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Following the release of Eric Chenaux's last album Say Laura (2022), The Guardian wrote "the Canadian songwriter has one of the all-time great singing voices in popular music, an intensely romantic Chet Baker-ish instrument that seems to float with piercing direction, like a paper aeroplane thrown hard through mist." With Uncut describing his songcraft "as delicate and lovely as a rare orchid" and Record Collector praising the album's "sublime alien balladry" such are the accolades that have accrued throughout Chenaux's unique and consummately uncompromising solo music for well over a decade now. Delights Of My Life opens a new chapter for the singer/guitarist and formally introduces the Eric Chenaux Trio, with Toronto-based musicians Ryan Driver on Wurlitzer organ and Phillipe Melanson on electronic percussion. Driver is a longtime collaborator, appearing on several of Chenaux's solo albums (even embedded into the very title of the 2010 masterpiece Warm Weather With Ryan Driver). Melanson has a long list of involvements that include Bernice, Joseph Shabason, and U.S Girls, and a recent release with his Impossible Burger project on Chenaux's own experimental label Rat-drifting, but this marks the first fulsome involvement between the two as players on a recording. In many ways Delights Of My Life also picks up right where Chenaux's previous album left off, in its subversions of a classic, timeless jazz-inflected balladry, while the interplay of the trio formation indeed unfurls many new delights. Recording together at Chenaux's spartan home studio in rural France, Driver's harmonically warped organ and Melanson's electroacoustic sampling and percussion hold time in newfound ways. Where previously Chenaux relied on a freeze/sustain pedal and minimalist rhythmic triggers to generate both pulse and chordal foundations, Melanson now paints timekeeping with expressive and intricate colourations, through live deployments of fluid sampled percussion (including orchestral timbres like timpani, kettle drums, and woodblock) that blur the boundaries between acoustic and electronic. Driver also ramps up his role in the song arrangements (prefigured in his support playing on Say Laura), teasing out chords and melodic filigree on Wurlitzer that percolate more prominently with Chenaux's signature fried guitar solos and succulent singing. Both trio members add dulcet backing vocals, most notably on the 10-minute tour-de-force of fuzzed and ring-modulated swing "This Ain't Life" that opens the record. All seven songs on the album groove and sway, simmer and sparkle, like nothing in the inestimable Chenaux discography to date. Chenaux's tunes have the uncanny ability to sound like jazz standards; songs you feel you've heard before, though certainly never quite like this. Yet these are of course all originals, compositionally and interpretively, bent through an inimitable avant/out-music lens. Delights Of My Life conveys warm familiarity, shot through with the exuberantly experimental subversion and playful, even mischievous, iconoclasm that continues to mark Chenaux as defiantly, virtuosically, and genially one-of-kind.

From weaving thought-provoking poetics to channeling the spirit of vintage West Coast gangsta rap, acclaimed Los Angeles emcee Blu is a dynamic musical presence, forever evolving and defying expectations. Supremely talented producer and musician Shafiq Husayn has a similarly diverse skill set, with a storied history as a member of Sa-Ra Creative Partners and solo production credits for top artists across the musical spectrum, from Erykah Badu to Ice-T to Anderson .Paak to Jurassic 5 and many more. After linking up for the mixtape The Blueprint back in 2018, Blu and Shafiq Husayn are reuniting for the new album Out Of The Blue, elevating their collaboration to a new level. “The Blueprint was just me rhyming over some of Shafiq's beats that I found online,” Blu explains. “This time we were actually in the studio together. We’ve been working together since 2008, but this is our first official album.” Awash in Shafiq’s dense sonic architecture, Out Of The Blue showcases the intricacy of Blu’s spiritual street talk while simultaneously delivering a series of bass-heavy L.A. anthems. Entirely produced by Shafiq Husayn, the collection features guest appearances by MED, Exile, Chuuwee, Thurz, Speed Walton, Jimetta Rose, and Freestyle Fellowship members Myka 9 and Self Jupiter. “Out Of The Blue is my G-Funk album,” Blu explains. “Big brother Shafiq gave us a master class in production. We just in here being funky and having fun.”

Nach einer beeindruckenden Reihe von Alben in den 2010er Jahren, die ihm eine treue Fangemeinde, Auszeichnungen von Zeitungen wie der New York Times, Fresh Air und Pitchfork und einen Platz in der oberen Riege der modernen Americana-Singer-Songwriter eingebracht haben, hat John Moreland in diesem Jahrzehnt bereits zwei unerwartete Wendungen vollzogen, die beide seine starke künstlerische Unabhängigkeit unterstreichen.

Zunächst veröffentlichte er 2022 mit Birds In The Ceiling eine brillante und klanglich vielschichtige Folk-Electronica-Meditation über moderne Entfremdung, die einige seiner Fans überraschte. Nachdem er im November 2022 eine schwierige Tournee hinter sich gebracht hatte, stellte er seine Arbeit komplett ein. Er nahm sich ein ganzes Jahr Auszeit von Auftritten und benutzte 6 Monate lang kein Smartphone.

Nach fast einem Jahrzehnt im Rampenlicht, in dem er ständig von den Erwartungen seines Publikums bedrängt wurde, nahm er sich zum ersten Mal Zeit, sich auszuruhen, zu heilen und zu reflektieren. Das Ergebnis dieses Unplugged-Jahres zu Hause ist 2024 Visitor, ein Folk-Rock-Album, das intim, unmittelbar, zutiefst nachdenklich und verdammt eingängig ist.

FREQ Records is the record label accompanying the manga "FREQ," created by Nicola Kazimir, illustrated by goodnewsforbadguys, and written by the legendary Dai Sato, who has written scripts for Ergo Proxy, Eureka Seven, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, among many others.

The setting of Freq's lore unfolds in a futuristic realm where the influence of sound frequencies governs all aspects of life. In this world, everything from traffic and AR visuals to electricity, warfare, and of course, music, is orchestrated through the manipulation and extraction of sound frequencies. The narrative unfolds within the sprawling expanse of Rephlex, a vast city featuring diverse districts, factions, and social classes.

FREQ001, called Super FREQ, is composed by none other than Machine Girl, known for their breakcore-inspired sonic adventures and highly energetic live shows. For this EP, we might get a compositional glimpse of how Machine Girl will sound in the future.

Nach einer beeindruckenden Reihe von Alben in den 2010er Jahren, die ihm eine treue Fangemeinde, Auszeichnungen von Zeitungen wie der New York Times, Fresh Air und Pitchfork und einen Platz in der oberen Riege der modernen Americana-Singer-Songwriter eingebracht haben, hat John Moreland in diesem Jahrzehnt bereits zwei unerwartete Wendungen vollzogen, die beide seine starke künstlerische Unabhängigkeit unterstreichen.

Zunächst veröffentlichte er 2022 mit Birds In The Ceiling eine brillante und klanglich vielschichtige Folk-Electronica-Meditation über moderne Entfremdung, die einige seiner Fans überraschte. Nachdem er im November 2022 eine schwierige Tournee hinter sich gebracht hatte, stellte er seine Arbeit komplett ein. Er nahm sich ein ganzes Jahr Auszeit von Auftritten und benutzte 6 Monate lang kein Smartphone.

Nach fast einem Jahrzehnt im Rampenlicht, in dem er ständig von den Erwartungen seines Publikums bedrängt wurde, nahm er sich zum ersten Mal Zeit, sich auszuruhen, zu heilen und zu reflektieren. Das Ergebnis dieses Unplugged-Jahres zu Hause ist 2024 Visitor, ein Folk-Rock-Album, das intim, unmittelbar, zutiefst nachdenklich und verdammt eingängig ist.

To address the weight of the world without speaking of weariness. To march the song to breathlessness but loosen your grip when the band wanders. To tell all your secrets but shield your loved ones from vulnerability. To dress up in the charm and temptation of the pop song but maintain a core of peculiarity, of a single voice trying to navigate this world. This is the project of the Spatulas. Think of the few songwriters who know they're the only ones in the world who could write their songs. The ones who sing in the confidence that the song couldn't exist without them: Peter Jefferies, Jenny Mae, Ron House, Heather Lewis. Jonathan Richman? Put Miranda Soileau-Pratt and the Spatulas on this list. All eleven songs on `Beehive Mind' share a percussive, unshadowed presence, a steady, clear-voiced clop. Every note on the record is a little bit sad on its own but then they're organized in a way that you don't actually notice. Credit this to the band's skill_Jon Grothman, Lila Jarzombek, Kyle Raquipiso and Miranda Soileau-Pratt all play with no limits and they all play with profound ease. The songs breathe in warmth and patience, they are immediate and sweet. And then they start to meander. The guitar skitters with the deliberate unpredictability of a wild animal. Parts repeat and reset with the obsessiveness of an anxious mind. The lyrics open doors to unexpected scenes of lovers, family, and violence. This is all intentional: "I need to play music and listen to music as a form of therapy," explains Soileau. This means safety, this means encouragement, this means trauma, this means hard questions. Only a band so comfortable at the margins, only a band so capable, only a band so trusting can achieve all this. Miranda Solileau-Pratt wrote the first Spatulas song in 2020, while living in Oregon. Since that time, the band has released two cassettes and toured the United States. Members of the Spatulas have also played in The Blimp, Honey Bucket, Hot Gum, and Meerkaz. The band has shared stages with Helen, Lavender Flu, Debt Rag, Pink Reason, Blues Ambush, and Kath Bloom. `Beehive Mind' is their debut LP.

For more than twenty years, +/- Plus/Minus has stood as a captivating fixture in the indie rock scene, defying simple categorization while blending futuristic odd-time signature pop with electronic elements and traditional rock instrumentation. The band's origins trace back to the friendship of childhood friends Patrick Ramos and James Baluyut, who would go on to play with 90s New York indie stalwarts Versus. Following the (temporary!) dissolution of Versus in 2001, Ramos and Baluyut welcomed seasoned drummer Chris Deaner, hailing from the Austin music scene, into the fold This fruitful collaboration led to the creation of five full-length albums, several EPs, a video compilation DVD, and extensive tours across the United States, Europe, and Asia, alongside acts including Death Cab For Cutie, The Wrens, Mates of State and more.

‘EVERYTHING IS HERE’ is a journey through space and time, inspired by the more rarefied aspects of prog rock and the wistful side of psychedelia.


Fusing these influences with the accessibility of French electronic and the groove of R&B and disco, this album depicts the sweet dizziness of contemplation. Nostalgic, yet determined and modern in it’s genre blending, the first album of Kartell truly reveals what’s been underlining in his previous EP.

Taking influences in the space and dream pop aesthetic, the musical approach of the album embraces the 60’s and 70’s fascination for outer space, exotic locations, technologies and science fiction which was on the edge of becoming reality.

Nebulous textures and otherworldly sounds characteristic of space rock are infused throughout the record, while keeping a focus on making catchy songs, leaning on a minor-key groove and a pop yearning. It’s also a challenge and an artistic proposition to gather a wide range of genres to tell a story. Densely produced and cinematic, the album draws a truly living landscape where live bass, drums and guitars hold the line, evolving around hazy effects and synthesizer layers.

The concept behind the entire EP revolves around the power of scents, exploring how smells evoke emotions and memories from the past. Doci's fascination with scents and molecular fragrances inspired him to create an EP centered on the emotional experiences tied to different scents. Have you ever noticed how a fragrance can transport you back in time, bringing a rush of memories before your eyes? This EP is born from that very sensation. Needless to say, Doci's infatuation with fragrances significantly contributed to the effectiveness of the project. Hedione (Intro): Begin your odyssey with "Hedione," an atmospheric IDM/Experimental track. This floral molecular scent-inspired introduction gently ushers you into the EP's sensorial realm, setting the stage for a unique auditory adventure. Iso E Super & Ambroxan: Explore the intricate layers of musky, woody, and ambery scents in "Iso E Super" and "Ambroxan." These tracks, weaving through Break/Electro/Drum n' Bass genres with subtle Techno accents, offer a sonic journey that mirrors the nuanced edges of their aromatic inspirations. Each note captures the essence, presenting a balanced dance of rough and light tones. Javanol: Experience the raw energy of "Javanol" a leftfield/break Techno exploration. Reflecting the rough and woody facets of its scent inspiration, this track unfolds with aggressive synths and sounds, immersing you in a visceral encounter. Doc's musical interpretation captures the intensity of scent, creating a distinctive and bold auditory expression. In this EP, Doci skillfully translates fragrance into sound, inviting listeners on a textured expedition through scent-inspired composition

“Thou Shalt” is the second album by The Answer Lies In The Black Void. Serene, invoking imagery of darkness; sweeping soundscapes tear and twist at the emotions. The latest album by The Answer Lies In The Black Void is a work of magical beauty. The duo, a collaboration of Martina Horváth from avant-garde folk metal project Thy Catafalque and Jason Köhnen from Celestial Season, The Lovecraft Sextet, Bong-Ra, Mansur and The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, follows up on their 2021 debut “Forlorn”.

The prevalent element here is doom, but there is so much more buried deep within the dark vaults of this compelling record. The nine new tracks are deep, richly layered songs, with Horváth demonstrating her stunning shimmering vocals over the complex creativity of Köhnen, the multi-instrumentalist who takes responsibility for everything instrument-driven here. There are crushing riffs, echoing lead guitar work, melodic choruses and harrowing passages which send shivers down the spine, and all the time the atmosphere builds; The Answer Lies In The Black Void seeks to embrace beauty in darkness and fragility in heaviness.

”Dafür bestimmt, als Jazz-Klassiker in die Geschichte einzugehen” – so das Urteil des Guardian bei der Veröffentlichung des Albums im Jahr 1997. Weiter meinte die Zeitung: ”Wheelers Kompositionen und vier der weltbesten Improvisatoren schaffen ein nachdenkliches Set, das es sich lohnt wieder und wieder zu hören. Dies ist wunderschöne, leuchtende Musik.” Angel Song gehört zu den Höhepunkten im Katalog des Labels und vereint vier Improvisationsgrößen – jeder mit einer einzigartigen künstlerischen Identität – in einer intimen, Schlagzeug-losen Quartett-Session. Kenny Wheeler ist der Komponist der neun eindringlich lyrischen Kammer-Jazzstücke und verleiht ihnen an Flügelhorn und Trompete im expressiv-melodischen Austausch mit Altsaxophonist Lee Konitz eine besonders eindringliche Atmosphäre. Das Bassfundament von Dave Holland ist so überzeugend wie eh und je und lässt Bill Frisell alle Freiheiten für harmonieumfassende Improvisation. Wie der Guardian jubelte 1997 auch die Times und sprach von einem: ”rührend schönen Album: Hollands wendige Zuverlässigkeit ist der Anker für die elegante Klangfülle von Konitz, die flimmernde Raffnesse von Frisell und die klangliche Zärtlichkeit von Wheeler selbst.” Das Album erscheint zum allerersten Mal auf Vinyl als Teil der Luminessence-Reihe und wird in einem Tip-on-Gatefold mit Session-Fotos präsentiert

A landmark recording and masterful symphony of performance, composition, and execution, Miles Davis' E.S.P. established the template jazz would follow for the following decade. The 1965 record splits the gap between accessible hard-bop and the cutting-edge approach Davis increasingly pursued into the 1970s. Adventurous, sophisticated, and yet altogether cohesive, E.S.P. stands out not only due to its elastic compositions but via its chemistry, interplay, and feeling attained by the instrumentalists. The first album Davis' classic second quintet made together, it's also very arguably the group's best. Never before has the effort been experienced in such transformational sound.

Pressed at RTI, this 180g 45RPM 2LP set of E.S.P. renders the music's dynamics, pitch, colors, and textures with lifelike realism and proper scale. Reference-caliber separation, wall-to-wall soundstages, and distinct images magnify the intensity and beauty of Davis and Co.'s creations. Whether it's the distinctive snap of Tony Williams' drum sticks against the snare head, air moving through Davis' trumpet, acoustic thrum of Ron Carter's bass, or upper register of Herbie Hancock's piano, the sound is better than you'd even hear in the most intimate jazz clubs. Prepare to be swayed on every level.

For many, E.S.P. looms among the decade's best albums if only because of the significance of Davis' line-up. While Hancock, Williams, and Carter are holdovers that began playing with one another on 1963's Seven Steps to Heaven, Wayne Shorter functions as the secret weapon and key addition responsible for this ensemble hitting a new peak. Indeed, the saxophonist helped pen two of the seven compositions here – notably, E.S.P. is entirely comprised originals and clocked in as one of the longest-running jazz LPs issued at the time – and, more importantly, grants Davis the confidence and leeway necessary for the eruption of enigma, steadiness, and tension.

As he did with John Coltrane year earlier, Davis hangs back and picks his moments to solo, with Shorter stepping up to supply the churn. Their bandmates respond in kind, itching to take off into new stratospheres all the while keeping their improvisations grounded and connected to the piece at hand. Guided by Davis' visions and inspired by current boundary-pushing works by the likes of Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, and Coltrane, the magnificent results spark with variation, harmony, emotion, energy, and brilliant movement.

Interlocking lines drive "Little One," alternating rhythms pulse through the funky "Eighty-One," melodies soar on the balladic "Iris," the aptly titled "Mood" broods over minor-key structures, and "Agitation" – goosed by a two-minute percussive introduction by Williams – delivers on its promise. No record – and no group of musicians – have ever balanced coherent themes and exploratory playing in better fashion than Davis' quintet on E.S.P. It's the avant-garde record even jazz traditionalists love, and essential on every level.

Banging Connection between Uzi and Numéro Bleu, the first brings his sweetness and the second brings his Techno science... When you hear it you feel each have learned some new skills about textures...

The second track is a N°Bleu solo, more experimental, but also with more creation/character, a very good distortion, pumpin and full of surprises.

The flip opens with a true cruiser by Leks : a long weapon, with a romantic super long drop... Bring the kick !!!

Last track is a N° Bleu again ^^ And once again it's a brain killer !! SUPER GOOD !

The best Vinyl Bleu is the last one : it tooks time to come but we can feel that's why it's so bloody successfull !

Masterpiece !

Thanks MILLAU !!! BIG UP !

The self-titled debut album by Last Plane Out (S-Rock/Border) will be released worldwide on vinyl - The band: Last Plane Out is a duo consisting of Nils Erikson (music) and Anders Lundquist (lyrics) They describe their style as progressive pop: songs for those looking for some musical and lyrical chewing resistance, yet appealing to the casual listener.

Nils Erikson, based in Malmoo, Sweden, is a Swedish singer, composer and multi- instrumentalist. He has released a number of solo albums, one of which was nominated for two Swedish Grammys (Newcomer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year). He has also released several instrumental works that have been streamed millions of times.
In addition to that, Nils is the co-keyboardist and co-lead singer of the progressive rock band Karmakanic, led by longtime Steve Hackett bassist Jonas Reingold. Anders Lundquist, based in Stockholm, Sweden, is a lyricist, composer and bassist/guitarist, as well as a renowned music journalist. As the bassist and one of the two main songwriters of Swedish hard rock progsters band Future Elephants?, he released three acclaimed albums between 2016 and 2023.

(Jam El Mar Remix) DJ Ghost and Robert Armani resurrect their hugely popular turn-of-the-millennium collaboration with the superb ‘Hit Hard Baby (WTF)



DJ Ghost and Robert Armani resurrect their hugely popular turn-of-the-millennium collaboration with the superb ‘Hit Hard Baby (WTF)’. A formidable duo when it comes to churning out mind bending techno and hard-edged grooves, these guys first got together in 2001 delivering the bouncy vibes of ‘Hard One’ followed by ‘Airport’ and ‘Funk That’, all of which got included on a raft of compilations and enjoyed by many around the world. Individually they are accomplished in their own right. Ghost is an iconic figure in Belgium and a stalwart within the Bonzai family. Robert Armani needs no introduction, ‘Circus Bells’, ‘Ambulance’, ‘Hit Hard’ anyone? Since the mid-eighties he’s been right up there with DJ greats, and in 1992 he started releasing his own brand of house, acid house and techno. Legend is an understatement when it comes to both these guys and we’re delighted to see them back at it in the studio once again.



The release opens with ‘Hit Hard Baby (WTF)’, introing with dark kick drums and raspy hi hats. Classic techno percussions weave intricate patterns as tension mounts, taking us to the break where hypnotic notes build alongside a snare roll to the drop and back to full-on dark mode for the duration. ‘The Underground’ is up next, combining sick techno grooves with massive rave stabs and murky acid lines. Powered by a solid drum arrangement that packs a punch, this one is destined for peak time greatness. The first of two versions of ‘H.O.H’ begins with the Original Mix. Keeping with darker tones of the release, this one goes straight for the jugular as chunky kicks and pulsating, mesmeric basses combine along with clangy percussions and a classic vocal hook that will destroy the dancefloor. Another legend joins us to round out the release with Jam El Mar stepping up for remix duties on ‘H.O.H’. Hailed as a pioneer of trance alongside the late great Mark Spoon, Jam El Mar remains a much-revered name on the scene and we know amazing things happen when he’s let loose in the studio. Ramping up the energy on this one Jame El Mar whips up a frenzy to get the crowd moving. Heavy hitting kicks with layers of rhythmic percussions get the toes tapping while gnarly techno basses and electrifying synths combine alongside that instantly recognisable vocal. A monster tune that is not to be missed.

(180gr vinyl) Dizzy Mandjeku & Odemba OK Allstars, the esteemed Congolese musical ensemble, joyfully announces the forthcoming release of their latest masterpiece, "Odemba Nostalgie - Rumba Congolaise," on vinyl format.



Dizzy Mandjeku is considered a living guitar legend. The guitar riff from Stromae’s Papaoutai, ten years on tour with Zap Mama and besties with Baloji. Over the years he has built up an entire repertoire with the greats of Congolese rumba. Cuban rumba was vibrant in Congo and it didn’t take long before traditional elements started to blend with modern instruments. With Franco Luambo and his band T.P.O.K. Jazz at the forefront, the music evolved into a brand new style called Rumba Odemba. Dizzy, having been a member of the T.P.O.K. Jazz later founded the Odemba OK Allstars in Brussels in order to keep th unique ‘Rumba Odemba’ alive.



As an hommage to Franco Luambo, Dizzy took six of songs he used to play with him and interweaved them into two medleys: ‘Odemba #1’ and ‘Odemba #2’.



"Odemba Nostalgie - Rumba Congolaise" pays homage to the timeless tradition of Congolese rumba. Guided by the expertise of producer Toms Ntale and mixer Vincent Kenis (Crammed Discs) the album delivers an authentic listening experience that transports listeners to the heart of Congo's vibrant music scene.



"Dizzy Mandjeku & Odemba OK Allstars bring pure Franco OK Jazz rumba to the stage - brassy, funky, soukous heaven, with the enduring sound of the 60’s and 70’s getting everyone dancing and whooping." - Songlines (Anita Scott)

Repress!

Wah Wah 45s are proud to present the full debut album from Afrobeat supergroupEparapo. Having come togetherduring the unprecedented events of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, and despite being a project born from the privations of lockdown, their music is ultimately an expression of hope, resilience & resurgence.

The word "eparapo" means "join forces" in Yoruba, the language of Afrobeat. It's also the title of a track by the late, greatTony Allen- drummer for Afrobeat legendFela Kutiand lifelong friend and mentor of our very own "Afrobeat Ambassador",Dele Sosimi. Not only did Tony help to invent Afrobeat, he always looked for ways to push the boundaries, never content with recreating what had gone before but constantly expanding and developing the genre. This project hopes to pay homage to his legacy, and that of Fela Kuti himself. Its aim is to innovate, fuse and diversify while still retaining the essence of the music.

The force behind Eparapo is bassist, composer & producerSuman Joshi.He has been a member of Dele Sosimi's Afrobeat Orchestra for nearly a decade and has performed on stage with the likes of Tony Allen, Seun Kuti, Ginger Baker & Laura Mvula. He is also bassist with UK jazz ensemble Collocutor and fusion project Cubafrobeat.

"The Eparapo project was conceived during a time of lockdowns & government scandals. The music that makes up this album was written and recorded against a backdrop of societal upheaval, culture wars and rising wealth inequality. With little scrutiny or resistance from the mainstream media, our human and democratic rights were being eroded and our institutions debased. Even our right to protest is now under threat. This is a call to action, an expression of frustration & anger at what our nation has become. It's saying that enough is enough, it's time to join forces and make our voices heard. It's time to take to the streets."Suman Joshi

The title track is an epic eleven minute musical representation of this frustration and anger, where the musicians really let loose and allow their voices to be heard. As the only instrumental track on the album it acts as a call to action that is central to this body of work. Featured vocalists on the album are Fela Kuti disciple and Wah Wah 45s artistDele Sosimi, who appears on the singlesBlack Lives Matter,From London To LagosandWho Invented Back & White?as well as a more recent recording,Follow The Money; and London based, Ghanaian born master percussionist and vocalistAfla Sackey, who takes lead vocals on the mournful yet somehow hopefulBeautiful City.

The rest of the group comprises of highly rated UK jazz vocalistSahra Gure; saxophonist, composer, producer and bandleader of the renowned forward thinking jazz outfit Collocutor,Tamar Osborn; keyboard player, producer and front man for Lokkhi Terra and Cubafrobeat,Kishon Khan; one of the UK's finest and most in demand trumpeters,Graeme Flowers, who has played with Quincy Jones, Gregory Porter and many more; trombonist for Bellowhead and mainstay of Dele's Afrobeat Orchestra,Justin Thurgur; and finally drummer for Steamdown and Sons of Kemet, as well as the man behind the Nache project,Eddie Wakili Hick.

The album will be available digitally and limited edition vinyl LP, with striking artwork by our award winning designer Animisiewasz.

Continuing Mr Bongo’s series exploring the wealth of material released through the record labels of Sonny Lester, 1977’s Funk Reaction finds Hammond B3 organ virtuoso Lonnie Smith at his most dancefloor-friendly. Dripping with groove and swagger, this album skates between jazz-funk, cosmic disco radiance, beat-laden slow-jams and conscious psychedelic soul.

Having played with the likes of George Benson and Lou Donaldson in the ‘60s, alongside releasing a string of albums on Columbia and Blue Note, Funk Reaction sees Smith move into late ‘70s disco-funk-tinged territory.

Originally released on Sonny Lester's Groove Merchant Records successor, Lester Radio Corporation, the album feels more like a collaborative band-orientated project as opposed to a solo artist outing. Featuring some elite session players of the time, including Steve Gadd on drums, guitarist Lance Quinn and bassist Bob Babbitt, the album is tied together expertly by songwriter, arranger and conductor Brad Baker.

It’s worth the price tag alone for the superb disco-funk nugget 'Funk Reaction’. Other highlights include the only Lonnie Smith penned track on the album 'All In My Mind', that shines with a beautiful Stevie Wonder-esque quality and the slick guitar-led floater 'When The Night Is Right’, written by and featuring guitarist Richie Hohenburger. Elsewhere, ‘For The Love Of It’ and the Brad Babbitt written ‘Babbitt's Other Song’ serve up classic jazz funk flavours, both featuring stellar tenor saxophone from Eddie Daniels.

As a whole, the album is a superb example of Lonnie Smith’s ability to merge jazz with elements of funk, soul, disco and beyond, experimenting with ideas whilst broadening the scope of both his audience and appeal. Fans of The Blackbyrds, the CTI / Kudu stable and ‘70s George Benson will dig this!

DJ Support: Gilles Peterson, Sean Johnston, Jaye Ward, Max Essa and Francois K

Limited to 300 copies

Having been long-time admirers of one another from afar, Hell Yeah and Michele Mininni finally come together for Pop Archetypes. It is a multifaceted debut album that collides broken beats, worldly rhythms, jazz, eastern melodies, live drums and much more into one thrilling 15-track opus that arrives on May 31st.

Italian artist Mininni has always had a leftfield take on electronic music and imbued it with rhythms, melodies and instruments from around the globe. He has released it on cult labels like R&S, Optimo Trax, Internasjonal and Curle Recordings but has saved his magnificent debut album for Hell Yeah. It is much more than a collection of sounds he has already explored and instead finds him heading off into all new territory without losing his signature sense of inventive and beguiling rhythm and melody. It is a multicultural journey that takes in heterogeneous styles and diverse influences but distills them all into one cohesive album with its own unique storyline.

Says Mininni of the record, 'I wanted each track to be like pieces of a unique, multifaceted picture, like walking through train cars or progressing through the levels of a video game, all filtered through my own vision and concentrated into 36 minutes. I wanted a pop album rooted in the extraordinary richness of popular music and projected into the future, a continuum where pieces communicate with each other and are received by the ears in symbiotic balance.'

Despite that concept, the album is a spontaneous listen full of surprises, left turns and original ideas that all hold together in thrilling fashion. It kicks off with the tumbling jazz drums and swirling synths of 'Spinning Around Cotton Candy', takes in mellifluous melodic layers and broken beats on 'Golden Room' and 'Slipped Air' casts you adrift amongst gorgeous piano keys and refracted vocals on the suspensory 'Vertigo'. There are jungle interludes with Eastern string melodies like 'Bangkok Tempo', lavish fusions of organic and synthetic sounds on 'Kundalini' and more charming Far Eastern rhythms on 'Muting Cat'. 'Congoflash' brings electrifying cosmic rays to busy hand drum patterns, 'The Magic Of Synesthesia' combines dark amen breaks and bright and uplifting flutes while 'Carousel Of Tears' douses you in watery melodies and celestial pads that awaken the soul.

Pop Archetypes is an adventurous work packed with meticulous and infinite details but all with an overarching narrative that makes it far more than the sum of its parts.

In a flurry of madcap sampling pitched towards the heat of the night, Pedro Zopelar builds on the premise of his 2022 electro- funk love letter Charme, shifting his approach towards a particular

90s flair and a method with a specific end result. Ritmo Freak took root in studio experiments for a momentous — and rare — live set at São Paulo festival Não Existe in 2023, where Zopelar was caught up in one of those right-place, right- time moments we carry with us through life. As he explains himself: “This album is dedicated to freaky club culture. While I was playing at the festival there was a crazy tropical storm outside and the room was packed with the freakiest crowd. I’ve tried hard to immortalize that feeling on this record.” With the intended energy in mind, Zopelar focused on a particular mode of production centred around 12-bit sampling from his ample record collection. Considering his background as a trained pianist, here his musical instincts are forced to work within the limitations of short, snappy cuts from dusty 12”s. The lo-fi sound sources and the resourceful ways Zopelar works them gives the record an unmistakable old-skool flavour which he applies to forthright house, techno and electro funk rhythms, always taking care to draw out the soul of the music.

The stylistic touchstones flow past thick and fast on Ritmo Freak. From the amped up fierceness of the title track with its gaudy, cut n’ paste, vintage techno flavour to the effervescent electro funk of ‘Gabriellinha’s Boogie’ on to the surreal Balearic inversion of ‘Distraction’, this is a high-velocity, endlessly charming record bursting with the musicality Zopelar has made his name on. As the driving force behind many warehouse parties in São Paulo,

Zopelar has been immersed in club culture for a long time, and his distinctive catalogue of jazz, funk, acid and techno has graced highly respected labels like Apron, Selva Discos and Mother Tongue. Throughout, he’s displayed an affinity for the tangled roots of the groove with an open-eared, big-hearted sound. That’s what comes through on Ritmo Freak

Dubbed out new version of a Japanese reggae classic from 1982 by UK-based Tokyo Riddim Band. Recorded and mixed by the legendary Prince Fatty in South London, it's a fusion of past and present, East and West.
Three generations of female musicians from Japan come together, blending reggae drums, funky bass, and the smooth City Pop guitar, all magically dubbed-out live on stage. Tokyo Riddim Band is a culture clash phenomenon unlike anything else.

Championed by Gilles Peterson, and featured on NTS, Pitchfork and Bandcamp Daily, the group was born out of Time Capsule’s wildly popular compilation “Tokyo Riddim 1976-1985”. In just a matter of months they have sold out headline shows across London and supported Kyoto Jazz Massive at Jazz Cafe, conjuring a raucous, dubby dancefloor that brings the classic Japanese reggae sound of the ‘70s and ‘80s to life for a new generation.

Led by the inimitable pianist and composer Izumi ‘Mimi’ Kobayashi who featured on the original compilation, Tokyo Riddim Band are set to release a series of 7” singles in the coming months with more live shows planned throughout the summer 2024.

The first single, 'Denshi Lenzi', reinvents the Natural Mystic riddim of the original Japanese production, infusing it with dubbed-out vocals, sirens, and electrifying e-tom sounds, delivering an authentic reggae/dub experience with a distinct UK flair.

2024 Repress

Funky Chicken brings together some of the best Belgian dance tracks from the early seventies. Emerged in a country where virtually every musical wave passes through, most of these tunes were created and recorded by hired guns, in this case a few clusters of gifted session musicians and composers. The music on Funky Chicken is their take on (afro-)funk, soul and Latin. Some of their releases were hit parade cannon fodder, but occasionaly, some spare studio time or the urgent need for a B-side allowed for memorable musical experiments.

Funky Chicken is a post-fact documentation, the result of a quest into a period on which information is few and far between, the 'black hole' in Belgium's history of popular music. The barren wasteland between the variety orchestras of the sixties and the electronic revolution of the late seventies and early eighties. This series explores the ground the dance pioneers built upon.

DJ and producer David Holmes is welcomed to the Late Night Tales fraternity with an evocative collection of personal songs and music, peppered with exclusive new material and rare gems. By now, I think we all know David Holmes, right There's acid house Holmes, with bone-rattling Chicago jams and Detroit destroyers, break-digger Holmes responsible for the grittily shaking 'Let's Get Killed' and seminal Essential Mix compilation (which brought Sixto Rodriguez to people's attention, and then there's soundtrack Holmes. His most enduring and vital source of musical inspiration - cinema - plugged into David's rst solo record 'This Film's Crap, Let's Slash the Seats' and inspired 2000's 'Bow Down to the Exit Sign', created as the soundtrack to a not-yet-made movie. Ofcial soundtracks have been bountiful, including scores for Soderbergh's Out Of Sight and Ocean's trilogy, '71, Hunger and Good Vibrations. In a series of personal songs sung by himself, David's last solo album 'The Holy Pictures' explored inuences of La Düsseldorf, The Jesus and Mary Chain and early Brian Eno. His Unloved collaboration with Keefus Ciancia and Jade Vincent then took us on a musical journey full of raw 60s pop-noir, psychedelia and French Ye Ye with a contemporary twist. Somehow he's also found time to produce records by Primal Scream and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Unsurprisingly, for someone au fait with matters cinematic, this Late Night Tales conjures up its own mindmovies. It's not only packed with the judiciously selected nuggets for which his mixes are noted but also stuffed with original material, including collaborations with BP Fallon and Jon Hopkins and an amazing new reading of 10cc's 'I'm Not In Love' by Holmes-produced Song Sung. In fact, there's a Celtic thread running through the whole journey with Stephen Rea's reading of an extract from Seamus Heaney's AENEID BOOK VI - Elsewhere Anchises. Among the other gems included here are David Crosby's lush 'Orleans', Buddy Holly's celestial 'Love Is Strange' and the Children Of Sunshine's 'It's A Long Way To Heaven'. David Holmes loves music. It's a way of expressing the sometimes inexpressible or the inconsolable, a questing desire to nd out just what is over the next hill. It's no surprise to learn he's a keen walker. Always on the move, headphones on, lost in some reverie or piece of music, the soundtrack to his life, the stuff that feeds his imagination. I walk a lot. It's amazing for listening to music: your phone or your emails aren't going and you're just in the forest listening to music. It's so intimate. Anyway, I was listening to the KLF's Chill Out album, which still sounds amazing, but it triggered an idea with concrete sounds through travelling and movement. And one of the things I was trying to do was to use this idea not just break up the moods but also as a metaphor for moving through life and arriving in different destinations or arriving at different stages in different parts of your life. Memory, Love, Living, Family, Friendship, Healing, Death and The Afterworld are some of the themes I wanted to explore within this record. Although these strong themes and tracks are personal to me, I also wanted it to be a great listen that was unpredictable yet had a seamless ow - a journey that was personal to me yet to the listener a great compilation of music that they may or may not have heard before. I hope I've succeeded in the later.' David Holmes 2016

At its best, Bristol's scene has been marked out by the artists with an independent spirit. Not just the self-reliant DIY approach to getting the music out there, but a unique, inventive slant on emergent sounds which feed into the city's storied reputation. Flynn & Flora embody that idea, having come up in the nascent Bristol jungle scene while offering something wholly different to their peers in fabled crews like Full Cycle and More Rockers.

The duo were absolutely connected to the wider community, but they followed their own path, and the records reflect that. They're not as widely name checked as the likes of Roni Size, Krust, or Smith & Mighty, but their legacy is just as rich with personality and flair, offering that indefinable twist which sets West Country rhythms apart from the sounds in London or elsewhere. City Road wanted to recognise that fact with a modest 12" which cherry picks four crucial early cuts from Flynn & Flora's archives, before they went on to produce three LPs and a series of 12"s up to the mid 00s.

"We knew as much as anyone else at that particular time," recalls Flynn. "Samples, hip-hop breaks, bass lines. You've got your synth, your drum machine. It's all you needed. So that's what we did."

ohann Wolfgang von Goethe is always a reliable source for a good quote: "We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise, we harden." Sure as death, there is an excerpt of his that states the opposite. In the case of Robert Dietz, it holds true. Since his first appearance on Running Back in 2009 (Forward Snipping), he did a marvelous job staying on his toes as a producer and DJ.
Rejuve-Nation showcases his talent in various alleys of electronic (dance) music with Crane Song being the prime cut here. You will get exposed to proggy house with an intelligent brush in two slightly different mixes. Imagine if Euro dance went to get a college degree or a bumper car floor and you are almost there: an almost irresistible sing a long without lyrics.
If you need help afterwards, Deranged Self Therapy is exactly what you need. IDM meets new wave drums, poignant synths mix with an upbeat hook to create a ballet piece for lovesick robots.
Centro Di Gravita reconnects those qualities with the aforementioned Crane Song ones, while giving it an acid spin, before the ambient salts of Any Plan(t)s This Weekend closes the EP off like a confident sketch for the end of a beautiful summer. A bouquet of bangers for different needs.

Short: One Rejuve-Nation EP under a groove with Robert Dietz' return on Running Back. Proggy meets acid house, IDM leanings mix with stylistic devices of new wave and extra special ambient aerobatics round out the EP. Special attention goes to Crane Song and its peak time perfection. A bouquet of bangers for different needs.

"Recorded and produced by friend and frequent collaborator Mo Troper, Who’s A Good Boy is equal parts scrappy and starry-eyed in its sonic makeup. Album opener “The Flake” sets the stage with fuzzy guitars crashing in and Ramirez’s relaxed vocals placed front and center, as a result, the track feels like throwing on a warm blanket. And look no further than the album’s charming lead single “We Both Won,” a jangly earworm with the hypnotic refrain of “Don’t worry about me” lingering long after the track ends, serving as further proof that Bory has found the recipe for the perfect pop song and knows how to deliver it in two minutes flat. At every twist and turn of Who’s A Good Boy there’s something new to be discovered, making it one of the most exciting debuts you're likely to hear in a long time.

"Warm but guarded, intricate and muted, reminiscent of the Shins and David Bazan and especially Elliott Smith." -Pitchfork
"Whether it's the pastoral "Feel The Burn" or the splendid, reverb-drenched "Five-Course Meal", Who's A Good Boy debut full-length project shows some major potential for Bory to earn the title of Next Big Thing in the genre." - UPROXX

With the buzz around her building, Priddy made her biggest splash with the 2021 release of her debut album, The Eternal Rocks Beneath. The 10 self- penned tracks are delivered with a maturity and depth that belie the fact that this is her first full length release. At times tender, at times carrying a darker edge, the stories she weaves are transporting. Not surprising then that Nick Drake, John Martyn, Tunng and Scott Matthews are amongst her many influences.

The album was recorded over a 2-year period at Rebellious Jukebox studios, a little basement studio hidden beneath inner-city Birmingham and presided over by masterful producer Simon Weaver. The ensemble cast of musicians, including a sweeping string section, occasionally cut through by raw electric guitar and drums, as well as Richard March (Pop Will Eat Itself) on double bass and Mikey Kenny on fiddle, enhance Priddy's command of melody and lyricism and provide the perfect backdrop for the feelings of nostalgia and timelessness that underpin the record. Many of the songs were written during Priddy's teenage years and early twenties and reference themes of childhood and distant memories.

The title, 'Eternal Rocks Beneath' reflects this is Priddy's first album; the culmination of her earlier life experiences and the bedrock for whatever follows next.

Created in 1954 and originally based in Newport, Rhode Island, the Newport Jazz Festival became one of the most celebrated and emblematic jazz festivals in the world. Immortalized in 1958 by Bert Stern's movie Jazz on a Summer's Day, it provided the setting for some of the most talked about events in jazz history, such as Miles Davis' 1955 performance of 'Round Midnight

Suffering can be a borderline experience, opening doors to the divine. Canadian black-metal-outfit GIVRE has dedicated its fourth album to this concept, well known throughout Christian history: On "Le Cloitre" (engl. "The Cloister") the band continues its exploration of the atoning side of pain and the austere aspects of faith through music that goes all the way from elegiac elegance to disturbing outbursts. Even the band deals with Christianity, through a historic lense, they should not be understood as religious band in any way!

The group was founded back in 2010 in Rouyn-Noranda by David Caron-Proulx (Composition, guitars, keys), Jean-Lou David (research, vocals), and Mathieu Garon (bass) when they were just 16 years old. They self-produced a demo album, then moved away from their hometowns. David is now a composer for film and mixed media and Jean-Lou is a writer and historian. In October 2020, ten years after their first collaborative endeavors, they reunited and recorded two more albums: "Le Pressoir mystique" and "Destin Messianique".

The creation of "Le Cloitre" was a lengthy process. While most recordings were made right after "Destin Messianique" in 2021, extensive work was done over an extended period of time to add layers and perfect the album's concept. Each of the six songs corresponds to a holy woman from Christian history. The lyrics are taken directly from their writings or hagiography (an idealized biography), delving into their connection to the divine through suffering. The words are sometimes rearranged, but they are all direct citations without anything new added to them, from the symbolic poetry of Hildegard Von Bingen (1098-1179) to the disturbing and factual depictions of Marthe Robin (1902-1981).

The compositions vary to reflect these different perspectives: sometimes dark and eerie, other times blissful or sorrowful. Therefore, a crucial addition to the album's atmosphere was the inclusion of female vocal performances. Additionally, samples from the French film "Le dialogue des Carmelites" from 1959 are incorporated. Excerpts of a piece by Hildegard von Bingen are used in the song dedicated to her. The album was recorded in the band members'home studios. Mixing and mastering were done by long-time-collaborator Gael Poisson-Lemay (Gris, Sombre Forets, Miserere Luminis), who also contributed guitars to the song about Marthe Robin. Vinyl mastering was done by Greg Chandler (Esoteric) at Priory Recording Studios.

Bill MacKay and Drag City are delirious with pride to announce the discovery of a new territory: Locust Land, a record which seeks to reflect the nerve-shredding consciousness run amok in our world today - and somehow allay it with sound. Bill"s music is a visceral crackling where it meets the air, and Locust Land can"t help but reflect its era more than any other in his discography. It"s been five years since the release of Fountain Fire - but in the interim, Bill has barely stopped moving, collaborating with artists across the spectrum, including cellist Katinka Kleijn, banjo player Nathan Bowles and keyboardist Cooper Crain. He"s also contributed to recordings by Steve Gunn, Ryley Walker, Bill Callahan & Bonnie Prince Billy (Blind Date Party), and Black Duck (on their self-titled record featuring Douglas McCombs and Charles Rumback). Forget five years - how"d he even get Locust Land squeezed out of his temporal lobes? Bill"s sense of music as art is constantly modulating - lifting off from where it is found and naturally migrating to some other place. Sometimes, that"s elsewhere - others, it"s simply to be found deeper inside the starting point. And so, the action of moving on informs the landscape of Locust Land. This manifests in several different ways. A restless energy and urgency is repeatedly felt - in the driving momentum of "Keeping in Time," "Glow Drift," and "When I Was Here" - while a dogged persistence radiates from the tone colors and percussion of "Oh, Pearl." Mating a dirge-like desolation with sparkling guitars, "Radiator" adds darkness and depth. The sense of searching, displacement and longing in vocal tracks "Keeping in Time," "Half of You," and "When I Was Here" speak literally to the tumult of current vibrations. Within the arrangements, there"s also departure from previous norms - in addition to the brilliant guitar work for which he is known, Bill plays a variety of keyboards, from piano to organ to synth, extending his music with the available voicings, while enriching the sound field without abandoning his signature brevity. For fans of his singing, and following in the recent tradition of Fountain Fire as well as his collaboration with Nathan Bowles, Keys, Locust Land expresses with an increased vocal presence - and heightened engagement, with Bill"s words and melodies drawing us closer. Also different: on his previous solo recordings, Bill played every sound. Here, he has invited other illustrious Chicagoans to join him: Sam Wagster (The Father Costume, Mute Duo) plays bass on three songs, two of which feature the percussion playing of Mikel Patrick Avery (Natural Information Society, Jeff Parker, etc.). Additionally, Janet Beveridge Bean (Eleventh Dream Day, Freakwater) adds otherworldly vocal textures to the elegiac "Neil"s Field." Whether played alone or with companions, this music projects the strength of a universal collective. Even with a piece that might earlier have passed for blissful pastorale, Bill displays some declamatory motives. The reverie which opens the album, "Phantasmic Fairy," embodies both transcendent and desperate moods, with Bill"s ineffable slide guitar playing afloat, with organs and synths, in a dream state suffused with a sense of foreboding - a requiem, perhaps for the days of unencumbered bandwidth? On the other side of the album, the strength to continue to hope appears in the lifting melodicism/exoticism of the album-closing title track, leaving the listener with the sense of having achieved a hard-won space - a place of personal contemplation and dissent, one that everyone on the planet deserves to visit every single day on earth. With cover art also by Bill MacKay (the third of his albums on Drag City to feature his work), Locust Land stands as a thoroughly personal statement from Bill to everyone everywhere.

Bill MacKay and Drag City are delirious with pride to announce the discovery of a new territory: Locust Land, a record which seeks to reflect the nerve-shredding consciousness run amok in our world today - and somehow allay it with sound. Bill"s music is a visceral crackling where it meets the air, and Locust Land can"t help but reflect its era more than any other in his discography. It"s been five years since the release of Fountain Fire - but in the interim, Bill has barely stopped moving, collaborating with artists across the spectrum, including cellist Katinka Kleijn, banjo player Nathan Bowles and keyboardist Cooper Crain. He"s also contributed to recordings by Steve Gunn, Ryley Walker, Bill Callahan & Bonnie Prince Billy (Blind Date Party), and Black Duck (on their self-titled record featuring Douglas McCombs and Charles Rumback). Forget five years - how"d he even get Locust Land squeezed out of his temporal lobes? Bill"s sense of music as art is constantly modulating - lifting off from where it is found and naturally migrating to some other place. Sometimes, that"s elsewhere - others, it"s simply to be found deeper inside the starting point. And so, the action of moving on informs the landscape of Locust Land. This manifests in several different ways. A restless energy and urgency is repeatedly felt - in the driving momentum of "Keeping in Time," "Glow Drift," and "When I Was Here" - while a dogged persistence radiates from the tone colors and percussion of "Oh, Pearl." Mating a dirge-like desolation with sparkling guitars, "Radiator" adds darkness and depth. The sense of searching, displacement and longing in vocal tracks "Keeping in Time," "Half of You," and "When I Was Here" speak literally to the tumult of current vibrations. Within the arrangements, there"s also departure from previous norms - in addition to the brilliant guitar work for which he is known, Bill plays a variety of keyboards, from piano to organ to synth, extending his music with the available voicings, while enriching the sound field without abandoning his signature brevity. For fans of his singing, and following in the recent tradition of Fountain Fire as well as his collaboration with Nathan Bowles, Keys, Locust Land expresses with an increased vocal presence - and heightened engagement, with Bill"s words and melodies drawing us closer. Also different: on his previous solo recordings, Bill played every sound. Here, he has invited other illustrious Chicagoans to join him: Sam Wagster (The Father Costume, Mute Duo) plays bass on three songs, two of which feature the percussion playing of Mikel Patrick Avery (Natural Information Society, Jeff Parker, etc.). Additionally, Janet Beveridge Bean (Eleventh Dream Day, Freakwater) adds otherworldly vocal textures to the elegiac "Neil"s Field." Whether played alone or with companions, this music projects the strength of a universal collective. Even with a piece that might earlier have passed for blissful pastorale, Bill displays some declamatory motives. The reverie which opens the album, "Phantasmic Fairy," embodies both transcendent and desperate moods, with Bill"s ineffable slide guitar playing afloat, with organs and synths, in a dream state suffused with a sense of foreboding - a requiem, perhaps for the days of unencumbered bandwidth? On the other side of the album, the strength to continue to hope appears in the lifting melodicism/exoticism of the album-closing title track, leaving the listener with the sense of having achieved a hard-won space - a place of personal contemplation and dissent, one that everyone on the planet deserves to visit every single day on earth. With cover art also by Bill MacKay (the third of his albums on Drag City to feature his work), Locust Land stands as a thoroughly personal statement from Bill to everyone everywhere.

Pål Waaktaar-Savoy has explained that much of the atmosphere and the lyrical themes of Savoy’s seventh album “Under” are drawn from his move with his fellow songwriter and wife Lauren Savoy to Los Angeles, where they found themselves surrounded by loneliness.

Waaktaar-Savoy is one of the most prolific and impressive songwriters of the twentieth century and beyond, and having been working at the very top of the music industry for as long as he has, it is no surprise that the record is well-crafted. The production is good, with careful arrangements and instrumentation. Every instrument’s voice is given room and there is space in the mix. Only occasionally does this slip over into over-production, as with the treated strings on the opening track “Lonely Surfer” or the treatment of Lauren’s vocals, which sound overly processed.

It is also true that the record exhibits a fair measure of melancholy. The chords and melody lines are dark in places, and there is a hint of sadness in the lyrics, many of which have a retrospective quality, describing moments in the past. However, beyond this, the understated feel of the record is just that – understated. Many of songs feel a few RPM too slow and the delivery of the vocal lines too underplayed to give them any emotional authority. At times, it also seems like the arrangement has to step in to bolster the songwriting or lyrics, by filling space with strings or brass, or the counterpoint of the instrumentation on “Camden Palace Chronicles” which distracts from some fairly mediocre words. It is important to emphasise that this is a joint songwriting exercise for Pål and Lauren, so we should not compare the output to the work of a-ha, but still, the themes lean in the direction of suburban banality, far from Pål’s more oblique or allegorical writing.

There are other moments of real quality beyond the production and arrangement. The title track has an excellent Bowie-esque chorus (and there are echoes of his work and sound throughout, along with Beatles and Beck), “The Life and Times of a Wannabe” has some first-rate guitar work on it, edgy riffs and some good textures. Likewise, “Coming Down”, which also exemplifies Frode Unneland’s drumming on the record, which is generally prominent in the mix, and with good reason, as it carries the record along well.

Pål Waaktaar-Savoy has explained that much of the atmosphere and the lyrical themes of Savoy’s seventh album “Under” are drawn from his move with his fellow songwriter and wife Lauren Savoy to Los Angeles, where they found themselves surrounded by loneliness.

Waaktaar-Savoy is one of the most prolific and impressive songwriters of the twentieth century and beyond, and having been working at the very top of the music industry for as long as he has, it is no surprise that the record is well-crafted. The production is good, with careful arrangements and instrumentation. Every instrument’s voice is given room and there is space in the mix. Only occasionally does this slip over into over-production, as with the treated strings on the opening track “Lonely Surfer” or the treatment of Lauren’s vocals, which sound overly processed.

It is also true that the record exhibits a fair measure of melancholy. The chords and melody lines are dark in places, and there is a hint of sadness in the lyrics, many of which have a retrospective quality, describing moments in the past. However, beyond this, the understated feel of the record is just that – understated. Many of songs feel a few RPM too slow and the delivery of the vocal lines too underplayed to give them any emotional authority. At times, it also seems like the arrangement has to step in to bolster the songwriting or lyrics, by filling space with strings or brass, or the counterpoint of the instrumentation on “Camden Palace Chronicles” which distracts from some fairly mediocre words. It is important to emphasise that this is a joint songwriting exercise for Pål and Lauren, so we should not compare the output to the work of a-ha, but still, the themes lean in the direction of suburban banality, far from Pål’s more oblique or allegorical writing.

There are other moments of real quality beyond the production and arrangement. The title track has an excellent Bowie-esque chorus (and there are echoes of his work and sound throughout, along with Beatles and Beck), “The Life and Times of a Wannabe” has some first-rate guitar work on it, edgy riffs and some good textures. Likewise, “Coming Down”, which also exemplifies Frode Unneland’s drumming on the record, which is generally prominent in the mix, and with good reason, as it carries the record along well.

If you love groove, irresistible basslines, and a sonic universe that dances between Italo house, Balearic, and funk, consider it as a new hit for your playlists:

“Euro Nettuno – Après Le Paradise” on POLYAMORE Records.

The first single is titled “Si Fua,” exotic rhythms blend with tropical sounds to produce Calypso vibes, yet charged with positive energy. Absolutely not to be missed is the remix by the well-established DJ and producer ELADO, who offers listeners a total immersion in drum solos that transform the dancefloor into a tribal dance.

The second single, on the other hand, is titled “Il Diavolo” (“The Devil”). Magic cults, esoteric sects, and dance floor devotees all come together for an unrestrained dance. The perfect fusion of house and Italo disco creates a true anthem for those who never stop when it’s time to dance. To close this fantastic EP, the remix of “Il Diavolo” by Marvin & Guy will teleport you on a mystical journey where dark yet colorful sounds alternate with a combination of astral rhythms that will lend sensuality and vigour to the powerful basslines of this remix.

Look through any self respecting quality music publication or web site and peruse through a list of the most important and influential psychedelic albums of all time and you can be pretty sure to see KALEIDOSCOPE'S 'Tangerine Dream' ranked high up there, along with your 'Sgt Peppers', your 'Forever Changes' 'Satanic Majesties Request' 'Axis Bold As Love' 'Odyssey & Oracle' and 'The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators'........

This seminal album of quintessential English psychedelia is one of the most highly prized artifacts that define the psychedelic genre and like some of the most highly collected and prized albums from that time, mint copies can now go for way in excess of £1000.

Thus given the record`s rarity & collectability, matched to the recent explosive interest in all things psyche, garage & underground, you would be excused for thinking that this slice of perfect late 60's progressive underground pop would have been given the full reissue and remastering treatment already. Surprisingly though, you would very much be mistaken. But to those of you who know the checkered history of Kaleidoscope this will perhaps come as no surprise!!!

Thankfully after 3 years of painstaking detective work, chance encounters with Universal archivists, heavy negotiations with major label legal executives and some good fortune, we are delighted to announce that this record will finally not only get its first proper official reissue in over 5 decades, but thanks to a lot of pure persistence it can now be presented to its listeners in the manner in which it was supposed to have been heard, following the discovery of a batch of the original master tapes that were languishing in the vaults of Universal that have laid largely unheard for 50 years!

Furthermore following a couple of shared festival billings at Austin and Copenhagen Psyche Festival, with another legend of the scene, Mr Pete Kember aka SONIC BOOM of SPACEMEN 3 fame, Sonic has been holed up in his Lisbon studio, painstakingly remastering the album from the original ¼' tapes.

The remastering of these ¼' tapes though is only part of the story, as along with the discovery of these a significant number of ½' tapes and other material was also discovered which is penned for a future release when the band`s entire works will be presented in a definitive boxset of all four of their studio albums (including all their Fairfield Parlour recordings) plus BBC Sessions, live recordings, alternative takes, new mixes, unreleased tracks and material from the band`s own archive including pre-Kaleidoscope demos when they were known as both The Sidekicks and The Key.

For now though, this 50th Anniversary release comes with a flavor of what is to come, with the inclusion of two unreleased out-takes tracks from 1967 on a bonus 7' housed in a replica original paper thin Fontana sleeve which, includes an early version of the track that gave the band their name, the suitably titled: 'Kaleidoscope'. Whilst the flip presents an alternative earliest known recorded version of the album's follow-up single: Dream For Julie'.

The album itself, has been cut onto 180g heavyweight vinyl, housed in a deluxe high-end gatefold tip-on sleeve with the lyrics printed and new artwork. The first 1000 copies of the album will be hand numbered by the band & pressed on 'Tangerine' orange vinyl housed in an inner sleeve with attractive new artwork + download code.

"Everything's been fucked since David Bowie died or they started up the Hadron Collider" say The Janitors. This feeling is epitomised in the title of their riveting new album: An Error Has Occurred. Marking over two decades of activity for the Swedish psych-rockers, the recording is informed by heartbreak and loss as well as the dismal state of the entire planet. For The Janitors, these two polarities intertwine constantly: "What's personal is political and vice versa." To channel their frustration and anger, the band revived certain songs they'd shelved during the pandemic when working on the acclaimed Noisolation Sessions. They added others, written since, that suited the mood of sticking a middle finger up to the oppressive world around us. Whereas previous recordings were often layered up gradually, this time the full band (Henric Herlenius, Jonas Eriksson, Anders Thorell and Wilhelm Tengdahl) rehearsed intensely together before laying down everything live, over two days and nights, in a converted missionary church. The songs on Side A have the menace of Melvins, the swagger of The Stooges and the cosmic heft of The Heads. These are the more simply constructed and poppier pieces... or so the band believe. (One friend of theirs did consider this "delusional".) 'In A Bliss' acts as the album's radiant centrepiece. A palette-cleansing love song which recalls The Jesus And Mary Chain at their most starry eyed, it finds The Janitors searching for solace and strength in straightforward companionship. After this come the dronier numbers, drawn out with soundscapes and textures influenced by The Velvet Underground's sonic experiments and the equally immersive atmospheres of electronic acts like Massive Attack. Hence, 'Operator' swings threateningly like a space-rock Swans, while the approach on 'Farewell Spacegirl' is jazzier and more meditative. "It can be hard to muster up some, or even any, positive energy at this point in time," says Henric. "We are eternally grateful to have the creative output that this constellation gives us. Neither me or Jonas would probably be here, or be the same people we are, if it wasn't for The Janitors. We'll leave you with a quote from an old anarchist: 'Every society gets the criminals it deserves.'"

With Folksong Distortions, Pauwels and Van der Aa create a journey of lament through the soul of times gone by. Their radical renditions of works by Larry Polansky and Christopher Trapanido not distort the more upbeat rhythm and tradition of folk songs, but rather reveal and highlight the essence of hard lives, imposed choices - choices that were illusions in the first place - and the difficult times and conditions they have always depicted.

Christopher Trapani arranged two classics from the U.S. South, effects. The work, developed in collaboration with Tom Pauwels and Liesa Van der Aa, was originally made and featured on ICTUS' American Lament programme. The duo was given considerable room for improvisation and interpretation in the process. The first song, 'Wayfaring Stranger', is a well-known folk/gospel melody in A minor. The lyrics contrast an aimless journey through a harsh, hostile world, with the Christian promise of heaven as a 'home' and reunion with lost loved ones. The second song, 'Freight Train', was written by Elizabeth Cotten, a left-handed guitarist who held her guitar upside down, resulting in a very recognisable strumming style.

Sweet Betsy from Pike and Eskimo Lullaby are taken from Larry Polansky's 2005 'Songs and Toads', a five-section piece that computer-composed pieces. The work was originally written for guitar, more specifically for the national steel guitar, refretted in a specific intonation designed by Lou Harrison. Each piece explores a different guitar tuning. A significant intervention to the original work is made to accommodate Liesa Van der Aa's violin with effect pedals, opening to an epic re-reading of the work as conceived by the American composer Larry Polansky. What this set-up enables is a melancholy, slow-paced approach that quite radically opposes the more upbeat and joyful nature of the folk songs.

2024 Repress

Prague based duo Fractions presents their full EP for Rotterdam Electronix. A true breakbeat alliance counting down till the end of times.