dibán on vocals and bass, and Edgar "Chito" Manrique on drums, their musical evolution began to take shape. The addition of Julio Torres, a keyboardist and guitarist from the iconic bands Los Beatniks and Los Dig It, further elevated their sound. Los Texao's psychedelic phase was marked by experimentation with new sounds and instruments. They embraced the emerging trend of playing rock in English, despite the language barrier, and incorporated cutting-edge gear. With the help of the legendary Peruvian jazz musician Jaime Delgado Aparicio, they created hypnotic tracks like 'Algún día' and 'Nunca cambias,' capturing the essence of 70s rock with swirling textures and atmospheric vibes. But it wasn't just the melodies that set them apart - their electrifying rhythms and powerful arrangements, like those heard in 'Stone' and 'La pelea del gobernador,' showcased their refined musicianship and intense dedication. Los Texao quickly became a sensation in Peru, performing in cities like Puno, Moquegua, and Arica (Chile), and sharing stages with iconic bands like Los Shain's, Traffic Sound, and Telegraph Avenue. Their infamous hit 'La pelea del gobernador' tells a tale of generational conflict and rebellious youth, captured in a live performance that still resonates with audiences today. The band's wild live shows became the stuff of legend, with fans packing into intimate venues to experience the raw energy of their loud, unapologetic rock. In addition to their 45s, Los Texao also recorded covers of some of the most influential rock bands of the era, including Cream, Steppenwolf, and The Guess Who, showcasing their versatility and love for classic rock. Unfortunately, this session remained lost for years and some of these covers have never been available on vinyl before. Despite their growing success, Los Texao eventually disbanded in 1975 due to personal and professional challenges. But their legacy never faded.
Time in the context of the cosmos is not merely a measure of change but a profound mystery permeating all aspects of existence. It is both present and elusive, like the light of a distant star we see but can no longer touch at its source. The cosmos poses a fundamental question: what is time? Is it the stream in which we exist or an illusion crafted by our perception? The grandeur of the Universe reveals the extraordinary malleability of time. Gravity can slow its flow, while velocity can stretch it to infinity. At the event horizon of a black hole, time can nearly halt, transforming a moment into an eternity. This teaches us that time is not a universal truth but a phenomenon dependent on conditions and perspective
- Super Hits
- Style Wars Feat. Tash
- Pierre 9
- Body Rock
- Daw
- Pissing
- Serious
- Nights Feat. Marc Live
- That's Us Feat. Dear Derrick
- Stomp
- Jim Kelly
Karpenters, the latest album from Kool Keith, produced by Grant Shapiro, stays true to the essence of Hip-Hop: boom bap beats, clever samples, and heavyweight guest features. Hip-Hop legends like Tash (Tha Alkaholiks) and Marc Live (Analog Brothers/Black Elvis) add to the project, complementing Kool Keith’s signature eccentric flow.
This marks Kool Keith’s first official album since the cult classic Black Elvis 2—a long-awaited release for dedicated fans. The album boasts mixing by J-Styles (Keith’s in-house engineer) and mastering by Grammy winner Steve “Steve B” Baughman, ensuring top-tier sound quality.
Leading the charge is the official music video for "Super Hits," directed by Wayne Campbell—known for his work on Kool Keith’s Love Infringement and videos for artists like Benny The Butcher.
With executive production by Kool Keith and distinctive, hard-hitting beats from Grant Shapiro, Karpenters is a project fans have been craving—raw, authentic, and unforgettable.
- A1: Fort Food
- A2: Compass
- A3: Glass Shards
- A4: Rubix Cubes
- A5: Flash Flood
- B1: Flammable
- B2: Shape Shift
- B3: Insomnia
- B4: Thirty Three Degrees
- B5: Wet Willow
Cutta Chase is a UK-based rap artist known for his deeply introspective lyrics, spiritual overtones, and conscious hip-hop sound. Blending raw emotion with poetic flow, Cutta Chase often raps about inner struggles, personal growth, and the pursuit of higher truth, setting him apart from mainstream rap trends. His delivery is smooth yet intense, often laid over ambient, lo-fi, or boom-bap-inspired beats that complement his reflective style.
With the new album "Insomnia" we see Cutta Chase team up with Brighton based producer Bay 29. Together they produce music that feels more like a journey into the soul than a simple listening experience. Ideal for those who seek meaning, mindfulness, and authenticity in their music.
Manchester-based poet, writer and producer Antony Szmierek has announced the release of his debut album, Service Station At The End Of The Universe. The past few years have been a wild ride for the artist. Cutting his teeth on the Manchester spoken word scene and gaining notoriety for his seamless flow skewering everything from the hardships of contemporary British life to finding the unexpected beauty in the everyday, it was the 2023 release of his single ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Fallacy’ that kicked off his meteoric ascent.
- A1: Me Who
- A2: Hot Zone Regular Day
- A3: Fame Gang
- A4: Ghost Guns
- A5: Invincibl
- A6: Forever Starts Today
- A7: Indivisibl
- A8: I Know 3 45
- B1: Stalker Guardian Angel
- B2: Get Rid Of Yourself
- B3: Its Going Better
- B4: Capital Collectiv
- B5: Feeling The Sun Its Lit
- B6: Missing Flowers I Think
- B7: Restless Lovers
- B8: Gore Lore
On the outskirts of the Parisian sprawl, we drift through the evening hush, our steps tracing the edges of a world half-lit.
The air crackles—charged, restless. Somewhere, we hear the city hums, a distant, roaring tide.
And there is this stranger, curious, starry-eyed, looking at us.
We stop, tilt our heads together, a faint smile :
« I scream, you scream ! Everyday is a new *silence*
It was all paradoxical
Fullness in the crisis
Silence is priceless »
Official Tracktitles:
me & who ?
hot zone, regular day
Fame Gang
GHOST GUNS
INVINCIBL
Forever starts today
indivisibl
i know 3 45
Stalker Guardian Angel
Get rid of yourself
it’s going better
Capital Collectiv
feeling the sun, it’s lit !
missing flowers i think
Restless Lovers
Gore Lore
- A1: Dimension 32 X Quantum Break
- A2: By The Fire - Spaniel Mac X Mochadoodle
- A3: That Time Of The Year - Flowray X Stanislove
- A4: Comfort Night - Sunday Museum X Jowally
- A5: Underneath The Tree - Hokø X Eleven
- A6: Christmas Eve - Jam'addict
- A7: Christmas Is Coming - Pierson Booth X Jüle
- B1: Mistletoe - No Spirit
- B2: Wintery Nights - John Lee X Jazzyhan
- B3: Decorating The Tree - Solar Body X Marsquake
- B4: Camping In The Snow - Kainbeats
- B5: Last White Snow - Lock X Softy
- B6: Cozy Fire - Lucid Keys
- B7: Magic In The Snow - Monocloud X Jam'addict
- C1: Snow Globes - Sebastian Kamae X Mindr
- C2: A Winter's Love - Fugee X Lucie Cravero
- C3: By The Fireplace - Softy X Casiio X Jazzyhan
- C4: The Day Before Christmas - No Spirit
- C5: Dreaming Of A White December - A Bowl Of Rice X Moon-Uh
- C6: Candlelit - .Eehou X Softy
- C7: Evergreen Memories - Chronodrift
- D1: Coming Home For Christmas - Flâneur X Dani Catala
- D2: The Night Before - Solar Body
- D3: Santa‘s List - Marsquake X Dosi
- D6: Waiting For Presents - Thaehan X Luqęt
- D4: Candlelight - Morningtime
- D5: A Wish For Christmas - Vimef X Jwxd X Lucid Keys
“Growing up has always been a solitary journey, marked by forward-looking anticipation, anxiety, unripe potential, aspirations, and closures.”
London based Chinese composer and multi-instrumentalist Li Yilei returns to Métron Records with NONAGE, their second full length release following 2021’s OF. An introspective reflection on the journey through childhood, this new work brings together samples from old Chinese TV shows, mechanical children’s toys and an array of acoustic and electronic instruments - some of which were designed and built by Li themselves.
The Chinese title for "NONAGE" is "垂髫", which translates to “childhood” or “disheveled hair”, and refers to the carefree phase of life when children let their hair down, both figuratively and literally. For Li, nonage is a place that they always revisit - to learn about fear and fearlessness, love and despair, grief and glee, curiosity and mistakes.
“I remember pressing piano keys like touching flowers, reading scores like looking at paintings, writing like how I would talk to myself, greeting death like how I would greet life.”
Initially conceived as an archiving project, the record retraces and reimagines fractions of Li’s childhood memories through smell, location and colour, and brings to life the lingering feelings that remain into adulthood.
Compositions are built around a variety of unusual sources: damaged instruments such as a toy piano, a hand cranked music box, bird whistles, a broken accordion and anything else Li could find that evoked nascent recollections. Interspersed throughout are samples from Li’s childhood piano jams, moments of contemplative transmigration where previous incarnations of self and memory meet the present.
For their 21st release, Not An Animal Records welcomes the Northeast-of-England's Tom Rankin, aka Frequencies Of Love to the fold for his first-ever release. A half-step away from their usual low-slung sound, the EP is a bright and sepia-tinted affair bringing prime-time energy to the label. It is rooted squarely on the dancefloor and steeped with glimmering synthesizers and lashings of keys. Despite this stylistic departure, the ever-present driving grooves make it feel right at home.
The EP begins with Tucan, delicately shifting and changing synthesizer arps flow throughout, weaving a delightful tapestry of past and present.
The record glides smoothly into round 2 with Bpsyde pulling no punches; it has a distinct atmosphere of the old-school about it. A one-two of percussive breaks on the one hand and progressive bass on the other with LFO Arps, keys and nineties vocal chops completing the combo.
Pegasus is a shimmering whirlpool off the Adriatic coast. An antiphonal of choral chanting and female spoken word endlessly circle the groove, occasionally combining in a viscous duetto of wacky, Italo-flavored deliciousness.
For the remix, groove deconstruction connoisseur Fantastic Man gives Pegasus the Midas treatment. Riding a throbbing and reprogrammed bassline, key elements from the original mix cameo throughout the track, rounded off by piano chord progressions to complete the pensive sound that constitutes the glue throughout the EP.
After a strong first release on Fuse Imprint with 'The Wall', resident Phara returns to his home base for a mirage of introspective tracks. Furthering his research of emotive club music, 'Soft Glow, Fierce Light' seems more than appropriately named. Shimmering melodies, swinging rhythms, and a comforting ambiance, Phara proves that his constantly evolving musical persona and relationship with the Brussels club are built to last.
Beginning with 'Unfold', the Belgium-native sets the board with a warm introduction. Reminiscent of his recent endeavor as In Glass, a balance is struck between the slower tempo dub techno of his secondary alias and the higher club energy that he's been known to bring as Phara. Steady at first, filters open wide half way through the track to ensure maximum euphoria off or on the dance floor. 'Flow' follows in suit and here the producer keeps the level constant and tense with intricate melodic design. A steady groove with blossoming synth lines make 'Flow' a beauty to witness unravel. Warm chord stabs make for a nostalgic EP and shows once more that the seasoned producer frequently enjoys prioritizing emotion over drive. Flipping the vinyl to the other side, 'Wave to Wave' points a finger to all things dub, even a discrete appreciation of house music, through the harmony of his keys to the sound design of his square bass, and its common borders with techno. Juggling in snare rolls and rides throughout, Phara sets the tone with a soothing piece of work for lovers of the eyes-closed genre. To conclude, 'Solitude' brings a polished vintage effect to the project that 'Wave to Wave' introduced, this time with heightened intensity worthy of a set closer. Punchy stabs make this a particularly extraverted track, fitting into almost any record bag - Room 01 or Motion Room friendly. Thundering claps over an electric melody, these kinds of tracks aren't new to Phara. Pouring soul into his tracks, Phara proves once again to be a truly central artist in developing the Fuse sound and continuing his stylistic journey.
LP + insert. A cosmically poetic duo playing Afro-Roots-Electro with a clear nod to spiritual jazz. Esinam Dogbatse (flute, synths, vocals, fx, percussion) | Sibusile Xaba (guitar, vocals, percussion).
ESINAM & Sibusile Xaba is a meeting of nomadic, wandering and kindred spirits in music. Both artists draw upon their ancestry: Belgian-Ghanaian(ESINAM) and Kwazulu Natal-South Africa (Sibusile Xaba) through a unique connection, a deep artistic and spiritual level, they use rhythms and grooves to translate stories to the audience. Their vocal chanting enhances trance to rhythmic patterns that grace us by melodies of the future and past.
On April 25th 2025, ESINAM & Sibsile Xaba will release their first joint album entitled 'Healing Voices'.
This album is a reflection of the kaleidoscopic multitude of musical inspirations running through the veins of two very talented solo artists. Both multi-instrumentalists, they provide many different layers to their music. Each track is a reflection of their cross-pollination. Musically inspired by Ghanaian Highlife and traditional songs from Zulu and Ewe culture, but with a distinct contemporary interpretation where their acoustic sound is enhanced by electronic gadgets.
As multi-instrumentalists, the two artists translate messages from their ancestors through rhythms and grooves. Their vocal chanting enhances trance to rhythmic patterns that grace us by melodies of the future and past.
Thanks to their Belgian-Ghanaian and South-African roots, they are unique in their being, strong in their union and connected on deep artistic and spiritual levels. The collaboration between ESINAM and Sibusile Xaba is bringing healing to body and soul.
In 2018 Esinam discovered Sibusile Xaba during his European (solo)tour. She was enchanted by his musical energy and craftsmanship and invited him as a vocal guest feature on the track 'Flowing River', from her debut album 'Shapes in Twilights of infinity'. When she was asked at the first edition of WOMAD Festival in South Africa if she wanted to collaborate with a 'local artist', she didn't have to think twice.
So in October 2022, Esinam and Sibusile seized this opportunity to dive into the rehearsal and recording studio, and discover and combine each other's musical universes to shape up new music together.
In May 2023 this collaboration continued with rehearsals, recordings and a first European tour with performances in Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Germany and Slovenia.
In March 2024 they released the first single 'Africa Wola' out of the fothcoming album. In November 2024, they released a remix of their first single by South-African DJ and producer DaCapo and played at Visa for Music in Morocco.




















