quête:vario

Some are looking for gold or oil and others are passionately looking for forgotten treasures of music! Those who can be described as "sound gold diggers" criss cross record shops or confidential places to unearth musical nuggets previously kept in the dark. This practice began with sampling in the 80s and has now become a way of safeguarding the world"s musical heritage. With "Diggin" Collection" we invite you to discover Soul, Funk or Disco gems from the 70s and the 80s available in four volumes for your pleasure. Following the success of previous volumes of the Diggin" collection, discover groovy gems with Groove Diggin" : Barbara Mason, Cortex, Maxayn...

Louis' Yowie , laying down their first new music since the release of
"Synchromysticism".

This deluxe Gatefold Double Vinyl edition includes three sides of music, with side four silk-screened with exclusive new artwork by Gumballhead the Cat cartoonist Rob Syers and SKiN GRAFT Records' Mark Fischer. Resting inside the gatefold sit two uncut sheets of 18 collectible Lobby Cards. Each card casts a spotlight on one of the album's performers with a band photo and trivia on the flipside. The
entire package is topped off with a collectible "Footlong" OBI, featuring selling points and review snippets for retail display - and the final product is wrapped in a crystal clear resealable sleeve.

English: Melodies that stay in the ear, with at the same time merciless speed and brutality and always a clear political message – this is what the modern death metal band NECROTTED from Southern Germany stands for now more than 15 years! Founded back in 2008, the band from Abtsgmünd (Baden-Wuerttemberg) has since grown to become a notable force in the scene, constantly thrilling their growing fan base and the music press with both their musical releases and their energetic live shows. In the time of their existence, NECROTTED have already released four albums with ‘Anchors Apart’ (2012), ‘Utopia 2.0’ (2014), ‘Worldwide Warfare’ (2017) and ‘Operation: Mental Castration’ (2021) and two EPs with ‘Kingdom Of Hades’ (2010) and ‘Die For Something Worthwhile’ (2019). In addition, the quintet has played hundreds of live concerts over the years on smaller and bigger stages in various countries. Now, the new album ‘Imperium’ marks another milestone in the band’s history. The LP is once again designed as a concept album and consistently develops the elaborate storyline of its predecessor in a substantial as well as in a visual way. Also, NECROTTED continue to tread experimental parts in a musical way. Their proven recipe of melodic guitar riffs, thundering blast beats and oppressive slams is joined by more and more black metal elements. In the lyrics, which are basically written in English, there are also more and more text passages in the German native language, which are performed as usual in banefully deep growls and strident screams. ‘Imperium’ will be released in September 2023 via the label Reaper Entertainment Europe and will almost certainly leave a resounding echo in the field of contemporary, diversified death metal.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation, in partnership with Rambler Sparkling Water, introduce ‘Texas Wild’, a standout album featuring Texas musicians as they pay tribute to classic Texas tunes showcasing that untamed spirit found only in Texas music.

Produced by Texas singer songwriter Walker Lukens (The Song Confessional, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Darkbird, Coco Zandi), ‘Texas Wild’ is a standout album that blends the sounds of traditional Texas genres like blues, cumbia, and country with modern sounds like hip-hop, R&B and electronica, sure to please old school country fans
and new listeners alike.

Block print album art created by Texas artist, Mishka Westell.

Featuring covers of classic Texas songs by Texas musicians including Toadies, Fat Tony, Shaky Graves and Sir Woman.

Sales from the album will benefit Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation.

'A joint venture label release covering 80s synth pop classics over 2LPs at an incredible price! . The likes of Ultravox, Paul Hardcastle, Japan, Soft Cell, The Human League, Aha, Jan Hammer, Harold Faltermyer, Yello, The Cure, OMD and many many more

Taking up the gauntlet thrown down by New York's no wave scene, many Italian bands of the early '80s, playing far from the footlights of the world's stage, began creating compelling, and often cutting edge, hybrid sounds. This kind of experimenting soon went viral along the entire peninsula: from Southern Italy to the Alps, creating a brave new Italian take on post-punk. From the nervous white funk of Neopolitans Bisca, to the instrumental explorations of Confusional Quartet, to the "fake jazz" of the Hi-Fi Bros (who even had a track produced by Arto Lindsay), to Band Aid, this collection testifies to one of the most creative periods of the Italian underground. Also features: Eazycon, Modern Model, Die Form, Funkwagen, Nofun, Hakkah, Illogico, Rinf, and State Of Art. Includes CD; CD features the previously unreleased bonus track by La Maison, "Noise Express".

On its fifth Various Artists EP, On Board Music welcomes the prolific, techno-meets-drum & bass artist ASC for a weighty, stepping collaboration with Semblance. Nuversion contributes a groovy dub-influenced cut that will slide easily into both techno and house sets. On the B-side, the inimitable Polygonia displays her delicate, melodic touch with the sublime “Veluo,” before Morphing Territories closes out the record with a pitch-black modular techno roller. All together, Point E is a well-rounded record which does justice to the range and quality of sounds that On Board has been pushing since 2015.

NOAR is a young collective of enthusiasts in electronic music from Dresden.

The aim is to bring locals from dresden and eastern germany on the screen of like minded people. The scene is bursting with talents and audiophiles of several generations and therefore we want to give these talents a platform and make their output accessible to like-minded people.

‘Clone Scratch’ by Friedrich Ernst comes with a distinct electro vibe for build ups in a club and vocals in dreamy watery manner reminds us what’s up to us.

‘locknr01’ by The Isolator gives us a cold industrial goosebumps. A whole factory is under pressure performing that straight electro tune while heavy strings foreshadow its collapse. Here and there screws turn out of the steel beams, soft like bubbles. You have to take cover to avoid being shot.

A3 by Anachronism follows straight up. ‘Lost Control by Distance’ shows us what unconsciousness feels like. In this breakbeat thunderstorm we are sitting in a crashing airplane not quite ready for what's coming next.

With ‘Establishment’ the thunderstorm lightens and suddenly soft sunrays from Planetary Secrets come through the cloud cover. You are dreaming with soft melodies warming up your face while your body is moving to uk influenced breakbeat.

The duo KAWA KAWA is making their release debut with B2. This track clearly serves you on peak times with lovely and rough vocals while its energy easily lets you understand what a desire means.

The EP is finished with a fast electro belter from Otis Key. With it’s minimalistic approach
‘Copy Natural Processes at the Nanoscale’ lets you dive into the grid of existence with your electron microscope. From time to time you can see light coming from underneath with cold strings layered between the rhythm.
Dude what if...Is it… the matrix?

“Stax Christmas” brings together 12 holiday classics from the legendary Stax Records, with favorites by Isaac Hayes (The Mistletoe and Me), The Staple Singers (Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas), Rufus Thomas (I’ll Be Your Santa Baby), Albert King (Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin’) and more. Also included is an alternative mix of “Merry Christmas Baby” by Otis Redding and a newly unearthed version of the classic “Blue Christmas” sung by Stax recording artist Carla Thomas.

Stelios Vassiloudis enters an inspiring new phase as he unveils his sophomore LP All Else Fails available March 25th via Balance Music.

Hailing from Athens, Greece, Stelios Vassiloudis poses a triple threat as a composer, producer and DJ. Having been active in the electronic music scene since the early 2000s he has cultivated his own brand of distinctive ambience reflective of his rich and diverse musical background; transcending the dance floor via an emotional narrative of complex soundscapes, intricate harmonies and hypnotic rhythms. Over the past decade Stelios has released music under various other monikers, yet this new endeavour is his most diligent to date - allowing him to rediscover his love for making music during the process, "I'm more hopeful, inspired and determined than ever before."

Ten years on from the release of his debut LP, Stelios' detail-oriented offerings remain incomprehensibly thought-provoking and thorough with this new album. Noticeably dissimilar to any previous efforts, Stelios consciously took a step back from the pressure of maintaining a steadily flowing supply of functional, club-oriented music and as the world stood still amidst the pandemic, he embraced the opportunity to reconnect and express himself with a broader musical vocabulary. He admits that: "with the world around us seemingly on the fast track to Armageddon, the music ended up being very much reflective of the sadness and helplessness I felt."

All Else Fails is a stimulating odyssey to anyone listening. Harmonically dense, arcadian glistens seep throughout the ten tracks, each complementary to the next. Bask in the wistful iridescence and you won't be disappointed.

Stelios carved his way into electronic music by traversing around the globe as a DJ and performer - performing at intimate underground bars in Beirut, festivals in Miami, after-hours in Tokyo, beaches in Goa and mega clubs in Argentina. Having developed a formidable discography on esteemed labels such as Bedrock, Poker Flat, Ovum, Constant Sound and Darkroom Dubs, among others, Stelios' studio prowess and coveted productions cemented his reputation as a versatile and acclaimed artist. His intense passion and drive for innovation in music serves as the fuel to keep him inspired and relevant, qualities that no doubt ensure his reputation as an artist of the highest calibre, will endure.

Curated by 78-rpm record collector Pat Conte, The Secret Museum of
Mankind: Atlas of Instruments - Fiddles, Vol 1 continues the legendary
series and seeks to show the diverse range of fiddle sounds and styles
developed and practiced across the globe
The compilation, drawn from Conte's pioneering and remarkable personal
collection of 78- rpm discs recorded in the 1920's-1950's, presents fiddle music
recorded across the world from Crete to Madagascar, Mexico, England, Sicily,
Norway, India, the USA, Cape Verde, China and more.
The album is available via digital download and on vinyl, in a beautiful gatefold
package. It includes a liner notes booklet by curator Pat Conte, original drawings
of rare and unique fiddles in Conte's collection, by artist Jeff Tocci, and beautifully
remastered audio by Don Fierro. Additionally, the interior gatefold design features
a selection of historic images of fiddlers, also curated by Conte and drawn from
his collection.

Call Me By Your Name, the film by Luca Guadagnino, is a sensual and transcendent tale of first love, based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman.

Summer of 1983, Northern Italy. An American Italian is enamored by an American student who comes to study and live with his family. Together they share an unforgettable summer full of music, food, and romance that will forever change them.

The film received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for Chalamet, Hammer and Stuhlbarg's performances, Guadagnino's direction, and the screenplay. Call Me By Your Name won a variety of awards, including an Academy Award, BAFTA, GLAAD and the 23rd Critics' Choice Award amongst others. Sufjan Stevens' song "Mystery of Love" was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Luca Guadagnino wanted the film's music to be connected to Elio, a young pianist who likes to transcribe and adapt pieces to get close to Oliver. The music is used to reflect the time, the characters' family, level of education and "the kind of canon they would be a part of."

Guadagnino found himself resonating with Sufjan Stevens' lyricism through his work and initially asked Stevens to record an original song. Eventually, Stevens contributed three songs to the soundtrack: "Visions of Gideon", which was used at the end of the film, "Mystery of Love," which was featured in the film's first trailer, and a new rendition of "Futile Devices" with piano. Stevens penned the songs by using the script, the book, and the conversations with the director about the characters. It marks Sufjan Stevens' first soundtrack for a feature film.

Call Me By Your Name is available as a limited edition of 15.000 copies on "Velvet Purple" coloured vinyl. The 2LP is housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with rainbow laminate finish and includes printed innersleeves, an insert with movie stills, and a poster.

Call Me By Your Name, the film by Luca Guadagnino, is a sensual and transcendent tale of first love, based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman.

Summer of 1983, Northern Italy. An American Italian is enamored by an American student who comes to study and live with his family. Together they share an unforgettable summer full of music, food, and romance that will forever change them.

The film received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for Chalamet, Hammer and Stuhlbarg's performances, Guadagnino's direction, and the screenplay. Call Me By Your Name won a variety of awards, including an Academy Award, BAFTA, GLAAD and the 23rd Critics' Choice Award amongst others. Sufjan Stevens' song "Mystery of Love" was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Luca Guadagnino wanted the film's music to be connected to Elio, a young pianist who likes to transcribe and adapt pieces to get close to Oliver. The music is used to reflect the time, the characters' family, level of education and "the kind of canon they would be a part of."

Guadagnino found himself resonating with Sufjan Stevens' lyricism through his work and initially asked Stevens to record an original song. Eventually, Stevens contributed three songs to the soundtrack: "Visions of Gideon", which was used at the end of the film, "Mystery of Love," which was featured in the film's first trailer, and a new rendition of "Futile Devices" with piano. Stevens penned the songs by using the script, the book, and the conversations with the director about the characters. It marks Sufjan Stevens' first soundtrack for a feature film.

Call Me By Your Name is available as a limited edition of 15.000 copies on "Velvet Purple" coloured vinyl. The 2LP is housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with rainbow laminate finish and includes printed innersleeves, an insert with movie stills, and a poster.

The third volume of the most libidinous edit series around is finally landing on the shelves, ready to make even the hardest-to-please clubgoers drenched in sweat on the dancefloor.

The record starts at full speed with "Erotic 707 Sample," an irresistible feast of splashes and drums, just to abruptly transition into a smooth and dreamy mood with the downtempo gem "Tudo Ligado."

The B-side opens with the seductive Disco-House vibes of "Disco Manina," peaking with the anthem "Oh...Money!" - perfect to be sung along while holding hooves.

Still on and about after years of the most intense crate digging, gem mining, desperate head-scratching and avid schooling, thirsty as ever for the next musical thrill to wrap our ears and brains around, here comes the fruit of our life-long love story with Japanese electronics, Denshi Ongaku No Bigaku Vol. 1 and Vol.2. From the soul-fulfilling first crush felt upon hearing the iconic soundtrack of ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’ by Ryuichi Sakamoto onto our release of Inner Science ‘Cosmo Tracks’, through the life-affirming sets of Laurent Garnier at Dijon’s seminal club, l’An-fer, which have at all times nurtured and expanded our taste for Easternmost delicacies, the influence of Japanese music on our vision and endeavours was paramount to the development of our catalogue, whether directly or indirectly.

This first volume gets the ball rolling with a fine assortment of mostly ambient, electronica and deep house-focussed joints. Draped in organic membranes and ASMR-like synth tapestries, K. Inoue’s nu-agey opener ‘Em Paz’ takes us on a ride across the most serene dreamscapes. Jazzing up these lush and oneiric coastal vibes, Gabby & Lopez ‘Drive form the Miracle’ merges a sense of Californian psychedelia with a straight out hard-bop swing. No stranger to our catalogue, Inner Science returns to serve up a crystalline slice of laid-back house on a mystique-imbued tip he holds the secret to. Flip it over and here comes Aquarium with the splendidly immersive ‘Rainy Night in Shibuya’, which very much feels like wandering amidst its neon-upholstered streets and swarming hallways in a bubble of your own.

Naohito Uchiyama treats us to a synth-drenched nocturnal ballad with the ‘80s-inflected vibes of ’Shugetsu’, whereas Keta Ra cuts a path of ethereal sublimation via the mischievously fun and bouncy balearic lounge of ‘equals’. Masterly crafted by Yuu Udagawa, ‘Infinite Possibility’ eases us in a realm where weightless pop and low-slung abstract hip-hop combine to further exhilarating effect. All in harp-driven brittleness and velveteen sub-bass stealth, Noah ‘Gemini - Mysterious Lot’ has us drifting to a lavishly orchestrated headspace, laying down an impressive work on textures and arrangements. All in on the sedated drip-tease flex, Sauce81 ’Sign of Secret Love’ is a blast of freaky hedonism, just as ready to cast its hypnotic spell down the sweatbox as it was upon its original release ten years ago.

Languid jacking house tune ’Tai+Dai’ from Keita Sano blows the winds of discoid luvin’ across the room with its impeccable balance of sharp, glimmering synthwork and driving bass onslaughts from the depths. An odd slice of reshuffled folk music, Waltz ‘Folkesta’ makes for some eerie invitation of sorts, enchanting and spookily haunting in equal measure. Back to a fevered, hip-swaying mindset, Kuniyuki hi-NRG jazz number ‘Free’ is an absolute wonder of piano and drums-driven boogie, cut from the same cloth as some of Blue Note’s finest Cuban jazz classics. Rounding off the package, Japanese legend Ken Ishii’s version of Larry Heard’s house Hall-of-Famer ‘Can You Feel It’ is pure bliss in a can, tailored to turn any crowd into a shapeless cloud of balmy euphoria and universal love, whatever the place or time.

Still on and about after years of the most intense crate digging, gem mining, desperate head-scratching and avid schooling, thirsty as ever for the next musical thrill to wrap our ears and brains around, here comes the fruit of our life-long love story with Japanese electronics, Denshi Ongaku No Bigaku Vol. 1 and Vol.2. From the soul-fulfilling first crush felt upon hearing the iconic soundtrack of ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’ by Ryuichi Sakamoto onto our release of Inner Science ‘Cosmo Tracks’, through the life-affirming sets of Laurent Garnier at Dijon’s seminal club, l’An-fer, which have at all times nurtured and expanded our taste for Easternmost delicacies, the influence of Japanese music on our vision and endeavours was paramount to the development of our catalogue, whether directly or indirectly.

This first volume gets the ball rolling with a fine assortment of mostly ambient, electronica and deep house-focussed joints. Draped in organic membranes and ASMR-like synth tapestries, K. Inoue’s nu-agey opener ‘Em Paz’ takes us on a ride across the most serene dreamscapes. Jazzing up these lush and oneiric coastal vibes, Gabby & Lopez ‘Drive form the Miracle’ merges a sense of Californian psychedelia with a straight out hard-bop swing. No stranger to our catalogue, Inner Science returns to serve up a crystalline slice of laid-back house on a mystique-imbued tip he holds the secret to. Flip it over and here comes Aquarium with the splendidly immersive ‘Rainy Night in Shibuya’, which very much feels like wandering amidst its neon-upholstered streets and swarming hallways in a bubble of your own.

Naohito Uchiyama treats us to a synth-drenched nocturnal ballad with the ‘80s-inflected vibes of ’Shugetsu’, whereas Keta Ra cuts a path of ethereal sublimation via the mischievously fun and bouncy balearic lounge of ‘equals’. Masterly crafted by Yuu Udagawa, ‘Infinite Possibility’ eases us in a realm where weightless pop and low-slung abstract hip-hop combine to further exhilarating effect. All in harp-driven brittleness and velveteen sub-bass stealth, Noah ‘Gemini - Mysterious Lot’ has us drifting to a lavishly orchestrated headspace, laying down an impressive work on textures and arrangements. All in on the sedated drip-tease flex, Sauce81 ’Sign of Secret Love’ is a blast of freaky hedonism, just as ready to cast its hypnotic spell down the sweatbox as it was upon its original release ten years ago.

Languid jacking house tune ’Tai+Dai’ from Keita Sano blows the winds of discoid luvin’ across the room with its impeccable balance of sharp, glimmering synthwork and driving bass onslaughts from the depths. An odd slice of reshuffled folk music, Waltz ‘Folkesta’ makes for some eerie invitation of sorts, enchanting and spookily haunting in equal measure. Back to a fevered, hip-swaying mindset, Kuniyuki hi-NRG jazz number ‘Free’ is an absolute wonder of piano and drums-driven boogie, cut from the same cloth as some of Blue Note’s finest Cuban jazz classics. Rounding off the package, Japanese legend Ken Ishii’s version of Larry Heard’s house Hall-of-Famer ‘Can You Feel It’ is pure bliss in a can, tailored to turn any crowd into a shapeless cloud of balmy euphoria and universal love, whatever the place or time.

Proper full-length outing from Naarm quartet and venerable live show Polito! Though prior associations with Butter Sessions have birthed EP's and compilation appearances, Collapse Phase gathers the most cohesive body of work from the group to date. Self-described as "a meeting of improvised contemporary dance and live improvised techno music, working together to create entrancing performance experiences", the project translates impressively to the long-player format. Holding no pretence with its title, opening cut 'Chuggalug' swirls around the stereo field building upon sustained synth warbles with low-key basslines and breaks propelling the track. As the album progresses from the chug into gridlocked, Mills-ian loops and fast, extra-terrestrial sound design (all swinging 909s + decay), we're also treated to contrasting downtempo acid cuts and dubwise, day-time festival vibes ('Fortune Teller'). 'Nine Lines' layers various patterns in a classy exercise of dancefloor tension building, with an undoubtedly in-the-moment feeling evidencing Polito's live show foundations. Across the board the group showcase their mastering of a kind of addition/subtraction push and pull, but the varying influences in sound design provide an extra layer of depth to the whole thing and cement the Polito brand. On both 'Inside The Sphere' and 'The Sphere Is Collapsing', the dreamier, more reflective edges of 90s IDM are given a nod and these two strike as up there with the best on the album. Head for 'Mercado Waltz' for a super interesting fusion of loopy techno and modular dubstep.

Polito is a collaboration between musicians Robert Downie and Finnian Langham, and dancers Arabella Frahn-Starkie and Hillary Goldsmith.

On Rock Island, their second LP, Palm produces evidence of a distinct musical language, developed over time, in isolation, and out of necessity. On the island, melodies are struck on what might be shells or spines. Rhythms are scratched out, swept over, scratched again. Individual instruments, and sometimes entire sections, skip and stutter. There is the sense of a music box with wonky tension or a warped transmission in which all the noise is taken for signal.

Like other groups so acclaimed for their compulsive live show, Palm has been burdened by the constant comparison between their recorded material and their touring set. On Rock Island, they render this tired discussion moot, using the album form to present that which could never be completely live, reserving for performance that which could never be completely reproduced.

Despite appearing behind the instruments typical of rock music, Palm trades in sounds of their own making. On these songs, one of the guitars and the drum kit are used as MIDI triggers, producing an index that can be combed through later and replaced with new information. The percussion is sometimes augmented so as to suggest a multiplication of limbs. The strings are manipulated to choke, crack, and hum like other instruments, or other bodies, might.

Working again with engineer Matt Labozza, the band spent the better part of a month in a rented farmhouse in Upstate New York. With the benefits of time and space, Palm recorded the various elements piecemeal, only rarely playing together in groups larger than two or three. While some members tracked, others holed up in the next room, experimenting with quantization, beat replacement, and other methods borrowed from electronic music. Even accounting for the many labors that brought them to be, these materials seem produced by an organic logic. Their complex friction forms a habit of thought, scores a network of grooves on the floor of the mind.

This is music with dimensionality. Sonic objects are deployed, developed, and dissected in various states of mutation. The listener flits about between the field and the lab. The tone is warm in a way only the sun could make, the pace as forceful and as variable as a gale. Whether one locates Rock Island in a sea or in a refinished attic (as in Greg Burak's album cover), whether one escapes to there or is banished, its psychic environs are charted clearly enough. Only at this remove from the mainland can we sense the conditions necessary for such a strange species of sound.