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Jessica93, prodigal bastard of our glorious french squat scene, relocated on Born Bad : this is no picnic. Geoffroy Laporte, alone against all odds, alternates bass and guitar to build harsh loops with a drum machine spitting pre-Gulf War patterns. That’s where it gets tricky : every musical posse claims him. Grunge, sure, but Jessica doesn’t indulge in necrophilia. His circuit is punk, he doesn’t dress the part though. Cold wave, the atmosphere fits somehow, but the gear does not. The self-confident rock horde saw him playing with hair in his eyes… but he never joined the Party. Metal had something to say but sadly, nobody listened. Maybe it's time to give it a rest and let Jessica93 cook his great misery broth on her own, called « 666 tours de périph’ » (666 laps on the beltway). Witnessing Jessica93 live makes you dread that he'll get up the next morning, drive 200 miles and one nap later kick it again, when it takes us a good week to recover from the bad half of that same evening. Like so many other unknown soldiers during our very own world war of music, he patrols small venues relentlessly.



At the heart of this cultural pentacle painted by french weirdos Bryan's Magic Tears, and Carine Krinator, Jessica93 has built a sound validated by years of chosen vagrancy, birthing bands with joyously stupid monikers, in the humid jungle of small labels. Jessica93's debut album had a track celebrating Omar Little, HBO’s gay bandit from Baltimore. This story begins on the beltway, where Florence Rey, accidental copkiller turned to political icon of the 90’s. Geoffroy offers his brilliant analysis : " C’est la police qui nous tire d’ssus / C’est mon trou d’balle qui leur chie d’ssus « (Police shoots us down / my dripping asshole gets the job done).



A previous album was haunted by bedbugs, this one is essentially about love, a delicious scourge just as hard to eradicate. Two black diamonds peek out of the LP : ’’La colline du crack’’, heartbreak song about the ultimate temptation of violent delights, located on crackhead central in Paris. The brilliant chorus, ‘Take my hand and come with me to Crack Hill’ will put an end to the rumours, almost everything was really false. And Bébé Requin, alternative obituary that’ll make you shiver, where our nice couple states ‘’on kiffe la drogue dure et les ptits chiens’ (‘we love hard drugs and little dogs’). And that is the reason we face the wall of sound jostled by unnecessary shoulder thrusts: those nice fat chunks of charcoal poetry, hidden under light sarcasm.



The rest of the record demonstrates the know-how acquired in loop-by-loop construction of ruins that are pleasant to squat in together. There’s your classic doom delicatessen, with bits of heavy metal inside, crafted with the manic care typical of hard wankers. Arthur Satàn, who produced and mixed the album at home in Bordeaux, helped him get his head out of the reverb safe house. And Jessica93 took the opportunity to switch to the dark side of the language : french at last. Worth the wait ! Sing along : « nique sa mère / nique sa grosse mère » (translate that yourself).

Erik K Skodvin's feature-length score to Thomas Roth's thriller "Schächten" feels like the epitome of all his musical projects, conjuring a dark cinematic trip through 1960's post-WWII Vienna in a film that touches on topics such as law, justice & revenge.

Releasing a soundtrack as a stand-alone album can be challenging; and "Schächten" is by no means a typical listening experience. The record contains 24 more or less short pieces evolving through dramatic movements, underlaying menace and deep emotive scenes. One thing that stands out is the linear atmosphere throughout the story which creates a wholeness that keeps your attention to the very end. Set in wintery Austrian landscapes in dimly saturated colours, the film's dramatic events with dark political undertones feels like a perfect situation for Skodvin's atmospheric collages - perhaps sounding closer than ever to his early works as Svarte Greiner or Deaf Center. Cello, violin, piano, analogue synth and plenty of hardly recognizable instrumentation come together in a record that feels very organic in its subdued tones. The score also features percussion by Andrea Belfi as well as a Chopin piano interpretation by Kelly Wyse to the bizarrely schizophrenic piece "Judenfreund".

With the contemporary world sliding into darkness again, listening to the soundtrack feels like coming to terms with ones own anxieties - something that in the end comes through as a cleansing experience. As quoted in the film "Everyone is their own devil. And we make this world our hell".

Short synopsis : "Vienna 1960s - The young Jewish business man Victor has to witness how the prosecution of a Nazi crime against his family fails. The political and legal system is still virtually run by former Nazis with large parts of society being entangled in the past. When Victor also loses his grief ridden father and his girlfriend’s family opposes their relationship and his identity, Victor begins to loose faith in formal justice and takes matters in his own hands."

LIMITED ITALIAN IMPORT. 500 ONLY.

Introducing "BLACK WAVES", a cinematic soul journey rooted in social justice, love, and introspection.

From the vibrant streets of Rome, Luca Sapio crafts an evocative musical landscape that echoes the soulful activism of Marvin Gaye’s "What’s Going On", Curtis Mayfield’s "There’s No Place Like America Today", and Eugene Mac Daniels’ "Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse".

Infused with the timeless sounds of Italian vintage soundtracks—Piero Piccioni, Ennio Morricone, and their cinematic grandeur—this album is a powerful blend of social awareness and heartfelt emotion.

Among the guests legitimising the sound of the album are the legendary Dennis Coffey (Original Motown Funk Brother) Rob Harris (Jamiroquai) and the veteran Boston rapper Ed O.G. along with the same strings used by Ennio Morricone.

Record mastered by grammy winner Mike Bozzi

Hailing from Roma, Italy, Luca Sapio is a celebrated singer-songwriter and record producer, known for his soulful contributions to the music industry.

With a career spanning over a decade, in 2012, Luca released his debut solo album, "Who Knows", which achieved notable success on the German and French charts and was recognized as the best independent record by SIAE, Italy's copyright collecting agency.

In 2014, he solidified his partnership with producer Thomas Brenneck and released his sophomore album, "Everyday Is Gonna Be The Day” once more backed with members of the Dap-Kings and the Budos Band.

37 years after the release of her multi-million selling debut album "Ancient Heart" Tanita Tikaram will release the sequel entitled "LIAR (Love Isn"t A Right)". The long-awaited new album reveals the emotional and societal differences between the woman Tanita was at just 18 when she made "Ancient Heart" to the woman she is today, taking in four decades of life experience. Her first album in almost a decade, "LIAR (Love Isn"t A Right)" is an album of haunting beauty and exquisite musicianship underplaying her unique voice that tells a masterful story of emotional, political and personal truths. When it was released in 1988, the multi-million selling "Ancient Heart" was the story of an uncertain 18-year-old brown gay woman living in middle England feeling like a stranger in her own home. Almost 40 years later that same woman, now feeling like a stranger in her own country as politics and society become more divisive. "LIAR (Love Is A Right)" is a full circle moment: a comment on community and its importance for all our futures and the perfect accompaniment to her classic breakthrough.

37 years after the release of her multi-million selling debut album "Ancient Heart" Tanita Tikaram will release the sequel entitled "LIAR (Love Isn"t A Right)". The long-awaited new album reveals the emotional and societal differences between the woman Tanita was at just 18 when she made "Ancient Heart" to the woman she is today, taking in four decades of life experience. Her first album in almost a decade, "LIAR (Love Isn"t A Right)" is an album of haunting beauty and exquisite musicianship underplaying her unique voice that tells a masterful story of emotional, political and personal truths. When it was released in 1988, the multi-million selling "Ancient Heart" was the story of an uncertain 18-year-old brown gay woman living in middle England feeling like a stranger in her own home. Almost 40 years later that same woman, now feeling like a stranger in her own country as politics and society become more divisive. "LIAR (Love Is A Right)" is a full circle moment: a comment on community and its importance for all our futures and the perfect accompaniment to her classic breakthrough.

“Warning! Night Time Listening Advised!”

In early spring 2023, with the end of COVID-19 in China, MK helped produce this album for Rubey. Focusing on the piano atmosphere and framework of the Night Piano Project, MK added some flowing sounds and textures to Rubey’s original tracks using a guitar, delay effects, and a synthesizer. At the same time, Ding Mao, another member of the band Hualun, contributed on two tracks. Of course, all production processes were completed at night; capturing the quiet atmosphere of traditional Eastern natural landscapes and transforming them with indoor amorous feelings. These melodies and notes wander and travel through different times and spaces, and ultimately converge in different rooms.

“In Different Rooms” is the second solo album by Rubey, a keyboardist from the band Hualun. It is also Rubey’s second album release since producing the soundtrack for the movie “Virgin Blue” in 2022. It includes 8 works created between 2020 and 2023. Rubey and MK are located in Beijing and Shenzhen respectively. Just like many of Hualun’s works, the original idea for “In Different Rooms” came from Rubey’s daily piano improvisation practice. Named the “Night Piano Project”, Rubey would spend his nights playing his YAMAHA electric piano.

American standard-bearers for glam rock and important precursors to punk rock, New York Dolls reunited (at the personal request of longtime fan Morrissey) nearly three decades after their early-1970s heyday. Original Dolls David Johansen and Syl Sylvain still have all the sass and swagger of their prime on CAUSE I SEZ SO. Todd Rundgren had helmed the band's debut and returns in the same capacity for this 2009 Atco album, helping the quintet push its sonic envelope a bit beyond the Stonesy racket of yore. A reggae-tinged reworking of their '70s classic Trash may be the most striking example of this, but the beautiful pop melody of Lonely So Long and the propulsive R&B of Nobody Got No Bizness show the Dolls can wear any style and make it look great. We'll give CAUSE I SEZ SO another spin in memory of the band's drummer Jerry Nolan, who passed away on this day in 1992.

When Brion Gysin died a tape was found in his possession which was posthumously released under his name entitled "The Pool". It took many years and a lot of letters to realize this was actually a composition by his friend Paul Bowles, as they often sent recordings back and forth to each other. Dumb EPs are the same in a way, like tapes or letters crossed through time. Not as they are confused, from a band not earnestly wearing influences on its sleeve. But as a future touchstone making music that is uniquely their own.

Nigerian-born, London-based singer, songwriter, musician and producer Steven Bamidele presents his keenly anticipated sophomore album, 'THE CRASH!' – a sonically rich exploration of purpose, doubt and personal reckoning. Written against the backdrop of an ever-changing world, the album combines soul, rock, jazz, acoustic and electronic textures, along with daydream-esque storytelling for a thought-provoking journey in pursuit of something real in an age of hyper-curation and superficiality.
At its core, 'THE CRASH!' is a soulful meditation on the weight we place on relationships, the fundamental cost of growth, and the search for direction in an imperfect world. It's a deeply personal project, shaped by Steven's own journey through faith, disillusionment and self-discovery. Raised in a strictly Christian household, Steven's first crisis of belief came at 17, when he began questioning the very foundations of existence. As his faith unravelled, music became his new guiding force – a source of direction, discipline and identity. But as he turned 30, disillusionment crept in once again. The stark realities of the music industry, coupled with global uncertainty, reignited that same despondent weight he had battled in his youth.
"It was an intoxicating feeling when I was younger and had no responsibilities, to foolishly believe I was the first person in history who'd worked something out that no one else had. It gave me this twisted sense of power and was a big creative motivator. Where I'm at now, nihilism is debilitating, boring and unhelpful. I've worked to find a way to channel those feelings into this project. I'm really proud of it."– Steven Bamidele

Unknown Waveforms is the forthcoming album from Belgian trio KAU, set for release on October 10, 2025. Marking an evolution since their 2023 release The Cycle Repeats, this new record captures a more personal, immediate, and unfiltered version of the band's sound. In an increasingly digital world, KAU takes a different route, with an album rooted in human connection, live energy, and creative spontaneity. Here, the trio reflect their take on instrumental music, drawing heavily fromjazz, hip hop, and electronic influences.

At the heart of Unknown Waveforms lies the starting point of three musicians in a room, writing and composing music on the spot. For KAU, this idea mirrors their working method: long jam sessions, free-flowing experimentation, and shared moments of inspiration. Songs often take shape slowly, unfolding over hours or days, but always built collaboratively as a trio.

The album's title reflects the mystery behind how music comes together, but is also both literal and symbolic. Unknown waveforms are the sounds that arise when machines and people interact in unpredictable ways. Whether you're an experienced musician or just starting out, the creative process often feels elusive and hard to fully understand. But there are also certain moments: creative sparks that can't be planned or programmed. It ends up being more than notes, gear, or structure, it's about the process, the tension and energy that builds when people connect and create in the same room.

The title track, Unknown Waveforms, captures that exact process. It opens with a quote from synth pioneer Wendy Carlos: "I'm just trying to show you how we get some of these sounds", inviting listeners directly into the creative space. The track focuses less on a polished outcome and more on the moment before a song is "finished": it's a portrait of experimentation, feeling, and raw expression.

This commitment to honesty permeates the entire album. KAU kept overdubs to a minimum, avoided excessive editing, and prioritized spontaneous choices over calculated ones. In a time when the future of live, improvised music feels uncertain, they double down on the physical, the real, and the immediate. The album resists the pristine polish of modern production, favoring the warmth and imperfection of analog synthesis. The band embraces the character of their instruments, particularly vintage gear, where subtle flaws add beauty, depth, and personality.

One standout track, cr_eye, is driven by the Moog Subphatty-a key instrument in the band's toolkit for its analog warmth and powerful sub-bass. The track centers around the conversation between bass and drums, allowing the keyboards to recede and create space. It draws emotional threads from earlier KAU tracks like Kampala and Kautokeino, bridging past and present with a shared atmosphere and rhythmic interplay.

Another highlight, Stratford, finds inspiration in London's transport system and the UK jazz scene that has long influenced KAU. A field recording snippet of the London Underground kicks off the track, connecting it to the rhythm of everyday commutes. Built around a hypnotic sequencer line from the Roland JX-3P, the track evokes the motion of a metro journey. Artists like Nubya Garcia, Yussef Dayes, and Alfa Mist, giants of the scenethat the band has admired for years, resonate subtly throughout.

Above all, Unknown Waveforms is a statement of intent from KAU: a celebration of imperfection, creative honesty and an insight in the process.

Jackie Mittoo’s ‘Reggae Magic’ is a new collection from the great Jackie Mittoo. The album features a mixture of classic tunes and rarities from the period 1967-74, when Mittoo was at the height of his musical powers. Mittoo’s solo career began after the end of The Skatalites in 1965. He began pushing new musical boundaries, creating a uniquely identifiable organ-led funky reggae sound that owed as much to Booker T and The MGs, Jimmy Smith, Stax and Motown as to the post-ska and emergent rocksteady island rhythms of Kingston, Jamaica. His solo work at the legendary Studio One spanned seven albums and hundreds of singles.

Aside from producer and founder Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd, it’s hard to think of anyone more central to the sound and success of Studio One than Mittoo; keyboard player extraordinaire, songwriter, arranger, musician, truly the Keyboard King at Studio One. Jackie Mittoo had been the youngest founding member of The Skatalites (at age 16), probably the most important group in Jamaican music. After they split, he became leader of the three pivotal groups at Studio One – The Soul Brothers, The Soul Vendors and Sound Dimension. He also became musical director for Studio One, helping create countless hits for singers Ken Boothe, Bob Andy, The Wailers, John Holt, Delroy Wilson and more – unforgettable tunes like Alton Ellis’ ‘I’m Still in Love with You’, Marcia Griffiths’ ‘Feel Like Jumping’, The Heptones’ ‘Baby Why’ and others. Between 1965 and 1968, many of the tunes created at Studio One can be attributed to Mittoo – timeless instrumental tracks, recorded either under his own name or those of The Soul Brothers, Soul Vendors and Sound Dimension, that have become the basis for literally 1000s and 1000s of Jamaican songs over many decades, giving the music an unsurpassed longevity.

The endurance of his music was as a direct result of significant developments in Jamaican music in the 1970s, namely the creation of three important new styles: Dub, Deejay and Dancehall. In the early 1970s Mittoo’s instrumental tracks were used as the musical source for a series of classic Studio One dub albums. At the same time Deejays at Studio One, including Dillinger, Prince Jazzbo and Dennis Alcapone, began toasting over these same popular rhythms to create their own new songs. In the mid-70s, a new generation of Studio One singers and deejays, including Sugar Minott, Freddie McGregor, Johnny Osbourne, Michigan & Smiley and others, began once again creating new melodies over these original instrumentals, signalling the birth of a new Jamaican style that became known as ‘dancehall’.

As dancehall swept across the island, rival producers copied these now classic rhythms. These original Jackie Mittoo-driven tunes spread like a virus throughout Jamaican music; be they the instrumental cuts to tunes such as Alton Ellis’ ‘Mad Mad’ , ‘I’m Just A Guy’, Larry Marshall’s ‘Mean Girl’, Slim Smith’s ‘Rougher Yet’, and instrumentals such as Mittoo’s classic ‘Hot Milk’ or ‘One Step Beyond’, The Sound Dimension’s ‘Real Rock’, ‘Heavy Rock’, ‘Full Up’, ‘Drum Song’, ‘Rockfort Rock’ … and the list goes on. These tracks became a constant soundtrack to the island, emitting from the ever-present sound of speaker boxes strung up around dancehalls. This recycling travelled even farther afield; The Sound Dimension’s instrumental ‘Real Rock’, updated by Willie Williams on his classic ‘Armageddon Time’ was in turn covered by The Clash. Lily Allen sampled Mittoo’s debut solo single ‘Free Soul’ for number one hit ‘Smile’; Dawn Penn’s ‘You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No)’, accompanied by The Soul Vendors, was revived by Penn and producers Steely & Cleevie in 1994, since covered by Rihanna, Ghostface Killah, Stephen Marley, Damian Marley and Beyonce. And so it goes; an endless time-leaping, continent-hopping diasporic musical map of the world with all roads essentially leading back to one man – Jackie Mittoo.

2025 Repress

FINALLY! The very first commercial release of two legendary remixes of Arthur Russell's "In The Light Of The Miracle". Both are widely regarded as transcendent masterpieces and very much befitting of the title “holy grails”.

These long-beloved mixes are the types you'd wish would last for eternity. With almost 30 minutes of music here, we very nearly get our desires granted. At last, these jaw-dropping mixes are widely available to every Arthur fan in the world. This is musical perfection.

The deep Loft classic "In The Light Of The Miracle" remained unreleased during Arthur's lifetime, finally discovered when Phillip Glass included the original version on Another Thought on Point Music in 1993. As Steve Knutson told us, when Another Thought was being put together, the plan was to release a companion album of remixes that was overseen by Steve D'Aquisto but the project only got as far as these two remixes of "In The Light Of The Miracle".

Some dodgy scans of some centre label designs suggest that Point Music might’ve been planning to release these on a 12" but it didn’t happen. The story goes that Gilles Peterson heard the remixes on a visit to the Point Music offices and wanted to release them on Talkin’ Loud. We’re not sure how many white label copies made it out into the wild, but again, these remixes didn’t make it to a proper release.

These remixes both extend and undeniably enhance the original, elevating it to new heights. The 13 minute remix on the A-side is by Danny Krivit & Tony Smith with editing duties performed by Tony Morgan. As ever with Arthur, the music is almost impossible to describe: is it Disco? Garage House? Avant Garde? None of these tags do full justice to its sheer majesty. You best just listen. Stretching out the original with some unbelievably great percussive elements, until we're in a deeply spiritual, otherworldly realm, it's just too beautiful for words. As many have claimed, it's the prototype for EVERYTHING.

The "Ponytail Club Mix (Part 1 & 2)", produced by Tony Morgan in the mid-90s, is in a more up-tempo style, with vocals higher in the mix, the BPM upped to 120 and the addition of a housey 4/4 kick drum. A 14 minute epic, you could say this is a more straight ahead "club-friendly" mix (but can things ever be that straightforward with Arthur?!) It also has some really interesting vocal parts not used in the other versions, including some vocals from guest poet Allen Ginsberg.

These remixes are part of the same original project that also produced the Another Thought album so it seems only right that they have a sleeve that matches. Thanks again to Janette Beckman for letting us use another of her photos of Arthur and the rest of the design follows what Margery Greenspan, Tina Lauffer and Michael Klotz did for Another Thought back in 1994.

Simon Francis remastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12" well and truly slaps. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this incredibly sought-after treasure finds a home in many more collections, this and every year.

Ramirez returns with THA PLAYA$ MANUAL II, the long-awaited sequel to his cult classic that helped solidify his place as one of underground rap’s most distinctive voices. Steeped in Southern-fried funk, Bay Area swagger, and Memphis-style menace, this new chapter finds Ramirez sharper, smoother, and more seasoned—delivering game like a streetwise sage with a gold grill grin.

Where the original Playa$ Manual was gritty and raw, THA PLAYA$ MANUAL II sounds like a player who's leveled up. The beats knock harder, the flows glide slicker, and the game is deeper. Ramirez weaves tales of betrayal, come-ups, late-night drives, and cold-hearted reality with the same charismatic cool that made him a standout in the $uicideboy$-adjacent G59 movement—but this time with a more refined, cinematic approach.

From trunk-rattling bangers to syrupy smooth cuts that soundtrack late-night escapades, THA PLAYA$ MANUAL II feels like a ride through Ramirez’s world with tinted windows up and the bass on max. It’s a record for the hustlers, the heartbreakers, the loners, and the legends in the making.

This is more than a sequel—it’s a statement: the playa’s still active, and the manual’s been updated.

Perhaps it was a cold winter day or a warm summer night in Finland - but it was around 2010. Someone came up with an idea to combine bluegrass, Finnish folk and rock/metal music. The outcome was and has since been Steve 'n' Seagulls. The kind of band you've never heard before but you do want to hear again. Hailing from Finland in Northern Europe - this flock of musical energy keeps on going and flying faster than ever. In 2025, the sun will lay its rays on the long-awaited fifth Steve 'n' Seagulls album - The Dark Side of the Moo! Recorded and produced with the same crew as the previous one, Steve 'n' Seagulls have again found and torn down the limits of progressive bluegrass and newgrass. The album combines elements from genres that are hard to imagine together. Yet they meet and shake hands like old friends. Steve 'n' Seagulls' originals and some re-arranged classics form yet another interesting musical soup ready to be served on their The Dark Side of the Moo -tour around Europe in 2025.

There’s a lot for MAYDAY PARADE to celebrate these days. The T allahassee, Florida-formed quintet recently
wrapped a career-defining tour marking two decades together, one that saw more than 70,000 fans pack sold-out venues to celebrate their storied catalog. They performed a triumphant main-stage set at the 30th anniversary of the V ans W arped T our, a full-circle moment for a band that made their name selling self-released CDs in those same sweltering parking lots nearly 20 years ago. Their landmark debut LP, A Lesson In Romantics, turned 18, still beloved for its iconic singles like the platinum-certified “Jamie All Over” and gold-certified “Miserable At Best.” And the group released Sweet, the first in a self-released three-album series that reaffirmed just how vital and creatively energized Mayday Parade still remains. Now, on Sad, the second installment in that trilogy, the band continue diving deeper into the emotional nuance that’s defined their most captivating albums, blending aching sentimentality with melodic urgency as only they can. Once again produced by longtime collaborators Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount, Sad sees Mayday Parade stripping back some of the tempo that colored Sweet in favor of more deliberate grooves, more introspection, and a sharpened focus on mood and space.

Black Ice Vinyl. On her debut album One Sided, 20 year-old Georga-native Sydney Rose wrestles with growth: growing up, growing apart, growing within. While the singer/songwriter’s 2022 EPs You Never Met Me and This Kind of Thing Doesn’t Last showcased intimate lyricism with the help of understated synths, muted drum machines, and stacked harmonies, One Sided returns to her stripped-back roots, offering tenderhearted meditations on childhood, love, and the evolution of friendship, with a guitar in hand. After Feb 2025 single, We Hug Now, had huge viral success, Syndey Rose has sold out shows all over the US, UK, and Europe.

Carrboro, NC’s inimitable synthesizer duo MARV follow up their well-received 2021 opus Keyboard Suite I with a second volume co-released by enmossed and Softer Recordings. As a (regrettably) posthumous release, Keyboard Suite II documents MARV in their fully matured state with melodies that eschew easy categorization and a much-expanded studio effects and processing palette. But the same dreamy languidity marking their previous releases remains, drawing us into their visions of a summer day spent in the shade, by a babbling creek. As a storm approaches from the distance - keyboards saturated by tape into distortion, bursts of noise from idiosyncratic electronics, aleatoric stuttering - MARV grants us an album’s worth of sonic sublimation.

Next up on Mesh is Throwing Snow’s ‘Jackals’, a five-track EP drawing on echoes of UK subcultures.
Written in Ireland late last year with the London 2010s in mind, ‘Jackals’ is Throwing Snow’s love letter to his time spent there, tapping into a detailed web of sounds and styles through a personal lens, but skillfully produced to resonate with many. Locating memories in a transient city that is constantly reconfiguring itself, each track is an attempt at honouring fragments of recent, but seemingly distant, musical history. Taking us from DMZ at Brixton Mass to FWD at Plastic People, or Future Garage Fridays in Soho (IYKYK) to early days of NTS, the EP captures some of the fleeting moments that continue to play a significant part in the city’s sonic patchwork.

Production-wise, all the tracks share the same sounds twisted in different directions. The hats are vocoded with noise and random LFOs, and much like the chaos of London, every bounce has a unique pattern.

Opening track ‘Jackals’ walks the line between dub and UK bass, quickly overtaken by a wonky synth lead that spirals eternally upwards. ‘Ohnein’ jumps in with a massive pad swirling above a half-time step. In Throwing Snow’s own words, ‘I had to check with Martyn whether I'd ripped him off, turns out I hadn't, but it's a heavy head nod crossed with Un Vingt from my first 12"’. ‘A Cloud Mountain’ - a nod to the timeless James Holden remix of Nathan Fake’s ‘The Sky Was Pink’, leans into a maximalist progression of deep chords and fractured synths. ‘Forged’ steps into a weightier space with sparse drums driven forward by a deep cut of bass and twitchy echoes. Rounding things off, ‘Path Dependency’ speeds things up with touches of DnB in the drums, distant echoes in the forefront and the occasional sub wobble holding things together.

Fabio Nobile is a drummer and multi-instrumentalist who has been active on the music scene for over 25 years. Today, his musical
exploration draws from the deep roots of Afro traditions and the expressive freedom of jazz—two musical cultures that are an integral
part of his identity.
Sankofa Soul is a musical project born from the encounter between jazz, African traditions, and the search for a profound connection
between past and present. The term “Sankofa” comes from the Akan language (spoken in Ghana) and means “to go back and fetch what
is good” —an invitation to look to the past to better understand the future.
In an era where music is evolving at a rapid pace, Sankofa Soul looks to a rich and multifaceted cultural heritage, while also embracing a
modern voice—a universal call to reconnect with our European origins through the lens of African legacy.
Each track on Sankofa Soul reflects Fabio Nobile’s experiences, studies, and roots, forming a dialogue between past and present, the
sacred and the profane, individuality and community.
Sankofa Soul is a heartfelt tribute to West Africa, with a special focus on Nigeria.
Zuma Rock leads us into the rich and ever-changing soundscape of West Africa—a space where tradition meets innovation, and rhythm
tells stories older than words. Here, the legacy of Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat pulses through every beat, anchoring the music in political fire and
deep ancestral roots. At the same time, the unmistakable horn section weaves a vibrant fusion of Afro-Funk and Jazz. In Zuma Rock, we
enter a dialogue between past and present—a musical return to the source.
And then appears Kalakuta Republic, a heartfelt homage to the self-declared commune that was home to the legendary Fela Kuti—a
reminder not to forget the rebellious spirit of the Kalakuta Republic. This track gives voice to the very essence of Afro-jazz, wrapped in a
hypnotic 12/8 rhythm that echoes ancient African traditions. Its immersive pulse blends seamlessly with jazz’s boundless expressive
freedom, creating a vibrant, compelling dialogue suspended between ancestral roots and modernity.
Landed in Lagos and I Read the Stars naturally embrace the distinctive sound of Manu Dibango, while Say Your Prayer Now reminds us
how the evolution of Jamaican reggae—and its cultural and musical foundations—remains deeply linked to Mother Africa.
This is Sankofa: the soul’s journey back to the past to move forward.

Clement "Minkie" Moore's introduction to the music business came via his friend the great deejay U Roy. Back in the mid 1970s, Minkie and U Roy were both living in the Tower Hill area of Kingston, and U Roy was resident deejay on King Tubby's sound system. Minkie followed his friend and the sound, and occasionally U Roy let him hold the mic and deejay on Tubby's set. U Roy encouraged Minkie to take music more seriously, and with that encouragement, his first record "Wickedness" was made. Minkie got a cut of a rhythm from his friend the late Sydney Wilson, and voiced and mixed the rugged deejay tune "Wickedness" at King Tubby's studio. Sydney had earlier voiced this rhythm as a tune called "Why Do I Cry", but alongside "Wickedness", voiced it again with a new vocal called "Time Has Gone". In fact that tune and "Wickedness" share the same dub version. Clement continued to move in the music scene, next recording for Harry J's Jaywax label in 1979 with a tune called "Jah Is Real", as a duo named UNI-TONE along with his friend Denzil. Then in 1980, Clement revisited the great rhythm of "Wickedness", deciding to this time sing rather than deejay on the rhythm. He returned to Harry J studio, adding some choice new instrumental overdubs on the rhythm for this new cut, "Every Time I Do My Thing." In the decades since, astute roots collectors have honed in on this excellent rhythm and its several cuts, not least of all this pair of them by Mr. Clement "Minkie" Moore. It should be noted that in the manner of the day, other associates of Tubby's studio, Prophets Yabby You and Alric Forbes, also utilized this rhythm. Minkie's musical journey continued thru the 1980s, when he linked with American group Lambsbread, writing and performing on their second album which was recorded at Channel 1 in early 1987. In the 1990's Clement returned to self-production on his Allah label, in addition to cutting a 45 for Chinna Smith's High Times label. Nowadays Clement is still going strong, occasionally dropping new music like "Greedy", recorded at Bravo's Small World studio in downtown Kingston.

Clement "Minkie" Moore's introduction to the music business came via his friend the great deejay U Roy. Back in the mid 1970s, Minkie and U Roy were both living in the Tower Hill area of Kingston, and U Roy was resident deejay on King Tubby's sound system. Minkie followed his friend and the sound, and occasionally U Roy let him hold the mic and deejay on Tubby's set. U Roy encouraged Minkie to take music more seriously, and with that encouragement, his first record "Wickedness" was made. Minkie got a cut of a rhythm from his friend the late Sydney Wilson, and voiced and mixed the rugged deejay tune "Wickedness" at King Tubby's studio. Sydney had earlier voiced this rhythm as a tune called "Why Do I Cry", but alongside "Wickedness", voiced it again with a new vocal called "Time Has Gone". In fact that tune and "Wickedness" share the same dub version. Clement continued to move in the music scene, next recording for Harry J's Jaywax label in 1979 with a tune called "Jah Is Real", as a duo named UNI-TONE along with his friend Denzil. Then in 1980, Clement revisited the great rhythm of "Wickedness", deciding to this time sing rather than deejay on the rhythm. He returned to Harry J studio, adding some choice new instrumental overdubs on the rhythm for this new cut, "Every Time I Do My Thing." In the decades since, astute roots collectors have honed in on this excellent rhythm and its several cuts, not least of all this pair of them by Mr. Clement "Minkie" Moore. It should be noted that in the manner of the day, other associates of Tubby's studio, Prophets Yabby You and Alric Forbes, also utilized this rhythm. Minkie's musical journey continued thru the 1980s, when he linked with American group Lambsbread, writing and performing on their second album which was recorded at Channel 1 in early 1987. In the 1990's Clement returned to self-production on his Allah label, in addition to cutting a 45 for Chinna Smith's High Times label. Nowadays Clement is still going strong, occasionally dropping new music like "Greedy", recorded at Bravo's Small World studio in downtown Kingston.

Nicola Conte & Nico Lahs return with their eagerly awaited second EP, continuing the musical journey they began with their acclaimed 12” Macumba de Oxalȧ / La Danse de l’Esprit.
This new release confirms the creative synergy between two producers who speak the same musical language: a refined blend of spiritual jazz, Afro-American rhythms and electronic sensibility, designed for the most eclectic and sophisticated dancefloors. The Tema Due project is aimed at a refined club scene, attentive to the depth and purpose of sound. Once again, Conte and Lahs are turning the dance floor into a ritual space, where body and spirit move in harmony in a musical language that not only entertains but also elevates.


In this “EP2”, Nicola Conte and Nico Lahs collaborate for the first time with the talented young Brazilian percussionist Gabriel Prado and consolidate their long-standing partnership with pianist Pietro Lusso, who plays a fundamental role in shaping the musical identity of this work. Among the tracks, “Share Your Love” stands out in particular, interpreted by Brazilian singer Nina Miranda, who brings emotional depth to a track that talks about peace, sharing and love between peoples, and is enriched by the participation of Giovanni Guidi on Fender Rhodes and synths.
“EP2” precedes the release of Tema Due’s full-length album, which is currently taking shape – a work that promises to further consolidate the duo’s shared vision, expanding their conceptual and sonic scope. To crown this creative cycle, the album will also be followed by a third EP with additional unreleased tracks, symbolically closing a trilogy of sound and vision. A coherent, intense and uncompromising musical journey, where club culture meets spirituality and artistic exploration.

First time reissue of this French cold-wave / minimal-synth treasure.



November 1981 – In the heart of autumn, we set off in two cars along the Nationale 1 (!) to reach Choisy-le-Roi, where a 16-track studio was waiting for us—a place where, over the course of a weekend, we would finally be able to carve our own grooves into vinyl. We were quite nervous, as Guerre Froide had already been around for a year and a half. Our elders in Kas Product had already released two EPs—one with four tracks, the other with three—in 1980, even though they’d started only a few months before us. Admittedly, there wasn’t really a sense of urgency—some of us came from the punk movement, where the prevailing mood was still very much No Future, even if we’d long since stopped believing in it... And yet others had truly lost everything, like those from the generation before us. The reasons, ironically, were often the same: heroin and/or love—hard drugs, in both cases.

Speaking of which, I had a terrible stomach ache—due to nerves or some form of tension—which forced us to make a pit stop in the Oise region so I could rush to the toilet of a local café. That same stomach discomfort would hit me again once we arrived at the studio—whose name, incidentally, I’ve since forgotten...

We had gotten there thanks to the generous initiative of a friend, Sylvain S., known as “Perlin” (what a phonetic coincidence!?), who had specifically created the Stechak Products label to produce our record. Stechak because it was consistent with his earlier association called Tchernoziom, and Products as a plural tribute to the trailblazers from Nancy.

Guerre Froide originally consisted of four members: Fabrice Fruchart on guitar-synth (Korg MS-20), Patrick Mallet on bass, and Gilbert Deffais, known as “Bébert”, on Korg drum machine. At the time, I was already singing in a rock/post-punk band called Stress, and that’s how Guerre Froide picked up the bad habit of rehearsing in the same basement in Amiens as Stress. Within a month or two, we had half a dozen songs. We then had the opportunity to record a 4-track demo with a friend from Radio France Picardie, and to perform in October at a festival held at the Amiens municipal circus. Then came the now-legendary concert on November 11 at B.J.’s Club. After that, we self-produced and released 50 completely DIY copies of a cassette titled Cicatrice. A few concerts later—after Jean-Michel Bailleux had joined us on bass and Patrick had switched to guitar, which felt more natural to him—and with more concrete plans starting to take shape, we had to find a new rehearsal space and start renting a room.

Then came the moment when Fabrice told us he was leaving to go study in Lille... After the June 19, 1981 concert, which was naturally dubbed “Farewell to 2F,” Marie-José, Bébert’s wife, offered to take over on synth.

That’s when Perlin, who was a close friend of the Deffais couple and a great fan of our music, offered to fully finance the production of a 4-track 12-inch EP—covering the studio time, mastering, pressing, and artwork. What up-and-coming band would have turned that down? An improvised contract was signed with each member of Guerre Froide. The first step was choosing which four songs we would record. Berlin 81 was an obvious pick, having already become the group’s flagship track. We wanted to avoid reusing songs from Cicatrice, so the focus shifted to new material—some written before, some after Fabrice’s departure. Ersatz, for example, was his composition, but Mauve and Peine Perdue, which were also selected, were both written by Patrick.

Black Truffle is pleased to announce Melopea, presenting two new pieces highlighting the incredible voice of Amelia Cuni (1958-2024), the great Italian singer, based in Berlin in later life, whose mastery of the classical Indian dhrupad developed in parallel with a commitment to contemporary experimental approaches. After two stunning archival releases documenting traditional dhrupad performances in India in the 1990s (BT079 and BT092), the two side-long pieces here embody the freedom with which Cuni explored new contexts and settings for her singing.

Both make use of a long recording of Cuni singing the pentatonic Raag Bhoop (or Bhopali) made in 2012 by her partner Werner Durand in Berlin. ‘Melopea’ began from Cuni and Durand’s superimposition of this recording with violinist Silvia Tarozzi and cellist Deborah Walker’s performance of Éliane Radigue’s ‘Occam River II’. Inspired by the beauty of this chance encounter (and other experiments with non-synchronous collaboration during the pandemic years), Tarozzi and Walker recorded independently, without hearing Cuni’s voice but ‘having her present in memory’. Tarozzi and Walker’s bowed strings places Cuni’s magisterial performance in a new context, emphasising, as Radigue commented upon hearing the initial layering of her piece with Cuni’s voice, a shared ‘searching toward the partials, overtones, these natural constituents of acoustical sounds in their richness’. Beginning with whispered bowed harmonics, the violin and cello swap the stability of dhrupad’s traditional tanpura drone for a slowly evolving, uneasy web of harmonic interactions recalling some of Harley Gaber’s work, sometimes sitting on dissonances for long periods or allowing changing interference patterns to come to the fore. Primarily focusing on her lower register, Cuni’s performance demonstrates her mastery of microtonal pitch subtleties, elegant sweeping glissandi and meditatively unhurried pacing.

The continuation of the same recording by Cuni forms the foundation of ‘Bhoop-Murchana’, with Anthea Caddy on cello and Werner Durand on soprano saxophone. In contrast to the randomised layering of the first piece, here Durand and Caddy have carefully selected pitches based on the raag Cuni sings, using the ‘Murchana’ form, which uses the constituent notes of the raag as tonics of new raags, retaining the same interval structure. Both players who have developed tones of striking depth and harmonic purity on their instruments, Caddy and Durand’s patient long tones are simultaneously rigorously grounded in the physical properties of sound and possessed of an immaterial, floating quality. Combined with Cuni’s voice and, near the piece’s end, her contributions on hammered and plucked tanpura, the effect borders on miraculous. To surrender to this music is like slipping into an onsen pool, feeling the instantaneous release of every tension. Accompanied by liner notes from Durand, Tarozzi and Walker, Melopea is both a moving tribute to the profound art of Amelia Cuni and, for the uninitiated, a perfect introduction to it.

GAISTER (Olivia Salvadori, Akihide Monna and Coby Sey) release their self-titled LP.

The record captures the embodiment of an encounter, one moment of the trio’s ongoing relationship as artists who communicate with each other through sound, voice and music.
After orbiting in the same circles at each other's shows around 2016 in London, Sey and Salvadori eventually crossed paths. In 2017 Sey joined Salvadori’s artistic collective Tutto Questo Sentire on a residency in Capalbio, the southernmost part of Tuscany, Italy, and started working together. Down the line the pair ended up joining with Akihide Monna (of Bo Ningen), performing together in 2019 at Camden Art Centre on Cork Street in London.

When the trio come together something new is created, brought out after laying dormant, like an Icelandic Geysir. The setting of this particular encounter amongst the trio is essential in the album’s sonic palette, process and emotion. The album was recorded in Iceland at
Greenhouse Studios, where the trio formalised a set of intuitions; how nature can provide a guideline in the choices of the instruments, their materials and related rhythms; reflections on the voice as a sculptural element, pure sound and words.

As Akihide has said of the experience during their short and intense recording period: “The sound spontaneously spun out as if we were pulling at each other's hearts and minds with a strange internal connection and sensation. Something pure was brought out.”

‘Gaister’ itself is a made up word, sprung from the German ‘Geist’ to mean ‘spirit’, and made into a sound of its own. A purity, spirit and essence is pulled from the trio, in spite of their varying mother tongues (Italian, Japanese and English), musical genres and identities to create something new. Olivia Salvadori’s operatic vocals run free, flowing and moving in
synergy with Monna’s rhythmic drumming. Sey sings freely with Salvadori, their voices braided together like a waterfall.

This flowing nature is reflected in the album itself, its timestamps and scores are marked by encounters rather than tracks themselves. This album can be considered as one constant piece and a journey of its own that is not foreclosed, in keeping with the band’s ethos of
constant conversation and collaboration.
As Sey speaks of the trio’s relationship: “Olivia, Monchan and I had performed live together once before, several years before this song and this album came to be… and yet, we fully trust each other’s intuition when performing and creating music together because of our unified belief in the ability of sound and music to communicate and connect.”
credits
releases November 1, 2024

Olivia Salvadori: voice
Akihide Monna: voice, drums, percussions
Coby Sey: voice, percussions, synths, wurlitzer

Recorded at Greenhouse Studios in Reykjavik, Iceland

Recorded and producer: Sandro Mussida
Sound engineer: Francesco Fabris
Studio assistant: Domiziano Maselli and Jakob Vasak

Mixing engineer: Kristian Craig Robinson at Total Refreshment Centre, London, UK

Two Seminal albums from cult Ghanaian musician Alhaji K. Frimpong and his group the Cubano Fiestas, recorded in 1976 and 1977 respectively and considered to be some of the best highlife albums ever recorded, at the pinnacle of West African musical tradition and innovation.

Both originally self titled, they have become known by the colour of the covers - Blue and Black respectively. The Blue Album brings new arrangements to traditional Ghanaian melodies and features the masterpiece Kyenkyen Bi Adi M’awu (come back my love) - universally known in Ghana, covered and sampled by artists such as Chronnix, Gnarls Barkley and many more. The Black Album expands the electronic elements and features the equally visionary Hwehwe Mu Na Yi Wo Mpena, although the real gem is hiding on the B side: the extended groove of “Adam Nana”. Sinuously evolving guitar lines, clavinet vamps, harmonised vocal snatches and otherworldly percussion expand and contract over a full quarter of an hour - a Ghanaian repost to the Afro Jazz experiments going on at the same time on the other side of the Atlantic. Although popular in Ghana at the time of the release, the albums were never distributed internationally and original copies of the album are extremely rare.

The albums got a limited reissue in 2011 and have been unavailable since - even reissue copies sell for high prices on the second hand market

Two Seminal albums from cult Ghanaian musician Alhaji K. Frimpong and his group the Cubano Fiestas, recorded in 1976 and 1977 respectively and considered to be some of the best highlife albums ever recorded, at the pinnacle of West African musical tradition and innovation. Both originally self titled, they have become known by the colour of the covers - Blue and Black respectively. The Blue Album brings new arrangements to traditional Ghanaian melodies and features the masterpiece Kyenkyen Bi Adi M"awu (come back my love) - universally known in Ghana, covered and sampled by artists such as Chronnix, Gnarls Barkley and many more. The Black Album expands the electronic elements and features the equally visionary Hwehwe Mu Na Yi Wo Mpena, although the real gem is hiding on the B side: the extended groove of "Adam Nana". Sinuously evolving guitar lines, clavinet vamps, harmonised vocal snatches and otherworldly percussion expand and contract over a full quarter of an hour - a Ghanaian repost to the Afro Jazz experiments going on at the same time on the other side of the Atlantic. Although popular in Ghana at the time of the release, the albums were never distributed internationally and original copies of the album are extremely rare. The albums got a limited reissue in 2011 and have been unavailable since - even reissue copies sell for high prices on the second hand market.

A photo in Rodney Stepp’s scrapbook sums this period in his life in music. It’s 1974, The Spinners were headliners at the “Zaire 74” music festival, a sideshow to Muhammad Ali’s fabled “Rumble in the Jungle” fight with George Foreman. Among the faded snapshots, there’s a picture of Stepp backstage posing arm in arm with Ali; another image shows The Greatest seated at Stepp’s Fender Rhodes alongside vocalist Etta James. It was all a dream for this Naptown wunderkind, who had previously recorded for Herb Miller’s LAMP Records as the Diplomatics and had issued the sweet soul killer “Young Girl” as Jazzie Cazzie and the Eight Sounds on a rare Knaptown 45. (These recordings have been documented on the Now-Again LAMP anthology and our Loving On The Flipside compilation.) But as exciting as his rise out of those local status was, as exciting as it was to headline festivals and arenas and appear on late night talk shows, Stepp grew restless with the mechanical routine of being a sideman. He grew tired of playing the same charts night after night. He was hungry for a creative outlet that mimicked his earliest days in recorded music. So, in 1978, Stepp left The Spinners and returned to Indianapolis, where he established an all-stargroup of musicians–including members of Jazzie Cazzie and the fabled Amnesty–and he named the band Rapture. They inspired countless others. They recorded an album’s worth of material. Now-Again’s Egon first got tapes from Stepp in 2002 and dutifully transferred them, but the time was not right for a foray into this wealth of material. Come 2025, and this is the first time it Rapture’s music is seeing the light of day, a triumphant, late career moment for Stepp and a cause for celebration of those intrigued by deep, sweet soul and disco funk

“New York’s Harlem River Drive is a dividing line, a highway where the rich zip past the poor,” says singer Jimmy Norman. Eddie Palmieri’s Latin-funk band of the same name tackled these hard truths, playing prisons and speaking to the common man. Ultimately, Norman and Palmieri made a powerful socio-political statement that continues to resonate to this day." Pablo Yglesias/Wax Poetics. When initially released in 1971, many critics panned Eddie Palmieri’s album Harlem River Drive. Those critics were wrong. Regardless of critical opinion, the release was not the crossover success Palmieri and Roulette Records had hoped for, at least in the immediate. Over the years the release has developed a following among listeners, DJs, and aficionados of rare-grooves. The record may have been recorded towards the end of the Latin soul era, yet it features that genre's wonderful mix of Puerto Rican soul, Spanish Harlem Latin, and New York funk. Palmieri worked with an incredibly talented crew of Latin and R&B session musicians to create this quintessential New York vibe, a synthesis of funk and Afro-Cuban sounds. Contributors include Victor Venegas from Mongo Santamaria’s band, Palmieri’s brother Charlie, an accomplished musician in his own right, Bruce Fowler who went on to join Frank Zappa’s band, Dick Meza who went on to great things with Tito Puente, Ray Barretto and Celia Cruz, as well as Andy Gonzalez who’s pedigree includes recordings with Barretto, Johnny Pacheco, Willie Colon and even Chico O’Farrill. Also appearing Randy Brecker and one of the all-time greatest of the greats Bernard Purdy. An over-arching theme of Harlem River Drive is the thought that, as Palmieri puts it “The U.S. is richest country, all this immense wealth, side by side with the most intense poverty, racial prejudice; how is that possible?” A question that’s perhaps more even more relevant today than it was in 1971. A question that can be further explored with Get On Down’s reissue of this seminal recording.

West coast writer / producer George Semper recorded four sides on the Sherilles − a group led by Vessie Simmons, who had been lead singer for the Ribbons in the early 60s. She would go on to have a prolific solo career in the 70s, right through to the 90s. Ace sleuth Alec Palao found four Semper-produced sides on two DCT acetates and we licensed the rights from the Semper family.

These fully realised recordings are from 1968 when the group had to swiftly change their name from the attempted one of the Shirelles − which they had hoped to get away with, and presumably cash in on that outfit’s fame. A court injunction put paid to that plan and though the name change was only slight, it was never tested in court, as the tracks were never issued. ‘Nobody’s Gonna Love You’ is an excellent George Semper song and judging by the 100 Club’s audience reaction to recent plays will become a staple of forward-thinking club’s playlists.

‘Make It On My Own’ is in the same groove and not far short of the A side. Vessie would re-write and re- record it in 1975 as ‘I Can Make It On My Own’ for a solo release on her Simco label.

Tallahassee"s Pool Kids are turning up the heat with Easier Said Than Done, their electrifying new album dropping September 26 via Epitaph Records. Kicking things off with the punchy, addictive lead single of the same name, the band showcases a sharpened edge to their signature blend of math rock intricacy and indie-pop charm. Following the critical success of their 2022 self-titled album-hailed by Paste, Stereogum, and Consequence-Pool Kids have been making waves on the road with the likes of Soccer Mommy, PUP, Joyce Manor, and most recently, Beach Bunny. Easier Said Than Done finds the band leveling up in every way, delivering explosive energy, emotional depth, and undeniable hooks that cement their place as one of the most exciting acts in indie rock today.

Tallahassee"s Pool Kids are turning up the heat with Easier Said Than Done, their electrifying new album dropping September 26 via Epitaph Records. Kicking things off with the punchy, addictive lead single of the same name, the band showcases a sharpened edge to their signature blend of math rock intricacy and indie-pop charm. Following the critical success of their 2022 self-titled album-hailed by Paste, Stereogum, and Consequence-Pool Kids have been making waves on the road with the likes of Soccer Mommy, PUP, Joyce Manor, and most recently, Beach Bunny. Easier Said Than Done finds the band leveling up in every way, delivering explosive energy, emotional depth, and undeniable hooks that cement their place as one of the most exciting acts in indie rock today.

The title of Tom Skinner"s first release (2022) under his own name is a reference to cellist Abdul Wadud"s ultra-rare 1978 solo album By Myself, which Skinner listened to repeatedly during lockdown. Wadud"s album was privately pressed on his own label, Bisharra, and whilst Skinner"s title uses the more conventional spelling of this common Arabic name, they both have the same intention or meaning: it translates as "good news", or "the bringer of good news". The result is a tight, hypnotic and unique 31-minutes of music. Voices of Bishara is sculpted around timeless and deeply emotional music that contains masses of movement and exceptional harmonic depth and texture. It sweeps and soars through soundworlds, rich in musicality and always anchored by the deep doubling of cello and bass. It also, of course, contains Skinner"s percussive magic.

Etched in the grooves of this 12” record, listeners will find an inspired moment in time. The 5-track LP, serving as the debut album of Estrada Orchestra, was recorded early one morning after a live gig. No session exactly the same as the next one, the founding members used their last chance to record together in their underground studio. Needless to say, these lunatics used it to fall into a frenzy of improvisation, a state characteristic of Estrada’s avant-garde spirit.

Formed of vinyl diggers, street musicians and self-taught aficionados, Estrada Orchestra started out as a spontaneous jam band in 2013. Their only intention was to enjoy leisure time and keep an open mind; unknowingly they ended up pioneering the return of jazz-funk in Estonia. (Henrik Ehte)

Reissue

1982 was a decisive year for The Fall. Their critically acclaimed album ‘Hex Enduction Hour’ was released in March on Kamera Records, closely followed by ‘Room To Live’ in September of that year. ‘Hex Enduction Hour’ was the fourth studio album by The Fall, building on their lo-fi production and featuring a two-drummer line-up. The album was recorded in Reykjavik, Iceland and Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Featuring the classic line-up of Mark E. Smith alongside Steve Hanley (bass), Craig Scanlon (guitar), Karl Burns (drums), Paul Hanley (drums) and Marc Riley (guitar). This is another fine addition to Cherry Red’s series of deluxe Fall re-issues – “Fall Sound Archive”. ‘Hex Enduction Hour’ and ‘Room to Live’ are also available on a 7-CD boxset – “1982” Founded by its only constant member, Mark E. Smith, The Fall formed in Manchester in 1976 and were one of the most prominent post-punk groups in the world. Musically, there may have been several stylistic changes over the years, but it was often characterised by an abrasive guitar-driven sound and frequent use of repetition, always underpinned by Smith's distinctive vocals and often cryptic lyrics. “They are always different; they are always the same.” John Pee

With its 10th edition, Dalmata Daniel's split series brings together two artists who have both left their mark on the label's compilations, now presenting their first full releases on the imprint. Anatolian Weapons and The Spy approach electronic music from different angles, one rooted in hypnotic techno rituals, the other in raw electro and post-punk energy. Both craft sounds that thrive in the shadows of the dancefloor.

On the A-side, Anatolian Weapons delivers three cold, hypnotic cuts. "Trapped" opens with heavy EBM percussion and a buzzkill bassline, setting a tense, mechanical tone. "Further Spiralling Down" sinks deeper into darkness with a grinding low end, tight drums, and electro-tinged claps, forming the side's relentless highlight. "Apathy Through Shock" closes with pounding, catatonic rhythms and a mournful, otherworldly melody, pushing the listener into disorienting depths.

Flipping over, The Spy's raw, electro-driven energy takes hold. "Same Blur" channels sharp electro beats with a punkish sneer and cosmic synth lines. "Falling", featuring The Spy's own vocals, leans into melancholic new wave, pairing bouncy rhythms with bittersweet melodies. The closing "Pretending" drifts into the darkest corners, offering low-slung, haunted electro layered with distant, spectral harmonies.

If there is one person, who has been causing a stir on the international club circuit recently, it is Barcelona's John Talabot. Already his debut “My Old School“ (which is meant literally by the way) on Permanent Vacation in 2009 and shortly after that the single “ Sunshine”, which he put out on his own Hivern Disc imprint, made him one of the most promising musicians of the Spanish electronic scene. And those two releases also already set the mark for John Talabot’s unparalleled music: raw, loopy, heavy on the kick drum, sample based, moderate on the tempo, distorted on the drums and light years away from the clean and ever revolving house sound of today. This unique style which also blends influences from afro beat, Detroit techno, Chicago house and cosmic disco, but also northern soul or the energy of Flamenco, immediately turned some heads around. James Murphy, Âme and Aeroplane started including Talabot music in their sets like it was the most natural thing. However - and this is quite rare - he not only gained legions of fans in the house and disco community, but also amongst the leftfield pop and indie rock followers. NME and Resident Advisor both had “Breakthrough“ features on John Talabot and he can be proud of a “Best New Music“ dubbing on
Pitchfork. (Being rather elusive on showing his face in magazines or the web it also came to some funny rumors that John Talabot was the alter ego of a well-known techno producer from Detroit).
At the same time he drew the attention of like-minded artists like James Holden and Luke Abott from Border Community, Blondes or Delorean, which lead to a bunch of fertile collaborations: Luke Abbott and Blondes remixed Talabot’s “Sunshine“ single , John Talabot remixed a track by Delorean and vice versa Delorean’s Ekhi contributed vocals to the track “Journeys “ on John’s album). Another example is the Young Turks Label (home of Jamie XX, Holy Fuck, El Guincho or SBTRKT ) on which he released the “Families“ EP in 2010. It was praised beyond limits. Pitchfork for
instance hailed: “… where pop and house influences sweetly buffer up against one another to provide an unyielding sense of elation“ and even brought Talabot a comparison with artists like Four Tet or Caribou.
While staying true to his sound, John Talabot has nevertheless shown a constant evolution as a producer since his first release. He has traced a solid musical path that has turned him into one of the big references of European House and has made him also a highly in demand Remixer (for the likes of The XX, Francesco Tristano’s “Aufgang” project, Shit Robot on DFA, Thaiti 80, Joakim or Teengirl Fantasy to name just a few ).
A progression that now crystallizes in “ƒin”, his first full-length album for Permanent Vacation. A record, in which the Barcelona mastermind sets aside the danceable immediacy to expand his stylistic palette more than ever. For that purpose, Talabot melts all the elements that have constructed his distinctive sound until now and makes them emerge from a new perspective, in which the construction of complex song structures, intricate rhythms and superpositions of ever-evolving melodies and atmospheres pick up the baton of the “a kick-drum and a sampler” philosophy of his initial productions. The result brings us 11 tracks (we should call them songs really!) dominated by dark ambiances, gaseous textures and bittersweet moods that, above all, reveal a kind of vivacity that’s really hard to find in contemporary electronics. “Fin” is far from being a track collection. From the majestic opener “Depak Ine“ to it’s solemn ending with
“So Will Be Now“ , one of the two tracks that features Talabot’s soul and label mate Pional, each song traces an overall dialogue with the rest, culminating a highly emotional journey through Talabot’s always compelling and unique musical vision.

François and Sylvain Rabbath have turned six years of touring into a joint album that patiently and intensely distills a variety of musical flavors gathered from around the world.

Since the early 1960s, François Rabbath's double bass has resonated through enough landmark recordings to fill several shelves in a record collection. As an arranger, composer, and musician, his imprint on music goes far beyond his collaborations with Barbara, Paco Ibáñez, Charles Aznavour, or Édith Piaf. Aspiring double bassists owe him a groundbreaking method for learning the instrument. Born into a lush musical universe that quickly became his own, his son Sylvain first accompanied him on his travels before settling at the piano and sharing stages around the world at his side.

Those years of accumulating visas in their passports were put to good use by father and son. The continents, countries, and cities they passed through became a rich source of inspiration for composing Amall, the album by the Rabbath Electric Orchestra.

Long hours spent in the air or on the road, watching passing landscapes that never stayed the same, were transformed into compositions imbued with the atmospheres of the places they crossed or visited. Inspiration sometimes struck with force, like a green oasis appearing in a desert of stone—unexpectedly, as glowing red rocks suddenly dominated an otherwise open landscape with an endless horizon, while the mind wandered into a state between meditation and introspection.
Born from these travels, the pieces took on their final colors once brought into the studio, refined, and finally arranged to welcome the guitars of Keziah Jones and Matthieu Chedid, the piano of Laurent de Wilde, the bass of Victor Wooten, the saxophone of Raphaël Imbert, and the percussion of Minino Garay. Enhanced by the scale of the jazz-soul orchestrations, by the richness of arrangements bursting from strings, brass, rhythms, or keyboards, the epic breath of vast plains became ingrained. The urban tension of funk, echoing their movements, found its place—alongside more electric expressions or the ambience of a darkened room.
Melancholic and melodious, expressive and edgy, the bowed double bass—played in the high register where few dare to go—emerged as the musical guide. One that draws a path between Seville and Minneapolis, connects François Rabbath's native Syria to France, and bridges South America to Europe. It sets the tone to follow—the emotion that will carry the piece, and if not filled with light, will carry it there nonetheless.
Musical visions packed in luggage, transported in cargo holds, or imprinted in their minds just long enough to cover the distances to the next stop—father and son deepened their bond, beyond family and art. And their hands have never held each other more tightly.

François et Sylvain Rabbath ont fait fructifier six ans de tournées pour un album commun distillant patiemment et intensément la variété de parfums musicaux récoltés autour du monde.
Depuis le début des 60’s, la contrebasse de François Rabbath résonne dans assez de références pour combler plusieurs étagères d’une collection de disques. Arrangeur, compositeur, musicien, l'empreinte laissée dans la musique va bien au-delà de ses collaborations avec Barbara, Paco Ibanez, Charles Aznavour, ou Edith Piaf. C’est à lui que les
apprentis contrebassistes doivent une méthode novatrice pour apprendre l’instrument.

Né dans un univers musical luxuriant qui est vite devenu aussi le sien, c’est d’abord dans ses voyages que son fils Sylvain l’a accompagné, avant de s’installer au piano, et parcourir les scènes du monde à ses côtés. Ces années où les visas se sont entassés sur leurs passeports, père et fils les ont mises à profit. Continents, pays, et villes qui se sont succédés sont devenues un gisement pour composer Amall, l’album du Rabbath Electric Orchestra.

Les longs moments passés dans les airs ou sur la route à contempler un paysage qui défile sans pour autant rester le même, se sont convertis en compositions habitées par les ambiances de ces endroits traversés ou visités. Là où l’inspiration s’est imposée parfois brutalement, sous
la forme d’un oasis de verdure surgissant au milieu d’un désert de pierres. Au hasard d’imposantes roches rougeoyantes s’invitant dans un paysage jusqu’alors dégagé sur un horizon sans fin, quand l’esprit se laisse aller à un mélange de méditation et d'introspection.

Nés de ces pérégrinations, les titres ont pris leurs couleurs définitives une fois ramenés en studio, peaufinés puis, enfin, pensés pour y inviter les guitares de Keziah Jones et de Matthieu Chedid, le piano de Laurent de Wilde, la basse de Victor Wooten, le saxophone de Raphaël Imbert, les percussions de Minino Garay. Sublimé par la dimension des orchestrations jazz-soul, par la richesse des arrangements jaillissant des cordes, des cuivres, des rythmiques ou des claviers, le souffle épique des plaines immenses s’est imprimé.
La nervosité citadine du funk rythmant les déplacements a trouvé sa place, non loin d’une expression plus électrique ou d’une atmosphère de salle obscure.

Mélancolique et mélodieuse, expressive et nerveuse, la contrebasse jouée à l’archet, dans les notes hautes du manche où peu s’aventurent, s’est érigée en guide musical. Celui qui trace le chemin entre Séville et Minneapolis, relie la Syrie natale de François Rabbath à la France,
réduit la distance entre l’Amérique du Sud et l’Europe. Donne la note à suivre, l’émotion qui traversera le morceau qui, s’il n’est pas habité par la lumière, le portera néanmoins jusque là.

Visions musicales mises dans le coffre, transportées en soute ou imprimées dans l’esprit le temps de couvrir les distances qui les mèneront aux prochaines, c’est côte à côte que père et fils ont prolongé leur lien par delà des seules limites familiales et artistiques. Et leurs mains ne se sont jamais serrées aussi fort.
credits