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Multi Culti return with an expansive 8-track mini-LP showcase timed for summer solstice celebrations.

The a-side kicks off with the musically-gifted Mytron’s genre-defining title ‘Shisha House’, Italian Ayala teams up with Abrao on ‘Magia,’ Jamie Paton slices up the low-slung, serpentine ‘Sub Ritual,’ and Xanga & Zebulon deliver a literal love letter to the ‘Coca Leaf’.

B-side action begins with Ecuadorian newcomer Kunturi, whose ‘Eclosión’ portends a new wave of Nicola Cruz inspired, folkloric techno, Italian duo Future Island (Oltrefuturo teamed up with treasure island) rock an impressive slow-mo trance dub on ‘Wide Music II,’ Aiku debut out of Germany’s Harz mountains with ‘Fried Acid,’ while Argentine wizard Balam finishes the journey off with the incense and sitar laden ‘Caravana.’

While they may dabble in orientalist tropes, these are not mere Tulum-chasers out for shamanic DJ duty. This is avant-garde folk-Tronica that tows the limbo line and once again asserts cult supremacy in the great Psychonautical odyssey.

During the recording of this album, band leader Duane Allman was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. Still reeling from their loss, the band nonetheless managed to complete this classic album with Dickey Betts on guitar. In tribute to Duane, however, they chose to bring the album to a close with a 34-minute jam taken from the Fillmore East sessions, which showcased what an amazing guitar player and force to be reckoned with Duane really was. Includes 3 bonus tracks and a replica of the original insert." The 4th Allman Brothers album, originally released in 1972. 180 gram virgin vinyl, deluxe gatefold sleeve.

Syko & DJ Mik-Sir return with a collection of previously unheard tracks with their DNA firmly rooted in the early 90s. Digging through DATs of unfinished and forgotten tracks we came across a handful of half completed tracks originally crafted using an Amiga, an Akai sampler and a Vintage Keys sound module. The Blueskinbadger music archaeologists have meticulously unpicked and pieced each track together making sure we applied the original methodology and thinking behind these tracks and their origins. We’ve taken our time in tidying up and finishing these tracks, completing their 29 year journey from the studio to the turntable. ‘Reboot’, 'Dissemination' & 'Stand the Test' have all been Re-engineered and Re-mastered from those original DATs. An original remix of Boom by Syko completes this collection...

This July the esteemed scribe, proper DJ, and discreetly deft twiddler Bill Brewster, drops the latest instalment in his ‘After Dark’ series, for Late Night Tales.

A throbbing, louche and leisurely affair, groove is very much at the heart of this freestyle selection, a vibe which Bill de- scribes as “a basement, a red light and a sound system. Or, as the Beastie’s once rapped, slow and low, that is the tempo”.

There’s Hawaiian drum machine bossa balearica from Island Band, percussive afro post punk from Czech jazz singer Jana Koubkova, and breathy-bubbling-dubwise-slap-bass-soul from Debbe& The Code.

There’s also sultry deep house mood music from Lanowa, infectious bouncy jazz funk breaks from Canada High, and Nail’s life affirming re-edit of singer songwriter Gilbert O Sullivan’s electro pop gem ‘So What’.

Bill’s own studio skills are present and correct too, featuring an undulating bassy version of country troubadour Jeb Loy Nichols, reworked along Alex Tepper under their Hotel Motel moniker, and a chugged-up squelchy disco take on Khruang- bin, this time paired with Raj Gupta, as Mang Dynasty.

Chock full of exclusives, tracks are either completely brand new, or available digitally for the first time, whilst others are wallet-rinsing rarities if purchased elsewhere. Whichever way you slice it though, every tune is a highlight, working equally well as standalone nuggets, or within Bill’s fluidly cohesive mix.

Whether he’s taking the roof off a club with his unique selec- tion of deep and tough house music, enchanting a backroom with a genre-bending set of disco, Balearic, rock and hip hop or playing chillout music in a bay in Croatia, Bill Brewster is the man for all occasions.

In a former life, Bill was a punk rocker, a chef and also the co-editor of football magazine When Saturday Comes but has been a record nerd all of his life. He began DJing in the 1980s, but came into his own in the early 1990s, particularly during a two-year stint in New York running DMC’s office, where nights at the Sound Factory and hanging out with Danny Tenaglia gave him the musical grounding you can still hear in his music today.

Bill was also one of the founding residents at Fabric in London, a position he held for five years. There are few still playing regularly today that have his dedication, eclecticism and encyclopedic knowledge of music.

His parallel life is as a writer, and with his long-term part- ner-in-crime Frank Broughton, they have written four books together, including the acclaimed ‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’ (latest edition published last July), ‘How To DJ (Prop- erly)’ and ‘The Record Players’.

He has been working in the industry’s fringes for over 40 years including the running of various labels from Twisted UK and Forensic in the ’90s to Disco Sucks and Anorak in the noughties.

He is one of NTS radio’s new residents for 2023 and his ‘Low Life Loves You’ show is available on the first Tuesday of every month.

On 'Love Hallucination' Jessy Lanza is in control as a songwriter and producer, flexing her skills in the studio and rebuilding her sound, taking chances with production and energy in all directions, from club-ready, to downbeat and sultry, with the theme of trusting yourself in the moment and using intuition as a compass driving the record forward. ‘Love Hallucination’ is the sound of an artist in bloom, an album of big emotions and big songs, with direct, personal lyrics, such as the upbeat but panicked opener 'Don't Leave Me Now' and the 2-step drama of 'Midnight Ontario', or 'Limbo', an ear worm disco stomper about produced with Marco 'Tensnake' Niermeski. Also featured as co-producers are David Kennedy (Pearson Sound), adding slick arrangements for the club, long-time collaborator Jeremy Greenspan (Junior Boys), and Paul White. ‘Love Hallucination’ is a bold and immediate record from Jessy Lanza, her most clear, authentic and best to date.

Peter Jefferies, a living legend of New Zealand underground music, from his seminal bands Nocturnal Projections and This Kind Of Punishment, to his collaborative efforts in bands such as Plagal Grind and Two Foot Flame, is perhaps best known for his solo work on masterpieces such as The Last Great Challenge In A Dull World (1990) and Electricity (1994), as well as Elevator Madness (1996). All of these albums came out on vinyl but one of the best was the singular Closed Circuit (2001) which, unfortunately, only came out on compact disc and was somewhat lost to time until now. After Grapefruit released his collection of singles and unreleased songs called Last Ticket Home in 2019, Jefferies mentioned he’d always hoped one of his personal favorite solo albums could someday be heard on vinyl as it was intended. Grapefruit is proud to finally be able to highlight Jefferies’ last album of lyric-based songs by releasing Closed Circuit on vinyl, remastered and with new artwork and insert. This album features all of Jefferies’ signature tense and dark, piano-driven rock and moody balladry, along with themes of personal isolation and domestic ambivalence. It’s a tour-de-force that has remained in the dark too long.

Limited two-colour vinyl! BENCH PRESS haven't been together as a band for as long as the relaxed aplomb of their single makes it seem. The band has only been around since March 2016, and they've been doing the live thing steadily ever since, even if their entire evening's material was just 20 minutes at the time. Since then, guitarist Morgan Griffith, bassist Lewis Waite and drummer Jordan Hicks have acted as a perfect, laid-back unit. The result is dynamic post-punk that makes a precision landing at any time - driven by the (spoken) vocals of Jack Stavrakis, who runs in circles live as if possessed and seems to think out loud into his mic, while venting his frustration with modern life. Snarling, edgy and loud, BENCH PRESS invoke the old and create something that feels very new. As if the SLEAFORD MODS were doing guitar punk with ART BRUT

THE LEGENDARY 1980 ALBUM REMASTERED FROM THE ORIGINAL TAPES.
• 2LP SET WITH 12” X 12” BOOKLET.
• INLCUDES THE PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ‘COMS 1-3 RDX SUITE’ (TAKEN FROM THE ‘COMMERCIAL
ALBUM’ MULTITRACK TAPES).
• PRODUCED WITH THE RESIDENTS AND THE CRYPTIC CORPORATION.
• THE SEVENTH IN A SERIES OF VINYL RE-ISSUES OF THE RESIDENTS’ CLASSIC 70S ALBUMS.
Formed in the early 1970s, The Residents have now been charting a unique path through the
musical landscape for 50 years. In celebration of that remarkable and unlikely anniversary, we
present an expanded vinyl edition of the classic 1980 LP ‘Commercial Album’.
Following almost a decade spent attempting to redefine what pop music could be, but with zero
hit singles to show for it, The Residents finally caved and produced their own pop music album as
the 80s dawned. But rather than have each song repeat the same minute of music three times as
per the traditional pop format, The Residents produced no less than 40 one-minute pop
masterpieces, and invited the listener to do the repeating bit themselves if they felt the need.
The resulting ‘Commercial Album’ both showcased the incredible depth of the group’s musical
palette and proved definitively that they could easily be as big as The Beatles if they wanted to.
Probably bigger, actually.
Featuring a breathless collage of toe-tappers, memorable melodies, instrumental experiments
and guest performers (Fred Frith, Chris Cutler and XTC’s Andy Partridge among them), the
record has since acquired legendary status among both fans and confused onlookers alike.
Alongside the original album, this 2LP edition presents the ‘COMS 1-3 RDX Suite’ – a brand new
interpretation of (almost) the entire album, produced by the group using the original multi-track
tapes – and a brand new sleevenote essay shedding new light on the album’s production.
‘Commercial Album’ is the latest in The Residents’ extensive ongoing pREServed series – expect
more throughout 2023 and 2024. Possibly even 2025 too, the way things are going.

SUPERB NEW ALBUM BY STRAWBS. FEATURING DAVID
COUSINS, BLUE WEAVER AND JOHN FORD.
• RADIO COVERAGE, REVIEWS IN NATIONAL PRESS, CLASSIC
ROCK, UNCUT, MOJO, RECORD COLLECTOR AND PROG
MAGAZINES PLUS WEBSITES AND FANZINES.
Vinyl LP edition of ‘The Magic Of It All’ by Strawbs,
recorded in Cape Town and featuring David Cousins, Blue
Weaver, and John Ford from classic 1970s line up joined by
some of the finest musicians and singers in South Africa.
Strawbs were high in the charts with ‘Grave New World’ and
‘Bursting At The Seams’ 50 years ago which coincided with a pivotal
moment in the struggle for freedom in South Africa, when students
and workers launched a new wave of resistance against so-called
“resettlement”. The resistance in South Africa identified with
Strawbs songs, especially ‘Part Of The Union’, ‘Lay Down’, and
‘New World’.
Recognising this, South Africa documentary maker, Niel van
Deventer, approached David Cousins with the idea of producing a
documentary about Strawbs and the band’s influence around the
world. Niel wanted to film while new songs were being recorded in
a Cape Town studio. David Cousins came up with a bunch of his
finest songs; Blue Weaver flew over to produce the sessions and cowrite some of the material, while John Ford joined in with his
contribution to the songs from New York.
Featuring brand-new songs recorded at the Academy Of Sound
Engineering in Cape Town, with engineer Peter Pearlson worked
with Paul Simon when he was recording South African musicians for
the ‘Graceland’ album. The South African musicians on this album
include Mauritz Lotz, Schalk Joubert, Kevin Gibson, Byron
Abrahams, Simangele Mashazi, Marzia Barry and Luna Paige.
Cathryn Craig and Nicole Tee joined the singers from the UK. The
documentary The Magic Of It All will be released later this year.

Imperial f.f.r.r. was Unrest’s breakthrough album in 1992. It has withstood the test of time and is now considered an indie-rock classic and one of the best albums of the 1990s. Formed in 1984, at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, the band started releasing homemade cassettes on their own Teenbeat label. Imperial f.f.r.r. is their sixth album and marked the arrival of original Velocity Girl vocalist Bridget Cross joining drummer Phil Krauth and singer/guitarist Mark Robinson. It was recorded by Wharton Tiers (Sonic Youth) at his home studio in Manhattan. After the release of Imperial f.f.r.r., the band released singles on Sub Pop and K and soon thereafter signed to legendary U.K. indie 4AD, releasing their final studio album Perfect Teeth in 1993. This limited edition features the original design and layout of the very first pressing from 1992. All the details have been recreated including the lyric sheet, the blue box around the amplifier on the front, the label art, and even the Ajax and No.6 Records logos. The original didn't have a barcode, so we've created a spiffy new removeable OBI card for that featuring a photograph by Mike Galinsky (The Decline of Mall Civilization) of the band playing at New York's Spiral club in 1991.

If your brain has a shortlist of bands that instantly evoke New Wave, Suburban Lawns deserve a slot right next to the likes of Devo, Talking Heads and the B-52’s. After putting out two singles on their own Suburban Industrial imprint, the Lawns signed to I.R.S. Records and released their debut LP in 1981. While the band gained cult status thanks in part to a Jonathan Demme-produced music video which aired on Saturday Night Live, their self-titled album would sadly be the five-piece’s only full-length statement. Suburban Lawns’ asymmetrical aesthetic is personified by co-vocalist Su Tissue, whose mesmerizing stage persona was at once childlike and terrifying. Her unique style embodies the awkward/arty female singer of the Reagan era, while the group’s male vocals—courtesy of Frankie Ennui, Vex Billingsgate and John McBurney—maintain the satirical themes of Southern California’s postwar mirage of limitless sprawl. Suburban Lawns’ catchiness can be attributed to their drum-tight performance and taut songwriting. Listen to the vocal trade-offs on “Anything,” which could have easily come out on any purely Punk label from LA at the time, while Tissue’s deadpan delivery on “Janitor” glides into the best art-warble this side of Lene Lovich, broaching the possibility of nuclear annihilation with a murmured “Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom.” From a West Coast scene dominated by 7-inch singles and EPs, the Suburban Lawns’ lone LP remains in a class with precious few. It’s not surprising that they found acceptance in the Hollywood punk scene, despite their Long Beach roots, and would influence other bands such as Minutemen. This is not a disc that will get parked in your collection hoping to get pulled once in a while; this is a record you will play.

Betty Davis was a musical maverick with vision. Image, substance, sex, and grit combined with a badass band that could deliver the funk bed backbone to the sultry music between the sheets. After cutting two notorious discs for the Just Sunshine label (Betty Davis and They Say I’m Different), and Nasty Gal for Island Records, Davis went to work on her most personal and expressive record yet. After capturing 10 hard-hitting tracks in 1976 at the remote Studio In The Country (Louisiana), a creative difference with her then label caused the platter to be unexpectedly shelved. Davis would cut one final album and soon retreat from the music business, completely disappearing from the public eye.

Is It Love Or Desire is a little-known gem in the Davis catalog. Mastered from the original tapes, and untouched for over 30 years, this release features detailed liner notes, the originally intended artwork housed in a lavishly packaged digipak, rare photos, archival material, and recent interviews with Davis and her skin-tight band Funk House.

Never bootlegged, never released, never heard until now, the secret story of this lost album will finally enter the history books and cement this bold soul sisters contributions to music and popular culture. Its time to get down…

The Side Eyes are back with the follow up to their 2017 self-titled debut album and are asking the question What’s Your Problem? Anyone suspecting that the Southern California band may have mellowed out in the five years between albums will have those suspicions shattered within the first twenty seconds of the opening track “Get Me Out.” If anything, the band is now harder, faster and angrier than they were the first time around. Vocalist Astrid McDonald is in fiery fine form calling out everything from phonies to shit-talkers to people that simply aren’t nice. Brothers Kevin and Chris Devine on guitar and bass and drummer Sam Mankinen thunder through the twelve tracks here at a breakneck speed that is positively pummeling. While The Side Eyes sound like a throwback to early Southern California hardcore punk rock like Circle Jerks and the Adolescents, the band also sites more recent bands like Ceremony, Glue and Babes In Toyland as influences. Produced by Steve McDonald (Redd Kross / Melvins) and clocking in at under twenty minutes (while spinning at 45 RPM), What’s Your Problem is a modern punk rock gem that blows past the sonic barriers of their past inspirations. This is great stuff!

The classic 1983 hardcore scuzz rock debut from Berkeley, CA’s Fang, Landshark is a unique mix of erratic thrashers and slow Sabbath-oid noise riffs. Its best-known tune is without a doubt the rumbling and stumbling opening track “The Money Will Roll Right In,” which has been covered by Nirvana, Metallica, Mudhoney, The Butthole Surfers and god knows who else. The record also includes cheerful odes to the disabled (“Destroy the Handicapped”), the follicle-y challenged (“Skinheads Smoke Dope”), and assorted werewolves, delinquents and drug users. Fang continues to unload their brand of sludge-punk on audiences to this day, with recent tours taking them around the US, Europe and Brazil. This reissue is remastered and back in print on vinyl for the first time in 20 years, with additional vintage artwork inside. The digital download included with the disc also features their entire Where the Wild Things Are release, plus more.

Repress!

The Self Split EP features Kouhei Matsunaga at his chimeric best for Diagonal, delivering two jazzy, freehand concrète collabs with Japanese sound artist and Eartaker noise maker, Masayuki Imianishi, plus two dance-offs with himself as NHK yx koyxen and Speedy K.Gelling Kouhei's many sonic handles for a full spectrum showcase of style and pattern, the set is riddled with a singular mischievous genius at every fold and warp. The Texture Foggy pieces render a more reflective, cosmic aspect of Kouhei's character. Working with Masayuki Imianishi, he terraforms paper, radio, field recordings and synths into vivid alien ecologies of shimmering electronics and spheric melody with a highly visual quality that perhaps betrays Kouhei's talents as an illustrator. For virulent examples of Kouhei at the rave, NHK yx koyxen and Speedy K's Step Move #01 is quite possibly the wonkiest peaktime juggernaut of the year, and the acid wormhole of Early Mellow Darkness sounds like the bald - as in bad - acid offspring of Luke Slater and Ed Rush. Once again Kouhei makes us go mad at the rave, but this time with something to come home and melt into as well.

The debut album, "Won’t Die This Way," from Cleveland-bred singer/songwriter/guitarist Erin Viancourt brings her lived-in storytelling to a gritty but gorgeously detailed batch of songs, encompassing everything from Americana to Western swing to classic outlaw country. Rooted in the warm and radiant vocal presence she’s shown onstage in touring arenas with Cody Jinks (who recently made Viancourt the first signing to his Late August Records), Won’t Die This Way ultimately reveals her rare capacity to soothe the soul and leave the listener newly empowered to live each day to the absolute fullest.

Nina Kraviz returns to Rekids with remixes of ‘Taxi Talk’ from David Löhlein and Sterac Electronics.

In the years since Nina Kraviz dropped some of her earliest music on Radio Slave's Rekids, she has become a bonafide global superstar. Founding two record labels трип (trip) and Galaxiid, she regularly headlines the world's largest music festivals and has continued to stay at the forefront of electronic music.

'Taxi Talk', initially released on Kraviz’s lauded eponymous debut LP in 2012, still stands the test of time with its spoken word vocals and smoky deep house grooves. Remixing the track alongside its reissue is Vision Ekstase founder and Lehmann Club resident David Löhlein who turns in a fresh remix, and Dutch techno mainstay Steve Rachmad, who unearths a remix made under his Sterac Electronics guise that had, until recently, been unreleased.

Löhlein’s remix sees the Stuttgart-based artist reach for his trademark ’snake sound’, delivering a sleek version flipped into a quick and urgent cut with pulsating synths and dynamic minimal drum funk. Sterac Electronics brings a distinctive sense of electric funk with a boogie-tinged remix full of colourful synths and hip-swinging drums that cannot fail to light up the floor.

If you ever thought Debris was Oklahoma's only entry into the bloodstream of feral, batshit rock, guess again. Mag Amplitude's, Wizards Of Today appeared in a miniscule, self released edition of 100 in 1983 & was the brainchild of a blind, guitarist-vocalist by the name of Matt Muncil. On Wizards Of Today, Muncil-considered by the psychedelic mafia to be the 'Higney of Heavy Rock'—& drummer Scott Roher proceed to lay down over 7 tracks an incredible wall of wildly fuzzed & primitive bash that is a singular testament to loner, outsider brilliance. Heavy on double tracked guitar riffs & growling, incomprehensible vocals concerning outer space, rocket ships & rock, Mag Amplitude's Wizards Of Today is a half hour slab of muzzed disorder of the highest possible recommendation. This Zaius Tapes reissue is in a one time pressing of 292 copies. Our first foray into (re) introducing fans & collectors into the cimmerian forest of American real people/outsider psych rock."—Johan Klepp, for Zaius Tapes

PUBLIC INTEREST can do no wrong in our eyes and they held the door open for you again. This LP is even denser and fuller than their previous Between 12". If you like dark post-punk, you might like this, as much as we do. Synthy post-punk that surprises with every track. ETT is proud to bring the 2nd vinyl from this project out of Oakland featuring (or maybe even consisting entirely of?) a member of Marbled Eye. Marbled Eye’s recent recordings showcased their ability to write catchy post-punk tunes and this 8-song LP from Public Interest is the same level. While you’ll hear plenty of those memorable guitar lines that made the Marbled Eye tracks so great, the songs here feel snappier, more concerned with generating a pop-inspired forward momentum than stretching things out and floating in mid-air. The angular synth lines and mechanical rhythms are a nice counterpoint to those fluid guitar lines, imbuing Between with an irresistible tension. This is utterly brilliant. I don't have a favourite track because this record is just good and coherent in its integrity. Guitars sound ace, drums and bass are on point and the vocals give some pop shades that are never annoying. Really great enjoyable LP.

Repress!

Having already released a handful of singles on NICE UP! it seemed like high time for Nottingham's Origin One (aka Kevin Thomson) to step up with his debut album. Written and produced over the space of around 2 years in the artists own Deeper Than Roots studio, the album represents a wider spectrum of roots and reggae influenced music, taking the foundations of this music and applying a modern style and sound to it, traversing dancehall, bashment, grime, jungle and dubstep along the way.

Formed in 2004 in York, UK, Deitus create sonic terror through the medium of Black Metal with no limits and no compromises. The band have released two highly acclaimed studio albums to date (‘Acta Non Verba’, 2016 and ‘Via Dolorosa’, 2018).

The band recently completed their third full-length album, ‘Irreversible’, released through Candlelight Records, which will only serve to inflict the sinister and vicious art of Deitus to an even wider audience.

‘Irreversible’ will consolidate Deitus as masters of their craft whilst at the same time introducing a much more diverse sound overall, with tracks such as ‘Voyeur’, which features a collaboration with an independent female singer songwriter, along with their first ever music video.

Formed in 2004 in York, UK, Deitus create sonic terror through the medium of Black Metal with no limits and no compromises. The band have released two highly acclaimed studio albums to date (‘Acta Non Verba’, 2016 and ‘Via Dolorosa’, 2018).

The band recently completed their third full-length album, ‘Irreversible’, released through Candlelight Records, which will only serve to inflict the sinister and vicious art of Deitus to an even wider audience.

‘Irreversible’ will consolidate Deitus as masters of their craft whilst at the same time introducing a much more diverse sound overall, with tracks such as ‘Voyeur’, which features a collaboration with an independent female singer songwriter, along with their first ever music video.

Rozi Plain’s 2019 ‘What A Boost’ is reissued on eco vinyl via Memphis Industries. The reissue is timely, following on from the breakthrough success of her 2023 album, ‘Prize’. ‘What A Boost’ was self-produced with the help of a long list of musical friends including Kate Stables, Jamie Whitby Coles, Neil Smith (all This Is The Kit), Chris Cohen, Joel Wästberg (Sir Was) and Sam Amidon.

Released in April 2015 on Lost Map, and featuring contributions from Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor, among others, her last album, ‘Friend’, was a deeply meaningful and wonderfully measured ode to memory, place, companionship and music’s remarkable power as an emotional salve.

‘Dear Departed’, the second album from Sam Burton, arose from a time of rebirth. In the last few years, Burton basically started over. There’s a freedom in leaving everything behind, and Burton embarked on a wandering phase. He went and stayed at a friends’ family home in a rural region further north in California, where he holed up in a cabin and helped the grandmother farm to earn his keep. He crashed with friends all around Los Angeles, until he found himself a new gig and a new apartment of his own. Along the way, he was writing songs.

‘Dear Departed’ was produced by Jonathan Wilson (Angel Olsen, Father John Misty, Margo Price), and recorded at Wilson’s Topanga Canyon studio with some of the best studio players in LA.

‘Mellifluous’... is a word you won’t hear much when conversation turns to early Pooh Sticks records. But ‘noise pollution’, sure: that comes up. I’ve even used it myself. So look away now if you must: ‘Straight Up: Noise Pollution C88-90’ is a selection of some of the most loved/despised/ignored tracks released by The Pooh Sticks on however many records it was before it all went wilfully ‘American’ sometime around dotted-lining for BMG mega-corp in 1991.
The record has highlights and lowlights. You and me, we’d probably agree on most of them. We chose a reasonable cross-section, I think (although there could’ve been more tambourine), including:
- “On Tape” - zeitgeist-nailin’ strum and strangle.
- “I Know Someone Who Knows Someone Who Knows Alan McGee Quite Well” - long title
- “Teenage High” - breathy sweetness sneaked onto the depraved Sympathy For The Record Industry label.
- “Dying For It” - the Vaselines cover which beat Nirvana by a full two years (though theirs sold better).
... and more! It’s like Christmas (no, blocking up the chimney won’t help: we’ve cut spare keys). And all of this in a nice gatefold sleeve, and on Steve McQueen’s- eyes blue vinyl. And there’s even a repro poster for the March ’89 Pastels/Pooh Sticks/Vaselines gig up London way (“I swear I was there”, people say).
On behalf of the group, I hope you enjoy it. No, really. It was all a long time ago but I remember we had fun. Maybe you were even there having fun with us.

Chicago born Barbara McNair is perhaps best known to the wider public as Sidney Poitier’s on screen wife in They Call Me Mister Tibbs, but to the soul scene she is a dance floor queen most notably for her debut nrelease for Motown in 1965, the in-demander “You’re Gonna Love My Baby” reissued here for the first time. But, incredibly, that’s our B-side! The plug side is the sublime “It Happens Every Time” from her 1969 Motown LP The Real Barbara McNair.

Dexys are back! 11 years since the release of their last album of original music, the acclaimed One Day I'm Going to Soar, the band return with a stunning new record, The Feminine Divine, out July 28th on 100% Records.

The Feminine Divine’s arrival is heralded by today’s release of the glorious first single ‘I’m Going To Get Free’, soaked in horns and with a heavy dance-hall feel. "The character is optimistically breaking free from internalised trauma, depression and guilt," Kevin Rowland said of the track.

The Feminine Divine is Dexys’ fifth album of original material produced once again by Pete Schwier, along with acclaimed session musician and producer Toby Chapman. After taking some time out to refocus his energy, Kevin Rowland came back to music with a fresh perspective and new-found positivity. A personal, if not strictly autobiographical, record portraying a man whose views have evolved over time. Not just on women, but the whole concept of masculinity he had been raised with: an education and an un-learning that is traced across the arc of The Feminine Divine with dizzying effect.

With two tracks on the album with Goddess in the title in ‘My Goddess Is’ and ‘Goddess Rules’, it’s no surprise Kevin chose to use a painting inspired by Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, for the artwork.

Dipping into the archives for a song he’d originally written in 1991, the album’s opener, ‘The One That Loves You’, is a tough-guy feint before he lifts the curtain on “what I really feel”, as announced by a classic bit of Kevin spoken word that leads into the second track, ‘It’s Alright Kevin (Manhood 2023)’.

The record’s first half is full of music hall-esque swagger, much of it written with original Dexys’ trombonist Big Jim Paterson. The second side of the record is like nothing Dexys have done before. A saucy, synth-heavy cabaret, written in collaboration with Sean Read and Mike Timothy. It’s steamy, fizzing and sultry, at times doom-laden and heavy and at other times raunchy and funky. Quite a heady mix.

Today the band is more of an “organic” assemblage – Kevin, Jim (a non-touring band member), Sean Read and Mike Timothy. “It’s always just natural with me,” says Kevin. “The inspiration comes first, I think about what I can do, what songs I’ve got, then approach the band.” He describes their current lineup as “very much the nucleus, these days.”

With over a billion worldwide streams, three top 10 albums in the UK, two number 1 singles, a Brit Award and a multi-platinum selling album with their sophomore release Too-Rye-Ay (as Dexys Midnight Runners), Dexys are as vital and exciting today as ever. With live shows set to be announced shortly in support of the record, The Feminine Divine marks a new chapter in a book that just keeps getting better and better.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” says Kevin. “But I feel I’ve got to it now.”

Dexys are back! 11 years since the release of their last album of original music, the acclaimed One Day I'm Going to Soar, the band return with a stunning new record, The Feminine Divine, out July 28th on 100% Records.

The Feminine Divine’s arrival is heralded by today’s release of the glorious first single ‘I’m Going To Get Free’, soaked in horns and with a heavy dance-hall feel. "The character is optimistically breaking free from internalised trauma, depression and guilt," Kevin Rowland said of the track.

The Feminine Divine is Dexys’ fifth album of original material produced once again by Pete Schwier, along with acclaimed session musician and producer Toby Chapman. After taking some time out to refocus his energy, Kevin Rowland came back to music with a fresh perspective and new-found positivity. A personal, if not strictly autobiographical, record portraying a man whose views have evolved over time. Not just on women, but the whole concept of masculinity he had been raised with: an education and an un-learning that is traced across the arc of The Feminine Divine with dizzying effect.

With two tracks on the album with Goddess in the title in ‘My Goddess Is’ and ‘Goddess Rules’, it’s no surprise Kevin chose to use a painting inspired by Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, for the artwork.

Dipping into the archives for a song he’d originally written in 1991, the album’s opener, ‘The One That Loves You’, is a tough-guy feint before he lifts the curtain on “what I really feel”, as announced by a classic bit of Kevin spoken word that leads into the second track, ‘It’s Alright Kevin (Manhood 2023)’.

The record’s first half is full of music hall-esque swagger, much of it written with original Dexys’ trombonist Big Jim Paterson. The second side of the record is like nothing Dexys have done before. A saucy, synth-heavy cabaret, written in collaboration with Sean Read and Mike Timothy. It’s steamy, fizzing and sultry, at times doom-laden and heavy and at other times raunchy and funky. Quite a heady mix.

Today the band is more of an “organic” assemblage – Kevin, Jim (a non-touring band member), Sean Read and Mike Timothy. “It’s always just natural with me,” says Kevin. “The inspiration comes first, I think about what I can do, what songs I’ve got, then approach the band.” He describes their current lineup as “very much the nucleus, these days.”

With over a billion worldwide streams, three top 10 albums in the UK, two number 1 singles, a Brit Award and a multi-platinum selling album with their sophomore release Too-Rye-Ay (as Dexys Midnight Runners), Dexys are as vital and exciting today as ever. With live shows set to be announced shortly in support of the record, The Feminine Divine marks a new chapter in a book that just keeps getting better and better.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” says Kevin. “But I feel I’ve got to it now.”

Dexys are back! 11 years since the release of their last album of original music, the acclaimed One Day I'm Going to Soar, the band return with a stunning new record, The Feminine Divine, out July 28th on 100% Records.

The Feminine Divine’s arrival is heralded by today’s release of the glorious first single ‘I’m Going To Get Free’, soaked in horns and with a heavy dance-hall feel. "The character is optimistically breaking free from internalised trauma, depression and guilt," Kevin Rowland said of the track.

The Feminine Divine is Dexys’ fifth album of original material produced once again by Pete Schwier, along with acclaimed session musician and producer Toby Chapman. After taking some time out to refocus his energy, Kevin Rowland came back to music with a fresh perspective and new-found positivity. A personal, if not strictly autobiographical, record portraying a man whose views have evolved over time. Not just on women, but the whole concept of masculinity he had been raised with: an education and an un-learning that is traced across the arc of The Feminine Divine with dizzying effect.

With two tracks on the album with Goddess in the title in ‘My Goddess Is’ and ‘Goddess Rules’, it’s no surprise Kevin chose to use a painting inspired by Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, for the artwork.

Dipping into the archives for a song he’d originally written in 1991, the album’s opener, ‘The One That Loves You’, is a tough-guy feint before he lifts the curtain on “what I really feel”, as announced by a classic bit of Kevin spoken word that leads into the second track, ‘It’s Alright Kevin (Manhood 2023)’.

The record’s first half is full of music hall-esque swagger, much of it written with original Dexys’ trombonist Big Jim Paterson. The second side of the record is like nothing Dexys have done before. A saucy, synth-heavy cabaret, written in collaboration with Sean Read and Mike Timothy. It’s steamy, fizzing and sultry, at times doom-laden and heavy and at other times raunchy and funky. Quite a heady mix.

Today the band is more of an “organic” assemblage – Kevin, Jim (a non-touring band member), Sean Read and Mike Timothy. “It’s always just natural with me,” says Kevin. “The inspiration comes first, I think about what I can do, what songs I’ve got, then approach the band.” He describes their current lineup as “very much the nucleus, these days.”

With over a billion worldwide streams, three top 10 albums in the UK, two number 1 singles, a Brit Award and a multi-platinum selling album with their sophomore release Too-Rye-Ay (as Dexys Midnight Runners), Dexys are as vital and exciting today as ever. With live shows set to be announced shortly in support of the record, The Feminine Divine marks a new chapter in a book that just keeps getting better and better.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” says Kevin. “But I feel I’ve got to it now.”

Vibes player Johnny Lytle was one of the heroes of the early acid jazz club circuit, with his cuts 'Selim' and 'The Man' being anthems of the scene.

The Ohio-born player’s first album as a leader was on the Jazzland label in 1962 with “Nice And Easy”. His second, three years later, on Riverside, "The Village Caller", made him a star in the jazz world. When Riverside encountered difficulties, co-owner Orrin Keepnews collaborated with Lytle on two albums which came out on the Detroit label, Tuba.

The first of these, "The Loop", featured his regular trio partners, organist Milt Harris and drummer “Peppy” Hinnant. This line-up was augmented on some tracks by former Miles Davis pianist Wynton Kelly and bassist George Duvivier. A 7” version of the title track actually spent five weeks in the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1966. As for the album, as well as the acid jazz cut 'The Man', it features a stunning version of Duke Pearson's 'Cristo Redentor' and the dancefloor-friendly 'Possum Grease' and 'Hot Sauce'. The band also stretch out on extended track ‘The Shyster’.

“The Loop” is a classic album and Ace’s pressing is the first time it has been legally reissued on vinyl.

Bush Tetras have made punk music at the fringes for over four decades. Flashes of reggae, bursts of noise, guitars that rattle, shake and snake, born out of a gutter behind CBGBs. Over the years they have respawned time and time again, contorting their sound, tweaking the vision, remaining singular and indispensable. In the late 2010s the group-Pat Place, Cynthia Sley, and Dee Pop-reformed again, releasing an EP, Take the Fall, in 2018. It was their first offering of new music in over a decade. A few years later in, 2021, they released a career spanning box set called Rhythm and Paranoia. The New York Times called the box set an artifact that "proves for decades that Bush Tetras continued to evolve in surprising yet intuitive directions." Around the same time, the band began working on a full length record, writing sessions during the pandemic over Zoom. Right before the release of the box set, beloved drummer Dee Pop passed away. Determined to complete the record to honor his memory, the Tetras went into the studio to finish what they'd started, once the timing was right. They brought in a new drummer, Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley, who also served as producer. Enter They Live in My Head. The band's 3rd official LP (a misleading fact when viewed along - side a catalog as expansive as it is influential), They Live in My Head is a collection of songs that sometimes reflect on the past and sometimes reckon with our current reality. From "Ghosts of People," on which Pat Place's legendary guitar meanders through closed doors and portals, to the scorching "2020 Vision," a matter- of-fact call to arms to get on the streets and get something done, the album addresses new and old, in both abstract and specific terms. But whether they're looking forward or backward, Bush Tetras have always been a political band, a band that calls out all kinds of bullshit. And, in that sense, They Live in My Head is absolutely no exception.

Bush Tetras have made punk music at the fringes for over four decades. Flashes of reggae, bursts of noise, guitars that rattle, shake and snake, born out of a gutter behind CBGBs. Over the years they have respawned time and time again, contorting their sound, tweaking the vision, remaining singular and indispensable. In the late 2010s the group-Pat Place, Cynthia Sley, and Dee Pop-reformed again, releasing an EP, Take the Fall, in 2018. It was their first offering of new music in over a decade. A few years later in, 2021, they released a career spanning box set called Rhythm and Paranoia. The New York Times called the box set an artifact that "proves for decades that Bush Tetras continued to evolve in surprising yet intuitive directions." Around the same time, the band began working on a full length record, writing sessions during the pandemic over Zoom. Right before the release of the box set, beloved drummer Dee Pop passed away. Determined to complete the record to honor his memory, the Tetras went into the studio to finish what they'd started, once the timing was right. They brought in a new drummer, Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley, who also served as producer. Enter They Live in My Head. The band's 3rd official LP (a misleading fact when viewed along - side a catalog as expansive as it is influential), They Live in My Head is a collection of songs that sometimes reflect on the past and sometimes reckon with our current reality. From "Ghosts of People," on which Pat Place's legendary guitar meanders through closed doors and portals, to the scorching "2020 Vision," a matter- of-fact call to arms to get on the streets and get something done, the album addresses new and old, in both abstract and specific terms. But whether they're looking forward or backward, Bush Tetras have always been a political band, a band that calls out all kinds of bullshit. And, in that sense, They Live in My Head is absolutely no exception.

Three years after the original release date of Caterina Barbieri’s career defining album Ecstatic Computation, the Italian artist reissues the record on her newly found own label light-years.

Caterina Barbieri is an Italian composer who explores themes related to machine intelligence and object oriented perception in sound through a focus on minimalism. Ecstatic Computation revolves
around the creative use of complex sequencing techniques and pattern-based operations to explore the artefacts of human perception and memory processes by ultimately inducing a sense of ecstasy and contemplation. Computation is turned from being a formal, automatic writing technique into a creative, psychedelic practice to generate temporal hallucinations. A state of trance and wonder where the perception of time is distorted and challenged.


Equally nervous and ecstatic, the fast permutation of patterns can create a state where time stands still whilst simultaneously being in motion. Is this propulsive music moving forward or backward? As
long as the perception of the present is constantly enhanced and refreshed in an endless sense of loss, re-discovery and the search for self-orientation this question lies mute aside the thrilling and perplexing moment of the matter at hand.

Yasushi Ide, the Japanese Street Music Icon Unleashed "Cosmic Suite 2" in a Revolutionary Blend of Genres.

Yasushi Ide, the revered figure in Japanese street music, has recently unveiled his latest musical opus titled "Cosmic Suite 2," a rebel music masterpiece that pushes the boundaries of musical genres.

This groundbreaking album features collaborations with esteemed pioneers including Afrika Bambaataa, Don Letts, Josh Millan, Jeff Mills, DJ Krush, Tony Allen, and more. By transcending the limitations of time, genre, and even mortality, Ide has crafted a truly unique and eclectic street music experience unlike anything seen before.
Notably, Ide enlisted the expertise of Grammy-winning sound engineer Steven Stanley to embark on the reconstruction of "Cosmic Suite 2" using his renowned dub mix techniques. The outcome of this collaboration is the birth of "Dr. Steven Stanley Meets Yasushi Ide - Cosmic Disco Dub," a mesmerizing rendition that showcases the genius of both artists.

Hailing from Jamaica, Steven Stanley is a highly regarded sound engineer and producer whose illustrious career spans several decades, primarily in the realms of reggae, dub, and rock music. Having worked with acclaimed acts such as Talking Heads, Black Uhuru, and Tom Tom Club, Stanley has solidified his status as a living legend within the industry. His contributions to Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" and his Grammy-winning work on Black Uhuru's "Anthem" further exemplify his unparalleled expertise. Additionally, Stanley has collaborated with notable artists including Grace Jones and B-52's.

In "Dr. Steven Stanley Meets Yasushi Ide - Cosmic Disco Dub," Stanley expertly integrates elements from the original "Cosmic Suite 2" tracks, employing his unique dubbing techniques to enhance the sonic experience. Through the addition of his signature dubby reverb and other distinctive sound manipulations, Stanley elevates the album to an entirely new dimension.
"The Battle" Transformed into an Enchanting Disco Dub Experience, Infused with Stanley's Horn Section Effects for a smoky ambience.

In the mesmerizing track "Galactic Beats," the legendary Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen's powerful drums take center stage. Skillfully applying his dub effects, Stanley adds vibrant layers and new dimensions to the composition, further enhancing its sonic palette.
Another standout is the dub version of "LAVA," featuring acclaimed Japanese singer UA. The track, which was already a fan favorite in its original form, undergoes a remarkable transformation in this dub rendition, further accentuating its appeal.

"Outer Space" Transcends Time and Genre with a Dream Collaboration Between the Late Legendary Reggae Drummer Style Scott and Japan's Turntablist Extraordinaire, DJ Krush. While the original track exudes a stoic and deep cosmic dub essence, Stanley ingeniously reimagines it as a nostalgic old-school dancehall masterpiece.

"Sumimasen" is a track that exemplifies Stanley's mastery, where the unique Japanese word "Sumimasen" (meaning "I'm sorry") is transformed into a psychedelic and deeply immersive dub journey. The track features captivating echoes on the vocals and twisted synth elements, transporting listeners to a cosmic realm of sonic exploration.
Furthermore, it is crucial to highlight "Hear, There, and Beyond," a collaboration between Yasushi Ide, Kan Takagi, the pioneering figure of Japanese hip-hop, and RECK, the bassist from the legendary punk rock band FRICTION. This reconstructed version takes the original track to unprecedented heights. With a remarkable shift to tribal drums in the midst of the song, the energy intensifies, resulting in a wild and exhilarating musical experience.
The reconstruction of this album evokes memories of Mad Professor's "No Protection," a renowned dub reconstruction of Massive Attack's work that remains an enduring masterpiece in the genre. With its exceptional craftsmanship and artistic vision, "Dr. Steven Stanley Meets Yasushi Ide - Cosmic Disco Dub" has the potential to be regarded as another timeless dub reconstruction masterpiece, solidifying its place in music history.

A central figure in Seattle’s fading disco scene, radio DJ, producer, engineer, writer and multi-instrumentalist…Tony Benton was the driving force behind the Seattle soul-funk sound during the late 70s & 80s. Starting off his career at the age of ten he learned how to play the piano and then finally got to take a music class in the 7th grade. Having access to an electric piano made him fall in love with the thought that he could make his own music. At the age of 16 Tony and his friends already formed their first band called ‘Crystal Clear’ and were making up songs in his basement.
Things would really start off when Tony Benton teamed up with his group to form the avant-boogie group Teleclere who went on to release their first single in 1982 (Fantasy Love / Ultra Groove). That’s when Tony started playing all of the other instruments and thus earning him the title ‘multi-instrumentalist’. Teleclere was all about creating and performing original music, there was no music scene in Seattle at that time for a black artist or group who played original compositions. Rap-music was also emerging and clubs slowly started to switch from live performances to deejays.
Through the success of their independent EP release, Teleclere followed up a year later with their Affection/Defection album which created a serious hype. This gave them the chance to regularly open at concerts for national artists in halls and clubs. They played at nightclubs, bars, festivals, private parties and did mini tours in the Washington State cities & Canada…including opening for Grammy-award winning soul-star Peabo Bryson (performing for a crowd of 3,000 in their hometown Seattle)
Sadly, radio would not play their music so folks never really had the chance to hear it unless they saw them perform live (they always won the crowd over). To add insult to injury, venues and the likes started to mainly book cover bands playing top 40 music. Disappointed by this Tony Benton became a radio personality but would continue to record and perform under the name ‘Teleclere’ with various players and vocalists for many years to come. Only a handful of his tracks recorded were released in the end.
Thankfully we are left with the unique audio-document that is the Affection/Defection LP. The album took the scene by storm in 1983 and sounds like a sci-fi space odyssey unfolding on an intergalactic dance floor…a chopped and slapped slice of 80ies electro-funk, sensual soulful serenades, pulses of Innervisions-worthy bass, top of the line vocals and a plethora of vocoder magic. Also included is the hit ‘Steal Your Love’ that was featured on the acclaimed 2014 Light In The Attic compilation ‘Wheedle’s Groove Volume II: Seattle Funk, Modern Soul And Boogie 1972-1987’.
Tidal Waves Music (in collaboration with the Numero Group) now proudly presents the first ever vinyl reissue of this fantastic private pressed Seattle electronic soul/funk album (originally released in 1983 on Telemusic Productions). This rare record (original copies tend to go for large amounts on the secondary market) is now finally back available as a limited 180g vinyl edition (500 copies) complete with the original artwork and obi strip.

The Waterboys’ eighth studio album is made available on vinyl for the first time, in ‘Seville’ orange. Originally released in 2003, ‘Universal Hall’ was recorded in the basement studio of the titular hall, a theatre and concert venue in Findhorn, Scotland. It is the most nakedly spiritual of the band's records, all the more so for having been mostly written and entirely made in the spiritual community at Findhorn. At the time of release, band leader Mike Scott described ‘Universal Hall’ as "a record containing eleven spiritual songs that articulate - to the best of my ability - the vision that drives, challenges, sustains and transforms me.” This vision is explored in now-classic Waterboys numbers such as Peace Of Iona, The Christ In You and Universal Hall itself, One track, the celtic-flavoured I've Lived Here Before, was written with Liam O'Maonlai of Hothouse Flowers. The album also saw the return of the band's fiddler Steve Wickham, his first appearance on a Waterboys’ record since ‘Room To Roam’ in 1990. The vinyl format is 180g Orange vinyl. The CD format is packaged in a jewelcase with 16 page booklet.

Why fiddle and voice? They say the fiddle is the instrument that most resembles the human voice. It’s like I get to sing three part harmony with myself, preparing to be able to play the songs with others. I have played violin as long as I can remember… it changed to fiddle in college after being inspired by so many great fiddle players I ran into at camps and festivals. About a decade ago, when I first heard Bruce Molsky, I remember vividly listening to his album, Soon Be Time over and over, and then going down a rabbit hole to watch videos of him playing and singing at the same time. Then, as I saw others perform in this way, notably Tim O’Brien, Laura Cortese, it would continually floor me. The way the two voices weave as one. The threads of the double stops often accounted for two unique voices, lifting the authenticity of the lyrics. I could feel the lyrics, so vulnerable and exposed, cut through. I was scared to perform this way for years, finally giving it a go in a situation where I was asked to perform and my band members were unavailable. I have always felt that as a musician I want to have strength as a collaborator… Now I am realizing that requires a musician to be able to carry the song alone. If you can feel the groove, the chords, the melody and the meaning all at once, then it makes it easier for others to connect to the song, and lift it up. How is this album a natural progression for you at this point in your career? For years, I have been fortunate enough to play with some extremely talented collaborators. My hope is that never ends, and that this album gives me the chance to learn how to stand firmly on my own two feet, rooted in the song in my heart, calling in friends and collaborators with the resonance of my spirit as naturally as they appear in my life.

Colloboh (a portmanteau of Collins Oboh) is a Nigerian-born, Los Angeles-based experimental producer and composer who has spent the past several years cultivating genre-spanning modular wizardry. A self-taught synthesist, Colloboh’s DIY recording diaries (still archived on Instagram) quickly amassed a dedicated online following, eventually catching the eye of Leaving Records founder, MatthewDavid, who wasted no time tapping the then-twenty-six-year-old to perform at the monthly Leaving showcase, Listen to Music Outside In The Daylight Under a Tree. In 2021, Colloboh permanently relocated to Los Angeles from Baltimore, dedicating himself to music full-time, and quickly becoming a fixture of the city’s vibrant experimental scene. Whereas Colloboh’s debut EP Entity Relation (released that same year) dove headlong into club beats, Saana Sahel, out May 5th 2023 on Leaving Records, showcases the breadth of the fledgeling composer’s ambitions. The EP’s title, Saana Sahel, refers to a land of Colloboh’s pure imagining—an untouched utopia spanning lush coastlines and sweeping deserts. Beginning with the stately “Acid Sunrise” (like a Phillip Glass rave comedown), the EP functions as an atlas of sorts, mapping the region’s varied environments and moods. And varied indeed—across these six tracks there lie ecstatic jazz freakouts, samba shuffles, guest vocals from (seemingly) the very Seraphim, and interpolations of Debussy and Gabriel Faure. The breadth of sounds conjured here is a testament not only to Colloboh’s eclectic roster of influences, but also the period of deep and challenging personal growth that immediately preceded the EP’s composition. The construction of Saana Sahel (both the imagined locale and the release) served as a spiritual lode star, a place to which Colloboh could retreat for energetic restoration. Ever-generous, Colloboh has charted these expeditions for us in song, and now we may all draw sustenance and inspiration from the wellsprings of this rich land.

Mighty Baby evolved out of the Action, club favourites who released a number of poor-selling singles. Dropped by Parlophone, musical chairs saw Ian Whiteman (keyboards/flute) and Martin Stone (guitar) join and the music now blended progressive psychedelia with longer pieces dominated by instrumental prowess rather than Reggie King’s soulful vocals. King departed and guitarist Alan King and Whiteman began to share vocal duties on newly penned material like ‘Egyptian Tomb’ and ‘House Without Windows’ that, in retrospect, can be seen as reflecting light from the dark star of the Grateful Dead.

“Mighty Baby” was first released on the Head label on 7th November 1969 in a superb gatefold sleeve with artist Martin Sharp serving up the arresting front cover that looked like a lion being showered in blood. The album received positive reviews, with International Times stating “The music has a hundred characters… Eastern, Oriental, country, folk, rock, blues, pop etc. etc… At this moment in time Mighty Baby’s record is simply THE best thing in its class.”

The album is now seen as a progressive rock classic; cohesive, with no low spots, the inventiveness and musical prowess on a par with the equally revered, albeit jazzier, prog rock band Cressida. This latest edition from Ace, not only replicates the gatefold sleeve of the original but also contains an inner sleeve replete with memorabilia from the collection of Richard Morton Jack

“Mighty Baby” is a must-have purchase not only for fans of the band but those who want to discover this classic progressive rock album for the first time.

The very first vinyl edition of Andrew Gold’s pastiche
psychedelic masterpiece ‘The Fraternal Order of the All –
Greetings from Planet Love’.
Initially released in 1997, the album was conceived by
Andrew Gold as a tribute to late 60s psychedelic rock. His
remarkable compositions were wonderful stylistic
evocations of artists such as The Beatles, The Beach
Boys, The Byrds and The Doors.
The project saw Gold create the fictitious band The
Fraternal Order of the All, in reality Andrew playing
most of the instrumentation and singing, along with guest
musicians such as Graham Gouldman.
This Esoteric Recordings limited edition double LP is
pressed on 10-inch coloured splatter vinyl and features a
newly designed lavish gatefold sleeve.