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Digging deep through old and new, Basso captures arcane woodland fusion, serene electronic suites and wide eyed Balearic bliss on this first Growing Bin compilation.

This collection celebrates those precious records which land in your life on their own terms. Even the most advanced digger will admit that chance is the secret ingredient in any successful haul. Sure, it helps if you know where to look, but if you arrive a day early at that secluded second hand shop, or an hour late at the convention, you might miss out on a rare sight of sound. But there are still ways to skew the odds in your favour. Even in the most crowded urban environment, a solitary tree soon becomes a nest, and Basso's fostered an abundant garden in his Hamburg hometown. A decade on and the Growing Bin is a safe haven for those exquisite sounds crowded out of the mainstream, the rare birds with the most striking song.

'Coffee' comes right after cocoa in the bin's headquarter, though start your morning with One Tongue and be prepared for a different kind of day. A witch's brew spiced with a hint of Durian and the early bird, this 1990 composition could be the blueprint for the Teutonic trance dancers beloved by the Salon set. A more meditative magic flows through the A2, a smooth blend of fusion guitar, softly syncopated drums and counterpoint keys from one time art-rockers Inandout. This Growing Bin favourite from their '93-95' LP sounds right at home beside the majestic melodies and spheric bass of Matthias Raue's 'Brücke am schwarzen Fluss 2'. Taken from the soundtrack to a TV drama filmed in Mali, this digital homage to African rhythm shimmies in step with New Age dancers from Mkwaju Ensemble and Louis Crelier. The A-side ends with the unbridled optimism of Kosmische maverick Hardy Kukuk. The synthesist hit the studio with friends Karsten Raecke and Andreas Schneider in 86, coalescing crystalline electronics and gentle guitar into tender chord progressions suited for sun bathing beside the Sea of Tranquility.

The second side slinks into motion with the deep beauty and sincere spoken word of Frank Suchland's 'Schnee', a subtle body in a cocoon of reverb which takes Sade's 'I Never Thought I'd See The Day' to another level of placidness. Melancholic Germans Die Fische met in Cairo for the first time, and 'Conversation Of Everyday Lovers' could be the theme for that great city. Underpinned by primal percussion and a restrained groove, the track twists and turns between a trio of ineffable motifs, eternal combinations to the catacombs of Abusir. From there we go sublime, soaring skywards with a ten minute triumph from Hugh Mane. Balancing concentric sequences and space age synth riffs atop an irresistible breakbeat and bubbling bassline, the British producer finds a sensuous sweet-spot between fellow Growing Bin affiliates Krakatau and Singu.

Lucky are we who hear the Bin's sounds.
Patrick Ryder

People On Sunday is an original soundtrack to the 1930 silent film variously known as Menschen am Sonntag, Les Hommes le Dimanche and People On Sunday. The film is a key work of interwar German cinema, based on a screenplay by Billy Wilder.

Like Domenique Dumont’s earlier albums, Comme Ça and Miniatures De Auto Rhythm, People On Sunday evokes a more innocent, carefree time conjured by wistful electronics full of warmth and melody. Touching on the hazy exotica that made those two records so alluring, here Dumont draws on his love of classical music, library music and early electronic experimentation to create a timeless, optimistic sound. If his past productions possessed a certain Mediterranean quality, across these 13 new pieces Dumont’s shimmering synth-pop has an enchanting simplicity.

Part documentary, part fiction, the film People On Sunday follows a group of characters going about their business in Weimar-era Berlin over one weekend and shows normal life in Germany before dictatorship.

“The film shows people and their surroundings shortly before all of it was destroyed,” says Dumont. “Ironically, watching this movie with the eyes of today, it looks more surreal than documentary. And I can’t help but think and reflect about the times we are living in now. We might have similar desires people had a hundred years ago, but we now have a completely different approach to life.”

*People On Sunday is the third album by Domenique Dumont.
*Freshly signed to The Leaf Label, having previously released two albums on Parisian electronic/dance label Antinote.
*It follows on from the cult success of synth-pop exotica albums Comme Ça (2015) and Miniatures de Auto Rhythm (2018)The album was originally conceived as a soundtrack to the classic 1930 German silent film known variously as Menschen am Sonntag, Les Hommes le Dimanche and People on Sunday.
*It was originally performed at Les Arcs Film Festival, with plans for further film festival concerts when regulations allow.
*Watch the video for first single ‘People On Sunday’ featuring excerpts from the film.
*Artwork and design by artist Edward Carvalho-Monaghan.
*Support from Pitchfork, Resident Advisor, FACT Magazine, Gorilla vs Bear, KEXP, BBC 6 Music’s Tom Ravenscroft, Mary Anne Hobbs and NTS Radio’s Charlie Bones, among others.
*Dumont recently remixed Domino’s Jaakko Eino Kalevi, and has also reworked tracks by Cola Boyy and Mark Barrott.
*Festival appearances include Mutek Montreal, Dekmantel, Nuits Sonores, Milhões de Festa and the Venice Biennale.

Altın Gün return with a masterful album that widens their critically acclaimed exploration of Anatolian rock and Turkish psychedelic stylings to include dreamy 80’s synth-pop and dancefloor excursions. Yol (Road) brings together all vectors of the AltınGün experience and delivers their most compelling and individual album to date.

Amsterdam’s Altın Gün have built a strong reputation for melding past and present to make brilliantly catchy, psychedelic pop music, as seen with their Grammy-nominated second album, Gece. They are also a renowned live band with strings of sold-out shows on three continents, who have consistently brought a muscular groove to their recordings. Yol, their third album in as many years, excitedly continues these trends; while also digging in deep to unveil a new palette of sonic surprises.

Though it draws from the rich and incredibly diverse traditions of Anatolian and Turkish folk music, Yol is not just a record that reframes traditional sounds for a contemporary audience. The album often presents a textured, avant-pop sound as evidenced by the debut single "Ordunun Dereleri.” Mysterious and atmospheric, the track is a thrilling evolution for the band. It patiently coaxes the listener into a resonant soundworld of down-tempo electro beats, majestic synths and Erdinç Ecevit's yearning vocal of unrequited love.

The album also signals a very different approach in making and recording for the band. Singer Merve Dasdemir takes up the story: “We were basically stuck at home for three months making home demos, with everybody adding their parts. The transnational feeling maybe comes from that process of swapping demos over the internet, some of the music we did in the studio, but lockdown meant we had to follow a different approach.”

Yol displays a noticeable dreaminess, maybe born from this enforced time to reflect. And select elements of late 1970s or early 1980s “Euro” synth pop also shines through. This new musical landscape was nurtured by certain instrument choices; namely the Omnichord, heard on ‘Arda Boylari’, ‘Kara Toprak’ and ‘Sevda Olmasaydi’, and the drum-machine, an instrument that is key to the gorgeous closing number, ‘Esmerim Güzelim’. Dasdemir once more: “bass player Jasper Verhulst loved the song. He said, ‘it doesn’t sound like Altın Gün, this sounds like a Turkish kindergarten music teacher from the 1980s using an 808!”

As ever, the tracks are the result of a true group effort, with ideas on Omnichord, 808 and other elements - such as field recordings and new age-esque ideas - continually kicked about between the six band members. At a safe distance of course. The record also owes something special to its production team, the band working this time with Asa Moto (the Ghent-based producer-crew, Oliver Geerts and Gilles Noë) who mixed the record. Before this Altın Gün always recorded on tape with their own sound engineer.

It would be wrong to say that what made Altın Gün such a loved and successful band has been left to one side. The pressure-cookers ‘Sevda Olmasaydı’ and ‘Maçka Yolları’ are classic cuts from the band. And their signature employment of a dizzying array of ideas and approaches can be heard with the marked Brazilian feel of ‘Kara Toprak’ and ‘Yekte’. Cosmic reggae filters through the grooves of ‘Yüce Dağ Başında’, and there is a steaming version of ‘Hey Nari’ which gives the traditional composition by Ali Ekber Çiçek a kick onto the dancefloor.

But with Yol, Altın Gün have maybe patented their own magical process of reimagining and sonic path-finding, one probably not heard since the late 1960s and early 1970s British folkrock boom. Less of a reworking than a seduction, their recordings transport the listener to a world where the original songs never previously inhabited. Merve Dasdemir again: “After we worked on them, they got a whole new life of their own. Maybe we went a little bit too far (laughs).”

Katy Kirby is a Texas-based songwriter and indie rock practitioner with an affinity for unspoken rules, misunderstanding and boredom. She was born, raised and homeschooled by two ex-cheerleaders in small-town Texas and started singing in church, amidst the pasteurised-pop choruses of evangelical worship. Like many bible belt late-millennials, Katy grew up on a strict diet of this dependably uncool genre and accordingly, Cool Dry Place finds her dismantling it. "I can hear myself fighting that deeply internalized impulse to make things that are super pleasant or approachable," she says. Though Katy hasn't fully overcome the itch to please, it's to a listener's benefit. Instead of eradicating the pop sensibilities of her past, she warps them, lacing sugary hooks with sneaky rage, twisting affectionate tones into matter-of-fact reproach, and planting seemingly serene melodies with sonic jabs. The fun is in the clash. The nine tracks that make up Cool Dry Place are miscellaneous in subject (motherhood, late capitalism, disintegrating relationships) but unified by the angle from which they're told: from a person re-learning to process life with intense attention. Each song is a catalogue of fragments, the number of segments in an orange or the cut of an obsessively-worn shirt, distilled into meditations on the bizarre and microscopic exchanges that make up modern life - a relationship splintering, an uncomfortable pause, an understanding finally found. These emotional dioramas are moderated by the angular storytelling that unites Gillian Welch and Phoebe Bridgers, a favour for the conventions of short fiction over confession.

Katy Kirby is a Texas-based songwriter and indie rock practitioner with an affinity for unspoken rules, misunderstanding and boredom. She was born, raised and homeschooled by two ex-cheerleaders in small-town Texas and started singing in church, amidst the pasteurised-pop choruses of evangelical worship. Like many bible belt late-millennials, Katy grew up on a strict diet of this dependably uncool genre and accordingly, Cool Dry Place finds her dismantling it. "I can hear myself fighting that deeply internalized impulse to make things that are super pleasant or approachable," she says. Though Katy hasn't fully overcome the itch to please, it's to a listener's benefit. Instead of eradicating the pop sensibilities of her past, she warps them, lacing sugary hooks with sneaky rage, twisting affectionate tones into matter-of-fact reproach, and planting seemingly serene melodies with sonic jabs. The fun is in the clash. The nine tracks that make up Cool Dry Place are miscellaneous in subject (motherhood, late capitalism, disintegrating relationships) but unified by the angle from which they're told: from a person re-learning to process life with intense attention. Each song is a catalogue of fragments, the number of segments in an orange or the cut of an obsessively-worn shirt, distilled into meditations on the bizarre and microscopic exchanges that make up modern life - a relationship splintering, an uncomfortable pause, an understanding finally found. These emotional dioramas are moderated by the angular storytelling that unites Gillian Welch and Phoebe Bridgers, a favour for the conventions of short fiction over confession.

„Well recommended for the freaks“ the Manchester based independent music specialist Boomkat once finished a review about a release of Düsseldorf based DJ and producer Tolouse Low Trax aka Detlef Weinrich (also known as one fourth of the German avant-band Kreidler). What a freak distinguished we do not really know - we just assume he walks this world on a different path. Tolouse Low Trax surely does!

The latest evidence of this fact are four tracks of whom two are remixes by befriended artists, and two are coming right out of the middle of Tolouse Low Trax’s very own sense for odd and catchy grooves. His friend Miles, also known as one-half of the experimental industrial techno and dark ambient duo Demdike Stare, puts hand on the track “Sussing”, originally released on Tolouse Low Trax’s latest album “Jeidem Fall” in 2012. He covers it with an enigmatic, shadowy veil in terms of sounds, space, and obscure driving arpeggios in order to give the track a “brighter haze” feeling. A subliminal hypnotic transformation that swings with a unique dark and demanding drive. The second remix was done by Wolf Müller, a Düsseldorf based musician that released two highly acclaimed EPs on the German DIY label Themes for Great Cities. His profession as a percussionist calls the tune as he mutates the original track “Jeidem Fall” into a tribal celestial dance tune that jacks with an Afro-Baroque elegance.

Also the two EP contributions of Tolouse Low Trax himself move on very different terrains but seem to come out of the same experimental laboratory. With “Vindeland” he delivers a track full of dark synthlines and drunken shuffled patterns that morphs into a nervous soigné sensation. In contrast his arrangement “Eisenbahnzunge” starts with a celestial arpeggio until a strange alienated voice appears and everything melts layer by layer into an elliptical ambient experiment beyond the usual definition. Both tracks are deeply rooted in Tolouse Low Trax’s very own spontaneous minimal hardware approach of producing bold, hypnotic dance-not-dance music that shall not only illuminate the so called freaks!

LIMITED ONE OFF DOUBLE VINYL PRESSING (ONE RECORD SILVER VINYL, ONE RECORD BLACK VINYL TO MATCH THE SLEEVE ARTWORK) HOUSED IN A GLOSS VARNISHED GATEFOLD SLEEVE WITH BLACK POLYLINED INNERS. (NON-RETURNABLE)

LIMITED ONE OFF CD PRESSING HOUSED IN A GLOSS VARNISHED CARD GATEFOLD SLEEVE TO REPLICATE THE VINYL VERSION
 
The follow up to Mainliner’s 2013 comeback album 'Revelation Space' has been rumoured for many years. I've even heard tales of several attempts being finished and scrapped in the last five years. I guess that's how hard it is to run a band when all the members are based on different continents and in other very busy bands themselves (Acid Mothers Temple & Bo Ningen notably).

But it's finally done. And if you're a fan, it's been worth the wait.

In Kawabata's own words ... "This new album is the second chapter of this present Mainliner. Finally we could open to the next stage to break old customs since 1995"

The killer trio from the 'Revelation Space' album is still intact, we have Kawabata Makoto (motorpsycho guitar), Koji Shimura (drums) and Kawabe Taigen (bass/vocals) and we're back to calling them just Mainliner once again ('Revelation Space' was issued as Kawabata Makoto's Mainliner)

Q. What does 'Dual Myths' sound like ?
A. Mainliner. Nasty!

Take Away re-opens after a short hiatus with two new chefs, Swedish DJ, crate digger legend and Lighthouse resident Farsta Kalle and Samo DJ, Born Free boss and more than 100 other exotic projects on his plate.
Together they've created a three course feast for your taste buds.

It's a spicy stew for those that like it hot...

With 2017’s ‘Planetary Prince’, pianist/composer Cameron Graves established himself as a visionary creative force emerging from the Los Angeles genre-defying collective The West Coast Get Down.
With his sophomore album ‘Seven’, Graves further expands on his otherworldly inspirations, alongside guitarist Colin Cook, bassist Max Gerl, drummer Mike Mitchell and special guest Kamasi Washington.
Upon an initial listen, the juggernaut metal force and hardcore precision of ‘Seven’ can knock you back. After all, Graves grew up in metal-rich Los Angeles, headbanging to Living Colour as a kid and, after immersing himself in jazz and classical studies for years, he reignited his love for hard rock through records by Pantera, Slipknot and his most profound metal influence, Swedish titans Meshuggah.
But a closer listen to ‘Seven’ reveals a myriad of other influences at work. “Los Angeles is a melting pot of everything,” Graves points out. His father, Carl Graves, was a great soul singer, and you can hear his imprint along with the likes of Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding, on “Eternal Paradise,” which marks the younger Graves’ vocal debut.
Throughout the album, the generation of 1970s jazz-rock fusion pioneers is a source of inspiration. “Our mission is to continue that legacy of advanced music that was started by bands like Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report and Return to Forever,” Graves says. “That was instilled in us by the masters. Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock - these guys sat with us and told us, ‘Look, man, you’ve got to carry this on.’
“Cameron Graves is a musical genius. He has an innovative approach to the piano that is completely unique.” - Kamasi Washington
“In all aspects of his being, Graves embodies intense seeking and absurd skill.”
- LA Weekly

This new album (the tenth in their discography) was born from two ambitions: to pay tribute to Soft Machine's Third on form (4 sides / 4 titles) and to philosopher Gilles Deleuze (Difference and Repetition is the title of his thesis) on the contents. The 4 long pieces of this double concept album were developed over 2 years and each has a different style and climate. Bold and kaleidoscopic, Difference and Repetition perfectly synthesizes the musical and literary obsessions of Palo Alto.

Formed in Paris in 1989, Palo Alto released his first album (a cassette) on the Italian label Old Europa Cafe in 1990. The year 2020 is therefore an opportunity to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this first stone, the founder of a discography rich with 10 albums. The band is now composed of Jacques Barbéri (also a science fiction author), Laurent Pernice (ex-member of the French industrial band Nox) and Philippe Perreaudin (also coordinator of several compilations and reissues: Legendary Pink Dots, Un Département, Nino Ferrer Revisited, Ptôse, Hardy FoxŠ). Literature, and particularly science fiction, is a leitmotiv in the band's work. Antoine Volodine, Thomas Pynchon, Philip K. Dick, Lewis Carroll or J. G. Ballard have been invoked many times. In recent years, Palo Alto has multiplied musical collaborations with, among others, The Residents, Ptôse, Klimperei, Tuxedomoon... From industrial music to inextricable electronic ramifications, by making a detour through improvisation, the musical universe of Palo Alto is multifaceted. Their new album is no exception to this ruleŠ

Second Various Artists release on SNTS' label Sacred Court.

Zehn Jahre haben die Fans auf ein neues Album der millionenfach gestreamten Gothic-Metal-Band Lake Of Tears gewartet. Das neue Album „Onimous“ umhüllt den Hörer mit wohliger Einsamkeit in gewohnt schaurig-düsterer Manier und ist ab dem 19.02.2021 erhältlich.
Mit ihrer neuesten Veröffentlichung haben LAKE OF TEARS den perfekten Soundtrack für die kurzen, grauen Tage und langen, kalten, dunkle Nächte erschaffen. Nach fast einem Jahrzehnt des Schweigens nimmt uns Daniel Brennare, Kopf und Herz der schwedischen Pioniere der dunklen Musik, endlich wieder mit in seine sinistre Gedankenwelt.

Zehn Jahre haben die Fans auf ein neues Album der millionenfach gestreamten Gothic-Metal-Band Lake Of Tears gewartet. Das neue Album „Onimous“ umhüllt den Hörer mit wohliger Einsamkeit in gewohnt schaurig-düsterer Manier und ist ab dem 19.02.2021 erhältlich.
Mit ihrer neuesten Veröffentlichung haben LAKE OF TEARS den perfekten Soundtrack für die kurzen, grauen Tage und langen, kalten, dunkle Nächte erschaffen. Nach fast einem Jahrzehnt des Schweigens nimmt uns Daniel Brennare, Kopf und Herz der schwedischen Pioniere der dunklen Musik, endlich wieder mit in seine sinistre Gedankenwelt.

Vultures ist eine EP der schwedischen Stoner-Band Dozer. Aufgenommen in den Jahren 2004-2005 in den Rockhouse Studios in Borlänge, dienten diese sechs Tracks als Vorproduktions-Demos für das, was später das vierte Dozer-Album werden sollte, Through the Eyes of Heathens von 2005. Das Album erscheint nun zum ersten Mal auf Vinyl und im Digipack mit einem ganz besonderen unveröffentlichten Bonustrack, einer Coverversion des Sunride-Songs Vinegar Fly. Vultures ist eine echte Heavy-Stoner-Explosion, wie sie nur Dozer bieten kann. Das großartige Artwork stammt von Lowrider-Chef Peder Bergstrand.

Vultures ist eine EP der schwedischen Stoner-Band Dozer. Aufgenommen in den Jahren 2004-2005 in den Rockhouse Studios in Borlänge, dienten diese sechs Tracks als Vorproduktions-Demos für das, was später das vierte Dozer-Album werden sollte, Through the Eyes of Heathens von 2005. Das Album erscheint nun zum ersten Mal auf Vinyl und im Digipack mit einem ganz besonderen unveröffentlichten Bonustrack, einer Coverversion des Sunride-Songs Vinegar Fly. Vultures ist eine echte Heavy-Stoner-Explosion, wie sie nur Dozer bieten kann. Das großartige Artwork stammt von Lowrider-Chef Peder Bergstrand.

4-Track Guitar Music is the unassuming title of a cassette by Swedish composer Mats Erlandsson, which was originally released on Kali Maloneʼs and Maria W. Hornʼs XKatedral label in 2018. Composed using only, as the album title implies, a 4-track tape deck and an electric guitar, the music was later modified on the computer and re-amplified in the machine hall of Ställbergs Gruva, a disbanded Swedish iron mine.

The music is primarily composed using melodic motifs and canonical structures in which a set of pitches are transposed in octaves and delayed, creating an ever-evolving cyclical polyphony. Contrary to the albumʼs modest title, the music is a tour-de-force of exuberance and stoic catharsis, continuously bordering on a sense of ecstatic serenity, sincere contemplation and restraint.

Now Vaagner is proud to present the work on vinyl for the first time via a fully remastered reissue of 4-Track Guitar Music, with the Double LP including a bonus track titled "Cellar" by Mats Erlandsson which was not included on the original release.

As a composer, musician and sound artist, Mats Erlandsson is part of the vibrantly reemerging field of drone music in Stockholm, Sweden, and is associated with practices characterized by the extensive use of sustained sound.Erlandsson has undergone studies in composition in Stockholm, where he received a Masterʼs degree in Composition of Electronic Music. In addition to his own artistic practice, Erlandsson holds a position as studio assistant at the world-renowned Elektronmusikstudion (EMS) in Stockholm. He presents his work both as a solo artist and in collaborations, most notably together with Yair Elazar Glotman.Recent releases include Minnesmärke on Hallow Ground (2020), the collaboration Emmanatemade with Yair Elazar Glotman on 130701 (2020), Hypodermic Letters on Portals Editions (2018), Selective Miracles and Valentina Tereshkova on Posh Isolation (2016), and again together with Glotman, Negative Chambers on Miasmah (2017). Erlandsson has performed his work extensively, most recently at Présences Électronique hosted by the GRM in Paris, CTM 2019 and The Long Now in Berlin, Norbergfestival in Norberg, Sonica Festival in Ljubljana and in various music and arts venues around the world.

'Open Door Policy' is The Hold Steady's 8th full length studio album and the follow up to 2019's 'Thrashing Thru The Passion'. Produced by Josh Kaufman (The National, Hiss Golden Messenger, Josh Ritter), this new release once again finds the 6-piece line up in peak form in what Craig Finn describes as "the best band we've ever been". The Hold Steady is: Bobby Drake (drums), Craig Finn (vocals), Tad Kubler (guitar, vocals), Franz Nicolay (keyboards), Galen Polivka (bass), and Steve Selvidge (guitar, vocals).

Now available in a limited vinyl edition of 1000 copies, singer Petra Haden excels in this beautiful and unique program of songs penned by the
songwriting team of Zorn and Harris.
Friends for many years, they began working together on The Song Project in 2012, and eight years later this LP presents the full fruits of their collaboration: thirteen Zorn compositions with original lyrics by Jesse Harris. Including selections from a wide variety of Zorn projects (and one original that has never appeared before), the melodies are catchy, the lyrics heartfelt, the grooves deep and the solos profound and exhilarating.
Backed by the amazing Julian Lage, Jorge Roeder and Kenny Wollesen and produced by Jesse Harris, this is a LP that you will listen to again and again.

Trumpeter Bill Hardman (1933-1990) was a long-time front-line Jazz Messenger.
This New York session from the summer of 1989 became Hardman’s last recording and saw him joined by tenor saxophonist Junior Cook and trombonist Robin Eubanks.
Plus the rhythm section of Mickey Tucker (piano), Paul Brown (bass) and Leroy Williams (drums). Bill Hardman was one of the leading trumpeters in the hard bop era of 50s playing with Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Charles Mingus among others. Hardman lived in Paris in the last years of his life. “(Hardman) has cultivated a strikingly personal style, which emerges on this album.”
(Birger J rgensen - Arhus Stiftstidende on What’s Up)
“In 1989 he made an excellent sextet album, What’s Up (SteepleChase), reuniting with Cook and adding Robin Eubanks’ trombone. At about the same time he moved to Paris, where he died Dec. 5th, 1990 of a cerebral stroke at 57.” (from the article Lest We Forget by George Kanzler - New York City Jazz Record, Dec. 2020)

Distressed of sound and disturbed of subject matter, “Down-Faced Doll” sees the classic indie outfit connect with their dark-sides to deliver a cacophonous alt/folk stomp unlike anything they’ve released before. Based on a chilling true story told through the eyes of a discarded toy, its lyrics like clues, begin to lay evidence to a scene enough to turn anyone’s blood blue.

As vocalist Ian H. says:

“By far the most disturbing song I’ve ever written. Some songs seem to have a strange compelling energy which no one can rightly claim authorship to. They ‘write themselves’ but of course a great deal of working and shaping occurs too… A true story - well the first two verses are. The last two verses are my attempt to imagine “how did it ever get to this”…”
Customised with discomposing Eastern-inspired guitar riffs and clamouring percussive rhythms, “Down-Faced Doll” instils an unshakable feeling of paranoia, pursuit and unsease to match its haunting storyline. “Ewan and Stephen immediately tuned into its unsettling vibrations to create sounds and dark corners as you are unwillingly dragged through the scenario.” Ian adds.

Created & produced by Bradford (Ian Hodgson, Ewan Butler & Stephen Street), “Down-Faced Doll” was mixed by Stephen Street (Blur/New Order/ Kaiser Chiefs) and mastered by John Davies. It is taken from what will be Bradford’s first new studio album in over three decades: ‘Bright Hours’ - set for release early-on in 2021.

Bradford are a revered indie band formed in Blackburn in 1988. Championed by Morrissey, the band earned a cult status with their acclaimed debut album 'Shouting Quietly' in 1990, a record as-produced at the time by Stephen Street. Touring with the likes of Joe Strummer, The Sugarcubes, Morrissey and more, the band burned brightly and brilliantly. Fading away against the neon glow of the Madchester era, the band split in 1991.

Fast forward to 2018 and a re-mastered 30 song collection entitled ‘Thirty Years Of Shouting Quietly’ was released on Turntable Friend Records. The album was re-appraised as a 'lost English classic'. This rekindling of belief slowly re-ignited the magic and chemistry that always existed between the band now Ian H and Ewan Butler and Stephen Street. So much so, that Stephen decided to join forces with them and become a fully fledged member of the band.

With a new look line-up on illuminating form, as a trio Bradford have lovingly crafted a jewel of a new album: ‘Bright Hours’ to be released early in 2021.

Directly following “Like Water”, their latest single “Down-Faced Doll” is a definitive signal that ‘Bright Hours’ will be every bit worth the long wait...

Following the release of his huge summer singles ‘Chemicals’ and the Robyn and Channel Tres collaborative smash ‘Impact’, UK songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist SG Lewis announces the upcoming release of his long-awaited debut album, times. The LP, out 19th February via EMI Records, finds one of modern pop’s secret weapons stepping out front and centre, as he takes listeners on a voyage through soaring electronic dance and kaleidoscopic future disco, with the help of a few friends along the way. Released on CD and a Black Heavyweight 1LP with download code.

Hoshina Anniversary returns from forever for a majestic dance. This is his second offering for the ESP Institute. Side A’s Karakuri contains all the elements of Hoshina’s signature sound; bouncy staccato bassline, minor chords and organ stabs, a Chick Corea-inspired Rhodes that walks all over the place, all tracked along sparse bits of Japanese percussion and cymbal that juxtapose organic texture with precision-machined timing. The lead keys feel at first as if they’re freeform, however, Hoshina’s obsession with order becomes apparent as the bars develop and his systematic control and repetition is revealed. On side B’s Michinoku, we’re treated to a deep and slow burner. A roller of a beat based on 808 toms and a pishy snare sets the somewhat bumpy base for this groove, and again the meat of the rhythm is built with dirty chords, this time on the upstroke, in an almost Reggae style. What the flipside taught us about Hoshina’s controlled chaos, is here again the lesson and perhaps even moreso. The voice of the track remains the Fender Rhodes, played in brief but wild phrases and arranged into patterns upon which Hoshina builds layers over some 8+ minutes. There is a deep and dark mood throughout both sides of the record, but perhaps more sultry than devilish, and one that listeners educated in the stoned arts will appreciate. These two songs have built the end into the beginning.

Estonian composers Timo Steiner and Sander Molder team up to create music for a modern ballet inspired by Yukio Mishimas famous novel ''The Temple of The Golden Pavillion'' The album follows the emotional narrative and delves into the charm of both - beauty and repulsiveness of the ugly. The 16 tracks oscillate between serene meditative cello melodies, lush harmonies and oversaturated noise. The ballet choreographed by Teet Kask premiered in 2020 in Tallinn, Estonia. Cello by the Solo Cellist of Estonian National Symphony Orchestra Theodor Sink. Cover art by Mart Anderson

An ode to the corals.

"Liza With A 'Z'" is a multi-media production that has been showered with superlatives. It won numerous awards, including those for Choreography and Direction. However, a further award for the music composed by John Kander and Fred Ebb is probably the main reason for the show being released on a record, i.e. just for the ears. But the plan bore fruit, and the LP rocketed onto the Billboard 200. It was to be Liza Minnelli’s best chart hit ever – and it could even be called the soundtrack of her life.

Great favourites such as "Ring Them Bells" and "Bye Bye Blackbird" are set alongside sharp rhythm and blues numbers ("Son Of A Preacher Man", "I Gotcha"). Taking centre stage is a 10-minute medley from the film adaptation of the musical "Cabaret" that was shown in the cinemas also in 1972 and which brought Minnelli her international breakthrough.

All that remains of this costly and glamorous television event, which was only broadcast a few times on US television after the premiere, is the original music on record. Here it is once again in all its glory and with a new freshness.

Katy Kirby is a Texas-based songwriter and indie rock practitioner with an affinity for unspoken rules, misunderstanding and boredom. She was born, raised and homeschooled by two ex-cheerleaders in small-town Texas and started singing in church, amidst the pasteurised-pop choruses of evangelical worship. Like many bible belt late-millennials, Katy grew up on a strict diet of this dependably uncool genre and accordingly, Cool Dry Place finds her dismantling it. "I can hear myself fighting that deeply internalized impulse to make things that are super pleasant or approachable," she says. Though Katy hasn't fully overcome the itch to please, it's to a listener's benefit. Instead of eradicating the pop sensibilities of her past, she warps them, lacing sugary hooks with sneaky rage, twisting affectionate tones into matter-of-fact reproach, and planting seemingly serene melodies with sonic jabs. The fun is in the clash. The nine tracks that make up Cool Dry Place are miscellaneous in subject (motherhood, late capitalism, disintegrating relationships) but unified by the angle from which they're told: from a person re-learning to process life with intense attention. Each song is a catalogue of fragments, the number of segments in an orange or the cut of an obsessively-worn shirt, distilled into meditations on the bizarre and microscopic exchanges that make up modern life - a relationship splintering, an uncomfortable pause, an understanding finally found. These emotional dioramas are moderated by the angular storytelling that unites Gillian Welch and Phoebe Bridgers, a favour for the conventions of short fiction over confession.

Angel Tears in Sunlight is Pauline Anna Strom's first album in over thirty years; an assemblage of music that refracts the expansiveness, and minutiae, of imagined realms while embracing the kaleidoscopic echoes of our distant epochs. The capacity to collapse time might elucidate the enigma of Pauline Anna Strom. A mystic force in music, emerging during the dawn of new age as the Trans-Millenia Consort, the pioneering synthesist channelled primordial energies into future-facing sound through a series of full-length releases between 1982 and 1988. Little was known about her, except by a constellation of devoted followers who saw a unique legacy forming amidst the (mostly male) synthesist canon of the time. Following the 2017 release of Trans-Millenia Music, an anthology revitalizing the most evocative parts of Strom's catalog, the Bay Area visionary sensed the universe telling her to return to music. As with her work in the 80s, Angel Tears in Sunlight was composed and recorded in the same San Francisco apartment where Strom has lived for almost four decades in synthesis with her machines and "dinosaurs." Populated by a compact array of modern instruments that streamline the sound of her analog past and her beloved iguanas, Little Soulstice and Ms Huff, the terrarium of her home forms an intimate yet limitless ecosystem that defies the constraints of the outside world. Within this sanctuary, Strom becomes lost in time, drawing on the ancient energies of her inner visions. Her hardware forms the crux of translating these ideas into sound. "It's the only way this stuff can be pulled out of myself, the universe, Little Soulstice, an ammonite_," Strom notes. "It couldn't be done without this machinery, because there's no other way to draw and capture these frequencies into sonic interpretation." Strom's process of recording transient live-takes enriches the mystery of her work. She renders the machinery a composer itself, a cohabitation with a living other. "Many musicians wouldn't go that far because of ego," Strom muses. "The equipment has to become part of you and your creativity. That's how I think it all comes together." Music-making becomes a harmonic language of intuition with an instrument, where Strom cultivates sound for a harvest that defies season. Shaped by circadian contours, Angel Tears in Sunlight is a celestial observatory of earthborn phonic mosaics. Strom uncovers a symbiosis between hardware frequencies and apparitions of nature in the record's arena of organic tones, emulating the melodic pulses of primeval terrain. The album transcends both shadow and light, falling to hushed stretches of sound as if not to awaken antediluvian animals, before soaring through the treetops where ancient skies peer over reptilian traffic and unsparing rains.

Tribal Trueby / Truccy Trickserei. Pure Freude, pure Energie. Rainer Trueby und Corrado Bucci kommen gelenk und glücklich aus dem warmen tropischen Jungle. Der hat sie zu allerhand Musikfarben wie World Music, Afrodelic, Balearic und Latin angeregt, und indem sie noch ein clever gesetzten jazzigen Mittelteil einbauen, bekommt das Dickicht einen großartigen Kahlschlag mit Sonnenbeflutung.

„Für mich der beste typische Rainer Trueby seit den Trüby Trio Hits „Donaueschingen“ oder Galicia“ (Michael Reinboth)

Todsicherer Tanz. Mit Sahnehäubchen oben drauf vom Pariser, heute in Brighton lebendem Laroye, der einen pulsierenden perkussiven House Jam abliefert.

Rainer Trueby hatte gerade die wundervolle „Soulgliding“ für BBE kompiliert, und nun bereitet er sich und uns auf ein neues Kapitel (Vol. 6) seiner legendären „Glücklich“ Compilation vor, die im Sommer 2021 auf Compost rauskommt.

Tracklisting

Side A
“Kenyatta“ (Original Mix) (8:02)

Side B
“Kenyatta” (Laroye Afro Balearic Mix) (7:43)

From label owner Terry Cole, "It was on March 16, 2020 that we closed up our storefront as the reality of a worldwide pandemic began to spread across the Midwest. We had no idea how it was going to impact our shop, our label, or the artists we represent. We were all fortunate to have our family members stay safe and healthy; however, the livelihood of many of our friends and artists were drastically and immediately impacted. No tours, no live performances, record shops closed, pressing plants shut down, etc. And while the level of uncertainty was unnerving, from that uncertainty came the idea for Brighter Days Ahead. We knew we wanted to continue to release new music, but proceeding with our heavy 2020 release schedule as planned seemed ill advised. So the idea was to release individual tracks from many of our artists on a weekly basis and as a musical family, we could all help shine light on each individual artist weekly. Strength in numbers! So throughout the summer and into the fall, that's what we did. We released several dozen tracks and the weekly announcements certainly garnered a strong sense of community for our artists and fans alike. We're very proud to present Brighter Days Ahead: a compilation from our talented stable of artists on both our Colemine and Karma Chief imprints."

SebaKaapstad is not just a band; SebaKaapstad is about showingpeople what it looks like when cultures collide - stories that come from the lives of PalesaModiga, Philip Scheibel, Ndumiso Manana, and Sebastian Schuster. If you have ever wondered what it would sound like if a South African, a Swazi and a few Germans got together and used their talents to express themselves, this is your answer. SebaKaapstad is the coming together of worlds and experiences while appreciating how alike we are as human beings. Through the global perspective of the members, SebaKaapstad are able to explore a soundscape influenced by soul, groove, electronic undertones, jazz and African music.

Freestyle Records are proud to present the first ever reissue of this rare Black Ark-era Lee "Scratch" Perry production on LP & CD w/ bonus tracks. Both formats feature liner notes from author of the acclaimed People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee 'Scratch' Perry and Solid Foundation: An Oral History of Reggae, David Katz.

The late Bunny Rugs was best known as the frontman for legendary reggae band Third World, but prior to that he completed an apprenticeship at Lee Perry's Black Ark resulting in this solo LP, originally released in 1975 and credited to Bunny Scott.

The album captures the laid-back sessions of the early Black Ark, with a few surprising innovations lurking amongst the soul covers and love ballads. Highlights include the sought after Blaxploitation-influenced funk track 'Kinky Fly' featuring members of The Chi-Lites' backing band, passing through Perry's infamous studio whilst in Jamaica for a series of shows - their horn section and Chinna Smith's wah-wah guitar give the track its outstanding difference as synth overdubs add to the moody feeling, underpinned by the ghostly click tracks of the Conn Rhythm Unit (constituting one of Perry's earliest experiments with drum machines).

Breakup track 'Second Avenue' shows how suited Rugs' powerful, deep tenor was suited to a soul framework, the Chi-Lites' horns again making a striking difference. The Bee Gees' evergreen 'To Love Somebody' takes James Carr's soulful rendition as its reference and 'Big May' re-works the 'Return Of Django'/'Sick And Tired' rhythm, with a new drum part. while the broken-hearted 'What's The Use' was cut at the request of Sonia Pottinger, who ultimately failed to release it.

Somehow the sublime rendition of William DeVaughans' 'Be Thankful', recorded during the same session, was left off the LP - but appears here as a bonus track on the CD along with I Never Had It So Good & Hip Harry + it's version track.

Looking back on the sessions documented on this LP, Rugs said that Perry's creativity taught him that music could be limitless. As he explained, 'It was so simple that it became complex. The approach he has to music and to recording, I think the music nowadays lack that kind of intuition. He's somebody that would use pliers and a screwdriver to create percussion; he wouldn't hesitate to experiment. He was a little...not crazy, but somebody with that kind of thinking must be somewhere else, in another zone sometimes.'

Tenet is the new sci-fi action spectacle from acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan, starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh.

The Tenet (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) features music from Academy- and Grammy Award-winning composer Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther, The Mandalorian), & features the new, original song “The Plan” by multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated recording artist Travis Scott, and produced by Göransson, Wondagurl and Scott.

The 3LP soundtrack features the 2 bonus tracks (which appeared on the 2CD), plus liner notes from both Christopher Nolan and Ludwig Göransson.

The trinity of piano, bass and drums is an ensemble construction with a particularly prominent place in jazz, past and present. Indeed, some of these piano trios are among the most revered and popular groups the music has seen.
The standing of the piano trio in the Norwegian jazz landscape is no different. And like a lot of modern jazz from Norway it has also taken on flavours very distinct to this country.
Pianist Torvik met and played with double bassist Bjornar Kaldefoss Tveite and drummer Oystein Aarnes Vik during a short stint in Oslo.
They quickly hit it off, and the idea of making an album with this trio began to take shape. The resulting album, ‘Northwestern Songs’, was recorded at Newtone Studio in Oslo, June 2019.
Here, Torvik continues to explore the relationships between pop sensibilities and jazz, which was also a feature of the music on his debut as a leader, the 2016 quintet recording ‘Northwestern Sounds’. At the same time, the open and revealing nature of the trio format allows him to further explore and challenge himself as piano player.
Personnel: Arne Torvik (piano), Bj rnar Kaldefoss Tveite (bass), ystein Aarnes Vik (drums)

Repress

Arnaud le Texier (Cocoon Records): "Top quality! Really nice.." 10/10
Cio D'Or (Telrae): "An amazing double Vinyl of different interpretations from some music friends in techno for Hypnus! Thank you!" 9/10
David Att (ATT Series): "SUPER VARIOS ARTIST. THANKS: D" 10/10
Deepbass (Informa Records): "Great remix package here! Will be using most of them, a true showcase of the love for Hypnus" 10/10
Etapp Kyle (Klockworks): "Edit Select and Mike Parker are winners!" 8/10
Exium (PoleGroup): "Great stuff, thanks!" 8/10
Francois X (Dement3d): "Perfect Package of Remix!" 10/10
I/Y: "wow.. really good.. too many of them to choose one favourite" 10/10
Kwartz (Shapeless Records): "Congratulations for this great work, I love every song of the release" 10/10
Mattias Fridell (Gynoid): "This is a very solid compilation congrats." 8/10
MTD (Sonntag Morgen): "AMAZING release! hard to choose a favorite..." 10/10
Mod21 (Prologue): "No words for this release.. Hypnus is flying high!!" 10/10
Nima Khak (H-Productions): "Great bits! The Ness mix is outstanding, but a lot of great stuff in this package! Will play for sure!" 9/10
Nobody Home (Home Records): "Very nice release with many of my favorite musicians! Thank you very much :-)" 8/10
Reggy van Oers (Affin): "Some crazy stuff in here! love it!" 9/10
Samuli Kemppi (M_REC Ltd.): "Fan boy likes. Brilliant release. Full support." 10/10
Svreca (Semantica Records): "Excellent release. Full support." 8/10
Takaaki Itoh (Phobiq): "what a great trks. im sure to play all of them. full support!" 10/10
Terence Fixmer (CLR): "Top release, difficult to choose a favourite here...all are nice." 10/10
The Noisemaker (Par Recordings): "Hypnus is going to be one of the best label on earth! full support! all tracks have his own personality and are well designed.. top for opening a djset" 10/10
Tommy Four Seven (Stroboscopic Artefacts): "Big!" 8/10

Also supported by:
Dimi Angelis, Unam Zetineb, Antonio de Angelis, Artefakt, DARS, Gianluca Meloni, Jonas Kopp, Hector Oaks, Juho Kahilainen, Vilix, Eric Cloutier, Brendon Moeller (Echologist), Iori, Jose Pouj, VSK, AnD, Rasmus Hedlund, Victor Martinez, Antonio Vazquez, BLNDR, Luigi Tozzi and many more.

- The Premiere Vinyl Release of the Soundtrack - 180 Gram Black and White Swirled Colored Vinyl - Old Style Tip-On Gatefold Jackets with Satin Coating - Artwork by Phantom City Creative - 12"x12" Booklet - Scoring Session Photography - Liner Notes // Waxwork Records is proud to announce THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN Original Motion Picture Soundtrack with music by Franz Waxman. In celebration of the film's 85th Anniversary, we are thrilled to present the premiere vinyl release of the film's music as a deluxe album featuring re-mastered audio, new artwork, and likeness approvals from famed actress Elsa Lanchester's estate. THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN is a 1935 horror movie directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff & Elsa Lanchester. It is the first sequel to the 1931 film FRANKENSTEIN and widely regarded as one of the greatest sequels in cinematic history. The film has been praised as Whale's masterpiece. In 1998, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, having been deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". Sourced from the original master acetates housed in the composer's archives at Syracuse University and original masters from Universal, the album has been meticulously restored and re-mastered. Working closely with Universal Pictures, this historic release marks the very first time the original film music has been made available on vinyl. The album features new artwork by Phantom City Creative, a 12"x12" booklet including artwork and original scoring session photography, and liner notes by album producer and restoration engineer Mike Matessino.

Ethno-alternative lo-fi absurdism from the mind of London based multi-instrumentalist & Primordial Soup member, Samuel Huxley. Expect everything from Hindu ceremonial music to dark lounge, post-punk & avant-garde, to Kabuki theatre score & world electronica, any number of which can be found within a single track.

The Romance of Baba Loco is the union of wisdom & madness, eastern mysticism & western folly, absurdism to catch you with yer pantaloons down… Bang bang smash to perennial illumination. Cling clang for funk monkeys. The bejewelled vistas beyond, nihilism be gone… The donkey was not ill-tempered after many blows, on the ass, from the stick. He smiled like a gentleman, and kept on clip cloppin’ towards the promised land…

The Romance of Baba Loco is the latest iteration of a recording project by Samuel Huxley that originally made ambient soundscapes for psychotropics (Paradise Dose). In 2017 Samuel was curating infamous venue and scene of a multitude of glories & horrors, The Five Bells in New Cross, SE London. One of his first acts to play was Primordial Soup, at that time a 3 piece absurdist art rock band. They quickly became friends & began performing semi-improv shows as a 5 piece, and later went on to form Primordial Soup Collective who’s main focus was esoteric experimental theatre & film, and rare multidisciplinary exhibitions.

This changing focus of Soup away from sound provoked Samuel to channel his musical compulsions in to his solo project which had by then ventured far away from ambient soundscapes to shrieking Indian and Moroccan oboes over African & Indian tribal rhythms, with the desire to create the raw lo-fi atmospheres of street music. Gradually guitar styles of South East Asia & Latin America were introduced, leading to backing track solo performances & outrageous live improv freakouts with Craig Deporto (ex-Flamingods) & Luke Bell (Ex-Wild Birds of Britain).

Finally two days before the glorious pandemic lock down, Samuel signed to Faith & Industry, which birthed new moniker “The Romance of Baba Loco” and 3 months worth of ceaseless creation. From the Hindu Ceremonial music of the Shehnai & Nadaswaram to post-punk, absurdism & experimental art, The Romance of Baba Loco finally united two seemingly dissonant sides of his personality in a manner he had not previously achieved. The old material was cast off, and these peculiar fruits of imprisonment, can be found on his first release, “Cling Clang For Funk Monkeys”.

Half of Manie Sans Délire, June, turns up on Artificial Dance with his anticipated new mini-album, ‘Horizons’ - following on from his studio companion Trenton Chase’s ‘Planar Array’ released earlier in 2020. True to the signature synth-splattered sound of his and his duo, June’s newest wave-imbued manifesto has us swimming amidst an organized chaos of roughly extruded keyboard wizardry, punk-minded drum programming and a retro-futuristic headspace.

Scanning out the gap between Italo, new wave, EBM and new beat, ‘Horizons’ shifts seamlessly from forward-moving, arpeggio-laden circuitry (‘JW’, ‘Infinity Room') to hi-intensity body music (’New Horizons’), through ambientoid spaced-out sonic explorations (‘Uncharted Territories’) and quirky downtempo chuggers (‘Reverie’, ‘Psychic Process’). A kaleidoscope of rhythmic tricks and shape-shifting mirages, June’s scope-expanding six-track voyage vows to play mind games with its listener till all lights have gone off.