Cerca:young chris

Der Deutsch-Amerikaner Chris Hopkins, mehrfach preisgekrönter und mit bisher über 5000 Konzerten meisttourender Swing-Jazzer des Landes, stand seit den 90er Jahren selbst oft als jüngstes Bandmitglied auf der Bühne.

Jetzt freut er sich, zum ersten Mal einige der talentiertesten Jazz-MusikerInnen einer neuen Generation - u.a. entdeckt im Rahmen seiner Dozententätigkeit an der Hochschule für Musik in Köln und allesamt zwischen 23 und 33 Jahren jung - die „Young Lions“ und ihr nagelneues Album zu präsentieren: „CHRIS HOPKINS meets the YOUNG LIONS: Live! Vol. 1“

Ein lässig-elegantes, mitreißendes Konzert mit Gute Laune Garantie.

It’s True What They Say is the debut EP from Edinburgh-based, husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), aka Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced “McLochlin”).

“Sarah and I both have a love for nostalgia,” explains Shaun. “We watched that amazing old 80’s Sci-Fi, (John) Carpenter movie, Starman, a few months back. Myself and my brother David used to watch it all the time. We must have been, roughly, 5-7 at the time. I remember loving the movie but the end, you know, with the beautiful, atmospheric, synth ending, I love that particular moment the most - best part of the movie, you know, when he goes home… It’s heartbreaking but stunning, all the same. It’s the music that moves you most… It did when I was 5 and it still does to this day. It must have had some form of a (much deeper) impact on me.”

The duo narrates stories across themes of love, hope, family, friends, dreams and sadness - the good that comes with the bad in everyday life, not just on a personal scale but within a community as well.

“Starbed is the first song I have ever written and just came out of the blue really, with Shaun playing a melody and me singing along,” says Sarah. “It’s simple and just about two people in love. Love songs are always the best songs, after all… Music has been a big part of my life from a young age. I was unwillingly dragged to piano and violin lessons, which I’m thankful for now! I’d say the first band I really became obsessed with growing up were the Beatles, and on the back of that a lot of 60s music and fashion. From then on, I had a love for music.”

“Shaun definitely opened my ears to a lot of sounds and got me thinking about soundtracks and all the noises that can be made,” she goes on. “We love just spending time experimenting in the house with instruments, pedals etc and Ali is a real magician to work with, too…”

The recordings took place over the summers of 2022 and 2023, with fellow Delta Mainline member Ali Chisholm (aka Jaguar Eyes) plus long-term friend and collaborator Gavin King. Further collaboration then came via the ‘net from the (international) likes of Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty), Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz) and Daniel Land (The Modern Painters), among others (see a full list of credits below).

Both Sarah and Shaun have a love for uber-soundtrack producers such as Hanz Zimmer, Max Richter, Cliff Martinez plus live acts such as Beach House, Spiritualized, M83, Suicide, Moby and OMD (to name a few). Shaun also credits the work of Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein (from Survive) on the Stranger Things score… “Even a moment in a movie, whether it be just 30 seconds during a particular scene, it grips you,” he says. But there’s something much deeper at play as well. “Music is a healer,” he goes on, “and I write from my own perspective but more so for others. Once I've done my bit, it doesn't belong to me any longer. It belongs to whoever wants it or needs it.”

The result is a cinematic, synth-wavey, dream poppy and downright beguilingly beautiful body of work. And they’re just getting started…

REVIEWS/RADIO/FEEDBACK:

“Starbed is folky, flavoured by pedal steel, cello, and brass. Dust Tears, in stark contrast, is a mini synth-pop rave epic. Part Bicep. Part Human League. Keep Your Eyes Closed summons a mood that’s romantic, but also dark and potentially doomed – like David Lynch’s Twin Peaks meets Cliff Martinez’s Drive score. My pick though is It’s True What They Say, whose interwoven jangle and picking recalls New Order’s more introspective moments (Love Vigilantes, Love Less… ). Drums crashing, cathartic. Guitar raising dramatic arcs. Its chorus a rush, like a reprise of Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart’s ‘Higher Than The Stars’.” BAN BAN TON TON
"Dust Tears sees them sharing vocal duties over a synth foundation reminiscent of Moby’s Go - Artist Of The Week” THE SCOTSMAN
"Woozy pop" NEMONE (Mary Anne Hobbs Morning Show, BBC 6Music)
"Nice one, very David Lynch meets Euro dream pop" YOUTH (Killing Joke, Paul McCartney, U2, The Orb, Spiritualized etc)
"Music sounds killer! Real emotion” DAVID HOLMES
"I’m enjoying it” TIM BRINKHURST aka LONDON (IKLAN, Young Fathers, Callum Easter)
“Oh, this is lovely!” SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
"It’s totally my cup of tea with milk and biscuit" BRENT RADEMAKER (Beachwood Sparks/GospelBeach)
"Beautiful, ecstatic electronica! Short and to the point" KEVIN BALES (Spiritualized, Julian Cope, Soulsavers, BE)
"Makes me wanna sit in the sun and sip an Arnold Palmer" CHRIS DIXIE DARLEY (Father John Misty)
“Really beautiful - Cocteau Twins / Spiritualized vibes but has its own thing going on, too - worth checking out!” JULIAN CORRIE (Franz Ferdinand, Miaoux Miaoux)
‘Sounded nice on a sunny day, makes me think of Twin Peaks, nice moods’ EAMON HAMILTON (Sea Power)
"Dealing in nostalgia, no bad thing at all, great to play that (Dust Tears) for you” RODDY HART (BBC Radio Scotland)
“I'll give the vocal tracks a spin before the release." VIC GALLOWAY (BBC Radio Scotland)
"Rather good!" IAIN ANDERSON (BBC Radio Scotland)

CREDITS:

Lyrics, Guitars, Keys, Synths, Drums, Drum Programming, Percussion, Mandolin, Glockenspiel: Shaun McLachlan
Lyrics, Vocals, Keys by Sarah McLachlan
Guitars, Synths, String Arrangements, Drum Programming, Engineering: Jaguar Eyes Percussion/Drums/Effects, Fire Extinguisher: Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz)
Guitars by Daniel Land
Slide Guitar by Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty)
Brass by Bruce Michie
Keys, pre-production & engineering on “It’s true what they say”: Gavin King
All produced by Jaguar Eyes and Shaun McLachlan and then mixed at Glasgow’s Chem19 Studios by David McCaulay (From Scotland With Love, Rick Redbeard, BBC TV’s Attenborough and The Mammoth Graveyard score).
Artwork: Jamie Walman (Fourteen Admirals)

MORE INFO:

Although Shaun released a pair of solo singles (When We Dance and Give Your Love To Me) during Lockdown, he will be better known to many via his work as the multi-instrumentalist in Edinburgh band Delta Mainline. With two albums released to date, Oh! Enlightened and Bel Avenir, both rapturously received by fans and critics alike, Delta Mainline have developed an international, cult following. Oh Enlightened (2013) achieved widespread critical acclaim on release, earning the band comparisons to Arcade Fire and Echo & The Bunnymen, while 2019’s Bel Avenir pulled in references to The Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd, David Bowie and krautrock. A third DM album is currently being mixed and due for release later this year…

“Salvation for the Wicked” unites Ransom, Boldy James, and producer Nicholas Craven for a gritty, soul-soaked showcase of sharp lyricism and minimalist, dust-laced production. Ransom and Boldy trade vivid, hard-earned reflections over Craven’s haunting loops, joined by standout features from Young Chris and OT The Real. Now on vinyl, the project’s warmth and texture hit even deeper, giving the raw performances and timeless sound the space they deserve in a format built to be felt as much as heard.

Welcome to THE VAULT for 1985. A collection that digs deeper into the year’s musical landscape – uncovering singles that may not have always reached the highest chart positions but remain essential to the rich and diverse pop story of 1985. Some were overshadowed at the time, some were highlights from albums that had already sold huge amounts, some found greater success internationally – but all deserve their place in this continued celebration of 80s pop.

45 tracks across 3-LPs – pressed in gorgeous green vinyl – NOW Yearbook – The Vault: 1985.

LP1 opens with a trio of tracks from huge-selling albums:- Bruce Springsteen’s ‘My Hometown’, the sixth single in the UK from ‘Born in the U.S.A’ - one of the best-selling albums of the decade, followed by Bryan Ferry with the stunning ‘Windswept’ from ‘Boys And Girls’ and Sting’s ‘Love Is The Seventh Wave’, taken from his solo debut ‘The Dream Of The Blue Turtles’. Next up, Go West with a U.S single release ‘Eye To Eye’, Scritti Politti with ‘Perfect Way’ – their biggest hit in America, and ABC with ‘Be Near Me’. The first side closes with two established bands; Heaven 17 and Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark… Flip the LP over for Adam Ant with ‘Vive Le Rock’, Midge Ure, Blancmange and the second collaboration between Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder with ‘Good-Bye Bad Times’. The Style Council’s ‘Welcome To Milton Keynes’ leads to LP1’s closer’s from Simply Red and Fine Young Cannibals who followed their debut ‘Johnny Come Home’ with ‘Blue’.

LP2 opens with Cocteau Twins and the dream-pop atmospherics of ‘Aikea-Guinea’, ahead of The Jesus And Mary Chain with ‘Just Like Honey’, and The Dream Academy with ‘The Love Parade’.

Brilliant with their cover of James Brown’s ‘It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ and jazz-influenced pop from Matt Bianco are up next ahead of the sublime ‘Castles In The Air’ from The Colourfield and Elvis Costello & The Attractions, who released the 1979 track ‘Green Shirt’ to promote their ‘Best Of’ collection … and the side closes with The Clash’s ‘This Is England’ which would become their last originally released hit…whilst on the other side…celebrate the dancefloor, with a vibrant mix of Hi-NRG, soul, electro and club-influenced pop:- Opening with Sheryl Lee Ralph’s ‘In The Evening’ and Barbara Pennington’s equally superb ‘On A Crowded Street’, the hi-energy continues with Miquel Brown and Hazell Dean ahead of a US hit from Laura Branigan (‘Spanish Eddie’) and Divine’s cover of ‘Twistin’ The Night Away’. LP2 finishes with a massive U.S. dancefloor smash for Eddie Murphy with ‘Party All The Time’.

The final LP kicks off with a bunch of singles that achieved bigger hit status in the US than here and opens with Billy Joel’s ‘You’re Only Human (Second Wind)’, a track written exclusively for his ‘Greatest Hits – Volume I & II’ compilation, ahead of pop-rock from John Mellencamp plus an anthemic smash from Bon Jovi. Pat Benatar’s ‘Invincible’ features ahead of The Power Station’s third US Top 40 hit…whilst back in the UK Chris Rea enjoyed his biggest chart hit to date with ‘Stainsby Girls’ and the side is completed by Marillion with ‘Heart Of Lothian’ the third hit from their huge ‘Misplaced Childhood’ album… Flip to the final side for the stellar vocals on ‘Act Of War’, the huge collaboration between Elton John & Millie Jackson ahead of dancefloor smash ‘New Attitude’ from Patti Labelle and ‘Show Some Respect’ a U.S. single from Tina Turner. Sophisticated pop-R&B from Michael McDonald and Daryl Hall & John Oates come ahead of the collection’s closers- and two outstanding vocal performances: Chaka Khan’s ‘Through The Fire’ and the U.S. breakthrough hit from Whitney Houston with ‘You Give Good Love’ – signalling the arrival of one of the decade’s brightest new stars.

NOW Yearbook – The Vault: 1985 – A deeper dive into an unforgettable year in pop.

Gatefold Sleeve

M’Bamina – African Roll (1975)
The story of an album born between Africa, Italy, and the nightclub culture of the 1970s
In the heart of 1970s Italy — a country undergoing profound social change and a music scene just beginning to open itself to distant sounds and cultures — an extraordinary, almost improbable story took shape. It is the story of a group of young African musicians who found their way to Europe, of a Turin nightclub that became a crossroads for communities and experimenters, and of an album which, released in small numbers and largely unnoticed at the time, is now considered a rare jewel of Afro-fusion.
The band called themselves M’Bamina — an ensemble of musicians from Congo, Cameroon, and Benin, who arrived in Italy in the early Seventies. Settling between northern Italy and the Pavia area, they began performing in small clubs and community events, bringing with them a vibrant rhythmic heritage: African polyrhythms, call-and-response vocals, funk-infused bass lines, and Caribbean or Afro-Latin colours absorbed along their musical journeys. Their raw, contagious energy on stage quickly drew attention.
Meanwhile, in Turin, another story was unfolding. There was a venue becoming almost legendary: Voom Voom, one of the city’s liveliest nightclubs, run by Ivo Lunardi. The club attracted an eclectic crowd — students, artists, foreigners, night owls — and Lunardi quickly understood that the dancefloor wasn’t just a place for music, but a melting pot for a new kind of cultural energy. Out of this vibrant atmosphere came his idea: to turn the club’s name into a small independent record label, Voom Voom Music, capable of capturing the spirit of those years and giving voice to unconventional projects.

When Lunardi heard M’Bamina, he immediately sensed that this was the sound he had been searching for: fresh, different from anything circulating in Italy at the time, and capable of blending African tradition with funk and European sensibility. He brought them into the studio.
Production was handled by Lunardi along with Christian Carbaza Michel, while the engineering was entrusted to Danilo Pennone, a young sound technician with a sharp, intuitive ear.
The recording sessions — held in Turin in 1975 — produced a remarkably warm and direct sound. The music feels almost live: grooves rooted in African tradition, but open to funk-rock structures and modern arrangements. It is a natural fusion, never forced. Tracks move between tribal rhythms, funk basslines, light electric guitars, congas and Afro-Latin percussion, with call-and-response vocals and melodies that echo both Congolese tradition and the lineage of Latin jazz. Not by chance, one of the album’s most striking tracks, Watchiwara, reinterprets a Latin standard through M’Bamina’s own rhythmic language.

The album was titled African Roll — a name that was already a statement of intention. It is African music that “rolls,” that moves, adapts, transforms within a new geographic and cultural setting. It is not strictly Afrobeat, nor Congolese rumba, nor Western funk: it is a spontaneous, hybrid blend, shaped more by lived experience than by any calculated aesthetic program.
When African Roll was released, the world around it barely noticed. Distribution was limited, and 1970s Italy had yet to develop a cultural framework for receiving such music. The national music press rarely paid attention to African or “world” productions. The album slipped into silence — though the band’s own story did not.

M’Bamina continued performing across Europe and Africa, even sharing a stage in Cameroon with none other than Manu Dibango. By the late Seventies, they moved to Paris, signed with Fiesta/Decca, and recorded a second LP, Experimental (1978). Meanwhile, the peculiar record they had made in Turin began to resurface quietly among vinyl collectors, Afro-funk enthusiasts, and DJs hunting for forgotten grooves.
That is when the album’s fate began to shift.

Over the decades, African Roll emerged as an almost unique document: a snapshot of an intercultural Italy before the word “intercultural” even existed, a fragment of migrant history, a spontaneous experiment in musical fusion born far from major industry circuits but rich in authenticity. Original copies began commanding high prices on the collector’s market, and the album became recognized as one of the hidden classics of European Afro-fusion from the 1970s.
Today, more than fifty years later, this reissue finally restores visibility and dignity to a project that deserves to be heard, studied, and celebrated. It is not simply an album: it is the testimony of a rare cultural encounter, born in an Italy unaware of how fertile such exchanges would one day become.

It is the story of a visionary producer, an extraordinary band, and a fleeting moment in which music, migration, and nightlife came together to create something genuinely new.
African Roll is — now more than ever — the sound of a bridge: between continents, between eras, between cultures. A record that, after rolling far and wide, has finally come home.

With »News from Planet Zombie«, The Notwist return to view after years of exploration and experiment with an album rich in both melancholy and positivity, sketched across a suite of thrilling, fiercely committed pop songs. It’s an album reflecting a chaotic world, but responding with warmth and generosity, to achieve creative and spiritual consolidation. Recorded in their home base of Munich, it reconnects with the security of the local to explore the troubles of the global: a guiding impulse writ large across this album’s eleven songs. It’s also the first studio album since 1995’s »12« that the entire band recorded together in the studio in its expanded live formation.

A new album by The Notwist is always a curious endeavour; their musical language is as consistent and resilient as the contexts for creativity are unpredictable and ever shifting. For »News from Planet Zombie«, the core trio of Markus and Micha Acher and Cico Beck embraced the plural possibilities of writing together, bringing songs to the collective and then arranging, rehearsing and recording that material live, in the studio.

The result is an album that’s energised, fully in ›the now‹, with spectacular moments where you can hear the magic bubbling up in the dynamic between the Achers, Beck, and fellow members Theresa Loibl, Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Andi Haberl. If »Teeth« begins »News from Planet Zombie« quietly and reflectively, by »X-Ray« everyone’s supercharged, blasting out future anthems with the collective energy cranked up high. The chiming keys of »Propeller« skim the instrumental’s surface like stones across burbling water; »The Turning« clangs its way into one of the album’s most heartwarming melodies.

»News from Planet Zombie« was recorded over one week at Import Export, a non-profit space for arts and music. You can tell, too; there are some pleasingly rough edges here, as though The Notwist’s striving for hazy perfection means they’re also confident enough to let the songs breathe and mutate between our ears. That openness to chance also takes in guest turns from friends both local and international, reflective of a cosmopolitan Munich: Enid Valu joins in on vocals, while Haruka Yoshizawa guests on taishōgoto and harmonium, Tianping Christoph Xiao on clarinet, and Mathias Götz on trombone.

The Notwist aren’t best known for cover versions, but »News from Planet Zombie« features two: a gorgeous version of Neil Young’s »Red Sun« (from 2000’s »Silver & Gold«), which the group originally developed for a theatre play directed by Jette Steckel, and a take on Athens, Georgia folk-pop gang Lovers’ »How the Story Ends«. They slot into the album’s narrative perfectly, nestling in like old friends, revealing The Notwist as poetic interpreters. Played well, the cover version is both acknowledgement of fellow travellers and act of generosity, and The Notwist nail both aspects here.

And that narrative, the way the album plays out? »News from Planet Zombie« acknowledges the distress of our current geopolitical impasse, while reminding us there are collective ways forward. Fed through the figure of the zombie, Markus Acher explores our anxieties: »In the title and some lyrics I reference B- and horror-movies, which is a reference to the crazy world at the moment, which seems to be like a really bad and unrealistic B-movie.« But there’s a reminder here not to lose the thread entirely, that these things, too, will pass.

»The river here in Munich I often go to has been there forever and will be there long after us,« Acher reflects, pinpointing an important source of succour for him, »always the same but always changing. Very calming, but also always reminding me that like this river time only flows into one direction and you can’t go back. Every moment is very precious.«

Artwork by Marie Vermont

The Notwist:
Markus Acher: vocals, guitar
Micha Acher: bass, sousaphone, euphonium, trumpet
Cico Beck: electronics, keyboards, guitar, recorder, percussion
Theresa Loibl: bassclarinet, clarinet, piano, harmonium, organ
Max Punktezahl: guitar
Karl Ivar Refseth: marimbaphone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, congas, percussion
Andi Haberl: drums, dulcimer
+
Enid Valu: vocals on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Haruka Yoshizawa: taishōgoto on 6, harmonium on 9, 10, 11
Tianping Christoph Xiao: clarinet on 4, 10, 11
Mathias Götz: trombone on 4, 10, 11

Key long-term collaborators and Coil's "secret third member" Danny Hyde located the original Hellraiser studio session tapes, and the bonus material recovered from them is presented here as an "expanded ritual" edition.





For fans of pain & pleasure, Throbbing Gristle, lost horror soundtracks & haunted electronics.



Back in 1987, Clive Barker's supernatural body-horror classic Hellraiser hit cinemas worldwide and introduced audiences to the demonic Cenobites. Barker was a devoted COIL fan (Peter Christopherson and John Balance), and he famously said they were the only band he'd ever heard on record whose music he'd had to take off because, in his words, "theymade his bowels churn.". He initially invited them to compose the film's music, and the group began recording cues. But the producers at New World Pictures ultimately rejected the material in favor of a more traditional approach, bringing in Christopher Young, whose final score remains excellent, if less experimental. What remains from Coil is an unfinished soundtrack with surviving fragments and rough ideas, abruptly left behind mid-process, a glimpse into an alternate Hellraiser movie, one we can only fantasize into existence.



Nearly 40 years later, key long-term collaborators and Coil's "secret third member" Danny Hyde located the original Hellraiser studio session tapes, and the bonus material recovered from them is presented here as an "expanded ritual" edition, reassembled into a standalone, possibly definitive and strangely beautiful nightmare suite. Play it in the dark and experience the consequences of raising hell...

MUSIQUE POUR LA DANSE presents The Unreleased Themes From Hellraiser expanded ritual by Coil

Back in 1987, Clive Barker's supernatural body-horror classic Hellraiser hitted cinemas worldwide and introduced audiences to the demonic Cenobites. Barker was a devoted COIL fan (Peter Christopherson and John Balance), and he famously said they were the only band he'd ever heard on record whose music he'd had to take off because, in his words, "theymade his bowels churn.". He initially invited them to compose the film's music, and the group began recording cues. But the producers at New World Pictures ultimately rejected the material in favor of a more traditional approach, bringing in Christopher Young, whose final score remains excellent, if less experimental. What remains from Coil is an unfinished soundtrack with surviving fragments and rough ideas, abruptly left behind mid-process, a glimpse into an alternate Hellraiser movie, one we can only fantasize into existence.

Nearly 40 years later, key long-term collaborators and Coil's "secret third member" Danny Hyde located the original Hellraiser studio session tapes, and the bonus material recovered from them is presented here as an "expanded ritual" edition, reassembled into a standalone, possibly defnitive and strangely beautiful nightmare suite. Play it in the dark and experience the consequences of raising hell...

Notes by Danny Hyde
Original artwork by Trevor Brown
For fans of pain & pleasure, Throbbing Gristle, lost horror soundtracks & haunted electronics.

MUSIQUE POUR LA DANSE presents The Unreleased Themes From Hellraiser expanded ritual by Coil

Back in 1987, Clive Barker's supernatural body-horror classic Hellraiser hitted cinemas worldwide and introduced audiences to the demonic Cenobites. Barker was a devoted COIL fan (Peter Christopherson and John Balance), and he famously said they were the only band he'd ever heard on record whose music he'd had to take off because, in his words, "theymade his bowels churn.". He initially invited them to compose the film's music, and the group began recording cues. But the producers at New World Pictures ultimately rejected the material in favor of a more traditional approach, bringing in Christopher Young, whose final score remains excellent, if less experimental. What remains from Coil is an unfinished soundtrack with surviving fragments and rough ideas, abruptly left behind mid-process, a glimpse into an alternate Hellraiser movie, one we can only fantasize into existence.

Nearly 40 years later, key long-term collaborators and Coil's "secret third member" Danny Hyde located the original Hellraiser studio session tapes, and the bonus material recovered from them is presented here as an "expanded ritual" edition, reassembled into a standalone, possibly defnitive and strangely beautiful nightmare suite. Play it in the dark and experience the consequences of raising hell...

Notes by Danny Hyde
Original artwork by Trevor Brown
For fans of pain & pleasure, Throbbing Gristle, lost horror soundtracks & haunted electronics.

25 years ago, at the turn of the millennium, downtown NYC was spoiled with record stores. In this pre-digital age, vinyl was king for club DJs, and shops such as Downtown 161, Dance Tracks, and Vinyl Mania peppered lower Manhattan, thriving businesses that supported an expanding scene of local and international DJs. Perhaps the largest and most established of these was Satellite Records, an institution of club sounds that also spawned multiple record labels, including the deep-house imprint Central Park Recordings.

At this time, Central Park Recordings and Satellite Records owner Scott Richmond signed a demo in need of a vocal from young British producer Alistair Colling, and enlisted John-Christian Urich to write it, who had just had a massive hit with “I Might Do Something Wrong” the debut Tortured Soul single on Central Park. He in turn brought in Sabina Sciubba of then newly-formed band Brazilian Girls to record the vocal, and with Jon Cutler on remix duties the record was complete. Tortured Soul went on to release numerous deep house classics like “Fall In Love,” “How’s Your Life” and have continued to tour as a groundbreaking live-house act to this day (of which RNT co-founder JKriv was bassist and collaborator for 10 years).

For the 25th anniversary of this turning point release, Razor-N-Tape has rebooted and remastered the original and classic Jon Cutler mixes, which have never been reissued in any format since the original release. RNT also commissioned two new exemplary remixes from DJ Spinna and musclecars, connecting the dots between the deep-house lineage of the past and present. Presented in a gorgeous jacket that calls back to the graphical style of the original Central Park Recordings aesthetic, this 12” is an absolute essential for any lover of soulful club sounds or purveyor of NYC dance music history.

The combination of Todd Terry and Hard Times is synonymous in the world of House Music. The legendary DJ/Producer, a true pioneer of the genre, was among the first US artists to play at the intimate, vibrant gatherings in the North of the UK in the early ‘90s. Forever linked by "A Night In The Life," the live mix released in 1995 that set a new benchmark for mix-tapes, it is a collaboration that has continually blossomed, forging a bond that remains strong over 30 years later.

1995 also saw Todd Terry make his first impact on the label with the seminal club smash "Bounce To The Beat." Following his chart breakthrough with 'Can You Party’ in ‘88, the legendary 'The Unreleased Project’ series, which spawned club hits such as “Jumpin’”, and just a few months ahead of topping the charts with his remix of Everything But The Girl’s ‘Missing’, label boss Steve Raine seized the perfect moment to bring his friend on
board at Hard Times Records with the signing of Bounce To The Beat. "I can still remember pressing play, hearing those beats for the very first time and thinking we had big track on our hands" says Raine. "It was our second release on the label, but it would be the track that firmly placed us at the forefront of the scene, both here in the UK and globally."

Hard Times & Todd Terry now revive 'Bounce To The Beat' with a 2024 reimagining, featuring two of house music’s most exciting young stars, delivering two powerful remixes that promise to dominate dancefloors this summer and beyond.

Dutch producer and Up The Stuss label head, Chris Stussy, takes the track on a '90s- inspired journey, blending progressive strings, high-energy bassline and original vocal, for an exhilarating ride. "I remember discovering Todd’s productions back in the days when I started to dig for that 90’s sound. He’s one of the artists that inspired me massively. He has proven that he owns the art of making timeless music as his productions are still being played till this day all across the globe. To be remixing ‘Bounce To The Beat’ is something special for me personally and I tried to give it a 90’s touch with a modern twist." says Chris.

London’s own Dan Shake offers a fresh twist with a 2Step-inspired remix, featuring an Armand-esque bassline that pulsates and evolves, building to an epic crescendo that is set to ignite mass hysteria on the dancefloor.

"Bounce To The Beat was actually one of the first records I bought when I started collecting house music. So to come back 15 years later and remix this iconic track for the legendary label Hard Times was both surreal and very, very fun," shares Dan.

Two exemplary reworks of Todd Terry presents Sound Design’s 'Bounce To The Beat'. For Vinyl and Digital release on Hard Times alongside the Original and ‘Tee’s Freeze Mix.’

a A1 James Russo (2)– Winged, Written-By Dialogue – Quentin Tarantino


d A4 Jamie Foxx And Christoph Waltz– "In That Case Django, After You...", Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[f] A6 Anthony Hamilton & Elayna Boynton– Freedom, Acoustic Guitar – Elayna Boynton, Co-producer – Daniel Beard, Mixed By, Mastered By – Daniel Beard, Duane Allen (2), Piano, Electric Piano [Wurlitzer], Bass, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Programmed By, Percussion – Kelvin Wootenm, Producer – Kelvin Wooten, Recorded By – Daniel Beard, Kelvin Wooten, Vocals, Backing Vocals – Anthony Hamilton, Elayna Boynton, Written-By – Anthony Hamilton, Elayna Boynton, Kelvin Wooten
[g] B7 Don Johnson And Christoph Waltz– Five-Thousand-Dollar Nigga's And Gummy-Mouth Bitches, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[i] B9 Don Straud– Sneaky Schultz And The Demise Of Sharp, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino


[l] B12 Rick Ross With Walton Goggins And Jamie Foxx– 100 Black Coffins, Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Isaiah Pryor, Phillip "Logann" Scott III*, Guitar – Charlie Burrel*, Lyrics By – Jamie Foxx, Rick Ross, Mixed By – Jaycen Joshua, Mixed By [Assisted] – Trehy Harris, Music By – Jamie Foxx, Producer – Ainz "Brainz" Dimilo*, Jamie Foxx
[m] Recorded By [Rick Ross's Vocals] – John Rivers*, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[o] C14 Samuel L. Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio And Christoph Waltz– Hildi's Hot Box, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino


[r] C17 James Brown And 2Pac With James Russo (2), Christoph Waltz And Jamie Foxx– Unchained (The Payback / Untouchable), Mixed By [The Payback], Edited By [The Payback] – Claudio Cueni, Voice [As Ace Speck] – James Remar, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino, Written-By [The Payback] – Fred Wesley, James Brown, John Starks*, Written-By [Untouchable (Swizz Beatz Remix)] – Anthony Henderson, Bruce Washington, Kasseem Dean*, Tupac Amaru Shakur*, Yafeu Fula, D18 John Legend– Who Did That To You?, Performer [Sample] – The Mighty Hannibal, Producer – Paul Epworth, Written-By – James T. Shaw (The Mighty Hannibal)*, John Stephens (3), Paul Epworth
[s] D19 Brother Dege– Too Old To Die Young, Lyrics By, Music By – Dege Legg, Mastered By – Bruce Barielle, Mixed By – Dege Legg, Primo (9), Tony Daigle, Producer – Dege Legg, Primo (9), Tony Daigle, Recorded By – Dege Legg, Vocals, Resonator Guitar [Slide/Dobro], Body Percussion [Stomps], Handclaps [Claps] – Dege Legg
[t] D20 Samuel L. Jackson And Jamie Foxx– Stephen The Poker Player, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[v] D22 Samuel L. Jackson And Jamie Foxx– Six Shots Two Guns, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino
[w] D23 Annibale E I Cantori Moderni*– Trinity: Titoli, Composed By – Franco Micalizzi, L. Stott*, Conductor [Orchestra Directed By] – M° Gianfranco Plenizio*

[a] A1 James Russo (2)– Winged, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino


[d] A4 Jamie Foxx And Christoph Waltz– "In That Case Django, After You...", Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[f] A6 Anthony Hamilton & Elayna Boynton– Freedom, Acoustic Guitar – Elayna Boynton, Co-producer – Daniel Beard, Mixed By, Mastered By – Daniel Beard, Duane Allen (2), Piano, Electric Piano [Wurlitzer], Bass, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Programmed By, Percussion – Kelvin Wootenm, Producer – Kelvin Wooten, Recorded By – Daniel Beard, Kelvin Wooten, Vocals, Backing Vocals – Anthony Hamilton, Elayna Boynton, Written-By – Anthony Hamilton, Elayna Boynton, Kelvin Wooten
[g] B7 Don Johnson And Christoph Waltz– Five-Thousand-Dollar Nigga's And Gummy-Mouth Bitches, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[i] B9 Don Straud– Sneaky Schultz And The Demise Of Sharp, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino


[l] B12 Rick Ross With Walton Goggins And Jamie Foxx– 100 Black Coffins, Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Isaiah Pryor, Phillip "Logann" Scott III*, Guitar – Charlie Burrel*, Lyrics By – Jamie Foxx, Rick Ross, Mixed By – Jaycen Joshua, Mixed By [Assisted] – Trehy Harris, Music By – Jamie Foxx, Producer – Ainz "Brainz" Dimilo*, Jamie Foxx
[m] Recorded By [Rick Ross's Vocals] – John Rivers*, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[o] C14 Samuel L. Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio And Christoph Waltz– Hildi's Hot Box, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino


[r] C17 James Brown And 2Pac With James Russo (2), Christoph Waltz And Jamie Foxx– Unchained (The Payback / Untouchable), Mixed By [The Payback], Edited By [The Payback] – Claudio Cueni, Voice [As Ace Speck] – James Remar, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino, Written-By [The Payback] – Fred Wesley, James Brown, John Starks*, Written-By [Untouchable (Swizz Beatz Remix)] – Anthony Henderson, Bruce Washington, Kasseem Dean*, Tupac Amaru Shakur*, Yafeu Fula, D18 John Legend– Who Did That To You?, Performer [Sample] – The Mighty Hannibal, Producer – Paul Epworth, Written-By – James T. Shaw (The Mighty Hannibal)*, John Stephens (3), Paul Epworth
[s] D19 Brother Dege– Too Old To Die Young, Lyrics By, Music By – Dege Legg, Mastered By – Bruce Barielle, Mixed By – Dege Legg, Primo (9), Tony Daigle, Producer – Dege Legg, Primo (9), Tony Daigle, Recorded By – Dege Legg, Vocals, Resonator Guitar [Slide/Dobro], Body Percussion [Stomps], Handclaps [Claps] – Dege Legg
[t] D20 Samuel L. Jackson And Jamie Foxx– Stephen The Poker Player, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[v] D22 Samuel L. Jackson And Jamie Foxx– Six Shots Two Guns, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino
[w] D23 Annibale E I Cantori Moderni*– Trinity: Titoli, Composed By – Franco Micalizzi, L. Stott*, Conductor [Orchestra Directed By] – M° Gianfranco Plenizio*

[a] A1 | James Russo (2)– Winged, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino


[d] A4 | Jamie Foxx And Christoph Waltz– "In That Case Django, After You ..", Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[f] A6 | Anthony Hamilton & Elayna Boynton– Freedom, Acoustic Guitar – Elayna Boynton, Co-producer – Daniel Beard, Mixed By, Mastered By – Daniel Beard, Duane Allen (2), Piano, Electric Piano [Wurlitzer], Bass, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Programmed By, Percussion – Kelvin Wootenm, Producer – Kelvin Wooten, Recorded By – Daniel Beard, Kelvin Wooten, Vocals, Backing Vocals – Anthony Hamilton, Elayna Boynton, Written-By – Anthony Hamilton, Elayna Boynton, Kelvin Wooten
[g] B7 | Don Johnson And Christoph Waltz– Five-Thousand-Dollar Nigga's And Gummy-Mouth Bitches, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[i] B9 | Don Straud– Sneaky Schultz And The Demise Of Sharp, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino


[l] B12 | Rick Ross With Walton Goggins And Jamie Foxx– 100 Black Coffins, Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Isaiah Pryor, Phillip "Logann" Scott III*, Guitar – Charlie Burrel*, Lyrics By – Jamie Foxx, Rick Ross, Mixed By – Jaycen Joshua, Mixed By [Assisted] – Trehy Harris, Music By – Jamie Foxx, Producer – Ainz "Brainz" Dimilo*, Jamie Foxx
[m] Recorded | By [Rick Ross's Vocals] – John Rivers*, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[o] C14 | Samuel L Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio And Christoph Waltz– Hildi's Hot Box, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino


[r] C17 | James Brown And 2Pac With James Russo (2), Christoph Waltz And Jamie Foxx– Unchained (The Payback / Untouchable), Mixed By [The Payback], Edited By [The Payback] – Claudio Cueni, Voice [As Ace Speck] – James Remar, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino, Written-By [The Payback] – Fred Wesley, James Brown, John Starks*, Written-By [Untouchable (Swizz Beatz Remix)] – Anthony Henderson, Bruce Washington, Kasseem Dean*, Tupac Amaru Shakur*, Yafeu Fula, D18 John Legend– Who Did That To You?, Performer [Sample] – The Mighty Hannibal, Producer – Paul Epworth, Written-By – James T Shaw (The Mighty Hannibal)*, John Stephens (3), Paul Epworth
[s] D19 | Brother Dege– Too Old To Die Young, Lyrics By, Music By – Dege Legg, Mastered By – Bruce Barielle, Mixed By – Dege Legg, Primo (9), Tony Daigle, Producer – Dege Legg, Primo (9), Tony Daigle, Recorded By – Dege Legg, Vocals, Resonator Guitar [Slide/Dobro], Body Percussion [Stomps], Handclaps [Claps] – Dege Legg
[t] D20 | Samuel L Jackson And Jamie Foxx– Stephen The Poker Player, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[v] D22 | Samuel L Jackson And Jamie Foxx– Six Shots Two Guns, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino
[w] D23 | Annibale E I Cantori Moderni*– Trinity Titoli, Composed By – Franco Micalizzi, L Stott*, Conductor [Orchestra Directed By] – M° Gianfranco Plenizio*

[a] A1 | James Russo (2)– Winged, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino


[d] A4 | Jamie Foxx And Christoph Waltz– "In That Case Django, After You ..", Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[f] A6 | Anthony Hamilton & Elayna Boynton– Freedom, Acoustic Guitar – Elayna Boynton, Co-producer – Daniel Beard, Mixed By, Mastered By – Daniel Beard, Duane Allen (2), Piano, Electric Piano [Wurlitzer], Bass, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Programmed By, Percussion – Kelvin Wootenm, Producer – Kelvin Wooten, Recorded By – Daniel Beard, Kelvin Wooten, Vocals, Backing Vocals – Anthony Hamilton, Elayna Boynton, Written-By – Anthony Hamilton, Elayna Boynton, Kelvin Wooten
[g] B7 | Don Johnson And Christoph Waltz– Five-Thousand-Dollar Nigga's And Gummy-Mouth Bitches, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[i] B9 | Don Straud– Sneaky Schultz And The Demise Of Sharp, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino


[l] B12 | Rick Ross With Walton Goggins And Jamie Foxx– 100 Black Coffins, Engineer [Recording Engineer] – Isaiah Pryor, Phillip "Logann" Scott III*, Guitar – Charlie Burrel*, Lyrics By – Jamie Foxx, Rick Ross, Mixed By – Jaycen Joshua, Mixed By [Assisted] – Trehy Harris, Music By – Jamie Foxx, Producer – Ainz "Brainz" Dimilo*, Jamie Foxx
[m] Recorded | By [Rick Ross's Vocals] – John Rivers*, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[o] C14 | Samuel L Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio And Christoph Waltz– Hildi's Hot Box, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino


[r] C17 | James Brown And 2Pac With James Russo (2), Christoph Waltz And Jamie Foxx– Unchained (The Payback / Untouchable), Mixed By [The Payback], Edited By [The Payback] – Claudio Cueni, Voice [As Ace Speck] – James Remar, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino, Written-By [The Payback] – Fred Wesley, James Brown, John Starks*, Written-By [Untouchable (Swizz Beatz Remix)] – Anthony Henderson, Bruce Washington, Kasseem Dean*, Tupac Amaru Shakur*, Yafeu Fula, D18 John Legend– Who Did That To You?, Performer [Sample] – The Mighty Hannibal, Producer – Paul Epworth, Written-By – James T Shaw (The Mighty Hannibal)*, John Stephens (3), Paul Epworth
[s] D19 | Brother Dege– Too Old To Die Young, Lyrics By, Music By – Dege Legg, Mastered By – Bruce Barielle, Mixed By – Dege Legg, Primo (9), Tony Daigle, Producer – Dege Legg, Primo (9), Tony Daigle, Recorded By – Dege Legg, Vocals, Resonator Guitar [Slide/Dobro], Body Percussion [Stomps], Handclaps [Claps] – Dege Legg
[t] D20 | Samuel L Jackson And Jamie Foxx– Stephen The Poker Player, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino

[v] D22 | Samuel L Jackson And Jamie Foxx– Six Shots Two Guns, Written-By [Dialogue] – Quentin Tarantino
[w] D23 | Annibale E I Cantori Moderni*– Trinity Titoli, Composed By – Franco Micalizzi, L Stott*, Conductor [Orchestra Directed By] – M° Gianfranco Plenizio*

Nigerian-born, London-based singer, songwriter, musician and producer Steven Bamidele presents his keenly anticipated sophomore album, 'THE CRASH!' – a sonically rich exploration of purpose, doubt and personal reckoning. Written against the backdrop of an ever-changing world, the album combines soul, rock, jazz, acoustic and electronic textures, along with daydream-esque storytelling for a thought-provoking journey in pursuit of something real in an age of hyper-curation and superficiality.
At its core, 'THE CRASH!' is a soulful meditation on the weight we place on relationships, the fundamental cost of growth, and the search for direction in an imperfect world. It's a deeply personal project, shaped by Steven's own journey through faith, disillusionment and self-discovery. Raised in a strictly Christian household, Steven's first crisis of belief came at 17, when he began questioning the very foundations of existence. As his faith unravelled, music became his new guiding force – a source of direction, discipline and identity. But as he turned 30, disillusionment crept in once again. The stark realities of the music industry, coupled with global uncertainty, reignited that same despondent weight he had battled in his youth.
"It was an intoxicating feeling when I was younger and had no responsibilities, to foolishly believe I was the first person in history who'd worked something out that no one else had. It gave me this twisted sense of power and was a big creative motivator. Where I'm at now, nihilism is debilitating, boring and unhelpful. I've worked to find a way to channel those feelings into this project. I'm really proud of it."– Steven Bamidele

The 7:45s are an original soul collective from Manchester, UK – the brainchild of songwriter and bassist Sam Flynn. Inspired by the house bands of soul labels from Motown to Big Crown, the young collective spotlights guest vocalists such as Martin Connor and Nicole Battick. Named after 7-inch vinyl, The 7:45s write snappy singles that blend the vintage feel of rare groove with the songcraft of perfect pop.The 7:45s have been played on BBC Radio 6 Music by Craig Charles, Stuart Maconie and Chris Hawkins and on Jazz FM by Simon Phillips.

A concept album for the soul, Spinning is a retro-soul love story. Side A is sunshine soul about the dizziness of an on-off relationship, as heard in the Charles Bradley-inspired opener 'The Way That I Love You'. Side B is nocturnal. Head-spinning heartbreak is the subject of rare groove-influenced 'The Writing's on the Wall' while dancing to a new dawn is the theme of Prince-inspired disco number 'We Will Be Friends'. The album also features a reimagination of The Beatles' 'Don't Let Me Down'.

Recorded in 1970 with a host of young blues and rock musicians, Blue Memphis is recognized as one of the best dates released by fellow blues artists in that era. On this album, the famous American blues pianist, singer, and composer Memphis Slim (John Peter Chatman) is backed by several British musicians, including Chris Spedding, John Paul Jones, Duster Bennett, and Peter Green.

Hailed as the “Godfather of electronic music,” Paul Oakenfold is one of the most successful electronic artists of all time, counting more than 110M streams, 5M albums sold worldwide and three GRAMMY nominations.
Oakenfold’s discography includes three full-length studio albums, countless live/compilation albums, singles and remixes, and over 20 DJ mix albums. He has written and produced for major stars like Cher, The Happy Mondays, U2 and Madonna and also counts more than 100 remixes, including ones for The Rolling Stones, Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears and Elvis Presley.

He continues to push the envelope via his game-changing projects, including a once-in-a-lifetime DJ set in April 2017 at the top of the base camp of Mt. Everest, commemorating the set with the release ‘Mount Everest: The Base Camp Mix.’ In September 2018, he became the first-ever artist to perform at Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage site, followed by his ‘Sunset at Stonehenge’ mix album (February 2019) capturing the historic DJ set. In March 2019, he performed at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games opening ceremony in Abu Dhabi, in addition to remixing the Games’ official theme song.

This release is a reissue of his classic soundtrack album for the 2001 Joel Silver produced Swordfish starring Hugh Jackman, John Travolta, Halle Berry & Don Chedle. It contains tracks specially commissioned for the film written by Paul & film composer Christopher Young, plus his remix versions of N*E*R*D – Lapdance, Afrika Bambaataa - Planet Rock, Muse - New Born, plus tracks from Lemon Jelly + Dope Smugglerz, Jan Johnston.

The original release has sold over 100k units to date & the vinyl is now selling upwards of £300 on Discogs. This 2025 triple vinyl reissue has been remastered at Metropolis Studios + will be pressed on green coloured vinyl & coincides with the 4k UHD limited edition 25th anniversary Blu Ray release.

DJ Support: Chris Stussy, Enzo Siragusa, Hot Since 82, Prunk, and M-High

Amsterdam-based Hungarian duo Retrouve are ready to make their mark on the global house music stage with their highly anticipated debut album, Feel So Right LP, on PIV Records. This young and dynamic pair has been turning heads in the House and Minimal Deep Tech scene with their slick productions and fresh take on the genre. Featuring eight timeless tracks, Feel So Right LP is a masterclass in diversity and depth, showcasing Retrouve’s profound understanding of house music and beyond. From soulful grooves to driving basslines, each track tells a story of their journey as artists and friends, reflecting their determination to carve out a unique sonic identity that resonates with both the old guard and the new wave of house music enthusiasts. Despite being newcomers, Retrouve have already garnered significant support from some of the biggest names in the industry, including Chris Stussy, Enzo Siragusa, Hot Since 82, Prunk, and M-High. Their unreleased tracks have been sought-after IDs for the past two years, creating a buzz that has only grown louder with time. Feel So Right LP is a testament to the duo’s unwavering passion and dedication to their craft while creating a memorable listening journey. With this release, Retrouve are poised to become ones to watch in 2025 and beyond.

Christian Kleine continues to unearth long-lost transmissions with Electronic Music From The Lost World: Vol.2 - another batch of pristine artifacts from his personal DAT archive. Much like its predecessor, this release serves as both a time capsule and a reminder of Kleine’s effortless blend of melodic warmth, intricate rhythm programming, punk influences, and a deep-rooted love for the fringes of electronica.
Where Vol.1 felt like an invitation back to the late ‘90s, a time when IDM was still an evolving conversation, this second volume extends the dialogue, revealing more of the sonic experiments and fully-formed pieces that never saw the light of day. Tracks recall specific moments from Kleine’s time living in Berlin, an era of minimal comforts but maximal creativity, where all that really mattered was that the PowerPC, sampler, and synths kept running. This period of introspection, coupled with the musical freedom afforded by cheap rent and late-night school classes, shaped the deeply personal and solitary sound of these recordings.
Visually, Vol 2 shares its origins with the first volume, as Midori Hirano’s stark Berlin photography forms the foundation, and Noah M / Keep Adding pushes the imagery into a brighter, more reflective final space. Final touches remain in familiar hands, with LOOP-O on mastering and lacquer duties, bringing new life to Christian’s OG DAT recordings. 
And much like the classic City Centre Offices era that shaped this sound and Kleine’s early career, this release nods to that legacy. A special limited 7” EP with two bonus tracks, designed in tribute to CCO’s iconic DIY aesthetic, will be available on release day direct from the label’s Bandcamp. 

DJ Rocca and Chris Coco spent some time hanging out together by the pool at an intimate festival called La Casella in Umbria in the
late summer of 2019.
They spent a lot of time talking about Italo Disco, the Rimini / Riccione riviera in it’s heyday in the 90s and classic clubs from the early
days of the Italian scene.
By the end of that beautiful weekend they had decided to make some music together that would somehow capture and reflect their own
hazy memories of places they visited or played and nostalgic dreams of earlier scenes they were too young to participate in.
Over the ensuing months the idea developed into an imaginary retro-futuristic club called CocoRocca DiscoTeca, a fantasy version of
a past club that never existed and at the same time a future club that was really possible to create one day.
If there was such a club, what would the music sound like?
Surely, a fusion of various sounds of dub/house/disco that the pair of DJs had been collecting and playing out for years. So inspiration
lists were made and ,slowly, a soundtrack for a night at that imaginary club began to take shape, beginning slow and dreamy, for the
moment of arrival; lifting up to a peak; and finally drifting down to the final tune of the night.
The result goes something like this…

Humphrey Aniakor started Duomo Sounds after a trip to Milan. The idea was to produce a new sound for the emerging generation. A sleek funky but refined, Nigerian disco sound. This compilation captures all of that intention with a broad array of artistes. The music is sometimes sung in local Nigerian languages and sometimes in English but always with an African Accent. Modern grooves for an African market.

After several months spent hanging out at studios in Los Angeles and New York, observing the musicians, producers and engineers at work. He went to nightclubs to study what kind of sonic textures made the crowd move. And when he felt he had gotten the hang of it, he returned to Nigeria to set up his record label. A label that would showcase the au courant, cosmopolitan face of the Nigeria’s emerging young generation. That would encompass the boundlessness of imagination, focus, persistence and craftsmanship. That would deliver music that touched the soul.

There was hardly a shortage of available musical talent by 1980, as Duomo was preparing to launch. The seventies had seen a massive flowering of bands offering a wide array of sounds and styles. But 1980 proved to be the year that would change the topography of the music landscape and its approach to packaging talent. Artistes like Mike Umoh (erstewhile drummer with Bongos Ikwue and the Groovies), Bindiga (Ghanian afrofunk musicians), Christy Ogbah (who worked as a policewoman) bring their personal artistry to create the new sound.

And he would call it—what else?—Duomo. Duomo Sounds Limited.

This combination created high-quality Nigerian music but it also marked the end of bands as the focal point for the popular music marketing. After Okotie’s breakthrough, it became clear that the eighties would be the era of the solo artist. And this would lead to the fracture of established bands as members opted to roll the dice on solo careers.

You’re NEXUS 21, central to the dizzy zeitgeist of the 1991 adrenaline rammed UK House Music juggernaut, and you have just recorded a masterpiece of an album MIND MACHINES.

DON’T DO IT LIKE THAT - somehow even though your record label love the album it does not get released.
DO IT LIKE THIS - it finally gets issued now.

When Mark Archer and Chris Peat flew back from a seminal recording session at Kevin Saunderson’s KMS Studio in Detroit there was a palpable feel of excitement. Instead of merely paying homage to their Techno forerunners, they were now creating their own just as innovative waveforms.

In the can was a gem - DON’T DO IT LIKE THIS, DO IT LIKE THAT. Motor City songstress Donna Black had unconsciously seemed to add Ma to the start of her name and her recorded in the dark vocals helped conjure up an almost Madonna and a drum machine meets Techno hybrid. This it was agreed could be a huge breakthrough single which - preceded by strategically released set up tracks - would build up Nexus 21’s surely inevitable rise to glory. And the release of the MIND MACHINES album. But it never happened. Instead one day Mark and Chris burst into Network’s Birmingham office excitedly brandishing no less than 8 new recordings infused with a propulsive Rave energy flash compared to their more cerebral Nexus 21 work. The label agreed that the new tracks should be released under a new artist name and an initial suggestion. Alien 8 replaced by Altern 8. What was planned as temporary dalliance became a long term relationship. You all know the score - Altern 8 became surf riders supreme on the rave tsunami, not just music makers but myth creators. The plan has been to run Nexus 21 and Altern 8 parallel, a kind of schizophrenic experiment by two men, a drum machine and a mad for it record company. History shows that Altern 8 became too DOMIN 8 and the lovingly recorded Nexus 21 album was left on the proverbial shelf (actually a box in Birmingham)

So now MIND MACHINES finally meets the World. First thing that screams out that it hasn’t half aged well. Obviously it is a wet dream for the anoraks of electronica, that goes without saying. But above and beyond the history lesson of how 2 young UK techno mad kids got the dots from Detroit and deconstructed them to create something very British the music they created, sometimes naive but frequently knowledgeable, sounds .. well just great.

The four Detroit recordings - NEXODUS, TOGETHER, DON’T DO IT LIKE THAT, DO IT LIKE THIS and EVERYTHING (NO STATUES) - variously feature contributions from Motor City luminaries Marc Kinchen and Anthony Shakir.

Only two of the twelve recordings were properly released in 1990/1991 with two more making it on a withdrawn white label 12 inch at the time. Three of the tracks, including a live recording at London’s Brain Club that has been retrieved from a DAT that was thought to have disappeared, are previously unreleased. And as well as two previously unreleased much altered versions of Nexus 21 gems there is the legendary much tougher mix of the duo’s signature techno treasure Self Hypnosis.

NEXUS 21

LOST AND NOW FOUND

It’s True What They Say is the debut EP from Edinburgh-based, husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), aka Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced “McLochlin”).

“Sarah and I both have a love for nostalgia,” explains Shaun. “We watched that amazing old 80’s Sci-Fi, (John) Carpenter movie, Starman, a few months back. Myself and my brother David used to watch it all the time. We must have been, roughly, 5-7 at the time. I remember loving the movie but the end, you know, with the beautiful, atmospheric, synth ending, I love that particular moment the most - best part of the movie, you know, when he goes home… It’s heartbreaking but stunning, all the same. It’s the music that moves you most… It did when I was 5 and it still does to this day. It must have had some form of a (much deeper) impact on me.”

The duo narrates stories across themes of love, hope, family, friends, dreams and sadness - the good that comes with the bad in everyday life, not just on a personal scale but within a community as well.

“Starbed is the first song I have ever written and just came out of the blue really, with Shaun playing a melody and me singing along,” says Sarah. “It’s simple and just about two people in love. Love songs are always the best songs, after all… Music has been a big part of my life from a young age. I was unwillingly dragged to piano and violin lessons, which I’m thankful for now! I’d say the first band I really became obsessed with growing up were the Beatles, and on the back of that a lot of 60s music and fashion. From then on, I had a love for music.”

“Shaun definitely opened my ears to a lot of sounds and got me thinking about soundtracks and all the noises that can be made,” she goes on. “We love just spending time experimenting in the house with instruments, pedals etc and Ali is a real magician to work with, too…”

The recordings took place over the summers of 2022 and 2023, with fellow Delta Mainline member Ali Chisholm (aka Jaguar Eyes) plus long-term friend and collaborator Gavin King. Further collaboration then came via the ‘net from the (international) likes of Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty), Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz) and Daniel Land (The Modern Painters), among others (see a full list of credits below).

Both Sarah and Shaun have a love for uber-soundtrack producers such as Hanz Zimmer, Max Richter, Cliff Martinez plus live acts such as Beach House, Spiritualized, M83, Suicide, Moby and OMD (to name a few). Shaun also credits the work of Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein (from Survive) on the Stranger Things score… “Even a moment in a movie, whether it be just 30 seconds during a particular scene, it grips you,” he says. But there’s something much deeper at play as well. “Music is a healer,” he goes on, “and I write from my own perspective but more so for others. Once I've done my bit, it doesn't belong to me any longer. It belongs to whoever wants it or needs it.”

The result is a cinematic, synth-wavey, dream poppy and downright beguilingly beautiful body of work. And they’re just getting started…

REVIEWS/RADIO/FEEDBACK:

“Starbed is folky, flavoured by pedal steel, cello, and brass. Dust Tears, in stark contrast, is a mini synth-pop rave epic. Part Bicep. Part Human League. Keep Your Eyes Closed summons a mood that’s romantic, but also dark and potentially doomed – like David Lynch’s Twin Peaks meets Cliff Martinez’s Drive score. My pick though is It’s True What They Say, whose interwoven jangle and picking recalls New Order’s more introspective moments (Love Vigilantes, Love Less… ). Drums crashing, cathartic. Guitar raising dramatic arcs. Its chorus a rush, like a reprise of Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart’s ‘Higher Than The Stars’.” BAN BAN TON TON
"Dust Tears sees them sharing vocal duties over a synth foundation reminiscent of Moby’s Go - Artist Of The Week” THE SCOTSMAN
"Woozy pop" NEMONE (Mary Anne Hobbs Morning Show, BBC 6Music)
"Nice one, very David Lynch meets Euro dream pop" YOUTH (Killing Joke, Paul McCartney, U2, The Orb, Spiritualized etc)
"Music sounds killer! Real emotion” DAVID HOLMES
"I’m enjoying it” TIM BRINKHURST aka LONDON (IKLAN, Young Fathers, Callum Easter)
“Oh, this is lovely!” SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
"It’s totally my cup of tea with milk and biscuit" BRENT RADEMAKER (Beachwood Sparks/GospelBeach)
"Beautiful, ecstatic electronica! Short and to the point" KEVIN BALES (Spiritualized, Julian Cope, Soulsavers, BE)
"Makes me wanna sit in the sun and sip an Arnold Palmer" CHRIS DIXIE DARLEY (Father John Misty)
“Really beautiful - Cocteau Twins / Spiritualized vibes but has its own thing going on, too - worth checking out!” JULIAN CORRIE (Franz Ferdinand, Miaoux Miaoux)
‘Sounded nice on a sunny day, makes me think of Twin Peaks, nice moods’ EAMON HAMILTON (Sea Power)
"Dealing in nostalgia, no bad thing at all, great to play that (Dust Tears) for you” RODDY HART (BBC Radio Scotland)
“I'll give the vocal tracks a spin before the release." VIC GALLOWAY (BBC Radio Scotland)
"Rather good!" IAIN ANDERSON (BBC Radio Scotland)

CREDITS:

Lyrics, Guitars, Keys, Synths, Drums, Drum Programming, Percussion, Mandolin, Glockenspiel: Shaun McLachlan
Lyrics, Vocals, Keys by Sarah McLachlan
Guitars, Synths, String Arrangements, Drum Programming, Engineering: Jaguar Eyes Percussion/Drums/Effects, Fire Extinguisher: Darren Coghill (Neon Waltz)
Guitars by Daniel Land
Slide Guitar by Chris Dixie Darley (Father John Misty)
Brass by Bruce Michie
Keys, pre-production & engineering on “It’s true what they say”: Gavin King
All produced by Jaguar Eyes and Shaun McLachlan and then mixed at Glasgow’s Chem19 Studios by David McCaulay (From Scotland With Love, Rick Redbeard, BBC TV’s Attenborough and The Mammoth Graveyard score).
Artwork: Jamie Walman (Fourteen Admirals)

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Although Shaun released a pair of solo singles (When We Dance and Give Your Love To Me) during Lockdown, he will be better known to many via his work as the multi-instrumentalist in Edinburgh band Delta Mainline. With two albums released to date, Oh! Enlightened and Bel Avenir, both rapturously received by fans and critics alike, Delta Mainline have developed an international, cult following. Oh Enlightened (2013) achieved widespread critical acclaim on release, earning the band comparisons to Arcade Fire and Echo & The Bunnymen, while 2019’s Bel Avenir pulled in references to The Flaming Lips, Pink Floyd, David Bowie and krautrock. A third DM album is currently being mixed and due for release later this year…

Most Excellent Unlimited is happy to announce the next release in its series of collaborations with master DJ and editor "Mr. K". Two exceptional deep classic album gems skillfully cut down to a maximum 7" 45rpm format, Luther’s “Funky Music (Is a Part of Me)” and Zulema’s “Giving Up.”

Long before “Never Too Much” and his other solo hits, Luther Vandross was an in-demand backup singer and vocal arranger, working with luminaries like Carly Simon, Bette Midler, and Donna Summer, along with his stand out performances in Change, Bionic Boogie, & so many more. Perhaps his most significant role, however, was backing David Bowie on the 1975 Young Americans album. It was during these sessions that Bowie heard Luther’s song “Funky Music (Is a Part of Me)” and re-tooled it to become the Bowie/Vandross joint composition “Fascination,” which went on to become a successful Bowie single.

For the latest edition of Most Excellent Unlimited’s series of edits, Mr. K has gone back to the original source, credited to the group (not the solo artist) Luther (which also features Christine Wiltshire). Mr. K's technique on this edit is cleverly subtle, in the process giving us the first opportunity to get almost the entire full-length song on compact 7-inch wax, keeping that irresistible building energy that places the track firmly on dancefloor-friendly territory.

“Giving Up” was the opening track on Zulema’s second LP, and given the drama of the intro, with its rolling piano, string ensemble, and piercing guitar, it’s not hard to hear why it was effective in that role. Mr. K’s edit benefits from a crystal clear remastering in which each element of the band is distinct in the soundfield, led by Zulema’s gutsy vocals upfront. Originally a 1964 Gladys Knight tearjerker that crept along at a tango’s pace, Zulema’s 1973 cover gives the song a new, powerfully soulful arrangement, championed by such disparate eras and tastemakers as Nicky Siano at the Gallery in the ’70s and breakbeat hunters the Beatnuts in the ’90s that has easily found favor with a wide variety of listeners and DJs, and this new issue should solidify that position. Never before available on 7-inch, “Giving Up” is a bonafide funk and proto-disco classic —

Mahalia is set to release her brand-new, sophomore album titled ‘IRL’ on July 14th with the pre-order set to go live on May 11th.The album will feature the singles ‘Terms and Conditions’, ‘Cheat’ and ‘In My Bag’ with album features including Stormzy, JoJo, Joyce Wrice and Kojey Radical.

Aptly titled IRL, Mahalia is particularly incessant on doubling down on vulnerability, internal reflection, and a desire to feel, in the realms of love specifically as demonstrated on her last project. “I feel like there’s even more personality on IRL. I want people to see me how I see myself.” Emboldened by her inflections, insights and young adulthood, Mahalia is not only breaking the mould on IRL, but determined to live life cognizantly. “This is a real reflection of the journeys I've had, what actually happened and a celebration of everyone who got me there. There are names and family members I mention because it all helped in shaping who I am,” Mahalia rationalises. With an innocent, yet assured gleam appearing on her face, “I’m so proud of this project, and so proud of how much I challenged myself to just let those stories out.”

Christened in many Grammy, BRIT, Soul Train and MTV Push nominations over the years, as well as two MOBO-wins for Best Female Act, and Best R&B/Soul Act, Mahalia still proves that beyond the accolades, an overarching dedication to persistence is what’s driven her to look inward, grow and ultimately challenge herself with each and every release to date. Standing as one of British R&B’s most successful contemporary faces, Mahalia continues to grow and establish herself in both her tact as an artist, but in building more robust ruminations sonically. As she evolves, her success becomes even more bonafide, both on home turf, but abroad too (she’s cracked the US Adult R&B Charts three times to date).

With her legion of 3.3M monthly Spotify listeners, the penultimate Saturday slot on the West Holts stage at this year’s Glastonbury festival and an opener performance for Adele at Hyde Park last summer, as well as a stellar prime-time Commonwealth Games closing ceremony set, there’s more territory to break. “I’m almost glad Love and Compromise didn’t go completely sky high, it’s given me room to keep developing, keep growing and go higher than I’ve ever been before. I’m so ready to bridge the gap now, I feel like I’m absolutely playing the long-game.”

Sidney Charles welcomes M-High to his leading Heavy House Society imprint and the Dutchman drops a classy four track EP of exceptional high quality laden with groove style and panache.

M-High is known to many within the Minimal and Deep scene through his releases on prominent labels such as Locus, META, Rutilance, Politics of Dancing PIV and more. These releases have been supported by a who’s who including Archie Hamilton, Chris Stussy, Phil Weeks, Jamie Jones, Sam Divine and many others. This support coupled with always fire releases and his highly impressive record selection in his sets has seen him being booked at in demand venues and festivals including Fabric London, BPM Costa Rica, Mint Warehouse Leeds, Thuishaven Amsterdam, Defected Croatia and more, and now Sidney Charles welcomes him to his Heavy House Society imprint and once again the young talented Dutchman does not disappoint.

His ‘Up The Attic EP’ is a luxurious blend of house ranging from the more jackin’ warehouse style of ‘Jackstion’, to the sensuous bassline roller ‘Let J Say’. He then takes you on a powerful deeper journey with ‘That Reminds Me’ and he rounds off the EP with the lofty and effervescent title track ‘Up The Attic’, making this an essential must have for those who like their music, intelligent, understated yet highly danceable and chic.

2ND LP PRESSING

Cosmic Ear is a new group bringing together Christer Bothén, Mats Gustafsson, Goran Kajfeš, Kansan Zetterberg and Juan Romero. Their debut album TRACES is released by We Jazz Records on 23rd of May, 2025. Including 6 deep cuts, TRACES is an album that sees Cosmic Ear tracking down the "traces" of the legendary Don Cherry's legacy while paving their own way in contemporary creative music expression.

Christer Bothén, a collaborator with Don Cherry during his Swedish period in the 1970s, brings depth to the history of the band, while his bandmates each belong at the top of the game in Scandinavian jazz. Their music is meditative and deep, much recommended for fans of the likes of Don Cherry, Alice Coltrane, and Pharoah. That being said, listeners should approach Cosmic Ear only with openness and curiosity, without set stylistic boundaries, as it's the group's natural flow and togetherness that brings their music into a fresh territory of their own.

As John Corbett writes in his liner notes:

"The Cosmic Ear. Five souls, sometimes six, on the same road. The pied piper path of Mr. Cherry. Christer Bothén, one of Cherry's main collaborators in his Swedish period and one of the most beautiful bass clarinetists on planet earth, together with next-gen saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, who has carried so many torches in Cherry's procession, and younger Swedish stars trumpeter Goran Kajfes, bassist Kansan Zetterberg, and percussionist Juan Romero. Together a tempo is set, a path is charted. There are global grooves. A berimbau, a karignan (metal scraper from Guinea), donso n'goni. There are ET grooves. Synth, live-electronics, slide flute. The globe is a glove, a hand warmer that radiates with extraterrestrial power, returning the fingers to their place at the center of the galaxy; the Cherry path is a balm that restores essential moisture to the lips that blow life back into the megacosm. Let us all praise warm fingers and moist mouths."

Die britische Post-Punk-Band Wild Swans wagte sich in die Nähe von U2 auf ihrem 1988 erschienenen Debütalbum »Bringing Home The Ashes«.

Die eindringliche Stimme von Paul Simpson verleiht jedem Stück ein emotionales Gewicht; ob er nun versucht, Freude oder Trauer zu vermitteln, sein eisiger Bariton lässt einen bis ins Mark erschauern. Das Album handelt vom Erwachsenwerden, das Aufwachsen in einer Zeit des Krieges und die Suche nach Trost von Gott und der Liebe zu finden.

Die Wild Swans wurden nie als christliche Gruppe beworben, aber Simpson nutzt seine Spiritualität, um Hoffnung oder Verzweiflung auszudrücken. Die Wild Swans malen unauslöschliche Bilder: Simpsons funkelnde Stimme und Kellys ätherische Gitarren verleihen dem Album eine unbestreitbar romantisches Gefühl.

»Bringing Home The Ashes« ist in einer limitierten Auflage von 750 einzeln nummerierten Exemplaren auf Crystal Clear Vinyl erhältlich und enthält eine Beilage.

Sun Wukong (The Monkey King) is a monkey born from a heavenly stone who acquires supernatural powers. After rebelling against heaven and being imprisoned under a mountain for 500 years, he later accompanies the monk Xuanzang on a journey to India. Thus, according to legend, Buddhism is brought to ancient China. This much beloved story, is as much a part of Asian culture as The Iliad and The Odyssey or The Wizard of Oz are to the West.

The 2014 action-fantasy film Monkey King - Havoc In Heaven's Place was directed by Soi Cheang, Starring Donnie Yen as the titular protagonist Sun Wukong. A Hong Kong-Chinese co-production, Yen also serves as the film's action director. The film co-stars Donald Chow, Aaron Kwok, Joe Chen and Peter Ho. The music was composed by Christopher Young.

Funfact; the drums on this soundtrack was done by none other than Dave Lombardo (ex- Slayer)

In China, The Monkey King was highly succesful and became only the third Chinese film to earn more than a billion yuan at the Chinese box office.

The soundtrack of Monkey King - Havoc In Heaven's Place is available for the first time on vinyl as a limited and numbered 2LP of 500 copies on gold vinyl, and includes an insert.

Francis of Delirium is the moniker of 22-year old, Luxembourg-based Jana Bahrich. The young artist’s incredible journey up until this point has seen her release 3 critically acclaimed EPs, ‘All Change’, 'Wading’ and ‘The Funhouse’. With praise so far from the likes of Stereogum, FADER, Pitchfork, Line of Best Fit, 6 Music, Radio 1, KEXP and NPR to name but a few, Francis of Delirium is on the precipice of something extremely exciting with debut album ‘Lighthouse’.

The announcement of ‘Lighthouse’ comes following a busy year of touring with the likes of Soccer Mommy, Briston Maroney, Horsegirl, The Districts and hitting Eurosonic, Iceland Airwaves and Tree Fort Fest, as well as opening for The 1975 & Kings of Leon.

Production duties on ‘Lighthouse’ were shared by Catherine Marks (Boygenius, Wolf Alice) and Jana Bahrich/Chris Hewitt. ‘Lighthouse’ was mixed by Jolyon Thomas (U2, Royal Blood).

With »News from Planet Zombie«, The Notwist return to view after years of exploration and experiment with an album rich in both melancholy and positivity, sketched across a suite of thrilling, fiercely committed pop songs. It’s an album reflecting a chaotic world, but responding with warmth and generosity, to achieve creative and spiritual consolidation. Recorded in their home base of Munich, it reconnects with the security of the local to explore the troubles of the global: a guiding impulse writ large across this album’s eleven songs. It’s also the first studio album since 1995’s »12« that the entire band recorded together in the studio in its expanded live formation.

A new album by The Notwist is always a curious endeavour; their musical language is as consistent and resilient as the contexts for creativity are unpredictable and ever shifting. For »News from Planet Zombie«, the core trio of Markus and Micha Acher and Cico Beck embraced the plural possibilities of writing together, bringing songs to the collective and then arranging, rehearsing and recording that material live, in the studio.

The result is an album that’s energised, fully in ›the now‹, with spectacular moments where you can hear the magic bubbling up in the dynamic between the Achers, Beck, and fellow members Theresa Loibl, Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Andi Haberl. If »Teeth« begins »News from Planet Zombie« quietly and reflectively, by »X-Ray« everyone’s supercharged, blasting out future anthems with the collective energy cranked up high. The chiming keys of »Propeller« skim the instrumental’s surface like stones across burbling water; »The Turning« clangs its way into one of the album’s most heartwarming melodies.

»News from Planet Zombie« was recorded over one week at Import Export, a non-profit space for arts and music. You can tell, too; there are some pleasingly rough edges here, as though The Notwist’s striving for hazy perfection means they’re also confident enough to let the songs breathe and mutate between our ears. That openness to chance also takes in guest turns from friends both local and international, reflective of a cosmopolitan Munich: Enid Valu joins in on vocals, while Haruka Yoshizawa guests on taishōgoto and harmonium, Tianping Christoph Xiao on clarinet, and Mathias Götz on trombone.

The Notwist aren’t best known for cover versions, but »News from Planet Zombie« features two: a gorgeous version of Neil Young’s »Red Sun« (from 2000’s »Silver & Gold«), which the group originally developed for a theatre play directed by Jette Steckel, and a take on Athens, Georgia folk-pop gang Lovers’ »How the Story Ends«. They slot into the album’s narrative perfectly, nestling in like old friends, revealing The Notwist as poetic interpreters. Played well, the cover version is both acknowledgement of fellow travellers and act of generosity, and The Notwist nail both aspects here.

And that narrative, the way the album plays out? »News from Planet Zombie« acknowledges the distress of our current geopolitical impasse, while reminding us there are collective ways forward. Fed through the figure of the zombie, Markus Acher explores our anxieties: »In the title and some lyrics I reference B- and horror-movies, which is a reference to the crazy world at the moment, which seems to be like a really bad and unrealistic B-movie.« But there’s a reminder here not to lose the thread entirely, that these things, too, will pass.

»The river here in Munich I often go to has been there forever and will be there long after us,« Acher reflects, pinpointing an important source of succour for him, »always the same but always changing. Very calming, but also always reminding me that like this river time only flows into one direction and you can’t go back. Every moment is very precious.«

Artwork by Marie Vermont

The Notwist:
Markus Acher: vocals, guitar
Micha Acher: bass, sousaphone, euphonium, trumpet
Cico Beck: electronics, keyboards, guitar, recorder, percussion
Theresa Loibl: bassclarinet, clarinet, piano, harmonium, organ
Max Punktezahl: guitar
Karl Ivar Refseth: marimbaphone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, congas, percussion
Andi Haberl: drums, dulcimer
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Enid Valu: vocals on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Haruka Yoshizawa: taishōgoto on 6, harmonium on 9, 10, 11
Tianping Christoph Xiao: clarinet on 4, 10, 11
Mathias Götz: trombone on 4, 10, 11

Political thriller Je Suis Karl, produced by German director Christian Schwochow, has a strong Czech connection. The soundtrack has been created by Czech musician and composer Tomáš Dvořák, a.k.a. Floex, who joined forces with British composer and pianist Tom Hodge. The soundtrack for Je Suis Karl will be released on September 16, 2021.
"In this project, Tom and I built on music that we wrote together three years ago for the album A Portrait Of John Doe. While this was the first feature film for me, Tom has extensive experience with composing music for movies and series," commented Dvořák.
Co-produced by the Czech company Negativ and filmed in part in the Czech Republic, the movie features characters played by Czech actresses Anna Fialová and Elizaveta Maximová. The picture makes use of the story of a young German girl, Maxi, and her family to draw attention to rising extremism among right-wing nationalists. Je Suis Karl was premiered during this year's Berlinale film festival in the Berlinale Special section.
At the director's initiative, music for Je Suis Karl was composed based on the script before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Christian Schwochow asked for a demo, but when Tom and I set to work in Prague, we came up with a huge amount of inspired stuff within a short time, and the music became the foundation of the soundtrack. Because of the pandemic, the music itself was created on a long-distance basis. It was a game of ping pong of sorts," Dvořák added.
The soundtrack for Je Suis Karl features a unique timbre, far from the traditional symphonic sound. Instead, the sonic design relies on a fusion of dark, discordant, dirty sounds that present the symphony orchestra in a novel fashion.
Floex and Hodge created a database of loops, sounds, soundscapes, and sonic experiments with no specific compositional context. In composing music for individual scenes, they used this musical database, remixed themes and versions of compositions, and worked with vintage equipment, such as the Yamaha MT4X cassette player. Considering the large quantity of music recorded, the album contains 14 compositions from the movie itself, plus bonus tracks that did not make it into the film.
Tomáš Dvořák, a.k.a. Floex, is a Czech clarinetist, composer, producer, and multimedia artist, the recipient of multiple Anděl Music Awards. His discography includes two long-play records, Pocustone and Zorya, soundtracks for the games Samorost 2, Machinarium, Samorost 3, Pilgrims, and Papetura, remix albums, and extended-play records. In 2018, he joined forces with Tom Hodge to release the album A Portrait Of John Doe.
British composer, pianist, and clarinetist Tom Hodge challenges the boundaries of contemporary experimental music. He composes music for film, series, documentaries, advertising, and ballet. His most recent projects include the soundtrack for Je Suis Karl and music for the movie The Mauritanian filmed by director Kevin Macdonald. He has released several solo albums, including Piano Interrupted and Second Moon of Winter, and has pursued a long-term collaborative partnership with musician Max Cooper.

St. David Unleashes 'Deep House Damage EP' on Definitive Recordings.

Definitive Recordings is proud to present a brand-new four-track outing from Italian house innovator St. David, titled 'Deep House Damage EP'. Following his acclaimed remixes earlier this year for label classics like 'Good Music' (John Acquaviva, Dan Diamond, Alex D'Elia, Nihil Young) and 'Do It' (Las Americas), St. David now steps forward with a full EP that delivers nothing less than pure oldschool house fire.

The release opens with 'Touch Me (Sexy Hard Dub)', a shuffling house cut with a vintage edge, driven by a rolling bassline and a sensual spoken-word female vocal that sets a playful, club-ready tone. 'I Like It Deep' heads into deep house territory, pairing organ stabs and a steady oldschool beat with both male and female spoken-word phrases, creating a hypnotic, afterhours mood. On 'Dub Swagin'', the energy kicks back up with stomping drums, chopped samples, and filtered percussion. All wrapped in unmistakable 90s house flavor. Closing things out, 'Gonna Work It' is a peak-time smasher stacked with classic vocal samples and grooving organ chords that lift the track into euphoric territory.

Born in Bari, St. David (real name Davide Disanto) has carved a reputation as one of today's most authentic purveyors of oldschool house. Deeply inspired by the American house scene, his tracks blend groove, funk, and raw analog warmth, consistently topping vinyl charts and earning support from global heavyweights like The Martinez Brothers, Riva Starr, Jovonn, and Chris Stussy. He is the founder of Theory of Swing Records, a vinyl-only label dedicated to preserving the magic of 90s house. His music has been featured on Cinthie's DJ-Kicks and he has released on respected imprints including Snatch! Records, Body N' Deep, Heist Recordings, Skylax, and Let's Play House.

With 'Deep House Damage EP', St. David confirms his role as one of the most vital voices in contemporary house, channeling the spirit of the past into tracks made for the dancefloors of today.

The journey through French-speaking pop archives continues with this fifth volume, packed with fuzz, gimmicks, and dissent. Far from the charts, the selected tracks display a great creative freedom, often backed by corrosive humor. Welcome to the surprising, kaleidoscopic, and colorful world of the late sixties and early seventies, Wizzz!
Born in Montauban, Robert Pico stumbled into music by chance when he met René Vaneste, then artistic director at Pathé-Marconi. René brought him to Paris to record his first 45 RPM EP in 1964. A year later, Pierre Perret introduced him to Vogue, where he recorded his second album with Claude Nougaro’s orchestra. Sylvie Vartan then introduced him to RCA, where he recorded four singles, including the astonishing "Chien Fidèle," a track backed by a hair-rising fuzz guitar. Alongside his solo career, he also composed for other artists like Alain Delon (the song was recorded but remains unreleased), Magali Noël, Bourvil, and Georges Guétary. In the Paris of the sixties, he mingled with Mireille Darc, Elsa Martinelli, Marie Laforêt, France Gall, Françoise Hardy, Petula Clark, Régine, Dani, Serge Gainsbourg, Joe Dassin, Franck Fernandel, Charles Level, and Roland Vincent. Despite his efforts and winning a Grand Prix Sacem for his final record, Robert Pico didn’t achieve the expected success in show business and decided to leave Paris and return to the Southwest, where he devoted himself to writing. He is the author of 23 books (including Delon et Compagnie, Jean-Marc Savary Editions 2025, a memoir about his youth and his many encounters). Today, he is relieved to never have become a celebrity and devotes himself to his work with passion.
In 1969, the Franco-Italian movie Erotissimo was released, directed by Gérard Pirès (who later directed Taxi in 1998, written and produced by Luc Besson). This pop comedy features Annie Girardot, Jean Yanne, Francis Blanche, Serge Gainsbourg, Nicole Croisille, Jacques Martin, and Patrick Topaloff. The soundtrack was written by Michel Polnareff and William Sheller, with lyrics by Jean-Lou Dabadie. "La Femme Faux-cils," performed by Annie Girardot. It recounts the feelings of a rich CEO's wife who seeks to develop her sex appeal under the influence of advertisement and magazines. Groovy, sparkling and light, this track, with ITS lush arrangements humorously critiques consumer society and feminine beauty standards.
“Je suis l’Etat” (1967) is the flagship track of the first EP by singer-songwriter Spauv Georges, aka Georges Larriaga, better known as Jim Larriaga (1941-2022). Born into a family of bakers, the young man was initially planning to become a hairdresser when he discovered English-speaking music through Elvis Presley and the Beatles. After this revelation, he decided he would become a songwriter and gave himself five years to succeed. He recorded his first two EP’s independently for RCA under the pseudonym Spauv Georges; meaning “that poor George”, a nickname given to him by the mother of her friend Jean-Pierre Prévotat (future drummer of the Players, Triangle, or Johnny Hallyday). Portraying a depressed and eccentric young man, Spauv Georges created corrosive and amusing songs that didn’t reach a wide audience, despite a TV appearance with Jean-Christophe Averty.
Supported by his loyal friend and fellow songwriter Jean-Max Rivière, Georges Larriaga met the future singer Carlos in the early '70s, then Sylvie Vartan’s assistant. He wrote songs for Carlos, including the popular "La vie est belle," "Y’a des indiens partout," and "La cantine", which went onto become a huge hit in 1972. He also composed for Claude François (“Anne-Marie”, 1971), Charlotte Julian (“Fleur de province”, 1972), helped launch child singer Roméo (who sold 4 million records), and later wrote the hit "Pas besoin d’éducation sexuelle" (1975) for the young Julie Bataille. In 1971, Jim recorded an album for Disc'Az: “L’univers étrange et fou de Jim Larriaga”, which featured pop gems like “La maison de mon père”.
The story of the song "Zoé" began when Pierre Dorsay, artistic director at Vogue Records, asked Swiss singer and musician Pierre Alain to write a song for a new female singer. The inspiration came when he realized that Zoé (the artist's name) was also the name of France's first atomic battery, created in 1948, which consisted of uranium oxide immersed in heavy water! The lyrics reflect a bubbling energy that must be handled with caution, while the instrumentation echoes this atomic theme, notably with the use of a theremin.
Zoé’s career lasted only as long as a single 45 RPM, but it seems Christine Fontane was the vocalist behind this pseudonym, who is known for several EPs, a good "popcorn" album in 1964, and a handful of children’s singles in the '70s. Regardless, the photograph on the cover is of a different girl entirely.
Later, Pierre Alain continued his career, writing songs for himself, Marie Laforêt, Danièle Licari, Alice Dona, Arlette Zola (3rd place in Eurovision 1982), and achieving multiple gold and platinum records in Canada. Also an inventor with several patents, president of the Romande Academy, and head of the French Alliance in Geneva, he now composes atonal music, books, and poetry. Moreover, he is also the host of "Les Mardis de Pierre Alain" at "Le P'tit Music'Hohl" in Geneva.
Filled with oriental choruses and fuzz guitar, "Fou" is from Jacques Da Sylva's only EP released by Vogue in 1967. Despite the quality of this recording, all traces of this singer disappear after this first effort.
Valentin is a baroque pop singer born in Belgium. He is the songwriter and composer of most of the tracks on his three singles released in the late 60s in Canada. A legend says that he reincarnated himself as Jacky Valentin during the 1970s for a rock'n'roll revival career in Belgium, but his older brother sadly debunked this story. Valentin's first two singles were arranged by Claude Rogen, a Parisian session pianist who had come to Canada to promote the song “Mister A Gogo”, a cover of David Bowie’s “Laughing Gnome”, adapted by singer Delphine, his wife at the time. Far from his usual network, Claude Rogen arranged music for Polydor, including the arrangements for “Je suis un vagabond” in 1969, a jerk tune with string arrangements and a furious optimism.
Jacques Malia wrote, composed, and recorded his only 45 EP for Festival in 1966. “Histoire de gitan” is an incredible beat track with bohemian scat that tells the story of a gypsy musician who came to Paris to make it in the Music-Hall, to no avail. The hero of the song and its author probably shared a similar fate, as Jacques Malia faded into anonymity after this remarkable attempt.
Bernard Jamet recorded two EPs for Barclay in the late sixties and co-wrote several songs with Christine Pilzer, Pascal Danel, and prolific songwriters Michel Delancray and Mya Simile. The track “Raison Légale” (1968), his masterpiece, immerses the listener in a courtroom right when a murderer is being judged, with jerk rhythm and free arrangements. A unique, paranoid, judicial, and psychedelic oddity.
Jean-Pierre Lebrot-Millers started his career in show business in 1967 as a singer and songwriter for the Philips label. After three singles, he wrote several songs of a new kind with his friend Pierre Halioche, in the midst of the sexual liberation movement and the democratization of drugs. With provocative lyrics, “Les filles du hasard” and “Barbara au Chapeau Rose” were released on a Philips singles in 1968. The character of Barbara was inspired by a queen of Parisian nightlife during the psychedelic years: model Charlotte Martin, who dated Eric Clapton from 1965 to 1968, then Jimmy Page from 1970 to 1983. Jean-Claude Petit’s arrangements, with a table-filled intro, soul brass, and Hendrixian guitar, emphasize the flamboyance of a hedonistic and sexy character, whose dog is named Junkie because “Junkie est un nom exquis”! The track was recorded live in three takes with a full orchestra.
Upon its release, the record was censored by Europe 1 and RTL due to its references to drug use. Jean-Pierre Lebrot was then banned from the airwaves and later dismissed by his record label. He changed his artist name to Jean-Pierre Millers, while his companion Pierre Halioche became D. Dolby for a new dreamy composition, “Chilla”, which Jean-Pierre produced himself with arrangements by Jean Musy. Once again, the song was immediately censored everywhere. After this setback, he decided to stop singing and started taking on odd jobs to support his Swedish wife and their son until the day he met Jean-Pierre Martin, then production manager at Decca, who had worked with Manu Dibango. Martin offered Jean-Pierre Lebrot-Millers, then employed at Rank Xerox, the position of artistic director at Decca. He accepted and became, a year later, promotion director (radio, press, TV). He worked on Julio Iglesias’s first album for Decca, which became a massive hit and allowed him to meet Claude Carrère. The latter asked him to write new songs and find their performers, much like a “talent scout.” It’s through him that Jean-Pierre discovered Julie Pietri and Corinne Hermès. He composed “Ma Pompadour” for Ringo, Sheila’s husband, and took the microphone again for the syncope hit “Rendez-Vous” in 1982.
That same year, Jean-Pierre Lebrot-Millers tried to release a track for which he had heavily gone into debt: “Si la vie est un cadeau”. Having recorded it in London, he presented it to numerous professionals, all of whom refused to get involved. The same thing happened with Antenne 2 and the Sacem when he proposed the song as France’s entry for Eurovision. He then met Haïm Saban, who was producing cartoon soundtracks and had just launched the Goldorak theme song. Saban, having listened to the song, declared it had the potential to become a hit. He sent Jean-Pierre and Corinne Hermès to meet the CEO of the Luxembourg radio and television network. The latter received them, asked to hear a verse and chorus a cappella in his office, and immediately hired them to represent Luxembourg at Eurovision 1983. They reworked the arrangements and recorded a new version with Haïm Saban as co-producer. The song ended up winning Eurovision 1983, a great comeback for our hero. He continued producing and hung out with the band Nacash in Belgium when a couple came to introduce their daughter for an impromptu audition in a hotel room. The girl sang “Les démons de minuit” while dancing to a radio cassette. Impressed, he had her take singing lessons for a year and composed a song for her (for which he had the melody and title, but no lyrics). This required him to go on the hunt for a lyricist, who ended up being Guy Carlier. They recorded the song, which was initially a ballad, at Bernard Estardy’s CBE studio, and gave the singer a new name: Melody. They showed the song around their industry network without success. Later, Estardy called Jean-Pierre to suggest changing the rhythm and making it pop-rock. Orlando, Dalida’s brother, liked the result and decided to co-produce the track. “Y’a pas que les grands qui rêvent » became a classic hit. The song has since been covered by Juliette Armanet (as a ballad, like the original) and Valentina.

Born into an aristocratic Breton family, Hervé Mettais-Cartier worked as a DJ at Queen Kiss, a nightclub in Poitiers, where he formed the band Les Concentrés with Michel (an actor) and Christian (a radio technician). Together, they created a repertoire of whimsical songs (“Ma bique est morte”, “J’suis un salaud”, “Fils de dégénéré”...) that they performed on stage dressed in white (in homage to “concentrated milk”). They performed at Bliboquet and Olympia in 1968 for the 10th edition of the “Relais de la chanson Française” organized by L’Humanité-Dimanche and Nous les Garçons et les Filles, sponsored by Pepsi Cola. Winners in the author-composer category, alongside Danish singer Dorte, their visibility allowed them to record a 45, and appear on television in Jean-Christophe Averty’s show. The A-side of the disc features Bruno le ravageur, a casatchok dedicated to Bruno Caquatrix, the director of Olympia, nicknamed in the song “Coq Atroce” or “croque-actrices”. The B-side is dedicated to “Fils de dégénéré”, a quirky tribute to Hervé's aristocratic roots, mixing absurdity with sophisticated vocal harmonies.
After Les Concentrés, Hervé Mettais-Cartier formed the duo La Paire et sa Bêtise with his friend Olivier Robert. They performed in Parisian cabarets and toured with Pierre Vassiliu. In the late 1970s, Hervé began a solo career. He recorded two albums for the Motors label in 1978 and 1979, which did not achieve their anticipated success due to lack of promotion. In 1980, he met Bernadette, with whom he started a family and created a “Chansons à voir” (songs to see) show that he performed until his death at the end of 2024.

Publicité comes from the final EP by the Missiles (Ducretet Thomson, 1966), a disc that also includes “La (nouvelle) guerre de cent ans”, featured on Volume 4 of our Wizzz! series. Please refer to the booklet for the story of the band.

“He’s 1.82 meters tall, 28 years old, weighs 135 kg, is black and Belgian”: this is the description of singer Hegesippe on the back of his sole single (Decca, 1967). He appears on the album cover wearing a Greek toga, like a hippie gag – we are at the end of the year 1967. In “Le crédo d’Hegesippe”, this former bodyguard of Antoine and the Charlots plays the delightful card of the thick brute converted to Flower-Power and non-violence, with arrangements by Jean-Daniel Mercier, aka Paul Mille.
“Ethéro-disco” was released on a promotional record for clients of the Maréchal company (Liège, Belgium) for the New Year 1979. Over a funky rhythm, celebrity impersonations (Brigitte Bardot, Jacques Dutronc, Fernandel…) deliver an enigmatic text about pharmaceutical products like ether, bismuth, and aspartate. The track was composed by Dan Sarravah (responsible for Joanna's “Hold-up inusité” featured on Wizzz! Volume 3) and Tony Talado, who was also a singer (one 45 in 1967), songwriter (with over a dozen credits between 1964 and 1985 in various styles from surf music to disco), author (Devenez Végétarien, Dricot Editions, 1985), ad designer, and psychologist.

Décollez-les is on the A-side of Mamlouk's only single, a pseudonym for Marsel Hurten, who is known for his work on several EPs in the late sixties, as well as composing music for Hervé Vilard’s “Capri, c’est fini”, Claude Channes' “La Haine”, Annie Philippe’s “On m’a toujours dit”, and Nancy Holloway’s “Panne de Cœur”.
This strange song, with Afrobeat horns and absurd dialogues between a chef and his kitchen staff, is the result of a collaboration between Marsel Hurten and one of his neighbors, a photographer from Pavillon-sous-Bois (93), where the musician settled after returning from the Algerian War. A music video was shot to promote the record.
Marsel Hurten was born in Tourcoing (59) into a musical family. At a young age, he joined the brass band founded by his grandfather, playing the piston before studying trumpet at the conservatory, as well as teaching himself how to play the guitar. As an orchestra musician, he toured in France, Belgium, Germany, and England. He released a series of solo 45’s between 1965 and 1968 for the DMF and Az labels before stopping recording to focus on working for other artists (Gilles Olivier, Noëlle Cordier…).
“L’amour nu” (Vogue, 1971) is the work of the short-lived Belgian band Mozaïque. The track, written by singer Jacques Albin, closely resembles another of his compositions, “Carré Blanc”, which he recorded in 1969 for Disc’AZ.
Represented by the Lumi Son micro-label based in Marignane (Côte d'Azur), Jean-Marc Garrigues released two 45 RPMs in the late sixties, defending the French jerk sound. The song “Je dis Non” is a short, joyful ode to youth, pop music, and rebellion.
Songwriter and performer Jacques Penuel released three singles. The first one, “Astronef 328” (Fontana, 1969), features a dizzying series of chords punctuated by sound effects, a sci-fi story, and arrangements by Jean-Claude Vannier.

We would like to sincerely thank Pierre Alain, Moon Blaha, Marsel Hurten, Bastien Larriaga, Jean-Pierre Lebrot-Millers, Bernadette Mettais-Cartier, Robert Pico, Olivier Robert, Claude Rogen, Micky Segura.

The Just Joans' new album Romantic Visions of Scotland finds the Glasgow band in characteristically melancholic form, pairing shambling indie pop with sharp observations on romantic pratfalls and everyday dis-appointments, all delivered with sardonic Scottish wit, fronted by siblings David and Katie Pope, whose wry lyrics and heartfelt vocals remain at the heart of the band’s distinctive sound.
Originally inspired by a grandiose exhibition title spotted on Glasgow buses in 2019 for a show at the Nation-al Museum of Scotland called Wild and Majestic: Romantic Visions of Scotland, the new album arrives six years later as a collection of semi-autobiographical snapshots from the Central Belt of Scotland. Whilst some of the details have been exaggerated for comic (or tragic) effect, the songs are based on personal experience of mundane failings, bitter regrets and missed opportunities that make up an unremarkable life.
Recurring themes of nostalgia for a bygone era and the fear of being left behind by lovers, friends and peers run throughout the album. Musically and lyrically, the band channels Village Green-era Kinks, with nods to The Television Personalities, The Smiths and Dolly Mixture.
In the past they have always recorded by themselves in a variety of bedrooms, living rooms – and the occasional toilet. For the first time they have abandoned their DIY recording practices to create what songwriter David Pope calls, “a corporate behemoth in an actual studio.” The album was recorded at Chem19 in Blan-tyre with Paul Savage, who is best known as a founding member of local legends The Delgados. He has also produced and recorded the likes of Teenage Fanclub, Arab Strap and Camera Obscura, and has captured a slightly more muscular version of the band while retaining their ramshackle charm.
The album artwork by vocalist and painter Katie Pope depicts Motherwell Train Station – an ordinary, boring place that speaks to the subject matter of the songs, but with a hint of potential escape. As David Pope ex-plains, “For me, the painting reminds me of the ending of Billy Liar in which Billy tries and fails to leave his hometown for the bright lights of London. Half the band also live in Motherwell, so it seemed appropriate.”
Funded by Creative Scotland, the recording allowed the band to bring in bass and cello arrangements, adding depth and a sheen of musical proficiency to their signature sound.
About The Just Joans - The Just Joans were formed in Glasgow in 2005 by songwriter David Pope. Early demos were collected together and released as a loose concept album, Last Tango in Motherwell, in 2006. Chris Elkin joined on guitar and was followed shortly after by David’s younger sister, Katie, on vocals and Fraser Ford on bass. Over the years they have released EPs and albums on WeePOP! and Fika Records and have gained a cult following as Scottish pop miserabilists.
The current line-up consists of Katie Pope (vocals), David Pope (vocals, guitar), Chris Elkin (lead guitar), Fraser Ford (bass), Arion Xenos (keyboards) and Jason Sweeney (drums).
Press Quotes:
“They fit snugly into the scratchy, low budget Scottish indie tradition of The Delgados and Arab Strap… There’s mischief in this miserabilism.” - Mojo 4*s
“Glasgow’s The Just Joans have documented the romantic pratfalls of a generation of indie kids with sardonic wit and a shambling musical style where Stephin Merrit lies down with The Vaselines.” - Uncut
“Funny and sad, it’s the kind of song that made Red House Painters, The Magnetic Fields and The Wedding Present’s early albums so easy to embrace; an unpretentious sharing of relatable gloom.” - Record Collector

Rare as fish knees, roots gem!

“Me Look Like A Lion But Me Humble Like A Man”

Fredrick Dookie & Desmond Silpatt were cousins and close friends who though not prolific, created one stunning reggae tune which has been near impossible to find for over 40 years.
Like artists from Supercat to Sheila Rickards, Freddie & Dessie are of Indo-Jamaican descent. They gravitated to music from an early age.

Recorded at Aquarius and arranged by Wire Lindo, the track features back up vocals from a young Beres Hammond.

"I have loved this song for a very long time and this exclusive reissue has been in the works for several years since I tracked down one half of the duo Dessie aka Desmond Silpatt who is now based in Florida." says Chris from Shella Records.

Freddie who provides the song’s hypnotic vocal was a devout Rasta man who sadly passed away in 2019. He is survived by Dessie, a renaissance man, inventor and author who has penned thousands of songs in his time.