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Ripple

Ripple (Black Friday 23 Edition)

    THIS IS A BLACK FRIDAY 2023 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 24TH 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 25TH).


    Seminal rare groove funk and deep soul album originally released in 1973 on GRC Records now released 50 years later on Soul Jazz Records in this fully remastered edition of this CLASSIC album especially for RSD/Black Friday.

    The album ‘Ripple’ contains the all-time classic ‘I Don’t know What It Is, But It Sure Is Funky’, one of the most memorable funk tunes of all time and sampled many times over.

    Ripple’s unique blend of funk, soul, rock, proto-disco and more stood them alongside groups like Funkadelic, Brass Construction, Mandrill, Pleasure, Kool and the Gang and The Blackbyrds, who were all blending these styles while remaining firmly focused on the dancefloor. Like the group Funkadelic, Ripple hailed from Michigan and in 1976 opened for the group on their Parliament/Funkadelic Mothership Connection tour.

    This classic album has been out of print for nearly 30 years on vinyl and is now fully remastered and presented here in its original artwork

    Limited to 500 copies for the UK & Ireland.

    TRACK LISTING

    1. You Were Right On Time
    2. Be My Friend
    3. I Don't Know What It Is,
    4. But It Sure Is Funky
    5. I'll Be Right There Trying
    6. Get Off
    7. See The Light In The
    8. Window
    9. A Funky Song
    10. Willie, Pass The Water
    11. Dance, Lady Dance
    12. Ripplin'

    Radiante Pourpre

    II

      One of the many musical entities the French collective Simple Music Experience sent to earth to vociferate electronic incantations, Radiante Pourpre is the name of a duo comprised of Alex and Leopold as well as the name of their 2017 debut album on Antinote. Last year, they have released an acclaimed LP on Kneklehuis under another moniker, Violent Quand On Aime, but the place from which they keep on transmitting musical signals has not changed: a post-exotic world ("No Zone") where the only remains of the societies we live in are barbwires, battered radio transmitters ("Takato") and deserted oil rigs the duo uses as fictional shelters.

      From their precarious haven, they send us field recordings of waves mixed with analog glitters ("Interlude"). From their lost at sea run down tower, they record the cries of ominous seagulls ("Small Talk") and a bewitching Spanish voice ("Mala 800"), incorporating these to primitive drum machine patterns… And then…

      A miracle happens when the record is flipped: a Balearic hit for post-apocalyptic times ("Lemanja")! Begining exactly like the opening track ("The Cops, The Jazz, The Birds"), in an unexpected twist of fate, it summons the angelic voice of Galadriel Andrade for a delicate Brazilian conjuration. There might even be a sunny spell lurking in the spirited closing tune ("Ms Butterfly"): “No Borders, No Cops, No Problems”.

      TRACK LISTING

      The Cops, The Jazz, The Birds
      Lesson Tropic
      Untitled
      Mala 800
      No Zone
      Iemanja
      Interlude
      Small Talk
      Takato
      Ms Butterfly

      Ramones

      Live At The Palladium, New York, NY (12/31/79)

        THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2019 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

        Double LP of Ramones - Live At The Palladium, New York, NY (12/31/79) which first appeared on CD only as part of the 40th Anniversary Deluxe set of “Road To Ruin”. This then previously unreleased recording of the band’s entire 1979 New Year’s Eve concert, was mixed live by Stasium, and broadcast on WNEW-FM. Recorded in New York City at The Palladium, with audio sourced from Tommy Ramone’s original cassette of the console recording, it features blistering performances of “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Rockaway Beach,” and “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker,” along with several songs from Road To Ruin: “I Don’t Want You,” “I Wanna Be Sedated,” and “I Wanted Everything”. This will be its first release on vinyl.

        Royal Trux

        Royal Trux (RSD24 EDITION)

          THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH 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 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 22ND.






          Roger Waters

          The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux (RSD24 EDITION)

            THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

            Released in the year of the 50th Anniversary of the original album, The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux, is Roger Waters homage to the masterpiece he created with Pink Floyd in 1973. Waters says of the album: "Dave, Rick, Nick, and I were so young when we made [the original], and when you look at the world around us, clearly the message hasn't stuck. That's why I started to consider what the wisdom of an 80 year old could bring to a reimagined version".

            This is a limited edition 1LP picture disc of the album that will be individually numbered in a die-cut sleeve. Limited to 3000 copies worldwide.

            Rose City Band

            Earth Trip

              Rose City Band is celebrated guitarist Ripley Johnson. A prolific songwriter, Johnson started Rose City Band to have an outlet to explore songwriting styles apart from Wooden Shjips and Moon Duo, where he is often not the lead songwriter. Rose City Band allowed him to follow his musical muses as they greet him and not be bound by the schedule of bandmates and demands of a touring group. Stepping out from behind the psychedelic haze that envelops his other output, Rose City Band’s lean yet richly textured arrangements lay bare the beauty of his songcraft. On Earth Trip, Johnson reveals more of himself than ever before, coloring the project’s country-rock twang with a melancholic, wistful undertone. It charts a journey of personal growth and introspection with surprising honesty, from pining for summers spent with friends to meditations on space, stillness and the splendor of the natural world. It continues Rose City Band’s celebration of summer warmth and the great outdoors, seen from a new vantage point, and with newfound appreciation for the freedom and joy that nature provides.

              Earth Trip was written during a period of sudden shocks and drastic lifestyle changes for Johnson. Forced to cancel extensive touring plans for 2020, the guitarist found himself home for an extended period for the first time in years. No longer in constant motion, he was able to experience and enjoy the simple pleasures of home life, of being in one place: hikes in nature, bathing outside, and waking with the dawn. Forming new connections to his surroundings, from tending to a garden to sleeping out under the stars, Johnson found hope and healing in a more mindful relationship with the natural world.

              Themes of recalibration and finding personal space are equally mirrored in Earth Trip’s lean production. Recorded at his home studio in Portland and mixed by Cooper Crain (Bitchin’ Bajas, Cave), Johnson makes deft use of space while experimenting with new sonics. Shimmering pedal steel, woozy harmonica melodies, and stately piano enhance the album’s introspective tone without ever clouding arrangements. Psychedelic elements that nod to Johnson’s other projects and influences still appear throughout, but hover at the edge of perception, a subtle halo adding colour and texture to Johnson’s songwriting rather than taking centrer-stage. He elaborates: “I told Cooper I was trying to capture that feeling when you take psychedelics and they just start coming on - maybe objects start buzzing in the edges of your vision, you start seeing slight trails, maybe the characteristics of sound change subtly. But you’re not fully tripping yet. He got the idea right away and his mix really captures that feeling.” Johnson’s lithe guitar playing throughout treads a fine line between country and cosmic, taut melodies spiralling out into long reverb trails or free-form solos buoyed by a breeze, radiating summer warmth.

              Through its daring honesty and masteful arrangements, Earth Trip cements Johnson’s place as a singular songwriter of inimitable skill. It’s message of mindfulness and our interconnectedness to the environment expands on a long country and blues music tradition that draws a symbiotic relationship between storyteller and the land, capturing the beauty of the natural world while also emphasising our responsibility in preserving it for future generations.

              STAFF COMMENTS

              Barry says: Rose city band go full country! Slide guitars, lap steel and tasteful reverb coalesce into a brilliantly evocative and wonderfully produced distillation of that Rose City sound into a country shell. It's a testament to Ripley Johnson's skill that his sound can be so successfully transplanted into a different shell while retaining everything that made him so great in the first place. Lovely stuff.

              TRACK LISTING

              1. Silver Roses
              2. In The Rain
              3. World Is Turning
              4. Feel Of Love
              5. Lonely Places
              6. Ramblin’ With The Day
              7. Rabbit
              8. Dawn Patrol

              Rose City Band

              Earth Trip

                Rose City Band is celebrated guitarist Ripley Johnson. A prolific songwriter, Johnson started Rose City Band to have an outlet to explore songwriting styles apart from Wooden Shjips and Moon Duo, where he is often not the lead songwriter. Rose City Band allowed him to follow his musical muses as they greet him and not be bound by the schedule of bandmates and demands of a touring group. Stepping out from behind the psychedelic haze that envelops his other output, Rose City Band’s lean yet richly textured arrangements lay bare the beauty of his songcraft. On Earth Trip, Johnson reveals more of himself than ever before, coloring the project’s country-rock twang with a melancholic, wistful undertone. It charts a journey of personal growth and introspection with surprising honesty, from pining for summers spent with friends to meditations on space, stillness and the splendor of the natural world. It continues Rose City Band’s celebration of summer warmth and the great outdoors, seen from a new vantage point, and with newfound appreciation for the freedom and joy that nature provides.

                Earth Trip was written during a period of sudden shocks and drastic lifestyle changes for Johnson. Forced to cancel extensive touring plans for 2020, the guitarist found himself home for an extended period for the first time in years. No longer in constant motion, he was able to experience and enjoy the simple pleasures of home life, of being in one place: hikes in nature, bathing outside, and waking with the dawn. Forming new connections to his surroundings, from tending to a garden to sleeping out under the stars, Johnson found hope and healing in a more mindful relationship with the natural world.

                Themes of recalibration and finding personal space are equally mirrored in Earth Trip’s lean production. Recorded at his home studio in Portland and mixed by Cooper Crain (Bitchin’ Bajas, Cave), Johnson makes deft use of space while experimenting with new sonics. Shimmering pedal steel, woozy harmonica melodies, and stately piano enhance the album’s introspective tone without ever clouding arrangements. Psychedelic elements that nod to Johnson’s other projects and influences still appear throughout, but hover at the edge of perception, a subtle halo adding colour and texture to Johnson’s songwriting rather than taking centrer-stage. He elaborates: “I told Cooper I was trying to capture that feeling when you take psychedelics and they just start coming on - maybe objects start buzzing in the edges of your vision, you start seeing slight trails, maybe the characteristics of sound change subtly. But you’re not fully tripping yet. He got the idea right away and his mix really captures that feeling.” Johnson’s lithe guitar playing throughout treads a fine line between country and cosmic, taut melodies spiralling out into long reverb trails or free-form solos buoyed by a breeze, radiating summer warmth.

                Through its daring honesty and masteful arrangements, Earth Trip cements Johnson’s place as a singular songwriter of inimitable skill. It’s message of mindfulness and our interconnectedness to the environment expands on a long country and blues music tradition that draws a symbiotic relationship between storyteller and the land, capturing the beauty of the natural world while also emphasising our responsibility in preserving it for future generations.

                STAFF COMMENTS

                Barry says: Rose city band go full country! Slide guitars, lap steel and tasteful reverb coalesce into a brilliantly evocative and wonderfully produced distillation of that Rose City sound into a country shell. It's a testament to Ripley Johnson's skill that his sound can be so successfully transplanted into a different shell while retaining everything that made him so great in the first place. Lovely stuff.

                TRACK LISTING

                1. Silver Roses
                2. In The Rain
                3. World Is Turning
                4. Feel Of Love
                5. Lonely Places
                6. Ramblin’ With The Day
                7. Rabbit
                8. Dawn Patrol

                Stroom's valentine special for 2019 sees the label excavate some lovely wave from Venice, Italy (1981-1984). Though the city may be best known for gondolas, the biennale and romantic getaways, it seems those canals spawned some vital contributions to Italy's vibrant underground pop scene in the 80s, not least the DIY sounds of Ruins. The collaborative project of Alessandro Pizzin and Piergiuseppe Ciranna, Ruins took inspiration from British post punk, US electro, the robots from Düsseldorf and the sleek new wave topping the international charts at the time. Opener "Elegant Shout" fuses crunchy electronics and grooving bass and guitar to create a bedroom pop beauty which could easily have made it onto MFM's "Uneven Paths" comp. "Alone" is a punchier affair, more obviously directed at the leftfield dancefloors with insistent synths and the kind of garbled chorus you get from no-wave. Cut a rug in your baggiest trousers with the early-Spandeau stylings of "You're Like A Cigarette", then go wild with the drunk in the jazz club weirdo post-punk of "Skeleton In Love". The flipside keeps the hits coming, be it the slow and sleazy "Fit Of Nerves", tropical pop bangers "Boys & Girls" and "Everybody Knows Me" or the whacked out white funk of "It's Not Too Grand". Long live Stroom and their endless knowledge of alternative wave greats.

                STAFF COMMENTS

                Patrick says: Skinny ties, skew-wiff sounds and the weirdest, white funk around - sounds good to me. Sitting at the groovier end of the post punk/synth pop spectrum, "Occasional Visits" is a wavey masterpiece from Italy's 80s underground. Time to dance differently...

                TRACK LISTING

                A1. Elegant Shout
                A2. Alone
                A3. You're Like A Cigarette
                A4. Skeleton In Love
                B1. Fit Of Nerves
                B2. Boys & Girls
                B3. Everybody Knows Me
                B4. It's Not Too Grand

                Rudolf Abramov

                Paracetamol / Clonex

                Rudolf Abramov is taking a step in a different direction from his last release on Höga Nord Rekords. This 7” contains the works of deep mining in an old hard drive during the introversion of the pandemic quarantine. These two gems have been given a bit of tasteful polishing before reaching the point of release and the result is a punk meets stoner rock experience propelled by hard sequencers and drum machines.

                This record is as English / Irish as you find em: straight forward instrumentation and lyrical performance presented with a dirty and rough production. The beats are stripped with an edgy punch and the synthesizers are overdriven, giving them guitar like qualities.

                The “Paracetamol / Clonex” 7” is a release of covid demons, and the sound of spitting out the bitter taste of isolation, or to use his own words: ‘On this 7" you will find absurd and desperate lyrics accompanied by heavy English and Irish accents, driven robotic drum machines, dirty synths, crunching bass, and as unpolished as your dad's old Angle grinder.’


                STAFF COMMENTS

                Matt says: One of the shining lights of the underground, Höga Nord Rekords, continues to usher in a crucial roster of artists eschewing music trends and Instagram stardom for a dark, nocturnal, gothy inspired sound all of their own. Equally at home in the rock club or warehouse; this is uncompromising music strictly for those who like it strange!

                TRACK LISTING

                A. Paracetamol Feat. Matthew Johnson
                B. Clonex Feat. Brendan Cleary

                Ryan Adams

                Another Wednesday

                  Discover another take on Adams’ acclaimed 2020 release Wednesdays with this re-worked edition of the record on double black vinyl. The new collection curated by Adams breathes fresh life into the record, offering fans and newcomers a chance to experience the album in a new perspective. Featuring refreshed takes on some of the original track listing, Another Wednesday reinvents the sound and spirit of the album. The re-work includes a selection of thoughtfully chosen cover tracks—paying homage to the music that inspired the original album’s creation.

                  TRACK LISTING

                  When You Cross Over
                  Wednesdays
                  Poison & Pain
                  Mamma
                  Tracks Of My Tears
                  Walk In The Dark
                  Birmingham
                  I’m Sorry And I Love You
                  It’s Not That Kind Of Night
                  So, Anyways
                  Moon River
                  Dreaming You Backwards
                  Who’s Going To Love Me Now

                  Ryan Adams

                  Blackhole

                    Ryan Adams’ infamous cult classic album “Blackhole” is released on classic black vinyl and CD for the very first time. The album’s contents and final tracklisting have been widely speculated since its conception in the early 00’s. After nearly two decades of anticipation, Adams is now ready to unveil the official release of Blackhole. Featuring “Catherine”, heard only in live performances, alongside previously unheard material, Blackhole captures the raw, unfiltered emotion that defines Adam’s songwriting. The shelved album, first demoed in 2006, became heavily bootlegged, with fans circulating low-quality recordings and snippets from live performances, fuelling a demand for the album’s official release. This long-awaited, full-length album not only satisfies years of fan speculation, but also reclaims a crucial moment in Ryan Adam’s history. 

                    STAFF COMMENTS

                    Barry says: After nearly two decades of anticipation, Adams is now ready to unveil the official release of Blackhole. Featuring “Catherine”, heard only in live performances, alongside previously unheard material, Blackhole captures the raw, unfiltered emotion that defines Adam’s songwriting

                    This is Rodrigo Amarante’s first solo record. It was made during an unexpected but very welcome exile, in a land he wouldn't have predicted he’d linger for too long; the west of the west. But the sense of distance and his newly acquired refreshing anonymity kept him staying. Rodrigo found himself leaning on that distance, projecting onto it, the space echoing back to him with a new voice.

                    Cavalo means horse in Portuguese, a word also used for people who channel spirits in service, something normal to Brazilians. Another instance of an amalgam between vehicle and vehiculated, and writing these songs felt like that, an attempt to merge these often conflicting voices, the mind, and the gut.

                    Rodrigo repeatedly found himself a foreigner, an explorer, moving from city to city every three years as a kid. He pretended to have the forbearance and courage he ended up forging while secretly carrying the resentment of the imposed detours, of the wait to return. When he finally arrived back in Rio no longer a child and with an accent three times tampered he realized that his hometown wasn't his, that he had invented it in light of what he saw elsewhere, its memory a dream of scents and light that didn't seem to exist in space, maybe in time. He discovered himself a stranger, what he had been since he first left and knew to be temporary, what he realized was definitive. And it was a bitterness at first but it slowly turned into something sweet, warm, he felt free and grateful, he had to invent that too, cut the bushes to a new path. He departed again.


                    TRACK LISTING

                    01. Nada Em Vão
                    02. Hourglass
                    03. Mon Nom
                    04. Irene
                    05. Maná
                    06. Fall Asleep
                    07. The Ribbon
                    08. O Cometa
                    09. Cavalo
                    10. I'm Ready
                    11. Tardei

                    You may know Rodrigo Amarante already. You may have heard "Tuyo," his theme tune to the Netflix drama Narcos, or the Little Joy album, recorded with Fab Moretti and Binki Shapiro, you might have noted his name among the credits on songs by Gal Costa, Norah Jones and Gilberto Gil; or perhaps you saw him play live with Brazilian samba big band Orquestra Imperial, or with Rio rockers Los Hermanos; you really should have heard his debut album, Cavalo, released in 2014. You may think you know Rodrigo Amarante already, but Drama, his second solo album, is going to introduce a whole new level of confusion to the mix.

                    Drama is purposefully caricatural, cinematic; "As biased as memory". It flows as an arch, playfully deceiving, like a tale. The ominous opening number gives you a hint that things might not be what they appear, and clues are hiding in plain sight. "Projection, attachment, deception: that is Drama." The sunny upbeat start of "Maré", with a nearly childish opening melody, echoes something less naïf: "The tide will fetch what the ebb brings". The beat helps you move past. "Tango" sounds like falling in love on the dance floor, warm and tropical, it celebrates companionship, while perhaps pleading for it, yearning. "Tara," meanwhile, feels like something Astrud Gilberto might have sung at the height of bossa nova’s global popularity, with the twist of the big-band-era muted horns on the chorus, nearly self-deprecating, as if mocking such idealized infatuation.

                    Drama closes with the piano on "The End." To live is to fall. After all the emotional upheavals the singer has put his cast through, is this some kind of farewell to this mortal coil? "Everything Furthers." says Amarante. "Whispering, you get louder like that, people respond better to an invitation," and adds: "Staring at the absurd while remaining kind, being open to the gifts of confusion; that's why we create these tools that are stories and songs, to help us see each other."

                    TRACK LISTING

                    01. Drama
                    02. Maré
                    03. Tango
                    04. Tara
                    05. Tanto
                    06. I Can't Wait
                    07. Tao
                    08. Sky Beneath
                    09. Eu Com Você
                    10. Um Milhão
                    11. The End

                    Richard Ashcroft

                    Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1

                      The album features twelve newly recorded acoustic versions of classic songs from his back catalogue spanning both his solo career and his time with The Verve.

                      After lockdown was lifted, Richard decided to start the project as a way to reunite the community around him, bringing a selection of great musicians and old friends back together again. As the project took shape, they discovered just how varied their new approaches could be. Some of the arrangements proved to be timeless and remained similar to the originals, with years of experience and a new found passion that saw Richard’s vocals express a fresh empathy within their lyrics. Meanwhile, other songs took on a new shape in this stripped-back set-up.

                      The rebirth of the iconic ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ was an emotional moment for Richard. It felt particularly poignant re-recording a song that he had written almost twenty-five years ago, especially as it's now officially his composition after Mick Jagger and Keith Richards relinquished their writing credits to him.

                      Another big moment comes with the new version of ‘C’Mon People (We’re Making It Now)’, a duet with Richard’s old friend Liam Gallagher. The pair have often talked about recording or performing the song together since it was first released in 2000, and now it’s finally happened - the sheer energy and delight that they shared during the session is palpable as the new recording beams with a joyous feeling of optimism.

                      ‘Velvet Morning’ is another track that has been transformed. The vocals on the original version, as featured on The Verve’s classic ‘Urban Hymns’, were sung via a megaphone that Richard had purchased from a car boot sale the day before the recording session. Now Richard’s vocal really shines as it unleashes the song’s full magnitude.

                      The biggest surprise on ‘Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1’ is the inclusion of ‘This Thing Called Life’, a song which Ashcroft has rarely played live. It was originally recorded with No I.D. in the USA as a highlight of his soul-tinged RPA & The United Nations Of Sound project. Now taken back to basics, the new arrangement reveals a song that feels perfectly at home alongside Richard’s most highly regarded work.

                      Produced by Richard with regular collaborator Chris Potter, the album features his regular live band boosted by some special collaborators. Wil Malone provides the string arrangements, which were recorded at Abbey Road Studios. In addition, Chuck Leavell (The Rolling Stones, The Allman Brothers) performs piano, Roddy Bloomfield leads the brass section, and Steve Wyreman (Leon Bridges, Vic Mensa) contributes acoustic guitar and backing vocals.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      CD
                      Bittersweet Symphony
                      A Song For The Lovers
                      Sonnet
                      C'mon People (We're Making It Now) – Featuring Liam Gallagher
                      Weeping Willow
                      Lucky Man
                      This Thing Called Life
                      Space & Time
                      Velvet Morning
                      Break The Night With Colour
                      One Day
                      The Drugs Don't Work

                      Vinyl Tracklist
                      SIDE A
                      Bittersweet Symphony
                      A Song For The Lovers
                      Sonnet
                      SIDE B
                      C'mon People (We're Making It Now) – Featuring Liam Gallagher
                      Weeping Willow
                      Lucky Man
                      SIDE C
                      This Thing Called Life
                      Space & Time
                      Velvet Morning
                      SIDE D
                      Break The Night With Colour
                      One Day
                      The Drugs Don't Work

                      As the frontman for the epic British drone-pop band The Verve, Richard Ashcroft proved himself the spiritual descendant of rock & roll icons like Mick Jagger and Jim Morrison - rivetingly charismatic, menacingly serpentine, and possessed of an almost shamanic intensity, he embraced and articulated the anthemic fervor of rock music with a power and eloquence unparalleled by any of his contemporaries.

                      Featuring ten new songs, all of which were written by Ashcroft, ‘Natural Rebel’ was produced by the singer-songwriter alongside Jon Kelly (Paul McCartney, Kate Bush) and Emre Ramazanoglu, Bobby Gillespie). The majority of its recording took place at State of the Ark Studios in Richmond, with further sessions at The Bunker, Tileyard Studios and Hoxa HQ.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      1. All My Dreams
                      2. Birds Fly
                      3. Surprised By The Joy
                      4. That's How Strong
                      5. Born To Be Strangers
                      6. That's When I Feel It
                      7. We All Bleed
                      8. A Man In Motion
                      9. Streets Of Amsterdam
                      10. Money Money

                      Richard Ashcroft

                      These People - 2024 Repress

                        Richard Ashcroft’s fourth solo album ‘These People’ became a fan-favourite in 2016, receiving great reviews and becoming a #3 album in the Official UK Albums Chart.

                        His reunion with Wil Malone, who had previously worked on the string arrangements for The Verve's seminal albums 'A Northern Soul' and 'Urban Hymns' added depth and emotional resonance to the album's sound. Ashcroft demonstrated his continued relevance and creative prowess as a solo artist, reaffirming his status as one of Britain's most enduring and influential musicians.


                        TRACK LISTING

                        1. Out Of My Body
                        2. This Is How It Feels
                        3. They Don’t Own Me
                        4. Hold On
                        5. These People
                        6. Everybody Needs Somebody To Hurt
                        7. Picture Of You
                        8. Black Lines
                        9. Ain’t The Future So Bright
                        10. Songs Of Experience

                        Richard Ashcroft

                        These People

                          Richard Ashcroft returns in 2016 with his fourth solo album entitled ‘These People’ released on his Righteous Phonographic Association label via Cooking Vinyl Records on 20th May.

                          The previous Brit and Ivor Novello award winner (and Grammy nominated) artist made a handful of solo live appearances at the end of 2015, playing a performance at Zermatt Unplugged in Zurich in October and an incredible solo acoustic set in front of 30,000 people at Mexico's Corona Capital Festival in November (see below), live dates for 2016 will be announced shortly.

                          The album was recorded in London and produced by Ashcroft and longtime collaborator Chris Potter. It marks a reunion with Wil Malone, who worked with Ashcroft on the string arrangements on the seminal albums by The Verve ‘A Northern Soul’ and ‘Urban Hymns’. 

                          Richard Ashcroft Is Alive: The Verve Man's Thrilling Resurrection At Mexico's Corona Capital Festival – NME.
                          ‘Who else here has got the bollocks to stand up on this stage, on their own, with their own tunes and their own guitar and play it from the soul?" NME.


                          STAFF COMMENTS

                          Andy says: Lead single "This is How it Feels" typifies this lush return to form for Richard. Hooked up again with both the producer and strings conductor of Urban Hymns, this album has the depth and most importantly tunes that he used to knock out for fun all those years ago.

                          Roberto Auser

                          Flush / Spy Satellite

                          Hailing from the Netherlands, Roberto Auser has been a mainstay of the underground electronic scene for over a decade. With a passion for vintage synthesizers and a knack for crafting irresistible beats, he has released a string of critically acclaimed albums and EPs that have won him a dedicated following around the world.

                          His new release for Ferry Lane sees Roberto on a synthwave tip, and it is a testament to his skill and creativity as a producer. Flush, with its infectious beats and hypnotic synth lines, is a prime example of Roberto's ability to create music that is both danceable and emotionally resonant. On the flip, Spy Satellite showcases his versatility and range with its haunting melodies and atmospheric textures.

                          Limited to 200 copies, hand-stamped labels.

                          RIYL Martial Canterel, Wierd, June, Strangers For Love. 


                          STAFF COMMENTS

                          Matt says: A blink-and-you'll-miss-it cold wave romp that sounds like it's been dragged out the sewers alongside Light Sounds Dark's more recent excavations and overseen by Rodion Ga. Expert analogue synth work, nice crisp recording, ooh yes...

                          TRACK LISTING

                          A. Flush
                          B. Spy Satellite

                          We do love the one and only Mr Roy Ayers here at Dynamite Cuts, so here are two new wonders reformatted for 7" vinyl for the first time. We have choosen two killer tracks from the "A Tear To A Smile" album.

                          TRACK LISTING

                          1. A Tear To A Smile
                          2. Time & Space

                          Roy Ayers

                          Liquid Love / What’s The T?

                            With both tracks now coming out for the first time on vinyl, the Liquid Love and What's The T? 7” single is a must get for all Roy Ayers fans and serious music collectors, not least as 2023 witnesses Roy's final ever tour of live dates. This release is a fitting tribute to the career of one of the most influential musicians in global Black music history and each track represents his virtuosity as a vibesman and his versatility across genres. Liquid Love is taken from the digital version of the 2015 BBE released compilation of Roy's unreleased material, Virgin Ubiquity II, and is a wicked mid-tempo track where Roy's vibraphone complements an amazing female vocal arrangement to create harmonies and melody over a tough as you like breakbeat, bass line and keyboard riff. Coming from the 2004 initial release in the Virgin Ubiquity series of unreleased Roy Ayer's tracks, What's The T? is a more uptempo, bassline driven slab of dance floor funk. Augmented by a horn section and a huge female vocal from Merry Clayton over a hi-hat drumbeat, What's The T? is Roy Ayers and his musicians playing Roy's arrangements to perfection. Releasing on BBE Music's ALIM imprint, Liquid Love/What's The T? vinyl single issue is two musical moments in time now presented as a moment in history in the year we celebrate the excellent career and legacy of Roy Ayers as a touring musician. This is Roy at his best as musician, arranger and artist, grab this now.

                            TRACK LISTING

                            1. What's The T?
                            2. Liquid Love

                            Roy Ayers

                            Reaching The Highest Pleasure / I Am Your Mind Part 2 (Pépé Bradock Remix)

                              'There are moments when we harmonise with each other and become one with nature and reality.' When, in the early 2000's, Pete Adarkwah heard of the existence of tapes of unreleased Roy Ayers and Ubiquity recordings sitting in storage he contacted Roy to get hold of them to be mastered and released. Released they were under the banner of 'Virgin Ubiquity' which spawned two volumes of the original grooves as well as a compilation of remixed versions of selected tracks. Now coming out on a 10” single, 'Reaching For The Highest Pleasure' gets it's first ever vinyl release, thus adding to the canon of 'must have' Roy Ayers records. This vibraphone heavy track and funk-fuelled bassline epitomises Roy's Black Consciousness inspired output from the mid-70's that also saw seminal albums such as Red Black and Green, Mystic Voyage and Everybody Loves The Sunshine recorded with various line ups of 'Ubiquity'. This release is backed with the call to arms of personal freedom and self that is 'I Am Your Mind part 2' remixed by Parisian producer Pépé Bradock AKA Julien Auger. First released by BBE on the original 'Virgin Ubiquity' compilation as the original recording and subsequently as a remixed version on 'Virgin Ubiquity remixed', this track features a stunning female vocal as well as Roy's spoken word philosophies laid over a deep and infectious groove. These two tracks are Roy Ayers at his legendary best from his most innovative period of creativity with his Ubiquity band of top flight Jazz, Funk and Soul musicians and artists. As already said, this a must have record.

                              TRACK LISTING

                              1. Reaching The Highest Pleasure
                              2. I Am Your Mind (Part 2) Pépé Bradock Main Mix

                              This is the first ever reissue of Roy Ayers' 1983 album 'Silver Vibrations'. Originally released in the UK only on Uno Melodic Records, 'Silver Vibrations' shares some of its musical DNA with 'Lots Of Love', Ayers' US album from the same year. However, 'Silver Vibrations' contains four unique cuts all of its own, plus extended takes of three songs, including the definitive version of iconic song 'Chicago'. The rarity of the original pressing has led to eye-watering second-hand prices for this truly brilliant LP. 'Silver Vibrations' was perhaps the last album to retain the sound of Ayers' organic 'classic' period of the latter '70s and manages to stand up well under its current re-evaluation. "Chicago", the unedited version of which is exclusive to this L.P., received considerable airplay in its time and has barely faded from earshot ever since; its woozy, mysterious vibe and cosmic ruminations from Roy in the second half have certainly endured. The strutting, funky "Good, Good Music" echoes Ayers at his pre-'80s, up-tempo disco peak, sporting a grittier edge and an old-school party atmosphere. Title track "Silver Vibrations" was only ever released in the U.K., both on this album and as a single, backed with "Fast Money". Both "Lots Of Love" and "Keep On Movin'" hark back to previous times and are a pleasant listen without being at all taxing. "Smiling With Our Eyes" is mid-tempo, lilting and jazzy, with a vocal vaguely reminiscent of Stevie Wonder in places. The wistful "D.C. City", a close companion of Ubiquity's original recording of "The Third Eye" is, in many ways, quintessentially Roy Ayers. 

                              STAFF COMMENTS

                              David says: Overdue reissue of this Roy classic. Worth buying purely for 'Chicago'. One of his finest moments it's been sampled and re-edited more times than his lawyers can count.

                              TRACK LISTING

                              1. Chicago
                              2. Lots Of Love
                              3. Keep On Movin'
                              4. Silver Vibrations
                              5. Smiling With Our Eyes
                              6. D.C. City
                              7. Good Good Music

                              Roy Ayers

                              Virgin Ubiquity II: Unreleased Recordings 1976 - 1981

                                BBE Music announces the first repress of the classic Roy Ayers albums ‘Virgin Ubiquity’ 1 and 2 since 2006, on luxurious 180g vinyl with brand new sleeve notes written by Sean P. The music on 'Virgin Ubiquity' was selected and mixed down from previously unreleased multi-tracks recorded between 1976 & 1981, which Roy had in storage. It's all unmistakably Ayers, but is diverse and fresh enough to be more than a mere adjunct to one of his most productive and popular periods - testament to his and his musicians' creative abilities, as much of most revered Ayers output stems from this time. These discoveries take their place beside some illustrious company in a timeline bookended by 'Everybody Loves The Sunshine' and 'Africa, Center Of The World', several solo and Ubiquity albums, collaborations with Wayne Henderson & Fela Kuti, as well as guesting on LPs by Buster Williams and Herbie Mann. Out of print on vinyl and CD for over a decade now, BBE is delighted to re- present these groundbreaking Roy Ayers titles, neatly coinciding with the 45th anniversary of his classic album ‘Mystic Voyage’.

                                TRACK LISTING

                                Disc: 1
                                1. Holiday
                                2. Funk In The Hole
                                3. Liquid Love
                                4. I Am Your Mind (Part 2)

                                Disc: 2
                                1. Third Time
                                2. I Like The Way You Do It To Me
                                3. Tarzan
                                4. Come To Me

                                Disc: 3
                                1. Touch Of Class
                                2. Kwajilori
                                3. Wide Open
                                4. Release Yourself
                                5. Sunshine (Demo)

                                Richard Balls

                                A Furious Devotion : The Life Of Shane Macgowan

                                  The definitive biography of Shane MacGowan, fully updated to include Shane's final months and the response to his passing. Punk protagonist, legendary drinker, Irish musical icon. The complete and extraordinary journey of the Pogues' notorious frontman from outcast to national treasure.

                                  A Furious Devotion vividly recounts the experiences that shaped the greatest songwriter of his generation, including the formative trips to his mother's homestead in Tipperary and the explosion of punk which changed his life. As well as exclusive interviews with Shane himself, author Richard Balls has secured contributions from his wife and family, and people who have never spoken publicly about Shane before: close associates, former girlfriends and the English teacher who first spotted his literary gift. Nick Cave, Aidan Gillen, Cillian Murphy, Christy Moore, Sinead O'Connor and Dermot O'Leary are on the rollcall of those paying tribute to the gifted songwriter and poet.

                                  This frank and extensive biography includes many previously unseen personal photographs.

                                  Ray Barretto

                                  La Cuna - 2024 Reissue

                                    La Cuna is one of the best moves in producer Taylor Creed’s career, bringing together Ray Barretto, Tito Puento (timbales) and Joe Farrell (tenor and soprano saxophones, flute), to produce a fine Latin jazz album. The album also moves into soul territory with an interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s “Pastime Paradise”.

                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    Side A
                                    1. La Cuna
                                    2. Doloroso
                                    3. Mambotango

                                    Side B
                                    4. The Old Castle
                                    5. Pastime Paradise

                                    Robbie Basho

                                    Snow Beneath The Belly Of A White Swan: The Lost Live Recordings

                                      It has been said that Robbie Basho's art was strongest in concert. To what extent the experience can be reconstituted is uncertain. Whatever the case, 'Snow Beneath the Belly of a White Swan' is the mother lode of Basho live recordings. On these five discs we are treated to some remarkable pieces that have never been published, as well as surprising renditions of old favourites. Compiled from Basho’s sprawling personal collection of master tapes (discovered during the production of Voice of the Eagle: The Enigma of Robbie Basho), and potentially encompassing his entire career, this edition represents a live companion to the studio set Song of the Avatars: The Lost Master Tapes (Tompkins Square, 2020). While the tapes have (in the main) survived incredibly well over the decades (against the odds), please note that some previously unpublished tracks with subpar to poor fidelity have been included.

                                      TRACK LISTING

                                      CD1:
                                      1.Chung Mei - The Chinese Orchid
                                      2. Some Summer Day
                                      3. Sligo River Blues
                                      4. Autumn Nocturne
                                      5. In The Meadows
                                      6. Snow Beneath The Belly Of A White Swan

                                      CD2:
                                      1. The Falconer's Arm
                                      2. Himalayan Highlands
                                      3. The Golden Shamrock
                                      4. Bear Medicine
                                      5. Charles Ives Paints Modern America
                                      6. Portrait Of Fahey As A Young Dragoon

                                      CD3:
                                      1. Song Of God
                                      2. Kowaka D'Amour
                                      3. Pasha
                                      4. Cathedrals Et Fleur De Lis
                                      5. Cantos California

                                      CD4:
                                      1. Green River Suite
                                      2. California Raga
                                      3. Silver Curls
                                      4. The Lady She Is A Waiting
                                      5. Chaconne Fandango
                                      6. Song Of The Stallion
                                      7. A North American Raga (The Plumstar)

                                      CD5:
                                      1. Eagle Sails The Blue Diamond Waters
                                      2. Kateri Tekakwitha
                                      3. Orphan's Lament
                                      4. A Song Of Kings
                                      5. Moon Milk
                                      6. Wonder Song

                                      Rayland Baxter

                                      If I Were A Butterfly

                                        Rayland’s new release ‘If I Was A Butterfly’ is his first new album in 4 years. The album is certainly his most experimental – diving deep into the indie psych space – but keeping the essence of Rayland’s beautiful songwriting. A couple years ago, Rayland released a Mac Miller tribute EP ‘Good Mmornin.’ Rayland was deeply inspired by Mac’s music but he approached it from an entirely different perspective. It was surely an experiment yet it really worked. His cover of “Small Worlds” has 11 million Spotify streams. It’s been incredible to see how this project connected with core Rayland fans and Mac fans alike – it expanded his following to a whole new space. The Mac Miller project was a bridge from Rayland’s last album ‘Wide Awake’ which came out in 2018. Since then, Rayland has been through a lot of heavy experiences. His father, the legendary pedal steel player Bucky Baxter (toured with Bob Dylan), died suddenly. Rayland went through heartbreak and found new love.

                                        Rayland Baxter

                                        Wide Awake

                                          Thoreau had Walden Pond. Kerouac had Big Sur. Rayland Baxter? He had an old rubber band factory in Franklin, Kentucky, and it suited him just fine. As one of the hardest-touring artists on the road today, Baxter’s spent most of his professional life in transit, but ever since he was a kid, he dreamed of creative seclusion someplace lonely and isolated, somewhere he could sit still and devote his every waking hour to writing without interruption or distraction. When the opportunity finally presented itself in late 2016, the Nashville native pounced.

                                          “I packed everything in my van and moved to Franklin for three months,” says Baxter. “It was the fist time I ever got to be alone and focus solely on songs like that. All I did was write, write, write all day every day. I was obsessed.”

                                          By the time Baxter emerged, he’d penned more than 50 tunes and crafted a detailed blueprint for his spectacular new album, ‘Wide Awake.’ Deftly produced by Butch Walker, the record infuses Baxter’s easygoing, soulful sound with British Invasion melodies and rock and roll swagger, marrying lean, muscular songwriting with adventurous, inventive arrangements. It’s a cutting, insightful collection, one that takes a sardonic view the violence, greed, and division that seem to define the modern American landscape. Rather than point a finger, though, the music holds up a mirror, offering a sober reflection of the times thoughtfully bundled in bright, infectious hooks. There’s no judgment here, only keen observation, and Baxter implicates himself as much as his neighbor through it all.

                                          “This is an album about decision making,” he explains. “It’s about being a human at the crossroads. Do I do good or do I do evil? Do I lie or do I tell the truth? Am I going to be happy or am I going to be sad? All of these questions and emotions are things I see in myself, and they’re the same things I see in everyone else no matter where I go.”

                                          Baxter’s built a career on capturing those sorts of timeless, deeply human sentiments, bringing colorful characters to vivid life with equal parts humor and pathos. His debut album, ‘feathers & fishhooks,’ was a critical hit praised by Interview for its “well-worn maturity,” while NPR described “Yellow Eyes,” the lead single from his 2015 follow-up, ‘Imaginary Man,’ as “close-to-perfect.” Stereogum dubbed the record “an impeccable sophomore break-out,” and Rolling Stone hailed its pairing of “whimsical narrative with often deceptively complex arrangements.” The music earned Baxter festival appearances from Bonnaroo to Newport Folk in addition to tours with an astonishing array of artists, including Jason Isbell, The Lumineers, Kacey Musgraves, The Head and The Heart, Shakey Graves, Lauryn Hill, and Grace Potter.

                                          “The six months leading up to the release of ‘Imaginary Man,’ that was the first time I really started playing electric guitar and performing with a band,” says Baxter. “We did my first headline run and toured that album for a year-and-a-half, and the experience really opened up this whole new sound for me. It helped me figure out more of who I was as an artist and a songwriter and a traveler and a human being.”

                                          It was with that newfound sense of self that Baxter entered Thunder Sound, the abandoned rubber band factory-turned-studio in the cornfields of Kentucky that would become his home for three months of intensive soul searching and songwriting.

                                          “I blanketed the windows so no one could see inside,” he explains. “I laid a mattress down next to an old Wurlitzer so I had somewhere to sleep. I had a guitar, a desk with a lamp and some paper and pencils, and that was it. For fifteen hours a day, I wrote.”

                                          When it came time to record his mountain of new songs, Baxter relocated to Santa Monica, California, where he wrangled an all-star studio band that included Dr. Dog’s Erick Slick on drums, Butch Walker on bass, Cage The Elephant’s Nick Bockrath on guitar, and piano wizard Aaron Embry (Elliott Smith, Brian Eno) on keys. A producer and artist equally at home working with massive pop stars and indie stalwarts, Walker immediately embraced Baxter’s vision for the album, and the result is a sunny and altogether charming collection. Scratch beneath the surface, though, and you’ll find it’s populated by a cast of characters who project a vision of the good life as they struggle to keep it all together behind closed doors. On the punchy ‘Casanova,’ the singer reckons with debts he knows he’ll never be able to repay, while the volatile “Amelia Baker” charts the narrator’s descent into near-madness as he pines for a starlet perpetually out of reach.

                                          “We have this society where we’re obsessed with celebrity and living on the top of the mountain,” says Baxter. “But what’s at the top? Maybe it’s a lonely place to wake up.”

                                          Late 2016 was a particular tumultuous time in the country, and though Baxter did his best to isolate himself from the outside world while he wrote, it was inevitable that some of the chaos would seep in. On album opener “Strange American Dream,” a chiming piano and spare Motown groove give way to lush harmonies and unexpected melodic twists as Baxter sings, “I close my eyes and realize that I’m alive inside this strange American dream.” Meanwhile, the soaring “79 Shiny Revolvers” finds him reflecting, “you really wanna save the world, man / well, I wanna save it, too / we can blow ’em away / the American way.”

                                          While ‘Wide Awake’ offers plenty of broad, wide-angle musings, some of its most arresting moments arrive bundled inside deeply personal memories and snapshots. The heartfelt “Everything To Me” is a tender tribute to family (Baxter’s father Bucky, who played pedal steel with Bob Dylan and Ryan Adams among others, contributes to the record), and the laidback “Let It All Go Man” is a reminder that there’s beauty in simply being alive.

                                          “I actually started that song two years ago on a trip to South America,” says Baxter. “I was sitting on the porch of a house in this little town in Colombia, and I was all alone playing a gut string classical guitar, just staring out at the ocean and the beach in the middle of the night. It made me realize how much unnecessary stuff we hold on to, all the grinding away we do chasing success and money and missing the big picture. It made me realize what an incredibly beautiful gift it is to be human.”

                                          That empty South American beach may have been a world away from the rubber band factory in Kentucky, but for Baxter, the effect was the same. The solitude offered a chance to observe, to reflect, to grow, to appreciate, and most importantly, to write.

                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                          Andy says: Effortlessly melodic pop craftsmanship in a Southern/ West Coast easy stylee. This is the perfect album for the summer.

                                          TRACK LISTING

                                          1 Strange American Dream
                                          2 Casanova
                                          3 Angeline
                                          4 79 Shiny Revolvers
                                          5 Amelia Baker
                                          6 Without Me
                                          7 Hey Larocco
                                          8 Sandra Monica
                                          9 Everything To Me
                                          10 Let It All Go Man

                                          "Albidaya" in Arabic means "The Beginning", which in the case of Beaini’s, might be the return to the beginnings, or the start of the path. The album is conceptually a revisiting of the traditional and early psychedelic Arabic music, all through distorted paths and instruments, remashed and deconstructed sounds, recreating patterns with diverse instruments to give a different perspective of the sound itself. Includes musicians from Upperground Piero Bittolo Bon and Tommaso Cappellato. Commissioned by Annihaya in Lebanon by Sharif Sehnaoui, Raed Yassin and Hatem Imam - includes artwork by Maria Kassab.

                                          “Almost entirely recorded in a day, and featuring cello, saxophone and drums in addition to electronics, Albidaya doesn’t attempt to replicate Lebanese folk music. Instead, it articulates a point of contact between various worlds.” Rory Gibb for the Wire

                                          Robert Levon Been

                                          Original Songs From The Card Counter

                                            Composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and co-founder of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Robert Levon Been, announces his forthcoming album, ‘Original Songs From The Card Counter’. Levon Been composed several original songs as well as a majority of the score for writer and director Paul Schrader’s new film, ‘The Card Counter’, starring Oscar Isaac, Tiffany Haddish, Tye Sheridan, Willem Dafoe and executive produced by Martin Scorsese. “Ironically this entire project began by working the last scene of the film first,” says Levon Been. “Paul had reached out asking if I would write an original song for a very intimate final scene he had been struggling with. As tempting as the concept was, I must admit that kind of composing is also my biggest fear - to write directly to picture with such precision that it takes over the narrative in a substantial way, which I knew Paul never shies away from. It also turned me into a nervous wreck because I know just how easy it is to quickly ruin a movie with merely a single lyric at the wrong time. Thankfully for ‘Mercy Of Man’, I had S.G. Goodman there in NY singing with me to help experiment with how to create a fairly unconventional duet of sorts that is intended to evoke the emotions of the two characters in that final scene.”
                                            ‘The Card Counter’ marks the fifth collaboration between Schrader and Scorsese, who previously worked together on ‘Taxi Driver’, ‘Raging Bull’, ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ and ‘Bringing Out the Dead’. Robert Levon Been is a producer, composer, singer songwriter and founding member of the band, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, with whom he has released eight albums and toured the world with since 2001. With a dedicated following across Europe, the US, Australia and Asia, their record ‘Howl’ has ranked many top album lists. In 2013, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club were featured in Dave Grohl’s Grammy-winning documentary, ‘Sound City’. 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s self-titled first album. Robert is currently producing and writing for multiple projects, dividing his time between Los Angeles and Vienna. 


                                            TRACK LISTING

                                            1. Rapture
                                            2. Murder Hum
                                            3. Mercy Rev
                                            4. Arise Sun
                                            5. S.E.R.E.
                                            6. Adore
                                            7. Casino Floor 1 (Beta
                                            8. Testing)
                                            9. Casino Floor 2 (Stable)
                                            10. Smoke Ring
                                            11. Erutpar
                                            12. Determined Events
                                            13. OPM
                                            14. Mercy Of Man (featuring S.G. Goodman)

                                            Roger Bekono

                                            Roger Bekono - 2023 Reissue

                                              Long out-of-print release available digitally for the first time. Extensive notes by a local writer in English and French. Previously unpublished family photos. Urbanized traditional music at a dance-floor-friendly tempo. The very definition of an "Awesome Tape From Africa". Roger Bekono made a deep mark in the contemporary history of Cameroonian music through the four-on-the-floor, ribald intensity of bikutsi. The Ewondo-language dance-pop style that forms an undulating tapestry of interlocking triplet rhythmic interplay came to international prominence in the European "world music" scene as the 90s began. But the relentless sound of bikutsi developed in Yaoundé at the hands of Bekono and many others, as it developed from a village-based singing style performed mostly by women into a cosmopolitan music force that rivaled the popularity of established musics like Congolese rhumba, merengue and makossa. With his unique—some say suave—voice, Bekono contributed much over a period of more than 10 years as part of the evolution of this traditional rhythm-turned-urban dance movement. Bekono worked with legendary producer Mystic Jim, who had built a prolific home studio along with a crack team of musicians. They joined as part of the production of his self-titled album, which became known locally as "Jolie Poupée," the name of the album's lead single and most popular song. For "Jolie Poupée" Mystic Jim programmed the kick or bass drum, adding effects to have a heavier bass. Overall the album represented a new level of finesse and professionalism for his second release. In the middle of 1989, Jolie Poupée was released by the label Inter Diffusion System and aggressively hit the radio, discos and national television. The music video for the title track was on loop on TV. It felt like everyone was talking about it, even artists in adjacent music scenes like makossa. The album came out on vinyl and cassette and remains Bekono's best-selling recording to this day. With Jolie Poupée Bekono finally made an impact outside Cameroon as the record captured listeners in some Central African countries like Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo and Sao Tome & Principe. In these countries, we find the Fang or Mfan people (also known as Ekang), Bantu-speaking ethnic groups that are also found in Cameroon. This umbrella language group includes the language in which bikutsi is mainly sung. Most of Bekono's songs are in French, Ewondo (of which Beti is a dialect) and Pidgin. The four songs on Jolie Poupée are all considered bikutsi classics. On September 15, 2016, Bekono died of a long illness at the age of 62. In the wake of his passing the media published a wave of tributes, thanking him for what he did for Cameroonian music. He was an admired musician, songwriter and guitarist, and some of his old colleagues and some of the new generation of performers showered Bekono with vibrant tributes via social media, many of which noting something to the effect of: "The artist dies but his works remain." 

                                              TRACK LISTING

                                              1. Jolie Poupée (7:26)
                                              2. Etam Mot (7:29)
                                              3. Enying Moni (7:29)
                                              4. Ye Wo Kombel (7:52) 

                                              Robert Bergman

                                              3AM

                                              Functional and nostalgic house stunners - highly recommended.

                                              The label say:

                                              "Very late nite style trax - whatever that time might need from you...
                                              A hazy night in Manchester? A weird trip in NYC? Blinded and falling down somewhere in The Hague? You can do it all!

                                              Inspired by great drum machine-abusers from the past, now you can relive all of those night time fantasies.

                                              And as always, some of these fantasies are exclusive to the vinyl..."

                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                              Matt says: Sexy, red-lit, eyes down house music. If you enjoyed Ghost Assembly's "I Need You Love", the early works of Recloose or the more primitive acid trax on FXHE, you're gonna find plenty to love here.

                                              TRACK LISTING

                                              3AM
                                              #5
                                              Drum Trax

                                              Robert Berry

                                              The Wheel Of Time

                                                Robert Jordan's epic series of fantasy novels, "The Wheel Of Time" is one of the most successful, longest running and most closely followed of all the works in this genre. Berry has been a member of Asia and this neo-prog creation is an imaginary soundtrack which reflects the drama and action of the books.

                                                Rory Block

                                                I'm Every Woman

                                                  Rory Block's new album is a powerful mix of acoustic blues, accapella gospel, big soulful blues ballads and out and out rock songs that show off her sensual vocals and her fine guitar playing skills. With the help of people of the calibre of Kelly Joe Phelps this is a fine reaffirmation of her blues and roots heritage.

                                                  Ricardo Bomba

                                                  Eu Sei / Flutuando

                                                  Written and recorded in 1978 by pianist, composer, sound engineer, studio owner and former amateur skateboarding champion Ricardo Bomba, ‘Eu Sei’ and ‘Flutuando’ were almost doomed to total obscurity when the master tapes were binned following a ruthless studio clear out. Luckily Bomba kept a cassette tape copy from which Far Out has remastered the release for 7” vinyl/ digital.

                                                  Throughout a varied career, which included a four year stint as bandleader of Jorge Ben’s live show (78-82), Ricardo Bomba had a string of idiosyncratic, underground pop hits throughout the 80s, including ‘Voc Vai Se Lembrar’ which recently featured on Soundway’s Onda De Amor (Synthesized Brazilian Hits That Never Were 1984-94) compilation, as well as his then award-winning, now obscure solo album Ultralight (1988).

                                                  With the stunning vocals of Mariana Couto (the first wife of Chicago percussionist Laudir de Oliveira), legendary drummer Peninha who has recorded with the likes of Jorge Ben, Quarteto Em Cy, Lincoln Olivetti, Tony Bizarro and Gal Costa, and Brazilian guitarist Blimba Buarque, “Eu Sei” and “Flutuando” truly are lost gems of the late ‘70s Rio de Janeiro MPB scene.

                                                  *Disclaimer! This release was mastered from cassette tape, so the sound quality may differ from other releases on Far Out Recordings. We advise listening to sound clips before buying where possible... The music was simply too good to not release!

                                                  Credits: Ricardo Bomba - Piano, Soprano saxophone, Vocals Roberto Lee - Bass, Vocals Peninha - Drums Mariana Couto - Vocals on “Eu Sei” Blimba - Guitar Compositions by Ricardo Bomba Produced by Ricardo Bomba

                                                  Recorded at Transam rica Studios in 1978 Engineered by Vanderlei Loureiro and Toninho Barbosa

                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                  Eu Sei
                                                  Flutuando

                                                  Roy Brooks

                                                  Beat - Verve By Request Series

                                                    Recorded for Berry Gordy's short-lived Workshop Jazz imprint and recorded at the Hitsville USA studio, Roy Brooks (joined by fellow Detroit natives George Bohanon and Hugh Lawson, along with his Horace Silver Quintet bandmates Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook, and Eugene Taylor) injects a Motor City soul-jazz groove into the hard bop root of this engaging 1964 album. Audio transferred from the analog tapes.

                                                    Verve By Request Series features 180-gram vinyl, pressed at Third Man in Detroit.

                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                    1. Homestretch (Side A)
                                                    2. If You Could See Me Now (Side A)
                                                    3. Passin’ The Buck (Side A)
                                                    4. Soulin’ (Side B)
                                                    5. Soulsphere (Side B)
                                                    6. My Secret Passion (Side B)

                                                    Robert "Dubwise" Browne & Dean Fraser

                                                    Sun Goddess

                                                    Soul Jazz of the First Order from Robert Dubwise Browne with two epic takes on tunes that should be in every DJ's grab bag of goodies. Sun Goddess originally by Ramsey Lewis and written by Earth, Wind and Fire's Maurice White together with a Ruff and Tuff version of the Grover Washington Jazz Funk classic "Mister Magic" featuring Jamaican Sax Man Dean Fraser. Guitarist Browne's appearance credits include the likes of his father Dennis Brown, as well as Gregory Isaacs, Beres Hammond and Toots Hibbert.. Produced by Japanese Reggae Legend Hayassen for his label Vortex and signed up on first hearing by Jazz Room Supremo Paul Murphy. If you've got a dancefloor you need these tunes!

                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                    1. Sun Goddess
                                                    2. Mister Magic

                                                    Spin magazine described Buckner as “equal parts Bay Area bohemian and dust bowl traditionalist” and named Bloomed one of its best albums of 1994, while Pitchfork wrote, “It’s a traditional outsider-country record in the lineage of Townes Van Zandt. Buckner’s voice is all honey and oak, his guitar style elaborately twanging, his constant subject matter heartache.” Richard Buckner provides some background on the album: Bloomed was originally (erroneously?) released on an unnamable German label in 1994. I was living in San Francisco at the time, having just moved out of a residential hotel and into the 1906 hilltop prefab that adorns the cover. At the time, I was heading a band called The Doubters. We were playing high profile events such as The Covered Wagon Saloon’s Musical Barstools, but weren’t making much headway. We had been turned down consistently every year by SXSW, but I was somehow finagled in as an unannounced guest onto an already unofficial SXSW showcase created by Butch Hancock at his gallery in downtown Austin. There, I met up again with Lloyd Maines, who agreed to produce my first record. Maines and I met in Lubbock, TX, a few months later, where we worked with Lubbock musicians in a small recording studio walled in wooden shingles Sharpied with bible passages from various church groups that also enjoyed working there. It was 112°F the morning I arrived under the suspicious (Californians are merely B-grade yankees) gaze of downtown’s Buddy Holly statue. That first night there, it hailed so hard that heaven’s angry pellets were storming in under my motel door. It only let up for a few moments that first night, allowing me to run across the street to get a butter burger and fries to go. We finished four days later and I flew back to San Francisco, dismembered the band, and embarked on a tour that would last about 20 years (or a few days, if you count what I actually remember). Nothing’s changed. I’m still dodging the sky and busking to strangers.

                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                    1. Blue And Wonder
                                                    2. Rainsquall
                                                    3. 22
                                                    4. Mud
                                                    5. Six Years
                                                    6. This Is Where
                                                    7. Gauzy Dress In The Sun
                                                    8. Daisychain
                                                    9. Desire
                                                    10. Up North
                                                    11. Surprise, AZ
                                                    12. Cradle To The Angel

                                                    Bonus Track Info:
                                                    1. The Last Ride
                                                    2. Settled Down
                                                    3. The Worst Way
                                                    4. Emma
                                                    5. Hutchinson - Recorded In 1995 At Black Eyed Pig In San Francisco By Kyle Statham
                                                    6. Surprise, AZ - Recorded In 1996 At World Café
                                                    7. Blue And Wonder - Recorded In 1997 At KCRW
                                                    8. Still Lookin' For You-Townes Van Zandt - Recorded In 1997 At World Café
                                                    9. Up North
                                                    10. Six Years
                                                    11. Gauzy Dress In The Sun - Recorded Live At The Starry Plough

                                                    Richard Buckner

                                                    Impasse

                                                      A husky-voiced country / folk singer-songwriter, his guitar is based in rootsy country traditions, but his lyrics are far too personal and ambitious for Nashville. "Impasse" is his first new record of original material for over four years, and was recorded entirely at his home studio in Canada, with Richard playing virtually every note on the record. The album strikes the perfect balance between his acoustic introspective side and his driving electric side. For fans of Smog and Damien Jurado.

                                                      Rob Burger

                                                      The Grid

                                                        R.I.Y.L. Harmonia, Roedelius, Cluster, Dustin O’Halloran, Goldmund, Popol Vuh, Brian Eno.. Rob Burger’s talents as an arranger, composer, and keyboardist have been nurtured by morethan two decades of contributions to a diverse roster of recognizable names, at the very least including John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, and Iron & Wine with whom Burger presently records and tours.

                                                        His new album The Grid combines neo-classical soundscapes, ‘70s kosmische, and jaunts of 20th-century exotica into a completely unique genre-quilt that synopsizes his long musical trek through multiple cities, scenes, and sounds. A lifelong musician, Rob began learning piano at age four and would go on to study under jazz luminaries Max Roach, Archie Shepp, and Yusef Lateef at the University of Massachusetts. As if his formal education weren’t impressive on its own, his informal one consisted of frequent visits to New York City creative hubs The Knitting Factory, and The Kitchen, where Burger became a fly on the wall to the likes of Arthur Russell, David Byrne, and Laurie Anderson (Burger would go on to contribute to Anderson’s 2010 album Homeland). Anderson appears on The Grid’s ninth track “Souls of Winter”).

                                                        With the avant-garde door having long been kicked open, Burger relocated to the Bay and made a lasting impression upon the area’s music scene with his group Tin Hat Trio, while furthering his session and film-score work adjacently. When that group disbanded in the early ‘00s Burger found himself back in NYC where playing a Neil Young tribute show would entwine his path with that of Sam Beam (Iron & Wine). From then on, Burger has been an inextricable component of Beam’s live band and discography. Somewhere in the interim the growth of Burger’s family and his yearning for quieter climes led him to Portland, Oregon, where he built a studio, amassed an enviable collection of vintage keyboards, and began sowing the seeds of The Grid. Burger’s mysteriously upturning chord-changes express depth and melancholy without ever fully straying from a sense of curiosity and charm making the somber moments believable and palatable, as indicated in the album’s first moments. The Grid rolls in on a cloud bank of old-world sorrow with its piano and accordion prologue “Alternate Star,” but by the initial note of the second-track “Harmonious Gathering” all the sonic elements, dusty drum machines, choral keyboard patches, and rubberized synth bass seem to be smiling in glorious unison. This song, as well as the title track that shortly follows it, hint at what it might sound like if Harmonia had stayed intact and were scoring A24 films. 

                                                        Rory Campbell & Rory Stitt

                                                        Nusa

                                                          Two of Celtic music's young guns, Malcolm Stitt and Rory Campbell have released a groundbreaking album. In many ways "Nusa" encapsulates what is happening in Scottish music today. Featuring traditional and original tunes it also adds DJ scratching that brings a new dimensions to tracks featuring pipes, whistles, guitar, bouzouki and drums and percussion.

                                                          Brazilian talent Rafael Cancian has grown in stature thanks to solid outings on the tasteful likes of Razor-N-Tape and Hot Pot Records. Now with that profile established, he heads out with a new label of his own in the form of About Disco. He inaugurates it with a quartet of edits that he has already been deploying to great effect on various dancefloors around the world. 'Sounds Chicago' does indeed with raw drums and great keys dancing over the beats. 'Ti Amo' has a more funky undercarriage and disco percussion, 'D'Afrique' again brings a funky bass riff to the fore with some psyched-out sounds for company and 'Opera' shuts down with some late-night and soul-drenched synths over intimate and stripped back house drums.

                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                          Sounds Chicago
                                                          Ti Amo
                                                          D'Afrique
                                                          Opera

                                                          Robin Carolan & Sebastian Gainsborough

                                                          The Northman Original Motion Picture Score

                                                            Rob wanted the world of The Northman to feel harsh and uncomfortable, and for everything to feel like it was caked in mud and dry blood, so it was crucial for the score to mirror that.” Composers Robin Carolan (Tri-Angle Records) and Sebastian Gainsborough (Vessel) were given a task of epic proportions when director Rob Eggers(The VVitch, The Lighthouse) asked them to create the score for his ambitious and highly anticipated new film The Northman, releasing on April 22nd. They needed to make a score that both honored the immense research that had gone into the authenticity of this Viking era period piece and complimented the cinematic maximalism of the film for a modern audience. The artists stretched themselves to the depths of their creativity and the resulting album is a gorgeous sonic tableaux that places the listener right in the center of the film.



                                                            While arranging the score the composers consulted musician and ethnographer PoulHøxbro for inspiration and insight into the history of Viking music. Having backgrounds in left field electronic music, Robin and Sebastian felt liberated by the constraint of using a small selection of musical tools for this piece. “Electronic music has almost limitless potential when it comes to making sounds and that’s obviously an incredible thing, but you can also go down the wormhole and get lost in it sometimes. There’s no risk of that happening when you only have a few primary instruments to draw upon.” Robin remarked.



                                                            They utilized traditional instruments such as the tagelharpa, langspil, kravik lyre, and säckpip to build the cinematic world of The Northman but they also took creative freedoms in adding instruments likes drums, which some academics believe wouldn’t have played a big part in Viking musical culture, simply due to the lack of archaeological evidence of actual drums. “One of the pieces we wrote was intended to emulate the sound of a bullroarer; an ancient instrument used in sacred rituals or in battle to intimidate enemies. It makes a really disorienting roaring vibrato sound and low frequencies capable of traveling insane distances.” Robin says when asked about one of the more unique aspects of the score. Everyone involved put so much effort into both their research and their creativity and this richness is evident in every track. The album as a whole is a cinematic masterpiece of sound and ambiance, both gorgeous and disturbing, like the film it so beautifully accompanies.



                                                            STAFF COMMENTS

                                                            Barry says: A wonderful soundtrack from the ever-reliable Sacred Bones, by music scene aficionados Carolan & Gainsborough. Tense, orchestral scores and deep ambient passages, both bleak and beautiful, perfect for listening to as meditative home listening as well as a perfectly measured soundtrack.

                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                            1. Approaching Hrafnsey
                                                            2. The King
                                                            3. Entering The Temple
                                                            4. Last Teardrop
                                                            5. Blood Tree, Part I
                                                            6. Strike, Brother
                                                            7. Escape
                                                            8. I Will Avenge You, Father
                                                            9. The Land Of The Rus
                                                            10. A Burning Barn
                                                            11. Seeress
                                                            12. Raven’s Omen
                                                            13. Storm At Sea / Yggdrasill
                                                            14. Iceland
                                                            15. I Will Save You, Mother
                                                            16. Slave Work
                                                            17. Guðrún
                                                            18. Follow The Vixen’s Tail
                                                            19. He-Witch
                                                            20. Draugr
                                                            21. Mound Dweller
                                                            22. To The Games
                                                            23. Birch Woods
                                                            24. First Of Many
                                                            25. Trollish Sorcery
                                                            26. Svið Night, Part I
                                                            27. Svið Night, Part II
                                                            28. I Am Your Death
                                                            29. Come Morning
                                                            30. I Am His Vengeance
                                                            31. Óðinn
                                                            32. Valkyrie
                                                            33. Vestrahorn
                                                            34. Hidden Valley
                                                            35. Blood Tree, Part II
                                                            36. Blóð Inside / I Choose Both
                                                            37. A Maiden King
                                                            38. The Wolf Has Grow
                                                            39. The Gates Of Hel / Slain By Iron
                                                            40. Hekla
                                                            41. Cut The Thread Of Fate
                                                            42. Make Your Passage / Valhöll
                                                            43. Ættartré / End Credits

                                                            Robin Carolan

                                                            Nosferatu (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

                                                              Robin Carolan’s latest soundtrack for Robert Eggers’ highly anticipated Nosferatu is a haunting, gothic-infused and meticulously crafted work that draws from a vast palette of sounds, instruments, and inspirations. Following their successful collaboration on The Northman, Carolan reunites with Eggers to bring the legendary tale of Nosferatu to life, infusing the film with a score that is as complex and nuanced as the story itself.With Daniel Pioro, one of Britain’s most exciting young classical musicians, at the helm as the orchestra leader and first chair for a vast majority of the recording, the soundtrack features a vast orchestration, including 60 string players, a full choir, various horns and woodwinds, a harpist, and two percussionists. Despite the grandeur of the orchestration, one of the most challenging pieces was the music box used at the film’s beginning. Carolan and Eggers struggled to perfect its sound, a process marked by their meticulous attention to detail, which Carolan describes as almost telepathic.

                                                              Set in the 1800s, Nosferatu allowed Carolan to incorporate contemporary instrumentation, though he made a deliberate effort to ensure the score didn’t sound overly modern. Letty Stott, who also worked on The Northman, contributed ancient horns and pipes, enhancing the soundtrack’s eerie atmosphere. Additionally, percussionist Paul Clarvis custom-built a toaca-like instrument for added authenticity

                                                              Carolan’s inspirations for the soundtrack were as eclectic as they were profound. He frequently drew upon the works of Bartok and Coil, while films like The Innocents, Angels and Insects, and Eyes Wide Shut provided cinematic inspiration. Additionally, he explored the more obscure side of Hammer Horror soundtracks and found a connection to the music of the Ukrainian film Eve of Ivan Kupalo, which helped shape the score’s otherworldly tone

                                                              Carolan intentionally moved beyond the typical horror score, focusing on capturing the tale’s melancholy and tragic elements while weaving in a sense of warped romanticism.The result is a soundtrack that not only complements the film but also stands on its own as a testament to Carolan’s artistry and the enduring power of collaboration.


                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                              1. Once Upon A Time
                                                              2. Come To Me
                                                              3. Premonition
                                                              4. Herr Knock
                                                              5. Ellen’s Dream
                                                              6. Incantation
                                                              7. Goodbye
                                                              8. The Inn / Moroi
                                                              9. Shrine
                                                              10. A Carriage Awaits
                                                              11. Come By The Fire
                                                              12. Destiny
                                                              13. The Castle
                                                              14. Covenant
                                                              15. The Crypt
                                                              16. Lost
                                                              17. Hysterical Spell
                                                              18. Devourance
                                                              19. The Monastery
                                                              20. Solomonar
                                                              21. Increase Thy Thunders
                                                              22. The Professor
                                                              23. Dreams Grow Darker
                                                              24. Possession
                                                              25. An Arrival
                                                              26. A Return
                                                              27. Grünewald
                                                              28. Despair In My Coming
                                                              29. A Curious Mark
                                                              30. Orlok’s Shadow
                                                              31. The Vampyr
                                                              32. The First Night
                                                              33. Death, All Around Us
                                                              34. I Know Him
                                                              35. The Second Night
                                                              36. These Nightmares Exist
                                                              37. A Priestess Of Isis
                                                              38. Last Goodbye
                                                              39. Never Sleep Again
                                                              40. The Third Night
                                                              41. The Prince Of Rats
                                                              42. Daybreak
                                                              43. Liliacs

                                                              Ray Charles

                                                              Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music Volumes 1 & 2 - 2025 Reissue

                                                                Recorded in February 1962 at Capitol Studios in New York City, Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music featured country, folk, and Western music standards reworked by Charles in popular song forms of the time, including R&B, pop, and jazz. Charles produced the album with Sid Feller and performed alongside saxophonist Hank Crawford, a string section conducted by Marty Paich, and a big band arranged by Gil Fuller and Gerald Wilson.

                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                Bye Bye Love
                                                                You Don't Know Me
                                                                Half As Much
                                                                I Love You So Much It Hurts
                                                                Just A Little Lovin
                                                                Born To Lose
                                                                Worried Mind
                                                                It Makes No Difference
                                                                You Win Again
                                                                Careless Love
                                                                I Can't Stop Loving You
                                                                Hey, Good Looking
                                                                I'm Moving On
                                                                At The Club
                                                                You Are My Sunshine
                                                                No Letter Today
                                                                Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)
                                                                Don't Tell Me Your Troubles
                                                                Midnight
                                                                Oh, Lonesome Me
                                                                Take These Chains From My Heart
                                                                Your Cheating Heart
                                                                Making Believe
                                                                Teardrops In My Heart
                                                                Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin
                                                                Hang Your Head In Shame
                                                                Hard Hearted Hannah

                                                                Ray Charles

                                                                Sings - 2024 Reissue

                                                                  Ray Charles has been described universally as the "The Genius" and "Father of Soul Music". He made his first recordings in 1947 and over the following years his career was in a continuous state of evolution. Encompassing many different genres, mostly blues, jazz, gospel and soul, Ray Charles developed a unique style, and his personal touch became evident in all the different projects he undertook. This was his first LP and includes such classics as "I Got a Woman", "Drown in My Own Tears" and "Hallelujah, I Love Her So", among others.

                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                  Ain't That Love
                                                                  Drown In My Own Tears
                                                                  Come Back Baby
                                                                  Sinner's Prayer
                                                                  Funny (But I Still Love You)
                                                                  Losing Hand
                                                                  Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I) *
                                                                  Hit The Road Jack *
                                                                  A Fool For You
                                                                  Hallelujah I Love Her So
                                                                  Mess Around
                                                                  This Little Girl Of Mine
                                                                  Mary Ann
                                                                  Greenbacks
                                                                  Don't You Know
                                                                  I Got A Woman
                                                                  I Believe To My Soul *

                                                                  Freestyle Records drop a killer UK soul/early street soul reissue LP from 1988, in the form of Rick Clarke's hard to come by 'Time Keeps Moving On' album.

                                                                  Originally appearing on the Raven label in 1988, Time Keeps Moving On constituted Rick Clarke's first LP following his work in the earlier eighties as part of brit-funk groups Potion and Side On, and solo output including Love with a Stranger (released on The Specials' Ghost Town's producer John Collins' Local Records imprint) and a few singles for RCA. Largely co-written and co-produced with Peter Hinds (Take Three, Atmosfear, Light of the World) and a guest turn from Master T aka Toyin Agbetu - this is foundational street soul that appeared at a time when the likes of Loose Ends were starting to break through to the US, and Soul II Soul just emerging.

                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                  1. Time Keeps Moving On
                                                                  2. If You Think You're In Love
                                                                  3. Grooving On
                                                                  4. Better Luck Next Time
                                                                  5. Love
                                                                  6. Got To Get A Hold
                                                                  7. See You Along The Way
                                                                  8. I Wanted Your Love
                                                                  9. Don't Say A Word
                                                                  10. Perfect Lady

                                                                  Robert Cohen-Solal

                                                                  Les Shadoks (50th Anniversary Edition)

                                                                  WRWTFWW Records is delighted to announce the release of the complete soundtrack of cult French animated TV series Les Shadoks (1968-1974) by Robert Cohen-Solal, available for the first time ever in its entirety. Right in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jacques Rouxel and René Borg’s legendary television cartoon, this collector’s item comes in two versions: a limited edition 12" + 7" vinyl album housed in a high glossy gatefold and with an exclusive Shadok drawing by Robert Cohen-Solal, and a digipack CD. Both versions are cut and mastered from the original reels under the supervision of the artist, and contain liner notes in French and English.

                                                                  Electro-acoustic pioneer and eminent member of the illustrious GRM (Groupe de recherches musicales, the French equivalent of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop), Robert Cohen-Solal has explored music and sound alongside luminaries such as Bernard Parmegiani, Pierre Henry, Luc Ferrari, and Iannis Xenakis, and is responsible for numerous projects in the field of applied music, soundtracks (documentaries, shorts etc.), and experimental recordings. His work on Les Shadoks is simply extraordinary - a fascinating and bizarre collage of wacky electro pop (à la Jean-Jacques Perrey), drones, musique concrète, classical, and dadaist sound experiments seamlessly mixing into a cohesive and cinematic listening experience. The ideal soundtrack for what will remain one of the weirdest animated TV series ever created!

                                                                  A true literary, cultural and philosophical phenomenon in France, Les Shadoks caused a sensation while airing between 1968 and 1974. Its unique combination of Alfred Jarry-style surrealism, off-centered British humor, and US comic strip inspiration, all brought to life by illustrated bird-like creatures (reminiscent of Paul Klee’s La machine à gazouiller), left a lasting mark, making the term Shadok an often-used satirical expression to describe policies and attitudes considered to be absurd.


                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                  Patrick says: Les Shadocks are a new one to me, but a cursory listen and glance over the sales notes suggests a definite Clangers vibe, mais en Francais. That's right, an interplanetary animation soundtrack from the home of musique concrete - totally bonkers in the most charming way.

                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                  A1 Introduction
                                                                  A2 C’était Il Y A Très Très Très Longtemps
                                                                  A3 Cosmogol 999 Carburant De La Fusée Gibi
                                                                  A4 Au Fond Du Cosmos
                                                                  A5 Le Lancinant Voyage Dans L’espace
                                                                  A6 Les Humeurs Géophysiques De La Planète Shadok
                                                                  A7 Le Devin Plombier Soigne Un Shadok Malade
                                                                  A8 La Machine à Pomper Dite Cosmopompe
                                                                  A9 Le Professeur Shadoko Parle De Son Invention
                                                                  A10 Shadok à Bicyclette Dans Une Route Et Sur Et Sous Et Dans Des Escaliers
                                                                  B1 Thème Gibi Classique
                                                                  B2 Air Gibi Hot
                                                                  B3 Air Gibi Sériel
                                                                  B4 Menuet Variation
                                                                  B5 Départ Solennel De La Shadokaravelle
                                                                  B6 Sérénade à Gégène
                                                                  B7 Faux Départ
                                                                  B8 Fête Gibi Et Errance Des Shadoks Dans L’espace
                                                                  B9 Fuite Dans L’espace
                                                                  B10 La Planète à Poissons
                                                                  B11 Guerre Musicale
                                                                  B12 Ambiance Nouilles
                                                                  B13 Difficile De Cuisiner Dans L’espace !

                                                                  Bonus 7"
                                                                  A1 Arrivée Des Shadoks Sur Terre
                                                                  B1 Fuite Des Shadoks

                                                                  Ry Cooder

                                                                  Paris Texas - Original Soundtrack

                                                                  Legendary guitarist Ry Cooder has been performing for over 40 years as a solo artist, soundtrack composer and session musician. He has collaborated with some of the world’s elite including Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Neil Young and The Rolling Stones, where he guested on their classic albums ‘Let It Bleed’ and ‘Sticky Fingers.’ Ry Cooder’s distinctive score to the 1984 Cannes Film Festival winner ‘Paris Texas’ is very suggestive of the film’s imagery and the desert itself. The title track is Ry Cooder’s most recognisable/popular song that sets the tone for a soundtrack filled with evocative and ringing acoustic guitar.

                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                  Darryl says: A hugely evocative and beautiful soundtrack from the legendary Ry Cooder. Stark and meditative acoustic slide guitars - you can almost taste the desert heat.

                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                  Paris, Texas
                                                                  Brother
                                                                  Nothing Out There
                                                                  Canción Mixteca
                                                                  No Safety Zone
                                                                  Houston In Two Seconds
                                                                  She’s Leaving The Bank
                                                                  On The Couch
                                                                  I Knew These People
                                                                  Dark Was The Night

                                                                  "Search Party" is the debut album from pianist, Rupert Cox. Rupert has made a little following for himself already being a respected player for Myele Manzanza, China Moses, Chris Hyson and many more.

                                                                  His debut album swings between laidback contemporary jazz and swirling electronics. There are mellow and moving moments alongside joyful, uplifting melodies and dancing rhythms.

                                                                  The record has already won support from people like Deb Grant on BBC Radio 6 Music and is slowly developing an ardent following.

                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                  A1. The Nowhere Dance
                                                                  A2. Fig Tree
                                                                  A3. Summer Wake
                                                                  A4. Hearth
                                                                  A5. Lament
                                                                  A6. Search Party
                                                                  B1. Embers
                                                                  B2. Gold
                                                                  B3. Remember This
                                                                  B4. Sanctuary
                                                                  B5. Green Yellow Brown

                                                                  Rodney Cromwell

                                                                  Memory Box

                                                                    'Memory Box' - the new album by Rodney Cromwell - fuses a European synthpop sensibility with a world of magical realism. It was inspired as much by the literature of Alice in Wonderland, Franz Kafka and Anna Kavan, as by its musical influences of artists such as Kraftwerk, Neu!, The Cure, Silver Apples, Oppenheimer Analysis and Polyrock. The sonic pallet of 'Memory Box' is rich, colourful, often surprising and utterly unique. Since the release of his debut 'Age of Anxiety' album in 2015, Rodney Cromwell has been featured by the likes of NME, Electronic Sound Magazine, Huffington Post, Paste, BBC6 Music and national RNE3 in Spain for whom he recorded a live session. 'Age of Anxiety' was included in a wealth of Best of Lists, not least that of Electronic Sound.

                                                                    He has appeared on compilations alongside Cavern of Anti-Matter, John Foxx, Devo, OMD, Katy Perry and many more. Rodney Cromwell is the project of Adam Cresswell. The first band he founded was SALOON, who were John Peel darlings, who recorded three Peel Sessions and the Festive 50 number 1 of 2002. They released three acclaimed albums on Track & Field (UK) and Darla Records (US) and played with a host of alternative acts including Stereolab, Electrelane, Quickspace, Laika, Of Montreal & Movietone. He followed Saloon with ARTHUR & MARTHA the acclaimed tweetronica duo that released the sole album ‘Navigation’ before vanishing. In addition to performing as Rodney Cromwell, he runs the Happy Robots record label.

                                                                    The Rodney Cromwell live set is a joyful mixed-media extravaganza, incorporating analogue synths, video visuals and live instrumentation, interjected by Rodney’s ‘offbeat wit’. His debut festival appearance at Indietracks in 2015 was described as 'like a spiritual experience". He has shared stages with acts including Pram, Marsheaux, Death & Vanilla, Rowetta and Steve Davis. His sole performance in 2020 was as part of Damo Suzuki's backing band.

                                                                    He will be promoting the album with a series of live-dates in 2022. Cromwell's recent singles 'Memory Box' and 'Get Me To Prague' received play on BBC 6 Music as well as national play in Spain, Finland and Japan. 'Memory Box' featured in the Official Festive 50 on Dandelion Radio. To coincide with the album we have early confirmed reviews with Electronic Sound Magazine and interviews with ElectricityClub.co.uk, Pennyback Music and You haven't heard this music vodcast.

                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                    01 Intercom
                                                                    02 Opus Three
                                                                    03 Memory Box
                                                                    04 Fluctuations
                                                                    05 Waiting Room
                                                                    06 Butterflies In The Filing Cabinet
                                                                    07 Cloud Catalogue
                                                                    08 The Small Print
                                                                    09 The Department Of Public Tranquillity
                                                                    10 Wristwatch Television
                                                                    11 Calculations
                                                                    12 The Winter Palace 

                                                                    Rodney Crowell

                                                                    The Houston Kid

                                                                      Self-produced by Rodney Crowell, "The Houston Kid" is a labour of love. He's poured so much of himself into the songs, most of which have a genuine autobiographical feel about them. Full of heartfelt moments and superb vocal performances. Destined to become one of the Americana albums of the year.

                                                                      Rachael Dadd

                                                                      FLUX

                                                                        Contemporary folk multi-instrumentalist Rachael Dadd is set to release her new album “Flux” on Memphis Industries on the 8th November 2019. Produced with Marcus Hamblett (Villagers / Laura Marling), “Flux” is a response to external and internal tides: the flow of life uprooted; a protest against the flow of recent political history and a diary of the flow within the intimate space of home.

                                                                        Collaborators include multi-instrumentalist Emma Gatrill (Willie Mason / Matthew and the Atlas), drummer Rob Pemberton (Emily Barker / Low Chimes), bassist Jim Barr (Portishead) and vocalists Kate Stables (This Is The Kit) and Rozi Plain. Flux follows Rachael’s highly acclaimed album “We Resonate” which came out on Talitres and Sweetdreams Press, and a string of international releases on Broken Sound, Lost Map, Sweetdreams Press and Angel’s Egg. Living half her time as a travelling musician in Japan, witnessing how other people create things, connecting with other cultures and landscapes; all this is a furnace for Rachael’s innovative song writing, which has seen her gain a reputation as a pioneering and thought provoking artist, unafraid to push the boundaries of folk and pop.

                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                        Barry says: There are moments in 'Flux' of such whimsical beauty that hark back to the early days of American psychedelic folk, with plucking guitars and Dadd's gorgous vox. It's the more soulful pieces here that really impress, soaring and weaving in equal measure, providing a fascinating but cohesive listen. Lovely stuff.

                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                        1. Arrows
                                                                        2. Cut My Roots
                                                                        3. Beacon
                                                                        4. Two Islands
                                                                        5. Language Of Water
                                                                        6. Animal
                                                                        7. Palaeontologist
                                                                        8. Super Moon Machine
                                                                        9. Knot
                                                                        10. Two Coiled Springs
                                                                        11. Connected To The Rock

                                                                        Rachael Dadd

                                                                        Kaleidoscope

                                                                          Wildly creative free-form songwriter Rachael Dadd releases her brand new studio album ‘Kaleidoscope’ via Memphis Industries and follows 2019’s 'Flux', which was released to much acclaim and which she was touring when the pandemic struck.

                                                                          Like so many people disconnected from their communities and struggling through the lockdowns, Rachael Dadd turned inwards, seeking escape through music and connection through song writing, and her hope is that when people listen to ‘Kaleidoscope' “they will feel held and find space to breathe, grieve and celebrate.”

                                                                          “This album is a lot more honest and personal than ‘Flux'” she shares, “but I feel the songs are universal as they are largely rooted in truth and love. If I had to pick a favourite album it would be this one because of the magical rekindling of human connection when me and my band got back in a room together again. All that magic went into these songs."

                                                                          Co-produced "intuitively, boldly, and playfully" by Rachael and Rob Pemberton (The Staves, Emily Barker, Maja Lena), ‘Kaleidoscope’ includes musical collaborators such as Maja Lena (Low Chimes), long-time collaborator Emma Gatrill (Willy Mason), Alex Heane (bass), Charlotte West (synths), Alex Garden (strings) and ‘Flux’ producer Marcus Hamblett (Villagers, James Holden, The Staves), giving the record "just the right colour combination, just the right pattern of shapes, plenty of space where needed and finally landing in a sound world that feels fresh and open and true” reflects Rachael.

                                                                          Japanese aesthetics absorbed from her time spent living there are subconsciously woven into Rachael’s songs. "I first stepped foot in Tokyo in 2008, sparked by the adventure of such a rich and different culture and later on I lived on a small island and experienced an appealing and balanced way of life: the aesthetics, the art and the traditions,” she recalls. “There was a lot of caring for each other, a lot of gentleness, and a lot of simple living in harmony with nature. Japan left its cultural mark on me and is now part of my inner world and I’m sure this comes out with the words and music I write”.

                                                                          “But overall” Rachael explains “this is an album of homecoming and reconnecting to my own truth, to my community here, to the earthy land that I love and to the sky that I know.”

                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                          Side A
                                                                          Children Of The Galaxy
                                                                          Footsteps
                                                                          Moon Sails
                                                                          Ox
                                                                          Ghost
                                                                          Side B
                                                                          River Spirit
                                                                          Heads Down
                                                                          For Honey And Ray
                                                                          White Snow
                                                                          Swift
                                                                          Join The Dots

                                                                          Dinked Edition Bonus CD
                                                                          The Bridge (feat Kate Stables – This Is The Kit)
                                                                          Fronds
                                                                          Crystalizing In Time
                                                                          Fences (feat Rozi Plain)

                                                                          Rhoda Dakar

                                                                          Rhoda Dakar Sings The Bodysnatchers - 45 Year Edition

                                                                            It has been 45 years since the world was first introduced to all-female 2Tone trailblazers The Bodysnatchers. Despite only releasing two official 7" singles, their influence on UK culture and music continues to inspire to this day. To celebrate 45 years of The Bodysnatchers, founding member Rhoda Dakar has revisited some of their glorious tracks and recorded them with a band including Specials mates Horace Panter and Lynval Golding, festival favourites Intensified, plus members of Pama International and the Sidewalk Doctors. This 45 year edition also arrives with three extra tracks, including a re-record of ‘Let's Do Rocksteady’ featuring The Interrupters’ very own Aimee Allen. “Firstly, it’s brilliant to see this album get a proper, all-format release! And secondly, to feature one of the genre’s star vocalists of today feels like the torch is well and truly passed!”

                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                            1. Easy Life
                                                                            2. The Ghost Of The Vox Continental
                                                                            3. Happy Time Tune
                                                                            4. 007
                                                                            5. Private Eye
                                                                            6. Too Experienced
                                                                            7. Let’s Do Rocksteady
                                                                            8. The Loser
                                                                            9. Mixed Feelings
                                                                            10. Hiawatha
                                                                            11. Ruder Than You At 45
                                                                            12. Let’s Do Rocksteady @ 45 Ft. Aimee Interrupter
                                                                            13. What’s This? (Acoustic)

                                                                            Rhoda Dakar

                                                                            The Man Who Sold The World

                                                                              Rhoda Dakar is back with her first solo album in seven years with Version Girl, a collection of reggae and ska covers by artists and songwriters she admires. Rhoda Dakar began her musical career as lead vocalist with all female 2Tone band, The Bodysnatchers. They only ever released two singles, 'Let's Do Rocksteady' and 'Easy Life'. After a year together they split and Rhoda went on to guest with The Specials in Europe and the USA, having featured on their second album, 'More Specials', for which she won the first of her seven gold records. After their demise, and before joining Jerry Dammers' new project, she recorded The Bodysnatchers' first original song, 'The Boiler', a harrowing tale of date rape, which was inevitably banned. The Special AKA spent the next two years recording 'In The Studio', spawning a top ten hit with 'Free Nelson Mandela'.

                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                              1. The Man Who Sold The World
                                                                              2. The Man Who Dubbed The World

                                                                              Robert Dallas & Dubsetters

                                                                              Africa

                                                                              'Africa' is the first release by Jamaican born singer Robert Dallas on Dub & Sound International, known for his releases on Roots Garden and Jamtone. Here he delivers one of his strongest vocal works, with lovely harmonies and the theme of returning home to Africa, while the B-side dub amplifies the rhythm and has electrifying energy that's perfect for the sound system. Dub & Sound International, a Finnish label, is quickly making a name for itself in reggae circles with its signature roots reggae sound and here again label boss Jaakko Penttinen handled the mixing in the best old school style. Stay tuned for more equally infectious releases later this year.

                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                              Africa
                                                                              Africa (Dub)

                                                                              Roger Damawuzan

                                                                              Fine Fine

                                                                              Since his introduction in the 60’s, Roger Damawuzan has lit stages on fire, whether it be with The Rickers Orchestra or with The Melo-Togo Orchestra (taking home 2nd place for the first National Festival of Tologese Music). His first 7" vinyl "Wait For Me" is a holy grail for diggers all around the world. It was such a hit that Togolese music is and will forever be stamped by Roger Damawuzan. He was principal in introducing Gazo, Akpesse and Kamou rhythms to modern day soul music. Relentless and unstoppable, Roger Damawuzan is now making a comeback with a heavy funk 7 inch!

                                                                              This release contains an unreleased single from the album "Seda". Such a force of nature, this album could have been only captured, if not mastered, by one studio. Such mission was accomplished by the legendary studio OTODI (Office Togolese of Disks) by utilizing solely analog equipment to translate and to breath all of Damawuzan’s soul into this album. Roger Damawuzan could have been supported by only one group. Led by Peter Solo, the members of the Vaudou Game and Lomé’s most talented musicians are at Damawuzan’s disposal for this new record. 

                                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                              Matt says: Tologese fire from one of the country's well regarded music proponents. Unequivocally funky and infectious!

                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                              Fine Fine
                                                                              Red Light

                                                                              Ray Davies

                                                                              Working Man's Cafe

                                                                                Eighteen months after releasing his first ever solo album, Ray Davies is back with what promises to be one of the best albums of his incredible career. While last year's "Other People's Lives" was a lifetime in the making, this new album happened relatively quickly. Recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, "Working Mans Café" features 12 stellar songs written by Ray Davies and co-produced with Ray Kennedy. They assembled a crackerjack band of top musicians who breathe life into a wonderful collection of songs. The 12 new songs are vintage Ray Davies and bear all the hallmark classic musical and lyrical insights we have come to expect from him. The album is infused with a transatlantic sound befitting Ray's close ties to the American south coupled with his well respected Englishness. From the first upbeat notes of the lead track "Vietnam Cowboys", it is clear Ray has never sung better. "Working Mans Café" is a wistful, humorous and poignant look at today, just what we have come to expect from one of Britain's greatest songwriters. Highlights are many and include the Preservation Jazz Hall sway of "Morphine Song", the painful longing of "Imaginary Man" and the haunting emotion of "One More Time".

                                                                                P'oe kick off their tenure with the legend that is Roy Davis Jr who drops two fresh tracks along with remixes from Tolga Fidan, Housework and Mourad.

                                                                                "Hidden Hebrew" rolls with frenetic conga lines and plumes with woozy organs. Tolga Fidan electrfies the track somewhat on his remix, and switches up the 4/4 for a broken beat. Meanwhile Housework strips it back to galloping grooves and warm Rhodes. 

                                                                                On the B side RDJ treats us to an uplifting, Brazilian-flavoured number, with dreamy & summery vocals on "Summer La Costa". In the hands of Mourad, the track gets turned into a humid, late afternoon broken beat BBQ jam - yum!  




                                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                Matt says: A vibrant and summery excursion by the house and garage don; complete with three very competent remixes full of charm. Whether in the club or in the garden, these joints'll get you bumpin'!

                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                Side 1
                                                                                1. Hidden Hebrew
                                                                                2. Hidden Hebrew (Tolga Fidan Remix)
                                                                                3. Hidden Hebrew (Housework Remix)

                                                                                Side 2
                                                                                1. Summer La Costa (Roy Davis Jnr Mix)
                                                                                2. Summer La Costa (Mourad Remix)

                                                                                Ryan Davis And The Roadhouse Band

                                                                                Dancing On The Edge

                                                                                  "At the frayed bottom-edge of Indiana – just a moderate bike ride north of Louisville, Kentucky – multi-instrumentalist, artist and songwriter Ryan Davis’’ Americana-noir soundwaves have been emanating for years in a myriad of forms. As driving force for the lauded State Champion, long-running member of Tropical Trash, administrator of the esoteric and excellent Cropped Out festival, and lone proprietor of the Sophomore Lounge label, Davis lays down his first proper ‘solo’ release with Dancing On The Edge, a rich, 2LP tapestry of tunes that absolutely glows over seven expansive cuts. It’s a pure collage of modernity and heritage.

                                                                                  After a period of introspection spent re-immersing himself in his drawing & painting practice, as well as his newfound delvings into instrumental music, Davis’ sea change was imminent. “I wasn't sure I would ever make another record of ‘song’ songs,” he says, “but last year I started writing again and it eventually took the shape of the record at hand. I worked painstakingly hard on the material. It felt virtually impossible to complete for a bulk of the time I spent trying to enter into it, but the process pulled me out of a strange place. I was eventually able to live inside of the songs enough to understand the world within them – to ultimately help shape them into what I understood them to be.” Indeed, there’s a load of inspiration captured in the grooves with Ryan’s unfiltered, folk-traditioned approach to poetic twists-of-tongue meeting head on with sublime instrumentation.

                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                  1. Free From The Guillotine (08:22)
                                                                                  2. Learn 2 Re-Luv (06:03)
                                                                                  3. Flashes Of Orange (09:56)
                                                                                  4. Bluebirds In A Fight (07:07)
                                                                                  5. Junk Drawer Heart (06:25)
                                                                                  6. A Suitable Exit (09:20)
                                                                                  7. Bluebirds Revisited (03:57)

                                                                                  Rising up from the bed of the River Tyne, a voice that crumbles and soars, steeped in age old balladry and finely-chiselled observations of the mundane.

                                                                                  Richard Dawson is a skewed troubadour at once charming and abrasive. His shambolically virtuosic guitar playing stumbles from music hall tunesmithery to spidery swatches of noise-colour, swathed in amp static and teetering on the edge of feedback.

                                                                                  His songs are both chucklesome and tragic, rooted in a febrile imagination that references worlds held dear and worlds unknown.

                                                                                  New album ‘Nothing Important’, released by Weird World, hypnotises from its tender dark whispers to its wild screams, an unparalleled voice in today’s over-preened and manufactured music world.

                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                  Judas
                                                                                  Nothing Important
                                                                                  The Vile Stuff
                                                                                  Thomas

                                                                                  Richard Dawson & Circle

                                                                                  Henki

                                                                                    Richard Dawson is the diminutive Geordie troubadour whose moving songs have been described as state-of-the-nation addresses, even — or perhaps especially — when he’s singing about pre-medieval peasants. Circle are the genre-straddling pioneers of The New Wave Of Finnish Heavy Metal, known for wearing spandex or dead fish onstage and singing in a made-up language.

                                                                                    Together they are… Richard Dawson & Circle! Today, we are pleased to announce news of their collaborative album Henki, due November 26th via Weird World. Their epic joint record might seem a departure to those who are most familiar with Dawson from recent solo albums like 2017’s Peasant and 2020 (released in 2019). In fact, Henki fits comfortably into the bigger picture of two acts who have always strived for uninhibited originality.

                                                                                    Dawson explains the album’s title: “The word 'henki' roughly translates as 'spirit'. It's a very rich word, supple in its meaning in the same way as the Geordie 'canny'; difficult to pin down.” True to its name, while Henki is influenced, in part by heavy-metal bands, it does not sound like any metal album you will have heard before. For one thing, few metal albums are filled with songs about plants. Inspired by Circle’s guitarist Janne Westerlund instructing the group during recording to be less straightforward and more “like a plant”, each of Henki’s seven tracks deal with special plants throughout history.

                                                                                    As mutual fans of each other, Circle and Dawson originally hit off it via Twitter, which led to Dawson being invited to accompany Circle for their set at Helsinki’s Sideways Festival in 2019. Dawson recalls the moment: “It was like being a teenager and suddenly being asked to go onstage with Iron Maiden. That’s how important this band are to me”. Having pulled that off, they started exchanging demos before they finally got in a room together to set off on their journey proper. Most of the recording took place in Pori - a fine jewel of a city on Finland's balmy west coast - across several visits, the last being in late January 2020 just as Covid-19 first reached Europe. From there they had to finish Henki remotely - via waves of pure thought beamed across the dark dividing oceans betwixt them, and email.

                                                                                    Easily the greatest flora-themed hypno-folk-metal record you’ll hear this year, Henki adds an electrifying new chapter to the remarkable story of each act, and marks the beginning of a beautiful partnership. Circle, described as "the world’s greatest band - in every category” are Pekka Jääskeläinen (guitar), Julius Jääskeläinen (guitar), Jussi Lehtisalo (bass, voice), Mika Rättö (keyboard, voice), Tomi Leppänen (drums) and Janne Westerlund (guitar, voice). Richard Dawson plays guitar and vocals. Henki was mixed by Antti Uusimäki and mastered by Christian Wright.


                                                                                    Richard Dawson

                                                                                    2020

                                                                                      Richard Dawson, the black-humoured bard of Newcastle, returns to release his sixth solo album 2020, his first since the critically acclaimed, Peasant. 2020  is an utterly contemporary state-of-the-nation study, that uncovers a tumultuous and bleak time. Here is an island country in a state of flux; a society on the edge of mental meltdown.

                                                                                      On 2020, Dawson introduces us to grand themes through small lives. His are portraits of human beings struggling with recognisable (and dare we say it, relatable) concerns, conflicts and desires, each reminding us that tragedy and gallows humour are not mutually exclusive, and that the magical can sit next to the mundane. Lyrically it is by far Dawson’s hardest-hitting and unflinchingly honest album to date. It is his poetic masterwork.

                                                                                      Within, we find disgruntled civil servants dreaming of better days, anxiety-addled joggers listlessly searching Zoopla for houses they cannot afford in their spare time, amateur footballers who think they’re Lionel Messi and beleaguered pub landlords battling rising floodwaters.

                                                                                      Here is life, in all its strange and wonderful ways.

                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                      Barry says: Massive stadium rock choruses and strolling folk meet headfirst in this decidedly odd but absolutely on-brand distillation from Richard Dawson. Fiercely political but with a wry humour and unmissable melodic drive (an often overlooked aspect of the more 'humorous' releases) coupled with Dawson's flawless delivery and brilliant ear for a progression make this his most direct and essential release yet.

                                                                                      Richard Dawson

                                                                                      End Of The Middle

                                                                                        The title of Richard Dawson's new album End of the Middle is a suitably slippery contradiction, one that invites multiple interpretations: Middle-aging? Middle-class? The middle-point of Dawson's career? The centre of a record? Centrism in general? Polarisation? The possibility of having a balanced discussion about anything? Stuck in the middle with you? Middle England? Middling songwriting?

                                                                                        End of the Middle is a wonkily beautiful peer into the workings of the family unit, perhaps several generations of the same family: "I wanted this record to be small-scale and very domestic", Dawson explains, "to be stripped back, stark and naked, and let the lyrics and melodies speak for themselves and for the people in the songs". By paring things right back what is revealed is a suite of remarkably poised, oddly elegant, beautiful music.

                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                        1. Bolt
                                                                                        2. Gondola
                                                                                        3. Bullies
                                                                                        4. The Question
                                                                                        5. Boxing Day Sales
                                                                                        6. Knot
                                                                                        7. Polytunnel
                                                                                        8. Removals Van
                                                                                        9. More Than Real

                                                                                        “A crack team of physicists, leather-workers, synchronised swimmers, sausage-sellers, professional wrestlers and computer games-designers assembled in a remote cleft of the Tyne Valley to portray a community fraying at the edges, eaten from the inside by some fearful sickness, searching for answers in the all the wrong places,” says Dawson of the new video. “Matt Stokes is a fabulous video artist. I've loved his work ever since seeing 'The Gainsborough Packet' almost ten years ago now. I'm very happy that we were able to work together to present to you the first song from the album Peasant. It is only one panel of a larger mural. I hope you will enjoy and find something to take from it.”

                                                                                        No listener to Dawson’s earlier music has ever discerned a lack of artistic ambition. Whether they got on at the last stop - the 4 track Tyneside-Trout-Mask-through a-Vic and Bob-filter of Nothing Important - or earlier in the journey, with The Glass Trunk’s visceral song cycle or The Magic Bridge’s sombre revels, devotees of his earlier recordings will be at once intrigued by and slightly fearful of the prospect of a record that could make those three landmark releases look like formative work.

                                                                                        Peasant is that album. From its first beguilingly muted fanfare to its spectacular climax exploring a Dark Ages masseuse’s dangerous fascination with a mysterious artefact called the Pin of Quib, it will grab newcomers to Dawson’s work by the scruff of the neck and refuse to let them go until they have signed a pledge of life-long allegiance.

                                                                                        Driven forward by exhilarating guitar flurries, Qawwali handclaps and bursts of choral ferocity, Peasant’s eleven tracks sustain a momentum worthy of the lyrics’ urgent subject matter. Dawson describes the themes of these songs as “Families struggling, families being broken up by circumstance, and - how do you keep it together? In the face of all of these horrors that life, or some system of life, is throwing at you?” The fact that these meticulously wrought narratives all unfold in the pre-mediaeval North Eastern kingdom of Bryneich - “any time from about 450AD to 780AD, after the withdrawal of the Roman Empire”- only makes their contemporary relevance more enduring and vital.

                                                                                        Dawson’s objective was to create “A panorama of a society which is at odds with itself and has great sickness in it, and perhaps doesn’t take responsibility – blame going in all the wrong directions”. But encountering Peasant’s captivating sequence of occupational archetypes (‘Herald’, ‘Ogre’, ‘Weaver’, Scientist’), listeners might find themselves wondering if these multitudes could somehow be contained with one person - surely we all have a ‘Shapeshifter’ and a ‘Prostitute’ within us?

                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                        Herald
                                                                                        Ogre
                                                                                        Soldier
                                                                                        Weaver
                                                                                        Prostitute
                                                                                        Shapeshifter
                                                                                        Scientist
                                                                                        Hob
                                                                                        Beggar
                                                                                        No-one
                                                                                        Masseuse

                                                                                        Richard Dawson

                                                                                        The Ruby Cord

                                                                                          Pop in your earpiece, close your eyes and embrace the wonders (and horrors) of augmented reality and prepare to travel 500 years into the future as Richard Dawson returns with…The Ruby Cord. These seven tracks plunge us into an unreal, fantastical and at times sinister future where social mores have mutated, ethical and physical boundaries have evaporated; a place where you no longer need to engage with anyone but yourself and your own imagination. It’s a leap into a future that is well within reach, in some cases already here. 

                                                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                          Barry says: Richard Dawson hits the legendary Domino once again for a new album of wonderfully off-piste songwriting, both wildly inventive and full of stylistic turns that he alone pulls off so seamlessly. I admit that I didn't quite get Dawson's music for a while, but I definitely do now, and this is for my money, his finest work to date.

                                                                                          Rudy De Anda

                                                                                          Closet Botanist

                                                                                            For Fans Of... Adrian Quesada, Black Pumas, Chicano Batman, Brainstory, Drugdealer, Sugar Candy Mountain.

                                                                                            The sophomore album from Rudy De Anda, and a prolific follow up to 2020's 'Tender Epoch'. Produced by Adrian Quesada of the Black Pumas. Recorded in Austin, Texas at Electric Deluxe Recorders. LPs include digital download card. In 2020, Rudy De Anda moved his homebase out of California for the first time. He was headed East. Somewhere in the back of the U-Haul, among the boxes and baggage, was a mostly finished record. Upon arriving in Chicago, Rudy quickly found the final pieces of his new LP, Closet Botanist. The Electric Deluxe recording studio is owned and operated by Adrian Quesada (Black Pumas), who helped produce and engineer Rudy’s new LP.

                                                                                            “In the past, I’ve done most of my recording in California,” Rudy explained. “The new location changed the vibe. The band and I were 100% focused on the process.” Rudy’s previous releases have grown synonymous with California sunshine. He was born in Los Angeles and spent most of his formative years in Long Beach. “People often tell me my music reminds them of the beach and the sun,” Rudy said of his older songs. Closet Botanist isn’t a total departure from Rudy’s beachy, psych-rock roots, but it does sound more mature. Rudy points to The Velvet Underground and The Kinks for direct inspiration. “I glorify those bands I’m a 60s psych-rocker at heart.” For the seasoned listener, there’s a trail of psychedelic breadcrumbs to find throughout the track list. Rudy dedicates the album to those who love so hard that they neglect to water their own garden. Even in a much colder climate, the closet botanist continues to grow. 

                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                            1. In My Shoes
                                                                                            2. Hey Mr. Sun
                                                                                            3. June Gloom (Smilin')
                                                                                            4. Miel
                                                                                            5. Tu Mirada
                                                                                            6. WYD
                                                                                            7. Por Ti
                                                                                            8. Coronado / Where Are You Baby
                                                                                            9. The Murder Mystery Pt. 2
                                                                                            10. I Can't Change You

                                                                                            Rudy De Anda

                                                                                            Tender Epoch

                                                                                              FFO: Chicano Batman, Brainstory, Drugdealer, Sugar Candy Mountain.

                                                                                              Conceived in the 1980s in Mexico and brought to California through the border inside of his 6-month-pregnant mother, Rudy de Anda's debut solo record is a love letter to the long historical lineage of rock 'n roll music as interpreted through his multicultural lens. "I write my own story, I don't want to be defined by any scene" de Anda proclaims of his personal journey, and his ability to adapt and flit between cities and cultures is part of why L.A. Record has called his sound "deliberately difficult to classify, familiar but novel at the same time." Since 2005, De Anda has played thousands of shows in various musical projects, but with 'Tender Epoch', tellingly the first recorded under his own name, he has clearly found his own voice with a wealth of stories to spotlight. It's exquisitely crafted pop, with universal messages of heartbreak and loss that still feel appropriate played speeding windows-down on the highway in the coastal sunshine.

                                                                                              Above all, De Anda likes to keep people guessing: from the album artwork to the multi-faceted textures of sound, 'Tender Epoch' feels ambiguous to any era, a perfect collusion of old and new that showcases a music historian's knowledge of both past greats and influential peers. Sculpting his own path through a wild ride that feels unlikely to let up, De Anda refuses to settle down or get comfortable, instead carving out a classic record that is sure to set a standard for songwriting to come. The whole Colemine and Karma Chief family is proud to welcome Rudy De Anda and to present Tender Epoch.

                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                              1. The Mirror
                                                                                              2. Los Canarios
                                                                                              3. Me Revulco En Tus Arenas
                                                                                              4. Tender Epoch
                                                                                              5. Espume
                                                                                              6. Cariño
                                                                                              7. It Didn’t Have To Happen
                                                                                              8. Helado
                                                                                              9. Tres Boletos
                                                                                              10. No Me Cruces
                                                                                              11. Cavallet Del Mar
                                                                                              12. I’m Still At The Bar
                                                                                              13. Abrasive

                                                                                              Rick Deitrick

                                                                                              Coyote Canyon

                                                                                                Coyote Canyon is a wilderness area behind my daughter's house where coyotes gather and howl before taking off for their nightly foraging. Little Tujunga (pronounced "Tuhunga") is a river running through the Angeles Forest near a house I lived in five decades ago. Half my ideas for this piece came from onshore guitar ruminating. The rest was improvised in studio. Emma was my close and sweet companion during this period, a lifelong deep friend. I composed her song one evening at the kitchen table of our place while she was cooking.

                                                                                                Tumbleweedin' describes a desert tumbleweed storm. I menaced every inch of the Yamaha, recreating the effect of these 4 windblown monsters screeching along boulders, smacking into cactus and anything else in their way at often impossible speeds, following the whims of the heavy winds. This song was completely improvised at the moment in studio and forgotten. Roy's Rain is a tribute to my great good friend and musician killed in a car accident in 1973. I found For Marsha Version2 on a well-worn studio tape. It's a variant of the same composition on the Gentle Wilderness album. I like this loose and flowy version. Movin' On has one thing on its mind -- getting away fast and now. Going Home is my improvised take on an American root song. The above seven were recorded between 1972-1975. Three Sisters was recorded on a 20-minute studio break in 1999 describing three barren red hills somewhere in the Arizona desert, a cherished location.

                                                                                                Rollo Doherty

                                                                                                Out My Window

                                                                                                  For fans of Mount Kimbie, Damon Albarn, Beach House, King Krule.

                                                                                                  London based singer-songwriter Rollo Doherty releases his debut EP on Lewis Recordings.

                                                                                                  Frontman for the indie guitar band ISLAND, his solo work is a radical departure from what fans would previously have known him for.

                                                                                                  As the title suggests, Rollo began this new DIY project from the tranquility of his own home and drew inspiration from the many small, subtle occurrences happening just on the other side of his bedroom window. 90’s Hip-Hop, Movie Soundtracks and Shoegaze are just a few of several influences explored across this diverse piece of work.

                                                                                                  ‘Out of My Window’ features some scratching from the infamous DJ Yoda as well as crossing the pond, landing in the hands of Brooklyn based duo The Still Brothers, who provided new life through their brilliant analogue production and arrangements alongside the expertise of producer Mike Hill (Arlo Parks, ISLAND) at Lemontree Studios, L.A. The circle became complete when by chance the LA mastering legends Becker Mastering (Doja Cat, Tyler The Creator, Harry Styles) happened upon the unreleased music when mixing engineer Mike visited their studio and asked to hear his latest work.

                                                                                                  The EP’s duration serves as a metaphor for a single day, as it spans over approximately the duration of 24 minutes, each representing an hour of the day. Ambient soundscapes are heard in-between each track, all moments captured at corresponding parts of the day on Rollo’s handheld microphone which he poises from his window.

                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                  Intro (Out My Window)
                                                                                                  Venus On A Flower
                                                                                                  Papaya
                                                                                                  It’s All Beautiful Rain
                                                                                                  Little Bird
                                                                                                  Sun Goes Down Behind Your House
                                                                                                  Someone’s Gonna Break My Little Heart Tonight
                                                                                                  Outro (Beautiful Rain, Part 2)

                                                                                                  Roger Doyle

                                                                                                  Oizzo No

                                                                                                    This manifesto of outsider orchestrations, teenage symphonies and cultivated concrete is the debut album of experimental Irish avant garde and electro acoustic innovator Roger Doyle - a pianist, composer and improvisational jazz drummer with a penchant for experimentation that would marginalise him from traditional seats of learning in his native homeland but embrace him to the bosom of Europe’s leading forward-thinking research centres for electronic and computer music. Here he would piece together two highly sought after experimental albums before returning home to channel his multi-disciplinary work ethic into the agit pop theatrical company Operating Theatre and play a leading role in the burgeoning Irish new wave scene as an early signing to U2’s Mother Records.

                                                                                                    A collection of some of Doyle’s earliest works as an indomitable scholarship student of composition at the Royal Irish Academy Of Music in Dublin and then as founding member and drummer of experimental jazz rock outfit Jazz Therapy (who would later become Supply Demand & Curve), this patchwork 1975 debut long player draws from what was an already bulging portfolio that included academic assignments, living room compositions and soundtrack collaborations with Irish filmmakers.

                                                                                                    Originally part-recorded and subsequently aborted when the would-be label vanished without trace overnight, Oizzo No was shelved indefinitely until a scholarship at the prestigious Institute Of Sonology at the University Of Utrecht in Holland afforded Doyle not only the opportunity to partially revise his humble opus in their state of the art studios (as well as those of the EMS Studios in Stockholm) but also the money to press a limited run of 500 copies and help further cement the foundations of his future status as one of Ireland’s leading and most versatile contemporary composers.

                                                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                    Oizzo No
                                                                                                    Ceol Sidhe
                                                                                                    Bitter Sweet Suite
                                                                                                    Obstinato
                                                                                                    Why Is Kilkenny So Good
                                                                                                    Two Movements For Flute
                                                                                                    And Strings
                                                                                                    Theme From Emtigon
                                                                                                    Extra Bit

                                                                                                    Richard Edwards

                                                                                                    Verdugo

                                                                                                      Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s, Elliott Smith, Neil Young & Big Star. Richard Edwards felt almost human when he returned to Los Angeles to record songs for what became Verdugo. It’s the follow-up to the Indiana singer’s 2017 album Lemon Cotton Candy Sunset, a beautiful, personal release that was deeply unpleasant to make. Not only was he afflicted at the time by an intestinal ailment that often left him unable to stand, let alone sing, his marriage fell apart midway through making the album. If Lemon Cotton Candy Sunset ended up being a record about letting go, Verdugo is the album where Edwards pulls himself up after falling down.

                                                                                                      “The making of it was kind of my recovery from all the stuff,” says Edwards, who worked again with producer Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck) in L.A. “I went back and wasn’t as sick, so making the second one, and finishing it, was a much, much more joyous event.” Verdugo features 10 new songs that showcase Edwards’ considerable and longstanding talent as a writer, and also a new way of singing: Edwards’ chronic pain meant finding a vocal approach that didn’t make him feel like throwing up. “I sing in a half-falsetto high range that came out of not being able to belt stuff out for a year,” Edwards says. His new vocal style deepens the air of melancholy on the atmospheric “Strange,” takes on a wistful cast on “Beekeeper” over subtle drums and a distinctive guitar part, and is lifted aloft on a soaring blend of guitars, drums and backing vocals on “Minefield.” “They kind of disappear in this weird sky sonically now, because of this range,” he says.

                                                                                                      “They don’t feel rooted anymore, they fly all over, and that falsetto — if you’re looking at it as a picture, it goes higher up in the room than it used to.” This is Edwards’ second solo album after more than a decade leading the Indianapolis band Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s, which he founded in 2004. When health problems made touring with Margot impossible, Edwards turned inward and began writing songs “loosely inspired by all one learns, and fails to learn, while dealing with one’s own mortality,” as he wrote in a piece for Talkhouse. Verdugo is completely Edwards, the result of an agonizing stretch of dissolution and, over time, regeneration. Best of all, it’s not an end point, but merely the next station on a continuing journey. “It’s somewhere between that last record and what will happen after that, and what was going to happen before,” he says. “It comes from three years of having to get really quiet, and figure out what grows out of that.” 

                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                      Gene
                                                                                                      Beekeeper
                                                                                                      Minefield
                                                                                                      A Woman Who Can’t Say No
                                                                                                      Howlin’ Heart
                                                                                                      Olive Oyl
                                                                                                      Something Wicked
                                                                                                      Tornado Dreams
                                                                                                      Strange
                                                                                                      Pornographic Teens

                                                                                                      “Hello. I’m Robert Ellis, The Texas Piano Man. I wanted to take a moment to say a few words about this record and what you might expect from it. ‘Texas Piano Man’ is a collection of songs specifically written for my piano driven Rock & Roll band from the great state of Texas. Myself and the guys bring these songs to you in the very spirit of Texas itself; loudly, confidently, over the top, larger than life, at times deadly serious and yet always with a wink and a smile. We invite you to come on in, stay a while, and when you leave take with you the spirit of these songs, the spirit of Texas, and the spirit of The Texas Piano Man himself. Adios!” - Robert

                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                      Barry says: From the grand, cinematic soundtrackery of Elton John or off-kilter college-rock keyfoolery of Ben Folds, Robert Ellis skilfully weaves heartfelt piano minimalism into grand classic rock opuses (opii?) within the space of a couple minutes. Perfectly constructed and brilliantly conceived rock and/or roll.

                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                      Fucking Crazy
                                                                                                      When You’re Away
                                                                                                      Nobody Smokes Anymore
                                                                                                      Passive Aggressive
                                                                                                      Father
                                                                                                      There You Are
                                                                                                      Let Me In
                                                                                                      Aren’t We Supposed To Be In Love
                                                                                                      Lullaby
                                                                                                      He Made Me Do It
                                                                                                      Topo Chico

                                                                                                      Roger Eno

                                                                                                      The Turning Year

                                                                                                        Roger Eno is a British composer and musician whose distinctive style as a recording artist has attracted a cult following. Last year he made his debut on Deutsche Grammophon with Mixing Colours, his first duo album with his brother, Brian, which was released to great acclaim.

                                                                                                        Now Roger’s latest solo album, The Turning Year, is set for release on the Yellow Label. The Turning Year allows the listener to step through Roger Eno’s looking-glass, filled with glimpses of pastoral scenes and free-flowing, affecting compositions. These pieces are exquisitely realised by Eno as pianist and he is joined on some tracks by the lauded German string ensemble Scoring Berlin.

                                                                                                        With a blend of recent compositions and live favourites from Eno’s concert repertoire, the album offers a comprehensive presentation of the composer’s solo work. “The Turning Year is like a collection of short stories or photographs of individual scenes, each with its own character but somehow closely related to the other,” explains Eno. “Listening to it made me think about how we live our lives in facets, how we catch fleeting glimpses, how we walk through our lives, how we notice the turning year.”

                                                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                        Barry says: Poor Rodge, hiding in the shadow of his definitely better known brother while crafting such sweet and beautiful modern-classical compositions must be a bitter pill to swallow, it must give him *some* comfort to know that I, a lowly shop worker in Manchester actually listens to and enjoys his work far more often. Surely? This is stunning anyway. Gorgeous, evocative modern classical soundscapes.

                                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                        A Place We Once Walked
                                                                                                        Slow Motion
                                                                                                        Introit
                                                                                                        Hymn
                                                                                                        Clearly
                                                                                                        The Turning Year
                                                                                                        Bells
                                                                                                        Hope (the Kindness Of Strangers)
                                                                                                        On The Horizon
                                                                                                        Innocence
                                                                                                        Something Made Out Of Nothing
                                                                                                        An Intimate Distance
                                                                                                        Stars And Wheels
                                                                                                        Low Cloud, Dark Skies

                                                                                                        Rudi Esch

                                                                                                        Electri_City: The Dusseldorf School Of Electronic Music

                                                                                                          Just like Memphis for Rock'n'Roll, Dusseldorf is regarded as the Mecca for electronic music. The capital of North Rhine-Westphalia became the centre of an analog electronic movement which changed the course of all popular music to come.

                                                                                                          Electri_City is the oral account of the city's most influential bands, including Kraftwerk, NEU!, DAF, Die Krupps and many more. This history uncovers the myths and reality of the bands emerging from the artistic backdrop of a wealthy, modern, post-WWII German city; the conditions that fostered such a creative explosion.

                                                                                                          Interviews include Daniel Miller (Mute Records), Paul Humphreys and Andy McCluskey (OMD), Martyn Ware (Human League), Glenn Gregory (Heaven 17), Rusty Egan (Visage) Ryuichi Sakamoto and producer, Giorgio Moroder.

                                                                                                          Richard Evans

                                                                                                          Listening To The Music The Machines Make : Inventing Electronic Pop 1978-1983

                                                                                                            Listening to the Music the Machines Make is the revolutionary story of electronic pop from 1978 to 1983, a true golden age of British music. This definitive account explores how krautrock, disco, glam rock and punk inspired a new generation to rip up the rulebook and venture toward a new frontier of electronic music - one that laid the foundations for Hip-Hop, house, techno and beyond. Including an extensive collection of archive images throughout, Richard Evans's kaleidoscopic narrative draws on years of research, a plethora of archive press materials and the input of key figures, including Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure), Martyn Ware (The Human League, B.E.F., Heaven 17) and Daniel Miller (The Normal, Mute Records).

                                                                                                            From the gritty and experimental to the camp and theatrical, this book charts the careers and impact of electronic pop's earliest innovators and luminaries, from Devo, The Normal, Telex and Cabaret Voltaire to Soft Cell, Gary Numan, OMD, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode.

                                                                                                            Roberta Flack

                                                                                                            Lost Takes

                                                                                                              A collection of tracks recorded by Roberta Flack in the sessions leading up to the recording of her seminal debut album ‘First Take’. These tracks have never been released on wax before and are presented here as a double LP in a beautiful midnight blue gatefold sleeve and pressed on heavy-weight 180g black vinyl with sleeve-notes from Harmony Holiday.

                                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                              1. This Could Be The Start Of Something
                                                                                                              2. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
                                                                                                              3. Hush-A-Bye
                                                                                                              4. Afro Blue
                                                                                                              5. It's Way Past Suppertime
                                                                                                              6. On The Street Where You Live
                                                                                                              7. Frankie And Johnny
                                                                                                              8. The House Song
                                                                                                              9. Ain't No Mountain High Enough
                                                                                                              10. The Song Is Love
                                                                                                              11. To Sir With Love
                                                                                                              12. Groove Me

                                                                                                              Roman Flügel

                                                                                                              Hotel Karthago / Energies

                                                                                                              One of electronic music’s most prolific and beloved figures, Roman Flügel checks in to Phantasy for his debut single on Erol Alkan’s equally storied London label, presenting ‘Hotel Karthago / Energies’, two contrasting dancefloor tracks that capture distinct shades of Flügel’s boundless creativity.

                                                                                                              Arranged with energy front and centre, ‘Hotel Karthago’ promises to be an essential addition to Flügel’s peerless back catalogue of club classics. Bolting with the requisite tempo of contemporary dance floors, and accelerated by a joyous piano line, this particular property balances the elegance of vintage house with analogue machines operating at their most energetic.

                                                                                                              In keen contrast. ‘Energies’ expertly pours a measure of melancholy, teasing out a twinkling melody that recalls the warmth and wistful moods of his classic LPs such as Fatty Folders and Happiness Is Happening. Illuminating and then unravelling with ease, ‘Energies’ concludes in underscoring the Frankfurt-to-Berlin producer’s skill as a composer, as well as a trusted rave alchemist.

                                                                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                              Matt says: Techno powerhouse Roman Flugel goes on a hi-nrg romp for Phantasy here. Dreamy and direct, without ever losing the playfulness and child like novelty that's one of the producer's lingering footprints.

                                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                              A. Hotel Karthago 
                                                                                                              AA. Energies 

                                                                                                              Rebecca Foon

                                                                                                              Waxing Moon

                                                                                                                Rebecca Foon, the composer and musician behind Saltland and Esmerine (and former longstanding member of Silver Mt. Zion) presents a new album entitled Waxing Moon. While best known as an incomparable cellist crafting textural soundscapes and instrumental chamber-rock in the aforementioned projects (and more recently recognized for her creative and organisational work as cofounder of Pathway To Paris), this new collection of songs finds Foon emphasizing piano and voice with striking intimacy and elegance, showcasing a captivating evolution in her always resplendent songwriting. The climate crisis has profoundly framed Foon's political and artistic life for many years now, and Waxing Moon finds her writing and singing her most arrestingly direct yet poetic words, tapping universal and personal heartbreak in both despair and hope.

                                                                                                                With Waxing Moon, Rebecca sets side the Saltland moniker - her electronically-tinged string-centric project from the past five years - to release this more personal new work under her own name. The album's ten songs are predominantly minimal and delicate, immersive and hauntingly beautiful - with vocal-driven tracks booked-ended by piano-based instrumentals, along with one up-tempo guitar-driven number ("Wide Open Eyes") that closes out Side One. While piano figures most prominently on the record, Foon continues to play cello on several tracks, complemented by gentle touches from a close coterie of musical guests including Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire) and Mishka Stein (Patrick Watson) on acoustic and electric basses, Sophie Trudeau (Godspeed You Black Emperor) on violin, Jace Lasek (The Besnard Lakes) on electric guitar, and Patrick Watson as co-vocalist on the dreamlike "Vessels". Foon co-produced the album with Lasek at Montreal's Breakglass studio and it sounds glorious. Waxing Moon is Rebecca Foon's first eponymous release: a sublimely stunning, bracingly intimate, glimmeringly full-hearted new chapter in her celebrated musical catalog

                                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                A1 New World
                                                                                                                A2 Pour
                                                                                                                A3 Another Realm
                                                                                                                A4 Ocean Song
                                                                                                                A5 Wide Open Eyes

                                                                                                                B1 Waxing Moon
                                                                                                                B2 Dreams To Be Born
                                                                                                                B3 Vessels
                                                                                                                B4 This Is Our Lives
                                                                                                                B5 New World Reprise

                                                                                                                Fast paced and hypnotic, this transcendental transportation device courtesy of Ryan James Ford utilizes techno's deep set repetition to create states of suspended liminal bless. Sits really nice to that recent record by Erin Hopes, and others on Altered Circuits. Really nice stuff indeed for the up all nite crowd. Tip!

                                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                01 Xtra Tall Tee
                                                                                                                02 Tricycle (proto Mix)
                                                                                                                03 Sensitive Needs
                                                                                                                04 Bodge (closing Mix)

                                                                                                                Richard Formby / Spectrum

                                                                                                                Sweet Running Water / The Drunk Suite

                                                                                                                  A first time release for 2 untitled demos from Spectrum’s 1992 classic “Soul Kiss (Glide Divine)” LP.

                                                                                                                  Listed here as “untitled”, the pair of tunes here were penned by Richard Formby initially and were developed into the classics “Sweet Running Water” and “The Drunk Suite” for the LP which represented Sonic Boom’s first project as a band post Spacemen 3.

                                                                                                                  Lovely stripped down minimal pieces which represent a fascinating insight into how the tracks were first laid down and presented to Sonic and Mike Stout in the band.

                                                                                                                  Definitely one for all Spacemen (and post S3 bands) afficionados and released as a one time pressing of 500 45s dressed up nice in PY’s BBC ‘70s library ‘tip of the hat’ sleeves and additional backing card. 

                                                                                                                  Seven years since Robert Forster's last album The Evangelist (2008). Seven years since one of Australia's most respected singer-songwriters released what was widely regarded as his best solo album, and one that more than lived up to the many high points of his legendary band The Go-Betweens. Seven years for fans and critics alike to ask, what the hell was he doing?

                                                                                                                  Quite a lot, as it turns out. Record producer for acclaimed albums by Brisbane bands The John Steel Singers and Halfway. An extended stint as a music critic for the Australian periodical The Monthly that was so well received, a collection of his writings was published as 'The Ten Rules Of Rock And Roll' in 2009 - and was reissued, revised and updated in 2011. Curator and compiler of G Stands For Go-Betweens. Volume 1 - the first of three lavish boxset compilations charting the career of an Australian music icon, of which he was founding member, singer and songwriter.

                                                                                                                  Still ... seven years. Long time, musically speaking. Time for writing songs, time for gathering musicians, time spent preparing for what was to be the next chapter of his musical life – a refreshed creative direction that took shape as the new album Songs To Play. Ten very different Robert Forster songs recorded on a mountain top half an hour from his Brisbane home, in an analogue studio, with a troop of young musicians: talented multi-intrumentalists Scott Bromley and Luke McDonald (from The John Steel Singers), Matt Piele (drummer from his touring band), and violinist and singer Karin Baumler.

                                                                                                                  "I had originally envisaged the gap between my last album and my new one as five years," Robert says. "I wanted time to pass, for there to be a cut-off. I knew what happened next would be the start of something new."

                                                                                                                  "Five years became seven."

                                                                                                                  The resulting album is really nothing like he's ever done before, although it retains many of the qualities we know from his songwriting: highly melodic, with incisive, witty lyrics attuned to real people and real lives. The surprise will be the spirit of the record, its sense of adventure and fun - especially after the meditative reflections of The Evangelist (recorded a year after the death of The Go-Betweens co-founder Grant McLennan). Seven years has brought a bolder, wilder approach to sound ... and a set of truly inspiring compositions. Pop songs. Five minute epics. A bossa nova tune. Singer-songwriter classics. Add the more experimental and detailed production assistance of Bromley and McDonald and no wonder - from the album's opening lines on the super-charged Learn To Burn - Forster is bursting to get out and tell his story. Time's a sequence and you wait for changes. Problem is you know I've got no patience. I've got no desire to be the fourth person in line.

                                                                                                                  Seven years in the making. And worth every minute.

                                                                                                                  Robert Forster

                                                                                                                  Beautiful Hearts - 2024 Reissue

                                                                                                                    Following its unanimously acclaimed expanded reissues of Robert Forster’s first two solo albums Danger In The Past and Calling From A Country Phone, Needle Mythology Records is proud to announce the long-awaited remastered reissue of Robert’s 1994 'I Had A New York Girlfriend' now retitled as 'Beautiful Hearts'. The album saw Robert tackle a diverse array of his favourite songs from other composers – among them Mickey Newbury’s “Frisco Depot”, Martha & The Muffins’ “Echo Beach”, “Alone” by Heart and Guy Clark’s “Broken Hearted People" Having had three decades to reflect on the record, Robert took this chance to revisit the album’s title and artwork. I Had A New York Girlfriend had been an eleventh-hour decision, a line taken from the Modern Lovers song “Old World”. The working title had always been Beautiful Hearts, a phrase borrowed from another song, “For Those” by Tindersticks. With the old title gone, the artwork – a New York street scene – no longer made sense. “So in its place,” explains Robert, “comes a contemporaneous photograph of me conducting a set of musicians crashing into the album’s opening cut ‘Nature’s Way’. Well… that’s the fantasy.”

                                                                                                                    First time on vinyl for this remastered deluxe reissue.

                                                                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                    1. Nature’s Way
                                                                                                                    2. Broken Hearted People
                                                                                                                    3. Echo Beach
                                                                                                                    4. Tell Me That Isn’t True
                                                                                                                    5. 2541 6. Anytime
                                                                                                                    6. Locked Away
                                                                                                                    7. Look Out Here Comes Tomorrow
                                                                                                                    8. Alone
                                                                                                                    9. Bird
                                                                                                                    10. Frisco Depot
                                                                                                                    11. 3am

                                                                                                                    Robert Forster

                                                                                                                    Calling From A Country Phone

                                                                                                                      2020 sees the thirtieth anniversary of the album that launched the solo career of sometime Go-Betweens frontman Robert Forster. Upon its release ‘Danger In The Past’ met with universal acclaim from critics, even drawing comparison with Bob Dylan’s ‘Blood On The Tracks’ in some quarters. To mark this milestone, Needle Mythology will be reissuing expanded versions of both Danger In The Past and its 1992 successor ‘Calling From A Country Phone’. The re-release of these albums comes on the back of an incredible 2019 for Forster, in which he released an acclaimed studio album Inferno and received unanimous five star reviews for G Is For Go-Betweens Vol. 2, the second in a trilogy of box-sets gathering Go-Betweens studio albums and previously unreleased live recordings and outtakes. Forster himself has been fully involved on this expanded reissue contributing new liner notes and newly unearthed photographs. For Danger In The Past, Robert recorded in Berlin with an illustrious ensemble that included Bad Seeds alumni Mick Harvey (producer, multi-instrumentalist), Hugo Race (guitar) and Thomas Wydler (drums). BBC 6 Music’s Gideon Coe, described the record as "a beautiful, confident solo debut.” Of these new remasters, Needle Mythology co-founder Pete Paphides says, “The remastering (from Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios) has dramatically revealed a depth and physicality to these recordings that casts new light on Robert’s intentions for these records. 

                                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                      CD/LP:
                                                                                                                      1. Atlanta Lie Low
                                                                                                                      2. 121
                                                                                                                      3. The Circle
                                                                                                                      4. Falling Star
                                                                                                                      5. I Want To Be Quiet
                                                                                                                      6. Cat's Life
                                                                                                                      7. Girl To A World
                                                                                                                      8. Drop
                                                                                                                      9. Beyond Their Law
                                                                                                                      10. Forever &Time
                                                                                                                      11. Lonely Boy
                                                                                                                      12. Brookfield 1975

                                                                                                                      Bonus 7”:
                                                                                                                      1. Lonely Boy
                                                                                                                      2. Brookfield 1975

                                                                                                                      Robert Forster

                                                                                                                      Danger In The Past

                                                                                                                        2020 sees the thirtieth anniversary of the album that launched the solo career of sometime Go-Betweens frontman Robert Forster. Upon its release ‘Danger In The Past’ met with universal acclaim from critics, even drawing comparison with Bob Dylan’s ‘Blood On The Tracks’ in some quarters. To mark this milestone, Needle Mythology will be reissuing expanded versions of both Danger In The Past and its 1992 successor ‘Calling From A Country Phone’. The re-release of these albums comes on the back of an incredible 2019 for Forster, in which he released an acclaimed studio album Inferno and received unanimous five star reviews for G Is For Go-Betweens Vol. 2, the second in a trilogy of box-sets gathering Go-Betweens studio albums and previously unreleased live recordings and outtakes. Forster himself has been fully involved on this expanded reissue contributing new liner notes and newly unearthed photographs. For Danger In The Past, Robert recorded in Berlin with an illustrious ensemble that included Bad Seeds alumni Mick Harvey (producer, multi-instrumentalist), Hugo Race (guitar) and Thomas Wydler (drums). BBC 6 Music’s Gideon Coe, described the record as "a beautiful, confident solo debut.” Of these new remasters, Needle Mythology co-founder Pete Paphides says, “The remastering (from Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios) has dramatically revealed a depth and physicality to these recordings that casts new light on Robert’s intentions for these records. 

                                                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                        CD/LP:
                                                                                                                        1. Baby Stones
                                                                                                                        2. The River People
                                                                                                                        3. Leave Here Satisfied
                                                                                                                        4. Heart Out To Tender
                                                                                                                        5. Is This What You Call Change
                                                                                                                        6. Dear Black Dream
                                                                                                                        7. Danger In The Past
                                                                                                                        8. I've Been Looking For Somebody
                                                                                                                        9. Justice
                                                                                                                        10. The Land That Time Forgot
                                                                                                                        11. Falling Star (Original)

                                                                                                                        Bonus 7”:
                                                                                                                        1. The Land That Time Forgot
                                                                                                                        2. Falling Star (Original)

                                                                                                                        Robert Forster

                                                                                                                        Grant & I : Inside And Outside The Go-Betweens

                                                                                                                          BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017 - MOJO MAGAZINE & UNCUT MAGAZINE "In early '77 I asked Grant if he'd form a band with me. `No,' was his blunt reply." Grant McLennan didn't want to be in a band. He couldn't play an instrument; Charlie Chaplin was his hero du jour.

                                                                                                                          And yet, when Robert Forster wrote Hemingway, Genet, Chandler and Joyce into his lyrics, McLennan couldn't resist a second invitation to become 80s indie sensation The Go Betweens. The friends would collaborate for three decades, until Grant's premature death in 2006. Beautifully written - like lyrics, like prose - Grant & I is a rock memoir akin to no other.

                                                                                                                          Part `making of', part music industry expose, part buddy-book, this is a delicate and perceptive celebration of creative endeavour. With wit and candour, Robert Forster pays tribute to a band who found huge success in the margins, having friendship at its heart.

                                                                                                                          'Inferno' is acclaimed Australian singer-songwriter Robert Forster's first solo album in four years - his second album over the last eleven years. Forster only makes records when he feels he has the songs - on 'Inferno', he has nine he totally believes in.

                                                                                                                          They range from the exhilarating top ten pop of 'Inferno (Brisbane In Summer)', the beach shack groove of 'Life Has Turned A Page', via 'Remain's 1977 New York strut, to finish in a way that this concise, brilliant, drama and wit filled album only can - on the big build epic 'One Bird In The Sky'.

                                                                                                                          'Inferno' was made in Berlin in 2018, during the hottest German summer in decades. Noted producer/engineer Victor Van Vugt (Beth Orton 'Trailer Park', P J Harvey 'Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea'), recorded the album; the first time he and Forster had worked together since Van Vugt engineered Forster's debut solo album classic 'Danger In The Past' in Berlin in 1990.

                                                                                                                          'Inferno' in its making is a perfect mix of the familiar and the new. Also working with Forster again, are Brisbane based multi-instrumentalists Scott Bromley and Karin Bãumler from 'Songs To Play' (2015), while new recruits are drummer Earl Havin (Tindersticks, Mary J. Blige) and keyboardist Michael Muhlhaus (Blumfeld, Kante). Four musicians from the corners of the world, who, with Van Vugt's bold and beautiful production, sound like a band of the ages. In front of them, Forster delivers the best vocal performances of his career.

                                                                                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                          Barry says: Encompassing all of the best melodic aspects of some of the greatest songwriters to date (Forster's vocal drawl sounding not entirely unlike Morrisey's at points), Forster manages to be both poignant and accessible all at once. Shimmering acoustic guitar and crisp production come together to accentuate the country-folk-indie at every turn. A wonderfully written and brilliantly conceived outing.

                                                                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                          1. Crazy Jane On The Day Of Judgement
                                                                                                                          2. No Fame
                                                                                                                          3. Inferno (Brisbane In Summer)
                                                                                                                          4. The Morning
                                                                                                                          5. Life Has Turned A Page
                                                                                                                          6. Remain
                                                                                                                          7. I'll Look After You
                                                                                                                          8. I'm Gonna Tell It
                                                                                                                          9. One Bird In The Sky

                                                                                                                          Robert Forster

                                                                                                                          The Candle And The Flame

                                                                                                                            Former Go-between Robert Forster announces his 8th solo album 'The Candle And The Flame'.

                                                                                                                            It's an album for Forster that has taken a very different path in creating than his previous works. The first single is titled 'She's A Fighter'. It reveals only part of what became a journey of creating music with family and friends with a need to find joy and solace in the face of adversity.

                                                                                                                            Robert explains: "'She's A Fighter' is the last song I wrote for 'The Candle And The Flame' album. I wrote the music for it in June 2021. I liked the tune and the quick energy of the song, but I didn't know yet what it was going to be about. In early July, Karin Bäumler, my wife and musical companion for thirty-two years, received a cancer diagnosis. In late July, with a series of chemotherapy sessions about to begin, Karin talked of fighting for her health and a path through chemotherapy to recovery. The phrase, 'She's A Fighter' came to me. I liked it. And I knew immediately that it would work with my new melody. I needed just one other line for the lyric. 'Fighting for good.' The song was finished. I had written my first two-line song. I had just out-Ramoned The Ramones! Because the song has so much meaning to us, we decided to record it as a family. The only time this happens on the album. Karin sings and plays xylophone. Our daughter Loretta plays electric guitar. Our son Louis plays guitar, bass and percussion. And I strum an acoustic guitar fiercely and sing. And that's 'She's a Fighter'."

                                                                                                                            That coming together musically as a family is captured in the video for 'She's A Fighter'. "The video was shot in the same studio (Alchemix Studios, Brisbane) as the album was recorded in. So there is continuity," Forster said. "And the way the four of sit in a circle playing, is very much how we recorded 'She's A Fighter' and other tracks on the album."

                                                                                                                            'The Candle And The Flame' consists of 9 songs written by Robert. Produced by Robert, Karin Bäumler and Louis Forster (The Goon Sax), the album was mixed by Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey) and features former Go-Betweens and Warm Nights bass player Adele Pickvance as well as Scott Bromiley and Luke McDonald (The John Steele Singers), who worked on Robert's 'Inferno' and 'Songs To Play' albums.

                                                                                                                            "The recording sessions for the album were done sporadically over six months. Sometimes just one or two days a month. As that was all Karin's strength and condition allowed her to do. So we had to record 'live', catching magical moments and going for 'feel'. And that became the sound of the album." says Robert.

                                                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                            1 She's A Fighter
                                                                                                                            2 Tender Years
                                                                                                                            3 It's Only Poison
                                                                                                                            4 The Roads
                                                                                                                            5 I Don't Do Drugs I Do Time
                                                                                                                            6 Always
                                                                                                                            7 There's A Reason To Live
                                                                                                                            8 Go Free
                                                                                                                            9 When I Was A Young Man

                                                                                                                            Robert Forster

                                                                                                                            The Evangelist - Reissue

                                                                                                                              Following the 1989 break-up of the Go-Betweens, the band he had formed at college in 1978 with his friend Grant McLennan, Robert Forster embarked on a solo career, releasing four albums under his own name between 1990 and 1996, before reforming The Go-Betweens in 2000.

                                                                                                                              After the death of bandmate Grant McLennan in 2006 Robert released, this, his 5th solo album in 2008, including the last three songs he wrote with Grant. 

                                                                                                                              Robert Forster

                                                                                                                              Warm Nights - 2024 Reissue

                                                                                                                                The 'Directors' Cut' re-issue, featuring revised tracklisting and previously unreleased material. Originally released in 1996, Warm Nights repositioned Robert’s standing as one of the great songwriters of the post-punk era. Robert recalls that producer Edwyn Collins “got the [intended] sound of the album completely: a dry low-end groove pitched somewhere between Creedence Clearwater Revival and Willie Mitchell’s early ’70s Hi Records work.” Towards the end of the sessions some complications arose – and it’s these complications that Robert has seized the chance to remedy for this new release of Warm Nights. “It was Edwyn’s idea,” explains Robert, “to bring in a three-piece brass section – it fitted some of the songs beautifully, but it was in the mixing of the brass and the effect it had on the running order that things got complicated, [resulting in] two changes to the album that have been bugging me for 25 years.” Finally, Robert can sleep easy. The revised edition of 'Warm Nights' sees the inclusion of the brass version “Fortress” and the addition of "Half The Way Home” (a song that Robert rashly demoted from the original album and is here for the first time on vinyl).

                                                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                1. I Can Do
                                                                                                                                2. Warm Nights
                                                                                                                                3. Cryin’ Love
                                                                                                                                4. Snake Skin Lady
                                                                                                                                5. Loneliness
                                                                                                                                6.Jug Of Wine
                                                                                                                                7. Fortress (Brass Version)
                                                                                                                                8. Half The Way Home
                                                                                                                                9. On A Street Corner
                                                                                                                                10. I’ll Jump

                                                                                                                                Reb Fountain

                                                                                                                                Iris

                                                                                                                                  RIYL: Patti Smith, Sharon Van Etten, Aldous Harding, PJ Harvey, Nick Cave, Kate Bush

                                                                                                                                  The perfect extension of her 2020 self-titled record, IRIS elevates Reb Fountain’s music to new heights. Reb effortlessly combines pop elements with her trademark noir folk-punk sound; weaving authentic and anthemic tunes that create an instant and indelible impression. Written during lockdown in 202, Reb has said on the album “Writing a song a day to keep myself grounded and productive during lockdown, IRIS provided me an opportunity to speak my unspoken, to reflect what I have seen and experienced from within and to bear witness.”

                                                                                                                                  Diving into the deeper meaning of the album’s namesake, Reb says “Iris is in many ways an unsung hero, known as the goddess of the rainbow, sea and sky, she acts as bridge between the gods to humanity with little of her own story known. So many stories go unheard, so many aspects of our humanity are unsung; visibility is a contested and inequitable space where what is essential and of beauty is often ‘invisible’. I wanted and needed to give voice to this essential human spirit; to conjure and hold and commune with the very real, valid and invaluable voices within and around me.”

                                                                                                                                  The award-winning songwriter, Reb Fountain, is a consummate recording artist and performer; spell-bounding audiences with her music and artistry alike. Throughout 2020, Reb and her all-star band (Dave Khan, Karin Canzek and Earl Robertson) astounded audiences around the country on her sold out album release tour. Reb was born in San Francisco and immigrated with her family from North America to Lyttelton the quiet port town out of Christchurch that’s been fundamental to New Zealand’s alt-folk scene, raising artists like Marlon Williams, Aldous Harding, and Delaney Davidson.

                                                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                  SIDE A
                                                                                                                                  1. Psyche
                                                                                                                                  2. Foxbright
                                                                                                                                  3. Invisible Man
                                                                                                                                  4. Heart
                                                                                                                                  5. Beastie

                                                                                                                                  SIDE B
                                                                                                                                  6. Fisherman
                                                                                                                                  7. Swim To The Star
                                                                                                                                  8. Lacuna
                                                                                                                                  9. Iris
                                                                                                                                  10. Intermission

                                                                                                                                  Robert French And Antony Johnson

                                                                                                                                  Robert French Meets Anthony Johnson

                                                                                                                                    The meeting of two great reggae artists, reissued on LP for the very first time. A must-have for reggae, roots and dancehall collectors. Includes Johnson’s fabulous take on ‘Sitting In The Park’ and French’s protest ‘No War’. Recorded at the legendary Channel One Recording studio in Kingston, Jamaica, with the reputed Roots Radics Band, produced by ‘Jah’ Thomas Remastererd by Nick Robbins at Sound Mastering and presented in a deluxe sleeve, featuring the original artwork by Wilfred Limonious

                                                                                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                    1. Sitting In The Park
                                                                                                                                    2. Park Dub
                                                                                                                                    3. Know Yourself Mankind
                                                                                                                                    4. Mankind Dub
                                                                                                                                    5. I Want To Hold You
                                                                                                                                    6. Hold You Dub
                                                                                                                                    7. Stop Spread Rumour
                                                                                                                                    8. Rumour Dub
                                                                                                                                    9. Number One Lover
                                                                                                                                    10. Love Dub
                                                                                                                                    11. No War
                                                                                                                                    12. War Dub

                                                                                                                                    Robbie Fulks

                                                                                                                                    Couples In Trouble

                                                                                                                                      A collection of 12 songs, each of which, as the title suggests, documents a tale of two people in crisis. Mostly country / bluegrass songs but occasionally deliving into pop and rock. Very good!

                                                                                                                                      Robbie Fulks

                                                                                                                                      The Very Best Of

                                                                                                                                        14 all new, frightfully rare, or altogether unreleased tracks.

                                                                                                                                        Roel Funcken

                                                                                                                                        Cassette DJ Mix

                                                                                                                                          Roel Funcken curates two 30 minute tracks consisting of music from Roel, Funckarma and Legiac. Cassette DJ Mix showcases the Funcken legacy whilst offering fresh, unique sounds. Roel has been at the heart of the electronic music scene for over two decades and continues to share his wonderful vision and style with the music community.

                                                                                                                                          Cassette DJ Mix Part 1 and 2 (consists of tracks from Roel Funcken, Funckarma and Legiac).

                                                                                                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                          Barry says: Roel Funcken presents a suite of electronic drifts and rich meditative synth, industrial atmospherics and brittle, aquatic modular blips. It's a huge body of work that feels both consistent and transportive, with as many moments of crystalline beauty as there are intimidating walls of noise. A lovely, fascinating behemoth.

                                                                                                                                          Rui Gabriel

                                                                                                                                          Compassion

                                                                                                                                            Compassion combines ethereal pop with ‘80s synth textures, and slacker-rock charm. It's got a bit of Matthew E. White, chilled out BC Camplight and Conor Oberst.

                                                                                                                                            The inviting and perceptive songs on Rui Gabriel’s debut LP Compassion all tackle growing up. It’s about how the older you get, your priorities shift, friendships evolve, and responsibilities become inescapable. For Gabriel, the Indiana-based, Venezuela-born artist and co-founder of the acclaimed band Lawn, the changes in his own life inspired him to write a solo full-length that sounds like nothing the indie rock journeyman has done before. Across 10 vibrant tracks that combine ethereal pop with slacker-rock and piano-driven dance music, it’s a galvanizing showcase of personal growth and the grace you give yourself to push forward.

                                                                                                                                            Work on Compassion started in 2018 when Gabriel was living in New Orleans. “I was living a pretty teenage life in many ways,” says Gabriel. “I worked at a pizza restaurant and would just go to shows or parties. I wasn’t doing anything other than music. I didn't have many responsibilities.” The songs he was working on at the time—tracks that didn’t fit Lawn but Gabriel still liked—initially went unfinished. But as Gabriel’s life changed, so did his songwriting and his desire to see his ideas through. “When I was writing lyrics, I was settling down with my partner and about to become a dad,” says Gabriel. “I was making choices about my life that contradicted the existence I had before. I had a different set of priorities.”

                                                                                                                                            The songs on Compassion deal with youthful carelessness ("Dreamy Boys") and coming face-to-face with newfound responsibilities ("Change Your Mind"). It's consistently a biting, observant look at getting older thanks to Gabriel's unique perspective as a South American immigrant who's lived across the United States for the past 13 years. “When you are Hispanic, English isn't your first language, and you're in a music scene with a bunch of white people, you're going to stand out a little bit,” he says. On “Church of Nashville,” “Hey, Leonard Cohen is singing poems by the gentrified alley” he humorously aims at scene pretension and industry gatekeepers.

                                                                                                                                            Compared to Gabriel’s work with Lawn, where he writes frenetic post-punk songs and yells, for Compassion he explores more straightforward pop sensibilities and showcases his singing voice. “I wanted to do a solo record to prove to myself that I could sing,” says Gabriel. Take the meditative, piano-based lead single “Target,” which is inspired by Dido and finds Gabriel gorgeously harmonizing with singer Kate Teague. He reaches similar infectiousness on the sunny rocker “Summertime Tiger,” which guests Stef Chura. Co-produced by Gabriel and Nicholas Corson (The Convenience, Video Age), Compassion is consistently warm, generous, colorful, and adventurous.

                                                                                                                                            “Compassion is a record about change,” says Gabriel. “It's a coming-of-age record but for somebody who's coming of age into their thirties.”


                                                                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                            Side A
                                                                                                                                            1. Dreamy Boys
                                                                                                                                            2. Target
                                                                                                                                            3. Church Of Nashville
                                                                                                                                            4. Hunting Knife
                                                                                                                                            5. Summertime Tiger

                                                                                                                                            Side B
                                                                                                                                            6. If You Want It
                                                                                                                                            7. Change Your Mind
                                                                                                                                            8. Eyes Only
                                                                                                                                            9. End Of My Rope
                                                                                                                                            10. Money

                                                                                                                                            Demon Records Singles club are delighted are introduced a reissue of the club anthem "Closer Than Close" by Rosie Gaines. Beginning her career in 1985 recording and performing with The Curtis Ohlson Band, Rosie Gaines came to notoriety when she became a member of Prince & The New Power Generation. After the release of her fifth album, "Closer than Close" in 1995 she was dropped from Motown Records yet two years later, a remix of the title track from the album was released as a single by Big Bang Records, after it had appeared on bootlegs. Newly remastered, this single features mixes from the creator of house music himself Frankie Knuckles and legendary house & garage producer Tuff Jam.

                                                                                                                                            STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                            Matt says: This one takes me back! Big hit in the mid 90s (with video typical of the era to match!) Rosie's got such a distinctive voice. And the skippy, almost Shelter-esque instrumental is as infectious as hell. Full set with remixes. Essential!

                                                                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                            A1. Closer Than Close (Mentor Original Radio Edit) 
                                                                                                                                            A2. Closer Than Close (Mentor Club Mix) 
                                                                                                                                            B1. Closer Than Close (Tuff Jams 'Even Closer' Mix) 
                                                                                                                                            B2. Closer Than Close (Frankies Classic Club Mix) 

                                                                                                                                            Rory Gallagher

                                                                                                                                            Deuce - 50th Anniversary Edition

                                                                                                                                              To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rory Gallagher’s “Deuce” sophomore solo album from 1971, a cut-down version of a deluxe boxset of the album is presented which will include a new mix of the original album, previously unreleased alternate takes and radio bremen radio session tracks.

                                                                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                              Side A
                                                                                                                                              1. Used To Be - 50th Anniversary Edition
                                                                                                                                              2. I'm Not Awake Yet - 50th Anniversary Edition
                                                                                                                                              3. Don't Know Where I'm Going - 50th Anniversary Edition
                                                                                                                                              4. Maybe I Will - 50th Anniversary Edition
                                                                                                                                              5. Whole Lot Of People - 50th Anniversary Edition
                                                                                                                                              Side B
                                                                                                                                              1. In Your Town - 50th Anniversary Edition
                                                                                                                                              2. Should've Learnt My Lesson - 50th Anniversary Edition
                                                                                                                                              3. There's A Light - 50th Anniversary Edition
                                                                                                                                              4. Out Of My Mind - 50th Anniversary Edition
                                                                                                                                              5. Crest Of A Wave - 50th Anniversary Edition
                                                                                                                                              Side C
                                                                                                                                              1. Used To Be - Alternate Take 1
                                                                                                                                              2. I'm Not Awake Yet - Alternate Take 1
                                                                                                                                              3. Maybe I Will - Alternate Take 1
                                                                                                                                              4. Whole Lot Of People - 12 String Acoustic Alternate Take 1
                                                                                                                                              Side D
                                                                                                                                              1. In Your Town - Alternate Take 3
                                                                                                                                              2. Should've Learnt My Lesson - Alternate Take 3
                                                                                                                                              3. There's A Light - Alternate Take 1
                                                                                                                                              4. Out Of My Mind - Alternate Take 3
                                                                                                                                              Side E
                                                                                                                                              1. Crest Of A Wave - Alternate Take 2
                                                                                                                                              2. Crest Of A Wave - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
                                                                                                                                              3. Don't Know Where I'm Going - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
                                                                                                                                              4. I Could've Had Religion - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
                                                                                                                                              Side F
                                                                                                                                              1. Should've Learnt My Lesson - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
                                                                                                                                              2. For The Last Time - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
                                                                                                                                              3. Messin' With The Kid - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971
                                                                                                                                              4. Pistol Slapper Blues - Radio Bremen 21/12/1971


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