Suche:them

Born in 1977, in Malang, East Java, Wukir Suryadi began playing music for theatre at the age of 12 with the Idiot The-ater Studio, and later with the Rendra Theater Workshop. In his solo work, and as a member of Senyawa, Error Scream, Bendera Hitam Setengah, Potro Joyo and other groups, Wukir breaks the boundaries of traditional music, death metal and avant-garde performance. On this new release, “Cycle and Prayer,” recorded in 2023, he expands the edges of his unique artistic world further, by digging in to meditative improvisation, art, and community building in his home workshop in the mountains of central Java. These recordings vibrate inwards, toward the microcosmic ecologies of forests and rivers; they distort outwards, resonating with global waves of apocalyptic change that are forcing all living beings to the edges of existence on earth. The result is a meditative poem that moves, as its titles an-nounce, from phenomena to phenomena, praying that humans find a way out from the depths of the depths to the light that illuminates the soul.
An essential mode of creative work for Wukir is the creation of unique instruments, using these sound sources as “bullets of expression.” In addition to the spear-like tube zither Bambu Wukir, he has created the Solet, Enthong, Garu, Luku, Arrows, and Industrial Mutant instruments, which in addition to being used in live performance, have been exhibited in the Instrument Builders Project and the 2017 Jakarta Biennale. In the past few years, Wukir has begun to collaborate with local guitar makers, carpenters, and suppliers of native endemic wood in the mountain region of Salatiga. Using earthen bricks along with local woods (suren, coconut, mindi, and waru lengis) as building materials, he constructed a new studio and workshop space in Tingkir, where this album was made. The trees, water and air of the local environment have exerted a powerful influence in Wukir’s documentations of instrumental sound. On this recording, he uses the simple Cetta guitar, an instrument designed in Bali and made for Indonesian children and local communities of folk and popular musicians, in order to explore the different sonic characteristics of a more “normal” instrument built from local wood.
The themes of the album -- cycle and prayer -- arise from a foreboding series of meta-events that shook Indonesia and the world over the past years, following one after the other: the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukrainian-Russian war, the Kanjuruhan Stadium tragedy in which football supporters were gassed and killed by police, revelations of govern-ment failures and corruption, the rise of personal vehicles, the increasing disturbance of natural patterns of the rainy season and other ecological cycles. “In these waves of technology and narratives of truth made for certain interests, playing a sound at a certain frequency and repeating can try to bring images and feelings to a certain point of con-sciousness,” Wukir told me. “Sound is a prayer that creates a change, whether gradual or rapid, in the behaviour of living things, to face the demands of the time, as humans struggle to live according to what they believe.” The draw-ings and sketches used for the cover spontaneously emerged alongside the recordings, as an instinctive depiction of “time and sound, nature that is outside of oneself, and nature that is within.”

Hybral’s “Affirmative Action” EP is a masterful take on drone-infused industrial techno—a blend of organically futuristic and fancifully artificial sounds through which Hybral delves into a thrilling sonic exploration of dystopic Giger-esque themes.

Drawing elements from their previous releases and merging them all together in more impactful ways than ever before, here Hybral presents their very own musical manifesto that—through a process of extensive introspection—references only itself, delivering a genre-defining, true original magnum opus.

Featuring remixes of “Undoing Bias” by SUBVERTED residents Fluid—giving the track his signature high speed and high impact flair—and Nnamael—rewriting its tale through a progressively hypnotising structure.

Sol Power Sound is back in a big way with a reissue and remix EP from the legendary Nigerian Ju-Ju king, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey. The double A-side EP features 'Eyi Yato' a tune from 1981 that captures Chief Commander and his band at their absolute funkiest, with a driving drum and bass groove, wah-wah guitar, and signature call-and-response vocals. Remixers include the legendary dub producer Mad Professor, the disco don Eddie C, and the Sol Power All-Stars themselves.

The Sol Power All-Stars keep things organic with chugging drums, heavy analog synth bass and sequences, as well as Daniel Meinecke’s additional keys and solos. The Canadian disco don Eddie C goes a little electro and a little acid with his analog bass-heavy flip.
Like a good dub should, Mad Professor’s version accentuates the drum and bass groove and drenches everything in vintage sounding Mad Professor delay, reverb, and filtered dub-sauce, live and direct from his classic mixing desk. Alongside an extended edit of the original, the Eyi Yato EP is sure to find a permanent spot in DJ record bags around the world.

Repress!

The publication of "Jet Sounds" in October 2000 and its subsequent release on the international market represented the turning point from the initial productions carried forward by Schema and the new course taken by the label reaching sales of 40,000 copies and still counting. It's the year 2000 and the avant-garde of the new jazz pop Italian scene is called "Jet Sounds". The debut album by Nicola Conte features nearly 20 musicians and moreover the visionary, sophisticated appeal of Nicola with a sound that has already become T . He tells a cinematic story as the images become a soundtrack for the music: Scene 1: A young woman is walking on the sea shore. She's alone, only white sand and crystal blue water by her side. It's late in the afternoon and the sun is glancing over her shoulders while a soft bossa nova fills the air. Scene 2: He's drivin' fast, there's little time left and a man to chase. Like busy spiders working a web, the beat of the big band pulses a 5/4 jazz theme. Scene 3: It's night; the park; shadows following, shadows hiding mystery? Undefined eastern/oriental sounds adrift on a pulsing psychedelic beat. What's the next move...?

2023 marks the tenth year of Music From Memory; a decade of groundbreaking archival releases, cross-generational collaborations and long-standing creative partnerships with our ever-expanding community of artists.

To celebrate this milestone, earlier this year we asked our roster of artists to submit a piece of music for an anniversary compilation. As submissions gradually came in, we were blown away by what we received and slowly began to piece them together into what was to become “10”.

Featuring work from artists who were present during the formation of the label, such as Gigi Masin, Joan Bibiloni and Michal Turtle, as well as artists like The Zenmenn, RAMZi and Dea, who have helped the label expand over subsequent years, “10” serves as a natural bookmark of where we are musically, whilst simultaneously reflecting on the label's rich musical past.

In keeping with the Music From Memory ethos, the music of “10” spans both time and space, with submissions ranging from Vito Ricci's 'Da Hamptons' (1985) to Yu Su & J. Wilson's 'Mitti Atar' (2023). It crosses the globe, with a total of 10 countries represented across 17 tracks. The final result is an immersive musical compilation that flows perfectly from start to finish.

Tragically, during the last few weeks of finalising MFM066, label co-owner Jamie Tiller passed away in a sudden accident. “10” was always intended to be a way to reflect on the journey of Music From Memory. The fact that it is now also one of the last releases that the team all worked on together adds a whole other level of reflection and makes it all the more special.

Portland based act Dancing Plague has been a steady presence in the dark/cold electronic music scene for quite a few years now.

Since 2016 Conor Knowles’ solo project has been putting out one constant flow of independent releases on multiple formats such as vinyl LPs, EPs, tapes and CDs, creating one sonic palette rich with Ebm, goth, industrial and synth influences.

On their 5th studio album, Dancing Plague continues to flesh out and perfect their unique brand of crushing darkwave.

Elogium explores themes of loss, regret, rebirth and growth coupled with throbbing basslines, rave synths, and pounding drums. Knowles balances aggressive waves of electronics with enough pop sensibilities and catchy hooks to be inviting to those new to the genre.

His skills can be clearly appreciated on tracks like the first single Fading Forms which explores the somber feeling of the years passing you by. Knowles’ emotive baritone crooning paints a melancholic picture of the slow fading of time as you feel like you’re fading with it. The words fall like snow onto cold fields of pulsing 80s synths and pounding drum machine rhythms that bring forth nostalgic familiarity but feel fresh at the same time.

Fans of classic icons such as Depeche Mode, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails as well as contemporary torchbearers Cold Cave and Kontravoid do not sleep on this.
Plenty of disturbing beauty to be found in the depths of the underground

As mood changers go, this track is up there with the best. Last year whilst DJing with miche at Shapes festival in the snow-capped mountains of Switzerland, a breathtaking yet ominous Alpine sky suddenly became a picture postcard moment. The clouds parted and a double rainbow formed, as miche dropped Studio Rio's bossa nova remake of Bill Withers’ all-time classic 'Lovely Day'. From there, the dancefloor shifted gears and morphed into full-swing feel-good vibes, in a beautiful, spontaneous moment nobody could have planned for.

Mr Bongo now proudly presents a reissue of this brilliant, bossa-channelling Bill Withers reinterpretation from Studio Rio’s 2014 release ‘The Brazil Connection’. Masterminded by the German Grammy award-winning Berman Brothers, the project was born out of their deep love of Brazilian music. “Our goal was to bring the Brazilian joie de vivre to iconic performances by well-known artists. What would these classic songs sound like had they been recorded in the studios of Rio de Janeiro in the first place, with the best Brazilian musicians and arrangers?” the brothers reflect.

Capturing the life force of Brazil, the beating heart that is its music, they set out to find the musicians who would fit best with their concept. Landing in Rio in 2013 a series of coincidences led to them being introduced to their idols Marcos Valle and Roberto Menescal, who both agreed to come on board. The Berman Brothers also wanted to find some of the musicians who recorded with one of Brazil’s most influential composers Tom Jobim. “Fifty years after Jobim made the music that really defines bossa nova, we found that many of his sidemen were still active, including Paulo Braga of Jobim’s famed rhythm section. It was magic; everything just fell into place.”

There's no question that the original of ‘Lovely Day’ is up there as one of the most feel-good, spirit-lifting anthems of all time. Here the brothers, with the help of a whole host of Brazil’s finest musicians, rework Bill’s soul-fuelled groove into a bossa nova slice of sunshine. With the blessing of Bill and Sony, they were given access to the original multitracks so they could incorporate Bill’s vocals perfectly into the new arrangement.

Joy-injected horns and bouncing double bass blend with the smile-inducing samba flavour of Pretinho da Serrinha’s cavaquinho playing. Tying it all together Torcuato Marinao who worked with the likes of Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso, completes the line-up as arranger of the songs.

The perfect end-of-the-night track, mood lifter or soul warmer, remakes don’t get much better than this.

Some albums are game-changers in a genre. Take OutKast's Speakerboxxx / The Love Below or Primal Scream's Screamadelica, they observe, study, and then flip what an album can mean to a genre or moment in time.

From the very first listen of Rubel’s Latin Grammy-nominated third album As Palavras, Vol. 1 & 2, you can feel its transformative force for the MPB genre. Here we see one of Rio’s brightest stars, fusing the contemporary with the classic, soaking up the richness of Brazil’s musical heritage. The result is a marauding 20-track epic, incorporating traditional styles such as forró, MPB, pagode and samba with modern baile funk, rasteirinha and hip-hop.

The album exudes a sense of freedom and creativity, playfully and provocatively juggling the familiar with the forward-thinking. The tracks are divided across two records, navigating feelings of love, heartbreak and discovery, whilst balancing themes of violence, passion, irony and affection. Collaborating with some of the country’s most esteemed artists such as Gabriel do Borel, Liniker, Luedji Luna, Tim Bernardes and Ana Caetano, Rubel takes this fusion of styles, subjects and flavours to the global stage.

The grand, forró-blending, choral opener, ‘Forró Violento (Instrumental)’ sets the tone for the album, with references and links between tradition and modernity everywhere to be seen. From the Ana Frango Elétrico produced, funk flexing, samba-soul brilliance of ‘Não Vou Reclamar de Deus’, to the album’s title cut ‘As Palavras’, in collaboration with Tim Bernardes, that melds MPB influences with electronic elements and hip-hop touches.

Across both sides of the album, Rubel’s story-telling gift is given space to shine. ‘Torto Arado’ featuring Liniker and Luedji Luna, beautifully references the racial injustice, tragedy, hope and ambition found in one the most celebrated Brazilian novels of recent times by Itamar Vieira Júnior. Elsewhere, ‘Na Mão do Palhaço’ manifests a satirical march about a suicidal conservative middle-aged man, who is rescued by the miracle of the carnival.

At times the album is gentle and intimate with tracks like ‘Toda Beleza’ featuring Bala Desejo, or the ode to friendship ‘Lua de Garrafa’, composed with the legendary Milton Nascimento. At others, the grooves hit harder, with sounds from the favelas laced within. ‘Put@ria!’, explores the universe of baile funk, with BK’ and MC Carol trading off on the mic, as ‘Rubelía’ moves between reggaeton, funk, and hip hop. The latter is a tribute to a key influence of the album, Spanish star Rosalía and her parallel mix of current with classic.

Ultimately though the beauty of this album lies in its concept. In the midst of a country divided, ‘As Palavras Vol. 1 & 2’ sets out to bring together genres and generations, grounded in rhythms and words that have helped define Brazil through the ages.

Following on from 2022’s Sweat Your Prayers, Byron Yeates returns to Radiant Records with Time Machine, his second full release. The label head has established a signature production sound in an impressively short amount of time. Motifs teased in his previous output and that frequent his DJ sets are all at play here in a delightfully restrained fashion: Astral atmospherics, slick, pumping rhythms, playful basslines with skitting and flitting vocal chops are condensed into lush, club-ready arrangements that demonstrate Yeates’ deep dancefloor knowledge and razor-sharp production chops.

EP opener Liquid Sky drifts beyond the clouds and into the club for a hot and heavy hard-house hybrid workout: undulating low end, sumptuous stabs and ethereal pads are meshed together into a mature, modern any-time-of-the night club tool for discerning deejays and dancers alike.

The groove keeps giving-giving on Hyper-Hyper with stomping in-your-face drums, marching bass and vintage house themes stripped apart and put back together to form a track that sits comfortably in the sweet spot between contemporary techno and the more classic club moods Yeates’ has built a reputation for.
So too with Time Machine- the track’s swung bass and percs lay the foundation for a potent dance floor-ready number that touches on the classier strands of 90s tech and euro house, warped and reconstructed for 2023 dancefloors through Byron’s sleek and flirtatious sensibilities.

The EP rounds off with a collaboration Trip To Eclipse with fellow Irish trance auteur Spray. The result is a sophisticated exercise in groove control: Spray’s signature rolling bass sits delicately alongside Yeates’ vox chops and celestial synth moods to form a cutting edge, dreamy, trance-not-trance roller that concludes a sophisticated and refined statement of intent from Byron Yeates.

Cotenius X is an exploratory improvisational project of the Ukrainian sound artist Daria Redkina and the Russian experimental vocalist Varya Pavlova aka Lisokot. Improvising together since 2017 they incorporate folk, electronic and musique concrète elements into their spontaneous compositions. “Plastic Bag” is a testament to collaboration - an archival reflection of the time the duo spent experimenting together. Their theatrical performances involve impersonation or adoption of different characters and are informed by social, political, historical, and site-specific narratives. The duo has been compared to The Residents and see themselves carrying the psychedelic absurdity of the US group forward by giving it a feminine twist.

Identity Theft is the solo electronic music of Michael Buchanan, commencing in 2011 with the album Night Workers. He has previously released music on labels such as Oráculo Records, Treue Um Treue, Record Label Records, and Katabatik. Rooted in Düsseldorf-school electro with strong leanings towards the more abstract Krautrock origins of the genre, Omnia Vanitas presents the listener with a narrative arc moving beyond the ‘modern problems’ which previous Identity Theft work was concerned with (e.g. themes of surveillance and paranoia).

Presented in ONE-OFF truly limited edition of 300 copies lacquered pressed on 180 gr. high quality solid BLACK vinyl. All tracks have been specially mastered for vinyl by Daniel Hallhuber at Young and Cold Studios (Germany).

HYPERWIDE LUSTRE is Orchestroll’s debut record, a mini-LP released on Montreal’s GARMO – a highly curious and deeply devolved collection of music produced and performed for a run of live club sets by the duo.

Jester-like, this is music that laughs at you: because it’s funny, because it’s not; because you did too much, because you did too little. Because you’re too loud; too quiet. Wrapped in the exquisite production chops of Richard-Robitaille and Osborne-Lanthier, Hyperwide Lustre is quasi-sarcastic and fully irreverent, a shimmering hybrid of spectral dance music and avant classical; psychedelic, cinematic, fluid, and yet bejeweled with a crushing opulence. Lovelorn synths and haunted, clattering, percussion rolls through these halls. Will you follow them to their source? Or turn away?

Like a slow labyrinthine descent into ever-less-familiar passages, Orchestroll have crafted an album that feels genuinely puzzling and new. A warm welcome into a strange world. Two puppetmasters who lost control of their puppets long ago. The keyboard whispers, but the mouse decides the tale.

The Flenser is pleased to announce the release of Living Is Easy, the latest EP from ecstatic black metal band Agriculture. Ecstatic black metal from Los Angeles. Follows up 2023’s critically acclaimed debut. A new EP plus first vinyl release of their first EP. Appearing prominently at the 2024 edition of Roadburn. US and European tour dates in the works through 2024. Video for title track featuring Flenser goons, Chat Pile. This new EP will be paired with the band’s debut EP, The Circle Chant. For the first time, both EPs will be pressed together on a single 12-inch vinyl record as well as a cassette format Living Is Easy represents a significant new statement from the band. With their debut self-titled, Agriculture embarked on a journey to explore how heavy music can provide insights into the joys of life, both everyday and divine. Their extensive touring with this material led to a profound experience of ecstasy, surpassing expectations as they shared the intensity and joy of these songs with audiences worldwide. This experience was a catalyst for the band, inspiring them to delve even deeper into the realm of “ecstatic black metal” music. They believes that with this release they have pushed this concept to its limit, resulting in a transformative explosion of sound and meaning. The record delves into themes of community connection, holiness, violence, and the cycles of life. The title track is especially notable, featuring a retelling of a story from one of the Buddha’s past lives. In this narrative, the Buddha encounters a starving family of tigers and sacrifices himself to save them, a tale of serenity and selflessness. This story resonates deeply with the band, reflecting the humility and inspiration they find in their collaboration and echoing the generosity and interconnection they strive to explore through their music. Touring holds a special place in the heart of Agriculture. It brings them immense joy to share their music, visit new places, and meet new people in cities around the world. This constant interaction with diverse audiences serves as a continuous source of inspiration for this work. Agriculture is eager and excited to share Living Is Easy as well as give new life to the first vinyl pressing of The Circle Chant

10 Years Anniversary compilation LP. Ten years ago, on 21 April 2014, Russian enclave of the Baltic Kaliningrad-based trio Blind Seagull started off its adventure in the soon to be known as Sovietwave aka Russian post-punk underground. Tean years later they have accomplished to release nine full-length albums on all sorts of limited edition formats such as LPs, CDs, tapes with most of them being sold out for years. It was time to bring many of these tracks back to life, picking up the best among them and reissuing for the global post punk/darkwave niche. Fifteen cuts previously released by labels like Detriti, Sierpien, Pine Hill through which the band led by Denis Zarubin has shaped its own brand of icy coldwave, one pretty classic and extremely fresh and contemporary at once. On top of these we have one more track exclusive to this release which is a eurodance-oriented remix for their minor hit Animals Die in the Scaffolding. Think of a bunch of goth kids screwing around at the local carnival and you'll get the vibe! Decade Of Effort is due on April 21, 2024 on white vinyl LP limited to 300 with fairy-tale artwork by the band enhanced by the magical lettering of young Spanish artist Sara Fornés.

Warehouse Find!

Seems like something's going on across the pond at the moment with seemingly blossoming, or at least rejuvenated scenes in the United States and Canada. Our last handful of releases on Freerange have included artists from Montreal, Tujuana, Pittsburgh and Chicago and we're about to add Los Angeles to the list with this new one from Justin Jay and Ulf Bonde. The young producers have been steadily building steam with a number of fine releases the last couple of years
and we welcome them to Freerange for their debut EP entitled Indecision. The title track sets the mood with a low-slung, super-deep house groove complete
with an intimate vocal and a charming simplicity which contributes to the powerful end result. Elements come into focus then disappear in a fog of reverb whilst playful guitar picks add a live jammed feel to the loping groove giving things a Bob Moses/Francis Harris kind of vibe. Next up is Justin's own Dub version which steers a similar course but focuses on
a more floor-friendly arrangement and minimal vocals.
Flipping over we have Giegling and White regular Edward taking the reigns and working his magic on an incredible, epic remix of Indecision. Those who follow his every move as we do here at Freerange might have some idea of what to expect.
The result is a glorious, almost ten minute long fusion of ambient, dub techno and deep, sub-aquatic house to lose your marbles to. It's fairly pointless trying to describe the delicate twists, turns and subtle details that make up this piece, suffice to say, it's the kind of track that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Closing the digital release we have a bonus track in the form of I See You. Once again, Justin and Ulf have created a heady mix of delicate vocals, dubby atmospherics and a crisp beats which drive the groove along perfectly.

After new versions of the music of Mahler and Beethoven, the most unusual album of the Bruckner Year 2024 is now being released. Jazzrausch composer Leonard Kuhn transports Bruckner's symphonies and original compositions based on them mostly in a crisp, almost pop-oriented song format - with intense jazz grooves and often with gripping force, but also with a lot of sophistication and a big band line-up expanded to include horn, percussion, bassoon and three strings.

The Baby Seals debut album, "Chaos," is a sonic exploration that blends heavy guitars, a pop edge, and a punk rock garage spirit with a heavy attack. The band, comprised of Amy "Amos" Devine on drums and backing vocals, Kate Shore on bass and backing vocals, and Kerry Devine on guitar and lead vocals, delivers a raw and energetic collection that captures the essence of their live performances. Recorded in March 2023 in Thaxted, just outside of Essex, "Chaos" embodies the DIY ethos that has defined The Baby Seals' approach to music. Working with engineer Joe in a secluded outhouse surrounded by fields, the band laid down the tracks live over a day, capturing the unfiltered essence of their sound. Joe's extensive collection of homemade pedals added a unique touch to the recording, while Benny T's mixing expertise brought the album to its final form. The decision to minimise post-production sets "Chaos" apart from previous recordings, reflecting the band's commitment to authenticity and a desire to showcase their growth and maturity. On Chaos Kerry says: “Chaos is the next phase in life for us lasses in the band - babies and mid-life responsibilities. The album definitely is about how we feel and experience the world around us in our 30s and 40s. Someone who heard the album recently said it's like the The Baby Seals have grown up and I liked that because that's what I feel likes happened to me in the last two years… The album definitely has Themes: inclusivity, gender inequality, the mental load, the motherload, power, body positivity, challenging taboos, liberation. The importance of what to take seriously and what not to take seriously. Title track, Chaos is one of the songs on the album which I'd written after a series of events including watching an interview with the late writer Benjamin Zephaniah who said the only way to liberation for all was to tear big governments down and to believe in your community. The cover photo by Jeff Pitcher sums us up and hopefully gives you a feeling of what the album sounds like. Album design was created by Igor Prato Luna, he just seemed to understand what we are about. He referenced loads of wonderful album cover, poster and flyer artwork from the 60s - 90s, and even some fabulous sci-fi artwork from the 1920s and those incredible 1950s sci-fi pulp book covers. Nothing was referenced too heavily, though, and Igor definitely made it his own

Repress of the 2017 album on green & cloudy clear vinyl. Within the songs of Laetitia Tamko there are infinite worlds: emotional spaces that grow wider with time, songs within songs that reveal themselves on each listen. Tamko is a multi-instrumentalist and a producer, recording since 2014 as Vagabon. Her forthcoming debut, Infinite Worlds, builds upon Tamko’s stripped-down demos that have been circulating online and throughout the independent music community for the past two years. Tamko’s songs are embedded with her own story and personal history: growing up in Cameroon, her family’s move to New York and adjusting to culture shock. She grew up around music and loved it, but finishing engineering school was a priority before music could start to feel like a real possibility. To date, Tamko mostly listens to East and West African music nostalgic of her childhood, styles of music that influence her own in subtle ways.

“Suddenly it’s ok to be a square” - Twelve Cubic Feet, a clear case of a band which should have been bigger than The Beatles but, for some malignant reason, became a blurry footnote in the history of underground music. Formed from the ashes of Exhibit A in the Spring of 1981, the band disappeared leaving no trace shortly after 1983. During their brief existence they released a series of stickers, a monthly newsletter, two cassette tapes and their incomparable ‘Straight Out Of The Fridge 10”, which was at the very top of our dream records to release since we started Sealed Records. Twelve Cubic Feet released this perfect 22 minute 7 track album in 1982 on Namedrop Records (home to Doof, Philip Johnson and Cold War and ran by Philip Johnson and 12CF guitarist Paul Platypus). It is a glorious scratchy DIY indie pop gem with a post punk spirit. The sound is naive and fragile yet very addictive. Based around jangly clean guitars, drums that are on the edge of falling apart, haunting keyboards and a female vocalist that has a knack for a golden pop hook. Hard not to fall in love with. It’s beautiful with a ragged charm that deserves to be heard by the masses. Anarcho Indie pop anyone?? The band played a lot of the anarcho punk haunts of the early 80’s - Autonomy Centre in Wapping, Centro Iberico and London Music Collective and were equally heralded by punks (Andy Martin from The Apostles released one of their tapes) and the DIY music crowd. The line up changed after the 10” and they recorded a Joe Foster produced demo and fell in with Alan McGee's Communication Club crowd. Twelve Cubic Feet burned bright for just a handful of years and now it’s time to burn bright again. Hopefully this reissue will help them reverse one of their sticker statements “today we’re nobodies but tomorrow you’ll know who we are”. This reissue comes with the 16 page booklet that came with the original 10". Twelve Cubic Feet feature members who did time in bands such as Khmer Rouge, The Reflections, Solid Space, Doof and What Is Oil? Amongst others. For fans of the Marine Girls, Girls at our Best, Hornsey At War, Swell Maps and Postcard Records

Mammoth Penguins are a 3-piece indie powerhouse, showcasing the songwriting and vocal talents of Emma Kupa (Standard Fare) backed up by the noisiest rhythm section in indie pop. May 2024 sees the release of their fourth album Here on Fika Recordings. After 2019’s big, bold and confident There’s No Fight We Can’t Both Win, and the initial shock of the global pandemic cancelling a trip to SXSW in 2020, the band returned to the studio in the summer of 2021 to start recording. The new record leans into a raw pop-punk power-trio sound more than ever, with a deep growl in layered guitars and bursts of percussion and harmony. The songs and artwork explore themes about finding a place for yourself and familiarity with people and places. Although it turns back towards a classic three-piece sound, the band weren’t restricted by that palette, adding finishing touches of percussion, extra guitars and backing vocals in short bursts in a garden shed, and also bringing in gorgeous strings to sweeten the title track. The sound builds on the band’s first album, Hide and Seek, which was released with the much-loved and sorely missed Fortuna POP! in 2015. The follow-up LP John Doe in 2017 was an ambitious concept album, exploring the feelings of loss and anger at a man who fakes his own death only to return years later, expanding well beyond the 3-piece rock‘n’roll template, with washes of strings, synths and samples. The ‘Penguins have been smashing it at some high-profile support slots in the lead up to this album release, including at Allo Darlin’s joyous reunion at Islington Assembly Hall (Oct 2023) and Muncie Girls last ever London show (Dec 2023). They play the Leicester Indiepop all-dayer and Wales Goes Pop in March, before heading out on tour in support of the new album in May. Those big singalong choruses need your voice shouting back from the crowd with joy and defiance. Mammoth Penguins are Emma Kupa (guitar, vocals), Mark Boxall (bass, vocals) and Tom Barden (drums, vocals). Reminiscent of the pop melodies of The Beths, the indie dissonance of Land of Talk, and the guitar forward slacker rock of Weezer, Mammoth Penguins marry heart-ache indiepop with spiky guitars and Emma’s frank confessional songwriting. “wonderfully awkward indie pop with a literate flair, sounding a lot like a Weezer record or even a more feminine Wedding Present” Clash // “eminently relatable earworms” Brooklyn Vegan // “one of the finest examples of simple and true indie rock around” All Music // “her characterful voice still carrying masses of charm and the messier, grungey approach bringing a strength all of its own, aided by a clutch of cheerful hooks and riffs that contrast nicely with lyrics dealing mostly with heartbreak and misery” Drowned In Sound

Kee Avil's music is both adventurous and intimate, intellectually challenging and emotionally resonant. The Montréal guitarist and producer's 2022 debut LP Crease garnered plaudits from outlets like The Wire, The Quietus, Mojo and Foxy Digitalis, picking up a Canadian Juno Award nomination and Bandcamp Album Of The Day and Albums Of The Year along the way. Its intricate construction, unnerving atmospheres, and knife-edge take on avant-pop prompted comparisons to early PJ Harvey, This Heat, and Gazelle Twin. A remix EP with work by claire rousay, Ami Dang, Cecile Believe, and Pelada brought collaborative perspectives to four Crease tracks, offering new pathways within those songs. With Spine, Kee Avil strips back her heavily textured compositions, opening up a much rawer sound. She calls it folk—and while traditionalists might scoff, this is urgent music that reflects the precarity of modern life, as well as the jarring mixture of electronic and real-world interactions that have become the fabric of our day-to-day experiences. There's a hypnotic post-punk somnambulance to it all, using the repetition and fracturing of melodic phrases interwoven with delicate electronics to create curious and persistent hooks. While not a concept album, themes of time's passage, remembrance, and decay crop up across multiple tracks. Each track intentionally only has four elements—guitar, electronics, and two other instruments, with Kee's voice and guitar pushed to the front. Within this minimalist framework, the juxtaposition of beauty and discomfort that is key to the Kee Avil sound stands out in skin-prickling relief. "We're shaped by many versions of ourselves," says Avil. "I was looking back at these versions of myself and what could have been, what didn't end up being and what did end up being, and going back like that through time. Seeing the future, the past." Spine was written in Kee Avil's home studio after a lapse in writing while touring Crease and working on other projects. She is a well-known and respected member of the Montréal experimental scene, and formerly ran Concrete Sound Studio with Zach Scholes, who continues to work with her as a producer on Spine. Compared to the three years that went into making her debut, Spine emerged in a matter of months—a process that may also be a factor in its intensity and sharpness: "This record was much harder, like it was really discovering everything from scratch." In her desire to not simply replicate or extend the sound of Crease, she felt she had to rip up the rule book, write in a different way, and pare back songs against her usual instincts. Sometimes, when we work against our ingrained habits, we get to the core of who we really are. Spine is an exercise in that process. Without over-intellectualizing or being didactic, it hits immediately and emotionally, especially if you are a person who has spent much time in the process of self-examination. Kee's voice hisses, whispers, and chants; her guitar bends and rings; electronics skitter and crackle; violin creaks like a door in the wind. There is something so evocative about the atmospheres she creates that it's easy to overlay one's own feelings onto her work, but to do that wholly would be to overlook one of the most important things about Spine: Kee Avil's clear and thoughtful vision. This isn't just the next step forward in her artistic trajectory; it's a stunner of a record that stands on its own, a bracing and thrilling listen that has much to reveal about the contradictions inherent in being human. — jj skolnik.

Arguably one of the best punk albums of the 70s, The Boys self-titled debut (produced by Dangerfield & Steel) is a cult UK classic. The album is filled with the pop punk gems, the kind of immediate salvos that would elevate Buzzcocks into the charts. In the intervening years, the history of punk rock has been written and re-written and a whole heap of bands have been sidelined. The Boys’ debut album, re-mastered here still sounds as fresh and immediate as it did back then and it also includes two classic punk rock singles in ‘I Don’t Care’ and ‘First Time’ (the latter, along with The Undertones "Teenage Kicks", the ultimate punk anthem of teenage romance and adolescent angst). Along with the Sex Pistols, Clash and the Damned, The Boys were part of the first wave of the mid-1970’s UK punk explosion. Armed with an arsenal of killer Steel/Dangerfield songs The Boys became the first UK punk band to sign an album deal in January 1977 and subsequently released two albums, their self-titled debut and the follow-up “Alternative Chartbusters” in quick succession. Highly regarded by the music press and their contemporaries, yet somehow criminally ignored by a wider punk audience, unable to grasp their heritage of vintage rock ‘n’ roll that went back to Chuck Berry courtesy of The Beatles. Their well-crafted songs, together with Steel and Dangerfield’s layered harmonies, even led to them being described as ‘The Beatles of Punk’.

A punk classic, gloriously anthemic power pop from the cult UK outfit. On 17 March 1978, a mere six months after the release of their self-titled debut, The Boys second album “Alternative Chartbusters” was released (once again, produced by Dangerfield & Steel). As AllMusic recognises, “Alternative Chartbusters” was way ahead of its time, a buried treasure that only got dusted off much later: “Condemned at the time for offering up little more than a straight carbon copy of its predecessor, the second Boys’ album has since ascended to the pantheon of power pop greats, a combination of the band's own inestimable position at the forefront of what, by early 1978, was already a burgeoning movement, and their seemingly effortless grasp of the rudiments of, indeed, a great pop song.” Along with the Sex Pistols, Clash and the Damned, The Boys were part of the first wave of the mid-1970’s UK punk explosion. Armed with an arsenal of killer Steel/Dangerfield songs The Boys became the first UK punk band to sign an album deal in January 1977 and subsequently released two albums, their self-titled debut and the follow-up “Alternative Chartbusters” in quick succession. Highly regarded by the music press and their contemporaries, yet somehow criminally ignored by a wider punk audience, unable to grasp their heritage of vintage rock ‘n’ roll that went back to Chuck Berry courtesy of The Beatles. Their well-crafted songs, together with Steel and Dangerfield’s layered harmonies, even led to them being described as ‘The Beatles of Punk’

"Music From The Star Wars Saga – The Essential Collection is an orchestral music compilation including tracks from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace until Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. On the occasion of the release of the final episode of the nine-part Star Wars saga: The Rise Of Skywalker, all songs are re-recorded by Robert Ziegler, alongside the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra and members of the Slovak Philharmonic Choir. These includes the iconic “Main Title” composition, “Duel Of The Fates”, “Yoda’s Theme” and “The Imperial March”. Music From The Star Wars Saga – The Essential Collection is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on red coloured vinyl. Music From The Star Wars Saga – The Essential Collection is an orchestral music compilation including tracks from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace until Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. On the occasion of the release of the final episode of the nine-part Star Wars saga: The Rise Of Skywalker, all songs are re-recorded by Robert Ziegler, alongside the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra and members of the Slovak Philharmonic Choir. These includes the iconic “Main Title” composition, “Duel Of The Fates”, “Yoda’s Theme” and “The Imperial March”. Music From The Star Wars Saga – The Essential Collection is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on red coloured vinyl. This 2LP is housed in a gatefold sleeve and includes an insert. "

Music From The Star Wars Saga by Robert Ziegler, released 3 May 2024, includes the following tracks: "Anakin’s Theme", "Battle Of The Heroes", "The Throne Room / End Title" and more.

This version of Music From The Star Wars Saga comes as a 2xLP in a(n) Gatefold Sleeve packaging. This release comes with (a) Insert(s).

"Music From The Star Wars Saga – The Essential Collection is an orchestral music compilation including tracks from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace until Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. On the occasion of the release of the final episode of the nine-part Star Wars saga: The Rise Of Skywalker, all songs are re-recorded by Robert Ziegler, alongside the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra and members of the Slovak Philharmonic Choir. These includes the iconic “Main Title” composition, “Duel Of The Fates”, “Yoda’s Theme” and “The Imperial March”. Music From The Star Wars Saga – The Essential Collection is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on red coloured vinyl. Music From The Star Wars Saga – The Essential Collection is an orchestral music compilation including tracks from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace until Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. On the occasion of the release of the final episode of the nine-part Star Wars saga: The Rise Of Skywalker, all songs are re-recorded by Robert Ziegler, alongside the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra and members of the Slovak Philharmonic Choir. These includes the iconic “Main Title” composition, “Duel Of The Fates”, “Yoda’s Theme” and “The Imperial March”. Music From The Star Wars Saga – The Essential Collection is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on red coloured vinyl. This 2LP is housed in a gatefold sleeve and includes an insert. "

Music From The Star Wars Saga by Robert Ziegler, released 3 May 2024, includes the following tracks: "Anakin’s Theme", "Battle Of The Heroes", "The Throne Room / End Title" and more.
This version of Music From The Star Wars Saga comes as a 2xLP in a(n) Gatefold Sleeve packaging. This release comes with (a) Insert(s).

The vinyl is pressed as a red disc. Another vinyl is pressed as a red disc.

"Star Wars Stories is a collection of the most famous melodies & fan favourite tracks from the recent Star Wars Universe including The Mandalorian, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Rogue One. This compilation features main themes, epic orchestral tracks and emotional songs, paying tribute to the originals John Williams, Ludwig Göransson, John Powell, Anthony Williams & Michael Giacchino. This project is a follow-up to the 2019 release Music From The Star Wars Saga – the essential collection, a compilation of music from the Star Wars films. Included are the most famous melodies & fan favourite tracks from the hugely popular tv series, paying tribute to Ludwig Göranssons’ work. This includes musical highlights from the series ranging from the infamous main theme to epic orchestral tracks & character pieces for Boba Fett & Luke Skywalker. From Solo: A Star Wars Story, this tribute to John Williams & John Powell’s 2018 album features action-loaded orchestral musical highlights from the film and themes for the beloved characters Han Solo and Chewbacca. Star Wars Stories is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on ""Hyperspace"" coloured vinyl. This 2LP-set is housed in a gatefold sleeve, includes an insert, and features secret inscriptions in the run-out grooves.
"

Star Wars Stories by Various Artists, released 2 May 2024, includes the following tracks: "Luke Skywalker Hallway Theme", "End Theme", "Flying With Chewie", "The Adventures Of Han" and more.

This version of Star Wars Stories comes as a 2xLP in a(n) Gatefold Sleeve packaging. This release comes with (a) Insert(s).

The vinyl is pressed as a marble, blue & white & black disc. Another vinyl is pressed as a marble, blue & white & black disc.

It's been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become Lost Themes, his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood's great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. In the years since, Carpenter, Carpenter, and Davies have released close to a dozen musical projects, including a growing library of studio albums and the scores for David Gordon Green's trilogy of Halloween reboots. With Lost Themes IV: Noir, they've struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration. Since the first Lost Themes, John has referred to these compositions as "soundtracks for the movies in your mind." On the fourth installment in the series, those movies are noirs. Like the film genre they were influenced by, what makes these songs "noirish" is sometimes slippery and hard to define, and not merely reducible to a collection of tropes. The scores for the great American noir pictures were largely orchestral, while the Carpenters and Davies work off a sturdy synth-and-guitar backbone. The noir quality, then, is something you understand instinctively when you hear it, as in connected in an emotional way. The trio's free-flowing chemistry means Lost Themes IV: Noir runs like a well-oiled machine_the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster from Kiss Me Deadly, perhaps, or the 1958 Plymouth Fury from John's own Christine. It's a chemistry that's helped power one of the most productive stretches of John's creative life, and Noir proves that it's nowhere near done yielding brilliant results.

It's been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become Lost Themes, his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood's great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. In the years since, Carpenter, Carpenter, and Davies have released close to a dozen musical projects, including a growing library of studio albums and the scores for David Gordon Green's trilogy of Halloween reboots. With Lost Themes IV: Noir, they've struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration. Since the first Lost Themes, John has referred to these compositions as "soundtracks for the movies in your mind." On the fourth installment in the series, those movies are noirs. Like the film genre they were influenced by, what makes these songs "noirish" is sometimes slippery and hard to define, and not merely reducible to a collection of tropes. The scores for the great American noir pictures were largely orchestral, while the Carpenters and Davies work off a sturdy synth-and-guitar backbone. The noir quality, then, is something you understand instinctively when you hear it, as in connected in an emotional way. The trio's free-flowing chemistry means Lost Themes IV: Noir runs like a well-oiled machine_the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster from Kiss Me Deadly, perhaps, or the 1958 Plymouth Fury from John's own Christine. It's a chemistry that's helped power one of the most productive stretches of John's creative life, and Noir proves that it's nowhere near done yielding brilliant results.

It's been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become Lost Themes, his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood's great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. In the years since, Carpenter, Carpenter, and Davies have released close to a dozen musical projects, including a growing library of studio albums and the scores for David Gordon Green's trilogy of Halloween reboots. With Lost Themes IV: Noir, they've struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration. Since the first Lost Themes, John has referred to these compositions as "soundtracks for the movies in your mind." On the fourth installment in the series, those movies are noirs. Like the film genre they were influenced by, what makes these songs "noirish" is sometimes slippery and hard to define, and not merely reducible to a collection of tropes. The scores for the great American noir pictures were largely orchestral, while the Carpenters and Davies work off a sturdy synth-and-guitar backbone. The noir quality, then, is something you understand instinctively when you hear it, as in connected in an emotional way. The trio's free-flowing chemistry means Lost Themes IV: Noir runs like a well-oiled machine_the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster from Kiss Me Deadly, perhaps, or the 1958 Plymouth Fury from John's own Christine. It's a chemistry that's helped power one of the most productive stretches of John's creative life, and Noir proves that it's nowhere near done yielding brilliant results.

It's been a decade since John Carpenter recorded the material that would become Lost Themes, his debut album of non-film music and the opening salvo in one of Hollywood's great second acts. Those vibrant, synth-driven songs, made in collaboration with his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, kickstarted a musical renaissance for the pioneering composer and director. In the years since, Carpenter, Carpenter, and Davies have released close to a dozen musical projects, including a growing library of studio albums and the scores for David Gordon Green's trilogy of Halloween reboots. With Lost Themes IV: Noir, they've struck gold again, this time mining the rich history of the film noir genre for inspiration. Since the first Lost Themes, John has referred to these compositions as "soundtracks for the movies in your mind." On the fourth installment in the series, those movies are noirs. Like the film genre they were influenced by, what makes these songs "noirish" is sometimes slippery and hard to define, and not merely reducible to a collection of tropes. The scores for the great American noir pictures were largely orchestral, while the Carpenters and Davies work off a sturdy synth-and-guitar backbone. The noir quality, then, is something you understand instinctively when you hear it, as in connected in an emotional way. The trio's free-flowing chemistry means Lost Themes IV: Noir runs like a well-oiled machine_the 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster from Kiss Me Deadly, perhaps, or the 1958 Plymouth Fury from John's own Christine. It's a chemistry that's helped power one of the most productive stretches of John's creative life, and Noir proves that it's nowhere near done yielding brilliant results.

180g Hyperspace Coloured Vinyl
2-LP Holland
Popular / Original Soundtrack
High Quality, Gatefold Sleeve, Insert, Coloured Vinyl

The Bolshoi released three albums during their existence, but they also recorded a fourth album that was never officially released during their tenure. Provisionally titled Country Life, it was released in 2015 as part of a limited 5-CD box set. We are excited to now release it on vinyl for the first time. The album is double colored orange and green vinyl. Country Life consists of demos recorded for the album, and many of these only survived on reference cassettes but were digitally restored. We are especially thrilled that Trevor Tanner has recorded a brand new acoustic reimagining of the song "Dolores Jones" made specifically for this release. The Bolshoi were different. Their songs were dark and subversive, sufficient evidence for many critics to corral them under the "Gothic" banner at the time of their debut - but they really only "flirted" with Goth. They oozed dark, pensive lyrics supported with inventive pop-goth guitar making them nearly impossible to categorize.

Features remarkable, previously unheard versions of Ra classics "Calling Planet Earth", "Sunset On The Nile" and "Theme From The Stargazers".

2024 Repress

Mannequin Records is proud to present a full length by the Philly minimal-synth princess Void Vision.
Void Vision is a Philadelphia-based electronic project helmed by Shari Vari. It began around 2009 at a time when a wave of synth-revivalists were materializing, but the quality of the songwriting and intense vocals set the band apart from the pack. In a rare instance, Void Vision has managed to combine vintage dance elements with melodic structures, haunting melancholy, and lyrics that have a palpable soul. The songs themselves are dynamic, referencing a cross-section of the last 30 years of electronic music, while simultaneously retaining a uniqueness all their own.

The infamous Wierd Records weekly club night in New York, which showcased a variety of talented electronic and coldwave artists, served as an incubator for Void Vision in it's early stages. After a standout debut performance at the club, they immediately caught the attention of Blind Prophet Records, who consequently released their first 7" single, 'In 20 Years', which received excellent reviews.

Vari has continued performing and recording steadily over the last few years, releasing songs on compilations for various labels, including Rough Trade, and in 2012 the song 'Everything is Fine' was selected for Artforum magazine's 'Best of 2012' issue. In 2013, Void Vision toured the West Coast and later that year released a split 12" with Portland-based band, Vice Device. The first official full-length album, entitled 'Sub Rosa' is set to debut on Berlin-based Mannequin Records, followed by a European tour in 2015.

Shari Vari formed Void Vision in 2009 originally as a duo, during the explosion of the new minimal synth and cold wave scene in United States. Sharing the same scene of the Wierd Records associates like Led Er Est, Martial Canterel, Xeno & Oaklander, Automelodi, in 2010 VV released 'In Twenty Years' on Blind Prophet (Sean Ragon's Cult Of Youth record label), receiving also the attention of the Rough Trade dudes, who asked to put out a track for one of their synth wave compilations.
After other split vinyls, tapes and compilations, Mannequin approached Shari with the intention to continue what Wierd Records started, giving a proper shape to her beautiful and youthful dark electronic sound. The result is 10 hypnotic cold analog tracks dominated by the warm and fragile Shari's voice, some more 'pop orientated' some others belonging to the original 'cold wave' atmosphere.

"Sub Rosa" is an edition of 400 copies on 160 gram black vinyl and 100 copies on 160 gram white vinyl.

London-based Kouslin's Le Chatroom imprint presents LCR003; a percussion-heavy release of four tracks from close friends and affiliates.

Taking inspiration from rhythms around the world and the uproar within the new-gen UK Funky scene, Le Chatroom once again exhibit their ethos of eclecticism that has found them in the record bags of the likes of Ben UFO and Call Super.

Big Brothers' frontman Amor Satyr (also of Parisian collective Boukan Records), channels heavy baile funk on 'Hohohoi', with razor-sharp low-end separation and haunting harmonies.

Soreab (Baroque Sunburst/BeatMachine) serves up a hearty cut of low-slung, tribal drum funk with a groove synonymous of Hessle Audio sets.

Having recently featured on an R&S Records compilation, plus a release on More Time Records, rising artist DJ Tess presents her new “Mala Femmina” alias and offers up a triplet-based 4x4 groove with relentless icy blows and rotating polyrhythms.

Livity Sound's Cando close out with a remix of Soreab's 'Cave Walk'. Racing away with dancefloor panic, the intricacies of the remix shine through via its claustrophobic and pristine mixdown.

'Letters From A Black Widow' ist ein definitives Statement der Beharrlichkeit und Befreiung der mit einem Grammy ausgezeichneten Sängerin/Songwriterin Judith Hill. Die 12 Songs offenbaren meisterhaft Themen, die sie bisher nur in Therapien und Albträumen erforscht hat. Geschichten über Widerstand, hart erkämpfte Klarheit und Erlösung werden durch ein unerschütterliches Soul/Funk/Blues-Fundament erzählt, das von trotzig-schöner Kraft mitschwingt. Als Backgroundsängerin für Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder & Prince brillierte Hill in der mehrfach prämierten Netflix-Dokumentation '20 Feet From Stardom' (2013) über die Sänger*innen hinter den Stars.

Pull the Rope, the new record by Ibibio Sound Machine, casts the Eno Williams and Max Grunhard-led outfit in a new light. The hope, joy, and sexiness of their music remain, but, further honing the edge of their acclaimed 2022 album Electricity, the connection they aim to foster has shifted venues from the sunny buoyancy of a sunlit festival to a sweat-soaked, all-night dance club. Williams and Grunhard attribute this shift to a matter of collaborators, recording Pull the Rope with Sheffield-based producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.) over the course of two weeks. The way the pair wrote songs changed significantly_rather than Eno penning lyrics to music generated by Max and company's jamming, Orton started with Eno and Max writing together before adding the band. With less time in the studio and a new way of considering how they built songs, the duo found making decisions about Pull the Rope's sound quicker and more instinctual than before. "Ross is from Sheffield, which has an edgier, more industrial vibe than London," Grunhard explains. "He hears things differently than us, is more grounded in rave and grungier sounds, and knew when to add drums or push the instrumentation more. It was very different for us, but it lends itself to where Ibibio Sound Machine is going." In melding their songwriting process, Grunhard and Williams have, impossibly, pulled the trick of making Ibibio Sound Machine a tighter band than ever before, building out from their core in a way that highlights the electrifying group of musicians they play with. Rather than recording with the full band in the room, Pull the Rope was sculpted, elements added and shaped by Grunhard, Williams, and Orton along the way. As a result, Pull the Rope is a nimble, sleek machine that's thrilling from the first note of the opening title track, Eno's otherworldly voice and PK Ambrose's throbbing bass driving through a kaleidoscopic array of house, post-punk, funk, Afrobeat and disco, bangers and ballads, making an argument for unity that begins on the dancefloor. "We are the places we grew up, the places we've been, and the people we've met along the way," Williams says. "Hopping around the globe, we've found that people are fundamentally the same_they're people. Opposing sides push and pull, but there is an alternative to war, violence, and suffering." Lead single "Got to Be Who U Are" literally globetrots, name checking locales across the world that would feel disparate were it not for how well-traveled they are. Eno growing up in the musical melting pot of the Ibibio region of Nigeria and Max being a conservatory-trained musician from Australia, one could call their meeting in London and formation of Ibibio Sound Machine predestined. "Mama Say" and "Let My Yes Be Yes" touch themes of female empowerment. They're indicative of the band's depth as they push further into the electronic; "Mama Say" hits notes of electropop while "Let My Yes Be Yes" fuses electro to Afrobeat. Ibibio Sound Machine have always imbued their music with political consciousness, and the light that shines through in Williams' vocals and voice has never felt more necessary. The sound of Pull the Rope, then, is hope in darkness, bliss in spite of bleakness. Once again, Ibibio Sound Machine are here to provide the soundtrack to the best night of your life, and the better world to come.

From the studio of Attack on Titan, comes a new show - CHAINSAW MAN. This vinyl includes score highlights by Kensuke Ushio from the hit series The soundtrack album by Kensuke Ushio taps into different styles whilst at the core reflecting the action-gore story with lots of electronic & industrial beats and fast-paced melodies. As a contrast, the focus track "that's a dream come true" is a slow-vibing piano track with electronic beats that shows the rare but intense emotional scenes in the show. Kensuke Ushio started his solo career in 2007 under “agraph”. and creates electronic music. He has worked on music for animation TV series, music in advertising and movies such as: A Silent Voice, Devilman Crybaby, Space Dandy, Liz and the Blue Bird, Japan Sinks 2020, Heike Story and now Chainsaw Man.

Join Zombierella, Guitaracula & (introducing) Signor Mattia on their latest adventure to the "Dark Side of Paradise" - the all-new studio album from your favorite spooky-surf combo Messer Chups!

Today, the Toronto-born-and-raised singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Charlotte Day Wilson announces her highly-anticipated sophomore album Cyan Blue out May 3rd via Stone Woman Music / XL Recordings Along with the announcement of her new album comes the release of first single, "I Don"t Love You", a stark and devastatingly beautiful confessional, highlighting Wilson"s immaculate production skills and chill inducing vocals laid atop smooth groove piano chords and soft drums. The track also arrives with a visual directed by Dani Aphrodite featuring layered low fi footage of the artist and producer performing at home, living every day life and having moments of solitude in her car, a theme that comes up throughout the album. Cyan Blue finds Wilson crafting a smoothly woven cyan tapestry of her eternal influences; thumping gospel piano, warm soul basslines, atmospheric electronics, and penetrating R&B melodies. Yet, it possesses a sense of vastness that rings in a new era for Wilson, one in which she"s embracing collaboration and newfound creative openness tinged with wistfulness and yearning and a reflection on youthful innocence. "I want to look through the unjaded eyes of my younger self again," Wilson explains of making Cyan Blue. "Before there wasn"t as much baggage, before so much life was lived. But I also wish that my younger self could see where I am now. It would be nice to be able to impart some of the wisdom and clarity that I have now onto her." Working with producers like Leon Thomas (SZA, Ariana Grande, Post Malone), and Jack Rochon (HE.R, Daniel Caesar), Cyan Blue demonstrates Wilson"s sonic expertise while also showcasing the next evolution of her time-bending songwriting. Through 13 hypnotizing tracks, she continues to use music as a vessel for unpacking relationships, which in turn allows her to meet and understand herself in life-spanning, panoramic focus. But, on Cyan Blue, she challenged herself to kick her perfectionist tendencies. "Before, I was extremely intentional about creating music with a strong foundation, a bed of artistic integrity," Wilson reflects. "But that was a bit stifling, like, "Let me just make a great piece of art that will stand the test of time, no pressure." Now, I think I"m getting out of this frozen state of needing everything to be perfect. I"m more interested in capturing feelings in the moment as they happen and leaving them in that moment." While this is only her second album, Wilson"s influence in music has made a major mainstream impact. Wilson broke out in 2016 with her critically acclaimed EP, CDW, followed by 2018"s Stone Woman and made her debut studio album an official coming out moment in 2021 with the critically acclaimed, self-released Alpha. Over the past decade, she"s been sampled by Drake, John Mayer, and James Blake, while Patti Smith has recently praised and covered Wilson"s 2016 breakout single "Work." Additionally, she"s collaborated with artists like Kaytranada, BADBADNOTGOOD, and SG Lewis, demonstrating that there"s no sound Wilson can"t adapt to and sprinkle her cyan-colored magic over.

Blushing's unique brand of dreampop-infused indie rock hearkens back to the halcyon days of college radio. With a diverse array of influences including Elastica, Curve, Veruca Salt, Lush, The Breeders, and Smashing Pumpkins, Blushing manages a deftly executed eclecticism that recalls the best elements of alt rock's past while retaining a vitality and immediacy that tethers them firmly to the present. On their recently completed third LP, Sugarcoat, Blushing's dynamism is on full display, flitting effortlessly from spacey psychedelia to twee pop jangle with finesse and panache. Sugarcoat is a dense, reverb-laden exploration of alt rock's 40+ year history that conjures up concord from chaos. This album is where the band get to explore their love for expanding genres, from Post-punk (Seafoam), Psych-gaze (Slyce), Grunge pop (Silver Teeth), Indie Pop (Tamagotchi), Slowcore (Sugarcoat) and beyond. A huge highlight when making the album was the ability to collaborate with Jeff Schroeder on the track "Seafoam". The band had the opportunity to meet with him a few times over the years and asked him to see if he would be interested in lending lead guitar on the track as they were nearing the end of recording. He agreed right away and wrote a perfect accompanying lead while out on tour with the Smashing Pumpkins. The contribution elevated the song and the band are so grateful to have his influence captured on the album.

Before "Svengali" came to describe any vaguely megalomaniacal personality in the entertainment industry-from the genuinely evil Phil Spector and Colonel Tom Parker all the way to their Diet Rite equivalent Jack Antonoff-he was a literary character who was probably the prototypical megalomaniacal personality in the entertainment industry. The antagonist in the famously mid and otherwise unmemorable 19th century novel Trilby, Svengali is depicted as a machiavellian manipulator who transforms the guileless titular character into a famous singer. Mo Troper's Svengali is a deeply psychological record with the throbbing heart of a fragile giant. It is a meditation on evil-ness. At certain points across Svengali's 13 tracks, Troper relishes his own innate evil-ness; just as often he's repulsed by it. Like any Mxo Troper album, Svengali is a collection of razor-sharp pop songs that sound like they were written yesterday, or in 1990 by Paddy McAloon, or in 1966 by Brian Wilson, or in 1936 by some unheralded Tin Pan Alley great. Troper has always belonged in the Pop Hook Hall of Fame but his latest and sixth LP of original material is, lyrically, a "look, there are levels to this" moment.

"Charismatic Leaders" ist das dritte Studioalbum und gleichzeitig das InsideOutMusic-Debüt der finnischen Progressive Metaller Wheel aus Helsinki, Finnland. Seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 2015 haben sich Wheel schnell von Underdogs zu einer internationalen Tour de Force entwickelt. Die kantigen Riffs, unvergessliche Melodien und die abenteuerliche Bandbreite des Trios auf ihrem Debütalbum "Moving Backwards" (2019) wurden von Fans der Megastars von TOOL bis COHEED & CAMBRIA spontan verehrt. Der Nachfolger "Resident Human" (2021) erhielt begeisterte Kritiken von Medien auf der ganzen Welt, die die klangliche Weiterentwicklung und die mutigen dystopischen Themen lobten. "Charismatic Leaders" wurde akribisch ausgearbeitet, um Wheel's immer höheren Maßstäben gerecht zu werden, wobei das Songwriting bis ins Jahr 2020 zurückreicht und die Aufnahmen sich von August bis Dezember 2023 erstreckten. "Das ist unser Heavy Album", erklärt Lascelles. "Für die Leute, die Metal mögen und auf Wheel-Musik stehen, ist es genau das Richtige. Es ist nicht so, dass wir zu einer Karikatur der vorherigen Alben geworden sind, aber wir haben uns definitiv in eine Metal-Richtung bewegt, und wir wollten ein Metal-Album machen." Charismatic Leaders" ist dazu bestimmt, ein Manifest zu werden, das seine Hörer gleichermaßen begeistert und sie zum Nachdenken über die Welt um sie herum anregt.

Rico Puestel always has a surprise in store: #technohasleftthebuilding ain't finished yet! We've come a long way baby... The original recording sessions has been more extensive than previously known of, based on the incentive question: If Techno has left the building, what is actually left of it?

In the aftermath of it all, Rico Puestel bounces back to the true-bred heart of Techno and its traits that really made him fall in love with it in the first place. He initially kept these additional and special tracks to himself throughout the first album part, but the time has come to deliver them subsequently now.

Literally point by point, Rico Puestel designes a mesmerizing trip into the greater depths of early club nights, thinking of a world without any trials and tribulations of smartphones or the internet - just dancing and loosing oneself in the magic of the the 4/4-impulse and a tapestry of sound woven around our being.

In times, when people felt as a unit-of-one movement on the dancefloor, with Techno being its undeniable soundtrack and moment of truth, diversity was no issue, so #technohasleftthebuilding's aftermath also dives into the realms of Trance and beyond, because way back: Techno was just Techno and it's all about the music in the end.

Starting with a warning from a dystopian point in time, this further album part is an admonition and a refined view back from outside the building...

Holland, Dozier and Holland are arguably the greatest songwriters ever. More prolific than Lennon and McCartney, they shaped “the Sound of Young America” and propelled the Motown sound in the mid-1960s into a creative stratosphere unmatched by any other independent music label. Their trademark catchy teenage love songs were delivered energetically by previously unknown Detroit groups like The Supremes, the Four Tops, Martha & the Vandellas & Marvin Gaye. Although synonymous with Berry Gordy’s Motown, it was their departure from Motown after a stand-off strike in 1967 and a brutal legal battle that led them to run their own group of labels, Invictus, Hot Wax and Music Merchant. This compilation is a definitive look at this period in history, exploring how H-D-H, under a new guise ‘The Creative Corporation’, drove the next generation of soul music in a myriad of different ways, towards funk, underground disco and jazz. Featuring 55 tracks, this collection documents HDH’s creativity and growth over this seminal 8 year period. During this time the trio developed new artists to rival Motown’s success such as Chairman Of The Board, Freda Payne, Honey Cone, Glass House, Flaming Ember, 8th Day, Laura Lee & Eloise Laws. The collection is complete with a detailed depiction of this period in history by award winning author Stuart Cosgrove who wrote the Soul Trilogy, a series of books on soul music and social change - Detroit 67: the Year That Changed Soul, Memphis 68: The Tragedy of Southern Soul which won the Penderyn Prize, as Music Book of the Year in 2018, and Harlem 69: the Future of Soul. Stuart’s notes detail the relationship with Motown in the final days, the immediate fall out after the trio left Motown and the creation of the new labels Hot Wax, Invictus & Music Merchant

Lost in the soot and fall out from Youngstown, Ohio's infamous Black Monday steel industry collapse was Tony March's cross-generational Tammy label. From its early days as a doo wop powerhouse to their last gasps chasing disco hits, Tammy unintentionally documented Youngstown's small but prolific Black music scene. This single LP surveys the label's best R&B, soul, funk, and disco, with 13 tracks from Ice Cold Love, Lynn Minor, J.C. & the Soul Angels, The Snapshots, Iron Knowledge, Roy Jefferson, and Steel City Band. Housed in a deluxe tip-on jacket, with a booklet crammed full of notes and ephemera, The Tammy Label continues Numero's 20 year tradition of preserving regional Ohio music.

Sheer Magic Transparent Silver Glitter Colored Vinyl. Lost in the soot and fall out from Youngstown, Ohio's infamous Black Monday steel industry collapse was Tony March's cross-generational Tammy label. From its early days as a doo wop powerhouse to their last gasps chasing disco hits, Tammy unintentionally documented Youngstown's small but prolific Black music scene. This single LP surveys the label's best R&B, soul, funk, and disco, with 13 tracks from Ice Cold Love, Lynn Minor, J.C. & the Soul Angels, The Snapshots, Iron Knowledge, Roy Jefferson, and Steel City Band. Housed in a deluxe tip-on jacket, with a booklet crammed full of notes and ephemera, The Tammy Label continues Numero's 20 year tradition of preserving regional Ohio music.

Out on May 3rd, "Anniversary" is the new studio album from critically acclaimed artist Adeem the Artist. The album was produced by Butch Walker who has produced hits for artists including Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Pink, Katy Perry, Panic! At the Disco, Dashboard Confessional, Avril Lavigne and many others. This record is the continuation of a project that they began four years ago, directing their attention both inwards & outwards simultaneously and to exact correlating values so that they might be able to unbind the inner workings of themself while imagining new tools for stitching the fabric of society together again. It mostly just made some gay people like country music again.

"Pull The Rope", das neue Album von IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE, rückt die von Eno Williams und Max Grunhard geleitete Band in ein neues Licht. Die Hoffnung, die Freude und der Sexappeal ihrer Musik sind geblieben, aber die Verbindung, die sie mit ihrem hochgelobten Album "Electricity" (2022) herstellen wollen, hat den Schauplatz gewechselt, von der sonnigen Beschwingtheit eines sonnenbeschienenen Festivals zu einem schweißgetränkten, nächtelangen Tanzclub. Die Atmosphäre hat sich geändert, aber man hat immer noch die beste Zeit seines Lebens. Williams und Grunhard führen diese Veränderung auf die Zusammenarbeit mit dem in Sheffield ansässigen Produzenten Ross Orton (ARCTIC MONKEYS, M.I.A.) zurück, mit dem sie "Pull The Rope" innerhalb von zwei Wochen aufnahmen. Die Art und Weise, wie die beiden Songs schrieben, änderte sich erheblich - anstatt dass Eno die Texte zu der Musik schrieb, die Max und Co. beim Jammen kreierten, begann Orton damit, dass Eno und Max gemeinsam schrieben, bevor sie die Band hinzufügten. Mit weniger Zeit im Studio und einer neuen Art, über die Entstehung von Songs nachzudenken, gelang es dem Duo, Entscheidungen über den Sound von "Pull The Rope" schneller und instinktiv zu treffen als zuvor. Bei der Verschmelzung ihres Songwriting-Prozesses haben Grunhard und Williams das Kunststück vollbracht, IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE zu einer strafferen Band als je zuvor zu machen, die sich von ihrem Kern aus in einer Weise entwickelt, die die elektrisierende Gruppe von Musikern, mit denen sie spielen, hervorhebt. Anstatt mit der gesamten Band im Raum aufzunehmen, wurde "Pull The Rope" von Grunhard, Williams und Orton geformt, Elemente hinzugefügt und während des Prozesses endgültig gestaltet. Die Botschaft ihres fantastischen neuen Albums "Pull The Rope" ist Hoffnung in der Dunkelheit, Glückseligkeit trotz Tristesse. Wieder einmal sind IBIBIO SOUND MACHINE hier, um den Soundtrack für die beste Nacht deines Lebens und die bessere Welt zu liefern.

About S. Raekwon & Steven "Steven is the sound of me holding a mirror up to and critically reflecting on who I am: the good, the bad, the ugly. It's about trying to understand the multitudes within me." - S. Raekwon Steven Raekwon Reynolds performs as S. Raekwon, but his second LP is simply called Steven. Across ten tracks of furious and subtly strumming guitars, plodding bass riffs, and whispering revelations, S. Raekwon's newest album strips back sonic and personal layers to present his most vulnerable, yet authentic self. Born in Buffalo and now based in the East Village of New York City, Steven wrote, produced, engineered, and mixed everything on the record, in addition to playing every instrument except the drums. He packed up a rental car with all his gear and returned to his fiancée's parents' home in Southern Illinois, where they rode out the pandemic and where he recorded half of Where I'm at Now. The house proved to be a nontraditional recording space, but one that provided plenty of physical space as well as spiritual room for experimentation. Steven and drummer Mario Malachi, longtime friends since their days at college in Cleveland, Ohio, spent a week in July 2023 transforming the living room into a makeshift studio, rearranging furniture, sitting face-to-face in front of a mic, and taping songs in single takes. It was a new way of working together, with no demoing or pre-production; Mario hadn't even heard the songs before getting there, which created a sense of spontaneity and improvisation. Where his debut explored his past - longing for a connection to his father and the Black side of his family and wrestling with his identity while being raised in a household by a single, white mother - Steven looks inward. Steven is loosely structured in three parts: Part 1 is fast and energetic, exploring the concepts of rage, anger, jealousy. Part 2 is slow and dynamic, with themes of ugliness, disappointment, embarrassment. Part 3 is something gentler, a moment of contentment and clarity. Steven is a portrait of strengths and weaknesses, flaws and fulfillments.

Sun, sea, and surf rock converge with dreamy hypnagogic pop on "Dmaot," the enchanting sophomore album by the guitar-wielding, vocal-harmonising trio, Rasco. Beach Boys, Elvis, April March, and others, Rasco carefully extracts the essence and distinctive sound of sixties surf and garage bands and distils them into a modern and distinctly Mediterranean context. Blending ethereal vocal harmonies with irresistible guitar riffs, Rasco skillfully creates a one-of-a-kind sonic blueprint that sounds like something you dreamed of hearing at Twin Peaks infamous Roadhouse.

LIE HEAVY brings together notable rockers, Karl Agell, JD Dennis, TR Gwynne and Graham Fry. You may know them from some of their musical forays with Corrosion of Conformity, Leadfoot,The Skull/Legions of Doom, Confessor, Patriarchs in Black, The Point, Deltoid and The Backsliders. LIE HEAVY draws on the original hard 'n groovy jams of Sabbath, Mountain, Lizzy and Purple, fused with their own massive experience. So, it is not difficult to fathom why LIE HEAVY sounds like a well-oiled, hard working band of 30 years rather than a new entity. Their pedigree does not belie their power. Collectively, they have spent tens of thousands of hours in practice spaces, studios and on stages around the world, honing their vast skills, to find one another in this moment being among the top guardian practitioners at the gates of transcendently HEAVY music.

Blood red vinyl, limited to 350 copies. LIE HEAVY brings together notable rockers, Karl Agell, JD Dennis, TR Gwynne and Graham Fry. You may know them from some of their musical forays with Corrosion of Conformity, Leadfoot,The Skull/Legions of Doom, Confessor, Patriarchs in Black, The Point, Deltoid and The Backsliders !!! LIE HEAVY draws on the original hard 'n groovy jams of Sabbath, Mountain, Lizzy and Purple, fused with their own massive experience. So, it is not difficult to fathom why LIE HEAVY sounds like a well-oiled, hard working band of 30 years rather than a new entity. Their pedigree does not belie their power. Collectively, they have spent tens of thousands of hours in practice spaces, studios and on stages around the world, honing their vast skills, to find one another in this moment being among the top guardian practitioners at the gates of transcendently HEAVY music.

Bringing together over 50 of Jamaica's greatest session musicians, whose work spans from the birth of reggae in the late 1960s until today, Roots Architects is the largest gathering of Jamaican musical talent on one all-instrumental album. Never before have so many veterans, who helped create the immortal rhythms that made reggae internationally successful, been assembled to play on new material without vocals. This album aims to celebrate and pay tribute to the unsung heroes of reggae music: the rhythm builders or Roots Architects.

The project is the brainchild of Swiss keyboardist and producer Mathias Liengme. In 2013, he travelled to Kingston, Jamaica, to produce The Inspirators project, an all-star album gathering Leroy ”Horse-mouth” Wallace, Lloyd Parks, Earl ”Chinna” Smith and Sangie Davis, the four of them acting both as musicians and vocalists. This first experience in Kingston studio life paved the way to what would become the Roots Architects project. In February and March 2017 Mathias Liengme travelled for the fifth time to Kingston to record as many of reggae’s greatest living veteran musicians as he could. With the help of a few of these Architects like Robbie Lyn, Fil Callender or Dalton Browne, he managed to gather over 50 session musicians aged 60 to 85 on nine instrumental songs.

Roots Architects are legends back together in Kingston studios doing what they do best: creating in-strumental music all together!

Der Schweizer Sänger, Musiker, Songwriter und Produzent Dino Brandão veröffentlicht sein lang erwartetes Debütalbum 'Self-Inclusion'!

Dino Brandão ist gefühlt schon seit Jahren präsent, hat längst nicht nur in der Schweiz umjubelte Konzerte gespielt.
Bis 2019 war er Sänger und Gitarrist der Band Frank Powers, 2020 kam die schweizerdeutsche Liebeserklärung 'Ich liebe dich' mit Faber und Sophie Hunger, und die Debüt-EP 'Bouncy Castle' hat inzwischen auch schon über zwei Jahre auf dem Buckel.
Aber wie heisst es so schön im vergnüglich klingenden, aber lyrisch tiefschürfenden Titeltrack der EP: 'Life’s a bouncy castle / Filled with tears and laughter'.
Das trifft im Falle von Dino Brandão umso mehr zu. Er hatte in den letzten Jahren, in denen er sein Solodebüt aufnehmen wollte, nicht nur mit der Pandemie zu kämpfen wie wir alle, sondern musste sich auch einer Multiple-Sklerose-Diagnose stellen und verbrachte einige Zeit in einer psychiatrischen Einrichtung.
Dass sein Debütalbum 'Self-Inclusion' nun mit einem Song namens 'Sweet Madness' beginnt und mit der Aussenseiter:innen-Hymne 'Loser' endet, die ebenfalls in einer solchen Klinik spielt, ist also kein Zufall.
Was hier jetzt nach einem ziemlichen Brocken klingt, musikalisch erstaunlicherweise aber dermassen leicht in die Füsse, die Hüfte, das Herz und dann eben auch in den Kopf geht, dass man Dino Brandão geradezu diabolische, oder vielleicht gar sirenen-artige Kräfte zu schreiben könnte.
Dino Brandão sagt selbst: 'Ich habe früh für mich entschieden, da ganz offen zu sein und alles, was mich umtreibt, zu erzählen. Vielleicht hilft es auch ein wenig, das zu entstigmatisieren. Ich hoffe nur, dass ich nicht immer auf diese Themen reduziert werde.'
Das dürfte sein tolles Debütalbum 'Self-Inclusion' zu vermeiden wissen.

The opening line of Emily Dickinson’s short poem ‘‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers’ inspired the central image of Emily Barker’s new single ‘Feathered Thing’, written while she navigated cumulative grief.

When Barker was first introduced to producer Luke Potashnick (Gabrielle Aplin, Jack Savoretti, Katie Melua) in May 2022, she brought with her a full album’s worth of songs. But after visiting Potashnick’s storied studio, The Wool Hall and hearing his ambitious production ideas, she was inspired to write one more song.

“I also needed to process some heavy news” she comments. Barker and her husband Lukas Drinkwater had been trying to start a family. Following a couple of failed IVF cycles (and other “starts that we’d lost”), they investigated adoption and had decided to relocate to Australia to be closer to Barker’s family.

“It felt like we couldn’t work out what we wanted, but we finally reached a point where we both felt at peace with not having kids,” Barker recalls. “It had been an incredibly intense time, coinciding with a house move and the pandemic.”

And then Barker found she was pregnant. “We’d done all these things to try to make it happen, and then it happened naturally (and against all biological odds). Having previously navigated losses throughout our pregnancy journey, we now had to get our heads around what having this new person in our lives might look like - emotionally and practically.”

Soon after work began on the album, Barker had a miscarriage.

“Songwriting has always been a way of processing throughout my life.” Barker reveals how the new song came quickly as she sat at her piano at home. She shared an early version with Potashnick and remembers him politely asking, “Do you mind telling me what this is about?”

“I think I’d left it too abstract, initially,” she reflects. “It was difficult to open up about the miscarriage, but Luke was very supportive and encouraged me to dig a little deeper without necessarily being specific. I revisited the lyrics, and the result is much stronger.”

“I went to the burnt-out woods/ A tourist with some damaged goods/ Remembered how the trees withstood fires before…”

“The opening line is a metaphor for knowing that I’ll get through this,” Barker clarifies. “It’s about recovery and hope, allowing yourself both the space to grieve and permission to move on”. But Barker’s optimism is never misplaced – she knows the imprint of imagined futures and lost children are carried in hearts and minds forever:

“It’s so hard to let go, wanted to know wanted to know you …”

“I think that it's important to share and normalise these stories, which are all too common, yet not openly spoken about. People hide their pain and don’t want to burden friends and family. I think behind all this anguish, there’s a deep, often untold story.”

Now that Barker is settled back in Western Australia, she’s embracing being an auntie. “I’ve got three younger siblings over here who I’m close to, and they all have kids,” she enthuses. “I look after my brother's kids, aged two and five, one morning a week.”

Recorded - along with the entirety of the new album - at The Wool Hall, ‘Feathered Thing’ begins gently, with oscillating piano and distant drums, until the arrangement gradually transforms into an instrumental dervish of vibrant strings, bass drones and cymbal crashes. Throughout, Barker’s vocals float tantalisingly like a slipstreaming feather.

Watch the video, filmed at The Wool Hall here. The Wool Hall is a studio in Beckington, Somerset, set up by Tears for Fears in the 1980s and used by artists including The Smiths, Pretenders, Joni Mitchell and many more.

Emily Barker is an award-winning singer-songwriter, best known as the writer and performer of the theme to the hugely successful BBC crime drama ‘Wallander’ starring Kenneth Branagh.

Her last album, 2020's ‘A Dark Murmuration of Words’, was produced by Greg Freeman and recorded at StudiOwz, a converted chapel in the Welsh countryside. Lyrically probing, by turns both dark and optimistic, Barker searches for meaning through the deafening clamour of fake news and algorithmically filtered conversation, delivering a timely exploration of the grand themes of our age. It garnered widespread acclaim, with Uncut calling it “…a kind of Australian equivalent of PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake”.

Barker has released music and toured as a solo artist as well as with various bands and collaborations, most notably her long association with Frank Turner, and has written for TV and film, including composing the soundtrack for Jake Gavin’s lauded debut feature ‘Hector’ starring Peter Mullan and Keith Allen.

‘Fragile as Humans’ is scheduled for release on May 3rd 2024 through Everyone Sang/Kartel Music Group. The album will also feature earlier singles: the vast, cinematic ‘Wild to be Sharing This Moment’ and the meditative, crestfallen ‘Loneliness’.

MaidaVale paint with a larger, bolder and brighter color palette on their third album Sun Dog. Without losing sight of their characteristic kraut rock influences, the band have more than ever immersed themselves into their unique take on neo-psychedelia

MaidaVale paint with a larger, bolder and brighter color palette on their third album Sun Dog. Without losing sight of their characteristic kraut rock influences, the band have more than ever immersed themselves into their unique take on neo-psychedelia

In the dynamic landscape of contemporary jazz, Scottish pianist and composer Fergus McCreadie has carved a remarkable niche. Since 2021, his career has skyrocketed, marked by two acclaimed album releases that propelled him into the limelight – shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and clinching the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) for "Forest Floor." His debut with Edition Records, "Cairn" (2021), set the stage for a journey deeply rooted in natural themes. McCreadie's latest venture, "Stream," continues this intriguing exploration, this time delving into the essence of water. Accompanied by his long-standing comrades, David Bowden and Stephen Henderson, the album flows with the fluidity of its namesake. It's a musical stream that flows through the rich landscapes of Scottish folklore and the sophisticated avenues of contemporary jazz, blending them seamlessly. The album's narrative is a testament to the trio's evolving musical identity, meticulously crafted to mirror a journey from darkness to light. McCreadie shares, "What I like most about this album is that it evolves from dark to light as the album goes on. It's a sort of cloudy skies to sunnier skies journey, quite different from previous albums where the track sequence was more arbitrary." Their sound, a nuanced tapestry woven with delicate touches and bold strokes, speaks of their confidence and exuberance in forging a distinct path. "Stream" is an exploration of shared passions and expressions, pushing the boundaries of their musical language and vocabulary to new depths. With "Stream," Fergus McCreadie, Bowden, and Henderson offer a refreshing antidote to the predictable. Their music is a celebration of individuality, a journey that resonates with the trio's unique voice. It's an invitation to listeners to immerse themselves in a soundscape that's both familiar in its Scottish roots and revolutionary in its jazz execution – a goal every artist aspires to achieve. "Stream" is a musical narrative that flows like water – sometimes calm, sometimes tempestuous, but always moving forward. For those seeking a fresh, engaging, and authentic musical journey, Fergus McCreadie's "Stream" is a listening adventure not to be missed.

Stream by Fergus Mccreadie, released 3 May 2024, includes the following tracks: "Driftwood", "Sun Pillars", "Stony Gate", "Coastline" and more.

With Les Liaisons dangereuses 1960, Roger Vadim stirred up a scandal. Based on the famous epistolary novel by Laclos, the director presented audiences in the early 1960s with a film in which libertinism, scheming and the upper middle classes intertwine in 1960s Paris. Gérard Philipe and Jeanne Moreau excel, and the film is often considered one of Vadim's best. It also owes much to its music, which reflects Vadim's taste for jazz. For the soundtrack to Les Liaisons dangereuses, the director called on Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengerswhose exceptional musical qualities make for a record full of daring musical ideas and a marvellous choice of brilliant themes. The majority of the tracks feature Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers of mid-1959 with trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenorman Barney Wilen, pianist Boby Timmons and bassist Jymie Merritt joining the explosive drummer/leader. This beautiful re-issue of the original recording is pressed on 180g vinyl at GZ, and packaged in a deluxe gatefold tip-on jacket with the original liner notes and a photo of Gérard Philippe and Jeanne Moreau from the film, and additional notes by recording producer Marcel Romano from 1988.

Whether you’re on a journey towards self acceptance, or locking yourself away for days, it’s safe to say the human experience can be an emotional rollercoaster; GAMI GANG explores the highs and lows, and all the twists and turns in between. In similar fashion, joyous and anthemic tunes find themselves winding their way into their somber and soft spoken counterparts, swerving through explosive bridges along the journey. Throughout manic momentum shifts, the ride slows down to make way for moments of clarity. Happiness and innocence are sprinkled in with displays of darkness or arrogance, and most of the time we exist in the middle. However, those unexpected jumps of adrenaline are what make this ride enticing. It’s human nature to get back on, and feel that rush one more time.













[m] 13. [spoons rattling]

'It's an absolute honour to be releasing on DEEP MEDi - they'rea label I've looked up to and wanted to release on for a number of years so I'm really gassed to be putting out this EP with them.
It was a lot of fun to get to explore the deeper side of my production and I can't wait for everyone to hear it!'
(Hamdi 2024)

Die Liverpooler YOBS veröffentlichen ihr selbstbetiteltes Debütalbum am 3. Mai 2024 über Fuzz Club und folgen damit ihrer ersten Doppelsingle "Fortune Teller b/w Cemetery Man", mit der die vierköpfige Band die Szene mit einem herrlich schmutzigen und hedonistischen Feuerwerk betrat.

Das Clash Magazine schrieb über YOBS: "Schädelzerschmetternde Riffs und halluzinogene Effekte". YOBS liefern primitive Garage-Punk/Noise-Rock-Salven, die mit erschlagender Intensität vorbeirasen. Auf den zehn Tracks des Albums und der
rasanten 26-minütigen Spielzeit schwelgt die Band in einem rauen, spaßigen Rock'n'Roll, der deine Knochen genauso zum Vibrieren bringt wie deine Lautsprecher. YOBS, die aus den Trümmern der inzwischen aufgelösten Liverpooler Bands Weird Sex und Ohmns entstanden sind, wurden 2022 gegründet und bestehen aus Joey Ackland (Gesang), Alex Smith (Bass/Gesang), Michael Quinlan (Gitarre/Gesang) und George Gebbie (Schlagzeug).

Ihr Debütalbum, das sie in vier Tagen in den Hackney Road Studios mit James Aparicio aufgenommen haben, ist das Ergebnis eines Jahres 2023, in dem sie mit Bands wie A Place To Bury Strangers, Mark Sultan, C.O.F.F.I.N, Alien Nosejob und anderen raue, ohrenbetäubende Shows gespielt haben.

Read any article or comment thread about the Seattle noise-rock outfit GREAT FALLS and you're likely to see descriptors like cathartic, heavy, crushing, and unhinged. Maybe even psychotic. And sure, those are all apt: For over a decade, vocalist/guitarist Demian Johnston and bassist Shane Mehling (who also played together in the early-2000s noisecore band PLAYING ENEMY and the experimental duo HEMINGWAY) have honed their sludgy, overwhelmingly intense brand of heaviness, punctuated by delectably discordant riffs, terrifyingly low, thwacking bass lines, and mesmerizingly tight percussion. In the live setting, too, they’re notorious for a stage presence that is so aggressively confrontational and menacing that Mehling once broke his own arm mid-set.

But the most striking aspect of GREAT FALLS, setting them apart from the murky sea of sludge metal and AmRep-inspired noise-rock bands, is their ability to paint a deeply, utterly human story through an all-out assault on the senses: an art the band has perfected on their fourth full-length album OBJECTS WITHOUT PAIN, out September 15 via NEUROT RECORDINGS.

The album is not only their NEUROT debut, but also the first LP featuring drummer Nickolis Parks (GAYTHEIST, BASTARD FEAST), who joined the band prior to the release of their exhilarating, cacophonous 2023 EP,FUNNY WHAT SURVIVES.

OBJECTS WITHOUT PAIN takes us on a bleak, purgative journey through a separation–a snapshot of the turmoil and indecision that occurs after the initial realization of someone's misery, and before the ultimate decision to end a decades-long partnership. From the foreboding intro riffs of “DRAGGED HOME ALIVE” to the end of the 13-minute closer “THROWN AGAINST THE WAVES,” its eight tracks explore the thoughts that come up when a person is staring down the barrel of blowing up their life: How did this happen? Is it too late for a new life? Will the kid be OK? What will make me happier: familiar torment or unknown freedom?

This star-studded soundtrack to the acclaimed 2013 indie film Winter In The Blood is out for the first time on a deluxe limited edition 2-record, white vinyl set. The original score is written and performed by indie darlings Heartless Bastards, and the song list includes tracks by Robert Plant & Patty Griffin, Cass McCombs, Sonny & The Sunsets, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Them Savages, Alemayehu Eshete, Cowboy & Indian, and Youth & Valor.

Shit City from Lillehammer, Norway was a country rock band wich gathered around a shared love for The Allman Brothers, CSNY, Gram Parsons and The Band. Their 2007 critically acclaimed debut album "God Bless Our Home" also gave them a nomination for Norwegian Grammy. Featuring members from The Mormones and also singer songwriter Ingrid Olava who later went on and had a successful solo career.

DEATH LENS relentlessly seeks a place in your consciousness, a persistent presence whispering in your ear. Concealing ferocity beneath a stylish veneer, their live shows unleash energy and chaos, leaving spectators disarmed and forever transformed. After successful tours with Militarie Gun and Together Pangea and hometown support, DEATH LENS is poised to release their latest album, Cold World, on May 3rd, through Epitaph Records. In recordings, DEATH LENS forges unyielding rock, blending West Coast surf punk with Britrock"s tight, bouncy rhythms. Despite their deceptive chill and vibe-focused portrayal, live performances brim with hardcore intensity. Rooted in slick guitar sonics and sugary backing vocal harmonies, reminiscent of indie punk and shoegaze, DEATH LENS channels the energy of bands like Turnstile and Militarie Gun on stage, creating soundtracks for indelible memories of high-energy, sweat-soaked singalongs. Hailing from La Puente, the self-described "five Brown boys" transition from showcasing explosive energy in recordings to embodying a refined representation of hard work and early influences gaining traction in their scene. Growing up as minorities east of Los Angeles amidst police harassment and gang violence, DEATH LENS faced risk factors that could have led them astray. Evolving from a party garage punk band, they now serve as a platform addressing life in heavily policed and immigrant-dominant areas, advocating for immigration reforms, and utilizing resources to support their community. Their experiences form a powerful narrative within their music.

Leading Danish trombonist Lis Wessberg is grounded by the concept that a strong melody, and a rich sound are the two most important elements in composition and performance.A continuation of the refined contemporary answer to the"Cool Jazz" sound she"s been cultivating for the past 30 years, her sophomore album"Twain Walking" is set to release on April 12th onApril Records. With more than50 album credits to her name, and having performed and toured with renowned artists including Marilyn Mazur, Fredrik Lundin, Joyce Moreno, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band feat. Randy Brecker, and more, 2021 saw the release of her debut album "Yellow Maps"to critical acclaim from all around Europe. Diving deep into the personal exploration of her creative roots, "Twain Walking"hails from the warm vitality of New Orleans jazz, to the reflective hum of the ECM sound, and the boundary pushing songwriting of Radiohead. With a respectful nod to her influences such as Miles Davis, Curtis Fuller, Danish Erling Kroner, and Palle Mikkelborg, Wessberg operates within thetraditions they established. However, resisting producing a mere echo of the past, she cultivates her owndistinctaesthetic inspired in equal parts by her heroes as well as contemporary zeitgeist. Led by Wessberg"s dynamic trombone playing, her breathlike approach to the instrument mimics a lamenting human voice singing intricately lyrical melodies. Rock inspired drum grooves, thick synth timbres, and cavernous reverbs craft an expansive and dream-like contemporary soundworld in which Wessberg"s thoughtfully crafted compositions can unfold. From spacious,Nordic ballads todance floor psychedelia, the ensemble tackle all ten varied compositions with confidence, maturity, and a dedicated sense of self-expression. Featuring Estonian rising star Karmen Roivassepp on vocals, her effortless soloisticcontributions explore lyrical themes of recognising the beauty in love in life, elevating the record"s melancholic and reflective tone.

Liverpool's YOBS release their self-titled debut album on May 3rd 2024 via Fuzz Club, arriving off the back of their debut double single, 'Fortune Teller b/w Cemetery Man', which saw the four-piece burst on the scene n a gloriously scuzzy and hedonistic blaze. "All skullcrushing riffs and hallucinogenic effects", as Clash Magazine wrote, YOBS deal in primitive garage-punk/noise-rock salvos that race by with a bludgeoning intensity. Across the album's ten tracks and rapid 26-minute running time, the band revel in an abrasive, fun-ashell rock'n'roll that will leave your bones rattling just as much as your
speakers. INDIE ONLY! Splatter LP

Liverpool’s legendary Death Metal pioneers Carcass (who still tour
extensively to this day) are often credited with shaping the entire
death metal genre.

Pushing boundaries with their shocking imagery whilst evolving and innovating with each new album. Heartwork is widely renowned as the best Carcass album with its melodic intricacies.

These albums have been specially recreated using ‘FDR’ - full dynamic range mastering - pressed from the original master tapes, allowing the music’s nuance to shine through and giving these classic albums a more ferocious and dynamic sound, enabling the listener to immerse themselves in the full audio heaviness

Yellow Vinyl

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, die mysteriöse Steel Pan Band aus Hamburg, hat sich weltweit einen Kultstatus erspielt. Mit einer Reihe von klassischen 7" Singles und drei hochgelobten Alben haben sie die Messlatte für sich selbst hoch gelegt, die sie mit diesem neuen Werk noch weiter nach oben schieben wollen. Auf ihrem vierten Album BRSB sind Bacao zurück mit mehr vom Gleichen, aber mehr vom Gleichen ist bei ihnen von Natur aus anders. Sie covern Songs aus verschiedenen Genres, von Megahits bis hin zu Underground-Songs, und machen sie sich mit ihrer einzigartigen Herangehensweise an die traditionellen Steel Pans aus Trinidad und Tobago zu eigen. Während ein Teil des Reizes eines neuen Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band-Albums darin besteht, herauszufinden, welche Songs sie covern, ist es ebenso faszinierend zu sehen, welche originellen Melodien sie ausgeheckt haben – denn dieses Album ist ebenso voller herausragender Originale. Der Opener des Albums, "In The Crosshairs", ist ein rauer und harter Midtempo-Kopfnicker, während "Grilled" und "Treasure Quest" das Tempo mit starken afrikanischen Funk-Einflüssen anziehen. Bacao geht mit "Hazy Memories", einem basslastigen Slowburner, der zwischen Hypnose und Hype wandelt, in die Tiefe. Diese Originale sind ein Beweis dafür, dass der Begriff "Coverband" ein Schuh ist, der niemals zu Bacao passen könnte. Und doch gibt es auch dieses Mal in der Tradition der Steel-Pan-Musik eine Reihe Coverversionen. Der große West Coast Hip Hop Einfluss wird offenbar mit Covers von Game & 50 Cent's "How We Do", Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg's "Nuthin But A G Thang" und Tupac's "Got My Mind Made Up”, die alle eine neue Energie bekommen und sich für die BRSB Stahlbehandlung eignen. Mit ihrem Covern von Claudja Barrys Disco-Klassiker "Love For The Sake Of Love", die sie in eine synchronisierte Version umwandeln und sogar den Titel in "Love For The Sake Of Dub" ändern, fügen Bacao ihrem Lebenslauf einen weiteren zertifizierten Dance-Floor-Filler hinzu. Aus dem Bereich der zeitgenössischen Smash-Hits covern sie Drakes "Hotline Bling" und "Love$ick" von Mura Masa & A$AP Rocky. Dann gehen sie mit dem "Stranger Things Theme" einen sehr unerwarteten Weg, indem sie den Synthie-lastigen Titelsong der Hit-Show nehmen und ihm einen hypnotischeren Ton geben als dem Original. Wenn BRSB fertig ist, hat die Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band den Hörer auf eine Reise mitgenommen, die eine Vielzahl von Energien, Tempi und Stimmungen umfasst, aber alles unter einem Dach hält.

Getting into an album by Cyril Cyril is being invited to a party where you thought you didn't know anyone, only to realize that this chap's gal is your bro's cuz, and leave with everyone's cell. Their music seems familiar because it's not deaf to its neighbors, in the broadest sense : Geneva, their lair, Europe, their playground as a duo, and the world, their grocery store. There's plenty in those two heads, but just the two of them on stage. For their third Born Bad album, they have invited two lads from Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp, Ines Mouzoune, multi-instrumentalist from Amami, and Violeta Garcia's cello on Le Futur ca marche pas. On the ruins of Switzerland, people dance hard but consciously, and won't complain about them having a go at the homeland - notably in " Sweetzerland Bunker Love ", where they claim it's time to "free the money from the banks". There's something rotten in the state, wherever it may be, and they prefer to put its fall to music. And they're not shy about it, either: this album features heavy guitar/drums text-driven ballads (beautiful "Mensonge" opens the album with a certain gravitas), polyrhythmic noisy drum splatter with crafty vocal knitting ("Plus rien a? faire"), deconstructed and harmonically ambitious compositions ("Les Phoenix de l'amour"), and latino frogs croaks, because yes, why not. Since their previous efforts "Certaine Ruines" and "Yallah Mickey Mouse", it turns out that the future isn't working out so badly for the two Cyrils. (Not so) Quietly sitting on crates of records, they patiently build their sound. Never tired of sick networks and never-ending struggles, Cyril Cyril is a rousing mess, shouting out the common spleen while still managing to have a good laugh.

Cate Brooks is back with her seventh release for Clay Pipe Music. Never one to stand still, ‘Easel Studies’ finds her pushing the boundaries of sound synthesis and experimentation on the Buchla Music Easel while still sounding beautifully beguiling and hypnotically melodic.

"On this day in 2015, at exactly Midday, I took delivery of a wildly exotic musical instrument. To call it a synthesizer would be a misrepresentation; it’s really more of a tactile, living, breathing entity than anything else. It had originally supposed to have been delivered on the day before, but had somehow been mislaid in the labyrinths of the Royal Mail sorting office at Elephant and Castle.

I sat patiently and quietly all morning, waiting for its imminent arrival. I had already read through the ‘manual’, which is more of a concept / design for living, written by synthesis legend Allen Strange.

With Noon approaching, I became a little anxious- my local postie, Barrie, was usually here by about 10:30am and there was no sign of him.

At 11:58, Barrie walked past, completely ignoring my house. Obviously concerned, I stood at the door and waited for him to walk back toward his van. As he came back, he smiled and I called out, quizzically “Barrie?”. His reply was “Yes I have!” and walked back to his van, collecting a large box and bringing it to my door. I remember the weather was muggy and my neighbour was attending to her rose bushes, as the cheery and helpful postie deftly navigated around her busy secateurs.

I took the box inside, opened the top and just looked at the inner box for a while. I took a photo of it, which I still have. It felt like quite a momentous occasion, because I felt that this instrument would take me to different sonic spaces than I was used to. It wasn’t my first experience with Don Buchla’s instruments by any means, as I’d learned to use his 200e system. But this was quite a different beast.

My cat Brillo came to inspect the box and I set the Music Easel up on the floor and plugged it in. The result of that very first experiment became “Pendula”.

In the following days and weeks of that summer, I created many more experiments on the Easel, quite often with Brillo either sat on me as I played, or trying to climb up on the instrument itself, attempting to move the faders and switches himself.

By the end of August, I had amassed some thirty-something pieces, which I put aside for future reference. I had learned a lot about this instrument, its idiosyncrasies, subtleties and ways of working.

Sadly, Brillo died in September of 2015. I like to think that his last summer with me was a comforting experience, curling up and listening to the sonic experiments taking place, as he regularly did for the sixteen years he was with me. The first track on the album, “Con Brillo” is my little tribute to him.

Fast forward to 2021 and I rediscovered all of these experiments. Some were almost unlistenable, but some had a beguiling charm about them- perhaps the sound of someone not really knowing what they’re getting into. They needed mixing and balancing, so I set to work. I also wrote a new piece, with exactly the same recording chain, in the same way, in the same room. This became the suitably titled final track “Hindsight”.

The Music Easel has remained a constant source of sonic worlds for me to explore. It because the main instrument on the album Agri Montana, for example and has cropped up on many other records I’ve made since.

I would especially like to thank David at Postmodular for selling the Music Easel to me, after phoning him and disturbing his Sunday afternoon outing to Hyde Park (sorry about that David). I always promised I would send him a copy of something I had produced on it, so hopefully he will enjoy Easel Studies."

As I finish writing this, I notice that it is, once more, exactly Midday.

I hope you enjoy Easel Studies too.

Cate Brooks (21st of May, 2023).

Emptyset present ash — a new collection of sound experiments developed over the last three years and assembled in Bristol during summer 2023.

The work draws on the project's roots in structural percussion and physical sonics, employing spatialised recording techniques and an array of analogue hardware,evoking the transformative and sculptural properties of sound.

The release marks a return for the collaborative duo of James Ginzburg and Paul Purgas, following Ginzburg's work within the exploratory performance group Osmium and Purgas' extensive research into the history of India's first electronic music studio. It brings them back to Bristol where the project first began, channeling the echoes of the city's sound system culture and resonant musical continuum, anchoring their sound within its formative origins.

Launching on October 20th through Subtext Recordings as the 50th release for the label, there will be a series of live shows including Berlin Atonal on September 16th and London's Village Underground on November 5th, their first live show in the city in over a decade. Emptyset will also be bringing together a special day of sound and performance across multiple venues in Bristol planned for Spring 2024.

Pull the Rope, the new record by Ibibio Sound Machine, casts the Eno Williams and Max Grunhard-led outfit in a new light. The hope, joy, and sexiness of their music remain, but, further honing the edge of their acclaimed 2022 album Electricity, the connection they aim to foster has shifted venues from the sunny buoyancy of a sunlit festival to a sweat-soaked, all-night dance club. Williams and Grunhard attribute this shift to a matter of collaborators, recording Pull the Rope with Sheffield-based producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.) over the course of two weeks. The way the pair wrote songs changed significantly_rather than Eno penning lyrics to music generated by Max and company's jamming, Orton started with Eno and Max writing together before adding the band. With less time in the studio and a new way of considering how they built songs, the duo found making decisions about Pull the Rope's sound quicker and more instinctual than before. "Ross is from Sheffield, which has an edgier, more industrial vibe than London," Grunhard explains. "He hears things differently than us, is more grounded in rave and grungier sounds, and knew when to add drums or push the instrumentation more. It was very different for us, but it lends itself to where Ibibio Sound Machine is going." In melding their songwriting process, Grunhard and Williams have, impossibly, pulled the trick of making Ibibio Sound Machine a tighter band than ever before, building out from their core in a way that highlights the electrifying group of musicians they play with. Rather than recording with the full band in the room, Pull the Rope was sculpted, elements added and shaped by Grunhard, Williams, and Orton along the way. As a result, Pull the Rope is a nimble, sleek machine that's thrilling from the first note of the opening title track, Eno's otherworldly voice and PK Ambrose's throbbing bass driving through a kaleidoscopic array of house, post-punk, funk, Afrobeat and disco, bangers and ballads, making an argument for unity that begins on the dancefloor. "We are the places we grew up, the places we've been, and the people we've met along the way," Williams says. "Hopping around the globe, we've found that people are fundamentally the same_they're people. Opposing sides push and pull, but there is an alternative to war, violence, and suffering." Lead single "Got to Be Who U Are" literally globetrots, name checking locales across the world that would feel disparate were it not for how well-traveled they are. Eno growing up in the musical melting pot of the Ibibio region of Nigeria and Max being a conservatory-trained musician from Australia, one could call their meeting in London and formation of Ibibio Sound Machine predestined. "Mama Say" and "Let My Yes Be Yes" touch themes of female empowerment. They're indicative of the band's depth as they push further into the electronic; "Mama Say" hits notes of electropop while "Let My Yes Be Yes" fuses electro to Afrobeat. Ibibio Sound Machine have always imbued their music with political consciousness, and the light that shines through in Williams' vocals and voice has never felt more necessary. The sound of Pull the Rope, then, is hope in darkness, bliss in spite of bleakness. Once again, Ibibio Sound Machine are here to provide the soundtrack to the best night of your life, and the better world to come.

Tanz ist das zentrale Thema des fünften Studioalbums "Fearless Movement" von Kamasi Washington. Dass er sich dem Tanz zuwendet und das Publikum mitnimmt, ist eine natürliche Weiterentwicklung von Washingtons fortwährender Beschäftigung mit Musik als Mittel der zwischenmenschlichen Verbindung. "The Epic" von 2015 und "Heaven and Earth" von 2018 waren Alben, die Genregrenzen überwunden haben und eine neue Generation in die Jazz Musik einführte. Beide Platten waren musikalischen Epen mit viel Chor und Streichern, "Fearless Movement" hingegen bietet etwas anderes. Es klingt immer noch gewaltig, aber rhythmischer - denn dieses Mal hat er den Rap in seinen musikalischen Kosmos geholt. "Die Welt ist stehen geblieben, aber ich habe definitiv nicht aufgehört", sagt Washington. "Fearless Movement" begann in den Tagen der globalen Pandemie. "Meine Tochter wurde genau in der Mitte davon geboren. Das sind zwei ziemlich große und monumentale Dinge, die gleichzeitig passieren". Das Elternsein hat Washington ein neues Gefühl der Dankbarkeit gegeben. Während die Tourneen pausierten, verbrachten sie die ersten Jahre damit, gemeinsam Washingtons Lieblingsplatten von John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman und Eric Dolphy zu hören. "Ich wollte ihr all die beste Musik zeigen", sagt er. Und eines Tages, als sie knapp zwei Jahre alt war, fiel ihr eine Melodie ein. "Wir spielten auf dem Klavier, und sie spielte sie einfach immer wieder", sagt er. Aus dieser Melodie wurde der Song "Asha The First". Washington und seine langjährigen Bandmitglieder nahmen die Melodie auf und ließen einige Lücken offen, die ein potenzieller Gast füllen sollte. " In Leimert Park, wo ich aufgewachsen bin, ist die Schnittmenge zwischen Jazz und Hip-Hop sehr groß". Also zog er Taj und Ras Austin hinzu, das Rap-Duo Coast Contra und Söhne des L.A.-Rappers Ras Kass, die er beim Herumstöbern auf YouTube entdeckt hatte. Washingtons langjähriger Freund und Kollaborateur Thundercat ist ebenfalls auf "Asha The First" zu hören. Washington ist nicht der Einzige, der auf "Fearless Movement" mit den Konventionen bricht. Andre 3000, der vielleicht beste Stilist des Rap, spielt sein allererstes Flötenfeature auf "Dream State". "Fearless Movement" vermittelt ein Gefühl der Verbundenheit, das Washingtons Arbeit über die Zeit hinweg mit der Black Music in L.A. verbindet - von der Vergangenheit über die Gegenwart bis zur Zukunft. Auf dem entspannten und funkigen "Get Lit", bei dem es darum geht, das Licht in jedem von uns zu nutzen, um unsere Gemeinschaften aufzubauen, bringt Washington den legendären Bandleader George Clinton und den Rapper D Smoke für einen der coolsten Tracks des Albums zusammen. Dieses Ethos der Elastizität und der Möglichkeiten erstreckt sich auch auf die Mitglieder von Washingtons Band, von denen einige auf dem Album zu hören sind. Unter ihnen auch Sängerin Patrice Quinn, Saxophonist Terrace Martin, Bassist Thundercat und Schlagzeuger Ronald Bruner Jr., DJ Battlecat und BJ The Chicago Kid. Die stetige Bewegung und Flexibiltät verleiht den neuen Songs eine gewisse Geschmeidigkeit, sowohl thematisch als auch musikalisch.

Tanz ist das zentrale Thema des fünften Studioalbums "Fearless Movement" von Kamasi Washington. Dass er sich dem Tanz zuwendet und das Publikum mitnimmt, ist eine natürliche Weiterentwicklung von Washingtons fortwährender Beschäftigung mit Musik als Mittel der zwischenmenschlichen Verbindung. "The Epic" von 2015 und "Heaven and Earth" von 2018 waren Alben, die Genregrenzen überwunden haben und eine neue Generation in die Jazz Musik einführte. Beide Platten waren musikalischen Epen mit viel Chor und Streichern, "Fearless Movement" hingegen bietet etwas anderes. Es klingt immer noch gewaltig, aber rhythmischer - denn dieses Mal hat er den Rap in seinen musikalischen Kosmos geholt. "Die Welt ist stehen geblieben, aber ich habe definitiv nicht aufgehört", sagt Washington. "Fearless Movement" begann in den Tagen der globalen Pandemie. "Meine Tochter wurde genau in der Mitte davon geboren. Das sind zwei ziemlich große und monumentale Dinge, die gleichzeitig passieren". Das Elternsein hat Washington ein neues Gefühl der Dankbarkeit gegeben. Während die Tourneen pausierten, verbrachten sie die ersten Jahre damit, gemeinsam Washingtons Lieblingsplatten von John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman und Eric Dolphy zu hören. "Ich wollte ihr all die beste Musik zeigen", sagt er. Und eines Tages, als sie knapp zwei Jahre alt war, fiel ihr eine Melodie ein. "Wir spielten auf dem Klavier, und sie spielte sie einfach immer wieder", sagt er. Aus dieser Melodie wurde der Song "Asha The First". Washington und seine langjährigen Bandmitglieder nahmen die Melodie auf und ließen einige Lücken offen, die ein potenzieller Gast füllen sollte. " In Leimert Park, wo ich aufgewachsen bin, ist die Schnittmenge zwischen Jazz und Hip-Hop sehr groß". Also zog er Taj und Ras Austin hinzu, das Rap-Duo Coast Contra und Söhne des L.A.-Rappers Ras Kass, die er beim Herumstöbern auf YouTube entdeckt hatte. Washingtons langjähriger Freund und Kollaborateur Thundercat ist ebenfalls auf "Asha The First" zu hören. Washington ist nicht der Einzige, der auf "Fearless Movement" mit den Konventionen bricht. Andre 3000, der vielleicht beste Stilist des Rap, spielt sein allererstes Flötenfeature auf "Dream State". "Fearless Movement" vermittelt ein Gefühl der Verbundenheit, das Washingtons Arbeit über die Zeit hinweg mit der Black Music in L.A. verbindet - von der Vergangenheit über die Gegenwart bis zur Zukunft. Auf dem entspannten und funkigen "Get Lit", bei dem es darum geht, das Licht in jedem von uns zu nutzen, um unsere Gemeinschaften aufzubauen, bringt Washington den legendären Bandleader George Clinton und den Rapper D Smoke für einen der coolsten Tracks des Albums zusammen. Dieses Ethos der Elastizität und der Möglichkeiten erstreckt sich auch auf die Mitglieder von Washingtons Band, von denen einige auf dem Album zu hören sind. Unter ihnen auch Sängerin Patrice Quinn, Saxophonist Terrace Martin, Bassist Thundercat und Schlagzeuger Ronald Bruner Jr., DJ Battlecat und BJ The Chicago Kid. Die stetige Bewegung und Flexibiltät verleiht den neuen Songs eine gewisse Geschmeidigkeit, sowohl thematisch als auch musikalisch.

Randy Wiper is only known for this highly sought-after 100% pure Italo-Disco song from 1984, but the reason why he hasn't published anything else is that the artist embarked on a career as a film actor immediately after. The beginning of the song "I'd Like To Know" could be divided into three, the pattern of which is repeated in the subsequent instrumental parts, the piece possesses the sidereal energy of space disco. When it seems that we will leave the planet on board a shuttle, the soloist's voice enters, full of personality, it is that of Marcello Arcangeli and has the gift of inflections that sometimes recall that of Roy Orbison, at other times that of David Bowie. What remains most imprinted on the listener is the romantic part of the ballad, highlighted by the piano and passion. Finally there is the chorus which sounds exclamatory, imploring, but at the same time casual and danceable. Through a unique theme, that of a rare piece like "I'd Like To Know", we explore space, the heart, the disco.

Containing the hits that were only deemed misses by the critics that condemned Oi! as some kind of subcultural fad that favoured football and violence way above the bloody good tunes that should by rights occupy the higher rank, 4 Skins, The Unreleased Radio & Studio Sessions encapsulates that energy at its finest. From formidable swarms of police brutality and political injustice, the underlying (and unyielding) socio-political messages experienced from the streets that resonated with every estranged clockwork skinhead of the day are bound to be ticked on every track. After the atmospheric crash of One Law for Them, dropped in amongst the Radio and blistering Bumper Sessions with Evil sitting squarely in its unpolished centre is the ska-inflected gallop of Seems To Me, an unreleased tune reinforcing the notion that there was more to Oi! than meets the laces.

Four years and one pandemic after his latest Dreams Of A Dark Building EP, the herald of dungeon synth pop is finally back from his shallow grave.

Life has not been gentle with Seattle-based solo producer Parker Lautenschlager over the past few years, imposing its unpredictability and forcing him to channel all the feelings that come with it into Profit Prison’s music.

It’s no surprise that his first full-length album Gilt marks one futher step towards the dark corners of italo / hi-nrg body music. Typical Profit Prison’s vocals and melodies, reminiscent of OG synth masters Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, are still here, buried in the mix and waiting to haunt the listeners and drag them down in one sulfurous dancing spiral.

Lead single Sophia juxtaposes some weirdly camouflaged vocals with one heavenly chorus that seems willing to revive your fortunes while instead it literally sings “But I lost it all”. A Matter Of Tact displays pop escapism over some throbbing minimal synth tension, Seven Words sounds like a throwback to 70’s italo filtered through the eyes of a 21st century punk rocker. Katalina has a rampant synth à la Carpenter climbing over a story of loss and Katalina, An Ascetic is a solo ramble reaching for the inner light on a carpet of cold keys.

What’s more, tracks got longer in Parker’s recent songwriting, with most of the songs being now five minute long and reaching peaks of seven minutes with the closing, almost progressive disco jam of A.R.P. (Amphetamine Research Project), nothing short of a lucid dream on the floor of Studio 54.

Last but not least, the artwork by French artist Robin Roche delivers medieval-yet-punk graphic vibes to match just perfectly the sounds on this record.

Available for the first time from Cargo. This album, Ward’s eighth solo affair, finds the artist picking up the tempo and volume a bit from his previous release, 2012’s A Wasteland Companion. Where that record introspectively looked in from the outside, More Rain finds Ward on the inside, gazing out. Imagined initially as a DIY doo-wop album that would feature Ward experimenting with layering his own voice, it soon branched out in different directions, a move that he credits largely to his collaborators here who include R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, Neko Case, k.d. lang, The Secret Sisters, and Joey Spampinato of NRBQ. The result is a collection of upbeat, sonically ambitious yet canonically familiar songs that both propel Ward’s reach and satisfy longtime fans.

'One Deep River' is Mark's sixth consecutive studio album to be recorded at his British Grove Studios and his first since 2018's 'Down The Road Wherever.' When Covid restrictions eased, Mark reconvened at BG with longtime band members and collaborators such as Guy Fletcher, Danny Cummings, Richard Bennett, Glenn Worf, Jim Cox and others, with the addition of first-time contributor Greg Leisz on pedal and lap steel and acoustic guitar.

Says Mark of the new album, which he co-produced with longtime confidant Fletcher: "It was back to the old-fashioned idea of a band making a record together in the room, which maybe in the more youth-oriented side of the industry has become quite rare, because everyone uses loads of technology. We do too, but what we do is we combine the old and the new. If it works, I use it.

"With these songs, you can see them coming together very quickly, with a band like this. You're in a game where you're making the thing and it's happening whether you like it or not. You could push the pace, but I try and give myself a little bit more breathing room. The fatal thing a lot of the time would be to want to rush everything. Something creative always happens by not panicking."

Of the track 'Ahead Of The Game,' Mark adds: "That all goes back to bands playing live. In some way, I was thinking about Nashville, because when I first went out there, it must have been in the early '80s and all the bands in the bars downtown were playing the hits. And that's fine. What I was trying to say is that's an achievement to actually get to a place where you've got employment, and you've got yourself a gig. I mean, statistically, what are the odds of making it? If you stopped to think about that, you'd hardly take a step further, would you?"

'One Deep River' is Mark's sixth consecutive studio album to be recorded at his British Grove Studios and his first since 2018's 'Down The Road Wherever.' When Covid restrictions eased, Mark reconvened at BG with longtime band members and collaborators such as Guy Fletcher, Danny Cummings, Richard Bennett, Glenn Worf, Jim Cox and others, with the addition of first-time contributor Greg Leisz on pedal and lap steel and acoustic guitar.

Says Mark of the new album, which he co-produced with longtime confidant Fletcher: "It was back to the old-fashioned idea of a band making a record together in the room, which maybe in the more youth-oriented side of the industry has become quite rare, because everyone uses loads of technology. We do too, but what we do is we combine the old and the new. If it works, I use it.

"With these songs, you can see them coming together very quickly, with a band like this. You're in a game where you're making the thing and it's happening whether you like it or not. You could push the pace, but I try and give myself a little bit more breathing room. The fatal thing a lot of the time would be to want to rush everything. Something creative always happens by not panicking."

Of the track 'Ahead Of The Game,' Mark adds: "That all goes back to bands playing live. In some way, I was thinking about Nashville, because when I first went out there, it must have been in the early '80s and all the bands in the bars downtown were playing the hits. And that's fine. What I was trying to say is that's an achievement to actually get to a place where you've got employment, and you've got yourself a gig. I mean, statistically, what are the odds of making it? If you stopped to think about that, you'd hardly take a step further, would you?"