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Originally released in 1987, Life Time is the full-length debut by Rollins Band. This reissue—released on ROLLINS’ 2.13.61 label—has been remastered for vinyl by TJ LIPPLE and includes updated artwork by JASON FARRELL. Henry Rollins on Life Time: “Life Time is the first studio record by the Rollins Band. We did our first practice on 04-07-87 and went out on a long tour of America and Europe. On the road we wrote songs and put them into the set. By late October we finished the shows in London, UK. We went up to Leeds where Chris had a place to live and booked studio time at the same place that he and I did the Hot Animal Machine recordings a year before. I had no producer for this record and feared that since everyone in the band had strong opinions on how it all should be done that if we tried to do it ourselves we would do more harm than good. I called Ian MacKaye and asked for help. He got on a plane and came right out. That's Ian. We got straight to work as we had little time or money. All twelve songs were cut and mixed in a few days. We would do a take and Ian would tell us that it was good and we were moving on. When someone would say that they wanted to do it over again, he listened patiently and then asked again which song we wanted to do next. We got it all done and dragged it back to America for about 3,200 dollars. My, how things have changed. The album cover was drawn on the back of a diner place mat by Stephen Myers as a gift for my then roommate, Laura. Only the offset reproduction of the piece remains as the original went with her when she gave up her room. She shot herself a few years ago. Special thanks to Ian for coming to the rescue on such short notice. Thanks to you for checking this out.” Download code for full album plus live tracks. Also comes with lyric insert.

"Irish singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, James Vincent McMorrow, returns to the fore with his seventh full-length album Wide open, horses, out June 14th, 2024.

Wide open, horses is a candid snapshot of everything that has brought James to this point. The album signifies a retaking of his own narrative, a freeing self-acceptance, and a rebuilding of both his sense of self and his connection to music. Singles “Stay Cool”, “Never Gone” and “Give up” offer a first taste of what fans can expect, leaning further into the introspective and sincere indie-folk sound of his earlier material, whilst incorporating elements of his more explorative later releases.

A unique and particularly special artist project, Wide open, horses was initially performed live having booked two nights at The National Concert Hall in Dublin, where he recorded a handful of lo-fi demos, practiced the material for a week, and then hit the stage prior to ever recording a single song. Phones weren’t allowed, but James recorded it to “see what worked and what didn’t work.”

James has beckoned listeners to open their minds and hearts since his emergence in 2010. Along the way, he gathered over 1 billion streams across an expansive catalog. Among many standouts, “Higher Love” went BPI Gold in the UK and ARIA platinum in Australia. His cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” soundtracked the trailer for Season Six of HBO’s Game of Thrones and generated over 130 million Spotify streams on its Live At Killkenny Arts Festival version. Toppling charts, 2016’s “We Move” notably debuted at #1 in Ireland. At the same time, he lent his voice to “Hype” from Drake’s multiplatinum blockbuster Views, “I’m In Love” from Kygo’s Cloud Nine, and “Run Away” from dvsn’s Morning After, among others. Meanwhile, he’s sold-out tours on multiple continents, even packing the world-famous Sydney Opera House twice."

Zooparty ist laut Record Collector (UK) ,Schwedens beste Punkband"! Wenn du deinen Punk verdammt eingängig magst, dann kann ich dir das nicht genug empfehlen", so Maximum Rock'n'roll (USA). "No matter what you say" ist ihr sechstes Album und enthält 12 brillante, zeitlose neue Punkrocksongs. Original-Sex Pistols-Basist Glen Matlock ist als Gast mit dabei (und wenn man sich ,Elephants" anhört, ist das wie eine Rückblende/ Hommage an die "Holidays In The Sun"-Zeiten). Außerdem spielt Hans Östlund von The Nomads noch mit. Die Texte wurden zusammen mit Stephen Straughan (UK Subs) und Gaz Moore (The Reverends) geschrieben. Produziert hat Chips Kiesbye (Sator, Nomads, Hellacopters, The Boys etc.) und das Master stammt von Henryk Lipp. Bislang spielten ZOOPARTY dreimal auf dem Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, UK. Sie tourten durch das Vereinigte Königreich, die Tschechische Republik, Deutschland, Irland, Norwegen und Schweden. "No Matter What They Say" ist ein klassisch, zeitlose Punkrock-Juwel! 180gr. 180g-Vinyl Edition in einer Auflage von 300 Stück (weltweit) gesamt, erhältlich in klassisch schwarzem und sehr limitiert auf farbigen Vivyl! Ein Coop-Release von Sunny Bastards (Welt ohne Schweden) & Bollmora Records (Schweden)

Zooparty ist laut Record Collector (UK) ,Schwedens beste Punkband"! Wenn du deinen Punk verdammt eingängig magst, dann kann ich dir das nicht genug empfehlen", so Maximum Rock'n'roll (USA). "No matter what you say" ist ihr sechstes Album und enthält 12 brillante, zeitlose neue Punkrocksongs. Original-Sex Pistols-Basist Glen Matlock ist als Gast mit dabei (und wenn man sich ,Elephants" anhört, ist das wie eine Rückblende/ Hommage an die "Holidays In The Sun"-Zeiten). Außerdem spielt Hans Östlund von The Nomads noch mit. Die Texte wurden zusammen mit Stephen Straughan (UK Subs) und Gaz Moore (The Reverends) geschrieben. Produziert hat Chips Kiesbye (Sator, Nomads, Hellacopters, The Boys etc.) und das Master stammt von Henryk Lipp. Bislang spielten ZOOPARTY dreimal auf dem Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, UK. Sie tourten durch das Vereinigte Königreich, die Tschechische Republik, Deutschland, Irland, Norwegen und Schweden. "No Matter What They Say" ist ein klassisch, zeitlose Punkrock-Juwel! 180gr. 180g-Vinyl Edition in einer Auflage von 300 Stück (weltweit) gesamt, erhältlich in klassisch schwarzem und sehr limitiert auf farbigen Vivyl! Ein Coop-Release von Sunny Bastards (Welt ohne Schweden) & Bollmora Records (Schweden)

Chelsea Wolfes siebtes Album, Nachpressung in Lavendel Eco Vinyl, LP in Klappcover mit 12seitigem Text-Booklet & DLC! Chelsea Wolfe hat schon immer eine kraftvolle Energie ausgestrahlt, und obwohl sie die Fähigkeit bewiesen hat, diese düstere Schönheit in eine Vielzahl von Formen zu kanalisieren, ist ihr Talent als Songwriterin nie offensichtlicher, als wenn sie ihre Songs auf ein paar Schlüsselkomponenten reduziert. Das Ergebnis ist, dass ihre feierliche Majestät und bedrohliche Eleganz auf Birth of Violence stärker denn je ist.Es gibt ein Kernelement in Chelsea Wolfes Musik - eine Art dringlicher Drehung des amerikanischen Trostlosigkeitsblues -, das sich durch ihre gesamte Karriere zieht. Im Zentrum stehen seit jeher Wolfes wehmütige Sehnsucht und ihre betörende Ernsthaftigkeit, auch wenn sich der Rahmen für die Kompositionen ständig weiterentwickelt hat, je nachdem, welche Ressourcen zur Verfügung standen. Ihre nüchternen Anfänge wurden nach und nach durch Elektronik ergänzt und mit Arrangements für die ganze Band ausgefüllt. Die Musik wurde immer dichter und konzentrierte sich mehr auf Live-Auftritte. Ihr Album, Birth of Violence, ist eine Rückkehr zur Zurückgezogenheit ihrer früheren Aufnahmen.

2024 Reissue

Restaurierte 'Original Gold Sleeve Edition' auf klassischem schwarzem Vinyl. Ein intensives neo-psychedelisches Juwel, das eine Reise durch die Gelassenheit unternimmt, bevor es in seinem eigenen, zuckenden Comedown zusammenbricht. Eine glorreiche Verschmelzung von dissonanter Psyche, Lou-Reed-Getöse und Gospel-Surrealismus. Eine kaleidoskopische Blaupause für alles, was danach kam, mit einem liebevoll restaurierten Artwork. Das zweite Album von Spacemen 3 ist eine bemerkenswerte Abkehr vom Debüt Sound Of Confusion von 1986. Reduziert auf ein Trio (die Gitarristen/Keyboarder Pete ,Sonic Boom" Kember, Jason ,Spaceman" Pierce und der Bassist Pete Bassman), nutzen Spacemen 3 den neu entdeckten Mangel an Perkussion und verleihen The Perfect Prescription einen deutlich weniger rockorientierten Sound mit viel mehr Freiraum in ihren abwechslungsreichen, subtilen Arrangements. "Like taking an acid bath in the dungeon of the mind." Pitchfork //

Hot on the heels of our New Year’s smash, “Someday” by The Tempests, Outta Sight proudly presents the Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose with their two most requested sides… back-to-back for the very first time!!!

The group formed in 1970 in their home town of Dania Beach, Florida. Original members were siblings Carter, Eddie and Rose Cornelius and friend Cleveland Barrett who was tragically killed in a car crash before they hit the charts. In mid-1970 they released their first single “Treat Her Like A Lady” which went to #3 on the U.S. Hot 100 earning the trio a Gold Disc. The follow-up single, “Too Late To Turn Back Now” (featured here),faired even better, hiting #2 on 22nd July 1972 scoring a second Gold Disc. Both tracks featured on their self-titled debut LP, a top 30 Pop hit in ’72. Despite the huge Stateside success of “Too Late To Turn Back Now” it failed to hit in the U.K. and even at the time, it resonated more with the easy-listening MOR audience than the soul fraternity who were tuned in to the harder-edged funky grooves of the likes of Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield. It wasn’t until the Nineties that the Cornelius family finally caught the imagination of the U.K. rare soul scene and have remained a turntable favourite ever since.



Our chosen B-side, “Big Time Lover”, is the title track from the group’s second album released in 1973 and, wonderful as it is, it failed to break the Hot 100, and only dented the R&B Charts peaking at #88. Again, it was completely ignored by the U.K. and yet today it is the more popular of the two sides. Ironically, both original United Artist singles are actually quite hard to find in the U.K., despite the Gold Disc status of “Too Late To Turn Back Now”. A quick look on ‘discogs’ reveals only one copy currently available and zero copies of “Big Time Lover”!

First time on vinyl!
Newly remastered. LP housed in a gatefold jacket.
Featuring Herbie Hancock, Martha Reeves, Alphonse Mouzon, Chuck Rainey, Patryce “Choc’let” Banks, Carlos Morales, and members of The Pointer Sisters.

In the 1970s, Betty Davis defied genre and gender by pushing her voice to extremes and embracing the erotic. She articulated a kind of pre-punk, funk-blues fusion that had yet to be normalized in mainstream music – a style that few musicians have come close to replicating. As one of the first Black women to write, arrange, and produce her own albums, Betty was a visionary who disregarded industry boundaries and constraints. Raw, unapologetic and in full control, Betty paved the way for generations of future artists who said “funk you” to the music industry and social norms.

In 1979, when Davis entered an L.A. studio to record her fifth and final album, she was reeling from a series of setbacks. Three years earlier, after recording her fourth album, Is It Love Or Desire, Davis was dropped from her label and the LP was subsequently shelved. In 1978, her beloved band Funk House went their separate ways. Looking for a fresh start, Davis relocated to Hollywood to focus on songwriting. Before long, British manager Simon Lait (Toni Basil), offered to fund her next project.

With renewed vigor, Davis reunited with former Funk House guitarist Carlos Morales and brought together industry veterans like fusion drummer Alphonse Mouzon and session bassist Chuck Rainey. Old friends Anita and Bonnie Pointer (The Pointer Sisters) and Patryce “Choc’let” Banks joined Davis on vocals, as did Motown legend Martha Reeves. The resulting album, Crashin’ From Passion, was her most musically diverse, blending elements of reggae and calypso (“I’ve Danced Before”), jazz (“Hangin’ Out in Hollywood,” “Tell Me a Few Things”), dark synth-pop (“She’s a Woman”), and even disco (“All I Do Is Think of You”). Equally exploratory are Davis’ vocals, as she trades in her signature sass and snarls for more nuanced stylings.

Among the album’s few funk tracks is “Quintessence of Hip,” in which Davis hails musicians like Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, and John Coltrane, while deftly integrating elements of their work. The song also offers a moment of stark vulnerability, as she sings, “Isn’t rich? Isn’t it queer? Losing my timing so late in my career.” It would prove to be a prophetic line in the months to follow.

The mixing process was mired by artistic differences and then cut short, amid the death of Davis’ beloved father. Bereft and exasperated, Davis returned home for the funeral, setting into motion her retirement from the music industry. Crashin’ From Passion, meanwhile, would be shelved for 15 years and licensed for a CD-only release, without Davis’ consent, in the ‘90s. This 2023 edition of the album, made with Davis’ full approval and cooperation, marks its first official release and first time ever on vinyl. The package was designed by GRAMMY®-winning artist, Masaki Koike, while the album cover features an incredible shot of Betty captured in London in the mid-1970s by renowned photographer Kate Simon.

Crashin’ From Passion was remastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters and pressed on vinyl at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI). The accompanying booklet includes a treasure trove of rare photos from the era, plus lyrics, and new liner notes by writer, ethnomusicologist, and Betty’s close friend, Danielle Maggio, who integrates interviews that she conducted with Davis, marking her last ever interviews.

Announcing the debut album from one of London’s most electrifying acts, New Regency Orchestra. An 18-piece Afro-Cuban big band, inspired by the musical melting pot of NYC in the 1950s, but with the punch and power of a whole host of London’s best Latin and jazz musicians. Blowing new life into these compositions, the album is a reimagining of some of the finest music from that golden era. From early 1950s René Hernandez and Tito Puente, through to the 1970s salsa of Rafael Labasta and Orlando Marin, produced and performed with fresh fire.

NRO is the brainchild of its artistic director, and the man behind Total Refreshment Centre and Church of Sound, Lex Blondin. Through a long-held passion for jazz, Lex discovered the explosive Afro-Cuban rhythms of mid-1940s NYC via the godfather of Afro-Cuban jazz, Mario Bauzá. A time when two musical worlds collided in a fusion of creativity and energy, jazz luminaries like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker joining forces with Cuban greats like Machito and Chano Pozo. This vibrant sound was music to dance to and found a home at The New York Palladium, a formative space of freedom and expression that was key to the scene’s development.

Although dance-focussed in their makeup, those early recordings are not often heard in modern club environments and Lex dreamt of retelling their story with a contemporary dynamism. A slice of serendipity followed, as a slot at a new festival opened up and Lex jumped at the chance to make this idea a reality, an 18-piece big band breathing new life into these beloved songs.

Enlisting the expertise of some of the capital’s finest talent, Lex and co-captain Andy Wood, of Como No fame, put together a world-class line-up of talent. Bringing in Eliane Correa as musical director and bandleader, a fluid and interchanging 18-piece band was formed.

The album itself is a hand-picked selection of timeless Afro-Cuban jazz classics, reimagined with NRO’s unbridled energy. It contains ten incredible instrumental tracks including 'Pregon' with its anthemic horn stabs and the addictive head nod bounce of 'Mambo Rama', alongside two scorching vocal numbers in 'Papa Boco' and 'Labasta Llego'. Coupling a heavyweight rhythm section with a wall of horns, they provide a fresh spin on songs from Tito Puente and Chico O'Farrill, René Hernandez through to Rafael Labasta.

“Some of the tunes like Tito Puente’s ‘Mambo Rama’ and ‘Scarlet Mambo’ might sound like they went to a gym as extra drums and bass synth were added to them whilst the tune ‘Sahib & Tito’ is a mix of Tito’s ‘Mambo Buda’ and Sahib Shihab’s ‘Nus’. Our intention is to be both respectful to the innovators and inventors of this incredible music and to pay our dues, but also to add something special from London where the city’s new jazz scene connects with its Latin American musicians and the musical influences around us.”

This pure collective joy, shared experience and music you can’t help but move to.

Celebrating its 30th, Seal releases a deluxe edition of his second studio album on 2CD + Blu ray, along with a 2LP Black vinyl set it includes the original album newly remastered, alongside a mix of alternate versions of albums cuts, previously unreleased music, and some unexpected yet satisfying covers.

Seal burst to the top of the pop charts with the release of his self-titled debut album in 1991. In 1994, he returned with a stylistic advance and another collection of pop, dance, soul fusion and electronic gems – all meticulously assembled on yet another self-titled album. Seal II, as It has come to be known, features the International mega-smash Kiss From A Rose, as well as the Wendy & Lisa featuring track Bring It On and a rare appearance by none other than Joni Mitchell on If I Could.

At the frayed bottom-edge of Indiana - just a moderate bike ride north of Louisville, Kentucky - multi-instrumentalist, artist and songwriter Ryan Davis' Americana-noir soundwaves have been emanating for years in a myriad of forms. As driving force for the lauded State Champion, long-running member of Tropical Trash, administrator of the esoteric and excellent Cropped Out festival, and lone proprietor of the Sophomore Lounge label, Davis lays down his first proper 'solo' release with Dancing On The Edge, a rich, 2LP tapestry of tunes that absolutely glows over seven expansive cuts. It's a pure collage of modernity and heritage. Recorded in early 2023 with help both in-studio and remotely from peers like Joan Shelley, Catherine Irwin (Freakwater), Will Lawrence (Felice Brothers, Gun Outfit, John Early), Jenny Rose (Giving Up), Christopher May (Mail the Horse), Elisabeth Fuchsia (Footings, Bonnie "Prince" Billy), and Aaron Rosenblum (Son of Earth, Sapat), the results herein are melancholic, gentle, minimal yet colorful in mood: a lilting highway accompaniment of crisp instrumentation and a relaxed, amiable approach to vocals with rhapsodic wordsmithery. Fans of the aforementioned artists as well as those of Souled American, David Berman, Kurt Vile and 'Comes A Time'-era Neil should all easily find bounty. While bare-boned and uncluttered in presentation, many of these pieces track over 6 minutes allowing a fair amount of expansiveness. Dancing On The Edge stares down into the navel of the American Experience underbelly with a fair amount of outward reach. Besides the Kosmische-synth and violin stabs reaching into a European element, stately organ swells build a musical bridge between 1969 Southern California and Felt's latter era smooth moves, with layers of intelligent gesture taking this well beyond the realm of its archetypal indie troubadour/acoustic songwriter tag. Music and mint juleps never went down so well together." Originally released via Ryan's own label, Sophomore Lounge, in the US late 2023, it picked up some incredible reviews: best of 2023 in both Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, 9/10 lead review in Uncut, and a raft of other notable publications. "This is the sound of someone bearing a torch." - Bill Callahan (Smog) - RIYL Silver Jews, BPB, Lambchop, Cass McCoombs, Sparklehorse.

First time on vinyl!
Newly remastered. LP housed in a gatefold jacket.
Featuring Herbie Hancock, Martha Reeves, Alphonse Mouzon, Chuck Rainey, Patryce “Choc’let” Banks, Carlos Morales, and members of The Pointer Sisters.

In the 1970s, Betty Davis defied genre and gender by pushing her voice to extremes and embracing the erotic. She articulated a kind of pre-punk, funk-blues fusion that had yet to be normalized in mainstream music – a style that few musicians have come close to replicating. As one of the first Black women to write, arrange, and produce her own albums, Betty was a visionary who disregarded industry boundaries and constraints. Raw, unapologetic and in full control, Betty paved the way for generations of future artists who said “funk you” to the music industry and social norms.

In 1979, when Davis entered an L.A. studio to record her fifth and final album, she was reeling from a series of setbacks. Three years earlier, after recording her fourth album, Is It Love Or Desire, Davis was dropped from her label and the LP was subsequently shelved. In 1978, her beloved band Funk House went their separate ways. Looking for a fresh start, Davis relocated to Hollywood to focus on songwriting. Before long, British manager Simon Lait (Toni Basil), offered to fund her next project.

With renewed vigor, Davis reunited with former Funk House guitarist Carlos Morales and brought together industry veterans like fusion drummer Alphonse Mouzon and session bassist Chuck Rainey. Old friends Anita and Bonnie Pointer (The Pointer Sisters) and Patryce “Choc’let” Banks joined Davis on vocals, as did Motown legend Martha Reeves. The resulting album, Crashin’ From Passion, was her most musically diverse, blending elements of reggae and calypso (“I’ve Danced Before”), jazz (“Hangin’ Out in Hollywood,” “Tell Me a Few Things”), dark synth-pop (“She’s a Woman”), and even disco (“All I Do Is Think of You”). Equally exploratory are Davis’ vocals, as she trades in her signature sass and snarls for more nuanced stylings.

Among the album’s few funk tracks is “Quintessence of Hip,” in which Davis hails musicians like Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, and John Coltrane, while deftly integrating elements of their work. The song also offers a moment of stark vulnerability, as she sings, “Isn’t rich? Isn’t it queer? Losing my timing so late in my career.” It would prove to be a prophetic line in the months to follow.

The mixing process was mired by artistic differences and then cut short, amid the death of Davis’ beloved father. Bereft and exasperated, Davis returned home for the funeral, setting into motion her retirement from the music industry. Crashin’ From Passion, meanwhile, would be shelved for 15 years and licensed for a CD-only release, without Davis’ consent, in the ‘90s. This 2023 edition of the album, made with Davis’ full approval and cooperation, marks its first official release and first time ever on vinyl. The package was designed by GRAMMY®-winning artist, Masaki Koike, while the album cover features an incredible shot of Betty captured in London in the mid-1970s by renowned photographer Kate Simon.

Crashin’ From Passion was remastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters and pressed on vinyl at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI). The accompanying booklet includes a treasure trove of rare photos from the era, plus lyrics, and new liner notes by writer, ethnomusicologist, and Betty’s close friend, Danielle Maggio, who integrates interviews that she conducted with Davis, marking her last ever interviews.

Der Produzent, DJ, Songwriter und Musiker Roosevelt veröffentlicht sein mit Spannung erwartetes neues Album auf Counter Records! „Embrace“ ist der Nachfolger seines gefeierten Albums, „Polydans“, aus dem Jahr 2021 und ein klanglich lebendiges und zutiefst persönliches kreatives Statement des deutschen Multiinstrumentalisten, der sich schnell einen Ruf als eines der innovativsten Musiktalente der Welt erarbeitete.
„Embrace“ wurde komplett von Roosevelt (bürgerl. Marius Lauber) geschrieben, aufgenommen und produziert. Das Album enthält zutiefst persönliche Texte und gefühlvolle Instrumentalstücke, wie man sie bislang von früheren Roosevelt-Veröffentlichungen noch nicht kennt. Da er sich von der Musikindustrie entfremdet fühlte und mit dem Impostor-Syndrom kämpfte, nahm Lauber sein Heimstudio mit auf Tour, um sich wie nie zuvor voll und ganz in den Schreibprozess zu vertiefen. Mit improvisierten Setups in Städten auf der ganzen Welt hat Lauber ein Album geschaffen, das gleichermaßen intim und groß klingt, mit kaleidoskopischen Synthesizer-Arrangements und süchtig machenden Disco-Basslines. Der Titel des Albums entstammt Laubers Erkenntnis, dass viele seiner Freunde aus der Kindheit mit 30 Jahren „richtige Jobs" gefunden hätten, während er immer noch on the road war und den Lebensstil eines Künstlers lebte - der Titel „Embrace“ fungiert dabei als Hinweis an den Künstler selbst - eine Erinnerung daran, die unvorhersehbaren Wendungen des Lebens zu akzeptieren. Roosevelts ohnehin schon sehr geschäftiges Jahr 2023 folgt auf frühere hochkarätige Kollaborationen mit Nile Rodgers, Classixx und Washed Out sowie auf wichtige Remixe für Künstler:innen wie Taylor Swift, CHVRCHES, Glass Animals und Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Color Vinyl Repress

The world moves faster than ever these days, and even in the digital age, things can always be counted on to go in cycles. Despite all of the advances in computer recording technology, home studios, and electronic instruments, there is a flourishing interest in analog recording techniques and in recreating the mood and sound of vintage soul records. With one foot in the past but their eyes firmly set on the future, El Michels Affair are among the leaders of a resurgent funk & soul movement from New York City that’s sweeping both the music community and the charts.

Led by saxophonist/organist Leon Michels and producer/engineer Jeff Silverman, El Michels Affair began as a loose collaboration of session musicians (including members of top-selling acts Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, the Budos Band, and Antibalas) that looked to blend some of the vibrant quality of soundtrack records with the recording aesthetic of early reggae, and the rawness of 60's rock--they called it 'Cinematic Soul.' This delicate balance was evident on their 2005 debut album Sounding Out the City, which earned critical acclaim and acted as the inaugural full-length release for Michels and Silverman’s burgeoning label Truth & Soul (also the moniker for the duo as a production team).

The buzz generated from the album and a series of moderately successful 7” vinyl singles from Truth & Soul led to an invitation by Toyota’s Scion division for El Michels Affair to accompany the rapper Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan for a promotional concert. As avid Wu-Tang fans, not only were the band leaders thrilled with the opportunity, but Michels found that the ‘Cinematic Soul’ sound was consistent with the moods of RZA’s gritty soundscapes on the classic Wu-Tang releases. The concert was such as success, El Michels Affair went oan to play several more concerts nationwide backing Raekwon and other members of the Clan, and the shows led to the recording of two smash 7” singles featuring instrumental reinterpretations of the Wu-Tang classiac songs “C.R.E.A.M.” and “Bring Da Ruckus.” The singles combined to sell an extraordinary amount of over 7,000 units worldwide, and their success led to a contract in 2007 with indie hip hop powerhouse Fat Beats Records to record an entire album of Wu-Tang Clan interpolations entitled Enter the 37th Chamber.

Since the contract was inked, a worldwide explosion of retro soul led by Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson, and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings has transformed the pop music landscape, and the Truth & Soul production duo have been in strong demand, recording with everyone from breakthrough Grammy-nominated artist Adele to punk rock innovator Iggy Pop. They’ve been commissioned for official remixes of Amy Winehouse and Dinah Washington (for the popular Verve Remixed series), and produced for Australian multi-platinum acts Jet and Gabriella Cilmi.

Despite the eclectic group of clients for the Truth & Soul production company, El Michels Affair continued to build an audience within the hip hop community. A track from Sounding out the City was sampled for Ghostface Killah’s 2007 track “Shakey Dog Lolita,” and a horn part written and performed by Michels (for Menahan Street Band) was famously lifted for Jay-Z’s smash single “Roc Boys.” Truth & Soul also worked in the studio on original productions with multi-platinum producer Just Blaze (T.I.’s “Live Your Life,” Jay-Z, Usher).

With their increasing presence behind the scenes in the industry, El Michels Affair looks to have their status as recording artists rise significantly in 2009. With the release of their finally-completed album Enter the 37th Chamber, they can finally step out of the shadows of the retro-soul trend and establish their status as one of the most exciting and versatile bands in modern recorded music.

A home, a house, has countless frequencies. Each room, each corner feels different. Swings differently. And as you grow older, you realize which corner is yours. But yeah, it takes time…

It certainly marks the end of an era when the house one called home as a kid no longer exists. This home, it was the starting point of so many journeys. Of one big, ongoing journey. And so it feels good, soothing, reassuring to at least return to a spot nearby – to that (proverbial) hill from where you can see it. Feel the vibe that made you.

Andi Haberl’s debut solo album as Sun is sort of dedicated to that house. It’s a journey leading to that hill overlooking everything that made him. It’s not about nostalgia, not about actually returning to a specific place. Instead, it’s about finding a personal frequency, an overlapping of sounds and samples, an open space that mirrors and extends whatever frequencies felt right at different points in time.

“To me, the results feel like Gold Panda/Four Tet meets Steve Reich meets Krautrock meets film scores. I just really wanted to create moods that touch me – and ideally others, too.”

Talking about his first solo album, Haberl recalls many stages: early compositions that ended up on Alien Ensemble’s albums, early DIY/home studio/multi-instrumentalist inspirations (Le Millipede), new technologies that came and went, even a set of wildly convincing arrangements (done with Cico Beck’s crucial input) that ultimately became stepping stones for yet another round of DIY takes. “It was a long, recurring process, and the songs went through so many different versions,” he says, talking about phases of growth (“I added more and more equipment over time”) and pruning, “cleaning up my music a bit.” Tending towards instruments that open up space, and slowly falling in love with sampling, he certainly didn’t rush things once it was time for interior design decisions ;)

“During this whole process I got to learn so much about my own taste, how I prefer to listen to the pieces, which musical elements really matter to me… and what my own voice is. For example, that acoustic elements are most important to me: the banjo, piano, drums, my voice, glockenspiel, trumpet, melodica. Anything that opens up some space.”

Every journey begins with a search: “Missing” with its plucked chords opens like a sunrise over pastoral plains, gently leading the way towards the intricate, playful explosion that occurs once a certain amount of energy (“Sun”) hits dirt and other surfaces: things grow, clot and curdle into new shapes, like new buds; layers of sound move forward, drenched in Spring’s new light. Relying on samples to ask for precipitation (“Rain On Me”), robotic “Low” goes from barren to bass-heavy after its midway shift in pace, full of loops plucked from the shade.

Towards the album’s midpoint, things are suddenly reversed: “Cluster” has that backwards pull, you can’t tell what’s what, yet everything is perfectly locked in, as the pace increases once again. And before the title song shimmers with densified cheering (to eventually stand tall like early Lymbyc Systym), “Beside Me” swipes you off your feet with its booming bass drum. The beat returns once again (“Daydream”), full of searching voices underneath, and at “Dawnday,” we can finally catch a melancholy view of the house. Voices hum. It’s the score moment of the album. Everything makes sense now. A happy end of sorts?

“I want to take people on a journey. A personal journey, too, because when my parents split up and sold the house I grew up in, I felt a bit like the ground had fallen out from under my feet. But I have dedicated the album title and the accompanying piece to this house… so I can keep it in good memory.”

“I Can See Our House From Here” has been a long time coming. It’s been a long journey. Homeward-bound. Leading to a place that’s really Haberl’s – his sound. His frequencies.

Known as a long-time member of The Notwist and various other bands/projects (Alien Ensemble, AMEO, jersey, Ditty etc.), Berlin-based drummer/composer Andi Haberl has also worked with My Brightest Diamond, Till Brönner, Owen Pallet, and Kurt Rosenwinkel, to name a few. “I Can See Our House From Here” is his first solo offering.

Streng limitierte Neuveröffentlichung auf gelbem Vinyl des Debüt-Albums der australischen Indierock-Legenden Crime & The City Solution. Nach der EP 'The Dangling Man' und der Mini-LP 'Just South of Heaven' wurde das Album ursprünglich 1986 veröffentlicht und enthielt auch die "Londoner Formation". Das Album enthält das bemerkenswerte 'Six Bells Chime', das die Aufmerksamkeit des gefeierten deutschen Filmemachers Wim Wenders erregte, der die Band einlud, den Song in seinem 1988 erschienenen Meisterwerk Wings of Desire live aufzuführen. Das Album zeigt eine große Kreativität voller Spannung und markiert die letzte Veröffentlichung mit der Londoner Besetzung von Crime.

"Von wem ist der Scheiß nochmal?" Irgendwann hat irgendjemand in irgendeiner Kneipe "Akne Kid Joe" verstanden, da lief gerade die UKJ-Version von "Cats In The Cradle". Kurz gelacht, "geiler Bandname!", aber inzwischen halb so witzig. Weil AKJ sind seriös geworden, spielen Sus- & 7-Akkorde, isotonisches Weißbier steht auf dem Hospitality-Rider und so, das passt NULL! Punk war nur ne Phase, Mama wusste es. Akne Kid Joe (die Punk-Band mit dem geilen Bandnamen) klingen so wie die Pixies ganz früher mal. Das hat jedenfalls der Typ von Dog Eat Dog gesagt, und alle aus der Band dachten "cool", auch wenn die Hälfte nur "Where Is My Mind?" kannte, aber "Fight Club" geiler Film! (Und "Doolittle" Riesen-Album, Anm. d. Pixies-Hälfte). Am 07.06.2024 erscheint nun das vierte AKJ-Album mit dem Titel "4 von 5". Vielleicht das vorletzte? Your head will collapse, and there's nothing in it and you'll ask yourself_

When Man Man released its last album, "Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between," frontman Honus Honus (née Ryan Kattner) was in a state of unrest, oscillating between hope and cynicism. Perhaps fittingly, the album dropped during the pandemic, a time at which we could all relate. But, much like that bizarre turn of events, the ennui now seems so distant to Man Man. A revived sense of purpose washes through Man Man's new album, Carrot on Strings, radiating a mix of calm and confidence. Kattner always embodied a wild-man pied-piper vibe: his melodic, unhinged art-rock was at once intriguing and angsty. He was so alluringly creative that you went along with it, even if you were never sure where Man Man would take you. Carrot on Strings is no less inventive, but its ethos is radical in context of the band's two-decade career. "When I was younger, I would feed off of chaos. I would, you know, be upset and get drunk and smash chairs," Kattner explains. "Now those chairs are in my head: It's less of an outward projection, more of an interior monologue." The name "Carrot on Strings" came to Kattner while experimenting with the sound of someone munching on the vegetable, which you can hear in the cacophonous, similarly named song. It alludes to how success always seemed to dangle uncertainly before him, often just out of reach. But listen intently and you'll hear a more content Kattner finding an uneasy peace: "Life, as far as I've known it, has always been side hustles. Would it be great if I could go into a studio and record for a year without figuring out how to finance it? Yeah, it would be," he says. "But ultimately, I need to keep making music because art is an extension of my psyche. It's how I have learned to translate the palpitations of my heart. Simply put, I'd go insane without it." Growing up as a multiracial Hapa kid (half Filipino, half white) with a father in the U.S. Air Force, Kattner lived an itinerant childhood that included a few pivotal years in Germany, where he honed in on an appreciation for out there German cinema and art. His film obsessions and screenwriting background were crucial to Carrot on Strings. The album nods to the films of Werner Herzog and Rainer Werner Fassbinder as much as Italo-disco, Randy Newman, goth rock, and avant pop. (Kattner continues to work in the film industry with an acting role in the upcoming horror-comedy movie Destroy All Neighbors, for which he also served as composer; music supervising season 1 & 2 of the Interview With The Vampire AMC TV series; and shopping around, with director Matthew Goodhue, a script he wrote that he describes as a Wim Wenders road movie on acid.) In a bid to not overthink anything - his last album took seven years to make - he recorded the bulk of Carrot On Strings in five days in Mant Sounds studio in Glassell Park, Los Angeles with "very chill" producer Matt Schuessler, who had worked on Man Man's cover of Neu!'s "Super" for the seminal Krautrock band's box set. The resulting album represents a newfound sense of self for Kattner, who finds himself inspired and at peace both personally and artistically in ways that eluded him for most of his first 15 years playing music. When, on Carrot On Strings, you hear Kattner croon humbly, or sing of the tension between his outsize stage persona and the thoughtful, soulful guy he actually is, you're hearing Kattner liberate himself. "I first got into music to escape from myself," he says. "And now, it sounds so corny, but I have zero doubt that music ended up saving my life."

SAM MORTON, das musikalische Duo, bestehend aus der Sängerin, Songwriterin und jüngst mit dem BAFTA (dem britischen Äquivalent zum Oscar) ausgezeichneten Schauspielerin und Regisseurin Samantha Morton und dem Musikproduzenten und Co-Songwriter Richard Russell, veröffentlichen ihr gemeinsames Debütalbum. Das Album trägt den Titel "Daffodils & Dirt" und wird am 14. Juni über XL Recordings veröffentlicht. In zwölf atmosphärischen Tracks bauen die beiden eine zutiefst persönliche musikalische Welt auf, die gleichzeitig intim und zart, aber auch kraftvoll und mitunter schroff wirkt. In der teilweise autobiografischen Songfolge bilden Russells spartanische Klanglandschaften das fragile Gerüst für Mortons wunderschönen wie ätherischen Gesang. Unterstützt werden sie dabei von einer Reihe musikalischer Freunde. Darunter Alabaster DePlume, Laura Groves, Jack Peñate und als zusätzliche Sängerin Ali Campbell (bei "Broxtowe Girl"). Obwohl Samantha Morton schon ihr ganzes Leben lang Musik liebt und sich mit ihr beschäftigt, ist dies ihr erstes Projekt als Musikerin überhaupt. Die Zusammenarbeit kam zustande, nachdem sie im Oktober 2020 in der BBC-Sendung "Desert Island Discs" auftrat und Russell zufällig zuhörte. Er war nicht nur von ihrer Songauswahl beeindruckt (einschließlich der gemeinsamen Vorliebe für ein bestimmtes Lied: "I Remember" von Molly Drake), sondern auch von der Art und Weise, wie die Musik ihre Lebenserfahrungen verwebt. Die beiden nahmen Kontakt auf und tauschten Ideen, Skizzen und Gedankenströme aus. Schließlich trafen sie sich Monate später im Studio und begannen eine spontane wie intensive und ergebnisoffene Zusammenarbeit, die sich für beide Künstler als kathartischer musikalischer Prozess erwies. "Daffodils & Dirt" wurde schließlich 2023 fertiggestellt und zeigt, wie es klingt, wenn Sound-Kosmen miteinander zu einer wunderschönen Fusionen verschmelzen. "Daffodils & Dirt" ist digital und als CD, LP und exklusive gelbe Indie-Vinyl erhältlich. Das Cover des Albums zeigt ein Archivfoto des renommierten britisch-amerikanischen Fotografen und bildenden Künstlers Nick Waplington, der das Leben in Nottinghams Broxtowe Estate zur gleichen Zeit dokumentierte, als Morton dort Mitte der 1980er Jahre aufwuchs. Bereits heute erscheint die neue Single "Let"s Walk In The Night" aus dem Album. "Let"s Walk In The Night" ist eine gespenstische, jenseitige Neuinterpretation des britischen Street Soul und wird von einem Video begleitet, bei dem Samantha Morton selbst Regie führte. Das Video wurde auf der jährlichen Goose Fair in Nottingham gedreht und ist das zweite Musikvideo, bei dem Morton Regie geführt hat, nach dem Video zu "Cry Without End", in dem sie auch die Hauptrolle spielte Anfang des Jahres.