quête:total

Hackney based Hidden Sounds Records launches – with support from Emotional Recordings – it’s Dark Times label by diving in the the music of Alkahest, a short-lived project from Canadian brother-production duo Lex and Rew MacCrimmon.

For the second EP, the Twisted Up release is re-examined, with a tweaked track list to represent the times and how their sound continues in relevance today. Released in 2 years (1994-1996), Alkahest was the darker side of the MacCrimmon’s productions and allowed them to focus on twisted, psychedelic electronics, away from their main Legion Of Green Men project.

Self-described music obsessives from a young age – lying under a home-made harpsichord, with their heads in the resonator box was an early indication of a love outside the norm. Experiments with forks and pencils on strings – totally unaware of the likes John Cage – highlighted an interest in sound from unusual places.

Anything with a synth notably grabbed their attention, going to the public library to take out BBC Sound Effects and Morton Subotnick albums, sat alongside contacting European mail order catalogues, to grow their knowledge and record collections.

As early productions formed, working under the sound production name of Incarnate, their love of art was just as influential as music. The likes of M.C. Escher, Salvador Dali, Bridget Riley and the Op Art movement, was all part of brothers in their progression to form the Post Contemporary label in 1992.

Following the DIY ethos of the music they had long been buying, their “indie ethic” influences all coalesced in the label, not conforming to one sound or tempo, placed them within the electronic music coming from Canada, but also, out on their own.

Twisted Up expands the Alkahest sound, the title cut a stomping anthem, it’s unrelenting drums and lifting strings a call to arms. The compelling Shake arrives, acid techno rewiring synapsis, dub static between the beats.

On the flip, Twisted Another is just that, a reversion excursion, pushing the psychedelic synthesis to the forefront, stabs call and respond. Closing the EP with the perfectly titled, Kiss My Acid, a journey of industrial bang, reflexed, Alkahest showing their sound is pulsating, widescreen overtures.

I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do!

Jonah Ellis came to the Drifters as a guitarist but was soon singing with the group and acting as their musical director.

This multitalented musician/ songwriter hailed from DC where he was born on 25 August 1947 and grew up to graduate from Springarn, Senior High in Washington.

He went on to study further at Morris Town Junior College in Morris Town, Tennessee.

Then he received a BA degree in Music from Knoxville College in Knoxville, Tennessee, and a Master of Arts in Music from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan.

His first move into recording came with his group Jonah and the Whales and ‘Savannah Sun’ which sold well locally by didn’t chart nationally.

Jonah’s second single ‘I Get Hot/ Popcorn Cellar’ on Viking Records in 1970 had similar results but he was writing great songs and creating a lot of interest. In addition to penning Yarbrough and Peoples big hit ‘Don’t Stop The Music’ in 1980 which hit platinum.

Jonah was writer/ producer at Total Experience Records where he found time to cut a single under his own name ‘Christmas Won’t Be Christmas Without My Baby’ and also wrote hits for the Gap Band the biggest hit being ‘Desire’. Jonah only stayed a Drifter for about a year between 1986-87.

A short time later he joined the Temptations as their lead guitarist but didn’t stop writing songs for other artists (sometimes in his pen name Lonnie Simmons) like Alicia Keys ‘Gangsta Lovin’, Puff Daddy ‘Soul Food’, Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King ‘Shame’, Billy Paul ‘Fire In Her Love’and so many more including Aretha and sister Carolyn Franklin, Esther Phillips, Rose Royce and Burt Bacharach.

Jonah continued to write and perform internationally until his untimely death from a stroke on 22 February 2010.

Edge Conditions is a fresh look at the beat-forward electronic music of Jeremiah Chiu. In Electric Time, his 2023 first-thought-best-thought album recorded at theVintage Synth Museum in LA, offered a glimpse a solo process and sound, fast becoming a fan favorite. In many ways this new work is a total reset. Following two ambient-leaning duo albums with Marta Sofia Honer and a pair of improvisatory trance-jazz LPs with LA quintet SML, Edge Conditions settles Chiu into a world of layered, alternately dance-able or chillout-able, rhythm excursions a la classic Four Tet or Aphex Twin.

Edge Conditions is a fresh look at the beat-forward electronic music of Jeremiah Chiu. In Electric Time, his 2023 first-thought-best-thought album recorded at theVintage Synth Museum in LA, offered a glimpse a solo process and sound, fast becoming a fan favorite. In many ways this new work is a total reset. Following two ambient-leaning duo albums with Marta Sofia Honer and a pair of improvisatory trance-jazz LPs with LA quintet SML, Edge Conditions settles Chiu into a world of layered, alternately dance-able or chillout-able, rhythm excursions a la classic Four Tet or Aphex Twin.

De Kloe: their name is as hard to explain as the music they channel from a total oddball universe. Rumour has it a wormhole sits hidden between the beer crates and a broken dartboard in the basement of the DPG Media building in Antwerp. Leon Jespers, Elian Van den Eynde and Midas Heuvinck stepped through and came back with De Kloe’s first full-length album.

Needless to say, De Kloe operates in the cracks - splicing obscure samples, fractured lyrics, jagged basslines, and serrated guitar riffs into something volatile and alive. Club rhythms pulse underneath, but nothing stays in place for long. Tracks mutate, structures dissolve, and both live and on record the band leans into instinct over control.

After the singles ‘Our House’ & ‘The Fish’ the trio finally presents their debut album ‘Vanity Fair’: more extravaganza tunes you didn’t know you need it, but soon will be addicted to.

A place where pop music collides with dubbed out samplemania, short sharp no wave riffs, sun-gazing psychedelica, 90’s indie sleaze, post everything vibes and endless sonic fun & happiness.

Some people would say Vanity Fair is a musical exploration of glossy machinery, the dacay of celebrity and a secret wink to John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress where
everything is on display and nothing is quite what it seems.

Other will say ‘Vanity Fair’ is a splendid record with 12 marvelous songs you just have to listen to and buy it because your life will only gets better from then on.

We believe both of them.

Credits
All songs written and produced by De Kloe
Elian Van den Eynde: guitar
Leon Jespers: electronica & keyboard
Midas Heuvinck: bass

Guest musicians
Kiara Govaert & Nina Brügger: vocals
Kiara Govaert: ocarina
Co-production and mixing by Martijn De Bondt
Recording by Simon Beeckaert
Mastering by Gert Van Hoof
Graphic design and layout cover by Leon Jespers

In August 2022, Australia-based, French born fourth-world music legend Ariel Kalma was invited to participate in BBC Radio 3"s Late Junction series of special collaborations. The program pairs artists that have not previously collaborated to create new music together. Kalma was quick to suggest working together with two musicians whom he has never met - the International Anthem recording artists Jeremiah Chiu & Marta Sofia Honer, whose critically-acclaimed duo debut Recordings from the Âland Islands had been released just a few months earlier. Kalma sent an invitation to Chiu and Honer, which was received with great enthusiasm. Chiu had been a fan of Kalma"s work for a long time, even citing him as a major influence on his approach to electronic music composition. After meeting their goal of 20 minutes worth of music for the program (which was four pieces total), the three musicians were satisfied in what they would present, and sent along their work to the producers of Late Junction; but simultaneously they felt like there was much more to be said, more work to be done. There were several pieces that they had nearly completed that weren"t sent for inclusion in the radio program, and there were many ideas for refining those that had. The three musicians collectively agreed that they would continue work together and try to push the music further. The Closest Thing to Silence is the result of their efforts to take the collaboration further.

A quick scan of the world’s favourite crowdsourced discography reveals that Sonic Youth co-founder Lee Ranaldo was not a total stranger to crackling electric experimentation in the years following his songwriting turns of the 20-teens. Yet »The System«, ingeniously culled and sequenced from Ranaldo’s soundtrack work for Dutch filmmaker Joris Postema’s ›eco-doc‹ of the same name, nonetheless feels like a reawakening. Quietly released in a vastly different (and much more ›filmic‹) form by Doxy Music/Riva Media Records in 2025, this LP reimagines and reconfigures the initial release, including unreleased material written and recorded for the film, to lend it new stature as both a return to drone-improv form and a reunion with introspective Downtown angst.

Given the state of the world, it’s not surprising that the film Ranaldo scores – a documentary on three climate activists bruising their fists on the black iron prison of techno-fascist deathkultur – is a study in despair and futility. But rather than wallowing in navel-gazing doom and gloom, the film documents the unstoppable spirit that has animated human resistance since the time of the Pharaohs.

As it turns out, the gorgeous scope of Lee Ranaldo’s guitar palette is a perfect manifestation of the hope and despair that animates the film. But like other high-water marks in the guitar-centric soundtrack canon – the high plains raga of Bruce Langhorne’s »Hired Hand«, Neil Young’s sparse and ghostly solo transmissions on »Dead Man«, or the monolithic mantras of Popol Vuh’s »Nosferatu« – its devotion to spectral gestures and meditative song forms launches it firmly outside of the OST orbit into a universe fully its own.

It might seem like a long journey from the Lower Manhattan rhythmic grime of the album’s opener »Tajikistan (Nice to Meet You)« (reminiscent of guitar opuses like Robert Quine and Jody Harris’s »Escape«) to the ringing cowboy chords of the final track, but the narrative logic of the LP pulls the listener along as solidly as a pack horse. As the LP unwinds, and collaborators like Jim Jarmusch, cellist Leila Boudreil, Yeah Yeah Yeahs snare shaman Brian Chase, and guitarist Yonatan Gat take their places, new vistas unfurl: the ritualistic thrum of »Berlin Blockade«, the haunted overtone palaces of »Bergelmir«, and the cavernous acoustic strumming of »Instruments of Violence«. It all winds up with the high lonesome standard »Cool Water«, each unhurried note trailing off into long-tail reverb, layers of shifting vocal harmonies pulling everything skyward – a hopeful note in an album where existential dread never lurks too deeply below the surface.

In the end, »The System« functions both as a film score and a hallucinatory (mostly) instrumental guitar record, revealing a sensibility not too often spotted in the 21st century – a liminal space where the song, the jam, and the meditation merge into a blurred whole. »The System«’s expansive fabric, emerging from a collective sound circling around Ranaldo’s signature tones, envelops and ampl amplifies the contributions of its community of creators – the perfect antidote to narcissistic despair. Much like the subjects of the film light the way towards intra-generational resistance, the music of »The System« reveals a path through gathering darkness. The world could be yours if you follow.

– Tom Carter

A quick scan of the world’s favourite crowdsourced discography reveals that Sonic Youth co-founder Lee Ranaldo was not a total stranger to crackling electric experimentation in the years following his songwriting turns of the 20-teens. Yet »The System«, ingeniously culled and sequenced from Ranaldo’s soundtrack work for Dutch filmmaker Joris Postema’s ›eco-doc‹ of the same name, nonetheless feels like a reawakening. Quietly released in a vastly different (and much more ›filmic‹) form by Doxy Music/Riva Media Records in 2025, this LP reimagines and reconfigures the initial release, including unreleased material written and recorded for the film, to lend it new stature as both a return to drone-improv form and a reunion with introspective Downtown angst.

Given the state of the world, it’s not surprising that the film Ranaldo scores – a documentary on three climate activists bruising their fists on the black iron prison of techno-fascist deathkultur – is a study in despair and futility. But rather than wallowing in navel-gazing doom and gloom, the film documents the unstoppable spirit that has animated human resistance since the time of the Pharaohs.

As it turns out, the gorgeous scope of Lee Ranaldo’s guitar palette is a perfect manifestation of the hope and despair that animates the film. But like other high-water marks in the guitar-centric soundtrack canon – the high plains raga of Bruce Langhorne’s »Hired Hand«, Neil Young’s sparse and ghostly solo transmissions on »Dead Man«, or the monolithic mantras of Popol Vuh’s »Nosferatu« – its devotion to spectral gestures and meditative song forms launches it firmly outside of the OST orbit into a universe fully its own.

It might seem like a long journey from the Lower Manhattan rhythmic grime of the album’s opener »Tajikistan (Nice to Meet You)« (reminiscent of guitar opuses like Robert Quine and Jody Harris’s »Escape«) to the ringing cowboy chords of the final track, but the narrative logic of the LP pulls the listener along as solidly as a pack horse. As the LP unwinds, and collaborators like Jim Jarmusch, cellist Leila Boudreil, Yeah Yeah Yeahs snare shaman Brian Chase, and guitarist Yonatan Gat take their places, new vistas unfurl: the ritualistic thrum of »Berlin Blockade«, the haunted overtone palaces of »Bergelmir«, and the cavernous acoustic strumming of »Instruments of Violence«. It all winds up with the high lonesome standard »Cool Water«, each unhurried note trailing off into long-tail reverb, layers of shifting vocal harmonies pulling everything skyward – a hopeful note in an album where existential dread never lurks too deeply below the surface.

In the end, »The System« functions both as a film score and a hallucinatory (mostly) instrumental guitar record, revealing a sensibility not too often spotted in the 21st century – a liminal space where the song, the jam, and the meditation merge into a blurred whole. »The System«’s expansive fabric, emerging from a collective sound circling around Ranaldo’s signature tones, envelops and ampl amplifies the contributions of its community of creators – the perfect antidote to narcissistic despair. Much like the subjects of the film light the way towards intra-generational resistance, the music of »The System« reveals a path through gathering darkness. The world could be yours if you follow.

– Tom Carter

A glorious night of no particular significance, Totally, the new album by Baba Stiltz. Recorded in Helsinki in studio with a drummer and overdubs committed in 5 days. Ballroom- sink songs of loss, grief, long drives on the I-5, centralized acquisitions, and corrective conditioning towards the prolonged effects of computerized lifestyles.

Every song looks you straight in the eyes, crooked and veering towards a light fixture off the side of the mirror. Ambivalence and assertions track us, down some gauzy networked afternoon. Relatively, perfectly, three dimensional. Proportions as they appear to us from outer intuition. Sometimes meaning is evoked through pure nothingness. Concealed and nothing known. We have no need for any paradise informed by anything beyond what is directly in front of us.

Stone repetition thwarts the possibility of control and surrenders itself to understanding. Who are we, and what are we trying to understand? To understand being universally greater than being understood. There are soap operas everywhere for those with eyes to see. You don’t have to look as hard as we currently look. The dramatic is everywhere, we breathe it unintentionally, then we come to hate it. Haptic, embodied facts of a tedious life lodged in the jowls of history. Everything under the
sky being the best bedlam has to offer. Your family, your relationships, your memory. As you eat a burger you are reminded of every sharp protrusion and corner under the florescent lights, the same lights you see when you’re born, and although unconfirmed, when you die.

Some of these songs were written years ago, some recently. The bookshelf and television set come into full view. Women/men come and go. Stars and poseurs collapse under their alienated contradictions, the search for truth yields to continued gradients of probability (collapse). Spatial order maintains itself through perceptional feeling. Silence, singing along to Roger Miller, people entering and leaving, figures hovering over you in your dreams and waking hours. Cool and fun, Totally

Text by Barrett Avner

2026 Repress

What an unbelievable record. From the wild cover to the iconic breakbeats, Roots from Ian Carr’s Nucleus is one of the dopest albums we know. This is seriously thick, funky-prog jazz-rock heaven. Originally released on Vertigo in 1973, other than a couple of versions at the time for other territories, Roots was never re-pressed since so it’s gone on to become another one of those impossible to find records.

Maybe it was a little too out there for the time, but it’s aged very, very well indeed and this Be With re-issue, re-mastered from the original analogue tapes, shows off just why this deserves to be back in press.

Genius trumpeter and visionary composer Ian Carr was one of the most respected British musicians of his era. He was a true pioneer and saw the potential in fusing the worlds of jazz with rock, just as Miles Davis and The Tony Williams Lifetime did in the US. In late 1969, following the demise of the Rendell-Carr quintet, and tiring of British jazz, Carr assembled the legendary Nucleus. Regarding music as a continuous process, Nucleus refused to “recognise rigid boundaries” and worked on delivering what they saw as a “total musical experience”. We can get behind that.

Under bandleader Carr, Nucleus existed as a fluid line-up of inventive, skilled musicians. This constant evolution and revolution was all part of the continuous musical exploration and discovery that took jazz to new levels.

Working together with producer Fritz Fryer and engineer Roger Wake, the seven compositions by Carr, Brian Smith and Dave MacRae that make up Roots flirt with perfection, and Nucleus at that time made up of the cream of 1970s UK jazz with Brian Smith on tenor saxophones and flutes, Dave MacRae on piano and electric piano, Jocelyn Pitchen on guitar, Roger Sutton on bass, both Clive Thacker and Aureo De Souza on drums and percussion, Joy Yates delivering the vocals and of course Carr on trumpet.

The spellbinding title track immediately renders the album indispensable. Riding the illest of loping breakbeats, “Roots” is low-slung, doped-out heist-funk. An absolute monster. If it sounds familiar then that’s likely down to it being sampled by Madlib for Lootpack and Quasimoto’s “Loop Digga”, as well as by a whole host of beat manipulators. “Roots” conjures prime instrumental hip-hop / beat music, only 20 years ahead of its time. Truly, these are the roots. Through sinuous bass, twinkling keys and a hypnotic guitar riff, a smoky brass motif weaves its way into a gloriously deep haze around Carr’s solos. “Roots” is over 9 minutes long, but there’s not a single wasted second, not surprising given that this is a condensed version of an originally 40 minute long commissioned composition.

The soothing vocal fusion delight of “Images” follows. Meticulously constructed, with gorgeous flute work from Brian Smith, with Joy Yates’ silky vocals and Dave MacRae’s Rhodes never sounding better. The cool, driving “Caliban” closes out the first side. Originally the third movement in a four part commission to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday it stands up on its own, all robust rhythms and blended brass. Keyboard colour and Carr’s trumpet are splashed across the funk drums and basslines (and there’s even some bamboo flute). This really is fusion: the elements of jazz and rock coming together in beautifully synthesis.

Side two opens in riotous fashion with the short, thrilling samba of “Wapatiti”. Next up, “Capricorn” forms a smoothed-out, jazzy constellation. Mellow and dreamy, its twinkling percussion and languid horns slowly build the vibe before head-nod drums and a killer bassline enter the fray. With a distinct heaviness that Black Sabbath would’ve envied, “Odokamona” is a venomous slice of riff-soaked jazz metal (yes, you read that right), elevated by Carr’s wah-wah horns.

The album closes with MacRae’s exceptionally cosmic “Southern Roots and Celebration”. Very much in conversation with Weather Report, it opens as a languorous, spiritual jazz of chiming keys and serene guitar that turns slowly, gorgeously into a mid-paced, brass-laced banger. It’s another sure-fire party starter and the sound of the band having a righteous blast, building an ecstatic chaos that ends with Yates screaming.

And of course we need to talk about Keith Davis’ cover for Roots. Perhaps the coolest record cover of all time? Certainly one of the most bonkers. Just your run-of-the-mill high-gloss, acid-tinged airbrush dystopian/utopian living-room party scene. Consider this your chemical flashback trigger warning.

Front-and-centre the hip-to-death green robot holds court with their giant ball of yellow barbwire wool, hooked up to… something(?) being teased out from under the stairs (probably best not to ask). A thoroughly zoned-out, long-legged Pop Art party-goer lounges half-plugged in to the painting behind her as a pair of legs flail into shot from the the top of the stairs opposite. We won’t even begin to guess what the chap’s up to in the middle, but the view out of the windows is rather nice, and someone’s already got the hoover out ready to tidy up. All of the Nucleus sleeves are something special, but this particular one? Crikey.

This Be With edition of Roots has been re-mastered from the original Vertigo master tapes, Simon Francis’ mastering working together with Pete Norman’s cut to weave their usual magic with these wonderful recordings. The crazy cover has been restored at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

FAKOMA aus Köln spielen Hardcore Garage Punk und verwandeln politischen Frust, Freiheitsverlust und den Druck des Alltags in rohe, kompromisslose Energie. Ihr zweites Album Life Sucks... Then You Die" umfasst zehn Tracks in 20 Minuten und ist eine wütende, anti-totalitäre Abrechnung. Stilistisch bewegt sich die Band zwischen AMERICAN NIGHTMARE, SOME GIRLS und ANTITAINMENT. Songs wie Never Out For Good" und Pain" verbinden Aggression mit Egg-Punk-Einflüssen, während Likes" die düstere Seite der Band zeigt. Der Titelsong und das Finale Warning!" stehen für ungefilterte, pure Härte.

Dave Charlesworth had an uncanny knack of being able to traverse between the sub-genres and continually create absolute belters. And this is no different... a deeper d&b affair, totally capturing the 94 sound, on the cusp of the liquid d&b takeover that would follow.

It's an honour and a privilege for Vinyl Fanatiks to be able to repress one of Tango's remixes. And half of the royalties of the track will be sent to his family. So supporting this release not only adds fire to your record box but also a few quid to Tango's family.

A cracking release and boy what a remix he delivers, total luxury and decadence which showcases the incredible vibes of Dave's original mix but adds that Tango rolling goodness too. A double winner! On the flipside Fantasia is remixed by Dave as Midi Magic(al).

[a] a1. Calm Before The Storm [Tango Remix]
[b] b1. Fantasia [Midi Magical Remix]

Orbe Records presents its most ambitious release to date: a special edition vinyl signed by its founder and main catalyst, Orbe. Comprising 4 meticulously crafted tracks, this record stands as the Andalusian artist's most mature work since his beginnings in the electronic music scene.


Far from looking back, this EP is a definitive statement of intent—a sonic manifesto that clearly outlines the artistic direction and evolution towards which Orbe is driving his sound. The record is a total immersion into hypnotic, deep techno, engineered for both physical trance on the dancefloor and mental introspection.


Through cyclical sequences, organic textures, and flawless rhythmic architecture, every cut on this vinyl shuns passing trends to reclaim a techno with a truly timeless vocation. An essential collector's item capturing an artist at the absolute peak of his creative maturity.

For its second release, the Parisian vinyl-only imprint Mustard & Pickles takes a bold step into the V/A format, a challenging one where balancing diverse styles is key—here, the gamble paid off. The EP kicks off with a stellar deep house cut from Berlin based Hustache, using a hypnotic vocal to lure us straight into 'That Beautiful Place'. Over on the A2, things get bouncy yet mysterious, featuring an addictive vocal loop that keeps you hooked. Flip the record, and M&P label head Tom Cler serves up a tailor-made break-to-4/4 weapon, packed with deep leads and the VA's signature : insane vocal lines. Closing out the wax, Numero 6 drops a gorgeous deep house gem. With its lush pads, quirky textures, and enchanting vocals, it feels like he’s casting a spell on the dancefloor—and we’re totally here for it.

Riviera Records presents an uncompromising clash of sounds from all over the globe. 5 tracks from the likes of Lewis Taylor, DJ Pacifier, Cult, Lil Na$$ty, DJ RaDa & X-Coast spanning from house, techno, trap to experimental rave.

KKYV10 is a four-track EP by Bulgarian producer Loopdeville, currently based in Spain. The release explores a flexible space between minimal, breakbeat and house, shaped by groove-led structures, textured sampling and a slightly twisted, off-centre energy. Built to move through different moments — daytime light, peak pressure, late fade. The EP opens with "The Bizz", a track built around jazzy elements, vocal cuts and a jackin low-end. Its warm, rolling groove sets a natural tone for the record, balancing playfulness with reflections. "Shmuck Norris" follows with a heavier, more direct approach. Driven by raw drums and a rolling bassline, the track leans into a big-beat aesthetic while maintaining a stripped structure. On "Rashford", the EP shifts into a breakbeat framework. The track carries a deeper, more introspective mood, with subtle background movement adding acid tension beneath it’s surface. The closing track, "Septimo", draws from UK-influenced minimal with garage elements. Focused on sub frequencies it is designed for systems that favour depth and clarity in low parts. Together, the four tracks form a cohesive yet varied release, reflecting Loopdeville’s recognisable sense of tension and detail while staying totally aligned with Kooky’s sonic direction.

Nine-time GRAMMY® winner Anderson .Paak and GRAMMY®-nominated rapper Cordae have been operating on the same wavelength for years. What started as pure chemical reaction on 2019’s “RNP” slowly turned into one of hip-hop’s most natural, low-ego partnerships, fueled by back-and-forth gems like “Two Tens” and “Summer Drop” and a series of dynamic TV performances that felt more like two best friends hanging out than a polished routine. On their debut collaborative album, Heavy Is The Crown, that organic bond gets the full-length treatment it’s always deserved.

At its core, the project is a tightrope walk between serious real-life stakes and uncompromising fun. The title isn't just bravado—it speaks directly to the shared weight both artists carry as the primary providers and anchors for their families. But instead of letting that pressure crush the vibe, .Paak and Cordae lean into each other. Meeting as total equals, .Paak’s elastic, soul-drenched musicality anchors Cordae’s razor-sharp lyricism, allowing both to unpack the heavy reality of success and family responsibility without ever losing their spark.

That balance is what makes the album tick. To drive the point home, the album art pays homage to the cult comedy Step Brothers—a nod to the silly, irreverent friendship that birthed the music in the first place. Heavy Is The Crown doesn't feel like a forced corporate crossover or a calculated career move. It’s a record about brotherhood, family, and what happens when two masters of their craft step into the studio simply because nobody makes them laugh, rap, or create quite like the other.

Nine-time GRAMMY® winner Anderson .Paak and GRAMMY®-nominated rapper Cordae have been operating on the same wavelength for years. What started as pure chemical reaction on 2019’s “RNP” slowly turned into one of hip-hop’s most natural, low-ego partnerships, fueled by back-and-forth gems like “Two Tens” and “Summer Drop” and a series of dynamic TV performances that felt more like two best friends hanging out than a polished routine. On their debut collaborative album, Heavy Is The Crown, that organic bond gets the full-length treatment it’s always deserved.

At its core, the project is a tightrope walk between serious real-life stakes and uncompromising fun. The title isn't just bravado—it speaks directly to the shared weight both artists carry as the primary providers and anchors for their families. But instead of letting that pressure crush the vibe, .Paak and Cordae lean into each other. Meeting as total equals, .Paak’s elastic, soul-drenched musicality anchors Cordae’s razor-sharp lyricism, allowing both to unpack the heavy reality of success and family responsibility without ever losing their spark.

That balance is what makes the album tick. To drive the point home, the album art pays homage to the cult comedy Step Brothers—a nod to the silly, irreverent friendship that birthed the music in the first place. Heavy Is The Crown doesn't feel like a forced corporate crossover or a calculated career move. It’s a record about brotherhood, family, and what happens when two masters of their craft step into the studio simply because nobody makes them laugh, rap, or create quite like the other.

On their third album, FANGS, London collective HMLTD have created an entirely new genre: Götherdammerüng (or ÜberGöth). Predictably unpredictable, it could not be further away from their last outing, 2023 rock opera The Worm. The sixteen-piece orchestra has been traded in for Ableton, the timpani and violins replaced with side-chained four-to-the-floor and rave synths, and the gospel choir swapped for guttural gothic howling and black metal screams. The result is both unique and terrifying: a total reinvention and rehabilitation of the goth genre, through the looking glass of modern electronic and doomscroll-era dance music.

This new beginning was accompanied by a change in personnel, with Theo Spark and Andrei Martynchyk joining the fray alongside original members Henry Spychalski and Duc Peterman. Decamping to a ruined château in the Loire Valley, the quartet became obsessed with vampire lore, and the EBM and goth sound that inspired their early work: Fad Gadget, DAF, Nitzer Ebb, Suicide and Bauhaus. FANGS also points to more contemporary influences like Crystal Castles, German hardcore, 2000s blog-house a la Justice, and 2020s sleazepop.



The world crafted in FANGS is full of cosmic pessimism, glowing horror, imperceptible evil and digital dismemberment, ancient curses and ruined castles, Vampires. But it is also a thoroughly fun, and funny, record, as danceable as it is deep. Born of the club, some tracks would not sound out of place on Brat. Like a Smiths song which sounds happy and carefree until your brain tunes in to the misery of the lyrics, it can be listened to - and enjoyed - on two levels. One can get lost in the throb of bass and ludic synths, or tune into the horror of the lyrics which overlay them.



FANGS attempts to offer up a reflection to a culture that - like a Vampire - has lost its own. The result is something not only thoroughly modern, original, and inventive - but that feels genuinely dangerous and potent. FANGS delights in this ambiguity: simultaneously indicting decadence, decay, and moral rot, while luxuriating in its intoxication by it. Cacophonous sub-bass becomes a chthonic call of the void; seraphic rave synths become the screech of Valkyries; four-to-the-floor becomes a deathly funeral march. Vampire apocalypse.

On their third album, FANGS, London collective HMLTD have created an entirely new genre: Götherdammerüng (or ÜberGöth). Predictably unpredictable, it could not be further away from their last outing, 2023 rock opera The Worm. The sixteen-piece orchestra has been traded in for Ableton, the timpani and violins replaced with side-chained four-to-the-floor and rave synths, and the gospel choir swapped for guttural gothic howling and black metal screams. The result is both unique and terrifying: a total reinvention and rehabilitation of the goth genre, through the looking glass of modern electronic and doomscroll-era dance music.

This new beginning was accompanied by a change in personnel, with Theo Spark and Andrei Martynchyk joining the fray alongside original members Henry Spychalski and Duc Peterman. Decamping to a ruined château in the Loire Valley, the quartet became obsessed with vampire lore, and the EBM and goth sound that inspired their early work: Fad Gadget, DAF, Nitzer Ebb, Suicide and Bauhaus. FANGS also points to more contemporary influences like Crystal Castles, German hardcore, 2000s blog-house a la Justice, and 2020s sleazepop.



The world crafted in FANGS is full of cosmic pessimism, glowing horror, imperceptible evil and digital dismemberment, ancient curses and ruined castles, Vampires. But it is also a thoroughly fun, and funny, record, as danceable as it is deep. Born of the club, some tracks would not sound out of place on Brat. Like a Smiths song which sounds happy and carefree until your brain tunes in to the misery of the lyrics, it can be listened to - and enjoyed - on two levels. One can get lost in the throb of bass and ludic synths, or tune into the horror of the lyrics which overlay them.



FANGS attempts to offer up a reflection to a culture that - like a Vampire - has lost its own. The result is something not only thoroughly modern, original, and inventive - but that feels genuinely dangerous and potent. FANGS delights in this ambiguity: simultaneously indicting decadence, decay, and moral rot, while luxuriating in its intoxication by it. Cacophonous sub-bass becomes a chthonic call of the void; seraphic rave synths become the screech of Valkyries; four-to-the-floor becomes a deathly funeral march. Vampire apocalypse.

Turn back the clock to an unforgettable era, with 32 huge hits from 1980–1984 brought together across 2LPs.

LP1 launches with Wham!’s feel-good ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’, before Duran Duran’s ‘Is There Something I Should Know?’ and Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’ capture the contemporary sound of the new decade. The Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me’, Soft Cell’s ‘Tainted Love’ and Heaven 17’s ‘Temptation’ continue an outstanding run of synth-pop classics, with Blondie and Frankie Goes To Hollywood completing Side One. Culture Club open Side Two with ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’, followed by colourful 80s favourites from Adam & The Ants, Altered Images and Kajagoogoo. Haircut 100’s ‘Love Plus One’ and ABC’s ‘The Look Of Love’ lead into Dollar and Bucks Fizz, rounding out a side packed with pure pop nostalgia.

LP2 starts in suitably anthemic style with Spandau Ballet’s ‘Gold’, alongside Elton John’s uplifting ‘I’m Still Standing’ and Billy Joel’s ‘It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me’. The Cars’ ‘Drive’ and Bonnie Tyler’s epic ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ bring some of the decade’s biggest power-pop moments, while Laura Branigan’s ‘Self Control’ and Matthew Wilder’s ‘Break My Stride’ pave the way for Dexys Midnight Runners’ ‘Come On Eileen’. Side Two brings another burst of ’80s energy with Ray Parker Jr.’s ‘Ghostbusters’, Chaka Khan’s ‘I Feel for You’ and Billy Ocean’s ‘Caribbean Queen’. Diana Ross’ ‘Upside Down’ is followed by favourites from The Police, Pretenders and The Jam, before Roxy Music’s ‘Jealous Guy’ provides an elegant finale to this celebration of 1980–1984.

Aaron Dilloway kehrt mit ,No Skill Comedy Mind Reading" zu Dais Records zurück - seinem ersten echten Album in voller Länge seit 2017, einer Sammlung von typisch verstörendem, absurdem Material. Geprägt von seinen typischen Verzerrungen und Verformungen - von Feedback umhüllte Fundstücke, Feldaufnahmen und Gesangsimprovisationen - versammelt ,No Skill" fast ein Jahrzehnt ausgewählter Soloarbeiten und wirkt dennoch ganz und gar zeitgemäß: ein sprunghaftes Produkt der Unbeständigkeit, zugleich hart und humorvoll. Nur wenige zeitgenössische Experimental-Künstler des letzten Vierteljahrhunderts sind so produktiv und verehrt wie Dilloway, ein Pionier der amerikanischen Noise-Szene im Mittleren Westen, ehemaliges Mitglied von Wolf Eyes und Gründer des in Oberlin ansässigen Labels und Plattenladens Hanson Records. Doch trotz seines immensen Gesamtwerks hat er nur zwei richtige Solo-LPs veröffentlicht, neben einer regelmäßigeren Produktion von Kassettenveröffentlichungen und Kollaborationsprojekten. Mit ,No Skill" vollendet er nun eine vieldeutige Albumtrilogie, die mit seinem wegweisenden Werk ,Modern Jester" aus dem Jahr 2012 begann. ,Ich habe fast das Gefühl, dass sie irgendwie Teil eines Ganzen sind. Alle drei Alben versuchen, in den schlimmstmöglichen Situationen Humor zu finden. Je nachdem, wer zuhört und wie die jeweilige Einstellung ist, könnten sie als lustig oder einfach nur als grauenhafte, schreckliche Alben empfunden werden." Halb im Ernst fährt Dilloway fort: ,Für mich ist dieses hier das Ergebnis von, na ja, verkorksten Sachen: psychische Erkrankungen, Medikamente, Scheidung, komischer Scheiß. Das Eintauchen in seltsame Dinge fasziniert mich immer auf die eine oder andere Weise." Neben den bereits erwähnten Einflüssen aus der menschlichen Erfahrung greift ,No Skill" auf verschiedene technische und ästhetische Kuriositäten zurück: das methodische Sounddesign von Alvin Lucier, Andy Milligans Low-Budget-Kult-Horrorfilm ,The Weirdo" aus dem Jahr 1989 und die pop-exzentrische Art des Filmkomponisten Hugo Montenegro. Dilloway stieß bei einer Lagerraumversteigerung auf dessen skurrile Habseligkeiten, darunter Notizen zu den frühen elektronischen Experimenten des Komponisten. Einige der beunruhigendsten Momente des Albums, wie das Lachen, das ,Bring Me The Head Of The Unknown Comic" heimsucht - klanglich eine Anspielung auf die Avantgarde-Größen Nurse with Wound und thematisch auf den Komiker aus den 1970er Jahren mit der Papiertüte über dem Kopf -, lassen sich auf den Einfluss dieses wahrhaft ungewöhnlichen Fundes zurückführen. ,No Skill" knüpft zudem an Dilloways jüngste künstlerische Ausflüge an: seine Umsetzung von John Cages 88-Band-Loop ,Rozart Mix"; die Originalmusik für ,The Absence of Milk In The Mouths of the Lost"; Gemeinschaftsalben mit Lucrecia Dalt (Lucy & Aaron) sowie Kim Gordon & Bill Nace (Body/Dilloway/Head). Während er an diesen und anderen Projekten arbeitete, legte er in Gedanken einen Ordner für sein nächstes Dais-Album an und sammelte Aufnahmen, die zu einer ziemlich vagen Vision passten. ,Dieses Album hat mich irgendwie völlig in Beschlag genommen, seit ich ,The Gag File` 2017 fertiggestellt habe. Zuerst dachte ich, es würde eher ein Pop-Album werden, aber dann hat mir das Lucrecia-Projekt diese Idee irgendwie aus dem Kopf getrieben. Es begann, eher wie meine Live-Sets zu fließen." Er entschied sich für eine Abfolge, die den Hörer ein wenig im Ungewissen lässt - ob erschrocken, amüsiert oder verwirrt; der Effekt soll absichtlich den Eindruck erwecken, dass etwas kaputt ist. Das Album beginnt mit schrillen Kreischen, bevor es in Drone-Passagen eintaucht, die durch zwei aneinander geriebene nepalesische Sarangi-Bögen entstehen, begleitet vom ersten Auftauchen seiner ogerartigen stimmlichen Präsenz. Anschließend werden mehrere Minuten von weißem Rauschen verschluckt (,Forced Auctioneer"). Dilloway verweist auf The Weirdos seltsamen Einsatz ausgedehnter Übergänge mit schwarzem Raum und seine lebenslange Liebe zum Bandrauschen. Er bekam Kassetten von älteren Kindern und hörte diese Geräusche als Teil der Songs, nur um später zu erfahren, dass es sich um klangliche Artefakte handelte, die von Generationen des Kopierens auf Kassette übrig geblieben waren. ,Ich stehe total auf die Idee, all diese Schichten aufzubauen und sie in etwas anderes zu verwandeln. Wenn ich zum Beispiel live spiele, kann es rauer zugehen als bei meiner aufgenommenen Musik, und dafür wollte ich genau dieses Gefühl einfangen - dass diese Ausbrüche laut sind, aber ein bisschen gedämpfter. Dieser totale Rauschklang, fast so, als wärst du unter Wasser." Dilloway sammelt Tonpoesie-Platten, und obwohl er seine eigene Arbeit nicht gerne in dieses Genre einordnet, spricht die Absurdität dieses Handwerks - die Verwendung von phonetischen Lauten und nonverbalen Geräuschen als Ersatz für traditionelle semantische Bedeutung - durch sein Werk. Auf ,Possession Audition Tape" liest er verschiedene Passagen aus einem Buch vor, das von einer französischen religiösen Gruppe aus dem 18. Jahrhundert handelt, die zu öffentlichen Unruhen neigte, und schneidet diese digital auseinander, wodurch er im Mix seine eigenen, echoartigen Stotterausbrüche erzeugt. ,No Skill Comedy Mind Reading" endet mit einem Stück aus Synthesizer und Orgel-Rhythmusmaschine, das auf Musik basiert, die er für den Film ,Supporting Actor" von Pieter Schoolwerth und Phil Vanderhyden komponiert hat - in dem ein Avatar von Dilloway in ein Portal gezogen wird. Dort trifft er in einem fantastischen Club auf posthumane Wesen. Die Szene, die sich irgendwie auf Audio übertragen lässt, versetzt das Set in einen passend verwirrenden Traumzustand. Ein Star der Noise-Musik, ein moderner Hofnarr, der aus dem Unbekannten berichtet.

“Trust me, you will pogo, skank, sing and possibly dance like your f*cking Dad on spice.” Party Eternal is the fourth studio album by the Brighton-based punk/ska band The Bar Stool Preachers. The album represents a massive turning point for the seven-piece, both creatively and structurally. It’s blisteringly good. Combining the best of brit-pop, ska, rock and indie ‘Party Eternal’ is exactly the tonic for the times. In parts scathing, and in others total escapism, this rowdy septet have written the greatest party punk album you’ll hear all year. Renowned for their relentless touring schedule, The Bar Stool Preachers have played stages around the globe, from grassroots venues to major festivals like Rebellion and Punk Rock Bowling. Their heartfelt lyrics and magnetic stage presence have earned them a reputation as one of the most engaging live acts in the punk scene today. Whether delivering politically charged messages or uplifting party anthems, The Bar Stool Preachers continue to inspire and unite audiences, carrying the torch of punk’s rebellious spirit into the modern era. Featuring the single ‘Pick A Side’ (the profits of which were donated by the band to Medical Aid for Palestinians), ‘This is Goodbye’ featuring Aussie Celtic Punk masters The Rumjacks and ‘Sick World’ which stars a guest turn from the genre-shattering and quite legendary Fishbone.

Omar Neri aka Omar J Born & live in Arezzo, Dj Professionist from 1991, play and produced under name PRESSLABOYS with Luigi Gori since 2011. In1996 instead, while they were in his basement during a storm, the study got flooded and they looked like homeless people holding all them instruments. Here born Presslab Records & two Years later Presslaboys Team, after various names used before. Today, never forget but never look back, keep moving forward, it’s time to fly… my creature, Tapemann, who lives the eternal dilemma linked to his nature, of tapa, grappling with the future, progress and the loss of certain values that leave room for AI. So, let’s start this totally hybrid journeys, in sounds ranging from house to prog house contexts (sometimes Deep and Dub) but with a sound and structure that recalls minimal, in the choice of reverbs and lengths of the sounds... all immersed in a decidedly acidic context. A melting pot from an artist who has spanned three decades of music, we couldn't expect anything different.

In C is a musical piece by the composer and performing musician Terry Riley. As one of the first minimalist compositions, it was a response to the modern music that dominated the scene in 1968. It is considered a masterpiece in the genre and served as an inspiration for many composers, classical and otherwise.

The pieces consist of repeating cells and different rhythms, loosely based on the musical structures he had heard and loved in north African music. In total, the compositions consist of 53 short musical phrases. The thing that makes In C so enduring, is that once all its conceptual ideas are stripped away, it's a seriously hypnotic piece of music, full of energy.

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the release of Remek Depo, the very first electronic record from the former Yugoslavia, the group Beograd has decided to unveil eight previously unreleased tracks in the context originally intended. The band initially planned to title their first album as Mrak ( eng. Dark). Recorded with Du Du A and other collaborators, this album serves as a manifesto of resistance—not only in Belgrade and Yugoslavia but everywhere else.

The A-side opens with the track 1984, named after George Orwell’s seminal novel. This piece was recorded in a single night in the same year, featuring Zoran Zagorcic (Du Du A) and one of the first Yamaha DX7 synthesizers. It encapsulates the dark and tense atmosphere of Belgrade during a period marked by economic crisis, characterized by shortages of essential products like coffee and oil, as well as electricity restrictions. This oppressive environment also impacted personal relationships, leading to unconventional expressions of passion and desire, as exemplified by the subsequent track from 1985, Mracni Predjet Zelja (eng: That Obscure Object of Desire). However, the primary source of frustration was political, stemming from the abuse of nationalism and the incitement of inter-ethnic conflicts within the complex Yugoslav society. This sentiment is vividly illustrated in the songs Hare Krishna and Belgrade Beat, recorded just before the country’s collapse in 1991. Remarkably, despite their protest, these songs convey messages of strong optimism and hope. In “Belgrade Beat Dejan Kostic (Du Du A) raps and Dejan Stanisavljevic sings. ”Od Studija B do Amerike, Beograd širi svoje talase, mi nismo sami u nama je svet, dolazi veliki preokret” (eng. “From Studio B to the USA, Belgrade spreads its waves, we are not alone, the whole world is with us, a great change comes!”). It is no surprise that this song was frequently broadcast on student Radio Index during the student and anti-war protests in 1992.

The B-side features contemporary songs produced by Beograd, which reflect protests against the current societal conditions in post-war Belgrade. Crafted with musical clarity and irony, these tracks satirize figures of repression, hitting their mark with an almost childlike purity, reminiscent of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” The collaboration between Dejan Stanisavljevic, the leader of the Beograd and the Du Du A group not only influenced his musical expression but also laid the groundwork for the group’s socially engaged music in their later career.

As we remember the two late leaders of the Du Du A group, Dejan Kostic and Zoran Zagorcic, alongside the recently departed member of the Beograd, Milan Bubalo, this gramophone record stands as an important testament to the contributions of previous generations of artists in the fight for a fairer society. We hope it will inspire the younger generation in their current struggles, especially at a time when such inspiration is needed more than ever.

he four tracks of his 2013-released „Feldspar“ EP see Romanian producer YVAT at the absolute peak of his sonic journey.
Roughly operating within the confines of IDM, Braindance, Phonk and Post-Dubstep YVAT serves a highly seductive sonic menu for advanced late night dancefloors with this one, amalgamating his signature backbone of highly detailed and well crunchy beats, shimmering harmonies and warmly caressing, comforting, all embracing low end goodness for those in the know. Criminally underrated and for the first time available to a global
audience.

Press quote:
„You used to dig Autechre but you think their best days are long gone as they've lost their bouncy beats vs. deep strings and nice little melodies path? Went off into deconstruction?
I'm totally with you here and that's why I love Yvats's recent "Feldspar EP" on the great Minor Label so much. The man named Octavian Justinian Uta - and which is better known to his parents under this name - brings back this special and long time missed twist again, serving the best Electronica 12" I've come across in ages. Limited to 200 copies in greymarbled vinyl and hardly available via regular distribution channels. Get your copy, now! “
baze.djunkiii / nitestylez.de / 04/2013
Never officially distributed before and available limited quantities only.
Limited edition of 200 copies. Grey-marbled vinyl pressing

James Pennington, aka the Suburban Knight, returns to the Resistance as Dark Energy, a totally unknown form of matter that with this double pack again frustrates the programmers of sound as they have no counter for it. Pennington and another unknown escaped slave from Planet X skillfully hoodoo you with a cosmic trance-like spiritual state of dance that allows you to see more with the midnight sunshine.

,Smoking the Bunny" ist das zweite Album einer geplanten Trilogie von Wilder Maker und verbindet Avant-Pop, Indie-Rock, Free Jazz und Ambient zu einem vielschichtigen, nächtlichen Klangbild. Bandleader Gabriel Birnbaum setzt auf experimentelle Kompositionen, die aus improvisierten Bandsessions entstanden und anschließend kreativ neu zusammengesetzt wurden. Die 17 Songs begleiten eine Figur durch eine Nacht voller Erinnerungen, Selbstreflexion und Rauschzustände. Inhaltlich kreist das Album um Themen wie Familie, Identität, Vergänglichkeit und das Älterwerden. Mit zahlreichen Gastmusikern und einem atmosphärischen, genreübergreifenden Sound präsentiert sich ,Smoking the Bunny" als ambitioniertes und emotionales Werk, das 2027 mit dem dritten Teil der Trilogie seinen Abschluss finden soll.

Swiss saxophonist Gilles Torrent may have been initially smitten by the sounds of US jazz giants like Coltrane, Shepp and Sanders, but as he’s developed and matured he’s cast his creative net much wider. After teaching himself the sax at 21 he spent the next 11 years studying the concepts and innovations of Coltrane before moving on to take the next logical step - exploring and soaking up the many styles music from around the world, and incorporating them into his Coltranesque vision of jazz.

Atestament to that workis the opening theme,‘La Longue Traversée Du Désert’whereTorrent directs an impressive ensemble of musicians – known collectively as World Jazz Sound - on a global trip from the plains of Africa to the pastures of England and even the mountains of his homeland Switzerland. Tracks like ‘Osso Varourn Ta Sidhera’, which pairs Beuna Vista-style Cuban rhythms with Grappelli-esque violin, or the transcendental calm of ‘Fridhia Mou’, complete with dainty harp and sultry Indian female vocal part, see the ensemble immersing themselves in the traditions and atmospheres of a panorama of different cultures, joining the dots between them all and gathering them up into one cohesive whole.

From the ancient and traditional – their effortlessly swung take on ‘Scarborough Fair’ for example – to the inspired but unconventional use of yodelling on ‘Chant des Alpes’, eventually giving way to a sensational modalworkout, this is an album full of widescreen freshness, surprises and, above all, the joy of discovery and experimentation. Originally released onCD in 2010, the sheer overwhelming beauty of the music withinhas compelled us at Jazzman to deliver these sanctified sounds onaudiophile standard 180g vinyl, for all to enjoy.


2x180g LPs featuring 8 tracks in total, housed in a single sleeve + download code.

Eine limitierte 7"-Single von ARMITAGE SHANKS! Die A-Seite stammt von der kommenden LP "Charge Of The Shite Brigade" Die B-Seite gibt's exklusiv auf dieser Veröffentlichung! Limitiert auf nur 300 Exemplare! Die neue Besetzung von Armitage Shanks (zu der jetzt auch Billy Childish und Wolf Howard gehören) veröffentlicht eine brandneue 7"-Single als Vorab-Single zum neuen Studioalbum Charge Of The Shite Brigade. Eine der beliebtesten und dienstältesten Bands von DAMAGED GOODS. Armitage Shanks gibt es schon fast seit den Anfängen des Labels. Wir sind total begeistert, dass sie immer noch dabei sind und brillante Platten machen! Diese hier gehört definitiv zu ihren Besten! ENG A limited 7" from ARMITAGE SHANKS! A-side taken from the forthcoming LP Charge Of The Shite Brigade B-side is exclusive to this release! Limited to 300 copies only! The new line-up of Armitage Shanks (which now includes Billy Childish and Wolf Howard), releases a brand-new 7" ahead of the new studio album Charge Of The Shite Brigade. One of DG's most loved and longest serving bands. Armitage Shanks have been around almost since the start of the label. We're dead chuffed they're still around and making brilliant records! This one is up there with the best of them!

Zwei neue Songs von Thee Headcoats in einem passend an die Smiths angelehnten Cover! Die A-Seite ist aus ihrer kommenden LP "Children Of The Sect" und die B-Seite exklusiv auf dieser Veröffentlichung. Wir haben mit Billy Childish über die Single gesprochen_ Frage: "Hat dir irgendetwas an den Smiths gefallen?" Antwort: "Ja. Les Dawsons Version von ,Girlfriend in a Coma" (ich glaube, das ist der richtige Titel). Eigentlich habe ich sie gehasst, aber sie hatten ein paar ganz ordentliche Songtitel. Ihr Gitarrist kam mal auf mich zu und sprach mich an, als wir mit Modest Mouse in der Albert Hall mit unserer 100-Watt-PA spielten - er war sehr nett." Frage: "Auf dem Cover ist ein Bild von Dave Davies zu sehen. Was gefällt dir an den Kinks am besten? Hast du Ray oder Dave jemals getroffen?" Antwort: "Ich bin in den 1960er Jahren mit den Kinks aufgewachsen, zusammen mit den Stones, den Beatles, Bob Dylan und Jimi Hendrix. Als ich 1977 gefragt wurde, ob ich bei den Pop Rivets singen wolle, schlug ich vor, dass wir ,Hippy Hippy Shake", ,Wild Thing" und ,You Really Got Me" spielen sollten - Was mir an den Kinks am besten gefällt? Ich mag die R&B-Kinks? Daves Gitarrenspiel, und wir alle stehen total auf den tollen Schlagzeuger und Bassisten, und natürlich schreibt Ray gute Songs - also: Was gibt's da nicht zu lieben? Abgesehen von einer ganzen Menge. Ich habe noch nie einen echten Kink persönlich getroffen, aber wir kannten ein Mädchen, das sie im Rochester Odeon spielen sah. Sie und ihre Freunde baten Dave um ein Autogramm, und er jagte sie schreiend den Star Hill hinauf, wobei sein kleiner Stolz und seine Freude heraushingen."

Returning to Discrepant after 2023's 'Atheitsaregods', Humboldt County, California's most mystical entity continues to reshape its own patented processes of lysergic invocations on 'Squall Lines'.

Conjuring a vast array of sound sources, both organic and electronic, from vocals, violins or flutes to synths and pedals, the duo of Brian Pyle and Merrick McKinlay conveys a carefully sequenced and ritualistic aural tapestry from ancient futures. The synth beam and out of reach field recordings at the beginning of 'Sin Idioma' unfolding a dirge-like procession of drums and bells, flowing into the cave-like ambience of 'Nightshade', populated by echoes of unidentified origin, bleeding seamlessly through a foggy half-light drone into the fractured melodies and creeping voices of the pummelling 'No Chance'.

The B side sequencing from 'Squall Line' to closer 'Totality', drifting from faraway war cries, dissonant strings and crumbling percussion through post- apocalyptic landscapes, hazy pads and murky atmospherics to a final glimmer of processed flutes. A revelation. End time visions for the unquiet spirit.

Common Language is a project of the Community Library label. We started it as a way to reconnect with the ideas that drove ComLib’s inaugural releases back in 2005, uncompromising and eclectic DJ 12’s. We’ll be focused on this imprint for a while, and near-term, putting the emphasis on releases by label cofounders and our closest friends.

On CLANG02, the Middlemarch 12” EP, Solenoid transmutes his signature buoyant syncopated acid, electro, and mutant techno into moodier, reverberant territory. If you previously knew Solenoid for his restless, sophisticated Braindance-adjacent stuff, this EP is totally consistent with his long discography. Here though, he gets into a dreamier, and also bassier zone that is equally rewarding either in the innerspace immersion of headphones or in the warmth of your favorite local underground club’s sound system--lots of detail and atmosphere to sink into.

“Middlemarch” is moody deep techno-- a clatter of distant percussion encircles eerie pads and an extra-bassy, double-filtered TB303 bassline. “Ways and Means” rotates perplexing polyrhythmic patterns driven by bright, elasticchords that keep it moving (reminding me of The Martian’s stuff on Red Planet a bit). “A Winter Walk” offers a skeletal, skittering rhythm that wouldn’t be out of place next to a Livity Sound track; and the closer, “Dvv Waltz” reserves a 3/4-time experiment for the bravest / most inquisitive DJs.

Edition of 300 vinyl copies includes special full- color insert
Mastered by Dietrich Schoenemann

About Solenoid
Solenoid is the primary musical vehicle of David Chandler, a lifer underground producer, musician, and visual artist. As a lone electronic voice in the wilderness of early-90s Portland (which was at the time a grunge-saturated third backwater) he started out releasing adventurous, now- unobtainium tapes on his DIY Pharmacy label. Solenoid then became known internationally at the turn of the millennium as one of Portland’s persistent ambassadors for underground crossover electro and techno, releasing on labels like Outward Music Company, Emanate, Orac, and many others (most recently, on the Paris label Partout). He’s a real legend honestly--doggedly clocking in almost 40 years of uncompromising experimentalism with a signature sound and vision running all the way through.
-- Paul Dickow (Strategy)

Jason Singer spent years building Michigander from a DIY solo project in Kalamazoo into a national indie-rock staple through little more than a guitar and a refusal to quit. On his second album, Over Before You Know It, Singer isn’t retreating from the world, but learning how to move through it. The record finds power in the tension of living with both the good and the bad, refusing to let outside noise or internal doubt act as a roadblock. “We spend so much of our lives trying to build something that we never have the time to enjoy. That’s the lesson I’ve learned over the past year,” says Singer. “Tell people you love them. Take care of yourself. Fight for the good. That's what this album stands for.”

New York’s Ma Sha brings wigged-out rhythms to Nerve Collect with an explosive, future-facing new EP. The six tracks prove she is bound by no rules but knows exactly how to energise the club.

Ma Sha deals in sounds that operate outside the usual boundaries and demand full-bodied, physical reactions. She has become a driving force in the New York underground with Kindergarten, which is both a much-loved party and a much hyped label. Though built on global techno foundations, Sha’s grooves range from peak-time brain melters to more twisted and rugged, always at high tempo and with plenty of invention on labels like Steel City Dance Discs and Rhythm Section International.

‘Salpa’ opens with a clipped rhythm drenched in neon and psychedelic swirls as oversized bass cocoons from below with glitchy vocal fragments and hard but bouncy techno momentum. ‘Gillz’ swallows you in waves of bass and rubber kicks while screwy synths spray across the mix while a syncopated broken beat brings irresistible funk to a post-human world. ‘Shots’, a collab track with Hodge, works in overdrive with rising tones and liquid metal textures that trap you in a hall of mirrors. Intense club pressure builds with pristine percussion and hyperreal vocals.

‘Spinmachine’ is a freaky sound world of fuzzy synths, cantering drums and static electricity that is full of threat and never lets go. ‘Total Energy’ locks into rolling drums and hyping swing with descending leads and a sense of future rave chaos designed for sheer dance floor release.

Ma Sha’s sound designs feel beamed back from the future to rewire familiar rhythms that tickle the brain as they make their way through your entire body.

IT Recordings presents ITR005 — a debut solo EP from Corium.
First spotted on the label’s V/A release and having played in some of the most iconic clubs such as Berghain or RSO, Corium steps up with a solo 4-track EP that perfectly mirrors his universe as a DJ — a complete vision, with a steady precision of groove and depth.

The opener, Liberation, catches immediately the attention with its infectious rhythmic drive and soaring vocal. An uplifting energy perfect for peak time.

Event Horizon follows as a playful and hypnotic building tool, woven with a deep drone atmosphere.

Tabula Rasa is an absolute beauty — Soft as silk, yet underpinned by a rolling, relentless bassline. A breathtaking moment of contrast and grace with emotional depth.

Total Eclipse closes the EP: atmospheric, playful and mental all at once. Equally effective as a peak-time weapon or a tension-building tool.

Taken together, ITR005 is a remarkably complete EP showing the artist’s ability to hold a floor from every angle. A perfect introduction to Corium’s world.