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In 2013, Marc Almond realised the then ambition of his creative
career when he collaborated with legendary producer Tony Visconti
(David Bowie, Hazel O'Connor, T-Rex, Morrissey). The evocative
results of their unique collaboration can be heard on the opening
tracks ‘The Dancing Marquis’ and ‘Burn Bright’.
In collaboration with record producer Tris Penna, Tony Visconti also
lends a helping hand with string arrangements and mixing duties on
two further tracks; ‘Tasmanian Tiger’ and ‘Death of a Dandy’, the
latter lovingly inspired by the tragic and sudden death in 2010 of
Soho’s renowned hedonist, the writer and artist Sebastian Horsley.
Continuing in this collaborative vein, ‘The Dancing Marquis’ also
features the talents of Martin McCarrick (Siouxsie and the
Banshees, Therapy?) contributing cello on the hearteningly buoyant
‘Burn Bright’, and strings on title track ‘The Dancing Marquis’, a song
which Marc penned with Henry Paget, the 5th Marquess of Anglesey
very much in mind. Jarvis Cocker (Pulp) contributes an infectious
electro-pop song that he wrote especially for Marc, ‘Worship Me
Now!’ - he also features on backing vocals and production duties in
conjunction with Jason Buckle (The All Seeing I).
‘Love Is Not On Trial’ saw Marc once again collaborating with Carl
Barât (The Libertines), his co-star in the 2012 opera ‘Poppea’ as
performed at Théatre du Châtelet in Paris. Produced again by Tris
Penna, the song was written especially for Marc by Carl, who also
features on guitar and vocals.

“I am OBSESSED with the 80s. I love the loud neon colours and fashion and the kinetic energy of the music. It’s uplifting and bittersweet with a ton of keyboards, what’s not to like?” reasons Morgane when asked what it is she likes about the decade. This exuberance is brightly reflected in the mirror ball synthpop of her third album released at the end of September. It is her second long player to appear on vinyl after the release of Between The Funk And The Fear debut on the Polytechnic Youth label.

Morgane was the keyboard player in Stereolab between 1995 and 2001 during which time they released Emperor Tomato Ketchup (her favourite) and Dots And Loops. As a teenager though she first played the drums, then guitar and bass. She only learnt the keyboards one month before joining the group. “They gave me 40 songs to learn, it was a baptism of fire”.

After leaving Stereolab, Morgane first moved to New York for nine years; she’d always planned to move to America having spent a lot of time there with her parents and of course those space-pop pioneers. The warmer weather of LA enticed her though and you can hear its pulse in Day-Glo Chaos. The album’s thumping heart is pumped by the city’s night sky and when asked she cites three particular albums as her favourites: the oddball analogue electro of Jacno’s 1979 debut; John Carpenter’s ‘Escape From New York’ and The B-52’s ‘Cosmic Thing’. There’s also a strong nod to the playful computerised harmonies of Yellow Magic Orchestra whilst she’s somewhat partial to the synth prog of Yes and Soft Machine. “I actually created a synth on Ableton Live named after Rick Wakeman’. I should create one after Mike Ratledge next!”

Throughout her work (but especially on this record) you can hear the influence of computer games. “I’m an avid gamer and have been one since I was a teenager and fell in love with my Commodore 64”. Though not a fan of Hotline Miami or the GTA series (“too violent”) she liked Hang On and loved Outrun which she used to play a lot on her Sega Master System. “I just got the soundtrack reissue from Data Disc and it is beautiful” she enthuses.

You’ll see and hear such influences on the lead single from the album ‘Midnite Rogue’ the video to which pays (im)perfect juddering homage to such arcade culture. Car tyres glued to sticky tarmac, French pop music lost in the air. The title was inspired by a Fighting Fantasy book which she adored as a kid. “I love the idea of this entity causing mischief during night time”, she beams. It’s not hard to see why.

Welcome to the delirious world of Marcoca with 'Homage to Delusion'. Known for their album 'Silent Struggles', whose success has crossed cultures and continents and now accumulates millions of streams on platforms, the band takes their next step with a new album so well thought-out that it could be summed up as a brilliant reunion of everything that was best done in the 70s. ‘All This time’ crystallizes Marcoca's identity : funk, rock and soul cuddle up under a sheet of surf rock.

Das neue Album des Danish String Quartets ist eine ”musikalische Spurensuche über die Nordsee, eine
Reise durch die Klänge der traditionellen Musik Nordeuropas, die uns von Dänemark und Norwegen zu den
Färöer-Inseln und nach Irland und England führt.” Keel Road folgt auf Last Leaf, das gefeierte Danish-StringQuartet-Album aus dem Jahr 2017, das von NPR zum ”Classical Album of the Year” und von Publikationen
wie der New York Times und dem Gramophone Magazin zum ”Best of the Year” gewählt wurde. Keel Road
unterstreicht die Auffassung der Gruppe, dass ”Volksweisen nicht nur ein Teil unseres Repertoires, sondern
ein wichtiges Element unserer Identität als Musiker sind.” Subtil in den Fluss der Einspielung integriert sind
neben traditionellen Stücken auch Eigenkompositionen von Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen und Fredrik Schøyen
Sjölin sowie bestechende Arrangements der Musiker von vier Kompositionen Turlough O’Carolans, dem
legendären Harfenisten aus dem irischen County Meath. Das Programm beleuchtet sowohl musikalische
Verwandtschaften als auch deren subtile Unterschiede, denn obgleich Folkmusik ”lokale Traditionen und
lokale Geschichten repräsentiert, ist sie gleichzeitig auch die Musik von überall und jedem”. Keel Road
wurde im November 2022 im Village Recording Studio in Kopenhagen aufgenommen und im März 2024 in
den Bavaria Musikstudios in München gemischt.

Everything Around You is a co-release presented by K and Perennial.The second LP from Feeling Figures was in fact recorded before their first. Amongst the stuttered starts and stops of the pandemic, a window opened for `The Figs' to commit 11 songs to tape. After gradually preparing new and resurrected material, they gathered in drummer T's basement in the omicron winter of early 2022 to document their strongest songs on his recently acquired reel-to-reel. Compared to `Migration Magic', `Everything Around You' is a considerably deeper dive into the Figs universe, a more deliberate collection that includes compositions which push into the expanse, drawing from a broader palette of art rock influences. The songs on this album navigate tensions between the personal and political, encompassing inner turmoil and deep-seated desires for change at the entangled axis of individual and social transformation. `Everything Around You' is their most fully-realized accomplishment to date; the best recorded representation of their boundless, idiosyncratic approach to guitar-based music. A summation years in the making, years in waiting, finally set free.

Deluxe Anniversary Edition. Jade Green Swirl Vinyl. LP+7". - Deluxe Anniversary Edition of LP celebratiing 10 years since it's initial release - Enclosed in hardcover photobook with 96 pages of photos from the era with liner notes from each member of Modern Baseball - Includes exclusive 7" with. It's been ten whole years of us listening to Modern Baseballl's iconic record You're Gonna Miss It All, and to celebrate Run For Cover has teamed with the band to deliver a deluxe anniversary edition worthy of it's legacy. This version of the band's second album is a collector's delight - two discs enclosed in a heavyweight, hardcover 12" x 12" book with 96 pages of photos from longtime collaborator Jess Flynn. Each member of Modern Baseball also contributed notes to provide context to the countless photos taken while touring, recording, skateboarding, napping, swimming and a whole lot more. This deluxe edition also includes two never-before released demos of "Rock Bottom" and "Pothole" pressed on an exclusive 7". These early, intimate versions show how the ideas behind these two favorite tracks progressed into the final takes that made it onto You're Gonna Miss It All. Modern Baseball was formed in 2011 by friends and guitarists Jacob Ewald and Brendan Lukens, who were soon joined by Ian Farmer on bass and Sean Huber on drums.The band self-released their first EP The Nameless Ranger in 2011 while still in high school. Shortly after the members relocated to Philadelphia to attend college and quickly gained a strong following in the Philadelphia music community, teaming up with locals Marietta to release the Couples Therapy split in the spring of 2012. Modern Baseball released their debut full-length Sports later that year on Lame-O Records, which they self-recorded and produced. After spending the summer of 2013 touring heavily across the US, the band headed into Studio A in Philadelphia to self-record You're Going to Miss It All. Mixed by Jonathan Low at Minor Street Recordings and mastered by Will Yip, You're Going to Miss It All features 12 tracks that showcase the band's signature witty indie-pop.

Oxblood & Gold Vinyl. Light In The Attic präsentiert in Zusammenarbeit mit Laurie Anderson und dem Lou Reed Archive die erste offizielle Anthologie von Lou Reeds Arbeiten für Pickwick Records 1964-1965. "Why Don't You Smile Now: Lou Reed At Pickwick Records 1964-65"enthält Raritäten, Kultklassiker (The Primitives' "The Ostrich") und bisher unveröffentlichtes Material (The Beachnuts' "Sad, Lonely Orphan Boy") und ist eine Zusammenstellung von Popsongs aus Reeds Feder, die er Mitte der 60er Jahre als angestellter Songwriter für das längst untergegangene Label Pickwick Records schrieb. Die Zusammenstellung ist der neueste Teil der Lou Reed Archive Serie und folgt auf Lou Reeds "Words & Music, May 1965" (2022) und die Wiederveröffentlichung von "Hudson River Wind Meditations" (2023). Als eine der originellsten und innovativsten Persönlichkeiten der Musikgeschichte erlangte Reed (1942-2013) zunächst als Mitbegründer und Frontmann der einflussreichen Band Velvet Underground Anerkennung. Im Laufe seiner fünf Jahrzehnte währenden Karriere brachte der zweifache Rock & Roll Hall of Famer seine einzigartige Vision in eine eklektische Bandbreite musikalischer Unternehmungen ein, darunter epochale Alben wie "Transformer" (1972) und wild experimentelle Werke wie der avantgardistische Noise-Klassiker "Metal Machine Music" (1975). Doch bevor er sich als Sänger, Songschreiber, Musiker und Dichter etablierte, begann Reed als interner Songschreiber (und gelegentlicher Session-Gitarrist/Sänger) bei Pickwick Records, einem Label, das sich auf Sound-ähnliche Aufnahmen spezialisierte, die die großen Pop-Hits der damaligen Zeit nachahmten. Von Garage-Rock und Girl-Group-Pop bis hin zu Blue-Eyed-Soul und Teenie-Idol-Balladen bietet Reeds Schaffen für Pickwick einen faszinierenden frühen Einblick in sein sich ständig weiterentwickelndes und wahrhaft grenzenloses künstlerisches Schaffen, das vom GRAMMYr-nominierten Mastering-Ingenieur John Baldwin restauriert und remastered wurde. Sowohl die 2xLP- als auch die CD-Editionen enthalten ausführliche Booklets mit ungesehenen Fotos, Linernotes von Richie Unterberger (renommierter Musikjournalist und Autor von "White Light/White Heat: The Velvet Underground day-by-day") und ein Essay von Lenny Kaye (dem legendären Gitarristen, Mitbegründer der Patti Smith Group, Autor, Produzent und Kurator der bahnbrechenden Garage-Rock-Anthologie "Nuggets"). Die Doppel-LP-Verpackung wurde von dem mehrfach mit dem GRAMMYr ausgezeichneten Künstler Masaki Koike gestaltet. Eine spezielle farbige Vinyl-Edition wird auf "Oxblood"-Wachs (A/B-Seite) und "Gold"-Wachs (C/D-Seite) gepresst.

Light In The Attic präsentiert in Zusammenarbeit mit Laurie Anderson und dem Lou Reed Archive die erste offizielle Anthologie von Lou Reeds Arbeiten für Pickwick Records 1964-1965. "Why Don't You Smile Now: Lou Reed At Pickwick Records 1964-65"enthält Raritäten, Kultklassiker (The Primitives' "The Ostrich") und bisher unveröffentlichtes Material (The Beachnuts' "Sad, Lonely Orphan Boy") und ist eine Zusammenstellung von Popsongs aus Reeds Feder, die er Mitte der 60er Jahre als angestellter Songwriter für das längst untergegangene Label Pickwick Records schrieb. Die Zusammenstellung ist der neueste Teil der Lou Reed Archive Serie und folgt auf Lou Reeds "Words & Music, May 1965" (2022) und die Wiederveröffentlichung von "Hudson River Wind Meditations" (2023). Als eine der originellsten und innovativsten Persönlichkeiten der Musikgeschichte erlangte Reed (1942-2013) zunächst als Mitbegründer und Frontmann der einflussreichen Band Velvet Underground Anerkennung. Im Laufe seiner fünf Jahrzehnte währenden Karriere brachte der zweifache Rock & Roll Hall of Famer seine einzigartige Vision in eine eklektische Bandbreite musikalischer Unternehmungen ein, darunter epochale Alben wie "Transformer" (1972) und wild experimentelle Werke wie der avantgardistische Noise-Klassiker "Metal Machine Music" (1975). Doch bevor er sich als Sänger, Songschreiber, Musiker und Dichter etablierte, begann Reed als interner Songschreiber (und gelegentlicher Session-Gitarrist/Sänger) bei Pickwick Records, einem Label, das sich auf Sound-ähnliche Aufnahmen spezialisierte, die die großen Pop-Hits der damaligen Zeit nachahmten. Von Garage-Rock und Girl-Group-Pop bis hin zu Blue-Eyed-Soul und Teenie-Idol-Balladen bietet Reeds Schaffen für Pickwick einen faszinierenden frühen Einblick in sein sich ständig weiterentwickelndes und wahrhaft grenzenloses künstlerisches Schaffen, das vom GRAMMYr-nominierten Mastering-Ingenieur John Baldwin restauriert und remastered wurde. Sowohl die 2xLP- als auch die CD-Editionen enthalten ausführliche Booklets mit ungesehenen Fotos, Linernotes von Richie Unterberger (renommierter Musikjournalist und Autor von "White Light/White Heat: The Velvet Underground day-by-day") und ein Essay von Lenny Kaye (dem legendären Gitarristen, Mitbegründer der Patti Smith Group, Autor, Produzent und Kurator der bahnbrechenden Garage-Rock-Anthologie "Nuggets"). Die Doppel-LP-Verpackung wurde von dem mehrfach mit dem GRAMMYr ausgezeichneten Künstler Masaki Koike gestaltet.

"Justin Townes Earle released Kids In The Street, his first record on New West Records, in May of 2017. The album received critical acclaim and further cemented Justin’s legacy as one of the best active songwriters in music. Songs like, “Champagne Corolla” showcased his wry sense of humor as well as his deft ability to build upon the music that came before him while at the same time creating something unique and new. Familiar, inventive, creative, and clever.

Justin would release his second album with New West Records in May of 2019. The Saint of Lost Causes was hailed as one of the best albums of 2019 by Rolling Stone Magazine with “half a dozen or so career classics.” “I was trying to look through the eyes of America,” Earle says. “Because I believe in the idea of America - that everybody’s welcome here and has a right to be here.” Earle tells these American stories in detail and without judgement. While some songs cite historic events like “Flint City Shake It,” and “Don’t Drink The Water,"" other tracks present fictionalized narratives that are no less harrowing, or true-to-life , as heard in ""Appalachian Nightmare,” “The Saint Of Lost Causes,” and “Over Alameda.""

Justin Townes Earle was always a champion of the underdog and All In features in depth looks at the hopeful, and the hopeless. Fueled by empathy, baked in the blues, Justin was never without something poignant or humorous to say. Sadly, Justin passed away in 2020 at the age of 38. ALL IN: Unreleased & Rarities (The New West Years) is a fitting tribute to Justin’s legacy. The collection features many never heard before songs, demos, and cover tunes, spanning his time as a New West Records recording artist."

Bevor Klaus Doldinger 1971 die legendäre Band Passport gründete, wandte er sich 1969 mit seiner Band Motherhood dem Rock-Jazz und der Fusion-Musik zu. Dieses selbstbetitelte Album ist das zweite der Band aus dem Jahr 1970. Im Line Up finden sich herausragende Musiker wie Keith Forsey am Schlagzeug und Gesang, der später mit Künstlern wie Amon Düül ll, Giorgio Moroder, Donna Summer, Boney M., Psychedelic Furs oder Billy Idol arbeitete. Er produzierte auch Soundtracks für Filme und Serien wie Beverly Hills Cop, Ghostbusters, American Pie, Futurama, Scrubs und viele mehr. Udo Lindenberg wurde zu einem der erfolgreichsten Künstler Deutschlands und spielt immer noch Arena-Shows. Doldinger selbst ist einer der führenden deutschen Jazzmusiker, der zahlreiche Alben und Soundtracks in verschiedenen Konstellationen veröffentlicht hat und für sein Lebenswerk mit dem Bundesverdienstkreuz oder dem Deutschland-Echo ausgezeichnet wurde. Das lange Zeit vergriffene Album wurde nun endlich für Vinyl remastert und als 1LP neu aufgelegt.

Mit "Dark Superstition" schlagen Gatecreeper ein neues Kapitel in ihrer Bandhistorie auf: Das kommende Studioalbum ist gleichzeitig die erste Veröffentlichung der Death-Metaller bei Nuclear Blast.

Dafür hat sich die US-Band unter anderem Unterstützung von Fred Etsby (Dismember) und Converge-Gitarrist Kurt Ballou geholt. Zum Hintergrund des Albums, auf das es mit "Caught In The Treads" bereits einen ersten Ausblick gegeben hatte, erklärt Frontmann Chase Mason: "Viele der Songs handeln von übernatürliche Ideen, gepaart meinen eigenen Erfahrungen. Allerdings ist der Titel selbst eine Referenz an die Superstition Mountains in unserem Heimatstaat Arizona. Es ist eine wunderschöne Bergkette, umgeben von Tragödien und Legenden über verborgenes Glück." An das Thema des Übernatürlichen schließen sie auch mit der neuesten Singleveröffentlichung "The Black Curtain" sowie dem dazugehörigen Musikvideo an.

Darin ist die Band von einer Friedhofskulisse umgeben, der sie mit ihrer Mischung aus straightem Rock, peitschenden Death Metal und ausufernden Shoutings Kontur und standesgemäße Düsternis verleihen. Dazu führt Mason weiter aus: "Es geht darum, zwischen Leben und Sterben gefangen zu sein. Eine Seele, die im Fegefeuer gefangen ist und darum bettelt, von einer übernatürlichen Kraft zurückgebracht zu werden."

Cool Calm Pete has been featured in the past with MF Doom, RJD2, El-P, Morcheeba, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Aesop Rock, and others. More recently with Kool Keith, Real Bad Man, Heems, and Lee Scott.
Lost (Director’s Cut) kicks off Petes return with some new projects on deck.
Sometimes it takes time for something to establish its proper place in culture, and the modern-day discourse never fails to rush to label an album to be a classic or a flop. Then there are albums like Cool Calm Pete’s “LOST.” Adored by its dedicated fan base upon its original release in 2005 on Embedded Records and Definitive Jux, this record has continued to garner attention over the years from those who are familiar with it. While word-of-mouth alone may not have been sufficient to propel the album to mainstream success, its enduring popularity two decades later is a testament to its well-deserved recognition as an indie rap cult classic. The Korean-American emcee born as Pete Chung wasn’t asking to be a pioneer but having been raised in Queens NY during the golden era of hip hop, rhyming better than his peers just naturally became his identity. Throughout his debut album, his slow-paced, conversational flow fit like a glove to the self-produced “working class” beats that color most of the album. His education in fine arts as a painter and his day-job with a then-burgeoning lifestyle brand called Supreme sometimes took precedence in his professional life, but his dedication to the craft as a hip hop artist was evident, and fans took notice. The album hasn’t been re-released since its initial 2005 drop. and vinyl copies haven’t sold on the collectors’ market for less than $100 in years. With its first official re-release, the laws of supply-and-demand will surely alter that market, and chances are that with more ears to hear the album, those original pressings will only become hotter. In the meantime, the new “LOST (Director’s Cut)” has been re-mastered and extended for release on Cool Calm Pete’s own label Bubble Wife Records, with never-before-heard cuts led by a remix of the title track by Blockhead. Find it.

Dean Spunt"s all-new Basic Editions is an excursion in electronic sound that instrumentally unpacks his fascination with language - in this case, the syntax of systems and processes. By turns meditative, compulsive and consumptive, Basic Editions distills a 64 voice module through a head full of ideas - somewhat like pouring a cornucopia of possible ambient moods and EZ listening impulses backwards through a funnel, inspiring a deceptively absurd rainbow of soul to spray out the other end. With this new release, Dean IDs his process as "using sounds, rather than making sounds". This approach to music-making is a train of thought that"s been rolling out from the far horizon of the past for ages now - but for Dean, whose previous works within and without No Age depended on their making of sounds, it"s a fresh work stance. Given, however, No Age"s traditional sonic manipulations (via loops and treatments), Basic Editions delivers further unexpected hard-rights and lefts in the non-aesthetic aesthetic that has defined Dean"s path over the past two decades. Steering toward wacked digital soundscapes that bounce colorfully across the stereo azimuth, Dean creates a kind of post-ambient neo-exotica that hinges upon a giddy conflation of cosmic and comic.

Black Vinyl. In Rumi's poem A Great Wagon he writes of a place of total acceptance. "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there," It is a boundless, liminal space where we can release the judgments we make and carry of ourselves, and the comparisons to others. When we think of this field, there is a sense of tranquility that only comes when we are undisturbed by the shadow self and see existence as neither bright nor dim, white nor black. But as lead singer Greg Bertens explains, arriving there is a whole different story. "This is a poem I've returned to over the years, and I love the idea of this place, but getting there is life's journey." Bertens adds "I think the longing for and elusiveness of this field is a recurring theme in our music." Field is enveloped by themes of regret, disconnection and frustration but with the space to understand that these feelings are a natural part of the struggle between reconciling the inner and outer self. The Los Angeles/San Francisco-based group have been indie shoegaze stalwarts since their formation in 2001. After two decades and a handful of line-up changes, their extensive discography presents a dynamically textural, lush psychedelic rock that has featured guest appearances by members of Pavement, My Bloody Valentine, and Snow Patrol, among others. 2021's LP We Weren't Here (Sonic Ritual) was hailed for its dense instrumental blanket, where unrelenting hi-hats and heavy kicks exist alongside dreamy drone guitar. This propulsive nature permeates Field, as members Bertens, Noël Brydebell (vocals), Nyles Lannon (guitar), Jason Ruck (synths), Justin LaBo (bass), and Adam Wade (drums) produce a kaleidoscopic sonic landscape. Patient, sprawling instrumentation builds a foundation in which Bertens' themes of endurance, perseverance and clarity can bloom with a considered poise. As a lyricist who writes in response to the instrumental arrangements, rather than a focus on a specific theme or person, Field is a testament to Film School's ability to create in the moment, and to showcase the magic that stems from when we are truly present. With over two decades in the industry, Field cements Film School as a distinct, dominant force in the shoegaze scene. Soaked in an emotionally open, imaginative atmosphere, the album is both singular and expansive, and leaves the door open for a constantly evolving interpretation. Film School have never confined themselves to the rigidity of specifics, and it's on Field that they urge us to look beyond the binary of certainty, and to take a second look.

"RA" war der Beginn einer neuen Ära für Deutschlands erfolgreichste Art- & Progressive-Rockband Eloy. Die Formation zuvor hatte sich komplett getrennt. Bandgründer Frank Bornemann als Sänger, Gitarrist, Songwriter, und zugleich Produzent der Band, sprühte aber noch vor Ideen, mit denen er den bislang so erfolgreichen Weg fortsetzen wollte. In Keyboarder Michael Gerlach fand er schließlich einen gleich gesinnten Partner, der sich bestens in die musikalischen Visionen einfinden konnte, und auch mit seinem perfekt geeigneten Equipment Klangbilder erzeugen konnte, welche dann, im Zusammenwirken mit Gitarre und Vocals, zu einzigartigen Kompositionen führten. Mit "RA" wandte sich Eloy einem Thema zu, welches man aus heutiger Sicht mit Blick auf die fatalen Entwicklungen auf unserem Planeten, und in der Gesellschaft schon fast als prophetisch betrachten muss. Eloy Mastermind Frank Bornemann erklärt heute, dass sich für ihn schon damals die Menschheit mit ersten Schritten in eine unmittelbare Zeitwende bewegte, deren Folgen im Detail zwar noch unabsehbar waren, aber das Leben unumkehrbar völlig verändern würde. Das Szenarium auf dem Album, welches sich dann im Kerninhalt von "RA" letztlich definiert und abbildet, überschreitet zwar noch manche Grenzen des heutigen Geschehens, ist aber deshalb nicht weniger spannend, und die Musik ist definitiv ein absolutes Unikat.

For the past two decades, Dr Roman Belavkin (Solar X) has been deeply involved in AI research and mathematics at British universities. His albums from the 1990s are a testament to an era defined by the early internet-bulletin boards, FTP sites and mailing lists. In keeping with this, Solar X's music sounds surprisingly futuristic, a romantic artifact of a time eagerly anticipating tomorrow.

Following the re-issue of Solar-X's "Xrated" in 2019, GALAXIID is releasing his debut "Outre X Mer". All tracks are from the original DAT tapes and have been remastered for this release. "Pozdno Utrom", "Dileg" and "Solar X" were originally released on the "Outre X Mer EP" on Defective Records in 1995. Other tracks are out on vinyl and digital platforms for the first time.

"I was homebound for two years between 1992 and 1994, and the only way I could escape was through computer networks and writing," Belavkin recalls. Before the nasty car accident he was a member of the USSR/Russia national wushu team. Confined to his home, Belavkin started creating tracks based on ideas from his school days in the late 1980s, when he first recorded melodies on cassette tapes. This time, however, he fused those sounds with Soviet analogue synthesizers and PC sound cards. He shared these tracks via email with friends in different countries, becoming part of the "Analogue Heaven" mailing list, a community of enthusiasts united by their passion for analogue synthesis dating back to the 1960s.

During his initial pursuit of a PhD in Computer Science, Roman wanted to explore the intersection of what electronic music could offer humanity, the potential for AI to experience emotions, and whether emotions enhance or hinder intellect. These themes resonate in the music of Solar X. The album embodies ambient techno with intricate rhythms and ear caressing melodies, choppy percussion and blissful synths, making it both tranquil and danceable. Like a shimmering spaceship navigating between anxious dreams and visions, it transports the listener to a naively hopeful era yet to come.

Warped and dragged through the murky underbelly of the Levantine underground comes 'Volume 1' the x-rated left-field debut from the pseudonymous DJ GAWAD.

Via pitched up vocals dripping with delay, DJ GAWAD takes us on a tour of the region's most urgent artists, his interjections oscillating between cocky boast and frustrated lament.

Through this new persona, DJ GAWAD pulls back the curtain to reveal himself as the protagonist of the mixtape-like album, as replete with features as it is with expletives, an enigmatic ghoul in the back of the studio with an endless supply of broken sample flips, giving the album its old school feel while still speaking to contemporary hip hop aesthetics.

A Jordanian/Palestinian Memphis gangster rap parody par excellence, the album is infused with satirical commentary on the state of the contemporary music scene, yet DJ GAWAD shows as much as he tells, expertly fashioning a sound that makes you wonder about the identity of the artist behind the braggadocious persona of the self-titled "best producer in the Middle East."

Drawing heavily from the Memphis rap mixtapes of the mid 1990s, DJ GAWAD has clearly identified the same brooding atmosphere in his own surroundings. On Mat3'anish (feat. Bleng & Fara7) DJ GAWAD makes his most explicit reference to the Memphis sound, twisting the hallmark cowbells that defined that movement to reflect the equally raw nature of his own setting.

Similarly, in Bandana (feat. Jurum), DJ GAWAD finds the perfect tension between his romantic sampling tendencies and the brutal sensibilities of his featured artist. As if liberated by DJ GAWAD's anonymity and irreverence, his menagerie of artists appear to have been emboldened, embracing the obscene free naturedness of the album, setting their lyrical prowess free to wander.

No expense was spared in the post production treatment of DJ GAWAD's debut, with Iraqi-American artist Mark Gergis incorporating the Nakamichi Dragon cassette deck in the mastering process, as is evidenced by the crisp saturation of the album's sonics.

"Co-produced by Jerry Finn (Rancid, Green Day, Jawbreaker) and Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins), Sing the Sorrow retains the Bay Area outfit’s signature aggression and pathos – forging ever forward into uncharted territory like the virtuoso guitar intro of “The Leaving Song Pt. 2” or the industrial-leaning break and Dead Can Dance-worthy outro of “Death Of Seasons.”
Meanwhile, from its sublime intro through beautifully subdued verses and infectious choruses, first single “Girl’s Not Grey” is a standout that both recalls AFI coming into its own on 2000’s The Art Of Drowning and hints at a myriad of future directions. For the purists, “Dancing Through Sunday” and “Bleed Black” come strapped with generous chant-along opportunities and heavy-as-hell, bolt-tight riffs and rhythms. And as with virtually every track on Sing The Sorrow, these are all imbued with alternately brooding and celebratory lyrical imagery of rebirth, resurrection, apocalypse, all somehow deeply personal – in other words, classic AFI.
“When you’re playing a style of music that doesn’t really fit anywhere, you run a risk. You’re challenging people to leave their niche, to leave their predetermined ideas of what they’re supposed to like. Luckily, we have a lot of people who just focus on the music and appreciate us for what we are. So we get fans from all different genres of music, the jocks, the spooky kids, skaters, college kids, punk rockers, hardcore kids, metal kids, all that.” — Davey Havok"

Napalm Death's "Smear Campaign," released in 2006, stands as a powerful statement against religious dogma and societal oppression. This album delivers free-thinking, free-form grindcore from the grind majors that dismantles religious burden myth-by-myth.

With its relentless energy and incisive lyrics, "Smear Campaign" continues the band's tradition of merging ferocious soundscapes with thought-provoking themes.

Napalm Death's "Smear Campaign," released in 2006, stands as a powerful statement against religious dogma and societal oppression. This album delivers free-thinking, free-form grindcore from the grind majors that dismantles religious burden myth-by-myth.

With its relentless energy and incisive lyrics, "Smear Campaign" continues the band's tradition of merging ferocious soundscapes with thought-provoking themes.