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For a quarter of an hour, Zürich was the navel of the world. Let's look back: at New York's CBGB's, pre-punks were shredding away, Malcolm McLaren, as a man with a fine-tuned taste for the hip, imported the sound to London, where his sweetheart Vivienne Westwood dressed the test-tube band The Sex Pistols. A few pop magazines later (we are in an analog world!) punk bands sprouted everywhere, like shiny pimples on poorly fed teenagers. Contrary to legend, even back then, it was often those with a musical background who were the most successful. One such example, Henrich "Wüste" Zwahlen, who had learned the violin, attended a jazz school and went into prog-rock before joining the Nasal Boys, one of the first punk bands in Zürich. The scene included the female band Kleenex (cover: Fischli of art heroes Fischli/Weiss), whose minimalism was praised by the London music press, while the world's most important rock theorist, Greil Marcus, wrote an ode highlighting Zürich's role as the birthplace of Dadaism. A fertile ground for the militant youth movement that exploded in 1980 and stirred up the city of banks, protestantism and boredom with raw wit and expressive violence. Gathering at concerts of local bands and fueled by endogenous and artificial substances - they paid homage to exuberance and self-indulgence.
The mantra of "everything-is-possible" was driven forward on the musical front by progress in terms of means of production: analog electronic instruments were no longer reserved for hippie nerds, who sat in front of large plug-in boards like autistic-psychedelic switchboard operators connecting cables for their sound carpets. Now snazzy stage personnel elicited fast-paced sounds from handy devices often made in Japan. Kraftwerk was fashionable, the Zurich duo Yello experimented with new synthetic sounds, and the groundbreaking album "Alles Ist Gut" by the Düsseldorf based duo D.A.F. (Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft) was released, which chanted its program of provocation times danceability with lines such as "Tanz den Jesus Christus, tanz the Mussolini, tanz the Adolf Hitler." In England meanwhile, electronically backed New Romantic bands were replacing New Wave. The Human League, Heaven 17, Duran Duran, OMD, Depeche Mode or Visage stormed the charts.
In Zürich's underground, the duo Aboriginal Voices caused a stir at that time. A couple, good-looking, styled, looking cool into the cold neon light, with a danceable beat and sequenced electro sounds, to which Micheline gave a very unique touch when she sang in French and English. Micheline had a classical piano education, had left home early, worked as a lighting technician in a strip joint and at Booster, the hottest boutique in town (one of the relicts that still exists). Voilà: a musician who was as stylish as she was tough. She was already playing with Wüste in the band "Doobie Doos", a band where everyone played an instrument they didn't master. In 1980 the Aboriginal Voices were formed, initially with vocalist Magda Vogel (of later UnknownmiX fame), who was trained as a classical singer.

Frustrated by organizational friction and constant hassles with band lineups, Wüste and Misch decided to do everything as a twosome: self-mixed, self-styled, self-produced. With the top-of-the-line Linn drum machine clocking the beat, Wüste's guitar and Micheline on the Yamaha synthesizer created a unique sound of danceable electronic music. Whereby the Aboriginal Voices acted as a kind of proto-influencer, receiving the latest equipment to try out, especially since they made it a point not to work with tapes, but to design everything for live shows. They had an interface built for the legendary Roland MC-4B, who sequenced the modular Roland System 100M but where one output controlled a light show synchronized with the sound. A pioneering act that fit well into the DIY spirit of punk, with its self-distributed tapes and fuck-you attitude towards the cretins of the music industry. Consequently only two cassettes and an EP were released. There was something futuristic about the sound, the vestiary style and the electronics, while the attitude remained rebellious. Of course something so deeped in the Zeitgeist wasn't meant to last. Wüste moved to New York, Micheline stayed in Zurich, both still active in the music scene to this day.

Sven Regener, head of the band Element of Crime and one of Germany's most successful pop writer said a few years ago when asked if he knew of any Swiss music: "Of course! In 1983, a Swiss band called Aboriginal Voices played with us at a festival in Zurich. Great, avant-garde electro-pop. That was my first encounter."

If you ever saw them live, you never forgot them, and so over the years you belonged to a teeny-tiny circle of insiders, happy to be joined after all these years by new aficionados who appreciate the sound of that quarter-hour, when Zurich was ravishing, creative and exciting.

- Thomas Haemmerli

As a self-described “sponge for club music”, London-based Bristol transplant Ian DPM has cut a singular figure in both the West Country and the capital in just a handful of years. Already situated as the tastemaker behind music curation platform Definite Party Material, co-owner of Scuffed Recordings, and Noods Radio and Rinse FM resident, Ian DPM’s emergence as a producer has marked him as an expansively curious, bass-forward figure at the bleeding edge of genre boundaries.

After retreating to his hometown of Portsmouth during lockdown to absorb the blueprints of ‘90s techno, Ian emerged with a new phase of experimentation: techno-inspired and indebted, yet eschewing loops and grids for a loose-limbed, open minded engagement of the form.

Taking inspiration from the iconic carnival rides that are inseparable from their high-octane happy hardcore soundtrack, “One For The Waltzers” begins with a distant rumble of muffled breakbeats that inch ever closer. But rather than dizzying lights and in-the-red maximalism, “One For The Waltzers” gradually reveals its knowingly deep shimmy and groove. It is a drum-heavy and rhythmic production, masterfully using negative space to showcase every contour of its slowed-down rave horns and acid house synth lines.

“KE01” inhabits the flipside of the same sonic world “One For The Waltzers”. Here, feverish percussive energy contrasts against pensive melodic synth chords. It’s a heady warehouse affair, familiar and complex, referential yet contemporary, and only adds to the momentum that Ian DPM is gathering.

It is with a singular pleasure that we welcome Marc Romboy to the ever growing stable of live artists at ASW!

Marc Romboy is an artist renowned within the electronic scene for his eclectic, boundary-pushing approach and decades worth of experience working both behind the scenes and behind the decks.

In recent years he has embraced performing live as another creative outlet and, indeed, creative challenge. As an artist and performer, Marc has always pushed the boundaries of his creativity and this, Marc’s first studio album in 6 years is a true masterwork of techno from one of the masters of the genre.

Growing up in the West of Germany close to the borders of both The Netherlands and Belgium, Marc was always instinctively drawn to music. He would attend the acid house parties prevalent in the area, with an epiphany of sorts on the dancefloor of Front club in Hamburg in 1987. An avid record collector, he would listen to Krautrock, breaks, Italo disco, Chicago house and more, and experienced some of the first all house and techno clubs in Europe; the legendary Roxy club in Amsterdam and Dorian Grey in Frankfurt. Learning to DJ, and later on produce, was a natural step.

He founded the ’Le Petit Prince’ imprint in 1993 as a platform for the music of friends he was playing out, which went on to be named Label Of The Year by various German electronic music publications the following year. Its reputation led Marc into collaborating with other DJs to manage their labels too.

Meanwhile, Marc went on to notch up an impressive discography of EPs, tracks and collaborations, carving his own sound; emotive, versatile, and featuring distinctive basslines.
2004 was a landmark year for the artist, with the beginning of his own, completely self-run label Systematic. Since It's birth, the label has provided a home for productions from the likes of Robert Hood, Kenny Larkin, Omar-S, Terrence Parker, Timo Maas, kINK and many more. It also provided the platform for Marc’s first album, ‘Gemini’ in 2005, followed by four further LPs; 2008’s ‘Contrast’, 2009’s ‘6 Monde’ with Stephan Bodzin (which birthed the pair’s now-legendary track ‘Atlas’), 2013’s ‘Taiyo’ with Ken Ishii, and 2014’s three-disc retrospective compilation ‘Shades’. And his collaborative orchestral LP ‘Voyage de la Planète’, Marc’s forward-thinking last album. Pushing the boundaries between classical and electronic music, it makes for a moving , atmospheric outing for the producer - “I feel like there are still a couple of beautiful sounds to create”.

Marc’s output has been exemplary and with his inspiration rising for performing live he now brings us the wonderful “Music Made for Aliens”. A work of true electronic inspiration. Marc will be performing live at ASW events coming up soon.

Japan's guitar hero Takeshi Terauchi reworks traditional songs and lets everything go wild with his magnificent and frenzied guitar sound. Enter the electrifying world of Eleki!

Gatefold 180g heavy vinyl LP, reverse board print. Comes with extensive liner notes by Japanese pop culture writer Julien Seveon (Cinexploitation)

All tracks licensed by King Record Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.

Mastering and lacquer cut by Jukka Sarapää at Timmion Cutting Lab, Helsinki, Finland.

Artwork by Nker

The aftermath of World War II gave rise to a global phenomenon that saw new generations of young people rise up determined to forge new paths from their elders – culturally, politically, and musically. Japan was no exception and the recent past made the local youth angrier, hungrier and even more determined to fully experience something different from their parents. The country caught on to the early rock & roll craze almost in tandem as it was happening in the States. Teenager Chiemi Eri singing "Rock Around The Clock" and Kazuya Kosaka with "Heartbreak Hotel" were among the first to make what would soon be called Rokabiri accessible to a large audience. Teacher and parent associations showed concern regarding this new music when teenagers started missing school to attend afternoon shows – one of which most notably being the Nichigeki Western Carnival where all the top names of Rokabiri played to sold out audiences. But by the end of the 1950s, the youth of Japan had moved on to something else entirely: Eleki.

The 50s and 60s were a time of rapid change that saw trends come and go. Japan, like all other industrial countries, saw its youth move from one musical sensation to the next. And in the early 60s, there was one band in particular that created a distinct new flavor: The Ventures. Leaving behind vocals and focusing strictly on the impact of the sound of the electric guitar, The Ventures drove kids crazy all over the world. Other bands followed, most notably The Shadows, but in Japan, no other instrumental rock band managed to leave such an impact. The sound of The Ventures helped boost guitar sales in Japan and soon hundreds of cover bands were popping up all over the country. The Eleki Bumu (electric boom) was now in full effect with Takeshi Terauchi emerging as its first and greatest guitar hero.

Terauchi was born January 1939 in the prefecture of Tochigi, north of Tokyo. His mother taught music and played the shamisen – a traditional Japanese stringed instrument – while his father ran, among other things, an electronics shop. Their respective professions were to be decisive in the path that Terauchi would later take. Serendipitously, at the age of five, Takeshi was given his first instrument – a guitar. His destiny sealed, he quickly began experimenting with different tools from his father's shop to give his instrument a stronger sound. The technological approach came from his father, the technique from his mother. Terauchi's signature playing style owes a lot to his mother's instrument of choice, as he attacks the notes on his guitar as one plucks the strings of a shamisen.

This exceptional compilation you are holding in your hands explores some of the best works by Takeshi Terauchi, recorded between 1966 and 1974, where the guitar hero looks inwards to Japan for inspiration. A meeting between traditional folk songs and the unique way Terauchi and his band play: the content is explosive, inspired, and highly addictive! The 60s and 70s were undoubtedly Terauchi's finest hours, and in the late 60s, one Japanese critic said that Terauchi was not only the best guitarist in Japan, but also in the world. You can now find out why.

Marroon coloured vinyl.

1st pressing on Maroon coloured vinyl. Manzanita is the common name for a kind of small evergreen tree endemic to California which has strong medicinal properties. It's also the name of the brand new full length by visual artist, writer, songwriter, and musician Shana Cleveland. Subtle, powerful, and unafraid. We can't actually tell you how much we love this record because you'd never believe us, so we'll just say that it is her strongest and most personal album to date. These songs are as strong as the bricks in the Brill building, and seem destined to be covered by others in years to come. Where her previous record, 2019's Night of the Worm Moon (Hardly Art) functions as a collection of speculative fictions equally inspired by Afro-futurist pioneers Herman "Sun Ra" Blount and Octavia Butler, Manzanita concerns the love that loves to love. "This is a supernatural love album set in the California wilderness," Cleveland explains. The combinations of words and song structure are so strong throughout that one hardly notices Cleveland's nimble fingerpicking on first listen, or how much is packed into the arrangements. The lyrics are satisfyingly direct, with the buoyantly whimsical descriptions typical of the 1960s New York School of poetry. It's peppered with the kind of unexpected turns that make the words more modern, and in their spookiness they are more West Coast, as in "Mystic Mine," with its "Mystic Mine Lane, cars rotting away/ I feel so relieved to be/ Back in the country." So much of the pop music we love is propelled by those first blushes of infatuation and lust, but Manzanita concerns the kind of love that one can only experience with time, work, and devotion. Cleveland says: "The songs were all written while I was pregnant (side A) or shortly after my son's birth in that weird everything-has-quietly-but-monumentally-shifted state (side B)," she says. Moving to the country, starting a family, laughing for real at the same joke the thirteenth time you've heard it, surviving heavy shit (this is the first release since Cleveland's successful treatment for a diagnosis of breast cancer at the start of 2022). This is a love album that's somehow populated with the insect world, ghosts, and evil spirits. Sonically, Manzanita sits in a meadow similar to her previous solo records, set back and away from the genre-recombinant garage pop of her band La Luz. This is part due to the fact that there's a different sonic palette in use here. While Cleveland continues to play guitar and vocals; Johnny Goss, who has recorded all of Shana's solo material and early La Luz recordings, and Abbey Blackwell (Alvvays, La Luz) play the bass; Olie Eshleman is on pedal steel; and Will Sprott plays the keyboards, dulcimer, glockenspiel, and harpsichord-little of which would have been out of place on her previous two solo records-Sprott also adds layers of synthesizer infused with the sounds of the natural world.

Tape

1st pressing on Maroon coloured vinyl. Manzanita is the common name for a kind of small evergreen tree endemic to California which has strong medicinal properties. It's also the name of the brand new full length by visual artist, writer, songwriter, and musician Shana Cleveland. Subtle, powerful, and unafraid. We can't actually tell you how much we love this record because you'd never believe us, so we'll just say that it is her strongest and most personal album to date. These songs are as strong as the bricks in the Brill building, and seem destined to be covered by others in years to come. Where her previous record, 2019's Night of the Worm Moon (Hardly Art) functions as a collection of speculative fictions equally inspired by Afro-futurist pioneers Herman "Sun Ra" Blount and Octavia Butler, Manzanita concerns the love that loves to love. "This is a supernatural love album set in the California wilderness," Cleveland explains. The combinations of words and song structure are so strong throughout that one hardly notices Cleveland's nimble fingerpicking on first listen, or how much is packed into the arrangements. The lyrics are satisfyingly direct, with the buoyantly whimsical descriptions typical of the 1960s New York School of poetry. It's peppered with the kind of unexpected turns that make the words more modern, and in their spookiness they are more West Coast, as in "Mystic Mine," with its "Mystic Mine Lane, cars rotting away/ I feel so relieved to be/ Back in the country." So much of the pop music we love is propelled by those first blushes of infatuation and lust, but Manzanita concerns the kind of love that one can only experience with time, work, and devotion. Cleveland says: "The songs were all written while I was pregnant (side A) or shortly after my son's birth in that weird everything-has-quietly-but-monumentally-shifted state (side B)," she says. Moving to the country, starting a family, laughing for real at the same joke the thirteenth time you've heard it, surviving heavy shit (this is the first release since Cleveland's successful treatment for a diagnosis of breast cancer at the start of 2022). This is a love album that's somehow populated with the insect world, ghosts, and evil spirits. Sonically, Manzanita sits in a meadow similar to her previous solo records, set back and away from the genre-recombinant garage pop of her band La Luz. This is part due to the fact that there's a different sonic palette in use here. While Cleveland continues to play guitar and vocals; Johnny Goss, who has recorded all of Shana's solo material and early La Luz recordings, and Abbey Blackwell (Alvvays, La Luz) play the bass; Olie Eshleman is on pedal steel; and Will Sprott plays the keyboards, dulcimer, glockenspiel, and harpsichord-little of which would have been out of place on her previous two solo records-Sprott also adds layers of synthesizer infused with the sounds of the natural world.

"Il mio nome è Nessuno" (My name is Nobody) is an a typical western,
difficult to classify as it's placed halfway between the founders of the
genre of the '60s and the comedies of the following decade
Sponsored and partly directed by Sergio Leone, it came out in 1973 and received great success, thanks to the presence of the actors Terence Hill and Henry Fonda, in perfect balance between a light- hearted comedy and the more serious 'spaghetti western' genre.

The music is written by the genius of Ennio Morricone, who writes and
orchestrates a varied soundtrack, which lends itself to the various scenes. There is everything: tense soundscapes, epic symphonic rides - directly referring to the "Dollar Trilogy", frivolous and light- hearted moments, all mixed with esoteric sounds.
Given the popularity of the film, its soundtrack has been released several times, but 35 years have passed since the previous vinyl release. A must buy for fans of the Maestro Morricone but also for all film lovers!

Limited edition on crystal clear vinyl

"I wrote half of these songs when my energy was either headed in the wrong direction or already there. I wrote the other half while my energy was moving in a direction I'm more excited about, that I find to be more enriching. They're all still my songs though. My mother, and lots of my relatives, used to call me "Angelito."

Little Angel. The taijitu is the symbol for yin and yang. Opposites that make a whole. Given the dualistic/ duelistic nature of the songs on the record, put it all together and what do you get, Anjelitu.

»Love As Projection« is the new album by Frankie Rose, her fifth studio LP and second for Night School following the reissue of her interpretation of The Cure’s »Seventeen Seconds«. Frankie Rose has forged an enviable musical legacy, from playing with bands like Crystal Stilts and The Vivian Girls but on »Love As Projection« she takes a bold step into electronic pop production. A sumptuous recorded statement, it dances in ecstasy and broods on the tumult of the western world’s decay in equal proportion. At the heart of the album is glowing, confident songwriting, resplendent in hooks and choruses but still touched with an optimism undimmed.

After spending nearly two decades establishing herself across New York and Los Angeles independent music circles, Rose re-emerges after six years with a fresh form, aesthetic, and ethos. Celebrated over the years for her expansive approach to songwriting, lush atmospherics, and transcendent vocal melodies and harmonies, »Love As Projection« is a reintroduction of her established style through the lens of contemporary electronic pop. Recorded with producer Brandt Gassman and mixed with long-term collaborator Jorge Elbrecht this is the album Frankie Rose has been building up to her entire career.

More than a rebirth, a refinement, a resurgence, »Love As Projection« boasts a widescreen scope: a long- form project heavily considered for half of a decade, culminating in the most personal and accessible collection of art-pop that Frankie has ever written. When Rose aims for the pop jugular as in first lead track »Anything«, the result is unstoppable. A majestic pop song built for radio, it erupts into an irresistible chorus that marries classic epic 80s American pop with the cult effervescence of Strawberry Switchblade »It’s like a prom scene in a John Hughes movie. It’s a hopeful song about abandoning fear even if the world is quite literally on fire.. In the end, at least we have each other,« says Rose. »Sixteen Ways« further boasts a propulsive, massive chorus, though tempered by a cynicism built in global post-truth, global malaise. »It’s about getting your hopes up, but simultaneously making lists in your head about how it will never work out in your favour.«

The big anthems don’t let up there. On »DOA« some massive, rolling drums lathered in big mid-80s gated reverb dovetail with a syncopated baseline for the ages as Rose’s vocal sails effortlessly above. The effect isn’t unlike ethereal vocalists Clannad circa Howard’s Way or Enya jamming with Simple Minds in their stadium-conquering heyday. Rose tempers the adrenalin with heart-tugging bittersweet tones and there are plenty of them. »Sleeping Night And Day« takes its time with an off-the-cuff chorus, swirling around in harmony and chorus-bass. »Saltwater Girl« picks up the balladeering baton with another nod to album track-mode Switchblade, deep space opening up in the mid-tempo drum track and soupy, digital atmospherics. Album closer »Song For A Horse«, reimagines modern Pop production a-la-PC Music but shorn of the meta-atmosphere. Pianos, swelling synths, minor keys cut through with major. These moments, also seen in Feel Light offer ballast to the soaring pop choruses. Moments like these are big oceans of emotion to fall into before being led out by Rose into a bright new day.

»Love As Projection« is released in the USA by Slumberland.

In 1980, Bootsy Collins released two studio albums, including Ultra Wave. The title is an homage to the Detroit- based studios where Collins collaborated with core Rubber Band contributors Phelps “Catfish” Collins (guitar), Robert “P-Nut” Johnson (vocals), and the dynamic horns of Fred Wesley (trombone) and Maceo Parker (sax). Ultra Wave was produced by George Clinton, in collaboration with Bootsy himself. For the recordings of the album, additional vocals were provided by other P-Funk alumni Jeanette Washington and Debbie Wright amongst others, who were the first women to join Parliament-Funkadelic.

Ultra Wave is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on turquoise coloured vinyl and includes an insert.

With his new album, Gecko Turner confirms that he is a standout artist in the global groove scene, a must for the outernational sounds aficionados.

Somebody From Badajoz is the fifth studio album in his much lauded discography and his first in seven years, eagerly anticipated by both his fans and himself: "this business of dedicating yourself to music and making songs... it's a long game."

With the release of his first two, remarkable, albums, Guapapasea! (2003) and Chandalismo Ilustrado (2006), Gecko started cultivating what one astute journalist defined as Afro-maduran soul—the "maduran" bit referencing Extremadura, a region in central-western Spain.

Badajoz, Gecko's birthplace, is the biggest city in the area, on the border with Portugal, by the Guadiana River. It is a place that oozes history, where there is constant movement at the border, and people's character is friendly and open-minded with foreign habits.

Gecko's Afro-maduran soul isbuilt on Afro-American music and drenched in Brazilian, African, Latin American and Jamaican sounds. There are also echoes of a youth marked in equal parts by our man's admiration for the Beatles and the flamenco that could be heard everywhere in Badajoz in the seventies. It makes for a singular sound and a musical language of its own—spicy, succulent, full of nuances, but with a very personal flavour.

The album opens with the Nigerian talking drums of Twenty-twenty Vision, (neo) soul in a magical falsetto, carried by a sumptuous orchestral arrangement with a cinematic flavour: "I'd been thinking about doing something called 'Twenty-twenty Vision' for some time, making a play on words with the vision we have of the world after the year 2020 and the medical expression, which, in ophthalmological terms, means 'normal or complete vision.' Beyond that particular song, I think that's the mood of the album: a look at society in the twenties of the 21st century and the feelings and demons it produces."

It's followed by De Balde, a very special song born from a posthumously discovered lyric by the great writer Carlos Lencero, a regular collaborator of Camarón, Pata Negra, and Remedios Amaya, and also from Badajoz. While conceived as a fandango, Gecko has moulded it into his sound in such a seamless way it now seems as if the words could only have been written to be embraced by the percussion, brass, and backing vocals heard on the album. It's the only lyric on Somebody From Badajoz not written by Turner, still it sits rather comfortably with the rest, sharing the same emotivity and sensitivity, as well as the trademark humour and irony.

Other tracks see more protagonism for the rhythm.The beat-driven Ain't No Fun Preachin' to the Choir features Gecko's vocals walking the thin line between singing and talking over a phenomenal afro-disco-funk-infused trailblazer. In Am I Sad? it's impossible to not bob your head to the queen of Papatosina's mongrel rhythm, as close to the banks of the Guadiana river as it is to the shores of the Mississippi. Qué Siesta Tan Buena, He Babeao Y To! is an ode to the snooze in true Afro-Maduran fashion. And in Come And Try, the Caribbean influence is evident—lovers' rock that invites you to dance in good company.

In these songs, and throughout the album, for that matter, the musicians accompanying Gecko, who himself plays many of the instruments as well, shine brightly. All hailing from Extremadura, Javi Mojave (percussion), Álvaro Fdez 'Dr. Robelto' (bass), and Rafa Prieto (guitar) have been carrying him with delicate forcefulness since he started out as a solo artist. At the same time, the wonderful and essential voices of Deborah Ayo, Astrid Jones, Fani Ela Nsue, and Miriam Solís give the album a sunny variety of colours. And there are many more—a sensational group of musicians contributes dazzling harmonic bursts to many of the songs. The palette of sounds is very diverse and rich in textures and nuances, including, for example, the ngoni, bells, and various repurposed kitchen utensils.

The groove is always around, moving between the magical border sound of Everybody Knows Somebody From Badajoz and Little Dose, the silky soul of The Sibariteo Appreciation Society, and the exultant celebration of End Of The World (which surprisingly sees Gecko turning to the occasional use of autotune), a piece that could be used for the final credits of a Monty Python film and, in fact, closes the album.

Gecko Turner has done it again with Somebody From Badajoz, looking to the future without losing sight of the roots. In times of upheaval all over the globe, when people are looking for purity, he delivers a formidable piece of work: risky, optimistic in spite of everything, and with a decidedly bastard sound. Let's rejoice.

Kalita are proud to unveil the second volume in their "Borga Revolution!" compilation series, focussing on the phenomenon of "Burger Highlife", a crossover of West African melodies with synthesizers, disco and boogie that took over Ghanaian airwaves during the 1980"s and beyond. Featuring both highly sought-after recordings by artists including Atta Frimpong and D.J. Lawyer Okyere, as well as seminal performances by greats such as Pat Thomas, A.B. Crentsil and Alan Cosmos, Kalita once again come to the rescue of audiophiles, DJs and music-lovers alike with "Borga Revolution! - Volume 2". Spread over a double-LP housed in a gatefold sleeve. Accompanied by a 12-page booklet featuring extensive interview-based liner notes on each artist and never-before-seen archival photos.

It's hard not to see the hype around BRUIT= as the next big thing in post-rock. While their 2018 EP Monolith provided a promising indication of their son- ic ambition, it was their debut LP The Machine is Burning and Now Everyone Knows It Could Happen Again which really set off the trig- ger. Receiving rave reviews around the globe and selling out the first vinyl pressing of 3.000 copies within less than a year, BRUIT= have no need to prove themselves beyond what they have already achieved so far. Consisting of three musical meditations, Apologie du Temps Perdu Eng. apology for time wasted sees BRUIT= cut down on their massive sound in favour of a more subtle contem- plation. In contrast with their recent streaming single «Parasite (The Boycott Manifesto)» with its direct message for Spotify CEO Daniel Ek and his listeners, the band have seemingly forgone their activist agenda paring back the grand thematic gestures and poignant spoken-word excerpts. Instead, BRUIT= let the music do the talking, reaching an activism which is more visceral, but all the more personal. "This ambient EP is conceived as a comma between our first album and the next one," explains bass player & violinist Cle'ment Libes about the purpose of this record. "It is an invitation to lose time, a parenthesis in the frantic race of our society." Existing somewhere between the grand genius of soundtrack composers like Hans Zim- mer and Ramin Djawadi, and the experimental prowess of fringe pop artists like Radio- head and Darkside, Apologie du Temps Perdu reveals the hidden power of film scores. We all know that moment in which we cease to be conscious of the musical accompani- ment and we become truly absorbed in the story. The music becomes part of scenery, and in this moment we lose track of time. Talking of his own work Ramin Djawadi (Game of Thrones, Westworld) notes: "If you were to turn the picture off, there is a story there and a connection to the characters and the plots." In the same way, through the sweeping strings of «La Sagesse de Nos Ai"eux», the ethereal tape loops of «Re^veur Lucide» and the undu- lating synths of «Les Temps Perdus», worlds are created to get lost in, and we experience the full power of music with our eyes and ears open. RIYL Hans Zimmer, Nils Frahm, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Balmorhea, Max Richter, Olafur Arnalds, A Silver Mount Zion, Boards Of Canada

Indrajala comes sheathed in a limited edition full-color printed embossed and custom-cut hansaboard sleeve adorned by an artwork painted by @nieidda in collaboration with Rambadu.

Early support by Abstract Division, Ben Buitendijk, Brando Lupi, Forest Drive West, Svreca, Atomic Moog, Deepbass, Ness and Primal Code to name a few.

Silver Vinyl

Indrajala comes sheathed in a limited edition full-color printed embossed and custom-cut hansaboard sleeve adorned by an artwork painted by @nieidda in collaboration with Rambadu.

Early support by Abstract Division, Ben Buitendijk, Brando Lupi, Forest Drive West, Svreca, Atomic Moog, Deepbass, Ness and Primal Code to name a few.

Laute Gitarren, gewaltige Refrains zum Mitsingen und erhebende Ausdauer.
Nur wenige Platten trugen dazu bei, die Post-Hardcore-Szene so schnell aufzubauen wie das Debüt der Band, Page Avenue, eines der ersten seiner Art, das sich eine Million Mal verkaufte

Herzschmerz, Verzweiflung, Motivation, toxische Beziehungen, Schmerz, Verlust, Wut - alle wesentlichen Zutaten des klassischen STORY OF THE YEAR-Sounds treiben "Tear Me to Pieces" auf verblüffend neue Weise an.
"Tear Me to Pieces" ist unbestreitbar, objektiv gesehen ein Killer, vielleicht das beste SOTY-Album seit Page Avenue.

Three years after the release of his critically acclaimed album "Salone",
Bai Kamara Jr returns with "Traveling Medicine Man", a 13-track
collection of blues songs portrayed in Bai's unique style
In a descriptive, provocative and sometimes suggestive way, the tales of love, life,
relationships, politics and innuendo are meticulously explored by the
raconteur.''Traveling Medicine Man is the continuation of my introspective journey
through my roots and my perpetual quest to make my two homes, Africa and
Europe, coexist within me. The title was inspired by my maternal grandfather
Tinka Tanner Kargbo, born in 1901 in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone. He
was educated by the Wesleyan Missionaries and later traveled with them across
the country to help provide medical care to villagers and townspeople. I was
fortunate enough to have spent some time with my grandfather when I was still a
child, and one of the things that fascinated me the most about him was his ability
to reconcile his Christian beliefs with his traditional African beliefs and
customs.'' (Bai Kamara Jr)For the making of this album Bai brought his touring
band, The Voodoo Sniffers, into the studio; these exceptional musicians
contributed to Bai's unique and evolving sound. With a percussive nature at the
heart of the arrangements this rootsy blues is spiced up with an afro vibe, making
you want to get up and dance more often than not. May your listening experience
be soothing and pleasurable with a healing effect

This is the fifth western in a row for Sergio Leone after the Dollar Trilogy
and "Once Upon a Time in The West"
"Giù la testa" (Duck, you sucker, 1971) is also the fifth collaboration between the
director and Ennio Morricone, which would be followed by "Once Upon a Time in
America" nearly 15 years later, before Leone's premature death in 1989.
Now a world famous and feted director, Leone directed "Giù la testa" an epic film
that tells of the friendship between a Mexican bandit and an Irish explosives
expert during the 1913 Mexican Revolution. With a over two hours running time,
the film has the tones of a Hollywood extravaganza, but it is only occasionally
accompanied by Morricone's music, which focuses more on the romance and
melancholy triggered by the two protagonist's memories.
This score's main theme is extremely memorable and makes this a classic
soundtrack. Thanks to the recurring "Sean- Sean" tune, and the melody sung by
Edda Dell'Orso, a theme that is universally recognized.
Limited 180gr. crystal clear vinyl edition.

In the previous year 1965, "A Fistful of Dollars" by Sergio Leone was a
huge success, and had greatly increased the popularity of the 'spaghetti
western' genre
With the two lead actors Clint Eastwood and Gian Maria Volonte "For a Few
Dollars More" is the natural progression of that movie, and the addition of the
third major star - Lee Van Cleef - a trio that made history in another Sergio Leone
masterpiece.
Ennio Morricone's music is equally important. The Maestro here chooses a 'poor'
registry, consisting of folk instruments such as ocarina, Jew's harp and chimes,
respectively used to accompany the entrance of the three main actors. There is
as usual, the contributions of Alessandro Alessandroni and his Cantori Moderni
choir, for an incredibly exciting vocal climax.
This edition sees the eight tracks of the original score in a brand new layout.
45rpm - Ltd. Ed. Crystal clear vinyl edition, new 12-inch sized gatefold cover.

Die Versuchung ist groß, hoid als Sibylle Kefers "opus magnum" zu bezeichnen. Diese Sammlung von 13 Liedern ist ein eindrucksvolles, stimmiges und zugleich vielfältiges künstlerisches Statement der in Wien lebenden und arbeitenden Musikerin, eine Kulmination ihres ständigen Wachsens als Künstlerin. Die reichen Facetten von Kefers Zugang zu Musik, die Qualitäten und das ganze Spektrum dessen, was sie als Komponistin, Texterin und Instrumentalistin - Singer/Songwriterin oder Liedermacherin dafür als Beschreibung zu ungenau, zu eng - macht und zum Ausdruck bringt, macht diese Lieder aus ...hoid als seit 2020 entstandenes, geschriebenes und aufgenommenes Album ist eine Brücke, eine Klammer, für vermeintlich widersprüchliche Erfahrungen und künstlerische Reaktionen darauf. Unser aller spezieller Lebenssituationen durch die Corona-Pandemie, den unmenschlichen Krieg in der Ukraine und den drohenden ökologischen Kollaps sind sein so verunsicherndes größeres wie dynamisches Setting. Mit dem Sibylle Kefer in ihren Liedern nicht zuletzt Rücksprache hält, Fragen dazu stellt und Widerworte oder Anschlüsse sucht. Das Musikmachen, das Liederschreiben schon für sich ein Stück Normalität und Positionierung zugleich. So sehr Sibylle Kefer sich in diesen Liedern mit Ungleichbehandlung, Ungerechtigkeiten und Grenzüberschreitungen befasst, so sehr klingt dabei immer ihre prinzipiell positive, hoffnungsvolle Grundhaltung durch, baut sie immer bewusst "Hoffnungsanstöße" in ihre Lieder ein: "Damit man weiß, wogegen, woran, womit man arbeitet, es zu tun hat."Die Lieder des Albums hat Kefer dabei zunächst im home-recording aufgenommen und zu produzieren begonnen, sich dabei über das Schreiben der Texte und Musik hinaus ein zusätzliches Skill-Set erarbeitet. Da ein Wesen der Musik, des Musikmachens von Sibylle Kefer immer Zusammenarbeit und Austausch bleiben, fanden sich auch in der Immer-Wieder-Isolation der Pandemie Möglichkeiten, mit vielen befreundeten und geschätzten Musiker_innen zu arbeiten. Nicht zuletzt formierte Sibylle Kefer, selbst bei Ernst Molden & das Frauenorchester nicht wegzudenken, während der Arbeit an hoid ihr eigenes Trio, ihre Band. Mit E-Bassistin Sarah Brait und Schlagzeuger Chris Pruckner wird sie zukünftig (nicht nur) die Songs von hoid auf die Konzert-Bühnen bringen. Ganz zentral für die Fertigstellung des Albums die Arbeit mit Martin Siewert, gemeinsam mit dem Musiker und Komponisten wurden die Lieder schließlich in ihre endgültige Form gebracht, in der sie nun auf hoid zu hören sind und darauf warten ihrem Publikum zu begegnen.

Rund 20 Jahre sind Dub Spencer & Trance Hill im Musikbusiness unterwegs und nach wie vor hungrig wie eine Raupe im Blätterwald. Vermeintlich dominierte dabei stets die Dub-Komponente, egal, ob sie humorvoll-intelligent mit Weihnachtsliedern, Spoken Words oder Italo Western vermischt wurde. Doch spielte immer auch das Elektronische, Psychedelische, der "Trance" eine wichtige Rolle im Schaffen der europaweit bekannten Schweizer Band. Nun endlich erhält diese Facette ihren gebührenden Platz auf dem neuen, zwölften Longplayer des Quartetts: "Imago Cells" heißt das Album und markiert eine Metamorphose. Aus dem Alten entsteht also das Neue, und so verschmilzt der Dub mit Elektronischer Tanzmusik oder besser: "Trancemusik"? Die Tracks stehen klar im Zeichen des Up-Tempos und laden zum Raven ein. Weiter ist auch das Klangbild noch bassiger und psychedelischer geworden, ohne jedoch den organischen Touch zu verlieren. So blubbern, echoen und grooven denn die acht Songs tierisch gut, klingen unverkennbar nach Dub Spencer & Trance Hill und zugleich versteht man, dass der einzige Weg das Neue ist. Ein wahrhaft magischer Augenblick, wie die Geburt des Schmetterlings.

Repressed again. On the West Coast, gangsta rap held sway in hip-hop as the 21st century began. The alternative and conscious rap music of the early-to-mid-90s had all but faded into the underground. The scene was set for a comeback, perhaps as a backlash to the perceived violence and misogyny of gangsta rap's content. Leading the resurgence of alternative hip-hop were groups like Jurassic 5, and recent signees to Capitol Records; a West coast trio that had been building steam underground since the early 90s called Dilated Peoples. Anticipation was high for the release of the debut album from Evidence, Rakaa, and DJ Babu. (Of the influential turntablist collective Beat Junkies.) When The Platform arrived in May of 2000 it was met with critical and underground acclaim, as well as affording Dilated Peoples their first Billboard chartings. It featured a back-to-basics sound with a heavy debt to the old-school hip-hop ethos, the kind of sound that harkened back to the early days of legends like De La Soul & A Tribe Called Quest. Hits like "No Retreat" and "The Platform" were bolstered by Evidence & Rakaa's subtle, abstract wit, and swift, adroit wordplay, while DJ Babu provided production chops and dextrous scratches. On The Platform the trio were joined by the likes of B-Real, Tha Alkoholiks, Everlast, Planet Asia, and many more providing guest vocals, while boasting guest production from The Alchemist & Kut Masta Kurt, among others. Since its 2000 release this influential record, which heralded the return of alternative hip-hop, has never seen a vinyl reissue. With that, Get On Down-always on top of giving the greatest hip-hop albums their due-is proud to present this re-release of The Platform. The rhymes are still fresh, the production is still pristine, and the album is now back on vinyl for the first time in 17 years.

Brazilian psych soul wunderkind, producer and singer Tagua Tagua has joined the Wonderwheel Recordings family with a tender selection of cuts on his second album Tanto.

Recorded in the rural outskirts of Sao Paulo there is a sense of yearning that permeates throughout the set list of ten unapologetic love songs that fly between lush psychedelic pop to warm, beat-laden neo-soul with Brazilian flavor. The album maneuvers subtly between the different dynamics, and purposefully so, as it was 'a vibe' that Tagua Tagua AKA Felipe Puperi wanted to instill from start to finish - channeling soul heroes past and present like Bill Withers, Shuggie Otis & Sault.

The album title and first single Tanto translates to Portuguese as 'so much', and Felipe sees the track and entirety of the album as "a feeling of falling in love for the sake of falling in love". The track is a slice of horizontal soul music and possesses a sweet, almost drug induced fervor, simple on arrangements. Felipe sings in a melismatic tenor, at times tipping into falsetto, with subtle effects enriching his delivery.

Based in the city of São Paulo, Felipe previously fronted the group Wannabe Jalva and has an extensive musical resumé, having played at Lollapalooza Brazil, supported shows for Pearl Jam and Jack White, and created a name for himself as one of the most promising breakout acts in Brazil. Yet there was a break-out moment of self discovery, a re-connection with his language that led to a personal and musical revolution culminating in his debut solo album in 2020, Inteiro Metade.

Whereas his previous longplayer had changing musical personalities from tropical psychedelic to funk and soul, Tanto only flirts outside of the mellow psychedelic soul prism and whilst there are ebbs and flows, it delights in its sparse and sweet minimalism. "Pra Trás" opens proceedings, and aptly, as Tagua Tagua moves from one album to the next, it's about leaving things behind. There are strings and orchestrations, a killer guitar hook and Tagua Tagua's seductive delivery. "Colors" is full throttle future-soul, squelchy synths pulsed by a lazy, yet insistent shuffler of a beat. Further dreamlike timbres are found in "Barcelona", a journey of a song and Brisa, perhaps the body-mover of the collection, with silky synths and a chorus you're sure to repeat.

All songs were written and recorded by Felipe himself, mixed by fellow Wannabe Jalva band member Tiago Abrahão, and mastered by Brian Lucey (The Black Keys, Chet Faker). Recently, Tagua Tagua toured Europe and played several shows at SXSW and along the West coast in the US.

A tribute to the late Kenny Hawkes, London's dark lord of house music. Lovingly selected and curated by Luke Solomon, Jonny Rock and Leon Oakey.

Running from 1995 to 2002, 'Space' was a Wednesday night founded by Kenny Hawkes and Luke Solomon. It inhabited the underground world of Bar Rumba right in the heart of London's West End and took place each and every week. Kenny and Luke had both been regular fixtures on infamous London Pirate Radio station 'Girls FM', and were seeking a suitable place to play the kind of music they supported on their respective radio shows. They were presented with a weekly opportunity at Bar Rumba and snapped it up.

'Space' was THE place for 7 solid years, hosting local and international guests from the house music community week in week out, to 200+ hardcore and dedicated followers. Regular guest bookings read like a 'who's who' of the music scene with sets from Derrick Carter, Andrew Weatherall, DJ Harvey, Tom Middleton, A Man Called Adam, Ralph Lawson and Huggy, Harri and Domenic, Francois Kevorkian, Salt City Orchestra, Carl Cox, Chez Damier and Ron Trent.... the list goes on and on and on! Music from seminal record labels such as Classic, Prescription, Cajual, Paper, Relief was played on rotation amongst a killer mix of Disco classics, alternative 80s music, left-field B-sides and techno. The night undeniably became a cauldron of amazing music and midweek hedonistic chaos.

As Soho changed beyond recognition and clubbing moved Eastwards, Kenny and Luke decided to call it a day. Sadly, Kenny Hawkes died in 2011, leaving a huge hole in the dance music community. Kenny was a legendary figure with an unmistakable sound and DJ style, he had a warped sense of humour and a huge personality and he continues to be dearly missed by all to this day.

As a tribute to Kenny, his musical partner in crime Luke Solomon alongside 'Space' regular and DJ / Editor supreme Jonny Rock, and former Classic Records label boss Leon Oakey have joined forces to celebrate his life through music. 3 years of tweaking, pooling music and clearing tracks have culminated in 2 very special double albums and a digital compilation. A collection of 'Space' classics, underground jams and the tracks that shook the Shaftesbury Avenue dance floor, shaping one of London's most revered midweek sessions.

All profits from the compilation will be donated to the British Liver Trust.

Back In Stock!

American West Coast pioneering rave royalty Doc Martin teams up with Boston bred DJ hero Charlie Soul Clap for a power packed extra dance floor friendly new release. Enter the Freaks Of The Valley! Aptly named after a weekend of music production in Sherman Oaks (aka home of Cobra Kai, lol) at Doc's former home studio, this release ranges from the ironic '2 Degenerates & A Drum Machine' house slammer to the amped up and saturated 'Always Have Acid', with a bonus version for ya Booty, IYKYA!

TOO $HORT BORN TO MACK PRESSED ON GREEN VINYL!

Originally released on July, 20th 1987 on Dangerous Music, Born To Mack is Too $hort's 4th studio album and re-released as his first major label release in 1988 on Jive Records. Long out of print on vinyl, this West Coast classic contains the 9+ minute track "Freaky Tales" which Snoop Dogg would state was highly influential, to such an extent that Snoop covered the song in ‘97 for the hip-hop covers compilation In Tha Beginning. Too $hort is one of the pioneers of West Coast Hip-Hop, commemorated with a street named in his honor - Oakland’s Too $hort Way dedicated in December of 2022. Too $hort continues to make music and plays West Coast classics and upcoming artists on his Rock The Bells radio show Don't Stop Rappin and is a member of West Coast Pioneers super group Mount Westmore

Eine limitierte Doppel-Vinylversion des erfolgreichen Albums von Beth Hart '37 Days' aus dem Jahr 2007 als Transparentes Red Vinyl 2LP. Das ganze Album wurde damals nur in 37 Tagen eingespielt und abgemischt, daher kommt also auch der Albumtitel. Alle beteiligten Musiker und Produzent bildeteten ein großartiges, kreatives Team: Jon Nichols (Gitarre), Tom Lilly (Bass), Tood Wolf (Drums/Percussion) und der talentierte dänische Produzent Rune Westberg. Und das hört man tatsächlich deutlich bei jedem einzelnen Song.

HARDT ANTOINE is a London based DJ producer of French and West Indian descent, who continuously combines his hugely colourful and eclectic taste in music. He has also made a name for himself with his Reculture label and club nights.

His KOMPAKT debut clearly shows why he’s one to watch in the years to come. “Nobody’s Watching” is a dark grooving beast with bending synth lines and a haunting vocal; counterbalanced with uplifting Eastern analog pads. It’s from this rare breed of tracks that shine in a frantic peak time set and sexy late night moments alike.

“All We See” follows a similar path. Its mandatory bassline and dark melody evolve into something uplifting, as if to say – ‘We always see light at the end of our tunnel’.

Radial takes a more cinematic approach and largely neglects the dancefloor in a classic KOMPAKT 3-track EP fashion, following a lovely tradition that began with Dettinger’s KOM 2 and later on spawned the Pop Ambient movement.

Hardt Antoine proves himself a jack of all trades… Keep an eye on him!

HARDT ANTOINE ist ein in London ansässiger DJ-Produzent französischer und westindischer Abstammung, der seinen äußerst farbenfrohen und vielseitigen Musikgeschmack kontinuierlich durcheinender wirbelt. Auch mit seinem Label Reculture und Clubnächten hat er sich über London hinaus einen Namen gemacht.

Sein KOMPAKT-Debüt zeigt deutlich, warum man ihn in den kommenden Jahren im Auge behalten sollte. „Nobody’s Watching“ ist ein düsteres, groovendes Biest mit verzerrten Synthielinien und einer eindringlichen Stimme; mit erhebenden östlichen Analog Pads ausbalanciert. Es ist diese seltene Art von Tracks, die in einem hektischen Peak-Time-Set und sexy Late-Night-Momenten gleichermaßen glänzen.

„All We See“ geht einen ähnlichen Weg. Die zwingende Bassline und die dunkle Melodie entwickeln sich zu etwas Erhebendem, als ob sie sagen wollten: „Wir sehen immer Licht am Ende unseres Tunnels“.

Radial verfolgt einen filmischeren Ansatz und vernachlässigt die Tanzfläche weitgehend – in klassischer KOMPAKT-3-Track-EP-Manier, einer schönen Tradition folgend, die mit Dettingers KOM 2 begann und später die Pop-Ambient-Bewegung hervorbrachte.

Hardt Antoine erweist sich als Alleskönner … Behaltet ihn im Auge!

Mit seinem packenden Stilmix aus Schlager, Pop und Rock begeistert Wolfgang Petry nun schon seit mehr als viereinhalb Dekaden ganze Generationen von Musikfans. Dabei immer an seiner Seite: Seine Ehefrau Rosie, die mit dem Kultsänger in den letzten Jahrzehnten loyal durch dick und dünn gegangen ist. Zu ihrem gemeinsamen 50. Hochzeitstag am 20.11.2022 macht Wolle seiner Rosie nun eine ganz besondere Liebeserklärung - in Form der brandneuen Single "Du gehörst zu mir und ich gehör zu dir", mit der er gleichzeitig den ersten Vorboten seines kommenden Studioalbums STARK WIE WIR vorlegt!Wolfgang Petry ist ein waschechter Ausnahmemusiker, der nicht nur den deutschen Schlager, sondern die gesamte deutschsprachige Musiklandschaft mit seiner authentischen, geerdeten und unverstellten Art geprägt hat. Knapp zwanzig Millionen verkaufte Einheiten seiner insgesamt 26 Studioalben (davon fünf Top 1-Scheiben und acht Top 5-Entrys in den deutschen Album-Charts) hat Wolle mittlerweile auf der Uhr. Mehrere goldene Schallplatten, eine Multiplatin-Auszeichnung, fünf ECHOS in der Kategorie "Schlager/Volksmusik" sowie insgesamt zehn Goldene Stimmgabeln (inklusive zwei "Platinum Life Award"-Stimmgabeln für sein Lebenswerk) sind die mehr als beeindruckende Bilanz seines bisherigen Wirkens. Doch wie sagt man so schön: Hinter jedem starken Mann steht auch immer eine starke Frau. In Wolfgang Petrys Fall seine Jugendliebe Rosie, die den Sänger und Musiker stets hinter den Kulissen begleitet, ihm in hektischen Phasen den Rücken freigehalten und ihm Trost und Kraft in schwierigen Tagen geschenkt hat. Wolles Fels in der Brandung, auf den sich der 71-Jährige bis heute blind verlassen kann. Nie hat sich Petry davor gescheut, in seinen Songs Fehler und Schwächen einzugestehen, aber andererseits auch danke zu sagen für den Support, den er in guten wie in schlechten Zeiten von seinen Fans erhalten hat. Mit dem ersten Album-Vorboten "Du gehörst zu mir und ich gehör zu dir" möchte sich Wolfgang Petry nun für fünfzig ereignisreiche Ehejahre bei seiner geliebten Frau Rosie bedanken. Als ganz besondere Überraschung ist Gattin Rosie im Clip zu dem Song zu sehen - das allererste Mal, dass die fest aufeinander eingeschworenen Eheleute gemeinsam vor der Videokamera standen! "Ich hab mir den Kopf zermartert, wie ich dieses besondere Gefühl auf den Punkt bringen kann", so Petry über die Entstehungsgeschichte des schwungvollen Ohrwurms. "Zuerst hatte ich eine lyrische Idee, die ich aber schnell wieder verworfen habe. Ich wollte meine Emotionen ganz einfach und simpel ausdrücken; beim Texten entstand dann ganz spontan die Melodie zu `Du gehörst zu mir und ich gehör zu dir`. Der Dreh war komplett anders, aber irgendwie auch vertraut. Schließlich ist sie ja die Frau, mit der ich schon so lange zusammenlebe. Ein berührender Moment in meinem Leben." Und auch für Wolles Rosie waren die gemeinsamen Dreharbeiten ein einmaliges Erlebnis: "Es war eigentlich ganz witzig, aber auch das einzige Mal. Ich fühle mich im Hintergrund wesentlich wohler." Trotzdem fühlt sich Wolfgangs Herzensdame durch diesen ihr gewidmeten Song natürlich sehr geehrt.Auf seinem neuen Album STARK WIE WIR gibt Wolfgang Petry in 12 brandneuen Songs tiefe Einblicke in sein Gefühlsleben. "Die Arbeit an dieser Platte war eine große Reise für mich und hat mir das nochmal eine oder andere vor Augen geführt", resümiert der Sänger. Neben verschiedenen musikalischen Facetten und einer absoluten Ohrwurm-Garantie erwartet den Zuhörer auch der ein oder andere Gänsehaut-Moment.Wolfgang Petrys neue Single "Du gehörst zu mir und ich gehör zu dir" erscheint am 18.11.2022. Das zugehörige Video wird passend zur Goldenen Hochzeit am 20.11.2022 veröffentlicht. Das brandneue Studioalbum STARK WIE WIR folgt am 03.03.2023 als CD, streng limitierte farbige Vinyl, Download sowie auf allen Streaming-Plattformen und ist ab sofort vorbestellbar.

Algiers haben sich eine Crew zugelegt: Für ihr viertes Album "SHOOK" versammelte die Band eine Schar gleichgesinnter Künstler um sich herum. Der Nachfolger zum gefeierten Album "There Is No Year" (2020) ist ein musikalischer wie inhaltlicher Blitzableiter in bewegten Zeiten und mit seinen 17 eindringlichen Songs schon jetzt eines der aufregendsten Alben aus 2023. Das komplette Album entstand, als Fisher und sein Bandkollege Ryan Mahan für einige Monate in ihre Heimatstadt Atlanta zurückkehrten, wo sie unter dem wachsenden Druck litten, was schließlich in einem Burnout gipfelte. Eine extreme Zeit für die Band und für die Freundschaft der beiden Musiker, in der sie schließlich auch persönlich wieder zueinander fanden. Sie hörten viel alten Hiphop und eine Neuauflage von DJ Grand Wizard Theodores 1970er Punk-beeinflusstem New Yorker Rap-Meisterwerk "Subway Theme" diente als spirituelles und thematisches Moodboard für das Album. Während Gemeinschaft und Zusammenarbeit schon immer ein wesentlicher Bestandteil der Arbeitsweise von Algiers war, kommt dies bei "SHOOK" nun voll zum Tragen. Die Liner Notes lesen sich wie ein Who is Who der zeitgenössischen Underground-Musik, mit Zack de la Rocha, Big Rube (The Dungeon Family), Billy Woods, Samuel T. Herring (Future Islands), Jae Matthews (Boy Harsher), LaToya Kent (Mourning A BLKstar), Backxwash, Nadah El Shazly, DeForrest Brown Jr. (Speaker Music), Patrick Shiroishi, Lee Bains III, und Mark Cisneros (The Make-Up, Kid Congo Powers). Dank ihrer Beiträge wird "Shook" aus verschiedenen Blickwinkeln neu geformt und kontextualisiert. "Es vertieft und erweitert die Welt von Algiers", so Schlagzeuger Matt Tong. Atlanta, der Ort, an dem die Platte entstanden ist, steht schließlich im Mittelpunkt. Das Album beginnt mit einer robotergesteuerten Zugdurchsage vom Hartsfield Airport, die vielen Einwohnern von Atlanta ein Begriff ist und Fisher als Kind immer eine Heidenangst gemacht hat. "Wir haben in einer Umgebung gearbeitet, an die wir gewöhnt waren", sagt Gitarrist Lee Tesche. "Es fühlt sich an wie die beste Algiers-Platte, die wir je gemacht haben." Dass diese Platte überhaupt entstanden ist, grenzt an ein kleines Wunder, da die Band immer wieder vor der Auflösung stand. Algiers haben jedoch Reibung in Energie umgewandelt und mit "SHOOK" ein außergewöhnliches und kraftvolles Album produziert, das am Ende von seiner starken Gemeinschaft lebt. "Ich glaube, mit dieser Platte haben wir unser Zuhause gefunden", sagt Mahan, und Fisher fügt hinzu: "Es war eine ganz neue, positive Erfahrung - eine erneuerte Beziehung zu der Stadt, aus der wir kommen, und Stolz dafür zu haben. Mir gefällt der Gedanke, dass diese Platte uns auf eine Reise mitgenommen hat, die aber in Atlanta beginnt und endet."

Prior to tracking First Step Beyond, Chicago proto-metal quintet Medusa headed three miles west to the Village of Oak Park and cut their debut 7" at Stephen Wilcox's Pepperhead custom studio. The resulting versions of "Strangulation" and "Temptress" are a touch further unhinged than their sororal album twins, as phased-out scraps of psychedelia and bleeding solos maxed out Pepperhead's 8-track rig. Pressed in a strictly limited quantity of 1000 copies.

Cluster was the pioneering German duo of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius. Formed on the cusp of the 1970s, they were a part of West Germany's nascent Kosmische Musik scene. The group would use restrained improvisational techniques similar to Gruppo Nuova Consonanza, working with both electric and acoustic instruments (organ, guitar, tone generators, cello, etc.) to create a singular sound that Julian Cope called "a huge beating heart, planet-sized and awesome."

Originally released in 1972 on Brain, Cluster II features six pieces of atmospheric, proto-ambient drones – a step forward from Cluster's 1971 self-titled debut, which had all untitled songs. On "Im Suden," hypnotic bass pulsations and repetitive guitar patterns flow serenely, while side two opener "Live In Der Fabrik" dives deep into Roedelius and Moebius' foreboding industrial soundscapes and synergistic textural interplay.

As Roedelius told Uncut magazine in 2022, "This feels like a breakthrough? Well, we were just getting more into it, and getting more experienced at being able to elaborate it. Conny (Plank) was working with us again – as well as being a multi-talented artist, he was a very experienced sound master and great human being. He contributed as a fellow musician, adding sounds with his mixing table such as reverb, delay and other effects enriching the whole pieces so that they finally became somehow unique."

It's no surprise that when Neu! guitarist Michael Rother first heard Cluster II, he suggested a collaboration with the band – resulting in the supergroup Harmonia who would make their first album together the following year.

Cosmic American Music from the far flung reaches of rural Oregon. Issued in 1979 on Allan Wachs' own True Vine imprint, Mountain Roads and City Streets gathers a decade of songs written while hitchhiking up and down the west coast. Screeching pedal steel, lilting flute, and tingly dulcimer are peppered throughout Wachs' tales of brief affairs, invisible dogs, and getting lost in a changing America.

Beth Hart hat schon fast alles erlebt. Sie hat die Süße des Erfolgs gekostet, die Spitze der Billboard-Charts erreicht und sich an eine Flasche geklammert, die in der Gosse lag. Sie ist von ihrem eigenen Verstand betrogen worden und sie hat das Glück des geistigen Gleichgewichts gespürt. Das heißt, für eine gewisse Zeit.
Auf My California geht es um Geschichten aus dem Leben. Beths Leben. In "Sister Heroine" geht es um den Verlust ihrer Schwester Sharon. Es geht darum, als Familie zusammenzukommen und sich schuldig zu fühlen, wenn man über die guten alten Zeiten spricht, wenn jemand fehlt, und sogar Schuldgefühle zu haben, wenn man Freude empfindet oder lacht. Like You and Everyone Else" handelt von der Schwierigkeit, mit dem Leben umzugehen, wenn das chemische Gleichgewicht des Gehirns einen immer wieder von einem Extrem ins nächste schickt. Es geht um den Wunsch, so zu sein wie alle anderen, um Zugehörigkeit und schließlich darum, sich mit der Tatsache abzufinden, dass jeder irgendwo in seinem Leben anders ist.
Es besteht kein Zweifel, dass Beth Hart und Rune Westberg mit My California etwas ganz Besonderes gefunden haben.

Beth Hart - My California ist jetzt wieder auf Vinyl erhältlich und zum ersten Mal auf Transparent Red Vinyl. Limitiert auf 2000 Exemplare weltweit!

Zwischen 1998 und 2003 hat der Pixies-Sänger sechs Alben unter dem Namen Frank Black And The Catholics eingespielt. Diese alle live und direkt auf Zweispurband aufgenommenen Songs gehören zu den energiegeladensten, rauesten und wesentlichsten in Frank Blacks Karriere. "Snake Oil" ist eine Sammlung von Coverversionen, die während dieser fruchtbaren Zeit im Studio aufgenommen wurden. Zu den Highlights gehören donnernde Takes von Bob Dylans "Changing Of The Guards", Bruce Springsteens "I'm Going Down" und Angsts "Some Things (I Can't Get Used To)". Bisher nur als digitaler Download erhältlich, präsentiert Demon Records die erste physische Veröffentlichung dieser Compilation, die von Phil Kinrade bei AIR Mastering neu gemastert und auf 140 Gr. Vinyl gepresst wurde. Inkl. neuem Artwork mit Fotografien von Steve Gullick.

Ukrainian blackened death/doom metal offensive 1914 continue to reflect the gruesome tales of World War I, its soldiers’ fate, their death, fear and feats to be never forgotten, and unleash their new opus, Where Fear and Weapons Meet, on October 22nd, via Napalm Records. Its eleven tracks of pure historic harshness follow up to the band’s sophomore full-length, The Blind Leading the Blilnd (2018), and debut, Eschatology of War (2014), both highly acclaimed amongst critics, and create a sophisticated variety of massively brutal blackened death metal accented by dramatic and realistic audio soundscapes and disquieting melodies spiced with the approach of sludge and doom! Blurb IG#1: "After their highly acclaimed previous records, blackened death/doom metal unit 1914 again faces the cruelty of World War I on its third opus Where Fear and Weapons Meet . The first single “...And a Cross Now Marks His Place” already marks an absolute highlight, as this massive outburst features none other than Paradise Lost icon Nick Holmes, whose pervasive delivery matches with 1914 ’s mastermind Hptm. Ditmar Kumarberg’s (9. Westpreußisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 176) vocal harshness." Blurb IG#2: Blackened death/doom metal frontrunners 1914 return with their third inexorable opus, the new studio album Where Fear and Weapons Meet. On this masterpiece of pure harshness, 1914 again reflects the gruesome tales of World War I without making any compromises. Second single “Pillars of fire”, that deals with The Battle of Messines in 1917, starts with an atmospheric introduction that draws the listener deep into the album theme and erupts into a massive blackened death/doom outburst shortly after. Blurb IG#3:Since 2014, Ukrainian blackened death/doom metal visionaries 1914 have told the gruesome tales of World War I and are now ready to face the fiery depths again on their third attack, Where Fear and Weapons Meet. Third single “FN .380 ACP#19074” breaks in with heavy guitar lines and thunderous black metal drumming like a blaze of gunfire and reflects the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife 1914 in Sarejevo, an event that caused the outbreak of World War I.

”Brightside” heißt das 4. Album von Wesley Schultz und Jeremiah Fraites, alias The Lumineers. Produziert wurde es von den längjährigen Partnern in Crime Simone Felice (The Felice Brothers) und David Baron, der auch für Engeneering und Mixing zuständig war. Das Album präsentiert die erste neue Musik der Lumineers nach mehr als 2 Jahren. Nach dem sehr düsteren und sehr konzeptionellen Vorgängeralbum wird schon durch den Titel klar, dass es sich hier um ein sehr frohes und spontanes Album handelt.

Die 9 Songs-Collection spielten Schultz und Fraites zusammen mit Baron in dessen Studio in New York ein und wurden dabei u.a. bei den Backing Vocals von Simone Felices’ Tourmitgliedern Byron Isaacs und Lauren Jacobson, Cindy Mizelle (Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews Band), James Felice (The Felice Brothers) und Singer-Songwriter Diana DeMuth unterstützt.

Cocktail and power-bossa vibes meet shots of clavinet-funk in the new single by Milan-based producer Larry Manteca, a relentless creator of soundtracks for imaginary films in various genres – from the erotic to the spaghetti western, and from crime to zombie-horror.

Manteca's debut on 7" vinyl could only have happened under the aegis of Four Flies Records, whose team went and hand-picked two of the grooviest tracks in his bulimic output, both recorded in 2015 for the sci-fi/erotic-themed album Mutant Virgins From Pluto (the title says it all!).

"Ufo Bossa" is a delicious, uptempo bossa-jazz number cast in an ultra-lounge style and spiced up with references to Les Baxter's and Martin Denny's exotica, as well as to pop/erotic sci-fi soundtracks like Bob Crewe's Barbarella, with the added bonus of Yasmine Zekri's sexy scat singing. On the flip side you have "Intergalactc Porno Scene", a typical poliziottesco theme where clavinet and flute interweave into a super-funky groove, before synths come in and send us into erotically-charged space orbit.

Available as a 350-Copy Limited Edition 7-inch, and as a Digital Remaster.