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With his latest release "Precious Skin", Amsterdam based Hitam initiates the launch of "Rhiza Semar"- a label, focused on combining dynamic dance floor oriented productions with a left field approach to electronic music. Driven by a strong attraction to artistic innovation, it aims to develop a catalogue of sonic structures which transcend boundaries and traditionalism, immersing the audience in landscapes that are both familiar and otherworldly.. The essence resonates through it's first instalment. A four-track EP offering a dense and muddy trip into the fields of abstract techno. Besides some minor changes to the overall mixdown each track is recorded live. No arrangements, just the primal and impetuous necessity to create. All tracks, just like living organisms, evolve and progress, from the soft tones of 'Precious Skin' to the ominous yet soft allure of 'Chanu Akan'. Words by Costanza Acernese

2024 Repress

Errol and Alex Rita’s Touching Bass are proud to present Soon Come; a landmark compilation celebrating the talents of their now intercontinental musical community and an introduction to the wide-spanning sound and feeling of their growing label. 22 original tracks spread across double 12” vinyl and split between 'day' and 'night' moods, creating exciting connections between music for both the home and the eclectic sounds of their much-loved dancefloor.

Over the past six years, Touching Bass have steadily established themselves as one of London’s most important musical incubators. More than just a club night, concert series, NTS Radio mainstay and a label, Touching Bass has become something of a movement: a community meeting grounds for music lovers and some of the most exciting contemporary music-makers both in the capital and beyond.

The tracklist is a reflection of that, curated by TB’s Errol, Alex Rita and Sammseed over the course of two years. Among the list of contributors are Chicago/New York’s keiyaA, Stones Throw’s DJ Harrison, Ben Hauke, Ego Ella May, recent WARP signee Nala Sinephro, Melo-Zed, Hiatus Kaiyote’s Clever Austin and many more (see below for tracklist). Artwork for the project comes from Alex Rita, combining moments caught at Touching Bass’ own gatherings over the years.

Since launching properly in 2019, Touching Bass has quickly established itself as one of the UK’s most exciting new labels. The young imprint has championed critically respected and refreshingly innovative works with little genre restriction, receiving recognition from both musical and cultural bil. From the electrifying grooves of Danish trio, Athletic Progression, to the modern classical of South London’s CKTRL (featuring Duval Timothy).

Along the way, Errol and Alex have also been tapped up for collaborations/ commissions with some of the world’s most forward-thinking creatives and institutions; from the world-renowned White Cube gallery for Frieze Week 2021 and fashion designers Nicholas Daley and Azura Lovisa to film music supervision for Ronan McKenzie and Joy Yamasungie’s WATA and multi-award winning director, Jenn Nkiru’s (Beyonce, Kamasi Washington, Neneh Cherry) Black To Techno, the experimental documentary which premiered at Frieze Los Angeles and was nominated for ‘Best Short’ at the IDA Awards.

For newcomers, Soon Come acts as a vital introduction to the label’s wide-spanning DNA. For those already acquainted, it’s a glimpse at its exciting future.

Joeski returns to Crosstown Rebels with ‘Music Is My Home’, featuring the vocals of Troy Dillard. The release, landing on 25th October 2024, features a remix by label regular Made By Pete alongside a ‘Dub’ mix.

A pioneering figure in the house music scene for over two decades, Joeski continues to show his mastery in blending rhythmic grooves with emotional depth. Known for his signature fusion of classic house with Afro and Latin influences, the Brooklyn-born, Queens-raised DJ/producer and Maya label boss has maintained his influential presence globally, with releases on an endless list of leading labels. Here, he delivers once again with an impressive return to Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels imprint with ‘Music Is My Home’ —a track that merges rhythmic beats with regular collaborator Troy Dillard’s emotive vocals.

‘Music Is My Home’ is a sonic journey, paying homage to the roots of house while showcasing Joeski's seasoned touch. Led by Dillard’s impassioned vocals, the track’s soulful rhythm, deep bassline, and atmospheric melodies make it a standout and emotive slice of modern house music. Label favourite Made By Pete steps up on remix duties, with the UK talent delivering an expansive production aimed at the dancefloor with wonky grooves and swirling synths, perfect for after-hour moments. Rounding out the release is the ‘Dub’ mix, a stripped-back version that lets the groove speak for itself.

Nearly a decade after the release of his breakthrough debut album 'Sunday', Swedish producer HNNY (aka Johan Cederberg) returns with the album Light Shines Through, released independently via HNNY's own imprint.

For his first album in almost a decade, HNNY has returned to the electronic soundscapes that inspired his earliest releases. It's made for the quiet, brain-tingling moments of solitude at home and contains a consistent thread throughout, not just in the ambient sounds used, but also more conceptually with what the songs evoke and what they are about: the album lands at a particularly pivotal moment of HNNY's life after the birth of his two daughters which have given him a new perspective on life.

HNNY's melodies are a gentle alternative to the more complicated corners of dance music. Debuting on Studio Barnhus in 2011, HNNY aka Johan Cederberg quickly became one of house music's most talked about artists with a signature sample driven style. He has won a Swedish Grammy in the electronic music category, toured the world globally and created a following both in and outside of the dance music community for his bittersweet strain of dance music.
Shortly after the release of his critically acclaimed debut album Sunday, the producer stopped touring solely focusing on production. Since then, HNNY has racked up hundreds of millions of streams, released a number of singles and EPs on the likes of Let's Play House, Puss and Omena and he is now finally ready to return to the LP format for the first time in nearly a decade with the album Light Shines Through.

"• 25th Anniversary expanded edition available on CD and for the first time on vinyl. • Contains five previously unissued tracks recorded live, November 14, 1999 on Mountain Stage. • Packaging contains lyrics, photos, and liner notes from Peter Blackstock (No Depression, Austin American-Statesman) While gigging in Austin, Texas, in the late 1980s, Kelly Willis developed a strong fan base. Among her fans were other Texas musicians like Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith. Griffith introduced her to producer Tony Brown who signed Willis to MCA Records. Soon, she would find herself in the films Thelma And Louise and Bob Roberts, as well as receiving a nomination as Top New Female Vocalist at 1993’s Academy of Country Music Awards. After three records on MCA, and an EP on A&M, Willis finished her fifth release and signed with Rykodisc, who released What I Deserve in 1999. Featuring originals by Willis, three co-writes with The Jayhawks’ Gary Louris, and songs by Paul Kelly, Paul Westerberg, Nick Drake, Dan Penn, and more—What I Deserve became her highest charting album to date, hitting #30 on the Country charts and #24 on Heatseekers Albums. It is also now revered as a landmark release in Alternative Country and Americana circles—with good reason. To celebrate its 25th Anniversary, What I Deserve returns—expanded with five previously unissued live performances of songs from the album recorded November 14, 1999 on Mountain Stage. In addition to an expanded CD reissue, the release sees its first appearance on vinyl as a double-LP! In addition to the 17 tracks (appearing on both formats), the packaging contains lyrics and new liner notes from Peter Blackstock (No Depression, Austin American-Statesman), all done with Kelly’s approval. What I Deserve has always deserved another look and listen for those who may have missed it the first time—what you deserve is to lose yourself in Kelly Willis’ incredible What I Deserve and celebrate 25 years of this landmark album.
"

Lake Mary is the moniker of Chaz Prymek, a guitarist, composer, free improvisor and painter currently based in the US. Through spacious personal hymns exploring the wilderness of deep emotional narrative, Prymek’s long-form compositions and improvisations are boundless meditations on the landscapes, river ways, and wildlife, both external and personal. Perhaps most widely known as a founding member of the group Fuubutsushi, Prymek's work as Lake Mary leans sometimes more slow, open and pastoral, sometimes more visceral with prepared guitar and synthesizers, but can always be characterized by patience. A board member of Dismal Niche Arts, and founder of Yardwork Presents, Prymek's focus on curation and community for exploratory and expansive music and arts spills over into all his sonic works.

Daniel Wyche is a Chicago-based guitarist, composer, and improviser. Working with a wide range of physical preparations, extended techniques, and pedal instruments, his solo recordings and live performances are characterized by long-form structured improvisations and multichannel guitar. He has been a curator with the Elastic Arts Foundation in Chicago since 2013, where is work has been described as “crucial” by Dusted and “vital” by the Chicago Reader. In March of 2020, Daniel co-founded The Quarantine Concerts in collaboration with Chicago’s Experimental Sound Studio. The series has been widely praised as a model for online/streaming live music. Along with his solo guitar work, Daniel is involved in several ongoing collaborations, most notably the trio of Wyche, Mark Shippy (US Maple), and Ben Baker Billington, as well as new work with longtime collaborators like Patrick Shiroishi, Lake Mary, and many others.

Strange Power!, the fifth record from Durham, NC-based songwriter and poet Anne Malin Ringwalt, emerges from the darkest waters of the self into a world remade. Releasing in conjunction with her second book of poetry, What Floods (Inside the Castle, Oct. 2024), Strange Power! overflows with Ringwalt's teeming and sensuous personal symbolry: glowing lilacs and gentle queens, dolphins wild and girls who grew up brave _ T.S. Eliot sung by Cat Power, backed by Mount Eerie. She sings: "I rose up from water." Ringwalt writes and performs with the authority of a lifetime spent harnessing the alchemy of storytelling; her belief in the power of words to heal and transform is palpable in each achingly- delivered lyric. Made amidst profound inner and outer change, Strange Power! also sees Ringwalt taking up the role of self-producer for the first time, mirroring and supporting the record's Orphic quest by gathering contributions from a coterie of friends wielding an electric range of American instruments. Violins, vibraphones, drum machines, electric guitars dappled with spring reverb, wind-blown shells, and a host of other numinous sounds form an unfurling and shadowy world which was then carefully honed during the mixing process (shepherded by Michael Cormier-O'Leary and Lucas Knapp) _ settling the final record in an eerie meridian between spareness and verdancy. The result is a beguiling and darkly blooming realm: the sound of a personal cosmos being remade, piece by piece. Ringwalt is at the height of her spirit as both songwriter-poet and singer, her willowy voice by turns conjuring and keening as she reckons with her deep past and the stories told since. Opening track "The Pines" sets the stage for a record of truly life-long scope: "I was a child, now I hold her / I was asleep for many years." Some songs, like the gorgeous "North Carolina" and "The Saint," were written as early as 2013 but, Ringwalt says, "insisted upon being remembered" as the record took shape; in its final form, they serve as inciting moments of self-discovery before the journey to come. "The Visionary" recalls one of Ringwalt's earliest musical breakthroughs _ her re-rendering of an Emily Brontë poem into a song at age 15 _ and, she says, "`cites' the melody of that song in the context of this new one _ a holding of the past and present and every layer in between/beyond, in utter solitude _ a solitude that reflects certain aspects of abandon as a child and an adult..." This unusually lengthy time-scale lends Strange Power! a deeply moving sense of narrative fullness. Stretches of the record _ particularly the "Judgment Day" ? "River" ? "Lilac Bloom" trifecta that form the black heart of Side 1 _ may recall familiar wanderings of personal underworlds such as Mount Eerie's Lost Wisdom Pt. 2 or Neil Young's Ditch Trilogy. Yet this hollowed landscape is in turn exorcized by the a capella "I Know," in which Ringwalt sings "I won't be gutted by you / For giving and trying to heal / I won't be gutted, I am not a fool / I deserve a love that is new" before the song concludes with a piano passage that recalls hymnal music _ suggesting a faith in life itself to offer new beginnings. Side 2 features some of Ringwalt's most powerfully introspective writing to date, as the songwriter casts off myth after myth in her search for personal transformation. By the final song, "Stories," the energy that has been gathering all throughout the record breaks loose as Ringwalt reflects: "I wrote so many stories, not knowing what the end was." But at this stage in the journey, we know there is no such thing as an ending; if the healing process is never complete, the storyteller's strange power is what finally offers liberation.

THE DYNAMICS • DRAG’N'FLY
by VINCENT HELLO.

Jamaica, 1960s. Ska artists, rock steady and reggae take back some soul songs of the United States, thus giving their versions that will in turn become future classics. The hits of the moment are also seasoned with Jamaican sauce, no matter where it comes from Original, pop, country, jazz... The rhythms of the island permanently transform the tracks of origin. In 2024, with their third album called Dragn'fly and decorated with a beautiful dragonfly (a "dragonfly" so in the language of King Tubby) the Dynamics honour Jamaican tradition and dynamite 10 versions of hits from yesterday and today. The Dragonfly spread his wings reggae, soul, funk to land in all headsets at the heart of good stereos and on spicy dancefloors. Because this dragonfly is a true superfly that speaks to the heart... and legs.

After two albums whose success led them to walk the globe of Glastonbury in Tokyo, honoured by the large elders (the first part of Lee Perry here, a regular dj support of Don Letts over there) the Dynamics are alive so their 'soul reggae vocal sound system” in front of audiences specializing in Jamaican or to those who are who were lucky enough to meet them by chance in Chemical Brothers... or Lady Gaga.

The Dynamics have forgotten the weight of ancestors to make their own recipe. They proclaim it, they are Sound System! The voices of Mounam, Steve Levi and Mr Day are in the front row, so making lovers, preachers, crooners and crooners to Turns of Duty, while Fab Master Flab all in one of the roots and futuristic echos. But if the mind is a sound system, the dynamics sounds also as a group through instruments live performances that plunge the tracks into a fervor unique. And then there are the hits, so, from all times and of all styles.
The low rider becomes toaster and leaves the road a American carried by these vocal harmonies Sky to take the exit Kingston. On the roadside, the joker delivers his lovers soft rock after a small detour to Muscle Shoal, The time to borrow a guitar from Duane Allman. In the south again, Mounam “Mrs Dynamics” meets the spirit of «Mr Dynamite» and tells him his radical, soul version. “ man’s world...” inna digital style! The spiritual anthem “you got to have freedom” by Master Pharoah Sanders becomes a universal skank, pop and dub who sends resounding high its universal message Dance! The dynamics are mutating the classic of ESG into a small, minimal pop bomb that is not without resemblance to the Neptunes of Mr Pharell Williams. On the edge of the track, Peter Gabriel sees his “Sledgehammer” groover as he does could imagine it and dissolve into sublime soul scrolls. Later, “After laughter...” soul classic celebrated and sampled Born into a rock steady air promised also to eternity. JJ Cale’s "cocaine," leaves its on the dancefloor for a reggae disco version, necessarily! And then, we must conclude. So it’s time to send an original title. It will be "Rubba Sub", to the aromas of sleng teng, which proves that far from the hits, the Dynamics deploys same layouts to deliver fresh and authentic sounds. And when the dub echoes evaporated, that the riddims have been silent, only remains an album majestic, in turn a future classic, full of unique Dynamics sound that mixes with instinct the echoes of yesterday to its own voices today.

"“There are times in life when you’re so present, so fully immersed in the moment that you can catch a glimpse of another universe, of a realm beyond our own,” says Louisa Stancioff. “It might last for a second or an hour, it might come in the midst of bliss or sadness, you might be alone or with a lover, but when it happens, there’s nothing quite like it.”

When We Were Looking, Stancioff’s stunning Yep Roc debut, is full of those moments. Written and recorded through a period of deep heartbreak and uncertainty, the collection is the raw and unflinching work of a nomadic soul who spent stints living in Alaska, California, New York, and North Carolina before returning home to her native Maine, one that holds nothing back in its bittersweet reckonings with pain, healing, acceptance, and growth. Stancioff writes with a cinematic eye here, conjuring up richly detailed stagings for her emotionally-charged character studies, and the guitar-and-synth-focused arrangements are immersive and nuanced to match, thanks in part to the evocative sonic landscaping of producer/keyboardist Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Craig Finn), who proves to be an ideal creative foil on the record. Add it all up and you’ve got a dreamy, nostalgic Polaroid of an album that blurs the lines between indie stoicism and folk sincerity, a lush, cathartic work that hints at everything from Phoebe Bridgers and Arlo Parks to Big Thief and Waxahatchee as it learns to find the beauty in grief and rebirth."

Die Musikzeitschriften "Audio" und "Stereo Play" betitelten Lenny Mac Dowell als "Rockflötist Nummer eins in Deutschland".
Lenny Mac Dowell hatte unzählige Tourneen mit Musikern wie Manni von Bohr, Horst Stachelhaus (Birth Control), Peter Oehler, Mike Herting, Bodo Schopf (Michael Schenker Group) oder Zeus B. Held (Guru Guru), Clemens Winterhalter, Alex Grünwald und immer wieder Großproduktionen mit Musikern wie Pete York (Spencer Davis Group) und Wolfgang Schmid (Passport).
Eine Ära des musikalischen Experimentierens setzte sich unter eigener Produktion fort. Nach "Flying Torso" folgt "Balance Of Power", das mehr in die esoterischen Gefilde geht - feinste Meditationsmusik mit Ambient-Elementen. Auch das Album "The Farthest Shore" spiegelt die meditativen und esoterischen Klänge wider. 1987 veröffentlichte Lenny Mac Dowell in einem Gemeinschaftsprojekt mit Christoph Spendel "Autumn Breath" oder "Landscapes" (2015) und in den 90er Jahren bis heute "The Lost Paradise", "Echnatons Return", "Launch Control", "Get Ready", "Retrospective", "Lenny Goes India", "Look Of Love" und "Raja Yoga" Produktionen unter eigener Flagge.
"Vinyl Experience" eignet sich auch hervorragend als Referenz oder zum Testen Ihres Soundsystems, von der Plattenspieleranlage bis zu den Lautsprechern.

Was haben Motörhead, Refused, Rage against the Machine, AC/DC und Green Day gemeinsam? Es mag vielleicht verwundern, aber sie haben allesamt Songs mit Texten, die ziemlich gut im Kontext eines Widerstands gegen eine Epoche funktionieren, die immer mehr durch herzlosen Nationalismus, Rassismus, Faschismus und Egoismus gekennzeichnet ist. Das Leben im Europa des Jahres 2024 kann einem schon den Rest geben: In immer mehr Ländern wühlen Politiker*innen den Dreck auf, der schon längst hätte abgeschafft werden sollen - oder der zumindest kollektiv verachtet gehört. Doch eines muss man sich unbedingt ins Gedächtnis rufen: just because you got the power, heißt nicht, dass man recht hat. Tagtäglich wird einem heute eine neue dumme Idee um die Ohren gehauen. Meistens geht es darum, diejenigen nach unten zu treten, die eh schon am Boden liegen. Für Otto Normalverbraucher, der sich von der Gesellschaft betrogen fühlt, ist das reines TNT. Das Gefühl ist bisweilen nachvollziehbar, doch bitte wann sind die Verbreitung von Angst, das Bauen von Mauern und die Zerstörung von Bildungssystemen zur Lösung für Alles geworden? Seit wann ist ein menschliches Wesen aufgrund seiner Ethnie, seines Geschlechts, seiner sexuellen Orientierung oder seines Glaubens weniger wert? Unsere Antwort ist kurz und knapp: Wann immer irgendwer versucht, uns hier auf Linie zu bringen, entgegnen wir: fuck you, we won"t do what you tell us. Was also tun? Sind wir die einzigen, die sich in einer Welt, die sich spiralförmig in den Abgrund dreht, wie basket cases, also absolut verloren fühlen? Hoffentlich nicht. Und wenn wir eines gelernt haben, dann, dass im Produzieren, Spielen und Hören von Musik ein mächtiger Zauber liegen kann. Es gibt weniges, was so wirksam für sozialen Kit sorgt. Deshalb sind wir unglaublich stolz und freuen uns extrem, wieder ein neues Hellsongs-Album zu präsentieren. Für uns ist es ein Lichtstrahl in äußerst dunklen Zeiten. Zusätzlich zu den Cover-Versionen gibt es auch vier eigene neue Songs, die mehr oder weniger dasselbe Themenfeld abdecken. Mehr Vocals, mehr Drums, allgemein mehr Instrumente, gespielt von einer noch größeren Gang mit noch mehr Wut im Bauch als je zuvor. Hoffentlich gefällt"s euch. Wir lieben es! Lassen wir diese abgründigen Zeiten hinter uns und gehen wir gemeinsam in eine gleichberechtigte Zukunft! Eins wissen wir jedenfalls genau: We would rather be dead, als es gar nicht erst versucht zu haben. See you on the road!

Was haben Motörhead, Refused, Rage against the Machine, AC/DC und Green Day gemeinsam? Es mag vielleicht verwundern, aber sie haben allesamt Songs mit Texten, die ziemlich gut im Kontext eines Widerstands gegen eine Epoche funktionieren, die immer mehr durch herzlosen Nationalismus, Rassismus, Faschismus und Egoismus gekennzeichnet ist. Das Leben im Europa des Jahres 2024 kann einem schon den Rest geben: In immer mehr Ländern wühlen Politiker*innen den Dreck auf, der schon längst hätte abgeschafft werden sollen - oder der zumindest kollektiv verachtet gehört. Doch eines muss man sich unbedingt ins Gedächtnis rufen: just because you got the power, heißt nicht, dass man recht hat. Tagtäglich wird einem heute eine neue dumme Idee um die Ohren gehauen. Meistens geht es darum, diejenigen nach unten zu treten, die eh schon am Boden liegen. Für Otto Normalverbraucher, der sich von der Gesellschaft betrogen fühlt, ist das reines TNT. Das Gefühl ist bisweilen nachvollziehbar, doch bitte wann sind die Verbreitung von Angst, das Bauen von Mauern und die Zerstörung von Bildungssystemen zur Lösung für Alles geworden? Seit wann ist ein menschliches Wesen aufgrund seiner Ethnie, seines Geschlechts, seiner sexuellen Orientierung oder seines Glaubens weniger wert? Unsere Antwort ist kurz und knapp: Wann immer irgendwer versucht, uns hier auf Linie zu bringen, entgegnen wir: fuck you, we won"t do what you tell us. Was also tun? Sind wir die einzigen, die sich in einer Welt, die sich spiralförmig in den Abgrund dreht, wie basket cases, also absolut verloren fühlen? Hoffentlich nicht. Und wenn wir eines gelernt haben, dann, dass im Produzieren, Spielen und Hören von Musik ein mächtiger Zauber liegen kann. Es gibt weniges, was so wirksam für sozialen Kit sorgt. Deshalb sind wir unglaublich stolz und freuen uns extrem, wieder ein neues Hellsongs-Album zu präsentieren. Für uns ist es ein Lichtstrahl in äußerst dunklen Zeiten. Zusätzlich zu den Cover-Versionen gibt es auch vier eigene neue Songs, die mehr oder weniger dasselbe Themenfeld abdecken. Mehr Vocals, mehr Drums, allgemein mehr Instrumente, gespielt von einer noch größeren Gang mit noch mehr Wut im Bauch als je zuvor. Hoffentlich gefällt"s euch. Wir lieben es! Lassen wir diese abgründigen Zeiten hinter uns und gehen wir gemeinsam in eine gleichberechtigte Zukunft! Eins wissen wir jedenfalls genau: We would rather be dead, als es gar nicht erst versucht zu haben. See you on the road!

Steve Leach's Balearic beach-funk beast Ocean Potion, recorded with the Crystal Grass Orchestra is an absolutely ace, Ned Doheny-adjacent funky AOR / blue-eyed soul BBQ classic from 1976.

Who is Steve Leach, you ask? None other than Seasick Steve in a previous life! A French-only release on Philips, it's a hugely immediate, pop-funk firecracker. It features a wonderfully lush, full orchestral sound throughout, underpinning Steve's gorgeous voice and an army of brilliant backing vocalists.

The supporting cast is phenomenal and is arguably the salient reason this is such a fantastic record. We're talking legendary players from the French scene (think Arpadys, Voyage, Kongas, CCPP, Giant, Swing Family) such as Don Ray with his arranger-conductor hat on as well as synths, Marc Chantereau on percussion, Slim Pezin on guitar, André Ceccarelli on drums, Christian Padovan on bass and Pierre Halation on flute.

With these snakes behind the scenes, it remains a mystery how Ocean Potion is so relatively unknown. Hopefully, this long overdue reissue rectifies this and puts a stop to people dropping $200 on it.

Triumphant, horn-forward opener "The Light Of The Mind" has that uniquely Ned Doheny fidgety funk feel with a fantastically irresistible chorus and great harmonies. Just magic. The insouciant, swaggering "Hey! Hey! What You Doin To Me" is straight up white-hot feel-good funk with by turns sweeping and stabbing strings and a neck-snapping break. Crucial. Coming off like something off The Beach Boy's Surf's Up or Holland (including a sneaky "reason to live" reference that surely nods to "The Trader") is the brilliantly ominous, driving wall of sound of "Take Strength". Cavernous drums, urgent strings and a staggeringly good vocal performance make this a real highlight amongst an album of highlights. The blissful folk-funk of "The Lady Of The Sea" is a real naked heartbreaker, melancholic vibes and a beautiful flute line complementing each other perfectly. Side A closes out with "All My Life", a groovy island-funk white-reggae-tinged lilter which just about lands the right side of acceptable.

Side B opens with the gorgeous "You're The Only One Girl" before the propulsive Philly soul of "At Least We Got Love" elegantly glides into focus. Pulsing beats and piano working with that irresistible orchestra of grass. Glacial ballad "All Love's Children" has a deep New Orleans soul feel that truly soars whilst the breezy "Get Out In The Sun" owes a debt to "Crocodile Rock". It's pure pop for now people and wouldn't have been out of place on a late 70s Nick Lowe effort. Deep late-period Beach Boys gem "Golden Hues" is another heavy melancholic down lifter that really beguiles before the real reason you're all here. Pastoral closer "I Meditate Each Day" is just beautiful, and likely the reason this reissue is giving you that special feeling. Another gorgeous flute-led, folk-funk groover, it featured in a memorable mix from the Creme2laCreme crew (Raphael Top-Secret, Jerome Qpchan and Antoine Kogut) live on Red Light Radio over a decade ago and has been top of many heads' wants list never since. Just mellow out.

As ever, the audio for Ocean Potion has been carefully remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring it sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve featuring a topless Steve reclining next to his piano on a flatbed truck on the beach (of course?!) has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

Belgian saxophonist, composer, and producer Mattias De Craene (Nordmann, MDCIII) announces a new solo album, ‘A House Where I Dream,’ on VIERNULVIER Records. On his second album, he delivers a highly personal and healing journey, presented as an alternative soundtrack to the 1973 cult film ‘The Holy Mountain.’

The record will be released on October 11 on vinyl LP and through all digital platforms.

"The Holy Mountain" is a surreal Mexican film from 1973 directed, written, and produced by Alejandro Jodorowsky, who also stars in the film. The film holds a prominent place in avant-garde cinema and explores themes such as spirituality, mysticism, and the quest for enlightenment. It is in this vein that ‘A House Where I Dream’ is crafted.

“My mind and soul - and thus my music - come home to this motion picture” - Mattias De Craene

The album will be presented live with the film on October 16 at Videodroom during Film Fest Gent.

ABOUT THE ALBUM
With hypnotic tape loops, grainy textures, and mesmerizing saxophone, Mattias De Craene creates possible worlds that herald a spiritual transformation. From the Scottish Highlands and desolate mountains to the deepest recesses of the soul, this music has the power to create cinematic landscapes that transcend time and space. The sound of these 8 tracks is closely related to the minimalist compositions of Terry Riley, but the work of contemporary artists like KMRU or William Basinski is also drawn from the same material.

Above all, this album is a deeply personal journey and unintentionally serves as a metaphor for De Craene's ascent of his own mountain. For the Videodroom festival by Arts Center VIERNULVIER, the saxophonist began working on a new soundtrack for the film ‘The Holy Mountain’ in 2023, but his body and mind abruptly called him to a halt, forcing him to take a professional break. However, this project never left him, leading to an honest and raw quest to find himself as both a person and an artist, with Jodorowsky as a companion de route and music as an anchor. It initiated a long process of dismantling, searching, healing and back again. The album not only provides a sanctuary for dreaming to all who listen, but for its creator it also serves as both an outcry of despair and a source of comfort during challenging times.

All the tracks on 'A House Where I Dream' share an unfiltered grain of life, as one can almost feel the damp breath of the saxophone blowing.

The album opens with the three-part strong 'Transcention,' where the hypnotic interplay between soprano sax and lo-fi tape loops leads to higher realms of the mind and soul.
Alternating between deep frequencies and farout folk modalities, this mantra-like triptych acquires an alchemical character and ultimately transcends time and space.

In the ethereal 'Away,' one can peer into an abyss of resonance while a saturated tenor sax lends guidance in the spirit of Terry Riley's productions. 'You and Me' also bathes in a similar atmosphere, albeit in the vein of healing 90s ambient as granular sax tones converge with celestial chants. 'Gazing Upwards Towards The Sky,' offers different shades of blue as a slumbering tenor sax is juxtaposed to swift sax patterns. On 'A Stranger That Moved Me,' beauty lands in a soft and subtle manner, while the closing track 'Shepherd's Glow' drifts like a mountain wind flaring up at the darkest hour of the night.

The artwork is created by Gent-based artist Sam Timmerman, who portrays the world of 'A House Where I Dream' with playful repetition and mystique.

In 2007 an Italian film festival invites Mouse on Mars to score a film of their choice. The organizers claim to be able to clear the rights for any movie the band chooses. Werner Herzog’s fictional documentary Fata Morgana, which merges footage of several desert explorations by Herzog and his team into one continuous association, has long been a band’s favorite. The film comes with a soundtrack by Mozart, Leonard Cohen, Third Ear Band and field recordings. Andi Toma and Jan St. Werner are sent a DVD to Düsseldorf and start working. The idea is to score the film in real time so instrumentation has to be readily at hand: guitar, percussion, electronics, mouth harp, pedals, software, tapes, samplers. Once the arrangement for the three-part film is sorted Mouse on Mars bring their score to stage. Herzog Sessions is performed twice: first when the band still thought the rights had been cleared, and a second time at London’s Southbank Center knowing that Herzog would have never approved a new score.

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Mouse On Mars – London Queen Elizabeth Hall soundtracking Werner Herzog.
By Mike Diver, 24.04.2009

Filmed in 1971, Fata Morgana is perhaps not one of Herzog’s best-known works (think Grizzly Man, Rescue Dawn, et cetera…), but then Mouse on Mars have never been ones to embrace the mainstream, quietly letting their modern, experimental take on krautrock do the talking over the years, thus producing some quietly brilliant electronica that far outweighs their modest profile.

The film itself is not altogether dissimilar to the wonderful, Phillip Glass-scored Koyaanisqatsi, with sweeping landscape shots and no obvious plot or narrative, though Fata is concentrated purely in one place – in and around the Sahara Desert, switching from images of barren wasteland to desert tribes and dead, skeletal cattle.

The obvious thing to do when soundtracking such powerful imagery is to vie for dreamy electronic soundscapes which can be sustained for a long period, and whilst this ambient shoegaze approach was present and correct (also carefully constructed and highly effective), Mouse on Mars added a human element to the performance, incorporating a live dimension by using and looping guitars, harmonicas, processed vocals and even a live horn player (quite possibly a flugelhorn. Look it up if you don’t believe me) for the final section of the film.

Some of the most interesting points arose when the duo suddenly switched from solemn, ambient tones to glitchy, bouncing electro (reminiscent of their more upbeat work) whilst on the same film shot – causing the audience mood to flick from tripped-out bliss to attentive semi-wired, utterly subverting any idea of a narrative the film may have possessed. Clever stuff.

Ranging from sinister to surreal to humorous, all the moods portrayed in Fata Morgana were successfully matched by Mouse on Mars’ live rescore – no mean feat. The duo also went above and beyond the call of duty with their own soundtrack, adding a fascinating personal signature to an already unique film.

"?Released in the spring of 1989, Gang Starr’s debut album, No More Mr. Nice Guy, arrived right at the crucial intersection of the old school and golden age of New York rap. You cannot begin to discuss New York rap lineage without drawing a line through the first decade of Gang Starr. Should history be corrected to appropriately acknowledge Gang Starr’s influence and brilliance, it will need an origin story. No More Mr. Nice Guy is that saga. It’s a hard ridge in a changing landscape, the sound of everything shifting, the kernel of greatness germinating. It is Guru and Preemo. Preemo and Guru. An essential title not just for what it would lead to, but because of what it is."

"“Tenalach - The relationship with the land, the sky, the water and the deep connection that allows you to hear the earth sing and be one with nature”

Following on from their many mutual remixes and first collaborative EP “Pleamar” (Wonderwheel Recordings 2020) Chancha Via Circuito y El Búho return with a new EP “Tenalach"" which sees the duo enter new territories and soundscapes. This mysterious, atmospheric and melancholic EP is like the soundtrack to a videogame that takes place in a strange and wonderful parallel universe.

Imagine Zelda set in the jungles and mountains of Latin America.

Croaking frogs sit next to driving snares on the genre-defying Sapo Cururú, birds float above strobing synths on Oropéndola while Sumay’s epic synth lines melt into Chancha’s trademark percussions on Sumay. Opener El Samurai is perhaps the closest to the pair’s well-known folktronic sound, marrying cowbells with bowing violins and its animal-esque synth line.

While the BPM may have risen, this is neither ‘downtempo’ nor ‘umtempo’ and an EP that cannot easily be pigeon-holed - it is fresh and original. It also reflects a darker side to the pair’s music, a sub-conscious reflection of a changing world, holding in each song a constant tension and the desire to escape to new realities where the connection between humans and nature is blurred and equal."

Wie zwei Zeitlinien, die zusammenlaufen, kommen ELEPHANT TREE und LOWRIDER zusammen, um ihr gemeinsames Album ,The Long Forever" zu präsentieren, eine der am sehnlichsten erwarteten Split-Veröffentlichungen in der Geschichte des Heavy Rock.Nach zwei bahnbrechenden Veröffentlichungen im Jahr 2020 haben Elephant Tree und Lowrider die Gelegenheit ergriffen, neu zu definieren, wer sie sind und zu erklären, wohin ihre musikalische Reise mit dem gemeinsamen Album ,The Long Forever" als nächstes gehen wird. Mit The Long Forever befinden sich beide Bands an einem kritischen Punkt: Beide haben einen weitreichenden und wachsenden Einfluss, beide werden auf der Bühne und abseits davon verehrt, und beide bringen ihre erste richtige neue Veröffentlichung seit vier Jahren heraus, die mit großer Spannung erwartet wird.Diese Bands auf eine gemeinsame Platte zu bringen, wäre unabhängig von den Begleitumständen ein Ereignis, aber die Bedeutung dieses Albums ist noch größer. Der Titel des Albums stammt von dem Spitznamen für das mehrwöchige Koma, in dem sich Elephant Tree-Sänger/Gitarrist Jack Townley aus medizinischen Gründen nach einem beinahe tödlichen Fahrradunfall Anfang 2023 befand. Er träumte, ohne aufzuwachen, und verlor jegliches Zeitgefühl, während sein Geist versuchte, mit der Tortur fertig zu werden - diese lyrische Beschreibung deutet das Ausmaß von Jacks Erfahrung nur an.In dem darauf folgenden Jahr manifestierte sich eine musikalische Freiheit in den jeweiligen Ansätzen beider Bands: Elephant Tree wählten während Jacks allmählicher Rückkehr zum Spielen einen rohen, aufbauenden Ansatz, während Lowrider komplexer und ausdrucksstärker wurden, um Songs für das 2020 erschienene Album ,Refractions" zu entwickeln, das von allen Seiten bewundert wurde.,The Long Forever" ist das Vehikel, durch das sich die Bands begegnen, das die Erwartungen an sie untergräbt und übertrifft, mit einem traumatischen Nexus als Gravitationssingularität, um die die gesamte LP kreist und jede Note, die nach außen dringt, verbiegt und formt.Beharrlichkeit, Heilung und hartnäckige Leidenschaft haben The Long Forever zu einer Realität gemacht, und Fans von Elephant Tree und Lowrider werden sich über das überragende Ergebnis freuen! Like two timelines converging, ELEPHANT TREE and LOWRIDER come together to present the collaborative album "The Long Forever," easily one of the most eagerly awaited split releases in the history of heavy rock. In the wake of two landmark 2020 releases, Elephant Tree and Lowrider have seized the opportunity to redefine who they are and declare where their musical voyages will go next with the collaborative album The Long Forever. The Long Forever finds both bands at critical junctures: each has a broad and expanding influence, each is revered onstage and off, and each is delivering its first proper new release in four years to tremendous anticipation. Bringing these bands onto a shared collaborative platter would be an event regardless of the surrounding circumstances, but the significance of this album is even greater. The album's title comes from the nickname for the multi-week coma that Elephant Tree singer/guitarist Jack Townley was in for medical reasons after a near-fatal biking accident in early 2023. Dreaming without waking and losing all sense of time as his mind attempted to cope with the ordeal, that lyrical description only hints at the enormity of Jack's experience. The year or so that followed manifested a musical freedom in both bands' respective approaches, Elephant Tree choosing a raw, set-up-the-mics-and-go approach during Jack's gradual return to playing, while Lowrider grew more complex and expressive in building songs to follow up their massively adored 2020 album "Refractions." "The Long Forever" is the vehicle through which the bands meet, subverting and superseding the expectations on them, with a traumatic nexus as the gravitational singularity around which the entire LP orbits, bending and shaping every note that escapes forth. Perseverance, healing and stubbornness of passion made The Long Forever a reality, and fans of both Elephant Tree and Lowrider are certain to rejoice at the towering result!

Wie zwei Zeitlinien, die zusammenlaufen, kommen ELEPHANT TREE und LOWRIDER zusammen, um ihr gemeinsames Album ,The Long Forever" zu präsentieren, eine der am sehnlichsten erwarteten Split-Veröffentlichungen in der Geschichte des Heavy Rock.Nach zwei bahnbrechenden Veröffentlichungen im Jahr 2020 haben Elephant Tree und Lowrider die Gelegenheit ergriffen, neu zu definieren, wer sie sind und zu erklären, wohin ihre musikalische Reise mit dem gemeinsamen Album ,The Long Forever" als nächstes gehen wird. Mit The Long Forever befinden sich beide Bands an einem kritischen Punkt: Beide haben einen weitreichenden und wachsenden Einfluss, beide werden auf der Bühne und abseits davon verehrt, und beide bringen ihre erste richtige neue Veröffentlichung seit vier Jahren heraus, die mit großer Spannung erwartet wird.Diese Bands auf eine gemeinsame Platte zu bringen, wäre unabhängig von den Begleitumständen ein Ereignis, aber die Bedeutung dieses Albums ist noch größer. Der Titel des Albums stammt von dem Spitznamen für das mehrwöchige Koma, in dem sich Elephant Tree-Sänger/Gitarrist Jack Townley aus medizinischen Gründen nach einem beinahe tödlichen Fahrradunfall Anfang 2023 befand. Er träumte, ohne aufzuwachen, und verlor jegliches Zeitgefühl, während sein Geist versuchte, mit der Tortur fertig zu werden - diese lyrische Beschreibung deutet das Ausmaß von Jacks Erfahrung nur an.In dem darauf folgenden Jahr manifestierte sich eine musikalische Freiheit in den jeweiligen Ansätzen beider Bands: Elephant Tree wählten während Jacks allmählicher Rückkehr zum Spielen einen rohen, aufbauenden Ansatz, während Lowrider komplexer und ausdrucksstärker wurden, um Songs für das 2020 erschienene Album ,Refractions" zu entwickeln, das von allen Seiten bewundert wurde.,The Long Forever" ist das Vehikel, durch das sich die Bands begegnen, das die Erwartungen an sie untergräbt und übertrifft, mit einem traumatischen Nexus als Gravitationssingularität, um die die gesamte LP kreist und jede Note, die nach außen dringt, verbiegt und formt.Beharrlichkeit, Heilung und hartnäckige Leidenschaft haben The Long Forever zu einer Realität gemacht, und Fans von Elephant Tree und Lowrider werden sich über das überragende Ergebnis freuen! Like two timelines converging, ELEPHANT TREE and LOWRIDER come together to present the collaborative album "The Long Forever," easily one of the most eagerly awaited split releases in the history of heavy rock. In the wake of two landmark 2020 releases, Elephant Tree and Lowrider have seized the opportunity to redefine who they are and declare where their musical voyages will go next with the collaborative album The Long Forever. The Long Forever finds both bands at critical junctures: each has a broad and expanding influence, each is revered onstage and off, and each is delivering its first proper new release in four years to tremendous anticipation. Bringing these bands onto a shared collaborative platter would be an event regardless of the surrounding circumstances, but the significance of this album is even greater. The album's title comes from the nickname for the multi-week coma that Elephant Tree singer/guitarist Jack Townley was in for medical reasons after a near-fatal biking accident in early 2023. Dreaming without waking and losing all sense of time as his mind attempted to cope with the ordeal, that lyrical description only hints at the enormity of Jack's experience. The year or so that followed manifested a musical freedom in both bands' respective approaches, Elephant Tree choosing a raw, set-up-the-mics-and-go approach during Jack's gradual return to playing, while Lowrider grew more complex and expressive in building songs to follow up their massively adored 2020 album "Refractions." "The Long Forever" is the vehicle through which the bands meet, subverting and superseding the expectations on them, with a traumatic nexus as the gravitational singularity around which the entire LP orbits, bending and shaping every note that escapes forth. Perseverance, healing and stubbornness of passion made The Long Forever a reality, and fans of both Elephant Tree and Lowrider are certain to rejoice at the towering result!

Exactly 15 years ago, the two goats Goatfreed and Goatleeb Udder landed on Earth from the distant planet of planet GoatEborg to honor us with hard sounds. Some extraterrestrial acts have already tried to gain a foothold on earth, always with the intention of world domination, but only the prominent pair of brothers have been able to do so so far. With their last two studio albums, the band made it into the official the official German album charts - with their groovy sound somewhere between death metal and grindcore. The debut album "Back From The Goats" was released on CD & Digital on 30.10.2009. Now, for the 15th anniversary of the record, the album will be released on vinyl for the first time.