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First Word Records is extremely proud to welcome aboard Takuya Kuroda.

A highly-respected trumpeter born in Kobe, Japan, Takuya is a forward-thinking musician that has developed a unique hybrid sound, blending soulful jazz, funk, post-bop, fusion and hip hop music.

After following the footsteps of his trombonist brother playing in big bands, he relocated to New York to study jazz & contemporary music at The New School in Union Square; a course he graduated from in the mid-noughties. It was here that Takuya met vocalist José James, with whom he worked on the 'Blackmagic' and 'No Beginning No End' projects.

Following graduation, Takuya established himself further in the NYC jazz scene, performing with the likes of Akoya Afrobeat and in recent years with DJ Premier's BADDER band (also including acclaimed bass player, Brady Watt). Premier said "The BADDER Band project was put together by my manager, and an agent I've known since the beginning of my Gang Starr career. He said, 'What if you put a band together that revolved around a trumpet player from Japan named Takuya Kuroda? He's got a hip-hop perspective and respect in the jazz field…"

Takuya Kuroda is already incredibly prolific, releasing five albums in the past decade and fortifying a solid reputation in the global jazz scene. 2011 saw the release of Takuya's independently-produced debut album, 'Edge', followed by 'Bitter and High' the following year and 'Six Aces' on P-Vine in 2013. Takuya was signed to the legendary Blue Note Records in 2014 for his album 'Rising Son', as well as appearing on their 2019 cover versions project, 'Blue Note Voyage'. He released his 5th album 'Zigzagger' on Concord in 2016, which also featured Antibalas on a reimagining of the Donald Byrd classic 'Think Twice'.

Late Summer 2020, Takuya Kuroda returns with his sixth album 'Fly Moon Die Soon'.

In his words, "this album is about the irony between the greatness of nature and the beautiful obsceneness of humanity. Melodies and grooves fly back and forth from being spiritual to being vulgar."

It took two years to make this album. In 2018, I decided I just couldn't make albums the same way I had been in the past anymore. As a birthday treat to myself, I booked a studio in Brooklyn for two days, with only myself and an engineer, Todd Carder. I brought along some tracks I'd been building at home to see if we could complete them within that time. We began replacing sounds and adding texture, sampling noises from all over the studio; me sipping coffee, hitting a 26" kick drum, speeding up snares. At the end of the two days we were like "wow, I didn't know we could make tracks this good in this way". This is how the process of the full album started. Everything was based on my beats I made at home, inviting musicians in one by one, adding or replacing parts. I was very careful when developing these tracks; just note by note, part by part. I wanted to make the music effectively from a blend of two different recording methods; one very slickly produced part and one very organic part played by live musicians. I remember mixtapes from when I was kid, and wanted to make an album that wasn't just a bunch of flashy singles, trying to catch people's attention in the first 30 seconds, or full of guest features. Instead, I'm essentially just trying to let the grooves breath."

The album consists of nine tracks of excellence. The uptempo jazz-funk of 'ABC' and 'Moody' sit alongside soulful jazz cuts like 'Fade' and 'CHANGE', also featuring Corey King on vocals. The title track is a downtempo groove lead by a heavy Moog bassline, whilst 'Do No Why' contains an infectious piano riff throughout. Aside from Takuya's original compositions, he revisits two classics from Ohio Players ('Sweet Sticky Thing' featuring Alina Engibaryan on vocals) and Herbie Hancock ('Tell Me A Bedtime Story') whilst the album closes with the epic 'TKBK'.

Takuya adds "this special cover was inspired by the Golden Moon I saw during a photoshoot in Death Valley with my homie Hiroyuki Seo".

Takuya Kuroda is a truly unique talent, and this album is a realisation of the evolution of his sound.

'Fly Moon Die Soon' is released on Worldwide Award-winning UK label First Word Records on vinyl & digital in September 2020.

Auf 12“-Vinyl ab dem 31.01.2025 und digital ab dem 14.02.2025 auf allen Streaming Plattformen.

Paula Carolina steht wie kaum eine andere Künstlerin für die neue Rebellion des Indie Pop: roh, ungeschliffen, laut und doch voller Feingefühl. Ihre Erfolge sprechen für sich: Mit über 30 Millionen Streams als Künstlerin und Hits wie „Schreien“ (15 Millionen Streams, über 9.000 TikTok-Creations) hat sie sich längst vom Geheimtipp zu eine der wichtigsten Stimmen ihrer Generation entwickelt. Sie trift den Zeitgeist, ohne ihm hinterherzulaufen.

Ihre Musik ist ein Spagat aus NDW, Punk und Indie, der live noch intensiver wirkt – ein Sound, der in den Moshpit treibt und gleichzeitig eine Hand ausstreckt, um festzuhalten, was sonst verloren geht.

2024 hat sie nicht nur Clubs ausverkauft, sondern auch die großen Festivalbühnen bespielt: Hurricane, Southside, und mehr. Vor Tausenden von Menschen war sie die, die den Lärm machte – und alle Stimmen zusammenführte. Dieses Live-Album ist genau das: ein Stück Gemeinschaft, ein Mitschnitt der Nächte, in denen die Bühne zum Safe Space wurde, für all jene, die mehr suchen als nur Pop. Es ist ein Reisetagebuch ihrer wilden Tour, ein rohes, ungeschliffenes Dokument voller schreiender Gitarren, treibender Drums und dieser Stimme, die mal schreit, mal flüstert und in jedem Ton die Gegenwart einfängt.

Es gibt Musik, die berührt, und es gibt Musik, die aufrüttelt. Paula Carolina macht beides - und live erst recht. Ihre "Willkommen in der Realität"-Tour 2024 war nicht nur ein lauter, treibender Zug durch die Clubs des Landes, sondern ein greifbares Bekenntnis zu echten Momenten. Nächte, die nachhallen, in denen aus Fremden eine Gemeinschaft wurde, die zusammen tanzte, lachte und schrie. Genau dieses Gefühl ist jetzt konserviert auf Vinyl.

2025 Cream VINYL REPRESS.

When Alex Stephens (A.K.A. Strawberry Guy) self-released his debut single last year, he was merely doing it out of a love for songwriting. What he wasn't expecting was a million Youtube streams and an avid fanbase. Now, the South-Wales born, Liverpool-based songwriter is ready to release a full EP of his compelling, lushly produced dream-pop.

Born outside Cardiff, Strawberry Guy moved to Liverpool to study music and grow as a writer. 'I knew that it was a very artistic city with all it’s creative history, it seemed like the perfect place to move to.' he says. Whether it's playing keyboards in The Orielles or just being part of the city's growing musical scene, Alex plays music for the love of music, something that heavily translates into his adept songwriting.


The intense emotional feel of the tracks he writes is down to Alex's songwriting process, recording the entire EP in his bedroom & producing it himself. 'I feel that it’s important to me to only write/record when you’re channeling some kind of emotion, so I would only work on it when I was in the right mood to do so.' He answers when asked about the isolated environment into which he put himself for the recording process.

Much of the inspiration for Alex's work comes from experience rather than other artists. 'When something significant happens to me, all I want to do is make music.' In terms of musical touchstones however, there's the obvious dream-pop contemporaries such as Beach House and Weyes Blood, coupled with great songwriters of old like Nat King Cole or Harry Nillson. Sonically, a blend of orchestral & synthesized melodies layer together to act as a platform for his heartfelt lyrics.

Opener 'Without You' is a fine example of this, a break-up song of sorts, with an infectious keyboard melody and swirling synths over which Alex contemplates whether it's even possible to find lasting love. The lyrics 'Do you really have to talk about the things you do with him? Do you really have to talk about your love?' hit particularly heavily.

Contrast this with the final track, the titular 'Taking My Time To Be', a powerful song of self-discovery. Beginning with downtempo piano and drums, the song breaks out into a saxophone and synth solo that wouldn't go amiss on a Badalamenti soundtrack. 'The song is about me learning to be comfortable with myself, but then wondering if I'll be accepted for being myself' Alex imparts. It's a fitting closer to a EP driven by emotion and experience.

Repress!

Defected’s vinyl series continues to commit the label’s biggest digital releases to wax, delivering the best house music previously unavailable on vinyl, and this nineteenth edition collates four unmissable releases from 2023’s incredible summer season. Opening the compilation, British house favourite Jansons delivers old skool vibes with ‘Hypnotic’, championed by 90s hip-hop and RnB inspired vocal vocals courtesy of Dope Earth Alien. Next up, LP Giobbi’s long-awaited Defected debut came in the form of ‘Giodisco’, a joyful, vibrant club cut that showcased the live musician and producer’s disco-adjacent sound. On the B-Side, the First Lady of Defected Sam Divine presents her long-awaited dancefloor release ‘Take My Hand’ featuring Josh Barry on vocals. After teasing the track for nearly a year in her live sets, the heavenly house release did not disappoint. Closing out this esteemed collection is the addictive collaboration between Parisian underground favourites and London singer-songwriter Camden Cox, ‘Lady Love’, which dominated the summer season with its undeniable energy and earworm vocal.

Tommaso Cappellato, the visionary behind Domanda Music and a respected figure in global jazz, leads Explorare - an ever-evolving ensemble of LA's finest jazz virtuosos. Launched in early 2022, Explorare's mission is to delve into music's rich landscape through improvisational performances, where persistent grooves are shaped by the unique vibes of the individual members in the present moment.
Their self-titled debut album, "Explorare" drops on October 13, 2023, on the homonymous record label Explorare, featuring pianist Diego Gaeta (Andre3000, Carlos Niño) and bassist Tony Martin (Brainstory). Explorare is more than just a musical project - it embodies the spirit of musical community through a transformative journey that invites listeners to delve into the depths of sonic exploration, guided by carefully crafted energy and passion.

Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan's new album, Your Community Hub, compellingly continues his sonic exploration of the New Towns movement. The issues the councillors, planners, and architects set out to solve still resound and echo throughout society.

For the latest instalment in this unique project, Gordon Chapman-Fox turns his laser eye to focus on Community and the Community Centres that populated Warrington and Runcorn in order to provide all the facilities people needed within a five minute walk from their home. These planning ideas predated the current discussions of fifteen minute cities by fifty years.

Those 50 years have seen a decline in our community centres and services: handy access to a GP or dentist, Post Offices, youth clubs, local shops, banking and much more. Successive governments have undermined and eroded those basic services. The decline in community services has also been matched with a decline in community and shared experiences with a knock-on effect on the population's health and well-being. The disastrous austerity policies imposed over the last 15 years have exacerbated this long, slow reduction in available spaces for people to meet and communicate, with seemingly no recognition of the societal impact that causes. Short-termism at the expense of the community and how we live our lives.

Margaret Thatcher's statement that "there is no such thing as society" has been taken as a mission statement by successive Conservative governments who have aimed to remove as much support and communality from the citizens as possible. It continues now, the wrong-headed idea that everyone can be left to fend for themselves.

Chapman-Fox's latest album decries the cruelty of where we find ourselves in 2024 and his quiet incandescence about the loss of optimism for what communities should be and could be. It's his most powerful work, and as always, it will deeply resonate with those who tune in to his unique vision and unparalleled productions.

As ever, beautifully packaged and designed by Gordon, the album artwork features photographs from the archive of the architect Peter Garvin, which was kindly provided by his son Richard Garvin. The photographs show Peter's work on the Castlefield Community Centre, a sleek modernist structure clad in white ceramic tiles.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder/CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J continues his trailblazing career with upcoming album 'The FORCE'.

LL’s highly anticipated 14th studio album The FORCE (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) set for release September 6th follows over a decade long hiatus. The record was executive produced by Hip-Hop innovator and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest. With this album, LL will help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Def Jam Recordings. As LL was the label’s first release, there is no better way to represent the legacy of Def Jam Recordings on its 40th year

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, two-time Grammy® Award-winning Hip-Hop icon, Kennedy Center Honoree, actor, author, NAACP Image Award winner, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder and CEO of Rock The Bells, LL COOL J has created one of the most multifaceted careers and brands in entertainment and continues to display his wide range of talents with every project.

Four decades after he first burst onto the scene, LL COOL J continues his vibrant, trailblazing career. LL COOL J helped elevate the burgeoning rap and Hip-Hop scene of the 80’s, which developed into the musical and cultural phenomenon that is Hip-Hop as we know it today. Of LL’s many contributions to the culture, he also is credited with the creation of the acronym “G.O.A.T.” - short for “Greatest of All Time.”

First introduced to the world in 1984 as a Def Jam Recordings’ flagship artist, LL is the first rap artist to amass ten consecutive platinum-plus selling albums, including his critically-acclaimed debut album, RADIO, and the international, timeless anthem and album of the same name, MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT. LL’s hit singles include “Going Back to Cali,” “Doin’ It,” “Around the Way Girl,” “Loungin’”, “Headsprung,” and Hip-Hop’s first rap ballad “I Need Love.”

Up next, this fall LL is back to make his latest artistic contribution and continue to elevate Hip-Hop culture after over a decade long hiatus with the release of his highly anticipated new album, The FORCE (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy), executive produced by Hip-Hop innovator and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Q-Tip, of A Tribe Called Quest. With this album, LL will help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the creation of Def Jam Recordings.

In December 2017, LL became the first rapper to earn the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor, which is America’s highest achievement for any performer. In addition, he received his star on the world-renowned Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 21, 2016.
In March 2018, LL launched his own SiriusXM timeless Hip-Hop channel entitled “LL COOL J's Rock The Bells Radio,” garnering millions of daily listeners. The channel features a wide range of innovative and timeless Hip-Hop content, music, interviews, and in-depth retrospectives curated, programmed, and presented by the award-winning artist himself. Since founding the radio station, Rock The Bells has developed into a global platform that has become the preeminent voice for timeless Hip-Hop. Rock The Bells focuses on content, commerce and experiences that honor the CULTURE and the core elements of Hip-Hop – MCs, DJs, Breakers, Graffiti Artists – and more. Rock The Bells hosted its inaugural eponymous music festival in Queens, New York in August 2022, which sold out back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023, where LL headlined both festivals.

LL COOL J was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on October 30, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio for the 36th annual induction ceremony. Considered by most as the crowning achievement for one’s musical career, the ceremony was a celebration of LL’s lasting impact on Hip-Hop and the music industry.

In Summer 2023, LL COOL J, Rock The Bells, and Live Nation Urban kicked off his first arena tour in 30 years across North America called The F.O.R.C.E. Tour, inspired by the name of LL’s forthcoming album. Living up to the acronym for Frequencies of Real Creative Energy, the lineup for this tour was personally curated by LL COOL J. Building off their amazing performance together on the GRAMMY® Awards earlier that year celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop, all dates featured collaborative live performances with preeminent Award-winning Hip-Hop band The Roots, the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff, and DJ Z-Trip.

LL hosted the GRAMMY® Awards for an unprecedented five years in a row from 2012-2016, for which he earned rave reviews. In addition, he hosted and produced the GRAMMY® Nominations Concert Live Special for seven years and has also been a presenter at the Emmy®, Golden Globe® and SAG Awards. Most recently, at the end of 2023, LL helped produce CBS’ live concert special A GRAMMY Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of Hip-Hop and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award.

LL has always been an avid philanthropist involved in numerous causes, including literacy for kids as well as music and arts programs in schools. Founded in 2005, LL’s charity “Jump & Ball” – which takes place every August in his hometown of Queens, New York – aims to give back to his local community by offering an athletic and team building program dedicated to bringing wholesome fun to young people.

Between being a musician, actor, philanthropist and entrepreneur, LL COOL J is the ultimate multi-hyphenate whose career continues to expand and where he remains one of the most beloved and innovative brands in entertainment. He currently resides in both New York and Los Angeles.

Was wird aus uns, wenn wir anfangen, über die Dinge zu schweigen, die wichtig sind?
Flash Forward sind seit Jahren nicht mehr aus der deutschen Musiklandschaft wegzudenken. Ausverkaufte Shows in ganz Deutschland, Support Touren mit (inter)nationalen Größen wie Enter Shikari, You Me At Six, Deaf Havana oder Emil Bulls und Slots auf den größten Deutschen Festivals wie dem Hurricane, Southside, Highfield oder dem Open Flair, zeichnen die Vita der Band.
Im neuen Album RENEGADE (VÖ: 31.01.2025) steckt viel. Viel Angst, viel Vertrauen, viel Wut, viel Hoffnung. Sich nicht zugehörig zu fühlen und sowohl den subjektiven als auch objektiven Transformationen und Herausforderungen zu stellen, bedeutet sich zu erheben, Blindheit abzulegen und die Augen zu öffnen. Selbstbestimmung, Gleichberechtigung, Toleranz und Nächstenliebe sind Werte, welche die Band nicht erst auf dem neuen Album, sondern seit jeher auf ihren Konzerten und mit ihrer Haltung vermittelt. Das Album ist also weniger ein neues Kapitel als vielmehr die Fortführung der essenziellen Tugenden von Flash Forward.
Genauso wie die Musik der Band, die sich durch ihre Vielseitigkeit auszeichnet und moderne Pop-Elemente mit harten Gitarren und intensiven Drums miteinander verschmilzt, ist das neue Album RENEGADE etwas für JEDE:N der sich mit diesen Werten identifiziert.

Weisses Vinyl
ltd. auf 250 Stück
Bedrucktes Innersleeve mit Lyrics
Hochwertiges LP-Jacket, Inside Out bedruckt

Repress 2026

THE WORLD OF HANS ZIMMER - PART II: A NEW DIMENSION ist die mit Spannung erwartete Fortsetzung des Erfolgsalbums The World of Hans Zimmer - A Symphonic Celebration von 2019. Dafür hat Hans Zimmer neue, klangmalerische Orchestersuiten komponiert, die auf vielen weiteren seiner ikonischen Soundtracks basieren. Höhepunkte des über zwei Stunden Musik umfassenden Doppelalbums sind die wie ein Cellokonzert angelegte Suite von No Time to Die, das elegische A Time of Quiet Between the Storms aus Dune II oder die epische Orchestersuite von The Prince of Egypt. Darüber hinaus können sich Fans über eine einzigartige neue Version von The Rock freuen - einem der großen Hans Zimmer Klassiker aus den 90er Jahren. Auf THE WORLD OF HANS ZIMMER - PART II: A NEW DIMENSION versammelt Hans Zimmer ein herausragendes Ensemble von Solist*Innen. Darunter die Sänger*Innen Lebo M, Lisa Gerrard, Gan-ya Ben-gur Akselrod und Nokukhanya Dlamini, der Multi-Holzbläser Pedro Eustache, Bassist Juan García-Herreros, Gitarrist Alexios Anest, Pianistin Eliane Correa, Cellistin Mariko Muranaka, Violinistin Rusanda Panfili sowie die Percussionisten Aleksandra Šuklar, Luis Ribeiro und Lucy Landymore. Diese spielen gemeinsam mit dem Odessa Orchestra & Friends und dem Nairobi Chamber Choir unter der Leitung von Dirigent Gavin Greenaway.Part 1 Man of Steel SuiteDriving (Miss Daisy) SuiteThe Rock SuiteNo Time To Die Suite Interstellar Suite Dune II SuiteThe Prince of Egypt SuiteWonder Woman SuiteSherlock Holmes SuiteInception SuitePart 2The Dark Knight SuiteGladiator SuitePearl Harbor SuiteKung Fu Panda SuitePower of One: Mother AfricaThe Lion King SuitePirates of the Caribbean Suite

Mit bezaubernden Streichern, verzückten Bildern, klassizistischen Melodien und verträumten Harmonien ist es ein Album der orchestralen Pop-Romantik in ihrer erhabensten Form: ein Album, das von Herzen kommt und von einem tiefen Schmerz der ständigen Sehnsucht erwärmt wird.
Auf Alluvium aus dem Jahr 2022 hatte Chris seine breit gefächerten Geschichten als fruchtbaren Boden für eine Platte mit vielschichtigen Tönen und Stilen genutzt. It’s Only a Love Song kommt einer Song-Suite näher, die makellos sequenziert, aufwendig arrangiert und in persönlichen Liebeserfahrungen und Verlusten verankert ist.

Sein neues Album ist sein nächster großer Schritt nach vorne, eine herzergreifende Liebeserklärung an die Romantik, die den Himmel berührt und die Kinosäle füllt. Zu seinen erklärten Einflüssen gehören neben den Carpenters und Scott Walker auch Michel Legrand, Bernsteins West Side Story und die Filme von Jacques Demy, dessen Die Regenschirme von Cherbourg mit Musik aufwartet, die Herzen zum Singen bringt. „Es ist fast schon hyperromantisch, was ich liebe“, erklärt Chris: ‚So in der Musik, wo man an einen Punkt kommt, an dem das Herz eigentlich nicht mehr kann.‘ Strahlend und verzückt bringt einen It’s Only a Love Song genau dorthin.

Ltd Edition!

Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Alias des Musikers Will Oldham - wird am 31. Januar 2025 sein neues Studioalbum mit dem Titel "The Purple Bird" veröffentlichen. "The Purple Bird" wurde in Nashville mit dem Produzenten David "Ferg" Ferguson und einem Ensemble erstklassiger Session-Musiker aufgenommen. Es könnte als "eine richtige Nashville-Platte" bezeichnet werden, die aus einer Sammlung von Songs besteht, die hauptsächlich am Küchentisch von Ferg entstanden sind.

Auf "The Purple Bird" arbeitet Bonnie "Prince" Billy erst zum zweiten Mal in seiner illustren Karriere mit einem Produzenten zusammen. Seine Beziehung zu Ferg reicht mehr als zwei Jahrzehnte zurück bis zu den Sessions für das Johnny Cash-Album American III mit Rick Rubin, bei denen Ferg als Tontechniker fungierte und bei denen Cash eine Coverversion des BPB-Tracks "I See A Darkness" aufnahm. Die beiden haben im Laufe der Jahre an zahlreichen Projekten zusammengearbeitet, aber an keinem so intensiv wie an "The Purple Bird". Was bedeutet "eine richtige Nashville"-Platte für den rätselhaften Bonnie "Prince" Billy? Zu Beginn der Sessions hatte Ferg zu Oldham gesagt : "Ich will keine Country-Platte machen, mach einfach deinen Scheiß, Will."
Und in der Tat haben Oldham und Ferg, zusammen mit ihren Mitstreitern, ein beeindruckendes Album eingespielt und somit einen neuen Höhepunkt im umfangreichen Katalog von Bonnie 'Prince' Billy geschaffen.

Nach einer Handvoll selbst veröffentlichter Singles, EPs und einem Album 'Wardrove' im Februar 2023 kehrt Eterna - das Projekt des in Südlondon lebenden und in Barcelona geborenen Musikers Guillem Peeters - mit seinem neuen Album 'Debunker' zurück, das am 31. Januar 2025 erscheint und sein erstes mit section1 ist. Debunker vertieft die auf 'Wardrove' aufgeworfenen Fragen und dringt in neue Bereiche vor, die gleichzeitig vertraut und völlig neu sind.

Das französische Rock-Quartett Last Train aus Lyon kündigt sein drittes Studioalbum 'III' für den 31. Januar 2025 an! Aufgenommen wurde das Album mit dem langjährigen Produzenten und quasi fünften Mitglied Rémi Gettliffe in einem verfallenen Schloss mitten in Frankreich mitten im Winter. Dementsprechend düster, aber vor allem wütend klingt die neue Platte. In den letzten Jahren konnte sich die Band nicht nur eine engagierte und leidenschaftliche Fangemeinde aufbauen, sondern verdienten sich auch die Anerkennung von Bands wie Muse und Placebo, die beide Last Train einluden, sie auf Tour zu begleiten. Ähnlich wie die beiden britischen Rockgiganten hat Last Train mit 'III' ein Album voller atemberaubender Kontraste geschaffen, mit einer rohen Dynamik, die einen direkt fesselt. Von ungezügelten, lauten Gefühlsausbrüchen bis zu ruhigeren - manchmal packenden, manchmal bedrohlichen Momenten, leben die neun Songs auf 'III' von einer Leidenschaft und Intensität, die ihresgleichen sucht.

2LP 180gm 45 RPM audiophile edition, printed insert, polylined inners, gatefold sleeve, numbered Obi strip. The Alan Parsons Project "Pyramid" is re-issued in a variety of different formats including this 2LP heavyweight, 45 RPM Audiophile edition. The first pressing comes with a numbered Obi-strip. This edition was expertly cut by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios, October 2023 on a customised Neumann VMS 80 lathe at half speed using high-resolution archive transfers taken from the original 1978 mastertapes. As with other The Alan Parsons Project albums, the focus was on very high-quality studio sound production, and they recorded the album at Abbey Road Studios in London. There were a variety of different lead vocalists employed including John Miles, Colin Blunstone, Lenny Zakatek, David Paton, Jack Harris and Dean Ford. Plus, a selection of session musicians such as guitarist Ian Bairnson and drummer Stuart Elliot with arrangements by Andrew Powell.

2025 Repress

New collaboration project from Larry Heard and Micheal Kuntzman featuring vocalist Madeline as Fingers N Flowers. Larry Heard himself on production duties and it shines through in the detailed, flawless vocal deep house tracks. Mr. Fingers remix and some acidity on the flip for good measures.

Debut LP from David Grubbs (Gastr del Sol), Wendy Eisenberg, and Kramer. Includes free download of an additional 15 minutes of music. Squanderers are the glowingly new 2024 vintage trio of guitarists Wendy Eisenberg and David Grubbs alongside multi-instrumentalist and legendary producer Kramer. The group sprung into action as the duo of Kramer and Grubbs with the single 'Congress of Poodles' b/w 'Lendrick Muir Bible Study Weekend,' part of Kramer's 2023 Shimmy-Disc box set Rings of Saturn. Squanderers now enter the arena of live performance with the addition of bona-fide guitar slayer Eisenberg, a dream of a foil to Grubbs's grubbslike guitarisms, setting the scene for Kramer to follow his musical divining rod. Divining urges not dirges. In Grubbs's book-length poem, The Voice in the Headphones, 'Squanderer' is the nickname that most deeply troubles of the book's unnamed protagonist: "Hang your head, Squanderer. You'll never darken the doorway of Studio A." Will this trio of inveterate Squanderers redeem themselves?

Die Original-Besetzung des G3-Tourkonzepts kehrt mit "Reunion Live" zurück, das am 31. Januar 2025 weltweit bei earMUSIC erscheint. Das Album fängt die Gitarrenmagie von Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson und Steve Vai auf ihrer ausverkauften US-Tour 2024 ein. Dieses elektrisierende Wiedersehen zeigt die drei Ikonen, die sich erstmals 1996 zusammenschlossen, und zeigt wegweisende Performances, die G3 defi niert.

Die Original-Besetzung des G3-Tourkonzepts kehrt mit "Reunion Live" zurück, das am 31. Januar 2025 weltweit bei earMUSIC erscheint. Das Album fängt die Gitarrenmagie von Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson und Steve Vai auf ihrer ausverkauften US-Tour 2024 ein. Dieses elektrisierende Wiedersehen zeigt die drei Ikonen, die sich erstmals 1996 zusammenschlossen, und zeigt wegweisende Performances, die G3 defi niert.

With Bhelize Don't Cry, Uzi Freyja unveils her childhood alter ego, Bhelize—a name known only to her family, now released as a daring new identity. This album, crafted as a letter to her “inner child,” is an honest dialogue between the adult she has become and the little girl she once was.
Over 12 tracks, Uzi Freyja takes us on a visceral journey, navigating between vulnerability and strength. She recounts her trials and triumphs, affirming an unbreakable resilience and a unique, uncompromising identity. Each track captures a key moment, an intense emotion, a facet of her striking universe.

An intimate, uncompromising story: Uzi Freyja delivers more than just an album; this is a blazing confession that transcends the personal to strike a universal chord, resonating deeply with listeners.

Stage energy translated to the studio: With over 100 performances since 2021, Uzi Freyja brings her on-stage intensity to this album. Bhelize Don't Cry is designed to be both felt and danced to, inviting everyone to let go and “shake that Bunda” with no reservations!

A raw balance between gentleness and power: Moving between delicate confessions and pulsating beats, Uzi Freyja crafts a world where each track oscillates between pure emotion and raw energy, captivating the listener from start to finish.

Slow Pulp celebrates five years of their breakout debut album Moveys with a deluxe reissue. Available for the first time on gatefold vinyl, the double LP release includes live versions of beloved singles like "Falling Apart" and "Idaho," as well as two reimagined versions of Moveys-era tracks. Full of blistering energy and emotional catharsis, Moveys is a testament to hard-fought personal growth. Since its 2020 release, the band has appeared on late night TV, performed at Lollapalooza, and toured with The Pixies, Alvvays, The Postal Service, and Death Cab For Cutie. Slow Pulp's remarkable full-length debut Moveys is a testament to hard-fought personal growth. In the process of making this record, the Chicago-based indie rock band powered through health challenges, personal upheaval, and a pandemic, all while learning how to be better songwriters and friends. Their made-up word "moveys" is multi-faceted for Slow Pulp. It is an invitation to dance. It is a wink at the cross-country nature of the album's songwriting process, while the bandmates were literally on the move touring, sheltering in place, and going through major life changes. But, mostly, it's an inside joke. Listening to these warm, dynamic and welcoming songs, it's easy to feel like you're a part of it too.

Slow Pulp celebrates five years of their breakout debut album Moveys with a deluxe reissue. Available for the first time on gatefold vinyl, the double LP release includes live versions of beloved singles like "Falling Apart" and "Idaho," as well as two reimagined versions of Moveys-era tracks. Full of blistering energy and emotional catharsis, Moveys is a testament to hard-fought personal growth. Since its 2020 release, the band has appeared on late night TV, performed at Lollapalooza, and toured with The Pixies, Alvvays, The Postal Service, and Death Cab For Cutie. Slow Pulp's remarkable full-length debut Moveys is a testament to hard-fought personal growth. In the process of making this record, the Chicago-based indie rock band powered through health challenges, personal upheaval, and a pandemic, all while learning how to be better songwriters and friends. Their made-up word "moveys" is multi-faceted for Slow Pulp. It is an invitation to dance. It is a wink at the cross-country nature of the album's songwriting process, while the bandmates were literally on the move touring, sheltering in place, and going through major life changes. But, mostly, it's an inside joke. Listening to these warm, dynamic and welcoming songs, it's easy to feel like you're a part of it too.

Slow Pulp celebrates five years of their breakout debut album Moveys with a deluxe reissue. Available for the first time on gatefold vinyl, the double LP release includes live versions of beloved singles like "Falling Apart" and "Idaho," as well as two reimagined versions of Moveys-era tracks. Full of blistering energy and emotional catharsis, Moveys is a testament to hard-fought personal growth. Since its 2020 release, the band has appeared on late night TV, performed at Lollapalooza, and toured with The Pixies, Alvvays, The Postal Service, and Death Cab For Cutie. Slow Pulp's remarkable full-length debut Moveys is a testament to hard-fought personal growth. In the process of making this record, the Chicago-based indie rock band powered through health challenges, personal upheaval, and a pandemic, all while learning how to be better songwriters and friends. Their made-up word "moveys" is multi-faceted for Slow Pulp. It is an invitation to dance. It is a wink at the cross-country nature of the album's songwriting process, while the bandmates were literally on the move touring, sheltering in place, and going through major life changes. But, mostly, it's an inside joke. Listening to these warm, dynamic and welcoming songs, it's easy to feel like you're a part of it too.

Goldfarbenes Vinyl, limitiert auf 400 Exemplare. Schneller, höher, weiter! FORMOSA legen mit dem kommenden Album PYRITE eine ganze Schippe obendrauf und zeigen, dass sie gekommen sind, um zu bleiben. Das Album wird am 31.01.2025 erscheinen und kanalisiert die Quintessenz der Band, die Liebe zur Musik. Was man hört, lässt sich nicht anders beschreiben als "FORMOSA" - eine Achterbahn der Gefühle. In den 13 Songs durchlebt man die unterschiedlichsten Emotionen. Teils verarbeiten die Songs Erfahrungen aus dem Alltag einzelner Bandmitglieder und thematisieren Frustration und Verzweiflung als Teil der Realität.

Die Besten Jahre by International Music, released 31 January 2025, includes the following tracks: "Du Hund ", "Cool Bleiben ", "Mont St. Michel ", "Pfeffer " and more.

This version of Die Besten Jahre comes as a 2xLP.

The vinyl is pressed as a opaque disc. Another vinyl is pressed as a opaque disc.

Forever was a record that was written and recorded one track at a time with my husband Coley. After scrapping about 20 songs or so I had written the last few years, I wanted to get to the heart of things. I had a great talk with a friend on the phone and she mentioned she just wasn’t sure where I’d been. I realized I wasn’t really certain of that either. It’d been a foggy few years after 2020, and the pieces seemed to just be starting to be picked up. I had fallen in love, gotten married, had a dog, a house…things I had always dreamed of. But it took my quite some time to accept them as my life. For a bit, I felt like an outsider watching myself stumble though everything, and was constantly critiquing myself, to the point where I could hardly leave the house for a bit. But then I realized my life was passing me by, and the love I was living in required presence to accept. I started to do the little things you have to do to just show up for people: listen, grow, change, write….get outside of my own problems. Time is flying, and I want to be here for it all rather than lost in my thoughts all the time. My love is forever. When I was a kid I used to say to my mom and dad “I love you forever and always” then neurotically changed it to “I love you forever and always and it’s true and I mean it”…because I wanted to make sure they knew how much I wasn’t messing around! I still feel that way when I say “I love you” to anyone and hope it comes across on this record. Love y’all forever!

"Recorded in Jeremy Loops' home studio in Cape Town, South Africa ‘Feathers and Stone’ is an organic response to a world increasingly shaped by digital and artificial sounds, and showcases Jeremy's depth as an artist and a songwriter.

Following on from critically acclaimed albums Trading Change (2014), Critical As Water (2018) and Heard You Got Love (2022), ‘Feathers and Stone’ reflects the balance between heaviness and lightness by mixing both uplifting melodious music with melancholic moments, sophisticated guitar licks and vocal turns. Produced by Will Hicks (Ed Sheeran, Lilly Allen, Bastille), Loops hopes that listeners will feel the depth and honesty in all eleven tracks on the record.

After previous collaborations with industry luminaries like Ed Sheeran, Steve Mac and Edd Holloway, this album includes collaborations with South African choral group and five time Grammy Award Winners, Ladysmith Black Mombazo on the single ‘Coming Home’ and prolific German born folk/pop duo, Amistat on ‘Loveblood’, a powerful and euphoric track which found its feet while they toured through Europe and South Africa with Jeremy.

Previously, Jeremy Loops carved a niche for himself through electrifying live performances, progressing from small bars to selling out 5000-seat arenas globally and earning him accolades and awards at the South African Music Awards and MTV Africa's Best Alternative Artist award and & Best Pop Album."

"Recorded in Jeremy Loops' home studio in Cape Town, South Africa ‘Feathers and Stone’ is an organic response to a world increasingly shaped by digital and artificial sounds, and showcases Jeremy's depth as an artist and a songwriter.

Following on from critically acclaimed albums Trading Change (2014), Critical As Water (2018) and Heard You Got Love (2022), ‘Feathers and Stone’ reflects the balance between heaviness and lightness by mixing both uplifting melodious music with melancholic moments, sophisticated guitar licks and vocal turns. Produced by Will Hicks (Ed Sheeran, Lilly Allen, Bastille), Loops hopes that listeners will feel the depth and honesty in all eleven tracks on the record.

After previous collaborations with industry luminaries like Ed Sheeran, Steve Mac and Edd Holloway, this album includes collaborations with South African choral group and five time Grammy Award Winners, Ladysmith Black Mombazo on the single ‘Coming Home’ and prolific German born folk/pop duo, Amistat on ‘Loveblood’, a powerful and euphoric track which found its feet while they toured through Europe and South Africa with Jeremy.

Previously, Jeremy Loops carved a niche for himself through electrifying live performances, progressing from small bars to selling out 5000-seat arenas globally and earning him accolades and awards at the South African Music Awards and MTV Africa's Best Alternative Artist award and & Best Pop Album."

On their spellbinding sophomore album, "Whispers in the Speech Machine," the young Ohio siblings from The Laughing Chimes fully embrace their Southern Gothic influences, cannily balancing the light of their infectious pop with the shadow of their rust belt environs. While attending an afterschool music program at their local opera house, Evan and his brother Quinn began recording The Laughing Chimes' debut album "In This Town," released in 2020. A string of well-received digital singles and a cassette EP for Slumberland followed, dazzling savvy pop fans with their Paisley Underground-inflected jangle that owes as much to the Flying Nun sound as it does to 80s Athens, GA.

The eight assured songs of "Whispers in the Speech Machine" prove The Laughing Chimes deserve the attention and accolades, while their approaches to songwriting and sonic aesthetics continue to evolve. "Southeast Ohio is the foothills of Appalachia, so it has this indescribable mood and atmosphere to it," guitarist/vocalist Evan Seurkamp told The Big Takeover. "Sometimes there's a haunting weight of decay you want to escape, but at the same time there is some sort of strange romanticism surrounding ghost towns. We've tried to channel those moods to add more regional flavor into our sound."

Maceration's drittes Album „Serpent Devourment“ wird am 31. Januar 2025 veröffentlicht. Wieder hat Dan Swanö als Produzent und Mann hinter
dem Mix in seinem Unisound-Studio eine wichtige Rolle bei der Entstehung gespielt. Diesmal hat er jedoch nicht die Vocals aufgenommen.
Maceration's Stammsänger Jan Bergmann Jepsen (ex. Cor Vacante) hat die Aufnahmen übernommen und er lässt keinen Zweifel daran, dass er den
Gesang auf den neuen Aufnahmen übernommen hat. Jan Bergmann war seit der Wiederauferstehung 2022 live bei Maceration und auf einigen
Tracks auf „It Never Ends“ im Duett mit Swanö zu hören, aber jetzt ist er allein an der Front. Mit seinem tiefen, knurrenden und brutalen Gesangsstil
ist er der perfekte Nachfolger von Swanö und er meißelt dies auf dem neuen Album in Stein. Zehn brandneue Tracks sind es, die auf „Serpent
Devourment“ serviert werden. Brutalität, Geschwindigkeit und Härte sind die Schlüsselwörter für alle Tracks, aber auch Melodie und eingängige Riffs
und Refrains zeichnen die Tracks von Maceration wie immer aus. Das gilt für die schweren Riffs im Titeltrack und „Where Leeches Thrive“ ebenso wie
für die schnellen, leicht wiedererkennbaren Themen in „The Den of Misery“ oder das triolische, aggressive Hauptriff in „A Corrosive Heart Fell Below“.
Das gesamte neue Album ist eine abwechslungsreiche Kreatur, mit schnellen Death Metal-Attacken wie „The Suffering“ und „For The End Alone“ über
das schwere „Revolt The Tyrant Dream“, „In Rot Unleashed“ oder „Emptiness Embraced“. Fans von Maceration werden anerkennend nicken,
während neue Hörer von stilvollem, brutalem und aggressivem Death Metal der alten Schule begeistert sein werden.

Maceration's drittes Album „Serpent Devourment“ wird am 31. Januar 2025 veröffentlicht. Wieder hat Dan Swanö als Produzent und Mann hinter
dem Mix in seinem Unisound-Studio eine wichtige Rolle bei der Entstehung gespielt. Diesmal hat er jedoch nicht die Vocals aufgenommen.
Maceration's Stammsänger Jan Bergmann Jepsen (ex. Cor Vacante) hat die Aufnahmen übernommen und er lässt keinen Zweifel daran, dass er den
Gesang auf den neuen Aufnahmen übernommen hat. Jan Bergmann war seit der Wiederauferstehung 2022 live bei Maceration und auf einigen
Tracks auf „It Never Ends“ im Duett mit Swanö zu hören, aber jetzt ist er allein an der Front. Mit seinem tiefen, knurrenden und brutalen Gesangsstil
ist er der perfekte Nachfolger von Swanö und er meißelt dies auf dem neuen Album in Stein. Zehn brandneue Tracks sind es, die auf „Serpent
Devourment“ serviert werden. Brutalität, Geschwindigkeit und Härte sind die Schlüsselwörter für alle Tracks, aber auch Melodie und eingängige Riffs
und Refrains zeichnen die Tracks von Maceration wie immer aus. Das gilt für die schweren Riffs im Titeltrack und „Where Leeches Thrive“ ebenso wie
für die schnellen, leicht wiedererkennbaren Themen in „The Den of Misery“ oder das triolische, aggressive Hauptriff in „A Corrosive Heart Fell Below“.
Das gesamte neue Album ist eine abwechslungsreiche Kreatur, mit schnellen Death Metal-Attacken wie „The Suffering“ und „For The End Alone“ über
das schwere „Revolt The Tyrant Dream“, „In Rot Unleashed“ oder „Emptiness Embraced“. Fans von Maceration werden anerkennend nicken,
während neue Hörer von stilvollem, brutalem und aggressivem Death Metal der alten Schule begeistert sein werden

Ocean Blue/Black Vinyl. Limited to 200 copies. Gegründet im Jahr 2014 als Hüter der gestohlenen Riffs in ihrem Bestreben, den Metalcore in der Galaxie wiederherzustellen, erklärten sich ChuggaBoom umgehend zur wichtigsten Metalcore-Band der Welt. Die Band schöpft aus einem breiten Spektrum an Einflüssen, darunter Upon A Burning Body, Devin Townsend, Funeral For A Friend & Attack Attack! und hat sich noch nie gescheut, das aufzunehmen, was sie will. Während die Welt durch die Pandemie im Jahr 2020 zum Stillstand kam, fand die Band die Inspiration, sowohl die "Chugg Wars: The Covid-19 Saga"-EP als auch das 22 Titel umfassende "Christmas Number Ones"-Album aufzunehmen und zu veröffentlichen, das Platz 3 der iTunes U.K. Metal Albums Chart erreichte. Mit der Unterstützung ihrer engagierten Chuggalo-Community haben sie über 10 Millionen Spotify-Streams und über 2,5 Millionen Views auf ihrem YouTube-Kanal erreicht. Werde ein Chuggalo, oder bleibe zurück.

Phantom Planet's Holiday EP, Maybe You Still Call It Christmas. The album contains the band's 2023 holiday single "Maybe You Still Call It Christmas," a reimagined cover of Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You," a new original holiday song "Riding The Sleigh," as well as "Clockwork '24," which is a revisited version of the track, which originally appeared on Negatives 2. We are pressing it at 45 RPM.

Das vierte Studioalbum unter seinem eigenen Namen, „Punchlines“, ist Johnny Lloyds erstes Soloalbum seit „La La La“ (2021) und folgt auf eine
produktive Zeit des Songwritings für TV und Film (wo er den RTS Best Original Music Award für „I Hate Suzie“ gewann) sowie auf ein neues Album und
eine Tour mit seiner Band Tribes. Produziert von dem Musiker und Produzenten Max Clilverd (Tom Odell, Holly Humberstone), zeigt das zehn Titel
umfassende Album Lloyds umfangreiches Songwriting-Talent, das sich mit Themen wie Liebe, Verlust und Loslassen beschäftigt.

Mike Parker returns to Samurai Music to apply his steely, rigorous approach to another EP navigating the 170BPM zone. As a widely celebrated pioneer of ice-cold wormhole techno, Parker finds profound depth in alien textures and ruthless repetition which he ably twists to the drum & bass template.

The A side of Envenomations leaps forward with urgent jump-up grooves as the driver for lean, rolling workouts. With his minimalist tendencies, 'Voc-1 Robot' and 'Ee-Yo' strike a cool and deadly mood similar to classic mid-90s Krust, swapping jazzy samples for atonal synthesis.

Parker was last spotted experimenting with this techno-D&B crossover on 2023's Sabre-Tooth, but the keen-eared may have already detected his interest in half-time on the Stinging Insects / Stages Of Metal digital single he dropped on his own Geophone label back in 2020. Both tracks make a welcome arrival on wax to form the B side of this release, channelling Parker's signature palette into more spacious surroundings.

Backed up by an additional pair of digital-only tracks, Envenomations is another standout exercise in the fertile synergy between techno and drum & bass, delivered by a true auteur with an unmistakable sound.

High Roller Records, reissue 2023, Bi-Color Vinyl, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover with 5mm spine, 8 page booklet, poster, A5 photo card, Transfer, mastering and audio restoration by Patrick W. Engel at TEMPLE OF DISHARMONY in April 2022. Cutting by SST Germany on Neumann machines for optimal quality on all levels

High Roller Records, reissue 2025, 180g black vinyl, ltd 250, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, lyric sheet, A4 info sheet, poster, fully restored original artwork, mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony, Cutting by SST Germany on Neumann machines for optimal quality on all levels... The ultimate audiophile edition of this German Speed Metal classic

High Roller Records, reissue 2025, transparent beer colored vinyl, ltd 250, 425gsm heavy cardboard cover, lyric sheet, A4 info sheet, poster, fully restored original artwork, mastered for vinyl by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony, Cutting by SST Germany on Neumann machines for optimal quality on all levels... The ultimate audiophile edition of this German Speed Metal classic

2024 Restock

A warmly intimate album from Joao Gilberto - one that has the singer and guitarist in the same special space as his wonderful albums from the early 70s - a bit more sophisticated than the bossa years, but equally personal throughout!

Kyle Falconer, prämierter Songwriter und Kopf der schottischen Indieband The View, bringt auf "The One I Love The Most" neue Acoustic-Versionen von Songs aus dem umfangreichen The View- und Solokatalog aus fast zwei Jahrzehnten (vom No.1 Debütalbum "Hats Off To The Buskers" (2007) bis zum Top-10-Comebackalbum "Exorcism Of Youth" (2023)), die alle nach Frauen benannt sind. Immer schon von der weiblichen Muse inspiriert, erzählt Kyle von guten Zeiten der Liebe und Lust, von schlechten Zeiten der Reue und des Kummers, von überlebensgrossen Charakteren ("Madonna") und fiktiver Verspieltheit. Bei dem ansonsten reduzierten "Lucy" fügt Rapper PROSE aus Manchester seine messerscharfen Reime hinzu.