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CNTRL presents his latest EP, "NRG BRKZ," a captivating exploration of the UK garage sound fused with minimalistic broken beats.

Opening the EP is "GT DWN," an track that features a athmospheric choir. It sets a grandiose tone, instantly captivating listeners with its powerful energy and rhythmic drive.

Moving to "8cl NRG," CNTRL infuses the track with breaky energy, masterfully blending broken beats and mesmerizing synth stabs. The result is an infectious and irresistible groove that will have listeners moving to its compelling rhythm.

"NDRSTND" takes a more stripped-back and deep approach, showcasing CNTRL's versatility. It features a solid foundation of minimalistic beats, allowing haunting melodies and subtle harmonies to create an introspective and ethereal atmosphere.

Closing out the EP is "BRKZ," a homage to UK garage. CNTRL expertly layers broken beats, driving sub basslines, and spooky atmospheric synth work, paying tribute to the genre while infusing it with his unique touch.

Repress of the sold out Record Store Day release, this time on a different colour. Black Spiders – Those trusted and true sons of the north are back. “We knew the new album had to be special. We’ve been away for a while. The first album was a straight shot, the second on the rocks, with this new one we had to kick down the brewery doors!” Pete Spiby. Back in June of 2017, Sheffield rock beasts Black Spiders waved goodbye to an army of loyal fans with some sonically charged shows before retreating into the shadows. And then, in November of last year, with the world in the grips of the Coronavirus pandemic and after a long year of very little fun from out of the silhouettes they returned with ‘Fly In The Soup’, the first new Black Spiders music in 6 years. Exactly the feel-good shot in the arm the world needed, while we await that other vaccine. The seeds of the Black Spider return were actually planted last summer, when singer and guitarist Pete Spiby began taking to guitarist Ozzy Lister to start writing new material and before they knew it, they had amassed the best part of 40 songs in a very short period of time which they whittled down. And then the pandemic hit. “It’s certainly been a strange process, in unfamiliar territory,” explains Pete. “We started to look at how we could do it given the restrictions and not only that, but we had to replace our original drummer too. For us and probably most other bands, we would usually take a riff or song idea to a rehearsal and thrash it out ‘till we either had something or it ended up in the song graveyard! This time around we couldn’t do that, so myself, Ozzy and on occasion Adam Irwin (bass player) started to send ideas back and forth until we had something to work with in GarageBand. We got to a point where we had enough song ideas with basic structure to go into a studio. It was at this point when we had to look for a new drummer.” With former drummer ‘Tiger’ Si Atkinson unavailable to play, with a week or two of grooming, the band took a chance on Planet Rock DJ Wyatt Wendel to occupy the drum stool. “I've never joined or worked with a band in this way EVER,” laughs Wyatt. “2020 certainly made it surreal. “A Pete/Ozzy writing session at the beginning of the year had produced some promising results, but it felt like barriers were popping up everywhere,” explains bassist Adam Irwin. “We started talking about how we could use technology such as GarageBand to help, and slowly but surely the song writing gathered pace. It was time to hook up with our old producer Matt Elliss and try these new songs out in the studio. “Heading into the studio to record songs we’d written but never played together, with a drummer that we’d never met, is one of the stranger experiences I’ve had while being in a band. Thankfully, Wyatt has turned out to be an excellent addition, who despite his faults (loud, southern) has fit right into the band dynamic. Covid has made life really tough for so many of us in our industry. And yet, this new way of song writing has been liberating, this is the most consistent and prolific we’ve ever been, and I am immensely proud of this album.” Against all of the odds, Black Spiders have crafted an album that features 13 tracks of high-energy, feel-good rock n’roll contrasted by demonic doom that despite the disjointed, isolated way it was recorded. It sounds like a band, firing on all cylinders. “We had to dig down deep to pull out some gems and what would we want from Black Spiders,” questions Pete. War, vengeance, mental health, death, conservation & climate change, where are we from? Relationships, friendships, our flaws. Where are we going? Alien life and Mother Earth - some of which made the record.” Kicking off with the aforementioned ‘Fly In The Soup’ single, this 3rd ST long-player wastes no time in grabbing you by the scruff of the neck and dragging you through an album where good times, hooks and riffs are not in short supply, but the doom-drenched likes of ‘Wizard Shall Not Kill Wizard’ and the psychedelic groove of album closer ‘Crooked Black Wings’ give us an album of many moods and dynamics and a reason to be cheerful in 2021. And why does the album have no title? “It wasn’t hard picking a title for the album, as we decided that the focus should be on the band, not the album title, so we decided not to have one. Let the music do the talking....

‘Life And Death - The Five Chandeliers Of The Funereal Exorcisms’ pulls back the veil unto a nocturnal scene populated by shadows, embers burning coldly in the underworld. Marina Zispin is your guide, siren and protector both. Marina Zispin is the negative space between musicians Bianca Scout and Martyn Reid. Love And Death is the duo’s debut release, five chandeliers of melancholic, vibrant synth pop twinkling in the inky blackness. Both originally hailing from the North East of England and forming a musical partnership before lockdown, Bianca Scout and Martyn Reid initially worked remotely. Having relocated to South London and Newcastle respectively, Marina Zispin was born in earnest after the duo could begin writing and practising in the same space. Bianca Scout is a celebrated musician and dancer with a number of solo and collaborative works in her discographywhile Martyn Reid is a mainstay of the UK noise and power electronics scene, most recently with solo project Depletion. Marina Zispin largely eschews both Scout’s deconstructed approach to song and Reid’s focus on visceral, noise- based productions; the result is a new entity, the underground pop star that exists only in darkened dreams. Marina Zispin, then, is an avatar cajoled, nurtured and directed by Scout and Reid. Analogue electronics redolent of the early 80s Cold Wave and Synth Pop era form the base of the Zispin worldview, with Bianca Scout donning the Marina disguise, embodying the character over five songs of swooning drama, playful melodic interplays and tear-stained, doe-eyed sentiment. Flowers In The Sea opens with an austere 4/4 beat and hypnotic synth parts before Scout/Zispin floats in across the lagoon. Scout’s vocal tone is an instant winner, sweet like honey pouring down over the cold, robotic productions and stereo-panned synth work. We can almost see the petals drift into the horizon before being pulled under by the artist’s sadness. Ski Resort bursts out with a Jacno-inspired bassline and backing that could have been buried in a French disco in 1982 (think Stereo or Linear Movement) before Scout’s narrative details frivolousness and regret before a magical shift for the final coda into major key. Backworth Gold Club closes Side A, a mysterious rigid beat and minor chord synth arpeggios swimming in space, floating and obscure. On Side B, Hymn carries the tone on, church-like synths holding down the pattern for Zispin/Scout to float above in a flowing gown of reverb. The marriage of Reid’s cold musical backbone and Scout’s effortless vocal and co- production is in full flow here, the vocals at times rising to the rafters of this nocturnal place of worship, at other points they’re fuzzy samples cutting in and drifting out or sung with an extreme autotune, abstract and perfect in the moment. Surprise Party is the most straightforward pop bullet, Scout/Zispin’s vocal peering out more from the fog, perhaps revealing more than usual: vulnerability, maybe, the wandering muse of the artists behind the veil or just another layer of mystery behind the enigma? Marina Zispin’s Life & Death - The Five Chandeliers Of The Funereal Exorcisms ends as it began, scintillating in obscurity, leaving everything unanswered but open.

GREEN AND WHITE MARBLE VINYL.

The Beths occupy a warm, energetic sonic space between joyful hooks, sun-soaked harmonies, and acerbic lyrics. Their debut album Future Me Hates Me, forthcoming on Carpark Records, delivers an astonishment of roadtrip-ready pleasures, each song hitting your ears with an exhilarating endorphin rush like the first time you heard Slanted and Enchanted or 'Cannonball.'

Front and center on these ten infectious tracks is lead singer and primary songwriter Elizabeth Stokes. Stokes has previously worked in other genres within Auckland's rich and varied music scene, recently playing in a folk outfit, but it was in exploring the angst-ridden sounds of her youth that she found her place. 'Fronting this kind of band was a new experience for me,' says Stokes. 'I never thought I had the right voice for it.'

From the irresistible title track to future singles 'Happy Unhappy' and 'You Wouldn't Like Me,' Stokes commands a vocal range that spans from the brash confidence of Joan Jett to the disarming vulnerability of Jenny Lewis. Further honeying Future Me Hates Me's dark lyrics that explore complex topics like being newly alone and the self-defeating anticipation of impending regret, ecstatic vocal harmonies bubble up like in the greatest pop and R+B of the '60s, while inverting the trope of the 'sad dude singer accompanied by a homogenous girl-sound.'

All four members of The Beths studied jazz at university, resulting in a toolkit of deft instrumental chops and tricked-out arrangements that operate on a level rarely found in guitar-pop. Beths guitarist and studio guru Jonathan Pearce (whose other acts as producer include recent Captured Tracks signing Wax Chattels) brings it all home with an approach that's equal parts seasoned perfectionist and D.I.Y.

'There's a lot of sad sincerity in the lyrics,' she continues, 'that relies on the music having a light heart and sense of humor to keep it from being too earnest.' Channeling their stew of personal-canon heroes while drawing inspiration from contemporaries like Alvvays and Courtney Barnett, The Beths serve up deeply emotional lyrics packaged within heavenly sounds that delight in probing the limits of the pop form. 'That's another New Zealand thing,' Stokes concludes with a laugh. 'We're putting our hearts on our sleeves—and then apologizing for it.'

The latest album release by acclaimed Norwegian band Erlend Apneseth Trio is made in collaboration with renowned experimental composer and vocalist Maja Ratkje. Their impromptu concert together in 2022 was a glorious kick-off for a five-day festival and was luckily put on tape. After reworking and reimagining the recorded material with their steady collaborator Jorgen Træen, the result is a refreshing take on improvisations-turned-compositions. Featuring innovative soundscapes with archival material and an engaging transitory state. Listening to the album is akin to being on a voyage of discovery, in and out of the dream state. From the very beginning, the listener is met by ancient voices on tape, surrounded by distorted and dispersed sounds. Like stars on a moonless night, the sounds fall in and out of perceptibility, most twinkling, some falling. You suddenly wake up on a speeding train. As it enters a tunnel, ghostly voices sing a lullaby. The music gradually unfolds from mesmerizing melancholia to a ritualistic blowout. The music always takes the route of the unexpected and reaches momentums which shows why this is one of Norway's most unique constellations. Orbiting sounds gather around and assemble themselves into scenes, forming uncanny rooms collectively dreamed up by the artists. The album's first track Tre Vegar follows an enthralling pathway layered with field recordings and intensified by noise, suddenly plunging into a delightful stream of chords fleeting in mid-air. The variety of sounds that make up this glorious and aptly named 'Collage' is astounding. Elemental sounds range from the howling wind and soft-bright ringing of sheep-bells to the timeless trickling of a small stream of water. Strings of many timbres soar over animated croaks and quacks, assembling into a swampy symphony. The well-balanced diversity of acoustic and electric sounds has become the band's trademark. It is ever-present, complementing and creating new improvisatory trails to follow. Erlend Apneseth: Hardanger fiddle Stephan Meidell: baritone acoustic guitar, live sampling, modular synth Oyvind Hegg-Lunde: acoustic & electronic drums, percussion, timpani Maja S. K. Ratkje: voice, electronics

Patrice Bart Williams, also known as Patrice, is a singer,composer, producer and director from Germany and Sierra Leone. His career took off in 1999 with the release of the Lions EP. In 20 years, he has released a dozen albums. His music is a blend of reggae, soul, punk, folk and hip-hop. Over the years,
he has established his own unique style. He settled in Jamaica in 2020 and decided to build a studio in the
middle of the forest. This atypical location became a meeting place for artists and inspired Patrice to explore new territory. The "Super Sundays", live concerts held on the studio rooftop, were attended
by artists such as Richie Spice and Jesse Royal. In 2022, Patrice unveiled the Super Album, an unplugged best of where he reinterpreted his greatest hits including 'Soulstorm', 'Hippies With Guns', and 'Burning Bridges'.
Patrice returns in 2023 with a new album entitled '9', marked by rebirth and the symbolism of the colour blue. This album is the result of seven years' work, a veritable introspection into the depths of his emotions. "I was born on the 9th, the day my grandfather passed away. The notion of rebirth has always been present in my life, from my very first day. For my ninth studio album, I took the time to withdraw, to rebuild myself. The last seven years have been devoted to self-discovery, and it's this inner journey that has given life to this album." - Patrice

Ndox Electrique results from the collaboration between François R. Cambuzat, Gianna Greco (also known for their work with Ifriqiyya Electrique), and the n'doëp community in Senegal. The project originated from the duo's quest to trace the origins of North African rituals, which led them to the Lebu community in Cap-Vert, an isolated region at Africa's westernmost point.

The album seamlessly blends the duo's electronically-infused avant-rock with the intense, ritualistic vocal chants and rhythmic percussion of the n'doëp community. It serves as a captivating bridge between these two musical worlds, capturing the essence of this cross-cultural collaboration.

The text also highlights the challenges of merging Western rock and experimental influences with the sensibilities of their Senegalese collaborators, ultimately resulting in a unique and powerful musical experience. "Ndox Electrique" transcends cultural boundaries, immersing listeners in the enchanting sounds and mystical narratives of Western Africa.

New York-based label Kindergarten Records is thrilled to unveil Ayesha’s debut album, ‘Rhythm is Memory’ – 10 boundary-pushing tracks, a shape-shifting percussive journey with electric moments.
While intended for maximum dancefloor impact, Ayesha’s first LP is also conceptually thought-provoking and playful, exploring how bodies store and channel creative knowledge.

A self-taught producer, Ayesha relies on her instincts to make music: sensing what her body wants to feel and hear. To her, essential to building a groove is channeling what is already inside us –
memories – whether they are based on lived experience or coded in the body: culturally, ancestrally, or intergenerationally. The result is this Indian-American producer’s distinct rhythmic voice, with its
many configurations boldly expressed across her debut album.

Kindergarten first released Ayesha’s material in 2020 with her ‘Natural Phenomena’ EP, a four-track journey which she described as “an undulating love letter to nature and the dancefloor, a space
where her biophilia collides with her yearning for the dancefloor.” Subsequently, she continued to build upon her luminous, scintillating sound with a contribution to ‘Fluo II’ titled “Aspara Dub”, followed
by “Varanasi” and “Downpour” on ‘Ether’, a split release with Sha Ru in 2021. With each release, Ayesha's sound evolved, adding shades, layers, and perpetual rhythmic nuance to a mind palace of
dancefloor possibilities.

That is why her and Kindergarten are a perfect match -- driven by their mutual fascination with exploratory sonics and a shared commitment to the community that inspires them. Kindergarten
Records has shaped itself into a trailblazing label, uniting a diverse and innovative collective of local and international producers, while embodying a strong familial atmosphere.This debut LP represents
a significant step-up for both the artist and the imprint, as they strive harmoniously towards a shared goal: delivering a sonic experience full of colorful, otherworldly bass-fueled expansion.

‘Rhythm is Memory’ captures Ayesha’s signature love for driving techno and organic percussion, while at moments veering into newer electro territory while keeping it psychedelic, spacious, dubby, and
always playful. This feels intuitively right for a producer at a crossroads in her career. All tracks intricately weave together pulsing drum grooves, slinky synths, nuanced melodies, and delightfully
unexpected twists. No single genre can do justice to describing this project as Ayesha delicately nods to many, reveling in the spaces between.

Undoubtedly, across A and B sides, 'Rhythm is Memory' imparts the joy of sonic experimentation to listeners and dancers. Ayesha invites us into her creative process and its steady evolution – rooted in
many days and nights of exploration, reflection, and repetition. "The ritual practice of cultivating and tending a garden is what comes to mind if I were to visualize this record. Beautiful things can emerge
from care and consistent attention," says Ayesha. While she refers to her specific experience making 'Rhythm is Memory,' this powerful album culminates a decade of working in nightlife for Ayesha – a
project slated to leave an indelible mark on the underground. To mark this impressive milestone in their catalog, Kindergarten Records is proud to return to pressing vinyl after a hiatus since 2020,
recognizing the significance of putting out a physical release to behold such a moment in both the label's and the artist's trajectory.

La preuve is a rearguard action. Most of the people who inspired it are dead or retired. Old teenagers flay their former loves. They bear witness to a bygone era, but happily embraced, digested and spat out. Everything was still possible. Or possible at last. Psychedelia opened the doors of perception. Romanticism wasn't relegated to a dull formatting, a cheese without a rind. The group Poudingue, which started out ten years ago, has some fine leftovers. These are the crumbs from purgatory.

The proof (la preuve, in French) is in the pudding (poudingue, in French) is an expression coined by Friedrich Engels meaning that the value, quality or truth of something must be judged on the basis of direct experience or its results. The expression is a modification of an old saying that makes the meaning a little clearer: the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Nicolas CHEDMAIL – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard, trumpet, French horn, trombone, helicon, pipes, flute, siren, alto sax, harmonica, melodica, violin, cello, shahi baaja, sanza / texts 2 4 5 6 9 10 / music 1 to 10 Frédéric MAINÇON – guitar, vocals / texts 1 3 7 8 9 / music 3 4 7 8 9 Jean-Jacques BIRGÉ – synthesizer, sampler, effects, field recording, erhu, inanga, shahi baaja, waldteufel, vocals / music 1 3 4 5 9 Guest: Benjamin SANZ – drums

Swiss vocal acrobat Andreas Schaerer and Finnish
guitarist Kalle Kalima have some things in common. As
artists, each is essentially in a category completely of his
own. Both are musicians who can always conjure
something special from their chosen instruments. Both are
known on the international jazz scene for the completely
distinctive and original ways their music constantly crosses
genres.
 Both have played together for several years in the quartet,
A Novel Of Anomaly. And now they have recorded a first
album together in which the focus is on the two of them.
However, for this ‘evolution’ (as the album title has it), they
have also involved - and drawn inspiration from - a
musician whom they both admire, Tim Lefebvre. The
American bassist has worked with many pop and jazz
stars, notably Sting, Elvis Costello, David Bowie, Mark
Guiliana, Wayne Krantz... Lefebvre’s involvement in the
Michael Wollny Trio’s breakthrough was, incidentally,
anything but tangential. In other words, his playing is at
home in practically every context.
 Listeners familiar with Schaerer’s and Kalima’s previous
work may find ‘Evolution’ somewhat surprising. “An album
is such a different platform from playing live on stage,”
explains Schaerer. “Over the course of our many
recordings, we have become increasingly aware quite how
differently one has to play.” That awareness has also
resulted in a particularly careful focus on the postproduction phase of ‘Evolution’.
 With ‘Evolution’, Schaerer, Kalima and Lefebvre have redrawn the roadmap for the production of a jazz album.
New avenues are constantly opening up in these complex
but also catchy songs which are just made for repeated
listening... and, of course, listening to the album is also a
reminder that it will all sound completely different again
when heard live.

Collignon is a three-piece band with Yves Lennertz on guitar (and bass), Gino Bombrini on drums (and percussion) and Jori Collignon on the keyboards (and taking care of the production). The three friends have been making music together for some time, collaborating in different groups and settings, Jori and Gino as part of the band SKIP&DIE, Gino as a producer for Yves’ former group, YĪN YĪN.

After a decade of touring the world, Jori settled in the quiet and dusty village of Lagoinha, Portugal, where he built a studio complete with a guesthouse, a small piece of land, and a few chickens. From here, Jori worked with a global range of artists from La Reunion, Colombia, Argentina, Mozambique, Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guiné-Bissau, and beyond. All these experiences led to the creation of his first album, suitably named ‘Lagoinha’.

Shortly after its release, Gino and Jori jumped on the tourbus again, and later, Yves joined them to complete the band. They initially started developing new material live on stage, allowing for improvisation and exploration. After finalizing these new songs in the studio, the result is an explosive and high-energy mix of sounds that has surprised audiences all over Europe during the past summer.

Released in 1976, Eternity was Alice Coltrane's first album for Warner Bros. after eight wondrous records on Impulse! Combining the drones and textures of India, the gospel and R&B of her Detroit youth and the dissonance of modern classical composition, Coltrane's music in the '70s would become increasingly difficult to categorize.

Having moved a few years earlier to California (where she founded the Vedantic Center, an Ashram for spiritual studies), Coltrane stretches out on Eternity – incorporating various musical styles, including a stirring adaptation of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring – and the results are dazzling, both in sonic scope and emotional range

Opener "Spiritual Eternal" sways between Alice's exploratory organ and the dramatic swell of lush strings. A meditative solo piece for harp, "Wisdom Eye," precedes the rollicking rhythms of "Los Caballos," which showcases some of her finest soloing.

"Om Supreme" is the album's first track to be built around bhajans (Hindu devotional songs). Featuring graceful keyboards backed by an angelic choir, this piece hints at the ecstatic devotional music that she would later make with members of her Ashram.

While Coltrane would delve deeper into her spiritual journeys and continue to expand her musical interests on subsequent LPs, Eternity remains a vivid and compelling display of her unique vision, myriad talents and passions.

As the front person of celebrated indie band Cymbals Eat Guitars, guitarist and singer Joseph D'Agostino spent over a decade setting autobiographical, emotionally vivid lyrics against a backdrop of soaring and compositionally ambitious rock. After four critically acclaimed LPs that solidified D'Agostino's reputation as a gifted songwriter, he chose to break from his long-term band and debut a new project: Empty Country. The project's second full-length is a thrilling affair, delivering an engaging and deeply moving rumination on time, family, and the disintegration of America. Although it is a record about the forces that drive Americans apart, it's also imbued with empathic love and an understanding of what binds people to family and country-in spite of the darknesses we encounter. The concept of a Great American Rock Album might scan as outdated in 2023, but with this sprawling and uncompromising epic, D'Agostino and Empty Country shatter ambivalence and confront the horrors with a community-minded sense of cautious optimism. "We may be staring into an abyss," says D'Agostino. "But we're all staring together." Despite the stoicism of its storytelling, Empty Country II cuts the darkness with beauty, humor, and an earnest belief in the transcendent power of rock music. Its sprawling and sonically adventurous arrangements range from luminous jangle-pop to scorching emo-punk to narcotized Americana. Empty Contry II featuring ome of D'Agostino's most danceable songs too. Legendary recording engineer John Agnello, whose previous collaborations with Cymbals Eat Guitars resulted in their 2014 high-water mark, LOSE, brought his trademark clarity and nuance to the process, helping Empty Country II crackle with a vital energy that imbues these stories with genuine lifeforce. RIYL: Silver Jews, Pixies, Husker Du, Wilco, Pavement, Superchunk, Modest Mouse. Ltd pink vinyl LP (500 copies ww)

It’s frequently been difficult for us, as a band, to limit ourselves to “normal” pop song lengths and structures….as evidenced in pretty much all of our releases to date. From time to time we feel the need to loose the ropes that bind us and let our Long & Tedious flag fly freely. Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico is the result of said untethering.

We’ve always found the idea of exploring a single note over long stretches of time interesting and this song is that idea taken to an extreme logical conclusion. It’s an exploration of the note A in all it’s possible variations.

Lyrically the song is an extravaganza of navel gazing. There’s a cliche in the literary world nowadays of authors writing novels about the trials, tribulations and rewards of writing a novel. Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico is just as sickeningly self-referential, exploring the obsessive urge to create art of all kinds and how it turns into a cycle of imbibing real life experiences, then spitting them back out in whatever artistic discipline you happen to find yourself practicing. A kind of snake eating it’s own tail….but with the kind of self pitying pretentiousness that only folks who think they’re very clever indeed (that’s us) would want to impose on themselves.

»What is Dance?« contains two pieces originally conceived in 2017 for a performance/sound installation of the same name at Meinblau Projektraum (Berlin), as part of the series singuhr_projekte. Drawing inspiration from the works of American sound artist Joe Jones and his »Music Machines«, Robert Lippok (Ornament und Verbrechen, To Rococo Rot) arranged various sound objects (pieces of wood, cymbals, rotating plastic film), that were played mechanically. The sound piece—designed for a 4-channel system and condensed into a loop, that clocked in at around 20 minute—is his interpretation of three dances from the opera »The Fairy Queen« by Baroque composer Henry Purcell.

From this source material, Robert Lippok has now extracted and rearranged two pieces for »What is Dance?.« The result is music of its own right: Dense, but permeable drones are central, but complemented by harmoniously matching and gently pulsating sounds.

Extra Muros - Czech Republic is the result of the fourth edition of FLEE's creative residency program which took place in December 2022 on the dance floor of Prague's most infamous nightclub Ankali.

For two weeks on wooden floor, and under a yellow-tinted skylight, the room usually filled with movement and vibrations became home to six musicians and producers from the Czech Republic and all over the world who came together to experiment on new sounds, inspired by a large variety of artistic environments and soundscapes.
Documenting from various perspectives the music production process, capturing those exchanges, this compilation celebrates a unique form of artistic expression and collaboration.

LP

Extra Muros - Czech Republic is the result of the fourth edition of FLEE's creative residency program which took place in December 2022 on the dance floor of Prague's most infamous nightclub Ankali.

For two weeks on wooden floor, and under a yellow-tinted skylight, the room usually filled with movement and vibrations became home to six musicians and producers from the Czech Republic and all over the world who came together to experiment on new sounds, inspired by a large variety of artistic environments and soundscapes.
Documenting from various perspectives the music production process, capturing those exchanges, this compilation celebrates a unique form of artistic expression and collaboration.

Repress!

In the mid-1970s, a force of nature swept across the continental United States, cutting across all strata of race and class, rooting in our minds, our homes, our culture. It wasn’t The Exorcist, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, or even bell-bottoms, but instead a book called The Secret Life of Plants. The work of occultist/former OSS agent Peter Tompkins and former CIA agent/dowsing enthusiast Christopher Bird, the books shot up the bestseller charts and spread like kudzu across the landscape, becoming a phenomenon. Seemingly overnight, the indoor plant business was in full bloom and photosynthetic eukaryotes of every genus were hanging off walls, lording over bookshelves, and basking on sunny window ledges. The science behind Secret Life was specious: plants can hear our prayers, they’re lie detectors, they’re telepathic, able to predict natural disasters and receive signals from distant galaxies. But that didn’t stop millions from buying and nurturing their new plants.

Perhaps the craziest claim of the book was that plants also dug music. And whether you purchased a snake plant, asparagus fern, peace lily, or what have you from Mother Earth on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles (or bought a Simmons mattress from Sears), you also took home Plantasia, an album recorded especially for them. Subtitled “warm earth music for plants…and the people that love them,” it was full of bucolic, charming, stoner-friendly, decidedly unscientific tunes enacted on the new-fangled device called the Moog. Plants date back from the dawn of time, but apparently they loved the Moog, never mind that the synthesizer had been on the market for just a few years. Most of all, the plants loved the ditties made by composer Mort Garson.

Few characters in early electronic music can be both fearless pioneers and cheesy trend-chasers, but Garson embraced both extremes, and has been unheralded as a result. When one writer rhetorically asked: “How was Garson’s music so ubiquitous while the man remained so under the radar?” the answer was simple. Well before Brian Eno did it, Garson was making discreet music, both the man and his music as inconspicuous as a Chlorophytumcomosum. Julliard-educated and active as a session player in the post-war era, Garson wrote lounge hits, scored plush arrangements for Doris Day, and garlanded weeping countrypolitan strings around Glen Campbell’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.” He could render the Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel alike into easy listening and also dreamed up his own ditties. “An idear” as Garson himself would drawl it out. “I live with it, I walk it, I sing it.”

But as his daughter Day Darmet recalls: “When my dad found the synthesizer, he realized he didn’t want to do pop music anymore.” Garson encountered Robert Moog and his new device at the Audio Engineering Society’s West Coast convention in 1967 and immediately began tinkering with the device. With the Moog, those idears could be transformed. “He constantly had a song he was humming,” Darmet says. “At the table he was constantly tapping.” Which is to say that Mort pulled his melodies out of thin air, just like any household plant would.

The Plantae kingdom grew to its height by 1976, from DC Comics’ mossy superhero Swamp Thing to Stevie Wonder’s own herbal meditation, Journey Through the Secret Life of Plants. Nefarious manifestations of human-plant interaction also abounded, be it the grotesque pods in Invasion of the Body Snatchers or the pothead paranoia of the US Government spraying Mexican marijuana fields with the herbicide paraquat (which led to the rise in homegrown pot by the 1980s). And then there’s the warm, leafy embrace of Plantasia itself.

“My mom had a lot of plants,” Darmet says. “She didn’t believe in organized religion, she believed the earth was the best thing in the whole world. Whatever created us was incredible.” And she also knew when her husband had a good song, shouting from another room when she heard him humming a good idear. Novel as it might seem, Plantasia is simply full of good tunes.

Garson may have given the album away to new plant and bed owners, but a decade later a new generation could hear his music in another surreptitious way. Millions of kids bought The Legend of Zelda for their Nintendo Entertainment System back in 1986 and one distinct 8-bit tune bears more than a passing resemblance to album highlight “Concerto for Philodendron and Pothos.” Garson was never properly credited for it, but he nevertheless subliminally slipped into a new generations’ head, helping kids and plants alike grow.

Hearing Plantasia in the 21st century, it seems less an ode to our photosynthesizing friends by Garson and more an homage to his wife, the one with the green thumb that made everything flower around him. “My dad would be totally pleased to know that people are really interested in this music that had no popularity at the time,” Darmet says of Plantasia’snew renaissance. “He would be fascinated by the fact that people are finally understanding and appreciating this part of his musical career that he got no admiration for back then.” Garson seems to be everywhere again, even if he’s not really noticed, just like a houseplant.

Vladislav Delay presents the fourth EP in his "Hide Behind The Silence" series with five 10" releases coming throughout 2023. Intuitive and raw music, momentary and reflective, released on Ripatti's own label "Rajaton".

Stillness is a myth. Consider concepts such as ”still water”, or ”still air” for that matter. Go to a restaurant, ask them for a glass of still water, hold it against the light and see where we’re at. Even though the water itself has been captured and imprisoned in the glass, it never stops breathing. It’s filled with tiny particles, dancing. Everything can be explained on a molecular level, but since we’re not scientists – and even if you happen to be – it’s the natural world of perception that moves me.

Still air is very similar. A hot summer’s day with zero wind feels completely still. It’s the closest I have felt to complete stillness. Or for a more urban adaptation, imagine the same vibe inside a normal apartment. In those moments, revelations and mind- blowing experiences can be had with experiments in stillness.
Try this: Just sit down for a minute on a sunny day, making sure there’s enough natural light. Do absolutely nothing. Try not to breathe for a bit. (If you need a mental anchor, you can play Cage’s 4’33” in your head but nothing else.) Watch the tiny dots of dust dancing :..’ ̈.:; ́ ́*°.,’:,. ̈ ̈ ̈ ̈:,.’
The movement is crazy, but the feeling of stillness comes from witnessing how subtle it is. In (perceived) complete stillness, every act of microscopic mobility seems to speak volumes. Yet, it feels both reassuring and oddly threatening that the stillness is never complete. What if we would need absolute stillness? Or is it just enough that we can perceive something as such? Extremes attract, so for both water and air, extraordinary movement is equally fascinating. That is also a luxury item of sorts. For us to enjoy a very ”loud” body of water or air, we need to be safe, in enough control of the situation. So when you are, it’s worthwhile to pay attention and take it all in.
A rapid flowing free with extreme strength and just barely in control. Look at that water go! No still water on this one, only ”sparkling”. A windy day when birds seem surprised how hard it is to fly, but in the end they make it. Trees bend but don’t break. The wind shows you its movement but doesn’t hurt you. It feels friendly, like a big clumsy dog that doesn’t quite understand its size.
It’s beautiful to be a guest of the elements, but not at the mercy of them. A new kind of dialogue forms.

Q&A with Sasu Ripatti:

1) Tell us something about the EP series ”Hide Behind the Silence”, what’s the idea and what can we expect?

Exploration of inaction. Of many kinds. In arts and in personal life, or at bigger and more serious levels. Questioning myself as a human being as well as an artist. Acknowledging the growing activism all around, and the very clear need for it, and how it reflects my own inaction.
Musically speaking, after Rakka, Isoviha and Speed Demon, I finally found some relief, but more importantly lost the need to go musically ever more outward and intensive. I felt quite strongly certain periods/moods from the past and they made me revisit some musical ideas or states of mind I was exploring early on.
It’s about live moments being captured, not much premeditation or editing. More intuitive and raw, even though the end result (to me) feels and sounds quite introspective and calm. It’s not very ambitious. Momentary and reflective.

2) Your music doesn’t sound very silent. Does it come from somewhere behind the silence?

Oh, this time to me it sounds quite quiet and playing with space if not silence. I don’t know what’s actually behind silence, but I think silence is the source of everything. We just don’t understand it yet.

3) What kind of thoughts or experiences gave inspiration to this series?

Writing this in Nov ’22, it’s not a stretch to say the world has been really unwell. Sometimes, like Mika Vainio put it, the world eats you up. I feel a bit like that. And I try to hide in my studio and stay away from it all, but it’s getting harder by the day. I’ve been questioning myself and thinking if what us artists are doing is worth anything, and whether it’s just a selfish thing I’ve been doing for the past 25 years, running away from everything. I haven’t come to a conclusion yet.

4) Is it easy for you to be in silence, or around silence?

Absolutely. I not only hide behind silence but I also love silence. It’s only since I started going back to nature as a grown-up person that I sensed and was enveloped by silence, true silence. I have begun to appreciate it a lot. I think all the people should spend more time in silence.

All tracks composed and produced by Sasu Ripatti.
Artwork by Marc Hohmann, photography by Shinnosuke Yoshimori.
Mastering by Stephan Mathieu for Schwebung Mastering.
Vinyl cut by SST Brueggemann.
Publishing by WARP Music Ltd.

Formed in 1999 by bassist Jim Barr and drummer Clive Deamer, best known as the rhythm section of seminal act Portishead, award-winning Bristolian jazz-rock disruptors Get The Blessing present their seventh studio album 'Pallet' Like most artists around the world, the pandemic forced the ensemble to rethink their creative processes. Born from a series of improvisations between Barr, Pete Judge on trumpet and Jake McMurchie on saxophone, the trio built up a rough portfolio of recordings which they then sent to Deamer, who added his drum parts at home in Oxfordshire. The result is nine minimalist compositions driven by groove, texture, electronics, and spontaneity. Built around the hypnotic loops that have become synonymous with their sound, 'Pallet' is an exploration of the nexus of improvisation and modern production. Grounded by thick, punchy bass lines and playful drum grooves, the record creates deep sonic spaces through the use of dizzying delays, squelching filtered loops and trails. The album's title owes much to the obtuse punning jazz musicians have enjoyed since the '50s; the song titles conjure up an imaginary colour chart with which the listener can fill in the paint-by-numbers image of a wooden pallet on the cover art

"Skum and Villainy Edits Vol 1" by DJ Deviant represents a dynamic fusion of musical genres and tracks, interweaving elements from rock, hip-hop, and funk. “Intergalactic Rocket Fuel” incorporates everybody's favourite beats and pieces resulting in an energetic mashup.

"House Party Rocker" epitomises an electrifying blend of lively party hip-hop style harmonised with the potent funk-rock guitar riffs and it guarantees a thrilling experience on the dance floor.

This release is a superb selection for DJs looking to provide a vibrant and genre-blurring dance music adventure.

Sometimes, space is the perfect catalyst for intense creativity. Following the release of their fourth LP, 2019's Your Church On My Bonfire, PAWS - the Scottish DIY indie rock songwriting partnership of Phillip Jon Taylor and Joshua Swinney, toured briefly, and as the world began to shut down, they slipped out of sight. Phillip retreated north to the Highlands where he focused on his painting, solo work and the rewarding demands of fatherhood. Josh headed south to London, pursuing his other passion as a chef at the highly acclaimed Plimsoll. It would have been easy for both to settle into their new lives, but PAWS never died…and neither did the tie connecting the two friends. Having missed playing together for too long, a plan was set and in October 2022 Josh travelled to Phillip's home studio in his crofters cottage where work began on the band's fifth self-titled LP. Relying on a set of phone demos and chemistry honed after years on the road the songs came together surprisingly fast. Having recorded previously with both Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus and Frightened Rabbit’s Andy Monaghan, the band once again seized control of production duties as they had on their sophomore release Youth Culture Forever. Utilizing all they had learned and adding their own DIY ethos into the mix, the music was done in a week. Josh headed home and Phillip set to work on lyrics. The resulting record finds the band as grounded and assured as they ever have been. Marrying the deafening assault of youthful abandon with the whispered reasoning that comes with getting older; swaying from anger and exasperation to wide eyed optimism. PAWS is a succinct, razor wire encased documentary chronicling the pains of modern living. Delving into the dark underbelly of 90s alternative rock, painting with evocative instrumentals and reveling in celebratory indie punk, the band also embrace sordid pop and ambient electronics. And while it pays homage to where they have come from, it also signals a clean slate for the pair. Two friends united over distance. After some time apart, all they needed was a spark.

For 14 years Throat have been the sonic equivalent of forcing a square peg into a round hole; often abrasive, causing utmost irritation at times and on a rare occasion a feverishly pleasant dose of brooding darkness in one's otherwise dull existence. The peg now fits. We Must Leave You sees Throat dropping pegs of all shape and size through the same hole. The last confines of musical genres are behind them, resulting in an album which can be regarded as the easiest listening Throat has ever presented or simultaneously their most difficult and puzzling work to date. Thematically what we have here is a breakup album. Never ones for thinking small, Throat breaks up with the world. Enough is enough. Bring back lockdown. No need for petty social commentary on how the world is burning. Let it burn. Throat is already walking away and it remains to be seen where they end up next. If anywhere. Breakups always require dramatic music and We Must Leave You more than fits the purpose. Throat have already hinted at new directions and new sounds on their previous two albums, but here it all breaks loose. Rooted in the same heavy, dark rock sound as always, but a touch of gothic drama from the 80s has been injected to the band's sonic palette which obviously means a few deeper shades of black. The noise and dissonance remains, but this time it all has been dipped in honey and black grease paint. We Must Leave You was written over a few years time and finally recorded in 2023 at Tonehaven Recording Studio with Tom Brooke and the band's own Amplified Human Audio. Once again, Andrew Schneider mixed the album at Acre Audio and Carl Saff handled mastering duties at Saff Mastering. Photography by Dorota Brzezicka and design by Stefan Alt of Ant-Zen.

This fourth EP in the Time Crystals series sees Troy returning to the label with a low-key driver, carried by sharp percussion and filtered chords that keep the attention locked in before Ukrainian Svarog and Ma-gooch take over, delivering their signature sound - evolving pads, dreamy soundscapes - resulting in yet another beautiful early hours piece of music.

Wonderchild Luigi Tozzi proves once again that he is a master at blending ambient-influences with dubby atmospheres, resulting in music that fits both dancefloors and living rooms. For the EP's forth track Jonas Korbl, who you might remember from his debut album in 2017 on Dynamic Reflection LTD, combines energetic percussion patterns and synth rhythms.

His Primal Grade is a seemingly perfect successor to Tozzi's Haboob, as both artists obviously take pride in their carefully arranged and modestly performed pieces of techno.

Equilibrium is part of Dynamic Reflection's 15 year anniversary celebration: Time Crystals. This is the fourth of five EP's. Own all five and an all new, visual piece of art will appear.

In March of 2020, after learning that a dear friend’s life was coming to an end, Johansing sat down and in one sitting wrote the song “Daffodils”. An elegiac tribute to someone facing death with grace and curiosity, the lyrics confront Johansing’s own mortality by observing the brief lifespan of a Hlower. Only a week later when the world came to an abrupt standstill, she soon found herself processing this recent loss while trying to make sense of a new global reality. Across the ensuing months, Johansing found herself increasingly untethered by a world of isolation and political upheaval.

Having been a frequent touring member of bands like Hand Habits and Fruit Bats, and often being called into the studio to lend her harmonies and multi-instrumental talents to records, Johansing’s phone no longer rang. Living in Los Angeles she feared her musical community was vanishing, as friends and collaborators continually announced they were leaving the city. It was in returning to her piano nightly that she found the greatest solace, feverishly writing the songs that would be collected on her next album. Resulting from this new sense of time and focus was a deepening of her songwriting. As Johansing recalls, “I felt like a metamorphosis happened during that time. There was a lot of personal growth and healing.”

Throughout Year Away Johansing traverses uncharted emotional landscapes brought upon by the changes occurring all around her. The forced self-reflection of the moment is aptly captured by “Old Friend”, featuring an aching melody and swooning production that recalls the best of Harry Nilsson. The epic piano and saxophone-driven “Smile with My Eyes” addresses the loss of community as friends became distant and political divides between family grew. On “Smile” Johansing pushes her vocals further than ever, expanding her range and using her peerless voice as the singular instrument it is. Facing the loss of a family home due to environmental destruction, “Shifting Sands” is marked by soaring Hlutes, Hield recordings and glassy synthesizers that nod to Japanese New Age.

“Daffodils”, the stunning album centerpiece, is built from a pastiche of looping samples, swirling Mellotron and dazzling vibraphone. “Keep your heart open wide, you never know your time / Keep your heart wild, true Hlower child”, Johansing sings as she says goodbye to an elder, while the band reaches a grief-stricken crescendo of woodwinds and chiming bells. On the title track, Johansing takes listeners on an eerily meditative journey of collective experiences. “I wanted to keep the progression simple and repetitive so that musically we could add new elements little by little, while the emotional tone of the lyrics becomes increasingly more strained and expressive”. The song grows to a fever pitch as Johansing sings higher than she thought possible; the tension of the repeating chords Hinally resolving into a hopeful coda as multiple soloists weave around each other.

Amidst heavier themes, Johansing still leaves room for her love of irresistible pop melodies and lush production. The driving “Last Drop” and mid-tempo “Valley Green” are two of her catchiest songs to date. On the former Johansing sings the anthemic chorus, “As if it were the last drop, and nothing ever lasts forever / As if it were the last stop, too far out to come back ever”, longing for a love that she’ll never take for granted, while also admitting that she doesn’t always know how good she has it. “Valley Green” features shimmering layers of 12- string guitars, stacked horns and an impeccable solo by co-producer and multi- instrumentalist Tim Ramsey (Vetiver, Fruit Bats), hinting at a love for bands like NRBQ.

Having been eager to capture the initial spark of songwriting, Johansing booked time at Highland Park’s 64 Sound Studio the week that it reopened. Over the course of three days, she and her band gathered basic tracks for 10 songs, before returning home to Hinish the record with Ramsey. Setting forth to make an album that paid homage to the music that kept them company during the months spent alone together, the duo pulled inspiration from a wide net including Burt Bacharach, John Carroll Kirby & Haruomi Hosono. Ramsey’s newfound love of early digital synthesizers dovetailed effortlessly with Johansing’s fondness for classic 70’s horn and string arrangements, creating a sound that is distinctly modern yet warm and familiar.

Once again Johansing called upon some of the Hinest players of Northeast Los Angeles’ vibrant music community to lend a hand with the record. The 70s R&B-folk of “Watch It Like a Show” features an electric guitar solo from Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy, while album closer “Endless Sound” boasts backing vocals from electronic musician Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and swooping Indian-inspired violins from Amir Yaghmai (HAIM, The Voidz). The record shines brightly thanks to an ace mix from veteran producer Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith, Cat Power), woodwinds from Logan Hone (John Carroll Kirby, Eddie Chacon), and a featured rhythm section of drummer Josh Adams (Jenny Lewis, Bedouine) and bassist Todd Dahlhoff (Feist, Devendra Banhart). Recorded across multiple studios including LA’s famed Sunset Sound, the album remains steadfastly buoyed by the adept engineering of Tyler Karmen (MGMT, Alvvays).

Though born of turbulent times, Year Away is ultimately interested in moving forward. The album ends with “Endless Sound,” where Johansing laments seismic global changes, (“The water is hotter, the mighty thaw / The current’s reversing, the last are lost”) but vows to keep going (“No storm can take me down / Endless light, endless sound”). It’s Year Away’s resilience that shines through despite the darkness. It’s a sound all her own and Johansing’s most cohesive set of songs yet.

Founded and curated by DJ and producer Samantha Togni, Boudica is a platform that aims to give visibility to women, trans* and non-binary artists. Since the platform was first launched in 2019, Boudica has evolved into a series of club events in London at venues like The Pickle Factory, Fold and E1, a radio show, a music conference and a record label.

Boudica's mission is to promote greater gender equality within the music industry. By showcasing diverse role models from marginalised communities across the music industry, they aim to engage and inspire young and upcoming artists to pursue music careers irrespective of their background and experience within the field.

In 2020, they launched the inaugural Boudica Music Conference at Freemasons' Hall. The full day included educational panels, workshops and live music designed to encourage more artists from marginalised genders to pursue careers in the music industry. In 2022, Boudica not only held London's edition of the conference at the same venue, but they also expanded to Europe. In partnership with Pioneer DJ, they held their first edition of the conference abroad in Bologna at the Museum of Modern Art. Boudica Music Conference is touring in Europe in 2023, featuring talks, workshops alongside Pioneer DJ and club nights.

Last year, they launched the Boudica label, to support and celebrate female, trans+ and non-binary producers. Supported by Arts Council England, the label features artists such as Feminyst, Nur Jaber, Wanton Witch, OCD, Infinity Dreams, Peachlyfe, Yazzus and founder Samantha Togni. Their previous releases have garnered support from major music publications such as RA and Mixmag, resulting in a third VA release.

The third vinyl, 'Dark As It Gets', is a reflection of Boudica's continual musical evolution. The release marks a first for the platform, as they issued a callout for trans+ producers across the world to send in a track to be included on the vinyl. 'Dark As It Gets' by MIIIA was selected, and the title not only encapsulates the EP's energy but also Boudica's drive to support upcoming artists in the electronic music space.

The third vinyl commences with Rotterdam-based duo Animistic Beliefs' 'Vu Sua La Gi?'. The atmospheric track begins with menacing synths that are soon after enmeshed with vogue, gqom and percussive vocal chops that build towards a rewarding, melodic breakbeat cadence at its close.

New York-based Jasmine Infiniti's 'Top Shop' is the second track on the release. Skittish breaks and warped vocals skip across brooding, muted chords that eventually dissipate to reveal a hypnotic synth melody.

The vinyl's B-side begins with Metaraph's 'Emotional Intelligence'. The track marries pummelling kick drums, heady chords and transcendent melodies, all of which serve to guide the listener from triplet hard bass to trance bliss.

Finally, the title track, 'Dark As It Gets', produced by competition winner MIIIA, delivers a powerful sonic ending to the vinyl. In her own words, the track's relentless momentum and intricate incorporation of sampling leads listeners on a 'hypnotic, sassy and intense' techno journey from beginning to end. The uncompromising track's fierce groove emblematizes Boudica's third vinyl commitment to forward-thinking, idiosyncratic production.

The third vinyl concludes the initial Boudica trilogy, depicting members of the Boudica community as contemporary royalty, drawing inspiration from the queen herself.

Two visionary maestros, Pierre Bastien and Michel Banabila, unite in their first collaborative album, Baba Soirée. The veterans of electronic music bring their unique expertise to the table, resulting in a captivating fusion of experimental styles. Bastien’s mechanical loops and experimental instrumental setups merge seamlessly with Banabila's sound design and impeccable skills of sampling collages. It's not a dance party, nor is it an avant-garde intervention. It's a soirée: a cultivated evening of sonic alchemy hosted by these two charismatic gentlemen.

Pierre Bastien is a composer and multi-instrumentalist with a background in French literature. He has spent decades crafting an idiosyncratic world of experimental sound with his self-built mechanical orchestra Mecanium. It was most notably showcased in audiovisual releases on Aphex Twin's Rephlex label. Bastien's creations are a mesmerizing combination of traditional instruments (he has a vast collection) and mechanical automatons. The violin in the track Rotomotor, for example, is physically played by one of his machines. In Baba Soirée, Bastien also plays a prepared cornet (Slow Dance, Banbas Aura), infusing the recordings with a breathy, dreamy dimension.

Michel Banabila, a sound artist, composer and producer, possesses an eclectic musical repertoire that defies genres. His seamless blend of minimal electronica, tribal ambient, and neo- classical influences has earned him a prominent place in the world of experimental music, and an impressive discography (Knekelhuis, Bureau B, Séance Center, a.o.). Banabila serves as the creative sampling editor for Baba Soirée, expertly weaving together the recordings to craft an evocative sonic tapestry.

The two share a curiosity for traditional instruments from various cultures. The instruments used in the recordings are shown in the cover artwork. A mutual admiration for each other's work paved the way for this fruitful artistic partnership of the Rotterdam-based artists: Collaborating on a single as a fundraiser for Yemen in 2022 set the stage for the creation of Baba Soirée.

For Pierre Bastien, Dada, Fluxus and International Situationism have played a significant role in shaping his artistic vision. The title Baba Soirée is an homage to Kurt Schwitters and Theo van Doesburg's "Kleine Dada Soirée" collaboration which took place exactly a century ago. There's an unmistakable stoicism and an anarchic not-giving-a-f*** attitude in these recordings by Bastien & Banabila, which resonates in the light of this Dada reference.

Bill Seaman is a musician, media artist and media researcher int the field of interactive and generative music (he calls this recombinant music). He has been working on a series of works that combine elements of ambient, noise, experimental, new classical and more. He describes these works as being alt.genre. He has recorded five solo albums (on Eilean Rec. and Fluid Audio) and a numerous of collaborative albums with some music artists such as Craig Tattersall, John Supko, Offthesky, Rutger Zuydervelt, Stephen Vitiello, between others. Seaman has also often created video works to accompany a number of his solo and collaborative pieces. Seaman is self-taught as a musician and composer, and is a Professor in the Music Department at Duke as well as Art, Arth History & Visual Studies.

Since releasing a track on the RND034873349921 compilation on the Pause_2 label in 2001, Tim Diagram has released over thirty-five albums as a solo artist or as part of collaboration projects. he has appeared on many well-respected labels, such as; False Industries, Static Caravan, Nomadic Kids Republic, Fluid Audio, Time Released Sound, Chemical Tapes – to name but a few. Tim runs the Handstitched* label in the UK which specialises in bespoke, handmade packaging for the more electro-acoustic and drone-like elements of his and other artists work, and he is involved in audio-visual commissions, including art gallery installations and music videos for a global clothing brand. As well as Maps and Diagrams, Tim also records music under the Atlantis name and works in collaboration with Genoveva Kachurkova as Bluhm, with Charles Sage as Hessien, alongside Rob Lyon as Somme & with Arbee under the name Emba.

Stephen Spera is a New York based artist working in sound, photography, and plastic arts. His works have been released on some labels such as Handstitched, Tesselate, and Editions Vaché. In 2020 he began a series of collaborations with Bill Seaman, as the two artists admired each other’s work and found much in common. Their work together was graced with an ease which kept them composing an album- “Architectures of Light” -which was released on Britain’s Handstitched label. The project was very well-received. The two stay in touch and kept working, joined now by Tim Martin whose work as Maps and Diagrams was long-admired by Stephen and Bill. They too found instant understanding of each other’s work, and “ The World was turning Before” is the result of their collaboration. The three artists possess an almost uncanny communication that enables them to work whilst still enjoying each other’s individual voice, and this trio has come together so well that, in Spera’s words, “We no longer know who played what…”

Video Age make breezy and timeless songs that are so ine­able, they can only be the result of a decades-long friendship and songwriting partnership. Across four albums, Ross Farbe and Ray Micarelli have gleefully worn their influences on their sleeve, writing inviting tunes that reference sounds ranging from disco to pop and indie rock. On their latest LP, Away From The Castle, the New Orleans duo have strayed from nostalgia and instead have honed their own unique musicality, making songs that sound like themselves with a taste of inspiration from classic singer-songwriters of the 60s and 70s. The album is a testament to the possibilities that come from getting out of your comfort zone, the freedom of writing vulnerably and unselfconsciously, and the joys of getting to work with your closest companions. After releasing and eventually touring their critically-acclaimed third album Pleasure Line in 2020, Farbe and Micarelli sought inspiration for their next project through collaboration. They worked with Drugdealer on his album Hiding In Plain Sight, Micarelli gigged throughout New Orleans' jazz and blues scenes, and Farbe recorded local artists at his home studio, most recently producing Esther Rose's new album Safe to Run. Feeling refreshed, they rented a cabin in Eunice, Louisiana with touring members Nick Corson and Duncan Troast, where they spent eight days in August 2022 jamming, cooking and writing together. Through this process, Video Age have made their best collection of tracks to date by perfectly alchemizing their influences and experiences into a record still tinged with nostalgia, but moving towards a more succinct and authentic voice. Away From The Castle is a document of a band having fun and rediscovering their love for making music together, but it's also their most honest and personal work yet-Video Age distilled to its purest form.

Video Age make breezy and timeless songs that are so ine­able, they can only be the result of a decades-long friendship and songwriting partnership. Across four albums, Ross Farbe and Ray Micarelli have gleefully worn their influences on their sleeve, writing inviting tunes that reference sounds ranging from disco to pop and indie rock. On their latest LP, Away From The Castle, the New Orleans duo have strayed from nostalgia and instead have honed their own unique musicality, making songs that sound like themselves with a taste of inspiration from classic singer-songwriters of the 60s and 70s. The album is a testament to the possibilities that come from getting out of your comfort zone, the freedom of writing vulnerably and unselfconsciously, and the joys of getting to work with your closest companions. After releasing and eventually touring their critically-acclaimed third album Pleasure Line in 2020, Farbe and Micarelli sought inspiration for their next project through collaboration. They worked with Drugdealer on his album Hiding In Plain Sight, Micarelli gigged throughout New Orleans' jazz and blues scenes, and Farbe recorded local artists at his home studio, most recently producing Esther Rose's new album Safe to Run. Feeling refreshed, they rented a cabin in Eunice, Louisiana with touring members Nick Corson and Duncan Troast, where they spent eight days in August 2022 jamming, cooking and writing together. Through this process, Video Age have made their best collection of tracks to date by perfectly alchemizing their influences and experiences into a record still tinged with nostalgia, but moving towards a more succinct and authentic voice. Away From The Castle is a document of a band having fun and rediscovering their love for making music together, but it's also their most honest and personal work yet-Video Age distilled to its purest form.

Video Age make breezy and timeless songs that are so ine­able, they can only be the result of a decades-long friendship and songwriting partnership. Across four albums, Ross Farbe and Ray Micarelli have gleefully worn their influences on their sleeve, writing inviting tunes that reference sounds ranging from disco to pop and indie rock. On their latest LP, Away From The Castle, the New Orleans duo have strayed from nostalgia and instead have honed their own unique musicality, making songs that sound like themselves with a taste of inspiration from classic singer-songwriters of the 60s and 70s. The album is a testament to the possibilities that come from getting out of your comfort zone, the freedom of writing vulnerably and unselfconsciously, and the joys of getting to work with your closest companions. After releasing and eventually touring their critically-acclaimed third album Pleasure Line in 2020, Farbe and Micarelli sought inspiration for their next project through collaboration. They worked with Drugdealer on his album Hiding In Plain Sight, Micarelli gigged throughout New Orleans' jazz and blues scenes, and Farbe recorded local artists at his home studio, most recently producing Esther Rose's new album Safe to Run. Feeling refreshed, they rented a cabin in Eunice, Louisiana with touring members Nick Corson and Duncan Troast, where they spent eight days in August 2022 jamming, cooking and writing together. Through this process, Video Age have made their best collection of tracks to date by perfectly alchemizing their influences and experiences into a record still tinged with nostalgia, but moving towards a more succinct and authentic voice. Away From The Castle is a document of a band having fun and rediscovering their love for making music together, but it's also their most honest and personal work yet-Video Age distilled to its purest form.

Kaipa is a Swedish band from the Uppsala area, which moves in symphonic rock with influences from folk music. The band is mainly influenced by Yes.

The result is as colourful musically and lyrically as Kaipa devotees will expect from the band’s rich discography dating back to the debut opus released in 1975. Formed in 1973, KAIPA never shied away from experimentation, embracing fresh elements and sounds manifesting especially on the albums released in the 2000’s. ‘

"Vittjar" is Kaipa's 11th studio album. The addition of the eminent guest-musicians Fredrik Lindqvist (recorders & whistles) and Elin Rubinsztein (violin) further underlines the folk influences in the music. Now available on vinyl in a new colour!

Kaipa is a Swedish band from the Uppsala area, which moves in symphonic rock with influences from folk music. The band is mainly influenced by Yes.

The result is as colourful musically and lyrically as Kaipa devotees will expect from the band’s rich discography dating back to the debut opus released in 1975. Formed in 1973, KAIPA never shied away from experimentation, embracing fresh elements and sounds manifesting especially on the albums released in the 2000’s. ‘

"Vittjar" is Kaipa's 11th studio album. The addition of the eminent guest-musicians Fredrik Lindqvist (recorders & whistles) and Elin Rubinsztein (violin) further underlines the folk influences in the music. Now available on vinyl in a new colour!

On "II" the band continue to go even further into the dark. Gloomy melodies all wrapped up with Erica Li Lundqvists fantastic vocals. Imagine a mix of She Past Away with Linea Aspera and you won't be too far away from the result.

The album is released on two different 180g deluxe vinyl with inserts and CD.

The perfect soundtrack to a dark autumn. Abu Nein is for sure ready to take the next step.

Arriving from various points in Mexico, Panama, Cuba and Puerto Rico, this nine-man group led by Benny Velarde found each other and their music in San Francisco in the early 1970’s. They brought the music of their homes to the heavy sounds of San Francisco and merged the two, resulting in this soulful, joyful and unique 1973 recording. This Verve By Request title is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Third Man in Detroit.

Mr. K’s series of edits on Most Excellent Unlimited is nothing if not eclectic, and utilitarian — as befits a veteran DJ of Danny Krivit’s stature. For our latest, Krivit pulls two disparate gems out of his bag of tricks and fits them neatly on a single 7-inch piece of vinyl.

In 1972 Ralph Bakshi’s landmark underground animated film Fritz the Cat was released, featuring a soundtrack performed by an all-star cast of San Francisco area musicians associated with the Berkeley-based Fantasy label. Perhaps Fantasy’s biggest artist was the vibes player Cal Tjader, who debuted in 1955 and was still going strong when songs were gathered for the movie’s soundtrack nearly twenty years later. Rather than simply using one of his older, already-recorded tunes, Tjader laid down a completely new version of his earlier hit record “Mamblues.” This time however, he swapped his standard latin percussion accompaniment for a can’t-miss rhythm section of Bernard Purdie, Chuck Rainey, and Arthur Adams. The result was a searing funk workout that took the latin jazz classic to new heights. Mr. K subtly warms this one up by adding a hint of reverb and bringing the tempo down a notch, pushing things from frenetic to funky, and firmly into friendly mixing territory for the DJs.

For our flip side, we turn to an unsung jewel amongst Philadelphia’s many contributions to disco music. Executive Suite released a series of singles in ’74 and ’75 that were recorded at the famed Sigma Sound Studios and had ties to a number of better known disco luminaries, among them the holy trinity of Baker-Harris-Young and, on “You Believed In Me,” the mighty Patrick Adams. Along with his longtime associate Stan Lucas, Adams garnished the vocal quartet’s composition with a driving arrangement and epic, soaring strings. The combined effect produced a vibrant, uplifting club cut that echoes the positive spirit of Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up” while being altogether its own thing. For our latest release Mr. K focuses solely on Adams’s instrumental section, returning repeatedly to that addictive string riff and creating a propulsive rhythm track that just doesn’t quit. And we don’t want it to!

As always, these connoisseur’s choice cuts have been remastered and pressed to Most Excellent Unlimited’s standards, and are primed and ready on 7-inch for DJs and home listeners alike.

The Great Escape is the debut collaborative album from San Francisco Legend, Larry June & prolific super producer, The Alchemist. Through a process that felt very organic, the two churned out an extra healthy amount of music that resulted in what may be their magnum opus. At 15 tracks, the album includes tasteful features from some of Hip-Hop's most celebrated figures; Action Bronson, Big Sean, Ty Dolla $ign, Slum Village, Boldy James, Evidence, Wiz Khalifa, Jay Worthy, Curren$y & Joey Bada$$. Like a fine wine, sit back, let it breathe, and enjoy the neat yet exquisitely rich complexities of two of Hip-Hop’s smoothest figures.

Teichmann + Söhne’s »Flows« is not so much the result of a collaborative process as it is a process in itself. Over the course of nine pieces, the Gebrüder Teichmann—Andi and Hannes—and their father Uli repeatedly find common ground between the very different musical styles, sound aesthetics, and subcultural codes they have internalised throughout their lives. The source material out of which the album evolved was culled from several recordings of rehearsal sessions in preparation for the trio’s concerts that took place between the years 2012 and 2022. The three added only a few overdubs to those recordings but edited them rigorously to both preserve and transform the spirit of their unlikely collaboration. The combination of Uli’s background as a versatile jazz artist and multi-instrumentalist with his sons’ penchant for dub techniques, modular synthesis, and live sampling as well as their interest in electronic dance music take on ever-different shapes. »Flows,« released on the occasion of Uli’s 80th birthday, is as joyful, lively and free-spirited as its makers.

It took the three musicians decades to get together to jam. Uli and Lu, the mother of Andi and Hannes, ran the legendary Jazzclub Kneiting between 1978 and 1983 while he also made a name for himself as a musician who, besides jazz, is knowledgeable in a plethora of music styles from all over the world and has an instrument collection to match. Naturally, Andi and Hannes rebelled against this versatility by opting for simplicity. Already as pre-teens, they formed a punk band and once they got a whiff of the burgeoning techno scene, strayed even further from their father’s path. They eventually moved from their native Regensburg to Berlin where they made a name for themselves with a slew of releases on seminal labels like Disko B or Kompakt before starting to more regularly collaborate with musicians from the realms of Contemporary Music, Improv, and Sound Art. Even after Uli had finally contributed some saxophone licks to the brother’s 2011 »They Made Us Do It« LP, it indeed needed someone else to make them do it, i.e. finally get together to reconcile their musical differences in a creative way.

Finding out that the three had never performed together, Yoichi Osaki from Berlin’s iconic Miss Hecker venue, a focal point of the city’s so-called Echtzeitmusik (real-time music) and Improv scene, scheduled them to play their first concert on April 1, 2012. Even though the date was chosen deliberately, things got serious very quickly and this first joint concert proved to be the first of many. It also laid the foundation for »Flows« since the three would start recording their rehearsals. Revisiting the roughly 90 recordings, some of which clock in at a full hour, after ten years of playing with each other then started what Hannes describes as a »form-finding process.« It was a holistic one and involved all three of them, extending also to their choice of cover artwork, a piece created by Lu, who died in 2016 and to whom the album is dedicated. For the collage, she had used photos of the place where it all began, Regensburg, and the river that flows through it, the Danube. This made the piece, coincidentally created around the time Teichmann + Söhne started playing their first concerts together, correlate perfectly with the working process of the three musicians on a visual level.

Similarly, Teichmann + Söhne can be thought of as a human-musical collage. It is a meeting of three different musicians who all have in common that they have occupied alternative spaces and perfected a variety of musical styles and subcultural codes throughout their lives. When those flow into each other, this necessarily creates something that is as unique as the nine tracks collected on this album. While it is mostly Uli who takes the lead on pieces like the appropriately titled »Im Zwischen« (»In the Inbetween«), the brothers respond by live sampling his playing, thus serving as a creative interface between acoustic sounds and electronic responses. This in turn provides a framework in which Uli can improvise on a variety of acoustic instruments like the saxophone and the clarinet as well as a mandolin and glockenspiel or even percussion. This indeed makes their music flow—across different generations, between different musical ideas and genres, into previously uncharted territory.

'I heard about Seif Abu Bakr and The Scorpions maybe 3-4 years ago. Their album 'Jazz, Jazz Jazz' ended up on my radar because of an eBay auction with the bids eventually rising daily up to a staggering 1000$. The music is a unique combination of incredible horn arrangements powerfully performed, a vigorous drummer contributing a funky backbone and Seif's vocals uniting those elements. The results range from instrumental tracks awaking memories of 1970s crime thriller soundtracks to more Sudanese-rooted tracks, a lot of them modernized versions traditional rhythms of the diverse regions of Sudan and even an excursion into Colgolese Soukouss.
I went for my second trip to Sudan in December 2018 and after doing some research on the first trip my local colleagues Larissa and Yassir had managed to reach Amir, The Scorpions band leader and he was happy to meet. We got together with him in a Cafe right at the Nile in Omdurman. It was a happy occasion for everyone. He told us stories about him meeting Jimmy Cliff and Lewis Armstrong when they visited Sudan and how he and his band mates from The Scorpions played extensively in Kuwait, both in club residencies as well as for television. Amir brought tons of incredible photos illustrating not only the bands history but the vivid cultural live in the many music clubs in Khartoum of the 1970s. During this decade up until 1983 the capital was home to a huge number of clubs, bards and concert halls. This scene started to perish after president Nimeiry's turn away from his socialist policies, that he was widely associated with in the first decade of his rule, towards the implementation of Sharia law in 1983. During the first decade of his rule he had actively supported various artists of the Jazz scene, taking some of them on trips throughout Africa. The 1989 coup of Bashir and his generals then caused the final blow to a once thriving scene. Both of these political events within 6 years lead to significant drawbacks for the Sudanese jazz scene resulting into hardly no gig opportunities left and parties and concerts being critically observed. A number of musicians faced prosecution, most of the time for their political views; some left Sudan for good. Music never completely vanished from public life and even the regime kept selected artists close, but for a majority of those bands affiliated to the jazz scene life and making ends became a lot harder. The Scorpions dissolved as a group around the same time.
The re-release was produced with a clean copy of the vinyl version as a source. The original reel tape of the album stayed with Saif Abu Bakr along with another reel with other recordings that were never released. Unfortunately it was lost when Saif Abu Bakr had to flee to Kuwait temporarily during the second gulf war when Iraq raided Kuwait. Vinyl version comes with extensive booklets with photos, interviews, liner notes. The vinyl version also has a DLL code.

In the early 1990s, a team of linguists, engineers, anthropologists, and archaeologists were tasked with constructing a type of communication that could transcend time. How might we converse with future civilizations when language may evolve or dissolve entirely? The result yielded the design of spike fields; a strange construction of granite thorns bursting from the earth to alert its viewers to the deadly uninhabitability of nuclear waste disposal sites. For Maria BC (they/them), this state of temporal focus molds the wanderings on their second full length album Spike Field. How do we connect with the weathered shadow of our experience, while envisioning the self a few steps ahead of us? While their debut album Hyaline (2022, Father/Daughter) explored grief and anxiety through a series of character-led accounts, Spike Field recognizes that the past will continue to lurk below the surface until we decide to break through the soil. Spike Field was recorded in the home of a family friend. The home featured an out-of-tune baby Steinway piano, complete with squeaky hammers and strange, sporadic sounds. The piano is sprinkled throughout the album, and features extensively on opener "Amber," showcasing Maria BC's looser, more extensive arrangements. The song flickers with electronic wonder, like a wave seeking out its station, before crashing into the angelic choral introduction of "Watcher". Strings, plucked guitar and buzzing swells accompany their classically-trained mezzo-soprano voice on "Return to Sender," a song that focuses on the frustrations and turmoil of being unable to reach a loved one--both physically and emotionally. Spike Field reminds us that despite our best efforts to bury certain aspects of ourselves, they will always lurk beneath the surface. Instead of ignoring the seeds striving to break through, we can point to these places with a curious grace, concocting a language that transcends words to converse with our previous selves. Maria BC pieces together juxtaposing sonic landscapes and oscillating vocals to represent the thread of miscommunication, or the failure of words, that weaves throughout the album, transforming it into a distinct and ever-evolving sonic tongue. If we listen, we might find something new within ourselves.

We're proud to announce renewal of our near-ten year relationship with raw black power ambient ritualists Sutekh Hexen in announcing the band's colossal new 2LP "P:R:I:S:M", a full collaboration with Canadian nightmare-weaving enigma Funerary Call (AKA field recording and experimental soundscaping artist Harlow MacFarlane), to be released this summer in collaboration with our good dearest frequent co-conspirators from the US Sentien Ruin.
With "P:R:I:S:M", magisterial sonic-alchemists Sutekh Hexen and Funerary Call join forces to deliver a fully collaborative album of eight highly experimental tracks. Throughout this octonary journey, concepts and unseen source energies are refined into spectrums of deeper consciousness. The resulting narrative guides the listener through a vastness of (dis)charging energies, rebirth through dissolution, and harrowing harmonic passages in tremendous spaces. Inner-workings suspend transformations in time. Pushing their respective boundaries, Sutekh Hexen and Funerary Call initiate the listener with the crystalline, static miasma of the album’s opener 'Meridian غ', only to enshroud them in the manifesting psychosis of 'Infernal Folly'. The churning mysticism of 'Perilous Shade' offers temporal sanctuary, and 'Toward the Eastern Gate' calls forth tectonic-prophecies as the album's centerpiece, tipping the scale into 'Fractal: Void'—a blistering disarmament in a storm of guitars, scathing electronics, and the disembodied calls we all anticipate and fear. 'Æscend Obsidia' tests the preceding tension and overwhelms in shimmering radiance before declaring release in 'Pangæa Ultima² (Dread)'. Closing with 'Shores of Purgatory', thresholds are breached anew with hectic guitar feedback, spectral synthesis and meditative melodic embellishments. Where the mirror blinds, the "P:R:I:S:M" offers vision—refractions of new perspectives, dissolving the shadow-self.

After collaborating together for more than a decade, Jenny Hval and Håvard Volden released their first album under the Lost Girls moniker in 2021: Menneskekollektivet. The record received rave reviews, including a Best New Music mark at Pitchfork. On October 20th, 2023, the duo will release their second album Selvutsletter.


Like its predecessor, the album title is a made up Norwegian word, a word that almost exists. The band’s own translation of Selvutsletter is «self-effacer»: Someone who tries to erase themselves. Someone who is cleaning out themselves. Performing exorcism. Or perhaps just getting older, less interested in their own present self.


In 2022, Lost Girls were booked to perform a concert at Les Subsistances in Lyon, together with a few Norwegian performing arts groups performing their pieces. The band decided to use the opportunity to create all new material, and think of it as a coherent piece. Working in tandem, with Volden creating beats and wild sets of guitar chords and Hval restructuring the parts, creating melodies, words and adding more sounds, they started spiraling into unchartered territory of shorter, more concise and melodic songs than their debut LP Menneskekollektivet.


As the material developed, words already embedded in the chords, guitar sounds and rhythms began to dance around. Lyrics about cities after dark, music rituals and band practices of the 90s, and the early days of the internet began to take shape. These were Hval's own memories of her hometown and her obsession with creating music as a way of leaving it behind or even setting it on fire. Selvutsletter is, in that sense, about retracing Hval and Volden's steps back to how it felt to discover music, the intensely physical and communal experience of creating something. Certain tracks even go back further, to discover possible happenings in Norwegian towns and cities before any of us were born, using elements of faux folk singing.


Where Menneskekollektivet was about exploring club beats, and expanding and trying out structures, Selvutsletter is about disappearing in experiences. It combines the intuitive, late night feel of Lost Girls’ previous work with experimental rock music as its object. The result is more adventurous than nostalgic: A fiery, bilingual whirl of colors, words, vegetation and electricity.

A1 - Theia

Opening his Spatial account in an historic release for the label and a moniker dormant for over 25 years, JLM Productions opens the EP with Theia - a track which will take you right back to early Progression Sessions days - delicately introduced with blippy effects and hi hats, ushering in crisp metallic beats and relaxing padwork. The track develops continually with soothing melodies and amens added into the mix, resulting in a stunning and varied collage of finely tuned elements that never sound too busy to the ear - JLM Productions, welcome back!

A2 - Derealization

Changing things up while still showcasing the ability to combine a crazy level of detail into a cohesive mix, Derealization is a suspenseful, slightly moody track with JLM Productions laying down distinctive snappy breakbeats and sudden, fierce bassy hits, with tension rising from the eerie synthwork to envelop the listener throughout a track which demands repeated listens and will surely do damage on the discerning dancefloor.

AA1 - Quadrature

With a vibe reminiscent of his output in the mid-90's Reinforced era, JLM Productions drops Quadrature which takes that inspiration and brings it right up to date for Spatial in 2023, effortlessly combining synthetic breaks with understated echoing bongos, restless wavy notes and old school melodies punctuating the immersive atmosphere of the piece. This one thoroughly deserves pride of place in the "old school brand new" club.

AA2 - Translight Velocity

Continuing the old school theme, Translight Velocity quickly shows it's intent with inspired off-key notes before a lesson in joyous 90's style breakbeats leaps out of the speakers - not a single head in the room will be still with this on deck! Bouncy basslines and finely crafted drums from a variety of break samples jump around chaotically, sending your mind to the dancefloors of old in a way that feels incredibly fresh today

Words by Chris Hayes

Emerging from the heart of Brussels, the captivating five-piece Azmari is set to release "Maëlström" on October 20. For Maelström, the follow up to their acclaimed debut album Sam?'? (with raving reviews in Uncut, Songlines, Uk Vibe and Electronic Sound), the group has delved into uncharted musical territories creating a mesmerizing "azmarian" identity and melding intricate jazz textures with intoxicating oriental influences, otherworldly ethio grooves, enigmatic dark funk, and the pulsating beats of dub music,

For the creation of "Maëlström," Azmari embarked on an intensive one-week recording journey. During this time, they meticulously honed the sound of their instruments, blending the nostalgic notes of old-school clavinet keyboards with cutting-edge synth sounds, resulting in a distinct and alluring atmosphere. Enriching their traditional instruments with balanced pedal effects and special amplification, the band added new flavours to their sound.

Founded in the vibrant musical haven of Brussels in 2015, Azmari have been crafting a truly unique tapestry of musical exploration. Azmari defies conventional labels to weave a narrative of sonic innovation and artistic liberation. Influences range from an eclectic array of artists, including Okay Temiz, Heliocentrics, Whitefield Brothers, Surprise Chef, Antibalas and Sons of Kemet.

From the band: "For the third part of our musical journey, we dug into a deeper creative process. We literally immersed ourselves in deep waters during a unique two-week aquatic residency. The tracks on this album are thus directly imbued with distinctive underwater frequencies, the sounds of abyssal creatures, and the beauty of the seabed. Convinced by this creative experience, and guided by captain (and producer) Frederik Segers, we brought this album back to the surface and reveal a resolutely scaly, sandy, and deep soundscape."

The follow-up to his acclaimed Constellation debut Third Album released in lockdown spring 2020, Markus Floats returns with Fourth Album, pushing the Montréal-based artist's distinct abstract electronic compositions into newly evocative terrain (while preserving his record-titling literalism). Faced with another couple of years spent unexpectedly, though not unfamiliarly, secluded and studio-bound, working on both paintings and music, Floats emerged by the end of 2022 with a set of tracks "about 60% finished" and a determined desire to throw off the shackles of distancing and isolation. "I had always thought about Markus Floats as a solo project but I am wrong about that. Fourth Album is about asking for help, inviting in, and making a home. It's about trust, exploration, and the effort of letting go."Sharing his in-progress recordings with a trio of close friends and collaborators from the powerhouse free music ensemble Egyptian Cotton Arkestra, each of these players then spent a day improvising to the tracks at Montréal's Hotel2Tango studio. With violin by Ari Swan, saxophone and mbira by James Goddard, and guitar and drums by Lucas Huang, Floats stitched their extemporized instruments back into his compositional process. The result is a fluid, lustrous, dynamic expansion of his sound and structure that continues to strike the ineffable balance of abstraction and soulfulness rightly highlighted and celebrated in the critical response to Third Album. Fourth Album sustains much of that previous work's enchanting equanimity, while inviting a bit more restlessness, accident and grit, with the incorporation of acoustic instruments and improvisation melding Floats' own background in Electroacoustic Studies and Jazz Performance more than ever before.Signature avant-electronic explorations of arpeggiated and timbral transformation, subtle shifts in harmonic consonance and dissonance, and a through-composed praxis that draws coterminously upon free jazz, musique concrète and modern Minimalism, all continue to shape Fourth Album to great effect. But an additional palette of sonic and gestural raw material is now also decidedly "out-of-the-box", charting a wider range of gestures, textures and temporalities. Fourth Album complexifies and intensifies across its 12 tracks, thematizing dualities and introducing new elements of play and accident, even a sort of looseness here and there, as it conjures communal expressivity within shorter, still scrupulous formal structures. Fourth Album also for the first time includes spoken word as a recorded element, previously only (and always) a feature of Markus Floats live performances. The album's final track samples the poet and activist Fred Moten, closing with these words: "What we've been trying to figure out how to get to is how we are when we get together to try to figure it out." This koan of socially-engaged process and creation/advancement of meaning through praxis and immanence reflects the unique fusion of intangible materiality and affective sensibility at work in Markus Floats music, unfolding in new depths and currents with Fourth Album.

The sophomore album from The Three O'Clock found the band further blending psychedelic pop with
contemporary sounds. Producer, Earle Mankey, encouraged the band in their experimentation. The
result yielded a college-radio hit, "Jet Fighter," which remains one of the group's most well-known
songs. Other standouts include, "A Day In Erotica," "Stupid Einstein," "Fall to the Ground," and their
version of the Bee Gees "In My Own Time". This album positioned the band at the forefront of the
Paisley Underground scene. Many fans and critics consider this to be their masterpiece. For the
album's 40th anniversary, the album was remastered by Bill Inglot and Dave Schultz. Additionally, the
band decided to update the cover art and give the album two front covers with no back cover. The LP
lacquer was cut at Bernie Grundman Mastering, and pressed at Citizen Vinyl on clear green vinyl

Over the course of 20 years, German artist Black To Comm (Marc Richter) has pushed the limits of / and merged the aesthetics of art, conceptual installations, and music, coming in a wave of innovation alongside his peers Pita, Fennesz, and later Sarah Davachi to name a few. Through it all Richter as Black to Comm has challenged assumptions, explored identity, and confronted the concept of authorship itself. At Zeenath Parallel Heavens finds Black to Comm contemplating the hybridity within each and every one of us, be it sexual, racial, cultural, or linguistic. Richter mirrors personal dualities musically with a combination of sounds he created and manipulated samples, blurring their boundaries. "I always try to blur the line between sampling and my own recordings, also between "real" instruments,MIDI, electronics, editing, between authenticity and theatrics/artificiality," says Richter. When recording he became aware of how AI text programs processing resembles his own methods. "I had the realization recently that the way I compose is not too dissimilar to what AI software is doing nowadays - especially when the AI is hallucinating (this is the term used when the AI is overloaded/overcharged/inundated and comes up with made-up results)." Human behavior reflected in a computer facsimile of human intelligence appealed to the ethos of Black to Comm, whose titles and concepts are often oblique and tongue-in-cheek.

Over the course of 20 years, German artist Black To Comm (Marc Richter) has pushed the limits of / and merged the aesthetics of art, conceptual installations, and music, coming in a wave of innovation alongside his peers Pita, Fennesz, and later Sarah Davachi to name a few. Through it all Richter as Black to Comm has challenged assumptions, explored identity, and confronted the concept of authorship itself. At Zeenath Parallel Heavens finds Black to Comm contemplating the hybridity within each and every one of us, be it sexual, racial, cultural, or linguistic. Richter mirrors personal dualities musically with a combination of sounds he created and manipulated samples, blurring their boundaries. "I always try to blur the line between sampling and my own recordings, also between "real" instruments,MIDI, electronics, editing, between authenticity and theatrics/artificiality," says Richter. When recording he became aware of how AI text programs processing resembles his own methods. "I had the realization recently that the way I compose is not too dissimilar to what AI software is doing nowadays - especially when the AI is hallucinating (this is the term used when the AI is overloaded/overcharged/inundated and comes up with made-up results)." Human behavior reflected in a computer facsimile of human intelligence appealed to the ethos of Black to Comm, whose titles and concepts are often oblique and tongue-in-cheek.

Stand by your friends that are hurting. That’s what New Jersey power punks Teenage Halloween do
through soaring arrangements of melodic angst, wracked vocals that insist “I love you so much I would
die for you”, and passion-packed two-minute dispatches tackling topics from gender euphoria, to state
abuses, and an eternal quest for mental wellbeing. The results are potent punk vistas that document
young queer life at the edge of America. In February 2023, the group headed into Headroom Studios
in Philadelphia, PA, under the guiding hand of producer Joe Reinhart (Hop Along, Beach Bunny,
Joyce Manor), and tracked the 13 dispatches on isolation, uncertainty, and hope for better days, that
make up Till You Return. This second full-length outing (due for Oct 20th release via Don Giovanni)
finds the band, which operated as a ‘rotating cast’ in it’s early years, now firmly entrenched as an
essential four-piece comprised of Henderiks alongside Eli Frank (guitar, vocals), Tricia Marshall
(bass, vocals) and Peter Gargano (drums). The quartet maintains the vital energy of their previous
incarnations but brings an even more focused punch to the arrangements that leaves greater room for
Henderiks’ lyrics. Fans of the band will also have noticed the creative assent of Marshall who takes
the vocal lead on multiple songs that have become defining features of the band’s recent live shows
and which bring a fresh new viewpoint to the band’s ongoing sonic mission for a more equal and just
world.

German jazz singer with Belgian roots Sophie Tassignon has built up a solid reputation in Germany. She has a whole series of well-received records to her credit, which not only showcase her musical versatility but also demonstrate what an incredible vocalist and composer she is. Sophie is a musical chameleon, constantly seeking to challenge and renew herself.


When the refugee crisis erupted and millions of Syrian refugees flocked to continental Europe in search of a better life and safety, it resulted in a lot of fear and opposition from the European population. The perception on refugees is often very negative and creates divisions on the political field.


When a shelter was started up two blocks from Sophie's home in Berlin, she decided to help and take care of some refugees. To get a better understanding on the culture and stories of those people and to bridge with our culture, she decided to study Arabic. Meanwhile, we are more than five years on, and not only is she proficient in Arabic, but she has also gained a better understanding of the culture and customs of the Arab community. Friendships for life were formed.
She decided to incorporate Arabic into her own musical language - jazz - fusing two worlds. From this was born the project and the eponymous record "Khyal. The word refers to the imagination and is literally translated as "remembering and/or longing for something from the (distant) past." With this project, Sophie especially wants to encourage tolerance and acceptance towards people regardless of their cultural background or religion and show how intercultural interaction can lead to very beautiful and artistic results.artwork &

Berlin-based British composer, percussionist, and instrument maker Bex Burch was invited to spend a month in the US by International Anthem in Summer 2022. Burch immersed herself in the label"s creative community and listened to what it gave her, making field recordings and allowing There Is Only Love and Fear to emerge from the collaborations and environments she encountered. Sessions for the album spanned multiple non-traditional recording spaces including a storefront in Bridgeport, Chicago and a canyon in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, with an eminent cast of creative musicians including Ben LaMar Gay, Macie Stewart, Anna Butterss, Mikel Patrick Avery, and Dan Bitney of Tortoise, all of whom Burch met for the first time in the moments before they played. These moments of instant collaboration were then edited, decomposed, and recontextualized by Burch, resulting in a deeply organic, energetic-yet-patient addition to the canon of modern composition.

Berlin-based British composer, percussionist, and instrument maker Bex Burch was invited to spend a month in the US by International Anthem in Summer 2022. Burch immersed herself in the label"s creative community and listened to what it gave her, making field recordings and allowing There Is Only Love and Fear to emerge from the collaborations and environments she encountered. Sessions for the album spanned multiple non-traditional recording spaces including a storefront in Bridgeport, Chicago and a canyon in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, with an eminent cast of creative musicians including Ben LaMar Gay, Macie Stewart, Anna Butterss, Mikel Patrick Avery, and Dan Bitney of Tortoise, all of whom Burch met for the first time in the moments before they played. These moments of instant collaboration were then edited, decomposed, and recontextualized by Burch, resulting in a deeply organic, energetic-yet-patient addition to the canon of modern composition.

Fresh from starring as the town drunk, no typecasting here!, in Rio Bravo’ (the movie) Dean was at the height of his popularity when he entered the Capitol studios in the summer of 1959 to record his first
Christmas-themed songs accompanied by an orchestra arranged and conducted by Gus Levene. The results of the recordings were a charming, thoroughly entertaining Christmas record, highlighted by
fine versions of “White Christmas”, “Let It Snow! Let it Snow! Let It Snow!”, “Winter Wonderland”, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”, “The Christmas Blues”, “Rudolph, The Red- Nosed Reindeer” and bonus
broadcast recordings of “Silent Night”, “Silver Bells” and “It’s Beginning To Look Like Christmas.

Limited coloured Crystal Clear vinyl.

Limited to 300 copies, this 2x12" double vinyl VA is the third physical release of the industrial techno label, Askorn Records. Including 8 tracks ranging from dark and tortured slow beats to hard and industrial techno bangers, this release brings together 9 producers from Belgium, UK, Poland, Australia and France: Twan, Dahryl, Mickey Nox, Tripped, 14anger, Draugr, Hel.IV, Ogmah and Hatelove.

A1: Twan & Dahryl - Ammunition
Pure industrial techno banger. 142bpm bomb full of fast rolling drums and screaming synths, this collaboration between
Belgium based artist TWAN and Dahryl from United Kingdom, is a furious dancefloor destroyer.

A2: Mickey Nox - Switching Horsepower
Classic industrial hammer by Mickey Nox from Australia. A crazy 4-4 techno track with his famous stomping kick, strange FX sounds, chopped with some glitchy voices. Sounds like an unstoppable engine.

B1: Tripped - Fat Load
Tripped demonstrates the perfect mix between hardcore and techno into this track, using his famous and indescribable style. Industrial hardcore and destroyed 909 gabber kickdrums, scary synths, amen breaks and terror atmosphere.

B2: 14anger - Bachman
Heavily distorted bass-line, overdrived kickdrum, an acid break and some electrical noises: Bachman is the latest 14anger
banging track. This raw industrial techno track definitely brings some oldschool rave vibes to this project.

C1: Draugr - Discipline
A dark and groovy track by Draugr. He brings his famous threatening atmospheres, spooky bass and catchy drums on
this one. Crunchy kickdrum, radar noises and a perfectly chosen speech about order and discipline.

C2: Hel.IV - Brave & Thick
Hard, dark and punchy as usual, let's introduce Hel.IV from Paris. Deep and hard kickdrum with catchy drums patterns
surrounded by a screaming distorted vocal sample, and an epic and menacing synth.

D1: Ogmah - No Feelings, Pure Wrath
New harsh and scary bomb by Askorn's founder, Ogmah. A slashing and industrial beast with some shrill highs drums,
creaky and industrial FX sounds, and a long break with scary vocals about sins.

D2: Hatelove - Snakebyte
A slow and dark track with a deep as hell atmosphere, produced by the one and only Hatelove from Poland. Full of filters
automations, psycho and spooky noises, banging drums and crazy sound design. Angering af.

The artwork is an engraving by the artist Daniel Girault from Brittany in France. This is the result of a dark and disturbing
abstract design engraved on a hard metal surface, made by cutting grooves into it with differents sharp tools. After being
drowned into an acid bath, this metal plate is finally pressed with black ink on a thick paper sheet.

Ivan Pavlov aka CoH characterizes his latest solo work,Radiant Faults,as “the recording of a dialogue,” rather than a set of compositions. Crafted using a rare new synthesizer,the Silhouette Eins, Pavlov’s first encounter with the instrument across a long, late night session resultedin a continuous set of textures, patterns, and subliminal melodies. Atsome point during the process, he realized he was not alone: “It was as ifsomething was speaking to me through the gear–the feeling was very intense.No matter how determined and specific I attempted to be, theresults were something else. They felt like 'responses.’ This instantly reminded me of ELpH.

Ivan Pavlov aka CoH characterizes his latest solo work,Radiant Faults,as “the recording of a dialogue,” rather than a set of compositions. Crafted using a rare new synthesizer,the Silhouette Eins, Pavlov’s first encounter with the instrument across a long, late night session resultedin a continuous set of textures, patterns, and subliminal melodies. Atsome point during the process, he realized he was not alone: “It was as ifsomething was speaking to me through the gear–the feeling was very intense.No matter how determined and specific I attempted to be, theresults were something else. They felt like 'responses.’ This instantly reminded me of ELpH.

DreamySpaceyBlue is a new Bella Boo album, written and produced early 2023 when dark times demanded love, healing and forgiveness. Cozed-up, self-therapeutic winter-spring studio sessions resulted in Bella's most virtuoso work yet – a collection of dazzling, emotive recordings full of bright notes, deep vibrations and that signature “Boo mood”. The album marks a distinctive step forward in Bella's sound: An amalgamation of the etheric sounds on her 2019 debut album Once Upon A Passion and the ruff and rugged dance tracks on her recent Looney Talks EP.
DreamySpaceyBlue features appearances by a number of Bella's closest confidants in life and music.
The album artwork, designed by good friend Lowe Steiner, portrays her daughter Bozi, who in her turn shot Bella's last album cover – a fitting full-circle arrangement for an album rooted in collaboration,
intimacy and love.

Industrial music by two key figures of the Swedish scenes for metal, doom, prog rock, and experimental music: keyboardist Carl Westholm (Carptree, Avatarium, Krux, Candlemass) and bass player Gustaf Hielm (who has played with Pain of Salvation, Meshuggah, Mats/Morgan, Tiamat, and many more). For this album, instead of relying on their main instruments, they gathered a vast array of
synthesizers, machines, and other unpredictable electronic devices and sound sources. Coincidences and pure chance, rather than traditional composing, led the way to the result — a highly unique and
musically complex album. A much more ominous creature than they had ever expected, Westholm and Hielm had no option but to let ”Claim" have its way with both of them. Now it is coming for you. ”Claim” is published digitally, on CD, and on a very limited LP edition.

OVERVIEW: This is essential. We don't just refer to the album title: this new record by multi-instrumentalist and producer Thysenterprise is essential material for lovers of spiritual jazz with a hip-hop edge. As described in the liner notes: "The spirit of Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, and Coltrane permeate the music here. At times, Thysenterprise and his guests meld the influence of the great jazz cannon with the rhythms of hip-hop."

'ESSENTIAL' moves with ease from spiritual sounds to hip-hop-infused head nods. The liner notes by writer John Morrison perfectly encapsulate the type of sonic trip you're in for: "While the improvisational heights that Thysenterprise and crew reach throughout the album owe a debt to hardbop and the avant-garde, there are beats and textures here akin to the work of Karriem Riggins or A Tribe Called Quest. The result is a truly contemporary sound that plays freely within the depths of human feeling."

'ESSENTIAL' is by far Thysenterprise's most personal album to date. From beginning to end, he pays a heartfelt tribute to his late father. The artist revisits and rearranges melodies from iconic jazz records that formed a profound connection between the two of them. Throughout the album, there are nods to songs that were essential for Reinier's musical upbringing. It shows that the saxophonist plays with heart and doesn't shy away from expressing grief and loss. Or as stated in the liner notes: "We play for pleasure, we play to understand ourselves and the world around us, we play to celebrate and remember our loved ones."

Renowned Dutch alto saxophonist Benjamin Herman joins Thysenterprise for intimate call-and-response on "Feedback of Silence." Next to that, Michael Moore graces "Happiness Is a Memory" with a heartfelt bass clarinet solo. Moore is part of the Han Bennink-founded ICP Orchestra. It's safe to say that Thysenterprise builds on that rich lineage of improvisation, playfulness, and distinct originality. On 'ESSENTIAL,' he takes that to new heights. The album comes beautifully packaged as a gatefold 2LP with vinyl-exclusive alternate takes on the D-side.

“Cinematic electronica embraces intelligent Indian infused beat making”.

Belgian beat collective Up High Collective return with their new album 'Koinonia.' Their second full-length comes five years after their debut album in 2018. For 'Koinonia' they have invited Belgian iconic drummer Lander Gyselinck (STUFF.) and several other guest musicians. The first single 'Koi' is available now, the record is set for release on Wednesday October 11 on vinyl, Bandcamp and via all digital platforms via San Kofa Rhythm Records.

"Going with the cinematic tides of sound: first single 'Koi' features compelling South-Asian sitar, imminent strings, drums by Lander Gyselinck and carefully constructed beat making."

Spearheaded by producer duo Koen De Petter and Renaldo Maria, this record is Up High Collective’s most ambitious music project to date and has been in the works since 2015. The name of the record - Koinonia is Greek for "fellowship" or "community" - refers to the intense and inspiring interplay between the collective and several musicians they invited to contribute.

Raw analog recordings and beats by the producer duo, brimming with imperfections and samples from original Indian music, laid the foundation for live studio sessions by Bert Cornelis, one of the few sitar players in Belgium, drummer Lander Gyselinck (Lander & Adriaan, STUFF.), double bassist Jens Similox (Orchestre Collone) and multi- talented bassist Boris van Overschee (Okon, Delv!s). From their intrinsic penchant for deconstruction, the live elements were cut up by the producers, heavily rearranged and presented as new sounds. After several sessions in their Up High Studio (Leuven), carefully constructed collages gradually started to form with all of its layers filling the deepest corners of the sound space.

The result is a record that balances perfectly between cinematic electronica with complex harmonies to get lost in and solid club oriented beats with crunching textures and off the grid rhythmic patterns.

"All of these songs share an underlying, invisible force bound by the intense interplay and mutual inspiration between us and the live musicians.

Quantize Recordings proudly present a special 12-inch release from the master John Morales, as he remakes two of Curtis Hairston’s biggest tracks ‘I Want Your Lovin’ and ‘I Want You All Tonight’, to bring that mid ‘80s brilliance to the modern dancefloor.

Master of the boogie sound, Hairston had many a hit both as a solo artist and as part of the legendary BB&Q Band. Mid-tempo groovers, laced with funk-fuelled basslines, cosmic synths and strutting guitars, tied together with Hairston’s luscious vocals, ‘I Want Your Lovin’ and ‘I Want You All Tonight’ are shining examples of boogie at it’s best.

Fast forward to 2023 and the masterful John Morales, who originally mixed ‘I Want You (All Tonight)’ alongside Sergio Munzibai, unlocks the vaults to the multitracks, creating four brand new mixes. Teaming up with one of the original writers and producer of both tracks Greg Radford to replay and reconstruct elements that have been lost over time. The result, a wondrously weighty vocal and dub mix of each of these certified classics that retain all that disco-channelling greatness whilst adding an extra punch and brightness that will rock any modern dance floor they’re put before.

Jorja Smith is officially back. Further to making a recent return to the musical sphere with her singles ‘Try Me’ and ‘Little Things’, today she has confirmed the details of her highly anticipated second album, ‘falling or flying’, set for release globally on September 29th 2023 via FAMM and available to pre-order now - here.

Alongside the announcement, Jorja has also unveiled the album's poignant artwork; a stunning portrait of her, shot on film by the prestigious British photographer, Liz Johnson Artur. In addition, Jorja has also announced a series of UK live shows in September, commemorating the release of the album. Further details below.

Through her new record, Jorja has delivered an undeniable modern classic, effortlessly condensing any number of disparate styles and genres into music which thrillingly broaches any gap between Jazz, Soul, R&B and Funky House. A bold, brave and courageous leap forward from her critically acclaimed debut album ‘Lost and Found’ - ‘falling or flying’ is an album that speaks to the musical and emotional era where Jorja is now, and how she got here. It isn’t so much an exploration of how she’s found herself but more a statement that she has arrived, and that her understanding of her life, her relationships, and her feelings, have deepened, matured and crystallised as she enters her twenty six year. ‘And despite it all,’ she says, ‘it's definitely a journey I've just started. That's what's crazy.

It's only just begun.’ Sonically, this album, a no-skips body of work, isn’t like anything you’ve heard before. It sits masterfully in this same space of excitement, self-exploration and self-assertion that Jorja does. Compromised of deep, thumping drums, racing basslines, irresistible hooks and distinctive beats, ‘falling or flying’ runs at the same pace that Jorja’s mind does. ‘I don't slow down enough’ she says. ‘This album is like my brain. There’s always so much going on but each song is definitely a standstill moment.’

Much of the creative energy that shaped the album emerged from studio sessions with the producer duo DAMEDAME* back in her hometown of Walsall, where, to Jorja, the heart is. The album is both a sonic and an emotional tour of where she’s been, and what she’s been about, in the two years since she dropped her latest offering, ‘Be Right Back’. ‘It touches on breakups, relationships with my friends, relationships with old friends, relationships with myself.’ She says. ‘It's definitely about a lot of relationships, but every song I write I can sing it to myself.’

Of the many British voices in music today, Jorja is among the most commanding, writing at a pitch of intensity and urgency that few can match. Over the past five and half years, since the release of her debut album ‘Lost & Found’, she has been celebrated unanimously across the world for her evocative song-writing, powerful delivery, pure emotion and unbridled talent as a young woman navigating her way through life and in 2021 was the year Jorja’s hiatus from music was broken. Enter ‘Be Right Back’, the holding space between the sensation that was ‘Lost & Found’, and ‘falling or flying’. ‘Be Right Back’ was born from playing, jamming, freestyling, and sounding out what Jorja had been on the edge of expressing all her life. It was a project entirely for her fans. “Be Right Back did exactly what I wanted it to do. It was a little waiting room so people knew I was coming back.”

And come back she has - entering a chapter of her return to music that’s certain to draw in and intoxicate Jorja’s fans and new listeners alike. And what has changed for her, in the five years since ‘Lost & Found’ dominated the charts and the soundscape? “I like this world that I've just come into. And I’m still figuring things out. Always figuring things out.” Jorja says. “This is the first time I’m putting stuff out there that I can connect with right now.” Over the last few years, it’s been a reflective and transformative step into her mid twenties for her.

She’s been able to step into herself and evolve as a songwriter and a woman despite an ever-changing musical landscape.

While she recognises that the global pandemic has been completely devastating, she acknowledges that it allowed her to stay still, to come more into herself, and to be more in control of the person she is, and of her musical output. Like some of the legendary musicians that came before her, Jorja is looking at the chaos and disorder in the world right now with resourceful, refined eyes, and she sees the glorious opportunity and enormous responsibility that affords. The net result is that while ‘falling or flying' sounds very much like Jorja Smith, it sounds like no Jorja Smith album you have ever heard before.

‘falling or flying’- released on September 29th

Works for the Ever Present Orchestra Vol. II continues Black Truffle’s documentation of the late work of legendary American experimental composer Alvin Lucier, who sadly passed away in 2021 at the age of 90. Like the first volume of the series, the two works recorded here were written for The Ever Present Orchestra, an ensemble founded in Zürich in 2016 to perform Lucier’s work exclusively. At the core of the music Lucier wrote for the ensemble is the electric guitar, an instrument he began to explore in 2013. Played with e-bows, in these works electric lap steel guitars take on roles akin to the slow sweep pure wave oscillators heard in many of Lucier’s works since the early 1980s. This strikingly elegant pair of compositions would serve as an ideal introduction to Lucier’s late music for a listener as yet unfamiliar with its graceful exploration of beating patterns and other acoustic phenomenon.

The two pieces have quite different characters, exemplifying Lucier’s ability to harvest a remarkable range of musical results from closely related compositional procedures and concerns. In Arrigoni Bridge (2019), Lucier uses a technique familiar from earlier works such as Still Lives (1995), where sine waves traced the shapes of household objects. Here, three lap steel electric guitars (played by Oren Ambarchi, Bernhard Rietbrock, and Jan Thoben) follow the form of the Arrigoni Bridge that connects Middletown and Portland, Connecticut. The bridge’s two enormous steel arcs become slowly sweeping pitches, alongside which alto saxophone (Joan Jordi Oliver Arcos), violin (Rebecca Thies) and cello (Lucy Railton) sustain long tones, creating a variety of audible beating patterns depending on their distance from or proximity to the guitars. With its stately pacing, warm middle register tones, and rich timbral variety in the sustaining instruments, Arrigoni Bridge is a beautiful example of compositional reduction producing immersive results. Flips (2020), on the other hand, is more austere. Scored for two lap steel electric guitars (Rietbock and Thoben), double bass (Ross Wightman) and glockenspiel (Trevor Saint), the two acoustic instruments played with bows, the piece zooms in on the range of a major second (two semitones). The two guitars sweep in opposite directions within the range, crossing every four minutes; the double bass and glockenspiel sustain long tones, producing beats of different speeds determined by their distance from the guitar tones. This limitation of the tonal range means the music is often dissonant and forces the phenomenon of audible beating to the surface, resulting in a paradoxical music composed entirely of long tones yet alive with pulsating rhythm. Exemplifying Lucier’s ability to uncover near-infinite complexity within seemingly simple materials, Works for the Ever Present Orchestra Vol. II is a fitting tribute to one of the major figures of the experimental music tradition and a testament to the continuing power of his work.

It's a pertinent start-point because, in many ways, God Is Luck exists firmly within that realm, many of the songs pulled directly from improvisation before being twisted into the mysterious shapes we find here on the finished record.

Recorded between the summer of 2020 and the summer of 2022, God Is Luck is an exercise in artistic freedom. The songs came quickly and easily by design, the whole point of the record and the approach to simply let go.

The third Bad History Month LP - following the Pitchfork-championed Old Blues (2020) - where aspects of the new album mirror the shape of Sprecher's previous work, its creation was an altogether different experience for the Philadelphia-viaBoston songwriter. He describes it as a collaboration with 'luck', the freeform nature of the recording resulting in a process that felt "fun and easy and fearless in a way that recording had never been."

"God is Luck means you can control reality by choosing your perspective to always see the luck, which makes you the god of your own reality," Sean Sprecher says of his latest record. With that notion at its core, Bad History Month's latest adventure finds twisted new ways to tell age-old tales. Even in its most fearless compositions, buried within dense fog, it strives for goodness; freedom from fear, love for friends, surrounding yourself with those who inspire.

Inhalo, the first signing on Construction Records, is an emerging band that is taking the prog scene by storm after the release of their debut album ‘Sever’ in 2022. The album became IO-Pages' 'Album Of The Year 2022', Aardschok Magazine's 'Eremetaal' and Heaven Magazine's 'Album Of The Week' to name just some feats of arms.

The recording sessions at the prestigious Wisseloord Studio have captured the true essence of Inhalo's musical talent. Every chord, every note, and every lead- and backingvocal has been meticulously captured, resulting in an immersive listening experience.

Furthermore, the seasoned expertise of Forrester Savell can be heard in the mix of the record. His subtle adjustments ensure that every sound element on the 10-inch record sparkles and comes to life, including that of the grand piano and the sarangi used for this recording. Inhalo's new 10- inch record ‘Live At Wisseloord Studio’ is a gem you cannot afford to miss.

Inhalo, the first signing on Construction Records, is an emerging band that is taking the prog scene by storm after the release of their debut album ‘Sever’ in 2022. The album became IO-Pages' 'Album Of The Year 2022', Aardschok Magazine's 'Eremetaal' and Heaven Magazine's 'Album Of The Week' to name just some feats of arms.

The recording sessions at the prestigious Wisseloord Studio have captured the true essence of Inhalo's musical talent. Every chord, every note, and every lead- and backingvocal has been meticulously captured, resulting in an immersive listening experience.

Furthermore, the seasoned expertise of Forrester Savell can be heard in the mix of the record. His subtle adjustments ensure that every sound element on the 10-inch record sparkles and comes to life, including that of the grand piano and the sarangi used for this recording. Inhalo's new 10- inch record ‘Live At Wisseloord Studio’ is a gem you cannot afford to miss.

Belgium based band formed by BEAR & Cobra The Impaler guitarist James Falck, alongside his Set Things Right bandmate Kristof Du Jardin, with Strains drummer Simon Janssen & bassist Lieven Casters.

Integrity is the word of choice when describing this new project. Initially created by the former Set Things Right guitarist alongside fellow STR bandmate and current BEAR & Cobra The Impaler guitarist James Falck, the pair set out to create music close to their hearts, with the intention of spilling them in the process. Something that has proven both cathartic and painful.

Digging up certain memories and emotions that, in some cases, would normally be better off buried, resulted in the pair spending a number of years writing an exuberant amount of music together. Their close and deep friendship, combined with their previous work together in their previous band, provided their work ethic with a strong foundation for the music they had dreamed of making ever since meeting, 10 years ago.

The line-up was subsequently completed by Strains drummer Simon Janssen & bassist Lieven Casters, who bring their own influences and tastes to the table to create something intrinsically unique. This can be seen clearly, not only from a musical perspective, but also visually and aesthetically. Together they form the musical collective now known as MANKIND. An expression of catharsis, a light in the tunnel, a way out of the darkness through confrontation.

The six members of The Howdies each bring a unique musical background that combines to create a singular sound. Their Athens, Ga home has long been an artistic haven for all genres of music and an open forum for shared expression.

The result is a place where outsiders flourish and the rules of musical tradition are often bent or even broken with a wink and a smile. Produced by David Barbe and T. Hardy Morris and recorded at Chase Park Transduction, only Athens could create a group like The Howdies and a record like Howdies All Around. A little bit loose, a little bit home made but over flowing with the love of friendship and the sheer joy of creating something new.

Drose is an experimental rock band from Columbus, Ohio, featuring the songwriting and voice of Dustin Rose. Their fevered, nihilistic new release, boy man machine+, combines their 2016 album of the same name with their debut 7", "a voice", and an assemblage of unreleased tracks — all freshly remastered by veteran engineer Carl Saff.

Dustin Rose calls boy man machine+ "an indictment of human consciousness." The music explores the torments of sentience through the sound of machines across the album, featuring slashing lines from guitarist Gregory Packet and bizarre drum patterns from John Mengerink. The results are harsh, bewildering and strangelybeautiful.

Now comes the vinyl LP format of the album with reduced track listing to fit on one disc. After their previous two more concept- based releases, 'David Gordon Trio Speaks Latin' and 'Alexander Scriabin's Ragtime Band', the second of which was Mojo Magazine's jazz CD of the year, the trio returns to its roots with a elease entirely of original compositions from the pen of award- winning composer/ pianist David Gordon. A heady mixture of innovation, deep understanding of musical traditions, spontaneous wit, rich melodic language and deep grooves ensures a musical result that couldn't be mistaken for any other trio working in the jazz world today.

Together, they veer from pummelling odd time signatures and downtuned riffs into ascendant, widescreen climaxes that subvert tired black metal tropes.

Ballantyne is an in-demand performer, playing guitar for DEBBY FRIDAY's breakout album GOOD LUCK (Sub Pop), writing and performing electronic music as City, and performing endurance performance art with Chinese collective TRANCE. The result is an ideological and sonic crystallization that pushes Anti- God Hand's cosmic black metal into something still more emphatic, distinctive, dynamic.

On this 1970 album recorded in Los Angeles, Donato departs from his Brazilian bossa nova roots, incorporating an eclectic, and electric, mix of funk, fusion and psychedelic pop. The result is a groovy Fender Rhodes driven set, highlighted by “The Frog” and “Lunar Tune”.

This Verve By Request title is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Third Man in Detroit.

Formentera II ist die überraschende Fortsetzung der Geschichte, die die Band im letzten Jahr mit ihrem von der Kritik gefeierten Album begonnen haben.

Zwei Seiten der gleichen Medaille, sie leben in der gleichen Klangwelt - aber wenn Formentera die dunkle, insulare Besessenheit war, die aus der Abriegelung resultierte, ist Formentera II die helle Seite der Möglichkeit wieder erkunden zu können.

Als 2017 Ilgen-Nurs Solo-EP No Emotions erschien, war die junge Songwriterin schnell in aller Munde. Ihr damaliger Slacker-Sound wurde als die neue Coolness im deutschen Indie-Pop gefeiert, es folgte eine Europa-Tour und Supports für Bloc Partys Kele Okereke und Tocotronic. Für Ilgen wurde ein Traum wahr, den sie von Kindheitstagen an geträumt hatte: Mit ihren eigenen Songs auf die Bühne!

Sie gewann Musikpreise, wurde zu Features eingeladen, ihre Songs wurden für erfolgreiche Netflix-Produktionen genutzt. Ilgen brach zwei Studiengänge ab, ging von Hamburg nach Berlin. 2019 kam dann ihr Debut Power Nap raus, das sie gleich auf dem eigens dafür gegründeten gleichnamigen Label selbst veröffentlichte. Die Kritik reagierte begeistert.

2022 dann also: Mit einer Handvoll Songs im Gepäck ging Ilgen schließlich mit ihrem Wahlproduzenten Jon Joseph in dessen Studio in San Pedro. Maximilian Barth, ihr neuer Gitarrist, flog über den großen Teich, Sessionmusiker wurden eingeladen. IT‘S ALL HAPPENING nun, das Resultat dieser Zeit, zeigt eine neue Ilgen-Nur, die herausgefunden hat, wer sie sein will, wer sie ist. Es klingt warm und melancholisch, gibt ihrem dunklen Timbre genau die Fläche, die
es verlangt. Und zeugt von gewonnener, hörbarer Reife.

Kraut synth funk explosion from the sci-fi, library & soundtrack specialists.

DIY funksters break into museum, steal modular moog and record proto-electro-punk with dusty live drums, wild percussion and out-of-control analog synth sequencing onto Tascam 8-track tape.

Following their debut 'Space Voyage' for Warner Chappell's music library and the outernational soundtrack LP 'Occhio Occhio', the U.K. based trio return with a darker, heavier edge on their new full-length 'Synchronization'.

The soundtrack to a strange and mysterious dystopian future Immersed in the sounds of arpeggiated vintage synths, full fat drum breaks and fuzz guitars. At times the album is reminiscent of post punk with hints of boom bap hip hop and as the album progresses the listener is transported to the dance floors of Berlin's underground raves. In an age that sees AI increasingly omnipresent, Eleven76 take control of the technology, creating a hybrid, genre spanning, production style that could only come from their hive mind.

The trio surrounded themselves with an enviable array of vintage synths and modern classic studio toys, with Paul Elliott and Anthony Donje at the helm of patching, connecting and bringing these analog beasts to life, while Timmy Rickard continued to lay down the grooves as the heart of the rhythm section. The result is SYNCHRONIZATION, of synth and drums, pictures and sounds, man and machine – and of your heart and brain if you're ready to get synchronized.

2023 Repress

First time on vinyl. 'Environments' is generally regarded as 'the great lost album' by The Future Sound Of London. It has taken on almost mythical status with the group's fan base. 'Environments' was due for release much sooner after the 1993 release of the UK Top 10 album hit 'Lifeforms', and only now is it being released - back on the group's original home, Jumpin' and Pumpin' Records.
This release also comes after the recent success of the Archive series which has so far sold over 20,000 units across the different volumes and still climbing.

To re-cap, Brian Dougans and Garry Cobain began their musical partnership and friendship in Manchester, England in the mid 1980s whilst the two were studying at Manchester University. Dougans had already been making electronic music for some time when they first began working in various local clubs. In 1988, Brian embarked on a project for the Stakker graphics company. The result was Stakker Humanoid.
In the following three years the pair produced music under a variety of aliases, followed by the breakthrough classic ambient dub track Papua New Guinea in 1992, which was also the first release under the Future Sound of London moniker.

Didattica is the first album from Zetas, a female rap duo coming straight out of the city of Salerno, on the south west coast ofItaly. Entirely produced by beatmaker, rapper and DJ/producer Tonico 70, a true veteran of Southern Italian hip-hop,the full-lengthdebut isreleased on DJ's Choice, a partner label of Four Flies Records.

Born between the 90s and 2000s, rappers Annarella and Miriade were exposed to the world of underground hip-hop from an early age, jamming and freestyling. Rather than going for the sounds of trap and auto-tune that are so popular in their age group, however, they immediately embraced the spirit of old school rap, withitsboom bap vibes. As suggested by the album's title itself (which translates as 'teaching' or 'learning') they view of rap as a school – that is, as an art form where constant training is key if you want to stay true to your values and identity.

With the help of producer Tonico 70, Zetas have created a record that is fresh and contemporary, while paying tribute to the past.They rap about everyday urban life in the exuberant dialect and slang of their native city, delivering raw rhymes with a tightand very expressiveflow, while Tonico70 uses a classic sampling approach but also incorporates real instruments into his beats–Antonio D'Apolito's guitar, Peppe Maiellano's keyboards, Giuseppe Desiderio's bass and Giuseppe Limpido's drums.

The result is an excitingcombination of funk, soul, dub, R'N'B, reggae, and even electronic influences,one where deep bass and syncopated rhythms blend wonderfully with the melody, urgency and authenticity of dialect rhymes.

Another dream coming true! One of Giuliano Sorgini's finest and most sought-after titles is finally available as an official LP reissue – the first ever – remastered from the original tapes.

Originally released in 1971on the small library music imprint FAMA, which operated as a sub-label of RCA Italy, the record contains the original music written for Scappo per cantare, a small, pseudo-psychedelic 'musicarello' (musical comedy film) broadcast on RAI television and starring, among others, Italian singers Gianni Morandi and Mauro Lusini.

The only credited album artist is Sorgini, but it's impossible not to perceive, in this record, the hand of his close friend and colleague Alessandro Alessandroni.

This should not come as a surprise. In the early 70s, the two composers and multi-instrumentalists had a fruitful collaboration that saw them, under the monikers Braen (Alessandroni) and Raskovich (Sorgini), produce an abundance of works together, most of which have now gained the recognition they deserve. These include, among others, two 7" singles from their band The Pawnshop, three records in the series Alle sorgenti delle civiltà (Folkmusic), the crime/noir library albums Quarta pagina (Usignolo) and Inchiesta giudiziaria (Octopus Records), as well as the LP Tempo Libero (Panda Records), which was released shortly after the record presented here and in some ways drew rhythmic inspiration from it.

While their collaboration remained unacknowledged on the original release of Scappo per cantare (this was not uncommon at the time, especially in the field of library music), the record sounds perfectly in line with other works composed by Alessandroni in the early 70s, such as Complesso Gisteri's Mostra Collettiva (co-written with Oronzo De Filippi), or even a landmark album like Spontaneous, where Sorgini contributed to a handful of tracks.

So, yes, the sheer beauty of Scappo per cantare is the result of an incredible synergy between two heavyweights of Italian library music! Airy and sweeping melodies à la Zoo Folle, psychedelia à la Under Pompelmo, and various percussion instruments played by Sorgini seamlessly blend and fuse with elements and touches provided by Alessandroni.

More specifically, we find Alessandroni's signature, melancholy whistle in "Desolazione"; the peaceful and dreamy sound of his 12-string guitar in "Scogliere" and "Con Amore"; the trademark harmonies of his vocal ensemble Cantori Moderni in the last two tracks mentioned and in "Per cantare"; and his ingenious use of distortion on his Fender Stratocaster in the suspenseful transitions "Concentrazione" and "Fantocci", as well as in the frantic/hypnotic hippie numbers "Mordente" and "Fendente" (as a side note, it is worth remembering that Alessandroni experimented extensively with distortion in the rock-infused album Underground, co-written with De Filippi and released in 1971 under the moniker Braen's Machine, probably a reference to British psychedelic band Soft Machine).

The creative relationship between Sorgini and Alessandroni was so symbiotic that it would be useless to try to identify in more detail their respective contributions to the sound of Scappo per cantare. The alchemy between these two musical geniuses is the key to the album's exquisitely Italian mixture of cheerful lounge, sweet psychedelia and smooth easy listening.

To do justice to the quality of the music, this remastered reissue is enriched by a new artwork by Eric Adrian Lee, who drew inspiration from the psychedelic visual culture of the period in which the album was written and recorded.

Catatonic Suns is Patrick Shields (guitar, vocals) , Jakob Christman (bass) and Caleb Strobl (drums) Catatonic Suns new album sees them blend the underground psychedelia of the late 80s / early 90s Pacific Northwest with the shimmering shoegazery of Britain from the same time. Heavy and soft guitars, songs that soar, these new recordings verge on the epic. For fans of The Verve (early), Screaming Trees, Truly, Ride, Slowdive, Alice In Chains. Pennsylvanian threepiece Catatonic Suns release their brand new album via Agitated records this autumn (Fall if you reside in the US), Patrick and Jake have known each other since birth, obsessing on punk rock, but the band actually formed in 2019. Vocalist / guitarist Patrick and fellow guitarist Llambro Llaguri began creating homemade psychedelic psychedelic 4 track cassette demos during the Winter of 2015, taking heavy inspiration from an eclectic mix of acts ranging from Ween to R.E.M. As these early songs were created, the duo sought other like minded individuals in their hometown of Allentown, PA to take these primitive demos to the next level. It was then that Patrick recruited another childhood friend, Jakob Christman, to fill the role of bass along with another mutual friend Caleb Strobl completing the rhythm section of Catatonic Suns. In 2019, the group put out their first release, the Catatonic Suns demo, a collection of lo-fi recordings made by Patrick over the years. During this period, the band began to make a name for itself by playing shows across eastern Pennsylvania including the Lehigh Valley where local garage rock heroes Original Sins hailed from. During the months of August and September of the same year, Catatonic Sun's reputation for wall of sound psych-grunge was really brought to life when the group teamed up with local record producer guru Matt Molchany of Shards Recording Studio to track their debut studio venture “Aphelion” (more an extended EP). Self -Released in the December, the album found an audience beyond the local music circuit of Pennsylvania, even reaching countries such as the U.K.,Germany and Japan. The band continued to play shows growing their fanbase and honing their skills as a cohesive unit resulting in radio airplay across the country and a feature on the compilation “Pedal Worship” by Bummer Recordings. During this same period, Matt Molchany once again helped the band carve their next album (a full length) “Saudade” along with mastering engineer Matt Poirier (War On Drugs), which was also self released, in February 2022. They played plenty more gigs, and ventured to the west coast for some shows in LA with local friends Laurel Canyon, one especially wild night was with both bands supporting Strawberry Alarm Clock at the Whiskey A Go Go. Now a three piece and into 2023 the band record the 7 original songs and one Original Sins cover for this new release.. Recorded early 2023 at Shards Recording Studio, Bethelem, PA with tracking and mixing once again by Matt Molchany. Mastered by Mikey Young. Agitated/ Catatonic Suns intend to remaster/ reissue Saudade on LP / CD formats in 2024, to coincide with debut UK shows.

Repress on a new colour - Red/clear half-and-half vinyl with black splatter. Kingston-upon-Hull’s The Black Delta Movement return with their stunning new album ‘Recovery Effects’ – 8 tracks of immersive, groove-heavy garage rock released April 21st 2023 on Fuzz Club Records. Determination and a commitment to musical development are writ large across Matt Burr’s personal and artistic journey as the main creative force behind The Black Delta Movement. His most collaborative work yet, ‘Recovery Effects’ sees Matt recruiting highly lauded UK guitar-slinger and Little Barrie frontman Barrie Cadogan and bandmates Lewis Wharton (Bass) and Tony Coote (Drums) to provide musical backing on the album. With legendary producer, The Heliocentrics’ co-founder and drummer extraordinaire Malcolm Catto also helming production duties. “The album’s a love letter to the band and all the emotions that come with it,” explains Matt when talking about the period of adversity that led to its creation. Finding himself without his former bandmates following the release of their highly-praised 2018 debut ‘Preservation’ and that record’s subsequent live shows, the pandemic-induced lockdown periods throughout ’20 and ’21 initially gave time for reflection before proving to be a time of productivity. Giving Matt the breathing space to fine-tune the new songs alongside Cadogan before hitting the ground running when entering the studio in late 2021 – the band cutting the basic tracks live and Malcolm Catto providing invaluable input when it came to moulding the music you hear contained throughout. The results of this creative melting pot of such talented and seasoned musicians see The Black Delta Movement delivering that ring thing: a layered, honest and deeply entertaining rock’n’roll record. There are a myriad of moods and textures, whether on the garage-blues grooves of opener and first single ‘Fourth Pass Over The Graveyard’, follow-up single ‘Zip-Tie’ which explodes from its moody intro into punk-rock motorik, or the psychedelic slow-burn of ‘Hiding In The Tall Grass’ which manages to channel the likes of The Doors and Spacemen

Too Pure are excited to get Moonshake’s debut album, ‘Eva Luna’, back in
print, releasing a deluxe edition, re-mastered from analogue 1Ú2” tape, on
blue double vinyl.
 The reissue contains 19 tracks - the album’s original 10, the non-LP threesong single ‘Secondhand Clothes’, the two B-sides from the ‘Beautiful
Pigeon’ single and four tracks from a November 1992 John Peel session.
The release also includes an 8-page full-colour booklet.
 Moonshake were formed in 1991 by David Callahan (vocals, guitars,
samplers), formerly of The Wolfhounds, and New York musician Margaret
Fiedler (vocals, guitars, samplers). Callahan and Fiedler recorded a demo for
Creation Records, and were joined by John Frenett (bass) and Miguel
Morland (‘Mig’, drums) to record and release the ‘First EP’ for Creation in
1991.
 They took their name from a 1973 single by Can. Both Fiedler and Callahan
wrote songs, and they would (generally) sing on the songs that they wrote.
Their output of shared inspiration produced wildly different results - Can, PIL,
Kraftwerk, MBV and Erik B & Rakim were a melting pot that made
Moonshake somewhat uncategorizable, and as Margaret noted in an
interview, “Moonshake was a collision - it was supposed to be a collision.”
 Their debut album, ‘Eva Luna’, took its name from a novel by Chilean author
Isabel Allende, and the tracks on it are split evenly between the two
songwriters. Callahan’s songs are somewhat angry, dissonant, post-punk
affairs, while Fiedler’s are just as angular, but her quieter sometimes near
whispered vocals compliment her writing partner’s equally. Producer /
engineer Guy Fixsen, fresh from his work on My Bloody Valentine’s
‘Loveless’, was instrumental in making the album cohesive.
 This album has been critically revisited often since its original release, with
Tiny Mix Tapes describing their sound as “an updated take on Can and
Public Image Limited’s rhythmic propulsion with noisier guitar work and a
predilection for sampling influenced by The Young Gods.” Last year, in a
wonderfully long piece to celebrate the album’s 30th anniversary, Louder
Than War wrote that they were blown away by the album’s “utterly
spellbinding, dizzyingly genre-defying approach at articulating explicitly the
sound of a city in the throes of urban psychosis and derangement... ‘Eva
Luna’ really is one hell of a ground-breaking record, and it stands resolutely
alone among all of the albums released in 1992 as no other band has
managed to create anything remotely similar before or since. It really is a
unique album with few equals.”
 In 1993, the original incarnation of the band split up, and Margaret Fiedler
and John Frenett went on to form Laika with Guy Fixsen. Callahan and
Morland continued on with guest musicians, with Callahan ultimately
remaining the band’s sole original member. Moonshake ended in 1997 but
their legacy is indisputable.

Out on 6 October, the music for Certainty of Tides was initially recorded with the Norwegian Broadcasting Orchestra with Nils Petter Molvaer as a soloist in 2020. He had asked several wonderful Norwegian composers to arrange a set of music from his back catalogue. “Have a listen to the recordings I did with the orchestra and tell me what you think” he told Norwegian composer, musician, and producer Jan Bang. Since the original recording was close mic’ed for broadcasting purposes, Bang saw an unfulfilled potential in the material due to lack of space in the initial recordings.
Bang came up with the idea of re-amping the mixes playing the music through speakers in a concert house followed by re-recording of the result through distant microphones. With 76 speakers (one per instrument) carefully placed exactly like the orchestra would have been seated onstage, Certainty of Tides was recorded from microphones strategically placed in the large hall of Kilden Concert House with phenomenal acoustics.
The re-amping and re-recording produced astonishing results. Some of the pieces needed additional color. Bang invited two of his highly talented electronic music students at the University of Agder (Kristian Isachsen and Even Sefenias Sigurdsen Frodesønn Røsstad). Both given freedoms to create their own sound based on their own personal taste.
The final mixes were put together by Øyvind Kurszus at Kilden Studios supervised by both students, Molvaer and Bang. Helge Steen has mastered the recording. Knut Sævik has re-sampled the drum track (played by Peter Baden) on “Simply so” and mixed the Song as well.

Sermon On The Rocks is Josh Ritter's eight studio album, released in 2015. Singles from the album include "Getting Ready To Get Down" and "Homecoming." According to Ritter, the album is "messianic oracular honky-tonk." Produced by Trina Shoemaker and Josh, the 12-song album was recorded over two weeks at New Orleans’ The Parlor Recording Studio and features Matt Barrick from The Walkmen on drums, Zachariah Hickman on bass, Josh Kaufman on guitars, and Sam Kassirer on keyboards. Josh Ritter is the definition of an experienced songwriter. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1999 Ritter devoted his life to a songwriting career, releasing albums independently and garnering word-of-mouth popularity. He eventually caught the attention of Irish- songwriter Glen Hansard (writer of the song 'Falling Slowly' from the movie Once) and was invited to be the tour opener for his band The Frames. This then resulted in Josh gaining international success, with his third record 'Hello Starling', becoming a charting hit in Ireland. His songs have been featured on the TV show Parenthood, and in movies like The Other Woman and Typeface. Josh Ritter has so far released 7 studio albums, is an author, husband, father, and is considered one of the best living songwriters by Paste Magazine.

On October 15th & 16th 2020, drummed Daniel Villarreal was joined by guitarist Jeff Parker and bassist Anna Butterss for two afternoons of recording in the backyard of Chicali Outpost in Los Angeles. For all three musicians, it was the first ensemble recording session they"d done in-person since the pandemic locked the world down just seven months prior. Some choice moments from the sessions made it onto Villarreal"s critically-acclaimed 2022 album Panamá 77, bust most of the music remained unreleased. Lados B is a deep dive into the high-level spontaneous music made by Villarreal, Parker and Butterss across those two days in 2020. Villarreal is heard leading the group through various rhythmic modes and structures for improvisation - flow as informed by the Latin soul of Fania Records as it is by the otherworldly trance of Brain Records - while Parker and Butterss draw on their extensive experience playing free together (as heard on Parker"s recently-released Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy, and the LA side of Makaya McCraven"s 2018 LP Universal Beings) to build harmonic buoys for their spontaneous melodicism. The result is a beautifully vivid illustration of context, creativity, and collective composition from a particularly rich moment in history.

"I imagine myself playing these songs in a small club that is slowly burning," says A. Savage of his second solo record, Several Songs about Fire. After more than a decade in New York, the co-frontman of Parquet Courts has left the city, marking his exit with a masterpiece of maturity and a worthy corollary to his first solo venture, 2017"s Thawing Dawn. "Fire is something you have to escape from. This album is a burning building, and these songs are things I"d leave behind to save myself." Produced by John Parish on a 1" 16-track in just ten days in Bristol and studded by the support of Cate Le Bon and Jack Cooper (Modern Nature, Ultimate Painting) as well as saxophonist Euan Hinshelwood (Cate Le Bon), drummer Dylan Hadley (Kamikaze Palm Tree, White Fence), and violinist Magdalena McLean (Caroline), Savage"s outsize gifts as a lyricist and observer - a quality Parish calls "an emotional openness guarded by a laconic wit" - shine. Worrying questions of wealth and poverty, self and other, Savage displays the poet"s gift of knowing when to narrate and when to vanish, leaving the listener to their own emotional privacy rather than instructing them how to feel. The end result is tantamount to psychic odyssey, with "Elvis in the Army" placing us in a subterranean venue where the livid, ratifying cymbal raises the room"s blood pressure and "Mountain Time", evoking an austere waltz playing in a desolate house, returning those listening to life. Influenced by Sybille Baier and Townes Van Zandt, Savage joins a canon of songwriters constantly dilating aperture and perspective. In rendering the signage of laundromats and threats of debt collectors as glistering and totemic as the scope of mountains, rivers, seas, and skies, Savage finds hopes and curses in equal measure.