Search:two em

This is white08's debut EP on Spulenmusik, featuring four tracks pressed to vinyl and two additional digital tracks, including an Idu Berg remix. The percussion work is deeply layered, creating rhythmic textures that reveal themselves gradually as the music unfolds. Each track maintains a minimal aesthetic while building rich, organic layers of sound that feel natural rather than constructed. The energy throughout the release is present and purposeful, but it emerges from the textured foundation rather than announcing itself loudly. This is music that rewards close listening, where the interplay of percussive elements and careful arrangement creates a coherent sonic experience.

John Tchicai (1936 – 2012) was one of the most important free improvising saxophonists of the 20th Century: an artist of rare vision and aptitude whose lines soared and stood out even in the most hallowed company, and whose body of work as a leader / composer is among the most singular and distinct within the entire canon of that music. But Tchicai’s importance doesn’t end there. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to a Danish mother and a Congolese father, his life and career represent a crucial bridge between the European and American traditions of free jazz. Initially trained on violin as a child, Tchicai shifted his focus to the clarinet and alto saxophone during his mid-teens, and began touring Europe as a professional musician by his early 20s, which landed him at a socialist youth festival in Helsinki, Finland, where he met the trumpeter Bill Dixon and saxophonist Archie Shepp. Impressed by what they heard, Dixon and Shepp encouraged the young saxophonist to move to New York, and in so doing changed the history of jazz forever.

Tchicai’s arrival in New York marks the rare occurrence of a European player joining the intimate circle that was first wave of American free jazz. Following his landing in the city in November of 1962, in addition to regularly sitting in with Don Cherry’s group, Tchicai began playing with Bill Dixon's band alongside Archie Shepp and Roswell Rudd, forming the nucleus of the foundation of the New York Contemporary Five - one of the most important groups of the era - which counted Tchicai, Shepp, Cherry, Don Moore, and J. C. Moses as its members. From the ashes of this group, Tchicai would go on to found the legendary ensemble, New York Art Quartet, with Roswell Rudd, Milford Graves, and Lewis Worrell, as well as working within Albert Ayler's band, recording “New York Eye and Ear Control”, Shepp’s band, recording “Four for Trane”, the ensemble that recorded John Coltrane's “Ascension”, and the Jazz Composer's “Orchestra”.

By the time he decided to return to Denmark in 1966, had Tchicai chosen to record little else, his legacy within the history of music would have been ensured. Incredibly ambitious, his arrival home marked the beginning of an incredible period of activity which saw him radically expanding his creative explorations, which by the end of the decade would include becoming a founding member of Amsterdam's Instant Composers Pool and helping to record John Lennon and Yoko Ono's “Unfinished Music No.2: Life with the Lions”. This, however, was proceeded the formation of a new orchestra, Cadentia Nova Danica, led by Tchicai, dedicated to radical cross-disciplinary exploration. Remaining together between 1966 and 1971, the group and its shifting membership regularly fell into collaboration with artists and composers, notably Musica Elettronica Viva, who existed beyond the realms of jazz, as well as participating within multi-media events that incorporated the visual realms.

Cadentia Nova Danica’s only two LPs - “Cadentia Nova Danica” (Polydor, 1968), and “Afrodisiaca” (MPS, 1969) - are effectively Tchicai recorded efforts as a leader, and are legendary. There’s little mystery, once heard, why the later landed on Thurston Moore’s iconic “Top Ten from the Free Jazz Underground”, published by Grand Royal in 1996. Sadly, despite playing extensively during their five year run, with exception of a CD documenting a performance at Jazzhus Montmartre, in 1966, until now there has been no other publicly available recordings that allow us to capture a glimpse of this astounding band at work. Alga Marghen / Formalibera’s vinyl pressing of a never before released body of recordings, made in Copenhagen between 1969 and 1970, changes that in the most exciting of ways.

Comprising three pieces - “Mc Gub Gub, (I–VIII)”; “Ode to Skt. John”; and “Pladepip” - the material on this stunning LP comes from two specific events. The first, which encompasses the first side, “Mc Gub Gub, (I–VIII)” was recorded by Cadentia Nova Danica - in this instance, Tchicai, Sune Weimar, Theo Rahbek, Christian Kyhl, Niels Holt, Jørgen Thorup, Michael Schou, Morgens Bollerup, Allan Gregersen, Ole Matthiessen, Pierre Dørge, Willy Jaegert, Anthony Barnett, and Jon Finsen - on May 29th, 1969, at the ABC-Theatre in Copenhagen. Penned by Tchicai, the piece is a sprawling, evolutionary composition at the outer reaches of free jazz, rooted in large blocks of colliding tonality and rhythm - a sound only accessible to larger ensembles - that push territories explored by Charles Mingus to previously unimagined heights, threaded by moments of hard blown fire. Writhing like a stormy sea - skronking and devilish - “Mc Gub Gub, (I–VIII)” is a work of profound complexity that singlehandedly illuminates not only Tchicai’s singular vision as a composer, but also the power and uniqueness of Cadentia Nova Danica during the band’s most vital period.

The two pieces - “Ode to Skt. John” and “Pladepip” - taking up the flip side, were recorded on February 21st, 1970, at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s Radio House, and are the outcome of Cadentia Nova Danica’s extended residency there between 1969 and 1970. In many ways, these two recordings offer some of the best insights into the broad collaborative approaches that defined the band, in this case encountering them working with Danish experimental composer, Svend Erik Werner, who was among the earliest in his country to embrace stylistic pluralism and the use historical forms within a modern context. “Ode to Skt. John” - based on aspects of Gregorian music - was penned by Werner, incorporating heady improvisation by the members of Cadentia Nova Danica, this time made up by Tchicai, Sune Weimar, Hugh Steinmetz, Theo Rahbek, Christian Kyhl, Michael Schou, Morgens Bollerup, Ole Kühl, Torben Enghoff, Mauritz Tchikai, Kjeld Ipsen, Willy Jaegert, Ole Matthiessen, Ole Thilo, Pierre Dørge, Steffen Andersen, Jon Finse, and Clause Bøje. The piece is a fascinating binary of the composed and improvised, utilising the band’s large scale to introduce a remarkable sound within its slow progressions and furious, driving free moments, in this incredible meeting of worlds.

The album’s final piece, “Pladepip”, is arguably its most historically significant: an entirely singular piece, unlike anything in Tchicai’s recorded canon as his foray into musique concréte. Drawing upon two recordings of full-band improvisations by Cadentia Nova Danica, for its creation Tchicai also gouged the surfaces of 78rpm records in his collection to skip and create repeated phrases and patterns, creating a stunning sound collage of hard angles and abrupt phrase, that creates a striking counterpoint to the band’s flowing improvisations that bookend those passages. The result is an engrossing listen and easily one of the most unique and culturally important gestures in the entire history of musique concréte.

Truly incredible, Alga Marghen / Formalibera’s vinyl pressing of this never before released body of recordings, made by John Tchicai’s Cadentia Nova Danica, in Copenhagen between 1969 and 1970, offers an unprecedented window into one of the most important groups working in Europe during that period, significantly expanding their rare and slim discography to date. Accompanied by extensive exploratory liner notes by veteran jazz writer, Ed Hazell, this is easily one of the most historically important archival releases of the year and is impossible to recommend enough. Absolutely essential on every count.

After a career spanning over thirty five years, from UK underground upstarts and outliers, to major success on the international stage - including tours with UK icons Iron Maiden and genre legends Dio - My Dying Bride have themselves become a firmly established pillar of metal history with a refined and influential brand of Death/Doom metal. With enduring popularity across subsequent decades, My Dying Bride remains a productive and captivating vessel for tragedy and despair, with their studio output spanning fourteen full-length albums to date.

As part of the “Peaceville Three”, along with fellow countrymen Paradise Lost and Anathema, My Dying Bride truly became a primary force in highlighting Britain as an epicentre of this Doom revolution of the time, creating a highly distinguishable sound assisted by the inclusion of violin & a more poetic approach to the delivery of morbid and salacious topics, lending an additional air of eccentricity and eloquence to the darkness.

Anthology of Sombre Reflections is an expansive and comprehensive collection of the early and much-celebrated works of the Doom Gods, from the formative deathly rawness of the revered Towards the Sinister demo, ‘God is Alone’ 7” tracks and subsequent debut album, As the Flower Withers, through to the gothic-tinged funereal seductive delights of 1996’s highlight, Like Gods of the Sun.

With the addition of all-time genre classic opuses Turn Loose the Swans, and The Angel and the Dark River also representing My Dying Bride’s much-loved early to 90’s period, the band’s three cult EPs are also featured in this deluxe eight-vinyl boxset, with each record presented on 180gm heavyweight black vinyl. The four studio albums themselves have also been treated to new half-speed masters courtesy of Air Studios.

Accompanying the audio is a 48-page book featuring photographs and artwork, plus new interviews with Andrew Craighan and Aaron Stainthorpe exploring some of the influences and thought-processes behind the creation of such cherished works of the 90s, as well as reflections of their output over this period.

Anthology of Sombre Reflections also contains 2 large posters depicting the Turn Loose the Swans CD artwork image, plus the original poster included in As the Flower Withers. A selection of photo prints of the band from this era are also included.

American experimental composer Stephen O’Malley releases Avaeken, two sides of immense, immersive, self-annihilating music via Dais Records.

The record preserves site-specific work: O’Malley installed Avaeken as part of Wish You Were Here, the exhibition by renowned American artist Banks Violette, underscoring the tension between presence and absence, life and loss.

O’Malley and Violette have developed a distinct language of sound, space, and sculpture over the past two decades, reverberating through the walls of world-class institutions from The Guggenheim and Centre Pompidou to prominent galleries such as Maureen Paley in London, Gladstone Gallery in NYC, and Antwerp’s TICK TACK, the brutalist space where Wish You Were Here unfolded in early 2026.

Emerging now as an LP, Avaeken presents power and phenomena: low-frequency vibrations, deep oscillations, and phase cancellations that translate as innately effective in any environment. Violette’s visual expression — the impossibility of locating yourself within the loss of a friend and the broader decay of culture — now fills the LP sleeve and feels inextricable from O’Malley’s sound, both still without resolution.

“Natural harmonic tone coloured by the valves of the amplification is the one desired characteristic,” reads the initial notes.

“At first I asked, why would I write for another guitar player?” he says. “I realized how amazing it is to be a listener on the other side of the music; together we were able to try all these precisions with intonation, harmonics, specific microtonal ideas.”

The quartet performed Avaeken several times before O’Malley joined them for a recording session at Muziekcentrum De Bijloke, a 13th-century former hospital with modern acoustics in Ghent.

Formed in 1981 by two Rockford, Illinois, and two Brookfield, Wisconsin, natives in the midpoint of Milwaukee, Die Kreuzen (pronounced dee kroyt-zen) chose their name specifically to avoid stereotyping because “no one knows what it means. 'Die Kreuzen' roughly translates out of German meaning 'to intersect' or 'to hybridize,' which is exactly what they did on their five LP's for Touch and Go. Their self titled debut is considered one of the most seminal hardcore records of the early 80’s. As far as their second album October File is concerned, remember that flannel shirt movement in the 90's? This is what those guys were listening to.

For any other artist, an album like Asher White’s Love Aggregates might come out of a conscious push to treat no idea as off-limits, to make something bold and new. Jubilant art-funk about cocaine addiction—absolutely. Swooning orchestral pop about Jerry Garcia—why not? Rippling electronic noise, jazzy brushed drums, an elderly motorcyclist with dementia, a profoundly emotional bass solo—put them all in one song. There are threadbare folk tunes, glammed-up power-pop bangers, “Sir Duke” horn charts, Morton Feldman string arrangements, layers of guitar feedback like violins made of liquid chrome. Yes, for another artist, Love Aggregates might be the most adventurous album in their catalog. For Asher White, it’s what passes for settling down.

White is 25 years old and has been making records—writing, recording, producing, and playing almost everything herself—for over a decade. She’d released two dozen of them on Bandcamp before catching the indie-rock industry’s attention with 2024’s Home Constellation Study and last year’s 8 Tips for Full Catastrophe Living. The latter album’s dizzy eclecticism and formidable craft landed her on Rolling Stone’s Future 25 list with the likes of xaviersobased and Oklou, along with a slew of other accolades. That came as something of a surprise to White, who didn’t craft the chaotic 8 Tips with a breakthrough in mind. Love Aggregates feels like a chance, for one of the most thrilling musical talents of her generation, at a more deliberate introduction.

She wrote and recorded her new album while her previous one was gathering
momentum, tinkering in the DIY recording studio where she always works, acutely conscious now that people would be listening to whatever she came up with. At around the same time, her years-long romantic relationship ended in a flurry of betrayal and addiction, her first experience of devastating heartbreak. Even so, Love Aggregates is not a bitter album about wallowing or seething, but instead making use of those impulses as raw materials in work that transcends the specificity of its origins, fashioning them into something surprising and new.

Mariá Portugal has been active in the music scenes of Brazil and Europe as a drummer, composer, singer, and music producer. After graduating in composition, she has focused her research on free improvisation and its possible intersections with popular song. This exploration resulted in her acclaimed album EROSÃO (2021) and in the formation of two groups: the EROSÃO Septet and the EROSÃO Percussion Trio, both based in Germany.

She is also a member of the group Quartabê and has toured and recorded around the world with various artists, moving between pop, free jazz, free improvisation, and Brazilian popular music. She has performed and recorded with artists such as Elza Soares, Anthony Braxton, Joe McPhee, Fred Frith, and Tomeka Reid. She is a member of Fire! Orchestra, Fire! Trio, Endless Breakfast and MONSTER.

In 2020, Portugal was the 13th Improviser in Residence at the Moers Festival. As a curator, she has participated in the Soundtrips-NRW in Duisburg and currently coordinates the concert series “TOMA CHOCOLATE!” in Berlin, besides being the guest curator for this year's unlimited Wels festival. She also composes music for dance, theater, and film, including the award-winning soundtrack for the film “1976”, which earned her the Chilean Film Academy Award in 2025. She was nominated for the 2025 and 2026 German Jazz Prize in the drums and percussion category.
Emilio Gordoa is a Mexican sound artist, percussionist, and composer whose work focuses on sound and performance as primary means of expresion. Based in Berlin since 2012, he has been an active contributor to the city’s Echtzeitmusik scene and is involved in the international avant-garde music community.

His projects include solo and ensemble performances, sound installations, and compositions for film, theater and dance. He has collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Jérôme Noetinger, Ingrid Schomliner, Yuko Kaseki, Burkhard Beins, Don Malfon, John Butcher and Sabiene Vogel. Gordoa’s approach combines experimental percussive techniques with electronic elements, leading to invitations to perform at events such as the Moers Festival, Meakusma Festival in Belgium, A’larme!, and Maerzmusik in Berlin.

He founded WildSonico, a platform for experimental music, and has been part of artist residencies at institutions like the Akademie der Künste and Kunststiftung NRW. He also worked as the Improviser in Residence for the Moers Festival. His discography includes albums such as Substantial Myths (2022), Balderi Variations (2019), and GRIFF (2021), which reflect his ongoing engagement with music. His work has been supported by organizations such as the Goethe-Institut, Musikfonds e.V., and INM - initiative neue musik berlin, and he has received recognition, including an Honorary Mention at the Prix Ars Electronica.

Burkhard Beins was born in 1964 in Lower Saxony and has been living in Berlin since 1995. He is considered a stylistically influential percussionist as a composer/performer, due to his individually developed playing techniques. Additionally, he works with analog synthesizers and live electronics, plays electric bass, and has created various sound installations.

He collaborates as a soloist, as well as with artists such as Chris Abrahams, Keith Rowe, Sven-Åke Johansson, Axel Dörner, Andrea Neumann, and many others. He is also a member of several ensembles including Sawt Out, Activity Center, Polwechsel, The Sealed Knot, Zone Null, Perlonex, Trio Sowari, Vertigo Transport, the NoWave/Krautrock band Slurge, and the Berlin Splitter Orchestra.

Since the late 1980s, he has performed concerts and participated in international festivals for experimental and contemporary music across Europe, America, Asia, and Australia. He has released more than 70 CDs and LPs in collaboration with various artists.

Burkhard Beins has been an Artist-In-Residence at the Künstlerhäuser Worpswede (2009), EMS Stockholm (2014), Muong Studios, Hoa Binh/Vietnam (2015), the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, Captiva/Florida (2017), as well as at DAR, Drsukininkai/Lithuania (2018), and the Agosto Foundation, Prague (2019).

The compositions recorded here are a product of work with computers in synthetic speech, song and vocal sounds and were created between 1972 and 1975. The music was realized on two different computer music systems and takes advantage of, and attempts to extend and explore their features. The system employed to realize speech songs was created at the Bell Telephone Laboratories for research in synthetic speech and speech communication. Since the system was not designed for musical purposes, its limitations were severe and its musical use a great (and often rewarding) challenge. The system used for In Celebration and The Story of Our Lives was designed with the expressed purpose of creating synthetic musical voices, and was therefore much better suited to the task at hand. As with any high technology project, there was extensive collaboration in the production of the works.

The works on this disk are called computer music because the sounds were created numerically in a computer before reaching magnetic tape and loudspeakers. The computer did not compose the music. However, it was only used as a sound synthesis and analysis medium. In order to hear the sounds which are represented in the computer as successions of numbers it was necessary to attach a digital-to-analogue converter to the computer. The converter transformed the succession of numbers into a fluctuating voltage which was recorded directly on to audio tape.

The technique used to create the synthetic voices is called speech synthesis-by-analysis. For this method of speech synthesis, only those words, phrases and sentences which have been spoken into the computer previously (via an analogue-to-digital converter) may be synthesized. First the digitally-recorded speech is analyzed by programs which extract the attributes (parameters) of the speech for short time segments (.01 sec.). From these parameters the speech may be recreated in a form which resembles the original recording very closely. But for musical purposes the parameters are most often altered before synthesis. It is possible, for example, to change the natural pitch contour of the speech into a melodic line or to change the speech speed without altering the natural pitch level.

The variety of musical patterns which may be created from the analytic parameters is limited only by the composer's imagination. Most of the speech sounds on the recording were created by changing the pitch and duration attributes of the original on resynthesis, but for a few, the resonances (the formants) of the speech were altered as well. The voice of the book in The Story of Our Lives was created by replacing the program which simulates the sound of the human vocal cords with one consisting of 64 sine tones glissandoing at different rates. All the textures in which more than one voice is heard were obtained by mixing the synthetic voices together digitally.

Stray Cats is the first album from Rockabilly band Stray Cats, first released in the UK by Arista in 1981. It was successful in Britain, peaking at No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart, and produced the UK Top 40 hits 'Runaway Boys' (No. 9), 'Stray Cat Strut' (No. 11) and 'Rock This Town' (No. 9). The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later listed 'Rock This Town' as one of the songs that shaped rock and roll.

Stray Cats debut album came hot on the heels of the two hit singles 'Runaway Boys' and 'Rock This Town,' both energy filled rockabilly songs that hearkened back to the
1950s era of pure rock & roll with an updated, clean '80s sound highlighted by the prominent double bass playing of Lee Rocker and drumming of Slim Jim Phantom.

This album was by far their most successful, hitting number six in the charts and their only entry into the Top 40.

Lange vergriffen, jetzt in einer neuen Auflage mit Obi erhältlich, Transparentes Doppelvinyl in Orange und Blaugrün. ,A Certain Distance" (2009) gilt als das vielleicht beliebteste Album von Lusine, auf dem unter anderem die bahnbrechende Single ,Two Dots" zu finden ist. Seit seinen frühen Veröffentlichungen als Lusine bilden Jeff McIlwains elektronische Experimente eine der vielfältigsten Diskografien der letzten anderthalb Jahrzehnte. Mühelos verwischt er die Grenzen zwischen Techno, Electro-Pop und experimenteller Komposition - die Arrangements des in Seattle ansässigen Produzenten sind akribisch konstruiert, aber auch voller Emotionen und Seele. ,Aber noch nie war das Seltsame so unterhaltsam wie auf A Certain Distance. Die Mischung aus Ambient, experimenteller Electronica, üppigen Melodien und durchdachten Beats sorgt für fesselnden Hörgenuss _ das Album hat zudem eine filmische Qualität. Bilder strömen in deinen Kopf, während du zuhörst - ein Soundtrack zu tausend imaginären Szenen." - Clash Magazine

Techno innovator Regent has already made his mark on Mutual Rytm with two previous outings highlighting his refined but powerful style. The Berlin-based artist joins the dots between bold percussive grooves and distinct cerebral layers, with his productions continuing to receive wide support from DJs and tastemakers across the globe. This return to SHDW's flourishing label features one of his most anticipated tracks to date - a truly timeless warehouse anthem that marks an exciting new chapter for both Regent and the label.

'Permean' is a raw but sophisticated piece of techno that merges powerful drums with hypnotic pads. It brims with surgical sound design. While the groove is fierce, a haunting melodic touch adds a soft and deeply emotional edge
as Regent explores the tension between permanence and decay, delivering a timeless and essential track.

The first remix comes from Steve Rachmad under his Sterac guise. This version channels the spirit of his early work - pure, stripped-back techno at its finest. Tightly programmed and deep, it features burrowing bass and impish synths dancing up top to occupy the mind while the body moves.

Next comes a remix from one of the most innovative producers of our time, Rene Pawlowitz, under his Head High alias, a project reserved for his more house leaning sounds. His 'Power Tool Mix' brings his signature loopy style with thudding kicks, raw hi-hats and twitchy synths - already shaping up to be a summer hit. Pawlowitz then steps out under his renowned techno alias Shed. His 'Forceful Pressure Mix' is a blistering and unrelenting weapon, with rusty textures and powerful bass locking you in its glitches, unresolved loops and booming low end.

There is a kinetic energy that binds drummer and producer Karriem Riggins and singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer Liv.e, the spark that happens when instinct meets flow and spirit finds rhythm.

Their collaborative debut as GENA (short for “God Energy, Naturally Amazing,” and loosely inspired by Gina from Martin), The Pleasure Is Yours feels like a playful, soulful conversation between two kindred improvisers: Liv.e’s smoky, unpolished vocals glide through Riggins’ warm, percussive universe. Rooted in jazz, soul, and hip-hop, Liv.e brings a raw, experimental approach to R&B, while Riggins known for his work with Common, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Madlib, and his close kinship with J Dilla, extends his lifelong dialogue between jazz improvisation and beat science.

Together they create a world that’s analog and ethereal, percussive and poetic, bridging eras without settling in one, the sound of two artists finding a new shared language rooted in rhythm, vulnerability, and exuberance.

Pressed on 180g vinyl, the album comes in an embossed sleeve and is avaible in red and black splatter.

offerings is a new project from Bruno Silva (Ondness, Serpente) and Gonçalo F. Cardoso (Lagoss, Prophetas, Hannibal Chew III).

Born from a shared obsession with the peripheral—rain puddles, empty city spaces and the flickering crawl of late-night credits—the album occupies a stalled threshold; a space that refuses to resolve into a clear image. It does not strive for the "new" nor the "old"; it exists in a state of suspension, like end credits that refuse to roll, fixed in a permanent noumenal state.

Composed through a frantic exchange of files during the stormy winter of 2026, End Credits Noumena functions as a document of inner domestic spaces. It captures a floating, jam-like camaraderie between two artists with shared fixations and divergent sound palettes. The result is gritty and acetic — a series of random, eerie transmissions that remain strangely inviting. These are offerings, left over for whoever chooses to claim them.

On Squirrel Flower's new album, Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Ella Williams, delivers her most transcendent and instantly classic record to date. It's an album full of hope and beauty, with themes of staying in constant motion, electric love, and knowing when to leave, but also when to stick around. After touring in support of 2023's Tomorrow's Fire, Williams remained on the road, following instinct over itinerary_passing through Gary, Indiana; Los Angeles; Putney, Vermont; Silver City, New Mexico; and Hudson, New York. Each stop became a site of creative renewal. She ended up recording the album at two locations: a makeshift studio in rural Wisconsin, and at Drop of Sun in Asheville, NC, featuring friends and collaborators such as Dimitri Giannpolous (Horse Jumper of Love), Sofia Jensen (Free Range), Clay Frankel (Twin Peaks, Hazel City), and many others along the way. Standouts like "Reelin" and "Highway Woman" showcase the push and pull of life as a musician; the constant need for embarking on a hero's journey in search of reflection and freedom. Others like "Not Me" and "Cleveland" are classic Squirrel Flower, but with a sharper and more concentrated writing style paired with some of Williams' strongest vocal delivery of her career. Mixed and co-produced by Alex Farrar (MJ Lenderman, Wednesday), Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going is the sound of cosmic rebirth, looking behind to illuminate what's ahead. "Pack your life and your guitar," Williams sings on "Highway Woman." "You can change it as you go. You do not plan on dying." In addition to her seemingly nonstop DISABLED touring across North America and Europe, Squirrel Flower has been featured in outlets such as Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The NY Times, Paste, and many others, as well as performances at NPR's Tiny Desk & KEXP. Williams' music has been streamed millions of times around the globe, proving her to be an undeniable force as a songwriter. FOR FANS OF Indigo De Souza, Soccer Mommy, Katy Kirby, Julia Jacklin, Tomberlin, Hand Habits, Phoebe Bridgers, Waxahatchee, PJ Harvey, Grouper, Chelsea Wolfe, Moses Sumney, Cat Power, Liz Phair, Alex G, Mazzy Star, Julie Byrne, Big Thief.

On Squirrel Flower's new album, Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Ella Williams, delivers her most transcendent and instantly classic record to date. It's an album full of hope and beauty, with themes of staying in constant motion, electric love, and knowing when to leave, but also when to stick around. After touring in support of 2023's Tomorrow's Fire, Williams remained on the road, following instinct over itinerary_passing through Gary, Indiana; Los Angeles; Putney, Vermont; Silver City, New Mexico; and Hudson, New York. Each stop became a site of creative renewal. She ended up recording the album at two locations: a makeshift studio in rural Wisconsin, and at Drop of Sun in Asheville, NC, featuring friends and collaborators such as Dimitri Giannpolous (Horse Jumper of Love), Sofia Jensen (Free Range), Clay Frankel (Twin Peaks, Hazel City), and many others along the way. Standouts like "Reelin" and "Highway Woman" showcase the push and pull of life as a musician; the constant need for embarking on a hero's journey in search of reflection and freedom. Others like "Not Me" and "Cleveland" are classic Squirrel Flower, but with a sharper and more concentrated writing style paired with some of Williams' strongest vocal delivery of her career. Mixed and co-produced by Alex Farrar (MJ Lenderman, Wednesday), Say a Prayer to the Gods of Getting Going is the sound of cosmic rebirth, looking behind to illuminate what's ahead. "Pack your life and your guitar," Williams sings on "Highway Woman." "You can change it as you go. You do not plan on dying." In addition to her seemingly nonstop DISABLED touring across North America and Europe, Squirrel Flower has been featured in outlets such as Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, The NY Times, Paste, and many others, as well as performances at NPR's Tiny Desk & KEXP. Williams' music has been streamed millions of times around the globe, proving her to be an undeniable force as a songwriter. FOR FANS OF Indigo De Souza, Soccer Mommy, Katy Kirby, Julia Jacklin, Tomberlin, Hand Habits, Phoebe Bridgers, Waxahatchee, PJ Harvey, Grouper, Chelsea Wolfe, Moses Sumney, Cat Power, Liz Phair, Alex G, Mazzy Star, Julie Byrne, Big Thief.

"Nido de Espinas" is the fourteenth studio album by Buitres. Uruguayan Punk Rock band formed in 1989, heirs to the legacy of the iconic Post Punk band "Los Estómagos" It began to be composed in 2022 and was recorded in early 2024. The texts are inspired by the Diary of a Desperate Heart, an arbitrary overflow of feelings written disorderedly with an improvised rein, which demanded exhaustive work from the band to reach maximum expression in each track. Artistic production was handled by Ale Vázquez (Spinetta, Intoxicados and more) and Sebastián Teysera (La Vela Puerca), who landed the runaway chariot set on fire. buitres formed in late 1989, following the dissolution of the group Los Estómagos, a band that sparked a new era of Uruguayan rock in 1983. José "Pepe" Rambao, a close friend since childhood, joined the Parodi-Peluffo duo. Buitres has toured extensively throughout the entire Uruguayan territory and has participated in massive international shows both in Uruguay and abroad. Additionally, they have completed six tours across Spain, where the album En la Vuelta (CD and DVD) was released. Their discography features 14 studio albums. They have released three live albums, two documentary DVDs, and three live DVDs. Three books have been published about the band. The band has received numerous acolytes and awards, but most importantly, after more than thirty years, they continue to maintain a close and emotional relationship with their audience - one that has endured throughout their history and grows over time. For this reason, the band dedicates their absolute best effort to every new work and every performance. "Nido de Espinas" is their new Studio album. These are wild and excessive times. Perhaps this statement applies to our life history just as it did to ordinary people in bygone eras. However, we assimilate the changes, adapt, and move forward. Nothing new under the sun. We grew up assuming static realities without trying to understand that they were newborn and would not last forever. The "forever" was declining into premature obsolescence. Every accessory is fleeting in the dizzying change of language.

Franc Fala & Benja land Crosstown Rebels debut with hypnotic collaboration, ‘Dirty Dancing’.
Out on 31st July 2026, the Dutch pair unite for a dark, groove-led first appearance on Damian Lazarus's label, backed by two distinct reinterpretations from Brazilian artist Malive.

Anchored in a heavy groove that never loosens its grip, Crosstown Rebels’ latest release, ‘Dirty Dancing’, brings together two Dutch artists whose ideas have been shaped by a shared creative language built over time. Amsterdam’s Franc Fala continues to build on what has been a rapid rise onto the global house circuit, with a run of notable releases coupled with a growing touring schedule, ensuring his records and name have been the talk of the town for many. Alongside him, regular collaborator, fellow countryman and close friend Benja has also ensured his approach to music has also landed with impact, leaning on energy and atmosphere to shape records designed to resonate beyond the dancefl oor. Here, the pair reunite for their biggest collaboration to date as they make their debut outing on Damian Lazarus’s revered imprint with a record crafted for the peak hours.

Everything revolves around a vocal hook that doesn’t sit in the background; it emerges to take over the track, keeping listeners locked into the groove beneath. Rather than pushing in obvious directions, it circles and tunnels deeper, drawing listeners in until it becomes the only thing that matters. On remix duties, Brazilian DJ/producer Malive delivers two contrasting interpretations that take command of the B-side. His ‘Noturno Mix’ pushes into shadowy, late-night territory, extending the track’s hypnotic pull through melodic textures and tension, whereas his ‘Goes To Rio’ mix takes a more fluid direction, loosening the groove and introducing bright keys alongside a slick rhythmic swing.

The second chapter of The Third Room's curator-led series is shaped by D.Dan, one of the defining voices of a new generation pushing techno into sharper, more forward-leaning territory. Through his productions, DJ sets and close ties to an emerging network of artists, he has helped shape a sound defined by precision, intensity and subtle experimentation. For his curation, the focus lies on collaboration and alignment. Rather than presenting a wide spectrum, the release draws a tight circle around a shared sound: one defined by contrast and a strong sense of aesthetic cohesion. D.Dan's Bound sets the tone: reduced, warm and controlled, balancing sharp accents with a steady, grounding low-end. On Dynamic, Rene Wise delivers a record's standout moment: a fluid, rolling tool shaped by subtle disruptions and evolving tension. Slither by Connor Wall expands into a more trippy, forward-facing space, while Gensou by Sunju Hargun & DJ MARIA. closes on a fresh, detailed take on acid - understated but effective. Across all four tracks, the release feels tightly unified - less like a compilation, more like a single body of work shaped from a shared sonic language. Contrast plays a central role: between tension and warmth, control and surprise, functionality and detail. Cohesive and focused, the record feels carved from a single aesthetic, where contrast and small, unexpected shifts drive its momentum. Copyright 2026 The Third Room A1 Written and Produced by Theodore Su-Ahn Shin | A2 Written and Produced by Andrew Shobeiri | B1 Written and Produced by Connor Wall | B2 Written and Produced by Sunju Hargun & DJ MARIA. Mastered by Ahmet Sisman (The Third Room Studios) Artwork by Charlotte Ernst Design by Daniel Bornmann (STUEDIO.XYZ) Distribution by Clone Pressing by Matter Of Fact

On his latest four-track EP, Marco Cassanelli presents a masterclass in deep, atmospheric dub techno. Rich in warmth, texture and groove, the release finds the Italian producer at his most refined, effortlessly balancing hypnotic rhythms with expansive chord work and immersive sound design that resonates equally on the dancefloor and in more introspective home listening settings.

For more than two decades, Marco Cassanelli has been quietly refining a sound rooted in the deepest traditions of dub techno. Emerging from Rome’s underground electronic scene, he has built a body of work defined by patience, restraint, and a profound understanding of space and atmosphere.

Each track unfolds with patience and purpose, drawing listeners into a world of drifting echoes, subtle movement and finely crafted detail. Rooted firmly in the traditions of dub techno while retaining a distinctive character of its own, the EP is both deeply engaging and beautifully understated—equally suited to late-night club systems and home listening.

The final track introduces an unexpected vocal performance, adding a fresh dimension to the release and bringing the journey to a memorable close.Elegant, timeless and richly textured, this EP is a testament to Cassanelli’s enduring craftsmanship and his ability to create dub techno of the highest calibre.

Latebloomers introduce The First Bloom, their debut EP, ready to heat up summer dancefloors.

From playful ghetto-infused house grooves to deeper, hypnotic cuts, The First Bloom brings together five artists connected by friendship and a shared love for underground dance music.

The A-side features Miami Beat$ representatives BeetWorldWide, Uncle Franky, and Teejay joining forces on two nostalgic, hip-hop-inspired cuts. On the B-side, label founders Roy Koch and DJ Z each deliver a solo track, exploring deeper grooves and planting the seed for the Latebloomers sound.

Rooted in the belief that growth unfolds at its own pace, The First Bloom marks the beginning of Latebloomers.

There are two version of the LP - limited to 100 numbered copies with transparent wax and classic black wax edition. Both 180g with special OBI strip.

Maciej Envee Goliński is an artist who probably needs no introduction. He has been working with U Know Me practically since the label's inception. His last album ("Time & Light") made a huge impact worldwide, but we had to wait eight years for the next vinyl release. In the meantime, Maciej has certainly been busy – he has released numerous club singles under several aliases, and has helped record and mix numerous albums from the world of jazz, soul, and electronica. "Wyszymory" is a carefully crafted concept album, inspired by our roots. "Wyszymory" is an album on which every open-minded listener will find something that has been playing in their soul for a long time...


"Of all things visible and invisible, my life is most filled with music and a fascination with sound. It matters not whether they are natural or artificial, isolated or resonating through space. Sounds that evoke
memories, as well as those entirely new. Some of them have resonated unchanged for thousands of years. Certain resonances and rhythms have remained unaltered for generations so distant that they have left no other trace in human civilization.

This bond with our ancestors truly fascinates me. Ever since I realized it, I have become more attuned to inspiration. Listening to traditional and classical music, I kept finding new anchor points. I was constantly surprised by new invitations to ponder what connects – or divides – the pulse of our region’s traditional music with the rhythms of Africa, the tribes of the vast East, or the frozen North. My great authority, Tomasz Stańko, in interviews conducted by Tomek Michałowski, used beautiful parables of love and creativity to bring me closer to the ­Cro-Magnon cave artists. The Icelandic literary magician Andri Snær ­Magnason, in his book On Time and Water, captivated me with the fascinating observation that through emotional contact, words, ideas, or memory, we reach back and forward two or even three generations – spanning a period of about 270 years. Then there is Sam Kowalski, who with his wonderful obereks played on the gitalele, took me on a hypnotic journey, from which one returns with a deep admiration for the art of musical storytelling, passed down from generation to generation. Finally, my own children surprise me with talents, behaviors, and increasingly distinct features of those generations that now dwell only in my hazy memory and on old photographs.

I wanted the protagonists of this album to be the very phenomena that modern humans share with their ancestors, ­regardless of the level of civilization. Most vital among them is the relationship between humans, nature, and their own emotions. Wyszymory has nothing to do with an academic study, though I did delve into Slavic mythology, archaeology, and history in search of inspiration. Nor is it an album of traditional music, even if such music is present thanks to wonderful instrumentalists. I managed to invite artists who cross boundaries daily, working not only with Polish music but also with Hindu and African traditions, and even jazz, with its long history of blending influences. Naturally, the album became a kind of sonic comic book, where individual scenes and stories – the sounds, pulsations, and ideas on how to use them – came to me over time, often under unique circumstances and in inspiring contexts."
Envee

Rowena Wise is a Naarm/Melbourne-based singer-songwriter whose work balances beauty and mess with rare emotional precision. Hailed as a “lyrical assassin” by the Australian triple j community, Wise writes songs that feel like intimate conversations — ruminations on love, alienation, longing, and selfhood delivered with quiet courage and disarming honesty. Drawing from the storytelling lineage of ’60s folk while grounded in indie rock, garage pop, and alt-folk, she finds truth in fiction and humanity in contradiction.

Raised in the surf town of Margaret River, Western Australia, Wise was immersed in music from the outset. Her father, a luthier, built her guitars by hand, and her mother — a Chicago-born folk musician — instilled a deep reverence for songcraft and storytelling. After touring as part of a family band in her youth, she moved to Melbourne at 18 to forge her own artistic path.

Rowena Wise is a Naarm/Melbourne-based singer-songwriter whose work balances beauty and mess with rare emotional precision. Hailed as a “lyrical assassin” by the Australian triple j community, Wise writes songs that feel like intimate conversations — ruminations on love, alienation, longing, and selfhood delivered with quiet courage and disarming honesty. Drawing from the storytelling lineage of ’60s folk while grounded in indie rock, garage pop, and alt-folk, she finds truth in fiction and humanity in contradiction.

Raised in the surf town of Margaret River, Western Australia, Wise was immersed in music from the outset. Her father, a luthier, built her guitars by hand, and her mother — a Chicago-born folk musician — instilled a deep reverence for songcraft and storytelling. After touring as part of a family band in her youth, she moved to Melbourne at 18 to forge her own artistic path.

Black Screen Records once again teams up with composer Chris Christodoulou and Hopoo Games for a vinyl repress of the classic original soundtrack to Risk of Rain 2. At the request of Christodoulou, the new edition of the triple vinyl comes on heavy 180g black wax, the way he enjoys the format the most. The set is housed in a beautiful trifold sleeve with the original artwork illustrated by Italian artist Daniele Giardini. All 20 songs have been carefully remastered by Christian Bethge (Risk of Rain, Deadbolt, Divinity: Original Sin II, A Plague Tale) for the vinyl format. With Risk of Rain 2 the classic multiplayer rogue-like returns with an extra dimension and more challenging action. No run will ever be the same with randomized stages, enemies, bosses, and items. Play solo, or team up with up to four friends to fight your way through hordes of monsters, unlock new loot, and find a way to escape the planet. In his third collaboration with Hopoo Games, Chris Christodoulou returns to the Risk of Rain franchise adding another dimension to the game's music-verse. This two-hour-long genre-bending release spans from foreboding electronica to pounding progressive metal and features all music from the game and then some.

ROSE KEELER-SCHAFFELER

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

Magic Hollow (MH002)

Before we learn language, we learn the voice.

Universal Language is the second release on Magic Hollow and an exploration of the voice before song and before speech. Written and recorded during pregnancy and early motherhood, Rose Keeler-Schaffeler's album draws inspiration from the earliest forms of human communication: coos, cries, sighs and instinctive vocalisations that precede language yet already contain the seeds of music.

Best known as Keel Her, the cult DIY songwriter, producer and NTS Radio DJ whose fiercely independent body of work helped define a generation of bedroom pop, Rose reveals a strikingly different side of her musical practice here. Produced by Daniel O'Sullivan, Universal Language places the human voice at its centre, treating it not as a vehicle for lyrics but as the raw material from which music, language and relationships emerge.

With the exception of a handful of bass vocal parts performed by O'Sullivan, every voice heard on the album is Rose's own.

Across twelve meticulously composed pieces, layered vocal arrangements intertwine with subtle electronics, tape manipulation, synthesizers and understated drum machines. At times the music evokes the luminous purity of medieval sacred music; elsewhere voices dissolve into hazy ambient textures or unfold through hypnotic loops that blur the distinction between singer, choir and atmosphere.

The album was recorded during the first year of her son’s life. Many of its melodic contours and vocal gestures were inspired directly by his earliest sounds. His pre-linguistic attempts at communication became compositional material, guiding Rose towards a deeper exploration of the voice at its point of origin.

Deeply personal yet reaching towards something universal, Universal Language is a meditation on the human voice: our first instrument, our first language and our first experience of belonging.

‘THE GREATEST ROCKSTEADY ALBUM OF THE MILLENNIUM’ NARC - MAY 2022
4/5 REVIEW IN MOJO: “ONE OF THE MOST THRILLING ROCKSTEADY ALBUMS TO HAVE BEEN MADE SINCE THE GENRE EMERGED IN THE LATE 60's”

8/10 REVIEW IN UNCUT + TRACK ON COVERMOUNT: “A STUDIO-ONE INDEBTED, VINTAGE-SOUNDING STUNNER.”

The Frightnrs escort Daptone into the world of long-playing reggae with both the sweetest and the roughest record of the decade. This record will long be treasured by lovers of reggae, lovers of soul and lovers of love...

Crafted under the meticulous eye of black-belt reggae mastermind/producer Victor Axelrod (AKA Ticklah), Nothing More to Say is a rocksteady masterpiece the likes of which has not reared it’s head since the golden era of Studio One. However, you’ll find no imitation here - none of the faux-jamaican cliches of lesser reggae bands. Like all things Daptone, this record is above all soulful and honest.

With the exception of two soul covers (both from the Daptone catalog: Bob & Gene’s "Gotta Find a Way” and Saun and Starr’s “Gonna Make Time”,) the record is populated by original compositions of the highest order.

They are simply great songs, and though their treatment here is masterful, each one of them has the melodic and lyrical substance to hold it’s own in any genre. “Till Then” invokes the coquettish hyper-rhymes of top-form Smokey Robinson, while “Hey Brother” sounds like it fell off the desk of Gamble and Huff, and “Purple” defies any comparison at all.

From the first cracking snares of “All My Tears” through the final pulsing echoes of “Dispute,” the murderous rhythms of Rich Terrana (drums,) and brothers Preet and Chuck Patel (bass and piano, respectively) can be heard chunking mercilessly towards oblivion as Dan Klein pours his endearing poetry over the top like some
otherworldy falsetto potion.

The talented Mr. K continues to build up the most comprehensive collection of DJ essentials to hit the 7-inch format with this latest offering of two beloved classics from the golden era of neo soul. First up is Jill Scott’s self-empowerment anthem ‘Golden’, here the original version stitched together with an unreleased 2005 breakdown remix by London crew Blackbeard. Using sweeping strings from the Blackbeard version, dramatically building to a tambourine acapella & original track makes for a masterful edit, one even more impressive when it’s done as seamlessly as this. The flip side ups the tempo with Mos Def’s ‘Umi Says’, a unique hybrid of broken drums, swirling keyboards (courtesy Weldon Irvine Jr. and Will.I.Am!), a propulsive bassline, and those instantly addictive vocals. Mr. K adds a solid minute of intro, giving the song the room it deserves to breathe, and just lets things simmer without distraction. Another masterclass at the edit board, and another gem to add to our growing treasure trove of work from Mr. Krivit in maximum sonic fidelity both for their first appearance in a 7-inch format.

Leading Danish contemporary jazz label April Records is proud to present Well, actually..., the third album from Polish acoustic jazz quartet O.N.E. Grounded in the spirit of democracy andcollective improvisation, the album offers a tightly woven set of original compositions that blur the lines between modal jazz lyricism and the raw energy of free improvisation.The band name O.N.E. is a clever double entendre: in Polish, "one" (pronounced oh-neh) means "they" in the feminine plural - an apt nod to the all-female lineup. In English, of course, it signifies unity. Both meanings reflect the band"s egalitarian, leaderless approach and cohesive group sound.Almost three years after the recording of their previous release Entoloma(Audio Cave), the group reunited in December 2024 at Studio S4 in Warsaw to record a fresh set of ten compositions. Spread over two sides, the album captures the continued evolution of a band that thrives on interaction, trust, and shared purpose - even in a society fractured by post-pandemic socio-economic uncertainty and political ambiguity. Featuring contributions from all four members - pianist Kateryna Ziabliuk, saxophonist Monia Muc, bassist Kamila Drabek, and drummer Patrycja Wybranczyk - the recordreflects their commitment to artistic democracy. Each voice is given space, yet the music always feels greater than the sum of its parts. Even on the miniature solo track solo form, the other three players remain present, supportive, and responsive. From Ziabliuk"s percussive piano textures and dreamlike voicings on tracks like Osloand Berio, to Muc"s expressive, woody tone on alto and baritone sax, each piece explores dynamic interplay and shifting emotional landscapes. Drabek"s resonant, grounded bass - by turns lyrical and propulsive - provides a central thread, while Wybranczyk"s drumming fizzes with precision and imagination, as heard on Cipherand the angular closer Sneaking Around.Together, these four distinctive creative forces have developed a shared language built on mutual respect, long-term collaboration, and deep listening. Their concerts across Europe (including Jazzahead, B-Jazz, Umea, and the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival) haveaffirmed their standing as a boundary-pushing group with something new to say.








f SOLO FORM






[f] b2 [SOLO FORM]






[f] b2 | [SOLO FORM]

In a world currently defined by unrest, uncertainty, and cultural fracture, acclaimed saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Isaiah Collier returns with Joy, a 5-track EP that reframes one of humanity’s most nuanced emotions both as a devotional grounding and political act.

Collier’s deeply personal compositions present joy as an act that isn’t rooted in escapism or abstraction, but rather, as something hard-won rooted in lived experience, shaped by transformation, and sustained through connection. Throughout the album’s five compositions, Collier positions joy as a guiding light during challenging times, an expression of challenging yourself to utilize your gifts, an affirmation of love and discovery, and as an affirmative source of reassurance.

“We are in a paradoxical time, where so much is being revealed to us,” Collier shares. “Everything feels political from every scope… our collective hearts feel the heaviness in the air. Yet I say to you all—don’t despair. For right now, the most political thing we can do is share joy.”

That ethos is made clear in the opening title track and lead single “Joy.” A pulsing rhythmic motif anchors the melody with a sense of both searching and certainty. Collier conceived the piece around 3 years ago reflecting on a time where many people in his life were experiencing loss of family and friends and experiencing profound life transitions. “Everything just felt like it was falling apart with no aim in sight,” he reflects. “Yet, there is a light at the end of it all.”

As he played the chords with a sense of urgency, he could feel the vibration of yellow in the piece. That initial triplet motif serves as the guiding light on the piano and the only word Collier could hear was Joy. In addition to Collier at the helm singing and playing piano and tenor sax on the track, it features an expansive 11-piece ensemble with a full horn and string section allowing Collier’s propensity for composition and arrangement to shine with an eclectic sonic palette.

“Landscape of Dreams” finds Collier serendipitously leaning into utilizing his gifts as a multi-instrumentalist. While he had a sketch of the piece going into the studio, a traffic delay caused musicians to be late arriving at the studio. Never one to waste time in the studio environment, Collier stepped into new creative territory and took up the challenge of executing playing all instruments himself as an act of trust and experimentation. “I’ve never done this before, and so it was a leap of faith for me,” he asserts. “I always dream of doing stuff like this, and being part of the small percentage of people who can do it like Prince, Steve Lacy, Frank Zappa, and Stevie Wonder. The end result finds Collier immersed in a hypnotic soundscape playing layered flutes, drums, Metatron, Wurlitzer, and auxiliary percussion.

Another layer of joy is revealed in “Where I’m Loved” that serves as a love letter and leaning into the process of stepping into the willingness to explore life and love with a partner. On the intimate meditation of vulnerability and connection, Collier's vocal prowess is on full display, exerting effortless falsetto reminiscent of D’Angelo over soulful Wurlitzer and guitar as he crosses over into more R&B-inspired realms. “I believe everyone deserves this feeling or to honor the memories of it. Furthermore, I believe you should also go where you’re celebrated and not tolerated.”

“When the Dust Settles” captures the electricity of live collaboration and Collier further steps out of being confined to any specific genre. He had just gotten a microKORG keyboard from co-producer Sonny Daze and was exploring the vast array of sounds on the instrument. Collier plays synth bass on the microKORG joined by the electrifying improvisation of Cole Runge on guitar and the combustible rhythm of his brother Jeremiah Collier on drums with additional post-production work from Sonny Daze.

The album’s final track “God’s By Your Side” reflects on perseverance and artistic legacy, directly inspired from the passing of D’Angelo, whose life’s work was a huge part of Collier’s childhood growing up in the late 90s and early 00s. With gospel flavor and direct influence both from D’Angelo’s vocal and instrumental arrangements, the track speaks to resilience and persistence in the face of obstacles—an affirmation of source and reassurance. “And what’s better than having God by your side, right?” asserts Collier.

Joy is a through-and-through expression of the arc of joy in its truest form. Joy transcends fleeting happiness and is conscious gratitude shaped by taking chances, leaning into your gifts, fostering community, and lived experiences.

“Joy is partially happiness,” Collier explains. “But to me it means happily being grateful for family, friends, lovers, teachers, and good times. These are the things that anchor us.”

The release of Joy comes off the heels of significant momentum for Collier, whose work continues to garner accolades and resonate across cultural spheres. He was featured on the cover of DownBeat’s April 2025 issue, where he was named “The Next Sax Giant,” and profiled on NPR’s Jazz Night in America for his ambitious 13-movement interdisciplinary suite The Story of 400 Years, that traces 400 years of Black American History. He released two full-length albums in 2024 with The World Is on Fire highlighted in The New York Times’ Fall Arts Preview and The Almighty named among the publication’s Best Jazz Albums of the year.

Beyond performance and recoding, Collier’s influence is recognized in broader cultural and intellectual spaces as he was the recipient of the Jazz Journalists Association’s 2025 Up and Coming Artist of the Year Award, the 2024 Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz, and was named a Steve Jobs Archive Fellow joining an elite cohort of the next generation of artistic visionaries through a yearlong program.

In addition to the release of Joy, Collier is touring his “Collier Plays Coltrane” program throughout 2026 in honor of John Coltrane’s centennial. Rather than presenting Coltrane’s expansive catalog as repertory, Collier approaches this music as something living, reshaping it in real-time with a sense of space and improvisational dialog reflecting both reverence to the past and present times.

Sasha takes charge of the 200th release on his influential label, Last Night On Earth.

The two richly detailed cuts balance cinematic emotion, club functionality and meticulous sound design and arrive on vinyl alongside the digital release.

Electronic music titan Sasha launched Last Night On Earth in 2011, and for 15 years, it has been at the forefront of the melodic underground. Breaks, house, techno, ambient and progressive have all been explored by a mix of original pioneers, new school innovators and Sasha himself, either solo or often in collaboration with friends, peers and exciting emerging talents. The label swiftly became a movement, with regularly sold-out showcases around the world and exclusive merch. Enduring tastemaker Sasha remains as busy and innovative as ever in the studio and on the road, and just weeks after his last outing here with Franky Wah, he returns with another standout single.

Majestic opener 'Hollow Sun 25' is a slow-burning seven-minute odyssey with an acid-infused bassline and Sasha's signature celestial touch in the spectral vocal fragments that infuse the mix. The wavy, fl uid grooves provide a constant, gentle uplift to this widescreen, immersive gem. 'Hollow Sun 24' reworks the same cut into something with a more epic and spine-tingling breakdown that douses dancers in classic Ibizan trance synths while the bassline is darker and the groove more heads down.

includes DL code and insert with English & Japanese lyrics

The terms “nursery rhymes” and “children’s songs” may give rise to visions of idyllic innocence and the charms of childhood, but "Play Nursery Rhymes and Children's Songs" by Tokiyo Ooto & Orhythmo, their first release on EM Records, brings forth quite different aural imagery: this is an eerie and unsettling sonic picture book which hints at the darkness and mystery which form the hidden heart of many traditional songs and rhymes. The length of the songs provides a hint: each piece delves deeply into the latent uncanniness of the music, with superficial innocence gradually displaced as electric guitar, bass, field recordings and concrete sounds draw the listener into a chilly forest, while Tokiyo Ooto’s voice croons dark “lullabies for adults,” blending elements of folk, slowcore and dream pop. The Tokiyo Ooto & Orhythmo duo formed in 2023, releasing their first album in 2024. This release updates two pieces from the first album, and also includes a traditional Japanese children’s song from Shiga Prefecture and a masterpiece for children by composer Yasushi Akutagawa. Both musicians are Osaka-based: Ooto is a guitarist and singer-songwriter who also works in band and solo contexts; Orhythmo is a bassist with hardcore punk roots who focuses on improvisation, drone, noise and ambient sound. This release is available on CD, vinyl and DL; physical versions feature a printed insert with Japanese and English lyrics. The evocative cover is by Yoshitomo Ano.

Soul Music legend Candi Staton returns to her down-home Alabama roots on her 32nd album, Back to My Roots. The twelve-track Americana set features an array of Staton-penned originals and some well-chosen covers.

"These songs represent my roots," Staton adds as she reflects on her many trials and triumphs. "Even the new songs on some level represent something I've experienced and that's what real soul music is about." Back to My Roots was produced by Staton with her second eldest son, Marcus Williams, a professional drummer who has toured with the likes of Peabo Bryson, Isaac Hayes, and Tyler Perry. They brought in Mark Nevers of Lambchop fame, who produced three of Staton’s prior Americana albums for Honest Jon’s and Thirty Tigers, to sweeten certain tracks. “Some of the first songs I ever heard were songs like `Peace in the Valley’ and `It’s Gonna Rain,’” says Staton. “The new songs or cover songs are tracks that remind me of that era when I was growing up as a child and evolving as a young woman. That’s why I named the album Back to My Roots because I’m going back to the roots that made me who I am.”

Staton received the Americana Music Association UK’s highest honour, the International Lifetime Achievement Award, at the UK Americana Music Awards ceremony at Hackney Church in London last year for her southern soul work that stretches from her 1969 Muscle Shoals hits to her more recent collaborations with the likes of Americana kings Jason Isbell and John Paul White.
The album opens with a mid-tempo Bonnie Raitt-styled contemporary blues “I Missed the Target Again” that finds Harry Connick Jr.’s longtime guitarist Jonathan DuBose Jr. (aka the Prophesying Guitarist) showing off his skills that set the tone for the song and the album.

Staton’s older sister, Maggie Staton Peebles (who alongside Staton was a member of the Jewel Gospel Trio in the 1950s), joins her for two duets. The first, “It’s Gonna Rain,” features just a drum, steel guitar and vocals. “My mother used to sing that song to us all the time when I was a child,” Staton recalls. “It’s a really soulful kind of song I wanted to revisit.” They then take turns leading Thomas Dorsey 1939 gem “There Will Be Peace in the Valley” that Elvis Presley popularized in the 1950s.

“Hang on in There” is a new, mid-tempo song that has an old school gospel flavour and features vocals from veteran bluesman, Larry McCray.
While in Europe in 2023 for her farewell concert tour that took her to the Glastonbury Festival and Love Supreme, Staton and her British band, PUSH, went into a London studio to record a new version of The Rolling Stones’ 1972 gem, “Shine A Light.” “I love the way that came out,” Staton says. “We put a big choir on it and put our own twist on it.”
From there, Staton revives another Thomas Dorsey classic, “The Lord Will Make a Way Somehow,” with a bluesy vibe. When Al Green started recording gospel in the early 1980s, he re-introduced this song into the culture.

“God’s Gonna Use Me Anyway” is a new mid-tempo blues with subtle Caribbean influences.

The mood takes a turn on “1963.” It’s a poignant, spoken-word reflection on September 15, 1963, when four black girls were killed in the Birmingham Church bombing. “I was in the city that day and I remember the chaos and horror after the bombing,” Staton recalls. “Just thinking of how racism and hatred caused those men to kill those girls was so emotional for me that I could only do it in one take.”

It's a perfect segue into "Reach Down and Touch Heaven," a haunting, plea for divine intervention into the affairs of mankind. "That's straight Baptist," she says. "I used to be a church pianist back in the 1960s. I've never played piano on one of my records before so that's a unique song for me because I’m finally playing on one of my records. The message of that song is about the homeless. It came to me when a homeless person on the street asked me for $5. When God touches your heart to help somebody else that’s heaven to God’s hears. So, when we reach into our purse or wallet to help someone, we’re touching heaven."

Staton offers love as an antidote to hate on the bouncy, Motown-styled, “Love Breakthrough.”

Her publicist brought Aaron Frazer & the Flying Stars of Brooklyn NY’s 2017 cut “My God Has a Telephone” to Staton’s attention. She shifts the track from a retro 1960s groove to more of a 1980s Malaco Records arrangement, a subtle but distinct variation. Staton brought in her longtime friend and STAX Records legend, William Bell (“I Forgot to Be Your Lover” and “Trying to Love Two”), to add raspy seasoning to the track.

The album closes with the wistful, “In God’s Hands We Rest Untroubled,” that was originally written and recorded by the late country star, Lari White, who died in 2017 at the age of 52. “Lari sent me that song to consider at least ten years ago and I always loved it,” Staton says. “The record label didn’t want it on the album or something, so I just held it.”
Staton says, “I grew up hearing a lot of these old songs when they were new songs. I toured with the Jewel Gospel Trio in the 1950s and we got to know people like Mahalia Jackson, Sam Cooke and others who sang these types of songs. So, I’m sort of paying tribute to them and the influence they had on me by refreshing these songs and making new songs in the old style.”’

Four years near the beginning of the last decade, William Cashion and Bruce Willen created quietly radiant instrumental music from two tessellated guitars, a few modest synths, and a slew of percussive and noisy toys, like walkie-talkies or the things that gave the pair their handle, bells. This 2016 live recording is taken from the band"s next-to-last show, cut in an artist-run space called The Compound in their hometown of Baltimore. Peals is the project of two bassists known best for their other livewire and loud Baltimore bands: Future Islands for Cashion, Double Dagger for Willen. This recording does not feel at all out-of-time, like some overlooked gem that was simply swallowed by its moment. It sounds relevant, welcoming, welcome. These 38 seamless minutes have clear predecessors: Manuel Göttsching"s E2-E4, Cluster and Eno"s Cologne dalliances, the way Midwest Emo could sound smarter than its lyrics read.

Death Is Not The End issue 15 heartbreaking archival fado recordings from Ercilia Costa - made in Madrid in 1930, accompanied by seminal guitarist Armandinho. One of the early stars of fado, Ercilia Costa was the first to take the music overseas to emigrant Portgugese communities.

Time stands stunningly still on The Final Painting, the dreamy, elegiac final album from legendary underground singer-songwriter/poet/painter Ed Askew. The Final Painting not only defies the curse of sequels and the ten-year gap between the two DeCicca/Askew productions, it"s also a wonderous variation on the intimacy of the self-portrait, an expression from the twilight of one of the most unique artists to emerge in last half of the 20th century. The Final Painting reinvites For the World contributors Sharon Van Etten, Eve Searls, and Canaan Faulkner and new guests Bill Callahan, William Tyler, Ryan Jewell, Dustin Laurenzi, and Fulvio Sigurta. In their last conversation, just days before Ed passed in January 2025, he and Jerry agreed to: a) use the painting left on the easel of Ed"s now-empty apartment and b) call the album The Final Painting.

The collaboration we’ve all been waiting for is finally here! Thee Sacred Souls asked him to... and Victor Axelrod delivers with two massive platters sure to usher summer in with a swing.

Thoughtfully plucked from their sophomore album, Got a Story to Tell, the politically -charged ‘One and the Same’ gets a soulful reggae reboot from Axelrod and session team The Inversions.

Josh Lane’s emotional delivery and impressive vocal range meld with the raw, heavy rhythms as if preordained—transforming the beloved tracks into something exciting and fresh whilst leaving its DNA intact.

A testament to what a skilled producer can do with rock- solid compositions. Comes complete with respective HEAVY B SIDE DUB VERSIONS. Get into it!

Music From Memory presents 'Mood Programs – Extended Play', a two-track release by LA MARR, a new project conceived by Ron Trent. Representing the first in an ongoing series of releases on Music From Memory, ‘Mood Programs - Extended Play’ opens a new chapter within Trent’s deep and continually evolving body of work, rooted in mood-driven composition, spatial depth and the emotional resonance of sound within physical space.

Influenced by ambient and environmental music, New Age, dub traditions, New Wave, Krautrock and HiFi sound system culture, LA MARR reflects many of the formative ideas that informed Trent’s evolving approach to sound and sonic architecture from the early 1980s onward. Rather than revisiting these influences nostalgically, the project recontextualises them through a contemporary production language, balancing analog warmth with precision and spatial depth.

Developed through years of sonic experimentation and research into the physical and psychological qualities of sound, LA MARR extends Ron Trent’s long-standing interest in the relationship between rhythm, acoustics and human connection. Built through a combination of analog processes and contemporary computer-assisted production, the project explores warmth, resonance, depth and sonic clarity through carefully sculpted environments of tone and texture.

Gently unfolding within a spacious, ambient-leaning framework, 'Mood Programs – Extended Play' moves beyond passive background listening toward something more intentional and immersive. Across both tracks, ‘Good Magic’ and ‘Clear’, layers of hypnotic synthesizer arpeggios and gently floating pads gradually unfold alongside organic percussion and subtle low-end movement, creating compositions that feel simultaneously meditative, physical and emotionally responsive. Sound is treated not simply as musical information, but as an environmental force capable of shaping perception, mood and awareness within a room.

'Mood Programs – Extended Play' will be released digitally and on vinyl through Music From Memory on July 15th. Sleeve art and design by Michael Willis.

The recordings on Volume II were captured in Copenhagen, Denmark on January 18, 2020. Guided as much by human instinct as by musical intention, the ensemble moved through the evening with a shared sensitivity…listening, responding, and trusting the moment as it unfolded. Though Morten McCoy admits to having felt quite ill that evening, nothing in the music suggests restraint. Instead, what remains is a vivid, playful exchange, where McCoy and Johannes Wamberg carry both Part I and Part II as a flowing conversation, speaking through sound rather than words.

Part I begins abruptly, almost throwing the listener back in time to the exact moment the improvisation was born. Jonathan Bremer steps to the forefront, providing a solid, melodic bassline as Kristoffer and Eliel, perfectly in sync, lay down a steady foundation for whichever voice chooses to rise above the rhythm.

This is also one of the few I Am An Instrument recordings to feature two guitarists. Johannes Wamberg leads the way, shaping the harmonic direction, while Steven Jess Borth II adds subtle rhythmic textures through muted palm work, deepening the groove without ever stepping into the foreground.

Part II unfolds with Morten McCoy on his Moog One, delivering a beautiful, expansive solo. Using a carefully chosen patch, the sound pulses through the rhythm, moving with the groove rather than above it, riding the beat like a wave through the ocean.
Shaped by trust, presence, and collective improvisation, Volume II captures a group deeply attuned to one another, allowing intuition and momentum to guide the unfolding form.
——
Volume III was recorded in Copenhagen on March 5, 2020. Little did anyone know that only days later, the world would be placed on pause for years. Captured just before that moment of global stillness, this session carries a heightened sense of presence, a final gathering before silence reshaped everything. Recorded in a space more commonly associated with a club atmosphere, the music draws on a different kind of energy and immediacy. With Eliel Lazo unable to attend, the group invited Victor Dybbroe of Girls In Airports to join on percussion, subtly reshaping the ensemble while preserving its core spirit. Part I opens with Steven Jess Borth II calling out on tenor saxophone, answered by Morten McCoy on Wurlitzer electric piano. The piece gradually unfolds into a meditative groove, patient and expansive, carrying the listener through an eight-minute journey of layered rhythm and restraint.

Part II begins with Jonathan Bremer on stand up bass, slowly joined by the rest of the ensemble as each voice enters with intention. Midway through, an unexpected vocal melody from Borth emerges, drenched in reverb and delay, later reappearing as a melodic line on the tenor saxophone.

Part III is led by Morten McCoy on Wurlitzer electric piano. His signature melodic language sets the direction, guiding the ensemble while leaving ample space for the music to breathe and evolve through collective improvisation. Reprise returns to the closing moments of Part II, its title reflecting its origin. The familiar groove reappears, transformed into a distinctly Jamaican-influenced rhythm, over which Borth delivers a final tenor saxophone solo, bringing the conversation to rest.

Any questions about any of these products feel free to get in touch and we'll help you out!

a a1. Part I [Vol.2]
[b] a2. Part II [Vol.2]
[c] a3. Part I [Vol.3]
[d] b1. Part II [Vol.3]
[e] b2. Part III [Vol.3]
[f] b3. Reprise [Vol.3]

Ancient Infinity Orchestra return with their third album, It’s Always About Liberation, a new record that deepens the vision of their acclaimed recent work while moving into darker, more searching emotional territory.

Conceived as a partner to It’s Always About Love, this new body of work shares its predecessor’s generosity and spiritual openness, but carries a different charge. Where the previous album focused on healing and warmth, It’s Always About Liberation is largely animated by struggle, perseverance and the desire for transformation while still offering a path to betterment. It is music made in full awareness of a fractured world, yet unwilling to surrender to it.

Like It’s Always About Love the album title draws inspiration from words spoken by Moor Mother during their 2024 We Out Here festival performance that deeply affected bandleader Ozzy Moysey: “It’s always about love / It’s always about liberation.” Those twin ideas became a framework for the two albums Ancient Infinity Orchestra were creating. If one album explored love as repair, this one explores liberation as movement, continually striving toward freedom, clarity and deeper connection.
The 16-member ensemble is led by double bassist and composer Ozzy, with a distinctive line-up that explains their sound better than any artificial genre divisions: two double basses, harp, saxophones, clarinets, violin, viola, cello, oboe, flutes, mandolin, congas, piano, drum kit, with bells, shakers and other percussion instruments scattered on the floor of live sets and recording sessions, ready for members to use whenever the spirit takes them.

This orchestration, and the overlap between membership and friendship, gives Ancient Infinity Orchestra a sound that is at once expansive and intimate, earthy, and cosmic, constantly shifting yet grounded in shared intention. The attention to intention and the inviting sonic world connects the music to artists ranging from Alabaster dePlume to Gondwana label boss Matthew Halsall.
Gradually, the Orchestra became a grounding force in the emerging jazz scene in Leeds, bringing together individuals from different musical backgrounds co-founding the Café Oto-inspired Limpet Club or co-hosting the monthly Sonic Plunge (‘a platform for adventurous experimentation’) and co-founding the Leeds Improvisers Orchestra. Additionally, the ensemble acted as a bridge between musicians in Brighton and Leeds, after Ozzy spent a stint back on the south coast between 2020 and 2022.

Their debut, River of Light, was a vibrant celebration of togetherness recorded in three days and released on Gondwana in 2023. A Maida Vale session for Jamie Cullum’s BBC Radio 2 show brought them to a broader audience, as did bookings at North Sea Jazz Festival and Gretchen, Berlin. Since then, Ancient Infinity Orchestra has become a by-word for music that could be framed as ‘spiritual jazz’. Whilst Ozzy avoids the phrase when describing his music, he’s crystal clear that his heroes are associated with those words – citing Art Ensemble of Chicago, Pharoah Saunders, Coltrane (Alice and John), and Don Cherry as major influences.

Across trance-like meditations, rising grooves, moments of grief and collective uplift, It’s Always About Liberation speaks to the battle within the mind as much as the inequalities of the wider world. It acknowledges the darkness but lets connection and creativity have the last word Ancient Infinity Orchestra is a gathering of voices, traditions, and energies converging into something timeless. Their music is a journey inward and outward, always reaching toward the universal.

'Where the Smoke Goes captures the conscious and unconscious of Johnny Coley in duet between 2020-2024 AD. Alabama-born, Marseille-based artist Turner Williams Jr. wraps a selection of his dear friend Johnny’s penultimate compositions in arresting tone poems.
'The music buzzes and hums with distant trains, trembling strings, and lapping water, haloing our protagonist in a humid glow as he considers whether horses can live to 70 years old, cigarettes potent enough to knock you on your ass, and orchids facing the wrath of winter storms.
'This work began in the first Covid spring, as Johnny's advancing multiple sclerosis gave way to a permanent domestic confinement and a final period of prolific creativity. Johnny braved the toxic gales of social media to share his thriving poetry and visual art practice and to keep in touch with friends like Turner, who had recently moved abroad. For the first time, Johnny recorded himself, sending Turner fresh poems, day and night.
'Taking cues from late era Coil and the operas of Robert Ashley, Turner approached these recordings both as language and pure sound, arranging accompanying mosaics that emerge as much from Johnny’s unseen text as his mercurial drawl. Tracks draw from Turner’s solo practice as well as sessions including Henry Birdsey of Old Saw, members of the French underground (Manoir Molle, Loto Retina, Mona Assayag) and close Birmingham collaborators (Jasper Lee, Jimmy Griffin, Ladonna Smith). The voice is parsed and played as an instrument and each poem becomes a score.
'There is Johnny’s poetry and Johnny’s voice. These are two independent yet interwoven instruments. For Turner, Johnny's vocabulary, cadence, and timbre carry all of the contradictions that he writes about. His work is a dialogue of rich contradictions. "He plays with Southern American vernacular speech in his poetry while embodying it with his speech, creating a zone of emotional frisson. He loved combining opposites. Rough yet soft was one of his favourite descriptors", Turner recalls, "That was Johnny. ” Upon hearing the completed record, Johnny likened it to "a beautiful wood box, that when you open it there are fabrics shot through with silk threads and sharp fall woods smells - supporting and decorating the poems that fall out of them. ”
'This record captures something unconscious, atmospheric, and gives it unexpected materiality. Smoke that you can feel like grass under your feet. Stars that you can touch like a lover. Meeting for the final time in the summer or 2025, the time for words had passed so they just held hands and listened to the album opener Stargazer in silence as Johnny drifted off to sleep.'