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Motel d'amour - A Lost Electro-Funk Gem from the NDW Era Resurfaces

When we first collaborated with Collage member Markus Kammann on the EP project "Mit den Puppen tanzen" at the end of last year, we never imagined what would follow: Kammann approached us with a completely unreleased full-length album by his former band. Upon receiving the first three preview tracks, we were floored. One of them was "Nachtcafé" - a track that kicks off with a funky bassline layered over the punchy rhythm of a Roland TR-808. Add shimmering synths and Katrin A. Kunze's sharp, distinctive vocals, and we instantly knew we were hearing something special.

For a label dedicated to rediscovering lost treasures, this was exactly what we'd been searching for. The next two tracks - "Rendezvous" and "Casanova" - were just as compelling. When Kammann sent us the full album, we realized we were holding an electro-funk grail from the late golden days of the German Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW). We were listening to "Motel d'amour".

"Motel d'amour" is a concept album, offering a sharp, vibrant perspective from a confident, intelligent, and radiant young woman eager to experience nightlife, love, and music. Kunze's lyrics paint vivid scenes of flirtation ("Nachtcafé", "Rendezvous"), encounters with men ("Casanova"), the pulse of nightlife ("Die Nacht ist noch jung"), love ("Rotes Licht für rote Liebe"), one-night stands ("Motel d'amour"), and more. Rarely has a German album from that era captured emotional nuance and social dynamics so insightfully. Without veering into the overly personal, Kunze's direct, daring lyrical style was groundbreaking at the time - and remains refreshingly bold today.

While German listeners will fully appreciate the lyrical depth, the music speaks volumes on its own. Kunze's words are masterfully complemented by the production of Markus Kammann and Jürgen Grah. As heard on the in-demand "Mit den Puppen tanzen", their creativity seemed boundless. Each track is tightly composed, catchy, and full of character. While many German bands at the time leaned into rock, Kammann drew from the deep grooves of Earth, Wind & Fire, The Isley Brothers, Brothers Johnson, The Commodores, and the electro-futurism of Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" and "Looking for the Perfect Beat". The result: tracks with unmistakable electro-funk flair, powered by the classic 808 drum sound.

Though primarily rooted in funk and electro, the album retains flashes of NDW aesthetics - "Wir haben getanzt heut' Nacht" being a prime example. The instrumentation is a dream list for vintage gear lovers: Yamaha keyboards, Roland Juno-60, vocoder, Micromoog, Hohner D6 Clavinet, Fender bass, and a Telecaster guitar all feature prominently.
Recorded in 1985 at the high-profile Delta Studio by Richard Rossbach, the album attracted interest from Polydor. However, the label proposed using the compositions for a solo project with singer Inga Humpe (of Neonbabies), who was already signed to their roster. This would have required replacing Kunze as the vocalist, an idea the group firmly rejected. As a result, "Motel d'amour" was shelved, and Kammann, Grah, and Kunze moved on to form Cold End.
The album cover features a rare archival photo of Katrin A. Kunze - rediscovered by Kammann and now finally seeing the light of day, 40 years later.

We believe Motel d'amour deserves recognition alongside cult German classics like P!OFF?, 1. Futurologischer Congress' "Wer spricht?", Ami Marie's "Verrückt nach Glück", the funkier cuts of Cosa Rosa, or Piet Klocke's groove classic "Heute ist nicht sonst". It's a record that fits into adventurous DJ sets but also rewards a full, start-to-finish listen.

A note on audio quality: Sadly, the original master tapes were lost. The tracks were restored from a vintage TDK cassette. Thanks to modern digital tools, we were able to remaster them to a high standard - but in some songs light distortions remain. We appreciate your understanding and hope you enjoy this lost and undiscovered gem.

Motel d'amour - A Lost Electro-Funk Gem from the NDW Era Resurfaces

When we first collaborated with Collage member Markus Kammann on the EP project "Mit den Puppen tanzen" at the end of last year, we never imagined what would follow: Kammann approached us with a completely unreleased full-length album by his former band. Upon receiving the first three preview tracks, we were floored. One of them was "Nachtcafé" - a track that kicks off with a funky bassline layered over the punchy rhythm of a Roland TR-808. Add shimmering synths and Katrin A. Kunze's sharp, distinctive vocals, and we instantly knew we were hearing something special.

For a label dedicated to rediscovering lost treasures, this was exactly what we'd been searching for. The next two tracks - "Rendezvous" and "Casanova" - were just as compelling. When Kammann sent us the full album, we realized we were holding an electro-funk grail from the late golden days of the German Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW). We were listening to "Motel d'amour".

"Motel d'amour" is a concept album, offering a sharp, vibrant perspective from a confident, intelligent, and radiant young woman eager to experience nightlife, love, and music. Kunze's lyrics paint vivid scenes of flirtation ("Nachtcafé", "Rendezvous"), encounters with men ("Casanova"), the pulse of nightlife ("Die Nacht ist noch jung"), love ("Rotes Licht für rote Liebe"), one-night stands ("Motel d'amour"), and more. Rarely has a German album from that era captured emotional nuance and social dynamics so insightfully. Without veering into the overly personal, Kunze's direct, daring lyrical style was groundbreaking at the time - and remains refreshingly bold today.

While German listeners will fully appreciate the lyrical depth, the music speaks volumes on its own. Kunze's words are masterfully complemented by the production of Markus Kammann and Jürgen Grah. As heard on the in-demand "Mit den Puppen tanzen", their creativity seemed boundless. Each track is tightly composed, catchy, and full of character. While many German bands at the time leaned into rock, Kammann drew from the deep grooves of Earth, Wind & Fire, The Isley Brothers, Brothers Johnson, The Commodores, and the electro-futurism of Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" and "Looking for the Perfect Beat". The result: tracks with unmistakable electro-funk flair, powered by the classic 808 drum sound.

Though primarily rooted in funk and electro, the album retains flashes of NDW aesthetics - "Wir haben getanzt heut' Nacht" being a prime example. The instrumentation is a dream list for vintage gear lovers: Yamaha keyboards, Roland Juno-60, vocoder, Micromoog, Hohner D6 Clavinet, Fender bass, and a Telecaster guitar all feature prominently.
Recorded in 1985 at the high-profile Delta Studio by Richard Rossbach, the album attracted interest from Polydor. However, the label proposed using the compositions for a solo project with singer Inga Humpe (of Neonbabies), who was already signed to their roster. This would have required replacing Kunze as the vocalist, an idea the group firmly rejected. As a result, "Motel d'amour" was shelved, and Kammann, Grah, and Kunze moved on to form Cold End.
The album cover features a rare archival photo of Katrin A. Kunze - rediscovered by Kammann and now finally seeing the light of day, 40 years later.

We believe Motel d'amour deserves recognition alongside cult German classics like P!OFF?, 1. Futurologischer Congress' "Wer spricht?", Ami Marie's "Verrückt nach Glück", the funkier cuts of Cosa Rosa, or Piet Klocke's groove classic "Heute ist nicht sonst". It's a record that fits into adventurous DJ sets but also rewards a full, start-to-finish listen.

A note on audio quality: Sadly, the original master tapes were lost. The tracks were restored from a vintage TDK cassette. Thanks to modern digital tools, we were able to remaster them to a high standard - but in some songs light distortions remain. We appreciate your understanding and hope you enjoy this lost and undiscovered gem.

The Night/Tainted Love, is the latest 45 release from BDQ featuring Sarah Orpen on vocals, and is taken from the forthcoming album The Ultimate BDQ, for this single we decided to go big or go home, both of these tunes are our absolute favourites, and were so much fun to record.

The Night is an all time banger and an absolute floor filler, the Frankie Valli version is a brilliant tune, so we thought why not bring this album project to a close with a female vocal version, and Sarah as usual knocked it out of the park with her slamming vocal take on this fabulous classic.

Tainted Love is a tune that we all agreed would be fun to record, and we weren’t wrong its no mean feat to approach a tune of this magnitude with the full respect it deserves, the bass line thunders along driving the tune like an express train in a hurry to deliver the goods, and yet again Sarah was well up to the task, this tune fits a lot of punch into its 2 minutes 18 seconds, we hope you enjoy it as much as we do

Albums are usually released and then a couple of single releases are taken from the album, however we decided to flip this usual way of doing things on its head, we have released almost all of the tunes on 45 first, and now we are busy compiling them into the album, which i have to say is sounding great.

This release brings this covers project to a close with a bang, the album will bring all of them together as one with some updated mixes with subtle changes to the 45s.

SHEEFY McFLY came out of a new bag and put the band back together for this one — "Beach House on Mars." Straight up rocks out, with Sheefy wildin' over some rock-type, new thrash, alternative Detroit ishhh… guitars screaming, mics catchin' fire. All dropped on Detroit's own rock/metal label, Rusted Metal. And you already know — if it's SHEEFY, a Detroit anthem is already baked in.

British sci-fi romantic comedy Timestalker is written and directed by Alice Lowe who also stars in the film alongside Aneurin Barnard, Tanya Reynolds, Kate Dickie, Jacob Anderson and Nick Frost.
The album features the film’s original music composed by Toydrum (Prevenge, Slow Horses, Platform 7, Three Pines, Deep Water, The Banishing).

Sublime private-press piano improvisations channeled from another world by Willem Nyland. Remastered from the original tapes and reissued for the first time, with in-depth liner notes by Matt Marble of the American Museum of Paramusicology. A Columbia-educated chemist by profession and a self-taught pianist by affinity, Willem Nyland (1890-1975) is known as a spiritual teacher in the tradition of Greek-Armenian mystic George Gurdjieff. In the mid/late 1960s, a split with Gurdjieff led Nyland to start his own group in upstate New York. There, after a Friday night lecture on 'The Work' and a shot of brandy, Nyland would launch into remarkable piano improvisations on a specially tuned baby grand, sometimes playing for over an hour. Each improvisation was meticulously recorded and cataloged, a major part of Nyland's teachings. 16 of these recordings were released as standalone LPs on Nyland's own Gauge Hill Press, with artwork by Hungarian American decorative artist Ilonka Karasz, Nyland's wife of over 50 years. These records, with their cascading, deeply emotional playing and beautiful cover art, have become highly coveted by collectors and "paramusicologists." Each contains depths of spiritual information and lyrical, almost visual instrumental storytelling. Nyland deftly and subtly shifts moods and tones throughout these truly inspired extended improvisations.

Pelican has always been a band that's not just from Chicago, but distinctly of Chicago. Formed in 2000 by guitarists Trevor Shelley de Brauw and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec alongside brothers Bryan and Larry Herweg on bass and drums respectively, Pelican's foundation was built upon the rule-free, genre-agnostic scene synonymous with the Fireside Bowl. "The `90s in Chicago was a free-for-all. Everyone was just coming from a place of pure creativity," says Shelley de Brauw. With Schroeder-Lebec returning to the band following Dallas Thomas' departure in 2022, this reunified version of Pelican allowed the band to tap back into the spirit of their formative era and build something distinctly new with Flickering Resonance. While longtime Pelican fans will recognize the album as an update to the band's ethos_one that's been constantly evolving since their very first EP_their new partnership with Run For Cover Records emphasizes something that's always been implicit to the Pelican formula. These songs take as much inspiration from titanic `90s post-hardcore, space-rock, and emo as they do traditional metal, showing that though Godflesh and Goatsnake records occupied the shelves of Pelican's songwriters, so too did Quicksand, Christie Front Drive, and Hum. "A lot of people didn't hear it at first," says Schroeder-Lebec. "I was like, well, I guess the metal world is where we fit. But now, we're more willing to acknowledge all the suits we're wearing."On Flickering Resonance, Pelican doesn't attempt to reinvent itself as much as emphasize the elements that were so often overlooked. Though Pelican's thick sonic backbone remains intact, the songs on Flickering Resonance show a more humanistic side of the band. Tracks like "Evergreen" and "Indelible" tease Pelican's doom-metal roots, but these songs feel equally, ebullient and truthful, playing like Texas Is The Reason songs transmuted into a post-rock landscape. Recorded with longtime musical compatriot Sanford Parker, who recorded their first EP, Pelican begins this new chapter of their career with an album that's neither full reinvention nor back-to-roots revivalism. After so much time apart, and with so much life having been lived between the original Pelican lineup's last recording sessions together, the band approached it with renewed vigor and a more communal spirit."There was more room for openness and critique with the understanding that we're all trying to craft the best song possible and that every suggestion is valid until it's proven invalid," says Shelley de Brauw. That process allowed everyone to embrace the material with a shared vision. "We didn't move forward unless we all wanted to move forward, and that felt like real community building," says Schroeder-Lebec of this unified approach. "I went from seeing it as my art and my craft to our craft that we were shaping together."In doing so, Pelican allowed themselves to look at their music less as a means of hard-earned catharsis and more as an appreciation for the glimmers of joy that occur even in the bleakest landscapes. Songs like "Cascading Crescent" and "Indelible" don't languish in what's been lost, these tracks see the band embracing what remains in their hands instead of lamenting what's slipped through their fingers. It's a concept that's mirrored in the artwork of Christian Degn that graces the cover of Flickering Resonance. It's a piece built off the concept of flame meditation, and how the smallest flames can often bring about the biggest transformations. A song like "Flickering Stillness" exemplifies this feeling through its sonic expanse, putting the band's sonic density and hyper-focused clarity on display, but with an emphasis on the profound human connections that have kept Pelican going all these years. "When Laurent left and we were able to carry it through, there became a real sense of gratitude for the fact we still have this artistic outlet and a community of people who want to be a part of it" That feeling of deep, grounded appreciation isn't just one that's within the band members, it's expressed in every track on Flickering Resonance. Because at the very core of Pelican, are four individuals who have grown both separately and together, and always will.Like a distant light faintly glowing in the darkest night, Flickering Resonance is a reminder of all that has passed us by, but also all that is still to come.

Legendary indie travellers Half Japanese return with their new album Adventure. The prolific outsider combo, helmed by the ever-optimistic Jad Fair, delivers a heartwarming set of upbeat sonnets celebrating the power of love, affection, and maturity. More than 50 years since Jad and his brother David emerged from their lo-fi bedroom in Uniontown, Maryland, USA, Adventure takes the latest incarnation of the band down new and more refined avenues. Recorded in London at Vacant TV and produced by Jason Willett and Jad, Adventure presents a more pristine and polished canvas for Jad to expand upon. The addition of Euan Hinshelwood to the sonic palette, with saxophone, harmonica, and piano, creates a smoother backdrop for the band's less lubricated sound. Lemonade Sunset is an ode to the world of wonder, a spacious overture built with melancholy in mind but relishing the positivity of life. By contrast, Step On Up revolves around a glorious rising piano motif that hints at Steely Dan if they were high on energy drinks and spinach rather than their usual tipple. It's a light-hearted evocation of the good times. Magnificent is a homage to living in the present tense, powered by the bittersweet saxophone, with a glorious piano-led sub-melody offsetting Jad's positivity: "magnificently magnificent," no less. Elsewhere, ringing percussion and sharp arrangements provide Jad with a sturdy and far reaching soundtrack to lament over. Adventure sees Half Japanese covering new ground, with Jad's considered soliloquies set in a sumptuous setting. The lineup for Half Japanese on Adventure includes Jason Willett (bass, keyboards), Gilles-Vincent Rieder (drums, percussion), John Sluggett (guitar, piano, bass), Mick Hobbs (guitar), Euan Hinshelwood (guitar, saxophone, piano, harmonica), and Jad Fair (vocals, percussion). Sadly, longstanding member Mick Hobbs passed away last year. "Absurdly underrated art-rockers" - Record Collector. * "Fair's ability to bang out music behind him is matched perhaps only by Mark E Smith" - The Wire.

ETNOBOTANIKA - remember them? Well, now it's KOSMOBOTANIKA!

But rest assured - it's still the same excellent band from Ruda ?l?ska, only this time instead of a forest full of ghosts or a land of fairy tale creatures like a Fruwajacy Przestepca the duo of producers takes us on an interstellar journey!

The artists' third album, just titled KOSMOBOTANIKA, is an over forty-minute work skillfully composed from a multitude of various samples, and genre-wise presenting the sounds of deep house, trip-hop, breakbeat, ambient and even jazz. This is electronic music with a very cinematic, visual and imaginative character, something at which ETNOBOTANIKA has undoubtedly achieved mastery confirmed by their first two very well-received albums. This cinematic style (electronic concept album?) is reminiscent of the classic albums of the genre's progenitors from the UK like The Orb (first releases) or The KLF (the iconic "Chillout" album), but also the French Motorbass.

The Silesian duo does it their own way, of course, with a local twist. Thus, in the cosmic journey our guides will be in-sampled familiar voices from Polish television, cinema, radio and dusty vinyls (yes - samples from Mr. Kleks in Space had to be on the album, of course :) ).
There is no shortage of atmosphere-building instrumental fragments here, but also quite song-like tracks with catchy melodies and vocals. Fans of the band will certainly be satisfied.

What is there to say - ETNOBOTANIKA has created another classic, which simply must be on the shelf :) Trust them and let yourself be taken on a cosmic journey - satisfaction guaranteed!

: 2 Spicy Girls inspired club bangers by Harry Wills

Barry Can't Swim veröffentlicht sein mit Spannung erwartetes neues Album, „Loner“ auf Ninja Tune!

In „Loner“ sehen wir Barry Can't Swim dabei zu, wie er die Welt, in der er sich befindet, erkundet. Geprägt vom überwältigenden Erfolg von Barry Can't Swims ausverkauften Liveshows auf der ganzen Welt, bleibt es seinen Wurzeln verhaftet, während er über Identität und Bodenständigkeit nachdenkt. Barry Can’t Swims hochgelobtes Debütalbum, „When Will We Land?“, das im Oktober 2023 veröffentlicht wurde und derzeit mehr als 100 Millionen Streams verzeichnet, erhielt unendlich viel Lob, darunter auch die Nominierung für den Mercury Music Prize 2024, neben Künstler:innen wie Charli xcx, Beth Gibbons, English Teacher, Ghetts und The Last Dinner Party. Barry Can’t Swim ist nun stolz darauf, neben Aphex Twin, Nia Archives, Burial, Jamie xx, Fred again.. oder Jon Hopkins als in die engere Auswahl für den prestigeträchtigen Preis gekommen zu sein - was als elektronischer Solokünstler eher seltener vorkommt. Darüber hinaus wurde er bei den BRIT Awards 2024 in der Kategorie „Dance Act“ nominiert und stand auf der Shortlist für das schottische Album des Jahres.

Barry Can't Swim veröffentlicht sein mit Spannung erwartetes neues Album, „Loner“ auf Ninja Tune!

In „Loner“ sehen wir Barry Can't Swim dabei zu, wie er die Welt, in der er sich befindet, erkundet. Geprägt vom überwältigenden Erfolg von Barry Can't Swims ausverkauften Liveshows auf der ganzen Welt, bleibt es seinen Wurzeln verhaftet, während er über Identität und Bodenständigkeit nachdenkt. Barry Can’t Swims hochgelobtes Debütalbum, „When Will We Land?“, das im Oktober 2023 veröffentlicht wurde und derzeit mehr als 100 Millionen Streams verzeichnet, erhielt unendlich viel Lob, darunter auch die Nominierung für den Mercury Music Prize 2024, neben Künstler:innen wie Charli xcx, Beth Gibbons, English Teacher, Ghetts und The Last Dinner Party. Barry Can’t Swim ist nun stolz darauf, neben Aphex Twin, Nia Archives, Burial, Jamie xx, Fred again.. oder Jon Hopkins als in die engere Auswahl für den prestigeträchtigen Preis gekommen zu sein - was als elektronischer Solokünstler eher seltener vorkommt. Darüber hinaus wurde er bei den BRIT Awards 2024 in der Kategorie „Dance Act“ nominiert und stand auf der Shortlist für das schottische Album des Jahres.

Jede Compilation-Serie hat ein Ende. Nach 10 grandiosen Ausgaben verabschieden wir uns nach diesem 11. Teil von der unter Sammlern und Musikliebhabern hoch geschätzten Praise Poems Reihe. Ganz bewusst wagen wir uns mit diesem letzten Teil an ein Genre heran welches wir bis dato nur in Ausnahmen mit einbezogen haben: Power Pop der späten 1970er und frühen 80er.

Los geht’s mit „Real Proof“, einem unveröffentlichten Song der ursprünglich aus Boulder, Colorado stammenden Band The Nails die einige Jahre später sogar unter Vertrag eines Major-Labels standen. Obwohl die Fingerprints ein ganzes Album aufgenommen haben hat es über 45 Jahre gedauert bis dieses schließlich 2022 veröffentlicht wurde. „Wasted On You“ stammt von einer der drei Singles die zwischen 1978 und 1980 veröffentlicht wurden. Ganz im Gegensatz zu den Fingerprints sind die Original-Singles von Naked Rush extrem selten. Dies ist wohl mit ein Grund warum keiner ihrer Songs bis dato auf einer Compilation zu finden ist. Schön, dass wir dies nun ändern. Dies gilt übrigens für die Mehrzahl der Songs auf diesem Album und generell für alle unserer Compilation-Alben. Fritz, Blue Rain, oder Holidaye machen hier keine Ausnahme. Speziell erwähnen möchten wir noch zwei Songs. Zum einen „Don’t Quit“ von The Scam der von William Garrett produziert wurde. Garrett war von 2016 bis 2023 bei Spotify als Senior Music Producer für die Einführung von Spotify Singles zuständig und hat in dieser Zeit mit Künstlern wie Elton John, Ed Sheeran, John Legend und vielen weiteren zusammengearbeitet. Zum anderen gibt’s eine tolle Geschichte zu Animal Logic. 1989 erfuhr die Band, dass Stuart Copeland von The Police eine neue Band gründete. Der Name? Animal Logic! Nachdem Bitten, den Namen nicht zu verwenden, ignoriert wurden, sahen sich die Jungs von Animal Logic gezwungen, die Angelegenheit vor Gericht zu bringen, und verkauften schließlich den Namen an Copeland. Noch viel mehr weitere, spannende Geschichten rund um die Bands gibt’s im Begleitheft der CD bzw. der LP-Beilage.

Mit “A journey into raw, energetic power pop from the 1980s” beenden wir nun unsere 10-jährige Entdeckungsreise durch die Musikgeschichte unter dem „Praise Poems“ Schirm. Wir hoffen sehr, dass euch unsere akribische Arbeit viel Freude bereitet hat. Geht eine Tür zu, geht eine andere auf. So wird es auch hier sein. Es gibt noch so unglaublich viel zu entdecken und so freuen wir uns jetzt schon auf viele weitere Veröffentlichungen!

Strut present the first international release in over 30 years by legendary Afro-jazz group Oneness Of Juju with their new album Made Through Ritual on 11th July 2025.

In 1975, the late DJ / producer and jazz distributor Jimmy Gray and James “Plunky” Branch joined a musical revolution, founding Black Fire Records and releasing the label’s debut album, the classic African Rhythms by Oneness of Juju. This July, Plunky brings this important musical relationship full circle with Made Through Ritual, produced by Plunky’s son Jamiah “Fire” Branch and Jimmy’s son Jamal Gray.

The album takes a novel approach to beat culture. Working from demos created by Jamal using a selection of original jazz samples, Plunky took the tracks, replayed and re-interpreted the arrangements using live musicians. “The album explores the art of deconstruction and reconstruction in music - sampling, sequencing, and live improvisation merge with multi-track recording to craft intricate harmonies and arrangements,” explains Plunky. “The process became a ritualistic expression of creativity and transformation.”

The resulting album is a fascinating listen. Opening with the meditative soul chant ‘Share This Love’ voiced by regular Oneness vocalist Charlayne “Chyp” Green, the album opens out into a series of jazz vignettes including the title track, ‘In Due Time’ and ‘Free Spirit’. The powerful album closer, ‘Children Of The Drum’ celebrates black culture and legacy through the poetry of Roscoe Burnem.

Released on 1LP and 1CD with specially commissioned cover artwork by contemporary Ivorian artist Maxime Manga, Made Through Ritual represents an important new chapter in the Oneness story. The album will be supported by a selection of European tour dates during Autumn and Winter 2025.

Legendary artist, Raincoats co-founder, songwriter, filmmaker, and feminist icon Gina Birch has announced her eagerly awaited second solo album, Trouble, arriving via Third Man Records on Friday, July 11. Pre-orders are available now.

Trouble is heralded by today’s premiere of the album’s blistering centerpiece, “Causing Trouble Again,” available for streaming now. An official music video – directed by famed photographer/filmmaker Dean Chalkley and featuring an all-star collective of fellow female artists including Birch’s longtime friend and co-founder of The Raincoats, Ana da Silva, Neo Naturists co-founder Christine Binnie, singer-songwriter Amy Rigby, X-Ray Spex and Essential Logic co-founder Lora Logic, painter Daisy Parris, artist Georgina Starr, writer Jill Westwood, multi-disciplinary artist and activist Bobby Baker, award-winning costume designer Annie Symons, veteran photographer and Raincoats collaborator Shirley O’Loughlin, and many more – is streaming now on YouTube.

“For the ‘Causing Trouble Again’ video, after hearing Bob Dylan sing about a white ladder all covered with water, I became obsessed with white ladders,” Gina Birch says. “ I decided to use five white ladders, three with seven rungs…I realized later that this references Jacob’s Ladder and a connection from Earth to heaven, but I think I was thinking of ladders as a symbol of getting on, getting up. I wanted to have a choreographed movement with four of us with these ladders. How do we move with ladders? Do we move together, do we fight, do we dance? “I also wanted to reference the wind scene from the film, The Colour of Pomegranates, and to include as many artist women from the Women in Revolt exhibition as I could.

Das Debütalbum von Leroi Conroy, das zu gleichen Teilen von der Sensibilität des goldenen Hip-Hop-Zeitalters und verlorenen Filmszenen aus den 60er und 70er Jahren geprägt ist, wiegt schwer und hat Jahre der Entwicklung hinter sich. Die ersten beiden Tracks des Albums wurden 2017 als 45er veröffentlicht und in den folgenden Jahren von DJ Premier, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Macklemore, Phantogram und vielen anderen gesampelt. Aber nach der Veröffentlichung verbrachte Terry Cole alias Leroi Conroy einen Großteil seiner Zeit damit, sein Indie-Soul-Label Colemine Records zu vergrößern und Platten für andere zu produzieren (Okonski, Parlor Greens, Wesley Bright, BlackMarket Brass, Kendra Morris, Rudy De Anda, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Andrew Gabbard), anstatt seine eigenen zu machen. Jetzt, acht Jahre nachdem viele der Rhythmustracks auf dem bewährten Tascam 388 aufgenommen wurden, erscheint Leroi Conroys Debüt-LP, "A Tiger's Tale". Das Album ist als hypothetischer Soundtrack zu einer alternativen Erzählung von Rudyard Kiplings The Jungle Book konzipiert. Die Erzählung ist das Bestreben des Menschen, die Natur zu zähmen und sie seinem Willen zu unterwerfen... und die Antwort der Natur. Das Album ist eine Mischung aus triumphalen Instrumentalpartituren und absolut düsteren, dunklen und manchmal dissonanten Moodytracks. Das zugrundeliegende Element der Hip-Hop-Sample-Kultur ist durchweg offensichtlich, und es besteht kein Zweifel, dass viele dieser Tracks in den kommenden Jahren geflippt werden. Klanglich reiht sich die Platte nahtlos in die Reihe vieler anderer Colemine Instrumentalisten ein: dreckige Lo-Fi-Drums, schmetternde Bläser, Wah-Gitarre, Hammond-Orgel und jede Menge cineastische Einsprengsel wie Flöte, Nylongitarre und Vibraphon. Das Schlagzeug stammt von Coles langjährigem Mitarbeiter Rob Houk und ist das Rückgrat des Albums. Und mit einigen Beiträgen der Colemine-Künstler Kelly Finnigan und Jimmy James ist die Platte wirklich eine Familienangelegenheit. File Under: To Be Sampled.

Though they may not have intended to do so, Naptown's trinity, also known as 81355 (pronounced BLESS), rang out as revolutionaries with their 2021 debut record This Time I'll be of Use. When Oreo Jones, Sirius Blvck, and Sedcairn come together, genre evaporates into enthralling poeticism and sonic hypnosis. Their sophomore LP Bad Dogs, releasing July 11th on Joyful Noise Recordings, acts as an expansive continuation of 81355's signature sound: an angelic, gritty, enthralling urban hymnal for the disillusioned mind. The history of 81355 stretches far back into the history of Naptown's creative scene. Jones and Blvck struck a match as one of Indy's most influential hip-hop collectives, Ghost Gun Summer, before they brought on Sedcairn (Moose Adamson) in 2020. Before Adamson infused 81355 with his melodic soundscapes, he produced Grampall Jookabox, an underground indie meets jangle pop project. Though they may be known primarily for their musical notoriety, the members of 81355 are steadfast in their commitment to uplifting their community with collective creative expansion. Sean (Oreo Jones), alongside his partner Jane Sun Kim, produces and curates Chreece, the largest Midwestern Hip-Hop festival hosted in the heart of Naptown. Niq (Sirius Blvck) is pivotal in the empowerment and advancement of Indy Hunger Network, a local non profit that addresses food insecurity across Indianapolis. Moose (Sedcairn) is a key contributor to Joyful Noise, an Indy based independent label cutting records for artists of all genres. For the first time, the project's live band is part of the production, with Sharlene Birdsong on bass guitar, Dimitri Morris on guitar, and Pat Okerson on drums. The Bad Dogs listening experience also seeps into visual realms: a short film titled Sleep Study will be released in tandem. Sleep Study_soundtracked, written, and produced by 81355, who also star in the film alongside friends and fellow artists from the community_features afrofuturistic sci-fi undertones that explore the toxifying implications of algorithmic control, postmodern brain rot, and late-stage capitalism. As the texturally emotive punctum of its cover art (painted by Stockholm based artist Julia de Ruvo) conveys, the heart of Bad Dogs draws its perseverance from the wild reservation dogs pulsing through the rust-hued indigenous lands of New Mexico and beyond. They are untethered in their roaming, sacred in their fierce communal belonging, yet undefined by a physical place. A vital essence mirrored by 81355: boundaryless, primal creative cultivation that defies what some may attempt to categorize as hip hop or progressive rap.

Come On Come On isn’t just Mary Chapin Carpenter’s most popular album, with sales of 3 million copies. It’s also a contemporary country landmark. No less than seven of its songs became country hits: “I Feel Lucky,” “I Take My Chances,” “Not Too Much to Ask,” “The Hard Way,” “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” and two inspired covers, of Dire Straits’ “The Bug” and Lucinda Williams’ “Passionate Kisses.” More importantly, though, this 1992 release pointed the way towards what country music would become in the 21st century with its savvy seasoning of pop and soft-rock sounds into a more personal style of country songwriting from a female point of view. If you’re thinking that sounds familiar, you’re not wrong; Come On Come On’s prodigious commercial prowess isn’t the only thing this record has in common with the early work of Taylor Swift. But, it also crossed over into the rock realm in a way that, arguably, Swift’s records have not; the flourishing Americana and alt-country audiences of the early ‘90s ate this album up, and guest stars like Rosanne Cash, The Indigo Girls, and Shawn Colvin just upped its street cred. Somehow, this classic record has never (come on!) made it to vinyl; we’re making up for a whole lot of lost time with a grape vinyl pressing housed inside a color inner sleeve with lyrics. Essential!

Basile de Suresnes' "So Good" EP is now available on vinyl. The digital release has become an instant hit, with the title track being playlisted by Laurent Garnier on his Fabric mix. The 2 tracks and its remix are now expected to fly off the shelf at record stores, don't sleep on this one!


The title track proves once again that the parisian producer is a master at bringing a disco cut into House music territory. The epic violin sample gets straight into the head while the groovy bassline call the feet to dance, the vocal adding a pinch of sexiness this great, dancefloor-orientated tune.
« Ask me to dance » is as catchy as it is funky, the samples are layered and filtered with flair and savoir-faire. It certainly will become both a DJ’s delight and dancer’s favorite.

Closing the EP with style is Naux’ remix of « So Good » : the lyon based producer uses chopped vocals and a strong bouncy bassline, adding his own flavor to the track while completely respecting the orginal work. Great job.
Frappé and Basile de Suresnes Strike again and dam it is (so) good !

The Sorcerers' latest long player lands in perfect time for the summer, offering a further progression into their unique take on Ethio-inspired jazz. Other Worlds and Habitats is, of course, released on ATA Records and is blessed with the analogue recording and painstakingly loving production we have come to expect from this boutique studio. This, The Sorcerers eagerly anticipated fourth LP, follows on from the success of I Too Am A Stranger, a record which garnered praise from BBC Radio 2’s Jamie Cullum, “I love this, this is so good!”, Ethio-jazz legend Mulatu Astatke, “I like the grooves, and it is good to see The Sorcerers interpret Ethio jazz in their own unique way”, and Nightmares on Wax, “This sounds great! Love the way it's recorded”.

Never ones to stop moving forward, and ever vigilant to avoid the realm of pastiche, The Sorcerers see the Ethiopique sound as a building block for their natural progression as a group, but a block that sits at the base of a much larger, ever expanding, structure, The addition of keyboardist Johnny Richards, whose use of the Jen 73 piano, Mellotron and Farfisa Compact Duo, alongside the core members of the group, has opened some exciting doors for The Sorcerers, fusing the future looking optimism of the late 60s and 70s (when artists began to experiment with the new electronic technology and synthesisers becoming more readily available) and more traditional sounds. Taking inspiration from Ethiopian keyboardist Hailu Mergia and Nigerian musician William Onyeabor, Other Worlds and Habitats, as the name suggests, showcases The Sorcerers' shift to a new, and deeply exciting, musical landscape.

The Sorcerers’ Other Worlds and Habitats is a natural progression in the world they have created for themselves. Richer for shared experiences, and accepting the rise of the machines, they prove that while their journey is always going forward, there are many different paths to take.