Suche:the time

Gottwax is back with its seventh instalment, and this time, the reins are in the hands of the Beeyou co-founder and FUSE regular, Laidlaw. Laidlaw showcases his unparalleled talent and versatility as a producer in the 'Prophecy' EP, solidifying his status as one of the rising stars in the scene. This four-track EP takes listeners on a journey through deep house, stripped-back grooves, and breakbeat, making it an absolute essential for every discerning DJ's collection.

The EP kicks off with 'Wait Till The End,' a deep house gem with a playful bass line, moody chords, and sparkling top notes. Each element is thoughtfully crafted, blending harmoniously to create an atmosphere that subtly builds throughout the track. 'Wait Till The End' is a flawlessly realised tune, serving as an incredibly strong start to this EP.

Next up is 'Planet 727,’ is a minimal groover with deep, subby bass and hints of tribal drums, infusing the rhythm with captivating movement. This track is one for late-night, ensuring the dance floor keeps moving till the early hours.

As the title track of the EP, 'Prophecy' does not disappoint. This groove-laden breakbeat track is brimming with deep sub bass and intricate textures, leading into an infectious melody. A must-have in every DJ's bag, 'Prophecy' will undoubtedly be the soundtrack for countless future parties.

Closing out the EP is 'That Was Well Quick,' a high-energy composition adorned with mesmerising melodic textures. With its hypnotising baseline groove and captivating top lines, this track creates an infectious atmosphere, injecting an electrifying energy into the dance floor. 'That Was Well Quick' is an absolute essential for all devoted electronic music lovers.

We are beyond excited to welcome Laidlaw to the Gottwax family and share this incredible release you. Prepare to be taken on an unforgettable sonic journey with the ‘Prophecy EP’.

Social Resilience’ is the first release on !mage Recordings. A brand new label from the UK with 4 fresh tracks from techno producer ‘Other’.

The idea comes from looking at the state of society at this current time and how everyone is dealing with social pressures. The tracks have a more tribal, hypnotic vibe to them, taking you away from all the madness going on around us. The more you move into the jungle, the more you get away from the stresses of life..

I was always someone that loved getting lost in the music on the dance floor… The darker the better… Sweat dripping off the ceiling, smoke blurring your vision, no lights apart from one strobe occasionally flashing in the dance….This is not a photo opportunity so just let the music take you away to areas of your mind you don’t usually visit..

This Vinyl Release is limited to 200 only so grab a copy before they’re all gone!

EP opener ‘Scary Movies’, is a wickedly euphoric slice of driving techno that rushes the bassbins and dials up the serotonin levels to the max. A true mutant roller that’s guaranteed to drain the smoke machine dry. Following that is ‘Getting’ a snarling and unpredictable masterclass that traverses through jagged techno and twisted breaks. A proper hard working number, loaded with attitude and built specifically for all night sessions.

‘Esvedra’ kicks off the B-side and keeps things moving at a blistering pace. A laser-focussed club cut that is guaranteed to run amok through every space it graces. A razor sharp face melter stacked with hammering percussion and lethal drum work. Rounding off the release is Yushh’s brooding and expertly restructured remix of ‘Getting’. A heady cocktail of UK Bass in its most sinister form and a heavy dose of the more off-kilter and forward-thinking sounds coming out of not just Bristol but the UK as a whole. This is proper lights down and sound system up material at its finest.

‘Scary Movies’ unequivocally displays Dawn Razor’s skills as an increasingly confident producer and one of the most important artists emerging out of the Russian scene. While simultaneously showcasing Yushh’s inherent ability to think well outside of the box each and every time. Blue Vinyl Edition.

At long last: the classic Steely Dan catalog is back on vinyl. Led by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, Steely Dan released 7 albums from 1972-1980. The vinyl series continues with Aja, the band’s 1977’s platinum-selling jazz-rock masterwork, which includes the three hit singles –“Deacon Blues,” Peg” and “Josie” – and the elegant title cut. The LP has been remastered by Bernie Grundman from an analog, non-EQ’d, tape copy.

So many stellar albums by Fagen and Becker in the 70′s but this one is timeless. Amazing songs produced and performed to perfection by some of the best session musicians and singers in the business. An Absolute masterpiece from start to finish!

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

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

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

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

Nach dem Erfolg der ersten beiden TechnoBase.FM-LP‘s schickt ZYX Music nun die dritte Ausgabe ins Rennen, um die Herzen der Musikliebhaber des HandsUp-Genres zu erobern. Auch dieses Mal begeistert die Doppel-Vinyl mit vielen Hits und Ohrwürmern. Diesmal animieren Songs wie zum Beispiel „Drop The Bass“ von Rocco., „My Life Is A Party“ von ItaloBrothers, sowie „Come With Me“ von Special D. (u.v.m), zur idealen HandsUp-Party. Mit insgesamt 14 HandsUp-Songs eine starke Vinyl-Edition des Webradiosenders TechnoBase. FM!

It’s been a pretty eventful year for FKOF Records, but we’re delighted to be ending it with a bang and by welcoming two brand artists to the imprint. We’ve been long-time fans of Oddkut and Abstrakt Sonance and when we discovered they’d been on the buttons together we knew it was material we wanted to home...

KID FRANCESCOLI, leader of the French Riviera Touch is back with the stellar album SUNSET BLUE out Sept 22nd 2023.

After a first sold-out world tour (over 200 concerts in Europe, USA, Asia...), and successful hits such as Nopalitos, Blow Up or Moon (now certified diamond, with more than 200 millions streams), the Marseille-based producer, crooner and multi-instrumentalist, Mathieu Hocine, is eager to share his most accomplished LP ever. This fine collection of soulful songs honor his Mediterranean roots, with elegant and pop melodies. His most recent success and the creation of his first original soundtrack with AZURO, installed him as one of the best French songwriters of his generation, with a unique signature sound.

"I live in Marseille, I spent my childhood in Corsica, I have Algerian origins, my first vacations with friends were in Barcelona, vacations with my first girlfriend in Roma,... Then, I had the chance to perform in Morocco, Greece, Turkey and Egypt: each time I spent time in the Mediterranean region, the people I met there made me feel like I was part of the same country. This shared multiculturalism is really comforting, it has its own poetry and strength, bringing uniqueness and empathy to the people. It is essential for me. I love my city: it’s the perfect place to feel good with sun, sea, family, friendships, love... It gets me emotional, bringing tears with a smile".

With his new musical gem, Mathieu Hocine unveils 11 elegant tunes of his finest craft: sunbathed French Touch (Run Run, 1986), romantic chillwave (Corsica), uplifting synthpop (You Are Everywhere, Like Magic), electronic-soul (Casino Soul), cinematic disco (Solaris), cosmic R&B (Sweet and Sour, Take Time), … Everything is in this record.

For the first time ever, Kid Francescoli paid tribute to his mixed origins with his collaboration with world-renowned lute and mandolin player Hakim Hamadouche (Rachid Taha, Patti Smith, Brian Eno, Tricky...), whom added Algerian patterns to the introspectives songs Drift in Blue and The Morning After.

"My ambition is to create pictures in people's heads with music, to transport them instantly into a movie"

SUNSET BLUE is an instant-crush album: crystal-clear, strong, personal but universal at the same time.

It's an ecstatic soundtrack for this moment when time is suspended, the golden hour when everything seems possible. It feels like Love is in the air, you're living your best life and you're at the right place at the right time. This album embodies this magic moment where we would like to last forever… Like an epiphany, Kid Francescoli's new album is a moment of pure pleasure, a soothing way to escape reality.

"I see myself as a melodist.I would like my music to feel like velvet. There's something cinematic, classy about it, and yet comforting. It's very simple, popular and synonym of love and passion"

His friend French 79 co-produced the album, while the american rapper Bamby H2O brought his NYC swag (on Sweet & Sour), Stan Neff (Polo & Pan, Kungs, Christine and the Queens...) took care of the mix and Alex Gopher (Daft Punk, The Blaze, Bon Entendeur...) added a final touch of magic when mastering. Nicolas Despis (known for his work with Etienne Daho, Hoshi, Juliette Armanet... and many famous French rappers) later joined this dream-team to craft custom-made artworks. SUNSET BLUE is a deeply personal quest, a human adventure for Mathieu Hocine (whom explores his maghrebian origins, his feminine side, his subconscious space, ...). It's a male's work, but don't get it wrong, this LP would be nothing without women’s touch : Julietta (on Run Run and Take Time), Sarah Gaugler from Turbo Goth (on You Are Everywhere and Like Magic), and iOni (on Drift in Blue).

“Music has this magical power to broaden your vision of the world. It's fascinating because, like dreams, it's the kind of irrational things science can't explain and that makes life exciting."

Planets aligned perfectly on this project and thanks to this five-star cast of collaborators, Kid Francescoli achieved his personal holy grail : he orchestrated a great 21st century pop-music album.SUNSET BLUE is a new turning point between organic and electronic, both a mediterranean travel and a Californian dream, a bridge between Ennio Morriconne and modern electronic music.

Also, while it might be called SUNSET BLUE in honor of the sea and the Portuguese / Brazilian concept called “saudade”, but it is a really optimistic album, whose true colors would rather be "yellow-orange-red" in nod to the sun.

Created in the midst of the world tour, SUNSET BLUE is a direct result of the lives’ energy and fans’ joyful vibes: going back in the studio after smiling, singing and dancing with people all around the world inevitably gave Kid Francescoli the desire to retranscribe this ecstatic feeling in music. This album is a sensitive experience, from sunrise to sunset, from first track to last one. It’s an exploration of an everlasting summer, reaching its climax in the very final seconds of the track Corsica, making us want to press play and dive into this jewel all over again.

A beautiful cosmic trip, whether you like to stay in bed cocooning, to travel far, far away or to dance ‘till dawn, to catch the first rays of light.

Make sure to catch Kid Francescoli on his next world tour to have a good time.

"Every Mile" was recorded during a particularly tumultuous time in the life of the band, and of the band members - There were record deals won and lost, tours that were equal parts triumph and tragedy, and relationships that bit the dust
And, yet, we remained hopeful, we remained friends, and we remained committed to the songs you find here. Jon Nolan once called this record "pain with a hope chaser," which about sums it up. In a quintessential Say ZuZu moment, we recorded "Every Mile" in Memphis because we broke down there mid- tour and
tried to make the best of it. We had more songs than would fit on this record, so we curated 12 songs that belonged together, and we intended to record the others on a follow- up record that never happened. Some of those tracks found their way onto Jon and Cliff's solo records, and some have yet to see the light of
day. Either way, "Every Mile" emerged from a remarkably fruitful chapter in the band's songwriting history, and their treatment here is seasoned with the grit of
our lives at that time.

Foliage Records introduces Volume 2 of the new 12” Sampler Series.
Volume 2 offers four stunning cuts from the Foliage Records back catalogue for the first time on vinyl. The A side of the sampler features Jimpsters bumping Deep House rework of South African electronic producer, Thakzin and songstress Ray T’s ‘Don’t Let Me See’. Fresh from remixing Solomun, Kerri Chandler & Joey Negro, Jimpster picks up the pace, adds layers of Afro inspired percussion and creates an ethereal effect on the vocals, resulting in a club ready classic. Side A also features the stunning ‘Addicted’ by Richard Earnshaw & Kholi, a Deep House, bass heavy groover.


The B side of the sampler has the Afro anthem ‘Unification Vibration’, remixed by legendary producer Atjazz. A prolific remixer with a career spanning 20 years, Atjazz has worked with the likes of Bob Sinclar, Gilles Peterson & Jazzanova. The track is an ode to coming together in ‘our house, our only home’. The B side also contains the heavy talents of Turbojazz & Sean McCabe with their deep & dope remix of Diephuis feat. Ursula Rucker – Listen To This Drum. This remix takes things down a deeper path to the original, with a focus on the bassline and extra percussion.

Previously unreleased live soundboard recordings from this groovy group from the '60s San Francisco Bay Area scene. Along with The Sopwith Camel, The Beau Brummels, The Mystery Trend, The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, The Warlocks and The Grateful Dead, The Final Solution were part of the first wave of San Francisco rock bands having formed in 1965. They were very popular all over the Bay Area and appear on countless early posters of the period, but they never released anything. If you dig The Great Society and The Warlocks 'Emergency Crew' demos, this is for you!

Produced by The Charlatans and Jim Spencer and mixed by Craig Silvey (Arcade Fire, Portishead), "Modern Nature" is the band's 12th studio album. Released in 2015, the album features a plethora of contributors, from drummers Pete Salisbury (The Verve), Stephen Morris (New Order) and Gabriel Gurnsey (Factory Floor) to Kate Bush's backup singers Melanie Marshall and Sandra Marvin to Sean O'Hagan's strings and Jim Paterson's horns. The album, described by Q as "one of the best of her career," debuted in the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart. Pressed on clear yellow vinyl.

If the name of this collection of traxxx offends you, move on — there’s no hope for you here. If, on the other hand, Toribio’s salacious fun-pun cracked your cool exterior, here’s an introduction to a set of bangers that helps exemplify New York’s increasingly exuberant dancefloor, and what producer/DJ Cesar Toribio brings to it. His is a ribald, rhythmic take on dance music, neither for the weak of musical character (purists need not apply) nor for the weak of ass (-shaking). In fact, the proof is right there, in Toribio’s label’s and monthly party’s name: Bring Dat Ass. This command is not optional, but *the* key ingredient for a good time.

The five songs Toribio has created for “Tongue In Cheeks,” BDA’s first release, comprise a horny melting pot of tribal house and Linn-drum plug-ins, minimalist synth textures and basslines, hi-hats reminiscent of electro and freestyle classics, some of which are infused with New York’s Latin club history and futures. The lead-off track, “No Pare,” is based on the producer’s 808-driven reinvention of the call-and-response hook from Proyecto Uno’s 1993 merengue-house smash “El Tiburón,” marking the first time the group has ever cleared a sample of this Nuyodominican classic. We predict that “No Pare” will be a Fall 2023 monster.

Guest vocal appearances by The Illustrious Blacks and Maluca, cornerstones of different dance-floor scenes in a city currently hitting peak-energy levels, show the breadth of Toribio’s regard for community: There is a lot of crossover to how the punky Dominicana MC from Washington Heights chooses to slang-tastically “Werk It Out,” and how the Neo-Afro-Futuristic-Psychedelic-Surrealistic-Hippys Monstah Black and Manchildblack infuse a dollop of booty into “Work Dat Shit.” And the two different metallic beats point at seemingly separate parts of Toribio’s musical heritage uniting. There’s no formula, but if there was, it would be: Make it sexy. Make it (consensually) grindy. Make it funny to the point of ridiculous but so funky that the laughter becomes more fuel to the joyous momentum propelling the movement. Then make it home — or try to.

Cesar Toribio’s home is, originally Tampa — and the DR, where he’d spend summers with family. He was a drum-corps prodigy who went to Berklee to become a jazz drummer and be like Gil Evans. He idolized Miles’ orchestral arranger’s work as much as Dilla’s beats, but then discovered house music, so it was a wrap. The 2021 band album Toribio made under the name Conclave — which included his sister Sharin and musicians from such great projects as Standing On the Corner, No Regular Play and Irreversible Entanglements — unearthed the work of a singer-songwriter-arranger-producer of immeasurably nuanced, soulful jazz-house music. But when Toribio started DJing more and more, he decided to listen to the devil on his shoulder who told him to Bring Dat Ass. As Cesar damn-well knows, it’s the devil who has the better jokes and holds the better parties, so his ears perked up. “Tongue in Cheeks” is the music Toribio says he made to play at these parties, because he can’t find it anywhere else. It’s hard to disagree.

As every year anniversary, Bonkers has the tradition of the special annual compilation, bringing a bunch of new extraordinary artists to the label. This VA is the sound that Bonkers represents, a sound to trip, to listen, to dance and to enjoy, now for year IV we have on board: Sobek, Colossio Feat Animales Nocturnos, Ludviq & Radial Gaze, Moisees & ZEA, ID_UA and Oblako Maranta.

For the first track of the VA, debuting on the label, the Hungarian producer Sobek ,named after the Egyptian crocodile god, resident of Aether club, with releases on TAU, Get Physical, Borders of Light, and owner of Complaint Kulture.“Conscious Raveness” is a harsh and enjoyable journey, with a rough bass and drilling mind synths, his sound simple has no boundaries.

Talking about sick collabs, “Retaliation” definitely is one of them, also is the first collab between the head of the label, Luis(Ludviq) and Andrey (Radial Gaze), this track has a great power in it, with a lot of trippy Fx, home-made recorded percs, mind-blowing leads and a massive bass line. Just listen and enjoy the ride.

Igor Dyeyev mostly known as ID_UA, is an Ukrainian producer, with releases on labels like Calypso and Duro, now debuting on the label with “Crucial Moment”.

This track was made during the escalation of tension on the borders of Ukraine, what happened next is known to the whole world.

With releases on Exit Strategy, Duro and Scatcity Fernando Luna aka Colossio, presents his track “Reflejos” featuring Animales Nocturnos, is inspired by the Spanish electro-trash scene where the beat and the lyrics evoke the most hidden and dark feelings that spring up at night, inviting you to enter the trance that provokes the dance.

For the first time have the pleasure to have one of the Duro Label bosses Moisees, joining forces with ZEA with “Recuerdo Futuro” is a flash of the forgotten rave parties of the nineties, the nostalgia of a past that was not lived.

To close this VA we have the honor to have, a new fresh and visionary project called Oblako Maranta, is the fusion project between the Italian Producer A-Tweed and the Russian producer Radial Gaze. “Viper Attack” is special track ,weird, slow and raver, with psychedelic nuances, definitely a trippy journey.

Five years in the game marks a very special milestone for In-Reach Records, a label born from a love of drum & bass music and a passion to share that love with like-minded individuals. What better way to celebrate that milestone than a compilation of the sounds and souls that have fuelled the labels journey so far. The artists behind all nine of IRR’s past releases have combined, along with some important members of the In-Reach family, to create this exquisitely emotive VA album.

Heading up the release is a very serious piece of wax dropping in September 2023. The 12” vinyl exclusive album sampler comprises two tracks that have been causing waves in the scene for some time. Kicking off with Kid Drama’s remix of ‘Another Place’, we have an expert re-work of an already awesome track from Sam Binary and Deviant. The hissing bass joins the drum break half way through the intro while the vocal sample repeats its mantra. As expected, a gear change hits on the drop with the entry of sub bass stabs, which take on an increasingly melodic form as they evolve throughout the track.


The legendary Madcap takes on remix duties for the B-side with his take on Greekboy’s & AKA's ‘The Jungle’, which first aired on LTJ Bukem’s Radio 1 Guest Mix in 2021. The stepping drum break enters from the outset, building atmosphere alongside the pads and vocal cries in preparation for the extremely weighty running baseline.

Reach for the geiger counter - Park End comes shelling in the direction of Sneaker Social Club with some plutonium-plated, 2-stepping swelterweight gear for the grubbiest of dancehalls. All we can ascertain about the shadowy figure on the buttons for this latest release is that they’re clearly schooled in the lineage of UK hardcore, pirate radio culture and the sympathetic tenets of UKG, jungle and dubstep.

Opening up the A side, ’Same Dream’ is a claustrophobic, gnarly creeper with razor-sharp snares, growling low end and enough heads-down malaise to turn the most blissful sunrise set ice-cold. ‘The Immortality Of The Crab’ pays tribute to the fine tradition of illegal radio broadcasting and its importance for the development of rave, leaning on a staggered, mucky garage beat that smacks hard just how we like it.

On the flip, Park End turns attention to the synergy between RnB and garage with a refix of BBL Sound’s ‘BBS’, pairing the sweetest vocal chops with plenty of bitter b-line pressure, while ‘Rekt’ draws on an unnamed voice for another fission between human sensitivity and mechanised intensity. This parting shot borders on anti-anthemic by the time it reaches its peak while holding true to the pitch-black vibe creeping out around the edges of this rough diamond of an EP.

Ben Sterling joins Damian Lazarus’ renowned Crosstown Rebels imprint, partnering with Caitlyn Scarlett for ‘Don’t Truss’.

Building on the release of arguably one of the tracks of 2022 with his remix of Tiga’s iconic ‘Mind Dimension 2’, UK hotshot and Planet X boss Ben Sterling has made 2023 another year of raising the levels, with his debut on Solomon’s Diynamic becoming an instant summer anthem in the midst of his busiest summer to date. Adding yet another huge label debut to the mix, he continues to showcase his range across house music as Damian Lazarus invites him to Crosstown Rebels for the first time, partnering with singer/songwriter Caitlyn Scarlett for ‘Don’t Truss’ on the revered imprint.

A rolling and crisp production with Scarlett’s alluring and hooky vocals at its core, it’s easy to see why ‘Don’t Truss’ has become a stand-out track from Sterling’s own sets across the globe over the past 12 months. Fusing tightly programmed percussion, warped murmurs, and a slinking, snaking groove, it’s a track crafted for the dancefloor, moving crowds unison and leaving a lasting impact. On the flip, ‘Bring Me To The Surface’ is a groove-led and bubbling cut that keeps the energy levels with skittering drums, acid-dipped basslines, resonant synths and yet more vibrant vocals.

Introducing Part 2 of Megalon's highly anticipated archival collection, showcasing their studio output between 1995 and 1997. This compilation brings together the best tracks from the EPs released by Megalon on esteemed labels like R&S and London's Plink Plonk Records.

Continuing their sonic voyage with finesse, this selection embodies the duo's forward-thinking approach. The music presented here is a testament to their ability to explore diverse styles and capture various moods, maintaining a striking modernity that remains relevant regardless of time. These tracks possess a timeless quality, sounding as fresh today as they did when they were first conceived. For any dedicated techno enthusiast, these records are a must-have addition to their record collection. With its true school UK techno essence and minimal electronic stylings, this compilation stands tall above much of the music produced on this island during that era.

Drawing from Megalon's extensive DAT tape archive, all the music featured in this compilation has been meticulously restored by the renowned Curvepusher. The artwork and design have been crafted under the keen eye of Rogan Jeans, the original designer for Plink Plonk Records and Megalon, ensuring a visually captivating experience to complement the exceptional sound.

After an extended disco nap your friends at rong music have awoken from our slumber and just in time to celebrate our 20th year of doing this rong thing. How will we celebrate? The only ways we know how. Put out a bunch of new music, unearth some weirdo classics, and DANCE & PARTY.

For our first new single to be released in celebration of our 20th anniversary, we bring you some bangers for the club, rave, your ride, warehouse, the playa, or home disco. The title track, Love’s the Meditation is a classy piece of melodic acid funk (?@$!wtf) whatever that means, with an epic extended mix by our fearless leader DJ Spun... We could hear some of our favorite new techno DJ’s playing Spun’s mix of SSM and Do You Feel the Love and 303 & me have a classic acid HOUSE vibe that is our type of thin. Enjoy!

Loud & Clear / N.O.R.E (Buttas Remix) b/w Cherry Blossoms (Love Notes Mix) by Strictlybutters | Galaxy Sound Co. – GSC 45-038 | Summer time vibes are here & @galaxy_sound_company is back at it with another sure-shot #hiphop donut via @strictlybutters. I got my hands on an advance copy of a limited-run test pressing & it is cut loud! Ya know ya will be boomin’ in ya, boomin’ in ya, boomin’ this in ya jeep!

Galaxy Sound Co. started taking these occasional fire #hiphopinstrumental interlude breaks from their 45 edit series to shine light on the Michigan skateboarder, cyclist, sneaker-head & bedroom b-boy beat maker Strictlybutters. With the 38th donut in the GSC 45 series, he is making his 3rd appearance on the label & it is another banger.

Side A1’s “Loud & Clear” is a straight-up, warm-up boom-bap banger. It effortlessly, teases along by MC royalty with a sweet soulful piano riff rolling along MPC delights. A joyful crowd is weaved through a familiar GWJ break calling you do get up & get down. A2’s “N.O.R.E. (Buttas Remix)” teases with a buttery-soul laced rework of with a snippet from Noreaga’s “SuperThug”. The only fault here being SB only gives us a taste at just over a minute long. More please.

Side B’s “Cherry Blossoms (Love Notes Mix)” is a killer joint in the vein of 90s hip-hop love jams, with the core sample being one of my fav sweet soul songs from Detroit, 1969’s “Maybe So Maybe No” by the New Holidays (Soulhawk Records 1008). SB lets this beat breathe to perfection, rolling fa-la-la-la’s that slide into a sexy outro.

Mr Bongo is thrilled to announce a special RSD Black Friday edition of 'Speak Your Peace,’ a stunningly beautiful album by the legendary Terry Callier. This remarkable record not only showcases Terry Callier's immense talent, but also features production by Bluey (Incognito) and Marc Mac (4 Hero). It includes the single, ‘Brother to Brother’, a song co-written and performed with British musical icon, Paul Weller. This stellar cast of producers and collaborators infuses the album with modern sensibilities while maintaining the integrity of Terry Callier's unique sound.

'Speak Your Peace' is a testament to Terry Callier's enduring legacy as a singer-songwriter and guitarist. Known for his ability to blend genres seamlessly, here he takes listeners on a transcendent journey through soul, jazz, folk, and blues. His captivating voice and exceptional guitar playing create a musical landscape that is both timeless and profound. This collection of songs tackles a range of themes, from love and introspection to social justice and the human experience. Terry Callier's poignant lyrics and soul-stirring melodies intertwine, creating a multi-dimensional work of art. It rates with his incredible Cadet work in its vision, articulation, and execution.

Mr Bongo Records is honoured to present 'Speak Your Peace’ and to celebrate the legacy of Terry Callier and his impact on the musical landscape.

Caedite Eos is thrilled to present SlugoS’ EP for its third release. This time, the label owner brings us two pure hardtechno tracks titled "Crime" and "Punishment," showcasing SlugoS's signature style.

Adding to the excitement, we’ve collaborated with Education Club (UVB + Hurtado) and Not A Headliner, who have created two remarkable remixes, infusing SlugoS’s already killer tracks with their own distinctive touch.

: Written and recorded in a series of bedroom studiosin England and France, London-based Gareth Donkin’s extraordinary debut, Welcome Home, showcases the 23-year-old’s stunning mix of instrumental virtuosity and emotional intuition, blending highly sophisticated melodic and harmonic craftsmanship with deeply moving lyrical explorations of longing, desire, and determination. The songs here draw on soul, funk, pop, yacht rock,hip-hop, jazz, and even bossa nova, hinting at times to everything from Michael Jackson and Bill Evans to George Benson and Jamiroquai, and Donkin’s performances are nothing short of mesmerizing, layering up instrument after instrument in the best one-man-band tradition of Prince or Stevie Wonder. The result is a moving work that’s equal parts brain and brawn, a masterful coming-of-age self-portrait from a young artist discovering himself—and his sound—one song at a time. Born with perfect pitch, Donkin was already fanatically obsessed with both jazz piano and drums before he turned twelve. In high school, he began DJing and teaching himself to record and sample, and by the time he headed to the Leeds College of Music to pursue a degree in production, he was already writing and recording his own material at home. His first single, “Catharsis,” would go on to rack up more than a million streams on Spotify, and a series of subsequent tracks would find similarly organic success and help land him a deal with the burgeoning drink sum wtr label.

“Those familiar with my music will notice this album is a lot different from previous releases which were written around the acoustic guitar. I often ask myself if it is a mistake to release an electric album (and a pretty heavy one at that) but in the end I thought what the hell you only live once! “

“Being Generation X these songs are heavily influenced by that period which I consider in pop/rock history, musically arguably the best. I know it will probably be criticized for being too “old fashioned” by some but I can honestly say I’ll take that as a compliment as my musical “D.N.A” is defined by that period in time”.

180gr./4p Booklet/1500 Cps On Translucent Yellow Vinyl

Together Alone (Ltd. Translucent Yellow Vinyl) is an album by Anouk, released in 2022. Together Alone (Ltd. Translucent Yellow Vinyl) includes a.o. the following tracks: “Nobody's Wife”, “It's So Hard”, “It's A Shame”, “Time Is A Jailer” and more. The album is a Coloured Vinyl, High Quality, Insert pop LP.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the release of Ryuichi Sakamoto's classic LP "Ongaku Zukan", originally issued in Japan on his own School label in 1984.

The reissue will replicate the original Japanese release which offered two versions: a normal edition featuring the LP with a bonus 2-track 7" EP (WWSLP71), and a limited edition which includes a 3-track 12" EP in place of the 7" (WWSLP72)

Remastered by Saidera Mastering in Tokyo the reissue boasts the original gatefold artwork plus an extra 2-page insert with new liner notes by Andy Beta



The early '80s were a turning point for Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. As a solo artist, the smash hit soundtrack he had composed for 1983's "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" (a film in which he had also acted), had put him on the verge of becoming a global superstar. Meanwhile he had called a halt to his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra; the influential, globally successful pop trio calling it quits after the release of their 1983 album "Naughty Boys".

Against this backdrop, Sakamoto descended on Tokyo's Onkyo Haus Studio to record his fourth solo album, "Ongaku Zukan" ("Musical Encyclopedia") accompanied by a handful of musicians including his ex-YMO partners Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, and the prolifically talented Yasuaki Shimizu, Tatsuro Yamashita and Toshinori Kondo. Sakamoto began with no particular plan in mind, recording 30 basic tracks over the best part of 1983. It was on his return to the studio the following year that the album truly began to take shape. Accompanied by a newly acquired Fairlight CMI sampler, the musician made extensive use of the revolutionary equipment to create a wide palette of sound textures which he added to the tracks, a creatively fertile process that was captured on film for the French documentary "Tokyo Melody, A Film about Ryuichi Sakamoto".)

Released in August 1984 the album "Ongaku Zukan" proved a huge success, providing Sakamoto with his first top 5 hit in Japan. Filled with inspired melodies that showcase his unique gift as a composer, it offers up a fascinating mix of styles. Asiatic electro pop nuggets ("Tibetan Dance") share space with futuristic ambient pieces ("Hane no Hayashi de"), and brilliantly creative fusions of jazz, funk, techno and reggae ("Etude" and "Tabi no Kyokuhoki.")

Two simultaneous editions of the album were released in Japan: the regular one featuring a bonus 7" EP with two extra tracks: "Replica" and "Ma Mère l'Oye" while a limited edition added a 12" EP (in lieu of the 7") which included a third track, "Tibetan Dance (Version)." An international version was released two years later in 1986 by 10 Records/Virgin under the title "Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia," but with a very different track list. Five tracks from "Ongaku Zukan" were dropped, namely "Self Portrait," "Tabi no kyokuhoku," "Mori no Hito," "A Tribute to N.J.P" and "Tibetan Dance (Version)", to be replaced by two non-album singles from 1985, "Stepping Into Asia" and "Field Work."

This is the very first time that the two 1984 Japanese editions of Ryuichi Sakamoto's classic album have been released internationally in collaboration with the artist's management and Midi Inc., with remastered audio and the original artwork faithfully reproduced, paying tribute to one of contemporary music's undisputed geniuses.

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the release of Ryuichi Sakamoto's classic LP "Ongaku Zukan", originally issued in Japan on his own School label in 1984.

The reissue will replicate the original Japanese release which offered two versions: a normal edition featuring the LP with a bonus 2-track 7" EP (WWSLP71), and a limited edition which includes a 3-track 12" EP in place of the 7" (WWSLP72)

Remastered by Saidera Mastering in Tokyo the reissue boasts the original gatefold artwork plus an extra 2-page insert with new liner notes by Andy Beta



The early '80s were a turning point for Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. As a solo artist, the smash hit soundtrack he had composed for 1983's "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" (a film in which he had also acted), had put him on the verge of becoming a global superstar. Meanwhile he had called a halt to his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra; the influential, globally successful pop trio calling it quits after the release of their 1983 album "Naughty Boys".

Against this backdrop, Sakamoto descended on Tokyo's Onkyo Haus Studio to record his fourth solo album, "Ongaku Zukan" ("Musical Encyclopedia") accompanied by a handful of musicians including his ex-YMO partners Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, and the prolifically talented Yasuaki Shimizu, Tatsuro Yamashita and Toshinori Kondo. Sakamoto began with no particular plan in mind, recording 30 basic tracks over the best part of 1983. It was on his return to the studio the following year that the album truly began to take shape. Accompanied by a newly acquired Fairlight CMI sampler, the musician made extensive use of the revolutionary equipment to create a wide palette of sound textures which he added to the tracks, a creatively fertile process that was captured on film for the French documentary "Tokyo Melody, A Film about Ryuichi Sakamoto".)

Released in August 1984 the album "Ongaku Zukan" proved a huge success, providing Sakamoto with his first top 5 hit in Japan. Filled with inspired melodies that showcase his unique gift as a composer, it offers up a fascinating mix of styles. Asiatic electro pop nuggets ("Tibetan Dance") share space with futuristic ambient pieces ("Hane no Hayashi de"), and brilliantly creative fusions of jazz, funk, techno and reggae ("Etude" and "Tabi no Kyokuhoki.")

Two simultaneous editions of the album were released in Japan: the regular one featuring a bonus 7" EP with two extra tracks: "Replica" and "Ma Mère l'Oye" while a limited edition added a 12" EP (in lieu of the 7") which included a third track, "Tibetan Dance (Version)." An international version was released two years later in 1986 by 10 Records/Virgin under the title "Illustrated Musical Encyclopedia," but with a very different track list. Five tracks from "Ongaku Zukan" were dropped, namely "Self Portrait," "Tabi no kyokuhoku," "Mori no Hito," "A Tribute to N.J.P" and "Tibetan Dance (Version)", to be replaced by two non-album singles from 1985, "Stepping Into Asia" and "Field Work."

This is the very first time that the two 1984 Japanese editions of Ryuichi Sakamoto's classic album have been released internationally in collaboration with the artist's management and Midi Inc., with remastered audio and the original artwork faithfully reproduced, paying tribute to one of contemporary music's undisputed geniuses.

A pungent ooze emanates from the subway. As a sticky drum machine sequence rolls out like thick dark fog, ice cold synth swirls rise from the depths.

Since the debut album Europe By Night, one of the main references associated with Henrik Stelzer and his Metro Riders project has been that of cinema, and particularly the European genre films of the 1980s. With its seedy subject matters manifesting both in visual style and music, the vibe of that era has crystallized over time. Passed down to us from deteriorating video cassettes, it became an invaluable key to decoding our present day reality.

And this is true for this album as well; Stelzer does not hide the fact that he builds heavily on that vibe; referencing it through track titles and utilizing a particular recording setup consisting of a Fostex and a reel to reel in order to achieve and recreate the feeling of those soundtracks — as heard on magnetic tape rather than vinyl.

The motion picture soundtrack as an arbitrary genre definition becomes, in the hands of Stelzer, a pair of X-ray specs for him to envision a kind of music that deals in grains and contrasts rath- er than hooks and choruses. And like Roddy Piper in John Carpenter's 1988 film They Live, he hands those glasses over for us to see the true face of our times.

On Lost In Reality Metro Riders maps out an emotional geography of the cities at night, wherein the cinematic haze becomes a tool by which we can view the cities with new eyes. Not steering away from the darker alleys nor the harsh realities of modern day politics masquerading as progress. Yet escapism, in the end, seems the only viable option. But not as an endgame, but rather a stepping stone for building a new vocabulary for an utopian language.

180gr./Printed Innersleeve/1000 Copies On White Vinyl

Queen For A Day is the tenth studio album by Dutch pop/rock singer Anouk, originally released in 2016.

It features the hit single “Run Away Together”, a collaboration with singers Jennie Lena and Shirma Rouse, both known for being contestants on the hit show The Voice of Holland, where Anouk is one of the coaches. A preview of the song was premiered on the show.

Another single off this album is “Wanna Little Something”, a soulful dancerock song. Other well-known tracks are “New Day” and “Dirty Girl”.

This is the first time the album is released on coloured vinyl. It’s a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on white vinyl and includes a printed innersleeve with song lyrics.

n the occasion of the new 2023 edition of his album "Dancehall President" released in 2016 on Undisputed Records, Skarra Mucci unveils an alternative cover for the vinyl version.

Nicknamed "King Skarra" or "The Dancehall President", Skarra Mucci is undoubtedly one of the most versatile and interesting singers on the current Reggae scene. With an inexhaustible flow and judicious crossovers between reggae/dancehall, hip-hop and soul, Skarra Mucci transcends riddims and eras with mad class. Between Shaggy and Damian Marley, he reconciles tradition and modernity, old-fashioned raggamuffin and current productions.

"Dancehall President" is no exception in this area with reggae, dancehall, hip hop, dubstep influences and featurings such as Beenie Man, Willy William, Yaniss Odua, Horace Andy and Mandinka.

Slaughter Beach, Dog’s new album ‘Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling’ finds Jacob Ewald hitting his songwriting stride. A decade into steadily releasing records through Slaughter Beach, Dog and Modern Baseball, Ewald spent hundreds of hours over the past few years to listen purposefully, diving deep into the worlds of Randy Newman, Tom Waits, Neil Young and many other “classic guys” that he hadn’t spent ample time with. Ewald also spent a similar amount of hours meticulously assembling a band fit for these new songs, and I am very happy to report that he found what he was looking for.

The result is ‘Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling’ - a timeless record, and Slaughter Beach, Dog’s finest - self produced and capturing Ewald and the band at the height of their powers. Ewald’s eye for detail is on display, ‘Crying, Laughing, Waving, Smiling’ is filled with gorgeous imagery and vivid worlds are built within each song. Out on longtime label home Lame-O Records, this album will bring

longtime Ewald fans, his newfound TikTok audience, and more discerning adult contemporary listeners deeper into the world of Slaughter Beach, Dog.

180gr./4p Booklet/Ft. Lou Reed/3000 Cps On Red Vinyl

Bright Red (Ltd. Red Vinyl) is an album by Laurie Anderson, released in 2022. Bright Red (Ltd. Red Vinyl) includes a.o. the following tracks: “Speechless”, “The Puppet Motel”, “Love Among The Sailors”, “Poison” and more. The album is a Coloured Vinyl, High Quality, Insert pop LP.

Die..//180gr/Printed Innersleeve/1000 Cps On Pink Vinyl
1-LP Holland


Fake It Till We Die is the eleventh studio album by Dutch singer Anouk. It was released only seven months after its predecessor Queen for a Day. Although Anouk is primarily known for her rock songs, this album features mostly soul and funk oriented tracks. The preceding singles “Down Daddy Down” and “Burn” are a great example of Anouk’s expansion to these genres. Other strong tracks on the album are “I Just Met a Man”, “Blue Motel”, “Waste Your Water” and much more. Fake It Till We Die is quite a cohesive and very well done soul record, perfectly showcasing Anouk’s incredible voice.

The album is available on coloured vinyl for the first time. This edition includes a printed innersleeve with song lyrics and is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on pink vinyl.

Instrument-swapping London/Margate trio Wicketkeeper create a loose, breezy jangle-rock that’s been likened to Ultimate Painting and Teenage Fanclub. A laid back, fuzzy racket comprised of fizzing guitars interweaving with buoyant basslines and layered harmonised vocals.

They followed a split 12” with Car Seat Headrest with their debut album ‘Shonk’ in 2020. ‘Zambroni’ was self-recorded at home, rather than in a live-room, which enabled the band to play with dynamics and broader arrangements, layering multiple guitar and vocal tracks for the first time, resulting in a more melodic, considered and playful record.

180gr./4p Booklet/500 Copies On Magenta Coloured Vinyl

Graduated Fool is an album by Anouk, released in 2023. Graduated Fool includes a.o. the following tracks: “Too Long”, “Hail”, “Margarita Chum”, “I Live For You” and more. The album is a Coloured Vinyl, High Quality, Insert pop LP.

'Dreamer Awake' is the fifth album from Rachel Sermanni, her first for
Navigator Records (Katherine Priddy, Kitty Macfarlane, Sam Kelly & The
Lost Boys, Bellowhead)
Hailing from the Scottish highlands, Sermanni is an enchanting singer-songwriter,
whose performance and lyrics draw from a deep well of mysticism, dreams,
nature and the simple-complex experience of being human; a contemporary folk
musician influenced by a wealth of genres including jazz, rock, old- time and
traditional.
'Dreamer Awake,' was recorded at Middle Farm Studios, Devon with co-producer,
Peter Miles. Recording live to tape with people that, "most of the time, are jazz
improvisers," the sessions were conducted with an almost Lynchian approach,
with Sermanni choosing "to flow through the experience like a dream". The result
is an album that captures the intimacy of the room, and the immediacy of these
songs that transform thought, memory and emotion into such wondrous light.
Channelling the metamorphic experience of becoming a mother, and processing
the demise of a long-term relationship, Sermanni dove deep into her psyche and
returned with songs that have a sharpness, an acuity of feeling, and that capture
the fluidity of our mind and the depth of our emotional experience.
Rightly described by critics as a "Folk noir gem" (MOJO), "Stately, poetic" (CLASH)
and "Folk of the Highest Order" (Time Out), Rachel Sermanni has been making
music for over a decade and has developed her artistic voice over her many
releases, each time pushing boundaries and experimenting with different musical
textures while maintaining the raw emotional connection, to herself and others,
that defines her music.
Rachel Sermanni has toured the globe, played alongside artists such as Mumford
& Sons, Fink, Ron Sexsmith, John Grant, The Staves, Karine Polwart, The Maes
and many more at venues and festivals all over, most recently playing with Charlie
Cunningham. She also runs a songwriting workshop called Cultivating A Creative
Life and her podcast, Rachel Sermanni's Finger That Points To The Moon,
similarly explores her relationship to creativity and inspiration, with the hope that
it will help point in the direction of truth for herself and those listening

Miss Tiny is a brand-new musical project featuring acclaimed record producer and Speedy Wunderground label founder Dan Carey (Wet Leg, Slowthai, Fontaines D.C.) alongside Ben Romans-Hopcraft of Warmduscher / Insecure Men / Childhood fame.

A spiritually, and methodically united front, Miss Tiny’s universe is a thoroughly explored romance between heritage, rebellion, and years old friendship; a triptych of variables all gravitating towards one signalled output, with no real sense of time, or external pressures. Having spent the best part of a decade orchestrating haphazard jam-sessions, Carey and Romans-Hopcraft would eventually go on to discover a fundamental principle of their own. One which would come to define Miss Tiny, throughout her various forms and guises.

“We called it anti-recording,” continues Carey. “Only doing it for the pleasure of doing it”. When fully committing to this practice, the music meticulously follows two courses; refine, or degrade. Perfect the moment, or let it go; never to be heard, or re-lived ever again for fear that the action of pressing record, would inevitably take ownership of the occasion and lead the experimentation into a downward spiral towards something all-together tangible.

The irony of a seminal producer and critically revered musician banding together out of mutual distaste for recording, is not one that’s gone amiss. In fact, they’ll be the first to proudly call it into question- and yet still, Miss Tiny holds her own despite all peripheral associations, and would eventually go on to be documented. These aren’t ‘sit-down-and-write-a-song’ kinda songs. These spurts of spontaneity which would, in time, ultimately form the duo's debut EP ‘DEN7’, are years’ worth of trial and error. Trial and elation. A process in which strong technique and melodic-manipulation are the sole foundations required to reinvent the meaning of memory; be it guitar and drums, or flesh and blood.

Produced and recorded at Carey’s ‘Speedy Wunderground’ studio in Streatham, ‘DEN7’ is a masterful introduction to a group whose members need none. Through chopping, editing, and re-defining their improvised segments into songs which they could eventually go on to learn, Carey and Romans-Hopcraft by chance, stumbled upon gold-dust. Like Alice and her looking glass, our two protagonists effortlessly pass through all notions of engineered logic in order to see beyond the expected. The bigger picture perhaps. Or the magic in the small things that matter most.

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Jogo Duro, a collaboration between Ilhan
Ersahin and some outstanding Sao Paulo musicians Guizado, Ze Nigro,
Samuel Fraga, Chicao & Tony Gordin who also happen to be great friends
These are players who will be familiar to those following the careers of Ceu, Otto,
Curumin, Tulipa Ruiz and the late, great Gal Costa. This record is the result of the
amount of time Ilhan has spent in Sao Paulo over the last decade due to putting
on the Nublu Jazz Fest there every year. With all the contacts, connections and
friendships formed over the course of making an annual music festival happen,
musical cross-pollination (usually simply referred to as "jams") was inevitable but
this time it was decided to do it in a studio with tape rolling rather than on stage,
which is certainly a more productive approach than merely talking about it over
beers at a local bar!
Everything happened fairly spontaneously over three days in the studio,
everybody brought songs, ideas and creative energy and before you know it an
album was born, which will be released in November after three singles come out
over the spring and summer.

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Jogo Duro, a collaboration between Ilhan
Ersahin and some outstanding Sao Paulo musicians Guizado, Ze Nigro,
Samuel Fraga, Chicao & Tony Gordin who also happen to be great friends
These are players who will be familiar to those following the careers of Ceu, Otto,
Curumin, Tulipa Ruiz and the late, great Gal Costa. This record is the result of the
amount of time Ilhan has spent in Sao Paulo over the last decade due to putting
on the Nublu Jazz Fest there every year. With all the contacts, connections and
friendships formed over the course of making an annual music festival happen,
musical cross-pollination (usually simply referred to as "jams") was inevitable but
this time it was decided to do it in a studio with tape rolling rather than on stage,
which is certainly a more productive approach than merely talking about it over
beers at a local bar!
Everything happened fairly spontaneously over three days in the studio,
everybody brought songs, ideas and creative energy and before you know it an
album was born, which will be released in November after three singles come out
over the spring and summer.

The band’s first hits collection, from 1966, this 14-track hits collection is still one of pop music’s most compelling and potent singles compilations ever released. Reflecting the band’s remarkable run of singles through the early to mid-sixties, it includes six UK number ones!

Return of the B-Boy

Listening back to the “I Phantom” album as a whole re-connects me to the fact that “Return of the B-Boy” really was designed to be the crown jewel of the album. I wanted to create a song that was a feat in storytelling and in verbal dexterity. The slower tempo of Part 1 of the song gave me a chance to paint a clear view of the scenario in which the protagonist is brought back to life by music to save culture of a genre. The relentless tempo of Part 2 was one of the largest challenges I had faced as an MC at that point in my career but I did not want to earn style points at the cost of clear storytelling.

I remember that night so clearly; being in El-P‘s basement studio with the album due the next day and “Return of the B-Boy pt 2” being the only part of the album that wasn’t finished. In sports what happened that night would probably be the equivalent of somebody hitting a half court shot at the buzzer to win a championship. We were all there; myself, El-P, DJ Abilities, & Nasa (El-P’s studio engineer). We all knew the song had to be completed before sunrise, we all knew the importance of the song, and we all knew we had to do our best work. This was the scene; El-P searching for the perfect drum break, Nasa mixing everything on the fly as it was recorded, DJ Abilities searching for the perfect cuts to accentuate the song, and me making sure that every single line of my verse was exactly what I wanted it to be.

I’m glad I at least remember these elements of the process clearly because the rest of it really is a blur. I’m just glad that we managed to finish the song on time & get it out into the world. I truly am honored that our efforts back then led to the creation of a piece of music that is still resonating with people today.

After re-signing to Nuclear Blast in early 2021, the Finnish heavy metal sextet BATTLE BEAST are once again getting ready to unleash their force upon the world in the shape of their brand new masterpiece »Circus Of Doom«. The album is set to be released on January 21st 2022 via Nuclear Blast and in true BATTLE BEAST fashion, the 10 tracks blend true heavy metal with pop and rock-vibes, paired with Noora Louhimo’s unique voice. »Circus Of Doom« was once again recorded at JKB Studios in Helsinki, Finland and produced and mixed by keyboardist Janne Björkroth, while the stunning artwork was created by Jan Yrlund (KORPIKLAANI, MANOWAR etc.), who already took care of BATTLE BEAST’s previous two album designs.

Having only formed in 2008, BATTLE BEAST first signed a record deal with the renowned German metal label Nuclear Blast in 2011. The release of their acclaimed debut »Steel« (2012), won the band a support slot for their labelmates NIGHTWISH. Frontwoman Noora Louhimo finally joined the band in 2012 and the band’s self-titled record (2013) was released shortly afterwards. BATTLE BEAST then got the opportunity to open for bands such as SONATA ARCTICA and POWERWOLF on extensive runs. Their ascent up the metal ladder was quick and the band’s 3rd studio album »Unholy Savior«, achieved remarkable chart positions all over Europe (#1 Finland, #23 UK Rock, #39 Germany etc.). This release was accompanied by another big European tour, but this time with Swedish heavy metal heroes SABATON and DELAIN. BATTLE BEAST’s very first headline run throughout the Continent rounded off their »Unholy Savior« touring cycle.
Their 4th studio album, »Bringer Of Pain« in 2017 reached even higher chart positions (a.o. #1 in Finland, #14 in Germany) and was also BATTLE BEAST’s first output without their original songwriter Anton Kabanen. In 2019, alongside the huge #1 success in the album charts of their home country, Finland, their last album »No More Hollywood Endings« reached a remarkable #11 in German album charts and proved to be their most successful piece yet.
Their latest masterpiece, »Circus Of Doom«, is overall heavier, but still as catchy as ever with bangers like “Masters Of Illusion”, “Freedom”, or the title track “Circus Of Doom”. Once again, the band stay true to their formula of “100% heavy metal - 0% bullshit!”

The House Of Love – guitarist and vocalist Guy Chadwick, lead guitarist
Terry Bickers, bassist Chris Groothuizen and drummer Pete Evans –
formed in London in 1986 - Chadwick had been around the music
industry for several years, but was energised seeing The Jesus And Mary
Chain, inspiring him to form the band - Signing to Creation, The House Of
Love were greeted enthusiastically by the music press and their single,
Shine On and self-titled debut album became indie disco classics - By
1989, the band were big news and had signed to Fontana, part of the
PolyGram group
The group's debut album for Fontana, also confusingly entitled The House Of
Love, was released in February 1990. Known often as 'The Butterfly Album' after
Trevor Key's distinctive artwork, much was made at the time of its protracted
birth and the weight of expectation, and the fact it was produced by five different
people. Years later, it sounds assured and confident commercial indie, bursting
with invention and melody. The re-recording of their Creation calling card, Shine
On, gave them a UK Top 20 hit and Beatles And The Stones points the way to the
gentler side of Oasis some years later.
This re-issue replicates the original 1990 Fontana UK release with printed inner
sleeve and lyric sheet and is pressed onto high quality 180g vinyl.

Mick Flannery is one of Ireland's most acclaimed songwriters and singers
The award- winning, double- platinum selling artist has released seven studio
albums, three of which have reached No. 1 status.
On September 15th he will release his eighth studio album 'Goodtime Charlie'.
Featuring collaborations with Valerie June, Anais Mitchell and Tianna Esperanza.
Mick has partnered with US Label Oh Boy Records, which for them will be their
first non-American signing.
"Mick Flannery has a voice for the ages, a complete Master of his craft" cited by
Clash Magazine, whilst The Sunday Times said he "conjures up exquisite storytelling." His last album in 2021 consisted of a collection of duets with up and
coming Irish artist Susan O'Neill. American Songwriter called 'In The Game' a
"Sorrowful Masterpiece." The record was nominated for the Choice Music Prize,
and won the RTE Radio 1 song of the year two years in a row for tracks 'Baby Talk'
and 'Chain Reaction.' The album was the biggest selling independent record in
Ireland in 2021.
Mick Flannery's songs are fluent in expressing layered aspects of the human
condition, its flaws, triumphs, and general uncertainty. Originally a stone mason
by trade, he once described his stage presence as that of a 'Mountain goat'
however over the years that shy awkwardness of said mountain goat has started
to dissipate. His live shows are renowned for his self- deprecating humor,
audience engagement and the ability to bring people on a journey of both
heartbreak and joy, often in the same instance

Jazz Hands is Bob James' third outing for evosound, following in the
wake of 2018's Espresso and 2022's Feel Like Makin' LIVE
Produced by the pianist with his manager Sonny Abelardo, the ten- track album
was mostly recorded during the months of the Covid pandemic and featured
James in a number of different musical settings. It also features a stellar cameo
from the ex- Gnarls Barkley singer CeeLo Green on the sensuous title track and
includes production input from the legendary hip- hop turntablist DJ Jazzy Jeff,
who rose to fame as half of the hit-making '80s/'90s rap duo, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the
Fresh Prince, early samplers of James' music. Blending cool jazz tropes with
funky dance floor grooves, blues- tinged ballads, cinematic mood pieces, and
sensuous slow jams, Jazz Hands is the Missouri pianist's most eclectic album of
his long career. Simultaneously classic and contemporary, it's Bob James at his
majestic, ground-breaking, and timeless best.
The album will be available on 180g Solid Blue vinyl, black vinyl LP, SACD- Hybrid
Stereo and MQA-CD on the 15th September 2023.

Jazz Hands is Bob James' third outing for evosound, following in the
wake of 2018's Espresso and 2022's Feel Like Makin' LIVE
Produced by the pianist with his manager Sonny Abelardo, the ten- track album
was mostly recorded during the months of the Covid pandemic and featured
James in a number of different musical settings. It also features a stellar cameo
from the ex- Gnarls Barkley singer CeeLo Green on the sensuous title track and
includes production input from the legendary hip- hop turntablist DJ Jazzy Jeff,
who rose to fame as half of the hit-making '80s/'90s rap duo, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the
Fresh Prince, early samplers of James' music. Blending cool jazz tropes with
funky dance floor grooves, blues- tinged ballads, cinematic mood pieces, and
sensuous slow jams, Jazz Hands is the Missouri pianist's most eclectic album of
his long career. Simultaneously classic and contemporary, it's Bob James at his
majestic, ground-breaking, and timeless best.
The album will be available on 180g Solid Blue vinyl, black vinyl LP, SACD- Hybrid
Stereo and MQA-CD on the 15th September 2023.

Ultramagnetic Mc's is composed of TR 'Funky' Luv, Dj Moe Luv on the one and two's, Kool Keith, producer Ced Gee and occasionally Tim Dog. Their second studio album Funk your Head Up was released in 1992, representing the foundation of Hip-Hop. Culled of the album are singles "Poppa Large" and "Make It Happen" plus tracks by Kool Keith's "Pluckin' Cards", "Dolly And The Rat Trap”, the diss track "You Ain't Real" about rapper Freddie Fox, skits, mad beats, and outlandish lyricism.

Funk Your Head Up was originally only available as a 1LP but is now available as a 2LP-set for the first time.

With fresh energy and bright intuition, Abby Johnson's confident selftitled debut (due in late 2021) offers timeless folk songwriting teeming
with a classic Nashville golden-era sheen
Johnson draws upon genre-spanning influences and wrangles them effortlessly
into her own expression: "I want my songs to sound familiar, but tell you
something new," she says. The duality of Laurel Canyon nostalgia and indie rock
blend effortlessly in her songs, polished further by the airtight backing band of
fellow Nashvillians, Ornament (and produced by the band's drummer, Ryan
Donoho).
Raised in North Carolina on the earnest mythos of Taylor Swift, she describes her
first songs as "diary entries -- playing guitar alone in my bedroom until I was
twenty three." Moving to Nashville for college introduced her to an immersive
musical community, where she steeped in the influence of folk- and- country
stalwarts like Emmylou Harris and Bonnie Raitt in equal proportion to more
contemporary indie songwriters like Phoebe Bridgers.
In addition to music, Johnson is known and admired for her film and photography
work. Capturing the mood of a scene in a single snapshot is an ability she
translates to her vivid songwriting: bringing the subtlest details into sharp focus --
vignettes in a soft- grained atmosphere. Intimacy and longing push and pull
thematically, as well as a sense of motion: driving through the desert; penning
love letters in the mountains; and pulling up a chair to a grandmother's kitchen
table. These songs are rooted but travelling, moseying through American folk-pop
traditions and toward something altogether fresh and dreamlike

The album appeared suddenly - Within about a week, A Family Light was
pretty much fully written - "Despite the old cliche, the inspiration for this
album stemmed from heartbreak," describes band member Sergio
Trevino
"Fresh out of a failed relationship, I took to writing, resisting the temptation to
create bitter or angsty love songs. I tried to channel my emotions into something
larger. Looking back, with the benefit of time and distance from the album, I
realize that it kinda became a response to my observations of the family
dynamics, and how strange and complicated those predetermined roles are.

The latest release from members of GOTHBOICLIQUE (Horse Head x Lil
Tracy x Nedarb), "Under Your Spell" is a 4-song EP presenting the next
chapter for both GBC, and each individual artist
This collection of songs features nostalgic up- tempo themes, as heard in the
follow- up track "Last Night in LA, Pt. 2.," while also drifting into, an at times,
somber driving sub-sonic wall of sound, as found in the track "Floorboards" feat.
fellow GBC member Cold Hart.
Side B includes rare instrumental versions of the songs. The initial 1st pressing
will be printed on clear- colored vinyl. Look for GBC, playing select live dates
throughout the summer, including "So What Fest" with Thursday, The Used, Head
Automatica and Freddie Dredd.

Soul Dynamite is back to celebrate the 10th release with Berlin's finest duo Marc Hype & Jim Dunloop.

On side A you will find their seminal classic, a stunning cover version of Babe Ruth’s B-Boy essential „The Mexican“, which was dubbed by UK’s Jazzman Gerald as ”THE“ version to have, soundtrack of international "Battle Of The Year" 2006, the year when it was originally released, now for the first time on a 45!

On side B you can enjoy "Oh Really?" which was available only on their debut album "Stamp Out Reality". Marc and Jim teamed up with NYC‘s own Mr. Complex over rare syncopated drum breaks, tweaking a late 90s feel.

In February 1942, having fled persecution but lost all hope in the world,
the Jewish Austrian writer Stefan Zweig and his second wife Lotte took
their own lives in the Brazilian city Petropolis
There is a photo of both of them in bed, dead but still holding hands, that has
haunted Robert Rotifer for a long time.
This is Robert Rotifer's 11th record and his first new music since 2019. Having
since worked with Helen McCookerybook, Louis Philippe & The Night Mail, Andre
Heller, Fay Hallam, Swansea Sound and more alongside his day job as a journalist
and broadcaster, in the summer of 2022 Rotifer set to work on this new set of
songs, calling on friends and collaborators to contribute. Guests include,Ian
Button on drums, Fay Hallam on keys, Helen McCookerybook and Kenji Kitahama
on added backing vocals, plus contributions from Amelia Fletcher, and Austrian
musicians Ernst Molden and Paul Pfleger, uniting the two separate musical
worlds Rotifer has been moving in since leaving Vienna for the UK some 26 years
ago.

Little Feat introduced Southern-fried accents and funny personality sketches to the West Coast's country-rock template on its self-titled 1971 debut that remains singular in its aural and narrative visions of America.

After a busy and prolific work on his acoustic-electronic project and soundtrack compositions, Mischa Blanos wears again his clubbing outfit, returning with a three track EP for his techno and live electronics awaiting crowd in the dancing arena. Linear EP evokes the ethereal experience of clubbing, where time feels like grinding to a halt as if plunging through an open door into a new world.

Taking the vantage point of the dancefloor, Mischa Blanos recalls entering this space where time doesn't play a heavy role anymore. Be it two hours or eight in a nightclub, be it day or night, dusk or dawn, one doesn't seek time traveling but time stopping, as a way to relieve the time burden in our high-speed society. We tend to perceive that time is running at a faster pace, but time itself does not pass, what passes are things and living beings. Time is neither linear nor circular, time does not flow or move, but allows us to do so. And it is here on the dance floor that this reality can be felt.

Everything is moving, vibrating and changing from the flashing lights to the loud decibel kicks and everyone is both audience and performer on the stage. They all belong to the scene. Sometimes this could mean an individual experience, being completely absorbed in dancing or a parallel space, and other times it means togetherness, feeling an integral part of the experience. In his techno dedicated Linear EP Mischa Blanos speaks about clubbing as a form of escapism, but a form that can help us to reach a better understanding of our relationship with time.

This new double LP version restores the track “Deep Sky Objects” to the original running order of the album as it was left off of the original single LP version due to side length restraints. This is the first time this album has been available on vinyl in almost two decades, and the first time the Drop EP has been available in any format since original release in 1994.

At the same time, Kranky is making the CD version available once again for the first time in many years, with the Drop EP tracks also included.

The debut album from New York City’s Bowery Electric was released by Kranky in late summer 1995 after they came to the label’s attention via their self-released 2x7-inch Drop EP from the year previous. The first in a trio of albums released by the core duo of Lawrence Chandler and Martha Schwendener finds them in their most raw form.

“The perfect realization of their aesthetic, each word and chord tuned and focused for maximum impact.” — Pitchfork

“Genuinely hypnotic.” —The Wire

Original self-released by Malik king this lp has been on many peoples lists of holly grail private-press jazz wants for years , very rarely turning up on ebay and the like.. selling for up to $500.

Malik King was an important part of the St Louis jazz scene of the 70's & 80's.

He studied under Albert Ayler in NY in the early 70s before returning to the Midwest. He was a member of; The Human Arts Ensemble, the Shirley Le Flore's ensemble "Free N' Concert". He also served as musical director of The Creative Arts & Expression Lab, The African Peoples Continuum, & The Black Arts Alliance, The worrier poets, as well as various Emerging Force Ensembles.

Zimbabwe Nkenya (1953-2022), a creative artist and innovative musician, was brought up on army bases in the USA and Spain. He spent 30 years traveling and performing in New York, New Mexico, Arizona and St Louis. playing with a who's who of jazz. In New Mexico he became an integral part of the scene, producing and hosting the KUNM'S radio show "THE HOUSE THAT JAZZ BUILT" .

Luckily Malik self-released "Time & Condition" in 1982, capturing his work together with Qaiyim Shabazz. It's not just a crate diggers Holy Grail, but an important artistic and historic document of the St Louis scene. Time & Condition stands alone as a (very) individual, spiritual jazz classic.

We hope this reissue will finally grant these musicians the wider acknowledgement & credit they deserved during their life time.

Original self-released by Malik king this lp has been on many peoples lists of holly grail private-press jazz wants for years , very rarely turning up on ebay and the like.. selling for up to $500.

Malik King was an important part of the St Louis jazz scene of the 70's & 80's.

He studied under Albert Ayler in NY in the early 70s before returning to the Midwest. He was a member of; The Human Arts Ensemble, the Shirley Le Flore's ensemble "Free N' Concert". He also served as musical director of The Creative Arts & Expression Lab, The African Peoples Continuum, & The Black Arts Alliance, The worrier poets, as well as various Emerging Force Ensembles.

Zimbabwe Nkenya (1953-2022), a creative artist and innovative musician, was brought up on army bases in the USA and Spain. He spent 30 years traveling and performing in New York, New Mexico, Arizona and St Louis. playing with a who's who of jazz. In New Mexico he became an integral part of the scene, producing and hosting the KUNM'S radio show "THE HOUSE THAT JAZZ BUILT" .

Luckily Malik self-released "Time & Condition" in 1982, capturing his work together with Qaiyim Shabazz. It's not just a crate diggers Holy Grail, but an important artistic and historic document of the St Louis scene. Time & Condition stands alone as a (very) individual, spiritual jazz classic.

We hope this reissue will finally grant these musicians the wider acknowledgement & credit they deserved during their life time.

»This River Only Brings Poison« was released in 2002 as the sixth full-length album of Chris Hooson’s Dakota Suite project. This first-ever vinyl edition of the record includes four bonus pieces and makes it possible for fans to re-evaluate one of the most crucial Dakota Suite albums in the project’s vast discography while also providing new listeners with an entry point into its intricate musical cosmos. With contributions by artists as diverse as steel guitarist Bruce Kaphan and drummer Tim Mooney from American Music Club, Derald Daugherty, and Laura and Chris Donohue as well as long-time collaborators such as David Buxton, Colin Dunkley or Ed Collins, »This River Only Brings Poison« turned out as a sonically rich and stylistically versatile as it is emotionally multi-layered.

»Writing music for me has always been a cathartic exercise,« explains Hooson. While the instrumental pieces generally serve to express a raw sense of his internal struggles, his vocal-led songs communicate them more directly. »Those are the words I cannot say openly. It’s not that I cannot voice them in a conversation, it’s just that they only seem half-formed and not ›true‹ unless they are located within a song,« he says. What makes Dakota Suite unique is that throughout the project’s history, the music and lyrics have always had a single addressee: Hooson’s wife Johanna, whose photographs were used for the album artwork and who is featured on clarinet on »sand fools the shoreline.«

»The title of the record was something that I had said when Johanna and I first met to make her see that the journey she was considering taking would be full of love, but also come at a cost,« explains Hooson. »The songs were written at a time when I was really struggling to think I could be the person that she deserved.« In the end however, »This River Only Brings Poison« marked a turning point in Hooson’s oeuvre after highly productive time with Dakota Suite: it would take another five years until he returned with a new album. »The reason for that was that I needed to accept that she had made her choice to be with me and that was a big thing for me to get my head around,« he says.

Hooson’s highly personal approach to writing songs also has an impact on the ways in which he works with his collaborators when recording them. »The people with whom I play really need to understand how I perceive the world to be able to play what I need,« he says. »My instructions would always be things like, ›This is what the song means to me, this is what I am trying to communicate to Johanna when she hears it, so your cello, for example, needs to sound like you have noticed that the cloud is covering the sun, and the weight of the air on your skin is heavier and it has unsettled you.‹«

For this particular record, he reached out to Mooney and Kaphan as an admirer of their group American Music Club. Expecting to be rejected, he instead found himself on a flight to San Francisco together with multi-instrumentalist Buxton shortly thereafter, about to make what he today calls one of his most cherished recording experiences. After the four musicians finished the basic tracks, overdubs were added in Hooson and Buxton’s respective houses as well as Daugherty’s home studio while Hooson was visiting his old friend in Nashville.

Hooson emphasises that revisiting his older releases can be complicated. »I feel intense feelings, as every record is a diary of who I was in that period and what I was feeling. That is why having to play the songs live is always like having PTSD: I need to re-experience the event that caused me to write the song, and I do not enjoy that.« He remains, however, proud of »This River Only Brings Poison,« pointing especially to the opener »the lepers companion« as what might perhaps be his favourite song of his. »But overall I just hope that Johanna feels it spoke to her,« he says, adding that the two do not discuss his records. »For me it's enough that she is listening to the things I mean to communicate to her.«

The mystery continues to deepen, as you hear whispers beckoning you out to the sea...

After refining their dark and seductive vision of alternative/gothic metal to surreal, cinematic levels with three EPs and a full-length album, The Cause of Shipwreck, behind them, the Assen-based Blackbriar continue to set their sails towards the future in 2023, signing with Nuclear Blast Records and working towards their second full-length album, again accompanied by long-time collaborator Joost van den Broek.

Formed in 2012 by Zora Cock, René Boxem, Bart Winters, and Frank Akkerman, they crafted their first single in 2014 with “Ready to Kill,” but it was 2015’s second single “Until Eternity” that truly propelled them into the scene. A sweeping track with an equally compelling and beautiful video, it continues to draw many to the act with over 18.1 million views since its debut. Taking advantage of the growing buzz surrounding the band, they independently recorded and released their first EP, Fractured Fairytales, as well as acquiring a second guitarist in Robin Koezen. This EP layed down an impressive foundation for the band’s ethereal and breathtaking sound and brought about new opportunities for the act, including tour dates in The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary, and more, where the band played alongside Epica, Halestorm, In This Moment, Delain and MaYan. To keep moving ahead with full control of their creative ideals, the band successfully crowdfunded their follow-up EP, We’d Rather Burn, and brought it to life in October 2018. This EP would be the first time the band worked alongside esteemed producer Joost van den Broek to arrange and produce the effort, and this fruitful collaboration allowed Blackbriar’s whimsical and enigmatic sound to reach new sonic heights. Released the same day as their self-made video for “I’d Rather Burn,” this EP showcased a stronger sense of dreamy atmosphere and brought listeners beautifully grim tales of witches, banshees, and sea sirens. In the time following, keyboardist Ruben Wijga (ex-Re-Vamp) took a larger role within the band and began playing shows, after being involved in the songwriting process since Fractured Fairytales.

A busy 2019 followed, the band released a haunting single in May entitled “Snow White and Rose Red.” A duet with Ulli Perhonen, their take on the Grimm’s fairytale featured striking cinematic visuals to accompany the spellbinding track. Continuing to dig deeper into fairytale realms, Blackbriar closed the year with their third EP, Our Mortal Remains. Ever-sharpening their intoxicating blend of storytelling and breathtaking musicianship, the EP brought about new live exposures for the act as well. Small, sold out tours with Epica in 2019 and 2020, as well as a sold out opening for Delain’s Apocalypse & Chill release show in Utrecht followed, with more future plans then being put on hold due to COVID-19. Championing their continued independence, which included everything from songwriting, maintaining their web presence, overseeing merch, as well as shooting and producing their own videos and photos, Blackbriar reached out to their ever-growing and loyal fanbase for assistance to make their full-length album a reality in 2020. Fans fervently heeded the call, reaching the € 25,000 goal in under 24 hours and ending with a total of € 70,000 and achieving all five stretch goals. An impressive accomplishment for an independent act, which also showcases a strong internet presence with over 214,000 YouTube subscribers and 46.1 million channel views as well as 27.6 million Spotify streams and 150,000 monthly streamers on the platform.

2023 marks 35 years since the first single by The Brand New Heavie

Twenty-one seminal tracks from Acid Jazz royalty, The Brand New Heavies, who transcended London’s local funk scene to become to enjoy global success across with hits such as ‘Sometimes’, ‘You Are The Universe’, ‘Dream on Dreamer’, ‘Midnight at The Oasis’ and more.

This new compilation brings together all the singles from the band’s time with London Records, featuring 15 Top 40, 5 Top 20, and 1 Top 10 UK hits.

All formats feature new liner notes from producer and long-time fan Mark Ronson.

Presented on double heavyweight vinyl with 21 hits – all their biggest hits + 4 US Singles- and expanded 2 x CD with remixes by Masters at Work, Dimitri from Paris, Roger Sanchez and a new remix of ‘Stay This Way’ by Bob Sinclar

a-Musik, the Cologne-based bastion of sonic exploration, unveils a new chapter in their quest for boundary-pushing sounds.

Timekeepers II, a split LP featuring recordings of two duos by Marcus Schmickler with Jaki Liebezeit and with Hayden Chisholm. Side A bears the imprint of Liebezeit's rhythmic flow fusing with Schmickler's digital Shepard Tone interpretation. A studio recording taken before a performance at Moers Festival in 2014. On side B, Schmickler's electronics converge with Chisholm's bagpipe drones. The piece was composed for their show at Art's Birthday at Berghain and a-Musik's 20th anniversary at Gebäude 9.

Tim Berresheim's artwork serves as a visual backdrop. Berresheim mostly works with computer rendered images, which have been created for a solo exhibition at JUBG in Cologne in 2022.

Repress!

1981 SYNTH CLASSIC BY JAPANESE KEYBOARD WIZARD AND YMO PROGRAMMER HIDEKI MATSUTAKE REISSUED OUTSIDE OF JAPAN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 40 YEARS. REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL TAPES WITH STRIKING ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY LEGENDARY ILLUSTRATOR PATER SATO INCLUDING ITS STUNNING FULLY ILLUSTRATED
8-PAGE BOOKLET

His name may not be instantly familiar, but Hideki Matsutake has had a huge influence over Electronic music. Starting his career as the assistant of Japanese Electronic Music master Isao Tomita in the early 70s, he went on to work with Ryuichi Sakamoto and then Yellow Magic Orchestra as their keyboard programmer and unofficial fourth member. In 1981 he started his own Logic System project recording "Venus" that year in Los Angeles with Don Grusin, Nathan East and Michael Boddicker, brilliantly mixing Synth Funk, Ambient and Boogie with a touch of Fusion Jazz predating Vaporwave by a mere 30 years. Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue this visionary album, which
comes remastered from the original tapes and features Pater Sato stunning artwork including the rare beautiful 8-page insert with an exclusive interview of Hideki Matsutake by Hashim Kotaro Bharoocha.
The early 80s were prolific for Hideki Matsutake. As the go-to keyboard programmer for the tokyo music scene, he worked on Akiko Yano's "Gohan Ga Dekitayo", YMO's "BGM", Ryuichi Sakamoto's "B-2 Unit", Mkwaju Ensemble's "Mkwaju" and found time to record two Logic System albums in 1981. While the first album, "Logic" had a harder techno feel, the second one "Venus" was different affair. Recorded in Los Angeles at the new state of the art Yamaha Studio, it was loosely themed on the Greek goddess Venus and had a funkier more organic sound. For the album Matsutake had asked a handful of American musicians to provide songs he would then add his synth magic touch to. Michael Boddicker, Don Grusin, Nathan East and Roger Powell duly complied and also played on the album.

The updated sound was achieved by switching from the Moog III to the E-mu modular System (which Matsutake brought over to LA) and other synths like the Prophet 5, the Roland MC-8 and TR 808 and the Yamaha GS-1, a forerunner of the DX7.

The result is an amazing futuristic mix of electronic music and early 80s funk, announcing many genres to come, from techno and house to French electro and Vaporwave. From the breezy ambient synth of "I Love You" to the city pop edge of "Be Yourself" (originally written by Nathan East for Debra Laws) and the vocoder-led Daft Punk-ish "Take A Chance", Venus is a fascinating album that both pushes the boundaries of electronic music and is yet strangely accessible and beautiful.

The other key elements of Venus is the artwork designed by Japanese legendary illustrator Pater Sato. Sato had started in Japan in the early 70s doing many album covers for Japanese artists including Tatsuro Yamashita's cult Spacy LP before moving to New York in 1979 to pursue a career in fashion and advertising. His airbrush style became hugely influential over the years and in 2018, Stella McCartney dedicated a whole Men’s collection based on his Venus. Star make up artist Pat McGrath also regularly posts his artwork to her 3 million fans on her instagram.

The original album came with a beautiful 8-panel insert illustrated by Sato which Wewantsounds has reproduced on this deluxe reissue also featuring remastered sound, OBI strip and a second insert featuring credits and line up plus liner notes by Hashim Bharoocha. The notes will feature an exclusive interview with Hideki Matsutake reminiscing about the making of this visionary album which Wewantsounds is delighted to reissue.

Bristol's soul jazz kings The Jazz Defenders release a new vinyl 45 single this autumn as a taster for their third album, which is destined for release in spring 2024. Once again, they are bringing together their love of 1960's soul jazz and golden era 90's hip-hop, just as they did on a couple of tracks on their last album "King Phoenix" (Haggis Records 2022). This new single sees them reunited with London MC/rapper Doc Brown, who guested on the track "Perfectly Imperfect", and his flow sits so naturally over the Jazz Defenders' music and beats, you'd think he's a permanent band member.

The A-side "Rolling On A High" is a real old school boom bap style party hip-hop jam. Big beats, rolling bassline (acoustic double bass), Ramsey Lewis soul jazz piano vamps, funky Hammond organ and some punchy horn section business, all topped off with Doc Brown bouncing bars back and forth with that laid back vibe he always brings to the mic. A guaranteed dance-floor bomb, whether you're a breaker, a jazz dancer or simply a Saturday night disco shuffler. The B-side "Looking Back" takes the tempo right down. An 'end of the night' number when the lights in the club are low, the last drinks are being drained and you're thinking and reminiscing about times gone by. The good times and bad, successes and mistakes. And made even more poignant and reflective halfway through when the mellow strings come into the song (once again excellently arranged by pianist/bandleader George Cooper). If "Rolling On A High" is the fire then "Looking Back" is definitely the ice. Proof that the Jazz Defenders can rock the party and grab the dancers but also dig deep with emotive tunes that draw in the discerning listener.

The Jazz Defenders, led by keyboard maestro George Cooper from The Haggis Horns, have been building a reputation as a great musical unit since their debut Blue Note/hard bop-inspired album "Scheming" appeared on Haggis Records back in 2019, which received a huge amount of praise from critics, and subsequently went on to spend 5 weeks in the top ten of the American jazz charts In 2021, their double A-side vinyl single "The Big Man/Love's Vestige" got them the breakthrough they deserved. It garnered heavy support on radio from top folks like Craig Charles (BBC6 Music), Helen Mayhew (Jazz FM), Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), and Worldwide FM resident DJ's Ashley Beedle and Colin Curtis. They further enhanced their reputation as a rocking band with album number two "King Phoenix" and by electrifying audiences at sold out live shows across the UK, including the legendary Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London.

Album number three is well on its way but for now, check out this tasty limited edition 45 single on Haggis Records. The JDs and Doc Brown...the perfect combination, still keeping that sweet jazz/hip-hop love affair alive today.

In 1995 the self-titled full-length debut of Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung (DAAU) was released. The band consisted of four young, 'classically derailed' musicians who played their own compositions with acoustic instruments such as violin, cello, clarinet and accordion. Their work contained influences from Roma music, Eastern European folk, klezmer and jazz, but was performed with the energy, rebellious spirit and Sturm und Drang of a bona fide punk band. DAAU was part of the fertile Antwerp scene, which also produced dEUS, Zita Swoon and Kiss My Jazz, and soon signed an international record deal with Sony Classical.

The group's influential first record, which has been out of print for a while, is now finally being released again and is available on vinyl for the very first time.

In those early days, DAAU consisted of four young, classically trained musicians who tackled their instrumental compositions with a true punk spirit. 'If we'd had guitars, bass or drums at that time, we would probably have been just another rock band', says accordionist Roel Van Camp, who, together with his schoolmates Buni Lenski on violin, the latter's brother Simon on cello and Han Stubbe on clarinet made up the Antwerp quartet. 'With our acoustic instruments we tried to create our own version of the music we loved listening to, from sixties rock and prog to new wave.'

The quartet, which initially played in streets and cafes, appealed to a diverse audience and sometimes joked that they were a classically trained unit that had 'gone off the rails'. 'As befits teenagers, we wanted to shake things up', Stubbe remembers, 'even though we always kept cherishing our classical backgrounds.' Van Camp: 'Our education was never supposed to feel like a straitjacket. We were free-spirited enough to ignore the laws and regulations of the music academy and to create our own sound. Our compositions were open to influences from Roma music, Eastern European folk, klezmer and jazz'. 'That eclecticism was a direct result of the zeitgeist', Han Stubbe adds. 'We loved different styles and happily mixed them together'.

The monniker Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung was derived from Steppenwolf, a novel by German writer Hermann Hesse about a character who was outside society. 'In the book, the narrator talks of a theatre', Van Camp explains. 'And at the entrance there is a warning sign sign that says: if you go in here, you are guaranteed to lose your mind. That was an apt description of the way our music worked'.

Almost all tracks on DAAU's first album were 'Drieslagstelsels' (or 'three-course rotations'). The term referred to an agricultural method of the early Middle Ages, but also to the fact that each song of the group consisted of three major movements. Van Camp: 'The titles of those pieces referred to our method of writing. We piled up a huge bunch of ideas, because we wanted to tell more than just one story. With each composition, we took the listener for a ride'.

In 1995 the self-titled full-length debut of Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung (DAAU) was released. The band consisted of four young, 'classically derailed' musicians who played their own compositions with acoustic instruments such as violin, cello, clarinet and accordion. Their work contained influences from Roma music, Eastern European folk, klezmer and jazz, but was performed with the energy, rebellious spirit and Sturm und Drang of a bona fide punk band. DAAU was part of the fertile Antwerp scene, which also produced dEUS, Zita Swoon and Kiss My Jazz, and soon signed an international record deal with Sony Classical.

The group's influential first record, which has been out of print for a while, is now finally being released again and is available on vinyl for the very first time.

In those early days, DAAU consisted of four young, classically trained musicians who tackled their instrumental compositions with a true punk spirit. 'If we'd had guitars, bass or drums at that time, we would probably have been just another rock band', says accordionist Roel Van Camp, who, together with his schoolmates Buni Lenski on violin, the latter's brother Simon on cello and Han Stubbe on clarinet made up the Antwerp quartet. 'With our acoustic instruments we tried to create our own version of the music we loved listening to, from sixties rock and prog to new wave.'

The quartet, which initially played in streets and cafes, appealed to a diverse audience and sometimes joked that they were a classically trained unit that had 'gone off the rails'. 'As befits teenagers, we wanted to shake things up', Stubbe remembers, 'even though we always kept cherishing our classical backgrounds.' Van Camp: 'Our education was never supposed to feel like a straitjacket. We were free-spirited enough to ignore the laws and regulations of the music academy and to create our own sound. Our compositions were open to influences from Roma music, Eastern European folk, klezmer and jazz'. 'That eclecticism was a direct result of the zeitgeist', Han Stubbe adds. 'We loved different styles and happily mixed them together'.

The monniker Die Anarchistische Abendunterhaltung was derived from Steppenwolf, a novel by German writer Hermann Hesse about a character who was outside society. 'In the book, the narrator talks of a theatre', Van Camp explains. 'And at the entrance there is a warning sign sign that says: if you go in here, you are guaranteed to lose your mind. That was an apt description of the way our music worked'.

Almost all tracks on DAAU's first album were 'Drieslagstelsels' (or 'three-course rotations'). The term referred to an agricultural method of the early Middle Ages, but also to the fact that each song of the group consisted of three major movements. Van Camp: 'The titles of those pieces referred to our method of writing. We piled up a huge bunch of ideas, because we wanted to tell more than just one story. With each composition, we took the listener for a ride'.

On Quantum Realm, Oscar Mulero sets the bar high as per usual, dropping an uptempo but minimalistic cut. The second track is one from Fixeer, a familiar face of Dynamic Reflection. His contribution is the kind of slumbering track that will fit the moments before getting to peak time perfectly.

Taking over is Norbak, the Portugese youngster that has earned himself a reputation for slaying dancefloors with both his dj-sets and productions alike and his track 'Your Heroes May Fail You' is no exception. Lastly, Vladw provides the last track and the perfect closing of this EP. A lower beats per minute, some added ambience and spacious background noise make for the perfect outro.

Quantum Realm is part of Dynamic Reflection's 15 year anniversary celebration: Time Crystals. This is the third fof five EP's. Own all five and an all new, visual piece of art will appear.

This concert from 2016 marks the first time Heart played at London’s famous Royal Albert Hall.

To make the sold-out night even more special, the band was accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, who added further depth and an epic scale to Heart’s songs.

The set included hits, fan favourites and both new and reinterpreted tracks from their most recent album at that time: “Beautiful Broken”. The chemistry between the band and orchestra added a truly magical quality to a concert that will live long in the memory of those Heart fans lucky enough to have been present.

Dirty Dollhouse is the multi-genre music of Philadelphia-based artist Chelsea Mitchell, a folk chanteuse with classical training and a retro-pop composer with a soft spot for country. After releasing her first lo-fi EP, Married in the Aviary, Mitchell received the Tri-State Indie Vocalist of the Year award and the lyrics to her song Nobody's Daughter were showcased in American Songwriter Magazine. Her follow-up EP, 25 Shades, saw a departure from traditional folk and embraced a Nashville vibe while 2017's full-length album Vinyl Child was a mixture of darkly contemplative pop songs and quiet, intimate confession. Drawing from many muses has produced a uniquely diverse catalogue, but it has also made it near-impossible to pin down who Mitchell sounds like. In sultry-toned moments you might hear Nicole Atkins, a soft bird-like peak could make you think of Kacey Musgraves, and a certain belt may summon Brandi Carlile. Though her vocals range from soft twang to unabashedly operatic, it would suffice to say that Mitchell's songs all fit under the same 'singer-songwriter' umbrella as her lyrics weave a diary page to life and her band expands on structural simplicity with subtle grace. As bassist Joshua Machiz, drummer Eric Lawry, and lead guitarist August John Lutz II are now full-time members, Dirty Dollhouse has found a new and exciting momentum, opening for rising stars like Nikki Lane and Amanda Shires and playing to a wider audience.

This time Best Record Italy presents an Italo masterpiece from 1983 produced by the duo : Francesco Paolini (Pasta DJ) and Alessandro Novaga that became a massive dancefloor classic in Chicago House with the likes of the "Hot Mix 5" on cult radio station WMBX and regularly played by the legendary Ron Hardy at the infamous Muzic Box. It was very influential at it's time on the early Chicago house and acid movement.

"Creating this record took me around 2 years, I was moving quite a bit, without a steady working or living space, travelling and playing live again for the first time since the pandemic. At first there was creative insecurity and many abandoned ideas, I wanted to make something special for YUKU but everything felt dry and soulless. In my head this was supposed to be a dancefloor record, but this idea quickly became an obstruction in my creative flow.

During this time I started learning modular synthesis, and although there was definitely a learning curve this method of making music gave the record direction and refreshed my way to approach composition. It is also very fun to learn. What came out is a collage of sorts that is more honest and reflective of my emotions and those of the people and spaces that I have exchanged with. Thanks to YUKU and the amazing people that took part in this record and in my life in the past two years. Hope you all enjoy."

- Joaquin Cornejo

Dirty Dollhouse is the multi-genre music of Philadelphia-based artist Chelsea Mitchell, a folk chanteuse with classical training and a retro-pop composer with a soft spot for country. After releasing her first lo-fi EP, Married in the Aviary, Mitchell received the Tri-State Indie Vocalist of the Year award and the lyrics to her song Nobody's Daughter were showcased in American Songwriter Magazine. Her follow-up EP, 25 Shades, saw a departure from traditional folk and embraced a Nashville vibe while 2017's full-length album Vinyl Child was a mixture of darkly contemplative pop songs and quiet, intimate confession. Drawing from many muses has produced a uniquely diverse catalogue, but it has also made it near-impossible to pin down who Mitchell sounds like. In sultry-toned moments you might hear Nicole Atkins, a soft bird-like peak could make you think of Kacey Musgraves, and a certain belt may summon Brandi Carlile. Though her vocals range from soft twang to unabashedly operatic, it would suffice to say that Mitchell's songs all fit under the same 'singer-songwriter' umbrella as her lyrics weave a diary page to life and her band expands on structural simplicity with subtle grace. As bassist Joshua Machiz, drummer Eric Lawry, and lead guitarist August John Lutz II are now full-time members, Dirty Dollhouse has found a new and exciting momentum, opening for rising stars like Nikki Lane and Amanda Shires and playing to a wider audience.

Credit 00 arrives at the peak of festival season with a sadboi singalong to soundtrack the long summer evenings we spend all year looking forward to. Teasing his upcoming full-length, the Rat Life boss returns to Pinkman for the first time since '21 with a punchy single that draws inspiration from believe and despair. Future dancefloor karaoke anthem 'Hope' travels through time by laying 21st century autotune pop over ancient bit crushed computer beats. Watch out for the dangerously catchy hook, once it's in your head it won't be leaving anytime soon!

Fusion's Border Town is an obscure late Sixties bluesy psychedelic record. The sound is best described as a cross between Creedence Clearwater Revival and Circus Maximus with a touch of Ry Cooder (Cooder does perform a guest role on this album). It contains some full on rural spiked blues rockers with Ry Cooder's slide guitar taking center stage. The album contains the fan-favorite tracks "Time Of The Ostrich Head", "News Of Selena" & "Erebus".

This rare psychedelic nugget is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on turquoise coloured vinyl.

Jorja Smith is officially back. Further to making a recent return to the musical sphere with her singles ‘Try Me’ and ‘Little Things’, today she has confirmed the details of her highly anticipated second album,
‘falling or flying’, set for release globally on September 29th 2023 via FAMM and available to pre-order now - here.
Alongside the announcement, Jorja has also unveiled the album's poignant artwork; a stunning portrait of her, shot on film by the prestigious British photographer, Liz Johnson Artur. In addition, Jorja has also announced a series of UK live shows in September, commemorating the release of the album. Further details below.
Through her new record, Jorja has delivered an undeniable modern classic, effortlessly condensing any number of disparate styles and genres into music which thrillingly broaches any gap between Jazz, Soul, R&B and Funky House. A bold, brave nd courageous leap forward from her critically acclaimed debut album ‘Lost and Found’ -
‘falling or flying’ is an album that speaks to the musical and emotional era where Jorja is now, and how she got here. It isn’t so much an exploration of how she’s found herself but more a statement that she has arrived, and that her understanding of her life, her relationships, and her feelings, have deepened, matured and crystallised as she
enters her twenty six year. ‘And despite it all,’ she says, ‘it's definitely a journey I've just started. That's what's crazy. It's only just begun.’
Sonically, this album, a no-skips body of work, isn’t like anything you’ve heard before. It sits masterfully in this same space of excitement, self-exploration and self-assertion that Jorja does. Compromised of deep, thumping drums, racing basslines, irresistible hooks and distinctive beats, ‘falling or flying’ runs at the same pace that Jorja’s mind does. ‘I don't slow down enough’ she says. ‘This album is like my brain. There’s always so much going on but each
song is definitely a standstill moment.’
Much of the creative energy that shaped the album emerged from studio sessions with the producer duo DAMEDAME* back in her hometown of Walsall, where, to Jorja, the heart is. The album is both a sonic and an emotional tour of where she’s been, and what she’s been about, in the two years since she dropped her latest offering, ‘Be Right Back’. ‘It touches on breakups, relationships with my friends, relationships with old friends,
relationships with myself.’ She says. ‘It's definitely about a lot of relationships, but every song I write I can sing it to myself.’
Of the many British voices in music today, Jorja is among the most commanding, writing at a pitch of intensity and urgency that few can match. Over the past five and half years, since the release of her debut album ‘Lost & Found’, she has been celebrated unanimously across the world for her evocative song-writing, powerful delivery, pure emotion and unbridled talent as a young woman navigating her way through life and in 2021 was the year Jorja’s hiatus from music was broken. Enter ‘Be Right Back’, the holding space between the sensation that was ‘Lost & Found’, and ‘falling or flying’. ‘Be Right Back’ was born from playing, jamming, freestyling, and sounding out what Jorja had been on the edge of expressing all her life. It was a project entirely for her fans. “Be Right Back did exactly what I wanted it to do. It was a little waiting room so people knew I was coming back.”
And come back she has - entering a chapter of her return to music that’s certain to draw in and intoxicate Jorja’s fans and new listeners alike. And what has changed for her, in the five years since ‘Lost & Found’ dominated the charts and the soundscape? “I like this world that I've just come into. And I’m still figuring things out. Always
figuring things out.” Jorja says. “This is the first time I’m putting stuff out there that I can connect with right now.” Over the last few years, it’s been a reflective and transformative step into her mid twenties for her. She’s been able to step into herself and evolve as a songwriter and a woman despite an ever-changing musical landscape.
While she recognises that the global pandemic has been completely devastating, she acknowledges that it allowed her to stay still, to come more into herself, and to be more in control of the person she is, and of her musical output. Like some of the legendary musicians that came before her, Jorja is looking at the chaos and disorder in the
world right now with resourceful, refined eyes, and she sees the glorious opportunity and enormous responsibility that affords. The net result is that while ‘falling or flying' sounds very much like Jorja Smith, it sounds like no Jorja Smith album you have ever heard before. ‘falling or flying’- released on September 29th

Jorja Smith is officially back. Further to making a recent return to the musical sphere with her singles ‘Try Me’ and ‘Little Things’, today she has confirmed the details of her highly anticipated second album, ‘falling or flying’, set for release globally on September 29th 2023 via FAMM and available to pre-order now - here.

Alongside the announcement, Jorja has also unveiled the album's poignant artwork; a stunning portrait of her, shot on film by the prestigious British photographer, Liz Johnson Artur. In addition, Jorja has also announced a series of UK live shows in September, commemorating the release of the album. Further details below.

Through her new record, Jorja has delivered an undeniable modern classic, effortlessly condensing any number of disparate styles and genres into music which thrillingly broaches any gap between Jazz, Soul, R&B and Funky House. A bold, brave and courageous leap forward from her critically acclaimed debut album ‘Lost and Found’ - ‘falling or flying’ is an album that speaks to the musical and emotional era where Jorja is now, and how she got here. It isn’t so much an exploration of how she’s found herself but more a statement that she has arrived, and that her understanding of her life, her relationships, and her feelings, have deepened, matured and crystallised as she enters her twenty six year. ‘And despite it all,’ she says, ‘it's definitely a journey I've just started. That's what's crazy.

It's only just begun.’ Sonically, this album, a no-skips body of work, isn’t like anything you’ve heard before. It sits masterfully in this same space of excitement, self-exploration and self-assertion that Jorja does. Compromised of deep, thumping drums, racing basslines, irresistible hooks and distinctive beats, ‘falling or flying’ runs at the same pace that Jorja’s mind does. ‘I don't slow down enough’ she says. ‘This album is like my brain. There’s always so much going on but each song is definitely a standstill moment.’

Much of the creative energy that shaped the album emerged from studio sessions with the producer duo DAMEDAME* back in her hometown of Walsall, where, to Jorja, the heart is. The album is both a sonic and an emotional tour of where she’s been, and what she’s been about, in the two years since she dropped her latest offering, ‘Be Right Back’. ‘It touches on breakups, relationships with my friends, relationships with old friends, relationships with myself.’ She says. ‘It's definitely about a lot of relationships, but every song I write I can sing it to myself.’

Of the many British voices in music today, Jorja is among the most commanding, writing at a pitch of intensity and urgency that few can match. Over the past five and half years, since the release of her debut album ‘Lost & Found’, she has been celebrated unanimously across the world for her evocative song-writing, powerful delivery, pure emotion and unbridled talent as a young woman navigating her way through life and in 2021 was the year Jorja’s hiatus from music was broken. Enter ‘Be Right Back’, the holding space between the sensation that was ‘Lost & Found’, and ‘falling or flying’. ‘Be Right Back’ was born from playing, jamming, freestyling, and sounding out what Jorja had been on the edge of expressing all her life. It was a project entirely for her fans. “Be Right Back did exactly what I wanted it to do. It was a little waiting room so people knew I was coming back.”

And come back she has - entering a chapter of her return to music that’s certain to draw in and intoxicate Jorja’s fans and new listeners alike. And what has changed for her, in the five years since ‘Lost & Found’ dominated the charts and the soundscape? “I like this world that I've just come into. And I’m still figuring things out. Always figuring things out.” Jorja says. “This is the first time I’m putting stuff out there that I can connect with right now.” Over the last few years, it’s been a reflective and transformative step into her mid twenties for her.

She’s been able to step into herself and evolve as a songwriter and a woman despite an ever-changing musical landscape.

While she recognises that the global pandemic has been completely devastating, she acknowledges that it allowed her to stay still, to come more into herself, and to be more in control of the person she is, and of her musical output. Like some of the legendary musicians that came before her, Jorja is looking at the chaos and disorder in the world right now with resourceful, refined eyes, and she sees the glorious opportunity and enormous responsibility that affords. The net result is that while ‘falling or flying' sounds very much like Jorja Smith, it sounds like no Jorja Smith album you have ever heard before.

‘falling or flying’- released on September 29th

Toy Tonics going New Wave Disco with Baby’s Berserk’s self-titled debut album (to be released on 29 September).

There are many shades of funk in dance music. Berlin’s Toy Tonics label brings up artists that reflect many of these different aspects in dance music. Now the label comes up with a band! A band that is inspired by 1980ies New Wave as well as the Y2K Indie dance scene. Two guys and 2 girls from Amsterdam and Montreal called Baby’s Berserk.

Baby’s Berserk is about taking the freedom to be who you want to be, about being comfortable. Having played in all-girl punk bands since the age of 14, the bands singer Lieselot is an expert on female empowerment. “Dress like a girl and act like a boy,” is a catchphrase she lives up to every day and it clearly is a message that resonates with the band’s wild fans.

In the great tradition of Roxy Music, Throbbing Gristle and Malcolm McLaren, Baby’s Berserk is not just about the edgy music, but also about a very strong own visual style. They readily blend their sounds with underground fashion. What you see is what you get and seeing Baby’s Berserk is feeling right at home. Lieselot is a visionary when it comes to stage presence. Have you always wanted to see an electronic band with a punk attitude perform wearing a mix of haute couture and Flintstone-style rags? Look no further, it’s Baby’s Berserk.

Following on the critically acclaimed singles ‘What I Mean’ (2020) and ‘Toxic Kisses’ (2022), Baby Berserk’s highly anticipated self-titled full-length is now finally about to see the light on Berlin’s Toy Tonics records. Sonically designed for gritty rock venues as well as up-to-date edgy dance clubs, Mano’s lush compositions smoothly intertwine with the highly associative lyrics written by Puggy and Lieselot. Poets and literary addicts may think they’ve just discovered the rock & roll equivalents of Sylvia Plath, Kurt Vonnegut and Allen Ginsberg. To tell you the truth: their wild guess is pretty accurate as the works by these greats lie scattered around the Baby’s Berserk studio for inspiration.
The band was born in a laboratory back in 2019. Tired of being in bands with unruly and unpredictable humans, Mano Hollestelle set out to create a group of high precision robots to create the post-punk sound he had in mind. His outdated technology of floppy disks and cassette tapes worked well to program the androids, until one day a 90s rave mixtape was mistakenly entered into his computer. House music is a feeling and the punk bots instantly got hooked on it upon hearing it for the first time. They could never be reset to factory settings again. Mano worked tirelessly with his androids, currently known by their humanoid names of Lieselot Elzinga, Puggy Beales and Eva Wijnbergen, to fulfil his evil plan to make the rockers dance and the dancers rock. Baby’s Berserk is the fiendish extension of this plot. Beware, the band’s bass driven grooves and computerized beats have been known to cast a spell upon all within earshot.

So what do the songs on ‘Baby’s Berserk’ tell you? That it’s totally fine to have lots of fun in life! To have a boyfriend as an accessory (‘Accessories’), to get inspired by Sponge Bob (‘Dancing with the Fish’) and to blend your spirits with mixers whenever the hell you feel like it (‘Rum ‘n’ Kola’).

Baby’s Berserk member Puggy Beales on ‘Limousine’: “Decant the wine from my tip jar to yours. Soon we'll be on easy street, chauffeured home from the rat race each evening. Is it everything you'd hoped it would be?”

Check not only the debut album but also the forthcoming Remix EP with remixes by Each Other, Niklas Wandt, Sam Ruffillo, Kris Baha and Nicolini.

* In 1993, Andy C & Ant Miles set out about creating a fourth release for the newly established Ram Records, now just a year old. With Hardcore still prominent in the clubs around the world, The Touch features rollercoaster bass swoops against energetic breaks flowing around the main sung vocal "c'mon and touch me".

An early sign of the precision arrangements that became synonymous of Ram's early sound that followed over for many years. Whilst going through the remaining samples in the sampler that had not been used on the A side, the pair suddenly went on a tangent with one of the drum breaks.

Experimenting with the new time stretch function in the Akai sampler, they soon had a shuffle groove layered and moving. With Ant Miles' sculpted and edited arpeggio bell line sample, a new overall sound and vibe was beginning to emerge out of their studio Atari ST computer.

Utilising an original organic analogue string pad, the haunting sinister vibe became complete. With the vocal from the BBC QED documentary 'Glimpses of Death' - "I felt, like I was in a long dark tunnel" all that remained was one of the most memorable pounding bass lines to sit underneath it all.

The result was an instant impact on the scene, heralded as one of the first anthems of the Jungle genre. Multi award winning and the track that cemented Andy & Ant and their label Ram Records within the scene.

There are only a few figures in music whose work influences and
shapes a genre as a whole. This is undoubtedly true of the Swede
Esbjörn Svensson. With his trio e.s.t., the pianist and composer
wowed audiences beyond age and genre affiliations. And his
influence on jazz as a whole reverberates to this day and already
within the second and third generation of musicians worldwide.
‘HOME.S.’ is Esbjörn Svensson’s only solo album and the sheer
existence of such a recording and its completely unexpected
discovery over a decade after its creation are nothing less than a
sensation: Since the early 1990s, Svensson focused almost his entire
creative energy and recording activities on his work with e.s.t.. Thus,
these new recordings are not only the first, but practically the only
ones that show Svensson in a setting other than that of the trio:
Intimate, concentrated and completely one with himself. The
recordings for ‘HOME.S.’ were made only a few weeks before
Esbjörn Svensson’s sudden death on June 14, 2008. Svensson
recorded the music in his Swedish home.
For almost ten years afterwards, the album rested untouched in his
wife Eva Svensson’s personal archive. Here, she tells the story
behind the discovery of the album and the music: “After Esbjörn’s
passing, I made sure all the contents of his computer were saved to
backup hard drives. And then I basically left them untouched for the
next ten years. At the point where I eventually felt ready to look into
the material, I soon realised that there was something I wanted to
look into.
“I took the hard drive and went to Gothenburg to meet with Åke
Linton, the sound engineer who had worked on all e.s.t. albums as
well as on their live shows. He was also the one who had helped me
to save the material from Esbjörn’s computer in the first place. So he
probably already knew that there was something hidden in there. But
nobody had listened to it.
“We went to his studio. And we pressed the start button. Then there
was a total silence and we couldn't speak for the entire time the music
was playing. After it finished, at first we were not able to say anything,
because we were both so touched and surprised that it was all there,
and that it was so beautiful. The tracks seemed to follow one another
like pearls on a string. After we just had sat there for a while we
agreed: This is really good. Musically, but also from a sound
perspective.”

Classic Jazz Album from 1978.
Featuring an all-star line-up.
First ever vinyl reissue since 1986.
Released for the first time in the UK & North America.
180g BLACK vinyl limited to 500 copies (w/obi strip).

Curtis Fuller (December 15, 1932 – May 8, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist best known for being a member of several legendary jazz outfits, his impressive catalog of solo albums and a contributor to many classic jazz recordings.

Fuller was born in Detroit and lost both his parents at a very young age. He spent several years in an orphanage run by Jesuits where he developed a passion for jazz after one of the nuns there took him to see his first live performance. Curtis attended public school in his hometown (together with Donald Byrd and Milt Jackson) where he took up the trombone at the age of sixteen.

Curtis Fuller was a well-respected member of iconic outfits such as Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Art Farmer’s Tentet, The Benny Golson Quintet and Eastern Rebellion. The list of his collaborations is impressive to say the least, Mr. Fuller recorded and performed with greats such as Quincy Jones, John Coltrane, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Roland Kirk Rashaan, Miles Davis…and many others.

Fuller was granted an honorary doctorate of music from Berklee College of Music in 1999 and eight years later he was honored as a NEA Jazz Master. Curtis Fuller’s performances were included on classic recordings released by prominent labels from the likes of Blue Note, Savoy, Prestige, Strata-East, Muse, Verve and Impulse!

On the album we are presenting you today: Four On The Outside (Recorded in 1978 at the famous New York CI Recording Studio and released on Timeless Records the same year) the listener is treated to six majestic tracks of the highest caliber and features a remarkable outing of advanced musicianship by jazz-giants in their prime, delivering an inspirational gem of an album.

The all-star line-up includes Pepper Adams (Oliver Nelson, Lalo Schifrin, Herbie Hancock) on saxophone, Dennis Irwin (The Jazz Messengers, Chet Baker) on bass and James Williams (Calvin Keys, Thelonious Monk) on piano.

Four On The Outside shows off Fuller’s mastery of the Trombone and this delightful set features him in a front line with Pepper Adams delivering a unique trombone-baritone saxophone combination (few others have followed this intriguing coupling). Curtis Fuller plays from the heart and is on top of his game. Expect sharp and elegant original compositions, machine gun-like spurts, angular boppish lines and top rhythm section work that never gets in the way of the horns spreading their wings. All of the above makes this record a must have for any self-respecting jazz fan or collector!