Search:the me in you

His eighth studio LP, Action Adventure, finds DJ Shadow continuing to evolve as a producer and songwriter over 14 mostly instrumental tracks. It is a thrilling new addition to an influential body of work defined by a restless ear, always searching to rescue some forgotten gem from the dustbin of music history or a fresh blast of sound from the cutting edge.

Gönnen Sie sich eine dringend benötigte Auszeit für Ihren Geist, ganz bequem von zu Hause aus. Die erste Zusammenstellung der Secondhand-Laden- und YouTube-Lieblinge Paradise Is A Frequency, The Style of Life, umfasst 70 Minuten mit Wein-Cooler-Core, Smooth-Jazz-CDRs für den Massenmarkt, Aerobic-Proto-Vape-VHS und Aufzug-tauglichen Library-Music-Tape-Loops von Künstlern wie Metamorphosis, Lorad Group, Ski Johnson, Mensah und anderen. Verteilt auf zwei Mainframes und mit einem Booklet mit Reflexionen, Ausgrabungsstätten und Tapetengruppen für weitere Lifestyle-Upgrades. Das fiktive Software-Update für die nächste Version von Ihnen.

Gönnen Sie sich eine dringend benötigte Auszeit für Ihren Geist, ganz bequem von zu Hause aus. Die erste Zusammenstellung der Secondhand-Laden- und YouTube-Lieblinge Paradise Is A Frequency, The Style of Life, umfasst 70 Minuten mit Wein-Cooler-Core, Smooth-Jazz-CDRs für den Massenmarkt, Aerobic-Proto-Vape-VHS und Aufzug-tauglichen Library-Music-Tape-Loops von Künstlern wie Metamorphosis, Lorad Group, Ski Johnson, Mensah und anderen. Verteilt auf zwei Mainframes und mit einem Booklet mit Reflexionen, Ausgrabungsstätten und Tapetengruppen für weitere Lifestyle-Upgrades. Das fiktive Software-Update für die nächste Version von Ihnen.

Mit Portugal erscheint eine sorgfältig kuratierte Sammlung von B-Seiten und seltenen Aufnahmen aus den Jahren 1998 bis 2004, die größtenteils erstmals auf Vinyl erhältlich sind. Diese Veröffentlichung bietet einen tiefen Einblick in die frühen kreativen Phasen des Künstlers und bringt lange verborgene Schätze ans Licht. Im Zentrum steht der meistgespielte Radiosong Portugal, der bisher nur auf der 2CD-Compilation Introducing the Past... verfügbar war und nun endlich auf Vinyl erscheint. Weitere Highlights sind die Coverversionen Over and Over (Neil Young) und Waiting Around to Die (Townes Van Zandt), ursprünglich Teil der Bonus-7" seines Debütalbums Songs from a Two-Room Chapel. Auch Lady of the Land, ein Song aus der Session zum Debütalbum, ist enthalten - bisher nur als Bonustrack auf einer limitierten CD-Ausgabe erhältlich, die bis heute nicht digital verfügbar ist. Diese Zusammenstellung dokumentiert die künstlerische Entwicklung eines Songwriters, der sich stets abseits des Mainstreams bewegt hat.

Die Lieder des Oud-Meisters und Sängers sind noch intimer als zuvor – denn dies ist eine persönliche Geschichte. Das Album ist seiner Frau Shiraz Fradi gewidmet, der gemeinsamen, engen Beziehung und ihrem wendungsreichen Weg. Die Stücke sind durchzogen von der Energie zahlloser Begegnungen und Entdeckungen aus Youssefs jahrzehntelanger musikalischer Reise und zugleich geprägt von zärtlicher Demut für das Hier und Jetzt. Musik, so farben- und wendungsreich wie das Leben.

NOW Music proudly presents the next release in our “NOW That’s What I Call An Era” series – NOW That's What I Call An Era - Disco: 1973-1980 – a dazzling celebration of the golden age of disco.



This stunning 3LP set, pressed on blue, violet and pink vinyl, showcases 48 essential tracks that lit up the dancefloors, charts, and airwaves at the height of disco fever — an era when glittering anthems, euphoric grooves, and iconic vocal performances defined nightlife around the world.



LP1 opens in iconic style with Chic’s monumental ‘Le Freak’ followed by Sister Sledge’s equally legendary ‘We Are Family’, and Gloria Gaynor’s empowering #1 ‘I Will Survive’. Anthems follow from Sylvester with ‘You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)’ and Chaka Khan with ‘I’m Every Woman’, ahead of the timeless ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ by Candi Staton and the first side finishes with production by Chic’s Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards on massive hits for Diana Ross with ‘Upside Down’, and Sheila & B. Devotion with ‘Spacer’. Flip the LP over for Amii Stewart’s version of ‘Knock On Wood’ followed by The Three Degrees, Eruption and the first smash from Boney M., ‘Daddy Cool’. The Village People topped the chart with ‘YMCA’ which has become an enduring party favourite, which leads to the infectious ‘Let’s All Chant’ from the Michael Zager Band, Lipps Inc. with ‘Funkytown’ and to close the first LP, sci-fi disco from Dee D. Jackson with ‘Automatic Lover’.



LP2 begins with Donna Summer’s epic version of ‘MacArthur Park’, before Earth, Wind & Fire with The Emotions bring pure euphoria on ‘Boogie Wonderland’, and McFadden & Whitehead with the floor-filling ‘Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now’. Great vocals from Marvin Gaye and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes come ahead of George McCrae’s ‘Rock Your Baby’, one of the collections’ earliest and inspirational moments. UK artist Tina Charles hit the top with ‘I Love To Love’, and Andrea True Connection complete the side with the ear-worm ‘More More More’ whilst over on the other side legends Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons hit dancefloor gold and the #1 spot with ‘December, 1963 (Oh, What A Night)’, ahead of The Trammps with their era-defining ‘Disco Inferno’. A Taste Of Honey, Grace Jones and a second appearance from Diana Ross are up next – before the LP closes with an enduring classic, ‘Follow Me’ from Amanda Lear, Patrick Juvet’s ‘I Love America’, and Frantique with ‘Strut Your Funky Stuff’.



LP3 bursts to life with the international smash and UK #1, ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’ from Baccara, before a huge hit cover from Belle Epoque with ‘Black Is Black’. Next; Alicia Bridges, Rose Royce and UK chart toppers The Real Thing, ahead of funk-infused disco brilliance from Kool & The Gang and Barry White – whilst the side closer is Yvonne Elliman’s ‘If I Can’t Have You’, from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack and over on the final side there’s a stellar run of Disco nuggets: kicking off with Elton John’s irresistible ‘Are You Ready For Love’, originally released in 1979 and a #1 in 2003 along with ‘Boogie Nights’ from Heatwave, The Emotions with ‘Best Of My Love’, and LaBelle’s influential ‘Lady Marmalade’. The anthemic ‘Got To Be Real’ from Cheryl Lynn is next ahead of the trio of closing tracks: Odyssey with the sublime ‘Native New Yorker’, Thelma Houston’s Grammy-winning ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’, and fittingly, Donna Summer’s iconic ‘Last Dance’, ending the collection in perfect style.



An unforgettable journey through the songs that defined the dancefloor: NOW That’s What I Call An Era – Disco: 1973-1980 — the definitive celebration of disco’s golden age.

Noumen returns to Central Processing Unit after a six-year absence with Altum. This bumper record, the Ukrainian artist's fourth release for the Sheffield label and first since 2019 double-LPObscurium, serves to remind us all why Noumen's music has been lauded by the likes of Mixmag and Resident Advisor in the past.Altumis a consummate piece of contemporary electronic production, a technoid exploration of outer-edges electronica that nods to genre greats like Autechre while still maintaining its own unconventional charm.

Across well over an hour of music here we find Noumen repeatedly playing punchy mid-tempo beat work off of some more cerebral tuned synths.Altumkicks off with the epic 'Oion' - beginning in that Autechre/AFX mid-tempo zone, full of deep-sea bangs and whirrs, the track slowly builds to a final stretch of delay-drenched keys which set us free amidst the outer cosmos, almost Sun Ra-style. It's a perfect liminal-space roller and an apt scene-setter forAltum.

'Oion' provides a blueprint for several of the album's other highlights - plenty of the joints here adopt that same approach of hitting hard with the drums and soft with the synths. Second track 'Splitter' takes on the baton from 'Oion' while souping up the kick to warehouse levels; the beats in 'Far Wind' splutter like a needle skipping on a mid-90s Tresor drop; 'Fate Carette', all eerie looped synth leads, is a highlight as the album enters the home straight.

The rhythm production (which, it should be noted, is exemplary throughoutAltum) is ratched up in intensity on a handful of numbers. 'Telemask' displays a delightful breakbeat - if you'd told me this was sampled from golden age A Tribe Called Quest, I'd have believed you. Mid-section anchors 'Awe' and 'Axis' are glitchers in the Mike Paradinas mould, with the latter showing off some pleasing steel pan-esque synth leads for good measure. And whileAltumgenerally maintains a processional pace throughout, there are points where Noumen toughens up the drums for club deployment - 'Unveilness' shows off a real chunkiness in the low end, closer 'Spurling Sign' plays a satisfying rolling groove off of ever-layering synths, and the title-track is an alien machine-funker in keeping with fellow CPU electronauts like Silicon Scally and Cygnus.

Noumen's third album for Central Processing Unit is a pleasingly hefty double-LP which builds on the zany invention of acts like Modeselektor and Autechre to delightful effect.

FFO: Autechre, Aphex Twin, Modeselektor, Bochum Welt, LFO

*includes insert

Timely reissue of Only for the Headstrong, the seminal 12” from UK duo Psychotropic, arriving this November. Originally released in 1990 at the height of the Acid House explosion, the track quickly became a defining moment in UK dance music—melding house, breakbeat, and psychedelic pop influences into something utterly timeless. Revered by DJs, collectors, and ravers alike, Headstrong is a euphoric, genre-blurring anthem that retains a raw innocence and hypnotic pull even 35 years on.

Psychotropic was formed by Gavin Mills, a rising DJ with a deep love of house and hip-hop, and Nick Nicely, a seasoned psych-pop experimentalist whose history included cult releases with Arista and EMI. The pair met during the fever pitch of late '80s rave culture—bonding over illegal warehouse parties, makeshift home studios, and a shared impulse to explore new sounds and styles. Crafted using an Akai S900 sampler, a Fostex 8-track, and a Casio CZ-101, Only for the Headstrong emerged from Nicely’s South London home studio in a single inspired session, its unforgettable loops and soaring keys capturing both the chaos and euphoria of the era.

The track, and the Prince-style groove of B-side Out of Your Head, became underground hits, reaching the top of London’s independent record store charts and cementing Psychotropic’s reputation for marrying psychedelic sonic textures with club-ready grooves. Their sound stood out—rooted in DIY experimentation but elevated by emotional depth and melodic flair. Mills and Nicely’s unique chemistry would spawn further club classics like Hypnosis, Psychosis, and Feel Surreal, before diverging into solo paths in the mid-90s. Despite parting ways creatively, the duo has remained close friends, occasionally reuniting for remixes and digital reissues.
Now, in 2025, Only for the Headstrong returns to vinyl in its full analog glory—remastered and recontextualized for a new generation. With freshly penned liner notes by Nic Nicely, this nostalgic reissue captures the raw, open-minded energy of a pivotal moment in UK dance music and reconnects us with the heady, DIY spirit of early rave culture.

Originally released in October 1985, ‘Once Upon a Time’ is the era-defining #1 album from Simple Minds, containing classic hit singles ‘Alive and Kicking’ and ‘Sanctify Yourself’.

To celebrate 40 years, the album is now available as a ruby red vinyl in a gatefold sleeve, which includes ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ on the tracklist for the first time ever. The gatefold spread features Anton Corbijn’s famous photo of the band taken at Live Aid in 1985.

Big Thief will release their sixth studio album, Double Infinity, on 5 September 2025.

Double Infinity is the follow-up to 2022’s Grammy-nominated album, Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You, recorded last winter at the Power Station, New York City. For three solid weeks, the trio would ride bicycles on frozen streets between Brooklyn and Manhattan, meeting in Power’s Station’s warm wood-panelled room. Together with a community of musicians (Alena Spanger, Caleb Michel, Hannah Cohen, Jon Nellen, Joshua Crumbly, June McDoom, Laraaji, Mikel Patrick Avery, Mikey Buishas) they would play for nine hours a day, tracking together – simultaneously – improvising arrangements and making collective discoveries. Double Infinity was produced, engineered and mixed by longtime Big Thief collaborator Dom Monks.

“How can beauty that is living be anything but true?” Adrianne asks as she drives nose against the future with childhood mementos on ‘Incomprehensible’. She understands, “everything I see from now on will be something new.” The silver hairs on her shoulders are new as well. Yet fear of aging is cracked by proof. If a life is shaped by living, “Let gravity be my sculptor, let the wind do my hair.” Being born, then staying a while, remains the greatest mystery. Adrianne claims her place and time. “Incomprehensible, let me be.”







g 7. Grandmother ft. Laraaji







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g 7. Grandmother ft. Laraaji







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[g] 7. Grandmother [ft. Laraaji]







[g] B2. Grandmother [ft. Laraaji]







[g] B2. Grandmother [ft. Laraaji]

Sun-soaked Italo-House vibes, freshly reissued. Step into a melodic ambience drenched soundscape with Atmosphere Tropical, the reissue of Maldido Primitivo’s 1992 deep-house / Italo-house gem of an EP. Whether you’re a collector, a DJ, or someone who just loves those warm, immersive grooves - this is one record that transports you straight to a tropical paradise, without leaving the dancefloor. Having been fetching collectors prices online for a number of years, this newly minted pressing breathes life back into this shimmering slab of Italian deep house goodness. File under 'Essential'.

Repackaged, refreshed, and fully endorsed by Expanded Music, this is the perfect repress edition of a true deep house underground classic.

Daniele Baldelli
Considered one of the first DJs in Italy, Daniele Baldelli began his career in 1969 mixing vinyl at the Tana Club in Cattolica (his hometown),
predating the birth of the modern DJ by several years. In the following years, he solidified his talent and technique at histor such as the Tabù Club, Baia degli Angeli, and Cosmic. From 1979 to 1984, Baldelli created his unique and eclectic style, blendi ic clubs ng seemingly distant sounds and musical styles, complementing them with tempo adjustments (bpm) and deliberately extreme equalization,
creating a truly distinctive sound, known as "Afro Disco." Soundscapes and tribal percussion blend with early electronic music experiments, and Baldelli's sets become truly mystical experiences, where, for the first time, the temples are replaced by the dance floor.
The documentary film "A Cosmic Life" has just been released, starring Daniele Baldelli alongside other illustrious guests from the nightclub scene, recounting the history and formation of this movement from the 1970s to the present.
Gaudi
A producer/musician among the most highly regarded on the international dub/electronic scene, over the past 30 years Gaudi, from his
London studio, has contributed significantly to expanding the boundaries of musical genres with high-profile releases and innovative
music production techniques. Recently nominated for a Grammy Award with 'Mass Manipulation', the album he produced for the reggae
band Steel Pulse, and also nominated for a World Music Award with his album 'Dub Qawwali' with Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali
Khan, Gaudi has collected a series of number 1s on the international charts: Billboard - with the album 'Heavy Rain' by Lee "Scratch"
Perry, 'Vessel of Love' by singer Hollie Cook and with 'Mass Manipulation' by Steel Pulse -, UK Chart n.1 with the album 'Prism' by the
band The Orb (with whom he has collaborated as a producer and keyboardist since 2008), with 'Blue Monday' - by Gaudi himself with
the band Dub Pistols -, UK Dance Chart n.1 with 'Jus Come rmx' produced with DJ Angelino for Cool Jack. He also reached no. 41 the UK charts with the album ‘Midnight Rocker’ by reggae singer Horace Andy (known to the general public for his hits with Massive in
Attack), no. 13 with the album ‘Dubwise 2’ by the band Dreadzone and no. 5 in the Italian charts with the song ‘Lasciala Andare’, written
by him for Irene Grandi. With 19 solo albums and 350 remixes and productions under his belt, Gaudi, with his artistic versatility, has
worked with Groove Armada, UB40, Simple Minds, Brian Ferry, Devo, Big Audio Dynamite, Damian Marley, Seun Kuti, Mad Professor,
Trentemøller, Grandmaster Flash ft KRS-One, Lamb, Don Letts, The Beat, Deep Forest, African Head Charge (in which Gaudi is a keyboardist and dubmaster), Elisa, Scientist, Dub FX, Roedelius, Caparezza, Caravan Palace, EMF, Sizzla, Jovanotti, Sly & Robbie, Piero Pelù, Youth of Killing Joke, and Maxi Priest, to name just a few. Capleton,
Daniele Baldelli & Gaudi
DJ Daniele Baldelli and producer Gaudi first met three years ago at the Jazz Cafe in London. Mutual respect and an innate need to
create new stylistic fusions were the catalysts for Baldelli and Gaudi, leading to a series of subsequent meetings that inevitably culminated in the need to create music together. The project began at Gaudi's Metatron Studio in London using analog equipment and later
moved to Baldelli's studio in Cattolica, where the two organically defined their sound, also inspired by Baldelli's precious record collection. The duo consolidated a powerful compositional symbiosis, and the project, born from a simple initial groove, later transformed
into an entire EP consisting of four original tracks and a highly innovative sound, featuring fusions of psychedelic-funk, tribal-dub,
electronic-disco, and, of course, "Afro-Cosmic"! Daniele Baldelli and Gaudi began their sonic collaboration without setting any stylistic
direction and with the intention of not creating pre-established goals to achieve; it is a project of pure artistic freedom guided by their
compositional instinct and their experience. Constantly active with their evenings and live concerts, Baldelli and Gaudi have performed
individually in many of the best international clubs and festivals.

"The machine looms—it watches you from within. The finger points, but the face is missing."

The Bristol/Amman connection just got even deeper… following DBL's impressive string of Avon-infused heaters (check the recent scorchers from Nzumbe, Content Provider and 2023's 'Weld'). And we're well informed there's even more of this cross-continental greatness to come…

But first...

Kinlaw & Franco Franco. ATC's original prodigal sons. A two-headed nephilim with an ever-growing tally of near-biblical performances – leaving shook audiences coughing dust for months after. Resurrected for 2025.

Those familiar know their hallowed-dogma – brimming with cyberpunk prophetics, surveillance state paranoia and rusted gothic futurism. Each chilling sermon accompanied by a bespoke blend of crusted sonics, taut future-concrète prangers and only the finest industrial-trappist beats.

Back with renewed precision. 11 hot-kneelers for your mental.

On 'Faith Elsewhere', they lead the congregation into uncharted waters with pop-confessional, 'Pitstop 2024'. There's a fresh revamp of the beloved feudal anthem, 'Crocs on the Plough'. Next, a long-fermented, yet still refreshing, kind of chamber-wave on the album's self-titled track. And there's even a touch of the devotional in the final ethereal reprise… Plus, there are plenty more teachings to be found elsewhere…

The writing's on the wall. Accept no false idols. Now pull up your cushion and kneel at their altar. It might just be their best yet….

"In the holiness of their temples, unsuspecting worshippers were being observed by indiscreet eyes."

After so long it becomes harder to say new things about older things you now just do. Some things you've become. Some things you simply (never simply) are. The thing becomes a slippery notion. The self slides along with it. After this long, the story is whatever are the songs. A Self-portrait at two decades. Here are 11 new ones, from the current constellation, and a future still to come. The cement is still wet on that one. From the forest near where I now live you can hear a chorus of different birds in voice at once, competing but each defined, in defence of a territory or to attract a mate. There's an app that tells you so. I wonder, too, what that app doesn't reveal, if their nature need not share those same purposes. This is simply (never simply) how it exists. If we can't speak to the mysteries of these strategies, they at least persist, regardless of who picks up the frequency. Singing to itself, and there will always be these kinds of songs. 1. Ulrika Spacek - 'Interesting Corners' 2. Empty Country - 'D3SP4IR' 3. The Reds, Pinks & Purples - 'New Market Space (Down the Stairs Ver.) 4. Cindy - 'The Thousand First' 5. April Magazine - 'U Bop' 6. Index For Working Musik - 'Going to Heaven On the End of A String' 7. Midding - 'Do As You Would' 8. Luft - 'My Third Eye' 9. Hospital - '25 Jade Place' 10. William Doyle - 'The Sun Ain't Doing It For Me Lately' 11. Daily Toll - 'Begin Again'

It was 1985--or at least it felt like it. The chrome skyline of Neo-Milano shimmered in the dusk light, skyscrapers pulsating to the beat of neon advertisements, casting glowing reflections across the silver canals below. In this retro-futurist-old city in Italy called Milan, half modern Rotterdam the Netherlands caught between timezones of nostalgia and tomorrow, the nights were long, the music was loud, and everyone was searching for something real. Fred Ventura was wearing his black leather jacket and was singing loud in his favorite key. It was perfect for his voice! All I Want Is You! This mega future italo classic with a canadian Lime vibe will give you Italo goosbumbs. Italoconnection vs. Tyrell corporation and you know what this means! A super hit in the old Tyrell style, already played by Moustache label boss David Vunk at several festivals and underground club nights for some time.. expect the old analog feel basslines, Roland Jupiter 8 strings and lyndrum drums. It goes deep, it's pure Italo singalong.... be fast super limited copies to keep it real! It won't be better than this. Be fast, live is life, dont play this vinyl under water. Teardrops in your eyes. This text is not AI, its Vunky text. gone is gone. Moustache records 053!

There are artists we occasionally happen across, even 14 years into our FatKidOnFire journey, where we know we need to work with them. There is material from said artists which sets our world on fire, and then there’s the four tunes that make up our first physical record in over two years. This one’s a long time coming, and also marks one of the first instances in FKOF Records where we welcome an artist to the family with a straight-to-record release. When you hear it, you’ll understand why. This is the long overdue FKOFv009…

Over the last decade and a half, the 140 landscape has been through its peaks and troughs. Tastes and styles change, but the one constant is when we find the right beats, bass and space we know we’re onto a winner. The international TRAKA collective caught our eyes and ears early on in their project – for all the right reasons. We’re delighted to welcome them to FKOF Records with a long-overdue record, as well as welcoming long time FKOF fam Oddkut back into the fold.



“The ninth outing on FKOF Records’ physical imprint opens with the anthemic voice of Rider Shafique joining forces with TRAKA for ‘Soo’. Hard-hitting truths, juddering percussion and a rolling low end so solid you can almost chew on it. Keep fighting and rise.

“Next up, we ratchet things up a notch with ‘Shock Em Up’. It’s an absolute unit of a tune, and when we get asked for what we mean by beats, bass and space this is our 2024 example. Effective heavyweight sonic warfare.

“FKOF009’s B-side opens with ‘Silus' – continuing along the foundations TRAKA laid on the A-side. Suffocating power, engaging atmospherics and a vibe that works at peak time on the dancefloor as well as it does opening or closing out the graveyard slot.

“We close out the record welcoming Oddkut back for his latest outing on FKOF Records with the TRAKA collab ‘Shake Junt’. It twists and turns through its first drop, before taking a completely new direction in the break. It’s an absolute groove and one that’s been a firm favourite for as long as it’s been in the bag.”

Zur Feier des zehnten Geburtstags von "In Colour", dem 2015er Debüt von Jamie xx, kündigt der Londoner Produzent und DJ eine limitierte Picture Disc Version der LP an. Das ikonische Cover Artwork des ursprünglich am 29. Mai 2015 erschienenen Albums befindet sich bei der 10th Anniversary Edition direkt auf der LP. "In Colour" hat sich über die Jahre zu einem modernen Klassiker entwickelt und wird gemeinhin als eines der prägenden elektronischen Alben der 2010er Jahre betrachtet. Der kaleidoskophafte Trip durch die UK-Dance-Kultur landete bereits im Jahr seines Erscheinens in zahllosen Bestenlisten. Mit Tracks wir "Loud Places" (mit Romy), "Gosh" oder "I Know There"s Gonna Be (Good Times)" (mit Young Thug und Popcaan) wahrt das Album die Balance zwischen Crossover Appeal und Underground Credibility. Es war für den Grammy und die Brit Awards nominiert und landete auf der Short List für den Mercury Music Prize. Auch ein Jahrzehnt später brilliert "In Colour" nicht nur durch seine Produktion, sondern auch durch die emotionale Dimension, die es auf den Dancefloor gebracht hat. Es ist ein Album, das einen persönlichen Liebesbrief an die britische Clubkultur in ein globales Statement verwandelt hat.

The next instalment in the classic DJ-Kicks series is a selection of rapturous house, blissed-out breaks, and transcendent rave from the high priestess of the motherbeat herself, Chicago"s Eris Drew. DJ, producer, musician, long-time resident at Chicago"s Smartbar, and co-creator of the T4T LUV NRG party and label, Eris Drew has been DJing since the early 90s, and has since taken her ecstatic house and high-energy, uncompromising mixing style to clubs, raves, and festivals worldwide. Eris" DJ-Kicks mix is 79 minutes of, as she puts it "the funky, emotional, ecstatic house-and-breaks backbone that defines my sound", and includes tracks, remixes, and exclusives by Moby, Calisto, DJ Garth, Onionz, DJ Who, Kair, Hoof, and Toka Project, as well as from Eris herself and partner Octo Octa. The result of countless hours of digging, her selection delves into the rattling breaks, rave stabs, and haunting strings of classic and lost "90s hybrid house-and-breaks jams, and matches them with more recent digs, the mix moving back and forth between emotive, bittersweet, and evocative, to raw, tough, and twisted with consummate ease.

Seit etwas mehr als zwanzig Jahren gehören die Schwestern Bianca und Sierra Casady zur musikalischen Avantgarde der experimentellen Popmusik und haben die Liebe, die Härte und die Ekstase ihrer Schwesternschaft in eine der gewagtesten, gefährlichsten und originellsten Musiken verwandelt, die unsere zunehmend hygienisierte Kultur kennt. CocoRosie war ein Projekt, das stets an der musikalischen Spitze stand, zahllose Musiker beeinflusste und zugleich Inspiration und wichtiger Teil der "Queer Culture"-Bewegung und vor allem aber ein Kanal für eine unbändige künstlerische Selbstverwirklichung gewesen ist. "Little Death Wishes" ist so offen und zärtlich wie alles, was sie je geschaffen haben. Die Songs erzählen eine kaleidoskopische Geschichte über die generationsbedingte Härte von Frauen und die zerrütteten Realitäten ihres Lebens, über die prekäre und kostbare Natur des Menschseins, darüber, dass die Liebe Unrecht tut, und über einen letzten Wunsch, ungebrochen zu sein. CocoRosie bringt alles auf den Punkt: Schmerz wird zu Wissen, Schwesternschaft zu Polemik und Kitsch und Klischees werden zu neuen Wahrheiten. Der 8. Longplayer des Duos existiert in seinem eigenen musikalischen Lexikon und ist ein reichhaltiges Sammelsurium an verstaubten Signifikanten der Popkultur, die die Schwestern zu ihrem eigenen Sinn für Zeitlichkeit verdrehen. CocoRosie tragen zur Avantgarde bei, halten sich aber nicht an zeitgenössische Trends und sammeln musikalische Überbleibsel aus anderen Zeiten, die sie zu ihren eigenen barocken, theatralischen Kreationen verarbeiten. Jeder Song auf "Little Death Wishes" fühlt sich transportativ und transformativ an. "CocoRosie ist nun schon so lange der Mittelpunkt unseres Lebens", sagt Bianca. In diesen Jahren wurden die Schwestern infantilisiert und verehrt, fetischisiert und gespiegelt, misogynisiert und verehrt; manchmal absichtlich missverstanden von der Presse, die es nicht geschafft hat, die Gruppe auf eine perverse Laune zu reduzieren. Trotz alledem haben CocoRosie immer wieder die mutigsten und kühnsten Wege beschritten, indem sie die rohesten, unverhülltesten und zärtlichsten Stränge der Menschheit zum Vorschein brachten.

I first remember meeting Eminence in 2019, at one of her Upraw events she was doing at the time in Leeds (now taking place in Bristol). She had booked me & Coco Bryce to play & since then, we kept in contact and she would send me her music that she was working on.

Last year, I heard that she had collaborations on the go with both Dwarde & Kid Lib, which made me curious about how those tunes would sound & when she sent me early previews of them, I was very keen on getting them for the label. It took quite a while for both of these collabs to get finished but eventually, after many back & forth between Eminence & both artists, we reached a point where everyone was happy (I think!) with the end results.

I was asked by Priori (a producer based in Montreal) who runs a label called NAFF about doing a remix of this tune called "First Step To Peace" by Sabola. I did the remix that month & both him & Sabola were pleased with how it sounded and it got the go ahead for release (should be out at some point soon!)

In February, I had a gig in Montreal where I was able to meet both of them beforehand to hang out and chat about music and such & getting to know Sabola in person, I realised that he had more interest in & knowledge about jungle than I had initially assumed. Also, he was occasionally producing jungle tunes, but none of them had been released before.

I asked him to send me some of what he had been working on & when he sent me "Close Your Eyes", I knew straight away that I needed to get him on the label in some form. I signed that track instantly and then waited for him to work on some more music for a Future Retro London release, which then resulted in "Give You Some Space" & that was all I needed.

In the end, I decided that rather than doing 2 separate 10" releases for the collabs Eminence had done with Dwarde & Kid Lib and the tracks that Sabola had made, it would be more practical to combine them into a split 12" EP release & here we are.

Big up to Eminence for her collabs (as well as her putting up with my constant chasing up of progress for the release), to Dwarde & Kid Lib for their work on the collaborations, to Sabola for his excellent work on his two tracks & to Priori for introducing me to his music.

Epsilon Record Co is pleased to introduce its latest release ICE CREAM.

The two previously unissued tracks from 1978, recorded in Los Angeles, California, re-mastered by Steve Fuji.

Steve Fuji and I have collaborated on several projects including Paris Ford, The Kopestetics, Real Side, Taxie, Kenyatta, Henderson & Jones, Natural Impulse, Ray Williams & Prime Cut. He is a valued member of Epsilon Record Co and we are grateful for his assistance and expertise.

Several years ago Steve informed me that he had a master tape from a recording session he conducted in 1978 (he believes it was at Mystic Studio) from one of the original members and co-founders of Taxie, Charles Erwin Williams II, also known as ‘Ice Cream’.

The tape was in good condition and the original version of With Love You’ll Find A Peace Of Mind was 7 minutes 38 seconds. I asked Steve if it was possible to shorten it to approximately 3 minutes.

A few days later I received several versions re-mastered and re-mixed by him and we both agreed they sounded excellent.

We hope you will enjoy this as much as we do. It is a fantastic piece of unheard Californian soul music available exclusively on Epsilon Record Co.



The B side Seaside Vibe is a killer funky instrumental with an amazing production.

2025 Repress!

Recorded in a remote cabin on the Devon coast, STILL OUT is an album-length collaboration between musician-filmmakers – and childhood friends – Will Cookson and Tom Haverly. A reflection on friendship, landscape and the passing of time, it inspired a road trip from North Yorkshire to North Devon they took together in the summer of 2024, and forms the soundtrack to a film of the same name which had its premiere screening as part of Stroud Film Festival in March 2025.

Like the film, STILL OUT is also an oblique homage to The KLF’s iconic 1990 album Chill Out, which the Gloucestershire-based pair revisited after it turned up unexpectedly a few years back in Tom’s dad’s record collection. Inspired to create their own recording using a similarly free-spirited process, Will and Tom relocated to the Devon coast in late summer 2023, splicing together a 40-minute mix from their personal archive of recordings and found sounds in a remote cabin with no electricity or mobile reception.

"It came together using cut-and-paste techniques, with ongoing shifts and tweaks,” says Will. “The final result was an audio collage that felt like something legendary hip hop producers The Bomb Squad might make - if ambient music was the only material in their sample library."

Using ‘ambient’ as a starting-point rather than an end in itself, they took inspiration from across the musical spectrum – classic-period Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Bill Evans, plus outliers such as 80s singer-songwriter Virginia Astley and the late DJ-producer Andrew Weatherall. The connections, though, are anything but obvious as the audio shifts seamlessly from field recordings and spoken-word interludes to mood pieces and snatches of vintage pop.

Edited and assembled using freely available open source programs, the source material was often radically altered using tools such as “PaulStretch”, a digital sound-morphing algorithm that allows users to stretch audio files to extreme lengths.

"When we found ourselves in a creative slump or unsure how to navigate a tricky part, we'd say, ‘Let's put some syrup on it and slow it down,’” says Tom. “That always helped us get back on track during late-night recording sessions at the cabin."

Part-soundtrack, part-meditative experiment, STILL OUT is intended as a reflection on the mental and emotional shift that occurs when stepping away from the routine of daily life – an album that forms a celebration of our ever-changing relationship to the world around us and the mystery of what it means to pass through time and space.

“The true follow up, 35 years later, to The KLF’s ‘Chill Out’”.
JD Twitch (Optimo).

An ambient journey reflecting on friendship, the British landscape - and The KLF’s landmark album Chill Out

"This record and film are just lovely. You need this in your life. Moo-Moo!” Balearic Mike (Down To The Sea & Back)

"The album is a perfect companion to the KLF classic, utilising the British countryside as the setting, occasionally reminding you that Mother Nature is not to be messed with.” Strictly Kev (DJ Food)

"A beautiful ambient journey into the landscape, taking the listener from reality to dream state and back again. A mystical realm full of mysterious chanting, rattling trains and sounds from the very depths of the earth."
Lally MacBeth & Matthew Shaw (Stone Club)

Going Up, originally released in 1983, is one of the most curious and enduring records from British studio mavericks The RAH Band. Long out of print, it now sees its first ever vinyl reissue courtesy of Shocking Music and Rush Hour.

Led by super-producer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist Richard Anthony Hewson, The RAH Band has always existed just outside the mainstream. Blending jazz-funk, sci-fi synth pop, and cosmic lounge, their sound never quite fit the mould. That might explain the cult status they’ve held ever since. Beloved by Balearic heads, rare groove collectors, and adventurous synth diggers, Going Up is perhaps their most influential record.

At the centre of it all is the intro track “Messages From The Stars”, the band’s runaway cosmic hit. A spacey, retro-futurist groove that has become a viral favourite in recent years, it now boasts hundreds of millions of streams, with a new generation discovering it through TikTok and YouTube. But it was originally just one track on this understated 1983 album.

The rest of Going Up is just as compelling, filled with dusty drum machines, off-kilter instrumentals, woozy vocals, and that unmistakable early '80s charm. It is a snapshot of a band in transition, blurring the lines between leftfield pop, sci-fi funk, and home-brewed synth experiments.

Out of print for over 40 years, Going Up finally gets the reissue treatment it deserves. Restored and remastered, and still sounding like nothing else.

Chicago's premier boogie purveyors STAR CREATURE dig deep with 4 extremely rare cuts, 3 of them being white whale level impossible to find & the 4th commanding big bucks online! Includes songs by TIGER JACK, SOUL INVADERS, MOTHERFOX, and PYRAMID PLUS. Heavyweight vinyl and heavyweight reverse board jacket. Due out Nov. 10.

“Let’s Bounce” was originally issued on Ajana as one of their only 2 releases, the first being earlier from Central Power System on Numero Group’s The Chicago Party compilation. Tiger Jack remained elusive, both Jack and a copy of his record until we stumbled upon a contact and were able to get in touch and stitch together the fully extended mix of this Punk Funk Boogie Bopper. Speaking of Numero Group, The 2nd track of Side 1 comes from an assist from the reissue Gods themselves as they blessed us with this never-sold-on-discogs soulful side of Boogie Slap issued on one-and-done label Magikal. When asked about the track, songwriter CA Williams said they recorded it for a restaurant jingle. Probably the best one we’ve ever heard.

Side 2 starts off with an absolute Modern Soul Monster with Motherfox’s Hot Shot. John Harris came by Star Creature’s South Side of Chicago HQ to chop it up and share some stories on Motherfox and his other passion project most deep funkers would known as Carver High. This record has reached insane demand the past few years as it’s a certified floor filler for all scenes - peak big budget sound packed into a small DIY package, total package. Track 2 delivers the full version of the ever mysterious Pyramid Plus providing the Titular Tune “Comin’ At Ya’” as vocoded talkboxed low slung, spaced out Boogie Banger.

NYC electronic music collective P.E. return with their third and final album Oh!, due October 3 on Wharf Cat Records. Oh! Is the sound of a startled exclamation punctuating an exit, and the embodiment of the music within: fun and fluorescent, fluid and flirty, dirty and a little dangerous. From their conception in 2017 through the NOPE Tape series, P.E. existed as an experiment in co-conspirited collaboration. Oh! continues to cast a wide net, featuring an expanded lineup from their original formation, including Eleanor Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces on the lead single "Color Coordinator". The resulting music ranges wide as ever, from the jubilant grooves of the title track and "Color Coordinator" to "The Fiction Writer" - a tender duet between Veronica Torres and Jonny Campolo - through the city pop sounds of "(Do You Like) So So?" and "Purple On Time", and into the abstracted beyond. This isn't a goodbye, but a "see you around". A tear falls down the cheek of a stranger, dancing as they catch your smile in the reflection of a glass building. Ceremoniously, serendipitously, they sidewalk surf away, stepping on something sharp - "Oh!" - leaving a teardrop on the city pavement. Following the last P.E. show, Jonny Campolo fully embraced his persona of The Grayscale Clown. You can hear him crooning in pets (along with Nick Campolo and Chase Ceglie) and droning in Microfibers (featuring Keegan & Eugene of Decor). His brother Nick Campolo successfully uploaded his consciousness to the cloud. He & his simulacrum perform in the aforementioned pets and solo as Nick Nun Ca. Ben Jaffe was in a freak nuclear waste accident when his DNA merged with a puma - he is now known as The Puma Man. You can catch him prowling around NYC with Sleaze Generator and as a sax beast for hire. Bob Jones went on a silent meditation and forgot how to speak. He now quietly releases music under the name R.A. Jones (as on his recently released Whispered to A Child), and as Scythe with David West (on A Colourful Storm). Jonathan Schenke disappeared for six months without a trace; when he returned he had developed a nervous tic anytime he heard a 909 rimshot or a saxophone. His recent solo album Passages (on No Gold) features neither of the above, nor does his project Gift Horse with Matthew Hord. Veronica Torres headed west to pursue her studies, developing a ceramic polymer whose beauty has caused madness in certain individuals. Her band Cha Cha 9 is a darling of the Minneapolis scene. P.E. would like to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who listened to our records and danced at our shows - your love is felt. Thank you so much to Wharf Cat Records for all of the support over the years. Thank you to the fans. Thank you Pill and Eaters. Mitwirkende

Although they emerged from Melbourne bayside outer suburbs onto the local live scene with their fresh and spirited indie-rock update of the garage-beat sounds of The Easybeats, Kinks and early Beatles only a year or so ago, Gnome actually started out as a bedroom solo project for teenaged singer/songwriter/ guitarist Jay Millar a few years back. Jay, playing everything himself, started recording and releasing a steady succession of material - quite a few albums' worth - on his own Goblin Records label via Bandcamp. Realizing he needed a band to start playing out, Jay approached some like minded players from Frankston's rehearsal hub Singing Bird, and with Jay on lead vocals and lead guitar, Ned Capp on guitar, Olly Katsianis on bass, and Ethan Robins on drums, Gnome became a band.

Early in 2025, the last solo Jay recordings released under the Gnome name caused something of an international underground sensation when the Bandcamp only I Like It EP - four songs of kranked up Kinks-style mono riffage - was posted by a Spanish garage-punk YouTube page and quickly clocked up over 50,000 views.



At the same time, the band quickly began gaining attention on the thriving Frankston scene and around Melbourne. They started breaking out, sharing bills with the likes of Drunk Mums, Skegss, Split System, The Prize, The Unknowns, Cosmic Psychos, Hockey Dad, Guitar Wolf, The 5.6.7.8's, The Breadmakers, Loose Lips, fellow Frankstoners/Singing Bird alumni The Belair Lip Bombs, and, on a quick trip to Sydney, Cammy Cautious & The Wrestlers.

And now, finally, we have The Gnomes' debut album. Twelve killer tracks that combine the best of the '60s with the best of today. Twelve killer tracks that show off assertive and accomplished songwriting, singing and playing and an explosive and authentic swinging group sound. Twelve killers slices of raw rock'n'roll running the gamut from the savage Rhythm & Blues of "Play With You" and “Better With You” to the vibrant beat pop of "I'll Be There" and "I'm Not The One", with forays into the heavy reverb psych of "Stung", the Cavern/Star Club stylings of "Flippin' Stomp" and the first flyte jangle of "Time Will Tell" along the way. There’s more of course, including a new version of that Kinks-style kranker “I Like It” for good measure.

Frankston’s Fab Four are taking their sound to the world. Join them for the ride!

Celebrating their 10th anniversary, piano trio Alter Ego presents their first-ever best-of LP featuring their signature ballads!
Alter Ego, a piano trio from the Setouchi region, has captivated listeners with their lyrical melodies.
This first-ever best-of LP features a carefully curated selection of the finest ballads they've crafted over the past decade.
This album was remastered at Alchemy Studio, a studio essential to Alter Ego's music.
The album features 11 tracks, including (2) "Meeting That One Friend," a tale of a special encounter; (3) "Where Will We Go?", a jazz waltz depicting the emotions felt at
a crossroads in life; (4) "The Wind Blows on Penelope," which depicts the flow of people connected to the coffee shop "Penelope," which is considered the origin of
pianist Hitoshi Ogata's career; and (10) "The End Opens Up New Possibilities," a song written at a time when parting with a loved one can also be a moment when a new
door opens. Music nurtured over time will gently reach your heart and leave a deep impression.

Selected by Yoshikazu Ogata & Keisuke Taniguchi

Due to demand (and that we zero copies of their vinyl studio album left, and only a few of their live vinyl album), we've compiled all the tracks from both (and more - see below), we're reissuing them both on a 2xCD with a 24-page booklet. Before Suicide had really made it to the West Coast, Grey Factor were working in a similar realm - early post-punk, a little before punk (as such) and proto-industrial music. Here's what the band has to say: The future is tricky - and while we may have been left behind, this is our attempt to catch up with it. We offer a double CD capturing everything we've ever recorded. The Future Arrives Without You includes the previously released vinyl LPs - 1979-1980 A.D. Complete Studio Recordings and A Peak In The Signal: Live 1979-1980_plus a few surprises, including our first new studio tracks in 45 years. Both songs are covers, Wire's 12XU and Campag Velocet's Sauntry Sly Chic, and nine more lost studio tracks. 12XU was a jolt of pure adrenaline_two minutes of perfection from one of the era's best bands, a huge influence on us. Sauntry Sly Chic, from a group few remember but we never forgot, had one of the most infectious grooves we had ever heard. We also loved their lead singer's live getup: a cycling helmet and fencing gear. Perfection. These tracks inspired us to head back into the studio after four decades away. On A Peak In The Signal, we've added nine unreleased pieces we call the In-Betweens. Created out of necessity in 1979-1980, pre-recorded and played between our live performances, these sonic interludes filled the dead space while we reprogrammed our temperamental analogue synths between songs. Absurd, experimental, audience favourites.

There’s a freedom in knowing we are all doomed, a sense of liberation from society’s morals and the considerations of commerce. That’s the territory trod by Sorrow on its lone album, 1992’s Hatred and Disgust. This album doesn’t bring you down, it takes you down. Down-tuned guitars, slowed- down tempos. Lyrics with a deservedly dim view of mankind. And fat as f*** riffs that will annihilate you. Finally released in the U.S. on vinyl and with the full support of the band, Hatred and Disgust comes in a blue smoke pressing limited to 1000 copies, complete with a lyric insert. If you like your doom metal with a side of thrash and death metal, this lost classic (remastered for vinyl by Mike Milchner) will satisfy like few others. Fans of Slayer, Obituary, My Dying Bride…take note.

2005...it"s 20 years since already? We can still feel the sensuous tickle of the wind at our back during that marvelous time. It was, as the Scorps promised, a wind of change, and we were drawn to a number of like-minded birds floating in that breeze! Today, we salute Six Organs of Admittance; their School of the Flower was just the record we"d never dreamed of when we asked them if they wanted to do one with us. Turned out their pronoun of choice was "him." "He" was Ben Chasny and we"ve been happy collaborating with him ever since. Coming on the heels of records like Dark Noontide and Compathia, School of the Flower found Six Organs riding high. Having achieved much in his traditional home-recorded kingdom, he too was looking for something different. What our Ben recalls: "It was the first time Six Organs was in a studio, so that"s cool. I wanted to play with Chris Corsano to expand on some of the rhythms in my playing, to kind of suggest some different forms for the way the folk-psych/folk music were being played at the time. The title track was inspired by John Cale and Terry Riley"s Church of Anthrax - I remember we had a big tape loop stretched around the whole studio to form the basis of that. I was taking a lot of cold medicine that week - not the coolest drugs to be on, but, you know..." School of the Flower was indeed a whole new thing - containing enduring fan favorites like "All You"ve Left," "Words for Two," Ben"s revelatory take on Gary Higgins" "Thicker Than a Smokey" (pointing the way for our reissue of Red Hash later that year) and a deep vibe of spiritual folk-jazz throughout. And best of all? It was just the beginning of twenty years of sending the inspiration of Six Organs of Admittance out into the world! But today, we"re happy to send you back to School of the Flower. There"s nothing like it.

SML is the quintet of bassist Anna Butterss, synthesist Jeremiah Chiu, saxophonist Josh Johnson, percussionist Booker Stardrum, and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann. Their second album, How You Been, finds the supergroup of prolific composer/producers pushing ever further into the hyperrealist, collectivist approach to music creation nascently explored on their debut Small Medium Large, which was lauded as "awe-inspiring" by Glide, "exuberant" by the Los Angeles Times, and "an exciting milestone" by Pitchfork. As SML has evolved and spread out in space-time, their fluencies, both as an improvising unit in performance and as a production team in the studio, have sharpened. At inception the band inspired disparate but distinctive artist comparisons like Essential Logic, Oval, Herbie Hancock"s Sextant, and electric Miles Davis, as well as assorted genre touchpoints like Afrobeat, kosmiche, proto-techno and new-jazz. With How You Been their work manages to both collapse and explode such derivatives, displaying a new, high resolution version of SML, fully-flowered into a new strain of sound, bound to incite its own copycats in due time.

Mit dieser exklusiven Picture Disc wird das musikalische Erbe von Aretha Franklin auf besonders stilvolle Weise gefeiert. Die Auswahl vereint einige der ikonischsten Songs ihrer Karriere - kraftvoll, emotional und zeitlos. Ob Soul, Gospel oder R&B - Aretha Franklins Stimme hat Generationen geprägt und ist bis heute unerreicht. Diese Edition bringt ihre größten Klassiker in einem hochwertigen Sammlerformat auf den Plattenteller - visuell eindrucksvoll und klanglich ein Genuss. Die kunstvoll gestaltete Picture Vinyl ist nicht nur ein musikalisches Erlebnis, sondern auch ein optisches Statement.

The perfect accompaniment to that deep fall feeling, Frank Maston's beloved 2025 single finally gets its long overdue vinyl release! As our friends New Commute articulated beautifully, "Foreign Affairs" drifts through London fog and Paris shimmer, its avant-lounge glow wrapping each melody in a wistful ache. On B-side "Liaison," ghostly strings and a solitary piano paint a deserted twilight shoreline, Pacôme Henry's distinct 16mm cinematography hovering nearby." We've pressed just 500 of these gorgeous records so, be quick, Maston always flies.

Originally written for a film Maston was scoring in 2024, he decided to keep it aside for himself. And, well, us all. The song has a vibe Maston has previously flirted with; he wanted to dive in...all the way: "The arrangement is huge, definitely the biggest I've written, and it merited live musicians playing together. Also another experiment, to do it with all live musicians playing my arrangements. I wanted to make something that you'd want to put on when you bring a date back to your place. It's on the edge of sappy but that's sort of the point. I decided to give myself an unlimited budget - just spend whatever was necessary to get the right musicians and record it the best way possible."

It's this dedication to sonic perfection which Maston is rightly lauded for. We couldn't not put this on a cute wee 7" when we heard it.

The A side, "Foreign Affairs", is a brilliant, Bacharach-esque romp with a bit of that unapologetically romantic Morricone angle. Says Frank: "I was trying to synthesize that sort of jazzy/sexy/classy/romantic mature sound, where the edginess is in these surprising chord changes and subtle arrangement cues."

A wonderful complement, the flipside "Liaison", evokes Martin Denny, but Eden's Island was in Frank's head, too. He wanted to take a deep dive into that exotica sound - a genre he'd referenced a bit but never fully committed to - so the piece is lavished with those big sighing strings and a pretty lush arrangement. Happily, it all sounds super rich. Also, "Umiliani is always a reference for this sort of thing (Il Corpo etc.), That almost mechanical arrangement of things moving together and a simple melody over it (something I nicked from Ennio)".

The two songs were recorded in Paris and London in the summer of 2024. Aside from the rhythm section and piano, there's vibraphone, a full string section, trombones and alto and concert flutes. "Liaison" boasts strings, vibraphone, a female choir and tenor sax. Maston played piano and acoustic guitar but that's it (as opposed to playing basically everything on Tulips). His friend Oscar Sholto Robertson played drums and percussion whilst Maston mainstay Elie Ghersinu (formerly of L'Eclair) played bass.

The theme for a lot of Maston's titles is that they have two meanings. So "Foreign Affairs" is both a reference to him living abroad and the idea of constant cultural diplomacy and then there's this sexy/cheeky interpretation of foreign affairs in a literal way - "an affair abroad, ooh la la!". The artwork for this 7" single has Roman campaign flags, referencing the foreign affairs in sort of a sassy way. There's a violence implied. But then if you look from a bit of a distance it looks like a bouquet of flowers. So Frank thought it went with the spirit of the title. Also, he's used a lot of roman motifs now so he kept that theme going, even with the terracotta cover.

This is a vitally important project for our Frank. He explains why, here: "For whatever reason, these songs really resonated with me. I feel like they are either the end of a stylistic era for me or the beginning of a new one. They're sonically the culmination of what I'd been working towards and trying to get better at since I started. If I heard this when I was making Tulips I would have said "YES! *This* is what I want to be doing!". So that's the essence of it. It's a statement and the intended reaction is "This is really good, but why now?". Like the edge to it is the context of someone making this sort of thing in 2025, which I think is a huge strength. The real heads will get it. My music always has like a 2-3 year latency until people really catch onto it, and these ones will have a nice payoff I think."

We couldn't put it better ourselves. So we haven't.

Jesse Harris’ Freund und Arrangeur Maycon Ananias hatte zusätzliche Aufnahmezeit mit einem estnischen Orchester und lud Harris ein, ein Stück beizusteuern. Das erste Experiment, Dolores, entfachte eine neue kreative Richtung. Obwohl Harris – Grammy-Preisträger und langjähriger Wegbegleiter von Norah Jones, Willie Nelson und Cat Power – bereits mehr als zwanzig Alben veröffentlicht hatte, war es seine erste Aufnahme mit Orchester. Beflügelt von dieser Erfahrung schrieb Harris innerhalb von nur fünf Wochen acht weitere Songs – detailreiche Kompositionen, die von Beginn an für symphonische Arrangements gedacht waren. Entstanden ist ein Album, das zwischen New York, Rio und Talinn aufgenommen wurde und hochkarätige Gäste wie Norah Jones, den brasilianischen Gitarristen Guilherme Monteiro, Jake Sherman sowie Marine Quéméré von Nouvelle Vague vereint.Mit seinen opulenten, zugleich feinfühligen Arrangements taucht If You Believed In Me in Themen wie Erinnerung, Sehnsucht und imaginierte Möglichkeiten ein – in die „Was-wäre-wenns“, die jeden Träumer begleiten. Herausgekommen ist orchestraler Pop voller Wärme, Melancholie und leiser Überraschungen – ausgelöst durch eine einzige Einladung.

Recorded during that unique period in the late ‘60s when jazz, blues and rock musicians found common ground in London’s vibrant subterranean clubs, 1968s Definitely What! was the second of the run of the four ground-breaking Trinity albums. Showcasing Auger's open-minded approach and his masterful organ & piano skills, the album whips up a rich blend of jazz, R&B, psychedelic touches and soulful grooves, complemented by the tight, dynamic rhythm section of Dave Ambrose (bass) and Clive Thacker (drums).

After the previous year’s Open (1967) with its 'Summer of Love' feel and its melting pot of Mod R&B, cover versions of US soul hits led by Julie Driscoll’s inimitable vocals, Auger considered Definitely What! as his first solo album, and so he travelled deeper into jazz territory, balancing original pieces with audacious covers. Tracks include versions of Mose Allison's 'If You Live' and of Wes Montgomery’s ‘Bumpin’ On Sunset’. “I got a letter from Wes's wife,” recalls Auger, “saying that it was Wes' favourite version. Can you believe that, Wes's wife wrote to me!”

Elsewhere, we find a dramatic re-arrangement of The Beatles’ ‘A Day In The Life’ complete with orchestral strings and a punchy horn section, alongside a supercharged version of Booker T & The MGs’ ‘Red Beans & Rice’ . 'George Bruno Money' was dedicated to Auger's drinking pal of the era, Zoot Money, and 'John Browns Body' both combine prime Hammond jazz with the very British surrealist humour that was in vogue at the time. The title track goes further “out” in a sprawling instrumental piece rooted in experimentation. Brian himself specifically states in his sleeve notes that his concept “lies along a straight line drawn between pop and jazz and aims at the 'fusion' of both elements” - ‘fusion’ at that time was not even a recognised musical term, further reinforcing Auger’s credentials as an innovator.

That forward-thinking approach was developed in Open and Definitely What! would come to fruition a year later with the release of Streetnoise (1969) featuring the Trinity and Julie Driscoll. At the time, the move to bring together jazz, rhythm & blues, folk, gospel and pop into a progressive new sound may have annoyed the purists and confused the less open- minded, but these albums stand today as a testament to Auger’s unique position within British music, foreshadowing his future 1970s explorations with the Oblivion Express and beyond. Definitely What! remains a fascinating snapshot of 1960s musical experimentation - raw, eclectic, and unapologetically Auger!

This new Strut reissue is curated by Impressive Collective’s Greg Boraman in partnership with Brian and Karma Auger. The album is remastered by Cosmic Audio from the original tapes, and is packaged in Brian's favourite version of the 3 different sleeves the album was originally issued in.