Drawing the night in around his private, unnerving vigil, Ellis Swan returns to Quindi Records with an album of cracked beauty and haunted balladry. The Chicago-based singer-songwriter debuted on the label last year with a collaborative project called Dead Bandit, a vividly produced instrumental set in thrall to the badlands and a laconic, languid Americana.
Under his own name, Swan records intimate, poetic songs in a stark fashion, so fragile they might disintegrate in between your fingers were you to pick them up. He draws the microphone close to pick up every whisper and drags the music through layer upon layer of tape fuzz, leaving room for atmospheric impressions which loom out of the walls like the ghosts of past misdeeds. These pieces play on the natural distortion and delirium which occurs at the farthest end of the night - the hour before dawn might hope to break the veil of darkness.
Swan's is a hauntological sound, but like the late Israeli rockabilly icon Charlie Megira his process strikes a spooked tone past revivalism and out of time or place. The only anchor which places Swan anywhere is the subtle presence of Katherine Swan providing lyrics to '3am' and lyrics and backing vocals to 'It Could Be Worse'.
The impression cast is of one man and his guitar, but there are other textures tucked into the music - the muffled murmur of a drum machine or a low frequency organ hum, some desolate piano, other treated percussive impulses which might well have been the work of incidental sprites while the four-track was rolling.
There are fuller cuts like 'Evening Sun' and the title track '3am' which play with structural dynamics and creep out of the shadows a touch, while passages of plaintive, instrumental unease such as the hypnotic, mantra-like 'Chinatown' protract the space between songs. 'Swing' lolls between moments of bottomless silence and a discernible, rickety funk, and 'Puppeteers Tears' teases out a buried drama. But primarily, it's the light touch of 'Horses Bones' and tin can tenderness of 'She's My Sweet Summer Storm' which spell out the spellbinding character of 3am; a singular creation fusing the best qualities of folk, blues and Americana with a fearlessly experimental sound palette.
quête:u storm
“We’ve been reflecting on the relationship between our innerworlds and outerworlds,” says Soccer96’s Danalogue. “How our minds shape our experience and our experience shapes our mind. How caring and nurturing our innerworlds can improve our relationship with our outer experiences. We see the creation of music as the bridge between these two worlds.”
Betamax, who makes up the duo along with fellow Comet is Coming member Danalogue, describes their latest album as “spiritual combat music to steady us through the stormy changes of the outer world.”
For this album the pair co-wrote with The Colours That Rise, Tom Herbert, Salami Rose Joe Louis, Simbad and Rozi Plain.
From the exhilarating electronic charge and propulsive rhythm of ‘Crystal Pyramid’ to the almost cosmic drum n bass of ‘Speak More of Love’ feat The Colours That Rise, the album takes in a vast array of sounds and styles, from jazz to electronica, while never really sitting comfortably within easy genre categorisation. “We are searching for particular spontaneous energies that feel fresh and resonant,” Betamax says. “The hope is that when we reach this experience the music can penetrate the mind and affect the deepest mental processes.”
If someone would have told me years ago, when I started the label, that one day I would be releasing music by Ernesto Djédjé, the king of Ziglibithy himself, I would have personally driven them to the closest psychiatric institute such is the magnitude of the artist and his iconic tune “Zighlibitiens”.
The star of Ernesto Djédjé started rising in the late 60s, when he became the guitar player and leader of Ivoiro Star, founded by Amédée Pierre, star of Dopé, the leading musical style at the time. Annoyed by the “congolisation” of the Ivorian music that was taking place within the band, Ernesto left the group and emigrated to Paris in 1968 to record his first few singles arranged by Manu Dibango and influenced by Soul, Rhythm & Blues and Jerk. Those recordings reflect the musical mood at that time which was dictated by two musical trends within the Ivoirian scene: Traditional music, embodied amongst others by Amédée Pierre on one hand and imported music from the States, Cameroon and Zaïre on the other. And while the first trend was generally neglected, the youth fully embraced the second and as a result bands such as „Les Black Devils“, „Djinn-Music“, „Bozambo”, “Jimmy Hyacinthe”, shot to stardom overnight by recording mainly funk and disco music. It is within this context that Ernesto would draw the inspiration for a future formula.
Returning to Côte d‘Ivoire in 1974 Ernesto began looking for like minded musicians to form the mighty “Ziglibithiens”. Diabo Steck (drums), Bamba Yang (keyboards & Guitar), Léon Sina (Guitar) and Assalé Best (chef d´orchestre and Saxophon) would become the core of the group and together with Ernesto they began thinking of ways of combining the rhythms and chants of the Bété people and fuse them with Makossa, Funk and Disco and create a musical style that was both Ivorian and International. He called his experiment Ziglibithy and his first two albums, immortalised at the EMI studios in 1977 in Lagos and released on the Badmos label, took West Africa by storm turning Ernesto Djédjé into an icon overnight and one of the legends of African music.
Ernesto Djédjé died in mysterious circumstances on June 9th, 1983 - at the age of 35 - shocking the whole Ivorian nation. And although the end came abruptly, it didn’t come soon enough, and Ernesto had time - within 5 albums - to cement his legacy as one of the most innovative artists the Ivory Coast ever produced.
The song Zighlibitiens, brought to Colombia by an aeronautical mechanic in the early 1980, would become a huge hit on the Caribbean Coast. Renamed “El Tigre” by locals soundsystem operators - certainly due to the Badmos logo - that particular song would reach legendary status in Barranquilla and Cartagena. Setting fire to uncountable local parties, it has become one of the most sought-after Album in that part of the world. And so, while Ziglibithy has mostly disappeared from the airwaves of its country of birth, on the other side of the Atlantic, its fire continues to shine bright.
Seine Alben sind Welten, die Musikvideos legendär: Seit zehn Jahren ist Action Bronson der unverwechselbare HipHop-Held der Herzen. Heute veröffentlicht der in Queens geborene Rapper mit albanischen
Wurzeln, der zweifache ”New York Times”-Bestsellerautor, ehemalige Küchenchef und TV-Koch sein neues Album ”Cocodrillo Turbo” mit Features von u.a. Conway the Machine und Roc Marciano. Physisch erscheint das Album am 7. Oktober auf Vinyl &CD.
Auf dem Album ”Cocodrillo Turbo” kann man den neuen Hunger des 38-Jährigen spüren, der aufgrund gesundheitlicher Probleme während der Pandemie eine Bosstransformation absolvierte, über 160 Pfund abund das Kampfsporttraining aufnahm – und es so bis zum spielbaren Charakter in EA Sports ”UFC 4” schaffte. ”Ich habe nicht das Gefühl, dass mir der verdammte Respekt entgegengebracht wird, den ich verdiene”, erklärt Bronson, der auf ”Cocodrillo Turbo” seine Lines über Prog-Rock-Samples und gut abgehangene Beats von Produzenten wie Daringer und The Alchemist spuckt. ”Es gibt nicht viele da draußen, die mein verdammtes Suspensorium anfassen können.”
Auf ”Cocodrillo Turbo” taucht er tief in die psychedelische Schattenseite der amerikanischen Kultur ein. Wie ein Soziologe auf Säuretabletten. Wie Slavoj Žižek nach einem verdammt dicken Blunt. Das reptiloide
Albumcover stammt erneut vom Meister höchstpersönlich: ”Vertrau mir, wenn ich sage, dass es für keines
der Tiere da draußen sicher ist. Der alte Apexprädator ist wieder auf Beute aus.”
Seine Alben sind Welten, die Musikvideos legendär: Seit zehn Jahren ist Action Bronson der unverwechselbare HipHop-Held der Herzen. Heute veröffentlicht der in Queens geborene Rapper mit albanischen
Wurzeln, der zweifache ”New York Times”-Bestsellerautor, ehemalige Küchenchef und TV-Koch sein neues Album ”Cocodrillo Turbo” mit Features von u.a. Conway the Machine und Roc Marciano. Physisch erscheint das Album am 7. Oktober auf Vinyl &CD.
Auf dem Album ”Cocodrillo Turbo” kann man den neuen Hunger des 38-Jährigen spüren, der aufgrund gesundheitlicher Probleme während der Pandemie eine Bosstransformation absolvierte, über 160 Pfund abund das Kampfsporttraining aufnahm – und es so bis zum spielbaren Charakter in EA Sports ”UFC 4” schaffte. ”Ich habe nicht das Gefühl, dass mir der verdammte Respekt entgegengebracht wird, den ich verdiene”, erklärt Bronson, der auf ”Cocodrillo Turbo” seine Lines über Prog-Rock-Samples und gut abgehangene Beats von Produzenten wie Daringer und The Alchemist spuckt. ”Es gibt nicht viele da draußen, die mein verdammtes Suspensorium anfassen können.”
Auf ”Cocodrillo Turbo” taucht er tief in die psychedelische Schattenseite der amerikanischen Kultur ein. Wie ein Soziologe auf Säuretabletten. Wie Slavoj Žižek nach einem verdammt dicken Blunt. Das reptiloide Albumcover stammt erneut vom Meister höchstpersönlich: ”Vertrau mir, wenn ich sage, dass es für keines
der Tiere da draußen sicher ist. Der alte Apexprädator ist wieder auf Beute aus.”
Jake Mehew's debut album Sage is a modern and contemporary take on spiritual jazz, a truly exceptional record from the eclectic and highly talented Leeds' artist.Whilst staying within the ethos of spontaneous, unedited performance, Mehew constantly pushes and manipulates the genre's boundaries.The recognisable and lush sound of the Fender Rhodes, layered on a bed of punchy, percussive, grooves, provides the bedrock for powerful improvisations, running alongside Meyhew's subtle analogue synth manipulation and production.
Sage was workshopped over one frantic lockdown week in August 2020. It's a truly honest experience of seven days of hard work, a multi tracked record, made without using overdub to capture the true energy of the performance.True to the spirit of albums made in a pre digital era Mehew set out to capture ideas, interaction and performance at their inception rather than post production.
Jake Mehew is an up and coming composer, performer and producer based in Leeds, UK. His work combines principles of free improvisation with the technological considerations of the avant-garde. Using a combination of acoustic instruments, modular synthesisers and samplers Mehew creates rich, meditative soundscapes that envelop the listener in an immersive sound field.
With Panorama, Frank Maston pays homage to the classic era of library records and Italian soundtracks of the 70s. A blissed-out, grooving collection of filmic cues, it continues the unique brilliance of Tulips and Darkland. Elegant and easy, subtle and stylish, breezy and beautiful; this is his Maston-piece. Commissioned by legendary label KPM, Panorama cements Maston as a master of modern classics and the most mesmeric of contemporary composers.
In early 2020, Be With suggested to Frank that he should make a KPM record. He wasn't aware that they were still putting out new library records - but he was super keen: "It was completely surreal and it still hasn't fully sank in that I have a record in that catalog, sitting alongside those incredible albums that were so influential to me."
Frank was visiting family in his hometown of LA in March 2020 when the world ground to a halt so the KPM project arrived at a fortuitous moment. Having fantasised about committing to a record with no distractions, with a proper budget, access to his gear and space to work in - to really dig in and try to write and arrange the best work he could possibly make - it was a real "be careful what you wish for" moment. But, as Frank explained, "it completely saved my year and sanity to have something to focus on and get excited about. It was my lifeline." He spent seven months on it, working almost every day.
Maston had already been making library-influenced music so when KPM outlined the criteria for the tracks it was exactly what he had been doing all along. He thought the best approach would be to make a follow-up to Tulips that had a parallel life as a KPM record. Enjoying complete creative freedom, “gave me the drive to power through and dig in deep. I'm not sure if I could have kept myself on such a rigorous recording schedule under my own steam, and I think the momentum I had writing and recording it is part of the strength of this record."
Maston’s sleek retro-groove instrumentals emulate the classic KPM “Greensleeve” reel-to-reel recordings that provided mood-setting music for mid-century cinema, television, and radio programs. Apparently in close conversation with the John Cameron-Keith Mansfield KPM pastoral masterclass Voices In Harmony, Maston's Panorama could be heard as that record's funky follow-up. Yes, it's *that good*. Another reference point from the hallowed library would be Francis Coppieter's wonderful Piano Viberations.
Opener "First Class" is a blissed-out groove, featuring the soothing vocals of Molly Lewis and a glistening harp over drums, a two-note bass motif (from Eli Ghersinu of L'Eclair) and an assemblage of guitars, synths, French horn and glowing vibraphone. Acid Lounge, anyone? The irresistibly funky "Easy Money" is a gorgeous cut led by more of Molly's vocals, pastoral flute and Rhodes, underpinned by drums and percussion, grooving bass, chilled guitars and synth strings. Kicking the tempo up, the percussive "Storm" is a vibin' filmic-fusion jam where psychedelic guitars (courtesy of Pedrum of Allah Las/Paint) organ, jazzy flute, Rhodes and vibes all compete for a place in the sun, over drums and walking bassline.
The heavenly "You Shouldn't Have" is a delicate, melancholic wonder; a dreamy instrumental where the melody is shared by a whistle, harpsichord and celeste, over a cyclical piano chord sequence and bass, synths, guitars, organ and distant French horn. The tempo rises again with the passionate, sticky "Fling", a summery, nostalgic groove with skipping drums and percussion, warm bass and electric guitar, yearning flute and synth strings. The brilliantly titled "Fool Moon" has that Voices In Harmony sound down pat. A romantic slow-mo dreamscape of Rhodes and harpsichord, piano, light drums and softly strummed acoustic guitar.
Side B opens with "Medusa", a hopeful, mellowed-out track with shuffling drums, feel-good flute, muted horns, glowing Rhodes and synth strings. The soft and gentle "Morning Paper" is an elegant way to start the day; a beatless blend of flute, guitar, percussion, ambient synths and vibes. The upbeat head-nod jam "Scenic" has that widescreen car-chase feel, uptempo drums and percussion, grooving bass, piano, synths and ambient electric guitar. "Adieu" is a smooth summer vibe, relaxing with brushed drums, Rhodes, flutes and horns. Molly Lewis's gorgeous vocals steal the show, alongside vibes, jamming organ and synth strings.
"Hydra" is another laid-back 70s-sounding retro cinema cue with light drums and percussion, walking bass, spacey synths, clavinet, glowing vibraphone, vintage organ and electric guitar. Closer "Jet Lag" is a laconic bow out; bass-driven drum machine soul, featuring hand percussion, Rhodes, vibes, synths and organ.
Multi-instrumentalist Frank played a bit of everything across Panorama. Yet, humble as ever, he believes the time, energy, and enthusiasm of all of the musicians invited to the sessions helped him realise his vision: "There were two Italian flautists who really understood what I was going for. Two french horn players, cor anglais, a vibraphonist and a flügel horn player. I've never involved this many people in my projects before, and yet the result is the most "me" record I've ever made."
Musically, a strong Italian theme runs through the record. Frank is fascinated by ancient Rome and both his parents are Italian (Maston was originally Mastrantonio before anglicisation). So, it felt natural to fully embrace these strands and tie everything together with the striking artwork. The Romans were influenced by Greek culture, emulating their art and architecture, which, in turn, influenced Renaissance era artists. Frank acknowledged this tradition when reflecting on his place in the lineage of library and soundtrack composers. He then asked his friend Mattea Perrotta, a painter and sculptor, for some sketches. What he received was exactly what he had in mind: "Especially the theater mask, which really captures the range of moods on the album". Frank arranged them as per the cover and it soon felt right: "I wanted to make a cover that was reminiscent of the classic KPM albums without making it too pastiche - so it has its own identity and looks at home alongside other library records, while still fitting in nicely in the KPM catalogue." The last step was for us to introduce Frank to Be With-KPM’s Rich Robinson, who helped put together the back and centre labels and align it all within the KPM standard.
Panorama is a perfect title for the album. With no opportunity to travel for tours or recording projects, Frank arranged postcards from his collection on his desk with beautiful views of the mediterranean coast, the Roman Colosseum and Cinque Terre. These also served as visual prompts: "That was part of the sonic concept - imagining myself driving down the mediterranean coast with this music on, with the top down." Additionally, the range of moods and vibes - "I tried to make each song very different from the previous one in terms of tempo and arrangement and feeling" - speaks to the idea of a Panorama of music and sounds and emotions. The last track was originally called Panorama, but KPM already had that title in their catalogue so it was changed to "Jet Lag", which, as Frank notes, "is perhaps even more fitting, since the trip is over".
HEXED - Die schwedische Symphonic Progressive Metal Band melden sich mit ihrem zweiten Album 'Pagans Rising' zurück! Klingt wie Dimmu Borgir, Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation, Evergrey oder Kamelot.
HEXED - Die schwedische Symphonic Progressive Metal Band melden sich mit ihrem zweiten Album 'Pagans Rising' zurück! Klingt wie Dimmu Borgir, Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation, Evergrey oder Kamelot.
Master’s second album recorded by Scott Burns at Morrissound Studios! Classic 1990’s Death Metal! One of the problems with looking back on a musical genre from a perspective years or decades removed from the core of the movement itself is that subsequent developments tend to obscure both a genres origins and threads within a tradition that died out without offspring. As a result, interesting and deserving albums often get lost in the shuffle as reviewers reflect on those albums most “influential” upon later achievements. Death metal pioneers Master are among those who have been shortchanged as a result of that phenomenon, and their 1990 masterpiece “On the Seventh Day, God Created... Master” remains a fascinating exploration both of the genre’s roots and of spaces it might have occupied had different paths been taken. There are a couple of things that leap out immediately to even the casual listener. The first is the seeming primitivism of the music, with songs consisting of relatively brief, bludgeoning pieces driven by relentless rhythms, cyclic riffs and simple melodic hooks. The second is the realization that someone is playing some seriously insane, brilliantly constructed leads. In this case, that someone is Paul Masvidal, far exceeding anything he ever achieved with Cynic. Beneath the surface simplicity, lies a creative spirit that at once recalls the primal birth of death metal (which Master was both present for and very much a driving force behind) and points the way to what the genre might have become. Very apparent are the genre’s hardcore roots, Master here eschewing the Slayer-derived technical architecture that came to dominate most “modern” death metal in favor of structures that would not have been out of place on Discharge’s landmark “Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing” release (there are even a few appearances of the infamous D-beat). Within the unrelenting storm of brutal repetition, the music’s core meaning is encoded, a sheer primal rage dripping from thunderous cycles of power chords and the open throated roar (again the hardcore influence) of vocalist and chief songwriter Paul Speckman.
The iconic Pixies forged an influential path for alt-rock during their first era, while their post 2004 reunion has seen them alchemize more sophisticated dark arts - a return which has them add another three UK Top 10 albums to the three they achieved on their first run. Now as fired up as ever before, Pixies will release their eighth studio album ‘Doggerel’ on September 30th via BMG, including lead single ‘There’s a Moon On’.
‘Doggerel’ is a mature yet visceral record of gruesome folk, ballroom pop and brutal rock, haunted by the ghosts of affairs and indulgences, driven wild by cosmic forces and envisioning digital afterlives where no God has provided one. And all the while, right there on the news, another distant storm approaches.
Chronophage’s third LP is a scarcely anticipated revelation full of poise and delicacy. Tough,tender, precise and unconstrained, it concentrates the tragic ingredients of the past two yearsinto ten songs. Each one is a decisive, well-cut crystal: sharp, clear, weighted. Can you envisiona midpoint between Big Star and the Homosexuals? Imagine Nick Lowe constructing defiantrejections of the civil structure? Chronophage’s unconstrained melodies and gleefullyimaginative structures enact such original, liberatory music.Chronophage began five years ago in Austin, Texas. Stout participants in the transgressive DIYpunk community patchworked throughout the world, the band have released two LPs and ahandful of cassettes, always demonstrating a kind of risk-taking that feels both gleeful and dire.It’s clear that they delight in making hard, unexpected decisions, but there’s a colder sense thattheir existence depends on this daring.Defying the band’s scratchy, 4-track history, ‘Chronophage’ blooms, distilling the warmest, mostcompelling, most vulnerable qualities of their music. It’s a product of their unhurried approach torecording this album, a six-week process of tinkering and clarifying. It’s also a product of thematerial conditions of their songwriting phase—”the pandemic making it where we just saw eachother all the time and were less influenced by scenes,” as explained by guitarist/singer ParkerAllen. Undoubtedly their most immediate record, but without sacrificing the mortalconsequences or thrills of their past. The danger and vigor remains, the spring is wound eventighter. It’s evidence of the band’s growing confidence, but speaks most clearly to the strength ofthe songs. Producer Craig Ross articulated this strength through his own experience of workingon ‘Chronophage’: "When I would run into a block, in terms of arrangement, the narrative of therecord told me exactly what to do. I realized I just had to stick to the record, it has all theanswers."‘Chronophage’ is released simultaneously by Post Present Medium (US) and Bruit Direct(Europe). TRACKLIST: A1 Love torn in a dream A2 after a storm A3 swimmer A4 summer to fall A5 cop in psyche B1 spirit armor B2 old city back again B3 black clouds B4 burst the shell B5 fear + agony Dooms horn
12” black vinyl, lyrics insert, edition of 250. Let’s Whisper started many moons ago as a home recording project between Colin Clary and Dana Kaplan, during time off from their other outfit, The Smittens. Since then, the line up of the Vermont outfit has expanded, and now includes Brad Searles, The Essex Green’s Jeff Baron and Emma Kupa of Mammoth Penguins/Standard Fare. In addtion, Jeff’s bandmate from The Ladybug Transistor, Gary Olson, produced, engineered, plays trumpet and sings on the record. The In-Between Times is a leap forward for Let’s Whisper, taking the lush orchestration familiar to fans of The Essex Green and Ladybug Transistor. It’s a tender, brave, and earnest album, exploring grief, gender, and goodbyes. The times between pronounced transitions: life and death, pre- to post-testosterone, the storm to the calm after. Tracklist: A1) You Are Loved A2) The Thing That Defines You A3) Sing! A4) Simple Times A5) Hey You A6) This Might Not Be A Crush A7) 40 Ways To Love You B1) Balloon In The Sky B2) Long Run B3) I Don’t Know What I Would Do Without You B4) Hey There B5) When We Were Young B6) The Year Of Getting High
Black Vinyl[39,45 €]
Originally released in 1995, this reissue edition is becoming available as
180g Double 12" Black Vinyl LP, along with a Limited Collector's Edition
on Heavyweight Red Double Vinyl
Both editions are mastered for vinyl, reissued with the original cover design,
specially enhanced artwork, including a 16-pages LP booklet with extensive liner
notes by Clay Marshall and carry an exclusive, previously unreleased live bonustrack. Exclusive to the Limited Collector's Edition is a 1996 European Tour Poster
Replica.
LP Red LP Tracks: Overture / Sarajevo / This Is The Time (1990) / I Am /
Starlight / Doesn't Matter Anyway / This Isn't What We Meant / Mozart And
Madness / Memory (Dead Winter Dead Intro) / Dead Winter Dead / One Child /
Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/14) / Not What You See / The Storm - This Is The
Time (Live in Neu Isenburg 1997) (Bonus Track)
LP Tracks: Overture / Sarajevo / This Is The Time (1990) / I Am / Starlight /
Doesn't Matter Anyway / This Isn't What We Meant / Mozart And Madness /
Memory (Dead Winter Dead Intro) / Dead Winter Dead / One Child / Christmas
Eve (Sarajevo 12/14) / Not What You See / The Storm - This Is The Time (Live in
Neu Isenburg 1997) (Bonus Track)
Red Vinyl[39,45 €]
Originally released in 1995, this reissue edition is becoming available as
180g Double 12" Black Vinyl LP, along with a Limited Collector's Edition
on Heavyweight Red Double Vinyl
Both editions are mastered for vinyl, reissued with the original cover design,
specially enhanced artwork, including a 16-pages LP booklet with extensive liner
notes by Clay Marshall and carry an exclusive, previously unreleased live bonustrack. Exclusive to the Limited Collector's Edition is a 1996 European Tour Poster
Replica.
LP Red LP Tracks: Overture / Sarajevo / This Is The Time (1990) / I Am /
Starlight / Doesn't Matter Anyway / This Isn't What We Meant / Mozart And
Madness / Memory (Dead Winter Dead Intro) / Dead Winter Dead / One Child /
Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/14) / Not What You See / The Storm - This Is The
Time (Live in Neu Isenburg 1997) (Bonus Track)
LP Tracks: Overture / Sarajevo / This Is The Time (1990) / I Am / Starlight /
Doesn't Matter Anyway / This Isn't What We Meant / Mozart And Madness /
Memory (Dead Winter Dead Intro) / Dead Winter Dead / One Child / Christmas
Eve (Sarajevo 12/14) / Not What You See / The Storm - This Is The Time (Live in
Neu Isenburg 1997) (Bonus Track)
Black Vinyl[31,30 €]
Originally released in 1997, this reissue edition is becoming available as
180g Double 12" Black Vinyl LP, along with a Limited Collector's Edition
on Heavyweight Transparent Orange Double Vinyl
Both editions are mastered for vinyl, reissued with the original cover design,
specially enhanced artwork, including a 12-pages LP booklet with extensive liner
notes by Clay Marshall and carry an exclusive, previously unreleased live bonustrack. Exclusive to the Limited Collector's Edition is a Lenticular Cover Card.
LP Tracks: The Ocean / Welcome / Turns To Me / Morning Sun / Another Way /
Blackjack Guillotine / Paragons Of Innocence / Complaint In The System
(Veronica Guerin) / Underture / The Wake Of Magellan / Anymore / The Storm /
The Hourglass / Turns To Me (Live in Neu Isenburg 1997) (Bonus Track)
LP Tracks: The Ocean / Welcome / Turns To Me / Morning Sun / Another Way /
Blackjack Guillotine / Paragons Of Innocence / Complaint In The System
(Veronica Guerin) / Underture / The Wake Of Magellan / Anymore / The Storm /
The Hourglass / Turns To Me (Live in Neu Isenburg 1997) (Bonus Track)
Orange Vinyl[38,87 €]
Originally released in 1997, this reissue edition is becoming available as
180g Double 12" Black Vinyl LP, along with a Limited Collector's Edition
on Heavyweight Transparent Orange Double Vinyl
Both editions are mastered for vinyl, reissued with the original cover design,
specially enhanced artwork, including a 12-pages LP booklet with extensive liner
notes by Clay Marshall and carry an exclusive, previously unreleased live bonustrack. Exclusive to the Limited Collector's Edition is a Lenticular Cover Card.
LP Tracks: The Ocean / Welcome / Turns To Me / Morning Sun / Another Way /
Blackjack Guillotine / Paragons Of Innocence / Complaint In The System
(Veronica Guerin) / Underture / The Wake Of Magellan / Anymore / The Storm /
The Hourglass / Turns To Me (Live in Neu Isenburg 1997) (Bonus Track)
LP Tracks: The Ocean / Welcome / Turns To Me / Morning Sun / Another Way /
Blackjack Guillotine / Paragons Of Innocence / Complaint In The System
(Veronica Guerin) / Underture / The Wake Of Magellan / Anymore / The Storm /
The Hourglass / Turns To Me (Live in Neu Isenburg 1997) (Bonus Track)
Tarja Turunen ist seit 2005 auf Solopfaden unterwegs. Die ehemalige Sängerin der finnischen SymphonicRock-Formation Nightwish nennt sich seither nur noch Tarja und hat inzwischen zahlreiche Alben veröffentlicht.
Ob klassisch, live eingespielt oder farbenfroher Symphonic Rock, mit ihrem englischsprachigen Rockdebüt My Winter Storm” legte sie bereits 2007 den Grundstein für ihren späteren Soloerfolg.
Die stilistisch abwechslungsreiche Platte erreichte in Deutschland Platz 3 der Albumcharts und wurde mit
Gold ausgezeichnet. Im Zuge des Jubiläums wird der Album-Opener ”I Walk Alone” als limitierte 10-ZollSonderedition auf weißem Vinyl veröffentlicht.
Der fast meditative, von Metal-Gitarren und symphonischem Orchester untermalte Track zu Beginn gipfelt
in einem eingängigen und monumentalen Hardrock-Refrain, dem Tarja die funkelnde Gesangskrone aufsetzt.
Neben der ”Single Version” und der ”Artist Version” enthält die 10inch-Single drei weitere Mixversionen
des Songs: Den markanten ”In Extremo Remix” mit den typischen Sounds der deutschen Mittelalterband,
den stark elektronisch angehauchten ”The Tweaker Remix” und den wahrhaft düsteren ”The Darkroom
Mix” von Deviousnoise.
I Walk Alone” stammt übrigens aus der Feder des erfolgreichen schwedischen Songwriter-Teams Wollbeck/Lindblom/Sommerdahl (das u.a. auch für Tina Arena, den Jazzer Till Brönner oder Südkoreas Girls’
Generation arbeitete).
- A1: Round 1. Como Si Estuviera En El Espacio (Like If I Was Out Of Space)
- A2: Round 2. Aro Es Azul (Aro Means Blue)
- A3: Round 3. Me Gusta Meshell (I Like Meshell)
- B1: Round 4. Ya Vienen Les Misak (The Misaks Are Coming)
- B2: Round 5. Esto No Es Un Party (This Is Not A Party)
- B3: Round 6. Sale El Sol, Tranqui! (The Sun Is Coming Out, Chill)
This album records a mystic standoff between Shahzad Ismaily on drums and Niño Lento es Fuego on electric guitar, featuring hypnotic synth storms and spiritual beats brewed into a heavy healing trance. “It was like having that conversation that we never really had,” says Niño Lento es Fuego (a.k.a guitarist Camilo Rodriguez), “‘cause he’s shy, and me too.” Niño Lento and Shahzad Ismaily – multi-instrumentalist, producer and studio owner – have been circling each other for years. They are both legendary players and leaders in their own right who have built many musical worlds in Brooklyn. Ismaily records and performs with artists such as Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Tom Waits, Laura Veirs, Sam Amidon, Ceramic Dog, Secret Chiefs 3, John Zorn, Will Oldham and Nels Cline. Rodriguez is a NY-based guitarist and percussionist who co-founded Combo Chimbita, M.A.K.U Soundsystem, Bulla en el Barrio, and Carolina Oliveros y la Nación along with fellow Colombians in New York. He also performs with La Cumbiamba eNeYé, where he first met Ismaily. On September 22, 2022, Figure & Ground releases Ahora Contra el Resto de los Tiempos, Vol. 1, an exploratory and improvisational project comprising six original tracks composed in real time by Shahzad Ali Ismaily (drums) and Niño Lento es Fuego (electric guitar). Produced, recorded and mixed by Lily Wen, the duo recorded guitar and drums live in the room at Figure 8 Recording.
Ali Farka Touré trekked the world, bringing his beloved Malian music to the masses. Dubbed "the African John Lee Hooker," one could hear strong connections between the two; both employed a bluesy style of play with gritty textures that elicit calm and fury in equal measure. While the influence of Black blues music prevailed, Touré created a West African blend of 'desert blues' that garnered Grammy awards and widespread reverence. Though he transcended in 2006, Ali's musical legacy lives on through his son, Vieux aka "the Hendrix of the Sahara," an accomplished guitarist and champion of Malian music in his own right. On Ali, his collaborative album with Khruangbin, Vieux pays homage to his father by recreating some of his most resonant work, putting new twists on it while maintaining the original's integrity. The result is a rightful ode to a legend. Ali isn't just a greatest hits compilation. It's a lullaby, a remembrance of Ali's life through known highlights and B-sides from his catalog. It is a testament to what happens when creativity is approached through open arms and open hearts. "To me, music is magic, it is spontaneous, it is the energy between people," Vieux says. "I think Khruangbin understands this very well." The genesis of the album dates back to 2019, when Khruangbin, coming off their breakthrough album Con Todo el Mundo, was beginning to playto bigger crowds. The record was finished in 2021, as a global pandemic shuttered businesses and forced us to take stock of what Earth was becoming. Indirectly, Ali captures this as a moment of peace within a raging storm, a conversation between past and present without allegiance to suffering. Now, given Khruangbin's reach as a unit with legions of fans (including the likes of Jay-Z and Paul McCartney), they're poised to bring Malian music to broader groups of listeners. Ali is a masterful work in which the love surrounding it is just as vital as the music itself, driving it to unforeseen places; Vieux and Khruangbin are spreading the good word to a completely new generation. "I hope it takes them somewhere new, or puts them in a place they haven't felt or heard," Lee says. "It is about the love of new friendship and making something beautiful together," Vieux continues. "It is about pouring your love into something old to make it new again. In the end and in a word it is love, that's all."


















