ALL GENRES

BACK CATALOGUE - U

U2

Under A Blood Red Sky (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).


    In celebration of the 40th anniversary of U2’s Under A Blood Red Sky (1983), the 2023 Black Friday vinyl campaign sees a newly remastered release of the iconic live album on limited edition red vinyl. Consisting of live recordings from three shows on the band’s ‘War’ tour, the album helped to cement U2’s reputation globally as one of the greatest live acts of all time. Featuring legendary live versions of ‘Gloria’, ‘I Will Follow’ and ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’, the album remains faithful to the original track list, but is newly remastered at the renowned studio Bernie Grundman Mastering. Includes double sided insert with credits and lyrics, plus a large 2-sided poster.

    Ulrich Schnauss

    Now Is A Timeless Present - Love Record Stores 2021 Edition

      Love Record Stores Edition available instore from 10am on Saturday September 4th, any remaining copies will be available on online from 9pm on the same day.
      Limited to one per person.


      U2

      Atomic City - Live From Sphere (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.


        A 2-track, Record Store Day exclusive commemorating U2ís globally-acclaimed 40-date run of their pioneering show 'U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphereí in Las Vegas. Featuring a brand new live performance recording of ëAtomic Cityí captured at the worldís most cutting-edge venue, alongside a remix by Mike WiLL Made-It, available for the first time physically. Pressed on transparent limited edition red vinyl and includes a poster. Side A ñ ëAtomic Cityí Live -Side B ñ ëAtomic Cityí - Mike WiLL Made-It Remix

        UK Subs

        UK Subversives (The Fall Out Singles Collection) (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.






          Ultravox

          Steven Wilson 12 Remixes (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.






            "The Pink Album", is dawn and dusk, the epic and the intimate. This 22-track double album, its title inspired by the artwork of Julian House, features collaborations with Jarvis Cocker, Étienne Daho, Raven Violet and Jon Spencer. It has its modulations: shocking at times but signifying also tenderness, intimacy, the carnal. It knows the shades of love, its nuances, and how it can be delicious - and frightening. Marvellous - and aching. Rather than be the silver lining to the cloud, "The Pink Album" mines deeper, to a precious ore, dark and glittering.

            Unloved: Jade Vincent, Keefus Ciancia, David Holmes. In Los Angeles, Ciancia - producer, keyboardist & creator of soundtracks - met David Holmes, the innovative, inquisitive and ingenious Belfast DJ who recast himself as master of song and image for film and television. Ciancia invited Holmes to the Rotary Room in Los Feliz, where the extraordinary Jade Vincent was singing.

            Tuesday nights in the Rotary Room in Los Feliz: a place of thrilling sonic alchemy, where musicians could experiment and collaborate at Ciancia and Vincent’s long-running salon. Holmes was asked to DJ and then to curate another night – and then another.

            Nights bled into later nights. Conversation spun into collaboration. These three artists, kindred spirits, sonic familiars, spoke the same language, one whose lexicon included Jack Nitzsche, Morricone, Nino Rota, the electronic sounds of Raymond Scott, the vocabulary of vocal instrumentalists and fearless raconteurs, Edda Dell’Orso, Ruth White, Françoise Hardy, Connie Francis, Brigitte Fontaine, Jacques Brel, Elvis and Lee Hazlewood. Finding sound and programmed beats, Keefus and David excavated and innovated, experimented and re-interpreted, creating a landscape for Jade’s melodies and lyrics, for sublime songs of lament and confession. The legendary Hollywood Vox Studios was where the Unloved trio formally came together as a band, in a studio almost original to its 1936 incarnation.

            Unloved’s immersive power and playful menace has fitted the slippery thriller series Killing Eve like a velvet glove, the thread to the needle. The music and sound of Unloved plays an integral role as their music is the soundtrack, the score, one of the core characters unseen.

            And now, in 2022, it’s the magnificent, metaphysical "The Pink Album". Be seduced by the whispered, languorous, bluesy, not so sweet nothings of “Love Experiment” and the lippy insouciance of “Turn Of The Screw”. Thrill to the infinite variety: “Mother’s Been A Bad Girl” is brazen, and “I Don’t Like You Anymore” gloriously sultry. “Foolin’”, where languid, world-weary jazz sounds are skewed by a phantasmagoric organ from a funfair hallucinated, and there’s the sparkling fury and celestial chorus of “Rainbrose”, as though some flower-festooned goddess is emerging.

            Go from the jaunty keyboards and hey! hey! hey! of “WTC” to the melancholic poise of “Ever”, the jittery electropop of “Girl Can’t Help It”, to the spacious Morricone-tinged “Lucky”. Be reminded that the past is a snare, the future doesn’t care. All we have is Now. There is psychedelic world-warping sound, but also times when reality is acutely, achingly, present. “Number In My Phone” is a beautiful, wistful paean to those no longer here. Jade’s remarkable voice - whispering, icy, lush, wounded, smoky - unifies the album with its striking diversity.

            Unvarnished, unabashed, unbridled, uncensored: rising from the ashes, this is raw emotion transmogrified. This is experimental free-flow form, from instrumental arrangement to voice. It’s Man, Woman, Human, Love and Death.

            TRACK LISTING

            01. Rainbrose
            02. Waiting For Tomorrow
            03. Now
            04. Girl Can't Help It
            05. I Don’t Like You Anymore
            06. Foolin'
            07. Mother’s Been A Bad Girl
            08. Boowaah
            09. Lucky
            10. WTC
            11. Sorry, Baby
            12. Number In My Phone
            13. Call Me When You Have A Clue
            14. No Substance
            15. Love Experiment
            16. Turn Of The Screw
            17. To The Day I Die
            18. Walk On, Yeah
            19. Accountable
            20. There’s No Way
            21. Ever
            22. Thinkin' About Her

            "The Pink Album", is dawn and dusk, the epic and the intimate. This 22-track double album, its title inspired by the artwork of Julian House, features collaborations with Jarvis Cocker, Étienne Daho, Raven Violet and Jon Spencer. It has its modulations: shocking at times but signifying also tenderness, intimacy, the carnal. It knows the shades of love, its nuances, and how it can be delicious - and frightening. Marvellous - and aching. Rather than be the silver lining to the cloud, "The Pink Album" mines deeper, to a precious ore, dark and glittering.

            Unloved: Jade Vincent, Keefus Ciancia, David Holmes. In Los Angeles, Ciancia - producer, keyboardist & creator of soundtracks - met David Holmes, the innovative, inquisitive and ingenious Belfast DJ who recast himself as master of song and image for film and television. Ciancia invited Holmes to the Rotary Room in Los Feliz, where the extraordinary Jade Vincent was singing.

            Tuesday nights in the Rotary Room in Los Feliz: a place of thrilling sonic alchemy, where musicians could experiment and collaborate at Ciancia and Vincent’s long-running salon. Holmes was asked to DJ and then to curate another night – and then another.

            Nights bled into later nights. Conversation spun into collaboration. These three artists, kindred spirits, sonic familiars, spoke the same language, one whose lexicon included Jack Nitzsche, Morricone, Nino Rota, the electronic sounds of Raymond Scott, the vocabulary of vocal instrumentalists and fearless raconteurs, Edda Dell’Orso, Ruth White, Françoise Hardy, Connie Francis, Brigitte Fontaine, Jacques Brel, Elvis and Lee Hazlewood. Finding sound and programmed beats, Keefus and David excavated and innovated, experimented and re-interpreted, creating a landscape for Jade’s melodies and lyrics, for sublime songs of lament and confession. The legendary Hollywood Vox Studios was where the Unloved trio formally came together as a band, in a studio almost original to its 1936 incarnation.

            Unloved’s immersive power and playful menace has fitted the slippery thriller series Killing Eve like a velvet glove, the thread to the needle. The music and sound of Unloved plays an integral role as their music is the soundtrack, the score, one of the core characters unseen.

            And now, in 2022, it’s the magnificent, metaphysical "The Pink Album". Be seduced by the whispered, languorous, bluesy, not so sweet nothings of “Love Experiment” and the lippy insouciance of “Turn Of The Screw”. Thrill to the infinite variety: “Mother’s Been A Bad Girl” is brazen, and “I Don’t Like You Anymore” gloriously sultry. “Foolin’”, where languid, world-weary jazz sounds are skewed by a phantasmagoric organ from a funfair hallucinated, and there’s the sparkling fury and celestial chorus of “Rainbrose”, as though some flower-festooned goddess is emerging.

            Go from the jaunty keyboards and hey! hey! hey! of “WTC” to the melancholic poise of “Ever”, the jittery electropop of “Girl Can’t Help It”, to the spacious Morricone-tinged “Lucky”. Be reminded that the past is a snare, the future doesn’t care. All we have is Now. There is psychedelic world-warping sound, but also times when reality is acutely, achingly, present. “Number In My Phone” is a beautiful, wistful paean to those no longer here. Jade’s remarkable voice - whispering, icy, lush, wounded, smoky - unifies the album with its striking diversity.

            Unvarnished, unabashed, unbridled, uncensored: rising from the ashes, this is raw emotion transmogrified. This is experimental free-flow form, from instrumental arrangement to voice. It’s Man, Woman, Human, Love and Death.

            TRACK LISTING

            01. Rainbrose
            02. Waiting For Tomorrow
            03. Now
            04. Girl Can't Help It
            05. I Don’t Like You Anymore
            06. Foolin'
            07. Mother’s Been A Bad Girl
            08. Boowaah
            09. Lucky
            10. WTC
            11. Sorry, Baby
            12. Number In My Phone
            13. Call Me When You Have A Clue
            14. No Substance
            15. Love Experiment
            16. Turn Of The Screw
            17. To The Day I Die
            18. Walk On, Yeah
            19. Accountable
            20. There’s No Way
            21. Ever
            22. Thinkin' About Her

            Ursula Bogner

            Recordings 1969-1988 (2018 Remaster)

              Faitiche is ten years old. October 2008 saw the release of Ursula Bogner - Recordings 1969-1988, for which the label was created. While working as a scientist in the pharmaceuticals sector, Ursula Bogner experimented with electronic music, undiscovered, for over three decades. When Jan Jelinek first heard Bogner’s work in 2008, he was enthusiastic. The resulting album, compiled by Jelinek from Bogner’s extensive oeuvre, is being reissued in a remastered version (LP/digital) to mark the label’s tenth anniversary. The new version also includes four bonus tracks that were previously only available on a vinyl 7" single.

              TRACK LISTING

              A1. Begleitung Fur Tuba
              A2. Inversion
              A3. Proto
              A4. Metazoon
              A5. Momentaufnahme
              A6. 2 Ton
              A7. Speichen
              A8. Modes
              A9. Expansion (version - Bonus Track)
              A10. Synchronton 2 (bonus Track)
              B1. Atmosphare 1
              B2. Punkte
              B3. Expansion
              B4. Fur Ulrich
              B5. Pulsation
              B6. Testlauf
              B7. Soloresonanzen
              B8. Photosphare (bonus Track)
              B9. Rhythmus 80 (bonus Track)

              Ugis Jansons

              NAKTHTTPS

                Latvia's Ugis Jansons comes highly recommended by Manchester's own Michael Holland, and sees Jansons working through a number of beautiful poppy piano pieces and shimmering loungey jazz numbers. Sitting somewhere between the off-kilter pop of Efterklang, the twinkling piano of Frahm and Jens Lenkman's cleverly produced sunshine pop. There's elements peeping through of dancefloor electronics and post-dubstep, before breaking into super-smooth glitched hip-hop, but all of the seemingly disparate elements are pulled together into a refined and beautifully polished whole. It's constantly surprising, thoroughly entrancing and most importantly, a great listen. 

                TRACK LISTING

                1. KLAVRĪT 02:55
                2. PLKST 1 13 5 04:01
                3. JĀ 03:38
                4. MIERĪGA 03:06
                5. STARPSPĒLE 00:59
                6. RĪT 03:56
                7. UPE 04:13
                8. WAVESTATE 03:41
                9. KNTRLE 04:44
                10. NAKTHTTPS 04:24
                11. ELĒPSPRATS 01:13

                The musicians: Ulrich Schnauss, born in Kiel in 1977, now residing in London, three solo albums released to date, Engineers keyboard player and an in-demand remixer (Mojave 3, Depeche Mode, Lunz/Roedelius, to name just a few). Mark Peters, born in Liverpool in 1975, bass player, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter in the British band Engineers, also three album releases to their name thus far.

                The music: synthesizer, piano, guitar and drum computer, a reduced, yet bacchanal instrumental combination of ambient, electronica and shoegaze sounds. Transporting the sound of shoegazer aesthetics into an electronic context, this is how Ulrich Schnauss once described his artistic goal. Influenced by bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Cocteau Twins and Chapterhouse on the one hand, yet wholly at ease with the electronica of bands like The Orb, Bionaut, Orbital, 808 State and unequivocally appreciative of veterans of the genre, Tangerine Dream or Manuel Gottsching for example. A brother in spirit of Robin Guthrie one might say, an apposite epithet for Schnauss. His collaborative partner Mark Peters might also be considered his soul brother. Through his band, Engineers, he has similarly found success in following the footsteps of his musical paragons. Engineers have released wonderful albums of dream pop, infused with the same spirit as the solo efforts of Schnauss.

                TRACK LISTING

                1. The Messiah Is Falling
                2. Long Distance Call
                3. Forgotten
                4. Yesterday Didn't Exist
                5. Rosen Im Asphalt
                6. The Child Or The Pigeon
                7. Ekaterina
                8. Amoxicilin
                9. Gift Horse's Mouth
                10. Underrated Silence

                Electronic duo Ulrich Schnauss (A Long Way to Fall, A Strangely Isolated Place) and Mark Peters (of the band Engineers) return with a second collaborative album titled Tomorrow is Another Day, released by Bureau B. This second project offers a sublime exploration into their signature expressionistic landscapes while exploring the potential of a collaborative model in which Schnauss's keyboards and Peters's guitar work together in juxtaposition.

                Ulrich Schnauss, born in the industrial port town of Kiel in northern Germany in 1977, emerged in Berlin's drum 'n bass scene in the mid-1990s. Mark Peters was born in Liverpool in 1975 and embraced a deeply euphonic pop aesthetic that incorporated intricate formal structures. The two musicians met years ago when both were making shoegaze music and formed a close friendship. Schnauss joined Peters's band Engineers as a keyboardist in 2010. After the collapse of the second-wave shoegaze movement in the early 2000s, both musicians drifted away from the genre's dreamy, shimmering aesthetic and returned solidly to their own musical roots. Peters has subsequently explored classic, guitar-based music and Schnauss has returned to his origins as an electronica producer.

                Tomorrow is Another Day represents a maturing of the pair's creative process. Following their first collaborative album titled Underrated Silence (2012), which seamlessly blends the two instrumental voices into an integrated sonic landscape that delivers surprisingly intense emotion beneath the surface of its delicate composition, Schnauss and Peters subsequently began to craft a musical exchange in which each musician's contribution was emphasized in contrast to the other's voice. The differences in Schnauss' and Peters's musical backgrounds are highlighted and embraced as their two voices emerge in dialogue. Here, the synths are drier, the guitars more discreet. The shifting tonality of the music's richly layered patterning defines its composition with punctuated gestures as melodic lines emerge in sharper relief. With neither musical style overpowering the other, the effect is that of two equally masterful voices in coherent conversation, celebrating the dynamic nature of instrumental combination and exploring a new method of creative approach - one that allows for concurrence and dissent, in turn.

                TRACK LISTING

                1. Slow Southern Skies
                2. Tomorrow Is Another Day
                3. Das Volk Hat Keine Seele
                4. Inconvenient Truths
                5. One Finger And Someone Else's Chords
                6. Additional Ghosts
                7. Walking With My Eyes Closed
                8. Rosmarine
                9. Bound By Lies
                10. There's Always Tomorrow

                Electronic duo Ulrich Schnauss (A Long Way to Fall, A Strangely Isolated Place) and Mark Peters (of the band Engineers) return with a second collaborative album titled Tomorrow is Another Day, released by Bureau B. This second project offers a sublime exploration into their signature expressionistic landscapes while exploring the potential of a collaborative model in which Schnauss's keyboards and Peters's guitar work together in juxtaposition.

                Ulrich Schnauss, born in the industrial port town of Kiel in northern Germany in 1977, emerged in Berlin's drum 'n bass scene in the mid-1990s. Mark Peters was born in Liverpool in 1975 and embraced a deeply euphonic pop aesthetic that incorporated intricate formal structures. The two musicians met years ago when both were making shoegaze music and formed a close friendship. Schnauss joined Peters's band Engineers as a keyboardist in 2010. After the collapse of the second-wave shoegaze movement in the early 2000s, both musicians drifted away from the genre's dreamy, shimmering aesthetic and returned solidly to their own musical roots. Peters has subsequently explored classic, guitar-based music and Schnauss has returned to his origins as an electronica producer.

                Tomorrow is Another Day represents a maturing of the pair's creative process. Following their first collaborative album titled Underrated Silence (2012), which seamlessly blends the two instrumental voices into an integrated sonic landscape that delivers surprisingly intense emotion beneath the surface of its delicate composition, Schnauss and Peters subsequently began to craft a musical exchange in which each musician's contribution was emphasized in contrast to the other's voice. The differences in Schnauss' and Peters's musical backgrounds are highlighted and embraced as their two voices emerge in dialogue. Here, the synths are drier, the guitars more discreet. The shifting tonality of the music's richly layered patterning defines its composition with punctuated gestures as melodic lines emerge in sharper relief. With neither musical style overpowering the other, the effect is that of two equally masterful voices in coherent conversation, celebrating the dynamic nature of instrumental combination and exploring a new method of creative approach - one that allows for concurrence and dissent, in turn.

                TRACK LISTING

                1. Slow Southern Skies
                2. Tomorrow Is Another Day
                3. Das Volk Hat Keine Seele
                4. Inconvenient Truths
                5. One Finger And Someone Else's Chords
                6. Additional Ghosts
                7. Walking With My Eyes Closed
                8. Rosmarine
                9. Bound By Lies
                10. There's Always Tomorrow

                Ulrich Schnauss & Jonas Munk

                Eight Fragments Of An Illusion

                  London-based producer Ulrich Schnauss and Danish guitarist and producer Jonas Munk have both unfolded their unique visions of electronic music over the past two decades, and they have been collaborating since the mid-2000s. "Eight Fragments Of An Illusion" is their first album in over four years, their third overall. The latest effort is ambient and introspective in nature, but with a kinetic, polyrhythmic energy pushing it forward. There's a floating quality to Ulrich's synthesizer washes and Munk's guitar patterns, yet the eight tracks are anchored by pulse and compositional direction.

                  The duo brings their individual strengths to the table, yet the music transcends any of their previous work conceptually. There are echoes of blissed-out new age music and kosmische from the 1970s and 1980s, as well as traces of shoegaze-era abstraction and leftfield electronica. But ultimately there's no off-the-rack category that fits it. It exists in its own rarefied space. Pieced together from sessions spanning the course of three years, mostly in Ulrich's London studio – a workspace packed with rare synthesizers and vintage outboard gear – "Eight Fragments Of An Illusion" is a luxurious listen. Compared to the duos previous two releases there's more of a focus on texture and slowly evolving patterns, which naturally reflects the fact that Ulrich has spent a large portion of the last seven years as a full-time member of legendary synth group Tangerine Dream. Sonically, the tracks have a certain silky and shimmering characteristic, with Ulrich's mallet-like arpeggios and glittering analog synthesizer pads merging with Munk's melodic guitar lines as the most natural thing in the world. Throughout, the guitar is used both in a rather traditional manner, but often also as a vehicle for sonic exploration, processed into cloudy layers using outboard effects and software. This might be their most minimalist outing to date, but it still radiates that uplifting widescreen magic that both artists are known for. "Eight Fragments Of An Illusion" is their most focused collaborative musical statement to date, and arguably the most rewarding.

                  TRACK LISTING

                  1. Asteroid 2467
                  2. Return To Burlington
                  3. Solitary Falling
                  4. Perpetual Motion
                  5. Narkomfin
                  6. Faint Lights In The Distance
                  7. Along Deserted Streets
                  8. Polychrome

                  The new album by electronica producer Ulrich Schnauss and the Engineers guitarist Mark Peters 'Destiny Waiving' lands in store on Hamburg's Bureau B.

                  Hailing from Kiel in North Germany, it's now 20 years since the electronica prodigy Ulrich Schnauss released his debut album. His second, 'A Strangely Isolated Place' cemented his reputation as both a pioneer and an artist who routinely creates inspirational music that is adored by many. As a full time member of Tangerine Dream since 2014, his lifelong passion for their work inspired a creative resurgence for the band, resulting in their most successful new album for over 30 years, 2017's 'Quantum Gate'.

                  Liverpool born guitarist (and founder of the dream pop outfit Engineers) Mark Peters shared a similar musical path, exploring ambient textures and effect laden songwriting via a series of blissful albums for the band. In 2017 he released his first solo album, 'Innerland' which was enthusiastically received by BBC6 music and later included in Rough Trade's top ten best albums of 2018.

                  'Destiny Waiving' completes a collaborative trilogy that began with 2011's 'Underrated Silence' and followed by 2013's 'Tomorrow Is Another Day' (Schnauss also became a full time member of Engi-neers at this time). Initial sessions began at Ulrich's East London home studio in early 2017 and final mixes where completed there in late 2020. Despite it's extended conception, most tracks where com-pleted during 2017, in part informed by improvisational sets in London, Dublin and St James' Church in Birmingham (as part of the Seventh Wave electronica festival).

                  Despite these exercises in exploration, 'Destiny Waiving' is perhaps the most focused and concise collection of all three releases. Ranging in tone from precognitive foreboding to soaring optimism, the album delicately hones a particular atmosphere that is unmistakable in their work. While track titles such as 'The Supposed Middle Class' acutely display a concern for society at large, compositions and performances reveal a great deal more light and shade. This inherent balance is a key facet of the duo's chemistry, signposted by the titles of 'Chiaroscuro' and 'Clair-Obscur' and the shifting moods within the tracks. For every rushing, upward sweep (Hindsight is 20/20, 'Circular Time'), contemplative countering is evident in tracks such as 'Words Can Be Dismissed' and 'So Far', 'The Moment'.

                  As we're all tired of hearing now, the global situation in 2021 is less than ideal, but if it's any consolation, Ulrich and Mark have fulfilled their destiny by creating a work that's both undeniably potent and endlessly immersive.


                  TRACK LISTING

                  Side A
                  1. The Supposed Middle Class
                  2. Hindsight Is 20/20
                  3. Circular Time
                  4. Chiaroscuro
                  Side B
                  1.Words Can Be Dismissed
                  2.Speak In Capitals
                  3.Clair-Obscur
                  4.So Far, The Moment

                  Bonus Dinked EP
                  Side A:
                  1.Hindsight Is 20/20 (Count Two Four Version)
                  2.Circular Time (Measure By Measure Version)
                  Side B:
                  1.Words Can Be Dismissed (Talking Snare Version)
                  2.Speak In Capitals (Uppercase Drumming Version)



                  Ulrich Schnauss

                  A Long Way To Fall - Rebound

                    Ulrich Schnauss, the highly respected German electronic music composer, has taken the opportunity to remaster his entire back catalogue having recently had all his recording rights returned to him. Reissued on his own Scripted Realities label. The fourth of five albums, ‘A Long Way To Fall - Rebound’ was originally released in 2013 and has been rerecorded and reworked as well as being remastered. It now sounds the way Ulrich had intended, hence the new additional ‘Rebound’ title.

                    For fans of Brian Eno, Jon Hopkins, Tycho

                    TRACK LISTING

                    Her And The Sea
                    Broken Homes
                    Like A Ghost In Your Own Life
                    A Long Way To Fall
                    I Take Comfort In Your Ignorance
                    A Forgotten Birthday
                    The Weight Of Darkening Skies
                    Borrowed Time
                    Ten Years A Ritual In Time And Death

                    Ulrich Schnauss

                    A Strangely Isolated Place

                      Ulrich Schnauss, the highly respected German electronic music composer, has taken the opportunity to remaster his entire back catalogue, having recently had all his recording rights returned to him.

                      The second of five albums, ‘A Strangely Isolated Place’ was originally released in 2003. It is generally regarded as a landmark electronic music statement.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      Gone Forever
                      On My Own
                      A Letter From Home
                      Monday – Paracetamol
                      Clear Day
                      Blumenthal
                      In All The Wrong Places
                      A Strangely Isolated Place

                      Ulrich Schnauss

                      Far Away Trains Passing By

                        Ulrich Schnauss, the highly respected German electronic music composer, has taken the opportunity to remaster his entire back catalogue having recently had all his recording rights returned to him. Reissued on his own Scripted Realities label. The first of five albums, ‘Far Away Trains Passing By’ was originally released in 2001 and was the album that introduced Ulrich to the world. It is generally regarded as a landmark electronic music statement and now comes with 9 bonus tracks.

                        For fans of Brian Eno, Jon Hopkins, Tycho.

                        TRACK LISTING

                        Knuddelmaus
                        Between Us And Them
                        Passing By
                        Blumenwiese Neben Autobahn
                        Nobody’s Home
                        Molfsee
                        Brooks Was Here
                        Sunday Evening In Your Street
                        Suddenly The Trees Are Giving Way
                        A Lie For Breakfast
                        Nothing Happens In June
                        As If You’ve Never Been Away
                        A Million Miles Away
                        Crazy For You
                        Wherever You Are

                        Ulrich Schnauss

                        No Further Ahead Than Tomorrow

                          Ulrich Schnauss, the highly respected German electronic music composer, has taken the opportunity to remaster his entire back catalogue, having recently had all his recording rights returned to him.

                          The last of the five albums, ‘No Further Ahead Than Tomorrow’ was originally released in 2016 and has been rerecorded and reworked as well as being remastered. It now sounds the way Ulrich had intended, hence the change of title from ‘Today’ to ‘Tomorrow’.

                          TRACK LISTING

                          Melts Into Air
                          Love Grows Out Of Thin Air
                          The Magic In You
                          Thoughtless Motion
                          No Further Ahead Than
                          Today
                          Wait For Me
                          New Day Starts At Dawn
                          Water Under The Bridge
                          Negative Sunrise
                          Illusory Sun

                          Ural Thomas & The Pain

                          Dancing Dimensions

                            Though Ural Thomas is universally recognized as one of the most exciting singers remaining from the original soul era, and an active musical institution for over sixty years, his band, all decades younger, are treated as equals. The Pain are no backing band - but rather a well-oiled tightly knit musical aggregation that have spent the last eight years with Thomas developing a unique sound of their own. 

                            The relationship extends beyond the stage and the studio and the practice room. On a given night you may witness the octogenarian soul journeyman turning up at the club with a crew one-third his age at midnight. If you don't recognize him, he's the sharp-dressed man with the charismatic grin out on the floor cutting a rug long after the young folks went home. This love of life and crossgenerational relationship is the essence of Ural Thomas & The Pain. 

                            Despite the usual COVID-19 obstacles, Ural Thomas and The Pain finally completed their much-anticipated third album, ‘Dancing Dimensions’. While exploring everything from sweet Chicago soul to airy West Coast psychedelia to Sly funk, their latest collection retains the distinctive sound the band organically developed over years of relentless work.

                            TRACK LISTING

                            1. Dancing Dimensions
                            2. Heaven
                            3. Do You Remember The
                            4. Times We Had?
                            5. First Dimension
                            6. Apple Pie (Oh Me Oh My)
                            7. Ol Safiya
                            8. El Eey Em Eh
                            9. Gimme Some Ice Cream
                            10. Second Dimension
                            11. My Favourite Song
                            12. Third Dimension
                            13. Hung Up On My Dream
                            14. Promises
                            15. If It Wasn't For Love

                            U Roy

                            I Am The Originator

                              The mighty U Roy is the originator, the man who put the Jamaican deejay phenomenon on the map and made it an artform. U Roy moved into the recording arena firstly cutting two discs for producer Lee Perry; "Earth's Rightful Ruler" and "OK Corral" and then following this with "Dynamic Fashion Way" and "Riot" for producer Keith Hudson. Producer Duke Reid seeing the protential in toasting, brought U Roy to his Treasure Isle Studios to voice over his back catalogue of rocksteady hits. Here Kingston Sounds have compiled some of U Roy's best-loved cuts from his mid 70s period. The opening cut "Call On Me" sees him re-voicing Delroy Wilson's "Got To Be There". "You Never Get Away" gets U Roy answering Delroy's "Keep On Rocking". Johnny Clarke's "Time Gonna Tell" turns into "Every Knee Shall Bow".

                              Luke Unabomber's favourite label makes a triumphant return! U-BEND return with a couple of certified benders. Road-tested this summer from Maceo's, Pikes and The Pagoda all the way to the Worlds End...

                              Bringing euphoria to both early morning dancefloors and dusted kitchens alike, BNDRS003 dives deeper into the chugger side of the U-BEND sound with both tracks clocking in well under 100bpm. ‘50Peter20' combines a driving, sweaty 90bpm groove with waves of a half remembered blissed out melody.

                              'Bending You Bending Me' pulls in a more exultant direction, where a familiar voice gradually percolates up out of a hypnotic guitar-driven groove.

                              As always, these are verified as go-to options for the last track of the night or the first track of the morning and will satiate even the most content-hungary instagrammers... 

                              Highly recommended! 

                              TRACK LISTING

                              A. 50Peter20
                              B. Bending You Bending Me

                              µ-Ziq & Mrs Jynx

                              Secret Garden

                                In Spring 2021, Mike Paradinas (µ-Ziq and the owner of Planet Mu) spoke to long time friend and past label signing Hannah Davidson (Mrs Jynx) about the therapeutic power of writing music when times are tough. Both had recently been dealing with the loss of a parent due to cancer, and fresh from writing Scurlage, Paradinas suggested a collaboration. “I’ve always thought Hannah’s melodic sensibilities chime well with my own," says Paradinas, "and I've wanted to collaborate with her for a long time, since [her 2010 album] 'Shark Carousel' in fact, because she'd written some melodies that I wish I had.” In a matter of weeks the two collaborated online, sending stems back and forth, each encouraging the other and fitting perfectly together. “After about ten days we had ten tracks we were happy with." adds Davidson, "It was exciting to hear what Mike would do with the stems I sent, and equally exciting to see what he thought of my additions to his stems.”

                                Overall the result is an opus of deeply personal moments of grief, depicted in a feeling of serene, misty tranquility that makes it easy to get lost in. Davidson and Paradinas settled on the title 'Secret Garden' due to the melodic vista which unexpectedly opened up before them on the final track. The album truly is a melodic exploration that is so often missed in this genre. There are twists and turns in mood, from the pastoral loveliness of 'Jynxiq' and 'Unheard Melodies' which fall away to the dubby beats of 'Hi Jynx'; the sadness of 'Loss' leading into the beatless forlorn 'The Ballad of Darth Vader. The album ups the pace with the muffled kicks and warm atmosphere of 'Afternoon Sunshine', which sets the tone for the happier mood of the second half. This all leads up to the album's denoeument in final track 'Secret Garden' whose naïve meandering synth melodies, orchestral accompaniment and glockenspiel end the album in happy resolution.

                                TRACK LISTING

                                Side A:
                                1. Jynxiq
                                2. Unheard Melodies
                                3. Hi Jynx
                                4. Loss
                                Side B:
                                1. The Ballad Of Darth Vader
                                2. Afternoon Sunshine
                                3. Cocker Boo
                                4. Philip Steak
                                5. Hulo
                                6. The Secret Garden

                                U-Ziq

                                Duntisbourne Abbots Soulmate Devastation Technique

                                  "Duntisbourne Abbots..." is U-Ziq's first new album for four years and first new material released since 2005. It's a more reflective body of work compared to the whirlwind of chaos that was "Bilious Paths"; introspective and rather melancholic, U-Ziq revisits his roots in the early 90s ambient techno scene pioneered by, among others, The Black Dog, Aphex Twin and himself. Amongst these 17 tracks of off-key melodies, nauseous harmonies and woozy beats can be found gems such as the beautiful "Strawberry Fields Hotel" in which a lone bassline strikes out a refrain of unexpected simplicity while bees swarm overhead around a fig tree. And "Drum Light" where a five-part melody gives way to a startling noise assault. "Acid Steak Night", a collaboration with label-mate The Doubtful Guest, is a more straightforward techno number with 303 basslines warring it out with spooky melodic synth lines. A melodic tour de force.

                                  µ-Ziq

                                  Grush

                                    Mike Paradinas, veteran producer and Planet Mu label owner has written a new album called ‘Grush' and it's full of weird bangers that reclaim the 'dance' part of the woeful term IDM. A back-to-first-principles record, inspired in part by the group of artists IDM was coined for; melodic dance music that didn't come out of urban scenes, but interpreted them from a distance. The tracks on ‘Grush’ are all road-tested live favorites developed with feedback from Mike's touring partner and visuals guy Mora (Jan Moravec). It's a detailed and energetic journey which replicates the flow of a live gig. A lot of the tracks have been made in hotel rooms in response to shows, ‘Imperial Crescent’ is named after a Japanese Hotel, as is ‘Belvedere’ in Prague, while some tracks such as ‘Hyper Daddy’ were created specifically to play live. Drums are confidently at the fore here and the album feels like it traces Mike's musical history and interests neatly around his sweetly nostalgic melodies, with atmospheres and structures which twist and turn with a charming softness which contrasts with the tension in the drums. Take ‘Hyper Daddy’s’ spiralling notes and twinkling piano which remind one of early Black Dog or Omni Trio rushing alongside splashy jungle drums, or the aquatic acid footwork of the title track with its drums softly bubbling and kicking. Elsewhere there's territory which harks back to his Tusken Raiders pseudonym, like the heads down Drexciyan funk of ‘Windsor Safari Park,’ which transforms from moody electro into a sunny hardcore track midway.

                                    The album is interspersed with Reticulum A, B and C at the start middle and end of the album which suggest a theme which carries across the music in an effortless and joyful way. ‘Grush’ is a strong album that works both for listening and DJing and a great snapshot of where Mike Paradinas musical head is at in 2024.

                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    1. Reticulum A
                                    2. Hyper Daddy
                                    3. Fogou
                                    4. Magic Pony Ride (Pt.4)
                                    5. Imperial Crescent
                                    6. Reticulum B
                                    7. Grush
                                    8. Belvedere
                                    9. Raver
                                    10. Windsor Safari Park
                                    11. Hastings
                                    12. Manscape
                                    13. Metaphonk
                                    14. Reticulum C

                                    µ-Ziq

                                    Hello

                                      Planet Mu owner Mike Paradinas (a.k.a. µ-Ziq) wraps up 2022 with his 3rd release of new material this year. ‘Hello’ is the mirror image of the ‘Goodbye EP’. The intensity is heightened, the breaks more manic and melodies inhabit every corner. The material is the final chapter of the ‘Magic Pony Ride’ material and even includes another version of that track. 'Iggy’s Song’ has a slowed down sample of Mike’s son screaming, ‘Ávila’ is an ode to his father’s hometown in Spain and ‘Green Chaos’ even includes a nod to RP Boo. On Side B things get more interesting. ‘Pyramidal Mind Dispersion’ slows things down while amping up the tension, Modulating Angel is at drum & bass tempo but with a choir of angels from hell in the background, while the final two tracks recall the experimentation and melodies of Lunatic Harness.

                                      TRACK LISTING

                                      LP:
                                      A:
                                      1. Hello
                                      2. Iggy's Song
                                      3. Magic Pony Ride (Pt.3)
                                      4. Green Chaos
                                      5. Ávila
                                      B:
                                      1. Pyramidal Mind Dispersion
                                      2. Modulating Angel
                                      3. Pentagonal Antiprism
                                      4. Metabidiminished Icosahedron

                                      CD:
                                      01. Hello
                                      02. Iggy's Song
                                      03. Magic Pony Ride (Pt.3)
                                      04. Green Chaos
                                      05. Ávila
                                      06. Pyramidal Mind Dispersion
                                      07. Modulating Angel 08 Pentagonal Antiprism
                                      09. Metabidiminished Icosahedron
                                      10. Goodbye VIP
                                      11. Giddy All Over
                                      12. Moise
                                      13. Rave Whistle
                                      14. Rave Whistle (Darkside Mix)
                                      15. Rave Whistle (Jungle Tekno Mix)

                                      µ-Ziq

                                      Lunatic Harness - 25th Anniversary Edition

                                        Lunatic Harness, µ-Ziq's rare and sought-after fourth album, was originally released in July 1997 on Virgin's Hut Recordings label. It is generally considered to be Mike Paradinas's best work of the nineties. An Apple Music review describes Lunatic Harness as "the prettiest album to come out of the mid-'90s "drill'n'bass movement", noting that Paradinas eschewed the abrasiveness of similar works by Squarepusher and Aphex Twin in favour of "atmospheres of ethereal color and shimmering melody", bringing the album "closer to pop music than anything Paradinas had previously attempted". Planet Mu has compiled a special 256th anniversary edition 4xLP boxset bringing together the My Little Beautiful EP, the Lunatic Harness album and May 1998's Brace Yourself EP (released by USA's Astralwerks label) with the addition of four rare tracks. Discs one and two of the vinyl are the original Lunatic Harness album, disc three compiles the My Little Beautiful b-sides with three unreleased cuts from the period and a remix of Mr.Angry from 1997's Mealtime compilation, while disc four is the 8-track Brace Yourself EP which hasn't been re-issued since 1998. This all comes in individual printed sleeves housed in a rigid box with an insert collage of some of the press Mike received at the time. There is also a 2xCD edition with the same tracklisting.

                                        TRACK LISTING

                                        A:
                                        1/Brace Yourself Jason
                                        2/Hasty Boom Alert
                                        3/Mushroom Compost
                                        B:
                                        1/Blainville
                                        2/Lunatic Harness
                                        3/Approaching Menace
                                        C:
                                        1/ My Little Beautiful
                                        2/ Secret Stair Pt.1
                                        3/ Secret Stair Pt.2
                                        4/ Wannabe
                                        D:
                                        1/ Catkin And Teasel
                                        2/ London
                                        3/ Midwinter Log
                                        E:
                                        1/ Hanky Pokery
                                        2/ Jiggery Panky
                                        3/ Worcester
                                        4/ The Cut Of My Jib
                                        F:
                                        1/ Lunatic Harness (Original Demo)
                                        2/ Lunatic Harness (Remix)
                                        3/ Mr. Angry (Remix)
                                        G:
                                        1/ Brace Yourself (Remix)
                                        2/ Kubba
                                        3/ Vaken Bolt
                                        4/ Losers' March
                                        H:
                                        1/ Summer Living 2
                                        2/ Intellitag
                                        3/ Abmoit
                                        4/ Brace Yourself (Reprise)

                                        U.S. Girls

                                        Bless This Mess

                                          Bless This Mess is the highly anticipated eighth album by U.S. Girls, the nom de plume of North American multi-disciplinary and experimental pop artist Meg Remy. A dynamic suite of dexterous melodies and a nuanced artistic response to the complexities of motherhood, Bless This Mess was crafted in tandem with the conception and birth of Remy’s twin boys. It expands the sonic and thematic palette of U.S. Girls, fusing the muses of funk, mythology, and the radical disorientation of joy into an electric tapestry of anthems, aches, and awakenings.

                                          As Remy’s body changed so did her voice; her diaphragm lost breathing room, adjusting to the growing lives inside. Many takes on Bless This Mess were tracked with the babies in utero, or in her arms. (She even samples her breast pump on the album’s poetic closing cut, “Pump”). The resulting performances are suffused by the physicality of this journey: more blood, more feelings, the interwoven wonders, and wounds of procreation.

                                          The ten songs on Bless This Mess were pieced together stem by stem with a vast cast of collaborators (Alex Frankel of Holy Ghost!, Marker Starling, Ryland Blackinton of Cobra Starship, Basia Bulat, Roger Manning Jr. of Jellyfish and Beck,) and audio engineers (Neal H Pogue, Ken Sluiter, Steve Chahley, Maximilian Turnbull). Long-time collaborator, husband, and co-parent Turnbull played a key role facilitating these fluid muses. The production throughout is exquisite, warm, and wood-panelled, framing the voice, keys, bass, and rhythms in heightened textural harmony.

                                          TRACK LISTING

                                          Only Daedalus
                                          Just Space For Light
                                          Screen Face
                                          Futures Bet
                                          So Typically Now
                                          Bless This Mess
                                          Tux (Your Body Fills Me, Boo)
                                          R.I.P. Roy G. Biv
                                          St. James Way
                                          Pump

                                          U.S. Velvet

                                          U.S. Velvet

                                            ‘U.S. Velvet’ is the debut release from the LAbased duo of the same name, made up of Zahara Jaime and Collin Davis. Their debut single is a raw, post-punk mission statement about the anxieties of living in the 21st Century.  The 12” single includes an instrumental version (exclusive to the 12”) and a dub version by ATOsigned artist, Pachyman. 

                                            Collin is currently an engineer and producer at Stones Throw Studios in Los Angeles and Zahara is a touring musician with The Simps and Eyedress. Zahara and Collin both create solo music as Zzzahara and Ynes Mon respectively. The duo will release a video to accompany their ‘U.S. Velvet’ single, which features a cameo from Stones Throw’s founder Peanut Butter Wolf’s alter ego, Folerio. 

                                            Dub version of the single by Pachyman, who just released his new album ‘The Return of…’ with ATO Records and opened two shows for Khruangbin.

                                            TRACK LISTING

                                            1. U.S. Velvet
                                            2. U.S. Velvet (Pachyman Dub)
                                            3. U.S. Velvet (Instrumental)

                                            U.V.

                                            Receiver

                                              U.V. are an electronic duo comprising singer Zandra Klievens and writer / producer Jonjo Feather. They formed in late 2012 and are based in Manchester, U.K. They spent their formative months writing and performing in Berlin and returned to the UK in June 2013. Zandra is the former lead vocalist with NME favourites The ABC Club and Jonjo has previously released two critically acclaimed solo albums under his own name. U.V. released their first single 'Wish' in June 2013. Their new single 'Receiver' is out now on limited edition audio cassette and download.

                                              Second release on the reissue series MTMB (Music Take Me Back) features two amazing dance floor tracks by U.X.B., the six-piece disco band founded by lead singer Keith Pole in the early 80’s. Both “Sting Me” and “Your Starring” were dedicated to Keith’s first love who he eventually married. After being featured on a Disconet Program Service compilation in 1982, Sting Me was later picked up by Belgian label Rainbow to receive a single release including an extended vocal and dub version. A 7″ single was pressed too that included the otherwise unreleased “Your Starring”.

                                              Incl insert which states:

                                              ''The bees are in trouble!

                                              By purchasing this record you have donated 1 euro to Buglife, a nonprofit organisation that helps them thrive and survive''

                                              TRACK LISTING

                                              A1. Sting Me (vocal Version)
                                              B1. Your Starring
                                              B2. Sting Me (dub Version)

                                              U2

                                              All That You Can't Leave Behind

                                                Brand new album from Bono and the boys, back to playing straight forward rock songs.

                                                U2

                                                Atomic City

                                                  Atomic City’, the brand new track from U2, is produced by Jacknife Lee and Steve Lillywhite and comes ahead of the band’s upcoming run of dates at Sphere in Las Vegas. This Limited Edition Photoluminescent Transparent 7’’ Vinyl, includes the original song, alongside an etching on the B-Side.

                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                  Side A: Atomic City
                                                  Side B: Etched

                                                  U2

                                                  Gloria - Black Friday Edition

                                                    AVAILABLE ONLINE ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 27TH FROM 8AM.

                                                    LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

                                                    Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the U2 single ‘Gloria’, originally released as a single in October 1981, the second single to be taken from U2’s second studio album October. It remains a staple in U2’s live set ever since.This 40th anniversary limited edition EP includes the studio version of ‘Gloria’ plus three live versions from three different decades.The 1990s are represented by the Point Depot show on the band’s home turf of northside Dublin (track A2). Although ticketed as 31st December 1989, the show started at midnight on 1st January 1990 and was broadcast across Europe at the time.Side B contains two previously unreleased live recordings of ‘Gloria’ – recorded at the Fleet Center in Boston during the Vertigo tour in 2005, and at London’s O2 Arena during the third night of their run of shows in the English capital as part of the iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour in 2015.


                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                    Side A
                                                    1. Gloria (Studio Version)
                                                    2. Gloria (Live From The LoveTown Tour, The Point Depot, Dublin, 31st December 1989) – Currently Unavailable
                                                    Side B
                                                    1. Gloria (Live From The Vertigo Tour, Boston, 26th May 2005) – Previously Unreleased
                                                    2. Gloria (Live From The INNOCENCE + EXPERIENCE Tour, London, 29th October 2015) – Previously Unreleased

                                                    U2

                                                    Songs Of Surrender

                                                      Including ‘One’, ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’, & ‘Pride (In The Name Of Love)’. 

                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                      Martin says: I'm famously a massive fan of U2, and this epic collection sees them reworking (upcycling?) tons of their older tracks, but stripped back to a reasonably unadorned core instrumental skeleton. Once again, a clear sign of a band still in control of their craft.

                                                      U2

                                                      ZOO TV Live In Dublin 1993 EP

                                                        This EP features five tracks from one of U2’s two legendary open-air performances at the RDS Arena, Dublin in August 1993, the hometown stop on their worldwide industry-defining ZOO TV Tour. While much sought-after bootlegged copies of the RDS show audio have been in circulation for years, this marks the first official release, making it a highly covetable collectable for fans and collectors alike.

                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                        Zoo Station
                                                        Mysterious Ways
                                                        Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
                                                        Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
                                                        Love Is Blindness

                                                        U2

                                                        Zooropa - 2023 Reissue

                                                          Celebrating the 30th anniversary of U2’s Zooropa, September 2023 sees the release of a limited edition coloured vinyl pressing of the Grammy-award winning album to coincide with the band’s performances at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

                                                          Initially intended to be just an EP, Zooropa became a fully-fledged album with 10 tracks recorded in six weeks in 1993, making it the fastest U2 album ever produced. Produced by Flood, Brian Eno and The Edge, the album went to Number 1 in the UK, USA, Ireland, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Sweden, Austria, France, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland and featured the singles ‘Numb’, ‘Lemon’ and ‘Stay (Faraway, So Close!)’.

                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                          Side 1
                                                          Zooropa
                                                          Baby Face
                                                          Numb
                                                          Side 2
                                                          Lemon
                                                          Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
                                                          Daddy’s Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car
                                                          Side 3
                                                          Some Days Are Better Than Others
                                                          The First Time
                                                          Dirty Day
                                                          The Wanderer
                                                          Side 4
                                                          Lemon (The Perfecto Mix)
                                                          Numb (Gimme Some More Dignity Mix)

                                                          Ubiquitous Meh!

                                                          Songs Wrought Wrong / Fecund With Love

                                                            Starting out as an organ and drum machine solo project for Luke Richards, Ubiquitous Meh! are now a fully-fledged band.

                                                            Self-described as ‘Cult post-something organ jams for fans of Young Marble Giants / Dead Moon / the Stranglers’, they still only record to 4-track and still only do seven song records, pushing the old Hohner into every corner of the experimental pop landscape.

                                                            “Vintage synth wizardry... a nostalgic evocation of late-1970s electronic experimentalism.” - Electronic Sound

                                                            “Reminds me of the kind of post-punk indie releases John Peel would introduce on his radio show around 1979-80... entertaining and intriguing at the same time.” - Fear and Loathing

                                                            “There’s a unique, underground beauty lurking within it.” - The PRSD

                                                            “Hooky as hell, mysterious and prudently brilliant.” - HiveMind

                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                            Songs Wrought Wrong
                                                            Jigsaw
                                                            Your Heart Is Still In Its Shrink
                                                            Do You Want To Play Dress Up?
                                                            Outta The Traps
                                                            Gold Plate Coffin
                                                            Smoke Like
                                                            Got Nerves
                                                            That’s Needless
                                                            Fecund With Love
                                                            Unit 4
                                                            Mindrockin’
                                                            Meh! Can Empower You 1
                                                            Meh! Can Empower You 2

                                                            Super limited edition pressed on heavyweight 180g vinyl housed in a picture sleeve and clear plastic outer sleeve – never to be repressed. Only 175 units.

                                                            Tokyo-based DJ, producer and sound artist Yuu Udagawa inaugurates the freshly launched Cyphon Recordings with her debut EP, ‘Forever’.

                                                            Growing up on a cocktail of everything from rock, hip-hop and Latin jazz to techno and house, Yuu’s immersive musical output draws inspiration from this diverse pool of influences to create ‘uplifting and healing’ music for the mind and body. There’s an elegance and sophistication to her productions, which stems from her desire to make music guided by the Golden Mean philosophy of finding a middle ground between two extremes: excess and deficiency.

                                                            Active as a DJ since the millennium, which saw her playing at clubs, festivals and fashion shows across the country, she soon turned her attention to music production and has since self-released a handful of singles and contributed audio commissions for Sony Playstation3, museums, theatres and apparel brands. Yuu’s meditative pallet of sounds instantly grabbed Cyphon’s third ear which led to the tracks that make up ‘Forever’: a collection of analog slo-mo electronica and leftfield minimal house that strike a perfect balance between warmth and depth.

                                                            The release opens with the titular track: a deep, emotive electro cut punctuated by a twinkling synthline and blissful vocals. ‘Mojito’ continues the EP’s voyage into the deep, matching softly spoken word with jazz-tinged chords and meandering melodies, before ’Hug Close’ strips things back, guided by a crunchy minimal groove, warm, resolute keys and reflective synths.

                                                            The B-Side steers things on a soulful course. The dark, enveloping atmosphere of ‘Illuminated Night' is lifted by bright synth stabs and harmonic R&B-flavoured vocals. These influences continue on closer ‘Stay With Us’. Slowing down the pace, the track is a wash of shimmering funk-inspired chords and shuffling rhythms, laced once again with effortless, soaring vocal tones.

                                                            STAFF COMMENTS

                                                            Matt says: Luminous, futuristic R&B hybrids with the odd dip into propulsive house music. Japenese producer Yuu Udagawa knows what's up! An adventurous start to this new label.

                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                            A1. Forever
                                                            A2. Mojito
                                                            A3. Hug Close
                                                            B1. Illuminated Night
                                                            B2. Stay With Us

                                                            Uffie

                                                            Sunshine Factory

                                                              Welcome to Uffie’s new album Sunshine Factory – an alternate reality that is only accessible to those yearning for escape. A nod to the ballroom scene, it is a place where you can be your most authentic self. Inside this trippy wonderland, you’ll meet Uffie, dancing amongst the lights of your hallucinations. Sunshine Factory is a wonderfully restless record. It’s a joyride through the club, hurtling into the forest, and crowd surfing into the arms of a lover… and yet it’s also the sound of waking up to a heap of champagne soaked jeans, the bass of your heart still throbbing along to last night’s melodies.

                                                              A decade after her first record, which included–debatably–the internet’s first viral hit, the electro smash “Pop The Glock,” Uffie “the French-American singer/rapper/DJ/fashion designer who took the internet by storm” (Brooklyn Vegan) is most definitely back. Raised between Florida and Hong Kong before moving to Paris with her British father, the now Los Angeles-based Uffie is undeniably a “child of the world;” unsurprisingly, the making of this record clocked up a few air miles as well. Birthing what would become the Sunshine Factory in Fonte da Telha, Portugal collaborating with Norwegian savant Lasse Lokøy, Uffie soon found a home for these songs back in California with Chaz Bear of Toro y Moi–who co-produced several of the tracks–and his Oakland-based label, Company Records. The resulting album is one of intricate production, sonic experimentation, and subtle poetic brilliance amongst a few Fleabag glances to the camera.

                                                              Amidst double entendres galore, her record exists in a curious space between punk and pop, which can be heard in the ska-meets-fashion week “dominoes.” Contrarily, “sophia” – which marked the advent of Uffie and Chaz’s creative partnership several years ago – poises Sunshine Factory as an otherworldly dance record one would hear in Berlin’s famous Berghain nightclub. She is the party girl who is at her most vulnerable in the chaotic “where does the party go?” where she reckons with facing who she truly is when she’s all alone. It’s in these dualities and juxtapositions that the joy of Uffie writhes.

                                                              The album also has a cameo or three, including the one and only Peaches. And after finding kinship and admiration in the genre-defying NNAMDÏ, she tapped him for the record’s sole feature on “month of mondays.” It is at this point in the record that the beloved je ne sais quoi that Uffie has always possessed really emerges. When the comedown begins and the insatiable few remain on the dancefloor, “a month of mondays” is the knowing nod to a stranger signaling the night’s shift in course. With Sunshine Factory, it’s a pop-up party wherever you can find some speakers. Cool.


                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                              1. Mvp
                                                              2. Where Does The Party Go?
                                                              3. Peaches (interlude)
                                                              4. Domines
                                                              5. Prickling Skin
                                                              6. Queen Ilona (interlude)
                                                              7. Anna Jetson
                                                              8. Sophia
                                                              9. A Month Of Mondays (feat. NNADMÏ)
                                                              10. Giants
                                                              11. Teddy <3 (interlude)
                                                              12. Cool
                                                              13. Crowdsurfinginyoursheets

                                                              Ufomammut

                                                              Fenice

                                                                Italian alchemists and power trio Ufomammut return with their ninth studio album, Fenice via Neurot Recordings. But not as we’ve heard them before, now “more intimate, more free.”

                                                                For over 20 years, the band has combined the heaviness and majesty of dynamic riff worship with a nuanced understanding of psychedelic tradition and history in music, creating a cosmic, futuristic, and technicolor sound destined for absolute immersion.

                                                                Fenice (meaning Phoenix in Italian) symbolically represents endless rebirth and the ability to start again after everything seems doomed. The album is the first recording with new drummer Levre, and truly marks a new chapter in Ufomammut history.

                                                                “I think we lost our spontaneity, album after album,” says Urlo. “We tried to make more complicated songs and albums, but I think at some point we just ended up repeating ourselves. With Fenice, we were ready to start from zero, we had no past anymore - so we just wanted to be reborn and rise from the ashes..”

                                                                While the band are well-known for their psychedelic travels into the far reaches of the cosmos, Fenice is a much more introspective listening experience. Fenice was conceived as a single concept track, divided in six facets of this inward-facing focus. Sonic experimentations abound in the exploration of this central theme; synths and experimental vocal effects are featured more prominently than ever before as the band push themselves ever further into the uncharted territory of their very identity.

                                                                The towering synths on the opening track ‘Duat’ evoke an almighty machine rising from the depths of primordial ooze. There’s a shift to a frenetic garage-psych pace before mellowing out into a more familiar doomy stomp. ‘Kepherer’ is a respite, albeit a slight one, returning to the pulsing rhythms of the album’s intro before plunging the listener into the menacing build and release of ‘Psychostasia’ next. Each oscillation of this extraordinary album feels inevitable - Ufomammut are after all, masters of their craft, and when it comes to creating enveloping sonic journeys into the unknown, it’s their uninhibited sense of exploration that breaches new sonic ground.

                                                                Fenice is the sound of a band whose very essence has been rejuvenated, and are welcoming the chance to create music in the way they know best; by unfolding carefully and attentively, by melding those extreme dynamics which render Fenice as a living and breathing creature - and by writing gargantuan riffs that herald their very rebirth. 


                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                1. Duat
                                                                2. Kheperer
                                                                3. Psychostasia
                                                                4. Metamorphoenix
                                                                5. Pyramind
                                                                6. Empyros

                                                                UFOMAMMUT

                                                                Godlike Snake - Reissue

                                                                  Godlike Snake is the first album of Ufomammut, originally out in 1999.

                                                                  After 18 years the band decided it was time to release a new version of the album.

                                                                  Urlo remixed (from the original tapes) and remastered the entire album to make it sound like it was supposed to, years ago.


                                                                  Ufomammut formed in the late 90s by Poia (guitars, FXs) and Urlo (bass, vocals, FXs, synths), (rising from the ashes of past band Judy Corda), together with Vita (drums). With Levre taking over on drums in 2021, the band has undergone a rebirth, culminating in the release of the album Fenice and the Crookhead EP.

                                                                  Over the course of 25 years, the band has developed a unique sound that combines heavy, dynamic riff worship with a deep understanding of psychedelic tradition in music.This has resulted in a cosmic, futuristic, and technicolor sound that fully immerses listeners.

                                                                  The band has produced 10 records along with various other releases, such as compilations, EPs, and live albums.

                                                                  Now, in 2024, as they celebrate their quarter-century milestone, the band is set to release their latest album, HIDDEN. This album marks a shift in the band’s musical composition, aiming for a more intense and heavy sound, and it’s the third release featuring Levre as the band’s new drummer.

                                                                  The title, HIDDEN, reflects the concept of the presence of everything in our existence and the ability to bring to light what lies within us. With HIDDEN, Ufomammut delves into a sonic journey that traverses vast expanses of space and time.

                                                                  From the crushing heaviness to the hauntingly melodies, from the textured compositions to the otherworldly atmospheres, HIDDEN testify the neverending evolution of Ufomammut and their mastery of creating immersive sonic experiences: a fitting celebration of their 25 years of sonic exploration and experimentation.

                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                  1. Crookhead - 10.39
                                                                  2. Kismet - 8.56
                                                                  3. Spidher - 4.05 #
                                                                  4. Mausoleum - 10.47
                                                                  5. Leeched - 5.38
                                                                  6. Soulost - 4.26

                                                                  Ufomammut

                                                                  ORO - Opus Primum

                                                                    UFOMAMMUT, Italian sorcerers of supernatural and obliterating doom, have completed their sixth full-length, and first as part of the Neurot Recordings family. This is the mammoth follow-up to their 2010 full-length Eve, the band's most devastating piece of magic to date... until now.

                                                                    Oro is the title for UFOMAMMUT's latest work, divided into ten massive movements overall which is now confirmed to be delivered in two separate pieces during the coming year. The first chapter, Opus Primum, will see arrival in April, and the second, Opus Alter, in September. The vinyl versions of both chapters will be handled directly by Malleus's own label Supernatural Cat Records, who were responsible for the release of all of the band's previous material. This is the third album in a row the band recorded with Lorenzo Stecconi. The band are also in the process of crafting a full video/visual version of Oro which will accompany the audio.

                                                                    As with all previous UFOMAMMUT albums, the concepts behind Oro are expansive and multi-faceted, mutating the Italian palindrome which translates to "gold" with the Latin translation of "I prey." Oro explores the concept of knowledge and its power; the magical stream controlled by the human mind to gain control of every single particle of the world surrounding us. Oro is the alchemical process to transform the human fears into pure essence; into Gold. Although Oro's two chapters will be released months apart from each other, they must be considered as a single track in which the musical themes and the sounds appear and reappear, mutate and evolve, progressively culminating in the crushing final movement. Oro is an alchemic laboratory in which substances are flowing, dividing and blending themselves in ten increments from the alembics and stills, culminating into the creation of Gold.

                                                                    This power trio, formed in Italy by Poia, Urlo and Vita, is recognized as the creator of a unique brand of psychedelic sludge. With monolithic and hypnotic repetition, the band combines a monumental riffing attitude with the psychedelia of the more visionary Pink Floyd. Since their inception in 1999, UFOMAMMUT has toured extensively, and crossed the ocean to the United States for the first time in 2009 for a tour of the West Coast. They've performed at renowned, international music festivals including Roadburn, Hellfest, Leper, Stoned from the Underground, Asymmetry, sharing the stage with Neurosis, Down, Amen Ra, Baroness, Sons Of Otis, Motorpsycho and endless more along the way.

                                                                    New Natural Sciences from Andre Uhl melding dark ambient and early industrial. Recorded on the edge of Berlin in a semi-deserted building complex formerly used by the East German Sociality party, André Uhl's debut on the label taps into the spectral frequencies of the space and the ritual practices of recording.

                                                                    Created in isolation amongst this decaying structure and surrounded by lakes, dense forestry and the sounds of boars and unknown wildlife outside, Every Step Causes a Crack is a title that reflects Andrés connection to the environment around him and the death or glory stance of the artist, with field recordings, electric doom synthesis and lurching drum tracks temporarily fracturing the darkness before being pulled back through the void.

                                                                    Limited vinyl release of 150 copies.

                                                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                    Matt says: A rather tense and, in parts, frankly quite scary exercise in slow, tectonic electronics and foreboding industrial atmospheres. A splendid example of the Natural Science remit, executed by this Berlin based artist.

                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                    A1. Every Step Causes A Crack
                                                                    A2. Monitor View
                                                                    A3. Fly High
                                                                    A4. Do You Have What It Takes
                                                                    A5. Faking It The Whole Time
                                                                    A6. Batman
                                                                    B1. Always Forward
                                                                    B2. Hellsbells
                                                                    B3. When It Comes, We'll See It Coming
                                                                    B4. You're Fading Away
                                                                    B5. Out Of Town

                                                                    UK Subs

                                                                    Flood Of Lies - 2024 Reissue

                                                                      The fifth UK Subs studio album, from 1983, remastered – and not available on vinyl for nine years. Now with a new inner bag featuring all the lyrics and unseen band photos. A limited-edition, transparent yellow ochre vinyl with improved original sleeve art. Album ‘F’ in the UK Subs A-Z series of albums.

                                                                      The album came at a crossroads for the UK Subs. Punk had become unfashionable, and the early line-ups had split leaving Charlie Harper to form a new band. He enlisted early Subs bassist Steve Slack (who’d left before their first recordings, replaced by his brother), drummer Steve Jones and guitarist Captain Scarlet. Navigating between the UK Subs punk ethos and wider accessible styles, with many songs co-written by Slack and Scarlet, Charlie’s lyrics reflected the current political paranoia of an Orwellian future, alongside hedonistic punk tales of life lived and characters met along the road.

                                                                      The album successfully led the band to embark on decades of world tours and continue the now-legendary A-Z series of albums. Although the current band have given up lengthy tours, since Charlie’s 80th birthday they still reconvene regularly for festivals and short excursions.


                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                      Vinyl:
                                                                      Flood Of Lies
                                                                      Veronique
                                                                      Soldiers Of Fortune
                                                                      Waiting For The DB’s
                                                                      Tampa Bay
                                                                      After The War; Violent Revolution
                                                                      In The Red
                                                                      Dress Code
                                                                      Revenge Of The Jelly Devils
                                                                      In The Wild, Seas Of Mars

                                                                      CD1:
                                                                      Flood Of Lies
                                                                      Veronique
                                                                      Soldiers Of Fortune
                                                                      Waiting For The DB’s
                                                                      Tampa Bay
                                                                      After The War; Violent Revolution
                                                                      In The Red
                                                                      Dress Code
                                                                      Revenge Of The Jelly Devils
                                                                      In The Wild
                                                                      Seas Of Mars
                                                                      Bonus Singles:
                                                                      Another Typical City (7”)
                                                                      Still Life
                                                                      The Spell
                                                                      Private Army
                                                                      Multiple Minds
                                                                      Primary Strength
                                                                      Another Typical City (12”)

                                                                      CD2: Demos:
                                                                      Still Life
                                                                      In The Wild
                                                                      Can Anybody Hear Me?
                                                                      Live Chicago:
                                                                      Emotional Blackmail
                                                                      New Barbarians, In The Wild
                                                                      Véronique
                                                                      Flood Of Lies
                                                                      Warhead
                                                                      Limo Life
                                                                      Disease
                                                                      Violent Revolution
                                                                      Soldiers Of Fortune
                                                                      Ice Age
                                                                      Dress Code
                                                                      Telephone Numbers
                                                                      Stranglehold
                                                                      You Don’t Belong
                                                                      Party In Paris.

                                                                      The Ukrainians

                                                                      Never Mind The Cossacks - Yellow Vinyl Edition

                                                                        THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2014 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

                                                                        Pressed on yellow vinyl, and individually numbered 1-500.

                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                        Anarchy In The UK
                                                                        God Save The Queen (acoustic)
                                                                        Pretty Vacant
                                                                        Anarchy In The UK (acoustic)
                                                                        Holidays In The Sun
                                                                        Problems
                                                                        God Save The Queen (live)
                                                                        Anarchy In The UK (live)

                                                                        ULNA

                                                                        OEA

                                                                          ULNA’s OEA is a “bar-rock getting sober record.“ The first full length solo record of ULNA, aka Adam Schubert of Cafe Racer, OEA is an ode to reinvention. Along with the release comes a rebranding--formerly Ruins, Shubert’s new pseudonym ULNA is a reference to a pivotal moment in his childhood. At the age of 14, Schubert shattered the bone on the inside of his forearm in a skating accident, and took up the guitar. “That’s what made me serious about playing music,” says Schubert.

                                                                          This name change also accompanied Schubert’s shift towards sobriety--OEA was created right as Schubert reconfigured his life without drugs or alcohol. With the exception of the final track, “Dead Friends,” the whole album was written while in a recovery program. “You have to reinvent your whole personality, you have to be a different person,” says Schubert.”Who am I if I’m not the crazy drunk dude who’s doing drugs in the bathroom?”

                                                                          OEA is an intensely personal record, in subject matter but also quite literally--Schubert plays every instrument, though the record feels far from a home-demo, recorded and mastered by Robby Hanes at Strange Magic Recording in Chicago’s Logan Square. Schubert’s songs are ambling and full of picked guitar and retro harmonies, a stylistic sensibility he attributes to a love for the Beatles and “acoustic rock with a weird punk edge,” a-la Big Thief and Kurt Vile. Though instrumentally sunny, his vocals hint at something else - there’s an underlying ache. OEA is an easy listen, but with a depth of emotion that demands listeners’ attention.

                                                                          OEA explores the range of emotions experienced in the transition to sobriety, from fear to backslide to self doubt. At first listen, “Turn The Record On” feels almost like a love song, with a chorus of “turn the record on/ you’re my favorite song,” but in actuality the song is the story of an empty encounter rather than romance. “It’s kind of about this sad hookup with someone else who is equal in your addiction, you’re just using each other because you don’t want to be alone in your using,” says Schubert. “We both have this problem and we can have fun in it together because we both understand. They know the score.”

                                                                          While “Turn The Record On” speaks to a moment of shared addiction, other tracks examine what comes after sobriety. “And I took the pill like I should / and I stayed clean just like I said I would,” begins “Last Song,” which Schubert cites as one of the hardest tracks to write. “I got sober and I take medication and - I’m doing all this stuff now but nothing’s changed,” says Schubert. “ I think that’s pretty common in people who get sober. I did all this stuff and now what?”

                                                                          The penultimate track on the album, “Last Song” fades into a noisy interlude that gives listeners the feeling of motion, like entering a tunnel and emerging into a quieter, lo-fi recording, the closing track “Dead Friends.” The only non-studio track, “Dead Friends” was recorded in Schubert’s home, and carries with it a warm intimacy. “I wanted it to sound like you’re outside somewhere, you're walking, and you step inside somewhere that feels safe,” says Schubert.

                                                                          This closing track embodies the mood of OEA- warm but with a melancholy edge, like coming in from the cold but still feeling a lingering chill. It’s an album that feels comfortable and cohesive--though individual tracks stand alone, OEA works best when listened through start to finish. It’s a record to put on while cooking dinner and let sink in. 


                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                          1. I Was A Monster
                                                                          2. Been So Far
                                                                          3. Borrowed Time
                                                                          4. Ocean Ridge
                                                                          5. Too Loud
                                                                          6. Turn The Record On
                                                                          7. Last Song
                                                                          8. Dead Friends

                                                                          Ulrika Spacek

                                                                          Compact Trauma

                                                                            RIYL: Mercury Rev, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Radiohead, Deerhunter, Atlas Sound, Stereolab.

                                                                            Close to five years on from their last transmission, Ulrika Spacek resurface from self-imposed exile with their third album, Compact Trauma, a collection of songs that function as a chance treatise of sorts for our current collective condition. With a title like that arriving at this point in time, it’s tempting to interpret the record solely in the context of the global events of the past few years, but the roots of these ten songs arc back much further in time, charged with their own personalised internal damage.

                                                                            Mid 2018, approaching exhaustion and feeling increasingly fragile from the stresses of itinerant road life, the five-piece of Rhys Edwards, Rhys Williams, Joseph Stone, Syd Kemp and Callum Brown began work in earnest on the follow up to their second album, Modern English Decoration. Released less than a year earlier and having promoted it constantly in the months that followed, now might have represented a fine moment for the band to take a breath. Yet Ulrika Spacek were not familiar with the concept of slowing down, conditioned by a strong work ethnic and the demands of capricious touring cycles that necessitated more content and at speed. Moving too fast, it was difficult to avoid the hazards up ahead.

                                                                            The band’s previous albums had both been recorded in KEN, a studio and rehearsal space in Homerton that also doubled as their shared home. As writing for album three began, KEN suddenly became another victim to the indiscriminate violence of gentrification, rendering the project both hub- and homeless. Writing and recording at KEN was then abruptly shifted to a professional studio in Hackney, only the second time they had worked in such conditions, and tensions and logistical difficulties soon became apparent. The enforced switch to an unfamiliar locale would have been discomforting enough, but when allied with the fractures already beginning to splinter through the band, made for an especially frazzled experience. Somehow, a record began to emerge piecemeal from the gloom, though it was one obviously infected with its circumstances.

                                                                            Trauma, in its myriad forms, is often hard to qualify, even harder to rationalise. When something begins to go wrong, how do you gain perspective? What is a temporary roadblock, and what is unmitigated disaster? In its first phase of life, Compact Trauma was a document of a band striving to perfect an idea while the universe around them seemed to want to shut down. And then, at an impasse of sorts and with a record halfway complete, it suddenly did. If Ulrika Spacek were a band in need of the breaks applying, it was the force of a global pandemic that made it happen. As the world stood still, Compact Trauma was filed away, unfinished and unheard by the wider world, possibly to remain that way forever. And yet, there was to be a second act. If mutability is our tragedy, it's also our hope, clearer days slowly began to emerge as the bad slipped away. The wound, as the saying goes, is the place where the light enters you.

                                                                            The prolonged break enforced by myriad lockdowns may have separated the group but it also afforded the five time to reflect on what had already been committed to tape.. As the lights came back on and the shutters up, they found themselves drawn back towards Compact Trauma. What they rediscovered was a record that seemed to preempt the shared grief of a global pandemic. Even if the specifics were different, the themes were uncannily similar. Addressing existential freak out, displacement, substance reliance and encroaching self-doubt, these highly personalised songs suddenly took on a wider significance, speaking in part to a bigger narrative.

                                                                            Opening track, ‘The Sheer Drop’, begins with the line “Homerton is caving in”; ‘It Will Come Sometime’ describes a “liver like a lightbulb and swelling”; and Lounge Angst (an almost perfect description of those maddening lockdown days indoors) laments, ‘seems my friends grew up or left’. The fear and panic is palpable. The lyrics are matched to a soundtrack that oscillates between the febrile and the off-kilter, unconventional song structures and knotty arrangements either spinning the listener in unexpected directions or offering some kind of cathartic release. Take, as example, the aforementioned opener, ‘The Sheer Drop’. A wire-taut exercise in tension-and-release rendered in three parts, a whimsical synth opening giving way to characteristic chiming guitars before a nail biting coda sets its controls for the heart of the sun or the end of the world, whichever comes first. Either way, it’s a hell of a way to reintroduce yourself after a five year absence. ‘If The Wheels Are Coming Off, The Wheels Are Coming Off’ is equally instructive, a lacerating exposition of self-doubt that bursts into ecstatic release at its climax, demanding repeat listens, while ‘Stuck At The Door’ is an 11-minute Pacific North West-style epic that threatens, ‘the worst of it’s to come’. But it’s the title track that might be the true heartbeat of the record. Either addressing itself or some unknown assailant, it begins by demanding that they “take your hands and your head off the table”, while spiralling around a breathless riff fueled by an infectious anxious energy, before changing tact completely and shifting to a lullaby-like finale, concluding with the ominous thought, “compact trauma? Or full blown disaster? I'll be back in an hour (Or so i think)”. It’s a fitting encapsulation of a highly complex record. They could have left it alone, but in coming back to what they knew, Ulrika Spacek found their best work yet.


                                                                            STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                            Barry says: Six full years it's been since the brilliant 'Modern English Decoration' and 'Compact Trauma' very much sounds like an album that's been meticulously crafted throughout, despite the troubling circumstances surrounding it's genesis. Both resplendent with moments of clever production and beautifully realised performances, it's also swimming with the sort of fractured haze and lo-fi grit we've come to know and love. A perfect return.

                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                            1. The Sheer Drop
                                                                            2. Accidental Momentary Blur
                                                                            3. It Will Come Sometime
                                                                            4. Lounge Angst
                                                                            5. Diskbänksrealism
                                                                            6. Through France With Snow
                                                                            7. If The Wheels Are Coming Off, The Wheels Are Coming Off
                                                                            8. Compact Trauma
                                                                            9. Stuck At The Door
                                                                            10. No Design

                                                                            Ulrika Spacek

                                                                            Modern English Decoration

                                                                            The relatively short amount of time between their first and second albums is testament to the band’s self-contained creative environment and the productivity it encourages. There’s a tendency to label this degree of self-reliant creativity ‘DIY’ - and the band do certainly feel emboldened by that ethos - yet to consider Modern English Decoration solely in these terms is a disservice. Their craft is considered and purposeful, the means of its production reflecting the band’s overall vision rather than the value system of an often haphazard and accidental DIY culture. “We enjoy listening to music through the album format and want our records to reflect that”, says Rhys Edwards (guitars, vocals, synthesiser).

                                                                            Ulrika Spacek formed in Berlin in one night, when 14-year-long friends Rhys Edwards and Rhys Williams conceptualised ‘Ulrika Spacek’ and came up with The Album Paranoia as their debut album title. Moving back to London with the intention to record it, they were joined by Joseph Stone (guitars, organ, synths, violin), Ben White (bass) and Callum Brown (drums, percussion), ossifying into the five-piece they are now. The album was released soon after with little forewarning and was accompanied by a year long, near-monthly club night called Oysterland.

                                                                            Given the lyrics often favour abstraction and the vocals can be more impressionistic than declarative, the album title itself offers perhaps the most telling entry point to the record. In part, it’s a self-effacing play on an interior design cliché that references the meticulous creative processes the band adheres to. There’s also a nod towards the environment in which it was created – a Victorian house turned art gallery turned home studio

                                                                            Unsurprisingly given the context of its creation, Modern English Decoration might be considered a companion piece of sorts to The Album Paranoia.But there are crucial differences. Most notably, this isn’t the work of the Ulrika Spacek conceptualised by Edwards and Williams in Berlin – Modern English Decoration is the band as five rather than two people, and it shows. Those who have witnessed the intensity of their live show will instantly recognise the merits in this. The bass and drums provide a versatile anchor, at once soft, then aggressive, while the vocals drift woozily in and out, like druggy hindsight or skewed premonition. With three guitarists in the band guitars were always going to be central to the music, but what is less expected is the dynamic interplay between the trio that suggests a three-headed version of the Verlaine-Lloyd axis at the heart of Television. What’s more, the absence of reverb is integral, in part attributable to the ambience of the studio, but also a conscious decision in order to add focus. And focus is the abiding term: this is an album designed to be just so - a 45 minute commitment, a surrender.

                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                            1. Mimi Pretend
                                                                            2. Silvertonic
                                                                            3. Dead Museum
                                                                            4. Ziggy
                                                                            5. Everything, All The Time
                                                                            6. Modern English Decoration
                                                                            7. Full Of Men
                                                                            8. Saw A Habit Forming
                                                                            9. Victorian Acid
                                                                            10. Protestant Work Slump

                                                                            Ulrika Spacek

                                                                            The Album Paranoia

                                                                              RIYL: Mercury Rev, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Radiohead, Deerhunter, Atlas Sound.

                                                                              Ulrika Spacek is a British experimental rock band formed in Berlin by Rhys Edwards and Rhys Williams, relocated to Homerton, London. Work on debut album ‘The Album Paranoia’ began in the summer of 2014 in the band’s shared house KEN, and was finished there last month. In conjunction to the making of ‘The Album Paranoia’, the band has curated a number of nights under the name ‘Oysterland’ combining their first live performances with a series of exhibitions. The band's music has drawn various interpretations, a cross pollination of hypnotic fuzz, Verlain-Malkmus guitar idiosyncrasies and intertwining feelings of both angst and melancholia. 

                                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                              Mine says: Ulrika Spacek's debut album is an addictive roller coaster of blissful psychedelia, hypnotic melancholy and raucous, repetitive kraut rock. Heavy and droning in some places, dreamy and pensive in others, its atmospheric soundscape makes it an album to get lost in.

                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                              1. I Don’t Know - 04:35
                                                                              2. Porcelain - 03:59
                                                                              3. Circa 1954 - 02:13
                                                                              4. Strawberry Glue - 03:32
                                                                              5. Beta Male - 06:20
                                                                              6. NK - 06:54
                                                                              7. Ultra Vivid - 04:14
                                                                              8. She’s A Cult - 04:22
                                                                              9. There’s A Little Passing Cloud In You - 06:53
                                                                              10. Airportism - 02:07

                                                                              Ultra Magnetic MC's

                                                                              Ego Tripping

                                                                                Melvin Bliss' iconic 'Synthetic Substitution' (1973) has been sampled hundreds of times. Gracing records from Naughty by Nature's 'O.P.P' to Public Enemy's 'Don't Believe the Hype', it's one of the foundations of hip-hop. However, there's a school of thought that says the sample could have been retired forever after Ced Gee used it for 'Ego Tripping'. It was the first song to use those wonderful Bernard Purdie drums, and arguably the best.

                                                                                Their first release on Next Plateau Records, this instant 1986 classic slams from the first bar, that hard-as-hell beat underpinned by stabs and the breathy 'ultra-magnetic-magnetic' chant beneath. Meanwhile, Ced and future legend Kool Keith go to town with pseudo-science and a thinly veiled diss of Run DMC – 'Say what, Peter Piper, to hell with childish rhymes'. It's a song shot through with promise they'd more than fulfil on their debut album, 1988's landmark 'Critical Beatdown'.

                                                                                The flip, 'Funky Potion', doesn't coalesce with quite the same genius but is still more than a curio, with the MC's doubling down on their futuristic nonsense approach to lyricism. Rufus Thomas' 'Do the Funky Penguin' is the base for yet more stabs, discordant scratches and a kitchen-sink approach that shows just innovative the group were prepared to be.

                                                                                Never before released before on 7", this undeniable hip-hop classic comes complete with bespoke hype stickers incorporating one of the great rap logos of all time.

                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                Ego Tripping
                                                                                Funky Potion

                                                                                Ultra Magnetic MC's

                                                                                Travelling At The Speed Of Thought

                                                                                  Let's be honest – the first time many of us heard the otherworldly talents of the Ultramagnetic MC's was on a compilation. A smattering of singles in 1986 had barely registered beyond a small circle in New York, but the inclusion of the 1987 single 'Travelling at the Speed of Thought' on Street Sounds' 'Hip Hop Electro 16' set, sandwiched between classics from MC Shy D and Just-Ice, was a watershed moment.


                                                                                  In a way, it's their most atypical release. The deceptively simple combination of drums 'borrowed' from The Rolling Stones and a scratched hook from The Kingsmen's definitive version of Richard Berry's 'Louie Louie' is one thing. The simple by their standards vocals, however, render it into a loveable pastiche of rock-rap, a more esoteric equivalent of Run DMC's 'Walk This Way'.

                                                                                  The flip is more in keeping with their style both on their earlier 'Ego Tripping' single and the soon-to-arrive landmark classic album 'Critical Beatdown'.

                                                                                  Over some heavily chopped drums from erstwhile breakbeat classic 'Apache' by the Incredible Bongo Band, Ced Gee and Kool Keith showcase flows that were different from anything out there at the time.

                                                                                  'M.C.'s Ultra (Part II Edit)' is part brag-rap, part baffling science lecture. Leaning heavily on the thesaurus, it's a slang heavy manifesto that elevated the boast rap to the next level. While Kool Keith would go on to be the group's breakout star, this is a showcase for the whole collective, right down to DJ Moe Love's slithery scratching sliding from one channel to the next.

                                                                                  Only previously released in the UK as a 7" that's now very hard to source, this is a chance to re-embrace this breakthrough from a legendary group.



                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                  Travelling At The Speed Of Thought
                                                                                  M.C.’s Ultra (Part II Edit)

                                                                                  Ultrababyfat

                                                                                  Eight Balls In Reverse

                                                                                    Atlanta's favourite trio of power pop vixenettes have done it again, this time delivering a refreshingly gritty sweet pop gem showcasing a musical breadth ranging from straight forward pop crunch and rock heavy velocity to slightly twisted Psychedelia, blending the guitar attack of Cheap Trick, the vocal gymnastics of Throwing Muses and the pop sensibilities of the Bangles, Breeders, and the Beatles without running out of breath. Britta Phillips of LUNA plays bass! Woohoo!

                                                                                    Ultraísta

                                                                                    Ordinary Boy: The Remixes (Floating Points / Zero 7/ FaltyDL / Crate Classics / Leifur James)

                                                                                    Following the release of their highly acclaimed new album ‘Sister’ in March 2020, Ultraísta have announce a remix package featuring the talents of Floating Points, FaltyDL, Zero 7, Crate Classics and Leifur James. Ultraísta are formed by Grammy-winning producer/engineer/musician Nigel Godrich, best known for his two decades helming Radiohead’s groundbreaking studio output; celebrated drummer Joey Waronker, who’s toured and recorded with everyone from R.E.M. and Beck to Roger Waters and Elliott Smith; and singer Laura Bettinson, an acclaimed solo artist whose work combines synthdriven electropop and dreamy vocal looping.

                                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                                    Ordinary Boy (Floating Points Remix)
                                                                                    Ordinary Boy (FaltyDL Remix)
                                                                                    Ordinary Boy (Zero 7 Remix)
                                                                                    Ordinary Boy (Crate Classics Remix)
                                                                                    Ordinary Boy (Leifur James Remix)

                                                                                    Ultraísta

                                                                                    Sister

                                                                                      Ultraísta are releasing their first new album since 2012's self-titled debut. "Tin King" is a collection that defies easy categorization, and one that proves that Ultraísta — Grammy-winning producer/engineer/musician Nigel Godrich, best known for his two decades helming Radiohead’s groundbreaking studio output; celebrated drummer Joey Waronker, who’s toured and recorded with everyone from R.E.M. and Beck to Roger Waters and Elliott Smith; and singer Laura Bettinson, an acclaimed solo artist whose work combines synth-driven electropop and dreamy vocal looping — is far more than just the sum of its remarkable parts.

                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                      1. Tin King
                                                                                      2. Harmony
                                                                                      3. Anybody
                                                                                      4. Save It ’til Later
                                                                                      5. Ordinary Boy
                                                                                      6. Mariella
                                                                                      7. Water In My Veins
                                                                                      8. Bumblebees
                                                                                      9. The Moon And Mercury

                                                                                      Ultralyd

                                                                                      Conditions For A Piece Of Music

                                                                                        Ultralyd was formed in 2004 when legendary saxophonist Frode Gjerstad suggested that the trio Gjerstad/Olsen/Hana needed a distinct bass player. The very first rehearsal with Kjetil D Brandsdal (also of Noxagt) was released as the self titled album "Ultralyd" in 2004. After a UK tour the same year the band established the sound captured on the album "Chromosome Gun" which was released in 2005 on the American avant-rock label Load Records. Frode Gjerstad decided to leave later in the year and for a short while the band operated as a trio before recruiting new sax player Kjetil Møster. During two extensive European tours and several studio sessions Ultralyd's direction slowly changed from a rather chaotic free rock approach towards composition and more structured forms of improvisation, experimenting with different layers and altered roles of the instruments, integrating elements from contemporary music, electronic music, funk and doom metal and ending up with something that might be classified as chamber rock. However contradictory that might sound. Ultralyd is part of the N-Collective, an international conglomerate of musicians, composers, improvisors and artists.

                                                                                        Behold the debut EP of the hardcore punk band created to spread the gospel of professional wrestling champion UltraMantis Black. Having spent over a decade dominating the Chikara wrestling scene, UltraMantis teamed up with members of the beloved punk band Pissed Jeans to form a blistering political hardcore band that is equal parts The Locust, Deadguy and Melt Banana. Imagine the best parts of 90s straight-edge hardcore filtered through the bodyslamming genius of Vince McMahon and you have UltraMantis Black! Recommended if you like: Pissed Jeans, (early) Dillinger Escape Plan, Lightning Bolt, Daughters, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Genghis Tron, Spazz.

                                                                                        Ultrasonic Grand Prix (Little Barrie & Shawn Lee)

                                                                                        Instafuzz

                                                                                          The story of Ultrasonic Grand Prix is one of two vintage 60s guitars and their owners - multi-instrumentalist / producer Shawn Lee and guitar maestro Barrie Cadogan - of Nottingham freakbeaters Little Barrie.

                                                                                          “We’d been talking for years about making some kind of record. Cadogan explains, “but we were always being pulled in different directions with other commitments. Shawn got the ball rolling for real when lockdown happened, called me up and said, “You know we keep talking about doing a record, well the time is now”. I’m so glad he did.”

                                                                                          And the music that did emerge was weird, startling, and insatiably groovy. With one foot dipped in the organ-warbling garage of 60s psych, and the other vibrating in the mind-expanding fractals of the British Acid House boom, ‘INSTAFUZZ’ plies the earthly quintessence’s of blues, rock, soul and jazz, against the preternatural discomforts of programmed drums and unhinged synthesisers to produce something distinctly and nostalgically futuristic.

                                                                                          It’s a style that pays its debt to this project's launch-pad inspiration, 2012’s ‘Personal Space’ compilation. A collection of underground U.S 45s from the late 70s and early 80s fittingly dubbed ‘Electronic Soul’ - an appropriate descriptor, incidentally for these experiments from Ultrasonic Grand Prix.

                                                                                          With all the graininess of a documentary film compiled from bits and pieces of raw archive footage, INSTAFUZZ mashes various details and cuttings from its choice influences to invariably intriguing effects. The guitar twang-meets-intense synth of emphatic opener ‘Seamoon Rising’ is The Limiñanas at The Haçienda. At another extreme of the spectrum, ‘Green Means Go’ drifts into the neo-psychedelic waters of The Soundcarriers or Vanishing Twin - hauntological, uncanny, cruising into the wonders of egoless delirium, suspicion and atemporal intrigue.


                                                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                          Barry says: It's always a great thing when two respected musical minds come together and you can't really hear their individual influence on the end product, rendering a whole new electronic blues palette from their audio coalition. Brilliantly done, and full of passion from both these greats.

                                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                                          Side A
                                                                                          Seamoon Rising
                                                                                          Instafuzz
                                                                                          Triple Denim
                                                                                          Green Means Go
                                                                                          Right Left
                                                                                          96 Tiers

                                                                                          Side B
                                                                                          Slippery When Chet
                                                                                          Tin Wolf
                                                                                          A Guy Called Harold
                                                                                          Pop Eyes
                                                                                          22 Years I Worked For This Guitar
                                                                                          King Condor

                                                                                          Ultrasound

                                                                                          Play For Today



                                                                                            They said it would never happen. And by ‘they’ we mean the band, their friends and anyone who had ever worked with them. But somehow, against all odds and several wads, ULTRASOUND are back. Back with a fresh attitude. Back with a new keyboard player. Back with a second album a mere 13 (that’s thirteen) years after colossal debut ‘Everything Picture’ rattled the gills of the album charts. You really couldn’t make it up, but make up they have.

                                                                                            This much we know: as the Twentieth Century wheezed to a close Ultrasound were in the process of spectacularly imploding. 1999 might have been the first year the known world heard of the likes of Doves, Coldplay, Elbow and Muse but for Ultrasound the race was already almost run, a journey which had seen them catapulted from the obscurity of a squat in West London to the front of the NME and a megadeal with Nude Records with scarcely a pause for breath. The fallout was, in a way, as thrilling as the rise upwards. Battered by a reality they didn’t understand and bent out of shape by a music industry they no longer trusted they parted company and walked out of the party. It would be ten years before they set foot on the same stage again.

                                                                                            But eventually, thanks to the charitable needs of a benefit gig for Tim Smith from The Cardiacs, Ultrasound did find themselves back together in a rehearsal room in 2010. Subsequent carefully chosen live shows at the Bull & Gate, Cargo and the Borderline presented a band who were (back) at ease with themselves. And creating the mammoth sounds of last year’s comeback single ‘Welfare State’ / ‘Sovereign’ gave them a taste for the creative juices they had never lost, just gently misplaced for a decade.

                                                                                            The excellent news is that that lost decade has not withered their appetite for gargantuan pop hooks and outlandlishly cosmic freakouts. ‘Play For Today’ was recorded in SNAP studios in North London and produced by Guy Massey. It consists of ten songs sprawled across 53 minutes and ransacks their trademark widescreen heart-searching / art-thrusting box of prog tricks, veering from the rock’n’roll brutalism of ‘Goodbye Baby, Amen’ and the sadfaced pop hookery of ‘Deus Ex Natura’ to the frankly epic ‘Between Two Rivers’, replete with mournful colliery brass band. Every alternative National Anthem should have one. There’s even a Bassey-esque vocal turn from bassist Vanessa on ‘Glitter Box’ - a life of surprises indeed.

                                                                                            So now they find themselves back on fierce panda, the launch pad for their debut ‘Same Band’ single the first time around. Of course, it is sublimely, typically Ultrasound that it should be thirteen years which separate their albums. Never knowingly understated at the best of times it would somehow have been poor form if they had waited a prissy half decade like the Stone Roses before getting around to a follow-up.

                                                                                            So here they are now. Entertain them. And quickly – otherwise it could well be the year 2025 before we get to hear a third album…

                                                                                            Ultravox

                                                                                            Lament - 40th Anniversary Edition

                                                                                              Produced by the band themselves in the latter half of 1983.

                                                                                              The album includes the UK top 10 and worldwide hit Dancing With Tears In My Eyes, along with the singles One Small Day and the title track Lament.

                                                                                              The album has newly been remastered album, cut at half-speed by Phil Kinrade and Barry Grint at AIR Studios, London.

                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                              LP Etched B Sides Tracks:
                                                                                              White China [2024 Remaster] One Small Day [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              Lament [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              When The Time Comes [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              A Friend I Call Desire [2024 Remaster]

                                                                                              CDBX 12" Box, 8 Disc, Booklet & Unseen Photographs Tracks:
                                                                                              White China [2024Remaster]
                                                                                              One Small Day [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              Lament [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              When The Time Comes [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              A Friend I Call Desire [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              White China [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              One Small Day [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Lament [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              When The Time Comes [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              A Friend I Call Desire [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Easterly [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Building [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Love's Great Adventure [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              White China [Extended Re- Mix]
                                                                                              One Small Day [Extended Re-Mix]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [Blank & Jones So8os Reconstruction]
                                                                                              Lament [Moby Remix]
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [Extended Re- Mix]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [Extended Re-Mix]
                                                                                              When The Time Comes [Steven Wilson 12'' Re-Mix]
                                                                                              A Friend I Call Desire [Steven Wilson 12'' Re- Mix]
                                                                                              One Small Day [U.S. SingleEdit]
                                                                                              Easterly [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [Single Version]
                                                                                              Building [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              One Small Day [U.S. Club Version]
                                                                                              Lament [Single Version]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [Instrumental]
                                                                                              Love's Great Adventure [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              White China [Live At Hammersmith Odeon June 1984]
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [Instrumental]
                                                                                              White China [Rough Mix Sept '83]
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [Monitor Mix Aug '83]
                                                                                              Lament [Backing Track Sept '83]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [Piano Version]
                                                                                              Love's Great Adventure [Work In Progress Mix]
                                                                                              Threads [Version 1]
                                                                                              Threads [Version 2: Love's Great Adventure]
                                                                                              Rivets
                                                                                              One Small Day [Special Re- Mix]
                                                                                              One Small Day [Special Re- Mix Extra]
                                                                                              White China [Special Re- Mix]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [Special Re- Mix]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [U.S. Extended Re- Mix]
                                                                                              Lament [Extended Version]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [Special Unedited Re- Mix]
                                                                                              Love's Great Adventure [Extended Version]
                                                                                              One Small Day [Final Mix]
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Passing Strangers [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              We Stand Alone [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              New Europeans [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              I Remember (Death In The Afternoon) [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Visions In Blue [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Western Promise [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Vienna [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Reap The Wild Wind [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              We Came To Dance [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              White China [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              One Small Day [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Hymn [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              The Voice [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Lament [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              All Stood Still [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              White China [Steven Wilson 5.1Surround Mix]
                                                                                              One Small Day [Steven Wilson 5.1 Surround Mix]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [Steven Wilson 5.1 Surround Mix]
                                                                                              Lament [Steven Wilson 5.1Surround Mix]
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [Steven Wilson 5.1 Surround Mix]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [Steven Wilson 5.1 Surround Mix]
                                                                                              When The Time Comes [Steven Wilson 5.1 Surround Mix]
                                                                                              A Friend I Call Desire [Steven Wilson 5.1 Surround Mix]
                                                                                              Easterly [Steven Wilson 5.1 Surround Mix]
                                                                                              Building [Steven Wilson 5.1 Surround Mix]
                                                                                              Love' Great Adventure [Steven Wilson 5.1 Surround Mix]
                                                                                              White China [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              One Small Day [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Lament [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              When The Time Comes [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              A Friend I Call Desire [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Easterly [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Building [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              Love' Great Adventure [Steven Wilson Stereo Mix]
                                                                                              White China [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              One Small Day [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Lament [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              When The Time Comes [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              A Friend I Call Desire [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              One Small Day [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Easterly [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Building [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Lament [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Love's Great Adventure [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              White China [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              One Small Day [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              One Small Day [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              White China [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Lament [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              Love's Great Adventure [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]
                                                                                              One Small Day [1984 Mix 96/24 PCM Stereo]

                                                                                              LP Clear Tracks:
                                                                                              White China [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              One Small Day [2024 Remaster] 
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              Lament [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              When The Time Comes [2024 Remaster]
                                                                                              A Friend I Call Desire [2024 Remaster] 
                                                                                              White China [Extended Re-Mix]
                                                                                              One Small Day [Extended Re-Mix]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [Blank & Jones So8os Reconstruction]
                                                                                              Lament [Moby Remix] /
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [Extended Re-Mix]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [Extended Re-Mix] 
                                                                                              When The Time Comes [Steven Wilson 12'' Mix]
                                                                                              A Friend I Call Desire [Steven Wilson 12'' Mix]
                                                                                              Man Of Two Worlds [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Passing Strangers [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              We Stand Alone [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984] 
                                                                                              New Europeans [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              I Remember (Death In The Afternoon) [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th
                                                                                              June 1984]
                                                                                              Visions In Blue [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Heart Of The Country [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Western Promise [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              /
                                                                                              Vienna [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Reap The Wild Wind [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              We Came To Dance [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              White China [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              One Small Day [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Hymn [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              The Voice [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Lament [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              Dancing With Tears In My Eyes [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]
                                                                                              All Stood Still [Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London 7th June 1984]

                                                                                              Umarells

                                                                                              One More Day

                                                                                                After forming on a group trip to Blackpool, Manchester-based quartet Umarells have announced their debut EP 'One More Day' via Fear of Missing Out Records.

                                                                                                The record circles peaks, plummets, and upside-down turns for a front-row seat on the emotional Big Dipper of life. The faded sparkle of the Blackpool seaside trails through five postcards of smouldering indie-rock on the EP.

                                                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                Liam says: We loved last year's 7" from the Umarells, and this new EP is no different! With the title track being one of our fave indie tracks of the year, there's plenty of dreamy jangle on here from this Manchester lot (we sure haven't lost it as a city) - don't snooze on this!

                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                1. Closer
                                                                                                2. June
                                                                                                3. Ocean
                                                                                                4. You're Not Here
                                                                                                5. One More Day 

                                                                                                Umarells

                                                                                                You're Not Here / Closer

                                                                                                  Manchester four-piece Umarells release their debut 7” “You’re Not Here / Closer” on 03 November 2023 via Fear of Missing Out Records. Named after the Italian word for retired men who watch construction sites, Umarells channel the blissed-out shoegaze of Beach House; the hushed vocal deliveries of Crumb and the analogue warmth of Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

                                                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                  Laura says: Gorgeous shimmering dream-pop from this Manchester 4-piece.

                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                  1. You’re Not Here
                                                                                                  2. Closer

                                                                                                  Umberto

                                                                                                  Black Bile

                                                                                                    ‘Black Bile’ compiles some of Umberto’s most resplendent, sanguine music to date. The solo work of LA composer Matt Hill draws heavily from the world of cinema, spinning immersive narratives and rich atmospheres using sound alone.

                                                                                                    Hill, an active composer for film and television, recently scored the 2022 Jerry Pyle film ‘Loveseat’ (soundtrack was released in 2023). Other recent scores include the 2020 thriller ‘Archenemy’, from the producers of cult classic ‘Mandy’.

                                                                                                    Inspired by the ancient Greek theory of the ‘four humors’, an early medical theory linking the inner workings of the human body to the elements, ‘Black Bile’ specifically links the feelings of melancholy with autumn. Hill’s celestial compositions are an autumnal soundtrack conveying beauty, yearning, reflection and comfort.

                                                                                                    Many of the album’s phrases are constructed from just two notes or sounds, arranged by Hill into complex patterns that undulate with an organic pulse. The spare melodic structure holds myriad small and beautiful details. The songs began with Hill improvising on the piano, to find the notes and patterns that created the musical and emotional structure from which he could expand with textural detail. Hill then would often remove the initial structure leaving a sparer, more skeletal one which he could again expand upon to create a full piece. The careful attention to each detail gives his minimal compositions emotional heft.

                                                                                                    The album masterfully stakes Umberto’s claim among other avant-ambient boundary pushers such as Lawrence English or Laurel Halo.

                                                                                                    “There is real compositional variety and intrigue in his songs… elaborate and unpredictable... it’s hard not to be impressed with Umberto’s evolution of late, as lacerating experience as it may be at times.” - The Quietus

                                                                                                    “Songs that are subtle yet unsettling, like a horror film that rattles your psyche without relying on tired shock tactics.” - Self-Titled

                                                                                                    “Masterfully polished and skilfully arranged... dazzling” - Brainwashed

                                                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                    Grasp
                                                                                                    Spoonwood
                                                                                                    Empty Shell
                                                                                                    October
                                                                                                    Monkshood
                                                                                                    Vestige
                                                                                                    Dying Honey & Linden

                                                                                                    Umberto

                                                                                                    Helpless Spectator

                                                                                                      Umberto is an artist whose work is distinctly cinematic. Composer Matt Hill’s performances and delicate compositions taken together have the cumulative ability to surprise. Hill, whose Umberto moniker is an homage to director Umberto Lenzi, is an experienced and active film composer, most recently scoring the film ‘All That We Destroy’. In addition to film and commercial work, Umberto has released a number of lauded solo recordings.

                                                                                                      On Umberto’s Thrill Jockey debut ‘Helpless Spectator’, his haunting music is otherworldly and affecting alike, leaving the listener with an unsettling and profound air of mystery. Umberto’s early recordings harken back to classic synth- driven sci-fi and horror soundtracks. ‘Helpless Spectator’ uses synthesizers in an entirely different manner. Cold, looming monolith tones are now warm, softer pads that envelope the listener while guitar, cello, banjo and pedal steel add movement and light. Still, Hill unsettles with his arrangements and melodic phrasing. Unexpected shifts and turns in even the most tender movements of ‘Helpless Spectator’ are inflected with a contemplative melancholy and fragility.

                                                                                                      Umberto makes masterful use of varied textures throughout the album, blending supernatural effects and grounded instruments to create distinct atmospheres. ‘Helpless Spectator’ is inquisitive and moving in equal measure, an album of sombre elegance and delicate arrangements whose cumulative effect of unease is entirely unexpected.

                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                      Hidden Thoughts
                                                                                                      Leafless Tree
                                                                                                      Spontaneous Possession
                                                                                                      Reflection
                                                                                                      The Higher Room
                                                                                                      Sadness, Happiness,
                                                                                                      Disgust, And Surprise
                                                                                                      Absent Images
                                                                                                      Arroyo

                                                                                                      Umberto

                                                                                                      Night Has A Thousand Screams

                                                                                                        New album from Umberto, his first for Mogwai’s Rock Action label.

                                                                                                        Created and recorded as a film soundtrack for the Glasgow Music & Film Festival in February 2012, ‘Night Has A Thousand Screams’ conveys a deep love of the film scoring greats such as John Carpenter, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and Vangelis.

                                                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                        Ryan says: Once again Umberto's love of italian soundtracks shines through on 'Night has a thousand screams'. It follows on from his previous work & is still synthesizer heaven.

                                                                                                        Umbra Sum is Ed Sánchez-Gómez, a Costa Rican expatriate. Following a love/hate relationship with classical guitar studies at the University of Costa Rica, Umbra Sum emerged in 2003 as a way of reconciling with the instrument. After leaving Costa Rica, Ed wandered around Europe and later Argentina, where he acquired a taste for the South American folk music that permeates his work. He left Argentina to study improvisation in Chicago, where he currently resides.

                                                                                                        'Aún no has demostrado nada' is the first official release by Umbra Sum: an eclectic mini-album that has hints of the summertime harmonies of the Beach Boys, the psychedelic folk of Los Jaivas, the doleful spirit of Hood, and the melodious uproar of My Bloody Valentine and Dinosaur Jr.

                                                                                                        In this debut album, harmonious noise, snaking rhythms and layered voices all serve as a chorus that creates a lyrical mural, hearkening to the heavens and earth: like a rudimentary yet well-made treehouse made of exotic woods, projecting out from within the dense Indie-Rock forest that surrounds us.

                                                                                                        'Aún no has demostrado nada' was recorded by Ed Sánchez-Gómez in Evanston, IL; mixed by Joel Jiménez-Cabezas in Goshen, IN; and mastered by Jeff Lipton (Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, The Magnetic Fields) at Peerless Mastering in Boston, MA.

                                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                        1. Años Como Flores
                                                                                                        2. Que El Verano Nos Perdone
                                                                                                        3. Nuestro Imposible
                                                                                                        4. ¿Quién Dijo Miedo?
                                                                                                        5. Aún No Has Demostrado Nada
                                                                                                        6. Hazmerreír
                                                                                                        7. Dulce Reposo

                                                                                                        The Umbrellas

                                                                                                        Fairweather Friend

                                                                                                          RIYL: Orange Juice, Sarah Records, early Creation, Mary Chain, C86, Lush.

                                                                                                          The Umbrellas are four renegade romantics crafting irresistible indie pop hymns. The band’s self-titled 2021 debut album became a breakout moment, winning critical praise and sparking an international tour. Follow-up LP ‘Fairweather Friend’ goes a step further – absorbing the sonic attack of their live shows, it balances this with studio finesse, allowing the San Francisco four-piece to become the band they’ve always aspired to be.

                                                                                                          It's a record overflowing with highlights. The candyfloss melodies of introductory track ‘Three Cheers!’ are matched to an impactful percussive punch; ‘Say What You Mean’ finds The Umbrellas working with total confidence, letting the song ride out to its chiming conclusion, four voices working in precision. ‘When You Find Out’ offers rotating notes of guitar punctuated by a vocal that pushes past angst to accept a world full of hope. A lean 10 track affair, it grasps towards beatific pop while fuelled by a sense of risk, and the precision that comes from long months on the road.

                                                                                                          The Umbrellas coalesced around a group of musicians who would frequent legendary San Francisco record emporium Amoeba Music. Singer and guitarist Matt Ferrera links with bassist Nick Oka, while Keith Frerichs is the powerhouse drummer. A chance encounter with Morgan Stanley singing karaoke at a Fourth of July party cemented the line-up around an avowed thirst for melody. “All of us love really earnest pop songs,” Nick points out. “I guess we got to a point in our lives where we wanted to be genuine.”

                                                                                                          Playing shows at San Francisco’s vital DIY redoubt Hit Gallery, The Umbrellas would share line-ups with local heroes such as April Magazine and Cindy. Recording their debut album across a two-day spell at Matt’s parents’ house, the results won a devoted cult following. Yet the experience of touring bonded them tightly and allowed the volume to tick up a little higher, and higher, and higher. “I think we got tired of people saying, oh you’re so much louder than I thought you’d be!” laughs Matt. “Our early recordings are sweet and earnest… and we wanted it to be louder.”

                                                                                                          Kicking off sessions in November 2022, the band used an ad hoc space Matt created in his basement, working across a four-month period. Sessions were a little more relaxed in terms of timescale than their debut, but The Umbrellas were incredibly focussed on the project. “We gave ourselves more space for this album,” says Keith. “We wanted time to sit on the songs, and really work on them.”

                                                                                                          Allowing their live dynamic to bleed out on tape, The Umbrellas are at once more physical and yet also more controlled on their new album. Take opening track ‘Three Cheers!’ – the peppy, sun-soaked rush masks a barbed lyric, courtesy of Nick Oka. “It’s a pseudo-political song about power struggles that occur in a job situation, or a friend group. It’s an observational song.”

                                                                                                          ‘Toe The Line’ has an unkempt, rollicking sense of energy, the playful relationship analogy of the lyric pushed to the speed of light by Keith’s ultra-fast punk drumming. ‘When You Find Out’ meanwhile epitomises their unified, egalitarian way of making music – with The Umbrellas, each voice counts. “It sounds different from any song we’ve ever written together,” says Morgan. “It shows how much we’ve grown. Trust helps us to build the songs. It’s definitely a team effort.”

                                                                                                          It's also a record of ambition. ‘Say What You Mean’ stretches past the four-minute mark, the viola performance informed by Estonian minimalist composer Arvo Pärt. ‘Gone’ was the first song attempted for the new album, and the last they actually finished, endless re-writes transforming it into a manifesto of control and release. Taken as a whole ‘Fairweather Friend’ is a bold indie pop triumph, crafted with purpose and attention. Taking their time over each note, the four-piece have strengthened their songwriting, adding depth and assurance while unlocking their potential. Some bonds last a lifetime – The Umbrellas are ready to capture your heart.

                                                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                          Three Cheers
                                                                                                          Goodbye
                                                                                                          Toe The Line
                                                                                                          Echoes
                                                                                                          Say What You Mean
                                                                                                          Games
                                                                                                          Gone
                                                                                                          When You Find Out
                                                                                                          Blue
                                                                                                          PM

                                                                                                          Shigeru Umebayashi

                                                                                                          Music For Film

                                                                                                            Shigeru Umebayashi is an internationally renowned composer who is best known for creating ‘Yumeji’s Theme’ for Wong Karwai’s film In The Mood For Love. In addition to collaborating with Wong Kar-Wai on 2046, Umebayashi was the music producer and composer for Zhang Yimou’s films House Of Flying Daggers and Curse Of The Golden Flower.

                                                                                                            This is an updated version of Film Fest Ghent’s 2010 tribute to the composer’s work which featured his most celebrated music. This edition includes material that has not been otherwise released featuring two pieces from A Single Man, a cue from the anthology film Hero and a new arrangement from his breakthrough score, Moyou from Sorekara, which features in the film The Grandmaster. Following the success of vinyl releases featuring Ryuichi Sakamoto and Alan Silvestri in the same series, this double LP on white vinyl in a distinctive gatefold sleeve features a world-class recording by Brussels Philharmonic/Dirk Brossé of Umebayashi’s most impressive work.

                                                                                                            “Umebayashi’s oeuvre can be found at the confluence of Western and Eastern music. It is unique, stylistically original, authentic in colour and has its own character. Its vibrant intensity transports us. It is Ume” – Dirk Brossé – Musical Director, Film Fest Ghent

                                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                            A Side
                                                                                                            1. Yumeji’s Theme (From "In The Mood For Love")
                                                                                                            2. Theme Of The Empress (From "Curse Of The Golden Flower")
                                                                                                            3. Curse Of The Golden Flower (From "Curse Of The Golden Flower")
                                                                                                            4. Mother & Jai (From "Curse Of The Golden Flower")
                                                                                                            5. Polonaise (From "2046")
                                                                                                            6. Interlude (From "2046")

                                                                                                            B Side
                                                                                                            1. 2046 Main Theme (From "2046")
                                                                                                            2. Incendiary Main Theme (From "Incendiary")
                                                                                                            3. Victoria Station (From "Incendiary")
                                                                                                            4. Joan’s Cello (From "Hero")
                                                                                                            5. Vendetta March (From "Tears For Sale")

                                                                                                            C Side
                                                                                                            1. George's Waltz (II) (From "A Single Man")
                                                                                                            2. A Variation On “Scotty Tails Madeleine” / Carlos (From "A Single Man")
                                                                                                            3. Hollow Inside (From "Hannibal Rising")
                                                                                                            4. Train (From "Zhou Yu’s Train")
                                                                                                            5. Moyou (From "The Grandmaster")
                                                                                                            6. Sorekara Main Theme (From "And Then")

                                                                                                            D Side
                                                                                                            1. In Times Past And Gone
                                                                                                            2. No Way Out (From "House Of Flying Daggers")
                                                                                                            3. Farewell No 2 (From "House Of Flying Daggers")
                                                                                                            4. Lovers (From "House Of Flying Daggers")

                                                                                                            Umfang

                                                                                                            Symbolic Use Of Light

                                                                                                              Umfang makes her debut on Ninja Tune’s Technicolour imprint with the album "Symbolic Use Of Light". Highly rated for her analogue-based rhythmic excursions previously released via videogamemusic, 1080p, Phinery and Allergy Season; the New Yorker is a co-founder of Brooklyn’s colossal Discwoman crew and resident at Bossa Nova Civic Club’s Technofeminism monthly. Here we get a collection of reduced analogue hypnopompic  excursions - drifting between the lucid and hallucinatory.




                                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                              Full 1
                                                                                                              Weight
                                                                                                              Symbolic Use Of Light
                                                                                                              Where Is She
                                                                                                              Path
                                                                                                              Pop
                                                                                                              Sweep
                                                                                                              Wingless Victory
                                                                                                              Full 2

                                                                                                              One of Piero Umiliani's most dancey tracks ever is finally available again on 12'' vinyl, both in its original version and in a special edit retouched by Jolly Mare that further increases its dancefloor potential.

                                                                                                              Discomania was recorded by Umiliani in 1978 under the moniker Rovi (one of the many aliases he used at the time to avoid saturating the Italian library music market with his name), and sounds wonderfully in tune with the then-emerging cosmic disco scene, brimming as it is with Afro, disco and black music influences. In short, it was expressly conceived as music fit for the discos of the time (or the idea that Umiliani had of them). Moreover, Discomania enjoys a special place in Italian pop culture, having entered the collective imagination of national TV viewers between 1981-1987, when it was used as the closing theme song for RAI television football program 90° minuto.

                                                                                                              This single launches RELOVED, a new series from Four Flies in which accomplished DJs and producers rework tunes from Italian golden age soundtracks and library music.

                                                                                                              Choosing Piero Umiliani for the first release in the series was almost inevitable. Four Flies has devoted much of its archival music research and restoration efforts to the Florentine composer, contributing to expand his discography with two compilations featuring plenty of previously unreleased music (Studio Umiliani and L'Uomo Elettronico), as well as with various represses of seminal albums, the most recent of which is the library LP Paesaggi.

                                                                                                              And who better than Jolly Mare, one of the label's greatest friends and collaborators, to put a contemporary spin on Umiliani's original track? As previously shown in Alessandro Alessandroni's Afro Discoteca Reworked and Giuliano Sorgini's Africa Oscura Reloved, the two records out of which the idea for this series was born, the Apulian DJ and music production wizard is perfectly at ease with reworking Afro-cosmic disco sounds.

                                                                                                              Starting this autumn, future RELOVED releases will come in two different formats: special-edition 12-inches focussing on individual composers/themes, and 7-inches co-curated by Little Beat More and each containing a rework (on side A) and its original (on side B). The underlying aim is to give new life to absolute gems from the great but still relatively underrated legacy of Italian film and library music, launching them into the world of international clubbing.

                                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                              1. Discomania (Jolly Mare Lifting) [feat. Jolly Mare]
                                                                                                              2. Discomania (Versione Originale)

                                                                                                              The Umlauts

                                                                                                              Slags

                                                                                                                There are few things in life quite as mesmerising or outrageously euphoric as the nine-strong Umlauts army effervescing in fulsome force. Rebelling against labels, transcending borders of land and time - packed with twin vocalists equally competent in their skewering south-London drawl as they are in German, Italian or French - as in touch with the nostalgias of First-Generation post-punk or 80s pop as they are with the techniks of contemporary pop or big beat dance - the Umlauts are paragons of trans-europe excess, dripping with inarguable edge; shambling wildly from chaotic cool to bombastically exquisite order; invested with unhinging, socio-political bite, dancing in a rave of their own.

                                                                                                                Compiling the best of the Umlauts first two EPs - Ü (2021) and Another Fact (2022) - and appended with a clutch of new material - Slags offers the most comprehensive versioning of this Umlauts experience as yet extant on record; a salacious digest of wild experiments present and past.

                                                                                                                Taking its title from the by-product of the smelting of metals - the not-so-subtle cheapness in wordplay is relevant too - the music of Slags also represents a work of immense amounts of energy and heat. From their breakthrough EP Ü, aptly opening the record is thunderous live staple ‘Energy Plan’, defined by quote from multi-disciplinary artist Joseph Beuys and charged with post-industrial foreboding. Also plucked from that record comes the puckish splatterpunk of ‘Um Politik’, and radio ‘hit’, ‘Boiler Suits and Combat Boots’, a mission-statement satire against cultural uniformity, and perhaps the ultimate epitome of the Umlauts disco war march, stylish as fuck.

                                                                                                                And if their first EP was in their own words, basically an ‘accident’, its follow-up Another Fact is by all evidence a work of more immaculate designs. With the addition of Italo-disco influences, and of Caroline’s Magdalena McLean on violin duties, The Umlauts sound lifted towards more operatic and nuances heights - the tense violin bow sweeps on ‘Non è Ancora,’ or ‘Frightened’, or the delicious synth-popping sheen of ‘Sweat’ adding yet further spikes of melodrama to their sound. Not forgetting the , That EP’s title track proffers an appropriately magnificent closer here - the slow burning, heavy hitting techno vision loaded with string stabs, balalaikas, and a bicycle pump - an epic in every sense.
                                                                                                                .
                                                                                                                And, alongside the ‘Slags’ , the three new tunes included here are the ‘Slugs’ of the Umlauts’ Oeuvre “Like slugs, the band say, they are slippery, maybe slipperiness describes our approach best, ideas glued together with plasmic sludge, searching for something, enjoying the search.”

                                                                                                                Speaking out against “acts of harassment by those whose duty should be to protect” - ‘Dance and Go’ delivers a squelchy, undulating, irresistible dance-punk drive. ‘Mad Blue Love’ rants against rants against relationships built on the sandy grounds of false expectations, while ‘Prédateur’s’ Swaying Art-pop curiosities strings out one of the band’s most intricate arrangements to date.


                                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                Side A
                                                                                                                Energy Plan
                                                                                                                Dance & Go
                                                                                                                Frightened
                                                                                                                Boiler Suits & Combat Boots
                                                                                                                Non È Ancora
                                                                                                                Side B
                                                                                                                Mad Blue Love
                                                                                                                Sweat
                                                                                                                Um Politik
                                                                                                                Prédateur
                                                                                                                Another Fact

                                                                                                                Luke Una

                                                                                                                Mr Bongo Edits - Volume 2

                                                                                                                A cosmic coming together that sees two of Luke's secret weapons, re-edited and re-contextualised by the man himself to provide optimal dancefloor euphoria. A stalwart of the underground for nearly 40 years, Luke has become an appointed leader of the late night disenfranchised, with an unquestionable ability to pick records that make minds tick. Not least through his two E Soul Cultura compilations released on Mr Bongo over the past two years.

                                                                                                                A taste that traverses genres as much as it does emotions and decades, who better to give an insight into the tracks he has chosen to edit, than the man himself. "I've been an avid collector of afro-beat house, techno and underground black heart disco since before the basement soul days of Electric Chair 30 years ago. Both these bombs were very much holy grail finds, plucked from the last four decades of digging in random crates of dusty vinyl all over the world."

                                                                                                                First up, Thandi Zulu & The Young Five's interpretation of Pure Energy's early '80s disco power play - 'Love Game'. With a distinctive South African synth bass and killer keys combo, Luke explains the original has this "bonkers alchemy of heavy machine soul, uptempo rawness and a majestic disco evangelism", making it ripe for a re-edit.

                                                                                                                On the B side, Lionel Pillay's Jazz dancer 'Plum'. "The original was a relentless 18- minute raw jam", Luke states, "which despite its late '70s South African origin kinda reminded me of a 1986 Chicago piano House record".

                                                                                                                "These edits strip the tracks back and rebuild them, giving them more sonic weight with that looped up drum jacking militancy from the days of Chicago, combined with a boosted sense of transcendental, psychedelic, cosmic disco. They have always had such an explosive reaction on so many dancefloors including the heavier electronic club, so it felt only right to reshare them".

                                                                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                Matt says: Two sneaky cuts from Lord Luke's studio cache. There's no stopping him at the moment!

                                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                1. Thandi Zulu & The Young Five - Love Games (Luke Una Edit)
                                                                                                                2. Lionel Pillay - Plum (Luke Una Edit)

                                                                                                                Uncle Brian

                                                                                                                It Just Seems Right EP

                                                                                                                  The latest release from Uncle Brian "It Just Seems Right" is their best work to date. This six track mini album is bigger and better for Salisbury's finest ska / pop punkers.

                                                                                                                  Uncle Tupelo

                                                                                                                  March 16-20, 1992

                                                                                                                    At long last a superb reissue from this massively influential band that featured Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy and Mike Heirdon.

                                                                                                                    Uncle Tupelo

                                                                                                                    No Depression

                                                                                                                      At long last a superb reissue from this massively influential band that featured Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy and Mike Heirdon.

                                                                                                                      The Uncomfortables

                                                                                                                      Look! Who's Sorry Now?

                                                                                                                        The release of "Look! Who's Sorry Now?" follows the success of previous single "Windmills", backed with "Vodka Stomach" and "Set Me Free", this is intense psychedelic-surf-pop with twinges of the Modern Lovers, Twin Peaks and film noir.

                                                                                                                        Under A Dying Sun

                                                                                                                        Under A Dying Sun

                                                                                                                          Debut album from Under A Dying Sun formed in the Bay area from ex-members of Three Summers Gone, Nexus Six and Living Room War. It's a highly anticipated set of high-intensity emocore tracks that have a moody reflective edge but when it gets heavy (as it does-frequently) then brother look out!

                                                                                                                          Under Allt

                                                                                                                          Mellanrum

                                                                                                                            The Balearic beacon's going up! Sweden's purveyor of mellow magic, the one and only Dan Lissvik, hit us up last week with a small batch of his brilliant new project Under Allt. Working in collaboration with Malmo musician Henric Claesson, the former Studio man is in the form of his life on this six tracker, and together the duo deliver a perfect journey of horizontal sonics.

                                                                                                                            Opener "Premiere" puts a dubby bassline over a drum box bossa, laying the foundation for the West Coast guitars and textured pads to take us for a pleasure cruise. The tempo drops a little for the melancholic Balea-rock sway of "Boboh", then picks back up as we swoon into the midpoint with the bass-led, solo laced title track. The tender surrender of "Depart" boasts a little downbeat dopeness on the B1, reminding us all this ain't their first rodeo, before the majorly Meditaranean and totally fucking brilliant "Tape Run" threatens to steal the show. Finally, "By Chance" sets the tempo to three spliffs in, turns the fuzz up and floats off into the mid afternoon sun, offering an alternative reality where Helter Skelter never happened.

                                                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                            A1. Premiére
                                                                                                                            A2. Boboh
                                                                                                                            A3. Mellanrum
                                                                                                                            B1. Depart
                                                                                                                            B2. Tape Run
                                                                                                                            B3. By Chance

                                                                                                                            Underground Canopy, Bluestaeb & S.Fidelity

                                                                                                                            Sequences

                                                                                                                            After the release of their critically acclaimed first album " Bluestaeb & S. Fidelity Present Underground Canopy " (MENACE - 2020), Underground Canopy (UC) was able to take time, due to the unforeseen period of doubt in 2020, to craft new compositions with a fresh approach. Throughout this forced period of introspection, the Parisian band experimented with more refined musical codes and colorful sounds.

                                                                                                                            Following the new additions of Raphaël Henry on drums and Christopher Johnson on electric guitar, UC was able to record and film a live rendition of four original pieces at the end of 2020, thanks to an invitation by the Centre des Arts d'Enghien-les-Bains's artistic program and SENSE. These music videos, each filmed in one shot by Romain Lalire, capture UC's musical digressions away from their mainly hip-hop and groove-infused jams and into new territory.

                                                                                                                            The resulting new EP "Séquences : Live Session" celebrates cinematic aesthetics and the suspension of time. It stands as an audiovisual testimonial to the band's continued progression. In this era marked by uncertainty but full of hope, what will come next?

                                                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                            1. Crépuscule
                                                                                                                            2. Feelm
                                                                                                                            3. Le Lac
                                                                                                                            4. Slonnie Tendo
                                                                                                                            5. Générique

                                                                                                                            Parisian émigrés Underground Railroad return with a brand new album ‘White Night Stand’, a record that finally strikes the keynote of what the band are all about.

                                                                                                                            Across its 11 songs, produced by the band in London's Stamford Hill, guitars explore and meander, circling the biggest melodies of the band's career so far. It's intense and amped, touching and subtle at points and hugely tuneful, taking in early Radiohead and Liars as well as the beloved American alt rock bands that made the three fall in love with music in the first place.

                                                                                                                            There are moments of fitting intensity. Most notably 'Seagull Attack', the album's crescendo centrepiece, that clocks in at over nine minutes with its hypnotic repetitive guitar cascade. Then there's the distinctly Radioheadesque 'Ginkgo Biloba', another album highlight.

                                                                                                                            Further inspiration across the album came from ‘Twin Peaks’ and David Lynch, with Marion naming 'The Black Widow', 'The Orchid's Curse', and 'Traces To Nowhere' after episodes of the show, and 'Yellow Suit' in reference to his 'Blue Velvet' film.

                                                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                            1. 8 Millimetres
                                                                                                                            2. We Were Slumbering
                                                                                                                            3. The Black Widow
                                                                                                                            4. The Orchid’s Curse
                                                                                                                            5. Russian Doll
                                                                                                                            6. Yellow Suit
                                                                                                                            7. Ginkgo Bilboa
                                                                                                                            8. Lucky Duck
                                                                                                                            9. Seagull Attack
                                                                                                                            10. Traces To Nowhere
                                                                                                                            11. Rude Awakening

                                                                                                                            Undergound Youth

                                                                                                                            The Falling

                                                                                                                              The Underground Youth is a Manchester-born, Berlin-based group led by Craig Dyer that, on March 12th 2021, will release their tenth album, ‘The Falling’, via Fuzz Club Records. The new full-length sees Craig and band trade their acerbic post-punk melancholy for a more refined and stripped-back sound that, instead, enters the world of romantic, shadowy folk-noir. A marked departure from the primal intensity often heard on the band’s previous work, ‘The Falling’ showcases a softer, more cinematic musical landscape shaped by acoustic guitars, piano, accordion and a heavy presence of violin and string arrangements. It’s not just the instrumentation and atmospherics that have undergone a transformation on this record, it is also Craig’s most sincere and introspective work to date. “Lyrically this album finds me at my most honest and autobiographical. I still shroud the reality of what I have written within something of a fictional setting, but the honesty and the romance that shines throughout the record is more sincere than it has been in my previous work. The idea was to strip back the band to allow for lyrical breathing space”, Craig reflects on the album.

                                                                                                                              With the original plans of heading into the studio upon their return from their 2020 USA tour grinding to a halt – the tour cancelled midway through due to the Covid-19 outbreak and followed by months of isolation in their Berlin apartments – the album is also very much a product of the distressing and unfamiliar world we now find ourselves in. As a result of the pandemic, ‘The Falling’ was recorded between Craig and guitarist/producer Leo Kaage’s apartments-turned-home-studios (also in the band is Craig’s wife, the artist Olya Dyer, and Max James, who formerly played in Johnny Marr’s live band): “The album sees me going back to my writing approach from our earliest records, writing the demos as stripped back acoustic tracks at home. What started out as a set of romantic and deeply personal songs also took on the surrounding frustrations and feelings towards the situation we found ourselves in. Born from the heartbreak of how the worldwide pandemic has changed the industry we were thriving within, this album also functions as a love letter to the past.”

                                                                                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                              Barry says: The gloomy, post-punk atmospherics of Undergound Youth past is eschewed for a more subdued, Dylanny guitar and harmonica vibe. It's a testament to an act when they can shift direction quite so capably and 'The Falling' shows every bit of the skill of previous releases, but wrapped in a new skin.

                                                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                              1) The Falling
                                                                                                                              2) Vergiss Mich Night
                                                                                                                              3) Egyptian Queen
                                                                                                                              4) And I…
                                                                                                                              5) A Sorrowful Race
                                                                                                                              6) For You Are The One
                                                                                                                              7) Cabinet Of Curiosities
                                                                                                                              8) Letter From A Young Lover 

                                                                                                                              The Underground Youth

                                                                                                                              Montage Images Of Lust And Fear

                                                                                                                                Berlin via Manchester outfit The Underground Youth present their ninth album, Montage Images of Lust & Fear, on Fuzz Club Records. In support of the new album, and keeping to their prodigious work ethic, the band have also announced details of a mammoth tour across the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia that’ll see them visit 25 different countries. In its rawest moments (‘The Death of the Author’, ‘Blind II’), The Underground Youth’s haunting post-punk melancholia recalls the abrasive banshee-like noise of The Birthday Party and Suicide; jagged, shrieking guitars twist and turn as Craig Dyer’s dour vocals jerk from morose and impassioned to macabre screams.

                                                                                                                                Though this is an album of two sides; the more intense and challenging songs punctuated by heartfelt and solemn ballads (‘Too Innocent To Be True’, ‘This Anaesthetised World’) that are aided by the additional lap steel guitar of Kristof Hahn (Swans) who plays on six of the album’s nine songs. This is The Underground Youth’s most intense and honest record yet - in the ambitious songwriting and live recording (a first for the band), as well as the lyrical subject matter. Talking about the album, Craig explains “Montage Images of Lust & Fear is inspired by the succession of experiences we are increasingly dealt by the media. Sex, violence, love, suspicion, desire, distress, etc.

                                                                                                                                The album acts as a montage itself, the subject of each song dealing with an aspect of either lust or fear. Like flicking through the channels on a television. Until the end you are overcome by white noise. Static.” Since the release of their aptly-titled eighth full-length, What Kind Of Dystopian Hellhole Is This?, in February 2017, the band have set out on four UK/European tours clocking in at over 100 shows (not including stand-alone gigs). If all that time touring has taught the band anything, it’s how to work together as a collective and Montage Images Of Lust & Fear is all the better for it - the first The Underground Youth record with all the band members involved in the writing. “Unlike previous albums in which I’ve written the tracks and taken them into the studio to record with or without the band, this record is the product of us all working on the music and arranging the songs together,” Craig explains: “We recorded the album live with the four of us playing in the same small room and with our guitarist Leo as producer, running back and forth from the mixing desk to the live room. As a result, the recording perfectly captures the raw intensity of our live performance, something we’ve never done before.

                                                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                1. Sins
                                                                                                                                2. Last Exit To Nowhere
                                                                                                                                3. The Death Of The Author
                                                                                                                                4. This Is But A Dream
                                                                                                                                5. Too Innocent To Be True
                                                                                                                                6. Blind
                                                                                                                                7. Blind II
                                                                                                                                8. I Can't Resist
                                                                                                                                9. This Anaesthetised 

                                                                                                                                The Underground Youth

                                                                                                                                Beautiful & Damned - Reissue

                                                                                                                                  Fuzz Club Records are reissuing the ‘Beautiful & Damned’ EP from The Underground Youth, the Blackpool-born and now Berlin-based band led by musician, poet and author Craig Dyer. A homage to the F. Scott Fitzgerald book of the same name, the 4 track EP confirmed Dyer’s obsession for the darker side of literature and poetry of the last two centuries, as well as his early DIY approach. Rigorously recorded in the band’s home studio with the help of producer James Shillito in early 2014, ‘Beautiful & Damned’ acted as a preview to their 2015 ‘Haunted’ LP. It was the first TUY material featuring synth and electronic equipment and also represented a significant shift to a much darker sound and lyrical content, as anticipated by their first single/video ‘Naked’ – a fan-favourite to this day that exhibits a perfect encounter between the atmospheres of the Cocteau Twins and the early Creation Records sound. The 2021 reissue of the EP comes on a coloured 10” with remastered audio.

                                                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                  1) Behind
                                                                                                                                  2) Damned
                                                                                                                                  3) Naked
                                                                                                                                  4) Shadow

                                                                                                                                  Manchester's The Underground Youth is here with with yet another hauntingly beautiful record that blends shoegaze, post-punk and psychedelia. TUY is the name under which Manchester’s underground poet, Craig Dyer, has produced his records since 2009. In 2011, Fuzz Club Records started putting out his prolific catalogue, bringing to light a number of LPs and singles that had only circulated virally on the Internet. Since then, TUY, with Craig and Olya Dyer as the core of the band, have expanded to a five piece, gaining a solid international fan-base and touring all around the UK and Europe.

                                                                                                                                  Drowned In Sound said of their Eindhoven set: “combining the mesmeric rhythms of The Velvet Underground - Olya Dyer's driving beats make her the new psych generation's Mo Tucker - with rippling feedback associated with Bad Moon Risingera Sonic Youth and a dash of the Mary Chain thrown in as well, they're a captivating force”. 

                                                                                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                  Barry says: Manchester's Underground Youth return with another slice of post-everything psych-rock-tronica. Combining beautiful guitar melodies and repeated vocal refrains with overwhelming pastoral electronic washes, this is a collection founded on indie pioneers past, but expanded upon to the Nth degree and updated. 'Drown In Me' is a particularly accomplished slice of synth-heavy industrial sadness, interspersed with bursts of cautiously optimistic shoegaze-y guitars. Nothing too sunny about this, but it's nice to wallow in the bleakness of life sometimes, and there really is no better way to do it. A soundtrack to industrial ruins, and rainy evenings. Highly recommended.

                                                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                  1. Collapsing Into Night
                                                                                                                                  2. Haunted
                                                                                                                                  3. Dreaming With Maya Deren
                                                                                                                                  4. Self Inflicted
                                                                                                                                  5. Drown In Me
                                                                                                                                  6. The Girl Behind
                                                                                                                                  7. Slave
                                                                                                                                  8. Deep Inside Of Me
                                                                                                                                  9. Returning To Shadow

                                                                                                                                  The Underground Youth

                                                                                                                                  Low Slow Needle - Reissue

                                                                                                                                    To celebrate its ten-year anniversary, Fuzz Club Records are reissuing The Underground Youth’s 2011 ‘Low Slow Needle’ EP on 10” vinyl with remastered audio. ‘Low Slow Needle’s hauntingly minimal, neo-psychedelic melancholy provides a more lo-fi snapshot of the now-Berlin-based band’s earlier days – when The Underground Youth was more of a DIY solo endeavour for Blackpool-born musician Craig Dyer, as opposed to the much-adored, full-band, international touring force that it is now. Looking back on ‘Low Slow Needle’, Dyer said: “The EP was recorded in September 2011, I had just returned to the UK from St. Petersburg where Olya [now drummer in The Underground Youth] and I had just got married.

                                                                                                                                    Olya had to stay in Russia to finalise her paperwork before we would move into our first home together in Manchester. It was a difficult time, being apart after just getting married, and so I distracted myself by working on these songs that would become the Low Slow Needle EP. It was sort of my love letter to that period, looking back and also looking to the future. I worked closely with mine and Olya's friend in St. Petersburg, Daria Xenofontova, who gave her beautiful voice to my words and featured on three of the most popular songs on the EP, 'Midnight Lust', 'Addiction' and 'Blue'. These three songs still remain popular with our fans, who still request we play them live to this day.” When compared with the cinematic folk-noir heard on the band’s tenth album, the newly-released ‘The Falling’ (2021), what we find here captures a more stark and stripped-back The Underground Youth as the project was about to come out of its embryonic phase: “All five tracks were recorded in my bedroom and I really wanted to strip back the sound, to give a romantic feel of that period for me. To consider it 10 years on, it feels like the beginning to the next step of the journey, my life in Manchester with Olya, making contact with Casper at Fuzz Club and signing up with the label (this came just after the release of Low Slow Needle) and us putting together the first incarnation of TUY's live band (again this followed the release of the EP). So, in a way, this record marked the end of the first era of The Underground Youth, and in doing so, paved the way for the next.”

                                                                                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                    1) Midnight Lust
                                                                                                                                    2) On Your Screen
                                                                                                                                    3) Addiction
                                                                                                                                    4) Blue
                                                                                                                                    5) Witchcraft

                                                                                                                                    The Underground Youth

                                                                                                                                    Nostalgia's Glass

                                                                                                                                      ‘Nostalgia’s Glass’ is the eleventh studio album from cult Manchester-born, Berlin-based post-punk group The Underground Youth, due out August 18th on Fuzz Club. “Nostalgia’s Glass looks back at the music of The Underground Youth, forming new songs in a style reminiscent of the band's past”, band leader Craig Dyer writes: “The aim became to create a collection of songs that paid homage to our back catalogue and attempted to dissect not only the positive but the negative elements of nostalgia, primarily the romanticisation of the past – be it the politics of a country, the controversial legacies of film and musical icons or the sentimental idealisation of long dead toxic relationships.”

                                                                                                                                      The Underground Youth was started in 2008 as the creative project of Craig Dyer. The band – Craig now joined by Olya Dyer (Drums), Leonard Kaage (Guitar/Producer) and Samira Zahidi (Bass) – have now released 11 albums and 4 EPs over the years, developing their unique sound which has ranged from cinematic lo-fi psychedelia to a raw and noisy, albeit romantically melancholic, form of post-punk. Shrouded in a dark aesthetic and the imagery of various art film movements, The Underground Youth have established a devoted global following, continuously built upon by their extensive touring schedule through Europe, Asia and North America.

                                                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                      Barry says: The brilliant Underground Youth return for an all-new LP inspired by their storied past, looking back on the highs and lows of a career that has seen them rise to one of the most beloved of the Fuzz Club roster. A wonderfully conceived, intensely satisfying whole.

                                                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                      1) Émilie
                                                                                                                                      2) I Thought I Understood
                                                                                                                                      3) Finite As It Is
                                                                                                                                      4) Another Country
                                                                                                                                      5) Frame Of Obsession
                                                                                                                                      6) Interlude
                                                                                                                                      7) Nostalgia's Glass
                                                                                                                                      8) The Allure Of The Light
                                                                                                                                      9) Omsk Lullaby
                                                                                                                                      10) Epilogue (feat. Josef Van Wissem)

                                                                                                                                      Both out of print "GU Edits" 12" singles unavailable for years (since 2018) now repressed together on blue colored vinyl. Glenn's killer remixes of Amp Fiddler's "Morning" b/w Raul Midon's "Sunshine" and Mos Def's "Lifetime" b/w Incognito's "I Can See The Future".

                                                                                                                                      All have that trademark GU shuffle, with deep basslines and silky strings decorating much of the frequency spectrum. Each track is given a whole side for maximum fidelity and headroom.

                                                                                                                                      A highly sought after artefact of the producer's vast catalogue and feverishly collected by deep house heads across the globe..


                                                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                      Matt says: Just how Glenn squeezes these highly charismatic tracks into his own wardrobe is quite a feet - but he's managed to impart his own unique style onto these already big personalities - giving them extra mileage across the sets of house and disco DJs and exposing some brilliant soul music along the way. Top drawer stuff, rightfully collected, and back on our racks for a limited time.

                                                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                      A. Amp Fiddler - Mornin' (GU Nostalgic Forever Mix)
                                                                                                                                      B. Raul Midon - Sunshine (GU Rewerk)
                                                                                                                                      C. Mos Def - Lifetime (GU Retro Mix)
                                                                                                                                      D. Incognito - I Can See The Future (GU ReEdit)

                                                                                                                                      The Undertones

                                                                                                                                      Hypnotised - 2023 Reissue

                                                                                                                                        The Undertones formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975 and released their follow up album ‘Hypnotised’ in 1980 which peaked at #6 in the UK Charts.

                                                                                                                                        The themes on this title follow suit of their debut, focusing on teenage angst, boisterousness, and heartbreak. Though Hypnotised is notably both lyrically and musically more sophisticated than it predecessor.

                                                                                                                                        The album contains 14 punky pop classics, with a slightly tougher edge than the unfailingly sweet-natured debut. The giddy love rush of the title track is matched by some of Feargal Sharkey's most exuberant vocals, and the snotty "What's with Terry?" and "My Perfect Cousin" are yet more perfect slices of adolescent frustration.

                                                                                                                                        This reissue is the first time the bands highest charting release has been pressed on red colour vinyl. 


                                                                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                        Side A
                                                                                                                                        More Songs About Chocolate And Girls
                                                                                                                                        There Goes Norman
                                                                                                                                        Hypnotised
                                                                                                                                        See That Girl
                                                                                                                                        Whizz Kids
                                                                                                                                        Under The Boardwalk
                                                                                                                                        The Way Girls Talk
                                                                                                                                        Hard Luck
                                                                                                                                        Side B
                                                                                                                                        My Perfect Cousin
                                                                                                                                        Boys Will Be Boys
                                                                                                                                        Tearproof
                                                                                                                                        Wednesday Week
                                                                                                                                        Girls That Don't Talk
                                                                                                                                        Nine Times Out Of Ten
                                                                                                                                        What's With Terry

                                                                                                                                        The Undertones

                                                                                                                                        Positive Touch - 2023 Reissue

                                                                                                                                          The Undertones formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975 and released their third album ‘Positive Touch’ in 1981 which peaked at #17 in the UK Charts.

                                                                                                                                          The Undertones' Positive Touch marks the departure from speedy pop-punk of their first two debut albums though the songwriting remains as tight and lively with plenty of hooks that keep you listening.

                                                                                                                                          The punk-derived energy is almost entirely gone, replaced by a more varied and softer instrumental palette that features new textures like piano (courtesy of Paul Carrack, then in Squeeze) recorders and brass instrumentation.

                                                                                                                                          Features the lovely "Julie Ocean" which has an undercurrent of anxiety, as well as much faster tracks like the pounding opener "Fascination" and the near-paranoid "His Goodlooking Girlfriend" are downright nerve-wracking.

                                                                                                                                          This reissue is an exact replica of the embossed original sleeve and has been pressed on white colour vinyl for the first time. 


                                                                                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                          Side A
                                                                                                                                          Fascination
                                                                                                                                          Julie Ocean
                                                                                                                                          Life's Too Easy
                                                                                                                                          Crisis Of Mine
                                                                                                                                          You're Welcome
                                                                                                                                          His Goodlooking Girlfriend
                                                                                                                                          The Positive Touch
                                                                                                                                          Side B
                                                                                                                                          When Saturday Comes
                                                                                                                                          It's Going To Happen
                                                                                                                                          Sigh And Explode
                                                                                                                                          I Don't Know
                                                                                                                                          Hannah Doot
                                                                                                                                          Boy Wonder
                                                                                                                                          Forever Paradise

                                                                                                                                          The Undertones

                                                                                                                                          The Sin Of Pride - 2023 Reissue

                                                                                                                                            The Undertones formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975 and released their fourth album ‘The Sin Of Pride’ in 1983 which peaked at #43 in the UK Album Charts.

                                                                                                                                            The Sin of Pride was by far the most exploratory album the Undertones ever issued. For their fourth album, the band injected more post-punk dance into their growing soul sound and so the album is looser and more focused on mood and groove than their previous titles.

                                                                                                                                            The record still offers some classic tracks from the Northern Irelanders, including ‘’Got To Have You Back", "Chain of Love" and fan favourite "The Love Parade’’.

                                                                                                                                            Covers such as Leon Ware's "Got to Have You Back," which opens the LP, and Smokey Robinson's "Save Me," which closes it, are bookends for a moving blend of funky, driving, deeply textured psychedelic soul music that makes pearls of tracks such as "Untouchable".

                                                                                                                                            This reissue is an exact replica of the original release and has been pressed on plum colour vinyl for the first time. 


                                                                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                            Side A
                                                                                                                                            Got To Have You Back
                                                                                                                                            Valentine's Treatment
                                                                                                                                            Luxury
                                                                                                                                            Love Before Romance
                                                                                                                                            Untouchable
                                                                                                                                            Bye Bye Baby Blue
                                                                                                                                            Side B
                                                                                                                                            Conscious
                                                                                                                                            Chain Of Love
                                                                                                                                            Soul Seven
                                                                                                                                            The Love Parade
                                                                                                                                            Save Me
                                                                                                                                            The Sin Of Pride

                                                                                                                                            The Undertones

                                                                                                                                            The Undertones - 2024 Reissue

                                                                                                                                              The Undertones formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975 and released their debut album ‘The Undertones’ in 1979 which peaked at #13 in the UK Charts.
                                                                                                                                              John and Damian O'Neill partnered infectious guitar hooks to '60s garage, '70s glam rock, with Feargal Sharkey's signature vocal quaver. Those qualities came together on their breakout hit "Teenage Kicks," whose simplicity harked back to '60s ideals of when the song was king.

                                                                                                                                              This classic debut record infuses so much unabashed joy in two-minute three-chord pop songs, and there's little pretension in their unapologetically teenage worldview, that even the darker hints of life in songs like the suicide-themed "Jimmy Jimmy" are delivered with a sense of optimism at odds with so many of their contemporaries.


                                                                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                              Side A
                                                                                                                                              1. Family Entertainment
                                                                                                                                              2. Girls Don't Like It
                                                                                                                                              3. Male Model
                                                                                                                                              4. I Gotta Getta
                                                                                                                                              5. Teenage Kicks
                                                                                                                                              6. Wrong Way
                                                                                                                                              7. Jump Boys
                                                                                                                                              8. Here Comes The Summer
                                                                                                                                              Side B
                                                                                                                                              1. Get Over You
                                                                                                                                              2. Billy's Third
                                                                                                                                              3. Jimmy Jimmy
                                                                                                                                              4. True Confessions
                                                                                                                                              5. (She's A) Runaround
                                                                                                                                              6. I Know A Girl
                                                                                                                                              7. Listening In
                                                                                                                                              8. Casbah 

                                                                                                                                              Underule

                                                                                                                                              Misfortune Comes By Means Of The Mouth

                                                                                                                                                Uncompromising, vehement and bestial metallic hardcore characterised by unrelenting bloody throat screaming, searing guitar breaks and a steamhammer rhythm section. As angry a record as I've heard all year. Not for the faint hearted...

                                                                                                                                                Jack Underwood

                                                                                                                                                Wilderbeast

                                                                                                                                                "A few months ago it was decided that OGen004 would be a vinyl and digital release of some poems by Jack Underwood. We had no real idea how much interest would be generated by a 7" single of poetry but everyone who had heard Jack's poetry seemed to like it and the idea was we would treat it like any other release of a song by a band - we thought that if we didn't make out we thought it was a little odd that nobody else would."

                                                                                                                                                Sam Underwood & Graham Dunning

                                                                                                                                                Beaux Timbres

                                                                                                                                                  This release documents the coming together of two fallible musical instrument systems and their creator-operators. In June 2023, Graham Dunning's Mechanical Techno and Sam Underwood's Acoustic Modular System took a train journey to Galerie Paradise in Nantes, France. Following a period of exploration, points of cohesion, jeopardy and happenstance were exploited to create these nine unruly pieces that appeared initially on the ultra-limited vinyl release on the gallery’s record label. Now they celebrate a new pressing of Beaux Timbres on Accidental.

                                                                                                                                                  Using innovative methods, they create abstract, rhythmical and textural experimental soundscapes. Graham uses an extended turntable: a regular DJ turntable with numerous sensors, modified vinyl records and synthesizers creating irregular rhythmic patterns. Sam presents his Acoustic Modular System: a device for creating acoustic sounds with bellows, feedback and chaotic sequencers.

                                                                                                                                                  Beaux Timbres has been performed twice as part of the artists’ residency in Nantes and their machines haven't met up again since. All of their collaborations work like this. They develop their machines independently and they tend to meet up for a few days before a gig to get them acquainted again.


                                                                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                  1. Rôtation Côsmik
                                                                                                                                                  2. Les Yeux Avides
                                                                                                                                                  3. Pest Modern +
                                                                                                                                                  4. Ecusson
                                                                                                                                                  5. Biscuit And Milk
                                                                                                                                                  6. Beaux Timbres
                                                                                                                                                  7. Air
                                                                                                                                                  8. Prix Libre
                                                                                                                                                  9. Machines A Musique

                                                                                                                                                  What is "Drift"?

                                                                                                                                                  • It’s precisely one year inside the minds of Underworld.

                                                                                                                                                  • It’s a journey that began on 1st November 2018 when Underworld released the track "Another Silent Way" and set off with no map, no fixed destination and a simple mantra ('Drift is the opposite of ‘normal’ or ‘usual’ practice; we’ll do this until we’re dust'). Rick Smith and Karl Hyde’s aim was to create and publish music and film episodically for 52 weeks and see where the journey took them. Within a few weeks, the experiment found its own path, prompting the electronic pioneers to react to previous releases and create new works accordingly. Over time, the duo’s innate curiosity opened up a unique space in which they could experiment, learn and explore new frontiers - together and with others (including Tomato’s Simon Taylor, Australian improv-trance band The Necks, techno producer Ø [Phase], Japanese noise band Melt-Banana, economics writer Aditya Chakrabortty and members of Black Country, New Road). During the 52 weeks, five self-contained episodes were released (respectively in November, January, March, May and August) - collectively, they form "DRIFT Series 1". 


                                                                                                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                  Matt says: An impressively on-going, interactive, year-long project from the band culminates in the album's actual release in October. Always keen to push the envelope, the idea behind this is very satisfying.

                                                                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                  Appleshine
                                                                                                                                                  This Must Be Drum Street
                                                                                                                                                  Listen To Their No
                                                                                                                                                  Border Country
                                                                                                                                                  Mile Bush Pride
                                                                                                                                                  Schiphol Test
                                                                                                                                                  Brilliant Yes That Would Be
                                                                                                                                                  S T A R (Rebel Tech)
                                                                                                                                                  Imagine A Box
                                                                                                                                                  Custard Speedtalk

                                                                                                                                                  Underworld

                                                                                                                                                  Strawberry Hotel

                                                                                                                                                    Welcome to Strawberry Hotel.

                                                                                                                                                    Here, gleaming tensile techno forms clean, straight lines while scratchy acoustic guitars scuff up edges to produce ghostly audio. Poetry is snatched from the overhead, removed from the overheard; words borrowed from the ether are spun into dizzying new shapes, sometimes reappearing in new settings, twisted back to front, side to side. Each track a very different room - some soundtracked by little more than metronomic kick drum and robotic voice, others deep in layer upon layer of melody and euphoric noise - and each room unmistakably, uniquely Underworld. The only advice from Underworld’s Rick Smith and Karl Hyde upon entering: “Please don’t shuffle.”

                                                                                                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                    1. Black Poppies
                                                                                                                                                    2. Denver Luna
                                                                                                                                                    3. Techno Shinkansen
                                                                                                                                                    4. And The Colour Red
                                                                                                                                                    5. Sweet Lands Experience
                                                                                                                                                    6. Lewis In Pomona
                                                                                                                                                    7. Hilo Sky
                                                                                                                                                    8. Burst Of Laughter
                                                                                                                                                    9. King Of Haarlem
                                                                                                                                                    10. Ottavia
                                                                                                                                                    11. Denver Luna (acapella)
                                                                                                                                                    12. Gene Pool
                                                                                                                                                    13. Oh Thorn!
                                                                                                                                                    14. Iron Bones
                                                                                                                                                    15. Stick Man Test

                                                                                                                                                    Unearth

                                                                                                                                                    The Oncoming Storm

                                                                                                                                                      "The Oncoming Storm", Unearth's third album and Metal Blade debut is probably their best to date, some achievement following on as it does from the critically acclaimed "Stings Of Conscience" and "Endless" LPs. This release should definitely cement their position as nu-metal/hardcore innovators, a reputation that has earned them tour slots with In Flames, Hatebreed, Lamb Of God, Killswitch Engage, Soilwork and Chimera. Vocalist Trevor Phipps gives his most powerful performance, alternating hardcore razored throat rage with a cleaner vocal style; all beautifully set against a burning double seven string guitar assault and bruising double bass, fuelling crushing breakdowns. Gorgeous, apocalyptic and articulate.

                                                                                                                                                      The Unfinished Sympathy

                                                                                                                                                      The Unfinished Sympathy

                                                                                                                                                        A fine emocore release from a band who are compared to Jets to Brazil, Joshua and Chamberlain. Elegant, simple yet with complex undercurrents. Strong songs and a great debut.

                                                                                                                                                        Arriving at their fourth album with only eight candles on the cake, unhappybirthday have always tempered youthful energy with an impressive maturity, but this is the moment when they truly come of age. Armed with deeper grooves, tighter arrangements and unconventional hooks, the German trio have found the perfect balance between song and sound on their most irresistible work to date.

                                                                                                                                                        The briefest trip through their back catalogue unearths a wealth of artefacts from an unremembered 80s, be it the cassette tape fuzz which saturated early releases or the genuine love of the decade’s underground outcasts. Recall a distant teenage memory of hours lost in an older, cooler friend’s record collection; a blur of bedsit anarchists, jangling romantics and monochrome poets alive in polyphony. The result is a mirage of Post-punk and Postcard, Penthouse and Pavement, inspired by the past but but impossible to pigeonhole. Ever referential but never reverential, unhappybirthday have that rare ability to distill their influences into an innovative expression far more potent than the sum of its parts.

                                                                                                                                                        For mondchateau, their second LP on the mighty Tapete Records, unhappybirthday swap Cocteau cool for cocktails by the pool, fusing their sophisticated pop with the louche grooves and ambient beauty of Deutsche Balearic.

                                                                                                                                                        Taking a stroll through Miko’s garden, the trio find Sade under the Kalimba Tree, enjoy an I.C. spritz and savour the tristeza of the late afternoon sun. Punctuated by rhythm box exotica and Diana Kim’s limber bass, the nine songs lilt and sway from T.V. Scene to Same Old Scene, the beguiling combination of optimism and melancholy yielding a yearning beauty. Equal parts brooding and ringing, Tobias Rutkowski’s guitar is the embodiment of this tension, while the digital keys, glassy mallets and moonlit chimes of Daniel Jahn’s SQ1 provide a shimmering home for his seductive croon and husky introspection.

                                                                                                                                                        Their ongoing collaboration with Berlin producer Jonas Meyer continues to lend a maturity and clarity to the unhappybirthday sound, while guest vocals from the likes of indie pop icon Andreas Dorau and label-mate Sebastian Lee Phillip (Die Wilde Jagd) add nuance and texture to their sonic palette.

                                                                                                                                                        A resort collection for SS20, mondchateau offers horizontal dancers, beachfront dreamers and tidal drift; an aspirational statement undercut by the inescapable feeling that the summer ends only too soon.

                                                                                                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                        Patrick says: Hey you! That's right, you with the LNCC subscription - you can put the acoustic guitar down, the Balearic record of 2020 is already here, and it hails from Hamburg. The latest evolution of the Unhappybirthday sound sees the German group in sophisti-pop mode, serving nine swooning, crooning beauties dripping in resort cool. You'll find hints of Blue Nile, Flash & The Pan, Linda Di Franco and Talk Talk in here, but the strength of songwriting and melodic purity ensure 'Mondchateau' stands on its own.

                                                                                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                        1. Margo
                                                                                                                                                        2. Cristal
                                                                                                                                                        3. Station
                                                                                                                                                        4. Delon
                                                                                                                                                        5. Burgund
                                                                                                                                                        6. Saiso
                                                                                                                                                        7. Mondpalais
                                                                                                                                                        8. Plaza
                                                                                                                                                        9. Dunster

                                                                                                                                                        Unhappybirthday

                                                                                                                                                        Stella Loops

                                                                                                                                                          Unhappybirthday from Hamburg have been releasing dreamy Avant-pop records and touring Europe consistently for over 10 years now. "Stella Loops" circles around the vast cosmos offering refuge from the feeling of confinement that has enveloped us all over the last few years and to help achieve this Unhappybirthday have mixed their trademark elements of Electronica, House and Ambient music and for this release invited a guest list that includes Andreas Dorau, Martha Rose and Jimi Tenor to contribute.


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