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When we last heard from Southern California's rock n' roll sorcerers Death Valley Girls, band orchestrator and mastermind Bonnie Bloomgarden was summoning the element of water and celebrating its tempestuous power on the triumphant 2023 single "I Am a Wave." Surrounded by a new cast of supporting musicians, Bloomgarden returns from a brief hiatus to pay homage to the magic of celestial bodies and to honor yet another classical element on a new two-song single. On side A, Death Valley Girls cover the Fleetwood Mac track "Sisters of the Moon," harnessing the original version's witchy mystery while bolstering its thunderous chorus by beefing up its ominous riffage. Bloomgarden's channeling of Stevie Nicks is downright eerie, pulling off such s striking timbral similarity you might almost mistake this rendition as a more electrified and tripped-out alternate take from the original Tusk sessions. On the flipside, Death Valley Girls pay reverence to the element of fire by taking on the Link Wray classic "Fire and Brimstone," summoning the original's swagger while transforming its tent-revival stomp into a mash-up of Phil Spector's girl-group majesty, Motown's hip-shaking soul, and punk's bombast. Surrounded by an ensemble of like-minded celestial witches, Bloomgarden takes Death Valley Girls' sound to new heights while elevating two beloved `70s tunes into modern day religious experiences.

It is with a certain sadness for his fans across mediums that Donald Glover has declared Bando Stone and the New World the last Childish Gambino album. The ostensible soundtrack to a feature-length movie of the same name, the hour-long project includes snippets of dialogue that hint at the film’s apocalyptic subject matter. The fact that the soundtrack is preceding the actual film is part of Glover’s strategy: He wants listeners to work to figure out what they’re listening to. “The soundtrack forces the audience to participate in a way that I don't feel like most things force you to participate,” he says. “It forces you to have an imagination. I already see people being like, 'This is very cinematic, this must be the part that... This feels like a credit sequence.' A lot of stuff feels flat because it's not asking you to participate. Art used to be you had to participate on some level and have some sort of thought process on it. You can't just be like, 'Oh, this is mid.'” Even without the benefit of the full visuals, these 17 tracks make for a satisfying swan song that synthesizes what came before with fresher ideas gleaned from the threshold of finality.

Big new release by Peter Van Hoesen! Continuing his exploration of intricate techno systems, their effect and direct perimeter of action, Peter van Hoesen turns in his newest four-track piece, ‘Prime Directive’: a fascinating dive into the artist’s shape-shifting headspace and inner creative chaos.

Fuelled on a furnace-hot mix of abstract-leaning immersion and hi-octane rhythmic thrust, ‘Prime Directive’ looks at contemporary techno from the angle of experimentation and intuitive abandon. The result comes in the form of four distinct movements, each carving out their own logic and associated behaviour out an endless pool of potentialities. Here comes chaology unfolding in all its unadulterated, visceral glory.

‘Definition by Absence’ breaks the trip in to the sound of a faux-random symphony: its train-like swing and fiery bass seesaw coalesce through an elliptic fluttering of sorts, iterative and not, patterns moving in and out of synchronicity as van Hoesen applies more or less pressure on both ends. All in gusty in-your-face-ness, ‘Variables Edit 1’ whirls and swirls like an ominous vengeance of nature; Its puncturing kicks and whistling menace set against stellar winds and rabid machinery on the prowl for its next victim.

An even more unsettling piece of disjointedly arrhythmic, anti-club music for the dance floor, ‘Prime Directive’ will have you zoning out like a bad dream, flush with metronome-faced monsters and molten clocks hanging from dead trees. ‘Morphology’ could be PVH’s attempt at giving his concepts a carnal carcass to hold onto. Here, rhythm becomes somewhat less erratic, offering his 360-degree vision more melodic surface and actual room for dispersion. One to keep the boundaries pushed and status-quo challenged, this is techno at its most entrancingly bold and fearless.

*This new four-track epic from Peter van Hoesen comes draped in a fine piece of artwork courtesy of Atact, and pressed according to our standards in 180g audiophile quality so you get to experience the Belgian master's chiselled sound design in all its glory.

The Ibex Band, with Giovanni Rico and Selam Woldemariam at the creative helm, provided the musical backbone for legends like Aster Aweke, Girma Beyene, Tilahun Gessesse, Mulatu Astatke, and Mahmoud Ahmed, including the iconic album Ere Mela Mela, shaping modern Ethiopian music as we know it today. This 1976 album (Ge’ez Year 1968) played a pivotal role in that legacy and has now resurfaced to set the record straight.

There’s a tendency to talk about the seventies as a golden age of Ethiopian music. There are good reasons for that, and just as good reasons against it. However, the notion of a golden past privileges the role of Western explorers and suggests that the pinnacle of Ethiopia’s musical culture is something only a foreigner can appreciate and unearth. It downplays the complexities of Ethiopia’s culture and history, creating an artificial divide between then and now. And it underestimates the constantly evolving sound that has followed.

The legendary musical outfit The Ibex Band, later metamorphosed into The Roha Band, has played a central role in defining the sound of many of the greatest stars on the music scene of Ethiopia from the mid-seventies onwards–but their golden output has never really waned. The story of the origins of the band that provided the musical backbone for greats such as Aster Aweke, Girma Beyene, Tilahun Gessesse, backing the solo career of group member Mahmoud Ahmed as well as backing Mulatu Astatke and many others has yet to be properly told.

Two misconceptions plague the image of Ethiopian music, one is that the music is pure because it is, by some notion, unexploited, the other is that it is all traditional. To begin with, a combination of political changes between the late sixties and the mid-nineties created an environment where only the most dedicated and skilled musicians struggled on and pursued a musical career against fierce odds. The whole Ibex Band, with Giovanni Rico and Selam “Selamino” Seyoum Woldermarian at the creative helm, are arguably the origo of the vibrant scene in the mid-seventies, and the said pair are foremost responsible for not only navigating the band through troubled times, but also modernizing the 6/8 chickchicka rhythm to a contemporary form. Giovanni laid the rhythmic foundation with heavy looped basslines that reinvented traditional melodies as dance music, and with Selamino’s innovative guitar work they influenced scores of musicians from Abegaz Kibrework Shiota to Henock Temesgen. Even Giovanni’s Fender bass and Selamino’s Gibson guitar inspired younger musicians in their choice of instruments. Not only in choice of instruments but also in sound–even as the digital revolution hit Ethiopian music, a lot of popular music still took its cue from the masters from Ibex and Roha.

Ibex emerged out of the ashes of the sixties group the Soul Echos band, adding Giovanni and Selamino to their ranks and taking their cues from a slew of influences, such as Motown and The Beatles, fused with traditional music. A tighter-knit unit than most bands at the time – Ibex has remained six to seven members throughout their whole career, compared to many bands that were as large as fifteen or sixteen men strong when Ibex set out. Their playing has been viciously focused, economical yet heavy. Just a year before the recording sessions of the album in your hands, Giovanni and Selamino made a contribution to the popular musical lexicon of Ethiopia that was simply defining the popular sound: their arrangement and recording of bandmate Mahmoud Ahmed’s solo effort and real commercial breakthrough tune and eponymous album, Ere Mela Mela, from 1975.

Selamino has never limited himself to being an adroit lead guitarist, but has always been a scholar of history, and as such he has probably contributed as much to modern Ethiopian music with his guitar playing and compositions as with a deepened understanding of modern or contemporary – Zemenawi – Ethiopian music. Selamino’s contributions serve as a metaphor for those of the whole band, at one and the same time creating and defining a new, danceable and updated sound anchored in Giovanni’s bass, whilst also elevating the broader scene through their support for others on the scene and on top of that, increasing the understanding of the music.

There is an understandable desire to romanticize the musical heyday Ibex and Roha were at the forefront of, because so much of the output is sorrowfully hard to come by. Ibex creativity was nothing short of ridiculously fierce compared to many of their Western contemporaries. Based on their sheer recorded output alone they could have usurped the title “hardest working in show business” from James Brown, recording more than 250 albums or 2500 songs in the seventies and eighties. Some only surface as cassettes today, others were never given full LP release, and some are simply impossible to find today. In the light of that, it’s nothing short of a miracle that the recording Stereo Instrumental Music from 1976 (Ge’ez Year 1968) has resurfaced. Unearthed in perfect condition on a chrome cassette, this is musical history comes alive–to set the future straight. Stereo Instrumental Music was recorded in collaboration with Karl-Gustav Lundgren, a Swedish national working for the Radio Voice of the Gospel. It took two sessions at the Ras Hotel ballroom in Addis Ababa. The Ibex Band was the first band in Ethiopia to employ a four-track recorder for their recording (the first available in the country, lent by Karl-Gustav). Later the same week, Giovanni and Selamino realized that, lengthwise, the recorded material fell short of what they wished for, so they recorded four more tracks in one more session on a single-track recorder. The Ras Hotel and Ghion Hotel, where the Ibex Band held musical residencies were to Ethiopia in general and Addis Ababa in particular what Motown was to the USA and Detroit a few years earlier – a hotbed of musical creativity and showmanship.

The most astonishing thing about Ethiopian music of the last half century is how tradition and modernity are intertwined. Because of this feature, it’s kind of hard to tell when there ever was or when we are in a “golden age”. So much of music from the past has been criminally neglected, but because of the hardships in the past, it would be an oversimplification to say that said past was a golden age. Probably, the golden age is what we are approaching, because for the first time both the past and future are accessible, and the monumental contributions from before can lay a firm foundation for a thriving music scene today. The Ibex Band stands firmly in the past, present and the future. That, if anything, is golden.

The detailed history of Stereo Instrumental Music is in many ways unique. To begin with, it couldn’t have been recorded earlier (there were no four-track recorders available) and it really couldn’t have been recorded afterwards either, at least not in the years directly following, because of the toll the musical scene took from the unfavorable political climate that followed when the nascent Derg regime and rival groups tried to assert themselves, the musical equipment lent from The Voice of Gospel Radio simply disappeared from Ethiopia when the radio station folded in 1977. Karl-Gustav Lundgren,
the Swedish foreign national who assisted during the recording, worked with the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus at the time, recalls how they only had about fifteen minutes to get the microphones in place for the recording as to not alert neither the management at Ras Hotel nor the authorities and most importantly, to complete the recording before the curfew came into effect at midnight. In leaping to the opportunity to use previously unavailable equipment to push their sound forward and improvising to meet the logistical challenges, the Ibex Band displayed the very avant-gardism and adaptability that explains their longevity as a band through the years. The recording of Stereo Instrumental Music is from a given time in history, but it sounds as beyond time.
Much of the energy that burst out of the scene that Stereo Instrumental Music came out of dissipated or got sidetracked during the societal changes Ethiopia went through in the 1970s and 80s. Whilst leaders might have professed to be revolutionary, the work ethic of the Ibex Band can truly be described as that. They never called it quits, but adapted, toured extensively abroad in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, and found ways to work even in the face of the curfew that curtailed a lot of musical life. They even played major arenas in the nineteen eighties, despite said curfew and restrictions. The whole extent of their legacy has never been told, but their music speaks louder than words, so therefore… tune in to the Ibex Band’s Stereo Instrumental Music.

“Trustworthy”. is the meaning of “danama”, this Bambara word from Mali. Believing in oneself, in others, in the word given, in desirable futures. Advocating optimism, momentum towards the future, collective strength and the wise magic of cultural blending… especially during these troubled times of endless wars, of nationalist withdrawals or the abundance of naturals disasters, all encouraged by a carnivorous capitalism?

So confidence, we need tons of it. Maintained by the flame, the phlegm and the stratagem of these afro-groove scientists, without ignoring their sorrows nor the scandals of History. This is the athletic art of Arat Kilo, who remain without question the best ethio-jazz orchestra in France, on the trail of this fifth album recorded in the Spring of 2024. Confidence was also needed to change the way things worked. For all the previous albums, the band came together in the studio to play each track together, all in the same room, in the romantic idea of a warm, lively, organic gesture, in the manner of the great Ethiopian masters of the 60s and 70s.

For Danama, the music was initially collected in tandem: guitar/bass, drums/percussion, saxophone/trumpet, and the two voices. A few new instruments were added along the way : dark synthesizers, a bass clarinet, a tiny guitalélé (similar to the ukulele) and a Malian n'goni (sometimes described as ‘the griot's lute’). Then, and above all, there was the question of experimenting with real sound production, using sound design, multi-track exploration and effects applied to the textures collected over eight days at the Gong studios in Montreuil and OneTwoPassIt in Bagnolet just outside Paris.

In this way the band, all growing up influenced by the hip French Radio Nova's ‘Grand Mix’, were completely free to express their natural taste for fusion between genres. Borrowing from the frantic rhythms of Newark's jersey club, English 2-step or New Orleans brass bands, grafted onto Arat Kilo's musical base: tezeta, the famous minor pentatonic scale typical of Ethiopian jazz, melancholic to perfection. The result is layers of sound, collages of emotions, like the album cover, created by artist Clément Laurentin from multicoloured fragments of posters torn up in the street.

So Arat Kilo are back: The same band, the same collective strength, the same fight for values, their new album “Danama” carries the demand for a better world even further, with words of hope from singer Mamani Keita and the social critique of American MC and poet Mike Ladd ! The result is this luminous voyage down the Danama canal. In all, eleven songs and an instrumental, mixed by Mathieu ‘Gib’ Gibert - one of French band La Fine Équipe's beatmakers - set to drive the crowds wild and remind us how to stick together again.

Low Fuzz is proudly debuting with Avoiding Traps LOWFUZZ001, an album by Georgian musical auteur Rezo Glonti. Created using only Max/MSP and the Soviet-era LOMO MKE-100 microphone, this work marks a departure from Glonti’s traditional approach to sound. Filled with subtle yet unconventional ambient shifts , each track weaves tranquil textures, flavored with vocoder and vocal-driven sounds.
LOW FUZZ is an independent record label, musical platform and event series est. 2022 in Georgia, Tbilisi curated by ESI (Irakli Shonia).
LOW FUZZ is closely affiliated with Mutant Radio and Left Bank in Tbilisi.
The concept started as a collaborative show with Mutant Radio, and it's grown with Left Bank to host regular event series in the club setting. With the proper sound system to showdown and the ability to extend the playtime, LOW FUZZ lines up all sorts of genres and styles to host locals and artists around the globe from time to time

Mit SOMETHING ABOUT APRIL III (SAA III) treibt Adrian Younge das musikalische Franchise mit furchtloser Überzeugung voran und übertrifft seine Vorgänger SAA I und SAA II. Dieses mit Spannung erwartete Album ist der Inbegriff analoger Transzendenz, eine Klangwelt, die von einem 30-köpfigen Orchester, analogen Synthesizern, Breakbeats und brasilianischen Sängerinnen, die psychedelische Melodien auf Portugiesisch singen, angetrieben wird. Ein unverzichtbares Stück der heutigen Vinyl-Kultur.

Tribunal kehren mit ihrem zweiten Album "In Pentinence and Ruin" zurück, einer Elegie voller Trauer und Verlorenheit, die immer tiefer in den feierlichen Abgrund des Kummers hinabsteigt. Das Debüt "The Weight of Remembrance" von 2023 legte die Messlatte für die Kanadier hoch und wurde zu einer der bemerkenswertesten und am meisten gelobten Doom-Veröffentlichungen des Jahres, was Decibel Mag dazu veranlasste, das neue Album der Band in ihre jährliche Liste der am meisten erwarteten Veröffentlichungen aufzunehmen. Tribunal haben sich Zeit genommen und ein Werk von enormer Tragweite geschaffen, das in längst verlassenen Hallen noch lange nachhallen wird.

In Penitence and Ruin" hat sich zu einer vollwertigen fünfköpfigen Band und Live-Einheit entwickelt und bietet einen größeren Zusammenhalt und eine größere Reife, die das Wehklagen der Witwe mit düsteren Streichern, schaurigen Tasten und Schlagzeug, das wie die eiserne Glocke des Schicksals läutet, miteinander verwebt. Diese Elemente schmücken das monolithische Fundament aus erdrückenden Klageliedern und funeralen Melodien, die aus dem Mark der Trauer selbst gehauen sind. Die Dualität zwischen dem wehmütigen, leidenschaftlichen Gesang des Sängers/Cellisten Soren Morne und den gequälten Knurrlauten des Gitarristen/Sängers Etinne Flinn verbindet sich mit entschlossenem Schritt und schreitet voran in die Dunkelheit, auf einem Pfad, der nur durch das fahle Glühen einer fernen Klage erhellt wird.

Tribunal hath wrought a requiem most dire where beauty and ruin become one and in doing have forged a second album beyond expectations, progressive in its embrace of the penitent and eminently listenable as a scripture of loss. Like ivy upon the tombstone, 'In Penitence And Ruin' winds slowly but inexorably towards spectral grandeur and eternal oblivion.

Tribunal kehren mit ihrem zweiten Album "In Pentinence and Ruin" zurück, einer Elegie voller Trauer und Verlorenheit, die immer tiefer in den feierlichen Abgrund des Kummers hinabsteigt. Das Debüt "The Weight of Remembrance" von 2023 legte die Messlatte für die Kanadier hoch und wurde zu einer der bemerkenswertesten und am meisten gelobten Doom-Veröffentlichungen des Jahres, was Decibel Mag dazu veranlasste, das neue Album der Band in ihre jährliche Liste der am meisten erwarteten Veröffentlichungen aufzunehmen. Tribunal haben sich Zeit genommen und ein Werk von enormer Tragweite geschaffen, das in längst verlassenen Hallen noch lange nachhallen wird.

In Penitence and Ruin" hat sich zu einer vollwertigen fünfköpfigen Band und Live-Einheit entwickelt und bietet einen größeren Zusammenhalt und eine größere Reife, die das Wehklagen der Witwe mit düsteren Streichern, schaurigen Tasten und Schlagzeug, das wie die eiserne Glocke des Schicksals läutet, miteinander verwebt. Diese Elemente schmücken das monolithische Fundament aus erdrückenden Klageliedern und funeralen Melodien, die aus dem Mark der Trauer selbst gehauen sind. Die Dualität zwischen dem wehmütigen, leidenschaftlichen Gesang des Sängers/Cellisten Soren Morne und den gequälten Knurrlauten des Gitarristen/Sängers Etinne Flinn verbindet sich mit entschlossenem Schritt und schreitet voran in die Dunkelheit, auf einem Pfad, der nur durch das fahle Glühen einer fernen Klage erhellt wird.

Tribunal hath wrought a requiem most dire where beauty and ruin become one and in doing have forged a second album beyond expectations, progressive in its embrace of the penitent and eminently listenable as a scripture of loss. Like ivy upon the tombstone, 'In Penitence And Ruin' winds slowly but inexorably towards spectral grandeur and eternal oblivion.

As they celebrate a remarkable 20 years as a band in 2025, Mayday Parade are set to release perhaps their most aspirational sort yet: SWEET, SAD, SUGAR, a three-part album showcasing their prolific, emotionally resonant songwriting. The first entry, SWEET, arrives April 18, 2025. Across its eight songs, SWEET succinctly showcases just how far Mayday Parade has come in those years: The trademark sound that’s transformed them from genre newcomers to torchbearers for a new generation is still there, but fans will also nd the band continuing to nudge the edges of their sound outward, whether they’re stomping through reactive alt-rock, crafting wryly sardonic pop-punk, standing up shimmering arena rock, or melding muscular, grungy guitars with electro-pop sweetness. Recorded with longtime producers Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount, SWEET, SAD, SUGAR marks Mayday Parade’s first album since 2021’s What It Means To Fall Apart as well as the band’s first self-released collection.

Following the success of last year’s Walks - their first album of completely original compositions - Group Listening release a new 12” vinyl of Tell Everyone Everything via PRAH Recordings.

The title track and artwork are informed by decay, expiration and musical renewal.

“The title comes from a music festival that happened a few years back in Bristol. A really small DIY festival, called Tell Everyone Everything. I really liked the title - so I stole it. The name stuck in my mind as something very open and positive - a radical action. It could be taken as a proposal for progressive change, or a revolutionary art manifesto,” explains Paul Jones.

“The cover art is a photo that I took a long time ago somewhere on a beach in Sir Benfro (Pembrokeshire). The colours are all weird because it was taken on a very expired roll of Kodachrome. It’s sort of eerie. The bucket and spade had just been left there. It was one of the last ever rolls of Kodachrome to be processed, I snuck it into the developers on the last month they were still open, just before the very last processing plant was shut down forever.”

The release features remixes by both Ancient Plastix (who the duo toured with in 2024) and Loggsplitter. The band were delighted with the results: “I loved watching Ancient Plastix every night and was thrilled when he agreed to remix our song. It turned out great too”, says Stephen. Of the Loggsplitter remix Paul says: “It’s like a hot blast of compressed air travelling across the downs from a ravers airhorn. Lush”

This is the northeast calling, with songs of stillness, reflection, renewal, defiance, hope, classic melodies and, at certain perfectly judged moments, furniture-shifting riffs. With a powerful album shaped by pandemic-era loss (of momentum, and of a band member), and by the wins brought by what singer/songwriter/guitarist Adam Hope describes as a “weight lifted off my shoulders”. With a fresh, front-footed, fired-up approach that owes everything to a band returning to their roots in Wallsend and Newcastle – and, for the first time, making their music entirely on their own independent terms: self-produced and self-confident. “The Big Sad: an album born from the ashes of dark times but representing a beacon of light for the future. An album of honesty and purity, one that our current fanbase sonically may not be expecting. The sound of a band that got tired of slamming on the fuzz pedal to tick the ‘rock’ box and dares to try something new, dares to shock, dares to be great.

We shall never apologise for our love for the work of Steve O'Sullivan. His contributions to the world of dub techno are second to none. They are also mad consistent both in style and quality which means they never age. Here he steps up to Lempuyang with his Blue Channel alias alongside Jonas Schachner aka Another Channel for more silky smooth fusions of authentic dub culture and Maurizo-style techno deepness. Watery synths, hissing hi-hats with long trails and dub musings all colour these dynamic grooves. They're cavernous and immersive and frankly irresistible and the sort of tracks that need to be played loud in a dark space. In that context, you'll never want them to end.

Nach fast zwei Jahren meldet sich Okonski mit „Entrance Music“ zurück - ein Album, auf dem sich das Trio auf dem Höhepunkt seines improvisatorischen Könnens befindet und das Spontane und Meditative zelebriert. Nach dem Debüt „Magnolia“ von 2023 hat der Pianist und Bandleader Steve Okonski seine langjährigen musikalischen Mitstreiter (Durand Jones & The Indications-Bandkollege Aaron Frazer am Schlagzeug und Bassist Michael Isvara „Ish“ Montgomery) für eine weitere Session im Geiste von Künstlern wie The Bad Plus, Gerald Clayton und The Breathing Effect wieder zusammengebracht. Letztendlich ist „Entrance Music“ eine Einladung zu frühen Stunden, in denen die Songs in der Tür verweilen und ihre Anwesenheit ankündigen, bevor sie in die Luft zurückkehren, um sorgfältig in die nächste Runde zu treiben. „Entrance Music“ wurde in einer fünftägigen Session aufgenommen und war eines der ersten Alben, die in Portage Lounge, dem Studio von Terry Cole in Loveland, OH, auf Band gebannt wurden. „Es war ein neues Setup, aber mit Terry hinter den Reglern war es sehr vertraut“, sagt Okonski. „Ich kann nicht genug betonen, wie sehr sich Terry wie ein viertes Mitglied der Band fühlt, wegen des Raums, den er kuratiert, der Energie, die er einbringt, und den Produktionsideen.“ Die Energie und der Sound, die mit dem Colemine-Labelchef am Ruder entstanden sind, sorgen für ein Hörerlebnis, das sich mit den Katalogen von ECM oder Stones Throw messen kann. Während ein Großteil des Debüts auf seine Zeit in New York zurückgeht, fühlt sich „Entrance Music“ „ein bisschen weniger wie ‚auf den Straßen um 2 Uhr morgens‘ und ein bisschen mehr auf der Natur basierend an - ein bisschen mehr ätherisch“, sagt Okonski. „Es ist definitiv das Alter, die Umgebung und die Familie - all das kommt in der Musik durch.“

2025 Repress

Berlin-based Frenchman Alexkid lands on Rawax with ‘Wake Up’, a fantastic new album that explores acid from many different angles.
As an early protagonist in the 90s Parisian electronic music culture, Alexkid has been paving his own path for over two decades. Obsessed with drum-machines since his teens, he is a skilled producer and sound engineer who imbues his productions with real soul and warmth, even releasing his own lauded Ableton Live Plugins. He is a Rex club resident, released albums on Laurent Garnier's legendary F Communications and has also appeared on labels like FUSE London, Rekids, Ovum, Freerange, and
Underground Quality. With this new album he proves once again why he is so well respected by presenting eight acid laced beauties on the infamous Rawax, following appearances from iO (Mulen), Shonky, Enzo Siragusa, Julian Perez, and Diego Krause. 'Kick It' is a bristling, in your face and pricking acid banger with restless 303 lines spraying about above
punchy kicks, the mood switches up for the headier and dubbed out, but still acid laced, 'Le Manteau d'Argent', and 'Tribute' then takes you down a deeper, more shadowy and sparse late night path with a warm, bubbly acid bassline leading the way. Sublime atmospherics characterise the spacious, deeply cosmic 'Revolutions' which has contorted drums and bass making you move, followed by the physical force of acid head wrecker 'No Hiss'. The
excellent 'Idle' strips things back to a propulsive drum groove and a molten sub pattern, 'Yussuf Is In Control' is led by the sort of prying, freaky lead synth that is perfect for the afters, 'Your Love Is Fading' is a masterful track of suspensory synths and soulful vocal sounds all fused to a brightly airy house groove making this another fantastically accomplished album from one of the best in the game.



Support by:

Delano Smith, Seth Troxler, Radio Slave, Dan Curtin, Butane, Ian Pooley, Spacetravel, Satoshie Tomiie, Posthuman, Diego Krause, Samuel Deep, Sonja Moonear, Traumer, Akufen, Sakro, Italojohnson, Enzo Siragusa, Laurent Garnier, Dirian Paic, Ryan Crosson, Reiss, Roger Gerresen, Sebo K, Vinyl Speed Adjust, Franck Roger, Mihai Popoviciu, Fabe, Jamie Jones, Raresh

Diese Show dürfen Sie nicht verpassen! Steffi Irmen, der Star des Theaters des Westens (Romeo & Julia / Ku'damm 59), schlüpft in ihre wohl kultigste Rolle: "Die Amme". Und diesmal erfahren wir die wahre Geschichte von Romeo und Julia - und das mit einer gehörigen Portion Humor. Steffi Irmen deckt auf, was Shakespeare uns verschwiegen hat, und sorgt dafür, dass kein Auge trocken bleibt.

Musikalische Highlights inklusive! Mit den größten Hits aus 35 Jahren der Erfolgs-Komponisten Peter Plate und Ulf Leo Sommer - von "Ich bin ich" bis "Vincent". Und natürlich dürfen auch brandneue Songs aus der Feder der beiden nicht fehlen.
Ein Highlight jagt das Nächste, und schon nach wenigen Minuten wird klar: Hier werden die Lachmuskeln trainiert!

Die Premiere steigt am 10.04.2025 - und dann heißt es jeden Freitag im Theater des Westens: "Lachen, weinen und staunen."

Und wenn Sie letztes Frühjahr keine Karten ergattern konnten: Achtung! Die Shows waren in 8 Minuten restlos ausverkauft! Also schnell sein, bevor wieder alles weg ist!

Lustigster Abend des Jahres garantiert - Seien Sie dabei!

35 Years of Evil Existence ist ein Live-Album, das die Essenz von ROTTING CHRIST einfängt. Von Klassikern wie "The Raven", "Demonon Vrosis" und "666" bis hin zu älteren Stücken wie "Among Two Storms" (1997) oder sogar "The Sign of Evil Existence" (1993) ist diese außergewöhnliche Performance, die in der Großartigkeit des Lycabettus Theaters in ihrer Heimat aufgenommen wurde, eine monumentale Hommage an ihre unermüdliche Reise über die Jahre.
Stell dir fast zwei Stunden heftige und unnachgiebige Hingabe vor, eine musikalische Pilgerreise durch ihre geschichtsträchtige Karriere - von den rauen, ursprünglichen Hymnen ihrer frühen Tage bis zur symphonischen und gotischen Grandiosität ihrer jüngsten Kreationen.
Erhältlich auf Vinyl, verewigt diese Veröffentlichung eine Nacht, in der rohe Emotionen und rituelle Intensität in einer Symphonie aus schwarzer Harmonie zusammenfielen. Brüder und Schwestern des Metals, erlebt den wahren Geist des Metals, wie ihn die legendären ROTTING CHRIST verkörpern.

35 Years of Evil Existence ist ein Live-Album, das die Essenz von ROTTING CHRIST einfängt. Von Klassikern wie "The Raven", "Demonon Vrosis" und "666" bis hin zu älteren Stücken wie "Among Two Storms" (1997) oder sogar "The Sign of Evil Existence" (1993) ist diese außergewöhnliche Performance, die in der Großartigkeit des Lycabettus Theaters in ihrer Heimat aufgenommen wurde, eine monumentale Hommage an ihre unermüdliche Reise über die Jahre.
Stell dir fast zwei Stunden heftige und unnachgiebige Hingabe vor, eine musikalische Pilgerreise durch ihre geschichtsträchtige Karriere - von den rauen, ursprünglichen Hymnen ihrer frühen Tage bis zur symphonischen und gotischen Grandiosität ihrer jüngsten Kreationen.
Erhältlich auf Vinyl, verewigt diese Veröffentlichung eine Nacht, in der rohe Emotionen und rituelle Intensität in einer Symphonie aus schwarzer Harmonie zusammenfielen. Brüder und Schwestern des Metals, erlebt den wahren Geist des Metals, wie ihn die legendären ROTTING CHRIST verkörpern.

Debut album for the brand new Greek heavy/power metal band conceived by songwriter and bass player Bill Sam Featuring Travis Wills (Crimson Glory, Infdel Rising), Craig Cairns (Tailgunner, Induction), Rob Lundgren (Reveal, Mystery Moon), Mauro Elias on vocals, and Igor Paspalj (Guitarist of the Year 2020 by Guitar World and Guitar Player magazines) on lead guitar.

Produced by Bill Sam, mixed and mastered by Loz at Fat As Funk Studio.

Cover artwork, LP, CD and booklet art by NobotX (Arch Rival, Hansel, More Than Anything)

Audio alchemist Damian Lazarus continues to redefine the boundaries of electronic music with his fifth studio album, ‘Magickal’.

Renowned for his unparalleled ability to craft transformative sonic journeys, Damian Lazarus is a master of rhythm, melody, and vibration—a true pioneer among his generation’s visionary artists. Damian’s broad depth of experience encompasses a variety of disciplines: tastemaker, selector, label owner, A&R and a Grammy-nominated artist in his own right - each informed by his unique ear for sound. He is chief wizard of the hugely influential and culture-defining Crosstown Rebels label, a globally renowned DJ with a penchant for exotic outdoor locations and a highly regarded recording artist with four albums and a plethora of solo cuts, collaborations and remixes in his sprawling discography.

With his fifth album, ‘Magickal’, Damian steps into his next evolutionary phase, combining his newly found sobriety with a more mature outlook while still pushing boundaries and creating unforgettable moments. At the root of it all is the magical power of togetherness and human connection that only music can facilitate. Driven by this core ethos, Damian continues on his mission to share his heartfelt music, taking the dance floor into unexplored realms of experience, facilitating moments of transcendence, bliss and pure, unadulterated magic.

Damian Lazarus, the avant-garde architect of spiritually nourishing sounds, is joined by a stellar lineup of collaborators on his latest excursion. It’s imaginative and mystical, rhythmically captivating and daring in its own way, as is typical of Damian’s approach. Taking consideration of his past, the album references his previous work to create a tapestry of compositions that tap into the energy of key moments from his discography. Drawing on his existing catalogue creates cohesive through lines and thematically serves as a continuation of previous stories. November’s single, ‘Sunrise Generation’, for instance, works as a companion to ‘Vermillion’, which was recorded by Damian with his band The Ancient Moons and vocalist Moses Sumney back in 2015. ‘Sunrise Generation’, featuring the beautiful vocals of Fink, was Damian’s first major release since his Grammy-nominated 2021 collaboration ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ with Diplo and Jungle, and continues to take inspiration from global gatherings at solstice and those moments of collective awe at sunrise.

Indeed, the album’s themes of mental elevation and psychedelic sonic journeys are evident throughout. Damian channels this energy through tracks like the soulful ‘So Low’, featuring the incredible Zoe Kypri, and the luminous ‘Searchin’, with Jem Cooke, whose collaboration with Damian dates back to ‘Flourish’ (2020) and lead single ‘Into The Sun’. Uplifting is the operative word here, as Damian aims straight for our hearts and inner selves, stripping away the layers to take us on a trip inwards, and out into the ether all at once. There’s a clear nod to Damian’s appreciation of amapiano when he teams up with Ghanaian interdisciplinary healer Jojo Abot on ‘Warrior Dance’. Old friend and inspirer Mathew Jonson brings his virtuoso touch to ‘Are You Dreaming?’, while TEED and A-Trak form an awesome alliance for ‘Falling Down’ with its heartrending vocals. ‘Alive’ features the Bloom Twins, and also additional production from acclaimed producer Mark Ralph, who incidentally worked on Damian’s debut album ‘Smoke The Monster Out’ in 2009 and forms another throughline to the past. ‘Alive’ blends pop sensibilities and song structure with Damian’s inimitable sound - and could become one of Damian’s biggest moments to date. ‘La Hija De Juan Simon’ delves into the Latin energy synonymous with vibrancy and self-expression as Damian teams up with acclaimed Spanish flamenco-influenced duo Mëstiza. On a solo tip, he rolls out with the eight-minute-plus soulful funk flex ‘Why Don’t U’.

In a suitably aligned instance of serendipity, the arrival of ‘Magickal’ comes at a pivotal period in Damian’s life, just as it has been with previous album concepts. Albums made and released during big shifts in his life speak to the correlation between growth, personal evolution, creativity, catharsis and sharing that process musically. The last album ‘Flourish’, for instance, was recorded and released in the space of a few months during the first summer of the global pandemic. As a result, there’s a kind of vulnerability in the music, a subtle story that’s being told with emotional touchpoints that will be relevant to anyone listening. The universal human experience and spectrum of emotions are things almost everyone can relate to. With the enhanced clarity of his sobriety, Damian’s compositions embody the uplifting nature of simply being alive, connected and unified in our love for music and one another.

Day Zero, Damian’s iconic annual festival, is intrinsically linked to ‘Magickal’. It’s the setting for his imagination when producing the music, it’s the launchpad for each year’s kaleidoscopic adventures around the world, and this year’s edition will be the backdrop to the release of ‘Magickal’. As the pinnacle of Damian’s annual experiences, Day Zero marks a vital milestone for his artistry, an extension of his inner realm, carefully curated and created for his global family of lovers and dancers to revel in the awe-inspiring beauty of Mother Nature. Central to the ethos of Day Zero is its sustainability practices and deep consideration for the locality within which it is held. Connections with local elders embolden its depth, cultivating a strongly aligned purpose with the ritual, customs and energy of the land and its people.

‘Magickal’ will be released in the same week as Day Zero, tying the two projects together in a neat dovetail. 12 years since it started, Day Zero continues to play a significant role in the music Damian makes, curates and plays. For him, it’s the epitome of his vision: a stunning natural setting, the very best party people from around the world, an unparalleled lineup of friends and family, high production values, eco-centric policies and music from another dimension. With these interdimensional transmissions, Damian channels his inner alchemist, which, in turn, permeates into the vibrational framework of ‘Magickal’.

Never one to adhere to convention, Damian has opted for a disruptive album release. ‘Magickal’ is to be kept under wraps and then announced and released on Crosstown Rebels on 8th January 2025, bypassing the modern trend of prolonged single drops and ‘tombstone’ album releases. ‘Magickal’ is the embodiment of Damian and his intentional, against-the-grain approach and reinforces the album as a complete artistic statement, offering listeners the full cohesive experience from the very beginning. This is a return to the album as the pinnacle moment and not the afterthought. Singles, edits and remixes will follow the ‘Magickal album’ release, and, of course, there will be a world tour to promote the album (including Glastonbury and Coachella) and a chance to present the album in exciting, innovative and unique ways.

Forever dreaming, a sincere student of magic, new and old, social sorcerer, lover of nature and master of musical wizardry, Damian Lazarus is a potent force. With ‘Magickal’, he reaffirms his place as one of electronic music’s most influential figures, taking listeners on a profound journey into sound, spirit, and connection.

Andrew Red Hand is back on CHIWAX with his 3rd release.
Nostalgia EP is a very personal and intimate release for Andrew.
This beaury will be out end of February!
Highly recommended!

Berlin based Greek artist Georgios Papamanoglou returns to his Deep Series imprint with the ‘Instan Bliss’ EP this March, accompanied by two remixes from Iron Curtis.

Georgios Papamanoglou has been been involved in the underground House and Techno scene since the turn of the millennium, making him mark through his multiple imprints Diaphan Music and Deep Series with releases from himself and other artists such as Nekes and Ekkohaus among others. After a few years hiatus 2023 saw Georgios return to relaunch his Deep Series label with the ‘Dark Path’ EP, featuring a remix from fellow Greek Techno stalwart, XDB. Here he returns with his new project ‘Instant Bliss’ made up of two originals and two remixes from the much loved Office Recordings and Hudd Traxx regular, Iron Curtis.

‘Millions Of Sounds’ opens the release and sees Georgios lay down a bubbling arpeggio lead line, shimmering analogue drums and intricately oscillating synth lines all dynamically evolving and unfolding throughout. Iron Curtis’ ‘Drama Mix’ of ‘Instant Bliss’ follows and sees the German artist employ hypnontic atmospherics, cinematics strings and a choppy bass sequence alongside stripped back drums.

Opening the b-side is Iron Curtis’ second remix the ‘Supersorry Mix’ of ‘Instant Bliss’, this time round laying focus on squelchy 303 licks, crisp breakbeats and an underlying textural tension. Papamanaglou’s original of ‘Instant Bliss’ then completes the package, a nine minune cinematic journey through enchanting strings, polyrhythms and robotic glithes.

"Ko te reo Maori, he matapihi ki te ao Maori" lautet das Maori-Whakatauki (Sprichwort), an dem sich der Aotearoa-Singer/Songwriter Marlon Williams (Kai Tahu, Ngai Tai) bei seinem vierten Soloalbum "Te Whare Tiwekaweka" orientiert hat. Übersetzt bedeutet es "Die Maori-Sprache ist ein Fenster zur Welt der Maori" und drückt Marlons Motivation für sein erstes Te Reo Maori-Album aus. "Durch den Entstehungsprozess dieser Lieder", sagt Marlon, "habe ich eine Möglichkeit gefunden, meine Freuden, Sorgen und meinen Humor auf eine Art und Weise auszudrücken, die sich sowohl deutlich neu anfühlt, als auch mich mit meinen Tipuna Vorfahren und meinem Whenua Land, Heimat verbindet." Diese Verbindung steht im Mittelpunkt von "Te Whare Tiwekaweka", der Marlon wieder mit seiner Familie, seinen Freunden und seiner Heimatstadt Lyttelton zusammenbringt, nachdem er ein Jahrzehnt lang um die Welt gereist ist, um seine Karriere aufzubauen. Das Album stellt einen weiteren Schritt in Marlons Reise mit seiner angestammten Sprache dar. Seine Fähigkeiten in dieser Sprache entwickelten sich in den Stunden, die er mit seinem engen Freund und Co-Autor, dem Rapper KOMMI, verbrachte. Die Sprache brachte sowohl eine neu entdeckte lyrische Ehrlichkeit als auch eine großartige klangliche Vision hervor. Unterstützt von der langjährigen Tourband The Yarra Benders, dem Co-Produzenten Mark Perkins (Te Whanau-a-Apanui), den Sängern von He Waka Kotuia und einer Zusammenarbeit mit Popstar Lorde, durchquert das Album Marlons vertrautes Folk-Country-Bluegrass-Territorium, während er gleichzeitig seine Erkundung poppigerer Gewässer und der inhärenten Rhythmen der Maori-Musik fortsetzt. Das Ergebnis ist eine Sammlung, die zeitgemäß und zeitlos zugleich ist.

Neutral is the no wave / anti-rock duo of Dan Johansson (Sewer Election, Ättestupa, Amateur Hour, etc.) and Sofie Herner (Leda, Enhet För Fri Musik), both with deep connections to the Swedish noise scene. As Neutral, the two smear voice, guitar, organ, and smoldering noise into narcoleptic songs that rewire the strategies of Dome by way of Gate and Mars. Lågliv translates to ‘lowlife,’ an apt metaphor for neutral’s subterranean murk and shambolic discontent that they languidly manifest as a punk dourness emptied of all rock ’n’ roll theatrics. Desperate, demolished, and dejected.

Lågliv was originally published as part of the instantly out of print boxset, On Corrosion - a 10 cassette anthology from 2019 that was housed in a handcrafted wooden box and featuring full albums from Kleistwahr, Neutral, Pinkcourtesyphone, Alice Kemp, She Spread Sorrow, G*Park, Relay For Death, Francisco Meirino, Fossil Aerosol Mining Project, and Himukalt. The collection also stood as the 50th release for The Helen Scarsdale Agency.

Hyldon, Brasiliens hochverehrter Sänger, Musiker und Produzent, hat sich mit Adrian Younge zusammengetan, um ein neues psychedelisches Soul-Album, HYLDON JID023, zu kreieren. Das Duo, das sich von Hyldons bahnbrechenden Arbeiten der 60er und 70er Jahre inspirieren ließ, lässt den Geist dieser Epoche wieder aufleben und schafft gleichzeitig einen modernen Klassiker. Hyldons einzigartige Stimme und lyrische Tiefe, kombiniert mit Younge's innovativer, analoger Produktion, sorgen dafür, dass dieses Album nicht in Vergessenheit geraten wird. JID023 ist eine der letzten Aufnahmen mit Hyldons langjährigem Mitarbeiter und Freund, dem verstorbenen Schlagzeuger Ivan ,Mamao" Conti von Azymuth.

Hyldon, Brasiliens hochverehrter Sänger, Musiker und Produzent, hat sich mit Adrian Younge zusammengetan, um ein neues psychedelisches Soul-Album, HYLDON JID023, zu kreieren. Das Duo, das sich von Hyldons bahnbrechenden Arbeiten der 60er und 70er Jahre inspirieren ließ, lässt den Geist dieser Epoche wieder aufleben und schafft gleichzeitig einen modernen Klassiker. Hyldons einzigartige Stimme und lyrische Tiefe, kombiniert mit Younge's innovativer, analoger Produktion, sorgen dafür, dass dieses Album nicht in Vergessenheit geraten wird. JID023 ist eine der letzten Aufnahmen mit Hyldons langjährigem Mitarbeiter und Freund, dem verstorbenen Schlagzeuger Ivan ,Mamao" Conti von Azymuth.

Mit ihren unberechenbaren Live-Auftritten und Songs wie "Zurück zum Beton" und "Industriemädchen" sorgten S.Y.P.H. Ende der 70er für Furore - als eine der Bands, die rund um Düsseldorfs Ratinger Hof begannen, deutschsprachig zu texten. Die Band brach von Beginn an mit genre-konformistischen Erwartungshaltungen und machte Musik, die sich bei Rock, Punk und Kraut genauso bediente wie bei der Zügellosigkeit des Dadaismus und der Realität des Tagesgeschehens. Nach dem ersten Album und mehreren Singles (wiederveröffentlicht bei Tapete Records im Dezember 2024) produzierte die Band zwei weitere Alben - Pst und S.Y.P.H. (Album 4) - gemeinsam mit CANs Holger Czukay. Von 1978 bis 1981 entstanden neben Tapete Records veröffentlicht beide Alben gemeinsam mit einer Sammlung zuvor unveröffentlichter Raritäten - Punkraut 1978-1981. Auf dieser Compilation wurden rare und zuvor unveröffentlichte Aufnahmen aus den ersten drei Jahren der Bandgeschichte zusammengestellt: Die Songs "Blech" und "Mondpogo", 1978 live performt bei S.Y.P.H.s erstem Konzert im Düsseldorfer Carsch-Haus und fünf Aufnahmen, die zwischen 1978 und 1979 in Solingen entstanden. Außerdem gibt es drei Studio-Aufnahmen aus den Hamburger Container-Studios im Dezember 1981 - Aufnahmen aus einer Zeit, in der "sich die Band sowohl endgültig vom Punk als Musikrichtung verabschiedet hatte, als auch vom Einfluss des zwischenzeitlichen Produzenten Holger Czukay und einen völlig eigenen Stil gefunden hatte." (Kurt Dahlke, DAF)

On April 4th, Brighton-based Australian vocalist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Penelope Trappes will release her fifth full-length album ‘A Requiem’. It comes alongside news of her signing to London imprint, One Little Independent Records. ‘A Requiem’ collects ten haunting, ambient soundscapes - incantations of dreams and nightmares, of death and grief, as well as power and autonomy. Carnal, transcendent cello drones are used to exorcise historical and generational traumas in an evocative and macabre piece of gothic experimentalism.

Seeking solitude for what she knew would be an intense and cathartic writing experience, Trappes travelled to Scotland and isolated completely. Amidst meditative and psychedelic states, she channeled demons and accessed parts of herself she’d long desired to cleanse. During candle-lit recording sessions she found herself drawn to cello, an instrument she has no formal training in, she explains, “I always felt an affinity toward the cello, I embraced it, held it, and became one with it as a way to accompany my voice. The nerve-like strings of the cello became external chords of my vocal folds… I scratched on them, leaned into them, and conjured all of the textures I could muster”.

‘A Requiem’ is a musical service in honour of the dead, a sanctuary Trappes built for herself to explore familial chaos and history. “I was looking for an equilibrium between a ‘heaven' and a ‘hell’” she explains, “screaming out to the wisdom of our foremothers - surfacing and leading me into true strength and beauty. I listened to the sorrow closely. Death is a part of our reality. Inevitable. Omnipresent. But nightmares can be beautiful”.

She continues, “This album is my personal requiem for my parents, my ties to the land where I was born, along with all of my epigenetically connected ancestors before them. The songs helped me summon up the strength to move through my own awareness of mortality, death, and impending loss. This album is a living funeral. It’s a ceremonial collection of music. It’s an externalising of the power and strength to fight the generations of abuse and darkness that my parents self-admittedly played out in their parenting and to keep it away from my own social patterns and my psyche. It’s not an uncommon thing in the world and this lamented warcry goes out to everyone to help exorcise patriarchal, political, and religious systems of abuses of power”.

Mit ihren unberechenbaren Live-Auftritten und Songs wie "Zurück zum Beton" und "Industriemädchen" sorgten S.Y.P.H. Ende der 70er für Furore - als eine der Bands, die rund um Düsseldorfs Ratinger Hof begannen, deutschsprachig zu texten. Die Band brach von Beginn an mit genre-konformistischen Erwartungshaltungen und machte Musik, die sich bei Rock, Punk und Kraut genauso bediente wie bei der Zügellosigkeit des Dadaismus und der Realität des Tagesgeschehens. Nach dem ersten Album und mehreren Singles (wiederveröffentlicht bei Tapete Records im Dezember 2024) produzierte die Band zwei weitere Alben - Pst und S.Y.P.H. (Album 4) - gemeinsam mit CANs Holger Czukay. Tapete Records veröffentlicht beide Alben gemeinsam mit einer Sammlung zuvor unveröffentlichter Raritäten - Punkraut 1978-1981.

Mit ihren unberechenbaren Live-Auftritten und Songs wie "Zurück zum Beton" und "Industriemädchen" sorgten S.Y.P.H. Ende der 70er für Furore - als eine der Bands, die rund um Düsseldorfs Ratinger Hof begannen, deutschsprachig zu texten. Die Band brach von Beginn an mit genre-konformistischen Erwartungshaltungen und machte Musik, die sich bei Rock, Punk und Kraut genauso bediente wie bei der Zügellosigkeit des Dadaismus und der Realität des Tagesgeschehens. Nach dem ersten Album und mehreren Singles (wiederveröffentlicht bei Tapete Records im Dezember 2024) produzierte die Band zwei weitere Alben - Pst und S.Y.P.H. (Album 4) - gemeinsam mit CANs Holger Czukay. Tapete Records veröffentlicht beide Alben gemeinsam mit einer Sammlung zuvor unveröffentlichter Raritäten - Punkraut 1978-1981.

Das fünfte, den Durchbruch für Evan Dando bringende, Lemonheads-Album 'It's A Shame About Ray', wird zum 33-jährigen Jubiläum wieder als Single Vinyl in klassisch schwarz mit der Original-Tracklist nachgepresst (mit Download Card für die zusätzlichen Bonustracks der Deluxe Edition von 2022). Beschrieben von Musikjournalist und Autor Everett True als "Ein 30-minütiger Einblick in das, was es heißt, hart und schnell und locker und glücklich mit gleichgesinnten Kumpels zu leben, angetrieben von einer gemeinsamen Liebe zu ähnlichen Bands und Drogen und Alkohol und Freiheit". It's A Shame About Ray" hatte in jenen berauschenden, sorglosen Tagen des Jahres '92 eine beträchtliche Wirkung. Die Platte fängt perfekt Dandos Fähigkeit ein, die Sehnsucht und Lust der Teenager mühelos in einem zweiminütigen Popsong zu verpacken. Singles wie "My Drug Buddy" und der luftig-perfekte Pop des Titeltracks mögen herausstechen, aber die eigentliche Stärke des Albums liegt in den Tracks dazwischen; das wirklich fantastische 'Confetti' (über die Scheidung von Evans Eltern) und die atemberaubend lässige Akustik-Coverversion von 'Frank Mills' (aus dem Hippie-Musical Hair), eine Version, in der jedes Quäntchen Pathos und Gefühl für die verlorene Generation der 1960er mitzuschwingen scheint. Wenn Evan Dando Zeilen wie "I love him/but it embarrasses me/To walk down the street with him/He lives in Brooklyn somewhere/And he wears his white crash helmet" singt, weiß man erst richtig zu schätzen, wie wunderbar und verlockend Popmusik sein kann. Und dann gibt es da noch den Ansturm von Aufsässigkeit und Unverfrorenheit im wunderbar verkürzten 'Bit Part'; das aufgedrehte 'Ceiling Fan In My Spoon'... das war Jungs/Teenager-Popmusik mit Stil auf einem Niveau mit The Kinks, den frühen Undertones und den Wipers. "Ray sounds revelatory in its restlessness, mixing college pop with country flair and relocating Gus Van Sant's Portland atmosphere to New England." Pitchfork *****½ (Download only adiitional extras: 1 Mrs Robinson 2 Shakey Ground 3 My Drug Buddy (KCRW Session, 1992) 4 Knowing Me, Knowing You (Acoustic) 5 Confetti (Acoustic) 6 Alison's Starting To Happen (Acoustic) 7 Divan. Demo Recordings - Download only. 8 It's A Shame About Ray (Demo) 9 Rockin' Stroll (Demo) 10 My Drug Buddy (Demo) 11 Hannah & Gabi (Demo) 12 Kitchen (Demo) 13 Bit Part (Demo) 14 Rudderless (Demo) 15 Ceiling Fan In My Spoon (Demo) 16 Confetti (Demo))

'Wherever You Are' is a new solo piano album, played and composed by John Foxx. Most of the recordings were made at home and in the early hours of morning in the weeks following his rare live performance at Kings Place, London in October 2023, as part of the BBC Radio 3 'Night Tracks' event. 'Around dawn is the best time to play piano,' says Foxx. 'Self-critical mechanisms mostly dormant, so I'm free to invent and enjoy for a while. The piano faces a window overlooking a valley surrounded by hills, where the sun comes up. There's often an early mist in the valley - and quite often, it rains. Some notes and sounds resonate with remembered experiences and you get glimpses of times and people. It's valuable. Quiet. Free association, myriad moments orbiting - and off you go.' He adds: 'Lately I'm realising how we get formed by other people. Everyone we know or knew, who affects the way we think and the way we see things - even in a small way, has a voice, and all those voices remain in a sort of lifelong conversation. I hear them all the time. It's not at all frantic, it's more oceanic - calm and pleasant and it eventually makes us the way we are. Luckily, I seem to have met - and meet - mostly good, generous, bright people and I'm still learning a great deal from all of them. They give you the touchstones, the maps, the weather. It's how we find our way. So - simply, thanks. Wherever you are.'