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Cover of Suggestive Listening E.P by Ulrika Spacek.

Ulrika Spacek

Suggestive Listening E.P

Tough Love

    THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2018 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

    Following the release of two consecutive albums over two consecutive years (2016's 'The Album Paranoia' and last year's 'Modern English Decoration'), Ulrika Spacek release new music in the form of an extended play record titled 'Suggestive Listening'. Recorded at both KEN and a rural studio in France, this work reveals experimentation in both a home and studio environment. A departure from the band's beloved album format, and perhaps a suggestive insight into future endeavours. Tracks: 1 - No. 1 Hum 2 - Black Mould 3 - Freudian Slip 4 - Lord Luck 5 - Wave to Paulo, he's not there

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    Cover of Underrated Silence by Ulrich Schnauss & Mark Peters.

    Ulrich Schnauss & Mark Peters

    Underrated Silence

    Bureau B

    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.

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    Cover of Tomorrow Is Another Day by Ulrich Schnauss & Mark Peters.

    Ulrich Schnauss & Mark Peters

    Tomorrow Is Another Day

    Bureau B

    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.

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    Cover of A Long Way To Fall by Ulrich Schnauss.

    Ulrich Schnauss

    A Long Way To Fall

    Scripted Realities

    Highly anticipated fourth album from well respected German electronic artist and DJ Ulrich Schnauss. The first release for his new label Scripted Realities.

    Well known for his unique blend of melodic electronica, this album continues the multilayered, texturally rich sounds of past works, with a new updated contemporary production.

    Ulrich’s music has been heavily used in syncs and film, and as a well known remixer he has mixed artists from Coldplay to Depeche Mode.

    Ulrich continues to tour worldwide, recently back from a festival in Japan. Further dates to be announced shortly.

    FORMAT INFORMATION

    Vinyl comes with CD version of the album enclosed.

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    Cover of A Strangely Isolated Place by Ulrich Schnauss.

    Ulrich Schnauss

    A Strangely Isolated Place

    Independiente

    Rich, deep and sumptuous electronica from 2003 with a nod to luminaries such as Boards Of Canada and Plaid, from the mind of Ulrich Schnauss.

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    Cover of Far Away Trains Passing By by Ulrich Schnauss.

    Ulrich Schnauss

    Far Away Trains Passing By

    Independiente

    "Far Away Trains Passing By" was Schnauss' debut album, and it's a pristine piece of sumptuous electronica that's a perfect introduction to the breathtaking beauty of his work. This new version includes a seven track bonus disc.

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    Cover of Quicksand Memory EP - Inc Robin Guthrie / Rob McVey Versions by Ulrich Schnauss.

    Ulrich Schnauss

    Quicksand Memory EP - Inc Robin Guthrie / Rob McVey Versions

    Independiente

    Electronica producer Ulrich Schnauss makes the link with his early influences even stronger here, bringing in the Cocteau Twins guitarist / producer Robin Guthrie to remix two tracks from his current album "Goodbye". Meanwhile side A features a rework by Manchester's own Rob McVey of Longview. You also get bonus LP track "Medusa".

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    Cover of No Further Ahead Than Today by Ulrich Schnauss.

    Ulrich Schnauss

    No Further Ahead Than Today

    Scripted Realities

    Highly respected electronic composer Ulrich Schnauss releases his fifth studio album on the Scripted Realities label.

    Musically taking its cue from his first two critically acclaimed albums, Ulrich revisits the emotionally charged sonic anthems that established him as leading light in the electronic world.

    For fans of Jon Hopkins, Tycho, Brian Eno and Tangerine Dream (of which Ulrich is a member). Ulrich has just co written, produced and performed on the forthcoming Tangerine Dream album.

    STAFF COMMENTS

    Barry says: Classic Schnauss this, glacial tuned percussion and otherworldly synth sweeps churn over a complex and varied percussive backdrop. From acidic resonant bass to fragile echoing tine hits, this is a brilliant continuation of form for Schnauss, a grooving chilled-out electronic masterpiece.

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    Cover of Dread In A Babylon by U-Roy.

    U-Roy

    Dread In A Babylon

    Get On Down

    U-Roy was a true reggae pioneer, dubbed The Originator for good reason. Bursting onto the Jamaican scene in the earliest 1970s, he pioneered the vocal approach called 'toasting', which in addition to branching out Jamaican music into a new era, was also heavily influential on an American genre in its infancy: rapping. On "Dread In A Babylon", his third full-length, he stretches out over traditional roots grooves provided by the Soul Syndicate and Skin, Flesh & Bones bands, riffing on topics including love (“Runaway Girl,” a 1975 single released in the UK on Virgin Records); the Bible (“The Great Psalms”); walking the straight and narrow (“Listen To The Teacher”); and even his take on governmental policy goals (“Chalice In The Palace”). The album finishes with an instrumental version of Bob Marley & The Wailers’ “Trench Town Rock,” for good measure.

    U-Roy’s style and charisma are always on display, and - as with all of his classic records - the groove rules all. Presented on black vinyl with a poster of the glorious, ganja-drenched cover art, it’s the perfect chance to revisit one of the more underrated voices in Jamaican musical history. 

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    Cover of U-Men by U-Men.

    U-Men

    U-Men

    Sub Pop

      “The U-Men are one of the best bands I’ve ever seen. They were hypnotic, frenetic, powerful and compelling. It was impossible to resist getting sucked into their weird, darkly absurd world. They effortlessly blended The Sonics, Link Wray, Pere Ubu, and Captain Beefheart. Their shows were loose-limbed, drunken dance parties and no two shows were alike. The U-Men were avant-garage explorers and, most importantly, they fucking rocked. I was lucky enough to live in their hometown and I saw them every chance I could.

      “From 1983 to 1987, the U-Men were the undisputed kings of the Seattle Underground. No one else came close. They ruled a bleak backwater landscape populated by maybe 200 people. They were the only band that could unify the disparate sub-subcultures and get all 200 of those people to fill a room. Anglophilic, dress-dark Goths; neo-psych MDA acolytes; skate punks who shit in bathtubs at parties; Mod vigilantes who tormented the homeless with pellet guns; college kids who thought college kids were lame; Industrial Artistes; some random guy with a moustache; and eccentrics who insisted that they couldn’t be pigeonholed: all coalesced around the U-Men.

      “Sub Pop co-founder, Bruce Pavitt released the first record by the U-Men, a 4-song 12” EP on Bombshelter Records. By the time they had recorded songs for another record, Bruce was too broke to release it on his proto-Sub Pop label, so he hooked them up with Gerard Cosloy at Homestead Records. This was a big deal. Homestead had a heavy rep at the time with recent releases by Foetus, Nick Cave, Sonic Youth, and Big Black. I was sure that the release of their second 12”, Stop Spinning, would propel the U-Men into the ranks of those Homestead acts and the worldwide underground would get hip to Seattle’s finest. Following the departure of bassist Jim Tillman (replaced by Tom Hazelmyer of Amphetamine Reptile Records, and then Tony Ransome), the band recorded two fantastic singles, and recorded their one full-length album, ‘Step On A Bug’, for Black Label, which was run out of Fallout Records. They became increasingly disenchanted with the direction the Seattle underground was heading and called it quits in 1989.

      “The U-Men had nothing to do with Grunge. They were their own unique thing. I loved them and I still miss them. I remember thinking at the time that most of their recordings were a little soft and didn’t capture the power of the band live. Now, thirty years later, their records sound great to me and we are lucky that they exist. I’m stoked that Sub Pop complied these long out-of-print records and scrounged up some unreleased songs so that everyone has a chance to take a trip back to old weird Seattle.” - Mark Arm, Seattle, August 2017

      FORMAT INFORMATION

      2xCD Info: This double CD collects the entire studio-recorded output of the U-Men, remastered, plus five unreleased songs, with 16 pages of photos, liner notes and interviews with the band. Executive produced by Jack Endino.

      3xLP Box Set Info: This 3xLP box set collects the entire studio-recorded output of the U-Men, remastered, plus five unreleased songs, with 16 pages of photos, liner notes and interviews with the band. Executive produced by Jack Endino.

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      Cover of Natty Rebel by U-Roy.

      U-Roy

      Natty Rebel

      Get On Down

      U-Roy was a true reggae pioneer, dubbed The Originator for good reason. Bursting onto the Jamaican scene in the early 1970s, he pioneered the vocal approach called “toasting,” which in addition to bringing Jamaican music into a new era, was also heavily influential on an American vocal style also in its infancy: rapping. Following up the RSD17 release of U-Roy’s classic "Dread In A Babylon", Trafficnow brings us a very welcome reissue of the vocalist’s 1976 full-length (and fourth) album, "Natty Rebel", which has been out of print for more than 30 years. Produced by Tony Robinson (known for his work with Big Youth, Lloyd Parks, the Gladiators and many more), the album’s 11 cuts range from bouncier and sometimes even disco-tinged grooves – “Have Mercy,” “Go There Natty” and the album lead-off, “Babylon Burning” – to the classic roots stepping that drew fans to the legendary Jamaican vocalist over his long career – including “So Jay Jah Say” and “Natty Kung Fu.” At its core, this is a deep journey into the heart of rasta living, spoken by one of Jamaica’s most underrated dub and roots legends, and it’s one of the strongest full-lengths in his expansive catalog. Whether you are experiencing U-Roy for the first time, or replacing your decades-old original LP, diving into this reissue of "Natty Rebel" is one hell of a way to spend an afternoon. Or, if you’re not careful, a week or two. 

      STAFF COMMENTS

      Patrick says: As you read this, there's every chance I'm tucking into breadfruit stew, rice an' pea and a side of fried plantain, my culinary experience enhanced no end by this U-Roy classic.

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      Cover of Talking Roots by U-Roy.

      U-Roy

      Talking Roots

      Ariwa

      U Roy, also known as The Originator, is probably the best known of toasting DJs. From his early Treasure Isle Records releases through to releases on Island, Virgin, Front Line Records and a few records on ARIWA, his style has become iconic with reggae culture and MC'ing.

      This is U Roy’s 21st studio record and finds him working with the usual standards such as Sly & Robbie and Lloyd Parks and produced by Mad Professor. More recent additions, Black Steel, Leroy Mafia and including a variety of vocalists - Nadine Sutherland, Carroll T, Aisha, also make strong appearances.

      Lyrically he's still on point and potent. His delivery as confident as ever as he discusses black rights, the joys of Jamaican and the traditional roots themes. 


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      Cover of Versions Galore by U-Roy.

      U-Roy

      Versions Galore

      Get On Down

      “All of a sudden, Jamaica awoke one morning and U-Roy was everywhere…” So read the original liner notes to this classic reggae LP, which originally hit in 1971 and washed over the island like a grooving tropical storm. U-Roy was a true reggae pioneer, dubbed The Originator for good reason. Bursting onto the Jamaican scene in the early 1970s, he pioneered the vocal approach called “toasting,” which in addition to bringing Jamaican music into a new era, was also heavily influential on an American vocal style also in its infancy: rapping.

      This full-length, his first after a string of singles (mostly on the Treasure Isle and other Duke Reid labels, run by the famed producer and studio owner), rolls like a crazy party where a wobbly, but talented, “master of ceremonies” grabs the mic and won’t let go. Speaking over and around songs that already have straight-ahead vocals on them, U-Roy shows the world why he is considered an iconoclast and trailblazer. In all honesty, there are few standouts on the album since they all run a similar course, and all are captivating in their own way. Modern listeners will especially note “Tide Is High,” originally by the Paragons (featuring dulcet-toned vocalist John Holt) and recorded later as a 1980 smash hit by Blondie.

      Each track here is a new adventure, and while U-Roy’s approach might take some getting used to, it will eventually capture your ears as it did the entire island of Jamaica in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Sit back, drop the needle, and enjoy. 

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      Cover of Challenge Me Foolish by U-Ziq.

      U-Ziq

      Challenge Me Foolish

      Planet Mu

      "Challenge Me Foolish" is an almost lost album of µ-Ziq material circa 1998-99, an era that saw Mike Paradinas release "Royal Astronomy" on the now defunct Virgin subsidiary Hut records, and also tour with Björk.

      It’s an era of his music that’s definitely worth re-exploring, in which Mike went against the grain by producing music that was baroque, melodic and whimsical, while the IDM movement he was lumped with made instrumental music that was often neurotic and complicated. His taste for melody and dreamy beauty above roughness and intricacy confused people who were hanging on too tightly to the rules. He even brought in Japanese vocalist Kazumi, adding an extra human touch.

      "Challenge Me Foolish" is something of a companion to the "Royal Astronomy" record; arguably even better given the fresh ears selecting the material. It’s imbued with a confident sense of pastoral colour, and a gentle optimism, utilizing bells, studied orchestral arrangements and airy synthesizers that sit the album somewhere between, Jean Jacques Perrey (the French electronic composer whose whimsy was always balanced with serious innovation and chops) and the colourful, optimistic soundtracks of Joe Hisaishi. There’s a strange sense of the old and new throughout, the sentimental and utopia, with nary a hint of darkness. Even when the album dips into the hyperkinetic rhythms of jungle, the melodies and mood still retain a sense of gentle warmth. Dive into peak time Paradinas.


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      Cover of Duntisbourne Abbots Soulmate Devastation Technique by U-Ziq.

      U-Ziq

      Duntisbourne Abbots Soulmate Devastation Technique

      Planet Mu

      "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.

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      Cover of In A Poem Unlimited by U.S. Girls.

      U.S. Girls

      In A Poem Unlimited

      4AD

      2017 marks a decade of U.S. Girls, the protean musical enterprise of multi-disciplinary artist, Meg Remy. Today, Remy announces details of her sixth studio album In a Poem Unlimited, which will be released on 16th February 2018, plus the official video for a new U.S. Girls song, ‘Velvet 4 Sale’.

      Remy’s second release for 4AD, which also includes her recently released single, ‘Mad As Hell’ – a clarion call for pacifism – was tracked in collaboration with Toronto-based instrumental collective the Cosmic Range, and features arrangements by long-time contributors Maxmilian Turnball and Louis Percival. The dizzying buffet of live grooves on In a Poem Unlimited represents an inversion of the dusty, sample-based minimal textures of Half Free, Remy’s euphoric 4AD debut. Steered into focus by Remy and mixer/co-producer Steve Chahley, Poem features disco employed as a protest vernacular (‘Mad As Hell’), as well as an unrelenting assault (‘Time’); moody, slow-burning funk (‘Velvet 4 Sale’ & ‘L-Over’) and earnest synth anthems ‘Rosebud’ and ‘Poem’, which form the album’s emotional core.

      Poem features dark meditations reflecting charged atmospheres that directly precede and follow acts of violence. Many of the songs are character studies of women grappling with power; how to gain and exert it spiritually, as well as desperate strategies to mitigate its infliction. Remy also rallies against the public lies told by political and religious leaders, and more crucially, questions the lies we tell ourselves in order to survive. While U.S. Girls, denoting the plural, is no longer a misnomer, In A Poem Unlimited may be Remy’s most individually distilled protest to date.

      Following ‘Mad As Hell’, Poem album opener ‘Velvet 4 Sale’ is released today. The song concerns a female narrator imploring another to buy a gun for protection, impressing that the only way to change men is for women to use violence. Remy says, “Men are lucky women (and children) have yet to take up arms. And although I hope this never happens and I completely disagree that violence is ever effective, this very idea was ripe for a song.”

      The accompanying video explores the idea of acknowledgement as a form of retribution, a counterbalance more powerful than violence itself. Remy plays a police officer who discovers that a fellow cop who has beaten his wife will be left off the hook as a “professional courtesy”. By the power of her unrelenting gaze she banishes the abuser in the final images of this powerful and provocative video. This striking tableau representing the power of bearing witness ties back into the album’s underlying theme; that truth and acknowledgement are our most potent and corrosive weapons in the fight against repressive inequality. Remy’s work with this video (which she co-directed with Alex Kingsmill) and the album as a whole, illustrate and seek to inspire the taking up of these moral arms.

      STAFF COMMENTS

      Barry says: This superb new outing from Meg Remy in her U.S Girls moniker sees snappy guitar falling under a landslide of heavy-rock power chords and scattered electronic elements, whilst still retaining all of it's cohesion and grace. More percussive numbers sit happily alongside the more folky, quiet pieces without skipping a beat.

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      Cover of Receiver by U.V..

      U.V.

      Receiver

      Unknown

        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.

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        Cover of Lights Of Home by U2.

        U2

        Lights Of Home

        Island

          THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2018 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

          U2 release their Record Store Day exclusive 12” Picture Disc for 2018, containing three versions of ‘Lights of Home’ taken from their fourteenth studio album Songs Of Experience released last December. Hear the new Beck Remix of (Lights of Home /Free Yourself) exclusively for the first time anywhere. Tracks on this 12” are: Lights Of Home, Lights of Home (St Peters String Version) and (Lights of Home /Free Yourself/Beck Remix). Includes a Download Voucher. Following last year’s acclaimed stadium run with The Joshua Tree Tour 2017, U2 will return indoors this year with the eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour. Kicking off in North America on 2nd May 2018 , the European leg of the arena tour will reach Berlin on 31st August ahead of shows in Manchester (19th October) and London (23rd October).

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          Cover of The Blackout by U2.

          U2

          The Blackout

          Third Man Records

            Third Man Records is proud to announce the release of "The Blackout," a limited edition U2 12" in conjunction with Island Records. The limited edition U2 12" will be available for Record Store Day Black Friday, November 24th. "The Blackout" marks the first physical release from U2's eagerly awaited new album, SONGS OF EXPERIENCE, due later this year. The 12" includes both the original album version backed by an exclusive remix by the band's longtime collaborator, Jacknife Lee. Hailed by Rolling Stone as "a dynamic new track,"

            "The Blackout" was revealed this summer via a surprise live video, filmed during U2's blockbuster Joshua Tree Tour 2017. Third Man co-founder Ben Blackwell said, "The sound quality of this incredibly special record is a perfect example of the caliber of product Third Man Pressing is capable of producing. We couldn't be more proud." TMR's "The Blackout" 12" will be extremely limited, with just one single pressing at Third Man Pressing, the label's state-of-the-art vinyl production facility in Detroit. Black vinyl editions will be available at all participating Record Store Day shops.

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            U2

            All That You Can't Leave Behind

            Island

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

              FORMAT INFORMATION

              CD Info: Limited edition numbered CD in a slip case.

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              Reduced Cover of No Line On The Horizon by U2.

              U2

              No Line On The Horizon

              Island

              "No Line On The Horizon" is U2's twelfth studio album, and follows the massive success of 2004's "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb". The first single from the album, "Get On Your Boots", may be an all-out rocker akin to previous successes like "Vertigo", but the remainder of the album sees the band diversifying in ways similar to their "Zooropa" days. It is inescapably a U2 album, though, so Bono's vocals still speak of injustices personal and global, and The Edge's guitar work continues to be both feathery and metallic in equal dose.

              FORMAT INFORMATION

              Ltd CD Info: Limited edition digipak includes 36 page colour booklet and fold out poster along with access to exclusive downloadable Anton Corbijn film.

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              Cover of Songs Of Experience by U2.

              U2

              Songs Of Experience

              Island

                U2 return with their hotly anticipated new studio album ‘Songs of Experience’. The Island Records priority release completes a stellar year for the Dublin band, following their return to stadiums with the critically acclaimed, sold out ‘The Joshua Tree Tour 2017’ playing to 2.4 million fans in just 51 shows across Europe and North and South America, as well as the successful 30th Anniversary re-issue of ‘The Joshua Tree’. 

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                Cover of Songs Of Innocence by U2.

                U2

                Songs Of Innocence

                Island

                13th studio album from the Irish stadium rocking 4piece. The latest collection of songs from Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam is 11tracks including brand new single ‘The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone) as well as potential future singles ‘Song for Someone’, ‘Every Breaking Wave’ and ‘Trouble’ ft Lykke Li. Recorded over the last 4 years, produced by Danger Mouse, Ryan Fedder and Paul Epworth.

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                Cover of The Joshua Tree (Remastered) by U2.

                U2

                The Joshua Tree (Remastered)

                Island

                U2's "The Joshua Tree" has been meticulously remastered from the original analogue master tapes to mark 20 years since its release. 'There has been continuous demand from U2 fans to have "The Joshua Tree" properly re-mastered', says Paul McGuinness. 'As always, the band had to make sure it was right, and now it is.' In 1987, "The Joshua Tree" reached Number 1 around the world and won a Grammy for 'Album of the Year', while U2 won the Brit Award for Best International Act and Time Magazine put the band on its cover, proclaiming them 'Rock's Hottest Ticket'. Including the singles "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", "Where The Streets Have No Name" and "With Or Without You", "The Joshua Tree" went on to sell in excess of 20 million.

                FORMAT INFORMATION

                2xLtd CD Info: Deluxe edition including a second CD of B-sides and demos from the original album sessions.

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                Cover of Luba Luft - Inc. Albrecht La'Brooy Remix by Udmo.

                Udmo

                Luba Luft - Inc. Albrecht La'Brooy Remix

                Analogue Attic

                After the success of 2016's "Open Water", Udmo returns with three meticulous compositions based on themes of industry and space. The tightly woven, ethereal sounds that we have come to associate with this young artist are even more developed with his second release, with heavenly rhythms cascading through bliss clouds of serene ambience. Distant echoes of delicate percussion ripple against sumptuous pillows of sound and soft focused melodies. Occasionally we'll hear club friendly breakbeats develop, only to be pacified by injections of calm tranquility. It's a glorious contradiction which Udmo works to great effect, contrasting forward kinetic motion with static, non-linear waves of atmosphere. Label heads Albrecht La'Brooy add to the vibe with a deeply hypnotic 'Friday arvo knock-off' remix suited to the early hours with its suspended strings riding a deep thudding kick and intricate hi-end polyrhythms, further embellished by some near epic, dreamy piano work. Top, top stuff indeed. 

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                Cover of Sex, Dreams & Denim Jeans by Uffie.

                Uffie

                Sex, Dreams & Denim Jeans

                Ed Banger / Because

                "Sex, Dreams and Denim Jeans" was put together over three years, recorded in various apartments around Paris whenever Uffie was able to take short-lived breaks from touring. The album has all the hallmarks of the hedonistic club kid who introduced herself with the fearless "Pop The Glock" back in 2006, while the influence of Feadz and the production hand of beat-and-synths wizard Mr Oizo are strongly felt over many of the tracks. But there is also a melodic, pop sensibility being explored for the first time. The result can be heard in the likes of title track, which samples Lou Reed but sees Uffie toying with John Hughes-esque high school heartbreak, and "Illusion Of Love", which features the dulcet tones of Matte Safer (The Rapture). Another important influence over "Sex, Dreams & Denim Jeans" happened when Uffie was introduced to Mirwais while recording the album. Having worked on Madonna albums such as "Music" and "Confessions On A DanceFloor", Mirwais was perfectly poised to helped nurture Uffie's inner pop star. Tracks like "ADD SUV" (featuring Pharrell) poke fun at the rap fraternity's obsession with possessions, but at the core of this idiosyncratic album, in which Uffie flits from rude girl to sweetheart, is fun.


                FORMAT INFORMATION

                Ltd CD Info: Limited edition CD comes in denim pocket.

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                Cover of #46 Winter 2017 by Ugly Things.

                Ugly Things

                #46 Winter 2017

                  UGLY THINGS #46
                  This time: THE EQUALS the dynamic multi-racial London group famous for songs like “Baby Come Back” and “Police on My Back,” but whose catalog runs much deeper, as our lengthy interview with lead singer DERV GORDON explains. Also featured this issue, Curt Boettcher’s innovative folk-pop group THE GOLDEBRIARS, Southern California biker rock badass SIMON STOKES, THE BYRDS, THE BALLOON FARM (A Question of Temperature), pre-Dictators ‘70s rockers TOTAL CRUDD, Harvey Kubernik’s examination of BOB DYLAN’s John Wesley Harding album (which turns 50 in December), occult rocker GEOF CROZIER, Texas-to-California garage rockers THE VISIONS, New Jersey’s MODS and the mysterious Revelation VII label, and a mad interview with the late, great CAPTAIN BEEFHEART. Also we reveal the 12 “rejected” tracks from Lenny Kaye’s original NUGGETS compilation, plus the FLAMIN’ GROOVIES saga continues into the “Shake Some Action” years, and of course there’s our acclaimed, info-packed reissue and book review sections. (152 pages)

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                  Cover of #47 Spring 2018 by Ugly Things.

                  Ugly Things

                  #47 Spring 2018

                    In this issue (and on the cover), a tribute to the recently departed FRED COLE and a feature story on his ‘60s era bands THE WEEDS and THE LOLLIPOP SHOPPE, including rare and unseen photos. Also, pre-teen garage combo THE LITTLE BITS, British R&B punks THE BETTERDAYS, Swedish beat rockers THE SHAMROCKS, THE BOUGALIEU (“Let’s Do Wrong”), madcap Dischord punks THE SNAKES, shady producer CHARLIE DREYER (Flat Earth Society, Shaggs, Hamlet), OMEGA RED STAR from Hungary, TERMINAL MIND, and interviews with surf vocal maestro CHUCK GIRARD, psychedelic songwriter WOLFGANG DIOS (“Black Roses”), STIV BATORS’ drummer David Quinton, NICO collaborator LUTZ ULBRICH (Agitation Free), and PAT PRIEST (Marilyn on THE MUNSTERS TV show). Not forgetting our regular PRETTY THINGS and FLAMIN’ GROOVIES columns, and of course our info-packed reissue and book review sections.

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                    Cover of Issue #48 Summer / Fall 2018 by Ugly Things.

                    Ugly Things

                    Issue #48 Summer / Fall 2018

                      In this issue (and on the cover), cool and colossal cover stories on West Coast psychedelic garage monsters THE OTHER HALF (featuring future Blue Cheer guitarist Randy Holden), and—dig this—ELVIS PRESLEY—a reappraisal of the King’s music complete with rare photos and interview quotes from people who were there when it all went down. Also in this issue: expansive interviews with TREVOR WHITE (the Jook, Sparks, Radio Stars), MARC JONSON (about his incredible cult classic album YEARS), DENNY CARLETON of THE CHOIR, and JACKIE McAULEY (Them, Belfast Gypsies, Trader Horne). Plus: Indiana ‘60s garage combo THE OLIVERS, obscure pre-DOA Canuck punks THE SKULLS, a closer look at the making of MOBY GRAPE’s Truly Fine Citizen album, Cyril Jordan’s FLAMIN’ GROOVIES tales, and more. Not to mention our insightful reviews of reissues and rock-related books.

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                      Cover of The Uglysuit by The Uglysuit.

                      The Uglysuit

                      The Uglysuit

                      Quarter Stick

                      Made up of six friends from Oklahoma City ranging in age from 20-23, The Uglysuit brings a different mentality to what they do – remarkably fresh-faced and honest, the band believes in letting loose, fostering a heartfelt atmosphere of hope and love, and works hard to shape what comes naturally. Playing together since their early teen years has given them an almost familial connection which shines through on their beautiful, fully-realized debut album. The comfort and ease The Uglysuit shares in performing together is evident in the direction each song takes. Some start as one thing and end as something completely different, but in a way that fits together perfectly. The Uglysuit's music is an extended love song to the notion that everything is possible, yet nothing is guaranteed. It's born of excitement and energy and built on potential and promise. It's based on the premise that change exists in everything, and where a wide-eyed view of the world doesn't equal naiveté. It reminds us that we are alive, and that maybe it's not too late.

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                      Cover of Alborada by Uji.

                      Uji

                      Alborada

                      ZZK

                      Uji spins a hypnotic spell of sounds on his debut solo release; “Alborada”, joining the canon of recent producers re-imaging world sounds within the realms electronic music - think Auntie Flo, Nicola Cruz, Clap! Clap! and Populous. Yet his music has thoughtful nuance and textural depth, exploring a rich organic palette of sounds that will easily appeal to fans of Nicolas Jaar, Pantha Du Prince and John Talabot too.

                      Having been born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and raised throughout Latin America - the album reflects his experiences in both the Latin American and Afro-Latin diasporas. On tracks like “La Descarri“ featuring Corina Lawrence and Miss Bolivia, Uji skillfully crafts scenes from the high plains of Bolivia in their yearly carnaval celebrations before transporting us to Colombia’s tropical “pueblos” (villages) - dancing into the sweaty night on his remix of Petrona Martinez’s “Mariangola/Milagros” and then to daybreak in a Berlin warehouse on “Kiok” featuring Barrio Lindo.

                      Most of the sounds on the album are field recordings done by Uji himself, compiling a vast sound bank over the years on his global travels, including a wide array of instruments from his collection such as; congas, cununo, marimba, balafon, charango, bombo leguero, sonajas, as well as analog drum machines, samplers, synthesizers and vocals. A multi layered assemblage with deep and rich textures from around the world.


                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                      2xLP Info: The LP comes in deluxe reverse-board sleeve with double-printed metallic gold Pantone design.

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                      Cover of The Ancient Tonalities Of... by Ukkonen.

                      Ukkonen

                      The Ancient Tonalities Of...

                      No Pain In Pop

                      Ukkonen is a Finnish “artic-house” producer. Debut album The Isolated Rhythms Of.. was released on Uncharted Audio in 2012, and was met with considerable underground acclaim. Despite a self-declared “zero interest in dance music”, The Wire magazine called his work “a solution to the problem of dance music”.

                      Second LP The Ancient Tonalities of… is a marked progression for an already prophetic talent. The record is built on two central themes: adulation and respect for influence and tradition, and a pressing desire to contribute something “new” to music. The record is in no way difficult; in its simplest form it’s a striking, purely structured collection of ambient techno and leftfield electronica. Yet after repeated listens the intensity and breadth of the creative vision is gripping; it’s an oceanic, enveloping work worthy of infinite relistens and contemplation.

                      It is no co-incidence influence is both drawn from beyond the predictable, and from within it: composers Bartok, Messiaen, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Takemitsu are acknowledged alongside electronic totems Squarepusher and Aphex Twin; early vocal music and the Ars Nova period (Machaut, Perotin, de Vitry) beside household contemporary minimalist and modernist composers and rock classicists Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix.

                      This catch-all extends to musical theory. Melodies are instant, yet among the techniques used are "mensuration canons" (one melody simultaneously played at different speeds by different voices to create it's own accompaniment); “isorhythms” (a fixed series of pitches run through a fixed rhythm at odds with the time signature); and “simultaneous tempos” (tracks utilising multiple tempos; some changing, some consistent). The record is built but not defined by these systems; the effect they have is simply of falling into the most lucid of intangible dreams.

                      Opening track ‘A New Technique’ gives the record an immediate emotional resonance, scattering featherlight pianos over a twisting, fractured beat; ‘Eighteen Pitches’ layers glacial synths with a pulsing almost-house groove; ‘Kayamanu Divided’ and closer ‘Three Durations’ morph along a kaleidoscopic, impressionistic, frictionless pattern.

                      The Ancient Tonalities of… represents a sweet spot of genreless experimentation and unburdened technical enlightenment; a burning example of individual creativity utilising musical history; a record with a singular, simultaneous logic and magic.

                      “I intend to innovate - I want this music to push some ideas forward into the world. not to impress or try to be better or more clever than anyone else. It's done out of a sense of joy in doing so...joy in the creative process, and excitement at sharing the results.”

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                      Cover of Never Mind The Cossacks - Yellow Vinyl Edition by The Ukrainians.

                      The Ukrainians

                      Never Mind The Cossacks - Yellow Vinyl Edition

                      Zirka

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

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

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                        Cover of A Short History Of Rock Music In Ukrainian by The Ukrainians.

                        The Ukrainians

                        A Short History Of Rock Music In Ukrainian

                        Zirka

                          THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2015 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

                          Beatles, Velvet Underground, Talking Heads, Beach Boys, T-Rex and many more powerfully reinterpreted by John Peel favourites The Ukrainians. Sleeves individually numbered 1 – 750. Vodka-fuelled! Electrifying!

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                          Cover of II by Ulaan Khol.

                          Ulaan Khol

                          II

                          Soft Abuse

                            All heavy with warmth and mystery, Ulaan Khol returns with another round of vertical incantations aimed at the heavens. As Ulaan Khol, Steven R. Smith (Hala Strana, Thuja, Mirza) creates dense tapestries that revel in the eternal and infinite. The bursts of tones and grip on formal structures can compare to the best of Hototogisu or Handful of Dust, though filtered through an ample dose of Ash Ra Tempel. Supreme while discreet, these songs carry a sense of unnerving calm and optimistic gloom, often within a single composition. Swaths of heavy feedback cascade against sinister organ workouts and varied percussion that's at times pounding and at others distant.

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                            Cover of Spiral Horns, Black Onions, Et Al by Ulaan Markhor.

                            Ulaan Markhor

                            Spiral Horns, Black Onions, Et Al

                            Soft Abuse

                              Ulaan Markhor is the latest solo moniker for Californian Steven R. Smith's studio explorations. "Spiral Horns, Black Onions, et al." fuses recent itinerant work under the aliases Ulaan Khol (blistering basement psychedelia) and Ulaan Passerine (moody & meditative zones) abd unveils a distinctly American version of kosmische, with heavy Levon Helm/Clyde Stubblefield-indebted rhythm & groove replacing motorik pulses.

                              Fluid synth, bass, organ and searing guitar textures - all played by Smith - augment the beats. The result is something akin to The Meters meets Amon Duul II.

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                              Cover of Modern English Decoration by Ulrika Spacek.

                              Ulrika Spacek

                              Modern English Decoration

                              Tough Love

                              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.

                              STAFF COMMENTS

                              Laura says: A fabulous second album, channelling 90s American indie rock with occasional shoegazey shimmer and a smattering of melodic psych.

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                              Cover of The Album Paranoia by Ulrika Spacek.

                              Ulrika Spacek

                              The Album Paranoia

                              Tough Love

                              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.

                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                              LP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                              Cover of It's A New Day by Ultimate Breaks & Beats - Skull Snaps.

                              Ultimate Breaks & Beats - Skull Snaps

                              It's A New Day

                              Street Beats

                              Street Beats launch a new series of 45s, delivering some of the Ultimate Breaks & Beats funk classics as instrumental and breakbeat versions. No need to bother getting two copies of the original track and cutting between the breaks, Street Beats have done all the work for you here! On 7" number one we get Skull Snaps "It's A New Day".

                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                              7" Info: Limited dinked 45.

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                              Cover of Dusk by Ultimate Painting.

                              Ultimate Painting

                              Dusk

                              Trouble In Mind

                              Dusk is the third album from London-based duo Ultimate Painting, a ten song set that expands the group’s sound from their self-titled debut and their critically acclaimed sophomore effort Green Lanes, about whose tunes Pitchfork raved their “deceptively simple interplay slowly worms into your synapses...” Dusk heads along the same path, albeit in a slightly different direction, forging to new territory by heading inward. Most groups would kill to have one talented songwriter in their ranks, but Ultimate Painting are lucky enough to be comprised of two singular voices in Jack Cooper and James Hoare.

                              The pair's distinctive songwriting styles began to blur a bit with Green Lanes, but on Dusk it ’s hard to tell where Cooper ends & Hoare begins. Their tunes weave in & out of each other like the duo’s respective six-strings, spiralling around each other in a laconic dance. Album opener ‘Bills’ dives head-first into a crystalline pool of jangle, furthering the duo’s rep as purveyors of the Verlaine/Lloyd legacy, but despite the evident influence of American guitar pop both past & present, the group’s recorded an album that feels decidedly English. Cooper’s abstract poeticism balanced perfectly alongside Hoare’s alluring & universal pop leanings. The group’s discovered a simple lushness in Dusk’s arrangements, sometimes only with subtle additions like Hoare’s recently acquired Wurlitzer piano that drives tunes like ‘Lead The Way’ or washes underneath others like ‘Monday Morning, Somewhere Central’. They've tapped into the subtle grace that infects the mood and emotions experienced at times like sunrise & dusk. Hopefullness. Resignation. Ennui. A breathing in. A breathing out.

                              Dusk was once again recorded to tape by guitarist James Hoare in his London flat. The casual setting allowed the sessions & songs to unfold naturally, with the two of them accompanied by recent live drummer Melissa Rigby, who drums on the entirety of Dusk. Her skills lend a rhythmic elasticity to songs like ‘A Portrait of Jason’ and ‘I Can’t Run Anymore’, with jazzy undertones that break from the band’s previously unadorned 4/4 leanings. Dusk feels different and cements the group’s presence in the modern world guitar pop, finding voice in the allure of quietude.

                              RIYL: Nap Eyes, Luna, Yo La Tengo, Gene Clark, Grateful Dead, White Fence.

                              STAFF COMMENTS

                              Barry says: An equal mix of pastoral English countryside melodies and jangly San-Franciscan flower power vibes, Dusk is a meticulously crafted and impeccably accomplished slice of indie-pop. Sweet, silken vocals and woozy melodic lines are brought together gracefully, and accomplished with such confidence that they make it sound easy. At once a perfect representation of now, and a scintillating herald of days gone by.

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                              Ultimate Spinach

                              Behold and See

                              Arkarma

                                "Behold and See" a 2LP release initially and their second album was another mystical, hippyish release and the final one that featured Ian Bruce-Douglas. A splendid album awash with ideas and imagination. Remastered with 2 bonus tracks full of the heady atmosphere of 1968. A minor classic.

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                                Ultimate Spinach

                                Ultimate Spinach

                                Arkarma

                                  Their debut album was a real success, the brainchild of group member Ian Bruce-Douglas. "Ultimate Spinach" is a very trippy affair with Barbara Hudson a female vocalist with a rare and beautiful voice, atmospheric wind chimes and fuzz guitar courtesy of Geoffrey Winthrop who dabbles a bit on sitar too.

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                                  Cover of Freedom Rock / Anti-Clock by Ultra Satan.

                                  Ultra Satan

                                  Freedom Rock / Anti-Clock

                                  Hoga Nord

                                  On Ultra Satans second 7” release on Höga Nord Rekords, the band is developing a new genre and concept: ”Freedom Rock”, which is also the title on one of the tracks. ”Freedom Rock” is a step beyond ”World Music” which would be the wrong label when Ultra Satan sounds too spaced out and out of this world. On the second track ”Anti Clock”, Ultra Satan hit strikes against the hysterical Swedish mortgage market, how safety destroys creativity and also against the worthless tokens of appreciation you receive from our corrupt and ultra capitalistic society. Ultra Satan is like a space being, living alone in an enormously big and empty space station, orbiting our planet. With mathematical precision this genius creates music that effects us earthlings on a transcendental plane and shakes the foundation we lead or lives upon. 

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                                  Ultrababyfat

                                  Eight Balls In Reverse

                                  Orange

                                  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!

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                                  Cover of Conditions For A Piece Of Music by Ultralyd.

                                  Ultralyd

                                  Conditions For A Piece Of Music

                                  Rune Grammofon

                                  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.

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                                  Cover of UltraMantis Black by UltraMantis Black.

                                  UltraMantis Black

                                  UltraMantis Black

                                  Relapse

                                  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.

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                                  Cover of Aún No Has Demostrado Nada by Umbra Sum.

                                  Umbra Sum

                                  Aún No Has Demostrado Nada

                                  Acuarela

                                  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.

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                                  Cover of Symbolic Use Of Light by Umfang.

                                  Umfang

                                  Symbolic Use Of Light

                                  Technicolour

                                  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.




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                                  Cover of La Legge Dei Gangsters (Gangster's Law) by Piero Umiliani.

                                  Piero Umiliani

                                  La Legge Dei Gangsters (Gangster's Law)

                                  Dagored

                                    THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2016 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.
                                     .
                                    A really great Italian jazz score composed for La Legge dei Gangsters (Gangster’s Law), an obscure 1969 Italian crime film starring the mighty Klaus Kinski. Featuring a large ensemble of the country’s strongest players (including Oscar Valdambrini on trumpet), the music is a creation of the great Piero Umiliani and is plenty full of sophisticated, groovy and romantic tunes. For the first time ever in LP the complete original score in a numbered limited edition, colored vinyl for the RECORD STORE DAY 2016.

                                    - COMPLETE EDITION FOR THE FIRST TIME ON VINYL
                                    - LIMITED NUMBERED EDITION OF 1000 COPIES IN COLORED VINYL.

                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                    2xColoured LP Info: limited edition colour vinyl 2LP.

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                                    Cover of Africa / Continente Nero by Piero Umiliani.

                                    Piero Umiliani

                                    Africa / Continente Nero

                                    Dagored

                                    Along with Moggi, Rovi or Tusco, M Zalla was one of Piero Umiliani's most revered monikers from his early period. Starting off in the early 70s, the legendary Italian electronic wizard began to release weird and wonderful shapes of kinetic electronics, often inspired by the anthropology of Africa, the Mother continent. Africa itself is one of his works from '72, released just before the iconic Problemi D'Oggi, and it has clearly inspired whole generations of different sorts of musicians. It's polyrhythmic waves of euphoria rarely tire of cease to provoke wonder, and this whole piece of work is a treasure chest that will simply not stop giving. For some, it's a source for samples and inspiration, while for others it's the perfect tool to add life to DJ sets, whether at the beginning, in between tracks, or at the end. If you're a fanboy of peeps like Durian Brothers, look here first. Essential.

                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                    2xLtd LP Info: Limited edition deluxe 2LP bundle.

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                                    Cover of Studio Umiliani by Piero Umiliani.

                                    Piero Umiliani

                                    Studio Umiliani

                                    Four Flies Records

                                      For this killer double LP Four Flies Records explore Piero Umiliani’s Sound Work Shop archives to select rare and unreleased tracks, resulting in the first archive compilation of Piero Umiliani’s work for the Rome-based record label and the first one focussing on Piero Umiliani in recent years. Exotica, psychedelic jazz-funk, proto-trip hop: this selection is a cross-cutting portrait of Umiliani's activity during the golden years of his Sound Work Shop, the studio-laboratory where he has been playing, creating and experimenting with total freedom from 1969 to 1983. The compilation is available as a limited edition 2LP, accompanied by Four Flies’ Pierpaolo De Sanctis liner notes and archive images. Four Flies Records strikes again, releasing their first archive compilation of Piero Umiliani’s work and the first compilation focussing on the Maestro’s legacy in years. “Studio Umiliani” is a collection of sunken treasures and hidden beauties yet to be re-released, and of stunning unpublished works surprisingly unknown for quite some time. The project, born from the initial effort of Andrea Fabrizii, who has far and wide been exploring Umiliani's soundtracks before anyone else, led Four Flies research to seek for new unreleased recordings at the Maestro's archive. A challenge that Pierpaolo De Sanctis from Four Flies Records accepted without hesitation – with the help of the Umiliani family. His two daughters Alessandra and Elisabetta Umiliani, true keepers of their father's memory, together with their husbands Francesco Argento and John Linkowski, and of course, Piero's wife Stefania Baffa, have been pivotal in compiling this exciting project.
                                      The result is a cross-cutting portrait of Umiliani's activity during the golden years of his Sound Work Shop, the studio- laboratory where he has been playing, creating and experimenting with total freedom from 1969 to 1983.

                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                      Vinyl comes with CD version of the album enclosed.

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                                      Cover of Switched On Naples by Piero Umiliani.

                                      Piero Umiliani

                                      Switched On Naples

                                      Sonor Music Editions

                                        We're so glad and proud to announce the reissue of a very underrated Piero Umiliani's masterpiece. "SWITCHED ON NAPLES", originally released in 1972 on ‎OmiCron LP 0023, is an outstanding ‪‎Library with pure touch of genius: Maestro Umiliani revisits Naples popular songs in Electronic way by the use of synthesizer. The record is entirely carried out with Electronic sounds. 

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                                        Cover of Bermuda Seytan Ucgeni by Umit Aksu Orkestrasi.

                                        Umit Aksu Orkestrasi

                                        Bermuda Seytan Ucgeni

                                        Zel Zele

                                          Zel Zele launches with a reissue of a holy grail 7” by Umit Aksu Orkestrasi - a band formed by Turkish pianist, composer and arranger Umit Aksu. Originally released in 1975, “Bermuda Seytan Ucgeni” is an outstanding experimentation of forward-thinking jazz-funk played by some of Turkey’s most talented musicians.

                                          “Bermuda Seytan Ucgeni” is the musical adaptation of The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil’s Triangle. A whirlpool leading into a jazz/funk piece with playful horn section, funky bass-line and drum breaks, almost sounding like an adventurous Blaxploitation soundtrack. A daring sax solo comes into play by the second minute that sets the ship on fire. Just when you think that must be it, starts the synthesiser havoc; chaos, alarms, whirlwind all goes off as the mystery of the triangle unfolds.

                                          Bogaziçi Köprüsü “Bogaziçi Köprüsü” meaning Bosphorus Bridge, is the name of the first bridge in Istanbul that connects the Asian and European sides of the city. The track was released 2 years after the bridge was built. It starts with a car engine which is about to take a nostalgic and playful ride through the Bosphorus Bridge. Melodic, synth led tune that reminds us of early Italian library recordings.

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                                          Cover of 707 by Umoja.

                                          Umoja

                                          707

                                          Awesome Tapes From Africa

                                          A monumental career in pop music isn't easy when the system is built against you. But South African songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist "Om" Alec Khaoli managed to do just that with his band Umoja. As apartheid reached its violent peak, Khaoli pursued an escapist form of dance music that resonated across his complicated country, influencing countless legends and releasing recordings across the world. Umoja, which means oneness or unity in Swahili, was clear in its message to the public. "Oriented towards society, advocating uniting of people. Race was the big thing," Khaoli says. "We wanted people to come together and unite and just form a oneness." Indeed the band's fanbase was mixed among black, colored and white fans. However, their lyrics were not overtly political. "If you wrote songs about apartheid, we would disguise them. If we used language as it was, we would get arrested." The band helped refine a commercially powerful emergent style, bubblegum, with the album 707 in 1988. "Bubblegum music was about escape," according to Khaoli. "If you had grown up in South Africa at the time, there was nothing more in your life than oppression. It was even in your dreams. Anything that was a way out was welcome... When this music was playing everyone just wanted to dance, just have a good time." 

                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                          Patrick says: There's a special place in my heart for Afro-synth stuff, and this set of Bubblegum business from Umoja is right up my alley. Sparkling synthwork, cheesy melodies and uplifting vocals - what more could you possibly want from life?

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                                          Uncle Brian

                                          It Just Seems Right EP

                                          20 Deck

                                          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.

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                                          Cover of Together Again by Uncle Funkenstein.

                                          Uncle Funkenstein

                                          Together Again

                                          Jazzman

                                          Jazzman bring us the opening gambit from their new Holy Grail series of reissues, which is set to include the rarest and most coveted soul, funk and jazz LPs ever released. Never before on eBay and impossible to find, Uncle Funkenstein's "Together Again" is an ultra-rare LP that funk collectors talk about but never find. That'll be because it's one of the ultimate private press funk / jazz LPs, with just a handful of known copies. The original album bears all the hallmarks of the local, private press album - black and white budget cover, home-made 'conceived on a kitchen table' sleeve design, self-produced and on a shoe-string budget. Some of these kind of records are over hyped and have all kinds of amazing things said about them - only for the music itself to disappoint. Not so with Uncle Funkenstein - you'll know that from the moment you hit track one and the awesome bass blows you away.

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                                          Uncle Tupelo

                                          89 / 93 - An Anthology

                                          Columbia / Legacy

                                          A compilation of tracks from this hugely influential band, who helped pave the way for the evolution of alt-country back in the early 90s. Newly remastered tracks from all four of their albums, plus singles, live material and a previously unreleased version of The Stooges "I Wanna Be Your Dog". Recommended.

                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                          2xLP Info: 180g double vinyl! Feel the quality!

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                                          Cover of March 16-20, 1992 by Uncle Tupelo.

                                          Uncle Tupelo

                                          March 16-20, 1992

                                          Columbia

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

                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                          CD Info: Digitally remastered from the original tapes, with a booklet containing many unseen photos, memorablia and new liner notes by Rolling Stone's David Fricke.

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                                          Cover of No Depression by Uncle Tupelo.

                                          Uncle Tupelo

                                          No Depression

                                          Columbia

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

                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                          CD Info: Digitally remastered from the original tapes, with a booklet containing many unseen photos, memorablia and new liner notes by Rolling Stone's David Fricke.

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                                          Cover of No Depression - Rarities by Uncle Tupelo.

                                          Uncle Tupelo

                                          No Depression - Rarities

                                          Legacy / SONY BMG Music

                                            THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2018 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

                                            First time on LP Vinyl (Black).

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                                            Cover of Look! Who's Sorry Now? by The Uncomfortables.

                                            The Uncomfortables

                                            Look! Who's Sorry Now?

                                            Uncomfortables

                                            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.

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                                            Under A Dying Sun

                                            Under A Dying Sun

                                            Substandard

                                            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!

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                                            Cover of Escuchame / Hi Tech Soul by Glenn Underground.

                                            Glenn Underground

                                            Escuchame / Hi Tech Soul

                                            Groovin' Recordings

                                            Big big big BIG choon here from Glenn Underground. Originally released in 2009, so later on in the Chi-town legend's career, but none the less arresting it takes cues from Glenn's pivotal 1995 piece - "Beyond", with its galloping mini-arps and non-uniform drum programming. "Escuchame" is jarring, elbow-out, strobe light on, Chicago JACK. A nondescript vocal refrain repeats 'future...' over taut synth arps and swirling, disorientating drums. When that, on-the-one snare-kick pattern hits you'll be marching straight to the podium in order to get down.

                                            "Hi Tech Soul" also possesses galloping synth work, and supplements it with twangy leads, crisp hats and added perc. It's slightly more Detroitian in nature, veering deliciously into Delando Smith's territory whilst still being 100% Glenn!

                                            Official reissue thru Groovin Recordings 2018 & published by Strictly Jaz Unit Music. TIP!


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                                            Cover of GU Essentials by Glenn Underground.

                                            Glenn Underground

                                            GU Essentials

                                            Groovin

                                            First volume of the classic “GU Essentials” series, finally repressed! Marking some of Glenn's finest work, it finds the producer in relaxed, carefree form; conjuring up sun blushed, frenetic house workouts that'll sound as good on the beach bars as they do in the nightclubs or soundtracking your Autumnal forest soiree! "Trancing" kicks us off with patented GU perc paired nicely with a male vocal hook and drizzled with Rhodes, meandering keyboard solo and catch woodblock rhythms. "Detroitism" sees the Chi-town mainstay tip his hat to fellow groove-smiths over lake Michigen. The track sees intricate hi-hat patterns shuffled to oblivion while a tasty, 'glide' preset synth keeps the vibe electric. "SJU" sees an early mention of his "Strictly Jazz Unit" and, true to form, is a jazz-flecked house cruise decorated with delicate FM / digital synth patterns. "Mello Blo" concludes the set with radiant pad stabs emanating from a wooden b-line and slamming Chi-town drums. The very epitome of Glenn across four wonderful tracks. Essential!

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                                            Cover of Kill Me Now (Or You Never Will) by Underground Railroad.

                                            Underground Railroad

                                            Kill Me Now (Or You Never Will)

                                            One Little Indian

                                            Following glowing reviews from the NME – 'it's clear we're in the presence of greatness', and The Fly – 'the teeth-shattering ferocity of Pixies at their most pissed off…radio-slaying, agit-pop melodies', Parisian trio Underground Railroad release their new single a fortnight ahead of their coming-of-age second album "Sticks And Stones". "Kill Me Now" is a slice of psyche-tinged indie that harks back to early 90s Seattle, but with a definite pop sensibility.

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                                            Cover of White Night Stand by Underground Railroad.

                                            Underground Railroad

                                            White Night Stand

                                            One Little Indian

                                            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.

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                                            Cover of Actuator by Underground Resistance.

                                            Underground Resistance

                                            Actuator

                                            Underground Resistance

                                            Imagine Mad Mike in full ghetto bass swing, kitted out in a superhero costume! Badass bass and monster electro beats out of the ruins of old Detroit, produced at the secret UR HQ and genetically spliced with tech-funk by the daddy himself.

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                                            Cover of Galaxy 2 Galaxy by Underground Resistance.

                                            Underground Resistance

                                            Galaxy 2 Galaxy

                                            Underground Resistance

                                            Not only is this one of the best techno records ever, this UR doublepack from back in 1993 is without doubt one of THE best examples of dance music known to man. Including "Hi-Tech Jazz", possibly the greatest jazzy house tune in history, Juan Atkins' tribute to Bruce Lee in "Journey Of The Dragons, Mad Mike's "Astral Apache" (very Red Planet), any many more! This is the sound of the Detroit gods at the peak of their powers. Influenced everyone who's ever heard it, THIS IS TECHNO.

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                                            Cover of Hardlife - Inc. Aaron Carl Remix by Underground Resistance.

                                            Underground Resistance

                                            Hardlife - Inc. Aaron Carl Remix

                                            Underground Resistance

                                            Almost universally accepted as one of the crowning glories in the UR pantheon, and Motor City Soul at its finest, "Hardlife" has been a stone-cold classic since its initial release in '01. Having never been repressed until now, original copies regularly fetch upwards of £30-40. Epitomizing the feel-good, hi-tech soul sound (think Galaxy2Galaxy or "Children Of The World"), with soulful female vocals, those bouncy, patented Deetroit drums and a massive synth riff there's a reason this is one of the more sought after of the UR catalogue. On the flip Aaron Carl takes the track across the motor city and deep into the ghetto, flipping it into darkside techno; keeping the vocal but stripping everything back to just rattling machine-code beats that would work equally well in a Sound Factory / Junior Vasquez set.
                                            This is a one-off limited repress so get those orders in quick folks.


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                                            Cover of Hi-Tech Dreams by Underground Resistance.

                                            Underground Resistance

                                            Hi-Tech Dreams

                                            Underground Resistance

                                            Mad Mike's back with one of his special 'hi-tech- productions. The Underground Resistance legend drops an electro kick and administers it with a dose of timeless Detroit funk for the simple yet effective "Hi-Tech Dreams". "Hold My Own" sees his dabble in arcane reverse rock recording and satanical feedback, before getting back on track with a pacier version of the A-side on "Lo-Tech Reality".

                                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                                            12" Info: Repressed.

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                                            Cover of ISF2 Never / Song For The Hmong by Underground Resistance.

                                            Underground Resistance

                                            ISF2 Never / Song For The Hmong

                                            Underground Resistance

                                            Only previously available direct from Submerge, this two-track 7" features two exclusive cuts from the Interstellar Fugitives 2 sessions. "Never" is a scintillating clash of Detroit ghettotech and fuzzy MC5 rock, produced by Boots and Orlando Voorn. "Song For The Hmong" is an altogether more chilled affair from Perception that takes in mystical qualities, guitar solo and lazy breaks.

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                                            Cover of Knights Of The Jaguar EP by Underground Resistance.

                                            Underground Resistance

                                            Knights Of The Jaguar EP

                                            Underground Resistance

                                            Without doubt, one of the greatest techno records of the last decade, perhaps even one of the greatest tunes of any kind of music, ever. DJ Rolando produced this stunning piece of music in 1999 and its reverberations are still being felt today. Instantly recognised as a Detroit techno classic, it slowburned its way into the brains of clubbers of every persuasion, becoming a Body&SOUL anthem along the way. Not since "Strings Of Life" has a crescendo of techno rhythms and strings caused such a dynamic collection of soundwaves. This is a re-issue the original UR 12" pressing (with "Ascesion" on the B-side), albeit re-credited to UR rather than Aztec Mystic.

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                                            Cover of A Lo-Fi Cinematic Landscape by Underground Youth.

                                            Underground Youth

                                            A Lo-Fi Cinematic Landscape

                                            Fuzz Club

                                              Lo-fi Cinematic Landscape is a collection of primarily instrumental recordings that would form the soundtrack to an unfinished short film by Craig Dyer began work on back in 2013. Although the script was never fully conceived and no footage was filmed, these recordings accompany the story as he imagined it would be told. Originally released by Fnord Tapes on tape back in 2015. 

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                                              Cover of Delirium by Underground Youth.

                                              Underground Youth

                                              Delirium

                                              Fuzz Club

                                                The album has been remastered for the repress and that the vinyl version comes with a die-cut cover. Delirium’ was the fifth LP from cult psych/post-punk outfit The Underground Youth, who formed in 2008 and are currently based in Berlin. Originally released in 2011 London-based imprint Fuzz Club are reflecting on the bands extensive back-catalogue and repressing the 12” with a brand new CD reissue. ’Delirium’ harks back to TheUnderground Youth’s earlier psychedelic sound, offering minimalistic and bluesy psychedelia at its best. The album is an unapologetic ode to Craig’s musical heroes, dining on an influence from the likes of Spacemen 3, The Velvet Underground and BJM in its haunting psych instrumentals and beautifully crafted vocals and lyricism that fall somewhere between Bob Dylan and Ian Curtis. 

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                                                Cover of Fill The Void by Underground Youth.

                                                Underground Youth

                                                Fill The Void

                                                Fuzz Club

                                                  The Underground Youth have always been steeped in a romantic nostalgia, their poignant psychedelic post-punk sounding like what might happen if Rowland S. Howard, Leonard Cohen, Bauhaus and The Velvet Underground jammed in a room together, but on this new 45 the band have turned this nostalgia in on themselves. The lyrics are taken from Dyer’s old notebooks dating back nearly a decade and in its minimalistic yet impassioned instrumentation, it also feels like somewhat of a throwback to the older recordings that left them to pick up a cult following (their 2010 LP Mademoiselle 2010 picking up over six million views on Youtube.) 'Fill The Void' and 'Take Me Awry' offer a reflective journey through the band's impassioned psychedelic post-punk, with it's 80s-style percussion, funeral vocals croons and dark jangly instrumentation that occasionally breaks down into a whirlwind of fuzzed-out guitars.

                                                  This desire to strip things back to their raw fundamentals and reflect on the last decade of the project came after the two tracks were nearly shelved because they didn’t quite fit the new direction they’re set to travel down on their forthcoming album. “We’d been experimenting with a completely different sound whilst in the studio recording our ninth album. What we created with these two tracks wasn't really what I was looking for and so I almost scrapped them,” Craig continues: “I just couldn't shake the rhythm of 'Fill the Void' though, we ran through the track as a band and took it out on the road. It fast became one of the most exciting tracks of our set, with Olya's pounding drum and Leo jumping on the additional snare towards the end. When we got back from the tour we revisited the tracks in the studio and decided to use them for a special release.” As The Underground Youth set to delve into exciting new waters, on this special release they've taken us on a typically-gloomy trip down memory lane - not just in terms of post-punk and psychedelia's darker histories, but also for the band themselves.

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                                                  Cover of Haunted by The Underground Youth.

                                                  The Underground Youth

                                                  Haunted

                                                  Fuzz Club Records

                                                  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.

                                                  FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                  Ltd LP Info: Limited repress!

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                                                  Cover of Mademoiselle by The Underground Youth.

                                                  The Underground Youth

                                                  Mademoiselle

                                                  Fuzz Club Records

                                                  Manchester’s The Underground Youth have built an impressive back catalogue of seven full-length albums showcasing a hazy cocktail of neo-psych, post-punk, shoegaze and chillwave, of which every copy of each album has been long sold out. Now for the first time ever their highly sought-after album Mademoiselle is being given a physical release by Fuzz Club, alongside reissues of their sold out 2013 and 2015 albums The Perfect Enemy For God and Haunted.

                                                  The story of Mademoiselle is a testament to the power of great music being able to reach an audience, regardless of the fact the artist might be unsigned, underground and almost unheard of. Originally released in 2010 and only available online, Mademoiselle has piled up millions of views on YouTube, and saw The Underground Youth acquire a cult following at a ferocious pace. The album has continued to endear audiences with its bluesy psychedelic leaning, based on beautifully crafted lyricism and a sculpted sound. Layers of reverb-drenched, folk-indebted guitars and forlorn vocals bleed over hypnotising, monolithic drums to create a record that is 46 minutes of lethargic, lo-fi psych mastery.


                                                  FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                  Ltd LP Info: LP is Limited to 1000 copies.

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                                                  Cover of What Kind Of Dystopian Hellhole Is This? by The Underground Youth.

                                                  The Underground Youth

                                                  What Kind Of Dystopian Hellhole Is This?

                                                  Fuzz Club

                                                  What Kind Of Dystopian Hellhole Is This? (Released 15/02/17) is the eighth LP from Berlin-via-Manchester based psych/post-punk outfit The Underground Youth, and it’s arguably their most accomplished yet. Perhaps what is most exceptional about The Underground Youth is their ability to create a brooding melting pot of Berlin chillwave, post-punk, folk, goth and shoegaze but delivered with a dreamy pop sensibility. With a huge back-catalogue that’s collectively clocked up several million listens from a dedicated global following, Craig Dyer and co have acquired a cult-like status and have consistently been at the forefront of neo-psychedelia since their inception. The band will be heading out on an extensive 25-date EU tour in support of the new LP

                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                  Barry says: Brooding psychedelic rock, beautiful post-apocalyptic musings and minimal instrumental flourishes. From the hypnotic repetition of 'Persistent Stable Hell' to the fuzzy political musings of Beast '(Anti-War Song)', Underground Youth present a unified and determined force to be reckoned with in the post-punk psychedelia stakes. Brilliantly lucid, exciting and visceral.

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                                                  Cover of Get What You Need by The Undertones.

                                                  The Undertones

                                                  Get What You Need

                                                  Sanctuary

                                                  The Undertones return minus Fergal Sharkey but with all the energy and passion that made them Ireland's finest punk band. 25 years after their debut the Undertones have kept their rock legend fully intact.

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                                                  Cover of Hypnotised by The Undertones.

                                                  The Undertones

                                                  Hypnotised

                                                  Salvo Music

                                                    As critically acclaimed and as commercially successful as the Undertones debut LP, Hypnotised features both the classic 3 minute pop punk of its predecessor (listen to My Perfect Cousin, There Goes Norman and Whizz Kids) whilst highlighting a new found maturity and sensitivity with tracks like the plaintive 'Wednesday Week' and stately 'The Way Girls Talk'.

                                                    2016 digital remaster from the original master tapes.

                                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                    Ltd LP Info: 180 gram heavyweight vinyl, original artwork replicated.

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                                                    Cover of Misfortune Comes By Means Of The Mouth by Underule.

                                                    Underule

                                                    Misfortune Comes By Means Of The Mouth

                                                    Blackfish

                                                    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...

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                                                    Cover of Wilderbeast by Jack Underwood.

                                                    Jack Underwood

                                                    Wilderbeast

                                                    O Genesis

                                                    "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."

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                                                    Cover of Teatime Dub Encounters by Underworld & Iggy Pop.

                                                    Underworld & Iggy Pop

                                                    Teatime Dub Encounters

                                                    Caroline International

                                                    Underworld and Iggy Pop collaborate for "Teatime Dub Encounters", released via Caroline International.While overseeing the soundtrack for T2 Trainspotting, Underworld’s Rick Smith arranged a meeting with Iggy Pop in a room at the Savoy Hotel on London’s Strand to discuss working on collaborative music for the film.

                                                    Says Rick Smith 'Iggy was staying at The Savoy and graciously said 'yeah you know we we can meet and talk about something' because we both felt a strong connection to Trainspotting and to Danny. I turned up thinking I've got one chance here to convince this gentleman that we should work together. So I turned up with basically half my studio, hired a hotel room, set up and sat waiting'. Their respective tracks "Lust for Life" and "Born Slippy (Nuxx)" had perfectly bookended the first Trainspotting film two decades previously. On arrival, Iggy found a fully working studio set up and eagerness to get cracking.

                                                    Says Iggy Pop 'When you are confronted with somebody who has a whole bloody studio there in the hotel room, a Skyped director who has won the Oscar recently and a fucking microphone in front of you and 30 finished pieces of very polished music, you don't want to be the wimp that goes 'uh uhhh', so my mind was racing.'

                                                    "Teatime Dub Encounters" is the result of a few clandestine hotel room recording sessions, that began a few weeks after Underworld and Iggy Pop had each released their last albums. It is neither historical or a tribute to past work. It is the work of artists in motion, engaged in a process that both bring to all of their work - one that uses spontaneity as a spur for creativity.

                                                    The first track from "Teatime Dub Encounters", "Bells & Circles", was premiered live as part of Underworld’s recent headline performance at the BBC Biggest Weekend Belfast. A second track "I’ll See Big", is streaming everywhere now. Something of a flipside to "Bells & Circles"," I’ll See Big" is a
                                                    wash of gorgeous ambient sound that features Iggy recounting how friends – however dysfunctional – have saved him from a lifetime of bad decisions. The lyric for I’ll See Big was inspired by a conversation Iggy had with Danny Boyle about the subtext of both Trainspotting films.


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                                                    Cover of Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future by Underworld.

                                                    Underworld

                                                    Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future

                                                    Caroline International

                                                    Underworld duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith return with their first new studio album in six years. It’s fair to say that 'Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future' finds the pair creatively reborn. Its seven tracks are fleet-footed, raw and spontaneous - a direct result of a strict working process in the studio that saw Smith and Hyde write entirely new music each time they met. That process has helped produce an album that stands alongside the recently reissued classics 'dubnobasswithmyheadman' and 'Second Toughest In The Infants'.

                                                    So what’s there in the shining future? The opening punch of a two-note detuned bass riff crunching over relentless percussion; the elegiac swoop of strings as they stretch out across off-world electronics; a demented lupine howl that curls itself into an unshakeable earworm; celestial techno and South American acoustics; voices that warp into harmonic riffs; found lyrics that form fine-tuned monolgues; head music to dance to.

                                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                    LP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                                                    Cover of Beaucoup Fish by Underworld.

                                                    Underworld

                                                    Beaucoup Fish

                                                    UMC

                                                      "Beaucoup Fish" is the fifth album by Underworld, released in 1999. Following the huge success of the single "Born Slippy" from its use in the film Trainspotting, Beaucoup Fish was Underworld's most anticipated release. It spawned several successful singles, including "Push Upstairs", "Jumbo" and "Moaner", which was previously used in the film Batman & Robin. "Beaucoup Fish" was well-received critically (one review calling it 'electronica's "The Dark Side of the Moon"') and remains Underworld's most successful album, with over one million copies sold. It is the last studio album to feature Darren Emerson who departed in 2001 and third album by the techno / house orientated version of Underworld which became active in about 1991/1992 (tracks were being released around this time under the names Lemon Interupt and Underworld). I personally remember this being a particularly arresting album in 1999, with a rollercoaster of dynamics which took you to the dizzying heights of techno stompers "Push Upstairs" & "King Of Snake" and down to the come-down frazzled lullabies of "Skym" and "Winjer" via the Portishead-esque introspection of "Push Downstairs" and the baggy breakbeats of "Bruce Lee". A classic.

                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                      4xDeluxe CD Info: The bespoke remastered super deluxe format features 40 tracks across 4CDs with a 60 page booklet. It includes the original albums classic singles remastered for 2016 as well as unreleased tracks, alternative versions & B-sides.

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                                                      Cover of Beautiful Burnout - Inc. Mark Knight Remix by Underworld.

                                                      Underworld

                                                      Beautiful Burnout - Inc. Mark Knight Remix

                                                      UW

                                                      Underworld slice another cut from recent LP "Oblivion With Balls". "Beautiful Burnout" is another of the duo's epic, building tech-house fests with another of Hyde's stream of consciousness vocals inserted in the middle (surely you know what they're going to sound like by now!) On the flip Mark Knight gets all "French Kiss" on us, driving his remix along with a rattling metallic keyboard riff and bubbling bass before dropping down into some lush ambience and those vocals again.

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                                                      Cover of Crocodile - Inc. Oliver Hunteman Remix by Underworld.

                                                      Underworld

                                                      Crocodile - Inc. Oliver Hunteman Remix

                                                      Underworld / Different

                                                      "Crocodile" is the first sneak preview of Underworld's upcoming "Oblivion With Bells" album, their first long player in four years. Featuring a simple but solid driving backing and almost devotional sounding choral vocals, the track subtly sneaks under you skin. On the flip Oliver Hunteman strips things down for a more minimal sound. Already a smash over in that Ibiza, "Crocodile" looks set for big things here in the UK too. DJ support comes from Sasha, Steve Lawler, Hernan Cattaneo, Satoshi Tomiie, Prins Thomas, King Unique, Zoo Brazil, Jagz Kooner, Redanka, DJ Paulette, Chris Duckenfield and many more.

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                                                      Cover of Crocodile - Pete Heller / Innervisions Orchestra Remixes by Underworld.

                                                      Underworld

                                                      Crocodile - Pete Heller / Innervisions Orchestra Remixes

                                                      Underworld / Different

                                                      The lead track from Underworld's upcoming "Oblivion With Bells" album gets remixed. On side A Pete Heller keeps the filtered, almost choral vocal of the original and wraps it in a funky tech-house sound. On the flip Innervisions Orchestra (Ame to those in the know, delivering their last ever remix apparently!) deliver one of their epic, lush, deeper than deep tech-house remakes.

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                                                      Cover of Dubnobasswithmyheadman - Remastered 2xLP Edition by Underworld.

                                                      Underworld

                                                      Dubnobasswithmyheadman - Remastered 2xLP Edition

                                                      UMC

                                                      Two decades on from its release in 1994, this is one of the most influential British electronic records of all time. To celebrate its twentieth anniversary the album has been meticulously remastered at Abbey Road for a deluxe reissue by Underworld’s Rick Smith.

                                                      The 2LP Vinyl - pressed on 180gm - contains the original album, remastered by Rick Smith from the original MIDI.

                                                      Having seen their synth-rock band Freur grind to a halt in 1989, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith relocated to Romford, hooked up with DJ Darren Emerson and became the art-rock reinvented as techno outfit Underworld. Featuring Smith's stream of consciousness vocals (created by taking a pen an paper with him and “mapping out journeys across cities at night”) and Smith, Emerson and Hyde's immense electronica / techno cuts (equally inspired by early influences like Kraftwerk, Steve Reich, Hawkwind and  Tangerine Dream as the early 90s Romford rave scene) 'Dubnobasswithmyheadman' is a landmark 1990s techno album. With Emerson on hand to road test tracks in his DJ sets, the album has key dancefloor winners, but also works a home-listening full length LP. 


                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                      2xLP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                                                      Cover of Dubnobasswithmyheadman - Remastered 5xCD Edition by Underworld.

                                                      Underworld

                                                      Dubnobasswithmyheadman - Remastered 5xCD Edition

                                                      UMC

                                                      Two decades on from its release in 1994, this is one of the most influential British electronic records of all time. To celebrate its twentieth anniversary the album has been meticulously remastered at Abbey Road for a deluxe reissue by Underworld’s Rick Smith. Revisiting the original MIDI files, Rick uncovered a wealth of previously unreleased material and rare alternate mixes that sit alongside the record’s original companion singles and remixes and offer a fascinating insight into the creation of the record. The resultant release is the definitive version of one of those rare records that truly deserves its iconic status.

                                                      This LP-sized 5-CD Super Deluxe Box Set contain the original remastered album, associated singles and remixes, previously unreleased bonus tracks and an entire 7-song live jam. Box Set contains a book containing memorabilia from the period and new artworks by design collective tomato.

                                                      Having seen their synth-rock band Freur grind to a halt in 1989, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith relocated to Romford, hooked up with DJ Darren Emerson and became the art-rock reinvented as techno outfit Underworld. Featuring Smith's stream of consciousness vocals (created by taking a pen an paper with him and “mapping out journeys across cities at night”) and Smith, Emerson and Hyde's immense electronica / techno cuts (equally inspired by early influences like Kraftwerk, Steve Reich, Hawkwind and  Tangerine Dream as the early 90s Romford rave scene) 'Dubnobasswithmyheadman' is a landmark 1990s techno album. With Emerson on hand to road test tracks in his DJ sets, the album has key dancefloor winners, but also works a home-listening full length LP. 

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                                                      [ - ]
                                                      Cover of Oblivion With Balls by Underworld.

                                                      Underworld

                                                      Oblivion With Balls

                                                      Underworld

                                                      Five years on from "A Hundred Days Off", Messrs Hyde and Smith return with a new Underworld album. Opening with the single "Crocodile", the album continues in a club-track vein, complete with Hyde's stream of consciousness vocals, before dropping the lush ambient track "To Heal", perhaps influenced by their recent work with Gabriel Yared on the "Breaking And Entering" soundtrack. Next up "Ring Road" heads back to the early 80s and 23 Skidoo / Byrne and Eno for inspiration, and is book-ended by another ambient winner "Glam Bucket". Like The Chemical Brothers, those other purveyors of 'dance albums that indie kids can buy', Underworld show here that they have kept up with what's been going on in dance music over the intervening years (updating equipment, adding a glitch here and there), while retaining their own distinctive sound and still remaining relevant.

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                                                      Cover of One Hundred Days Off by Underworld.

                                                      Underworld

                                                      One Hundred Days Off

                                                      JBO / V2

                                                      This is everything you want and expect from an Underworld LP! It's full of richly textured techno and tech-house tracks (vocal or instrumental) with the occasional lush slowie thrown in for good measure. As good as anything else they've done, but unlikely to get them any new converts. Includes the fantastic "Two Months Off" single.

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                                                      Cover of Second Toughest In The Infants - 4xCD Super Deluxe Edition by Underworld.

                                                      Underworld

                                                      Second Toughest In The Infants - 4xCD Super Deluxe Edition

                                                      Underworld / UMC

                                                      Originally released in March 1996, 'Second Toughest In The Infants' is Underworld’s masterpiece. Following 1994’s groundbreaking predecessor 'Dubnobasswithmyheadman' (the record that cemented the band’s reputation as one of the UK’s most important dance acts), 'Second Toughest…' was the point they forged out alone, in turn creating some of the most forward thinking electronic music this country has ever produced. This reissue sees the album remastered for the first time for a series of special editions that collects together for the first time rare singles, remixes and unreleased studio and live tracks.

                                                      'Second Toughest…' is the perfect hybrid of man and machine. It’s a record that crackles with the frantic energy of pirate stations half tuned on FM dials; one that strolls through grimy cities at night and ducks between dog tracks and neon-lit all-night stores. Lyrically, it’s voyeurism from the molten core of the dancefloor - a place where fragments of overheard conversations are hand spliced to fizzling, sparking rhythm tracks to create a strange, dizzying, inimitable form of music.

                                                      Although informed by the nascent drum’n’bass scene, minimalist composition and the European techno underground, Second Toughest… only ends up sounding like Underworld. It’s a truly unique album – the sound of Rick Smith, Karl Hyde and Darren Emerson working at the height of their powers, utterly unaffected by the prevailing trends of the time and creating properly peerless music.

                                                      As with 'dubnobasswithmyheadman', the reissue of 'Second Toughest In The Infants' sees the original album remastered for the first time (at Abbey Road). The extra discs feature non-album singles, B-sides and remixes from the time as well as a selection of previously unreleased tracks that provide a fascinating insight into the creative process around the record. The fourth disc on the super-deluxe version features the seven unreleased recordings that map out the genesis of 'Born Slippy (Nuxx)'. They take the iconic track from earliest embryonic studio version through to a final extended mix via several previously unheard live versions from 1994

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                                                      Cover of The Undisco Kidds by Boots For Dancing.

                                                      Boots For Dancing

                                                      The Undisco Kidds

                                                      Athens Of The North

                                                      Born at Scotland's postpunk crossroads in 1979, Boots For Dancing kicked down the boundary walls of a played-out scene and introduced the UK to a more funky way of doing Punk. Hugely popular as a live act, often wiping the floor with the bands they were supporting, Boots was something genuinely ahead of the epoch's curve and played an important part in the vanguard of the burgeoning Post Punk and Punk-Funk movements. Sadly, Boots For Dancing's light shone brightly but briefly, though the band had connections with, and cross-pollinations between, better-known acts such as The Rezillos, The Human League and Josef K. Their boundless energy and undeniable talent never proved quite enough for great success. Great songs, even bolstered with good looks, are no guarantee of success in the fickle music business. Ultimately, business got in their way and the group disbanded in 1982 with just a few single releases in its canon, though a wealth of potential hits had been put to tape. Athens of the North is proud to present the band's 1982 album-that-never-was - an album that surely would have made them. It still sounds as fresh as it was when recorded.

                                                      - The holy grail lost scottlish post punk LP - Extensive Sleeve Notes by Music and Theature writer Neil Cooper'

                                                      - Additional Sleeve notes by Jo Callis (Human League /Rezillos) and Mark Hagen (BBC Radio)

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                                                      Cover of And The Light Beams Will Guide The Way by Unearth Noise & Dreamspeak.

                                                      Unearth Noise & Dreamspeak

                                                      And The Light Beams Will Guide The Way

                                                      Lullabies For Insomniacs

                                                      After two years Unearth Noise returns with a second dosage on LFI. "And The Light Beams will Guide The way" arrives as a double LP with one disc from Unearth Noise and the other from his collaboration with vocalist Myrh, under their collaborative guise Dreamspeak.

                                                      Unearth Noise's solo works delve into familiar territory. At times reminiscent of his debut on the label "Prayer and Resonance" his signature, dense and mesmerizing sound world develops on this second outing, harnessing a frenetic energy that dissolves like devil dust. Dreamspeak create a transcendental experience that beguiles listeners – one that is equally as haunting as it is enchanting.

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                                                      Cover of The Oncoming Storm by Unearth.

                                                      Unearth

                                                      The Oncoming Storm

                                                      Metal Blade

                                                      "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.

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                                                      Cover of BAROC004 by Unfinished Portraits.

                                                      Unfinished Portraits

                                                      BAROC004

                                                      Baroc

                                                      Cologne's techno powerhouse Baroc arrive at release number four with a little help from Cairo producer/producers (no info on that one!) Unfinished Portraits, who drop three deep and dope untitled cuts! Stretching over the whole of the A-side, the EP opener is a sophisticated techno cut driven into the heart of the dancefloor by a low-rolling bassline and hissing hats. The subdued pads and subtle tape hiss give the track texture, while the slinky keys and skitterish vocal samples add an air of mystery that'll keep you coming back for more. On the flipside, Unfinished Portraits take us to church with a gospel-techno bomb whose father, son and holy spirit are KDJ, Levon and Legowelt. Hard hitting percussion, impish leadlines and smoked out church samples combine perfectly into an uplifting club cut that'll make a saint out of the staunchest sinner. The B2 closes the EP out in mindboggling fashion as Egypt's finest mix a dislocated drum track with intangible pads and serve chilled with murmered vocals. Far out! 

                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                      12" Info: Hand-stamped with postcard inserts

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                                                      The Unfinished Sympathy

                                                      The Unfinished Sympathy

                                                      B Core

                                                      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.

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