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“It was a rainy day at the recycling centre in Leitrim. There, amongst the tangle of discarded kettles and broken-down toasters, I first laid eyes on her…” A few years after her stand-out contribution to our ‘Wacker That’ compilation and following a bunch of purple patch releases for Nyahh Records, TakuRoko, Fort Evil Fruit and Eiderdown Records, Natalia Beylis graces Touch Sensitive with a true landmark album for the label – ‘Mermaids. Recorded both at home in Leitrim and at neighbour Mat Warren’s studio (Studio Moo Moo – a converted cow shed), ‘Mermaids’ was inspired by two salvaged items: a CRB Elettronica Ancona - Model: Diamond 708 E electric keyboard from the local tip and a photo taken by her father found in a pile of old family scraps. Smuggled home in the back of the van and ridded of the nine purple crayons lodged inside, the keyboard sounded perfect to Natalia; “The sounds that come from her when I play always move me like water; swimming in rivers and floating in the murk beneath the surface.” The striking image which would become the cover art features Natalia’s mother and two friends during a dip in the ocean. We see three women hanging out on a large rock – their bad-ass hairdos and poses perfectly framed and saturated in sepia. “There are complete siren vibes coming from the rock. Three women, three girls, three witches, three mermaids. I wish I was one of them. Or friends with them.’ After testing compositions and recordings for months on the rescued keys, the discovery of her father’s image formed the final work: “A confluence of the sounds and the image charged through me, and the album began to flicker into being.” Much like the push and pull of the River Shannon, Natalia’s own local swimming spot, ‘Mermaids’ flow is both organic but unstoppable. Anchored around the album’s hypnotic 17-minute title track, we are fully immersed within this subaquatic suite from the first splash. Alongside the keyboard’s glistening tone, field recordings from Natalia’s expansive archive bring us back up for air; taking stops to check in with the chittering chickens and ducks of Athlone. In keeping with her back catalogue and extensive body of work, ‘Mermaids’ exists within its own imagined universe. This is truly singular work that continues to underline Natalia as one of the finest underground artists of her time. We wholeheartedly encourage you to take a forty-minute sonic dip into a deep, murky, watery world of her own creation.

Third Matinee (or 3rd Matinee) was an American rock band formed by vocalist and bassist Richard Page with keyboardist Patrick Leonard. The group formed after the breakup of Page’s band, Mr. Mister, and the demise of Leonard’s band, Toy Matinee. Leonard and Page were writing partners whose efforts included the Madonna hit “I’ll Remember.”

The rest of the band were: Brian MacLeod (drums), Tim Pierce (guitar), and Guy Pratt (bass), Marc Bonilla (guitar) and was completed by keyboard player and Toto member Steve Porcaro.

Third Matinee released only one album, Meanwhile, which was released in 1994. It features artwork by Mark Ryden, who is also known as “the godfather of pop surrealism” and mastered the Lowbrow style. He previously designed artwork for Aerosmith’s Love In An Elevator, Michael Jackson’s Dangerous, and One Hot Minute by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Lost in time yet always in season, here’s a blast of that old perennial, the punk rock, representative of the swiftly changing times around Bailey’s Crossroads, just outside Washington DC, in the early 80s. Skam recorded this stuff in 1982-1983, then broke up, leaving these songs to be released… maybe never? Or more preferably, now, to race into the bloodstream of jaded, faded today with all the vigour and rigour of Skam’s eternal youth.

Though they didn’t release any records during their three years of existence, it’d be wrong to call Skam ‘never-was’ - in addition to these recordings, there’s a trail of flyers for shows with Scream, No Trend, United Mutations and Media Disease, as well as the memories of the student alumni from Bishop O’Connell High, class of ‘83 or so.

The conglomeration of scenes around the greater DC area at that time produced a variety of bands, but the prevailing recollection of the era is of the incendiary hardcore punk and subsequent straight edge values of the Dischord bands. The band that became Skam was a world apart; they were posited for the first time by 8th graders Vince Forcier and Jack Anderson at a Jackson Browne concert, and their initial rehearsals in their parents’ basement were highlighted by covers of Beatles, Stones, Who and Led Zeppelin songs. Bad covers.

It wasn’t until they’d been playing a bit that they discovered The Ramones, and it was then that the die was cast and pedal pressed to the metal for another frantic couple of years.

The Skam recordings from 1982 have an undeniably Clash-like countenance that sets them definitively apart from the ‘First Four’ of Dischord - in some ways, prefiguring the pop-punk sound of Green Day at the dawn of the 1990s instead - but subsequent recordings found them quickly evolving - or devolving - into a personal mastery of savage riffs and tempos, as well as post-punk conceptions.

But even as they were verging into this new territory, their three years together had frayed their alliance and they soon broke up. Jack joined No Trend, Vince played in Racer X and then Second Wind. And life went on. However, the rediscovered Skam tapes make for an incredible addendum to the more well-known music of that incredible time and place

The story of the invention of the term, 'deepfunk' is probably only known among fans and practitioners of this niche-genre. In short, it all started in the 1990s when DJs like Keb Darge, Mark 'Snowboy' Cotgrove and others began spinning obscure and feral Funk 45 RPM singles from local American bands, ostensibly generating another sub-category branch off of the mighty Northern Soul tree. The dance-club phenomenon inevitably spilled over to contemporary groups on the funk scene which immediately tried to record their music the way their idols did. The 'rare groove' and 'acid jazz' movements had run their course and there was a concerted effort to reinstate primitive idiomatic styles and techniques into the music, most notably by 90s funk collective The Poets of Rhythm. As more years passed by the number of bands steadily increased (although in tiny numbers, compared to the mainstream market). Almost every country had a representative with the majority of them coming from the United Kingdom. The deepfunk sound was still a niche, however a very few bands made it onto the mainstream charts, most notably Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings.

At the height of the retro-soul movement a questionable development took place. As more bands arrived on the scene, the production became more and more polished and pop-ish. Some of that squeaky-clean tidiness began to creep into the recordings, encouraged in part by the signature sounds of the digital recording technology available at that time. Some bands even tried to jump onto the possibility of promoting their music as 'deepfunk' although they were actually playing slick, funky pop music. This way some people who thought they were listening to raw, energetic funk actually felt quite ambushed when hit with real deepfunk. In fact, a certain percentage of funk music produced within the past 20 years does not deserve to be described as 'deepfunk' at all. Fortunately there were (and are) some pleasant exceptions which did not just imitate but actually rendered amazing funk music just like some of the finest funk combos of the 1960s and 70s.

One of those creative minds is without a doubt Joel Ricci aka Lucky Brown. Originally from Seattle, Washington, USA, he has enriched the deepfunk community since the mid-2000s with his stellar abilities. He is not only an amazing musician playing multiple instruments, but also a brilliant composer, arranger, and producer too. But for us here at Tramp he is much more, a close friend and remarkable human being. Whenever we were struggling, whether with the label or in private life, Joel and his musical work helped us to overcome everything and to keep going our path.

So here we are in 2023. The songs you are listening to right now are the complete Space Dream collection, split into two parts, representing the two living-room recording sessions from which his 2011 Tramp Records debut was compiled. Each fully remastered album contains unreleased material and comes with brand new, beautifully reimagined artwork by Ricci himself, housed in an authentic 1960s tip-on cover. A first class product from a first class musician for the discerning funk enthusiast.

LOS ANGELES BASED PRODUCER MINION DEBUTS ON EVAR RECORDS WITH THE FOUR-TRACK EP 'NITE LYFE.' RELEASED ON AURA T-09 AND TRICKFINGER'S REVERED RECORD LABEL, 'NITE LYFE' MERGES HARDCORE, TECHNO AND GABBER WITH SOFT TEXTURES AND GOSSAMER SHEENS, EVOKING AN INTENSE, WAVEY TRIP. THIS ONE IS SUITED TO A CHURNING, POST-3 AM DANCEFLOOR, OR IN MINION'S OWN WORDS, "WARM SUMMER NIGHTS IN LOS ANGELES WAREHOUSES."

OPENER 'SAD B0I MASSIVE' BLENDS DISTORTED, GABBER-FLECKED DRUMS WITH CRUNCHY SNARES, WHILE A HAZY, DAFT PUNK-ESQUE SYNTHLINE CONJURES A DREAMY VIBE. THIS SIGNATURE MINION MOVE CONVEYS HIS KNACK FOR SERVING UP HARSH YET ROMANTIC ATMOSPHERES, PAIRING TWO OPPOSITE MOODS THAT MELT INTO ONE ANOTHER LIKE ACETONE AND WATER.

ON 'MAGNETAR', WE'RE CAUGHT UP IN THE THUNDERDOME CIRCA 1990, BUT JUST FOR A MOMENT. WHILE RUBBERY KICK DRUMS AND WHOOSHING HOOVER SOUNDS SHAPE THE TRACK, MINION COMBINES THESE OLD-SKOOL ELEMENTS WITH A MORE MODERN QUIRK, PRODUCING A TWINKLING MELODY THAT AROUSES EMOTION AND EUPHORIA.

THE PENULTIMATE TRACK 'GREY GOO' IS THE TOUGHEST OF THE FOURSOME. BUILT WITH OFF-KILTER, GRAINY KICKDRUMS AND CINEMATIC PADS THAT SLINK BETWEEN RUSTY BEATS, IT BRIDGES HARDCORE MOTIFS WITH DELICATE SHADES OF GREY, MINION-STYLE.

FINAL TRACK 'SATURDAY NIGHT IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE' DISPLAYS MINION'S VERSATILITY AS A PRODUCER. DELVING INTO A POTENT PALETTE OF ELECTRO, BREAKBEAT, TECHNO AND 2-STEP, HE WELDS RAPID-FIRE CLAPS, FIZZING HI-HATS AND A HEARTFELT MELODY, WEAVING THROUGH BLEEPS AND A CHUNKY BASSLINE—A SIGNAL TO END A LONG TRIP, SOMEWHERE IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE.

ALTHOUGH MINION PRODUCED THE TRACKS FOUR YEARS AGO, 'NITE LYFE' STANDS THE TEST OF TIME AND DOESN'T FOLLOW ANY ONE TREND OR GENRE. INSTEAD, IT'S AN ALCHEMY OF SONIC PATTERNS AND CONTRASTING COLOURS, NODDING TO MINION'S PUNK, HARDCORE AND EXPERIMENTAL INFLUENCES THAT CULTIVATED ODDBALL ELECTRONIC MUSIC IN THE 80S. THE AFTERGLOW OF THESE SOUNDS CULMINATES IN AN EP THAT RIPPLES WITH INTRIGUING HOOKS, CORROSIVE QUALITIES AND STRANGELY BLISSFUL MELODIES. IT REFLECTS THE EXPANSIVE ETHOS OF EVAR DOWN TO THE FINAL BAR.

Nonesuch releases Sorry I Haven’t Called, the new album by Vagabon, the moniker of Lætitia Tamko. Co-produced by Tamko and Rostam (Vampire Weekend, Haim, Clairo), it finds Tamko reinventing herself once again and features the most playful and adventurous music of her career, as evidenced by its lead track and opening song ‘Can I Talk My Shit?’. Vagabon has also announced an autumn tour that includes a headline run in the US, as well as European dates with Weyes Blood.



“I didn’t feel like being introspective,” says Tamko of her new album. “I just wanted to have fun.” Following her intimate 2017 debut Infinite Worlds, the New York artist favoured expansive and evocative electronic textures in her breakthrough 2019 self-titled follow-up. But her latest album feels like a wholly new era for Tamko, one that’s transformational and uncompromising. Across 12 vibrant tracks she wrote and produced primarily in Germany, she channels dance music and effervescent pop through her own confident sensibilities. These conversational songs are alive and unselfconscious, a document of an artist fully embracing her vision and reclaiming her joy.



The first words she sings on the album are, “Can I talk my shit? / I got way too high for this.” It’s a statement of purpose for the rest of the album that this is an unapologetic artist. “This whole record is how I talk to my friends and how to talk to my lovers,” says Tamko. “I think honesty and conversational songwriting can become poetry. There’s beauty in plainly speaking without metaphors and without flowery imagery.”



The story of Sorry I Haven’t Called started in grief after Tamko’s best friend died in 2021. This devastating and unexpected loss unmoored Tamko but also gave her a newfound clarity. “The things that I thought I cared about, I no longer cared about,” she says. “I had a realization that I need to make sure to feel everything that comes my way.” She decided to sell her things and move to a small lakeside village a few hours north of Hamburg in northern Germany to process everything. “There's no linear path to grief, and everyone handles it differently, but uprooting my life just felt like exactly what I had to do,” says Tamko. “I needed a place to think and go through my discomfort privately but to also explore the newness and urgency I was feeling in my life.” In the village, her phone didn’t work and there were no close grocery stores or restaurants, so she spent her time alone working on music.



Despite the palpable absence in her life, her new songs were her most disarming and ebullient yet. The first one she wrote was ‘Carpenter’, a mesmerizing track anchored by a tangible bass groove, where she sings, “I wasn’t ready to move on out / but I'm more ready now.” It’s a fully-realised track and feels like the culmination of her catalogue so far. “A lot of the music that I was making there had nothing to do with my grief at all,” says Tamko. “Once I gave myself permission to make a record that's full of life and energy, I realized that’s the point of this album. In the midst of going through all of these tough things, it became a record because of the vitality that these songs had.” For Tamko, there’s power in pursuing happiness.



While writing in Germany, Tamko nurtured her love for dance music and let it seep into her new songs. “The only things that were giving me access to a feeling were dance music and going to a rave in an extremely dark club where if I wanted to cry, I could do it and be around other people,” she says.



After a few months in Germany that included marathon writing sessions and a whirlwind romance, Tamko decided to stay with friends in Los Angeles and finish her record. She enlisted co-producer Rostam to help her unify her vision.



Sorry I Haven’t Called is a warm and resilient album about embracing the ecstatic moments wherever you can by knowing how you love and how you mourn. It’s an album born of both communal dancefloor revelations and the clarifying peace from solitude, an emotional rebirth as well as an artistic one. “This record feels like what I've been working towards,” says Tamko. “When I think of this album, I think of playfulness. It's completely euphoric. It's because things were dark that this record is so full of life and energy. It’s a reaction to what I was experiencing at the time, not a document of it.”

It’s been nearly eight years since the last Mondo Drag album came out. In that time, the Bay Area psych-prog band toured the US and Europe, performed at major festivals and—once again—reformed their rhythm section. But in the context of the band’s nearly two-decade existence, this period may have been the most fraught. Vocalist and keyboardist John Gamiño lost friends and family members. Meanwhile, humanity suffered the throes of a global pandemic. “It was a dark chapter,” he recalls. “I was going through a lot of stuff personally—there’s been a lot of death, loss of family members, and grief. Plus, the band was inactive. It felt like time was slipping away from me. I felt like I was wasting my opportunities. I felt like I wasn’t participating in my story as much as I could have.” This feeling of time slipping away is the prevailing theme on Mondo Drag’s new album, Through the Hourglass. “For me, Through the Hourglass really encompasses the quarantine/pandemic years,” Gamiño says. “But in a way that includes a couple of years before that for us, because the band was stagnant during that time. Living with that was really impactful on our daily lives. So, the album is reflective. It’s looking at time—past, present, future.” Luckily, Mondo Drag emerged from this dour period reborn. Freshly energized by bassist Conor Riley (formerly of San Diego psych squad Astra, currently of Birth), who joined in 2018, and drummer Jimmy Perez, who joined in 2022, Gamiño and guitarists Jake Sheley and Nolan Girard have triumphed over the seemingly inexorable pull of time’s passage. “Astra was the one contemporary band that we felt was on the same tip as us,” Gamiño says. “We saw the similarities and felt the same vibe. Conor moved to San Francisco in 2018 and heard we were looking for a bassist, so we got in touch. For us, it was like, ‘The synth player from Astra wants to play bass for us?’ We couldn’t think of anybody more perfect.” Perez, meanwhile, brings deep psych-prog knowledge and impeccable skill. “He’s an amazing drummer, and he allowed us to do what we’ve been trying to do,” Gamiño says. “Before he came along, it was like, ‘Where are the drummers who like psych and prog and can play dynamically?’ We ended up trying out metal drummers, but they couldn’t swing. Jimmy was the final piece of the puzzle.” The result is a dazzling and often plaintive rumination on the hours, days, and years—not to mention experiences—that comprise a lifetime. Two-part opener “Burning Daylight” smolders with melancholy, offering a whirl of multi-colored and hallucinatory imagery. “It’s about the California wildfires and a feeling of helplessness,” Gamiño explains. “There’s a juxtaposition between the dark lyricism and upbeat music which is meant to imply a sort of delusional state—and choosing our own delusion to overcome the crushing despair of reality.” Eleven-minute centerpiece “Passages” is a sprawling prog-rock adventure, festooned with lofty guitar melodies, sweeping organ flourishes and a delicately finger-picked outro. But the heaviest song, thematically speaking, might be the mournful and hypnotic “Death in Spring,” which borrows its title from the like-named Catalan novel. “In the novel, people are placed inside opened trees and their mouths filled with cement before they die to prevent their souls from escaping,” Gamiño explains. “The song is about three people I knew who lost their lives to gun violence, addiction, and mental health. It’s my way of cementing their souls in song form.” Mondo Drag fans might be surprised by this blend of hard reality with literary surrealism, but it’s a perfect example of how the last several years have impacted Mondo Drag—and Gamiño in particular. “On all of our previous albums, the lyrical content is more psychedelic and out there,” he acknowledges. “This is the most personal stuff I’ve ever done, so I’m definitely feeling vulnerable on this one.” The title Through the Hourglass comes from the opening of the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives. It’s less inspired by a predilection for daytime TV than Gamiño’s connection with his late mother, who passed during the time since the last album. “I used to watch Days of Our Lives with her everyday growing up,” he explains. “The song is kind of a reinterpretation of the theme song, although it’s different enough that probably no one will catch it. Now that I’m getting older, I like to put these little Easter eggs in the songs for myself and for archival purposes—for memories.” Through the Hourglass was tracked at El Studio in San Francisco, with an additional ten days of recording at the band’s rehearsal space, which doubles as a hybrid analog-digital recording studio. The album was engineered and mixed by Phil Becker, drummer of space-punk mainstays Pins Of Light. “We’re still here,” Gamiño says. “We’ve been in the studio working on our craft and honing our skills. Now we’re re-emerging for the next stage of our life cycle.”

Rare Montreux festival sessions from 1982.
Live Album by Detroit/Tribe Jazz Icon Reggie Fields.
Featuring an All-Star Line-up.
First ever vinyl reissue.
180g BLACK vinyl limited to 500 copies (w/obi strip) . Non-Returnable.



The Real ShooBeeDoo (AKA Reggie Fields) has always been a consistent name on the Detroit jazz scene … Fields who played with Pharoah Sanders while he was living in Motor City, worked with Sun Ra in the late 1970s and early 80s and who was also a close associate of the Afro-centric TRIBE label and artist collective, leaving his marks on a few essential TRIBE sessions such as Phil Ranelin’s “The Time Is Now!” as well as Ranelin & Wendell Harrison’s masterpiece “A Message From The Tribe”. It was Wendell Harrison who gave Fields the chance to record his landmark solo album (Reminiscing from 1981) to be released on his Wenha imprint. Reggie chose to record under his moniker “The Real ShooBeeDoo” because he built a rock-solid reputation as an internationally acclaimed performer under that name.



In 1982 he embarked on a European tour and performed at various clubs in countries such as Germany, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Luxemburg, France and Norway. This ecstatic touring vibe can later be heard on his fantastic ‘‘Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, 1982” album (simply called ‘Good To Go’).



“Good To Go” which we are proudly presenting you today features 10 tracks consisting of smooth Jazz-rumbas, French avant-garde jazz vocalizations, bass lines that can blow through walls as if they were made from paper, foot stomping rhythmic beats, lyrics that are pure poetry and ecstatic beats that took the crowd on a musical trip that ended in them raving for more. Playing before a large and enthusiastic crowd, Reggie’s spiritual cosmic free-flowing rhythms took the audience by storm…and the stakes were high because the bill was pretty impressive, he shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the genre (the festival bill also included Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Rollins).



Also…a quick closer look at the cast of all-star players featured on the album is most likely to be enough to get an impression that this is a very special record. Detroit preferred pianist Earl Van Riper brings his rich musical experience to the table that he perfected during his collaborations with Marcus Belgrave, Eddy ‘Cleanhead’ Vinson, Dinah Washington, Wes Montgomery and countless others. On the tenor saxophone we have Robert Barnes known for his work with Donald Bird…and last but not least we have Tani Tabbal on drums who is famous for his performances and recordings with Roscoe Mitchell and Sun Ra!



All of the above makes this rare album a total must-have that just begs for a prominent place in your record collection.



Tracklist:

Jumping With The Bellboy , Dark Eyes , Qu'est Ceque C’est , Do You Call that Friendship , Oo Shoobee Doo , Crazy She Calls Me , Have You Met Miss Jones , Ye Brac Hareesee , Hit That Jive Jack , Too Late Now

Nach 27 Jahren im aktiven Dienst werden das Engagement und die Intensität des Trios immer größer, und ihre Popularität und ihr Bekanntheitsgrad steigen weiter an. Mit zahllosen Siegen und Erfolgen unter ihrem gemeinsamen Gürtel sind DANKO JONES eine Band von Brüdern, die wenig zu beweisen haben. Aber was soll's, es gibt immer mehr Leute, für die man spielen kann, und mehr Electric Sounds, die man singen kann.
In den letzten zehn Jahren haben DANKO JONES sichtlich einige Gänge hochgeschaltet. Seit sich Frontmann Danko und Bassist JC mit Schlagzeuger Rich Knox zusammengetan haben, lodert das kreative Feuer der Band heller denn je. Eine Reihe von Alben - Fire Music, Wild Cat, A Rock Supreme, Power Trio - hat zu noch intensiverem Touren und unermüdlichem Einsatz für die Sache des Rock geführt. „Electric Sounds“ ist der beste Beweis, dass selbst eine globale Pandemie DANKO JONES nicht aufhalten konnte.

"Hoffentlich kommen wir mit dieser Platte auf Tour und die Leute kommen", sagt Danko. "Ich bin immer angenehm überrascht, wenn jeden Abend ein Publikum vor uns steht. Ich habe gehört, dass Ozzy sich bis heute Sorgen macht, ob die Leute zum Gig kommen werden, und ich kann diese Einstellung irgendwie verstehen. Aber wisst ihr was? Wir haben gerade in der Wembley Arena gespielt! Das ist ein Häkchen auf der Bucket List. Ich bin stolz darauf, dass diese Band in der Wembley-Arena, im Maple Leaf Gardens, im Moskauer Stadion und im CBGBs gespielt hat. Und wirklich, jedes Mal, wenn wir ein neues Studioalbum herausbringen, ist das unser größter Erfolg. Dieses Album ist Nummer 11 und wir sind schon auf dem Weg zu Nummer 12!"

Nach 27 Jahren im aktiven Dienst werden das Engagement und die Intensität des Trios immer größer, und ihre Popularität und ihr Bekanntheitsgrad steigen weiter an. Mit zahllosen Siegen und Erfolgen unter ihrem gemeinsamen Gürtel sind DANKO JONES eine Band von Brüdern, die wenig zu beweisen haben. Aber was soll's, es gibt immer mehr Leute, für die man spielen kann, und mehr Electric Sounds, die man singen kann.
In den letzten zehn Jahren haben DANKO JONES sichtlich einige Gänge hochgeschaltet. Seit sich Frontmann Danko und Bassist JC mit Schlagzeuger Rich Knox zusammengetan haben, lodert das kreative Feuer der Band heller denn je. Eine Reihe von Alben - Fire Music, Wild Cat, A Rock Supreme, Power Trio - hat zu noch intensiverem Touren und unermüdlichem Einsatz für die Sache des Rock geführt. „Electric Sounds“ ist der beste Beweis, dass selbst eine globale Pandemie DANKO JONES nicht aufhalten konnte.

"Hoffentlich kommen wir mit dieser Platte auf Tour und die Leute kommen", sagt Danko. "Ich bin immer angenehm überrascht, wenn jeden Abend ein Publikum vor uns steht. Ich habe gehört, dass Ozzy sich bis heute Sorgen macht, ob die Leute zum Gig kommen werden, und ich kann diese Einstellung irgendwie verstehen. Aber wisst ihr was? Wir haben gerade in der Wembley Arena gespielt! Das ist ein Häkchen auf der Bucket List. Ich bin stolz darauf, dass diese Band in der Wembley-Arena, im Maple Leaf Gardens, im Moskauer Stadion und im CBGBs gespielt hat. Und wirklich, jedes Mal, wenn wir ein neues Studioalbum herausbringen, ist das unser größter Erfolg. Dieses Album ist Nummer 11 und wir sind schon auf dem Weg zu Nummer 12!"

Nach 27 Jahren im aktiven Dienst werden das Engagement und die Intensität des Trios immer größer, und ihre Popularität und ihr Bekanntheitsgrad steigen weiter an. Mit zahllosen Siegen und Erfolgen unter ihrem gemeinsamen Gürtel sind DANKO JONES eine Band von Brüdern, die wenig zu beweisen haben. Aber was soll's, es gibt immer mehr Leute, für die man spielen kann, und mehr Electric Sounds, die man singen kann.
In den letzten zehn Jahren haben DANKO JONES sichtlich einige Gänge hochgeschaltet. Seit sich Frontmann Danko und Bassist JC mit Schlagzeuger Rich Knox zusammengetan haben, lodert das kreative Feuer der Band heller denn je. Eine Reihe von Alben - Fire Music, Wild Cat, A Rock Supreme, Power Trio - hat zu noch intensiverem Touren und unermüdlichem Einsatz für die Sache des Rock geführt. „Electric Sounds“ ist der beste Beweis, dass selbst eine globale Pandemie DANKO JONES nicht aufhalten konnte.

"Hoffentlich kommen wir mit dieser Platte auf Tour und die Leute kommen", sagt Danko. "Ich bin immer angenehm überrascht, wenn jeden Abend ein Publikum vor uns steht. Ich habe gehört, dass Ozzy sich bis heute Sorgen macht, ob die Leute zum Gig kommen werden, und ich kann diese Einstellung irgendwie verstehen. Aber wisst ihr was? Wir haben gerade in der Wembley Arena gespielt! Das ist ein Häkchen auf der Bucket List. Ich bin stolz darauf, dass diese Band in der Wembley-Arena, im Maple Leaf Gardens, im Moskauer Stadion und im CBGBs gespielt hat. Und wirklich, jedes Mal, wenn wir ein neues Studioalbum herausbringen, ist das unser größter Erfolg. Dieses Album ist Nummer 11 und wir sind schon auf dem Weg zu Nummer 12!"

Federica Grappasonni aka Mistura Pura is an Italian DJ, composer, singer, vinyl collector and music producer. She started to play and produce music at the age of 19 in Bologna, Italy. Before becoming a DJ she wrote and performed her songs live, either as a duo or with a complete band. In the ‘Acid Jazz’ era she was totally immersed in Bossanova, Jazz-funk and Jazzy Hip Hop music. At the time she wrote poetry and songs, singing melodies that burned in her mind. ‘Ed è…’ is one of the first songs she wrote. While ‘Vamo Vive’ is the result of the mix of more songs connected as part of her repertoire, made as a later piece of her musical puzzle.

At the end of the ‘90s and for the following decade Federica became known in the so called ‘lounge scene’ as a selector with Mistura Pura DJ sets in great demand, she gained residencies in the most beautiful and cool places in Milan, the isle of Panarea, Eolian Islands, and Sicily. Coming into the present day she decided to edit and rework some of her repertoire with both songs being revisited while keeping the original voice she recorded at the time and with the support of the pianist and co-arranger Alberto Napolioni and the flautist Carlo Nicita whom worked very well to define the harmonies of the musical works. After 25 years from that period and during the pandemic, Federica repeatedly told herself as a loop ‘go to live Fede’. It was during a walk on the beach that she remembered capturing a frame of a couple of children building a castle in the sand on the Adriatic sea with all the meaning and poetry that this image portrays; a sense of freedom, innocence and truth. In this sense ‘Vamo Vive’ and ‘Ed è…’ is a gentle scream of hope in a time when humanity was closed and living like prisoners in their own houses.

The house of Sakskøbing is witnessing a spawn of a sub label with the catalogue code RVZ. This is a coastal part of the main city, with abundance of nature & clear water, the rhythms in Zealand as one may say. The number one comes together as a four track Various Artists and consists of long-term friends of Sakskøbing as well new faces welcomed to the label.

The side A comes from a hardware live project Cattle Freq consistent of three musicians SIL, Keroz and BRTS. The trio have launched the project called Cattle Freq with performance of all original material recorded & rehearsed in the outskirts of their hometown in the end of 2021. Following up is the close friend of the label the Tommy Vicari Jnr, an artist highly praised not only in his native city Sheffield but is consistently played by hard working dj’s in the whole world. With “No matter what” the gentleman returns to label for the second time since 2016 which marks for a special date.

Foxbam Inc is a new label from underground Scottish talent Foxtrot and countryman and long-time acid lover Egebamyasi. Both feature on this first EP which is a various artists affair inspired by many years of playing and partying in the dance world. HIs 'Freaky Foundations' kick off with flat-footed and hard-assed techno, then comes Mr Gasmark who has roots in back metal but loves "a dark acid cocktail". He serves up a high-octane 303-laced monster banger here in the form of a remix of Araknoid. Egebamyasi's 'Fryer State Of Unconsciousness' is a wall of distorted noise and sheet metal synths that never let up. Last of all is a remix from Mark Archer, half of the legendary Altern8, and here offers up a jacking house cut with fat acid lines tearing it up.

Despite her pride in what she had created with The National's Aaron Desner, her faith in music in this new, unforgiving reality had started to falter. She realised in this moment that the one thing she could lean into was her own talent and workethic, after all her greatest ambition had always been to self-produce an album, and this was the moment.

Helped by her partner Sean Sroka (Ten Kills The Pack), who co- produced and together crafted the vision and balance between organic and synthetic production. The process of writing new album
'I'd Be Lying if I Said I Didn't Care' was a journey of catharsis and self-confrontation. Sometimes it gave her anxiety, sometimes it gave her a song. This is Hannah's first record on Lucy Rose's Real Kind Records (Bess Atwell, Samantha Crain, Memorial).

Belgian jazz veterans W.E.R.F. records and JazzLab are celebrating their 30th anniversary together with three unique creation projects for which they are joining forces. One of them is with percussionist Chris Joris, a veteran of Belgian jazz who is releasing a haunting new project.

Until the Darkness Fades' immediately says something about Chris Joris' career path, in which the musical and the personal invariably overlap. This percussionist has written one of the most colorful chapters of Belgian jazz. For many years he was active within various genres, but is now mostly praised as the percussionist who constantly demolished boundaries. Not only between all those oppressive genre boxes - pop, experiment, theater, world music, jazz - but also between complete worlds.

Chris Joris was playing "world jazz" long before there was that term, and he signed on for some hot-blooded jazz classics, with "Out Of The Night" perhaps the best-known example. That album was originally released in 2003, was then unavailable for years, but is back on shelves in 2023 and on vinyl for the first time. And rightfully so. Joris also eagerly seized the prospect of a new tour and a brand new album for a musical self-portrait. With "Until the Darkness Fades," he highlights different aspects of his musical identity, both expected and unexpected.

Joris composed new material, but also keeps a prominent place for free improvisation. It will be a tantalizing dichotomy full of hybrid sounds, with familiar and less familiar sounds, between romanticism and uninhibited adventure. He explores these in the presence of notable associates on violin and cello. In this way, he combines earthy percussion with the freedom of jazz and the elegance of chamber music. Discover this story of a Belgian master who is far from finished.

A.R. Kive collates the three most astonishing works from that most miraculous of duos - A.R. Kane - comprising the ‘Up Home’ EP from 1988 that signified the band’s dawning realisation of their own powers and possibilities, their legendary debut LP ‘sixty nine’ (1988) and its kaleidoscopic, prophetic double-LP follow up ‘i’ (1989).

In founder-member Rudy Tambala’s new remastering, the music on these pivotal transmissions from the birth of dream pop, have been reinvigorated and re-infused with a new power, a new depth and intimacy, a new height and immensity. Vivid, timeless and yet always timely whenever they’re recalled, these records still force any listener to realise that despite the habits of retrospective myth-making and the
safe neutering effects of ‘genre’, thirty years have in no way dimmed how resistant and dissident to critical habits of categorisation A.R. Kane always were. Never quite ‘avant-pop’ or ‘shoegaze’ or ‘post-rock’ or any of those sobriquets designed to file and categorise, A.R. Kive is a reminder that those genres had to be coined, had to be invented precisely to contain the astonishing sound of A.R. Kane, because
previous formulations couldn’t come close to their sui generis sound and suggestiveness. This is music that pointed towards futures which a whole generation of artists and sonic explorers would map out. Now beautifully repackaged, remastered and fleshed out with extensive sleeve notes and accompanying materials, ‘A.R. Kive’ reveals that 35 years on it’s still a struggle to defuse the revolutionary and inspirational possibility of A.R. Kane’s music.

A.R. Kane were formed in 1986 by Rudy Tambala and Alex Ayuli, two second-generation immigrants who grew up together in Stratford, East London. From the off the pair were outsiders in the culturally mixed (cockney/Irish/West Indian/Asian) milieu of the East End, with Alex and Rudy’s folks first generation immigrants from Nigeria and Malawi, respectively. The two of them quickly developed and fostered an innate and near-telepathic mutual understanding forged in musical, literary and artistic exploration. Like a lot of second-generation immigrants, they were ferocious autodidacts in all kinds of areas, especially around music and literature. Diving deep into the music of afro-futurist luminaries such as Sun Ra, Miles Davis, Lee Perry and
Hendrix, as well as devouring the explorations of lysergic noise and feedback from contemporaries like Sonic Youth and Butthole Surfers, they also thoroughly immersed themselves in the alternate literary realities of sci-fi and ancient history (the fascination with the arcane that gave the band their name), all to feed their voracious cultural thirsts and intellectual curiosity.

It was seeing the Cocteau Twins performing on Channel 4 show the Tube that spurred A.R. Kane into being - “They had no drummer. They used tapes and technology and Liz Fraser looked completely otherworldly with those big eyes. And the noise coming out of Robin’s guitar! That was the ‘Fuck! We could do that! We could express ourselves like that!’ moment”, recalls Tambala - and through a mix of
confidence, chutzpah, ad hoc almost-mythical live shows and sheer innocent will the duo debuted with the astonishing ‘When You’re Sad’ single for One Little Indian in 1986. Immediately dubbed a ‘black Jesus & Mary Chain’ by a press unsure of WHERE to put a black band clearly immersed in feedback and noise, what was immediately apparent for listeners was just how much more was going on here - a
tapping of dub’s stealth and guile, a resonant umbilicus back to fusion and jazz, the music less a conjuration of past highs than a re-summoning of lost spirits.
The run of singles and EPs that followed picked up increasingly rapt reviews in the press, but it was the ‘Up Home EP’ released in 1988 on their new home, Rough Trade that really suggested something immense was about to break. Simon Reynolds noted the EP was: Their most concentrated slab of iridescent awesomeness and a true pinnacle of an era that abounded with astounding landmarks of guitar-reinvention, A.R. Kane at their most elixir-like.

If anything, the remastered ‘Up Home’ that forms the first part of ‘A.R. Kive’ is even more dazzling, even more startling than it was when it first emerged, and listening now you again wonder not just about how many bands christened ‘shoegaze’ tried to emulate it, but how all of them fell so far short of its lambent, pellucid wonder. This remains intrinsically experimental music but with none of the frowning orthodoxy those words imply. A.R. Kane, thanks to that second generation auto-didacticism were always supremely aware about the interstices of music and magic, but at the same time gloriously free in the way they explored that connection within their own sound, fascinated always with the creation of ‘perfect mistakes’ and the possibilities inherent in informed play.

‘sixty nine’ the group’s debut LP that emerged in 1988 had
critics and listeners struggling to fit language around A.R. Kane’s sound. As a title it was telling - the year of ‘Bitches Brew’, the year of ‘In A Silent Way’, the erotic möbius between two lovers - and as originally coined by the band themselves, ‘dream pop’ (before it became a free-floating signifier of vague import) was entirely apposite for the music A.R. Kane were making. Crafted in a dark small basement studio in which Tambala recalls the duo had “complete freedom - We wanted to go as far out as we could, and in doing so we discovered the point where it stops being music”. There was an irresistibly dreamy, somnambulant, sensual and almost surreal flow to ‘sixty nine’s sound, but also real darkness/dankness, the ruptures of the primordial and the reverberations of the subconscious, within the grooves of remarkable songs like ‘Dizzy’ and ‘Crazy Blue’. Alex’s plangent vocals floated and surged amidst exquisite peals of refracted feedback but crucially there was BASS here, lugubrious and funky and full of dread, sonic pleasure and sonic disturbance crushed together to make music with a center so deep it felt subcutaneous, music constructed from both the accidental and the deliberate, generous enough to dance with both serendipity and chaos. ‘sixty nine’ remains - especially in this remastered iteration - ravishing, revolutionary.

The final part of this ‘A.R. Kive’ contains 1989’s astonishing double-LP ‘i’ which followed up on ‘sixty nine’s promise and saw the duo fully unleash their experimental pop sensibilities over 26 tracks, plunging the A.R. Kane sound into a dazzlingly kaleidoscopic vision of pop experiment and play. Suffused with new digital technologies and combining searingly sweet and danceable pop with perhaps the duo’s strangest and boundary-pushing compositions, the album did exactly what a great double-set should do - indulge the artists sprawling pursuit of their own imaginations but always with a concision and an ear for those moments where pop both transcends and toys with the listeners expectations. Jason Ankeny has noted that “In retrospect, ‘i’ now seems like a crystal ball prophesying virtually every major musical development of the 1990s; from the shimmering techno of ‘A Love from Outer Space’ to the liquid dub of ‘What’s All This Then?’, from the alien drone-pop of ‘Conundrum’ to the sinister shoegazer miasma of ‘Supervixens’ — it’s all here, an underground road map for countless bands to follow.” Perhaps the most overwhelmingly all-encompassing transmission from A.R. Kane, ‘i’ bookended a three year period in which the duo had made some of the most prophetic and revelatory music of the entire decade.

After ‘i’ the duo’s output became more sporadic with Tambala and Ayuli moving in different directions both geographically and musically, with only 1994’s ‘New Clear Child’ a crystalline re-fraction of future and past echoes of jazz, folk and soul, before the duo went their separate ways. Since then, A.R. Kane’s music has endured, not thanks to the usual sepia’d false memories that seem to maintain interest in so much of the musical past, but because those who hear A.R. Kane music and are changed irrevocably, have to share that universe which A.R. Kane opened up, with anyone else who will listen. Far more than other lauded documents of the late 80s it still sounds astonishingly fresh, astonishingly livid and vivid and necessary and NOW.

No Other Voice And Artist Influenced And Basically Created The Female Fronted Symphonic Metal Genre As Much As Tarja. A Pioneer In Goth And Symphonic Metal, The Classically Trained Finn Rose To Fame With The Band Nightwish, Whose Face And Voice She Had Been For 9 Years. Tarja, Whose Vocal Range Goes As Far As Three Octaves, Started Her Solo Career After Stepping Out Of Nightwish In 2004.
Releasing Several Very Successful Solo Albums, Awarded Gold And Platinum In Various Countries, Such As Germany, Poland, Czech Republic Or Finland, Tarja Turunen Has Been Touring The World With Her New Band. The Most Successful Finnish Solo Artist Is One Of The Most Versatile And Passionate Musicians Originating From But Not Limited To The Heavy Music Scene: Her Pure Classical Work 'ave Maria - En Plein Air' Charted In The Classical Charts In Germany And Has Led To Sold Out Classical Concerts All Over Europe. Adored By Many Fans As Their 'goddess', The Finnish Soprano Has The Skill To Carry Her Fans Away Just By Her Presence - Probably More Than Any Other Female Artist In This Genre. When Classic Meets Rock And Heavy Metal, It Inevitably Leads To Tarja

Filmed during Tarja's world tour 'The Shadow Shows', during which the influential heavy rock singer circled the world 7 ½ times with over 300.000 km travelled and played over 200 shows in 40 countries in front of 1 million people, 'Act II' consists of the singer's very intimate 75 minute set filmed and recorded live at the Metropolis Studio in London, UK and the breathtaking live performance of one of her shows in Milan, Italy, and previously unreleased interviews and photo galleries. The theatrical rock adventure 'Act II' combines two incredible, yet slightly different live performances on video: The first chapter, 'Metropolis Alive', has been filmed two months prior to the release of Tarja's 2016 success 'The Shadow Self'. 20 winners from all over Europe were lucky to witness Tarja's intimate, yet rocking 75 minute set at renowned Metropolis Studios in London, UK where the singer performed songs from her then unreleased album - for the first time in front of an audience. 'Act II's' second chapter has been recorded on November 29th, 2016 at the magnificent Teatro della Luna Allago in Milan, Italy and includes numerous hits from all four Tarja albums such as 'Innocence', 'Die Alive', 'Until My Last Breath' as well as an incredible cover of Muse's classic 'Supremacy'. That night's set list also enchants the soprano's
long-time fans with a medley consisting of the distinctive Nightwish evergreens 'Ever Dream', 'Slaying The Dreamer' and 'The Riddler'. All topped off with a remarkable acoustic set which presents Tarja classics in a brand new way. Even though the shows deliberately differ in look, sound, approach to the music and adrenalin, both have one thing in common: from the very first to the very last tune, the state of the art production displays Tarja's energetic performance and her graceful, charming presence.
'Act II' is going to be released as 2CD digipak, 3LP Gatefold (180g, black), DVD, Blu-ray, Limited Mediabook 2CD+2BD (incl. two full live shows filmed at Hellfest in France and Woodstock Festival in Poland as bonus) and Digital.
'ACT I', Tarja's first ever live release, charted Top 10 all over Europe as well as almost all over the world, with a sensational #5 in Germany's General Charts. The video version even remained for over two months at the peak of the Finnish music video charts.

An aura of mystery hangs over Jacky Giordano, a studio musician who has mostly worked for library music.He is the one behind the amazing label Freesound (Schifter, Philopsis, Challenger), but as well on Montparnasse 2000 with Pop in Devil's Train (reissued on Le Tres Groove Club), on Timing (Timing N?1 and Timing N?5, under the nickname Jacky Nodaro), on Musax with Boucles Rythmiques (under the nickname Joachim Sherylee, reissued as well on Le Tres Groove Club) or Black Devil Disco Club whose paternity for this record is still disputed between him and Bernard Fevre. Jacky Giordano wasn't an altar boy, far from it, and will have sadly been more known for his troubles with justice than for his music.This is his work for the label l'Illustration Musicale (IM) which can now be rediscovered thanks to this new reissue on Le Tres Groove Club.Organ Plus (IM26) is the sequel to Organ (IM 24), also reissued by Le Tres Groove Club. The title is misleading here, an organ not being preponderant part of the record which honours the Fender Rhodes, string machine, bass synth and clavinet. 'Be Careful', 'Riffologic', 'Twillight' : Jacky Giordano offers slow tempo jazz-funk, without losing his melancholy and low-fi groove that make his tracks immediately recognisable regardless the record label or nickname.

The first vinyl release from American artist Sydney Spann, Sending Up A Spiral Of well encapsulates Spann’s body of work thus far. On their music, which reacts to themes of family systems and care work, Sydney writes, “people who have done care work —nannies, sex workers, therapists, nurses— may possess their own musical knowledge, developed over time through particular modes of voicing practiced to achieve a desired outcome in their labor. Attending intimately to these ways of voicing and listening and bringing them into a sound practice could be a way to legitimize a less recognized kind of musical knowledge.”

Sending Up A Spiral Of explores this unarticulated expression through sound and song. The titular piece traces Spann within some quixotic woodland, as if beginning inside of some urban fairy-story. Self-soothing singing quivers under dragging branches, peeling cement and other tactile grit. The work drops into a new proximity half-way through as electronic contours overtake the environment. Sine-tones smolder in a pulsating choreography, perhaps reminiscent of Richard Maxfield’s “Night Music” played at half-speed.

The second section of the record depicts a series of five smaller portraits, expressed (or disguised) as lullabies. An oceanic humming permeates them. “Possession” and “Purposeful Evening” are the most song-like lullabies, with their verse-chorus repetition and melodic simplicity. Innocuous words “baby” and “honey” are encoded with deeper, often painful connotations. Sydney’s voice and vision for this album is ambitious, cloaked in the strains and contradictions of what love means in the nuclear family.

A 16-page artist pamphlet of rubbings, photographs and sheet music accompanies the LP, along with a digital PDF of Spann’s thesis “Sending Up A Spiral Of: A Musical Epistemology Made Through Care Work.”

Setting out to create a future Balearic anthem while doffing a cap to street soul and synth-heavy Italo-disco B-sides of the early 1980s, Orbs of Light’s debut single, ‘Billion Days’ lands on Leng after a tip-off from Mind Fair duo Dean Meredith and Ben Shenton, who booked the duo to play live at their Rotation festival last summer.

Orbs of Light’s Baz Bradley and A Girl Called Kate have been friends for decades and have collaborated musically in the past, though it was only a couple of years ago that they dreamed up this project. It was first trialled via a 2021 remix for Andres y Xavi on Hollis Recordings (‘Perfect Timing’) on which Kate added new vocals to Bradley’s interpretation of the track. Since then, regular recording sessions have taken place, with the duo first crafting tight instrumental tracks before – in Bradley’s words – “dream up the best songs we can” with “melodies that will hopefully stay in your head all day”.

It would be fair to say that they’ve achieved that goal on ‘Billion Days’, a hooky and addictive affair whose vocal hooks and strong chorus could well inspire Balearic sing-alongs in the months ahead. Their original mix (B1 on the vinyl version of the EP, track 2 on the digital EP) is joyous, cheery and kaleidoscopic, with steel pan style melodies, bouncy synth stabs, jaunty lead lines and Kate’s wonderful lead vocal riding a shuffling, post street soul beat and a bubbly bassline.

The accompanying remix package is naturally very strong too. San Francisco crew 40 Thieves, fresh from dropping a killer single of their own on Leng (‘The Gift’, with disco legends Gary Davis and Cinnamon Jones), step up first with a take that stretches out and builds on Orbs of Light’s original mix – think wobbly nu-disco synth bass, fresh flute sounds, dubbed-out vocal snippets and a locked-in groove that’s just perfect for sun-soaked alfresco dancing.

Fittingly, the second and final revision comes from Mind Fair, whose email to Leng HQ about Orbs of Light got the ball rolling. Opting for a rubbery, body-popping beat inspired by vintage electro, they deliver a joyful, effects-laden Balearic dancefloor ‘Dub Mix’ that somehow makes a genuinely life-affirming record even more loved-up and saucer-eyed – despite the presence of only a fraction of Kate’s addictive lead vocal.

Banshee is the new record label from internationally renowned DJ/producer Brianna Price (B.Traits/Baby T). Drawing “esoteric aggressive feminine energy” from the folkloric figure that gives Banshee its name, the imprint will focus on the output of Price’s Baby T alias.

Brianna knows her way around a dance. Years spent producing, DJing, and touring under the B.Traits alias have given Price a vast knowledge of rave culture. Now, all of that experience has been put to good use as part of Baby T’s “hardcore junglist shit only” approach. Anyone who has encountered a Baby T tune in a dark basement over the years should know that there will be no messing around with Banshee’s output. Baby T specialises in hardcore rave tackle schooled by junglism, electro and darkside techno, the project’s sound was honed via releases on labels like Samurai Music and Central Processing Unit. It’s a style at once wild yet focused, untamed yet laser-precise - This is music that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up – not unlike a banshee’s shriek, in fact…

The first Banshee release is not a collection for the faint of heart. Each of these four cuts is primed for deployment at the point of the party when things really kick into overdrive. Fiercely danceable, and unapologetically abrasive, Baby T’s productions here can school any challenger in the electro, techno, and jungle fields yet also carry themselves with a punkish spirit that sets them apart from the pack.

Madben's superb Troisième Sens album is remixed again, as new mixes from Josh Wink and AVNU join previous offerings from Alinka and Avision on this standout EP.

Kicking off this fantastic package is Ukraine-born but Berlin-based Alinka. She is now right at the cutting edge of the scene after big releases on the likes of Rekids and Live at Robert Johnson. She is a regular at iconic spots like Berghain/Panorama Bar, Circoloco and Smart Bar and flips 'Addicted' into a heavy house cut with thumping drums and lithe baselines. Acid sprays about over warmer synths to make for a real peak-time weapon. Next up is Josh Wink, a legendary electronic artist who heads up the Ovum label and has consistently crafted some of house and techno's biggest tracks. He flips '1AM At A Rave' into seven-plus minutes of scintillating electronic deepness with trippy leads and real synth intensity building to an explosive peak.

NYC DJ and producer Avision has released EPs such as ‘Innocence’ on this label while also getting support for his new school techno from Adam Beyer and Chris Liebing. His remix of 'Circuit Breaker' is a chunky and textural affair with seriously weighty drums. Stark synths rise up through the mix next to bubbling acid to make for a heart-of-the-dance-floor classic. Scottish artist AVNU is another label regular who dropped his ‘Tough To Love But Worth The Effort’ album here last year. He flips '1AM At A Rave' into a dark and atmospheric cut with flashes of strobe-lit synth and zippy leads that rip up the crunchy electro-tinged drums.

This is a vital package of varied reworks that bring plenty of new direction to the superb source material.

In Rumi's poem A Great Wagon he writes of a place of total acceptance. "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there," It is a boundless, liminal space where we can release the judgments we make and carry of ourselves, and the comparisons to others. When we think of this field, there is a sense of tranquility that only comes when we are undisturbed by the shadow self and see existence as neither bright nor dim, white nor black. But as lead singer Greg Bertens explains, arriving there is a whole different story. "This is a poem I've returned to over the years, and I love the idea of this place, but getting there is life's journey." Bertens adds "I think the longing for and elusiveness of this field is a recurring theme in our music." Field is enveloped by themes of regret, disconnection and frustration but with the space to understand that these feelings are a natural part of the struggle between reconciling the inner and outer self. The Los Angeles/San Francisco-based group have been indie shoegaze stalwarts since their formation in 2001. After two decades and a handful of line-up changes, their extensive discography presents a dynamically textural, lush psychedelic rock that has featured guest appearances by members of Pavement, My Bloody Valentine, and Snow Patrol, among others. 2021's LP We Weren't Here was hailed for its dense instrumental blanket, where unrelenting hi-hats and heavy kicks exist alongside dreamy drone guitar. This propulsive nature permeates Field, as members Bertens, Noël Brydebell (vocals), Nyles Lannon (guitar), Jason Ruck (synths), Justin LaBo (bass), and Adam Wade (drums) produce a kaleidoscopic sonic landscape. Patient, sprawling instrumentation builds a foundation in which Bertens' themes of endurance, perseverance and clarity can bloom with a considered poise. As a lyricist who writes in response to the instrumental arrangements, rather than a focus on a specific theme or person, Field is a testament to Film School's ability to create in the moment, and to showcase the magic that stems from when we are truly present. Album opener "Tape Rewind" is a swirling rush of color, as sustained guitars, darkened bass lines and urgent, percussive swells dance alongside each other. "This is the newest of all the songs on the record and feels like a new level of heaviness for the band," Bertens explains, noting that its lyrical context of struggling to move past trauma adds to its cathartic essence. Field is bookended by heavier themes, with closer "All I'll Ever Be" taking on the perspective of those we hurt when we embrace our own toxic behaviors. Originally written to be a simple acoustic guitar and vocals song soon turned into an ethereal, effects-laden composition, with Noël's hazy lead vocals ushering in a new-found acceptance. "It's all I want / To be released / And all I can be," she laments, cementing Field's message of accepting ourselves in whatever form we find ourselves in. "Defending Ruins" is a murky relentless underworld, inspired by the freewheeling tones of Texas-based band Holy Wave. "Defending the ruins, defending remains," Bertens spits, among a richly-layered outro. "Don't You Ever" confirms Film School's ability to merge both delicate and growling instrumentation throughout the album, with the song's softly spoken section hovering above sparkling guitar. "Is This A Hotel" bends towards the electronic aspects of the band, with wailing synths accompanying a story of bitter desire. With over two decades in the industry, Field cements Film School as a distinct, dominant force in the shoegaze scene. Soaked in an emotionally open, imaginative atmosphere, the album is both singular and expansive, and leaves the door open for a constantly evolving interpretation. Film School have never confined themselves to the rigidity of specifics, and it's on Field that they urge us to look beyond the binary of certainty, and to take a second look

Odd Holiday are purveyors of a rare breed of hip hop, both anchored in golden-era lyrical dexterousness and aligned to the contemporary movement of minimal soulful production. Their music is deeply emotive, seasoned, and undeniable.
L.I.S.A is the debut release by the semi-nomadic duo consisting of Mattic, a Charlotte, NC native currently residing in France and producer Daylight Robbery! who has one foot in the burgeoning jazz scene of London, UK and the other in the boom bap foundation of Brooklyn, NY. L.I.S.A represents the meeting of two forces who are at the top of their game and supremely comfortable in their craft, merging into something which feels both timeless and brand new.

Wewantsounds Is Pursuing Its Ambitious Akiko Yano Reissue Program With The Release Of "japanese Girl", Her Landmark Debut Album From 1976. Backed By Little Feat With Lowell George And By The Cream Of Japanese Musicians (including Haruomi Hosono), Japanese Girl Is One Of The Most Important Japanese Albums Of The 70s, Mixing Pop, Rock, Japanese Folk Together With Little Feat's Superb Classic Sound. This Is The Very First Time The Album Is Released Internationally. The Deluxe Lp Edition Includes Remastered Sound, Tip-on Lp Sleeve, Download Card Plus The Original 4-page Insert With Lyrics And Full Line-up!
When Akiko Suzuki Left Her Home Town Of Aomori For Tokyo In The Early 70s Aged Just 15 To Become A Professional Musician, She Quickly Started Making Waves On The Local Music Scene Performing At The Jazz Club Rob Roy. In 1973 She Released A 7" With The Group Zariba And Caught The Attention Of A&r Man Koki Miura. She Then Recorded One Song, "oinaru Shiino-ki" With Haruomi Hosono On Bass And Drummer Tatsuo Hayashi (who Features On Many Hosono Albums And Also Hiroshi Sato's 1979 Album Orient) With A Full Album In Mind.

After A Marriage With Musician/producer Makoto Yano And The Birth Of Her Son (named Fuuta), Yano And Her Team Resumed The Recording Of The Album And Decided To Pitch Little Feat For A Collaboration As She Loved The Group. Against All Odds They Said Yes And Yano Left Tokyo For Los Angeles In March 1976 To Record A Full Side With Them. The Legend Has It They Found It So Difficult To Keep Up With Yano's Compositions They Returned Some Of Their Fee. The Session Was Nevertheless Stunning And Lowell George Even Compared Yano To Stevie Wonder. The Little Feat Blend Of New Orleans Groove Matched Yano's Melodies Perfectly, As Witnessed On "funamachi-uta Part 2." Originally A Traditional Song From The Nebuta Festival In Her Hometown Of Aomori (part I On Side 2 Gives A Good Idea Of What The Original Form Sounds Like), The Little Feat Version Is A Formidable Slow-funk Workout Not Dissimilar To Their Classic, "spanish Moon", Serving Yano's Beautiful Vocals And Sense Of Groove To Perfection. The Whole Side Is A Match Made In Heaven, Showcasing The Classic Little Feat Line Up At Their Funkiest With Yano's Unique Japanese Twist.

The Japanese Side On The Album Gives A Great Snapshot Of The Tokyo Music Scene Of The 70s With Many Musicians Gravitating Around Haruomi Hosono (and Present On His 1973 Classic Album 'hosono House' Including Sound Engineer Kinji Yoshino) And Also Several Musicians From Japanese Band, The Moonriders.

Recorded At The Legendary Onkyo Haus Studio In Tokyo, The Sessions Mix Singer-songwriter Sensitivity And Pop With Traditional Japanese Sounds And Instruments Like The Shinobue Transverse Flute, The Koto String Instrument Or The Tsuzumi Hand Drum As Played On "hekoriputaa" By The Legendary Percussionist Kisaku Katada Who Was Appointed Living National Treasure By The Japanese State In 1999; Together They Create A Beautiful East-meets-west Mix Masterfully Driven By Yano's Creativity And Unique Talent.

A Breathtaking Debut Album That Made Akiko Yano One Of The Most Important Artists To Emerge From The 70s, Japanese Girl Has Since Become A Milestone In Japanese Music With A Recent Documentary On Nhk Tv Telling The Whole Story Behind This Classic. Wewantsounds Is Now Proud To Present This Essential Album To The Rest Of The World.

Following the success of Hiroshi Sato's reissue, Wewantsounds is proud to announce an ambitious programme to release Akiko Yano's albums outside of Japan starting with her 1981 synth-pop masterpiece 'Tadaima.', co-produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto and featuring YMO. The reissue includes original artwork by cult illustrator King Terry, a 2 page insert and OBI Strip (LP) plus a new introduction by renowned Electro DJ Joakim. Japan's best kept secret, Akiko Yano is one of the most ground-breaking artists to come out of the 70s Japanese music scene along with HaruomiHosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto. A piano child prodigy, Yano started her solo recording career in 1976 at just 21, recording her debut album "Japanese Girl" with no less than Little Feat as the backing band. This album created a stir on the Japanese scene and Yano was on the map. She went on to record a series of superb albums mixing Funk, Electro and City Pop featuring the cream of Japanese (and sometimes American and English) musicians; The fact she was producing, writing and composing herself made her a true maverick in a very male-dominated industry. These albums, incredibly, have never been released outside of Japan to this day. "Tadaima." ("I'm home" in Japanese) recorded in 1981 is Yano's fith studio album co-produced by her then husband Ryuichi Sakamoto and featuring all the musicians from YMO (HaruomiHosono, Yukihiro Takahashi and Sakamoto), the group she was touring with at the time. "Tadaima." is Yano's first attempt to leave the acoustic piano aside and delve into the synth sounds of the early 80s. The result is a fascinating electro pop masterpiece showcasing her talent as a writer, musician and singer, creating her own unique universe. Mixing Japanese and English lyrics, Yano crafts perfect pop songs such as "Tadaima" "I Sing", "HarusakiKobeni" (which became one of her most famous songs after its use in a Japanese cosmetics ad), while "Taiyo No Onara" is a suite composed of nine short stories written by Children. Contributors on Tadaima also include ShigesatoItoi, one of Japan's most famous copywriters (for Studio Ghibli among others) who wrote two tracks on the album and his friend legendary illustrator TeruhikoYumura - aka King Terry - who revolutionised underground manga in the 70s with his 'heta-uma' (bad-good) style, as showcased on the album's striking artwork. 'Tadaima.' is the perfect entry point to Akiko Yano's unique body or work.


The reissue comes with the original obi strip artwork, extensive liner notes and a new introduction from Joakim

2023 Repress Blue Vinyl

- Eagerly anticipated follow up to 2014 debut - number 7 in Mojo's best albums of the year.
- LP jacket is gloss laminate with front & back folds on the outside.The back panel is uncoated/matt varnish - 300 gsm card and 180g vinyl. Digital Download included.
- EU tour coming in April with Summer festivals later in 2017.

Sometimes it can take years to find your calling. Not so, for wanderer Julie Byrne, whose power of lyrical expression and melodic nous seems inborn. But often, what comes naturally demonstrates against speed. Julie's second album Not Even Happiness has taken time to evolve, but as it spans recollections of bustling roadside diners, the stars over the high desert, the aching weariness of change, the wildflowers on the coast of California and the irresolvable mysteries of love. Her new album archives a vivid world that would've otherwise been lost to the road and in doing so, Byrne exhibits her extraordinarily innate musicality.

In fact, some of the album's songs took two years of fine tuning to get where they needed to be. And if you were to ask her why the follow up to 2014's Rooms With Walls And Windows has taken so long, you'd only be greeted with a bemused smile as though it's the strangest question she's ever been asked, Writing comes from a natural process of change and growth. It took me up to this point to have the capacity to express my experience of the time in my life that these songs came from.'

Having counted Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Northampton, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois, Seattle, New Orleans as her home in recent years. For now, Julie has settled in New York City where she moonlights as a seasonal urban park ranger in Manhattan. Whether witnessing the Pacific Northwest for the first time ('Melting Grid'), the morning sky in Colorado after staying up through the night at a house party in the mountains of Boulder ('Natural Blue'), recording the passage of freight trains on the outskirts of Buffalo, New York ('Interlude'), or a journey fragrant with rose water, reading Frank O'Hara aloud from the passengers seat during a drive through the desert of Utah into the rainforest of Washington State ('All The Land Glimmered Beneath'), Not Even Happiness is Julie's beguilingly ode to the fringes of life.

Self-taught on the guitar after picking it up when her father became ill and could no longer play the instrument himself, Julie readily admits she can't read music and doesn't even listen to it all that much - the first vinyl she owned was indeed, her own. Recorded with producer Eric Littmann (Phantom Posse), Julie laid down the new album in her childhood home in western New York state and offers an altogether bigger picture to its predecessor through a wider, yet subtle, exploration of instruments and atmospherics, Not Even Happiness reveals an artist who has grown in confidence over time.

Byrne's debut album was released back in January 2014 on Chicago based DIY label Orindal after initially being as two separate cassettes releases. Rooms With Walls and Windows went onto become a true modern-day word of mouth success story (it would have to be for an artist who shuns all forms of social media) and ended the year being voted number 7 in Mojo magazine's best albums of the year, with the Huffington Post calling it "2014's Great American Album". A collection of hushed intimate front porch psych-folk songs, that unknowingly recalled the greats, but felt very much for our time. It saw her travel to Europe over two summers playing the Green Man festival and End Of The Road, as well as lesser trodden tour paths around Europe.

Julie Byrne will take the songs from Not Even Happiness (the first release on a new record label Basin Rock, based in the Lancashire / Yorkshire border town of Todmorden) on the road throughout 2017.

The record is both a wonderful evolution in Tom's songwriting, and perhaps his most personal, heartfelt work so far. Inspired by pivotal moments, the album examines everything from family strife to heartbreak and abandonment, and exhibits some of the most confident, refined songwriting of his career. Set against lush soundscapes of beautifully textured guitars, agile strings and bright piano notes, these songs delve into the wonders of new love; reach out to a beloved sister; celebrate a close friend's good news. "I've touched on things in this record that I've never spoken about before," he says. "It's without doubt my most personal to date."Title track 'Love & Light' is dedicated to Speight's older sister, Cathy. Like "Tomorrow", it reaches out to a loved one with an emotional acuity that is startling for its candour. "My sister was the one who gave me my first guitar," he explains. "She used to pick me up from school... sometimes she'd forget and be a bit late, but I didn't mind." The song (like the album) is full of unconditional love, powerful enough that it stays with you long after the final note.

“Upopo Sanke“ means “Let's sing a song" in the Ainu language. Umeko Ando (1932-2004) was one of the best-known artists of the Ainu, an indigenous, long-suppressed community in northern Japan. She sings their traditional songs together with Oki Kano on the Tonkori harp, who also recorded the album. The two are supported by members of the female vocal group Marewrew as well as Ainu percussionists, a string player and a male singer who provides rhythmic shouts and also throat singing. The call-and-response structure of many of the songs is performed with a mantric quality in a vocal style that is perhaps best described as elastic and breathing. There seems to be a gentle smile in every note and syllable. This music softly hits the heart.

Upopo Sanke was recorded on a farm in Tokachi in the summer of 2003. We hear dogs barking, a distant thunderstorm and voices imitating animals. The liner notes that accompany the 2LP release gather the anecdotal memories of Umeko Ando and Oki Kano about the stories of the 14 songs. Oki Kano is a musical ambassador of the Ainu culture who tours worldwide with his Oki Dub Ainu Band and also gives solo concerts, always playing the Tonkori, the five-stringed Ainu harp.

The Ainu have suffered from the oppression of their culture and language by Japan, especially since the 18th and 19th centuries. Only recently, in 2008, were the Ainu officially recognized again as an indigenous people culturally independent of Japan. As a result of the marginalization, there are now only a few hundred native speakers of the Ainu language left, making it a particularly worthy object of preservation.

"Upopo Sanke" was mixed again in part by Oki Kano, before being mastered and cut to vinyl by Kassian Troyer. The 2LP plays on 45rpm and it sounds fantastic. This album was the second album by Umeko Ando, the follow-up to „Ihunke" and also re-released in 2018 by Pingipung together with Oki Kano.

Phil Upchurch is the kind of guitarist who makes a strong point by what he chooses not to play. There are speedier chopsmeisters, players who undertake more daring intervallic leaps, those who navigate trickier lines, but it would be hard to imagine a more soulful guitarist than Upchurch. From his laidback phrasing on Nat Adderley's bluesy boogaloo "Jive Samba" to his buttery-smooth vocal inflections on Steely Dan's "Jack of Speed" and on the bluesy title track, Upchurch's understated approach on Tell the Truth! is more about pure feeling than technique. And yet he's holding in that department too, as he so capably demonstrates on Roland Vasquez's "Long Gone Bird" and on his own stunning arrangement of Paul Desmonds' "Take Five," done up in a similar fashion to his arrangement for that tune on George Benson's crossover smash hit from 1976, Breezin'. His unaccompanied rendition of "St. Louis Blues" is another guitaristic highlight, showcasing what Upchurch calls his stride guitar technique: incorporating bass, chords and melody lines simultaneously, a la Joe Pass. The prolific studio guitarist covers a lot of basses and blows his own horn in fine style on his Evidence debut.

Synod was created at Concordia Teachers College by three sophomores. The band had a few personnel changes in its first couple of years, but remained very stable for more than four decades. In the 1970s they released two 45 RPM singles and one full length album. This 45 RPM single contains the fantastic "Sheryl Song". On the A-side you find a previously unreleased recording titled "Anchors Away". This fantastic double-sider is certainly made for fans of the Praise Poems series but also everybody else who is into soulful AOR / yacht rock.

Ocela can be a dance album if you want it to be, but above that, it is an album about dancing. The second instalment in a planned trilogy, it regards dance as a form of pathmaking, a physical chronology of a journey. Its voyager is the eponymous Ocela // an invented feminine form of the word steel // who wields both strength and brittleness. While the first album (Spojky Čiary) focused on Ocela's inception and youth, here she is mature // on a resolute trajectory between birth and passing away.

Ocela is not a concept album // unless you want it to be // but it is an album built around beats. While there is a loose precedent for rhythms in the two-piece project Jamka, the trilogy also marks Daniel Kordik's solo return to melodical composition. On this record, Ocela dances on her orbits in patterns that are harmonious but always slightly elliptic. Each song on the album travels with its own varying velocity, before it abruptly finds itself at the subjective beginning. Then it goes through further revolutions, with determination bordering on a lack of choice.

Recorded live onto a 4-track before mixing, Ocela is unlike its predecessor in that it shuns any form of field recording, and was instead made using only hardware (Elektron Octatrack MK1, Elektron Digitone, Jomox Mbase01).

Daniel Kordik, also known as Iskra, is one half of Jamka, member of the Urbsounds Collective, co-founder of Earshots Recordings and Ocela is his second release on the melodramatic label Weltschmerzen.

EXPANSION continues its series of 10' CLASSICS back to back with the coolest CONTEMPORARY takes of one awesome track. First off is the 70s masterpiece by the NORMAN CONNORS, as originally recorded by CARLOS GARNETT - a jazz funk, timeless 'rare groove' and '100 mile an hour dance' classic previously only a single as an edit and LP track but glorified here complete with a stunning vocal performance by JEAN CARNE.

The new version is by 'Queen Of The Broken Beat' BEMBE SEQGUE (pronounced 'segue-way'), a singer, composer, DJ and poet influenced by DOUG & JEAN CARNE who has worked with I.G. CULTURE, LIKWID BISKIT and DEGO from 4 HERO. She was an intrinsic part of the vibe that created the West London Broken Beat scene working extensively with KAIDII Tatham (Agent K) Orin Walters * Daz `IQ - Bugz In The Attic, MARK de-CLIVE LOWE etc as well as appearing on Seiji and G-force's album released on Re-inforced.

Bembe's 'live ' take on the classic released to acknowledge a rare live appearance in London by Norman Connors at the Royal Festival Hall. LIMITED EDITION RELEASE

If you dig deep enough into the underground you will find the most precious jewels and it ain't that much of an effort these days to turn on the computer and trip through the colorful World Wide Web. But beware for not all the glitter is gold. I stepped by some dark and dusty back street club in Atlanta / Georgia, USA and some enchanting music tempted me to enter. A powerful raspy voice screaming out the pain of the world no matter if it were big or small affairs. "California dreaming on such a winter's day", wow, when the MAMAS AND PAPAS sang this in a sweet folk manner it was a light and joyful anthem for all hippies and hipsters back in 1966, like a call to love. Lee Moses' version is more of a desperate cry for sunshine and freedom. And it goes on this way. His voice has this special phrase showing determination, pain but also sheer joy of life. His 1971 album is a steady groover with a steaming hot band performing , which includes a brass section of divine greatness. These devoted players build up a massive wall of groove and melody on which Lee Moses can unleash his voice like a volcanic eruption. The groove itself stays quite relaxed but definitely hypnotizing throughout the whole album and clears up your mind for the message of love Lee Moses raves about. The high skills of Lee's backing band gets showcased in a steaming instrumental version of THE FOUR TOPS' "Reach out (I'll be there)", which appeared on an early 7" first and got added here as a bonus track. They don't stop for THE BEATLES' "Day tripper" either and next to "California dreamin'" you can find another heart warming version of "Hey Joe" on the regular album. Not as extraordinary outraging as Hendrix' turn on this classic Lee and his mates make it a slightly more epic effort. All in all this is a soul album with very few covers and even more classic anthems of this genre that should actually be worshipped by lovers of the late 1960s Motown sound. Especially the bonus tracks will drive you wild. Go for it, brothers and sisters.

The final U.S. show, a triumphant and blistering bookend to the storied career of one of the most influential bands in rock music, featuring a unique and expansive eighty-five minute set list that spans Sonic Youth’s nearly three decade catalog. Mixed from multitrack by longtime live engineer Aaron Mullan and mastered and cut by Carl Saff. On August 12, 2011 Sonic Youth played their final US show on an outdoor stage overlooking the East River at the Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn. Fitting that their storied career would bookend with a panoramic view of New York City where it all began 30 years before, having left in their wake one of one of the most powerfully influential careers in rock music. Following incredible sets from Kurt Vile and Wild Flag, the band took the stage. As the sun went down over the city, Sonic Youth ripped through a 17 song set that spanned from deep cuts off their first studio album and highlighting many other albums all the way through to their last, like a band with everything to prove. Or as Brooklyn Vegan’s Andrew Sacher said at the time: “While most bands who are thirty years into their career are either fading away or living off of the nostalgia of their older material, Sonic Youth continue to sound and perform as fresh as ever.” Steve Shelley explains the uniquely career spanning set list of Live in Brooklyn 2011 and how it came to be, as well as the importance of outdoor NYC summer shows in Sonic Youth’s legacy: “This show was a culmination of a run of really special outdoor summertime shows in New York City for us, starting in ’92 with Summerstage in Central Park when we played with Sun Ra. For the Williamsburg Waterfront show I wrote out the set list to present to the band and it was a lot of material we hadn’t played in a while, a lot of deep cuts, so I wasn’t sure if everybody would feel like doing it. After worrying about which songs the band might say yes or no to, I threw those concerns out the window and I just made a list of songs that I thought would be a great set. We practiced the week of the show at our space in Hoboken and put the set together. First we’d try and make sure we had a guitar in the song’s tuning, then we’d try to remember the arrangement and try and put it together, sometimes re-learning bar by bar. In the end I think the whole song list made it through. Even as early as ’86 and ’87 we stopped playing ‘Death Valley 69’ and ‘Brave Men Run’ with any regularity. We’d just get excited about new material coming into the set and songs would get ‘retired’ and wouldn’t get played again for years. So on this particular night in Brooklyn a lot of those retired songs and deep cuts got dusted off and played for this show. It turned out to be a pretty special event with a really special song list.” The band would go on to fulfill a contracted festival run in South America a few months later but, by then, the group’s center was severed beyond repair and the festival appearances didn’t hold the same kind of weight. “The stage was facing the East River from the Williamsburg, Brooklyn waterfront, and I recall the sun going down in the west during our set. It was a pretty magical, if kinda weird day. Fitting, somehow, that our ‘last show’ should be in New York City, our home and where it all began…” Lee Ranaldo The Williamsburg Waterfront show would fondly become referred to as ‘The Last Show’ by fans and band alike, equally for its triumphant high energy performance, its unique and expansive set list and locale. Newly remixed and remastered, Live in Brooklyn 2011 is presented for the first time on 2xLP, 2Xcd, August 18, 2023.

Svitlana Okhrimenko (artist name: Svitlana Nianio) is a Ukrainian artist, musician, and signer. She is one of the most prominent representatives of the independent music scene of Kyiv in the late 1980s — early 90s. She has repeatedly recorded and performed in collaboration with other musicians and bands, such as Oleksandr Yurchenko, Sugar White Death (Cukor Bila Smert’), Ivanov Down, GeeNerve & Taran, and Blemish. Svitlana still performs and publishes new recordings today.

“Transilvania Smile” is one of the first solo works recorded in 1994. During this time, Svitlana repeatedly visited Germany, where she had the experience of playing in parks and on the streets, gathering contacts of the local art scene. Her cooperation with the international choreographic group Pentamonia, based in Cologne and consisting of several girls who performed in theaters, took part in various performances, and were engaged in music. They met in the 1990s during joint performances with "Sugar-White Death." After that, they corresponded, and the idea of doing something together arose. Svitlana attended several of their performances, which inspired her to write music for a new project, and the band members helped to realize their creative ideas. Later, they started rehearsing together.

The name “Transilvania Smile” was invented by the project participants, and it symbolized the mold on the mirror and the reflection of a smiling vampire. However, shortly before the premiere, they changed it to “Firefox”, as the participants actively used flashlights and the play of light and shadows in the scenography.

The premiere occurred in the local Urania theater, previously a gallery. Isabel Bartensein directed the choreography, and Svitlana played, sang, and improvised. She said it was an excellent experience for her and the band. Besides Cologne, they also performed in Aachen.

Later, Michael Springer offered Svitlana to record this material in his "Phantom" studio. They had already worked together and recorded music for their project (Svitlana Okhrimenko / Phanton). Michael was also interested in the Ukrainian independent scene and participated in the creation of several compilations that featured bands from Kyiv and Kharkiv. Svetlana played the piano and harmonium in the studio and also sang. After the recording, the material was never released in its entirety. Two compositions appeared on the cassette compilation “Shovaisia” (Hide) in 1995, some episodes were re-recorded for the “Kytytsi” album in 1999, but for a long time, the full version of this recording remained practically unknown to listeners and was kept in Svitlana's and Michael’s archives.

This album is one of the most personal and insightful works of Svitlana Nianio from the 90s, which you can now get to know in its original form and sound.

The 16th release from Heat Rock is here! Featuring a duo of 80s Funk remixes from DJ Organic (Phoenix, USA) who takes a Clinton classic to the club, while Nick Bike (Vancouver, Canada) walks a fine line between House and Hip-Hop with his Rick James flip. There's a big BPM difference between the sides which makes this one a must-have
DJ tool. Doubles are recommended!

2024 BLACK VINYL REPRESS.
One can hardly imagine the genre-busting, culture-crossing musical magic of Outkast, Prince, Erykah Badu, Rick James, The Roots, or even the early Red Hot Chili Peppers without the influence of R&B pioneer Betty Davis. Her style of raw and revelatory punk-funk defies any notions that women can’t be visionaries in the worlds of rock and pop. In recent years, rappers from Ice Cube to Talib Kweli to Ludacris have rhymed over her intensely strong but sensual music.

There is one testimonial about Betty Davis that is universal: she was a woman ahead of her time. In our contemporary moment, this may not be as self-evident as it was thirty years ago – we live in an age that’s been profoundly changed by flamboyant flaunting of female sexuality: from Parlet to Madonna, Lil Kim to Kelis. Yet, back in 1973 when Betty Davis first showed up in her silver go-go boots, dazzling smile and towering Afro, who could you possibly have compared her to? Marva Whitney had the voice but not the independence. Labelle wouldn’t get sexy with their “Lady Marmalade” for another year while Millie Jackson wasn’t “Feelin’ Bitchy” until 1977. Even Tina Turner, the most obvious predecessor to Betty’s fierce style wasn’t completely out of Ike’s shadow until later in the decade.

Ms. Davis’s unique story, still sadly mostly unknown, is unlike any other in popular music. Betty wrote the song “Uptown” for the Chambers Brothers before marrying Miles Davis in the late ‘60s, influencing him with psychedelic rock, and introducing him to Jimi Hendrix — personally inspiring the classic album ’Bitches Brew.’

But her songwriting ability was way ahead of its time as well. Betty not only wrote every song she ever recorded and produced every album after her first, but the young woman penned the tunes that got The Commodores signed to Motown. The Detroit label soon came calling, pitching a Motown songwriting deal, which Betty turned down. Motown wanted to own everything. Heading to the UK, Marc Bolan of T. Rex urged the creative dynamo to start writing for herself. A common thread throughout Betty’s career would be her unbending Do-It-Yourself ethic, which made her quickly turn down anyone who didn’t fit with the vision. She would eventually say no to Eric Clapton as her album producer, seeing him as too banal.

In 1973, Davis would finally kick off her cosmic career with an amazingly progressive hard funk and sweet soul self-titled debut. Davis showcased her fiercely unique talent and features such gems as “If I’m In Luck I Might Get Picked Up” and “Game Is My Middle Name.” The album Betty Davis was recorded with Sly & The Family Stone’s rhythm section, sharply produced by Sly Stone drummer Greg Errico, and featured backing vocals from Sylvester and the Pointer Sisters.

Zumindest äußerlich scheint The Grape in Ventura, Kalifornien, nur ein weiteres anonymes Gebäude in einer Reihe von Restaurants und Geschäften zu sein. Doch im Sommer 2022 sollte dieser einnehmende Veranstaltungsort das lang erwartete Live-Debüt einer der beeindruckendsten Partnerschaften in der Welt des progressiven Metals und der Jazz-Fusion beherbergen. Auf der rechten Seite der Bühne stand Derek Sherinian, der seine betörenden Keyboard-Parts mit eleganter Souveränität vortrug und dabei in gefühlvoller Konzentration versunken war. Links auf der Bühne, fast verloren hinter seinem Schlagzeug, saß der renommierte Schlagzeuger Simon Phillips, dessen hypnotisierende, fliegende Drumsticks gelegentlich zwischen Becken und Toms zu sehen waren. Diese tadellose Partnerschaft wurde durch den ausgefeilten Bass von Ric Fierabracci unterstützt, wobei die unerbittliche, verspielte Double-Neck-Gitarre von Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal ein weiteres melodisches Furnier hinzufügte. Vor 500 dankbaren Fans aufgeführt, hätte der Uneingeweihte, der am Veranstaltungsort vorbeikommt, nicht ahnen können, dass dies eine musikalische Live-Vereinigung war, die zwei Jahrzehnte lang in der Entwicklung war. Sherinian hatte seinen Ruf durch Auftritte mit Bands wie Kiss und Alice Cooper sowie durch seine Zeit bei den Progressive-Metal-Giganten Dream Theater gefestigt. Phillips' Liste der Credits war immens und umfasste die Zusammenarbeit mit Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, Joe Satriani und The Who. Das Live-Album ist erhältlich als schwarzes 180g schweres Vinyl inklusive 2-seitigem Einleger sowie als Ltd. CD Digipak mit 26-seitigem Booklet.