They’re back! This time the Finnish seers Mahti venture even deeper into the unknown on their third release Musiikki 3, assisted by the creativity of English musicians Richard Dawson and Sally Pilkington.

The music reaches for space and roots at the same time bringing forth Mr. Dawson's earthy guitars and angelic voice while Ms. Pilkington weaves ethereal layerings with her synths and joins occasionally the choir.

Hannu Saha conjures ancient Karelian spirits with his kantele while Muumu, Lehtibabba and Mätky mesmerize the listener with their unique mix of electro, rock and noise.

The end result is an album full of Musiikki unlike you've never heard before!

“These ancient musicians played their ‘mahti’… and the sound they produced was called ‘musiikki’”

Hannu Saha - string kanteles ,Tomi Leppänen - sequencer/drum brain/synthesizers , Jussi Lehtisalo - noise/vocals, Teemu Elo - guitar/synthesizers, Richard Dawson - guitar/vocals , Sally Pilkington - keyboards/vocals

Latin LSD maverick and champion, Tim Maia returns to our shelves as Mr. Bongo dig deep into this funky tripper's arsenal to reveal an album of wide-eyed disco and riotous soul from later on in his career. That original batch of sunshine still resting in the recesses and pineal glands as the Maia clan deliver this excessive hit of Brazian disco funk from 1978,

The album kicks off with a trio of floor fillers: the exuberant party starter "A Fim De Voltar", a sing-a-long anthem in "Acenda O Farol" and the undeniably funky hit "Sossego" (file that one next to Fatback). But then Maia drops it down and gets existential on "All I Want", questioning the meaning of happiness. He also shows his tender side on slow burners such as "Murm Rio" (written by the great Cassiano) and "Pais E Filhos"; the latter featuring a supersoft bed of harmonies you can’t help but lay down on. But the party ain’t over and mid-tempo groover "Juras" gets the feet moving again before "Jhony" sends us swaying off into the night.

Maia’s appetite for excess would eventually get the better of him. But "Disco Club" is the sound of an unpredictable genius on top form. Get ready for the time of your life.

TRACK LISTING

A Fim De Voltar
Acenda O Farol
Sossego
Vitoria Regia Estou Contigo
E Nao Abro
All I Want
Murmurio
Pais E Filhos
Se Me Lembro Faz Doer
Juras
Jhony

Latin LSD maverick and champion, Tim Maia returns to our shelves as Mr. Bongo dig deep into this funky tripper's arsenal to reveal an album of wide-eyed disco and riotous soul from later on in his career. That original batch of sunshine still resting in the recesses and pineal glands as the Maia clan deliver this excessive hit of Brazian disco funk from 1978,

The album kicks off with a trio of floor fillers: the exuberant party starter "A Fim De Voltar", a sing-a-long anthem in "Acenda O Farol" and the undeniably funky hit "Sossego" (file that one next to Fatback). But then Maia drops it down and gets existential on "All I Want", questioning the meaning of happiness. He also shows his tender side on slow burners such as "Murm Rio" (written by the great Cassiano) and "Pais E Filhos"; the latter featuring a supersoft bed of harmonies you can’t help but lay down on. But the party ain’t over and mid-tempo groover "Juras" gets the feet moving again before "Jhony" sends us swaying off into the night.

Maia’s appetite for excess would eventually get the better of him. But "Disco Club" is the sound of an unpredictable genius on top form. Get ready for the time of your life.

TRACK LISTING

A Fim De Voltar
Acenda O Farol
Sossego
Vitoria Regia Estou Contigo
E Nao Abro
All I Want
Murmurio
Pais E Filhos
Se Me Lembro Faz Doer
Juras
Jhony

Brilliant tracks like 'É Necessário', 'Verão Carioca', 'Venha Dormir Em Casa' or 'Musica para Betinha' make it one of the strongest albums to come out of Brazil in the 1970s. Presented in facsimile artwork and pressed on 180g vinyl.

Tim Maia was born in 1942 in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro and started his musical career at an early age, along with close friends such as Roberto Carlos or Jorge Ben. Carlos would eventually help him to get a deal for his first single at CBS. During the 70s Maia started to incorporate soul and funk elements into his style. After a two-year period involvement in the Racional cult in Brazil, Maia's funky style was still at its best when he released this album in 1977. It was his first and only recording for Som Livre, the legendary label that became extremely popular due to the many soap operas soundtracks in its extensive catalogue.

This self titled LP deserves to be shortlisted among Maia's top records. It features killer tunes like the anthemic 'É Necessário', undoubtedly one of the best songs in his career, and also boogie gems such as 'Verão Carioca' or 'Venha dormir em casa' that show obvious influences by some of the biggest American soul artists of the time. It also contains intimate vocal delights as in the lovely smooth tune 'Musica para Betinha' or even straight funky instrumentals like 'Flores belas'. The string arrangements, wah wah guitars, horns, deep vocals make this recording a milestone in the so-called "Black Movement" in Rio, where artists like Toni Tornado, Banda Black Rio and Maia himself were bringing in the funky sounds of America and mixing them with local rhythms like samba. 

TRACK LISTING

Pense Menos
Sem Voce
Verao Carioca
Feito Para Dancar
E Necessario
Leva O Meu Blue
Venha Dormir Em Casa
Musica Para Betinha
Nao Esquente A Cabeca
Ride Twist & Roll
Flores Bellas
Let It All Hang Out

Debut single from the mighty Tim Maia, released upon his return from the USA in the late 60’s. Maia sings in English here - influenced by his time spend travelling and working in the USA. Both songs are very soulful, reminiscent of the great soul singers of 1960’s USA, who were clearly a powerful inspiration to him.

TRACK LISTING

What You Want To Bet?
These Are The Songs

ARIA and BET nominated rapper and artist Tkay Maidza announces the highly anticipated follow-up to 2020’s ‘Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2’ (The Needle Drop’s #1 EP of the Year). ‘Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 3’ is the final act of Tkay’s EP trilogy, featuring eight new songs produced by long-time collaborator Dan Farber.

Tkay Maidza recently wrapped a stratospheric 2020 that propelled the Zimbabwe-born, Australia raised artist to new heights. From billboards in Times Square, to features in Pitchfork and Vogue and a placement on the FIFA Soundtrack, her ‘Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2’ EP presented a compelling new stride for the young artist whose craft spans genres. The ARIA-nominated EP for Best Soul/R&B Release received plaudits from the likes of Pitchfork, Stereogum, Crack, The Guardian and PAPER.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Weird-ass alt-RnB that's so meta you'll believe you've handed in all your chips for bitcoins.

TRACK LISTING

Eden
Onto Me (with UMI)
So Cold
Syrup
Kim (with Yung Baby Tate)
High Beams
Cashmere
Breathe

Tkay Maidza is a tour de force on her new EP Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 2. Her sonic versatility takes centre stage on eight tracks that include spitfire summer anthem and lead single ‘Shook’, smooth boy-bye manifesto ‘Don’t Call Again (feat. Kari Faux)’ and trap-infused ‘Awake (feat. JPEGMAFIA)’, which was nominated for a 2019 ARIA award and earned a best of the decade nod from The Needle Drop, as well as praise from Pitchfork, The FADER, Dazed, Complex, and others. The EP follows 2018’s Last Year Was Weird, Vol. 1, which established her as an exciting voice in the new guard of hip-hop.

STAFF COMMENTS

Millie says: This is GOLD. Tkay Maidza brings the good stuff, firey R&B and faultless vocal. She's about to stride into the fame she deserves, watch this space.

TRACK LISTING

1. My Flowers
2. 24k
3. Shook
4. Awake (ft. JPEGMAFIA)
5. Grasshopper
6. You Sad
7. PB Jam
8. Don’t Call Again (ft. Kari Faux)

Tkay Maidza, the first female rapper signed to 4AD, releases her highly anticipated new album, Sweet Justice.

“I’m never choosing compliance,” a defiant Maidza utters ‘Ring-A-Ling’; a warning from the Zimbabwean-born, Australian-raised, Los Angeles-based rapper, singer and producer and a mantra for Sweet Justice. Produced by Two Fresh, Tkay says of ‘Ring-A-Ling’, “I wanted to make an empowering song that tells others that my biggest focus are my goals.”

The result of a dark night of the soul—and ensuing epiphany—that led to a series of professional and personal reckonings, Sweet Justice isn’t a revenge album, but it does stem from a profound sense of karma. In a traditional sense, it’s a breakup record: about Tkay splitting off from her self-doubt and warped sense of self; the toxic figures that populated the last chapter of her life; and the idea that she should stick to any one lane.

After severing ties with old friends, she found some new ones on the same creative wavelength: Canadian producers Stint and Kaytranada, and fellow Australian Flume, all of whom contribute production. Sweet Justice is an album that embodies the beautiful contradictions of Tkay’s art: it’s a coming-of-age record by someone who’s mastered the game; an album about karmic justice and accountability that’s bright, breezy and incredibly fun. In Tkay’s mind, it’s a rebirth album, a record about harnessing the feminine power that was innate in her the whole time.

Tkay Maidza says, “Sweet Justice was a way for me to channel my emotions from what I’ve experienced in the last two years. It’s a diary of things and thoughts I’ve kept to myself. Making the record was a healing experience and I’m grateful to have worked with producers who have inspired me throughout my career.”

TRACK LISTING

1. Love And Other Drugs
2. WUACV
3. Out Of Luck (ft. Lolo Zouaï & Amber Mark)
4. What Ya Know
5. Won One
6. Love Again
7. WASP
8. Ghost!
9. Ring-a-Ling
10. Free Throws
11. Silent Assassin
12. Our Way
13. Gone To The West (ft. Duckwrth)
14. Walking On Air

Hailing from North Oakland, California, Squadda B and Mondre MAN of Main Attrakionz have been rapping together for most of their young lives. Early on, a shared love of rap music led them to put school on the backburner and focus on producing music with a talented crew of local artists.

Over the ensuing 7+ years, and with an added assist from the world wide web and social media, Main Attrakionz have cultivated a unique and passionate sound, combining opaque atmospherics and lived-in reality rhymes, that stands as one of the most interesting and refreshing in the crowded and fractured world of today’s rap underground.

Thirty years after its original release, Main Source's debut album Breaking Atoms has lost none of its capacity to surprise or delight

It remains a prime example of a classically styled hip-hop LP - two DJs, one MC, 11 tracks, no flab or filler. It wasn't a slow burner - it was adored on release and hasn't left the top ten of any serious rap fan ever since.What makes it so special? Perhaps it's in the group's ear for a hook and sample, with Large Professor mounting a whole, celebrated career off the back of this gem. Perhaps it's in the way he manages to balance bragging with more political, thematic tracks such as 'Just a Friendly Game of Baseball' and 'Peace is not the Word to Play' without ever coming across as preachy.

Few albums of this length are able to spawn four singles - all of them must-haves - while still having material galore on the album that could have been pressed as a 12". 'Snake Eyes' 'Vamos a Rapiar' and 'He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music) could have been singles in their own rights, an embarrassment of riches.

Sample-wise, it's all about the skillfully woven mixture of the obvious and the obscure, with a tapestry of samples approach that's just not legally possible anymore. So while you might recognise a snatch of Donald Byrd's 'Think Twice' on the timeless 'Looking at the Front Door', it's layered with elements from Ken Lazarus, Detroit Emeralds, The Third Guitar and more. It's an approach that pays constant dividends and rewards repeated listens. Presented in its original format, this is the essence of Breaking Atoms, one of the best albums in the long history of this genre.

TRACK LISTING

Snake Eyes
Just Hangin' Out
Lookin' At The Front Door
Large Professor
Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball
Scratch & Kut
Peace Is Not The Word To Play
Vamos A Rapiar
He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)
Live At The Barbeque
Watch Roger Do His Thing

When the film ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ was released in 1992, an EP of music from the film was dropped almost simultaneously.

That EP, cheekily titled ‘White Men Can’t Rap’, featured a couple of exclusive gems, notably Gang Starr’s ‘Now You’re Mine’ and a cut from Main Source called ‘Fakin’ the Funk’. The only single borne of that six-track EP was the Main Source track, released in remixed form on Wild Pitch records the same year.

No surprise, it was head and shoulders above the rest. Opening with those unmistakable harmonies from Main Ingredient’s ‘Magic Shoes’, the intro segues into a crisp beat borrowed from Grady Tate’s frequently sampled ‘Be Black Baby’ from 1969.

Throw in a sprinkle of Kool & The Gang and you’ve got a track that would fit seamlessly onto Main Source’s masterpiece of an album, ‘Breaking Atoms’. Instead, it’s the group’s last hurrah, the final collaboration between K-Cut, Sir Scratch and Large Professor before the latter departed the trio.

It’s fitting that he saves one of his best vocal performances for last, railing at sell-outs with the assistance of his long-term collaborator Neek the Exotic.

Never released before on an official 7”, it’s a track that has lost none of its appeal, and the remix is the definitive version of this classic.

TRACK LISTING

Fakin’ The Funk (Remix)
Fakin’ The Funk (Instrumental)

One thing hip-hop has never been great at - and certainly something for which it has zero reputation - is nuanced emotion. Enter Large Professor and ‘Looking at the Front Door’, the group’s first single on Wild Pitch Records and the lead out for their stunning ‘Breaking Atoms’ album. Wrapped around a loop from Donald Byrd’s Blue Note classic ‘Think Twice’, bolstered by the infectious chorus of ‘Chick A Boom’ by The Pazant Brothers and Beaufort Express, it’s a melancholy tale of love gone wrong. It was a brave choice of lead single in the 1990 hip-hop landscape, plucked from an album full of genuine head-nodders and standout tracks. It was also the right choice - a piece of production perfection laced with romantic honesty.

The B-side also strikes a different tack, a tale of a brother who “doesn’t fight, his brain is his left and right.” Using a solid foundation of drums from Funkadelic’s ‘You’ll Like It Too’ (most famously used on Eric B & Rakim’s ‘I Know You Got Soul’), Large Pro weaves his tale of an ambitious, studious man over an original organ line (by JD Drumsticks) that wouldn’t sound out of place at a hockey rink. The theme is sledgehammer subtle - don’t sell drugs, stay in school - but delivered with the lightness of touch that would be Main Source’s signature. This is the first official UK release, and the first time both sides have been together on a 7”.

TRACK LISTING

Looking At The Front Door (Vocal)
Watching Roger Do His Thing (Vocal)

Large Professor being a prodigy on the SP-1200 is well established, but the way he flips parts of MFSB’s ‘TLC’ and Milly and Silly’s obscure ‘Gettin’ Down for Xmas’ with a sprinkling of Lyn Collins here establishes his credentials in the top tier.

Lyrically, it’s a tour de force, with Main Source taking exception with the misuse of the word ‘peace’ by the hip-hop fraternity. With even the most homicidal of gangster rappers dropping it at the end of tracks at the time, time was overdue for some regulation.

The album version makes its point pithily in a single verse, while the remix, included on the flip of this first ever 7” release, expands on the topic with new verses and some new samples too. It’s a welcome reminder of the time when remixes were remixes - not just the identical track with the latest hot rappers joining in.

Most of all, Main Source once again walk the fine line between lyrical lecture and head-nodding banger - the rare example of a track with a point to make that can still fill a dancefloor and get necks snapping.

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: Glorious golden age hip hop from Large Pro, Sir Scratch and K-Cut. Though the lyrical message is pointed and on point, it's the sampler sophistry which makes this a classic.

TRACK LISTING

Peace Is Not The Word To Play (Remix)
Peace Is Not The Word To Play (Album Version)

A year before Wild Pitch Records properly introduced us to the trio of Queens native Large Professor and Toronto’s Sir Scratch and K-Cut, the soon-to-be-legendary group self-released their own debut single. Dropping on Actual Records, the 12” of ‘Think’ and ‘Atom’ was soon a sought after rarity, with scarce originals still fetching upwards of three figures. On it, they only hint at the greatness to come, while simultaneously showing that they’d already mastered the three-minute rap single - this is concise brilliance with no flab whatsoever. Engineered by the late, esteemed Paul C, ‘Think’ is a study in how to turn wellworn samples into something new. The combination of several James Brown snatches, along with bits lifted from Lyn Collins and Jimmy Castor Bunch, could have been tired and almost parodic by 1989, but instead the group weave something interesting from old fabric.

‘Atom’ is arguably even better, built around a brace of elements from Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s 1967 duet ‘Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl’. On it, Large Pro gives the first real hints that he’ll not just be a super-producer, but a committed MC to watch. Mixing threats with humour, positivity with braggadocio, it’s a calling card performance on a track that could have still sat comfortably on 1991’s ‘Breaking Atoms’ album. Heavily bootlegged, this is the first official double-sided 7” release bringing together both these foundational cuts

TRACK LISTING

Think
Atom

Mainline Magic Orchestra is a house music live band composed by some of the members of Mainline, a young multidisciplinary collective based in Barcelona. This is their first full length long player for the on trend Public Possession label.

It doesn't hold back on energy, sentiment or approach; with track lengths all under 5 minutes, they keep things succinct and frenetic as they move between futurist thump, trance-indebted open air anthems, filthy electro and fidgety ket house with confidence, campness and swagger. Its uncompromising, but delivered in a tongue-in-cheek spirit which gives you the impression Mainline Magic Orchestra are proper party animals.

File next to Partiboi69, it even includes a collaboration with the producer's little sister - Juicy Romance! Also featured are LVL1 & P. Vanillaboy. 

TRACK LISTING

A1) Skateboarding Is Not A Crime 
A2) How 2 Please Me
A3) Elektrassu 
A4) WORK - Feat. Juicy Romance 
A5) Bruce Willis 
A6) VIP - Feat. LVL1 
B1) Cigarrito 
B2) BDSM (BLISS, DREAMS, SOUL, MEMORIES) 
B3) El Crit De L'Shrek
B4) Arsa 
B5) Pretty Otter 
B6) House Music 2 The World
B7) Killersito (+18) 

When the Growing Bin first bloomed from blog and record store to label it was originally intended to be a reissue imprint. If you’ve kept your ear to the ground and head in the Bin, you’ll know that isn’t exactly how it went down. But for this release we are going back to the scheme a young Basso dreamed up in his adolescent years: bring back the rare, unknown and unfindable.

So here is Mainpoint‘s ‘Alaska Wartet’ - a stunning private pressed 7” entirely unknown to the wider world. Its original 1980 press was less than extensive, and the few copies which did appear were sold exclusively at concerts and local record shops – kudos to all twenty five people who got a copy! Mainpoint started out as a Jazz-Rock outfit in 1978 but as the years rolled on, these guys fell for the funk. Finding a 4/4 in a world of syncopation, Mainpoint fell foul of their elbow-patched pals, being labelled Tanz-Jazz since their audiences actually danced (in contrast to the serious silence of their contemporaries’ concerts).
‘Alaska Wartet’ made it from Side 2 on the 1980 press to Side 1.This incredibly tight Boogie jam bounds out the speakers with a synth line from heaven and fusion moves galore – it’s sure to put a smile on dancer‘s faces worldwide. ‘Frisbee’ flies of the flipside, inviting dancers to forget about gravity and go for broke.Soaring skywards from this off , this uplifting masterpiece is perfectly topped by that screwdriver hook sung by Ika Hussmann!

Time for some Tanz-Jazz, folks!

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: After the sweet Balearic sound of the Brenda Und Basso 7" last month (B-B-Booglaoo), the Growing Bin groundsman serves up another small format winner with this fine reissue of a German jazz-funk rarity. Oozing grooves and full of fat synths, this is a proper dance floor destroyer with not an elbow patch in sight. Ace!

TRACK LISTING

A. Alaska Wartet
B. Frisbee

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2017 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

One off pressing for Record Store Day 2017 featuring 180g coloured vinyl and a DVD featuring the short film Abdullah housed inside a 425gsm sleeve complete with a download card.

Maiovvi’s score is a powerhouse tour de force featuring his signature raw electro sound blended with traditional Turkish sound structures and instruments. He has managed to create something totally unique, dark disco that is familiar yet totally alien. The perfect follow up from his last short Yellow. We are very proud to highlight the short film Abdullah included here as a bonus Blu Ray, shot on 35mm the film looks magnificent and the dark tale is perfectly suited to Maiovvi’s delirious take on Turkish standards.

UK = 500 Red Vinyl

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. For Glory
2. Work
3. Wandering
4. Diner
5. Pick Up

Side B
1. Your Throat
2. Mountains Of Delirium
3. Magician’s Guilt

Driven by lust-fueled limerence and drifting far from conformity, Butterflies Don’t Go Away captures Majesty Crush’s transient, yet subversive mark on the landscape of American shoegaze to come. Tracked between 1991-1995, the quartet reimagined the collapse of the American rust belt as a late-night, nail biting fever dream/revenge fantasy. This deluxe 2xLP compiles their Love 15 album, singles, EPs, and rarities, all remastered from the original tapes, with thorough annotation and visual documentation in a 24-page booklet. An immortal transcendence if there ever was one.

TRACK LISTING

1. Boyfriend
2. Uma
3. No. 1 Fan
4. Brand
5. Purr (Interlude)
6. Seles
7. Grow
8. Pretty Head (Interlude)
9. Cicciolina
10. Penny For Love
11. Skin (Interlude)
12. Feigned Sleep
13. Horse
14. No. 1 Fan (EP Version)
15. Worri
16. Horse (EP Version)
17. Sunny Pie
18. Cicciolina (7” Version)
19. Purr (7” Version)
20. Space Between Your Moles
21. Seine
22.If JFA Were Still Together
23. Ghost Of Fun

Majical Cloudz return with their eagerly anticipated sophomore studio album ‘Are You Alone?’, released on Matador Records.

In 2013, the Canadian duo, comprised of principle songwriter and vocalist Devon Welsh and producer Matthew Otto, made a lasting impression with their debut full length ‘Impersonator’, which garnered praise from tastemaker and mainstream media alike as one of the year’s best and most notable albums. The band have since been fastidiously crafting their second studio album while simultaneously touring the world with their own shows as well as opening for Lorde on her North American tour.

‘Are You Alone?’ sees the expansion of Majical Cloudz’ sonic and narrative scope in adventurous new directions while retaining the unmistakable building blocks that have singled out the musical-performance art project as a unique proposition. Simple yet emotionally confounding lyrics showcasing a raw vulnerability which explore love and friendship, heartbreak and sadness, delivered in Welsh’s arresting baritone and filled out by minimalist yet evocative production and instrumentation, bringing the songs’ underlying emotional core to stirring realization. Throughout 12 poignant and resonant compositions Welsh and Otto have created a soulful and cinematic novella, continuing their artistic evolution at the forefront of brave and uncompromising musical performance.

Written and recorded between Montreal and Detroit, ‘Are You Alone?’ features drum, viola and piano support from Canadian composition auteur Owen Pallett, known for his work with Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, Death From Above 1979 and Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys.

Following early releases as well as collaborations with artistic kin Grimes, Majical Cloudz broke into recognition with their ‘Turns Turns Turns’ EP in 2012 and soon after signed to Matador. In addition to being nominated for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize, ‘Impersonator’ received critical praise from Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Stereogum, VICE and NME among others. In 2014 the duo were personally selected by teenage pop phenomenon Lorde as the opening act for her North American tour, taking their intimate stage setup to theatres across the continent.

Their incredible conceptual live performance - stark and direct yet with moments of Pagliacci-esque silliness - gained plaudits from Billboard, Grantland, and Pitchfork and was described by Lorde as “one of the most simple and moving things I have seen, ever.” The 2014 tour with Lorde was captured in in the Majical Cloudz documentary ‘A Lot Of Humans’, directed by Neil Corcoran with an original soundtrack by the band. They were further highlighted with a summer cover story feature on Pitchfork.

TRACK LISTING

Disappeared
Control
Are You Alone?
So Blue
Heavy
Silver Car Crash
Change
If You're Lonely
Downtown
Easier Said Than Done
Game Show
Call On Me

Majical Cloudz return with their eagerly anticipated sophomore studio album ‘Are You Alone?’, released on Matador Records.

In 2013, the Canadian duo, comprised of principle songwriter and vocalist Devon Welsh and producer Matthew Otto, made a lasting impression with their debut full length ‘Impersonator’, which garnered praise from tastemaker and mainstream media alike as one of the year’s best and most notable albums. The band have since been fastidiously crafting their second studio album while simultaneously touring the world with their own shows as well as opening for Lorde on her North American tour.

‘Are You Alone?’ sees the expansion of Majical Cloudz’ sonic and narrative scope in adventurous new directions while retaining the unmistakable building blocks that have singled out the musical-performance art project as a unique proposition. Simple yet emotionally confounding lyrics showcasing a raw vulnerability which explore love and friendship, heartbreak and sadness, delivered in Welsh’s arresting baritone and filled out by minimalist yet evocative production and instrumentation, bringing the songs’ underlying emotional core to stirring realization. Throughout 12 poignant and resonant compositions Welsh and Otto have created a soulful and cinematic novella, continuing their artistic evolution at the forefront of brave and uncompromising musical performance.

Written and recorded between Montreal and Detroit, ‘Are You Alone?’ features drum, viola and piano support from Canadian composition auteur Owen Pallett, known for his work with Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, Death From Above 1979 and Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys.

Following early releases as well as collaborations with artistic kin Grimes, Majical Cloudz broke into recognition with their ‘Turns Turns Turns’ EP in 2012 and soon after signed to Matador. In addition to being nominated for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize, ‘Impersonator’ received critical praise from Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Stereogum, VICE and NME among others. In 2014 the duo were personally selected by teenage pop phenomenon Lorde as the opening act for her North American tour, taking their intimate stage setup to theatres across the continent.

Their incredible conceptual live performance - stark and direct yet with moments of Pagliacci-esque silliness - gained plaudits from Billboard, Grantland, and Pitchfork and was described by Lorde as “one of the most simple and moving things I have seen, ever.” The 2014 tour with Lorde was captured in in the Majical Cloudz documentary ‘A Lot Of Humans’, directed by Neil Corcoran with an original soundtrack by the band. They were further highlighted with a summer cover story feature on Pitchfork.

TRACK LISTING

Disappeared
Control
Are You Alone?
So Blue
Heavy
Silver Car Crash
Change
If You're Lonely
Downtown
Easier Said Than Done
Game Show
Call On Me

Majical Cloudz is the voice of Montreal songwriter Devon Welsh, exploring the negative space within electronic music, using his powerful vocals to say “no” to the infinite possibilities digital instruments provide and instead choosing to focus his attention inwardly.

Joined by Matthew Otto to collaboratively produce and perform his songs, the 2012 debut album ‘II’ and the ‘Turns Turns Turns’ EP released on Arbutus / Merok in December gained praise for their simplicity and honestly. Now, ‘Impersonator’ brings Welsh’s songs into even sharper focus as the expressive power and swagger belie the extremely minimal music. These are intensely lyrical songs about death, patience, family, friendship and desire, with Welsh’s rich vocals atop quiet looped waves of white noise, filtered synths and sparse thuds.

Welsh expounds on how he came to his personal, minimal brand of electronic music: “In the last few years there’s been a massive explosion of amazing music made with electronic equipment. I love that kind of music but it also started to overwhelm me, I wasn’t cut out for the maximalist expressions of that style. So I took a break from music, and when I started again it was to make music that barely existed and felt like stillness more than movement. Where the songs could be more about humanness. The easiest way for me to do that is try to make something without obvious movement; where the music isn’t overstuffed sonically or referentially, it’s emptied out as much as possible. So the vision for ‘Impersonator’ was to communicate a lot with as little as possible. It’s not meant to energize and turn you out to the world, it’s meant to do the opposite; it’s more like a cocoon.”

Most of ‘Impersonator’ was written at Welsh’s father’s house in rural Ontario, in the basement after he went to sleep. He says, “One day I realized I had fifteen to twenty songs, and they made me feel like I had overcome the dead end I thought I was in. I started realizing that I could say anything I want in a song.”

Welsh cites Elliott Smith and Arthur Russell as the two biggest influences on his song writing. While ‘Impersonator’ sounds like neither, Smith’s lyricism is evident, as is Russell’s ability to distil a number of seemingly contradictory stylistic ideas into a single focussed statement. Other records Welsh listened to while writing the album point to the diversity embedded in ‘Impersonator’s deceptively simple approach: Drake’s ‘Take Care’, Oneohtrix Point Never’s ‘Replica’, Kurt Vile’s ‘Smoke Ring For My Halo’, Grouper’s ‘AIA’, Kraftwerk’s ‘Trans-Europe Express’, Paul Simon’s ‘Paul Simon’, John Lennon’s ‘Plastic Ono Band’.

While Welsh and Otto work collaboratively in the studio, live Welsh is front and centre on the mic, as Otto creates the musical atmosphere. “I put forward songs and big ideas, and he pushes me to look at the little details,” says Welsh. “Live it’s a similar dynamic, he gives me the platform to stand on musically.” The songs are made with relatively low-tech means, allowing for spontaneity and experimentation, both live and in-studio. For Welsh, the track ‘This Is Magic’ works as a metaphor for the album as a whole: “That song functions with very minimal arrangements, very straightforward lyrics, it operates on a loop, and the message is that there is strength, rather than weakness, in being vulnerable.”

Though they stand stylistically apart from other artists in their Montreal scene - which includes Grimes, Doldrums, Blue Hawaii, Mac DeMarco, and others - Majical Cloudz are proud beneficiaries of its camaraderie. “The waves that are being made internationally by Montreal musicians really started in the fall of 2009, so the fact that it is finally happening is unbelievable and I’m euphoric about it,” says Welsh. “I don’t think I could find an art / music scene as rewarding to me anywhere else, because it takes a while to get comfortable being vulnerable in front of a whole community.”

It's hard to think of another artist who has their feet firmly planted across as many styles as the Mad Decent founder, head honcho and brand ambassador, Diplo. Equally immersed in Top 40 and hip-hop world as he is in underground club, indie rock and world music, the Grammy-nominated producer is embarking on his most ambitious year yet with not just the launch of the new Major Lazer cartoon on FXX, but also the release of a new Major Lazer album, 'Peace Is The Mission'. This will be the third studio album from Major Lazer, the dancehall collective spearheaded by Diplo with trusted co-conspirators Walshy Fire and Jillionaire.

Fans who’ve learned to associate Major Lazer with some of the biggest names in dancehall alongside up-and-comers and mainstream mainstays can expect even more exciting names on this go. 'PITM' features guest contributions from Ellie Goulding, Elliphant, Wild Belle, MØ, Pusha T, 2 Chainz, Travi$ Scott, Jovi Rockwell, DJ Snake, Tarrus Riley, Mad Cobra, Nyla, Chronixx and a re-work of the Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Pt 1. motion picture soundtrack song "All My Love" featuring Ariana Grande from Trinidadian star Michel Montano.

When Major Lazer first launched in 2008, tastemakers embraced the indie side project and niche underground media outlets championed the sound. Seven years later, Major Lazer have developed their sound to become integrated with pop music and beyond and continued their ascent, recognised by their peers, fans and media around the world as leaders in a genre they helped to build.

TRACK LISTING

01 Be Together (Feat. Wild Belle)
02 Too Original (Feat. Elliphant & Jovi Rockwell)
03 Blaze Up The Fire (Feat. Chronixx)
04 Lean On (Feat. MØ & DJ Snake)
05 Powerful (Feat. Ellie Goulding & Tarrus Riley)
06 Light It Up (Feat. Nyla)
07 Roll The Bass
08 Night Riders (Feat. Travi$ Scott, 2 Chainz, Pusha T & Mad Cobra)
09 All My Love (Remix) (Feat. Ariana Grande & Machel Montano)

Sublime acoustic pop from Kansas-born, NY based 'anti-folkster'...A voice that makes Michael Stipe sound like Joe Bloggs singing karaoke...Brilliant Michael Shelley-esque lyrics about winding up on the wrong side of love....

Jacki plays bass and sings in Waxahatchee’s band. Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee, who wrote the album bio, describes lead single 'Access' as “a conduit for the grand and complex structures Bullard builds throughout the album. It’s as much a personal plea for patience and humility as it is a pep talk for setting the bar high and working hard to ascend.”

Access, the second album by Major Murphy, out April 02, 2021 via Winspear, is an album born out of being at a crossroads. It’s also, without question, an album to blast at an unruly volume to soundtrack an experience one might have standing at that crossroads. It’s remarkably cohesive - a striking relic in an age where ardent and true “album-making” is a fading art form full of heavy rock’n'roll sounds and textured atmospheres fused with pro-idea, hyper-creative jittery warmth. In nine songs, it somehow takes a listener backwards and forwards at once, reckoning with intrinsic anxieties while conceptualizing a fantastical and vibrant happening, soothing in its familia familiar, occasionally childlike tone.

Behind the sturdy and poetic architecture lies a story of new parents, navigating uncertainty and seeking a sense of agency in the new unknown. Throughout Access, songwriter Jacob Bullard recounts memories of teaching his young son to breathe through his nose and laments missing his son and his partner and bandmate Jacki Warren.

On “In the Meantime”, Bullard expresses the timeless anxiety of recent parenthood, written in the wake of the terrifying experience of their son suffering from lead poisoning. While the title track “Access” is as much a personal plea for patience and humility as it is a pep talk for setting the bar high and working hard to ascend. Together with Brian Voortman and Chad Houseman, the Grand Rapids, Michigan four-piece makes a laudable case for pushing forward against a pervasive resistance. Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee).

TRACK LISTING

1. Access
2. Attention
3. IntheMeantime
4. Unfazed
5. Real
6. Rainbow
7. TearItApart
8. Flower
9. Blind

Major Murphy is set to release their debut full-length No. 1. Those who caught feelings for “Mary,” the plaintive single released in November of 2017, may be pleased to find that the single is no outlier in this album. Brimming with jangly guitar, bright riffs, synth-sheened grooves, and commanding backing vocals, No. 1 reimagines 1970s radio rock with bristling sensitivity for our present era. Not quite pastiche, the lyrics of songwriter Jacob Bullard come from millennials’ unique cache of societal anxiety and ego-crises. On one hand, the technicolor and mechanized world of No. 1 is unmistakably ours: we are over-stimulated and pressured, confused and frustrated. On the other, Bullard heaves up worries seeded in adult selfhood and relationships, working for answers beyond life’s many brief and manic vanities.

The album’s musical sensibilities catch all this with A-side’s sudden velocity and mechanical repetitions, and B side’s encouraging grooves and contemplative soft-rock. The sound is rich and evocative, owing in large measure to bassist Jacki Warren’s faculty for harmonic structure. Drummer Brian Voortman’s keen responsiveness to melodic progressions and emotional shifts make for concert-like, energetic recordings--in fact, most of No. 1 was recorded live, capturing how naturally Major Murphy makes music together. When Major Murphy tours, they travel in a light-blue Dodge van and make a memorably caring and playful threesome. On stage, they’re a tight and assertive performance.

“This album is kind of an experiment,” says Bullard, “We wanted to see what would happen if we recorded in a studio instead of at home. We wanted to extend the idea of capturing our live dynamic a little further.” The result is an album that holds the kinetic charge of these three musicians. With precise control and live versatility, they never quite let the tension out. Even their dreamy soft-rock tracks have moments that feel utterly urgent, as if something dear were at stake. And isn’t there? 

TRACK LISTING

1. No. 1
2. Who I Will Be
3. Mary
4. Radi-Yum
5. My C. C. Blues
6. Step Out
7. One Day
8. Jesus
9. When I Go Out
10. Lisa, Robbi, And Me

The seventh release on M.A.D Records - label bosses Make A Dance are back.

The El U Vee E.P sees the London duo serve up an eclectic mix of influences from across the board. ‘Cool Girls’ opens with italo arps, gated snares and seductive vocal samples. Title track ‘El U Vee’ follows, blending house heat with a dash of Latin spice. This is a love-song body groover.

Flip it over and find the percussive basement jam ‘Oh Yeah’, before ‘No Way Out’ rounds off the EP with an acid tinged, new beat blend of M.A.D.ness.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: The Make A Dance crew can always be relied on to bring the party vibes and this new 12" is no exception. Skilfully straddling between house, disco and breaks, DJs will get bare dancefloor milage out of all four tracks. TIP!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Cool Girls
A2. El U Vee
B1. Oh Yeah
B2. No Way Out

On "Other Life" the creative forces of Scottish producer Makeness and art pop four piece Adult Jazz combine to create an addictive slice of catchy disco-not-disco with post-punk influences. Makeness is the name of producer and songwriter Kyle Molleson. Having grown up in The Outer Hebrides it was at Leeds Uni that he meet Harry Burgess, Steven Wells, Tim Slater and Tom Howe of Adult Jazz. Drawing on influences from Afro Beat, New-Wave and techno in 2015 he had his debut release ‘Laca-Langa’, a thundering percussive track. Adult Jazz released two lovingly received records, 2014’s ‘Gist Is’ and 2016’s ‘Earrrings Off!’ (on Tri-Angle) and have established themselves as one of Britain’s finest new experimental pop groups, with lyrics that tackle questions of identity and belief. Prior to the release on Meno Records, a then unreleased ‘Other Life’ was remixed by Whities producer Minor Science. 15 dub plates were pressed up and stamped with MXMS, finding their way to Jamie XX, Ben UFO and Roman Flügel, who all played the track. The original track is now being released by Meno Records, with a limited run of 300 12” as well as being made available digitally. Fans of avant-disco will rejoice at the sound, with its loose and un-quantized groove, synth squeaks, flourishes and off-kilter vocal falsetto, it’s the artists but not as you know them and totally addictive. Makeness and Adult Jazz let their hair down and follow Arthur Russell’s advice; ‘First Thought, Best Thought’.

Makeness drops his debut album, "Loud Patterns" on the Secretely Canadian labe. Crafting tracks which make a virtue of disparate influences, Kyle Molleson manages to pull off something difficult: songs which have been tirelessly worked on, although sound loose-limbed and to-the-point.

"Loud Patterns" is noticeably indebted to house and techno; there are 4/4 rhythms, and a no-nonsense directness that harks back to the Detroit pioneers. Channeling avant-garde experimentalism and an outsider’s interest in pop, Kyle embraces the distance between those two poles.

Cosmic Slop, an underground institution in Leeds, was another touchstone. As Kyle recalls,'That place was definitely an awakening in terms of dance music.' It boasts a hand-built, peerless soundsystem, a near-pitch black dancefloor and a music policy that ranges from Dilla instrumentals to Detroit house. It takes dance music away from regimented structure, fashion and trends and into a freeform world of creative, one which Kyle thoroughly embraces.

"Loud Patterns" arrives after a series of releases that have established his particular, in-between approach to dance-minded music. He put out two EPs on Manchester-based imprint Handsome Dad, a one-off single with Adult Jazz and self-released Temple Works EP; Whities also released a limited-edition white label of a Minor Science dub of one of his tracks.

Containing single, “Stepping Out Of Sync" - 'for me is about losing a little bit of a grip on reality,' says Kyle. 'There’s a big nod to the world of pop music in the track and I wanted to reflect that in the video too. Josha and Felix, who directed the video, came up with this great time splicing technique using a custom 3-camera rig. The idea was to use the technique as a character in the video to add a sense of detachment from reality and subtly invert the upbeat aspect of the music. I had also been talking to my friend Maddie who is a brilliant dancer about working on some choreography for the video. These aspects seemed to come together perfectly when Josha and Felix started sending ideas across. I think the video really captures the range of emotions that exist in the track, it’s upbeat and positive aspect alongside a layer of dissonance and confusion that lies under the surface.'. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Loud Patterns
2. Fire Behind The 2 Louis
3. Who Am I To Follow Love
4. Stepping Out Of Sync
5. Gold Star
6. The Bass Rock
7. Day Old Death
8. Rough Moss
9. Our Embrace
10. 14 Drops
11. Motorcycle Idling

Makèz deliver the perfect follow up to their hit ‘Downstream’ with L.A. artist Life on Planets.

Dutch Duo Makèz had their big break when they released their first record on Heist in 2019, but it’s safe to say that ‘Downstream’ (on No Art records) has taken things to the next level for the talented Amsterdam duo. With support from pretty much the whole of Radio 1 (Pete Tong, Jaguar, Sarah Story, Danny Howard and more), and club DJ’s across the board ranging from ANOTR to Louie Vega, their 2023 release has really been a dream collab with vocalist and producer Life on Planets. It’s only fitting that the duo comes home to Heist with their follow up EP: ‘Midnight time’.

This new EP is a perfect blend of the intricate, soulful songs and punchy club tracks we’ve come to love from Makèz, On the A-side, we’ve got the jazz cut ‘Closer’ with AVA LAVÁ, who fans will remember from their 'Holy Sun EP' on Heist. ‘Closer’ is equally laidback, full of textures and rich musical elements and a perfect mood-setter for the EP.

Next is ‘Running From The Noise’ with Life on Planets on vocals. This is the follow up to 'Downstream' that simply had to happen. It’s just as breezy and effortless as the duo’s biggest hit to date, but goes even deeper and minimalistic, taking you on a vibe that resembles the sound of that classic 100% Galcher mixtape/album from 2013. There’s definitely something in the air when these artists get together in the studio; The music is warm, fuzzy, and inviting, but most importantly, just about as sexy as can be.

‘Midnight time’ is another collaboration with AVA LAVÁ, and takes the EP into the club realm, while still keeping things jazzy. Lush Rhodes chords and a rolling live bass form the basis, while the young vocalist seems to freestyle her way through the track, much in a way an MC would do to get the crowd going. Everything about this track is infectious and you can just feel this go off in a club.

That club is exactly where we end up on the B-side, with ‘The Answer’ and ‘Gratitude’. Both have their own direction; ‘The Answer’ is a Chicago-inspired jam with acid licks, a powerful male vocal and clean 909 drums, where ‘Gratitude’ goes deeper with its haunting strings, clever vocal chops and loops and synths that somehow resemble static noise from an old radio. With their ‘Midnight Time’ EP, Makèz treat us to a gorgeous journey through their sonic world, a place we’re happy to hang out for a long, long time.

As always, enjoy the music and play it loud!

- Lars & Maarten

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Heist on a rolL! Makèz dropping some truly deep house pressure here with five (count em!) tracks that sound velvety, rich and delicious.

TRACK LISTING

A1 Closer (feat. AVA LAVÁ)
A2 Running From The Noise (feat. Life On Planets)
A3 Midnight Time (feat. AVA LAVÁ & Joey Hotwax)
B1 The Answer
B2 Gratitude

Born in Northern Ireland and growing up in South Wales before settling in Manchester, Andrew Makin has been writing and playing music for almost a decade. His influences range from Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin and Early Aerosmith to Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle and Velvet Revolver. "So Long After Birth" is a dynamic rock track with a solid bass line and heavy guitar riff.

Countdown Records (via Acid Jazz) are proud to announce the release of the label’s first 7” single in over 30 years. And what could be more apt than the single that never was by label favourites Makin’ Time?

Produced by The Truth and 9 Below Zero’s Dennis Greaves and Mick Lister, this was to have been the West Midland group’s debut single for Countdown.

Featuring the group’s original members, it remained unreleased when that line-up changed and Countdown’s parent label Stiff decided in a change of direction, aiming the group at the pop charts.

Featuring two highlights of their early live set - the Fay Hallam composed ‘Honey’ and ‘Take What You Can Get’, written by Martin Blunt.

The 7” comes in an exclusive Countdown sleeve so make sure to get your copy now.

TRACK LISTING

Honey (Original Version)
Take What You Can Get (Original Version)

Largely remembered today at the first group of future Charlatans main man Martin Blunt, Makin’ Time emerged as a breath of fresh air from the 1980s mod scene. Younger than the revival bands that had gone before instead of watered down punk their music was a glorious mix of power pop and 1960s pop and soul.

Signed to Eddie Piller and Maxine Forrest’s Stiff distributed Countdown label it was seen as a possible contender for pop crossover. The album that emerged was the vibrant and exciting Rhythm & Soul.

The band was fronted by the bob-headed, strong voiced organ playing Fay Hallam and guitarist and vocalist Mark McGounden, and these two along with Martin Blunt provided a strong set of self penned songs. A dynamic band live ‘Here Is My Number’, ‘Feels Like It’s Love’ ‘Only Time Will Time’ and the other self penned numbers were already fan anthems by the time they were recorded.

TRACK LISTING

Take What You Can Get
Feels Like It's Love
Here Is My Number
Only Time Will Tell
Did I Tell You
Honey
I Gotta Move
Where The Rhythm Takes You
Every Single Day
The Girl That Touched My Soul
I Know What You're Thinking
Stop This Cryin' Inside

A chance first time meeting one morning in Block 9 at Glastonbury 2022 between Graham Massey and Nice Swan Records lead to this serendipitous release between London newcomers Malady and Hacienda legends 808 State. Fitting in line with Malady's remix packages over the last 18 months this seemed like the perfect alignment between old and new.

The original is a jaunty, electrified indie-dancer number powered by fast AFX-ish beats and high voltage synthesizers with a yearning male vocal that's a bit like Moving Units (remember them?).

Remixing their own track, Malady emphasis the top drawer synthesis- - deploying wubbing Reeses, precision breaks and ricocheting rave stabs - nice!

Onto the 808 State side and it's a highly engineered bleeps and breaks workout with advanced sound design and almost Autechre-like drum programming; weaving around the vocal track like a mechanized snake whilst bombarding the listener with a barrage of snares. Their instrumental, as you can imagine, does away with the vocal part and really let's that drum assault hammer home.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Proudly current indie-dance act Malady strike an amazing partnership with 808 State for this rather mesmerizing 12" which perfectly balances intricate sound design with anthemic song writing.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Round The Bend 
A2. Round The Bend (Malady Remix)

B1. Round The Bend (808 State Remix)
B2. Round The Bend (808 State Instrumental)

This sophomore effort by Montreal's Malajube is the best francophone indie-rock release in recent memory. Catchy, heavy, light, playful and exhilarating - it rocks non-stop, and in a multitude of ways. The underlying theme of sickness runs through the disc like death did on the Arcade Fire's "Funeral". But it's filtered through textured, sweeping and frequently beautiful songwriting. Guests include rappers Loco Locass, singer Pierre Lapointe and Dears members Martin Pelland and Valerie Jodoin-Keaton. This is a big record, a great record, by what could very well be your new favourite Montreal band.

Male Bonding is a noise-pop trio from London’s Dalston neighborhood.

‘Nothing Hurts’, the band’s 2010 debut was described by Pitchfork as “the sound of a fast, fuzzy rock band racing from hook to hook, plowing happily through breakdowns and guitar blasts, springing through scrappy melodies with style. It's one of the happiest surprises of the year so far”.

This new Male Bonding album, ‘Endless Now’, was recorded at Dreamland Recording Studio in Woodstock, NY, the converted 19th century church that birthed such classics as The B-52s’ ‘Love Shack’ and Dinosaur Jr.'s 1993 full-length ‘Where You Been’.

The band worked with producer John Agnello (Kurt Vile, Thurston Moore, Dinosaur Jr.)

Eleven tracks – plus a wee reprise –’ Endless Now’ is 36 minutes of songs tailor-made to anchor your mix tapes and playlists - if you can stand to separate them from the whole album.

Blow-out enthusiasts, make ready to scarf this down without chewing:
“How many licks does it take to get to the spider egg in the center of this sugar bomb?
“You got the jitters, and dude, there’s blood on your shirt.
“I like gore with my goth.
“Hey, you got your pop sensibilities on my explosion!”

Strong vocals à la Modern English, back-beat complete and foamy bass bleached onto half-inch tape specially for Castle Face. Seven headstrong tunes to clatter your phonograph needle. I’ve always loved Matt Jones’s (ex- Blasted Canyons) vocal stylings, rich with tenor muscle flexes. Over the top in its endeavors and reaching, always reaching. Primal gas-guzzler drumming, center speaker from Adam Cimino sets the ear up for a beating. And hell, it’s got the old (and I mean old) bass player, Mark Kaiser, from Mayyors; solid-state aggression at its mid-low, knuckle-dragging finest. A slap in the brain done up nicely here on wax. Enjoy. - John Dwyer.

Weirdo-punk supergroup Male Gaze is back with nine new chunks of octave-pedal abuse and sultry croons with King Leer, their first proper long-player. This time around, the trio of Matt Jones (ex-Blasted Canyons), Mark Kaiser (ex-Mayyors), and Adam Cimino (ex-The Mall) have added former Blasted Canyons and Tiaras member Adam Finken on second guitar and resident Castle Face engineer Chris Woodhouse behind the boards to ramp up the skuzzpop of last year’s Gale Maze into brutal wall-of-sound territory.

“On King Leer, the boys toy with their poppier side, dosing the songs with syrupy melodies and some newfound heartfelt introspection, but they’re by no means going soft on us—these tracks, buried beneath mountains of fuzz and pounded out with Adderall-fueled fury, pack enough sonic punch to rattle your brain loose.” - Luca Cimarusti, Chicago Reader. 

Fans of early 90s Am Rep crunch will dig deep here!!

TRACK LISTING

1. Got It Bad
2. Lesser Demons
3. Krav Maga
4. Ranessa
5. Green Flash
6. Easy To Void
7. Bad Omens
8. Stupid Heart
9. This Is It

“Matt, Mark and Adam, aka Male Gaze, return quickly from the brainy roar of their previous album King Leer with their six heels hanging even further over the edge of the abyss. Good bands often pull punches but the great ones don’t and these charismatically scarred veterans of romance, gear singed from all too real firefights in the dark world of adulthood, lodge ten new slugs into your vest. Your life was spared but you’ll feel every second of the thirtyfive-plus minutes, grateful that all you got was a bruising. Imagine what it did to them! Have you ever flung yourself out there to such a degree that you risked total humiliation if it all went south, to where the next step would be self deportation to some distant island of annihilation in your mind? How did that work out for you? Don’t worry, Male Gaze knows and they wrote some songs about it. Look out your window, down at the glittering metropolis below and listen to this album.” - Henry Rollins.

TRACK LISTING

1. Keep Yr Kools
2. Wha Do Wha Do
3. All Yours
4. Didn't
5. Tell Me How It Is
6. Pale Gaze
7. If U Were My Girl
8. African Ripoff
9. Pyramids
10. Miss Taken

“Matt, Mark and Adam, aka Male Gaze, return quickly from the brainy roar of their previous album King Leer with their six heels hanging even further over the edge of the abyss. Good bands often pull punches but the great ones don’t and these charismatically scarred veterans of romance, gear singed from all too real firefights in the dark world of adulthood, lodge ten new slugs into your vest. Your life was spared but you’ll feel every second of the thirtyfive-plus minutes, grateful that all you got was a bruising. Imagine what it did to them! Have you ever flung yourself out there to such a degree that you risked total humiliation if it all went south, to where the next step would be self deportation to some distant island of annihilation in your mind? How did that work out for you? Don’t worry, Male Gaze knows and they wrote some songs about it. Look out your window, down at the glittering metropolis below and listen to this album.” - Henry Rollins.

TRACK LISTING

1. Keep Yr Kools
2. Wha Do Wha Do
3. All Yours
4. Didn't
5. Tell Me How It Is
6. Pale Gaze
7. If U Were My Girl
8. African Ripoff
9. Pyramids
10. Miss Taken

Habibi Funk is thrilled to share a second collection of deep grooves and unreleased songs from Algeria's Ahmed Malek, often compared to Italian heavyweight Ennio Morricone. Malek's music effortlessly switches between thematic jazz, funk, reggae and Algerian folk – creating indelible soundscapes that intersect the musical innovations made in African jazz by Mulatu Astatke, Bembeya Jazz National along with some of Europe's finest experimental composers like Piero Piccioni and Janko Nilovic. "Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux" is out June 28th, 2024 via Habibi Funk.

Whenever an interview asks about a "memorable moment" in Habibi Funk label history, one we always reference is how we got in touch Ahmed Malek's (22K Spotify Followers, 285K Spotify Monthly Listeners) music and subsequently his family. It all started with us coming across Ahmed Malek's music on YouTube in 2012. We were mesmerized by how effortlessly the music would switch between jazz, funk and Algerian folk while counterweighting it with an undertone of melancholia. Musical perception is different for every person, but there is a chance that his music will touch you in one way or another. At the time, we had just started the Habibi Funk label and we felt Ahmed's music might be a good fit for the sound we were trying to highlight. Fast forward three years: we had become captivated with the idea of reissuing some of Ahmed Malek's music. We knew some people had tried to locate his family but, but with no success. In the end it was an incredible amount of luck that made it possible for you to read these words and listen to Ahmed's music. We were on a DJ gig in Beirut playing old Arabic records and we mentioned our passion for Ahmed Malek's music to a friend. She said she knew one person in Algier, and as much as it would be a shot in the dark, she could ask her if she had an idea of how to find Malek's family. Two weeks went by before we heard back, and what we got was incredibly good news - her Algerian friend was the neighbor of Ahmed Malek's daughter! We're not spiritual people, but it felt like the universe wanted to see the release happen. We started to speak with Henya, Ahmed Malek's daughter and she was more than happy with our idea. She assured us that her father would have loved the plan as well. She provided us with tons of awesome material, from great photos, to unseen video footage and unreleased tracks. Eventually we visited Henya in Algeria and we licensed some of her father's music, first for one (Habibi 003), then for another (Habibi 005), then we eventually organized an exhibition in June/July 2019 – Planète Malek – Une Rétrospective – at the Musée Public National D'Art Moderne & Contemporain in Algiers, focusing on Ahmed Malek's artistic life. We also produced a small movie about him that our friend Paloma Colombe shot and directed. "Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux" is a deep collection of unreleased songs and stemmed grooves from the Algerian master, from jazz, funk, psych to reggae rhythms and Latin flavors, all under the sonic umbrella of "Planète Malek;" and to quote the maestro, "I didn't choose music, music chose me." Lead single is the subtlety funky "Thème Rythme Léger," out May 3rd along with LP Pre-Order (coincided with Bandcamp Friday for a larger impact) a delicate sonic dance between flute, piano and Spanish guitar with a Bossainfluenced groove. The steady, swingin' drum groove is cloudlike - definitely toe-tapping friendly so just grab a partner to feel the Rhythme Léger. Second single out May 17th is the reggae-infused "L'Empire Des Rêves" – a sultry sax melody weaves through a prismatic rocksteady thematic groove. 3rd and final single "Thème Djalti feat. Aïda Guéchoud" – is a true Western-inspired ode to his Italian counterpart Ennio Morricone. "Thème Djalti" features the haunting vocals of Aïda Guéchoud, and combines elements of baroque and Bossa-jazz in a timelessly thematic way that seems grandiose yet remains uniquely personal to your ears. Swelling strings, trumpet, fem vox, flute, and plucked guitar expertly arranged, feels like you're riding a horse into the sunset. Focus track "La La La" is fiery afro-arab-funk of the highest order! Put on your dancing shoes as Ahmed cuts the rug and gets us grooving along. Sonically the cut sounds like if Ahmed ran into The JB's and Fela Kuti at a Cymande concert. Driving guitar and organ solos vie over pulsating bass riffs and afro-funk drumming that'll have you out on the dance floor in no time. As always, both vinyl and CD come with an extensive booklet featuring background and interviews with Ahmed compiled through found newspaper clippings and newsreels, also including unseen photos, scans and more. "Ahmed Malek: Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux" will be out everywhere June 28th.

TRACK LISTING

1. Thème Djalti (feat. Aïda Guéchoud)
2. Leila Et Les Autres
3. Thème Rythme Léger
4. Bossa
5. Aller Simple
6. Casbah
7. La La La
8. Une Autre Complot
9. Le Mariage De Moussa
10. L'Empire Des Rêves
11. Oulaya
12. Djalti
13. Sans Titre

It was 40 years ago when Germany’s first ever punk band MALE released their 'Zensur & Zensur' album, now to be reissued. Anything was possible in those heady days. The Dusseldorf punk scene was without compare in the years 1977 to 1979 and MALE were there in the thick of it, etching their name into German musical history. MALE arguably reached their zenith as backup for The Clash on the London Calling tour in Germany. In the wake of the name change to Vorsprung, Jorgen Engler soon shifted his focus to die Krupps, but MALE remained close to his heart as new songs and the odd gig here and there demonstrated in the years that followed. 

As one third of legendary trio Azymuth, Alex Malheiros has pioneered a
unique fusion of space-funk, samba and jazz since the early seventies. His
playing can be heard on the records of Jorge Ben, Milton Nascimento,
Roberto Carlos, Marcos Valle, and Mark Murphy (to name a few), and he's
performed and toured with everyone from Stevie Wonder to Chick Corea.

Written and recorded in Niterói, Brazil, overlooking Guanabara and the beaches, mountains and forests of Rio de Janeiro, Tempos Futuros has deep roots in Brazilian soil. The rhythms of Malheiros' homeland have always permeated his music. But just like the Oscar Niemeyer designed Niterói Contemporary Art Museum which stands spaceship-like over the water, Tempos Futuros – while inspired by terrestrial forms, reaches out, deep into the great unknown.

Produced by acclaimed London-based producer Daniel Maunick, who has
worked with Marcos Valle, Azymuth, Terry Callier, and Ivan Conti, the funk
comes full circle. Daniel's father Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick and Alex Malheiros shared a reciprocal stream of influence throughout the 80s, between London and Rio; Azymuth and Incognito; brit-funk and samba-funk. But just as with Azymuth's music, you can also hear the influence of stateside jazz-funk masters like Roy Ayers, Weather Report, Lonnie Liston Smith, Mtume and Pleasure.

Tempos Futuros features Alex's daughter, a Brazilian star in her own right,
vocalist Sabrina Malheiros, Brazilian percussion master Sidinho Moreira,
London based saxophonist Sean Khan, Marcos Valle's go-to drummer Massa,
and Brazilian keyboard player Dudu Viana. Featuring the late Azymuth
keyboard maestro Jose Roberto Bertami on Fender Rhodes, the title track "Tempos Futuros" was originally recorded as a demo in 1995. On this finished version, Alex Malheiros used Bertami's original keyboard take, explaining the
posthumous release.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Razor's Edge
2. Prece (feat. Sabrina Malheiros)
3. Telegramas Para Arp
4. Retrato (feat. Sean Khan)
5. Requiem For A Storm
6. Alto Verão (feat. Sabrina Malheiros)
7. O Temporal
8. Marcinha
9. Kuarup

There are ghosts all across 'AVANTI', the debut album from Malice K - the record wades through a disarray of chaos and loss with a sharp-toothed fervor. At points it’s howling and unhinged, a grungy layer atop a lush foundation of melodic capital-s Songwriting akin to the golden-age pop of the ‘70s, but in other moments it dissolves into a gentle, wistful haunting. Malice K’s songs are blunt, uncomplicated and unflinching as he probes the interiority of memories, of mistakes – saturated with an innate intensity that sucks you into his gnarled and visceral world, so barbed it could draw blood.

TRACK LISTING

1. Halloween
2. Hold Me Up
3. Song For My Baby
4. The Old House
5. Weed
6. Radio
7. You’re My Girl
8. Concrete Angel
9. FADE
10. Raining
11. Blue Monday

Malihini may mean ‘newcomers’ in Hawaiian, but Rome-based duo Giampaolo Speziale and Federica Caiozzo deal exclusively in the music of lived experience and time-honed emotional intelligence, their disarming musical universe never less than distinctive, yet resonating with a confessional, modern European pop sophistication of a kind elsewhere purveyed by the likes of Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jose Gonzalez and Our Broken Garden. Listening to the ten co-written songs that grace Malihini’s exquisite debut album, Hopefully, Again, can sometimes feel like eavesdropping on a couple’s intimate emotional dialogues, such is the ingenuous honesty of the duo’s writing. Yet combined with their minimal, yet opulently textured arrangements (“classic song writing matched with pared-down electronics”, according to Clash), crammed with subtle melodic hooks and an embarrassment of earworm choruses, they transform the personal into the universal with a delightfully unforced eloquence. The bulk of the writing for Hopefully, Again took place during an extended retreat on the Aeolian island of Vulcano, off the coast of Sicily. Images and atmospheres of the sea and ‘blueness’ duly permeate the album’s leanly arranged songs. Swapping these idyllic environs for Mid Wales, specifically the remote Giant Wafer studio in Powys (“it was just us and a few sheep and chickens”, recalls Speziale), the album was recorded quickly, with the duo playing most of the instruments live, abetted once again by producer Richard Formby and long-term drumming amico Alberto Paone.

TRACK LISTING

1. A House On A Boat
2. Hopefully, Again
3. Delusional Boy
4. Nefertiti
5. Giving Up On Me
6. Can’t Stand That
7. If U Call
8. The Snow
9. The Afterdays
10. Song #1

'A searing, triumphant story. A testament to the tenacity of the human spirit as well as a beautiful ode to an iconic figure' IRENOSEN OKOJIE Letters to Gil is Malik Al Nasir's profound coming of age memoir - the story of surviving physical and racial abuse and discovering a new sense of self-worth under the wing of the great artist, poet and civil rights activist Gil Scott-Heron. Born in Liverpool, Malik was taken into care at the age of nine after his seafaring father became paralysed.

He would spend his adolescence in a system that proved violent, neglectful, exploitative, traumatising and mired in abuse. Aged eighteen, he emerged semi-literate, penniless with no connections or sense of where he was going - until a chance meeting with Gil Scott-Heron. Letters to Gil will tell the story of Malik's empowerment and awakening while mentored by Gil, from his introduction to the legacy of Black history to the development of his voice through poetry and music.

Written with lyricism and power, it is a frank and moving memoir, highlighting how institutional racism can debilitate and disadvantage a child, as well as how mentoring, creativity, self-expression and solidarity helped him to uncover his potential.

“Malin writes vivid songs with killer tunes and sings them with scary conviction… There is simply nothing more you can demand from a great rock record.” - The Times (★★★★★).

Released in 2003, Jesse Malin’s acclaimed debut ‘The Fine Art of Self Destruction’ “wasn’t named for drug or alcohol abuse,” says Malin. “It was more about a personal wreckage when I looked back on my life, from my parents’ divorce to failed relationships, broken up bands, dropping out of school, crashing cars, breaking things. It was more of a spiritual journey in some sense. This record is definitely one of my favorites.”

To celebrate the album’s 20th Anniversary, ‘The Fine Art of Self Destruction’ is reissued and paired with a bonus disc of alternative versions, reimagined and re-recorded with Malin’s longtime band.

The bonus album was produced by Derek Cruz and engineered by Geoff Sanoff, who worked on Jesse’s recent albums ‘Sunset Kids’ and ‘Sad and Beautiful World’.

TRACK LISTING

LP1
Queen Of The Underworld
TKO
Wendy
Downliner
Brooklyn
The Fine Art Of Self Destruction
Riding On The Subway
High Lonesome
Solitaire
Almost Grown
Xmas
Cigarettes And Violets

LP2
Brooklyn (Walt Whitman In
The Trash)
Riding On The Subway ’22
Downliner (Afterglow Version)
High Lonesome (PBR Vacation)
Cigarettes And Violets ’22
Almost Grown (Busker Version)
Solitaire (Song For Kelly Keller)
Queen Of The Underworld (Cantina Version)
Xmas, Etc.

Modesty and plain good manners might prevent them from saying so themselves, but the fact that Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks have thrived, rather than simply endured over 17 years and delivered six albums of buzzy, sub-cultural significance, constitutes an impressive legacy. The challenge with album number seven is one that any successful band with integrity faces: how to safeguard that legacy and hold on to their identity without rehashing old ground (unthinkable), and also say something meaningful while (crucially) having fun doing it?

Meeting that issue head on in the run up to The Jicks’ seventh record involved some “navel gazing”, according to singer, songwriter, and guitarist Malkmus and not only in terms of what it means to be releasing music in 2018. If, like him, you’re a voracious consumer of all kinds of culture and feel the need to interact with it, rather than just react, then inevitably “there’s a world that prompts you to put your best foot forward”. With Sparkle Hard Malkmus, Mike Clark (keyboards), Joanna Bolme (bass) and Jake Morris (drums) do exactly that. And they hit the ground running – on air treads.

It’s light ’n’ breezy, head-down heavy, audacious, melancholic and reflective, goodtime and bodacious, and it pulls off the smartest trick: it’s both unmistakeably The Jicks and – due to the streamlining of their trademark tics and turns, plus the introduction of some unexpected flourishes (Auto-Tune, a fiddle, guest vocalist Kim Gordon, one seven-minute song with an acoustic folk intro) – The Jicks refashioned. If 2014’s Wig Out At Jag Bags balanced the lengthy prog workouts of Pig Lib with Mirror Traffic’s sparky pop moments, then Sparkle Hard bears less obvious direct relation to what’s come before. It also has turbocharged energy and enthusiasm by the truckload.

Malkmus started writing Sparkle Hard in 2015. He’d upgraded his home-recording equipment and bought some electronic drums and had been working on the Netflix series Flaked (he penned the incidental music and the end theme song). Demos were done in one day in April of 2017 and then in May, The Jicks started recording at a new studio in Portland called Halfling, which is managed by multi-instrumentalist Chris Funk of The Decemberists, who produced the album.

Self-indulgent escapism has never been The Jicks’ bag, but on Sparkle Hard, the reality of modern life sits closer to the surface, communication cutting to the chase whether it’s a proto-punk grind or a back-porch country duet doing the talking. A cleaner burn for dark and complex times.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Classic slacker vibes, double tracked vocal flourishes and more acoustic balladry make up the backbone of Malkmus' output, but this one takes the elements previously laid and fleshes them out into tender but beautiful statements of melody and rhythm. More full-on heavy moments are tempered with their ability to reduce things when needed ; the bass/guitar scree in 'Shiggy' serving as a perfect example of a wholly accomplished concept, executed with style.

TRACK LISTING

Cast Off
Future Suite
Solid Silk
Bike Lane
Middle America
Rattler
Shiggy
Kite
Brethren
Refute
Difficulties / Let Them Eat Vowels

New album from ex-Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus and his band The Jicks.

The album was produced by the band (Stephen Malkmus, Joanna Bolme, Jake Morris and Mike Clark) and Remko Schouten (the Dutch soundman of Pavement fame) in a studio in rural Ardennes with ‘a farmhouse vibe’.

In the words of Stephen Malkmus, "‘Wig Out At Jagbags’ is inspired by Cologne, Germany, Mark Von Schlegel, Rosemarie Trockel, Von Sparr and Jan Lankisch, Can and Gas; Stephen Malkums imagined Weezer/Chili Peppers, SIc Alps, UVA in the late 80's, NYRB, Aroma Charlottenburg, inactivity, Jamming, Indie guys trying to sound Memphis, Flipper, Pete Townsend, Pavement, The Joggers, The NBA and home life in the 2010's..."

STAFF COMMENTS

Ryan says: Malkmus displays his songwriting prowess again, following a similar formula to 'Mirror Traffic', Hazy guitar-rock and clever twists and turns make for an excellent listen.

'Mirror Traffic' is the new Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks album, recorded at LA’s Sunset Sound Studios and at the home of the album’s producer, Beck.

With the question of a Pavement reunion having been triumphantly answered last year with an Ono-esque “YES”, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks return with their most energized set to date. These 15 songs range from hard-rocking political commentary (“Senator”), to touching, winsome folk (“No One Is”), to virtuosic but melancholy and contrite kiwi pop (“Stick Figures In Love”). The lyrics are as curious as ever but more meaningful than they have been since 'Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain'. “This record,” concedes Malkmus dryly, “is relatively approachable.”

As the first producer to work with Malkmus since Pavement, Beck has drawn out a set of performances that ring with clarity and inventiveness. Gone are the long guitar workouts and jams that marked the last couple Jicks albums, replaced with a sharply defined focus and more colorful depth of field. With nearly half the tracks clocking in under three minutes, 'Mirror Traffic' flashes by with a lightness of touch; a decision that band and producer found easy to take: “Beck & I were both burned out on the heavy rocking style,” says Malkmus, “and playing to the strengths of a melody felt like the way to go.”

First two responses from bigshot journalists who got early copies were, word for word:
1) “I’m so psyched, this is the most Malk thing in years”
2) “I respect his right to make any record he wants, but this is the album that me and a lot of other people have waited 10 years for.”

For someone who has occasionally enjoyed a reputation for throwing ideas into the air and seeing where they land, 'Mirror Traffic' is a confident, heartfelt, direct record. Ease into the seat and enjoy the ride.

After three albums, critical recognition of the post-Pavement career of Stephen Malkmus has suffered; such was that bands legacy on alternative rock music. Of late, a vocal appearance on the "I'm Not There" soundtrack album has helped underline his unique lyrical style and bring his ever boyish vocal to a fresh audience. Refining the scattergun approach to acid rock, folk, prog and bubblegum that characterized the Pavement sound and subsequent three as Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, "Real Emotional Trash" ranks alongside "Wowee Zowee" and "Terror Twilight" as a wonky, woozy 'heads' record. "Hopscotch Willy" and "Baltimore" touch musically and lyrically on the 60s folk-rock tradition. Over ten minutes, the title track jumps from Fairport Convention, Television and Grateful Dead. No doubt taking a cue from Tony McPhee of the Groundhogs, Malkmus indulges his penchant for guitars of all description; electric, acoustic, delayed, distorted, doubled, detuned and often wailing simultaneously in all directions. As much as the songs are undoubtedly from the pen of Malkmus, this is definitely a proper band effort. The bottom end crunch supplied by Janet Weiss (formerly Sleater Kinney) and bassist Joanna Bolme provide ballast and direction, ensuring the album will rock you to the soles of your battered Converse.

Traditional Techniques, Malkmus’ third solo LP without the Jicks (or Pavement), is new phase folk music for new phase folks, with Malkmus as attuned as ever to the rhythms of the ever-evolving lingual slipstream. It’s packed with handmade arrangements, modern folklore, and 10 songs written and performed in his singular voice. An adventurous new album in an instantly familiar mode, Traditional Techniques creates a serendipitous trilogy with the loose fuzz of the Jicks’ Sparkle Hard (2018) and the solo bedroom experiments of Groove Denied (2019). Taken together, these three very different full-lengths in three years highlight an ever-curious songwriter committed to finding untouched territory.

Malkmus took on Traditional Techniques as a kind of self-dare. Conceived while recording Sparkle Hard at Portland’s Halfling Studio, Malkmus had observed the variety of acoustic instruments available for use. The idea escalated within a matter of weeks into a full set of songs, and shortly thereafter into a realized and fully committed album. When he returned to Halfling, Malkmus drew from a whole new musical palette--including a variety of Afghani instruments - to support an ache both quizzical and contemporary. The resulting Traditional Techniques is expansive and thrilling. Alongside gorgeous folk music, there are also occasional bursts of flute-laced swagger, straight-up commune rock (“Xian Man”), and mind-bending fuzz.

Centred around the songwriter’s 12-string acoustic guitar, and informed by a half-century of folk-rock reference points, Traditional Techniques is the product of Malkmus and Halfling engineer/arranger-in-residence Chris Funk (The Decemberists). Additionally, Matt Sweeney (Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Chavez) plays guitar throughout.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Malkmus returns, bringing with him a healthy line-up of shimmering folky ballads and swooning angular acoustic guitar work. Ranging from hypnotic drones and soul-affirming melodicism to jaunty, swaggering grooves and all topped with Malkmus' unmistakeable vocals. Superb.

TRACK LISTING

1. ACC Kirtan
2. Xian Man
3. The Greatest Own In Legal History
4. Cash Up
5. Shadowbanned
6. What Kind Of Person
7. Flowin’ Robes
8. Brainwashed
9. Signal Western
10. Amberjack

The rumours are true: the secret electronic album that Stephen Malkmus has been telling everyone about sees the light of day through Domino. But Groove Denied is not a full-blown plunge into EDM or hiptronica. In fact, there aren’t any purely instrumental tracks on the album. Every song is precisely that: a song, featuring Malkmus staples like an artfully askew melody and an oblique lyric. Groove Denied is Stephen playing hooky from his customary way of going about things, jolting himself out of a routine. As Malkmus commented, “It’s fun to mess with things that you’re not supposed to.”

The first taste of Stephen’s new groove can be sampled today, with the release of single ‘Viktor Borgia’, and its accompanying video starring Stephen alone in a dance club. The title playfully merges the name of the comedian-pianist and the ruthless dynasty of Italo-Spanish nobles. With its stately melody and the almost-English-accented vocal, the coordinates here are early Human League or even Men Without Hats. “I was thinking things like Pete Shelley’s ‘Homosapien’, the Human League, and DIY synth music circa 1982,” says Stephen, adding “and also about how in the New Wave Eighties, these suburban 18-and-over dance clubs were where all the freaks would meet – a sanctuary.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: It's bloody brilliant this, with hints of post-punk garage and most of all 80's synth, Malkmus clearly shows his wealth of influence on 'Groove Denied', swinging from snappy grunge to 70's psychedelia without batting an eyelid. Though the diversity in sound shines through, it's not without the Malkmus charm, with his vocal prowess shining through the stylistic patchwork.

TRACK LISTING

Eins
01. Belziger Faceplant
02. A Bit Wilder
03. Viktor Borgia
04. Come Get Me
05. Forget Your Place

Zwei
06. Rushing The Acid Frat
07. Love The Door
08. Bossviscerate
09. Ocean Of Revenge

For his second album after splitting indie-gods Pavement, Stephen Malkmus sets his controls for the heart of the seventies! Eschewing conventional flabby white boy blues rock cliches for a tighter sound more reminiscent of the Groundhogs (long time Piccadilly faves) and Captain Beefheart, Malkmus adds a dash of folk-rock and some ace krautrock synth sounds to his inimitable skewed pop aesthetic. Initially less accessible than his debut, repeated listens reveal "Pig Lib" to be just as rewarding as those more 'musical' later Pavement offerings.

Spatial & Co is a synth-drizzled, spaced-out bass-heavy discoid-funk masterpiece from French disco lord and Arpadys maestro Sauveur Mallia. Recorded for French library label Tele Music, in 1979, it's by turns cosmic funk and creeping crime funk, bursting with low slung, k-i-l-l-e-r basslines, loping drum breaks and sparkling percussion. It's so funky it hurts.

Confidently swaggering out the gate is "Future Vision", with its loping yet dextrous bassline across strutting beats setting the scene. "Cosmic News", with its live crowd noises over killer bass work is reminiscent of Bernard & Nile's "Chic Cheer". The bass vs synth workout "Baby Bass" increases the propulsion whilst the dark and mysterious vibes of "Star Odyssey" serve as cosmic respite from being overpowered by funk. The temperature and tempo are raised with the bouncing sophisticated funk of "Meteor One", a slinky interstellar instrumental of the highest order before the sultry, melodic "Bass For Love" offers some attractive slow-mo sleaze to close out the first side.

Opening up Side B, the menacing, beatless "Space Alert" sounds like all those sci-fi theme tunes from your childhood, synthesised into one glorious (black) whole. "Galaxy Wars" is next, another majestic cosmic gem, sans drums. The ultra-percussive flex of "All The Bass" sees the return of the frenetic funky bass and neck-snapping drums. The stretched out funk of "O.V.N.I. Telex" is irresistible and cavernous in scope whilst the swirling, dramatic "Galactics" is an ominous yet melodic wonder. The throwaway funk-lite "Animals Bass" is a bit of a daft way to close out this otherwise flawless set but, hey, flirting with perfection is probably always more fun than actually achieving it.

Sauveur Mallia is a crucial figure in the history of electronic and dance music and a hugely underrated French library bass player and composer from the Arpadys / Voyage crew. This is just the beginning of Be With's Mallia - Tele Music reissue campaign!

The audio for Spatial & Co Vol. 1 has been remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring the punch of Sauveur's bass and those sick drums come through to the fullest. Pete Norman’s expert skills has made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the original and iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

TRACK LISTING

A1 Future Vision (3:47)
A2 Cosmic News (2:25)
A3 Baby Bass (2:43)
A4 Star Odyssey (3:33)
A5 Meteor One (2:11)
A6 Bass For Love (2:46)
B1 Space Alert (3:24)
B2 Galaxy Wars (2:45)
B3 All The Bass (2:53)
B4 O.V.N.I. Telex (3:36)
B5 Galactics (2:50)
B6 Animals Bass (2:14)

Spatial & Co Vol. 2 may well be the best album in the Spatial & Co series. It's absolutely flawless. Again created by French disco lord and Arpadys maestro Sauveur Mallia for French library label Tele Music in 1979, it leans far more into the space disco sound than the clean cosmic funk of its predecessor. And it's all the more thrilling for it.

Spatial & Co Vol. 2 may well be the best album in the Spatial & Co series. It's absolutely flawless. Again created by French disco lord and Arpadys maestro Sauveur Mallia for French library label Tele Music in 1979, it leans far more into the space disco sound than the clean cosmic funk of its predecessor. And it's all the more thrilling for it.

Wide-eyed opener "Discomax" is starts as pure piano-disco brilliance with a bassline to die for before heading off into wigged out territory, all acidic squelches and jaw-dropping percussive breakdowns. Perfection. "Space People" follows, an eerie, half-beatless sci-fi synth workout played out against a hauntingly metronomic pulse for the first half - proper slow-mo space disco business - before the beat kicks in, the electric guitar solo wails beautifully and the bassline that emerges at its conclusion rides in on some other shit.

Closing out the A-Side, the six minute long "Bass Power" is, unsurprisingly, a deep, low-end roller with head-nod drums, whizzing synths, blissed out ambient vibes and Mallia's otherworldly bass playing super high in the mix. It's white hot funk, make no mistake, and it sounds like a re-geared library version of Roxy Music. Yes, *that* good.

Side B is laced firstly by "Holidays Morning", an emotional disco-pop groover, all electric guitars, skipping drums and synthy bleeps with more than a few moments of pure driving funk.
One for the deep heads, longtime favourite "Electric Maneges" follows, a bleepy, haunted dancehall gem, uncut tropical balearic-funk from another dimension. The sophisticated digi-soul of "Loving Discovery" comes on like a weird, interplanetary Sade instrumental, all swelling synths, warm keys and syrupy guitar rhythms. Hearing is believing.

Arguably saving the best til last, the fierce, proto-techno of "Exotic Guide" closes out this extraordinary set. The intro genuinely sounds like Detroit would a good few years later - just wild - before it glides into a driving percussive funk break complete with both stabbing, insistent synths and those of a more winding, laconic variety. The one complaint? It's over far too soon. Remarkable.

Sauveur Mallia is a crucial figure in the history of electronic and dance music and a hugely underrated French library bass player and composer from the Arpadys / Voyage crew. This is just the beginning of Be With's Mallia - Tele Music reissue campaign!

The audio for Spatial & Co Vol. 2 has been remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring the punch of Sauveur's bass and those sick drums come through to the fullest. Pete Norman’s expert skills has made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the original and iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue. 

TRACK LISTING

A1 Discomax (4:40)
A2 Space People (4:40)
A3 Bass Power (6:00)
B1 Holidays Morning (5:20)
B2 Electric Maneges (4:10)
B3 Loving Discovery (3:40)
B4 Exotic Guide (3:30)

Cabaret Voltaire co-founder Stephen Mallinder’s second solo outing for Dais further distills his signature fusion of minimal synth, oblique wordplay, and “wonky disco” into a riveting rhythm suite ripe for our age of escalation: tick tick tick. Channeling the temporal malaise of lockdown through a lusher palette of modular electronics and stereo strings, the songs embrace ambiguity and plasticity, loose systems of percolating circuitry and airless funk. Recorded across a handful of sessions at MemeTune Studios in Cornwall with frequent collaborator Benge (aka Ben Edwards), Mallinder cites no guiding aesthetic premise for the collection beyond “cowbell on every track, and entirely no reverb.”

From the first coiled cybernetic groove of opener “Contact,” the album’s spatial dynamics are disorienting and asymmetrical, alternately cold and sensual, opiated and claustrophobic. But, throughout, “rhythm is the default, the bedrock, the building block – even the melodies are rhythmic.” Across 40-plus years of electronic musicianship, Mallinder’s sense of timing and tempo has honed into a rare tier of mastery, limber and fluid but knotted with strange frictions. Shades of Detroit technoid industrial (“ringdropp,” “Shock to the Body”) crossfade into no wavy punkfunk (“Guernica Gallery,” “Galaxy,” “The Trial”), bad trip IDM (“Wasteland”), and jittery vapor house (“Hush”), at the threshold of modes both familiar and foreign.

Lyrically the record is equally evasive, rich with allusions and associative linguistics, surveying liquid notions of societal noise, ecological ruin, art world pretension, and the trials of daily life. But the lack of fixed meaning remains Mallinder’s main muse: “Music should draw you in; lyrics should make you think. Most interpretation is misinterpretation.” This is music of countdowns and comedowns, fleeting pleasures and opaque futures, observing the great decline while dancing on its ashes. Flux is deathless and forever; the rest, illusion: “I will be a constant figure / Flickering a moving picture / Turning in your head forever / Split apart but held together.”

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A:
A1. Contact
A2. Ringdropp
A3. Galaxy
A4. Wasteland

SIDE B:
B1. Hush
B2. Shock To The Body
B3. Guernica Gallery *
B4. The Trial
B5. Tick Tick Tick

* CD Bonus Track

Stephen Mallinder, co founder and frontman of the iconic Cabaret Voltaire, has returned with his first solo album in over 35 years: Um Dada. Laced with leftfield house and cut up sound collages, Um Dada is a melding of energies that are an exercise in simplicity and motion. Sincere, playful realism that beckons your body to move, always reminding you to never take yourself too seriously without forfeiting your agency.

While steering Cabaret Voltaire through the 1980’s, Mallinder was already busy piecing together his first solo album entitled “Pow Wow”, which would help define Mallinder’s interest in the more leftfield electro sounds shaping England at the time. It was this diverse and abstract hybrid that helped inspire generations of artists and musicians through steeping raw machine funk within the whimsical and absurdist ideology.

Since the release of “Pow Wow” in 1982, Mallinder continued his pioneering work with Cabaret Voltaire, as well as recording and touring with his electro projects Wrangler, Creep Show, Hey Rube, Kula, and Cobby & Mallinder. In addition to his non stop schedule in electronic music, his professional life as a journalist, broadcaster, producer and now a professor of Digital Music & Sound Art at the University of Brighton, has lead Mallinder to a unique point in his career. Most in his position would be caught up in rosy retrospection, but Mallinder himself says, “There’s too much digital finger licking right now; every thought and desire at the turn of a dial... well a click of the mouse. And there’s a giddy, false nostalgia about the analogue past. Sorry to burst your bubble but the truth of history is more mundane: practical, pragmatic...Um Dada is about ‘play’ cut and paste, lost words, twisted presets, voice collage, simple sounds things that have been lost to technology’s current determinism. Let the machines talk to each other, let them dance .. they lead, we follow.”

Um Dada opens up with the exact machine led surrealism that Mallinder recommends in “Working (You Are)”. A thick, stripped back dance floor groove provides the ideal foundation for Mallinder’s eccentric vocal cuts. The frisky chops present an almost twisted irony, subtly bringing to mind the role we’re all forced to play as just another cog in the ever grinding capitalist machine of life. Yet, somehow, the listener is left feeling optimistic. A prime example of simplicity at work. Tracks such as “Satellite” give a skillful illustration of Mallinder’s adeptness with his musical expertise while preserving his core historical context as only simple reference. The underlying bassline and percussion, coupled with the floating melodies and airy vocal refrain disclose the vulnerabilities of love and loss without a hint of irony or nostalgia.

Um Dada is mischievously idealist, however never loses touch with reality. Offering structure while simultaneously dismantling any and all preconceptions. The spirit of sincerity that sustained Cabaret Voltaire’s lengthy career is abundantly present within founder Stephen Mallinder’s journey through his own whimsical utopian consciousness and staking claim to an identity that is solely his own.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: One of the most singular voices in English electronica returns for his first solo album in over 30 years. 'Um Dada' encompasses everything we love about Mallinder and while his most recent collabs (Creep Show with shop favourite John Grant was a particular highlight) clearly showed his influence, it's great to hear his own sound, undiluted and unadorned, and switching effortlessly between a huge range of influences and sounds.

TRACK LISTING

CD
1. Working (You Are)
2. Prefix Repeat Rewind
3. It’s Not Me
4. Um Dada
5. Satellite
6. Colour
7. Flashback
8. Robber*
9. Hollow*

*Bonus Tracks

LP
A1. Working (You Are)
A2. Prefix Repeat Rewind
A3. It’s Not Me
A4. Um Dada
B1. Satellite
B2. Colour
B3. Flashback

We Jazz Records is delighted to present the first ever vinyl release for two modern classic tracks by Swedish organist Eric Malmberg. Originally released in 2007 by the label Häpna on Malmberg's second solo album "Verklighet & Beat", the pair of tunes herein serve as proof of Malmberg's remarkable artistic vision, echoing both the pure pastoral beauty and the irresistible groove of his work. This release, part of the ongoing 7" series by We Jazz Records, follows the label's Artistic Director Matti Nives's 10+ years of obsession with the aforementioned Malmberg album after an initial chance encounter with the side A track on a WIRE Magazine compilation in 2007.

"Eric Malmberg's music is a small miracle. I don't want to call him a genius, because I don't want to jinx him. But I will say that he's a complete original, in addition to being a vastly talented musician. I will also say that his recordings and the two performances that I saw by Sagor & Swing merit a place on a short list of most enjoyed musical experiences of the last half decade. I could bleat about the quality of the work, but "most enjoyed" to me carries the stronger charge." – David Grubbs, New York, March 2007

"A special mention needs to go out to the phenomenal and totally bonkers 'Till minne av Lilly Lindström' a track which starts with a clean break, builds into dancefloor abusing Hammond-hammering mayhem and then ends up with lush string orchestrations and disco-lite sweeps. Insane and more enjoyable than you could possibly imagine - an album to totally lose yourself in, and one for anyone looking for something just that little different. Huge recommendation." – Boomkat

TRACK LISTING

1. Milda Döden Hämtar Oss Alla Till Slut
2. Till Minne Av Lilly Lindström

Formed in Mamelodi township near Pretoria, the group started out as Malombo Jazz Men with Julian Bahula on malombo drums, Abbey Cindi on flute and Philip Tabane on guitar. Fusing traditional and improvised rhythms with jazz, Malombo became renowned as one of the first South African bands to fully connect jazz with the African traditions. Despite his undoubted genius, Tabane became erratic on tour and Bahula brought in another Mamelodi-based talent, guitarist Lucas “Lucky” Ranku, renaming the band Malombo Jazz Makers. The group played stadiums and festivals and were soon signed to Gallo. Recording at a studio in Pretoria, the trio debuted with the album ‘Malompo Jazz’ in 1966, showcasing the simple, spacious beauty of the Malombo sound and Abbey Cindi’s compositions, with Mahotella Queens’ Hilda Tloubatla on guest vocals. The partner follow-up album ‘Malombo Jazz Makers Vol. 2’ was recorded a year later, continuing the earthy flow of Malombo’s music. The two albums have since been recognised as unique landmarks of South African jazz through popular tracks like ‘Sibathathu’, ‘Jikeleza’ and ‘Emakhaya’. Alongside full original artwork, the albums feature a new interview with Julian Bahula.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Ngivulele
A2. Udondolo
A3. Soul Of Africa
A4. Jolly Journey
A5. Umkhosi
A6. Majazana
B1. Abbey's Body
B2. Vukani
B3. Hleziphi
B4. Sibathathu
B5. Malombi Walk
B6. Emoubane

Formed in Mamelodi township near Pretoria, the group started out as Malombo Jazz Men with Julian Bahula on malombo drums, Abbey Cindi on flute and Philip Tabane on guitar. Fusing traditional and improvised rhythms with jazz, Malombo became renowned as one of the first South African bands to fully connect jazz with the African traditions. Despite his undoubted genius, Tabane became erratic on tour and Bahula brought in another Mamelodi-based talent, guitarist Lucas “Lucky” Ranku, renaming the band Malombo Jazz Makers. The group played stadiums and festivals and were soon signed to Gallo. Recording at a studio in Pretoria, the trio debuted with the album ‘Malompo Jazz’ in 1966, showcasing the simple, spacious beauty of the Malombo sound and Abbey Cindi’s compositions, with Mahotella Queens’ Hilda Tloubatla on guest vocals. The partner follow-up album ‘Malombo Jazz Makers Vol. 2’ was recorded a year later, continuing the earthy flow of Malombo’s music. The two albums have since been recognised as unique landmarks of South African jazz through popular tracks like ‘Sibathathu’, ‘Jikeleza’ and ‘Emakhaya’. Alongside full original artwork, the albums feature a new interview with Julian Bahula.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Abbey's Mood
A2. Lullaby For Angels
A3. Grab This For Me
A4. Emakhaya
A5. Blues After Lunch
A6. Bababelo
B1. Intandane
B2. A Tribute To Birds
B3. Root Of Africa
B4. Vuma Mbari
B5. Lousy Fever
B6. Jikeleza

Does Spring Hide Its Joy is an immersive piece by composer Kali Malone featuring Stephen O’Malley on electric guitar, Lucy Railton on cello, and Malone herself on tuned sine wave oscillators. The music is a study in harmonics and non-linear composition with a heightened focus on just intonation and beating interference patterns. Malone’s experience with pipe organ tuning, harmonic theory, and long durational composition provide prominent points of departure for this work. Her nuanced minimalism unfolds an astonishing depth of focus and opens up contemplative spaces in the listener’s attention.

Does Spring Hide Its Joy follows Malone’s critically acclaimed records The Sacrificial Code [Ideal Recordings, 2019] & Living Torch [Portraits GRM, 2022]. Her collaborative approach expands from her previous work to closely include the musicians Stephen O’Malley & Lucy Railton in the creation and development of the piece. While the music is distinctly Malone’s sonic palette, she composed specifically for the unique styles and techniques of O’Malley & Railton, presenting a framework for subjective interpretation and non-hierarchical movement throughout the music.

Does Spring Hide Its Joy is a durational experience of variable length that follows slowly evolving harmony and timbre between cello, sine waves, and electric guitar. As a listener, the transition between these junctures can be difficult to pinpoint. There’s obscurity and unity in the instrumentation and identities of the players; the electric guitar’s saturation timbre blends with the cello’s rich periodicity, while shifting overtone feedback develops interference patterns against the precise sine waves. The gradual yet ever-occurring changes in harmony challenge the listener’s perception of stasis and movement. The moment you grasp the music, a slight shift in perspective guides your attention forward into a new and unfolding harmonic experience.

Does Spring Hide Its Joy was created between March and May of 2020. During this unsettling period of the pandemic, Malone found herself in Berlin with a great deal of time and conceptual space to consider new compositional methods. With a few interns left on-site, Malone was invited to the Berlin Funkhaus & MONOM to develop and record new music within the empty concert halls. She took this opportunity to form a small ensemble with her close friends and collaborators Lucy Railton & Stephen O’Malley to explore these new structural ideas within those various acoustic spaces. Hence, the foundation was laid for Does Spring Hide Its Joy.

In Kali’s own words: “Like most of the world, my perception of time went through a significant transformation during the pandemic confinements of spring 2020. Unmarked by the familiar milestones of life, the days and months dripped by, instinctively blending with no end in sight. Time stood still until subtle shifts in the environment suggested there had been a passing. Memories blurred non-sequentially, the fabric of reality deteriorated, unforeseen kinships formed and disappeared, and all the while, the seasons changed and moved on without the ones we lost. Playing this music for hours on end was a profound way to digest the countless life transitions and hold time together.”

Ideologic Organ is pleased to present Kali Malone’s Does Spring Hide Its Joy as a triple LP set of around two-hours duration. Mastered by Stephen Mathieu and cut at Schnittstelle Mastering, the record is pressed in perfect sound quality by Optimal in Germany. The album is packaged in a heavyweight laminated jacket with full-color printed inner sleeves, and also available as a three-hour triple CD and in all digital formats.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A stunning set of long-form drone and drifting oscillations on Editions Mego offshoot Ideologic Organ. It's a perfect home for Malone's hypnotic instrumental dialogue, and the perfect landscape for O'Malley & Railton's guest appearances. A grand and uncompromising work of sound design beauty.

TRACK LISTING

3xCDs
Disc 1 - Does Spring Hide Its Joy V1 (01:00:25)
Disc 2 - Does Spring Hide Its Joy V2 (01:00:54)
Disc 3 - Does Spring Hide Its Joy V3 (01:00:15)

3xLPs
1A - Does Spring Hide Its Joy V1.1 (21:05)
1B - Does Spring Hide Its Joy V1.2 (18:50)
2A - Does Spring Hide Its Joy V1.3 (20:30)
2B - Does Spring Hide Its Joy V2.1 (20:12)
3A - Does Spring Hide Its Joy V2.2 (18:08)
3B - Does Spring Hide Its Joy V2.3 (22:43)

Kali Malone’s anticipated new album “All Life Long” is a collection of music for pipe organ, choir, and brass quintet composed by Kali Malone, 2020 - 2023. Choral music performed by Macadam Ensemble and conducted by Etienne Ferschaud at Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-L’Immaculée-Conception in Nantes. Brass quintet music performed by Anima Brass at The Bunker Studio in New York City. Organ music performed by Kali Malone and Stephen O’Malley on the historical meantone tempered pipe organs at Église Saint-François in Lausanne, Orgelpark in Amsterdam, and Malmö Konstmuseum in Sweden.

Kali Malone composes with a rare clarity of vision. Her music is patient and focused, built on a foundation of evolving harmonic cycles that draw out latent emotional resonances. Time is a crucial factor: letting go of expectations of duration and breadth offers a chance to find a space of reflection and contemplation. In her hands, experimental reinterpretations of centuries-old polyphonic compositional methods become portals to new ways of perceiving sound, structure, and introspection. Though awe-inspiring in scope, the most remarkable thing about Malone’s music is the intimacy stirred by the close listening it encourages.

Malone’s new album All Life Long, created between 2020 - 2023, presents her first compositions for organ since 2019’s breakthrough album The Sacrificial Code alongside interrelated pieces for voice and brass performed by Macadam Ensemble and Anima Brass. Over the course of twelve pieces, harmonic themes and patterns recur, presented in altered forms and for varied instrumentation. They emerge and reemerge like echoes of their former selves, making the familiar uncanny. Propelled by lungs and breath rather than bellows and oscillators, Malone’s compositions for choir and brass take on expressive qualities that complicate the austerity that has defined her work, introducing lyricism and the beauty of human fallibility into music that has been driven by mechanical processes. At the same time, the works for organ, performed by Malone with additional accompaniment by Stephen O’Malley on four different organs dating from the 15th to 17th centuries, underscore the mighty, spectral power that those rigorous operations can achieve.

All Life Long simmers in an ever-shifting tension between repetition and variation. The pieces for brass, organ, and voice are alternated asymmetrically, providing nearly continuous timbral fluctuation across its 78-minute runtime even as thematic material reiterates. Each composition’s internal framework of fractal pattern permutations has the paradoxical effect of creating anticipated keystone moments of dramatic reverie and lulling the listener into believing in an illusory endlessness. On an even more granular level, the historical meantone tuning systems of each organ used, and the variable intonation of brass and voice, provide further points of emotional excavation within the harmony.

The titular composition “All Life Long” appears twice on the album, first as an extended canon for organ and again in the final quarter, compactly arranged for voice. In the latter, Malone pairs the music with “The Crying Water” by Arthur Symons, a poem steeped in language of mourning and eternity. For organ, “All Life Long” moves with a patient stateliness, the drama concentrated in moments when shifting tonalities generate and release dissonance and ecstasy. For voice, each word is saturated with feeling, the singers swooping gracefully downward to capture the melancholy of the narrator’s relationship to the timeless tears of the sea. “Passage Through The Spheres,” the album’s opening piece, contains lyrics in Italian pulled from Giorgio Agamban’s essay In Praise of Profanation. In it, Agamban defines profanation as, in part, the act of bringing back to communal, secular use that which has been segregated to the realm of the sacred, a process Malone enacts each time she performs on church organs.

This is not music of praise, or of spiritual revelation, but it is an artistic enactment of translating the indescribable. It carries the gravity of liturgical chant, and its fixation on the infinite, but draws its weight from the earthly realm of human experience. A music that draws the listener into the present moment where they can discover themselves within the interwoven musical patterns that can come to resemble the passage of days, weeks, years, a lifetime.

TRACK LISTING

1. Passage Through The Spheres
2. All Life Long (for Organ)
3. No Sun To Burn (for Brass)
4. Prisoned On Watery Shore
5. Retrograde Canon
6. Slow Of Faith
7. Fastened Maze
8. No Sun To Burn (for Organ)
9. All Life Long (for Voice)
10. Moving Forward
11. Formation Flight
12. The Unification Of Inner & Outer Life

"Secret Love" is the first single taken from "Pearl Diver", the fourth album from the German shoegazers Malory. 10 years after their debut album "Not Here Not Now" was released they are back once again.

“The Discomfort Of Evening” is the incredible and original soundtrack by prolific Belgian composer Michiel de Malsche to 2020 International Booker Prize winner The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld. Visceral and virtuosic, Rijneveld's novel follows Jas, a girl growing up in a devout Christian family that runs a Dutch dairy farm, whose brother dies in an accident after she wishes he would die instead of her rabbit. Lost in grief, her family falls apart as she becomes consumed by increasingly dangerous fantasies.

Michiel de Malsche has captured the atmosphere and spirit of Rijneveld's book perfectly, moving through moments of confrontation and introspection, sinking into spirals of despair, stasis and subtle hope and change. Brooding ambient basslines, driven by droning murmurs, are offset with melismatic electro-acoustic pieces that embody the novel's haunting and dissonant world, whilst also incorporating manipulated field recordings such as animal sounds and a church service, allowing for a full manifestation of Jas’s world in a completely new way.

De Malsche achieves this by rallying an unusual combination of acoustic instruments (16 in total) played by top-of-their-field musicians, creating a truly unique sound world and tonal palette, including an Ondes Martenot, a 7-stringed Chinese instrument called a guqin, a marimba, a string 6-tet, a toy piano and a bass flute.

De Malsche always confronts all emotional levels of his source material head-on, making his soundtrack into much more than just a fever dream. It is a precise description of, and accompaniment to, a devastatingly impactful book.

Michiel De Malsche is a Belgian composer, multi-instrumentalist and sound designer. He studied classical composition at the conservatories of Rotterdam and Ghent. His music has been performed all over the world and he has composed and produced dozens of soundtracks for contemporary dance, theatre, movies and documentaries.

Besides his work as a contemporary classical composer, he is active as a studio musician and producer in the world of electronic music.

TRACK LISTING

Wind Waker
Mourning Silence
Beatrix S Death March
Compulsary Discomfort
Daddy's Breakfast
Mother's Downhill
Awakenings
Mating Season
Sunday Church Day
Smoking Chair
Retaliation
Physical Death

Eric Maltz kicks off his Flower Myth label earlier in the year with "Pathway". Warmly received by me and WHP / Love International star DJ, Krysko, it showed a unique flair and sonic prowess from this producer who owes much of his break to New Jersey's Levon Vincent who mentored him during his early years.

“Estuaries” sees the producer drop his second personalized twelve-inch, and features four electronically produced tracks that, though skirting freely through house music's loose framework, instantly purvey a character and individuality that belies his relatively short time spent making tunes.

Definitely inspired by techno's cutting edge production, the easiest comparisons I can make are with DJ Qu and friend / luminary, Levon Vincent. These are tracks for late into the session, blackened with thick textures and unrelenting rhythms yet dynamic and undulating like all good house music structures. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: I've got a feeling me and the aforementioned Krysko will be bagging this pronto and moving it swiftly to the front of our bag yet again. We suggest you do the same!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Mind Stretch
A2. Low Knee Cutter
B1. Estuaries
B2. Messin Around You

Eric Maltz had a busy 2018 with the release of the first two records on his label Flower Myth. The frenetic "Pathway EP" and the dub-techno informed "Estuaries EP". The smashing vocal single "Naked Broken" followed on Possible Futures as well as a remix for Marlon Hoffstadt, a debut performance at Berlin’s Atonal Festival and to close the year, a live set at Tresor with close friend Levon Vincent whose Novel Sound label released Eric's 2017 double EP NS-17.

2019 is now well underway and Maltz returns with another fresh look from his delectable audio wardrobe.

A side “Dream Journal” is one for the REM cycles. A development of Maltz’ signature psychedelic deep house sound, dub sound effects jump in and out of focus, swirling arpeggios pan across the stereo field and a playful piano solo take turns at the center of the stage as a deep bass line and funk-ready drum machine hold the fort.

On the flip, “Subliminal Virgo” is exactly that, hitting with a loose breakbeat and echoes of "Dream Journal" before settling into an unstoppably subby 4x4 throb. A synth solo hides deep under the layers as Maltz adventures into the dark chasms of thought gaps. Proving himself to be quite the unique and individual producer is our Eric, with little regard to whatever Fact and RA might be buzzing off this month, he's quietly developing his own infectious sound. Check! 

TRACK LISTING

A1. Dream Journal
B1. Subliminal Virgo

Post-punk roots rockers rip It up and start again. "Bye Bye Bayou" is Mama Rosin's breakthrough album: here the Swiss trio create a sound unlike any other band on earth. This is rock'n'roll at its most primal, warped and obsessive, where Lower East Side hustlers go alligator hunting. Put simply: 'Bye Bye Bayou' is bad-ass.

Long celebrated as a seminal live band, Mama Rosin's unique vision - Louisiana swamp grooves meet New York's CBGB white heat / white noise! - found legendary American rocker Jon Spencer embracing the band. Matching Mama Rosin with Jon Spencer proved a marriage made in rock'n'roll heaven: rich in texture and flavour, 'Bye Bye Bayou' stands tall as 2012's most uncompromising album.

''Mama Rosin are a rare band that combine familiar influences in subtle and striking ways to achieve a wholly unique and very personal form of music'' Jon Spencer

STAFF COMMENTS

Philippa says: Country cajun blues punk? From Switzerland? Recommended by Jon Spencer!

New Acid Jazz signing Mama Terra is the brainchild of Glaswegian pianist and composer Marco Cafolla, who conceived The Summoned during lockdown. Playing piano and bass keys, he used hip hop and modern American Jazz drummer samples to create a rhythm section. 

The stems were sent to Orangefish Studio in Brooklyn, NYC where Derek Neivergelt (Terrance Blanchard) Evan Pazner (Lee Fields) added a live rhythm section, with guest trumpet solos from Jeremy Pelt. The Summoned is a conceptual journey through life and the universe – a new an invigorated take on spiritual jazz with a sprinkling of soul. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Ruptura
2. Sunday
3. The Summoned
4. A Mind Supreme
5. Novo
6. Radio Silence
7. Last Hour
8. Like Tears In Rain

Traditional village music transformed into fiery and frenetic underground Hip Hop. Emerging from the digital cultural renaissance of the early 2000s, where DIY studios sprung up throughout West Africa, “Patriote” is a shining example of localized global music. Hypnotic and driving rhythms built from sampled percussion and chopped-up instruments combine with syncopated staccato “ragga” inspired flow into infectious hammering tracks that sound like nothing before.

Mamaki Boys was formed in 2002 by Aziz Tony, Bachou Issouf, and Salif André, when a local Hip Hop movement was exploding in the capital of Niger. “Patriote” was recorded to address a trend in the scene they perceived as too derivative. Produced at Studio BAT, one of the first studios in Niamey, Mamaki Boys sought to merge modern Hip Hop with traditional music. They invited elder musicians into the studio to play Nigerien instruments like duma and kalango, which were sampled and looped over their compositions. “We wanted to put tradition in the rap, ancestral dances, the things that our grandparents did in the village,” Aziz explains. “Our mission was to re-value the culture, put it into Hip Hop, and to show all the colors of our country.”

Self-describing their music as “tradi-moderne”, a Nigerien movement of folk revitalization, their cultural manifesto presents through every aspect of their work. Each track relies heavily on traditional instruments, and each rhythm is based on a dance from Niger. Their mission extends to the urgency of their lyrics: Takai challenges the population to preserve their culture, Kagani Kagani is a demand to take back mineral, oil, and uranium rights from their colonizers, while Komando uses war cries to inspire artists to keep speaking out. A strong entry in 21st-century global music, Mamaki Boys “Patriote” takes back the tools of globalization, repurposing them in the fight for cultural identity.

Originally self-released in 2009 on limited edition CDR in Niger.

LP plays at 45rpm.

TRACK LISTING

1. Kagani Kagani
2. Kirari
3. Guilgijin Goriba
4. Takkai
5. Sama Ko Kassa
6. Komando

Mamas Gun animate the spirit of conscious ‘70s soul on bold and big-hearted new album, 'Cure The Jones'. Out ofthe turbulence of the last two years comes the fifth album from UK-based soul outfit Mamas Gun - a lush, nuancedand expansively contemporary meditation on a world turned upside down, embedded in the classic soul traditionof Bill Withers and Marvin Gaye.

Building on 2018 album Golden Days and the band’s status as a world-renownedlive act, 11-track opus Cure The Jones represents Mamas Guns’ most complete and powerful work to date - ajoyous and sophisticated exposition of song-craft, that explores themes of love, loss, life through the most pressingsocial and political issues of the day. Written and produced during the pandemic by Mamas Gun frontman AndyPlatts with additional intricate soundscaping from drummer Chris Boot, Cure The Jones was recorded direct to tapewith an array of analogue gear at Platts’ home studio in just three days, focussing the soulful energy of the bandinto a coherent gospel-tinged whole.

“Rather wonderful music that combines classic soul influences with a distinctly modern production approach” - Sunday Times.

TRACK LISTING

1. When You Stole The Sun From The Sky
2. Looking For Moses
3. Go Through It
4. Good Love
5. Reconsider
6. Party For One
7. Friends To Lovers
8. Cure The Jones
9. You're Too Hip (For MeBaby)
10. Winner's Eyes
11. Daffodils

Mammal Hands are a trio of like-minded musicians: Nick Smart piano, Jesse Barrett drums and tabla, and Jordan Smart saxophones. Floa is their second album for Gondwana Records and in the 18 months since their debut, Animalia, they have carved out a growing following both here and abroad for their hypnotic fusion of jazz, folk and electronica: winning fans from Bonobo and Gilles Peterson to Jamie Cullum. Landmark live performances have included shows at King's Place in London and the RNCM in Manchester, as well as a barn-storming debut at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Drawing on a rich well of influences from Sufi and shamanic African trance music, Irish and Eastern European folk music, to Steve Reich and Philip Glass and more contemporary electronica influences, their music is built around deceptively simple sounding ideas that are lent power through the use of repetition and rhythmic loops. They have been compared to both Portico Quartet and GoGo Penguin for the way in which they navigate the choppy waters between contemporary dance music and jazz.

Floa (an old Norse word that means to deluge or to flow) is the sound of a more confident, experienced band: one that has grown together naturally through touring and gigging and through mammoth writing and rehearsal sessions where all three bring rhythmic, improvisational and melodic ideas to the table. Floa was recorded at Gondwana's home from home, 80 Hertz Studios in Manchester, reuniting the band with producer Matthew Halsall and features some of the Gondwana Orchestra strings who played on Halsall's acclaimed album Into Forever. Together they have crafted a wonderful sounding record, the richness of which perfectly illuminates the band's music. Artwork is from Gondwana's in-house design maestro Daniel Halsall whose artwork of symbols created from older symbols perfectly illustrates the creative ideas that drive the band's music.

The release is supported by an extensive UK tour including dates in Norwich, Bristol, Brighton, Manchester and beyond. The band support Matthew Halsall at St John's Hackney on May 26th and have their own head-line show at the Jazz Café, Camden on 31st May.

Confirmed airplay from Jamie Cullum BBC Radio 2, Gilles Peterson 6 Music, Radio 3 Late Junction, BBC Scotland Jazz House, Jazz FM, John Kennedy X and full servicing to all specialist and online radio stations. Reviews from The Guardian, Mojo, Record Collector, Jazzwise, Nos Magazine, Nowthen and local press. Online support from AllAboutJazz, Quietus, Access All Areas, Bebop Spoken Here and beyond.

TRACK LISTING

1. Quiet Fire
2. Hillum
3. Hourglass
4. Think Anything
5. In The Treetops
6. The Eyes That Saw The Mountain
7. Kudu
8. The Falling Dream
9. Shift

Mammoth Penguins are a 3-piece indie powerhouse, showcasing the songwriting and vocal talents of Emma Kupa (Standard Fare) backed up by the noisiest rhythm section in indie pop.

May 2024 sees the release of their fourth album Here on Fika Recordings. After 2019’s big, bold and confident There’s No Fight We Can’t Both Win, and the initial shock of the global pandemic cancelling a trip to SXSW in 2020, the band returned to the studio in the summer of 2021 to start recording.

The new record leans into a raw pop-punk power-trio sound more than ever, with a deep growl in layered guitars and bursts of percussion and harmony. The songs and artwork explore themes about finding a place for yourself and familiarity with people and places. Although it turns back towards a classic three-piece sound, the band weren’t restricted by that palette, adding finishing touches of percussion, extra guitars and backing vocals in short bursts in a garden shed, and also bringing in gorgeous strings to sweeten the title track.

The sound builds on the band’s first album, Hide and Seek, which was released with the much-loved and sorely missed Fortuna POP! in 2015. The follow-up LP John Doe in 2017 was an ambitious concept album, exploring the feelings of loss and anger at a man who fakes his own death only to return years later, expanding well beyond the 3-piece rock‘n’roll template, with washes of strings, synths and samples.

The ‘Penguins have been smashing it at some high-profile support slots in the lead up to this album release, including at Allo Darlin’s joyous reunion at Islington Assembly Hall (Oct 2023) and Muncie Girls last ever London show (Dec 2023). They play the Leicester Indiepop all-dayer and Wales Goes Pop in March, before heading out on tour in support of the new album in May.

Those big singalong choruses need your voice shouting back from the crowd with joy and defiance.

Mammoth Penguins are Emma Kupa (guitar, vocals), Mark Boxall (bass, vocals) and Tom Barden (drums, vocals). Reminiscent of the pop melodies of The Beths, the indie dissonance of Land of Talk, and the guitar forward slacker rock of Weezer, Mammoth Penguins marry heart-ache indiepop with spiky guitars and Emma’s frank confessional songwriting.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Species
A2. I Know The Signs
A3. Flyers
A4. Blue Plaque
A5. Everything That I Write
A6. Here
B1. Nothing And Everything
B2. Help Yourself
B3. Old Friends
B4. Lost Friends
B5. Success
B6. A Plea For Kindness

‘Yn Ol I Annwyn’, Welsh for Return To The Underworld’, it is the third part of the trilogy of albums that began with ‘Noeth Ac Anoeth’ in 2015 and 2017’s ‘Y Proffwyd Dwyll’ (which got them nominated for the Welsh Music Prize in 2017). Whilst MWWB as a band, have never been overly visible, they don’t tend to be idle. 2018 saw them release a split 12” with kindred spirits, Slomatics, and being personally asked by Robert Smith of The Cure to play his Meltdown in London. Not to mention playing an international array of dates and other festivals, prior recording this epic third album. So last Summer, along with new bassist Stuart Sinclair, MWWB returned to Skyhammer Studios and Chris Fielding, to create ‘Yn Ol I Annwyn’. The 8 songs that comprise thes album, sees the band delve deeper into their collective influences, embracing full on space rock, atmospheric film soundtracks, melancholic acoustic interludes, psychedelia, cosmic moogs and percussion, moments of introspection and light … and of course, large helpings of doom.


The fat riffs, big hooks and endless space grooves are all present. Jessica Ball’s voice glides over it all, both sweet and melancholy, yet this time more assured. A myriad of stacked harmonies and layered vocals weave in and out of the tracks, adding an ‘other-worldly’ melodicism to the songs. Here’s what guitarist Paul Michael Davies had to say …“For the 3rd album I wanted to take the band's sound even further but still stay true to what made us start the band in the first place. Personally, I think the doom scene is (thankfully) thriving, but some of the ‘genre’ tropes can be a bit limiting, and we are all about pushing that. So some elements of this album will be something different for the usual doom fan. It’s kind of a nice mix of our usual heavy riffs but with some fresh elements.


Vocalist Jessica Ball adds … “Album number 3 definitely fits in with the theme of our music evolving, as we’ve been hinting at with the design on our album covers. I feel that we’ve really pushed the boat out on this one, I can’t wait for it to be released!” In fact the album as a whole, is very much a sonic journey into some cosmos on the edge of forever. The short moog piece ‘Tralfamadore’ is your starting point for a voyage that takes in the cosmic space doom of ‘The Spaceships Of Ezekiel’ which manages to mix prog time shifts, heavy riffing, moog licks and catchiness within its 8 odd minutes. Fata Morgana has its rolling almost folk-ish guitar melody on which Jess Ball’s vocals float and shimmer, until it crashes into full on sludge and shoegaze for the second part of the song. ‘Du Bist Jetzt Nicht In Der Zukunft’ is an atmospheric cello and synth soundscape with Ball’s vocal textures weaving and dancing throughout.

Title track ‘Yn Ol I Annwyn’ is down tuned, fuzz drenched, ethereal. It could almost be pop, if it wasn’t for the strangeness and heaviness that lurks within. Katyusha is a 13 minute plus instrumental. With its many parts and riffs interlocking and changing, it’s a journey in itself. ‘The Majestic Clockwork’ is a chugging leviathan punctuated with cello stabs, staccato vocals, fuzz drones and floating choirs, before riffing out on a moog trip. The album closes with ‘Five Days In The Abyss’ a mix of atmospherics and fat crushing riffs, an ideal way to end our journey … destination … somewhere new. Previous comparisons to Windhand, Yob, Sleep. or whatever, are rendered completely redundant with ‘Yn Ol I Annwyn’. Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard sound like Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, full stop.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: From the thrashing, world-crushing drive of tunes like 'Fata Morgana' to the more meditative synth-led cosmic doom (think Wolves In The Throne Room - Celestite vs Mastodon), MWWB have been a whirlwind of riffage and conceptual brilliance since their 2016 introduction, 'Y Proffwyd Dwyll'. things have only gotten heavier and more intricate and this is without a doubt their most earth-shattering outing yet. Essential.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Tralfamadore
A2. The Spaceships Of Ezekiel 
B1. Fata Morgana
B2. Du Bist Jetzt Nicht In Der Zukunft 
C1, Yn Ol I Annwyn
C2, Katyusha 
D1. The Majestic Clockwork
D2. Five Days In The Abyss

Mampön are back! unleashing their Afrobeat enchantment on a new 45 release.

Crafted for the dancefloor, "Si Algún Dia Has De Caer" combines party beats with Spanish lyrics. Hectór Rodriguez, the band's guitarist and lead singer, creates a deep connection between celebration and introspection on an enchanting vocal-rhodes introduction before the rhythm takes you for a dance.

On the B-side, Mampön maintains the Afrobeat tradition as more than just dance music—it's a protest, a resistance. "Papeles Rotos" portrays people as slaves with rights on wet, torn paper, urging listeners to forge their path regardless of the cost.

Mampön emerges as a true soft power, destined for every dance floor, spreading Afrobeat magic.

TRACK LISTING

1. Si Algún Día Has De Caer
2. Papeles Rotos

Mamuthones may have originally taken their name from the death-masks used in rituals in their native Sardinia, and initially emerged from the Italian occult psychedelic movement alongside the likes of Father Murphy, Mai Mai Mai and their labelmates Lay Llamas. Yet now, in the wake of their Rocket Recordings debut album ‘Fear On The Corner’, the band find themselves undergoing a metamorphosis from mystical and ceremonial realms into a direct connection with the everyday, the personal and the political.

This vibrant reinvention also sees Mamuthones transcending their roots in Italian prog and soundtrack work and shifting their modus operandi firmly in the direction of a distinctly New York-based headspace - a realm of mirrorballs and black-clad basements both As the band’s Alessio Gastaldello tells it, this is a groove-based. eclectic style that finds its metier in the realm of two albums which are paid direct homage in the record’s very title - the bleak and kinetic ‘Fear Of Music’ by Talking Heads and the iconoclastic, heat-haze repetition of Miles Davis’ ‘On The Corner’. “The songs deal with fear.” he clarifies. “Fear of the present, of human situations, fear of the new political situation, but also fear of relationship breakdown, fear of not finding “a place in the world”, fear of fear itself”

Yet this is principally an aural landscape whereby the eclectic mischief of ZE Records, the sonic brinksmanship of ‘Tago Mago’ era Can and the post-punk songwriting flair of LCD Soundystem can happily form communion in a post-2AM reverie. “it is a big dance party for very sad events” clarifies Alessio, on the disparity between the serious nature of this record’s subject matter and its distinctly hedonistic atmosphere. “We are a kind of Titanic orchestra playing and dancing while the ship goes down. The party must go on

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Sitting comfortably between the art-rock angularity of Devo and the spoken word aesthetic and visceral drive of Sleaford Mods (as well as the already mentioned Talking Heads and Miles Davis influences). Mamuthones manage to take us through a tour of a wide variety of impeccably absorbed influences without sounding like any of them. Fascinating and ultimately brilliant weirdo rock.

TRACK LISTING

01/Cars (4:47)
02/Show Me (4:53)
03/Fear On The Corner (5:34)
04/The Wrong Side (5:27)
04/Alone(8:11)
04/Simon Choule (4:45)
04/Here We Are (10:08)

Man & The Echo release their eponymous debut album, produced by Neil Comber (MIA, Django Django), via 1965 Records.

The release follows a string of acclaimed single releases from the Warrington fourpiece within the past twelve months, with plays across Radio 2, Radio 4, 6Music, Radio X and Absolute Radio, as well as an invite to play Billy Bragg’s Leftfield stage during this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

‘Man & The Echo’ is a soulful, poetic, eleven track statement from a band clearing their own space amidst a cluttered musical landscape.

The album skirts numerous musical signposts, spanning the likes of The Smiths, Dexys, Pulp, 50/60s crooning, blue eyed soul and much more, arriving at a sound that isn’t retro as much as ricocheting through pop’s many decades and landing squarely in the post- Brexit, conflicted, chaotic UK of the here and now.

“Man & The Echo seem to take each step with remarkable precision. The past 18 months have brought a steady series of singles, each stamped with a biting sense of intelligence.” - Clash

TRACK LISTING

Distance Runner
On Holidays
Very Personally Yours
Operation Margarine
Care Routine
Goodnight To Arms
The Favourite Band Of A Dead Man
Room With A View
Pulse
The Last Introvert
The Cold Is Stronger Than You Are

"Ultraviolet Overdrive" is the follow-up to Man In Formaldehyde's "Copper Sulphate Crystals". A lot has changed since that 2003 release: The melodic core is still there but the production trickery has been dropped in favor of stripped down, pure composition. Meditational and intimate, "Time-Lapse Flower 1" starts with solo church organ untraditionally stripped of it's grand cathedral-filling reverberations, leaving it warmer and more fragile. Its world weary drone counterbalanced by a beautiful oboe melody and shimmering vibes. Violins and pianos weep. Harps and vibes cast magic spells and time slows down to a crawl.

Having wowed us all with the ace "Oh My Gosh", Man Like Me returns with live favorite "Wine And Dine". On the flip the grind-tastic grime groove of the original is whisked up into a fierce and frolicsome slice of electrohouse by Tsuba boy Williams.

Produced by Ray Man and mixed by Nick Launay (Kate Bush, Lou Reed, Arcade Fire), it was recorded at the trio's shared house over a year and a half. Every time they gigged and the songs changed, they'd re-record them. The record to them, after all, is meant to be "the menu of the live experience." "[The songs change every night] and that depends on the audience, the room and the atmosphere," Nile explains. "It shouldn't be 'we have an album, let us play it for you'. It's 'we are a band and we have recorded us playing for you'."

TV Broke My Brain certainly captures the energy and passion that goes into the band, and presents it with its American alt-rock influences (you can hear everything from Sonic Youth to The Shins in its 11 tracks) firmly on its sleeve. Unplug yourself from the matrix of gadgets in your life and connect with Man Made instead.

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: Excellent, energetic, melodic guitar pop from these up and coming Mancunians. Recommended.

TRACK LISTING

Carsick Cars
Hi Tech Low Life
You Never Know How It Feels
Raining In My Head
Plastic Key To Living
Everything We Miss
Bring Some
Nobody's Dreaming
All Mine
TV Broke My Brain
Slowdance

When Man Man released its last album, “Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between," frontman Honus Honus (née Ryan Kattner) was in a state of unrest, oscillating between hope and cynicism. Perhaps fittingly, the album dropped during the pandemic, a time at which we could all relate. But, much like that bizarre turn of events, the ennui now seems so distant to Man Man.

A revived sense of purpose washes through Man Man’s new album, Carrot on Strings, radiating a mix of calm and confidence. Kattner always embodied a wild-man pied-piper vibe: his melodic, unhinged art-rock was at once intriguing and angsty. He was so alluringly creative that you went along with it, even if you were never sure where Man Man would take you. Carrot on Strings is no less inventive, but its ethos is radical in context of the band’s two-decade career. “When I was younger, I would feed off of chaos. I would, you know, be upset and get drunk and smash chairs,” Kattner explains. “Now those chairs are in my head: It's less of an outward projection, more of an interior monologue.”

The name “Carrot on Strings” came to Kattner while experimenting with the sound of someone munching on the vegetable, which you can hear in the cacophonous, similarly named song. It alludes to how success always seemed to dangle uncertainly before him, often just out of reach. But listen intently and you’ll hear a more content Kattner finding an uneasy peace: “Life, as far as I’ve known it, has always been side hustles. Would it be great if I could go into a studio and record for a year without figuring out how to finance it? Yeah, it would be,” he says. “But ultimately, I need to keep making music because art is an extension of my psyche. It’s how I have learned to translate the palpitations of my heart. Simply put, I’d go insane without it.”

Growing up as a multiracial Hapa kid (half Filipino, half white) with a father in the U.S. Air Force, Kattner lived an itinerant childhood that included a few pivotal years in Germany, where he honed in on an appreciation for out there German cinema and art. His film obsessions and screenwriting background were crucial to Carrot on Strings. The album nods to the films of Werner Herzog and Rainer Werner Fassbinder as much as Italo-disco, Randy Newman, goth rock, and avant pop. (Kattner continues to work in the film industry with an acting role in the upcoming horror-comedy movie Destroy All Neighbors, for which he also served as composer; music supervising season 1 & 2 of the Interview With The Vampire AMC TV series; and shopping around, with director Matthew Goodhue, a script he wrote that he describes as a Wim Wenders road movie on acid.)

In a bid to not overthink anything - his last album took seven years to make - he recorded the bulk of Carrot On Strings in five days in Mant Sounds studio in Glassell Park, Los Angeles with “very chill” producer Matt Schuessler, who had worked on Man Man’s cover of Neu!’s “Super” for the seminal Krautrock band’s box set. The resulting album represents a newfound sense of self for Kattner, who finds himself inspired and at peace both personally and artistically in ways that eluded him for most of his first 15 years playing music. When, on Carrot On Strings, you hear Kattner croon humbly, or sing of the tension between his outsize stage persona and the thoughtful, soulful guy he actually is, you’re hearing Kattner liberate himself. “I first got into music to escape from myself,” he says. “And now, it sounds so corny, but I have zero doubt that music ended up saving my life.”

TRACK LISTING

1. Iguana
2. Cryptoad
3. Tastes Like Metal
4. Mongolian Spot
5. Blooodungeon
6. Carrots On Strings
7. Mulholland Drive
8. Pack Your Bags
9. Alibi
10. Cherry Cowboy
11. Odyssey

Honus Honus (aka Ryan Kattner) has devoted his career to exploring the uncertainty between life’s extremes, beauty and ugliness, order and chaos. The songs on ‘Dream Hunting In The Valley Of The In-Between’, Man Man’s first album in over six years and their Sub Pop debut, are as intimate, soulful and timeless as they are audaciously inventive and daring, resulting in his best Man Man album to date.

The 17-track effort, featuring ‘Cloud Nein’, ‘Future Peg’, ‘On the Mend’, ‘Sheela’ and ‘Animal Attraction’, was produced by Cyrus Ghahremani, mixed by S. Husky Höskulds (Norah Jones, Tom Waits, Mike Patton, Solomon Burke, Bettye LaVette, Allen Toussaint) and mastered by Dave Cooley (Blood Orange, M83, DIIV, Paramore, Snail Mail, clipping).

‘Dream Hunting In The Valley Of The In-Between’ also includes guest vocals from Steady Holiday’s Dre Babinski on ‘Future Peg’ and ‘If Only’ and Rebecca Black (singer of the viral pop hit ‘Friday’) on ‘On the Mend’ and ‘Lonely Beuys’.

The album follows the release of ‘Beached’ and ‘Witch’, Man Man’s contributions to Vol. 4 of the Sub Pop Singles Club in 2019.

TRACK LISTING

Dreamers
Cloud Nein
On The Mend
Lonely Beuys
Future Peg
Goat
Inner Iggy
Hunters
Oyster Point
The Prettiest Song In The
World
Animal Attraction
Sheela
Unsweet Meat
Swan
Powder My Wig
If Only
In The Valley Of The In-Between

For Man On Man, the duo of boyfriends Roddy Bottum (Imperial Teen, Faith No More) and Joey Holman (HOLMAN), 2021 was a monumental year. Without knowing exactly what they were making the year prior, the couple had recorded a batch of songs while traveling across the country to be with their ailing mothers during the pandemic, both of whom passed away in the span of just 6 months. The songs that came out during this time celebrated the love they have for each other while championing the queer scenes they surround themselves with. They are deeply intentional and their overall message is rooted in the Queer experience – songs about gay love, pride, acceptance, self-empowerment, and appropriation. The tracks would eventually appear on their self- titled debut album, which instantly garnered critical acclaim in outlets such as Paste, them, and Rolling Stone, who called it “a new type of queer anthem that celebrates body image and diversity, while also remaining ironic and subversive."

On the band’s second album, Provincetown, Bottum and Holman sharpened their songwriting and production choices with an adrenalized agenda. Mixed by Steven James Aguilar (The Head and the Heart, Moby), the album is more focused and cohesive, showcasing themes of encouragement and support for the queer community in ways that may be seen as provocative or unorthodox - it’s loud and abrasive rock music with a message. Standouts like “Showgirls” and “Take It From Me'' reinforce the band’s inspiring sense of confidence and love for their community, while tracks like “Piggy” and “Hush (featuring J Mascis)” feature intense and biting distortion that elevates the album’s energy and strong throughline. If MAN ON MAN introduced the world to the gay anthems of two supportive lovers, Provincetown turns it up a notch - M.O.M. are taking risks, putting themselves out there and shouting for what they believe in. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Take It From Me
2. Showgirls
3. I Feel Good
4. Haute Couture
5. Piggy
6. Kids
7. Feelings
8. Gloryhole
9. Who Could Know
10. Hush

Repressed for the first time in a while. EEVIAC Operational Index and Reference Guide, Including Other Modern Computational Devices is the 5th full-length studio album by Man or Astroman?. E.E.V.I.A.C. is an acronym and stands for "Embedded Electronic Variably Integrated Astro Console" (also known as the "EEVIAC Mainframe Supercomputer") and is a play on ENIAC, which is sometimes hailed as the first modern computer. Man or Astroman? actually built a mockup of a supercomputer to have onstage for this album

TRACK LISTING

"Interstellar Hardrive"
"D:Contamination"
"U-235/PU-239"
"Domain Of The Human Race"
"Theme From EEVIAC"
"A Reversal Of Polarity"
"Fractionalized Reception Of A Scrambled Transmission"
"Engines Of Difference"
"Psychology Of A.I. (Numbers Follow Answers)"
"Krasnoyask-26"
"Within The Mainframe, Impaired Vision From Inoperable Cataracts Can Become A New Impending Nepotism"
"As Estrelas Agora Elas Estão Mortas"
"_____/Myopia"
"Automated Liner Notes Sequence" 

The band’s session for the Beat Patrol wasn't even noted within the BBC's vast archives, but trusted Astro-pal The Boo-Yaa Boy (aka Henry @ Chunklet) uncovered this session with the generous help of Paul Carlin up at Radio Scotland. A total of seven songs were recorded, six were usable, and four are being released on this single, the second of seven.

TRACK LISTING

1. Shockwave
2. Mouthful Of Exhaust
3. Sadie Hawkins Atom Bomb
4. Theme From The Munsters

Kenyan folk artist Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno and Man Power met while both artists in residence at the esteemed Glasshouse International Centre for Music and offer us something truly original here at M.A.D Records. Music has the power to bring people together and this is a shining example, Kenyan folk and electronic music from the North East of England - what’s not to like. On the flip label bosses Make A Dance offer up two remixes.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: There's simply no stopping Make A Dance as they quickly ratchet up the releases. Number eight sees north east maverick Man Power team up with Kenyan based Rapasa Nyatrapasa Otieno for an exotic and richly scented double header. As usually, the MAD crew are on hand with a high voltage remix. Great label that you need to get to know!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Lou Land
A2. Battle Hil
B1. Battle Hill - Make A Dance Remix
B2. Battle Hill - M.A.D Dub Mix

Since Danielle Mana's 2017 debut EP for Hyperdub, ‘Creature’, which was a taut, evocative suite of beatless, almost neo-classical electronics, we now find his music has caught an alien virus and started hallucinating. On ‘Seven Steps Behind’, the borders between reality and the weird have collapsed on each other, and with each listen through its zigzagging course, you’re rewarded by its strange twists and turns. ‘Seven Steps Behind’ is an electronic album that doesn’t always sound electronic; a great deal of the record has been created to sound like prepared pianos, harpsichords, cellos and flutes. At other times, sampled acoustic instruments and specially recorded sessions have been processed through software and careful editing. It’s this sophisticated layering of contrasting versions of the same sources that help give this record its uncanny balance.

The album also plays with your sense of time in its mostly drum-free hall of mirrors, pulling from minimalism, chamber music, dark jazz, and synthesiser experiments. Mana’s singing voice also makes it’s debut here, albeit adorned by abrasive FXs. His lyrics are encrypted in noise, in fitting with the music’s chimeric character, casting images for the listener to decipher. His heavily manipulated voice enters on second track ‘Myopia For The Future’, sounding something like a singing motorbike pitched over bouncing ostinatos, or on ‘No Body’s inhuman, word-less range, where it’s impossible to tell where the human finishes and the machine starts. Or in the case of ‘Leverage For Survival’ it’s animal and machine. Here, as with the album’s eponymous final track, a sensory assault subsides to reveal a heart-wrenching melancholy that anchors the record. Listening to ‘Seven Steps Behind’ is like stepping into a dream, with all the curious emotions and buried meaning that involves. Yet for all its restless, shifting energy it manages to hold both dissonance and melody in sweet proportion.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Risk Taking
A2. Myopia For The Future
A3. Talking / Choking Ft. Yendry
A4. A Note To The Limits
B1. Swordsmanship
B2. Leverage For Survival
B3. Symphony Of Regulation
C1. Solo
C2. No Body
C3. Instinction
D1. Soaking In Water
D2. Seven Steps Behind

Combine a single-malt voice, an acoustic guitar, songs from the heart and a touch of magic, and you have the music of Mari Mana.
Her music possesses that nostalgic familiarity and that fresh wonder at the same time.
Her performance is a unique and enchanting expression of wise melancholy and a poetic love for life.

Mari Mana was born and raised in Berlin. She wrote her first songs in the year 2000, and since 2008 has taken her performances to various concerts and festivals worldwide.
With arrangements consisting of strings, bass, drums and electronic elements, arranged and produced together with Mo Stern, we present Mari Mana’s music for the first time on vinyl.

The songs 'Floating' and 'Find Me' are influenced by Soul, Folk and Electronic Music, and feature various international musicians, including Alex Trebo (ITA), Timo Lassy (FIN), Marlene Schuen (ITA), Lee Caspi (ISR) and Natasha Jaffe (USA). 

TRACK LISTING

A1. Floating
B1. Find Me

One of three new 7"s out on Golden Lion Records and it's a UK reggae bonanza featuring two absolute legends from our home soils.

Nick Manasseh owns The Yard, Ladbrook Grove; and has been pivotal in the London scene since the 1980s. Earl Gateshead originally gained momentum in Bradford's West Indian Centre before gaining a residency in Soho which he pilotted for 20 years before working at Plastic People and going on tour with Dr. Alimantado and Big Youth.

Manesseh wields a the 'reggae flute' (or melodica as it's more commonly known) on "Lion's Paw"; a creeping slice of jungle dub somewhere between Pablo, Perry and Tubby with ancient percussion and plenty dub delay.

On the flip, Earl Gateshead showcases some impressive lyrical direction on the track, "Dirty City"; which, as well as containing a supremely infectious chorus, includes some delightfully introspective and insightful lines as it moves through a steady roots groove populated with shimmering psychedelic elements. 

Maximum vibes up inna Todmorden areee-ah! 

 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Proper reggae royalty on this GLS 7". Manesseh with his storied London soundsystem history and Gateshead with his celebrity tour DJ credentials. Both collide inna soundclash stylee on the highly collectable Golden Lion series.

TRACK LISTING

Nick Manasseh - Lion's Paw
Earl Gateshead - Dirty City

Slumberland Records is very happy to present the first release by the San Francisco / Oakland band Manatee. Featuring Black Tambourine / Whorl alumnus Mike Schulman, Manatee was a relatively short-lived project that, on the evidence of this fine single, flamed out far too quickly. Inspired by bands as diverse as Velvet Underground, The Ramones, The
Feelies and The Replacements, Manatee created a straight-ahead brand of power-pop that's as impassioned as it is timeless. "Indecision" is an uptempo tune driven by a naggingly catchy guitar riff and Keith Neal's ace vocals. Hearkening back to the 80s heyday of Game Theory, The Replacements and The Smithereens, the track is an effortlessly rocking pop gem that demonstrates the enduring strength of the basic guitar / bass / drums format when combined with great songwriting and a passionate delivery.

"Fifteen Minute Drive" is a moodier affair, a minimal strum ’n’ drum that snaps along nicely until it reaches a squalling stun-guitar coda, what was once a subliminal bed of noise becoming a torrent of squeal and feedback. That combination of melody and untamed noise is a fine summation of the Manatee aesthetic, and of course makes the four-piece a natural for the Slumberland roster.

Since moving to Nashville to start their music career in 2012, Becca Mancari has been lauded for their dextrous songwriting and prodigious guitar playing. Their sophomore album The Greatest Part, released in 2020, was an indie rock opus that garnered acclaim from The New York Times, NPR, and more. After its release, however, Mancari was despairing. An illness in their family, coupled with a realization that their alcohol dependency had become untenable, led Mancari to begin the hard work of taking ownership of their existence by mending broken relationships and investing in their mental health. “I didn’t realize it then, but looking back, I was a passenger in my own life,” Mancari says.

The transformative period of self-reckoning was the catalyst that ultimately steered Mancari to write and produce their triumphant new album, Left Hand. After a disheartening studio session with an outside producer, Becca became convinced that they were capable of rendering their vision independently. Close friend and musical ally Juan Solorzano, who has played on all of Mancari’s albums since the debut of Good Woman in 2017, joined them in the studio to co-produce the majority of the record. In addition, Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves, Demi Lovato) co-wrote and co-produced the song “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” encouraging Mancari to track every instrument on the initial demos.

As much as self-producing this album was an act of resilience and growth in one’s own craft, Mancari brought trusted friends like Brittany Howard, who they play with in Bermuda Triangle, Julien Baker and Zac Farro into the process. Insecurities that had dogged Mancari since childhood couldn’t weather the force of energy in that studio, where they executed decisions with newfound certainty. The title track, “Left Hand,” is named for the Mancari family crest. After a lifetime spent feeling like they didn’t belong, Mancari unlocked a perfect metaphor in the crest: “In many cultures children born with a dominant left hand were taught not to use that hand, and were told that using the right hand was ‘normal’ and ‘correct.’

Similarly, queer children are often times told that it’s not ‘normal’ for them to love who they love and that they need to ‘change.’” On Left Hand, Mancari offers the listener a collection of songs that should be played in moments when we are in need of reassurance and encouragement. No song exemplifies this better than the ebullient track “Over and Over,” which is a reminder to friends that happiness doesn’t need to be fleeting. “I wanted to write a queer pop song that has meat on its bones,” they say. Inspired by one of many reckless and joyful hangs with dear friends in Nashville, the enlivening pop song makes a promise to them, and to the greater community Mancari embraces on this album.

“There is something to the feeling/ Head hanging out of the window/ Being ok that we don’t know,” sung on the chorus over a beat replete with congas and shakers. What follows is a promise to anyone who ever feels like the greatest moments of their life are disappearing in the rearview: “We can have it like we used to, over and over and over and over again.”

TRACK LISTING

1. Don’t Even Worry
2. Homesick Honeybee
3. Over And Over
4. Don’t Close Your Eyes
5. Mexican Queen
6. Left Hand
7. It’s Too Late
8. Eternity
9. I Had A Dream
10. I Needed You
11. You Don’t Scare Me
12. To Love The Earth

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

50th anniversary ltd edition, on individually numbered Pink vinyl. The Pink Panther is another fine, early-'60s soundtrack from Henry Mancini. The title track became one of his most recognizable themes and kicks off a pleasant program of dreamy lounge cuts and Latin-tinged numbers.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Pink Panther Theme 2:36
2. It Had Better Be Tonight (Instrumental) 1:44
3. Royal Blue 3:09
4. Champagne And Quail 2:45
5. The Village Inn 2:34
6. The Tiber Twist 2:47
7. It Had Better Be Tonight (Vocal) 1:56
8. Cortina 1:52
9. The Lonely Princess 2:25
10. Something For Sellers 2:45
11. Piano And Strings 2:34
12. Shades Of Sennett 1:22

April 16, 2024 marks the centenary of the birth of Henry Mancini. Ermitage celebrates him with the release of the very famous music of the Pink Panther with the unforgettable theme song and all the other compositions present in the 1963 film with Peter Sellers and Claudia Cardinale. Over forty years of career in cinema, music composed for over one hundred films, four Oscars out of 18 nominations, 20 Grammys and two Emmys, over 50 albums, more than 300 million copies sold worldwide, 500 songs composed: here is the portrait of Enrico Mancini.

Exclusive pink vinyl edition in magnificent gatefold and collectible cover!

TRACK LISTING

A1. The Pink Panther Theme
A2. It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera) (Instrumental)
A3. Royal Blue
A4. Champagne And Quail
A5. The Village Inn
A6. The Tiber Twist
B1. It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera)
B2. Cortina
B3. The Lonely Princess
B4. Something For Sellers
B5. Piano And Strings
B6. Shades Of Sennett

Iraina’s singular pop vision will be known to regular listeners of 6 Music, where her singles ‘Undo The Blue’, ‘Deep End’, ‘Shotgun’ and ‘Do It (You Stole The Rhythm)’ have all been enthusiastically embraced. Iraina's obsession with music stretches back into her early childhood, much of which was spent absorbing her parents’ collection of old 45s, in particular her dad’s Northern Soul records – an alternative education which meant that, by her early 20s, she was a familiar presence in the DJ booth at many discerning London club nights. Her love of French ye-ye, British freakbeat, Brazilian bossa nova, soul, and Turkish psych will be well-known to regular listeners of her Soho Radio show. Having always sung from a young age, Iraina embarked on a string of collaborators such as Jagz Kooner (Sabres Of Paradise), Sunglasses For Jaws (Miles Kane) and Simon Dine (Paul Weller, Noonday Underground) which truly saw her find her metier as a songwriter, conjuring melodies that stand shoulder to shoulder alongside her impeccable influences.

Iraina describes her first single for Needle Mythology ‘Cannonball’ as “a celebration of that moment when you meet someone you really fall for and it knocks you for six. It can be a bit scary, but you’ve just got to go with what your intuition is telling you.” Written with Simon Dine, the vertiginous heart-in-mouth abandon of the song perfectly mirrors the circumstances that brought it into being. Iraina cites Jacqueline Taïeb’s 1967 single 7h du Matin as an early inspiration for the song: “There’s such a great energy about that song. Her vocal is amazing and all those stops and starts that grab your attention.”

TRACK LISTING

1. Deep End
2. Cannonball
3. Sugar High
4. Undo The Blue
5. Do It (You Stole The Rhythm)
6. My Umbrella
7. Shotgun
8. What You Doin’ [featuring Miles Kane And Kitty Liv]
9. Need Your Love
10. Take A Bow

A unique synthesis of time-dilating folk-jazz romanticism, brittle chamber dub and plasmic post-techno electronics, "Tarquin Magnet" is Australian artist Tarquin Manek’s first full solo release on Blackest Ever Black, but by no means his first contribution to the label: he is one half of Tarcar (with Carla dal Forno) and a member of F ingers (with dal Forno and Sam Karmel), while his track "Not Missing You" features on the BEB compilation "I Can’t Give You The Life You Want". Manek has been busy elsewhere, too: he released "Th Duo", an LP made under his LST alias, on Another Dark Age earlier this year. The disturbed and enchanted environments of "Tarquin Magnet" are the result of improvisation, domestic field recording and fastidious editing; for all its rough textures and strange juxtapositions, this is masterfully mixed and arranged music, its deep spatial dynamics and higher dub logic powerfully apparent. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Sassafras Gesundheit
2. Fortunes Past
3. Fortunes Begun
4. Perfect Scorn
5. Blackest Frypan

Three track EP from Manchester based duo The Mang Mang Mangs. Gentle melodic songs topped with stunning emotive vocals.

New York vocalist Kosmo Kint joined the Toy Tonics crew. Born in Trinidad and raised in New York City, Kosmo has been part of the recent Brooklyn scene, singing in several projects in NYC before moving to Berlin two years ago. To find like minded people to create new lyrics driven dancemusic.

In Berlin he teamed up with the Toy Tonics boys and now TT boss Kapote and the crew are working with him in Berlin Kreuzberg to find a new R&B & Disco influenced style of electronic dance music.
The first release is a collabo between french talent Mangabey and Kosmo Kint - produced by Kapote.
The 2 songs have a chilled L.A. G Funk Vibe that makes you think about certain Dr. Dre productions from the 90ies combined with some broken beats and 4 to the floor house vibes.
The song might remember some french touch tracks too and some might think about that West London early 2000 "Dego" Vibe maybe. Anyway, its new and there is not a name yet for that style. Let's see where the TT crew will bring Kosmo Kint sonically over the next years.

STAFF COMMENTS

Millie says: New to the Toy Tonics label Kosmo Kint, alongside Mangabey have dipped into all the genres going - Disco, House, R&B, Broken Beat, Funk, Electronic and created two tracks of pure dance music hits. TT bringing the vibes to Piccadilly!

TRACK LISTING

1. Time No More
2. Time No More (Instrumental)
3. Get Lost
4. Get Lost (Instrumental) 

Manhattan Maurder Mystery jet all the way over from Chicago to hit the shelves with their Steve Albini produced clash of snappy garage rock, jagged punk and melodic rock and roll. 'Messed Up Brain' for instance, has more in common with the early wave of skate-punk like the Descendants or the chugging mutes of Bad Religion, while it's on tracks like 'Greensboro' or the country-leaning 'East Hollywood Livin' that we really see the skill and dedication that has gone to achiving such a carefree, cohesive fusion. A well produced (obviously), nicely written odyssey from the Chicago group. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Artie Lange 01:34
2. Messed Up Brain 03:24
3. I'm Alone And Life Is Tough 03:55
4. Greensboro 05:39
5. Imperial County 06:22
6. East Hollywood Livin' 04:43
7. Bodybag 04:45
8. Me And Brittany 03:48
9. Baby Wrestlemania 05:13

Manic Hispanic are back with the follow up to "The Menudo Incident". Taking a Mexican style swipe at some of today’s popular punk songs and featuring reworkings of well known punk hits done Hispanic style.

Manic Street Preachers announce the reissue of their 1993 album, ‘Gold Against The Soul’ on Columbia/Sony Music. A firm fan favourite, their second studio album will now be available as part of a beautiful, limited edition, 120-page hardbound A4 book, featuring incredible unseen images from the band’s long-time photographic collaborator Mitch Ikeda, annotated by Nicky Wire plus handwritten lyric sheets. The book also includes x2 CDs comprising the original album plus x11 previously unheard tracks across demos, b sides, remixes and a live recording of the Clash track ‘What’s My Name’, remastered by James Dean Bradfield. There will also be a 180g vinyl version of the remastered album with download codes to the extra tracks on CD1 and a digital version featuring all the tracks.

'Gold Against The Soul' entered the Top 10 on release just over a year after their debut album 'Generation Terrorists' and saw the band shift musically to a classic rock sound.  Lead single 'From Despair To Where' was followed by 'La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh)', 'Roses In The Hospital' and 'Life Becoming A Landslide'.  Produced by Dave Eringa who had been working in various guises with the band and continues to do so to this day, the album was recorded over six weeks at Outside/Hookend Studios.

TRACK LISTING

CD1
Sleepflower (remastered)
From Despair to where (remastered)
La tristesse durera (scream to a Sigh) [remastered]
Yourself (remastered)
Life Becoming A Landslide (remastered)
Drug drug druggy (remastered)
Roses In The Hospital (remastered)
Nostalgic pushead (remastered)
Symphony Of Tourette (remastered)
Gold Against the soul (remastered)
Donkeys (remastered)
Comfort Comes (remastered)
Are Mothers Saints (remastered)
Patrick Bateman (remastered)
Hibernation (remastered)
Us Against You (remastered)
Charles Windsor (remastered)
Wrote for luck (remastered)
What's My Name (live) [remastered]

CD2
Sleepflower (house in the Woods Demo) [remastered]
From Despair To Where (house in the Woods Demo) [remastered]
La tristesse durera (scream To A Sigh) (house in the Woods Demo) [remastered]
Yourself (live in bangkok) [remastered]
Life Becoming A Landslide (house in the Woods Demo) [remastered]
Drug drug druggy (house In The Woods Demo) [remastered]
Drug drug druggy (impact Demo) [remastered]
Roses In The Hospital (house In The Woods Demo) [remastered]
Roses In The Hospital (impact Demo) [remastered]
Nostalgic pushead (house In The Woods Demo) [remastered]
Symphony Of Tourette (house In The Woods Demo) [remastered]
Gold Against The Soul (house In The Woods Demo) [remastered]
Roses In The Hospital (og psychovocal remix) [remastered]
Roses In The Hospital (51 Funk Salute) [remastered]
La tristesse durera (scream To A Sigh) (chemical Brothers Vocal Remix)
Roses In The Hospital (filet O Gang Remix) [remastered]
Roses In The Hospital (ecg Remix) [remastered]



VINYL TRACKLISTING
Sleepflower(remastered)
From Despair To Where (remastered)
La Tristesse Durera (scream To A Sigh) (remastered)
Yourself (remastered)
Life Becoming A Landslide (remastered)
Drug Drug Druggy (remastered)
Roses In The Hospital (remastered)
Nostalgic Pushead (remastered)
Symphony Of Tourette (remastered)
Gold Against The Soul (remastered)

A limited 7" blue coloured vinyl exclusive to bricks and mortar indie stores only - taken from the band's 13th studio album "resistance is futile".