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Das eindringliche, grandiose neue Hulder-Album "Verses in Oath", das in den tristen, kalten Monaten des nordwestlichen Winters entstanden ist, stellt die bisher majestätischste, ungezähmteste Manifestation der Band dar, auf der neues Territorium in Brand gesetzt und mit Schwert und Schild erobert wird.

Im Jahr 2022 veröffentlichte Hulder das 5-Track-Mini-Album "The Eternal Fanfare", das eine neue Phase in der rasanten Entwicklung des Projekts einläutete. Die Band setzte die Live-Bühne in Flammen und tourte das ganze Jahr über durch Nordamerika, bis ins Jahr 2023 hinein, wo sie auch zum ersten Mal in Europa auftrat.

Angespornt durch diese edlen Siege wurde der Boden für die Ungeheuerlichkeit von 'Verses in Oath' bereitet. Aufgenommen von Hulder, wurde der Mix und das Mastering der Kultlegende Ahti Kortelainen von den Tico Tico Studios in Finnland anvertraut, dessen überwältigende Liste von Credits sich über Jahrzehnte erstreckt und unter anderem Barathrum, Belial, Impaled Nazarene und Moonsorrow umfasst. Das Ergebnis ist sowohl schonungslos brutal als auch wehmütig beschwörend; schwarzes Blut auf weißem Schnee.

Die uralte, von Trauer erfüllte Melancholie und der brodelnde Geist, die das Wesen von 'Hearken The End' ausmachen, durchdringen das gesamte Album und sind mittlerweile ein grundlegendes Detail in der Identität von Hulder, deren Wurzeln tief in längst vergessenem Boden liegen. Und während die schneidende Grausamkeit und das zerrissene Fleisch von "Vessel of Suffering" und "Enchanted Steel" eine räuberische Barbarei beschreibenwillkommen heißen, ist es die Verbindung all dieser Elemente, die "Verses in Oath" in das zeitlose Pantheon der stärksten Black Metal-Linie stellt.

Während sich der Black Metal in unzähligen Ablegern und Subgenres bis zur Unkenntlichkeit weiterentwickelt hat, ist Hulder fest in der zerstörerischen Vorherrschaft, den Ritualen und Traditionen des Genres verwurzelt und trägt die Fackel seiner Ursprünge und seines Erbes erhaben empor. Und dennoch verblüfft "Verses in Oath" mit dem bösartigen Geist kreativer Autonomie und individueller Freiheit, der notwendig ist, um die wahren Höhen des Genres zu erreichen.

Zum ersten Mal überhaupt wird die Debauchery-Version von "Enemy Of Mankind" auf Vinyl erhältlich sein!
Aufgenommen von Dennis Ward und mit einem exklusiven LP-Cover-Artwork versehen, das von Thomas Gurrath gestaltet wurde.
Die Texte der 11 Songs sind wie gewohnt in Gurraths dunklem Fantasy-Universum, der World of Blood Gods, angesiedelt.

Sepulchral Voice, 12“ LP, black 140g / printed insert, 'Procul His' ist ein unerbittlicher Katarakt aus mäandernden Riffs, der jeden Aspekt früherer Veröffentlichungen erweitert und verbessert. Einzigartig, eindringlich und mysteriös, eine weitere schwarze Manifestation von Drowned's Korpus der auralen Halluzinationen. Drowned haben ein Album produziert, das zwischen versengendem Death-Thrash, treibenden remolo-Noten und doomigen Klageliedern oszilliert und in der Zeit transzendiert: in der Vergangenheit verwurzelt, und doch nach vorne blickend.

The Miserable Rich aus Brighton veröffentlichen mit OVERCOME ihr erstes neues Album seit 2011 auf dem eigenen Label Rags To Ruin. Geboren als Beweis tiefer Freundschaft und Liebe, entstand das Werk mit Produzent/Engineer Wolfgang Gottlieb (Lotte Lindenberg Studio) und Gastmusikern wie Alabaster de Plume, Jack Kendon (Love Supreme Jazz Festival) und Mike Siddell (The Leisure Society, Hope Of The States, Mumford & Sons). Die 12 Songs versprühen den Charme der mit Streichern versehenen, handwerklichen Musik der Band, ergänzt mit Klavier, Elektronik und Blechbläser. Ihren eleganten Sound zwischen Indie-Folk, Kammerpop und New Orleans-Soul beschreibt Sänger James de Malplaquet - vielleicht etwas flapig - als 'irgendwo zwischen Kruder & Dorfmeister und Supertramp, wo wir schon immer hingehören'.

Analogue Productions (Atlantic 75 Series) Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Atlantic Records! 180-gram 45 RPM double LP Mastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analog tape Contains Otis Redding's posthumous hit "Sittin' On the Dock Of the Bay" Appeared on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, rated 161/500! Pressed at Quality Record Pressings Gatefold old-style "tip-on" jacket by Stoughton Printing Hybrid Mono SACD Mastered directly from the original master tape by Bernie Grundman The guts of the story are this: While on tour with the Bar-Kays in August 1967, Otis Redding's popularity was rising, and he was inundated with fans at his hotel in downtown San Francisco. Looking for a retreat, he accepted rock concert impresario Bill Graham's offer to stay at his houseboat at Waldo Point in Sausalito, California. Inspired, Redding started writing the lines, "Sittin' in the morning sun, I'll be sittin' when the evening comes" and the first verse of a song, under the abbreviated title "Dock of the Bay." He had completed his famed performance at the Monterey Pop Festival just weeks earlier. While touring in support of the albums King & Queen (a collaboration with female vocalist Carla Thomas) and Live in Europe, he continued to scribble lines of the song on napkins and hotel paper. In November of that year, he joined producer and esteemed soul guitarist Steve Cropper at the Stax recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee, to record the song. Cropper remembers: "Otis was one of those the kind of guy who had 100 ideas. ... He had been in San Francisco doing The Fillmore. And the story that I got he was renting boathouse or stayed at a boathouse or something and that's where he got the idea of the ships coming in the bay there. And that's about all he had: 'I watch the ships come in and I watch them roll away again.' I just took that... and I finished the lyrics. If you listen to the songs I collaborated with Otis, most of the lyrics are about him. ... Otis didn't really write about himself but I did. Songs like 'Mr. Pitiful,' 'Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)'; they were about Otis and Otis' life. 'Dock of the Bay' was exactly that: 'I left my home in Georgia, headed for the Frisco Bay' was all about him going out to San Francisco to perform." Redding and Cropper completed the song in Memphis on Dec 7, 1967 with tragedy, unknowingly, looming. Just two days later Redding lost his life on a routine commute to a performance when the small plane he was in crashed. The other victims of the disaster were four members of the Bar-Kays — guitarist Jimmy King, tenor saxophonist Phalon Jones, organist Ronnie Caldwell, and drummer Carl Cunningham; their valet, Matthew Kelly and pilot Fraser. Cropper and bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn completed the music and melancholic lyrics of "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay' which was taken from the sessions — Redding's final recorded work. Cropper added the distinct sound of seagulls and waves crashing to the background. This is what Redding had wanted to hear on the track according to Cropper who remembered Redding recalling the sounds he heard when he wrote the song on the houseboat. One of the most influential soul singers of the 1960s, Redding exemplified to many listeners the power of Southern "deep soul" — hoarse, gritty vocals, brassy arrangements, and an emotional way with both party tunes and aching ballads. At the time of his tragic death he was 26. ‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay’ was released just a month following Redding’s death and became his only ever single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1968. The album, which shared the song's title, became his largest-selling to date, peaking at No. 4 on the pop albums chart. "Dock of the Bay" was popular in countries across the world and became Redding's most successful record, selling more than 4 million copies worldwide. The song went on to win two Grammy Awards: Best R&B Song and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. With the album, Redding confirmed himself as a talent lost far too soon. All the hallmarks of a top-notch Analogue Productions reissue are here for you to savor: Mastered directly from the original master tape by Bernie Grundman and cut at 45 RPM. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, and housed in tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing.

FOLLOWING THEIR RECENT REUNION, THE DELGADOS REISSUE THEIR FOURTH STUDIO ALBUM HATE ON COLOURED VINYL AND CD TO MARK ITS 21st ANNIVERSARY

Ushering in a new era of emotionally vulnerable and cinematic songwriting for celebrated Glasgow group The Delgados, 2002’s Hate is the group’s most ambitious recorded statement to date. Recorded amidst a backdrop of personal change and international crisis, Hate’s internal alchemy transmogrifies darkness into light. It’s an enclosed universe full of tragedy and magic, a swirling galaxy of lush orchestration, misanthropy dealt with kindness and black humour. Above all it showed a band coming to terms with their fragility with a new power and grace.

In Hate, the band’s ambition saw them striving to reflect the breadth of human experience, both the joy and tragedy of living in tumultuous times. Initially commissioned by The Barbican in London to compose music for a film about artist Joe Coleman, the instrumental music that instigated Hate was laden with darkness from the outset. The Delgados’ worldview has always been informed by nuance, an oblique but incisive lyrical perspective but on Hate a new rawness is woven throughout the songs. Coleman’s original subject matter - portraits of troubled historical figures like Ed Gein, Mary Bell and Jayne Mansfield - influenced the tonality of the music but the songs were written against a backdrop of international tumult and personal life changes for the band members. Beginning writing sessions following a family bereavement in drummer Paul Savage’s family, Hate was then recorded while both Alun Woodward and co-singer/guitarist Emma Pollock were expecting new additions to their young families, the latter with drummer Paul Savage. In the background to the recording process were the attacks on the World Trade Center of September 2001 and their aftermath. In this context, it’s remarkable that an album was made at all, let alone one so grand and compassionate. It’s a masterclass in restraint and imagination.

Hate sounds like the world in all its ugly glory. Recorded in Glasgow and New York with Tony Doogan, Dave Fridmann and the band as producers and using over 20 additional musicians, Hate grabs the baton from the group’s breakthrough critical and commercial success The Great Eastern. Bolder, broader and more all-encompassing than anything the band had previously attempted, the album’s palette is furnished by a string section, brass and reed instrumentation, a choir and electronic elements augmenting the core group of Emma Pollock, Alun Woodward, Paul Savage and Stewart Henderson. Far from being over the top, the group’s skill is in attention to detail, in honing and refining each arrangement, allowing each element its space.

It’s a fine balancing act that pays massive dividends. Woodward’s new lyrical vulnerability is spotlighted on tracks like The Drowning Years, which throws elegiac string arrangements against the narrative of characters living in darkness, punctuated by couplets that bring a real-life documentary feel to the narrative. All Rise brings a black comedy to the idea of a confessional before a transcendent, choir-led refrain brings ecstatic resolution to Woodward’s vocal in its highest register. On the single All You Need Is Hate, Woodward’s trick of subverting the Beatles standard showcases the dark humour at the centre of Hate. Here The Delgados’ perversity is in full flow, nurturing a glowing light from darkness, the resolving melody and Fridmann production recalling contemporaries The Flaming Lips (whose Michael Ivins assisted in mixing) or Mercury Rev. The perversity is the surging serotonin induced by the group while singing the lines “Hate is everywhere, inside your mother’s heart and you will find it there. You ask me what you need? Hate is all you need.”

It’s a dark magic that pervades Hate, indeed it’s almost the driving force throughout the album. Flipping minor to major and back again, Favours is fuelled by fear and violence before blasting into the heavens with the gauche line “and you’re feeling fine,” operating in stark contrast to the verses’ tone. Album opener The Light Before We Land finds Emma Pollock in the aftermath of recent family trauma. Her vocal is effortless; a study in steady restraint against the massive, Fridmann-patented drum sound powering Savage’s playing and Henderson’s instantly recognisable melodic basslines. Coming In from the Cold is Pollock in full flight, lifted to the heavens by wide-screen, instrumental texture. Her presence on Hate highlights her knack for lyrical impressionism, the timbre of her voice lending itself to drama while always retaining a mystique. Never Look At The Sun, inspired by the Coleman painting The Big Bang Theory (itself an explosives-themed study), revels in paranoia, her performance ringing out in the eye of the storm conjured by the swirling arrangements. It reaches the peak of a redemptive arc while seemingly parodying the very idea of redemption.

Hate was the sound of The Delgados completely fulfilling their potential, a fully realised vision buoyed by the weight of coming through a darkness into light. For its 21st anniversary, the album is being reissued on the band’s own Chemikal Underground on coloured vinyl and CD. Hate is all you need

Der Detroit-Spucker Danny Brown ist nicht ohne Grund ein Fanfavorit. Nur wenige MCs haben die pure lyrische Wildheit in eine so fesselnde Persönlichkeit gehüllt. Dannys Beats und Reime sind berüchtigt, er wusste immer, wann er die Dramatik ankurbeln musste. In einer Zeit, in der sich Hip-Hop in zahllose Richtungen aufspaltete, schien Brown alles einer Wissenschaft zu verdanken – mit seinem bahnbrechenden Album XXX war er die Speerspitze einer Bewegung des avantgardistischen Internet-Hip-Hop, in dessen Schatten wir heute noch leben. Seitdem hat Brown Raver auf europäischen Festivals in Aufruhr versetzt, eine Brücke zwischen alten und neuen Rap-Königen geschlagen (Kollabos von Earl Sweatshirt bis Q-Tip) und ist mit den renommiertesten Underground-Labels für elektronische Musik verbunden. Und dabei ist er unerklärlicherweise er selbst geblieben ist, macht sich auch nicht die Mühe zu erklären, wie er das Gleichgewicht hält. QUARANTA beginnt endlich, den Vorhang zu öffnen und enthüllt die inneren Monologe eines Künstlers, der seine Fans seit über einem Jahrzehnt verblüfft. Browns sechstes Studioalbum, das während der Pandemie-Lockdowns im Jahr 2021 geschrieben wurde, ist autobiografisch und persönlich, wie man es vom MC selten zuvor gehört hat. 'Es gab nicht viel zu tun, also war es das Beste für mich', sagt er, 'alles, was ich durchgemacht habe, in die Musik zu integrieren.'

Der Detroit-Spucker Danny Brown ist nicht ohne Grund ein Fanfavorit. Nur wenige MCs haben die pure lyrische Wildheit in eine so fesselnde Persönlichkeit gehüllt. Dannys Beats und Reime sind berüchtigt, er wusste immer, wann er die Dramatik ankurbeln musste. In einer Zeit, in der sich Hip-Hop in zahllose Richtungen aufspaltete, schien Brown alles einer Wissenschaft zu verdanken – mit seinem bahnbrechenden Album XXX war er die Speerspitze einer Bewegung des avantgardistischen Internet-Hip-Hop, in dessen Schatten wir heute noch leben. Seitdem hat Brown Raver auf europäischen Festivals in Aufruhr versetzt, eine Brücke zwischen alten und neuen Rap-Königen geschlagen (Kollabos von Earl Sweatshirt bis Q-Tip) und ist mit den renommiertesten Underground-Labels für elektronische Musik verbunden. Und dabei ist er unerklärlicherweise er selbst geblieben ist, macht sich auch nicht die Mühe zu erklären, wie er das Gleichgewicht hält. QUARANTA beginnt endlich, den Vorhang zu öffnen und enthüllt die inneren Monologe eines Künstlers, der seine Fans seit über einem Jahrzehnt verblüfft. Browns sechstes Studioalbum, das während der Pandemie-Lockdowns im Jahr 2021 geschrieben wurde, ist autobiografisch und persönlich, wie man es vom MC selten zuvor gehört hat. 'Es gab nicht viel zu tun, also war es das Beste für mich', sagt er, 'alles, was ich durchgemacht habe, in die Musik zu integrieren.'

Consisting of MCs A+, Phesto, Opio and Tajai (with production by A+, Domino, Del the Funky Homosapien, Jay Biz and Casual), East Oakland’s Souls of Mischief burst onto the scene in the early 90s with an impact that few other West Coast artists had at the time. Culminating in the release of their classic debut, they created a bouillabaisse that was most parts West Coast swagger but - similar to The D.O.C. and Cypress Hill - with a sonic approach that could just as well have stepped off the streets of New York City. Recorded in less than two weeks at San Francisco's Hyde Street Studios, 93 ‘til Infinity doesn’t suffer from a single freshman jitter or misstep. It’s a fully-realized effort, packed from start to finish with ridiculous lyricism - all carried out in impressive four-part, tag-team style - and backed by a wide range of musical possibilities, from hard boom-bap to 70s CTI-jazz-sprinkled grooves. But without worthy music, the group’s high-level lyricism could have fallen by the wayside. Digging deep into crates that other producers had yet to mine, the production crew gave the quartet exactly what they needed, with unpredictable rolling basslines, dusty drums and jazz keyboard and horn stabs and swirls. Non-singles like Disseshowedo (produced by Domino and Jay Biz), Batting Practice (Casual), Limitations (Jay Biz, with Del and Casual contributing verses) and What A Way To Go Out (Domino) made sure that the fast-forward button remained untouched. Get On Down is proud to present a 30th Anniversary pressing of this west coast Hip-Hop classic on cloudy blue and cloudy yellow vinyl, packaged in a gatefold jacket with liner notes and a commemorative 30th Anniversary stamped numbered OBI.

Producer / composer / multi-instrumentalist Angel Marcloid records music under the moniker Fire-Toolz. Though Marcloid’s output emerges in a litany of aliases and projects — from the jazz fusion / new age of Nonlocal Forecast to the vaporous nostalgia of MindSpring Memories — the Fire-Toolz catalog remains the central focus of the prolific artist’s musical universe and a home for Marcloid’s most ambitious work.

"I am upset because I see something that is not there.", the fifth Fire-Toolz album to join the Hausu Mountain catalog since 2017, follows 2021’s sprawling double-album Eternal Home and 2022’s self-released EP I will not use the body’s eyes today. I am upset… offers listeners a prismatic cross-section of juxtaposed genres and compositional contortions to explore, maintaining Fire-Toolz’s signature density and complexity while tightening the scope of Marcloid’s experimentation into the project’s most focused song cycle to date.

Perhaps more than any previous Fire-Toolz album, I am upset... presents some form of pop music, carried in Marcloid’s passages of clean vocals, in the bright synth tones that animate its tracks, in the yearning saxophone lines that pour into view and whisk the narrative onto a new path. The format of a one-person “band” carries a different weight in a landscape of solo artists crafting modernist productions that don’t allude in the slightest to various twentieth-century rock-related traditions. Fire-Toolz exists on both sides of this divide. The music of Fire-Toolz draws energy on a moment-to-moment basis from the constant fluctuation between seemingly disparate styles, yet Marcloid repeatedly pulls off the impossible feat of making chaotic deviations and improbable jump-cuts between ideas sound holistic, as if such compositional gambits were already logical to begin with. Bursts of harsh textural noise cut into drifts of new age synth bliss, while screamo verses bookend passages of hyper-technical jazz fusion.

Nach dem erfolgreichen Debut "Out in the cold'" erhielt auch der Nachfolger "Home" im Jahr des Releases 2007 von Fans und Fachpresse absolute Bestnoten und zählt nach wie vor zu den Topalben der Band im Oliver Hartmann. "Home", welches musikalisch nahtlos an den Erstling anschließt, enthält neben den Opener "Coming home to you" weitere musikalische Highlights wie "The sun's still rising", "Higher than me" sowie mit ihren Soul- und Blueselementen auch die grandiose Ballade "Crying". Nun erscheint das Album nach knapp achtzehn Jahren erneut als Reissue auf Ltd. 180g High Quality Vinyl, das speziell für diesen Zweck von Miro Rodenberg (Avantasia, Kamelot u.v.m.) remastert wurde. Zusätzlich wurde auch das neue große Booklet mit weiterem zusätzlichen Bildmaterial versehen, das so in der ursprünglichen Version auf CD nicht enthalten war. Mit überarbeitetem Sound und in neuem Gewand ein absolutes Muss für Fans von Hartmann.

Die Zeit ist gekommen für ein neues Scanner Album nach fast einem Jahrzehnt. Wie es die bisherige Diksographie fast zwingend verlangt, ist "The Cosmic Race" ein Konzeptalbum geworden: Das Überleben auf der Erde ist immer schwieriger geworden, Naturkatastrophen häufen sich und militärische Konflikte haben ihren Höhepunkt erreicht, große Teile der Kontinente sind nuklear verseucht. Das Leben konzentriert sich auf wenige Großstädte, und die Enge und die Hitze in ihnen ist unerträglich geworden. Der Scanner (eine Mischung aus Mensch und Androide), holt einen Teil der Menschen, um sie zu einem bewohnbaren Planeten namens Terrion in einer anderen Galaxie zu bringen. Die lange Reise endet erfolgreich. Aber auch in der neuen Welt müssen sich die Menschen gegen Aliens und Invasoren von anderen zivilisierten Planeten wehren und fangen wieder von vorne an. Sie wollen ihre zweite Chance nutzen und es besser machen als auf der Erde. Da es aber auch Zweifler und Abtrünnige unter ihnen gibt, die sich der neuen Gemeinschaft widersetzen, hat der Scanner ein System entwickelt, das diese Abtrünnigen in ihren nächtlichen Traumphasen identifizieren kann. Sie finden sich in einer Twilight Zone wieder. Sie werden schließlich in Trance an riesigen Totempfählen festgezurrt, in der Traum und Wirklichkeit gegeneinander kämpfen, bis sie gereinigt werden.

Die Zeit ist gekommen für ein neues Scanner Album nach fast einem Jahrzehnt. Wie es die bisherige Diksographie fast zwingend verlangt, ist "The Cosmic Race" ein Konzeptalbum geworden: Das Überleben auf der Erde ist immer schwieriger geworden, Naturkatastrophen häufen sich und militärische Konflikte haben ihren Höhepunkt erreicht, große Teile der Kontinente sind nuklear verseucht. Das Leben konzentriert sich auf wenige Großstädte, und die Enge und die Hitze in ihnen ist unerträglich geworden. Der Scanner (eine Mischung aus Mensch und Androide), holt einen Teil der Menschen, um sie zu einem bewohnbaren Planeten namens Terrion in einer anderen Galaxie zu bringen. Die lange Reise endet erfolgreich. Aber auch in der neuen Welt müssen sich die Menschen gegen Aliens und Invasoren von anderen zivilisierten Planeten wehren und fangen wieder von vorne an. Sie wollen ihre zweite Chance nutzen und es besser machen als auf der Erde. Da es aber auch Zweifler und Abtrünnige unter ihnen gibt, die sich der neuen Gemeinschaft widersetzen, hat der Scanner ein System entwickelt, das diese Abtrünnigen in ihren nächtlichen Traumphasen identifizieren kann. Sie finden sich in einer Twilight Zone wieder. Sie werden schließlich in Trance an riesigen Totempfählen festgezurrt, in der Traum und Wirklichkeit gegeneinander kämpfen, bis sie gereinigt werden.

Die Zeit ist gekommen für ein neues Scanner Album nach fast einem Jahrzehnt. Wie es die bisherige Diksographie fast zwingend verlangt, ist "The Cosmic Race" ein Konzeptalbum geworden: Das Überleben auf der Erde ist immer schwieriger geworden, Naturkatastrophen häufen sich und militärische Konflikte haben ihren Höhepunkt erreicht, große Teile der Kontinente sind nuklear verseucht. Das Leben konzentriert sich auf wenige Großstädte, und die Enge und die Hitze in ihnen ist unerträglich geworden. Der Scanner (eine Mischung aus Mensch und Androide), holt einen Teil der Menschen, um sie zu einem bewohnbaren Planeten namens Terrion in einer anderen Galaxie zu bringen. Die lange Reise endet erfolgreich. Aber auch in der neuen Welt müssen sich die Menschen gegen Aliens und Invasoren von anderen zivilisierten Planeten wehren und fangen wieder von vorne an. Sie wollen ihre zweite Chance nutzen und es besser machen als auf der Erde. Da es aber auch Zweifler und Abtrünnige unter ihnen gibt, die sich der neuen Gemeinschaft widersetzen, hat der Scanner ein System entwickelt, das diese Abtrünnigen in ihren nächtlichen Traumphasen identifizieren kann. Sie finden sich in einer Twilight Zone wieder. Sie werden schließlich in Trance an riesigen Totempfählen festgezurrt, in der Traum und Wirklichkeit gegeneinander kämpfen, bis sie gereinigt werden.

EP compilation of essential UK house cuts recorded between 1987 - 1990. TIP!


Before British house and techno found its’ distinctive groove at the turn of the 1990s, one act led the way: Bang The Party, a trio who emerged from London’s vibrant underground party scene in the mid 1980s and proved, beyond any doubt, that UK producers could make music every bit as magical as the pioneering productions put forward by their counterparts in Chicago, Detroit and New York.

By the time long-running DJs and party promoters Kid Batchelor and Leslie Lawrence joined forces with trained engineer Keith Franklin at legendary North-West London reggae studio Addis Ababa in 1987, they’d spent years as DIY dance music activists in Britain’s capital city. They channelled these experiences and their love of imported house and techno sounds into a new project, Bang The Party, in the process becoming the first British act to appear on Transmat, a reflection of the quality and authenticity of their music.

The latest Rush Hour Reissue Series release offers a snapshot of some of the numerous gems nestled in the Bang The Party catalogue, delivering a much-deserved celebration of one of Britain’s most significant early acid house collectives. It features four fully remastered cuts recorded and released between 1987 and 1990 – on-point and far-sighted club workouts that sound as fresh and timeless now as they did when Britain was sweltering under its infamous ‘second summer of love’.

Fittingly, the EP begins with ‘I Feel Good All Over’, the group’s ground-breaking debut single. Dedicated to their home city and one of the earliest UK interpretations of house music, the track exists in the grey area between Chicago house and New York ‘garage house’ – all jaunty organ stabs, jacking Windy City beats, restless bass and soulful vocalizations. ‘Jacques Theme’, which follows, originally nestled on the B-side of that single release. An early, acid-flecked expression of hip-house with a British twist, breakdance-friendly bongo patterns and a dose of Larry Heard-inspired deep house dreaminess, the track remains an under-appreciated classic whose rap verses reflect the popularity of hip-hop in London at the time.

1988’s ‘Release Your Body’, Bang The Party’s most celebrated early release, was reissued in the United States by Transmat, reflecting the strong working relationship between Derrick May and Kool Kat Records’ Neil Rushton. A hypnotising affair propelled forwards by sweat-soaked drum machine beats, jacking fills and an addictive bassline, the track offers another near perfect distillation of the band’s Black American musical influences while delivering something genuinely new and fresh.

Rounding off the EP is a choice cut from Bang The Party’s sought after 1990 album Back To Prison. Doused in the star-lit synth sounds of the Motor City with jaunty organ stabs inspired by the kind of New Jersey jams championed at East Orange institution Club Zanzibar, ‘Let It Rip’ is a superb slice of deep house soul featuring a lead vocal every bit as emotive as anything laid down by Robert Owens. Like the rest of Bang The Party’s output, it has stood the time better than anything laid down by their London contemporaries.

"Impératrice" bedeutet "Herrscherrin" auf Französisch, und der Bandname ist für Nicht-Frankophone wohl am schwierigsten zu begreifen - musikalisch gesehen gibts es bei L'Impératrice nichts, was man übersetzen muss. Die Pariser greifen auf eine Reihe von Genres zurück, von Space-Disco der 70er Jahre bis zum Downtempo-Synthpop der 90er Jahre, wobei sie dabei auch die französischen Filmkomponisten wie François de Roubaix und Michel Legrand mit einbeziehen. "Albums that sold 500 copies in the 1970s are the records that interest us most," sagen L'Impératrice. "Matahari" ist das glitzernde, kinematographische Ergebnis der letzten sechs Jahre harter Arbeit, das auf einige der besten musikalischen Fundstücke und schon vergessene Schätzen zurückgreift, die sich in Plattenkisten im ganzen Land verstecken. Versehen wird das ganze mit L'Impératrice' eigenem, unnachahmlichen 21st century twist. Subtil und dennoch majestätisch, L'Impératrice haben eine strahlende Zukunft in ihrem Heimatland, aber wenn das sechsköpfige Ungeheuer drauf und dran ist, wirklich in die musikalische Königsklasse Frankreichs aufzusteigen, dann müssen sie auf ihre têtes, ihre Köpfe, aufpassen. Boisseguin hat alles richtig gemacht, seit er seinen Journalisten-Job vor sieben Jahren geschmissen hat. Wenn der leise und stetige Aufstieg von L'Impératrice zur Vormachtstellung in ihrem Heimatland Teil eines Plans wäre, dann könnte man erwarten, dass in Zukunft mit der Weltherrschaft zu rechnen ist.

2023 markiert den Beginn einer neuen Ära für IN FLAMES mit der Veröffentlichung des vierzehnten Studioalbums Foregone - ein neues Meisterwerk einer Band, deren kreativer Output den Kurs und die Richtung des modernen Metals verändert hat.

Um den Aufwärtstrend fortzusetzen, markiert 2023 auch die Wiederveröffentlichung von vier bahnbrechenden Titeln aus dem umfangreichen Katalog der Band, nämlich A Sense of Purpose (2008) (15th Anniversary Edition inc. The Mirror's Truth EP, die noch nie auf Vinyl erhältlich war), Reroute to Remain (2002), Come Clarity (2006) (mehr als 400.000 verkaufte Exemplare weltweit + Gewinner des schwedischen Grammis-Preises für das beste Hard Rock-Album 2017) und Sounds of a Playground Fading (2011), die alle vergriffen und bei alten und neuen Jesterheads gleichermaßen sehr gefragt waren.

Die Wiederveröffentlichungen von 2023 enthalten alle Original Artworks mit einigen wenigen, sorgfältigen Retuschen. Alle Veröffentlichungen wurden von Justin Shturtz im legendären Sterling Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, speziell für Vinyl neu gemastert. Alle Platten werden auf schweres 180g-Vinyl gepresst und sind mit dem unverkennbaren Jesterhead-Logo auf Seite D (z.B. A Sense of Purpose) versehen.

Upstate NY heavyweights 38 Spesh and Conway The Machine have joined forces for a collaboration album fans did not see coming. Having recorded with each other for well over a decade, these two lyrical powerhousesstyles mesh effortlessly on this 10-track offering. The soundbeds for the illustrious affair are provided by Spesh himself with the help of a producer he has championed for years, Jimmy Dukes. Instead of continuing to mine the '90s like their contemporaries, the duo bring a sound that calls back to early '00s Hip-Hop. On top of verses that will etch themselves in your mind courtesy of Spesh and Conway, the project includes standout bars and hooks by the likes Lloyd Banks, Pharoahe Monch, Benny The Butcher, Che Noir, ElCamino, and Emanny.

Upstate NY heavyweights 38 Spesh and Conway The Machine have joined forces for a collaboration album fans did not see coming. Having recorded with each other for well over a decade, these two lyrical powerhousesstyles mesh effortlessly on this 10-track offering. The soundbeds for the illustrious affair are provided by Spesh himself with the help of a producer he has championed for years, Jimmy Dukes. Instead of continuing to mine the '90s like their contemporaries, the duo bring a sound that calls back to early '00s Hip-Hop. On top of verses that will etch themselves in your mind courtesy of Spesh and Conway, the project includes standout bars and hooks by the likes Lloyd Banks, Pharoahe Monch, Benny The Butcher, Che Noir, ElCamino, and Emanny.

”Exakt ein Jahr nach dem Erfolgsalbum Blood & Glitter (#1 der Offziellen Deutschen Albumcharts) veröffentlichen LORD OF THE LOST das erste Coveralbum der Bandgeschichte: Weapons Of Mass Seduction erscheint am 29. Dezember 2023 über Napalm Records. Bereits die Tracklist steht als Sinnbild für ihren kreativen Geist und präsentiert eine exklusive Auswahl weltbekannter, generationsübergreifender Hits, die LORD OF THE LOST in knapp 50 Minuten in etwas Eigenes verwandeln. Die Coverversion von Billy Idols „Shock To The System“ gibt die Bühne frei für eine Auswahl an Songs aus verschiedenen Jahrzehnten und Genres, die LORD OF THE LOST mit ihrem eigenen Stil und Charakter versehen. Obwohl die Künstler und Künstlerinnen unterschiedlicher nicht sein könnten, ist Weapons Of Mass Seduction ein stimmiges Gesamtkunstwerk, das Kontrasten nicht aus dem Weg geht. So trifft etwa das Heavy-Metal-Epos „Turbo Lover“ von Judas Priest auf moderne Pop-Nummern wie Sias „Unstoppable”. „Hymn“, im Original von Ultravox, Michael Jacksons legendäres „Give In To Me“ sowie der Britpop-Hit „Somewhere Only We Know” von Keane zeigen weitere Facetten und präsentieren sich im typischen LORD-OF-THE-LOST-Sound.

LORD OF THE LOST bleiben sich weiter treu und agieren einmal mehr fernab jeglicher Genre-Grenzen. Weapons Of Mass Seduction beweist künstlerisches Feingefühl und die Fähigkeit, Songs verschiedenster Interpreten und Interpretinnen respektvoll und glaubhaft in etwas ganz Eigenes zu verwandeln.

Gonzalez Smith's debut album: "Roll Up A Song" is an album of classic popular songs with music by Jay Gonzalez and lyrics by Pete Smith. Best known as the guitarist/keyboardist for rockers Drive-By Truckers, Jay's musical tastes range from 'baroque' to 'A.M. Gold' and 'power' pop. His collaborations include local pop legends The Possibilities, power pop stalwart Scott McCaughey (The Young Fresh Fellows), and performances with Chris Stamey of The dB's and Bill Berry of R.E.M. Pete Smith, acclaimed lyricist, made waves with his contributions to the legendary jazz composer Gary McFarland's album "Butterscotch Rum". His journey led him to comedy writing for Adult Swim's animated shows. Classic pop composer Brent Cash's exceptional string arrangements elevate the album's depth and emotion, enriching Gonzalez and Smith's melodies and lyrics. Jay Gonzalez and Pete Smith are like a modern day Bacharach/David, if Burt spent his nights tearing it up with one of the best live rock bands in America, and Hal was a writer for Space Ghost Coast to Coast and The Brak Show. Their debut album as Gonzalez Smith, "Roll Up a Song," is a seamless fusion of power pop, piano ballads, bossa nova, and pure spun sugar confection. Jay brings the same multi-instrumental compositional skills found on his first three solo albums, and Pete pens lyrics by turns honest, romantic, arch and comedic, sometimes in the same verse. The results are so stellar, it's a shock to find out that the Drive-By Truckers guitarist/keyboardist and the Adult Swim comedy scribe haven't been writing together for decades. Arriving in December 2023, via Bobo Integral Records, "Roll Up A Song" transcends eras and genres. It's a harmonious journey, uniting melodies and lyrics into a timeless masterpiece. Get set to roll up the music, immersing in captivating soundscapes.

"Smart Ass Black Boy: Redux" ist die zum 10-jährigen Jubiläum neu abgemischte und neu gemasterte Ausgabe des zweiten Studioalbums des Houstoner Rappers Fat Tony und des ersten Albums für Young One Records (einem frühen Partisan-Imprint).

"Smart Ass Black Boy" war eine der am meisten gefeierten Hip-Hop-Platten des Jahres 2013 und wurde schließlich zu einer der beliebtesten Houstoner Rap-Platten der 2010er Jahre. Das Album landete auf den Jahresendlisten von Complex und VICE, während Noisey und Pitchfork die Videos zu "BKNY" bzw. "Hood Party" uraufführten. Es wurde in der First Listen-Serie von NPR vorgestellt, wo es als "refreshing" und "promising" beschrieben wurde, während Pitchfork sagte das Album "absolutely knocks". Robert Christgau gab der Platte eine A-Bewertung ("homespun and imaginative"), und Rolling Stone nannte sie einen "thoroughly enjoyable batch of smart-ass raps". Fat Tony hat seitdem Platten mit Don Giovanni und Carpark veröffentlicht, zuletzt in diesem Jahr "I Will Make a Baby in this Damn Economy".

Das Album enthält einen noch nie zuvor veröffentlichten "BKNY (Remix)" mit neuen Versen von Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Melo-X und GLDNEYE.












[l] B6. BKNY [Remix] (feat. Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Melo-X, and GLDNEYE) (Redux)

Das Kasseler Duo Some More Crime formierte sich 1990 mit der Idee, die gesprochene, aus Pre-Internet-Medien gesampelte Stimme als ausschließliches Text-Instrument einzusetzen. Während des Kunststudiums hatte sich der Trommler Bernd Friedmann (Burnt Friedmann / Nonplace Urban Field) mit dem Gitarristen Frank Hernandez zusammengetan, um die Abgründe des Zusammenhangs von Gewalt in den Medien, bzw. mind control, zu studieren und zu verstehen, und diese im Studio als Quasi-Collagen mit Grooves zur Entfaltung zu bringen. Some More Crime kann heute gewissermaßen als Nachzügler von Laibach, oder als konzeptueller Vorläufer von Rammstein betrachtet werden. Mit Ihrer dritten, 23 Titel umfassenden CD schafften es die Konstrukteure an Samplern und Atari-Sequenzer, Frank Hernandez und Burnt Friedman 1993 schliesslich in den Fokus internationaler Aufmerksamkeit zu kommen. Ihre überwiegend aus dem Amerikanischen gewonnenen, de-kontextualisierten Text-Cluster aus Interviews mit Gewaltverbrechern und damit verbundenen Medienkommentaren versuchte zu zeigen, dass die steifer werdende Deutungshoheit der Medien-Narrative zumindest eines vermochte, nämlich anstatt sinnstiftend zu wirken, die Massen in Angst und Verwirrung zu versetzen. Mit Friedmann's Umzug nach Köln wurde Some More Crime bereits 1994/95, also nach 3 Studio Alben beendet. Im Alleingang erzeugte Friedmann eine vierte, allerdings wenig beachtete CD, die angefangene Skizzen 1996 noch zur Vollendung und Veröffentlichung brachte. ZZO recordings Gründer Thomas Luckmann, Nürnberg, nahm sich des Duos 1990 an und unterstützte die künstlerische Arbeit trotz starken Seitenwinds des aufstrebenden, unwiderstehlichen Technosounds, der Anfang der 90ziger durch Deutschland's Musikszene zu wehen begann.

Upstate NY heavyweights 38 Spesh and Conway The Machine have joined forces for a collaboration album fans did not see coming. Having recorded with each other for well over a decade, these two lyrical powerhouses' styles mesh effortlessly on this 10-track offering. The soundbeds for the illustrious affair are provided by Spesh himself with the help of a producer he has championed for years, Jimmy Dukes. Instead of continuing to mine the '90s like their contemporaries, the duo bring a sound that calls back to early '00s Hip-Hop. On top of verses that will etch themselves in your mind courtesy of Spesh and Conway, the project includes standout bars and hooks by the likes Lloyd Banks, Pharoahe Monch, Benny The Butcher, Che Noir, ElCamino, and Emanny.

" From the pulsating streets of Detroit to the rhythmic alleys of Verona, immerse yourself in "V-troit", a sonic gem crafted by Italian rapper Capstan and Detroit's very own Dankery Harv of Frank-N-Dank, well known for their collaborations with J Dilla and Madlib. Born from an electrifying encounter in Verona, this EP is a testament to international collaboration at its finest. Journey through raw beats, compelling verses, and a gritty ambiance that transcends borders. Ready to vibe with the V-boys? Press play and dive into the essence of "V-troit

Endlich ist der klassische Steely Dan-Katalog wieder auf Vinyl erhältlich. Unter der Leitung von Walter Becker und Donald Fagen veröffentlichte Steely Dan zwischen 1972 und 1980 sieben Alben. Die Vinyl-Serie wird fortgesetzt mit Gaucho, dem 1980er Album der Band mit ”Hey Nineteen” und ”Time Out Of Mind”, auf dem Mark Knopfler an der Gitarre mitspielt.

Die LP wurde von Bernie Grundman von einer analogen Bandkopie aus dem Jahr 1980 neu gemastert, die ursprünglich von Bob Ludwig mit einem EQ versehen worden war.

PRESSED ON FRUIT PUNCH COLORED VINYL WITH HAND NUMBERED OBILIMITED TO 2000 COPIES

The contemporary realm of hip hop music can be seen as polarized between two sides; mainstream versus underground, industry versus independent, at a base level boiled down to catchy sounds & infective hooks over higher quality lyrical content. These elements don’t need to be mutually exclusive, but these days it’s rare to find an act that can please all sides of the discussion. Clipse are one of the few groups that successfully and consistently caters to both sides of rap’s splintered psyche, simultaneously serving the scene with upbeat bangers that get the club poppin’ & subwoofers rattlin’ while crafting clever quotable compositions deserving of repeated headphone submersions. Though their preceding official albums Lord Willin’ (2002) & Hell Hath No Fury (2006) made bigger splashes commercially, 2009’s Til The Casket Drops is surely no slouch, a gem which deserves to be revisited with fresh ears – good thing Get On Down has given it the proper treatment it deserves with its first-ever vinyl pressing!
Til The Casket Drops was a departure from the duo of Malice & Pusha T’s previous works in that it was their first LP not completely produced by The Neptunes. However, the celebrated team who brought us ‘Grinding’ & ‘Mr. Me Too’ still helmed 8 of the album’s 13 tracks, thus dominating the soundscapes and aesthetic of the album anyway. With the remaining beats handled by Hitmen Sean C & LV (Jay-Z, Big Pun, Ghostface) and Aftermath’s DJ Khalil (Kendrick Lamar, Aloe Blacc, Eminem) clearly Clipse stock hadn’t lowered in the game. While boasting notable vocal features from Kanye West, Pharrell, Cam’ron, Keri Hilson, Yo Gotti & their Re-Up Gang affiliate Ab-Liva, Casket Drops leaves ample space for the core emcee duo of Pusha & Malice to shine in the spotlight, with verses revolving around each other succinctly in-synch and bonded by an exceptional creative rhythm only biological brothers could share.
Clipse have always delighted in dualities, juxtapositions and contradictions, unabashedly celebrating the capitalistic lifestyle and the grind as the kings of ‘coke-rap’, while taking hard looks at society’s mores and those of their own individual journeys. We hear Malice’s eventual transition to No Malice taking form on this album as he found religion, warning others who might follow in his path on ‘Footsteps’: “don’t let my wrongs give you the right of way/ to emulate my past escaping the law’s grasp” while refusing to be pinned down in one lane: “it weights on my conscience and I hate conscious rap”. Meanwhile Pusha T continues his lyrical ascent into the King Push persona with bars like “pompous motherfucker, look what them jewels made me/ I’m only finding comfort in knowing you can’t replace me/ What a thing to say, but what am I to do/ I’m role-playing a conscious nigga and true is true/ Cocaine aside, all of the bloggers behooved/ My critics finally have a verse of mine to jerk off to” decisively on album opener “Freedom”.
Since it dropped, the Clipse have stated that Casket… is their final album together while subsequently alluding to the possibility of an eventual reunion. Only time will tell, but until then it’s time to re-celebrate one of hip hop’s most dynamic duos by hearing Til The Casket Drops in a whole new light with its long-overdue, first time on vinyl pressing via Get On Down featuring all 13 original tracks on wax and cover art by the legendary KAWS! It’s kinda like a big deal…

-Limited to only 150 copies on black vinyl.
-The last recordings of former Roots member Malik B before he passed away.
-Clever 1 of the popular hardcore rap duo 'Da Buze Bruvaz' is a full member of the group.
-Maylay Sparks FKA Rahsheed founded this group.
-Produced by K Sluggah who has done production for Conway, Westside Gunn, Tha God Fahim etc.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF MALIK B (NOVEMBER 14TH, 1972 – JULY 29TH, 2020)
Frozen Mugs started out back in 2020 as a soon-to-be classic hip-hop collaboration between "Maylay Sparks", Swedish producer “K Sluggah” and “Clever 1” (one half of “Da Buze Bruvaz”). You will experience an uncanny chemistry between these 2 high caliber emcees who are providing you with the traditional sharp, tenacious, aggressive & grimey wordplay over K Sluggah's cinematic, soulful, and psychedelic beats giving the listeners a vivid picture of what goes on in these dangerous times. The hard delivery and complex word patterns are descriptive gestures of loose women, action in the streets, cocktails & cold beer guzzling. Sonically this album is honed to be a masterpiece, with owner of the newly formed label “Blacbird Recs”, and revered studio engineer Joe “The Butcher” Nicolo (Ruffhouse Recs. CEO) behind the mixing board. This is hip-hop with an attitude, authentic, and with no compromises!
In the midst of recording this project, we experienced a severe tragedy as we lost the incomparable Malik B formerly from the Roots. The last days before his passing he recorded the verses for the album and he was supposed to record a few more as there were talks of him becoming a full fledged "Frozen Mugs" member. Sadly the talks of doing an album with Malik B on HHE never came to fruition. This project is dedicated to one of the most legendary emcees Philly ever bred and he will always be remembered as a lyrical giant. R.I.P.
All versions come with hype stickers and an insert that will include a bio on Frozen Mugs and a dedication to Malik B on the reverse side.

Die-cut sleeve. In the fall of 2013 Bry Webb was putting the finishing touches on his second album Free Will. Released on May 20th 2014, Bry, with his newly assembled band The Providers, spent the following few years traversing North America playing clubs, festivals and storied stages such as Toronto’s Massey Hall. Nothing new for an artist who had spent the aughts in a constant state of motion with Constantines, a band who on average had performed one of every three nights on a stage somewhere in the world. In fact, running in parallel to Bry’s solo touring schedule was a reunion with his former Constantines’ bandmates to once again present their incendiary live show and celebrate the 11th anniversary reissue of the band’s Shine A Light. It is what happened as the decade wound down that seemed out of character for an artist who had spent close to 20 years immersed in the studio and on the stage: the music stopped altogether. Bry explains his feelings at that time, “I lost the musical plot about 5 years ago and stopped playing music entirely, sold instruments and recording equipment, and committed myself to the idea that I was absolutely done”. Webb dedicated himself to his ongoing work in community radio, months turned to years and musical life seemed to be all but gone from view. Now in an unexpected turnaround 10 years on from the recording of his last studio album, there is not only a return to the stage for Bry but also a new record. Primarily composed in a season of upheaval, Run With Me contains some of Bry’s rawest sentiments. Fresh and painfully present there is an immediacy one can hear as emotional walls collapse in real time. Bry explains the context of the album’s creation: “In early 2023 my personal life exploded. In the process of dealing with that, I started writing music again and started recording at home. Advised that I needed to figure out how to ask for, and accept, help from other people, I sent early recordings of songs to friends from twenty-five years of music making - many folks I hadn’t connected with in years - and asked if they’d contribute anything to the songs. People came through in ways that overwhelmed me to the point that I cried when I wrote out the list of players for the liner notes. I felt incredibly cared for. From Andy Magoffin, who recorded the first Constantines album in 1999, to members of the Cons, to my nieces Addy and Ella playing drums, and a doppler recording of my daughter’s heartbeat, the record is a document of my creative life, and the people who made it possible to make music again.” If the cover of Run With Me looks familiar, it is with full intent. The album’s technicolor marbling and die cut text serve to signal the inclusion of the album in a trilogy started with Bry’s first record Provider. Just as that album starts with the track Asa, this new one introduces itself with the instrumental Webb. The trilogy is now completed with his daughter's first, middle and last names represented as the first tracks on each of the three albums. While the LP’s package signals its place in the collection, and tracks such as Older Than The Dirt and What I Do revisit their predecessor’s familiar sonic starkness, Run With Me is the outlier of the trio. A number of new tracks forego the quietude of Provider and Free Will, clearly recalling the rallying rhythms of Constantines’ anthems. Thunder Bay (instrumental backing courtesy of The Harbourcoats circa 2009), with its insistent kick drum and wall of electrics, support one of Webb’s most indelible melodies, and the not so subtly psychedelic Modern Mind reveal an expansion of Webb’s palette. Perhaps the furthest afield is the contextual centerpiece of the album, Goodbye, where we not only hear a joyful voice that lay dormant for years, but hear it reclaim its power. Backed by Constantines’ Will Kidman, Doug MacGregor and Dallas Wehrle, Bry belts out “I’m through with all the rage, now watch the light pour out of me.” As with all of Bry’s work, Run With Me’s lyrics take their time to settle in. Songs of self-examination, reconfigured love ballads, and songs for those who work to help others. Songs of singing abound. It’s there in Older Than The Dirt’s second verse: "Logic to the last intention, logic in the way we kept holding on forever, singing as the floor- was swept”, ten thousand birds sing a warning song in Thunder Bay and again in Goodbye’s telling of a cathartic return to one’s true self with its celebration of those “Who sing - sing all joy - all joy of language, in a single word”. Joining Bry in singing Run With Me’s songs of “death, transition and hope,” are kindred spirits Jennifer Castle, Julie Doiron, Daniel Romano and Steph Yates. All of these singers elevate the album’s healing sentiments and help express the album’s central plea; a prayer of sorts wrapped in the traditional Scottish Gaelic melody of She Is Here’s second verse: “Let the sun rise in the morning and any witness bring. Let all the blooming cosmos teach us to sing”.

Exclusive Ten Track Compilation Of Mungo Jerry In Original Mono Mix. Includes Previously Unreleased Versions Of All Their Major International Hits. ‘Mighty Man’ - Original PYE Records Test Audition Version. ‘Lady Rose’ - Previously Unreleased Mono Version. ‘Hello Nadine’ - Previously Unreleased Mono Version. ‘Alright, Alright, Alright’ - Unreleased Version Containing The Third Verse Missing From The Original Hit Single. ‘Long Legged Woman Dressed In Black’ - Unreleased Mono Version. ‘You Don’t Have To Be In The Army To Fight In The War’ - Acoustic And Harmonica Version. ‘Feels Like I’m In Love’ - Ray Dorset’s Original Demo Of Kelly Marie’s Global #1 Hit.

Vocal Shades And Tones is a miraculous leftfield library classic from the genius mind of celebrated UK composer/singer/vocal arranger Barbara Moore. It's a heavenly groove-based blend of jazz, Latin, soft-psych, folk-funk and gospel soul. Recorded for the legendary Music De Wolfe in 1972, it's an audacious start-to-finish listen, as dizzying as it is dazzling. It's a perfect snapshot of a musical era, supported by Moore's glorious vocal arrangements. Widely regarded among collectors, DJs, and lounge/easy-listening acolytes as an absolute essential it is viewed as the holy grail by many production music heads, rarely appearing for sale and disappearing in a flash when it does. Indeed, originals now go for over £300 and it's easy to see why. Just one of the reasons why this fresh Be With reissue, part of a wider De Wolfe reissue campaign, is so utterly crucial.

Racing out the gate, the driving "Hot Heels" is a bright, sophisticated scat groove which sounds Brazilian, richly produced as if coming by the hand of Arthur Verocai. Yes, *that* good. It's followed by "It's Gospel" which is, er, a wonderfully slow and deeply soulful gospel treasure. The appropriately monikered "Steam Heat" is a darker, breathy gem, one for salacious crates and one of the record's most infamous tracks. "Fly Away" is pastoral West Coast soft rock, very much in conversation with John Cameron and Keith Mansfield's epochal KPM recording, Voices In Harmony. "His Name Was" is a stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks Beach Boys accapella church-organ stunner, whilst "Swing Over" is another carefree, richly produced sun-dappled smasher. The gentle Bossa and sunshine soul of the aptly-titled "Touch Of Warmth" closes out a virtually perfect A-Side.

The B-Side opens with the easy grace and dramatic build of "Voice Force Nine". The jaunty "Very Fine Fellow" may be the only track to slightly grate so we advise heading to the slower, moody "Shades-Tones", eminently more compelling with sparkling, hypnotic piano throughout, underpinning the gorgeous wordless vocals. Just beautiful. It was sampled by Redman for his Method Man-featuring "Do What Ya Feel" on the great Muddy Waters. We're back in Brazilian territory with the cool, uptempo "I'm Feather" before swooning to the warm, relaxed "Drifting", another total highlight which was famously sampled by Koushik on his legendary remix of Madvillain's "America's Most Blunted (Doom's Verse)". The penultimate track, "Take Off" is a bright, organ lounge groove before this remarkable set is rounded out by the beaty "Fly Paradise". It's so so good, it sounds like Rotary Connection fronted by The Mamas & the Papas. As noted in a recent Guardian article on Moore's life, "there is a plushness and electricity in the tight vocal harmonies that spring out, sung with the precision of cathedral choristers decades before Auto-Tune." Amen.

In the 1960s, Barbara Moore was a member of Top of the Pops’ resident vocal-harmony group, The Ladybirds and sang backing vocals for Dusty Springfield’s TV show. Her own outfit, the Barbara Moore Singers, were regulars on TOTP, singing with Jimi Hendrix when he performed "Hey Joe" live in Lime Grove Studios. An important detail for Moore was the shepherd’s pie she bought Hendrix when she found him alone, looking emaciated, near the BBC canteen. By 1970, she was working as a session singer for De Wolfe and, by 1972, was composing her own tracks for De Wolfe and working within their tight creative strictures. Each short track had to evoke an obvious mood and theme, with no significant key or tempo changes. Her response, this very album, managed to stay between the lines while cohering as an overarching artistic masterpiece.

The audio for Vocal Shades And Tones has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring this release sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

Die Neuauflage des zweiten Albums für Prestige des John Wright Trios!

John Wright und sein Trio mit Wendell Marshall und J.C. Heard verkörpern den gefühlvollen Chicago-Sound der frühen 1960er Jahre. New Land fühlt sich geehrt, diese atemberaubende Platte zum ersten Mal seit ihrer Erstveröffentlichung weltweit präsentieren zu können. Direkt von den Originalbändern von Kevin Gray gemastert und in einer luxuriösen Reverse-Board-Verpackung mit einem Fotodruck mit einem bisher unbekannten Bild von Wright aus den South Side Story-Fotosessions von Esmond Edwards. Dies ist ein Muss für jede Sammlung. Wahrlich einer der am meisten unterschätzten Pianisten der frühen 1960er Jahre, dessen Alben im Laufe der Jahre bei Prestige an Bedeutung gewonnen haben. Diese Aufnahmen, die eine Mischung aus gefühlvollem Hard Bop mit einer swingenden Chicago-Kante vereinen, sind ein echter Schatz. Sein letztes Prestige-Album wurde 1965 veröffentlicht (die Aufnahmen stammen aus dem Jahr 61), bevor Wright in der Versenkung verschwand, in der Chicagoer Clubszene auftrat und von Mitte der 1980er Jahre bis 1999 als Bibliothekar im Cook County Jail in Chicago arbeitete. "Nice 'N' Tasty" war seine zweite Veröffentlichung für Prestige und eine großartige Sammlung von Songs. Das Set, das vier Originale enthält, wurde von dem großartigen Rudy Van Gelder produziert und von Esmond Edwards betreut.

2023 markiert den Beginn einer neuen Ära für IN FLAMES mit der Veröffentlichung des vierzehnten Studioalbums Foregone - ein neues Meisterwerk einer Band, deren kreativer Output den Kurs und die Richtung des modernen Metals verändert hat.

Um den Aufwärtstrend fortzusetzen, markiert 2023 auch die Wiederveröffentlichung von vier bahnbrechenden Titeln aus dem umfangreichen Katalog der Band, nämlich A Sense of Purpose (2008) (15th Anniversary Edition inc. The Mirror's Truth EP, die noch nie auf Vinyl erhältlich war), Reroute to Remain (2002), Come Clarity (2006) (mehr als 400.000 verkaufte Exemplare weltweit + Gewinner des schwedischen Grammis-Preises für das beste Hard Rock-Album 2017) und Sounds of a Playground Fading (2011), die alle vergriffen und bei alten und neuen Jesterheads gleichermaßen sehr gefragt waren.

Die Wiederveröffentlichungen von 2023 enthalten alle Original Artworks mit einigen wenigen, sorgfältigen Retuschen. Alle Veröffentlichungen wurden von Justin Shturtz im legendären Sterling Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, speziell für Vinyl neu gemastert. Alle Platten werden auf schweres 180g-Vinyl gepresst und sind mit dem unverkennbaren Jesterhead-Logo auf Seite D (z.B. A Sense of Purpose) versehen!

2023 markiert den Beginn einer neuen Ära für IN FLAMES mit der Veröffentlichung des vierzehnten Studioalbums Foregone - ein neues Meisterwerk einer Band, deren kreativer Output den Kurs und die Richtung des modernen Metals verändert hat.

Um den Aufwärtstrend fortzusetzen, markiert 2023 auch die Wiederveröffentlichung von vier bahnbrechenden Titeln aus dem umfangreichen Katalog der Band, nämlich A Sense of Purpose (2008) (15th Anniversary Edition inc. The Mirror's Truth EP, die noch nie auf Vinyl erhältlich war), Reroute to Remain (2002), Come Clarity (2006) (mehr als 400.000 verkaufte Exemplare weltweit + Gewinner des schwedischen Grammis-Preises für das beste Hard Rock-Album 2017) und Sounds of a Playground Fading (2011), die alle vergriffen und bei alten und neuen Jesterheads gleichermaßen sehr gefragt waren.

Die Wiederveröffentlichungen von 2023 enthalten alle Original Artworks mit einigen wenigen, sorgfältigen Retuschen. Alle Veröffentlichungen wurden von Justin Shturtz im legendären Sterling Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, speziell für Vinyl neu gemastert. Alle Platten werden auf schweres 180g-Vinyl gepresst und sind mit dem unverkennbaren Jesterhead-Logo auf Seite D (z.B. A Sense of Purpose) versehen!

2023 markiert den Beginn einer neuen Ära für IN FLAMES mit der Veröffentlichung des vierzehnten Studioalbums Foregone - ein neues Meisterwerk einer Band, deren kreativer Output den Kurs und die Richtung des modernen Metals verändert hat.

Um den Aufwärtstrend fortzusetzen, markiert 2023 auch die Wiederveröffentlichung von vier bahnbrechenden Titeln aus dem umfangreichen Katalog der Band, nämlich A Sense of Purpose (2008) (15th Anniversary Edition inc. The Mirror's Truth EP, die noch nie auf Vinyl erhältlich war), Reroute to Remain (2002), Come Clarity (2006) (mehr als 400.000 verkaufte Exemplare weltweit + Gewinner des schwedischen Grammis-Preises für das beste Hard Rock-Album 2017) und Sounds of a Playground Fading (2011), die alle vergriffen und bei alten und neuen Jesterheads gleichermaßen sehr gefragt waren.

Die Wiederveröffentlichungen von 2023 enthalten alle Original Artworks mit einigen wenigen, sorgfältigen Retuschen. Alle Veröffentlichungen wurden von Justin Shturtz im legendären Sterling Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, speziell für Vinyl neu gemastert. Alle Platten werden auf schweres 180g-Vinyl gepresst und sind mit dem unverkennbaren Jesterhead-Logo auf Seite D (z.B. A Sense of Purpose) versehen.

With 2 solo albums («Digital Pixel » in 2016 and « Bass Attack » in 2018 ), a dozen of EPs and more than 800 shows performed all over the globe, the most international French beatmaker in the world of Reggae is back on November 2023 with his brand new album « Step Up », in which he pushes further the fusion between Reggae and Bass Music. With « Step Up » Manudigital made his music evolves toward more electronic and hybrid productions. He navigates between musical genres like no one does, inviting guests from all over the world. Armed with his bass, MPC and synthesiser, Manudigital surrounded himself with no less than 17 hand-picked artists to make his productions their own. « (…) I was already working on my upcoming album and I thought I would keep this small Reggae loop to take it to another style, fully electronic which has given my new album’s DNA » - Manudigital about the track « Step Up » The album opens with the eponymous explosive track « Step Up » featuring veteran Jamaican deejay Joseph Cotton and British Drum & Bass MC Bellyman, author of the successful YouTube video series « Carz Barz ». Among the artists of the British underground musical scene, Reggae/Soul genius Liam Bailey has been invited on the Pop-infused Digital Reggae track « Enough » which will delight the lovers of soulful Reggae. Manudigital also reminds us Reggae has always be his first love and, after having produced Alborosie and Protoje’s hit « Strolling » a few years ago, he proposed the Sicilian MC to collaborate with Jamaican artist Yami Bolo on the track « Reggae Music and Love ». A big tune built upon a classic digital riddim in the Jamaican way, a catchy chorus carried by the high voice of Yami Bolo and the legendary flow of Alborosie of the verses. Cult band Asian Dub Foundation’s singer Ghetto Priest takes also part of the project with « Rasta Corner », MC Caporal Negus joins Manudigital on « Dub and Bass » and on tour, and Jolly Joseph sings on « The world is Hell » for the Reggae Dub tracks of the album. In terms of surprises, Manudigital takes pleasure in inviting benchmark artists in each musical genres, walking through Lo Fi Hip-Hop’s path with the Dancehall President aka Skarra Mucci on « Fi Di Youths », Baile Funk with Punjabi-American rapper Alo Wala and their song « Love on Tap » or even Afrobeat with Dynamq for the last song « Piki Piki ». Finally, whereas Manudigital will soon celebrate his career 10th anniversary and as his name resonates in sound systems from all over the world, we appreciate each risk taken and each nod to Reggae Culture, wondering what his next shape will be. First parts of response on November 17, 2023 with the release of

Orange vinyl. Time is supposed to mellow us, but for Petrol Girls it has distilled their feminist politics into an ever more potent cocktail. Fitting, given that their logo from day one has been a flaming molotov. Since their formation in 2012, the band has been known for playing fast-paced, chaotic punk that takes aim at everything from sexual violence to immigration policy, but over the last few years their sound has evolved in a more nuanced direction. Their 2016 debut album Talk of Violence was a blast of pure political rage, while 2019's Cut & Stitch saw vocalist Ren Aldridge exploring familiar themes from a more personal perspective. Now their latest offering, Baby - to be released through the London-based independent label Hassle on June 24th - sees the band turn another new corner. This time, by embracing irreverence. "We wanted this album to be less epic and less preachy from day one," Aldridge says. "I hate sanctimoniousness. Like, really fucking hate it. But I also know that I have been mega preachy, and felt very pressured to be sanctimonious, because we've always played in a very political punk scene. I lost my fun side, and I really needed to come back to that." Recorded with Pete Miles at Middle Farm Studios in Devon, Baby embraces a more playful sound. A focus on groove and repetition - driven by guitarist Joe York, drummer Zock and bassist Robin Gatt - give the songs a Talking Heads feel, while retaining the band's formative post-punk energy. The lyrics, too, are a departure for Aldridge. While she continues to address heavy topics like burn out, femicide and police violence, the lyrics balance directed anger with tongue-in-cheek humour where appropriate. Angular opener "Preachers" puts the self-aggrandising nature of call-out culture on blast with lyrics like "feeling dead important in the comments", while lead single "Baby, I Had An Abortion" is intentionally puerile from title to finish. On the flip side, tracks like "Violent By Design" see the band kicking back against carceral feminism in the wake of a news cycle dominated by Black Lives Matter protests and PC Wayne Cousins' brutal murder of Sarah Everard. Similarly, "Fight For Our Lives" - a harsh, borderline industrial song - was lyrically co-written by activist and vocalist Janey Starling. Aldridge deliberately wrote the verses to sound like a manifesto, and the lyrics reference Starling's Dignity For Dead Women Campaign with Level Up, which successfully called for the UK media to change the way it reports on fatal incidents of domestic violence. Baby saw Petrol Girls working in new ways - scrapping entire songs rather than trying to force things that didn't feel right, recording to tape for the first time, and deliberately leaving in imperfections. It was a more carefree process, which Aldridge - having gone through a particularly bad period of mental ill-health at the start of 2021 - welcomed. "Our whole thing for a long time, and a big focus of the last record, was making political struggle sustainable," Aldridge says. "And I think having a good time where possible, and things being not totally serious all the time, is really essential."

Five groups, one mythical studio - documenting the emergence of a generation!

The initial postulate was simple: five groups, one emblematic studio and 24 hours for each to imagine and record two unreleased tracks with one objective - the will to document a French jazz scene in the midst of renewal.

In these last few years, several innovative currents have shaken up the world of jazz and attracted new fans. They have bubbled up from Los Angeles, impregnated with hip-hop culture (Kamasi Washington, Terrace Martin, Thundercat), or from London, tinged with African rhythms (Nubya Garcia, Kokoroko, Ezra Collective). Meanwhile, in France, a new scene is emerging, carrying with it more of a dancefloor-oriented sound influenced by electronic music - an obvious kinship with the French Touch explosion of the late 90s.

Historically, every movement has been assimilated to a certain neighbourhood, to specific clubs where late at night, young guns stayed up to imagine the jazz of tomorrow - the Cotton Club for the jazz of the 20s, Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem for Be-Bop, the Black Hawk in San Francisco for West Coast jazz, Birdland in New York for Hard-Bop or a lot more recently, the Total Refreshment Centre which has been the playing field for the new London scene.

In Paris too, this new sound is associated with actual venues, places which have allowed these groups to form, create a repertoire and forge an aesthetic - Le Baiser Salé for Monsieur Mâlâ, La Gare/Le Gore for Photon, La Pêche in Montreuil for Ishkero, La Petite Halle for Underground Canopy and also le Duc des Lombards and le 38 Riv’ for Alex Monfort; it’s in a live context that this music will always continue to evolve.

Keeping this “live” spirit, with all its spontaneity, was actually the guiding line for the elaboration of this Studio Pigalle compilation. Each take was recorded in the most organic way possible, bringing all the musicians together in the same room to limit post-production alterations before the final cut was assembled, in just one day, by studio in-house sound engineer, Felix Rémy.

A feeling of urgency permeates a record guided by an artistic production taking care to crystalise the essence of this artistically free-range generation whose childhoods were rocked just as much by Bill Evans and Roy Hargrove as by J Dilla and Jeff Mills. One of the two tracks recorded is geared towards the dancefloor, and the other, more cosmic/ambient gives freer rein to individual interpretation.

There were therefore many possible ways of interpreting these guidelines for the five formations which number among the most distinctive on the current French musical landscape, and the occasion, for some, to rummage through their archives! With Transe (Mbappé) and Da Verdere (Vella), Monsieur

Mâlâ present us with two unreleased tracks issued from the very first rehearsals of the quintet reworked especially for this compilation. “Seen the aesthetic range of this group, it all worked out very naturally in the studio”, recounts keyboardist Nicholas Vella “Recording like they did in the sixties with all the channels live and working with small imperfections was a very interesting task, even when it came to the mix, we had to make do with the takes we had... “

“Our group is very recent, and with this session, in just two tracks, we had the opportunity to present the entirety of our musical universe,” says Photons pianist Gauthier Toux. “All too often, we assimilate this fusion between jazz and dance music to computers and post-production modifications. For “Dessine”, we kept the first take, and we must have recorded just three or four for the other track with more of a techno bent. In one day, we understood that we could play our entire repertoire live, from A to Z”.

“When the Komos label offered me this project, it immediately spoke to me”, remembers Alex Monfort “Straight away, I thought of “Since I Met You”, a track with a nine/four time signature which really is reminiscent of a new- soul groove, but with this extra cosmic vibe! I wrote the words to the chorus and Nina Tonji placed her voice on the track, adding her own verses. For “Tonight”, the up-tempo track, I wanted to head off in more of a hybrid direction inspired by Kaytranada or the Black Radio series by Robert Glasper. A cross-over between jazz and hip-hop which really does represent my world, and I also tried to place vocals centre stage (Emcee Agora)”.

“We truly resonated with the way Antoine Rajon imagined this compilation and the recording session”, confide Warren Dongué and Jérémy Tallon from Underground Canopy. “When arriving in this studio we felt as if we had gone backtothe70s! Inkeepingwiththespiritofthisera,heknewhowtoletus keep our spontaneity, without recording in too many takes, and that’s how we like to work”.

“We managed to adhere to the themes of the compilation without changing our instrumentation, we wanted to remain faithful to the sound of Ishkero on these new compositions and take them somewhere else” – says drummer TaoEhrlich -“Withoutaddinganyelectronics.Thesessionwassupervisedin a truly subtle and benevolent manner. From a human perspective, it was also a wonderful experience”.

Whether turned towards hip-hop, ethnic or electronic music, the artists featured on this Studio Pigalle compilation represent the eclecticism of a new generation in the process of writing the first chapters of its history. Open to experimentation, these artists continue to hold high an immutable love for improvisation and creation in the moment... another definition of the word Jazz!

■ Limitierte Edition auf White (LP1) und Red (LP2) Vinyl • Audiophiles 180g Vinyl

• Beinhaltet ein Insert
• Die besten Weihnachtslieder von heute's größten Künstlern wie Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus,
Justin Bieber, Sabrina Claudio & The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Sia, Lady Gaga ft. Space
Cowboy, Sam Smith und mehr

■ Die größten Weihnachtslieder des 21. Jahrhunderts ist das
Zusammenstellungsalbum, das die größten Pop-Künstler des 21. Jahrhunderts zusammenbringt, um Sie in Weihnachtsstimmung zu versetzen. Künstler wie Sia, Twenty One Pilots, Ariana Grande und Justin Bieber sind auf dieser 2LP mit traditionellen und modernen Weihnachtsliedern vertreten.

Die größten Weihnachtslieder des 21. Jahrhunderts ist als limitierte Edition auf White (LP1) und Red (LP2) Vinyl erhältlich und enthält ein Beiblatt.