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Naive Melodies is a bold and visionary tribute to the music of Talking Heads, reinterpreted through the lens of Black musical innovation. Curated by Drew McFadden — the creative mind behind BBE’s acclaimed Modern Love (David Bowie tribute album) — this new collection dives deep into the Afro-diasporic rhythms and experimental soul roots that helped shape Talking Heads’ unmistakable New Wave sound. Inspired by artists like Fela Kuti, Parliament, and Al Green — whose influences loomed large in the band’s rhythmic DNA — Naive Melodies shines a light on the Black music traditions that underpinned their artistry. Far from a conventional tribute, Naive Melodies reframes the band’s catalog through the voices and visions of a new generation of genre-defying artists. These interpretations illuminate the foundational grooves and sonic textures that fueled Talking Heads’ rhythm-forward aesthetic, bringing them full circle with authenticity. “With Naive Melodies, I wanted to spotlight the deep and often overlooked influence of Black music on the sound of Talking Heads, drawing from the rhythmic foundations of Afro-diasporic traditions, soul, gospel, Latin, and spiritual jazz. This project is a chance to reimagine Talking Heads’ legacy through the lens of the very innovations that helped shape it, bringing those influences to the forefront through the voices of today’s most forward-thinking artists.” — Drew McFadden The album features a globally minded lineup, including Liv.e, Bilal, Rogê, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Aja Monet, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Theo Croker, Kenny Dope, Rosie Lowe, Pachyman, W.I.T.C.H., and more — spanning Afrobeat, jazz, soul, funk, gospel, dub, electronica, orchestral, and Latin styles. It reflects not only the boundary-pushing ethos of Talking Heads, but also the influence of Black music as a cultural force that helped shape it. This is not just a tribute album — it’s a recontextualization. A cultural conversation. A rhythmic reawakening.

This isn’t a compilation—it’s a vinyl conversation between cities, generations, and musical bloodlines. This inaugural release embodies the spirit of collaboration, community, and cross-generational artistry that defines each artist’s deep musical legacy.

A statement on wax bringing together Glenn Underground, Coflo, Jon Dixon, Kevin Reynolds and sillygirlcarmen, this four-song project documents the shared language of five Artists through deep house, jazz roots, and forward-looking soul. Though these artists have shared DJ booths and dance floors around the world, this release marks a rare moment where their creative voices intertwine on wax. Each track stands on its own, but together they form a continuum—past, present, and future etched into wax. Pressed with intention and made for real systems, this release exists for the heads, the selectors, and anyone who still believes vinyl is where the story lives. Meant to be played—not archived. The kind of tracks that feel alive in the room and grow every time you hear them.

‘Ease’ EP tracks:
Glenn Underground ‘Dive (Into The Deep)’; the Chicago legend & Strictly Jaz Unit co-founder combines deep house, freeform jazz & soul, here in a jazz-infused, laid-back, hypnotic melange of house beat, synth chord riff, rippling arps, with a whisper of disco in the bassline and 80’s electro in the high, singing strings.

Coflo x sillygirlcarmen ‘Never Forget (That Feelin’)’; East Bay CA-based Coflo combines Hawaiian & Portugese roots with a global reach. A collaborative skipping house beat, pattering percussion & melodic jazz synth piano embrace sillygirlcarmen’s soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics. This collaboration marks a merging of emotional storytelling and percussive sophistication.

Jon Dixon ‘Saturday At Northland’; Detroit’s modern jazz & techno fusionist, rooted in long study and prestigious performance of classical & jazz piano both in orchestral and electronic contexts, employs his keyboard virtuosity in a thrilling wave of melodic piano improvisation & complex lively percussion, combining sheer craft with spiritual heft.

Kevin Reynolds ‘I Got Music’; from an Irish/US Detroit family, producer/live artist Reynolds blends techno, jazz, soul, from influences as diverse as 90s underground techno, Kraftwerk & John Coltrane, and roles/performances in multiple prestigious venues & positions. Here, a stealthy beat & Kraftwerk-evoking robotic electro synth theme are joined by a dual vocal used as a riff, while clusters of piano chords flower into jazz motifs.

Bosconi Records proudly introduces Neon Cyberwave, the first solo EP on the label by Italian electronic visionary Miguel Herrnandez, marking a milestone in the evolution of an artist who has consistently bridged Detroit-rooted aesthetics with the experimental pulse of the European underground.

Based in the Val d’Elsa region between Florence and Siena, Miguel has forged a unique sonic identity shaped by his devotion to vinyl, his deep connection to the techno capital the “Motor City”, and his passion for deeply rooted yet still futuristic electronic culture.

His productions and DJ sets—built on a seamless fusion of raw electro, deep house attitudes, new beat flavors, and timeless grooves—have appeared on respected labels such as Bosconi, Rawax, and Norm Talley’s Upstairs Asylum. With Neon Cyberwave, he now delivers his most complete and personal statement to date.

The EP opens with “Neon Cyberwave”, a powerful acid-driven stomper built around a rolling 303 bassline, warm melodies, and an emotional breakout moment that captures both the effectiveness and the sensitivity of Miguel’s approach. It flows naturally into “Italo FM”, a track infused with Italo disco spirit—choir-like harmonies, a punchy bassline, and a groovy, ecstatic progression that turns into a genuine dancefloor trigger.

The journey deepens on the flip, where “VHS Direct Drive” introduces a dystopian atmosphere characterized by constantly shifting, unusually toned bass movements—unpredictable yet catchy, fresh yet rooted in classic electro DNA. This is followed by “Electric Soul Stranger”, where Miguel navigates Drexciyan undercurrents and subtle Gigolo-era references, balancing between straight rhythmic propulsion and broken-beat twists to create a cold, mental, transportive electro experience.

The record closes with the epic “Punky Shift”, a dramatic and powerful finale echoing the spirit of artists like The Hacker. Dramatic strings, an intense acid bassline, and a massive groove come together to shape a timeless closing track—one designed for peak emotional moments, sunrise sets, and long-lasting memories.

With Neon Cyberwave, Miguel Herrnandez has crafted a work that feels fresh yet nostalgic, classic yet forward-facing, and deeply personal. It stands as a versatile DJ weapon, a tribute to electro’s past and future, and a defining chapter in the artistic evolution of one of Tuscany’s most intriguing electronic voices.

LP in Picture Sleeve

Following his acclaimed gospel compilations, Greg Belson digs deeper into the private soul and R&B world with The House of Beauty — a stunning new compilation focused on independent releases tied to chicago’s HOB label. Beautifully remastered, this Celestial Echo release tells a story of DIY soul at its purest and Carmen Murphy’s legendary work. An RSD 2026 special that embodies the day’s spirit — discovering overlooked voices and celebrating the communities that brought us some of the best gospel soul. 1xLP, Picture Sleeve, Remastered.

We welcome you to the third installment of Scala. Each new release on Scala Muziek reflects the evolving mindset of its founder. For the third chapter, Pascal Benjamin delivers Soul Extension EP, an exploration of movement, mood, and the subtle shifts that define his sound. A1: Almost Fact sets the tone with taut rhythms and shimmering low-end pulses, balancing tension and release in constant motion. A2: Shift Happens dives deeper into modulation, its warped stabs and filtered delays gradually building a shifting, evolving energy. On the flip: B1: Extension expands into rolling grooves and atmospheric layers, blending vintage warmth with modern precision. B2: Phases closes with a sparse, contemplative mood—fragmented voices and echoes creating a hypnotic sense of drift. Soul Extension captures Pascal at a point where artist and label move forward as one, shaping the next chapter of Scala Muziek’s identity.

"PRONTO" is the debut album by ARYA, an Italian-Venezuelan artist who grew up in Milan. ARYA arrives with this first full-length album after the EPs
Peace of Mind (2021) and Punto Zero (2023), collaborations (Mahmood, Venerus, Ghemon, Dardust, Calibro35, and many others), and an intense live
activity, which have made her one of the most interesting voices on the Italian neo-soul/R&B scene.
Born from a personal journey of therapy and awareness, "PRONTO" takes shape as a concept album, transforming the emotional investigation into a
coherent and layered musical narrative. The title captures the meaning of the project: "Pronto" is a word that crosses all the languages present on the
album—Italian, English, and Spanish—taking on different meanings ("subito," "presto"), and is also the first word uttered in the intro. A term that introduces the listener to a space of availability, anticipation, and presence.
The entire album was produced by Claudio La Rocca (Sup Nasa), a key figure in building the project's sonic identity. Giuseppe Seccia, Matteo D'Ignazi,
Martina Tedesco, Tiziano Codoro, Stefano De Vivo, and Giulia Gentile also contributed to the album, recording the instrumental parts and contributing
to the arrangements and production of some tracks.
With "PRONTO," ARYA takes the listener on a journey through different levels of her emotional history, until the elevator starts moving again and leaves room for a new possibility of balance.
ARYA (AryaDelgado) is an Italian-Venezuelan artist born in Milan in 1994. Daughter of salsa singer Orlando Watussi, she grew up surrounded by music
and quickly developed a sensibility that blends Latin roots, nu-soul, and contemporary R&B, with a strong focus on the emotional and narrative dimensions of her writing. In 2021, she released her debut EP, Peace of Mind, followed in 2023 by Punto Zero. These releases attracted press attention
and led to collaborations with artists such as Mahmood, Venerus, Ghemon, Dardust, and Calibro35. Over the years, she has consolidated an increasingly recognizable presence, alternating songwriting, solo production, and an intense live schedule in Italy and abroad. In 2024, she accompanied Mahmood on tour and released the single, "Si Potesse Tornare." In 2025, La Noche En Que Te Fuiste and Onda were released, songs that marked the
beginning of a new artistic chapter and anticipated the release of “PRONTO,” her debut album, released in February 2026. An intimate and layered
work, which focuses on vulnerability as a language and confirms ARYA as one of the most personal and aware voices of the new Italian soul scene.

A collection that balances soulful vibes with modern an edge. Saison's "Can't Get Through" opens with deep textures and a classic house swing, while Piem, Saison & Kid Enigma's "Don't Stop" injects vocal fire and raw energy into the A-side. Flipping over, Matt Gillespie's "Need You Now" layers warmth and urgency into his take on the classic garage sound. Closing the record, Scott Diaz & Miss Yankey's "Intergalactic (Alternate Rub)" ventures into more garage territory with its atmospheric pull and soulful chords. A versatile package that brings together established names and rising voices in perfect balance.

Nilüfer Yanya has built a reputation as one of the UK’s mostdistinctive and compelling voices, seamlessly blending indie rock,soul and jazz into a sound uniquely her own. She released her third studio album, ‘My Method Actor’, onSeptember 13th, 2024, via Ninja Tune. The album receivedwidespread critical acclaim, earning the No. 13 spot on Pitchfork’s listof The 50 Best Albums Of 2024. Now, she releases her highly anticipated our-track EP, ‘DancingShoes’, co-written with her frequent collaborator Wilma Archer. Run of UK / EU festivals this summer including Glastonbury on theWest Holts stage (recorded and broadcasted via BBC 6 Music),Green Man, All Points East, Primavera a la Ciutat, Best Kept Secret,Way Out West and Oya Festival. Supporting Alex G on his US tour, and Lorde (90K cap) on her arenatour, with stop offs at the 02 Arena, Utilita Arena and OVO Hydro,plus Michael Kiwanuka in Istanbul for a one-off show (8K cap). Nilüfer Yanya has previously opened for Adele, The xx and Mitski, aswell as selling out her own headlining shows across Europe,Australia, Japan and the US. Previous collaborators include Sampha, King Krule, Nick Hakim,Bullion, Dave Okumu, and more. For fans of Arlo Parks, King Krule, Sharon Van Etten, Helado Negro,Sudan Archives.  “It’s a neat, cohesive body of work, one that stretches past theboundaries of her prior album.” - NME
“Over a lo-fi drum machine and eerie guitar figures, ‘Cold Heart’ floatsabout like ‘In Rainbows’-era Radiohead, while ‘Where To Look’’satmosphere is eventually punctured by sonic implosion.”- TheGuardian
“Colored with the London singer-songwriter’s signature smoky voiceand searing guitar riffs” - Pitchfork

The long-overdue revival of Bim Sherman’s catalog begins here. These essential recordings will become widely available again for the first time in decades, opening a new chapter in the appreciation of one of Jamaica’s most distinctive voices and representing a major moment for reggae and dub aficionados around the world. This reissue series will not only preserve his legacy but will also offer listeners the chance to experience the depth and timeless resonance of Sherman’s work in its full glory.

Bim Sherman—born Jarret Lloyd Vincent, in Westmoreland, Jamaica—holds a unique place in reggae history. Emerging in the mid 70s, his ethereal, haunting vocal style quickly set him apart from his contemporaries. He was soon collaborating with the top producers and musicians of the era, including Adrian Sherwood and the On-U Sound collective, bridging the gap between roots reggae and experimental dub and laying the groundwork for the fusion of Jamaican sounds with the vibrant underground scene in the UK. His career, from Kingston to London to Mumbai, was marked by an artistic daring and spiritual intensity that has earned him enduring respect across generations.

The centerpiece of this reissue campaign is Ghetto Dub from 1988, a record that distills Sherman’s artistry into its most potent form. Originally released in a limited number, the album embodies the stark yet soulful beauty of dub production. With its reverb-drenched drums, cavernous basslines, and echo-laden atmospherics, Ghetto Dub transforms Sherman’s various tracks into spectral presences that drift in and out of the mix. The arrangement and production—minimal yet profoundly textured—captures both the raw urgency of Jamaican street culture and the forward-looking experimentation of the UK dub scene. Each track unfolds like a meditation, balancing grit with grace, density with space. Ghetto Dub is more than an album; it is an immersive soundscape that reaffirms Bim Sherman as one of reggae’s most otherworldly and visionary figures.

The long awaited debut album from EDB is finally here. Like the title Japanese title Koeru suggests, the multi-instrumentalist producer surpassed his previous work and brought things to the next level.
From the futuristic ballad ‘True Love’ featuring UK soulstress Summer Pearl, to the electro tones of ‘Sculptured’ and broken beat abstractions of ‘Neurocloud’, to the cosmic uplifting tones of ‘Voices From Down Under’ featuring the legendary Nathan Haines, the record shows a perfect balance between light and darkness, sophistication and rawness, smooth and angular sounds.
The dancefloor moments are equally present here with Detroit’s Monica Blaire stepping in as a vocalist in ‘Automatic’, powerful instrumental deep house joints like ‘Phaze Shift’ and even a new updated version of his classic ‘This Can’t Be Life’ featuring Chicago’s very own Swaylo.
A cohesive, coherent and inspiring debut album from a true talent who will guide you step by step into his world.

KIZZY is the breakthrough EP from rising East London artist Bel Cobain, one of the most distinctive new voices emerging from the UK alternative R&B and soul landscape. Written across 18 months of late-night ideas, scattered sessions, and quiet breakthroughs, the project captures an artist in motion. Following a string of singles that introduced her raw lyricism, KIZZY marks a confident step forward with intimate, sharp, and melodically rich songs that sit in the space between endings and new beginnings.

Across these six tracks, Bel moves with striking emotional honesty through a rich palette that encompasses rock’s bite, jazz’s looseness, R&B warmth, hip hop rhythm, folk intimacy, and fractured breaks. She blends conversational storytelling with her distinct smoky vocals, reflecting on change, learning to let go, and finding light in the aftermath. The EP invites the listener to listen closely to the cracks, the softness, and the pulse of the beauty that still rises when a chapter turns.

Bel Cobain is fast becoming known for her ability to connect deeply with audiences, pairing classic songwriting instincts with a contemporary sonic edge. Early support has come from tastemaker radio and press, with momentum building across streaming platforms as listeners discover her unique perspective on vulnerability and self-awareness. Released as Brownswood Recordings celebrates its 20th year, KIZZY continues the label’s tradition of championing the most singular artists.

Marking a significant milestone in her career, this release is Bel Cobain's first-ever record. It is presented as a Collector's Edition Limited Edition 1xLP gatefold vinyl, pressed on Terracotta colored wax. With short-form video campaigns, targeted digital marketing, radio support, and a growing live presence, this release positions Bel Cobain as one of the UK’s most compelling new artists for 2026.

Kenny Dope - the legendary DJ and producer - has been a central figure in the incredible Spring Revisited series, launched in 2025. A collaboration between Acid Jazz and Ace Records, the series has explored the legacy of Spring Records, with a run of sell-out vinyl releases, digital singles and a 2LP compilation, with new mixes from the biggest names in dance music and remix production. The series continues with this new 7” single: ‘Spring Revisited vs. Kenny Dope - The 45 Mixes’.

It pairs an edit of Kenny Dope’s mix of ‘Mucho Macho’ by Macho with the mix of Millie Jackson’s ‘Don’t Send Nobody Else’ he created with Swedish producer Magnus Frykberg. Macho was an alias for the mighty Fatback Band, who are central to the Spring legacy, led by the great Bill Curtis (and co-writer of Mucho Macho), while Millie Jackson is one of the great voices of modern soul. Soulful and dance-floor ready, this 7” arrives fittingly in time for spring.

In the last two years, Barry Can’t Swim has released two albums – When Will We Land? and Loner. The debut was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, winning 2024’s Best Dance Act on BBC Radio 1 and being nominated for Best Dance Act at the BRIT Awards in the same year. The latest album, 2025’s Loner, hit the top ten in the UK charts and was number one in the dance charts. This summer, Barry Can’t Swim cemented his position as one of the most singular new voices in electronic music with a gangbusting performance as a headliner at All Points East in London’s Victoria Park, building on his back-to-back performance with Bonobo at Coachella in 2024. Barry’s Late Night Tales mix brings together disparate styles and forms them into a coherent narrative. The powerful house tracks, like Lance DeSardi’s ‘Power of Suggestion’ and Daniel Avery’s remix of Factory Floor, intertwine with the abstract grooves of Freddie Da Stupid or Ronald Langestraat’s leftfield reading of Boz Scaggs’ ’70s smash ‘Lowdown’. There are exclusive tracks from Barry Can’t Swim himself (in the form of new single ‘Chala’ and an exclusive edit of Superpitcher’s ‘Yves’) and from friends and contemporaries, like Ninja Tune labelmate O’Flynn. Leaving aside the obvious quality of the mix, with its serpentine twists and dramatic turns, you can tell Josh is a fan of this series by bringing in his own personal poet, the brilliant Seamus, for the spoken word section right at the end. He’s a one-man Late Night Tales programmer.

Oceanine, Jolanda Moletta’s third album and her first for Beacon Sound, is a powerful and ethereal statement of artistic community. Expanding on her previous work, each track represents a collaboration with a different female vocalist, with the foundational elements being generated entirely by her own voice. By turns haunting, enchanting, and inspiring, you won’t want to come up for air once you’ve been pulled under. Representing a
musical practice that is distinctly feminist, this is an album with a longer view in mind, to an age when the altars were to goddesses and women were centered as powerful beings representing the earth’s cycles of regeneration and renewal. Oceanine then, in all its beauty, can be viewed as an album of survival. It is deeply transportive, accessing something that lies within all of us. As the late, great Lithuanian folklorist and archaeologist Marija Gimbutas noted, “We must refocus our collective memory. The necessity for this has never been greater as we discover that the path of 'progress' is extinguishing the very conditions for life on earth.”

Jolanda Moletta is a multimedia artist and one-woman electronic choir. She creates wordless compositions through extended vocal techniques, integrating wearable-controlled live processing, alongside symbolic visuals. Moletta considers her performances to be a collective ritual and creates her Sonic & Visual Spells following the cycles of nature and the moon. Jolanda's 2022 critically acclaimed album Nine Spells was released on the Ambientologist label, followed by Night Caves on Whitelabrecs in 2025. Moletta’s artistic practice is a radical and spiritual journey through sound art, ritual, and the symbolic archaeology of the feminine.

Oceanine is inspired by sirens, water nymphs, and the timeless call of the sea. At its core lies Jolanda’s deep, lifelong connection to the Mediterranean Sea and to the ancient and modern myths and folklore that have emerged from its waters. Growing up by the Mar Ligure, Jolanda was surrounded by stories carried by salt, wind, and waves: legends of sirens, echoes of ancient voices, and the sea as both origin and oracle. This intimate relationship with the Mediterranean is not merely a backdrop, but a living source that shapes Oceanine’s emotional, symbolic, and sonic world.

Each track features a different female vocalist, creating a rich tapestry of voices, styles, and perspectives. This artistic choice not only broadens the album’s sonic palette, but also deepens its narrative core: celebrating the power, beauty, and mystique of feminine energy through myth, history, and sound.

The entire album is built exclusively from the human voice, processed and layered, yet always remaining voice, and nothing else. For each piece, Jolanda invited every vocalist involved to contribute a raw stem: a short, unedited melodic fragment of just a few seconds, inspired by the album’s themes. These intimate vocal seeds became the foundation of each track: the guest artists’ voices appear as brief, melodic stems, while the entire surrounding “orchestral” fabric is created solely from Jolanda’s own layered and processed voice. In this way, Jolanda’s voice becomes the Ocean itself, embracing, absorbing, and carrying the sirens’ calls within a vast, immersive soundscape. Every song is a unique expression of the feminine experience, revealing its depth, complexity, and emotional range, echoing the call of the sea and the many faces of the siren archetype.

The figure of the siren has transformed across centuries. In myths of Ancient Greece and Rome, sirens were hybrid beings, part woman, part bird, whose irresistible songs lured sailors to their doom. During the Middle Ages, the image shifted toward the half-woman, half-fish figure, often associated with temptation and danger. Historically, the voice of women has often been feared. Sirens were considered harbingers of misfortune not simply because they seduced or destroyed, but because they were powerful liminal beings.

In Ancient Greek, sirens functioned as psychopomps: figures who existed between worlds and guided souls, especially between life and death. Their songs were believed to carry forbidden knowledge, including prophetic insight and the ability to reveal truths about fate and the future. The danger of the sirens lay in what they revealed: knowledge that humans were not meant, or ready, to hear.

Oceanine confronts this legacy head-on. The voices heard throughout the album are not merely beautiful: they are dark and luminous, wild and enchanting, magical, soothing, dreamy, and at times fractured or distorted. They whisper, lament, beckon, and enchant. Like sirens, they skim the surface of the water and sink into its depths, hovering on the edge between tenderness and danger, vulnerability and power. They rise toward the sky, dissolve into mist, and return as echoes charged with raw, elemental emotion: voices that seduce, warn, mourn, and remember. They refuse to be reduced to decoration.

Alongside the album’s release in May, Oceanine will also unfold as a visual and performative work through a short art film. The film includes a live session recorded inside a sea cave facing the Mar Ligure, the very coastline where Jolanda spent her childhood, dreaming of sirens and listening to the sea as if it were speaking directly to her. This site-specific performance reconnects the music to its place of origin, allowing the voice to resonate within stone, water, and air, and transforming the cave into both a sanctuary and a threshold between myth and reality.

What if the sirens’ songs were considered dangerous because they carried another truth, an ancient truth long forgotten?

Oceanine embraces the idea that we are still deeply woven into myth. Though we may see ourselves as rational and modern beings, our world is saturated with ancient symbols and archetypes, often distorted, simplified, or stripped of their original meaning. And if those symbols are allowed to shift, if the mirror once held by the siren becomes an invitation to look beyond appearances and into what has been obscured, then we may finally uncover a deeper truth and reclaim the voice that was always ours.

Oceanine is not just an album. It is a reclamation, a spell, and a call from the depths.

They Came Like Swallows is the first album-length collaboration between Thurston Moore and Kramer (now officially Bonner Kramer), two giants of alternative/ experimental music. The accomplishments and influence of these two artists in the world of independent music cannot be overstated and the result of their artistic union is a startlingly cohesive statement that burns through landscapes of primitive outsider rock, avant-garde composition, progressive ambient and further locales boldly and beautifully unnamable. “Kramer and I reconnected in Miami, Florida, a few years back, many many years after each of us had departed NYC on separate life adventures. It was only a matter of time before Kramer and I started making plans to record together and with his irrepressible due diligence he quickly set up a mobile recording contraption in the pad I was decamped in, the Florida sunshine flowing through the palm leaves, lithe lizards skittering across the windowsills, and we just went for it.

Kramer had the idea to cover a Joy Division tune, a left turn from the improvisations we had been tracking, though wholly in keeping with both our sensibilities of light and dark unifying in transcendent songwriting, both of us devotees of 'the song' as well as 'the freedom.’ What transpired is They Came Like Swallows, a session we immediately felt should exist as a prayer to the war-torn souls of the families of Palestine continually decimated by the brutality of genocide. We agreed beyond words to offer our music as a sonic activism and as a beneficent energy. This album is our duo exchange for human dignity, it is our soul music for any semblance of a peaceful planet.” ~ Thurston Moore “For the first time in our nearly 45 years of friendship, we had identical time windows open to make a record together,” recounts Kramer. After all this time not a moment is wasted as the duo immediately taps into the heightened core of improvisational tension across these seven offerings. Volcanic opener “Urn Burial” notches a similar historic union (John Cale and Terry Riley) to meet the circumstances of the moment, with swirling mists of organ and pounding toms over guitar that thickens the atmosphere with jagged, grimy dissonance.

Solemn strings open the second track, “The Redness In The West,” with Kramer’s cello and viola in dueling bow beneath the high tension drive and sustain of Thurston’s electric guitar, tapping out a Morse code of tension that mounts endlessly into a fog of inevitable war by the end. Moore and Kramer’s sense of experimentalism is in free and full grandeur throughout They Came Like Swallows, though the duo keep a strong and constant sideways eye on melody, composition and architecture, to the ends that any strict lines between song and improvisation are blurred beyond qualification.

As if to punctuate this point, Swallows closes with a nightwork cover of Joy Division’s “Insight,” a doleful coda that breathes out with a solemn inner grace under Thurston’s instantly stylistically recognizable guitar melodies as they weave into he and Kramer’s unison voices. As the lone vocal piece and only traditional ‘song’ form on the album, “Insight” is unique to this set and as a closing statement draws connective lines back to the kind of dynamic, electrified melodicism that wove deep, melancholy patterns into the untamed fire of Sonic Youth’s Sister and Daydream Nation. In the album’s final moments, the two voices repeat the lyric “I’m not afraid anymore” as mantra, underscoring the heavy, unsettled themes and methods that preceded it. Kramer describes the creative process of They Came Like Swallows: “I had composed and recorded a few pieces at my home studio over the course of a couple weeks. Thurston was spending the winter in South Florida, so I flew down and spent a few days recording his guitar parts in his home there. Watching him spontaneously compose his parts was pretty astonishing, to say the least. Once we'd finished working on those pieces, we began improvising and following wherever the music pointed us, and another few pieces were born. We got straight to it, without anything driving us other than the joy of finally working together.

My personal goal was to remain present and catch as many surprises as I could from Thurston's guitar work, and there were plenty during those few days. We had a fucking blast.” Thurston’s contributions here will be readily familiar to any acolytes of his other works, the through-line between his inspired playing, cradled in Kramer’s meticulous, solid arrangements. “If I had to make this record again, I'd do it all exactly the same way,” Kramer says. “It’s like jazz, you don't think about it. You just do it. It was miraculous, and you don't fuck with a miracle.”

They Came Like Swallows is the first album-length collaboration between Thurston Moore and Kramer (now officially Bonner Kramer), two giants of alternative/ experimental music. The accomplishments and influence of these two artists in the world of independent music cannot be overstated and the result of their artistic union is a startlingly cohesive statement that burns through landscapes of primitive outsider rock, avant-garde composition, progressive ambient and further locales boldly and beautifully unnamable. “Kramer and I reconnected in Miami, Florida, a few years back, many many years after each of us had departed NYC on separate life adventures. It was only a matter of time before Kramer and I started making plans to record together and with his irrepressible due diligence he quickly set up a mobile recording contraption in the pad I was decamped in, the Florida sunshine flowing through the palm leaves, lithe lizards skittering across the windowsills, and we just went for it.

Kramer had the idea to cover a Joy Division tune, a left turn from the improvisations we had been tracking, though wholly in keeping with both our sensibilities of light and dark unifying in transcendent songwriting, both of us devotees of 'the song' as well as 'the freedom.’ What transpired is They Came Like Swallows, a session we immediately felt should exist as a prayer to the war-torn souls of the families of Palestine continually decimated by the brutality of genocide. We agreed beyond words to offer our music as a sonic activism and as a beneficent energy. This album is our duo exchange for human dignity, it is our soul music for any semblance of a peaceful planet.” ~ Thurston Moore “For the first time in our nearly 45 years of friendship, we had identical time windows open to make a record together,” recounts Kramer. After all this time not a moment is wasted as the duo immediately taps into the heightened core of improvisational tension across these seven offerings. Volcanic opener “Urn Burial” notches a similar historic union (John Cale and Terry Riley) to meet the circumstances of the moment, with swirling mists of organ and pounding toms over guitar that thickens the atmosphere with jagged, grimy dissonance.

Solemn strings open the second track, “The Redness In The West,” with Kramer’s cello and viola in dueling bow beneath the high tension drive and sustain of Thurston’s electric guitar, tapping out a Morse code of tension that mounts endlessly into a fog of inevitable war by the end. Moore and Kramer’s sense of experimentalism is in free and full grandeur throughout They Came Like Swallows, though the duo keep a strong and constant sideways eye on melody, composition and architecture, to the ends that any strict lines between song and improvisation are blurred beyond qualification.

As if to punctuate this point, Swallows closes with a nightwork cover of Joy Division’s “Insight,” a doleful coda that breathes out with a solemn inner grace under Thurston’s instantly stylistically recognizable guitar melodies as they weave into he and Kramer’s unison voices. As the lone vocal piece and only traditional ‘song’ form on the album, “Insight” is unique to this set and as a closing statement draws connective lines back to the kind of dynamic, electrified melodicism that wove deep, melancholy patterns into the untamed fire of Sonic Youth’s Sister and Daydream Nation. In the album’s final moments, the two voices repeat the lyric “I’m not afraid anymore” as mantra, underscoring the heavy, unsettled themes and methods that preceded it. Kramer describes the creative process of They Came Like Swallows: “I had composed and recorded a few pieces at my home studio over the course of a couple weeks. Thurston was spending the winter in South Florida, so I flew down and spent a few days recording his guitar parts in his home there. Watching him spontaneously compose his parts was pretty astonishing, to say the least. Once we'd finished working on those pieces, we began improvising and following wherever the music pointed us, and another few pieces were born. We got straight to it, without anything driving us other than the joy of finally working together.

My personal goal was to remain present and catch as many surprises as I could from Thurston's guitar work, and there were plenty during those few days. We had a fucking blast.” Thurston’s contributions here will be readily familiar to any acolytes of his other works, the through-line between his inspired playing, cradled in Kramer’s meticulous, solid arrangements. “If I had to make this record again, I'd do it all exactly the same way,” Kramer says. “It’s like jazz, you don't think about it. You just do it. It was miraculous, and you don't fuck with a miracle.”

Through his tracks, Jumo explores nostalgia and memory, from phili to memory, blending memories of youth and fleeting sensations. Tgthr encourages living the moment, while lula unfolds like a raw, cinematic road movie. The synthetic voices of sirens create a hypnotic theme, reflecting free souls suspended between a desire to escape and the fear of falling back. Euphoria tackles the madness of man's race to innovate and his indifference to the world, mixing mechanical urgency and emerging awareness. Each track plays with contrasts; melancholy and euphoria, darkness and light; combining synthesizers, persistent bass, and saturated textures. Together, they form a sonic journey where dancing becomes an act of memory and emotional survival.

May 2026 marks the arrival of TYGAPAW (aka Dion McKenzie)’s first full-length album on Tresor Records, entitled Together You Gather All Power Applied Worldwide. An acronym of its creator’s name, TYGAPAW’s third studio album is a deeply personal collection of music building worlds where Black queer and trans siblings can thrive, while unifying dancefloors worldwide. A proposition that collective wisdom liberates us from the matrix of domination we live within. The album unfolds as the latest chapter in TYGAPAW’s ongoing techno opera opus, continuing to center the voices of Black women, which surface as layered incantations rather than lyrics - powerful, haunting, sensual, activating.
With the process of creating the album starting in 2023, as TYGAPAW (Dion McKenzie) was in the first year of their transition, the music reflects the intensity of that period, where they were experiencing deplatforming as a response to the shift in their physical appearance: Tracks like ‘M32 Riddim’ and ‘Helicopter hovers over my Crown Heights Apartment’ feature high-paced rhythms intersecting with intense siren-like synths to form demanding compositions echoing a heightened sense of alert. Yet throughout the album, relief comes in the form of TYGAPAW’s vocal features, co-conspirators, and chosen family, whose voices are treated with reverb and echo, a sonic fingerprint that leads back to the pioneers in the legendary studios of TYGAPAW’s native land, Jamaica, an important reminder that the past will always inform the future. It is an album for dancers first and foremost, where joy, defiance, and integration with the natural body coexist, and every drop feels less like a climax than a transformation. Expect a bass that permeates your soul and melodic synthesized sequenced phrases echoing the dancehall eras of TYGAPAW’s youth, reshaped into hypnotic melodies that glow over industrial kicks designed to command attention, reasserting Jamaica's pioneering yet often overlooked contribution to electronic music.
In the opening track, ‘Can I Live’, Precious Okoyomon’s words feel like the beginning of a ritual; setting the intentions for the rest of the proceedings. As McKenzie puts it, their “work is about regeneration, resetting, getting integrated into nature, and about rebirth. That’s the tone I wanted to set at the outset of the album.” Ms Carrie Stacks continues this thread of support in ‘Don’t Panic’ with heavily processed vocals on top of a beat that takes inspiration from another important ingredient in the antidote to the oppression of isolation: Ballroom culture. “ I feel like I found my queerness in Ballroom, that’s why this track is very important to me.”
Echoes of NYC Black queer nightlife scene also permeate in the energetic drums of ‘Exorcise the Language of Domination’, in which Julianna Huxtable’s spoken performance complements the various movements and tones of the music. “My producer brain thought this was the one that Juliana’s vocals would be best suited for. I hinted: ‘what do you think of this one?’ She just went into her notes and picked some passages to go with the first section of the track. From there, it was a year-long process of development. It required time and space for this thing to evolve, but I think it’s one of the most powerful tracks on the album.” London’s SUUTOO contributes the album’s only musical collaboration on ‘B2B’, a track that emerged from sessions in McKenzie’s New York studio where the real objective was to connect and have fun; a time out from the demands of life outside.
The album closes out with a double hit of emotion in the form of ‘Effects of Resistance and Black Trans Masculine Experience’. The former features South African scholar Khanyisile Mbongwa drawing connections that exist between Africa and the Black diaspora, whilst looking to the future and calling for a shared sense of community.
The latter piece, an instrumental version of the piece which featured on the IMMIGRANT E.P. of 2025 is a gentle and deeply affecting end to the record, a place of peace and acceptance. This end-of-cycle tone is mirrored in the sleeve photography, which also ties back to IMMIGRANT by finally revealing what was hidden: a portrait of the artist fully self-actualized; a step towards true inner liberation. TYGAPAW is sonically defiant across this album; bass frequencies feel tactile — less heard than inhabited — infectious lead synth melodies remain with you long after the track ends. An overall sound that leaves asserting an urgent need for connection. From Detroit to New York to Berlin to Jamaica, despite geographic distance, this album reminds us that we remain in solidarity, recognising that meaningful world-building requires collective input and action, both personal and communal, if we are to move toward liberation.

Ultra Clear Vinyl. ‘*FLUTTERS AWAY*’ follows last year's debut EP, ‘Handwriting Practice No. 1’, which established Operelly as one of the most exciting new voices in music. Thupcoming EP tells the story of a relationship breaking down
amidst miscommunication. Delicate electro-acoustic arrangements (dubbed "tiptoe music" by Operelly) intersperse
with the static sounds of radio interference, as if the interrupted communication recounted in the lyrics has punctured the songs
themselves. Operelly executive produced the entire record and mixed four of the five songs. Additional production work was provided by Hudson Pollock, Al Carlson, Stephen Willard, and Kali Flanagan. Cover art was designed by Leo Horton in collaboration with Operelly. The music video for "under my bed" was directed and shot by Sarah Elise Bauman

The Sound Of Soulfuric Vol. 2 continues the label’s reputation for vocal-led, groove-driven house music, bringing together strong vocals, solid songwriting and modern club-ready production across four DJ-focused cuts.

This is a release designed for dancefloor use. Whether it’s a vocal room, a terrace set or a packed house floor, every track is built to maintain momentum and keep the room moving.

Featuring voices from Donna Allen, Pearl Mae, Bobby Pruitt and J. Soul, this EP blends classic soulful house roots with current, punchy remixes, making it highly playable in today’s sets while still appealing to long-time Soulfuric fans.

New album by SABA ALIZADEH, a groundbreaking voice in contemporary Iranian music who blends classical Persian traditions with avantgarde experimentation.

Born in Tehran in 1983 as son of the world renowned tar and setar virtuoso HOSSEIN ALIZADEH, SABA ALIZADEH established himself not only as a true master on the Iranian spike fiddle kamancheh but one of the groundbreaking voices in contemporary Iranian music, blending classical Persian traditions with avantgarde experimentation. His music, praised by THE WIRE as "a bridge between the ancient and the contemporary", turns sound and image into powerful narratives of memory and resistance. Over the past years, ALIZADEH (who relocated to the Netherlands a few years ago) has appeared at key festivals and venues such as Reeperbahn Festival, CTM, Flow Festival, Philharmonie Berlin, Kölner Philharmonie, solidifying his reputation as a singular live performer.
After the critically acclaimed releases "Scattered Memories" (his international debut, released on Karlrecords in 2019), "I May Never See You Again" (2021) and last year's "Temple of Hope", his new album fascinates again with a unique artistic voice, weaving together centuries-old sonic heritage and the urgency of the present through deeply immersive, meditative landscapes in two epic pieces. "Rituals Of The Last Dawn" may feel like a sad or resigned title (compared to the positively fierce "Temple Of Hope"), but at the same time the highly meditative music provides a good lot of contemplative strength. Appealing to an open-minded "world music" audience as well as fans of current streams of ambient or drone in its most subtle forms, ALIZADEH's latest work is a strongly needed soul food in bitter times. Created on the spot with his musical partners PIETRO CARAMELLI (guitar and electronics on "First Ritual") and LIEW NIYOMKARN (lap steel and electronics on "Last Ritual"), "Rituals Of The Last Dawn" is a pure, unfiltered emotional expression from one of contemporary Iranian music's leading artists.

Japan's Takuya Matsumoto returns to Inhale Exhale with a new six-track EP entitled 'Song Of The Ocean'.
Japanese DJ and producer Takuya Matsumoto has quietly established himself as one of the most distinctive voices to emerge from Japan's contemporary house scene. Known for his warm, deeply musical approach to production, Matsumoto blends classic house
sensibilities with jazz, funk and soulful influences, crafting records that balance dancefloor functionality with rich musicality. Through releases on respected international labels like Clone's Jack For Daze and Royal Oak, Vibes and Pepper, and Fina he's built a
reputation for refined grooves, elegant arrangements and a timeless approach to house music.
Across the six tracks Matsumoto once again radiantly showcases the depth of his production skills as the project sonically traverses Balearic-tinged House, bouncy acid- laced electro, cosmic nu-disco, breaks driven jungle and dub infused deep house.

Four classic US house vocals. Four club-ready remixes. One essential Sub-Urban EP.

Sub-Urban returns with Volume 3 in its much-loved vinyl series, a four-track, vocal-driven house EP built for DJs who want real vocals, real soul and real dancefloor impact.

Featuring iconic voices including Kathleen Murphy, Helen Bruner & Terry Jones and Ceybil Jefferies, this release delivers timeless house songwriting reworked into modern, club-ready cuts by respected underground producers.

This is a no-filler DJ tool, every track works in warm-ups, sunset sessions, peak-time soulful moments and late-night deep floors.

Wah Wah 45s present a limited edition vinyl special from Afro-dub masters, Soothsayers. With a history that goes back three decades, having released two classic LPs (Tradition and We Are Many) and numerous EPs and remixes on the imprint, the band deliver two brand new and exclusive versions of one of the highlights of their new LP, entitled Fly Higher.

Love Will Find a Way features vocalists Maia Avery and Akin Soul, both former members of Youthsayers - a South London based music performance and education group, taught by Soothsayers band members. With new mixes by acclaimed Sao Paulo based producer Victor Rice, it's a stepping reggae vocal duo piece with a strong, universal message asserting that despite the current divisive political rhetoric and the championing of greed over human empathy by those in power, love will always be a more powerful force than hatred and division. Maia and Akin Soul's distinctive voices blend and weave beautifully over a hypnotic groove with a fresh and poignant emotional energy contributing to what should be a future steppers classic. These previously unreleased mixes are available in both vocal and dub versions on hand-stamped 7-inch vinyl and Bandcamp only. "We are so proud and happy to be able to feature Maia and Akin on this beautiful song. Both are former members of Youthsayers, the youth music education organisation set up by Soothsayers in 2016. Maia (from recent Wah Wah 45s signings Kotoa) and Akin are now great artists in their own right and it feels very satisfying to feature them on this new Soothsayers release." Robin Hopcraft (Soothsayers)

a A1: Love Will Find A Way (Light Still Shines Version) [feat. Maia Avery & Akin Soul]
[b] B1: Love Will Find A Way (Victor Rice Dub) [feat. Maia Avery & Akin Soul]

[a] A1 | Love Will Find A Way (Light Still Shines Version) [feat Maia Avery & Akin Soul]
[b] B1 | Love Will Find A Way (Victor Rice Dub) [feat Maia Avery & Akin Soul]

DJ Support: Laurent Garnier, Dennis Cruz, Girls Of The Internet, Horse Meat Disco, Stacey Pullen, Elliot Schooling, Solomun,Marco Carola, Joseph Capriati, The Martinez Brothers, Dam Swindle, Soul Clap, Luke Solomon, Riva Starr, Franky Rizardo, Archie Hamilton, Silvie Loto, Fouk, Austin Ato, Salomé Le Chat, Blackchild, Jean Pierre, Black Loops, Kassian, Seamus Haji, Melvo Baptiste, Rimarkable, Sophie Lloyd

In-demand Amsterdam-based duo Makèz step into new ground with the release of their album ‘Arriving Home Elsewhere’, via ANOTR’s No Art label. A kaleidoscopic project that moves between deep house, cosmic jazz, R&B, broken beat, and club-ready energy, the record is both a declaration of identity and a dissolution of boundaries - proof of the duo’s rare ability to merge worlds without diluting or compromising their true essence.

Where most albums that span electronic realms lean on functionality, ‘Arriving Home Elsewhere’ reaches for something much more expansive. The project is a true hybrid: half shaped for the intimacy of a headphone listen, half designed for the electricity of the dancefloor. together forming a seamless continuum between reflection and release. Tracks like ‘REARRANGE YOURSELF’, ‘BE REAL’, and ‘LOOKS LIKE IT (SPACE TALK)’ are stripped to the core of house music’s driving pulse, made for bigger systems and peak-time release. In contrast, ‘Dreams’, ‘Fruits of the Universe’ (with douniah), and ‘Without The Sun’ (with Oliver Night) explore lush, textured arrangements where live instrumentation and improvisation carry equal weight to rhythm and groove.

Collaboration is at the heart of the LP, with Makèz inviting a constellation of voices who each expand the project’s palette. Ben Westbeech, Liv East, and SANITY bring soulful intensity; 30/70 and dreamcastmoe connect Amsterdam to Melbourne and DC; Cor.Ece and Oliver Night weave delicate threads of emotion; Goya Gumbani and Javonntte guide the production with their vibey, groove-led performances; while Life on Planets reprises his role as a core creative partner, appearing across the album on tracks including the standout ‘BE REAL’ and the previously released ‘ILLUSIONS’ alongside rising Amsterdam talent AVA LAVÁ. Together, these contributions shape an album that feels less like a singular statement and more like a living, breathing ecosystem.

For Makèz, ‘Arriving Home Elsewhere’ is as much about philosophy as it is about music. The title encapsulates a tension central to their art: the feeling of belonging to multiple worlds without ever being confined to one. Jazz, house, soul, and experimental club sounds are not separate influences but parallel languages, and in merging them, the duo has created a record that mirrors the fluidity of contemporary identity and expression. And while it may speak in many voices, the LP tells one clear story - that of Makèz, arriving, again and again, home elsewhere.

The Mountain is Gorillaz’ ninth studio album, a collection of 15 new tracks featuring a stellar list of artists and collaborators. Jamie Hewlett’s album artwork captures the four much-loved animated band members - Murdoc, Noodle, Russel and 2D – in a series of beautifully intricate, hand-drawn illustrations.

The Mountain is Gorillaz 9th studio album. The album is a collection of 15 new tracks featuring artists and collaborators including: Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Asha Bhosle, Asha Puthli, Bizarrap, Black Thought, Gruff Rhys, Idles, Jalen Ngonda, Johnny Marr, Kara Jackson, Omar Souleyman, Paul Simonon, Sparks, Trueno and Yasiin Bey; as well as the voices of Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Dennis Hopper, Mark E. Smith, Proof and Tony Allen. Produced by Gorillaz, James Ford, Samuel Egglenton, Remi Kabaka Jr. and Bizarrap (Orange County), The Mountain was recorded in London, Devon, Miami, Jaipur, Mumbai, New Delhi and Rishikesh; and features artists performing in five languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish and Yoruba. The artwork for The Mountain sees Jamie Hewlett’s distinct, yet ever-evolving, style illustrate the world of Gorillaz with an ever more detailed and beautiful intricacy across a series of hand-drawn illustrations. Circumstances find Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, 2D and Noodle in India, where our heroes are immersed in the rhythms of mystical music-making as they navigate the mountainous terrain of this thing called life.

In the last two years, Barry Can’t Swim has released two albums – When Will We Land? and Loner. The debut was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, winning 2024’s Best Dance Act on BBC Radio 1 and being nominated for Best Dance Act at the BRIT Awards in the same year. The latest album, 2025’s Loner, hit the top ten in the UK charts and was number one in the dance charts. This summer, Barry Can’t Swim cemented his position as one of the most singular new voices in electronic music with a gangbusting performance as a headliner at All Points East in London’s Victoria Park, building on his back-to-back performance with Bonobo at Coachella in 2024. Barry’s Late Night Tales mix brings together disparate styles and forms them into a coherent narrative. The powerful house tracks, like Lance DeSardi’s ‘Power of Suggestion’ and Daniel Avery’s remix of Factory Floor, intertwine with the abstract grooves of Freddie Da Stupid or Ronald Langestraat’s leftfield reading of Boz Scaggs’ ’70s smash ‘Lowdown’. There are exclusive tracks from Barry Can’t Swim himself (in the form of new single ‘Chala’ and an exclusive edit of Superpitcher’s ‘Yves’) and from friends and contemporaries, like Ninja Tune labelmate O’Flynn. Leaving aside the obvious quality of the mix, with its serpentine twists and dramatic turns, you can tell Josh is a fan of this series by bringing in his own personal poet, the brilliant Seamus, for the spoken word section right at the end. He’s a one-man Late Night Tales programmer.

In the last two years, Barry Can’t Swim has released two albums – When Will We Land? and Loner. The debut was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize, winning 2024’s Best Dance Act on BBC Radio 1 and being nominated for Best Dance Act at the BRIT Awards in the same year. The latest album, 2025’s Loner, hit the top ten in the UK charts and was number one in the dance charts. This summer, Barry Can’t Swim cemented his position as one of the most singular new voices in electronic music with a gangbusting performance as a headliner at All Points East in London’s Victoria Park, building on his back-to-back performance with Bonobo at Coachella in 2024. Barry’s Late Night Tales mix brings together disparate styles and forms them into a coherent narrative. The powerful house tracks, like Lance DeSardi’s ‘Power of Suggestion’ and Daniel Avery’s remix of Factory Floor, intertwine with the abstract grooves of Freddie Da Stupid or Ronald Langestraat’s leftfield reading of Boz Scaggs’ ’70s smash ‘Lowdown’. There are exclusive tracks from Barry Can’t Swim himself (in the form of new single ‘Chala’ and an exclusive edit of Superpitcher’s ‘Yves’) and from friends and contemporaries, like Ninja Tune labelmate O’Flynn. Leaving aside the obvious quality of the mix, with its serpentine twists and dramatic turns, you can tell Josh is a fan of this series by bringing in his own personal poet, the brilliant Seamus, for the spoken word section right at the end. He’s a one-man Late Night Tales programmer.

Released in 1973 on Motown’s label, Share My Love is a richly layered and deeply expressive record that captures Gloria Jones at a creative crossroads. After years working behind the scenes as a songwriter and session vocalist, penning material for The Tams, The Marvellettes, and others, Jones finally takes center stage with a collection that radiates confidence, vulnerability, and undeniable soul.
Known to many for her original 1964 version of “Tainted Love,” later immortalized by Soft Cell, Jones brought to Share My Love a seasoned understanding of both the heartbreak and hope that lie at the core of great soul music.
More than just a product of its time, Share My Love feels like a declaration, a turning point where one of soul’s great, often-overlooked voices stepped into her own light. It remains a moving document of artistic self-assurance and one of the most heartfelt releases to emerge from Motown’s early ’70s era.

Marie Davidson Returns with Club-Ready 12” ‘City Of Clowns (MDJ Tools)’ — Featuring Soulwax Dubs on DEEWEE

Utilising their inimitable remixing style, Soulwax pump up and strip back Davidson’s ‘Push Me Fuckhead’ and ‘Sexy Clown’ for maximum dancefloor effect. The release also includes an electrifying contemporary version of 'Sexy Clown,' co-produced in the studio with Pierre Guerineau and tailored for Davidson’s acclaimed 2025 live performances.

This latest release follows Davidson’s 2025 album, a record that saw her expand her artistic language through a fusion of 90s Detroit techno grit, fired-up circuitboard breakbeats and skewed club minimalism. As with much of her work, the album used music as a means to navigate her place in the world — as an artist, as a woman, and as an entertainer. Conceptual yet emotionally raw, Davidson continues to push the boundaries of electronic music, creating work that is both deeply cerebral and disarmingly human.

With both Soulwax and Marie, sharing a commitment to bold, physical sound and restless reinvention, ‘City Of Clowns (MDJ Tools)’ stands as a natural meeting point — a late-night dialogue between two of modern electronic music’s most distinctive voices.

‘City Of Clowns (MDJ Tools)’ will be released digitally on October 31, with vinyl following early December.

Epicentre was an R&B/funk group formed in Seattle, Washington by keyboardist Ric Ulsky. The band developed a loyal following, playing the extensive NW club, concert and dance venues throughout the mid-to-late 1970s. Their sound was a blend of melodic R&B and powerhouse funk that dependably filled music venues throughout the Western US. Bernadette Bascom was the lead vocalist, who captivated audiences with her powerful yet velvet-smooth voice and commanding, magnetic stage presence.

In 1978, Epicentre worked with Seattle producer Don McKinney to record their music in Seattle's now legendary Kaye-Smith studios. The result was seven strong, fully -produced R&B songs, with occasional horn and string orchestrations tastefully added to the final versions.

Their music quite literally sat on a shelf for decades until McKinney decided that all the hard work and talent should no longer remain undiscovered and it needed to find its audience. He restored and digitized his copies of the master tapes and looked for an opportunity. A chance call to the former leader of the group, Kell Houston, led to a serendipitous introduction to UK boutique/funk/R&B label founder Russell Paine. The result was an agreement to release their music, starting with two songs, "When You Were In Love With Me", and "Magic Carpet."

Footnotes: Lead singer Bernadette Bascom became a protegé of Stevie Wonder, and was the first artist to be signed to his label Black Bull , starting a period of collaboration between the two. Bermadette is the daughter of Reverend Dr. Marion C. Bascomb (1925-2012), one of Baltimore's major civil rights voices and pastor emeritus of Baltimore's Douglas Memorial Community Church. Ric Ulsky eventually left the group to play keyboards and tour extensively with The Association. You can also find Epicentre's music on the compilation album "Seattle Funk, Modern Soul & Boogie: Volume II 1972-1987." In addition to Bernadette, the musicians on the 1978 sessions are Kell Houston, keyboards, Michael Cox, bass, John Carmondy, guitar, and Ricky Lynn Johnson, drums and vocals. While their recorded material is primarily original, Stacy Christensen from Seattle's Gabriel contributed two of his compositions. Label credits: Epicentre featuring Bernadette Bascom. Recorded at Kaye-Smith Studios, Seattle, Washington, August 1978"When You Were in Love With Me" and "Magic Carpet" written by Bernadette Bascom. Produced for Epicentre by Don McKinney

Since 2020, 12 Inch Lovers have been releasing new samplers every year, eagerly anticipated by collectors. These samplers have now become a staple and are easily added to vinyl collections across Europe. They offer timeless classics and rare tracks that are often hard to find elsewhere.

With Samplers 9 & 10, they surprise again with a mix of modern classics and tracks that have never been released on vinyl or are difficult to find. By adding unique and exclusive tracks, the 12 Inch Lovers samplers remain innovative and high-quality. They are a must-have for DJs, collectors, and fans of contemporary classics!

SAMPLER 10

A1) GusGus - Crossfade (Maceo Plex Remix) (Original Release 2014)

Released in 2014 on the German label KOMPAKT, this remix by Maceo Plex features Ten Walls-like horns, vocals, and pumping drums, making it a true Ibiza floorkiller. The vocals are by Konstantin Sibold. This remix was only released as a white label (Kompakt Exclusive) and has yet to have an official vinyl release. Despite this, it remains a favorite among DJs and clubbers worldwide, regularly played at festivals and clubs.

A2) Plaything - Into Space (Original Release 2001)

This groovy track, released in 2001, contains a sample from Sheila & B. Devotion's Spacer, with Nile Rodgers as one of the producers. The original trackSpacer is an iconic disco hit from the 1970s, and Plaything put a contemporary spin on this classic. The track was a hit in Belgian clubs in the early 2000s, often played by prominent DJs. It has since been released on various labels and remains a timeless favorite in the electronic music scene.

B1) Ion - W.B. (Original Release 2002)

This trance classic by DJ Ion was first released in 2002 on the Belgian label B². The track quickly became a beloved classic within the trance community. Danny Casseau, the producer behind this track, is also known for other legendary works, including the trance classic Ion 98 - Tructure, which had a significant impact on the trance scene. W.B. is a pure, old-school trance track, crafted in the way only tracks from that era were!

This vinyl is extremely rare and hard to find, making it a sought-after item for collectors and trance lovers. It is still played in the sets of DJs who cherish the older trance sound, and it fits perfectly in contemporary sets as well!

B2) Subaltern - Forever (Ledge Forever Remix) (Original Release 2007)

This club banger was released in 2007 on the French label Voices Records and was a popular track in well-known Belgian clubs like Illusion and La Rocca. The Ledge Remix added an energetic, infectious vibe that made it a true hit on the dancefloor. It received an official vinyl release in 2007, but it is now difficult to obtain. Subaltern's Forever remains an unforgettable club classic still appreciated by electronic music lovers.

C1) Lykke Li - No Rest For The Wicked (Joris Voorn Remix) (Original Release 2014)

Swedish singer-songwriter Lykke Li scored a worldwide hit with I Follow Rivers, but also had great success with the powerful track No Rest For The Wicked. The Dutch producer Joris Voorn gave his own tech-house spin to the track in his known style!

Voorn's remix keeps the atmospheric mood of the original but adds a new, dancefloor-friendly dynamic that makes it suitable for the electronic music world.

This is the first time this remix is being released on vinyl since the original release in 2014, making it a rare and desirable item for both collectors and DJs. Thanks to the powerful mix of melody and rhythm, this remix of No Rest For The Wicked remains a timeless favorite that has found its place both in clubs and in vinyl collections of music enthusiasts and DJs.

C2) The Roc Project feat. Tina Arena - Never (Filterheadz Luv Tina Remix) (Original Release 2002)

This Spanish dance track hit Europe in 2003, thanks in part to the legendary remix by the Belgian techno duo Filterheadz. Brothers Bert and Maarten Wilmaers, known for their distinctive techno sound, gave the track their own twist with strong beats and an uplifting bassline, creating a timeless club hit that was heard everywhere in the early 2000s.

The vocals by Tina Arena add an emotional layer, while the Filterheadz Luv Tina Remix has stood the test of time and still gets everyone moving. At 12 Inch Lovers parties, this track never goes unnoticed and often brings the night to a high point. This track is a must-have for both collectors and DJs who love a mix of emotion, energy, and a solid techno sound.

D1) Soul Syndicate - Inside Of Me (Steel Union Remix) (Original Release 1995)

Speaking of a trance classic, this one is a true gem! Inside Of Me was released in 1995 during the golden years of Belgian trance music on the legendary Belgian label Aquatic Records. The Steel Union Remix by Zzino is an absolute favorite among trance lovers.

With its iconic sound and unmatched energy, this track is a true ode to the Belgian trance scene. It remains an unadulterated classic that still makes an irresistible impact, not only at retro trance events but also in the sets of contemporary DJs. Since its release, this remix has been hard to find, making it an even rarer piece of trance history. A track that has stood the test of time and is a must-have for collectors and fans of old-school trance.

D2) Ken Laszlo vs. Disco Dice - Hey Hey Guy (House Dub) (Original Release 2003)

Ken Laszlo, the Italian singer who became globally famous in the 1980s with the iconic Italo-disco hit Hey Hey Guy, received a re-release in 2003 on the house label Dubmental. This version was reimagined by Disco Dice, who gave the track a fresh house vibe with a more modern sound. Belgian DJ Jean, known for his influence on the Belgian nightlife scene, introduced this track into the clubs and transformed it into a club classic.

This release, although released in 2003, is now very rare and hard to find on vinyl. It's a hidden gem that continues to withstand the test of time, making it a valuable collector's item for lovers of both Italo-disco and house.

D3) Icehouse - Hey Little Girl (Infusion Remix) (Original Release 2002)

The Australian band Icehouse released the iconic track Hey Little Girl in 1982 on the British label Chrysalis. This synth-pop track was a big hit and still remains one of the classics from the 1980s. The original track was later included in the remix album Meltdown in 2003, where the Australian duo Infusion created a contemporary electronic remix that gave the track a new dimension.

The Infusion Remix adds a modern, danceable twist to the original synth-pop sound. This version surprised both fans of the original hit and lovers of electronic music, remaining a sought-after track in DJ sets.

This track has been unavailable on vinyl since its original release in 2003, making it a rare collector's item.

SOULMEEX record label marks its first anniversary in November 2025 with a milestone release: the label’s debut 7-inch. This special edition offers a new opportunity to expand its catalogue of forward-thinking sounds while honoring the timeless spirit of vinyl.

For the occasion, SOULMEEX presents signature tracks from NYC-based artist Evan Michael, whose productions balance depth and groove with finesse. On Side A, “Drifted Past” flows with hypnotic textures and steady momentum, creating a journey that bridges nostalgia and modern club energy. Side B, “Total Fiction” reveals a darker, more intricate narrative, weaving subtle rhythms and immersive layers that highlight Michael’s skill in uniting experimentation with dancefloor appeal.

As in the label’s very first release a year ago, the artwork is once again crafted by watercolor artist Celia Egea, whose visual language perfectly captures the spirit and emotion behind SOULMEEX sound.

More than a record, this release acts as a bridge between tradition and innovation, embodying the SOULMEEX vision: connecting timeless electronica aesthetics with fresh artistic voices. One year of music, community, and creative exploration.

To celebrate two decades of passion, innovation, and dedication to underground music, Playbeatz Labels Network proudly launches "Tribe", a new compilation project that pays tribute to the artists and sounds that have shaped its journey.
For over 20 years, Playbeatz has been a platform for creative freedom and genre-crossing experimentation—championing independent voices and uncovering unique talents from across the electronic music spectrum. "Tribe Vol. 1" is the first chapter in a special series of releases that reflect the label family’s diversity and forward-thinking spirit.
Kicking off with a limited edition vinyl, Vol. 1 features four carefully curated tracks by long-time Playbeatz affiliates —each bringing their unique sonic identity, from house to melodic textures, tech tools to soulful grooves.

A1. Erly Tepshi – Dreamer Emotionally charged and atmospheric, a deep dive into the melodic house realm, “Dreamer” wraps a haunting male vocal around lush synth lines and hypnotic rhythms.

A2. DJ Simi & Antonio Grassia – Nuestro Fuego With its driving groove and minimal yet powerful arrangement “Nuestro Fuego” is crafted as a peak-time tech and house tool. The track is all about raw energy and club efficiency.

B1. Mind The Gap DJs – Eclipse Of The Soul This old-school house jam delivers uplifting piano riffs, classic drum programming, and a timeless sense of groove. A heartfelt homage to the golden era of house, reimagined for today’s floors.

B2. Giomini & Marcus Raute – Tape Sweat A fresh and summery house cut with shimmering grooves and playful percussion. The track recalls the clean, infectious style of Deetron, blending crisp drums with melodic finesse. A pure dancefloor delight for the warmer seasons.

On 9th December Modern Obscure Music presents Cascades, the new album from Pedro Vian & Mana, which premiered during their immersive live set at the most recent Sonar Festival in Barcelona.
Cascades was recorded over a three-day studio session in Turin during the winter months, which is reflected in the musical narrative, as the eleven tracks flow gently like an icy river, filled with a mixture
of hazy melancholy, uncanny dream-states and euphoria.
Various recording techniques and instrumentation was utilised, including the Lyra-8 organismic analogue synthesiser, which takes principles from living organisms to produce sounds resembling a
conversation between nature and technology. The result is a spellbinding ambient odyssey that features a luminous synthesis of neo-classical strings and orchestral drones, together with strange
voices, and abstract passages designed to evoke Dante’s Inferno, which represent the soul’s journey.
Pedro Vian is a renowned Catalan artist who has released three solo albums (Beautiful Things You Left Us For Memories, Pedro Vian and Ibillorca) and a collection of singles on his Modern Obscure
Music imprint – a multi-disciplinary platform based on deep listening and music research. The ‘PRSNT’ compilation, which Pedro curated in 2021 and featured Laurie Spiegel, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Visible Cloaks, received support from Pitchfork, Crack, Brooklyn Vegan, The Quietus, The Wire and Metal. Pedro has been remixed by Inga Copeland and Pye Corner Audio, and has recorded mixes for of Bleep, Self-Titled and Juno Daily.
As part of a new generation of Italian electronic music artists, Piedmont born composer and producer Mana has released two full length albums (Seven Steps Behind and Asa Nisi Masa) on Kode 9's
Hyperdub imprint, plus an EP on Nicolas Jaar's Other People label under his Vaghe Stelle alias.
Earlier in his musical journey, Mana supported Laurent Garnier, James Holden and Skream across the Torino club scene, and in 2011 teamed up with Italian friends Lorenzo Senni and A:RA to form
the experimental group One Circle.
Pedro Vian & Mana’s previous work as solo producers has pushed the limits of electronic music, and together they’ve garnered critical acclaim from the likes of Pitchfork, The Quietus, The Vinyl
Factory, Resident Advisor and more. They now join forces to traverse new sonic territories between electronica, ambient, drone, and trance-inducing soundscapes.

FJAAK return with FJAAK014, a four-track EP packed with their signature analogue energy, funk-driven grooves and unmistakable Detroit-inspired synth work. This release is raw, percussive and unapologetically dancefloor-focused: Across four tracks, FJAAK once again prove why they remain one of the most vital voices in electronic music. The EP kicks off with 'Soulfriction', a cut built on a groove where power house meets jungle. It's a pure body-mover, all pulse and propulsion, with layered percussion that nods to classic warehouse sets while pushing things forward in true FJAAK fashion. On 'Run To Me', the duo bring soulful vocals in, weaving them into a driving rhythm that fuses housey breakbeats and thick analogue grooves. The result is a warm, kinetic blend of Detroit flair and modern funk sensibility, tailor-made for peak-time dancefloors. The B-side starts with 'Keep The Balance', a track that strips things down a touch. More introspective, but still locked into a deep, funky flow. It's mellow without losing movement, full of crisp drums and glowing chord progressions that let the groove breathe. Closing the EP is 'What's My Name?', a true FJAAK-style banger: Punchy kicks, sharp vocal cuts and a commanding low-end give it that warehouse edge. It's a punchy blend of groove and raw-energy, making it the perfect club weapon. The Berlin duo has been sculpting their sound identity with hardware-heavy, genre-blurring releases that span techno, breakbeat, house and jungle. With FJAAK014, they further refine their groove-forward vision, blending soulful vocal textures, infectious breakbeat energy and timeless Detroit-style synth work, making this EP another bold statement from a duo that remains on the frontlines of electronic music evolution.

Ralph Rodriguez aka Ralph Session is a Barcelona-based NYC-born house artist who kicks off this lush new Silver Walker 12" with 'Voices Rising', a smooth and song-driven deep house cut with a summery soul and stylish female vocals that hark back to the earliest soulful OGs. DFRA & MissFly combine then for 'Thinking', which is a more percussive and steamy, intense house sound with jazzy chords. Session's 'Love's Dance Floor' (instrumental mix) then taps into smoky late-night soul vibes with meandering leads allowing your mind to get lost in the moment and DFRA's 'Kiss My Soul' closes with a more playful and jazzy sound thanks to the charming flute leads and nimble, dancing keys.

Verb T – Homer Loan 1 & 2 (Half 'N Half Splatter Vinyl Release)
UK hip-hop veteran Verb T returns with the long-awaited vinyl release of Homer Loan 1 & 2. A definitive collection capturing two distinct creative periods from one of the scene’s most respected voices.

Originally released digitally, the Homer Loan series has become a cult favourite among Verb T fans, offering an intimate glimpse into his trademark balance of sharp lyricism, dry humour, and unfiltered honesty. The vinyl release brings both volumes together for the first time, celebrating the evolution of a prolific artist still pushing his craft forward. Homer Loan 1 is entirely self-produced, showcasing Verb T’s production skills and ear for soulful textures and lo-fi warmth. Built around introspective rhymes and smooth, laid-back beats, it reflects the self-contained creative process that defined its making.

With Homer Loan 2, the palette expands — featuring production from Cuth, Farma G, and Forrest Moon, each contributing their distinctive sonic fingerprints while complementing Verb T’s unmistakable flow and storytelling. The result is a cohesive yet dynamic project that bridges the personal and the universal, the underground and the timeless. The Homer Loan 1 & 2 Yellow and Purple Half 'N Half Splatter vinyl release stands as both a collector’s piece and a testament to Verb T’s consistency and artistry within UK hip-hop’s ever-changing landscape.

fabric presents salute features music from pioneers and contemporaries alike, including Kerri Chandler, Bodhi, Dorian Concept, Junior Sanchez, Redhead and more, alongside two originals from salute. More than a collection of tracks, it’s a cultural statement: a journey through club culture, personal identity, and global roots. To celebrate the release, salute will headline fabric’s Room 2 on 10th October, joined by a handpicked lineup (TBA), bringing their vision full circle from mix to dancefloor.

Lead single ‘double luxury’ sets the tone for the project, capturing salute’s signature blend of soulful energy, deep groove, and euphoric release. Built on spacious low-end and an undercurrent of euphoria, warped vocals twist through sleek, propulsive drums to form a house cut that channels the emotional intensity and groove at the heart of their sound. Arriving off the back of a huge summer, with standout sets at Coachella, Glastonbury, a North American tour and All Points East, ‘double luxury’ provides a fitting entry into a milestone chapter for one of the most vital voices in club culture.

salute says:

“my contribution to the fabric presents compilation series is my way of contextualising the music i've been writing over the last couple of years. i wanted to include bits of all the things that make up the salute sonic palette: loopy, sample based house music, dense and soulful chords and beautiful synths, slick and groovy drum work. it's an exercise in beautiful house and techno music, or my definition of it anyway.”

Launched in 2019, fabric presents has become one of electronic music’s most respected mix platforms, with contributions from Andrew Weatherall, Laurent Garnier, The Martinez Brothers, SHERELLE, Bonobo, Overmono, Confidence Man, The Streets, and more. Rooted in the legacy of fabric’s monthly CD mixes, the series now embraces a wider range of releases across digital, CD, and vinyl, each paired with a performance at the iconic London venue. With fabric presents: salute, they take their place in this lineage, joining the dots between underground heritage and the future of club culture.

Vienna-born salute has become more than a producer: they are a cultural innovator representing a club scene that is diverse, queer, and community-driven. Since emerging as one of the UK’s most exciting electronic voices, they have built a reputation for balancing raw emotion with dancefloor ecstasy, weaving grime, UK garage, electro, French house, jazz, gospel, R&B and hip hop into a singular, unmistakable vision.

Their music channels as much emotional resonance as physical release, tracks that turn longing into euphoria, intimacy into collective celebration. This ability has not only won over audiences worldwide but also earned praise from heavyweights including Four Tet, DJ Seinfeld, Floating Points, Skrillex, Fred again.., Annie Mac and Benji B. Their now-legendary Melbourne Boiler Room set, one of the platform’s most-watched, further cemented salute’s reputation as a defining force in the global underground.

The release of their 2024 debut album True Magic on Ninja Tune solidified salute as one of dance music’s most vital voices, its success confirming what the underground had long known. With fabric presents, they mark another milestone, bringing their curatorial vision and boundary-pushing sound to one of electronic music’s most iconic platforms.

The latest release from the Villains Inc. camp delivers an Italian-made electro gem.

And as the saying goes: Villains do it better! After the soulful "Time To Go Back EP" back in 2022, the "Generation V EP" (limited to 300 copies) marks the arrival of fresh talents joining the collective. This new wave steps in after the tragic loss of some of the label key figures, carrying the torch and keeping the Villains Inc. spirit alive.

Side A opens with "Vaccin", a hypnotic yet funky electro-bass track by Deepvision and Lefka. Despite their young age, the duo U.A.G.L.I.O. shows remarkable musical maturity and delivers a powerful debut. Expect to hear much more from this awesome team in a near future.

Next comes "FM Resistance" by Jack Bags (half of Dr. Boomer). A synthetic ride of swirling URish style sequences, darkened by moody strings. Breakdance moves guaranteed on the dancefloor!

On the flip, Index Case teams up once again with the late X-Beat (RIP) to provide a furious "Against" anthem, calling for "revolution against the government, against the police". The frantic rhythm and unsettling atmosphere push the track into gloomier territory in a powerful way.

Closing the record, Antizer0’s founder Zora Neti concludes the 12" with "Stereocash_(Pt.2)", a downtempo storm built upon eerie voices and mental sororities. A haunting yet masterful finale.

The legacy of the original V members lives on. Special mention to Simonloop aka Urbanmagic, one of the OG Villains, whose artwork on the B-side captures the grit of the music and makes the vinyl worth owning on its own.

From start to finish, Generation V EP is a masterclass. Crafted with the unmistakable Villains Inc. sound by label owner Gab.Gato, it’s pure underground quality. This record is dedicated to the memory of X-Beat and Yo Flava. Once a Villain, forever a Villain. Support the underground!

Unleash the groove with this rare jam – a Street Funk remix of a legendary track from one of hip-hop’s most iconic voices and his powerhouse Flipmode Squad. Known for delivering countless hits and unforgettable anthems, this collective has once again blessed the decks with something truly special. Previously unreleased on 7” vinyl, this DJ-friendly edit is a treasure for any serious DJ and collector.

The pressing quality is simply mesmerizing, built with clubs and dancefloors in mind. From bouncing beats to fluid basslines, from uplifting keyboard chords to soulful vocals and razor-sharp rap verses – it’s got all the ingredients of a certified smash. Whether you're setting the tone or saving a set, this 7” is a go-to weapon for DJs worldwide. There’s not a problem this squad can’t fix and for sure this 7” will save a DJs life every night…

The Danish/Norwegian duo of Ida Urd and Ingri Høyland believe that music is an extension of one’s immediate sensory environment. Duvet, their collaborative full-length debut, explores the way that creating sounds together is intertwined with various quotidian actions: establishing surroundings, rearranging furniture, moving towards the light, collecting flowers or other objects for aesthetic and sensuous impulses. Through a quiet and attentive process, music becomes a way of nurturing space: a soft architecture for play, writing, care, or simply rest.

Sonically, Duvet feels like an extension of Høyland’s last album, 2023’s Ode to Stone, which also featured Urd along with ambient musician Sofie Birch and visual artist Lea Guldditte Hestelund. But where that album, created in response to an open call for work themed around Denmark’s national parks, suggested rolling landscapes and endless horizons, Duvet turns inward, countering chill winds with glowing warmth. Its eight tracks seek a balance between abstraction and melody, intention and happenstance.

“We had a truly inspiring and rewarding process working with Birk Gjerlufsen Nielsen from Vanessa Amara, who co-produced and mixed the album with us,” Ingri adds. “He approached the material with great care and sensitivity, while also bringing his own distinct presence and creativity into the sound.”

Høyland and Urd both studied at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen, which has turned out many acclaimed artists over the past few years, including Erica de Casier, Astrid Sonne, and Smerz. Over many years, the two composers have developed a collaborative method based on connection and trust. A practice, they write, “where composing, or rather suggesting, sounds and melodies for one another is a way of carefully talking, mending emotions and obstacles. Saying yes to one another. The compositional space becomes a nest for entangling whatever emotions, thoughts, or barriers one of the composers brings to the given day or moment.”

Quiet and contemplative, Duvet is simple on the surface but rich in timbral, textural, and emotional complexity. Høyland and Urd sourced their sounds from an array of instruments and techniques—electronic devices, modules, pedals, and also electroacoustic treatments of various wind instruments.

Mixing primarily through analog tape units added further mystery and depth, weaving together wordless voices and unknown sounds—breathing, rustling, perhaps the coppery gleam of Urd’s electric bass—into a dynamic matrix. Like a nest, pull one twig and the whole thing unravels.

In the winter of 2023, Ingri Høyland and Ida Urd retreated to a summer house along the coast to create the album. Picture the scene: an abiding quiet all around. Gardens carpeted by snow; beach grass silvery against the silvery sky; a tendril of smoke rising from the chimney. Not another soul in earshot. This sanctuary was the perfect setting to yield this meditation on shelter, trust, and communication. The two composers hope the album can be a similar space for others—a temporary space of residence, it can represent a summerhouse, a cabin in the woods, your favorite bench or wherever you need to go. “The album also works really well when picking out apples in the supermarket” Urd laughs.

“For Today” is a timeless album—a sonic journey that seamlessly blends electronic influences, Trip-Hop, Folk, Indie Rock,
and Psychedelia.
It unfolds like an immersive soundscape, rich in complex atmospheres, experimental textures, and a deep emotional
undercurrent. Agosta has envisioned a record that transcends trends and market conventions, crafting a cinematic, soulstirring experience that fuses the intensity of trip-hop, the purity of folk, and the swirling colours of psychedelia.
The result is music that stimulates the intellect as much as it stirs the heart. With a delicate, refined touch and melodic
depth, Agosta combines contemporary sounds with vintage warmth, pairing poetic lyrics with themes of love, introspection,
and the human experience.
A standout element of “For Today” is the presence of five tracks featuring female performers and writers. This
intergenerational collaboration brings a richness of perspective and emotional range to the album. Far from a simple gesture
of gender inclusion, it serves as an authentic integration of diverse voices, offering new layers of sensitivity and storytelling.
Where Agosta’s previous work leaned more toward instrumental composition, here the inclusion of female voices adds
lyrical nuance and depth. These contributions explore themes such as love, identity, relationships, and personal liberation—
offering a poetic yet grounded lens through which to experience the album’s contemporary sound.
In essence, “For Today” is a mature and cohesive work that defies the boundaries of traditional genres, creating a unique
and resonant sonic world.
Each track explores a different emotional and musical dimension, with meticulous attention to sound design and a clear
desire for emotional experimentation. The album balances the introspective depth of trip-hop with the lightness and
spirituality of folk, weaving in modern pop elements and touches of psychedelia and groove.
The result is a compelling, emotionally charged, and genre-blending experience—one that invites listeners not only to hear,
but to feel.
An absolute must-listen!

Swiss label keepitgoing. returns with La Buena Muerte, a three-tracker uniting Ricardo Villalobos & Washington Miranda, Siddhartha, and Wata with Jorge González of Los Updates — a cross-section of Chile’s most vital electronic voices brought together on one record.

The EP opens with Bajo Tierra – Mis Juguetes, a ten-minute drift of slow-burning minimalism where Villalobos’ elastic modular textures and patient rhythmic detail entwine with Miranda’s hypnotic vocal, processed and stretched into new shapes and forms — a continuation of the deep, organic dialogues the pair first explored on De Cada Uno in 2022. On the flip, Siddhartha – Poema 4 slides into minimal electro and broken beat territory, sparse yet restless. Razor-sharp drums and pulsing bass unfold through dynamic structures that thrives on tension and space where a menacing voice cuts through with insistence. Closing the record, Wata – El Soul de Los Que Sobran (feat. Jorge González) brings González’s unmistakable voice into Wata’s playful framework, a looser, rather light-hearted cut where percussion and gentle melodies expand the palette and connect the EP back to Chile’s rich electronic lineage.

With artwork by Damian Schopf, brother of Martin Schopf aka Dandy Jack, La Buena Muerte stands as a collective statement of Chilean experimentalism — free of borders, rooted in collaboration, and tuned for the floor.

Melody Of the Soul returns with a stunning vinyl release, showcasing deep sonic artistry on both sides. The A-Side features two brilliant tracks by M.O.S., known for their emotive and immersive soundscapes. On the flip side, the B-Side delivers two captivating cuts by Newman (I Love), offering his signature blend of melody and groove. A must-have for collectors and connoisseurs of timeless electronic music.

In the final month of 2024, Meitei arrived in Beppu, a city long steeped in vapor, myth, and mineral memory. Invited to create onsen ambient music commemorating Beppu’s 100th anniversary, he immersed himself in the city’s geothermal psychogeography, where sound rises from the ground and time clings to mist.

Known for his Lost Japan (Shitsu-nihon) works, which channel forgotten eras into flickering auditory relics, Meitei took residence in the warehouse of Yamada Bessou, a century-old inn perched by the bay. Over two weeks, he listened intently to steam, to stone, to the atmosphere itself. The resulting work, Sen’nyū, traces the inner spirit of onsen culture. Like water finding its path, the music emerged with quiet inevitability, shaped by Meitei’s synesthetic sensibility and deep attunement to place.

Equipped with a microphone, he wandered Beppu’s sacred sites: Takegawara Onsen, Bouzu Jigoku, Hebin-yu, and the private baths of Yamada Bessou. There, he captured the breath of the springs, bubbling mud, hissing vents, wind against bamboo, and the murmurs of daily visitors. These field recordings became the sonic bedrock of Sen’nyū, an act of deep listening that attempts to render even the rising mist and shifting heat into sound.

Unfolding as a single, continuous piece, Sen’nyū drifts like fog through sulfur and stone. It traverses the veiled madness of Bouzu Jigoku, the spectral resonance of Yamada Bessou’s inner bath, and the hushed voices of Takegawara Onsen. It is a gesture of quiet reverence, for water’s patience, the land’s memory, and the hands that have bathed here for generations.

Where Meitei’s earlier works conveyed his personal impression of a fading Japan, Sen’nyū is grounded in tactile presence, music not imagined but encountered. Here, his practice moves closer to the spirit of kankyō ongaku, environmental music born from place, shaped by it, and inseparable from it.

As part of the project, Meitei conceived a two-day public sound installation inside Takegawara Onsen, culminating in a live performance. Bathers soaked in mineral-rich waters while submerged in sound, an embodied ritual of place, body, and listening.

Sen’nyū marks Meitei’s first full-length work centered entirely on onsen and opens a new chapter of his Lost Japan project under the expanded title 失日本百景 (One Hundred Lost Views of Japan), a series exploring extant sites of longing still quietly breathing within contemporary life. The album will be accompanied by Meitei’s first photo book, a visual document of his time in Beppu. A new layer is added to the world he has, until now, built only through sound.

Sen’nyū continues Meitei’s devotion to Japan as subject, while opening new terrain: both ritual and remembrance, an immersion into the mineral soul of Beppu.

Bristol-based producer Zobol lands on Brooklyn imprint Melodize with Killing Culture – a bold, four-track statement that fuses electro, breaks, and electronica into something raw, physical, and emotionally charged. Known as one half of the label Distorted Sensory Perception – a platform showcasing honest, forward-thinking electronic music – and as curator of the UK underground event series d3pth_p3rc3pti0n, Zobol brings a fiercely independent, hands-on ethos to his productions.
Built entirely on hardware – including the Korg MS20, Roland JX-3P, Prophet Rev2, Acidlab Drumatix, Behringer TD-3, Elektron Octatrack, Soundcraft Signature MTK12 console, and finished in Ableton Live – the EP captures a live-wire energy that feels both urgent and immersive.

The EP opens with “Uprising”, a track that sets a hopeful tone with flickers of brightness woven through its punchy rhythms – like the first sparks of something much bigger. Extrawelt reshapes the track with warm bass and swirling atmospheres, lending a more introspective, drifting character. Known for their decade-spanning contribution to electronic music – from their iconic debut on Border Community to defining live performances worldwide – the German duo once again deliver with a remix steeped in depth and analog soul.

The B-side turns heavier. “Weapon of Mass Distraction” unfolds from a looping synth fragment, slowly ramping into a tense, bass-driven groove that hits like controlled bursts of energy – Relentless, exacting & distractingly armoured with acidity. Closing track “Oppression” dives deeper into emotional terrain: the weight of distorted low-end channels the presence of authoritarian force, while fragile melodic elements flicker like voices struggling to be heard – eventually weakening, fading, and falling into silence.

“As shattered cultures bleed beneath a technocratic sky, the silenced cries of Palestine, Sudan, Yemen and other forgotten lands echo a world where humanity’s dawn is cruelly denied; a stark testament to faltering global systems, demanding urgent change before the irreversible erosion of our shared future.”

Berlin's Scheermann debuts on Mutual Rytm with deeply personal EP, 'Viciosa'.

Scheermann is at the heart of the Berlin underground as a DJ/producer, but also working behind the scenes at the Intakt Berlin vinyl pressing plant, where he first met Mutual Rytm founder SHDW. As a resident of the Lorem Ipsum party series, he delivers cultured and compelling grooves, and is also an active member of the Wesertekk collective - supporting and pushing club culture to the forefront in more rural areas. His music comes from a deeply personal place, never chasing hype or headlines, and is usually found at home on his own imprint, SAMMLER. This new EP marks his first appearance away from the label as he unveils a collection of records crafted over five years, with each track representing different moments in his life.

'Viciosa' kicks off with paranoid vocals panning about as swinging, warehouse-ready drums pound heavily below. The gritty synth craft adds plenty of texture as filters build the vibe. 'Placid Sin' is even more intense with unresolved synths tripping you in a loopy state while coarse percussion and cantering drums march on. 'Don't Care' is a rave-ready cut that injects your soul with urgent synth energy over more minimal and moody drums. 'Kano' brings a more elastic rhythm with dubby undercurrents and sleek sonar pulses infusing it with mystery, while 'Reika' is a nimble cut with icy hi hats and curious synth notes layering in late night suspense. First digital bonus 'Resoclap' is a heavyweight swinger with dark, groaning voices, before the second digital bonus 'Mizu' provides a speedy and supple workout for body and mind.

Scheermann 'Viciosa' lands on Mutual Rytm on 22nd August 2025.

The Temptations Get High on Psychedelic Soul: Cloud Nine Soars with Ambitious Arrangements and Production, Features Standout Vocal Performances and Instrumentation by the Funk Brothers

The Temptations’ Cloud Nine announced that Motown — and “The Sound of Young America” — would never be the same. Influenced by the emergence of cutting-edge rock and pop currents, as well as increasing sociopolitical turmoil, the album broke down barriers between rock, psychedelia, and soul while heralding the arrival of visionary arrangements and production techniques. Bookended by traditional R&B numbers, the 1969 record sent the Temptations in bold new directions and signaled the advent of psychedelic soul.

Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 3,000 numbered copies, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45PM 2LP set presents Cloud Nine in audiophile sound for the first time on a domestic pressing. This collectible reissue bestows Norman Whitfield’s extraordinary production with the grand-scale dynamics, natural tonality, expansive openness, and low-end weight it deserves. The timbre of each of the five members’ voices is readily identifiable — even within the group harmonies — bestowing a realism never experienced outside the recording studio.

Making its debut on 45RPM, the album further benefits from the wide groove space by playing with greater separation and more realistic presence than prior editions. Everything from the brassiness of the horns to the dry snap of the snare comes across with reference-grade clarity and positioning. And since Motown’s renowned Funk Brothers backing band plays on many of the cuts, you’ll want to savor every note. The imaging, soundstaging, and organic bloom-and-decay of the notes make that possible.

Amid Cloud Nine, the instrumentation and architecture stand out as much as any element. Never before had a Motown album contained such ambitious patterns and complex passages. Seemingly conscientious of the departure from their past methods, the Temptations and Whitfield bunched together the tracks that mark a deep dive into psychedelic territory and counterbalance them with seven sterling soul cuts that dovetail with Motown tradition drenched with heartfelt vocals, swelling strings, and finger-snapping beats.

On the original 33RPM release, traditional Motown soul — laden with heartfelt vocals, swelling strings, and finger-snapping beats — occupies Side Two. These songs reveal an ensemble still very much on top of delivering pristine pop-soul material graced with romantic sweetness, persuasive insistent, and soaring highs. Re-energized after the departure of lead singer David Ruffin, who was fired for a variety of reasons in June 1968, the Temptations seamlessly meld with his replacement, Dennis Edwards, on one melodic gem after another.

The collective tackles five songs co-written by the legendary Motown team of Barrett Strong and Whitfield. Not the least of which are the smooth, shuffling “Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go)” and deceptively simple, horn-spiked “Gonna Keep on Tryin’ till I Win Your Love.” On these tracks, as well as on a lush rendition of the ballad “Love Is a Hurtin’ Thing” and pleading, tender send-up of the Gerry Goffin-Carole King classic “Hey Girl,” Edwards and Paul Williams take turns on the lead with the estimable Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams providing backing support.

All five vocalists trade-off leads on the simmering title track, a groundbreaking composition shot through with wah-wah-pedal effects, liquid funk, deep bass lines, Cuban percussion, saturated reverb, and gang choruses. Whitfield mines each member’s natural vocal range with spectacular results, keeps time with cymbals, and channels both the heated temperatures and escapist desires of a society embroiled in war, conflict, and experimental drugs.

Amazingly, the Temptations top themselves on the similarly revealing “Run Away Child, Running Wild.” Nearly 10 minutes in length, the song explodes R&B parameters and harbors a cinematic scope. Urgent pianos, distorted guitars, stripped-down percussion, steamy Hammond organs, minimal bass motifs, five distinct voices narrating the tale of a boy who fled home and now finds himself amid the scary, unforgiving external world: They combine to give the urgent tune a walls-closing-in atmosphere where fear and desperation reign. Bolstered by an extended instrumental section that precedes a climactic return of the singers’ voices, “Run Away Child, Running Wild” equaled the success of the record’s title track, with both reaching No. 6 on the pop charts.

The latest transmission on Samurai tunes into half-time intensity with a psychedelic edge courtesy of leading French practitioner Vardae. Applying techno hypnotism and cinematic atmospheres to his snaking beat constructions, the Lyon-based artist delivers a pitch-perfect exercise in mystical meditation that follows a natural path from the Ancestral Voices LP.

Since first emerging around 2017, Vardae has been determined to establish a sound unbound by genre restrictions. To date he's successfully moved between cult labels such as Non Series and Ooda while pivoting from linear 4/4 to crooked broken beat without disrupting his immersive, finely sculpted production style.
Alongside his releases, Vardae is also responsible for the ouroboros festival that takes place every year in central France. Last summer, after the dancefloor closed on the final night of the the event, fabled Dutch transcendental ambient group Son Of Chi made an acoustic concert around the campfire that cast a spell over everyone present. This experience formed the inspirational basis for Vardae's new EP, drawing on the instinctive power of insistent rhythm and the spiritual intrigue that lies behind subtly dissonant tones - shadows cast by refined, restrained synthesis flickering in the imagined light of the flames.

From the rattle of timbale on 'The Light Motion' to the laser-focused ripples that charge through 'Voices Of Dispossession', Vardae bends and shapes his drum work with exacting intention across this EP. Treading the line between 85 and 170BPM, he approaches fierce peaks in his tracks with an exacting patience, building to the arp-soaked climax of 'Flaming As A Cloud' and its ecstatic, melodic crescendo.
Proudly individual and drawing from the deepest of musical experiences, Vardae's latest statement promises similarly profound moments when these pieces come into contact with the right souls and the right sound in the right setting.

Change, founded in 1980 by Mauro Malavasi, Jacques Fred Petrus, Davide Romani, and
Paolo Gianolio, is a legendary band on the interna#onal soul/disco scene, renowned for
launching iconic voices such as Luther Vandross and Jocelyn Brown.
Their debut album, The Glow of Love, was produced in 1979 between Bologna and New
York. Widely regarded as one of the greatest disco/soul/funk LPs of all #me, it achieved
enormous interna#onal success. It was the first Italian produc#on in this genre to enter the
Billboard 200 chart, peaking at #29 and earning a Gold Record. The singles “A Lover’s
Holiday” (Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100), “Searching,” and the #tle track “The Glow of
Love” (which reached #2 in Italy) solidified the album’s global impact.
So influen#al was the record that in 2001, Janet Jackson sampled the #tle track for her hit
“All for You,” which went on to win the Grammy Award for Best R&B Recording.
Throughout the 1980s, Change released five addi#onal albums:
• Miracles (1981)
• Sharing
Your Love (1982)
• This Is Your Time (1983)
• Change of Heart (1984, produced by Jimmy
Jam & Terry Lewis)
• Turn on Your Radio (1985)
In 2010, the previously unreleased album Change Your Mind—recorded in the 1990s and
produced by Davide Romani—was finally released.
In 2018, aEer a 33-year hiatus, Love 4
Love marked the band’s comeback. Produced by Romani and Stefano Colombo, the album
introduced vocalist Tanya Michelle Smith and featured eight original tracks wriGen by
Romani, Malavasi, Colombo, and Elio Baldi Cantù. The singles included:
• “Hit or Miss” (remixed by Soulpersona)
• “Love 4 Love” (also remixed by Joey Negro)
• “Make Me (Go
Crazy)” (remixed by Opolopo)
Embrace (2025), credited to Change feat. Tanya Michelle Smith, represents the natural
musical evolu#on of Love 4 Love. Originally conceived in 2019 as Tanya Michelle Smith’s solo
album, it was later reviewed by producer Stefano Colombo together with Mauro Malavasi,
who approved the material and authorized the use of the name “Change.” Malavasi also
contributed to the cover design and selected the album #tle: Embrace.
The first single, “Sunrise Forever,” was released on January 10. The remix by Michael Gray
reached #1 on Traxsource and ranked high on the UK Soul Chart.
The album’s release was postponed when Davide Romani and Stefano Colombo decided to
complete an unfinished demo from the Love 4 Love sessions. Some original parts were lost
due to a corrupted backup, but in 2025 the track was completely rearranged with a newly
recorded bassline by Romani and fresh backing vocals.
On April 4, the single “Got 2 Get Up” was released across all digital plaOorms, receiving
strong radio airplay across Europe and entering the UK Soul Chart. On May 16, a remix by
renowned Italian duo Micky More & Andy Tee will be released in an#cipa#on of the album.
Embrace includes ten original tracks and one cover.
The album will be available on CD and vinyl, distributed by Self Distribuzione Srl. The first
500 vinyl copies will be issued as a limited “Expanded Edi&on”, including the full album plus
a bonus 12” single with Michael Gray’s remixes of “Sunrise Forever.”

Kelly Finnigan has teamed up with soul music legend Renaldo Domino for his next 45, out May 23rd via Colemine Records. The A-track 'Keep Me In Mind' is a catchy, straight-down-the-middle soul tune in the classic dual male duo style of Sam & Dave, Eddie & Ernie, and Bob & Gene. Featuring organ and classic horn stabs, Kelly and Renaldo's voices blend harmoniously and make for a killer cut. The B-side, 'Let Me Count The Reasons,' is a track from Kelly's critically acclaimed new LP 'A Lover Was Born.' Slower in tempo and full of love and heart, the tune is a masterclass in romantic soulful sounds.

Hard Times proudly welcomes a new release from an artist deeply connected to the label’s storied past. Alex Arnout presents BLACK LOGIC with their debut EP, ‘Pull Up’, a project born from passion, collaboration, and a return to House music's soulful roots

Hailing from West Yorkshire, Arnout spent his formative years on the Hard Times dancefloors, absorbing the beats and vibes that would later shape his own productions. His journey with the label reignited when he was invited to remix Michael Watford’s classic 'Love Change Over' and Steve Silk Hurley’s fresh hit 'All I Need'. Now, he returns with something truly special

“Black Logic was born out of the pandemic,” says Arnout. “I wanted to move away from drum machines and synths, getting back to sampling jazz and the deep house sounds of the ‘90s - taking inspiration from artists like Bugs in the Attic, Jazzanova, and Ernest Saint Laurent.

What began as a solo project soon evolved into a collective effort. Bassist and guitarist Alan Riggs, a former member of Delta 5, joined the sessions, bringing warmth and groove to the productions. Vocalists Tempo O’Neil, Anthony Beckford, Mariana Orsho, and Sophie Barker added their distinct voices, completing the vision.

The ‘Pull Up’ EP is the first of a debut double-header from Black Logic, delivering five stunning tracks that blend jazzy keys, deep grooves, and rich, soulful vocals. From the warm basslines to the celestial closing moments, this EP is a statement of intent - a wonderfully fresh, yet nostalgic take on deep house from a collective of masterful musicians.

“… it was dance music, it had lyrics, it had songs, it wasn’t all instrumental, it was basically uptempo soul music, to be exact.”*

This quote from Timmy Regisford already sums up everything you need to know about his remix of Basic Black’s “Don’t Make Me Fall In Love.” Signed to Motown during Regisford’s reign as vice president and A&R, their self-titled debut album from 1990 is a testament to the massive popularity of new jack swing at the time. In his remix, the co-founder, resident DJ, and key figure of Club Shelter reconfigures the song’s structure with the signature sounds of New York’s prime dance floor scene, while preserving the heartfelt storytelling of the lyrics and the group’s voices on top of an irresistible groove and a bassline to die for.
At the time, it was only available in the record crates of the Big Apple’s DJ elite and later on as a white label in specialist shops. This soulful, yet driving piece, however, never saw an official single release—until now. Lifted from a DAT tape in Tony Humphries’ archive and carefully and faithfully restored, it now even features a condensed, never-before-released instrumental version of the remix, as well as a bass-and-beats-only edit for mixing purposes by yours truly. New jack swing transformed into New York club music by a king. This remix is a testament to Timmy Regisford’s prowess in the studio, but also honors the roots of the music he loves and grew up on—serving as a perpetual piece of the city’s vast history in underground dance music.
Gerd Janson

‘Nothing Iz Sacred’ is a statement, a collection of tracks that resist the pull of the fleeting, throwaway nature of today’s music scene. In an age where everything is often stripped down, consumed, and discarded, this 8-track LP stands as both a nudge and a reminder—a poke at the culture that surrounds it - it isn’t here to blend quietly into the background, nor to satisfy the urge for quick hits and shallow thrills.

Each track on the LP is woven with the sounds and textures Workforce has become known for, yet there’s a rawness here—a willingness to push boundaries, to blur the edges of genre and style. The LP is a blend of the familiar and the experimental, where thoughtful moments meet jagged beats, and where soulful undertones collide with darker layers. It’s a space that resists easy categorization, daring listeners to explore without expectation, to find meaning in the spaces between the sounds. This isn’t a record designed for the disposable playlists of tomorrow; it’s for those who know that music can mean more, and who understand that it is meant to live with us, to grow, and to shape the communities around it. This record isn’t about the chase for the next hit or the endless scroll; it’s for the ones who value artistry, who find culture in the smallest details, who want something real to hold onto.

‘Nothing Iz Sacred’ is brought to life with the voices and musicality of some incredible collaborators. Tyler Daley’s unmistakable warmth, Bobbie Johnson’s sharp lyricism, Tamara Blessa’s haunting soul, Leroy Horns’ textured brass, and Ed Zuccollo’s nuanced piano work all carve their own paths through the record. Together, they amplify the album's heartbeat, adding layers of richness and depth.

The Bombillas have emerged with two new original compositions in their recognizable sound of psychedelic eclectic soul meets world funk. "Hatif" b/w "Kidi Bloom" takes you on a narrative journey into the unknown.

Imagine speeding down Highway 10 into the desert at sunset, top down with one hand on the wheel; you end up all alone at night and hear a mysterious voice calling, screaming in your ear, but nowhere in sight. This imagery sets the stage for Side A, "Hatif." Lead by a driving phased-out strumming acoustic guitar and interweaving melodic lines from David Michael Celia on Keys and Tyler Nuffer on Electric Guitar, "Hatif" takes inspiration from the psychedelic funk and rock sounds of North Africa and The Middle East in the 1970s. Held together by the steady groove of Bassit Josh Wiener and Drummer Joey Campanella, The Bombillas explore sonic imagery and imagination in their interpretation of the Arabian Folklore, Hatif.

Then, on Side B, The Bombillas bring it down a notch with "Kidi Bloom." Featuring Patrick Bailey (Jungle Fire) on lap steel, "Kidi Bloom" continues with the desert imagery and mystical encounters one may find at night, strolling through the endless open landscape. Again, held together by Wiener and Campanella's solid groove, Celia and Bailey weave their melodic voices, creating a conversation of question and answer, or human and higher power. "Kidi Bloom" takes an ethio-inspired groove and flavors it with stoned-out psychedelic funk and country twang for a truly unique cinematic experience.

2025 Repress

Wide Yonder’ is a truly remarkable album, offering as much depth and soul as it’s predecessor, yet sounding ultimately fresh and different. Above all, the ten tracks show an artist that’s willing to take risks, find in- spiration in new places and move beyond the sound of his previous album. Trentemøller: ‘Of course I didn’t want to make the same record twice. So the album is for me a logic development from ’The Last Resort’’. Instead he just started to collect new ideas, without thinking too much about the direction the music would take him: ‘The only thing I knew was that I’d want the music to sound more organic and analog.’ Compared to the intimate electronic mood pieces of ‘The Last Resort’, the ten tracks on the new album indeed have a more strange, mystic and dramatic vibe, with a lot of dynamics, distorted, driving twang- guitars, real and electronic drums mixed with haunting synths. With ‚Into The Great Wide Yonder‘ Trentemøller is not only exploring new moody and atmospheric universes, but combines his sense for glorious soundscapes with a firm melodic and tonal touch. The original chord progressions and feel for melodies is fundamental to him, and that‘s also the reason why most of the instruments are played by Trentemøller himself on this album. ‚I like the possibility to be surprised that chords and melodies change into something new. The music that I like most lets the themes and sounds come back in different disguises‘. The Danish multi instrumentalist and producer shows an unexpected talent for finding vocalists that fit the mood of his songs. The first single of the album, the beautifully tender ‘Sycamore Feeling’, featuring Marie Fisker, is a typical highlight. In fact, all the vocal tracks are stunning. Trentemøller chose to collaborate with the English artist Fyfe Dangerfield from UK based Guillemots and Danish singers Solveig Sandnes and Josephine Philip from the debuting Danish indie girlduo Darkness Falls. They all manage to add their own sound and flavour to the album, while their voices blend perfectly with Trentemøller’s atmospheric songs. This is an album that keeps growing for a long time, as every track works its way stealthily under your skin. The sound of ‘Into The Great Wide Yonder’ might be one step ahead of his previous work, but we still easily recognize the hand of Trentemøller, in this inspired collection of songs and atmospheres. The sonic richness, sharp contrasts and daring musical colours are vintage Trentemøller. Into The Great Wide Yonder’ might demand more from the listener than ‘The Last Resort’, as it ended up being quite a dramatic album. This album is more noisy, there’s more happening.‘ But getting to know the tracks definitely is a rewarding experience, as the album will keep growing and growing for a long time to come and its safe to say that Anders Trentemøller has managed to create

You Are The Morning was formed amid personal upheaval in 2021. "I came out as trans to my nearest and dearest," she says, "Some did not accept me, but some did." Jasmine got divorced, and a difficult home life meant she was writing while experiencing homelessness and precarious housing, sleeping on friend's couches and relying on community support. Despite the pain of some of its background, the record is an uplifting look at t4t love. Jasmine describes her first trans romance as the first time she experienced joy in a deep sense, because of her experience of living as a woman. First single `Skin on Skin' explores the new joy of physical touch. Usually a quick writer, it's a rare song that grew over time, during which a close connection with a friend began to form. "Sticking to the physical boundaries we wanted to have with each other became increasingly difficult. We were spending lots of time together, then falling in love. This song became a celebration of healing and physical catharsis found through unrepressed queer love." The first UK signee on Saddest Factory Records, the album was produced by Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. Jasmine and her band travelled to L.A. to record at Sound City Studios. It was made across 12 days in a highly collaborative and emotional process, and because Jasmine sees her songs as fluid and ever-changing, the recordings carry that free and spontaneous spirit. jasmine.4.t is supported by an all-trans band, Phoenix Rousiamanis contributes piano and strings, with Eden O'Brien on drums and Emily Abbott on bass. With Jasmine's voice and songwriting at the centre, the record incorporates a wider cast of voices. `Best Friend's House' features a chorus including her bandmates, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus ("the girls and the boys"), Saddest Factory Records label-mate Claud, Becca Mancari and E.R. Fightmaster. The song carries the communal spirit of the record's creation. On the closing track, `Woman', she is backed by the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, a cross-generational group of trans singers who, like Jasmine, use their voice as a source of communal power. The song blossoms from solo performance to wider group catharsis. All the while, Jasmine sings unwaveringly about the power of knowing yourself at a core level: "I am, in my soul, a woman". The writing of You Are The Morning pulled from dark moments to tell its story. Surrounded by friends, the recording process was full of light. Through her performances, activism and artistry, jasmine.4.t is ushering in a new dawn.

Strut proudly present the brand-new studio album from Nubiyan Twist, 'Jungle Run'.

Now one of the leading lights in the UK's new generation of soulful, genre-fluid artists, the Leeds-born and now London-based 12-piece collective have created their finest recordings to date, effortlessly weaving together elements of jazz, soul, hip hop, African styles, Latin, dub, hip hop and electronics in a flow of thought-provoking and life-affirming music.

Recorded at the band's own self-built Henwood Studio in rural Oxfordshire, the album effortlessly moves through different voices from the band's circle. The inimitable, timeless vocals of Nubiya Brandon lead the way on the album's title track about breaking preconceptions and promoting equality, 'Where you from I'm from wherever I be.' Saxophonist Nick Richards vocals the killer first single from the album about inner turmoil and a search for the truth, 'Tell It To Me Slowly' while rising Ghanaian star K.O.G. appears on the Afro jams 'Basa Basa' and 'They Talk'. Percussionist Pilo Adami (Nina Miranda / Afrosamba) voices the infectious bossa-jazz jam 'Borders'. The band also draft in two African legends for guest duties with the original Afrobeat maestro Tony Allen on 'Ghosts' and Ethio jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke contributing vibes on the sinuous 'Addis To London'. 'The depth of talent and ideas that every member of this group has brought to the table for this album is incredible,'

says producer and orchestrator Tom Excell. 'Conceptually, 'Jungle Run' is all about connecting different people and cultures whilst exploring the journey of individuals. This album is the pinnacle of everything we have done to date and to collaborate with the godfathers of Afrobeat and Ethio Jazz and celebrate their music in a modern context was very humbling.'

The album is another landmark for a band that has been consistently developing their sound since their formation in 2015 at Leeds College Of Music. 'One of the biggest factors in our sound was the exciting music scene in Leeds,' explains saxman Joe Henwood. 'From a reggae night called 'Sub Dub' to venues playing whacked out experimental jazz.' Since then, the band's self-titled debut album (2015), EP 'Siren Song' (2016) and single 'Dance Inna London' (2017) have become classics in their own right and their live show has become an essential ticket; previous live highlights have included high profile slots at David Byrne's Meltdown at the South Bank and Glastonbury West Holts

'Jungle Run' is released on 15th February on CD, 2LP and digital. Cover artwork comes from acclaimed designer Marcus Davies and the album is mastered by The Carvery. Nubiyan Twist tour across Europe from November.

LP + insert with extended liner notes and download code including extra bonus track 'Movements of The Mind'.For his second album on the Belgian leftfield imprint Cortizona, Devin Brahja Waldman gathered a group of insanely gifted and talented musicians to start a new and highly moving musical chapter titled 'Nebulizer'.



From the first moment the pulsating tone of Devin's synth blends with the whispering voices of Earth, Wind and Choir and the menacing bells Naima Karlsson set in motion this record you just know and feel immediately 'Nebulizer' will be a soul-searching journey, soaking you deep into an unknown and very personal musical world.

Devin Brahja Waldman is a New York saxophonist, drummer, synthesizer player and composer who leads the group BRAHJA. He has performed with Patti Smith, William Parker, Nadah El Shazly, Malcolm Mooney, Thurston Moore, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Charles Hayward, Luke Stewart and Yoshiko Chuma. Waldman is also a member of NYC's Heroes Are Gang Leaders (led by poet Thomas Sayers Ellis and saxophonist James Brandon Lewis), of Sam Shalabi's Land of Kush, and of the Norwegian hardcore group MoE.

In 2022 BRAHJA released the critically acclaimed album 'Watermelancholia' on the Belgian leftfield imprint Cortizona. For his second album on the same Cortizona label, Devin Brahja Waldman gathered a group of insanely gifted and talented musicians to start a new and highly moving musical chapter titled 'Nebulizer'.

Together with Adam Kinner, Georgia Wartel Collins, Earth, Wind and Choir, Luke Stewart, Kenichi Iwasa, Naima Karlsson, Alexis Mercelo, Janice Lowe, Watson and Damon Hankoff, Devin forms a slow-burning fireball unity.

A devotional séance channelling unknown powers proving music is a healing force of the universe.

Rejoicing the Holy Jazz Spirit.

Ready to nebulize the world and bring light out from the darkness. Head cleaning the world in 4 musical parts: Geological Drum, Nebulizer, Bushido and Movements of The Mind. Nebulizer is an elevating meditation on our estrangement of nature.

Interstellar sonic stardust from a mindblowing collective that will leave you flabbergasted.

Be prepared and hear it to believe it.

For fans of: Art Ensemble of Chicago, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, John & Alice Coltrane, Kamasi Washington, Shabaka Hutchings, SAULT, Ill Considered, Jamie Branche, Angel Bat Dawid, Mackaya Craven, Matana Roberts, Sun Ra and other good music.

Hardcover Book which includes a 208-page book documenting Louisville's rich Black Gospel music legacy and access to a comprehensive digital archive.

In the mid-20th century, Louisville gospel music was occasionally recorded when members of the local gospel community pressed 45rpm records and LPs, and released them through grassroots record labels such as Sensational Sounds, Grace, Blessed, and D.J.S. Over the years, a substantial body of work was produced in our city, but those recordings are in danger of being lost forever.

The Louisville Story Program has been working with dozens of people in the local gospel music community to locate, digitize, and preserve hundreds of these recordings and to develop a book that documents and honors the legacies of the people and communities that produced them.

For decades, the passion, hard work, and support of countless people across dozens of Black church communities in Louisville have nurtured and sustained a rich gospel music ecosystem. This music has served as a central part of people's religious practice and as an expression of Black pride, joy, affirmation, love, dignity, determination, and hope. This legacy continues to this day.

With support from The Owsley Brown II Family Foundation and Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Foundation, LSP has partnered with members of the gospel community and a local advisory group of local gospel historians and luminaries:

To locate, clean, and digitize gospel records of local artists released by small local labels
To accompany the local Black gospel music community in developing a 4 CD box set that includes a 200+ page hardcover book with first-person documentation of their rich history
To create an accompanying double LP featuring 26 of those songs
To create and maintain a public-facing digital archive of 1,000 songs and 1,000 photographs
To celebrate the final release with a large concert at the Brown Theatre (September 28, 2024)

Highly original material on a very limited EP... be quick!

POLYPHONIC WAVES OF SOULFUL MADRIGALS

The power of duality is an inscrutable thing: we’re endlessly fascinated by the interplay between light and darkness, East and West, voice and silence, our senses tingling from the compelling synergies that thrive in perceived opposites. Drawing from an urbane Antwerpian upbringing and a Moroccan family lineage, the Brussels-based multidisciplinary artist Younes Zarhoni, embraces these very dualities in all of his projects, exploring those murky areas of contrast and bringing all their ambiguous energy to crystal clear focus.

A longtime staple of the local electronic music scene with his hypnotic techno outings as YZ, Zarhoni’s latest focus is on the compositional power of pure harmony and silence: namely, his polyphonic renditions of medieval mystical poetry, sung in multiple voices and left to solemnly radiate beyond their given spatial grounds. Stripped of all instrumental accompaniments, what you get is Gregorian chant meets Boyz 2 Men, articulated by the lyrical ineffability of Arabic tongues and finding their rhythm in the silences that act as the juncture between observation and anticipation.

These sparse stanzas tread under an elusive referential threshold, conjuring visions of architecture and archaism, madrigals and MTV, the sacred and the profane ~ ostensibly disparate elements that seamlessly fold themselves into the radicality of the compositions. In these 20 minutes of verse, Zarhoni oversteps the margins of categorization to deliver an immersive story of song, flowing freely and sustaining the arc of the narrative long after it has ebbed into silence.

We take the same and start again
A winter week at One Buck studio, 4 musicians. Ocman Dread and Ras Salam once again call on Jolly Joseph and Dr Charty to accompany them on guitar, bass, keyboards… The recordings of this session do not suggest the negative temperatures and the frost outside, the riddims are sunny and sound warm. Pinnacle Sound’s 5th album is in the wake of the previous ones, roots that make you smile.

Breath is life
The rest takes place at the Bat Records studio. The Dub Shepherds refine these takes where breath and grain mingle, in search of the authenticity that has made Pinnacle Sound special since its beginnings. With the help of vintage machines and magnetic tapes, the album takes shape and begins to take shape.

Many guests
Another Pinnacle Sound trademark, numerous guests behind the microphone are present on this disc as on the previous ones. We find the essentials: Marcus I and Jolly Joseph, to which are added new voices, like Payoh SoulRebel who opens the album with the unequivocal “Downpressure”: we are here to have a good time! Big news on this album, the presence of female voices! The trio The Steadies delivers the brilliant “Thank You”, and Nina Murple signs the ballad “By The Train”.

You will have understood, Pinnacle Sound unveils a rich and generous new album, 10 tracks from the most kitsch to the most profound, which will leave no one indifferent.

CMDRPX and RPX16035 present the first various artists in collaboration and unite the two souls that were already traveling on the same vibrations, opening the v.a is an iconic figure from the underground world, @francescofarfaofficial who with his "Soul Engineering" drags you into his world hypnotic, a fusion track that combines his unique style that looks to the future with bleep and acid sounds with a non-invasive groove that encompasses everything and makes the track one of a kind.

Also on side A we find @niki_ilb with his "Acid lover" track which focuses on an IDM sound and which opens the doors to a conceptual acid and Deep style.

@gianluca.pellerano opens the B side with "Stanza di musica", a record projected onto the dancefloor with hypnotic voices, sounds and textures that will drag you towards new musical horizons.
The B2 side was entrusted to @giuseppe__angeloro with his track "Mentalism dance" with a raw sound reminiscent of the 90s, an acid texture and present percussions that make the track evolve in a more introspective direction.

Lastly we find the duo @gianluca.pellerano & @caciotechnology with their "Mango bet" the two combine their styles perfectly the track has an Electro base with a texture projected into the future experimentation in this track is the key word.

Happy listening everyone.

The widely beloved Romanian producer and DJ Barac delivers his new EP ‘Hypnotic Grayscale’ via Yecad this May, comprising three original compositions across the vinyl only release.

Since his debut release over a decade ago, Bucharest, Romania’s Barac has grown to become one of the most prized producers and DJ’s in the microhouse movement coming out of his home turf. A name synonymous with high quality, subtly nuanced and hypnotic grooves tightly woven together to create a sound that’s distinctly his and has found a home on many reputed labels such as Meander, Pressure Traxx, Adam’s Bite and of course his own Shamandrum. Here though, we see Barac joining the roster of Yecad, a fledgling London based imprint that has played host to music from Sepp, Vlad Arapusu, Mihai Pol, Dragutesku and Constratti since its inception in 2023.

The title-track ‘Hypnotic Grayscale’ opens the EP and encapsulates all that is loved about Barac’s productions, delicately unfurling atmospherics, haunting voices and softly reverberated chimes intertwined with airy dub chords and stripped back drums.
Following to open the B-Side is ‘Everything that is seen comes from the unseen’, stripping things back to a rawer, percussive driven state with crisp drums and a bubbling acid- tinged bass line carry the groove while sporadic resonant flutters and vocal murmurs ebb and flow within. ‘He restores my soul’ then rounds out the EP and sees Barac explore his more experimental side, fusing together ghostly synth melodies, echoing chords, spiraling resonant swells and a hypnotic Romanian spoken word vocal.

Just a few months after the release of "Shine," his debut solo album featuring some of the finest R'n'B voices of the moment, Stefano Cosi presents his new single "That's On Point" on Angis Music, already home to the HUMA project of which he is part along with pianist Alberto Lincetto. The single, which boasts the important collaboration with UK soul legend Omar, was written and produced remotely during Covid, waiting for the right moment to be released. Now it seems that the moment has finally arrived and to complete the offer alongside the original version are two remixes by Abacus, prominent figure in the deep house scene since the '90s, plus a mid-tempo dub version by Italian talent Edoardo Della Bitta aka EDB. Don't miss out on this future classic!

DJ Support: Jamie Jones, Reboot, Dennis Cruz, Raresh, Reelow, Dimmish, Fabe, Archie Hamilton, Rich NxT, Chicks Luv Us, Christian Burkhardt, Terry Francis.

This EP is inspired by love and dreams and continues her quest to find the perfect blend of emotional yet minimal melodic beats. Opener 'L'Amour' radiates Lazic's signature sounds with a slick bassline and melodic chords that convey meaningful emotions under female spoken words. It's a seductive world of warm pads and silky beats that cast a hypnotic spell. The fantastic 'Todo El Universo' features the vocals of Lazic's Spanish friend Monica. The title translates as 'all the universe' and is a favourite line from Paulo Coelho's novel The Alchemist about accomplishing your dreams. It's a deep and comforting groove with soft drums and pillowy pads that soothe the soul and are perfect for more intimate dance floors.
Remixer Nu Eau is a pivotal part of Romania's minimal scene with a meticulously crafted sound that has taken him to the likes of Gettraum and Memoria Recordings and he also co-founded the Uvar imprint. His version of ‘L'Amour' is more up tempo but no less heady, with lush cosmic synths doing an elegant dance over the compelling beats.

Spanish pair Los Suruba have done it all over the last 20 years - released hundreds of tracks, played thousands of gigs, established their own network of record labels, held residencies everywhere from Ibiza to London and crafted countless underground hits. Their remix of ‘L'Amour' is serene and cerebral with paranoid voices drifting through the mix and rippling chords keeping you afloat in the cosmos.

repress !

Four years after Nuova Napoli, Nu Genea are back with Bar Mediterraneo, a new album and journey, which projects the sounds of the Neapolitan duo formed by Massimo Di Lena and Lucio Aquilina even further.

Nu Genea's Bar Mediterraneo is an idea of a shared place where people meet and fuse together; a space that leaves its doors open to travellers and their lives, always exposed to the whims of fate. Some of this can be experienced through the multitude of sounds that come together in the tracks, layers of different acoustic instruments, voices and synthesizers merging in a unique musical blend.

Opening up to the voices of many different people, separated by languages but united by the sea and the music, Nu Genea's hometown, Napoli, becomes a true place of encounter.

You can hear this all along. In "Gelbi", a gorgeously deep and propulsive Ney flute plunges into murky waters of the melancholic Tunisian dialect sung by Marzouk Mejri. In "Marechia'", unbridled happiness and sun ooze from the delicate vocals of Célia Kameni and create an acrobatic bridge between French and Neapolitan language. In "Straniero", your soul is arrested from the moment the slow spell-binding mandolin ignites the hypnotic patterns recorded by the legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen. In "Bar Mediterraneo", the title track, bittersweet guitar’s riffs, analog waves and choirs are overwhelming the song giving you what you would like to hear on a boat trip along the Amalfi Coast.

Nu Genea couldn't afford to overlook their firmly anchored roots into the Neapolitan culture and its dialect with "Tienaté", where the power of neapolitan language (interpreted by Fabiana Martone) supports those quarter-tone strings and the uncessant folk-disco groove that spreads to the entire song. In "Praja Magia", repetitive mandolin riffs lead the song, giving space to a choral yet tight vocal line that speaks of Varcaturo, a village close to Napoli. In "Rire", a volley of poetic, deceptively laidback, lyrical fury interpreted by Sicilian Marco Castello intimately combines with a highly musical, multi-textured instrumental backbone and the swoon of a chanson in its heart. In "La Crisi'', the lyrics of a Raffaele Viviani’s poem from 1930 have been adapted to a laidback jazz-funk groove in full NG style. In "Vesuvio", revaluing the evocative verses and powerful mantra of Vesuvio, Nu Genea re-adapted to the dancefloor a folk song by the working-class band E’ Zezi from Pomigliano D'Arco, combining the voices of a school choir with Jupiter-6 arpeggios and bold percussions.

Bar Mediterraneo is the place where people constantly return to transform curiosity into participation, tradition into sharing, unfamiliar into familiar. When travellers come through its “doors”, carrying their treasures of words and emotions, they aren’t strangers any more. They take part in a shared experience, enriching themselves and others by leading to unexpected musical journeys.

The package, posted from Inglewood in California, dropped through my letter box…
I was looking forward to seeing this, the VHS of the then relatively ‘unknown’ but now legendary live show at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly. But when I fed it into my VHS player, I was disappointed. I could not quite figure out why. The band were tight, each musician sounded great, the product of being on the road, year after year, club after club in the States, sometimes playing five shows a night, all propped up by one of the best soulful voices we had ever heard, the maestro Frankie Beverly.
It took a second play of the VHS to realise what was missing. It was ‘too comfortable’ an atmosphere. A few wealthy customers sat around coffee tables quaffing champagne. It seemed to me that this audience, somehow, did not fit the band.
Paul Fenn at Asgard promotions received the contract from the band to appear live in London and Manchester. I became more and more convinced that his UK fans were going to be a lot more responsive than those from New Orleans.
We put the word out with just a couple of exclusive ‘shout outs’ by Robbie Vincent on his Radio London Soul programme. Those two plugs were enough to sell out all four shows at London’s premier music venue, the Hammersmith Odeon. The ticket office was rammed and the queue six deep, stretched halfway down Queen Caroline Street.
“I have never seen anything like it” expressed the manager of the theatre as he rolled down the shutters and turned on the “Sorry, SOLD OUT” notice above the theatre box office.
I was curious, so I went up and stood in the wings of the Hammersmith stage on that first show. Frankie, introduced to the stage by his sound engineer, Greg Blockman, sauntered past me, strumming his rhythm guitar, dressed in a casual dark green towelling suit, a brown leather visor and flip flops…and then five seconds later, he suddenly stopped. He seemed suddenly to be aware of the thunderous ’Welcome to London Maze’ roar, circling around the theatre about to engulf him. He slapped every black and white hand offered up to him that night, with a huge smile as he circled the edge of that stage. We wanted to get next to him, even if it meant climbing over rows of seats in front of us to do so.
That was the beginning of our love affair with Maze and Frankie Beverly. It certainly wasn’t New Orleans comfort; it was more like a crazy, but friendly, London riot.
Five albums on from the “Live in New Orleans” LP, Frankie sauntered into the California recording studio, probably with the same swagger as in London, to cut the delightful A-side here, “Somebody Else’s Arms”, from his aptly named ‘Silky Soul’ album. Along with the B-side, ‘Love is’ (from the “Back To Basics” CD, 1993) both are so delicious you might want to relax and pour yourself that London glass of champagne, 1983 vintage. Tell your mates your Maze/Hammersmith story too. You deserve it.

Hailing from Normandy (France), YOU SAID STRANGE offer an indie rock sound made up of psych pop-rock, shoegaze and proto-grunge. The band's music is the work of passionate musicians, combining the dazzling power of their instruments and the union of their voices to create a fusion of melancholy and energy. The band recorded their 1st album, Salvation Prayer, in 2018 in Portland (USA), with Peter G. Holmstrom from The Dandy Warhols. Seduced, the iconic Kevin Cole invites them to perform live in the studios of the prestigious KEXP radio, where their next project will emerge. At the end of 2021, Thousand Shadows Vol.1 is released. Then, after defending it on European and American stages, comes its sequel Thousand Shadows Vol.2 in 2023.

"TRADE YOUR SOUL" plunges us into the complex exploration of human relationships, love, trust and disillusionment, addressing several universal themes in an introspective way. This post-rock tale unfolds as a metaphorical journey of spirituality through life's most intense and intimate emotions and experiences.

YOU SAID STRANGE continues to combine abstract and concrete indie rock with psych-rock, post-punk, shoegaze and indus, inviting listeners to reflect ever more deeply. Nevertheless, "TRADE YOUR SOUL" marks a significant milestone for the band, with a more striking musical approach and a number of innovations, while remaining the work of passionate musicians who combine the dazzle of instruments and the union of voices to fuse melancholy and energy.

Specimen Records will kick off with "Zero Plague" January 2024 after a long hiatus from 2022 through to 2024. Specimen are now proud to present such a prolific artist as MANASYt whose level production has reached so many labels, along with extensive Dj work throughout Europe.

Zero Plague - another neurovision broadcast by replicant agent MANASYt. The opener - is a dystopian death march anthem, guided by a rolling snare, thick kick and throbbing bass. Arpeggios sounding like wasps on acid hover in the background, adding to the atmosphere of imminent danger!
Angellust - a hectic breathless industrial electro monster. Fuzzy distorted bass is driving us through a dark desolate territory. Complete with chaotic claps, minor synth stabs, a siren-like clinical pad and Petar's hopeless vocals (reminiscent of his days fronting metal bands).

Next is the Pestilent Mix for SNS Sensation new wave masterpiece "Mirror Radio". Sebastian is also the voice of UK duo Heartbreak (with synth wizard Ali Renault). Petar says : "It's a very impulsive work that sounds nothing like the original! Blending two different beats, mangled voices and psychotic off-kilter leads. Total madness."

First on the flip is the Novichok Mix for Poladroid. Petar and Vadim go way back to Roulette Rekordz in 2003, so this colab is natural, to say the least. It's the only time where the tempo slows down a bit on this EP. Bubbling worm-like bass, metallic percussion, cold windy pads and a classic electro lead take you on a journey to a soulless barren planet.

At last "In Deep Tongues". A heady schizophrenic exercise. A commanding beat, a grotesque polka bass followed by a paranoid synth lead pull you through a darkened maze with no exit. Underwater gurgles and fearsome corroded effects fill the air, no escape!

After 20 years, MANASYt hasn't slowed down or mellowed his intense immoderate sound one bit! And "Zero Plague" is undoubtedly a true testament to that!

He is an artist who couldn't care less about trends or hype, and whose main driving forces authenticate passion for this genre. Some of his tunes resemble future horror movie soundtrack, others a visit to a mental clinic, but most sound like what hostile aliens would listen to while attacking Earth.

Bulgarian dark mastermind Petar Tassev Manayst has been rocking his brand of Nuroelktro since 2003. He is responsible for a vast array of menacing titles on labels such as Touching' Bass, Kommando 6, Musar, and the infamous Bunker, along with 40 others.
MANASYt is currently based in Xiamen, China.

In apartheid-era South Africa, gospel music provided solace and served as a tool for covert communication to circumvent the censorship of the settler regime. By the 2010s, South African gospel, deeply ingrained in the soul of Soweto, assumed a new role—as a heartfelt cry against persistent failures and shortcomings, a cry mourning a South Africa that never materialized.

A new South Africa needed a new gospel sound.

In 2016, nine young men from different parts of Diepkloof, a celebrated neighbourhood brimming with talent within Soweto's sprawling township, came together to form the sound of a new South Africa under the name Diepkloof United Voice.

Diepkloof United Voice's music has gone viral multiple times on TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, garnering between 60,000 to 2 million views. The comments section displays flag emojis from Brazil to India, showcasing the global reach of their music.

This album was recorded on site in Soweto, in an abandoned classroom of Lebowa Elementary School in Diepkloof Zone 3, where the choir rehearsed for years. Amid rolling blackouts, Diepkloof United Voice poured their heart, soul, and vocal chords into their debut record, combining classic South Africa gospel, Soweto's own kasi soul, American blues, and Zulu flavor, to present the contemporary gospel sound of a changing South Africa.

The promise of a new South Africa might finally be realized, as Diepkloof United Voice guarantees the country's future is guided by the truth, uttered with each gasp of breath from their inimitable voices.

Olo Yegussa presents its first release with a record that comes from a
distant tribal exploration. Through four long tracks, a mystical
atmosphere arises. Semifull Soft presents us a unique universe tinged
with the spirit’s voice that has enchanted his nights. Composed
between Lyon and Reunion Island, “Tribe Corridor” is a sensitive blend of sounds resonating between bewitching dub, electronica and a radically slow, travelling trance. A universal eclecticism that will
immerse every listener in a world oscillating between sensitivity and
brutality. the Olofones’s kingdom : “The slow and rigorous walk that
embraces all the Olofones through rivers, plateaux and mountains in
search of dreamlike destination. A few beings close off the line, far
behind, it would seem like they are the most talkative and curious.
They are always the ones found at the back. While some are looking at
the horizon and remain far ahead, others have their glance towards the crests . A complementarity that can only be created through time, just like a meticulus plait weaving several souls. A daily ritual gives rhythm to this eternal trip. The first to arrive raises a flame, « la phorie », each place will reveal its particularity, its curve, its elegance. Still in our days, she allows our « Pas Latents » to find back the path in the heart of this wide mountain corridor, with its delicate relief. We can hear on both sides the adjacents forests, their steps and their songs resonating.
Upon their arrival, the recognition is a custom for this brief instant, in
constant development. The Lanterns are the first explorators. They
build a moving background, looking after a neutric zone for the night.
Time metamorphoses. And it is now the moment for « Les Pas Latents
» to share tales and stories taken for their own adventures. Their
voices rise up , the stars shine, the earth trembles of strange
sensations. A common vibration. The souls intertwine, the «
chaosmose » operes. Sometimes the « âmoniale » wave curves and
gets linked around the central heat, luminescence and clarity. A few
words escape from the rhythm and leave slumber and reverie take
control of the spirits.”

One of the powerhouse voices of soul returns with a new single. “Baby Tonite” is released here in its original steppers, two-step funk groove and house remix flipside. The track has been racing up UK soul charts and is currently play listed across the USA.

the tale of the mythic pentaki mountain has been engraved on a two-sided circular piece of wax. the north face of the peak is steep, abrasive, and has been the subject of many legends in the region. it is said that whoever would manage to climb it would find a plateau, leading to a place called "the single source of truth". considered as the ultimate goal by both psychedelic gurus and database optimization corporations, and as an ideal retirement destination for a couple of lost souls in search for coherence and objectivity, the source diffuses endless loops of haunted voices, apparently sampled from a discarded call center, running low on power, encouraging listeners to shorten cycles, deliver requests and improve user experience. it is also said that anyone climbing from the south side would never reach the summit or find his way to the plateau, and would always end up on a lower altitude than where he started. this topographical anomaly is probably the reason why the south face of the pentaki has always been favorited by locals, with its sunny weather and its luxurious vegetation flourishing along the soft downward slope, leading to a slow and peaceful end.

BCUC – Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness – have been channeling the spirit of Soweto for over twenty years. Indigenous funk, hip-hop consciousness, and punk rock energy fused into something utterly original and deeply rooted. Their mantra: Music for the people, by the people, with the people. From humble beginnings rehearsing in a shipping container, a stone's throw from the church where Desmond Tutu organized the escape of the most wanted anti-Apartheid activists, they kept believing in their dream of self-empowerment. Today they command festival stages worldwide: Glastonbury West Holts, Roskilde, Afropunk Brooklyn, WOMAD, Fusion, Sziget, FMM Sines, Beaches Brew, Boomtown, Colours of Ostrava, Couleur Café – to name just a few. In 2023, BCUC were honoured with the prestigious WOMEX Artist Award, an accolade usually reserved for more established artists, in recognition of their fearless work and transcendent live performances.

THE ROAD IS NEVER EASY

The Road Is Never Easy is BCUC's fifth album and their debut on Outhere Records. On this new offering, BCUC take listeners on another Afro-psychedelic journey into the soul of Soweto. It feels like a gospel sermon colliding with a punk concert, "guaranteed to touch untapped corners of your soul" (OkayAfrica). BCUC's music is deeply rooted in history and echoes the voices of the ones who came before. The road was never easy for the people of Soweto who originally came to work in the mines of Egoli, the City of Gold, Johannesburg. When apartheid finally ended after a long struggle, it was hoped that life would improve. But more than 30 years later, many of those initial hopes and dreams are still waiting to be fulfilled. This album is about that struggle. The album contains 10 brand new songs – a record for BCUC, whose previous albums featured an average of 3 songs. It represents the culmination of more than two decades of performing together and building a reputation as a powerful live act. These ten songs encapsulate that same live energy, each one building gradually and drawing you into BCUC's Afro-psychedelic stream of consciousness. It's a seismic tour de force through life in Soweto today. Songs like Amakhandela (Breaking All the Chains) connect history to daily life: "How is this precious metal inflicting so much pain in us," sing BCUC, "this government has been telling us we are free, but we don't benefit from being free." The album also talks about all the hopes and dreams that remain: "I have too many wishes and dreams in my head," BCUC sing in Um duma khanda, "I think I am losing my mind". The album ends with the soothing Matla a rona ke Bophelo, "our strength is life", praising the spirits and thanking the elders for protection. The Road Is Never Easy is about the harsh reality of life in Soweto, where "people always carry heavy loads". BCUC are street poets trying to deal with that burden: sometimes revolutionary, sometimes soothing, but always hopeful and compassionate. "When you are from Soweto you can't retreat nor surrender." (Sebenzela)

RECORDING

The album was largely recorded in Munich, Germany during tour breaks over two sessions, each three days long. It took place in a small studio located in a German WW II bunker converted into rehearsal spaces. The songs were recorded in one take altogether in one room, with only a few overdubs added, mainly backing vocals, by BCUC at Fourways studio in Johannesburg. BCUC have created their own distinctive way of writing, or rather, finding and creating their songs. The recording process is like an improvised live performance. They bring their ideas into a zone where the music, the rhythm and the spirits take over until the song starts to form. In this Afro-psychedelic zone BCUC create their unique poetry that feeds on the dreams still dreamt, the hopes, the fears and the temptations lingering everywhere. BCUC's songs need to breathe and time to build. The right take was the one when the song took over, and just like their live performances, no one knew beforehand where the song would take them. During the recording, BCUC just let it all flow out: inner turmoil, cries of rebellion, but also resilience and a search for healing, love, unity and compassion. You don't have to be from Soweto to feel the deep meaning and impact of this music. In these times of so much hate and division, BCUC are like a campfire for people to gather around.

PRODUCTION & ARTWORK

"BCUC have a unique magic," says Outhere's Jay Rutledge, who produced the album. "It blew our minds. It's like punk and pure gospel at the same time. Their music can make you dance and it can make you cry, all at the same time. And when the song is over, you feel you're not alone in this world anymore. We felt compelled to do this." The album cover is based on a matchbox design, matches being a common household item in South Africa even today. "These were the matches people used to burn government buildings and cars," explain BCUC. Little messages, addresses, or phone numbers used to be scribbled on the back of these boxes; each one a reminder of the strength, resilience, and resistance that once drove the struggle for freedom in Soweto. BCUC keep this flame burning. The Road Is Never Easy is a heavy spiritual road trip, a deep dive into the subconscious of Soweto and a quest for truth, justice and sanity in this crazy world. BCUC tackle the harsh realities of the voiceless, guided by the spirit world of their ancestors. Rather than reinforcing stereotypes of poverty, BCUC's portrayal of Africa is one rich in tradition, rituals and beliefs. "We bring fun and Afro-psychedelic fire from the hood," says vocalist Kgomotso Mokone.