Back in March 2020, singer songwriter Joe Gideon was mid-tour promoting his fresh album ‘Armagideon’ when the pandemic brought his tour, along with the entire world, to a screeching halt. In the interim, Joe Gideon has been recording his follow-up album, ‘Altered Self’, set to be released on Labelman.

‘Altered Self’ is, like its predecessor ‘Armagideon’, produced by Bad Seed Jim Sclavunos. Gideon’s unique songwriting style and surreal poetic musings are very much in the fore, and although he and Jim are the sole instrumentalists, the album offers a menagerie of sounds including loopy synths, skronky guitars, sonorous bass, and lashings of bongo madness.

Expect to hear Joe yowling and howling at the moon, screeching like a bird, as well as summoning listeners to join his ‘disco church’ congregation… and for all you entomologists, Joe promises at least two songs about insects.

Joe’s previous music project together with his sister Viva Seifert, Joe Gideon & the Shark, enjoyed some successful (international) tours in the past.

TRACK LISTING

1. ArchaeoPsychic
2. Bird Of Prey
3. The Deforming Mirrors, Part 1
4. The Deforming Mirrors, Part 2
5. Life Cycle Of The Atlas Moth
6. Arctic Moon
7. Grizzly
8. Spiders In Dreams
9. Wild & Free

The collaboration between renowned drummer Jim White and acclaimed guitarist Marisa Anderson is a natural union of two of the most intuitive players and listeners working in music.

Jim White is known for his groundbreaking trio, Dirty Three, as well as duo Xylouris White. His list of collaborations is vast and includes artists such as Nick Cave, Bill Callahan, Cat Power, Marnie Stern and Warren Ellis. Jim just released his debut solo album, ‘All Hits: Memories’.

Marisa Anderson, known primarily for her solo work, in demand collaborator who has worked with Tashi Dorji, Sharon Van Etten, Yasmine Williams and Michael Hurley. She has released records with William Tyler and Tara Jane O’Neal.

White and Anderson are each highly sought after collaborators in no small part because of their mastery, versatility and highly expressive playing. Their sophomore album, ‘Swallowtail’, finds the duo completely attuned to each other, fluidly moving as wind and water. They avoid preconceived movements, instead focusing on their musical conversation. As Anderson puts it: “The ideas aren’t the music, they are the pathway into the musical possibilities.”

Their skilful interplay creates an effervescence throughout the album. The ebb and flow to the duo’s motions bring a sense of serenity and ease to spontaneous transitions, each swell and retraction sounding as free as it does inevitable. White and Anderson’s preternatural alchemy as a duo allows each fleeting gesture to feel featherlight and stirring while maintaining an inquisitive spirit. Their music is an enchanting and illuminating.

TRACK LISTING

1. Aerie
2. Bitterroot Valley Suite I: Water
3. Bitterroot Valley Suite II: Tree
4. Bitterroot Valley Suite III: Wind
5. Peregrine
6. Aurora

Along with Bikini Kill, Bratmobile spearheaded the riot grrrl revolution of the early 1990s, battling the long-standing dominance of men within the punk rock community to help empower a new generation of female musicians and fans - Comprised of singer Allison Wolfe, guitarist Erin Smith, and drummer Molly Neuman, Bratmobile made their debut at 1991's International Pop Underground convention; after a handful of singles--with members spread out between California, Washington, and Maryland, recording was a logistical nightmare--the trio finally released Pottymouth in 1993

TRACK LISTING

1. Love Thing
2. Throway
3. Stab
4. P.R.D.C.T.
5. Cherry Bomb
6. Some Special
7. Fuck Yr. Fans
8. Polaroid Baby
9. Panik
10. Bitch Theme
11. Richard
12. Cool Schmool
13. Juswanna
14. Untitled
15. Kiss And Ride
16. No You Don't
17. Queenie

Notably the release includes standout single "Bloom" which has been certified platinum in the U.S.A, Canada, Australia, Italy & the Netherlands.

It melds earthy instrumentals to create a perfect backdrop for the band's trademark harmonies that have garnered them a dedicated audience and over 1 billion streams across their catalog.

TRACK LISTING

1. Bloom
2. Woodland
3. Featherstone
4. Halcyon
5. Willow Tree March
6. The Mortal Boy King
7. A Maker Of My Time
8. Leopold Street
9. When Our Legs Grew Tall
10. Paint
11. Kiss The Grass

The complete 1959 Miles Davis album 'Kind of Blue', one of the most influential Jazz albums of all time, presented here as a 2LP set in its original mono and stereo versions.

TRACK LISTING

1. So What
2. Freddie Freeloader
3. Blue In Green
4. All Blues
5. Flamenco Sketches
6. So What
7. Freddie Freeloader
8. Blue In Green
9. All Blues
10. Flamenco Sketches

When this album was recorded live at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1960, Nina Simone had just had her first Top 20 hit with "I Loves You, Porgy", but the "Porgy" found here is actually a continuation of Gershwin's original version of the story.

Other highlights include "Flo Me La", an African work chant, and "Little Liza Jane", an African American folk song. A truly great live performance from one of the most original voices in 20th century music.

TRACK LISTING

1. Trouble In Mind
2. Porgy
3. Little Liza Jane
4. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
5. House Of The Rising Sun
6. Flo Me La
7. Nina's Blues
8. In The Evening By The Moonlight
9. Brown Baby

Very Tall marked the first recorded collaboration between Oscar Peterson and Milt Jackson, a masterful stroke by producer Norman Granz in bringing the two together. Both highly regarded and successful jazz figures by 1961, Peterson had recorded innumerable albums with his own trio and backing such stars as Louis Armstrong, Lester Young, Ben Webster, and Billie Holiday, to name just a few, and Jackson had played with most of the great names in modern jazz and had been a founder of the Modern Jazz Quartet with John Lewis.

Very Tall features Milt Jackson as an added member of the legendary Peterson Trio with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen, and Jackson brings to the session two of his own compositions - Heartstrings, and Reunion Blues. The repeated Heartstrings bonus track is from an earlier session of Jackson's own.

TRACK LISTING

1. On Green Dolphin Street
2. Heartstrings
3. Work Song
4. John Brown's Body, "Battle Hymn Of The Republic" (Traditional)
5. A Wonderful Guy
6. Reunion Blues 
7. Heartstrings

The complete iconic Bill Evans LP Sunday at the Village Vanguard, featuring Scott LaFaro on bass, and Paul Motian on drums. Contains perennial versions of Solar, Gloria's Step, and Alice in Wonderland.

This edition also offers an exclusive collector's item consisting of a replica of the exceedingly rare Japanese 7" single (Riverside SR-3033), containing Evans' readings of My Foolish Heart and Polka Dots and Moonbeams.

TRACK LISTING

1. Gloria's Step
2. My Man's Gone Now
3. Solar
4. Alice In Wonderland
5. All Of You
6. Jade Visions
7. Jade Visions (alternative Take)
8. Bill Evans Trio
9. Bill Evans Trio

One of the finest groups of the late 50s, the Jazz Lab was co-led by the inimitable horn players Gigi Gryce and Donald Byrd. Although the group worked extensively from February to September of 1957 it broke up shortly after. However, all their albums together have become jazz classics, among them the group's first LP, presented here.

"Gigi Gryce and Donald Byrd's innovative, but unfortunately short-lived Jazz Lab Quintet recorded several sides during 1957, seven of which were released on this excellent LP. Jazz Lab makes for an excellent introduction to the hard bop catalogue." - 4.5 STARS AllMusic (Stephen Cook)

TRACK LISTING

1. Speculation
2. Over The Rainbow
3. Nica's Tempo
4. Blue Concept
5. Little
6. Niles
7. Sans Souci
8. I Remember Clifford
9. Smoke Signal

Liverpool's YOBS release their self-titled debut album on May 3rd 2024 via Fuzz Club, arriving off the back of their debut double single, 'Fortune Teller b/w Cemetery Man', which saw the four-piece burst on the scene n a gloriously scuzzy and hedonistic blaze. "All skull-crushing riffs and hallucinogenic effects", as Clash Magazine wrote, YOBS deal in primitive garage-punk/noise-rock salvos that race by with a bludgeoning intensity. Across the album's ten tracks and rapid 26-minute running time, the band revel in an abrasive, fun-as-hell rock'n'roll that will leave your bones rattling just as much as your speakers. Emerging out of the rubble of the now-defunct Liverpool bands Weird Sex and Ohmns, YOBS was kick-started in 2022 and is made up of Joey Ackland (Vocals), Alex Smith (Bass/Vocals), Michael Quinlan (Guitar/Vocals) and George Gebbie (Drums). Their debut full-length – recorded in four days at Hackney Road Studios with James Aparicio – arrives off the back of a 2023 spent playing rowdy, ear-ringing shows with the likes of A Place To Bury Strangers, Mark Sultan, C.O.F.F.I.N, Alien Nosejob and more.

TRACK LISTING

1. YOBS Theme
2. Cyanide
3. Wasted
4. Shitty Eye
5. Plastercine
6. Fortune Teller
7. Head The Ball
8. Cemetery Man
9. Tito Puente
10. Carpet Burns (On My Tongue)

Influential jazz collective Idris Ackamoor and The Pyramids return with an epic new opus, ‘Shaman!’, featuring a fresh line-up including original 1970s Pyramids member Dr. Margaux Simmons on flute Bobby Cobb on guitar, long-term associate Sandra Poindexter on violin, Ruben Ramos on bass, Gioele Pagliaccia on drums and Jack Yglesias on percussion. The band transitions from the political and social commentaries of 2018’s acclaimed ‘An Angel Fell’ into more introspective themes. “I wanted to use this album to touch on some of the issues that we all face as individuals in the inner space of our souls and our conscience,” explains Ackamoor. “The album unfolds over four Acts with personal musical statements about love and loss, mortality, the afterlife, family and salvation.”

Evolving around Ackamoor’s intricate compositions, the album takes us effortlessly across moods and emotions through a series of expansive, extended pieces. Starting with ritual, soul-searching, and masculine vulnerability on the title track, the band explores timeless existence on ‘Eternity’ and mourns the sudden loss of loved ones in the prescient ‘When Will I See You Again?’, a track which gains new relevance amidst the current COVID-19 crisis. Ackamoor pays tribute to his mentor Cecil Taylor on the angular ‘Theme For Cecil’ and renders homage to the ancestors on ‘Salvation’ and ‘The Last Slave Ship’, recalling the last ship to bring slaves to the US from Africa, the Clotilda. The superb ‘Virgin’ is an anthem of forgiveness, new beginnings and self-healing.

TRACK LISTING

1. Shaman!
2. Tango Of Love
3. Eternity
4. When Will I See You Again?
5. Salvation
6. Theme For Cecil
7. Virgin
8. The Last Slave Ship
9. Dogon Mysteries

Edinburgh-based five-piece rEDOLENT kicks off 2024 with the release of their latest single 'jUST tRYING tO rELAX' via the burgeoning Scottish label & artist house Post Electric (home to Hamish Hawk, Humour, Iona Zajac & Voka Gentle).

Close behind the introspective offering 'How are you making it look so easy? (Oshie-T),' rEDOLENT’s latest single, 'jUST tRYING tO rELAX,' delves into the confusion and chaos of anxiety, vividly portraying a panic attack in first person. Doubling down on their meticulous blend of angular-pop meets electronic, the song weaves a course through ambient loops and idiosyncratic melodies while laying the architecture for frontman Robin Herbert’s distinctive conversational flow.

In discussing their new single, rEDOLENT describes, “‘jUST tRYING tO rELAX’ delves into the cycle of losing control to anxiety, uttering unintended words to loved ones, and the subsequent instant regret and apology, with the increasing absurdity as the pattern repeats." The single is accompanied by a self-produced video, serving as the song's aesthetic anchor. Featuring the band in moments of panic and dissociation, the video is captured in their familiar DIY style, emphasising rEDOLENT's unvarnished and honest appeal.

Led by brothers Danny and Robin Herbert, with Andrew Turnbull on drums, Robbie White on bass, and Alice Hancock on live samplers and backing vocals, rEDOLENT are gearing up for 2024, focusing on their upcoming debut album. Their debut LP marks a moment of the band taking control while confident in their warped take on the world, offering harsh reality and joyous escapism over the course of ten sleek, considered tracks.

With all of their output created at Post Electric Studios in Leith, rEDOLENT operate as sole creators of their artistry; writing, recording, producing and mixing their work independently. Whilst citing influences as diverse as Mount Kimble, king krule, Animal Collective, brockhampton, LCD soundsystem, Madvillain, Tom Vek, Clairo, CAN and Talking Heads, the band are undoubtedly operating in their own lane and carving a bespoke sound, which has been recognised and applauded from titles including NME, Clash, The Line of Best Fit, DIY, Hunger, Notion, The Skinny - and still, it’s just the beginning.

TRACK LISTING

1. Dinny Greet
2. Just Trying To Relax
3. Nothing Bad Will Ever Happen To Me
4. Ravvy
5. 5 Day Til' The Weekend
6. Congratulations For Getting Off The Drink
7. How Are You Making It Look So Easy (oshie-t)
8. Dunno (_____)
9. Wherever
10. Yaldi

Swedish synth-pop phenomenon Kite’s second 7 inch since signing with Dais in 2023 finds the duo of Nicklas Stenemo and Christian Hutchinson Berg swinging for new heights of romantic desolation and baroque grandeur. They describe the A Side, “Losing,” as a “six-minute empty call for emotional response.” Stately piano and anguished voice reverberate in a vaulted hall, before gradually building into a widescreen anthem of synths, drums, and soaring vocals decrying the steady deadening of life and love: “It’s deadly quiet in your old heart / Are you there? / I see dark skies on the rise / And daylight shows no remorse / And I realize it is my life / But It’s losing all meaning.” Swedish dark music icons Anna von Hausswolff and Henric de la Cour join the chorus as the song cascades towards an ominous horizon.

The B Side, “Glassy Eyes,” showcases Kite’s mastery of somber, sweeping balladry. Hushed church organ elevates and anchors Stenemo’s devastated confessional, swaying between resilience and defeat. The band describes the song as a reckoning with “the privileged and existential anxiety of drifting through life dispassionately,” contrasted with “the yearning to connect profoundly with

others and a desire for experiences that stir the soul before facing one’s final moments.” Like a hymn, the emotion thickens as it deepens, approaching both darkness and divinity: “Deep as I go, nothing to find / Oh catatonia, I won’t cry / Nothing can grow, everything dies / Behind my glassy eyes.”

TRACK LISTING

A SIDE:
Losing (feat. Anna Von Hausswolff & Henric De La Cour)

B SIDE:
Glassy Eyes

The acclaimed Can live series continues with the release of Live In Aston 1977, available via Mute and Future Days (the new EU label created by Spoon Records).

The series was overseen by founding member Irmin Schmidt and producer/engineer René Tinner, who delicately worked on restoring the archival recordings to the best quality for current modern technology. This record captures the band’s 1977 performance in Aston and features Schmidt (keyboard & synths), Jaki Liebezeit (drums), Michael Karoli (guitars), Holger Czukay (wave receiver & spec.sounds), plus Rosko Gee (bass), who appears for the first time in the series.

This release features sleeve notes by former Sex Pistol, Glen Matlock, sharing his first-hand experience of witnessing CAN's live show.

Live In Aston follows the release of Live In Paris 1973, the first in the series to feature Damo Suzuki’s vocals [“…among the greatest documents of their untouchable alchemy…” – Record Collector 5*]; Live In Brighton 1975 [“Pure dynamite… keep them coming” – MOJO]; Live in Stuttgart 1975, [Uncut’s Reissue of the Year, #2 in MOJO’s Reissues of the Year, #7 in The Wire’s Archive Reissues of the Year plus more]; and Live In Cuxhaven 1976, which again featured heavily in the Reissues of the Year.

TRACK LISTING

Vinyl Tracklist
A1 Aston 77 Eins
A2 Aston 77 Zwei
B1 Aston 77 Drei
B2 Aston 77 Vier

CD Tracklist
1 Aston 77 Eins
2 Aston 77 Zwei
3 Aston 77 Drei
4 Aston 77 Vier

N u m e r o G r o u p Leon Bridges/Pastor TL Barrett Like A Ship Numero’s second bundle of cover 45s is all things soulful. The Rotterdam-based Another Taste electrifies Maxx Traxx’s 1984 Chicago boogie grail “Don’t Touch It,” which makes its debut on the 7” format here. Colemine Records’ Say She She delivers a glamorous rendition of Jim Spencer’s yacht-disco hit “Wrap Myself Up In Your Love.” Columbia Recording artist Leon Bridges effortlessly transforms Pastor T.L. Barrett’s “Like A Ship,” updating the 50 year old gospel soul classic for the 21st century. All three are housed in a newly imagined Numero custom sleeve, reflecting the many shades of our ongoing Eccentric Soul 45 imprint

TRACK LISTING

A. Leon Bridges W/ Keite Young - Like A Ship

B. Pastor T.L. Barrett & The Youth For Christ Choir - Like A Ship

It's the one all the massive have been waiting for! Part 2 of the Salford sage - DJ Absolutely Shit's 'Memoirs Of A Crust Monster'. More hyped up tear outs, soundsystem ruffage, and bass 'n breaks love songs from our Hell's Angel-dodging beat freak.

Kicking things off with glowing neons and super-charged subs is 'Higher', a modern jungle monster decorated with classic hip-hop samples and a well known diva vox squealing through the melee.
A serious 'watch your bassbins' track - RL HQ have safety tested this on the most robust car stereo systems and so far have yet to avoid any cabinet damage - proceed with caution!

'Lost In Space' rolls outta the speaker stacks with a b-boy swagger and loose breaks. A tribute to classic breakdance electro galvanized with Ab Shit's intricate trademark production chops. You'll want to crack out your finest red Puma classics and a slick tracksuit for this one.

Onto 'Out On Love' and between you and me, someone needs to call the social service for samples - as it's unlikely you'll ever witness a more blatant case of sample molestation. Squeezing every last drop out of a catchy piano lick, TV snippet and drum break; the track really does highlight the unrivaled programming prowess of our Irlam renegade who's taken SP1000 trickery to its absolute zenith.

'Money Talks' sees our cheeky ragamuffin dictate a life affirming sunrise over Pomona - pre-gentrification of course; a thousand smiles and memories of old Mancunia shimmering in the early morning industrial haze. And an abject slight at those who put profits above people - another poignant ode to our changing cityscape driven by the most addictive boogie-based groove and clattering Linn drums.

Spine-tingles and fanny flutters guaranteed ALL DAY on this one cru!
Look out for the full 16 track album due on C90 cassette and digi download coming very soon...

RL x

TRACK LISTING

A. Higher
A2. Lost In Space
B. Out On Luvvv
B2. Money Talks

Irlam's infamous upstarts DJ Absolutely Shit are at it again with four more tracks to rattle yer spines and rupture yer spleens.
Utilizing the classic approach of sourcing a sick sample, adding a rugged breakbeat, then tweaking out the buzz for maximum enjoyment, the pair deliver an explosive EP of global hypercoloured mayhem that burns hotter than an oz of 'Ells Angels sputnik.

'Bridge To Your Heart' grabs Sade by the hand, shoves two purple doves down her throat and queue-jumps to the front of Bowlers for an endorphin-rushing hardcore workout full of modern beat engineering and sample manipulation.

Switching approach, 'Bolivia' shuns the dreamy feminism for an altogether more masculine affair - roping in the Wu for an argy-bargy, elbows-out speaker shaker full of hi-definition laser stabs and destructive, land mine subs.

Hitting the accelerator, 'Rocking You Eternally' traverses the jungle boarders in a blacked out Nova, Ab Shit's flair and panache at drum programming and contemporary production chops beautifully on show throughout this big system roller with a carp-hunting vocal hook.

'Gong' closes off proceedings, merging moods inna more seductive flavour. E-soaked pianos and a gentle throb coaxing us to that end-of-night climax that'll have us humming the piano line all the way down the M65 home.

No jokes cru, this is some of the best tackle to emerge outta the DJ Absolutely Shit studio to date. One of two, vinyl-only EPs and ahead of their debut album that follows on C90 tape.

Boing boing boing, boing boing boing, boing boing!!

TRACK LISTING

A. Bridge To Your Heart 
A2. Bolivia
B. Rockin' You Eternally 
B2. Gong

Debut soundtrack from Ian Lynch of Lankum / One Leg, One Eye, produced by John ‘Spud’ Murphy (Lankum, ØXN)

All You Need Is Death’ is the soundtrack to director Paul Duane’s cosmic folk horror film. The film blends Irish folklore and musical traditions with nerve-wracking horror where songs that have never been heard before open the door to a powerful, ancient evil.

It follows near universal acclaim for the latest Lankum album ‘False Lankum’, including the topping of numerous Albums Of Year Lists worldwide (incl. The Guardian, Uncut, Loud & Quiet, The Quietus, Mojo (‘Folk Album’) and the Irish Times and sold out shows around Europe throughout 2023 and widespread critical praise for Ian’s debut solo album as One Leg, One Eye ‘And Take The Black Worm With Me’ (on Nyahh Records).

TRACK LISTING

1. Hung By Wire
2. The Unravelling
3. Feed The Swarm
4. Deceptive Transceiver
5. The Hunt
6. Tráthnóna Beag Aréir
7. Severed From The Light
8. Máirseáil Chrapchosach
9. Day Of Wrath And Doom
10. A New Dawn, An Old Song
11. Nestedodd Enabler
12. The Descent
13. Hypnagogic Transmission
14. Old God Rising
15. Weaxan Driblet
16. Old God Rising - Malthusian

NEW LABEL ALERT!!!

Tropical Pop arrive on the scene to serve peak-time refreshment to the stale dancefloors of the world.

Bursting with flavour, artificial sweeteners and a whole load of E numbers, these cuts deliver totally tropical disco pump and tangy technoid madness - teased, tweaked and transformed for maximum sugar rush.

LIMITED EDITION - ILLICIT INGREDIENTS

Feel the fizz, folks.

TRACK LISTING

A. Lilt
B. Rubicon 

TRACK LISTING

A1. This Version Of You
A2. Behind The Sun
A3. All We Need (ODESZA VIP Remix)
A4. Love Letter (ODESZA VIP Remix)
A5. Say My Name X Late Night

B1. In The Rain
B2. One Day They'll Know (ODESZA VIP Remix)
B3. Wide Awake (feat. Charlie Houston)
B4. Bloom (ODESZA VIP Remix)
B5. Equal X Boy

C1. All My Life
C2. Better Now (feat. MARO)
C3. Line Of Sight (feat. Mansionair & Naomi Wild)
C4. Forgive Me (feat. Izzy Bizu) (ODESZA VIP Remix)
C5. La Ciudad (ODESZA VIP Remix)

D1. Selfish Soul (feat. Sudan Archives) (ODESZA VIP Remix)
D2. TENSE
D3. KEEP MOVING
D4. Sun Models (ODESZA VIP Remix)
D5. Hopeful

E1. Across The Room X Falls (ODESZA VIP Remix)
E2. Loyal
E3. Don't Stop (ODESZA VIP Remix)
E4. Just A Memory (Interlude)

F1. Higher Ground (feat. Naomi Wild)
F2. A Moment Apart (ODESZA VIP Remix)
F3. The Last Goodbye

BBE Music is thrilled to present J Jazz: Free and Modern Jazz From Japan 1954-1988, a remarkable large-format book covering some of the deepest, rarest, and most innovative jazz music released anywhere in the post-war era. Compiled by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden, co-curators of BBE Music's acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series, the book also features a foreword by Japanese jazz icon, Terumasa Hino.

This is the first time a book of this type has been published outside of Japan and the first anywhere of this size and scale. It is a unique collection of over 500 albums of free and modern jazz released in Japan during a period of radical transformation and constant reinvention. An era that saw Japan return from the ravages of World War Two to become a global economic power and emerge as both a technological leader and an international cultural force. Through a unique gallery of albums, J Jazz charts the development of jazz in Japan from the first stirrings of the modern jazz scene in the mid to late 1950s and on through the hard bop and modal jazz of the 1960s.

It steers the reader into the radical directions of the 1970s when free jazz, fusion, post-bop, and jazz-funk opened up a growing number of Japanese jazz artists to a new global audience before consolidating in the mid to late 1980s with a musical scene that laid the path for the contemporary jazz generation to follow. Over 500 full-colour sleeves from many of the leading names in Japanese jazz sit alongside rare and private pressings that tell a story of constant change and musical exploration. J Jazz includes profiles of several leading record labels such as East Wind, Frasco, King Records, and Nippon Columbia as well as critical independents such as Three Blind Mice, ALM, and Aketa’s Disk. J Jazz includes interviews with celebrated jazz photographer Tadayuki Naito, and pianist Tohru Aizawa, bandleader on the totemic spiritual jazz album, Tachibana Vol 1, as well as free-jazz record collector and jazz musician Mats Gustafsson.

The book also features a chapter on albums by non-Japanese artists that only received a Japanese release, with collectible, rare, and obscure releases by figures such as Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Mal Waldron, Steve Lacy, and Art Blakey. J Jazz includes Japanese jazz charts from some of the world's leading jazz DJs including Gilles Peterson, Toshio Matsuura, Paul Murphy, and Shuya and Yoshihiro Okino. Among the specialist content is a feature on obi strips by record dealer and Japanese jazz expert, Yusuke Ogawa, plus a special article on Japanese Blue Note albums.

Across its 300-plus pages, J Jazz includes a detailed introduction contextualising the music, tracing the story of Japan's fascination with jazz back before the war. It also features biographical information on many of the key artists involved in shaping the post-war Japanese jazz scene including Sadao Watanabe, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Masabumi Kikuchi, Masahiko Togashi, Terumasa Hino, Yosuke Yamashita, Fumio Itabashi, Masayuki Takayanagi, Takeo Moriyama, Isao Suzuki, and many more.

TRACK LISTING

1. Philosopher's Stone - Tohru Aizawa Quartet
2. Love Talken - Kohsuke Mine
3. Little B's Poem - Hideto Sasaki, Toshiyuki Sekine Quartet + 1
4. Take - Takeo Moriyama
5. Takeuma - Makoto Terashita Meets Harold Land
6. Dog's Dance - Miyasaka + 5
7. Future On You - Shintaro Quintet
8. Blue Road - Masaru Imada Trio + 1
9. Zekatsuma Selbst - Koichi Matsukaze Trio + Toshiyuki Daitoku
10. Rerev (Extended Version - Live) - Hideyasu Terakawa Quartet

Members of The Chats, EU pressing of their second LP in anticipation of their debut Euro Tour. FFO: Cosmic Psychos, The Saints, Stiff Richards, The Chats. Australia never misses.

European release of The Unknowns second LP, released on Bargain Bin Records in Australia. "There have already been some monster LPs released in 2023, and the sophomore album from The Unknowns just might be the best of the lot. The Brisbane-based then-trio released one of the greatest punk albums of the roaring twenties (so far) with Nothing Will Ever Stop back in late 2020. Now a foursome following the addition of The Chats' Eamon Sandwich on guitar, The Unknowns have returned with an even better follow-up. East Coast Low manages to take most of the musical genres I hold dear and mash them together in the most delightful way. Basically the sound is classic punk rock with a ton of energy and catchy tunes (what else would you expect from Australia?). Yet at the same time, this album aligns beautifully with modern-day garage punk, power pop, and straight-up rock n' roll. East Coast Low packs ten tracks of punchy sing-along punk rock into 23 and a half minutes of pure fun. Songs like "Dianne," "Rid of You," "Thinking About You," and "I Don't Know" prove once again that there's a certain kind of itch that only old school punk rock n' roll can scratch. These guys are doing nothing new. But man, they do it so freaking well! If we're talking about the cream of the contemporary Aussie punk crop, The Unknowns have earned a place in the conversation." - Josh / Faster and Louder blog.

TRACK LISTING

1. Shot Down
2. Dianne
3. Rid Of You
4. Crying
5. Beat Me
6. Thinking About You
7. Know It All
8. I Don’t Know
9. Deleted
10. Supersonic Love

Reasonable Woman is the upcoming tenth studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Sia.

Amery Sandford began releasing as Alpen Glow in 2020 after years playing in punk groups in Newfoundland and as half of Montreal pop duo Born At Midnite (Arbutus). Recorded in Montreal by David Carriere (TOPS, Marci), Patrick Holland, and Kristian North, Continue As Amery is a blast of melodic joie de vivre. On her debut Sandford brings her punk and DIY credentials into sharp focus on 8 perfect pop odes to city living, making mistakes and figuring it out as you go along. Suffuse with powerful imagery and an almost uncanny talent at spinning out hooks brimming with humour and spirit, Amery’s soundworld is informed by friendship, experience and by her day job as a renowned illustrator and visual artist. Beginning Alpen Glow in a spirit of fun and now shedding the alias, Amery’s ready to hotwire the nite.

Each song is rich with story. Mountain FM, named for the radio station in Sandford’s home town in the mountains of Alberta, launches into a tale of speeding, blasting the radio too loud, the giddy burning of rubber with no care in the world to slow you down. Featuring live band members Sarah Harris, Jack Bielli, and Frank Climenhage, the singer bristles to get out of her stifling hometown while lamenting the wide eyed adventurer who left for the big city. On Hotwire The Nite, Amery is out on the town, with imagery loaded with the night’s promise. Amery sings “Black candle / Dripping intel / Dagger hanging by an emerald handle / Holy roller that I just can’t have without my hand on an old flame,” diving in and out of fantasy and desire over a pulsating banger. Moments like these feel like a thesis on aural pleasure, with the production sleek and silky playfulness persisting throughout.

TRACK LISTING

1. Mountain FM 
2. Hotwire The Nite 
3. Spirit Is Broken 
4. Ennui 
5. Miracles 
6. Rocker Blues 
7. C9 (with Fireball Kid) 
8. Continue As Amery

Introducing John Coltrane 'Now Playing' on Translucent Blue Vinyl - Uncover the brilliance of jazz legend John Coltrane through a tracklist uncovering rich gems, such as the iconic "Giant Steps", the soulful "Naima," demonstrating Coltrane's virtuosity and innovation, the enchanting melodies of "My Favorite Things, Pt. 1" and the tender ballad "I'll Wait and Pray" as the perfect start or continuation of your musical journey.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. GIANT STEPS [4:48]
2. COUSIN MARY [5:50]
3. NAIMA [4:25]
4. VILLAGE BLUES [5:23]

Side B
1. I’LL WAIT AND PRAY [3:35]
2. MY FAVORITE THINGS, PT. 1 (Single Version) [2:47]
3. EVERYTIME WE SAY GOODBYE [5:45]
4. CENTRAL PARK WEST [4:15]
5. BODY AND SOUL [5:41]

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. No Ordinary Love
2. Feel No Pain
3. I Couldn’t Love You More
4. Like A Tattoo

Side B
1. Kiss Of Life
2. Cherish The Day
3. Pearls
4. Bulletproof Soul
5. Mermaid

Neutrals return after five years with album number two, a co-release between Static Shock Records and Slumberland. New Town Dream is thirteen songs of innocence, intensity and observations of everyday life. It’s like a Mike Leigh film lyrically - seeing the world through the eyes of normal people but with music that leans heavily on the TV Personalities, The Times, The Wedding Present and the Jam. The rhythm section is the perfect foil for the spikey and clean guitar work but it’s always the tune that is king with Neutrals. One listen and you are transported into the world of travel agents, bus conductors, kebabs and substitute teachers. It’s the sound of a time long gone but a time we miss and love.

TRACK LISTING

1. New Town Dream (Version)
2. That's Him On The Daft Stuff Again
3. Wish You Were Here
4. Stop The Bypass
5. Travel Agent's Windows
6. Chaos At The Jasmine
7. Last Orders
8. Steven Proctor, Bus Conductor
9. The Iron That Never Swung
10. How Did I Get Here
11. Substitute Teacher
12. Phantom Arcade
13. Leisureland

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. The Moon And The Sky
2. Soldier Of Love
3. Morning Bird
4. Babyfather
5. Long Hard Road

Side B
1. Be That Easy
2. Bring Me Home
3. In Another Time
4. Skin
5. The Safest Place

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. By Your Side
2. Flow
3. King Of Sorrow
4. Somebody Already Broke My Heart
5. All About Our Love
6. Slave Song

Side B
1. The Sweetest Gift
2. Every Word
3. Immigrant
4. Lovers Rock
5. It’s Only Love That Gets You Through

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Love Is Stronger Than Pride
2. Paradise
3. Nothing Can Come Between Us
4. Haunt Me
5. Turn My Back On You

Side B
1. Keep Looking
2. Clean Heart
3. Give It Up
4. I Never Thought I’d See The Day
5. Siempre Hay Esperanza

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Is It A Crime
2. The Sweetest Taboo
3. War Of The Hearts
4. Jezebel

Side B
1. Mr Wrong
2. Never As Good As The First Time
3. Fear
4. Tar Baby
5. Maureen

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Smooth Operator
2. Your Love Is King
3. Hang On To Your Love
4. Frankie’s First Affair
5. When Am I Going To Make A Living

Side B
1. Cherry Pie
2. Sally
3. I Will Be Your Friend
4. Why Can’t We Live Together

In 1974, Cluster entered the sugar era. This doesn’t mean that they had finally arrived in their promised land, but they had simply moved from Berlin to the country, to a small place called Forst on the river Weser. Many a thing had changed for band members Moebius and Roedelius since Cluster II: They had moved from boisterous Berlin to this calm rural village, they had founded the band Harmonia, had set up their own studio and had bought new equipment. As a result of this and many other things, new impulses were noticeably spurring the evolution of their music. The album Zuckerzeit (“sugar era”) launched a revolution for Cluster.

Strictly speaking, Zuckerzeit is not ­really an album by Cluster. More pre­cisely, the LP contains two mini solo al­bums by Moebius and Roedelius. Those who were familiar with the stylistic pe­culiarities of the two musicians could easily relate the solo pieces to either one of them. As Roedelius and Moebius had not yet released any solo works by the time, it was actually not possible to draw up any comparisons yet. What could be clearly heard, though, was that there were two different musical attitudes to be found on one album. One thing they did have in common was the consistent use of the analogue rhythm machine. This was something new for Cluster inasmuch as on their last album Cluster II, they had still focussed on completely different methods that were to give structure to the pieces. Zuckerzeit, on the contrary, is designed in a clearly rhythmical way: a rhythm machine, triggered synths and harmonic patterns played by hand inspired life and imagination on the melody lines: This was different as well. Once again, Roedelius and Moebius took on work in such a remarkably light-hearted and down-to-earth manner as was typical of Cluster. Zuckerzeit is light and cheerful, freed from the Germanic gravity and the mystic incense fumes that were so fashionable at the time. Cluster man­ aged to keep both feet on the ground without becoming plain or even sterile.

The friendliness of the music is clear­ly due to the two personalities of Roedelius and Moebius; its down-to-earth character possibly comes from Michael Rother, the album’s co-producer. Michael Rother had already performed with Kraftwerk and had founded the band NEU! together with Klaus Dinger before moving to idyllic Forst himself in 1973. The same year, the band Harmonia (Roedelius, Moebius, Rother) was born. The music might also have been influenced by the lovely environment of the hilly countryside surrounding them. We are told that some of the visitors to Forst had believed themselves in Tolkien’s Shire, although nobody had ever seen hobbits in the area. Maybe this impression was an all too romantic one.

Yet, those who have experienced this peaceful atmosphere for themselves may at least be able to understand what we are talking about.

By then, Cluster could finally call themselves lucky owners of their own recording equipment consisting of a multi-track recording machine, a mixer and peripherals. This gave them the possibility to develop and record their Zuckerzeit material without precipitat­ing things or having to depend on other people. So they did everything on their own except for the finishing which took place in the studio of Conny Plank, the sonic magician of their early days, something which vitally accounted for a successful outcome by the way. One has to admit that technical equipment at Forst was not quite up to the standards even of that time. Moebius and Roedelius, however, knew how to make use of the devices they had in such a skilful way that it almost seemed ob­solete to consider working in large and professional studios in the future. So, many years were yet to go by until Cluster set foot in a studio other than their own again, this time not only to do the finishing but also the recordings.

When comparing Zuckerzeit to the works of other electronic combos produced at the same time, it is first of all the shortness of the tracks that seems most striking (2’20” to 6’10”). Listeners who were expecting long and booming pieces were badly advised with this album—what kind of trip is this that lasts for six minutes only? Those who loved listening closely and who were fond of sophisticated, varied and elaborate music could not be more satisfied though, because every single one of the ten pieces is far from being boring. The fact that Cluster worked in such a calm and collected way, that they concentrated on their musical ideas instead of ­losing themselves in long-windedness, that they took their time working on the album and not least that they could rely on the ideas of their co-producer Michael Rother —all this taken together gave way to the creation of electronic miniatures that sounded as extraordinary in the 1970s as they still do today. Nothing reminds us of psychedelic music that was common at the time. Instead, we find transparency, a hint of utopia and above all new sounds and noises, something which was unheard of in popular music until then. Even fifty years after its first release, Zuckerzeit might easily figure as a reverberating chapter in the latest edition of the imaginary handbook “The Golden Rules of Electronic Music”.

TRACK LISTING

A1 Hollywood
A2 Caramel
A3 Rote Riki
A4 Rosa
B1 Caramba
B3 Fotschi Tong
B4 James
B5 Marzipan
B6 Rotor
B7 Heiße Lippe

Aiming to rescue the airwaves from run-of-the-mill rap and humdrum Hip-Hop, the Hometown Heroes crew swoops into view, bringing together audiovisual evangelist DJ Yoda, soundsystem shocker Brad Baloo of The Nextmen, and legendary rhyme supplier Edo G out of Boston for a funky fix of unashamed dad-hop.

The holy trinity have dozens of classics under their belts covering Rap’s golden era to the present and ‘Hometown Heroes’ is another gem providing the sort of rewindable Hip-Hop that’s hella breezy, but still packing plenty of bluster beneath the surface.

TRACK LISTING

Side A

1. Advice
2. The Process
3. What You Wanna Do
4. Do You Right
5. Stand Still
6. Talk About It

Side B

1. Advice Instrumental
2. The Process Instrumental
3. What You Wanna Do Instrumental
4. Do You Right Instrumental
5. Stand Still Instrumental
6. Talk About It Instrumental

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

This is the soundtrack to Get Carter (1971), the all-time classic British gangster flick starring Michael Caine and directed by Mike Hodges. It became the bridge by which jazz musician Roy Budd successfully expanded his horizons to film music, with a score brimming with moments of his genius.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the film's opening, we drew on the original Japanese (1971) and British (1998) OST releases to put together an expanded edition of the OST - including a bonus disc featuring various different outtakes and bits of dialogue.

This is the 3rd installment in Beatball's series of Roy Budd Classic Soundtrack Scores, packed with a jazzy (and groovy) score done in Budd's signature style, as well as key lines of dialogue for you to relive the scenes from the film!

TRACK LISTING

Get Carter Intro
Dialogue “is There A Mr. Carter In The Room?”
Main Theme - Carter Takes The Train
Dialogue “do You Know A Man Called Albert Swift?”
Looking For Someone
Dialogue - The Race Track
Something On My Mind
Dialogue “who Killed Frank?”
Gettin' Nowhere In A Hurry
Dialogue “tell Me About The Girl”
The Girl In The Car
Dialogue “i Fancy You”
Love Is A Four Letter Word
Dialogue “you're Lucky. They Kill As Well”
Living Should Be This Way
Dialogue “all It Takes Is One Call To The Police”
Manhunt
Dialogue “drink Up: Eric”
Goodbye Eric + Dialogue
Dialogue “i Want You To Listen Very Carefully”
Hallucinations
Goodbye Carter!
Get Carter (alternative Mix 1)
Plaything
Dialogue "stay Away From The Car"
Hallucinations (alternative Vocal Mix)
Dialogue "do You Wanna Go To The Toilet, Albert?"
Gettin' Nowhere In A Hurry (instrumental)
Love Is A Four Letter Word (alternative Mix)
Manhunt (alternative Mix)
Dialogue "you're A Big Man"
Get Carter (alternative Mix 2)
Gettin' Nowhere In A Hurry (alternative Vocal Mix)
Hallucinations (instrumental)
How About You
Get Carter (7" Single Version)

Ska never stopped you know! From it’s Jamaican music if the piano’s not playing ska or the guitar… any music you have… reggae… even the computer music… the piano’s playing ‘ska, ska, ska…’ it leads the music so ska is still the backbone of Jamaican music. Right?” Bunny Lee

The music of Jamaica has had a profound and lasting influence all around the world and reggae is the name by which it has become universally known. Although the term ska is often used to describe all Jamaican music before dub, deejays and dread in the mid seventies the real Jamaican ska was made in Kingston between 1961/1962 and 1966.

In the early fifties the popularity of driving rhythm & blues from the USA reached fever pitch in Jamaica and mobile sound systems (the forerunners of today’s discos) were assembled and operated by men such as Tom ‘The Great Sebastian’ Wong to play this music to wildly appreciative audiences at levels that were felt physically rather than merely heard. Competition was fierce, both metaphorically and literally, and sound system operators including Arthur Reid, ‘Duke Reid The Trojan’, and Clement Dodd, ‘Sir Coxsone The Downbeat’, would travel to America on record buying expeditions. On their triumphant return to Kingston, laden with exclusive records, they would be met by their enthusiastic supporters. Only the followers of their sound systems could hear these records and the records’ real identity would be a closely guarded secret. The titles were often scratched off and the tunes renamed to confuse the opposition.

As the decade drew to a close America turned to a softer more mellow sound and supplies of the music favoured in Jamaica began to dry up… so the sound system operators began to make their own rhythm & blues recordings. Initially intended for sound system play only on one-off acetates these tunes proved so popular that they were soon made commercially available. Many sound men now became record producers including ‘Sir Coxsone’, Duke Reid ‘The Trojan’ and Prince Buster ‘The Voice Of The People’ although the first ‘local’ recording to make the number one spot in Jamaica was Laurel Aitken’s ‘Boogie In My Bones’/‘Little Sheila’ on Chris Blackwell’s R & B label.

The emphasis was placed firmly on the offbeat and these rhythm & blues shuffle and boogie recordings were unmistakably Jamaican in form and content and far, far more than straightforward copies of American rhythm & blues. A sound was gradually created that was not only completely new and original but that would also go on to outlive a large proportion of its influences. Powered by the musical collective known as The Skatalites together with solo singers including Derrick Morgan, Eric ‘Monty’ Morris, duos Higgs & Wilson, Keith & Enid and Stranger & Patsy and vocal groups The Maytals, The Wailers, Justin Hinds & The Dominoes the producers now began to drive the music one step beyond. Together they created an entirely new genre of music whose inventions and innovations would reach far beyond its parochial beginnings in Kingston sound system rivalry.

TRACK LISTING

1. Ska Boo Da Ba – The Skatalites
2. Confucious – Don Drummond & The Skatalites
3. Storm Warning – Lyn Taitt & The Boys
4. Alley Cat Ska – Tommy McCook & His Ska-Talites
5. Trench Town People – Theophilus Beckford
6. Walking Down King Street – Theophilus Beckford
7. South China Sea – Johnny ‘Dizzy’ Moore
8. Ringo – The Skatalites
9. Nuclear Weapon – Roland Alphonso & His Ska-Talites
10. Magnificent Ska – Lyn Taitt & The Baba Brooks Band
11. Come On My People – Daniel Johnson
12. Hit You Let You Feel It – The Tenor Twins
13. The Re-Burial – Don Drummond & The Skatalites
14. Love Me Or Leave Me – Lloyd Clarke
15. A Shot In The Dark – Roland Alphonso*
16. Distant Drums – Baba Brooks & The Trenton Spence Orchestra*
*CD Bonus Tracks

Horace Andy [a.k.a.Sleepy] must process one of the sweetest and most distinctive voices in reggae music. 1951 in Kingston Jamaica. He cut his first track in 1966 for producer George ‘Phil’ Pratt, a tune called ‘Black Man’s Country’. But it was four years later his star really began to shine when he joined the stable of Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd’s Studio One. It was Coxsone Dodd who renamed him Andy after another of his leading artists Bob Andy, such was his belief in Horace’s writing talent and singing abilities. Still only twenty years of age Horace used his falsetto talent to the fore and cut some impressive tracks at 13 Brentford Road, Studio One’s headquarters. Such reggae standards as ’Skylarking’, ‘Just Say Who’, ‘Love of a Women’ and ‘Something on my Mind’ to name but a few. The early 1970’s saw Horace due to political reasons move on to work with producer Bunny Lee, a move that suited his talents and beliefs, Horace being an early advocate to the Rastafarian faith.The tracks which he cut with Bunny, which we concentrate on here gave his songs a rootsy feel. The rhythms often cut at Channel ONE and Randy’s Studio17 and finalised at King Tubby’s, provided a fine backbone for Horace to recut some of his earlier classics, along side his newer songs also to become reggae standards. Like ‘Money Money’, ‘Zion Gate’ the great ‘You are my Angel’ and a version of The Heptones ‘My Guiding Star’. The power of these recordings were such that the earlier tracks like ‘Skylarking’ became hits a second time around.Proving that the ‘you can’t keep a good tune down’ mantra was alive and kicking… …A golden time for Horace and Reggae music in general… Horace would go on to work with other producers like Everton Da Silva in 1977 creating the ‘In the Light’ album and the New York based Lloyd ‘Wackies’ Barnes in the 1980’s for his ‘Dancehall Style’ recordings. Most recently his work with Massive Attack has brought his majestic voice full circle and back into the arena once more. Those ‘Massive’ recordings and this dub collection here seem to fit side by side. Horace’s distinctive vocal riding over the rhythms adding a magic as only he can .....

RESPECT JAH FLOYD.

TRACK LISTING

1 Why Oh Why Dub
2 Dub Larking
3 Zion Dub
4 Dub Money 
5 A True Dub
6 Dub Guidance
7 Dub Say Who
8 Dub On My Mind
9 Love Of A Dub Band
10 Use This Dub
11 Dub Letter
12 Dub Angel
13 Bless This Dub*
14 Dub Ah Fulfil*
*CD Bonus Track

Holy grail hip-hop alert! Superstar Quamallah's Invisible Man was never released on wax so, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this astounding record, we present the first ever vinyl edition. A stunning record which gained accolades upon its initial release, such as a prominent feature on Gilles Peterson's renowned Best Of 2009 show, it's one of the most essential jazz rap albums of all time.

Deep jazz rap on that mellow-melodic tip, Invisible Man is an unforgettable album with nothing but dope beats and dope bars. There's a strong chance this album has passed you by but we truly believe it to be a lost hip-hop masterpiece. It supremely captures the essence of a golden age classic without being slavish to the past. No, this ain't some facile throwback rap. It's a fresh and deeply soulful, original album shot through straight from the heart. Perfect to chill to, Invisible Man is profoundly jazz-oriented and captures with simplicity and sincerity the essence of hip-hop circa 1983-1994. It sounds like vibing with your nearest, dearest and oldest friends on a long hot summer night as the tantalising thought that anything is possible fills the air. You know what, we can just call this "magic hour rap" and we think you'll know what we mean. It's just beautiful. Just Listen.

Brooklyn-born, California-based emcee, DJ, and producer Superstar Quamallah was active in the West Coast underground scene throughout the 90s and recorded extensively with such revered names as Defari and Tajai. His parents were some serious artistic heavyweights, too; his father was soul organist Big John Patton, a giant in the jazz world known for his releases on Blue Note whilst his mother was an active designer. However, he remains relatively unknown. Invisible Man, named ostensibly after the classic Ralph Ellison novel, could also refer to how he is viewed by the public at large. With close affiliations to the Hieroglyphics, Dilated Peoples and Likwit crew, his debut EP "Don't Call Me John" arrived in 1999 on ABB Records, after which he took a sabbatical from recording which included graduate school, travelling, teaching at Inglewood High and eventually a professorship of African Studies at Berkeley.

With a laidback flow and deep, relaxing presence on the mic, Superstar Quamallah is equal parts Big Daddy Kane, Rakim and Guru. Invisible Man is refined, soulful, feel-good hip-hop of the old school. Its wise, spiritual and literate sound, combined with the summertime vibes projected by the smooth beats and the nostalgia-inducing samples and vocal scratches, created jazzy boom-bap rap reminiscent of prime De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr.

Irresistibly bouncing opener "You Need Knowledge" loops sparkling pianos, horns and a nagging whistle refrain with scratched vocal refrains from Slick Rick, Mobb Deep and Guru. The super-smooth head-nod classic "88 Soul" also utilises a beautifully swelling piano line and dusty breaks whilst Quamé reminisces about his childhood in NYC. Deeply moving, the silky, sultry "Black Shakespeare" is built around an elegant piano loop and goes hard on the superman lover tip whilst "For My People...It's Spiritual" is transcendental rap in conversation with Rakim and older gods. The "Moment Of Truth"-sampling "Lonely At The Top" is striking for its undiluted boom-bap stylings and the staccato flute-hop of "Just Listen" is riddled with soulful refinement. The deeply-affecting, wistful-yet-triumphant bells and horn-drenched single "California Dreamin'" is top-tier rap of unimpeachable quality. What a flow!

Another highlight is the rich melodic piano-rap of "Purity", a beautiful ode to the foundations of rap and those keeping the culture authentically alive. Beautifully played instruments and spiritual jazz samples elevate the deep thinking present on "Kunta Kente" whilst the darker jazz-tinged battle-rap of "93 Shit" goes super hard both in a lyrical sense and with its no-holds drum punches. The breezy Rhodes and string loops that serve as the sonic backdrop to the slinky jazz rap of "We Got Plots" are just gorgeous as our hero evokes Common's "I Used To Love H.E.R." with a head-spinning tale of crime, deception and double crossing. And some twist! "Do Win-Dis" has a tense crime-funk backing and rolling beats which complement Quamé's flow perfectly before the record is rounded out by the tough yet jazzy brilliance of rap confessional "Hope She Remembers Me". Just sensational.

Upon its original release, Quamallah himself declared: "My favorite time period for Hip Hop music was definitely between 1983 and 1994 with 1988 and 1993 being two years that standout as extremely impressive years musically and culturally. The fashion, slang, movies, TV shows and vibe during those years was incredible. While totally submerged in the feelings and music of that entire time period, I went to work on Invisible Man and I am excited for people to hear the result! It is an album that I would want to hear from some of my favorite artists of the past and present today. This is not a RETRO trip for me; this is me at my best lyrically and spiritually using the accessories of the 80s and 90s to fuel me. I am a 88 soul as the song states!"

This album goes deep. It goes all in. When Invisible Man first came out it had a real hold on us here at Be With HQ. We couldn't stop listening to it. We'd venture to say it's one of the top 25 rap records of the 2000s. In the years since its release, it has remained a criminally underrated record, an increasingly hidden gem. We sincerely hope this first time double LP release will go some way to correct this.

It's been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston and pressed at Record Industry. Finally available on the format it should always have been on, it must never be rendered invisible again. 

TRACK LISTING

A1 Mr. Righteous (Intro)0:35
A2 You Need Knowledge 3:45
A3 88 Soul 3:12
A4 Black Shakespeare 3:02
B1 For My People...It's Spiritual 2:55
B2 Lonely At The Top 3:56
B3 Just Listen 4:05
B4 California Dreamin' 4:33
C1 Purity 3:59
C2 Kunta Kente 4:20
C3 1993 Shit 3:49
D1 We Got Plots 3:38
D2 Do Win-Dis 4:11
D3 Hope She Remembers Me 3:15

Popstock was created by the surviving members of the Slates iteration of The Fall to present unusual and alternative versions of the brilliant records they helped create.

These records promise to be unique in that they are the only new Fall releases going forward where actual members of the group are consulted, involved and remunerated at all. Slate Live Again presents live versions of the six songs that make up the original mini- LP, with the incredible versions chosen in order to present the songs at every stage of their live performance, both pre and post recording.

Lovingly curated with input from band members at every stage, including sourcing, mastering and design, and with sleeve notes by Fall Uber- fan Stewart Lee, Slates Live is the type of release that Fall fans have been craving for years.

TRACK LISTING

1. Middle Mass
2. An Old Lover Etc.
3. Prole Art Threat
4. Fit And Working Again
5. Slags, Slates Etc.
6. Leave The Capitol

Jenifa Mayanja is a favourite amongst true deep house heads. Her work is smoky, jazzy, and emotive, and has come on labels like Underground Quality before now. Here she arrives on the sixth EP from fledgling but already cultured label Sole Aspect and shows off her sophisticated sound once more. 'Rise To The Top' is full of elegant harmonies and jazz melodies that dance on pulsing rhythms, 'Like A Dream' brings spiritual vocals to bold chords and dusty drums while 'Our World' has piano lines floating high over the languid drums and bass. 'Rose Colored Glasses' has fresh melodies and challenging synths that defy usual genre norms and bring all new ideas to deep house. This is music that elevates mind, body and soul.

TRACK LISTING

Rise To The Top
Like A Dream
Our World
Rose Colored Glasses

Broken Keys, as you may know, is a multi-talented musician and producer based in Los Angeles. His cut 'Assorted Colors' has become a real underground house classic that now lands on wax for the first time as a special extended 12" remix that really locks you into the languid grooves. The legendary Galcher Lustwerk steps up to add his own distinctive take on the original and infuses it with a techy yet atmospheric groove. Then Broken Keys explores a different facet of his sound with three distinct cuts on the flip that range from blunted beats and sun-kissed Balearic to chilled-out future soul. They make for a diverse package that has something for many different situations.

TRACK LISTING

Assorted Colors (Extended 12" Mix)
Assorted Colors (Galcher Lustwerk Remix)
Say You Do
Caught Out In The Rain
500 Days

Scruinversal is back for another vinyl outing and this one takes the form of a reissue of some of the label head's favourite tunes. An unknown artist is behind the sunny shuffle and big horns of 'This Kind Of Latin Rhythm' while Thierry Tomas's 'Samba' is a shuffling house cut laden with glorious piano work. Funkyjaws then offers up his take on tango, Scruscru layers up the rhythms and percussion on 'Juicy Brass' and Frank Virgilio's 'Portrait Of You' shuts down with a deeper late-night feel. These are some superbly effective Latina house jams to drop on the hottest of days and balmiest of nights.

TRACK LISTING

Unknown Artist - This Kind Of Latin Rhythm
Thierry Tomas - Samba (Courtesy Of Jump Recordings)
Funkyjaws - Tanga (Short Version)
Scruscru - Juicy Brass
Frank Virgilio - Portrait Of You

Who doesn't love a good edit, some nice Balearic, and especially some mystical Balearic edits? Well, that's just what we have here from Matsoaka who taps into several worldly flavours on this new six tracker courtesy of Magic Wand. 'Parlband Utmed Kusten' starts slow and steady, wet and dubby. 'Jah Banana' is a supremely horizontal and sun-kissed beach groove and 'Alligator' cuts loose on glistening melodies and playful chord vamps. Gentle breakbeats power the seductive 'Shish Balearic' and 'Asian Dance Groove' closes out with loose, percussive rhythms and funky guitar rifts. A truly global sonic trip.

TRACK LISTING

Parlband Utmed Kusten
Jah Banana
Alligator
Shish Balearic
Asian Dance Groove

Continuing their quest, the Treasure team has unearthed another enchanting bunch of gems. Introducing a new compilation of revamped classic tracks from F.R, meticulously tailored to meet the refined preferences of today's dance connoisseurs.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Canny Hot (Vocal)
A2. Canny Hot (Dub)
B1. Delicated
B2. Daddy’s Face

Edoardo Barbi is an alias of Gledd, the label head at Saint Wax, co-owner of Radio Mundo Records and a prolific producer who hails from Italy but is based in Mexico City. For this new EP, he taps into his love of 70s church funk and classic gospel and serves up a quartet of emotionally intense cuts that each tell a unique story. They all have their own moods and subtly uplifting grooves and are defined by the famously meticulous production style of Gledd. When you want to make the dance floor move in a different way than usual, these four cuts should be your go-to.

STAFF COMMENTS

Mine says: Phwoaaar... Gledd brings the heat on new (ish) label Kaninchenbau and he means serious business. You can literally hear the sweat dripping from the ceiling on all four of these tracks...

TRACK LISTING

Get Back
Be The Way
Stars
Love Is Feeling

Billie Eilish’s third studio album, "Hit Me Hard And Soft", released via Darkroom/Interscope Records is her most daring body of work to date, a diverse yet cohesive collection of songs— ideally listened to in its entirety from beginning to end—does exactly as the album title suggests; hits you hard and soft both lyrically and sonically, while bending genres and defying trends along the way. With the help of her brother and sole collaborator, Finneas, the pair wrote, recorded, and produced the album together in their hometown of Los Angeles. This album comes on the heels of her two massively successful albums “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" and "Happier Than Ever" and works to further develop the world of Billie Eilish. 

The Wrekin Crew is back for a seance outing on the peerless Is It Balearic? This new offering rather continues where the first one left off with two tracks of immersive sonics for sunny days. First up is 'Vapour Trails' which melds lush Italo disco melodies and nice emotional pop of the sort you would expect to hear in this duo's DJ sets. Goldsuite also step up with a remix to smooth the edges and lay down moon-lit Balearica then closer 'Broken Wings' has more meaningful vocals but this time over grooves more suited to a late-night setting. Cosmic arps finish it in style with plenty of dubby undercurrents.

TRACK LISTING

Vapour Trails
Vapour Trails (Goldsuite Remix)
Broken Wings
Broken Wings (Woolfy Rub Dub)

Nicholas Bicycle is Nick Bike when in music mode and his next ride takes him deep into the world of the Queen of Soul. Once there he turns out a pair of crucial remixes that will slip right into the upper echelons of your collection. Up first is his take on Aretha's Tramp classic 'A Lil Respect' which comes on strong with more heavy and floor-ready drums. Flip it over and you will find 'A Step Too Far Away' which goes from early evening soul to a nice early evening stepper to get the crowd in the groove.

TRACK LISTING

A Lil Respect
A Step Too Far Away

Tetsu Shibuya, better known as simply Tetsu or Brisa is a Japanese producer and DJ known for works on the iconic Japanese Jazzy Sport imprint, King Street sub-label Nite Grooves and his own Brisa Music. Leading the EP is title-track 'Stir', in collaboration with Turbojazz Brisa delivers a classic slice of deep house built upon layers of bright stab sequences and loose organic percussion. Detroit's beloved Jon Dixon turns his hand to 'Stir' next, encapsulating the soul of his hometown in reshaping fragments of the original composition. The original of 'Reverie' opens the B-side, laying down a broken rhythm, low-pitched vocal hooks and elongated bass grooves for a more bruk tinged feel. Byron The Aquarius then extracts the core of 'Reverie' and spins it into bumpy, subtly nuanced house workout. Lastly the third original 'Flux' rounds out the release, shifting deeper in funkinfused realms with a playful plucked bass groove and heavily swung drums.

TRACK LISTING

Stir (feat Turbojazz)
Stir (feat Turbojazz) (Jon Dixon Remix)
Reverie
Reverie (Byron The Aquarius Remix)
Flux

Following their 'The Dangling Man' EP and 'Just South of Heaven' mini-LP, 'Room Of Lights' was originally released in 1986 and featured the "London lineup" of Simon Bonney, former Birthday Party stalwarts Mick Harvey and Rowland S. Howard, Rowland’s bassist brother Harry Howard, and drummer Epic Soundtracks (formerly of Swell Maps and Jacobites). The album includes the remarkable ‘Six Bells Chime,’ which caught the attention of acclaimed German filmmaker Wim Wenders who invited the band to perform the song live in his 1988 masterpiece Wings of Desire. The album showcases great creativity filled with tension and marks the last release featuring Crime’s “London line-up”.

TRACK LISTING

1. Right Man, Wrong Man
2. No Money, No Honey
3. Hey Sinkiller
4. Six Bells Chime
5. Adventure
6. Untouchable
7. The Brother Song
8. Her Room Of Lights (For Lisa)

Originally released in 1985, this mini-LP featured the "London lineup" of Simon Bonney, former Birthday Party stalwarts Mick Harvey and Rowland S. Howard, Rowland’s bassist brother Harry Howard, and drummer Epic Soundtracks (formerly of Swell Maps and Jacobites). The record presented a more refined sound compared to their self-produced EP and was recorded between Hansa Tonstudios, Berlin and The Strongroom, London, with sound engineer Flood (a-ha, Depeche Mode, Erasure). In an interview with Uncut, Harry explained, “The first EP, 'The Dangling Man,' was a bit raw. For 'Just South Of Heaven,' we tried to create a more elegant record, and it worked quite well.”

TRACK LISTING

1. Rose Blue
2. The Coal Train
3. Stolen & Stealing
4. Five Stone Walls
5. Trouble Come This Morning
6. The Wailing Wall

Since launching in 2020, Claremont 56’s Claremont Editions series of compilations has delivered a trio of must-check collections featuring a mixture of unheard gems from the label vaults and brand-new, previously unreleased tracks. Label founder Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy continues with this blueprint on 2024’s instalment, the fourth in total.

There's naturally some genuinely headline grabbing highlights amongst the nine tracks on display, starting with opener ‘Crossing’ – a fresh cut from C56’s in-house super-group Hillside (AKA Paul Mudd Murphy, Alex Searle and Patrick Dawes), featuring lead vocals from long-time friend of the family Quinn Lamont Luke. The track is prime Hillside: all rolling hand percussion, warming keys, simmering synth-strings, sun-splashed solos and blue-eyed soul vocals from the effervescent Quinn.

It sets a high bar, quality wise, but predictably the rest of the collection hits similarly heady heights. Mudd contributes two other tracks of note: a first collaborative outing with long-time creative partner Ben Smith for five years, Smith & Mudd’s ‘Journey Seven’ – a languid, slow-motion affair that hints at what we can expect from their forthcoming album – and a typically rich, jazz-fusion influenced solo excursion, ‘Massimo’s Steps’. As vivid, emotive and detailed as you’d expect, the track explores similar sonic territory to Mudd’s recent album, In The Garden of Mindfulness.

It's usual for Claremont Editions collections to include tracks from new members of the Claremont family. Editions 4 is no different, with Danish producer Fureby – a close friend of fellow Danes Mike Salta and Peter Visti – joining forces with Guy Moscoco and Brian Faber on ‘Halcyon (Extended Mix)’, a gorgeously kaleidoscopic Balearic groover rich in fluttering flute solos, simmering disco strings and sun-bright electronics.

Elsewhere, a few familiar favourites contribute suitably stellar tracks. Mai Fujinoya dons the Yamp Kolta alias for the first time since appearing on the first editions compilation in 2020, serving up the languid Japanese language Balearic pop brilliance of ‘Saturate’, featuring beautiful lead vocals by Yuzz. Krautrock-influenced duo Neumayer Station – who made their C56 bow on last year’s Editions collection – lay down a typically stretched-out, dubbed-out groove with Spaghetti Western soundtrack flourishes (the lilting and atmospheric ‘Bassrutscher’), while Ferdi Schuster invites us to dive into the immersive depths of ‘Resonance’ – a lightly art rock and progressive rock-influenced soundscape best enjoyed while lying flat on your back.

Slow-motion house specialists Hear & Now continue to join the dots between tactile Balearica and pitched-down Italian ambient house on the stunningly gorgeous ‘Chimaera’, while there’s a surprise return for a Claremont 56 favourite: Mudd’s sought-after extended mix of Bel’s 2018 single ‘Ready To Die’, a sing-along modern Balearic classic. This time round, it has been re-edited by Blank & Jones, who teases out the sun-soaked instrumentation before finally dropping the original’s emotion-rich lead vocals.

It all adds up to another must-check instalment of the indispensable Claremont Editions series. As usual, the vinyl version has been pressed in limited qualities and comes housed in a deluxe gatefold sleeve, complete with another stunning cover painting by illustrator Mark Warrington.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Hillside Feat. Quinn Lamont Luke – Crossing
A2. Mudd – Massimo’s Steps
B1. Bel – Ready To Die (Mudd’s Extended Mix) (Blank & Jones Edit)
B2. Fureby, Moscoso & Faber – Halcyon
C1. Smith & Mudd – Journey Seven
C2. Neumayer Station – Bassrutscher
C3. Yamp Kolt Feat. Yuzz – Saturate
D1. Ferdi Schuster – Resonance
D2. Hear & Now – Chimaera

Coming out on the first day of summer, the exhilarating journey of twelve songs on 'Daylight' celebrates, expresses and explores the colours and feel of summer. It will be the first of two albums from the duo in 2024 with the nocturnal sister album, 'Twilight', released on the first day of winter - December 1st.

McHifi are taking you on a journey for 2024.

TRACK LISTING

1. Daylight
2. Sun Come Up
3. Coalition
4. You Are My
5. Meantime
6. Golden Hour
7. Sad Banger
8. USB -USC
9. Summery
10. Living Things
11. Celebrate
12. The Show

“Into The Blue is the clearest portrait of who I am as an artist. It’s me through and through,” says multi-instrumentalist Aaron Frazer. A daring blend of soul, psychedelia, spaghetti western, disco, gospel and hip-hop, Into the Blue represents the impressive range of Frazer’s sonic talents. Frazer maintains the unmistakable falsetto and classic songwriting he’s known for, but plants Into the Blue firmly in the now with a hip-hop mentality at its core, weaving together genres and production techniques to form something new.

Into The Blue was conceived, like so many classic records, out of actual heartbreak. Frazer moved cross-country from Brooklyn to Los Angeles and embarked on a journey that’s reflected in the album’s themes of grief, loneliness, and searching for healing. “Into The Blue really means heading into the unknown. That has been the last year of my life and I’m still in the blue,” Frazer explains. “But there are also songs here that celebrate love and the giddiness of a new relationship and all that. That’s part of a breakup to me, processing the whole thing, remembering the things that were right as much as the things that were wrong.”

Frazer wrote on every track and played several live instruments on the album. The title track, “Into The Blue”, is a haunting, resolute anthem, combining cinematic strings and tough-as-nails breakbeats as Frazer heads west. “Here I go, to a place where the broken heart knows,” he sings. “It’s all I can do. Back into the blue.” “Payback” is an explosive dancefloor heater, featuring shimmering tambourines and driving bass lines. Northern soul drums meet snarling fuzz guitar, hurdling towards its epic conclusion.

The album features moments of towering arrangements, recalling David Axelrod and Ennio Merricone, balanced by rawness, incorporating iPhone recordings and one-take vocals. For Into the Blue, Frazer enlisted Grammy-winner Alex Goose as coproducer, known for his crate-digging samples and collaborations with hip-hop artists like Freddie Gibbs, Madlib and Brockhampton. Frazer also experimented with samples for the first time on a record, drawing from unexpected sources like 90s R&B group Hi-Five. Though Into the Blue is born out of heartbreak, Frazer hopes it leaves listeners with a sense of optimism. “You know, you can still laugh on a day when you’re grieving,” he says, “there’s no peaks without valleys,” he says, but Into The Blue sees Aaron Frazer at new heights.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1) Thinking Of You
2) Into The Blue
3) Fly Away
4) Payback
5) Dime Feat. Cancamusa
6) Perfect Strangers

Side B
7) Time Will Tell
8) I Don’t Wanna Stay
9) Play On
10) Easy To Love
11) The Fool

Thou has always been a force of raw energy and unapologetic dissent, defying easy categorization and challenging listeners to confront the complexities of existence. Though often lumped in with New Orleans sludge bands like Eyehategod and Crow- bar, Thou transcends genre boundaries, drawing inspiration from a diverse array of influences spanning from ‘90s proto-grunge icons like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden (all of whom they’ve covered extensively) to the raw intensity of obscure‘90s DIY hardcore punk found on labels like Ebullition, Vermiform, and Crimethinc.

Their latest record Umbilical, Thou’s first full-length release of original music since their 2018 Sacred Bones debut Magus, is their firmest nod to the latter - a record filled with mosh-ready riffs, heavy breakdowns and scathing vocals. The band’s aesthetic and political impulses have always been punk and like anyone embroiled in the subculture Thou have been exploring what it means to exist within and without a rigid morality. That exploration takes thematic center on Umbilical and their self-assessment is as harsh as that of the world around them.

TRACK LISTING

LP Tracklist:
1. Narcissist’s Prayer
2. Emotional Terrorist
3. Lonely Vigil
4. House Of Ideas
5. I Feel Nothing When You Cry
6. Unbidden Guest
7. I Return As Chained And Bound To You
8. The Promise
9. Panic Stricken, I Flee
10. Siege Perilous

7" Tracklist:
1. I Feel Nothing When You Cry
2. Unbidden Guest

First edition of a two-part set: a comprehensive compilation of South London art-rockers Art Brut, spanning their early discography, demo takes, alternative mixes and live recordings between 2003 – 2008.

Features the debut album 'Bang Bang Rock and Roll', their second studio album 'It’s A Bit Complicated'. Also includes unreleased live material Art Brut – Live in Paris 2006 & Art Brut Live Form ULU with Horns.

Comes with a 24 page zine, with a 2,000 word liner note from Art Brut frontman Eddie Argos and exclusive photography of the band. Also includes a signed print of an original Art Brut artwork, painted by Eddie Argos

TRACK LISTING

CD1: Bang Bang Rock And Roll
1. Formed A Band
2. My Little Brother
3. Emily Kane
4. Rusted Guns Of Milan
5. Modern Art
6. Good Weekend
7. Bang Bang Rock & Roll
8. Fight!
9. Moving To L.A.
10. Bad Weekend
11. 18,000 Lira
12. Subliminal Desire For Adventure

CD2: It’s A Bit Complicated
1. Pump Up The Volume
2. Direct Hit
3. St. Pauli
4. People In Love
5. Late Sunday Evening
6. I Will Survive
7. Post Soothing Out
8. Blame It On The Trains
9. Soundtrack Of The Summer
10. Nag Nag Nag Nag
11. Jealous Guy

CD3 – Bang Bang Rock And Roll, Bootlegs And B-Sides + Live From ULU W/ Horns
1. Formed A Band (Brutleg/Single Version) 
2. Bad Weekend (Brutleg/Single Version)
3. Modern Art (Brutleg / Single Version)
4. My Little Brother (Brutleg / Single Version)
5. Good Weekend (Brutleg)
6. 18,000 Lira (Brutleg)
7. Bang Bang Rock And Roll (Brutleg)
8. Moving To LA (Brutleg)
9. Moving To LA Acoustic (Brutleg)
10. These Animal Menswe@r
11. It’s About Time
12. Maternity Ward
13. Really Bad Weekend
14. Every Other Weekend
15. Home Altars Of Mexico
16. Top Of The Pops! Art Brut (and Friends)
17. Don’t Blame It On The Trains
18. Enrique Gatti (Subliminal Desire For Adventure) (Brutleg)
19. Pump Up The Volume – With Horns
20. Moving To LA – With Horns
21. Late Sunday Evening – With Horns
22. Emily Kane – With Horns
23. Post Soothing Out – With Horns
24. Direct Hit – With Horns
25. Good Weekend – With Horns

CD4: It’s A Bit Complicated (Bootlegs And BSides)
1. I Found This Song In The Road
2. Our Parents Record Collection
3. Wasted Week-End
4. I Want To Be Double A-Sided
5. Ignorance Is Bliss
6. Direct Hit (Alternate Vesrion)
7. Direct Hit (Duet With Hank Starrs From Animals That Swim)
8. Late Sunday Evening (Alternate Version)
9. Blame It On The Trains (Russell Senior Version)
10. Post Soothing Out (Russell Senior Version)
11. St Pauli (Russell Senior Version)
12. Bad Weekend (Live Eurokéennes Festival 06)
13. Formed A Band (Live Eurokéennes Festival 06)
14. Emily Kane (Live Eurokéennes Festival 06)
15. These Animal Menswe@r (Live Eurokéennes Festival 06)

CD5: Paris Live 06.02.06
1. Formed A Band
2. My Little Brother
3. These Animal Menswe@r
4. Bang Bang Rock And Roll
5. Blame It On The Trains
6. Moving To LA
7. Rusted Guns Of Milan
8. Modern Art
9. St Pauli
10. Post Soothing Out
11. Emily Kane
12. Bad Weekend
13. Stand Down
14. 18,000 Lira
15. Good Weekend

Double LP Set of art-rockers Art Brut, with tracks taken from the albums 'Bang Bang Rock and Roll', 'It’s A Bit Complicated', 'Art Brut vs Satan', 'Brilliant! Tragic!', 'We Are Scientists Art Brut International' and rare live and alternate takes, compiled by the band. First comprehensive career retrospective of Art Brut since the 'Top of the Pops' album in 2014, this compilation brings together the best and most well-known tracks from the catalogue.

TRACK LISTING

1. Formed A Band
2. My Little Brother
3. Emily Kane
4). Good Weekend
5. Pump Up The Volume
6. Nag Nag Nag
7. St Pauli
8. Alcoholics Unanimous
9. DC Comics & Chocolate Milkshake
10. Summer Job
11. Unprofessional Wrestling
12. Axl Rose
13. Lost Weekend
14. Hooray!
15. She Kissed Me (And It Felt Like A Hit)
16. I Hope You’re Very Happy Together
17. Modern Art Berlin Live
18. Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock Out!
19. Arizona Bay
20. Just Deserts
21. We Make Pop Music (Berlin Live)
22. Post Soothing Out (Berlin Live)

‘Sweet Whispers’ is more than a run-through of some of Vaughan’s most popular songs. It’s not hard to imagine the immense task in selecting those songs, after all, Vaughan’s recording career spanned 50 years notching up almost 60 albums (plus nearly 30 again in compilations and box sets). Through a thoughtfully chosen selection of songs, formed across months in collaboration with producer, and the album’s clarinettist and saxman, Giacomo Smith – Zara journeys through the musical life of Sarah Vaughan, from her first to last recording, bringing to life and breathing new life into some of her best and less familiar songs. But importantly, the songs that mean the most to Zara.

Zara McFarlane said “It was when I started to listen to Sarah Vaughan that I really began to appreciate jazz vocals. She had such control across her range and a vocal command that was cheeky, playful and fun yet sophisticated and articulate. I really wanted to pay homage to her as I feel she has been somewhat overlooked amongst the jazz singers. Although I do love Ella and Billie, it's all about Sarah for me.”

‘Sweet Whispers – Celebrating Sarah Vaughan’ was recorded analogue at Durham Studios, London. Giacomo assembled a stellar cast of musicians - Joe Webb on piano, Ferg Ireland on double bass, Jas Kayser on drums, Marlon Hibbert on Steel Pan and Gabriella Swallow on cello – to record 11 tracks live to tape; with minimal overdubs, the recording has retained a live, vintage feel.

A celebration of Sarah Vaughan could be in no better hands than that of Zara McFarlane, who makes an inspired homage to the ‘Divine One’. Beautifully performed in Zara’s own inimitable style, with her own playful swoops and slides, she has added her own touch to the music. With a silken voice and timbre that brings emotional depth, attitude and personality to this collection of Sarah Vaughan songs, this is a masterful celebration.

TRACK LISTING

1. Tenderly
2. Mean To Me
3. Inner City Blues
4. September Song
5. Great Day
6. If You Could See Me Now
7. Interlude
8. Obsession
9. The Mystery Of Man
10. Stardust
11. Sweet Whispers

The debut album by Passion Pit, 'Manners' is coming back to vinyl for its 15th Anniversary. Remastered for vinyl with full gatefold jacket that displays alternative artwork only previously available on the cd

TRACK LISTING

1. Make Light
2. Little Secrets
3. Moth's Wings
4. The Reeling
5. Eyes As Candles
6. Swimming In The Flood
7. Folds In Your Hands
8. To Kingdom Come
9. Sleepyhead
10. Let Your Love Grow Tall
11. Seaweed Song

Witness to revolutions in jazz and pop, Margo Guryan earned her place in the songwriting pantheon and then some. That she was largely unknown for decades is not the stuff of crushed dreams, but a result of her own choices and priorities. From humble beginnings to the peaks of her 1968 baroque pop masterpiece Take a Picture and the collected Demos to the recent viral ubiquity of “Why Do I Cry”, Words and Music captures the entirety of Guryan’s career, featuring 16 previously unreleased recordings and a 32-page booklet telling the whole story.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. If I Lose
2. You Promised
3. The Wise Man
4. The Morning After
5. Moon Ride
6. More Understanding Than A Man
7. More Understanding Than A Man (Instrumental)
8. There I Was

Side B
1. Kiss & Tell
2. Half-Way In Love
3. Goodbye July
4. Four Letter Words
5. Hurry On Home
6. I Ought To Stay Away From You
7. I Love
8. Under My Umbrella
9. I Don’t Intend To Spend Christmas Without You

Side C
1. Sunday Morning
2. Thoughts
3. Love Songs
4. Don’t Go Away
5. Take A Picture
6. Sun
7. What Can I Give You
8. Come To Me Slowly

Side D
1. The 8.17 Northbound Success Merry-Go-Round
2. Something’s Wrong With The Morning
3. Think Of Rain
4. Can You Tell
5. Someone I Know
6. Love

Side E
1. Why Do I Cry
2. Spanky And Our Gang
3. Most Of My Life
4. It’s Alright Now
5. Timothy Gone
6. The Hum
7. Please Believe Me
8. Yes I Am

Side F
1. I Think A Lot About You
2. I’d Like To See The BadGuys Win
3. Values
4. California Shake
5. Hold Me Dancin’
6. Shine
7. Goodbye July

Following in the wake of baroque chart toppers by the Zombies, Beatles, and the Left Banke, a dandier approach to garage rock flowered in the back half of the ’60s. Awash in majestic harpsichords, lilting guitars, melancholic organs, and middle school orchestras, Soft Summer Breezes captures the decade’s last gasps of optimism via 16 gentle moments of soft psychedelia.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A
1. Life - Life
2. The Giant Crab - Soft Summer Breezes
3. Attila & The Huns - Here’s Where I Get Off
4. Lenny Roybal - Little Daisy
5. Margo Guryan - Can You Tell
6. J.C. Horton - Why Why Why
7. Richard Holman - Gentle Flying Dove
8. The Sound Control - When Will It End

SIDE B
1. The Goodthings - The Journey
2. Jerry Benicaso - Wounds Heal And Birds Fly Free
3. Bob Belche - Fall On Me Rain
4. Pisces - A Flower For All Seasons
5. Female Species - Baby Buggy
6. The Morning Sun - Someday
7. Larry Sands & The Sound Affair - You’ll Know The Words
8. The New Colony Six - The Time Of The Year Is Sunset

Like a bolt echoing back from the blue, We Have Dozens of Titles restrikes the iron of Gastr del Sol, plunging the listener (that’s us!) back into the maelstrom of their all-too-brief (-but-ultimately-long-enough-to-change-everything-incisively) passage of 1993-1998 via an assembly of previously uncollected studio recordings and beautifully captured unreleased live material.

Gastr del Sol’s music was of the transformative variety – or was it transfiguration they were up to? Or transmigration? Flux was key, to be sure. David Grubbs formed Gastr from the final lineup of Bastro; on Gastr’s del Sol’s debut, The Serpentine Similar, Grubbs, Bundy K. Brown and John McEntire downshifted from a thrashing electric outfit into a droning, acoustic-based one. Following this, the lineup shifted again, decisively – Brown and McEntire departed to focus on the project to be known as Tortoise, and Jim O’Rourke arrived, pairing with Grubbs to make a sequence of unpredictable leaps across genre and practical approach alike, over three LPs and a pair of EPs that threatened the passage of musical time as we knew it in the mid-90s.

We Have Dozens of Titles contains nearly an hour of previously unreleased live recordings, alongside another near-hour of studio recordings culled from previously uncollected singles, EPs, and compilations. At long last, vinyl purchasers will hear the full range of “The Harp Factory on Lake Street”, “Dead Cats in a Foghorn”, “Quietly Approaching” and “The Bells of St. Mary’s” for the first time EVER on vinyl – all of it, live and studio alike, lovingly mastered and remastered by Jim O’Rourke, and packaged in a three LP box set with a wicked Roman Signer image on its removable lid, interior printing on the box bottom and inner sleeves for each LP with performance credits for all the songs.

As much as Gastr del Sol’s albums showcase a group eminently at home in the studio, they were inclined to thoroughly reinvent their compositions in performance. While reviewing live tapes for this compilation, the studio versions of most things felt more and more definitive, with the exception of the live takes included here, which essay startling new qualities in pieces that have been in the public ear for several decades.

The majority of these live performances come from a miraculous find in the CBC archive – a broadcast-quality recording of Jim and David from the 1997 Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville. This was the last time they performed together as Gastr del Sol, during which several still-gestating Camoufleur pieces were presented in radically different forms and Jim played organ on a track from David’s first solo album, the concert-closing, band closing (and now album-closing) version of "Onion Orange”.

The studio recordings included were originally released by the Red Hot Organization, God Mountain, Table of the Elements, Sony Japan, Teenbeat and Drag City. Studios utilized in the making of the material were Idful Music Corporation, Kingsize Soundlab and steamroom. The extended company of players on these numbers includes Jeb Bishop, Bundy K. Brown, Steve Butters, Gene Coleman, Thymme Jones, Terri Kapsalis, John McEntire, Günter Müller, Bob Weston and Sue Wolf – a virtual “what’s who wha'?!?” of Chicago’s hothouse scene in those times.

We Have Dozens of Titles revisits the slow-burning incendiaries of Gastr del Sol, finding, once again and after so much time elapsed, another, further set of reinventions from a group who continues to change the way we hear music.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Seasons Reverse (live)
2. Quietly Approaching
3. Ursus Arctos Wonderfilis (live)
4. At Night And At Night
5. Dead Cats In A Foghorn
6. The Japanese Room At La Pagode
7. The Bells Of St. Mary’s
8. Blues Subtitled No Sense Of Wonder (live)
9. 20 Songs Less
10. Dictionary Of Handwriting (live)
11. The Harp Factory On Lake Street
12. Onion Orange (live)