France of Cinematic Orchestra fame has just signed a three album deal with Gondwana and is currently working on new material for release in Autumn 2017, but first up is a worldwide re-release for his debut solo recording, The Swimmer, a beautiful beguiling "soundtrack" for a film that hasn't been made yet.
Originally released in October 2013 it sounds even better now than it did then, deeply emotive and epic in scale it draws it influences from the great second wave of film composers including John Carpenter and Vangelis, as well as minimalist composers such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass. France's skill, in this album, as well as his work with The Cinematic Orchestra, is in soundtracking human emotion - The Swimmer is full of heartbreak and recovery, strength, honesty and frailty, it is meditative and hopeful and, in our opinion, you might not hear a better album this year.

STAFF COMMENTS

David says: Sounding even better now than it did when it was originally released in 2013, this is an unparalleled work of beauty that every home should own.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Swimmer
2. Transition
3. Kubrick
4. Joy Of Brass
5. London Park Hotel
6. December
7. Animator

The album has been Half-Speed Remastered and cut to lacquers at 33RPM, on 1x heavyweight black LP, to deliver maximum dynamic range in the sound.

Vinyl cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering, mastered by Tony Cousins at Metropolis. The album is true to the original LP design, but all images are newly re-scanned.

The album comes with a download card with a choice of digital download (Hi-Res 24bit or 16bit)

Recorded in 1984, and originally released in March 1985, Birdy marks the first occasion that Peter worked with French-Canadian producer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Lanois who went onto co-produce both Peter’s So and US albums. The soundtrack to the Alan Parker movie of the same name – the tale of a Vietnam vet who harbours Icarus-like ambitions to fly – it finds Peter flexing his creative muscles free of any commercial pressures and has a number of tracks build out of elements of existing tracks from Peter’s third and fourth solo albums.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A
A1 At Night
A2 Floating Dogs
A3 Quiet And Alone
A4 Close Up (from Family Snapshot)
A5 Slow Water
A6 Dressing The Wound
SIDE B
B1 Birdy's Flight (from Not One Of Us)
B2 Slow Marimbas
B3 The Heat (from The Rhythm Of The Heat)
B4 Sketchpad With Trumpet And Voice
B5 Under Lock And Key (from Wallflower)
B6 Powerhouse At The Foot Of The Mountain (from San Jacinto)

More than 20 years in the making, this December finally sees the release of i/o, Peter Gabriel’s first album of new material since 2002’s Up.

During 2023, Peter has been releasing a new song from the album on the occasion of every full moon. Being revealed roughly every four weeks, each track has been allowed to find its own time and space, to enjoy its own orbit. “It’s a little like getting a Lego piece each month,” Peter explains. Now it’s time to stand back and admire the final, completed creation.

And what a creation – 12 tracks of grace, gravity and great beauty that provide welcome confirmation of not only Peter’s ongoing ability to write stop-you-in-your-tracks songs but also of that thrilling voice, still perfectly, delightfully intact. Throughout the album the intelligent and thoughtful – often thought-provoking – songs tackle life and the universe. Our connection to the world around us – ‘I’m just a part of everything’ Peter sings on title track i/o – is a recurring motif, but so too the passing of time, mortality and grief, alongside such themes as injustice, surveillance and the roots of terrorism. But this is not a solemn record. While reflective, the mood is never despondent; i/o is musically adventurous, often joyous and ultimately full of hope, topped off as it is, by the rousingly optimistic closing song, Live and Let Live.

Always looking to push the boundaries, i/o is not simply a collection of a dozen songs. All 12 tracks are subject to two stereo mixes: the Bright-Side Mix, handled by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent, and the Dark-Side Mix, as reshaped by Tchad Blake. “We have two of the greatest mixers in the world in Tchad and Spike and they definitely bring different characters to the songs. Tchad is very much a sculptor building a journey with sound and drama, Spike loves sound and assembling these pictures, so he’s more of a painter.” Both versions are included on the double-CD package, and are also available separately as double vinyl albums. And that’s not all. A third version – the In-Side Mix, in Dolby Atmos, comes courtesy of Hans-Martin Buff “doing a wonderful job generating these much more three-dimensional mixes” and is included in three-disc set, including Blu-ray.

Peter has kept his trusty inner circle of musicians close to hand, which means guitarist David Rhodes, bassist Tony Levin and drummer Manu Katché are sterling presences throughout. Several songs bear the fingerprints of long-time associate Brian Eno, whilst there are notable contributions from the likes of Richard Russell, pianist Tom Cawley, trumpeters Josh Shpak and Paolo Fresu, cellist Linnea Olsson and keyboard player Don E. Peter’s daughter Melanie contributes warm backing vocals, as does Ríoghnach Connolly of The Breath. Soweto Gospel Choir and Swedish all-male choir Oprhei Drängar lend their magnificent harmonies and the mass strings of the New Blood Orchestra, led by John Metcalfe, both soothe and soar.

Peter has also invited a range of visual artists to contribute a piece of art to accompany each track. The dozen artists make an exceedingly impressive team of collaborators: Ai Weiwei, Nick Cave, Olafur Eliasson, Henry Hudson, Annette Messager, Antony Micallef, David Moreno, Cornelia Parker, Megan Rooney, Tim Shaw, David Spriggs and Barthélémy Toguo. Having handpicked the artists, Peter recognises that “They have the same obsessive attention to their visual work that we musicians have in sound.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: I don't get why everyone is going on about it, it's only been 30 years and the result more than makes up for the *slightly* longer gestation time of I/O. It's a wonderfully rich, beautifully refined work that sings with influence from all of Gabriel's work since he started recording it, and coming together beautifully despite it's disparate elements.

TRACK LISTING

CD Tracklisting:
CD1 – Bright-Side Mix
1 Panopticom
2 The Court
3 Playing For Time
4 I/o
5 Four Kinds Of Horses
6 Road To Joy
7 So Much
8 Olive Tree
9 Love Can Heal
10 This Is Home
11 And Still
12 Live And Let Live

CD2 – Dark-Side Mix
1 Panopticom
2 The Court
3 Playing For Time
4 I/o
5 Four Kinds Of Horses
6 Road To Joy
7 So Much
8 Olive Tree
9 Love Can Heal
10 This Is Home
11 And Still
12 Live And Let Live

Blu-Ray – In-Side Mix (Dolby Atmos)
1 Panopticom
2 The Court
3 Playing For Time
4 I/o
5 Four Kinds Of Horses
6 Road To Joy
7 So Much
8 Olive Tree
9 Love Can Heal
10 This Is Home
11 And Still
12 Live And Let Live

Vinyl Tracklisting:
Bright-Side Mix & Dark-Side Mix
Side A
1 Panopticom
2 Playing For Time
3 The Court
Side B
4 Four Kinds Of Horses
5 I/o
6 Love Can Heal
Side C
7 Road To Joy
8 So Much
9 Olive Tree
Side D
10 This Is Home
11 And Still
12 Live And Let Live

The album has been Half-Speed Remastered and cut to lacquers at 33RPM, across 2x heavyweight black vinyl LPs, to deliver maximum dynamic range in the sound.

Vinyl cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering, mastered by Tony Cousins at Metropolis. The album is true to the original LP design with a wide-spine jacket and printed inner sleeves, but now utilises colour photographs from The Last Temptation of Christ film. All images are newly re-scanned.

The album comes with a download card with a choice of digital download (Hi-Res 24bit or 16bit).

Passion – Music for The Last Temptation of Christ was released a year after Martin Scorsese’s controversy-laden film first hit the big screen in 1988. Passion tends to be regarded as a work in its own right rather than just being a movie soundtrack. It features additional music to that which was included in the film; this extra material was the result of Peter continuing to record and to resolve “unfinished ideas”. Built on a foundation of Middle Eastern and North African rhythms and melodies, Passion is unsurprisingly Peter’s most spiritual work, no more so than when the alternately ascending voices of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Youssou N’Dour and Peter himself interweave on the title track. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Youssou N’Dour are far from the only notable guests; the cross-continental gathering of musicians also includes Senegalese griot Baaba Maal, jazz drummer Bill Cobham and avant-garde trumpeter Jon Hassell among many others.

TRACK LISTING

LP 1
A1 The Feeling Begins
A2 Gethsemane
A3 Of These, Hope
A4 Lazarus Raised
A5 Of These, Hope - Reprise
A6 In Doubt
A7 A Different Drum
B1 Zaar
B2 Troubled
B3 Open
B4 Before Night Falls
B5 With This Love

LP 2
C1 Sandstorm
C2 Stigmata
C3 Passion
C4 With This Love – Choir
D1 Wall Of Breath
D2 The Promise Of Shadows
D3 Disturbed
D4 It Is Accomplished
D5 Bread And Wine

Against all odds, one of the most talked about soundtracks in movie history rose to the surface in 2002. Believed for years to be lost, destroyed or even buried deep beneath a motorway, this disc contains Paul Giovanni’s original music to The Wicker Man. These historic recordings had, up until then, only been heard by a select few.

Based on the themes of fertile pre-Christian practices of pagan Britain, The Wicker Man did not follow the predictable formula of 1960’s British horror movies. The equally non-formulaic music score was provided by talented songwriter Paul Giovanni, and his assistant Gary Carpenter.

With only six weeks allotted to write, research and record the soundtrack, Paul draws on the rich traditions of Celtic music to present a brilliant collection of eclectic folk songs underpinned with aeons-old verse.

TRACK LISTING

Corn Rigs
The Landlords Daughter
Gently Johnny
Maypole
Fire Leap
The Tinker Of Rye
Willow’s Song
Procession
Chop Chop
Lullaby
Festival/Mirie It Is/Sumer Is A-Cumen In

Through his operas, his symphonies, his compositions for his own ensemble, and his wide-ranging collaborations with artists ranging from Twyla Tharp to Allen Ginsberg, Woody Allen to David Bowie, Philip Glass has had an extraordinary and unprecedented impact upon the musical and intellectual life of his times.

The operas - Einstein on the Beach, Satyagraha, and Akhnaten among many others - play throughout the world's leading houses, and rarely to an empty seat. Glass has written music for experimental theater and for Academy Award-winning motion pictures. Glass is the first composer to win a wide, multi-generational audience in the opera house, the concert hall, the dance world, in film and in popular music - simultaneously. Much of his early work was based on the extended reiteration of brief, elegant melodic fragments that wove in and out of an aural tapestry. Or, to put it another way, it immersed a listener in a sort of sonic weather that twists, turns, surrounds, develops.

In the past 30 years, Glass has composed more than twenty-five operas, large and small; twelve symphonies; three piano concertos and concertos for violin, piano, timpani, and saxophone quartet and orchestra; soundtracks to films ranging from new scores for the stylized classics of Jean Cocteau to Errol Morris's documentary about former defense secretary Robert McNamara; string quartets; a growing body of work for solo piano and organ.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Lightning (Songs From Liquid Days)
2. Facades (Glassworks)
3. A Gentleman's Honor (The Photographer)
4. Primacy Of Number (Naqoyqatsi)

Side B
1. Metamorphosis IV (Liquid Days, Part II)
2. Open The Kingdom (Liquid Days, Part II)
3. Dance II (In The Upper Room)
4. Dance VIII (In The Upper Room)

Side C
1. Glasspiece #1 (Rubric From Glassworks)
2. Changing Opinion (Songs From Liquid Days)
3. Opening (Glassworks)

Side D
1. Floe (Glassworks)
2. Funeral Of Amenhotep Iii (Akhnaten)
3. Point Blank (Naqoyqatsi)

Side E
1. Wichita Vortex Sutra
2. Forgetting (Songs From Liquid Days)
3. Dance IX (In The Upper Room)

Side F
1. The Dam (Itaipú)
2. Definition (Naqoyqatsi)
3. Protest (Satyagraha)
4. Evening Song (Satyagraha)

Side G
1. Hymn To The Sun (Akhnaten)
2. Trial – Prison (Einstein On The Beach)
3. Akhnaten And Nefertiti (Akhnaten)
4. Kuru Field Of Justice (Satyagraha)
5. Knee Play 1 (Einstein On The Beach)

Side H
1. Tolstoy Farm (Satyagraha)
2.Window Of Appearances (Akhnaten)
3. Bed (Einstein On The Beach)
4. Epilogue (Akhnaten)
5. Knee Play 5 (Einstein On The Beach)

A raucous yet reflective look back at the evolution of the music press and the passionate rock and pop journalists who defined the music of the 20th century. Totally Wired is the definitive story of the music press on both sides of the Atlantic, tracing its rise and fall from humble beginnings nearly 100 years ago. Along the way, this potent creative breeding ground for scores of writers, publishers, photographers, designers and music-makers tested the very limits of journalistic endeavour and influenced the wider worlds of film, media and pop.

Focusing on developments from the 1950s to the 2000s, a period that witnessed rock 'n' roll, mod, the Summer of Love, glam, punk, pop, reggae, dance music, R&B and hip-hop, Paul Gorman chronicles the stories of individual magazines from their Tin Pan Alley beginnings and the countercultural foundation of Rolling Stone and the underground press. He explores the 1970s heyday of NME, Melody Maker and Sounds plus such punk-rock publications as Sniffin' Glue and Temporary Hoarding; tracks the emergence of dedicated monthlies Q, The Face and Mojo as well as dance-culture independents like Boy's Own and Jockey Slut; and spotlights feminist and Riot Grrrl 'zines Ben Is Dead and Girlfrenzy along with the rise of media by and for people of colour, from Black Music and Black Echoes in the 1970s to The Source, Vibe and XXL in the 1990s. Evoking the music press's kaleidoscopic visual identities, Totally Wired is illustrated with rare and legendary magazine artwork throughout.

Painting a complete picture of the scene, Gorman discusses the role played by such writers as Lester Bangs, Charles Shaar Murray and Nick Kent in the development of the careers of, among others, David Bowie, the Clash and Led Zeppelin. He also tackles the entrenched sexism and racism faced by women and those from marginalized communities by highlighting publications and individuals whose contributions have been unfairly overlooked. The resulting narrative, containing stories of unbound talent, blind ambition and sometimes bitter rivalry, makes Totally Wired a riveting and roller-coaster read.

International house sensation Peggy Gou launches her own Gudu Records with the "Moment" EP, a killer double header of dance floor majesty, informed by 30 years of club music and transformed into something all of her own.
The A-side kicks off with "Starry Night" (surely the only Radio 1 daytime play in history with a Korean vocal?) a beautiful fusion of emotional SAE melodies and proto house elements. The pinging bassline and punchy piano could come straight from a Prelude classic, while the sweet synth strings are totally AZN, providing an infectious and energetic backdrop for Peggy's fierce vocal. Top. On the flip "Han Pan" hits us with glassy / metallic synth melodies, a stepping rhythm and hints of island life in the lead line, once again topped by a choice vocal from Peggy. Timeless, anthemic and totally irresistible, this is another essential release from the latest house superstar.

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: How does she do it? Peggy Gou distils Prelude boogie, proto house and bubblegum style groove into a glorious two track 12" on her new Gudu Records. Featuring her bilingual vocals once again, along with a perfect combination of bump and melody. A true summer anthem!

TRACK LISTING

A. Starry Night
B. Han Pan

Peggy Gou’s global chart-topping hit ‘(It Goes Like) Nanana’ lands on 12” vinyl via XL Recordings featuring the original extended mix and an exclusive ‘Nananadub’ b-side. Inspired by the eclectic house and pop classics that defined the Balearic sound, alongside 90s and 2000s dance anthems and Peggy’s own inimitable contemporary club production, “(It Goes Like) Nanana” is undoubtedly the song of the summer.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: You've heard the hit all summer, now it finally arrives on vinyl. Peggy Gou's global smasher complete with dub version. I'm sure she's ripped off the keyboard preset from ATB's "Til' I Come"; whatever, it's a biggie!

TRACK LISTING

A1 - “(It Goes Like) Nanana” (Edit)
B2 - “(It Goes Like) Nanana” (Nanadub)

Currently the most glittering starchild in the house cosmos, Peggy Gou has enjoyed a meteoric rise in recent months, probably due to the fact she's fucking brilliant. Previous outings on Rekids, Phonica White and Technicolour have had us giddy with adoration and this latest EP on Ninja Tune keeps the times good and our cerebellum shuddering. The 12" opens with the magnificent "It makes You Forget (Itgehane)", an acid tinged taste of mechanical soul that's incidentally the biggest house heater of the year so far. Peggy's warm vocals (appearing for the first time, and in her native Korean no less), ride a wriggling acid B-line and rolling drum pattern, intersecting perfectly with the smooth vamps and crystalline chimes which lend the track the kind of naive and optimistic charm you may remember from early Prescription records, Dream2Science and your first pill. Switching over to the B-side you'll find the sci-fi synthery, propulsive groove and medicated charms of "Hundres Times" and lastly the spectral electro of "Han Jan". Immaculately turned out in Jee-ook Choi's spacey sleeve art - this is a must have!

TRACK LISTING

It Makes You Forget (Itgehane)
Hundres Times
Han Jan

24 year old Mancunian alt pop star Phoebe Green's debut studio album 'Lucky Me' is due out in August 2022. Produced by Alex Robertshaw of multi time Mercy Award nominated outfit, Everything Everything and his production partner Tom Fuller, the album announcement comes off the back of supporting Self Esteem, Everything Everything & Baby Queen in one month alone, a BBC Radio 1 Maida Vale session & a Killing Eve sync.

TRACK LISTING

Break My Heart
Lucky Me
Make It Easy
Crying In The Club
Sweat
Clean
Just A Game
One You Want
Won’t Sit Still
DieDieDie
I Wish You Never Saw Me Cry
Leach
I Don't Wanna Make You Cold

In the swirl of underground music emerging from Dunedin, New Zealand in the 1980s, Peter Gutteridge stands as one of the era’s most intense and shadowy figures. Despite being a founding member of The Clean and The Chills, Gutteridge would eschew indie-rock fame for the hypnotic and driving sounds of his later bands such as Snapper. Fittingly, it is Pure—Gutteridge’s lone solo album of intimate home recordings—that serves as the most revealing and celebrated release of his career. As Peter Jefferies writes in the liner notes, “That’s what’s so good about Pure. Not only the songs, but the name, the name for the recording. It is as pure as you can get. That’s the real deal, when it goes from nothing to something and he catches it on his machine.”

Originally released on cassette in 1989 on Xpressway, Pure documents Gutteridge’s stunning use of 4-track as instrument. Featuring lo-fi pop gems and interstitial sketches, the LP combines densely layered keyboards and guitars, distorted drum machines and possessed-sounding vocals to create a truly singular work of undistilled artistic vision. While Gutteridge denied that he was the architect of the “Dunedin Sound,” Pure sits comfortably next to the most revered Flying Nun releases of its time. Shifting exquisitely from churning rattle to an airy ease without losing momentum, these twenty-one songs hold a lasting place in the canon of DIY music. Recommended for fans of Syd Barrett, Jim Shepard and early Fad Gadget. Includes drawing chosen by Peter’s family.

TRACK LISTING

Lonely
Exhibition I
First Instrumental
Hang On
Ocean
Dead Pony
Fuck Your Mother To Hell
Suicide
Oil
Pure (No. 1)
Thumbaline
Cause Of You
Rubout
Planet Phrom
Sand
Exhibition II
Having Fun
Bomb
Fifty-Seven Seconds
Chinese Garden
Pure (No. 2)

Paul Haig's last album, 2009's Relive, was described as a bone-rattling thrill that could energise the darkened corners of any dancefloor. After releasing three albums in quick succession Haig decided to devote a longer period to consider his next musical move, It was time to re-invent and investigate the latest sounds and technologies available with a view to incorporate some of them into a new project. Four years on and we have 'Kube', carrying pagan ,synthetic, human and organic themes which somehow co-habitate in an imaginary secluded forrest where top secret work is carried out. The sounds are fresh and modern with a mixture of electronic glitch and organic textures sourced over a two year period as Paul was re-thinking and re-learning his craft.

Standout tracks are 'UW2B', a bold mixture of trap brass/strings with slightly menacing vocals over punchy hiphop/urban beats/samples while retaining tradmark soundtrack elements heard in previous works. 'Red Rocks' has an indie jazz pop edge and rising anthemic chorus' which point to club and radio alike, while 'Four Dark Traps' is a brooding slow burner featuring hard yet hypnotic percussion with eastern sounding guitar floating above the mix.

Les Disques du Crepuscule presents The Wood, a brand new studio album by Scottish singer and songwriter Paul Haig, previously frontman with cult Postcard post punk legends Josef K.

Paul’s fourth solo album for Crepuscule since 1983 was written and recorded over a three year period between 2015 and 2018, and explores glitchy, twisty sonic territories in the vein of Four Tet, Floating Points and Love Over Entropy.

‘We can think of the wood or forest as a metaphor for the mystery of the human psyche,’ says Paul. ‘Like the human soul, it can be a place of hidden meanings and unrevealed secrets. I wanted to try and evoke this through the music and worked hard on finding the right balance of electronic and organic sound samples across a broad range of musical genres.’

TRACK LISTING

1. Chasing The Tail
2. I Heard Music
3. Sun Flicker
4. Lights
5. Acoustic Mangles
6. The Walk
7. The Wood
8. Floaty Appy 

For the first time ever, Peter has recorded a collection of cover versions. The songs come from a variety of musical worlds: Classical, American Songbook, Italian Pop and Tango. In all but three cases Peter has also translated the songs, from Italian, French and German. As strange a project as this might seem, there’s an overall sense of cohesiveness to it and it’s absolutely of this time. Two songs have lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein; the music for one is by Jerome Kern, the other by Richard Rodgers. Leiber and Stoller provided lyrics for “I who have nothing’, originally an Italian tune.

Three Italian songs are at the core of the album, written (and originally performed) by Fabrizio de Andre, Luigi Tenco and Piero Ciampi. The two tango pieces were composed by Astor Piazzolla. Finally, there are two classical songs, respectively by Faure and Mahler. In Peter’s own words…. “This collection seems to fit together as a group, not least because most of these songs are to do with measures of dislocation, of loss, of some kind of imagined or anticipated future which didn’t arrive. I was unfamiliar with several of these songs before I began this project. One discovery led on to another in some kind of paper trail. The back stories to the songs are interesting and some of the writers and singers had a spectacularly dramatic time of things. I doff my hat to these sometimes complicated lives. My approach has always been to make cultural rather than strictly linguistic translations, so that the spirit of the song rather than its precise narrative is rendered. I hope I’ve addressed the material, the writers, the original performers, with due and proper respect. Inevitably though there’s spin here: mine all mine.” “Finally, these recordings were made, of course, in the time of Covid and lockdown. But also in the knowledge that Brexit – in all its horror – was fast approaching. So these performances of, for the most part, European songs were my last as a European singer, with all the rights and privileges that has brought me for so many years.”

TRACK LISTING

1 The Folks Who Live On The Hill
2 Hotel Supramonte
3 Oblivion
4 Ciao Amore
5 This Nearly Was Mine
6 After A Dream
7 Ballad For My Death
8 I Who Have Nothing
9 Il Vino
10 Lost To The World

Dublin-based songwriter Paddy Hanna’s album The Hill features Girl Band’s Adam Faulkner and Daniel Fox on Drums & Double Bass, Daniel Fitzpatrick (Badhands, The Mighty Stef) on guitar & Keys and Jill Redmond on Vocals. The record was produced by Daniel Fox and the artwork was designed by Jill Redmond.

Paddy explains further about the album – “We lost ourselves on the Hill, Daniel, Daniel, Adam and I. a seemingly endless spell of isolation spent banging sheet metal, rusted hubcaps and blistering our fingers through non stop recording. The Hill is an internal musical about how the past and the present exist at the same time in our minds. It deals with the struggles of mental health, the sometimes difficult search for happiness and the moral conflict of growing up in Catholic Ireland.

As a listener I want you to take a seat inside my head, to smell the west cork air, to feel the gravel under your feet. In order to get this we set up ambient mics outside our makeshift studio to capture the natural landscape, we wandered boatyards and an abandoned train station recording old bits of metal we would clang, to give the album a sense of place. Sonically we also wanted to step away from the String sections used on Leafy Stiletto, opting instead to create melodies and tones using vocals and synthesisers. Most importantly however, I just wanted to put the past behind me on this record, I wanted to leave it on the hill. I hope you enjoy my therapy”. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Loss Of Their Kind
2. Cannibals
3. A Strange Request
4. Nameless
5. My Ladybird
6. Sinatra
7. Howling At The Duke Of York
8. My Wise Addiction
9. The Hill
10. Jog On Shall We?
11. Colosseum

The awesome 1992 debut album from one of the most unique and compelling female artists of the past 20 years. A powerful, groundbreaking set, "Dry" serves as an introduction to Harvey's fierce, blues-tinged guitar and highly visual lyrical angle that picks at the scabs of female iconography. On these raw, angry songs she's joined by musicians Stephen Vaughan (bass) and Robert Ellis (drums, vocals, harmonium). Includes classic songs "Sheela-Na-Gig", "Dress" and "Oh My Lover". Essential.

"Rid Of Me" was PJ Harvey's second album, circa 1993, but her first for major label Island. The set features the same line-up as the "Dry" sessions (Polly doing vocals, guitar, violin, cello and organ, Stephen Vaughan on bass and Robert Ellis on drums, vocals and harmonium), but the extra money shows in the much slicker production to the album's predecessor. Recorded by Steve Albini, this forceful sophomore effort veers from hoarsely quiet to ferociously looming in one beat.

The twelve tracks featured here were chosen by Polly herself, and span her career from early versions of songs from "Dry" to songs from her seventh album "Uh Uh Her" which was released in 2004.

If "Dry" was raw and "Rid Of Me" tight and slick, then 1995's "To Bring You My Love" moves further away from PJ Harvey's debut album, offering a fuller electro-acoustic sound from her expanded nine-piece band (more if you count all the instruments Harvey plays herself). The outfit shift effortlessly between solo voice and guitar to a full on collage of sound that rips right through you. Includes the brilliant "Down By The Water".

TRACK LISTING

1. To Bring You My Love 5:32
2. Meet Ze Monsta 3:29
3. Working For The Man 4:45
4. C'mon Billy 2:47
5. Teclo 4:57
6. Long Snake Moan 5:17
7. Down By The Water 3:14
8. I Think I'm A Mother 4:00
9. Send His Love To Me 4:20
10. The Dancer 4:06

Vinyl reissue of 1993 collection of demos written and recorded at Polly Harvey’s home in 1991-1992.

It includes eight demos of songs from the album, Rid of Me, released earlier in that year along with six demos of additional songs.

Reissue is faithful to the original package, with vinyl cutting by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering.

TRACK LISTING

A1 Rid Of Me 3:42
A2 Legs 3:47
A3 Reeling 2:59
A4 Snake 1:56
A5 Hook 4:31
A6 50FT Queenie 2:48
A7 Driving 2:38

B1 Ecstasy 2:56
B2 Hardly Wait 2:48
B3 Rub 'Til It Bleeds 5:10
B4 Easy 3:16
B5 M-Bike 2:43
B6 Yuri-G 3:53
B7 Goodnight 4:17

All About Eve — Original Music, composed by double Mercury Music Prize-winner PJ Harvey.

The 14-track album contains 10 original pieces of instrumental music, as well as two new songs written by Harvey and sung by Gillian Anderson and Lily James.

The physical release also includes demo versions of ‘The Sandman’ and The Moth’, performed by PJ Harvey.

On composing this score, Harvey says, “I have always loved stories, and so to compose music to support and enhance a story being told is a challenge I enjoy. I also love the freedom that working instrumentally can give me without the constraints of song form.”

“For All About Eve I chose to work with my long-time collaborator James Johnston as he has a soulfulness and sensitivity to his playing that inspires me. I also worked with Kenrick Rowe who has a versatility to his drumming I knew I could experiment with until I found what was right.”

All About Eve is the stage adaption directed by Ivo Van Hove.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: It's become more and more clear that PJ Harvey can easily put her mind to anything she deems necessary, and with great effect. The soundtrack for this adaptation of All About Eve is even more evidence, with perfect cues and touching sentimaentality oozing through every note. A beautifully performed and perfectly written piece. In-situ or not.

TRACK LISTING

Becoming
Shimmer
The Sandman
Waltz
Descending
Lieben
Ascending
Cadenza
The Moth
Träume
Arpeggio Waltz
Change In C
The Sandman (Demo)
The Moth (Demo)

3CD
The definitive collection of PJ Harvey B-Sides, rarities and non-album demos.
59 tracks, 14 previously unreleased, spanning 3 decades.
Artwork features rare and unseen archive photography.
3CD version features 12 page booklet

6LP Box
The definitive collection of PJ Harvey B-Sides, rarities and non-album demos.
59 tracks, 14 previously unreleased, spanning 3 decades.
Artwork features rare and unseen archive photography.
6LP Box features 180g black vinyl housed in printed inner-sleeves.

TRACK LISTING

3CD:
Disc 1
1. Dry – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
2. Man-Size – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
3. Missed – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
4. Highway 61 Revisited – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
5. Me-Jane – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
6. Daddy
7. Lying In The Sun
8. Somebody's Down, Somebody's Name
9. Darling Be There
10. Maniac
11. One Time Too Many
12. Harder
13. Naked Cousin
14. Losing Ground
15. Who Will Love Me Now
16. Why D’ya Go To Cleveland (Previously Unreleased)
Disc 2
1. Instrumental #1
2. The Northwood
3. The Bay
4. Sweeter Than Anything
5. Instrumental #3
6. The Faster I Breathe The Further I Go (4 Track Version)
7. Nina In Ecstasy 2
8. Rebecca
9. Instrumental #2
10. This Wicked Tongue
11. Memphis
12. 30
13. 66 Promises
14. As Close As This
15. My Own Private Revolution
16. Kick It To The Ground (4 Track)
17. The Falling
18. The Phone Song
19. Bows & Arrows
20. Angel
21. Stone
Disc 3
1. 97°
2. Dance
3. Cat On The Wall – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
4. You Come Through – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
5. Uh Huh Her – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
6. Evol – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
7. Wait
8. Heaven
9. Liverpool Tide
10. The Big Guns Called Me Back Again
11. The Nightingale
12. Shaker Aamer
13. Guilty – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
14. I'll Be Waiting – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
15. Homo Sappy Blues – Demo (Previously Unreleased)
16. The Age Of The Dollar – Demo (Previously Unreleased)
17. The Camp
18. An Acre Of Land
19. The Crowded Cell
20. The Sandman - Demo
21. The Moth - Demo
22. Red Right Hand

LP Box:
LP1 - Side A
1. Dry – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
2. Man-Size – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
3. Missed – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
LP1 - Side B
1. Highway 61 Revisited – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
2. Me-Jane – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
3. Daddy
LP2 - Side A
1. Lying In The Sun
2. Somebody's Down, Somebody's Name
3. Darling Be There
4. Maniac
LP2 - Side B
1. Harder
2. Naked Cousin
3. Losing Ground
4. Who Will Love Me Now
5. Why D’ya Go To Cleveland (Previously Unreleased)
LP3 - Side A
1. Instrumental #1
2. The Northwood
3. The Bay
4. Sweeter Than Anything
5. Instrumental #3
6. The Faster I Breathe The Further I Go (4 Track Version)
7. Nina In Ecstasy 2
LP3 - Side B
1. Rebecca
2. Instrumental #2
3. This Wicked Tongue
4. Memphis
5. 30
LP4 - Side A
1. 66 Promises
2. As Close As This
3. My Own Private Revolution
4. Kick It To The Ground (4 Track)
LP4 - Side B
1. The Falling
2. The Phone Song
3. Bows & Arrows
4. Angel
5. Stone
LP5 - Side A
1. 97°
2. Dance
3. Cat On The Wall – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
4. You Come Through – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
5. Uh Huh Her – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
6. Evol – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
LP5 - Side B
1. Wait
2. Heaven
3. Liverpool Tide
4. The Big Guns Called Me Back Again
5. The Nightingale
6. Shaker Aamer
LP6 - Side A
1. Guilty – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
2. I'll Be Waiting – Demo (Previously Unreleased Demo)
3. Homo Sappy Blues – Demo (Previously Unreleased)
4. The Age Of The Dollar – Demo (Previously Unreleased)
5. The Camp
LP6 - Side B
1. An Acre Of Land
2. The Crowded Cell
3. The Sandman - Demo
4. The Moth - Demo
5. Red Right Hand

11 track collection of demos of all songs from the debut studio album Dry by PJ Harvey, available for the first time since 1992, and previously unreleased as a standalone album.

Features brand new artwork with previously unseen photos by Maria Mochnacz.

TRACK LISTING

LP
Side A
Oh My Lover (Demo)
O Stella (Demo)
Dress (Demo)
Victory (Demo)
Happy And Bleeding (Demo)

Side B
Sheela-Na-Gig (Demo)
Hair (Demo)
Joe (Demo)
Plants And Rags (Demo)
Fountain (Demo)
Water (Demo)

Dry is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter and musician PJ Harvey, originally released on Too Pure Records on 30 March 1992. The album was recorded at The Icehouse, a local studio in Yeovil. Critically lauded both on release and retrospectively, the album contains the singles “Dress’ and ‘Sheela-Na-Gig’

Back in print for the first time in almost 20 years, Beggars Archive on behalf of Too Pure Records is pleased to announce the re-issue of Dry on vinyl. The album was remastered by the original producer “Head” and has been replicated to the original version as much as possible. 

Pitchfork – “On her debut, Polly Jean Harvey matched Patti Smith’s incandescence with Bessie Smith’s lasciviousness, outplayed everyone on the British indie circuit, and became an instant star - 9.2”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Available on vinyl for the first time in 20 years, PJ Harvey’s ‘Dry’ was a kick in the spine for indie music of the time, and remains as uncompromisingly raw and sonically hulking as it did back then.

TRACK LISTING

Oh My Lover
Oh Stella
Dress
Victory
Happy And Bleeding
Sheela-na-gig
Hair
Joe
Plants And Rags
Fountain
Water

PJ Harvey's tenth studio album 'I Inside the Old Year Dying' marks her first release in seven years, following UK #1 album 'The Hope Six Demolition Project'.

On this album, which was recorded with long-time creative collaborators John Parish and Flood, PJ Harvey builds a sonic universe somehow located in a space between life’s opposites, and between recent history and the ancient past. Scattered with biblical imagery and references to Shakespeare, all of these distinctions ultimately dissolve into something profoundly uplifting and redemptive.

STAFF COMMENTS

Liam says: Blimey, it's a biggun! At this point, what's there left to say - IT'S PJ HARVEY!!! With all the exquisite melodies, intricate production and stellar lyrics we've all come to expect from her, there's so much to unpack here and there's no doubt the rewards will be vast!

TRACK LISTING

1. Prayer At The Gate
2. Autumn Term
3. Lwonesome Tonight
4. Seem An I
5. The Nether-edge
6. I Inside The Old Year Dying
7. All Souls
8. A Child's Question, August
9. I Inside The Old I Dying
10. August
11. A Child's Question, July
12. A Noiseless Noise

Reissue on vinyl of the fourth PJ Harvey studio album Is This Desire?. Produced by PJ Harvey with Flood and Head, and originally released in September 1998, Is This Desire? features the singles ‘A Perfect Day Elise’ and ‘The Wind’. Reissue is faithful to the original recording and package, cutting by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering under the guidance of longtime PJ Harvey producer Head.

TRACK LISTING

Side A

Angelene
The Sky Lit Up
The Wind
My Beautiful Leah
A Perfect Day Elise
Catherine

Side B

Electric Light
The Garden
Joy
The River
No Girl So Sweet
Is This Desire?

Collection of unreleased demos of every track written for the fourth PJ Harvey studio album Is This Desire?, including demos of ‘A Perfect Day Elise’, ‘The Wind’ and ‘Angelene’. Audio has been mastered by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering under the guidance of longtime PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish. Features brand new artwork with previously unseen photos by Maria Mochnacz.

TRACK LISTING

Angelene - Demo
The Sky Lit Up - Demo
The Wind - Demo
My Beautiful Leah - Demo
A Perfect Day Elise - Demo
Catherine - Demo
Electric Light - Demo
The Garden - Demo
Joy - Demo
The River - Demo
No Girl So Sweet - Demo
Is This Desire? - Demo

Reissue on vinyl of the eighth PJ Harvey studio album Let England Shake. The album was produced by PJ Harvey, Flood and John Parish and originally released in February 2011. Let England Shake features the singles ‘The Words That Maketh Murder’ and ‘The Glorious Land’ and was the second album in the catalogue to win the UK’s Mercury Music Prize. Reissue is faithful to the original recording and package, cutting by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering under the guidance of original co-producer John Parish.

Collection of unreleased demos of tracks written for the eighth PJ Harvey studio album Let England Shake, including demos of ‘The Words That Maketh Murder’, ‘The Glorious Land’ and ‘The Last Living Rose’. Features brand new artwork – the cover is a drawing by Polly, and the package also includes previously unseen photos by Seamus Murphy. Mastering by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering, under the guidance of longtime PJ Harvey producer John Parish.

TRACK LISTING

1LP
Side 1
Let England Shake - Demo
The Last Living Rose - Demo
The Glorious Land - Demo
The Words That Maketh Murder - Demo
All And Everyone - Demo
On Battleship Hill – Demo
Side 2
England - Demo
In The Dark Places - Demo
Bitter Branches - Demo
Hanging In The Wire - Demo
Written On The Forehead - Demo
The Colour Of The Earth - Demo

1CD
Let England Shake - Demo
The Last Living Rose - Demo
The Glorious Land - Demo
The Words That Maketh Murder - Demo
All And Everyone - Demo
On Battleship Hill – Demo
England - Demo
In The Dark Places - Demo
Bitter Branches - Demo
Hanging In The Wire - Demo
Written On The Forehead - Demo
The Colour Of The Earth - Demo

"Rid Of Me" was PJ Harvey's second album, circa 1993, but her first for Island Records.

The set features the same line-up as the "Dry" sessions (Polly doing vocals, guitar, violin, cello and organ, Stephen Vaughan on bass and Robert Ellis on drums, vocals and harmonium), but the extra money shows in the much slicker production to the album's predecessor. Recorded by Steve Albini, this forceful sophomore effort veers from hoarsely quiet to ferociously looming in one beat.

Reissue is faithful to the original recording and package, cutting by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering under the guidance of Steve Albini.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Rid Of Me
Missed
Legs
Rub ‘Til It Bleeds
Hook
Man-Size Sextet

Side B
Highway ’61 Revisited
50ft Queenie
Yuri-G
Man-Size
Dry
Me-Jane
Snake
Ecstasy

Collection of unreleased demos of every track written for the fifth PJ Harvey studio album Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea, including demos of ‘Good Fortune’, ‘A Place Called Home’ and ‘This Is Love’. Audio has been mastered by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering under the guidance of longtime PJ Harvey collaborator Head. Features brand new artwork with previously unseen photos by Maria Mochnacz.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Big Exit - Demo
Good Fortune - Demo
A Place Called Home - Demo
One Line - Demo
Beautiful Feeling - Demo
The Whores Hustle And The Hustlers Whore - Demo

Side B
This Mess We’re In - Demo
You Said Something - Demo
Kamikaze - Demo
This Is Love - Demo
Horses In My Dreams - Demo
We Float - Demo

Repress on vinyl of the ninth PJ Harvey studio album The Hope Six Demolition Project. Originally released in 2016, it features the singles ‘The Wheel’, and ‘The Community Of Hope’.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
The Community Of Hope
The Ministry Of Defence
A Line In The Sand
Chain Of Keys
River Anacostia
Side B
Near The Memorials To Vietnam And Lincoln
The Orange Monkey
Medicinals
The Ministry Of Social Affairs
The Wheel
Dollar, Dollar

Collection of ten unreleased demos written for the ninth PJ Harvey studio album The Hope Six Demolition Project, including demos of ‘The Wheel’ and ‘The Community Of Hope’. Features brand new artwork with cover art based on a drawing by Polly Jean Harvey, plus previously unseen photos by Maria Mochnacz and Seamus Murphy. Artwork is overseen by Michelle Henning with Rob Crane. Mastering by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering, under the guidance of long time PJ Harvey producer John Parish.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
The Community Of Hope
The Ministry Of Defence
A Line In The Sand
Chain Of Keys
River Anacostia
Side B
The Orange Monkey
Medicinals
The Ministry Of Social Affairs
The Wheel
Dollar, Dollar

Reissue on vinyl of the 2006 collection of PJ Harvey sessions with the late BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel, spanning recordings from the start of her career in 1991 up to 2004.

Reissue is faithful to the original recording and package, with cutting by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering under the guidance of longtime PJ Harvey producer John Parish.

TRACK LISTING

Side One
Oh My Lover – Peel 29.10.91
Victory - Peel 29.10.91
Sheela-Na-Gig - Peel 29.10.91
Water - Peel 29.10.91
Naked Cousin – Peel 2.3.93
Wang Dang Doodle - Peel 2.3.93

Side Two
Losing Ground – Peel 5.9.96
Snake – Peel 5.9.96
That Was My Veil – Peel 5.9.96
This Wicked Tongue – Peel 10.11.00
Beautiful Feeling – Peel 10.11.00
You Come Through – John Peel Tribute 16.12.04

10 track collection of previously unreleased demos of all songs from the third studio album by PJ Harvey – To Bring You My Love – from 1995. Includes demo versions of the singles ‘Down By The Water’, ‘C’mon Billy’ and ‘Send His Love To Me’. Audio has been mastered by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering under the guidance of longtime PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish. Features brand new artwork with previously unseen photos by Maria Mochnacz.

TRACK LISTING

Vinyl:
Side A
To Bring You My Love - Demo
Meet Ze Monsta - Demo
Working For The Man - Demo
C’mon Billy - Demo
Teclo - Demo

Side B
Long Snake Moan - Demo
Down By The Water - Demo
I Think I’m A Mother - Demo
Send His Love To Me - Demo
The Dancer - Demo

CD:
To Bring You My Love - Demo
Meet Ze Monsta - Demo
Working For The Man - Demo
C’mon Billy - Demo
Teclo - Demo
Long Snake Moan - Demo
Down By The Water - Demo
I Think I’m A Mother - Demo
Send His Love To Me - Demo
The Dancer - Demo

Reissue on vinyl of the sixth PJ Harvey studio album Uh Huh Her. The album was self-produced and originally released in May 2004. Uh Huh Her features the singles ‘The Letter’, ‘You Came Through’ and ‘Shame’. Reissue is faithful to the original recording and package, with cutting by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering under the guidance of longtime PJ Harvey producer Head.

TRACK LISTING

Side One
The Life And Death Of Mr. Badmouth
Shame
Who The Fuck?
The Pocket Knife
The Letter

Side Two
The Slow Drug
No Child Of Mine
Cat On The Wall
You Come Through
It’s You
The End
The Desperate Kingdom Of Love
The Darker Days Of Me & Him

Collection of unreleased demos of written for the sixth PJ Harvey studio album Uh Huh Her, including demos of ‘The Letter’ and ‘Shame’. Features brand new artwork with previously unseen photos by Maria Mochnacz. Artwork is overseen by Maria with Rob Crane. Mastering by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering, under the guidance of longtime PJ Harvey producer Head.

TRACK LISTING

Side One
The Life And Death Of Mr. Badmouth - Demo
Shame - Demo
Who The Fuck? - Demo
The Pocket Knife - Demo
The Letter - Demo

Side Two
The Slow Drug - Demo
It’s You - Demo
The Desperate Kingdom Of Love - Demo
The Darker Days Of Me & Him - Demo

Collection of unreleased demos written for the seventh PJ Harvey studio album White Chalk, including demos of ‘When Under Ether’, ‘The Piano’ and ‘The Devil’. Features brand new artwork with previously unseen photos by Maria Mochnacz. Artwork is overseen by Maria with Rob Crane. Mastering by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering, under the guidance of long time PJ Harvey producer John Parish.

TRACK LISTING

1LP
Side A
The Devil - Demo
Dear Darkness - Demo
Grow Grow Grow - Demo
When Under Ether - Demo
White Chalk - Demo
Side B
Broken Harp - Demo
Silence - Demo
To Talk To You - Demo
The Piano - Demo
Before Departure - Demo
The Mountain - Demo

CD
The Devil - Demo
Dear Darkness - Grow Grow Grow - Demo
When Under Ether - Demo
White Chalk - Demo
Broken Harp - Demo
Silence - Demo
To Talk To You - Demo
The Piano - Demo
Before Departure - Demo
The Mountain – Demo

Reissue on vinyl of the seventh PJ Harvey studio album White Chalk. The album was produced by PJ Harvey, Flood and John Parish and originally released in September 2007. White Chalk features the singles ‘When Under Ether’, ‘The Piano’ and ‘The Devil’. Reissue is faithful to the original recording and package, with cutting by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering under the guidance of original co-producer John Parish.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
The Devil
Dear Darkness
Grow Grow Grow
When Under Ether
White Chalk

Side B
Broken Harp
Silence
To Talk To You
The Piano
Before Departure
The Mountain

Reissue on vinyl of the second collaboration album between PJ Harvey and John Parish – A Woman A Man Walked By.

Produced by Parish and Harvey, and originally released in March 2009, A Woman A Man Walked By features the single ‘Black Hearted Love’. Reissue is faithful to the original recording with vinyl cutting by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering, overseen by John Parish.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Black Hearted Love
Sixteen, Fifteen, Fourteen
Leaving California
The Chair
April

Side B
A Woman A Man Walked By / The Crow Knows Where All The Little Children Go
The Soldier
Pig Will Not
Passionless, Pointless
Cracks In The Canvas

AMC’s hit series ‘Halt And Catch Fire’ captures the rise of the PC-era during the early 80s and the technology revolution. Nominated by Vox as the best show in 2016, it’s “a potent look back at the earliest days of the internet that also glimpsed, through some hazy curtain, the world we live in right now.” Acclaimed for its exceptional soundtrack by former Tangerine Dream musician and award winning composer, Paul Haslinger has created a period-appropriate synth score that admirably sets the mood and tone of the bygone era.

Revisiting his time in the pioneering electronic band during the mid-80s, the Austrian composer writes with a uniquely knowledgeable yet less overtly nostalgic ear that keeps the show’s current audience in mind. Acknowledging the time in which the series itself has been created alongside when the show is set, Haslinger’s bold and innovative scores have seen his Hollywood career escalate over the last two decades. The man behind the music for Blow, Resident Evil and Death Race has become one of the industry’s most sought after composers. 

TRACK LISTING

1 Golden Gate
2 A Wolf In Unix
3 The Scenic Route
4 First Day On The Job
5 It Speaks
6 Reverse Engineering
7 Security Is A Myth
8 The Morning After
9 Rooftop Fireworks
10 I Need A Little Time
11 Western Arrivals
12 The Slingshot
13 10broad36
14 The Way In
15 Run Time
16 Last Nerve
17 Gordon Steals A Cabbage Patch
18 The Cost Of Doing Business
19 Joe's Truth
20 Go Get The Bike
21 The End Of Donna's Day
22 It's Not Right
23 MacMillan Utility 

It’s a strange betweenworld, bookended by sleep and the jolt of being wide awake in a place where you wonder how you got there. You know the feeling… It seems familiar but the colours are, well, unreal. In a high-ceilinged room, a grand piano plays lush melodies as, meanwhile, somewhere, an Alice In Wonderland clock ticks, cellos are bowed, a swarm of something vibrates and the hallucinatory crowd around Rosemary’s Baby babble. An echoey electronic hum builds and falls like a 50s refrigerator passed through and effects board, things run backwards, staccato strings are plucked… and that’s not the half of it. “I’ve never been happy staying in one particular school of musical thought. The fun has been turning things on their heads, to try something you were not supposed to do.” We’re on an immersive and adventurous travelogue with the former member of the legendary Tangerine Dream, Paul Haslinger - this is a man who knows how to build tension, hold moods, illustrate contempt, lies, passion and pleasure; He can create fear, loathing and love - he’s been unlocking the nuances of such emotions in a hugely successful career as a TV and film soundtrack composer (Halt And Catch Fire, Underworld and the Golden Globe-nominated Sleeper Cell). ‘Exit Ghost’ is his long thought out opus, a moment caught in time, flicking through reference points, taking an ethereal excursion that permeates musical genres as it becomes awash with intricate sounds and cross-pollinating rhythms. Built originally from the warmth of his grand piano ‘Exit Ghost’ resonates with purity and power, from an eerie and evocative betweenworld, that’s at once expansive and rolling, then intoxicating and suffocating in equal measures; modern composition at its most uplifting; cerebral, celebratory, intense and beautiful. “The soul searching in connection with this record was extensive. Finding places of resonance, giving a colour to your memories. It was more challenging because it’s not somebody else’s narrative. Finding the core of your own story can be the most difficult task of all.” Created over the span of eight years and filled with literal and personal references, the album itself is a testament to the search - a quest filled with hints, particles and suggestions. 

TRACK LISTING

A1 The Faltering Sky
A2 Intrinsic
A3 Room 3
A4 Exit Ghost
A5 Valse I
A6 August 2-22
B1 Berlin 86-11
B2 White Sun
B3 Mayerling
B4 FernDell

‘Manchester Calling’ boasts all the hallmarks of Heaton’s beautifully bittersweet songwriting – effortlessly catchy melodies allied with an everyman’s biting exasperation at the modern world alongside some truly heartfelt love songs. Produced by long time collaborator John Williams who produced both Housemartins albums and the previous three Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott albums - ‘What Have We Become’ (’14), ‘Wisdom, Laughter & Lines’ (’15), and ‘Crooked Calypso’ (’17) - the record was recorded at Blueprint Studios in Salford, Manchester. As is Paul Heaton’s habit the lyrics were written in various locations in North Holland and Belgium while the music was composed in a hotel in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria and in Limburg An Der Lahn in Germany.

Says Paul: “I've lived in Manchester for 17 years now and recording an album here for the first time, was looking forward to cycling to work. That was never possible as Manchester is now being turned into a business centre for the rich, which I can't stand. If there's a theme to the record, it's anti growth, anti greed, against the continuous tearing down of old buildings and sticking up soulless offices, and the disappearance of local accents on TV, along with the creeping spread of Americanese. So, some curmudgeonly moans, plus some hopefully uplifting love songs. Originally it was set up to be a double LP like 'London Calling' but alas the double album has also become a victim of time."

Says Jacqui: “I’m so pleased and excited about the new album, it was wonderful to work on new songs and even more so that we did double what we have done for the last few records. It’ll be a joy to see others react to something we took such pleasure out of making.”

PE Hewitt was just 16 years old when he recorded and released his debut album "Jawbones", in a run of just 50 copies. By the time he sold out of the 100 press of his third album, "Winter Winds", he was approaching the ripe-old age of 20. The three albums he and his group of young compatriots wrote, recorded, pressed and - in a sense - distributed are some of the very best late 60s / early 70s jazz records you could hope to hear. That’s why, despite a 40 year gap and the tiniest of private presses couldn’t suppress their re-emergence. Rather than offer us just an anthology Now-Again decided to give us all three albums as they were made, out of respect for Hewitt’s monstrous achievements. The label have recreated the albums as they were released, down to the hand-painted covers. Also included is a 44-page booklet which includes the original liner notes, an essay on Hewitt and his career, an interview with him and never-seen-before photos.

TRACK LISTING

Disc One – Jawbones
1. Free
2. Ihadmyheadoverthechickensouppot
3. Mary
4. Don’t Judge Your Brother
5. Cat House Blues
6. The Ones Left Behind
7. Betrayed
8. Bullheads In My Shoes Blues
9. Karen

Disc Two – Since Washington
1. Alone And Watching
2. Sad Sunday
3. Now Is Here
4. Donna
5. 3am
6. It Doesn’t Matter…Yes It Does…But I Can’t Stop
7. Tender Morning

Disc Three – Winter Winds
1. I’m Wondering Why
2. More Than Anything
3. It’s Got Two Names And That’s Alright
4. Ill Love Song
5. Oma Rakas
6. Bada Que Bash
7. Tuija

Paul St Hilaire, aka Tikiman, returns with three cuts of seriously good roots on the False Tuned label out of Germany. Very much in the same vein as his Burial Mix and Rhythm & Sound work, "Peculiar" is a heavy-lidded, hypnotic slo-mo cut, while "Office" has his toasted vocals wrapped in layers of dubwise sounds. Over on the flip is the extended track "Jah Love", which sees Hilaire back to his usual sweet soulful vocal style.

PATRICE YVONNE HOLLOWAY was born in Los Angeles and is perhaps best known as the younger sister of Motown’s Brenda Holloway, the darling of the Northern Soul scene, particularly in recent years. Patrice also signed to Motown and recorded an unreleased version of “The Touch Of Venus” made famous by Edna Wright (aka Sandy Wynns).

In the mid-sixties Patrice signed to Capitol records and recorded “STOLEN HOURS”, arranged by the great Gene Page and written and produced by his brother Billy Page – she was only 15 years old at the time. It failed to hit Stateside but some thirty years later it became a Northern Soul anthem of the nineties, although it was originally played in the early days of Wigan Casino.
Our chosen flip-side, the follow-up single, “LOVE AND DESIRE”, was also penned, produced and arranged by the Page brothers. It failed to even get a commercial release in the U.S. although it was released in the U.K. and commands big money in today’s collectors market. Her final 45 for Capitol came in 1972 and was a credible version of the Sam Nesbit classic “Black Mother Goose”. Sadly, ill health, forced Patrice to step back from performing and she died before her time of a heart attack in 2006.

Patrice was also known as ‘Valerie’, singer with the animated girl-band Josie And The Pussycats produced by Hanna-Barbera and aired on CBS in 1971. She would beome the first black character to regularly appear on U.S. commercial TV.

TRACK LISTING

1. Stolen Hours
2. Love And Desire

Peter Hook & The Light celebrate the work of Joy Division live at Manchester Apollo in an amazing set lasting over 2 and a half hours.

TRACK LISTING

Vinyl Tracklisting
Disc 1
Side 1
1. Dead Souls
2. Disorder
3. Day Of The Lords
4. Candidate
5. Insight
Side 2
1. New Dawn Fades
2. She's Lost Control
3. Shadowplay
4. Wilderness
Disc 2
Side 1
1. Interzone
2. I Remember Nothing
3. Atrocity Exhibition
4. Isolation
Side 2
1. Passover
2. Colony
3. A Means To An End
4. Heart & Soul
Disc 3
Side 1
1. Twenty Four Hours
2. The Eternal
3. Decades
Side 2
1. Atmosphere
2. Ceremony
3. Transmission
4. Love Will Tear Us Apart
Disc 4
Side 1
1. Elegia (CD)
2. Cries & Whispers (CD)
3. Regret (CD)
4. What Do You Want From Me? (CD)
5. Vanishing Point (CD)
6. True Faith (CD)
7. The Perfect Kiss (CD)

CD Tracklisting
Disc 1
1. Elegia
2. Cries & Whispers
3. Regret
4. What Do You Want From Me?
5. Vanishing Point
6. True Faith
7. The Perfect Kiss
Disc 2
1. Dead Souls
2. Disorder
3. Day Of The Lords
4. Candidate
5. Insight
6. New Dawn Fades
7. She's Lost Control
8. Shadowplay
9. Wilderness
10. Interzone
11. I Remember Nothing
Disc 3
1. Atrocity Exhibition
2. Isolation
3. Passover
4. Colony
5. A Means To An End
6. Heart & Soul
7. Twenty Four Hours
8. The Eternal
9. Decades
10. Atmosphere
11. Ceremony
12. Transmission
13. Love Will Tear Us Apart

'Genuinely funny; indeed, the story will keep you entertained for a very long time' - Sunday Times

Joy Division changed the face of music. Godfathers of the enduring alternative scene, they reinvented rock in the post-punk era, creating a sound - dark, hypnotic, intense - that would influence U2, Morrissey, R.E.M., Radiohead and many others. This is the rollercoaster story of Joy Division - the friendships, fights, fall-outs; the rehearsals and recording sessions; the larger than life characters - told by the band's legendary bassist, Peter Hook.

'Hook has restored a flesh-and-blood rawness to what was becoming a standard tale. Few pop music books manage that' - Guardian

Recorded live at various venues and radio sessions between '98 - 2000. Ex lead singer with the San Francisco band The Avengers, Penelope Houston has long since left those punk rock days behind her. She worked with Howard Devoto in the late 1970s and released her first solo album in 1988 and her new album inhabits acoustic folk-rock-singer / songwriter territory. She is a melodious gentle soprano and these are haunting and atmospheric songs.

An album from vocalist Howard who has recruited Bill Laswell, Trey Gunn, Charles Hayward and Vernon reid to be in his band. It's atmospheric and well crafted music for long winter evenings.

Unearthed by Mike Peden for BBE Music, Per Husby Septett's ‘The Peacemaker’ is a beautiful, deep and under-the-radar small big band set recorded in 1976 by the elite of Norway's jazz cognoscenti, led by pianist and band leader Per Husby. Originally issued for Husby on the Studentersamfundets Plateselskap label by the Student Society in Trondheim, Norway, this obscure jazz rarity had no budget for PR or distribution, and with just a mere 500 copies pressed sales were scarce; it soon became a collectors item in Norway and across the globe. The album creates a big-sounding dynamic mix of original compositions by Per Husby and covers, including Harold Land's modal masterpiece title cut ‘The Peacemaker’, plus a top-draw selection of tunes encompassing post bop, modal, bossa and ballads by the likes of Kenny Wheeler, Cedar Walton and Charlie Parker. Reissued with original artwork and the approval of Per Husby himself, who has also provided the sleeve notes, ‘The Peacemaker’ is now available once again for download, streaming, CD and as a double 180g LP cut at 45rpm by the Grammy-nominated Carvery studio.

TRACK LISTING

Disc: 1
1. Introduction To No Particular Song
2. Au Privave / Bloomdido
3. The Masquerade Is Over
4. Nokve
5. Smatta
6. Fantasy In D

Disc: 2
1. The Peacemaker
2. Confirmation
3. Lush Life
4. Adgang F.

Becoming Peter Ivers tells the story of the late Peter Ivers, a virtuosic songwriter and musician whose antics bridged not just 60s counterculture and New Wave music but also film, theatre, and music television.

Written and recorded in Los Angeles in the mid-to-late-1970s, Becoming Peter Ivers raises the curtain on this mischievous master of ceremonies, who, harmonica in hand, rarely missed a chance to light up an audience. Since his untimely death in 1983, Ivers’ short but storied life has been the subject of much research and remembrance. Becoming Peter Ivers is the most expansive effort yet to collect his archival recordings.

“Demos are often better than records,” Ivers wrote. “More energy, more soul, more guts.” The statement anticipates the appearance of Becoming Peter Ivers, which was assembled from a trove of demo cassettes and reel-to-reel tapes that Ivers recorded variously at his home in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, and Hollywood studios for a pair of major label albums in 1974 and 1976. While the two commercially released albums feature the resources of session musicians and state-of-the-art studio detail, Becoming Peter Ivers highlights the private moments of Ivers’ musical energy, frequently pared down to piano, drum machine, harmonica, and Peter’s ageless voice.

Though technically not Ivers’ debut album (in 1969 Epic Records released Knight Of The Blue Communion, Peter’s psychedelic jazz odyssey of sorts), Terminal Love was the A&R brainchild of music legend Van Dyke Parks. Already a masterful harmonica player (respectively mentored by blues legend Little Walter and jazz bassist Buell Neidlinger while he was a student at Harvard in the late 60s), Ivers wove his harp melodies through the sensuously coloured but unconventionally arranged pop compositions of Terminal Love and its self-titled follow up, which, like the New York Dolls at the same time, explored the libidinous, ironic, and artful possibilities of the rock template.

A studious artist, Ivers recorded hundreds of writing and rehearsal sessions onto reel-to reel and cassette tapes, but notes were either scarcely kept or have since been lost. RVNG Intl. collaborated with Ivers’ long-time friend and supporter Steven Martin, as well as his lifelong companion Lucy Fisher, to tell an intimate story of Peter’s creative journey through this untold music. The collection includes tracks that recurred in Ivers’ ouvre over the years; “Alpha Centauri,” “Eighteen And Dreaming,” “Miraculous Weekend.” And, of course, “In Heaven” – the song co-written with David Lynch and commissioned by the filmmaker to be featured in a now-iconic scene of Eraserhead. An accomplished Yogi by the late 70s, Ivers was as spiritual as he was playful. Accentuated by his cherubic face and compact height, Ivers’ vitality and curiosity became a part of his poetic sensibility, a quality that also characterizes his singing voice. Fisher remembers Ivers calling his days holed up in the studio as “snowy days,” as if he had been cut from school and let free to roam on his own. “No one knows what Peter Ivers does on a snowy day,” he would say.

In 1980, Ivers became involved with the Los Angeles-area public access show New Wave Theatre, serving as its host and paternal misfit. Ivers would introduce a new generation of groups like Fear, Dead Kennedys, and Suburban Lawns while playing a kind-of “straight” man, deliberately baiting the punks with square questions and frocked fashion. His signature question to guests was delivered deadpan: “What is the meaning of life?” Ivers died, tragically, the victim of a violent homicide in 1983 that remains unsolved. A shock to his community, his death all but fazed the LAPD, who treated the investigation with less than minimum care. A labor of love that took RVNG Intl. over five years to complete, Becoming Peter Ivers re-frames Peter’s music as the centerpiece of his captivating story, concentrating on the work he made during his numerous retreats into art, or, as he put it, during his snowy days. 

TRACK LISTING

01. Take Your Chances With Me
02. Eighteen And Dreaming
03. Love Is A Jungle
04. Conference Call At Four
05. Peter
06. Even Stephen Foster
07. I’m Sorry Alice
08. Deborah
09. Miraculous Weekend
10. Holding The Cobra
11. Audience Of One
12. Alpha Centauri
13. I’ve Seen Your Face
14. My Grandmother’s Funeral
15. In Heaven
16. My Desire
17. The Night You Didn’t Come
18. Untitled
19. Love In Flight (Piano Overture)
20. Ain’t That A Kick
21. Jamaica Moon
22. Happy On The Grill
23. Window Washer (w/ Van Dyke Parks)
24. You Used To Be Stevie Wonder 
25. Nirvana Cuba Walt

It’s a family affair on the second Growing Bin 7”, as Peter & Patrick Jahn enjoy some father and son boogie with a smooth split release. A sunblushed moocher served two ways, this disc is designed for horizontal dancing…

Rooting around the cupboards in his family home outside Nuremberg, Patrick Jahn unearthed a dusty box of cassettes, saved for posterity but eventually forgotten. Somewhere between ‘True Blue’ and ‘Brothers In Arms’ was a faded C60 full of unreleased demos by his father Peter, recorded in the mid to late 80s. Back then Jahn Sr owned a pub club called Schrank (Cupboard to the Anglophones), with an upstairs office he used as a music studio. In amongst naïve synthesiser experiments and carefree noodling was a Balearic boogie bomb, all strolling synth bass, clipped funk guitar and seaside melancholy – like Brenda Ray on a Wim Wenders soundtrack.

Too impressed to keep it a secret, Patrick played the cut to Carsten “Erobique” Meyer, when he was over there jamming, and Hamburg’s premier funk freak suggested this might be of interest to his likeminded hometown freak Basso. Instantly in love, the Growing Bin boss suggested Patrick provide his own version for the flipside, and so it was, reborn with percussive sway, moonlit keys and beefy bass tones for the next generation. Here’s to the Jahn family, father and son but brothers in calms…

TRACK LISTING

A. Abenteuer überm Schrank (Peter‘s Original 1987 Version) 
B. Abenteuer überm Schrank (Patrick‘s Own 2019 Version)

Peter Jefferies, a living legend of New Zealand underground music, from his seminal bands Nocturnal Projections and This Kind Of Punishment, to his collaborative efforts in bands such as Plagal Grind and Two Foot Flame, is perhaps best known for his solo work on masterpieces such as The Last Great Challenge In A Dull World (1990) and Electricity (1994), as well as Elevator Madness (1996). All of these albums came out on vinyl but one of the best was the singular Closed Circuit (2001) which, unfortunately, only came out on compact disc and was somewhat lost to time until now.

After Grapefruit released his collection of singles and unreleased songs called Last Ticket Home in 2019, Jefferies mentioned he’d always hoped one of his personal favorite solo albums could someday be heard on vinyl as it was intended. Grapefruit is proud to finally be able to highlight Jefferies’ last album of lyric-based songs by releasing Closed Circuit on vinyl, remastered and with new artwork and insert. This album features all of Jefferies’ signature tense and dark, piano-driven rock and moody balladry, along with themes of personal isolation and domestic ambivalence. It’s a tour-de-force that has remained in the dark too long.

TRACK LISTING

1. Time And The Singular Man
2. Crocodile
3. Whatever You Want
4. Closed Circuit
5. Line In Tail Out
6. Age For The Innocent
7. Dryest Month In 100 Years
8. Coming Home With You
9. Red Sky
10. King In The Clowns New Clothes
11. State Of The Nation
12. Won't Be Long
13. Talkin' Bout Nothin'
14. Ghostwriter

Peter Jefferies, a living legend of New Zealand underground music, from his seminal bands Nocturnal Projections and This Kind Of Punishment, to his collaborative efforts in bands such as Plagal Grind and Two Foot Flame, is perhaps best known for his solo work on masterpieces such as The Last Great Challenge In A Dull World (1990) and Electricity (1994), as well as numerous other albums of his singular songcraft.

Grapefruit is proud to be releasing Jefferies’ latest, Last Ticket Home, which leaves the station early in his career when The Last Great Challenge In A Dull World left off and takes us on a guided tour of a fascinating side street via rare singles, both released and unreleased, radical live interpretations, and a wealth of never released material dating from 1991-2019. Last Ticket Home redefines Jefferies’ artistic journey, giving us a song cycle narrative which scorches, blisters and eventually heals on its relentless, ragged way home.

TRACK LISTING

1. Crossover
2. Lassitude
3. Guided Tour
4. Wined Up
5. Westgate Exit
6. Ghostwriter
7. Electricity (Live)
8. World In A Blanket (Live)
9. Cyclone Dawn
10. Fallaway
11. Last Ticket Home

Organic, electric, freeform. Pete Jolly's Seasons is comprised of melodies and textures composed live and without pretense—its grooves contain a complete and divine listening experience that surpasses all others of the era in which it was originally released, coming as close to transcendent musical meditation incarnate as one could possibly imagine. Seasons is an unsung masterpiece of ensemble groove and stellar musicianship, equally unsurpassed and inspired in its quiet excellence.

While Seasons never had significant commercial success upon its release, it has since amassed a cult following, leading collectors to pay top dollar for copies of the rare record. Out of print since 1971, it has only been reissued once on CD.

In his liner notes accompanying this release, Dave Segal puts the album’s massive demand in perspective: “British label owner Jonny Trunk put up an original pressing of the LP for sale for an undisclosed but large sum on Instagram in January 2023, and it sold in five minutes. With Seasons back in circulation, maybe Pete Jolly will finally gain the broader audience that his phenomenal skills merit,” writes Segal. “If nothing else, it serves as a valuable lesson to artists: venturing outside of your comfort zone can bring the most interesting, enduring results.”

Remastered from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Coherent Mastering, this record not only foreshadows the roots of hip-hop but manages to embody the richness of a full album listening experience that few records can offer. Its timeless appeal is rare—and its dynamic range sets it apart as an album that straddles both the jazz and pop worlds in a way that almost no others can. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the changing and complex colors of Seasons for the first time ever since its initial release.

TRACK LISTING

Leaves
Younger Than Springtime
Bees
Rainbows
Plummer Park
Springs
Seasons
Sand Storm
Autumn Festival
Prairie Road
The Indian's Summer
Pete Jolly

Pete Josef‘s second album "I Rise With The Birds" gets remixed by Sonar Kollektiv main crew.

First of all there is the Jazzanova remix of "Giants", which almost completely trades of the vocals for a beautifully rich and tantalizing array of synths; powering the whole beast forward with an expertly sequenced breakbeat. Feiertag remixes the same track, leading with swelling horns soaked in dub delay, rising keys and guitar notes picked from the ether add the the urgence self of elation as this pours outta the speakers - tidy!

Livepool's Friend Within brings some tasty soulful house flavours thru the stems of "Mainframe". While Pete Josef himself strips down "The Sun" to its basic structure before reconstructing it as a modern Salsa track! Mega!

TRACK LISTING

A1 – Giants (Jazzanova Remix)
A2 – Giants (Feiertag Remix)
AA1 – Mainframe (Friend Within Remix)
AA2 – This Sun (Pete Josef Remix)

Patrick Kelleher is a 24 year-old musician based in Dublin, Ireland, although he spent much of his childhood in the English town of Rugby. His music varies from brooding, tense electronica to jaunty acoustica to 8-bit dance-floor ditties to evocative, experimental pop but always with a twist of something ethereal or idiosyncratic. Relatively simple vocal melodies come swathed in distant hums and cracks. His songs are often premised on a mixture of live instrumentation, drum machines, cheapo voice-sampling Yamaha keyboards and vocals that are, at times, heavily distorted.

Super-funky business from Nigerian-born multi-instrumentalist, Peter King; fuses funk, jazz and highlife vibrations. ‘Omo Lewa’ follows his ‘Miliki Sound’ album, also available on Mr Bongo. Recorded in London, originally released in 1976 by Orbitone, this is one of his finest records.

TRACK LISTING

Omo Lewa
Yere Africa
Afro-Funk
Eda
Ajo
Congo
Ko Dara

After crisscrossing the nation for the last half-decade looking for a home, Pokey LaFarge found himself in Mid-Coast Maine. Upon arriving, the Illinois- born singer/ songwriter/ actor pursued a major life change, working 12-hour days on a local farm--a turn of events that catalyzed an extraordinary burst of creativity and redefined his sense of purpose as an artist. Rhumba Country was initially shaped from material that emerged while LaFarge was deep in work on the farm. "I'd be pushing a plow or scattering seeds, and the songs would just come to me," he recalls. "It was tremendously inspirational and made me realize that apart from singing, farming is perhaps the oldest human art form." While farming, LaFarge began dreaming up a kaleidoscopic sound informed by his love of music from far- ranging eras and corners of the globe, including mambo, tropicalia, rocksteady, and mid-century American rock-and-roll. "The songs that naturally come to me are upbeat and make you wanna dance or at least bop your head--they're all very colorful," says LaFarge. "I used to think of my music in dark blue, but now I see it in technicolor." Co- produced along with Chris Seefried and Elliot Bergman and recorded in L.A., the resulting Rhumba Country is an invitation to come together to celebrate life and love.

TRACK LISTING

One You, One Me
For A Night
Run Run Run
Like A Sailor
Sister Andre
So Long Chicago
It's Not Over
Home Home Home
Made To Be Loved
You Make My Garden Grow

Staytech has become an underground imprint with some of the most unique styles of techno over the last couple of years since the birth of the label in 2017. Paul Lightfoot is now announcing the second album of his career. The prolific English producer has been recognized by some of the biggest artists in the techno scene due to the prosperity of his previous releases, and here we now have ' White Warning'.

A very special album designed to take the listener on a journey of many different styles of the techno genre. The album consists of ten cuts each one showing its own personality. The opening track 'Nostromo' which is gone straight in for the pounding underground warehouse rave environment, that's perfect to open a set to blow any crowd away. Then is closely followed by the second track of the album, ' Acid Man ' This is one dark acidic roller not for the faint-hearted. Mainly driven at full speed by a 303 bass line. Track three 'Your Mind' Haunting catchy vocals and a powerful kick and bassline that gives the track a repetitive almighty depth. Onto track four 'Warp' this comes with a more minimal atmospheric approach with dark-themed chords and heavy strings.

Meanwhile, mid creation of the Album 'This Acid' contains acidic rolling stabs and a pounding kick drum, a rave impelled techno titian. The sixth track 'Be Free' A little off the darker side of techno than the rest, this track portrays a connection between house and techno sitting somewhere in-between the genres. A simple lead line that won't be forgotten by any raver. Track Seven 'Feel Real' Similar to track six this again sits in-between the genres of house and techno. The energy is rushing throughout this track and lifts a whole rave when played, continuous piano stabs that will give you goosebumps. Defiantly one to wear out a crowd.

Number Eight 'Talking to Myself' Old school rave chords bounce throughout the track with a strong underlining string. Second to last 'Travel' this will take you on a minimalistic musical journey sounding similar to Richie Hawtins productions Paul has hit the nail on the head here with travel, this will 100%% be a track to go down in history as far as techno is concerned. Last but not least onto the title track 'White warning'. This is a sweaty dancefloor nuclear weapon giving techno awakening its self one heavy finale for amazing energy-driven album.

TRACK LISTING

1. Nostromo ( Original Mix )
2. Acid Man ( Original Mix )
3. Your Mind ( Original Mix )
4. Feel Real ( Original Mix )
5. Warp ( Original Mix )
6. This Acid ( Original Mix )
7. Be Free ( Original Mix )
8. Talking To Myself ( Original Mix )
9. Travel ( Original Mix )
10. White Warning ( Original Mix )

“Pete MacLeod is one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever worked with. I say that without any reservations whatsoever. His new record is stunning. He’s as good as a singer as Liam or Ashcroft. An absolute top shelf vocalist. The songwriting and matching of Youth as producer and Peter as artist is musical alchemy. These songs show Pete’s vocal range, which is phenomenal. The album is one of the best records I’ve ever been involved with.” - Alan McGee.

New album with acclaimed producer Youth (recent No.1 selling album with Pink Floyd, The Verve’s Urban Hymns, Primal Scream and more).

Pete has recently completed a successful UK tour supporting The Happy Mondays and dates opening for Cast, Jesus and The Mary Chain.

BBC Radio 2's Janice Long recently described Pete as "absolutely amazing" and chose the new single ‘Crestfallen’ for her "Janice loves" slot 5 times in one week. A first time Janice has ever done so.

Featuring Paul McCartney’s son James on guitar and also The Verve’s Simon Tong.

“An amazing singer and an equally amazing songwriter” - Youth.

Natural Selections drop Paul Mahoux’s EP, “Lysergie Villageoise” - the fourth release on Nummer’s oddball imprint.

Taking a step further into fourth world music territories, “Lysergie Villageoise” is a meticulously crafted collection of four tracks imagined by Okinawa-based guitarist Paul Mahoux. These compositions sum up 30+ years of experience and experiments by the French-born producer, blending traditional music and modern techniques in a very singular way. All four tracks feature Paul Mahoux’s unique concoction of flavours, a signature soundscape which brings jazz, folk, ambient and house together. Constantly blurring the lines between proto and advanced sounding, Paul Mahoux’s music recalls deep forgotten feelings and invites us to a psychedelic voyage through rural impressions and ancient times beyond the frontiers of folklore. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Recent and brilliant addition to our Shamanic section which channels 'rural impressions and ancient times beyond the frontiers of folklore' - sounds right up my strasse!

TRACK LISTING

A1. So(u)rcier
A2. V'là Les Druidesses
B1. Tohu Bohu An Rinceoir
B2. Cent Mille Ancêtres

Sweden’s Peder Mannerfelt returns to Voam with “The Benefits Of Living In A Hole”, his third EP for the label and in our humble opinion, his best yet.

Opening with the bat shit crazy but totally engrossing "Pumping Plastics" which features his trademark wild squealing synthesis coupled with precision rhythmic prowess. "Vanklemotor" refining this formular to a highly combustible rendition of techno that's patent protected by Mannerfelt's very own sonic lab.

"Eurtrashed" sees him explore more deranged and dark machine realms, spewing and gurgling what feels like a pneumonic level of mainframe phlegm across pounding technoid beats and alien chatter. "Liquid Ratten Mainframe" lets the gremlins out of the cage for some inhuman conversation which is indecipherable by our meagre human ears but surely suggests some higher form of interplanetary communication that we're not quite privy to yet. 

TRACK LISTING

A1. Pumping Plastics
A2. Vankelmotor
B1. Eurotrashed
B2. Liquid Rattan Mainframe

Vinyl Description:
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Band On The Run, this special vinyl edition was cut at half speed using a high-resolution transfer of the original master tapes from 1973 by Miles Showell at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, London. This tracklist mirrors the US release which includes the song “Helen Wheels”. Includes reproduction of Linda McCartney Polaroid poster. Features an Obi strip.

CD Description:
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Band On The Run, this special 2CD edition features the original album and a second disc of previously unreleased “underdubbed” mixes of the songs. CD1 mirrors the US release which includes the song “Helen Wheels”. The set also includes a double-sided fold-out Polaroid poster taken by Linda McCartney.

TRACK LISTING

1LP: 
Band On The Run (Side A)
Jet (Side A)
Bluebird (Side A)
Mrs. Vandebilt (Side A)
Let Me Roll It (Side A)
Mamunia (Side B)
No Words (Side B)
Helen Wheels (Side B)
Picasso’s Last Words (Drink To Me) (Side B)
Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five (Side B)

2CD:
Disc 1 - Band On The Run
Band On The Run
Jet
Bluebird
Mrs. Vandebilt
Let Me Roll It
Mamunia
No Words
Helen Wheels
Picasso’s Last Words (Drink To Me)
Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five

Disc 2 - Band On The Run (Underdubbed Mixes)
Band On The Run
Mamunia
No Words
Jet
Bluebird
Mrs. Vandebilt
Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five
Picasso’s Last Words (Drink To Me)
Let Me Roll It

Following the eclectic charm and intimacy of 1970's solo McCartney and 1971's homespun lo-fi indie-pop progenitor RAM credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, Wild Life found Paul once again redefining his post-Beatles creative identity, this time beginning his tenure as a founding member of Wings. A rollicking left turn from its predecessors, Wild Life was recorded in barely more than a week, with more than half of the songs captured in a single take. The end result would be eight songs running the gamut from joyous freewheeling jams to proto-chamber pop to spare introspective musings — all bristling with a raw, jagged energy akin to the grungiest of garage bands—whether on the careening blues-rock rave-up of opener "Mumbo," a reggae-tinged reimagining of Mickey & Sylvia's "Love Is Strange," or the plaintive and heart wrenching ballad "Dear Friend."

Cracking the top 10 and going gold in the US, Wild Life faced an admittedly uphill battle as the debut of Paul's first post-Beatles band. In a recent reassessment, Billboard noted that modern-day Wild Life listeners "can throw out all this cultural baggage and just enjoy the tunes… by not reaching for any obvious Beatles tropes, Wings achieved something fresh and inviting…" And in fact, Wild Life would prove to be the first spark of the Wings phenomenon that would develop and flourish into one of the defining sounds of '70s rock n roll. The streak of #1 albums from Red Rose Speedway, Band On The Run, Venus And Mars, At The Speed Of Sound through the 3LP live opus Wings Over America, and the sold-out shows that provided the blueprint for the '70s arena rock experience—can all be traced back to the big bang of those first eight months during which Wings would form, release Wild Life in December 1971 and play their first-ever live shows in February 1972.

TRACK LISTING

Side A

Mumbo
Bip Bop
Love Is Strange
Wild Life

Side B

Some People Never Know
I Am Your Singer
Tomorrow
Dear Friend

Flaming Pie is the tenth solo studio album by Paul McCartney, first released in 1997.

Having been heavily involved in The Beatles’ Anthology project, Paul had time to reflect on the standards he and his bandmates had set during their career, and applied these to what would become his first album in four years. Made in a much more spontaneous style, with songs recorded here and there, mostly on holiday, it’s an album that luxuriates in its own sense of fun.

Featuring producers George Martin and Jeff Lynne, as well as musicians including Steve Miller, Ringo Starr and his own son, James McCartney, Flaming Pie would go on to become one of Paul’s most acclaimed albums. Sales were brisk, with the album only kept from the Number 1 slot on both sides of the Atlantic by the cultural phenomenon that was the Spice Girls’ Spice album.

TRACK LISTING

LP1
Side A - Remastered Album
The Song We Were Singing
The World Tonight
If You Wanna
Side B - Remastered Album
Somedays
Young Boy
Calico Skies
Flaming Pie

LP2
Side A - Remastered Album
Heaven On A Sunday
Used To Be Bad
Souvenir
Side B - Remastered Album
Little Willow
Really Love You
Beautiful Night
Great Day

LP3 Side A - Home Recordings
The Song We Were Singing [Home Recording]
The World Tonight [Home Recording]
If You Wanna [Home Recording]
Somedays [Home Recording]
Young Boy [Home Recording]
LP3 Side B - Home Recordings
Calico Skies [Home Recording]
Flaming Pie [Home Recording]
Souvenir [Home Recording]
Little Willow [Home Recording]
Beautiful Night [1995 Demo]
Great Day [Home Recording

McCartney III was recorded in early 2020 in Sussex, England at McCartney's home while in lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Describing the process of recording the album, McCartney said: "Each day I’d start recording with the instrument I wrote the song on and then gradually layer it all up; it was a lot of fun. It was about making music for yourself rather than making music that has to do a job. So, I just did stuff I fancied doing. I had no idea this would end up as an album." Like previous McCartney albums, the instrumental work is recorded by McCartney himself. He similarly performed most of the instruments on his 2005 album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard and on his 2007 album Memory Almost Full. 

Hailed upon its release last year as "vital and comfortable taking new chances” (Rolling Stone) and “cheery, resilient, forever looking forward” (The New Yorker), Paul McCartney’s McCartney III is now literally moving into the future in the form of McCartney III Imagined.

Personally curated by Paul, McCartney III Imagined features an A-List assortment of friends, fans and brand new acquaintances, each covering and/or reimagining their favorite McCartney III moments in their own signature styles. The result is a kaleidoscopic reinterpretation of an album Rolling Stone accurately tagged “an inspiration to us all”—one that serves as an extension of the instantly beloved McCartney III while standing on its own as brilliant and adventurous milestone in the McCartney discography.

The first offering from McCartney III Imagined comes from American singer/rapper/songwriter Dominic Fike, whose cover of “The Kiss of Venus” transmutes the tender acoustic ballad into a retro-futuristic R&B tour de force. “The Kiss of Venus (Dominic Fike version)” is available digitally

Further III-imaginations will be forthcoming from Damon Albarn, Beck, Blood Orange, Phoebe Bridgers, Josh Homme, Khraungbin, 3D RDN of Massive Attack, Ed O’Brien (EOB), Anderson .Paak, St. Vincent and more.

Originally released December 18, 2020, McCartney III is the third in a trilogy of home-made and self-titled albums that began with Paul's 1970 solo debut McCartney, and continued in 1980 with McCartney II. All three albums were written, performed and produced by Paul in varying states of isolation, all showcasing his unique creativity and inspired spontaneity. Recorded in “Rockdown," McCartney III topped album charts across the world, scoring Paul his first UK#1 album in 31 years – increasing his lead as the UK’s most successful chart act of all time.

McCartney III Imagined continues the tradition of the biggest and most diverse names in music covering Paul’s songs — an ever-expanding lineup that ranges from more recent versions by Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Dave Grohl, Coldplay and The Cure, to interpretations over the years from the likes of U2, Guns N’ Roses, Earth Wind & Fire, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Joe Cocker, Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles and so many more. McCartney III Imagined is a testament of Paul’s enduring and unmatched influence, a legacy that stretches from “Yesterday” being the most covered song in contemporary musical history to the inspiration his current work continues to hold for generations of artists and fans.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: I have to say, I never expected to see Idris Elba listed on the tracklist for a Paul McCartney release, but here we are. A selection of the leading lights in the music (and TV) industry rework a number of tunes from the brilliant 'McCartney III' to great effect. A wonderful companion to the original and a worthwhile listen regardless.

TRACK LISTING

1. Find My Way (feat. Beck)
2. The Kiss Of Venus (Dominic Fike)
3. Pretty Boys (feat. Khruangbin)
4. Women And Wives (St. Vincent Remix)
5. Deep Down (Blood Orange Remix)
6. Seize The Day (feat. Phoebe Bridgers)
7. Slidin’ (EOB Remix)
8. Long Tailed Winter Bird (Damon Albarn Remix)
9. Lavatory Lil (Josh Homme)
10. When Winter Comes (Anderson .Paak Remix)
11. Deep Deep Feeling (3D RDN Remix)
12. Long Tailed Winter Bird (Idris Elba Remix)*

Debut studio album on Columbia Records from Manchester born & London based R&B singer and songwriter Pip Millett. She has previously released three EPs - 'Do Well' (2019), 'Lost in June' (2020) and 'Motion Sick' (2021). Although R&B musician Pip Millet hails from Manchester, her soulfully somber vocals have serenaded the ears (and hearts) of music lovers across the globe this past year.

Now, with the announcement of her highly anticipated debut album ''When Everything Is Better, I’ll Let You Know'', the singer and songwriter takes one step further into the global spotlight. Serving as a two for one, the news of the debut album comes in tandem with a brand new single titled “Slow." And don't let the title of her debut single on the project fool you, Millet is not slowing down any time soon. If "Slow" is any indication of what to expect from the album...the songstress is set for global domination. "Slow" comes to life through a black and white visual directed by KC Locke, showcasing the tracks soulful ethos that perfectly encapsulates the thrills and subtleties of young love. Millet eloquently flirts with romance throughout the entire track, describing how to adorn her. Featuring her sultry tones, “Slow” captures the essence of womanhood—a prominent theme to expect through the rest of her forthcoming album. When Everything Is Better, I’ll Let You Know is set to be released on October 21st. The album will prove to be Millet's strongest body of work consisting of seventeen tracks where she acknowledges her personal growth, explores self-love infused with narratives of the highs and lows of love. Her raw lyricism allows listeners to witness all the paths that have led to the woman (and artist) she is today. Millet radiates maturity while reflecting on the current cultural landscape around her, having a point of view that translates both inside and outside of the studio. 

Pete Molinari is a country blues singer, songwriter from the Medway Delta. He was born into a large Maltese/ Italian/ Egyptian family in Chatham, Kent, where he was discovered by Billy Childish.

He’s got five critically-acclaimed albums’ worth of timeless folk, blues, rock and alt- country songs to his credit, plus a bunch more EPs.

He’s often described as a songwriter’s songwriter. Bruce Springsteen once publicly proffered: “Pete Molinari – if you don’t know anything about him, he’s great!”

Just Like Achilles is the distillation of everything Pete has learned since those years on the road as a travelling troubadour, playing tiny theatres and coffee houses everywhere from London, to New York, Paris to Nashville and around the world, eventually taking him to the most celebrated venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Festival Hall, Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall.

Just Like Achilles brims with big songs and huge choruses. After a first listen, it’s like you’ve known and loved this record forever. Although surprising for some who think he is the lone songwriter with his guitar, Pete is a big fan of Pop. Yes, somewhat of a dirty word today, but it is that timeless and well-crafted pop that created so many hit songs in the past that we still adore today.

Pete’s songs always cut straight to the heart of the matter. No fat, no artifice, no histrionics. The sound is real. Live. Real people playing real instruments. Front and center are Pete’s own majestic guitar chops and unique, soulful voice. Even on Achilles’ sadder songs, there’s a buoyancy and potency to them, an infectious effervescence that imbues life is for living, and it is that loving of life that we find celebrated in every song, arrangement and composition.

To coincide with Just Like Achilles highly anticipated release, Linda Perry organized an extraordinary event. She booked out the legendary Capitol Records’ Studio A and hit her contacts list to pull together a supergroup to join Pete in performing his new songs live in the studio. It included legends Ronnie Spector and Don Was, plus Mike Garson and Gail Ann Dorsey from the David Bowie band. Evan Rachel Wood also came along to sing on a couple of songs, while Jakob Dylan duetted with Pete on a very special version of “Waiting For A Train”.

So, everything was ready to go, ready for release. This was the beginning of 2020. And then .... well, as we all know, everything stopped. Now, two more years on, this is Take Two: Just Like Achilles is finally set to receive the release it always deserved.

TRACK LISTING

Goodbye Baby Jane
Steal The Night
No Ordinary Girl 
I’ll Take You There
Satisfy Me
Waiting For A Train
Colour My Love
You’ve Got The Fever
Please Mrs Jones 
Born To Be Blue 
I Can’t Be Denied
Just Like Achilles
Absolute Zero

PETE MOLINARI is a singer-songwriter from the Medway Delta. He was born into a large Maltese/ Italian/ Egyptian family in Chatham, Kent, where he was discovered by Billy Childish.

He’s got five critically-acclaimed albums’ worth of timeless folk, blues, rock and alt- country songs to his credit, plus a bunch more EPs.

He’s often described as a songwriter’s songwriter. Bruce Springsteen once publicly proffered: “Pete Molinari – if you don’t know anything about him, he’s great!”
Rome has a secret heartbeat, an underground and urgent pulsation whose memory is preserved within the walls of old recording studios, in the tales of veterans, and most of all in the grooves of the soundtracks of Cinecittà. Music that has always flirted with poetry.

Pete Molinari is a poet, and that's why his words perfectly blend with this pulsation.
That's why producer Luca Sapio chose to record "Wondrous Afternoon" among his Blind Faith Recordings and Maestro Piero Umiliani's Sound Workshop. The result is an album with a strong cinematic impact. The lesson of Motown applied to the sound of Rome.

Backed by Luca’s crack band better known as the Italian Royal Family, Pete Molinari sings with great expressiveness and soul, embedding his words like precious stones, exposing them in all their fragility and strength to the listener.

TRACK LISTING

Wondrous Afternoon
Only When I Love
You’re Poetry To Me
My Careless Heart
Rolling The Dice
The Rampaging Sons Of The Widow
Cezanne Cezanne
Always Letting Go
Love Is Just A Word
Narcissus
Intermezzo #7

THE TIMES & UNCUT MUSIC BOOK OF THE YEARCritically-acclaimed and bestselling author Paul Morley's long-awaited biography of Factory Records co-founder and Manchester icon Tony Wilson. A BOOK OF THE YEARSUNDAY TIMES, NEW STATESMAN, MOJO, LOUDER THAN WAR'Compelling . .

. befitting its extraordinary subject.'BRIAN ENO'Bracing and often surprisingly tender . .

. the perfect monument.'SUNDAY TIMES'Via Morley's magical prose Tony Wilson comes back to life . .

. inspiring.'RICHARD RUSSELLTony Wilson was a man who became synonymous with his beloved city. As the co-founder of the legendary Factory Records and the Hacienda, he appointed himself a custodian of Manchester's legacy of innovation and change, becoming a cultural pioneer for the North.

To Paul Morley, he was this and much more: bullshitting hustler, flashy showman, inventive broadcaster, self-deprecating chancer, publicity seeker, loyal friend. It was Morley to whom Wilson left a daunting final request: to write this book. From Manchester with Love is the biography of a man who changed the world around him through sheerforce of personality.

In the cultural theatre of Manchester, Tony Wilson broke in and took centre stage. 'An immersive experience . .

. very moving indeed.'MIRANDA SAWYER, OBSERVER'Not just a "biog" but the story of a city's history and culture and a unique and disappearing figure.'STUART MACONIE, NEW STATESMAN'Morley's biography is as illuminating on Wilson's strange ability to hold others in his orbit, even after his death, as it is on the story of his life.'THE SPECTATOR'The man/myth Wilson died aged 57 in 2006, but here he burns on fantastically bright.'UNCUT

Paolo Mosca makes intricate, multi-layered electronic music. Inspired by the early club sound pushed by the pioneers from his home region Veneto, he fuses house, trance and ambient - and moves forward. The "Metaphysics EP" displays the artist's passion and ingenuity, unfolding technical skill that makes clear his studio clock is set to 2023 and not 1993. On "Lucidreams" a statically charged beat and organ bass work up a groove. Accompanied by a misty pad and a slow, pensive arpeggiator, it pulses towards the break: there an acid line emerges, finds its spot in the mix, and refuels the track. "Energia" draws from a bolder, more euphoric range. Hand drums, a glittering lead and airy yet restrained chords float soaked in reverb and delay. A lean bass sequence tightly keeps the rhythm as flanged claps and subtly positioned sweeps create extra movement. The second side's opener, "Under The Sea" features a formant filter lead meandering within the sweaty framework of heavily gated choir pads and a frugal bassline that eventually gets layered with an M1. Modulated vocals and strokes of additional melody ensure the stereo field again gets used to its full capacity. "Acqua" is a fitting coda. Some familiar patches are deployed over a tumbling beat that takes charge of the pace from the get-go. The palette might seem bright and blissful, but as always, the track's latticework contains enough contrast for a slight feeling of melancholy to keep simmering beneath. Mosca cited his meditation routine, how it helps him materialize ideas and thoughts, as a main drive upon finishing this record. The "Metaphysics EP" is a ruminative work. Comprised of four explorations in deftly manipulating energy with due attention to balance and momentum, it easily flows between genres, details darting in and out, showing the artist's understanding of composition and dance music history. Mixed and mastered beautifully as well. Highly recommended! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: A favourite on the all-night-chug scene. This proggy-indebted little beauty has become a bit of a secret weapon for one Count Von Delicious who recently wowed the revellers in Berlin's seedier districts with a promo copy of this beast. There's a driving, feminine force throughout which is dreamy and captivating. Defo worth checking if you're working the 'floors at the weekend...

TRACK LISTING

1. Lucidreams Master
2. Energia
3. Under The Sea 3 A M. Mix
4.  Acqua

Peter Mulvey has been described as a livewire on stage, his ferocious guitar playing whisks him through more tunings than he has fingers in the course of an evening, as he winds his way from full throated rockers to decptively plain-spoken musings. Mulvey has also been noted as a fine interpreter of other artist's songs and on "Ten Thousand Mornings" he has recorded a dozen covers from his favourite songwriters.

Tastefully placed parts swirl in and out of the speaker cones, weaving a nourishing basket of goodies. Though they began in 1996 as primarily an instrumental rock band, each of the masterful tracks on "This Is How It Is Lost" features vocals, adding a new dimension for those familiar with their sound. Most of these feature vocals from Eddie Robert, who also plays with I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, whilst another features Craig McCaffrey, lately also of The American Analog Set.

Exploring the possibilities of electronica and laptop composition even further; Pieter Nooten, one of the original members of Clan of Xymox and former collaborator with Michael Brook brings us the astounding acoustic and organic sounding 'Surround Us'. The album features gorgeous guest vocalists interspersed with beautiful, classical compositions. Far beyond the clichés of contemporary electronica, Nooten squeezes heart wrenching melancholia -beautifully executed, honest and intimate- out of the 'digital box', proving how good and deeply heartfelt home recorded electronica can sound, Nooten delivers a true masterpiece of lap top composition.
In collaboration with impro cellist Lucas Stam, whose sensitive and intuitive playing technique cuts right through some of the most intense instrumentals; Nooten and Stam prove to be the pioneers of a long-expected period in contemporary music. A future that is NOT turning out clinical nu jazz or industrial noise fresh from the academies, neither mind numbing corporate pop, playable in any old mp3 format. Here we experience warmth and dynamics, features that seemed so long lost in music. 'Surround Us' brims with vitality, humanity, pain, passion and sweet, sweet melancholia. Pieter is more influenced by "the depth and beauty of the simplest Bach fugue than by most modern pop".

Current line-up: Pieter Nooten (laptop, keyboards, vocals), Yvette Winkler (vocals), Lucas Stam (cello).

TRACK LISTING

1. Ode
2. Anybody
3. An End
4. Soothing Dust
5. Drone
6. This World
7. Blue Wonder
8. Around Us
9. Secret Room
10. Romanz
11. Blue Square
12. Dutch Clouds

From the author of the million-copy selling Shout!: The Beatles in Their Generation and the bestselling John Lennon: The Life comes a revealing portrait of George Harrison, the most undervalued and mysterious Beatle. Despite being hailed as one of the best guitarists of his era, George Harrison, particularly in his early decades, battled feelings of inferiority. He was often the butt of jokes from his bandmates owing to his lower-class background and, typically, was allowed to contribute only one or two songs per Beatles album out of the dozens he wrote.

Now, acclaimed Beatles biographer Philip Norman examines Harrison through the lens of his numerous self-contradictions. Compared to songwriting luminaries John Lennon and Paul McCartney he was considered a minor talent, yet he composed such masterpieces as 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' and 'Here Comes the Sun', and his solo debut album 'All Things Must Pass' achieved enormous success, appearing on many lists of the 100 best rock albums ever. Modern music critics place him in the pantheon of Sixties guitar gods alongside Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards and Jimmy Page.

Harrison railed against the material world yet wrote the first pop song complaining about income tax. He spent years lovingly restoring his Friar Park estate as a spiritual journey, but quickly mortgaged the property to help rescue a film project that would be widely banned as sacrilegious, Monty Python's Life of Brian. Harrison could be fiercely jealous, but not only did he stay friends with Eric Clapton when Clapton fell in love with Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd, the two men grew even closer after Clapton walked away with her.

Unprecedented in scope and filled with numerous colour photos, this rich biography captures George Harrison at his most multi-faceted: devoted friend, loyal son, master guitar-player, brilliant songwriter, cocaine addict, serial philanderer, global philanthropist, student of Indian mysticism, self-deprecating comedian and, ultimately, iconic artist and man beloved by millions.

A recap of everything Paolo has achieved to date reiterates his status as one of British music’s biggest success stories. Two of his three albums to date, ‘Sunny Side Up’ and ‘Caustic Love’, have hit #1 on the UK album charts as he amassed 8 million global album sales, 8 million UK single sales, and 1.5 billion global streams. The Ivor Novello winner and multiple BRIT Award nominee has also collected a remarkable 18 Platinum certifications in the UK alone.

‘Last Night In The Bittersweet’ will only extend that phenomenal success. It’s a 70-minute epic that spans the distance from classic rock to post-punk to hypnotic Krautrock, in the process proving its value as his deepest, most varied, most accomplished, and ultimately most rewarding set so far. The insistent Motorik rhythms of new single ‘Lose It’ brings shades of early ‘70s German bands like Can and Neu!, and are a product of Paolo writing increasingly on bass guitar. At the other end of the spectrum, ‘Through The Echoes’ is a timeless classic in the lineage of Ben E. King and Otis Redding, with Nutini’s vocal delivery reminding us why he got snapped up by Atlantic in the first place.

‘Last Night In The Bittersweet’ was produced by Paolo Nutini alongside Dani Castelar and Gavin Fitzjohn. It was written by Paolo, with some select co-write contributions from members of his live band.

TRACK LISTING

Afterneath
Radio
Through The Echoes
Acid Eyes
Stranded Words
Lose It
Petrified In Love
Everywhere
Abigail
Children Of The Stars
Heart Filled Up
Shine A Light
Desperation
Julianne
Take Me Take Mine
Writer

Kadi Yombo, published in 1989, is the most successful album in the quest for a fusion between tradition and modernity in Bwiti harp music of the Tsogho people of Gabon. Combining beating rattles with a layer of synthesizers, Papé Nziengui blends in a contrapuntal dialogue characteristic of harp playing: male song in appeal and female choir in response, male voice of the musical arc and rhythms of female worship. But above all it’s Tsogho ritual music and modern studio orchestration. The result is an initiatory itinerary of 10 musical pieces which are all milestones likely to be simultaneously listened to, danced, meditated on, and soon acclaimed. In the years since, Nziengui has traveled he world from Lagos to Paris, from Tokyo to Cordoba, from Brussels to Mexico City to become a true icon, the emblem of Gabonese music.

Like Bob Dylan, "electrifying" folk and Bob Marley mixing rock with reggae, some purists have criticized Nziengui for having distorted the music of harp by imposing a cross with modern instruments. They even went so far as to claim that Nziengui was just an average harpist covering his shortcomings with stunts that were only good for impressing neophytes; like playing a harp placed upside down behind his back or playing two or three harps simultaneously. Sincere convictions or venomous defamations, in any case, Nziengui never gave in to such attacks, imposing himself on the contrary to pay homage to the elders (Yves Mouenga, Jean Honoré Miabé, Vickoss Ekondo) while instructing the maximum of young people. He is thus the promoter of many young talents, the most prominent of which is certainly his nephew Jean Pierre Mingongué. In a conservative society where the sacred is confused with secrecy, exposing the mysteries of Bwiti in broad daylight can be punished by exclusion or even execution.

Papé Nziengui has always claimed that he faces such risks because he never felt enslaved to a community that governs his life, that regulates his conduct, that has a right of censorship over his activities. Like Ravi Shankar, the famous sitarist, Papé Nziengui is a man of rupture but also of openness, a transmitter of culture. As proof, he has established himself in Libreville, Gabo’s capital, as the main harpist for sessions and concerts, accompanying the greatest national artists (Akendengué, Rompavè, Annie-Flore Batchiellilys, Les Champs sur la Lowé, etc.) as well as foreign artists (Papa Wemba, Manu Dibango, Kassav', Toups Bebey, etc.). In 1988, he was the first harpist to release an album in the form of a cassette produced by the French Cultural Center (Papé Nziengui, Chants et Musiques Tsogho). At the same time, he created his own group (Bovenga), combining traditional music instruments (musical bow, drums, various percussion instruments, etc.) in the framework of a true national orchestra, which gave the first concert and the first tours of a traditional music that was both modern and dynamic, thus "democratizing" the harp, to the dismay of certain purists.

On the other hand, in modern music, dominated by the logic of profit or even commercialism, artistic creation must often be adjusted for a specific audience based on reason rather than heart. But instead of allowing himself to be distorted, Papé Nziengui has always tried to produce music that is not a caricature, worthy in its expression as in its content, of the sacredness and transcendence of the music of the Origins. This is what makes Nziengui not only the musician, but the man someone whose age hasn’t altered any of his freshness or authenticity

TRACK LISTING

1. Kadi Yombo (5:44)
2. Gho Mitsaba Na Voko (6:07)
3. Bossogho Akéti Na Missingui (6:54)
4. Moghogho (6:11)
5. Gho Minongo (5:52)
6. Ngondé (5:05)
7. Popedaka (6:52)
8. Niaghauliano Ghuni (5:18)
9. Kudu (5:19)
10. Gho Boka Nzambé (5:02)

Reissue of Paul Oakenfold's classic "Southern Sun" from 2002, now
remastered for 2023 - this remix package features the full 9 min 44 sec trance journey by Tiësto & the equally dazzling Gabriel & Dresden remix, both of which have seen their stocks rise inline with the recent upinterest in trance; meaning 2nd copies fetch quite the pretty penny. 

Originally released as a double A side with "Ready Steady Go", it peaked at No. 16 in the UK chart. It was taken from 1M worldwide selling album "Bunkka" which was released the following month (and is also reissued alongside this single). Featuring vocals by Carla Werner, the original version and various remixes have been included on over 70 compilation albums. 

Tiësto's remix is an absolute beast of a track. Pulsating and rippling with various arps and leads, it epitomizes the long form trance epic - with a detailed and adventurous arrangement which constantly reveals more tantalizing hooks and endorphin-rushing greatness, the soaring vocal only surfacing towards the second half of the track. 

Gabriel & Dresden's remix contrasts jagged, hard-edge bass notes with an eerie mood and squishy background breaks. The vocal emerges early, guiding the track alongside an almost live bassline. If anything is accentuates the pop-like sensibilities of the track; with the focus on that vocal part; but the production surrounding it is nothing short of breaktaking, even some 20 years later. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Southern Sun (Tiësto Remix)
2. Southern Sun (Gabriel & Dresden Unplugged Remix)

The first time vinyl pressing of Paul Oakenfold's 1 million selling classic debut "Bunkka". The original vinyl release from 2002 featured remixes, whereas this version contains the original album mixes. It has been remastered + pressed on 180g heavyweight double vinyl. The inner sleeves packaging includes extra iconic 'robogirls' imagery designed by Michael Nash Associates + photographer Matthew Donaldson that was originally used on the single packshots from the album campaign.

A galaxy of music stars, including Nelly Furtado, Perry Farrell, Ice Cube, and Tricky as featured artists. It also contains his 3 biggest selling tracks: "Starry Eyed Surprise" with Shifty Shellshock from Crazy Town, "Ready Steady Go," with vocals by So Solid Crew's Asher D. + "Southern Sun" with Carla Werner. Furtado and Tricky guest on album closer "The Harder They Come," while Farrell sings on "Time of Your Life." Ice Cube chimes in on "Get Em Up," followed by former Grant Lee Buffalo frontman Grant Lee Philips on "Motion". Author Hunter S. Thompson, and vocalists Emiliana Torrini and Tiff Lacey also make appearances on 'Bunkka'.

21 years old & till sounding fresh, it's now become a timeless classic.

TRACK LISTING

1. Ready Steady Go (feat. Asher D)
2. Southern Sun (feat. Carla Werner)
3. Time Of Your Life (feat. Perry Farrell)
4. Hypnotized (feat. Tiff Lacey)
5. Nixon's Spirit (feat. Hunter S Thompson)
6. Zoo Zoo York (feat. Clint Mansell & Kronos Quartet)
7. Hold Your Hand (feat. Emiliana Torrini)
8. Starry Eyed Surprise (feat. Shifty Shellshock)
9. Get Em Up (feat. Ice Cube)
10. Motion (feat. Grant-Lee Philips)
11. The Harder They Come (feat. Nelly Furtado + Tricky)

‘GHOSTS OF ROCK N ROLL’ is the fifth solo album from Men They Couldn’t Hang frontman Phil Odgers and is preceded by the digital single ‘The Serpent, The Maiden and The Bear’ (30th July). Beginning as a collection of ukulele led demos, ‘GHOSTS OF ROCK N ROLL’ has endured a stormy birth and its final emergence represents the triumph of resilience over adversity. Originally launched as a Pledge Music crowdfunded campaign, the album was nearly strangled at birth by the collapse of Pledge Music in 2018 and the loss of the majority of fan investment.

Despite this setback, all fan pledges were still fulfilled and the project relocated to Bandcamp just in time for the pandemic lockdown to prevent any further recording sessions with producer Jim Knight. Finally, the album inched forward over the summer of 2020 only to crash into the second lockdown and then the tragic loss of fellow TMTCH frontman Stefan Cush in February 2021. With such checkered history, ‘GHOSTS OF ROCK N ROLL’ seems an appropriate title and its combination of folky pop and melancholic twang, combined with an ethos of survival, memory and experience create a testament to a life spent sailing the sometimes treacherous waters of Rock and Roll. The album features guest appearances by Sid Griffin and Bobby Valentino.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Serpent, The Maiden And The Bear
2. Flower Lady
3. Brooklyn Bridge
4. The Last Thing On My Mind (Is Regret)
5. Ghost Of Rock 'n' Roll
6. Early Morning Rain
7.The Desert Has A Thousand Eyes
8. Empty Streets And Lovers In The Rain
9. Uke Town
10. Rage Against The Machine

Paul Older is the man behind the Disco Mind Records and after something of a short break, he and it are back with a bang. These two superb cuts are the result of him going on a deep digging record trip and unearthing two marvelous old gems that have been expertly restored for modern dance floors without losing any of the grit and realness that makes old tunes so appealing. 'The Venetian Girl (Marisa)' comes on strong with huge horns and big Philly percussion that reminds immediately of the legendary Studio 54 and then 'Up' is a big-time party pumper with funky elements to get the floor going.

TRACK LISTING

The Venetian Girl (Marisa)
Up

The new LP by Krefeld-born, Berlin-based artist Philipp Otterbach entitled 'The Dahlem Diaries'.

Recorded in a little-visited corner of the German capital, 'The Dahlem Diaries' is a convergence of ideas, sketches and tracks, both old and new, most of which were produced between 2020-2022. Whilst eerie atmospheres, electronics and drums have played a pivotal role in Philipp’s earlier releases, his latest is a rather more introspective affair, in which the guitar takes a leading role. A role Otterbach uses to quietly bring light and hope to his music.

Speaking about his writing process, Philipp explains that, based around his original compositions, “Friends were nice enough to contribute additional parts on their instruments which I then reworked, put together and re-contextualized. The recordings encapsulate a very specific moment in time, one that would have sounded perhaps very different the day before or after.”

Combined with a strong use of effects and field recordings, 'The Dahlem Diaries' feels somewhat like a scene or fragment from a story, in which the narrative remains undefined. It is a playful album that is something of a blurred underwater adventure, sounding as bright as it is hazy, even psychedelic at times, yet with an almost melancholic positivity. In Philipp’s own words: “It could be an album about friendship and being at one with myself, whilst at the same time bringing a certain seriousness to my music, but not necessarily to myself; there is also a playful humour hidden in there. ”

Artwork by David McFarline.

TRACK LISTING

The Dahlem Diaries Pt. 1
Half Brain Naked
Left Hand Society
Talkoot
Small Town Nights
Geoluread
Gottischlag Ft. Gatto Fritto
Solid Maybe
Malarkeys
Happy And I Skipped

Another record from P Relief & D - two producer so far content lurking in the shadows and away from the Dance Music™ spotlight. Their first release was killer and lucky they don't let us down on this most recent outing. D kicks things off with "Vocal Drift", a fizzy, gently saturated hardware house jam with droning synth lines and scorched perc. P Relief follows suit with "Panoramic Point" - a serene, ice cold chiller with static discharge, metallic washes and proper wigged out aesthetic. Imagine a Mood Hut record beamed straight into the furthest reaches of the cosmos and you'll get the jist. The two producers join forces for third track, "Kinker". Another out there, spacey house jam, there's definitely nods to Vakula's mainframe exploring sound alongside the various facets Firecracker's multi-dimensional output. Finally, D concludes with the tranquil shimmer of "Syrup"; gentle Rhodes fluttering across a skeleton hi-hat patterns as the synonymous sci-fi sweeps and effects hover overhead. Top stuff and another winner for the leftfield house massive. Recommended.

TRACK LISTING

A1. D - Vocal Drift
A2. P Relief - Panoramic Point
B1. P Relief & D - Kinker
B2. D - Syrup

At just 21-years-old, p-rallel has cultivated a reputation that most can only ever dream of. He’s become a go-to producer in the scene and one of the most important polymaths of his generation, partly responsible for changing the future of the London clubbing and sonic landscape.

His latest EP, ‘Soundboy’, oozes confidence and style as p-rallel delivers his strongest project yet. Features include Greentea Peng, Louis Culture, Nayana IZ, Lord Apex and Venna, as well as a remix from IZCO and an extended instrumental version of ‘soulboy’, exclusive to this vinyl format.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Nice package that spans hip-hop, garage & drum & bass: rising star Green Tea Peng's distinct delivery pairing beautifully with lead track, "Soulboy".

TRACK LISTING

Signal
Soulboy (Ft. Greentea Peng)
WestBorn (Ft. Venna)
Packed Bags (Ft. Louis Culture)
Know Why (Ft. Nayana IZ)
Been Living (Ft. Lord Apex)
Soulboy (IZCO Remix)
Soulboy (Instrumental)

Though better known as fine purveyors of kosmische and 'krautrock', Bureau B have been making excellent inroads into the NDW scene of late, and there are few more sought after records from the Neue Deutsche Welle than this self titled beauty from Munich's P!Off?. Released in 1982 by Transparent, the album achieved some respectable successes at the time, but quickly disappeared in the flood of NDW releases of the early 1980s. Songs like the boogie track "Mein Walkman ist kaputt" or the enchanting slow disco jam "In der Nacht" are still very popular among diggers and DJs to this day. They are happy to finally make this rarity available again. The ‘82 Album has become a sought-after collector’s item and cult object so we are very happy that Bureau B is presenting a lovingly remastered reissue after almost 40 years.

TRACK LISTING

Das Dicke Kind
Mein Walkman Ist Kaputt
Pass Auf!
In Der Nacht
Starker Bruder
Ich Kann Kein Franzosich (Dansez)
Schau Dich Doch An
Was Ist Das?

P.E.’s sophomore album, ‘The Leather Lemon’, ushers in a new era for the New York band. A wild ride through chewy bubblegum pop, sweeping synthetic orchestrations and mutant club beats, the album slides ever closer to the fully-realized pop sensibility only winked at with their debut album, ‘Person’ (2020), and subsequent releases.

Recorded primarily at Schenke’s Studio Windows in Brooklyn, NY, ‘The Leather Lemon’ was cultivated from a fertile creative period between spring 2020 and summer 2021, which also yielded 2021’s acclaimed ‘The Reason For My Love’ EP.

Digging into mystery, romance and sex appeal, the album centres its sound within a Bermuda Triangle of dance music, electronic composition and experimental rock. Members Jonathan Schenke, Bob Jones and Jonny Campolo play within pop parameters, building upon free-form collaboration to create a fluorescent groove machine that harnesses the energy of their frenetic live shows.

Singer Veronica Torres explores her softer side, expanding her vocal repertoire from spoken word and jagged growls to cherubic and sensuous psalms.

Sax virtuoso Benjamin Jaffe’s chiseled experimental tone is heard in an extended solo of true romance in ‘Tears in the Rain’, a sombre surrealist duet penned by Torres and Andrew Savage, singer/guitarist of Parquet Courts.

It is a reckoning record for the times; an album of psychedelic resurfacing, real-time response to world events, and soft, sympathetic magic. This is a collection of songs shaped by five individuals who embrace music-making as a way to centre themselves in times of uncertainty; it’s resilience and imagination given shape. ‘The Leather Lemon’ is a true sweet-and-sour listening experience, an album as bright and clear as it is fractured and fun.

“Drum cuts feel sharper and lighter, bringing a sense of structure... sensuality suits them well” - Pitchfork

“A skittery piece of post-punk with blithe vocals and saxophone squawks and brittle bits of synth” - Stereogum

“A sultry, infectious, off-kilter groove” - Brooklyn Vegan

For fans of Primal Scream, Parquet Courts, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Depeche Mode, Gang of Four.

TRACK LISTING

Blue Nude (Reclined)
Contradiction Of Wants
Lying With The Wolf
The Leather Lemon
Tears In The Rain
The Reason For My Love
Magic Hands
New Kind Of Zen
86ed
Majesty

This new album by the rap / hip-hop / nu-soul wunderkind Anderson .Paak. It features production from 9th Wonder, DJ Khalil, Madlib, Kaytranada, Pomo, Dem Jointz, Callum Conner, Hi-Tek, Anderson .Paak and The FreeNationals. Featured vocalists include ScHoolboy Q, Talib Kweli, BJ The Chicago Kid, Rhapsody and The Game.

This is the second album by rap's newest sensation, who has been tipped for big things since featuring on 6 tracks on 'Compton' by Dr Dre earlier in 2015. 'Malibu' is the maturation of .Paak's journey from soul and R&B over into hip-hop and even soulful house / disco, all the while giving listeners a deep look into his personal experience.

First focus song, the disco funky 'Am I Wrong', has already picked up 30+ plays on Radio 1/1Xtra since mid-November, including a Jam Hot 'Record of the Week' slot from Mistajam. 'Am In Wrong' and the soulful confessional 'The Season/Carry Me' (premiered by Dr Dre on his Beats1 show) have racked up 350K plays each on Soundcloud since mid-November.

TRACK LISTING

1 The Bird 3:38
2 Heart Don't Stand A Chance 5:12
3 The Waters (feat. BJ The Chicago Kid) 2:54
4 The Season | Carry Me 5:29
5 Put Me Thru 2:41
6 Am I Wrong (feat. ScHoolboy Q) 4:14
7 Without You (feat. Rapsody) 3:19
8 Parking Lot 3:54
9 Light Weight (feat. The Free Nationals United Fellowship Choir) 3:26
10 Room In Here (feat. The Game) 3:59
11 Water Fall (Interluuube) 1:58
12 Your Prime 3:57
13 Come Down 2:57
14 Silicon Valley 4:05
15 Celebrate 3:46
16 The Dreamer (feat. Talib Kweli & Timan Family Choir) 5:40

Augustus Pablo has his place set in reggae's story, his unique sound stemmed from the use of a simple musical instrument the melodica that somehow in his hands became majestic and mystic at the same time.

Augustus Pablo cut his musical teeth with producer Herman Chin - Lo in 1969,with his first record ‘Iggy Iggy’. His second cut for the producer was to be the timeless ‘East of the River Nile’ that carried that haunting Far-East feel that in many ways became his signature sound. Pablo has worked with many of Jamaica’s top producers adding his flavour not only with his melodica but also with his keyboards and piano skills. He has added his magic touch to many of the classic Studio One rhythms, 'Skanking Easy' ('Swing Easy' rhythm), 'Frozen Dub' ('Frozen Soul' rhythm) to name but two, and his classic set of dubs that he reworked from his own tunes and productions for artists such as Jacob Miller became his renowned dub set ‘King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown’. Working with the master himself Mr King Tubby at his studio in Drummlie Avenue, Kingston. Jamaican Recordings have sourced a collection of original rhythms that were cut at Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle studio that Mr Pablo worked over in his now familiar style. Again adding his magical sound over these cuts to produce what Jamaican Recordings believe to be another classic set.

Augustus Pablo (Horace Swaby) was born just outside of Kingston. “I am a Kingstonian,” he told the NME in 1986, “but my heart is for the hills.” This mystical connection to “the hills” is at the heart of Pablo's unique and immediately identifiable sound. By the late '60s, Swaby and his brother Dougie had founded a small sound system they called Rockers. The brothers spent a lot of time in record shops, including Aquarius, where owner Herman Chin-Loy heard Swaby experimenting on his melodica and was struck by the inspiration to record. The resulting tune was credited to Augustus Pablo, a name that Chin-Loy invented, as the story goes, to give an air of mystery to the release. Pablo recorded two more singles soon after with “Java” becoming a major hit and being voted Instrumental Song Of The Year by Jamaica's Swing Magazine. This success led to the Randy's label moving to create a full-length album from Pablo. Recording in the Randy's studio upstairs from the record shop “we weren't watching the clock...we had the studio,” Clive Chin recalled. The band included a cast of the greatest reggae musicians of all time: future Wailer Tyrone Downie on keyboards, Aston “Family Man” Barrett, “Fully” Fullwood and Lloyd Parks on the bass, Carlton Barrett, “Santa” Davis and Lloyd “Tin Leg” Adams were on drums and Earl “Chinna” Smith played guitar. In addition to these future Hall of Famers, the mixing board was helmed by Errol Thompson. Thompson and Chin would together pioneer a tough, new reggae sound that, Chin referred to as “Rockers” after the Swaby brothers' Rockers Hi-Fi sound system. 'This Is Augustus Pablo' is considered among the greatest collections of Jamaican instrumental music and is an essential part of reggae history. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Dub Organizer
2. Please Sunrise
3. Point Blank
4. Arabian Rock
5. Pretty Baby
6. Pablo In Dub
7. Skateland Rock
8. Dread Eye
9. Too Late
10. Assignment No. 1
11. Jah Rock
12. Lover’s Mood

“Both are legends because both innovate – and activate and motivate. King Tubby (Osbourne Ruddock) arrived on earth in 1941. As a teenager he repaired radios before moving onto repair sound system speakers. Since the mid-50s, sound systems had conquered Jamaica, replacing live bands as the people’s favoured choice of access to their music. Tubby (a very slim man) found himself much in demand. In 1968, Tubby opened his own shop, Tubby’s Home Town Hi Fi. That led him into the world of sound, led him into recording studios where first he remixed. But then he got bored and in doing so released himself by devising his own amazing aural vision. Tubby invented dub and he did so by experimenting, by creating a unique template where he stripped away certain parts of the record, replaced them with another, highlighted some instruments, dropped others, and on top of this used all kinds of studio effects.

And thus King Tubby became King of Dub. In 1971, inevitably, he opened his own studio – and he took the music deeper. Many musicians loved his set up, including Augustus Pablo. Pablo (Horace Swaby) arrived on earth in 1954. He hit the musical scene playing…the melodica. No one had thought to do so previously. Again, the breaking of new ground was heard in Jamaica. The instrument was perfect for the King Tubby vision, Pablo’s playing producing a sound that was melodic, harsh, edgy, and soulful. Over Tubby’s shuffling rhythms and maelstrom of sound, Pablo improvises with huge imagination and skill. His major hit East Of the River Nile suggested and put forward a sound derived from the Far East and he was up and running. In 1975, he began a fruitful collaboration with King Tubby. Their first album together Ital Dub is a classic. The later King Tubby Meets The Rockers Uptown is more than that, it is legendary. And now The Messenger is upon us, an album cut at some point in the 70s and which remained in the vaults. Should it have stayed there? No way. This is music that upholds the very high stars of their past, music which fires itself on imagination and strength, a collusion and collaboration of immense proportions, music that provides and creates moods with such purpose and drive. Pablo’s melodica is centre stage but is counterpointed by contagious rhythms and touches of inspiration as horns and bass lines mesh in and out of view, held down by an ever steady barrage of sturdy drums and bass and a never ceasing source of imaginative and delightful sounds. The sound constantly changes and because it does the album contains a staggering array of moods, from upbeat into deep waters. The Messenger is forward music, still sounding as fresh as it did on the day of its conception. And it will do so for time eternal.” Paolo Hewitt 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Some classic riddims here from Tubz N Pabberz, in some cases in their original conception. Augustus' mystic melodica collides beautifully with Osbourne's magic dub techniques making for an enchanted early prototype of the genre.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Stars 03:16
A2. That’s Real 03:34
A3. Sugar 3:02
A4. Happy And Merry 02:59

B1. Watchful 03:04
B2. Prince 03:24
B3. Uprising 03:00
B4. Smiling Faces 02:49 

Following the releases of the vinyl compilation "Spring Break" and the maxi 12” compilation "Bardo for Pablo", Stroom conclude their Pablo's Eye trilogy with the typically diverse and utterly devastating "Dark Matter". "More than anything, Pablo’s Eye is a temporary atmosphere, like a taste or a dream…", well so say the sales notes, and if that's true, opener "Worship & Passion" is a Michelin starred appetizer, served at a restaraunt in purgatory. Celestial pads and poetic vocals seduce you with their heavenly charm, but that still doesn't shift the stainless steel anxiety that this could go the other way. "More Hestiant Than Before" seizes on this moment of uncertainty, applying the classic ambient combo of tremulous drone and stately strings but with an intensity far removed from your typical day spa. I'm a sucker for rhythm, and the rolling toms, propulsive bassline and ruthless breakbeat of "Different Observers" more than tickles my pickle, upping the energy before the moody and mystical ambience of "She Would Stand Alone" provides the party fear. Help arrives via the dramatic "He Closed His Eyes", an uplifting and esoteric composition adorned in hang drums and metallic textures, which strolls effortlessly into the paradisiac "When You Were Asleep", a triumphant combination of healing frequencies.
On the flipside, "L.A. Desert" takes a diversion into the ethno-ambient terrain of Laurie Anderson's "Mister Hearbreak", before the rainsoaked "She Told Him The News" harnesses the noir of Blade Runner. "Tamil Nadu" is trip hop in henna, while "A Pagan Use" exploits your inherent vertigo to pull you into its tower of song. Sparse studio dubbing and cinematic tones show us out on "Out Of The Corner Of Her Eye" and "Loisada Dub", bringing this most excellent and esoteric trilogy to an end.

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: Stroom bring their Pablo's Eye trilogy to a triumphant close this week with the deep musica of "Dark Matter". Whether exploring straight up ambience, cinematic interlude or propulsive trip hop, Axel Libeert's outfit always maintain their signature sound. Pro-Tip - save a fortune on therapy and listen to "When You Were Asleep" once a day.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Worship & Passion
A2. More Hesitant Than Before
A3. Different Observers
A4. She Would Stand Alone
A5. He Closed His Eyes
A6. When You Were Asleep
B1. L.A. Desert
B2. She Told Him The News
B3. Tamil Nadu
B4. A Pagan Use
B5. Out Of The Corner Of Her Eye
B6. Loisaida Dub

Enter Pacheko, of Caracas, Venezuela. A long time producer and supporter of the breakcore sound in his homeland, his sound has slowly adapted to dubstep with exciting effects. Musically, "Tryouts" and "Bi-Polar Bear" are similarly structured to the golden era Moving Shadow (Think Hyper-On Experience's "Disturbance" applied to dubstep), with each track revealing a series of distinct movements. "Tryouts", for instance, starts out quite aggressive, yet ends dubby. Pacheko shares an office in a design firm in Caracas with Cardopusher, and once he heard what was being plotted up with Lo Dubs, he threw his hat in the ring and rapidly presented a positively scorching remix of "Tryouts" for the flipside. About the same time, Philly ruler Starkey was working on a remix for Cardopusher on Terminal Dusk, and when his dubstep-to-four-beat-bassline-eight-minute-and-change epic remix of "Bi-Polar Bear" was added to the pyre, the circle was complete.

In the spirit of the classic Jamaican recordings of the late 1970s and early 80s, Pachyman brings us his sophomore record with ventures in dub and roots reggae.

Inspired by Roots Radics band, this time Pachyman extends his exploration of the early Studio One sound, Sly & Robbie’s steppers style and a bit of soul jazz reggae.

Mixed using the techniques of Scientist and King Tubby, Pachyman pays tribute to the sonic pallet of the dub masters themselves.

Recorded in between the months of April and October 2019 at his own 333 House studio.

TRACK LISTING

1. Sensi
2. Dose It
3. 333 House
4. Guy Goodwin
5. Babylon Will Fall
6. Easy St. Special
7. I High
8. Smokeshop
9. Feeling Good
10. Zion Love Sound
11. Javius Malones
12. In A Yard
13. Dust To Dust

Envisioned in the style of early dancehall records, Pachy García took upon the task of recreating the sonic endeavours of Scientist, King Tubby, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and the great engineers and players of instruments of early Jamaican reggae music.

Inspired by Channel One Studios and Roots Radics band, the tone was set in a dancehall fashion with some detours into Rub-a-Dub and Rockers style playing.

Recorded at Pachy’s own 333 House from January to March in 2019, with him writing, producing and playing the instruments.

TRACK LISTING

1. Saturday
2. Rocking
3. Space Camp
4. In A Fashion
5. Taserak
6. Jumpy!
7. Bring The Herb
8. Uptown
9. Big & Easy
10. Rootsman Classic
11. Coming Home
12. Flash The Riddim
13. Meet With Friends