Hard edged EBM and industrialized stomp here on the newly minted Ratteznake records. First single also by Effet Rose. "Los" sounds like it's been ripped off a lost Medusa edits twelve, its mix of Nitzer Ebb, Ministry and Severed Heads rippling off the wax with a ferocious intent. "Warschauer" sees concentric dark acid mixed with incomprehensible vocal utterances, recalling some machine darkness from Glasgow's Clan Destine Traxx. Finally, "Dance For Me" sees the gremlins' battle cry eeked out of a frazzled outboard, drawing out all the mutants for a techno moshpit of destructive proportions. Head for the bunkers!

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Colon-busting biznis here from newly minted Rattleznake. Tuff enough to blow even the most hardened new beater a new orifice or two. Yowzers.

Originally recorded between 1974 and 1978 at Industrial Records studio in London "The Space Between" album was first released as a 90 minute cassette in 1980 on Throbbing Gristle's Industrial Records label. It wasn't until 1991 that it was again released by Mute Records on CD. Although tracks from "The Space Between" have appeared on numerous compilations since its release, the album has never been available on vinyl until now. This new vinyl edition on Optimo Music, now retitled "The Spaces Between", doesn't include all the tracks of the original album but has been enhanced and remastered from the original two-track master tapes and has new cover artwork especially for this release. JD Twitch has this to say about the release; 'The original release featured 15 tracks. As I wanted to have a reasonably loud vinyl pressing, I have picked my favourite six to appear here (not an easy task to narrow it down). In addition there is a bonus track "Climbing" which was recorded around the same time that was released by Coil's Geoff Ruston on his "Men With Deadly Dreams" cassette in 1981. One of the first ever recordings to use an 808 drum machine, it still sounds as if it is from tomorrow. In my opinion, these are some of the key recordings in the history of electronic music. They were made using very basic equipment at a time when there was no blueprint for what electronic music could and should be. There is a beauty, an emotion and an imagination present here that is lacking in a lot of modern machine music. This music is as vital and wondrous today as it was four decades ago.'

All tracks have been remastered by Chris Carter in 2009 for this release. Musically, it's an electronic soundtrack for a sleazy sci-fi movie, with moments of uplifting beauty combined with bits of claustrophobic mania. Amazing stuff.

FORMAT INFORMATION

Coloured LP Info: Limited Repress On Grey Vinyl.

DETROIT RISING: A COSMIC JAZZ FUNK ADVENTURE—an unprecedented project created by universally respected musicians, including current and original members of the archetypal funk band Parliament-Funkadelic, along with a selection of world class talent from across the country—is going to bring a new style of funk to audiences this spring.

The hybrid jazz-funk and R&B-flavored album—set for release Friday, March 30 via Down Jazz Records, with physical distribution via the Seattle-based Light In the Attic Records—is a collaboration between highly sought after young P-Funk artists and writers, and is supported by legendary industry veterans, including members that have performed with artists such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Mary J. Blige, Herbie Hancock, Bootsy Collins, Bernie Worrell, Theo Parrish and Red Hot Chili Peppers, in addition to their regular work with Parliament-Funkadelic. Key figures in the group also played regularly with late, great artists such as Prince and Miles Davis, among others.

The 10-track album—conceived and overseen by creative producer David Schwartz over the past three years—opens with the saxophone and keys-heavy “Lashing Out” followed by “Little Bit,” one of multiple tracks that musically stretches out over nine minutes in length. Elsewhere is the soulful “Rocket Love,” the sexy ode of “Gorgeous” and the groovy unity-themed anthem“With Peace & Harmony.” *See below for the full track listing.

DETROIT RISING was recorded live at the world famous Motown affiliated United Sound Studios in Detroit, as well as at renowned studios in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and the Swamp Funk studios in Florida, and mixed and mastered by some of the best engineers in the business, including Richie Beretta (Beyonce), Tatsuya Sato (A Tribe Called Quest) and Mark Santangelo (Childish Gambino). The result is a highly skilled, vibrant and progressive album that combines elements of funk, jazz, soul, hip-hop and rock ‘n’ roll to capture a live sound that genuinely represents the next best thing to having the full band performing live in front of an audience.

Featured on DETROIT RISING are United Sound musicians guitarist DuminieDeporres (Theo Parrish) and bassist Kern Brantley (Lady Gaga, Beyonce) and P-Funk musicians Gabe Gonzalez (drums), Danny Bedrosian (piano, keys, moog, vocals and current young Parliament-Funkadelic synth leader), DeWayne “Blackbyrd” McKnight (guitar/has also played with Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Bootsy Collins), Lige Curry (bass), Greg Thomas (saxophone, vocals/also played with Bootsy Collins), Benjamin “Benzel” Cowan (drums and son of P-Funk trumpet player Benny Cowan), Tonysha Nelson (vocals and granddaughter of George Clinton) and Steve Boyd (vocals), along with special guest vocalist Sue Ann Carwell (Prince, Parliament-Funkadelic).

After years of honing their performance skills on worldwide stages, the current touring musicians of DETROIT RISING now take center stage, performing original compositions that shine a light on the true extent of their talent and creativity.

FORMAT INFORMATION

Coloured LP Info: LP pressed sea green colored vinyl.
Extra heavy print board, metallic ink jacket.
Comes with digital download and extra tracks, instrumentals, dance remixes, ability for DJ’s to remix.

Silvana Noris, Italian-German singer, is an artist who has embraced theater, sport (she has been awarded on various occasions in various martial arts disciplines), writing and singing. The cult song "Din Don" published under the pseudonym of Evo in 1983 for the Italian label "Cultura & Musica" is regarded by many as one of the sweetest anthems in the Italo music cannon. With Silvana's voice in a very deep and dark intonation, accompanied by technicoloured synthesizer chords, it's at once yearning, melancholic and cosmic AF. Recently rediscovered by DJ Harvey & Il Bosco and played into the 'Sarcastic-disco' sessions and "Red Laser Vol.1" compilations respectively. Now's another chance to own this absolute beauty on highly quality fresh 12" vinyl.

In the relatively short time since Stroom first appeared in the stores, the Belgian label has quickly blossomed into an essential imprint for any true heads out there. Drifting between esoteric ambience, bedroom tape manipulations, wavy torch songs and overlooked R&B, the Stroom catalogue explores the frayed edges of the musical map, always looking for something unheard and unmissable. Their latest release puts a spotlight on Pablo's Eye, a loose collective of musicians and performers centered around Brussels engineer Axel Libeert. From 1989 to 1999, the flexible ensemble created a septet of CD only releases, the highlights of which make it onto this perfectly sequenced collection.
Opener "Blind And Quiet" sets the scene with backmasked guitar, tremulous bass drones and animalistic breathing, gently pulling us into the deep dreamspace which Pablo's Eye call home. "Track 2" offers a further post modern twist, turning evocative piano, otherworldly zither and choral vox into a mournful mood piece via snippets of evangelical vocals. Soon we drift from that Lynchian contradiction to the remarkably Balearic "La Pedrera", a moody midnight stroll by beachside cafe's in an ocean breeze. At the close of the A-side, the somber strings and gentle guitar of "Track 4" hold us close in suspended animation, before the flip brings the propulsive beach resort funk of "Otis". With its atmospheric electronics, steady bass and chorus guitars "El Barrio Gotico" sounds like an ambient reprise of Texan classic "Broken Wings", while the tumbling percussion, snatches of vocal and electronic textures of "Amb 7" takes us dancing into the centre of the self. Finally, the one chord suspense and delicate jangle of "A Long Standing Dream" carries us off into the warming soup of the collective consciousness. By means of depth placement, psychoacoustics and spatial fug, Pablo’s Eye is experienced in the deeper reaches of the body, bypassing the conscious part of the mind entirely. More than anything, Pablo’s Eye is a temporary atmosphere, like a taste or a dream..." 

Shrouded in mystery, the Hermetica are a series of Egyptian-Greek didactic texts, meant to help the willing student better understand the cosmos, divinity, and nature. On her debut LP for DFA Records, German producer Perel takes the listener into deep space and explains it all. Over the course of nine tracks, she shares a striking amalgamation of house, new wave, and kraut motifs that crystallize to form a unique sound.

Born in Saxony, Annegret Fiedler ventured into the realm of songwriting at the age of eight, composing her first songs on her grandmother’s piano while listening to Eurythmics and 2 Unlimited cassettes in her spare time. Moving to the East German city of Halle to study in the mid-aughts, she was heavily influenced by the multifaceted alternative music scene there, and the parties people threw in post-Berlin Wall abandoned buildings. Fiedler went on to develop her craft as a formally trained singer, co-producer, and multi-instrumentalist in several bands, covering a broad palette of styles ranging from punk rock to electro pop and honing her performance skills. A move to Berlin (and the city’s club landscape) inspired her to start recording solo productions under the moniker Perel.

A wonderful companion piece to the totemic Fed, we proudly announce the first ever vinyl edition of Korp Sole Roller by Plush. Liam Hayes' magical fourth full-length LP was previously only available on a rare Japanese import CD. Produced and arranged in 2010 by Pat Sansone (Wilco / The Autumn Defense), it finally arrives in a limited edition of 500 copies.

The common impression of Plush is that of an underground rock myth, lent greater poignancy by the lofty vision that galvanised his music. Yet while he has long been a cult concern, clued-up celebrity fans periodically declare their profound love for Hayes' maverick genius. Indeed, after Jason Schwartzman introduced Plush to Roman Coppola, several stunning songs from Korp Sole Roller soundtracked Coppola's A Glimpse Inside The Mind Of Charles Swan III.

As ever with Plush, it's easy to imagine you are listening to a privately pressed rarity from the mid-late 1970s. Or one of the criminally neglected jewels from the discography of Jimmy Webb or Burt Bacharach. The sound on Korp Sole Roller does differ crucially from Fed, however. It is more streamlined. These 10 gorgeously seductive creations careen around ornate string and wind instrument arrangements and producer Sansone's deft work is likely the reason for this. Yet, brilliantly, it still possesses that sun-warped take on classic pop-rock, that Plush specialises in. That peculiar "down-lifting" phenomenon of performing upbeat songs in an enigmatically mournful way.

Upon completion, Korp Sole Roller barely received anything resembling a release. Press coverage was zero because none of the major magazines or blogs knew of its existence. His management at the time essentially buried the album in order to concentrate on other releases. Looking back on this decision, it really made little sense. Everyone involved in its creation of these near-perfect gems is extremely proud of it. Liam himself has described it as the favourite of his albums. Pat's delicate work is astounding. Remastered especially for this special limited edition, it is presented in a sumptuous gatefold jacket with high-end art photography throughout, including full colour inner sleeves. Finally, here's your chance to own a slice of kaleidoscopic pop history.

STAFF COMMENTS

David says: It's very rare these days that a record's reissued that no one here at Piccadilly HQ doesn't have at least some glimmer of knowledge stored away in a dusty part of their brain. This Plush album however, is just that, a genuine bolt of lightning that's electrified all of us with it's lush, Peak Bowie orchestration and kaleidoscopic embrace of pop history. Brilliant.

Alexis Taylor releases a new album on Domino. It is a very new, very individualist and – yes – very beautiful reflection of a life that's changed immeasurably since Alexis first started out in music. This is a musician, writer and singer who has carved his own unique path through the music of the 21st century, completely avoiding getting trapped along the way in dumb oppositions of pop vs avant-garde, dancefloor vs intellect, retro vs modernist and so on. He has worked with living legends from major pop stars to free improvisors in the furthest left field, played huge arenas and tiny clubs without ever privileging one over the other, and through all of it, never stopped listening and learning. All of this accumulated experience is put to work on Beautiful Thing in pursuit of something subtle and elusive but ultimately quite profound and beautifully human. Taylor’s fourth album also represents the first time Alexis has made a solo album with a producer, that producer being Tim Goldsworthy, co-founder of Mo Wax and DFA Recordings and member of UNKLE.

The record is a bold and confident step forward for Alexis both sonically and in terms of his songwriting abilities. It has electronic thrills, dark spaces, memories of dancefloors, heartfelt writing; it's composed, it's improvised, it's accidental, it's strange, but it's also very immediate. It is a beautiful thing itself: a moving, modern and unique sounding long-player, to get lost in on repeated deep listens.

FORMAT INFORMATION

2xColoured LP Info: Heavyweight orange vinyl.

Under the alias of Zanov we find the works of French electronic pioneer Pierre Salkazanov, who had started playing guitar in the 1960s in a Shadows styled band, Les Ambassadors. Instrumental rock was not enough for Salkazanov, he was always looking for evolution, so when a meeting with French synth player Serge Ramses (of "Secret" fame) got him into the world of synthesizers he just dived deep into the bourgeoning world of electronic music. He got himself his first syths and started producing works into a 4-track Teac tape machine. French music was at its best, it was the time of Jean Michel Jarre, Didier Bocquet, Richard Pinhas and Heldon, Alain Meunier... Even Gong's Tim Blake was living in France at that time. And so Zanov soon caught the attention of Polydor, who released Green Ray in 1976. It is a work made with minimal equipment if compared to other French sythetists, not to mention their German peers, he worked on the EMS VCS3 synth and used a 4-track Teac and a Revox A77 Mk IV reel to reel tape recorders obtaining huge sound results. You can appreciate an influence from the Berlin school, Green Ray walks the same path of what artists like Tangerine Dream and the likes were producing at the time, Zanov had felt under the spell of Ricochet, but his head was boiling with ideas which gave the recordings a very personal, unique touch. Zanov's three albums met with unanimous critical acclaim for the sound quality as well as for the originality of this very personal universe. We offer the first ever vinyl reissue of Zanov's Green Ray under license from Pierre Salkazanov himself and with his cooperation, in a limited edition of 500 copies that reproduce its original artwork, come with remastered sound and an 8 page insert with liner notes and photos courtesy of www.audionautas.com plus one bonus 7" with previously unreleased on vinyl format material.

Under the alias of Zanov we find the works of French electronic pioneer Pierre Salkazanov, who had started playing guitar in the 1960s in a Shadows styled band, Les Ambassadors. Instrumental rock was not enough for Salkazanov, he was always looking for evolution, so when a meeting with French synth player Serge Ramses (of "Secret" fame) got him into the world of synthesizers he just dived deep into the bourgeoning world of electronic music. He got himself a VCS3 and started producing works into a 4-track Teac tape machine. French music was at its best, it was the time of Jean Michel Jarre, Didier Bocquet, Richard Pinhas and Heldon, Alain Meunier... Even Gong's Tim Blake was living in France at that time. And so Zanov soon caught the attention of Polydor, who released his first two LPs Green Ray in 1976 and Moebius 256 301 in 1977. In Course Of Time, his third LP was originally issued in Canada in 1982 and in France in 1983, although it contains works that he had began working in 1979. The material was originally shelved due to legal matters, although he continued to add some changes even after that. The Canadian edition came out in Les Disques Solaris, a recently created label that wanted to specialise in "cosmic" music. Zanov used the same equipment he had used on Moebius 256 301, albeit this time he gave more use to the RMI Harmonic Synthesizer. Zanov's three albums met with unanimous critical acclaim for the sound quality as well as for the originality of this very personal universe. Zanov's third LP was released in 1982 in Canada on Les disques Solaris and in 1983 in France on Ondes. The distributor found a small stock of unplayed copies of the French Ondes release which we are now offering for a limited time while they last in a strict first come / first served orders policy. This is not a reissue, it is the original 1983 French edition on Ondes.Please note that these are MINT UNPLAYED VINYL copies, but they have been laying around in warehouses for long time so sleeves show the pass of time (some yellowing mainly, not bigger problems).

Under the alias of Zanov we find the works of French electronic pioneer Pierre Salkazanov, who had started playing guitar in the 1960s in a Shadows styled band, Les Ambassadors. Instrumental rock was not enough for Salkazanov, he was always looking for evolution, so when a meeting with French synth player Serge Ramses (of "Secret" fame) got him into the world of synthesizers he just dived deep into the bourgeoning world of electronic music. He got himself an EMS VCS3 and started producing works into a 4-track Teac tape machine. French music was at its best, it was the time of Jean Michel Jarre, Didier Bocquet, Richard Pinhas and Heldon, Alain Meunier... Even Gong's Tim Blake was living in France at that time. By the time of his second LP, Moebius 256 301, issued also on Polydor in 1977, Zanov had already gathered a small collection of gear, including an ARP 2600 and an ARP sequencer, his old VCS3, an RMI Harmonic and a PS 3300. Again under the influence of both first and second generation of Berlin school musicians the LP will appeal to fans of Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream, but they will also find a big deal of Zanov's own personal sound on it, since as the musician himself reckons he had little contact with other peers of his generation, so besides a general love for the electronic gear used and the sounds you could make out of them the creative ideas behind his works were all his own. On his second album a richer sound is found, not only due to the use of the new gear, since some of its tracks where recorded using only his old EMS, but also due to his won experience after having taken his works to the life stages in the Golf Drouot boite, the Lase Olympia venue (on the basement of the famous Olympia), the Paris Planetarium or those for planned one month tour (of which in the end only four dates were accomplished). Zanov's three albums met with unanimous critical acclaim for the sound quality as well as for the originality of this very personal universe. We offer the first ever vinyl reissue of Zanov's Moebius 256 301 under license from Pierre Salkazanov himself and with his cooperation, in a limited edition of 500 copies that reproduce its original artwork, come with remastered sound and an 8 page insert with liner notes and photos courtesy of www.audionautas.com plus one bonus 7" with previously unreleased on vinyl format material.

'Needs (not-for-profit) is a nonprofit record label & collective lovingly curated by Bobby Pleasure. We believe in people. The concept of the label is to use music as a medium to spread love, unity and the idea of giving back. Promoting harmony and togetherness rather than isolation and estrangement, each release and accompanying event will act as a support stream to various issues within society such as mental health, homelessness and equality. For the third release we have tracks from Lord Of The Isles, Mehmet Aslan, Petwo Evans, Bartellow & Nick Gynn. Five artists from different countries of the world who all have the needs factor, and have very kindly donated their music to the dancefloor. All profits from this release will be donated to Help Refugees charity. EVERYBODY HAS NEEDS. xxx needs@bobbypleasure.com'

Lovely idea here which thankfully delivers musically as well as in sentiment. The team selection displays a keen ear for A&R with all five artists enjoying a relatively successful period in the meta-underground. Falling on the weirdo fringes of the modern dancehalls, these are tracks for the afterhours and red lit basements, for the lovers and movers. A beautiful record which gives back more than it takes. Get those orders in!

Uncompromising, unpredictable and latterly unstoppable, German DJ Lena Willikens has carved out her own niche in the often bro-ey world of the nightclub. A key member of Dusseldorf's celebrated Salon scene, Willikens eagerly eschews genre confines and dance floor limitations to explore "different temperatures, different time zones, different moods and a healthy portion of chaos.” That willingness to buck convention also extends to this compilation, as the German DJ and celebrated Salon des Amateurs resident has elected to stock her contribution to the Selectors series with a surprising number of previously unreleased tracks. “I’ve been playing most of these songs for a while now,” she explains. “I benefit from my friends and colleagues who constantly send me their unreleased music. Now I want to give something back by sharing these tracks with everybody.”
Nevertheless, those looking for vintage gems won’t be disappointed, as Willikens has also included a handful of oddball favorites from her record bag. At the same time, she’s made a point to avoid notably rare and expensive tunes. “There are already enough passionate people out there doing a great job digging and reissuing,” she says. Instead, her curatorial instincts have taken her in a much more conceptual direction, which she describes as a “little trip through the dunes.” She adds, “It might be challenging to walk or dance on the sand, so perhaps it’s more comfortable to lay down and glide along without having a certain destination in mind.” 

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: Sharp witted selector Lena Willikens adds her name to the Dekmantel compilation series, coming through with a set packed with unreleased gems from her underground pals. Whether it's E-bloc synthwave, industrial funk, shortwave ambient or conceptual techno, the quality never dips below the A-grade. This is as close as you'll get to hearing one of the world's best DJs without leaving your front room.

Our favourite noise merchants, June Records present a new compilation of live electronics and hardware dirg; featuring music from Svengalisghost, Manie Sans Délire, newcomer Bruce Roach, Trenton Chase, RR Hearse + Furnace Miskin and Zodiac Free Arts Club. As usual, it's an uncompromising, razor-sharp edged listen; industrialized, mechanized and weaponized! - head for the bunkers! Highlights include, "Static Control" by Manie Sans Delire - shuddering off the wax like a lost Throbbing Gristle number, while Trenton Chase's "Hand Of God" recalls the spiraling electro-disco of Telex or Morodor but refracted through a a scorched and fried outboard system. Strictly for the warehouse freaks and cyber-goths this one folks... proceed with caution!