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This new "Experimental Chapter" by DJ Narciso comes as no surprise, really. Autonomous in the motorization of his music, pushing for progress within the framework of an undeniable (inescapable?) heritage. Twisting and bending sound every step of the way, Narciso definitely keeps in touch with the dancefloor, offering the always much needed transcendence through distinctive, non-linear melodies and patterns. The artist pursues a direct link with bodies in motion but seldom in the expected, institutionalized way club culture is being largely promoted.

This is challenging dance music, proud statements of difference. Narciso's previous record was named "Diferenciado". Now we get "Dificuldades", a track that simultaneously carries the weight of being somewhat odd and the difficulties of life. Check how the piano is venting, freestyle, communicating a feeling, and then lets itself get stuck in a loop, but that's exactly when the groove really starts flowing. And then another layer. It's like direct speech.

A common assertion of pride is found in the origin of the artists. The ghetto as a place where any transformation projects more power precisely because of... inherent difficulties. As others (including himself) did in more or less obvious ways, Narciso clearly states "I come from the ghetto" ( "Não Sabes" ). Twice the value. At least. Almost every segment of music in this album ends up sounding heavily emotional, reaffirming what may be - perversely - a well-known characteristic of Portuguese music: melancholy.

"Não Quero" begins side B as a march maybe more significant than a thousand words, such is the ominous tone of its texture. Next track is another lunar tarraxo, pulling down the shades. Then, "Dor de Barriga" lets things loose again, steering clearly off road, shouting this way and that until a peaceful resolution comes. In "Livra-me Desta", vocal snippets blend into synth snippets, disembodied voices abandon all traces of humanity and finally mutate into different entities that, towards the end, again sound vaguely human but now we find ourselves doubting. Closer "Bob" is a rather classic percussion track with plenty of echo, reverb and an unconscious nod to dodecaphonic music. Unlikely? No, the structural ADN of this music is made up of elements western and eastern, southern and northern. To say all-over-the-place is usually not flattering but in this case the expression translates as wonder, surprise, The Unexpected, and reveals Narciso perfectly at ease inside the nucleus of creation.

“Rob wanted the world of The Northman to feel harsh and uncomfortable, and for everything to feel like it was caked in mud and dry blood, so it was crucial for the score to mirror that.” Composers Robin Carolan (Tri-Angle Records) and Sebastian Gainsborough (Vessel) were given a task of epic proportions when director Rob Eggers (The VVitch, The Lighthouse) asked them to create the score for his ambitious and highly anticipated new film The Northman, releasing on April 22nd. They needed to make a score that both honored the immense research that had gone into the authenticity of this Viking era period piece and complimented the cinematic maximalism of the film for a modern audience. The artists stretched themselves to the depths of their creativity and the resulting album is a gorgeous sonic tableaux that places the listener right in the center of the film.

While arranging the score the composers consulted musician and ethnographer Poul Høxbro for inspiration and insight into the history of Viking music. Having backgrounds in left field electronic music, Robin and Sebastian felt liberated by the constraint of using a small selection of musical tools for this piece. “Electronic music has almost limitless potential when it comes to making sounds and that’s obviously an incredible thing, but you can also go down the wormhole and get lost in it sometimes. There’s no risk of that happening when you only have a few primary instruments to draw upon.” Robin remarked.

They utilized traditional instruments such as the tagelharpa, langspil, kravik lyre, and säckpip to build the cinematic world of The Northman but they also took creative freedoms in adding instruments likes drums, which some academics believe wouldn’t have played a big part in Viking musical culture, simply due to the lack of archaeological evidence of actual drums. “One of the pieces we wrote was intended to emulate the sound of a bullroarer; an ancient instrument used in sacred rituals or in battle to intimidate enemies. It makes a really disorienting roaring vibrato sound and low frequencies capable of traveling insane distances.” Robin says when asked about one of the more unique aspects of the score. Everyone involved put so much effort into both their research and their creativity and this richness is evident in every track. The album as a whole is a cinematic masterpiece of sound and ambiance, both gorgeous and disturbing, like the film it so beautifully accompanies.

For anyone unfamiliar with Skeleton Recordings, it was started in 1992 by DJ Monita based in West London and had a quality string of releases between 92-94 like Triple 6, Luv To Luv Ya, A Classic Skank, The Razor's Edge, Nightmares, I could go on and on...

In 2014, the label started back up again & I'd been sending some of my music to Monita around this time which led to me releasing an EP called Storylines on the label in 2016, where I was able to put out some of my music that was made in a darker & more modern style than my usual oldskool inspired work. I also had a tune featured on the 25th anniversary release series called Time's Up alongside other favourite artists of mine like Threshold, Gremlinz, Antidote (R.I.P), Future, Theory, Ricky Force & many more.

In 2021, Monita announced that he would be retiring Skeleton Recordings and putting out the final releases, which were single sided represses of Luv To Luv Ya & Nightmares, nearly 30 years after they originally were made. However, I had some great unofficial remixes that Phineus II had done of The Razor's Edge & Full Cry by Steve C & Monita, which never saw the light of day officially and I took a chance by contacting Monita to see if he'd be up for one more Skeleton Recordings release, in conjunction with Future Retro London.

Thankfully, he was up for the release and on top of that, he was able to provide 2 tracks that he made in 1995 that were meant for Skeleton Recordings but never saw the light of day until they were released digitally on Hardcore Junglism for a brief period of time, but never released on vinyl.

Big thanks to DJ Monita of course for allowing me to make this happen (as well as for his work in creating such a great label) & Phineus II for his remixes.

Five Dollar Bill was originally released in 2003, and is now going to be widely available on vinyl for the first time. This record includes songs that are staples in Corb Lund’s live set, such as “(Gonna) Shine Up My Boots” and “Time to Switch to Whiskey.” In addition to these lively jams, Five Dollar Bill features everything from romantic imagery of Corb’s homeland, “Short Native Grasses (Prairies of Alberta),” to songs that give the listener a glimpse into the life of working class folks, such as “Roughest Neck Around” which is an ode to oil riggers and the grit that is required with that lifestyle. “‘Five Dollar Bill’ was a big milestone for me for lots of reasons. It was my first record after my metal band, The Smalls, broke up and it’s when I got really serious about western music. I really dove into my family’s cowboy ancestry and my very rural upbringing in this batch of songs. It was also our first record of many produced by Harry Stinson who is now a very close friend, and our first brush with Nashville, Tennessee, as we recorded half the record down there. It was our last record with Ryan Vikedal on the drums before he flew off into fame and fortune with Nickelback. It was also our last record as a trio. It was my first gold album,” says Lund, “And we are still playing lots of these songs at our shows. It really defined my path forward as a western songwriter and helped lay the foundation for my whole career."

This limited edition release is part of the Corb Lund - Dark Horses Club. New West Records will be releasing unreleased records and material from Corb Lund throughout 2025 and 2026.

The Populists—the alias of Yan Wagner—are about to unleash their latest assault on the dancefloor with the hotly anticipated EP, Extrême Intensité. This drops on Deadbeat Records in July and comes equipped with a dark, dusty, electro-infused remix from Mr. Ho.

When these demos landed in our inbox, we instantly knew that we needed to release it. This couldn’t be more Deadbeat if it tried; ravey, playful, banging. Expect this to be on heavy rotation throughout summer.

Produced in the vibrant heart of Marseilles, France, Extrême Intensité is a raw, unapologetic salute to UK rave, early dubstep, electro, and acid - the sounds that make your head spin and your jaw shake. Yan describes the project as “probably the most heavy and ‘brainless’ (in the best way) bunch of tracks I’ve ever created; the most UK sounding too.”

This new EP was produced in Yan’s home studio in Marseilles in March 2025, amidst a fierce USBJ digging craze and emerged as a most welcome breath of fresh air as he was immersed in the production process of another, more sombre, project. It’s packing hallmark breakbeats, gritty samples, and vintage Roland synths, all wrapped up in a playful, confident package designed to obliterate the dancefloor.

And to cap things off, Mr Ho, one of the current scene’s biggest producers and close friend of the label, has delivered a dark and warehousey remix that’s guaranteed to keep dance floors ablaze. As a big fan of his, we’re buzzing to finally land him on Deadbeat.



c B1. Extrême Intensité vinyl only

Over the course of The Slackers' nearly 35-year career, the NYC legends have paid respect to numerous interconnected genres of Jamaican music, including ska, reggae, and rocksteady. Dub mixing - a process of creating new "versions" of songs that emphasize the rhythm section and heavy utilization of atmospheric effects such as delay and reverb - looms so large as a driving force in that world, it is no wonder that the band would approach it with the same mix of reverence and creativity. "Dub is the other side of The Slackers," says the band's guitarist, Agent Jay. "A contrast to the uptempo danceable wit of our ska." The Dub Classics LP - originally released (and sold out) in 2021 and now available from Pirates Press Records - represents a collection of some of the greatest fruits of that labour. More than just a "re-mix" album, it is an essential part of the band's catalog that reinvents their sound and reveals all new perspectives on their many talents.

A year on from Dawn Again's pubwave classic Every Dog's Hotel, the Australian producer returns to Hell Yeah with more dreamy, breaks-driven downtempo brilliance.

Melbourne-based Nick Verwey won plenty of new fans for the sunlit, lo-fi sounds of his last album. It came after years of making music for, and playing records to, people who like to get down anywhere from rooftops to beaches and living rooms. The prolific producer has released on the likes of Houseworx and Enjoyment Division before now, and this new EP is another wonderfully dreamy and carefree outing.

'A Day In The Life of Pond Algae' unfolds over a lazy, dubby groove that is gently brought to life with bulbous synth loops and shakers, sunny chords and little smears of sound that pass like clouds. 'Guided Meditation For Dancefloor Nirvana' picks things up with dusty broken beats and instructional spoken words that encourage you to breathe over painterly synth strokes and effortlessly cool grooves. 'Vanilla Sky' lays you out flat on the lawn, the beach or the lounger and has you gazing up to an azure blue sky as gentle drums and synths wash over you like a cooling breeze. Lastly 'Crying Outside the Stadium' captures the magic of later afternoon on a summer day with more blurry pads and vocals and hints of cosmic melody that lead you towards nightfall with a loving hand.

This is another superbly soothing soundtrack for a calming day of outdoor dancing.

Repress!

Tony Price is back again with Street Theatre, an electrifying new LP on his Maximum Exposure label that serves up eight tracks of rude, crude, real-deal house music with absolute attitude.

Following the recent release of the psychedelic jazz reveries of Requiem for the Ontario Science Centre, this is his second release of 2025 and marks a return to the dancefloor.

Street Theatre is total midnight music—eight tracks of ferocious Chicago house worship, replete with slamming drum machine beatdowns, laser-guided synthesizers, and radioactive funk refractions that evoke Z-Factor’s primal neon pulse, trench coat-era Prince, WBMX cut-ups, and Ron Hardy’s splice-happy Muzic Box mania.

Produced in the span of a week at his studio in Greektown, Toronto, these recordings exemplify what can now undoubtedly be called Tony Price’s signature style—an unvarnished, elemental, no-nonsense approach to record production and sound design that reduces dance music down to its crudest textures and core principles, an approach and ethos that have guided his entire body of work.

Tony’s recorded output showcases fearless exploration across genres—classic house, funk, electro, and the outer limits of electronic jazz and musique concrète. Street Theatre stands tall alongside his Hit Piece LP, the Bail Bonds EP, and his NTS show, The Maximum Exposure Power Hour, as a bold, ecstatic, and direct expression of the eternal essence of house music.

Known for his ability to create captivating, emotionally charged techno, Jonathan Kaspar eventually returns to Cocoon Recordings with his third contribution Twofold Split. One, yet simultaneously two releases that once again showcase his extraordinary talent through condensed techno with a pinch of trance, weaving together driving rhythms and atmospheric textures in a way that feels innovatively progressive.

Rooted in a minimalist rhythmic structure, ‘Power’ takes us in a new direction, steadily building momentum as its energy billows upwards, with the intensity never wavering throughout. A large, dented, tinny tuba sounds imposingly as Jonathan blows louder and louder into the old thing, its raw, metallic tone instantly commanding attention. What an explosion in the break, leading us into a wild, almost chaotic energy, before Kaspar’s meticulous attention to detail ensures that the shimmering synths feel perfectly placed, guiding us to the absolute freak-out moment. After all the insanity, Jonathan Kaspar takes us by the hand and leads us into a melodic, trancy after-hours mood with “1993,” bringing a sense of release after the wild ride of the previous tracks. What a successful closing track to this outstanding release. With its melodic trance influences, it offers a soothing, almost nostalgic atmosphere, bringing a sense of calm and closure, a perfect moment of introspection and euphoria as
the EP winds down

Dunkirk is a 2017 English-language war film written, co-produced and directed by Christopher Nolan (Interstellar, Memento, Insomnia, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception). The score is composed by multiple award winner Hans Zimmer (Interstellar, Batman V Superman, The Crown). On 5 April 2017, Zimmer revealed that he was nearly finished with the score, and that it would be complete by the start of his Hans Zimmer Live on Tour shows in May.

For the purpose of intensity, the script was written to accommodate the auditory illusion of a Shepard tone, which had previously been explored in Nolan's 2006 film The Prestige. This was coupled with the sound of a ticking clock, that of Nolan's own pocket watch, which he recorded and sent to Zimmer to be synthesized. The first pressing is individually numbered and pressed on transparent blue vinyl.

We’re back in the groove with the next instalment of our 45s, where killer music always wins over oddball cover art. This time we’re serving up a Balearic, under-the-radar sunset jam from obscure Belgian outfit North South East West. Soulful, warm, and effortlessly cool, it’s the kind of track that makes you want to quit your job and move to somewhere hotter.

To stretch out the magic, we called on Peckham’s finest, Medlar, who turns in a dubbed-out, spacey flip that sends the original into orbit. It’s deep, trippy, and built for the mix — you’ll want two copies just to keep it going.

File next to: forgotten private press yacht soul, poolside AOR, and those records that get Shazams pinging when they hit the turntable.

Car Button Cloth' is an extraordinary affair of musical and emotional extremes, a soundscape spanning “the most beautiful piano-led mourning in the history of the broken heart” that switches into perky jangle-pop for fleeting moments and contains the ultimate self-deprecating classic ‘The Outdoor Type’, penned by Smudge cohort Tom Morgan, as well as a cover of the bluegrass standard ‘Knoxville Girl’ and ‘If I Could Talk I’d Tell You’ co-written with The Vaselines’ Eugene Kelly. All bases are covered. “One of the most distinctive voices of the ‘90s” The New York Times. To further unravel where Evan’s head was at during the period of its creation, this deluxe double album comes with a record of exquisite and typically eclectic scene setting covers that occupied B-sides and alternative format versions, plus other super rare offcuts, live takes and remixes. A diet of Volcano Suns, Glen Campbell, The Jacobites, The Sir Douglas Quintet and Whitney Houston influenced Evan’s thinking and added further colour to an album that remains something of a Dorian Gray-style masterpiece. The first side of extras is rounded off with the never before released ‘Arise’, originally set for the remake of Great Expectations and later realised as Rancho Santa Fe on solo album ‘Baby I’m Bored’.

Friends since the age of six, most of the album was written and recorded by the pair when they were nineteen. The songs possess all the singular magic of a duo writing and playing together while sounding like a full, sonically charged band. Their debut E.P. track 'Two Monkeys', included here, has a level of shoegazey dirt that will leave many distortion freaks reeling. `Every Word Said' is prog-pop perfection. The title track is as moody as anything by Flying Saucer Attack. 'Another One Making Clouds' evolves over 35 minutes and doesn't stop elevating and surprising. A founding notion of our label was to release recordings made as the musicians' first intended. No `notes' and no re-recording with a `proper' producer in a `real' studio. A noble preference we saw labels like Rough Trade pursuing with The Strokes, The Smiths, The Fall et al.This album is a proud example. And captures something you can't fake. A young band finding an epic, emotional, cinematic sound in their bedroom. Using it in that peculiarly British way to express the wonder, confusion and heartache of being nineteen. Of wanting to be seen and not seen. It's a kind of British `soul' music with ancestors like The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Jesus & Mary Chain and the original shoegaze bands. Progressive guitar music, channeling deep emotion, a desire to hear something that sounds like how you feel inside. The stuff nobody talks about. Everything Else.

Friends since the age of six, most of the album was written and recorded by the pair when they were nineteen. The songs possess all the singular magic of a duo writing and playing together while sounding like a full, sonically charged band. Their debut E.P. track 'Two Monkeys', included here, has a level of shoegazey dirt that will leave many distortion freaks reeling. `Every Word Said' is prog-pop perfection. The title track is as moody as anything by Flying Saucer Attack. 'Another One Making Clouds' evolves over 35 minutes and doesn't stop elevating and surprising. A founding notion of our label was to release recordings made as the musicians' first intended. No `notes' and no re-recording with a `proper' producer in a `real' studio. A noble preference we saw labels like Rough Trade pursuing with The Strokes, The Smiths, The Fall et al.This album is a proud example. And captures something you can't fake. A young band finding an epic, emotional, cinematic sound in their bedroom. Using it in that peculiarly British way to express the wonder, confusion and heartache of being nineteen. Of wanting to be seen and not seen. It's a kind of British `soul' music with ancestors like The Cure, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Jesus & Mary Chain and the original shoegaze bands. Progressive guitar music, channeling deep emotion, a desire to hear something that sounds like how you feel inside. The stuff nobody talks about. Everything Else.

Mainstays of the D.C. DIY scene, Pretty Bitter live up to their name. Masters of all kinds of dissonance, they juxtapose stories of haunting and heartbreak with dazzling pop-rock arrangements. Pretty Bitter makes music that gets the emo kids dancing. They’re unafraid to infuse their blistering breakdowns with hits of disco and synthpop—and that’s exactly what they’ve done on Pleaser, their sophomore album, co-produced by Evan Weiss (Into It. Over It., Pet Symmetry) and Simon Small (Strawberry Boy) and out July 25th, 2025 via cult favorite indie label Tiny Engines. Following a string of ethereal singles, their 2022 debut Hinges formally introduced Pretty Bitter and their dreampunk to a rapidly growing audience. Fearlessly led by Mel Bleker and sharing studio and touring members with D.C. punk all-stars Ekko Astral, Pretty Bitter has been embraced by DIY fans far and wide. On Pleaser, Pretty Bitter have amped up the drama of their lush arrangements—a match made in heaven for the emotional ferocity of Bleker’s lyricism. “If everything is out there, nothing’s embarrassing,” they sigh on “I Hope You Do,” expertly toeing the line between the personal and the universal over bright, bubbling synths. On the arresting closer “Outer Heaven,” Bleker sings “Time isn’t a lover in the way it likes to play / I’m getting older, every due I pay / Time isn’t a bandage in the way you always say / I won’t be abandoned by myself again this way.” Their observational, heart-on-sleeve songwriting is as effortless as their flittering between the jangly, dreamy inclinations of rock, pop, and folk. Pleaser is a triumph, an instantly lovable record that reveals just how bright Pretty Bitter’s future is.

Ghetto Cycle is the soundtrack of Charlie P’s life, set to music by O.B.F.

Meeting up with Charlie P and Rico from O.B.F in a studio is like diving into a particle accelerator operating at full speed. Lively, hyperactive, hardworking, Southend’s MC and the greatest warrior of French sound systems just can’t stay put.

Their creativity works continuously: riddims, melodies, lyrics, clip concepts and other fantasies spurt out at top speed. These common traits allow them to produce explosive collaborations, both on stage and in the studio.

After the success of the singles “Dub Controler” and “Sixteen Tons of Pressure”, the launch of an album became self-evident. Coming from a modest background in a remote London suburb, Charlie P has been through a lot before understanding that his passion for music could be a vehicle for emancipation. It is this life trajectory, punctuated by difficulties, pitfalls, hard work, encounters and challenges that he tells through the tracks of “Ghetto Cycle”.

Conceived as a concentrate of joint influences, this album gathers tracks in the purest digital dub vein, but also reggae, dance or downright grime. A new stage in the development of their collaboration.

Following on from his highly acclaimed debut Len Parrott"s Memorial Lift, Baxter proves that this was no fluke. His 2nd album Floor Show sounds like it was recorded in St Paul"s Cathedral, with vocals added in the whispering gallery. Narratively, it"s seems to be about a disintegrating relationship, although this is no confession booth moment. Guitars float like ectoplasm, Wurlitzer"s spin beneath mirror balls, summoning the presence of spectral beings, swaying to luxurious, narcotic music that predates trip-hop by a good sixty years. Stand-out tracks include the single "Lisa Said", "Cocaine Man" and the wonderful "Francesca"s Party". The album was produced by Baxter, Nick Terry and mixed by Craig Silvey (The Coral, Magic Numbers) in West London in the winter of 2004 / 2005. The band are Damon Reece on drums and Mike Mooney on the electric guitar- both former members of Spiritualized.

The Jamaican musical group The Maytals can be considered as one of the best known and most important ska and rocksteady groups of all time. Frontman Toots Hibbert penned an impressive catalogue of songs during his time in jail, and after his release he reunited with his bandmates and entered the studio with the brilliant producer Leslie Kong. Some of the great tracks he recorded during that time are included on this record, like “Monkey Man” (covered by the legendary Amy Winehouse) and “Pressure Drop”. The quality and great energy of this band is very well represented on this release.

Known for his ability to create captivating, emotionally charged techno, Jonathan Kaspar eventually returns to Cocoon Recordings with his third contribution Twofold Split. One, yet simultaneously two releases that once again showcase his extraordinary talent through condensed techno with a pinch of trance, weaving together driving rhythms and atmospheric textures in a way that feels innovatively progressive.

Drifting hypnotically, this might be the most fitting way to describe what Jonathan Kaspar unfolds before us here. The rolling percussion grooves seamlessly intertwine with the siren's spectral tone, gradually blending into the alchemy of ‘Yah’ as it erupts into the mix. By the time the peak arrives, there’s a raw intensity in the air - the track seems to bend and stretch then drills and twists until it cracks, but never loses its sense of purpose and remainsanchored in its deep, pulsating groove. On the flip side, ‘Silver Lines’ stands as a counterpart, offering a contrast in both sound and atmosphere. With its minimalist arrangement, the track first nestles in gently, lulling the listener into its world—only to tighten its grip as a synth sequence gradually opens its cut-off filter, slicing through the calm, drilling into the mind, and shifting the mood from tranquil to tense.

Jordan Passmore, an electronic music and sound producer based in Indianapolis, USA, has spent two decades crafting original songs, remixes, and live performances. His work is characterized by the use of both vintage and modern synthesizers and drum machines, creating a unique blend of house, wave, techno, and more.

Over the years, he’s been known for producing finely textured tracks that nod to early electronic traditions while pushing into new terrain.

In his latest release, KEEP IT E.P., Passmore continues to push the boundaries of his sound. This EP features a variety of tracks that range from acid techno to mellow new wave, showcasing his ability to intertwine different genres seamlessly. Each song presents a distinct mood and pacing, reflecting a more experimental approach compared to his previous works.

The EP is a kaleidoscope of styles and moods—an interplay of acid techno grit, minimal wave introspection, and rhythm-driven synthscapes. Each track carries its own personality, from the pulsing tension of “Keep It (Short Version)” to the warped funk of “Wired Access Panel” and the dreamy, cinematic sway of “Angelica and Persephone.”

KEEP IT keeps a listener in motion, in thought, and in rhythm.

Two titans of the underground link up for a sharp, cinematic journey through the realities of street life, loyalty, and legacy. On Checks & Balances, veteran lyricist Rasheed Chappell delivers thought-provoking bars with precision and grit, while 38 Spesh handles the boards and mic with equal finesse. The production is raw and soulful, driven by moody loops, neck-snapping drums, and minimalist flourishes that let the verses breathe. The chemistry is undeniable—this is a record that demands your full attention and rewards every listen with layers of wisdom, hunger, and mastery.

Blodsträngen, the third from Gothenburg's inimitable fourpiece Blessings, begins and ends in the same space: the safety and familiarity of their rehearsal room. In between these moments however, the album knows no boundaries; it rampages through your inner sanctum, upending everything it can, razing everything you hold dear and drawing on the walls whilst panting, drooling and muttering to itself in strange tongues_ Blodsträngen is Blessings fine-tuning their deliberately dissonant sound whilst simultaneously casting their net wide for ever more left-field, experimental influences; a disparate collection of idiosyncrasies that the band somehow manage to pull into something cohesive, captivating and empowering. The band leave the messages and meanings behind their music open to interpretation as a means of sharing this attitude of openness with their audience because, when all is said and done, all that matters is all playing disgustingly loud music together in a room. FOR FANS OF Unsane, Breach, Young Widows, Black Flag, Trap Them, Converge, Old Man Gloom, At The Drive In, Swans, The Jesus Lizard

Second album from North East indie rockers Fortitude Valley! "We're still very much the same band," says Fortitude Valley's Laura Kovic, describing the band's triumphant return with second album Part Of The Problem, Baby. "But the dials have all just been turned up a bit." That much is immediately apparent from the off - whereas 2021's self-titled debut was a breezily charming coalescence of effortless pop hooks and indie-punk energy, this new effort announces itself with guts and a road-earned sense of self-confidence. It's the sound of a band growing into itself; with a smartly effervescent approach to songwriting and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of swoon-inducing indiepop hooks. Over the course of Part Of The Problem, Baby's ten glorious offerings, we get treated to a miscellany of pop cultural sources of inspiration as a means of tackling themes like distance, personal growth and self-determination. For Kovic, an Australian-born musician living in the UK for almost two decades, the first of those is clearly a big one. "When I was a teenager I couldn't wait to get away," she explains, referencing her upbringing in Brisbane, "and now I can't wait to go back each time. My life is now just repeatedly visiting and then feeling sad when I leave, but knowing in my heart that I am where I'm supposed to be." Louder, wiser, in tune with each other and their identity as a collective_ Fortitude Valley may well remain the same band, but Part Of The Problem, Baby is a step forward on every level.

A truly essential piece of early Detroit Techno history here, Octave One's original white label "Octivation" EP from 1990 has long been a sought after and coveted slab of wax. This 5 track journey charts the Burden brothers mood from sinister, spacey, acidic Techno jams ("Sonic Fusion") to deeper, more melancholic mid-tempo cuts ("Nicolette") and along the way manages to usher in a new wave of Detroit Techno sounds.

Steeped in soul and depth "Octivation" was hinting towards the epic style Octave One would shape with their various projects in the following decades and releases. The earliest glimpse (Their 1st release) into a long and fruitful career that is still continuing today. This EP was a game changer and it's influence can still be felt in contemporary House and Techno right now.

Now, finally made available again to be re-discovered and experienced.
Re-mastered, re-pressed and re-issued with all the original 430 West white label and sticker artwork intact, in conjunction with the Burden brothers / 430 West Records.

ATA Records is pleased to announce the release of Early Works 2: Funk, Soul & Afro Rarities From The Archive, a compilation of tracks recorded in the fledgling days of the label paired with some rediscovered treasures from more recent years. While the majority of the album is previously unreleased material several tracks have appeared on different formats.

This is a rare chance for listeners to experience the birth of the ATA's enduring concept and recording techniques from the comfort of their own home.

In 2020 label founder and musician Neil Innes decided to destroy the studio he had spent 14-years building, destroy it and rebuild it from the ground up.

Once the studio began to take shape again and Innes was finally able to take a breath he began rooting through the label's archives, pulling out reels that had been propping up tables, holding open doors and generally lurking in nooks and crannies for years.

His trip down memory uncovered a wealth of dusty musical treasures and also got him thinking about tracks from newer artists, nuggets to compliment the archive gold.

Along with the first airings of tracks by The Harmony Society, The Disarrays this 11track comp includes appearances by studio favourites: The Magnificent Tape Band, The Sorcerers, The Mandatory Eight, Ivan Von Engleberger's Asteroid and long time collaborator Chris Dawkins (recording under Earl Dawkins).Also on the comp is Joe Tatton's Bang Bang Boogaloo, previously only released on 7 inch and greatly desired by record diggers everywhere.

"After the success of his album Le Bal des Crocodiles in 2023, the Parisian label Teenage Kicks Production has announced the imminent release of the new album by the artist Homme Bleu, titled Dark Matter. Recorded at Garage Studio in Montpellier, this album will feature 12 tracks in English. The mixing was done in New York by Alex Conroy, except for the track The Life in Me, which was mixed by Steve Lyon (Depeche Mode, The Cure, etc.). A resolutely rock album that highlights guitars with modern arrangements. Introspection, existential questions, human relationships, and the passage of time are the artist's favorite themes, with a distinctly pop-rock influence infused with an electro whirlwind. Three singles have already been released from the album: The Life in Me, a high-energy rock track dominated by guitars; I Ride: a groovy mid-tempo ballad reminiscent of Radiohead's universe, an ode to inner freedom and resilience; titletrack Dark Matter, an eponymous track, a piano-vocal ballad. The album cover was designed by Frank Loriou (Manu Chao, Miossec, etc.), with whom Homme Bleu has collaborated since the beginning of his career." Double-LP in gatefold sleeve, blue vinyl.

For the first time ever, Casey Veggies’ breakthrough album Life Changes is coming to vinyl! PNCINTL is proud to bring this iconic project to collectors and fans worldwide with an exclusive limited-edition pressing.

Originally released in 2013, Life Changes marked a defining moment in Casey Veggies’ career, blending sharp lyricism, smooth West Coast vibes, and unique storytelling. From anthems like Faces and She In My Car to deep cuts that still resonate today, this album became an underground staple and a must-have!

Back in 2016 a talented wordsmith from the Bronx going by the name Mickey Factz teamed up with producer Nottz to release his full-length "The Achievement: Circa '82". The album is an ambitious piece of work that finds Mickey trying to encapsulate all his thoughts in lieu of this very moment, with Nottz serving as the executive producer providing a plethora of landscapes for Mickey to illustrate his stories. Featuring guest appearances by names such as Styles P, Smoke DZA, Phonte, Curren$y, Royce Da 5'9", Skyzoo, Stalley and several others, this deluxe and extended edition also presents a few remixes and unreleased tracks, all packed in a 2LP limited edition vinyl, bringing Mickey's achievements on physical copy for the first time ever.

Originally released in 1998, ‘Electro-Shock Blues’is the emotional centrepiece of EELS’ catalogue -a stark, beautiful exploration of grief, survival andultimately, hope.
Written in the wake of tragic personal losses, itblends fragile melodies with raw, often darklyhumorous lyrics.
From the haunting opener ‘Elizabeth On TheBathroom Floor’ to the defiant closer ‘P.S. YouRock My World’, it’s a deeply human record thatdoesn’t flinch from life’s hardest moments.
This special two-disc edition is pressed on solidblue 140gram double vinyl at 45 RPM, offeringupgraded sound from the original 10” 33 RPMedition and bringing new depth to its layeredproduction.
A landmark album of the late 1990s, ‘ElectroShock Blues’ remains a poignant, cathartic listen -as vital today as it was upon release.

Major Keys work their magic once more with the release of two iconic tracks by celebrated Jazz musician, Donald Byrd. Known for being one of the few jazz artists who successfully explored funk and soul music in the 70s, whilst remaining a leading figure in Jazz (much to the disgruntlement of purists)

This 2-track EP salutes 2 records from that exploratory era with the official license and 12 inch reissue of ‘Think Twice’ & ‘Where Are We Going’

Think Twice - Taken from his 1975 LP ‘Stepping into Tomorrow’ released in 1975 on Blue Note Records and produced by the legendary Mizell Brothers, responsible for producing other artists including Gary Bartz, Johnny Hammond, Bobbi Humphrey, as well as Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye. One of Byrd’s most recognisable records and a highly sampled song amongst a wealth of hip hop and house artists in recent years.

Where Are We Going – Taken from the 1973 album Black Byrd, the very first release of Byrd’s on Blue Note Records and was released in collaboration with Motown Records. Produced by Larry Mizell and Larry Gordon, then later performed by Marvin Gaye. The album still stands amongst some of Blue Note’s bestselling releases

Next release in Rapid Eye Movement with REM4.2 is by VeRa. This release brings you four explosive tracks that blend techno, EBM, and electro breaks, showcasing VeRa's unique mix of dark, industrial vibes and high-energy rhythms. A true journey from start to finish.

Perfect for the dancefloor and beyond.

In 1979, Record Player privately pressed and issued a solitary 45 on their Gem City Records imprint in Dayton, Ohio. Though they had recorded a host of other songs, and were on the verge of signing to a major label, their trajectory stalled and the band splintered by the early 1980s. In the early 2000s, Record Player principle Charles Jackson surfaced with their unreleased songs. Todate, only two Record Player songs have been reissued, as part of Now-Again's long-running Soul Cal series. Now, the entirety of their oeuvre is presented here as Free Your Mind, and their story detailed in words by Bret Sjerven. This is a special release for us at Now-Again, and will be perfect for any fan of the deep disco scene that birthed the likes of Luther Davis, Edge of Daybreak, Tomorrow's People, Split Decision Band, and so many others issued by us, Numero Group, and other like minded labels.

The New Eves are a Brighton quartet who have been labeled as one of the country's most spellbinding new bands. Nestled somewhere between primal rock'n'roll live performance and transcendent ritual, there's an unmistakable alchemy that happens when Violet Farrer (guitar, violin, vocals), Nina Winder-Lind (cello, guitar, vocals), Kate Mater (bass, vocals) and Ella Oona Russell (drums, flute, vocals) step onto a stage together. Now, they've distilled this visceral energy into their extraordinary debut album The New Eve Is Rising: a lighting rod of inspiration channelled by a quartet with the ability to create something greater than the sum of their parts. The New Eve Is Rising was written in Brighton and at an artistic residency at The Cornish Bank, co-produced by The New Eves and Jack Osbourne (Bingo Fury) and recorded at Rockfield Studios and Bristol's Cotham Parish Church.

Brown/Black smoke vinyl. Hex; Or Printing in the Infernal Method is the fourth full-length studio album by Earth. Contains a special vinyl only bonus track. Comes with 18"x24" poster exclusive to this release. Marking a new direction the band would follow in years to come, Hex stands in stark contrast to Earth's previous works. While retaining the extremely heavy doom/drone metal song structure of epic riffs over simple repetitive drum beats, the guitar was inflected with country influences that favored a cleaner reverb-heavy tone layered with acoustic instruments over the band's previous predilection for distortion. The press release cited diverse influences such as Ennio Morricone, Billy Gibbons, Neil Young's soundtrack to the movie Dead Man, country musicians Duane Eddy, Merle Haggard, and Roy Buchanan.

Experience the Double-Platinum 1996 Album in Audiophile Sound for the First Time
Mobile Fidelity’s Numbered-Edition 180g 45RPM 2LP Set Is Sourced from the Original Analogue Tapes
1/2” / 30 IPS analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe

If great art, as many believe, is inherently polarizing, then the Stone Temple Pilots’ Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop easily ranks as the California-based band’s finest album. Simultaneously celebrated and castigated upon release in spring 1996, the group’s third full-length finds vocalist Scott Weiland and company expanding their “grunge” palette with a smart blend of glam rock, psychedelia, jangle pop, and other related styles. Having benefited from long-view reassessments that shed the biases and meanness of initial criticisms, the double-platinum effort is now largely and rightly seen as a creative masterwork. All the more reason why it deserves reference-grade production.

Overseen by producer Brendan O’Brien, Stone Temple Pilots used bedrooms, hallways, bathrooms, and the lawn to capture a broad blend of textures, spaciousness, and ambience that helped underline the group’s obvious (and somewhat unexpected) leap from normal “alternative” status to an artist whose aspirations went beyond that of many of its contemporaries. You can hear the multitude of details and tonalities with previously unattained clarity, presence, and scope on this fantastic reissue, which also delivers the impact and punch every rock record deserves. Another tremendous asset: The depth, grain, and pitch of Weiland’s voice.

For all the contagious choruses and glossy melodies that help make Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop sparkle, the vocal performances of the late singer arguably rank as the best that the much-missed Weiland committed to tape. None other than the Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan — who, like many peers and critics, felt a pressing need to reevaluate the record as both time marched on and the self-importance attached to the “alternative” scene faded — praised Weiland’s efforts by noting: “Like Bowie can and does, it was Scott's phrasing that pushed his music into a unique, and hard to pin down, aesthetic sonicsphere.”

Smooth and diverse, those traits are everywhere on Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop. From the clever combination of emotional closeness and distance he brings to the catchy albeit ultimately melancholic “Lady Picture Show”; to the lounge-fly balladeering that causes “And So I Know” to lightly swing akin to a bleary-eyed house band’s final number at a 4 A.M. bar; to the effortless cool and laissez-faire casualness he articulates on the grinding “Pop’s Love Suicide”; to the dimensional raspiness, defiant energy, and let-loose wail that sail through the crunchy “Big Bang Baby.”

The latter tune, the record’s first single and per Weiland a conscious attempt by the band to deconstruct its prior approaches, clearly borrows from the Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” Because of it, the song drew all kinds of barbs from naysayers. Their disdain extended to most material on Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop, which indirectly references other prized acts such as the Beatles, Cheap Trick, T. Rex, and Lush. Those cynics failed to grasp that Stone Temple Pilots were paying homage and having a blast, with even Weiland, then battling serious substance-abuse and legal issues, getting in on the action.

Stone Temple Pilots’ skeptics also turned a deaf ear to the records’ stellar pop craftsmanship, sticky hooks, and sly commentary on music-industry machinations and fame. Not to mention the band’s intent, made clear from the outset. In an interview conducted in 1994, guitarist Robert DeLeo stated: “The last thing I wanted to do with this band was make everybody believe we invented something.”

Seen through that lens and the hindsight afforded history, and appreciated independent of the self-righteous authenticity standards of the day, Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop sounds borderline fearless while authoritatively checking all the right boxes for fun, flavor, and finesse. Part winking send-up, part tribute to the glitter rock age, and part middle finger towards the hip crowd that didn’t know what they were missing, this mid-90s classic repeatedly invites you to drop the needle and press play.

Alanis Morissette Delivers the Equivalent of a Spiritual Awakening on Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie:
Introspective Themes and Compassionate Emotions on Eastern-Tinged Album Have Grown More Relevant
1998 Smash Plays with Enhanced Detail, Rich Textures, and Sharp Focus on Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 33RPM 2LP Set:
First-Ever Audiophile Edition Strictly Limited to 3,000 Numbered Copies
1/2" / 30 IPS analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe

Alanis Morissette refuses to adhere to convention on Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. While most artists follow-up their breakthrough with an album that closely parallels the approaches that helped make them famous, the maverick singer-songwriter stayed true to herself and drew inspiration from travel to India before she began the recording sessions. As much as the preceding Jagged Little Pill put her on the global radar, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie confirmed her role as a vital generational voice — and proved her blockbuster success was no fluke. Having set a mark for most sales of an LP in its debut week by a female artist, the 1998 smash remains a pop-rock staple.

Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, housed in a Stoughton jacket, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 33RPM 2LP set of Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie presents the triple-platinum LP in audiophile sound for the first time. Benefitting from defined grooves that befit the album’s nearly 72-minute length, this pressing plays with enhanced detail, refined clarity, sharper focus, and broader dynamics than prior versions.

Those traits are key given Morissette’s use of more textured and atmospheric soundscapes, not to mention her evolution into a more nuanced and controlled singer. Similarly, the scale and reach of David Campbell’s string arrangements come across as orchestrations should. Ditto the synth-based architecture shaped by producer and principal Morissette collaborator Glen Ballard. All in all, Mobile Fidelity’s collectible edition simply delivers more information via transparent means.

Notable for its balance, sophistication, and richness, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie at heart finds Morissette pausing, taking a breath, and learning how to navigate life in a healthy manner after enduring one of the most exhausting and rocket-to-fame stretches any musician ever experienced. It’s the sonic equivalent of a spiritual awakening, a call to betterment, a brave assessment of the self and humanity as a whole. As such, the tunes on her second international (and fourth Canadian) release teem with gratitude, compassion, love, empathy — emotions that lend themselves to the largely mellow, contoured scope and Eastern-tinged melodies of the songs themselves.

“How ‘bout how good it feels to finally forgive you,” Morissette sings on the lead single “Thank U.” “How ‘bout grieving it all one at a time.” Those sentiments, and the vocalist’s embrace of concepts such as divinity and acceptance, not only provide a foundation on which Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie rests. They also reflect the personal maturation she gained from her embrace of Buddhist culture in India and a mindset bent toward notions of reconciliation, peace, and sensuality that were nearly absent in popular music in the late ‘90s.

Those themes continue on “That I Would Be Good,” a confident reflection that takes stock of one’s mental, physical, and emotional state in the face of both changing and unpleasant circumstances — and concludes with Morissette performing a flute solo, further exposing the raw intimacy of the introspective tune. She channels relatable simplicity and joy on “So Pure,” with her invocations of “dance” and “freestyle” speaking to the freedom of expression that courses throughout Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. And perhaps no song finds Morissette showcasing her refreshed attitude toward life and opening up more than the relationship-themed “Unsent,” whose unconventional structures and lack of a chorus only add to its directness.

Akin to many albums that were ahead of their time, and despite the critical and commercial accolades afforded it upon release, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie attracted new appreciation and perspective as it got older. Issued during an era where its ideas of serenity, absolution, tranquility, and contentment seemed largely alien, the record — akin to the ways its predecessor foreshadowed a movement — now functions as a visionary beacon that foretells of way to maintain sanity, dignity, and goodness amid a contemporary landscape filled with constant distractions, polarizing views, and incessant calls to purchase, promote, and produce without questioning the what-for purpose.

Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie dares to ask the questions and, at its best, supplies meaningful answers and alternatives that lead to longed-for enlightenment, healing, and laughter. For these reasons alone, it’s a record that never goes out of style.

The extroverted blend of attitude, energy, and ostentatiousness that spills from the New York Dolls’ self-titled debut can be seen in full view on the album cover. Depicting the quintet in its hallmark flash-and-trash apparel and in drag appearance, the 1973 album scared away a considerable amount of potential listeners while capturing the attention of a sizable audience that recognized the band for what it was: zeitgeist pioneers who helped develop the punk and glam rock movements.

Named by Rolling Stone the 301st Greatest Album of All Time and by Mojo the 49th greatest album of all time, New York Dolls receives long-overdue audiophile treatment on Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition 180g 45RPM 2LP set. Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, this collectible version marks the first time the group’s career-making statement is available to be experienced in audiophile quality.

Far from harboring the crude elements that became associated with the punk scene, New York Dolls benefits from keen production overseen by none other than Todd Rundgren. Though more accustomed to working far higher-caliber musicians, Rundgren — taken by the New York Dolls’ charisma and cool, if not their instrumental approach — fully understood the ensemble’s aesthetic. He captured what went down at New York City’s Record Plant with an astute blend of live-on-the-floor feel, raw authenticity, and professional acumen.

On Mobile Fidelity’s definitive-sounding reissue, you can hear those facets as well as key details, dynamics, and textures with previously unimaginable insight. Rundgren preserved generous degrees of grit, grime, and grease while bestowing the raucous music with elevated levels of separation, solidity, and impact every landmark recording deserves. His vision extends to introducing choice accents — barroom piano notes, Moog synthesizer passages, Buddy Bowser’s honking saxophones — that add to the songs’ appeal without interfering with the primary architecture.

Afforded extra groove space on this pressing, the tenor, presentation, and attack of both vocalist David Johansen and now-iconic guitarists Johnny Thunders and Sylvain Sylvain come across with stunning vibrancy and vitality. The New York Dolls often seem headed off the rails and into the red, but somehow, the strut, swagger, and sloppiness — and the associated sleaze and scruff, scrape and snarl, frenzy and feverishness those characteristics entail — remain together as a whole that shakes its collective fist at the frustrations, isolation, disarray, and disillusionment of youth chaos and urban decay.

Kicking off its debut with “Personality Crisis,” cited by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, the band makes obvious its grasp of alienation, deviance, displacement, and suburban disaffection — as well as its capacity to play hanging-by-a-thread boogie, noisy rock ‘n’ roll, and Brill Building-inspired pop. The lipstick-kissed New York Dolls possesses traits many of its harsher predecessors would overlook: joyfulness and melody, topped with a knack for knowing how and where to take a song inside of three-and-a-half minutes.

Dive and dash with the belligerent “Looking for a Kiss”; stomp your feet and clap your hands to the big choruses of “Jet Boy”; surrender to the demands and provocations of the coded “Vietnamese Baby”; decide whether “Bad Girl” yearns to explode or implode. It’s one of several tunes here that allude to the world coming to end. Of course, that doesn’t mean there isn’t time for a fling before everything burns. “There’s no place I gotta go,” yowls Johansen. And he means it.

Adorned with tonal crunch, glitter, and gristle, New York Dolls takes pride in its brashness and brattiness. The rambunctious effort, which earned the band the distinction of being voted both “Best New Group of the Year” and “Worst New Group of the Year” in the pages of Creem, displays knowing reverence for the blues without calling attention to the style. The folk-laden “Lonely Planet Boy” is nothing if not a collision of heart-on-the-sleeve emotions and the desire in the face of challenges to maintain a tough-skinned exterior. An interpretation of Bo Diddley’s “Pills,” complete with shivering harmonica and clattering rhythms, announces there’s no cure for what infects this band. It’s that contagious. And how.

His deliveries gushing with campy fun, playful irreverence, and sheer decadence, Johansen doubles as the equivalent of an open fire hydrant that spouts at will. He’s at once tender and vicious, serious and tongue-in-cheek. On arguably his finest hour on the album, Johansen’s phrasing, passion, and lyrical ambiguity alone turn “Trash” into an insistent glam-rock gem whose echoing harmonies and girl-group references stamp it a pop classic.

Too much, too soon? Only for those averse to some of the finest rock ‘n’ roll ever put on tape.

Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP Set Plays with Authoritative Tonality, Airiness, and Clarity:
Pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl and Strictly Limited to
3,000 Numbered Copies
1/4” / 15 IPS Dolby A analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe

Joni Mitchell is the only artist who could’ve made Hejira. The legendary singer-songwriter said as much when discussing the album decades after its release. Yet that fact seemed obvious from the moment the gold-certified effort streeted in fall 1976. An adventurous travelogue, probing narrative, and offbeat homage to freedom, Hejira remains an inimitable entry in the catalog of recorded music — a spare, gorgeous, meditative series of sonic vignettes comprised of floating harmonic pop, cool jazz, soft rock, and sensitive vocal elements that beckon feelings of motion, discovery, and self-examination.

Sourced from the original analog master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing on MoFi SuperVinyl, and strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents the record ranked the 133rd Greatest of All Time by Rolling Stone with definitive detail, richness, accuracy, and directness. Marking the first time the revered LP has received audiophile treatment, it's one of six iconic 1970s Mitchell records Mobile Fidelity is reissuing on vinyl and SACD.

Playing with a virtually nonexistent noise floor, dead-quiet surfaces, and superior groove definition, this collectible reissue reproduces in enveloping fashion the tones, textures, and craftsmanship that help Hejira function as the equivalent of a liberating trip down an open road with nothing but blue sky, natural landscape, and fresh air in the immediate vicinity. Passages bloom, carry, decay as they do amid an acoustically optimized environment. Soundstages extend far, wide, and deep, with black backgrounds and pinpoint images adding to the realism.

The reference-grade immediacy, airiness, and presence put in transparent perspective Mitchell’s dense strings of words, stream-of-conscious-like phrasing, and unhurried albeit forward momentum. Likewise, the instrumental contributions of her A-list support musicians — a cast that includes L.A. Express members John Guerin, Max Bennett and Tom Scott, plus Neil Young, Victor Feldman, and Abe Most — emerges with breathtaking clarity and dimensionality.

While Mitchell, whose intimate vocals and abstract guitar parts center everything, Mobile Fidelity's restoration of Hejira further reveals the visionary breadth of guitarist Larry Carlton and bassist Jaco Pastorius. Though heard on only four tracks, Pastorius' fretless bass epitomizes the fluid, subtle, flexible, roomy, and shape-shifting characteristics of songs that often appear to transpire out of nowhere akin to the formation of a puffy cumulus cloud overhead. In sync with Mitchell’s voice, Pastorius’ fusion hovers and floats, suspended in a fog you want to deeply inhale. The "grace notes" Mitchell desired on Hejira can now be heard in full. Ditto the luxurious tapestries of alinear lines, fills, and supplements unreeled on Carlton’s six-string.

Visually, the packaging of this UD1S set complements its identity as the copy to own. Housed in a deluxe slipcase, the LPs come in foil-stamped jackets with faithful-to-the-original graphics. This version is for listeners who desire to become immersed in everything about Hejira, including the unforgettable album cover — a pastiche of 14 different photos Mitchell used a Camera Lucida to assemble into one image that’s anchored by a portrait of her in a stoic pose — and the interior shots of Mitchell skating on a frozen Wisconsin lake wearing a pair of black skates, black shirt, and fur cape.

The notion of skating, feeling an awakening wind whipping against your face, and losing yourself to the surroundings are extremely apt for Hejira, which Mitchell wrote after a sequence of trips and relationships prompted her to reflect on the complicated conflicts between independence and marriage, success and satisfaction, duty and desire — and, more specifically, “the cost of being a woman.” The Canadian native delved into such themes before. But never as she does on Hejira, whose liberating, running-away aura doubles as another of Mitchell’s rejections of tradition as well as a suggestion of a better alternative.

At once observational and personal, expansive and insular, cheerful and poignant, Hejira spans a sea of human conditions, emotions, and circumstances. It addresses drifting, isolation, pleasure, place, time, and surroundings with strikingly poetic discourse matched with music that, save for the crooned ballad “Blue Motel Room,” forgoes conventional structures and choruses.

The jazz-based arrangements, marked by scaled-down percussion and all manner of bent, rounded, and unsettled notes, hint that Mitchell has no exact destination in mind. Excursions such as the moody “Furry Sings the Blues,” funky “Coyote” and edgy “Black Crow” throw open previously locked doors to possibility and journey. They signal it’s time for a welcome departure from norms and the past, one that leads to a heightened sense of clarity and perspective. Or, as Mitchell said upon choosing the album title, it’s time for “leaving the dream, no blame.”

German duo FJAAK remain one of techno's most distinct and uncompromising acts. Their new four-track EP is a raw, intense journey that feels more like a series of live jams than polished studio tracks. This release, FJAAK012, fully embraces their signature analogue sound, delivering four powerful tracks designed to own both big and underground stages and the most demanding dancefloors on the globe. The EP opens with 'Inside Out', a stripped-back groove loaded with industrial energy. It blends breakbeats, jungle influences and hardcore licks, fusing genres and eras while keeping that unmistakable FJAAK intensity front and centre. Next, 'Rekorder' delivers intricate beats with a raw, live-jam energy, dropping rigid sequencing for pure groove. Its coarse percussion and shifting melodic layers create a dynamic flow packed with attitude and character. Flip the record and 'Don't Give A F' steps up the pace with racy rolling grooves and relentless drive. The track's multi-genre beats and piercing analogue tones build a warehouse-ready sound that commands attention. Closing the EP, 'Leave A Message' is a special, one-of-a-kind slice of groove-heavy individuality, standing out with its truly unique sound. It combines hard-hitting rhythms with raw, textured layers and sharp transitions that keep you moving from start to finish. Based in Berlin, Felix Wagner and Aaron Robig have crafted their sound since childhood, pushing boundaries since the late 2000s. Known for their rebellious spirit and hardware-only live shows, they've revitalised the club scene with electrifying performances and DJ sets. In 2024, their genre-defying album FJAAK THE SYSTEM merged UK breakbeat, techno, d'n'b, jungle and more, featuring collaborations with Modeselektor, Skee Mask, Red Eye and Spandau20 co-founder J.Manuel. It marked a bold new chapter for the duo. Now, in 2025, FJAAK build on that momentum with fresh music, global tours, and expanding label rosters. They continue to challenge club music norms and maintain their place at the forefront of electronic music innovation.