Search:the sound of science

Nickodemus is a globally respected DJ and producer who has been touring nonstop since the mid-1990s, consistently drawing capacity crowds at clubs and festivals worldwide. As a producer, he has released five acclaimed albums (Soul & Science, A Long Engagement, Endangered Species, Sun People and Moon People) and curated eleven volumes of the influential Turntables on the Hudson compilation series. His work bridges hip-hop, house, jazz, and global sounds, highlighted by collaborations and cultural milestones including the Jungle Brothers' genre-defining legacy and the enduring house-rap classic "I'll House You" with Todd Terry. Nickodemus' hit "Mi Swing Es Tropical" (with Quantic & the Candela All-Stars) has surpassed 50 million streams and featured prominently in the film Chef. He has received extensive international press (Billboard, Rolling Stone, The FADER, Paste) and widespread radio support from tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson, BBC 6 Music, KCRW, and KEXP.


b B1: Monk-One Remix feat. Monk-One


b B1: Monk-One Remix [feat. Monk-One]


[b] B1: Monk-One Remix [feat. Monk-One]


[b] B1 | Monk-One Remix [feat Monk-One]

Building upon the striking elegance of their first collaboration, Tobias Freund and Shun Watanabe reunite as Tobias. Doltz. for another extended excursion into designer electronica with a warm, dubby glow at its centre. Their first album Versus arrived on Delsin in early 2025 as a result of a chance meeting at Eden Festival the year before. The spark of inspiration led quickly to a complete and coherent first body of work, and the same can be said for its prompt, equally inspired follow-up. Dealing in the gentle hum of digitally sculpted ambience and needlepoint micro-pulses, Freund and Watanabe evoke the experimental spirit and mellow immersion of golden-era clicks n' cuts techno. While that early 00s phenomenon sometimes cracked around the edges of its DSP limitations, here a rich and porous sound world blooms out from the crisply defined structure of each track. At times the palette opens up to more organic sound matter, and there is ample space for full-bodied synths to ratchet down the rhythm, but a strong digital core of granular processing and exacting sound design form the bedrock of the album's subtle, sublime sound. Even though its calm demeanour radiates an instant charm, like all great electronica Frontiers Of Science is an album of hidden depths to be absorbed steadily over subsequent trips.

"Collected Works and War of the Martian Ghosts" ist die ultimative Sammlung von Aufnahmen der lebenden Chicagoer DIY-Legende Dr. Charles Joseph Smith. Es ist auch die erste Archivveröffentlichung von Sooper Records aus Chicago. Die Musik hier ist zum ersten Mal überhaupt für alle zugänglich. Diese 90-minütige Sammlung umfasst 30 Jahre von Charles' selbstveröffentlichter Musik, darunter Konzertklavier, elektroakustische Experimente, elektronische Beats, freie Improvisation und zwei Instrumentalversionen seiner sich weiterentwickelnden Science-Fiction-Oper "War of the Martian Ghosts" (eine elektronische Version von 2023 und eine Klavierversion von 2018). Diese Doppel-Vinyl-/Dreifach-CD-Sammleredition enthält ein umfangreiches Booklet mit 9000 Wörtern über das Leben und Werk des Künstlers sowie Gedichten, Interviews, Zitaten und 30 Archivfotos. Dies ist ein Stück Musikgeschichte Chicagos. Die bemerkenswerte Geschichte von Dr. Charles Joseph Smith beginnt mit der musikalischen Begabung eines stummen Kindes und der zielstrebigen Art und Weise, wie er dieses Talent förderte, um es zu seiner Lebensaufgabe und Daseinsberechtigung zu machen. Charles erzählt von dieser künstlerischen Reise in seiner Autobiografie ,The 88 Keys that Opened Doors", einem selbst veröffentlichten Buch, das ein Leben beschreibt, in dem Musik der wichtigste Schlüssel war (und immer noch ist), um die großen Herausforderungen durch Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen (ASD) zu meistern. Seine Karriere als Musiker startet in der Kirche, führt ihn in die internationale Konzertszene und endet schließlich in Chicagos experimenteller Underground-Szene, wo sie seltsame Früchte trägt. Auf diesem Weg hat Charles Joseph Smiths kompositorische Stimme populäre Musik von Pop bis Jazz, den Gospel der Kirche, den Kanon des klassischen Konservatoriums, moderne Tanzmusik und den regelbrechenden Experimentalismus der DIY-Subkultur seiner Stadt, in der er seit über 30 Jahren eine tragende Rolle spielt, aufgenommen und verarbeitet. Seit Mitte der 1990er Jahre tritt Charles auf, tanzt und verkauft seine selbst veröffentlichten Musik- und Schriftwerke persönlich, oft bei lokalen Shows, die er regelmäßig besucht. In Chicago ist er als lebendes Symbol für die Kraft der Musik und den beliebten Gemeinschaftsgeist im Herzen der DIY-Szene bekannt. Dies ist die definitive Sammlung seiner Originalaufnahmen - auch wenn es unmöglich wäre, die ganze Bandbreite der Musik, Poesie und Prosa des produktiven Dr. Charles Joseph Smith zu erfassen.

Some tracks are just too good to only feature on a compilation, even if it is a significant and celebratory set like Leng’s 15 Year anniversary album from late last year. That’s certainly the case with Payfone’s brilliantly atmospheric ‘Dime Algo’, a seductive slab of slow-motion Balearic disco featuring ‘I Feel You’ vocalist Kyd Nereida, along with Sofi Hardoy and Ludmila Rodriguez.

For this single release Black Science Orchestra, one of Britain’s most storied production collectives, deliver some truly exceptional remixes. Initially making their name with a series of sensational house jams on Junior Boy’s Own across the 1990s, BSO became renowned for the quality of their remixes as well as an ever-evolving trademark sound that put soul, organic instrumentation and references to dance music’s rich and varied past front and centre.

Comprised of Rob Mello, Ashley Beedle and Darren Morris, Black Science Orchestra work has been rare in recent years but here they deliver some magical takes on ‘Dime Algo’, blending Payfone’s original instrumentation with their own low-tempo magic. The Vocal Mix begins with sparse drums, Kraftwerkian bleeps and heavy sub-bass, building the action in waves with 303 lines, electro synths, warm chords and Nereida’s superb lead vocals combining to re-frame ‘Dime Algo’ as a deep, far-sighted slice of chugging 21st century acid-disco. The Dub Mix stretches things out with effects-laden instrumentation, acid lines and vocal snippets. Deeper and woozier, with more prominent use of the trio’s 303 trickery and Payfone’s superb original elements, it’s a heady, intoxicating and loved-up interpretation that subtly gains intensity throughout its seven-minute duration.

FROM THE HEART OF STAR TREK – 60 YEARS

From the Archives – Vol. 1 Vinyl Box

60 Jahre Star Trek Jubiläum! Das feiern wir mit einer zweiteiligen Vinyl-Box-Edition. Hier ist Box 1, die mit gleich zwei Highlights aufwartet: erstmals der Soundtrack zur Serie Star Trek: Voyager regulär als Vinyl-Edition – und dazu eine exklusive Vinyl-Compilation direkt aus dem Herzen der Star Trek: The Next Generation-Kinofilme.

Die sorgfältig kuratierte Box versammelt zentrale musikalische Meilensteine der Fernsehgeschichte dieses besonderen Science-Fiction-Serienkosmos: von den klassischen Motiven der Original Series über den charakteristischen Auftakt von The Next Generation („Encounter at Farpoint“) bis zu den prägenden Klangwelten von Deep Space Nine. Ein weiterer Fokus liegt auf Voyager: Die atmosphärischen, oft cineastischen Kompositionen erscheinen erstmals regulär als Vinyl-Edition und machen diese Box zu einem echten Sammlerstück.

Ergänzt wird die Auswahl durch The Next Generation – THE MOTION PICTURE ERA HIGHLIGHTS: eine eigens zusammengestellte Vinyl-Compilation mit den ikonischsten Stücken aus den Kinofilmen der TNG-Ära – Musik, die für viele Fans bis heute einen emotionalen Kern von Star Trek bildet.

Zusätzlich liegt jeder Box ein exklusives Poster bei – ein hochwertiger Kunstdruck, eigens anlässlich des 60-jährigen Jubiläums gestaltet.

Enthaltene Vinyls:
· Star Trek – Volume Two: Original Television Soundtrack
· Star Trek: The Next Generation – Encounter at Farpoint
· Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Emissary (Music from the Original Television Soundtrack)
· Star Trek: Voyager – Music from the Original Television Soundtrack (neue Vinyl-Edition)
· Jubiläums-Compilation: The Next Generation – THE MOTION PICTURE ERA HIGHLIGHTS

From the Archives – Vol. 1 ist eine 60-Jahre-GeburtstagsEdition für Vinyl-Liebhaber und Trekkies gleichermaßen – ein Stück Star Trek-Geschichte zum Auflegen.

Manfredi Romano, founder and A&R of Life and Death Records, has been a pivotal figure in electronic music for over two decades. This year marks an important milestone as he is invited to curate the upcoming fabric presents mix for fabric Records, a release that highlights his instinctive storytelling and the distinct musical identity he has cultivated throughout his career.

Manfredi’s journey began in Italy around the turn of the millennium, tour-managing punk bands and organizing left-field music events before completing his studies in computer science at the University of Pisa. He went on to form DAZE, Italy’s first booking agency dedicated exclusively to electronic music, laying the groundwork for what would become a globally influential presence in the scene.
In 2010, he shifted focus to his own artistic project, DJ Tennis, which quickly gained international recognition for its emotive blend of house, techno, and disco. Renowned for creating intimate atmospheres in even the largest spaces, DJ Tennis has performed at leading clubs such as Circoloco Ibiza, Fabric London, and Panorama Bar Berlin, and at major festivals including Sonar, Timewarp, Primavera Sound, and Coachella. His 2022 residency at Phonox in London further showcased his ability to shape dancefloors with nuance and depth. Since 2017, he has also co-founded and curated Rakastella, the celebrated Art Basel Miami festival created in partnership with Life and Death and Innervisions.

As a producer, DJ Tennis draws from early relationships with post-rock pioneers such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Tortoise, and Fugazi, channelling their influence into intricately layered electronic compositions. His work has appeared on respected labels including Kompakt, Rhythm Assault, Running Back, !K7, Cercle Records, Aus Music, and Circoloco Records, alongside frequent releases on Life and Death. His remix portfolio includes collaborations with Diplo, Boys Noize, Loco Dice, WhoMadeWho, and Acid Pauli, among many others. He has also previously contributed a DJ-Kicks mix, bringing his eclectic sensibilities to one of electronic music’s most beloved series.

After extended periods living in Miami, Berlin, and Barcelona, DJ Tennis now resides in Paris. Outside the studio and club environment, Manfredi is a passionate chef who has curated menus for charity events and collaborated with Beatport at ADE, Pioneer, and Resident Advisor. He is also an avid collector of bicycles, vintage action figures, and vinyl — his record collection now surpasses eleven thousand pieces.

With the forthcoming fabric presents DJ Tennis release, he offers a deeply personal, narrative-driven statement that reflects decades of crate-digging, boundary-pushing selections, and a lifelong devotion to sound. It marks a new chapter in his artistic evolution and stands as one of the year’s most anticipated entries in the iconic series.
The first single from DJ Tennis is a collaboration with long-time studio partner Ashee, and it immediately sets the tone for the mix: warm, seductive, rhythm-driven, and emotionally charged.

“I Wanna Know” is a sleek club track built around a pulsing groove and a steady, hypnotic rhythm. The low end is rounded and warm, giving the track a driving but understated momentum. Percussion is crisp and minimal, allowing the bassline and vocal elements to take center stage. The repeating, robotic earworm of a vocal hook, “I wanna know’ is the lynchpin to the track and will remain in your head long after the track has finished.

It’s the kind of record that warms up a room early in the night, sets the tone for a sunset beach set, or adds a lush, emotional peak during a more leftfield club moment.

Igor Tamerlan is a stranger in his own land. Born in 1954 the Hague and spent most formative years in Paris, Igor suddenly had the urge to relocate to Bali in 1986. “I want to settle in Indonesia and marry a local girl,” he told his sister shortly before flying out.

His next journey would be as audacious as his time in the Fifth Republic. Born from a prominent Indonesian expatriate family in Paris with ties to Indonesia’s first prime minister Sutan Sjahrir, Igor earned a degree in architecture at Ecole nationale supe´rieure d’architecture de Paris-La Villette.

He could have been a brilliant architect or a political scientist (he was accepted to Sciences Po), but his passion for music distracted him from his academic works. He was after all named after Russian composer Igor Stravinsky.

During his brief stint at Sciences Po, Igor spent most of times hanging out at recording studios and rub shoulders with the likes of singer-songwriter Jean-Jacques Goldman and Michel Polnaref. He had a brief encounter with The Rolling Stones at the Cha^teau de Thoiry studio in the early 1970s.

But Igor’s musical education and his occidental eyes appeared to be ill-suited for Indonesia. His first record, titled Langkah Pertama (First Step) on the mainstream label Musica was met with a shrug and was a commercial dud. An experimental record blending the influence of Spanish motifs, Francophile production and a whiff of hip hop and ska was seen by critics as being too alien. His sarcasm-laden lyrics and his biting critique of excessive materialism among the upper tier of Indonesia’s nouveau riche in the album was met with confusion from the audience. He was just too far ahead of his time.

He left the label Musica – or may had been dropped – soon after Langkah Pertama and decided to go independent. He then relocated to Bali and set up a state-of-the-art recording studio in Sanur, across the street from Southeast Asia’s first boutique hotel where luminaries like Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Sting, Yoko Ono and Ringo Starr stayed for their holiday.

From the studio, Igor recording everything from the sounds waterfalls, geckos, minibuses to motorized rickshaw and mix them with hip hop, jazz, electronica, dub and Balinese gamelan. A visionary, Igor was the first musician to use MIDI, which started to be available globally in the early 1980s.

On paper, songs like “Bali Vanilli” should not work, a mish mash of disparate elements mentioned above, sung in three languages, Balinese, English and Bahasa Indonesia while tackling the subject of overtourism. The song was also the first to introduce rap to an unsuspecting audience. But for some strange reason “Bali Vanilli” became a sensation and overnight Igor became household name. And in 1987, long before overtourism was an issue, Igor broached the subject to a national audience in Indonesia on the possible destruction of nature and culture from tourism.

Ever an iconoclast, Igor decided to step out of the limelight following the success of “Bali Vanilli” and in early 1990s he relocated to Indonesia’s cultural capital, Yogyakarta. Here, he worked on some more experimental music while juggling as music video director. He passed away in 2018 at the age of 64.

The 10 songs in this compilation, Bali Vanilli: Experimental Pop from Paradise Island (1987-1991), are some of Igor’s best works, music that would have gone into obscurity had it not been for the diligent work of film director Alfred Pasifico Ginting, who managed to track down some of the master tapes while researching on a documentary on the musician.

These recordings have never before been released outside of Indonesia. Igor would have been proud with this reissue project.

Scopeotaku’s latest is a continuation of themes he explored in System Failure. Mutating into darker dimensions, influenced by recent world events. reality error is steeped in strangled synths, tape hiss and distorted echoes. Featuring crushed low-tech rhythms and recordings inspired by science fiction B-movies. Scopeotaku seizes the means of production with full on DiY approach. Setting out to soundtrack a dystopian society that has lost touch with the soul of humanity. A world where corporate greed and disruptive extremist views amplified by echo chambers soaked in misinformation drown the voices of reason and compassion. Within this murky swamp however lies a glimmer of light and hope for us all to not accept the future but to shape it.

50 DiY tapes with download code included.

Recorded in Glasgow

NYZ (David Burraston) presents this collection of generative music pieces carefully extracted from a PreenFM2 gifted to him by Aphex Twin. PRN2_M15t is being released at the same time as an LP titled Stria from Dr. John Chowning who invented the original FM synthesis algorithms which were sold to Yamaha and used in the creation of the DX series of keyboards. An interview with Chowning, conducted by David Burraston, will be published at the same time.

David Burraston is an award winning artist/scientist working in the areas of technology and electronic music, operating Noyzelab as an independent art/science music studio since 1981. Numerous research publications include a 2006 PhD thesis Generative Music & Cellular Automata, which developed and applied fundamental new concepts from generative music practice to a key problem in complex systems theory.

His experimental arts practice encompasses field recording, landscape-scale sound art, chaos/complexity, practice-based research, sound synthesis and electronic music. He performs, lectures, conducts workshops and creates art installations in Regional NSW and around the world. David also designs and builds sound synthesizers based on his theories of chaos/complexity science. He was recently interviewed by Bandcamp Daily and The Wire Magazine.

David has worked with many diverse collaborators such as Aphex Twin, Chris Watson, Doug Quin, Russell Haswell, Robin Fox, Oren Ambarchi, Sarah Last, Cat Hope, Garry Bradbury, William Barton, Alan Lamb, MIT Media Lab and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In 2014 he independently published the legendary "SYROBONKERS!", the most technical and in-depth interview ever given by Aphex Twin.

Irlam's dastardly duo are back with another bonza bucket of bass, breaks and badness as they fire up Studio Krust for another high octane session.
Sure to top the Fairground charts and further enrage the Hell's Angels, 'Synthetic Stupidity' sees the pair unleash their full force unabashed, as they hit a purple patch full of new found and frankly quite surprising productivity (rumours of a European-wide sputnik shortage are the likely catalyst).

Fractionally distilling their many collective years of dance music experience into 12 refined pieces of advanced club kinetics that skirt between the syncopated intricacies of breakbeat science and maxed-out 4/4 propulsion.
More hyped-up vox & frantic sampling, more tension, tons of one-finger keyboard melodies, and - as usual - moments of sonic tomfoolery to flummox the assumers.
With their drug debts paid off and a forced clarity of mind, 'Synthetic Stupidity' is a more expansive, deeper and unhurried project; allowing Bosco and Metrodome the space and time to truly deliver the zenith of their sound.

This, is DJ ABSOLUTELY SHIT!!!

Bless the Maker: the Great Houses of Laced Records and Funcom have forged a temporary trade agreement to bring you the expansive soundtrack for ‘Dune: Awakening’ on vinyl.  The hit survival game has garnered critical praise for its incredibly faithful and detailed realisation of the Dune universe - from its sprawling vistas to deep lore and political intrigue. The music is integral in recreating the atmosphere of Arrakis, conjuring not only its striking landscapes but the human experience of life on the planet.  Recorded live at Air Studios in London with The Chamber Orchestra of London, Knut Avenstroup Haugen’s soundtrack conjures a planetary sense of scale.

Arcing strings shimmer and twist weightless in the air like heat rising from the desert floor, while resonant brass evokes dawn stretching out across the sands.  The luscious acoustic instrumentation is enhanced and elevated by rippling electronics, capturing Dune's singular blend of science fiction and spiritual tradition.  Soaring vocal performances from Clara Sorace, Eurielle and Emília Rovira Alegre centre this sense of the sacred, pushing the soundtrack to ecstatic emotional peaks.  Black heavyweight double vinyl.  24 tracks from the acclaimed 2025 survival game.  Widespined outer sleeve  Printed, spined inner sleeves.  Bespoke sleeve artwork by Funcom.

Big Science Records is proud to unveil a brand-new split 12” EP — crafted equally for peak-time energy and post-rave reflection — from the label’s co-foun-ders, NVST and Warzou.It’s been a minute since our last vinyl release — the Leo James edition — and we’re excited to be back with an ultra-limited, hand-stamped pressing. Four tracks total: two from each of these kindred artists, the duo behind Big Science.We’re constantly making, exchanging, and living through music — daily, weekly, endlessly. “Nothing is real, nothing exists,” says NVST. And yet, this release feels like a moment where the invisible becomes tangible — the private tracks we’ve shared and cherished with each other now find their place in the world. They’re here. They’re real.

Inspired by Sam Kidel’s ›mimetic hacking‹ concept, Berlin-based composer Jasminev Guffond pipes opiated brass and woodwind motifs into a reverb chamber modelled on an Amazon fulfilment centre.

»Muzak for the Encouragement of Unproductivity« is a poetic inversion of Muzak’s traditional role in stimulating seamless productivity in the workplace. Beginning as a pre-radio music distribution network (1934, U.S.), Muzak was transmitted along electrical wires with the intention of being at once ubiquitous and indiscernible, always present yet easily ignorable. As a pseudo-science the aim was to capitalize on the potential of music to have a psychological effect on listeners, and with the goal of maximum productivity, was employed as a sonic disciplinary force in the work place.

Previously installed for Dystopia Sound Art Biennial (2024), at the Amazon Packing Station located before HAUNT-Frontviews in Berlin, Muzak for the Encouragement of Unproductivity sonically addresses utopic notions of seamless, efficient productivity, inherent to capitalist cultures, and their very real dystopic effects from labour exploitation to the impacts of over-production on the environment. This poetic inversion, further developed as an album, is not meant as a kind of melodic control but rather a reflective space in which to consider the benefits personally, globally and environmentally, of slowing down.

Reverb, essential to the Muzak aesthetic, is programmed (using convolution reverb) with the dimensions of the Berlin Amazon fulfillment centre, DBE2. Amazon fulfillment centers are global contemporary factories, promising a consumer utopia of next day delivery of almost any product imaginable. Inspired by Sam Kidel’s concept of »mimetic hacking«(1), the reverberation characteristics of the DBE2 facility perform a symbolic sonic break-in to the guarded Amazon fulfillment center, a trespass to the flow of production.

Guffond’s ambient Muzak with its drifting horn, clarinet and synth-like modulations is just too down-tempo for upbeat spending. If this is Muzak it is possibly Muzak for the end of the world, thoughtfully seeking transcendence through implied questioning after all avenues for shopping have been exhausted.

Farfalla Records presents “Kaleidoscope”, its new compilation dedicated to the composer Jack Arel. His name belongs to a constellation of composers whose writing has hot stamped sixties and seventies pop music. Variety, television, cinema, ballet and theatre have all been touched by Jack Arel’s signature.

Take a trip through a psychedelic pop musical journey featuring 12 tracks recorded during his long and productive collaboration with the Chappell label and with his friends Pierre Dutour and Jean-Claude Petit by his side throughout.

This compilation features tracks such as ‘Psychedelic Portrait’, famously used as a music cue in the avant-garde cult British TV series The Prisoner.
The track ‘Strange Galaxy’ was utilised as the opening and closing theme for the Australian science fiction TV series Phoenix Five.
‘Purpose’, ‘May Be’ and ‘Something Happen’ are taken from the ultra-rare French soundtrack of the musical Je fus cet enfant là.
While the more adventurous may recognise the tracks ‘Picture of Spring’ and ‘Picture of Summer’ from the Danish underground horror film The Sinful Dwarf.

'The World in Air Quotes' is a genre-shifting style-melting kaleidoscope of art-rock, jazz, techno, folk & industrial. The God In Hackney sound like very little else from the early 2020's and whilst 'The World In Air Quotes' innovative progenitors are manifold - Eno, Coil, The Durutti Column, 1980s ECM jazz to name a few - it sounds beholden to none of them.

The God In Hackney's first album 'Cave Moderne' was Andrew Weatherall's album of the year for NTS Radio.

The God In Hackney's second LP, 'Small Country Eclipse', was album of 2020 for critic Sukhdev Sandhu of The Colloquium for Unpopular Culture: "Mordant music: stuttering, dread, black humour. A record that felt truly independent, beholden to no genre, out of step with all centres and signposted nodes."


'The World In Air Quotes' is The God In Hackney's 3rd album and their most musically emotive and lyrically inventive to date. It's an album that resonates with feelings about climate change, isolation, extinction, the social impact of technology, the flattening of history—and illuminates the darkness with imaginative rhythm, melody, noise & poetry. Songs range from widescreen, anthemic rock, to strange intricately arranged jazz-influenced songs, to abstract, textural electronic pieces. There's a strain of dark and surreal comedy too that runs through the lyrics and some of the choices the band makes in their sounds and arrangements.

The core God in Hackney quartet of Andy Cooke, Dan Fox, Ashley Marlowe and Nathaniel Mellors has expanded to include American multi-instrumentalists and composers Eve Essex (Eve Essex & The Fabulous Truth, Das Audit, Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra, Peter Zummo, Liturgy) and Kelly Pratt (Father John Misty, David Byrne/St Vincent, Beirut, and Lonnie Holley among many others), signalling a new and ambitious direction for the band.

The album cover features original artwork by Iranian-American artist Tala Madani, recently the subject of a career survey exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.

Advertising:

The Wire, Maggot Brain

Reviews & features:

Maggot Brain - forthcoming feature

Hi-Fi+ Magazine - album review in April 2023 issue

Dereck Higgins (You Tube review)

Sonosphere - interview / feature

Weirdo Shrine - interview

It's Psychedelic Baby - interview

Spettacolo (Italy) - feature.

Ghettoblaster Magtazine (USA) - feature

Airplay:

Gilles Peterson - BBC Radio 6 Music

Steve Lamacq - BBC Radio 6 Music

Dublab - playlisted & featured in Dublab Recommends (Los Angeles)

Cian Ó Cíobháin - RTE Raidió na Gaeltachta (Ireland)

WFMU - playlisted

Resonance FM - The Wire presents Adventures In Sound & Music

Human Pleasure Radio (New Zealand)

Pete Wiggs & James Papademetie - The Seance (Repeater Radio, Sine FM & others)

Peter Hollo's Utility Fog - FBI Radio (Australia)

Jonathan Lethem & Sam Sousa on Radio Free Aftermath (KSP Claremont 88.7)

Life Elsewhere

WRPB Princeton

In Memory of John Peel

Mike Watt's Watt from Pedro Show

‘Pilot’ is the debut album from London quintet Miniseries. Channelling the epic sweep of TV themes and movie soundtracks into resplendent space rock they explore themes of youth and ageing, heartbreak and paranoia, euphoria and existential dread.

Songwriter Doug Morch (Longview) had been working on largely acoustic folk songs when he met Angela Gannon (The Magic Numbers) at Glastonbury 2017. Romance and musical collaboration ensued. The band coalesced in the hallowed environs of Farringdon's The Betsey Trotwood pub – a musical nexus where burgeoning indie and Americana scenes collide – where they met fellow songwriter and guitarist Dermot Watson (from Brighton's The Dials) and drummer Danny Abbasi and were joined by Doug's former bandmate Aidan Banks on bass. When they came together, their indie folk mutated into motorik art rock, with their first single being an eight-minute jam called "Road".

When it came to capturing their sound, the band reached for maverick musician and producer Sean Read. They recorded tracks at Read's Famous Times studio in Clapton, London, as well as at Edwyn Collins' Clashnarrow in Helmsdale, Scotland – one of the world's most breathtaking and idiosyncratic studio locations, adding unquantifiable magic to the proceedings.

For the closing track "May You Always", they headed to another studio imbued with tangible inspiration: Blueprint Studio in Salford with producer Craig Potter (Elbow) at the helm. For the song, Dermot drew cinematic inspiration from the Withnail & I line "I'll never play The Dane", the song is about realising that the things you aspired to in youth will never come to pass and being at peace with that realisation.

The recurring themes of youth and ageing are apparent in the resplendent lead track ‘You're Gold’ – a heartfelt call for young people to reject materialism and exploitative influencer culture in search of life's deeper meaning, with stylistic nods to The Pixies and early Stereolab.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, "Sepia" explores old age and fading memories through dementia, where the ending descends into chaos like a fragmenting mind. Elements of "Sepia" are foreshadowed in the album's opening track, the instrumental "Pilot Theme", which pays homage to TV theme music, invoking spy thrillers or perhaps something otherworldly from science fiction.

“Offcumdens” is a Calder Valley, Yorkshire term for people who live in the area but come from somewhere else. Hailing from Bury, Lancashire, Morch wrote the song while living in Hebden Bridge (and watching too much Happy Valley) and found himself being an offcumden. It’s a pop at the kind of local nativism which breeds intolerance and an illustration of the sinister rise of wider political populism.

Miniseries' Pilot is just the beginning of the story. Enthralling and atmospheric, the London quintet have created something familiar yet timeless. As singer Doug Morch says, "It's the Miniseries Pilot episode. Like the TV episode a studio makes to test whether it's viable.” In the age of streaming and box-sets, this is an album to truly binge on. We can’t wait to hear what happens next.

Quatermass III bestehen aus Mitgliedern von World of Twist, Earl Brutus, The Dials, der British Experimental Rocket Group und Science Monthly. Ihr Sound ist Space-Rock mit Anleihen aus Progressive- und Glam-Rock. Ihre erste Single "Room At The Top" ist inspiriert von J.G. Ballards Kurzgeschichte "Billenium" (1962), einer düsteren dystopischen Erzählung, die die Unterdrückung urbaner Räume, zwielichtige Mietwohnungen und Überbevölkerung thematisiert. Doch dieser Track ist alles andere als düster: Er bringt seine Absichten mit sprudelndem Gesang, schwebenden Gitarren und "Devil's Interval"-Akkordwechseln zum Ausdruck. Er wird euch umhauen. Genauso wie das selbstbetitelte Debütalbum "Quatermass III".

– "Der okkulte Sound von Eno, Joy Division, Northern Soul/Glam-Beats, Robert Calvert Vox und Open University-Synthies." – MOJO

– "Ein exquisit produziertes Werk." – Crayola Lectern, Musiker

Dimelow label boss Bony Fly steps forward with a seven-track cassette + digital release for Equiknoxx Music, marking a heavyweight link-up that’s been years in the making. No stranger to the Equiknoxx universe, Bony Fly has long been part of the extended family—hosting the crew in Geneva and premiering “Rivers Odyssey” on the collective’s NTS show back in April 2020. Since then, plans for a larger project have been quietly taking shape.

Now, in 2025, the vision arrives fully formed: seven Dancehall-meets-Reggaeton scorchers, built for sound systems, clubs, and global dance floors. Bony Fly’s long-time undisputed sparring partner Androo steps in on Dancehall Science to close off the project with style and elegance. A true cross-continental connection—Guatemala City meets Kingston City in fine style, delivered through Bony Fly’s unmistakable global-club energy.

Berlin-based duo Brigade returns with their sophomore effort, having spent the intervening years refining their approach to sample-based composition. Where 2022's "Hard Times, Soft Music" established their credentials as purveyors of comfort food electronics, „Unlimited Dreams Corporation“ finds the pair digging deeper into the archives, constructing elaborate sonic collages from decades of discarded vinyl.The fictional corporate framework, a company peddling bespoke dream experiences, works as an aesthetic guide, appropriate for 2025.

The fourteen tracks unfold with the patience of bedroom producers who understand that the best plunderphonic work happens in the margins. Brigade layers found sounds and field recordings with careful restraint, creating pockets of warmth that invite repeated listening. The broken beat rhythms feel lived-in rather than showy, while the more ambient moments provide necessary breathing room. It's headphone music that rewards attention without demanding it, the kind of record that reveals new details months after initial discovery.

With Processing Music, Dutch composer and electronic musician Casimir Geelhoed offers a compelling meditation on sound transformation as a metaphor for psychological and emotional processing. Operating at the intersection of overstimulation, introspection and fragility, the album unfolds as a deeply immersive and personal exploration — one that invites the listener to inhabit a space of their own projection, memory and reflection.

Rather than imposing a fixed compositional structure, Processing Music follows a bottom-up approach, allowing form to emerge organically from the interaction of sonic materials. Digital signal processing is not used here as a mere technical tool, but as a poetic device: transformation as narrative, delay as memory, distortion as tension. Through slowly eroding loops, gently collapsing textures and shifting layers of timbre and space, Geelhoed crafts a delicate sound world that is charged with friction.

What may at first seem abstract gradually reveals an emotional core. The album evokes the suspended time of a largo, the layering of memory like an excavation, the psychological tension of perceived spatial expansion. These are not literal themes, but associative keys to a music that operates in a distinctly human sonic language.

Emerging from a series of live performances, Processing Music retains a performative sensibility: the music breathes, transforms, and invites attention to nuance. It slowly unfolds a landscape shaped by the subtle interplay between structure and dissolution.

Casimir Geelhoed has presented performances and installations at festivals such as CTM, Sonic Acts, Rewire, Fiber, SPATIAL, and Aural Spaces. He studied computer science, composition, music technology, and sonology in Amsterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht.

The Heinz Beauvaix project dates back to the mid-1990’s when Niels Rønne and Flemming Kaspersen played in Danish ambient act Swimwear Catalogue. On an ever growing number of DAT tapes they recorded semi-improvised synth/sampler/sequencer jams that mixed influences from ambient, electro and industrial. Later they began working with more detailed studio productions.

The seven tracks on “Vision Man” combine complex synth pads, interweaving monophonic synth lines, discrete drum rhythms, and strange voice samples. The sound is experimental and melodic at the same time. Influences range from early industrial to IDM, techno and synth pop. Rønne and Kaspersen originally met through a shared obsession with Canadian industrial giants Skinny Puppy. And if there is one seminal album that has influenced the Heinz Beauvaix sound, it is the obscure Skinny Puppy side project Doubting Thomas and their solitary album “The Infidel”, released in 1990.

Others have mentioned influences from bands such as Coil, Severed Heads, Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber’s Delerium and Future Sound Of London.

“Vision Man” is old school synthesizer music with tunes you can hum.

Released here for the first time on vinyl, Science-Fiction is one of Mazalda's early albums, originally released in 2008 on CD only. Mazalda is a legendary band for anyone who's been to French venues and festivals in the last 20 odd years ; the Lyon-based collective have played – literally – thousands of shows, always with a high level of breathtaking musicianship, sensitivity and energy.

Although mostly known for their fruitful collaboration with raïsinger Sofiane Saidi in the late 2010's, Mazalda started off as a street brass-band circa 2001. Soon, they integrated specific modern elements to their sound : 70's analog synths, psychedelic guitars, electric mandoline, Wurlitzer piano, Ewi electronic saxophone.

Stéphane Cézard, Mathieu Ogier, Lucas & Adrien Spirli, Gilles Poizat and Julien Lesuisse were influenced by numerous styles of instrumental music from across the Eurasian continent since their teenage years ; yet with Science-Fiction they broadened their field of inspiration to both pop and experimental horizons. Gilles Poizat (Orchestre Tout-Puissant Marcel Duchamp) and Julien Lesuisse (Crimi)'s clear and melodic vocals pair with a great sonic depth created by the countless possibilities of instrumental combinations.

Mazalda chose to record a handful of cover versions such as the majestic opener " Thu Og Eg " by Icelandic prog musician Gunnar Thordarson, or a funk-fuelled version of a 1920's protest song by Neapolitan singer Alfredo Bascetta. A majority of the selection, though, is masterfully penned by members of the band.

Science-Fiction captures the fresh and boundless creativity of a young band of mates who, as well as being top-rank interprets, draw unique inspiration from timeless musical wells. It just wasn't fair that this album never got released on vinyl or online. Meanwhile, Mazalda are still alive and well, as they released their latest album Special Key in 2023 (Airfono) and are currently playing shows across France and Europe with Franco-Egyptian singer Hend Alrawy (Orange Blossom) as "Zerzura".

Four years on from their landmark Grassroots, visionary half-time heavyweights The Untouchables return with their third album, Lost Knowledge. The duo of Kate McGill and Ajit 'Nitrox' Steyns have carved out a space in modern D&B all their own, building on a legacy that reaches back to the late 00s to keep pushing into unexplored terrain with an assured and deadly line in rhythmic intrigue and atmospheric immersion.

Lost Knowledge launches into action instantly with the high-pressure drum science and dubby splashes of 'Drunken Bells', capturing the loopy techno propulsion and rolling intensity that drives so much of the output on Samurai Music. Where The Untouchables excel is in finding variety and nuance in their relatively forbidding, pared down sound. The heads-down groove of 'Mafia Town' owes as much to dembow and dancehall as D&B, while 'Lost Knowledge' spirals out into psychoactive flurries of synth strafes and organic percussion slathered in tight-locked delay trails. There's no light relief from strident hooks or riffs, just a pure, unshakeable commitment to the power of the beat and deeply designed layers of sound shaping out the space around.

'Busy Bones' makes space for carefully deployed hints of pad tone while the snares snap out of the mix with a sharp set of teeth. 'Four Eared Demon' baits the gabber crowd with its rapid-fire 4/4 hats atop seasick creaks across the midrange, keeping subtlety and patience in the lower frequencies to maintain the signature elegance readily associated with The Untouchables. 'Phase Correlation' teases an artfully unhinged ripple of synth that stands out amongst the murky murmurs filling out the middle distance, but it's still exercised with brutal precision.

Nothing happens by accident or feels out of place - McGill and Steyns are in total control, and they demonstrate incredible range and inventive approaches within their focused style. The accent of the grooves shifts, and individual sounds carry all kinds of artefacts, yet everything gets folded into the exacting Untouchables sound with a liberal dubwise sensibility. Brimming with inspiration and immaculately produced, on Lost Knowledge their one-of-a-kind sound is stronger than ever.

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis present a suitably epic, wondrous soundtrack suite for Mars, the National Geographic Channel's 6-part series. The fictional TV series tells the story of the first astronaut crew on a mission to Mars in 2033. Directed by Everardo Gout and produced by Ron Howard & Brian Grazer, the series aired in November 2016. Composers Nick Cave and Warren Ellis deliver a pitch-perfect score to complement the thrilling yet daunting mission to a desolate alien planet in which the human species struggle to survive, thrive and forge an existence in this new world. Cave and Ellis provided thirteen tracks including the show’s theme song, which occupies a similarly cosmic electronic atmosphere as the band’s album Skeleton Tree. Mars is available as a limited edition of 750 numbered copies on crystal clear vinyl and includes an insert.

- 29 Tracks aus dem Open-World-RPG-Actionspiel von 2025
- Artwork von Ubisoft

Ubisoft und Laced Records haben ihre Zusammenarbeit erneuert, um die Musik von Assassin's Creed Shadows auf Vinyl zu veröffentlichen.

"Assassin's Creed Shadows" entführt die Spieler:innen in die reiche Kulisse des feudalen Japans und wird von einem Soundtrack untermalt, der traditionelle Instrumente mit verspielten, modernen Techniken verbindet.

Das Komponistenduo The Flight (Joe Henson und Alexis Smith) kehrt zur Assassin's-Creed-Reihe zurück und liefert einen Soundtrack, der traditionelle Instrumente mit zeitgenössischen orchestralen und elektronischen Elementen verbindet. So entsteht ein unverwechselbares Gefühl für Zeit und Ort, während spielerisch auf die Science-Fiction-Themen der Serie angespielt wird.

Die beiden Protagonisten von "Assassin's Creed Shadows" werden mit unterschiedlichen Instrumenten und musikalischen Ansätzen dargestellt: Die verstohlene Shinobi-Adeptin Naoe wird mit dem Instrument ihrer Wahl, der Tonflöte (Tsuchibue), und dem körperlosen Flüstern während der Stealth-Momente dargestellt. Der legendäre Samurai Yasuke wird mit den schärferen Klängen der Shamisen und rhythmischer Intensität dargestellt.

Für die Darbietung der japanischen Instrumente hat The Flight auf Meisterspieler wie Keiko Kitamura (Koto) und Hibiki Ichikawa (Shamisen) zurückgegriffen. Weitere Interpreten sind die Sängerin Akari Mochizuki, die Flötisten Kristin Naigus, Oriol Singh und Andy Findon sowie Michael Georgiades, der musikalische Mitarbeiter von The Flight bei Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

Nachdem sie auf ihrem gefeierten Debütalbum ein multidimensionales Klanguniversum definiert hatten, verlassen der Komponist und Filmemacher Chris Hunt und James ,Munky" Shaffer von Korn auf EXINFINITE das Vertraute und driften in ein Reich der Rekursion, wo sie auf ein Gewirr aus gespiegelten Wurmlöchern blicken, die mit unheimlicher Mehrdeutigkeit summen. Das zweite Album von VENERA ist düsterer, heavier und perkussiver als sein Vorgänger, aber es gibt etwas Intimeres in seinen Schaltkreisen, das schwer zu definieren ist - etwas Mystisches, Geheimnisvolles und Melancholisches. Songs materialisieren sich aus dem Nichts, nur um von sauren Synthesizern aufgelöst oder von Hunts geschärften Beats durchbohrt zu werden, während Shaffers dichte, gequälte Riffs durch euphorische, zeitverzerrte Vocals von FKA twigs, Dis Fig und Chelsea Wolfe ausgeglichen werden. Nach ihrer Begegnung mit der Unendlichkeit haben VENERA nach innen geschaut, über die Grenzen der Existenz nachgedacht und ihre tiefsten Emotionen ausgegraben. VENERA entstand 2022, als Hunt und Shaffer nach Aufnahmen mit der albanischen Künstlerin Xhoana X. ihr eigenes musikalisches Terrain betraten. Das Duo improvisierte gemeinsam und experimentierte mit cineastischem, von Science-Fiction inspiriertem Sounddesign und erkannte, dass die Zusammenarbeit Potenzial hatte. So begannen sie, ihren Sound weiterzuentwickeln und zu verfeinern, wobei sie Unterstützung von Deantoni Parks, dem ehemaligen Schlagzeuger von Mars Volta, Alain Johannes von Queens of the Stone Age, dem Post-Punk-Duo VOWWS und den LA-Noise-Rock-Legenden HEALTH erhielten. Nachdem ihr Debütalbum 2023 auf Mike Pattons Label Ipecac erschienen war, setzten VENERA die Dekonstruktion und Neugestaltung ihres Songwritings fort, tauschten Eno-artige Ambient-Atmosphären gegen explosive Beats und dichte Texturen aus und fanden heraus, wie sie die von ihnen eröffnete Erzählung erweitern konnten, ohne alte Pfade zu beschreiten. Auf ,Tear" ist die neue Richtung des Duos deutlich zu hören, wenn Shaffers ursprüngliche Gitarrenklänge zu unheimlichen Widescreen-Expositionen umgestaltet werden, die Hunt mit pneumatischen Kick- und Snare-Zyklen untermalt. Unterbrochen von Luftschleusen-Zischen und leuchtenden Synthesizern, bietet der Track eine Kulisse, die VENERA kontinuierlich verwandelt und das Konzept im Laufe des Albums neu formt. Die Kult-Singer-Songwriterin Chelsea Wolfe gibt dem düsteren ,All Midnights" einen gotischen amerikanischen Touch, indem sie kraftvoll über VENERAs vakuumverpackte Rhythmen und gasförmige Synthesizer singt, und der in Berlin lebende Noisemaker Dis Fig, der bereits mit The Body und The Bug zusammengearbeitet hat, verleiht Shaffer und Hunts tape-verzerrten Industrial-Pops und -Whirrs in ,End Uncovered" hauchige, emotional vielschichtige Töne. Sie lassen squelchigen, verlangsamten Techno in okkulte Noise-Reflexionspools auf dem schlängelnden ,Asteroxylon" einfließen, und Hunt antwortet auf Shaffers hallende Zupftöne mit Nebelhorn-Stöhnen auf dem unheilvollen, nachdenklichen ,uuu773". ,EXINFINITE" baut sich kontinuierlich auf, bis es ,Caroline" erreicht, eine intensive Zusammenarbeit mit FKA Twigs, die ihre unheimlichsten Töne isoliert. Zunächst umspielt sie ihre Worte mit bedrohlichen elektrischen Verzerrungen und verstümmelten, geisterhaften Stimmen, bevor sie in einen aufgeladenen opernhaften Schrei ausbricht, dem Shaffer und Hunt mit flirrenden kybernetischen Beats und dichten Wänden aus Gitarrenlärm begegnen. Dieser Track bricht das Konzept von VENERA vollständig auf, verschmilzt das Synthetische mit dem Natürlichen und löst Dysphorie, Selbstverlust und unendliche Regression aus. So wirken der blutrünstige Lärm und die finstere Atmosphäre von ,Decreation" wie eine dissoziierte Coda. In ,EXINFINITE" werden Zerstörung und Tod nicht überwunden, sondern so lange intensiviert, bis sie sich vollständig verwandeln.

Biometric-Audio presents its second release: Serial Experiments Lain, a five track musical project characterized by an artistic virus in which stories unfold through minimalistic music, science fiction and industrial sounds, with very dark atmospheres at times. The album relates with a wide range of listeners. The idea was born from the inspiration of two mangas, Serial Experiments Lain and Ghost in the Shell, merging their elements into a single creative vision. A connection between mind and technology.

Mutant, in association with Walt Disney Music and LucasFilm, are proud to present a 20th anniversary celebratory pressing of John William's original score to the iconic final chapter of the Star Wars prequel trilogy - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.



Following a powerful return to cinemas this spring, George Lucas' 2005 science fiction epic has continued to capture the hearts generation after generation. Returning for his sixth Star Wars film, John Williams brings the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker to life with a masterful flair. From the opening fanfare's hard pivot to the action packed dogfight, Williams weaves between kinetic adventure, and haunting heartbreak with grace and precision. In a series full of the absolute pinnacle of music ever committed to film, Revenge of the Sith sits proudly side by side, while feeling wholly unique.



Long out of print on physical media, and only being pressed on Vinyl for the second time ever, this limited edition release features incredible original artwork by Matt Ferguson and is pressed on 2x 140gm black vinyl.

Since 2017, Cosmic Reaper has carried a black-flamed torch of tradition, forged in the long lineage of doom and sludge. Emerging from the shadows of Charlotte, North Carolina, the band blends a raw, southern swing with the full circle of heavy metal-creating a sound as steeped in American mysticism as it is overloaded saturation of amplifier worship. "Bleed the Wicked, Drown the Damned is an album we poured our hearts into. With our sophomore LP, we wanted to take our sound to a new level, but also call back to the roots of doom, with a touch of 90s angst. Lyrically, it touches on everything from standing up to tyranny, to revenge, to sacrifice, to love, lust and betrayal- all wrapped in themes of horror, science-fiction, and history. For the best listening experience: light one up, and turn it up loud."

gold nugget vinyl, limited to 350 copies. Since 2017, Cosmic Reaper has carried a black-flamed torch of tradition, forged in the long lineage of doom and sludge. Emerging from the shadows of Charlotte, North Carolina, the band blends a raw, southern swing with the full circle of heavy metal-creating a sound as steeped in American mysticism as it is overloaded saturation of amplifier worship. "Bleed the Wicked, Drown the Damned is an album we poured our hearts into. With our sophomore LP, we wanted to take our sound to a new level, but also call back to the roots of doom, with a touch of 90s angst. Lyrically, it touches on everything from standing up to tyranny, to revenge, to sacrifice, to love, lust and betrayal- all wrapped in themes of horror, science-fiction, and history. For the best listening experience: light one up, and turn it up loud."

Livity Sound welcomes Joe Milli to the fold with an assured EP of crisp club workouts that land between techno's evocative depth and UK funky's offbeat, drum-focused functionality.

Over the past few years Milli has been establishing his sound across a swathe of radio shows, guest mixes and releases, and he lands on Livity with a timeless take on the label's commitment to stripped back, atmospheric soundsystem music.

There's variety across the Deep Forest EP, ranging from the balmy bassweight house of the title track to the deep-diving dub pulses and bruk drum science of 'Look Again'. 'Keep That Wire' draws nervous energy from its synth hooks and the taut, angular beat before the rolling Detroit techno pulse of 'Expressions' brings the EP home in punchy, percussion-loaded style.

In line with past releases from the likes of Bakongo, DJ Polo and Tribal Brothers, Milli's strength lies in his ability to bend the UK funky formula to different styles, all precision-tooled for the club.


Livity Sound is a label set up by Peverelist in 2011 as a vehicle for a raw and exploratory strain of UK techno, rooted in the heritage of UK dance music and sound system culture. It has since become one of the UK's foremost protagonists for cutting edge underground electronic music.

A unique sonic journey blending jazz, candombe, dub, hip-hop, and electronic music. Written, sequenced, and recorded by Ian Lampel (Uruguay), the album captures Montevideo's vibrant essence with innovative beats and deep roots. Embark on a sonic journey through the rich tapestry of Ian Lampel's multicultural heritage with his debut solo album, "The Parque Rodó Tapes." From the echoes of his grandparents' wartime exodus from Europe's tumultuous past to the rhythms of daily life in Parque Rodó, Lampel's artistic vision was shaped by a kaleidoscope of influences: Science fiction and fantasy books, graphic design annuals, comics, films, early computers and videogames as well as music; the haunting melodies of Russian and Polish classical composers hummed by his grandmother while cooking, the choir and hammond music of the synagogue, his early explorations in club music and dub or the syncopated drumming of candombe and carnaval echoing in the streets of Montevideo. The composer, producer and bass player, wrote, sequenced and recorded practically everything that is heard throughout the album. With meticulous attention to detail, he has crafted a sonic landscape that seamlessly blends elements of jazz and Uruguayan music with the innovative spirit of dub, hip-hop and electronica; from the infectious rhythms of candombe and the raw energy of murga, to breakbeats, moog's and samples. Drawing from a treasure trove of samples collected over two decades, "The Parque Rodó Tapes" weaves together a tapestry of sound that is both nostalgic and forward-thinking, from the haunting voice of Marosa Di Giorgio and the vibrant cacophony of a carnival field recording by Lauro Ayestaran, to the guest contributions from notable musicians including Lampel's wife, singer/songwriter Eco Lopez, multi-instrumentalist Luciana Giovinazzo on flute, and Ferna Nunez on repique drum. Each track is a testament to Lampel's eclectic vision. A debut album with a certain degree of melancholy that works as a soundtrack to the world in which the artist grew up, a world now gone, without cellphones or social networks, in which everything had to be proactively pursued "in the streets".

Here we are with the Earth perched on a thin tenuous wire. The neo-liberal order and its fascist mirror world burning through fossil fuels and the souls of vulnerable peoples the globe over. Conflict, warfare, climate degradation, misinformation. The time is nigh to break the spell with music.

Right on time comes IC007 – Four cuts of progressive elektro roots to shine a light on only four of the multitudinous hot spots of suffering while also inspiring a musical movement forward through the storm. Dedicated to the peoples of the Sudan, Palestine, Ukraine, and Taiwan this tune is another ITAL COUNSELOR sound system scorcher.

The message at its very core is to keep keeping on. Never give up. Forward through the storm like an ITAL WARRIOR! This RHYTHM SHOWER is a guideline toward a better tomorrow.

Delivering this message are some of ITAL COUNSELOR MUSIC’s stalwart players. Inyaki Basque Dub Foundation returns to the fold with yet another top-notch original rhythm – A drum and bass workout that harkens back to the best of Sly & Robbie’s Compass Point era science fiction dubwise and just a little bit of Aswad’s “To The Top” era progressive roots. Both raw and rhythmically complex, Inyaki makes the drum and bass hit hard with the mixing help of top studio man James Zugati. The dubwise cuts on side two are of course custom made to make bass bins rumble and weakheart drop.

Alas, we cannot forget Soothsayer horns – here as always proving that they are the best horn section out there. They feel it. They know it. They execute it in the hardest and sharpest of manors. Heavy heavy hornsman manners…

Progressive. Heavy. Horns. Elektro. Roots. Forward.

One Love and Guidance along the Way,
Andy G, IC

Strut Records proudly presents the official reissue of Hidden Fire Volumes 1 & 2, the final album released by Sun Ra on his El Saturn label in 1988.
Captured live over three nights at the Knitting Factory in New York City, these performances mark the closing chapter of a 33-year odyssey of radical, independent music-making. Originally issued in tiny quantities with minimal packaging and cryptic artwork—often featuring hand-written labels or Ra’s own handmade designs—Hidden Fire was among the most elusive entries in Sun Ra’s vast discography.
Musically, these recordings stand apart from Ra’s other '80s compositions. Here, Hidden Fire plunges into darker, more dissonant territory. Ra performs exclusively on the Yamaha DX7 synthesiser, pushing its digital sound palette into alien dimensions. The Arkestra lineup is uniquely configured, featuring a rare and heavy string section with three violins, including the legendary Billy Bang, and the singular space vocalist Art Jenkins, whose eerie textures and vocalisations had not been heard so prominently since the early 1960s Choreographers Workshop sessions. The music is raw, unsettled, and often overwhelming.
“Retrospect / This World Is Not My Home” opens with a palindromic riff that evokes Ellington before unraveling into a stark sermon from Ra, warning of death’s dominion over Earth-bound minds. “Hidden Fire Improvisation” is a furious explosion of tone science, with Marshall Allen, Billy Bang, and John Gilmore delivering fire-breathing solos over relentless drumming and Ra’s cascading synth clusters. “Hidden Fire Blues” offers a warped, electrified version of Ra’s familiar blues feature, led by Bruce Edwards on guitar and Rollo Radford on electric bass, transformed through the haze of DX7 textures. “My Brothers The Wind And Sun #9” evokes the experimental weight of The Heliocentric Worlds with its crashing percussion, pulsing synth-vocal duets, and string- driven chaos that seems to spiral into oblivion.
Even the quieter moments—such as “Hidden Fire II,” a duet between Ra and Art Jenkins—feel thick with unease and shadowy beauty. These performances represent a Sun Ra less concerned with cosmic joy or outer-space swing, and more focused on conjuring portals to the unknown.
Remastered from original sources and presented with archival photos, new liner notes by Paul Griffiths, and restored artwork inspired by the original Saturn editions, this reissue offers a definitive window into the last creative surge of one of music’s most visionary figures across two Vinyl LP’s.

Bodhi, the Cardiff-based production team, return to Hotflush Recordings with a follow-up to last year’s standout Laurus Ascending extended play.

Having emerged in 2012 with a slew of breathlessly-received edits and subsequent releases on labels including Future Classic and Rinse, the pair took a 4-year hiatus in 2017, returning with an invigorated sound in 2022. Recent releases on Hotflush and dh2 have brought the duo back to the forefront of the UK’s cutting edge music scene.

‘Corrupta’ is six tracks of bass-inflected, garage-influenced beat science. Opener ‘dwndwn’ sets the stage with a genuine wtf beat-drop moment. That vibe is continued on the shuffling ‘Silian Rail’.

Dancefloor smasher ‘Okinobi’ is a hat-tip to the recent Speed Garage revival, while T.O.P. is a classic slice of 2-step bassline pressure. Bodhi’s techno influences are also present with electro breaks hybrid of ‘Without You’ and the 8am Berghain vibes of ‘Bellcurve’.

This is another long-form statement of intent from some of the most inventive club producers in the game right now.

Support from Jamie xx, Lee Gamble, I.Jordan, dBridge, Machinedrum, DJ Haus +++

Editions Mego presents Bosko, landing exactly 30 years after the initial General Magic flights into the fantastic; the legendary first Mego release, a collaboration with Pita whereby all sounds were harnessed from the buzzing, drinking, humming sounds of fridges MEGO 001 General Magic & Pita and a 12” with Elin called Die Mondlandung (The Moon Landing) MEGO 002 which embarked on a minimal techno template so austere and strange it was one of the historic progenitors of austere and wonky rhythms alongside Sakho and other European explorers.

The initial return of the playful and mystical Austrian outfit General Magic came with the 20th year anniversary vinyl reissue of their classic debut Frantz eMEGO 010. A record so audacious and playful it still baffles as much as it entertains. At some point whilst working on this reissue GM’s Ramon Bauer and Andi Pieper were spurred on to rummage around with ideas and tools once more and after more than two decades of inactivity sonic sorcery was conjured once again. Live shows in honour of Peter Rehberg were performed in Vienna and London. Softbop, a limited risograph collaboration with Tina Frank came with the first new recordings as a digital download came out discreetly online. The first full length album following Rechenkönig in 2000 MEGO 032 “Nein Aber Ja” released in 2023 on Finlay Shakespeare’s GOTO Records on CD and cassette. An ongoing series of mix tapes online further highlights their interests encapsulating a new found angle on electronic mayhem. All of these elements retain the wildly eclectic and ecstatic glow that only they can harness and hand out to an unprepared world.

Now, we have General Magic’s second official full length comeback recording, Bosko. The new album is initially notable prior to the needle hitting the wax or the cursor identifying a track due to the artwork. Made by long term collaborator Tina Frank, this is Frank’s first analogue artwork, with a painting of a happy/nervous machine thing hovering in a landscape of no discernible identity. It’s quasi science fiction hovering amongst the potential for fun. Suited to the music? Natürlich.

Bosko sees Bauer and Pieper update and reframe their original investigations with a fresh supply of head scratching, heart racing tunes that hit the inexplicable with a wild mesh of drums, pianos, synthetic voices and all manner of immaterial sonic play. Startling sonics shock the ears on Club Duchamp which sounds like a conversation between synthetic adult ants in an environment still in development. Elfer features vocals supplied by a female-ish voice who, whilst grappling melody, has trouble executing a firm identity. Noorenhalt catapults along a mainframe of syncopation so unwieldy it feels like the voice, which is utterly alien, provides the only comfort. Seite 5 inhabits a fuzzy zone where a synthetic Horn of Jericho type ambience competes with rhythms never quite sure of who they are. Rise of the Ombré raises the spectral dread. Is this Science Fact? Absolutely nothing within Bosko is predictable.

The amount of change in the miasma of existence and the things we touch in order to make things has shifted so exponentially we are at the point where minds are starting to glaze over. All of this makes the return of the always original, always surprising, always fresh and exciting General Magic totally in tune with the artificial intelligent apocalyptic age we currently inhabit. The tools may have changed but the wonderfully warped gaze of Bosko offers a fresh new vision of perplexing funk and robotic punk.

Lathe of Heaven kehren mit ihrem zweiten Album Aurora zurück, einer kühnen Erweiterung ihrer klanglichen und thematischen Palette, die sich wie eine Reihe lebendiger, emotionaler Vignetten entfaltet. "Aurora" ist eine bisher unerforschte Variante des Lathe of Heaven-Sounds, die eine delikate Balance zwischen ihren Punk-Wurzeln und einer fesselnden New-Wave- und 80er-Jahre-Post-Punk-Ästhetik bietet, die Einflüsse aus dem britischen und finnischen Post-Punk der mittleren 80er-Jahre mit subtilen Nuancen aus dem Underground-Pop der 90er-Jahre und der Gegenwart kombiniert. Aufgenommen mit Ben Greenberg bei Circular Ruin und gemastert von Brad Boatright, ist das Album klanglich beeinflusst vom melodischen Rock von The Cure, Musta Paraatis Gothic-Post-Punk-Synthie und intensivem Schlagzeugspiel und A Flock of Seagulls' Art-Pop-Gesang und Gitarrenriffs. Textlich schreckt Aurora nicht vor schweren Themen zurück. Aurora ist als eine Sammlung von Science-Fiction-Kurzgeschichten gedacht, die von Themen wie Antikolonialismus, Vielfalt und Gleichberechtigung beeinflusst sind und sich in den Texten niederschlagen. Diese Geschichten sind von den Romanen von Ursula K. le Guin, Octavia Butler, Greg Egan und Peter Watts inspiriert und führen den Hörer in mythische, kühne und etwas beunruhigende Realitäten. Der Titeltrack "Aurora" spielt in einer dystopischen Zukunft, in der die Erde aufgrund von nuklearem Fallout längst verlassen ist - er erforscht Themen wie Verlust, Liebe und Hingabe. "Oblivion" befasst sich mit dem Phänomen der semantischen Sättigung - wenn man ein Wort oft genug sagt, verliert es seine Bedeutung. "Exodus" ist eine Neuinterpretation des Schiffsparadoxons von Theseus und erzählt von der Erfahrung, das Bewusstsein in einen neuen, perfekten Körper zu übertragen. An anderer Stelle steht "Portrait of a Scorched-Earth" für einen direkten Akt des Widerstands. Als einer der emotionalsten Songs des Albums bricht er mit der üblichen lyrischen Abstraktion der Band und ist eine schonungslose Abrechnung mit den Schrecken der modernen Kriegsführung und der Vertreibung, die in der gelebten Tragödie von Gaza wurzelt. Lathe of Heaven hoffen, dass "Aurora" ein breites Spektrum an Emotionen hervor ruft und zum Nachdenken über den Zustand unserer Realität und der Menschheit anregt. Es ist literarisch, ohne prätentiös zu sein, politisch, ohne zu predigen, und emotional, ohne mit der Wimper zu zucken. Jeder Song hält ein Stück eines zerbrochenen Spiegels, und was zum Vorschein kommt, ist eine prismatische, verwundete Schönheit, die mit tausend Gesichtern zurückstarrt. "Aurora" erhebt den Anspruch, "ohne Angst in das traumlose Vergessen zu zittern". Sie sind herzlich eingeladen.

Riding high on a prolific wave of output, Kloke returns to Mindgames with Lucidity — an album that confirms his position at the forefront of modern jungle.

Andy Donnelly has been actively releasing a broad swathe of electronic music since the late 00s, but it's his sharpened focus on jungle and drum & bass over the past 10 years that has cemented his reputation. As well as working closely with fellow scene leaders like Tim Reaper, the Australian artist has hit a flow state with his productions where the quality and quantity seems limitless. Since Mindgames started as a Samurai Music sub-label, Kloke has been a core part of the imprint's identity. Having already dropped the Mindgame 8 EP earlier this year, Donnelly is back with a full-length salvo of advanced jungle heavy on the technicalities and even heavier on the vibes.

Lucidity makes its mark from the very first blast of breakbeat science that opens up the title track. From that point on Donnelly works at full tilt, edging gritty textures into his sampling and capturing classic jungle's melancholic mystery through an expansive palette of re-pitched hooks. This is carefully crafted soundsystem music in thrall to the tradition of jungle, but at no point does it sound tired or throwback. One key element is the dynamic intensity of Donnelly's arrangements, shifting gears with devastating poise whether darting through the starry-eyed arps and deft breaks of 'Mobius Strip' or chopping around the jagged angles and noirish licks of 'Goose Cuts'.

Donnelly folds many moods into his jungle tapestries. 'Paradiso' conjures a smoky, haunting atmosphere while 'Nightfall' leads on techy darkside stabs before unfurling shadowy jazz licks that flicker like ghosts through the dense forest of drums. At all times, the commitment to mind-bending configurations of compound breaks drives the album forwards. No two beats roll the same as Donnelly indulges his precise and profound instinct for next-level edits and heavyweight production.

Gritty, raw and true to the roots of the culture, Kloke stands tall on Lucidity. It's the kind of detailed, deep and deadly album that shows jungle at its absolute best — a sound that still feels like the future in the right hands.

Repress!

Tony Price is back again with Street Theatre, an electrifying new LP on his Maximum Exposure label that serves up eight tracks of rude, crude, real-deal house music with absolute attitude.

Following the recent release of the psychedelic jazz reveries of Requiem for the Ontario Science Centre, this is his second release of 2025 and marks a return to the dancefloor.

Street Theatre is total midnight music—eight tracks of ferocious Chicago house worship, replete with slamming drum machine beatdowns, laser-guided synthesizers, and radioactive funk refractions that evoke Z-Factor’s primal neon pulse, trench coat-era Prince, WBMX cut-ups, and Ron Hardy’s splice-happy Muzic Box mania.

Produced in the span of a week at his studio in Greektown, Toronto, these recordings exemplify what can now undoubtedly be called Tony Price’s signature style—an unvarnished, elemental, no-nonsense approach to record production and sound design that reduces dance music down to its crudest textures and core principles, an approach and ethos that have guided his entire body of work.

Tony’s recorded output showcases fearless exploration across genres—classic house, funk, electro, and the outer limits of electronic jazz and musique concrète. Street Theatre stands tall alongside his Hit Piece LP, the Bail Bonds EP, and his NTS show, The Maximum Exposure Power Hour, as a bold, ecstatic, and direct expression of the eternal essence of house music.