Search:the fun years

T-Spoon is a Dutch Eurodance project founded in 1991 by rapper Shalamon Baskin (known as Shamrock) and producer Remy de Groot (known as Prince Peration). They had multiple hits in the UK, Australia, Canada, Israel, Ireland, Scandinavia, South America, and, of course, their home country, the Netherlands.

The group released its debut single, “No Time To Waste,” in 1993, which became a European top‑10 hit. In the years that followed, T‑Spoon scored a series of international successes with tracks such as “A Part of My Life,” “Where R U Now" and “Take Me 2 the Limit.”

In 1997, they became known for the summer hit "Sex on the Beach" which reached the charts in the Netherlands as well as Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom.

This brand new Greatest Hits collection is now available on vinyl and features all of T‑Spoon’s biggest successes, plus an exclusive bonus mix of “Sex on the Beach.”

T-Spoon's Greatest Hits is available as a limited edition of 1000 copies on white marble vinyl.

Coming in hazy and heady, an end-of-summer cosmic jammer from Nick Mitchell Maiato, full of big choruses, blazing guitars, country honk, and deep grooves—replete with funky horn section. It’s been four years since Poolside, the last release by One Eleven Heavy (Mitchell Maiato’s sometimes-band with James “Wooden Wand” Toth), and that time has clearly been used for some serious woodshedding on the auteur’s part. On Náquera, named after the Spanish pueblo in which he resides, Mitchell Maiato’s songwriting, vocals, and guitar playing all come into sharp focus as he mans the wheel on an ocean drive of interwoven electric guitar dueling, funky multi-movement jams, bittersweet odes to uncomplicatedness, and rolling rockers. Featuring an effortlessly graceful preface by Macon, GA piano prodigy Gavin Rushing, “Riki Rachtman” is a cosmic americana ballad examining the state of heavy metal in contemporary pop culture from the perspective of a disgruntled first-person narrator. “Critical Mass” is a soaring, two-chord ode to dropping out, with an opening organ salvo by Grateful Dead midi-tech Bob Bralove, a monster, key-changing guitar duel at its core, and a fat, snaking bass groove by Otto Wilberg (Mitchell Maiato’s former colleague in Desmadrados Soldados De Ventura).“Flamebait” is one of the record’s big surprises with its almost Lennon-esque rock-and soul slab of technocracy bashing, its woozy, three-part horn section, and its improvised, sun-scorched guitar solo slap-dab in the middle.And, on “The Angle,” we get an homage to rock-and-roll pool hustler narratives framed within an expansive country-funk jam that nods to Mitchell-Maiato’s love of Parliament and Grateful Dead in equal measure.

Boston’s Vermillion Sun Records has returned with its second offering, featuring Gummies Records boss and Steep co-founder Cutty (aka Cutwoes). As a child, Cutty was allergic to most common pets, prompting him to explore the world of amphibians, mainly…frogs. Each night as he dozed, his room was filled with the chirping of his slinking brothers and sisters. He has been immersed in sound ever since. Since traversing the deepest ravines of local music as a clubber, DJ, producer, label head and promoter, his productions, like his DJ sets, consistently bring unexpected twists and turns. Bouncy and psychedelic techy house goodness, beautiful ambient moments, downtempo groovers in the perfect time and place, breaks to make you dance and shake. VSR 002 encapsulates Cutty’s whole approach, delivering propulsive and tasteful tech house with ambient, dubby, tribal, and progressive influences.

Lillies in October sets the stage, book ended by gorgeous ambient waves before breaking into rolling tribal infused grooves. The Machine God delivers psychedelic wonk and circumstance providing the tech to soundtrack your deviousness. The B-side, Cutty provides a hypnotic and heady groove to sway away in Wooden Rollercoasters, while Wiersma delivers a remix full of funk and swing, showcasing how years on the dance floor can meld mind, movements and music. Whether as tools to assist the discerning DJ, or a journey for eyes closed and head down dancing, this is your gateway to hear what’s happening in the Boston underground.

Freeway was a California outfit that first formed in 1979 and set about fusing jazz, soul and outreach-driven purpose into a sound that sat outside the norms of the contemporary Christian scene at the time. Their sole album, this self-title gem, was cut in 1981 for New Born Records has since become an underground rarity, often changing hands for upwards of £400. Now, 45 years on, Vinyl Kitchen brings Freeway back to vinyl for the first time ever, complete with new liner notes and rare photos. It's a glorious, life-affirming work of bright jazz sounds, celebratory energy, boogie grooves, funky horns and prog licks. Perfect for listening and dancing alike.

In the years after independence, Tunisia made an unlikely bet: tourism. Beach resorts rose along the coast, each one trying to outshine the next, and each one needing a band to entertain their guests. A whole generation of musicians grew up on those hotel stages - sharing bills with James Brown, Claude François and the Mingus Dynasty - and what came out of it was a small revolution. Funk played on Tunisian instruments. Disco with an oud in it. Reggae carried back from the island of Kerkennah. A "Third Language" the press didn't quite know what to do with.

Tunis Hotel Stereo gathers nine of those records. Most of them were pressed in tiny quantities, sold to tourists as souvenirs, censored before reaching the radio, or quietly slipped onto a 45 between two hotel sets. Some of these artists filled the Carthage amphitheatre. Some topped the Maghreb hit-parades. Most have been waiting, for forty years, for someone to play their music again.

This compilation is the result of years of work - collating memories, hunting down records, sitting with the artists who made them, and with the people who once danced to them. It is the third release on Shakshouka Records, and the first compilation of Tunisian music ever curated by Tunisians, in Tunisia.

SIDE A

The mysterious Les 4 Dés, who turned the national anthem into psychedelic pop on Ya Tounes - and then nearly vanished. Peace Band, hard rockers turned hotel professionals, recording as Omnya at Hammamet's legendary Topkapi club. Ridha Zalila, the eternal shape-shifter, in a rare instrumental of Tiou Tiou Tiou. And Sadok Gharbi's Noujoum - pulled from his sabotaged, near-lost masterpiece Souar.

SIDE B

Carthago, the impossible big band that married the elite of Tunisian jazz-rock with the stars of tourist entertainment, with the original Dhikrayet. Khaled Mellef, one of the great UFOs of his generation, with Wait Till the Morning Dew, recorded in the Netherlands. Marhaba Band's Baba Bahri, originally pressed only for hotel guests and now a cult artefact. Corniche Band's Dance, cut in Milan during a technical stop on a cruise ship. And Jomaa Bouzrara, the "Bob Marley of the Maghreb," with Now That, drawn from his landmark 1983 debut Sunset.

These weren't rebels without a cause. They were musicians who understood that modernity and heritage are not opposites - that a Tunisian could play funk and still be deeply, irreducibly Tunisian. They drew from every direction at once, and built something that belonged to none of those worlds entirely, and to all of them at the same time.

This compilation is one small act of remembering. The music does the rest.

Through a collaboration with Cincy label Chiefdom Records comes a fresh 45 on Colemine from Doctor Bionic. Both cuts from this 45 feel Colemine-core: funky, dirty drums, jazz keys and guitar, and a groove that just won't quit. Put "Expert Witness" on during your next DJ set and watch the floor fill up. Ohio's take on much of the funky west coast jazzy funk over the last couple of decades. Doctor Bionic is nothing short of prolific, having released over 10 albums in the last five years. Keep your eyes on this up and comer on the scene. And don't forget to flip it over for the nightcap. "Mistake" is a mellow guitar driven tune to close out the night in a melancholy way. Sparkling Rhodes, sparse guitar, and driving drums are the order of the day.

Title track Tokyo Midnight opens with a groovy guitar riff and continues into an upbeat rhythmic workout, complete with a funky bassline and ululating keyboards. Yurika’s enchanting voice ties things together in a soft yet hypnotic musical whirlwind.

On the B-side, Nasnusa, a beautiful guitar solo flows into a captivating rhythm inspired by traditional Mizrahi music. Yurika’s delicate vocals evoke a love story: a couple watches the sunset as the gates to a new world begin to open. As Nasnusa fades into the light, her lover recalls her beauty and reflects fondly on the wonderful time they shared together.

Founded by Amir Sadot and Ilan Smilan, Sababa 5 have been playing together for two years and recently built their own recording studio. “We just wanted a place to record our music where the whole band could fit together in the same room… so we built the place ourselves! Mind you, there’s not a lot of space… in fact, we’re a bit crammed in there, but that’s how we like it.” Sababa 5’s musical style has been shaped by all its members and continues to evolve while always remaining deeply groove-centric. Their sound is rooted in surf rock and retro funk, drawing strong inspiration from Arabic folk and funk music of the ’60s and ’70s, as well as artists from that era such as the legendary Aris San.

Yurika is a Japanese performer born and raised in Tokyo. During her teenage years, she discovered belly dancing and quickly fell in love with the art form. She later travelled throughout the Middle East to deepen her studies, learning from choreographers such as Orly Portal and performing alongside renowned artists including Raquy Danziger, Boom Pam, and Ouzo Bazooka.

In the early 1960s, beat groups from the Dutch Randstad dominated the national charts. Yet far from the big cities, in the clubs of Drenthe, one band was already being billed as “Beatgroup Number One”: Cuby + Blizzards. But frontman Harry Muskee never embraced that label. Raised on broadcasts from The Voice of America, he possessed a deeper understanding of the blues than most of his contemporaries. Muskee didn’t want to sing ‘songs,’ as he called them, he wanted to sing the blues, raw and unfiltered, in the tradition of Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters.

Their debut single “Stumble & Fall” was recorded in the Bavohuis, a simple gym hall in Amsterdam, with Addy Kleingeld as producer. But the debut album Desolation marked a turning point, recorded at the Phonogram Studios in Hilversum with renowned blues producer Tony Vos, it captured the band exactly as Muskee intended.

The resulting album became a jewel of Dutch music history. Never before had the Netherlands heard a blues singer who poured his emotions into a recording with such conviction and authenticity. Muskee even outshone his British peers. Eric Burdon (The Animals), Paul Jones (Manfred Mann), Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones) and Van Morrison (Them).

At the 1968 Grand Gala du Disque (the Dutch equivalent of the Grammys), Muskee received an Edison Award for Desolation, handed to him by cabaret artist Wim Sonneveld, whose lukewarm speech couldn’t diminish the significance of the moment.

Sixty years later, the legacy of this groundbreaking album still resonates, an essential document of European blues and a defining moment in the story of Cuby + Blizzards.

This 60th anniversary edition of Desolation is now available as an expanded 2LP-set including the original 1966 album plus fifteen bonus tracks. The gatefold version features songs “Things I Remember”, “Stumble & Fall”, “L.S.D. (Got A Million Dollars)”, is a limited edition on blue vinyl and includes new liner notes by Dutch Blues authority Johan Derksen.

The sleepy calm of Klondyke, Louisiana, is shattered when an unknown man ruthlessly shoots his way out of a courtroom, abducting a girl hostage at gun-point and tearing out of town in a stolen car. Who is he? What is his concern with the girl, with a multi-millionaire’s secluded house, and with a great oil rig out in the Gulf of Mexico?

Fear Is The Key is a 1972 British action flick directed by Michael Tucher starring Barry Newman (Vanishing Point) and Suzy Kendall, based on Alistair MacLean's 1961 eponymous novel. The film is probably best remembered for its spectacular and lengthy car chase sequence, which necessitated a ten-minute plus action cue that demanded split-second timing so that each bar would blend perfectly with the chase sound effects. Realizing composer Roy Budd was just 25 years old when he recorded this score, makes it all the more impressive. Fun fact: this is the feature film debut of Sir Ben Kingsley so make sure to give it a whirl, especially if you're into hard-driving British jazz. In any case, this soundtrack too will surely satisfy fans of the jazz-funk and library music found on labels such as KPM and Music De Wolfe.

The soundtrack of Fear Is The Key is available as a limited edition of 500 individually numbered copies on pink marble vinyl and includes an insert with liner notes.

Fij makes a vibrant return with his new single "Don't Bring Me Sunshine," a bittersweet, high-speed ode to independence and renewal. Described by Fij as an "anti-love song," "Don't Bring Me Sunshine" flips the script on romance. Its sardonic, bah-humbug lyrics are set against a rush of euphoric energy - inspired by the simple thrill of driving fast with the windows down, music blaring, and summer stretching endlessly ahead. As Fij puts it: "Who needs love when you've got a full tank of petrol... and the whole of Summer lying ahead on the heat-hazed open road?" The track is the latest preview of his long- awaited debut solo album, due this September via Tip Top Records. It signals a clear shift in tone and tempo. After years marked by introspection - shaped by personal upheaval, frontline work during the pandemic, and his role as a funeral celebrant - Fij has hit reset.

Re- embracing the electric guitar, raising the BPMs, and rediscovering joy, his new material blends the fuzzed edges of dream-pop with elements of pop and electronica, all delivered with his signature wit and melodic finesse. Fij first emerged in the early 90s with Adorable, whose debut album Against Perfection (Creation Records) became a cult favourite, earning multiple NME accolades and topping the Indie charts. The band's legacy continues to resonate, with artists citing their influence and figures like Noel Gallagher famously calling their label's decision to drop them a major mistake. Following Adorable, Fij explored new sonic territory with Polak and later collaborated with Terry Bickers of The House of Love, producing critically acclaimed releases that reaffirmed his reputation as one of Britain's most distinctive voices. His baritone - often compared to Lee Hazlewood, Lou Reed, and Richard Hawley - remains as rich and compelling as ever, now carrying a renewed urgency.

Longform: Across two decades, the California-born hardcore outfit CEREMONY has earned its standing as one of punk’s most adaptable and unflinching bands, always ready to meet the moment without surrendering its principles. True to form, CEREMONY's seventh album, Tell Me Your Dream pushes the group’s punk-forged intensity all the way to the fore, capturing the quintet at its most expressive, expansive, and timely. “We’re living in an era of mass uncertainty,” says CEREMONY vocalist Ross Farrar. “In punk, I don’t see how you can’t respond. It’s taken over our lives in so many different ways — economically, politically, spiritually. We want people to wake up and get into what’s happening.”  Ferociously alert, Tell Me Your Dream reunites CEREMONY — Farrar, guitarist-keyboardist Anthony Anzaldo, guitarist Andy Nelson, bassist Justin Davis and drummer Jake Casarotti — with producer John Reis for ten songs of searing breadth. That means everything from bristling hardcore to moody post-punk — all while taking fundamental inspiration from Discharge, Crass, and other anarcho-punk troupes that first helped certain members of CEREMONY find their own political voices back when they were teenagers. The result is a culmination of the band’s 21 years together, if not some kind of riddle: CEREMONY knows how to make a return-to-form sound like evolution — and vice versa.

There's a tendency in metal to mistake aggression for honesty, volume for depth. To confuse the performance of darkness with its actual weight. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest, the new album from San Francisco-based post-black metal band Bosse-de-Nage, sidesteps this entirely. It’s the group’s most fully realized work yet, precisely because it refuses to be pinned down.

Bosse-de-Nage have been working with The Flenser for over fifteen years. They were one of the first bands the label ever partnered with and have the longest active relationship in the label's history. But unlike most bands who build momentum through constant touring and visibility, Bosse-de-Nage has largely existed apart from the music world's usual machinery. They've evolved on their own terms, in relative isolation, allowing the work to develop without outside pressure or influence. What began rooted in black metal anonymity has mutated into something that actively defies categorization. The aggression is still there, but it's no longer the point. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest finds the band treating emotions like physical objects, feelings with spatial properties. “No Such Place"" describes a space that can't exist but does anyway, somewhere between thought and location. ""Immortality Project"" examines infinite possibility not as promise but as problem, endless options collapsing under their own weight. These songs don't use metaphor to describe emotion. They make emotion into something you could theoretically touch.
Tracked by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Oathbreaker) at Atomic Garden East and mixed and mastered by Richard Chowenhill of Agriculture, Hidden Fires Burn Hottest was years in development, with some tracks beginning in 2018.

The long writing process offered time that most records don't get. Time to live with ideas, revise endlessly, to let structures settle. For the first time, lyricist Bryan Manning wrote everything in advance, creating a surplus to pull from rather than working under deadline pressure. The difference shows.
Coming off Further Still, an album built on constraint and economy, Bosse-de-Nage sought the opposite: sprawl, strangeness, fewer rules. Space for ideas to develop without rushing them. Dynamics that move through quiet as much as noise. Presence earned through atmosphere instead of volume. The record even includes ""Mementos,"" which might be considered the first love song the band has ever written.

Nothing here coheres into a theme. These are pieces pulled from low moments and private feelings made public through sound. The band has never been interested in positivity, in music that resolves cleanly or offers comfort. But bleakness doesn't mean humorlessness. There's something darkly funny running through much of it, even when it shouldn't be.
Hidden Fires Burn Hottest doesn't explain itself. It just insists: what you feel is as real as what you can see."

This 7" was pressed on pink wax in amount of 200 copies.

Funky Mamas and Papas Recordings returns to its roots and releases another 7" after the well-received ones (Michał Martyniuk, After 'Ours and Pezda/Ryć). Once again we have something unique!

Stachun Bebach, aka Stanisław Pańta and Bruno Jasieński

The double single "Byk / Składak" is based on recordings from a two-day, improvised recording session at Dwa Domy Studio in the summer of 2023.

They met a few years earlier, on stage, during Stach's first jam at Warsaw's Spatif, and began a dialogue that developed through regular performances, as a duo and in larger ensembles.

The session was recorded at a crucial time for both of them – when Stach was starting college and Bruno was expecting the birth of his child.

Sasha takes charge of the 200th release on his influential label, Last Night On Earth.

The two richly detailed cuts balance cinematic emotion, club functionality and meticulous sound design and arrive on vinyl alongside the digital release.

Electronic music titan Sasha launched Last Night On Earth in 2011, and for 15 years, it has been at the forefront of the melodic underground. Breaks, house, techno, ambient and progressive have all been explored by a mix of original pioneers, new school innovators and Sasha himself, either solo or often in collaboration with friends, peers and exciting emerging talents. The label swiftly became a movement, with regularly sold-out showcases around the world and exclusive merch. Enduring tastemaker Sasha remains as busy and innovative as ever in the studio and on the road, and just weeks after his last outing here with Franky Wah, he returns with another standout single.

Majestic opener 'Hollow Sun 25' is a slow-burning seven-minute odyssey with an acid-infused bassline and Sasha's signature celestial touch in the spectral vocal fragments that infuse the mix. The wavy, fl uid grooves provide a constant, gentle uplift to this widescreen, immersive gem. 'Hollow Sun 24' reworks the same cut into something with a more epic and spine-tingling breakdown that douses dancers in classic Ibizan trance synths while the bassline is darker and the groove more heads down.

'As I Slip Into the Sky reflects a particularly small sliver of time compared to Where the Smoke Goes, with recordings taking place in early 2025, while Johnny was bed-bound in an assisted living facility with multiple sclerosis. Alabama born, Portland based artist Joel Nelson helms the nearly entirely electronic backdrop, posing a new canvas for Johnny, with Buchla Music Easel bubbling up between Johnny’s lines. This album captures Johnny in a remarkably tender and emotive form. Love and all its permutations. The tangled, but caring nature of familial love, (“But you and me, we can talk on the phone every day. I would never leave you behind”), to the anguish and euphoria of romantic connection. Johnny has a remarkable ability to pose questions, ("What is real love like?), and provide answers that reflect the truest of realities, absent cliche ("I don't know. His curly hair, short on his head, his smile, his smile, his smile...that is what real love is like").
'Joel Nelson's nimble work across a small array of analog synthesizers creates a flowing backdrop to Johnny's stream of consciousness. At times, Broadcast's fuzzed out ballads come to mind, while at others, early Oneohtrix Point Never's gauzy, distant drones anchor beneath Johnny's slippery syntax.
'Johnny recorded his poems while confined to a hospital bed, through an iPhone laid gently on his chest. Assisted by the caring presence of friends John Albea and Lauren Jones, we can hear through these recordings Johnny immersed in his world of words, taking in the world of sounds Joel had provided for him. We hear his breath, at times we hear the harsh sibilance captured by the iPhone microphone, but more than anything, we hear the tenderness and poetic resolve of his caring soul. He was incredibly grateful for the past years of connecting with the small cohort of Birmingham-affiliated musicians and artists who upheld him as the unofficial poet laureate of "The Magic City", Birmingham, AL. Perhaps most appropriately, Johnny closes the album out in a state of gratitude:'

"My funeral was perfect
I was buried wearing a very charming jacket
A very charming jacket I just happened to have on when i died
He was always the lucky one, Mary-Ellen said
I've been looking for a nice casual jacket like that I could wear to casual little outdoor parties and to my funeral all my life
But Johnny just had one
Probably someone left it in his car
He was so lucky
It doesn't even make sense
But its true
He really was that lucky"

Carve is the second full-length by Bay Area artist Kathryn Mohr. Written over the course of five years and recorded over several weeks in a rural singlewide in the Mojave Desert, the album centers on love experienced as a form of grief, not as an aftermath of loss, but as a condition of intimacy itself.

Mohr describes Carve as an album about how memory exists outside the body, embedded in places and landscapes. It is shaped by her first return to the American Southwest since a childhood road trip at age five, and by the experience of moving through terrain that holds emotional weight long after its origins fade. The record considers how intimacy feels after years of isolation, and what it takes to carve out a life that allows for trust, presence, and feeling rather than mere survival. The project took form after a difficult tour that ended in Joshua Tree. Mohr pointed her car into the desert and drove alone, crisscrossing the Mojave on dirt roads. Months later, she returned to record the album, working alone with an acoustic guitar, a field recorder, and limited supplies. Following that period, Mohr began to allow for intimacy and connection. The time she spent recording Carve in the desert did not create isolation so much as mirror it. Working alone out of an old, western-themed jail Airbnb, the physical enclosure reflected the emotional conditions under which much of the record had been written: distance, restraint, and long stretches of stillness. In that context, love was not experienced as escape, but as something inseparable from impermanence and the awareness of loss.

This tension between connection and inevitability sits at the center of Carve. Some of the album’s songs were written earlier, during a prolonged period marked by emotional distance and apathy. Over those four years, Mohr was working through unprocessed childhood memories and their long-term effects on her ability to connect with others. The work was slow and difficult, involving a fundamental reshaping of how she related to herself and to the world. Carve was mixed by Richard Chowenhill of Flenser labelmates Agriculture. Rather than offering resolution, the album documents the act of remaining present within tension. Carve is not about escaping grief, but about accepting it as inseparable from love itself. Kathryn Mohr’s previous effort “Waiting Room” received the coveted ‘Best New Music' designation and a score of 8.4 from Pitchfork.

Now marking eight years in the underground, Blur Records delivers a various artist collection that reflects its sound across always floor-facing cuts across a house and disco spectrum tinged with retro flair. 'Back To The Disco' by Hotmood opens with big loops and a hands in the air grove that is high on funky-disco vibes, while Delfonic keeps things tight on 'Let's Do The Magic' which centres a vocal hook and busy chords. Elsewhere, Crackazat's sultry rework of Scruscru's 'Just House' adds a jazz-leaning touch and 'Touch Me' shifts into a more restrained, late-night mood. Closing with the deep, plump drums of Sven Wegner's sexy, sax-laced 'Chuck The Boom', the collection stays consistently accessible and groovy throughout.

This 45 reissues two Spanish classics-DJ'd, sung, and danced to exhaustion-featuring striking arrangements and rhythms inspired by soul, funk, and rock, pushing flamenco-influenced popular music into previously uncharted territory. The flamenco rock of 'Orgullo' (1974) by Las Grecas will appeal to international listeners already captivated by the Anatolian sound of Baris, Manço, Mogollar_ On the B-side, Paco, Paco, Paco' (1969) by Encarnita Polo is a soul-pop hit with an irresistible syncopated rhythm and killer bass lines. In the final years of Franco's dictatorship, when Spain's popular music was kept on the sidelines of avant-garde and countercultural trends, a number of records emerged that dared to bend and hybridize the country's so-called "national" musical genres (calling it flamenco outright would be imprecise) and infuse them with a dose of modernity. The first 20 seconds of 'Orgullo' (1974) hit with a powerful sonic punch built on ferocious fuzzed-out guitars, distorted keyboards, and thunderous drums that could easily belong in the discography of Led Zeppelin, The Guess Who, or Cream_ until, suddenly, Las Grecas start to sing and Flamenco rock is born. It will undoubtedly resonate with international audiences already drawn to the Anatolian sounds of Bar?? Manço or Mogollar. A few years earlier, in 1969, the brilliant Argentine producer and arranger Adolfo Waitzman had already transformed a harmless light pop tune recorded by a yeyé girl, Encarnita Polo, into a soul-pop hit driven by an irresistible syncopated groove and killer bass lines. The playful 'Paco, Paco, Paco' became a bestselling single in Spain and, more than 50 years later, is still celebrated as a brilliant example of the romance between flamenco-inflected sounds and soul-pop. First-ever single reissue.

Consolidated, the political dance/industrial music band from the early 90ties joined again for a studio session in San Francisco last summer, resulting in a new album. 'We're Already There'. The first release on Consolidated's own label 'The End Of Records'. What else to expect, the new recordings are an innovating mix of industrial, to hip-hop, to rock and funk with mixtures of live instruments and electronics. Topped with left political activism and politically radical lyrics address issues such as America, Covid and ecocide with song The Flood, demand *'Free Music, Stop America'* with Musica Sin Frontieras & welcome guest vocalist GRETA THUNBERG on the track The 'ol Mass Extinction Blues. The album starts in 'traditional Consolidatedgroove' with the song 'Capitalism A.F.', a mix of beats, industrial sounds and hiphop. Followed by funkypop songs, danceable industrial jams, techno beats, reggae and blues influences plus a remarkable noise track. Main musicians are Adam Sherburne (guitar/vocals) and Mark Pistel (synths/beats) backed by Lynn Farmer (Meat Beat Manifesto) on drums, who replaces the original drummer Phil Steir. The complete album is recorded, mixed and mastered by Mark Pistel at 'Room 5' in San Francisco. The cover shows art paintings from Ayelet Hay (front) and William Kendall (back). On 'We're Already There' Consolidated plays more music than ever. "I have zero interest in being in a band, especially my own_" "I had to develop a different way to be involved with music for aesthetic and mental health reasons_" "FREE MUSIC! is not to the detriment of artists, it's literally the end of artists-as anyone perceives them in the last 500 years" -Adam Sherburne - Consolidated are known for their live performances, in which a microphone is passed among audience members to discuss, rebut, argue or elaborate on song topics. Consolidated: Adam Sherburne & Mark Pistel.

2026 Repress

SHDW's label Mutual Rytm rounds out another year with 'Symbiosis' - an excellent split EP from Greek artists ANNE & Sera J, featuring six fresh cuts and four digital bonuses.

The release title comes from the Greek word 'Symbiosis', which means living closely together for a significant period and can be used to speak of a mutually beneficial interaction between individuals. And that is precisely what can be said of ANNE and Sera J, who have grown through life as partners and, more recently, as musical peers. This split EP is their first release alongside one another, and one that presents the story of their innermost feelings, with their full label debut following fine contributions to the label's 'Federation Of Rytm II' compilation back in March.

ANNE has had a busy few years making her mark with potent techno on labels such as Soma, Hardgroove, and Life In Patterns, while Sera J is just as revered for his tunes on the likes of Out Of Place, DifferentSound and more.

ANNE takes the A-side, firstly with the fiery diva vocals and thumping techno drums of 'Heal My Soul' and then the more physical and banging drum programming of 'Turn Back Time'. It's a big, metallic cut with rumbling bass and sleek synths peeling off the groove, while her final track 'Zephyrus' has plenty of infectious bounce and eerie pads to keep dancers on their toes.

On the flip, Sera J kicks off with the electrifying synth stabs and cantering techno power of 'Blue Dancers' and then offers up 'Common People' as twisted leads and slamming drums all run through with alien sound effects and bright stabs. To close, 'Delusion' is a psychedelic cut with roaming leads that bring plenty of cosmic energy to the unrelenting kicks.

In addition, each artist serves up a pair of digital bonuses: ANNE with the hurried funk of 'Serene' and loopy intensity of 'Victor', and Sera J with the liquid, dubby dynamics of the hard-hitting 'Intensity' and monstrous energy of 'Bodies Don't Lie.'

2026 Repress

ANNE & SERA J return for the second edition of their Symbiosis series on Mutual Rytm.

ANNE, known for potent techno on the likes of Soma and Hardgroove, and Nechto and Life In Patterns associate Sera J, have had standout years that have seen them put out a stream of essential club tracks. They are partners in both life and music, and the first volume of 'Symbiosis' on SHDW's Mutual Rytm imprint was their first release together. Delivering an honest representation of their innermost feelings, having also contributed to the label's 'Federation Of Rytm III' VA in February, this new six-track EP (plus bonus cuts) presents a 'mature and refined connection between their souls'.

The second instalment of 'Symbiosis' reflects not only their deep personal connection, but also their collaborative synergy as musical peers with the same goals. The EP captures the essence of their mutual artistic journey and showcases the strength of their bond both in life and through their shared creative vision - to create a storyline through sounds coming from their souls and convey a narrative that many listeners may find relatable.

SERA J kicks off with the lithe and melodically elegant techno of 'Your Soul Is Art' which will have both heart and heels dancing. 'Illusions' is a more heavy and dubby cut with paired back grooves and pulsing synths, while 'Glacial Pace' is an urgent deep techno roller with turbocharged stabs and huge icy hi hats locking you into a trance.

ANNE steps up on the B-side with 'Floating Waves' exploring physical, chunky drum funk and raw synth textures. 'Planetary Dust' is a dark and moody astral techno journey to the stars, before 'Sweet Seventeen' brings a more melodic cut with a sense of hope and joy in the bright pads that shimmer above the glitchy grooves.

Both artists also offer two digital bonus cuts with SERA J's 'Syncrosonix' and 'Space Velocity' delivering perfectly reduced minimal techno monsters, while ANNE's 'Gentle Loop' and 'Starburst' are interplanetary trips with widescreen cosmic synths.

CROWD welcomes Gina Demarchi with 'Other Side', a driving 4-track EP that adds a new voice to the label's growing roster. Born and raised in Buenos Aires, Gina Demarchi has spent the last nine years refining her signature hypnotic blend of tribal-infused grooves, rolling percussion and emotionally charged energy, showcasing a sound rooted in 2000s techno and dubbed chords. As a resident at the event series Fungi and founder of her own label Seduction, she has built a strong reputation through performances all across South America, Europe, Australia, Asia and beyond. Opening track 'Never Enough' immediately sets the tone. Powered by a tom-driven bassline, huge open hats and uplifting chord melodies, it moves with a propulsive forward energy that plants the listener firmly on the dancefloor from the first bar. Next up on the A-side is 'I'm In Love', where endlessly echoing warm chords churn above a pulsing low end while marching claps and driving percussion lock the track into pure peak-time territory, serving as a reliable anchor for any uncompromising techno set. The title track 'Other Side' leans deeper and groovier, combining a gliding bassline with swinging chord stabs and crisp percussion that give full focus to the track's powerful low-end movement. Sitting somewhere between hypnotic and relentless, it is perhaps the clearest expression of what makes Gina Demarchi's sound so compelling. Closing cut 'Lonely' strips things back but lands with maximum impact: fast-paced chord repetitions, tight closed hats and sub-heavy drums generate a sense of momentum, creating a track that feels explosive and intense without relying on excessive speed. With 'Other Side', Gina Demarchi delivers a high-impact debut that reflects both the raw spirit of her unmistakable sound and the identity of the CROWD universe. The 11th release of the label is another statement from a label that has consistently refused to follow trends, instead carving out a singular identity rooted in raw energy. Join us for a high energy release party on July 5th 2026 al Le Sucre in Lyon!

Media Puzzle is a mysterious figure in Lismore’s nightlife, named after the Irish horse that claimed victory in the 2002 Melbourne Cup (naturally). 

Over the last 3 years, Media Puzzle have churned out 3 scuzzy post-punk albums and 2 blisteringly short, and fun EPs. “Residing somewhere between Suicide’s dark melodies, and Uranium Clubs remote eccentricities”, the last two releases landed an exclusive vinyl feature in Rough Trade, and a solid 7.6 score from Pitchfork, praised for its “uncanny creativity that egg-punk weirdos love to tout”.

Having carved out a space between drum machine-riddled egg-punk and fuzzy scuzz-pop, their newest record is a departure from previous efforts, and it seems, a maturing…

After a year of DIY recording and touring, media puzzle grace the track with their 4th (and still somewhat speedy) album, “New Racehorse”. Ditching the previous drum machine-focused, egg-punk fashion.. This fourth album is the most collaborative yet, mixing oddball pop and garage punk.

Charlie Conway and his PHAASER crew are putting the Nashville underground techno scene on the map. Funky, raw, driving techno. No bullshit, all groove.

The titular “Rudded” A1 cut has a bass line you never want to stop and a delightfully maddening synth crunch squealing to psychotic ecstasy…it’s not too far off from some of the rolling minimal tech DOO records from the past few years. A2 “Zinc” brings a stomping, mineral techno funk. Some of the sounds are reminiscent of Acid Planet / Bunker Records, hardware torqued up and overflowing. The B side consists of “Why Do You”, a 12 minute masterclass in speedy, funky, groovy minimal techno. Heads have been waiting for this one!!

Robert Palmer's career has spanned over 25 years and encompassed any number of musical styles from jazz, r&b, reggae, pop, funk to the harder dance sounds heard on Some Like It Hot' as a member of the Power Station. Palmer's career commenced in the 60s and throughout the years received a number of awards, including a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance (for Addicted To Love') and a MTV Video Music Award.

The Collected double vinyl album from Robert Palmer is a selected overview of his music, some lesser known tracks are alternated with hits like Every Kinda People', Johnny And Mary', Pride', Addicted To Love' and many more. His collaboration with musicians from different backgrounds were successful leading up to recording (the Bob Dylan written) I'll Be Your Baby Tonight' with English reggae band UB40. This single became a worldwide hit, reaching the top 10 in Holland and United Kingdom, as well as achieving solid chart positions in the USA, Germany and France.

Sadly the musical genius and true superstar Robert Palmer passed away, succumbing to a heart attack in 2003, only 54 years old.

Omega Sunrise was a US funk and soul outfit made from several members of the Seawind Horns and spent around eight months a year on the road from 1979 to 1986. They recorded a debut album in 1983 that charted well nationally and years on, Feel The Change remains a favourite of deep diggers. It was a 1983 private press release that had it all, from tight, snappy drums with mellow soul vocals and jazzy melodies drenched in spiritual vibes to more slow funk cuts with more defined drums. Brass tones, synth glows and a devotional energy all pervade the 11 cuts and this is its first-ever vinyl reissue, so do not sleep.

One of the true, undisputed pioneers of Dutch techno, Steve Rachmad appears on Dekmantel for an EP of peerless machine music. On the 3-6-9 EP, the artist also known as Sterac, Parallel 9 and many other names plies a powerful trade in funked up, gritty and soulful techno made the proper way.

The connection between Rachmad and Dekmantel reaches back many years via his frequent appearances at the Dekmantel Festival — he has two performances at the 2026 edition as well as sets at Dekmantel Selectors lined up later in the summer. The 3-6-9 EP lands ahead of an album and world tour that marks 45 years in service to electronic music, nodding to Rachmad's earliest roots in electro funk through to his day-one embrace of house and techno as it made its way across the Atlantic from Chicago and Detroit.

There's a rowdy, rave-spirited energy to the synth hook bucking its way through the centre of '3 Creation Energy', coming on in brassy tones laced with artful distortion while the drums dutifully jack the way they ought to. There's a more linear, pressure cooker quality to the tidal filter work guiding '6 Physical Manifestation' to its own energetic peaks, while '9 Completion and Delivery' surfs on coursing waves of arpeggiated lead lines before breaking through to the oceanic calm of grandiose pad tones.

There's no mystery to unpick here — this is quite simply techno perfection made with the instinct and experience of a master of the form, whose life is synonymous with every inch of the culture.

Second EP (1970) by the legendary Bolivian band Climax, recorded during their hard rock period, before evolving their sound toward progressive rock a few years later with the release of their well-known album "Gusano Mecánico". Includes a new funky version of 'Born to Be Wild' by Steppenwolf, as well as three original compositions by the band. On October 7, 1974, the now-historic "Gusano mecánico" was released - the only full-length album by the legendary Bolivian rock band Climax. Founded in 1968 from the remnants of the disbanded Los Black Byrds and the unrealized project The Turtles, Climax was formed by guitarist José "Pepe" Eguino and bassist Javier Saldías, who developed a strong bond with drummer Alvaro Córdova, cemented by their shared passion for rock. Together, they embarked on a journey of self-discovery, spending several months in the United States during a crucial period straddling the end of the Summer of Love and the lead-up to Woodstock. This period, perhaps the most significant of the 1960s Bolivian countercultural movement, saw an explosion of artistic expression driven by dissatisfaction with the society that the youth had inherited from their parents. Within this context, the influence of iconic bands such as The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, Blue Cheer, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer played a pivotal role in their decision to return to Bolivia and form the country's first 'power trio'. Their early EPs paid tribute to their musical heroes. Their second EP "Born to Be Wild II" was released in 1970, it featured a new funky version of the Steppenwolf original. It also introduced the band's first original compositions and their new influences: 'Ritmo de la Vida,' an instrumental chord-driven melody with Latin jazz overtones where we begin to hear the influence of Santana; 'El Abrigo Café de Piel de Gallina,' a standard blues number that recalls 'All Your Love' by Otis Rush; and 'The Seeker,' with a Latin vibe and lyrics that include the first reference to drug use in Bolivian music. First time vinyl reissue.

Ever since the late 1950s bossa-nova revolution, Brazil’s influence on French music has been undeniable. Pierre Barouh, Georges Moustaki and a vast array of lesser known artists, all made the Musica Popular Brasileira (MPB) an axis of promotion at the service of a cool and metaphysical, modern and mixed Brazilian lifestyle. Some were seduced by the poetic languors of the bossa, some were looking for fun, and others just loved the American hybridization of jazz-bossa, jazz-samba.



What is bossa nova? One of its creators, Joao Gilberto said: "Its style, cadence, everything is samba. At the very start, we didn't call it bossa nova, we sang a little samba made up of a single note - Samba de uma nota so .... The discussion around the origins of bossa nova is therefore useless”. It is nevertheless useful to remember that these magnificent Brazilian songs, which the guitarist describes as samba, were shifted and balanced around improbable chords. "I like things that lean, the in-betweens that limp with grace," said Pierre Barrouh, quoting Jean Cocteau.



With emotion, arrangements for violin and supple guitar licks, bossa nova rapidly changed. A transformation that can be heard in the Tchic, tchic, French Bossa Nova 1963-1974 compilation, the result of a cultural reappropriation, which traveled through the United States and supplemented itself in France.

A musical revolution that has remained significant, bossa nova was born in Rio. From 1956 to 1961, Brazil lived through its golden years. In five years, the country had invented its modernist style. Elected president in 1956, Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, an elegant man with a broad forehead, brandished a promising slogan: "Fifty years of progress in five years". He quickly got to work. Not worried about increasing debt, he launched the project for a new federal capital, Brasilia, designed by the communist architect Oscar Niemeyer. Volkswagen opened state-of-the-art factories and created the “fusquinha”, the Beetle. In Rio, the Vespa made its first appearance. The Arpoador Surf Club crew run into the “girl” from Ipanema, Helô Pinheiro - the tanned garota ("chick"), between a flower and mermaid, who at 17 walked by the Veloso bar, where the fiery author and composer, Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, were getting drunk on whiskey. From then on, bossa symbolized cool.

In 1958, Joao Gilberto recorded Chega de Saudade, which the directors of Philips denied, calling it "music for fagots". The marketing director, who believed in it, secretly pressed 3000 78-inch vinyls and distributed them at schools around Rio, creating a tidal wave.

American jazzmen then took over. In particular, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and guitarist Charlie Byrd. In November 1962, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs funded a "Bossa-Nova" concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, inviting the genre’s pioneers. Unprepared, the show soon turned to disaster. But the troupe was invited to the White House by Jackie Kennedy. The first lady loved "the new beat" and in particular Maria Ninguem, a song by Carlos Lyra, later covered by Brigitte Bardot.

In Brazil, the 1964 military coup quickly ended this euphoria. The destructive atmosphere that ensued pushed many Brazilian musicians to leave, if not to exile. Thus, Tom Jobim, Sergio Mendes and Joao Gilberto arrived to the United States. In New York, Joao Gilberto met saxophonist Stan Getz. At the time, he was married to the Bahianese Astrud Weinert Gilberto, who had a German father. She had never sung before, but she knew how to speak English. Getz therefore asked her to replace her husband on The Girl From Ipanema. The Getz/Gilberto record with Tom Jobim on piano, was released in March 1964. Phil Ramone, the "pope of pop" was in charge of sound.

Bossa nova arrived in Paris through the classic “guitar-voice” channel (Pierre Barouh, Baden Powell, Moustaki…) But France loved jazz and Paris had already welcomed its American contributors. All these good people were to pass through Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The cabaret l'Escale became the Mecca of Latin American sound where one could find Pierre Barrouh and his friends, such as the Camara Trio, samba-jazz aces, whose only record was published by the Saravah label. With a band strangely called Les Masques (a band that included Nicole Croisille and Pierre Vassiliu, among others), the Camara Trio recorded an interesting Brazilian Sound, including the track Il faut tenir which is present on this tasty compilation of rarities.

Other enlightened musicians can also be found on the compilation, such as Jean-Pierre Sabar (songwriter for Hardy, Auffray, Leforestier ...) and the French pop rock organist Balthazar. In 1975, Sabar recorded Aurinkoinen Musiikkimatka on a Finnish label, which featured the crazy Vai, Vai, included on this record. We are now following the footsteps of Brazilian electronic musicians such as Sergio Mendes, Eumir Deodato or Marcos Valle who created funk and disco sounds on their keyboards and synthesizers. A style that influenced Véronique Sanson when she wrote Jusqu’à la Tombée de la nuit in 1969 for Isabelle de Funès, the niece of Louis and a great friend of Michel Berger - Sanson did end up singing this track on her 1992 Sans Regret record.


The pinnacle of exoticism and travel, Sylvia Fels’ Corto Maltese includes bongos, sea mist and ocean sounds. The title was taken from Jacky Chalard’s concept album written in 1974, Je suis vivant, mais j’ai peur (I am alive, but I am scared), based on Gilbert Deflez’s science fiction novel.


However, bossa nova extended the scope of popularity. "In the 1970s, I was a fan of Sergio Mendes, Getz / Gilberto. I fell in love with this music that I knew because I had been an orchestral singer, " explained Isabelle Aubret, who in 1971 delivered a composite record of covers by the very funky Jorge Ben, Orfeu Negro, Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Morais and Jean Ferrat. "I recorded this album for Meys Records in Paris, far from Brazil, with wonderful musicians, François Raubert, Roland Vincent, Alain Goraguer...". The latter wrote the arrangements for Casa Forte, a very percussive title borrowed from Edu Lobo, one of the initiators of the bossa who spent time in California. "Jazz and bossa came together and produced very rhythmic music. I love singing, it allows me to dream, to have fun, to feel a high on stage, and these songs brought me joy, made me swing, my singing felt like a dance.”


The world tours of French singers and their desire for the tropics, often brought them to Rio with its hills, forests, caipirinhas and tanned bodies. There are surprises though, like this Iemenja (Iemenja is the goddess of the sea in the Afro-Brazilian candomblé religion). Not unlike the composer and musician Jean-Pierre Lang, based in Sao Paulo, Claire Chevalier taught Brazil to Brazil. In 1970, the singer and painter published a 45-inch vinyl, Mon mari et mes amants (My husband and my lovers), under the improbable pseudonym of Clarinha (little Claire). She was then living in Rio, with her husband, Joël Leibovitz, who founded a band called Azimuth, and who owned a record label specialized in "sambas enredos" songs for samba school parades.


For its B side, she asked Pierre Perret to come up with lyrics for a song composed by Carlos Imperial: "Oh goddess of the sea, o goddess Iemenja, I bring a white rose to adorn your long hair ..." . "Perret came to see us, and we had fun, remembers Joël Leibovitz. We wrote Lemenja for fun, we recorded it at the Havaí studio, behind the Central do Brasil the central station. Erlon Chaves, the arranger who worked with Elis Regina, joined us" adding his share of Afro-Brazilian percussions and funky brass to the mix.

There is a common misunderstanding in Franco-Brazilian history: that bossa, admittedly hedonistic, is perceived as funny, even though the poets who wrote the texts are often philosophizing on the human condition. Its French interpreters pull it towards a carnival inspired universe, far removed from its fundamental essence. Thus, Jean Constantin covered the famous Samba da minha terra, an ode to the art of samba written by the classic Bahian composer Dorival Caymmi, renaming it with the enticing title of Pas tant de tchi tchi pompon: "On your pier there is no tchi tchi / when you arch your back, you know everything is alright ”(lyrics by Gérard Calvi). This expedited bossa aims for the absurd, but retains a certain elegance.

Indeed, Jean Constantin was not an idiot, the rather large man had a huge mustache and liked fantasy, (Les pantoufles à papa, Le pacha, inspired by cha-cha-cha-cha, salsa and jazz) but he was also the lyricist of Mon manège à moi interpreted by Edith Piaf, the composer of Mon Truc en plume by Zizi Jeanmaire and the soundtrack of François Truffaut’s 400 Blows. Le Poulpe, published in 1970, from which this bossa is extract, was arranged by Jean-Claude Vannier, an accomplice of Serge Gainsbourg’s Melody Nelson. In short: "There is enough of samba / By looking at the parasol / Because my poor cabeza / Is going to die in the sun".

Even the American actress Marpessa Down, who was at the heart of the bossa nova revolution with her role as Euridyce in Marcel Camus’ film Orfeu Negro, winner of the 1959 Cannes Palme d'or, fed the clichée with Je voudrais parler au petit cuica - "Tell me how you manage to always make people want to dance / It's true, I must admit that I cannot resist your magic" - in consequence, once can hear the cuica, a little drum inherited from the Bantu.


But bossa nova had many angles. Societal, of course, pushing actresses who were symbols of women's liberation like Brigitte Bardot, Jeanne Moreau, or Sophia Loren to engage in the exercise of accelerated bossa. In February of 1963, Sophia Loren made a record in French in Rome, Je ne t'aime plus, featuring the song De jour en jour, a bossa written by two Italians, Armando Trovajoli and Tino Fornai, which was released a little later by Barclay. Bossa accompanied the 1960s, a decade of moral liberation. Ann Sorel, who interpreted La Poupée des favellas, caused a sensation with L’amour à plusieurs, a provocative song written by Frédéric Bottom and Jean-Claude Vannier. As for the actress Andrea Parisy, she displayed her bourgeois cheekiness in Marcel Carné's Les Tricheurs before interpreting Les mains qui font du bien. And Magalie Noël, the friend of Boris Vian, who sung Johnny fais-moi mal, was hired to sing Une énorme Samba, composed by Alain Goraguer (arranger to Gainsbourg, Bobby Lapointe and Jean Ferrat) with lyrics by Frédéric Botton.

But in the end, of what wood is bossa nova made of? The answer is given by Christianne Legrand, daughter of Raymond the conductor, and sister to Michel the composer: "With me, with jà" - jà means "immediately" in Portuguese. In 1972, the singer, an expert in vocal jazz and a member of the Double Six, published Le Brésil de Christianne Legrand. Two songs included on the Tchic Tchic compilation that demonstrate how bossa, jazz, funk, rock, etc. work like a swiss army knife: the music is used to denounce broken systems, or miracles, HLM et ciné roman, Cent mille poissons dans ton filet, two songs from the O Cafona soundtrack, a successful telenovela broadcast, at the time in black and white, on TV Globo. The first was adapted in French by the fighter and friend of the Legrand tribe, Agnès Varda. The second is content with a play on words, jostling them into a summer fun.



Véronique Mortaigne

Ruriko Ogami’s “Typhoon Lady” is set to be released on colored vinyl!
This reissue also includes “ONE LAST LOVE”, a track originally featured as the B side of a single and not included on the album.
The latest remastered audio comes from the album and single, archived in 2018 from the original analog master tapes at 96k/24bit.
Boosted by the popularity of Japanese grooves and further propelled when Japanese creators sampled “Sexy Woman”, the album’s reputation skyrocketed,
driving original vinyl prices to unprecedented highs. Beyond that, tracks like “Typhoon Lady”, which opens with a drum break that exudes funk, and the mellow
“Fuwari Fuwafuwa”, with its tight performance and floating vibe, remain timeless masterpieces even 40 years after their original release.

For some time now, followers of Field Medic have been piecing together clues about Floral Prince. The name has been mentioned in late night Twitter hints, secret YouTube leaks, teaser riddles, Instagram live sets, and standalone single drops. This unconventional approach paints a bigger picture for the 11-track project as a whole, set for release October 2nd from Run For Cover Records. Part mixtape, part album, part collection, part musical patchwork quilt, Floral Prince is the latest offering from Field Medic, aka the preeminent Bay Area freak folk artist Kevin Patrick Sullivan. It’s a reflection of his unique approach to songwriting and a creative drive that can’t be contained to the traditional album format. Field Medic’s songwriting rarely slows down; even after the release of his 2019 full-length fade into the dawn and the busy touring schedule that followed, Sullivan still found himself flush with new songs and ideas. As he attempted to earmark certain songs for his next release Sullivan began to chafe at the pressures of a follow-up album. Longing for the spontaneity of Field Medic’s earlier work, Sullivan found inspiration in what he calls the “full-time freestyle” mindset where he writes and records songs on the fly with a four-track, usually with a self-imposed limit of three takes. “This style lends itself to more off-the-cuff lyrics and recordings that communicate their point much clearer to my ears,” he explains. “It’s also fun.”

The process proved surprisingly satisfying, often capturing the diary-like nature of Sullivan’s songwriting more accurately than some of the music he’d been poring over. “The songs born from this method aren’t always ‘hits,’ he says. “But they feel much more important to me…closer to how I really feel.” Some of these charming homespun missives made their way onto the internet, spurring fans to follow the breadcrumbs towards these first glimpses into Floral Prince and the ever-expanding Field Medic mythology. “I realized the songs I was saving for another album were much less focused and effective than some of the freestyles I had been creating and subsequently leaking,” Sullivan says. “I think that’s because I really enjoyed the process of writing and recording the freestyles, whereas the ‘hits’ I was attempting to make were being approached as more of a chore.” Floral Prince officially began to see the light of day through a series of stand-alone singles released throughout early 2020 in tandem with episodes of Sullivan’s homemade webseries, the field medic show. To invite fans further into Field Medic’s unique world of achingly beautiful melodies and conversational lyricism, songs like the atmospheric ballad “better way” and the Alex Menne (pickleboy/Great Grandpa) collaboration “talkin johnny & june (your arms around me)” were shared alongside the YouTube show’s accompanying live versions. Other tracks—like rousing opener “-h-o-u-s-e-k-e-y-z-” and the longing “i want you so bad it hurts”—were repurposed from the fade into the dawn sessions to finally find a home on Floral Prince. Elsewhere “it’s so lonely being sober” exemplifies the unvarnished appeal of the full-time freestyle attitude. The song’s direct lyrics and single-take phone recording preserve the deeply personal storytelling, relatable details, and palpable emotions that make Field Medic’s work so intimate and enthralling.

Although Floral Prince is culled from several years of Field Medic songs, its 11 tracks have a sense of cohesion that can be attributed to Sullivan’s singular vision and willingness to allow the listener into his life. “These songs were written through different seasons of my life but they all share a common theme of quiet, nagging, yet somehow defiant insecurity,” he explains. “To hear them all grouped together reminds me that I’ve always felt more or less the same way, and have had the same obsessive tendencies my whole life that have often led to self-destructive behavior. Maybe this is catharsis.” In the end Floral Prince is actually many things at once: a snapshot of an artist shaking off the perceived boundaries of his medium; a document of years of Sullivan’s life preserved in musical form; the closing of one songwriting chapter and the start of another. Or perhaps as Sullivan puts it, “All songs have their day…”

Ovatow made quite a stir when he first started dropping deep dubs on his mysterious MySpace page (the main social media at the time). The tracks on the little crappy audio player got hunted down by a flock of DJ's and label heads. From behind a curtain of anonymity he soon started releasing his material on various labels, becoming cult classics in the dub-techno world. It was 2007 when X-dub first appeared on the Dutch imprint SD Records, followed up by his classic release on Frantic Flowers and a string of other projects while keeping his identity secret to everyone. Years later, the rumors proved true... the artist behind these mysterious projects was non other than the Frantic Flowers / Frustrated Funk label head himself. Just testing the waters around him, receiving release offers from close friends and colleagues while he kept his anonymity up. A fun little joke for himself, though the tracks are still relevant and sought after classics today. Both X-dub versions re-appear now, for the first time after almost 20 years, fully retouched and remastered, together with an unknown unreleased jam called Autistic Navigational Spectrum. This is the first in a series of Ovatow work, revived for the heads that appreciate the foggy deep of the Undacurrnt.

The Mantecas represent one of the finest concentrations of experience and talent in Latin and Jazz music ever to be based in the UK. A pure uplifting Latin Jazz music celebration, limited edition 250 copies: not-to-be-missed, recorded at different locations in London during 2025/26 "On their fabulous fourth album, The Mantecas (formerly Manteca) have moved the needle all the way in the direction of Latin jazz (or jazz latino). In their early years, the London-based eight-piece played a mix of salsa, Cuban timba, boogaloo, Latin funk and descarga (jazzy, improvised Latin jam session), with plenty of vocals, strictly geared for the dance floor. Along the way, the jazz-descarga aspect emerged as a stronger force, though all sorts of other ingredients, from afrobeat to Afro-Cuban, cumbia to samba, ebbed and flowed throughout. Although there's nothing new with the concept of doing an album of instrumental Latin tracks in a jazz mode that's still dance-friendly (Machito, Sabú Martínez, Tito Puente and Tito Rodríguez all waxed jazz latino albums like that long ago), what's new here is The Mantecas' very fresh and confident interpretation of the idiom. And while they share something in common with the accessible, danceable Latinized soul jazz of someone like Mongo Santamaría or Willie Bobo, as well as the Afro-Cubop roots of Chano Pozo, they also bring to mind the more jazz-oriented improvisational legacy of Pozo's amigo Dizzy Gillespie, which is reflected in The Mantecas' explorations of a handful of 20th Century modern jazz giants as they rework timeless classics by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Oliver Nelson and Wayne Shorter. For this release, all seven tracks are essentially Latin renditions of jazz standards or are Latin jazz originals. There's a mix of jazz and Latin rhythmic structures, instrumentation, arranging, and sensibilities at play, and it's a very natural sounding mélange. Like their previous albums, some of the tunes feature a club-ready blend of hot and cool, in a Latinized British acid jazz / soul jazz way." - Pablo "DJ Bongohead" Yglesias, 2026

After the dissolution of his wave-making duo project Ameli Paul, Berlin based musician and producer Paul Valentin aims to venture down new roads and finds help from illustrious folks like Liv Lisa Fries, DJ Koze, Thomass Jackson and Philipp Fein along the way. Valentin’s debut EP on Feines Tier marks his first solo release in 10 years and is a colourful journey through sonic worlds and emotions in the continuous search for his own sound.

Opener ELVAU is a collaboration with actor Liv Lisa Fries built around their intimate voice recordings which are woven delicately into a dreamy web of shimmering synths atop pulsating break beats that would make Bicep proud. For his remix, His Kosiness, the Tripsitter Himself also known as DJ Koze follows the breakbeat path further down, gleefully taking all sorts of wonky and fun diversions on the way, which makes one hope that the ride never ends.

Follow-up tune MALFUNCTION is a more straightforward affair with its rolling synth arps and is - in Valentin’s own words - “about personal failure, dissolution, and the distortion of the self“. Equally dark under- and overtones are throwing shades over WHATTHE!, dealing with anger and transformations, resulting in a banger for the heavier moments on the dancefloor or the mind between your headphones. The EP closes on a more hopeful note with LISTEN, which stands for „everything that could be, if we listened to each other“. And it’s never a bad idea to listen to chirping 303 basslines, especially when paired with melancholic synth pads and weird vocal samples, as is the case here. The rework of Thomass Jackson and FT-head honcho Philipp Fein feels beautifully anachronistic with its reduced tempo and could have been something Andrew Weatherall would have played when he was still playing our earthly dancefloors.

New collaborative project from Lawton Browning (Woolen Men), blending melodic indie rock, lo-fi experimentation, and postpunk energy with a raw DIY spirit. Change Life moves between jangly guitars, textural pop, and reflective songwriting, balancing immediacy and experimentation. Change Life is the new creative project from Portland-based multi-instrumentalist, writer, and longtime Woolen Men leader Lawton Browning. Formed in 2023 in the aftermath of the pandemic years, the project emerged as a collaborative and fluid outlet centered around reinvention, experimentation, and collective creativity. Rather than functioning as a fixed band, Change Life operates as an evolving collective of musicians and visual artists. The self-titled debut album channels melodic indie rock, lo-fi textures, experimental pop, and reflective songwriting through a conceptual lens informed by anarchist and surrealist traditions. Across the record, Browning and collaborators explore uncertainty, transformation, and cultural dialogue while maintaining a strong sense of immediacy and creative freedom. Before launching Change Life, Browning spent over a decade fronting Woolen Men, releasing six acclaimed albums and touring extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad. With Change Life, he opens a new chapter rooted in collaboration, artistic experimentation, and new creative possibilities. For fans of Pavement, Sebadoh, The Clean, Guided by Voices, The Fall, Silver Jews

A definitive archival release documenting the formative years of one of Detroit techno’s most influential acts. Spanning nearly a decade of visionary production, The Collective 1989–1998 Deluxe Edition captures Octave One at their most raw, soulful, experimental, and uncompromising.

Curated from the groundbreaking early period of the Burden brothers’ output, this deluxe collection traces the evolution of Octave One’s unmistakable sound from deep underground machine funk and futuristic rhythm science to emotionally charged Detroit techno classics that continue to shape dance floors worldwide.

This special collector’s edition has been fully remastered and expanded for 430West Records, featuring restored audio, deluxe packaging, and essential selections from a pivotal era in independent electronic music history.

More than a retrospective, The Collective 1989–1998 stands as a document of Detroit innovation: fearless, mechanical, human, and timeless.

Essential for collectors, DJs, and anyone serious about the foundations of techno.

London Jazz Classics originally came out in 1993 - the first album ever to be released on Soul Jazz Records. The album brought together rare and obscure dance tracks in a unique mix of jazz dance and fusion, funk, Brazilian and Latin grooves. 

The album was ironically titled - none of the music was from London, none of the music was traditionally classified as jazz, and all of the tracks were at the time practically unknown to most people. Instead these were tracks that were filling dancefloors in a nascent jazz dance scene in London being created by a small group of DJs – Paul Murphy, Gilles Peterson, Sylvester, Patrick Forge and a few others.

As demand for these rare groove jazz tracks grew, previously unknown records such as Alive!’s ‘Skindo Le Le’, Doug Richardson’s ‘Salsa Mama’, Carlos Franzetti’s ‘Cocoa Funk’ and Emilio Santiago’s ‘Bananeira’ became sort after and even-harder-to-find items with original copies going for £100s of pounds. 
These tracks became part of the soundtrack to this jazz dance scene which has now spread across the world. This music paved the way for the arrival of many of the UK’s new wave of current artists such Shabaka Hutchings, Nubya Garcia and Ezra Collective who today offer a uniquely London sensibility of fusing jazz with wide-ranging cultural influences – everything from afrobeat to soul.

London Jazz Classics was the first album to bring this jazz dance music featured here to a wider audience. More than 30 years since its initial release Soul Jazz Records are releasing this new 2026 edition, bringing the music once more to a new generation of listeners.

Frankfurt am Main -- Leipzig duo not even noticed deliver their long-awaited debut album space beyond noise - a 12-track journey balancing club functionality with immersive, long-form listening.

Shaped by years of touring and a shared ritual of visiting botanical gardens around the world, the album blends shapely grooves, field recordings and warm melodic textures into a cohesive, lived- in sound. Subtle environmental details run throughout, creating a natural flow between tracks.

Musically, it moves between electro-funk, breakbeat and hip-hop- inflected cuts, with downtempo and dubby excursions. Highlights include the driving “chrone,” the sundown groove of “diras,” the acid-tinged “plune,” and the hazy two-step moment “skum.”

Designed with warmer months in mind, space beyond noise captures the balance between dancefloor energy and home listening depth.

Friday Fuzz are a collec#ve of professional musicians now presen#ng “Much Funk About Nothing,”
an excellent piece of work with a retro flavor. With years of high-profile collabora#ons under their belts, Marco Leo, Cesare Pizze:, Elvin Be:, and Niccolò Barozzi have worked with some of the
greatest Italian musicians—including Tullio De Piscopo, Fabrizio Bosso, Paolo Tommelleri, Alessio
Bertallot, Rocco Hunt, Casinò Royale, and Aereoplani Italiani, just to name a few.
The album features a primarily instrumental sound that evokes 1970s funk and soundtracks. The
band is defined by its ability to create sonic atmospheres ranging from more sparse, introspec#ve
moments to rock and psychedelic horizons, always with funk as the common thread. The result is
“Much Funk About Nothing,” an album that represents the perfect synthesis of their sonic
explora#on and crea#vity.

SYD001 | Casio the Calculator’s Elementary Calculations

After years of scrounging the dark corners of Discogs, contributing a small piece to this vast ocean of music is a huge milestone.

Casio the Calculator steps up for this double debut with 3 cuts in an attempt to reconcile the dusty sound of the past with today’s polished acoustics. Describing music with words can only say so much, so we’ll leave the rest for you to hear.

Bass and Guitar on A1 and B by Loarcangelo