Scott Mou, known as one half of the duo Jane - the folk techno drone duo he had with Panda Bear - aswell as part of Manhattan's famous record store Other Music, debuts with his Soloproject Queens.
Johan Jacobsen describes the wonderful music of Queens "in oxymorons; "colorful monochrome," "myopic depth," "sad joy," "driven slowness," "enlightened darkness," "universal intimacy ' , "ethereal earthboundness" ... As it should be. Queens is one of those wonderful artists who are hard to catch on the fly, who escapes easy definition. His music is an unexpected and unimagined universe ready to be explored, and it's a universe that is wonderful to be in."
When Dial Records' David Lieske and Peter Kersten listened to a performance of their New York based friend in 2009, it was one of those unforgettable unique experiences you only have once in a long while these days. The idea of releasing an album was born. The production of "End Times" involved other labelmates such as Phillip Sollmann aka Efdemin (recording), Kassian Troyer (mixing) and Hendrik Weber, who once joined a life performance on stage with Scott Mou in 2012.
Suche:the keep
- A1: Ambrosia - You're The Only Woman
- A2: Robert Palmer - Every Kinda People
- A3: Michael Mcdonald - I Keep Forgettin
- A4: Toto - Georgy Porgy
- A5: Bobby Caldwell - What You Won't Do For Love
- B1: Player - Baby Come Back
- B2: Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle
- B3: Ned Doheny - Get It Up For Love
- B4: Average White Band - Work To Do
- C1: Boz Scaggs - Lowdown
- C2: Sugardaddy - How Long (Exclusive Ace Cover Version)
- C3: Gerry Rafferty - Get It Right Next Time
- C4: Doobie Brothers - It Keeps You Runnin
- D1: Bread - Guitar Man
- D2: Hall & Oates - I'm Just A Kid (Don't Make Me Feel Like A Man)
- D3: Todd Rundgren - Be Nice To Me
- D4: 10Cc - Im Not In Love
Hidden Spheres is a Rhythm Section mainstay for a reason: having released 3 EPs on the label, he has
developed his sound and fully emerged into a flow state. His residency at Public Records has enabled him to mould an EP perfect for any dancefloor, perfecting a Detroit indebted House style with influences from early Kerri Chandler and Ron Trent perfect for those heads down, hands-up moments.
Delivering 5 tracks that master dancefloor tension, it's difficult to pick a stand out. “Come On, Yeh” harks
back to the New Jersey House sound with dubby organ chord stabs and punchy 909 drums and a sublime bongo loop. “Don’t You Wanna” welcomes the house dancers, with a low-slung, heavily swung groove, resampled pads, and a deep spoken refrain that gives the track its title. Kicking off the B-side “Get Down” hits the subs, with unmistakably phat bass, moody strings and broad use of the iconic M1 organ bass patch “Organ2”. Followed by “I Feel Good” brings police sirens, 808s and swirling pads, to a glorious Deep House tune with a top chime motif that keeps the party moving. The final track of the B side, “You Don’t Know”, takes things down a notch, but maintaining the sublime tension with classic house piano chords and another wicked percussive loop.
Hidden Spheres has returned to his unadulterated House roots, with an EP that stays true to the classic sound. He has shaped an awesome body of work with character from deep spoken word samples, perfect use of dub sirens and grooves that can give any club a reason to invest in bigger
Analog Fingerprints Vol. 0 is a compilation bringing together the early 2000s works of Marco Passarani under his Analog Fingerprints alias, collecting key tracks originally released on Rome’s Plasmek and Pigna labels.
For Numbers, the story starts long before the label itself. In their formative years, digging in Glasgow’s Rubadub, Passarani’s records felt like dispatches from a future city. Releases on his own Nature Records and on labels such as Generator and Interr-Ference Communications were mind blowing: rooted in Detroit techno, Chicago house and electro, yet pushing somewhere new. Much like fellow travellers Autechre, who would remix him in 2001, Passarani’s music balanced machine funk with restless experimentation.
Information was scarce, and you would hear these records first on the dancefloor or at listening stations in shops like Rubadub. Print fanzines like Ear and early web outposts such as Forcefield offered only fragments. But there was a palpable axis forming between Detroit techno and a new European wave of record labels including Skam, Rephlex, Clone, Viewlexx and Nature itself. It was the sound that defined Saturday nights at Rubadub’s ‘69’ parties in Paisley, just outside of Glasgow.
Passarani’s records, in particular, were instrumental in bringing together the future Numbers co-founders. Richard had already booked him pre-Numbers; meanwhile Calum (Spencer) and Jack (Jackmaster), then 16/17 year olds working alternate Saturdays in Rubadub, were so enamoured with the Roman sound that they travelled to Rome for the Bitz Festival in 2003 to seek out Passarani and Lory D at their source.
The first Analog Fingerprints release landed as a 12” on Plasmek in 2001, following the fractured, IDM-leaning 6 Katun material. For Passarani, the project marked a recalibration. A DJ first and foremost, he had moved into production via early computer setups, from a Commodore Amiga through primitive PC audio, Cubase and Logic, later experimenting with Ableton. The IDM scene had offered a playground for trial and error, but there was always a tension between abstraction and the dancefloor. Analog Fingerprints became the bridge: still intelligent, but with more dance than distance. After years of broken beats and complex arrangements, he wanted directness without surrendering identity.
Working closely with Francesco de Bellis and Mario Pierro in the Pigneto district, the trio formed Pigna as a vehicle for reclaiming a more accessible dance sound, deliberately steering away from the minimal wave beginning to dominate Europe. Sessions were fast, instinctive, often stretching late into the night with friends dropping by. It was a studio as social space, production as collective energy.
“In that constant search for balance, Analog Fingerprints was my way of expressing something closer to the classic dance floor. The track 'Tribute' - a tribute to my favourite early Detroit techno track of all time, 'First Bass' by Separate Minds - came after I realised I had almost lost my connection with the dance floor. The simplest step was to take inspiration from early Chicago and Detroit and twist it in our Roman ‘Pigna’ way. My goal was to create more accessible dancefloor tracks by mixing my unconscious Italo roots with my teenage love for that early US sound, ensuring the result was as far as possible from the minimal sound that was starting to dominate everywhere.” - Marco Passarani
Technically, the Analog Fingerprints tracks span a transitional era: Roland TR-909, SH-101 and Alpha Juno hardware met early software experiments. A Novation Drumstation rack stood in for the unattainable TR-808, syncing with TB-303 and TR-606. Yet the true secret weapon was Jeskola Buzz, a tracker-style modular environment that allowed step-by-step parameter control and strange melodic constructions, later exported into the audio sequencer. Even the lead on ‘Tribute’ came from an early PPG Wave-style plugin. It was hybrid thinking at a moment when digital tools still felt unstable but full of possibility for technologists like Passarani.
Behind the music sat Finalfrontier, a loose Roman collective orbiting Nature and Plasmek. Distribution and production were intertwined; importing obscure records into Italy built connections with like-minded outsiders across Europe and the US. Expensive phone bills and fax machines forged an “electronix network” that linked Rome to Clone, Viewlexx, Skam, Rephlex, Rubadub and Detroit’s Underground Resistance. There was a shared sense of survival and resistance, of operating against commercial systems.
Passarani recalls “The first time I found a sheet of paper inside an Underground Resistance 12” with info about upcoming releases... and a huge picture of Spock on the back. Imagine that: you love the music, you love Star Trek, and there’s someone on the other side of the ocean sharing those same values and sounds. It was the perfect match. We even gave our original company the suffix ‘Finalfrontier’: that says it all.”
Feedback in that era arrived physically: distributor faxes, conversations with visiting DJs, the experience of playing abroad and meeting kids who had connected with the records. Glasgow became a key node in a scattered outlier network. Passarani personally brought the first two Nature releases to Fat Cat in London, playing them in-store. Shortly after, a fax arrived from Rubadub in Glasgow requesting copies.
“I still remember that phone buzz and the fax paper slowly sliding out, with someone I didn’t know saying they wanted 75 copies of Nature 001. Or like the time we got a fax from the Rephlex crew just saying, “Hello Nature Records, Keep up the good work.” That was how we knew the message was getting through. It was a fantastic feeling; just one piece of thermal fax paper as an analog notification - the mood for the entire week would change.” - Passarani
The connection to Glasgow has since stretched across generations. As Passarani reflects, links often fracture as scenes renew themselves, but in Glasgow something different happened. New and old mixed seamlessly. There was a visible trust in what came before, and a willingness to carry it forward rather than discard it. Observed from Rome, it was deeply encouraging.
Analog Fingerprints Vol. 0 captures that moment of exchange: Rome to Glasgow, Detroit to Europe, experiment to dancefloor. It documents an artist recalibrating his sound and a network of scenes discovering one another in real time, connected by vinyl, faxes and shared intent.
A label long synonymous with raw, off-centre electronics and uncompromising club tools, Bjarki’s bbbbbb recors welcomes a producer whose approach feels cut from the same cloth, London’s Henry Greenleaf. In an era where functionality often outweighs feeling, ‘Brawn’ is a record that doesn’t court approval; it insists on impact. Built for high-pressure systems and low ceilings, it channels force not as spectacle, but as design.
Greenleaf’s catalogue to date, spanning labels such as Par Avion, YUKU, and ARTS, sketches a restless trajectory between precision and collapse. His productions operate where rhythm becomes architecture: kicks land like poured concrete, subs buckle and flex beneath shifting percussive grids, and textures are stretched until they fray at the edges. Sound is treated as a physical material, layered and stress-tested, reshaped until the familiar mutates into something tactile and strange.
Across the EP, that philosophy takes full form. A1 ‘Brawn’ sets the tone with dense, piston-like drums and tightly coiled low-end pressure, balancing brute force with meticulous spatial control. ‘Jump Up To Be’ follows with a more fractured swing, percussive shards ricocheting across a framework that feels perpetually on the verge of rupture. On the flip, ‘Gawk’ strips things back to skeletal components, carving negative space between distorted pulses and menacing, warped rhythmic figures, before ‘UNTUNTUNT’ closes the record in driving fashion, delivering a raw, functional workout that reduces the groove to its bluntest, most hypnotic form.
True to the label’s ethos, ‘Brawn’ doesn’t chase trends or smooth its edges. It folds air and pressure into motion, pares club music down to its working parts, and leaves room for spontaneous chaos to erupt within the grid; moments where structure splinters, energy misbehaves, and control gives way just enough to keep things volatile. Engineered yet unpredictable, utilitarian yet unruly, the EP embodies the tension, unpredictability, and uniqueness that have long defined bbbbbb recors.
- 1: Live From Mumbai 00:36
- 2: No Other Than 04:03
- 3: Powerman & Iron Fist (Fighting Without Fighting Version) 0:00
- 4: Sure Shot! 03:32
- 5: Fresh Like Dougie 04:42
- 6: How To Cut & Paste (Lesson 1) 04:54
- 7: Audobahn 03:56
- 8: All Out War 03:46
- 9: Break Down 03:24
- 10: Golden Crown (Feat. Oxygen) 04:52
- 11: Fashion Plate 04:13
- 12: Sister Of Phyllis Diller 04:01
- 13: Heroes Of The East (Feat. Paten Locke) 04:21
- 14: The Pack Up (Part 3) 02:44
Cassette Box Set[38,87 €]
AE Productions in association with Sure Shot Recordings and In Effect Recordings are pleased to announce a 10 Year Anniversary Edition of the critically acclaimed Phill Most Chill and Paul Nice album as the Fabreeze Brothers.
The hugely successful first edition which was pressed on colour vinyl and supplied in double fold out sleeve sold out in only 2 weeks from release date and then the 2nd pressing black vinyl edition sold out a little while later but has for years been out of print but is increasingly requested by shops, via email, social media, AE Productions website back in stock requests, etc…
As it has been 10 years since original release back in 2015 at the time of proceeding with manufacturing, it was the perfect opportunity to do a 3rd pressing to mark the anniversary but we had to pull out all the stops for a 3rd run of this incredible album and also make it subtly different again in packaging design from the 1st and 2nd pressings so that each has it’s own particular feel and quality.
With help from the original designer and all-round vinyl artwork supremo Mr Krum we have found some nice adjustments for the gatefold sleeve where the detail from the insert sheet found in the original issues is incorporated into the inside panels of the sleeve. We have also tweaked the hype sticker to mark the 10th Anniversary Edition and updated the vinyl labels so as to work better with the new Splatter vinyl which follows the original red and yellow vinyl but each splattered with the opposite colour.
For something a little extra we have compiled a Limited Expanded Edition Double Cassette Box Set that includes the original album and also a ‘Bonus Tape’ which features all of the remixes, alternate versions, Original Versions of album cuts and bonus tracks found on B-sides of the array of singles and we included for good measure 2 tracks that only appeared on the promotional only LP sampler that ended up being different on the final release. This is limited to cassette just for the non-vinyl heads as all of these tracks already appear on vinyl. The outer box is A5 card in black with gold foil Fabreeze Brothers logo and comes with discography booklet.
‘The Bonus Tape’ from the box set is also available as a standalone cassette release with alternate j-card art work so that it has it’s own flavour and so that anyone that purchased one of the original run of cassettes that sold out before we could even ship any copies, did not need to purchase the main album again unnecessarily and to make it noticeable from the Expanded Edition Box Set version.
This version also has an alternate shell design in keeping with the clear shell with dark liner that was commonplace back in the 90’s and the cassette geeks may note the red text on the spine as was also a common design back then – giving this a pseudonym of ‘the 90’s tape’ during the design process.
We couldn’t stop there so we also have an extremely low quantity Limited Edition Mini Disc version which is the main album plus 8 of the bonus tracks from The Bonus Tape – only missing the 2 least significant alternate versions but clocking in at just a few seconds under 80 minutes – the absolute maximum for the format! Mini Disc???!!! You’re probably asking – yes!
While looking into the cassette duplication options we realised that the duplicator also offers Mini Disc production so we thought that it may be worth doing a very small run just because not only are professionally manufactured Mini Disc’s rare in Hip Hop, they are rare within the entire music industry as they never really took off as a medium to purchase music but ended up as the choice for home recorded Walkman and car use. Indeed, AE boss Mr Fantastic still has his main machine, portable and old discs. Amazingly also, the sleeve artwork transferred brilliantly to the Mini Disc template. They are manufactured using high quality Sony discs using ATRAC 4.5 codec.
All releases are supplied with unique free download codes on cards that are included inside the packaging but also with the Expanded Edition cassette and Mini Disc having 2 cards – 1 for the main album and a 2nd card for ‘The Bonus Tape’. The free downloads are supplied direct from Phill Most Chill’s Bandcamp page keeping it independent.
- 1: Live From Mumbai 00:36
- 2: No Other Than 04:03
- 3: Powerman & Iron Fist (Fighting Without Fighting Version) 0:00
- 4: Sure Shot! 03:32
- 5: Fresh Like Dougie 04:42
- 6: How To Cut & Paste (Lesson 1) 04:54
- 7: Audobahn 03:56
- 8: All Out War 03:46
- 9: Break Down 03:24
- 10: Golden Crown (Feat. Oxygen) 04:52
- 11: Fashion Plate 04:13
- 12: Sister Of Phyllis Diller 04:01
- 13: Heroes Of The East (Feat. Paten Locke) 04:21
- 14: The Pack Up (Part 3) 02:44
RED & YELLOW SPLATTER Vinyl[29,20 €]
Expanded Edition Double Cassette Box Set including main album and Bonus Cassette with unique download cards
AE Productions in association with Sure Shot Recordings and In Effect Recordings are pleased to announce a 10 Year Anniversary Edition of the critically acclaimed Phill Most Chill and Paul Nice album as the Fabreeze Brothers.
The hugely successful first edition which was pressed on colour vinyl and supplied in double fold out sleeve sold out in only 2 weeks from release date and then the 2nd pressing black vinyl edition sold out a little while later but has for years been out of print but is increasingly requested by shops, via email, social media, AE Productions website back in stock requests, etc…
As it has been 10 years since original release back in 2015 at the time of proceeding with manufacturing, it was the perfect opportunity to do a 3rd pressing to mark the anniversary but we had to pull out all the stops for a 3rd run of this incredible album and also make it subtly different again in packaging design from the 1st and 2nd pressings so that each has it’s own particular feel and quality.
With help from the original designer and all-round vinyl artwork supremo Mr Krum we have found some nice adjustments for the gatefold sleeve where the detail from the insert sheet found in the original issues is incorporated into the inside panels of the sleeve. We have also tweaked the hype sticker to mark the 10th Anniversary Edition and updated the vinyl labels so as to work better with the new Splatter vinyl which follows the original red and yellow vinyl but each splattered with the opposite colour.
For something a little extra we have compiled a Limited Expanded Edition Double Cassette Box Set that includes the original album and also a ‘Bonus Tape’ which features all of the remixes, alternate versions, Original Versions of album cuts and bonus tracks found on B-sides of the array of singles and we included for good measure 2 tracks that only appeared on the promotional only LP sampler that ended up being different on the final release. This is limited to cassette just for the non-vinyl heads as all of these tracks already appear on vinyl. The outer box is A5 card in black with gold foil Fabreeze Brothers logo and comes with discography booklet.
‘The Bonus Tape’ from the box set is also available as a standalone cassette release with alternate j-card art work so that it has it’s own flavour and so that anyone that purchased one of the original run of cassettes that sold out before we could even ship any copies, did not need to purchase the main album again unnecessarily and to make it noticeable from the Expanded Edition Box Set version.
This version also has an alternate shell design in keeping with the clear shell with dark liner that was commonplace back in the 90’s and the cassette geeks may note the red text on the spine as was also a common design back then – giving this a pseudonym of ‘the 90’s tape’ during the design process.
We couldn’t stop there so we also have an extremely low quantity Limited Edition Mini Disc version which is the main album plus 8 of the bonus tracks from The Bonus Tape – only missing the 2 least significant alternate versions but clocking in at just a few seconds under 80 minutes – the absolute maximum for the format! Mini Disc???!!! You’re probably asking – yes!
While looking into the cassette duplication options we realised that the duplicator also offers Mini Disc production so we thought that it may be worth doing a very small run just because not only are professionally manufactured Mini Disc’s rare in Hip Hop, they are rare within the entire music industry as they never really took off as a medium to purchase music but ended up as the choice for home recorded Walkman and car use. Indeed, AE boss Mr Fantastic still has his main machine, portable and old discs. Amazingly also, the sleeve artwork transferred brilliantly to the Mini Disc template. They are manufactured using high quality Sony discs using ATRAC 4.5 codec.
All releases are supplied with unique free download codes on cards that are included inside the packaging but also with the Expanded Edition cassette and Mini Disc having 2 cards – 1 for the main album and a 2nd card for ‘The Bonus Tape’. The free downloads are supplied direct from Phill Most Chill’s Bandcamp page keeping it independent.
Anywhere, Anyway captures a selection of club tools that Makèz and their close circle have tested, refined and played across dance floors worldwide. Each track carries that familiar equilibrium the duo keeps guard over, a steady pull between raw club energy and moments meant for intimate listening.
Much like their recent album on No Art, the EP took shape while traveling, moving from session to session with artists from different musical worlds. Those encounters left their marks, subtle shifts in rhythm, harmony and texture, shaping the edges of the EP. The Amsterdam duo keeps seeking creative impulses from unexpected angles, letting ideas find them wherever they are. Anywhere, anyway.
A few words for the album
Moment’s Aeternity:
a 12/8 composition celebrating the raw power of the “moment”, marked by whirling improvised moments between drums, bass clarinet and Harris P’s Armenian duduk.
Pajko, fire in the forest on the mountain:
in Sokratis own words: “I have a really vivid memory as a child. I was staring at the Djena mountain from my window in Archangellos which sits on the Pajko mountain. A little beam of light shone far in the horizon; it was a fire that in my little eyes looked as if the giants of Almopia were trying to communicate with each other using phryktoria (a way of contacting through fire in Ancient Greece).”
Footprints of some Giant Steps:
While the classic compositions of two true Jazz Giants- Wayne Shorter and John Coltrane- are certainly different, they do both connect in a mystical way. Rearranged in 5/8 combining half of each melody and half of each one’s chord progression, keeping the form of the piece for improvisation, still in 5.
Oson Zeis Fainou (Seikilo’s Epitaph):
found in a tomb stone in the Northeast of Greece, this is the only melody saved from the ancient times. It is accompanied by lyrics contemplating the meaning of life:
Ὅσον ζῇς φαίνου
μηδὲν ὅλως σὺ λυποῦ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶ τὸ ζῆν τὸ τέλος ὁ xρόνος ἀπαιτεῖ.
‘’While you live, shine
don’t feel blue for anything because our life is short and time demands an end.’’
Here is to Oghene K:
’’Hey man, where is the groove?’’, he would say, just to trigger another wave of inspiration for Sokratis. Oghene was a true force of nature, a well of kindness, a masterful artist that left this world too early. This one is for him.
Balkan Riff (for Milcho Leviev):
Milcho Leviev (1936-2019), was a long-time friend and collaborator and a true inspiration for expression, creativity and colorfulness. Expressing the deep sentiments evoked by the Balkan sound and history, this is a sorrowful dialogue between bass clarinet and contrabass.
Spirits of Djena:
one of the most esoteric and personal moments of the album. Composed and recorded during the challenging times of the COVID-era, you can hear the baritone and tenor saxophone firmly grounded on a crispy, hypnotizing contrabass groove.
Sokratis Votskos Quartet
Kostas Anastasiadis / Giorgos Klountzos - Chrysidis: Drums
Leandros Pasias: Piano
Vaggelis Vrachnos: Contrabass
Sokratis Votskos: Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet and Compositions
Sokratis Votskos is a jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer, educator, and bandleader from Greece. Deeply invested in unearthing the folk sounds and heritage music of Greece and Eastern Europe, he weaves these into modern jazz compositions though the use of melodies, polyrhythms, and his reedy, timeless tone. He leads the Sokratis Votskos Quartet, he is one half of Kolida Babo and member of the Reggetiko Project. A highly regarded sideman and ensemble player, he has worked extensively with renowned jazz musicians with several highly acclaimed releases (MiC, Jazzman, Walt Disney and now Fair Weather Friends Records).
He has performed his music in numerous venues and festivals worldwide from Vinterjazz in Copenhagen, to the EFG London Jazz Festival where he performed at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s alongside Greg Foat.
He is also an archaeoacoustics researcher and enthusiast, having completed his Master studies on the field of ancient ritualistic caves of Greece research.
Leandros Pasias was born in Thessaloniki, Greece. At age 10 was introduced to piano, continuing his studies at the Modern Conservatory of Thessaloniki and later at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam in the department of jazz piano.Ηe holds a classical harmony diploma and a BA at the Department of Music Studies at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. In 2020 he received jazz improvisation lessons from Aaron Parks.
With a series of appearances in multiple international jazz festivals, Leandros has collaborated with a wide range of musicians from Nicolas Masson and James Wylie to Marina Osk, Ivo Papasov and Haris Lambrakis, among others.
A member of the Yako Trio, he released “OdesSea” on Fair Weather Friends Records (2021).
Vangelis Vrachnos was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1989. While he started playing the bass at the age of 12, alongside his brother, his studies would commence a few years later. Introduced to double bass at the age of 23, he undertook jazz double bass studies at the Codarts Αcademy of Rotterdam. He has participated in several festivals such as the Technopolis and Odessa international jazz festivals. Since returning to his hometown, in 2015, he has been a founding member of Mordana and Yako Trio and has collaborated with a series of musicians like James Wyllie, Sokrates Votskos and Dimitis Agelakis, among others.
Kostas Anastasiadis is a tireless researcher, that has been diligently studying Tradition and its evolution, creating a fresh amalgam of sound moods. His mature improvisational virtuosity highlights a uniquely individual artistic expression and was recognized with the ̈Unique Individual Stylist" award by the PIT (Percussion Institute of Technology) in Los Angeles, California. He has been associated with various ensembles that have garnered significant interest in the global music scene. As an educator, he is the founder of "The Harmony of Rhythm" musical method, which aims to explore and establish the elements that constitute the concept of rhythm.
Giorgos Klountzos-Chrysidis was born in Thessaloniki in 1991. Following studies at the Modern Conservatory of Thessaloniki, he moved to France and the Conservatoire de Nice. With performances at well-known festivals like Nice Jazz Festival, Nuits du Sud and Jazz à Vienne, he had the opportunity to meet the American drummer Leon Parker, who encouraged him to move to Paris, where he spent the next two years under his tutoring and guidance.
In 2016, came a defining moment in his career as he traveled to New York for the first time. He participated in the quartet of saxophonist Diego Rivera for a series of performances and attended lessons by Rodney Whitaker and Randy "Uncle G" Gelispie at Michigan's State University.
Collaborations include Xavier Davis, Ricky Ford, Nicolas Masson, Diego Rivera, Craig Bailey, Baptiste Herbin, Marc Abrams, Pantelis Stoikos, Antonis Anissegos, David Lynch, Ziad Rajab and Ivo Papasov, among others.
Let's see now – you just love that hugely fertile foundation period of Jamaican pop music from the birth of ska, through the spectacularly brief two year heyday of rocksteady up to and including the arrival of the first incarnation of reggae a.k.a. early or 'boss' reggae. But you're also aware that the pioneers of these sounds (including The Pioneers!) won't be creating music in these styles or touring forever – so what do you do?
Well, if you're Neil Anderson, owner of Original Gravity Records, the creation bit isn't a problem. You put forth period-authentic style material from a 'roster' of acts – such as Junior Dell & The D-Lites - that in reality consist mostly of yourself (you are a multi-instrumentalist and lyricist after all!) and whichever extra musicians and session singer you rope in for a given track. In the case of Junior Dell & The D-Lites that singer was Adrian Dell – soon to be dubbed (no pun intended) 'Junior' - first appearing on 2021's uptempo ska tribute to Salvadoran retro-dancing internet sensation Aranivah, entitled Miss Aranivah. And you keep putting out stuff so profusely and effectively that there are clamours for you to tour 'the band' which - er - doesn't really exist. What a botheration! Still, maybe your session singer could become – well - a permanent singer? Maybe you can rustle up assorted bredren to become the rest of the band and...you know what? That might just work!
And so, in the blink of an eye, Junior Dell & The D-Lites becomes a bona fide actual live band fronted by a young Jamaican singer playing fresh 60s/70s-style Jamaican music with an energy last seen and heard in, well, the 1960s and 70s. And it tours so effectively that there are clamours for 'the band' – or more accurately, now – the band - to release an album. Wait...what now? And, by the way, you've got a European tour coming up in April wouldn't it be great if the album was ready to tour by then? Pressure drop? Pressure rise more like!
Then again, Junior Dell & The D-Lites have done so many sure-shot singles to date that assembling them along with a new cut, an extended version of one of the singles and re-recordings of two of the label's previous singles that were originally by 'label mates' The Regulators should be a cinch. So expect all the hits: bluebeat banger 20 Flight Ska, the euphoric ska bounce of the aforementioned Miss Aranivah and the title track, a de rigueur smattering of covers (opener Jump Around, midway markers Praise You and Just Can't Get Enough, and one of the re-recordings, closer Don't Look Back In Anger), early reggae groovers Cool Right Down, Last Night Reggay, Can't Stop The Reggae (in a new extended form) and crowd-pleasing new one Mi Try along with the other Junior Dell re-recording - the gorgeous Why Why Why which nods to the period of reggae between the sound of '69 and the arrival of roots.
Don't you brag and don't you boast but that's a Whole Lotta Skankin' going on! Do the ska, do the rocksteady, do the reggay, why– it's another scorcher!
- 1: So Much To Live For (Sadar Bahar & Marc Davis Edit) - Myrna Summers
- 2: Lifted Me Higher (Sadar Bahar & Marc Davis Edit) - The Yancy Family
Delivering the second sermon in their Disco Gospel series, Chicago’s Sadar Bahar & Marc Davis hand-pick and re-edit two more under-the-radar disco/gospel fusion tracks for the modern dancefloor.
Both revered selectors and producers, Marc and Sadar are integral parts of Chicago's underground music scene, sharing the city’s spirit with the world. Through his own label, Black Pegasus, and the Chi Talo series, Marc has become an in-demand DJ known for his raw and eclectic sets. He joins forces with good friend, DJ’s DJ and Soul In The Hole head Sadar Bahar, whose name regularly tops the bill at some of the finest clubs and festivals around the globe.
Digging deep once again, the pair serve up two certified secret weapons from their renowned collections. Finding that sweet spot that drew out the most uplifting, powerful, and danceable elements of both gospel and disco, they shine a light on two beauties from Myrna Summers and also The Yancy Family. Tweaked and re-edited with style and consideration, they re-work the tracks with DJs and dancers in mind.
As Robert M. Marovich of Journal of Gospel Music puts it, “The rise of contemporary gospel music in the 1970s and 1980s changed the style, if not the substance, of Black sacred music. Artists, including the Yancy Family and Myrna Summers, worked within the groovy new sound to attract the attention of a generation growing up on rock, jazz, pop, and soul. Bring them into the church through the music, the maxim goes, and they’ll stay for the sermon. Likewise, these two re-edited album tracks by Sadar Bahar and Marc Davis keep the gospel music heritage alive while encouraging a brand-new generation to dance through the church doors.”
Up first, Myrna Summers ‘So Much to Live For’ channels that straight from the heart passion and collective joy that gospel embodies. Bursting with uplifting lyrics, scintillating organ melodies, and an infectious sing-along spirit, Marc and Sadar give it a club-ready DJ edit, extending it for maximum dancefloor deliverance.
The B side sees the duo work their magic on, ‘Lifted Me Higher’. Written by Kevin Yancy and taken from the Yancy Family’s 1989 album From One Christian Family to Another, it features vocals from siblings Kevin, Judy, and Rev. Darryl Yancy, along with Lois Scott. The all-star team of Chicago musicians includes Sherwin (Butch) Yancy on organ, Michael Wade on piano and synthesizer, and Richard Gibbs (longtime accompanist for Aretha Franklin) on piano and bass. With a soulful boogie flavour, dripping in slap bass and ‘80s synthlines, Marc and Sadar rework the intro so it rides out on a section of delectable instrumental grooves, before letting the glorious vocals hit home.
Warehouse Find!
Introducing Red D, the Belgian DJ and producer, one half of FCL (alongside San Soda), long standing club promoter (since 1992), owner of We Play House and general all round good guy. With releases on Ferrispark and Delusions Of Grandeur (with MCDE), remixes on Eskimo, regular sets at the likes of Panorama Bar and an RA Mix under his belt you could say things are falling into place nicely. On top of all this his FCL project continues to go from strength to strength with a new
EP dropping soon on Kai 'KZR' Alce's highly regarded NDATL label. When he sent over two originals for Freerange it was love at first listen as the simple, warm beats and emotive chord stabs of title track Chez oozed from the speakers. This sounded to me like house music in it's purest form, from the days when the focus was on a feeling rather than complex sounds or technological
trickery. And the proof is in the pudding with this one as you can feel the dance floor go into some kind of collective bubble of love whenever you play it. The second original follows drawing you into a false sense of security with familiar 707 beats and gentle pads before taking a left turn. Appropriately titled Into Darkness the blissful vibes of the intro begin to fall away as the
track reaches a breakdown and we're treated to the rudest of Chi-Town basslines taking us down a somewhat less wholesome path. Flipping over we're treated to two Jacob Korn remixes, one of each of the originals and if the A side is the good cop, we can trust the Uncanny Valley regular to deliver some pure badness on the flip. His Remix of Chez is clearly inspired by his studio hardware as you can hear the improvised and 'live'
sounding arrangement, the machines taking on a life of their own as things twist and turn in a spontaneous and unpredictable way. A rattling white noise pulse drives the rhythm whilst bubbling synths add some lightness to the pummeling
kick. Into Darkness gets the Korn treatment next and here he puts it right through the sonic mangler, tape saturation distorting the mix to within an inch of it's life. Jacob puts the focus on the bassline of the original, keeping things simple at
first before winding in layers of Juno chords and the bleepiest of synth lines resulting in the finest of raw, bassment house jams.
- A1: The Upsetters - Kentucky Skank
- A2: U. Roy* - Double Six
- A3: David Isaacs - Just Enough
- A4: The Upsetters - In The Iaah
- A5: The Upsetters - Jungle Lion
- A6: David Isaacs - We Our Neighbours
- B1: The Upsetters - Soul Man
- B2: U. Roy* - Stick Together
- B3: I. Roy* - High Fashion
- B4: The Upsetters - Long Sentence
- B5: The Upsetters - Hail Stones
- B6: The Upsetters - Ironside
- B7: The Upsetters - Cold Weather
- B8: The Upsetters - Waap You Waa
'Double Seven, released by Trojan in late 1973, was the last album Lee 'Scratch' Perry would release on the label for some considerable time, and it was essentially the final album project he put together before establishing his own Black Ark studio. Opening track 'Kentucky Skank' sets the tone with a slow creeper whose frying sounds underscore its role as a praise song to the Colonel's KFC recipes; the cosmic Moog blips come courtesy of Ken Elliott at Camden's Chalk Farm studio, also prominently featured on U-Roy's double-tracked, stereo-panned gambling ode 'Double Six.' David Isaacs' 'Just Enough' was cut a few years prior, which makes it slightly out of phase with the rest of the set, though the enigmatic 'In The Iaah' sounds mightily fresh, with its uncredited chorus said to come courtesy of the Wailers. Perry's own 'Jungle Lion' has hilarious roars from the maestro at the start, strangely grafted atop a reggae re-make of Al Green's 'Love and Happiness.'
'Overall, Double Seven melds the soul, funk, reggae and dub elements that were constant in Perry's work during this phase. His enhanced audio spectrum and endless reference points would keep his music continually apart from that made by his peers.'
—David Katz (excerpt from the liner notes)
- 1: The Auctioneer
- 2: Tour Worn
- 3: Hey You Hey You (Are You Are You Ok Ok?)
- 4: Ducklings
- 5: Some Advice
- 6: The Wardrobe Song
- 7: Party With A Hard T
- 8: Pixels
- 9: Listening
- 10: Top Score
- 11: The Ship Is Still Sinking
- 12: Paintballs
- 13: Keep Eyes On
- 14: Vertical
- 15: A Great Deal
- 16: Can We Get This Straight?
PET NEEDS return with their fourth studio album ‘ELBOWS OUT! THIS IS CAPITALISM’ to be released on Xtra Mile Recordings on 27th March 2026. Recorded by George Perks (Enter Shikari, You Me At Six, Mogwai, Skindred) it follows the release of their Top 20 album ‘Intermittent Fast Living’ in February 2024. The album charts the exploits of the band buying a second-hand punk rock career at auction and trying (and failing) to make it work.
Over the course of the genre-spanning 12 tracks, the story unfolds with a mix of frenetic punk rock defiance; reflective melodic introspective and beat heavy party anthems as well as guest appearance by CJ Ramone, legendary auctioneer Eric Olson and friends The Whops and Jess Guise who help the story develop. The album is a satirical look at the pitfalls of trying to make it as a DIY punk band, delivered by a band at their most creative and bold as they continue on their own ascension of success.
PET NEEDS are a punk fuelled melodic rock fourpiece from Colchester who have toured the world since they signed with Xtra Mile in 2020. Their past three albums have helped catapult the band to the rising stars they are today. They regularly headline tours in UK, Europe and in America as well as huge support tours with Laura Jane Grace, Art Brut, Frank Turner, Flogging Molly, Skinny Lister, Bouncing Souls, NOFX, The Hives. The Lottery Winners, Spike & The Gimmie Gimmies and The Levellers. In the lead up to the album release the band will tour the UK’s regional towns giving fans exclusive listens to some of the new songs. And throughout week of release will perform instores and outstores to push for a high chart position.
- A1: A Perfect Storm
- A2: Etyd
- A3: Against The Dying Of The Light
- A4: For Every Dusk
- A5: Sheet
- A6: Pajarito
- A7: Losing Game (Sick)
- B8: Ay Querida
- B9: U / Rawls Slöja
- B10: Gymnasten
- B11: Just A Rock
- B12: You & We
- B13: Joy (Can’t Help But Sing)
Black Vinyl[26,85 €]
José González has delivered a new album, Against the Dying of the Light, a companion and further meditation on the themes of his critically acclaimed album, Local Valley. Where Local Valley turned inward toward place, language, and personal reflection, this new record widens its gaze, becoming an urgent call to preserve the light of humanity with all its flaws, at a moment when, technology increasingly shapes how we think, feel, and relate to one another.
While José has always embraced technological advancement, he questions the assumption that every new possibility must be pursued to its maximum potential, especially when progress comes at the expense of human flourishing, attention, and empathy.
Keeping in the tradition of folk music as protest, José’s new single — sharing its title with the forthcoming album — urges listeners to resist systems that dehumanize and divide: “Disconnect from every algorithm, every perverse incentive that drags you down. Let’s rebel against the replicators, against the dying of the light. Kill the codes that feed the hate, keep the codes that make you thrive, celebrate the **king fact that we’re alive.”
Across the album, González works within a deliberately minimal framework, pushing his familiar palette to new heights through subtle variation, restraint, and detail. Each song unfolds with its own distinct character, proving how much emotional and musical range can be achieved within self - imposed limitations. Written in English, Swedish, and Spanish, the record reflects his Swedish - Argentine roots and frames its humanist message as a global one rather than a purely personal or political statement.
José González is one of the most quietly influential artists of our generation. The Swedish - Argentine artist has built a singular musical world from hypnotic, minimal guitar work and his unmistakably gentle voice — a sound that has become deeply personal to millions of listeners worldwide. With billions of streams across platforms and hundreds of thousands of physical records sold, González’s songs often act as emotional landmarks. Ask almost anyone, and they can name at least one of his tracks tied to a defining moment in their lives.
- A1: A Perfect Storm
- A2: Etyd
- A3: Against The Dying Of The Light
- A4: For Every Dusk
- A5: Sheet
- A6: Pajarito
- A7: Losing Game (Sick)
- B8: Ay Querida
- B9: U / Rawls Slöja
- B10: Gymnasten
- B11: Just A Rock
- B12: You & We
- B13: Joy (Can’t Help But Sing)
White Vinyl[26,85 €]
José González has delivered a new album, Against the Dying of the Light, a companion and further meditation on the themes of his critically acclaimed album, Local Valley. Where Local Valley turned inward toward place, language, and personal reflection, this new record widens its gaze, becoming an urgent call to preserve the light of humanity with all its flaws, at a moment when, technology increasingly shapes how we think, feel, and relate to one another.
While José has always embraced technological advancement, he questions the assumption that every new possibility must be pursued to its maximum potential, especially when progress comes at the expense of human flourishing, attention, and empathy.
Keeping in the tradition of folk music as protest, José’s new single — sharing its title with the forthcoming album — urges listeners to resist systems that dehumanize and divide: “Disconnect from every algorithm, every perverse incentive that drags you down. Let’s rebel against the replicators, against the dying of the light. Kill the codes that feed the hate, keep the codes that make you thrive, celebrate the **king fact that we’re alive.”
Across the album, González works within a deliberately minimal framework, pushing his familiar palette to new heights through subtle variation, restraint, and detail. Each song unfolds with its own distinct character, proving how much emotional and musical range can be achieved within self - imposed limitations. Written in English, Swedish, and Spanish, the record reflects his Swedish - Argentine roots and frames its humanist message as a global one rather than a purely personal or political statement.
José González is one of the most quietly influential artists of our generation. The Swedish - Argentine artist has built a singular musical world from hypnotic, minimal guitar work and his unmistakably gentle voice — a sound that has become deeply personal to millions of listeners worldwide. With billions of streams across platforms and hundreds of thousands of physical records sold, González’s songs often act as emotional landmarks. Ask almost anyone, and they can name at least one of his tracks tied to a defining moment in their lives.
2026 Repress
Bosconi Records, the Florence-based imprint run by Fabio Della Torre, is back with something truly special. Over the years, the label has built a reputation for pushing house, funk and electro in all their shades, always keeping a strong link between the local scene and international legends. And when it comes to legends, there are few names that shine brighter than Alexander Robotnick.
The Italian electro pioneer – aka Maurizio Dami – has already collaborated with Bosconi on The Hidden Game and Italcimenti Under Construction. Now he returns with My La(te)st EP, a vinyl-only release that pulls five standout cuts from his 2007 CD My La(te)st Album and finally makes them available on wax. All tracks have been remastered for the vinyl format, enhancing their depth and dynamics to deliver the best possible experience on wax.
The EP opens with “Jette Le Masque (Extended Version)”, driven by a pumping bassline and jagged sawtooth synths, with whispered French vocals by Robotnick himself. Stretched out and more DJ-friendly than the original, this version is tailor-made for the dancefloor.
On “We Love The Music” things get fun and funky: vocoder vocals, an electro-funk bounce and that unmistakable Robotnick irony. A killer cut to start a set on the right foot.
Flip the record and you dive into the acidic depths of “I’m Getting Lost In My Brain”. Old-school Chicago vibes, a hypnotic groove and basslines that just don’t quit – a peak-time weapon that feels raw and timeless.
Then comes “A Coffee Shop in Rotterdam”, one of those secret gems: melodic, laid-back and warm, built on a slapping bass and dreamy arpeggios. It has that Riviera house touch from the ’90s, but with Robotnick’s unmistakable twist.
Closing the EP is “Addio” – a track that wears its heart on its sleeve. Romantic, emotional, and driven by a bassline that nods back to Robotnick’s all-time classic Problèmes d’Amour. A perfect goodbye track, the kind that leaves a smile on your face as the lights come on.
This is a must-have for vinyl lovers and Robotnick fans alike – five cuts carefully remastered for the vinyl format, pressed exclusively on wax and ready to work the floor from start to finish. Don’t sleep on it: limited copies, vinyl only.
- 1: Toninho
- 2: Shapeshifter
- 3: Grönbete
- 4: Saga Nomri Ngen
- 5: Monkurt
- 6: Olikheter
- 7: Chime Blues
- 8: Ses Vid Horisonten
April Records proudly presents the new album from Stockholm Stockholm-based bassist and composer Jon Henriksson - a confident and flexible statement that deepens his place within contemporary Scandinavian jazz. Following the success of his 2023 debut Harmonia which placed second in Orkesterjournalen s Golden Album " readers " poll, Henriksson returns with music that foregrounds collective interplay, shifting forms, and a strong compositional voice. Born in Gothenburg and now active across Sweden and Europe, Henriksson has collaborated and toured with artists including Lars Jansson, Hakan Broström, Erik Söderlind, Klas Lindquist, Jonas Kullhammar and Christina von Bülow. Alongside leading his own ensembles, he remains a soughtsought-after bassist in a wide range of projects, balancing a deep connection to the jazz tradition with a modern, exploratory approach. Shapeshifter is built around a core quartet of tenor saxophone, piano, double bass and drums, expanded with guitar on three tracks and trombone on two. The album moves fluidly between contrasting moods, from forceful and driving to reflective and restrained, with each piece shaped by the musicians " intuition and responsiveness. The title reflects Henriksson s compositional philosophy: allowing roles, textures, and forms to evolve as the music unfolds.The ensemble brings together long long-standing musical relationships. Pianist Rasmus Sorensen and Henriksson have collaborated since their studies at Skurups Folkhögskola (Henriksson is a longstanding member of Sorensen s own trio), while drummer Jonas Bäckman forms part of a well well-established rhythm section partnership with the bassist across numerous projects including the Britta Virves Trio. Saxophonist Karl Karl-Martin Almqvist, a member of the Danish Radio Big Band, completes the quartet, with guitarist Pelle von Bülow and trombonist Rasmus Holm joining the session shortly before recording to expand the album s sonic palette where the music called for it. Originally conceived as a quartet album, Shapeshifter took its final shape in the lead lead-up to recording as additional instrumental colours were introduced organically. The piece Toninho , a tribute to Brazilian guitarist and composer Toninho Horta, features acoustic guitar and subtle wordless vocals, reflecting melodic influences that sit naturally within the album s contemporary jazz framework. Across the record, space, pacing, and interaction remain central. Rather than forcing constant motion, the music allows ideas to develop with clarity and intent, resulting in an album that highlights Henriksson s growing assurance as a composer and bandleader, while keeping the collective at its core.
- 1: Talk To The Lord
- 2: Paint The Rain
- 3: The Gallows
- 4: Shine Your Light On Me
- 5: Your Love Is My Shelter
- 6: I Will Praise You
- 7: I'm Going Home
- 8: He Will Lift You Up Higher
- 9: Sweet Mary
- 10: Home At Last
- 11: You Make My World Go Round
- 12: Last Farewell
Release week Focus Track: Paint the Rain RELEASE TIMELINE 12/10 - TMR signs Natalie Bergman Announcement with video on Youtube: I Will Praise You (Live) 01/27 - Announce w/ PreSave/PreOrder IG1: Talk to the Lord + (music video) 02/24 - IG2: Shine Your Light On Me + (music video) 03/24 - IG3: I Will Praise You (album version) 04/21 - IG4: I’m Going Home Potential Video Asset - Live set of all the IG tracks released 05/05 - IG5 and Official Music Video: Paint the Rain 05/07 - STREET DATE w/ Focus Track: Paint the Rain Mercy is Natalie Bergman's debut, a self-produced solo album recorded in the strangest of times, during a personal period of profound sadness and reinvention. It's startling, and often beautiful — a rush to the edge of the cliff, with an unflinching look below Recorded at her brother's home studio in Los Angeles, CA, Bergman has already had a lengthy, successful career as one half of the brother-sister duo Wild Belle, but this is the first time she wrote and played all the material. This record absolutely pulses with redemptive power; it is replenishing and original, and deeply cathartic. And before we go any further, you should know that this is kind of a gospel record. It should also be said -- Natalie made this record because she absolutely had to. The music of Mercy began to germinate a few months after she lost her father in a wrong-way, head-on collision. He and her step-mother were killed by a drunk driver. Shortly after, Natalie visited a monastery in the southwestern desert, and there she began to embark on this album. "The first song I wrote on Mercy was 'Home At Last,'" she says. "It is the best song I have ever written. I sing a lot about home on this record. Believing in that place has been my greatest consolation. I had an urgency and desperation to know that my father was there. His sudden death was a whirling chaos that assaulted my mind. This album provided me with my only hope for coming back to life myself. Gospel music brings hope. It is the good news; it’s exemplary. It can bring you truth. It can keep you alive. These songs have kind of written themselves, and they rely on me to sing them.” Natalie Bergman made one of the first great albums of 2021.
Released on Limited Edition Black Vinyl with a replica of the original sleeve and insert (300 Copies only). The beginning of the 1980s wasn't a great time to be young. Between 1979 and 1981 youth unemployment more than doubled to over 900,000. Many approaches were tried to tackle the problem and one of the more innovative was the Arts Opportunity Theatre a charity founded in Bristol by Reynold Duncan and Yvonne Deutschman. Financed by assorted public bodies, it aimed to train young people in a range of performing arts as well as the multiple skills needed to produce, organise and put on shows. Over a seven year period the Arts Opportunity Theatre put on a succession of shows not only locally, but travelling as far as the Continent and trained hundreds of young people in everything from music to book keeping. People who passed through the collective would go on to form the core of many local bands and be involved in a large proportion of Bristol music releases, especially reggae. The first show put on in 1981 and 1982 was "Freedom City" which prominently featured Zion Band. In May 1982 the Zion Band musicians from the show went into Right Track Studio in Bristol and recorded four vocals and two dubs that would be released the following January on a 12" single. Back in 2011 Bristol Archive Records included "Twelve Tribes" on a compilation and would later also compile "Babylon Fire/Babylon Dub", but the other three tracks could only be found on the scarce original 12" which in recent years has rocketed in price fetching in excess of £150. We believe music should be affordable and available so 2026 will see Bristol Archive Records reissue the Zion Band "Freedom City" 12" in it's entirety, complete with its original picture sleeve and insert with a limited pressing of 300 copies on black vinyl. This release is dedicated to the late Reynold Duncan RIP.
- Thursday's Bells
- 2: X1
- Fog (You Just Don't Know)
- X Says
- 1898:
- Sparrows Hill
- Sister
- Halb Leib I
- Brain Pan Farmer
- Purple Born
- Atahualpa
- Pugilist
Red Vinyl[23,32 €]
In this post Sounds world, the boundaries of Post Punk have not only broadened but splintered. And over the course of (now) four releases, Index For Working Musik have seen to using the sprawling boundaries to great effect, flexing a polyglot of styles to convey the language of the moment. On Which Direction Goes The Beam, the murky, distant ambience that was 2023's Indexé has been fleshed out, incorporating everything from the Brian Aldiss laced, ground lightning shudder of Dome, to the chamber-like arrangements of This Kind Of Punishment. There's even a candle flickering in the window for Think Fellers Union Local 282 that warmed these ears. And if you're a fan of the great Dutch band, Trespassers W (who isn't?), the collective consciousness IFWM enunciates on here is a similar testament of a band growing more sure footed in the pursuit of not only knowing all the ways in, but carving a few of their own on the way out. And it's discerning releases like Which Direction Goes The Beam that keep us in the hunt. Long may they forge. - Tom Lax. RIYL: Brian Jonestown Massacre, Velvet Underground, TOY, John Cale, Wire, Dome
Steve Bug and Pornbugs team up on Behind The Glass / On The Swing with remixes from Mihai Popoviciu and Markus Homm.
Unsung House hero, Steve Bug has been there and done it all. Arguably Germany’s most important pioneer, his label Poker Flat has been an epoch-defining imprint. Celebrating 20 years of Bondage Pornbugs are mixing in different circles with recent releases for Selador and Acker Dub, showcasing their crossover appeal with a new generation of DJs.
Opening with ‘On The Swing’ we are delighted by classic deep vibes with a modern twist. Grooevsome and warm, this will get the floor going anywhere in the world. On remix duties, Mihai Popoviciu drops his trademark style, smoothing out the bumps for a deeper ride.
Next up, ‘Behind The Glass’ takes a similar path. Soulful warmth exudes from the speakers as the bumpy bass and echoing keys mark time. Reaching a crescendo with muted acid undertones in the second half keeps attention high and the dancefloor full and happy. For his remix, Markus Homm takes it deeper with shades of Detroit. Liquid cool for the later floors.
Djrum's first release since 2019, the Meaning’s Edge EP is an introduction to a whole new world. For the artist also known as Felix Manuel, it was created in the final stretches of six rather traumatic years work. Having carefully honed his techniques and aesthetics, and learned some hard-won emotional lessons over this time, finally he began to work in a quicker, lighter fashion – and to cleanse his palate a little by bringing in a fresh ingredient: his own flute playing. For listeners, though, it will serve as an appetiser, a way into the delights and complexities of this new phase of his creativity.
It’s a serious work in its own right, mind. The use of flutes – including Bansuri, Shakuhatchi, Western Classical, and synthesised all blending and blurring into one another – gives it a coherence and a sense of airiness that unites the five tracks over half an hour, however divergent their beats get. And as in all his music, Felix’s whole life is in here. Ethnomusicology studies, untold hours of DJing everywhere from the gnarliest squat raves to the most rarefied deep house clubs, explorations of his own neurological and emotional makeup, and the technical finesse of someone who is never not creating music or art, all roll into an experience that’s dazzling, delightful and keeps on giving.
Just the opening track ‘Codex’ alone touches on OG dubstep, Aphex Twin-like braindance, post-classical exploration, movie themes and more. The gentle tones and melodies that rise up out of it perfectly conjure Felix’s running theme of a protective bubble that provides a sense of safety and tranquillity even as the beats and acid gurgles and spurts all around it conjure up the slings and arrows of life’s difficulties.
The tone set, the EP moves through ultra-rarefied glass-like percussion in an almost ambient setting, hints of grime’s counterintuitive patterns, and even more hectic patterns influenced by Tanzania’s hyperspeed singeli style of dance music – but always with that perfect balance of chaos and control, unpredictability and protection. It rewards playing and replaying endlessly, it’s a profound and often joyous experience… and it’s only just the beginning. This is the return of a master craftsperson more focused than ever on his vision and vocation and ready to blow your mind all over again.
Mastered and cut on 140g black vinyl by legendary mastering engineer Matt Colton at Metropolis Studios, London. Pressed at optimal media, Germany.
- 1: Missionary Of Mercy
- 2: Puppet Regime
- 3: Canary
- 4: Blaze Of Obscurity
- 5: Retaliate!
- 6: Hypochondriac
- 7: Enemy Within
- 8: The Brotherhood
Pariah’s cult album re-issued! “Blaze of Obscurity” brings you pure Thrash Metal fury! Satan changed their name to Pariah in 1988-1989. There’s Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, the list seems almost endless. Sub-genres are important in metal and bands are quickly classified and labeled. Pariah (the last re-incarnation of Satan) is one of few bands that are difficult if not impossible to classify. Is it Heavy metal? NWOBHM? Thrash Metal? Pariah did not make it easy to describe their sound. It might be too sophisticated to simply label it Heavy Metal, which in its infancy was a rather simple affair.
They don’t sound like any Metal band out there, perhaps discounting some of the more aggressive and technical ones, and then the signature NWOBHM sound is added. The guitar playing by Russ Tippins and Steve Ramsey is undeniably what defines Pariah as well as Satan in the past. Undeniably, Satan has gone a long way; from humble NWOBHM beginnings, to Experimental/Melodic Mettal (in Blind Fury) and something that could be described as a NWOBHM/Thrash Metal hybrid (“The Kindred”). It’s as if they’ve been experimenting trying to find their identity, and theyfinally found it. Stylistically, “Blaze of Obscurity” could be seen a step back to “Suspended Sentence”, but this time around they got everything right, down to the last note. Those who have heard Satan know what to expect: great guitar playing.
And sure enough, “Blaze of Obscurity” is a demonstration of guitar mastery and is overall a very guitar-driven album, with plenty of mind-boggling riffs and solos are all over the place, but more importantly, it’s a demonstration of some amazing songwriting as well. This is easily Pariah/Satan’s creative peak and one of the most consistent albums I’ve ever heard, featuring eight great and conceptually perfect songs with lyrics that come across as sophisticated and thought-provoking. It is not fair to put the entire spotlight on Tippins and Ramsey though since the drumming and bass work from Sean Taylor and Graham English really shines. The rhythm is fast and tight, keeping it focused, aggressive and intense till the end. Vocalist Michael Jackson (yes, that’s his name) has to be commended too as this is easily his careers best performance.
The verdict: “Blaze of Obscurity”: the level of musical genius expressed here, along with near flawless songwriting, is more than enough to skyrocket it to heights reserved only for classics. Probably not your choice for some light listening those quiet Sunday evenings, but those who take a more serious, intellectual approach when selecting their music will find very much to appreciate here.
Tracklisting
- 1: Intro
- 2: Concrete Hell
- 3: Rotting On A Golden Throne
- 4: Pigs Will Be Pigs
- 5: Tin God
- 6: Deception Of The Weak
- 7: Mental Vacation
- 8: Killing Taste
- 9: No Alibi
DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS is proud to present ZERRE’s highly anticipated second album, Rotting on a Golden Throne, on CD and vinyl LP formats. From the cellars of Würzburg, Germany, ZERRE have been keeping the torch of old-school thrash metal burning while carving their own vicious path. Their sound draws on the razor-sharp aggression of classic Metallica and Exodus and the stomping groove of early Faith No More: no frills, no mercy. Their third full-length, 2024’s Scorched Souls, tore through the scene and earned critical acclaim for its searing riffs and unflinching energy. Now, ZERRE take a decisive step forward with Rotting on a Golden Throne. Darker, more overtly political, and more aggressive than its predecessor, this fourth full-length dives headfirst into the rot of power, corruption, and human decay – a brutal soundtrack for a world teetering on the edge. Onstage, ZERRE embody the chaos of their music: riff-driven assaults, breakneck tempos, and a raw intensity that leaves no room to breathe. On record, while those influences still remain, but the DNA has been splintered into something more unique and definitely more powerful: thrashing, yes, but within a crossover framework that feels titanic. The production is razor-sharp, but with ominous atmosphere to spare; the execution is even sharper, as the drumming especially pulses like a dread locomotive; and vocals spit forth venom, raging against a machine fatted by suffering. As the throne collapses, ZERRE deliver the anthem of its fall. Keep on Rotting on a Golden Throne!
- 1: Return Of The North Star (Produced By Bt)
- 2: House Of Flying Daggers (Produced By J Dilla)
- 3: Sonny's Missing (Produced By Pete Rock)
- 4: Pyrex Vision (Produced By Marley Marl)
- 5: Cold Outside (Produced By Atl / Ice Water Inc)
- 6: Black Mozart (Produced By Rza)
- 7: Gihad (Produced By Necro)
- 8: New Wu (Produced By Rza)
- 9: Penitentiary (Produced By Bt)
- 10: Baggin Crack (Produced By Erick Sermon)
- 11: Surgical Gloves (Produced By The Alchemist)
- 12: Broken Safety (Produced By Scram Jones)
- 13: Canal Street (Produced By Ice Water)
- 14: Ason Jones (Produced By J Dilla)
- 15: Have Mercy (Produced By Moss)
- 16: 10 Bricks (Produced By J Dilla)
- 17: Fat Lady Sings (Produced By Ice Water Inc)
- 18: Catalina (Produced By Dr. Dre And Mark Batson)
- 19: We Will Rob You (Produced By Allah Justice)
- 20: About Me (Produced By Dr. Dre And Mark Batson)
- 21: Mean Streets (Produced By Allah Mathematics)
- 22: Kiss The Ring (Produced By Scram Jones)
- 23: Walk Wit Me (Produced By Scram Jones)
- 24: Badlands (Produced By Bt)
First released in 2009, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II stands as Raekwon’s celebrated sequel to the Purple Tape, expanding his cinematic mafioso rap universe.
This newly designed instrumental edition removes the vocals to place full focus on the album’s production, featuring beats by J Dilla, Dr. Dre, RZA, Pete Rock, The Alchemist, and more.
For the first time ever on vinyl, the instrumentals are presented as a standalone listening experience, revealing the album’s grit, mood, and layered sound design.
Pressed on classic black vinyl and housed in a heavy matte-finish jacket with spot gloss text, the Shaolin Noir Edition keeps the spotlight on the music itself, serving as a clean, essential companion to one of Raekwon’s most acclaimed releases.
Riva Starr returns to Rekids with the ‘Shine A Light’ EP
The Snatch! Records boss follows up 2022’s appearance on the label with Mark Broom as Star B.
Italian producer and DJ Riva Starr returns to Rekids with the ‘Shine A Light’ EP, arriving 27th March 2026. It marks his solo debut for Radio Slave’s flagship label, succeeding his ‘Love Will Remain’ EP together with Mark Broom as Star B in 2022. Active for more than two decades, Starr has been a consistent force within House music, known for building infectious loops, weighty basslines, and hook-led vocals into timeless club records. His catalogue spans his own Snatch! Records alongside labels such as Hot Creations, Cajual, Crosstown Rebels, and Factory 93, with releases regularly topping digital charts.
Riva Starr’s ‘Shine A Light’ EP starts with 'Can't Stop The Feeling’, setting the tone with a bold, elastic House groove, driven by funky bass, smart filter work, and diva-style vocal stabs designed to lift the room. ‘Shine A Light (On Me)’ follows with even greater impact, pairing wall-rattling drums with belting vocals that bring gospel intensity to a hands-in-the-air anthem. ‘Tryin’’ digs deeper, keeping the pressure on with a sleazier bassline underpinning male vocal cries and smooth choral touches built for peak-time reactions. Closing things out, ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling (Beat-A-Pella)’ strips the groove back, rounding off a high-impact, emotionally charged EP of modern house craftsmanship.
Roberto Zanetti, better known as Savage or Robyx, is without a doubt a fully realized artist. When he stepped into the world of dance electronics in 1983, success came instantly. Not only across Italy, but far beyond its borders. Alongside his own chart-defining run as Savage, Zanetti was simultaneously shaping the scene from behind the desk, developing talent and refining a signature sound that would define an era. By the late ’80s, Robyx was already an established powerhouse producer. Around that time, he wrote three tunes for Maurizio Felici, performing under the alias Wilson Ferguson. These tracks carried all the hallmarks of Zanetti’s late-’80s aesthetic: lush melodies, smooth, flowing arrangements and high-energy grooves built for the dancefloor. In Europe, where house music was rapidly taking over, this sound faced tougher competition, but in Japan, where Eurobeat was exploding into the mainstream, these productions were untouchable. Felici’s rich, throaty vocal delivery gave the tracks an unmistakable emotional weight and identity.
Responding to long-standing requests from fans, Vintage Pleasure Boutique now revisits the most melancholic and emotionally charged of these three recordings: “I’m Singing Again”, a bittersweet tale of lost love told through the language of Italo disco. It’s a perfect fusion of Savage’s late-’80s sonic elegance and a truly distinctive vocal performance.
For this new release, the story is pushed one step further with a fresh remix, slightly faster in BPM and clearly nodding to Robyx’s classic Eurobeat instincts, a version built to move bodies while keeping the original’s emotional core intact.
Follow up to Goodge's 2023 album Echoes Of Yesterday. Previous releases found on Hip Dozer and Cascade Records. Tracks found on the popular Spotify Mellow Beats playlist. 11th in 'Jet Set' Cold Busted series. Designed and manufactured similar to the vintage 60's style rice paper sleeves. In his latest EP, Sunday Soul, Goodge takes listeners on a four-track journey through the heart of funk, masterfully blending elements of R&B, jazz, and chilled lo-fi. Released as part of Cold Busted's Jet Set series, this four-song offering follows Goodge's 2023 album Echoes Of Yesterday and showcases his dedication to crafting timeless music. "Lights Out" kicks off the EP with heavy funk and stirring breakbeats, accompanied by a scratchy guitar that summons the revolutionary spirit of the '70s. Horns serve as a call to action, while a rollicking bass line and chunky electric piano might inspire listeners to go out and fight crime. "Promised Land" follows, featuring a formidable funk bass guitar and lead guitar chords that rhythmically play off the delightfully busy drums, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of the city's bustle. The title track, "Sunday Soul," is a rowdy affair with a speech-over-beats leading to crispy snare rolls and chiming electric piano. Shaker magic, staccato horn bleats, and spiral flute bits combine to create a swirling vintage-hued photograph of sound. The EP concludes with "Within Myself," a spacier sonic experience that could serve as the soundtrack for chasing someone across rooftops. It's funk spelled with a capital K. Sunday Soul is a must-listen for fans of of the heavier side of funk, solidifying Goodge's position as a master of his craft, creating a nostalgic yet fresh soundscape that keeps listeners grooving back for more.
NOSUCHKEY makes a bold debut on the Art of Memory label with a deadly four track EP of masterfully reduced but stylish and evocative minimal techno. NOSUCHKEY is actually a side project from Nico Purman. He served up the first two releases on the label and this new alias is focused on straight forward techno. Over more than a decade Purman has established himself on Vakant, Crosstown Rebels and Curle, and now heads in an exciting new direction designed to make a huge impact on the floor. Opener 'Stages' is post minimal techno with a focus on mind melting melodic riffs that ripple over the rooted drums. It is sci-fi in style with a hint of Detroit greats like Jeff Mills and really takes you into the future. The excellent 'FMFMFM' is another fluid bit of deep techno that is wired up with languid synths constantly wrapping and warping round the drums. Keeping up the pressure is 'Lunch', with a stripped back but impactful techno style built on rubbery kicks and with modulated synth lines constantly shapeshifting throughout the mix. Direct but dynamic, it is excellently timeless techno that leads on to closer 'ACD RDFN'. There is urgency, paranoia and cyber tension in this one that really keeps you locked as it journeys deep into a blackened yet cinematic cosmic abyss. NOSUCHKEY is a false address, a lack of a word, a character or sign that makes a whole code unable to find its final path: The Specified Key does not exist.
- 1: Prologue
- 2: Transmutation
- 3: I Stand Alone
- 4: Social Decomposition
- 5: Mine Is The Hand
The Evolution Has Begun. Dedicated with love and honor to the memories of Peter Steele and Keith Alexander, Carnivore A.D. emerged as a post armageddon neo barbaric soundscape - a relentless force keeping the primal energy of Carnivore alive on stages and festivals around the world. Formed by NYC Hardcore and Metal veterans Baron Misuraca (vocals & bass – ex-SHEER TERROR), Chuck Lenihan (guitar – ex-CRUMBSUCKERS), and Joe Cangelosi (drums – ex-KREATOR, WHIPLASH, MASSACRE). Co-founded with full endorsement by original drummer Louie Beateaux, Carnivore A.D. has honored its roots by performing the explosive and brilliant works of Peter Steele with intensity, respect and raw power. But now, with the release of their first-ever studio EP "Transmutation", Carnivore A.D. transcends tribute.
They have challenged themselves to write new material - not to replace the original legacy, but to continue its spirit through their own lens. While the legacy of Carnivore remains sacred, Carnivore A.D. has become something more than its origin - a band with its own scars, its own instincts, and now, its own songs. “Think of Carnivore AD as a renowned dining establishment where it’s Chef passed on years ago but the recipes remain and folks still want to dine there instead of cooking the food themselves. And Chef Pete wouldn’t mind because his friends are making it with love.”- Louie Beateaux.
F
ourth record already here, new Triptych being scooped out of the drawers. This one is heavily video game inspired and marks a turning point for me. I’ve somehow been very much drawn to what I call “boss fight techno”, this is the result of this cogitation.
Total Debauchery kicks off the record with truculence. The title says it all, we’re very far away from warm up time, all hell let loose, big energy discharge, weird stereo bassline, pure madness. Gate Middletone certainly is wonky. It sounds like an anesthetized telephone call. I don’t know if we can refer to this as techno, but who cares, groove is spotless. Absolute Buffoonery started off as a joke with hoover sounds in mind. Turns out it is very danceable and weird enough to be on the record. It still is a foolery.
The B side starts with Demonic Shine. This one is purely dedicated to zombie games. I’ve been thinking about how techno could be interpreted for this kind of stuff. Turns out you can shoot dead people and dance at the same time. Good time. Zany Ditherings is a hard drive that keeps crashing. It disrupts the track, making it spasmodic. You are in a convulsive loop of data being thrown out the window. dc11 accepted this remix operation. His work acts as counterpoint to the record, bringing flawless techno tunneling. Buckle up mate.
199’s co-founder Front Bench delivers four sparkling dancefloor cuts on ‘Fractal Boundary’, the label’s debut vinyl offering. The London-based producer, who has emerged in glimpses throughout 199’s digital release series, raises hairs from the outset with ‘Standing Still In A Waking Dream’. A thundering kick/clap pattern beats along purposefully under a string-like riff that twangs like an elastic band, the track rising and falling with operatic intensity, before ‘Fractal Boundary’ - the EP’s title track - restores some order. A slight syncopation gives the drums a laidback shrug while looping synth melodies dance in wistful circles.
On the other side, ‘Drawing Contact’ is a rolling cascade of layered synth lines, crashing softly over one another and creating a broody, melancholic tension above warbling bass tones and warm, fuzzy percussion. ‘Something’ brings the EP to a cozy end. A cluster of sparse, crisp drum sounds go to work with a metronomic vocal chop keeping the pace, while an urgent bassline pushes and pulls between lullaby-soft synth hooks.
DJ Support: Kerri Chandler, Louie Vega, Dam Swindle, Jovonn, Brian Tappert, Grant Nelson, Mark Farina, DJ Mes, Cinthie, Floorplan, Kevin Yost, Fouk, Julius Papp, T. Markakis and more..
Raffaele Ciavolino is an Italian DJ, producer, and professional engineer who has carved out a significant niche in the global house music scene. His work is characterized by a sophisticated blend of Jazzy, Funky, and Deep House, often incorporating the high-energy "Jackin" house style that has earned him consistent recognition on major genre labels. “Come In To The Jazz”, the title of his new Album, gives you an idea of what to expect - jazzy melodies and sophisticated house beats. He does so with a modern viewpoint but also plenty of reverence for the glory days of jazzy house. Trumpets and guitars feature here and embellish the drums with quality, meaningful layers of melody and mood. As he merges the past and present, this richly textured work shines with improvisation and timeless deep house warmth.
Unncecessary is the first EP released on his own label by Nocturnerror, extremely appreciated by the Bass scene led by Zuli, who many times has played his tracks in Web Radios such as NTS, Rinse FM, etc..
“Unnecessary" is the title of the second release on A Flooded Need. Previously tangled in the most slippery meanders of electronic music with strong punk and wave reminiscences, 1/2 of Hyperlacrimae alongside 11xxx27, Nocturnerror approaches this work in a totally different way. The six tracks of the EP, in fact, represent a melting pot of hybrid influences between audacious bass music, cinematic and cacophonic IDM, totally deconstructed techno - stripped of its dance component - and dirty rave jungle.”
Insert — Web zine
- 1: Pendulum Swing
- 2: Keeper
- 3: Cons And Clowns
- 4: Magic Touch
- 5: Little Picture Of A Butterfly
- 6: Outsider
- 7: Everyone Wants To Feel Like You Do
- 8: Only The Best For Baby
- 9: Best Friend
- 10: Hangman
Indie Exclusive[28,15 €]
Courtney Marie Andrews has long been celebrated as an artist who challenges herself, and who finds new interplays of Folk and Americana.. Also a vivid poet and accomplished painter, she brings a multidisciplinary richness to her work that shines throughout her 9th studio album, Valentine. Co-produced with Jerry Bernhardt and recorded almost entirely to tape, the album features complete in-studio performances that prize raw performance rather than perfection. It is Andrews’s most sonically explorative record thus far – she plays flute, high strung guitars, myriad synths, and draws heavy inspiration from her art outside of music. Her voice is gorgeous and acrobatic always, but on Valentine it finds a new depth, an assertiveness that brings new dimension to its biggest anthems and its softest moments. Written during a period of profound endings and new beginnings, Valentine is a vulnerable exploration of love vs. limerence. While anticipating the imminent loss of a loved one who would eventually recover, a new but uncertain romance began to develop. Rather than lift her up, the two emotional poles seemed to bleed into each other to sow doubt, trouble, even obsession. But through her own exploration of music and art, Andrews found a way to grow stronger inside this feeling. “I didn’t want to slink into my pain, I wanted to embrace it, own it” she says. The songs that emerged are devotional in their lyrics but defiant in their energy; it’s the very sound of a woman standing in her first wisdom. With Valentine, Andrews rejects the objectification of love, the love filled with gestures and objects instead of trust, mess, and growth. In doing so, she delivers her most beautiful and loving album to date.
- 1: Silent Talk
- 2: Autumn Speak
- 3: Archeological Longing
- 4: See Saw Seen
- 5: To The Test
- 6: Buried Way Out
- 7: Person Count
- 8: Song For Mary Black
- 9: Soso
REVIEWS
"Utterly gorgeous. This magnificent album is the gift that keeps on giving. Downright essential"
Electronic Sound (No. 6 Album Of The Year 2022)
"A cosmic swoon that plays with closeness and distance in the realm of revelation"
Pitchfork - 7.6
"Gloriously introspective"
Sunday Times
2022 Album Of The Year
The Thin Air








































