From Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo: '"In Pink" is the 3rd (r) album. I've worked on it for almost 2 years, both 'cause I've been very busy with Larsen and XXL as well as touring and working in the studio with other bands, and 'cause it came through troubled and sometimes painful, but anyway intense times. Whereas the previous "Under The Cables, Into The Wind" was a very warm and relaxed album, and also my favourite so far, "In Pink" is a pretty extreme one, swinging between joy and fear, introspective moody songs and explosions of - desperately optimistic - energy. Still it is more a diary than an exorcism, filled with songs about death and transfiguration, including my version of an Irish traditional theme (which also Johnny Cash interpreted on one of his American albums) and Joy Division's classic "Atmosphere" (which I list among the best songs ever written). It is also my most arranged and colourful album where my recent experiences as producer for other bands have converged, and the most 'band' oriented among my solos.

Following on from the first KMS Sampler, PDD in conjunction with Armada Music & BEAT Music Fund return for Volume 2 in the series. Once again mining the delights in the expansive catalogue, Volume 2 showcases four more essential cuts. Up first is the classic MK Mix of R-Tyme’s – Use Me. Next up on the A side we have the legendary pairing of Chez Damier and Ron Trent with their remix of Inner City – Share My Life. On the flip, the D’Pac Dub of Dionne opens the B side and then rounding off the EP is the second Inner City track, this time remixed by another Detroit hero, Carl Craig.

Just like Volume 1, the audio has been lovingly remastered by AIR Studios and their team of celebrated engineers, fully utilising their mastering knowledge. Another brilliant volume from KMS!

TRACK LISTING

A1. R-Tyme - Use Me (MK Mix)
A2. Inner City - Share My Life (Chez N Trent's Vocal Dub)
B1. Dionne - Feel Da Rain (D'Pac Dub)
B2. Inner City - Till We Meet Again (Carl Craig Remix)

R. Elizabeth is the recording name of London-based artist and academic Rachael Finney. Every And All We Voyage On is her solo recording project’s second full length and is a focused distillation of her practice in sound art and her knack for pop minimalism. It follows a long sold out release on Where To Now? Records and a prolonged period in which she concentrated on artist residencies exploring her interest in recorded sound and voice. Immediate and natural, Every And All We Voyage On manages to sound joyful while tackling complex themes, handling everything with an improvisatory touch.
The songs are full of air and light; infectious, melodic and off-the-cuff.

Recorded using a single 80s Casio keyboard, reel-to-reel tape manipulation, piano and vocal, Finney’s practice with R. Elizabeth belies a studious attention to detail. Her academic work is often focused on analysing sounds – particularly voice and language – divorced from meaning and R. Elizabeth challenges the listener with overtly emotional tropes: sweeping portmento lap-steel guitar keyboard tones on Back From Ten suggest a nostalgic melancholy when it intersects with the narrator closing her eyes, realising she has nothing left to give. The lilting vocal cloaked in reverb is disarming, with an almost child-like surrender to the undertow of the song. On Tragedy And Trade there’s a rough grace to the mixing with visceral, manipulated tape sounding like the artists’ hands are literally in the speakers wrenching the melodies in mid-air. When it intersects with chants about the “gaps and the silences” it has an eerie, hauntological effect. R. Elizabeth is constantly playing with sound and song: a Wonderland of perceived emotion, the listener’s perception of what they’re hearing constantly in flux, it’s deceptively simple and deserving of repetitive listening.

Cut Piano opens the album and introduces a documentary-feel which the album upholds through-out. It’s the sound of the artist mangling a tape of her own piano recording, twisting it out of shape and suggesting a bend in reality. We’re listening to the artist becoming a ghost in her own machine, a 3rd or 4th generation copy of an emotion rendered a long time ago, chilling and playful at the same time. An Image Is Different bursts out of this with a sunny Casiotone beat, a melodic contrast that also introduces Finney’s vocal. It flitters between a gorgeous repetitive melody ruminating about the nature of reality and a seemingly careless, conversational tone. The effect is joyful, but you don’t really know why. The lyrics instruct someone (you? The artist?) to “go outside and break someone’s neck, make it feel so real” before ending with R. Elizabeth nonchalantly stating “I dunno, to be honest I don’t really care” as if on the phone to someone they’re bored with. It would be jarring if it wasn’t so catchy and uplifting. The title track is a slow-tempo meditation with droning synths providing the background to slow, dragging tape sounds and
grounding, just-out-of-focus vocals bunkering down in the mix. The methodology suggests the work of Broadcast: there’s a loping bassline that propels the track forward but the duet/duel between Finney’s haunted vocal and the soloing tape warble provides aural snakes for the listener’s ear to follow. Spiritual To Symphony is the brightest, most unabashed example of what R.Elizabeth achieves on Every And All We Voyage On. It’s utopian, bright and hypnotic: over a repetitive hook, a double tracked vocal intones a kind of post-structuralist, feminist manifesto: “A different kind of intimacy, a kind of female masculinity, I sense how to be, from vision to visuality.” It’s the perfect example of a piece of music that can be taken on its own terms, enjoyed as pure sound massaging the receptors in the brain or as something that can be dissected, it’s a microcosm of the album as a whole. Effortless and endlessly playful, the album is constantly shifting in and out of focus, from airy imagination to earthy reality. R. Elizabeth invites you to take the sound however you want it. Maybe she doesn’t really care, maybe she does. Who really knows? 

TRACK LISTING

1. Cut Piano
2. An Image Is Different
3. Back From Ten
4. Every And All We Voyage On
5. Spiritual To Symphony
6. Tragedy And Trade
7. Piano Cut

R. Missing is the enigmatic music project of New York based vocalist Sharon Shy and musician Toppy.previously known as The Ropes. Unsummering, the first release under their new moniker R. Missing, expands on The Ropes' previous palette of Morrissey tinged lyrics and darkwave, but manages to be even more isolated lyrically than their famously nihilistic previous work, fully embracing complete detachment. Musically, fraught guitar and synth textures paint an image of an unstable world, held together only by tightly quantized electronic drum beats.

You may know this South East London local under a different alias but here with a new mysterious moniker, R.Aldem steps up for Vol.1 on Camberwell Crime Syndicate. Three killer edits that you need in your life. A Camberwell Beauty indeed. From SE5 to the world!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Stone Faced
B1. The Shining
B2. Haunted

Brand new album from R.E.M. - what more can I say?!

When R.I.P. came crawling out of the sewers of Portland four years ago, their grimy, sleazy Street Doom was already a fully formed monstrosity that quickly infected the minds of everyone it encountered. At the time, none of us expected its depravity to take such fierce hold, and yet, here were are, sheltering in place and/or stealthily creeping through a nightmare dystopia that the 80s sci-fi/horror movies foretold. Dead End is, ironically, a recharge of the band’s sound, bearing influences ranging from John Carpenter films, post-apocalyptic grunge, pro-wrestling attitude and salty lo-fi hip-hop aesthetics to the band’s ferocious heavy metal. During the three years since the 2017 release of their sophomore album Street Reaper, R.I.P. has been busy tightening their sound and their line up while loosening their grip on sanity — touring the west coast with bands like Electric Wizard and Red Fang, and taking Street Doom overseas for the first time for a month long headlining tour of Europe. These years on the road and the addition of a more aggressive rhythm section have allowed the band to fully break free from their influences and deliver on the promise hinted at on their first two releases. For Dead End, R.I.P. worked with legendary producer Billy Anderson, interring onto wax their heaviest and most ambitious album yet. Continuing to move further away from their classic doom influences like Pentagram and Saint Vitus, the band offers a rare blast of originality in a scene rife with formulaic bands. Dead End is a fast and anxious ride where the very idea of doom is put to the test under duress of manic lyrics about death, insanity, and leather, and hook-laden guitar tracks that draw as equally from Nirvana as Black Sabbath.

TRACK LISTING

01. Streets Of Death
02. Judgement Night
03. Dead End
04. Nightmare
05. One Foot In The Grave
06. Death Is Coming
07. Moment Of Silence
08. Buried Alive
09. Out Of Time
10. Dead Of The Night

When R.I.P. came crawling out of the sewers of Portland, Oregon, last year, their grimy, sleazy street doom was already a fully formed monstrosity, quickly infecting the minds of everyone it encountered. Now, borne from the band’s declining mental health and an increased focus on songwriting, Street Reaper is even more unhinged and menacing than their debut In The Wind. Borrowing equally from ’80s Rick Rubin productions and Murder Dog magazine aesthetics, this latest album is a streamlined yet brutally raw manifesto of heavy metal ferocity hearkening to the era when both metal and hip hop were reviled as the work of street thugs intent on destroying America’s youth.

Throughout, Angel Martinez’s guitar and John Mullett’s bass are inextricably interlocked like a massive sonic steamroller, while drummer Willie D keeps the beat solid and simple for the most powerful impact. Plus, the band’s extensive touring and excessive virgin sacrifices have provided singer Fuzz evermore agile vocal chords to drive it all home with extreme precision. Operating on the belief that doom is not tied to a tuning or a time signature, but rather a raw and terrified feeling, R.I.P. eschews well-trodden fantasy and mysticism tropes of the genre and focuses on conveying the horror and chaos inherent in the everyday reality of the human mind.

TRACK LISTING

Unmarked Grave
Street Reaper
Mother Road
The Dark
The Other Side
Shadow Folds
(CD Only TRACKS )
Brimstone
The Cross
The Casket
Die In Vain

'Cleaning Out The Empty Administration Building' is Ross Farrar's latest offering of raw, spoken word abstraction and experimental sound design, presentedhere as R.J.F. The front man for American bands Ceremony and SPICE realized his solo recording project initially as a challenge, to write songs from the ground up, learning the instrumentation and excavating his subconscious in the process. The point was not fluency in musicianship as much as vulnerability; to pull something honest from a moment, unguarded, unpolished, unapologetically amateur and pure. The collection finds Farrar engaged in open-ended poetic dialogue, crossing drum patterns and found sounds with stabs of guitar, bass, and keys. After over twenty years in the comfort and chaos of collaboration, Farrar sheds it all as a test. The results are distinctive and stirring.

Farrar’s punk pathos is present in traces of 'Cleaning...', while his clearest cues come from music built more through repetition: drone, no-wave, Avant-jazz, and beyond. His plainspoken prose nods to Lou Reed, Rowland S. Howard and other weirdo greats. His lyrics riff on love, addiction, fatherhood, and life in the modern world. “I wanted to make images that people can see clearly,”he says. Farrar used to teach writing and literature, and here he applies the simple principle heencouraged his students to follow: don’t overthink it. “I was just saying to myself, these songs should be fun. They shouldn't be stressful. Do a couple of different takes and call it, you know, don't obsess over the sounds of everything. Do whatever comes out naturally, and if you feel it, then print it”. Selected from hundreds of freeform songs he’s recorded on borrowed gear in recent years, the album presented itself over time. “It just kept coming”.

'Cleaning...’s tone has a way of bending time, displacing the listener through a hall of songs, each opening a different door into rooms that often feel eerily familiar. The gurgling bass of opener 'Advance' returns elsewhere, haunting tracks like 'Ovidian', a reference to Metamorphōsēs by the Roman poet Ovid, where Farrar waxes on the wonder of change over distant chimes. Instrumentals 'Gravity Hill', a flutter of buzzing synth and static, and 'Frogs', all strums and pots n’ pans percussion, serve as trance-inducing interstitials, adding to the power of the prosethat surrounds. 'Exile' looks back on fallouts he can no longer repair; “So much of your heart caught in my exile,” he sings with tender resignation, looping a lone piano refrain with ambling guitar chords for the collection’s most structured arrangement, a reminder of Farrar’s knack for melodic phrasings. The album ends on 'Traveling Light From Afar', a full step faster than anything that precedes it. Here, over a backbone of motorik pulses, Farrar addresses the crux of the project head-on. “I’ve been so young in my old age / Selfish & self-pitying / But that’s just narcissism–man.”It is this balance, between gritty self-interrogation and the clarity of self-awareness that comes with getting older, that the artist can make space for progress, emptying out the building, one line at a time. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Advance
2. The Solitude Of Victory
3. Ovidian
4. Gravity Hill
5. In Your City
6. Exile
7. Here Again W/ Birdy
8. Frogs
9. Strawberry
10. Traveling Light From Afar 

Cut from the mega-mix these are five, long play, full length versions of tracks from the OG megamix LP. Featuring two new and unreleased versions of the Robert Owens cut from the record. The Robert Owens accapella was discovered by R+L Productions and licensed officially from Mr. Owens. The other three tracks follow suit and are retouched new extended full length versions from the megamix. Housed in a full picture cover.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Holy grail house music here with pioneering vocalist Robert Owens smothering four early hits from the R&L Productions catalogue. House heads simply cannot miss this!

TRACK LISTING

Give Me Back That Love Feat. Robert Owens (BTG Mix)
Give Me Back That Love Feat. Robert Owens (BTG Box Mix)
Do It To The Music (R&L Street Mix)
Long And Saxy (BTG Fion Mix)
Flex (BTG Edit Of The Bootleg)

I was expecting this to be a shouty pop thing going off the name of the band (and the label to some extent) but it's actually nothing like that at all! Hailing from Syracuse, New York, Ra Ra Riot blend the fury of post punk with melodic orchestral sensibilities to create this sublime pop song full of gently distorted guitars and subtle violins topped with a vocal that swoops and soars beautifully. Very good indeed!

Ami Taf Ra is an LA-based artist of North African heritage who has a long held passion for musical and cultural fusion. Her latest work — ‘The Prophet and The Madman’ — is a musical interpretation of the timeless writings of Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist Khalil Gibran. Heralded for her seamless fusion of Arabic musical traditions like Moroccan gnawa with jazz and gospel, ‘The Prophet and The Madman’ is beautifully cinematic and epic in scope. Composed, produced and arranged by Ami Taf Ra and legendary saxophonist composer and frequent collaborator Kamasi Washington, the album features contributions from a stellar cast of musicians including: Ryan Porter, Miles Mosley, Brandon Coleman, Tony Austin, Cameron Graves, Ronald Bruner Jr., Allakoi Peete, Kahlil Cummings and more. Kamasi’s musical contribution infuses a rich lineage of spiritual jazz, afrocentric philosophy, and orchestral grandiosity.

TRACK LISTING

1. Speak To Us (Intro)
2. How I Became A Madman (feat. Kamasi Washington)
3. The Prophet
4. God
5. Love (feat. Ryan Porter)
6. My Friend (feat. Brandon Coleman)
7. Children
8. Gnawa (feat. Kamasi Washington)
9. Gibran
10. Khalil
11. Speak To Us (Outro)

Nuha Ruby Ra presents new EP Machine Like Me, featuring the singles Self Portraiture and My Voice. 2021’s How To Move EP, released to critical acclaim cemented Nuha as one of the most exciting and provocative new acts in the country. Live shows across UK and Europe followed - both as headliner and supporting the likes of Yard Act, Warmduscher, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard and Viagra Boys - and in 2022 her debut at SXSW in Austin, Texas. She’s also booked prestigious slots on home turf at the likes of Glastonbury and Bluedot, as well as European showcases at Left Of The Dial, Reeperbahn, Grauzone and more.

On this colossally ambitious new EP, Nuha’s drive is plain to hear. She played almost every instrument herself, holed up in a small Essex cabin, from the dirty bass drones of My Voice to Self-Portraiture’s squalling battles between synth and guitar, the lurching punk stomp of 6 In The Morning to the teeming electronics of Slicer, the manic industrial noise of Rise to You Never Know’s sudden strip back into moody ambience.

“The most important thing to me is that I do exactly what I want,” says Nuha Ruby Ra. “Not in a stubborn way, but in the way I need as a person.”

TRACK LISTING

1. My Voice
2. Self Portraiture
3. 6 In The Morning
4. Slicer
5. Rise
6. You Never Know 

Nuha Ruby Ra releases her double A-side 7” “My Voice / Eggshells” on 11 November 2022 via Zen F.C., the label run by Yard Act members James Smith and Ryan Needham. Having bonded during her special guest slot on Yard Act’s May UK tour, Zen FC couldn’t resist asking Nuha to be the next artist in their series of 7”s, following on from Baba Ali and Benefits, not to mention Yard Act’s own early releases.

Nuha says of the release: “Putting out My Voice on 7” with Eggshells on the flip side is a special little world at night in my head. They’re both purgatory in different ways. it’s a special song for me I wasn’t ready to part with. Until James asked me to be further a part of the Yard Act family and release something on Zen FC!

I was in the middle of more crazy touring after I left them and decided giving them Eggshells right now is like giving your new best friend your new favourite toy, to show them you really love them. I sort of forgot other people will hear it. Also the toy is a bit weird. My love for Yard Act, as artists and humans is deep! They’ve grown to mean so much to me over the big tour we did together. I’ve found a real kindred spirit in all of them. Not least to say It’s a real honour to be alongside the brilliant artists on Zen FC, Baba Ali, Benefits, Acid Klaus, Elton John.. I think they’re all very good.”

Yard Act’s James Smith says of the release: “I first witnessed the immense powers of Nuha Ruby Ra on the 31st July 2021, when we shared a new band bill together in the basement of YES Manchester. Covid restrictions had been lifted a week prior and the general etiquette of how to exist in crowded rooms was still being navigated. I watched Nuha's set from the back with a mask on, but the days of rubbing post-show shoulders in the green room were yet to return and so I became a fan, but not yet a friend.

Her debut mini album came through the post not long after and I listened to it relentlessly. I played it to the band, and we unanimously agreed that if she was up for it we would take her on tour with us. She was up for it. Cosmic. Every member of Yard Act and our touring crew made a friend for life in Nuha when we toured together earlier this year. The least we could do is help a friend and gain cool points by releasing such a banging record on our label. Long live Nuha Ruby Ra, the artist and the human.”

Råå spelar Pierce & von Euler (“Råå plays Pierce and von Euler”) is Råå’s third studio album, following the acclaimed Skånes järnvägar (2018) and Ljungens lag (2019). The A - side is comprised of two songs by Spiritualized, and the B - side contains dub - like versions of Stockholm based musician Henrik von Euler’s piano EP, Hemskogen.

“Two years ago, in the late summer, I got the idea to make cover versions of Henr ik von Euler’s EP, Hemskogen . What first sounded like hazy, hungover sketches of Nils Frahm were transformed in my mind into dub. So, I just had to ask his permission. It’s a rather unusual thing to make covers of a whole album, and that just made it even more appealing”, says Magnus Sveningsson. As everyone knows, four songs are rarely enough for an LP. So, it was time to dig up a few old favourites.

“I have loved Spiritualized ever since the release of their debut album, Lazer Guided Melodies , in 1992. I’m especially fond of the slow songs and their abysmal bass lines. “Take Your Time” is one of them, and the idea to make something with it has followed me for a long time. “I Think I’m in Love” is here translated into “Jag tror jag är kär”. The energy of it invites irresponsible late - night driving”, says Magnus Sveningsson.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Ok, it might not be Balearic - but we simply had to squeeze this into our weekly picks! A beguiling mix of kraut, psyche, dub and downbeat, given a quirky Swedish slant. Its beautifully enamoured covers of Spiritualized sit stylishly next to a side of laid back dubs and soundscapes rich enough for the KPMG libraries! Not only that, the artwork and sleeve design are fantastic. GET ON THIS!

TRACK LISTING

Jag Tror Jag Är Kär
Ta Din Tid
Hemskogen I D Moll
Hemskogen I G Moll
Hemskogenm I F Dur
Hemskogen I C Dur

For fans of Indietronic, Dreampop, Lofi.

Bio: Basically we know very little about Frank Rabeyrolles... a PHD in Philosophy, a endless love for funny analog drum machines and tambourines and many dedications in his albums to his beloved cats Leo & Elliot ...Anyway today he's putting the final touch to his 8th album so let's dig up some more about this discreet and unclassifiable French human character.

Discovered in 2004 with "Life Behind A Window " under the Double U alias, he manages to surprise and seduce the public and the press in France (teacher's pet of Les Inrocks) with his dreamy hybrid-pop/songwriting. International press (De bug, Xlr8r,Lodown...) fall as well for the charm of this other vision of "French touch". Frenetically productive, Frank R. keeps up the pace since then, releasing a new album every year, first with Double U then with Franklin, new name which translates his serious desire of continuous mutation.In 2006, he also creates his label Wool Recordings, releasing on vinyls exclusive tracks of Laetitia Sadier, Stereolab's grand lady, Castanets split EP and re-issueing rare sought-after 70's estonian vocal jazz, also inviting new talents like Peter Broderick, Benoit Pioulard...

Without a proper carrier plan, Frank Rabeyrolles manages anyway to remain the same but keeps surprising his followers: with " Artificial light " in 2011 a new step comes along, this solar album meets a better international exposure through a brilliant remix by Com Truise, his synthetic layers and dancing beats seducing as much fashion hipsters than geeky bloggers. Frank Rabeyrolles feels now ready to issue a piece under his own name, putting his soul out in the wild : poetic, fragile and pictural, this upcoming album "#8" loves playing with the rules of contemporary pop.

He says: "The idea of labelling the album with just its rank number in my production is like my own private joke to those who keep looking endlessly for the "next big thing" . Music is a lot more to me than a "genre". It has to be at the crossing of imaginary worlds and mine is somewhere between handmade "Songwriting" and playful electronic variations ...I hope many listeners could bond to those different universes."

TRACK LISTING

Trees 
Your Energy 
Instable Drive 
Listening To Tago Mago 
Cold Tropics 
Eggs No Eggs 
Dirty Window 
Cycling 
Seriously
DIY
Soap And Bubbles 
Black Cat 
Eastern

With the release of 'Communion', the follow up to his acclaimed EP (and Tri Angle debut) 'Baptizm', Rabit shows no signs of letting up. As a sound designer Rabit has continued to push himself into new and compelling territories, reshaping various ‘club’ sounds into something alien and unpredictable, but with the release of this album he’s heavily politicized his music in a way he’d only hinted at before.

The deeply personal aspect of his creative process, and what has been described as an “intangible something“ in his music, resonates with listeners on a gut level, both pushing and pulling the listener into a world of destruction and rebirth. ‘Communion’ is a complex, disorientating album, and one that feels especially timely considering it was primarily inspired by issues relating to sexuality, gender, ownership of our natural bodies, societal and governmental injustices, and media manipulations, the discussion of which have been so prevalent of late. Consequently ‘Communion’ runs the full gamut of emotions; confusion and bewilderment transforming into anger and confrontation, finally ending up in a place of possible hope; the sound of earthly chains on the soul being broken.

TRACK LISTING

1. Advent
2. Snow Leopard
3. Fetal
4. Artemis
5. Ox
6. Flesh Covers The Bone
7. Pandemic
8. Burnerz
9. Glass Harp Interlude
10. Black Gates
11. Trapped In This Body

Grammy-winning artist RAC (Andre Allen Anjos) returns with his highly anticipated new album “BOY”, released on Counter Records following his 2017 release “Ego”. Stand alone single is a cover of the iconic early 2000s hit “Never Let You Go” from Third Eye Blind featuring singer, songwriter, DJ and record producer Matthew Koma and his actress wife Hilary Duff.

Recommended if you like… Odesza, Classixx, Goldroom, St Lucia, Sigala, Rudimental, Tourist, Elderbrook, Big Wild, Jai Wolf, Sigma, Louis The Child

TRACK LISTING

LP:
SIDE A
A1. Rapariga
A2. Boomerang (ft. Luna Shadows)
A3. MIA (ft. Danny Dwyer)
A4. Passion (ft. Louis The Child)
SIDE B
B1. Sweater (ft. Maddie Jay)
B2. Next To You (ft. Emerson Leif)
B3. Toulouse (ft. Minke)
SIDE C
C1. Gomas
C2. Stuck On You (ft. Phil Good)
C3. Together (ft. Evalyn)
C4. Carefree (ft. LeyeT)
C5. Oakland (ft. Winnetka Bowling
League)
SIDE D
D1. Arcoíris
D2. Solo (ft. Gothic Tropic)
D3. Get A Life (ft. Instupendo)
D4. Change The Story (ft. Jamie Lidell)
D5. Dolores Park
D6. Better Days (ft. St. Lucia)

CD
1. Rapariga
2. Boomerang (ft. Luna Shadows)
3. MIA (ft. Danny Dwyer)
4. Passion (ft. Louis The Child)
5. Sweater (ft. Maddie Jay)
6. Next To You (ft. Emerson Leif)
7. Toulouse (ft. Minke)
8. Gomas
9. Stuck On You (ft. Phil Good)
10. Together (ft. Evalyn)
11. Carefree (ft. LeyeT)
12. Oakland (ft. Winnetka Bowling League)
13. Arcoíris
14. Solo (ft. Gothic Tropic)
15. Get A Life (ft. Instupendo)
16. Change The Story (ft. Jamie Lidell)
17. Dolores Park
18. Better Day

Race 'N Rhythm was originally a 12 member jazz group out of Oakland. The members were multiracial, which inspired the name.

The group was managed by jazz-master Rudolph Peters. He also owned the small Oakland based record label "Northstar Records." After playing the local jazz circuit for a few years, the group decided to put out their first and only 7" single. Luckily for Race 'N Rhythmthey were under the guidance of Harvey Scales's right hand "William Scott Harralson.", William was a brilliant soul pianist and songwriter. Aside from all the work he did with Harvey Scales, he also co-produced two amazing Bay Area record grails; 'Debravon Lewis - The Little Things" and 'The Stars - (We Are The Star's)'.

With the local success of the single, the group signed on to record a full album titled "Album One". Members Sharon Nance and Gerald Goudeau worked closely together, finding romance, and eventually they got married. They became the driving force behind the groups further success. For decades Race 'N Rhythm played and toured Japan, Canada and all the United States. Sharon and Gerald continued working together until Sharon's passing last October.

TRACK LISTING

1. Space Saver
2. Candybar Superstar

A group who thrive in their songcraft while picking apart the everyday to find the hidden relationships within, Aberystwyth’s Race Horses return with new album ‘Furniture’ and lead-off single ‘My Year Abroad’.

Indicative of the new album’s tight, compact songwriting, ‘My Year Abroad’ sees the band make their most defined steps forward yet and hone in on the pin-sharp pop that lead singer Meilyr Jones has cited as recent influences, such as Soft Cell, Dexy’s Midnight Runners and Queen.

‘My Year Abroad’ is typical of Jones’ lyrical perspective. It focuses on the tale of a businessman on a trip to Tokyo, but digs under the surface level to find, as he puts it, “the grim reality, not the glamorisation of excess, using things and people, cheap thrills.”

Features Welsh language B-side ‘Cysur a Cyffro’.

Limited to 500 bright yellow coloured 7”s with postcard and tracing paper insert. Includes business card with phone number - fans are invited to leave messages for the band.

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: Pin-sharp pop influenced by Soft Cell, Dexy’s Midnight Runners and Queen. Limited to 500 bright yellow coloured 7”s with postcard and tracing paper insert.

TRACK LISTING

My Year Abroad
Cysur A Cyffro

"Acid Or Blood" is Racebannon's most caustic, abrasive, fluid, and balls-out riff-heavy endeavor. Eleven tracks of unchecked emotion (recorded by Mike Bridavsky of Russian Recording and mastered by Bob Weston) unfurl as the band unleashes its working-class destruction without a care in the world for convention or marketability. Songs like "The Hard Way", "Terror And Dread", "Translucent Lifeforce", and "Vampyric Solution" showcase this killing machine at their most lethal and original. But just in case you didn't get the memo, Racebannon doesn't give a fuck what you think, and make sure you take your shoes off when you step on their carpet. Brace yourself for the impact of "Acid Or Blood", which will take no prisoners, and make no apologies.

Racebannon craft a sordid tale of woe, depression, excitement, accolade, fear, rise, fall, alpha and omega through a five part aural aria of the pleasures and pain of the rock'n'roll lifestyle. Tracks often go from a funeral dirge to defiant and pompous to a spaced out overdose. One for fans of The Melvins, Icarus Line and Jesus Lizard.

Daniel Rachel's second album "A Taste Of Money" has a glorious upbeat feel, with captivating, luscious string arrangements, fantastically catchy pop chorus' and beautiful, bitter-sweet ballads.

In 1979, 2 Tone exploded into the national conscience as records by The Specials, The Selecter, Madness, The Beat, and The Bodysnatchers burst onto the charts and a youth movement was born.

2 Tone was black and white: a multi-racial force of British and Caribbean island musicians singing about social issues, racism, class and gender struggles. It spoke of injustices in society and took fight against right wing extremism.

The music of 2 Tone was exuberant: white youth learning to dance to the infectious rhythm of ska and reggae; and crossed with a punk attitude to create an original hybrid. The idea of 2 Tone was born in Coventry, masterminded by a middle-class art student raised in the church. Jerry Dammers had a vision of an English Motown. Borrowing £700, the label's first record featured 'Gangsters' by The Specials' backed by an instrumental track by the, as yet, unformed, Selecter. Within two months the single was at number six in the national charts. Dammers signed Madness, The Beat and The Bodysnatchers as a glut of successive hits propelled 2 Tone onto Top of the Pops and into the hearts and minds of a generation. However, soon infighting amongst the bands and the pressures of running a label caused 2 Tone to bow to an inevitable weight of expectation and recrimination.

Still under the auspices of Jerry Dammers, 2 Tone entered in a new phase. Perhaps not as commercially successful as its 1979-1981 incarnation the label nevertheless continued to thrive for a further four years releasing a string of fresh signings and a stunning endpiece finale in '(Free) Nelson Mandela'.

Told in three parts, Too Much Too Young is the definitive story of a label that for a brief, bright burning moment, shaped British culture.

'Grip Your Fist, I'm Heaven Bound' is the debut album from Michigan based seven-piece band, Racing Mount Pleasant, formerly known as Kingfisher.

TRACK LISTING

1. Intro (Shannondale Road)
2. Annie
3. Reichenbach Falls
4. Talus (Song For John)
5. Holy Hell
6. Snowing, All At Once
7. Grip Your Fist
8. Regulate
9. Heaven Bound, Home
10. Do You Think I'm Pretty

Sophomore, self-titled album from Michigan based seven-piece band, Racing Mount Pleasant, formerly known as Kingfisher. Emotional, transcendental, and lush.

TRACK LISTING

1. Your New Place
2. Tenspeed (Shallows)
3. Heavy Red
4. Emily
5. Seminary
6. You
7. You Pt. 2
8. Racing Mount Pleasant
9. Call It Easy
10. Outlast
11. 34th Floor
12. Seyburn
13. Your Old Place

Review from 2006:
I'm sure you know the score with these guys anyway, but just incase you don't: The Raconteurs consist of Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler from The Greenhornes, Brendan Benson and Jack White. While each of these four individuals have had successful careers with their own bands, the culmination of all of their talents is what truly makes The Raconteurs a force to be reckoned with. The quartet convened at Benson's East Grand Studio to lay down the basic tracks for "Broken Boy Soldiers". Work would continue whenever the boys could get together over the next year - although actual recording only took a couple of weeks in total. The album draws influences from early blues (as you'd expect from the line-up), along classic rock from the 60s to the present day. From the ready-made, radio-friendly quality built into songs like "Steady, As She Goes", to the explosive tenacity of "Store Bought Bones", all the way down to the lullabies that encompass the full length recording, The Raconteurs are more than capable of conquering any genre challenge or tale that they encounter. After all, a raconteur is, by definition, a deft storyteller. And now a new story is unfolding.

Review from 2008:
'With this release, The Raconteurs are forgoing the usual months of lead time for press and radio set up, as well as forgoing the all important 'first week sales'. We wanted to explore the idea of releasing an album everywhere at once and THEN marketing and promoting it thereafter. The Raconteurs would rather this release not be defined by it's first weeks sales, pre-release promotion, or by someone defining it FOR YOU before you get to hear it. Another purpose was to also allow people to have their own choice as to exactly which format they would like to hear the album in IMMEDIATELY, rather than having to wait for their favorite format to become available. The band are also not releasing any version of this record that contains bonus tracks. Musically this album will be the same as the band created it no matter what format it is purchased in (The sound quality of each format however, is a different story. The Raconteurs recommend hearing it on vinyl, but the choice is of course up to the listener).'
Sincerely, The Raconteurs.

'Help Us Stranger' is The Raconteurs' third studio LP and first new album in more than a decade. It sees the mighty combo reassembled, stronger and perhaps even more vital than ever before as they continue to push rock 'n' roll forward into its future, bonding prodigious riffs, blues power, sinewy psychedelia, Detroit funk, and Nashville soul via Benson and White’s uncompromising songcraft and the band’s steadfast musical muscle. With 'Help Us Stranger' The Raconteurs have returned right when they are needed most, unified and invigorated with boundless ambition, infinite energy and a collectivist spirit operating at the peak of its considerable powers, once again creating a sound and fury only possible when all four of its members come together.

White and Benson wrote all the songs on 'Help Us Stranger' except one cover, “Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness),” which was written by Donovan. Recorded at Third Man Studio in Nashville, TN, the album was produced by The Raconteurs and engineered by Joshua V. Smith. Longtime friends and musical collaborators helped make 'Help Us Stranger', including keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Dean Fertita (The Dead Weather, Queens of the Stone Age) and Lillie Mae Rische and her sister Scarlett Rische. The album was mixed by Vance Powell and The Raconteurs at Blackbird Studios in Nashville.

STAFF COMMENTS

Mine says: After focusing on his solo career and his label Third Man Records, Jack White is reuniting with his Raconteurs for their first studio album since 2008. They pick up where they left off (ish) and, taking it up a notch, create an album that feels more energetic than its predecessors. Fans of Jack White's latest solo album will probably dig this.

TRACK LISTING

Bored And Razed
Help Me Stranger
Only Child
Don’t Bother Me
Shine The Light On Me
Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying)
Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness)
Sunday Driver
Now That You’re Gone
Live A Lie
What’s Yours Is Mine
Thoughts And Prayers

Planet Mu presents ‘ADDLE’ – Bogdan Raczynski’s first album of new music in 15 years. Marking a change from the high-octane jungle tekno braindance for which he is most commonly known, here we find the Polish American musician in a more melodic and zen-like place of peace, which is ergonomic and decluttered, whilst also bittersweet and tinged with melancholy. ‘ADDLE’ is closest in spirit to 2001’s tender ‘myloveilove’, or the light-hearted ditties of this year’s ‘BANANS’ EP, but is also a markedly new milestone. A robust and bottom-heavy rhythm section juxtaposes with sad electronic tear jerkers, at points laced with the soft cooing wail of his vocals, which are loaded with a haunting, heavy and almost wounded emotion. Bogdan comments “Calm is great. You need to take a breather in the eye of the storm now and then. But the real growth happens in turbulence, when your feelings oscillate in and out of sync. It’s not dry land you’re after. You’re trying to build a new island while on a piddly raft. Beleaguered and weary you lay the foundation with your bare hands while the rain lashes your back; a new place for you and yours to moor yourself to until the next storm hits. ‘ADDLE’ is about that storm, its adjacent periphery, and what you look like, in and out, when you set foot. As space and time push against you, that process of adapting becomes an anchor. Among that state of being addled, out of flow, seemingly untethered, there is beauty.”

Although less unhinged and riotous than some of his previous work, ‘ADDLE’ is no less impactful. Lean, punchy and purposeful, this seemingly simple combination of beats and melody belies a razor sharp skill, which bursts with verve and virtuosity. Across its eight unique and moving tracks the listener experiences tenderness, feelings somewhere between unease and comfort, and a sense of reflection, with Bogdan seemingly gazing at twinkling stars, but with his view distorted by welling-up. Sonically, spaces range from razor-sharp choppage, juddering heavyweight head-nodders, bit-crushed siren squall and something akin to Philip Glass’ ‘Candyman’ score played through a high-tech-fairy-tale music box. There’s also a warming, life-affirming moment as close to deep house as Bogdan will ever comfortably get, neck-snapping metallic percussion, Casiotone on steroids and reverberant warehouse throb. Booming drum machines are a prominent factor too – reminiscent of early hip hop instrumentals – but spirited off somewhere, lost in purgatory. Bogdan Raczynski (born 1977) is a Polish-American electronic musician. Raczynski’s work draws inspiration from the chaotic breakbeats of jungle and hardcore rave as well as traditional Polish music and other sources. He has collaborated with Bjork, remixed Autechre, CLPNG and Jonsi from Sigur Ross, and toured with Aphex Twin, who commented how “his records are so underrated.” Bogdan was also a roster mainstay of Richard James’s seminal Rephlex label, with additional releases on Warp, Ghostly, Disciples and Unknown to the Unknown. A keen proponent of tech, he created a sample pack using pollution and recently collaborated with Polyend on a custom made banana-themed tracker.

TRACK LISTING

2LP
A:
1/LADDE
2/DLEDA
3/DLAED

B:
1/ELDDA
2/EADLD

C:
1/LDDAE
2/ADLDE

D:
1/ALDDE

Disciples follow up the raid on the archives of Black Lodge with ‘Rave "Till You Cry" by enigmatic producer Bogdan Raczynski, a collection of unreleased tracks and versions. Raczynski arrived on the scene in 1999 with not one but three albums released in quick succession that year alone on Rephlex Records. A unique operator even by Braindance standards, rumoured to have been discovered by Aphex Twin whilst sleeping rough in Tokyo. A steady stream of records followed, hyperactive broadsides of percussion set off by a winning knack for the buried earworm melody, much like his mentor Richard D James. He also memorably collaborated with Björk and remixed Autechre for Warp’s "10+3" compilation but things have been quiet since the release of his last studio album "Alright!" in 2007.

"Rave ‘Till You Cry" signals a return across 18 tracks selected and sequenced by Disciples, joining the dots between the outsider junglism of the "96 Drum n Bass Classixxx" ‘compilation’ and his earliest rephlexions on hallucinatory, bassbin-rattling IDM with "Boku Mo Wakaran". Across one CD or four sides of vinyl, the joyous sugar-rush tunes of classic 1990s Nintendo games meet drill-like breaks, ambient drone and slabs of bit-crushed noise. It also showcases a more introspective side to the Bogdan sound, the soundtrack to a labyrinth of tunnels loaded up with gurners starting to feel unwell as the early hours begin to dissipate into the harsh rays of morning light.

Much like the recent resurgence of Digital Hardcore’s Christoph De Babalon and the off-kilter time signature of recent records by Demdike Stare and Rian Treanor, Bogdan Raczynski’s return is a timely reminder of menace and beauty contained within irregular rhythm science. 

TRACK LISTING

156 S2n
134 32iii
318 22t7
220 S3d
329 15h
220 S1c
307 33m15
332 23t422
309 14ae2
213 213r
220 S2c
356 34h12
306 24n812
306 41dr
210 31c22
220 S5d
355 44ir
204 Fr

The perfect soundtrack to your next doomscrolling session. A new double disc anthology set from Rephlex alumni Bogdan Raczynski, which pairs his critically-acclaimed 2024 album, 'You’re Only Young Once But You Can Stupid Forever', with the 2025 companion set (previously only available digitally), 'Slow Down Stupid'.

The main album is a collection of warmly melodic electronic sketches, with tracks alternately drifting beatless on the breeze or underpinned by lo-fi drums, sometimes barely held together with a delicate construction of odd synth patches and ping-pong percussion. Mojo called it ““a satisfyingly lo-fi, fragile creation, it’s a nuanced, multi-layered insight into Raczynski’s increasingly becalmed world.” whilst DJ Mag said “By stripping the music to the barest sketetal parts, he discovers a more subtle, yet equally confounding beauty. It’s one worth taking from start to finish.”

On the second disc, the producer stretches out the material into even more languid sonic pastures, a cheeky deconstruction of both the ‘slowed and reverbed’ phenomenon, and the endless relax/yoga/meditation app/playlist hustle beaming from one dystopian tech platform to the next.

TRACK LISTING

CD1 - You’re Only Young Once But You Can Stupid Forever:
1. Gearee
2. Newdiv
3. Fairalign
4. Coughyspns
5. Bangsaft
6. Djstus
7. Hundrecision
8. Zownthram
9. Visionsrevisions
10. Bowgh
11. Fallybli
12. Faq
13. Yewt
14. Shttwobe
15. Sicksicksicks
16. Deweyedair
17. Rew
18. Gauq

CD2 - Slow Down Stupid:
1. Order Is A Fig
2. Meant For Our Imagination
3. What Is Real Is Blood
4. The Lengths The Worst Will Go
5. To Say She Hates It
6. Say It Before
7. Say It After
8. If Smart Is In Charge
9. Let Me Be
10. Stupid Forever
11. Slow Down

A collection of warmly melodic electronic sketches, with tracks alternately drifting beatless on the breeze or underpinned by lo-fi drums, sometimes barely held together with a delicate construction of odd synth patches and ping-pong percussion. Each piece is short and to the point, a record of perfect miniatures. Whilst this description may sound utopian, the album is conceived around themes of late stage capitalist brutality, hyper consumerism, online doom and alogorhithmic apocalypse. Beauty in the face of planetary collapse and 24/7 livestreamed genocide.

Rumoured to have been discovered by Aphex Twin sleeping on a park bench in Tokyo, Raczynski first appeared on the scene in 1999 with 3 albums in that year alone. He went on to explore hallucinatory, bassbin-rattling IDM, outsider junglism and traditional Polish folk music amongst other paths, collaborated with Björk, produced a soundtrack for a PlayStation game, and remixed the likes of Autechre, Jonsi, and CLIPPING. In 2019, Disciples began looking after his Rephlex era catalogue, putting together the Rave 'Till You Cry compilation of unreleased gold from the vaults, and reissuing his classic Samurai Math Beats LP. His last studio album, ADDLE, came out on Planet Mu in 2022.

"Bogdan was a massive inspiration for some of my tracks on the Drukqs album, the fact he was doing it all on a shit PC tracker… totally amazing. This was before 99.9 percent of people used the computer for everything. His records are so underrated." - Aphex Twin

TRACK LISTING

1. Gearee
2. Newdiv
3. Fairalign
4. Coughyspns
5. Bangsaft
6. Djstus
7. Hundrecision
8. Zownthram
9. Visionsrevisions
10. Bowgh
11. Fallybli
12. Faq
13. Yewt
14. Shttwobe
15. Sicksicksicks
16. Deweyedair
17. Rew
18. Gauq

On the toes of their sophomore LP, also due out on HoZac this year, this single slings two tracks that really define a new direction for the band. Since the last release, Radar Eyes have gone through a line-up change, now including Russ Calderwood, known from such Chicago luminary bands as The Brides, The Dirges, and most recently, The Runnies.

"And for those who couldn’t keep their ears off the their “Shakes” or “Miracle” singles, don’t fret, that soaring psych-pop and those twangy guitar harmonies haven’t eluded their deep clutch on modern rock’n’roll songwriting. The A-side, “Positive Feedback,” has the same brilliant and glorious vocal interplay and ardent guitar strangling that sold us on them years ago, and all your panting over the Paisley Underground and JAMC comparisons will still be relevant, and we guarantee it will get you laid." – Victimoftime.com

We've been waiting for this moment from Radar Eyes for years. This debut album is more of a pinnacle of modern noise pop than just another invigorating album to get warmed up to on a cold morning. Soaring guitars and heavenly vocal interplay, all screaming along with such interstellar melody and power, you'd think they were on the brink of signing to Creation Records. They have been quietly building an explosive array of hits for the past few years, and now their incredible shine has become unavoidable as they crush together spacey noise with pop hooks so devastating, we just had to ask them to put out their debut album.

Here, finally on the LP format they're best suited for, they've aligned their angelic guitar transcendency to come to full fruition, heralding a fresh new layer of palpitating excitement to their timeless sound they've honed to such a fine point. This is a band that understands how to control themselves under all the constraints, firing off powerfully direct, gigantic synthesized pop anthems that twist and turn with the best of their influences and lock themselves deep inside your head.

RIYL: Spacemen 3, Ride, Bubblegum Lemonade, The Ponys, The Seeds, Meat Whiplash etc...

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: Ace indie-jangly 60's fuzz-drenched guitars on the debut album from Radar Eyes. This is exactly the sort of album that Creation Records would of licensed back in the day. Recommended!

'Vomitorium' is the new album from ever-evolving Eindhoven band Radar Men From The Moon. Due out August 16th on Fuzz Club, it's an eight-track collection of abrasive experimental punk that unleashes their latest line-up and musical incarnation in typically confrontational form. Revelling in cathartic excess and a bludgeoning intensity, they power through 90s industrial electronics, discordant noise-rock and the darkest post-punk extremes. "The album features eight mental landscapes, all with an entrance and an exit, just like a vomitorium of a Roman theatre", Radar Men From The Moon write: "Power structures that are constantly aroused and working against each other." On this recording, the band is made up of founding members Glenn Peeters (guitar) and Tony Lathouwers (drums), alongside second drummer Joep Schmitz, Bram Van Zuijlen (guitar/synths), Niek Manders (bass) and new vocalist Niels Koster. 'Vomitorium' is the band's eighth full-length in an extensive, shape-shifting discography that has also seen collaborations with the likes of Gnod (as Temple ov BBV), The Cosmic Dead and 10 000 Russos.

TRACK LISTING

1. Speech Of The Hammer
2. Psychic Warfare Now!
3. Vomitorium
4. Liberation
5. Altered States
6. My Body Is An Event
7. Confusion
8. Open Door To Vices

Glass Modern is very proud to present the debut album by Radhika Meera Dade. 'Cine-Pop' is a collection of songs that flow gently and easily in and out of each other - a suite, a short film, everything an album should be. Coming in at 33.3 minutes, it’s the perfect length for an album, it doesn’t short change you, it doesn’t stay too long - it’s designed to be played in one sitting. It’s like being in a friend’s house and noticing the things that are most important in their life - objects, family portraits, records, musical equipment, their curated accumulation. It reflects so many things - culture, community, fandom and the incredible bond between Radhika and her father, Sushil, the Future Pilot AKA. The record spans generations and continents but its home is always Radhika and the family jams she made with Sushil in various garages, bedrooms and garden dens - her soaring voice and love of all kinds of music from Bollywood to Goth Pop to The Glasgow School. The songs are collected from memory and the immediacy of time - one goes all the way back to her 10 year old self penning 'Future Me', an eco anthem. In different moments other musicians appear - most notably key collaborator, Eric MacDonald, on hazy synth and keys, and Radhika’s mother Vinita, who has a gorgeous voice too. The Glasgow School is very present - Mitch Mitchell (The Pastels) , Gerard Love (Lightships/ ex-Teenage Fanclub) and Tracyanne Campbell (Camera Obscura) all bring their casual magic to the table. 'Cine-Pop', mostly made in Glasgow at La Chunky Studio with the excellent Colin McGeogh (who also contributes flute, keys and electronics) is a one-off. It’s unrepeatable - there, gone. It’s the world through the eyes of a dazzling young Indo-Scottish woman. Everything she is has gone into it, is part of it and is there for a reason. Following on from the first single, 'Starry Eyes', which was played multiple times on BBC 6Music and other stations, other singles to be released from the album include 'Feline Bandits' plus a version of the Strawberry Switchblade classic 'Since Yesterday'. Radhika will also be collaborating with Glasgow-based film maker, Laura Meek, on promos and the plan is to play live throughout the year.

TRACK LISTING

1. Theme From R.A.D.H.I.K.A (For David Lynch) Ft Mitch Mitchell
2. Feline Bandits Ft Mitch Mitchell
3. Starry Eyes Ft Gerry Love & Mitch Mitchell
4. Sleep W/ Tracyanne Campbell (Camera Obscura)
5. Tum Hi Ho Ft Vinita Dade
6. Intermission Theme (Slight Return)
7. Since Yesterday W/Mitch Mitchell/Tracyanne Campbell
8. Cocoa Butter Eyes
9. Future Me
10. Theme From R.A.D.H.I.K.A (For Lalo & Laeticia)
11. Nowhere Near Ft Gerry Love & Tracyanne Campbell
12. (Secret Track)

One time only fan club pressing of this Radio 4 "Live In France" LP. It was recorded live in Paris in the spring of 2003. The sound quality is great, in fact it sounds like it came straight off the board. There were 1000 pressed and when they are gone, that's it...no more will follow.

12 tracks of shake your ass, swing your hips, garage punk rock. The Radio Beats first release is imbued with catchy Devil Dogs riffs, guitar speed of the Dwarves, and it is actually louder than Iggy Pop's "Raw Power". Listen to this release and the Radio Beats will have you dancing the night away like you were hepped up on speed or downing ephedrine all night. The Radio Beats travelled all the way from Pittsburgh, PA to Virginia Beach to record this record with their idol, Steve Baise of Devil Dogs and Vikings fame. Steve in a weekend power session, recorded these twelve tracks and dug deep down in the mix to bring you all the hooks that any garage punk rock band needs.

- This is the 1995 remix version of the album
- Never before released on vinyl
- Remastered and cut to lacquer
- Same front cover as the original though the back has been altered
- The inner sleeve contains liner notes explaining the genesis of the remix
- FFO: MC5, The Stooges, The Saints

Living Eyes was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales during a break in the band’s 1978 tour of Britain and Europe. Relations between members were falling apart and Sire had dropped the band prior to the start of recording. Their breakup soon followed. Initial releases of the album were cut from a tape dub of trial mixes as the band never received an official master. In 1994 the original tapes were retrieved from Rockfield and remixed in Australia for a CD only release. This is the first time the remix version has been released on vinyl. It has been remaster and cut to lacquer.

TRACK LISTING

1. More Fun
2. T.P.B.R. Combo
3. 455 SD
4. Do The Movin' Change
5. I 94
6. Iskender Time
7. Burn My Eye '78
8. Time To Fall
9. Smith And Wesson Blues
10. Crying Sun
11. Breaks My Heart
12. Alone In The Endzone
13. Hanging On

By the turn of the century, Radio Birdman was increasingly popular as a "legacy" band. Crowds were happy to hear their signature songs from the seventies and there were plenty of gigs. But the band wasn't satisfied. With a new drummer on board, they decided to write and record an album of all new original tracks. The result was the 2006 album 'Zeno Beach'. The album explored uncharted territory, with more members writing songs, and the performances reflected the band's musical evolution. 'Zeno Beach', long out of print and unavailable, has now been remastered for a high quality vinyl release. Top notch cutting by master engineer Levi Seitz and the highest quality pressing at Third Man has resulted in the best possible presentation of 'Zeno Beach', heard now as never before.

TRACK LISTING

1. WE’VE COME SO FAR (TO BE HERE TODAY)
2. YOU JUST MAKE IT WORSE
3. SUBTERFUGE
4. FOUND DEAD
5. IF YOU SAY PLEASE
6. DIE LIKE APRIL
7. HEYDAY
8. REMORSELESS
9. HUNGRY CANNIBALS
10. THE BROTHERHOOD OF AL WAZAH
11. ZENO BEACH

A long overdue retrospective from the kings of Antipodean Punk Rock & Roll.

"We have just finished our 4th full-length album, 'Running Out Of Love'. An album about life in Sweden in 2016 and how our society seems to be in regression on so many levels. Politically, intellectually, morally...It's an album about all the things that are moving in the wrong direction. It's about the impatience that turns into anger, hate and ultimately withdrawal and apathy when love for the world and our existence begins to falter." - The Radio Dept.

The band was formed in the early 2000's and released their debut 'Lesser Matters' on Labrador in 2003, later re-issued on XL in 2004. The album is considered a Swedish classic and appeared on the NME "Albums of the decade" list in 2009.

In 2006 Sophia Coppola chose to feature three of their songs in the film ‘Marie Antoinette’ which further helped them to achieve worldwide recognition and the same year the critically acclaimed album 'Pet Grief' was released and they topped the charts and received the 'best new music' accolade on Pitchfork.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: 'They're using a lot of minor keys here, it seems quite sad' might say someone who isn't getting paid to write something more profound than that, but they'd be right! It is not a self-indulgently gloomy take on things, but more of a resigned apathy towards the state of the world today. Equally adept at pulsing synthetic new-wave electronic pieces as they are at melodic pop songs , this is a seamless and confident combination of the two, And a brilliant collection of emotive gems.

TRACK LISTING

Sloboda Narodu
Swedish Guns
We Got Game
Thieves Of State
Occupied
This Thing Was Bound To Happen
Can't Be Guilty
Commited To The Cause
Running Out Of Love
Teach Me To Forget

The empty words ep release is the latest marker in an unstoppable year which has seen radio free alice play six sold out headline shows in london and a further seven shows around the uk and in ireland, feature in the nme 100 and monster children’s bright young things, perform accompanying a runway show at melbourne fashion festival, take part in their first luxury fashion photoshoot with prada for the cover of 10 men australia, bring two nominations at the air awards, make their debut at sxsw austin, and their much-talked-about empty words single tour across so-called australia which saw them sell out three night cats back-to-back in naarm/melbourne and two oxford art factories on gadigal land in sydney with crowds hanging on to every moment throughout.

TRACK LISTING

1. Empty Words
2. Toyota Camry
3. Chinese Resturant
4. Regret

Radio Free Alice sound like the sense of freedom you get when your bouncing up and down in the mosh. This fast-rising, Naarm-based sextet are our hot tip for summer, with a sound so moreish we can’t help but go back for more. Put Radio Free Alice on, cut about your bedroom and get excited before they unavoidably start skyrocketing.

TRACK LISTING

1. 2010
2. Johnny
3. Spain
4. On The Ground

What a debut. A hint of New York, but actually, it's from Naarm. Singularity, angularity, passion. A driving force of guitars that doff their hat to The Walkmen and The Strokes but know and understand the melody of Talking Heads and The Cure. And a group that aren't afraid to use a saxophone, either.

TRACK LISTING

1. Waste Of Space
2. Paris Is Gone
3. I Gotta (Fall In Love)
4. Look What You’ve Done

Certain paths necessitate and call for one singular long sequence in order to arrive at a fully formed conversation or reasoning. Nothing seems to broadcast it more clearly than the trajectory Brussels based Italo-Vietnamese artist Nguyễn Zen Mỹ embarked on during the last decade as Radio Hito.

After a string of highly cherished and sought out tape releases, Radio Hito’s new album ‘L’uso e gli attributi del cuore’, co-released by Maple Death & Meakusma, unfolds with devastating clarity, a profound balance of depth, minimalism and emotional grounding. A ten-sequence song cycle for voice and MIDI soundfonts adapted from the 2021 book by French poet Claude Royet-Journoud. Written and recorded between January 2023 and August 2025, the cycle evolved through nearly 80 live performances from Galicia to Kazakhstan before arriving at its recorded form. Set to an Italian libretto adapted from Royet-Journoud’s text ‘L'usage et les attributs du cœur’ (POL, 2021), the work revisits the tradition of the 19th-century Lied — art song built on existing poetry — transposed into a radically economical contemporary setting: voice and Casio CTK workstations.

"I was interested by this incompleteness CRJ mentions - by the ‘suspension’ of meaning questioning readability and intelligibility. I ‘resisted’ to CRJ’s texts since I met him and got to know his work. […] It seems to me that when playing the songs, I submit an object to be completed by the audience."

Radio Hito’s distinctive approach to setting poetry to music — spare arrangements, strophic repetition, and a voice suspended between recital, fm transmission and canzone — creates a language of its own, reaching new heights on ‘L’uso e gli attributi del cuore’, songs that are formally rigorous, emotionally restrained, and shaped by the discipline of sustained live performance, interlocking into a coherent cycle.

Rather than illustrating the poem, Radio Hito approaches it as a space of suspension. Royet-Journoud described poetry as a “profession of ignorance,” where meaning remains incomplete; these songs extend that trembling state, allowing repetition, digital timbre, and restraint to hold the text open.

Often misread as minimal synth or romantic chanson, Radio Hito’s practice is rooted instead in the lineage of the art song and song cycle: open structures, close attention to language, and a live performance economy that pushes the voice at the heart of the stage. The choice of accessible keyboard workstations — light, portable, and embedded in contemporary popular culture — replaces the historical piano. Radio Hito creates fantastical, mirage-like songs, intimate yet elusive. Her music is forlorn chanson for the digital age; bringing her haunting and beautiful vocalisations into conversation with MIDI soundfonts and humble-yet-deep casio compositions. Music that strides for simplicity, yet lands miraculously within an entire new universe, a uniqueness achieved from like-minded spirits such as Ghedalia Tazartès, Savina Yannatou & Lena Platonos, Dorothy Carter, cycles that trickle down into estuaries.

TRACK LISTING

1. Seguiamo I Margini
2. Il Singolare
3. Nella Notte
4. Davanti Agli Occhi
5. Al Diciassettesimo Passo
6. Un Rumore
7. Sono Dei Viventi
8. Les Cercles D’appartenance (rilettura)
9. Il Corpo Vicino
10. Igor (L’amore Di Una Descrizione)

Radio Moscow’s popularity is growing rapidly, as more and more fans tune in to their unique brand of American psychedelic blues rock. Radio Moscow’s music is rooted in the power trio sound of the late sixties and early seventies, and they have been compared to Blue Cheer, Hendrix, Cream, Ten Years After, and similar bands from the golden age of rock’n’roll. The band is the brain child of guitarist/drummer/singer/songwriter Parker Griggs, with Zach Anderson on bass, and Cory Berry handling the drums on stage. They released their first “self-titled” album on Alive Naturalsound records in 2007, produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. The record received rave reviews and praise worldwide, and in 2009 their second album, the hard-grooving stoner rock album “Brain Cycles” was released, also on Alive Naturalsound.

This, their 3rd album, is their most psychedelic and powerful work to date. It was recorded, mixed, and mastered analog at the legendary Prairie Sun recording in Northern California. In order to achieve the true natural sound they were looking for, the band used vintage Supro, Gibson, and Alamo amps, as well as other off-beat gems, while Parker Griggs sometimes ran his vocals through a tape echo, a Leslie cabinet or an old Gibson reverb tank. The Great Escape of Leslie Magnafuzz is an amazing album that updates an old-school style with craft, passion and plenty of psychedelics.

TRACK LISTING

1. Little Eyes
2. No Time
3. Speed Freak
4. Creepin'
5. Turtle Back Rider
6. Densaflorativa
7. I Don't Need Nobody
8. Misleading Me
9. Summer Of 1942
10. Insideout
11. Deep Down Below
12. Open Your Eyes

Radiohead's ninth LP proper sees them once again couple with mega-producer Nigel Godrich. Together they have created possibly the band's most coherent record of their whole career.  Some of these songs date well back in time and that coupled with the accessibility of comeback single Burn The Witch and their recent  dare-I-say fan-pleasing set-lists suggest a group finally comfortable in their own skin, embracing all that they really are.  So you do still get electronica, but less of the fractured kind. Sure, Thom still sings of alienation, doubt and paranoia, but  in the most beautiful way imaginable. These songs  build and build, swept into shape by Johnny Greenwood's London Contemporary Orchestra strings, peppered with psych-folk and even dub reggae vibes. It's heavy, (let's face it) depressive, but eminently listenable. One for diehards, but crucially, the casual listeners too. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: These songs build and build, swept into shape by Johnny Greenwood's London Contemporary Orchestra strings, peppered with psych-folk and even dub reggae vibes. It's heavy, (let's face it) depressive, but eminently listenable. One for diehards, but crucially, the casual listeners too. One of the last bands standing that truly matter to their people. They just don't disappoint!

TRACK LISTING

Burn The Witch
Daydreaming
Decks Dark
Desert Island Disk
Ful Stop
Glass Eyes
Identikit
The Numbers
Present Tense
Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor Rich Man Poor Man Beggar Man Thief
True Love Waits

The follow up to  "Kid A" finds Radiohead continuing their experiments of the previous album but with added structure and a stronger 'song' base. This all adds up to a phenomenal album of vision and depth that will disappoint no one.

TRACK LISTING

1 Packt Like Sardines In A Crushed Tin Box
2 Pyramid Song
3 Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors
4 You And Whose Army?
5 I Might Be Wrong
6 Knives Out
7 Morning Bell/Amnesiac
8 Dollars & Cents
9 Hunting Bears
10 Like Spinning Plates
11 Life In A Glasshouse

Has anyone ever done this before? Achieved massive commercial success and followed it with three totally uncompromising, madly unexpected records. You have to admire their integrity. This album is something of a consolidation of their post- "OK Computer" direction. While it's choc-ful of analogue electronics, jazz-rock oddness, techno Gothic wierdness, scatterbrained drum-machines and insanely-inspiring words - there is actually more to properly grab a hold of this time. There's a number of conventional(ish!) piano songs including one acheingly gorgeous standout called "Sail To The Moon". There's also more obvious(ish!) rockier moments like "2+2=5" which ends in punky, thrashed guitar, and "A Punch-Up At A Wedding" that has lyrics you can follow (!!) and a sweet, undulating bassline. This album's just as challenging as the last two, but a lot more rewarding.

Live album comprising mainly of material from "Kid A" and "Amnesiac", and the featured songs here take on a new and looser life. Also featured is the long unreleased classic "True Love Waits", this is an essential accompaniment to their last two albums.

TRACK LISTING

1 The National Anthem (Live In France)
2 I Might Be Wrong (Live)
3 Morning Bell (Live In Oxford)
4 Like Spinning Plates (Live)
5 Idioteque (Live In Oxford)
6 Everything In Its Right Place (Live In France)
7 Dollars & Cents (Live)
8 True Love Waits (Live In Oslo)

Following the landmark independent digital release of Radiohead's seventh LP whereby customers could name their own price, the experimental British rock stalwarts finally issued "In Rainbows" in its physical formats. Musically, this release can be seen as a logical culmination of much of the band's previous work, incorporating the avant-garde electronics of later records and more traditional guitar-heavy elements synonymous with their inception. The overt political themes of previous album "Hail To The Thief" are largely jettisoned for an altogether more romantic milieu, with songs such as "Videotape" and "Nude" showcasing the intimate nature of singer Thom Yorke's voice.

"Kid A is like getting a massive eraser out and starting again," Thom Yorke said in October 2000, the week this album became the British band's first Number One record in America. "I find it difficult to think of the path we've chosen as 'rock music'."

"In texture and structure, Kid A, Radiohead's fourth album, renounced everything in rock that, to Yorke in particular, reeked of the tired and overfamiliar: clanging arena-force guitars, verse-chorus-bridge song tricks.

With producer Nigel Godrich, Yorke, guitarist Ed O'Brien, drummer Phil Selway, bassist Colin Greenwood and guitarist Jonny Greenwood created an enigma of slippery electronics and elliptical angst, sung by Yorke in an often indecipherable croon. The closest thing to riffing on Kid A was the fuzz-bass lick in "The National Anthem"; the guitars in "Morning Bell" sounded more like seabirds.

The result was the weirdest hit album of that year, by a band poised to be the modern-rock Beatles, following the breakthrough of OK Computer. In fact, only 10 months into the century, Radiohead had made the decade's best album — by rebuilding rock itself, with a new set of basics and a bleak but potent humanity. Yorke's loathing of celebrity inspired the contrary beauty of "How to Disappear Completely," with its watery orchestration and his voice flickering in and out of earshot. His electronically squished pleading in "Kid A" sounded like a baby kicking inside a hard drive.

Ironically, Radiohead, by the end of this decade, had fulfilled much of that modern-Beatles promise by following rock's first commandment: Go your own way.

"Music as a lifelong commitment — if that's what someone means by rock, great," Yorke said in that 2000 interview. By that measure, with Kid A, Radiohead made the first true rock of the future." - Rolling Stone.

TRACK LISTING

1 Everything In Its Right Place
2 Kid A
3 The National Anthem
4 How To Disappear Completely
5 Treefingers
6 Optimistic
7 In Limbo
8 Idioteque
9 Morning Bell
10 Motion Picture Soundtrack
11 Untitled

Radiohead announces KID A MNESIA, a multiple format triple-album release marking the 21st anniversary of Kid A and Amnesiac, out via XL Recordings.

KID A MNESIA collects Radiohead’s fourth and fifth albums alongside the debut of a newly compiled third disc titled Kid Amnesiae. Exclusive to this release, Kid Amnesiae is comprised of unearthed material culled from the Kid A / Amnesiac sessions. Along with alternate versions and elements of Kid A and Amnesiac album tracks and B-Sides, Kid Amnesiae features the never-before-heard "If You Say the Word” and a previously unreleased studio recording of "Follow Me Around." 

TRACK LISTING

Vinyl Tracklisting:
Kid A:
Side A:
1. Everything In Its Right Place
2. Kid A
3. The National Anthem
4. How To Disappear Completely
5. Treefingers
Side B:
1. Optimistic
2. In Limbo
3. Idioteque
4. Morning Bell
5. Motion Picture Soundtrack

Amnesiac:
Side C:
1. Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box
2. Pyramid Song
3. Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors
4. You And Whose Army?
5. I Might Be Wrong
Side D:
1. Knives Out
2. Morning Bell/Amnesiac
3. Dollars And Cents
4. Hunting Bears
5. Like Spinning Plates
6. Life In A Glasshouse

Kid Amnesiae:
Side E:
1. Like Spinning Plates (‘Why Us?’ Version)
2. Untitled V1
3. Fog (Again Again Version)
4. If You Say The Word
5. Follow Me Around
Side F:
1. Pulk/Pull (True Love Waits Version)
2. Untitled V2
3. The Morning Bell (In The Dark Version)
4. Pyramid Strings
5. Alt. Fast Track
6. Untitled V3
7. How To Disappear Into Strings

CD Tracklisting:
CD1 Kid A:
1. Everything In Its Right Place
2. Kid A
3. The National Anthem
4. How To Disappear Completely
5. Treefingers
6. Optimistic
7. In Limbo
8. Idioteque
9. Morning Bell
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack

CD2 Amnesiac:
1. Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box
2. Pyramid Song
3. Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors
4. You And Whose Army?
5. I Might Be Wrong
6. Knives Out
7. Morning Bell/Amnesiac
8. Dollars And Cents
9. Hunting Bears
10. Like Spinning Plates
11. Life In A Glasshouse

CD3 Kid Amnesiae:
1. Like Spinning Plates (‘Why Us?’ Version)
2. Untitled V1
3. Fog (Again Again Version)
4. If You Say The Word
5. Follow Me Around
6. Pulk/Pull (True Love Waits Version)
7. Untitled V2
8. The Morning Bell (In The Dark Version)
9. Pyramid Strings
10. Alt. Fast Track
11. Untitled V3
12. How To Disappear Into Strings 

THE PICCADILLY RECORDS ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1997

This is the album that started to show their real potential and their first use of electronics (which mix beautifully with their older rawer rock style). The album that pushed them to the very top.

STAFF COMMENTS

Martin says: There can be few greater endorsements for anything than winning over a convinced sceptic. I started off from the premise that I didn't like this corporate indie sellout, but that, I am happy to say, proved an utterly impossible position to maintain after I actually heard it. Every last track is an utterly mesmerizing glimpse into blighted existence; a beautifully rendered, multilayered kaleidoscope of angst. 'Classic' is an overused word, but this is precisely the kind of idea it was coined for.

TRACK LISTING

1. Airbag
2. Paranoid Android
3. Subterranean Homesick Alien
4. Exit Music (For A Film)
5. Let Down
6. Karma Police
7. Fitter Happier
8. Electioneering
9. Climbing Up The Walls
10. No Surprises
11. Lucky
12. The Tourist

Rescued from defunct formats, prised from dark cupboards and brought to light after two decades in cold storage… OKNOTOK will be issued on June 23rd through XL Recordings, coinciding (roughly) with the original 1997 release date(s) of Radiohead’s landmark third album OK COMPUTER.

OKNOTOK features the original OK COMPUTER twelve track album, eight B-sides, and the Radiohead completist’s dream: “I Promise,” “Lift,” and “Man Of War.” The original studio recordings of these three previously unreleased and long sought after OK COMPUTER era tracks finally receive their first official issue on OKNOTOK.

All material on OKNOTOK is newly remastered from the original analogue tapes.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: I can't think of anyone that wasn't floored by Radiohead's transformation from grungy gloom mongers to the indie/electronic greats they have become today, and this was the turning point. Liberally spread with their trademark morosity but with an unheard technical ability, ‘OK Computer’ was a stinging criticism of modernity delivered via a new sonic language. Now, twenty years after its landmark release, the band revisits this masterpiece with the definitive version. Alongside the original twelve track LP we’re treated to eight B-sides and a trio of previously unreleased tracks from the same era. This isn’t just an LP, it’s a historical document.

Released in 1993, Pablo Honey is the debut studio album from Radiohead. Produced by Sean Slade and Paul Kolderie, the album was recorded at Chipping Norton Recording Studios and Courtyard Studio, Oxfordshire. The album features the singles, "Anyone Can Play Guitar", "Stop Whispering", and "Creep". - The standout single "Creep" was the international hit that helped propel Radiohead and Pablo Honey to popular acclaim. Released several months before the album itself, "Creep" went on to define the band's early career. Also included on Pablo Honey are ethereal rocker "You", fan favorite "Thinking About You", and "Blow Out", all of which point to the band's future sonic manipulations.

TRACK LISTING

1. You
2. Creep
3. How Do You?
4. Stop Whispering
5. Thinking About You
6. Anyone Can Play Guitar
7. Ripcord
8. Vegetable
9. Prove Yourself
10. I Can't
11. Lurgee
12. Blow Out

'Hail to the Thief Live Recordings 2003-2009' is a live album that allowed the band to re-evaluate their relationship with their 6th studio album, 'Hail To The Thief'.

The album comprises performances of songs in London, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, and Dublin between 2003 and 2009. The album was mixed by Ben Baptie and mastered by Matt Colton.

Speaking about the new live album, Thom Yorke says:

“In the process of thinking of how to build arrangements for the Shakespeare Hamlet/Hail To The Thief theatre production, I asked to hear some archive live recordings of the songs. I was shocked by the kind of energy behind the way we played. I barely recognised us, and it helped me find a way forward. We decided to get these live recordings mixed and released (it would have been insane to keep them for ourselves). It has all been a very cathartic process. We very much hope you enjoy them.”

Thom Yorke recently co-created the critically acclaimed Hamlet Hail to the Thief, a frenetic adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, set to a deconstructed score of reworked songs from 2003’s Hail to the Thief. Rolling Stone UK said of the new production, “The biggest testament to Yorke and his co-writers that these worlds collide so seamlessly, as if they were always meant to be together.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A wonderfully reimagined selection of live cuts of Radiohead's incendiary 6th LP, Hail To The Thief. Brilliantly bridging the gap between the original LP and their most recent foray into stage production. A wonderfully evocative display from one of the best live bands going.

TRACK LISTING

1. 2+2=5 (Live)
2. Sit Down, Stand Up (Live)
3. Sail To The Moon (Live)
4. Go To Sleep (Live)
5. Where I End And You Begin (Live)
6. We Suck Young Blood (Live)
7. The Gloaming (Live)
8. There, There (Live)
9. I Will (Live)
10. Myxomatosis (Live)
11. Scatterbrain (Live)
12. A Wolf At The Door (Live)

"Fans of Radiohead's 1993 single "Creep" basically divided into two camps: those who loved it as a dynamic slice of self-loathing rock & roll, and those who just enjoyed the skrakunk-skrakunk guitar distortion before every chorus. On their later albums, Radiohead would throw their lot in with the skrakunk-skrakunk crowd, pushing the boundaries of sonic experimentation. But for one record, they demonstrated how good they could be when they stuck to guitar rock. Singer Thom Yorke explored the expressive power of moaning, while guitarist Jonny Greenwood proved equally gifted with restrained strumming and electric flare-gun solos. When critics describe bands such as Coldplay as sounding like Radiohead, they usually mean that they sound like Radiohead's brilliant second album.

The title of The Bends refers to decompression sickness, when deep-sea divers come up too quickly — a comment on the band's sudden fame. The lyrics are filled with Yorke's unhappiness rendered as health metaphors: He makes himself a cripple who can't climb the stairs in "Bones," and with "My Iron Lung," he immobilizes himself even more completely and complains, "This is our new song/Just like the last one/A total waste of time."

The record is filled with lovely ballads, full of longing, jealousy and critiques of consumer culture. But the best is the last: "Street Spirit (Fade Out)." Over chiming guitar arpeggios, Yorke sings a hymn to his own claustrophobia and insignificance, making them sound like exalted states of being. When he intones, "Cracked eggs, dead birds scream as they fight for life," he finds solace in the vowels, transforming them into a melody of hope. By the end of the song, with harmonies swirling around, the beauty has touched even him: The final words on an emotional, bleak album are "Immerse your soul in love." - Rolling Stone.

Radiohead's eighth studio album, "The King Of Limbs", is an experimental progression on the sound of its predecessor, 2007's "In Rainbows". Lyrically the record harks back to 2001's "Amnesiac", and indeed the heavy use of electronic instrumentation and distortion also recalls both "Amnesia" and "Kid A". Announced only a week before its intended release date, "The King Of Limbs" is named after an ancient tree near Radiohead's recording studio.

Kaidi Tatham maintains one of the most prolific artists from the UK, he's been releasing music for 30+ years and has reached some form of cult status amongst many musicians. Seen as one of the key players in the broken beat movement, he collaborated with everybody from Bugz In The Attic, Dego, IG Culture, Andrew Ashong, to DJ Jazzy Jeff, Patrick Gibin, Volcov and the likes. For this special release he remixed the young Amsterdam-based group Radiohop, who are a quartet playing groove-based jazz, with influences from hip-hop, funk, fusion, broken beat & more. In the past 4 years they've made noise all across the country by playing in many venues, at festivals like Super-Sonic Jazz, and their stellar debut album 'All We Do' got really well received in 2024.

"Zathura" has that moody and frenetic vibe synonymous with the young European players at the moment and indeed in line with what's happening in England's capital also. KT adds horns, harps and a rising, slowly elevating mood that hints at a more spiritual jazz-funk styled ride. Both versions are absolutely killer and show off a group at the peak of their skills. Ch-ch-check! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Do not underestimate the bruk-out power, soul and emotion contained within this humble 7"!! Elevating in parts, mellow in others, jazzy AF throughout. Radiohop and Kaidi Tatham make perfect bedfellows!

TRACK LISTING

Zathura (Kaidi Tatham Remix)
Zathura Original

Original soundtrack to a new British horror film by the pioneering UK electronic research lab responsible for Doctor Who and Quatermass.

Astonishingly considering their 50 year career scoring for radio and television, this is the first time The Radiophonic Workshop have ever scored a feature film for theatrical release or collaborated on a major score together. They’ve risen to the challenge admirably, concocting a soundtrack that mixes pastoral flute with dread synth tones and bowed percussion that connects this to England’s hidden reverse of Coil as much as the masters of Italian Giallo soundtracks. Housed in a beautiful 6-panel sleeve designed by Julian House (Ghost Box Records/Children Of Alice), the soundtrack includes all the cues from the feature film as well as 9 bonus tracks. The soundtrack features sound elements and drones from the Delia Derbyshire archives, the pioneering producer of the original Doctor Who signature tune. These sound elements, discovered in boxes of tapes in the late composer’s attic, have been restored and used in the foundations of the sound track and sound design.

Possum is the directorial debut of Matthew Holness (best known for co-writing and playing the title role in Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace). The film stars Sean Harris and Alun Armstrong, telling the story of a disgraced children’s puppeteer who returns to his childhood home and is forced to confront his wicked stepfather and the secrets that have tortured him his entire life.

“This soundtrack a testament to the Radiophonic Workshop’s mastery of sound. At once unnerving, atmospheric, and deeply moving.” - Matthew Holness (Writer & Director)

The Radiophonic Workshop maintain it amongst the most significant work of their career. “The unearthly sounds of this form of radiophonic music are well-suited to atmospheres of paranoia, fear and haunting. In the best tradition of horror and suspense, this soundtrack adds to the extraordinarily claustrophobic atmosphere between the two central characters with dark scampering and threatening moans."

TRACK LISTING

POSSUM - FILM SOUNDTRACK

1 Verse 1 And Main Titles (02:53)
2 Arrival Home (01:04)
3 Smoke Balloons (01:49)
4 Buried (01:21)
5 Verse 2, Possum Sting And Undercurrent (00:43)
6 Going In? (00:44)
7 A Demonstration (00:32)
8 Legs 1 And Forest 1 (01:49)
9 Legs 2 And Rumble (00:51)
10 Forest 2 And Bag Opening (01:23)
11 Marshland 1 / Anxiety (01:08)
12 Marshland 2 / Verse 3 And Nightmare 1 / Bedfellows (03:34)
13 The Fox Story (02:20)
14 The Fox Story (alternative) (02:20)
15 The Barracks (05:13)
16 Newspaper / Stairs (02:18)
17 Storybook (01:01)
18 Helpless (00:32)
19 The Photograph And Fox Return (01:30)
20 Back From The Dead / Verse 4 (00:37)
21 Nightmare 2 (03:14)
22 Someone At The Door (00:52)
23 News Report (01:12)
24 Searching (01:14)
25 Cracking Up (01:01)
26 Pursuit (05:58)
27 Verse 5 / Breakdown (01:01)
28 Behind The Door / Mummy And Daddy / Possum-Man (02:29)
29 Devastation (02:01)

POSSUM - FILM SOUNDTRACK - EARLY MIXES AND ALTERNATIVES
30 Arrival Home And A Demonstration (alternative) (01:33)
31 The Fox Story (alternative 2) (02:13)
32 The Barracks (alternative) (06:03)
33 Storybook (alternative) (01:06)
34 Helpless (alternative) (00:35)
35 Pursuit (alternative) (05:56)
36 Mummy And Daddy (alternative) (01:17)
37 Devastation (alternative) (00:33)
38 Opening Titles (early Mix) (01:26)

R.I.Y.L. The Lemon Twigs, Foxygen, Richard Swift.
Jonathan Rado was 1/2 of the Jagjaguwar duo Foxygen.

One of the most in-demand producers in indie rock, and one half of Foxygen, Jonathan Rado’s recordings for The Killers, Father John Misty, The Lemon Twigs, Whitney, and Weyes Blood devour the canon, and return something distinctly modern. On For Who The Bell Tolls For, Rado’s first solo release in ten years, the producer unveils a refined version of his signature sound, intricately sculpted by anthemic maximalism and good old-fashioned studio magic.

The album is an exercise in mournful maximalism, transforming the mythos of American pop music into a vibrant meditation on death. The spirit of late producer Richard Swift Rado’s friend and mentor can be found across the collection, imbuing tracks like “Easier” with a tangible sense of loss, and Swift-ian turns of phrase. On other songs, such as the addictive “Don’t Wait Too Long,” Rado paints an arena-ready production with streaks of longing and hopelessness. In many ways, For Who The Bell Tolls For is a musical ode to Swift, nodding to the late producer’s legacy with homespun epics that straddle the line between joy and grief.

Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, New York and Sonora Recorders and Dreamstar II, Los Angeles, the album features appearances by Rado's frequent collaborators, including The Lemon Twigs, Brad Oberhofer, Andrew Sarlo, Jackie Cohen, and Kane Ritchotte. Despite this esteemed lineup and the gargantuan sound of the record, For Who The Bell Tolls For is a solo album at heart. Rado plays the studio like an instrument, his distinct voice present in every nook and cranny of the structure. This presence can be easily detected in every project that the artist touches, but it’s never sounded so honest, so shimmering, or so Rado as it does here.

TRACK LISTING

1. For Who The Bell Tolls For
2. Don’t Wait Too Long
3. Easier
4. Blue Moon
5. Farther Away
6. Walk Away
7. Yer Funeral

The sixth release on Italian imprint Tempo Dischi comes from Alessandro Bernabeo, aka Raduan, the Italian DJ and producer behind 'Taki-Naki-Naki', one of the most eclectic and unconventional electronic records made in Italy in the late 1980s.

"At the age of 7, I started attending a music school learning to play the piano. At 11 I began working as a speaker in various radio stations, and at 14, I joined Punto Radio where I grew up professionally and launched my own radio show, PLAY MUSIC, under the name Alessandro Giordani. The success was impressive, and thanks to my friend Gianfranco di Lizio, I also started my DJ career by playing in some of the best dance clubs under the artist name Raduan or Rad-one. Mixing funk, soul, afro and cosmic disco in my music gave me a chance to meet and establish relationships with many of the protagonists of this new musical scene, like l’Ebreo, Fari, Maselli, Claudio Mozart Rispoli, Pery, Rubens. In 1988 I was a resident DJ in a well-known club at the time, the 'RIO CLUB', and together with my keyboardist and percussionist, I had the idea to produce a maxi single. The song was recorded in about 40 hours without sleep at the Cicero Bros studio in Cassino in April 1988, with the support of Lino Rufo, a great artist from Molise, as well as his dear friend and old producer Toni Ochiello. The initial project was completely reworked. The original sampled drums were coupled with an acoustic one, and new melodies and fantastic spacey new sounds and effects were created by keyboardist Bengha. The hypnotic and repetitive voice of Cristina, Claudio Baglioni's background vocalist at the time, and that of Jamaica, originally from Mauritius, made the project even more interesting.

'Taki Naki Naki' is an Italo song, with Cosmic disco and Afro influences, and it's the title track of the EP originally released in June 1988 on Bmg Ariola, ex RCA. The EP includes two other songs 'Nightflight' and 'Hiroshima'. The record was a big hit in all the Italian Disco clubs and launched me into the international dance music scene. It was a fantastic time, with different styles of music and House Music was also on the way. There was a lot of research spirit and the people of the club were ready for various types of change. This record has left a mark, international DJs and shops from all over the world still contact me to ask if I have a vinyl copy left in my archive."

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: A rightfully stalked, rare exotic Italo hybrid here; subject to many a jock's aural wet dream. Author Alessandro Bernabeo lets us back in on the action with a timely reissue in conjunction with Tempo Dishi.

TRACK LISTING

Taki-Naki-Naki
Nightflight
Hiroshima

12th Isle ready the first of many new releases after a break over the first half of 2025. Radx is a new collaborative endeavour between label artists X.Y.R. and Vlad Dobrovolski (½ of S A D) exploring a shared appreciation of vintage 80s & 90s synthesisers, ambient-adjacent furniture music and, er, dragons. Referencing the electronica of artists such as Kim Cascone/Hydrosphere as well as the sci-fi literature of Michael Swanwick where dragons act as living machines, the pair combine various synthesis models, pedals and samplers for an album that sits somewhere firmly between each of their solo works. From the cathedralic ascension of ‘Heavenly Shepherd of Silence’ to the back-room bean bag swirls of ‘Ovgo’s Etheric Mind’ and dense, jungle-like humidity of ‘Liminal Space’, the more ambient-leaning end of the catalogue is built upon further.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Calm Vortex
A2. Ovgo's Etheric Mind
A3. Heavenly Shepherd Of Silence
B1. Gaia Hypothesis
B2. Liminal Space 

Produced by Jonathan Wilson (Dawes, Father John Misty, Conor Oberst), Erin Rae's highly anticipated new album Lighten Up is a timeless amalgam of classic pop, cosmic country and indie rock, recorded earlier this year in California’s Topanga Canyon. Three years have passed since the release of her critically acclaimed debut Putting On Airs, which drew high praise from publications from Rolling Stone to NPR Music. She mostly spent her time on the road, performing at Newport Folk and Red Rocks, sharing stages with Iron & Wine, Jason Isbell, Jenny Lewis, Hiss Golden Messenger and Father John Misty, before her touring came to a sharp halt at the start of the pandemic. The solitude of the road and then the pandemic created space for Rae to undergo a sonic and philosophical shift where she found personal catharsis in creating an album that reflected on her newfound lessons of self acceptance, alongside finding the confidence to offer social commentary on the environment, gender identity and equality.

“My last record was a lot of self-assessment and criticism, and trying to kick old habits and ways of relating and not relating to people,” Rae acknowledges. “This one is about blossoming, opening up, and living a little more in the present moment. Fully experiencing what it is to be human.” With a renewed sense of agency, Rae also took a more active role in creating the kaleidoscopic soundscape that became Lighten Up, setting out to reflect a sound she calls, “an emotional pallet, I could get lost in.” Alongside Erin and Jonathan Wilson, who contributed various instruments, the album also features guest appearances from fellow rising star singer songwriters, Meg Duffy, Ny Oh, and Kevin Morby.

TRACK LISTING

1. Candy + Curry
2. Can’t See Stars
3. True Love’s Face
4. Gonna Be Strange
5. California Belongs To You
6. Cosmic Sigh
7. Modern Woman
8. Drift Away
9. Enemy
10. Mind - Heart
11. Lighten Up And Try
12. Undone

A big piece of Scottish funk history, 3 of the best tracks culled from Jesse Rae's epic back catalogue compiled by Pace Yourself!

Jesse Rae: anachronist Celtic funk warrior, renegade pioneer of funk, soul & dub (collaborating with Parliament, Funkadelic, Adrian Sherwood, Roger Troutman & the Sugarhill Gang); mad pedestrian-punk-poet, steeped so much in his own mythology he exists not only outside of time but in a universe of his own making; three time runner as an independent electoral candidate for Scottish Parliament, kitted-out as ever in ever in his Scots regal (kilt, helmet and claymore); the original trailblazer of the MTV Age (see 1985 music video ‘Over the Sea’, shot on top of the Brooklyn Bridge - aye, you read that correctly). And that’s just the tip of the iceberg folks. The Real McCoy. Prince of Scotland, king of hearts.

Appearing on wax for the first time, three cuts from the world's first ISDN virtual album, Jesse Rae’s seminal ‘Compression’ (CD) - which first dropped on Echo Beach in 1995. ‘Almost Ma Sel Again’ - a Scottish Burns-Funk classic intercut with a reading of Nigel Tranter’s The Wallace, a breathtaking (de)construction of emotional-electronic-free-funk; as deep as the heart that reaps it. ‘Virtual U’ - a mad cut of downtempo Scot/US G-Funk cum hip-hop interposed with answering machine messages from New Jersey’s own Bernie Worrell. ‘Switch Tae U’ - an orchestral and sublime bit of downtown house music. And of course, joining these three is a re-mastered cut of Jesse Rae’s 1982 cult classic ‘Rusha’ - a tripped out slab of linguistic psychedelia.

There we have it then: real shit indeed! Jesse Rae on Pace Yourself folks. For the already initiated and first timers, welcome to the Caledonian wormhole.

TRACK LISTING

A1: Almost Ma Sel Again
A2: Virtual U
B1: Rusha
B2: Switch Tae U

The long-awaited follow-up to the Wu-Tang Clan classic, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II arrived in 2009 as a triumphant return to the mafioso rap blueprint Raekwon helped pioneer. More than a sequel, the album cemented Rae’s legacy as one of hip-hop’s sharpest storytellers, pairing vivid narratives with cinematic production from legends including J Dilla, Dr. Dre, RZA, Pete Rock, and The Alchemist.

A spiritual continuation of the Purple Tape legacy, OB4CL2 delivers gritty crime tales, street wisdom, and Wu-Tang brotherhood, with standout appearances from Ghostface Killah (who recently released his , Method Man, Inspectah Deck, GZA, and more. Hailed as one of the best hip-hop albums of the 2000s, the project balances nostalgia with evolution — connecting the past to the present.

The packaging has also been revisited to highlight Danny Hastings’ original photography with updated design elements, creating a fresh presentation that honors the aesthetic of the 2009 release. To further connect back to the lineage of the OG Purple Tape, it also features a new “Shallah Raekwon” signature, a subtle nod to the tag first seen on the original Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.

TRACK LISTING

1. Return Of The North Star (feat. Papu Wu)
2. House Of Flying Daggers (feat. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, Method Man)
3. Sonny's Missing
4. Pyrex Vision
5. Cold Outside (feat. Ghostface Killah)
6. Black Mozart (feat. RZA, Inspectah Deck)
7. Gihad
8. New Wu (feat. Ghostface Killah, Method Man)
9. Penitentiary (feat. Ghostface Killah)
10. Baggin Crack
11. Surgical Gloves
12. Broken Safety (feat. Jadakiss, Styles P)
13. Canal Street
14. Ason Jones
15. Have Mercy (feat. Beanie Sigel, Blue Raspberry)
16. 10 Bricks (feat. Cappadonna, Ghostface Killah)
17. Fat Lady Sings
18. Catalina (feat. Lyfe Jennings)
19. We Will Rob You (feat. Slick Rick, Masta Killa, GZA, About Me)
20. Mean Streets (feat. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah)
21. Kiss The Ring (feat. Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa)
22. Walk Wit Me
23. Badlands (feat. Ghostface Killah)

First released in 2009, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II stands as Raekwon’s celebrated sequel to the Purple Tape, expanding his cinematic mafioso rap universe.

This newly designed instrumental edition removes the vocals to place full focus on the album’s production, featuring beats by J Dilla, Dr. Dre, RZA, Pete Rock, The Alchemist, and more.

For the first time ever on vinyl, the instrumentals are presented as a standalone listening experience, revealing the album’s grit, mood, and layered sound design.

Pressed on classic black vinyl and housed in a heavy matte-finish jacket with spot gloss text, the Shaolin Noir Edition keeps the spotlight on the music itself, serving as a clean, essential companion to one of Raekwon’s most acclaimed releases.

TRACK LISTING

1. Return Of The North Star (Produced By BT)
2. House Of Flying Daggers (Produced By J Dilla)
3. Sonny's Missing (Produced By Pete Rock)
4. Pyrex Vision (Produced By Marley Marl)
5. Cold Outside (Produced By ATL / Ice Water Inc)
6. Black Mozart (Produced By RZA)
7. Gihad (Produced By Necro)
8. New Wu (Produced By RZA)
9. Penitentiary (Produced By BT)
10. Baggin Crack (Produced By Erick Sermon)
11. Surgical Gloves (Produced By The Alchemist)
12. Broken Safety (Produced By Scram Jones)
13. Canal Street (Produced By Ice Water)
14. Ason Jones (Produced By J Dilla)
15. Have Mercy (Produced By MoSS)
16. 10 Bricks (Produced By J Dilla)
17. Fat Lady Sings (Produced By Ice Water Inc)
18. Catalina (Produced By Dr. Dre And Mark Batson)
19. We Will Rob You (Produced By Allah Justice)
20. About Me (Produced By Dr. Dre And Mark Batson)
21. Mean Streets (Produced By Allah Mathematics)
22. Kiss The Ring (Produced By Scram Jones)
23. Walk Wit Me (Produced By Scram Jones)
24. Badlands (Produced By BT)

Raekwon’s 'The Emperor’s New Clothes' is a sharp return to form, showcasing the Wu-Tang veteran’s lyrical precision and timeless street wisdom. The album is powerful with equal parts - high-quality bars and carefully sculpted production.

Raekwon recruits a stacked lineup of guests, including Nas, Griselda, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, and Ghostface Killah, injecting the project with gritty energy and legacy chemistry. Marsha Ambrosius and Stacy Barthe provide smooth, soulful hooks, adding emotional layers to the hard-edged verses.

Production comes courtesy of Nottz, Swizz Beatz J.U.S.T.I.C.E League and more.

The LP is a reminder of Raekwon’s enduring power as a lyricist and curator. A veteran artist showing that mastery doesn’t need excess. 'The Emperor’s New Clothes' is regal, streetwise, and sharply tailored for those who value craft.

TRACK LISTING

1. Intro
2. Bear Hill
3. Pomogranite
4. Veterans Only Billionaire Rehab (SKIT)
5. Wild Corsicans
6. 1 Life
7. Barber Shop Bullies (SKIT)
8. Open Doors
9. 600 School
10. The Guy That Plans It
11. Da Heavies
12. Officer Full Beard (SKIT)
13. The Omerta
14. Get Outta Here
15. The Sober Dose Gift (SKIT)
16. Debra Night Wine
17. Mac & Lobster

S. Raekwon, born Steven Raekwon Reynolds on July 10, 1995, is a singer / songwriter and producer from New York City by way of Buffalo, NY. The S. Raekwon project finds Reynolds documenting traces of a life both affected and infatuated by the power of difference. Reynolds’ journey began as a biracial Black boy in working-class Buffalo. He never met his father and grew up with a white mother who loved musical theatre and playing piano. He didn’t cut his teeth via a DIY scene, or in bands with neighbors and classmates; the isolation gave him space to channel his guarded nature into a freedom forged by the noises in his head. After graduating from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Reynolds moved to the East Village in NYC, an area he’s been fascinated by since family trips as a teenager. In Spring 2018, as he worked a day job and sought connections with others, Reynolds wrote and tracked the first S. Raekwon demos in his dingy studio apartment.

Rather than self-releasing, Reynolds shopped the demos around, leading to the release of his 2020 debut single "Parts Towards Whole" b/w "A Crow’s Smile" via Saddle Creek’s Document Series. Recorded between New York City and a six-month stint at his girlfriend’s parents’ home in Edwardsville, IL during the pandemic, "Where I’m at Now" is the album S. Raekwon made for himself with a clarity that arrived as he located his missing pieces in the world. Delicate as his approach may be, chaos truly underscored the two working years as Reynolds not only moved to lift the weight of the world off his spirit but connected with his roots. In a serendipitous turn of fate, Edwardsville was not only the same town Reynolds’ father once went to college but is also in close proximity to St. Louis where most of Reynolds’ Black family members are located. When he didn’t work on music, he protested against police violence in Missouri, and eventually reconnected with this family for the first time since his childhood. Upon leaving Edwardsville in September 2020, Reynolds quickly finished the rest of the album, charged by a new fire in his spirit and the light of his blood driving him towards a new beginning. Completely self-produced and self-recorded (save for drums on two songs,) the music’s driven by the relentlessness of the East Village and the quiet serenity of Edwardsville. The abstractions of his earlier musings transform into a warm wave of genreless coherence, drawing influences from across R&B, rock, folk, and pop to build a record that shines in its quiet spaces as much as its sweeping movements.

”Darling” is awash in Phil Collins-y guitar licks, angelic harmonies, a gleaming, pulsating synth line. It builds to a point that’s almost overwhelming until, in its final moments, everything drops away. Never overstaying its welcome, it’s an appealing exercise in romantic restraint.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: S. Raekwon forms beautiful synthy melodies imbued with a psychedelic sensibility and outsider pop influence, all topped with his wonderfully effective vocals and off-piste production elements. It's a heady and exciting mixture, and one that surprises at every turn.

TRACK LISTING

1 Darling
2 Do You Feel The Same?
3 Kissing Behind Your House
4 Anywhere 4 U
5 It's No Thing 6 T.D.T.K.A.
7 After The Party
8 Forever
9 Darling (Reprise)
10 Don't Leave

Should the name Jim Rafferty sound a tad familiar, he is in fact the older brother of Gerry Rafferty, of ‘Baker Street’ and ‘Stuck In The Middle with You’ fame. As a songwriter, Jim had signed a solo deal with Decca in the late 1970s. With Gerry in the producer’s chair, and a crack team of the several of the same musicians whom Gerry later recruited for his hit album, ‘City To City’, Jim produced the album ‘Don’t Talk Back’, comprising the kind of sophisticated, melodic material typified, like his brother’s work, by strong emphasis on vocal harmonies - the popular style at end of the 1970s.

Decca went out of business concurrent with their release of Jim’s arguably superior second album, ‘Solid Logic’, produced by Martin Levan. Times were changing across the music business, and Jim, always seeking new challenges, continued to write interesting, idiosyncratic material. He signed a self-penned, nervy and minimalist new work ‘I See Red’, to Hit & Run publishing, which was picked up by Phil Collins for Abba star Frida’s solo album. The song’s outsider narrative and implied reggae rhythm, made somewhat cartoonishly explicit in Frida’s version, also found favour with a number of other artists, notably Clannad, whose album ‘Magical Ring’ included their near identical version of ‘I See Red’, and gained chart placing in the UK. The same song was subsequently covered by brother Gerry on his ‘Wing and A Prayer’ album.

The flipside of Jim’s ‘I See Red’ has its own cover history - ‘Fear Strikes Out’ first appeared on Ian Matthews’ 1984 LP, ‘Shook’. Matthews, a journeyman who’d once sung in Fairport Convention alongside Judy Dyble and Sandy Denny and later hit the charts several times as a solo act, roots his version firmly in Jim’s ineffable arrangement, which makes sense - but Jim’s version notches up the excitement brightly, showcasing sharp guitar and keyboard textures in the mix. And sounding more like a hit.

TRACK LISTING

1. I See Red
2. Fear Strikes Out

Orphic Apparition is a new label born out of a transatlantic meeting of minds. Facilitated by a long, hedonistic party in one of present-day London’s ‘meanwhile use’ venues Grow Tottenham, Canadian producer Raf Reza and British acid house luminary Paul Chivers spent a precious day in the studio to record a 3 hour straight to DAT session before Reza's return to Canada. The result of this spontaneous yet intuitive collaboration blurs the lines between Chiver’s long-standing Ramjac Corporation alias and Reza’s genre-spanning approach to dub, breaks and house styles. Part of the early 90s rave scene and an important member of the blueprint-setting Irdial label, Ramjac locks heads with the self-professed ‘lazy music guy from Toronto’ to adapt their studio session into five separate mixdowns.

‘In The Grow’ begins with a bouncy, cut-up sounding Errorsmith-esque rhythm, the recurring fright night melody that distinguishes the record coming in all quick and powerful. The A2 ‘Rotten Mix’ offers a more traditional house approach in its composition, with dub FX and a nice DJ friendly outro. On the final uptempo choice the pair opt for a head-scrambling electro take. Choose your fighter! The ‘Swampy Dub’ on the flip really dismantles everything we’ve heard prior, slo-mo drums allowing a much different DJ experience and altering the freaky synthetic propulsion into an almost modern classical sound. A little like Paul Dresher’s eternal ‘Channels Passing’ (tip). Combined with the other edits this version almost becomes a totally different track. The final ‘Rootless Dub’ gives its clues in the title, removing all the tough drum sounds and allowing for an ambient decompression.

Orphic Apparition will return soon.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Leave the sludge in the warehouse long enough and it mutates into new lifeforms off of all the sweat and ecstasy still circulating around the vicinity. The results are mutations of acid, bass, rave and dubstep into one end-level bossman warehouse killer. You'll need a pocket full of power pills to fend off this beast!

TRACK LISTING

A1. In The Grow (Rotting Mix)
A2. In The Grow (Rotten Mix)
B1. In The Grow (Rahtted Mix)
B2. In The Grow (Swampy Dub)
B3. In The Grow (Rootless Dub)

Great album from this unsigned band that bring to mind the Beta Band.

"Music For Total Chickens" is built from bits of pop architecture nailed together in odd forms; it is structurally sound (no pun intended), but at the same time it defies the conventional laws of (pop) physics. There are twisty-turny time signatures, swaddled in chunky guitar fuzz, sweet strings, harmonized 'ooo's and direct lyrical love-notes sometimes riding percussive trails all the way up great crescendos to pinnacles of bangcrash (like if Deerhoof recorded a self-help album).

Inspired by influences as diverse as Guided By Voices, R Stevie Moore, Fela Kuti, Lightning Bolt, Fushitsusha, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, and Cody Chestnutt, "Sex Death Cassette" is an album full of hope, determination and chaos. It'll leave you with sweat dripping down your face onto your swelled lip; fresh, liquid salt, the quintessential flavour of late night post-disco parties and booty slinging good times. After dancing to this album, you're heavy with it, like too much cough syrup on a stomach full of hi-quality sushi. Rafter executes the helter-skelter boogie-down production so gracefully that it is no mystery why those in-the-know recruit him, including the likes of Fiery Furnaces, The Rapture, Arab on Radar, The Album Leaf, Rocket from the Crypt, Danielson, Black Heart Procession, The Peppermints, Hot Snakes, his own band Bunky, and fellow Asthmatic Kitty artists (Castanets, Liz Janes, and Sufjan Stevens).

Rag’n’Bone Man’s 2017 landmark debut Human was a phenomenal success. Shooting straight to No.1 upon release in the UK, the 4x Platinum record became the fasted-selling album by a male artist that decade, earning him both BRIT and Ivor Novello Awards.

Fast forwarding a few years, he travelled to Nashville to write and record what would become Life By Misadventure. The bulk of the album was produced and recorded by Grammy Award-winning producer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Elizondo at his studio. Longtime collaborators Ben Jackson-Cook (keys, co-songwriter and co-producer of the album), Bill Banwell (bass and co-songwriter) and Desri Ramus (backing vocals) are joined by drummer Daru Jones and guitarist Wendy Melvoin on the record. One song was even recorded in Rag’n’Bone Man’s garage!

STAFF COMMENTS

Martin says: it's been a long time coming but this newest Rag 'n Bone man release sees all of the clever wordplay and superb songwriting that I went absolutely batshit for on 2017's 'Human'. I will DEFINTIELY be unlockig my hips and getting down to this one.

TRACK LISTING

1. Fireflies
2. Breath In Me
3. Fall In Love Again
4. Talking To Myself
5. Anywhere Away From Here
6. Alone
7. Crossfire
8. All You Ever Wanted
9. Changing Of The Guard
10. Somewhere Along The Way
11. Time Will Only Tell
12. Lightyears
13. Party’s Over
14. Old Habits

Rag’n’Bone Man is ready to accept joy into his life. Born Rory Charles Graham, the Sussex-born singer known for his gravelly blues vocals, took the world by storm with his debut album ‘Human’ in 2016. Now multi award-winning, the British vocalist is embracing newfound balance, returning to his creative foundations while building anew.

It’s the most vital chapter to date in one of British music’s defining stories. A truth-telling voice that has framed an era, Rag’n’Bone Man’s success speaks for itself: his debut album ‘Human’ went platinum four times over in the UK and multi-platinum in a further twenty-seven countries - becoming the fastest selling male debut album that decade. While his latest release ‘Life By Misadventure’ debuted at #1 and spent seven weeks in the Top 10, making it the fastest-selling album by a solo artist in 2021. With over nine-billion worldwide streams (and counting) over his entire catalogue, Rag’n’Bone Man is a voice that can be heard across the globe. Now he’s ready to eclipse this: assured, and built with love, his uplifting new album “What Do You Believe In?” finds the multi award-winning British artist (with three BRITs, two MTV Europe awards, and an Ivor Novello to his name) facing the future with passionate excitement.

‘What Do You Believe In?’ is anchored in the blossoming of confidence and the enduring support network he finds in family life. It’s taken time, but Rag’n’Bone Man is in a secure, loving place - and he wants to share that feeling. The period surrounding second album, 2021’s ‘Life By Misadventure’, was marked by self-doubt, with troubles weighing down on the singer’s shoulders – but then things changed - As a result, new album ‘What Do You Believe In?’ has a bold, yet radiant touch.

With the pairing of the poignant and ubiquitous themes and the sonic brightness of both 00s hip-hop and the youthful memories they prompt, the release of the albums title track ‘What Do You Believe In?’ sets the tone for the for the thrilling musical journey Rag’s is preparing to take fans on. 

TRACK LISTING

Standard Editions:
1. The Right Way
2. Pocket
3. What Do You Believe In?
4. Iron
5. Hideaway
6. All I Know
7. Rush Of Blood
8. Feeding All These Fires
9. Put A Little Hurt On Me
10. Chokehold
11. Wreckage
12. Hope You Felt Loved At The End

Deluxe Edition:
1. The Right Way
2. Pocket
3. What Do You Believe In?
4. Iron
5. Hideaway
6. All I Know
7. Rush Of Blood
8. Feeding All These Fires
9. Put A Little Hurt On Me
10. Chokehold
11. Wreckage
12. Hope You Felt Loved At The End
13. Bleed The Same
14. Sorry For My Broken Heart
15. Ghosts
16. Lovers In A Past Life (Acoustic)
17. Lovers In A Past Life

A wonderful album full of Balearic vibes, funky riffs and mellow moments, originally released in 1980. BBE Music are excited to announce this highly sought after album titled ‘Will & James Ragar One”.

James and Will Ragar hail from Louisiana, where their early education into music began. At a young age they moved to New Orleans - where they heard live Jazz for the first time. This inspiration is demonstrated through their free approach to this album. Their natural evolution through the Louisiana club scene saw them develop and hone their talents of adding that southern swag to covers they did, almost making them their own.

‘Will and James Ragar One’ is a blend of acoustic and electric tones, carefully and cohesively put together by the brothers. ‘As the Day Grows Tired’ is the first song on the album and one of the first songs James wrote. The theme for ‘She’s Laughter’ is about returning home to someone you love and features a heavy guitar solo. ‘My Shining Sun’ has an unusual jazz form and is an ode to the joy of playing music. ‘Don’t Wish’ was inspired by a jazz chord progression that was a favourite, James played the solo on a pearwood soprano recorder. Gary Roberts played percussion on the session and also played the flute on ‘Just a Wanderer’.

TRACK LISTING

1. As The Day Grows Tired
2. She's Laughter
3. My Shining
4. Don't I Wish To Be Free
5. Melting Pot
6. Needs
7. Parade
8. Louisiana Fall
9. Hidden Away
10. Just A Wanderer
11. Oregon
12. Forever
13. Bayou Paradise

THIS IS A BLACK FRIDAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8AM ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30TH).

This is a re-pressing of their incendiary live protest performance outside the D.N.C. Staples Center, in Summer 2000. (Was first released for 2018 RSD).

Released only in Japan in 1997, this collection of live and demo tracks—available for the first time on vinyl—is a must for Rage Against The Machine fans! Includes fiery versions of “Take The Power Back” and “Bombtrack,” covers of N.W.A.’s “Fuck Tha Police” and Public Enemy’s “Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos” (with Chuck D on lead vocals) and tracks from the band’s original 1991 demo tape.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A
1 Bullet In The Head (live)
2 Settle For Nothing (live)
3 Bombtrack (live)

SIDE B
1 Take The Power Back (live)
2 Freedom (live)
3 Intro (Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos) (live)
4 Zapata's Blood (live)

SIDE C
1 Without A Face (live)
2 Hadda Be Playing On The Jukebox (live)

SIDE D
1 Fuck Tha Police (live)
2 Darkness
3 Clear The Lane

The uncompromising debut from American quartet, Rage Against the Machine, opens with the fast-paced “Bombtrack” and continues its intensity through the remaining nine tracks, including the huge hits "Bullet In The Head" and "Killing In The Name Of". The self-titled album combines metal riffs with hip-hop which has been employed by plenty of bands with varying degrees of success. What really set RATM apart though was the political conviction and sheer intensity and venom of frontman Zach De La Rocha's vocal delivery.

TRACK LISTING

Disc: 1
1. Bombtrack
2. Killing In The Name
3. Take The Power Back
4. Settle For Nothing
5. Bullet In The Head
Disc: 2
1. Know Your Enemy
2. Wake Up
3. Fistful Of Steel
4. Township Rebellion
5. Freedom

Covers album, including versions of tracks by everyone from Dylan and the Rolling Stones to Devo and Africa Bambaataa. This special edition also includes 2 live hidden bouns tracks.

BBE Music announces the first-ever re-issue of this sun baked folk/jazz hybrid 45 by Louisiana brothers Will & James Ragar. First released in 1981, this private press 7" showcases Will & James' songwriting skills, refined performance and sophisticated compositions. Remastered by Frank Merritt the re-issue has an analogue warmth that the brothers say sounds even more pleasing than the original. Will & James Ragar began as the Will James Band performing on the popular 'Crawfish Circuit' of Southern Louisiana - this circuit included New Orleans, Thibodaux and Baton Rouge. They played blues, rock and jazz combos, covering everything from James Taylor to Jimi Hendrix. Eventually evolving into an acoustic folk-rock duo by the time they entered the studio in 1980. Both tracks on the 45 were recorded at River City studios in Baton Rouge in 1980. The engineer had the Allman Brothers on his list of recording credits, so they felt they were in excellent company. "Bayou Paradise" was an ode to the beauty of Southern Louisiana. The famous Sunshine bridge over wetlands as the sounds of migrating geese echo overhead on their journey down the Mississippi River flyway. The Atchafalaya river basin flows into the Gulf of Mexico near Lafayette creating a large wetland area and lush lakes connected by endless bayous. Miles and miles of lush swamps with many uninhabited areas just waiting to be explored.

"Forever" captures the exhilaration of new love, focusing on its intoxication and ecstasy without looking ahead to the reality of a life on the road. The soulful chorus inspires motion and enthusiasm. The shadow of Woodstock had a defining role against tradition. Things were changing socially. Loving someone forever was always part of the dream but seemingly broken in an age of break-ups and divorce. The optimistic hope that "love will survive" was half dream and half pessimistic glance forward at the social trends of relationships that were to follow. The studio band included Will & James. John Smart on keyboards, he's solo on "Forever" was achieved with the Legendary Analog Prophet synth and saturated the studio with rich layers of its distinctive sound, driving the up-tempo chorus. Dave D'Aubin, a versatile bass player whose resonant tone is very present on both songs. Tommy Jefferson is on drums, an alumnus of the Southern University jazz program, the same place Randy Jackson and Billy Cobham studied. Tommy used a tight higher pitch snare drum on the recording, a sound that would soon become very popular, but at that time was a little ahead of the curve. The session was recorded on analogue tape using the 24-track MCI recorder and mixed down to analogue tape for the single. Will & James added vocal harmonies and soaked up the fidelity during mix-down. The release coincides with the long-awaited re-issue of the brothers' album 'Will & James Ragar One'. This much sort after private press long-player was originally released in 1980 and sold locally in a limited run has now been fully remastered by Frank Merritt. BBE Music presents the album in a glorious gatefold with extensive sleeve notes. This time the vinyl will be pressed over 2 discs to produce the best sound possible.

TRACK LISTING

1. Forever
2. Bayou Paradise

Previously only available as a limited CDR, 100 copies only made. Situated in the soundworld of contemporary kosmiche electronica, "Of Sirens Born" goes several steps further than many retro-focused efforts, rendering audibly literal the traditional metaphor of voyage that has underscored so many synth-driven concept albums. Beginning tentatively and uneasily, these five pieces progress through expansive phases of grandeur and menace, shipwrecking before washing ashore on a new world. Although indebted to the dark romanticism of krautrock is clear, this is not an electronic trip through well-worn evocations of cosmic space. It is rather a story about the submerged memory of mythic voyages, of a time when every far-off destination was alluring, dangerous, and questionably real, envisioned from the perspective of a world well-mapped and conquered by machines.

Second release on Hot Biscuit sub-label, Now Is Not The Time featuring, once again, the esteembable talents of Chicago edit king Rahaan. 

A double pack of pressure, with six cuts gifted plenty of disc space for maximum fidelty and headroom. No idea of the source material but it's all sumptiously tasty, highly frenetic, and tailor made to get those tail feathers shaking come Saturday night! Rahaan really is the daddy at this stuff, probably the most prolific and talented of the contemporary editors. Giving us all the excitement and feels as when we first heard maybe those COMBI edits.... or Theo Parrish's "Ugly Edits" series. A top drawer set that no disco fan will want to be without. 

Limited copies! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Hopefully you've clocked this week's delivery of Hot Biscuits. Now Is Not The Time is the sister label which, to date, solely encompasses the works of Rahaan. Another double pack that's gonna fly off the shelves.

TRACK LISTING

A1. America
A2. It’s You
B. Touch
C1. Irreplaceable
C2. Hell Yeah
D. 10

Three more primo edits from Chicago disco royalty Rahaan's studio archive, eagerly signed and snapped up by the Hot Biscuit PLC. Kicking off with an unheard power-boogie jam; with a bassline and male vox that'll have you bursting outta your shirt. Followed by a magic carpet disco jaunt, complete with chunnering cuica drum, shamanic flute and funky disco chants. Again - source material unknown!

To conclude, Rahaan edits a slick late 70s sounding jazz-funk number to devastating effect, reminding us just why he is king of the cut, the master tape manipulator of the modern age.

Limited copies!  

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Another week, another Hot Biscuit from Rahaan. No messin' on this one, just three functional disco / jazz-funk numbers for warming up the floor nicely.

TRACK LISTING

A. Get Up
B1. Zombies
B2. How

Rahaan heat on Yellow Taxi - one of the Hot Biscuit subsideries. Pretty sure this is a new cut, as it features Gregory Carmouche & Cherrelle CheriSoul Sullivan on the credits.  

"It Is What It Is" is a seriously engrossing disco cut. Tamed beautifully for the mid session, it rides a steady bass and percussion groove, decorating it tastefully with organ licks, trumpet parps and this nagging vocal hook that really gets inside your head. A proper groover, make no mistake. We've vocal and instrumental mixes, both working the arrangement into slightly alternative frenzies. Gotta say, this is pretty mind blowing stuff from Rahaan and everyone involved. You don't wanna sleep on this! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: As well as being an absolute whiz on the cutting table, Rahaan is known for some expert production chops too. Here he collaborates on a new original number that's pure mid session energy. Cowbells, timpanis, killer vocal hook, simmering white hot throughout. So good.

TRACK LISTING

1.Original Version 08:16
2.Vocal Remix 08:26
3.Instrumental Remix 06:09

Rahaan is a US edit master who can turn his hand to disco, house, soul, funk and r&b all with equal elan. He's been doing it for 20 years but it's still exciting to hear a new one from the legend, and the 11th Street Edits outing is another beguiling one. 'Impure' is a ragged and rugged, low-slung deep house drum track with cat squeals and crashing hits striking a menacing tone. 'Answer The Damn Phone' is a surging cosmic disco sound with driving arps and incongruous vocals before closer 'Intense' brings more raw, physical rhythms to a driving deep house cut.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Seemingly with an endless catalogue of edits, Rahaan returns with more choice cuts. Worth it for that Sting refix alone. "Impure" meanwhile will be familiar to Jamal Moss' Members Only series. There ain't a tape splice outta synth with this cat!

TRACK LISTING

Impure
Answer The Damn Phone
Intense

Rahaan brings the FIRE with his second 2x12” on Hot Biscuit offshoot: Now Is Not The Time. Disco edits inspired by the golden age of Chicago club culture. 

Super limited copies, strictly vinyl, no digital. Don't sleep. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: More top drawer snips from the man like Rahaan. This strictly limited, vinyl only series proving to be quite the wealth of disco pressure for the discerning dee-jay.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Do You Like It
A2. A Disco
B. Columbian Dance
C. Jealous 4 No Reason
D1. Return Of The Boogie
D2. Can’t Shake Your Love

On the debut EP 'We Are The Ones/Fire/Forever', Chicago DJ legend Rahaan collaborates with an incredibly talented group of musicians, including Marcus J. Austin on lead vocals, Nancy Clayton on backing vocals, Carnell C. Newbill (also known as Spike Rebel) on keyboards and backing vocals, Todd Swope on guitar, and Lou Terry on bass. Together, they create a 3-track EP that perfectly showcases Rahaan's production skills and the musical talents of the entire group.

Rahaan's experience and expertise as a DJ and producer are evident in each track, with grooves that are sure to keep the dancefloor moving. The title track, 'We Are The Ones', is a story of adventure and return, with a twist. Created by Rahaan and The Ones while under the influence, the track was lost for years as it was unnamed on his computer. However, Rahaan's determination to find it paid off, and with the help of Ohio Players' Kenny Anderson on the horns, he built upon the elusive skeleton track. With Marcus J. Austin on lead vocals and Nancy Clayton on backing vocals, 'We Are The Ones' delivers a soulful, 4-to-the-floor anthem that showcases the vocal talents of the group. And in 'Fire', Todd Swope's guitar skills shine through, creating an epic production that draws spiritual inspiration from traditional AfroBeat rhythms. It's worth noting that The Ones features some truly talented musicians, including Carnell C. Newbill (Spike Rebel) on keyboards and backing vocals. Spike Rebel is a well-known producer and musician in his own right. With his soulful vocals taking center stage, Carnell Newbill leads the charge on "Forever," he also superbly delivers on bass, keys, percussion, and guitar. Expertly mixed by Rahaan, this track is sure to become a dance floor anthem.

In summary, 'The Ones' EP is an impressive collaboration between some of the most talented musicians in the Chicago underground House and Disco scene. With Rahaan at the helm, this project is sure to be a hit with anyone who loves to dance. Mastered with Love by the Grammy nominated The Carvery Studios, this is one for any worthwhile DJ’s record bag.

TRACK LISTING

1. We Are The Ones
2. Fire
3. Forever

Join and listen to the incredible Dr Shama Rahman as she weaves stories that start life as poems and take flight as songs.Dr Shama Rahman is an award-winning sitarist, composer and singer. On the 24th of May she will be launching and performing her new multidisciplinary musical storytelling album 'Truth BeTold', a bilingual hybrid of elements from opera, theatre, cabaret and sitar performance with visual art, science, Sufi poetry and the manifold sounds of water mixed in.Truth BeTold’ is a 16-track album of songs and poetic interludes and it is the world’s first full live album recorded with the pioneering mi.mu gloves technology. Mi.Mu Gloves, is a wearable technology that enables a musician to control music with gestures while interacting with the accompanying performance. As a mi.mu glove artist-in-residence, Dr Shama Rahman has been inspired to bring new impulses to the way she approaches composition and improvisation which allows for an unprecedented new form of performance as she is able to electronically manipulate the Sitar and her voice live.

TRACK LISTING

1. Choto Meye (Little Girl)
2. Storm So New (Interlude)
3. Liquid Blue
4. Please (Interlude)
5. Truth Be Told
6. Memory Of Dreams Of Memory (Interlude)
7. In My Line Of Sight
8. Freedom (Interlude)
9. Deshlai Kati (Matchstick)
10. Exalt (Interlude)
11. Personal Grey
12. Terror'd Night (Interlude)
13. City In The West
14. Hands (Interlude)
15. Ships In The Night
16. Love Was Not Enough

Originally released in 1985, this remastered deluxe edition of ‘Crashing Dream’, the second album from Los Angeles-based Paisley Underground band Rain Parade.

Includes a second disc of unreleased bonus material / alternate versions.

For fans of The Three O’clock, Dream Syndicate.

TRACK LISTING

CD1
Depending On You
My Secret Country
Don't Feel Bad
Mystic Green
Sad Eyes Kill
Crashing Dream
Shoot Down The Railroad
Man
Fertile Crescent
Invisible People
Gone West
Night Shade (Live At
Shibuya Hall)

CD2
Only Business
My Dog's Last Dream
Invisible People
Tranquility Base
The Sniper
Novocaine
Only Business
Ain't That Nothin'
Mystic Green
Don't Feel Bad
Home
Depending On You
Every Morning Does

Genre-bending live sensations Rainbow Kitten Surprise present their most collaborative and quintessentially Rainbow Kitten Surprise work yet on their new full length album, 'Bones'. Working once again with GRAMMY-winning producer Jay Joyce (Lainey Wilson, Orville Peck, Cage the Elephant) for the first time since 2018’s 'HOW TO: FRIEND, LOVE, FREEFALL', the record is both an incredible return to form and distinct elevation from their previous releases. After last year’s return with 'LOVE HATE MUSIC BOX', the North Carolina quartet’s first record in 6 years, RKS continue to prove themselves as one of the industry’s most exciting acts across the 10 captivating tracks of 'Bones'.

TRACK LISTING

1. Friendly Fire
2. Hell Nah
3. Bones
4. 100 Summers
5. Murder
6. Dang
7. King
8. Stars
9. Texas Hold'em
10. Tropics

13 tracks including the nine minute "Stargazer" and "Since You Were Gone" all for £5.99. Nuff said.

Finally in print again. It seemed for a while in the wake of Pistols / Clash hysteria that post-punk Blighty might just change the face of popular culture. And no small thanks to some females who didn't care to be written off: The Slits, Kleenex and most enduringly, the Raincoats. Their brief career included a few LPs on Rough Trade, but the band fell pray to inner turmoil by the turn of the decade. That was way before their biggest fan, a semi-famous guy named Kurt Cobain began singing their story to every journalist in the land. Soon enough Steve Shelley was behind the drums in a revamped version of the band. With this new lineup, "Extended Play" came to be, a preface to their triumphant 1994 reunion album on the DGC label. Somehow, the Raincoats' old records have gotten better since they were made. Invited to open for Nirvana on their 1994 tour, the decade-gone Raincoats reformed, with original members Gina Birch (bass/vocals) and Ana da Silva (guitar/vocals) joined by new violinist Anne Wood and guest drummer Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth. Cobain's suicide ended those plans, but the band went on a triumphant American tour anyway. A John Peel session from April 1994 (two new songs plus "No One's Little Girl" from "Moving" and "Shouting Out Loud" from "Odyshape") was released on Shelley's label as Extended Play. The noisy avant-continental "Don't Be Mean" (unveiled on the EP) takes slipperier turns through the band's past.

TRACK LISTING

1. Don't Be Mean 4:04,
2. We Smile 3:17,
3. No One's Little Girl 4:20,
4. Shouting Out Loud 4:56

We ThRee announce a release of 400 original CDs, unavailable for 20 years, on 11 December. The Raincoats have offered creative and spiritual inspiration for several generations of artists such as John Lydon, Kim Gordon, Kurt Cobain, Carrie Brownstein, Bikini Kill, Angel Olsen... In 1979, The Raincoats helped shape the timeless notion that punk is what you make it to be - an act of raw expression, not any one sound. Their anarchy was poetic. The group’s debut album ‘The Raincoats’, which Kurt Cobain called “wonderfully classic scripture”, was released by Rough Trade Records at its radical beginnings. In 1992, Kurt’s meeting with Ana da Silva sparked a much-documented relationship with The Raincoats, bringing them back together to play live on Nirvana’s final tour that never was, and inspiring Ana da Silva and Gina Birch to write ‘Looking in the shadows’, their final album, released in 1996 on Rough Trade Records and DGC. Original CD release from Rough Trade Records in 1996. Recorded at Trident II in August 1995. Produced and mixed by Ed Buller. Backing vocals on ‘Love a loser’ by Buzzcocks’ Pete Shelley. Video of ‘Don’t Be Mean’ directed by Gina Birch. “It was The Raincoats I related to most. They seemed like ordinary people playing extraordinary music. Music that was natural that made room for cohesion of personalities. They had enough confidence to be vulnerable and to be themselves without having to take on the mantle of male rock/punk rock aggression…or the typical female as sex symbol avec irony or sensationalism”. Kim Gordon…. 

TRACK LISTING

1.Only Tonight
2. Don’t Be Mean
3. Forgotten Words
4. Pretty
5. Truth Is Hard
6. Babydog
7. You Ask Why
8. 57 Ways To End It All
9. So Damn Early
10. You Kill Me
11. Love A Loser
12. Looking In The Shadows.

Joe Rainey is a Pow Wow singer. On his debut album, ‘Niineta’, he demonstrates his command of the Pow Wow style, descending from Indigenous singing that’s been heard across the waters of what is now called Minnesota for centuries. Depending on the song, his voice can celebrate or console, welcome or intimidate, wake you up or lull your babies to sleep. Each note conveys a clear message, no matter the inflection: We’re still here. We were here before you were, and we never left.

Rainey grew up a Red Lake Ojibwe in Minneapolis, a city with one of the largest, proudest Native populations in the country. He was raised on the South side near Franklin Avenue, the post-Reorganization Act urban nexus of local Native American life. Rainey came of age in the heart of this community (also the birthplace of AIM), but always felt like he was living in a liminal space with the Reservation five hours North. At an early age Rainey started recording groups, and practiced dancing and singing. As a teenager he started his first drum group, and soon his voice grew strong enough to sing in Midnite Express, a new drum group featuring members of the legendary group The Boyz. They were professionals, city Indians travelling all over, repping their reservations and their neighbourhoods - competing for cash and cred, always striving to capture that ‘Pow Wow feeling’ of togetherness. Rainey was just as much of a fan as he was a participant, recording others then studying the tapes, cataloguing the different styles.

On ‘Niineta’, Rainey finds himself in between cultures again, collaborating with producer Andrew Broder, who brought his turntablist sensibility to the project. The two of them met backstage at Justin Vernon’s hometown Eaux Claires music festival before crossing paths more through the 37d03d collective, and both contributed to the last Bon Iver album before partnering up. “At first I didn’t know what I could add,” Broder says. “I came to understand everything is rooted in the drum - even the songs on our record that have no drum.” Each song started with Broder’s beats, the two of them experimenting with various sounds and tempos before orchestrating and recontextualizing the ancient sounds in strange, new in-between places, also pulling from Rainey’s vast sample folder of Pow Wow recordings, layering in slices of his life.

‘Niineta’ is a short version of the Ojibwe term meaning ‘just me’, and Rainey is using the term only in the sense that he’s taking sole responsibility for the music. He is protective of Pow Wow culture - once outlawed by the US government and maintained in secret - while trying to figure out where he fits and how he can be creative with it. “These are my creations, but they’re Pow Wow songs, and our language is sacred,” he says. Rainey suggests conceptualizing the album as him working the door at a Pow Wow after party. “If I’m answering that door, I want to say, hey, yeah, come on in. But there’s fucking tons of us in here. It ain’t just me.”

TRACK LISTING

Jammer From The Slammer
B.e. Son
Easy On The Cide
Bezhigo
No Chants
Can Key
Jr. Flip
Turned Engine
Ch. 1222
Phil’s Offering

PNFG is thrilled to be taking you all on a road trip to Greater Manchester where we will unlock the vinyl releases of one of the early nineties best kept secrets - Raintree County sounding every bit like they hailed from a city 200 miles further north and from 10 years earlier

They released one LP and one EP in their short life. Both stunning examples of guitar based pop. We will bring you a double album featuring both albums, tastefully remastered and housed in a brand new Gatefold Sleeve with cover art from Fraser Taylor.

TRACK LISTING

Little Blue Book
Goodbye Galveston
A Nice Time At The Disco
Faithless
Summer Skip
Take
Mad Dog
Sweet Everything
Everybody Knows
Wind, Rain, Tornado
Here It Comes
Wild Honey
Looking For
Sunblind
Another Sunday Morning
Roadsong