Produced by Lenny Kravitz (Executive) and Fela Kuti’s original engineer Sodi Marciszewer (Artistic). Worldwide tour in 2024 / 2025 (North America, Europe, Australia). New album from 2018 Grammy nominated album “Black Times”. Seun Kuti set to release highly anticipated album ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ featuring guests Damian Marley and Sampa The Great on October 4th. Afrobeat virtuoso Seun Kuti is gearing up to unleash his latest musical masterpiece upon the world with the upcoming release of his album that will be set to make waves globally via Milan independent label Record Kicks. Coming 6 years after the Grammy nominated album ‘Black times’, this album marks a pivotal moment in Seun Kuti's illustrious career, showcasing his evolution as an artist and activist. Executive produced by legendary musician Lenny Kravitz and Fela Kuti’s original engineer Sodi Marciszewer (artistic producer), ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ promises to deliver a sonic experience like no other. With both Kravitz's and Sodi’s expertise together with Seun Kuti's unmatched talent, the album is poised to redefine the boundaries of contemporary music while staying true to the roots of afrobeat. Featuring a tracklist of six electrifying songs, each track on ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ embodies the spirit of resistance, resilience, and revolution. Each song talks about standing up against challenges and fighting for change. Like the standalone singles ‘Dey’ feat reggae icon Damian Marley, described as “a song about embracing and championing who we are, regardless” and ‘Emi Aluta’, “a song about struggle (Aluta means struggle) that pays homage to all the great revolutionaries”, that features Zambian singer, rapper and songwriter, Sampa The Great, one of best and most innovative lyricists of our time. The song ‘T.O.P.’ is about “how society values money and success more than people”. Seun Kuti wants to change this by promoting empathy and reconnecting with nature. In another song, ‘Love & Revolution,’ he expresses his love for his wife and believes that true love can inspire people to make the world a better place. “This project has been very special to me from the moment I conceived it, speaking to Lenny Kravitz, who has shown me such a brotherly love and respect” Seun says. “He has brought me to his home. I met his daughter Zoe and he has guided us with fierceness. Since we spoke about the album, three years ago, as the executive producer of this project, he has always been by our side and very supportive”. “I want to thank Craig Ross and Sodi, the producer of this project. We had a great time. It was the first time for me in the studio with Sodi and I was really impressed by his work and his fatherly advice and dedication”. Each song on the album is a testament to Seun Kuti's unwavering commitment to using music as a tool for social change and empowerment. Through his powerful lyrics and infectious grooves, he continues to carry on the legacy of his father, the legendary Fela Kuti, while carving out his own path in the world of music. As a musician and pan-African activist, Seun has been involved in a number of campaigns in recent years, including #EndSARS – a social movement against police brutality in Nigeria. Significantly, he’s revived the Movement of the People (M.O.P.), the political party his father set up in 1979, which was quashed by the military government not long after Fela’s failed presidential bid. Fans can expect an album that not only entertains but also inspires and ignites a spirit of activism and liberation. Seun Kuti is a Nigerian musician, singer, and songwriter renowned for his captivating performances and socially conscious music. He is the youngest son of Afro beat pioneer Fela Kuti. Seun has spent most of his life preserving and extending his father's political and musical legacy as the leader of his father's former band Egypt 80. As a developing saxophonist and percussionist, he entered the formal ranks of the band before he was 12. In 1997 when Fela passed, in fulfilment of his father's wishes, Seun assumed the mantle as head of Egypt 80 and he has run it ever since. During his career, Seun Kuti released 4 albums with Egypt 80: ‘Many Things’ (2008), ‘From Africa with Fury: Rise for Knitting Factory Records’ (2011), coproduced by Brian Eno and John Reynolds, ‘A Long Way Beginning’ (2014) and the Grammy nominated ‘Black Times’ (2018) that included a feature from Carlos Santana. They also released numerous EPs. Seun has played for enthusiastically receptive audiences globally and collaborated with many great artists. In 2022, he joined forces with Roots frontman and MC extraordinaire Black Thought in the EP ‘African Dreams’. In 2023, Seun collaborated on Janelle Monae's ‘The Age of Pleasure’ (Grammy nominee for Album Of The Year) with the two singles 'Float' and 'Knows Better', teamed up with Talib Kweli and MadLib for their album ‘Liberation 2’ on the song ‘Nat Turner’ featuring Cassper Nyovest and released a new version of the single ‘Bad Man Lighter’ with Black Thought, featuring Vic Mensa
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Transparent blue vinyl, limited to 1000 copies. Swedish Grammy Award winning rock duo Johnossi are back. John, Ossi and their long time partner keyboardist Mattias Franzén went back to basics and spent a lot of time together in the rehearsal room to write their eighth album "Forevers" (release September 27th). "When we were younger, that's where we did everything," the band explains. "Our instruments and our interplay were all the inspiration we needed and now we simply wanted to return to that feeling of tireless belief in ourselves". The result is an album described by the band themselves as "a distinct, big and fearless album". The album is produced by Måns Lundberg (Håkan Hellström, Deportees, Hurula etc.) and was recorded in Stockholm during spring.
With Our Latest Release, We Proudly Introduce the Exceptionally Talented Italian Producer, Younger Than Me. Since 2016, He Has Been a Consistent Force in the Music Scene, Gracing the Catalogues of Exceptional and Friendly Labels Like Bordello a Parigi, Tusk Wax, Xxx, and Dischi Autunno. His Impressive Body of Work Showcases a Diverse Musical Landscape, Blending Elements of Trance, Breakbeat, Techno, and Progressive House, All Interwoven With His Very Personal Touch. Younger Than Me's Relentless Dedication and Distinctive Style Have Seen His Popularity Soar, Gaining Recognition and Admiration From Music Enthusiasts Worldwide. His Hard Work Has Recently Culminated in a Meteoric Rise, Catching the Attention of Esteemed Venues Such as Le Berghain and Hör Berlin, Which Didn't Hesitate to Extend Invitations to Showcase His Extraordinary Talent. the Ep Consists of Six Compelling Tracks That Embody the Essence of Younger Than Me's Musical Prowess: "Artemide," "The Narcissist" "Ghost in the Rave" (Featuring Kiara Scuro), "Sonnenalle," and Two of These Tracks Undergo Exciting Remix Treatments. "The Narcissist" Receives a Remix by the Prodigious Figure in Dark Disco, Mahkina, While "Artemide" Gets Reimagined by the Equally Talented GЯeg. Each Track on This Ep Is a Testament to Younger Than Me's Sonic Innovation and Prowess, Showcasing His Ability to Traverse Various Genres While Infusing His Signature Style Into Each Composition. From the Haunting and Mesmerizing "Ghost in the Rave" to the Pulsating Energy of "Sonnenalle," the Ep Promises an Immersive Journey Through a Diverse and Richly Textured Musical Landscape. Younger Than Me's Collaboration With Kiara Scuro on "Ghost in the Rave" Adds a Captivating Layer of Depth, While the Remixes by Mahkina and GЯeg Elevate the Ep to New Heights, Offering a Fresh Perspective on Younger Than Me's Original Creations. This Ep Is a Must-Listen for Any Music Enthusiast Seeking an Unparalleled Blend of Musical Genres, Expertly Crafted by an Artist Whose Trajectory Continues to Ascend Within the Electronic Music Scene. Younger Than Me's Artistry Knows No Bounds, and This Release Stands as a Testament to His Evolving Brilliance and Unwavering Dedication to His Craft....
In 2007, Céu debuted her self-titled album, becoming one of the select Brazilian artistsnominated for an American Grammy in the World Music category and is widely regarded as one of the most in_¼éuential Brazilian artists of her generation. With now six albums to her credit, Céu has transcended borders, captivating audiences on five continents at prestigious festivals such as the Montreal Jazz Festival, Coachella, Roskilde, Rock in Rio and Lollapalooza. She is renownedfor her collaborations with both Brazilian and international artists like Duran Duran, Herbie Hancock, Jorge Ben Jor, Gilberto Gil and Emicida. Recorded in the USA, the album features musical production by Céu as well as Brazilian musician and producer Pupillo (drummer of Naçao Zumbi) and American multi- instrumentalist and arranger Adrian Younge (co-founder of Jazz Is Dead). Recorded at Linear Labs Studio in Los Angeles, Novela is Céu"s sixth studio album. It was captured live on tape, in a dynamic moment that demands total presence. A number of artists feature on the record: American MC and songwriter LadyBug Mecca, Franco-Senegalese singer and songwriter anaiis, American singers Loren Oden and Jensine Benitez, American DJ and producer Frankie Reyes, French artist Hervé Salters (General Elektriks) and Brazilian national treasure Marcos Valle. In Novela, ancient technologies, healing, creaminess, bolero, polished stars, echoes of soul music, things of the earth, rap, and whispers to guides emerge. Throughout the record, there is a reaffirmation of the author"sfearlessness, committed to her time, in the complexity and beauty of creative work. Always keeping the diversity of Brazilian music on the horizon.
- Suffocate City (Feat. Spencer Charnas Of Ice Nine Kills)
- Blood Mother
- Doom And Gloom
- Holy Water
- Dark Thoughts (Feat. Danny Worsnop)
- You’re So Ugly When You Cry (Feat. Bert Mccracken Of The Used)
- Chernobyl
- Dopamine
- Voodoo Doll (Feat. Eva Under Fire)
- Happier Than You
- Alien
- Generation Psycho
- Stay Weird
- Hearse For Two
LP[27,52 €]
The Funeral Portrait stands to represent the outcasts from all walks of life. The misunderstood, the weird, neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, marginalised or otherwise given an unfair hand in life. To offer a sense of community, a place to belong and a space where they can feel safe and accepted for their differences. The band members all grew up as 'the weird kid' who was saved by music and alternative culture, so they now feel obligated to return this favour to the younger generation. This message is shouted to the masses through their over-the-top theatrics and dramatic, almost blown out presentation. The Funeral Portrait believes in the power of Devotion to their Music and to their unwavering fanbase, The Coffin Crew. The ritual is beginning and they want everyone involved. Join them to share your devoutness; excuses for not attending are forbidden.
- Suffocate City (Feat. Spencer Charnas Of Ice Nine Kills)
- Blood Mother
- Doom And Gloom
- Holy Water
- Dark Thoughts (Feat. Danny Worsnop)
- You’re So Ugly When You Cry (Feat. Bert Mccracken Of The Used)
- Chernobyl
- Dopamine
- Voodoo Doll (Feat. Eva Under Fire)
- Happier Than You
- Alien
- Generation Psycho
- Stay Weird
- Hearse For Two
The Funeral Portrait stands to represent the outcasts from all walks of life. The misunderstood, the weird, neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, marginalised or otherwise given an unfair hand in life. To offer a sense of community, a place to belong and a space where they can feel safe and accepted for their differences. The band members all grew up as 'the weird kid' who was saved by music and alternative culture, so they now feel obligated to return this favour to the younger generation. This message is shouted to the masses through their over-the-top theatrics and dramatic, almost blown out presentation. The Funeral Portrait believes in the power of Devotion to their Music and to their unwavering fanbase, The Coffin Crew. The ritual is beginning and they want everyone involved. Join them to share your devoutness; excuses for not attending are forbidden.
- A1: Crime Scene Queen
- A2: Flowers By The Roadside
- A3: New York By Moonlight
- A4: Younger As The Days Go By
- A5: So Long John
- A6: Black Is My True Love’s Hair
- A7: Raccoon, Rooster And Crow
- B1: Stranger’s Arms
- B2: Birdies
- B3: Tomorrow Is Just A Dream Away
- B4: Let Me Ride Away With The Horsemen
- B5: It’s Midnight And The Doves Are In Tears
- B6: To Be A Papa
Die Felice Brothers unterschrieben bei Conor Obersts (Bright Eyes) neuem Label Million Stars (via 15 Passenger) und veröffentlichen das neue Werk "Valley Of Abandoned Songs", eine Zusammenstellung mit 13 unveröffentlichten Songs aus den Sessions zu ihren letzten beiden Studioalben "Undress" (2019) und "Asylum On The Hill" (2023), die beide in einer Kirche aus den 1870er Jahren in Quartettbesetzung aufgenommen wurden.
Before Shotgun Willie, Willie Nelson had struggled to gain widespread recognition as a solo artist, despite having written many successful songs for other artists. Nelson's big break came when he signed with Atlantic Records in 1973. The pivotal moment in his career came after Atlantic Records executive Jerry Wexler, known for his work with artists like Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin, took an interest in Nelson's music. Wexler saw potential in Nelson's unique approach to country music and signed him to the label. With the creative freedom offered by Atlantic Records, Nelson was able to record Shotgun Willie with the artistic freedom he had long desired. The album's unconventional sound and honest lyrics resonated with both critics and fans.
Shotgun Willie marked a new beginning for Willie Nelson's career, and it set the stage for his subsequent albums and his emergence as one of the most influential and iconic figures in the history of country music. The recording was one of the first albums of outlaw country — a new subgenre of country music and an alternative to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound, the dominant style in the genre at the time
The album — the first to feature Nelson with long hair and a beard on the cover — gained him the interest of younger audiences. It peaked at No. 41 on Billboard's Top Country Albums and the songs "Shotgun Willie" and "Stay All Night (Stay A Little Longer)" peaked at Nos. 60 and 22 on Hot Country Songs respectively.
We are so pleased to bring you this deluxe 180-gram 45 RPM 2LP Analogue Productions (Atlantic 75 Series) reissue of the timeless Willie Nelson classic, Shotgun Willie. Cue it up and prepare to be transported!
THE 7000 DOLLAR ACETATE
The year is 1971, a time when nightclubs still had live bands perform the musical hits of the day. Every city had its local stars and for the club scene of the city of Columbus, Ohio it was the CROWD PLEASERS. Founded in 1968 by June Carey along with her younger brothers, twins El & Al, the seven-piece band grew into an in-demand act that performed all over the city. In April 1971 they went into the studio to record eight songs, but an actual release never materialized. In time the master tape was destroyed and all that was left were two acetates. But as time passed, these too were lost. Over the years, a growing market for obscure funk and soul albums emerged. When one of the acetates went up for sale on eBay in 2011, it sold for $3,900! Eleven years later, in 2022, the last remaining copy also appeared on eBay. Collectors drove the price up until it finally sold for a staggering $7,000! So now, after more than 53 years, Al Carey & Regrooved Records proudly presents the previously unreleased 1971 album of the CROWD PLEASERS featuring renditions of hits by Marvin Gaye, Sly Stone's Little Sister, Neil Young, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Cold Blood, Dionne Warwick, The Lettermen and the original funk break track “Eggs & Bacon”.
Hear the brutal anguish and aural suffering! LG Records has gathered out-of-print and unreleased recordings by two of San Diego’s more infamous and obscure punk bands from the very early 1990’s onto one blistering split LP. Often remembered merely as side-projects of Heroin and End of the Line, Sloog (aka Slug) and Brain Tourniquet were standalone outfits that were beloved locally but barely made any impact outside of the local San Diego scene. Sloog were heavy, tortuous, and disturbing. Fronted by mysterious and odiferous local character “Justinman”, Sloog sounded like they could have been the lovechild of Savage Republic and United Mutation. Brain Tourniquet were a younger thrash band who were noticeably inspired by contemporaries like Born Against and Crossed Out. Primitive and sublime, members went on to bigger things, but this was the not-so-humble beginning. The first release for each band was the 1991 Slug/Brain Tourniquet split cassette, released as Gravity Records #0. Copies of this tape were sold at local shows and during Brain Tourniquet’s west coast tour with Heroin. Sloog would record multiple demos in 1990 and 1991, and in the end they recorded what became their only vinyl release, 1992’s Pigs 7”. The material on this LP was pulled together from all of these recordings. Punish yourself with the Slug / Brain Tourniquet / Sloog vinyl LP out now on LG Records. Caution: this record may emit visible stink-lines into the air of your household. Open a window while enjoying the soothing sounds of Slow Death, circa 1991. 180-gram black vinyl only, 500 pressed, 28 pt tip-on jackets with printed inner sleeve.
As one of the most enigmatic figures of the 1970's Italian soundtrack and library music network Emma De Angelis and her short recording career provides thirsty fans of speedball psychedelic rock and drum heavy instrumental funk with a tight discography rivalling many of the long-standing bastions of the otherwise male-orientated business. * Strictly limited to 1000 copies.*
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Born in Rocca di Papa, near Rome, into a flourishing musical environment Emma was the younger sister of future award-winning composers Guido And Maurizio De Angelis, a duo, who under names like Oliver Onions and Dream Bags, would write chart-topping lyrical theme tunes for a wide range of Italian crime, Giallo and Spaghetti Western films featured alongside full scores by Ennio Morricone and the Magnetic System composers (Bixio Frizzi Tempera).
With encouragement from her brothers, Emma, who would also write music under the pseudonym of Juniper, would record a tight clutch of solo-penned material and seldom credited studio contributions to Guido And Maurizio's film commissions, such as the score for Giuliano Carnimeo's Simone e Matteo: Un gioco da ragazzi (aka Convoy Buddies). While simultaneously pursuing a career as an illustrator and set designer the De Angelis family contacts would lead Emma to the offices of Romano Di Bari, whose up-and-coming Flirt label was finding success providing custom built mood music for use in TV and film. Alongside important composers like Alessandro Alessandroni, Gerardo Iacoucci and A. R. Luciani, the young Emma Di Angelis would record a small number of tracks for a compilation called Underground Mood (credited in the small print to E De Angelis - not to be confused with Italian singer Edoardo De Angelis). It is from this rare LP that the record you are now holding is compiled. Within the Flirt family of labels Emma De Angelis would also share schedules with other important female composers such as Daniela Casa and Giulia Kema' De Mutiis - both of whom have appeared on dedicated Finders Keepers releases.
The tracks on this record provide us with a rare glimpse into Emma De Angelis' short musical career before she became a full-time visual artist. With an unknown personnel or studio date it is easy to speculate a potential family jam in Piero Umiliani's Sound Workshop studio in 1972. One only has to take a listen to Guido And Maurizio's instrumental theme Gangster Story from Enzo G. Castellari's 1973 thriller High Crime (which later appeared on Tarantino's Death Proof soundtrack) or the trippy title theme to Paolo Poeti's kinky 1976 drama Inhibition to spot the family resemblance
Coloured vinyl repress of Penguin Cafe album Rain Before Seven… A sense of optimism infuses Penguin Cafe’s fifth studio album, not the braggadocious, overconfident kind, but more a blithe, self-effacing optimism in keeping with the national character. Even when all signs point to the contrary, it operates within the certainty that things are going to be alright. Probably.
The title comes from an old weather proverb with the rhyming prognostication — fine before eleven — hinting at a happy ending, irrespective of the science: “I found it in a book and I'd never heard it before,” says Arthur Jeffes, leader of Penguin Cafe. “It has faintly optimistic overtones and I quite like it. It's fallen out of usage recently but it does describe English weather patterns coming in off the Atlantic.”
From the widescreen reverie of opener ‘Welcome to London’ with its cheeky nod to Morricone to ‘Goldfinch Yodel’, the self-described “Maypole banger” at the denouement, there’s a welcome sense of sanguinity, always with an undercurrent of exotic rhythmic exuberance. Playfulness pervades, with a titular nod to A Matter of Life... from 2011, the last album title that concluded with an ellipsis. That Penguin Cafe debut is the bridge between the legendary Penguin Cafe Orchestra, led by Arthur’s father Simon Jeffes, and the much- loved descendent, led by Arthur.
“Stylistically it's really satisfying to get back to playful rhythms and instruments,” says the younger Jeffes, who kept the group’s debut from 12 years ago in mind when writing the new album. “Certainly when starting out, I became aware that we’d stopped using quite a few of the textures that had been there at the beginning—and it was certainly there in my dad's earlier stuff. So there's a lot of balafon and textures from completely different parts of the world, musically and geographically: ukuleles, cuatros and melodicas that you can hear.”
Encouraged by co-producer Robert Raths, the rhythmic elements of Rain Before Seven... have never been more to the fore and, at times, even hint at the electronic. ‘Find Your Feet’, for instance, is underpinned with more than just a pulse. Mixed by Tom Chichester-Clark, it brings to the musical melange what Arthur describes as a “near electronic feel”. He adds, excitedly: “There are elements of fun here which we haven't really done with the last three records.” Another ebullient highlight is ‘In Re Budd’, dedicated to the late ambient godfather Harold Budd, who Arthur discovered had died on the day he’d been writing the celebratory ear worm with a deceptively tricky syncopation. Played on an upright piano with some “prepared” felt to accentuate the bounce, Jeffes feels a track with an Afro Cuban Cafe vibe would appeal to Budd’s contrariness.
AJ Lee & Blue Summit are an award-winning, energetic, and technically jaw-dropping bluegrass band quickly rising on the national roots music scene. Based in Santa Cruz, California, the group met as teenagers, picking together as kids at local bluegrass festivals until one day, they decided they would be a band. Their Signature Sounds debut, City of Glass is a spellbinding collection of original songs and covers that’s just as much country soul and gritty, bluesy Americana as it is rock club and festival-ready string band fare, all framed through a California folk lens. City of Glass not only focuses on AJ Lee’s songwriting and once in a generation voice, but also features the Bakersfield sound of guitarist and second lead vocalist Scott Gates on three tracks along with the guitar wizardry and indie rock influence of Sullivan Tuttle, the younger brother of Bluegrass superstar Molly Tuttle.
Coloured[28,15 €]
"Small Time Monsters, the second full-length album from The Dream Machine, is set to be released this April on Run On Records/ Modern Sky.
If 2022’s critically-acclaimed debut album Thank God! It’s The Dream Machine… was their first and most wild child, then Small Time Monsters is its refined younger sibling. The psychedelia, euphoric choruses, flashes of surf guitar and B-movie references are all there, amongst the familiar reflections of life in their beloved and faded seaside town of New Brighton, but this time the wilder elements are controlled, the songs packed into three-minute pocket symphonies."
Black[26,01 €]
"Small Time Monsters, the second full-length album from The Dream Machine, is set to be released this April on Run On Records/ Modern Sky.
If 2022’s critically-acclaimed debut album Thank God! It’s The Dream Machine… was their first and most wild child, then Small Time Monsters is its refined younger sibling. The psychedelia, euphoric choruses, flashes of surf guitar and B-movie references are all there, amongst the familiar reflections of life in their beloved and faded seaside town of New Brighton, but this time the wilder elements are controlled, the songs packed into three-minute pocket symphonies."
- A1: Parada De Tettas
- A2: To Brazil!
- A3: Up & Down
- A4: We Like To Party! (The Vengabus)
- A5: Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!
- A6: We Re Going To Ibiza!
- A7: Kiss (When The Sun Don T Shine)
- B1: Shalala Lala
- B2: Uncle John From Jamaica
- B3: Cheekah Bow Bow (That Computer Song)
- B4: Forever As One
- B5: Rocket To Uranus - Hitradio With Perez
- B6: Hot Hot Hot
- B7: 1999 (I Wanna Go Back)
Vengaboys is one of the most successful Eurodance acts in the world. With a string of global top 10 hits, including ‘Up & Down’, ‘Shalala Lala’, ‘We Like To Party’ and the UK No.1 singles ‘Boom, Boom’ Boom Boom!’ and ‘We’re Going To Ibiza’ they dominated the charts in the late 90’s and early 00’s. These songs have also been embraced by younger generations, with several global viral TikTok trends.
This brand new 14-track Greatest Hits compilation is pressed on transparent pink vinyl.
For fans of Montrose, Van Halen, and Hard Rock! Red Voodoo is breaking out on the scene with their electric stage presence, polished harmonies, and classic but fresh new take on Rock ‘n’ Roll. Based out of Sacramento, CA the group has been playing clubs since 2019 and released two singles “Rise Up” and “Bring It Back” in 2020. This led to opening spots for heavy hitters in rock such as rock n roll hall of famer Sammy Hagar, Bay Area legends Y&T, Everclear, Slaughter, and many more. Red Voodoo is the youngest band to date to play the Monster Of Rock Cruise alongside Alice Cooper and Buckcherry. Now Red Voodoo has just wrapped up recording at the famous Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco working on their5 track EP with Grammy nominated producer Jaimeson Durr (Don Henley, Sammy Hagar, Nancy Wilson, etc....). Red Voodoo consist of lead singer and frontman Dino McCord, Lead Guitarist Davin Loiler, Bassist Andrew Edwards, and Drummer Andy Nathan, and is summed up best by former Van Halen vocalist, “RED VOODOO is a breath of fresh air in today’s pop culture of music. You can hear the influence of all the classic hard rock bands from the 70s and 80s with a young fresh twist.”
Repress.
Back in print and just in time for summer relaxation. It's hard to believe this album came out over 10 years ago. Back then we thought it was too rough for consumption, were we wrong! Today, “Songs” can be heard on hundreds of playlists around the world and still attracts listeners with its unique sonic grit. It became a template for LOFI producers and has even been featured in multiple Thrasher skate videos. Its appeal continues to cross genres and remains entirely random, but unmistakably Dwight. If you missed out on this album the first time, it's your chance to get that first PPU restoration of Dwight's solo songs from the 80s. This is the restoration that took over 2 years and included; phones held up to speakers, cassette to 1/4 reel transfers, Tascam manipulations, scotch tape, and a pair of scissors.
Dwight Sykes aka Sporty Cat, was born February 27, 1956 in Nettleton, Mississippi. At the age of two Dwight and family moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan where he would remain for most of his younger years. At the age of nine Dwight started his musical career singing background vocals with a spiritual group, Airs of Harmony, Jr., now known as the Michigan Nightingales. After three years of signing, Dwight started playing guitar. He joined his first r&B band, The Kenyatahs, at age thirteen and then played for five years with the group. Following the break up of the group and the death of his mother, Dwight enlisted in the U.S. Army. During that time he played guitar and drums for the band 100% Pure Poison. They played throughout Germany for 18 months. After being honorably discharged, and back in the states, Dwight started playing in numerous local Michigan bands including Domain, and Chaos. Eager to write his own material, Dwight created the group Jahari. They toured for a couple of years in the Michigan area until another break-up. Still under the Jahari alias, Dwight wrote "Situations" which received respectable air-play on Michigan local radio stations, WKMI, WQXC, WRDR, WKZO and WKDS. Dwight now resides near Atlanta, Georgia. He continues to write and produce songs on his Tascam 464 four track console. Although he uses other avenues to provide for the upkeep of himself and son, his love of music keep the hope alive that he will one day get that big break in the music business. Dwight Sykes - Songs Volume One is a collection of material written, produced and recorded by Dwight Sykes on 4-Track Cassette, in his home studio L.U.S.T. Productions.
Leeds' finest reggae rhythm constructors are back with an industrial strength combination enlisting two of Jamaica's top lyricists.
Following the success of their last 12 inch release,
Up Deh with Mark Iration, the duo have laid down two heavy duty slabs of pure sound system mayhem.
Mercy features the unmistakable voice and flammable lyrics of ferocious rockstone deejay Capleton. Thunderclap gives a similarly hard stepping backdrop to the younger brother of Supercat, Junior Cat, who carries the hypnotic family style. The Capleton vocal comes with a pair of spiky, heavily filtered dubs, making mass movement a must.
This release was originally due to come out in 2020, but got locked down in the lockdown and is now back due to popular demand.
Club music culture necessarily shifted gears in many ways during and after the course of the pandemic. Older participants found their way into other interests and younger participants took new reigns to orient spaces they felt good inside of. The agenda for the music, and the cultural industry surrounding it at large, took a more frivolous and “fun” turn. Clubs needed to recoup lost money, people needed more refreshing catharsis for their nightlife escape, and in some pockets scattered around the globe a newer and younger cadre of producers/promoters/DJ’s pulled optical cues from a scattering of “darker” influences to give an alternate aesthetic to the aforementioned “vibes” culture. In the midst of this, a large polarization of conceptual energy shifted within the compositional and utilitarian machinations of the club music culture leaving behind the brooding and cerebral placeholders for different kind of enjoyable hedonism. Terrestrial Paradise’ “Artificial Hell” harkens to another prescient time before that shift occurred. “Artificial Hell’ might just be an illustration of what all of this fun escapism encapsulates.
Terrestrial Paradise is the latest moniker from Montreal come Los Angeles based producer Jaclyn Kendal. Having developed and cemented her sonic positionality with releases on North American labels like Ascetic House and Summer isle over the years, as well as a series of monolithic live sets, Bank is pleased to announce Kendal’s Terrestrial Paradise first full length album “Artificial Hell”. Over the course of nine recordings, “Artificial Hell” gives a master class in pressurized industrial techno of the slower variety. Fitting with the legacy of Bank’s output since it’s inception, Terrestrial Paradise’s aesthetic sensibilities sit within the canon of a certain tinge of club music imbued with a sense of natural grit, sans pretense.
“Artificial Hell” nods to artists like Scorn, Regis, and 400 PPM while maintaining it’s own territory in the landscape of cerebral and brooding rhythmic techno. Ominous, mechanistic drones sit above succinctly exacted percussion composition and sound design. Throughout “Artificial Hell”, Kendal shows her proficiency with the push and pull of building and releasing tension. On tracks like “Salvation” and “Relativity” she melds her synth wash wallscapes with driving percussion, serving as both a hint and counterpoint to the the entirety of the latter part of the album taking on spartan ambient compositions as a way to keep the listener in a subdued stasis. This album is a statement piece from a long time participant in the North American underground music sectors. It reminds the listener through perilous, considered rhythms and darker drone impositions to cement themselves back into a place where not
everything is always a good time.
Yunchan Lim is the one of the most talked-about classical artists on the planet. In 2024 he presents his debut studio album on Decca Classics – the Chopin Études, Op.10 and Op.25. Yunchan Lim became the youngest ever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022, aged only 18; his performance of Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 moved his conductor to tears and gathered unprecedented millions of online viewers. In the months following, his rise to stardom has been meteoric, with invitations from the most prestigious concert halls and orchestras. Now, setting down the Op. 10 and Op. 25 Etudes, Lim is putting himself in a direct line with some of the greatest pianists of the past. Lim says “a huge universe of pianists played this repertoire, and I have always wanted to become a fundamental musician like them, so I decided to follow their route.” He has grown up listening to great pianists recording this music, including some of his favourites - Alfred Cortot, Ignaz Friedman, Joseph Lhevinne, Mark Hambourg and Sergio Fiorentino, among others.
When Man Man released its last album, "Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between," frontman Honus Honus (née Ryan Kattner) was in a state of unrest, oscillating between hope and cynicism. Perhaps fittingly, the album dropped during the pandemic, a time at which we could all relate. But, much like that bizarre turn of events, the ennui now seems so distant to Man Man. A revived sense of purpose washes through Man Man's new album, Carrot on Strings, radiating a mix of calm and confidence. Kattner always embodied a wild-man pied-piper vibe: his melodic, unhinged art-rock was at once intriguing and angsty. He was so alluringly creative that you went along with it, even if you were never sure where Man Man would take you. Carrot on Strings is no less inventive, but its ethos is radical in context of the band's two-decade career. "When I was younger, I would feed off of chaos. I would, you know, be upset and get drunk and smash chairs," Kattner explains. "Now those chairs are in my head: It's less of an outward projection, more of an interior monologue." The name "Carrot on Strings" came to Kattner while experimenting with the sound of someone munching on the vegetable, which you can hear in the cacophonous, similarly named song. It alludes to how success always seemed to dangle uncertainly before him, often just out of reach. But listen intently and you'll hear a more content Kattner finding an uneasy peace: "Life, as far as I've known it, has always been side hustles. Would it be great if I could go into a studio and record for a year without figuring out how to finance it? Yeah, it would be," he says. "But ultimately, I need to keep making music because art is an extension of my psyche. It's how I have learned to translate the palpitations of my heart. Simply put, I'd go insane without it." Growing up as a multiracial Hapa kid (half Filipino, half white) with a father in the U.S. Air Force, Kattner lived an itinerant childhood that included a few pivotal years in Germany, where he honed in on an appreciation for out there German cinema and art. His film obsessions and screenwriting background were crucial to Carrot on Strings. The album nods to the films of Werner Herzog and Rainer Werner Fassbinder as much as Italo-disco, Randy Newman, goth rock, and avant pop. (Kattner continues to work in the film industry with an acting role in the upcoming horror-comedy movie Destroy All Neighbors, for which he also served as composer; music supervising season 1 & 2 of the Interview With The Vampire AMC TV series; and shopping around, with director Matthew Goodhue, a script he wrote that he describes as a Wim Wenders road movie on acid.) In a bid to not overthink anything - his last album took seven years to make - he recorded the bulk of Carrot On Strings in five days in Mant Sounds studio in Glassell Park, Los Angeles with "very chill" producer Matt Schuessler, who had worked on Man Man's cover of Neu!'s "Super" for the seminal Krautrock band's box set. The resulting album represents a newfound sense of self for Kattner, who finds himself inspired and at peace both personally and artistically in ways that eluded him for most of his first 15 years playing music. When, on Carrot On Strings, you hear Kattner croon humbly, or sing of the tension between his outsize stage persona and the thoughtful, soulful guy he actually is, you're hearing Kattner liberate himself. "I first got into music to escape from myself," he says. "And now, it sounds so corny, but I have zero doubt that music ended up saving my life."
- Keep Me On Your Mind
- Lover Take It Easy
- I Know You Know
- Grinch / Funeral
- Old Dutch
- When I Was Younger
- Waiting And Waiting
- Hare And Hound
- Rock The Cradle
- Singing To The Mandolin
- The Clover
- Into The O
- Don't Know Why You Move Me
- Speak To Me Muse
- Think Of The Royalties, Lads
- Tumblin Down
- I Wanna Be Where You Are
- Over The Pass
- Your Arms (All The Time)
- See You Free
Pink&Blue[30,04 €]
Bonny Light Horseman - das gefeierte Trio aus Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson und Josh Kaufman - hat heute angekündigt, dass ihr drittes Album und Jagjaguwar-Debüt, das Doppelalbum Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free, am 07. Juni 2024 erscheinen wird. Außerdem haben sie die Leadsingle "I Know You Know" zusammen mit ihrem allerersten Musikvideo veröffentlicht. Der Song, der von Mitchells und Johnsons stets eindringlichen Harmonien getragen wird, zeigt die Fähigkeit der Band, emotionale Erschütterung mit einer Pop-Sensibilität zu verbinden, wie das Wohlfühl-Arrangement und der hymnische Refrain.
- Keep Me On Your Mind
- Lover Take It Easy
- I Know You Know
- Grinch / Funeral
- Old Dutch
- When I Was Younger
- Waiting And Waiting
- Hare And Hound
- Rock The Cradle
- Singing To The Mandolin
- The Clover
- Into The O
- Don't Know Why You Move Me
- Speak To Me Muse
- Think Of The Royalties, Lads
- Tumblin Down
- I Wanna Be Where You Are
- Over The Pass
- Your Arms (All The Time)
- See You Free
Black Vinyl[29,62 €]
Bonny Light Horseman - das gefeierte Trio aus Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson und Josh Kaufman - hat heute angekündigt, dass ihr drittes Album und Jagjaguwar-Debüt, das Doppelalbum Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free, am 07. Juni 2024 erscheinen wird. Außerdem haben sie die Leadsingle "I Know You Know" zusammen mit ihrem allerersten Musikvideo veröffentlicht. Der Song, der von Mitchells und Johnsons stets eindringlichen Harmonien getragen wird, zeigt die Fähigkeit der Band, emotionale Erschütterung mit einer Pop-Sensibilität zu verbinden, wie das Wohlfühl-Arrangement und der hymnische Refrain.
Black Truffle is pleased to announce Resonant Trees, the first vinyl release from French composer-performer Léo Dupleix. An active member of the international community of younger musicians working with just intonation, Dupleix has composed works for solo instrumentalists and ensembles in Europe and Japan, as well as performing extensively on harpsichord, piano and electronics. His music is distinguished by a formal clarity and elegance of surface, gently shaping pure intervals into delicate melodic patterns and shimmering harmonic planes.
Resonant Trees presents two side-long pieces for harpsichord and ensemble, both setting slowly repeating patterns played on harpsichord and guitar within an environment of sustained tones. Dupleix performs on a French double manual harpsichord (tuned to a just intonation scheme of his own devising) and Prophet synthesizer, joined by Juliette Adam (bass clarinet), Johanna Bartz (traverso flute), Cyprien Busolini (viola), Fredrik Rasten (6- and 12-string guitars), and Mara Winter (traverso flute). The harpsichord begins Resonant Tree I alone, slowly sounding out a series of arpeggiated chords that emphasise the unique (and for unaccustomed listeners, sometimes unsettling) harmonic and timbral qualities of justly tuned intervals. Long tones from synthesiser, bass clarinet, viola and Baroque traverso flutes slowly creep into the spaces between the arpeggiated chords, joined after several minutes by delicate patterns of harmonics played by Rasten on acoustic guitars.
On Resonant Tree II, a similar structure and ensemble (without the flutes) are used with quite different results. We again hear only the harpsichord at first, but this time playing a series of flowing melodic lines, each of which is repeated several times. Joined again by long tones from the ensemble, here the viola is particularly prominent and its interplay with the harpsichord creates fascinating acoustic effects. In both pieces, repetition gives the music a static, stable quality while, at the same time, the exact shape of the repeating patterns remains difficult to grasp. As Dupleix writes, these pieces dream of music as ‘space and a sound that one could grasp in one’s hand.’ As the near-static quality of the repetitions and long tones with little incident make these two stretches of musical time feel like spaces for the listener to inhabit, the small variations on a narrow range of related material act like a three-dimensional object whose each facet is examined in turn. At once austere and seductive, Resonant Trees takes its place beside the work of contemporaries like Catherine Lamb, while also calling up the languorous melodic world of Mamoru Fujieda, the dignified melancholy of Satoshi Ashikawa’s classic Still Way and the espaliered chamber atmospherics of the Obscure catalogue.
- The Witch
- Make It
- Long Green
- Bent Scepter
- There's Something On Your Mind
- Tall Cool One
- Straight Scepter
- Big Big Knight (On A Big White Horse)
- Little Sally Tease
- I'm Real
- Hey There Mary Mae
- Stagger Lee
- Blue Turns To Grey
- Louie Louie
- Turn On
- Money
- Jolly Green Giant
- Little Latin Lupe Lu
- You Were Just A Child
- Running Not Walking
- Lip Service
- You Did It Before
- High Heel Sneakers
- And It's So Good
- I Could Be So Good To You
"Rave-up & turn on! Fueled by a classy high-stepping image and hot instrumental licks born of old R&B and Northwest stalwarts the Kingsmen, Wailers and Sonics, this collection shows their always excellent material ranging from '60s punk to sunshine pop. Includes their debut single!
In many ways they were one of the quintessential Northwest bands. Their credentials were impeccable - leader Don Gallucci was a classically trained pianist who, as a younger teenager, played keyboards for the Kingsmen on "Louie, Louie." Early guitarist Pete Oulette had been in the Raiders and his replacement, Jim Valley, had founded the white hot Seattle band the Viceroys. When Valley got the call to become "Harpo," his slot was filled by Charlie Coe, who had played with the Raiders and Jack Ely and the Courtmen. And the last Goodtime guitarist was Joey Newman, who had made his mark with the Enchanters and Merrilee Rush and the Turnabouts.
Their only hit single, "I Could Be So Good to You," a Jack Nitzsche song, was their only national hit (#56) in spring 1967. Their Nitzsche-produced Epic album So Good was a curious amalgam of Overman originals and British Invasion covers.
Their earlier sound is much more raw – "You Were Just a Child" could have been a national hit. The dynamics and bridge in this are killer, as is the pulverizing fuzz bass. "I'm Real" may be the punkiest Don and the Goodtimes got; Note the cool reference to LA disc jockey "The Real" Don Steele. Other cuts like like "Make It" are as Northwest as they come. Rough and raunchy, this hot instrumental was the B side of their first single."
Common Blah is the debut full-length by Portland, Maine's Weakened Friends. Founded by songwriter Sonia Sturino, drummer Cam Jones, and bassist Annie Hoffman in 2013, the trio is a low pressure outlet for volatile music. Recorded by Hoffman and perfected over the last year, the songs broadcast heavy feelings amid screech and feedback with little more than a distortion pedal the clog up the signal chain. The album also features guest shredding by peer and kindred spirit J Mascis (on the song Hate Mail). Common Blah will be out via Don Giovanni Records on October 19th.
Jonas Landwehr & Felix Fleer, the minds behind R-Imprint, are back with their youngest brainchild ‘Serial Sound’. They are starting the new label off with an expertly crafted five track EP ranging from emotive 4 to the floor anthems, over ideosyncratically spaced out IDM experimentation, to cutting edge UK-infused club weapons. ‘Secrets’ is opening the A-Side with a raw vocal performance by LAINE, fused with an infectious groove, building up to a euphoric climax of layered poly-synths, sample flipping and abstract textures. ‘Blinded’ is carrying this vibe over into a more toolish format while maintaining an intricate narrative arch. ’Water Seven’ rounds off the A-Side with a more dreamy excursion into ambient territory. ‘Windows’ opens the B-Side with a catchy theme of pulsing modulated chords supported by subtle, micro- percussive textures. Aeon is closing off the record with an aggressive, synthetic rhythm, featuring syncopated vocal slices, contrasted with enthralling pad sounds. With this release the duo has opened up their sound into a more mature & eclectic direction, while staying true to their signature brand of contemplative harmonies and detailed textural layering.
The latest release on Jai Alai follows the format of forgotten vinyl tracks never before released on 7” format, or previously CD only album tracks, and will raise some eyebrows in artist selection and pairing.
Donaldson Toussaint L’Ouverture Byrd II was one of the most significant jazz artists of all time having joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers in the mid-50s and establishing himself as one of the best hard bop trumpeter/flugelhorn players. His progression was continuous through the 50s/60s working with John Coltrane, Gigi Gryce, Pepper Adams, Thelonius Monk, Sonny Rollins as sideman, and became one of Blue Note Records leading artists.
By the end of the 60s Byrd decided to move away from that idiom, experimenting with jazz fusion, African music and Rhythm & Blues. He worked hard to make jazz and its history part of the curriculum in US music colleges and he taught at many including Rutgers, Hampton, Howard, and Columbia, the latter from who he received his PhD in music.
Byrd took a great interest in how Miles Davis’ experimentation was resonating with a younger audience, and despite being castigated by his musical peers, his development of jazz fusion changed the jazz scene forever. His work with the Blackbyrds was a cornerstone for the progression of jazz funk in the UK.
The effect of his hook-up with brothers Larry & Fonce Mizell was immediate and his Blue Notes albums “Black Byrd” (1973), “Street Lady”, “Stepping Into Tomorrow” (1974), “Places & Spaces” (1975) and “Caricatures” (1976) became legendary on the newly evolving jazz funk scene with certain tracks such as “Change (Makes You Wanna Hustle)” normalising dance jazz on the disco floors, not to mention being a rich source for many hip-hop samples.
A slightly leaner period followed when he moved to Elektra Records and of the three albums with his new incarnation 125th Street NYC, a group of musicians he taught at North Carolina Central University, two were produced by Isaac Hayes including “Words”, “Sounds, Colors & Shapes” (1982) from which “Everyday”, a fabulous forgotten piece of mellow jazz funk derives.
By the end of the 80s he had returned to his harder straight-ahead jazz roots, but his place in history and the evolving of jazz as a dance culture in our clubs should never be forgotten.
Adrian Younge presents: Angela Muñoz is the debut album of an 18-year-old Angela Muñoz highlighting the Los Angeles native's timeless vocals with innocence and vulnerability. Backed by the soulful production of Adrian Younge, Muñoz's captivating voice reveals the old soul of a legend in the making. Recorded and mixed by Adrian Younge at Linear Labs, the preeminent analog studio of Los Angeles, CA
"A Twangy Touch On 1960s Hits!
As one of America’s most influential guitarists, Duane Eddy’s famed twangy, reverb-drenched guitar shines on a wide variety of pop-rock hits, standards, and more!
Backed by two drummers, four more guitars, organ, piano, bass, saxes, and that's just the beginning, Duane goes unafraid at the kind of tunes that normally are "one person songs" Like "Ballad of the Green Berets" which becomes a twang-bang march under Duane's banner. Like "Monday, Monday" which was "The Mamas and Papas" and now has the wild newness of Duane Eddy.
After rising to fame in the late ‘50s with “Rebel Rouser,” Eddy’s influence on radio inspired musicians like George Harrison and Bruce Springsteen. Rockabilly and country music were both major factors in Eddy’s trademark sound; heavy, catchy guitar riffs over a ska-type beat. His hits included “Peter Gunn,” “Because They’re Young,” and “Twistin’ ‘n’ Twangin’.”
As music morphed into melodic sunshine pop, Eddy adapted his sound to fit chart hits of the ‘60s in his own twangy style."
"The Biggest Twang Of Them All" includes the following tracks: "Monday, Monday", "Night Train", "Day Dream", "Younger Girl" and more.
"A Twangy Touch On 1960s Hits!
As one of America’s most influential guitarists, Duane Eddy’s famed twangy, reverb-drenched guitar shines on a wide variety of pop-rock hits, standards, and more!
Backed by two drummers, four more guitars, organ, piano, bass, saxes, and that's just the beginning, Duane goes unafraid at the kind of tunes that normally are "one person songs" Like "Ballad of the Green Berets" which becomes a twang-bang march under Duane's banner. Like "Monday, Monday" which was "The Mamas and Papas" and now has the wild newness of Duane Eddy.
After rising to fame in the late ‘50s with “Rebel Rouser,” Eddy’s influence on radio inspired musicians like George Harrison and Bruce Springsteen. Rockabilly and country music were both major factors in Eddy’s trademark sound; heavy, catchy guitar riffs over a ska-type beat. His hits included “Peter Gunn,” “Because They’re Young,” and “Twistin’ ‘n’ Twangin’.”
As music morphed into melodic sunshine pop, Eddy adapted his sound to fit chart hits of the ‘60s in his own twangy style."
"The Biggest Twang Of Them All" includes the following tracks: "Monday, Monday", "Night Train", "Day Dream", "Younger Girl" and more.
Warehouse Find!
Last month saw the re-release of the this stone-cold classic from 1988. Now we give you the re-edits from The Black Madonna, Adjowa and Jimpster. The Black Madonna should need little by way of introduction seeing as she is almost singlehandedly regenerating Chicago's House music legacy through brilliant
her brilliant productions as well as her position as booker and resident at the legendary Smart Bar. It seemed only right and proper to have the youngest generation of Chicago native revisit such an infuentional classic from the first wave of House. With only the stereo track to work with she stretches things out
and teases with a filter-frenzied arrangement and plenty of twists and turns to bring a fresh new spin to In The Heat Of The Night.
Adjowa grabbed our attention after his amazing Science And Soul 10' last year and seemed the perfect choice to bring some seriously raw warehouse vibes to the release. He certainly goes for the jugular with a more in depth remix adding extra bass and beats with plenty of grit and dirt. Finally, Jimpster gives us his Stretchdit, keeping the vibe of the original intact but offering up an extended DJ friendly version with extra hats, FX and a
sprinkle of pixie dust adding sizzle and drama. We hope you agree that with club music like this sounding every bit as mind-
blowing today as it did in 1988 it seems only right to help introduce such innovative, influential and timeless music to a wider audience.
- 01: Soulstance - Lead The Way
- 02: Jukka Eskola - 1974
- 03: Luis Ferri - My Love Samba
- 04: Dalindèo - Solifer-Lento
- 05: S-Tone Inc. - Some Kind Of Blues (Jazz Mood Instrumental)
- 06: The Invisible Session - Heroes Of The Conquest
- 07: Paolo Fedreghini And Marco Bianchi - Stars
- 08: Quartetto Moderno - Mr. Bond
- 09: Quintetto Lo Greco - Yes And No
Repress!
Extending the heritage left from the first chapter of the homonymous collection, Schema Records presents "Freedom Jazz Dance Book II". The concept comes from an idea of Luciano Cantone aiming at offering "New Standards" that can be understood and responsively absorbed by young generations. The title deriving from a composition from Eddie Harris describes precisely the project's essence: the intuition of something overcoming hurdles laid by rigid market rules. From this, the artistic meaning of "Freedom", solid funded in "Jazz", from which spawns subsequently the natural impulse to movement, manifesting in "Dance" in fact. With "swing" setting the right pathway without hesitations, the objective of the project remains capturing younger people inside the magic of Jazz. The only possible way it's organic: by leaving the music to free up the spirit within themselves.
Today, the Toronto-born-and-raised singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Charlotte Day Wilson announces her highly-anticipated sophomore album Cyan Blue out May 3rd via Stone Woman Music / XL Recordings Along with the announcement of her new album comes the release of first single, "I Don"t Love You", a stark and devastatingly beautiful confessional, highlighting Wilson"s immaculate production skills and chill inducing vocals laid atop smooth groove piano chords and soft drums. The track also arrives with a visual directed by Dani Aphrodite featuring layered low fi footage of the artist and producer performing at home, living every day life and having moments of solitude in her car, a theme that comes up throughout the album. Cyan Blue finds Wilson crafting a smoothly woven cyan tapestry of her eternal influences; thumping gospel piano, warm soul basslines, atmospheric electronics, and penetrating R&B melodies. Yet, it possesses a sense of vastness that rings in a new era for Wilson, one in which she"s embracing collaboration and newfound creative openness tinged with wistfulness and yearning and a reflection on youthful innocence. "I want to look through the unjaded eyes of my younger self again," Wilson explains of making Cyan Blue. "Before there wasn"t as much baggage, before so much life was lived. But I also wish that my younger self could see where I am now. It would be nice to be able to impart some of the wisdom and clarity that I have now onto her." Working with producers like Leon Thomas (SZA, Ariana Grande, Post Malone), and Jack Rochon (HE.R, Daniel Caesar), Cyan Blue demonstrates Wilson"s sonic expertise while also showcasing the next evolution of her time-bending songwriting. Through 13 hypnotizing tracks, she continues to use music as a vessel for unpacking relationships, which in turn allows her to meet and understand herself in life-spanning, panoramic focus. But, on Cyan Blue, she challenged herself to kick her perfectionist tendencies. "Before, I was extremely intentional about creating music with a strong foundation, a bed of artistic integrity," Wilson reflects. "But that was a bit stifling, like, "Let me just make a great piece of art that will stand the test of time, no pressure." Now, I think I"m getting out of this frozen state of needing everything to be perfect. I"m more interested in capturing feelings in the moment as they happen and leaving them in that moment." While this is only her second album, Wilson"s influence in music has made a major mainstream impact. Wilson broke out in 2016 with her critically acclaimed EP, CDW, followed by 2018"s Stone Woman and made her debut studio album an official coming out moment in 2021 with the critically acclaimed, self-released Alpha. Over the past decade, she"s been sampled by Drake, John Mayer, and James Blake, while Patti Smith has recently praised and covered Wilson"s 2016 breakout single "Work." Additionally, she"s collaborated with artists like Kaytranada, BADBADNOTGOOD, and SG Lewis, demonstrating that there"s no sound Wilson can"t adapt to and sprinkle her cyan-colored magic over.
The opening line of Emily Dickinson’s short poem ‘‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers’ inspired the central image of Emily Barker’s new single ‘Feathered Thing’, written while she navigated cumulative grief.
When Barker was first introduced to producer Luke Potashnick (Gabrielle Aplin, Jack Savoretti, Katie Melua) in May 2022, she brought with her a full album’s worth of songs. But after visiting Potashnick’s storied studio, The Wool Hall and hearing his ambitious production ideas, she was inspired to write one more song.
“I also needed to process some heavy news” she comments. Barker and her husband Lukas Drinkwater had been trying to start a family. Following a couple of failed IVF cycles (and other “starts that we’d lost”), they investigated adoption and had decided to relocate to Australia to be closer to Barker’s family.
“It felt like we couldn’t work out what we wanted, but we finally reached a point where we both felt at peace with not having kids,” Barker recalls. “It had been an incredibly intense time, coinciding with a house move and the pandemic.”
And then Barker found she was pregnant. “We’d done all these things to try to make it happen, and then it happened naturally (and against all biological odds). Having previously navigated losses throughout our pregnancy journey, we now had to get our heads around what having this new person in our lives might look like - emotionally and practically.”
Soon after work began on the album, Barker had a miscarriage.
“Songwriting has always been a way of processing throughout my life.” Barker reveals how the new song came quickly as she sat at her piano at home. She shared an early version with Potashnick and remembers him politely asking, “Do you mind telling me what this is about?”
“I think I’d left it too abstract, initially,” she reflects. “It was difficult to open up about the miscarriage, but Luke was very supportive and encouraged me to dig a little deeper without necessarily being specific. I revisited the lyrics, and the result is much stronger.”
“I went to the burnt-out woods/ A tourist with some damaged goods/ Remembered how the trees withstood fires before…”
“The opening line is a metaphor for knowing that I’ll get through this,” Barker clarifies. “It’s about recovery and hope, allowing yourself both the space to grieve and permission to move on”. But Barker’s optimism is never misplaced – she knows the imprint of imagined futures and lost children are carried in hearts and minds forever:
“It’s so hard to let go, wanted to know wanted to know you …”
“I think that it's important to share and normalise these stories, which are all too common, yet not openly spoken about. People hide their pain and don’t want to burden friends and family. I think behind all this anguish, there’s a deep, often untold story.”
Now that Barker is settled back in Western Australia, she’s embracing being an auntie. “I’ve got three younger siblings over here who I’m close to, and they all have kids,” she enthuses. “I look after my brother's kids, aged two and five, one morning a week.”
Recorded - along with the entirety of the new album - at The Wool Hall, ‘Feathered Thing’ begins gently, with oscillating piano and distant drums, until the arrangement gradually transforms into an instrumental dervish of vibrant strings, bass drones and cymbal crashes. Throughout, Barker’s vocals float tantalisingly like a slipstreaming feather.
Watch the video, filmed at The Wool Hall here. The Wool Hall is a studio in Beckington, Somerset, set up by Tears for Fears in the 1980s and used by artists including The Smiths, Pretenders, Joni Mitchell and many more.
Emily Barker is an award-winning singer-songwriter, best known as the writer and performer of the theme to the hugely successful BBC crime drama ‘Wallander’ starring Kenneth Branagh.
Her last album, 2020's ‘A Dark Murmuration of Words’, was produced by Greg Freeman and recorded at StudiOwz, a converted chapel in the Welsh countryside. Lyrically probing, by turns both dark and optimistic, Barker searches for meaning through the deafening clamour of fake news and algorithmically filtered conversation, delivering a timely exploration of the grand themes of our age. It garnered widespread acclaim, with Uncut calling it “…a kind of Australian equivalent of PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake”.
Barker has released music and toured as a solo artist as well as with various bands and collaborations, most notably her long association with Frank Turner, and has written for TV and film, including composing the soundtrack for Jake Gavin’s lauded debut feature ‘Hector’ starring Peter Mullan and Keith Allen.
‘Fragile as Humans’ is scheduled for release on May 3rd 2024 through Everyone Sang/Kartel Music Group. The album will also feature earlier singles: the vast, cinematic ‘Wild to be Sharing This Moment’ and the meditative, crestfallen ‘Loneliness’.
A leading Norwegian bassist for over 30 years, ECM legend Arild Andersen forges promising relation-ships with two rising stars - Daniel Sommer (drums) and Rob Luft (guitar) in an expansive, playful exploration of song and collective improvisation. As Time Passes " is set to release on April 26th on April Records. Led by Sommer, the release signifies the first chapter of the drummers much much-anticipated Nordic trilogy on April Records, aiming to capture and document Nordic improvisation and composition across three carefully curated ensembles. Bassist Arild Andersens storied career stretches back to the 1970"s as one of ECM s first recording artists, collaborating with household names of the genre including Jan Garbarek, Don Cherry, Bill Frisell, John Taylor, Sonny Rollins, Chick Corea, and the list goes on. Welcoming the opportunity to work with and nurture younger artists, the ensemble was born when Daniel Sommer selected Andersen for a project during his studies at the Danish National Academy of Music. Later, impressed by Luft s performances in Ireland and Norway, Andersen suggested expanding the pair into a trio. A transcendent musical voyage, As Time Passes " blurs the lines of conventional trio roles, and celebrates the evolution of jazz as a fluid, versatile form of expression. By providing each musician the freedom of becoming a key contributor in the melodic discourse, the trio channels the spirit of jazz veterans such as the Bill Evans Trio and free free-jazz ensemble Air, while echoing the sounds and innovations of pan pan-European contemporary jazz. Mixing pensive rubato ambience with energetic grooves, instrumental dexterity, a modern ECM ECM-esque sound and folk undertones, the record s compositional clarity combined with the spontaneity of a live performance flows across and between genres, borders and generations alike. Luft s intricately over-dubbed layers of acoustic guitars, vast reverbs, and contrapuntal melodies expand the sound of the three piece into an immersive world of textures. Rendered in the stark beauty of Andersen"s bass lines, the nuanced strokes of Sommer"s drums, and capped with the lush, expansive timbres of Luft"s guitar, "As Time Passes" is a testament to enduring and ever ever-evolving wonder of Jazz.
Great vocals from Capleton and Jr Cat on driving UK steppers riddims. Leeds' finest reggae rhythm constructors are back with an industrial strength combination enlisting two of Jamaica's top lyricists. Following the success of their last 12 inch release, Up Deh with Mark Iration, the duo have laid down two heavy duty slabs of pure sound system mayhem. Mercy features the unmistakable voice and flammable lyrics of ferocious rockstone deejay Capleton. Thunderclap gives a similarly hard stepping backdrop to the younger brother of Supercat, Junior Cat, who carries the hypnotic family style. The Capleton vocal comes with a pair of spiky, heavily filtered dubs, making mass movement a must. This release was originally due to come out in 2020, but got locked down in the lockdown and is now back due to popular demand.
Happy 20th birthday to Family Album, the third recording of Faun Fables and the first one released on Drag City. These songs belong to sons and daughters, entwined and orphaned, domesticated and feral; to all the family vines unraveling from a ball of yarn. In this family album, runaways graze the wild together, a mother finds her courage playing the piano, dogs become thieves and wolves, and a son is taken too soon. Fourteen-year-old nymphs sit dangerously at the crossroads, a younger brother tries to find his place, packs of girls defeat fear with a march, and the nightly adventures of the household mouse are spied upon. Dawn McCarthy"s creative background was forged in oral tradition amidst a large musical family in Spokane, Washington; studying piano, music theater, rock bands, guitar, folklore and ethnomusicology. Dawn cut her teeth as a singer and performer with various bands and cabarets in Madison, Wisconsin and New York City, most notably as yodeler with the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, whom inspired her to want a gypsy life with a kindred spirit someday. Her focus took a pivotal turn in that direction in 1997 with a solo quest through the UK and Ireland and their bardic traditions; singing songs in clubs and homes, all the while undergoing a pastoral, psychological experience with the land. Upon her return to the States, a fateful meeting with Oakland, CA born-and-raised Nils Frykdahl (Sleepytime Gorilla Museum) moved McCarthy back to the West to begin a new creative collaboration in the thriving hills and art community of the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 1999, Faun Fables have released six albums and performed their animist, otherworldly folk music across North America and Europe, with shows in Australia, New Zealand and Israel, as well. Dawn"s writing and voice (described by The New Yorker as "one of the more compelling instruments in contemporary music") opens hearts and minds with a whisper to a rallying battle cry, further animated by Frykdahl"s adventurous musicality and vocals. Dawn has written musical theater performed by the Idyllwild Arts Academy, among others, and has lent her vocals to Bonnie "Prince" Billy on The Letting Go and What the Brothers Sang. In 2022, Faun Fables debuted their family band, joined onstage by their daughters with vocals, percussion, keyboard and dance.






































