Search:the spirit

Out Friday 14th June, the renowned jazz and funk trumpeter Sefi Zisling presents his third album ‘The Librarian’, blending classic elements with psychedelic funk, soul, and spiritual jazz. ‘The Librarian’ is dedicated to all things close to Sefi’s heart. The album pays homage to his musical inspirations, his wife, friends, and Eyad, a Palestinian whose story moved Sefi.

"This album was made as an ode to the people I love, and I would like to dedicate this album to them." - Sefi Zisling

Sefi Zisling first started playing the trumpet at the mere age of ten, soon after enrolling in the prestigious art school Thelma Yellin. Performing in an array of bands since his early teens, Sefi has performed and recorded sessions with almost every key player of the jazz world in Israel. His debut album ‘Beyond The Thing I Know’, released on Tel Aviv’s leading collective Raw Tapes, propelled the trumpeter onto the world stage. Sefi then found his home on Tru Thoughts for his sophomore record ‘Expanse’, an album that captured the essence of the classic jazz session and transformed his role from instrumentalist to composer.

The cover art is a painting by the late Walid Abu Shakra, a member of the Abu Shakra family who have collectively played a pivotal role in the Palestinian-Israeli art scene and are respected worldwide. Walid aimed to highlight the expropriation of Palestinian land by the Israeli state and centred his artistic career on safeguarding a disappearing landscape through his monochromatic etchings.

Selling Points
Sefi Zisling's sophomore album "Expanse" sold out on vinyl in the first few months
The cover art is a painting by the late Walid Abu Shakra, a member of the Abu Shakra family who have collectively played a pivotal role in the Palestinian-Israeli art scene
Praise from Jazz FM (Playlisting), FIP, Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), Jazz Times, Jazziz, Tom Ravenscroft, Huey Morgan, Cerys Matthews (BBC 6Music), Musica Macondo, Music Is My Sanctuary, Bandcamp Weekly, Wax Poetics and much more.
Recorded intimately and live with a five-piece ensemble
The LP features a spellbinding version of Mall Waldron's jazz standard 'All Alone'
Mixed by renowned engineer George Atkins (80 Hertz Studios)

After a brief hiatus, Lay Down The Groove is thrilled to be back with its 10th release, an EP that captures the essence and evolving spirit of the label.

Transcend EP marks the debut production of Palazzo, an Argentinian DJ and now Melbourne-based artist. This five-track release is the result of a deeply personal creative process, reflecting his transition from DJing to music production. Inspired by a broad spectrum of influences, the EP weaves together elements of House, Balearic, Tribal, and Latin rhythms, a rich and textured showcase of Palazzo’s unique musical vision.

To round off the release, the EP includes a deep and spacious Dub version of the track “Turquoise”, reimagined by label heads Lay Down The Groove, adding their own signature touch to the project.

Ground-breaking percussive ambient recordings from Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors, inducing altered states of consciousness through ecstatic dance. "Selected Works from 1985 to 2005" finally available on Time Capsule

Despite featuring an extraordinary cast of musicians (with credits including Pharoah Sanders, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Santana and Milton
Nascimento) and selling hundreds of thousands of albums, the music of Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors remains largely unheard beyond their sphere. Conceived as live, improvised soundtracks to Roth’s transcendental dance workshops, musical acclaim was never on the agenda.Instead, for a passionate dancer and spiritual polyglot like Gabrielle Roth, movement was a means through which to channel a wide spectrum of teaching, from experimental psychology to psychedelic counter-culture. It was from this heady mix that she devised a movement meditation known as 5Rhtyhms, which came to define her life’s work.

As “guide and catalyst”, Roth would dance to inspire the percussion-led instrumentals that would in turn fuel her 5Rhythms workshops, stimulating a secular form of ecstatic dance with roots in Native American shamanic traditions, Afro-Brazilian Candomblé and Yoruba drumming. Using anything from a Sioux pony drum to East African kihembe and Japanese Kabuki drums, Gabrielle’s lawyer-turned-drummer husband Robert Ansell set the foundational rhythms for The Mirrors’ recordings, each of which would then feature a rotating cast of friends and professional musicians.

“The secret of everything we’ve done is that we never told anybody what to play,” Robert shares. “Instead of our albums being a musical vision of one person like me or Gabrielle, they were the musical vision of a whole bunch of people.”At times the recordings have a Middle Eastern flair, at others, West African and spiritual jazz modes come to the fore. Hints of kosmische musik, proto-house and electronic ambience are laced like LSD through the organic rhythmic structures. This was kaleidoscopic ambient music to stir the body and free the mind.

In practice, the task of synthesising these different elements fell to Scott Ansell, Robert’s son and a recording engineer whose credits now include Nile Rogers, Duran Duran, Grace Jones. With meticulous attention to detail he captured and translated the dynamic energy of each drum onto record. Their sessions became legendary, and with access to the best studios in the NYC, The Mirrors sparkled.

Despite being initially overlooked by the burgeoning ‘80s New Age market, which preferred pipes and gongs to The Mirrors’ heavy-grooving drums, Robert Ansell set up Raven Recording to self-release the music, creating a vast sonic archive of sixteen albums over almost forty years. The breadth of Raven’s catalogue is such that curator Pol Valls had to cut an initial selection of sixty-six tracks down to the eleven featured here. What crystallises is a stunning, mind-altering collection which spans, in Pol’s words, “a variety of genres, styles, and vibes within their catalogue, whether it is emotional, esoteric, spiritual, melancholic, hypnotic, dark, or at times a combination of these elements together.”Music for immersive and intimate environments, Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors were born from the dance. In the hands of the right DJ, at the right time, in the right place, they might just return there.

Psychic 9-5 Club marks the beginning of a new chapter for HTRK. It's an album that looks back on a time of sadness and struggle, and within that struggle they find hope and humour and love. It's Jonnine Standish and Nigel Yang's first album recorded entirely as a duo— former band member Sean Stewart died halfway through the recording of their last LP, 2011's Work (Work, Work).
Though the record is instantly recognisable as HTRK—Standish's vocal delivery remains central to the band's sound, while the productions are typically lean and dubby—they've found ample room for exploration within this framework. Gone are the reverb-soaked guitar explorations of 2009's Marry Me Tonight and the fuzzy growls that ran through Work (Work Work). They've been replaced with something tender, velvety and polished. This is HTRK, but the flesh has been stripped from their sound, throwing the focus on naked arrangements and minimalist sound design.
The album was recorded at Blazer Sound Studios in New Mexico with Excepter's Nathan Corbin, who had previously directed the video clip for Work (Work Work) cut "Bendin." Inviting a third party into their world was no easy decision, but in Corbin they found a kindred spirit. The LP was then refined and reworked in Australia at the turn of 2013, before the finishing touches were applied in New York during the summer.
Of all the themes that run through Psychic 9-5 Club, love is the most central. The word is laced throughout the album in lyrics and titles— love as a distraction, loving yourself, loving others. Standish's lyrics explore the complexities of sexuality and the body's reaction to personal loss, though there's room for wry humour—a constant through much of the best experimental Australian music of the past few decades.
Standish explores her vocal range fully—her husky spoken-word drawl remains, but we also hear her laugh and sing. Equally, Yang's exploratory production techniques—particularly his well-documented love of dub—are given room to shine. They dip headlong into some of the things that make humans tick—love, loss and desire—with the kind of integrity that has marked the band out from day one. Psychic 9-5 Club is truly an album for the body and for the soul.

GOSPEL GREATEST HITS - Die Seele der Musik Mit Gospel Greatest Hits präsentiert Wagram eine außergewöhnliche Sammlung der kraftvollsten Stimmen und bewegendsten Songs der Gospelgeschichte - als Doppel-CD und Doppel-Vinyl. Diese Zusammenstellung vereint emotionale Tiefe, spirituelle Kraft und musikalische Exzellenz in einem einzigartigen Hörerlebnis. Zu hören sind Legenden wie Mahalia Jackson, The Edwin Hawkins Singers, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Sam Cooke, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong und das Golden Gate Quartet - Künstler:innen, die Gospel nicht nur geprägt, sondern weit über die Kirchenmauern hinausgetragen haben. Gospel war schon immer mehr als nur Musik: In den USA war er Stimme der Hoffnung, Ausdruck von Widerstand und Quelle spiritueller Kraft - und ist bis heute ein Fundament für Soul, R&B und Pop. Diese Sammlung bringt die Ursprünge zurück ins Rampenlicht - mit Songs, die unter die Haut gehen.

The story of Suffering began in the UK's West Midlands in 2012 and since those nascent days they have released a nefarious collection of occult black metal offerings, beginning with their debut album, 11, in 2018 and most recently the Symphonies: Diabolis EP in 2024. They have also built a reputation for intense, diabolical live performances, appearing alongside the likes of Esoteric, Ghost Bath, and Mol. The band recently signed with infamous label, Apocalyptic Witchcraft, with label founder Conor Droney describing Suffering's music as "dark, unflinching, and deeply atmospheric, exactly what we stand for." And now the first fruits of that new alliance are about to be unveiled, in the shadowed form of Things Seen But Always Hidden. Things Seen But Always Hidden is an enveloping nightmarish journey through temptation and spiritual destruction, an immersion in contrasting states of terror and ecstasy - it bewilders, consumes and possesses the power to change and scar. Each song seeps into the next, binding them into a grimoire of dehumanising ritual, yet they exist as powerful individual entities. There is 'Enthralled', constructed from classic black metal riffs and raw vocal exhortations_and something more, something imperceptible but profoundly affecting; 'What Once Was Shall Be Again And What Is Shall Be No More', a glimpse beyond the veil, a fall down the endless paths of inherited memory that binds you to this album, this place constructed from arcane sound; the fear filled and imperious 'Hell On Earth New Eden', driven by a ravenous, unholy hunger_each chapter in this tome of unmaking and desecration will burn itself into your mind. A fusion of blackest metal, ritualistic doom and unsettling, distressing atmosphere Things Seen But Always Hidden will never leave you, no matter where you run. The way to Things Seen But Always Hidden will be revealed by Apocalyptic Witchcraft on November 28th. But remember, once you have set foot on this path there is no way back_

Just when you thought you'd heard the final word on Norwegian black metal's golden age, Sevan Mater erupts from the underground with a breathtaking reissue of TSJUDER 's Norwegian Apocalypse - now unleashed in a deluxe triple gatefold 2LP edition, pressed on stunning 500 Gold and 500 Red vinyl. Originally released as a live DVD in 2006, Norwegian Apocalypse captures TSJUDER at their most primal and ferocious. Recorded in Oslo and Sandnes in 2005, this live document is a raw testament to the unrelenting, chainsawing riffage and relentless blastbeats that made TSJUDER legends. From the first crackle of the needle, the remastering breathes new fire into tracks like "Sodomizing the Lamb" and "Helvete."

The guitars slice sharper, the drums hit harder, and Nag's vocals tear through the speakers like a storm of razors. The live energy is palpable, preserved in glorious analog fidelity that towers over previous editions. But let's talk presentation - because Sevan Mater has outdone themselves. The triple gatefold cover is a work of dark art: blood- red visuals drenched in shadow, with exclusive liner notes and rare live photos from the original shows. This is not a reprint for casual listeners. It's a statement piece, a collector's treasure, and a monument to the uncompromising spirit of true black metal. Whether you're a longtime disciple of TSJUDER or just stepping into the abyss, this reissue of Norwegian Apocalypse is absolutely essential. It's not just an album. It's a summoning.

Just when you thought you'd heard the final word on Norwegian black metal's golden age, Sevan Mater erupts from the underground with a breathtaking reissue of TSJUDER 's Norwegian Apocalypse - now unleashed in a deluxe triple gatefold 2LP edition, pressed on stunning 500 Gold and 500 Red vinyl. Originally released as a live DVD in 2006, Norwegian Apocalypse captures TSJUDER at their most primal and ferocious. Recorded in Oslo and Sandnes in 2005, this live document is a raw testament to the unrelenting, chainsawing riffage and relentless blastbeats that made TSJUDER legends. From the first crackle of the needle, the remastering breathes new fire into tracks like "Sodomizing the Lamb" and "Helvete."

The guitars slice sharper, the drums hit harder, and Nag's vocals tear through the speakers like a storm of razors. The live energy is palpable, preserved in glorious analog fidelity that towers over previous editions. But let's talk presentation - because Sevan Mater has outdone themselves. The triple gatefold cover is a work of dark art: blood- red visuals drenched in shadow, with exclusive liner notes and rare live photos from the original shows. This is not a reprint for casual listeners. It's a statement piece, a collector's treasure, and a monument to the uncompromising spirit of true black metal. Whether you're a longtime disciple of TSJUDER or just stepping into the abyss, this reissue of Norwegian Apocalypse is absolutely essential. It's not just an album. It's a summoning.

In April 2003, Secret Affair returned to the stage at London’s legendary Scala for a show that captured everything fans love about the band: sharp songs, soulful playing, and the unmistakable fire of the Mod revival spirit.
Live at the Scala brings the energy of that night back to life, presented in stunning audio across double vinyl & 2CD. From the driving beat of Time for Action to the passion of Let Your Heart Dance and the punch of My World, the Scala setlist is a powerful reminder of why Secret Affair remain one of the defining bands of their era.
RECORDED AT THE SCALA, LONDON, 18th JUNE 2003 and released on vinyl for the first time.
The Original Secret Affair Line-up
Ian Page - Vocals, Trumpet
David Cairns - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Dennis Smith - Bass
David Winthrop - Drums
Paul Bultitude – Saxophone

DA-Dee-MiX, the hip-hop band that's a fixture on the MC battle scene, offers a bold cover of "Today," the source material for a shining classic in the history
of sampling! The B-side features "INCENSE," a collaboration with rapper Jun Ku, which has garnered much buzz, released for the first time on 7-inch,
making this an incredibly powerful double-sided album!

DA-Dee-MiX, the instrumental hip-hop band that continues to support the MC battle and live music scenes, releases their long-awaited new 7-inch, their first
in seven years. This two-track 7-inch single blends hip-hop's roots with a hands-on spirit.
Side A features guest appearances from 45trio SWING-O, who delivers a bold cover of Tom Scott's "Today" the source material for a shining classic in the
history of hip-hop. DA-Dee-MiX's signature groove, which intertwines jazz, soul, and hip-hop, reconstructs the track, offering more than just a cover; it
offers a new interpretation for today's listeners. SWING-O's electric piano and the ensemble of live performances beautifully elevate the warmth and power
of the original.
Side-B features the long-awaited vinyl release of "INCENSE," a collaboration with Yokohama-based rapper Kujun!
Released in 2020, this track captivated many listeners with its melodic flow and unique musical sense, leading to endless calls for it to be released on vinyl.
DA-Dee-MiX's soft yet powerful track is complemented by Kujun's fragrant words, creating a track that truly lives up to the title: a track that permeates the ears!
This double-sided album is a must-listen for DA-Dee-MiX's "performative hip hop"!

Progressive rock may rarely grace the mainstream spotlight, but its devoted global community continues to thrive, and few bands embody that spirit better than Airbag. Since their debut EP, Safetree (2007), and first full-length album, Identity (2009), the Norwegian quintet has steadily built a worldwide following with their cinematic soundscapes, soaring melodies, and timeless songwriting. From All Rights Removed to The Century of the Self, each release has cemented Airbag's reputation as one of the most vital acts in modern progressive rock, earning critical acclaim and packing venues across Europe and beyond. Now, 16 years and five studio albums later, Airbag returns with their first official live album, captured during a powerful performance at Poppodium Boerderij in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands in 2024. This double CD / double vinyl release showcases the band at their best, raw, immersive, and sonically stunning. The recordings have been meticulously mixed to preserve the atmosphere and authenticity of the live shows. For collectors, the vinyl edition is a must-have: A deluxe gatefold cover with an exclusive booklet and a limited first pressing on coloured splatter vinyl, a beautiful piece for fans and audiophiles alike. Whether you've followed Airbag from the beginning or discovered them along the way, this live album is a celebration of a band that continues to defy trends, connect deeply with fans, and delivers music that stands the test of time.

Known to fans simply as The Blue Album, Adolescents' self-titled debut album captured the raw pulse of Southern California's teenage rebellion at a time when hardcore was beginning to take shape yet still holding onto the infectious urgency of punk's first wave. Few records from the American punk underground have echoed as far and wide-or as enduringly-as the Adolescents' self-titled debut, first released by Frontier Records in 1981. Formed in Fullerton, California, Adolescents brought together members of earlier OC punk outfits like Social Distortion and Agent Orange, fusing their varied influences into something uniquely their own. With songs like 'Amoeba,' 'Kids of the Black Hole,' and 'No Way,' the album offered more than just speed and volume-it spoke directly to suburban alienation, youthful frustration, and the search for identity in a world that felt increasingly hostile and conformist. This new edition offers longtime listeners and new fans alike a chance to revisit-or discover-an album that helped define the West Coast punk sound. From its striking blue cover to its mix of melody, defiance, and urgency, "Adolescents" remains a vital listen, as relevant today as it was over four decades ago. It's an album that didn't just reflect its moment-it shaped what punk could be: loud, smart, emotional, and unflinchingly real. Reissued with care and respect for its original spirit, The Blue Album stands not only as a milestone in punk history, but as a testament to the enduring power of youth in revolt. This reissue includes a repro of the original insert and poster.

Das letzte von Chris Bailey mit The Saints eingespielte Material! "Long March Through the Jazz Age" ist das letzte Album von Chris Bailey und The Saints. Es ist ein bewegender Abschied - ein Zeugnis eines rastlosen, kompromisslosen Künstlers, der immer vorwärts ging, einer der großen Texter und doch unglücklicher Musiker. Aufgenommen Ende 2018 in den Church Street Studios in Sydney, flogen Bailey und der langjährige Saints-Schlagzeuger Pete Wilkinson aus Europa ein, um sich mit Gitarrist/Toningenieur Sean Carey, der zuvor mit der Band getourt und aufgenommen hatte, gemeinsam an dieses letzte Kapitel von Bailey's Saints zu begegeben . Zu ihnen gesellten sich Davey Lane (You Am I) an der Gitarre sowie ein handverlesenes Ensemble junger Musiker*innen Sydneys. Aus Baileys groben Demos entwickelte sich "Long March Through the Jazz Age" zu einer zutiefst menschlichen Momentaufnahme mit Strahlkraft."Empires (Sometimes We Fall)" ist der hymnische Opener des Albums, getragen von Gitarren und untermalt von Baileys schmerzhaften Texten: ,Sometimes we rise, sometimes we fall". Es ist der perfekte Auftakt für ein Album, das Baileys angeborenen Punk-Spirit versprüht und gleichzeitig frei in einer großzügigen Produktion fließt. Eine 12-saitige Gitarre verleiht dem streicherlastigen "Judas" Harmonie und Wärme, es ist ein herrlich melancholisches Stück, "Gasoline" erinnert an den Country-Sound der Stones auf Exile On Main Street, während "Bruises" eine ehrliche Erinnerung daran ist, wie dieser gefeierte Troubadour dorthin gekommen ist, wo er heute steht. Es gibt Momente von Dylan-artiger Erhabenheit, wenn klangvolle Gitarren und Streicher das Panorama erweitern, während der Titelsong eine eindringliche, poetische Intensität vermittelt, dessen trauriger Trompetenbreak so erschauern lässt wie kaum etwas anderes. Long March Through the Jazz Age markiert das Ende der bemerkenswerten Reise von Chris Bailey und The Saints - die üblichen Wege ignorierend, über vier Jahrzehnte Musik gelebt. Limitiertes blaues Vinyl mit Glanzlack-Cover, Linernotes & DLC oder Digisleeve CD. "One of the most sporadically brilliant, frustratingly uneven and most undeniably important bands Australia has ever produced" - The Guardian

The debut from Berlin's Misere is a new jewel in the modern post punk crown. Sit back, relax and let the darkness engulf you with their primitive and sparse sound. Standout "Prickelnd" starts with the pounding floor tom and snare and slightly flanged bass before the guitar kicks in and the song takes twists and turns. It’s like a minimal sounding Xmal Deutschland and Blood and Roses with a vocalist that sings with a deadpan delivery. Another standout "Dracula" has the sound and spirit of the first Kleenex single down to a tea, but adds a hint of classic early 80’s goth. Final track "Abrieb" sounds like it could fall apart at any moment, in all it’s glorious chaos. It’s the sound of what UK Decay would have sounded like, if they were women. A superb release that shows the sound of Berlin in 2025.

Sean Forbes, Rough Trade

South Africa Amapiano powerhouse, De Mthuda, releases “world’s first major amapiano release on vinyl”.

“The Landlord – Vinyl Cuts” is a carefully curated selection of 6 of De Mthuda’s best tracks, released during ‘The Landlord’ era from 2021 – 2023.

Bringing the unique joy and spirit of Amapiano to the world - all tracks have been remastered for vinyl to present the unique bass rhythm, log drum and flow, synonymous with the genre that has taken the world by storm.

The first single from the forthcoming Skinshape x Horus dub album, "Act Like You Know" is a soulful reggae reworking of Fat Larry's Band's 1982 classic, featuring smooth vocals from Andy Platts (also Mama's Gun, Young Gun Silver Fox). Produced using fully analogue techniques and recorded in the spirit of vintage Jamaican dub, this 7" is a perfect blend of oldschool authenticity and modern production finesse. Skinshape (Will Dorey) and Ben Bell (Horus Records / Lion Vibes) bring over two decades of collaboration and deep roots to this project. Known for their love of rare roots reggae and dub, the pair are now crafting original material with the same dedication to sound and detail that defined the golden era of Jamaican music. Released as white label 7" vinyl in plain white sleeve with dub version of Act Like You Know on the flipside.

The 3rd and final chapter in Cochemea's epic quest to explore and express the spiritual connection between his art and ancestry. For Vol 3: Ancestros Futuros, Cochemea entrusted his vision to a core group of longme collaborators-a powerful octet composed of New York-based percussionists and members of Daptone's famed rhythm section. Gabriel Roth (aka Bosco Mann) reprised his role as producer, recording and mixing the album live to 8-track analog tape. Cochemea continues to push the boundaries of his sound, blending past, present, and future into a ritual offering-an evolving sonic narrative where memory, survival and creativity converge.

Mit To The Source öffnet Christoph Stiefel einen Raum, in dem Musik nicht nur gehört, sondern erlebt wird. Jeder Ton seines Soloalbums auf dem Klavier ist wie ein Atemzug - bewusst gesetzt, tief empfunden und voller Resonanz. Die Aufnahmen entstanden in zwei akustisch sensiblen Räumen, in denen Klang und Stille gleichberechtigt miteinander kommunizieren. Stiefel spielt nicht, um zu beeindrucken - er spielt, um zu berühren. Die Musik entsteht intuitiv, fließt durch ihn hindurch, ohne Plan, aber mit voller Hingabe. Nebengeräusche wie Atmen oder Rascheln sind keine Makel, sondern Zeugnisse eines echten Moments, eines Menschen, der sich ganz dem Klang hingibt. To The Source ist ein musikalisches Bekenntnis zur Reduktion, zur Essenz, zur Wahrheit. Es ist ein Album, das nicht erklärt, sondern fragt - und dabei tief bewegt.

A transatlantic masterpiece, "Mystery Merxhant" is a vivid sonic journey that fuses the smooth, raw lyricism of Bahamian rapper Obijuan with the cinematic, dusty soundscapes crafted by UK producer Giallo Point. Together, they weave an immersive tale of introspection, hustle, and mystique.

Obijuan’s deep, measured delivery glides effortlessly over Giallo Point's expertly layered beats, which are steeped in rich samples, haunting melodies, and boom-bap drums. Each track feels like a page from an ancient, esoteric scroll, with Obijuan delivering cryptic rhymes that balance between wisdom and wit. Survival, self-reliance, and spiritual alignment blend with hypnotic loops, shadowy and noir-inspired tones and cinematic vibes.

This collaboration solidifies Obijuan and Giallo Point as formidable artists in the underground scene, bringing a fresh yet nostalgic sound that invites listeners to lose themselves in the depths of its artistry.

Delights present a new fuzz-driven sci-fi-flavoured double-sider by Voxatone.

Eden Atiya (Rasco) and Ben Avgay (Silvi Jan), also known together as power duo Alligator Ladies, join Shay Landa and Markey Funk for a new sonic excursion into vintage instruments with "vox" in their title. The new 45, "Altair V/Vampyrim", channels the mystique and eerie spirit of the cult 60s sci-fi/horror B-movies, as the four blend groovy psych with space-age surf and otherworldly exotica.

Limitierte Sub Pop Loser Edition auf rotem Vinyl. Die Maxi-Single 12", mit "Eternity's Pillars" auf der A-Seite und den zwei Stücken "Raise the Chalice" und "Reverential" auf der B-Seite, ist das erste Werk von sunn O))) für Sub Pop. Es besteht aus drei brandneuen Tracks, die vom legendären Duo Stephen O'Malley und Greg Anderson geschrieben und eingespielt und von Sunn O))) und Brad Wood gemeinsam produziert wurden. Brad Wood hat das Material 2025 in den Bear Creek Studios in Woodinville und Sea Grass in Los Angeles aufgenommen. Die Tracks auf dieser Maxi-12"-Platte sind die ersten offiziellen Studioaufnahmen von Sunn O))), auf denen nur das ursprüngliche Kern-Duo mit stark gesättigten E-Gitarren und Synthesizern zu hören ist. Sunn O))) hat jedem Schritt und Aspekt der Aufnahme, jedem Ton und jeder Sättigungsstufe, jeder Verstärkungsstufe und jedem Lautsprecher, jedem Arrangement und jeder Harmonie extreme Aufmerksamkeit und Sorgfalt gewidmet. Der Wald im Pazifischen Nordwesten ist das Leitbild. ,Eternity's Pillars" ist nach der Fernsehsendung aus der Mitte der 1980er Jahre benannt, die von der Jazz-Visionärin und spirituellen Guruin Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda kreiert und moderiert wurde und sich auf ihren unerschütterlichen Glauben an die Fähigkeit der Musik konzentriert, spirituelle Transzendenz zu erreichen. ,Raise the Chalice" ist nach einem Schlachtruf benannt, den die Hardcore Legende des Nordwestens, Ron Guardipee, Mitte der 1990er Jahre oft ausstieß. ,Reverential" zollt denen, die vor uns mit den schwersten Lasten kamen, Respekt und lobt sie lautstark, wobei Musik und Kunst als Materialien für einen Antiphon dienen. Das Cover zeigt das Duo in den Wäldern nordöstlich von Seattle, aufgenommen durch die Linse von Charles Peterson, der für seine ikonischen Fotos der Musikszene von Seattle und klassische Albumcover von Soundgarden, Mudhoney und anderen bekannt ist.

For its first vinyl release, Shakshouka Records proudly presents the first ever reissue of the Algerian Kabyle band Syphax, a 7-inch featuring two irresistible disco gems that set the dancefloor alight while channeling a kaleidoscope of psychedelic textures and North African Amazigh spirit.


Born in exile on the outskirts of Paris, Syphax fused psychedelic rock, funk, and North African rhythms with the lyricism of Amazigh poetry and the rebellious energy of the 1970s. This record pairs the celebratory "Thamghra" meaning "party" in Amazigh and originally featured on their long-forgotten LP, with the disco-infused "Skate Dance," released years before skate culture spread across the globe and a testament to the band's cutting edge.


Remastered by Nick Robbins and compiled by Cheb Mimo, this reissue restores the bold sound of Syphax: a voice of diaspora, freedom, and boundless creativity.

Frederiksberg Records is proud to announce the long-awaited reissue of Ambonisye Lord Shepherd"s 1981 debut album, "Evidence For Real", a deeply personal and spiritual fusion of Soul and Jazz that has remained a hidden treasure for more than four decades.

Clear Red Vinyl. In den späten 1990er Jahren zog Peter ,Sleazy" Christopherson mit Jhonn Balance - seinem Lebens- und Coil-Partner - von London ins ländliche Weston-super-Mare, und schuf ein Umfeld für alles, was ,musick, musick, musick!" heißt, mit einer wechselnden Mitgliedern, darunter Thighpaulsandra. Coil's Coil verdoppelte sich fast, und inmitten dieser fruchtbaren Zeit stellte Thighpaulsandra die einfache Frage: Warum spielt Coil nicht live? Nach einer 16 Jahren Wartezeit, dank des rasanten technischen Fortschritts in Form von MacBooks, DAWs, VSTs und Plug-ins waren Coil in der Lage, ihre Musik auf die Bühne zu bringen, wie sie es sich immer vorgestellt hatten. Mit der Performance konnten sie die Risiken und Freiheiten der Echtzeit-Klangmanipulation, wie Sleazy anmerkt: ,Die Show wird Minute für Minute umgestaltet die Show Minute für Minute... die Richtung ist sehr spontan, nicht so sehr in Jazz-Improvisation, sondern in einer Art Bewusstseinsstrom - Thighpaulsandra brachte uns seine Weisheit, und er konnte uns überzeugen, dass wir es schaffen konnten." Wenn Coil live spielten, waren sie, wie eine Schlange, die sich häutet" alle sechs Monate in etwas völlig anderes; in der Vorbereitung auf das 2004er "Even an Evil Fatigue"-Liveserie vorbereiteten, begannen Coil mit der Arbeit an ihrem nächsten, die Zeit definierenden Meisterwerk Black Antlers. Black Antlers zeigt die späte Coil-Periode: reduzierter, straffer und schlanker. Die Musik wurde rhythmischer, mit einer größeren Betonung auf Beats: ,Die Songs, die wir gemacht haben, sind eher... nicht Rock im eigentlichen Sinne, aber du weißt schon, konventioneller in Bezug auf die Struktur, aber jetzt ist das, was wir tun, eine Art elektronischen' Genre." Der Sound von Black Antlers ist eine mitreißende Energie, die Thighpaulsandras fortschrittliche Synthese, Balances poetische Lyrik und Christophersons Flirten mit Jazz und Ableton-gestütztem PowerBook Maximalismus. Vervollständigt wurde das Trio durch den renommierten Drehleierspieler Cliff Stapleton auf einer ,speziell in Auftrag gegebenen" elektrischen Variante, die sich in die ,seltsame und weltfremde Musik" der Band zu integrieren; der an der Royal Academy of Music ausgebildete Perkussionist Tom Edwards (der auch mit Thighpaulsandra in der der Live-Band von Spiritualized auftrat); und der Spezialist für europäische und nahöstliche Blasinstrumente Mike York an Pfeifen, Bombarde, Duduk und Balalaika.

Souldynamic swings back onto the Samosa label with the mesmerizingly rhythmic West-Side Of Afrika Vol. 2.

We kick off the A-Side with ‘Touma’ – a truly hypnotic tribal afro vapour that entices you into the fire-lit night. A heavy dub-style bass just about dominates above the rhythmic ensemble, whilst the haunting chanted vocals elevate the track to ethereal levels. Stunning. No wonder Ron Trent has been spinning this one in his sets for the past few weeks – it’s right in that spiritual zone where deep house meets ancestral ritual.

Second track on Side A is the happiness trip that is ‘M.I.L’. Rolling drums, marimbas and a killer bassline merge with the flighty guitar riffs and smiling vocals. You could be in a bar listening to the music live in the room, smoke filling the spaces and dim lights offering a glimpse of good times.

Heading over to Side B and you find the enchanting ‘DJA’ awaiting. A deep roller of a tune, Souldynamic shifts the gears whilst serving the entrees. A truly magnificent slice of West-African vibes, ‘DJA’ has it all from the gorgeous vocals to the chugging, hypnotic beat.

Track 2 on Side B is the sultry ‘N.T.F.P’. The BPMs are touched down a notch for this one but don’t let that fool you. ‘N.T.F.P’ is a musical celebration of joyous beats, slaps, claps, brass and Afro vocals. You don’t get it much more authentic than this.

West-Side Of Afrika Vol. 2 is like a shapely hand in the perfectly fitted glove that is the Samosa label. A truly stunning piece of vinyl with every track as strong as the last. A sure-fire winner.

"On the Huh" is taken from the deepest UK slang term 'on the huh' meaning: Not level, crooked or wonky. Comprised of singer Sloss (Braindance), guitarist Chris (Infa Riot), bassist Dave (Special Duties) and drummer Tom (Infa Riot), "ON THE HUH" from Norwich have taken the scene by storm with their first album "Bit on the side", which was sold out in a few weeks. Now it's time for their new album "Second Time Around"! The 12 new songs are a perfect match of glam, brickwall, and streetpunk with strong Oi! and rock and roll influences. "On the Huh" are "on our own way" and what really sets this record miles apart, however, is the sense for catchy songwriting and the fun and authenticity they convey with every chord. "Class of 65" is a melodic homage to the original Mods from the 1960s and the youth cult that like rock and roll, influenced rebels and subcultures from Punk, Oi to Brit-Pop and beyond. Society is changing, but good old British punk rock will never go out of style. Songs like "Generation apart" or "Spirit unbroken" hit the bullseye. When you sit at the bar in an English pub after work, watching the guys at the dartboard, 'On the Huh' could be sitting at the next table. From the jukebox, 'Sussed Out' and 'Don't Wanna Be Like You' are blasting. You take a big sip of your pint, smile quietly to yourself, and nod. Outside, the world keeps spinning rapidly and has forgotten what really matters. "'Second time around' is like an old friend to you_ `Is there a more beautiful compliment for a band and their music?

"On the Huh" is taken from the deepest UK slang term 'on the huh' meaning: Not level, crooked or wonky. Comprised of singer Sloss (Braindance), guitarist Chris (Infa Riot), bassist Dave (Special Duties) and drummer Tom (Infa Riot), "ON THE HUH" from Norwich have taken the scene by storm with their first album "Bit on the side", which was sold out in a few weeks. Now it's time for their new album "Second Time Around"! The 12 new songs are a perfect match of glam, brickwall, and streetpunk with strong Oi! and rock and roll influences. "On the Huh" are "on our own way" and what really sets this record miles apart, however, is the sense for catchy songwriting and the fun and authenticity they convey with every chord. "Class of 65" is a melodic homage to the original Mods from the 1960s and the youth cult that like rock and roll, influenced rebels and subcultures from Punk, Oi to Brit-Pop and beyond. Society is changing, but good old British punk rock will never go out of style. Songs like "Generation apart" or "Spirit unbroken" hit the bullseye. When you sit at the bar in an English pub after work, watching the guys at the dartboard, 'On the Huh' could be sitting at the next table. From the jukebox, 'Sussed Out' and 'Don't Wanna Be Like You' are blasting. You take a big sip of your pint, smile quietly to yourself, and nod. Outside, the world keeps spinning rapidly and has forgotten what really matters. "'Second time around' is like an old friend to you_ `Is there a more beautiful compliment for a band and their music?

"On the Huh" is taken from the deepest UK slang term 'on the huh' meaning: Not level, crooked or wonky. Comprised of singer Sloss (Braindance), guitarist Chris (Infa Riot), bassist Dave (Special Duties) and drummer Tom (Infa Riot), "ON THE HUH" from Norwich have taken the scene by storm with their first album "Bit on the side", which was sold out in a few weeks. Now it's time for their new album "Second Time Around"! The 12 new songs are a perfect match of glam, brickwall, and streetpunk with strong Oi! and rock and roll influences. "On the Huh" are "on our own way" and what really sets this record miles apart, however, is the sense for catchy songwriting and the fun and authenticity they convey with every chord. "Class of 65" is a melodic homage to the original Mods from the 1960s and the youth cult that like rock and roll, influenced rebels and subcultures from Punk, Oi to Brit-Pop and beyond. Society is changing, but good old British punk rock will never go out of style. Songs like "Generation apart" or "Spirit unbroken" hit the bullseye. When you sit at the bar in an English pub after work, watching the guys at the dartboard, 'On the Huh' could be sitting at the next table. From the jukebox, 'Sussed Out' and 'Don't Wanna Be Like You' are blasting. You take a big sip of your pint, smile quietly to yourself, and nod. Outside, the world keeps spinning rapidly and has forgotten what really matters. "'Second time around' is like an old friend to you_ `Is there a more beautiful compliment for a band and their music?

For his last solo record ‘Through a Room’, Bill Nace shifted his usual saturated guitar sound and added tapes, hurdy gurdy, doughnut pipe, bird calls and the mysterious Japanese taishōgoto. Setting up for the final night of his three day residency at OTO with only the taishōgoto soundchecked, Nace hoped that Parker would arrive with his small soprano as its opposite. “I’ve been interested in state change, you know, playing until there’s a shift in time.” Known for his development of multiphonics to produce a constantly shifting pattern, Evan Parker has evolved an instantly recognizable sound - his work the soprano most distinct. Happily, it was the soprano Evan brought with him and as soon as the two start to play they entwine - taking off in a double helix of keys and reed primed for endless reconfiguration. Space warps under the velocity of playing, the pitch rising unrelentingly. It felt like unending lift off in the room, sheer energy until the last note makes remember your feet have been on the floor the whole time. Total time bending shredding.

–

"They had never played together before. They had never even met each other before this springtime 2024 concert at London’s Café Oto.

Evan Parker, circular breathing maestro of the saxophone, a legend in the universe that is Free Improvisation since the late 1960s and Bill Nace, one of the most intriguing experimental “noise” guitarists of the 1990s/2000s underground scene.

For those of us who have been enamored by the live and documented work of both these gents, this Café Oto duo was a must-hear event. It could have gone anywhere musically and that would have been totally fine. Particularly with Evan having a history of being thrown into a variety of challenging collaborations throughout his career, employing the learned elegance of trust in his own sensitivity to listening, responding, leading, following, sparring, intertwining, dialoguing, creating in the instant and, essentially, dignifying the non-hierarchical grace of chance.

The aesthetics of socialist consideration in Evan Parker’s playing, in his community of expanded and personal technique, for a younger player such as Bill Nace, strikes an exemplary model. This notion of respect would be entirely the reason Nace, when offered a residency at the most critical “new music” room in England, would request to play in duo with Parker.

Bill Nace came to prominence mostly during the apex of experimental music activity in and around Western Massachusetts in the early days of the aughts, with a focus on visual art and free improvisation guitar action. He could be found in the daytime hours, his head hanging down over a notepad, penning fine-tuned illustrations and abstract line drawings, while in the evenings he’d be attending any number of basement noise gigs, many of which he’d be participating in. His guitar style came across as being informed as much as by the physicality of his writing utensils in friction to the page as it was to his hearing and redefining of radical recordings ranging anywhere from the Black Unity Group to Black Flag.

Utilizing various metal files and other small cylindrical objects Bill would allow his guitar and amplifier to be in tandem with the improvisatory movements of his body as the instrument balanced, intentionally and, at times, precariously, upon his lap. The performances came across thrilling and daring and they would be mostly in the context of venues nothing more than a low-ceilinged damp and dank New England basement, a clutch of people hanging onto rusty pipes or sitting up on dilapidated washer/dryer machines, the shards of Bill’s “file guitar” sounds ringing out like the most alive music on Earth.

By the time Bill reached Café Oto in early 2024 he had relocated to Philadelphia all the while releasing a succession of collaborative LPs on his Open Mouth label to present his developing progression of solo and collaborative work. He also would find himself considerably engaged with playing the electric taishōgoto, a keyboard-activated string instrument from Japan which can exist as a one, two, four, five, or six string oblong sound object. Bill’s approach to the taishōgoto would not be too unlike his approach to the traditional electric guitar, though no outboard implements such as files, sticks, and rocks are utilized. The similarity would lie wholly with Bill’s full immersion of high velocity action-playing where, with the taishōgoto, an electric drone beauty occurs. The flurry of sonics and resultant harmonics emanating from the amplifier (which Bill opts to dial into with borderline loud-as fuck volume settings) furthers the meta-mantra properties of the instrument in an astounding display of drone dynamism.

This sound world of Bill’s two-stringed taishōgoto on this Café Oto night worked beautifully with Evan Parker’s improvisatory saxophone conceptions. The duology achieved instant lift off at ground zero only to find it’s eventual finale as if it were organically ordained. Time seemingly morphed from its ancient human construct of control, rendered inconsequential to the torrential transcendence of the room wildly activated by the magic resonance of the multi-directional pan-spatial sonance of the music as if it were some beatific blessing. It was one of those nights where art as a liberating force of spirit gifted the listeners with an offering of exaltation and joy. It was entirely mystical and mind blowing. A night of Total Music."

Thurston Moore, London, 2025

On a "Balearic-Jazz trip", the phenomenally hyped Thought Leadership returns with another X ideas: the deck this time chooses the Ace of Swords. In the acclaim garnered by III of Pentacles, there were many whispers of “Balearic” from those in the know. As soon as you drop the needle on XI you will be basking in turbo Balearica.

Originally out on cassette only, we present the first ever vinyl issue. It's a hideously limited pressing of 300 for the world, so don't sleep on this.

The sonic palate has been augmented by the addition of synth and bass; there are more guitar layers, more pedals and more organic drums this time – a much fuller production. Still DIY, and still recorded straight to multitrack, just ever so slightly grander in scale; think a rough-hewn, long-lost Claremont 56 cut and you’ll have some idea of how XI opens this future classic LP.

The touchstones so key to the vision of Pentacles (Cocteau Twins, Dif Juz, Durutti Column) are all still present and correct; XII could be a piece from Extractions, XIII is pure Garlands-era Guthrie and, now with the shuffling jazz drums, XV makes TL even more LC – but more disparate influences are found this time out too. ECM guitar legends John Abercrombie and Pat Metheny in the more considered melodic phrasing and harmonic structure of the ideas and a nod to the cosmic Balearic spirit in the overall vibe, means more is offered to the listener across Swords.

XVI and XVII are the biggest indicators to Thought Leaderships’ new found love of The Real Book and their grasp of jazz chords. The former sounds like if Mike Hedges had produced on a heavily sedated ECM date in the early 80s, whilst the latter is Bright Size Life condensed into a most post-punk shard of Strat conversation. The syrupy Phase 90 on the lead parts lends much weight to the guitar melodies, a beautiful tonal counterpoint to the Vox-ish chimes of the plangent chords we’ve all come to love.

The flip again treats us to three extended, improvised jams. XVIII owes as much to Canterbury as it does to Krautrock, another modal voyage through the stars. Light the incense and drift away, guided by delayed cymbals and weaving ribbons of guitar. XIX has almost a New-Wave/Sophisti-Pop energy to it in tone, if not in structure and execution. Something almost Tears for Fears-esque in the chiming chorus guitars. An interesting outlier that has already received a lot of love from those that have heard it. XX is the starkest idea, and the only piece this time with no drums. What we do get, however, is a free exploration over a two chord-vamp. It’s Harvest Time meets Planet Caravan and a fitting end to this Balearic jazz trip.

Be With is honoured to present the first ever vinyl release of Ace Of Swords, carefully remastered by Be With's engineer Simon Francis to ensure it sounds better than ever after its initial tape release. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut at Abbey Road Studios whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry, in Holland. The original tape cover artwork, so crucial to Thought Leadership's striking visual aesthetic, has been rejigged for vinyl issue here at Be With.

The last one flew. You have been warned.

Within the world of theatrical archives, there are the known, the unknown, the forgotten, and the lost. Demetrio Stratos' stage compositions for Teatro dell'Elfo's groundbreaking 1979 production Satyricon - directed by future Oscar winner Gabriele Salvatores - represents one such lost artifact now wondrously returned to life. This radical sonic work, integrating extended vocal techniques, Balinese instruments, and pioneering whale song recordings, stands as the final masterpiece of Italy's most visionary vocal experimenter, lost for over four decades until Die Schachtel's extraordinary recovery. As Stratos himself explained: "The musical operation performed on Satyricon is particular: the composer-musician here does not compose, but borrows ready-made music, vivisects it, melts it, intervenes and recomposes it on magnetic tape. The structure of the signifier, from a morphological point of view, presents itself as a conceptual collage." The music is obtained by utilizing compositions and musical elements from David Behrman, Joan La Barbara, Balinese Ketyak, Turkish Nay flute, Yugoslavian bagpipe, Pan flute, and whale song, with synthesizer interventions by Paolo Tofani. It began as part of something known - a wild, immersive theatrical event that inaugurated Teatro dell'Elfo's historic venue in 1979, was almost entirely forgotten, becoming lost and then unknown. The original production marked a radical departure for the company: no longer popular street theatre, but a dark, immersive, sophisticated spectacle that transformed their space into a rough wooden arena with a sand floor. Demetrio Stratos, working with Paolo Tofani (fellow Area member), created an entire sonic universe that subverted every conventional function of stage music. Their composition wasn't accompaniment, but autonomous sonic dramaturgy that integrated extended vocal techniques, archaic electronic elements, Nay flutes, Balinese instruments, and pioneering whale song recordings. The result was a three-dimensional soundscape that enveloped audiences, creating an otherworldly acoustic dimension. Stratos' score even intervened in the actors' vocal delivery, with the recordings capturing both the performance and his coaching sessions with the cast. The production featured young actors destined for fame - Elio De Capitani, Ferdinando Bruni, Cristina Crippa, Corinna Agustoni, Ida Marinelli - guided by Gabriele Salvatores in this adaptation of Petronius' ancient novel. Shortly after the Satyricon performances, Stratos was hospitalized for the condition that would lead to his death at just 33 years old. This work represents his final composition - a haunting farewell from one of Italy's most innovative sound artists. Die Schachtel presents this recovered work in collaboration with Teatro dell'Elfo, pulled from the original magnetic tape and carefully restored. Satyricon '79 is one of the great artifacts of 1970s Italian avant-garde - a wild, grinding sonic expose which sucks the ear into its depths, made in the spirit of collaboration and creative risk-taking. The edition includes critical apparatus with essays, testimonies from protagonists, and period photographic documentation, documenting an unrepeatable moment where theatre, vocal research and sonic experimentation converged. This release marks a poignant moment in experimental music history - Stratos' final work, now rescued from the archives and restored to its rightful place in the canon of Italian avant-garde masterpieces. A true wonder of towering historical importance. As essential as it gets for any fan of experimental music, or the history of the Italian avant-garde. Fully restored and newly mastered from the original analog tapes. Absolutely essential.

GATEFOLD DOUBLE VINYL WITH SPOT UV FRONT COVER

Following the skewed-unself-help-brilliance of ‘Sus Dog’ (which marked his first full foray into songs, abetted by Thom Yorke), and its companion piece ‘Cave Dog’, Chris Clark returns to the dancefloor’s simple, but no less affecting pleasures, with ‘Steep Stims’.
“I found it hard to pull away from listening to this record, hard to stop making it, I had to remove myself from the Stims and stop enjoying it at some point. The album feels like nature to me. I love it when electronic music feels more naturalistic than acoustic music, more potent, that’s the devil’s trick, the promise of electronic music.” comments Chris.
“I used an old synth - the Virus on all of the tracks. I used it at Mess in Melbourne - run by my friend Robin Fox - I loved it so much I had to buy one when I got back to the UK, it took a while to find. They’re a bit clunky to program but make some of my most favourite sounds.”
‘Steep Stims’ marks a back-to-basics approach, invoking the early years of gung-ho creativity enforced by limitations in technology at the time. “Most of the tracks on this album capture the spirit of making music on old samplers, which don’t have much memory time”, explains Clark. “It reminds me of making ‘Clarence Park’, my first album, where I would have to finish tunes in the session, as they would be saved on floppy disks and I couldn’t easily go between tracks. This new record is just a few synths and a few choice sounds; the writing is the important thing.”
Made quickly, ‘Steep Stims’ reflects the immediate rave energy of his live show, but that’s not to say it’s basic floor fodder, as it’s rife with personality, synth magic, and knack for melody. Although swift and impressionistically captured rather than laboured over, it’s still formidably deft, with plenty of oddball weirdness lurking beneath the dancefloor.
Soft, orange, scorched, brutal, the opening track ‘Gift and Wound’ captures the classic dance music dread / awe / euphoria combo perfectly, before ‘Infinite Roller’ merges sparkly-minimalism with snarling bass and soft sines, which turn more dense and metallic as it progresses.
The melancholic smoke belch of ‘No Pills U’ gives strong classic vibrations, which is belied by its creation, made in just 20 minutes. “I love working quickly sometimes”, comments Clark. “Inspiration hits, rough and ready. It’s off the cuff but also screams ‘don’t gild the lily with nonsense, keep it simple keep it clean’”. Segueing into its elder brother, the piece becomes bigger and beatier on ‘Janus Modal’, where it permutates for over 7 minutes of fluttering, beatific club majesty.
At ‘18EDO Bailiff’ you inexplicably find yourself at a clearing, things have suddenly got much quieter. You enter a decrepit and eerie old house, and as you move through its unsettling interior, you arrive at ‘Globecore Flats’. A real piano tuned to 18 notes per octave gives the pair of tracks a haunted, olde worlde feel, which promptly gets eaten by a huge tech step tearout monster, birthing a strange but exotic beast.
The white hot ‘Blowtorch Thimble’ is all hooktasm-rave-hyper-amen-energy, whilst acidic flute leaps around like Ian Anderson on pingers throughout the catchily simple jump-up lurch of ‘Civilians’.
“‘In Patient’s Day Out’ is like some sort of Morricone-does-kraut-rock-with-drum-machines, but that’s probably just in my head” says Clark. “I made several versions of this then went with the early mix but cranked through some choice outboard because it just had something.”
Drumless, yet still full of exhilarating-big-trance-drama, ‘Who Booed The Goose’ flashes by in stroboscopic fast forward, then ‘5 Millionth Cave Painting’ gives a palate cleanser, letting “the virus with its delicious broken, luxurious reverb have a moment”, before ‘Negation Loop’ swoops down in all its glory, with Clark’s tweaked vocals leading deconstructed trance breakdowns, tape edits and brutal noisebursts.
An antidote to the bombast of its predecessor is ‘Micro Lyf’, which closes the set on a poignant note, of sorts. Muted staccato gives way to field recordings “that gradually put it in this outside space; alien in a meadow somewhere nameless. It feels like a sinkhole. The record kinda swallows itself up and then is gone”, ends Chris.

Following a string of acclaimed collaborations, including Agua Dulce with percussionist Laura Robles and Mapambazuko alongside Congolese guitarist Titi Bakorta, Peruvian artist Alejandra Cárdenas (aka Ale Hop) returns with her most personal work to date yet, A Body Like a Home. Marking her first album under her birth name, the project is a sonic memoir exploring the tangled realms of trauma, recovery, and love through autobiographical soundscapes.
A Body Like a Home is the artist at her most exposed. Comprising 13 songs and 15 poems, the album sees her set aside collaborative fusions for solo catharsis, channeling years of turbulence - intergenerational scars left by colonialism, racism, domestic violence, and alcoholism - into a work that oscillates between brutality and tenderness. Cárdenas states: “I grew up under Alberto Fujimori’s dictatorship, when a veil of hopelessness seemed to settle over everything. This is the backdrop of the album. The songs and poems trace the inevitable loop between private wounds - addiction, domestic violence, fractured intimacy - and Peru’s national scars, carved by colonialism. It’s not a straight story or a resolution. Writing and composing became a ritual of digging for meaning, into what’s buried, disguised, or renamed, until the body itself became a living archive.
” At the heart of the album is Cárdenas’s own voice - part witness, part confessor - reciting over layers of electric guitars, electronic textures, the haunting violin of Mexican musician Gibrana Cervantes, and a collage of field recordings, from rainfall, muffled whispers, broken glass, to archival protest footage from Peru. The result is a work that resonates like a diary written in sound.
The first single, "Motherland", is a searing testimony where Cárdenas voice cracks under the weight of history and personal loss. Amid a storm of distorted guitars, she traces the cyclical legacies of colonialism, from state massacres branding Indigenous bodies as “terrorists” to the spiral of addiction as an unavoidable future. The lyrics draw parallels between political and domestic violence: a mother’s drunken knife pressed to her chest, and a motherland where racism is currency. She utters: “sacrifice demands a body.” Yet, amid the wreckage, a willful grip on love and faith persists. Ultimately, A Body Like a Home is a document of transformation. Tracks like "Evangelina" and the title piece "A Body Like a Home" hold space for resilience, spirituality, and love, while "Early Road" and "Going South" thread subtle nods to Peruvian folklore, opening up bright vignettes into a sense of belonging.
The poetry chapbook accompanying A Body Like a Home (five of its pieces are also recited on the album) extends the work, building a parallel architecture. Oscillating between the documentary and the mythic, the intimate and the forensic, the profane and the oniric, these poems practice a theology of the ordinary, where everyday objects - cameras, knives, moth-eaten cotton - are charged withspiritual and historical weight. Here, the body is land, house, battlefield, collective pain, geological territory; and trauma is, in contrast, archival, cellular, ritualistic, inherited. Read alongside the music, the stories refract across two mediums: songs give them breath and poems give them bone.

»Lilac« is the first Donna Regina album since 2019’s »Transient.« The world has changed considerably since then, which has also left its mark on the Berlin indie pop duo. The songs released as part of the 2021 single »Welt in einer Stadt« (»World in a City«) for Karaoke Kalk had already dealt with the pandemic-induced standstill and its effects on urban space, and also the rest of the album shows that Günther and Regina Janssen have been influenced by recent social and political developments. »In ›Lilac,‹ I imagine good ol’ Earth as a big ol’ bear shaking us off because it can’t stand us anymore,« says Regina Janssen. It has become a serious album, Günther affirms, but he is also adamant that it is not a sad one. Musically, Donna Regina have remained true to the spirit of their early work, recently re-released by Karaoke Kalk: their arrangements are as minimalist as they are emotionally rich.

»The music is always there,« says Regina Janssen about the creation of the tracks on »Lilac.« As always, the two record their music »track by track and without computers,« as Günther notes. Samples play a smaller role this time than on earlier albums, with analogue instruments such as a monophonic synthesiser and, above all, guitars coming to the fore again. This frames lyrics that are being delivered by Regina in German, English, or in both languages. They delve even further into the intricacies of urban life. »Cities are underrated! What a civilisational achievement it is to have so many people living under one sky,« says Regina. »They constantly put you in touch with the unfamiliar. Sometimes they’ll be overwhelming, and they are always alive.« This ambivalence shapes the tone of the album that ponders on the state of the world today.

Starting with the ominous sounds of »Whole World In My Town,« through the dreamscapes of »Autumn In Paris,« to the elegiac conclusion of »No More Roses,« Regina and Günther Janssen move through different timbres and styles with a few select means. Their preference for minimalist electronics becomes evident at times, while elsewhere the pieces open up to balladic arrangements in which the guitar plays a leading role. This turns »Lilac« into a city by itself, the songs forming its soundscape: every neighbourhood looks different, every street has its own character.

When people think of Yacht Rock-those smooth, sun-drenched sounds that once drifted from Californian radio stations in the late '70s and early '80s-they rarely imagine it echoing through rehearsal rooms in Hamburg or Linz. Yet even far from the Pacific coastline, the appeal of shimmering chords, laid-back grooves, and polished production found fertile ground.
This compilation gathers rare and overlooked tracks from Germany and Austria. These artists embraced West Coast aesthetics with sincerity and subtle twists, resulting in music that feels both familiar and refreshingly new-smooth sounds for cloudy skies. So drop anchor, pour something cool, and enjoy this unexpected cruise through the lesser-charted waters of Euro Yacht Rock.

Our journey begins in Austria, where Reflection's Because (1981) set the tone with blue-eyed soul and analogue warmth-a sunlit blend of Doobie Brothers polish and local charm. Its creator, Dieter Heyduk, reappears with Austrian Sky, a heartfelt nod to his homeland that fuses mountain calm with oceanic longing.
From the North Sea island of Föhr, Ara Pacis dreamed of California on their 1979 self-release To the Westcoast. Inspired by Steely Dan and Lake, they turned German rock precision into breezy, melodic sophistication. Meanwhile, in Düsseldorf, Mainpoint fused funk and jazz-rock on Frisbee, their 1980 single bursting with rhythmic drive and optimism before the tide of the Neue Deutsche Welle swept such grooves aside.
Bremerhaven's Nuages offered the compilation's only instrumental gem, Strange Weekend (1985)-a gentle blend of jazz-funk and rock and largely lost to time. Its cool restraint captures the European interpretation of Californian ease.
Around the same period, British traveler Gavin James recorded River of Laughter in southern Germany, backed by the blues-rock band Black Cat Bone. His acoustic reflections on water and flow mirrored the soft, meditative pulse at Yacht Rock's core.
Berlin's Top Spin kept things playful with Bikin (1985), a funk-fusion snapshot of urban joy that showcased the city's finest session players. From the Ruhr area, the Jan Pack Band is up next. While not a typical Yacht Rock track, Cable Dance is driven by an effortless, groovy '80s vibe.
Peter Seiler's Goldfinger project reimagined Walkin' in the Sand as a relaxed reggae-tinged track, while Munich's Major Seven closed the voyage with Silverboat, a wistful soft rock ballad gliding between melancholy and light.

Across these hidden harbors of German and Austrian pop, the West Coast dream took on new forms-reflected in rivers, skies, and studio lights half a world away from L.A. Under and Above the Clouds celebrates that spirit: the enduring pull of smooth music, wherever it's made.

Moving freely through time and space via experimental DIY recordings since 2009, Joasihno return with their fourth album "Spots".

“Find your spot in the shade,” a truly laid-back and incredibly soft-spoken MC once advised, yet in a world that seems to get shadier every day, it’s probably time to finally get out and face the sun. Southern German experimental pop duo Joasihno – initial solo founder Cico Beck (The Notwist, Aloa Input, Spirit Fest) and drummer/composer Nico Sierig (Instrument, Fehler Kuti) – seem to know exactly when it’s time to shine. Idiosyncratic genre tweakers since day one, they have been operating at their own pace, mostly staying in their own shady corner. Yet, almost a decade after their most recent “Meshes” (an album that came with a whole legion of tiny music robots), it’s high time for them to take over more corners, to reclaim even more spots between lo-fi and sci-fi, retro electronica and contemporary classic. Drawing upon influences as varied as Reich, Riley, and Ryuichi, múm, Meek, and Moondog, while also nodding to other experimental twosomes (e.g. The Books), the duo’s fourth full-length “Spots” is set to arrive via Alien Transistor in late 2025.

Leaving soulless automation and all things artificial to others, Joasihno launch the latest record on “2 Squares” that feel like a peaceful, almost bucolic version of retro space age: lights blink ever so softly as easy-going bass tones point at today’s introspective flight arc. Electronic shapes align and things lift off – with a majestic 8-bit sunrise soon appearing right in front of us. Whereas playful title song “Spots” is a miniature Rube Goldberg kind of device, with quirky plucked strings and glitches setting off more and more contraption layers, “Crackleboom” is uncharted energy, an open landscape, an expanding bonfire that leads to a long-forgotten piano, all dust-covered in some kind of saloon. Space might be only noise to others, here, it’s foreboding screeches (“Dizzle Whistle”) that make room for A-side center piece “Forest Lights”: a steady beat that lures us to a clearance in the woods. Things break and shatter in the distance, but this spot right here is for hypnosis, dancing, sylvan spirits. And yeah, it’s surprisingly hot down here in the undergrowth…

Opening side B with a fun banger that takes the unhinged dancing to the playground – “Characa Orb.” feels like French kids on swings going crazy, a tipsy, tongue-in-cheek electro blow-out between Oizo and Orbis Tertius –, things get even more cinematic throughout the second half. Even the cheapest, lo-fiest gear is sufficient to make “The Slow Hour” glow like true, timeless pop royalty. In fact, the very same pop spirits roam and celebrate freely in the chirpy coves of mesmerizing “Detune Lagoon” – more hand-crafted sci-fi/lo-fi loops you’ll only find after facing the ghosts of Lynch or Sakamoto on those night-time trails under the “Deep Moon”. It’s all DIY spots, spots that leave room to dream or dangle, drape yourself over or dive into. Returning to the leafy bower on a melancholy post rock tip, we eventually learn that “Death Is Real” – and so we’re left with a laterna magica that turns and turns and turns. It’s a beautiful spot where light and shadows keep on dancing, just like they’ve always done, ever since the dawn of this madcap universe.

Born from a profound devotion to the piano and a reverence for the organic flow of life, byt’ surprises listeners by presenting "paths of sand", a remarkable creation by Amsterdam-based composer xico, offering sound and soul to those willing to listen beyond the surface.

Through the magic of experimentation, xico captured the fleeting beauty of the muse of improvisation, as described by Nachmakovich, transforming the ephemeral into something lasting. Performances recorded on the same old piano during the 2023 Kaalstaart Festival in the Netherlands have since evolved into a fully realized work. A journey of nearly three years of dedicated silence that began with Telva’s intuitive recognition of xico’s voice, starting with an invitation to her radio show and blossoming into a captivating fascination with what unfolded. This process led to the art of shaping the selected live recordings into a collector’s item, now materialized as a limited edition of 200 pressed vinyl copies, forever remaining as an artistic memento.

Perfectly attuned to the energy of the autumn equinox, paths of sand unfolds as an intimate reflection of music’s ability to hold what cannot be held, to speak what cannot besaid, and to embody what can never be described.

xico is a sound artist and improviser from Ibiza whose work explores the merging point between disruptive and post-natural soundscapes, crafting immersive sonic environments through compositions that unfold like ecosystems.

Encouraged by an understanding of chance as nature’s and awareness' most accessible voice, he focuses on creating generative live-sets with varying degrees of unpredictability. For him, subordinating human intention to nature’s order is a conscious choice, and making art through this lens becomes a statement and a spiritual practice. With his distinctive touch, his compositions resonate with the world in unexpected and profound ways, offering experiences you may never have heard before.

One Instrument welcomes Morning Seance, composer and sound artist, originally from Italy and based in Vienna. On this debut LP, Morning Seance traces a drifting narrative composed of unstable harmonies, fluid structures, and ghostlike forms. The album unfolds like a dream told in fragments, oscillating between fluctuating pulses and decaying transmissions, from nocturnal stillness to acoustic mirages. The first half of the record moves through zones of suspended tension and evanescent contours, where tracks like “Be faster than your own depression” and “The tenderness of our own autobiography” sketch fragile architectures of affect. The second half enters a more spectral terrain — “Breakfast in a night club,” “A visit to the Brion-Vega tomb” — not places, but agglomerates of sonic sensation, detached from any personal frame.

With each piece, the music dissolves and reconstitutes itself, resisting finality or form, and doing so with an indestructible joy that hums beneath the wreckage. This is degenerate ambient music: anti-geometric and subject to emotional weather — not a refuge, but a slow collapse of structure and purity, where atmosphere gives way to excess and disobedience.

The album is crafted entirely from a single source: the Roland Alpha Juno-1. Despite this constraint, it achieves a vast sound spectrum, transforming one synthesizer’s voice into a layered landscape of textures and moods.

The electronic music of Morning Seance is built on constant variation and intricate, looping patterns with no clear beginning or end. This variation is not simply applied to an audio element, but enacted as a compositional logic — avoiding mechanical combinations and obvious rhythms. The result is a mutable mass of audio matter and tonal debris, guiding the listener through richly divergent environments.

A Principino whose body dissolves and recomposes perpetually, leads us inside an ancestral tunnel, layered like a bazaar, for just 21 minutes. At the stroke of the 18th minute the light goes off and comes on intermittently marked by the rhythm of Bingo Bongo. From the darkness crawls an ignoble spirit with stocky features with a guttural voice leads us astray to the gates of the gulf. The air suddenly becomes warm, the current dilates. The internal whistle of the bowels resounds from the deepest abysses The shadow of his pain vanishes in the wake of a final sound sedimentation.