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As the first 45 off of the acclaimed concept album "Sage Motel," "Love You Better / The Shape Of My Teardrops" gives you a look into that mysterious, soulful, and cinematic world. Featuring a brand new 45-cut of 'Love You Better,' this 45 invites you to sink into a soft pillow of soulful psychedelia.....down at the Sage Motel. New 45 edit of 'Love You Better'. Last LP 'Sage Motel' sold over 10k physical units. Over 500,000 monlthy Spotify listeners. Critical acclaim from NRP, Shindig, the BBC, KCRW, and many more

B2 Recordings is a label run by Greek talent Bengoa as a platform to offer up his own diverse sounds. Here he serves up a new single featuring Pan that is sublime, seductive and deep. The vocals you will recognise from a classic pop hit but here they get all resung in an even more libidinous fashion. The drums roll, and the percussion is loose, and bright but soft chord stabs heighten the mood. Flip it over for an instrumental version of 'Thelxis' that is all about the late-night grooves. Two stylish sounds for romantic moments.

The Art of Surrender marks a return to life, sown from primal impulses and hard-won emotional truths. Unrestrained melodic rapture soars above a relentless kick drum, speaking a need to move, to dance, to love. The music is as ambitious as its origins are personal. Tignor plays with scale, crafting multi-movement epics alongside one-minute miniatures. The smallest, most fragile violin gestures, where the finger barely touches the string to extract natural harmonics exist side by side with angular, exotic melodies, asymmetric rhythms, and rapid-fire string crossings. On this LP, Tignor digs even more deeply into the violin and its technicolor reimaginings under his electroacoustic treatments. Christopher Tignor is a composer, violinist, lecturer, and software engineer. His emotionally charged scores and unique focus on live, performance-based electroacoustic practice has won acclaim within both the classical and experimental communities across 10 LPs on the Western Vinyl and New Albion record labels. He creates the live performance software he uses, shared freely. As a composer he has written and recorded work for ensembles including The Knights, A Far Cry string orchestra, and Brooklyn Rider string quartet, performing alongside them at premiere venues including Carnegie's Zankel Hall. As a string arranger he has worked with Helios, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, John Congleton, This Will Destroy You, Meshell Ndegeocello, and several other artists at the boundaries of popular music. This music breathes, swoons and swoops elegiacally, in the same way a crack symphony might on a good night." MAGNET // "A bulwark against the ambient clatter of everyday life...sheer technical mastery" BANDCAMP (ALBUM OF THE DAY) // "Tignor creates a muttered hum of activity that burbles at the fringes of an internally focused halo of sustained, glowing chords, and the effect is powerful." NPR // "Making computers coexist in harmony with acoustic instruments in a live setting is more easily imagined than achieved. But Christopher Tignor, a young composer and performer shaped as much by his work in downtown nightclubs as by his formal education at Bard College and New York University, proves that it can be done." THE NEW YORK TIMES // "Absurdly talented"

"Destroyer" sees the core trio fostering their sound by continuing to migrate towards the sonic realms that capture the fine equilibrium allying the somber, austere, the vigorous, and vibrant. A striking singular vision of abyssal maritime desolation expressed by carving sonic territory that seamlessly blends elements of French coldwave, European post-punk, and first wave shoegaze.

Ever since their debut EP "A Life Of None" (2017), followed by their widely celebrated "Black Sand" EP (2018), FEARING have been procuring a constant flow of commendable releases.Through vigorous touring and live endeavors (having toured alongside the likes of Gatecreeper, She Wants Revenge, Soft Kill, 200 Stab Wounds, Choir Boy, Narrow Head, and Death Bells, along with playing notable festivals as Substance, Home Sick, and Out From The Shadows), ever since the release of "Shadow", FEARING have fastened themselves as one of the apex artists in today's post-punk current.

Anticipated follow- up to the band's debut LP "Shadow" which was one of the most acclaimed post-punk/darkwave albums of 2020. "Destroyer" likewise will be recognized as one of the most important albums within said genre of this year.

Prior to the release of "Destroyer", FEARING's touring/ live experiences include tours with bands such as Gatecreeper, She Wants Revenge, Soft Kill, 200 Stab Wounds, Choir Boy, Narrow Head and Death Bells. They have also played such festivals as Substance, Home Sick, and Out From The Shadows. Expect more notable touring in support of "Destroyer".

"Destroyer" sees the core trio fostering their sound by continuing to migrate towards the sonic realms that capture the fine equilibrium allying the somber, austere, the vigorous, and vibrant. A striking singular vision of abyssal maritime desolation expressed by carving sonic territory that seamlessly blends elements of French coldwave, European post-punk, and first wave shoegaze.

Ever since their debut EP "A Life Of None" (2017), followed by their widely celebrated "Black Sand" EP (2018), FEARING have been procuring a constant flow of commendable releases.Through vigorous touring and live endeavors (having toured alongside the likes of Gatecreeper, She Wants Revenge, Soft Kill, 200 Stab Wounds, Choir Boy, Narrow Head, and Death Bells, along with playing notable festivals as Substance, Home Sick, and Out From The Shadows), ever since the release of "Shadow", FEARING have fastened themselves as one of the apex artists in today's post-punk current.

Anticipated follow- up to the band's debut LP "Shadow" which was one of the most acclaimed post-punk/darkwave albums of 2020. "Destroyer" likewise will be recognized as one of the most important albums within said genre of this year.

Prior to the release of "Destroyer", FEARING's touring/ live experiences include tours with bands such as Gatecreeper, She Wants Revenge, Soft Kill, 200 Stab Wounds, Choir Boy, Narrow Head and Death Bells. They have also played such festivals as Substance, Home Sick, and Out From The Shadows. Expect more notable touring in support of "Destroyer".

French Psych-JAZZ-Soul-FUNK original soundtrack for initial soft erotic drama from 1973, later re-edited into "Sex Revolution" hardcore! "Jeu de Dames, la libération des femmes" (1973), a film by director Christian Lara, is a vaguely subversive charm flick that won't be remembered for a long time. An amusing detail, however, is that Georges de Caunes, father of Antoine de Caunes, the famous French TV personality, plays the lead role alongside Danielle Palmero. It's just one of a number of naïve films that, without being erotic, is sufficiently olé-olé that it failed to find a place in theaters on the traditional circuit. Faced with this commercial failure, the unscrupulous producer at the time, anxious to save his investments, decided to re-edit the film so that it could be screened in the X-rated circuit. He rechristened the film "Sex Revolution" in a more racy style, inserting more hardcore scenes to appeal to fans of the genre. Although Georges de Caunes is no longer credited on the poster or in the credits of "Sex Revolution", he finds himself, in spite of himself, promoted to lead actor in a porn movie, much to the delight of his son Antoine de Caunes, who is still dreaming 50 years later of finally being able to watch this forgotten masterpiece of the 7th art. The film seems to be a dud (pn: the author haven't seen it), but as for the music, Jean Claudric is particularly inspired and offers us one of the best French jazz funk soundtracks, which would not blush at the comparison with the best of the genre, such as Michel Legrand's "Un homme est mort", or Jean-Pierre Mirouze's "Le mariage collectif", previously released by Born Bad. Four short tracks, one with pyschedelic touches, the secomd more funky, the third a bit soul-jazzy, the fourth a French typical melancholic-melodic one makes a hot 7"-EP.

Full of shimmering guitars, opulent harmonies, and good ol' rock 'n' roll, the band was limited to a handful of singles before going their separate ways. Here you'll find a full LP's worth of The Gestures on vinyl, all killer no filler!

In California, The Gestures were especially well- received, maybe because "Run, Run, Run" had the lightness, the hook, and infectious drive of the California surf and car band hits. Record World's hot picks column called it a surf-like sound that should endear them to teens. The slice is a hard-driving ditty. Cash Box said The Gestures bow was a hard- rock- ing, Liverpool- sounding affair... powerhouse instrumental support on this haunting entry. There's a complete change of pace in the soft-sounding uptempo undercut.

"'Run, Run, Run' hit #1 in the Twin Cities, #3 in Los Angeles, #1 in New York and #3-5 in Oklahoma City. It reached the top of the local C&N Sales jukebox charts, cracked Billboard Magazine's top 40, and as I mentioned before, was even played on Bandstand. It was right up there with records by the Hondells, Gene Pitney, Jay & the Americans, and all the early British bands - including the Beatles."
- Dale Menton (of The Gestures)

Cogan Has Been Part for Many Years of Parisian Collective House of Underground With Whom He Played Records All Over the French Capital as Well as the Country's Main Cities Clubs and Festivals From North to south.

He Recently Joined the Collective and Label Friendsome as a Resident to Take His Career to Another Level, Releasing His First Solo Wax : Power Source EP.
This Ep Is an Extract of His Live Performance, Which He Has Been Working on for Almost a Year, and Will Be Shown for the First Time at Badaboum on September 9th 2023 as Part of Friendsome's 5th Anniversary Party. We Will All Discover a New Side of Cogan's Work, Being More Known for His High Energy House Music, This Ep Takes Us on a Ride of Acid Techno With 90's Rave Inspirations. a Music That Will Not Let the Dancefloors and Audiences Restful !

Opening Up "Softly" on the Track for the Hackers Will Get You Into the Vibe of the Whole Ep, Before Taking Off on the Banger for the Racers. Track 2 and 3, Being for Gamblers and Farmers, Conclude This Beautiful Ep to Keep It Engraved in Your Mind Until the Next Party! Enjoy the Ride......

Soul und Weihnachten gehören zusammen wie Lebkuchen und Zuckerguss. Raphael Wressnig veröffentlicht ein Weihnachtsalbum, welches in dieselbe Kerbe schlägt. So begibt sich Wressnig in der Boogaloo Version von „Santa Claus is Coming to Town” auf eine flotte Fahrt entlang des Jimmy-Smith-Highways und das traditionelle Weihnachtslied „Leise rieselt der Schnee” kommt als Soul-Ballade via Muscle Shoals in Alabama auf den Plattenteller! Weil die Quintessenz des Funk in New Orleans liegt, schickt das Christkind den „Little Drummer Boy” zu einer „Crawfish Fiesta” mit Professor Longhair und Eddie Bo.

Weihnachten macht mit Groove und New Orleans-Funk deutlich mehr Spaß: Raphael Wressnig an der WeihnachtsOrgel und das auserlesene Ensemble zeigen wie viel Soul und Groove in Weihnachtsmusik stecken kann!

Soul and Christmas belong together like gingerbread and sugar glaze. Raphael Wressnig releases a Christmas album like this. In the boogaloo version of „Santa Claus is Coming to Town“, Wressnig takes a jaunty ride along the Jimmy Smith highway, and the traditional Christmas carol „Leise rieselt der Schnee“ (The snow is falling softly) hits the turntable as a soul ballad via Muscle Shoals in Alabama! Because the quintessence of funk resides in New Orleans, the Christ Child sends the „Little Drummer Boy“ to a „Crawfish Fiesta“ with Professor Longhair and Eddie Bo.

Christmas is much more fun with groove and New Orleans funk: Raphael Wressnig on the Christmas organ and the superb ensemble show how much soul and groove can be found in Christmas music!

FullTime Production is honored to presents Kano "I'm Ready" featuring remixes by Mousse T. and FrescoEdits!

"I'm Ready" published in 1980 on FullTime Production, among the first
success, also peaked at #21 on the R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and at 8# on the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the United States.

Kano combining elements of 1970s disco, funk and R&B while extensively using synthesizers and percussive handclaps as well as raw-processed and vocoderized vocals inspired by United States and European disco, from Chic and Giorgio Moroder.

The great producer Mousse T. gave us his great musical experience, he wanted to make the song a real hit in the house music and disco music genres.

The piano, the voice and harmony were transformed into something softer and less computerized and metallic. Mousse T. made us glimpse the immensity behind a remix and the most diverse musical facets that only an excellent producer can astound and leave the listener speechless.

The musical break of the "extended club remix" at minute 03:24 makes us raise our arms to the sky and clap our hands!

FrescoEdits introduced his more afro side to the remix by expertly
marking the percussion and resulting in a funk and tribal remix.
FrescoEdits is an artistic project that has based its success from the
love and art of sampling big hits as well as a label and a community, is
among the most highly regarded artists in the disco edits.

NDATL continues with a release from Detroit soldier Norm Talley (Upstairz Asylum) Right out the gate Norm deep aggressive sound comes across loud & clear on "Gonna Be". Then down deep in the sound of "Power" where spoken words give insight.

Side B "The Bounce" should have dancefloors worldwide doing just that. "The Truth" no longer needed to be sought cause here it is in musical form. And a stray away from the usual Norm Talley we get the softer side "Dearly Beloved" ft Jerald Dameyon.

Die multidimensionalen Künstler:innen und Produzent:innen yeule kündigen ihr neues Album, „softscars“, an, das am 22. September 2023 über Ninja Tune erscheinen wird. „softscars“ repräsentiert eine neue Richtung für yeule, da sie weichere Texturen und körperlose Arrangements erforschen, die ihre ätherischen Vocals in den Vordergrund stellen. Das Projekt untersucht die Anatomie ihrer lang gehegten emotionalen Wunden für ihr bisher verletzlichstes Werk. Obwohl die Thematik schwer und geheimnisvoll ist, strahlt das Projekt, das von yeule und ihren Kolleg:innen Kin Leonn geschrieben und produziert wurde, mit zusätzlicher Produktion von Mura Masa und Chris Greatti (Yves Tumor, Willow Smith) ein Gefühl der freudigen Katharsis aus. Angetrieben wird das Album von yeules sich verändernden Vocals, die mit all ihren Ecken und Kanten und ihrem eindringlichen Flüstern sicherer denn je klingen und den unvollkommenen Prozess der Heilung widerspiegeln.
Das neue Album folgt auf das von der Kritik gefeiertes Album, „Glitch Princess“, aus dem Jahr 2022, das von Pitchfork mit dem Prädikat „Best New Music“ ausgezeichnet wurde und auch hierzulande sehr wohlwollend abgefeiert wurde, u.a. mit 5 von 6 Sternen im Musikexpress, mit 4 von 5 Punkten bei laut.de und 8 von 10 Punkten bei Plattentests. yeule machen sowohl Musik als auch visuelle Kunst, das Projekt wurde ins Leben gerufen, um als Portal oder Spalt zu fungieren, der es ihnen ermöglicht, ihre Kunst der Außenwelt mitzuteilen, während sie gleichzeitig in ihrer inneren Hülle geschützt sind. yeule wurde als Manifest ihrer eigenen Identitäten konstruiert, in denen sie immer Zugang zu multiplen Avataren und der Freiheit hatten, sich nach Belieben zu verändern oder zu verformen - Trost durch die Verkörperung von wandelbaren, chamäleonartigen Vielfältigkeiten.

SG is none other than Andrew Pekler returning to faitiche with an album of sentimental guitar escapism. For Lovers Only / Rain Suite features ten tracks made using only an electric guitar and a handful of effects pedals (plus some additional recordings of rain) and finds Pekler once again attempting to reconicile his tendencies towards kitsch, experimentation and minimalism.

What does Pekler's pseudonym SG stand for? Sentimental Guitar? Sound Gallery? Shy Guy? Sad Gnosis? Saudade Glamour? Soft Goth? We don't know, but we asked notorious Chicago romantic Sam Prekop for his take on the album – his reply:

--

It’s a wonder where the rivers go and far, how fast or slow.

Just seconds to remember, who can forget, when you are lost.

I think to recount every step, in both hands, eyes open, the clouds unfold, one two three. Every other step, just as well.

Where the moss is soft, you know strong. How many hours, days? I could have been careful, did I forget?

Never mind. Waking up, in these arms, where the rivers go, slow. One two three, one two three.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Northern California psychedelic sorcerers Carlton Melton are brain surfers, mind trippers, … “psychlists,” if you prefer. The band will take your head for a ride, occasionally rushing at superluminal speeds through a wormhole or gliding softly on a gentle breeze in a leafy glade. Sometimes your brain needs to rage, and sometimes it needs to repose. For a decade and a half, the band has yo-yo’ed, almost schizophrenically, between these two modes: walloping space jams with furious guitar solos in one hemisphere of the brain and ethereal, feather-light splashdowns in the other. Not to mention a track here and there that builds from the latter into the former. But with two new releases in 2023, the band has evolved. Whether psych rock or ambient trance, their sound remains driving, organic, and flowing. With the addition of Anthony Taibi (White Manna, DDT), however, the group’s metal freak-outs are Hawkwindier and their droning kraut trances are Spacemen 3-er. In January, the quartet released the playfully spacey Resemble Ensemble, recorded in Taibi’s home studio 3D Light. October now sees the band Turn To Earth, a work with scents of Autumn, a season of death and transition. The cover art evokes a vine-covered, electric crucifix. The sound is, well, earthy but also gritty and striving towards change. The album was recorded in Fall 2022 and now harvested in Fall 2023. Phil Becker (Terry Gross, Pins Of Light) contributed drums and percussion to a few tracks on Turn To Earth, recording the album at El Studio in San Francisco.

With Becker at the helm, the synths have become more prominent (“Cosmicity,” “Roboflow,” “Migration”) and the tone heavier on the doom (“Cloudstorming,” “Unlock The Land,” title track): several moments could even serve as background music for epic dark fantasy films like Conan the Barbarian, Fire and Ice, or Heavy Metal. As exquisite as Turn To Earth is, Melton are best appreciated as a live act: their recordings as well as their gigs are largely improvised – not so much composed as birthed. And yet their most recent tour ended abruptly and perilously. The group had to cancel its final three shows once members were admitted to Arnhem hospital in the Netherlands. Five years later, reinforcements have strengthened the band and restocked its arsenal of great tracks. After the rockus interruptus of that 2018 tour and the tantric tease of the intervening Covid lockdown, Melton have some unfinished business. An October 2023 tour is poised to set the freshly minted quartet back onto the stages of Europe and within the cerebral folds of its fans. Turn To Earth, sure … but keep your head in outer space. Carlton Melton is: andy duvall – drums/gtr; clint golden – bass; rich millman – gtr/synth; and anthony taibi – synth/gtr.

Rarely could a project be called such a culmination point of a career as what Kris Defoort presents with Pieces of Peace. Just about all the backgrounds, influences and acquaintances the iconic Belgian composer and improvising pianist collected throughout his long career come together in this distinct and original musical adventure.

Together with vocal artist Veronika Harcsa and three fellow musicians, he forms a chamber orchestra in the strict sense of the word, although they are by no means restricted to that one idiom. As an experienced opera and classical composer, Kris Defoort dribbles the timbres, harmonies, dynamics and, if you like, drama of a complete (opera) orchestra through these compositions, supplemented by an inescapable layer of jazz, obviously the other form of music that remains continuously prominent in Kris' life and DNA.

As always in his work, also improvisation is added as a core element, not least thanks to the voice and inventive personality of Hungarian vocalist Veronika Harcsa, a true European reference in this field. This duo has worked together regularly over the past decade, including for Diving Poet Society (2017, W.E.R.F.148) and in DUET: pure vocal and piano improvisations, on poems by Theodor Roethke, Peter Verhelst and William Blake.

Those musical ideas formed the framework when composing the final new song cycle Pieces of Peace. The duet was then quickly expanded into a quintet, with Lode Vercampt on cello, Jean-Philippe Poncin on clarinets and Benjamin Sauzereau on electric guitar. These three musicians are as well compagnons de route of Kris has since many years, allowing him to incorporate each one's own playing style in a special way throughout these compositions: therefore, the entire orchestral spectrum (woodwinds, strings, percussion) is thus prominently represented through these five instruments.

Intimate and joyful, playful and complex, lyrical and rhythmic, ... and layered and full of detail, each track on the eponymous record unfolds like a story in itself. They are all states of emotions, impressions from real life - another reference to opera. They are also an ode to the voice, the human instrument par excellence. As improvised compositions (or composed improvisations?), Pieces of Peace represents a constant evolution that offers hope, softness and inspiration in times when all this sometimes dares to be lacking.

Ane Brun hat das Jahr 2023 damit verbracht, die letzten zwei Jahrzehnte ihrer Musik zu rekapitulieren, in denen sie zehn Studioalben aufgenommen, unzählige Konzerte gespielt und sich als eine der beliebtesten Künstlerinnen Skandinaviens etabliert hat. Zum Abschluss dieses feierlichen Kapitels ihrer Karriere startet Brun heute in Helsinki ihre Jubiläumstournee und teilt eine weitere Sammlung mit ihren Fans. "Rarities 2" versammelt 14 Songs aus den Jahren 2007 bis heute, 10 davon bisher komplett unveröffentlicht. Zu den Highlights gehören Bruns Version von ABBAs "SOS", die 2009 live in Stockholm mit Benny Andersson von ABBA höchstselbst am Klavier aufgenommen wurde, und eine neue Version ihrer äußerst beliebten Coverversion von Beyoncés "Halo", die für die Akustikgitarre umgestaltet wurde. Das Album erscheint mit exklusiven neuen Artworks des preisgekrönten schwedischen Illustrators Jesper Waldersten.

"We Will Live On" by Deru was made with a Disklavier (an acoustic piano outfitted with solenoids that allowed it to be digitally controlled) and custom made software to sequence it. This made the piano appear to play itself. Technology seemingly embedded with humanity.

Lower-case and higher-vibes, loket is the saxophonic alias of Tahl Klainman, a versatile presence in Berlin’s alternative and underground scene, whose diverse productions have traversed ambient, trance, techno and jazz on labels such as Mama Told Ya, Hot Concept and Tax Free Records. More recently loket also guested on Massimiliano Pagliara’s LP ‘See You In Paradise’, which received the 2023 German Record Critics’ Award, as well as establishing Klainman as one of the few saxophonists to have jammed live to a peak-time Panorama Bar dancefloor.

Reigniting the languid futurism of trip-hop and downtempo, ‘All Ages’ ably delivers the most inclusive distillation of loket’s sound thus far, paying respect to the influences such as William Orbit and Moby, as well as fourth-world innovator Jon Hassell’s philosophy of blending traditional instrumentation with contemporary electronic experimentalism. Mixed in collaboration with Angus Finlayson, aka Minor Science, each of ‘All Ages’ four pieces transmit the wonder and free-spirited optimism reflected on photographer Jordan Kirk’s wide-eyed cover art.

Title track ‘All Ages’ prizes open a saxophonic wormhole to beckon an infectiously baggy groove, unexpectedly referencing the optimistic rhythm of acid-house inflected Madchester, only with gnarlier guitars to contrast a seriously insistent bassline. ‘Afternoon at Bärenquell’ boldly teases out sonic pleasure from even more idiosyncratic means, melding baroque strings and twinkling new-age melodies to loket’s emotive brass, culminating in a neo-classical finale that seems to suspend itself mid-air.

‘Sanders Groove’ sees loket’s sax step back on a bed of soft, jazz-inflected percussion and unpredictable electronics, melting as one into a slow-motion riff that’s equal parts indie jam and musique concrete. Finally, ‘Soft as Moonlight’ makes good on its romantic namesake with a swelling arrangement that free floats into deft percussion, dreaming and teeming with positive energy.