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First Fragment was founded in 2007 by Phil Tougas (Chthe'ilist, Atramentus, Funebrarum) & brothers Gabriel Brault-Pilon and David AB. From day one, the trio sought to create a brand of extreme technical death metal that combined counterpoint-based riffing, neoclassical lead guitar work, power metal-inspired passages as well as flamenco & swing sections in a desire to branch out and establish their own unique voice in the Quebec scene. Their critically-acclaimed 2016 debut album "Dasein", released through Unique Leader, built upon the foundation established with the band's notorious EP "The Afterthought Ecstasy", self-released in 2010, Dasein was the culmination of almost 10 years of hard work and dedication to their craft. First Fragment have since honed their craft and perfected their sound through expanding upon their extensive musical influences, further blurring the line between flamenco-inspired technical death metal and neoclassical power metal. The result is "Gloire Éternelle" - an ambitious conceptual album that is unmistakably First Fragment, yet at the same time, impossible to categorize and pigeonhole. Boasting baroque-influenced guitar counterpoint, flamenco sections, unique slap-bass-driven swing grooves (which the band trademarked by name as "swingdowns"), face-ripping lead guitar work and bombastic drumming. Add a highly aggressive dual vocal approach and a lyrical approach soaked in abstract poetry (sung all in french), sprinkle with a ton of fretless bass solos and the result is the ultimate shredfest. A word which may be perceived positively or negatively depending of the listener, but nevertheless, a shredfest with soul, memorability, identity, purpose and conviction. For fans of : Yngwie Malmsteen, Cacophony, Racer X, Spawn of Possession, Capharnaum, Theory In Practice & Necrophagist

First Fragment was founded in 2007 by Phil Tougas (Chthe'ilist, Atramentus, Funebrarum) & brothers Gabriel Brault-Pilon and David AB. From day one, the trio sought to create a brand of extreme technical death metal that combined counterpoint-based riffing, neoclassical lead guitar work, power metal-inspired passages as well as flamenco & swing sections in a desire to branch out and establish their own unique voice in the Quebec scene. Their critically-acclaimed 2016 debut album "Dasein", released through Unique Leader, built upon the foundation established with the band's notorious EP "The Afterthought Ecstasy", self-released in 2010, Dasein was the culmination of almost 10 years of hard work and dedication to their craft. First Fragment have since honed their craft and perfected their sound through expanding upon their extensive musical influences, further blurring the line between flamenco-inspired technical death metal and neoclassical power metal. The result is "Gloire Éternelle" - an ambitious conceptual album that is unmistakably First Fragment, yet at the same time, impossible to categorize and pigeonhole. Boasting baroque-influenced guitar counterpoint, flamenco sections, unique slap-bass-driven swing grooves (which the band trademarked by name as "swingdowns"), face-ripping lead guitar work and bombastic drumming. Add a highly aggressive dual vocal approach and a lyrical approach soaked in abstract poetry (sung all in french), sprinkle with a ton of fretless bass solos and the result is the ultimate shredfest. A word which may be perceived positively or negatively depending of the listener, but nevertheless, a shredfest with soul, memorability, identity, purpose and conviction. For fans of : Yngwie Malmsteen, Cacophony, Racer X, Spawn of Possession, Capharnaum, Theory In Practice & Necrophagist

Following the revival of the iconic 1990s dance album series, Club Culture in 2020, Stress presents Club Culture Vol. 2. Much like in volume 1, the label continue to pay homage to the UK’s rich and diverse club culture with a collection of the scene’s freshest tracks.

To celebrate the return of the series, a limited edition vinyl sampler will be available which features five of the album’s most cutting edge selections, including exclusives from Richie Blacker, and Danny Howard. Label favourites, Tommy Farrow, Ben Hemsley, and Because of Art are also included on the sampler. Each handpicked track captures the sonic essence of Stress and clubland today.

Stress brought the world many seminal house tracks in the 1990s including Bedrock’s ‘For You Dream Of’, Last Rhythm’s ‘Last Rhythm’, and Greed’s ‘Pump Up The Volume’. During the 1990’s, Stress was considered one of the world’s greatest independent record labels, where it became known for its growing influence on the progressive house scene. It gave birth to the early careers of iconic producers Sasha and John Digweed. Today it is carving out a whole new scene taking inspiration from the past but creating a whole new sound for the stable.

This is the sound of clubland and club culture.

2026 Repress

Two absolute Vince Watson classics from the late '90s and early '00s, that show just how accomplished a producer he is. A double dose of some of Watson's most cherished, ethereal, Detroit-channelling cuts, that have caused euphoria on countless dancefloors since.

Re-edited and remastered for the VW20 Introspection album that celebrates Watson's first 20 years making music, this is also the first outing for 'Moments In Time' on a 12 inch.

RED/YELLOW MARBLED Vinyl

Internationally revered, multi-faceted artist Arnaud Rebotini arrives on Veyl with the new EP, 'New Territory'. While venturing into a wide array of musical genres and sonic realms, the release is still unmistakably Rebotini, fueled by infectious electro-body grooves and hypnotizing vocals.
From the utterly addictive, pulse pounding allure of “Special A” to the more industrial techno strains of 'A Noise Rose', Rebotini delivers a myriad of interconnected tracks which traverse fresh auditory landscapes but maintain a common circuitry. The poignant, anthemic lyrics of 'No More Love (No More Hate)' resonates loud and clear while the throbbing, Giallo flaire of 'Italian Sex Drive' sends shivers down the spine.
'The Pale Eastern Christ' injects a haunting atmospheric mood while the title track is irresistible ebmwave that falls perfectly in between the lines for an indelible sound that only the French producer can conjure. Rebotini’s work continues to shatter boundaries and fuse genres while essentially pioneering a category all of his own. 'New Territory' furthers the legend and keeps us begging for more.

We finally made it: BEWITH100LP! And what better way for a re-issue label to celebrate such a landmark catalogue number than to give it to a record of new music. We couldn’t resist when the artist is Official Be With Family Member Kenny Dickenson and when the music is his lovely, lovely score to French-Vietnamese artist Mai Hua's 2020 documentary film “Les Rivières”. If you enjoy the more minimal, intimate piano of the likes of Nils Frahm or John Carroll Kirby’s solo work, you’re certain to fall for this beautiful album.

Taking six years to make, Mai’s film explores what happened when she brought her dying grandmother to France, pulling together four generations of women from the same family. Kenny’s score accompanies all the pretty things, sad things, dirty, beautiful, happy, broken and reborn moments of these women’s experiences.

The whole score is built around delicate, sparkling piano motifs. At times they’re joined by cello and complemented with ambient chords and other flourishes. It’s a very particular palette that Kenny and Mai established early on, as Kenny explains: “We had agreed on a particular sonic aesthetic early on in the process - to use specific and relatively minimal instrumentation, reflecting the intimacy of the picture. So piano and cello were quite prominent in instructing a sense of space and immediacy. Until I had to get the junkyard percussion out… ”

When it comes to describing the end results, Kenny’s happy to wear his influences on his sleeve:

“When the director and I sat down for the creative meetings early in the process, we watched ‘Wolf Children’, a Japanese animation film by Mamoru Hosoda. The amazing soundtrack by Masakatsu Takagi was a launching point for me and thereafter I leaned into more modern classical composers - Reich, Sakamoto, Glass as well as Jon Hassell’s Fourth World output. Richard Reed Parry’s ‘Music for Heart and Breath’ was a good early touchstone for me and Mark Hollis’ sparse, considered and deliberate approach was a constant presence. Also labels like Ghostly, ASIP and the ubiquitous Erased Tapes should probably get a nod here too…”

We’d even suggest there’s the occasional Yann Tiersen moment in there too.

Out of sheer necessity the collaboration between Kenny and Mai continued beyond this initial creative direction. With Kenny speaking neither French nor Vietnamese, Mai acted as translator, a process that naturally lead to discussing the film beyond just what was being said in the footage. Mai herself explains just how successful this relationship felt to her: “Music plays a very important role in all my work, particularly in Les Rivières. I cried every time Kenny sent me a new composition. I felt understood in a way that words cannot describe. It was absolutely magical and I am so happy if this music can make your soul vibrate too.”

Kenny composed much of the music in London, at the same time that Mai was shooting and editing. As the film took shape and the music also evolved, another challenge presented itself when Kenny relocated to Los Angeles part way through, resulting in Arnulf Lindners beautiful cello taking on new shapes- multi sampled, played and manipulated by Kenny into new compositions.

What Kenny has put together for the film score release is definitely a “soundtrack LP”, with the music arranged to work as a proper album in its own right that should be listened to from start to finish. Indeed the album also includes a new piece “Pour Marthe” that Kenny composed in memory of Mai’s grandmother who died after the film was finished.

Kenny’s personal highlight is also ours: “When I listen back to the album as a whole now, I never want part II of the Trilogy (Belles Larmes) to end. I have fond memories of recording it and I love how the dynamic of the piece gradually evolves from falling on the ‘1 and the 3’ to the ‘1 and the 2’. It’s so short and sweet, I keep wanting it to last for longer. But it’s kind of perfect as it is.”

Pretty much our sentiment for the album as a whole.

Running a record label means we often get asked advice about pressing a record. In this case the music was too good not to offer to release it ourselves. To Kenny, having the Les Rivières score on vinyl also feels like the final part of the project.

“It’s a beautiful thing to have it on vinyl. It’s quite an intimate soundtrack so there’s something really perfect about being able to listen to it on that format. When I was a kid, my Uncle Pat who used to work at Woolworths would visit and bring random records from their record department over to us. I can remember listening to “Theme From Exodus” by Ernest Gold. I had no idea what it was about but the imagery it conjured up when listening to that record was just mind blowing to me at that age. Soundtracks can have their own life on vinyl I think, and removed from their original context is this unique format for reinvention. So I’m excited that people who haven’t (and have for that matter) seen the film can have that experience.”

This might not be a re-issue, but the Les Rivières film score album has still been given the full Be With treatment. The vinyl has been mastered by Simon Francis (under Kenny’s ever-watchful eye/ear, of course), cut by Pete Norman and pressed at Record Industry. The sleeve follows the film’s poster and other promotional material, including Lucile Gomez’s almost magical illustration.

We’re under no illusions that many people reading this will have seen “Les Rivières”, but that doesn’t really matter when it comes to listening to the score. Just on its own, Kenny’s music still captures the robustness and the delicacy of lives lived.

Escape the grid to Elias Garcia's subterranean world of mutant techno and oozing sci-fi dub, forever lost in the drip with IDS Recordings. Big Tip!

Paul Butterfield was an iconic blues harmonica player and singer, famous for his in 1963 formed Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Their 1966 releases classic East West is one of the outstanding albums in which they integrated psychedelic rock in traditional blues music. The supergroup consisted at that time of guitar hero Mike Bloomfield, keyboardist Mark Naftalin, bassist Jerome Arnold, drummer Billy Davenport and, of course, the master himself, Paul Butterfield. The authentic blues sounds are woven in the sounds of jazz and raga music. It's an exciting trip in which you can hear the talented individuals, but also how they created their music together. The album proved to be one of the essential albums in the blues-rock movement of the 60s.

Paul Butterfield died in 1987 at the age of 44. During that time he was still recording new songs. In 2006 he was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and in 2015 again as part of his own Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

On the tribute album Songs for Tres, Psychic Ills band members come together to commemorate the late Tres Warren who passed away just as the world turned upside down in March of 2020. Isolated, feeling helpless and lost by the death of her musical soul mate and collaborator of 18 years, bassist Elizabeth Hart found making music to be her only outlet in a time where people were unable to be physically together to mourn. So, she reached out to Adam Amram, Jon Catfish DeLorme and Brent Cordero, the main players in the Ills line up since the release of their last full length album Inner Journey Out (2016), to ask if they would embark on this cathartic journey with her. This was a different kind of production endeavor for Hart driven solely by “the aching need and urgency” to do something to honor her friend.

Hart, Amram, DeLorme and Cordero reunited for the first time five months after losing Warren at Amram’s loft – the same spot where they’d rehearsed countless times before – although this time with a different objective. In an effort to share, support and create, the old friends joined in the painful and healing experience of making this tribute album to cope with their loss. The band members wrote, arranged, and rehearsed for months and the result of their work culminated in a weekend of recording in the southern Catskill mountains at the end of 2020. This isolated and intimate environment was a perfectly serene and fitting location to finalize their story.

Throughout the album, Hart, Amram and DeLorme take turns as the vocal lead on each of the songs while Cordero showcases his finger-picking guitar skills in addition to his piano and organ playing, which he is known for. Along with the core band members, a number of other musicians played on the album, many of whom had collaborated on prior Psychic Ills releases and wanted to be a part of this last collaboration in memory of Warren. Keeping the project in the Ills family, Hart produced the album alongside Iván Diaz Mathé, the long-time Psychic Ills sound engineer.

The album consists of five original tracks and four cover songs. Initially, learning the covers was just a method for the musicians to “break the ice” and play together again for the first time without their band leader. However, those tracks became just as important to include as the originals because of their essential role in the process of coming together to make the album. The cover songs were chosen because of their unique connections to the band’s memories of Warren. Dennis Wilson’s "Rainbows" and Fleetwood Mac’s "Station Man" come from two of Warren’s favorite albums, Pacific Ocean Blue and Kiln House. The band also recorded Blaze Foley’s "Clay Pigeons" and Powell St. John’s "Right Track Now." The idea for the latter was suggested by Amram. Warren once sent him a clip of Roky Erikson singing a moving rendition of that song in the film Demon Angel and it had stuck with him ever since.

Hart wrote "I’ll Walk With You" on the day of Warrens’ passing, at the time not knowing what it meant. When she got the call with the heartbreaking news, it became clear to her what the song was about. Relying on a gently lilting string arrangement to set the tone, this duet features Mazzy Star vocalist Hope Sandoval alongside Hart. Sandoval previously collaborated with Psychic Ills accompanying Warren on "I Don’t Mind" (2016). The ideas for "Home" and "Walk Around," two other songs on the album by Hart, started simply with an acoustic guitar and lyrics, a hopeful exercise to connect with her lost friend. Brent Cordero’s instrumental "Whole Lotta Piece of Mind" is nothing short of a transcendental experience. By running his pedal steel through a Leslie speaker, Jon Catfish DeLorme crafts the unique tone showcased on Wonderful Feeling, a moving example of studio experimentation combined with old school techniques. DeLorme describes it as “an attempt to highlight the musical experience I shared with Tres both sonically and thematically. What resulted is the unguarded exaltation I feel lucky to have shared with my fellow bandmates.” Adam Amram’s “Into the Sea” was composed spontaneously the week Warren passed. The melodic tune has a hopeful lightness and Amram describes it simply as “a song to my brother”. Their connection shines through.

In fact, the entire album is one that radiates the layers of friendship, love and music that will forever exist between this family of musicians. As the band themselves state: “This album was made out of love and a commitment to honor our dear friend and bandmate.” A portion of the proceeds from the album will be donated to RAICES, a charity who aids children who have been displaced at the Texas/Mexico border.

Best known for their participation in the 1983 Eurovision Song Contest, Belgian synth pop band Pas De Deux present their complete collection. These songs were made in 1982 and 1983, including the cult hits 'Cardiocleptomanie', 'Mani Meme' and various versions of 'Rendez-Vous'. These songs were never together on one album. Some of them were only released as a single or on some special compilations made in Spain and Germany after their much discussed participation to the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in 1983.

The 2LP vinyl compilation is a tangible thing, a must-have for the fans with some new photos from the band's first video and all the info, credits and lyrics of the songs. Remastered & compiled on this deluxe 2LP with a special etched D side. The inner sleeves include some reactions triggered in the national printed press at that time. Are we lucky that it was before the social media took over?

Highlights of the release:

"RENDEZ-VOUS IN MÜNCHEN", for the first time on vinyl!

"At the ESC we performed Rendez-Vous, a 'minimalistic synth-pop song', accompanied by the Dieter Reith Orchestra, directed by Freddy Sunder, on a backing track with synthesizers and drum machines. Apart from the Eurovision broadcast on 23 April 1983, this (mono!) recording was never released before. We've put it on this compilation, together with 4 other alternative versions of the original song."

CARDIOCLEPTOMANIE, MANI MEME

"Cardiocleptomanie was part of the compilation 'The Hidden Tapes' by Minimal Wave in 2011. It was also the title of a personal compilation of our songs by Veronica Vasicka of Minimal Wave (sold out vinyl). It became our N°1 digital track (thank you Lieven De Ridder)."

"On our mini-LP Des Tailles (Parsley, 1982) we covered Mani Meme, an unreleased song by DE NOTA. To our happy surprise, the song was chosen by the GUCCI Epilogue collection 2020 for their campaign video. It boosted our audience internationally."

Fiat Lux is the debut album by Tarta Relena, a Barcelona-based project featuring Marta Torrella and Helena Ros. The group approaches the oral traditions of the Mediterranean from a contemporary perspective using a unique combination of ancient vocal melodies and subtle electronic textures.

Tarta Relena’s inspiration for Fiat Lux comes from historical characters, such as the Virgin Mary and Hildegard of Bingen, and timeless verses that deal with the cyclic nature of the human experience: “E suïcidi i el cant” (1) is an adaptation of a traditional poem by Pashtun women in Afghanistan; “Esta montanya d’enfrente” (3) is a traditional Sephardic song; “Safo” (9) is based on the love poems by Sappho of Lesbos.
Singing in Catalan, Spanish, Greek, Latin, English, and even Sephardi, the language of Hispanic jews, Tarta Relena explore a complex array of Latin cultures through the simplicity of voice. They draw from vocal techniques that range from flamenco to jazz, introducing elements of electronic music to redefine the melodies.
In January 2019, Tarta Relena released their first EP, Ora Pro Nobis: eight a cappella songs with minimal electronics. In April 2020, they released their second EP, Intercede Pro Nobis: a five-song dialogue between voice and electronics.
Fiat Lux expands on past experimentations, moving away from organic harmonies to embrace digital textures and distortions. The musical production of Juan Luis Batalla and Òscar Garrobé is remnant of Holly Herndon or Eartheater.
Tarta Relena have perhaps been best described by Pitchfork in their review of Pack Pro Nobis: “Tarta Relena is a celebration of musical exchange. At a time of rising nationalisms across Europe, Tarta Relena’s songs are a testament both to the porousness of borders and the ideas that unite disparate cultures, running beneath the centuries like a pedal tone”.

Blue States, aka Andy Dragazis, returns with his sixth album, titled
‘World Contact Day’, released via Memphis Industries and named
after the day each year on which UFO society International Flying
Saucer Bureau tries to contact alien lifeforms.
 ‘World Contact Day’ arrives six years after the previous Blue States
album, written and recorded partly at Dragazis’ Lightwell Recordings
studio in Hackney and featuring a combination of instrumental
soundscapes and vocal songs that draw from influences as diverse
as world as Morricone, Vangelis, Beak, Broadcast and the
Carpenters.
 Songs on the new record feature guest vocals from the likes of
Giampaolo Speziale and Federica Caiozzo of the Italian band
Malihini, English folk-musician Rachael Dadd and Miami-based
Allison May-Brice (The 18th Day Of May, Lake Ruth).
 Written under the backdrop of claustrophobic uncertainty and grief,
Dragazis wanted to make an album of expansive escapism whilst
also grounding musically in a more live approach than previous
albums.
 ‘World Contact Day’ opens with ‘Plain Sight’, the first of the Rachael
Dadd-featuring songs, thematically about escape and setting
Rachael’s Sandy Denny-a-like vocals to a baroque pop backing. It’s
followed by an instrumental ode to the humble wire in a world of
wireless connectivity (“I trust wires and I understand them,” says
Dragazis). The second Rachael Dadd track is ‘Tides Confusion’, a
song about how waves of grief can come like tides, grounded on a
pulsating electronic loop that evolves into live drums, horns and
backing vocals representing the rising water. Next up is ‘Warning
Signs’, featuring Giampaolo and Federica of Malihini, a track about
looking after yourself because if you don’t, how can you look after
anyone else?
 Two brilliant songs with Allison-May Brice light up side two of ‘World
Contact Day’, the urgent, sparkling electronic pop of ‘Alarms’ and the
epic, velvety torch song album closer ‘Science or Fiction?’, about the
paleoanthropological fraudster Charles Dawson and the Piltdown
Man hoax.
 LP pressed on cream vinyl.

Nearly 24 years ago, on 7th July 1998, the first Hefner LP was released, it garnered some great reviews, ensured the band were to become one of Peel’s favourites (they had 5 entries in 1999’s festive 50!), and cemented their reputation as Britain's largest small band. NME - “truly independent, unassuming and painfully honest: the sound of thin, white indie dukes in spectacles.” Melody Maker - “heart-skeweringly astute” combination of “grimly sweet lyrics and delicate, tentative tunes.” Time Out - “awe-inspiring in their naked honesty” More recently, the album was number 25 in Pitchfork’s 50 greatest Britpop albums, above A Northern Soul (Verve), Fuzzy Logic (Super Furry Animals), Vauxhall and I (Morrissey) and Tellin’ Stories (the Charlatans) Breaking God’s Heart now gets the essential 20th anniversary vinyl re-issue, accompanied by some shows where Hefner frontman, Darren Hayman, will play the album in full Here’s what Darren has to say about the record now: Breaking God's Heart is an awkward, over confident start to my career. I have yet to get to grips with it again properly in preparation for these anniversary shows. It's so far away in my past that I have some difficulty in relating to the person who made it. Mostly when I hear it I'm just amazed at the confidence, and possibly arrogance, I had then. I insisted on mostly first takes being used, vocals being recorded live in the room with the instruments, a ban on any reverbs or ambience being used. It was like I was trying to sabotage my career at the first hurdle. Many of those decisions were based on half understood, interviews with my idols from the American Lo-Fi scene but I really didn't know what I was doing. It does make a bizarre and caustic record though, and I know there are plenty of people who think this is my best work and I never got back to the blunt energy of these recordings. I do see their point. Quotes - Hefner's is a bedsit world of spindly guitar and towering passions; of skewwhiff ideals and surprisingly smooth melodic surges; of awkward outbursts and slow-burning lo-fi for lovers… 'Breaking God's Heart' is all about sparkling melodies, twinkly-eyed poetry, intimate confessions, a thrillion knowing references to sex, soul and sadness and the sort of chipper attitude that says: 'This is a record you will relish for years to come'. So save yourself time, start treasuring it now. 8/10 NME // Hefner are running on the same rock-not-rock fuel as early Violent Femmes or The Modern Lovers, and like those groups are expert at building emotionally charged arrangements by adding or subtracting at precisely the right time. 8/10 Drowned In Sound

Steve Vai has continually challenged notions of traditional guitar playing
and composition – and on more than one occasion even reimagined the
very instrument itself."I don't sit around and say, 'Okay, what can I do now
that pushes the boundaries?," Vai explains about his approach to the
guitar
"What I do say to myself is, 'Okay, Vai – what are you going to do now that's going
to interest you, that's going to fascinate you, and that's different than anything
you've done before?"The answer to that question comes in the form of Vai's
newest and 10th solo album, 'Inviolate', a nine-song opus that does indeed push
the boundaries of instrumental guitar music – this time out, Vai quite literally
invented not just a new guitar, but also a new guitar-playing technique. The Hydra,
the elaborate three- necked steampunk- inspired guitar that Steve holds on the
album cover, is actually played on the song 'Teeth of the Hydra'. On the other hand
(no pun intended), Steve recorded and played the song 'Knappsack' with just his
left hand, after his right arm was in a sling following shoulder surgery.
At the same time, 'Inviolate' presents his most focused, streamlined and perhaps
invigorating music in years. The album features a host of esteemed musicians,
including Billy Sheehan, Vinnie Colaiuta and Terry Bozzio.
Classic Rock - Album Review Classic Rock - Soundtrack To My Life feature
Fireworks – 2-page interview Fireworks - Album Review The Guitar Mag - 8-10
page Interview Guitar Techniques - Album Review GT332 9th Feb Guitar
Techniques - Q&A 9th Feb GT332. Guitar Interactive - Front cover & substantial
feature Guitarist - Front cover/Guest Editor/8-10 page feature Guitarist - Album
Review HRH - Album Review HRH - interview Powerplay - Interview Prog - My Prog
Hero feature on John Petrucci Rock Candy - 8-Page Interview Feb/Mar iss Total
Guitar - Interview

Limited to 500 copies worldwide* 1980’s Australia were a blistering inferno of totally great powerpop, garage- and punkrock bands. Hoodoo Gurus, Stems and Lime Spiders were on top of their game and labels like Waterfront and Citadel put out albums and 45’s that most music aficionados would die for.

The Spliffs formed in Townsville, a small city on the northeastern coast of Queensland in Australia. In 1986 they unleashed their debut
45. Recorded all by themselves and released DIY style they got some rave reviews and got to play Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane
opening for The Saints and Hoodoo Gurus. Their debut single is fab jangly 80’s powerpop right up there with Plimsouls or The Nerves.
Housed in a deluxe picture sleeve that comes with a printed inner sleeve filled with many rare and previously unpublished photos plus an interview with Spliffs main man and guitar-slinger Jamie Forsberg conducted by power pop guru Ric Menck. Orange color vinyl.
File under: ”beyond essential to any serious rock’n’roll, powerpop, garage and punk fan”.

Sweden’s One Way Ticket Records is a sister label to On The Dole Records who gave you “Jobcentre Rejects” (and more) and
to Sweet Mental Revenge Records who gave you Rodger Wilhoit. OWT is also a sub-division of Stora Skivmässan –
Scandinavia’s biggest record fairs

First one for 030303 by Daniel Pringle aka The Jaffa Kid. Over the course of six tracks, the Newcastle based producer smoothly blends Detroit and UK informed techno with breakbeat vibes. Highlights include Noon - a deep melancholic techno cut with a subtle optimistic melody line keeping it all together, Zap Ting II - a rich ambient take on deconstructed jungle and acid and Izire Baes, where fast paced breaks are oddly slowed down by deep sonic drones. It's definitely a journey into another world, this one and a big recommendation for anyone keen to escape reality.

Danger Danger is an American Hard Rock and hair metal band from Queens, New York, formed in 1987. Danger Danger is the self titled debut album of the band, released in 1989. Included is the group’s best-known track, the album-opening anthem “Naughty Naughty”, as well as the similarly styled “Bang Bang”. The album also includes the Bon Jovi-esque “Under the Gun”, and the power ballad, “One Step from Paradise.”

Danger Danger 30th anniversary edition is available as 666 individually numbered copies on transparent blue vinyl.

“Whether it is traditional or contemporary, we need to be authentic,” says Gözen Atila who performs as Anadol. “I don't claim that I am authentic, but this is what I want to achieve.”

A sense of authentic exploration, introspection and celebration coats every inch of Anadol’s latest album. After 2019’s Uzun Havalar, the Turkish artist returns with an album that continues to explore a variety of deeply embedded musical traditions while also hurtling into new terrain.

The music and influences - as well as the history, culture and geography behind them - that make up Atila as an artist all coalesce to create something entirely new. The result is something that is simultaneously exploring history and tradition, while harnessing innovative modern sounds and techniques. “If there is any tradition I am somehow connected to, or influenced by, then it’s multi- genres,” she says. “Such as Turkish Pop and Arabesk music from this country where I grew up. There is a connection to Folk and also French pop or Flamenco, Middle Eastern melodies and orchestration, Greek adaptations, Kenny G. solos, American guitars.”

This can be heard on Felicita, not in as much as you can link up the influences directly but in the way it glides across genres, eschewing convention and predictability along the way, to result in a kaleidoscopic experience. For the album, Atila found a talented roster of Jazz musicians in Istanbul who she recorded on top of her synth productions and field recordings. Soon enough saxophone, drums and strings began to stack up against preset drum loops from vintage organs. It’s a record where woozy psychedelic excursions bleed into dreamy synth lines, immersive ambience and the occasionally disconcerting yet incredibly tactile use of field recordings.

If it’s an album that feels like it travels through a variety of feelings, then it’s because the concept is loosely rooted in such a journey. Felicita translates as “happiness” and this album is something that explores the complexities of such an emotion. “I did not name the album like this because I just wanted to call it happiness,” Atila says. “A song like ‘Felicita Lale’ is a sad and confused song about a female character who can't get out of bed. It’s a funny rumination, in her thoughts, saying to get up and lie down repeatedly. At some point the lyrics say: "hep agla, felicita", meaning: "Cry all the time, Felicita". Like she is talking to happiness itself and telling it to cry. So it is not about happiness, it is more about the concept of happiness which can be very sad.”

Following contributions to Manchester based label Chequered Wax and an emotionally elevated weapon on Groove Estate Records in June last year, Twenty Angels EP sees Eyerate continue to explore the outer limits of techno, trance and future-facing club; in an EP both clinical and entrancing.

The Norwich based producer wastes no time with a thunderous opening on ‘Undone’ - a kick-drum enthralled in reverb and so heavy, it’s destined to blow the roof off any club system. Rave painted tabs and underlining atmospherics give the track an even greater sense of largeness; best heard in dark corners with high-ceilings. A masterclass in contrast ‘IDK You’ bulldozes through with its threatening, industrial tone; its peripheral vision absorbed in light, as lasers shoot straight ahead.

‘Twenty Angels’ aptly follows-suit with its knee-jerking grooves and pace setting enthusiasm. The track's beauty comes from how it muses between hypnotic states of consciousness and raw, untethered energy. The record's arc comes to an end in ‘Youth Eternal’ touching on everything from trippy 303s to emotionally charged trance and techno; in a club-facing track made for journeying.

Henning Baer caught our attention after his first release on Adam X's Sonic Groove label. Nearly a decade after, Berlin's techno front-runner tweaked his machines into a moody electro escapade for his debut on Pinkman. Industrial tinged heavy kicks layered with futuristic mellow soundscapes. With Sui Generis Henning Baer once again shows his versatility & years of experience.

Loss and hope, isolation and communion, the cessation and renewal of purpose. Timeless and
salient, these themes echo throughout the fifth album from Midlake, their first since ‘Antiphon’
in 2013.
 From the cover to the title and beyond, a longing to reconnect with that which seems lost and
seek purpose in its passing sits at the record’s core. The cover star is keyboardist/flautist Jesse
Chandler’s father, who, tragically, passed away in 2018. As singer Eric Pulido explains, “He
was a lovely human, and it was really heavy and sad, and he came to Jesse in a dream. I
reference it in a song. He said, ‘Hey, Jesse, you need to get the band back together.’ I didn’t
take that lightly.”
 A desire to commune with the past and connect with present, lived experience asserts itself
from the opening of the album. ‘Bethel Woods’ sustains and develops that reconnection,
evoking the steadfast and contemplative urgency of ‘The Trials of Van Occupanther’ to back a
lyric steeped in yearning for a paradisal time and place of hope and optimism. Soaring guitars
and atmospheric noise effects extend a sonic scope further developed by ‘Glistening,’ where
arpeggios dance like light glancing off a lake. In just three songs, Midlake reintroduce
themselves and reach out into fresh territory with a richly intuitive dynamism, honouring their
past as a seedbed of possibility.
 Elsewhere, the prog-enhanced funk-rock of ‘Gone’ seeks to find hope in relationships that
seem fragile. The ELO-esque ‘Meanwhile…’ draws inspiration from what happened when
Midlake paused after ‘Antiphon’, developing universal resonance as a song about the beautiful
growths that can emerge from the cracks and gaps between things. ‘Dawning’ draws on 1970s
soft-rock stylings for another song searching for hope, its keyboard line reaching out towards
an uncertain future while everything seems to collapse around it; ‘The End’ reflects on the
difficulties of partings.
 On-hand was new collaborator John Congleton, who produced, engineered and mixed the
album, marking Midlake’s first record with an outside producer. “I can’t say enough just how
much his influence brought our music to another sonic place than we would have,” says Pulido.
“I don’t want to record without a producer again. Part of that is the health of the band, because
as you get older you get more opinionated and you kind of need that person who says, ‘No, it’s
going to be this way!’ It’s hard to do that with your friends.”
 The result is a powerful, warming expression of resolve and renewal for Midlake, opening up
new futures for the band and honouring their storied history. Formed in the small town of
Denton, with roots in the University of North Texas College of Music, Midlake delivered an
auspicious debut with 2004’s ‘Bamnan and Slivercork’. For the follow-up, they looked further
afield and deeper within to deliver 2006’s wondrous ‘The Trials of Van Occupanther’, a modern
classic pitched between 1871, 1971 and somewhere out of time: between Henry David
Thoreau and Neil Young’s ‘After the Gold Rush’, between 1970s Laurel Canyon thinking and a
longing for something more mysterious.
 Confidence bolstered by a growing fanbase and a developed sense of their own far-reaching
abilities, Midlake - a band acutely attuned to seasonal shifts - then embraced change. In 2010,
they visited darker psych-folk thickets for ‘The Courage of Others’ and backed John Grant on
his lustrously spiky breakthrough album, ‘Queen of Denmark’. When singer Tim Smith departed
Midlake in 2012, Pulido stepped up to the lead vocal role for 2013’s freshly exploratory
‘Antiphon’, teasing out singular routes through vintage electric-folk pastures.
 In reuniting, the bandmates were adamant that Midlake needed their absolute focus. The result
is an album of tremendously engaged thematic and sonic reach with a warm, wise sense of
intimacy at its heart: an album to break bread and commune with, honour the past and travel
onwards with. In ‘Bethel Woods’, Pulido sings of gathering seeds. On ‘For the Sake of Bethel
Woods’, those seeds are lovingly nurtured, taking rich and spectacular bloom.
 LP pressed on 180g vinyl in a gatefold sleeve printed on matt card and printed inner sleeve
with lyrics and digital download card.

Transparent frosted clear vinyl, no downlode code. Their third album 'WILDLIFE. The Eggs returned with an album that encapsulates the isolation of extensive touring and brief time back in their home town Lancaster. The two piece raucous noise pop duo combine their gritty British northern surreal lyrics with thunderous guitars and crashing drums on this their third self-recorded gem. Working alongside Gruff Rhys who produced Allergies and Cornershop's Tjinder Singh who has remixed Food for a special digital download, Wildlife is yet another wonderful and unique album from a band who continue to cement their reputation as one of the most genuinely exciting and essential bands around today. Already lead track Allergies, the first single taken from Wildlife, released on the Too Pure Singles Club, has won the BBC 6 Music Rebel Playlist - with 82% of the public vote and declared winner of Steve Lamacq's 6 Music Round Table as well as Artrocker's single of the month. For The Lovely Eggs being in a band is a way of life. True to this, they live the way they play. Fiercely, constantly in search of the good times. With this their third album in three years The Lovely Eggs explore further into their own world and the bizarreness of reality and invite you to come inside to join the party, strange as it is!

We all know that people in Switzerland are different, but these guys take it over the top! The brainchild of mastermind Andy Dormann, an established musician of the Swiss Rock Scene (KISSIN’ BLACK, CHARING CROSS) proves that fun and filthy loud music is alive and kicking on the streets of Switzerland. Get ready for a wild ride Sunset Strip-Style with a Happy Ending. D’OR Rock ’n’ Rolls like a relentless big screen cargo train. Amphetamine-primed guitar artistes with a growl like a peppery G’n’T. A galvanizing groove machine. Filterless cigarettes and a chronic scratchy throat is served up with a double espresso and a thundering sidecar. Melodic? Of course! Pretentious? Absolutely! Clichéd? Hey, D’OR glitters AND is gold! Tongue in cheek? Could be! VENI VIDI IGNIS is fresh and packed with energy. Think Terminator going back in time in a DeLorean to fetch the sexy 80s attitude to life and throw it in your 2020 face. D’OR possesses your neck muscles with an alchemy of hard rock and heavy rusty metal. If you like SKID ROW, W.A.S.P or ALICE COOPER with a bit more dirt, you better be prepared. The Goldfingers are ready. Now fasten your seatbelts!

With the world in chaos, exhilarating new music has become more
important than ever before.

As a re-sult, the emergence of French tech-metal mavericks Stengah could hardly be better timed. One of the most exciting new bands on the planet, the French quintet have spent the last few years in a state of per-petual evolution, armed with some of the most visceral and forward- thinking riffs and refrains in recent memory. Now, the band are ready to introduce themselves to the world. Founded by drummer Eliott Williame in 2013, Stengah have the sound, the smarts and the
ambition to push heavy music ever further into the future. After years of steady evolution and meticulous attention to detail, the band – completed by bassist Benoit Creteur, lead guitarist Maxime Delassus, rhythm guitarist Alex Orta and powerhouse frontman Nicolas Queste - have honed their sound to a state of cutting- edge perfection, as showcased on their formidable, forthcoming debut album SOMA SEMA."The music is about (re)connecting with yourself," says Eliott.
"It's about people, their fears, their faiths and their philosophies. How sometimes those things can guide them, and how sometimes they can blind them. It asks, with no judgement, about how odd and how strange the social and emotional behaviors of human beings are. It's all about the power to believe, in creativity, and in consciousness. Our music is technical but fun to play," adds Eliott. "People often become surprisingly transfixed by our energy, espe-cially when they haven't
seen us before. We love being on stage, we are truly passionate and that is what you see and feel during our live performances, from the first to the last song."

The history of metal is littered with the burnt-out shells of bands that lacked the vision and the vivacity to make things happen. For Stengah, the sheer power and fury of their music drives them forward. Mean- while, the sheer quality and ingenuity of Soma/ Sema looks certain to propel the band swiftly up the heavy music ladder and into the spotlight. Newly signed to Mascot Label Group, they're just getting start-ed and the sky's the limit!

This classic album - known as the moment Mose hit his stride in
transitioning from iconic pianist to iconic beat-esque vocalist - 'features the first versions of two of his sharpest pieces ('Your Mind Is On Vacation' & the title track), bluish versions of standards, instrumentals, and more Celebrating its 60th anniversary, cut all analog from the original mono Atlantic reels!

Loss and hope, isolation and communion, the cessation and renewal of purpose. Timeless and
salient, these themes echo throughout the fifth album from Midlake, their first since ‘Antiphon’
in 2013.
 From the cover to the title and beyond, a longing to reconnect with that which seems lost and
seek purpose in its passing sits at the record’s core. The cover star is keyboardist/flautist Jesse
Chandler’s father, who, tragically, passed away in 2018. As singer Eric Pulido explains, “He
was a lovely human, and it was really heavy and sad, and he came to Jesse in a dream. I
reference it in a song. He said, ‘Hey, Jesse, you need to get the band back together.’ I didn’t
take that lightly.”
 A desire to commune with the past and connect with present, lived experience asserts itself
from the opening of the album. ‘Bethel Woods’ sustains and develops that reconnection,
evoking the steadfast and contemplative urgency of ‘The Trials of Van Occupanther’ to back a
lyric steeped in yearning for a paradisal time and place of hope and optimism. Soaring guitars
and atmospheric noise effects extend a sonic scope further developed by ‘Glistening,’ where
arpeggios dance like light glancing off a lake. In just three songs, Midlake reintroduce
themselves and reach out into fresh territory with a richly intuitive dynamism, honouring their
past as a seedbed of possibility.
 Elsewhere, the prog-enhanced funk-rock of ‘Gone’ seeks to find hope in relationships that
seem fragile. The ELO-esque ‘Meanwhile…’ draws inspiration from what happened when
Midlake paused after ‘Antiphon’, developing universal resonance as a song about the beautiful
growths that can emerge from the cracks and gaps between things. ‘Dawning’ draws on 1970s
soft-rock stylings for another song searching for hope, its keyboard line reaching out towards
an uncertain future while everything seems to collapse around it; ‘The End’ reflects on the
difficulties of partings.
 On-hand was new collaborator John Congleton, who produced, engineered and mixed the
album, marking Midlake’s first record with an outside producer. “I can’t say enough just how
much his influence brought our music to another sonic place than we would have,” says Pulido.
“I don’t want to record without a producer again. Part of that is the health of the band, because
as you get older you get more opinionated and you kind of need that person who says, ‘No, it’s
going to be this way!’ It’s hard to do that with your friends.”
 The result is a powerful, warming expression of resolve and renewal for Midlake, opening up
new futures for the band and honouring their storied history. Formed in the small town of
Denton, with roots in the University of North Texas College of Music, Midlake delivered an
auspicious debut with 2004’s ‘Bamnan and Slivercork’. For the follow-up, they looked further
afield and deeper within to deliver 2006’s wondrous ‘The Trials of Van Occupanther’, a modern
classic pitched between 1871, 1971 and somewhere out of time: between Henry David
Thoreau and Neil Young’s ‘After the Gold Rush’, between 1970s Laurel Canyon thinking and a
longing for something more mysterious.
 Confidence bolstered by a growing fanbase and a developed sense of their own far-reaching
abilities, Midlake - a band acutely attuned to seasonal shifts - then embraced change. In 2010,
they visited darker psych-folk thickets for ‘The Courage of Others’ and backed John Grant on
his lustrously spiky breakthrough album, ‘Queen of Denmark’. When singer Tim Smith departed
Midlake in 2012, Pulido stepped up to the lead vocal role for 2013’s freshly exploratory
‘Antiphon’, teasing out singular routes through vintage electric-folk pastures.
 In reuniting, the bandmates were adamant that Midlake needed their absolute focus. The result
is an album of tremendously engaged thematic and sonic reach with a warm, wise sense of
intimacy at its heart: an album to break bread and commune with, honour the past and travel
onwards with. In ‘Bethel Woods’, Pulido sings of gathering seeds. On ‘For the Sake of Bethel
Woods’, those seeds are lovingly nurtured, taking rich and spectacular bloom.
 LP pressed on 180g vinyl in a gatefold sleeve printed on matt card and printed inner sleeve
with lyrics and digital download card.

A core part of the Control Freak Recordings family, London based artist Keplrr has built a reputation as a deft & talented producer with unparalleled attention to detail. In the wake of the widespread support for his 2020 EP ‘Reconstructed Club’, we asked four producers we have long-admired to flip a track from the original release. The result is ‘Club Reconstructed’ - a collection of remixes which distill the spirit of Keplrr’s original record into new forms.

First up, Holding Hands boss Desert Sound Colony serves up one of his signature slammers, locking Convection into a thumping four to the floor groover. Berlin-based Konduku, who has carved some of the most kinetic, angular club tracks of recent years with releases on Nous’klaer Audio, Spazio Donsible and others, provides a second interpretation of Convection, time-stretching the original material into a slow-motion panic attack.

On the flip, Syz makes his return to the label after 2019’s highly acclaimed Bunzunkunzun EP, applying his organic touch to Esoteric Functions with a ‘refunction’, which blurs the line between techno and 140 - packing some serious low-end and a cheeky mid-way switch-up to send the dance wild. Rounding things off, Milan’s Piezo proves his reputation as one of the most inventive producers on the scene, repurposing Bod’s Realm into an aggy, warped & technoid ‘Doom Ragga Mix’.

Pressed by Deepgrooves - Europe’s leading ecologically-friendly plant for sustainable vinyl production, made using 100% green biomass energy

As a lifelong soul boy - poet, actor, presenter Craig Charles has been adding to his trunk of funk music since his youth, and now after almost 20 years hosting his world renowned BBC6 Music and Radio 2 shows, DJing at clubs and festivals around the globe his reputation as an ambassador for all things soulful & funky is indisputable. Craig was overwhelmed with the success of Volume 1 which hit the Official UK Album charts; "It's been a whole year (and what a weird year) since I unleashed Volume 1 on a music starved world. It clearly hit home with a funk hungry public as it got into the UK charts, nestled between film soundtracks and pop compilations, so I'd like to thank everyone for supporting - especially those who grabbed the double vinyl album - that was an instant sell out!" Volume 2 contains all the trademark features his fans have come to love -kicking off with The Allergies - and their 100% exclusive Trunk Of Funk remix of their bombastic Move On Baby.

Quindi Records returns once more to the swooning romanticism of Cabaret du Ciel, the long-running project from Andrea Desidera and Gian Luigi Morosin. After the contemporary material which made up long-player The Breath Of Infinity, Raintears heads back into the group's archives and focuses on a limited cassette release from 1991.

Originally released on Morosin's own Ionisation Tapes, Raintears is described as heralding a new phase for Cabaret du Ciel following their earlier Solarisation and Weather Colours cassettes. This revised, expanded version of the release opens with 'Raintears (Piano Version)', which originally came out on an Ionisation compilation entitled Imago Sonora 1. Truly evoking the spirit of the track and its meaning, it was recorded on a rainy Sunday afternoon when Desidera's friend and trained pianist Francesco Martignon heard the original melody for 'Raintears' and proceeded to improvise on the theme, with Desidera and Morosin embellishinbg Martignon's exquisite playing with subtle touches of synth and sampling. In its fragile, tape-worn repose, the piece is loaded with the delicate ambience a rainy Sunday afternoon implies - calm, melancholic and wistful.

'A New Day' is a piece cast in light and shade, contrasting two core melodic phrases expressed through synth and guitar, with a light touch of speech sampling adding to the cinematic poise of the track. 'Time Of The Twins' originally appeared as a single track on the cassette release, but here it's framed as two distinct parts which meet in the middle. The first half is patient, gliding ambience rich in the harmonic interplay and winding narratives which typifies Cabaret du Ciel overall. The second half opens up like a flower looking for the sun, all pronounced keys pirouetting across the fundamental chord progression established in the first chapter.

'A Delvaux Postcard', previously titled 'East Roads', takes on a spectral, spacious form as it passes by slow, rhythmic pulses and freewheeling synths, momentarily joined by scattered shards of sampled voice layered and filtered in a manner which reminded Morosin of Belgian surrealist painter Paul Delvaux. The EP closes with the original version of 'Raintears' (billed here as 'Raintears II'), a plaintive and disarmingly beautiful ambient piece centered on Desidera's light and poignant playing. As Morosin himself describes, "Andrea is in a full state of grace, touching the listener through his fingers with the notes into their deepest emotions. The first time I listened to the basic version, I was just speechless."

Athlete Whippet return to Toy Tonics with an EP showcasing emotionally layered dance tracks and their refusal to stick to genre conventions. The duo are synonymous with sublime cuts that are just as suited to late nights and early mornings on the dancefloor, as they are to home-listening, this perfectly exhibited on the "Noguiera" EP.

The four-tracker is named after a remote place in the mountains around Rio de Janeiro where it was made on a creatively fruitful getaway in 2021. It's sentimental, joyful, bouncy, and futuristic, and showcases the duo’s musicality combining bass guitar and piano, with hardware synths, loops and fragmented vocal samples.

Robin explains - "Spending time in Brazil in recent years was a blessing. The nature, culture and musical heritage over there is beautiful. Mostly in solitude, as I ended up spending most of my time in a remote place in the mountains around Rio, music became the only real emotional outlet for a while. So in a way this is a record of dance music created as far away as we’ve ever been from the dance floor!"

Both from a live performance background, Robin and Avi met studying at Goldsmiths London and found their way to the dance floor via playing in bands, Robin a guitarist, Avi classically trained in trumpet and later on picking up the keys. Absorbing the community of South London, they eventually set up artist collective and record label Squareglass - a proudly established home for new artists coming out of the area. They’ve remixed for the likes of Rhythm Section, collaborated with Olugbenga, and their releases have come with reworks from Ross from Friends, Cameo Blush, Baltra and Seb Wildblood. In 2021, their hybrid sound found a new home with tastemaker German label Toy Tonics who released their "Vesta" EP in May, followed by a run of European tour dates including Funkhaus Berlin, Phonox London and Amsterdam Dance Event.

Rapper and producer duo ​Verbz & ​Mr Slipz announce their latest album ‘Radio Waves’ ​due out ​13th November 2020​. Released on the acclaimed Hip-Hop label ​High Focus Records​, the 22-track project sits perfectly between present-day greatness and unrivalled nostalgia welcoming us into their unique rap landscape. The cover, designed by ​Matt Littler​, captures the essence of the album perfectly.

Born and raised in Croydon, rapper ​Verbz has proven himself time after time with his innovative rhyming style and distinct flow. The creative partnership wouldn’t be complete without Brighton based producer Mr Slipz who marries ​Verbz’ form with his laid back jazzy sound as well as unmistakable attention to detail. The pair started making music together in 2017 when they released their debut collaboration ‘Lessons Of Adolescence’. This was followed by extensive tours and studio sessions where their musical alliance was cemented and their bond has been untouchable ever since.

Kicking off the album with humour and personality, '​2202 FM​’ is a full-bodied track which sees ​Verbz spit tales of admiration for his city whilst at the same time striving to escape. With London on the brain,

‘Summer In The Bits’ ​is an introspective analysis of a summer's day in the capital full of tense trials and tribulations. Moving throughout the album, ​‘Kno The Status’ welcomes three potent guest verses from Alex Holy​, ​Datkid & ​Upfront ​paired with an unrivaled ​arrangement and instrumentation magnifying Mr Slipz’ craft. Once again his incomparable production delivers on ​‘Weekend Blues’ ​which see’s ​Verbz regretfully address craving more from his weekend to then be greeted by numbness on a Monday morning. ​High Focus linchpin Fliptrix delivers some captivating combinations on ​‘My Wonders’ ​honing n on the current state of the world from his point of view. Up next is one of the lead singles

‘The Feeling’, which is a refreshing and rare representation of the classic Boom Bap sound. Before signing out, ​Verbz’ ​impressive storytelling shines through on ​‘In My Mind’ offering insight into his artistry as he allows access to his inner thoughts via vivid storytelling lyrics. Sandwiched amongst the project are evocative radio skits placed to perfection, offering angles of comedy including a mini-interview acting as the final pieces to the puzzle.

This record is the culmination of two years of hard work packed with skill and finesse, as we have all come to expect. With their unrivalled chemistry, the dynamic duo have proven themselves to be some the most exciting artists on the scene, and '​Radio Waves' is going to cement their position at the top of the ranks.

After their debut full-length album, Puritan Masochism, took the entire doom and heavy metal scene by storm upon its release in 2020, critically acclaimed Danish blackened death doom outfit KONVENT returns with a sophomore offering that doubles down on the band’s songwriting talent and brutal, heavy sound! The sonic evolution of KONVENT over the course of just two years is immediately evident on Call Down The Sun, surprising with new elements at every turn. Undoubtedly inspired by recent dark times, the ongoing pandemic and cancellation of live performances, the new album sees the Copenhagen-based band more pissed off, fast-paced and pitch black throughout. Rikke Emilie List’s guttural, sublime growls and fierce screams perfectly integrate with a heavy as hell wall of blackened death and funeral doom metal riffs from guitarist Sara Helena Nørregaard, backed by a thick, profound rhythm section provided by bassist Heidi Withington Brink and drummer Julie Simonsen. Tracks such as “Grains” – a ground-shaking, stomping black doom metal epos that will be a must-hear on KONVENT’s upcoming live setlists – showcase the band’s deep black soul with a hint of post-metal and even progressive elements. Featuring a haunting violin and cello guest performance by Felix Havstad, the band creates dark, eerie yet epic atmosphere on “Harena”, revealing threatening yet beautiful facets of their sound. With songs such as “Pipe Dreams” and massive album opener “Into the Distance”, the four-piece unleashes hurricanes of blackened death doom metal. Recorded and mixed by Lasse Ballade at Ballade Studios, Sweden and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege Studio, the new album’s thunderous apocalyptic sound is impossible to escape. Call Down The Sun a refreshing, vibrant record that is not only poised to top 2022 Album Of The Year lists, but reign as one of the best death and blackened doom metal records of modern times!

2LP with a 4-page colour insert

As Guadeloupean vocalist and composer Marie-Line Dahomay writes in her liner notes to the compilation, gwoka is more than a style of music, it is “a way of living and thinking.” Rooted in the social, musical and ritual practices of enslaved African people and their descendants on Guadeloupe, gwoka has always sought to express the spirit of independence and resistance authentic to the island.Building on its traditional call-and-response form and the ideas of pivotal figures like Gérard Lockel and Christian Laviso, modern gwoka evolved throughout the second half of the twentieth century to include funk, jazz and electronic influences.

Defined by its propensity for innovation and experimentation, this compilation charts the most radical changes to modern gwoka, capturing a sensory riot of traditional répertoires, rhythms and makè techniques fused with genre-defying experimentation.Whether heard in the deeply cosmic, spiritual music of Dao, Freydy Doressamy and Gaoulé Mizik, or the jazz funk inflections of Gui Konket and Horizon, the music here is united by the feeling of santiman ka, crucial not only to gwoka music but the identity of Guadeloupe at large.

As co-curator Cédric Lassonde (Bueaty & The Beats) writes: “What unifies these selections is the depth of the compositions, the experimentation around the santiman ka, and the spirit of resistance and liberation against slavery, be it modern or ancestral. With a thirst for innovation typical of the island’s creole culture, the ka spirit is deeply rooted in collective history and in a quest for identity.”

Co-curator Brandon Hocura (Séance Centre) continues: “The creative energy of these musicians is powerful and demonstrates a universal pursuit of resistance, freedom and identity. Their voices are distinct, but the chorus rises high and carries their message far across the sea.”

Lèsprit Ka: New Directions in Gwoka Music from Guadeloupe 1981-2010 is the first compilation of its kind to bring the sound of modern gwoka to a wider audience, with many of the featured musicians still active today. Presented as a double LP, the release features a specially commissioned essay by Guadeloupean musician Marie-Line Dahomey, and extensive liner notes from Cédric Lassonde and Séance Centre’s Brandon Hocura.

True to the hybrid nature of the music, the compilation seeks not to provide a definitive sound, but express the variety of contemporary forms that have evolved from gwoka. Just as Guadeloupean trailblazers Kassav fused gwoka with funk and cadence to create zouk, so did the musicians on this collection push gwoka in new directions rarely heard beyond its shores.

In the words of Gérard Lockel, “gwoka is the soul of Guadeloupe”

Faitiche presents Beispiel (German for "example", also suggests playing together), a joint project by Frank Bretschneider and Jan Jelinek. Muster is their first album.

Free electronic music, the result of spontaneous improvisations.

“Meaning” is a concept that is overused in connection with music. Muster does not call for the same kind of air quotes. With its title, German for patterns/exemplars, Beispiel’s album frees itself from the ballast of teleological semantics. There is no overarching theme, no preparation, no reading list, no reason for this music. Just two facts: Frank Bretschneider and Jan Jelinek have known each other a long time and appreciate each other’s work; and they share a love of modular synthesizers and of experimental set-ups designed to capture surprise.

Bretschneider and Jelinek got together for their first joint session in 2016 and the years that followed brought more such meetings at Jelinek’s studio for open-ended musical dialog – at irregular intervals and with no clear objective. The improvisations were recorded in two stereo tracks: one track for Bretschneider’s audio, one for Jelinek’s. After each session, the recordings were processed separately, the options essentially limited to cutting and altering the frequency range. The nine pieces for Muster were selected from the resulting material.

This approach reflects an ideal: music is when you play your first note without knowing what the third or fourth will sound like. When your 290th note still sees you leaving the beaten track, and when curiosity grows as the piece unfolds. Duping is part of Beispiel’s practice. Improvisation is about disagreement. It’s a matter of addressing the right issues. What’s happening here? What’s mine, what’s yours? Are “why” and “where next” legitimate questions?

Muster is an exemplary work. Nine suggestions for what can be. Nine ideas for possibilities of listening.

Arno Raffeiner

For the next release we head to Barbados and 1985 for the first official reissue of ‘Exit’ by Fire Flight. The best reissues succinctly capture a moment in time and this album provides a snapshot of Island life in the Caribbean region of the America’s in the middle of the 1980’s. The LP encompasses new wave, funk and early house rhythms with a backbone of calypso.

The idea for Fire Flight started with Carl “Beaver” Henderson, a musician, arranger and producer who initially provided back up band services for the Royal Bank of Trinidad & Tobago’s annual staff Calypso competition. In 1981 the idea quickly evolved into the 15 piece band that was Fire Flight who took Trinidad and Tobago’s performance spaces and annual carnival by storm with their electrifying life performances. The band also travelled to Toronto, Montreal and New York for their annual carnivals. In 1984 the band entered the now defunct Coral Sound Studios in Barbados to record their debut album. The driving force behind the LP was the band’s main songwriter Francis Escayg’s desire to explore alternative avenues of recognition for the band and to perform and thrive in the carnival off season. Highlights from the LP include the slow new wave funk of ‘Best Shot’ & ‘White Horse’, the melting pot of calypso, zouk and reggae influences on ‘Hard Life’ & ‘Mornin Lovin’ and the tropical proto house of ‘Wantin U’ that was a highlight of the Fire Flight live show.

The LP is pressed on heavyweight 180 Gram Vinyl with new full sleeve artwork from Bradley Pinkerton.

Following his feature on We Miss The Crowd EP - the last addition to our Killer Cuts series - Romeo Louisa returns to the Shall Not Fade catalog with a blissful solo EP.

Rarified Terms sees the emerging French producer come into his powers with three soulful deep house tracks which reflect his musical background in jazz, and see reworks from the likes of Shall Not Fade family members and fellow collaborators, THEOS and Denyl Brook, and London duo, Funk Cartel.

The EP starts as it means to go on. A skippy house beat, jazz-like piano chords and diva-esque vocal phrases lend "Desires" a driving propulsion, equally suited to the dancefloor as it is to a more laid-back listening environment. Next up, the stripped-back melody on the title track makes way for a focus on percussion, paying tribute to Romeo's brief residence in London with a half broken garage beat. "The House of Jazz" sees the EP at its classiest with soulful piano chords and a bouncing deep house rhythm, at times punctuated by drum accents which reference the sporadic nature of jazz improvisation.

Next up, enter Silver Steps Records boss, Denyl Brook, and fraternal duo, Funk Cartel, who offer their take on the title track before French producer THEOS rethinks "The House of Jazz", teasing out the lower ends so that the track is led by a funk-infused bassline.

“Boot licking, piss drinking, finger frigging, tit tweaking, love biting, arse licking, shit stabbing, motherfucking, spunk loving, ball busting, cock sucking, fist fucking, lip smacking, thirst quenching, cool living, ever giving…”

There’s no fairer introduction to ‘Fist’, Joshua James’ latest contribution to Phantasy, than to advise one simply to prepare themselves. Sampling iconic performance artist, club promoter and designer Leigh Bowery, James connects the expert dancefloor pressure he exacts each weekend as one of London’s best-loved club residents with the unapologetic, defiant legacy of a personal hero. None other than Peaches then takes up the remix mantle for ‘Fist’, intertwining the provocations of two radical performers and connecting three generations of underground queer culture in one sonic menage-a-trois, perhaps the straight-up rudest club record in recent memory.

On the original production, James shifts his sound in a heavier direction still since last summer’s euphoric Amber Rush, which was remixed by labelmate and friend Daniel Avery. A bouncing industrial tilt underscores the heavy-duty production, as Bowery, originally recording alongside Richard Torry in their band Minty, espouses a catalogue of sexual acts - some specialist, all sensational - as James pushes dancers further down into the belly of some revolting rave beast.

A multi-faceted match to Bowery themselves, Peaches continues a decades-long journey dedicated to genre and gender deconstruction with her wild and playful take on ‘Fist’. Dripping in cybernetic club juice, Peaches wraps herself around Bowery’s own teaches on the mic, easily matching his demands as she careens towards a system-rattling techno conclusion.

The latest release from this iconic country catalog brings together 40 of Hank’s greatest gospel songs from the Mother’s Best recordings.

From the GRAMMY award-winning team, this collection is produced by Cheryl Pawelski with restoration by Michael Graves and new liner notes by Colin Escott.

Includes the classics “I Saw The Light”, “Farther Along”, “I’ll Have A New Life” & “When The Saints Go Marching in”

High Focus ​Records linchpin ​Fliptrix announces his 8th solo album ​‘Light Work’. The 16-track project is a complete representation of ​Fliptrix as both an artist as well as reflecting the person behind the artistry. The album tackles deep rooted issues within society, the current state of the world as well as portraying an overarching message of peace, openness and optimism.

“Light Work is the culmination of years of experience, emotion, research and love. Crafted to heal, fulfil my desire to create and further raise vibrations.”

The London born, Brighton based lyricist’ creative CV has become one of legends. His long-standing trade as a solo artist is paired with him being one-quarter of the acclaimed collective ​The Four Owls (Big Owl)​, adding in Founder and Director of ​High Focus Records and not to forget becoming a first-time dad earlier this year. Operating at this level has been achieved by years of self-development and his mission is to pay it all forward.

Both Fliptrix and High Focus Records have been irreplaceable cogs in the UK HipHop machine for well over a decade. He and the label have been there for the hard times and the glory days but have never sought out fame or verification. Albums such as ​‘The Road To The Interdimensional Piff Highway’ and ​‘Patterns Of Escapism’ ​were pioneering amongst peers and resulted in multiple global tours and a dedicated fanbase across the world.

Kicking off the album is the title track ​‘Light Work’ which starts with faded, eerie laughter whilst Fliptrix unleashes a barrage of flows ending with “DMT be elevating my consciousness​”​. An introspective cut,

‘Light Work’ expresses his undeniable passion for his craft whilst tackling personal demons and overcoming them through altered states of consciousness. ‘​Multicolour’ paints a raw psychedelic picture and encourages us to think outside the box and not take everything for face value. His vivid storytelling continues throughout with feelings of being burnt out expressed in ‘​Broken Glass​’ whilst ​‘Powerizm’ ​switches up the tempo and he conveys his daily grind whilst paying homage to his fallen friend and legendary London graffiti artist ‘POW’ as well as his recently born first child. Tracks ‘​Problem, Reaction, Solution & ​The Realisation Part 2​, tackle the world's current situation head-on with a no holds barred viewpoint. Coming full circle, ​Fliptrix closes the project with ‘​Vibes’​ which is full of positivity and hope.

No stranger to talking openly about his mind-altering experiences, spirituality, quest for knowledge and dedication to the exploration of consciousness, Fliptrix’s raw flow and intricate lyricism perfectly portray the albums hard hitting narratives and set him apart from the rest of the scene. Self-reflection, personal improvement, determination and revolution are at the core of ​‘Light Work’ and they come together harmoniously under one roof.

Hygiene is the upcoming album from Drug Church. Hygiene is the latest work from Drug Church. The Albany and Los Angeles-based five-piece have a unique ability to make distinctly outsider music that’s also welcoming and instantly satisfying, as evidenced by Hygiene's lead singles "Million Miles of Fun" and "Detective Lieutenant." The two songs represent the essential tension between overt melody and visceral aggression that fuels Drug Church—the former pushing the band's seamless blend of hardcore bite and massive, '90s-indebted hooks to its most anthemic point, while the latter shows off a level of tunefulness never before seen in their catalog.