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Brisk is the debut album by Polish-Hungarian flutist Juli Deák (*2000), based in Budapest. Comprised of seven solo flute pieces, the album offers a concentrated snapshot of Deák’s musical world—one shaped by classical training, experimentation, improvisation, and folk influences.

The project began taking shape in 2021, as Deák moved away from the polished ideals of classical performance toward a more personal and exploratory approach. Early fragments only revealed their meaning in front of an audience, whose responses encouraged her to continue developing the material. With over 15 years of musical experience, Deák combines technical precision with a willingness to embrace vulnerability and chance.

Breathing lies at the heart of Brisk. More than a functional necessity, it becomes an expressive and structural force. Through close listening, breath feels tactile and intimate, placing the performer almost within reach. Techniques such as circular breathing, overblowing, harmonics, singing while playing, and wind tones allow the flute to unfold into multiple voices, while percussive key clicks provide a steady rhythmic pulse.

Deák foregrounds sounds often excluded from classical music—breathy tones, unstable pitches, squeaks, and audible inhalations—treating them as essential expressive tools. This focus reflects her long-term exploration of the flute’s physical and expressive limits and connects directly to her ongoing solo practice, The Breathing Project, of which Brisk is a distilled release.

Active across classical, contemporary, jazz, and experimental scenes, Deák has collaborated with ensembles including Konstmusik-systrar and the VENI ensemble, and performed at festivals such as Norbergfestival and Ung Nordisk Musik.

Across its seven pieces, Brisk balances immediacy and rigor, inviting focused listening while remaining open and bodily. It documents a musician in motion, attentive to sound as sensation, gesture, and breath, and committed to honesty

FOLLOWING THE SUCCESS OF “THE OTHER HELL”, GOBLIN ARE BACK FOR RECORD STORE DAY 2026 WITH AN EXCLUSIVE COMPILATION OF SINGLES RELEASED BETWEEN 1975 AND 1979!

For the very first time on vinyl, this compilation gathers together all the singles released by Goblin during their golden era between 1975 and 1979, a journey that begins with the explosive, legendary debut Profondo Rosso, a true chart phenomenon of its time, and reaches the rare Amo Non Amo, passing through unforgettable milestones of Italian film music and progressive rock.

The collection opens with Profondo Rosso and Death Dies, taken from the soundtrack of Dario Argento’s masterpiece that catapulted Goblin to fame, blending dark atmospheres, virtuosity, and a unique sense of cinematic tension. It continues with Roller and Snip Snap, drawn from the instrumental album Roller (1976), a record not tied to any film, yet considered a cult cornerstone of Italian progressive music for its intricate structures and expressive power.

Chi? and Chi? - Parte Seconda follow; two tracks originally composed as the theme for a 1976 RAI television show, which saw Goblin bring their unmistakable sound to a different medium, experimenting within a shorter, punchier format.

Next comes Suspiria with its haunting counterpart Blind Concert, from the soundtrack of Argento’s 1977 horror classic. This remains one of Goblin’s most iconic and unsettling works, where music becomes an active narrative force: hypnotic, percussive, and filled with eerie vocal layers that made it a cornerstone of horror soundtracks worldwide.

From Il Fantastico Viaggio del Bagarozzo Mark (1978) come Un Ragazzo d’Argento and Opera Magnifica, two tracks that highlight the band’s more conceptual and visionary side, a move away from cinema toward a self-contained narrative and progressive experimentation.

The single Yell stands as another late-decade gem. Originally composed as the opening theme for the RAI television series “Sette storie per non dormire” (1978), it captures Goblin’s ability to merge rock energy with electronic pulse, proving their versatility far beyond the horror realm.

The compilation closes with Amo Non Amo and Funky Top, taken from the soundtrack of the 1979 film Amo Non Amo, one of the group’s lesser-known but fascinating cinematic works.

Far more than a simple anthology, The Singles Collection 1975–1979 maps the evolution of Goblin’s sound, from the worldwide success of Profondo Rosso to their most mature and experimental phase. It finally restores to vinyl a body of work that had long been scattered across rare 45 rpm releases, offering fans and collectors a complete, vivid portrait of one of Italy’s most inventive and influential musical ensembles.

GENERATION RADIO return with "Take Two", the eagerly awaited follow-up to their acclaimed debut, delivering another masterclass in AOR/West Coast rock infused with just the right touch of the Nashville sound. Produced by founding members Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts) and Jason Scheff (former Chicago), the band features an all-star lineup: Steve Ferrone (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Average White Band) joins on drums, replacing the formidable Deen Castronovo (who returned to Journey as full-time member), while Tom Yankton (guitar, vocals) and Chris Rodriguez (guitar, vocals) round up the powerhouse ensemble. “Take Two” is rich with pristine harmonies, unforgettable hooks, and timeless songwriting—hallmarks of the genre delivered with class and authenticity.

Tracks like the widescreen, harmony-laden “Montana Sky,” the hook-filled “The Melody,” and the emotionally charged ballad “Hate This Heart” showcase the band’s signature blend of melodic precision and heartfelt performance. Adding depth to the album’s appeal, Generation Radio also offers reimagined versions of timeless classics that shine in their live sets: Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again,” Chicago’s “You’re the Inspiration,” Kenny Loggins’ “I’m Alright,” and a rock version of Rascal Flatts’ classic “These Days.” With "Take Two," Generation Radio not only honors the legacy of AOR and West Coast rock—they elevate it, combining elite musicianship and genre-crossing influences into a record that’s as fresh as it is nostalgic.

Petter Eldh's explosive ensemble Koma Saxo continues their adventures with a new album "Koma West", out on We Jazz Records, 18 March 2022. The album sees Koma Saxo expand on their previous sound with the addition of vocalist Sofia Jernberg and a strong cast of featured artists, including cellist Lucy Railton, violinist Maria Reich, pianist Kit Downes and accordionist Kiki Eldh (Petter's mom!). The hard-hitting key quintet remains, including Eldh on bass and assorted instruments, Christian Lillinger on drums, plus saxophonists Otis Sandsjö (of Y-OTIS), Jonas Kullhammar and Mikko Innanen bringing the SAXO to the KOMA operation.

At 14 tracks, "Koma West" is a full menu of monumental compositional ideas that could spawn entire albums. True to his chop & go production style, Eldh relies on continuous movement while presenting another all killer no filler program taking Koma Saxo on a sonic outing not quite like anything that had previously appeared under the band's name. That being said, there's very much the Petter Eldh touch here, one which might be hard to pinpoint and verbalise, but nevertheless a recognisable style of composing, producing and arranging.

Thematically, the album is rooted in the West Coast of Sweden, where Eldh grew up – he's from a tiny town called Lysekil. There's a thread of Swedish folk song tradition that has been part of the Koma Saxo DNA from the get-go and you can hear that here as well, especially on cuts such as "Närhet", beautifully sung by Sofia Jernberg.

Petter Eldh says:

"In a way, it's a concept album and a celebration of the Swedish West Coast. The first single is called 'Koma Kaprifol', and kaprifol is the landscape flower of Bohuslän on the West coast, where I grew up. I'm not too wild about attaching strong narratives to my music but there's no way around it this time. The oysters, a common snack around the coast, are a strong conceptual presence here. Anyway, they seem to pop up here and there quite often already thus far in the Koma Saxo narrative, even though it's not always so obvious. Koma Vocals! Koma Strings! I love the presence of Sofia Jernberg here and I love writing string arrangements, too, although I never thought I would do it for Koma, but of course, Koma should have some strings, why not?. Koma Saxo should and can become anything."

Welcome to the world of Edward Blankman, a retired dentist who wrote elegant, minimalist jazz in obscurity circa 1970. At least that’s the story.

In truth, Edward Blankman’s Cape Cod Cottage is the 2021 concept album from Echo Park composer Brendan Eder.

A tender, wistful follow up to 2020’s To Mix With Time, the Cape Cod Cottage sound evokes the spirit of Erik Satie, Miles Davis with Gil Evans, and Stevie Wonder, balanced with the accessibility of 1960s lounge-exotica. Eder’s characteristic arrangements are crafted to reflect the past, without losing the innovative quality of his modern ear.

Eder created Blankman’s story to channel his own grief, with bittersweet tenderness. Read the liner notes, and you’ll be transported to the quiet shores of Cape Cod, where a lonely retiree mourns his late wife, Natalie, with walks in nature and evenings at his Wurlitzer.

The story is brought to life with a meticulously crafted package sporting classic liner notes, faux 1970s photographs documenting Edward with the musicians (taken during the actual session), a make-believe jazz label, and a commissioned oil painting of Edward’s cottage. Eder spent over a year rendering the compositions and charts according to his vision.

Eder brought together a dream line up with a ton of chemistry for the project; drummer Christian Euman (Jacob Collier), saxophonist Josh Johnson (Jeff Parker, Leon Bridges), and bassist Alex Boneham (Billy Childs), who all studied together at the Hancock Institute of Jazz. Rounding out the group is flutist Sarah Robinson, a recurring player in Eder’s ensemble, and Edward Blankman (Brendan) on the Wurlitzer.

The cast was booked for a single date with coveted engineer Michael Harris (Kamasi Washington, Angel Olsen, Fleet Foxes) at famed Electro-Vox Recording Studios. To create realism for Edward’s story, the charts were purposefully withheld from the musicians until they arrived at the studio. The result is an authentic and natural performance delivered by players at the top of their game, captured on pristine vintage equipment including the legendary Neve-8028 console.

''Stealth' is certainly an apt title for this disarming collection of crypto-New Age. From its opening, one might be forgiven for assuming that what follows is a tableau of digital disruption, and noise in one of its less offensive iterations.
However, Takao instead presents a rich and detailed tapestry of compositions that take New Age affectations, fashioning them into something far grander. There's a penchant for the nai¨ve, the more garish of digital instruments in the vein of James Ferraro - but importantly, Takao steers away from submitting to gestures themselves nai¨ve or garish, opting instead to focus attention to a more nuanced, delicate style.
Indeed, a more intrinsic tradition to posit 'Stealth' as an inheritor of would be the Impressionism of Debussy, or even Satie, with Takao's approach drawing light and composure from his instruments at their most bare and unadorned. Ever so pleasing and atmospheric, 'Stealth' is remarkably affecting in its subtlety.' (Nico Niquo)

»Low Tide, Hi Grypus!« is the new live-iteration of JC Leisure as JC Leisure Group. Documenting an encounter and a communication between human improvisers and atlantic grey seals. The record presents responsive improvisation as a form of cross-species collaboration.

The project began on Porthdinllaen, Wales, where Leisure recorded seal vocalisations from a local colony at low tide. Back in their Liverpool studio, Leisure developed a performance system that translates human musical gestures – pitch, timbre, rhythm, density, presence - into triggers for these seal expressions. The resulting system is dual-active, as in it simultaneously acts and is acted upon in the horizontal instance. It creates a new-music non-linear threshold that cannot be replicated.

»Low Tide, Hi Grypus!« was recorded live at 1210 Berlin and captures one instance of this concept. Local improvisers were invited to encounter the performance system. Recorded in one take, pedal-steel, woodwinds, strings, piano, organ, and electronics gradually learn to listen and respond to the marine voices. This interspecific group moves from intimate duets (that's human, seal) into full ensemble works (humans, seals) over the course of one night.

Rather than treating field recordings as static material, the extensive seal archive functions as an active collaborator: shaping form, pacing, and interaction in real-time. Now that’s marine biology meets human communication!

JC Leisure has previously released work on Sun Ark, Warm Winters Ltd, Not Not Fun and collaboratively with Dialect as Raft of Trash. He has composed a radio play commissioned and broadcast by BBC Radio.

Yet another solid gold modern reimagining of the mighty Loleatta Holloway, this time her infamous 1977 smash 'Hit & Run' goes under the knife and is tweaked to devastating effect by 2 of Chicago's finest modern day editors - Jamie 326 & Cratebug. Anyone with even a passing interest in Disco or House will be more than familiar with these 2 guys names. Having edited and remixed numerous cuts in their own original ways, they take this all-time Salsoul classic and strip it right back to the essence, to the very basics, and in the process create a total dancefloor weapon. This edit originally came out a few years ago (2013) on a compilation that showcased the new wave of contemporary talent emanating from the Windy City and naturally it was one of the cuts that stood out, finding favour with a wide variety of DJ's across the board from Motor City Drum Ensemble, Todd Terry, Jeremy Underground Paris, Theo Parrish and more. Drawing comparisons with Paperclip People's anthemic 'Throw' from 1994 in the way it snatches a killer loop from 'Hit & Run's' bassline, 'Hit It & Quit It' is a monster, a record you'll literally play over and over and over again, a relentless Disco juggernaut that oozes power. It made perfect sense for this legit single-sided reissue 12" to come out on Salsoul Records, the home of Loleatta Holloway's finest material and all of her classics. This limited reissue has been made in conjunction with Jamie 3:26 & Cratebug and Salsoul Records, 100% sanctioned and lovingly re-presented for your dancing pleasure. This one is HOT. Sleep at your peril!

Step into the wild heart of New York"s underground avant-garde jazz scene with Voyage from Jericho. Recorded in 1974, release in 1975, this landmark session finds the Charles Tyler Ensemble pushing boundaries with fearless improvisation, deep spiritual yearning, and a raw emotional fire. Joined by top-tier collaborators - including Arthur Blythe, Earl Cross, Ronnie Boykins, and Steve Reid - Tyler shapes a sound that fuses avant-garde intensity with soulful depth, creating a powerful celebration of freedom and expression. This is music that demands attention and rewards deep listening. Whether you"re a devoted explorer of the avant-garde or a curious listener seeking something beyond the mainstream, Voyage from Jericho offers a journey both challenging and transcendent. In short: if you"re ready to move past comfort zones and into the outer reaches of jazz, Voyage from Jericho is a voyage worth taking.

In the pantheon of classic free jazz, Noah Howard's The Black Ark looms large. Recorded at Bell Sound Studios in New York City in 1969 – just prior to the alto saxophonist's relocation to Europe – the album was eventually released in 1972.

The Black Ark exhibits not only the power and imagination of Howard's playing, but also his breadth as a composer and bandleader. Listeners expecting unrelenting blasts of "energy music" might be surprised to find a cohesion atypical of free jazz; amidst the wild, impassioned solos, Howard weaves in Latin rhythms and fat-bottomed grooves.

The first side, consisting of "Domiabra" and “Ole Negro,” sets the album's tone. Both tracks sound as if they could have appeared on some of Blue Note's proto-spiritual jazz, groove-heavy releases – evoking the likes of Lou Donaldson or Horace Silver – before ceding the floor to the horn players' anarchic firepower.

As John Corbett writes in the liner notes, "Two players stand out. Bassist Norris Jones – who would soon consolidate his name into a one-word reversed amalgamation/permutation of the two, Sirone – is given ample room, largely unaccompanied; his corporal approach foreshadows later work with the Revolutionary Ensemble. But the secret weapon on The Black Ark is Arthur Doyle. Straight from basement rehearsal sessions with Milford Graves, whose ensemble he had joined and who remained a favorite of the drummer for decades, Doyle is a human flamethrower."

Trumpeter Earl Cross' guttural, vocal effects complement Doyle's take-no-prisoners approach, while the estimable combination of Muhammad Ali (Rashied's brother) on drums and Juma Sultan on congas adds an ever-shifting propulsion. The septet is rounded out by the enigmatic pianist Leslie Waldron, who anchors the group with imaginative accompaniment and occasional boppish flourishes.

Every bit worthy of its reputation as an "out-jazz" holy grail, The Black Ark only sounds better with age. It remains the ideal record to convert the remaining free-jazz skeptics.

Julius Hemphill's debut record, 1972's Dogon A.D., was self-produced for his Mbari imprint, and it was issued with a beautiful black-and-white cover. Very DIY. The label's name writ large along the bottom edge, like it was the band's name. It's a quartet record featuring Hemphill on alto and flute, with Baikida Carroll on trumpet, Abdul Wadud on cello, and Phillip Wilson on drums – a classic jazz front line/rhythm section format, but nothing conventional about the way the music sounds.

The long track – from where the LP takes its title – is one of the key epic statements of new jazz in the era. Among its remarkable distinctions, it manages to draw on Wilson's schizoid experience having been a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and the first drummer for the Art Ensemble of Chicago, in making an 11/8 rhythm into a staggeringly funky thing of joy. Over the course of fourteen and a half minutes, Hemphill builds a nearly continuous solo, his spiritual blood brother Wadud sawing the cello with a deep blues soulfulness that is raw and mantra-like in its repetitive incantation. It feels right and wrong in equal measure, the theme carrying its own piquancy with honked barnyard dissonances and some contrary motion between the horns and string. Most of all, it takes its own sweet time, in no hurry to get anywhere in particular, but out for a righteous stroll. – John Corbett (excerpt from the liner notes)

This new volume in the “City Music Tokyo” series, curated by Kunimond Takiguchi (Ryusenkei), focuses on Jazz Funk. From among crossover, Japanese jazz,
and soundtrack works released by Nippon Columbia, Takiguchi has carefully selected urban and sophisticated tracks that resonate with his musical sensibility.

Each piece carries a faint scent of the Showa era, evoking words like “night,” “drive,” “dandyism,” “car chase,” “city,” “hard-boiled,” and “man and woman.”

Selected, supervised, and annotated by Kunimond Takiguchi (Ryusenkei).

Cheeba’s Funky Rock Ensemble are back with two sides of funky rock breaks for hairy b-boys !

After the great feedback of their debut release 18 months ago, they went back into the studio soon afterwards to record some more slices of hip-hop orientated funky-psyche beats aimed at the dancefloor. Since then, both new tracks have been on a one-off dubplate and getting aired all over the country to an enthusiastic reception - so it’s about time we got them out there for everyone else to, like , just dig, maaaaan !

DRUG-CRAZED LONDON HIPPIES takes you down to the seedy back street clubs of late 60s swinging Soho - to the early discotheque scene and the psychedelic experience of numerous young rock groups and their fans. With heavy fuzz, funky beats and dirty flute loops this takes you straight to those hedonistic dancefloors in the early hours.

YOU WANNA RIDE ? Stays in the same era and same counter-culture, but on the other side of the Atlantic with the free festival vibe of alternative lifestyles in California. More fuzz-rock sounds, blended with heavy beats , screaming hammond and wordless female vocals to take you on a deep trip - to lose yourself in a field as the sun rises.

James Davison, the most startlingly talented UK brass player of his generation, joins this highly experienced team with brilliant results. Charlie Parker's 'Ornithology',Thelonious Monk's 'Straight No Chaser', Billy Strayhorn's 'Satin Doll' and Horace Silver's 'Peace are amongst the gems to be found here. This is the second Woodville Records release to be based solely around the brilliant arranging skills of world class trombonist Mark Nightingale. The first, Alan Barnes plus 11 (WVCD151) featured Mark's adept and characterful handling of a twelve- piece ensemble. Jazz Classics ...with a Twist displays equal inventiveness and imagination, showcasing a sextet line-up in a programme of individually re-thought takes on these ageless tunes. In Mark's hands this band frequently resembles a much larger ensemble such is his skill in manipulating tone colour and voicing.

Rick James Blends Brazen Attitude, Fearless Sexuality, and Shrewd Charisma on Street Songs:

Punk-Funk Album Aims for the Hips and Head, Includes the Timeless Hit “Super Freak”
Sourced from the Original Master Tapes and Strictly Limited to 4,000 Numbered Copies:

Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP Set Presents 1981 Smash in Audiophile Sound for the First Time
1/4” / 30 IPS analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe


“Punk funk” was a relatively unknown concept before 1981. But once Street Songs took the charts by storm that year, the world soon knew about what became Rick James’ signature style. And how. True to its name, Street Songs blends outspoken sexuality, brazen attitude, and edgy commentary amid contagious R&B-fueled arrangements that simultaneously aim for the hips, head, and various nether regions. And it’s never sounded better.

Sourced from the original master tapes, strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents James’ platinum-certified effort in audiophile quality for the first time. Playing with crisp dynamics, lively textures, airy headroom, and revealing clarity, this collectible edition of the record that stayed at the No. 1 spot on the R&B Album Charts for 20 weeks invites you to get closer to music that beckons you to turn your space into a private dance floor.

Then again, you’ll likely be so taken by how the taut bass lines, snappy rhythms, and four-on-the-floor beats — all rendered in stunning detail and with full-bodied architecture — come across with such accuracy and presence, you might stay pinned to your seat. On this pressing, the soundstaging, imaging, and lit-fuse energy of Street Songs reach new heights. Everything from the rubbery feel of the guitar lines to the depth of James’ temperature-raising vocals to the scale of the horn charts emerges as if James and his ace session crew set up in your room.

The Buffalo native and his ensemble waste no time getting their message across. On the album-opening “Give It to Me Baby,” James and company lay down a mix of sleek funk and pulsing disco that practically activates the bright lights of a discotheque and stimulates the libido of anyone within earshot. Having reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Soul charts, the song is pure sex — and just one of the carnal delights on a record that embraces the subject as fearlessly as James does his identity.

Of course, the most famous of James’ erotic excursions — the timeless “Super Freak” — hit No. 1 on Hot Dance Club Play charts, No. 16 on the Hot 100, and, later, No. 153 on Rolling Stone’s list of the Top 500 Songs of All Time. Bolstered by a quavering keyboard theme and electro riffs, the much-sampled track worms itself inside your muscles with smile-inducing subject matter, gliding vocals, nimble movements, a hot tenor-saxophone solo, and backing vocals by the Temptations.

The iconic Motown group isn’t the only celebrated guest artist on the Grammy-nominated Street Songs. James’ then-labelmate, Stevie Wonder, lends harmonica to the frank sociopolitical narrative on “Mr. Policeman,” a protest tune that also manages to stroll ’n’ strut via simmering organ, staggering brass accents, and James’ gritty vocal performance. In addition to contributing backing vocals on several cuts, Teena Marie turns in one of the album’s signature moments on “Fire and Desire,” a romantic old-school duet with James that impresses with smoothness, sensitivity, and smokiness.

High-profile colleagues aside, James remains the undisputed star, a figure whose leather-and-latex attire, braided hair, and natural swagger made him misunderstood by some in the mainstream and embraced by everyone in the know as a true original. As a testament to his magnetism and skills, his charisma and rawness seemingly seep through every note, whether on the balladic sweep of the risqué “Make Love to Me” or strident, poke-and-prod persuasion of the moonwalking “Call Me Up.”

On the closing “Below the Funk (Pass the J),” an uptempo autobiographical tale that addresses the visionary musician’s second-favorite love, the singer acknowledges his upbringing and inseparable connection with his roots — an homage to where he began and a toast to where he’s gone.

Rick James, keepin’ it real on Street Songs, still as real as it gets.

Chris Liebing and Charlotte de Witte announce their second-ever collaborative release, 'Symphonie des Seins' (Symphony of Existence). The release, taking in an original alongside a Dub mix from Liebing, follows 2019's 'Liquid Slow' from the pair and marks the second release ahead of Chris Liebing's 'Evolver EP' releasing in late-March.

A surging acid-beast channelling mid-90s techno energy, 'Symphonie des Seins' sees de Witte delivering a tweaky, spoken
vocal comprising the hallucinogen-fuelled diaries of ayahuasca and DMT trip reports that Liebing stumbled upon online. Crisp
but heady, old school but utterly contemporary with its delivery, 'Symphonie des Seins' sees two techno artists with very
di?erent formative eras converge perfectly with a razor-sharp piece of dancefloor mayhem.

Following January's 'Roy Batty' EP, Chris Liebing and Charlotte de Witte's 'Symphonie des Seins' is the last single before Liebing's thirteen-track 'Evolver' LP lands on March 27th. The 'Evolver LP' features additional collaborations with Luke Slater, Speedy J, The Advent, The Alte Stuben Modular Ensemble aka Daniel Miller, Terence Fixmer, and Pascal Gabriel and is Liebing's first solo Techno LP, having focused on long-form electronica output alongside co-writer Ralf Hildenbeutel for 2018's 'Burn Slow' and 2023's 'Another Day' for Mute Records, and the André Walter co-produced 'Evolution' in 2002.

Denmark s forward forward-thinking trio Human Being Human return with a luminous new collaboration featuring acclaimed American saxophonist Chris Cheek. Rooted in lyricism, groove, and connection, Being captures the essence of what it means to create music as a shared act of humanity. Formed by bassist Torben Bjornskov, pianist Esben Tjalve, and drummer Frederik Bülow, Human Being Human have quickly earned a reputation as one of Europe s most distinctive piano trios. Their blend of Nordic lyricism and modern rhythmic vitality has drawn international acclaim for its compositional voice and cohesive ensemble sound. On Being , the trio expand their world through the unmistakable voice of Chris Cheek - a player known for his warm tone and intuitive lyricism, whose credits include work with Paul Motian, Brad Mehldau, and Charlie Haden. A long long-time admirer of Cheek s work and humility, Bjornskov reached out and invited him to Denmark to collaborate with the trio. In the studio, the chemistry was undeniable, as most of the album s tracks were captured in just one or two takes, preserving a sense of immediacy and spontaneity. Reflecting on what it means to be human, our capacity to make decisions and shape the world around us, as well as the damage our species has done to our planet, the quartet channels a spirit of contemplation and rediscovery through elegant, organic compositions. Tracks like Human Rights showcase the group s deft interplay and melodic clarity, while the tender ballad Being highlights Cheek s burnished tone and Tjalve s spacious harmonic sense. On Filia , a duo between bass and saxophone, the music unfolds in weightless dialogue and pure musical empathy. True to the group s name, Being reflects on what it means to live, connect, and create as humans in a complex world. The essence of music is working together, being open, being positive, and wanting to experience new things, things," says Bjornskov. That s essentially what jazz is - it s influenced by any and every culture in the world, every kind of music and race, and every person is part of it.

FRQNCY LDN, the new project from Alex Lavery and James Ford (producer du jour and one half of Simian Mobile Disco), are releasing their debut album ‘The White Edition’ on 5 September via PRAH Recordings. Alongside the news of their debut album, the duo are sharing the first taste in ‘Matthias’ Wajd’, which they describe as “a rousing, instrumental piece from the middle of the set where the whole ensemble became balanced providing moments where Raven played violin with haunting yet uplifting melodies within the cavernous reverb of the church. Interestingly, at this moment, most of the audience who had been laying down rose to watch the performance like a gig, like an awakening.”

Initially conceived as a live project with earlier performances at churches in London and at Glastonbury, FRQNCY LDN’s music is a mix of strings, gongs, oscillators, FX, and spoken word, and the result is a musical experience unlike any other. Now that immersive magic has been captured on their debut release through Prah Recordings.

The music that FRQNCY LDN are releasing as their debut album is from an extraordinary live take from a performance at St Matthias Church in Stoke Newington last year, and thanks in no small part to the serendipitous bunch of musicians they assembled: composer and violinist Raven Bush, clarinettist Arun Ghosh, cellist Satin Beige Chousmer, and harpist Chloe Chousmer-Kerr. Alongside Lavery and Ford and assisted by engineer Animesh Ravel, they were able to capture the music to a world class level.

FRQNCY LDN has its roots in a supermoon that occurred three summers ago, after the hottest day of the year. Two of Lavery’s friends gave a sound bath that evening. “I’m not overly into astronomy or anything but the experience was nuts,” he says. “I had to find out what had just happened. What felt like forty minutes was actually two and a half hours. We were all out. It was so profound that I was hooked.”

He immediately signed up for a sound therapy course where he learned about what he calls a “brain hack” to meditation. “The thing about sound therapy is there’s a lot that’s meditation-based, and I find meditation really difficult. I’ve got a very busy brain. What was alluring about this process of sound immersion, a sound bath, whatever you want to call it, is it’s basically a hack to making your brain get into a meditative state.”

FRQNCY LDN’s early shows crystallised their ideas into a project, and Lavery brought poet Nikita Gill on board as a vocalist. “One of the first poems she gave to me, ‘Unwitches’ was in response to me explaining that I’d love this project to be perceived as something anyone could access. It’s not just for the sound meditation or the yoga, or the mushroom crowd. No one should be turned off by connotations from where the music comes from, I love music but I’d never be into that because it’s too woo-woo. Nikita said she’d had this poem for a long time but she’d never found the right home for it.”

And in an increasingly busy and fraught world, the need to tune out for an hour or so, and maybe tune in to something more profound, is only going to get bigger.

Stef Heeren, driving force of Belgian band Kiss the Anus of a Black Cat, is embarking on a special reunion concert series with his original folk ensemble to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the band’s acclaimed album, Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water. Arguably their finest work in their discography, the album was the pinnacle of the band's folk-oriented sound, after which they tapped into more electronic territories.

The initial vinyl pressing (and cd) of Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water, released in 2011, has long been sold out and now fetches excessive prices on the secondhand market. To mark this milestone, the album will be reissued in early 2026 as a limited-edition vinyl on KTAOABC’s own imprint, Kattengat.
With this re-release on the horizon, Kiss the Anus of a Black Cat is eager to hit the road once more, revisiting their folk roots and performing the songs that defined their earlier years. The concerts will not only celebrate the album Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water, but also offer a chance to explore the full spectrum of the band's career, from their folk beginnings to their more modern, electronic explorations.

Happy anniversary!

KIK is the new project of two core strategists of sonic enigma HHY & The Macumbas: Jonathan Uliel Saldanha & João Pais Filipe. Ditching acoustic instruments in favour of drum synthetics & tightly controlled sound design, the duo's debut album NIGHTSHIFT focuses on off-kilter club tracks that thwart 4-on-the-floor flavours whilst maintaining trance-inducing extended cycles. If the devil is in the details, this is all about the spectromophology of the details.
Beginning with moving morse code blips in an odd time signature We Can't Dance announces the characteristic unlife of the album's pulse. Once the kick enters, syncopations progressively accumulate into a weave of interacting rhythmic lines. Smoke Machine's groove is reminiscent of the riddims Saldanha explores in his HHY & The Kampala Unit, adding scintillating pads and snippets of blitzed out laughter.

The album's third track, Proff, hearkens back to the initial pulse, displaced and pitched down in register. Here's a more meditative temperament on display, where the regular geometries of the club have been moved into higher-order structures. Segments rise & fall into earshot. Deepening the meditative mood, Back Room explores a short melodic leitmotif anchoring the track's wander- lust.

The rhythmic assault continues in Tactical Gear, bringing further experiments into polyrhythmic contours exacerbated by preci- sion movements of echo & delay. Limping can be heard as a what-if sonic fiction taking Autechre-inspired abstractions through Durbanoid Gqom terrains. The album closes with its longest track, Night Shift, that segments into shifting sound worlds.

Drawing from industrial grit, cybernetic percussion and the eerie fluorescence of after-hours energy, NIGHTSHIFT exists in the liminal space between body music and abstraction——a soundtrack for phantom warehouses and malfunctioning machines. This isn’t just music; it’s an immersive sonic environment, a journey into the heart of deconstructed dancefloors.
For fans of Rian Treanor, Proc Fiskal, Jlin and Lorenzo Senni.

Most recently, HHY has been collaborating with Nyege Nyege through projects such as Kampala Unit and Arsenal Mikebe, performing live with the ensemble alongside Valentina Magaletti, and producing records for artists like Fulu Miziki, as well as collaborations with Phelimucasi, Rey Sapiens, Kingdom Choir and others. He also released Camouflage Vector: Edits From Live Actions 2017–2019 on the label, a live album featuring two tracks with Adrian Sherwood.

Previous collaborations include Tunnel Vision with Badawi (released on Tzadik), the HHY & The Macumbas album Beheaded Totem on House of Mythology, and Fujako (Wordsound, with MC Sensational), along with double-bill shows with acts such as Clipping and Death Grips.

Koma Saxo, the explosive quintet led by Berlin-based Swedish bassist/producer Petter Eldh, returns on We Jazz Records with their new album, cut live at We Jazz Festival in Helsinki, December 2019. Whereas their lauded debut was a triumph of remapping the goal posts for an acoustic jazz combo for the 2020's, "LIVE" takes you right to the heart of the actual ensemble sound, with 5 musicians tearing the place down, no post production. From the fiery opening sequence kicking off with "Euro Koma", on to the much calmer beauty of "Waltz Me, Waltz Me Baby, All Night Long" and the first single "Fiskeskärsmelodin", the 8-song set is pure fire, never failing to convey the extraordinary intensity of the group: Eldh on bass, Otis Sandsjö (Y-OTIS), Jonas Kullhammar and Mikko Innanen on saxes, and Christian Lillinger on drums.

An excerpt of liner notes by Peter Margasak:

"When I first saw Petter Eldh's quintet Koma Saxo in Berlin in September of 2019 I was floored. The raw, sprinting energy of the band was both infectious and astonishing, but what I most remember was a sense of cognitive dissonance. Was this the same combo that recorded a fantastic eponymous 2019 studio album that represented one of the most convincing, pleasurable, and driving hybrid's of searing post-bop and the production ethos of hip-hop? There have been endless stabs by producers trying to remap the machinations of an organic, all-acoustic jazz band with electronic post-production, but Eldh, channeling a sonic language heavily informed by J Dilla, nailed it in a way I'd never experienced before. Having the trust of his three imaginative, high-octane saxophonists—Jonas Kullhammar, Otis Sandsjö, and Mikko Innanen—he used their grainy sound as raw material, smudging and smearing it like a painter creating new hues on a palette, and then extending, editing, and powering it up within the imperturbable grooves meted out by he and drummer Christian Lillinger. He didn't really alter the essential core of the band's performances. There's no question that a seriously burning quintet had laid the tracks down, even if the performances reflected the kind of concision many jazz groups adapt for a studio endeavor. But the way his jacked-up bass lines and Lillinger's impossibly peripatetic, stuttering rhythms buffeted the massed saxophones elevated Koma Saxo to plane all its own, and I repeatedly returned to that place—half the time trying to figure out what the hell Eldh had done, and the other half lost in giddy ecstasy.

The live show, on the other hand, featured the band without any production tricks. Its soaring, pithy repertoire came alive in a different way, and this excellent live recording from the 2019 We Jazz Festival, has reminded me of how fun and visceral that experience was."

Koma Saxo "LIVE" is released by We Jazz Records on 30 April 2021 on two vinyl editions (silver + black), as a bundle with an unreleased 7" (+ silver vinyl edition), on CD and digitally. The vinyl versions plus the CD come complete with silver embossed lettering. The vinyl is delivered on heavy-duty tip-on sleeve, complete with an insert featuring liner notes by Peter Margasak, Andreas Müller, Matti Nives and Petter Eldh.

a 01: Euro Koma (Live) feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger
b 02: Puls Koma (Live) feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger
c 03: Fanfarum for Komarum III (Live) feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger
[d] 04: Waltz Me Baby, Waltz Me All Night Long (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[e] 05: Otis and Christian (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö & Christian Lillinger]
[f] 06: Blumer (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[g] 07: Fiskeskärsmelodin (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]

Silver Vinyl

Koma Saxo, the explosive quintet led by Berlin-based Swedish bassist/producer Petter Eldh, returns on We Jazz Records with their new album, cut live at We Jazz Festival in Helsinki, December 2019. Whereas their lauded debut was a triumph of remapping the goal posts for an acoustic jazz combo for the 2020's, "LIVE" takes you right to the heart of the actual ensemble sound, with 5 musicians tearing the place down, no post production. From the fiery opening sequence kicking off with "Euro Koma", on to the much calmer beauty of "Waltz Me, Waltz Me Baby, All Night Long" and the first single "Fiskeskärsmelodin", the 8-song set is pure fire, never failing to convey the extraordinary intensity of the group: Eldh on bass, Otis Sandsjö (Y-OTIS), Jonas Kullhammar and Mikko Innanen on saxes, and Christian Lillinger on drums.

An excerpt of liner notes by Peter Margasak:

"When I first saw Petter Eldh's quintet Koma Saxo in Berlin in September of 2019 I was floored. The raw, sprinting energy of the band was both infectious and astonishing, but what I most remember was a sense of cognitive dissonance. Was this the same combo that recorded a fantastic eponymous 2019 studio album that represented one of the most convincing, pleasurable, and driving hybrid's of searing post-bop and the production ethos of hip-hop? There have been endless stabs by producers trying to remap the machinations of an organic, all-acoustic jazz band with electronic post-production, but Eldh, channeling a sonic language heavily informed by J Dilla, nailed it in a way I'd never experienced before. Having the trust of his three imaginative, high-octane saxophonists—Jonas Kullhammar, Otis Sandsjö, and Mikko Innanen—he used their grainy sound as raw material, smudging and smearing it like a painter creating new hues on a palette, and then extending, editing, and powering it up within the imperturbable grooves meted out by he and drummer Christian Lillinger. He didn't really alter the essential core of the band's performances. There's no question that a seriously burning quintet had laid the tracks down, even if the performances reflected the kind of concision many jazz groups adapt for a studio endeavor. But the way his jacked-up bass lines and Lillinger's impossibly peripatetic, stuttering rhythms buffeted the massed saxophones elevated Koma Saxo to plane all its own, and I repeatedly returned to that place—half the time trying to figure out what the hell Eldh had done, and the other half lost in giddy ecstasy.

The live show, on the other hand, featured the band without any production tricks. Its soaring, pithy repertoire came alive in a different way, and this excellent live recording from the 2019 We Jazz Festival, has reminded me of how fun and visceral that experience was."

Koma Saxo "LIVE" is released by We Jazz Records on 30 April 2021 on two vinyl editions (silver + black), as a bundle with an unreleased 7" (+ silver vinyl edition), on CD and digitally. The vinyl versions plus the CD come complete with silver embossed lettering. The vinyl is delivered on heavy-duty tip-on sleeve, complete with an insert featuring liner notes by Peter Margasak, Andreas Müller, Matti Nives and Petter Eldh.

a 01: Euro Koma (Live) feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger
b 02: Puls Koma (Live) feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger
c 03: Fanfarum for Komarum III (Live) feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger
d 04: Waltz Me Baby, Waltz Me All Night Long (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[e] 05: Otis and Christian (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö & Christian Lillinger]
[f] 06: Blumer (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[g] 07: Fiskeskärsmelodin (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]

[a] 01: Euro Koma (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[b] 02: Puls Koma (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[c] 03: Fanfarum for Komarum III (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[d] 04: Waltz Me Baby, Waltz Me All Night Long (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[e] 05: Otis and Christian (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö & Christian Lillinger]
[f] 06: Blumer (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[g] 07: Fiskeskärsmelodin (Live) [feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]
[feat. Otis Sandsjö, Jonas Kullhammar, Mikko Innanen & Christian Lillinger]

RYOZO BAND’s New Single “QUIET FOG / FUGITIVE” Coming to 7-Inch Vinyl!

Following their previous release Pleasure and a remix by French beatmaker Lex (de Kalhex) that drew attention from multiple directions, RYOZO BAND
kicks off 2026 with a two track single available on streaming and 7-inch vinyl.
The lead track, “Quiet Fog,” is a mid tempo piece highlighted by a powerful horn ensemble, with an awe-inspiring saxophone solo that steals the spotlight.
It’s a track that showcases the band’s evolving groove and ensemble maturity.
Released simultaneously with the 7-inch, “Fugitive” is a cover of a hidden gem by Jamaica’s legendary ska band The Skatalites.
While paying homage to the original, RYOZO BAND reimagines it with their signature energy and dynamism, delivering an uptempo arrangement full of drive
and vitality. The result is an energetic yet sophisticated sound that promises to ignite live audiences.

RYOZO BAND is led by Ryozo Obayashi (SANABAGUN.), joined by an all star lineup: drummer Masaaki Nagata (Zainichi Funk), saxophonist Takehide
“KIDS” Hashimoto (Zainichi Funk), guitarist Tetsuta Otachi (SAHAS), keyboardist Yusei Takahashi (Setagaya Trio, Terumasa Hino Quintet), percussionist
Ryotaro Miyasaka (Yuta Orisaka Ensemble), and trumpeter Kyotaro Hori (ACO, TAMTAM). Each member brings a highly acclaimed background, blending
their influences into an ensemble rich in depth and vitality, modernizing ska and jazz elements with a contemporary twist.
A release brimming with passion and love for music—perfect for ushering in 2026. This single is proof that RYOZO BAND is evolving to the next stage.

“The GRILL will fucking rule things…” – Backengrillen’s debut album out in January "Backengrillen's music is a paean to chaos and destruction. The basic idea is to take a death/doom metal, or noiserock riff and play it until it loses meaning and then break it apart like a ravenous cat would a tiny forest mouse. It's filled to the brim with the self-hatred endemic to the province of Västerbotten from whence the member’s hail. The record was written on a Thursday during their first ever rehearsal, performed live on a Friday and recorded on a Saturday, so what you're hearing is raw, stupid, gut instinct music played by seasoned purveyors of hardcore punk, metal, free jazz, noise et cetera. Record no 2 is in the making, less stupid, more ugly. Stay tuned and fuck the pigs." - Backengrillen, November 2025 Backengrillen is a new ensemble with their roots in HC, punk, noise and free Jazz. All members from Umeå, with roots in the original version of Refused – and one with starting points in the jazz-rock ensemble Nirvana (1980). With a solid and yet varied background in the creativities of Refused, TEXT, INVSN, Fire Orchestra, The International Noise Conspiracy, The End, Serpent, The Thing, Final Exit and other classic jazz combos we will now start our journey of 4 colliding locomotives, creating a new form of beauty and energy. Antifascist, antiracists free form death – jazz – in the memory of Lars Lystedt – Backengrillen arrives with new perspectives on jazz. And punk. In-your-face HC jazz inspired by The Cramps, Little Richard, Albert Ayler, Polly Bradfield, Entombed, John Zorn, Misfits, Stooges, Lars Gullin, Can and much more. Backengrillen’s self-titled debut album is out on January 23rd, 2026 on vinyl, CD, and digitally on Bandcamp via Svart Records. Backengrillen Dennis Lyxzén – vocal and effects Mats Gustafsson – saxophones, flutes and live electronics Magnus Flagge – bass David Sandström – drums and electronics

“The GRILL will fucking rule things…” – Backengrillen’s debut album out in January "Backengrillen's music is a paean to chaos and destruction. The basic idea is to take a death/doom metal, or noiserock riff and play it until it loses meaning and then break it apart like a ravenous cat would a tiny forest mouse. It's filled to the brim with the self-hatred endemic to the province of Västerbotten from whence the member’s hail. The record was written on a Thursday during their first ever rehearsal, performed live on a Friday and recorded on a Saturday, so what you're hearing is raw, stupid, gut instinct music played by seasoned purveyors of hardcore punk, metal, free jazz, noise et cetera. Record no 2 is in the making, less stupid, more ugly. Stay tuned and fuck the pigs." - Backengrillen, November 2025 Backengrillen is a new ensemble with their roots in HC, punk, noise and free Jazz. All members from Umeå, with roots in the original version of Refused – and one with starting points in the jazz-rock ensemble Nirvana (1980). With a solid and yet varied background in the creativities of Refused, TEXT, INVSN, Fire Orchestra, The International Noise Conspiracy, The End, Serpent, The Thing, Final Exit and other classic jazz combos we will now start our journey of 4 colliding locomotives, creating a new form of beauty and energy. Antifascist, antiracists free form death – jazz – in the memory of Lars Lystedt – Backengrillen arrives with new perspectives on jazz. And punk. In-your-face HC jazz inspired by The Cramps, Little Richard, Albert Ayler, Polly Bradfield, Entombed, John Zorn, Misfits, Stooges, Lars Gullin, Can and much more. Backengrillen’s self-titled debut album is out on January 23rd, 2026 on vinyl, CD, and digitally on Bandcamp via Svart Records. Backengrillen Dennis Lyxzén – vocal and effects Mats Gustafsson – saxophones, flutes and live electronics Magnus Flagge – bass David Sandström – drums and electronics

Commemorate's self-titled debut album blends swirling guitars and dreamy vocals to create a hypnotic yet weightless sound, a longing that swells and fades gently. Emerging from Kuala Lumpur's hazy musical depths, Commemorate is a 5-piece ensemble creating their own ethereal soundscapes, while taking heavy influences from shoegaze titans and infusing modern dreampop with post-rock sensibilities. Available in clear and black vinyl.

‘No Fixed Point In Space’, the third full-length album by Jack Cooper’s Modern Nature, takes the palette of sound and themes that were honed on 2021’s ‘Island Of Noise’ and launches them into an expansive world of openness and vivid technicolour.

It’s a music that hasn’t been heard before; as melodic as anything Cooper has produced but framed by rhythms and instrumentation that reflect the chaos, unpredictability and colour of the natural world.

Certain moorings - woodwind, percussion, strings and Cooper’s lambent voice - are still present and recognisable from No Fixed Point In Space’s predecessor, ‘Island Of Noise’, but the new record marks a shift to utilising musical notation as a point of departure, from which the group explore the space around suggested notes and rhythms to create a semiimprovised, semi-composed ensemble performance.

These explorations of partly organised chance were recorded live and directly to tape.

This approach gives the music a remarkably fresh feel; songs pulse and evolve. The changes between movements, verse and choruses are almost all ambiguous. During the album’s opener, ‘Tonic’, a verse of hushed brevity washes away into a passage of overwhelmingly vibrant orchestration.

CD in four-panel digisleeve with 10-panel booklet with lyrics. LP pressed on 140g black vinyl with printed inner
sleeve and stamped postcard.

The song titles on Van Halen's aptly titled Fair Warning don't lie. The likes of "Unchained," "Mean Street," "Push Comes to Shove," "One Foot Out the Door," and more indicate the mood the band channels on its double-platinum 1981 record — the nastiest, darkest, and fiercest album of the group's storied career. For the fourth time in four years, Van Halen throws down the gauntlet to all challengers and emerges victorious.


Sourced from the original analog tapes, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing, and strictly limited to 5,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP set plays with unfettered clarity, dynamics, and immediacy. Benefitting from superb groove definition, an ultra-low noise floor, and dead-quiet surfaces, this vinyl edition captures what went down in the studio with tremendous realism and involving presence.

Taking a more controlled approach in the studio and still completing everything in less than two weeks, Van Halen and producer Ted Templeman relied on studio amplifiers to direct the sound. Further diverging from the live-on-the-floor approach of its earlier albums, the ensemble also employed overdubs to great effect. The result: Dense, stacked architecture that underlines the hard-hitting tenor of the songs — and which comes alive like never before on this reference edition that looks as good as it sounds.

The premium packaging and gorgeous presentation befit the reissue's select status. Housed in a deluxe slipcase, it features special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. Aurally and visually, it is made for listeners who want to immerse themselves in everything involved with the album, including the iconic cover art adopted from William Kurelek's haunting painting, "The Maze."

Isolated frames from Kurelek's childhood-inspired work — including a man bashing his head into a brick wall, a guy pinning down an adversary as he delivers bare-fist blows to his face and others watch with apparent glee, a boy tied down on a conveyer belt and being sent through the equivalent of a meat saw — adorn the front and back covers. The sunnier visual disposition of Van Halen's prior efforts gives way to something sinister and tortured, traits reflective of the music within. The band members, too, are visually depicted not in glamorous shots but in a serious black-and-white portrait in which the quartet is clad in black leather jackets.

Tough, aggressive, stark: Fair Warning comes on like a series of bare-knuckled punches to the solar plexus and boasts lyrical narratives to match. Though not a concept record, the concise album revolves around themes of roughing it on the streets and struggling to survive amid dim prospects. Singer David Lee Roth reportedly penned many of the initial lyrics after traveling to Haiti and observing extreme poverty. The characters and situations populating Fair Warning reflect hardscrabble existence, last-chance desperation, and underlying danger.

Witness the crazies, poor folks, and hunters of “Mean Street”; the former prom queen turned pornographic actress on “Dirty Movies”; the menace and vice of “Sinners Swing!”; the streetwise hustle of “Unchained”; the isolation and alienation of “Push Comes to Shove”; the desire for escape on “One Foot Out the Door”: A carefree California beach party Fair Warning is not.

Having said he felt angry and frustrated during the sessions, guitarist Eddie Van Halen uses the forceful arrangements as a playground for his seemingly unlimited arsenal. Supported by a crack rhythm section and a hyped-up Roth, he performs with an almost impossible combination of punk-like intensity, technical finesse, lyrical fluidity, and unbridled emotion. The virtuoso was increasingly butting heads with Templeton and seeking a freedom in the studio he believed denied him.

No wonder he plays like a bat out of hell. Listen to the rapid-fire manner in which he slaps the high and low E strings on the 12th fret of his instrument on “Mean Street,” instilling the tune with funk flair and metal-spiked sharpness. For the pouty strut of “Dirty Movies,” Eddie Van Halen contributes slide guitar magic made possible after he sawed off the lower portion of a Gibson SG so he could reach further down the fretboard.

Related intensity, urgency, and daredevil momentum punctuate the surging “Sinner’s Swing!” A heavily flanged, delicately melodic introduction frames the attitudinal “Hear About It Later,” among the most creative arrangements of Van Halen’s career. And do riffs come any bigger or magnetic than those on the high-wire kick of “Unchained”? As for the out-of-left-field “Sunday in the Park,” an instrumental composed on an Electro-Harmonix micro-synthesizer: Who but Eddie Van Halen to supply creep factor in such an ingenious way?

Despite selling fewer quantities than Van Halen’s prior efforts, Fair Warning remains for many diehards the record that epitomizes all of the band’s immense strengths —Roth’s manic energy and tongue-wagging humor, Alex Van Halen’s rhythmic heartbeat-in-your-chest bombast, and Michael Anthony’s lucid bass lines included. Arriving when the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and new-wave movements were taking flight, it signaled a shot across the bow from a band determined to stay a step ahead and provide proof nobody could touch what it delivered.

More than four decades later, Fair Warning still sounds that alarm.

The capstone of Miles Davis’ electric period, Agharta reigns as a funk-rock fireball — a blazing comet streaked energy and elan, a fearless organism feasting on adventure and freedom, a seven-headed Godzilla stomping its way through Osaka, Japan. Recorded on February 1, 1975 at Osaka Festival Hall at the first of a two-show stand, the double album offers an endless abundance of surprises and shifts — as well as a road-proven ensemble whose chemistry and abilities equal that of any of Davis’ celebrated bands. If the true measure of jazz is the capacity to adapt to the moment and challenge perception, Agharta is consummate.

Sourced from the original master tapes, housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition 180g 33RPM 2LP set of this epic live release presents it in audiophile sound on a domestic pressing for the first time. Offering greater degrees of separation, detail, and richness than the compressed CD editions and more clarity, openness, and presence than older vinyl copies, this version of the 1975 release helps bring the concert stage to your home. Just make sure your turntable and speakers are up to the challenge of Davis and Co.’s explosive performances — and producing the decibels they demand.

Teeming with vibrant colors, tones, and pace, Mobile Fidelity’s reissue captures the hear-it-to-believe-it flow, sweep, and moodiness of the music. Though the group honors looseness and freedom with religious verve, the specificity and scale rendered by this remaster allows you to detect methods behind the alleged madness that are often otherwise harder to discern. This insight extends to the understated changes in volume, harmonics, and phrasings. In many ways, you can listen as Davis himself did that early February evening as he helped coordinate the overall direction and decided on whether to blow his wah-wah-wired trumpet or take a turn on the organ.

Tellingly, Agharta would likely never have been made if not for Davis’ ventures overseas and, specifically, to the Land of the Rising Sun. Having for years faced a backlash on his native soil for his choices to experiment and blow past all known borders, Davis was welcomed with open arms in Japan. The concert documented on Agharta — as well as the day’s later show, captured on the equally exciting Pangea — stemmed from a sold-out three-week tour that would ultimately mark Davis’ final public appearances for years, as he soon settled into semi-retirement and nursed the wounds connected to an unprecedented stretch of restless and relentless output.

For all the band-fueled merit of Agharta — and there’s plenty, given the cast of saxophonist Sonny Fortune, bassist Michael Henderson, drummer Al Foster, percussionist James Mtume, and guitarists Reggie Lucas and Pete Cosey seemingly blasts off to outer space and travels distant galaxies by the time this minimally edited record runs its course — Davis’ own playing often remains overlooked. As critics Richard Cook and Brian Morton observed, it is “often fantastically subtle, creating surges and ebbs in a harmonically static line, allowing him to build huge melismatic variations on a single note.” He attacks like a man on a mission, out to prove naysayers wrong and bent on trailblazing another new path forward. Convention and skeptics be damned.

Noisy and furious, dark and discordant, abstract and off-balance, radical and intense, abrasive and atmospheric, strangely beautiful and hypnotically eccentric: Agharta evades simple description, and refuses to be pinned down in any established category — rock, jazz, punk, ambient, prog, avante-garde, or otherwise. Shot through with trench-deep grooves, screaming riffs, scalding solos, and free-improv leads, its cosmic thrust comes on as the equivalent of an animated pointillist painting comprised of millions of textured dots, dashes, and dabs that hold your attention so raptly you want to revisit the ideas again and again.

Always steps ahead of everyone else, Davis knew what he was doing even when Agharta debuted in Japan before later hitting U.S. markets. Though “Maiysha” and “Theme from Jack Johnson” are identified in the track listing, the record contains a number of uncredited references to other Davis works, including a nod to “So What.” This decision to bypass labels only adds to the art of the reveal — the rare black magic in which Agharta expertly deals.

YES! We are a "BIG BAND"!!
A 20th anniversary original album featuring new members has been released on a two-disc vinyl set.

Formed in 2005 at the invitation of pianist Makoto Ozone, whose work transcends genres and continues to thrive on a global scale, the 15-member big band
"No Name Horses" has grown into a one-of-a-kind big band, thanks to its sophisticated ensemble built on longstanding relationships of trust, the diverse
original compositions of Ozone and the other members, and its boundless creativity and playfulness. The band has performed both in Japan and overseas.

In 2024, the band changed its name from "Makoto Ozone featuring No Name Horse" to "Makoto Ozone No Name Horse," and began activities under a new
lineup with the addition of three new members: Hidetaro Matsui, Yu Riku, and Shinpei Ogawa. This is the first album since the new lineup was released in
November 2024.

Returning to the classic big band sound, this album was created with each member contributing a new song, based on the concept of a superb swing and resonance.

Makoto Ozone "No Name Horses"
Makoto Ozone (p, org) Eric Miyashiro (tp, flh, picc trp) Akira Okumura (tp, flh) Shutaro Matsui (tp, flh) Yoshiaki Okazaki (tp, flh) Eijiro Nakagawa (tb)
Marshall Gilkes (tb) Junko Yamashiro (b-tb) Masanori Okazaki (as, ss, cl) Atsushi Ikeda (as) Toshio Miki (ts) Yu Riku (ts, fl) Yoshihiro Iwamochi (bs, cl)
Shinpei Ogawa (b) Shinnosuke Takahashi (ds)

Strolling through the world by Biboul Darouiche & The Bantu Jazz Connection marks the first vinyl release on Crispy Water and is a vibrant fusion of African rhythms, jazz improvisation, and soulful storytelling, blending ancestral rhythm with contemporary jazz expression. Recorded with an ensemble of outstanding musicians, the album moves effortlessly between groove, spirit, and freedom — connecting continents through sound.

BIBOUL DAROUICHE is a singer, percussionist, composer and head of the ensemble. By playing the conga, djembe, calimba and - the African treetrunk drum (also called nkul or tam-tam, which by the way should not be missing at any concert!) Darouiche brings a very special color to his music. He works mainly in Europe, but his engagements also take him to the Middle East, the countries of the CIS, Brazil and the USA. Since1995 he has been a member of Klaus Doldinger's Passport. He has also worked with musicians such as Al Di Meola, Pee Wee Ellis, Roy Ayers, Graham Haynes, Paquito D'Rivera and the Jazz Baltica Ensemble.

The Austrian multi-instrumentalist and producer MICHAEL HORNEK, who is part of the permanent cast of Klaus Doldinger's Passport as a keyboardist, plays keyboards, percussion and sings. His free-jazzy percussive playing inspires every listener. Hornek's keyboard skills can be heard on over 750 music productions, and the trend is of course increasing!

Mauritian bassist LINLEY MARTHE is one of the world's best bassists. He was a long time permanent member of the band Joe Zawinul Syndicate,worked with musicians like Dave Liebmann, Richard Galliano, Omar Hakimand many more. Zawinul said of Linley Marthe in an interview: “Linley is a phenomenon. I don't know if anyone can match him in terms of bass playing."

ROGER BIWANDU, french musician born and raised in Bordeaux/France, with roots from Congo (DRC) is an artist resident at l'Apollo bar in Bordeaux since june 1997, he plays there one time per month. He played with a lot of great musicians all over the world, with some heavy weights too, like Joe Zawinul, Salif Keita, Marcus Miller, Lee Ritenour, John Beasley, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Franck McComb, to name a few.

Following his award-nominated and critically acclaimed 2023 album Until Then, Danish guitarist and composer Rasmus Oppenhagen Krogh now presents his fourth album as a bandleader. "The title refers to the pillars that life and existence rest on," Krogh explains. "The moments, feelings, and meetings that form us as human beings, and that follow us the rest of the way. Snapshots that become defining for how our life develops." Musically, Pillars balances clear song structures with rich, intricate harmonic foundations. Krogh draws on influences from jazz, indie, rock, film scores, electronic music, and pop, creating a genre-fluid universe in which the ensemble"s improvisational voices shape each piece. Krogh"s guitar takes the lead, acting as a melodic guide, while the production - crafted alongside longtime collaborator Rasmus Juncker (Yör, Anna Roemer, Little North) - adds depth and texture, highlighting the album"s bold and multi-faceted sonic identity. As on previous releases, Krogh is surrounded by some of Denmark"s finest musicians, all longtime collaborators whose personal voices and improvisational approach have deeply influenced his musical development. The ensemble includes Anders Christensen on electric bass (Paul Motian, Jakob Bro, The Raveonettes), Jakob Hoyer on drums (The Raveonettes, Jakob Bro, Nikolaj Norlund), Lars Greve on reeds and effects (Resonerede Rum, Girls in Airports, Peter Sommer), Simon Toldam on piano and synths (Simon Toldam Trio, Han Bennink Trio, Efterklang), and Victor Dybbroe on percussion (Girls in Airports, Teitur, Blomsten). Their interplay and openness create a living, evolving sound world, with Krogh"s guitar at its emotional center. Beyond his own projects, Krogh is a sought-after guitarist, working with artists ranging from Guldimund to Takykardia and Emil de Waal. Pillars underscores his identity as a deeply personal and forward-looking voice in contemporary instrumental music.

A DJ, producer and prolific collaborator, Greg Paulus’s musical career has led to a truly enviable discography. Born in Minnesota and now an essential part of New York’s sprawling musical landscape, Paulus has taken the foundations of an organic childhood education by his father, the composer Stephen Paulus, and seen it blossom into an unpredictable musical journey encompassing house, soul, jazz and hip-hop.

While touring as a trumpet player with indie band Beirut, as well as in Matthew Dear’s live ensemble, back home he was helping to redefine New York’s underground dance scene as one half of No Regular Play. Alongside childhood friend Nick DeBruyn, the pair brought their deeply musical sound to no less than fifty countries across the world. A decade on, and Paulus arrives on Seth Troxler’s Slacker 85 imprint for his long-awaited debut solo LP, ‘Close To Home’, a deeply felt long-play celebration of his personal cornerstones; family, trust and hope.

From the opening, organic swell of ‘Perot’, arranged with Seth Troxler himself alongside John Camp, ‘Close To Home’ introduces itself as a focused, conscious trip, it’s languid trumpet spilling over into the reflective ‘World Keeps Changing’, which introduces Paulus’s philosophy of music as a constant. ‘Midtown Mirage’ meanwhile leans into the idea of the city itself as a collaborator, resisting pressure and finding its own restful groove. Back over the river, ‘Bond’ roots itself in Brooklyn with a contribution from resident Dillon Cooper, flipping rap standards amid psychedelic flourishes.

Paulus nods toward his dancefloor form on ‘NRG’, a slinky, lo-slung club groove that seamlessly evolves to meld the artist’s nocturnal and studio instincts. In contrast, ‘Real Job’ switches the tempo on Paulus’s MPC to embody an old-school, beatdown flavour, subtly teased out alongside composer and sound designer, Taylor Bense. Doubling down on this languorous groove, ‘Hat Down’ introduces a full-scale No Regular Play reunion, the first of two collaborative tracks that recall the duo’s imperial phase of confidently minimal productions, while evolving their craft.

Following a few missed calls made with love taken from Paulus’s answering machine on ‘$1000’ the minimal, reflective arrangement of ‘Hold Dear’ finds the artist stripping back his layered sound for a skittering, vulnerable exploration of intimacy and life’s devotions.

For a memorable finale, Paulus recruits jazz prodigy Michael Feinberg to deliver upright funk on the deliciously rich ‘Sometimes It’s About Us’. A purely celebratory collage of bopping rhythms and vocals, sharply plucked guitars and archive samples, ‘Close To Home’ concludes with Paulus leading his friends, ensemble and many influences in rare harmony.

The long-awaited analog release of “ODDTAXI” by Skirt and PUNPEE, the opening theme of the TV anime "ODDTAXI" is finally here!

■Skirt
Skirt is a self-described “unhealthy pop” band known for its refreshingly light yet slightly shadowed songwriting and band ensemble, earning widespread
acclaim across professions, genders, and age groups.
The project began in 2006 as the solo multi-track recording endeavor of Wataru Sawabe. In 2010, he launched his own label, Kaczka Sound, and released
his first album ""S-O-S,"" marking the true beginning of Skirt’s full-fledged musical journey.
In April 2021, Skirt collaborated with PUNPEE on the opening theme "ODDTAXI" for the anime "ODDTAXI". Drawing from his extensive knowledge of
comedy, Sawabe served as a judge for the finals of the UNDER 25 OWARAI CHAMPIONSHIP—a comedy competition for performers under 25—in
September 2023, and also wrote the event’s official theme song, "Kitai to Yokan"
In addition, he has contributed music to numerous animated works, films, and TV dramas. His exceptional songwriting skills have led him to write songs
for a range of artists including Takashi Fujii, Kaede (Negicco), Toko Miura, and adieu (Moka Kamishiraishi).
As a versatile multi-instrumentalist, Sawabe has also participated in live performances and recordings with artists he deeply admires, such as Spitz,
Makoto Kawamoto, and Moonriders. Skirt continues to attract attention as both a band and the project of a wonderfully talented, genre-defying
singer-songwriter.

■PUNPEE
Active as both a rapper and producer, PUNPEE has released acclaimed albums such as "MODERN TIMES" and "The Sofakingdom"" His diverse body
of work includes contributions to a Red Bull TV commercial, the opening theme for the TBS show "Wednesday's Downtown" a remix of Hikaru Utada’s
"Hikari -Ray of Hope MIX-" and the track "Time Machine ni Notte / Kazoku no Fukei" for the Sotetsu–Tokyu through line commemorative short film.
But of course, what truly matters—is what comes next. P

Sarathy Korwar, genre-breaking drummer, producer and composer, announces the release of his seventh album "There Is Beauty, There Already" out on Otherland. Celebrating the melodic power of the drum ensemble, the album follows his 2022 Indofuturist manifesto "KALAK" with a deeply immersive longform suite of percussion-led compositions.

"The Bad Seeds and Zakary Thaks were mid ‘60s Texas garage rock bands formed in the wake of the British Invasion, influenced by The Rolling Stones, Kinks, Yardbirds and others, becoming top local live attractions at a time when the 13th Floor Elevators and Moving Sidewalks were leading the way into psychedelia. In late 1966 Rod Prince on guitar and Roy Cox on bass from Bad Seeds joined up with David Fore from Zakary Thaks on drums to create a new band out of San Antonio featuring two lead guitarists. Todd Potter filled out the quartet on second guitar and they chose the name Bubble Puppy, taken from Aldous Huxley’s 1932 dystopian novel Brave New World. Huxley was an early advocate of LSD, appropriately. In 1969 Bubble Puppy scored a top 20 hit single with “Hot Smoke & Sasafrass” which led to their LP “A Gathering Of Promises”. International Artists, the legendary Texas label that previously had unleashed mind expanding classics by the Elevators, Red Crayola, Golden Dawn and others was a perfect fit. After the LP and additional 45s didn’t repeat the success of “Hot Smoke & Sasafrass” the band hooked up with Nick St. Nicholas of Steppenwolf as their new manager and moved to Los Angeles. A new band name was in order, Nick St. Nicholas chose Demian, title of the 1919 novel by Herman Hesse. His books were popular with the counterculture at the time and had provided Steppenwolf with their new name after they changed it from the Sparrow and hit it big. Demian recorded the LP live in the studio at the Record Plant in one midnight to six session. They had their arrangements fully realized, allowing them to combine live show energy and economy with to-the-point delivery suitable for repeated listening. No doubt they were aiming for pop hit success, using proto hard rock skills in a radio friendly way without compromising the heavy guitar moves. The vocals have echoes of the earlier Bubble Puppy style in spots but are more melodic with vibrant harmonies reminiscent of Moby Grape, Buffalo Springfield, James Gang… at times flashing on Steve Stills/Richie Furay westcoast without being too sweet about it. It works terrifically when the radio friendly voices top off killer hard guitar ensemble action. Early hard rock that is too bluesy flashy can get tiresome with repeat listening, especially if overdosing on guitar solos with the band relegated to the background… Demian keep it interesting with inventive song structures allowing all four players to integrate constantly into an ever changing but focused whole. This LP is a grower, despite the basic two guitars, bass and drums lineup and no frills production you reach a lot of different places during the ride. Demian is deadly hard rock, a perfectly organized vibe straddling live energy and crafted itinerary, amongst the first obscure major label killers that commanded premium $$ with collectors even way back in the late ‘70s. It gets you there every time, even half a century later!"

"It's a Beautiful Day" brings together 12 outstanding songs recorded between 1971 and 1976, reminiscent of sunshine pop, psych folk and soft rock with Peruvian touches, taken from extremely hard to find records, some of them reissued here on vinyl for the first time. A mindblowing look at a really stunning musical moment in Peru. Unusual instruments and exceptional vocal play also feature in the ten original songs and two cover versions, all performed by Lima-based groups. MAG has been, since its foundation in 1953, an essential label in the music scene of Peru, allowing the development of the careers of both tropical artists and musicians of other genres. At the head was Don Manuel Antonio Guerrero, its founder, whose name comes from the acronym of the label itself (M.A.G.). In 2021 MAG was acquired by the Spanish company Distrolux SL, owner of the Munster and Vampisoul record labels, after years of previous collaborations in which some of the most emblematic titles in the catalog were already reissued for the international market: Nils Jazz Ensemble, Sonora Casino, Traffic Sound, Al Valdez, Pax... Following our recent release "14 MAGníficos Bailables", comprising some of the best tropical music on MAG, this new compilation brings together 12 songs recorded between 1971 and 1976, reminiscent of sunshine pop, folk psych and soft rock but with Peruvian touches. The lyrics range from youthful reflections, environmental awareness, paradigm changes to all shades of love that the youth of the day experienced. Unusual instruments and exceptional vocal play also feature in the ten original songs and two cover versions, all performed by Lima-based groups.

Following Volume 1, this second instalment of Classic’s 30th Anniversary series dives even deeper into the label’s visionary, genre-bending catalogue—balancing pioneering remixes, cult favourites, and future classics.

Once again, this 2x12” release is beautifully presented in a raw reverse board sleeve, a tactile nod to Classic’s earliest releases. Inside, are deep teal and green GMUND card stock inner sleeves with embossed detailing elevate the package into a collector’s item worthy of the music it holds.

Record One opens with one of the most revered remixes in house history. Isolee’s ‘Beau Mot Plage’ (Freeform Reform Parts 1 & 2), originally licensed from Germany’s Playhouse and lovingly reworked by Freeform Five’s Anu Pillai with a live ensemble. It’s a sprawling, euphoric journey that helped define Classic’s international reach and is still widely regarded as one of the greatest house records ever pressed.

Up next is Greenskeepers’ off-kilter banger ‘Bang in Your Face?’, showcasing the quirky, ‘G-swing’ sound for which James Curd and his crew became known for during their long-standing relationship with the label.

On the flip, Pépé Bradock’s jaw-dropping rework of Iz & Diz’s ‘Mouth’ takes center stage—a remix composed entirely from human sounds, equal parts sensual and surreal. Universally praised, it’s a masterclass in sonic innovation and remains one of the most acclaimed house remixes of all time.

The side closes with Markus Nikolai’s beloved ‘Bushes’, The First Re-Creation (Version 1.2) by Classic co founder Derrick Carter—a distinctive and maximalist edit that draws out the Latin horns, strings, and quirky vocals, turning a cult hit into a distinctly ‘Classic’ anthem.

Record Two captures Classic’s renewed energy in the 2010s.

Folamour’s ‘Devoted To U’ from his Umami LP is a 10-minute odyssey in groove—warm, progressive, and cinematic, with soaring piano lines and narrative richness.

Then comes Crazy P’s ‘One True Light’, shimmering with spacey textures, cosmic energy, and the deep, effortless groove the band has perfected over decades.

On Side D, we have Girls of the Internet’s lush and emotionally rich ‘When U Go’, blending soulful vocals with clean, spacious production that balances melancholy with movement.

Closing out Volume 2 is Sophie Lloyd’s now iconic ‘Calling Out’, featuring the unstoppable vocal force of Dames Brown. A modern gospel-disco-house anthem, the track glows with raw energy, live instrumentation, and spiritual fire—cementing its place as one of Classic’s defining moments of the last decade.




d B2. Markus Nikolai - Bushes (Derrick Carter's First Re-Creation) Version 1.2




d B2. Markus Nikolai - Bushes (Derrick Carter's First Re-Creation) Version 1.2




d B2. Markus Nikolai - Bushes (Derrick Carter's First Re-Creation) Version 1.2




d B2. Markus Nikolai - Bushes (Derrick Carter's First Re-Creation) Version 1.2




d B2. Markus Nikolai - Bushes (Derrick Carter's First Re-Creation) Version 1.2

PRAED return to Discrepant, after their 2017’s entry Fabrication of Silver Dreams (CREP44)

Known for their signature blend of Egyptian Shaabi, free jazz and improvisation, the Lebanese duo behind PRAED - Raed Yassin and Paed Conca - now assemble a full orchestra for the second time taking the music to a deeper, rooted level.

Following their 2020 release Live in Sharjah, also under the PRAED Orchestra! moniker, the duo now revisit their unique blend of Arabic heritage and free jazz sensibilities with an album that keeps pushing further into strange and unexpected directions.

The Dictionary of Lost Meanings is just that, seven fully composed pieces and large-scale improvisations, performed by an expanded ensemble of musicians from across the globe. The result is dense and playful, unpredictable but familiar, a record where Arabic rhythms and microtonal melodies collide playfully against electronics, warped vocals and orchestral textures.

It’s less about genre than about memory — like tuning into a radio station broadcasting from somewhere between the past and the future.

PRAED continue to blur the line between popular culture and experimental music in ways that feel both grounded and completely their own.

PRAED ORCHESTRA! are
Raed Yassin: Synthesisers, Vocals, Beats
Paed Conca: Clarinet, Electric bass
Alan Bishop: Alto saxophone, Electric bass, Vocals
Andreas Bral: Harmonium, Electronics
Elisabeth Klinck: Violin
Christian Kobi: Soprano and Tenor Saxophones
Hans Koch: Bass Clarinet
Martin Küchen: Alto and Sopranino Saxophones
Maurice Louca: Synthesizer, electronics
Stan Maris: Accordion
Radwan Ghazi Moumneh: Buzuk, Vocals, Modular Synth
Youmna Saba: Electric Oud, Vocals
Sam Shalabi: Oud, Electric Guitar
Els Vandeweyer: Vibraphone
Khaled Yassine: Drums, Percussion
Michael Zerang: Drums, Percussion
Recorded by Jasper Jan Peeters at the Summer Bummer Festival, DE Studio,
Antwerp August 26, 2022
Mixed by Adham Zidan
Mastered by Mark Gergis
Produced by PRAED
Photos by Geert Vandepoele

The latest release from the music project "Tokimeki Records," which has garnered worldwide attention for its covers and unearthing of classic J-pop songs
from the 80s and 90s, with a focus on city pop, is a cover of the 1987 hit "Tsuteibo" by 80s singer and gliding writer Nina Atsuko.

Tokimeki Records has taken the original song's arrangement, which evokes the classic 80s AOR, and created a sparkling, summery 2025 sound.
The groovy medium beat and brass ensemble are a perfect match for the seaside at the end of summer.
Hikari (Mime) features on vocals. Based on a neo-soul style, the lyrics and melody evoke 80s city pop, and are expressed in a cool and solid way.

The jacket is an artistic surf photo by surf photographer Sasao Kazuyoshi, which seems to capture the world of the song.
This single is from the surf music compilation "SALT... meets ISLAND CAFE -Sea of ​​Love 3-," supervised by the magazine "SALT...," which proposes new
values ​​for beach lifestyle and surf culture.