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Amputechture Beneath the technical flash, the fury, the fearless creative brinkmanship of the first two Mars Volta albums lay a potent seam of the blues, an existential vexation that powered every twist and turn of Omar and Cedric’s imaginations. That mournful vibe would come to the surface of the group’s third full-length Amputechture, a simmering/blistering set that was unquestionably the group’s darkest yet. There was no overarching theme here, no interlinking concept binding the songs together, though Cedric concedes that, lyrically, the album was influenced “by a lot of stuff I was going through, a really bad break-up and a lot of other crazy stuff, and trying to put that feeling into the record.” But Amputechture – its name another of the late Jeremy Michael Ward’s invented words – was no downbeat bummer. Opener Vicarious Atonement might’ve been a deliciously gloomy, slow-burning thing, capturing Cedric in delirious duet with Omar’s swooning guitar lines, accompanied by squalling saxophone by Adrian Terrazas-Gonzales and dream-frequency fuckery by the group’s new sonic manipulator, former At The Drive- In member Paul Hinojos. But second track Tetragrammaton swiftly set pulses racing, an epic-in-miniature and containing more ideas within its 16 minutes than most bands manage over an entire career, its proggy, complex guitar figures tessellating in infinite configurations and converging as if conforming to mathematical formulae from another reality. The raw material Amputechture was hewn from started life on the road. Omar now travelled with his own mobile recording studio – a little Neve ten-channel tape recorder and an array of microphones – and was able to work on new ideas on tourbuses, in hotel rooms and during soundcheck (and, occasionally, after the show was done). After touring for Frances The Mute was complete, Omar relocated to Amsterdam, staying with his photographer friend Danielle Van Ark and her partner, Nils Post. It’s here that he demoed Amputechture, flying in engineer Jon DeBaun, drummer Jon Theodore and his brother, Chino, to work on these raw sketches. He later returned to Los Angeles, where the album was finally recorded. Omar ceded guitar duties to his dear friend and kindred spirit John Frusciante, instead assuming the role of musical director. “I wanted to hear the sound of the band,” he says. “I thought, I’ll be able to sit at the console, feel the air of the speakers moving, the unified sound of everything, and not feel distant from it. It was fun, but it was also challenging.” Part of Omar’s new method was to teach the musicians their parts only moments before the tapes rolled. “To keep things fresh, and to keep everyone on edge,” he says, before chuckling. “No, not on edge – on their toes. Amputechture would prove The Mars Volta’s most diverse set yet, drawing into the group’s tornado of influences moments of fiery jazz spirituality and esoteric folk introspection, finding space for passages of devastating subtlety and also their most fierce and full-on moments to date. The aforementioned Vicarious Atonement found its meditative mood echoed by Asilos Magdalena, an intimate, acoustic piece that invoked traditional Latin folk music, as Cedric sang in Spanish a sorrowful tale of a lost soul’s quest for sanctuary within a Magdalen Asylum, a refuge set up by the Catholic church for “fallen women”. The shadowy, sinister closer El Ciervo Vulnerado, meanwhile, tapped into the darker side of spiritual jazz to further explore the album’s themes of redemption and religious myth and magick. Elsewhere, the interplay between guitar and clarinet on Viscera Eyes created complex, unsettling counter-melodies, while the coiling, ornate Meccamputechture – Cedric’s wild fusion of sacred texts, occultism and dystopian science fiction – proved a great showcase for Ikey Owens’ swarming, infernal organ runs, in concert with Frusciante’s arcane guitar-play. But it was Day Of The Baphomets that would prove Amputechture’s most ambitious and most defining epic. Cedric’s lyrics tore into the hypocrisy of religious cant and myths of sin and punishment. “I wanted to make a song that was like the movie The Believers, where this cabal stole kids and did some occult shit with them,” he explains. “But I wanted it to be like, ‘What if the people you hire to do jobs you don’t wanna do rise up one day and then pull some shit like that?’ Like it was the guerrilla warfare, them taking over – wouldn’t that be some fucked up shit? And the music just lent itself to that – the big intro, the bass solo, and all of the ruckus that occurs.” That ruckus was some of the most thrilling Mars Volta music yet, as Omar directed his musicians to rumble through fiery modes of wild tribal groove, ransack-the-palaces riot- rock and supreme progressive experimentalism. Amputechture, then, is the sound of The Mars Volta in imperial mode: fearless, insatiable, unstoppable.

Born in Aldershot on 11 September 1947, Catley's family moved to the Tile Cross area of Birmingham when he was young. He went on to attend the nearby Central Grammar School for Boys (Birmingham) and left to start an apprenticeship at the GPO before deciding on a musical career shortly after meeting similarly minded individuals at college. Whilst at college he joined several bands, such as The Smokestacks (Jeff Clark-guitar, Ron Savage-guitar, Derek Danks-bass & Brian Worrell-drums, Life and Clearwater). His first professional band was when he joined local outfit The Capitol Systems. The initial line-up was Bob Catley (vocals) Paul Sargent (guitar) Paul Whitehouse (bass), Dave Bailey (keyboards) and Bob Moore (drums). Shortly afterward they changed their name to Paradox, inspired by a science-fiction novel. A one-off deal was arranged with Mercury after Paradox had come to the attention of Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt. The tracks were "Ever Since I Can Remember", backed with "Goodbye Mary". In addition, they recorded "Mary Colinto" and "Somebody Save Me". All of these songs were written by Dave Morgan. Paradox played festivals in the Netherlands and Italy before splitting up upon their return to the UK in 1970. Formed in 1972, Magnum throughout the next 16 years consisted mainly of Bob Catley on vocals and Tony Clarkin on guitar. Magnum began as the house band at Birmingham's famous Rum Runner night club (later the home of Duran Duran). They began to develop their own style by playing Clarkin's songs at a residency at The Railway Inn, in Birmingham's Curzon Street, in 1976. Joining Clarkin and Catley were drummer Kex Gorin and bassist Dave Morgan (later a member of ELO). Their most notable success during these early years was the Jeff Glixman produced Chase The Dragon (1982) which reached No. 17 in the UK, and included several songs that would be mainstays of the band's live set, notably ‘Soldier of the Line’, ‘Sacred Hour’ and ‘The Spirit’. Their breakthrough album came in 1985 with On a Storyteller's Night which featured the single ‘Just Like an Arrow’. This success continued in the following years with the Roger Taylor (Queen) produced Vigilante in 1986, the top 5 album Wings of Heaven in 1988, and the Keith Olsen produced Goodnight L.A. reaching No. 9 in the UK album charts in 1990. Subsequently, Clarkin decided to maintain a tighter control, and after their initial mainstream success, the band lost their major label backing and returned to a more personal level of production. This finally found the band splitting and the formation of Hard Rain in 1995, which saw Clarkin pursue a more Pop orientated direction with a band that included Sue McCloskey on lead vocals. This new direction didn’t sit well with Catley, and after a headline performance at The Gods in the late 90s, a conversation with Bruce Mee of Now & Then Records saw Catley agree with a decision which eventually led to his debut solo album, ‘The Tower’. This release was completely written by Gary Hughes of Ten, with the writing completely decided to be in the vein of classic Magnum. The album itself was recorded by various members of Ten, including the amazing Vinny Burns (Dare) on guitar. On release, the many positive reviews concluded that the release of ‘The Tower’ had succeeded beyond its wildest imagination…..and Bob Catley’s solo career had been launched with amazing success!! With a lyrical intricacy and majestic pomp, songs like ‘Far Away, ‘Fear of the Dark, ‘Madrigal’ and ‘Deep Winter’ take you back to that glorious period of Magnum between ‘Chase The Dragon’ and ‘Wings Of Heaven’ whilst hard melodic rockers such as ‘Scream’, ‘Dreams’ and title track ‘The Tower’ show just what Magnum would have sounded like if they’d gone a little bit harder. Another absolutely brilliant album that totally deserves to be filed alongside those mid-period Magnum classics.

Für ihr 26. Album tauschen King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard die Widescreen-Konzepte ihrer letzten Alben gegen die Intimität von sechs guten Freunden ein, die gemeinsam an ihrem bisher geselligsten Set arbeiten, das sie auf Wachs festgehalten haben. Für ”Flight b741” wollte King Gizzard laut Bandleader Stu Mackenzie ”etwas Ursprüngliches, Instinktives, mehr ’aus dem Bauch heraus’ machen - nur Leute in einem Raum, die tun, was sich richtig anfühlt. Wir wollten etwas machen, das Spaß macht.”

”Flight b741” zapft den amerikanischen Country-Rock der 70er Jahre an, mit dem sie alle aufgewachsen sind, sowie die Wurzeln des Garagenrocks, aus denen ihre mächtige Diskografie stammt. In den 10
zerklüfteten, glorreichen Songs, die King Gizzard mit ihren inspirierten Improvisationen, unnachahmlichen Grooves und einem einzigartigen Pass-the-Mic-Ansatz für den Gesang, bei dem jedes Bandmitglied seine Stimme erhebt und singt, die groben Skelette der Songs herausarbeiten. ”Wir haben eine Menge Spaß, aber wir singen auch oft über ziemlich heftigen Scheiß”, fügt Mackenzie hinzu, ”und treffen wahrscheinlich auf einige tiefere, universellere Themen als sonst. Es ist keine Science-Fiction-Platte, es geht um das Leben
und so. Aber die Platte ist wie ein wirklich lustiges Wochenende mit deinen Kumpels, weißt du? So richtig Spaß.”

In Craig Charles' eigenen Worten enthält "The Craig Charles Trunk Of Funk Volume 3" "19 der feinsten Stücke von super-slinky Soul, boot shaking Blues und Boogie, schillernde Discosongs und feine funky rump shakers!"

Als Dichter, Schauspieler, Radio- und Fernsehstar (u. a. in der Science-Fiction-Comedy "Red Dwarf" und der Seifenoper "Coronation Street") ist er seit seiner Jugend berühmt, und seit über 22 Jahren predigt er in seinen weltberühmten BBC 6 Music-Wochenend- und Tagesshows für den guten Groove, legt in Clubs und auf Festivals rund um den Globus auf - sein Ruf als einer der profiliertesten Botschafter für alles, was Soul und Funky ist, ist unbestritten.

Craigs neueste Kollektion mischt Up-Tempo-Club-Klassiker mit frischer Musik von der Creme de la Creme der zeitgenössischen Soul- und Funk-Szene mit einer Prise Oldschool-Klassikern. Das Ergebnis ist so, als ob Craig persönlich als DJ auflegen würde - eine Mischung aus modernem und klassischem Soul, Disco, Deep Funk und beatlastigem Rhythm and Blues.

*REMASTERED ROUGH TRADE DEBUT LP LIMITED TO JUST 500 COPIES WITH EMBOSSED OUTER SLEEVE AND ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE ON BLACK VINYL*

Dream POP, they called it. Given AR Kane’s Alex Ayuli once worked for advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, it’s no surprise that he and collaborator Rudy Tambala invented their own genre before critics could stick their oar in. It was a canny move, but more importantly, it was accurate: the music of AR Kane was made for dreamers, by dreamers, and its languor and longing made it particularly bewitching listening; their music is often smeared and blurry, happily lost in its own indefinable pleasures. “We wanted dream pop,” Tambala says, “that feeling of a dream where the rules are different. Dream logic.”
-UNCUT REISSUE OF THE MONTH

"A.R. Kane carved out a unique musical path, welding elements of pop, psych, dub, electronica, funk, noise, jazz, ambient and more in a way that had never been done before. Or since. Their debut in particular is a work of unbridled brilliance."
*Electronic Sound*

‘Sixty Nine’ the group’s debut LP that emerged in 1988 had critics and listeners struggling to fit language around A.R. Kane’s sound. As a title it was telling - the year of ‘Bitches Brew’, the year of ‘In A Silent Way’, the erotic möbius between two lovers - and as originally coined by the band themselves, ‘dream pop’ (before it became a free-floating signifier of vague import) was entirely apposite for the music A.R. Kane were making. Crafted in a dark small basement studio in which Tambala recalls the duo had “complete freedom - We wanted to go as far out as we could, and in doing so we discovered the point where it stops being music”. There was an irresistibly dreamy, somnambulant, sensual and almost surreal flow to ‘sixty nine’s sound, but also real darkness/dankness, the ruptures of the primordial and the reverberations of the subconscious, within the grooves of remarkable songs like ‘Dizzy’ and ‘Crazy Blue’. Alex’s plangent vocals floated and surged amidst exquisite peals of refracted feedback but crucially there was BASS here, lugubrious and funky and full of dread, sonic pleasure and sonic disturbance crushed together to make music with a center so deep it felt subcutaneous, music constructed from both the accidental and the deliberate, generous enough to dance with both serendipity and chaos. ‘sixty nine’ remains - especially in this remastered iteration - ravishing, revolutionary – Neil Kulkarni


"A.R. Kane made some of the most exciting, forward-thinking, and science fictional music of their era".s*

*REMASTERED ROUGH TRADE DEBUT LP LIMITED TO JUST 500 COPIES WITH EMBOSSED OUTER SLEEVE AND ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE ON BLACK VINYL*

Dream POP, they called it. Given AR Kane’s Alex Ayuli once worked for advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, it’s no surprise that he and collaborator Rudy Tambala invented their own genre before critics could stick their oar in. It was a canny move, but more importantly, it was accurate: the music of AR Kane was made for dreamers, by dreamers, and its languor and longing made it particularly bewitching listening; their music is often smeared and blurry, happily lost in its own indefinable pleasures. “We wanted dream pop,” Tambala says, “that feeling of a dream where the rules are different. Dream logic.”
-UNCUT REISSUE OF THE MONTH

"A.R. Kane carved out a unique musical path, welding elements of pop, psych, dub, electronica, funk, noise, jazz, ambient and more in a way that had never been done before. Or since. Their debut in particular is a work of unbridled brilliance."
*Electronic Sound*

‘Sixty Nine’ the group’s debut LP that emerged in 1988 had critics and listeners struggling to fit language around A.R. Kane’s sound. As a title it was telling - the year of ‘Bitches Brew’, the year of ‘In A Silent Way’, the erotic möbius between two lovers - and as originally coined by the band themselves,
‘dream pop’ (before it became a free-floating signifier of vague import) was entirely apposite for the music A.R. Kane were making. Crafted in a dark small basement studio in which Tambala recalls the duo had “complete freedom - We wanted to go as far out as we could, and in doing so we discovered the point where it stops being music”. There was an irresistibly dreamy, somnambulant, sensual and almost surreal flow to ‘sixty nine’s sound, but also real darkness/dankness, the ruptures of the primordial and the reverberations of the subconscious, within the grooves of remarkable songs like ‘Dizzy’ and ‘Crazy Blue’. Alex’s plangent vocals floated and surged amidst exquisite peals of refracted feedback but crucially there was BASS here, lugubrious and funky and full of dread, sonic pleasure and sonic disturbance crushed together to make music with a center so deep it felt subcutaneous, music constructed from both the accidental and the deliberate, generous enough to dance with both serendipity and chaos. ‘sixty nine’ remains - especially in this remastered iteration - ravishing, revolutionary – Neil Kulkarni


"A.R. Kane made some of the most exciting, forward-thinking, and science fictional music of their era".
*Reissue Of The Week In The Quietus*

Jazz-infused prog rock act Catapilla began in London in 1970, with saxophonists Robert Calvert (who later worked with Daevid Allen in various Gong spin-off projects) and Hugh Eaglestone, bassist Dave Taylor (of chart-topping pop act Edison Lighthouse, and later active in hard-rock group, Liar), along with drummer Malcolm Frith, guitarist Graham Wilson and clarinet player/flautist, Thierry Rheinhardt; original vocalist ‘Lady’ Jo Meek quit early (to work with the keyboardist, poet and science fiction author, Julian Jay Savarin) and was duly replaced by her sister, Anna, whose gutsy gasps gave the band its noteworthy difference, along with the woodwinds and horns. Former Millionaires’ bassist Cliff Cooper (who had worked with producer Joe Meek before founding Orange Amplifiers), brought Catapilla to the attention of Black Sabbath’s manager, Patrick Meehan, who swiftly got them a contract with Vertigo, Philips’ prog subsidiary; this self-titled debut has four freaky tracks, including the side-long closer, “Embryonic Fusion.”

"I was in a dream, but now I can see that change is the only law." With a credo adapted from science fiction author Octavia E. Butler, an album title from a collection of metaphysical poetry, and an expansion in consciousness brought on by personal crisis, guitarist and songwriter Shana Cleveland learns to embrace a changing world with unconditional love on News of the Universe, the new full-length from California rock band La Luz. News of the Universe is a record born of calamity, a work of dark, beautiful psychedelia reflecting Cleveland's experience of having her world blown apart by a breast cancer diagnosis just two years after the birth of her son. It's also a portrait of a band in flux, marking the first appearance for drummer Audrey Johnson and the final ones from longtime members bassist Lena Simon and keyboardist Alice Sandahl, whose contributions add a bittersweet edge to a record that is both elegy for an old world and cosmic road map to a strange new one. But is there any band in the world more suited to capturing the chaos of change in all its messy beauty than La Luz? Formed by Cleveland in 2012, La Luz is beloved for their ability to balance bedlam and bliss, each new record another fine-tuning of the band's mix of swaggering riffs with angelic vocals borrowed from doo-wop and folk; a band so reliably great that it makes the huge step forward in confidence and sheer musicality that is News of the Universe all the more formidable. Cleveland, also a writer and painter, has developed into a truly original songwriter with her own canon of haunted psychedelia. Yet if Cleveland has spent years writing songs about ghosts, what lurks in the shadows of News of the Universe is nothing less than death itself. "There are moments on this album that sound to me like the last frantic confession before an asteroid destroys the earth," says Cleveland. The powerful sense of openness that permeates News of the Universe is at least partially due to the fact that it is a record made entirely by women-from the performing, writing, and producing all the way through to the recording, engineering, and mastering. Working with producer Maryam Qudos (Spacemoth), the all-female environment allowed Cleveland to feel safe tapping into difficult places and expressing hard emotions women are socialized to suppress. Unashamedly vulnerable, unabashedly feminine, and undeniably triumphant, News of the Universe is another knockout record from a band so reliably great that it has perhaps led people to overlook how pioneering La Luz really are: women of color in indie music forging their own path by following their own artistic star into galaxies beyond current musical trends, always led by an earnest belief in the cosmic power of love and a great riff. Never is that more true than on News of the Universe, which might be La Luz's most brutal record to date but also their most blissful.

180GM BLACK VINYL : 500 PRESSED WORLDWIDE.

Furthermore, Billy Mahonie now have their own label, Whistling Sam Projects, an almost sold-out London launch show at The Lexington on May 4th, and they are confirmed to play Portals Festival Saturday May 25th in East London. After nearly quarter of a century, Billy Mahonie are very much back.
Formed in the first wave of British post-rock alongside the likes of Mogwai in the late 90s, John Peel favourites Billy Mahonie are set to return with the first new music from their original line-up in some twenty-four years. Whilst their debut album ‘The Big Dig’, released in 1999 on Too Pure Records, is considered a classic of the post rock genre, Billy Mahonie always crafted their intricate music with memorable hooks and melodies and performed it with energy and gusto. Theirs was not an aimless, meandering sound, instead the songs and attitude were rooted in punk rock, and still are. Billy Mahonie put the rock into post-rock.
Set for release this coming May 24th via Whistling Sam Projects, ‘Field Of Heads’ sees the band returning with their classic original line-up of Gavin Baker (guitar), Howard Monk (drums), Hywell Dinsdale (bass and guitar) and Kevin Penney (bass and guitar). Whilst this line-up has been semi active for a few years, no new material came to fruition. After their last gig in 2017, however, the band decided it was time to get back into the studio, but with two members living abroad new challenges were faced, but ideas were shared, old ones were resurrected and finally in October of 2019, Billy Mahonie were back in the studio.
Recorded over two long weekends on either side of the Covid 19 lockdowns, the band tracked at The Church studios, owned by their former collaborator and front of house engineer Paul Epworth, with senior engineer Luke Pickering at the controls, allowing ‘Field Of Heads’ to quickly take shape.
New single ‘Kaiju’ gives the music world the first taste of ‘Field Of Heads’ and right from the off, it’s classic Billy Mahonie. Immediately bursting into life with the energy and melody that is so unique to their sound, Howard’s driving drums thrust the music ahead as the guitars and synths weave their way around them. Intricate and shifting, but never at the expense of a tune that sticks in your head.
“This one came from a chord progression myself and Gav first tried out jamming in 2010,” explains drummer Howard. “Needless to say, when Hywell and Kev got their hands on it, it became something no-one ever envisaged. Kev's great title is, of course, the Japanese name for the subgenre of monster-based science fiction. A frenetic riff opens the song and for a counter guitar part only two options remain, play in the minimal gaps or find an overarching theme. We chose both. Kaiju films influence the additional Synths, echoes of those early Japanese movie themes. Some people we have played this to in advance have suggested this track is one we should lead with, as it is kind of where we left off. We agree. It rocks pretty hard. And is a bit funky too. What’s not to like?!”
 
Furthermore, Billy Mahonie now have their own label, Whistling Sam Projects, set up for global distribution through SRD, an almost sold-out London launch show at The Lexington on May 4th, and they are confirmed to play Portals Festival Saturday May 25th in East London. After nearly quarter of a century, Billy Mahonie are very much back.

180GM BLACK VINYL : 500 PRESSED WORLDWIDE.

Furthermore, Billy Mahonie now have their own label, Whistling Sam Projects, an almost sold-out London launch show at The Lexington on May 4th, and they are confirmed to play Portals Festival Saturday May 25th in East London. After nearly quarter of a century, Billy Mahonie are very much back.
Formed in the first wave of British post-rock alongside the likes of Mogwai in the late 90s, John Peel favourites Billy Mahonie are set to return with the first new music from their original line-up in some twenty-four years. Whilst their debut album ‘The Big Dig’, released in 1999 on Too Pure Records, is considered a classic of the post rock genre, Billy Mahonie always crafted their intricate music with memorable hooks and melodies and performed it with energy and gusto. Theirs was not an aimless, meandering sound, instead the songs and attitude were rooted in punk rock, and still are. Billy Mahonie put the rock into post-rock.
Set for release this coming May 24th via Whistling Sam Projects, ‘Field Of Heads’ sees the band returning with their classic original line-up of Gavin Baker (guitar), Howard Monk (drums), Hywell Dinsdale (bass and guitar) and Kevin Penney (bass and guitar). Whilst this line-up has been semi active for a few years, no new material came to fruition. After their last gig in 2017, however, the band decided it was time to get back into the studio, but with two members living abroad new challenges were faced, but ideas were shared, old ones were resurrected and finally in October of 2019, Billy Mahonie were back in the studio.
Recorded over two long weekends on either side of the Covid 19 lockdowns, the band tracked at The Church studios, owned by their former collaborator and front of house engineer Paul Epworth, with senior engineer Luke Pickering at the controls, allowing ‘Field Of Heads’ to quickly take shape.
New single ‘Kaiju’ gives the music world the first taste of ‘Field Of Heads’ and right from the off, it’s classic Billy Mahonie. Immediately bursting into life with the energy and melody that is so unique to their sound, Howard’s driving drums thrust the music ahead as the guitars and synths weave their way around them. Intricate and shifting, but never at the expense of a tune that sticks in your head.
“This one came from a chord progression myself and Gav first tried out jamming in 2010,” explains drummer Howard. “Needless to say, when Hywell and Kev got their hands on it, it became something no-one ever envisaged. Kev's great title is, of course, the Japanese name for the subgenre of monster-based science fiction. A frenetic riff opens the song and for a counter guitar part only two options remain, play in the minimal gaps or find an overarching theme. We chose both. Kaiju films influence the additional Synths, echoes of those early Japanese movie themes. Some people we have played this to in advance have suggested this track is one we should lead with, as it is kind of where we left off. We agree. It rocks pretty hard. And is a bit funky too. What’s not to like?!”
 
Furthermore, Billy Mahonie now have their own label, Whistling Sam Projects, set up for global distribution through SRD, an almost sold-out London launch show at The Lexington on May 4th, and they are confirmed to play Portals Festival Saturday May 25th in East London. After nearly quarter of a century, Billy Mahonie are very much back.

This record invites you on an extraordinary journey, in the form of a spatio-temporal and transgenerational sound collage, into the parallel and singular universe of one of the major counter-culture movements of the 1960s fantastic realism. A cross between thematic compilation and sound creation, it offers a selection of rarities and nuggets with psychedelic and esoteric tonesby groups from the late 60's - early 70's French psychedelic scene, such as Haira, Guy Skornnik and Martin Circus, as well as previously unreleased tracks by major current and emerging bands such as The Limiñanas, Zombie Zombie featuring Pacôme Thiellement, The Penelopes or Terrains vagues, Rubin et le paradoxe featuring Brigitte Fontaine, Tuxedomoon or Exotourisme (Perez and Dominique Gonzalez Foerster). These tracks were created especially for the occasion. All mixed and interspersed with audio archives by Jacques Bergier, Louis Pauwels or Eugène Canseliet and sounds from installations designed by visual artists (Veronique Belland, Alexis Chapelain). At once cutting-edge and accessible to the uninitiated, between fantasy and science fiction, esotericism and occultism, popular culture and contemporary art, avant-garde and pop music, this disc offers a poetic ode to the Strange, to curiosity, to the capacity for wonder and the desire for knowledge, with a view to re-enchanting reality. Conceived by Jean-François Sanz (author, director and curator) and Hermione Volt (visual artist), in collaboration with Laurent Paulré (founder of the Contours label and producer at Radio France), and with the complicity of Céline Du Chéné (author and journalist), this album, an atypical sound object, is the musical extension of the eponymous group exhibition UN AUTRE MONDE ///DANS NOTRE MONDE, which opened at Galerie du Jour in Paris.

UNLEASH THE ARCHERS, Kanadas aufregendste Modern Power Metal Band, führen ihren Erfolg mit dem neuen, sechsten Studioalbum fort: Phantoma. Thematisch zeigt sich das neue Werk erstmals inspiriert von künstlicher Intelligenz und präsentiert eine zukunftsorientierten High-Science-Fiction Geschichte, deren Konzept Sängerin Brittney Slayes bereits während der Corona-Pandemie entworfen hatten.

Mit ihrem Album Abyss (2020) gewann das Quartett einen JUNO Award für das Metal/Hard Music Album des Jahres, debütierte auf Platz 1 der US Current Hard Music und Top New Artist Charts und brillierte in der Fachpresse. Bandcamp bezeichnete die Band als "Pflichtlektüre", Loudwire krönte die Kanadier zum "Gamechanger des Genres" und zeichnete Abyss als eines der besten Rock- und Metal-Alben des Jahres aus. Jetzt liefern UNLEASH THE ARCHERS mit Phantoma einen Einblick in die Wunder der Zukunftsmusik!

"Ein Großmeister der Pianoballaden" schrieb der Rolling Stone zu Martin Bechlers Solo Liedern, "betörend und souverän".
An zwei ausverkauften Abenden in der Kölner Kulturkirche wurde eben diese Magie in beeindruckender akustischer Kulisse eingefangen.
Der Kopf der Kölner Indie Abräumer Band Fortuna Ehrenfeld führt in einem der seltenen Solokonzerte beeindruckend intensiv sein Publikum durch die Aggregatszustände eines Schrammenlebens.
Blut, Schweiß, Tränen.

"Ein Großmeister der Pianoballaden" schrieb der Rolling Stone zu Martin Bechlers Solo Liedern, "betörend und souverän".
An zwei ausverkauften Abenden in der Kölner Kulturkirche wurde eben diese Magie in beeindruckender akustischer Kulisse eingefangen.
Der Kopf der Kölner Indie Abräumer Band Fortuna Ehrenfeld führt in einem der seltenen Solokonzerte beeindruckend intensiv sein Publikum durch die Aggregatszustände eines Schrammenlebens.
Blut, Schweiß, Tränen.

tapetopia 015 The name L’Ambassadeur des Ombres goes back to the
French science fiction comic “Valérian et Laureline”. The Ambassadors of the Shadows combined pop appeal and experimentation as the soundtrack to the zero hour of their generation in the GDR’s waning days. The music was made in a children’s room, but the edifice of ideas was a demolition site. L’Ambassadeur des Ombres existed as a hybrid of the wave bands Die Vision and Neuntage. The open ensemble’s family tree can however be traced back to buried DIY projects such as the Mahlsdorfer Wohnstuben Orchester, Zerstörte Umwelt and dark-wave protagonists Fellini Prostitutes or Nontoxic. In the short time of their existence in 1988/89, L’Ambassadeur des Ombres did not give a single concert. The tape “Strike Me If I Shriek” was circulated among friends and musicians only as an on-request work report – it’s a long overdue discovery. The tapetopia series, using the original layouts and track lists, publishes cassette editions from the GDR underground of the 1980s, especially from the “walled-in” scene in East Berlin. More than three decades after their initial “release”, most of these tapes have yet to be heard on either vinyl or CD, even though they made an audible mark in the canon of GDR subculture. Despite the tiny original editions of the time, many of the bands were considered cult in countercultural circles, which made them highly suspect in informed circles.

Die amerikanische Band SKELETAL REMAINS bereitet mit "Fragments of the Ageless" für Century Media einen weiteren Death Metal-Angriff vor. Die Besetzung mit Chris Monroy (Gitarre/Gesang), Mike De La O (Gitarre), Pierce Williams (Schlagzeug) und Brian Rush (Bass) verkörpert das Genre und geht dabei tiefer, dunkler und bis an die Grenzen der Brutalität. "Fragments of the Ageless' ist eine stampfende Platte aus purem Death Metal", sagt die Band. "Ein tyrannisches, blastlastlastiges Sperrfeuer aus schnörkellosen Riffs und Kompositionen. Alles an diesem Album ist verdammt brutal und direkt ins Gesicht." SKELETAL REMAINS schrieben 'Fragments of the Ageless' zwischen Europa- und US-Tourneen/Festivals u.a. mit Emperor, Morbid Angel, Mortician, Left to Die und Defeated Sanity. Die Songwriting-Sessions waren von einer No-Limit-Mentalität geprägt, bei der Kreativität und bekannte Genre-Rituale gleichberechtigt nebeneinander standen. Das Ergebnis war nicht nur ein definitives Death-Metal-Showpiece, sondern eine Evolution. "Wir haben einen Gang höher geschaltet und die technische Seite und die zunehmende Intensität verbessert, ohne die Eingängigkeit zu vernachlässigen", sagt die Gruppe. "Mit jeder neuen Platte streben wir danach, uns in unserer Musikalität und unseren Songwriting-Fähigkeiten zu verbessern. Auf der einen Seite haben wir an Dichte und Brutalität zugelegt, auf der anderen Seite haben wir ein paar Songs mit längeren und 'epischeren' Strukturen geschrieben." Die lyrischen Themen von "Fragments of the Ageless" umfassen Folklore, Science-Fiction, Geschichte und persönliche Kämpfe. Inspiriert wurden sie von dem eindrucksvollen Cover von Dan Seagrave (Entombed, Memoriam). Das Album wurde von der Band und dem Studioexperten Dan Swanö (Opeth, Incantation) koproduziert, der auch den Mix und das Mastering übernahm. Der Death Metal ist mit "Fragments of the Ageless" nicht tot. Er war noch nie tödlicher!

Elite Controller’ c/w ‘Softness on the Other Side’ is the second 7” single containing two of four tracks produced by transcontinental duo ‘Gruuel’, featuring James Vinciguerra and Beau Wanzer, between 2019 and 2023. The duo appear here in an expanded form with third member and Vinciguerra ‘Act Now’ collaborator Tarquin Manek, heard as multi instrumentalist jack-of-all-trades performing guitar, bass guitar, synthesiser and bass clarinet to accompany Wanzer’s hazy drum machine patterns and Vinciguerra’s mutated vocals.

The single is the first release on Elations Recordings’ ‘Deviations’ imprint, focusing on the outer realms of experimentation and fringe expression. Two subterranean, science-non-fiction snapshots capturing the spirit of the forward looking art-experimental groups of the late 1970s and early 1980s that were lumped in with the punk movement.

The a-side ‘Elite Controller’ is the more immediate of the two tracks; a paranoid fever dream of raw, psychedelic guitars underpinned by dub bass and Vinciguerra’s deranged mutant vocals; while the b-side ‘Softness on the Other Side’ takes a more self-reflective turn. A passive, spoken word cautionary telling of the dangers while searching for personal nirvana accompanied by Manek’s tortured bass clarinet impressions. Recommended for fans of Chrome, Tuxedomoon or K. Leimer’s experimental “artificial” band ‘Savant’.

Skyjack is what happens when a heavyweight South African jazz trio meets a pair of Swiss reed and brass hotshots. Over the course of a decade, this all-star quintet has forged a reputation as an innovative and adventurous force in contemporary African and European jazz. Combining deep grooves with thrilling rides and avant-garde experimentation, Skyjack is a powerhouse both on stage and in the studio.

Light Cycle is the band's third recorded outing and documents a seasoned outfit at its most ambitious and accomplished. Featuring compositions from all members of the group, the album is a multidimensional creature with a big heart and a powerful imagination. Part science fiction adventure, part sentimental journey, Light Cycle reconciles expansive cosmic soundscapes with a deep grounding in memory and folklore.

Issued as a double-LP on the As-Shams/The Sun label, Skyjack joins both a catalogue and tradition of groundbreaking South African jazz dating back to the 1970s. The album's cover features the work of esteemed Cape Town artist Igshaan Adams.

repress !

Eighteen years ago, Oppenheimer Analysis made its indelible mark with the iconic track ‘The Devil’s Dancers,’ heralding the birth of the Minimal Wave label. Founded with a singular mission, the label set out to share this musical gem with the world. The inaugural release was the self-titled Oppenheimer Analysis EP, meticulously pressed onto high-quality 180-gram black vinyl, accompanied by a striking 18” x 24” poster adorned with captivating photos and lyrics. This historic release graced the world on December 6th, 2005. Remarkably, this EP has been elusive for a decade now.

In an exciting development, the fifth edition of the Oppenheimer Analysis self-titled EP is set to debut in December 2023, featuring the original remastered version of ‘The Devil’s Dancers.’ This EP is presented as a loving tribute to Martin Lloyd (1950-2013 R.I.P.), one half of Oppenheimer Analysis. The EP showcases select tracks from the 1982 Oppenheimer Analysis cassette titled “New Mexico,” along with two previously unreleased gems. The story behind Oppenheimer Analysis began when Andy Oppenheimer, a nuclear weapons consultant, and Martin Lloyd, also known for his work with the Survival Label and the project “Analysis,” crossed paths at a Science Fiction Convention in London in 1979. They shared the stage with notable bands like Hawkwind and Spizz Energi and garnered attention in the pages of Melody Maker.

This fifth edition release consists of 999 meticulously hand-numbered 180-gram black vinyl copies, each accompanied by the first edition poster insert. Notably, the spot color on the sleeve distinguishes each edition: green for the first, deep blue-green for the second, light powder blue for the third, mint green for the fourth, and a brighter aqua mint for this current fifth edition.

Limited Edition Vinyl Reissue mit 8-seitigem Songbook mit Texten und Akkorden, den 68-seitigen Locas In Love Winter Chronicles / Tour-Diary + Foto-Druck.



Ende 2008 veröffentliche die Kölner Band Locas In Love ihr drittes Album „Winter“ als Follow-Up zum Überraschungserfolg "Saurus" (2007). Geschrieben und aufgenommen wurde es innerhalb von zwei Monaten im Sommer 2008, es sollte unkompliziert, schnell und unmittelbar passieren und konsequenterweise wurde "Winter" als erstes komplett selbstproduziertes Album der Band in Wohnzimmern zwischen dem Kölner Gereons-Viertel und Brooklyn, NY produziert. Durch das titelgebende Thema ist es nach wie vor das geschlossenste ihrer Alben, und es ist das Dokument einer Freundschaft.



Anlass für das Vinyl-Reissue ist nur in zweiter Linie das 15jährige Release-Jubiläum oder die Tatsache, dass das Album lange vergriffen war, sondern vorrangig der unerwartete Tod von LD Beghtol im Jahre 2020. Den New Yorker Ausnahmekünstler lernten Locas In Love als Fan seiner Musik (u.a. als Mitwirkender und Sänger der Magnetic Fields auf "69 Love Songs") kennen. Auf „Winter“ trat er als Quasi-Mitglied und Co-Producer in Erscheinung und kann so auch zukünftig von neuen Musikfans u.a. mit seiner meisterhaften Song-Miniatur "Packice" entdeckt werden, dieser herzzerreißenden Mischung aus Winter-Blues und Kryogenik-Science-Fiction.



Und so erscheint nun beim Berliner Label Staatsakt (das soeben sein eigenes 20jähriges Bestehen ausgiebig feierte) das luxuriös ausgestattete Reissue. Die handnummerierte Limited Edition samt neuem Artwork von Stefanie Schrank enthält das von LD Beghtol gestaltete Scrapbook, das auch der Erstpressung beilag, ein 8-seitiges Songbook mit Texten und Akkorden, sowie die 68-seitigen Locas In Love Winter Chronicles, in denen Tour-Tagebücher und andere Texte aus der Zeit mit einem aktuellen Selbstinterview der Band zusammengefasst sind. Im umfangreichen Bonusmaterial geht es weniger um Mythen oder kleinteilige Schreib- und Aufnahmeprozesse, sondern darum, was es heißt eine Band zu sein, mit einander und der eigenen Musik zu leben – und zu altern.

Repress!

Little Dragon return with a spectacular second album offering in August, a pulsating electro pop epic that Prince would be proud of (only fronted by a beautiful Swedish lady with a sultry voice). A bold and surprising side/two step onwards from their self titled debut, released two years ago to great acclaim especially among specialist circles. Machine Dreams, with its nagging hooks and gloriously infectious tunes, should finally see the band break out into the mainstream.

Recorded in their home city of Gothenburg, Machine Dreams is a gigantic leap on from previous material but still maintains a distinct sound that can only be Little Dragon. Be it Yukimi s warmly inviting vocals, Erik s dextrous drumming, the vast array of synths and bleeps created by Hakan or Frederik s bubbling bass lines, together they don t sound like anything else around right now. The move towards a more electronic sound was a conscious one, as Yukimi explains; The title Machine Dreams seems obvious. These days, humans seem more and more like machines, and as technology evolves, machines feel more human and it becomes fuzzy and beautiful and science fiction-ish. We feel dependent on our machines to create and live, and their sounds reflect us .

Album opener A New breaks us in gently with a single whirring note on the synthesiser, an almost alien sound that gradually morphs into a slow, thumping bassline. Yukimi s vocals flow alongside Hakan s assortment of sound effects interspersed with militaristic drums breaks. A magical opener that sets the scene and seems to sink into itself, taking us with it, until the pace is swiftly ratcheted skywards with Looking Glass , the massive snare, crisp driving beat and experimental synths revealing the band s current penchant for the 80 s. This influence continues apace into stand out track My Step . Utilising a solid drumbeat that nestles next to jagged and playful synthlines, the track breaks down into motorik propulsion with a scuzzy techno bassline that Yukimi works with ease.

Upcoming single Feather finds Yukimi s voice at its most detached and blaze, seemingly nonchalant yet magnificently seductive. Backed by Hakan s keyboard atmospherics, the song creates a soundscape reminiscent of Tears For Fears more reflective moods. Gradually layering more vocals, synths, echoes and reverb, it builds to a quietly psychedelic, dreamy cosmic swirl. Runabout brings forth a mini Airto style percussive breakdown at the tail end of yet another Little Dragon pop gem. Swimming bursts forth into vision with stabbing keys and reflective bass alongside yet another wonderful vocal performance from Yukimi who sings of young love and now so many years have past, my memories as clear as glass . The song is over as quickly as it started, flowing into the next miniature masterpiece in the form of Blinking Pigs

The album closes with the stunning track Fortune , which has already caught the attention of none other than DJ Shadow. It s no wonder really, as the textured melodies blend with the drifting percussion, creating a blissful sonic mood. With a smattering of drums and bass and the magic of Yukimi s voice and Hakan s electronic dynamics floating on top, it s the perfect track to end this fascinating journey through Little Dragon s brave new world.

With disparate influences from Depeche Mode to Prince, LCD Soundsystem to James Holden, Dancehall to R&B, Jazz and Soul, Little Dragon take their place among artists who straddle many genres, yet somehow create their own and in doing so create sounds that make time stop (Yukimi). Futuristic yet somehow retro, Machine Dreams sees Little Dragon achieve something timeless; that elusive pop classic.

Oslo-based sludge-metal power trio SAVER are back with a vengeance. The band's new album `From Ember And Rust' channels the bare-knuckle ferocity of their 2019 full-length debut, `They Came With Sunlight', alongside a formidable command of dynamic, texture and sonic space that belies the relative youth of the project. Having erupted into the Norwegian metal scene without warning, SAVER is the result of heavy veterans Ole Ulvik Rokseth, Markus Stole and Ole Christian Helstad combining their years of experience into one three-headed beast, hellbent on pushing the boundaries of what the band is collectively capable of. Restless by nature, SAVER are constantly refining and reinventing their sound. The band's debut record was followed by two wildly creative collaborations which saw the trio marry their signature ferocity with some unlikely creative bedfellows in order to test new depths. `Emerald', 2021's full-length release, paired SAVER's calculated minimalism with the frenetic, percussive energy of Belgian post-metal collective Psychonaut whilst last year's `Split EP' saw SAVER and Norwegian folk singer/songwriter Frodekal reinterpret a song from each other's back catalogue with hauntingly spectacular results. With this revelatory experience still ringing in their ears, `From Ember And Rust' bears all of SAVER's heavy hallmarks alongside a newfound sense of dynamic anticipation and organic progression, which ties the seven tracks together as a significant body of work in the band's ascendant trajectory. As well as sharing their years of experience making the heaviest music they can, SAVER also share a passion for the unmistakable soundscapes of classic science-fiction. Already a key component of SAVER's distinctive sound; Rokseth's otherworldly, cinematic synth work is given centre stage on `From Ember And Rust' as the band boldly embark on a new journey together. As their first non-collaborative release in four years, `From Ember And Rust' could be interpreted as the band returning to the safety of their roots. However, SAVER are more determined than ever to keep pushing their sound into uncharted territory as the world they find themselves in continues to turn.

Oslo-based sludge-metal power trio SAVER are back with a vengeance. The band's new album `From Ember And Rust' channels the bare-knuckle ferocity of their 2019 full-length debut, `They Came With Sunlight', alongside a formidable command of dynamic, texture and sonic space that belies the relative youth of the project. Having erupted into the Norwegian metal scene without warning, SAVER is the result of heavy veterans Ole Ulvik Rokseth, Markus Stole and Ole Christian Helstad combining their years of experience into one three-headed beast, hellbent on pushing the boundaries of what the band is collectively capable of. Restless by nature, SAVER are constantly refining and reinventing their sound. The band's debut record was followed by two wildly creative collaborations which saw the trio marry their signature ferocity with some unlikely creative bedfellows in order to test new depths. `Emerald', 2021's full-length release, paired SAVER's calculated minimalism with the frenetic, percussive energy of Belgian post-metal collective Psychonaut whilst last year's `Split EP' saw SAVER and Norwegian folk singer/songwriter Frodekal reinterpret a song from each other's back catalogue with hauntingly spectacular results. With this revelatory experience still ringing in their ears, `From Ember And Rust' bears all of SAVER's heavy hallmarks alongside a newfound sense of dynamic anticipation and organic progression, which ties the seven tracks together as a significant body of work in the band's ascendant trajectory. As well as sharing their years of experience making the heaviest music they can, SAVER also share a passion for the unmistakable soundscapes of classic science-fiction. Already a key component of SAVER's distinctive sound; Rokseth's otherworldly, cinematic synth work is given centre stage on `From Ember And Rust' as the band boldly embark on a new journey together. As their first non-collaborative release in four years, `From Ember And Rust' could be interpreted as the band returning to the safety of their roots. However, SAVER are more determined than ever to keep pushing their sound into uncharted territory as the world they find themselves in continues to turn.

Jeder Song auf HOWLING GIANTs zweitem Album "Glass Future" erzählt seine eigene Geschichte. Doch auch ohne ein übergreifendes Konzept scheinen alle Storys der Amerikaner in ein und demselben Universum zu existieren. Die ausgeklügelten lyrischen Weltentwürfe der Amerikaner gehen auf ihre Liebe zu Fantasy und Science Fiction Literatur zurück. "Glass Future" könnte leicht ein Buch oder eine Graphic Novel inspirieren. Musikalisch bietet "Glass Future" eine Fortsetzung und Weiterentwicklung all jener Elemente, die bereits das Debütalbum "The Space Between Worlds" (2019) zu einem durchschlagenden Erfolg werden ließen. HOWLING GIANT lassen klassischen Metal und Hardrock dynamisch mit spacigen, Prog-lastigen Passagen, Desert und Psychedelic Metal-Momenten, Rock-Orgeln und eingängigen Hooks interagieren. Grandiose Stimmharmonien setzen ihrem Sound die Krone auf. HOWLING GIANT kommen aus Nashville, Tennessee, USA - einer legendären Musikstadt. Obwohl der Ruf der Stadt zuletzt etwas durch Fließband-Country Pop gelitten hat, bleibt Nashville ein geschichtsträchtiger Ort, an dem brillante Songwriter und virtuose Studiomusiker diverse musikalische Vermächtnisse am Leben erhalten. Aus diesem fruchtbaren Boden sprossen HOWLING GIANT als herausragendes Stoner Power Trio, das ganz bewusst die Nähe dieser Traditionen sucht. In den letzten zwei Jahren integrierte die Band ihren neuen Bassisten Sebastian Baltes, den Sohn des ehemaligen ACCEPT-Bassisten Peter Baltes, als Co-Autor. HOWLING GIANT gelingt mit "Glass Future" ein gewaltiger Sprung nach vorne.

Viertes Album der griechischen Power/Prog Metal Band. Mitte der 90er Jahre gegründet, liefern Fortress Under Siege aus Athen Power/Prog Metal, der traditionellen Heavy Metal mit technischer und melodischer Power auf höchstem Niveau verbindet. 1996 gehörten FUS zu den ersten griechischen Bands die Power Metal mit Prog verbanden. Seitdem wurden 3 Alben veröffentlicht: "The Mortal Flesh of Love" (2011), "Phoenix Rising" (2014), "Atlantis" (2020). . "Envy", ihr bisher kraftvollstes Album, bietet modernen Power Metall, ohne die Verbindung zu ihrer Vergangenheit zu verlieren. Der Lyrics bieten wieder eine große Vielfalt, die sich mit sozialen, historischen, Science-Fiction- und mythologischen Themen befasst. Ein Original-Meisterwerk von Ioannis Koutrikas ziert das Cover der neuen Platte, eine Allegorie des Neids. Nachdem sie die Bühne mit Bands wie Accept, Hammerfall, Guano Apes, Serious Black und anderen geteilt haben, werden sie bald wieder auf Tour gehen. Das Power-Prog-Metal-Abenteuer geht weiter.

La Bibliothèque De La Bergerie is the new all-star project from producer Emmanuel Mario (Astrobal). 11 evocative and exhilarating instrumental tracks, ranging from synthetic to acoustic, from detailed pop writing to sonic experimentation. He is accompanied here by his companions Julien Gasc, Nina Savary and Vincent Guyot (as Ulysses' companions were known). Each contributes to the composition, arrangement and instrumentation of this colourful and enchanting odyssey. Mario and Savary have been living for years in an isolated former sheepfold in the South of France and have gradually gathered around them a band of artists and musicians who have come to escape their daily lives. The compositions in La Bibliotheque De La Bergerie were born of this timeless space of freedom. Each musician's musical obsessions can be found on the album, as they travel from one track to the next: soundtracks like the ones of De Roubaix or Alessandroni (Le Fleuve De La Nuit), experimental and classy pop like Stereolab/High Llamas (Loterie Solaire) or primary and repetitive electronic music (Tous A Zanzibar tome 3). The choirs and mixed voices of Nina Savary and Julien Gasc add a sunny, melancholy touch to the whole (En Attendant L'Année Dernière). The name Bibliothèque De La Bergerie is a double nod to Library Music, a trend in musical illustration for TV and radio that had its heyday in the 60s, 70s and 80s. And to the aforementioned bergerie, a living space and creative studio. The more observant may also have noticed the titles of the tracks, taken from the novels of the golden age of science fiction. Emmanuel Mario and his friends invite you to escape to another time. The album will be released on vinyl on the Freaksville label on October 6, 2023.Tracklisting: 1. L'homme qui n'existait pas 2. En attendant l'année dernière 3. Tous à Zanzibar (Tome 1) 4. Loterie Solaire 5. Une porte sur l'été 6. Le fleuve de la nuit 7. Le manuscrit Hopkins 8. Tous à Zanzibar (Tome 2) 9. Le Voyageur de l'inconnu 10. Terminus Tel-Aviv 11. Tous à Zanzibar (Tome 3) freedom. Each musician's musical obsessions can be found on the album, as they travel from one track to the next: soundtracks like the ones of De Roubaix or Alessandroni (Le Fleuve De La Nuit), experimental and classy pop like Stereolab/High Llamas (Loterie Solaire) or primary and repetitive electronic music (Tous A Zanzibar tome 3). The choirs and mixed voices of Nina Savary and Julien Gasc add a sunny, melancholy touch to the whole (En Attendant L'Année Dernière). The name Bibliothèque De La Bergerie is a double nod to Library Music, a trend in musical illustration for TV and radio that had its heyday in the 60s, 70s and 80s. And to the aforementioned bergerie, a living space and creative studio. The more observant may also have noticed the titles of the tracks, taken from the novels of the golden age of science fiction. Emmanuel Mario and his friends invite you to escape to another time. The album will be released on vinyl on the Freaksville label on October 6, 2023

Already bandmates within IDALG, Jean-Michel Coutu and Yuki Berthiaume-Tremblay have been working on new material for some time, from which a distinct identity emerges: the echoes of exotic post-punk, the polychrome and nervous plot of an art rock space opera. YOCTO, in addition to the name given to this new project, is a micro unit of measurement that reflects well this mini-cyclic and fractional music, drawing its DNA from mid-70s underground rock (Television / Talking Heads / Devo) and sci-fi series opening credits. As a leader of this band, Yuki Berthiaume-Tremblay (Jesuslesfilles, IDALG) sings rebellion anthems alongside Jean-Michel Coutu (IDALG) on guitar, Emmanuel Éthier (Chocolat) on bass, Félix-Antoine Coutu on drums, and Carl Matthieu Neher on v-organ. The first album, Zepta Supernova, co-produced by Emmanuel Éthier (Corridor, Pierre Lapointe, P'tit Belliveau) and Jean- Michel Coutu (Jesuslesfilles, CRABE, PYPY), is released on Canadian label Duprince and French label Requiem pour un Twister. An incisive odyssey where fatal obsession, pernicious pride, chained star, and judgment day are at issue. In this series of science-fiction fables, Yocto speaks to a completely megalomaniacal antagonist. The latter has a predisposition to indulge in his own vices - which Yocto has understood well and will makegood use of: through her cunning and pure ingenuity, she will undermineherrival untilhis lucky starbecomes asupernova

Kool Keith has long been hailed as hip-hop’s greatest eccentric. Over the course of a career stretching back to the mid-’80s, he’s perfected a singular style of abstract yet deadly precise rhyming that often focuses on subjects such as science fiction, hardcore pornography, and a distrust for the music industry. His sprawling discography includes numerous collaborations and aliases, with some of the most acclaimed including Dr. Octagon and Dr. Dooom, Black Elvis & Tashan Dorrsett. He began his career as the mind and mouth behind the Bronx-based Ultramagnetic MC’s, whose influential debut, Critical Beatdown, was released in 1988. Following the release of the band’s third album in 1993, Keith headed for the outer reaches of the stratosphere with a variety of solo projects. His lyrical thematics remained as free-flowing as they ever were with the N.Y.C. trio, connecting up complex meters with fierce, layers-deep metaphors and veiled criticisms of those who “water down the sound that comes from the ghetto”. Keith’s latest LP “Mr. Controller” entirely produced by Junkaz Lou is yet another work of art. No MC on the planet is so grimy and yet so polished — after years in the rap game, Kool Keith’s as unique as ever. TRACKLIST

Mit wenig mehr als einer unerbittlichen Reihe von Live-Auftritten und einem zweimal gepressten (und anschließend ausverkauften) selbstbetitelten Demo hat sich die in New York ansässige Band Lathe of Heaven als ein starkes und zusammenhängendes Element inmitten der Flut von Punk und synthiegetriebenem Pop-Revival erwiesen, das derzeit im US-Underground wuchert. Die 2021 gegründete Band setzt sich aus Mitgliedern bemerkenswerter Brooklyner Projekte wie Pawns, People's Temple, Porvenir Oscuro, Android, Hustler und anderen zusammen. Obwohl diese Liste vergangener und alternativer musikalischer Bestrebungen ein breites Spektrum an Genres und Fähigkeiten aufzeigt, kann Lathe of Heaven nur als eine Abkehr von solchen Einflüssen verstanden werden und erforscht einen völlig eigenen Sound. Nun, fast zwei Jahre später, sind Lathe of Heaven endlich bereit, ihr Debütalbum "Bound by Naked Skies" zu veröffentlichen. Die elf Tracks umfassende LP verbindet Elemente von düsterem britischem New-Wave und finnischem Post-Punk zu einer nuancierten Gegenüberstellung von 80er-Jahre-Soundwahn. "Bound by Naked Skies" greift Themen der klassischen und zeitgenössischen Science-Fiction auf, die den einzigartigen und bewussten Sound prägt, und verdankt seinen literarischen Einflüssen ebenso viel wie der Musik. Als kraftvolle Hommage an die unheimlichen Welten der Autoren Arthur C. Clarke, Octavia Butler, Ken Liu und natürlich Ursula Le Guin (nach deren Roman die Band benannt ist), verweben sich Themen der Kosmologie ("Ekpyrosis"), Simulation ("Heralds of the Circuit-Born"), Geisteskrankheit ("Moon-Driven Sea") und Ontologie ("Entropy", "The Spider" etc.), und ziehen sich wie ein roter Faden durch das Album. Ein Einblick in die Gedankenwelt derer, die von der Ungewissheit der erschreckenden und gar nicht so fernen Zukunft der Menschheit geplagt werden.

Mit wenig mehr als einer unerbittlichen Reihe von Live-Auftritten und einem zweimal gepressten (und anschließend ausverkauften) selbstbetitelten Demo hat sich die in New York ansässige Band Lathe of Heaven als ein starkes und zusammenhängendes Element inmitten der Flut von Punk und synthiegetriebenem Pop-Revival erwiesen, das derzeit im US-Underground wuchert. Die 2021 gegründete Band setzt sich aus Mitgliedern bemerkenswerter Brooklyner Projekte wie Pawns, People's Temple, Porvenir Oscuro, Android, Hustler und anderen zusammen. Obwohl diese Liste vergangener und alternativer musikalischer Bestrebungen ein breites Spektrum an Genres und Fähigkeiten aufzeigt, kann Lathe of Heaven nur als eine Abkehr von solchen Einflüssen verstanden werden und erforscht einen völlig eigenen Sound. Nun, fast zwei Jahre später, sind Lathe of Heaven endlich bereit, ihr Debütalbum "Bound by Naked Skies" zu veröffentlichen. Die elf Tracks umfassende LP verbindet Elemente von düsterem britischem New-Wave und finnischem Post-Punk zu einer nuancierten Gegenüberstellung von 80er-Jahre-Soundwahn. "Bound by Naked Skies" greift Themen der klassischen und zeitgenössischen Science-Fiction auf, die den einzigartigen und bewussten Sound prägt, und verdankt seinen literarischen Einflüssen ebenso viel wie der Musik. Als kraftvolle Hommage an die unheimlichen Welten der Autoren Arthur C. Clarke, Octavia Butler, Ken Liu und natürlich Ursula Le Guin (nach deren Roman die Band benannt ist), verweben sich Themen der Kosmologie ("Ekpyrosis"), Simulation ("Heralds of the Circuit-Born"), Geisteskrankheit ("Moon-Driven Sea") und Ontologie ("Entropy", "The Spider" etc.), und ziehen sich wie ein roter Faden durch das Album. Ein Einblick in die Gedankenwelt derer, die von der Ungewissheit der erschreckenden und gar nicht so fernen Zukunft der Menschheit geplagt werden.

Throughout 2022, The Wedding Present’s ‘24 Songs’ series saw the legendary indie band release two new tracks a month as double A sided 7”s, ultimately creating a much-sought-after box set. David Gedge has now re-curated full-length versions of all twenty-four tracks for a new compilation album that will also comprise five bonus recordings including one featuring The Wedding Present’s first guitarist, Peter Solowka.

‘24 Songs’ was a doff of the cap to The Wedding Present’s ‘Hit Parade’ project of 30 years previous. That series proved to be a real milestone for the band with them becoming only the second-ever artist to achieve twelve Official UK Top 40 hits in a calendar year – at the time something that only Elvis had achieved!

David Gedge says: “When it came to compiling the ‘24 Songs’ album, I decided not to sequence the tracks in chronological order. With six sides of vinyl, you have six ‘beginnings’ and six ‘ends’ to play with, and I felt that the opportunity to build some kind of a musical journey was too good to miss! Listening back to this collection, I have to say that I genuinely believe that, for this project, The Wedding Present have recorded some of the best tracks in our history. I loved releasing the singles, but it’s satisfying to have them all rounded up together.”

“The idea of releasing another collection of twenty-four tracks did initially seem quite daunting,” admits David Gedge in the deluxe-CD sleeve notes but, with Jon Stewart (also of Sleeper) having joined the band at the end of 2019 and their subsequent writing partnership flourishing, he began to feel confident that they would be able to produce a year’s worth of music. And, with one of the UK’s most influential independent record labels by their side in Clue, a key partner to EMI North who will be distributing the record - there was no looking back.




























[xa] 27. Jump In, The Water’s Fine [Japanese Edit]
[xb] 28. We All Came From The Sea [Utah Saints Remix]

Foyer Red’s debut LP, Yarn the Hours Away, plays out as a collection of short stories, each with its environment and protagonist(s) meticulously crafted by the band, with lead singer, vocalist, and clarinetist Elana Riordan at the helm. Foyer Red’s debut EP, Zigzag Wombat, showcased their playfully chaotic arrangements, which bridge art-punk, math rock, and sweetly sung indie with a dash of the zoomies.

The band synthesizes their homespun take on magical realist indie rock that was centered on their EP with their varied musical influences; taking cues from the otherworldly melodies of Cate Le Bon, Yucky Duster’s jangle-filled crayon rock, and the organized chaos of Deerhoof’s iconic polyrhythms. The songs that makeup Yarn the Hours Away are fantastical, surrealist stories that hinge on contemporary, post-digital life.

The lead single “Etc” captures this dynamic perfectly. Anchored by Eric Jaso’s hypnotizing bass line, the song unfolds with off-kilter call-and-response vocals between Riordan and Kristina Moore, their stilted deliveries bouncing around the mix. The track is searching but discontent with the algorithmic and claustrophobic realities of daily life: singer/guitarist Mitch Myers throws the song for a loop singing, “gathering information / will set you free once you’ve reached / 37 percent / of the database.” While there’s paranoia and cynicism undergirding the lyrics, the song itself is a thrilling and playful listen.

The songs on Yarn the Hours Away are uniformly exciting and compelling; each track feels distinct and sometimes even in direct conflict. The peppy opener “Plumbers Unite!” belies its themes of gamification of our daily lives and delves into the science fiction and fantasy songwriting of Foyer Red’s debut EP. Centered around a relentless rhythm section, their dueling vocals never abate; Moore and Riordan’s honey-sweet but getting more frantic as the song progresses, while Myers’ erratic talk-singing culminates in one final frustrated scream. Juxtapose this with “Gorgeous,” a lovely song about Riordan and drummer Marco Ocampo’s relationship that sees the band slowing their pace into a blissful sway. Riordan coos and sighs over the track while recalling “Marco-isms”; botched colloquialisms that Ocampo uses.

“Gorgeous” shares little in common with “Pocket,” a loose lamentation on late capitalism that touches on time travel and human evolution. Moore and Riordan’s exclamations are chopped up and used as rhythm instruments, layered over the intricately frenetic guitars of Myers and Moore. Foyer Red thrives on these extremes and contradictions. Where their first release was self-recorded, this LP found them in Figure8 Studios with a deadline. “It was really liberating,” says Jaso. “We're all just kind of throwing in our own voices and challenging each other to make the songs better.”

Yarn the Hours Away comes from a lyric on the closer “Toy Wagon.” The song that first marked the time Moore and the rest of the band worked together, a promising spark of a thrilling collaboration to come. “It harkens back to all of us coming together and spending the hours together in music,” says Moore. “There are few moments where you get to relax and exhale,” adds Riordan. “It's what happened when the five of us got together and started writing. We just wrote all of these out there songs and we didn't see a reason to dial that back. Its natural form is in its chaos and layered craziness.”

This time two years ago, Pupil Slicer were preparing for the release of their debut album, Mirrors, with zero expectations of where it could take them. The breakneck speed with which Pupil Slicer were not only accepted but celebrated by the metal scene - both at home and abroad - took the band by surprise. As 2023 starts to unfold, it is a more mature, more considered version of Pupil Slicer that stands before us brandishing their sophomore album: Blossom. Blossom is a hard science fiction/cosmic horror concept album with central themes of abject despair, reincarnation and a fascination of hell. An intense month in the studio with producer Lewis Johns has led to a cohesive and confident sounding album that embraces ethereal singing, electronic breakdowns, and bold experimentation - without ever losing sight of their core tenets. Drawing from influences as diverse as Nine Inch Nails, Deafheaven, Radiohead, and Deftones, Pupil Slicer have moulded an album that is effervescent with passion but doesn’t shy away from a good hook and a catchy chorus. Through darkness and despair, there is always - at the very least - a glimmer of light in all that they do. Blossom is an album that benefits from being digested as a whole, but within this body of work there are gems that stand out, demonstrating that the future is extremely bright for Pupil Slicer. They’re only just getting started.

Brand new album by The Church, their first in 6 years! Presented in deluxe card gatefold sleeve CD with 16 page booklet and as limited gatefold purple double vinyl LP! "Let it first be said that the title track of The Hypnogogue, the first new album from The Church in six years, is one of the most breath-taking singles they've released in years, a darkly psychedelic six minutes that slowly spirals into a menacing descent. That alone is a reason to keep this one on your radar; the Australian neo-psych band have been going for over 40 years, with around a half dozen classic albums and zero bad ones, yet their ability to keep evolving and uncovering new aspects to their sound and approach only serves as a reminder of how vital they remain after four decades". After an epic return to homeland stages, Australian psych-rock legends The Church announce their forthcoming studio album The Hypnogogue. Following on from 2017's widely acclaimed Man Woman Life Death Infinity, the Sydney band's 27th album was recorded just before the world was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging from the darkness is the band's first new studio album in six years and the first to feature the newest line-up led by founder, bassist and vocalist Steve Kilbey. "The Hypnogogue" is the most prog rock thing we have ever done, we've never created a concept album before," says Kilbey. "It is the most teamwork record we have ever had. Everyone in the band is so justifiably proud of this record and everyone helped to make sure it was as good as it could be. Personally, I think it's in our top three records." Picking up substantial international airplay, raising anticipation for the album's release, the digital singles 'The Hypnogogue' and 'C'est La Vie' set the stage for the album's striking science fiction narrative. Kilbey unpacks the themes that tie the album together: "The Hypnogogue is set in 2054, a dystopian and broken-down future. Invented by Sun Kim Jong, a North Korean scientist and occult dabbler, it is a machine and a process that pulls music straight off dreams." This new five-piece line-up is made up of Kilbey along with long-time collaborator, drummer and producer Tim Powles, who's remained a staple across 17 albums since 1994. Joining them is guitarist Ian Haug, formerly of Australian rock icons Powderfinger, who has been with the band since 2013. Touring multi-instrumentalist talent Jeffrey Cain is now a full-time member since the departure of Peter Koppes in early 2020. Completing the line-up, newcomer Ashley Naylor is one of Australia's finest guitarists and a long-time member of Paul Kelly's touring band. Formed in 1980, The Church found early chart success in their homeland, before establishing themselves as an international touring entity, earning a worldwide hit with the single 'Under The Milky Way' from their hit 1988 album Starfish, while their stellar live shows have been deemed 'spectacular' by MAGNET magazine and continue to win the hearts of industry and fans across the world. Often seen as the Godfathers of an Australian psych/prog scene generating such internationally successful names as Tame Impala and King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, The Church have gone on to maintain a loyal and far-reaching following as their fanbase has expanded with their evolving sound. Entering their fifth decade as a band, The Church continue to remain a treasured creative force. European tour 2023 - Reviews secured in Mojo, Classic Rock, Uncut, Vive Le Rock, Record Collector, Louder Than War - Press Quotes: "While some may just want The Church to write another "Under the Milky Way", The Hypnogogue's title track is excellent. One of the most anticipated albums of 2023" - Brooklyn Vegan - Treble Zine have named The Hypnogogue one of their most anticipated albums for 2023

The duo WILDES from the south of Germany, consisting of Jana Pantha and Jenny Tulipa, presents a musical mix of electro-synth-pop, post-punk and dark disco influences. After the release of their first EP “RAWWR” in 2021, their debut album entitled “KLISCHEE” will be released on 3 February 2023. Released via the Kommando 84 label, the album features 11 songs and a musical re-interpretation of German-language Neue Deutsche Welle sounds. The songs combine spoken word passages in which the singers combine a certain irony with word-playful rhymes. In addition to world-political, social issues, the songs revolve around the complexity of the new romance in love - between cosmos and stereo. The strong and experimentally avant-garde lyrics accompany the danceable pulse of the drum computer, melodic synth waves and the shimmering solos of the lead guitar.

The album “Klischee” begins with an electro-pop track that combines consistent grooves with atmo- spheric sound arrangements and a lead guitar that accompanies our journey to the moon. With the chorus’ high-pitched words, „Konsum - leg mich auf den Moon“ (“Consumption - put me on the Moon”), WILDES dryly yet humorously allude to a society that couldn’t fly “higher”.

The following cheeky song Leger in Schwarz combines impeccable post punk with influences from the NNDW scene. A short love story led by the electronic beat of the synthesizer makes the hearts of the night beat faster. With casual reduction, a guitar riff leads through the song. The guitar solo finally rounds off the plea about the longing for a good flirt.

Italo disco shimmers and pulsates on the driving song Capri. With lyrics like “Pack the boats - Vai a bordo”, Capri is a homage to the tried and tested Italo feeling with a cappucino on the terrazza, or indeed on the yacht with a view of the rocky walls of the island. An electric charge of sequencers and synth tracks acts here as a lightness of being in contrast to the porosity of the rock.

An electrifying electric guitar solo kicks off the fourth track with a mysterious invitation to Steig ein translated, get in. Hypnotised by the lights of the road, dazzled in the side mirror, a clearly repeating rhythm leads into the chorus and through the coming verses. English spoken-word lyrics add to the stoicism of the German language. The song’s great power ends with the line Lost in the dark, holding open the finale of the “Night Drive” encounter.

Digital and stereo on all channels, the distinctly tight and robust rhythm sounds in the song Apparat. A clear and simple synth melody is heard as a contrast and the electric bass gives the balance of the machine at points. Hiddenly, WILDES points here to the superior power that can control human action beyond all limits. A piece as a laudation to all the science fiction novels that play with the switching of the individual parts.

Side One of the vinyl is finalised by a song called La Grande Bellezza that motivates to dance and sing along. The punky pop craft lives through the recurring beat of the rhythm guitar. Here the focus is on the woman in all her facets. The great beauty, una donna, who can do everything as well as wanting everything and nothing...a strong woman who, however, also staggers and wants to jump off the cliff. Clearly and distinctly, the musical accompaniment of the drum machine and the accompanying synth melody reflect hidden parallel worlds and the ambiguity of character - of life? We get a desire for more and turn the round record.

The B side starts with a powerful guitar riff, complemented by a catchy and strong bassline that runs through the song. In this work, WILDES provocatively describes the West’s lust for the much-cov- eted Schwarzes Gold black gold. The song is reminiscent of the works of the band D.A.F. and thus ties in with the electronic punk sound spate.

The driving guitar riff joins in with the reduced synth bass sequence - the electro-pop song with the title Hitze (Heat) came onto the digital music market as the first single from the LP in the summer of 2022. Pulsatingly, the drum computer lets the beats vibrate to the rhythm of heated air. The duo po- etically describes heat with supercooled voices, a clarity in the sky that makes everything flow, that makes the breath dry. The work ends with a melodic synth solo.

Ich lad dich ein, I invite you - we have all said or heard this sentence before. A chance meeting of two people later leads to the altar in love. A far-reaching question that more or less arises in many love relationships at some point “Do you dare?” positions itself in lyrical contrast to the simple ques- tion in the refrain “Do you need sugar?”. WILDES plays with laconic poetry and, full of irony, makes the listeners think about living together. Krautrock contours are skilfully used in this piece. Reduced to the essentials, the chorus immediately sticks in the ear. A cheerful mix of steel drums and infec- tious solo.

Toccami - touch me! We sit on padded leather chairs - “you’re a rocket! Peng Puff Peng” - this song by the band WILDES joins experimental art-punk-pop, electronically with flowing synth waves we take off immediately. Melodically sung, lyrical layers of lyrics dance loosely light and gracefully in the ears of the viewer. The rhythmic beat visualises the feeling of floating in a spaceship. It’s love in the universe - “I love you, my darling” sounds tipsy in the beat-heavy disco refrain.

Hypnotically, WILDES launches into the final song of the entire LP. The title Zone takes us on a journey through time. Inspired by the film Stalker, we find ourselves in a science fiction setting that couldn’t be more present in today’s European events. The musicality of the electric guitar riffs ac- companied by simple new wave drums drives the listener into unknown realms.

Repetition and electronic synth sounds play a compositional role alongside rocking guitar riffs like their forerunners in the NDW scene. Lyrically, each song varies between pop-romantic and politically critical passages. Listeners start pondering about hedonistic life and its consequences. Sometimes it feels like listening to a Tarantino soundtrack in German, other times it feels like listening to an 80s track by a James Bond. Science fiction fantasies and reality add up in dadaistic theatricality to spir- ited synthpunk of the New German Wave from the South. Discoid beats and driving drums in digital are included.

When Paul Janeway learned he was going to be a father he decided to scribe his thoughts—joy, fear, confusion—as messages to his then-unborn daughter. Those letters became Angels in Science Fiction, the stunning 5th LP from St. Paul & The Broken Bones. Produced by Matt Ross-Spang (Jason Isbell, Margo Price) at the legendary Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis. It finds the band stretching further out, building on the shadowy psychedelia and intricate, experimental R&B of The Alien Coast.

Transp. Red Rainbow Splatter Vinyl

Die Alben von Fear Factory sind Film-artige Klanglandschaften, die an die dystopischen, postapokalyptischen Zukunftsvorstellungen klassischer Science-Fiction-Literatur und -Filme von Ray Bradbury bis Blade Runner erinnern. „Recoded“ bietet neu interpretierte Versionen von Songs ihres zehnten Studioalbums "Aggression Continuum". Ähnlich wie bei der erfolgreichen Crossover-Veröffentlichung "Remanufacture" im Jahr 1997, die auf das bahnbrechende "Demanufacture"-Album zwei Jahre zuvor folgte, nimmt sich "Recoded" einen Moment Zeit, um sich auf die Industrial- und Dark-Wave-Seite der Band sowie ihre Metal-Wurzeln zu konzentrieren und das vielgepriesene Album von 2021 auf brillante Weise zu dekonstruieren und zu einer neuen Soundkulisse umzubauen. Was auch immer kommen mag, Fear Factory werden da sein, um den Soundtrack für die unsicheren Zeiten der Menschheit zu liefern.

The Zephyrs release their brand new album “For Sapphire Needle” on January 27th 2023 alongside Spanish comrades Acuarela, their first since 2010. With only 2018’s double A-side single “The Witches” and “The Crown Prince of Lies” in between, this represents their first collection of new songs in 13 years: from short and tightly constructed country-folk introspections to sprawling, spaced-out psychedelia, including a couple of extremely sharp pop glimmers and a killer Morricone-like instrumental. Originally conceived of as a series of 4 track EPs based on the seasons in which they were created, the recordings spanned into a patchwork of sessions with long-time collaborator and producer Michael Brennan at his Substation studio, neighboring a naval port in Rosyth. The ongoing recording sessions were made possible with the kind support of Robert Dillam, drummer for The Zephyrs and ex-guitarist for Creation band Adorable. With songs ranging from short and tightly constructed country-folk introspections to sprawling, spaced-out psychedelia, what resulted was an album near to double length. The collection presented as “For Sapphire Needle” is a cut-down selection of these songs. The record opens with “Leatherback”, a Crazy Horse inspired wall of distorted guitars drawing on lyrics from The Zephyr’s first album and pre-history, followed by the four songs earmarked for the first of the seasonal EPs – Winter – whose artwork was photographed in the alley behind Traceyann Campbell’s (Camera Obscura) house in Glasgow. Elsewhere on the album, “I tell you what” had much of its writing and recording initiated in a wooden shack near Aviemore and “Bolder” tells the story of overheard bar-side conversations and delayed flights in Denver airport, where lizard people live underground and some say the new world order lays dormant. The domestic depression of “How have you been today” precedes closing opus “Aliens”, inspired in equal measures by the maturation as social control science fiction of The Tripods and the schlock b-movie imagery of Rocky Erickson’s The Evil One. The album is the work of older and more consistent The Zephyrs. Stuart, David and Robert joined by collaborators: guitarist John Brennan and keyboardist Will Bates. The songs and sounds are sculpted out of slabs of time with friends at the Substation, a de facto weekly youth club for musicians who refuse to grow old. The triple bridges of Queensferry, the shipbuilding cranes of Rosyth docks and Babcock's shop - one of the few places in Scotland you can buy a real periscope over the counter - are just some of the backdrops as the Zephyrs rehearse for nobody but themselves. Yet, ever since Jean-Luc Picard himself told us that "this is not a holiday", it has become a unique and unbeatable way of peering up above the waterline, reinventing themselves and returning to the scene. Indeed with 10 songs in 46 minutes which wade across Gram Parsons and Big Star, Slowdive and spaghetti Western: folk, rock and shoegaze… as if they were trying to shorten the path to the California sky passing through Scotland and then Almería in Spain.

Debut album by Dutch producer w1b0, who passed away in August, to be released in November on U-TRAX.

Wibo Lammerts' sudden death on August 15thshocked the worldwide electro community, and also left the record label, that had been working on the debut album with the artist known as w1b0 for the past two years, dumbfounded and in grief.

Wibo had jokingly always called his upcoming debut album 'his legacy', which now sadly has become a painful truth. With the support of Wibo's family, U-TRAX is now doing the only thing that doesn't feel totally wrong: proceed as planned, and release 'When Humans Ruled The Earth' on November 11.

W1b0 made quite a name for himself with heavy electro tracks that he released on labels like Bass Agenda, Hilltown Disco and Discos Antónicos. Standing at 202 meters, and combined with a cheerful character, most people remember him as the gentle giant of electro.
For this album, Wibo wanted to steer away from the dark and heavy electro he mostly made until then. The idea of having a platform to create delicate electronic music in different styles, and make it a showcase of his versatility, was very appealing to him. And that is where he and U-TRAX found each other.

The full-length album (over 75 minutes on cd and digital) comes after 'The Pilex Program EP', released in October, that featured a remix by Detroit's Ectomorph of 'Pilex Driver' and saw 'Program Yourself To Feel' remixed by a well-known Dutch producer that recently created the new 'techno alias' Human Form.
As usual with U-TRAX, the album comes in three different editions, with the 11-track double vinyl version containing the Ectomorph and Human Form remixes. The CD and digital version boast original versions only, plus four additional tracks: 'Alternate Reality Interface', 'Mixed Matter Fluctator', 'Synthetic', and 'In There'. The cassette version more or less has the same track list as the CD/digi version, but has both aforementioned remixes and a bonus track in the incredibly hypnotizing 'I Wanted You', a track that unfortunately couldn't be on the CD and vinyl versions.

Buyers of the physical releases get treated on superior quality products, another trademark of U-TRAX. The vinyl edition boasts over one hour of music, on two 180 grams, green vinyl discs, in a black & white & neon green gatefold sleeve. The eye-catching artwork is created by Utrecht artist Leffe Goldstein, known amongst others for his psychedelic beer can designs for Utrecht brewery Maximus. Wibo, being the beer lover he was, had zero doubts about having Leffe Goldstein do the cover for his album. The CD has a total playing time of 75 minutes and comes in a beautiful 6-panel digipack, while the cassette will have full-color on-body print and comes in a plastic-free Maltese cross fold-up sleeve.

Buyers of the physical releases get treated on superior quality products, another trademark of U-TRAX. The vinyl edition boasts over one hour of music, on two 180 grams, green vinyl discs, in a black & white & neon green gatefold sleeve. The eye-catching artwork is created by Utrecht artist Leffe Goldstein, known amongst others for his psychedelic beer can designs for Utrecht brewery Maximus. Wibo, being the beer lover he was, had zero doubts about having Leffe Goldstein do the cover for his album. The CD has a total playing time of 75 minutes and comes in a beautiful 6-panel digipack, while the cassette will have full-color on-body print and comes in a plastic-free Maltese cross fold-up sleeve.

Opener 'Acid Whip' is one of the oldest compositions on this album, in which a dark 303 bassline hums over layers of spacey strings. Wibo named it after the legendary Whip It party in Amsterdam's De Melkweg. 'Alternate Reality Interface' then presents bouncy rhythms toying around with all sorts of analog (bass) synthesizers, before we go really deep with the epic ambient techno track 'Wandering Souls'.
Then things get a little lighter spirited: 'Mixed Matter Fluctator' is an electro track that builds on sounds created by Matt Buggins. It has very strong Detroit influences, the city Wibo loved so much and that he made a pilgrimage to with a group of friends that called themselves 'The Techno Tourists'. The tempo goes up a notch in 'Program Yourself To Feel', that halfway opens up in wide science fiction strings that evoke memories of Star Wars, the movie series that Wibo was a great fan of, and that was the source of many of his tracks' names. The Human Form remix opens the vinyl edition of this album and is a downright belter of a track.

Next is a somewhat experimental intermezzo named 'Synthetic'. Erratic beats and pounding bassdrums get accompanied by very subtle eerie-sounding strings, before melancholic synthesizers and piano chords take over. This is an excellent prelude to the epic 'Hologram Computing', a track that is one of our favorites. It slowly and softly builds and builds, before a pounding bassdrum breaks loose and a hypnotic arpeggio takes you to higher planes.
Not ready to letting the listener relax, w1bo then serves 'Beilstein Reference', which again presents his trademark cocktail of down-to-earth electro rhythms and catchy melodies, covered in all sort of little sounds and noises, giving the song a lot of energy. What follows is 'Hit me', a track loosely based on a song by Dutch indie rock band Mr. Joe Abe. Wibo met the band's singer on a camping site while being on holidays and the two decided Wibo should do a remix of one of their songs. Nothing was left of the original except the vocals, and the result is a remarkable cheerful, poppy electro song.

'Anticipated Input' is one of the more recent tracks Wibo made for this album, combining electro, acid and, yes: epic strings. But not all is peace and quiet on this album, as 'Pilex Driver' shows. This is w1b0 going experimental in a danceable fashion: Industrial sounds make the track sound like we're passing a construction site that is playing loud electro music. On the vinyl version of this album, Ectomorph totally decomposed the original and made it into a mysterious, almost subdued, and totally brilliant electro track that sees a main role for the retro Roland CR drum machines sounds.

TFHats, Wibo's fellow member of the Transhumanism collective, added lyrics to 'Cartesian Coordinates'. His vocals add a pleasant New Wave flavor to this song, that has breaks that remarkably reminds one of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. What follows is the most personal track on this album. 'Fornan' is a song that Wibo made for his wife Nanette, and was added as the last piece of the puzzle that creating an album is. The warm Detroit techno atmosphere in this electro song couldn't be a more beautiful tribute to his love, and mother of their two young boys.
The album then takes a surprising detour through a 1980s landscape with 'In There', that features the Joy Division-esque vocals of another one of Wibo's friends, indicated only as Vincent. The super slow and gloomy track is a treat for anyone that loved the darker side of New Wave. The album has a worthy closer in the sensitive, yet playful 'Schlegel Diagram'.








h 08: Hit Me (w1b0's Slugfest Assault Dub) feat. Mr Joe Abe

David Gedge says: "During our `Hit Parade' series in 1992, there were a couple of Science-Fiction-themed singles, namely `Flying Saucer' (July) and The Queen Of Outer Space (November). And, would you believe it, I've only gone and done it again, haven't I? Thus, hot on the heels of last month's `Astronomic' comes the November single, erm... `Science Fiction'. It's not about the whole genre as such; the title will make sense when you hear the song. Although it's quite a sad lyric I, rather glamorously, wrote it whilst enjoying the amenities of a fancy hotel in Hollywood, so maybe the proximity of the film industry inspired me. Talking of inspirations, one band that has influenced The Wedding Present, off and on, over the years is The (mighty) Fall. And I don't know if they even planned it but, on `Plot Twist', Jon's spiky guitar riff and Melanie's crunchy bass line totally remind me of the classic Craig Scanlon / Steve Hanley combination that was memorably to be heard on sessions like the one recorded for John Peel in March 1983. Suitably inspired myself, when writing this lyric, I decided to also reference The Fall (for the second time in Wedding Present lyric history, the first being `Take Me!' some thirty-three or so years ago)." Penultimate release in this monthly series, in 2022 The Wedding Present will be releasing a new 7" single every month, the last but one is available for indie record stores only soon. This fascinating project - which goes under the name of 24 Songs - comes thirty years after the band's similar Hit Parade series of 7"s in 1992 and features two brandnew recordings of the current WP incarnation. Each of the records comes in a beautifully designed sleeve featuring brutalist photography by Jessica McMillan