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Shadows Lifted from Invisible Hands is an autobiographical record, comprised of four songs that Hoff refers to as ambient media. Each track is composed from sources drawn from his own involuntary aural landscape, specifically musical earworms and tinnitus frequencies.

Neither sound nor a daydream, the earworm (or stuck song) emblematizes music as a commercial form—immediate, ubiquitous, and persistent. Likewise, tinnitus is inaudible and unscrupulous, manifesting across a spectrum of frequencies at will. The cognitive swirling of these phenomena provides an ambivalent, internal soundtrack that scores a person’s movement through the world.

Those suffering from tinnitus or those who have grown accustomed to the “Tinnitus Effect” in movies will likely recognize the buzzing pitches on the record, but will likely not recognize the songs. Distorted and distilled, Shadows Lifted from Invisible Hands features altered versions of four commercial pop songs: Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” Madonna’s “Into the Groove,” and Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day.”

Having been haunted by these songs on and off for years, Hoff tweaks the tracks, transposing and recomposing them for orchestral instrumentation. Speaking back to these involuntary echoes, these tracks go to great lengths to obfuscate their sources; to be sure not to simply re-introduce each earworm, as though they were samples. Otherwise, what’s the point? No one needs another stream.

Besides, earworms are not music, although we perceive them as such. They are non-cochlear and exist as an affective force that is neither subjective nor objective, which is to say they are an invasive—and alien—phenomenon. Like tinnitus, they are aggravated by economic, social, and environmental forces as well as emotional states, mental health, and aging. Hoff doesn’t underplay his own struggles with mental health in discussing the record—noting a long history of depression and its acuteness over the last few years, which serve as the backdrop to the composition of this record.

Scratch any pop song hard enough and you’ll find sadness underneath it. Subdermal, the songs on this record evoke a type of ephemeral weariness and despair. By recasting the original songs through their shadowy doubles, Hoff provides a window into the dark core of pop music. At the center of which lies capitalism’s desperate attempt to replicate itself through a cheap high built on echoing refrains. Just below the surface the listener finds a hangover of shadows dancing through the mind.

Editions Mego presents The Psychologist, the sophomore album by the Istanbul born and raised, Berlin based electronic music composer and sound artist Hüma Utku.

As the title suggests, The Psychologist, is a series of sonic essays based around themes of psychological phenomena and can be read as a musical enquiry into the human condition. With Utku’s background as a graduate of Psychology and her current practice as a conceptual music composer we see the two main threads in her professional career intertwine on this unique and ambitious release.

Including recordings of Buchla 200 from Utku’s Elektronmusikstudion residency in October 2020,The Psychologist is a genre aversive work that embodies elements of synthesiser music, electroacoustic, experimental techno, industrial, modern composition and spoken word. Piano, string compositions and vocals hold weight throughout a number of pieces providing a dramatic acoustic edge to the psychological explorations contained within.

The foreboding mood of much of this release is the product of investigation that lends the unsettling theme of anticipatory grief to the mood of the tracks Light of All Lights and Continuing Bonds. Islands of Consciousness refers to Jungian metaphor for consciousness whilst the unnerving Rüya twists around dream analysis in Gestalt psychology. Fuel For The Flames proceeds as a buzzing and swirling representation of alchemy and psychological symbolism. Dissolution of I is haunted by a strange sensation of dissociation whilst defense mechanisms support the sublime Sublimation. The bright shapes of Chironian Wound represent archetypes and analytical psychology whilst the fried soundscapes and rhythms of Ataxia encapture neurological states.

The results unravel with both the clockwork rhythms of the human body and the unpredictable nature of the psyche, the pieces follow arrhythmic patterns in a harmonious way. It tells the raw and intimate story of the human experience with a new work whereby the predictable operates in parallel with the unexpected and like human experience itself, is dark and complex.

Composed, Written & Produced by Hüma Utku
Piano by Hüma Utku
Vocals by Hüma Utku
Double Bass performed by Adam Pultz Melbye
Cello performed by Florina Speth (aka Schloss Mirabell)
Violin performed by Marta Forsberg
Cover photography & art by Gözde Güngör
Design by Eloise Leigh

‘No Fixed Point In Space’, the third full-length album by Jack Cooper’s Modern Nature, takes the palette of sound and themes that were honed on 2021’s ‘Island Of Noise’ and launches them into an expansive world of openness and vivid technicolour.

It’s a music that hasn’t been heard before; as melodic as anything Cooper has produced but framed by rhythms and instrumentation that reflect the chaos, unpredictability and colour of the natural world.

Certain moorings - woodwind, percussion, strings and Cooper’s lambent voice - are still present and recognisable from No Fixed Point In Space’s predecessor, ‘Island Of Noise’, but the new record marks a shift to utilising musical notation as a point of departure, from which the group explore the space around suggested notes and rhythms to create a semiimprovised, semi-composed ensemble performance.

These explorations of partly organised chance were recorded live and directly to tape.

This approach gives the music a remarkably fresh feel; songs pulse and evolve. The changes between movements, verse and choruses are almost all ambiguous. During the album’s opener, ‘Tonic’, a verse of hushed brevity washes away into a passage of overwhelmingly vibrant orchestration.

CD in four-panel digisleeve with 10-panel booklet with lyrics. LP pressed on 140g black vinyl with printed inner
sleeve and stamped postcard.

Roughly three years after the release of Balts, Schreel Van De Velde’s debut album on Blickwinkel, the guitar and drums improv-centered duo is happy to present their sophomore album A One And A Two.

The Brussels-based musicians sound more decisive than ever: the loud became louder, the quiet became quieter, the weird became weirder and the nostalgic became more nostalgic. The fruit peeled off one of its own shells, getting closer to its heart.

The album came about as a result of 2 separate studio sessions. For a first one, they restricted themself to solely electric guitar and drums, without overdubs, and with most songs ending up as one-takers. A second one took place some months later in a different recording space, using classical guitar with a matching small, cute drum set-up.

On both sessions, the duo played the same compositions, with some additional improvisations. Afterwards they made a blend of both sessions, mixing both energies: A One And A Two. A new language, organic and well-considered, was found.

Throughout the album, touches of minimalism, American primitivism, free-improv, and 90s indie rock can be found, but always within the limits of Schreel Van De Veldes freshly found voice: one that combines sentiment and cerebrality, overview, playfulness and mystery.

Lucas Schreel is a classically trained guitarist based in Brussels. His first solo album We're Never Afraid of Getting Up Every Morning was released through Sentimental Records in 2019 and was well-received both in written-press (Humo, Enola & Indiestyle) and radio (Duyster, Radio 1 & Klara). Besides his solo work, Schreel is also a member of the lo-fi indierockband Kloothommel.
Acclaimed Brussels percussionist Casper Van De Velde made quite a name for himself through his bands like SCHNTZL, Bombataz, Donder among others. His work received prices at International Jazz Contest d’Avignon and Storm! Contest (Jazzlab). Casper is currently also a member of the recently formed An Pierlé Quartet.

Peter Rehberg is known for his pioneering electronic work with computer software which over time evolved into a modular set up alongside running MEGO and then Editions Mego labels.

Rehberg was a prolific collaborator, with other musicians and with contemporary dance and theatre productions, most notably with French artist and choreographer, Gisèle Vienne with whom he created a series of soundtracks from Showroomdummies, released under the name DACM in 2002 (Showroomdummies MEGO 056), to Crowd in 2017. A collection of Rehberg’s solo works for Vienne was released in 2008 (Work for GV 2004-2008 EMEGO 092). The outfit KTL, with Stephen O’Malley, was initiated by Gisèle Vienne for her work Kindertotenlieder and subsequently made a series of soundtracks for Vienne’s works branching off into a prolific series of live shows. The work Rehberg did for theatre and performance teased out aspects of his practice one may not have encountered in his own solo work as PITA or that of collaborations with other musicians.

Editions Mego is proud to present a previously unreleased theatre soundtrack made for Icelandic choreographer Margrét Sara Guðjónsdóttir, whom Rehberg had a decade long collaboration with until his untimely passing in 2021. The original composition for Liminal States was created by Rehberg for the performance Pervasive Magnetic Stimuli in 2018 and then revisited as a catalyst for the concepts behind Liminal States. This work is based on an ongoing artistic research conducted by the choreographer into altered states of perception through phenomenological embodiment. It is the last in a trilogy dealing with the notion of larger forces that act on us beyond our conscious mind. The trilogy consists of Pervasive Magnetic Stimuli (2018), Boundless Ominous Fields (2024) and now Liminal States (2024).

Rehberg's score for Liminal States is a vast canvas of spectral ambience at once tangible and unfathomable in its constantly shapeshifting lysergic dread. The results are a psychological journey through the mental effects of sound on space and subsequently the mind. The first part presents cascading waves of shimmering electronics laying the groundwork for the second part where the psychological illusion splinters into all manner of sonic effects taking the listener on a deep mental voyage. If references are witnessed the late period long form hallucinatory works of Coil, such as Time Machines and Constant shallowness leads to evil, are amongst a similar mind message delivered here. Unlike any other release in Rehberg’s output Liminal States is a single long form work which, despite the form, retains Rehberg’s idiosyncratic sound vision.

Guðjónsdóttir and Rehberg’s collaboration blurs that relationship into a greater force which truly enables the theme of liminal states to unfold in a brave new fashion. Rich in timbre and sonic invention this is powerful work easily holding its own outside of the intended performance whilst still complimenting the missions statement entirely. This profound collaboration has the cumulative effect where the concept and soundtrack are one and may be one of the strongest works in the entire Rehberg canon.

"Ensomheden Vi Deler" ("The Loneliness We Share") is the result of a dialogue between the collages and the music of øjeRum, initiated by IIKKI, between December 2024 and July 2025.

øjeRum is Copenhagen based musician and collage artist Paw Grabowski.

With his collages, the distinctive feature of øjeRum's works is their ability to combine different historical and artistic periods, such as ancient sculpture, medieval frescoes, classical painting and photography, and to make them interact with one another. øjeRum is also renowned for his work as a musician, where he stands out for his surreal, mysterious and poetic universe. His music and art are closely linked. These two sides of the artist's work are constantly intertwined.

In his øjeRum guise, he plucks and strums his treated acoustic instruments, sounding at times like church bells, at times like angelic harp, at time like drones, and suspends the listener in the magic of his melodies. With a deep back-catalogue of releases since 2014 - spanning labels such as eilean rec., Room40, Line, Opal Tapes and many more - he continues exploring his minimal, textural and deeply personal style of ambient music.

The collage and music project "Ensomheden Vi Deler" ("The Loneliness We Share") is an exploration of loneliness, closeness and distance. A meditation on the fragile architectures and hidden shapes of human connection. This is his second release on IIKKI.

Fine Art Book, Ltd. to 500 copies:
Hand numbered & hand stamped / first edition and only edition (no re-print) / hardcover book (15 cm x 21 cm) on Wibalin Natural Cotton White / 80 pages, 35 collages printed on Freelife Vellum 120g/m2 / Swiss Binding / Coloured edges with neon green pantone / Neon Green pantone on front and back cover (logo, slot and circle) / Sticker on front cover.

Raw deep house pressure from Sascha Dive, four cuts blending soul, groove, and late-night mood, with Roland Clark blessing the mic. Limited green vinyl for those who still move to the real sound.

DJ Feedbacks :


Laurent Garnier : Cool tracks
Josh Wink (Ovum) : Liking 'Im Inspired' the best here.
C-Rock : Those Nights for me, nice NYC dub House touch!
Radio Slave (Rekids) : I've always been such a big fan of Sasha's productions and "There Is No Tomorrow" hits the spot.
Fleur Shore (Undergrowth / Cuttin' Headz) : im inspired, beautiful track
Reboot (Cecille / Cadenza) : schöne tracks ️
Satoshi Tomiie (Abstract Architecture) : Solid release!
Alinka (Twirl, Classic, Crosstown Rebels, Batty Bass) : Nice one
PBR Streetgang : Invocation and Im Inspired are great
D'Julz (Bass Culture) : those night is the one for me here
Damian Lazarus (Crosstown Rebels) : Thanks for sending. Xx
Ben Sims : Now downloading... will check asap!
Archie Hamilton (Microhertz / FUSE) : Nice thanks
Eddie Fowlkes (Detroit Wax, Rekids, Classic Music Company) : thanks
Tim Sweeney (Beats In Space) : Lovely
Doc Martin (Sublevel) : Sascha on a good one,with the voice of house music Roland Clark no less!!!
Terry Farley : THOSE NIGHTS WORKS FOR ME
Chloe Caillet (Smile Records) : love this!
Oliver $ (Classic Music Company / Play It Down) : Sooo gooood!
Ame (Innervisions) : thanks
Danny Tenaglia : Downloading for Danny Tenaglia, thanks!
Robert Owens (Trax / Musical Directions) : Cool tracks
Kai Alce (Real Soon) : Nice deep tracks from Sascha
Mark Farina : dig them.
Lea Lisa (Phonica Records / Folklor Club) : Really good definition of House
Alexkid (Rawax / FUSE / NG Trax) : Phonogramme (and Sascha Dive) on fire at the moment...
Harri (Sub Club) : lovely stuff, will play and support

Marking the return of one of house music’s most revered compilation series, Defected In The House Ibiza 2025 arrives to showcase the label’s sonic identity in full. This definitive 12-track release spans three LPs, shining a spotlight on iconic must-haves, tastemaker originals and Ibiza favourites from Defected Records and its associated imprints.

Reconnecting with the importance of curation, a longstanding cornerstone of the Defected ethos, this expansive collection celebrates the label’s role as a trusted voice in house music. Echoing the spirit of its flagship ITH series, which featured the likes of Gilles Peterson, Louie Vega, and Dimitri From Paris, this special 2025 edition continues its legacy by offering a cohesive snapshot of house music now.

Defected In The House Ibiza 2025 bridges the London label’s impressive catalogue with artists old and new, from new summer club anthems ‘Got The Funk’ by Low Steppa & Capri and Nic Fanciulli’s ‘Hold On’ with Marc E. Bassy, to Tripolism’s transformative reimagining of The Shapeshifter’s ‘Lola’s Theme’ and Dennis Ferrer’s fresh remix of Girls of the Internet’s ‘Affirmations’ featuring Anelisa Lamola.

Capturing the energy and emotional pull of the label’s events; Defected’s brand new residency at Pacha Ibiza in 2025 serves as inspiration for the collection. As such, the three volume collection also contains standout records from definitive artists of today’s Ibiza scene including Keinemusik, The Martinez Brothers, Peggy Gou, Armand Van Helden & A-Track as Duck Sauce, Mau P plus many more.

The Godfather Of Salsa - HAVANNA & NYC RECORDINGS 1946-1962! Grosso! again presents this compilation from "El Ciego Maravilloso", the authentic godfather of salsa. His early Havana & NYC recordings. The tracks have been remastered and restored and some are available on vinyl after many years. Format and selection designed for DJs, collectors and latin lovers. Ignacio de Loyola Rodríguez Scull aka Arsenio Rodríguez (30 August, 1911, Güira de Macurijes, Matanzas, Cuba - 30 December, 1970, Los Angeles, CA, USA) was a Cuban musician, bandleader and prolific composer who developed the son montuno and other Afro-Cuban-based rhythms. Today he is seen as one of the most important figures in Latin music, with his influence reaching beyond the Spanish speaking world to also include African popular music of the 20th Century, though when he died he was not widely known by the public for his contributions and influence. He is also recognized (along with Israel 'Cachao' López and Dámaso Pérez Prado) as one of the creators of mambo, what Rodríguez himself often referred to as "ritmo diablo". Some of his best-known, and most-often covered recordings from the 1950s and early 1960s are included here, among them "Dame un cachito pa' huele'," "Dundunbanza," "El reloj de pastora," "Cambia El Paso," and "Hay Fuego En El 23."

Collecting orders for 2025 Repress

Dexter is back with some sharp electro tracks like nobody else does them... big tunes! Make sure you get your pre-orders sorted!

London based experimental producer and composer "Leifur James" announces his return with news of a six date EU tour and the release ‘Wise Old Man’. The first single taken from his highly anticipated second album ‘Angel in Disguise’, which is due for release on the
24th April 2020 via "Night Time Stories" - Sister label to the coveted ‘LateNightTales’.

Driving, melancholic electronica, ‘Wise Old Man’ is a nod to what can be expected of James’ second album, Angel In Disguise, showcasing a more experimental side to his production. Traversing through musicality, progressive synths and introspection, this first single unveils the producer’s distinct sound with disorientated vocals; speaking of the interplay between reason and emotion, the lyrics repeat “Wise old man in my brain, soul bursting through my veins”, opening the gates to this captivating electronically steered opus.

This news comes after an incredible few years for the artist. In 2018 saw James release his esteemed debut album A Louder Silence on Night Time Stories and follow up remix EP that championed upcoming electronic talent including Bruce, FaltyDL and Whities producer, Coby Sey, on rework duties; projects which captured the attention of key tastemakers including Resident Advisor, Pitchfork, Mixmag, Electronic Sound and Future Music UK.

An aesthetically driven artist dedicated to marrying powerful visual backdrops with sonic explorations, James teamed up with Hungarian director, Balázs Simon; producing the critically acclaimed, ‘Wurlitzer’ project which saw widespread support from the likes of Boiler Room, CLASH, Directors’ Notes, Motionographer, the UK and Berlin Music Video Awards, the London Short Film Festival, Dublin International Film Festival and more.

Angel In Disguise promises to explore the themes of love and loss through a masterful blend of harmonic vocals from James himself, nuanced electronic soundscapes and vibrant percussion -
punctuated by bespoke visuals, directed by Balázs Simon.

This exciting project is expected to make waves and see James
step up, exhibiting his discerning ear and painstakingly honed production craft on aseminal label.

"I want nothing more than to be a loner," Emily Kempf sings early on Flower of Devotion, the new album by Chicago trio Dehd. It's a startling admission coming from a songwriter who, just a year ago on Dehd's critically acclaimed Water, wrote eloquently about the joys and pains _ more than anything, the necessity _ of love, compassion, and companionship. But then, "admission" isn't really the right word here, given the stridency of Kempf's tone. "Loner" is a declaration. The record ups the ante on Dehd's sound & filters in just enough polish to bring out the shining and melancholy undertones in Jason Balla and Emily Kempf's songwriting, even as it captures them at their most strident. Balla's guitar lines at times flirt with ticklish cosmic country, while at others they reflect the dark marble sounds of Broadcast. Kempf, meanwhile, establishes herself as a singer of incredible expressive range, pinching into a high lonesome wail, letting loose a chirping "ooh!," pushing her voice below its breaking point and letting it swing down there. When she and Balla bounce descending counter-melodies off one another over McGrady's one-two thumps, or skitter off over a programmed drum pad, they sound like The B-52s shaking off heartache. What makes Flower of Devotion so impressive is how its creation seems to have strengthened its creators, both as individuals and as a unit, even as they've stared down their own limitations. It's also striking just how much fun they seem to be having in the process. "It's okay to be lighthearted in the face of despair," Kempf says. It's a theme that runs through the album, from the opening back-and-forth build of "Desire" to the click-clacking chorus of "Haha," which finds them deflating their own history. Flower of Devotion was recorded in April and August of 2019 in Chicago. It will be released on Fire Talk Records on July 17th 2020.

Montreal indie rock trio Plants and Animals announce "The Jungle", their fifth studio album set to be released October 23rd via Secret City Records. Their shortest album yet and certainly their boldest, "The Jungle" is eight acts in a world full of noise. The album is auto-produced and was recorded at Mixart, their studio in Montreal. The band explains : "We started working on this a couple of years ago. Warren was afraid for a friend's health. He thought he was self-medicating too much and not taking care of himself. He couldn't let go of this image of an overworked dude swallowing too many sleeping pills and falling asleep with the stove on. So it began as the place next door, sometime before Greta Thunberg turned the expression into a rallying cry, where Earth is the house and the people are sleeping. It's terrifying, and on the whole we're not unlike this friend, are we?" "The Jungle" starts with electronic drums that sound like insects at night. A whole universe comes alive in the dark. It's beautiful, complex and unsettling. Systematic and chaotic. All instinct, no plan. Voices taunt,"yeah yeah yeah." This tangled time in which we find ourselves is reflected back in shadows. Every song is such a landscape. The first one grinds to a halt and you become a kid looking out a car window at the moon, wondering how it's still on your tail as you speed past a steady blur of trees. You watch a house go up in a yellow strobe that echoes the disco weirdness of Giorgio Moroder, Donna Summer and David Bowie. You get pummelled by a rhythm then set free by a sudden change of scenery_the wind stops, clarity returns. You're under a streetlight in Queens, soft-focus, slow motion, falling in love. You speak French now too, in case you didn't already. Bienvenue. These are personal experiences made in a volatile world, and they reflect that world right back at us, even by accident. There's one song Nic sings to his teenage son who was dealing with climate change anxiety and drifting into uncharted independence. The band carries it out slowly together into a sweet blue horizon. Warren wrote the words to another shortly after losing his father. It's about the things we inherit not necessarily being the things we want. In a broader sense, that's where a lot of people find themselves right now.

With their highly anticipated fourth album, The Third Sleep, Norwegian progressive rock band Oak delivers a striking exploration of societal complacency and the struggle of the individual. The album contrasts light and darkness, both thematically and musically, seamlessly blending folk-inspired acoustic passages with the raw intensity of progressive metal, evoking echoes of Opeth and beyond. Expanding on the lyrical themes of The Quiet Rebellion of Compromise, The Third Sleep ventures deeper into the subconscious, weaving suggestive and poetic storytelling with sharp social commentary. More outward-looking than its introspective predecessor, the album invites the listener to engage, interpret, and reflect. With a rich musical foundation that spans classical piano, electronica, progressive and hard rock, Oak has carved out a distinctive sound-both captivating and challenging in equal measure. Recorded in Ljugekroken (Oslo), the album was mixed by David Castillo (Katatonia, Leprous, Opeth) and mastered by Jacob Holm-Lupo (White Willow, Donner) at Dude Ranch Studio, Sandoya. Prepare to experience The Third Sleep, a thought-provoking journey through sound and emotion.

A meditative, folk-inflected score rooted in improvisation, ‘Dragon’s return’ echoes the soul of A film long buried behind the Iron Curtain



With Dragon’s Return, Australian composer and multi-instrumentalist Oren Ambarchi and Norwegian guitarist Fredrik Rasten present a new, meditative score to Eduard Grecner’s eponymous 1967 Slovak cult film — a stark, black-and-white parable.



The album captures a unique live performance recorded at the Videodroom Festival during Film Fest Ghent in October 2024, where this new score premiered alongside the film in collaboration with the Slovak Film Institute. What began as a fleeting, improvisational encounter between music and image has since taken on a life of its own — an evocative sound world that retains its power even in the absence of visuals.



The album will be available on vinyl and all digital platforms from September 12 via VIERNULVIER Records. The vinyl edition includes an obi strip, a booklet with film stills, and extensive liner notes on the film.



The label is known for shedding new light on forgotten films through reimagined soundtracks — claire rousay’s acclaimed The Bloody Lady being the most recent example.


“Folklore meets avant-garde in an ancient drama - a ballad about love, hate and finding a way out of loneliness” - Rastislav Steranka (Slovak Film Institute)



Ambarchi and Rasten do not accompany the images so much as speak through them. Their interplay — on guitars, flutes, percussion, and voice — unfolds slowly, without a fixed destination, culminating in subtle, entrancing drones. With few breaks or ruptures, this trippy, folk-inflected continuous composition invites surrender.



Rasten’s 12-string guitar and delicate use of voice create layered textures that shimmer and shift. Ambarchi, known for his electro-acoustic work, here explores a radically softer mode — strumming, bowing and coaxing tones from his instrument as though it were a string section unto itself. He blows into shells, adding breath and texture to the sonic palette, touching on something elemental.


Together, they evoke a sound world that feels both ritualistic and strangely familiar — as if echoing from a forgotten ceremony or dreamed into being after hearing an old folk tale. Rooted in improvisation, the music speaks in tones both intimate and expansive, shaped live in dialogue with the film and with each other, with only minimal overdubs added afterward.

Das Cover von ,Liquorice", dem dritten Album der australischen Indie-Pop-Künstlerin Hatchie, zeigt ein Nahporträt von Harriette Pilbeam, die lächelt, wobei ihr verschmierter roter Lippenstift auf die glorreiche Folge eines Kusses hindeutet. Das Bild wurde während eines spontanen Fotoshootings im Hinterhof mit einer einfachen Digitalkamera aufgenommen und fängt eine Erinnerung ein, die etwas unvollkommen ist und von Sehnsucht, Begierde und Bedauern geprägt ist Das Bild wurde während eines spontanen Fotoshootings im Hinterhof mit einer kleinen Digitalkamera aufgenommen und verkörpert ein Album, das rau und voller Freude ist und sich mit Themen wie Sehnsucht, Begierde und Reue befasst. Pilbeam begann ernsthaft mit dem Schreiben von ,Liquorice", während sie von 2022 bis 2023 in Brisbane lebte, und später in einem gemeinsamen Haus mit Agius in Melbourne, wo sie die Demos schließlich Mitte 2024 fertigstellte. Als Musikerin, die ihre Einflüsse bisher offen zur Schau gestellt hat, bemühte sich Pilbeam, von Grund auf neu zu schreiben, ohne bestimmte musikalische Einflüsse im Hinterkopf zu haben. Pilbeam begann ernsthaft mit dem Schreiben von ,Liquorice", während sie von 2022 bis 2023 in Brisbane lebte, und später in einem gemeinsamen Haus mit Agius in Melbourne, wo sie die Demos schließlich , und stellte die Demos schließlich Mitte 2024 fertig. Als Musikerin, die ihre Einflüsse bisher offen zur Schau gestellt hatte, bemühte sich Pilbeam, ganz von vorne anzufangen, ohne bestimmte musikalische Einflüsse im Hinterkopf zu haben, und ließ den Songs wochenlang Zeit zum Atmen, anstatt Ideen zu überstürzen. Sie fühlte sich von der melodischen Einfachheit ihrer frühen Songs angezogen und akzeptierte ihre musikalischen Unsicherheiten: ,Ich wollte meine Grenzen als Stärken betrachten, die meinen Stil prägen." Nachdem sie mit den Produzenten Jorge Elbrecht (Caroline Polachek, Japanese Breakfast, Sky Ferreira) und Dan Nigro (Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan) an ,Giving the World Away" gearbeitet hatte, wollte Pilbeam ,Liquorice" mit einem einzigen Kollaborateur fertigstellen, idealerweise einem nicht-männlichen Produzenten, der auch sein eigenes Musikprojekt vorantreibt. Im September 2024 kehrten Pilbeam und Agius nach Los Angeles zurück, um mit Melina Duterte zusammenzuarbeiten, die unter dem Namen Jay Som Indie-Rock aufnimmt und an einer Reihe von Projekten mitgewirkt hat, darunter das mit einem Grammy ausgezeichnete Album ,The Record" von boygenius. ,Mein letztes Album ist sehr düster und introspektiv geworden, und das ist zwar ein Teil von mir, aber es gab noch eine ganz andere Seite, die ich nicht zum Ausdruck gebracht habe", sagt Pilbeam. ,Ich bin eine hoffnungslose Romantikerin und eine sehr alberne Person, manchmal sogar bis zum Äußersten." Die heute 32-jährige, verheiratete Pilbeam stellte fest, dass ,ewige Gefühle" der Sehnsucht und des Herzschmerzes schnell zurückkehrten, als sie über ihre Erfahrungen als jüngere Frau nachdachte. Gleichzeitig ließ sie ihre Vorliebe für tragische Liebesfilme einfließen, in denen die Figuren nicht unbedingt ein gemeinsames Happy End finden. Liquorice beschäftigt sich mit der Endlichkeit des Ewigen. Diese Songs fangen die überwältigenden, berauschenden und transformierenden Nebenwirkungen der Verliebtheit ein, auch wenn die gesamte Liebesgeschichte nur eine einzige magische Nacht dauert. Wie die reichhaltigen Aromen der gewundenen, titelgebenden Süßigkeit - süß, salzig und bitter in einem Bissen - bestätigt Liquorice, wie Sehnsucht und Besessenheit in der Selbstfindung einer jungen Frau miteinander verflochten sind.

Mit Secret Love legt die Londoner Band Dry Cleaning ihr bislang reifstes Werk vor. Das dritte Studioalbum, produziert von Cate Le Bon, ist eine konzentrierte Momentaufnahme der besonderen Chemie zwischen Florence Shaw, Tom Dowse, Nick Buxton und Lewis Maynard. Aus intensiven Sessions in Peckham, Chicago, Dublin und schließlich im Black Box Studio in Frankreich entstand ein Werk, das Vertrauen und Verletzlichkeit ins Zentrum stellt - die Bande zwischen den vier Musiker*innen ebenso wie das fragile Verhältnis zwischen Nähe und Manipulation in der Gesellschaft. Musikalisch schlägt Secret Love eine Brücke zwischen den paranoiden Untertönen des frühen US-Punks, dem coolen Strut der Stones, Stoner-Rock, No-Wave-Experimenten und zarten, fast pastoralen Gitarrenfiguren. Die Stücke atmen gleichermaßen Schärfe und Verspieltheit, immer getragen von Shaws unverwechselbarem Sprechgesang, der präzise auf die dynamischen Soundlandschaften ihrer Band reagiert. Damit knüpft sie an eine Tradition von Spoken-Word-Künstlerinnen wie Laurie Anderson an, erweitert sie aber um eine ganz eigene Mischung aus Absurdität, Empfindsamkeit und lakonischem Humor. Die erste Single "Hit My Head All Day" zeigt exemplarisch, wie Secret Love gesellschaftliche Themen - etwa Desinformation und Einflussnahme - mit persönlicher Unsicherheit und existenzieller Fragilität verknüpft. Doch trotz aller Schwere bleibt das Album von einer spielerischen Offenheit geprägt: Ideen wurden ausprobiert, verworfen, neu zusammengesetzt - bis ein Sound entstand, der gleichzeitig roh, elegant und unerwartet warm klingt. Secret Love ist ein Album über das Vertrauen - in Freundschaften, in Musik, in sich selbst - und über die Risiken, die damit verbunden sind. Es markiert für Dry Cleaning den Schritt zu einer Band, die ihre avantgardistische Energie zu einem unverwechselbaren Ausdruck verdichtet hat.

Mit Secret Love legt die Londoner Band Dry Cleaning ihr bislang reifstes Werk vor. Das dritte Studioalbum, produziert von Cate Le Bon, ist eine konzentrierte Momentaufnahme der besonderen Chemie zwischen Florence Shaw, Tom Dowse, Nick Buxton und Lewis Maynard. Aus intensiven Sessions in Peckham, Chicago, Dublin und schließlich im Black Box Studio in Frankreich entstand ein Werk, das Vertrauen und Verletzlichkeit ins Zentrum stellt - die Bande zwischen den vier Musiker*innen ebenso wie das fragile Verhältnis zwischen Nähe und Manipulation in der Gesellschaft. Musikalisch schlägt Secret Love eine Brücke zwischen den paranoiden Untertönen des frühen US-Punks, dem coolen Strut der Stones, Stoner-Rock, No-Wave-Experimenten und zarten, fast pastoralen Gitarrenfiguren. Die Stücke atmen gleichermaßen Schärfe und Verspieltheit, immer getragen von Shaws unverwechselbarem Sprechgesang, der präzise auf die dynamischen Soundlandschaften ihrer Band reagiert. Damit knüpft sie an eine Tradition von Spoken-Word-Künstlerinnen wie Laurie Anderson an, erweitert sie aber um eine ganz eigene Mischung aus Absurdität, Empfindsamkeit und lakonischem Humor. Die erste Single "Hit My Head All Day" zeigt exemplarisch, wie Secret Love gesellschaftliche Themen - etwa Desinformation und Einflussnahme - mit persönlicher Unsicherheit und existenzieller Fragilität verknüpft. Doch trotz aller Schwere bleibt das Album von einer spielerischen Offenheit geprägt: Ideen wurden ausprobiert, verworfen, neu zusammengesetzt - bis ein Sound entstand, der gleichzeitig roh, elegant und unerwartet warm klingt. Secret Love ist ein Album über das Vertrauen - in Freundschaften, in Musik, in sich selbst - und über die Risiken, die damit verbunden sind. Es markiert für Dry Cleaning den Schritt zu einer Band, die ihre avantgardistische Energie zu einem unverwechselbaren Ausdruck verdichtet hat.

Trouble’s absolute classic: the legendary album from 1990 and the pinnacle of Trouble’s impressive career. Heavy Metal was never better than this! Includes a live bonus CD recorded in Dallas, Taxas (USA)! Trouble’s debut album did great things for Metal and remains one of the darkest, thrashiest Doom albums to date. A lot of things can change in six years, especially when you’re talking Metal and the dates are 1984 and 1990. The decade may have changed them, but not in a way that suggests decay or a decline in the quality of their resolve or their skill as musicians and performers. On the contrary, Trouble’s 1990 self-titled release is arguably their most mature, boasting a fleshed out sound with unparalleled songwriting, a great production, and the time-crafted vocals of Eric Wagner which had improved major in the years since their previous efforts. All of this culminates in what is my mind the most “complete” thing Trouble ever created. From the mid-paced chug of a killer opener in “At the End of My Daze” to the last notes of “All Is Forgiven”, I can’t see filler or anything resembling a weak link. The riffs here are some of the best ever written, by Trouble or anyone else; every song has a manically awesome main riff that demands a display of headbanging. Riffs are undoubtedly the point of focus here; they make the songs, and they’re a timeless variety of great. Also, the interplay between guitarists Bruce Franklin and Rick Wartell is some of the best lead work you will ever hear in Metal. Trouble basically reinvented themselves with this release, and while I think it was a fantastic rebirth, those who aren’t so keen on the laid back stoner vibe they chose to adopt may not see it as a rejuvenation, but a step back (they did go from doom and gloom to collectively embracing their inner acid dropping free love hippie, after all). But the Metal remained fully intact! And as I’ve said, I think this is Trouble at their best. This is originality and innovation at its best, it is supreme quality. A leader of bands paves the way and then steps aside to create something that will serve as an example of how to improve upon an established formula: that is, by doing it really damn well.