Suche:the master of drums

Few bands in the UK's heavy underground have quite managed to reach the dizzying technical heights of progressive death metal quartet LUNA'S CALL. The Lincolnshire based band are now ready to surpass their own high watermark they set with 2015's debut record Divinity, with their long-awaited sophomore album 'Void' being set for release on Listenable records. 'Void' is a highly ambitious opus crafted from extreme technical wizardry and an eclectic sound palette that reaches from progressive rock, technical death metal and neo-classical. The album has been mixed and mastered by legendary producer Russ Russell (Napalm Death, At The Gates, Amorphis). Listeners will stand in awe of the complexity and dynamic ebb and flow that Luna's Call conjure, pushing their sound and scope further forward with an even grander and more epic statement. 'Void' is a delightful showcase of pummeling drums, shredding riffs, spacey synths and varied vocal styles, across a record that explores themes of observing the Earth's environmental destruction from the vastness of outer space. LUNA'S CALL have become a vital staple-piece of the UK's vibrant metal scene with performances at Bloodstock Open Air Festival 2018 and Badgerfest 2019. LUNA'S CALL have performed with acclaimed acts including Hundred Year Old Man, Moloch, zhOra and more. With 'Void', Luna's Call aim to take themselves further forward with the potential to tour and play large festivals in the future.

Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Devin Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing. By 1997, he had recruited permanent members; this line-up, which consisted of Townsend on vocals and guitar, Jed Simon on guitar, Byron Stroud on bass, and Gene Hoglan on drums, lasted until the band's dissolution. Strapping Young Lad's music was characterized by the use of polyrhythmic guitar riffing and drumming, blast beats and wall of sound production. band leader Devin Townsend was also noted for his eccentric appearance and on-stage behaviour, which greatly contributed to the band's intense live performances. The band gained critical success and a growing underground fan base from their 1997 album City. After a hiatus between 1999 and 2002, the band released three more albums, reaching their commercial peak with the 2006 effort, The New Black. Townsend disbanded Strapping Young Lad in May 2007, announcing his decision to retreat from public view while continuing to record solo albums. Listenable is now extremely delighted to be releasing All Strapping Young Lad beyond Legendary studio albums on De Luxe Limited Edition Vinyls. A brand new vinyl master has been made for each album. All albums include bonus tracks . Grab them now !.

Strapping Young Lad was a Canadian extreme metal band formed by Devin Townsend in Vancouver in 1994. The band started as a one-man studio project; Devin Townsend played most of the instruments on the 1995 debut album, Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing. By 1997, he had recruited permanent members; this line-up, which consisted of Townsend on vocals and guitar, Jed Simon on guitar, Byron Stroud on bass, and Gene Hoglan on drums, lasted until the band's dissolution. Strapping Young Lad's music was characterized by the use of polyrhythmic guitar riffing and drumming, blast beats and wall of sound production. band leader Devin Townsend was also noted for his eccentric appearance and on-stage behaviour, which greatly contributed to the band's intense live performances. The band gained critical success and a growing underground fan base from their 1997 album City. After a hiatus between 1999 and 2002, the band released three more albums, reaching their commercial peak with the 2006 effort, The New Black. Townsend disbanded Strapping Young Lad in May 2007, announcing his decision to retreat from public view while continuing to record solo albums. Listenable is now extremely delighted to be releasing All Strapping Young Lad beyond Legendary studio albums on De Luxe Limited Edition Vinyls. A brand new vinyl master has been made for each album. All albums include bonus tracks . Grab them now !.
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Originally released in 1961 on Prestige label, this album stands as one of Steve Lacy's earliest Monk's music explorations. A reflective journey through the visionary world of the high priest of Bop

featuring the great Don Cherry on trumpet, the solid Carl Brown on bass and the marvelous Billy Higgins on drums. An historical studio session based on a Monk/Ellington split track list including four Monk's compositions and two lesser known Ellington pieces. After sixty years, it's still pure joy, listening to the soprano sax master matching with Cherry's harmolodic pocket trumpet.

CLAMM could not have come from anywhere other than Melbourne, Australia. Theirs is a city that bleeds music. Iconic bands such as Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Total Control have built on the city's history of open-hearted, fist-in-throat, fiercely independent music. Scenes centring around labels like Antifade, Flightless and Cool Death have held the torch for countless groups as good as any in the world. However, CLAMM arrived completely apart from any established scene or sound. They began playing shows in 2019, sharing bills with virtually anyone who would have them. Jack Summers (vocals/guitar) and Miles Harding (drums) had been friends and musical collaborators since early childhood. Under various banners, they performed for years with friends and siblings across Melbourne's underground landscape. It wasn't until they found Maisie Everett (vocals/bass) that the CLAMM picture was complete. Debut album Beseech Me was recorded with Nao Anzai (Rolling Blackouts, Floodlights, NO ZU) and mixed and mastered by Total Control's Mikey Young.

LEGENDARY SESSION ! FIRST TIME EVER ON VINYL AND CUT DIRECTLY FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES WITH NO DIGITAL PROCESS WHATSOEVER!!!

TIP ON SLEEVE PRINTED JUST LIKE THE OLD NIMBUS LP’s FROM THE 70’s and 80’s… BRAND NEW ARTWORK FROM ORIGINAL SESSION PHOTOS AND LINER NOTES BY Mark Weber

At long last…On Vinyl…From original tapes. 3/5ths of the Quintet that recorded "‘the Giant is Awakened’ LP in 1969…this album sat unreleased for 20+ years before it saw a small run on cd (with poor mastering the early 2000’s), now, 40 years after it was recorded, finally released in the original format it was intended for….This LP sounds fresh and amazing…if you’ve only heard the cd, you’ve not truly heard this lost gem in its full glory. edition of 500




Born in Mississippi in 1937 and beginning to play the saxophone at 14, Billie Harris relocated to Los Angeles in 1965 after a 4 year stint in the Air Force, becoming one of the great, unsung forces of underground jazz in the city for many years (he later relocated to the Mojave Desert, where, at last record, he still plays in a church band). A Venice Beach street musician and longtime member of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra - you can hear him playing on Live at I.U.C.C. and Flight 17, as well as Jesse Sharps Quintet & P.A.P.A.’s Sharps and Flats (reissued in 2018) - he was also director of the AZZ IZZ jazz club in Venice Beach during the 70s.




On April 29 and May 3, 1980, Harris entered the studio, backed by Horace Tapscott on piano, David Bryant on bass, Daa’oud Woods on percussion, and Everett Brown Jr on drums, recording, over those two days what was to be his only outing as a leader. Once heard, the tragic lack of further material can’t be ignored. It is a truly stunning piece of work, even more surprising for the fact that it sat unreleased for over 20 years, only to be released as a small, poorly mastered edition on CD during the early 2000’s. Now, finally appearing very first time on the format and label for which it was intended, 40 years after it was recorded, we can hear this lost gem in all its glory.




Harris was 43 years old at the time of the Nimbus West sessions that resulted in I Want Some Water, and the power and experience of his playing, honed over three decades, shows in full force. The band is equally imbued with power, sensitivity, and experience. Tapscott, Bryant, and Brown’s working partnership goes back to 1969, when they recorded Tapscott’s debut as a leader, The Giant Is Awakened. In quintet’s hands, channeling the heavy modal relationships pioneered by Coltrane, heavy spiritual groove lock and unfurl, threaded by the release via incredibly forward-thinking improvisation.




Like so much of the work that came out of the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra scene, I Want Some Water has a giant sound, each track long in length, building slowly over time toward towering heights that leave the listener immersed in one of the greatest treasures of spiritual jazz that almost nobody ever heard. Rhythmic, rollicking, and tonally inspired, the joyous interplay of the band goes deep, locked in, and challenging the predictable path, while making nods to numerous, discreet traditions of music.




As far as reissues go, Nimbus’ first ever vinyl pressing of Harris’ I Want Some Water is about as good as it gets. Not only does it deliver some of the best music we’ve heard all year, but it takes huge steps toward allowing a crucial artist to be celebrated in a way that he’s always deserved.

Cut directly from the original master tapes, featuring brand new artwork from the original sessions and liner notes from Mark Weber, and issued in a limited edition of 500 copies, it’s an absolute must that can’t be missed.

Guitarist Paulo Morello and his three equally talented co-musicians merge jazzy bop and the variety of rhythms, forms and moods of Brazilian music into something new and beautiful.
Paulo Morello has put together an exquisite band for ‘Sambop’, Lula Galvo (born 1962), is the star guest from Brazil on the acoustic guitar and one of the masters of his profession, who has played with Caetano Veloso, Rosa Passos, Ivan Lins and Guinga.
The rhythmic drive is provided by Eduardo ‘’Dudu’’ Penz on electric bass and Mauro Martins on drums - two Brazilians living in Switzerland, for Paulo Morello ‘’the best Brazilian rhythm section in all of Europe’’

Master craftsman James Welburn’s new LP, Sleeper in the Void, marks the 50th Miasmah release.The six years after his monumental debut have bred six tracks Welburn brings to fruition with the help of past co-conspirators from the Norwegian underground scene - Tomas Järmyr (Motorpsycho, Zu, Barchan), Hilde Marie Holsen (Hubro Records), and vocal artist Juliana Venter (W/V, Phil Winter).

On Sleeper in the Void, Welburn expands the domain of his sound, unveiling surprises until the very end of the album’s 36 minute playtime. While the character of the record is unmistakably his own, the tracks veer into many different territories, including a banging foray to the dancefloor.

The LP begins slowly with Raze, where Järmyr’s ritualistic cymbals introduce layers of Welburn’s signature sculpted bass drones and noise, building into a heart-wrenching epic of a track. This is perhaps the closest we ever get to Hold - Welburn’s previous LP. Falling from Time immediately surprises with it’s subdued mechanical techno beat, stark and cold as a glacier. Welburn’s texture-work is the star of the show, creating curious nooks and crannies of drone adorned with eerie melodies straight out of oblivion. This sense of wonder shines through to the album’s title track as well, where Welburn and Järmyr build another patient, echoing, and deeply cinematic piece, the drum patterns slowly shifting around a metallic hum that evokes the vision of church bells, ringing out under tonnes of seawater.

Sleeper in the Void feels like a story in two parts, rising lethargically, but with gargantuan power. The second begins with the momentous In and out of Blue, where Juliana Venter’s disembodied, spectral dirge takes center stage among the furious drums and bassy riffs, reaching a full crescendo with seconds to go. Parallel marks a release - Hilde Marie Holsen’s nostalgic soundscapes, pristine as glass, meeting the distant thunder of Welburn’s strings on the horizon. And finally, Fast Moon ends the record in a most surprising way - a tribal industrialized banger, complete with vile distorted beats and every other spice in demand on a blackened dancefloor.

Welburn’s Sleeper in the Void is a generous shapeshifter. Every inch of its soundwave breathes emotion and imagery - an invitation to take a dive and linger.

“A weird trip of a band…the second this was playing I was
immediately hooked. I initially dove in because their name
was attached to Mikey Young for mastering (I have a rule
with Mikey…if he had his hands on it, it’s probably worth
a listen). This band exceeds in all my trials.
“Esoteric nature, but oddly poppy and ready to prick up
any ears out there. Deconstructed, but full of hooks. If I
were a lazy man, and I am, I would say its for fans of PiL,
but they transcend that pigeon-hole.
“Wonderful production lends its self to this unique LP.
It seems as if the room expands and contracts throughout
songs. Pulling away, then blocking your field of vision entirely.
Wasteland funk. Dub from the depths. Punk from
the pit.
“Even the instrumentation is worth mentioning:
saxophone, drums (and cut-up drums), guitar, synthesizer,
vocals (poetry) and general fuckery all combine to make
this a very interesting and worthwhile escape from the
average. And thank the Gods for that right now. Inspired
and desired by the active mind. A job well done by EXEK,
and there’s new stuff brewing too...
“For fans of BEAK>, Phantom Band, PIL and general
Jah Wobbleness, Magazine, short-wave radio, ESG and
underground Kraut”. —John Dwyer

December 4th, 2020 -- THE LICKERISH QUARTET — Band members of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Slash’s Snake Pit, Finn Brothers, Alice Cooper, Air Beck – and all formerly of Jellyfish – reunite for 2 nd EP with their first official UK release. Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Tim Smith and Eric Dover are excited to announce their highly anticipated THREESOME VOL.2 EP, to be released 8 th January 2021, will be their first on British indie label Lojinx. The first single, “Snollygoster Goon,” is out now. Of “Snollygoster Goon” Eric Dover says “The music is Adderall-based, in theory, to reflect the absolute breakneck speed at which the corruption flourishes. A frenetic forensic foray into classic old-as-civilization themes involving greed, graft and corruption as applied to any political sphere. The snake oil salesman kissing babies, the saccharine unimaginative public image.” The new release is, naturally, the follow-up to their debut EP, THREESOME VOL.1 - lauded by critics as “a masterpiece” - which was released in May 2020 in the US. With song titles “Snollygoster Goon,” “The Dream That Took Me Over,” “Sovereignty Blues,” and “Do You Feel Better?” Manning, Smith, and Dover’s undeniable chemistry can once again be found throughout THREESOME VOL.2. The songs formed from the same sessions that begun in 2017 offer a slinky and feisty landscape of temptation, freedom of thought, hope and dreams, and a shout out to all who game the systems. An edgy second round of soaring vocals, angular guitars, and pulsing drums, enveloped by timeless keyboard arrangements requires multiple listens to appreciate fully. Manning, Dover and Smith ruminate on the other 3 new songs: “Do You Feel Better?” as told by Tim Smith: A romp along the primrose path of temptations, internal and external, real or imagined, the tiny demons we dance with throughout our lives. A pulsing bass and hypnotic guitar rhythm plays like the backing band to a striptease you’ve sneaked into, and don’t know where to sit, but all are welcome! Some things are more dangerous than others, of course, but this song is sort of a combination of letting your guard down, because of preconceived notions of what’s right or wrong, and justification of actions you think you understand to have under control. Who knows? Experiences do give us perspective, and this song tries to play between the id and superego - a Screwtape letter demon, and an Angel of Mercy. “Sovereignty Blues” as told by Roger Joseph Manning Jr.: “Fears fire’s all they’re fanning, but I won’t light up their fuse.” A tale as old as humanity. Group control over another through the tried and true tactic of fear. And always partnered with a fatal dose of “divide and conquer.” But who’s actually pulling the levers and pushing the buttons of the propaganda machine behind the Wizard of Oz’ curtain of crowd control, so to speak? “THREESOME VOL.2 finds our threesome in fine form, with four new songs to get you through COVID times and beyond!”

Verisimilitude’ continues drummer/composer Tyshawn Sorey’s effort to shatter the jazz piano trio tradition by extending the form to encompass the influence of the likes of Feldman, Debussy and Xenakis.
Now available on vinyl for the first time.
One of the most in-demand drummers in improvised music - he has collaborated extensively with the likes of John Zorn, Vijay Iyer, Steve Lehman, Claire Chase, George Lewis, and Roscoe Mitchell, among myriad others - Sorey is also in the vanguard of artists working in that liminal space between spontaneous composition and notated music.
The New Yorker calls Sorey “among the most formidable denizens of that inbetween zone,” while The Wall Street Journal has called him “a composer of radical and seemingly boundless ideas.”
Featuring Cory Smythe on piano and Chris Tordini on bass, the trio’s first release, ‘Alloy’ (Pi 2014), was described as “shadowy and elegant” by The New York Times. His 2015 release, ‘The Inner Spectrum of Variables’, which also features the same group joined by a string trio, was called “devastatingly gorgeous” by The Chicago Reader and “a genuine masterwork” by Stereogum.
The new work utilizes a wide array of percussion, along with judicious use of electronics to explore a wider textural soundscape. The result is a far-reaching and intensely beautiful work that daringly blurs the boundaries between composition and improvisation.
Personnel: Tyshawn Sorey (drums, percussion), Corey Smythe (piano, toy piano, electronics), Chris Tordini (bass)

For our first release of the year we present to you our fourteenth 7”, a new collaboration between Ojah and Don Fe.

The A side contains the track “Lockdown Hope”, which was written and recorded during the first lockdown of 2020. It’s an uplifting track that invites the listener to dance and dream, bringing optimism with a mix of tough yet alluring militant drums that contrast with the ethereal and inspiring melodies of Don Fe’s flute.

On the B side we find “Lockdown Dub” a stripped down dub version mixed by Ojah that we hope will give you that Sound System dance vibe that we’re all missing (we can’t wait until those days are back!)

Hand-stamped and served in a thick custom reversed kraftliner sleeve.
Produced by Ojah, recorded at Alchemy Dubs Studio, London.
Flute by Don Fe, recorded at Don Fe Studio, Murcia, Spain
Mixed & mastered by Oscar Pablos “Ojah" at Alchemy Dubs Studio, London, 2020.
Graphic design by Victor Castro.

Despite the fact that we are all still hanging in there, 2021 kicks in heavy in style for CHILDHOOD with a killer 4-tracker 12" release by DON WILLIAMS. Thomas and I met a while ago on a dancefloor, however our friendship sealed for good when we met online playing endless Splatoon sessions on Nintendo Switch. Our common interest in a broad range of things and music in particular led to a deep exchange of ideas when it comes to the love for the vinyl product. Having started the label last year with DJ DEEPs VAINCRE EP, I can surely state that Thomas was kind of a mentor and of countless help when it comes to setting things up. I therefore couldn't be happier and more thankful to welcome him to the CHILDHOOD family with BLITHE SPIRIT, a true masterclass EP ranging from experimental and complex rhythms, over driving dancefloor madness to soulful early morning ecstasy cuts. The first 100 copies come in marbled red vinyl. Be sure to grab a copy and while listening to it at home, having in mind that these grooves will tear dancefloors apart in a not so distant future. WE SHALL DANCE TOGETHER! - David Muallem

From Tumaco, in the deep pacific coast of Colombia, Plu con Pla carries forward essential styles such as Bunde and Currulao, which were created by the African diaspora in response to the realities of life in this coastal jungle territory. The musical language of the South Pacific region is traditionally interpreted with a marimba handmade from the wood of the Chontaduro palm tree and resonating tubes of Guadua (similar to bamboo), a large, two-sided bass drum called the bombo, two slender, high-pitched drums called cununos, and cylindrical shaker called a guasá, along with powerful call and response vocals. Plu con Pla brings a mastery of this language and repertoire together with an urgency of exploration and growth, incorporating hard-hitting urban styles such as Hip Hop and Reggae into their expression, and bringing Bass, Drum Set, Keys, and more into the mix. True to their roots, collective process and social justice consciousness is central to both their music and their actions, with lyrics that address hard themes such as racism and civil war, and a continuing commitment to teaching, leading workshops and accompanying the peace process in Colombia.

Rhythm Syndicate Records, Conspire, and Soul Connection, are proud to announce the upcoming release of the "Deep Beats EP". The Second release on the new label will feature four lush Liquid gems that will be a welcome addition to anyone's prized collection. Conspire, a Shrewsbury native, has been a valuable contributor to Soul Deep and Smooth N Groove over the years, and now his productions are being enshrined on an RSR imprint vinyl release. His first track, "Deep Beat," is a smooth rolling tune that boasts snappy drums, lush atmospherics, and slapping percussion, that create the perfect backdrop for the soaring melodies. The song has received heavy play from LTJ Bukem and others in the scene. Conspire"s second offering is a track called, "Late Night," which ditches the smooth rolling sound and attacks the dancefloor with an all out Liquid-Jungle tune, that will heat up the clubs during prime time.

The B-Side of the vinyl release features 2 undeniable cuts from Serbia's Liquid master, Soul Connection. Over the years, soul Connection has released his timeless songs on Soul Deep, Smooth N Groove, and was featured on Big Bud's classic label, Sound Trax Records. "Dub Music," leads off his offerings with its punchy drums, smooth pads, and ticking percussion. The song lives up to its name and pays homage to the Dub music genre, with its washed out reverbs and echoing efx, that softly drift off into the distance, as the lead sounds surge the composition forward. His second offering entitled, "Keep Me High," takes a more Atmospheric approach, but encompasses the critical elements to work in any setting. The ethereal pads lead things off, and when the drop hits the Amen drums are introduced, which help elevate the tune to another level of greatness. The lead sounds fade in and out of the song, creating more interest and allowing the listener to feel the heart and soul of the tune. Overall, Conspire and Soul Connection have crafted 4 masterpieces worthy of vinyl immortality. The vinyl release is set for pre-order in early 2021, so make sure to reserve your copy before it's too late!

Adult Books is the brainchild of Los Angeles-based writer and multi-instrumentalist Nick Winfrey. With the help of childhood friends Sina Salessi (drums) and Alex Galindo (guitar/synth), Winfrey crafts lyric-driven dark pop gems that recall the hook-heavy guitar work of Johnny Marr, the just-below-the-collar angst of Mission of Burma, and the doomsday bellow of early Echo and the Bunnymen.
After a well-received string of bedroom demos and cassettes, Adult Books released their first full-length album, Running from the Blows , in 2016, trading in their previous home-recorded sounds for a cleaned-up act that allowed Winfrey’s pop savvy and understated lyrical wit to shine through. Two years of heavy touring followed, after which Winfrey found himself both burned out and uninspired by the business of music.
Following a much-needed hiatus, Adult Books is finally ready to share their sophomore LP, Grecian Urn . Recorded with Jonny Bell (Crystal Antlers) and mastered by Dave Cooley (Animal Collective, J Dilla) , Grecian Urn was crafted over the course of nearly two years; however, the seeds of the album were sown more than a decade earlier. When sitting down to write Grecian Urn , Winfrey revisited old demos, forgotten voice memos and unfinished fragments of songs to create something wholly new.
The end result is a self-assured and intensely personal album that places Winfrey’s evocative images and economic storytelling approach front and center. A loose concept album of sorts, Grecian Urn draws on classical Mediterranean imagery and mythos as a means of exploring Winfrey’s past traumas and struggles with chronic anxiety.

"Modern Uganda" is a unique project-it's the exquisite debut album of a band, which no longer exists!

delay_okwas a band from Gdańsk, Poland, which was formed in 2017 and played together till 2020 in the belief that making music must be fun. It was a trio consisting ofPiotr Chęcki(tenor and baritone saxophone, flute, casio),Szymon Burnos(synthesizers, moog, guitar, vocals)andJacek Prościński(drums, spdsx, percussion). On this, their debut album you can also hear the peculiar sounds of the Sopot's MDK Orchestra, the guitar ofMichałZ ienkowskiand a Tanzanian rap byAlex(Alex Mussa), met in Zanzibar.

"W e create impulsively, not ignoring our first - sometimes trivial - ideas,because it is in them that we find the joy that accompanied us at the very beginning of our musical paths. W e do it so that we can sit together in front of the speakers and have fun listening to our own songs again. "Modern Uganda" is a small collection of our interests, so we kind of do it out of the selfish need of doing something for
ourselves"

The band oscillates around the sound of IDM, lo-fi, and other sub-genres of modern electronics, with an element of jazz improvisation. The album was DIY recorded and is a tribute to the most famous African ski jumper from Uganda-Dunstan Odeke.

"Modern Uganda" vinyl record comes in two colors(flamingo pink and classic black). Mix and mastering were done byMaciej Milewski, the cover photo with shoebill was taken bynao-cha, a Japanese artist from Tokyo.

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.

A quick, spontané voyage to the French Riviera ca. 1968, good times long before things went south, Organi’s “Parlez-vous Français?” is a woozy, tripping, soothing sojourn: DIY dream pop, hazy psychedelia, blurred-but-steady beats dripping down the golden boulevard, complete with mystical chants, a dash of half-remembered Franglais that goes down like some vintage eau-de-vie. There’s a fine massage waiting behind those venetian blinds. Pay half an hour, you’ll be relaxed and revived after 22 minutes. Très irrésistible when streamed, Organi’s haunting, hard-boiled French lesson is even better with that classique vinyl crackle in the mix.

Following the cinematic title skit with its bass loop appendix, Oakland-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Walti (and his songwriting partner Maryam) aka Organi invites singer Jessica Bailiff along for the majestic entrée, an interpretation of Philamore Lincoln’s 1970 tune “The North Wind Blew South” (doesn’t it always?), adding anticon. heavyweights Jel and Odd Nosdam on synths and bass for à la mode enhancements and additional bric-à- brac.

Whereas the theme tune “Organi” comes with big drums, big organ, seductive overtones, pure hypnosis, “Whispers” is the soundtrack to some kind of psychedelic campfire tableau vivant: all brumeux, hazy, with spare guitar, Gauloises or Gitanes dangling, a glass of Bordeaux waiting on the dusty old amp, and featuring guest vocalists Yea-Ming Chen & Susy Borhan. It gets even more Parisienne after that: a French woman just knows how to look classic, even when all she’s got is some attitude, a ramshackle tambourine, a craving for old Sukia weirdness and those budget-couture “4 Dolla Jeans”...

Clearly in love with analog equipment, Organi turn The Vaselines’ “Slushy” into a slow- moving, bottomless lullaby – “... you'll never miss what you never had” –, and the femme fatale minimalism of “Stay The Night” is too magnétique and alluring: A fuckin’ sexy chanson, très léger and yet such a hard-knockin’ head-nod anthem, it’ll make you stay for sure, hungry for la petite mort.

Before the expansive denouement – a bank robbery in style: with bangs and a bucket bag (“Danger Walked In”) – the session gets super loose on “The Getaway,” head scarves and berets shimmering in the cabriolet, and featuring Jena Ezzadine on vocals & Headnodic on bass.

Mike Walti aka Organi is an Oakland-based musician and producer. A third generation Bay Area native, Walti has been running wyldwood Studios in Oakland CA for 10+ years (recording artists like Why?, Latyrx, Del, Dan The Automator, and Big Freedia, to name but a few). A longtime friend of Odd Nosdam, he loves to work with analog equipment (“We just love us some analog!” “Just listen to those relays purr...”). Recorded and mixed by Mike Walti at wyldwood, and mastered by Odd Nosdam.

They Say: “Exploring the wide range of moods and sounds produced by percussion”.

We say: MPCs at the ready because this does exactly what it says on the tin, to devastating effect. Oh, and the sleeve is stunning.

Originally released in 1979, Percussion Spectrum was produced by the legendary percussionists Barry Morgan and Ray Cooper. With dope beats taking in diverse styles, from funk and soul and jazz through to Latin, Brazilian, samba and Afro-Cuban, this is an amazing sample source filled with killer drum-breaks and percussion flares. Unsurprisingly it’s one of the most sought-after records from the Themes catalogue.

This library LP is a library in itself, with its mix of short themes of single beats, short breaks and some longer, more fully-formed DJ-friendly tracks. Trust us when we say that this is a box full of percussion firework ready to be thrown onto the dancefloor at the just right moment. We don’t have anywhere near enough space to describe all 34 tracks (there isn’t even enough room on the labels to list them all!) so we’ll pick out some favourites.

Favourites like opener “Impulsion”, a percussive masterclass with drum upon drum upon drum making it feel like a neat prototype to the percussive underscores of Peter Lüdemann and Pit Troja’s eternal The Now Generation LP. And the dramatic “Fast Action” is exactly that, racing along on a rapid roll of congas, cymbal crashes and throbbing kicks. “The Chaser” is classic library cop-funk with dilapidated drum figures, and the outrageously funky “Heat On” is the perfect accompaniment to your wild action sequences.

A real highlight is “Runaway”, and not just because it sounds like nothing else on the record. Here are drums and percussion in that tight funk style that just cries out to be sampled. “Percussion Power” is an extended, near-three minute suite of funky drum solo after funky drum solo that just aches to be looped: open drums to die for people! “Shivers” is a tense, apprehensive underscore with shock stabs that builds to a climax whilst “Drums On Parade” is a showcase of head-nod drums and cymbals in march time. Did someone say “funky”?

Side B starts with a stroll down “Samba Street”. With the noise of the crowd in the background, this is riotous, authentically drawn samba that sounds like it’s been beamed straight in from Rio in full flow. Drop this at midnight and watch the cobwebs fly off any dancefloor. Prefer it without the fake crowd? “Samba Street (b)” has you covered.

The simple, innocent “Child’s Themes” (all five of them) provide a nice, sweet respite from all the funk. Nursery sounds tinged with only a touch of melancholy. The gentle marimba solo of “Tropical Peace” only adds to the sense of serenity we get from the relatively calm second side. The album closes out with a veritable toolkit of tom toms, snare drum rolls, timpani, vibraphones and chiming bells.

Percussion Spectrum is a joyous collection of sounds, as bright, beaming and downright funky as the vibrant cover. The Themes series is known for each record having its own particularly striking sleeve, which was unusual for library records at the time, and Percussion Spectrums’s multi-coloured drumsticks make for one of the most eye-catching.

As with all of our other Themes re-issues, the audio for Percussion Spectrum comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. As usual Richard Robinson has taken the same care with restoring the original sleeve from archive scans. This is another one ticked off the list of library records that should be out there for anyone who wants a copy.