Search:the subs

A1 - Permeate
JLM returns to Spatial with another superb selection of old school inspired tracks. Kicking us off is Permeate, with anxious melodies evocative of 90's sci-fi introducing proceedings before filtered old school breaks slowly rise into the mix. An early breakdown with the playful bassline flying solo for a spell precedes superbly executed amens adding a thick layer of detail to an eclectic beat pattern.
A2 - Orogeny
Orogeny opens with a lush old school riff, classically off-key melodies and echoing pads as the varied beats takes shape - effortlessly navigating a range of breaks to create a unique, bouncy pattern evoking a dynamic mid 90's energy with a captivating rhythm. Tuneful synth work and jazzy drum samples deliver an entertaining breakdown before the breaks resume for the latter half, airy pads adding further texture to the track.
AA1 - Subsidence
A contemplative, introspective tone is set by a delicate melody in the introduction to Subsidence, a track which showcases the variety of atmospheres JLM Production scan glean from his unique brand of drum & bass on Spatial set to the usual high standard of classic breaks and bass. Majestic pads and synths envelop the listener in a solemn haze, while a more intense, darkly melody counters, creating a divergent synergy to the vibe.
AA2 - Laminar Flow
Closing the EP in style, we are treated to a jazzy, melodic introduction to Laminar Flow with rising strings and vocal samples, before inspired 80's style synth sounds zip around the mix to a subtle, clean 2-step breakbeat. JLM ups the ante with a crisp Hot Pants break layered over the top while the jazz-inspired Rhodes key shifts craft a tuneful aura as cow bells ring throughout, rounding off another sublime and varied experience for the ears.

Words by Chris Hayes Spatial/Red Mist

'Systems Of Substance' is the newest EP from the boss of Renegade Methodz, showcasing his updated style and vision for the future of his music. Establishing what already started with the 'Futur Akustik' release, Endlec's sound is changing and evolving to something more minimal and loopy with a very strong fundamental groove but still keeping intact his distinct raw sound with significant style and class.
This is a four track EP of Proper Techno by one of Greece's most respected contributors to the genre.

“Home” is not always a literal place. Sometimes, “home” represents inner peace and simply learning to hold space for yourself. This is where Vacations lead singer and guitarist Campbell Burns has arrived as he and bandmates Jake Johnson, Nate Delizzotti, and Joseph Van Lier release their third LP, No Place Like Home. “I had this loose concept of No Place Like Home being an Americana-influenced album,” Campbell says of the album’s sonic inspirations. “I wanted to incorporate more pianos, acoustic guitars, Nashville tuning, and country-inspired lap steel, but then also bringing in drum machines and synths and finding a mix between the two.” Produced by Campbell and John Velasquez (Zella Day, Broods), No Place Like Home comprises 10 shimmering tracks brimming with indie-pop hooks and just a touch of bittersweet sensitivity. The new project follows an intense period of transformation for Campbell, who was forced to cancel all touring commitments due to COVID restrictions and subsequently came down with a severe bout of writer’s block. After seeking therapy, he was eventually diagnosed with Pure OCD, a subtype of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. “Pure OCD is more mental compulsions rather than physical compulsions,” Campbell explains. “If I have an intrusive thought, I'm giving that thought belief and power over myself.” As the world began to open up, so did Campbell’s vibrant creative spirit. Vacations hit the road for the first time in two years, selling out The Fonda in LA and playing Austin City Limits Festival in Austin, experiences that partially inform No Place Like Home. First single and album opener “Next Exit” sparkles with danceable synth riffs and Campbell’s aching falsetto, all while setting the overall tone for what’s to come. “‘Next Exit’ is about living in this monotonous cycle,” Campbell reveals. “You realize that you need an out. You need to — metaphorically and literally — take the next exit out in order to break out of that cycle.” The singer mines his Pure OCD diagnosis on the pondering “Over You,” which thematically picks up where “Next Exit” drops off. Campbell remarks on how “it almost has this ownership over my thoughts and actions to the point where I'm stuck in these loops and rituals that are a direct result of having OCD.” On the Americana-inspired “Midwest,” which seamlessly blends pop electronics, drum machine, and ‘80s synth with poignant lap steel tones, the song remarks on the comedic nature of repeatedly entering into romantic relationships prior to going on tour — only to have them fizzle out upon returning. As the band releases No Place Like Home, Campbell is ironically just fine with not putting down physical roots just yet having recently made the move to LA for exploration, expanding “I needed to get overseas if I wanted to keep progressing — from a career standpoint, but also on a personal level.” The greater priority lies within building that sense of comfort within himself. In the meantime, millions of fans around the world are making a permanent home with Vacations.

Originalmusik von den Chiptune-Rockern Anamanaguchi (Künstlerveröffentlichungen, Scott Pilgrim Videospiel, Capsule Silence XXIV) und Joseph Trapanese (Oblivion, Straight Outta Compton, No One Will Save You, The Greatest Showman, Skull Island, The Witcher, The Machine, Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge, Stuber), mit Originalsongs von Anamanaguchi.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off ist eine Anime-Streaming-Fernsehserie, die von Bryan Lee O'Malley und BenDavid Grabinski für Netflix entwickelt wurde. Die Serie basiert auf den Scott Pilgrim-Grafikromanen, die von O'Malley geschrieben und gezeichnet wurden, wobei die gesamte Hauptbesetzung aus der Verfilmung von 2010, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, ihre Rollen für die englische Sprachbesetzung wieder aufnimmt, und dient sowohl als Fortsetzung als auch als Neuinterpretation des Grafikromans und des Films. Die Serie wurde am 17. November 2023 veröffentlicht und von der Öffentlichkeit
begeistert aufgenommen. Im Gegensatz zur Verfilmung, die weitgehend die gleiche Geschichte wie die Comics erzählte, weist "Takes Off" eine völlig eigenständige Handlung auf: Der titelgebende Scott Pilgrim verschwindet in der ersten Folge, und Ramona Flowers, sein Liebesinteresse, steht im Mittelpunkt, während sie versucht, herauszufinden, wer von den Darstellern für sein Verschwinden verantwortlich ist, während andere Figuren in der Geschichte an einer fiktiven Adaption von Scotts Leben arbeiten.

Repress!

Twenty years ago, London Elektricity unleashed one of the most seminal drum & bass albums into the world. 'Billion Dollar Gravy' was Tony Colman's second longplayer, following the iconic debut project 'Pull The Plug' released in 1999. Widely acclaimed and well-respected for a multitude of reasons - from the iconic album artwork of Tony holding the 'Billion Dollar Gravy' picket sign, to revolutionary anthems such as album title-track 'Billion Dollar Gravy', 'Different Drum' and 'Fast Soul Music', two decades on, the album is revisited with a fresh sonic injection.

'Billion Dollar Remixes' is a meticulously crafted project which aligns a selection of some of the finest drum & bass talent with the album originals, making way for the likes of Watch The Ride, Whiney & Unglued, Mozey, Dogger & Mindstate, Zero T, Kimyan Law, Bop x Subwave, imo-Lu, Hugh Hardie and Conrad Subs to put their spin on the 2003 classics.

Pressed onto 2 x pink transparent heavyweight 12" vinyls.

repressed !

Gorillaz started the year with Episode 1 - ‘Momentary Bliss ft. slowthai and Slaves’ - of Song Machine, a whole new concept from one of the most innovative bands around. Now, six episodes in, Noodle, 2D, Murdoc and Russel have visited Morocco and Paris, London and Lake Como, as well as travelling all the way to the moon, and Gorillaz is ready to bring you the full collection titled Song Machine: Season One - Strange Timez, out on 23rd October 2020.

Song Machine is the ongoing and ever-evolving process which has seen Gorillaz joined by an expanding roster of collaborators captured live in Kong Studios and beyond. The result is an expansive collection of tracks embracing a myriad of sounds, styles, genres and attitudes from a breath-taking line-up of guest artists including Beck, Elton John, Fatoumata Diawara, Georgia, Kano, Leee John, Octavian, Peter Hook, Robert Smith, Roxani Arias, ScHoolboy Q, Slaves, Slowthai, St Vincent and 6LACK.
To date the project has seen over 100million streams on all tracks already and the band’s biggest period of sustained growth across both listenership and fanbase growth. All this before the album has even been announced!

Virtual band Gorillaz is singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, guitarist Noodle and drummer Russel Hobbs. Created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, their acclaimed eponymous debut album was released in 2001. The BRIT and Grammy Award winning band’s subsequent albums are Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010), The Fall (2011), Humanz (2017) and The Now Now (2018). A truly global phenomenon, Gorillaz have achieved success in entirely ground-breaking ways, touring the world from San Diego to Syria, winning numerous awards including the coveted Jim Henson Creativity Honor.

The band are recognised by The Guinness Book Of World Records as the planet’s Most Successful Virtual Act.












j 10. Désolé (feat. Fatoumata Diawara) Extended Version

Repress!

Radio Slave drops ‘Strobe Queen’ this June, complete with Eric Kupper and Kirk Degiorgio Remixes

Following a string of massive singles over the course of 2022 and 2023, in tandem with the continued success of his acclaimed Rekids and RSPX imprints, Radio Slave prepares his latest single ‘Strobe Queen’, a 12-minute, slow-burning house epic landing this March.

Eric Kupper and Kirk Degiorgio remix Radio Slave’s ‘Strobe Queen’ this June.
Heard in clubs courtesy of Honey Dijon, Laurent Garnier, and Sean Johnston, amongst others, and on the airwaves via the likes of BBC Radio 1, Radio Slave now recruits two legendary remixers for thw remixes of ‘Strobe Queen’. Requiring little introduction, Eric Kupper and Kirk Degiorgio both turn in
exceptional versions of the original, while Radio Slave contributes a stunning reprise of his own, continuing to explore his love of slower tempos and long arrangements of golden era NYC, as seen in subsequent singles ‘Wild Life’ and ‘Wake Up’.

Radio Slave aka Matt Edwards is one of dance music’s undisputed heavyweights. Having made his name as a DJ in the 90s, he went on to become the king of edits, twisting pop, R&B and indie cuts into essential versions that consistently set clubs alight. Since the mid-2000s, Edwards’ originals have helped define modern dance music, tackling techno, house, breakbeat, minimal and disco whilst exploring dub, balearic sounds and ambient across the myriad of other aliases and projects.

Over the past decade Tuccillo has steadily honed his craft as a producer and is now widely known and beloved for his contemporary twist on raw groove driven House music which has found a home on the likes of Nu Groove, Kwench, Melodeum, Holic Trax his own Unblock label and of course Kaoz Theory where he returns here following 2023’s ‘The Waves’ EP.

Title-cut ‘Sundown’ leads the release on a deep house tip with a swinging drum groove, airy chord sequences, intricate filtered vocals and a funk-infused bass line. ‘Holding On’ then shifts gears into Chicago House territory via a bouncy bassline and dubbed out vocal chops, intertwined with a playful organ melody, tension building strings and skippy percussion.

‘Whatever’ then opens the b-side with a more stripped-back feel, laying focus on crisp, low-slung drums, hypnotic atmospherics, choppy dub stabs and an amalgamation of vocal murmurs. ‘Velvet City’ then concludes the EP, encapsulating the core aesthetic of deep house with wandering jazzy keys, ethereal pads, organic drums and rumbling subs all silkily ebbing and flowing amongst one another.

Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts is an American rock band from Nashville founded and fronted by former Biters leader Tuk Smith, originally from Atlanta, now living in Nashville. The band released their debut single "What Kinda Love" on January 10, 2020 and were also added as an opening act for The Stadium Tour with Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe on the same day. Then came the onset of Covid 19. “When the pandemic hit, it was like hitting the reset button on my music career” recalls Tuk, “everything got taken away…album campaign, stadium tour, record deal. The world was in lockdown, and the only way to escape was to throw myself into writing. My thoughts began exploring the past, and the inspiration for the songs just came in tidal waves.”
The new collection is a rock ‘n roll silver lining that came out of the solitude and reflection of the pandemic. Ballad Of A Misspent Youth is the new single (and subsequent album of the same name) released summer of 2022 on Tuk’s new record label MRG, through Virgin Music. Tuk explains, “I decided to make a rock and roll record for me and what I like because there was no label, there was no committee involved…just me and my stories. I wanted to create a setting and an authentic feeling about everything. I reunited with long-time friend Dan Dixon and recorded these songs in his garage studio, and there is a purity to the work that came from all the circumstances of that time.” Growing up as an outsider in rural Georgia, Tuk found solace in hardcore punk acts like Black Flag and The Exploited. From there, Smith branched out into exploring seventies New York bands like The Dead Boys and New York Dolls, which lead him across the sea where he embraced first-wave British acts like The Buzzcocks and the Clash. Smith wasn’t just a casual fan of these acts, he was obsessed with them and traced their lineage with fervent dedication. “I was always into the Clash growing up and Mick Jones’ favorite band was Mott The Hoople, so through the years I ended up developing a love of the first wave of British glam, power pop and things like that,” he explains. Soon Smith was forming his own acts, touring relentlessly and building a following with his high-energy live shows, including his tour of duty as lead singer for the Biters, who he fronted for nearly a decade. He offers “Then after being on the road for years, I had a reckoning about where I was at and the future ahead. …I realized the only way to achieve something meaningful was to be a good songwriter…that clicked. I went on a musical diet where I stripped the obscure stuff away, and I really started focusing on the greats. When I started clicking that it was just about the songs, things changed. I had already put my 10,000 hours in the van to play in the dive clubs, but then I put my 10,000 hours into figuring out how to write. I also started working with other songwriters. I humbled myself… it was an education, like going to school.” Tuk elaborates, “I wanted to kind of branch out musically and do different things, and I figured to go solo would be better. My manager actually suggested I call my new band “The Restless Hearts” and that's what he would call me all the time. It was the title of a Biters song that people loved and I’d seen a few restless hearts tattoos at our shows along the way… and so Tuk Smith & The Restless Hearts was born. I was in a period where I changed everything including the way I lived my daily life. I experimented with different ways to tap into positive/creative energy…it was an evolving overall process (and still is).” Tuk summarizes, “Things used to be about debauchery, and now they’re more about dedication. I mean, I was always driven, but I was sometimes focusing on the wrong things. Now I focus on the music and the craftsmanship of writing and producing and performing. “

-Debut full-length album from Miami-based soul jazz trio Fat Produce. -Featuring musicians who played with The White Blinds, Scone Cash Players, Jungle Fire, War, The Bombillas. Featured in Relix Magazine’s April/May new artist spotlight to over 250k subscribers.
-Upcoming shows in California and Florida. F-Spot Records proudly presents the debut LP "Fresh Squeeze" from Miami-based soul jazz trio Fat Produce. Led by guitarist Addison Rifkind (The Soul Vaccinators) and drummer Michael Duffy (The White Blinds, Jungle Fire), this duo is joined by world-renowned bass player Rene Camacho (Poncho Sanchez, War) to bring you 14 all-new and original soul jazz instrumental cuts that's a guaranteed head-nodder from start to finish. When Rifkind and Duffy first met on a gig with organist Adam Scone (Scone Cash Players), both felt an instant chemistry musically, and the seeds of Fat Produce were born. In sharing their passion for classic soul jazz, in addition to funk and hip-hop, Rifkind and Duffy started to dive in, taking the idea of a guitar trio to new heights unlike anything you've heard before. After a year of playing gigs and honing their craft, both descended back to their hometown of Los Angeles, CA, to meet up with Rene Camacho and spend two days recording at The F-Spot HQ under the helm of producer and label owner David M Celia. Recording all live in one room to 1/2" tape, the resulting sessions truly captured the essence of Fat Produce's sound. Forced to be in the moment tracking live with no overdubs, "Fresh Squeeze" highlights the authentic tone and feeling from those two special days spent breathing new life into the guitar trio format. From the more straight-ahead soul jazz tunes like "Sticky Beets" and "Slick" to more outside-the-box cuts like "SON!" and the afrobeat-inspired "Afrenetic," rounded out with groove-focused compositions such as "Cadillac Converter," Grease on the Range," and "818 Don't Hate," this LP brings a variety of styles and feels, while all keeping it under the same umbrella of guitar, upright bass, and drums. Highlighting the chordal and melodic stylings of Addison Rifkind, the signature drum tone and feel of Michael Duffy, and tastefully executed playing from bassist Rene Camacho, "Fresh Squeeze" is the perfect sonic experience. From the first note on side A to the last hit on side B, it's a full sound, a timeless listen, and one slated to be on repeat for decades to come

1974 soundtrack from Ennio Morricone Pressed on Red Vinyl & includes a 30x30cm insert Liner notes and audio remastered by Claudio Fuiano “Allonsanfàn” is a 1974 historical film written and directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani; set in 1816 in Italy during the Restoration period, its cast features, among others, Marcello Mastroianni, Lea Massari, Laura Betti and Mimsy Farmer.

“Allonsanfàn” is the first collaboration between the two directors and Morricone, who would also compose the music for the film “Il prato” (The Meadow, 1979). The soundtrack starts with a main marching theme, “Rabbia e tarantella”, introduced by the piano and reworked in a thrilling way by the full orchestra; Giuseppe Tornatore liked it so much that in 2009 he asked Morricone to write a similar musical theme for a sequence of the film “Baarìa”. This motif is alternated with the bucolic passages for flute and orchestra of “Ritorno a casa”, the festive “Dirindindin”, the classical piece “Te Deum Laudamus” for orchestra and choir and “Frammenti di sonata” for solo violin and small ensemble.

This score was only partially issued on vinyl in 1979, and subsequently only on CD; for the first time, then, it’s here released on clear red vinyl in an extended version, including a 30x30cm insert. Liner notes and audio remastered by Claudio Fuiano.

"Neutrals are a punk band from the San Francisco Bay Area, channeling a wide range of '70s and '80s punk, post-punk, and DIY indiepop influences. Their spare, angular songs don't skimp on melody or intimate storytelling and represent an appropriate intervention in these tense, atomized times. Their debut album ""Kebab Disco"" came out in 2019 on Emotional Response Records and garnered universal acclaim as ""an excellent collection of terse melodies, unique storytelling, and scraping pop. (AllMusic)"".

Following up their ace 2019 debut LP and a string of future-classic singles, Neutrals are now back with ""New Town Dream,"" a 13 song dispatch that takes on modern life and politics (both micro and macro) and situates their scrappy Jam-meets-Television Personalties sound firmly in 2024. Now featuring the sprightly bass and deadpan harmonies/backing vocals of bassist Lauren, Neutrals have turned in their catchiest, sharpest set of tunes yet."

Since 2011, the Berlin born and raised producer and DJ Mørbeck has been delivering numerous acclaimed Techno releases via Vault Series and his own Code Is Law imprint as well as making his mark on the global club scene as a DJ. Fast forward to 2023 and we see Mørbeck inaugurate his house guise, Midnight In A Toyshop, aimed to showcase his passion for House productions in a lighter shade, whilst still retaining his signature rawness.

Setting the tone to open the EP is ‘100’s & 1000’s’, laying down warbling pad sequences and crunchy saturated drums in combination with a bouncy bass line and hypnotic vocal hooks throughout. The aptly titled ‘90’s Memento’ follows, encapsulating a classic House sound with bright, mesmeric chords, rumbling subs, processed vocal lines and a bumpy drum machine workout.

On the flip-side title-track ‘Dreams For Sale’ shifts focus to Trance tinged staccato melodies, cinematic atmospherics, acid licks and a heavily swung rhythm before ‘Every Night’ rounds out the EP on a classic Deep House tip via ethereal pads, robust percussion, circling synth lines and a vacillating low-end drive.

Astral Doors wurden 2002 in Borlänge gegründet und haben seitdem Power Metal-Fans und Traditionalisten gleichermaßen begeistert. Gleichzeitig verschaffte die unverkennbare Verwandtschaft des Sounds mit Dio-fronted Rainbow und Dio/Martin-fronted Black Sabbath Astral Doors Auftrieb bei Old-School-Metallern, die sich über die vermeintliche Fadheit und den Mangel an Substanz im Power Metal-Genre aufregten.
Das Debüt "Of the Son and the Father" erschien 2003 und wurde von der Kritik begeistert aufgenommen.
2017 kehrten die Astral Doors mit "Black Eyed Children" zurück, einem Album, das die Band stärker denn je zeigt.
Das ist klassischer Rock/Heavy Metal in der nächsten Dimension. Das Cover-Artwork stammt von Felipe Machado, der auch das letzte Blind Guardian-Cover gestaltet hat.
Dies ist eine Vinyl-Wiederveröffentlichung in petrol-transparenter Farbe!

When Eastward was first announced back in 2018, it was heralded for its pixelated prowess and quirky sense of style. In the three years leading up to its release, the hype train continued to gather steam as more and more was unveiled. Upon launch, it became clear that Eastward was about so much more than just style. It had substance, too. A modern celebration of early '90s video games, Pixpil's Eastward delivers a poignant yet hopeful post-apocalyptic story set in a delightfully dark world. It's a story of tribulation and triumph for a small indie studio and offers a thought-provoking exploration of societal constructs whilst also providing some warm-hearted and good-humoured fun. Eastward's iconic art style is complemented perfectly by its incredible original soundtrack composed by Joel Corelitz. In celebration of Eastward's recently launched and highly anticipated Octopia DLC, Black Screen Records and Lost In Cult Records have teamed up to bring you an exclusive opportunity to secure a series of beautiful Eastward OST items.

When Eastward was first announced back in 2018, it was heralded for its pixelated prowess and quirky sense of style. In the three years leading up to its release, the hype train continued to gather steam as more and more was unveiled. Upon launch, it became clear that Eastward was about so much more than just style. It had substance, too. A modern celebration of early '90s video games, Pixpil's Eastward delivers a poignant yet hopeful post-apocalyptic story set in a delightfully dark world. It's a story of tribulation and triumph for a small indie studio and offers a thought-provoking exploration of societal constructs whilst also providing some warm-hearted and good-humoured fun. Eastward's iconic art style is complemented perfectly by its incredible original soundtrack composed by Joel Corelitz. In celebration of Eastward's recently launched and highly anticipated Octopia DLC, Black Screen Records and Lost In Cult Records have teamed up to bring you an exclusive opportunity to secure a series of beautiful Eastward OST items.

For its second release, following SALO"s feverish self-titled debut album, Berlin-based platform Kuboraum substantiates its musical perspective, bringing together an eccentric set of tracks from friends and family. Each artist was invited personally by the platform to write a piece of music inspired by Kuboraum"s philosophical and aesthetic principles. This Kuboraum Editions compilation that features tracks from Space Afrika, LABOUR, Moin, V/Z, o-Ziq, Lucy Railton, Alessandro Adriani and many more.

Composed by Jim O’Rourke and pieced together by Jim together with longtime collaborator and trumpeter Eivind Lønning at Jim and Eiko Ishibashi’s home in the Japanese mountains, this engrossing new album blows brass wails and tense fanfares across O'Rourke's manipulated Kyma tapestries for a deep, captivating trip into the aether.

Eivind Lønning has been sharing ideas with O'Rourke for several years: the duo collaborated on music for the Whitney's 'Calder: Hypermobility' exhibition, and Lønning played trumpet on O'Rourke's brilliant 2020 album 'Shutting Down Here'. For this new work, Lønning headed to O'Rourke and EIko Ishibashi's home studio in the Japanese mountains, where he teased unfamiliar, alien textures from his trumpet to open the labyrinthine three-part composition. O'Rourke took the material and subsequently funnelled it through his Kyma system, transforming it into a swirl of sound that hums alongside Lønning's original takes. The album was composed, mixed and mastered by O'Rourke, with everything's based on Lønning's virtuosic performance.

The album begins by cautiously introducing us to its sonic palette: wavering, bird-like horn wails that O'Rourke contorts around quiet synth oscillations and computerised swarms. Lønning's spittle-drenched blasts are given the spotlight, but O'Rourke's manipulations - often gentle and illusory, and sometimes utterly lacerating - lift the sounds into completely new territory. When Lønning begins to turn rhythmic cycles using the trumpet keys, popping with his mouth to compliment its leathery timbre, O'Rourke replies with dense, hallucinatory drones, juxtaposing unstable electronics with Lønning's breathy, sustained notes. All these sounds coalesce into a dizzy vortex, but O'Rourke is careful not to overwhelm the senses, dropping to near silence as the first act transitions into the second. O'Rourke pelts Lønning's vertiginous wails, steadily mutating them into Xenakis-like stabs until they sound like cybernetic strings and icy tones that extract the tension from Lønning's brassy harmonics.

The third act is more screwed, with O'Rourke allowing Lønning's improvisations wail into cathedral-strength reverb, accompanying the sound with glassy penetrations and throbbing subs. Here, Lønning sounds as if he's heralding the arrival of a celestial being, piercing the atmosphere with bright, sustained tones and muted, jazzy flourishes. O'Rourke hangs back, carefully spinning the notes into naturalistic fibres and orchestral drapery, before he allows the electronics to subside completely and the trumpet to echo into the imposing negative space.

'Most, but Potentially All' is a dumbfounding piece that shifts the dial on contemporary experimental music; dizzyingly complex but never showy, it's the kind of record you can spin repeatedly and hear something different each time. As an exploration of the trumpet, it's a unique expression, and as a progression of electro-acoustic compositional techniques, it draws a deep trench in the sand, setting a new standard.

With his new instrumental album Ventas Rumba, the French composer (and singer) returns to his signature instrument, the piano, blending it with warm synth tones. This album represents a "return to his roots ", allowing Ezéchiel Pailhès to reinvent himself in a seamless way while still exploring ballads and ritornellos, halfway between light-heartedness and melancholy. Ezéchiel Pailhès has been meaning to write a solo piano album for as long as he can remember. Hardly surprising, of course, for this academically-trained pianist, brought up on classical music and then studied jazz. Yet, since his 2001 debut with the electro-pop duo Nôze, and his subsequent four albums, the artist had constantly postponed this project that was so close to his heart. Then in 2022, just as he was getting ready to start producing an album of new songs, this long-standing aim finally materialized.
The melodies he wrote seemed to stand on their own naturally, spurring him on to compose this series of fourteen tracks, recorded in sessions split between France and Latvia.
A new piano: the Una Corda
Ezéchiel wanted this project dedicated to the piano to begin a new narrative, to explore new instrumental terrain and new tones, something far removed from the familiar piano he has been playing all his life. He opted for the Una Corda piano, designed by David Klavins, a groundbreaking instrument builder renowned for his distinctive pianos with vertical shapes and frames.

The Una Corda, created in 2014, is an upright piano with a single string per note (unlike three strings on traditional pianos). Enticed by the "crystalline and unique" tones of this instrument, which is hard to find in France, Ezéchiel travelled to Kuldiga, Latvia (where David Klavins set up his workshops and studios), to record the first part of the album. Although the title of the album may initially conjure up images of a distant, sensual dance, the reality is quite different. Ventas Rumba indeed refers to the waterfall and rapids (in Latvian: rumba) of the river Ventas, which runs near this small village in the western part of the country. Ezéchiel chose to blur the lines, as the sound and musicality of the title likely evoke both his short stay in the Baltic country, and also a form of distant exotic imagery perfectly in tune with his own mischievous wit. Tracks as short stories

Back in France, Ezéchiel enhanced the first tracks recorded in Kuldiga with subtle synth tone layers, and added other tracks composed and recorded at his Montreuil studio. The album reflects a deliberate and sensitive orchestration of piano, synth keyboards and digital effects, as he puts it: "playing to erase the differences between the tones of the various instruments", as if each instrument's texture echoed the others. According to Ezéchiel, you can listen to Ventas Rumba as you would leaf through "a collection of short stories", through compositions that rarely exceed three minutes and evoke figures of movement, lightness, curves or modulation, such as "La ligne", "La valse des singes" or "Fly Finger". Others more seriously relate to a kind of spirituality, which quietly infuses such different tracks as "Ferveur", "Éclair" and "Louanges". Ezéchiel adds: “I’m by no means religious, but I like what God has managed to get musicians to achieve (laughs)". "Louanges", for instance, despite its electronic edge, "refers to Olivier Messiaen, a very devout composer who I greatly admire". Other tracks are directly inspired by the classical music he listens to on a daily basis. For example, Chopin's “8th Nocturne” formed the backdrop of “Pianovado”. Likewise, the harmonic structure of Beethoven's “Waldstein Sonata No. 21” inspired “Opus 53”. Aside from these multiple references and inspirations, which quickly recede behind a style that is uniquely his, Ezéchiel Pailhès keeps exploring ideas already found on his first solo albums, this time in an instrumental format, undoubtedly purer, fostering an imaginary world that evokes the shapes and themes of ballads, ritornellos, light-heartedness, passing time, reverie or a universal subdued melancholy.

Soft rock"s seminal band, The Blue Jean Committee, originated from blue-collar Chicago when the now legendary Clark Honus (Bill Hader) and Gene Allen (Fred Armisen) dropped out of sausage school to create the band of their dreams. With the help of famed music manager Alvin Izoff, the band reinvented their hard Chicago-blues image to instead transcend the laid-back essence of California. After studying bands like The Beach Boys, The Blue Jean Committee as able to find their signature sound and rise to the top of music charts. Despite Chicago"s resistance to their "vegetarian" facade and "hippy" vibe, the band became known for creating the quintessential California album. Their debut album, Catalina Breeze, spawned six consecutive hit singles for the band and for a moment it seemed like they would be a long-term fixture on the American musical landscape. However, some relationships are more complicated than they appear on the surface, and nowhere did this ring more true than for Gene Allen and Clark Honus, as their infamous on-stage fight at the Hollywood Bowl Animal Rights Now Benefit and subsequent break-up has since become the stuff of legend. Fans of the "Chicago band with the California sound" can celebrate once more! After over 30 years apart, Gene and Clark were recently reunited for their induction into the Hall of Fame in April 2015.