Cerca:villain

DITC’s legendary producer Buckwild is back with his second producer album of 2020, aptly titled “Music Is My Religion”. His devotion to the craft has made history and continues to do so, with the Bronx’s producer collaborating with more and more interesting new names in today’s game. On this new offering he has gathered guest appearances by Fred The Godson (RIP), Willie The Kid, Planet Asia, Milano Constantine, Has Kingpin, Flee Lord Daniel Son, Rim of Da Villins and Jay Royale among others.

Pom Pom Squad’s sophomore LP, aptly titled Mirror Starts Moving Without Me, Berrin traverses the hall of mirrors to celebrate the true self at the heart.
The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Stereogum, and many more have lauded the pop-centric return of Brooklyn’s favorite rising post-grunge band, lead by frontperson Mia Berrin, for their refreshing new chapter. Berrin had a hand in the crafting of this darker and stronger sound, co-producing the record at the legendary Electric Lady Studios.

“…rarely does an artist land in a creative sweet spot like Berrin has, deftly matching sight and sound to illustrate the record's two sides - the saturated landscape where punk, glam and camp coexist, and the uncanny underbelly of Americana.” - NPR

Pom Pom Squad’s sophomore LP, aptly titled Mirror Starts Moving Without Me, Berrin traverses the hall of mirrors to celebrate the true self at the heart.
The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Stereogum, and many more have lauded the pop-centric return of Brooklyn’s favorite rising post-grunge band, lead by frontperson Mia Berrin, for their refreshing new chapter. Berrin had a hand in the crafting of this darker and stronger sound, co-producing the record at the legendary Electric Lady Studios.

“…rarely does an artist land in a creative sweet spot like Berrin has, deftly matching sight and sound to illustrate the record's two sides - the saturated landscape where punk, glam and camp coexist, and the uncanny underbelly of Americana.” - NPR

‘Les Cigales’ takes its’ sonic cues from the structure of film and TV music from the 1960s and 70s, channelling the influence of film composers such as Francois de Roubaix and David Axelrod, whilst also sitting somewhere between the washed out, sun-soaked sonics of Surprise Chef and Robohands. As the EP unwinds, its narrative reflects a love story, full of longing, melancholy and drama, connecting with the story of Gyptis and Protis – the founding myth of Marseilles – whose love broke convention and welcomed the arrival of foreign people on French soil.

The project follows The Offline’s debut album ‘La couleur de la mer’, released in November 2023, which saw him create his own soundtrack to a film yet to be made. Inducing images of manorial, fog- swept villas at the seas edge, silhouetted sailing boats and cigar-chomping villains attempting to thwart the mission of an imaginary hero, the record is a masterfully composed sonic journey. ‘Les Cigales’ sees him continue to build upon a distinctive sound that moves from dramatic cues to fragile romanticism, incorporating psychedelic spaciness, retro soul and hip-hop sensibilities informed by his extensive record collection.

A RADICAL HORIZON is comprised of a series of duets between cellist Lori Goldston and pianist Stefan Christoff, recorded on a late Fall afternoon in Brooklyn, NY. A conversation between friends, these improvised excursions reflect a willingness to be open to the spirits in the space and between the notes; a spirit of communion that, as Stefan writes, "guides and dances with our dialogue together".

Stefan Christoff is a Canadian musician, community organizer, and journalist based in Montreal, Quebec. He has collaborated with artists such as Sam Shalabi and Adriana Camacho, performs with his brother Jordan as a duo in Anarchist Mountains, and has released music on labels such as Moon Villain, Shimmering Moods, and Aural Canyon.

A lifelong community activist, he helped establish the Musicians For Palestine project and has engaged in street-level solidarity work in Lebanon and The Philippines as well as closer to home in Montreal. This is his second appearance on Beacon Sound after 'In Sofia', an album of piano improvisations recorded in Bulgaria, was released on the label in 2023.

Classically trained and rigorously de-trained, possessor of a restless, semi-feral spirit, Lori Goldston is a cellist, composer, improvisor, producer, writer and teacher from Seattle. Her voice as a cellist, amplified or acoustic, is full, textured, committed and original. A relentless inquirer, her work drifts freely across borders that separate genre, discipline, time and geography.

Current and former collaborators and/or bosses include Earth, Nirvana, Mirah, Jessika Kenney, Ilan Volkov, Eyvind Kang, Stuart Dempster, David Byrne, Terry Riley, Jherek Bischoff, Malcom Goldstein, Steve Von Till, Lonnie Holley, Cat Power, Ellen Fullman, Maya Dunietz, Mik Quantius, Embryo, O Paon, Tara Jane O’Neil, Natacha Atlas, Broken Water, Ed Pias, Christian Rizzo and Sophie Laly, Threnody Ensemble, Cynthia Hopkins, 33 Fainting Spells, Vanessa Renwick, Mark Mitchell, Lynn Shelton, and many more.

Her work has been commissioned by and/or performed at the Kennedy Center, Sydney Festival, Cineteca Nacional de México, Tectonics Festival, Frye Art Museum, Time Based Art Festival (TBA), WNYC, The New Foundation, Paris Fashion Week, Northwest Film Forum, On the Boards, Seattle International Film Festival, Seattle Jewish Film Festival, Bumbershoot, Crossing Border Festival, Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, Joe’s Pub, the Stone, University of Chicago, and venues large and small throughout North America, Mexico, Australia, and Europe.

SUNANDBASS ambassador FD returns for his latest EP to guide you back to the familiar shores of our annual celebration in Sardinia. Rich and expressive music that works on the dancefloor can be hard to find but FD brings the goodness once again, with this diverse three-tracker.

“All Yours” hits the sweet spot straight away, with dusky vocals and tight beats. Deft guitar licks keep the funk fluid, wrapping around an essential groove, whilst crystal keys shimmer in the heat haze. An ace opener to any set, this track strikes a rare balance between rhythm and elegance.

Flipping the script with an ice-cold intro, “Second Villain” creeps up close and personal before dropping a murderous bassline on your chest. Produced alongside one of Switzerland’s most respected DJs, Ryck, the ‘Villain’ encompasses and embraces influences from Jungle and Drum & Bass alike.

Finalising the ninth release on SUNANDBASS Recordings is “Wah Wah Track”, which puts the music first to prove that the medium really is the message here. Melodic layers rise and fall like waves on this classy and uplifting piece of future soul music.

In 2004, California-based indie band Golden Shoulders followed up their highly acclaimed debut with their second album, Friendship Is Deep. Now, on the twentieth anniversary of its release, the album most requested by their fans for a vinyl release is finally set for one on Unspun Heroes. Described as “one of the great semi-lost albums of the 21st Century”, the album showcases singer, songwriter, and band mainstay, Adam Kline’s knack for lyrical hooks and penchant for catchy melodies. But, like friendship, this is deeper than its pop sensibilities might suggest.
 
From the moment the opening track I Will Light You On Fire opens with its simple piano refrain and vocal harmonies you know you’re listening to something worthy of further exploration. From this building of tension between its temporary aural chaos and the beauty that ultimately emerges, you’ll be hooked. Yet, scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find this is an album that carries with it a political, pro-peace, and pro-humanity message, albeit somewhat more satirical than you might expect of a band hailing from America’s West Coast. This is particularly notable on tracks such as Golden Soldiers and the Committee, where Kline’s turn of phrase and wit shines through, cleverly weaving words so they create detailed poetic mosaics. 

Golden Shoulders is a loose and ever-changing lineup of international talent, with Kline as the kingpin and sole songwriter. Given the pedigree of those whose talents grace the album – among them, Todd Roper and Greg Brown (Cake), Josh Klinghoffer (PJ Harvey, RHCP, Pearl Jam), Neal Morgan (Joanna Newsom, Fleet Foxes), and Dan Elkan (Broken Bells) – it’s no surprise the compositions and attention to detail present in each and every one of the 14 songs is top notch. It’s this pleasing mix of accomplished individuals, and their mishmash of influences, which lend a pinball effect to the set of stylistically diverse songs on Friendship Is Deep. Collectively though, the music you’ll hear has a focus, one that channels late 90’s Brendan Benson, the poppier side of 80’s Violent Femmes, and even the mid-60’s flair of the Beatles’ Rubber Soul. 

Limitierte Smoke Marble Vinyl Reissue Edition von Timber Timbre Albums aus dem Jahr 2009.

Originally released in 2013 and previously unreleased on vinyl, we are proud to present the 3rd volume in the Piece Maker series by legendary DJ Tony Touch. Featuring an incredible line up of MC's that includes Busta Rhymes, Reek da Villain, Roc Marciano, Lil' Fame, Too Short, Xzibit, Kurupt, B-Real, Papoose, Uncle Murda, Black Thought, Styles P, Sheek Louch, Jadakiss, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, RZA, Eminem, Twista, Bun B, Action Bronson, Prodigy, Joell Ortiz, Royce da 5'9", KRS-One, Crooked I, Redman, Method Man, N.O.R.E. and Erick Sermon among others.

Actress' zehntes Studioalbum, das himmlische und meditative „Statik“, wird am 07.06.24 von Smalltown Supersound veröffentlicht. Die Zusammenarbeit zwischen Darren Cunningham und dem geschätzten Osloer Label entwickelte sich organisch nach dem Actress Remix für eine 12“-Auskopplung eines Carmen Villain-Songs aus ihrem Album „Only Love From Now“. In diesem Sinne war das gesamte "Statik"-Projekt, von der Konzeption über die Entstehung bis zur Veröffentlichung, mit einer fast unnatürlichen Leichtigkeit gesegnet. Für Actress, der den Großteil seines subtil majestätischen neuen Albums in einem ausgedehnten Deep-Flow-Zustand schrieb, dient das Projekt als zusammenhängendes Zeugnis künstlerischer Befreiung. Das Ergebnis ist ein kontemplatives Album, das von einem Gefühl der Freiheit durchdrungen ist, während es gleichzeitig die Expertise seines Schöpfers durch forensische Aufmerksamkeit für texturale Details und die für Actress typischen Resonanzen unterstreicht. Bei genauem Hinhören können sich einflussreiche Visionen von Wasserwelten, wie dem mythischen Atlantis, und Beschwörungen von fliegenden Vögeln (und vielleicht auch Menschen) offenbaren. Egal, ob Statik dazu inspiriert, über oder unter dem Horizont zu schweben, Actress und Smalltown Supersound versprechen eine sichere und transzendente Reise.

Hello! Tim here. My band is called Strand of Oaks. This is my eighth record and it's called Miracle Focus. I spent over three years building Miracle Focus. In the midst of writing, I became a painter and spent two seasons acting on a television show (Mayans MC). The dichotomy of painting for days in my garage and then flying out to LA to play a villainous biker on TV was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life. The idea of Miracle Focus was born out of one simple concept: to make people feel good. Throw in a healthy mix of Ram Dass, yoga, Freddie Mercury, Alice Coltrane, and Beastie Boys, plus over a year of writing and building the extremely dense architecture of the songs, and Miracle Focus was born. The result is FUN, wild, rhythmic music filled with synth layering and mantra-like lyrics intended to uplifting and hopefully bring some light to whoever listens. In many ways, this record is a love letter to bliss. Through meditation, I found a way to connect with something greater, a positive force that allowed me to write music as a manual towards a more love-focused life. And the miracles I refer to aren't asking the universe for anything; it's just acknowledging and celebrating this complex beautiful moment that we all get to share. It will be gone, it will re-emerge as something new, that will be gone, repeat....repeat... repeat - this eternal cycle. My most sincere hope is that whoever listens might through sonic osmosis experience a similar joy. Sending peace and love. Thank you for your time. - Tim

Hello! Tim here. My band is called Strand of Oaks. This is my eighth record and it's called Miracle Focus. I spent over three years building Miracle Focus. In the midst of writing, I became a painter and spent two seasons acting on a television show (Mayans MC). The dichotomy of painting for days in my garage and then flying out to LA to play a villainous biker on TV was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life. The idea of Miracle Focus was born out of one simple concept: to make people feel good. Throw in a healthy mix of Ram Dass, yoga, Freddie Mercury, Alice Coltrane, and Beastie Boys, plus over a year of writing and building the extremely dense architecture of the songs, and Miracle Focus was born. The result is FUN, wild, rhythmic music filled with synth layering and mantra-like lyrics intended to uplifting and hopefully bring some light to whoever listens. In many ways, this record is a love letter to bliss. Through meditation, I found a way to connect with something greater, a positive force that allowed me to write music as a manual towards a more love-focused life. And the miracles I refer to aren't asking the universe for anything; it's just acknowledging and celebrating this complex beautiful moment that we all get to share. It will be gone, it will re-emerge as something new, that will be gone, repeat....repeat... repeat - this eternal cycle. My most sincere hope is that whoever listens might through sonic osmosis experience a similar joy. Sending peace and love. Thank you for your time. - Tim

Following his debut EP ‘En clair-obscur’ and a series of singles earlier this year cementing his place as a rising name in the world of cinematic soul & funk, Hamburg’s finest cinematic soul artist ‘The Offline’ announces his debut album 'La couleur de la mer'.

Reminiscent of film scores from the 60s and 70s, The Offline worked with co-producer Tim Liztenberger to channel the influence of film composers such as Francois de Roubaix and Brian Bennet, creating his own soundtrack on ‘La couleur de la mer’. Inducing images of manorial, fog-swept villas at the sea's edge, silhouetted sailing boats and cigar-chomping villains attempting to thwart the mission of an imaginary hero, the record is a masterfully composed sonic journey. Experimenting with themes and atypical song structures, the music moves from dramatic cues to fragile romanticism. It incorporates psychedelic spaciness, retro soul and hip-hop sensibilities informed by The Offline’s extensive record collection and crate-digger status.

“Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated by the soundtracks from the 60s and 70s, and I always wanted to make an album in the film score direction. I wrote about 30 demos, kicked half of it and stuck to the ones that felt right in the dramaturgical structure of the ‘movie'. Interestingly the main theme was set early on while writing the album, which made the writing process much easier.”

Aptly named, ‘Thème de la couleur de la mer’ opens proceedings, establishing the core motifs of the record. Haunting flutes and xylophones lead the way into Khruangbin-esque guitar lines, which sit against a hip-hop canvas that returns on boom-bap head boppers like ‘Quelque chose reste’. Retro soul revival takes precedence on deep cuts like ‘Un bout de chemin’, with wah-gated guitars interacting with emotive cello lines and symphonic string & horn sections.

The Offline came to life when composer and photographer Felix Müller travelled the Atlantic coastline in the south of France with his analogue camera, capturing beach life on film. After coming back to Hamburg, he started writing songs as the sonic counterpart to the analogue visuals. His Debut EP ‘En Clair-Obscur’ includes five tracks that capture the essence of his journey and the feeling of a cool summer soundtrack.

"The outsized sounds emerging from the Excelsior Mill organ captured here constitute a unique chapter in the Sun Ra story, a dizzying phantasmagoria that offers a whole new view on what Ra could do. It might thrill you; it might unnerve you; it might strum your heartstrings; it might spook the living daylights out of you. Most likely you’ll experience all of the above before the jolting musical jeremiad is done. The CD includes the full uncut show with music not featured on the LP version!

When you’re Sun Ra, you don’t need synthesizers to evoke apocalyptic visions and interstellar excursions. You don’t even need a band.

Ra is most widely known for working with various iterations of his Arkestra, but he was no stranger to unaccompanied keyboard expeditions. His discography contains solo piano albums, solo Fender Rhodes records, and solo recordings on conventional organ, the latter going as far back as his home recordings from the 1940s. But none of those instruments ever offered Sun Ra the kind of sonic artillery that waited beneath his fingers and feet when he sat before the keyboards, pedals, and multicolored constellation of tabs controlling the Wurlitzer pipe organ.

Mystic and magisterial, Ra comes off here like a cross between a demonically riffing ‘50s horror movie villain and a futuristic congregation leader delivering the interplanetary gospel. Brassy stabs provide the kind of punctuation that could be graphically rendered as an endless string of exclamation marks in 500-point font. String-like swoops and swirls dance across the top of the carnage, cooling the flames just enough to keep the whole thing from combusting (for a while at least) but never dousing the fiery fury that Ra draws forth from the instrument.

A Paris resident of Minsk origin, Lina Filipovich’s ‘Music for an imaginary dancefloor’ explores the liminal space between club music and something altogether weirder, elusive, and abstract. Nervous, varied and amplified by various delays, the LP was written from improvisations on analogue synthesizers between June and December in 2022.

Atonal drones and atmospheric textures convey imagery of charcoal skies and silk tapestries; an idealised parallel world untethered from reality and bodies, towards something more ethereal – floating freely in red carpet lined corridors.

“In my previous works, I used pre-existing sounds to create new pieces. I was interested in the appropriation and decontextualization of materials from various traditions and contexts. However, in this album, I don't deconstruct; instead, I attempt to co-write with the machines, relying on their aesthetics and my imagination.”

Lina's LP trickles down the spine, pulse-raising and gooseflesh on tender skin, analogous to the aftermath of a sweaty fever dream. Speaking the language of spirits in the allure of the dark.

Press release by Asmi Shetty

Growing up on the outskirts of Manchester, Daniella Lubasu feels that the city's strong indie rock legacy has had an "inevitable" impact on her Equally significant was the music of her Congolese heritage - with its upbeat rhythms, driving bass and intricate electric guitar riffs a constant presence in her childhood. It's in this intersection between the genres where Daniella grounds her sonic identity as DellaXOZ - one which has already garnered extensive love from Clara Amfo at Radio 1, early nods from The Guardian, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash and many more, and support slots with the likes of Beabadoobee, Spill Tab, Wallice, Two Door Cinema Club and Connie Constance. At age 13, armed with a cheap mic and free software from the internet, Daniella wrote and produced her first song, using music as an emotional outlet throughout her teenage years. The potential for music to shape mood is a recurring trait of Daniella's idols too. The clever wordplay and bravado of Nicki Minaj have emboldened her to channel her own "irreverent villain energy", the untethered chaos of La Tigre and Bikini Kill directly influenced her single 'AHH!!', and she is in awe of pop stars like Lana Del Rey and Lorde's ability to seamlessly shift emotions en masse. DellaXOZ is Daniella's real-time chronicle of expression and introspection, manifested via her own brand of glitchy, alt-pop-fecked indie rock. With her formative teenage years navigated during a global pandemic, it's little wonder that Daniella sets classic coming-of-age concerns to the backdrop of wider social issues and commentary. Her current ethos as DellaXOZ is to capture "the fleeting emotions and multi-dimensionality of the teenage experience", and she rejects the narrative of apathy and distraction misassigned to her generation, explaining "I think it's necessary to know what's going on in the world to not become distanced or ignorant. Current world issues like hate crimes, bans on safe abortion and poor gun control are things that I feel personally provoked to shed light on, and have already written some rage- y unreleased songs about." Currently studying for her A-levels, her lessons too expand the narratives within her songwriting. Drama classes led her to include references to Greek mythology in her tracks, where sociology galvanised her to pen her own "riot girl feminist song". It's exactly this kind of boldness and conviction to play with sounds and ideas that mark DellaXOZ as a key young creator in the next chapter of Manchester's musical tradition.

The first feature film based on the globally beloved Miraculous franchise, Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, The Movie follows ordinary teenager Marinette, whose life in Paris goes superhuman when she becomes Ladybug. Bestowed with magical powers of creation, Ladybug must unite with her opposite, Cat Noir, to save Paris as a new villain unleashes chaos unto the city.

Jeremy Zag is a producer and entrepreneur known as one of the co-founders of Zagtoon, a French animation production company. This company is behind the hit animated series Miraculous: the adventures of Ladybug and Cat Noir. He has produced over 500 episodes of TV series in his current career.

'Moments Remixes' began from a conversation with Jlin. We did an interview together for Talkhouse in fall of 2019, in season with the original Moments release on Unseen Worlds. Her poignant and effusive dialogue sparked the inspiration for us to do a remix together. That organically evolved into a full project idea. Xiu Xiu did the second remix in January 2020, and before things continued further - the pandemic was upon us. During the course of the pandemic, it evolved more, and organically became a more focused project for the isolation and lack of in-person collaborative environments/performance halls. All of but one remix were completed by 2021, and then refined and curated further over the following (four) years. The highlighted dialogue across the album is how these sparse, melodic minimalism of piano and vibraphone could manifest in a diversity of experimental sub-genres: electronica, IDM, avant-rock, drone/ambient. The careful curation and illustrative collaborators elicit the transportive 'new moments' and permeable qualities of the core compositions, that discover uncharted life in this project. (Michael Vincent Waller, October 2023)

Christmas comes early, at least for Wu-Tang fans! Vinyl version of 2022s Killah Christmas! Wu-Tang Clan legend Ghostface Killah released his first-ever Christmas album digitally two Christmas' ago. The project features six exclusive tracks with guest appearances from longtime partner-in-rhyme Raekwon, as well as Reek Da Villain, Nizzle Man and Billy Ski-Mask.Ghostface Killah is critically acclaimed for his loud, fast-paced flowand his emotional stream-of-consciousness narratives containing cryptic slang and non-sequiturs. In 2006, MTV included him as an "honourable mention" on their list of the "Greatest MCs of All Time",while the editors of About com placed him on their list of the "Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987-2007)", calling him "one of the most imaginative storytellers of our time." Q magazine called him "rap's finest storyteller." Pitchfork Media has stated that "Ghostface has unparalleled storytelling instincts; he might be the best, most colorful storyteller rap has ever seen." NPR has called him "a compulsive storyteller", and asserts that "his fiction is painterly." "Ghostface Killah is spreading Christmas cheer to his fans with a new holiday-themed album that comes with some perks" _ Mark Elibert, Hip-hop DX

Recorded by Anthony Linell & Jonas Rönnberg in Muskö, Sweden 2021 Mastered by Giuseppe Tillieci at EnissLab, Rome
northernelectronics.se

“The collaborative project of Northern Electronics' founders, Anthony Linell and Jonas Rönnberg, has never ceased to confront with their coupling of industrious delirium and pensive austerity. By now we know that only adrenaline can make sense of the toxic ensemble of purposes at the heart of Ulwhednar. Meditating on higher flights of thrill and disorder than their previous record, and with an acknowledgement of their Stockholm roots, 'Area 08' induces fever and anticipation with every gesture.

The opening tracks make a raucous yet resolute introduction to proceedings, eventually issuing one of the album's most exquisite moments of reprieve with 'Akalla/Broken Swords'. However, it is the second half of 'Area 08' that formally admits their latest work has crossed a threshold yet unexplored by the pair. A suite of villainously propulsive tracks spit embers of caustic balms as they careen out of reach with the engorged march of 'Commuter Madness'. Cunning in as many ways as it is earnest and audacious, 'Area 08' is a welcome alarm from the nucleus of the mission.”

Hard Hitting Bass Villains

Taking the 2nd half of 2022 to start setting this album up, BILL released singles like "Once Upon A Time In Canarsie", "Leviathan", "Smarten Up", "Root For The Villain", and "Time To Go". The album boasts features from the likes of Vinnie Paz, Kool G Rap, Rittz, Immortal Technique, Nems, Sick Jacken, Slaine, Lord Goat, Tragedy Khadafi, OT The Real, Q-Unique and more.

Bathed in a green haze, the crowd oozed to the mutant rock and roll roaring from the basement's dusty depths — everything and everyone was sweaty and sticky. But as Speedy Ortiz crammed into the back corner, their grins just inches away from ours, D.C.’s Dougout became a moshed-and-sloshed sauna of 20-somethings delirious on rock euphoria.

After spending much of the new millennium bored out of my skull by network soap indie, Speedy Ortiz — not to mention its pals in Pile, Ovlov, Grass is Green and the rest of New England’s burgeoning basement scene — was rock's wild howl. The songs were unpredictable, yet weirdly memorable, swaggering with a winky and wry sense of self. Riffs would twist with a topsy tenderness, then slam a ruptured discord. Sadie Dupuis' sphinxian-yet-sensitive lyrics were not only matched but accentuated by her coil-sprung vibrato. How could Speedy Ortiz not immediately become my new favorite band?

What began as a short-lived solo project recorded in Dupuis' off-hours as a rock camp counselor became a four-piece band in Northampton, Mass., by the end of 2011: Dupuis on guitar and vocals with drummer Mike Falcone, bassist Darl Ferm and guitarist Matt Robidoux. They made cool mixtapes, cracked inside jokes and gushed about teenagers that opened for them on tour. They freaked out (via LiveJournal) when they met the bassist from Polvo or Helium's Mary Timony, but also rolled their eyes at '90s indie-rock comparisons. The band's first single — the gender-bending got-laid grunge yowler "Taylor Swift'' — elicited that rare response of the simultaneous giggle and headbang. The Sports EP amped up the taut yet rubbery riffery.

Released July 9, 2013, Major Arcana is filled with wedding chapel exorcisms, oiled-down attractants and criminally twisted puny little villains — this is Dupuis' haunted lexicon as she scales the toxic Aggro Crag of a breakup. And while Dupuis wrote these songs, the band's convulsing arrangements and diverse influences sprawled the squigglier edges of feedbacked fuzz to mete out matters of the heart. Falcone — who, it's worth noting, has a knack for vocal harmony — swung as much as he smashed the drums. In easily tipoverable songs, Ferm's burly bass and percussive overdubs gave the unruly glee its momentum. Robidoux ripped skronky guitar solos and countered Dupuis' riffs with decorative splatter. Over a four-day marathon session at Sonelab in Easthampton, recording engineer Justin Pizzoferrato sparked the studio imagination of Speedy Ortiz — not only leaning into gritty tones but layer-caking dense dynamics that made these songs pop and pulverize.

For all her sweet-toothed seething, Dupuis was not easy on herself. Everyone's allowed the idiot growing pains of your 20s and the misery that follows, but I can only imagine the emotional exhaustion that playing these songs on the road, night after night, must have wrought. "But you left something on my lips: a mark so sick," she repeats over the doomy destruction that ends the album. Thinking back to the many Speedy Ortiz shows I caught in those early years, including an unofficial after-after party for my own wedding, "MKVI" often served as the noisy down-and-out closer — heads would bang in solidarity as the crowd became co-authors in the chaos, the biting phrase now a hex, Speedy Ortiz forever our coven. —Lars Gotrich

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Major Arcana, Speedy Ortiz release a remastered edition on Carpark Records.

"Skum and Villainy Edits Vol 1" by DJ Deviant represents a dynamic fusion of musical genres and tracks, interweaving elements from rock, hip-hop, and funk. “Intergalactic Rocket Fuel” incorporates everybody's favourite beats and pieces resulting in an energetic mashup.

"House Party Rocker" epitomises an electrifying blend of lively party hip-hop style harmonised with the potent funk-rock guitar riffs and it guarantees a thrilling experience on the dance floor.

This release is a superb selection for DJs looking to provide a vibrant and genre-blurring dance music adventure.

Der OST von Howie Lee zum Kung-Fu-Brawler 'Sifu' (2022), mit 30 pulsierenden, speziell für Vinyl gemasterten Beat-Tracks. Als experimenteller Clubmusikproduzent und DJ lässt Lee traditionelle chinesische Instrumentalpaletten mit elektronischen Synths und Samples verschmelzen. Gongs, Gamelan, Bambusflöte und chinesische Percussionsets verflechten sich mit Klängen von Dub, Techno und Drum&Bass zu einem Soundtrack, der vor Spannung und Rache strotzt. Rotes und schwarzes 180g Doppelvinyl im Gatefold-Sleeve.

In the late 1980s, Disco was taking a backseat to the burgeoning psychedelic scene in San Francisco, marking a pivotal shift in musical culture. A dynamic transformation was underway as the younger generation sought a fresh auditory adventure, all while the devastating AIDS epidemic cast a somber pall over the city's nightlife. Amidst this evolving backdrop, a subtle yet distinct sonic movement quietly emerged within the confines of San Francisco’s vibrant club scene, often referred to as "The Beat." Although Hip-Hop, New Wave, Gothic, Punk, and the burgeoning Modern Rock genre held considerable sway, the pre-RAVE clubs in SF witnessed the fusion of these genres into a unique amalgam of sound that insiders dubbed “The Beat.” This musical tapestry encompassed everything from Hip-Hop and Freestyle to Industrial, New Wave, Boogie, Miami Bass, and Techno – the unifying thread being the distinctive vibe that characterised this eclectic mix.

As House, Techno, and Raving gradually gained prominence along the West Coast, a distinctive interpretation of these evolving sounds took root. Drawing inspiration from influential hubs like New York, Chicago, Detroit, Europe, and notably the UK, which saw a wave of talented young DJs migrate to California, San Francisco became the backdrop for its own version of the second Summer of Love. While the exact chronology might spark debate – some recalling '92, while others leaning towards '93 – what remains indisputable is the era spanning from 1990 to 1994, an unparalleled epoch of exuberant dancefloor revelry on the western shores.

In the face of limited backing from major labels or established independent dance music entities of the time, a grassroots movement of labels and producers emerged organically, ardently championing this distinct sound and catapulting it onto the global stage. This sonic identity was deeply influenced by “the Beat,” acting as a creative wellspring that informed the musical landscape. While the tracks compiled in these volumes might not encompass the entirety of this transformative musical epoch, they offer a vivid snapshot of the melodious tapestry that coloured San Francisco and the broader West Coast during that era. Each track featured stands as a 100% Sure Shot that was played heavily by DJ Spun back in those very heady days.

The second installment of this remarkable journey into the underground scene maintains the same profound level of depth and significance as its precursor. Showcasing tracks from Electroliners, High Lonesome Soundsystem, Single Cell Orchestra, DJ Emma, and Spun's own Central Fire project, all harmoniously enclosed within the captivating and arresting artwork by Villain Standard, this release stands shoulder to shoulder with its forerunner. Beyond a mere compilation, it's an indispensable extension of the narrative that has indelibly shaped the culture of underground American dance music within the region, embodying the era and the individuals involved. This is the authentic underground sound that reverberated across San Francisco and its surrounding environs, a truly distinctive and exceptional moment in time and space.

Lovely Little Girls is a theatrical art-rock band from Chicago that features
members of Cheer-Accident and The Flying Luttenbachers - They
specialize in odd harmonies and catchy melodies served with a histrionic
flair
"Effusive Supreme", their third LP for SKiN GRAFT Records, delves into more
personal and abstract territory, highlighting the utilitarian and fetishistic
relationship to shoes on one track, while enthusiastically accepting ego- death's
indifferent embrace on the next. Equally informed by Magma and Dead Kennedys,
Lovely Little Girls pull from a range that runs the gamut yards past the finish line -
everything from Esquivel to Toto.
PRESS QUOTES:
"What makes Lovely Little Girls unique is the care for complex arrangements,
creating quirky prog- no wave hybrids... impressive psychodramas of melodic
detours and anguished explosions - full of theatrical uneasiness" - ChainDLK
"Stuns listeners into submission with heavy doses of horns and lyrical flogging.
Equal parts jazz, prog, and avant- garde, this horde of provocateurs revels in
disturbing the peace" - Razorcake
"Lovely Little Girls deal in absurd and jarring contrasts. The group's knotty,
intricate songs heave and dance and skitter - sometimes gracefully dexterous
and sometimes grotesquely lumpy - but clearly the work of formidably talented
musicians with vivid imaginations. Jacobsen's demented lead vocals flicker from
frighteningly histrionic to carefully declamatory, with eruptions of abject mania or
borderline obscenity, while behind him a chorus of singers might deliver a
pristine, almost angelic chant of "the pain, the horror"... - Chicago Reader
"Lovely Little Girls are your favourite cartoon villains, plotting the takeover of the
city before the Joker does" - The Organ

"To kick off the yearlong celebration and provide the perfect summer soundtrack, Capitol Records and UMe will release a newly remastered and expanded edition of The Beach Boys career-spanning greatest hits collection, Sounds Of Summer: The Very Best Of The Beach Boys, on June 17. Originally released in 2003, the album soared to no. 16 in the US and stayed on the chart for 104 weeks. Now certified 4x platinum for sales of nearly four and a half million albums, the collection has been updated in both number of songs and audio quality, expanding the original 30-track best of with 50 more of the band’s most beloved songs for a total of 80 tracks that span their earliest hits to deeper fan-favorite cuts and from their 1962 debut album, Surfin’ Safari through to 1989’s Still Cruisin’.
Assembled by Mark Linett and Alan Boyd, the team behind 2013's GRAMMY® Award-winning SMiLE Sessions and last year’s acclaimed boxed set, Feel Flows – The Sunflower and Surf's Up Sessions 1969-1971, Sounds Of Summer features nearly every US Top 40 hit of The Beach Boys’ incredible career, including “California Girls,” “I Get Around,” “Surfer Girl,” “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “God Only Knows,” “Good Vibrations,” “Be True To Your School,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Kokomo,” “Barbara Ann,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” “In My Room,” and many others. Fifty additional tracks showcase a broad mix of songs from across their wide-ranging catalog with some of the many highlights including “All Summer Long,” “Disney Girls,” “Forever,” “Feel Flows,” “Friends,” “Roll Plymouth Rock,” “Sail on Sailor,” “Surf’s Up,” and “Wind Chimes.”
The collection boasts 24 new mixes including two first-time stereo mixes, plus 22 new-and-improved stereo mixes, which in some cases feature the latest in digital stereo extraction technology, allowing for the team to separate the original mono backing tracks for the first time.
The expanded edition of Sounds Of Summer will be available in a variety of formats, including a 3CD softpack, and as a Super Deluxe Edition 6LP vinyl boxed set on 180-gram black vinyl in two options – a standard set or a numbered, limited edition version featuring a rainbow foil slipcase and four collectible lithographs. Both versions will feature color printed sleeves that replicate the original “Capitol Catalog” sleeves that highlight the entire Beach Boys discography, and all formats will include a booklet with new liner notes and updated photos. The original 30-track version will also be available in its newly remastered and upgraded form on single CD or double gatefold LP on standard weight vinyl or as a higher-end limited edition numbered version pressed on 180-gram vinyl with a tip-on jacket and a lithograph. "

RAW is back with the long awaited Gemstones II compilation. This second edition features 16 original tracks, divided into 4 vinyls and exploring 4 different sides of Techno: Diamond, Amethyst, Moonstone and Opal.

‘Mellifluous’... is a word you won’t hear much when conversation turns to early Pooh Sticks records. But ‘noise pollution’, sure: that comes up. I’ve even used it myself. So look away now if you must: ‘Straight Up: Noise Pollution C88-90’ is a selection of some of the most loved/despised/ignored tracks released by The Pooh Sticks on however many records it was before it all went wilfully ‘American’ sometime around dotted-lining for BMG mega-corp in 1991.
The record has highlights and lowlights. You and me, we’d probably agree on most of them. We chose a reasonable cross-section, I think (although there could’ve been more tambourine), including:
- “On Tape” - zeitgeist-nailin’ strum and strangle.
- “I Know Someone Who Knows Someone Who Knows Alan McGee Quite Well” - long title
- “Teenage High” - breathy sweetness sneaked onto the depraved Sympathy For The Record Industry label.
- “Dying For It” - the Vaselines cover which beat Nirvana by a full two years (though theirs sold better).
... and more! It’s like Christmas (no, blocking up the chimney won’t help: we’ve cut spare keys). And all of this in a nice gatefold sleeve, and on Steve McQueen’s- eyes blue vinyl. And there’s even a repro poster for the March ’89 Pastels/Pooh Sticks/Vaselines gig up London way (“I swear I was there”, people say).
On behalf of the group, I hope you enjoy it. No, really. It was all a long time ago but I remember we had fun. Maybe you were even there having fun with us.

Released in 1975, Schoolboys In Disgrace is The Kinks fifteenth studio album.

The album is a return to the Kinks simpler, traditional rock sound from the more theatrical style of their recent releases of the time, and combines rock ‘n roll with harder rock, ‘50s pop and doo-wop.

The album is a nostalgic trip through childhood and
tells the origin story of Mr. Flash, the villain from previous Kinks titles, with well-known tracks such as ‘I’m In Disgrace’, ‘No More Looking Back’ and ‘Schooldays’.

Faithfully reproduced heavyweight vinyl 1LP and first repress, apart from a limited edition 2008 US run, since its original release in 1975.

Repress!

‘Shapes,’ the third album from London-based multi-instrumentalist, Robohands, fuses elements of jazz, krautrock, hip hop and ambient music. For fans of Khruangbin, Yusef Dayes, CAN, Coltrane and 70s library music moods.

Shapes is the solo project of London based composer, instrumentalist and producer Andy Baxter. His debut LP Green was released on Village Live Records in 2018 and was received with much love and acclaim in the UK Jazz, hip hop and surrounding scenes.

His follow up full-length, 'Dusk’, dropped in 2019, combining soul, funk, Latin & experimental moods. It featured vocalists & musicians from around the world including legendary New York French horn player, John Clark, who has worked with Isaac Hayes, Gil Evans Orchestra, McCoy Tyner, Jaco Pastorius, Ornette Coleman and many more greats.

'Shapes' is inspired by 1970s library music and their legendary composers including Piero Umiliani, David Axelrod, Brian Bennett and co. The album builds on these influences and incorporates modern motifs, contemporary jazz/hip hop drumming styles with a nod to 1990s Mo Wax artists such as DJ Shadow. The theme for the record is future/nostalgia, mixing vintage & modern instruments and production techniques.

Much of ‘Shapes’ was recorded with JB Pilon at Buffalo Studios in Limehouse, London. Due to the COVID restrictions that changed everything in 2020, the remaining parts were recorded in Andy’s flat using a collection of old mixing desk preamps and instruments.

For the heads – ‘Shapes’ features an array of vintage snares, including a 1960's Ludwig Pioneer and a mono, overhead ribbon mic on the drum kit provided extra old school points! The kick drum was re-amped through a huge vintage bass amplifier on a couple of tracks to give it some real character: “My favourite guitar sound achieved on this LP project is a Sontronics Sigma ribbon microphone in front of a WEM Dominator amp, which you can hear on the track 'Odysea'. The bass sound for all the tracks is a 1973 Fender Precision into an old Altec valve preamp, the one used on most Motown recordings."

In the five years since Creep Show’s acclaimed Mr Dynamite album was released it’s fair to say that we’ve all been through a fair bit. Sitting here, in 2023, things don’t seem to be getting any better. There’s the cost of living crisis and political meltdowns; we're in deep water with global warming and to top it all there’s a war on our doorstep.

Back in 2018 everything seemed less complicated. Sure, there was stuff to get riled about, but we knew nothing about what was to come. Mr Dynamite was a fairground ride into the dark corners of a world that was on the brink of being blitzed in a blender. It was a record teetering on the edge. Five years down the line you’d expect the follow-up, Yawning Abyss, would double-down and bring the white-knuckled, teeth-gritted fury of the last five years to the boil. And yet….

A quick recap? No problem. Wrangler + John Grant = Creep Show. And Creep Show? “A band of musical misfits who have found a voice or two”, says Wrangler’s Ben “Benge” Edwards, whose Bond villain studio on the edge of a moorland is Creep Show Grand Central as well as home to an analogue synth arsenal that could sink ships.

Wrangler have known each other for a while. Tunng’s electronics wizard Phil Winter and Cabaret Voltaire’s trailblazing, pioneering frontman Stephen Mallinder go way back, while Phil and Benge crossed paths in the 21st century when they seemed to be increasingly in the same venues at the same times. Meanwhile, Mal had been living in Australia since the mid-90s and when, in 2007, he returned to the UK his old pal Phil suggested he meet Benge and the three of them immediately began working together.

Wrangler collectively bumped into Grant at their soundcheck for Sheffield’s Sensoria Festival in 2014 where they were playing with Carter Tutti. A friendship blossomed and when they were invited to perform together for Rough Trade’s 40th anniversary show at London’s Barbican in 2016, well, they jumped at the chance... and Creep Show was born.

Let’s talk about the new album... What is the ‘Yawning Abyss’? You might well ask. According to Mal, it’s “a cosmic event horizon that I can see from my attic window when stand on a chair”. Yeah. Thanks.

“On this album”, offers Benge, feet firmly on the floor, “Wrangler wrangled some vintage synths, mostly Roland, Moog, and the ‘Crystal Machine’ - then John Grant joined in the fun at Memetune Studios where lots of musical experiments were carried out. Then Mal and John ran off to Iceland with the master tapes and recorded a load of madcap vocals. Back at Memetune, me and Phil were left to try and make sense of it all. Which wasn’t hard because what they did in Iceland was totally magnificent.”

Which kind of brings us back to where we began. You’d imagine ‘Yawning Abyss’ would be blowing steam out of its furious ears. Mr Dynamite but kicking a wasps nest. Repeatedly. And yet…

Opener ‘The Bellows’ comes on like a modular ‘Radio Ga Ga’, the singalong ‘Moneyback’ (“You want your money back? / I didn’t think so”) sounds like Godley & Creme’s ‘Snack Attack’ meets Prince Charles And The City Beat Band (“Pennies, pounds, dollar bills, signed agreements, death wills”). ‘Yahtzee!’ is an unhinged electro breakdance party in four minutes and nine seconds.

Where Mr Dynamite was menace, a mélange of mangled voices, with Grant and Mallinder being heavily treated, pitched up or down, rendering their contributions largely indistinguishable, Yawning Abyss takes a more direct approach. You hesitate to say feelgood, but there’s a skip in the step here for sure.

The title track plays John Grant’s vocal straight. Completely. It’s good, so very good. Like ‘Axel F’ covered by Vangelis. The delicious shimmering synths of ‘Bungalow’ also plays those Grant pipes with a straight bat. ‘Matinee’ delves into darker, very funky territory. With Mal upfront it comes on like ‘The Crackdown’. Choice lyric: “You are starting to breakdown / And it’s so fun for me to see / You should have thought of that / You should have come prepared / You can see what’s happening and you look a little scared”.

So, you know, not all feelgood. But it does feel good. It’s probably best to draw your own conclusions... This is Creep Show after all.

Spandau’s Dajusch debuts on Dance Trax with 3 tracks of high octane techno-jak-trax - road tested in clubs worldwide to full effekt!

An explorative sonic landscape with the beautifully eclectic sounds of drum and bass at its core, Sustance’s debut album is every bit as thought-out, polished, and innovative as we’ve come to expect from one of drum and bass’ brightest prospects.

Having grown up listening to seminal Shogun albums like Spectrasoul's 'Delay No More' and Icicle's 'Under The Ice', ‘Perceived Connections’ acts as a full circle moment for the producer, who now finds himself following in the footsteps of the artists who profoundly influenced his approach to creating music.

Written between London and Berlin across a twelve-month period, 'Perceived Connections' encapsulates both of the alluring sides of Sustance's sound. In the same fashion that the album's writing process pivoted between two capital cities, Sustance's debut album presents both deep and expressive tracks such as 'I Want You' and 'Sweet Relief', as well as showcasing heavy, sound system-destroying tunes like 'Undercurrent' and 'Ten Ton’.

“The album title comes from the Zen idea that everyone perceives the world through their own perspective. Two people can listen to a record side by side and have totally different experiences. I really liked that idea as music is inherently so subjective. Sustance

Accompanying Sustance on this LP voyage is a plethora of D&B’s hottest talent, with Pola & Bryson, Visages, Flowdan, Strategy, Duskee, T-Man, Catching Cairo & Zara Kershaw all sprinkling their own flavours across the album.

Traversing an array of sounds, styles, and genres throughout, 'Perceived Connections' is nothing short of an exceptional extended body of work from a producer whose razor-tight approach to music has seen him emerge with one of the crispest and most captivating sonic palettes in drum and bass music.

it’s a pleasure to bring together, on this album, musicians with whom we feel a very special connection, namely Felicia Atkinson, Büþra Kayýkçý, Carmen Villain, Kuniyuki Takahashi, Pavel Milyakov,
KMRU, Ana Quiroga, Abul Mogard and Pedro Vian. All of them have been very generous in their willingness to participate in an artistic experiment: to build bridges between architecture and music.
Each of these artists chose a space and translated it into a piece of music, and the result is a sonic kaleidoscope through which specific territories can be gazed upon from unexplored points of view. The
compositions that make up this compilation are synaesthetic windows through which we can observe with our ears. To look through them, all we have to do is listen and we’ll be able to contemplate, in a unique
way, spaces located in such different places as Vilches (Chile), Istanbul (Turkey), Oslo (Norway), Sapporo (Japan), Nairobi (Kenya), London (England), Rome (Italy), Berlin (Germany), or even in imaginary universes.

 Blasting off higher than ever before, Metro Boomin proudly presents his anxiously awaited blockbuster new album, HEROES & VILLAINS, out via Boominati Worldwide/Republic Records through Island in UK. Assembling an Avengers-level guest list, the album also notably boasts the likes of John Legend, Future, Chris Brown, Don Toliver, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Young Nudy, Young Thug, Mustafa, A$AP Rocky, Gunna, and the late Takeoff. It notably serves as his first solo LP in four years and the follow-up to his 2018 full-length debut, Not All Heroes Wear Capes. The latter bowed at #1 on the Billboard 200, picked up a platinum certification, and housed the triple-platinum “Space Cadet” feat. Gunna, platinum “No Complaints” feat. Drake & Offset, platinum “Don’t Come Out The House” feat. 21 Savage, triple-platinum “10 Freaky Girls” feat. 21 Savage, platinum “Overdue” feat. Travis Scott, among others.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is a 2017 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. The movie was directed by Jon Watts and the soundtrack composed by Michael Giacchino. Besides the original motion picture soundtrack by the award-winning composer, the score also features the theme from the 1960s cartoon series composed by Paul Francis Webster and Robert “Bob” Harris.

The film follows a young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, who begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging superhero. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man
– but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is available as a limited POP-UP edition of 2000 individually numbered copies on blue coloured vinyl with an etch on Side D. The vinyl package includes a 4-page booklet and movie poster.


[a] A1. Theme (from “Spider Man”) [Original Television Series]