quête:the s man

Winnies Welt war nicht immer einfach. Manche sagen, er hätte berühmt werden können, aber es gab Probleme. Er hatte kurz Erfolg, aber das Leben kam ihm dazwischen. ,Manche Leute kümmern sich zu sehr. Ich glaube, das nennt man Liebe." Also lag es an Winston Hightower, die Chance zu ergreifen, sie festzuhalten und sich Gehör zu verschaffen. Ein Mann, der den Sound des amerikanischen Lofi liebt. Was befindet sich im Aschenbecher von Winston Hightowers "Day in the Life"? 14 Songs, die einem wehmütigen Herzen eine unbeschwerte Tarnung verleihen - es strahlt durch und durch. 33 RPM. Ein Pianist, der kein Klavier spielen kann und seine Melodien auf der Gitarre transponiert. Angenehme Klänge, überlagert von Gesprächen mit sich selbst. Was sieht dieser Ohio Player, wenn er in den Spiegel schaut? Nudge Squidfish? Daniel Johnson? Studio One Oldies Comps? Nach über 126 Songs auf Band sind wir immer noch dabei, das herauszufinden.

Niels Orens is an electronic producer and live performer working at the intersection of acoustic instrumentation and immersive electronic sound design, creating deeply textural compositions that prioritize atmosphere, space, and emotional weight overtraditional song structures. "Never Again EP" expands on the introspective tone of slow night/s, pushing further into rhythm and sonic detail while exploring themes of alienation, loneliness, and quiet internal violence.



After successful collaborations with Max Cooper, the new EP marks a pivotal moment in Orens' evolution. "Never Again EP" forms the foundation of a new live chapter currently unfolding across Europe, while signaling a deeper dive into experimentation, texture, and the evolving dialogue between acoustic sound and electronic manipulation.

Ghetto Records was Latin music legend Joe Bataan’s way to get over on The Man and out of the ’hood, a bold move by an artist looking for independence and creative control in an industry that had exploited his talents and treated him like chattel.



As Bataan puts it today, “Ghetto Records was part of my journey, a stepping stone to everything else that I’ve done. I learned enough that it enabled me to get out of the box with my thinking, it showed me how to deal with adversity.” Like many dreams and schemes born of the street, this one was audacious, perhaps even reckless to a fault.

Hatched from desperation yet full of hope Ghetto Records came crashing down shortly after its inception. The seven albums in its discography languished out of print - until now.

SIMPLETON, the third album from multi-platinum indie-rock singer/songwriter YOT CLUB, dismantles the utopian view of the American suburbs, treating finely manicured life as a mirage. Across its 13 tracks, the LP wrestles with how curated feeds and predictable routines can blur, and even erase, empathy and responsibility, creating a world where difficult questions and harsh realities are easy to ignore. In 2019, Ryan Kaiser started Y ot Club in his college dorm, crafting a lo-fi, classically cool indie rock sound grounded under a dreamlike haze. Two years later, his breakthrough single “YKWIM?” quickly reached viral status on TikTok (today, it’s been streamed more than 1 billion times) and has since taken him around the world at festivals like T reefort, Kilby Block Party and Pitchfork Paris

Hailing from North-west UK, singer and producer Joe Yorke is classed as one of the most promising UK reggae artists of his generation. His exceptional and unique falsetto voice paired with his profound and poetic lyrics have caught the attention of some of the best producers and labels and an ever-growing fanbase. Joe has entered the stage with support from reggae/dub legends such as David Rodigan, Don Letts, Dennis Bovell, Nick Manasseh and Stand High Patrol. His latest single comes via Steppas Records in collaboration with upcoming UK dub producer Yaksha, “Rocking Ship” is a poignant and compassionate commentary on the plight of refugees. Mixed by Alpha Steppa, featuring a heavyweight, stripped back dub mix for company. A crucial 7” for collectors, home listening and sound systems alike.

Formed by Don Grashey and Lloyd Palmer in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Gaiety Records was an outlet for many relatively obscure but excellent Canadian garage and rock bands during its existence. They released their own singles as well as sub-licensing material to other labels, such as RCA (49th Parallel), Columbia (Jarvis Street Revue and Souls of Inspyration), Decca, Epic, Musicor, and others. Features the Checkerlads , White Knights , Tomorrow's Keepsake, Lexington Avenue, NRG , Solid Reputation, and the Plague , including their face melter, 'Face of Time' and the essential psych classic 'High Flyin' Bird'.

Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida was the first artist to receive Grammy Awards for both classical and jazz performances. His discography encompasses more than a hundred recordings over five decades. On Acapulco '22, which includes two complete consecutive 1962 dates by the same formation, Almeida is accompanied by American jazz stars such as Bob Cooper , Jimmy Rowles, Don Fagerquist, Victor Feldman and Shelly Manne







[g] Meditation [meditacao]

Geboren im Sommer '96/'97 - dem Jahr des Höllenschweins - brannten Mustang als soziales Experiment aus der Innenstadt Tasmaniens heraus. Sie kamen mit ziemlich viel davon, andere hätten für weniger wohl nicht mehr gleich ausgesehen.Sie sauf-ten, machten Sachen kaputt und brachten dieses Chaos in das Schreiben von Banger-Songs - während sie sich bei den ,Proben" XXX Ales reinzogen und bei sehr wichtigen ,Bandmeetings" Protokolle führten.Mustang schütteten Benzin über ihre tasmanische Ödnis, bevor sie 7,69 Millionen Quadratkilometer Landmasse der Erde in sich aufsogen und dort ,dominierten", auf die einzige Art, die sie kannten: laut, wütend und zu ihren eigenen Bedingungen - und nahmen dabei Horden williger Partygänger mit auf die Reise.Über drei Non-Studio-Alben und eine Handvoll kleiner Veröffentlichungen hinweg bauten Mustang einen Katalog auf, der von Bier, Speed und störrischer Unabhängigkeit geprägt war. Kein Glanz. Kein Trendgehechel. Kein Buckeln vor dem Mann. Sie ritten ein, tranken, was da war, und hinterließen klingelnde Köpfe.Cut Up Rough (2015) war ihr Schwanengesang - geboren in einer Heuscheune am ausgefransten Rand von Tasmaniens Rock-Hochburg. Aufgenommen über zwei schlaflose, bierselige Tage wurde das Album mit improvisierten Drum-Takes, aufgedrehten Gitarren und purem Instinkt in die Existenz gerissen. Die Band lebte während der Aufnahmen buchstäblich in der Scheune - schiss ins Gras, schlief zwischen leeren Dosen, und ließ Isolation und Absurdität direkt in billige Mikrofone bluten.

This 18- track selection spans Edith Piaf' s career from the years 1946 to 1961. It includes all of her big hits, such as 'La Vie en rose', 'Non, je ne regrette rien', 'Hymne a l'amour', 'Milord', 'La Foule', 'L'Accordeoniste', and 'Padam Padam', among many others. Regarded as France's national chanteuse, singer songwrite, and actress Edith Piaf (1915-1963), also became one of the country's greatest international stars. Her music was often autobiographical with her songs reflecting her own personal life. Piaf's specialties were the chanson and torch ballads, particularly those of love, loss, and sorrow.

















[q] Le Chevalier De Paris [aka Les Pommiers Doux]

Ras Demo peacefull Demoltion Man Style and on the Flip a Riddim dub version of the Theme...

Artist and multi-instrumentalist Flaer embraces the search for quiet miracles on first full-length LP Translations.

In 2023, Realf Heygate - who makes music as Flaer - released his debut mini-album Preludes, composed on his mother’s piano and his childhood cello.Returning to ODDA for his debut full-length album, Heygate is now looking in another direction. A record that embraces transition and movement, Translations is in many ways more internal, less rooted to a single place and reflective of the process of laying new foundations in Cornwall.

Like Preludes, Translations is coloured with found sounds and field recordings, from the starlings which can be heard singing through the open window of his studio, to the brittle recordings of his mother, who was a linguist, learning Spanish on a set of language tapes. In both cases, Heygate embraced the translations and memories inherent to the sounds.

“When I digitised my mother’s tapes, they warped and stuttered in a very similar way to the starling’s song,” he explains. “They had this uncanny rhythm and pulse that I couldn’t quite decode, but was saying something." These decayed transmissions hint at loss, resisting clarity in favour of the ineffable.

Translations is also a record of ambiguities and in-betweens, suggested by the double meaning of the album’s opening track ‘Entre’. At once intricate and expansive, threaded with birdsong and acoustic guitar motifs, this and ‘Starling Descends’ (a reference to Vaughan Williams’ ‘The Lark Ascending’) act as a bridge away from the pastoral themes of Preludes towards a more assertive sound. At times intimate in its textured instrumentation and at others more overtly grand in orchestration, reflecting awider palette of influences.

“Flaer began in many ways when I picked up my mother’s instruments, seeking a form of reconnection. Where words evaded me, they became the tools through which I found a language for grief – and above all, for love.”

Recorded between 2023 and 2025 – what Heygate calls “A gradual process of sowing and harvesting ideas rather than a single intense creative period” - each track follows a rhythm similar to the small maquettes and sculptures he has been working on in his visual practice, whereby structures and melodies form intuitively in moments that are as rare as they are fleeting.

“It's that feeling of searching that I really enjoy,” Heygate continues. “I never know what the destination of the composition is going to be, and I never really find what it is."

Translations is released on limited edition off-white vinyl LP (500 copies worldwide) with one of five signed and numbered handmade risograph prints. It's also available as standard black vinyl LP and digitally.

BCUC – Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness – have been channeling the spirit of Soweto for over twenty years. Indigenous funk, hip-hop consciousness, and punk rock energy fused into something utterly original and deeply rooted. Their mantra: Music for the people, by the people, with the people. From humble beginnings rehearsing in a shipping container, a stone's throw from the church where Desmond Tutu organized the escape of the most wanted anti-Apartheid activists, they kept believing in their dream of self-empowerment. Today they command festival stages worldwide: Glastonbury West Holts, Roskilde, Afropunk Brooklyn, WOMAD, Fusion, Sziget, FMM Sines, Beaches Brew, Boomtown, Colours of Ostrava, Couleur Café – to name just a few. In 2023, BCUC were honoured with the prestigious WOMEX Artist Award, an accolade usually reserved for more established artists, in recognition of their fearless work and transcendent live performances.

THE ROAD IS NEVER EASY

The Road Is Never Easy is BCUC's fifth album and their debut on Outhere Records. On this new offering, BCUC take listeners on another Afro-psychedelic journey into the soul of Soweto. It feels like a gospel sermon colliding with a punk concert, "guaranteed to touch untapped corners of your soul" (OkayAfrica). BCUC's music is deeply rooted in history and echoes the voices of the ones who came before. The road was never easy for the people of Soweto who originally came to work in the mines of Egoli, the City of Gold, Johannesburg. When apartheid finally ended after a long struggle, it was hoped that life would improve. But more than 30 years later, many of those initial hopes and dreams are still waiting to be fulfilled. This album is about that struggle. The album contains 10 brand new songs – a record for BCUC, whose previous albums featured an average of 3 songs. It represents the culmination of more than two decades of performing together and building a reputation as a powerful live act. These ten songs encapsulate that same live energy, each one building gradually and drawing you into BCUC's Afro-psychedelic stream of consciousness. It's a seismic tour de force through life in Soweto today. Songs like Amakhandela (Breaking All the Chains) connect history to daily life: "How is this precious metal inflicting so much pain in us," sing BCUC, "this government has been telling us we are free, but we don't benefit from being free." The album also talks about all the hopes and dreams that remain: "I have too many wishes and dreams in my head," BCUC sing in Um duma khanda, "I think I am losing my mind". The album ends with the soothing Matla a rona ke Bophelo, "our strength is life", praising the spirits and thanking the elders for protection. The Road Is Never Easy is about the harsh reality of life in Soweto, where "people always carry heavy loads". BCUC are street poets trying to deal with that burden: sometimes revolutionary, sometimes soothing, but always hopeful and compassionate. "When you are from Soweto you can't retreat nor surrender." (Sebenzela)

RECORDING

The album was largely recorded in Munich, Germany during tour breaks over two sessions, each three days long. It took place in a small studio located in a German WW II bunker converted into rehearsal spaces. The songs were recorded in one take altogether in one room, with only a few overdubs added, mainly backing vocals, by BCUC at Fourways studio in Johannesburg. BCUC have created their own distinctive way of writing, or rather, finding and creating their songs. The recording process is like an improvised live performance. They bring their ideas into a zone where the music, the rhythm and the spirits take over until the song starts to form. In this Afro-psychedelic zone BCUC create their unique poetry that feeds on the dreams still dreamt, the hopes, the fears and the temptations lingering everywhere. BCUC's songs need to breathe and time to build. The right take was the one when the song took over, and just like their live performances, no one knew beforehand where the song would take them. During the recording, BCUC just let it all flow out: inner turmoil, cries of rebellion, but also resilience and a search for healing, love, unity and compassion. You don't have to be from Soweto to feel the deep meaning and impact of this music. In these times of so much hate and division, BCUC are like a campfire for people to gather around.

PRODUCTION & ARTWORK

"BCUC have a unique magic," says Outhere's Jay Rutledge, who produced the album. "It blew our minds. It's like punk and pure gospel at the same time. Their music can make you dance and it can make you cry, all at the same time. And when the song is over, you feel you're not alone in this world anymore. We felt compelled to do this." The album cover is based on a matchbox design, matches being a common household item in South Africa even today. "These were the matches people used to burn government buildings and cars," explain BCUC. Little messages, addresses, or phone numbers used to be scribbled on the back of these boxes; each one a reminder of the strength, resilience, and resistance that once drove the struggle for freedom in Soweto. BCUC keep this flame burning. The Road Is Never Easy is a heavy spiritual road trip, a deep dive into the subconscious of Soweto and a quest for truth, justice and sanity in this crazy world. BCUC tackle the harsh realities of the voiceless, guided by the spirit world of their ancestors. Rather than reinforcing stereotypes of poverty, BCUC's portrayal of Africa is one rich in tradition, rituals and beliefs. "We bring fun and Afro-psychedelic fire from the hood," says vocalist Kgomotso Mokone.

»Music for Shared Rooms« is B. Fleischmann’s eleventh solo album and his first since 2018. It is also not an album, or at least not in the conventional sense of the word. These 16 instrumental pieces provide a kaleidoscopic glimpse of a forward-thinking musician at home in many different musical worlds, including experimental and abstract music, pop and more classically-minded compositional forms. These pieces were culled from an archive of roughly 600 compositions for theatre pieces and films written throughout the past twelve years. The Österreichischer Filmpreis-awarded composer, however, aimed for more than simply documenting his extensive work in and with different media. To do so, he edited and re-mixed the individual recordings for this release, taking them out of their contexts and reworking them for an audience who can experience them in a different setting. »Music for Shared Rooms« makes it possible for its listeners to engage with the sounds and to fill the spaces they open up with their own imagination.

Roughly speaking, music for theatre or film can serve two functions: it either takes the lead, or underscores what is happening on stage or screen. The marvelous thing about these pieces is that they manage to do both. Fleischmann’s work as a prolific producer has always drawn on contrasts, at times combining pop sentiment with rigid experimentation, the seemingly naive with the intricate and complex. This approach also marks the tracks collected here: bringing together acoustic elements and electronic sounds, at times working with conventional structures but always de- and re-contextualising them, Fleischmann constructs a vivid dramaturgy out of discrete singular compositions, letting them interact across the record.

Take, for example, the opener »Träumerei« and the following »Brenne«: after the soothing acoustic sounds of the former, the latter quickly picks up speed with hard-hitting drum machine rhythms. It’s a stark contrast sonically and stylistically, however both tracks are tied together by a certain harmonic sensibility. This sort of dramaturgical interconnectedness of varied musical materials is the thread that runs through »Music for Shared Rooms«. A droney piece for string instruments like »Sehnsucht« is followed by a trip-hop beat, before »Schock« lives up to its title with skittering beats and piercing high frequencies. The differences between the pieces may be striking, but the progression from one to the other is subtle. It goes on like this through different moods and tempos. There’s soothing-yet-eerie piano pieces like the »Für Elise«-inspired »Der Lärmkrieg«, gentle house grooves, joyful synthesizer excursions and, finally, »Die Erde ist mir fremd geworden«, a collage of abstract textures and concrete sounds.

All these pieces create distinct situations through the juxtaposition of diverse musical elements, but are also bound together by a single vision. Writing music for theatre pieces or film requires a composer and his pieces to engage with people and their movements in space, which is exactly what Fleischmann offers on this record. He breaks down the fourth wall and invites his listeners into his world, a wide-ranging musical panorama. »Music for Shared Rooms« is indeed not an album in the conventional sense of the word, but more like a photo album in which each page opens up a new space to get lost in; recreates different scenes in which you can immerse yourself. These are shared rooms indeed.

Sasha's collaborative hot streak continues with Manchester-based duo Cortese. The pair were last on Last Night On Earth in 2024.

A big 2025 saw electronic titan Sasha linking up with a mix of fellow pioneers and next-generation stars. He collaborated with the likes of Artche, Henry Saiz, and Joseph Ashworth, always pushing forward his signature sound, steeped in meticulous synth craft, built on transportive grooves, and packed with rare levels of universal emotion.

Cortese are new school artists with an emotionally rich mix of garage, breaks, and house. They head up their own Plaza Recordings and, as well as appearing on Sasha’s LUZoSCURA compilation, they dropped their 'All U Do' EP here in December 2024. Following gigs in support of mainstays like Bicep and Mike Skinner, they now hook up with one of dance music's most recognisable names.
The result is 'One', a deep and heavenly odyssey with warm, supple drums infused with subtle garage swing. Wordless vocals bleed into the mix, heightening the sensuality, as the majestic arps and shimmering chords light up the airwaves. It's an irresistible invitation for the dance floor to take off on a wave of cautious hope and optimism without ever losing sight of the grounding groove.

On the flip and the fantastic 'U Disappear' is an Ibiza anthem in the making - the synths are widescreen and sun-kissed, while the bass is dark and transportive. Balearic piano chords ripple through the mix alongside arching pads and soft, wordless vocals, lending a dreamy edge to what is a powerful track, both physically and spiritually.

mixed by aloisius

mastered by Amir Shoat

tracklist poem written by Isaiah Hull

releasing on digital + physical (Vinyl, CD & Cassette) 9th April 2026. Physical editions will feature a secret unlisted bonus track.

aloisius is a prolific, artist and producer, who recently produced a full length album for Pretty V, which released via life is beautiful records (and sold out at Big Love & Rough Trade). aloisius has also collaborated with artists such as: James Massiah, CTM, Nova Varnrable, DJ Spanish Fly, Cities Aviv, zukovstheworld, Kenichi Iwasa & many others.

‘vernacular’ is the debut studio album by improvisation-based artist, and founder of life beautiful, aloisius.

Built entirely from layers of improvised instrumentation recorded via laptop microphone, using various instruments such as guitar, piano, cello, trumpet, saxophone, drums & voice. vernacular is inspired by the spirit of collective improvisation, and embodies aloisius' instinctual & organic approach to musical composition.

Crafted solely by aloisius (except for track 6, which features a layer of piano by life is beautiful member, friend & collaborator Bianca Scout).

To celebrate the release of the album, a semi-improvised interpretation of the project will be performed live by ‘orchestra379’ (a collective improvisation project curated by aloisius, consisting of a fluctuating lineup that differs on each occasion of performance). Initially in London, then at a select few cities across Europe.

“Black Jacket” is a love letter between two bands separated by continents but united by mutual admiration. Contriva, of Berlin, and Chessie of Washington, DC, first came together in 2001 when sharing a stage, sparking a deep connection over their respective takes on textural, emotive, and mostly instrumental music that merges post-rock, ambient, and experimental elements into unique visions. Fast forward two decades and many trips to their respective studios and we now have “Black Jacket”, a double LP of musical alchemy that builds upon the expressionistic, idiosyncratic sounds of these two groups. A new classic that proves far greater than the sum of its parts.

Begun in the mid 1990's, Washington DC's Chessie is Stephen Gardner (also of noisy shoegaze pioneers, Lorelei) and Ben Bailes, whose various LP's for Slumberland's Dropbeat imprint and Plug Research pair abstract electronics and melancholy post-rock in search of the sounds and feelings of railways and train travel.

Berlin's Contriva, (Monika Enterprises, Lok Musik, and Morr Music) features Masha Qrella (known for her solo works for Morr Music), Max Punktezahl (also of Munich indie legends the Notwist and Berlin's Jersey and Saroos), Hannes Lehmann and Rike Schuberty. For over a decade beginning in the mid-1990's, Contriva crafted compelling instrumentals, grafting experimental textures onto beautiful and complex indie songs.

Together, the six of them have created “Black Jacket.”

The Fuga compilation returns to Token with its seventh installment by a fresh batch of artists emphasizing the cryptic sound of the Belgian record label. The V/A displays urgency as its focal point, expanding and contracting its acoustic space throughout to channel instability. With eight contributions, Fuga VII sifts through nail biting arpeggios, frenzied percussion, and obscure ambiance to recalibrate techno's current soundscape.

Opening the compilation is contemporary techno mainstay Rene Wise with his debut contribution to the record label 'Rough Rider'. In this A1, Wise plays to his strengths by blending deep techno influences with hyper-focused rhythmic work. With a hint of tribalism, he conjures up synthwork from far off to whip motion into heavy drum patterns. Following this first track, STIPP and Sandrien take control in presenting 'Corrie', a sequence-forward groover that slides through drum programing to streamline rhythm. A shrill pad comes in at the halfway mark, completely lifting the energy of 'Corrie' to strain the track's obscurity with an ethereal counterweight. The brief passage of these kinds of elements provides a lot of dynamic to what would otherwise be a powerfully straightforward piece. Diving deeper, Red Rooms unveils 'Limited Sensory' as the next chapter of the compilation. Always swift and exact, the German artist continues to push into the ultra immersive with a web of elements that whiz by for a peaktime lock in. Cold in attitude, Red Rooms tunnels through 'Limited Sensory' with quick drumsand far-off percussive hits that rumble through the track. Stepping up afterwards is Lindsey Herbert with 'Oscillations in Space' - an appropriately named recording that experiments with mania as a tool for the dancefloor. Fast and spiraling, Herbert keeps her hands on the arpeggio's filter to contain tension through thunderous reverb transitions, balancing panic with pace. AgainstMe then stretches out the followup with the commanding 'Phase Shift' to double down on weight. Textural intimidation and stomping percussion is given the space it needs to perform on heavy weight sound systems, making it an austere middle point for Fuga. MAL HOMBRE then guides the listener to more elastic sound design in 'Critical Velocity', in a most appropriate Token fashion. Snowballing in intensity halfway through, MAL HOMBRE pushes the cutoff of his melody and programs snare rolls for vintage craze through the second section. Bells clash with ringing hats to fly the track along its course without looking back or letting go. Conor Wall takes control with 'The Strategy' that focuses on pace rather than melody, weaponizing metallic texture for a deep dancefloor experience. The ambiance does a lot of story telling here, marking breaks and riding through drops to provide grit to an already substantial record. This leads us to the final contribution in Fuga VII - 'Ad Libitum'. Here, Porteix emphasizes the conclusion of the compilation with mystery. The synths slither around pulsating rhythm, creating uninterrupted motion throughout the track's entirety. Porteix draws the curtains on an inquisitive note, keeping the suspense high until the next Fuga compilation comes around.