American rock band Sugar Ray released their second studio album Floored in 1997, which was the first album to feature DJ Homicide as an official member of the band whereas he was a guest musician on the previous album Lemonade And Brownies. Floored includes two versions of the hit track “Fly”, one of them featuring reggae artist Super Cat. The track is their most popular hit to date and was their first big hit, holding the #1 spot on the US Billboard Hot
100 Airplay for four consecutive weeks. As a result of the
single’s success, the album was certified double Platinum.
Floored is available as a limited edition of 2000 individually numbered copies on translucent green coloured vinyl and includes an insert.
Labi Siffre’s third album was the first to be produced by Labi himself, who declares it to be “the one where it all
came together… singing some of my best songs”.
• Issued in 1972, it features the beautiful original version of “It Must Be Love”, a # 14 hit for Labi nine years
before Madness took it to the top. Also featured is “My Song”, as sampled by Kanye West for “I Wonder”, and
the # 11 hit title song, also covered by Rod Stewart and Olivia Newton-John.
• This new edition has been expertly cut by Barry Grint at AIR Mastering from the original stereo tapes using
precision half-speed mastering.
• Half-speed mastering is a vinyl cutting technique that improves groove accuracy and transient information
creating an incredibly detailed stereo image with a natural high frequency response.
• Presented in its original gatefold sleeve, pressed on180 gram heavyweight vinyl, featuring an obi strip and
housed in a poly-lined inner sleeve, with all the lyrics on the 4 page insert.
Guitar and bass duo Gong Gong Gong charge out from Beijing's underground scene with a distinct vision and uncompromising sense of purpose. The duo taps into a wavelength uniting musical cultures, drawing on inspirations as wide-ranging as Bo Diddley, Cantonese opera, West African desert blues, drone, and electronic music.
Despite the band's decision to eschew traditional rock percussion, on their debut LP Phantom Rythm, the locomotive chug of Tom Ng's guitar combines with Joshua Frank's thumping, harmonics-laden basslines to conjure an aura of ghostly snare hits and timpani overtones. Over Frank's enigmatic melodies, Ng sings in Cantonese, piecing together abstract tales of absurdity, doubt, desire, and lust. Synchronized to the point of near-telephathy, "the Gongs" use their minimalistic tools and idiosyncratic playing style to challenge the notions of rock n' roll and strip the form down to its bare essentials: rhythm, melody, and grit.
As a kid, feels like a million years ago, we would watch Saturday morning cartoons. After the cartoons went off you’d catch wrestling, WWF or Soul Train. After that TV block though, if you were lucky, you’d see Kung Fu Theater. Classic martial arts movies that ruled the early afternoons those decades ago. Just seeing those for an hour and You’d be charged up to go outside and try to test your skills on the other kids around you. In rare cases you may get blessed with a two piece double feature back to back. Lord Beatjitzu brings back Bruce Li for a fresh adventure and drops him in Japan the land of the samurai. You’ll recognize the hard hitting knock instantly. Lord Beatjitzu digs in and presents a full length classic that follows directly in the footsteps of his premier LP, Beat Kune Do. Expect neck snapping drums and the usual obscure loops he's known to dig up as we delve on another adventure. This is his fifth project on Grilchy Party imprint and he shows no signs of slowing down. Be safe out there and be sure to protect your necks, your chests and your heads!
Up for the third installment from the Atlanta, USA based Mithra records, is the first EP of crew member Tito Mazzetta's new moniker as Titino. Titino takes his debut EP into hyperspace with a dance floor oriented EP for all types of rave, dark spaces, and club moments. There is a mood for all types of moments and record bags with a beautiful and ethereal remix by Paolo Mosca. This third installment from the Mithra crew pushes them through the glass ceiling into a multi faceted interpretation of electronic music.
"It's the artist's business to create sunshine when the Sun falls"
- Romain Rolland
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"Les Heures Felines is the first EP from U25 on their own label Unative Records.
This work interprets the perpetual movements of human moods. We are witnessing the progression of a thought, a feeling which is constantly changing. Emotions take precedence over reason, they are supple and fluid and leave us with memories as disintegrated as we are. The beauty of man lies in his twitches. We are just blurred and faded sketches of what we would have liked to be. The result of all of these thoughts is told in those hard kicks, tortured pads, melodies, voices and breakbeat.
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A NEED FOR SPEED, A NEED FOR ACTION.
ANFS BECOMES BOY TZORTZ.
A NECESSARY CHANGE IN A TIME THAT THE WORLD CHANGED AROUND US.
UNEXPECTEDLY. WITH FORCE.
RIOT OF LIFE.
A YOUNG PRINCE IN HIS ARMA THAT IS RIDING WITH DEVASTATING SPEED TOWARDS THE ETERNITY.
FOLLOWING THE PATH TO HIS DESTINY.
AND THROUGH CHAOS HE BRINGS ORDER.
THIS IS HIS KARMA.
4 SINISTER CUTS OF PURE MEGACITY ENERGY FROM ONE OF THE BEST IN THE GAME.
ENOUGH SAID.
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All his decisions. With tracks by Nina Kraviz, ANTIGONE, Kittin, u.r.trax, PTU, UFO95, Jurek Przezdziecki aka Praecox, Izolenta, Roma Zuckerman, Vladimir Dubyshkin, K-HAND.
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Bristol don Ramu brings the latest edition of our Killer Cuts series. Bored In A Wormhole takes us on a journey through a kaleidoscopic journey through acid-tinged breakbeat, cosmic house, warped bassline breaks, techno, garage and earworm melody jungle. Strap in!
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Over the last two years, the Innate and We’re Going Deep labels – run by friends Owain K and Placid respectively – have become must-check imprints for those seeking brand-new, timeless-sounding electro, deep house, acid and techno. Now the pair are joining forces on a new collaborative venture that looks to the past for inspiration: InnDeep.
Focused on unearthing and showcasing slept-on gems from across the deep spectrum, the reissue-focused label will have an emphasis on UK producers and imprints whose work in the ‘90s and 2000s has arguably been criminally overlooked.
To kick things off, they’re taking a deep dive into the back catalogue of Headspace Recordings and Emoticon co-founder Tom Churchill, a Welsh producer whose trademark take on deep house achieved cult status in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The Personal Interpretation EP was first released on Headspace way back in 1997, and dates back to a time when Tom was the very definition of a bedroom producer. He created the EP’s three tracks while still a teenager and mixed them down using the same pair of headphones he used for DJing.
Now painstakingly remastered, the EP sounds every bit as immersive and intergalactic as it did at the tail end of the last millennium. On the EP-opening title track, Churchill builds a sturdy, chunky groove out of clicking, hissing and metallic percussive elements and a wonderfully deep, tactile bassline, over which gorgeous chords, melodic motifs and eyes-closed vocal snippets stretch out as if reclining in the afternoon sun.
Churchill opts for a deeper, Detroit-influenced sound on ‘First Principles’, with undulating electronics and a raw analogue bassline working in unison with ghostly chords and deep space melodies, while ‘Crossed Wires’ is a tispy, off-kilter epic – all breathless drum machine rhythms, pots-and-pans percussion, woozy chords and weighty sub-bass. It provides a fittingly energetic, out-there end to a long-overlooked EP that remains as fresh now as it did back in 1997.
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2019 saw Firescope release a seminal album, The Lonely Machine by Britain’s John Shima. The world has become a very different place since then. The pandemic, economic turmoil and global crises prevail. It is amidst such uncertainty that Shima returns with a new collection to combat the savagery of our times, enter Empty Lands.
Dauby basslines and silken strings introduce “Component”, saturated snares giving ballast as Shima’s signature style immediately comes to the fore. A throbbing kick and orbiting notes are peppered with hi-hats for “Neglected”, a sonorous stratum synergising beautifully. Shima is a student of techno. His appreciation and knowledge of the sound is central to the album as he composes within the traditions of the UK and US canon while exploring new plains. The influence of “bleep” is woven into the tapestry of pieces like “Depart” and “Mettle” with the minimalism of the 90s genre reimagined through new textures. “Sayaka” flows with a different current. Rhythms are understated, lapping against undulating keys as dawn rises. Harmony and melody are cornerstones of record, the gentle ebbs and flows of key and drum merging. Inspiration arises from home as well. The steady pulse and metallic tang of “Projection” recalling the industry of Sheffield and the pioneering electronics that sprouted from that rust red earth.
Track titles, and the album name itself, suggest periods of challenge and difficulty. “Paralysis”, “Desolate”, “Empty Lands”. Words that conjure certain feelings and responses. Shima’s music is a counterbalance to these emotions. Positive compositions of subtle shifts, complementary percussion and welcoming warmth acting as a tonic to the negativity that swirls; the ten audio works on offer acting as a balm to soothe the soul in these troubled time
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Judy Pollak's late 70s LP is extremely rare and charming peace of music. Not just a Soul and Funk LP, sprinklings of folkiness in Judy's vocal make this a fairly unique and fantastic listen, no wonder it can hit $1000 when it comes up for sale. Recorded in 1977 at PAC 3 Studio, Dearborn, Michigan, where bands such as Al Hudson, Floaters, C.J. & Co and many more recorded. Judy used to hang out on the music scene and was introduced to the band via a mutual friend and Sax player Charlie Gabriel. 33 1/3 who were from Detroit got together with Judy who was living Living between Southfield, Michigan and North Carolina at the time and this LP is the result. Enjoy.
Berlin-based producer Rampue has not released an album in 14 (in words: fourteen) years. Between 2008 and 2020 he toured the world and worked mainly on his live sets in the meantime. So now only a worldwide pandemic had the power to prevent the traveling musician from continuing this hustle and bustle and eventually share a new record with the public. Corona was what brought this standstill and the otherwise well- traveled individual experiences cabin-fever during lockdown. Hence, the new Rampue album "Tragweite" came into existence in February 2021, which portrays the artist's desire for experimentation.
Inspired by a modular synthesizer (Buchla), Rampue has seemingly put himself into a kind of trance, in which he lets the machines work and combines randomly created sounds with airy structures such as low drums or simple grooves. Rampue accomplished to break free by using random sounds as a new impulse and a way out of a creative crisis, which stemmed both from the enforced home isolation and from the self-perceived paralysis. The result is literally unique, as many of the sound products cannot be reconstructed and are preserved in album form for the general public.
Listening to "Tragweite" one gets the impression that the dialectical relationship between chaos and order, further supported by its production, is the defining theme of the album. After an initially perceived chaos, a delicate order, which is determined by structuring drum patterns and basslines, takes over throughout the course of the album.
Later, it frays and loses itself again in sounds and tones created mechanically However, it never seems arbitrary, but willful and skillfully staged. For instance, "Furo?" begins with apparent arrhythmia. The combination of bass and subtle percussion, however, gives this arrhythmia a shape, guiding the track which gradually becomes more and more driving without losing its original playfulness.
Although one might be inclined to think of genres such as Downtempo or Ambient at the beginning in the further course of the album results in such a diverse sound and rhythmic landscape that one willingly questions one's own perception of music while listening and finally throws every type of categorization overboard joyfully. The listening experience is too intoxicating and enlightening to stick to simple genre boundaries. The musical spectrum ranges from straight arrangements that live entirely without a drum foundation ("Fu?r Dich") to almost meditative sound collages ("Regengesicht") to the four-to-the-floor banger "Kembang" which adds a grimmer note with a certain industrial appeal to the overall rather melancholic-progressive curation. "Direct Faden" on the other hand, surprises with its simple guitar-based foundation on which the omnipresent synth snippets and pads are allowed to let off steam towards the end of the record. The track that most closely combines the progressive production style with a danceable club atmosphere is probably "Phobia". Wafting, partly breaking away synthesizer sounds rise higher and higher, while the driving mixture of bass and drums consistently march forward.
Rampue breaks with his old, musical habits as "Tragweite" creates the impression of improvisation and jam character without getting lost. Rampue takes his listeners on a journey that is stirring and moving, sometimes demanding or even a bit disturbing, yet always one thing: incredibly exciting.
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The music of Robert Schumann and the artistry of Sviatoslav Richter are a natural match. Schumann was loathe to use flashy, purely virtuosic elements in his compositions, a fact brilliantly illustrated in the vast majority of his works for solo piano. Rather, Schumann was much more likely to tell a story, paint a picture, or read a poem through his music, although his works were not overtly programmatic. Richter possessed a technique virtually unrivaled during his career and was able to definitively toss off even the most technically demanding works. At his heart, however, Richter was a poet and an artist with profound musical insights and introspections. This album, featuring recordings made in the late '50s, is one of Richter's surviving albums in which poor sound quality does not distract listeners from this artistry. His performances of the C major Fantasy, the Op. 82 Waldszenen, and the Op. 12 Fantasiestucke are magnificently refined, unhurried, and unsullied by some pianists' need to make the works flashier then they need to be.
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"Soutien Gorge" make a much welcome return to release their latest album "Tarskapcsolatodban" on "Touched Music". I'm not as familiar with their backcatalogue as I would like to be but intend to remedy that ASAP! The double CD compilation "Meseerdö" on Touched Music is a great place to do that... Soutien Gorge are two guys from Hungary who make interesting experimental electro-acoustic music. Their first release was around 2002, making this release their 20th anniversary release ! This latest release Tarskapcsolatodban by Soutien Gorge makes me think fondly of a lot artists on labels like City Centre Offices, Morr Music, and some outlyers on Warp Records. Musically coming in somewhere between, ISAN, B. Fleischmann, and Plone. The melodies have simple, often nursery rhyme like appeal. Arrangement wise there are acoustic and electronic instruments, with some field recording elements, and and sampling of speech in to me what is just a foreign language and difficult to understand. Good use of guitars to create additional layers at times remind ne of Duo-505, the B. Fleischmann side project. The field recordings and reserved electronics reminds me of the 2018 "Wanderwelle" album "Gathering Of The Ancient Spirits" on "Silent Season (Canada)".
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Created and conducted by Sam McLoughlin (N.Racker, Sam and the plants) & David Chatton Barker (Folklore Tapes), Environmental Meditation Music (EMM) is a collaborative project with the natural world, where handmade instruments are placed in the environment and are played by the wind, rain, grass, snow and rivers. The instruments capture and channel the innate rhythms and frequencies of the elements, converting them into a fluid and detailed blend of modulating drones, birdsong, dripping water and the sounds of distant polyrhythmic drumming, overtone flutes and ringing chimes. The instruments include River Harps, Water Gongs, Clock Chimes and Aeolian Flutes, and are made using a variety of materials ranging from guitar strings, rubber bands, saw blades and jars, many of which are amplified using contact microphones. Since 2017 the duo have collected many hours of recorded material, which has been hewn into a long form digital edition and this two-sided 46min long playing record. For the record sleeves, a paintbrush was suspended on a branch using string. The sleeve was cut and placed upon a table with string passed around four bamboo canes in order to keep the brush contained above the card. Windy days were chosen to animate the brush. The brush was dipped into black drawing ink and begun at the middle of the card. Lastly the sleeve was left under rain drops. In total 305x card sleeves were created using this process and so each edition of the record is unique.
For fans of - Booker T & The MGs, James Taylor Quartet, Georgie Fame, Big Boss Man. Groovy Hammond garage rock instrumentals from Billy Childish (Thee Headcoats/CTMF etc) and featuring James Taylor (Prisoners/JTQ) We’re loving this new album by The Guy Hamper Trio! Who’s in the band sunshine? Mainly myself on guitar, Julie on bass, Wolf on drums, and of course Jamie on Hammond. A great bonus is Thee Headcoats with Bruce and Tub guest as rhythm section on a track or two. You and James Taylor go back a long way. Do you remember how you first met? The Prisoners were a young group who played with us (the Milkshakes) in the early 1980s. One day they turned up with an organ player, Jamie. Jamie used to then borrow my Selmer guitar amp to play through. You’ve revisited a few old classics on this album, and given them a true makeover. How would you describe The Guy Hamper Trio’s sound? I guess there must be a derogatory term for it but I might need some help finding it. In the very early days of The James Taylor Quartet (Wolf was their drummer back then), I was in the Natural Born Lovers (A blues group with Big Russ and Sexton Ming). We used to be the support for them. I really liked their sound and I guess The Guy Hamper Trio is not a million miles from that blues-influenced, film soundtrack vibe, man. There you made me say “man”. Next thing you know I will be saying “cool!” Let’s just say it's a wizard sound, Jamie is such a great player. Prior to this album The Guy Hamper Trio’s sole release was the ‘Polygraph Test’ 7” from 2009. Why such a big gap? It takes time for all of us to get all our solders in line. “Get on with it mush! And trifle not, your time is but short!” What inspired the album’s title track All The Poisons In the Mud? It’s actually the title of a novel I’ve been writing, and rewriting, over the past 12 years, and is taken from a quote from I Claudius by Robert Graves - a formative influence on me as a 15 year old. The sleeve art is pretty different to your other recent records, could you tell us a about that? Who designed it? I nominally designed it but the truth is that it's essentially a rip off of a Saul Bass sleeve he did for Duke Ellington. We started mining that seam back in the Milkshakes when Bruce (Brand) did the sleeve for Thee Knights of Trashe. The album closes with a storming cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire”. What do you think Jimi would make of your version? I've been a fan of Jimi since my elder brother brought his records home in the '60s. Jimi was well known to “dig” others work and interpretations and would no doubt smile, narrow his smoky eyes and say “cool man!” and I would no doubt reply "wizard Jimi!" TRACKLISTING 1. All The Poisons in the Mud 2. Come Into My Life 3. Moon of the Popping Trees 4. Girl From '62 5. Full Eclipse of the Sun 6. Sally Sensation 7. 7% Solution 8. Step Out 9. Polygraph Test 10. The Kids are all Square 11. Skinwalker 12. Fire
Songs that inspired Flicker by Yoko Ono, Pentangle, The Kinks and Arthur Russell. “The idea was that I would be covering songs which helped in some way to colour in the edges of the picture of the influences that make up Flicker,” explains Andy. "The song ‘Jenny Holzer B. Goode’ on the album refers to a few of the female artists from the music and art worlds who I find inspiring, including Yoko Ono, so it felt right to include a cover of ‘Listen, The Snow Is Falling’, my favourite Yoko Ono song. “Pentangle’s ‘Light Flight’ came out in 1970, the year I was born, and I’ve loved it ever since I heard it on the 1997 folk compilation Transatlantic Ticket. “Nat Cramp, the head honcho of Sonic Cathedral, requested that I cover ‘The Way Love Used To Be’. I’d never heard this song despite being a big fan of The Kinks, but it’s lovely and it felt very natural to do a version of. All hail Ray Davies! “Arthur Russell has been a big reference point for all my music away from ‘band world’. There is something impressionistic and open-ended about his records. I guess you could describe the production style I’m trying for on ‘Our Last Night Together’ as ‘World Of Echo meets This Mortal Coil doing Skip Spence’.” A1 Listen, The Snow Is Falling A2 Light Flight B1 The Way Love Used To Be B2 Our Last Night Together
Johannes Schebler's musical output is all about establishing a dreamlike territory where sonic settlements can spread at ease. While Grykë Pyje (Johannes Schebler's duo with Jani Hirvonen) presents musical landscapes as open and clear spaces, Baldruin's miniature pieces tend to narrow them down, zooming into domestic sceneries that shift like malleable rooms inside a magic building. These are the quarters where the inhabitants of Schebler's musical world are configured.
Rendered in a tender manner, the tunes in Kleine Freuden (in English: small joys) unfold like a collection of fairy tales and bedtime stories. Fables and lullabies performed in whispering tones seem to carry us through a child's dream where images blend into each other. Compact, yet gauzy and free flowing melodies gather up revealing an ensemble of households where fanciful entities play care freely, leading us along their musical maze. The music is placid, childlike and playful. It wanders around in unwavering estrangement, organizing an unprecedented and intimate space as seen from a bird's eye view.
In the landscape of a bedroom where the night lamp is the sun, we take part in a lively journey, as wonder is warrant and keeper of a warm and pristine environment. Perspective shifts as we rise from bed sheet folds that turn into fragile mountain ranges. We crawl behind furniture and take shelter in secret hideouts while dust falls upon us like a blizzard. Transfiguring notions of scale and time, we are left wondering how long have we been here, wondering if music is the only true measurement of time.
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The story about the lost recordings of Ghia continues: Following the recently released "At The Hilton" single, our label is extremely proud to present "Curaçao Blue", the band's first full-length album. And it is simply mind-blowing, to say the least! The LP features 10 unreleased tracks in a similar Balearic vein as featured on the single.
Incredibly, it was only just a few months ago that these tracks were rediscovered on some old tapes by band members Lutz Boberg and Frank Simon. Could anyone imagine that two physics students from a small German town could create such beautiful, thrilling music in their home studio? Although the technical aspects in the creation of the band's earliest tracks may have been straightforward, the outcome is high-quality, creative, modern jazz-funk, with one step in the electro-funk genre due to the use of a drum machine and synthesizer basslines. The album features mostly 4-track recordings, based mainly on the musicians' weapons of choice: a DX21 keyboard (later updated to the legendary DX7) and a guitar. Many things had to be done live in just one take, though the artists were unafraid of using overdubbing techniques to weave their instrumental journeys. The DIY aesthetics just add more beauty and uniqueness to the songs and compositions, and the result is an extremely harmonic work of undeniable musicality. Ghia delivers Balearic jazz-funk at its finest.
Though the music was recorded in Germany, Ghia had a true relationship with the Balearic region and effortlessly applied the vibes to their compositions. As a side note, one track on their earliest demo tapes was called "3 AM at Moëf Gaga" and we did not know what it meant. The band explained that Moëf Gaga is a nightclub on the Spanish coast that is actually still active today. Boberg and Simon, the two original band members of Ghia, visited the club in the early 80s and spent their holiday close to the sea. With their music, they intended to create a summery vibe, capturing a relaxed and soulful view of the seashore, likely with a drink in hand... Perhaps a Blue Curaçao?
The album starts with a revised version of the title track. The drums in this take are much punchier, and we thought that it would fit just perfectly as an introduction. We continue with the already classic "Down At The Hilton" that was featured on the single, but like us, we are sure you could happily listen to this track on repeat. Next up, "Jump In The Water" opens with a catchy delayed melody, which develops into another perfect jazz-funk piece with an extended guitar solo. Another remarkable song might be "In The Fast Lane". As the name suggests, an uptempo number, now with an electro-funk beat combined with speedy keyboard solos that almost sounds like a marimba. On side B, the album keeps the relaxed seaside vibes flowing. To round out the album, we are treated to two pieces that originated after the return home, with memories of the Spanish coast fading but still lingering, likely recorded between 1986 and 1988. Both are instrumental versions of songs to be used later for studio sessions with their new band member, singer Lisa Ohm (who you will hear on Ghia's next album!). On "Crystal Silence In Dub" we get a perfect downtempo groove, positively reminding us of the sound of the 1980s UK funk scene. The album ends with "Keep Your House In Disorder", here as an earlier, rougher, and funkier take than on the final vocal version, which could be found on the B-side of the "What's Your Voodoo" single.
We hope you love this album as much as we do! Nothing like this has yet been released out of Germany. We hardly can recall any privately produced, home recorded jazz-funk/fusion from the 1980s as free, creative, and uninhibited as Ghia's Curaçao Blue. The playful and creative approach, coupled with those nostalgic tones should make this LP an essential pick for any record collection, whether you are a DJ, a home listener, a music lover, or a modern jazz-funk/synth-funk aficionado.
The album is out now on The Outer Edge, the new label by record collector DJ Scientist, aka John Raincoatman. We also want to thank Frederic Stader for his awesome work mastering and sound restoration of the material on this LP.
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A slice of Norwegian cultural history in album form – a unique
interpretation of traditional Norwegian Travellers' songs.Elias Akselsen,
Ola Kvernberg and Stian Carstensen take us on a journey through
Norwegian music history
The album's title, "Horta", means "authentic" in the language of the Travellers,
Romani. Elias Akselsen (74) is a member of the oldest generation who knew and
can remember the "authentic" life of the Travellers, and is today one of the
foremost representatives of the musical heritage of the Norwegian Travellers/
Roma. He was born on the road and learned to play and sing the traditional songs
while gathered around the bonfire with his relatives. He has a deep and inborn
appreciation of these songs. Musician/producer Stian Carstensen and musician/
arranger Ola Kvernberg join him in raising these old songs to a new level. With the
addition of guest artists Anita Kleppe and Sara Wilhelmsen, three voices from
three generations of Travellers meet one another. Together they have recorded
their unique interpretations of nine Travellers' songs, some known and some
unfamiliar, with the aim of preserving and carrying on the rich, but partly hidden,
cultural heritage of the Travellers, and of making it more widely accessible.
The musical tradition of the Travellers is vivid and complex, featuring elements
from a variety of countries and cultures – from broadside ballads and folk songs
to Russian folk tunes and Balkan rhythms. In many ways this music bears
witness to the way the Travellers drew musical inspiration from their travels. In
addition to the treasure trove of songs the Travellers have kept alive, they have
also had a strong influence on Norwegian folk music. Many traditional fiddle
tunes that are well known today can be traced back to the Traveller fiddler FantKarl, and one of Norway's most famous fiddlers, Myllarguten, often learned tunes
from Travellers passing by.
This is the Norwegian equivalent of blues and soul, and has at least as much
authenticity as the American genres we know so well. But it belongs to us
Norwegians, and to the Norwegian landscape, nature and people. Today Akselsen
is the leading practitioner of the musical heritage of the Norwegian Travellers/
Roma. He was born on the road, with genuine Travellers on both sides of his
family; he was the great-grandchild of the "Traveller king" Stor-Johan on one side,
and of "sea vagabonds" in Bergen on the other. Today he is the last remaining
representative of the original song tradition, and also practises traditional
handicrafts, making knives and whisks.
The album was produced by Skøyerstaten Teater, a voluntary organisation that
works to present the cultural treasure trove of the Travellers/Roma in an artistic
form
Last 30 copies in stock now. The album is now in the Scottish album of the year shortlist. LP on very Limited HILL FOG CLEAR vinyl. Co-produced by Stephen McAll and Shimmy-Disc founder Kramer. First pressing on “Hill Fog” Colored Clear Vinyl, limited to 500. RIYL: Mazzy Star, The National, Will Oldham / Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Nick Drake. Constant Follower’s debut album "Neither Is, Nor Ever Was" was borne out of a respect for change, and the inevitable passing of time that frightens, comforts and humbles every one of us at once. It is a haunting testimonial to the temporary joys and fleeting moments that define the human experience no matter the individual passages it takes. The name of the outfit itself is a reflection of those things that we carry through life, for better or worse, that ultimately make us who we are. The current band consists of Stephen McAll (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, synth, bass), Andrew Pankhurst (electric guitar), Amy Campbell (backing vocals and synth), and McAll’s partner Kessi Stosch (backing vocals, synth and bass). "Neither Is, Nor Ever Was" co-produced by Scottish singer-songwriter Stephen McAll and the legendary record producer Kramer. The recording for the album began in early 2020 at La Chunky studios in Glasgow with engineer Johnny Smillie. This was interrupted by the birth of McAll’s daughter. If you listen closely, her cries are just audible during some of Kessi’s backing vocals, and shortly afterwards by Covid 19 restrictions. McAll began recording the rest at his own CFFC studio in Stirling. The recording was then beautifully mixed by Kramer. Once the LP was complete Kramer also did the final mastering. The videos for the release are truly short films that have been submitted to film festivals. They are enchanting, ethereal and immersive, the band’s visuals are as moving and cinematic as their sound. Martin J Pickering, who is renowned for his work with Dua Lipa, Paloma Faith and Lethal Bizzle, is behind their latest music video for “Set Aside Some Time”. The result - intense pangs of emotion interspersed with moments of reflection and acceptance, an ephemeral ode to the passing of time. Tracks: Side A 1. I Can’t Wake You 2. The Merry Dancers On TV 3. Set Aside Some Time 4. Spirits In The Roof Tree 5. Altona Side B 6. Weave of the World 7. One Word Away 8. Little Marble 9. What’s Left To Say 10. WEICHA
Sarathy Korwar returns with new album KALAK. The follow up to the politically charged, award-winning More Arriving is an Indo-futurist manifesto - in rhythmic step with the past and the present, it sets out to describe a route forward. It celebrates a rich South Asian culture of music and literature, which resonates with spirituality and community, while envisaging a better future from those building blocks. Recorded at Real World studios with meticulous production by New York electronic musician, DJ and producer Photay, who translates these communal rhythms and practices into a timeless and groundbreaking electronic record. There"s a spirituality and warmth at play in the polyrhythms, group vocals and melodic flourishes. The KALAK rhythm is the fulcrum upon which the 11-track project balances. After an intense lockdown induced period of reflection and meticulous note-making, Korwar boiled this down to the circular KALAK symbol which he then presented to his band before recording began. With the symbol projected on the walls in order to de-code and improvise around, Korwar had utter faith in the musicians he"d assembled and conviction in the concept.
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The prolific German musician Christian Schoppik is dropping his second solo album of 2022 under the moniker Läuten der Seele, following up his critically acclaimed self-titled debut album released at the start of the year.
Once again, “Die Mariengrotte als Trinkwasseraufbereitungsanlage” (The Mother Mary Grotto as a Drinking Water Treatment Plant) is a work based on a mix of sample collages and recorded instruments that are often used sparsely but as load-bearing elements. However, this time, Schoppik came up with two long tracks where the narrative evolves in multiple and intricate movements to tell mysterious stories that have to be imagined by the listeners as the music unfolds. If the title of the tracks “Opferkerzen weihen das Betonbecken” (Votive Candles consecrate the Concrete Pool) and “Der Heilige Geist aus der Leitung” (The Holy Ghost from the Water Tap) give a starting point to these stories, the ethereal, mystic and dreamy sounding minimal atmospheres presented in this record let each one of us contemplate our own soothing experience against the continuous chaos surrounding us.
“Arguably his generation’s best lyricist” – Mojo // “The year’s stand-out album for me” – Stewart Lee // “A sort of modern-day pastoral” – Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate // The follow-up to last year’s first volume, English Primitive II continues the themes introduced previously in a harder, more electric and psychedelic style. The songs were mostly recorded during the same sessions but, if EPII showcased the ‘songs of innocence’, this new set comprises ‘songs of experience’. Callahan's lyrical themes here are frequently the sleaze and corruption of our ‘betters’, the intentional and unintentional brutality meted out on those weaker and the sometimes perverse ways in which this happens. There are moments of reflection among the broken mirrors, but they allow scant solace or reassurance. Dressed in another of Scottish artist Pinkie McClure’s witty and detailed stained glass creations and recorded at home and under a railway arch, EPII rises above its origins and invades the wider world, in all its colour, gritand glory. Each song serves as a monument to its internal tale – in fact, the whole LP is as much a collection of musical short stories as it is an album of songs. Opening with Invisible Man, the impression of a regular person with hidden grievances, biding his time and waiting to lash out is given. Waves of distant samples ebb and fall as the warped guitars swell and crash behind the main themes. We don’t know when this explosion will happen – we only know it will. A sleazy celebration of Britain’s position as the laundering capital of the world follows in the form of Beautiful Launderette. It’s good that we keep everything nice and clean for the whole planet, isn’t it? Business as usual, keeping the globe turning – that’s our role and we love it. The Parrot rocks like only a prolonged evisceration of governmental mouthpieces and their court stenographers can. It’s a thankless task making sure that the powers that be retain their authority in all things and patrolling the borders of what is allowed to be said and believed, but somebody’s got to do it. If you’re providing a service, you’ll need to present a united front against the grievances of the public, so you’ll need The Scapegoat. Mistakes and accidents can’t be the company’s fault, so you’ll need to pay someone to be publicly and repeatedly sacked to make it appear as if you’re solving problems and getting better. Lessons will be learned, going forward. The disturbing tale of Bear Factory begins side two and is the real-life story of the murder of one of the singer’s primary-school classmates in the 1970s, and true in every detail. The victim’s body was never found but the killer justifiably imprisoned for life. A more ancient scent of death pervades The Burnet Rose. This ground-hugging plant covers the graves of the victims in a seventeenth-century plague village on the Yorkshire coast to this day, commemorating their sacrifices when all around have forgotten. It’s this particular songwriter’s favourite flower. Orgy of the Ancients describes the intimate intricacies of ageing politicians and the press as they decide whether to go to war. In grotesque scenarios worthy of Caligula, they decide the fates of our children. And it’s not even half the truth. To finish, the songwriter looks back to an admired predecessor, when he sets William Blake’s famous poem London in a groovier setting than we’re used to – in the form of London by Blakelight. If London swings, it’s from the Tyburn tree. Tracks: Invisible Man / Beautiful Launderette / The Parrot / The Scapegoat / Bear Factory / The Burnet Rose / Orgy Of The Ancients / London By Blakelight
Exclusive to INDIE STORES: Hiss and Shake Records to release ‘Logically Yours’ – a limited edition, 5 x LP boxset of 50 essential recordings from seminal post-punk icon Lora Logic including 2 classic Essential Logic albums, early single releases, EPs, B-sides, rarities, vinyl exclusives + first new Essential Logic studio album in 43 years! Includes the classic Rough Trade Records releases ‘Beat Rhythm News (Waddle Ya Play?) + ‘Pedigree Charm’ + 2 retrospective compilations of early single releases, EPs, B-sides, rarities + vinyl exclusives ‘Aerosol Burns & Other Misdemeanours’ + ‘No More Fiction’ + new studio album ‘Land of Kali’ (first in 43 years) + 20 page booklet with introduction from Celeste Bell + Lora Logic Q+A. Susan Whitby, aka Lora Logic was one of the most distinctive talents from the post-punk era known for her intoxicating, rough-around-the-edges, yet exhilarating sax playing and haywire vocal style. Her offbeat, occasionally arresting lyrics tackled alienation, sexism, poverty and urban isolation, and with a complete disregard for convention, she carved her own path not only in her short-lived music career but also personal life. She was still in her teens when she answered an ad in Melody Maker “Looking for young punks,” and in 1976, with her friend Marion Elliot (aka Poly Styrene), she formed the punk band X-Ray Spex and acquired the pseudonym, Lora Logic. The duo soon achieved notoriety with the irresistible feminist protest single, ‘Oh Bondage Up Yours’ (1977) – Logic arguably stealing the show with her thrilling punk sax. “X-Ray Spex was my first band, I happened to be accepted, It happened to work, I happened to get famous overnight. I’d been playing sax in a cupboard in my room; I thought I better do something.” However, just prior to recording 'Germ Free Adolescents' (1978), X-Ray Spex's debut album, she found herself unexpectedly ousted from the band. With abundant enthusiasm and encouragement from Geoff Travis, founding director of Rough Trade Records, she went on to form Essential Logic, creating some of the most liberating and exciting music of the early post-punk era, not only as Essential Logic, but also as a solo artist. Hiss and Shake Records are pleased to present a limited edition boxset of 50 essential recordings from the irresistibly engaging Lora Logic archive, allowing for a new generation to become aware of her incredible creative output. Across 5 LPs, ‘Logically Yours’ includes in their entirety, the classic Rough Trade Records releases ‘Beat Rhythm News (Waddle Ya Play?) (1979) – Essential Logic’s sole studio album, and Lora’s solo album, ‘Pedigree Charm’ (1982) – her last studio album before turning her back on the music business, sad and disillusioned and fighting drug addiction, which saw her turn to a Hare Krishna lifestyle, alongside Poly Styrene, embracing a fresh new chapter. This totally absorbing and definitive collection also includes two retrospective compilations; ‘Essential Logic – ‘Aerosol Burns & Other Misdemeanours’, which comprises early single releases, B-sides and oddities including the gloriously chaotic ‘Aerosol Burns’, the essential punk/disco ‘Music Is A Better Noise’, and ‘Fanfare In the Garden’, showcasing Lora at her most pop. In addition, ‘Essential Logic – ‘No More Fiction’; contains 10 vinyl exclusives, including ‘Do You Believe in Christmas?’, recorded with the Krishna Kids Choir in 1985, alongside tracks recorded circa 1997, with Martin Muscatt, Dave Farren (Bad Manners) and Gary Valentine (Blondie), forming the basis of what would have been Essential Logic’s third studio album, ‘No More Fiction’. Having recently returned to the studio refreshed and rejuvenated, ‘Logically Yours’ also includes ‘The Land of Kali’ (co-produced by Youth), the first new Essential Logic studio album in 43 years, and features the forthcoming new single ‘Prayer for Peace’, a re-imagining of the X-Ray Spex track from the tragically overlooked album, ‘Conscious Consumer’ (1995) on which Lora also played sax. “Poly Styrene and I were living in a Krishna community in Worcestershire in the early 80s. We came together for the first time musically after X-Ray Spex to record the original version of this song. In 2019, I decided to record my own take as a tribute to the special times we shared. I hope Poly likes this new version too.” Further tracks penned for release from the album include the dystopian, lockdown-inspired ‘Alien Boys’ and ‘Sky Rocket’, written with daughter Malini, about the fairground of life. Despite her short-lived career in the music business, Lora still managed to perform and appear on releases with many artists including US experimental rock band Red Crayola between 1978 and 1981, and also appeared on recordings by The Stranglers, The Raincoats, Kollaa Kestää, Dennis Bovell, Swell Maps and later, Boy George. Undoubtedly an iconic figure of the UK post-punk scene, Lora Logic’s boldness, adventurousness and sense of fun can be seen as an influence on numerous female artists today including Karen O from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Peaches and St. Vincent among others. Tracklisting: Essential Logic ‘Beat Rhythm News (Waddle Ya Play?)’ (1979). A1 ‘Quality Crayon Wax OK’ A2 ‘The Order Form’ A3 ‘Shabby Abbott’ A4 ‘World Friction’ B1 ‘Wake Up’ B2 ‘Albert’ B3 ‘Alkaline Loaf in the Area’ B4 ‘Collecting Dust’ B5 ‘Pop Corn Boy (Waddle Ya Do?)’…… Lora Logic – ‘Pedigree Charm’ (1982). A1 ‘Brute Fury’ A2 ‘Horrible Party’ A3 ‘Stop Halt’ A4 ‘Wonderful Offer’ A5 ‘Martian Man’ B1 ‘Hiss and Shake’ B2 ‘Pedigree Charm’B3 ‘Rat Allé’ B4 ‘Crystal Gazing’…..Essential Logic – ‘Aerosol Burns & Other Misdemeanours’. A1 ‘Aerosol Burns’ (1978) – Debut single A2 ‘World Friction’ (1978) – ‘Aerosol Burns’ B-side A3 ‘Eugene’ (1981) – Single A4 ‘Tame the Neighbours’ (1981) – ‘Eugene’ B-side A5 ‘Music Is A Better Noise’ (1981) – Single A6 ‘Moontown’ (1981) – ‘Music Is A Better Noise’ B-side B1 ‘Fanfare In the Garden’ (1981) – Single B2 ‘Stereo’ (1982) – ‘Wonderful Offer’ single B-side B3 ‘Rather Than Repeat’ (1981) – ‘Wonderful Offer’ single B-side B4 ‘The Captain’ (1979) – ‘Fanfare In The Garden’ B-side B5 ‘Soul’ (1983) – Previously unreleased on vinyl B6 ‘Stay High’ – Previously unreleased on vinyl….. Essential Logic – ‘No More Fiction’. A1 ‘Essential Logic’ (1991) – Vinyl exclusive A2 ‘On The Internet’ (1998) – Vinyl exclusive A3 ‘Under The Great City’ (1997) – Vinyl exclusive A4 ‘No More Fiction’ (1998) – Vinyl exclusive A5 ‘Love Eternal’ (1997) – Vinyl exclusive B1 ‘Barbie Be Happy’ (1998) – Vinyl exclusive B2 ‘Not Me’ (1998) – Vinyl exclusive B3 ‘The Beautiful and the Damned’ (1997) – Vinyl exclusive B4 ‘Marika’ (1997) – Vinyl exclusive B5 ‘Do You Believe in Christmas?’ (1985) with the Krishna Kids Choir – Vinyl exclusive……Essential Logic – ‘Land of Kali’ (2022). A1 ‘Prayer For Peace’ A2 ‘Alien Boys’ A3 ‘Mother Earth’ A4 ‘Never Know’ A5 ‘Charming Every Cupid’ B1 ‘Sky Rocket’ B2 ‘Serious’ B3 ‘Fallible Soldiers’ B4 ‘Land of Kali’ B5 ‘Beyond’
'Gulliver', the latest Condor Gruppe album, is a nod to yet another spiritual journey in the band's ever-evolving saga. Released 23rd September via the groove-obsessed Sdban Ultra, the Antwerp-based nine-piece ensemble take you on a hypnotic trip, paying tribute to obscure Italian 70s film soundtracks, krautrock and psychedelic grooves. Fuse the melancholy of Pink Floyd, the heroism of Ennio Morricone and the world grooves of GOAT and you get an idea of what Condor Gruppe is.
Always looking to push musical boundaries, Condor Gruppe rely on the adventurous use of their instruments and their intriguing musical patter. Melancholic, exotic, surreal, the band's sound is enriched by instruments including the handpan, Jew's harp, darbouka and tanpura. Diverse sounds, rhythms and melodies build, exciting the listener whilst always remaining familiar. From the thunderous, spacious prog rock sounds of 'What Could Have Been', to the loose, laidback grooves of the mystical 'Farid' and groovy 'Rhymes On Our Mind', 'Gulliver' is a soundtrack for visits to far-flung places and a mesmerizing trip through the band's own record shelves.
Condor Gruppe released their debut album 'Latituds del Cavall' in 2014 with nine exotica fuelled songs that echo the sound of an intoxicated ride through the desert. This was followed up in 2016 with 'FROG BOG - A Tribute to Moondog' - an adaptation of the work of the legendary composer and outsider. Containing six Moondog interpertations, trumpet player Dirk Timmermans, saxophonist Matti Willems and baritone saxophonist Hanne De Backer joined the five original members of Condor Gruppe, with the results a spectacular mix between Moondog's jazzy compositions and Condor Gruppe's dreamy instrumental sound.
Second album proper 'Interplanetary Travels' (2018) - a nostalgic, melancholic soundtrack - saw the introduction of the Anoushka Shankar-trained Nicolas Mortelmans on sitar. The title hinting at Sun Ra is no coincidence. Condor Gruppe recorded 8 songs that give you the creepy feel of a horror scene, the heroism of the best film scores and the hypnotizing grooves of jungle tribes.
At this year's Ghent Film Festival, Condor Gruppe performed a live version of the score for the dark, hypnotic, surreal, erotic vampire film 'Daughters of Darkness' (1971), directed by Belgian cult director Harry Kümel. The score was originally recorded by François de Roubaix, a self-taught musician and jazz enthusiast, and he composed almost a hundred soundtracks, mostly for French films. In 1976, he won a César for best soundtrack with his work on 'Le Vieux Fusil' - awarded posthumously as de Roubaix had passed away just the year before. De Roubaix has always been a great source of inspiration for Condor Gruppe, so they were only too happy to sink their teeth into his scintillating score.
Thomas Newman became the ninth composer in the James Bond series history. His score for Skyfall won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music. In 2013, it became one of two Bond scores to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score. The other to be nominated was the score from The Spy Who Loved Me. Skyfall does not contain the title song performed by Adele.
Skyfall (2012) is the twenty-third spy film in the James Bond film series. It features Daniel Craig in his third performance as James Bond, and Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the film's villain. The movie was directed by Sam Mendes. The story centres on Bond investigating an attack on MI6. The attack is part of a plot by former MI6 agent Raoul Silva to humiliate, discredit and kill M as revenge against her for betraying him. The film sees the return of two recurring characters to the series after an absence of two films: Q, played by Ben Whishaw, and Moneypenny, played by Naomie Harris. Skyfall is the last film of the series for Judi Dench, who played M, a role that she had played in the previous six films.
The limited edition of Skyfall of 1.500 individually numbered copies is pressed on coloured (transparent & black mixed) vinyl. The package includes a big poster, a 4-page insert and 2 printed innersleeves. Both innersleeves have one hole in the middle to show James Bond on the labels. Don't forget to check the secret service inscriptions on the run out grooves.
Repressed! Illmatic, the 1994 studio debut of Nasir "Nas" Jones, was more than just a critical success for the Queensbridge-based rapper. At a time when East Coast hip-hop was increasingly being taken less seriously than their West Coast counterparts, Illmatic's raw jazz and soul-based production, dire atmosphere and lyrics, coupled with Nas' uncompromising flow was integral in restoring interest in the East Coast as a hotbed of hip-hop artistry. Along with key releases from Wu-Tang Clan and Notorious B.I.G.,it shifted attention away from the funky, dayglo synth-based G-funk coming out of California and back to the grimy streets of New York. After such an unprecedented debut record, expectations were understandably high for Nas' follow-up. What came next threw critics and fans for a loop, but was no less influential than Illmatic, and would become the most commercially successful album in the entirety of Nas' discography. The 1996 sophomore follow-up was titled It Was Written, and in contrast to the urban bleakness of his debut, had Nas dipping his toes into the world of mafioso rap. Amidst production from heavy hitters like Trackmasters, Dr. Dre, L.E.S., Havoc of Mobb Deep, and Illmatic-collaborator DJ Premier, among others, Nas weaves evocative narratives of gang warfare, downtrodden neighborhoods, drug deals gone awry, and gangsta triumph, against a backdrop of samples from Sam Cooke, Etta James, the Isley Brothers, and even Chuck Mangione. It Was Written was not hard up for top-tier guests either, featuring major guest turns from Lauryn Hill and Joel "JoJo" Hailey of K-Ci & JoJo. It also introduced the world to The Firm, the brief Nas-led supergroup featuring rappers AZ, Foxy Brown, and Cormega. It even managed to cause some minor controversy in the hip-hop community for its collaboration with West Coast producer Dr. Dre, at a time when the East Coast/West Coast rap feud was reaching a fever pitch, briefly attracting the ire of one Tupac Shakur. Not only was It Was Written received warmly by critics, but became a major commercial success, reaching the top of the Billboard 200 charts, reaching platinum sales status four times, and alongside albums like Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, helped usher in the era of mafioso rap in the mainstream. It rendered chart hits out of singles like the Eurhythmics-mimicking "Street Dreams", and the Grammy-nominated "If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)", and proved to be a major influence on artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lupe Fiasco, and many more.
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"A new force, LEAGUE OF DISTORTION, unite to defeat the shadows cast upon the music scene with their fresh sound and style! Back in 2017, Anna Brunner celebrated remarkable international success with her symphonic metal band Exit Eden, and now, teams up with notorious guitarist Jim Müller - known from his famous heavy metal band Kissin’ Dynamite. Together, they’ve formed one of the hottest modern metal upstart bands of the year, combining their signature sounds to create a powerful soundscape. Now, having recently signed with Napalm Records, they are ready to fight the darkness yet again with their 2022 full-length, self-titled debut album, League of Distortion. Lifting the dark veil of stagnation caused by the pandemic, LEAGUE OF DISTORTION introduce a new sound that resonates with the uncertainty of this period. “Wolf or Lamb” - the addictive first stand-alone single that introduced the band as a force to be reckoned with - ushered in a completely new era by serving modern, melodic rhythms and technical prowess, igniting the fire of the full album, League Of Distortion. “Rebel By Choice” and “The Bitter End” show the band’s burning passion and dedication to the genre, while “My Revenge” convinces with a catchy hook and bashing guitar riffs. The elemental force of Anna “Ace” Brunner’s distorted, powerful voice merged with chunky riffs played by Jim “Arro” Müller, steady and strong beats delivered by Tino “Aeon” Calmbach and edgy bass by Felix “Ax” Rehmann unifies them, forming a strong blast of an album that cannot be missed! LEAGUE OF DISTORTION showcase the individual musical expertise of its members without ever becoming stagnant or pretentious - unabashedly distorting the order and launching a new age of metal. Songs like “I’m A Bitch” and “It Hurts So Good” abandon all rules, while catchy hooks like in “L.O.D.” mark anthems to claim their new reign. With songs like “Solitary Confinement” and “Sin”, the band shows their lyrical depth by turning their sadness into a powerful war cry, providing expressive pieces and hymns for the lost. LEAGUE OF DISTORTION convince with classic pieces featuring strong instrumentals, on-the-nose lyrics and energetic vocals, proving their penchant to stand out from the pack. They’ve transformed their frustration into a musical statement beyond compare. With “Do You Really Think I Fucking Care”, the band lands the final punch of the album to make the message clear: LEAGUE OF DISTORTION are here to set the scene ablaze! "
Headcat is an American rockabilly supergroup formed by vocalist/bassist Lemmy (of Motörhead), drummer Slim Jim Phantom (of The Stray Cats) and guitarist Danny B. Harvey (of Lonesome Spurs and The Rockats).
The band was formed after recording the Elvis Presley tribute album by Swing Cats A Special Tribute to Elvis in July 1999 to which the future bandmates all contributed. After recordings were finished they stayed at the studio and Lemmy picked up an acoustic guitar and started playing some of his old favorite songs by Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, and Eddie Cochran. The rest of the guys knew them all and joined in. The name of the band was created by combining the names Motörhead, The Stray Cats, and 13 Cats, which resulted in Headcat. In 2006, the band released their first studio album on June 27, Fool's Paradise. It included cover songs from artists such as Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker, Lloyd Price, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash. On the recordings, Lemmy played acoustic guitar. In later years, Lemmy began to use his signature Rickenbacker bass in live performances.
The band's second studio album, Walk the Walk...Talk the Talk, was released in 2011. This was the first new material by the band in eleven years, following up from the Lemmy, Slim Jim & Danny B album in 1999. It has two original songs ‘American Beat’ and ‘Eagles Fly on Friday’. While the first album was all acoustic, the second studio was all electric with Lemmy playing bass like he did in Motörhead.
Dreamcatcher is a previously unreleased live concert which was recorded at the Dreamcatcher theatre at the Viejas Casino in Alpine CA on 1st Feb 2008. It was produced by the band and mastered by guitarist Danny B Harvey.
BEC returns to Second State with another earth-shattering release containing four raw & atmospheric cuts.
The Berlin by way of Brighton producer BEC has been a member of the Second State family since her first release with the label in 2016. Since then, BEC has dropped 4 EP’s with the Berlin imprint, and regularly appears at the likes of Awakenings, Amnesia, Warehouse Project, Fabrik, Watergate & Burning Man to name a few.
Title track ‘Solitude’ opens with a sharp, rounded kick and crafty drumwork. Metallic swipes and rave stabs are injected to build tension, along with a choppy vocal and bubbling element. Punchy arrangements and rave stabs bring this track to rave territory at moments, before hauling back into the deepness of the cut. Next up is ‘Process Don’t Resist’, easing us in with a crackling bass and a solitary hi-hat, soon joined by buoyant claps and a muffled kick that submerges listeners into a different dimension. Darker, swiping elements are introduced with metallic textures, with the claps becoming more erratic as the track unfolds. An indiscernible vocal gives way to a jarring breakdown halfway through, sending shockwaves through the listener before submerging back into the hysteria.
‘Coming’ follows and initially appears as a break from the heaviness of the previous productions, before transforming into a high-octane stomper. A booming kick, bleeps and spiking vocal build the intensity as the track drives forward and hoover noise wavers menacingly. The vocal and kick bounce in unison towards the close, with a final cry towards the end. The finale is dark, mysterious and entrancing with ‘Fear Parade’. An authoritative female voice utters ‘not afraid’ under a myriad of shakers, howls and vicious synth swipes. The sample gradually takes over with the track building to crescendo, allowing shakers to come to the forefront along with eerie howls and a new, more robotic vocal that utters the initial phrase repeatedly until close in an effort to encourage listeners.
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Limited Edition Double LP Box Set with 108 page Hardcover Libretto Book and CD (500 copies).
Alphabet of Wrongdoing was set in motion a few years ago when Daniela was invited by Toronto songwriter Jennifer Castle to sing “‘a couple of acapella prayers to clear the space” ahead of her LA show. It was the first time Daniela had sung Jewish ceremonial prayers outside of a ritual context. Audience members were enthralled and stayed for hours after the show to ask questions about what they had heard and experienced. The title of the project comes from the prayer Ashamnu, or Alphabet of Wrongdoing. In a ritual context, a congregation would stand and recite, in alphabetical order, beating their chests with each admittance, all of the ways they may have missed the mark in the past year. This communal act of forgiveness is a form of spiritual accounting. “This music is for challenging junctures,” says Daniela, “when we have more questions than answers. I consult tradition when I am at such an impasse; It provides an antidote to the constant content update or disappointment of the news cycle. To make an album of reimagined Jewish liturgy is my way of saying we can re-work, but we cannot obliterate; matter just does not behave that way. We know what we have destroyed, but we don’t yet know what we will create. This is me hitting pause before we re-build -- consulting tradition, listening to my tradition, in case it carries any hints.” The accompanying video was directed and filmed by Johnny Spence and features dancers Erin Poole and Devon Snell. The video depicts two figures dressed in warm pinks and reds traverse a stark, barren snowscape. They are followed and encircled by iridescent color trails that appear at times to be celebratory shadows, at times prayer shawls, at times pestering consciences. A dual Canadian-American citizen, Daniela Gesundheit is a vocalist, composer, and cantor. As a member of Snowblink, Daniela writes non-denominational devotional pop music. She is also a member of the band Hydra, a collaboration between Feist and LaForce. She was a featured vocalist alongside Brian Eno on Owen Pallet’s In Conflict and on astronaut Chris Hadfield’s Songs From a Tin Can- the first record ever to be recorded in space. She sings traditional Jewish liturgy for Shir Libeynu, the first queer-inclusive synagogue in Toronto and officiates lifecycle rituals throughout the US and Canada.
Track list: 1. Thirteen Qualities - Adonai Adonai 2. Our Father Our King - Avinu Malkeinu 3. In the New Year - B'Rosh Hashanah 4. My Cup Overflows - Cosi Revaya 5. All Our Vows - Kol Nidre 6. Alphabet of Wrongdoing – Ashamnu 7. Self-Seclusion – Hitbodedut 8. The Great Confession - Al Cheyt 9. All Our Departed - El Malei Rachamim 10. Psalm of David - Mizmor L'David 11. She is a Tree of Life - Etz Hayim Hi 12. Who is Like You - Mi Chamocha 13. Opposite the Seraphim 14. Priestly Blessing II - Birkat Kohanim 15. Blessing for New Experiences – Shehechiyanu 16. Filled With Motherlove the Thousands Within – Shema 17. Priestly Blessing - Birkat Kohanot 18. The Just Will Blossom Like the Date Palm - Psalm 92 - Tzadik Ka'Tamar
Recorded in the summer of 2020 whilst the world was in flux, the album is drenched with a feeling of freedom as Garwood and drummer Paul May sheltered from the world outside. It was, Garwood explains, “a heat soaked fever dream of our soul nectar in sonic form”. Recalling the past, gathering the elements from the present, the two artists – whose knowledge of one another’s playing is apparent throughout – work together with exquisite tones and percussive detail in this intimate recording. Garwood expands, “In the deep summer heat wave of ‘20, when everything was closed and people were hiding, I hit the road West to join my brother in music in his place, bungalow magic. We knew we had to play - for our souls, for the soul of humanity, to bring down the machine and tyranny, to invite the angels in, to save ourselves from insanity. Play we did, the guitars detuned until bee’s wings would make the strings sing. We began with the drum, and the things that shake and rattle, the drones of the heat, we sweated and we worked it until the night calmed us.This is not a lock down album, for we were free in our spirits when this was created, free from any desires to conquer and fill our pockets with the booty of success.”
Finnegan's Hell has spawned a new subgenre within Celtic punk and folk rock by adding influences from hard rock, hillbilly country and Swedish folk. What the press has labeled "The New Wave Of Swedish Celtic Punk", takes no prisoners. With the focus on great melodies and sing-alongs, "One Finger Salute" is an album which will stand the test of time.
PRESS QUOTES ABOUT THE BAND:
"This is so good that I'd say it is superior to the latest offerings by the flagship bands of the sub-genre (looking at you Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys)" - The Mighty Decibel
"These Swedes have a solid grasp of the Celtic punk idiom and are able to use stomping folk melodies and traditional instrumentation to reveal, and revel in, the gnarlier side of life." - Vive Le Rock
"They may not be as well-known as the Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, Blood Or Whiskey, or The Mahones, but they are gaining quite a reputation on the European scene. Listening to the band's last album, "Work Is The Curse Of The Drinking Class", it's easy to see why."
- IPA Music
"They're hard to describe, but just imagine a blend of Metallica and The Kilfenora Ceilí Band and you'd be about right." - The Irish Times
Tom Jenkins hails from the high country of the South Wales Valleys, surrounded by the ex-coal mining communities and rugged landscape where he works on a sheep farm. Having previously been signed to Xtra Mile with his rock band Straight Lines (released two albums and toured with Motörhead, The Presidents of the USA and many more) he’s back with his second solo album. Written and recorded during lock down Jenkins worked alongside life-long friend and producer Todd Campbell between an old barn on the farm and Todd’s studio in the local area. The album features guest appearances from Phil Campbell (Motorhead), Marc Ford (The Black Crowes) and Paul Mullen (YOURCODENAMEIS:MILO, The Automatic) , Elijah Ford ( Gary Clark Jnr) and a few others that he has shared the road with over the years. Various singles from the album to be released throughout the year.
Originally released in 2005, 'Insen' is the second collaboration album between Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto and the second installment of V.I.R.U.S.'s five albums series.
Remastered in 2021 in collaboration with Calyx Studio, the album's recordings are accompanied by an unreleased composition titled 'Barco.' Initially composed for Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto's 2005 'Insen' tour, the audio material used in this piece is based on the subtle sounds of Barco projectors, whose tonalities served as a ground for the artists' live improvisation. ?
In 'Insen', Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto explore the potential for interaction and tension between electronic and acoustic instrumentation. Across eight compositions, the echoes of the cascading piano combine, collide, and dissolve with the tapestry of digital breakages in sheer vibrancy. This relationship lies at the album's core. It subtly continues Vrioon's calm melancholia, becoming a vessel for all the emotions and memories nourished by the listener. As you hear the opening, lonesome notes of 'Aurora,' you realize that the pair have once again conceded an ambition to embed elaborate disciplines into an archetypal sound of soul-searching beauty.
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Last delivered 6 months ago available to reorder, subject to availability
Press play on Beverley Skeete’s ’Warm' and a wave of evocative, vivid images of sultry, sun-kissed summer days will wash over you.
'Warm' is UK street-soul / electronic boogie at its finest. An infectious groove that features an amazing vocal performance invites you to fall in love. Beverley Skeete is an under-the-radar talent and you only need to dip into the sheer number of productions she has been involved with to see the pedigree of her artistry. It includes working with superstars such as Tina Turner, Chaka Khan, Bronski Beat, Elton John, Boy George, and Maxi Priest, to name just a few. She was also the vocalist for the 90s global house hit 'Passion' by Gat Decor. Beverley continues to work in music to this day and, in 2021, released her most recent album, 'Liberty’.
'Warm' was Beverly's third solo single for the fabled UK record label Elite. Released in 1985, it was produced by the stellar underground production team of A Sojka / de Jongh Production. This duo is better known as Andy Sojka (Atmosfear, 3rd Army, et al) and Richard de Jongh. Elite was set up by Sojka in 1979 and was a hotbed for underground UK talent that often became staples of the most discerning US dancefloors too. 'Warm' and the equally remarkable soulful-dancer 'If The Feeling Is Right' are lesser-known jams from the label’s catalogue, but they have rightfully been championed by the diggers and collectors, and what beauties they are!
Official Mr Bongo replica reissue of the original Elite release.
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Last delivered 2 years ago available to reorder, subject to availability
More than 50 million records sold, LP productions in Hungarian, German
and English, tours and festival appearances throughout Europe and
Japan, at least 50 cover versions or adaptations of the world hit
"Gyanngyhaj li ny" - Omega are Hungary's number one rock export
In 2022, the band will be celebrating its 60th stage anniversary, making it one of
the longest-serving rock formations in the world. On St. Nicholas Day, December
06, 2021, singer and founding member J nos K bor passed away due to the
coronavirus. Now the Omega albums from the well- known and successful
Bacillus era will be rereleased originally and completely on vinyl. After a few trips
into symphonic and psychedelic rock realms, Omega presented themselves on €
III € , released at the end of 1974, again more down to earth: Nine crisp hard rock
tracks, only one exceeding the four-minute mark. For this album, Peter Hauke, still
producer, and Omega not only used current material, but also included songs that
had already been recorded on the Hungarian original from 1969: "Stormy Fire" and
"Spanish Guitar". In order to attract a broader audience, the songs had been pared
down, instrumental soloing was reduced. Although Omega had always flirted with
progressive stylistic means since their turn to psychedelic rock in 1969, this time
they kept their hands off intricate arrangements. Instead, they turned towards the
zeitgeist by including rather blunt rock tunes like "Stormy Fire", "Go On The Spree"
and "Fancy Jeep" in the list, which could also please a glam rock fan and
passionate consumer of single hits by bands like The Sweet and Slade.
Leipzig-based musician, engineer, and producer Friedrich Brückner has, despite his youthfulness, been a decisive figure in the Leipzig music scene for literal decades, being involved, in one way or another, in many, if not most notable releases coming out of the city. Having received a classical musical education, Brückner most recently figured as part of the German-American band White Wine, playing the bassoon and bass, but has also, as either musician, producer or sound designer, toured internationally with the likes of Yoko Ono, Get Well Soon, Modeselektor, or Dear Reader.
For a few years now, Brückner has been working on his solo debut, which now comes in the form of his remarkable »Polyism«, out on Altin Village & Mine. On it, Brückner puts his considerable musical chops to use, in the service of a rollercoaster of an album that truly eschews categorization, being, as its title suggests, a work of being multiform. While the sound takes wide ranging cues from jazz, new age, dub, electronics to post punk, Brückner’s compositions never feel accidental in the slightest. Instead they share a distinctive sense of dramaturgy, a pronounced attention to sonic texture, and a sense of purpose both within the individual pieces as well as in the context of the album as a whole. The result is an LP that is astonishingly coherent, considering the multitude of means it employs.
On »Polyism«, Brückner also enlists a veritable all-star cast of guest performances, ranging from his parents Isabell and Bernd Brückner, both professional musicians, on saxophone, clarinet, and flute, Martin Wenk (Calexico) on trumpet, to Hendrik Otremba (Messer) and Brückner’s four-year-old daughter Rosa both on vocals, to name but a few. Each lend their own notes to »Polyism«, a work of what it means to live, that is, to be many. Truly exceptional stuff!