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Cover of Eternal Children by Equiknoxx.

Equiknoxx

Eternal Children

Equiknoxx Music

Global avant-dancehall superstars Equiknoxx return with an eagerly awaited new album. The colourful quintet - Shanique Marie, Bobby Blackbird, Gavsborg, Kemikal Splash & Time Cow - have pretty much set a new standard for Jamaican music - adding a 5th dimension to the JA staple of dancehall, catapulting it into the cosmos and in doing so, into the listening piles of music lovers across the world!

"Eternal Children" sees the group reach its natural zenith. Empowered by the adoration and love they've received on a busy touring schedule, plus full of ideas from recent collaborations with some of the most creative partners in the global dance village (including a super tight relationship with MCR's Swing Ting club night / record label) the group hit its stride across a double LP which takes on r'n'b, pop & grime inflections and merges it with their unique, cosmic-dancehall hybrid. Put simply, there's no-one out there like Equiknoxx, yet their music is so easily accessible and enjoyable that you'd wouldn't be surprised at all to hear it on Radio 1's prime time hours.

Jamaica often nurtures and celebrates its music exports and rightly holds them in high regard. Equiknoxx will surely be added to this growing hall of fame as their incredible legacy is extended. 


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Cover of Bent by Stonefield.

Stonefield

Bent

Flightless

    Australian, psych-rock luminaries Stonefield announce their new album, ‘Bent’, via Flightless Records. Produced by Joe Walker and Stu Mackenzie of King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, the album was recorded in-between tours in just five days. Written largely on the road, the songs on ‘Bent’ are filled with reference and reflection - the kind that comes from months spent far from home, living on four wheels. The surreal isolation of trudging through white-out snow and snaking down deserted highways served as the perfect backdrop for the band to look inward. “It’s a culmination of experiences, emotions, and stories collected over time,” explains lead singer and drummer Amy Findlay, “A growth of honest, raw, energy that has been burning within us and waiting for its moment.”

    ‘Sleep’ opens the album with guitars covered in five inches of sludge and distortion and something that sounds like a far-off siren, or the high-pitched howling of the wind. It serves as a warning, a call to arms, kicking things off with a next-level version of the massive, unholy racket the band has become known for over the course of their last three albums. “‘Sleep’ was inspired by the concept of floating in the in- between,” explains Findlay. “An ode to the darkness of not wanting to cross to the other side.”

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    Cover of The Quiet Temple by The Quiet Temple.

    The Quiet Temple

    The Quiet Temple

    Point Of Departure

      An amorphous musical collective put together by Rich Machin and Duke Garwood, with a rolling cast of players assembled from the likes of Soulsavers, Spiritualized, Stereolab and Julian Cope. For Machin, Garwood and the other musicians (Ray Dickaty, Tim Lewis (aka Thighpaulsandra), Pete Marsh, Paul May Doggen), a sense of adventure and devil-may-care inventiveness took precedence over precise design when they started the recording process at Gabriel’s Real World studio in the autumn of 2017.

      "One of the big things I wanted to achieve with this record was breaking away from things being super planned out,” Machin explains. “To actually just go into a studio without having everything mapped out in advance. And being comfortable enough to see what happens. It was incredibly stressful at first, but once you realise it works it’s actually a really nice way to work.”

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      Cover of The Wanderer by Laville.

      Laville

      The Wanderer

      Acid Jazz

        This is the debut album from new soul sensation Laville, following on from the release of Laville’s stunning debut EP which featured singles ‘Easy’ and ‘Thirty One’. ‘The Wanderer’ is driven by a certain spirit - it’s almost as if after waiting so long Laville refuses to let this chance pass him by, bringing his intense sense of focus to the fore. A bold voice that adds something distinctly new to the tapestry of soul, Laville’s talent is too strong to remain a secret forever. ‘The Wanderer’ was steered by the expert hand of Acid Jazz’s in-house producer Sir Tristan Longworth, built during the summer months with a crack team of musicians.

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        Cover of Choochtown - 20th Anniversary Edition by Hamell On Trial.

        Hamell On Trial

        Choochtown - 20th Anniversary Edition

        New West

          Ed Hamell on ‘Choochtown’: “I was living in Brooklyn, constantly on the road, and been dropped from my major label deal on Mercury/Universal. I really had nothing to lose and I was very inspired, if I remember, by the movie Pulp Fiction and the Biggie Smalls record: Ready To Die. I recorded anywhere I could. My friend Billy Nicgorski had an analog one inch studio in his basement, his younger brother had a band and I would use them. I also did a bunch of it in my basement in Brooklyn which had a dirt floor and I set the recording gear up on plastic paint pails. Used them as drums sometimes too. I released it on my own label Such-A-Punch and it got licensed to Evangeline in the UK where it got rave reviews and established my career over there. After all the press I got for my first two albums on a major I couldn’t get shit over here in the States, only that CMJ magazine which took their silliness pretty seriously who basically said, ‘We don’t know what it is but it’s art.’ Duh. I’m pretty proud of all my records, I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve always been able to maintain complete creative control but this one I was particularly proud of because every inch of it, from the recording which one track as you’ll see was recorded on my boom box, to the artwork, was all mine.”

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          Cover of Heaven Is Humming by Goon.

          Goon

          Heaven Is Humming

          Partisan

            Written in periods of health and optimism, ‘Heaven Is Humming’ has been a long time coming. Three years coming, to be exact: singer / guitarist / songwriter Kenny Becker, singer / guitarist Drew Eccleston, bassist Caleb Wicker and drummer Christian Koons started work on the album in the summer of 2016, right around the time Goon’s debut EP ‘Dusk Of Punk’ came ripping in from the Los Angeles sky, spilling from the brim with monster riffs and deep hooks. After spending some initial time in the studio with Chris Lynch and Adam Rasmussen of Gardens & Villa in their space in the Frogtown neighbourhood of LA, the first Goon LP could have easily been rushed out. Instead the band chose to get it just right.

            ‘Heaven Is Humming’ is weird in its fearless abandon but it’s also comforting and familiar at the same time, taking the sounds of foundational groups like Pixies and Boards Of Canada and contextualizing them through a modern lens, placing Goon alongside contemporaries like Forth Wanderers, METZ, Young Jesus and Partisan labelmates Dilly Dally. Becker croons like Michael Stipe one minute and snarls like Frank Black the next but you never lose the sense of who these four guys are making a beautiful racket right in the here and now.

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            The Wire

            Issue 426 - August 2019

              The Wire Tapper 50: Special Edition

              Attached to the cover of every copy of the August issue will be a special double CD marking 50 volumes of The Wire's ongoing series of underground music compilations. The CD will feature 40 new and archival tracks by Guapo, Arthur Russell, Rhys Chatham, Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere, Tirudel Zenebe, Carl Stone, Félicia Atkinson, Michael Donnelly, Headboggle, Minyo Crusaders, SSSS and more.

              On the cover...
              Oren Ambarchi

              The globetrotting Australian guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and label runner is part of the glue that holds the international underground together via his Black Truffle label and collaborations with Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke, Ash Ra Tempel, Vibracathedral Orchestra and countless others. He talks to Bruce Russell of The Dead C about liberating the guitar, the nomadic life of the modern musician, and his brand new Brazilian influenced collaboration with percussionist Cyro Baptista, Simian Angel.

              Meanwhile, inside the issue...

              Keith & Julie Tippetts

              Mike Barnes meets the godparents of British spiritual jazz and improvisation to discuss half a century of playing, from Spontaneous Music Ensemble to King Crimson, and their recent return to life on the road

              Rangers

              Joseph Stannard explores the blasted rock soundscapes of Texas's Joe Knight

              Peter Laughner

              Tony Rettman unpacks the rust belt rock legacy of the late Pere Ubu co-founder with the release of a new box set

              Invisible Jukebox

              Pierre Bastien - rhythmic explorer and instrument inventor

              Epiphanies

              David Toop on Dr John.

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              Cover of King's Mouth by The Flaming Lips.

              The Flaming Lips

              King's Mouth

              Bella Union

                ‘King’s Mouth’ sees the iconoclastic outfit once again tread uncharted territory. These 12 new originals are threaded together by cinematic narration courtesy of The Clash’s Mick Jones. Additionally, the music parallels front man Wayne Coyne’s immersive art installation of the same name. Introduced in 2015, the installation has showcased its psychedelic visuals and soundscapes through North America in museums such as Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, NM, the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, MD, the Pacific Northwest College of Art Portland, OR and Wayne’s own creative space, The Womb, in Oklahoma City, OK. A true handcrafted marvel, it consists of a giant metallic head that welcomes spectators inside. Once inside of the foam mouth, an LED lightshow begins in tandem with music from the album. Now, the record doubles as the sonic companion to the exhibit and allows fans to experience the aural side at any time.

                FORMAT INFORMATION

                LP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                Cover of Life Goes On EP by Beak>.

                Beak>

                Life Goes On EP

                Invada

                  The four-track EP features the recently released title track which was inspired directly from a recent trip to Mexico City when the band awoke to the sound of a distorted young girls' voice bellowing across the city. Further investigation revealed the source as a recording used by scrap-collecting carts urging people to bring out old beds and washing machines. Returning to the UK filled with inspiration from the trip, Billy, Geoff and Will hot-footed it to the Invada studios to record the EP

                  The band said their new track ‘We Can Go’ is “the most normal song we have ever written. We like it.”

                  Features a new version of ‘Allé Sauvage’ from Beak>’s previous album ‘>>>’ by accordion player Mario Batkovic.

                  Pressed on black vinyl, housed in a heavyweight spined sleeve with artwork by ‘SusanLegPolicy’. Includes digital download card.

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                  Cover of The Last Great Ride by Dark Carnival.

                  Dark Carnival

                  The Last Great Ride

                  Bang!

                    Detroit High Energy Rock in its purest essence!!!! Niagara (DESTROY ALL MONSTERS) & Ron Asheton (THE STOOGES) among other great Detroit musicians recorded this killer album back in 1996.

                    Now it is finally reissued on vinyl with two added tracks to the original vinyl release, remastered in order to get its purest sound, and new artwork courtesy of Mrs. Niagara Detroit and Mr. Colonel Galaxy. And guess what?

                    This is an extension of Destroy All Monsters with absolutely killer guitars in line with The Stooges "Funhouse" with the unique stamp and signature of Mr. Ron Asheton.

                    10 classic shots which need to be in your record collection right by The Stooges, Destroy All Monsters, MC5, Sonic’s Rendezvous Band, Radio Birdman, The New Christs, Bored!, etc. 

                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                    Ltd LP Info: 150 grams vinyl, 500 copies ltd.

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                    Cover of Deep Dark Creep Love by Taffy.

                    Taffy

                    Deep Dark Creep Love

                    Club AC30

                      "Nothing short of splendorious" - NME.

                      "The Breeders are reincarnated via Tokyo with feedback and gossamer female vocals" - The Times.

                      Critically acclaimed Japanese indie-pop four piece Taffy return this year with their fifth studio album. 'Deep Dark Creep Love' encapsulates the bands infectious, melodic take on the noise-pop genre, with a greater emphasis on big choruses and backing vocals than their previous work. The material has honed in on that classic Taffy contrast which is musically light but delves into dark places vocally. In tone it feels softer, but effortlessly dips into tracks such as 'The Bates', based on Psycho's infamous lead and his sinister relationship with his mother. At its heart, it's a record about love. Whether it's new, old, romantic or platonic, it's about love for the people and things around you, both a love-letter to their fans, as well as a deeply personal insight into romance.

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                      Cover of Folly Tales by Bess Of Bedlam.

                      Bess Of Bedlam

                      Folly Tales

                      Outre Disque

                        A resident of Lyon, Fanny L'Heritier is Bess of Bedlam. She is also the lead singer of the French experimental pop band Odessey & Oracle. Her arrangements employ a variety of instruments (classical and electromechanical pianos, 70's analogue synthesizers, acoustic & electric guitars, banjo & dobro) with charm, whimsy and humour.

                        Bess Of Bedlam is Inspired by Purcell's vision and more recent English folk voices such as Shirley Collins, Linda Perhacs and Vashti Bunyan, with a 60's psychedelic pop sensibility from the likes of The Free Design, The United States of America and Sagittarius flavouring her sound. Bess's debut solo album was released last May. Shindig! magazine describing it as evoking both "Joanna Newsom or a pastoral Broadcast filtered through a fairy-tale lens".

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                        Cover of Geechie Goomie - R'n'B Gone Caribbean by Various Artists.

                        Various Artists

                        Geechie Goomie - R'n'B Gone Caribbean

                        Koko Mojo / Tipitina

                          50's Rhythm & Blues with an eye on Caribbean/Latin sound. Here is a collection of fine and long forgotten examples, but without the Pig Latin that Louis Jordan or Slim Gaillard were so famous for. We dug deep in the vaults, recorded from very good 78s or old shiny vinyl, that was as closest as possible to the original quality. - Hit dat Jive and dig it! 

                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                          10" LP Info: Limited edition of 500 copies.

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                          Cover of Exotic Blues & Rhythm - Vol. 04 Chop Chop! by Various Artists.

                          Various Artists

                          Exotic Blues & Rhythm - Vol. 04 Chop Chop!

                          Stag-O-Lee

                            Subtitled, Blues & Rhythm, Popcorn, Exotica & Tittyshakers, this is the reissue of the fourth release in the Exotic Blues & Rhythm series. Released ages ago in an edition of 500 copies it sold out in next to no time and is a sought after collectors item by now.

                            Stag-O-Lee now reissue this title as a limited editon of 700 copies - all on CLEAR vinyl. Guaranteed to go fast! With cuts from Sandy Nelson, John Lee Hooker, Jack Hammer and more...

                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                            10" LP Info: 10” (Clear Vinyl).

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                            Cover of Gunsmoke Volumes 3+4 by Various Artists.

                            Various Artists

                            Gunsmoke Volumes 3+4

                            Stag-O-Lee

                              Third and fourth volume in the great limited edition series on Stag-O-Lee. As usual Stag-O-Lee combines two vinyl versions onto one compact disc. This is a collection of oddball country weepers, moody rockabilly and popcorn noir from the 1950s and early 60s. So turn out the lights, sit back and relax to the soundtrack from a jukebox in a ghost town... 

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                              Cover of Gunsmoke - Volume 4 by Various Artists.

                              Various Artists

                              Gunsmoke - Volume 4

                              Stag-O-Lee

                                Fourth volume in a limited edition series on Stag-O-Lee. Limited to 666 copies and packaged in a nice 10” sleeve with center hole. This is a collection of oddball country weepers, moody rockabilly, widescreen country & western and popcorn noir from the 1950s and early 60s. So turn out the lights, sit back and relax to the soundtrack from a jukebox in a ghost town... For best results: listen to after dark! 

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                                Cover of I Hear A New World - Reissue by Joe Meek.

                                Joe Meek

                                I Hear A New World - Reissue

                                Poppydisc

                                  "..an outer space music fantasy by Joe Meek"

                                  A classic of incredibly strange music, electronica, pre Beatles Britpop, or all of the above...however you slice it, I Hear A New World was and is the masterpiece of that left field master of sound, Joe Meek...recorded as usual partly at home with secret equipment, and partly at the state of the art Lansdowne studio he pretty much designed, it is a full on spectacular action stereo extravaganza, almost unknown in British pop recordings of the time and for many years later....here beautifully remastered, and restored to it's original track sequence as planned and advertised by Meek when he marketed it as an ideal stereo test recording for hi toned hifi shops....only an ep of less than half the assembled work was originally released....now here it is, on VINYL as it was meant to be heard....

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                                  Cover of Come Closer - Inc. Marcel Dettmann Remix by Boy Harsher.

                                  Boy Harsher

                                  Come Closer - Inc. Marcel Dettmann Remix

                                  Nude Club

                                    Following the release of their second studio album ’Careful’ earlier this year via Nude Club, Jae Matthews and August Muller have announced the release of 'Come Closer’ MAXI 12” and ‘Tears’ MAXI 12”, and unveil a new remix for album standout track ‘Come Closer’ by infamous German Techno DJ and producer Marcel Dettmann.

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                                    Cover of En Solitaire by Juniore.

                                    Juniore

                                    En Solitaire

                                    Outre Disque

                                      It's 1968. Imagine a high school prom pulsating with teen hormones, and parental anxiety, and the band takes to the stage for a slow dance..."En Solitaire" recalls the etiquette of ladies choice as our wallflower heroine casts aside her melancholy to enjoy the dance, regardless of convention.

                                      "Ah Bah D'accord" is fun. A live favourite with looping basslines battling a frenzied organ, a driving beat and Anna's chic delivery. Sitting between the B52's and the ravishing Brigitte Bardot it wouldn't appear out of place at your favourite freak-out.

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                                      Cover of Tears by Boy Harsher.

                                      Boy Harsher

                                      Tears

                                      Nude Club

                                        Following the release of their second studio album ’Careful’ earlier this year via Nude Club, Jae Matthews and August Muller have announced the release of 'Come Closer’ MAXI 12” and ‘Tears’ MAXI 12”.

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                                        Cover of The Nightmare Of J.B. Stanislas by Nick Garrie.

                                        Nick Garrie

                                        The Nightmare Of J.B. Stanislas

                                        Tapete

                                          Nick Garrie recorded his masterpiece in France at the tender age of nineteen. The year was 1968 and Garrie felt ill at ease with the lavish arrangements accompanying his songs (beautiful as they may sound to our ears today). Worse still, the label owner committed suicide and the record virtually disappeared without trace - until it resurfaced in 2005. This release from Tapete now includes numerous bonus tracks, rare photograph and extensive liner notes. 

                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                          2xLtd LP Info: Limited edition of 1000 double LPs, in gatefold sleeve plus booklet.

                                          Ltd CD Info: Limited edition of 1000 CDs.

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                                          Cover of The Evangelist - Reissue by Robert Forster.

                                          Robert Forster

                                          The Evangelist - Reissue

                                          Tapete

                                            Following the 1989 break-up of the Go-Betweens, the band he had formed at college in 1978 with his friend Grant McLennan, Robert Forster embarked on a solo career, releasing four albums under his own name between 1990 and 1996, before reforming The Go-Betweens in 2000.

                                            After the death of bandmate Grant McLennan died in 2006 Robert released, this, his 5th solo album in 2008, including the last three songs he wrote with Grant. 

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                                            Cover of Bastard Music by Meatraffle.

                                            Meatraffle

                                            Bastard Music

                                            Delayed

                                              We want to convey something political but not delivering it in a way that appears dogmatic or didactic, so some kind of story is created to instil into the brain good old fashioned socialist propaganda, like a loving attachment. ‘The day the Earth Stood Still’, we wanted to sound like The Residents composing an anthem for International Workers Day, an international day of action where the proles down tools and piss off to the seaside simultaneously all around the world, and thus the global Capitalist fiscal system crashes. .’Meatraffle on the Moon’ is an imaginary tale of exploitation of non-unionised space workers in intolerable mental and physical conditions working in our little solar system with the only antidote to their heartache and a complete buckle of legs…a moonbase karaoke bar! “

                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                              Coloured LP Info: Limited edition yellow vinyl.

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                                              Cover of Lost Souls Of Saturn by Lost Souls Of Saturn.

                                              Lost Souls Of Saturn

                                              Lost Souls Of Saturn

                                              R&S

                                                R&S present the eponymous, debut, full length album transmission from Lost Souls Of Saturn. Epic in scope, time and space, this multidimensional mind trip is for fans of Mark Leckey’s ‘Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore’, David Morales’ Red Zone dubs, Don Cherry’s ‘Organic Music Society’, The Orb’s ‘Ultraworld’ and KLF’s ‘Space’ and much more besides.  This ambient house masterpiece combines flavours gathered from across the galaxy, stewing them up into a delicious primordial soup. Old sci-fi soundtracks, acid, free jazz, avant garde, musique concrete, world music and more all whirl around an underground-dance-music axis.

                                                Primarily LSOS are Seth Troxler and Phil Moffa, plus further opaque participants congregating to combine music, imagery, and storytelling into an inextricably linked whole, all wrapped-up in a philosophy of their own making.  Attempting something creatively that’s above-and-beyond, LSOS explore new ways to open doors of perception and challenge the reality vs. simulation paradigm, whilst capturing the spirit of Alejandro Jodorowsky, Philip K. Dick and Sun Ra within their music, live experiences and films.

                                                These spiritual, psychoactive aural vibrations resonate for a long distance, all the way back to something deeper and more enchanting than the prosaicism of modern life.


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                                                Cover of Modern Mirror by Drab Majesty.

                                                Drab Majesty

                                                Modern Mirror

                                                Dais

                                                  Since the 2015 release of Drab Majesty’s debut “Careless”, and the release of the acclaimed sophomore album “The Demonstration” the following year, artist Deb Demure and collaborator Mona D. have firmly established themselves amongst the pantheon of dark synth-pop greats, establishing a devoted fan base worldwide with their singular hypnotic sound and mysterious, constantly-evolving presence.  Following intense and extensive touring in support of the first two albums, Drab Majesty escaped to the inspirational landscapes of Athens, Greece to channel the songs for their most ambitious album creation yet: Modern Mirror.

                                                  Blowing the dust off the antiquarian myth of Ovid’s “Narcissus”, Drab Majesty uses its premise as groundwork for a modern reinterpretation. Each song tells a piece of the story, in which the listener’s own selfidentity has become warped and dissociated through rapidly expanding technology, losing touch with the origins of their own personalities. Setting the stage as a romantic saga of antiquity, “A Dialogue” asks the listener if they are truly in love amid a building wash of guitars and reverb. Elements of classic tragedy weigh heavily in the reflection of Modern Mirror in songs like “The Other Side”, possessing a fundamental sound that is energetic, luminous and hopeful. Fusing the sonic aesthetics of predecessors like New Order and The Cure within the cautious instruction of Greek mythology and modern science fiction, Drab Majesty has birthed a hybrid of dreamy malaise, captured for a future moment.

                                                  The first single, “Ellipsis”, romantically plays up the distorted concept of courting through modern technology in a world that has yet to adapt, while on “Long Division”, Deb’s resounding guitar cascades around the chorus shared with No Joy frontwoman Jasamine White-Gluz, wistfully warning us against our vanity and self-obsession. Even when hope for everlasting love peeks through in “Oxytocin”, a sparkling and stoic track sung by Mona D., we are firmly reminded our fleeting existence.

                                                  Modern Mirror is a journey of self-reflection, nostalgia, love, beauty, and heartbreak told across eight addictive and emotional synth pop anthems – a seemingly classic tale delivered unblinkingly through the frame of the modern world.


                                                  FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                  2xColoured LP Info: Clear vinyl.

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                                                  Cover of Anthology Resource Vol. II: Philosophy Of Beyond by Dean Hurley.

                                                  Dean Hurley

                                                  Anthology Resource Vol. II: Philosophy Of Beyond

                                                  Sacred Bones

                                                    Philosophy of Beyond, the second volume in Sound Supervisor Dean Hurley’s Anthology Resource series, continues Hurley’s experimental soundscape work into more ethereal and celestial territory. 12 tracks weave together a rich sonic tapestry built in part from comb-filtering experiments, tape loops, and sampled field excursions into unique acoustical environments. A bulk of the LP is assembled from Hurley’s sonic contributions to the recent feature film Perfect (2018, director Eddie Alcazar) as well as material made in residency for Art Gallery of New South Wales’ event Masters of Modern Sound...all of which are threaded together into a singular, cohesive dissertation on the afterlife.

                                                    Outlining a landscape beyond physical reality, the record serves as a soundtrack to the mysterious and immortal voyage of the soul into depths beyond the known and back again. What lies beyond physical reality? Beyond intellect and the system of the five senses? What do accounts of near death experiences, alien encounters, psychedelic drugs, astral projection, even strokes all have to do with this and why do each seem to share a core architecture of description?

                                                    A long time David Lynch collaborator, Hurley operated and managed Lynch’s Asymmetrical Studio from 2005-2018 where he worked closely with Lynch on the sound and music for his feature films, commercial work and albums; most recently providing material for the third season of Twin Peaks (Showtime). Hurley inaugurated the Anthology Resource series with a compilation of his licensed material from the show in 2017.

                                                    What is Anthology Resource? Anthology Resource is an ongoing compendium curated both from and for film and television in the library / production music tradition. A flagship source for outrésonic material, it was conceived to service the unique gap that straddles atmospheric score and sound design. Each release organizes thematic audio material fully licensable, non-exclusive and designed for motion picture based work and listeners alike.


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                                                    Cover of Egoli by Africa Axpress.

                                                    Africa Axpress

                                                    Egoli

                                                    Africa Express

                                                      Hailed as the most revolutionary force in popular music for two decades, Africa Express was founded in 2006 and brings together musicians from different cultures, genres and generations to break boundaries and offer a new perspective on Africa and its music. Each record and event is unique, based upon on-the-spot collaboration and filled with unique moments of magic; the collective have hosted trips and concerts in Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Mali and UK to date.

                                                      Africa Express travelled to South Africa in January of last year to complete an electronic album in just 7 days, a week of discovery, collaboration and music-making. The result is EGOLI – 18 tracks capturing the fresh, joyous sounds of Afro Futurism, straight out of Johannesburg. Featured artists include Damon Albarn, Blue May , Gruff Rhys, Georgia, Ghetts, Mr Jukes, Nick Zinner, Remi Kabaka, Otim Alpha and Poté as well as emerging and established stars of the buzzing South African music scene including BCUC, Blk Jks, Dominowe, Faka, Infamous Boiz, DJ Spoko, Mahotella Queens, Moonchild Sanelly , Muzi, Morena Leraba, Nonku Phiri, Radio 123, Sibot, Sho Madjozi, Zola 7, Zolani Mahola (Freshly Ground) and Maskandi guitar legend Phuzekhemisi.


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                                                      Cover of Dreamality / Lucky Stars by Universal Togetherness Band.

                                                      Universal Togetherness Band

                                                      Dreamality / Lucky Stars

                                                      Numero

                                                        Two brilliant, previously unissued modern soul discoveries from the archive of U.T.B. mastermind Andre Gibson. “My Lucky Stars” rides the 120 BPM crest, with sharp horns, handclaps, triangle, and a wild guitar solo filling out the four and a half minute ride. “Dreamality” cops a Steve Miller vibe and goes on a spaced-out future funk adventure. 

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                                                        Cover of Physical Structure by George Otsuka Quintet.

                                                        George Otsuka Quintet

                                                        Physical Structure

                                                        Le Tres Jazz Club

                                                          Le Très Jazz Club keeps on exploring Japanese jazz and Three Blind Mice catalog with the reissue of this amazing 1976 record by drummer George Otsuka. This LP is reissued for the first time since 1976 and for the first time outside of Japan. It's an amazing jazz-fusion album, featuring Fumio Karashima on the piano and Fender Rhodes and Shozo Sasaki on tenor sax. Check the surprising and sublime cover of “Naima” which alone justifies to get this record! With : George Ostuka (drums), Shozo Sasaki (tenor & soprano sax), Fumio Karashima (piano, electric piano, synthesizer), Mitsuako Furuno (bass), Norio Ohno (percussion). 

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                                                          Cover of Carpet Denim by Tijuana Panthers.

                                                          Tijuana Panthers

                                                          Carpet Denim

                                                          Innovative Leisure

                                                            Live and on record, the Tijuana Panthers are a great band. You could say garage, punk or surf while describing their sound, but they're harder to pin than that. The truth is that they write classic songs that don't depend on tropes from any genre. They craft perfect pop and deliver it with energy and immediacy. However, the real magic of this band is in their weirdness. Behind their picturesque portraits of daily life is an aching despair. This subtle contrast creates an eerie tension between the ideal, the real and the surreal. You suddenly realize they're not the happy-go-lucky beach boys you tried to pin them as, but more akin to sexually frustrated soda jerks in a David Lynch film. And this all makes sense with the fact that they come from Southern California's shadier city of Long Beach, not exactly the fun in the sun that California dreamers might expect. 

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                                                            Cover of These Four Walls - 10th Anniversary Edition by We Were Promised Jetpacks.

                                                            We Were Promised Jetpacks

                                                            These Four Walls - 10th Anniversary Edition

                                                            FatCat

                                                              Scottish rock mainstays We Were Promised Jetpacks have announced the 10th anniversary edition of their acclaimed debut album These Four Walls. Long a sought after collector's item, We Were Promised Jetpacks' debut LP, These Four Walls, had a scant US vinyl release that appeared only as imports in 2009. Now the album, full of explosive energy and knife-edge tension, packed with a bounty of fans' live favourites and unreleased tracks including demos, acoustic sessions (including a cover of ‘Modern Leper’ by fellow Scots and good friends Frightened Rabbit) and live tracks from a very early gig at Barfly in Glasgow will be released via FatCat. The band also announced a North American summer tour in support of their upcoming release. All shows are listed below. Opening with a lone guitar line that itself has all the momentum of entire genres crammed into a single set of chords, We Were Promised Jetpacks' These Four Walls signifies a debut album that has the sort of peerlessness and potential to stand as a mainstay and luminary of indie music in the 21st century.

                                                              The band's youthful energy (their average age at the time was 21) explodes thunderously as colossal choruses fall unfailingly into place. Every space is filled, tension bristling achingly in Adam Thompson's vocal delivery as the rest of the band crashes around him with a perfect balance of force and harmony. The romanticism and accessibility of a pure pop sensibility is never hidden too deep. Both "Roll Up Your Sleeves" and "Quiet Little Voices" capture this beautifully and immediately. The product of Ken Thomas' (Sigur Ros, Cocteau Twins, David Bowie etc.) studio mastery and Peter Katis' (Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad, The National etc.) mixing, the recording of These Four Walls was almost entirely live, with only minimal overdubs, and the band members' collected passion and intuition is translated into a pure, precise form, at once powerful and delicate.

                                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                              2xColoured LP Info: Limited gold vinyl.

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                                                              Cover of Brought To Light by Various Artists.

                                                              Various Artists

                                                              Brought To Light

                                                              FatCat

                                                                This release is a collection of demos, curated by the FatCat Records, who have deemed them some of the finest submissions they’ve received over the last few years. FatCat have a long tradition of supporting new artists and treating demos with an open mind. This new collection of songs, the first in a trilogy of such releases, is demonstrable to the eclectic taste the label have always possessed. One of the founding partners of the label, Alex Knight says. “FatCat has a rich history of signing Artists from Demo recordings, this includes renowned artists such as Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad,Animal Collective and Max Richter as well as current signings C Duncan, Samana, Resina and Shida Shahabi. We receive a wonderful array of demo’s and the compilation is a great way to highlight just how good this material is!”

                                                                FatCat have always been a label that comfortably straddle the line between guitar music and electronica. For this release, the focus is on the sort of DIY guitar sound of which Paws and TRAAMS fans might enjoy. Away from the FatCat roster, fans of Yuck, Cloud Nothings, Drenge and Girl Band will also find plenty in which to immerse themselves. The next two compilations will focus on other genres that make up the FatCat musical tradition. The artists on this release are all at different stages of their careers. Some have gone to work with labels, some have remained independent. Some are new, some have been around for years. The album has been lovingly put together by FatCat with the intention of bringing these songs into the spotlight.

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                                                                Cover of Tracing Back The Radiance by Jefre Cantu-Ledesma.

                                                                Jefre Cantu-Ledesma

                                                                Tracing Back The Radiance

                                                                Mexican Summer

                                                                  Some records aren’t as simple as they seem. Most are capsules of beauty and creative vision, or sublime objects of expression which occupy the abstract realms. But the rare few are also discrete philosophies, realised in sound - a truth brought to the forefront by Mexican Summer veteran, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma’s, latest venture, Tracing Back The Radiance. A radical departure from pop drenched melodies which have defined his recent efforts, its experimental forms offer a dynamic rethinking of the terms and possibilities of discourse and collaboration - a vast ambient landscape of abstraction, texture, and tone, beneath which lingers a veiled vision, addressing the challenges of our increasingly disassociated age. A slow, delicate meditation - open space punctuated by the restrained harmonics of vibraphone, processing, flute, pedal steel, synthesizer, piano, organ, and voice, Tracing Back The Radiance grew from a few simple piano lines, a need for change, and an evolving process which fell somewhere between conversation, singular vision, and a wild game of exquisite corpse - Cantu-Ledesma acting as contributor, servant, and guiding force to the emerging album’s all-star cast of voices - John Also Bennett, Marilu Donavan, Chuck Johnson, Gregg Kowalsky, Mary Lattimore, David Moore, Meara O'Reilly, Jonathan Sielaff, Roger Tellier Craig, and Christopher Tignor, each responding and intervening from various corners of North America. With nods to historic high-water marks in ambient and electroacoustic music, as well Italian minimalist pioneers like Gusto Pio, Lino Capra Vaccina, and Francesco Messina + Raul Lovisoni, Cantu-Ledesma delves forward with one of his most ambitious, elegant, and exciting endeavors of his career, retaining every bit of the ease and openness in musical language which has guided him across the decades. A beautiful, immersive, melancholic, and contemplative balm for the troubled times in which it was made. 

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                                                                  Cover of Ashley Henry's 5ive by Ashley Henry.

                                                                  Ashley Henry

                                                                  Ashley Henry's 5ive

                                                                  Jazz Re:freshed

                                                                  Ashley Henry is one of a new generation of musicians who've been raised with a wide range of influences, from such luminaries as Kirkland, Moran, Madlib and Dilla, yet also steeped in the traditional sounds of masters such as Hancock and Monk.

                                                                  At the time of recording, Henry was only 24, playing with such beauty and sensitivity - that usually comes from a lifetime immersed in jazz - that allowed him to tour the UK appearing at Ronnie Scott's, the Jazz Cafe and the Royal Albert Hall. He was the youngest performer on the bill for the 2015 International Piano Trio festival where he performed alongside the likes of Robert Glasper.

                                                                  After graduating from Leeds College of Music with the Yamaha Jazz Scholarship Award, Ashley continued his studies, attaining a Master's degree in Jazz Piano & Performance from the Royal Academy of Music.

                                                                  As well as performing with some of the UK's leading Jazz musicians (including Gary Crosby, Jean Toussaint, Shane Forbes, Jay Phelps, and award-winning saxophonist Krzysztof Urbanski) he's also recorded extensively with Manchester-based hip hop collective The Mouse Outfit.

                                                                  This, his debut album, shows that his trio is clearly influenced by hip hop but has its roots firmly in jazz. This is the next generation planting their feet firmly in twenty first century.

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                                                                  Cover of Silent Alarm Live by Bloc Party.

                                                                  Bloc Party

                                                                  Silent Alarm Live

                                                                  Bloc Party

                                                                    Bloc Party are releasing a special live edition of their debut album Silent Alarm, compiled of live recordings from last year’s homecoming show at Alexandra Palace and European tour, in which the band played the album in full. Silent Alarm was released in 2005 to widespread critical and commercial success, achieving multi-platinum sales and earning Bloc Party a Mercury Prize nomination. The album has since been heralded as one of the most influential and important of the decade by outlets as diverse as Pitchfork, Q, Newsweek, Spin, Complex and Clash, and was named in numerous lists collating the best albums of the decade, whilst NME named it as one of the best of all time.

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                                                                    Cover of The Dead Don't Die: Original Score by SQÜRL.

                                                                    SQÜRL

                                                                    The Dead Don't Die: Original Score

                                                                    Sacred Bones

                                                                      The Dead Don’t Die is writer/director Jim Jarmusch’s unique, semi-comic take on the zombie apocalypse genre. As with his recent efforts Only Lovers Left Alive and Paterson, the film’s score was composed and performed by SQÜRL, the band Jarmusch and producer Carter Logan founded in 2009. Sacred Bones Records, the same label that released the band’s EP #260 in 2017, is releasing the ip edition of the score.

                                                                      The score to the The Dead Don’t Die is a true expression of where SQÜRL stand at the centre of a decade of sonic exploration. It is the culmination of their pas- sion for analog synths, with guitar violence reverberating from the darker corners of Americana. It is at once a tribute to the classic sounds of horror and sci-fi, as well as a decapitation of traditional film scores. It is naturally supernatural.

                                                                      From their arsenal of tools, Jarmusch and Logan pulled electric guitars and basses made by Rick Kelly and Cindy Hulej at Carmine Street Guitars, an acoustic reso- nator, Moog Minitaur and Theremini synthesizers, Fender Rhodes electric piano, an old Ludwig drum kit, cheap vintage Casio and Yamaha keyboards and new synths from Critter and Guitari — all sculpted through a collection of effects pedals, notably from Earthquaker Devices.

                                                                      The inspiration for SQÜRL’s score for The Dead Don’t Die came from some of the most iconic soundtracks of the past half-century of genre cinema — Tan- gerine Dream’s Sorcerer, Bebe and Louis Barron’s Forbidden Planet, Ennio Mor- ricone’s The Thing and Once Upon a Time in the West, Goblin’s Dawn of the Dead, and all things John Carpenter. The singular Theremin work of Samuel J. Hoff- man on films like Spellbound and The Day the Earth Stood Still also made its way into Jarmusch and Logan’s consciousness. The result is a new horror soundtrack that stands shoulder to shoulder with the great works of its genre. 


                                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                      Coloured LP Info: Red splatter on green Vinyl.

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                                                                      Cover of Everything Hits At Once: The Best Of Spoon by Spoon.

                                                                      Spoon

                                                                      Everything Hits At Once: The Best Of Spoon

                                                                      Matador

                                                                        Spanning a career well into its third decade, Spoon returns with a ‘Best Of’compilation, ‘Everything Hits At Once: The Best of Spoon' In addition to the 12 fan-adored tracks making up this single LP, Spoon return with the bold new single “No Bullets Spent.” How many rock bands from the past 25 years could get away with a greatest-hits album? Spoon stand alone, with a career-spanning retrospective culled from all over their unique songbook. It’s a flawless compilation of their best-known, best-loved tunes, yet it’s still full of surprises—the only thing you could expect from a band that’s spent their whole career taking people by surprise.


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                                                                        Cover of Wallop by !!! (Chk Chk Chk).

                                                                        !!! (Chk Chk Chk)

                                                                        Wallop

                                                                        Warp

                                                                          Wallop, the band’s eighth LP, is another stellar addition to the wildly impressive catalog they’ve built over the course of nearly two decades and stands as a testament to their hardworking approach and ceaseless desire to push things further.  Recorded over the past year in lead singer Nic Offer’s Brooklyn apartment, the band picks up where 2017’s Shake The Shudder left off, further exploring the fringes of dance music with a focused edge and a care-free spirit.

                                                                          Wallop sees friends from across the spectrum appearing on a number of tracks, including Liars frontman Angus Andrew, Maria Uzor of British dance aesthetes Sink Ya Teeth, and Glasser's synth-pop wizard Cameron Mesirow, who all join Offer and !!! co-vocalist Meah Pace on this barn-burning party of a record. With an array of producers lending a hand—including Cole M.G.N. (Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Julia Holter), Graham Walsh (Holy Fuck), and longtime collaborator Patrick Ford—Wallop was eventually stitched together to reflect the colorful, body-moving tapestry that its end result represents.


                                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                          2xColoured LP Info: Indies exclusive green and pink vinyl.

                                                                          2xColoured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                                                                          Cover of Miami Memory by Alex Cameron.

                                                                          Alex Cameron

                                                                          Miami Memory

                                                                          Secretly Canadian

                                                                            Alex Cameron’s newest and most musically expansive LP, the glistening Miami Memory, takes a surprising turn. Cameron’s flair for narrative and character are still on full display; yet Miami Memory’s most frequent narrator is, for the first time, Cameron himself—singing with stunning candor of his three-year relationship with his girlfriend.

                                                                            “When you listen to these songs, and you’re waiting for the twist, or the joke, or any kind of discomfort, I can assure you none of those things were there when I wrote them,” says Cameron. “These are true stories, of actual events. Specific but never esoteric. And graphic but never offensive. Miami Memory is the story of a couple balancing sex with contemporary family values...It’s my gift to my girlfriend, a symbol to hoist on the totem of love.”

                                                                            Though remnants of his synth-driven earlier work sneak in to unsettle the tone, the bulk of Miami Memory, produced by Jonathan Rado (Weyes Blood, Father John Misty) and recorded and mixed by Marta Salogni (Björk, Kelela), revels in the emotional overdrive of classic dad rock, its warm, anthemic songs driven by bass, guitar, sax, and layers of Vegas wedding chapel-ish organ.

                                                                            Cameron’s dad rock funhouse of an album ultimately twists and subverts the genre: it recalls classics the white male ego has historically visited for its regular adrenaline injection, and morphs them into a singular “stepdad” rock that largely turns its lens away from the dads, celebrating the demise of old norms of gender and power. In his depiction of his relationship, Cameron reveals a striking honesty about love and sex in a time where a palpable fleetingness hangs over everything from relationships to human life on this planet—but also where constricting mores have deteriorated enough to let “family life,” in all its morphing forms, exist outside of social obligation. With arresting straightforwardness, Cameron now sings as himself, paying tribute

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                                                                            Cover of Close It Quietly by Frankie Cosmos.

                                                                            Frankie Cosmos

                                                                            Close It Quietly

                                                                            Sub Pop

                                                                              Close It Quietly is a continual reframing of the known. It’s like giving yourself a haircut or rearranging your room. You know your hair. You know your room. Here’s the same hair, the same room, seen again as something new. Close It Quietly takes the trademark Frankie Cosmos micro-universe and upends it, spilling outwards into a swirl of referentiality that’s a marked departure from earlier releases, imagining and reimagining motifs and sounds throughout the album. The band’s fourth studio release is a manifestation of their collaborative spirit: Greta Kline and longtime bandmates Lauren Martin (synth), Luke Pyenson (drums), and Alex Bailey (bass) luxuriated in studio time with Gabe Wax, who engineered and co-produced the record with the band. Recording close to home— at Brooklyn’s Figure 8 Studios— grounded the band, and their process was enriched by working closely with Wax, whose intuition and attention to detail made the familiar unfamiliar and allowed the band to reshape their own contexts. On opener “Moonsea,” an unaccompanied Greta begins, “The world is crumbling and I don’t have much to say.” Take that as a wink and a metonym for the whole album, as her signature vocals are joined by Alex’s ascending bassline and Lauren’s eddying synths, invoking a loungey take on Broadcast or Stereolab’s space-disco experimental pop. There’s much more than “not much” to say here, and it's augmented and expanded by experimentation with synth patches, textures, and other recording nuances courtesy of Wax. As the lineup has solidified into the most permanent expression of full-band Frankie Cosmos, the bandmates have felt more comfortable deviating from their default instruments and contributing bigger-picture ideas to continue pushing the sound forward.

                                                                              The band’s closeness and aesthetic consistency freed its members to take more risks, notes Luke: "Everything will sound like Frankie Cosmos because Greta has such a distinct voice (literally and figuratively). We have so much latitude to experiment with the instrumental music, and this time around we really took advantage of that." Without losing any intimacy of prior albums, Close it Quietly is different, is outer. The album functions as a benign doppelganger, a shadow self of past releases; where other Frankie Cosmos records shine brightest looking inward, Close it Quietly refracts the self into the world, and vice versa, miraculously echoing Thoreau’s assertion that “when I reflect, I find that there is other than me.” Reflection--and refraction--isn’t tidy. “Flowers don’t grow/in an organized way/why should I?” Greta sings on “A Joke.” Growth isn’t linear. Change happens in circles. While recording the album, Alex says, “I closed my eyes a lot.” Stand in the sun, listen to Close it Quietly, and do the same.


                                                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                              Coloured LP Info: Opaque yellow vinyl.

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                                                                              Cover of So Removed by Wives.

                                                                              Wives

                                                                              So Removed

                                                                              City Slang

                                                                                City Slang are thrilled to announce the debut album of WIVES! The Queens, NY four-piece is the latest fit into a long lineage of New York’s gritty, melodic-meets-punk.

                                                                                WIVES as a band came together by happenstance — a random realization amidst friends busy with other musical projects. Jay met Adam Sachs, WIVES’ drummer, while interning at a New York recording studio where Adam worked as an assistant. The two became fast friends, their constant hanging out growing to include guitarist Andrew Bailey (DIIV) and bassist Gabe Wax, who’d eventually be replaced by another friend, Alex Crawford. All were embedded in New York’s DIY music scene through their respective projects, with years of playing house shows and booking their own tours under their belts. It wasn’t until a random day of extra studio time booked for another project that the four of them actually played together.

                                                                                So Removed is grungy dark-wave, tethered to daily anxiety without resorting to cynicism. The noisy dissonance of Sonic Youth, the edgy hooks of early Pixies, and the clever, cerebral sneering of The Fall simmer as touchstones within the album, sharp and prodding at the details, pulsing with urgency. So Removed plunges into the void of unknown, a tangle of contemporary dread and optimism, mapping the gray areas of alienation.


                                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                Coloured LP Info: Indies exclusive purple vinyl.

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                                                                                Cover of Jump In, The Water’s Fine by The Wedding Present.

                                                                                The Wedding Present

                                                                                Jump In, The Water’s Fine

                                                                                Come Play With ME

                                                                                  Set to be a collector’s item, the single is available on 7” and limited edition 10” picture disc – the band’s first! – including specially commissioned artwork by Darren Hayman (Hefner). Co-written by David Gedge and new guitarist Danielle Wadey – she was previously the band’s bass player – both tracks were recorded at the legendary Monnow Valley studios in Wales under the watchful eye of multi-Grammy award winning producer Andrew Scheps and engineer Matt Glasbey.

                                                                                  Opening with squalls of feedback, ‘Jump In, The Water's Fine’ is an epic tale with trademark whirlwind Wedding Present guitar and a deceptively sweet melody. “Danielle came up with the solo bass part after I said I wanted to do a song that was ‘bass-driven’ and it just got fatter and heavier! We also now have three vocalists in the band so we used the opportunity to experiment with some a cappella singing, too,” says David.

                                                                                  B-side ‘Panama’, is a frenetic slice of indie-pop, where ferocious guitars and heavy drums collide with honest lyrics about love and friendship. Of the recording, David adds, “As well as including one of my favourite palindromes, ‘Panama’ references‘Earthrise’, the iconic photograph of Earth taken by astronaut Bill Anders (during the Apollo 8 mission) on Christmas Eve, 1968. We decided to incorporate samples of the astronauts talking to Mission Control.”

                                                                                  Rather surprisingly, this is The Wedding Present’s first ever picture disc. Close friend to the band Darren Hayman (Hefner, The French, etc.) was commissioned to do the artwork but his paintings were so impressive that the band decided that the time was right to embrace what is a new format for them. “It’s only taken us thirty-something years to get around to it!” says David. From their C86 roots in the mid-80s, John Peel favourites The Wedding Present have gone on to become one of the UK’s most loved bands, charting no less than 18 Top 40 hit singles. Emerging from Leeds with the classic debut album ‘George Best’ in 1987, The Wedding Present built a reputation for blending bittersweet love stories with everyday mundanity, set against a backdrop of heavy distortion and exquisite indie-pop.

                                                                                  In 2016, The Wedding Present released their ninth studio album, ‘Going, Going...’, which featured references to Gedge's previous work, including self-referential lyrical moments and has been described as his masterpiece. Loosely based on a road trip across the U.S.A., the double LP was described by Louder Than War as “A remarkable album. A joy from start to finish." The same year, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their debut album, ‘George Best’, The Wedding Present released ‘George Best 30’. This album featured brand new versions of the original twelve songs recorded by Steve Albini and mixed by Andrew Scheps. 2017 also saw the publication (by Red Planet) of ‘Sometimes These Words Just Don't Have To Be Said’ – a 450 page 'fanthology' of the band.

                                                                                  In 2018, KneejerkFilm released ‘Something Left Behind’ – a feature length documentary telling the story of the ‘George Best’ album. The film, which featured interviews with all four original band members and was produced and directed by Andrew Jezard, has appeared at several film festivals.


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                                                                                  Cover of At The Party With My Brown Friends by Black Belt Eagle Scout.

                                                                                  Black Belt Eagle Scout

                                                                                  At The Party With My Brown Friends

                                                                                  Saddle Creek

                                                                                    Released in September of 2018, Mother of My Children was the debut album from Black Belt Eagle Scout, the recording project of Katherine Paul. Heralded as a favorite new musician of 2018 by the likes of NPR Music, Stereogum, and Paste, the album was also named as a “Best Rock Album of 2018” by Pitchfork, and garnered further end-of-year praise from FADER, Under The Radar and more.

                                                                                    Arriving just a year after that debut record, At the Party With My Brown Friends is a brand new full-length recording from Black Belt Eagle Scout. Where that first record was a snapshot of loss and landscape and of KP’s standing as a radical indigenous queer feminist, this new chapter finds its power in love, desire and friendship.

                                                                                    At the Party With My Brown Friends is a profound and understated forward step. The squalling guitar anthems that shaped its predecessor are replaced by delicate vocals and soft keys, sentiments spoken and unspoken, presenting something shadowy and unsettling; a stirring of the waters. The end result presents a captivating about-face that redefines KP’s beautifully singular artistic vision.


                                                                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                    Coloured LP Info: Indies exclusive.

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                                                                                    Cover of Fake News Trending by Gary Wilson & R. Stevie Moore.

                                                                                    Gary Wilson & R. Stevie Moore

                                                                                    Fake News Trending

                                                                                    O Genesis

                                                                                      R. Stevie Moore and Gary Wilson have recorded Fake News Trending -- their first-ever collaborative album together. The historic and long-awaited collaboration is big and welcome news around the world for fans of both of these DIY/underground music legends. Although their separate and compelling stories have included sporadic intersections (both made repeated appearances in vintage Trouser Press editions, and they have also shared the bill at live shows in New York and Los Angeles), Fake News Trending is the kindred duo’s only recorded work together. While both Wilson and Moore are already touted by an illustrious roster of artists that includes Ariel Pink, Tyler the Creator, Beck, Questlove, Henry Rollins, Earl Sweatshirt, and Jello Biafra, Fake News Trendingis a crucial contribution to both artists’ bodies of work. The album not only cements their legendary status within underground circles, but will also surely reach new and appreciate fans around the globe in the months and years to come.

                                                                                      Fake News Trending boasts a formidable cast of supporting guest artists, including:
                                                                                      • Jason Falkner (Beck, Air, Daniel Johnston, Paul McCartney, Jellyfish)
                                                                                      • Jad Fair (Half Japanese)
                                                                                      • Ryan Sinnott (The Distillers)
                                                                                      • and Pall Jenkins (The Black Heart Procession, Three Mile Pilot) among others

                                                                                      Although both R. Stevie Moore an Gary Wilson are each the subject of their own documentary (Cool Daddio, and You Think You Really Know Me, respectively), clearly the narrative of these two underground heroes is still evolving, and Fake News Trending will doubtless be regarded as a highlight in both of their winding, weird, and wonderful careers. 


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                                                                                      Cover of ANIMA by Thom Yorke.

                                                                                      Thom Yorke

                                                                                      ANIMA

                                                                                      XL



                                                                                        FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                        2xColoured LP Info: Indies exclusive 140g orange vinyl in a wide-spine single sleeve with an additional 10th track (Ladies & Gentlemen, Thank You for Coming).

                                                                                        2xColoured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                        2xDeluxe LP Info: A beautiful hardback book containing both the lyrics and many strange drawings done in pencil by Stanley Donwood & Dr Tchock.

                                                                                        Orange 180 gram double vinyl with an additional 10th track (Ladies & Gentlemen, Thank You for Coming).

                                                                                        Printed onto Italian Fedrigoni Special Brown material paper and section sewn, the book is made up with an exposed orange cloth spine and orange gilt edging and finished with Bodonian Binding.

                                                                                        2xDeluxe LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                        2xLP Info: Black 140 gram double vinyl in a wide-spine single sleeve with an additional 10th track (Ladies & Gentlemen, Thank You for Coming).

                                                                                        2xLP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                                                                                        Cover of Let It Go / Omen by Kelly Lee Owens.

                                                                                        Kelly Lee Owens

                                                                                        Let It Go / Omen

                                                                                        Smalltown Supersound

                                                                                          Kelly Lee Owens releases a 12” featuring Let It Go, a track made for her DJ set at Fabric in 2019 and now made available through the Adult Swim Single Series.

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                                                                                          Cover of Powers by The Futureheads.

                                                                                          The Futureheads

                                                                                          Powers

                                                                                          Nul

                                                                                            The North East post-punk band returned to their roots on recent single 'Jekyll', a biting, angular slice of guitar pop.

                                                                                            Part of a broader full band project, The Futureheads have now detailed their first full electronic album in a decade.

                                                                                            New record 'Powers' lands on August 30th, with frontman Ross Millard commenting:

                                                                                            “Obviously it’s an absolute privilege to come back and still have fans and that’s something to cherish but I also think we’ve got a bit of a job to do about letting people know that there’s more to this band than you might have thought.”

                                                                                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                            Coloured LP Info: Indies exclusive magenta coloured vinyl.

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                                                                                            Cover of Thrashing Thru The Passion by The Hold Steady.

                                                                                            The Hold Steady

                                                                                            Thrashing Thru The Passion

                                                                                            Frenchkiss

                                                                                              The Hold Steady’s seventh studio album Thrashing Thru The Passion collects five new songs recorded this year alongside five acclaimed ones released digitally between November 2017 and March 2019.

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                                                                                              Cover of Rest In Space by Islandman.

                                                                                              Islandman

                                                                                              Rest In Space

                                                                                              Music For Dreams

                                                                                                Istanbul-based Tolga Büyük started his solo project Islandman in 2010 and has already built quite a name for himself with a slew of self-released EPs & albums. Already prominent in Istanbul’s psychedelic scene as part of live-performance band Farfara, as Islandman he builds his unique style off the rich history of Turkey’s psychedelic rock movement, taking it further in his own direction.
                                                                                                The Anatolian tradition of fusing the country’s folk music with Western influences has produced a unique legacy of sound, as evident by the discographies of Erkin Koray and Baris Manco for instance, with the guitar long the sound weapon of choice. So too for Islandman, but apart from mastering this instrument quite eloquently, he also orchestrates it into a new and different context than merely providing hippie nostalgia. By re-framing the murky and somewhat dusty Anatolian psychedelic sound with a cool Mediterranean vibe and a very Balearic-friendly production, Islandman’s music is the next step in the progression of Anatolian music.
                                                                                                On “Rest In Space”, his first full length outing for Music For Dreams, the LP keeps a steady pace of around 90-95 bpm, but never gets repetitive with Islandman taking us on a rich and ever surprising journey, full of quirky turns and mysterious instrumentations.
                                                                                                The opener “Rest In Space” treats us to a funky percussion-thick rhythm that lounges into a pool of playful & jazzy horn & flute arrangements. This is followed by the epic “Night Wind” which sweeps across cinematic desert landscapes of synth layers and falls into a dark night time groove reminiscent of Nicolas Jaar & Dave Harrington’s Darkside project. “Seikleos” centers around a motorik electronic rhythm pattern (not unlike the classic electro-pop classic “Popcorn”) that develops into a chugging balearic house jam while stand out track “Future Days” brings in a female guest vocalist to complete the album with a breezy full on groover that echoes of both Sheila Chandra and Tom Tom Club.
                                                                                                Also included is the previously released digital single “Agit” as well as a remix by Berlin-based M.RUX, toning down the heavy guitar of the original in favor of a more bouncier interpretation.
                                                                                                The stunning “Ikaru” wades in through chunks of jungle ambiance and watery percussion to lounge along on a rubbery funk bassline, coupled with a heavy laid back beat and wobbly derelict synth figures.
                                                                                                “Tawhid” is an odd mix of new wave brilliance and prog momentum that breaks into a cascade of pouring rain and surprising percussion breaks. Lastly comes gorgeous Eastern guitar opus “The True Word of the Wind” and the warm vibey dreamscape “Following”.
                                                                                                As a whole, Islandman delivers a delicate buffet of influences - spanning the spectrum from hazy balearic pop to tropical new age flirts to deep spiritual psychedelic jamming. 


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                                                                                                Cover of Birth Of Violence by Chelsea Wolfe.

                                                                                                Chelsea Wolfe

                                                                                                Birth Of Violence

                                                                                                Sargent House

                                                                                                  Chelsea Wolfe has always been a conduit for a powerful energy, and while she has demonstrated a capacity to channel that somber beauty into a variety of forms, her gift as a songwriter is never more apparent than when she strips her songs down to a few key components. As a result, her solemn majesty and ominous elegance are more potent than ever on Birth of Violence.

                                                                                                  There is a core element to Chelsea Wolfe’s music—a kind of urgent spin on America’s desolation blues—that’s existed throughout the entirety of her career. At the center, there has always been Wolfe’s woeful longing and beguiling gravity, though the framework for compositions has continuously evolved based on whatever resources were available. Her austere beginnings were gradually bolstered by electronics and filled out with full-band arrangements. The music became increasingly dense and more centered around live performances. Her latest album, Birth of Violence, is a return to the reclusive nature of her earlier recordings

                                                                                                  “I’ve been in a state of constant motion for the past eight years or so; touring, moving, playing new stages, exploring new places and meeting new people—an incredible time of learning and growing as a musician and performer,” Wolfe says of the era leading up to Birth of Violence. “But after awhile, I was beginning to lose a part of myself. I needed to take some time away from the road to get my head straight, to learn to take better care of myself, and to write and record as much as I can while I have ‘Mercury in my hands,’ as a wise friend put it.“ Birth of Violence is the result of this step out of the limelight. The songs stem from humble beginnings—little more than Wolfe’s voice and her Taylor acoustic guitar. Her longtime musical collaborator Ben Chisholm recorded the songs on a makeshift studio and helped fill them out with his modern production treatments and the occasional auxiliary flourish from ongoing contributors Jess Gowrie (drums) and Ezra Buchla (viola).

                                                                                                  The album opens with “The Mother Road,” a harrowing ode to Route 66 that immediately addresses Wolfe’s metaphoric white line fever. It explains the nature of the record—the impact of countless miles and perpetual exhaustion—and the desire to find the road back home, back to one’s roots. Songs like “Deranged for Rock & Roll” and “Highway” offers parallel examinations on the trials and tribulations of her journeys while the ghostly “When Anger Turns to Honey” serves as a rebuttal to self-appointed judges.

                                                                                                  While the record touches upon tradition, it also exists in the present, addressing modern tragedies such as school shootings in the minor-key lullaby “Little Grave” and the poisoning of the planet on the dark wind-swept ballad “Erde.” But the record is at its most poignant when Wolfe withdraws into her own world of enigmatic and elusive autobiography. Much like Alan Ginsberg’s hallucinatory long-form poem Howl, the tracks “Dirt Universe” and “Birth of Violence” weave together specific references from her past into an esoteric overview of the state of mankind. Though the lyrical minutiae remain secret, the overall power of the language and delivery is bound to haunt the listener with both its grace and tension.

                                                                                                  “These songs came to me in a whirlwind and I knew I needed to record them soon, and also really needed a break from the road,” Wolfe says. “I’ve spent the past few years looking for the feeling of home; looking for places that felt like home. The result of that humble approach yields Wolfe’s most devastating work to date.

                                                                                                  FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                  Coloured LP Info: Indie exclusive Red vinyl in Gatefold jacket with 12-page book available is for Cargo Collective Stores Only (Limited to 300 copies in the UK).

                                                                                                  Coloured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                  LP Info: Gatefold with 12-page book + DLC.

                                                                                                  CD Info: Digipak CD.

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                                                                                                  Cover of Braindrops by Tropical Fuck Storm.

                                                                                                  Tropical Fuck Storm

                                                                                                  Braindrops

                                                                                                  Joyful Noise Recordings

                                                                                                    Highly anticipated second album, 1.5 years after their critically acclaimed debut LP. Featuring members of the now-defunct band The Drones. RIYL: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Nick Cave, The Slits, Protomartyr, The Drones, Gang of Four, IDLES.

                                                                                                    “I've invented fake news as a genre of music,” Gareth Liddiard observes with a laugh. He's talking about “Maria 63”, the closing track on Tropical Fuck Storm's sophomore LP ‘Braindrops’. The song takes aim at the once-marginalized alt-right conspiracy theories that now seem to be a driving force behind the rise of fascism in global politics. “It may be the most stupid song ever written,” Liddiard jokes. He's wrong, “Maria 63” is emblematic of Tropical Fuck Storm's keen ability to mine the extreme edge of pop culture's periphery for potent musical and conceptual spice.

                                                                                                    Tropical Fuck Storm were formed around 2017 in the city of Melbourne, Victoria along Australia's south-eastern coast. The band released their debut long-player A Laughing Death in Meatspace on Joyful Noise Recordings in 2018. Each of the band's four members bring considerable experience to the group. Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin were part of the long-running and critically-acclaimed act The Drones, while Erica Dunn and Lauren Hammel have performed in a variety of well-received projects. Perhaps it's that wealth of rock and roll experience that allows Tropical Fuck Storm to so expertly deconstruct and distort the genre's norms.

                                                                                                    “Everything we do, we try to do it in a weird way. The whole album is full of weird beats, and just weird shit everywhere,” Liddiard explains. He cites Doc at the Radar Station-era Captain Beefheart as a key sonic touchstone, and Braindrops certainly shares the Captain's penchant for pounding abstract grooves. Tropical Fuck Storm have achieved a uniquely off-kilter sound on Braindrops Liddiard partly credits this to the group's use of unconventional equipment, “We use lots of techno gear to make rock and roll because rock and roll gear is boring, and all sounds like Led Zeppelin.”

                                                                                                    Liddiard's own description of Tropical Fuck Storm's sound is nearly as interesting and evocative as the music itself. He describes the LP's title track as “Fela Kuti in a car crash,” and talks of creating a sonic atmosphere that “sounds like chloroform smells” for “Maria 62”. A recurring theme on Braindrops concerns the various ways the human brain can be manipulated and controlled for exploitative gain. The bracing “The Planet of Straw Men” is a study of human behavior inside the social media comments section, a place where otherwise reasonable people are seen gleefully engaging in psychotic chest-thumping rhetoric. Listening to Braindrops is a jarring and exhilarating experience, full of pulsating grooves, dissonant experimentation, and unsettling dystopian plot-lines. Braindrops is an unrelenting work, from an unrelenting musical ensemble. “Tropical Fuck Storm is a full on thing,” Liddiard offers. “Everything we do, we do it to death.”

                                                                                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                    Dinked Edition LP Info: • Limited exclusive edition of 500.
                                                                                                    • Highlighter Yellow & Electric Blue split-colour vinyl.
                                                                                                    • Includes bonus 7” featuring a Missy Elliott cover.
                                                                                                    • Numbered.
                                                                                                    • Includes download.

                                                                                                    Coloured LP Info: Hot Magenta coloured vinyl.

                                                                                                    Coloured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                                                                                                    Cover of Metronomy Forever by Metronomy.

                                                                                                    Metronomy

                                                                                                    Metronomy Forever

                                                                                                    Because Music

                                                                                                      The follow-up to 2016’s ‘Summer 08’, ‘Metronomy Forever’ features 17 tracks. Its length is born from a desire for breathing room, from not wanting to stuff the hits together like a bouquet of petrol station roses – a modern way of listening to music. Metronomy’s innate skill for blending off-kilter funk, energising club vibes and esoteric pop is interspersed with some mood-setting, glistening and melodic electronic tracks.

                                                                                                      The band’s leader Joseph Mount called upon a variety of inspirations for this album. Most notably, he wanted to replicate the feeling of listening to the radio, with an infinite quality, sumptuous songs of different styles, ever rolling, helping to lighten your mood. Moving away from the bustle of his former Parisian home to take up residence atop a hill in the garden of England had an impact, infusing the album with a sense of tranquillity and a calm joy that reflects the relative happiness of his existence.

                                                                                                      Also influential was time spent working on Robyn’s critically adored ‘Honey’ album, with a similar feeling of emotional, intense, carnal mania informing songs such as ‘Sex Emoji’ and ‘Salted Caramel Ice Cream’.

                                                                                                      ‘Metronomy Forever’ in name represents something looking backwards and forwards simultaneously, like Janus, something fated and eternal. You were made from dust and to dust you will return, that sort of thing.
                                                                                                      “What happens is when you’re making music and you enter a world where you have achieved some sort of celebrity no matter how large or small you start to think about yourself in terms of legacy and what you’re going to leave behind,” says Mount. “And then you realise that’s limited to the interest people have in you. In the end I feel completely comfortable with it. The less importance you place in any art the more interesting it can become in a way… I’m making music, I’m going to do some concerts, I need to feed my children”.


                                                                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                      3xColoured LP Info: Deluxe Edition.
                                                                                                      Limited Edition Triple Vinyl.
                                                                                                      3 x Coloured Vinyl (2 x Transparent Orange for the album / 1 x Transparent Green for the bonus vinyl).
                                                                                                      8 page special gatefold sleeve.

                                                                                                      3xColoured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                      2xLtd LP Info: Collector Double Vinyl.
                                                                                                      8 page gatefold sleeve.
                                                                                                      Double 140 gram black vinyl.

                                                                                                      2xLtd LP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                                                                                                      Cover of Tiny Changes: A Celebration Of The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit.

                                                                                                      Frightened Rabbit

                                                                                                      Tiny Changes: A Celebration Of The Midnight Organ Fight

                                                                                                      Atlantic

                                                                                                        Context to ‘Tiny Changes: A celebration of the Midnight Organ Fight’:

                                                                                                        Before Scott died, an idea was formed to celebrate 10 years of their seminal album The Midnight Organ Fight by asking some of their talented buds in music to take a crack at their own versions of a song on the album. The whole album was recorded and was due to be released last summer, but then unfortunately Scott passed away last May.

                                                                                                        The band have decided they still want to release the record as a testament to the album, and to Scott. It’s going to be released on 12th July via Atlantic, and the band are going to be very much behind the release

                                                                                                        History of the band:

                                                                                                        Frightened Rabbit are a Scottish indie rock band from Selkirk, formed in 2003. Initially a solo project for vocalist and guitarist Scott Hutchison, the line-up currently consists of Grant Hutchison (drums), Billy Kennedy (guitar, bass), Andy Monaghan (guitar, keyboards), and Simon Liddell (guitar). From 2004 the band were based in Glasgow.

                                                                                                        Frightened Rabbit's first studio album, Sing the Greys, was recorded as a duo by the Hutchison brothers, and released on independent label Hits the Fan in 2006. The band subsequently signed to Fat Cat Records, in 2007, and became a three-piece with the addition of guitarist Billy Kennedy for its second studio album, The Midnight Organ Fight (2008). The album was released to strongly positive reviews and extensive touring, with guitarist and keyboardist Andy Monaghan joining the band to flesh-out its live performances.

                                                                                                        The band's third studio album, The Winter of Mixed Drinks, was released in 2010, with former Make Model guitarist Gordon Skene joining the band for its accompanying tour. Frightened Rabbit signed to Atlantic Records later that year, and issued two EPs, A Frightened Rabbit EP (2011) and State Hospital (EP) (2012), before the release of its fourth studio album, Pedestrian Verse in 2013. A critical and commercial success in the UK, the album peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart, with additional guitarist Simon Liddell joining the band on its subsequent tour.

                                                                                                        Disillusioned from touring, Hutchison, Monaghan, and Liddell recorded a studio album without the band, entitled Owl John (2014). Gordon Skene departed from the band in early 2014, and the band recorded Painting of a Panic Attack the following year with producer Aaron Dessner (The National), in New York, with Liddell joining the band as a full contributing member.

                                                                                                        Scott Hutchison died in May 2018 after going missing. In December 2018, the remaining members of the band played together for the first time since Hutchison's death, at a charity gig in Glasgow.


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                                                                                                        Cover of Uohha! / To Marvin by Kito Jempere.

                                                                                                        Kito Jempere

                                                                                                        Uohha! / To Marvin

                                                                                                        Hell Yeah

                                                                                                        Forthcoming Director’s Cut of Kito Jempere’s Sea Monster album on Hell Yeah is filled with gems, and two of them are now getting pressed up on a limited edition run of only 100 7”s.

                                                                                                        It will be a special package mastered and cut by Andreas at Schnitstelle, hand written and hand numbered by Andrea Amaducci and including a double sticker in a high quality plastic sleeve.

                                                                                                        Russian master Kito Jempere dazzles again with “Uohha!”, which swaggers on lazy drums with expressive vocals conveying a sense of carefree emotion.

                                                                                                        “To Marvin” is then a jazzed up number, with keys and trumpets, twisted synths and loose drums all getting you up on your toes.
                                                                                                        ?
                                                                                                        This is a sure-fire secret weapon that you need in your collection. 

                                                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                        Patrick says: Super spezial, ultra limited 7" from the Hell Yeah camp, containing two of the special cuts from Kito Jempere's expanded "Sea Monster". Quirk heavy leftfield Balearic with a late nineties sampledelic feel.

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                                                                                                        Cover of Listeners by Scrimshire.

                                                                                                        Scrimshire

                                                                                                        Listeners

                                                                                                        Albert’s Favourites

                                                                                                        Albert’s Favourites co-founder Adam Scrimshire is set to release his fourth album 'Listeners'. Musically, 'Listeners' draws from Scrimshire's passion for jazz, soul and electronic music of all styles; from an energetic combination of Afrobeat and garage on 'Won't Get Better', to the lushly orchestrated neo-soul of 'Thru You', and the harmonious jazz experimentations of 'I Never'. The album features a host of esteemed guest vocalists and musicians telling their own personal stories, including Georgia Anne Muldrow, Emma-Jean Thackray, Joshua Idehen, Madison McFerrin, Chip Wickham, and James Alexander Bright.

                                                                                                        "With this album I wanted to get a more focused sound after six years of relearning and development in the studio. But I also struggled to find my own words, to speak about where I/we are now. So I allowed my collaborators total freedom to tell their own story and as they came back to me, they were telling the same stories I wanted to. It's resulted in some deeply personal confessional pieces: mourning family, collapsing relationships, extremes of self doubt and analysis, trying to balance public and inner persona, and a reminder that life in all forms is important.

                                                                                                        It’s called 'Listeners' as I am a listener here, I feel like I've been given these very personal experiences to care for. Listeners because, the travesty of the last few years is that we stopped listening to each other, everyone is shouting at each other and no one is learning. And Listeners because I hope I've made something that is for other people more than I have before. I've tried to craft something warmer and more enjoyable, made for those who give me their time in listening to my music."
                                                                                                        - Adam Scrimshire

                                                                                                        Since joining the Wah Wah 45s label in 2007, Scrimshire has released three albums of experimental cinematic jazz, and electronic sounds. Following his 2009 debut ‘Along Came The Devil One Night’, his second album ‘The Hollow’ (2011) was a BBC 6 Music Album of the Week, with Gilles Peterson calling it “A late contender for album of the year”.

                                                                                                        In the time since the release of his last album ‘Bight’ (“An eclectic range of influences ranging from disco to fusion to more contemporary electronic styles” XLR8R) in 2013, Adam has worked with long-time musical accomplice Dave Koor on new project Modified Man, and launched Albert’s Favourites releasing projects by The Expansions, Hector Plimmer and Jonny Drop. He has continued to gain radio and DJ support for his successful “Scrimshire Edits” series and has produced and mixed records for artist including Stac, Daudi Matsiko, Bastien Keb, Ronin Arkestra, Jonny Drop. He has also continued to develop the Wah Wah 45s label, where he is now a co-owner and director.

                                                                                                        Preceded by singles 'Thru You' featuring Georgia Anne Muldrow and 'Life Is Valuable' featuring James Alexander Bright; 'Listeners' is set for release on LP and digital formats via Albert’s Favourites on 19th July 2019. 

                                                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                        Millie says: Upbeat Nu-Jazz unlike anything you’ve heard before, mixing with broken beat and hip hop to create this wild and incredible album!! ‘Listeners’ has one of the most killer list of collaborators I’ve seen in a long time from jazz aficionado Emma-Jean Thackray to Queen of Soul ‘Georgia Anne Muldrow. This one is definitely for fans of Fatima, J.Lamotta and Yazmin Lacey.

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                                                                                                        Cover of Cosmic Trigger - Inc. Krikor Remix by Golden Bug.

                                                                                                        Golden Bug

                                                                                                        Cosmic Trigger - Inc. Krikor Remix

                                                                                                        Multi Culti

                                                                                                        Golden Bug drops four slabs of illuminati science on Multi Culti. Designed to illicit rapid brain-change on the downtempo dance floor, this is Chug-lorica of the highest order of pyramid power, an advanced exploration of occult psychedelia, alternate linguistic realities, cosmic triggers to unlock deeper meanings and higher truths. ‘Cosmic Trigger’ features a speech about LSD de-fragmentation, the title referencing Robert Anton Wilson’s vision of mental illumination. ‘Tamba’ reprograms the linguistic cortex, featuring the vocal talents and lyrical codex of Viktoria Wehrmeister. While ‘Yama’ deepens the proceedings to the point where one questions the very foundations of life.

                                                                                                        If this all sounds too psychically challenging for a peak time party DJ set, take comfort in the supremely playable acid antics of the ever reliable, Marc Piñol. Subdued ecstatic house, this remix perfectly reflects those rare moments of MDMA-bliss where one’s heart is FULLY open while one’s dignity remains intact. Clearly a producer you can count on when you get high and still want to dance.

                                                                                                        Ordained drum-machine funk-monk Krikor smashes Yama into a post-Anthropocene Jamaican dancehall where cyber-dreadlocks connect mankind to ORICOM, the Gaian matrix. To be featured in the rave scene in the upcoming MATRIX feature film starring Keanu Reeves and Richie Hawtin as The AI.

                                                                                                        If that package couldn’t sell itself, then the splendid psychedelic frame of artwork that Ventral is Golden created will surely catch eyes and lure in listeners with the inclination to re-align and reach their highest potential as listeners in absolute union with music.


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                                                                                                        Cover of LesAlpx / Coorabell by Floating Points.

                                                                                                        Floating Points

                                                                                                        LesAlpx / Coorabell

                                                                                                        Ninja Tune

                                                                                                          Floating Points has shared his first new track since 2017 in the form of 'LesAlpx', the A-side of a new 12" vinyl coming 12th July which also features B-side ‘Coorabell’.

                                                                                                          The track's undeniable groove recalls breakout tracks like 'Nuits Sonores' which took over dancefloors around the world while simultaneously driving forward with the sophisticated craftsmanship and depth of production that has gained Floating Points respect far beyond the clubbing community.

                                                                                                          'LesAlpx' arrives as the next step in a career that has positioned Shepherd as one of electronic music's most surprising, innovative and uncompromising artists.

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                                                                                                          Cover of Forever Turned Around by Whitney.

                                                                                                          Whitney

                                                                                                          Forever Turned Around

                                                                                                          Secretly Canadian

                                                                                                            Forever Turned Around came together over several sessions across the country. Though Julien Ehrlich is Whitney’s lead singing drummer while Max Kakacek is the lead guitarist, when writing, both transcend their roles to piece together each offering lyrically and compositionally. “The way it ends up working is one of us comes up with a basic idea for a song and the other person serves as the foil to complicate that idea. We ask, ‘What can we change to make it more interesting?’” says Kakacek. Challenging each other is the core of their songwriting partnership.

                                                                                                            It’s these risks and experiments that make Forever Turned Around a triumph. Take opener “Giving Up,” which started from a stream-ofconscious revelation when Ehrlich improvised the chorus while Kakacek played Wurlitzer. What began as a nod to Neil Young’s Live at Massey Hall 1971 in an afternoon turned into a heart-rending and relatable song about the ups and downs of long-term relationships. Over twinkling piano, Ehrlich sings, “Though we started losing touch / I’ve been hanging on because / You’re the only one I love.” He explains, “In a relationship, you don’t stay at the same level at all times. You go through weeks where you’re closed off.”

                                                                                                            After a session with producers Bradley Cook (Hand Habits, Hiss Golden Messenger) and Jonathan Rado (Weyes Blood, Father John Misty) helped color in the arrangements, the album truly revealed itself when they reunited with original rhythm guitarist Ziyad Asrar in his basement Chicago studio—the same place where they hashed out much of their critically acclaimed 2016 debut, Light Upon The Lake. “Getting down there was so important because we’ve always used that basement for music. The comfort and familiarity mattered but having Ziyad be a buffer between us was so helpful,” says Ehrlich. With Asrar, songs like “Song For Ty” and “Forever Turned Around” effortlessly came together.

                                                                                                            Restlessness is at the heart of Whitney’s resonant and stunning sophomore album Forever Turned Around. As Ehrlich and Kakacek realized life can change almost instantly. Priorities shift, relationships evolve, home can become far away, and even when luck momentarily works out, there’s still that underlying search for something better. Happiness can be fleeting but this album proves that even when it feels like time is turning on its head and there’s either a moment of clarity or crippling doubt, there’s still beauty in figuring it all out.

                                                                                                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                            Coloured LP Info: Indies exclusive 'forest brown' coloured vinyl.

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                                                                                                            Cover of Rock 'N' Roll With The Modern Lovers by The Modern Lovers.

                                                                                                            The Modern Lovers

                                                                                                            Rock 'N' Roll With The Modern Lovers

                                                                                                            Music On Vinyl

                                                                                                              Rock ‘n Roll with the Modern Lovers is the second album released as Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers. The band, which is build around singer-songwriter and guitarist Jonathan Richman, almost totally focuses on the sound from the ‘50s. The lo-fi record breathes folky roots music and rock ‘n roll as it would sound ages ago. “Ice Cream Man”, “Egyptian Reggae” (earning them a UK Top 5 hit) and “Roller Coaster by the Sea” are all superb songs, uncomplicated and wonderful. This is one of the most remarkable projects recorded by Jonathan.

                                                                                                              The Modern Lovers were formed in 1970 by teenage singer, songwriter, guitarist Jonathan Richman, augmented with Jerry Harrison (keyboards), Ernie Brooks (bass) and David Robinson (drums), with Richman’s friend and original band member John Felice joining them occasionally

                                                                                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                              Coloured LP Info: 180 gram audiophile.
                                                                                                              Limited edition of 1500 audiophile turquoise coloured vinyl.

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                                                                                                              Cover of Lonely Girl / Alone Again by Bobby Oroza.

                                                                                                              Bobby Oroza

                                                                                                              Lonely Girl / Alone Again

                                                                                                              Big Crown

                                                                                                                Big Crown Records is proud to present the next must have 45 offering from Bobby Oroza. Following up on the success of his debut album This Love, and by popular demand, we had to put these two tunes on a 7 for the DJs and collectors. The A side Lonely Girl is a uptempo dancer sure to fill the floor at soul parties around the world. Bobby finds a kindred spirit in an introverted young lady and puts his best foot forward to persuade her to take a chance on him. The Cold Diamond & Mink production puts this one over the top with their signature tough drums and lush instrumentation laying down the perfect paper for Bobby's poetry to be inked on. The B side is another one of the crushing ballads that made Bobby famous in the first place. An early favorite at Big Crown when they turned in the demos, Alone Again fits perfectly in both the warmest sunny day in California and the coldest darkest winter night in Helsinki. It is undeniable that Bobby and Cold Diamond & Mink are a match made in heaven and have come up with a sound that is entirely their own. Here's another two-sider showcasing two different variations on that sound. 

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                                                                                                                Cover of Split 7" by The Channels 4 / Carla & The Carlettes.

                                                                                                                The Channels 4 / Carla & The Carlettes

                                                                                                                Split 7"

                                                                                                                Big Crown

                                                                                                                  First time ever on 7”. Extremely rare local Brooklyn record. Big Crown Records is proud to present for the first time ever on a 45 two tunes pulled from one of Brooklyn's most sought after Holy Grail soul records, YIA Talent Hunt Winners. Youth in Action, Inc. (YIA) was formed in 1963 when the Central Brooklyn Coordinating Council received a grant to develop a youth services program in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community. At one point they threw a local talent show and the winners of the talent show were invited into the studio to record some of their tunes.

                                                                                                                  The Talent Show Winners album is the top five amateur vocal groups backed by a local band known as The Thrillers Band, recorded sometime around 1968. The full length reissue is scheduled for an August 2019 release on Big Crown, this 45 will quick become a favorite amongst soul collectors, this is a truly rare record, and a awesome piece of New York History. The A Side is The Channels 4 cover of the Billy Stewart classic Cross My Heart. There's an unduplicatable charm on these reco rdings coming from the lo fi studio set up of the time, the fervor that the youths on these records are perform- ing, and the pumped in audience applause they went with to make it see like the recordings were from the actual talent show. This is lo-fi gold. The B Side is Carla & The Carlettes killer cover of The Rascals Groovin. The take the popular tune of the time which came out of the borough of Queens and give it a proper Kings county soul treatment. Again, this is lo-fi gold. 

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                                                                                                                  Cover of Yoghurt by MOHIT.

                                                                                                                  MOHIT

                                                                                                                  Yoghurt

                                                                                                                  DVTT Records

                                                                                                                    MOHIT are an art rock, progressive, avant-garde trio from East London. MOHIT have been recording new material with producer Marta Salogni (Björk, YAK, Holly Herndon, Methyl Ethel, Liars) at Strongroom Studios and Mute Records. They released the first taste - Racek and Discover Another – at the end of 2018. The follow-up is Yoghurt - the seed that began the sonic journey that led to the sound and shape of MOHIT. It was the first recorded song, the very spark. Many of the avenues explored in other songs are present in this piece; the use of loops, beat-lead sections, evocative harmonies and sonic landscapes, stretching to the most intense moments. The process of making the song conduced the reciprocal understanding of each member’s input and their sensitivities to it, resulting in a path through unfamiliar grounds for the listener to navigate.

                                                                                                                    The B-side to this second instalment is Reggaeezer. The song is a snapshot of an impromptu jam at the band’s Whitechapel dwelling when they were joined by Marky Mark; a local homeless man who went on to imbue the music with a deeper meaning. His lyric, “Stand alone, on my own” speak of his life on the streets, the melody, manifests his courageous optimism. The lyrics in the first half of the song introduce this event, accompanied by a calypso groove and ethereal harmonies. This weaves itself into a more expansive and melancholic section where Marky takes centre stage. The live show is heavier and more energetic than the record, with alternative intros/outros interluding between songs. Set-lists are inherently a different space for the music to inhabit, and so there is a heavy focus on curating a narrative backdrop behind the songs. Allowing the songs to continue to live, breathe, and move in their own ways; MOHIT respect their wishes when performing, and therefore song-structure may change depending on the show. 

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                                                                                                                    Cover of Groove Theory by Groove Theory.

                                                                                                                    Groove Theory

                                                                                                                    Groove Theory

                                                                                                                    Get On Down

                                                                                                                      The neo-soul movement of the late 1990s, which fused classic soul sounds with contemporary elements, heralded the arrival of some of the greatest R&B recordings of the decade. Albums like Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo's Brown Sugar, and Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite were all born of this trend, while artists such as Mos Def, The Roots, and Common whole-heartedly embraced the sound, creating some of their most timeless material in the process. These are some of neo-soul's great successes, but a slew of underground acts were what set the initial blueprint for their more pop-friendly acquaintances to follow. Acts such as R&B duo Groove Theory. The New York pair, consisting of singer/songwriter Amel Larrieux, and producer Bryce Wilson, (A veteran of the legendary 80s electronic group Mantronix) helped set the tone for neo-soul via their lone studio release, the self-titled Groove Theory.

                                                                                                                      The nearly hour-long record features 14 tracks of Wilson's smooth soul arrangements and atmospherics merged with golden era boom-bap beats, and Larrieux's siren-quality vocals, inspired equally by a combination of Native Tongues, peak Marvin Gaye, Joan Armatrading, Soul II Soul, as well as elements of breakbeat, jazz fusion, and even trip hop. It's a definitive, but often overlooked classic of the 1990s, which helped expand contemporary R&B's sound, render Billboard hits out the tracks "Tell Me", "Keep Tryin'", and "Baby Luv", and even found the time for a Todd Rundgren cover. On the cusp of Groove Theory's 25th anniversary, Get On Down is proud to bring you this vinyl reissue of an underrated 90s gem. The original record has never been re-released on wax since its 1995 debut, but is now presented here with fully remastered audio, and bundled in a full-color insert sleeve with complete lyrics and liner notes. 

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                                                                                                                      Cover of Transportation by Your Old Droog.

                                                                                                                      Your Old Droog

                                                                                                                      Transportation

                                                                                                                      Mongoloid Banks

                                                                                                                        Acclaimed Ukrainian-American rapper Your Old Droog recently made waves with the unexpected release of "It Wasn’t Even Close", a brand new album that drew widespread attention and endless praise after dropping in April with no advance warning. Fresh off this success, your old pal is returning less than two months later with "Transportation". The album features 15 tracks, all of which loosely relate to a method of transportation. “Not everything is literal though,” says the artist, which comes as no surprise considering the man’s penchant for abstract metaphors.

                                                                                                                        "Transportation" finds Your Old Droog returning to the unique remind-you-of-NYC-at-night soundscapes that served as the backdrop to his classic self-titled debut, which was named one of the top 10 albums of 2014 by The New York Times and one of the top 15 rap albums of 2014 by Rolling Stone. Similar to the first project, the bulk of the beats on "Transportation" are handled in-house by eclectic Inwood beat wizard Mono En Stereo. Droog sounds more than at home delivering the audio equivalent of comfort food, with interludes sprinkled around beats and rhymes that go together like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a cold glass of milk in the middle of the night. In Droog’s case, it might be Bulgarian buttermilk

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                                                                                                                        Cover of It's A Hit! by The Stroppies.

                                                                                                                        The Stroppies

                                                                                                                        It's A Hit!

                                                                                                                        Tough Love

                                                                                                                          It's A Hit! brings together four songs recorded by The Stroppies at home on their Tascam 4 track in mid 2017. Permeated by dystopian imagery of machines building machines and cats driving cars, It's a Hit! is perhaps the Stroppies most idiosyncratic release. Indeed, the title is a humorous nod to the inherent lo-fi quality of the recordings, a sound that some might not consider to be "radio friendly". Surley though, the songs contained herein are still unashamedly pop, albeit adorned in crackle and hiss. For reference think Alex Chilton's "Like Flies on Sherbert", early Swell Maps, and a touch of Loaded-era Velvet Underground shuffle. Originally released only in Australia via Hobbies Galore as a limited edition 7" in a hand stamped sleeve, the long sold-out EP is now being given an international release on the eve of the band's debut UK tour. Limited to 300 copies on white vinyl, and with a different sleeve to the first pressing. 

                                                                                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                          7" Info: 7" EP on white vinyl, limited to 300 copies only.

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                                                                                                                          Cover of Can't Get There EP by Minami Deutsch.

                                                                                                                          Minami Deutsch

                                                                                                                          Can't Get There EP

                                                                                                                          Hoga Nord

                                                                                                                            The good side wins! Minami Deutsch crushes negativity, sorrow, and depressive energy on their new Höga Nord Rekords release, “Can’t get there”, a six-track EP. Listening to this, the second Minami Deutsch release on HNR, you get the feeling of leaving half your brain in a Volkswagen down an endless Autobahn in 1972, and one-half lost in the astral plane as boundless light, above space and time.

                                                                                                                            The Japanese psych-scene is being kept vital by picking up all the best influences from all the best psychedelic music and mixing that with a delicate touch of Japanese music tradition. On this EP, you hear all that you love and miss from the 70’s krautrock bands plus a cover on cult band Index’s song “Israeli blues” from 1968. Also on this record are two remixes of the title track by HNR household names Jamie Paton and Mythologen. If Minami Deutsch’s music usually has small or no elements of modernity, (this meant in a good way!) these tracks show new paths for them to try and the sounds marry happily! This record works as a pathway to the inner core of the bands creativity, where there are few limits or boundaries and where you make the trip as hard or as easy as you want…but you’ll end up in a happy fuzzy place no matter what you choose. 

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                                                                                                                            Cover of Emergent Slow Arcs by Modern Studies And Tommy Perman.

                                                                                                                            Modern Studies And Tommy Perman

                                                                                                                            Emergent Slow Arcs

                                                                                                                            Fire Records

                                                                                                                              Modern Studies’ much praised ‘Welcome Strangers’ album from 2018 re-imagined by designer / musician Tommy Perman. “A heady compendium of haunted disco lullabies for foggy urban woodland raves and psychotropic campfire sing-alongs,” said The Quietus of the original Perman (Random Audio Therapy Unit, Cybraphon) re-invents it as a series of modern electronic compositions, like Brian Eno, John Carpenter and Tangerine Dream’s offspring hanging out with Aphex Twin’s twin. “My solo work follows an analytical documentary style and much of it has taken the urban environment as inspiration.” On their previous work together as Water Of Life, The Vinyl Factory claimed Perman and Rob St John’s music as "a fascinating and ambitious project that tests the boundaries of what we perceive as music in the environments we live in". A Frankenstein moment? A monster of ambient ardour, ‘Emergent Slow Arcs’ is something else. An electronic homage, a mystical re-telling that sounds so askew from the sum of its parts it has a life all of its own, traversing an arc previously unchartered. 

                                                                                                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                              Indies Exclusive LP Info: LP Ltd edition Hand crafted Bespoke Sleeve, Black Vinyl. 350 copies only

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                                                                                                                              Cover of Bones by Datach’i.

                                                                                                                              Datach’i

                                                                                                                              Bones

                                                                                                                              Timesig

                                                                                                                                Having broken a decade's silence with 2016's 'System', LA-based electronic musician Joseph Fraioli, a.k.a. Datach’i, returns this summer with his eighth album 'Bones'. Released on Venetian Snares' Timesig imprint, 'Bones' features 12 tracks of mind expanding electronica, once again recorded on his custom-built Eurorack modular system. Much like its predecessor, 'Bones' manages to make the most of the possibilities modular systems offer, whilst avoiding their many pitfalls that can often turn such music into little more than a dry academic exercise. Indeed 'Bones' is a remarkably intimate album, written and recorded in the time following his father's death, and reflects this intense period of personal change in Joseph's life. "Creating this music was a therapy of sorts," Joseph recalls. "It was almost like a close friend being there for me, and it's something that I hope others can perhaps utilize in the same way."

                                                                                                                                The connection to his father is something that is reflected not just in the emotional intensity of 'Bones', but in the actual production itself. "My father and I were very close," he explains. "Whilst he was sick with cancer I bought him a guitar as he wanted to learn how to play, just to have something to do while he was getting treated. After he passed away my mother gave me the guitar to have as a sort of memory of him. I had the idea to record some sounds and music on the guitar and load it onto granular sample players on the modular synth so I could make new music from those sounds as a sort of tribute to my dad. You can hear some of those sounds on a few of the tracks here like 'Arrivals', 'Motion in the Living Room' and 'Undimension'." The resulting album grapples with the intensity of these emotions. But for all their weight, tracks like 'Saugerties Road', ‘Rockledge 3A’ and ‘Antumalal’ transform that heaviness into something warm and comforting whilst the aforementioned 'Arrivals' or ‘Wand’ ultimately achieve some kind of escape velocity and soar.

                                                                                                                                Even though 'Bones' is about endings and finding closure, it also looks forward to new beginnings. "It was something very much on my mind throughout recording this album," he relates, "ends being beginnings and beginnings being the end. Cycles of time and how time works, it's all reflected throughout the album right down to how the tracks are ordered." Ranging from blissful ambience and guileless, starry eyed melodies, to intricate claustrophobic rhythms that forever sound close to collapsing in on themselves before expanding into bold new patterns, 'Bones' is the work of a producer who, twenty years on from his debut, continues to push the boundaries of electronic music. 

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                                                                                                                                Cover of Chamber No. 9 by Inspectah Deck.

                                                                                                                                Inspectah Deck

                                                                                                                                Chamber No. 9

                                                                                                                                Music Generation Corp.

                                                                                                                                  (Inspectah Deck is one of the founding members of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), 2019 has seen the re-emergence of Wu-Tang. From Good Morning America, to Jimmy Fallon, to ringing the bell at the stock exchange, to the WuTang District naming, Inspectah Deck and his crew have been busy. With an iconic documentary currently airing on Showtime and a docu-series coming up on Hulu, Deck and the Wu have embarked on the current Gods of Rap Tour and have a complete U.S., Live Nation tour following.

                                                                                                                                  The veteran wordsmith has enjoyed a successful solo career as well. Going back to his ground breaking debut, Uncontrolled Substance, to The Movement, and Manifesto, Deck isn’t afraid of stepping outside the box. He has achieved underground success and critical acclaim from his CZARFACE albums with 7L and Esoteric, including recent albums with DOOM and Ghostface, respectively. Now, the Shaolin MC is back with a banging new solo album titled, "Chamber No. 9" featuring Deck shining on the mic over some classic gritty production. His video for "Game Don't Change", the first single, will surely open some eyes. Album guests include Cappadonna, Streetlife, and Hellfire. Production is handled by up and coming Danny Caiazzo and Boo Bundy. 'Chamber N0. 9' is certainly another brick in the wall for Deck and the Wu legacy. Get ready to enter a brand new chamber!!! 

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                                                                                                                                  Cover of Live In London by Ryuichi Sakamoto & Taylor Deupree.

                                                                                                                                  Ryuichi Sakamoto & Taylor Deupree

                                                                                                                                  Live In London

                                                                                                                                  Thirty Three Thirty Three

                                                                                                                                    Trailblazing Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto is joined by revered electronic musician Taylor Deupree on this live recording, documenting their collaboration at St John-at-Hackney Church in 2014 – part of Thirty Three Thirty Three’s flagship concert series ‘St John Sessions’. The two musicians develop a kinetic understanding over the recording, entering a sparse musical dialogue – flourishes of prepared piano give way to bursts of noise and sculpted synths. Totally improvised, the performance follows their collaborations on record – as a duo on 2013's Disappearance, and in a trio with Illuha on 2014's Perpetual. Ryuichi Sakamoto has had an extraordinary career, from his founding of revolutionary electronic trio Yellow Magic Orchestra, to his remarkable film scores – notably Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence and the soundtrack for Oscar-winning film, The Revenant. Taylor Deupree, meanwhile, spent his career devoted to his label, 12k, and an intricate form of ambient minimalism. Originally released in 2015 – Thirty Three Thirty Three’s inaugural record – the album has been remastered by Deupree and features new 

                                                                                                                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                    2xColoured LP Info: Blue Vinyl 180-gram heavyweight records alongside 24" photographic print

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                                                                                                                                    Cover of DIY Compilation by V.A.G. (Various Artists Geneva).

                                                                                                                                    V.A.G. (Various Artists Geneva)

                                                                                                                                    DIY Compilation

                                                                                                                                    White Label

                                                                                                                                    VAG (Various Artists Geneva) is a DIY compilation of dance and experimental music, consisting of 22 tracks produced by various musicians from Geneva. This limited double-LP is filled with analog-synths, modded'sequencers, drum-machines and amplified instruments, resulting in a surprising collaboration which reflects the bubbling underground scene of the city. The record sleeves have been individually customised, with each one being different from the other, and come enclosed with postcards from Geneva.

                                                                                                                                    "In May last year, I sent an email to a large circle of friends, dj’s and musicians, who gravitate around Bongo Joe Records, our local record store in Geneva. I wrote to them about the idea of sharing their B-sides on a various artists compilation, by delving deep into their personal home-studio produced music library. What followed was a flow of amazing tracks, raw and spontaneous. Subsequently, we all met to listen to eachothers recordings; it was a very powerful moment.

                                                                                                                                    The process quickly became an 'anonymous' project, with the idea that both established and non-established musicians should all be equal, without their personal egos getting in the way. Some of the artists had never released any tracks before. The final set of tracks, which eventually made it onto the LP, were selected by three members of the group with the intention being to draw a musical landscape across all 4 sides. The mastering was done by Lad Agabekov in Gimel, Switzerland. The 500 double LPs arrived with a generic white sleeve to be designed by our friends and the general public: all the covers are unique in this sense.

                                                                                                                                    One year on from the inital idea, we now have this beautiful and unpredictable compilation of various artists. It brings together a group of highly talented individuals, to enable us to discover the hidden underground scene of Geneva, with all its grit and soul. "

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                                                                                                                                    Cover of Find Sound by Shards.

                                                                                                                                    Shards

                                                                                                                                    Find Sound

                                                                                                                                    Erased Tapes

                                                                                                                                      Find Sound is the debut record from Shards, a London based vocal group led by singer, composer and producer Kieran Brunt. Combining voices, synths and percussion, Find Sound is an astonishing exploration of the human voice; using the concepts of sound and light as simple metaphors for gaining understanding. The album’s pieces are intended to be miniature sonic paintings, with each adding to an overall picture of the emotional confusion of early adulthood: the uncertainty, the excitement, the terror and relief.

                                                                                                                                      After collaborating with Terry Riley in 2016, Brunt was asked by the Barbican to form a choral group for Nils Frahm’s Possibly Colliding festival that summer. Following the success of the shows, Frahm invited Brunt to join him in Berlin to collaborate on choral arrangements for his recent album All Melody. Shards have since gone on to collaborate with other notable artists, including Michael Price on his recent LP Tender Symmetry.

                                                                                                                                      Brunt details how he put Shards together: “I decided to go for 12 singers, capable of creating a good amount of noise but also small enough to get to know each other intimately. I also knew that I wanted to work with not just great voices, but singers with lots of personality and open minds when it comes to experimenting and trying things out.

                                                                                                                                      The group ended up consisting almost entirely of friends and friends-of-friends. I also tried my best to ask people who weren’t just singers, but who do have other projects and musical interests. As such, we have people in the group who are also composers, instrumentalists, folk musicians and teachers. It’s a vibrant mix, and I’m constantly discovering new things about them the more we make music together.”

                                                                                                                                      Each of the singers in Shards brings a very distinctive musical personality to the group, something which Brunt was eager to emphasise on their debut record. Rather than aiming for a seamless blend or absolute precision when recording, the differences between voices has been intentionally highlighted — celebrating their unique textures and inviting the listener to hear their minutest details up-close.

                                                                                                                                      The album was recorded in Italy at Palazzo Stabile, a tranquil house and studio in the hills of the Piedmontese countryside. During a two-week residency, the group lived and recorded together under one roof, giving them the opportunity to play with recording techniques and experiment with different spaces. Most of the final record was recorded in a converted barn used primarily as a painting studio, and underneath the house in a 200 year-old wine cellar. The album was written and produced by Kieran Brunt with additional production from Paul Corley (Sigur Ros, Oneohtrix Point Never, Yves Tumor).


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                                                                                                                                      Cover of Holy Days by Sleep Eaters.

                                                                                                                                      Sleep Eaters

                                                                                                                                      Holy Days

                                                                                                                                      PNKSLM

                                                                                                                                        The London based country-infused rock quintet Sleep Eaters are ready to unveil their debut EP Holy Days on August 9 via Stockholm’s PNKSLM Recordings (home to ShitKid, Les Big Byrd, Magic Potion and more). Having become one of London’s most talked about new acts for their country-infused take on garage rock, Sleep Eaters have spent the past year honing their craft on stage and in the studio, recently supporting Drahla on their UK tour while drawing praise from the likes of So Young and Clash. Holy Days was recorded with Euan Hinshelwood of Younghusband and will be followed by UK and EU live dates during the summer and fall, including dates with L.A. Witch and Froth.

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                                                                                                                                        Cover of Cross Record by Cross Record.

                                                                                                                                        Cross Record

                                                                                                                                        Cross Record

                                                                                                                                        Ba Da Bing Records

                                                                                                                                          “What is your wish? What do you expect?” Cross Record’s self-titled third album begins with Emily Cross’s disembodied voice intoning from an otherworldly vacuum. In the three years since her last album, Cross has divorced, quit drinking, become a death doula, started the observational podcast “What I’m Looking At,” and toured with Sub Pop’s Loma, the trio she formed with Dan Duszynski on drums and Jonathan Meiburg (Shearwater) on guitar/vocals. On Cross Record, she guides the listener like a sonic Virgil, delivering a textured soundscape of meditative curiosity, akin to Low’s Double Negative, Broadcast’s The Noise Made By People and Radiohead’s Kid A.

                                                                                                                                          Having recorded 2016’s Wabi Sabi at home between work and sleep hours, Cross did the opposite for Cross Record, writing the album while living on a secluded part of Mexico’s coast. The collaborative atmosphere of Loma challenged Cross to experiment with her sound, detuning her voice and obstructing its clarity in specific moments. As such, Cross Record is primarily a showcase for Cross’s singing, as she pushes her range and engages with a multitude of approaches at every turn.



                                                                                                                                          Following her time in Mexico, Cross returned to the states with vocal-heavy demos in hand and finished the record with musician Andrew Hulett and producer Theo Karon. Karon assisted with production and arrangements throughout the creation of Cross Record, and the songs realized their ultimate forms at his Hotel Earth in Los Angeles. Though her voice is always central, Cross’s songs developed with percussion, string arrangements and expanded production. The instrumentation is as nuanced and experimental as her voice.



                                                                                                                                          In her songs, Cross reconciles her present state of being with her experiences of the past few years. “PYSOL My Castle” was inspired by a visit to an overstimulating Mexican street market teeming with people, and describes Cross’s search for an unencumbered mindspace. “An Angel, a Dove” frames death as spiritual departure; a haunting synthetic soundscape gradually gives way to increasingly dissonant, urgent melodies as Cross envisions herself alight on a dove she suspects may be an angel carrying her from life. “The Fly,” which envelops the listener in filtered drum loops and synthesizers, considers the fragility and the resilience of the mind. On “Face Smashed, Drooling,” Cross mourns her alcohol dependence. “There was a sort of grieving process to quitting drinking,” she says. “I associated it with comfort, fun in the evening time and fond memories.” The song slips in and out of consciousness before resolving in a place of clarity. “I Release You” lives in the same sonic chamber as late-stage Talk Talk, and explores the acceptance of change.



                                                                                                                                          Cross Record’s themes of departure and separation were inspired by changes Cross made in her career. After years of work in as a nanny and in customer service, Cross recently embarked on studies to become a death doula. Similar to the services provided by birth doulas, a death doula helps clients navigate decisions and hardships at the end of life. In her new role, Cross has created a three hour ceremony called a Living Funeral, which guides participants through the rituals of their own deaths. Cross’s work in helping others face their greatest fears inhabits the same space as her art, which has always explored the metaphysical in the everyday. The eerie experience of listening to Cross Record and the unsettling sense of songs slipping from coherent grasp share these same sensibilities. The oddness of these songs is nonetheless honest and truthful, and to understand them requires acknowledging notions of alienation in ourselves.



                                                                                                                                          Cross doesn’t know what your expectations are, and she is still figuring out her own. Cross Record attempts to examine these questions with a lucidity that sometimes blurs into the realm of the unreal. The trip is extensive and finishes where it started, but the foundation has changed, clarified; while no closer to an answer, we have a greater sense of the question.

                                                                                                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                          Coloured LP Info: Translucent Orange Vinyl for UK Indies.

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                                                                                                                                          Cover of Peacocks & Other Savage Beasts by Tenesha The Wordsmith.

                                                                                                                                          Tenesha The Wordsmith

                                                                                                                                          Peacocks & Other Savage Beasts

                                                                                                                                          On The Corner

                                                                                                                                            Tenesha the Wordsmith, who came to the fore on On The Corner’s 2018 release ‘Black Noise 2084’, has delivered a hard-cutting, gut-wrenching, and extremely moving spoken word album produced by Khalab that brings together different lines of black music – folkloric, jazz, and electronic dance – into an afro-futurist narrative with thunderous results. ‘Peacocks & Other Savage Beasts’, set for release on 30 August, lays bare difficult truths and projects the stories of hidden voices, with a warm and heartfelt delivery that envelops the soul.

                                                                                                                                            The poems are dedicated to the intersection, the places where we contemplate identity, culture, trauma and love. ‘Peacocks & Other Savage Beasts’ is a place where they all meet. “I hope between these lines you find healing,” says Tenesha. “I hope your compassion for others grows. I hope you will make the decision you were afraid to make. I hope you will learn how to turn pain into power and purpose. Decide which type of beast you want to be and if you can’t make up your mind, watch the women…”

                                                                                                                                            Originally from Oakland, California, “a place where revolutionaries are born,” Tenesha the Wordsmith originally began to fuse hip hop and poetry while living in Albany, New York, where she created her first collection ‘Body Of Work’. Her early influences have returned with features from beatboxers and vocalists that give the album a distinctly urban hip hop vibe.


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                                                                                                                                            Cover of Helpless Spectator by Umberto.

                                                                                                                                            Umberto

                                                                                                                                            Helpless Spectator

                                                                                                                                            Thrill Jockey

                                                                                                                                              Umberto is an artist whose work is distinctly cinematic. Composer Matt Hill’s performances and delicate compositions taken together have the cumulative ability to surprise. Hill, whose Umberto moniker is an homage to director Umberto Lenzi, is an experienced and active film composer, most recently scoring the film ‘All That We Destroy’. In addition to film and commercial work, Umberto has released a number of lauded solo recordings.

                                                                                                                                              On Umberto’s Thrill Jockey debut ‘Helpless Spectator’, his haunting music is otherworldly and affecting alike, leaving the listener with an unsettling and profound air of mystery. Umberto’s early recordings harken back to classic synth- driven sci-fi and horror soundtracks. ‘Helpless Spectator’ uses synthesizers in an entirely different manner. Cold, looming monolith tones are now warm, softer pads that envelope the listener while guitar, cello, banjo and pedal steel add movement and light. Still, Hill unsettles with his arrangements and melodic phrasing. Unexpected shifts and turns in even the most tender movements of ‘Helpless Spectator’ are inflected with a contemplative melancholy and fragility.

                                                                                                                                              Umberto makes masterful use of varied textures throughout the album, blending supernatural effects and grounded instruments to create distinct atmospheres. ‘Helpless Spectator’ is inquisitive and moving in equal measure, an album of sombre elegance and delicate arrangements whose cumulative effect of unease is entirely unexpected.

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                                                                                                                                              Cover of No. 1 by Pottery.

                                                                                                                                              Pottery

                                                                                                                                              No. 1

                                                                                                                                              Partisan

                                                                                                                                                Hailing from across Canada and the UK, Montreal’s Pottery consists of core writers Austin Boylan and Jacob Shepansky, along with Peter Baylis, Paul Jacobs and Tom Gould. Initially bonding over artists such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Devo, the band create a sound that combines eclectic traces of post-punk, pop and dance music, forming an unusual atmosphere that envelopes audiences.

                                                                                                                                                While often shrill and jarring, Pottery’s songs simultaneously engage listeners into a hypnotic state. It’s this dualism that binds them together, uncovering harmony within discord. Hailed as one of the hottest acts at 2019’s SXSW and The Great Escape Festival, Pottery’s debut mini album, titled ‘No. 1’, is available for the first time on vinyl, via Partisan Records

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                                                                                                                                                Cover of Until The Tide Creeps In by Penelope Isles.

                                                                                                                                                Penelope Isles

                                                                                                                                                Until The Tide Creeps In

                                                                                                                                                Bella Union

                                                                                                                                                  For every sibling band forged in rivalry, many others mount an unassailable genetic argument for keeping the music in the family. The latter is assuredly the case with Penelope Isles, a brother- sister-centred alt-rock quartet from Brighton (via Isle of Man/Devon) whose debut album, ‘Until The Tide Creeps In’, is released through Bella Union.

                                                                                                                                                  Formed around the chemistry between dual songwriters Jack and Lily Wolter, the quartet’s expansive DIY mix of translucent dream-pop, fuzzrock guitars and indie-psych flushes comes lovingly dipped in exquisite harmonies and lustrous melodies: a combination so intuitive, you’d think it was in their blood.

                                                                                                                                                  Crisp and woozy, blissful and biting, it’s an album deepened by shared experience: experiences of, in Jack’s words, “leaving home, moving away, dealing with transitions in life and growing up. We are six years apart, so we had a different experience of some of this, but we share a similar inspiration when writing music. Family, leaving home, disconnection and connection all ring

                                                                                                                                                  FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                  2xColoured LP Info: Pink vinyl.

                                                                                                                                                  2xColoured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                                                                                                                                                  Cover of Stranger Things: Season 3 - Music From The Netflix Original Series by Various Artists.

                                                                                                                                                  Various Artists

                                                                                                                                                  Stranger Things: Season 3 - Music From The Netflix Original Series

                                                                                                                                                  Sony

                                                                                                                                                    Featured artists include:- The Who, Madonna, Howard Jones, The Pointer Sisters, Wham, REO Speedwagon, Teena Marie, The Cars, John Mellencamp, Vera Lynn, Foreigner & more... 

                                                                                                                                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                    2xColoured LP Info: Exclusive 'Coke bottle clear' double LP Vinyl, with bonus 7".

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                                                                                                                                                    Cover of Showboat Honey by Kyle Craft & Showboat Honey.

                                                                                                                                                    Kyle Craft & Showboat Honey

                                                                                                                                                    Showboat Honey

                                                                                                                                                    Sub Pop

                                                                                                                                                      Kyle Craft and his now solidified backing band, dubbed Showboat Honey, reflect the sturm und drang of life with their self-titled album, the contemplative yet restless ‘Showboat Honey’. “This is basically an album centered around bad luck and good fortune hitting at the same time,” Craft explains “Then, out of nowhere, I find love. Everything went to shit except that. I guess that’s how life works.”

                                                                                                                                                      The sticky-sweet title of the album is lifted from the brightly choral ‘Buzzkill Caterwaul’: “I wanted to make something that sounded like a raucous collision of Leon Russell and Patti Smith,” he says, “But ‘Buzzkill Caterwaul’ was the only tune that ended up showcasing that vision.” Though aesthetics veer from song to song, ‘Showboat Honey’s steadfast formula remains the same. Drummer Haven Mutlz holds down the machine with a 60s/70s fast-molasses groove that locks in with the slinky rolling bass of Billy Slater. When Kevin Clark isn’t bouncing across the piano, his mellotron strings swell in and out of frame. Jack of all trades Ben Steinmetz’s organ parts well up from the deep of the songs, while lead guitarist Jeremy Kale’s solos rip through them like electricity. On top of it all, sits the tongue-in-cheek phantasmagoria created by Craft’s lyrics, in which perspectives shift to imbue life into a cast of intriguing, mysterious characters, à la Bob Dylan. (“There is not a single thing in my life that has affected me more than the first time I heard Dylan,” says Craft. “It immediately changed my life.”)

                                                                                                                                                      Craft started writing about as soon as he could play the guitar at the age of 15. He grew up in the isolated Mississippi River town of Vidalia, Louisiana where his chops weren’t honed in a woodshed but rather an old, dingy meat freezer that was out of commission. After years of touring, two albums with Sub Pop Records and solidifying the band, he’s grown into a prodigious songwriter, to say the least. The band recorded ‘Showboat Honey’ - co- produced by Craft, Clark and Slater - at their own Moonbase Studios in Portland over 2018. “We approached this record differently for sure,” Craft says. “I’d make a demo, and after putting the songs together, shoot it to the band for ideas.” Kyle and the members of Showboat Honey worked at such a feverish wine-fuelled pace that they actually ended up with two completely different albums. At the end of the day, they decided to combine the two into what is now ‘Showboat Ho

                                                                                                                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                      Coloured LP Info: Indies exclusive loser edition on clear and blue translucent vinyl with red spots.

                                                                                                                                                      Coloured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                                                                                                                                                      Cover of Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? by Bleached.

                                                                                                                                                      Bleached

                                                                                                                                                      Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?

                                                                                                                                                      Dead Oceans

                                                                                                                                                        ‘Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough?’ is what Jennifer Clavin asked herself when she hit a turning point in her life. It’s also the title of the new record from Bleached, Jessie and Jennifer Clavin’s first album written from a place of sobriety. That newfound perspective serves as the guiding force, yielding a courageous, honest and sonically ambitious album. It’s a record about fighting both literally and figuratively for your life - and the clarity born from that struggle.

                                                                                                                                                        Writing began in early 2018, both in a Los Angeles practice space and with friends and co-writers in Nashville. Producer Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells) helped open every door to experimentation, wanting to be exploratory while keeping the sound singularly Bleached.

                                                                                                                                                        The resulting album is explosive, grappling with the past; its twelve tracks mark some of the sisters’ most visceral, rawest songwriting to date - and some of their best. The work glimmers with inspiration found in touring with the likes of The Damned and Paramore. That arena-ready pop, incisively catchy, was a palpable influence helping to push Bleached’s sound in a new direction.

                                                                                                                                                        FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                        Coloured LP Info: Opaque cream vinyl.

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                                                                                                                                                        Cover of The B-52's - Vinyl Reissue by The B-52's.

                                                                                                                                                        The B-52's

                                                                                                                                                        The B-52's - Vinyl Reissue

                                                                                                                                                        UMC

                                                                                                                                                          Even in the weird, quirky world of new wave and post-punk in the late 70s, the B-52's' eponymous debut stood out as an original. Unabashed kitsch mavens at a time when their peers were either vulgar or stylish, the Athens, Georgia quintet celebrated all the silliest aspects of pre-Beatles pop culture - bad hairdos, sci-fi nightmares, dance crazes, pastels, and anything else that sprung into their minds - to a skewed fusion of pop, surf, avant-garde, amateurish punk, and white funk. On paper, it sounds like a cerebral exercise, but it played like a party. The jerky, angular funk was irresistibly danceable, winning over listeners dubious of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson's high-pitched, close harmonies and Fred Schneider's campy, flamboyant vocalizing, pitched halfway between singing and speaking. It's all great fun, but it wouldn't have resonated throughout the years if the group hadn't written such incredibly infectious, memorable tunes as "Planet Claire," "Dance This Mess Around," and, of course, their signature tune, "Rock Lobster."

                                                                                                                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                          Martin says: Classic 1979 new wave album from the US quintet, who channeled rock & roll, surf, girl group pop and B-movie kitsch and transplanted the 50s / 60s into the post-punk era. 'Planet Claire', 'Dance This Mess Around', 'Rock Lobster'...

                                                                                                                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                          LP Info: 180 gram vinyl.

                                                                                                                                                          LP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                                                                                                                                                          Cover of Before After by Black To Comm.

                                                                                                                                                          Black To Comm

                                                                                                                                                          Before After

                                                                                                                                                          Thrill Jockey

                                                                                                                                                            Black To Comm masterfully manipulates sound, his alterations rendering sources unidentifiable and serving as a sort of portal to new realities. Composer Marc Richter collapses the past, present and future of recorded music into kaleidoscopic pieces that transcend genre, bristling with detail, an intense sensory sonic experience. ‘Before After’ charts a hallucinogenic journey through polar extremes of emotion and to the outer reaches of sound; a perfect companion to the darker ‘Seven Horses For Seven Kings’.

                                                                                                                                                            ‘Before After’ was written during the same sessions that gave birth to Richter’s recent, highly acclaimed ‘Seven Horses For Seven Kings’. The intentionally crafted companion pieces mine similar raw sonic materials to yield radically different results. Where ‘Seven Horses For Seven Kings’ was a dark work focused on anger and desperation, ‘Before After’ finds faint glimmers of hope in the same sources. By reappraising the past, Richter divines new futures, opening up parallel timelines and sonic universes.

                                                                                                                                                            The album bookends the current phase of Richter’s output as Black To Comm, a decisive statement piece that leaves the future of the project tantalisingly open- ended.

                                                                                                                                                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                            LP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                                                                                                                                                            Cover of Vas-Y Voir by Brussels Art Quintet.

                                                                                                                                                            Brussels Art Quintet

                                                                                                                                                            Vas-Y Voir

                                                                                                                                                            Finders Keepers

                                                                                                                                                              Having been a firm fixture at the top of many European jazz collector want lists over the past decade Finders Keepers wouldn’t be alone when proclaiming this extremely rare, lesser-known two-track 7” from 1969 as one of the best jazz 45s of all time. Alongside Polish pianist Krzysztof Komeda’s soundtrack 7” for the film Cul- De-Sac and ranking closely with François Tusques’ commemorative Le Corbusier exhibition 45 (featuring Don Cherry), this format-specific release known only as Brussels Art Quintet might well sit at the top of the podium while striking similarities and arguably combining the best stylistic traits of both aforementioned contenders.

                                                                                                                                                              This is all speculative and clearly a matter of individual opinion but it’s not often that one should find a recording from this era, comprising such high production qualities, keen compositional values and robust craftsmanship spread across two equally spellbinding individual tracks, all of which awards this release justified hyperbole albeit subject to a 50 year delay. It is safe to say that this unique release is ‘rare’ on many levels. Like all privately pressed art projects this single comprises some serious outsider art trappings. However, on closer inspection it also stands as a pivotal record in the micro-genre of Belgian jazz, pin-pointing an early axis for some vital progressive jazz players who went on to become sturdy pillars of the central European happening.

                                                                                                                                                              Essentially as a five-piece, the short-lived Brussels Art Quintet neatly combine members of both the mythical Babs Robert Quartet (early exponents of Belgian spiritual jazz) and key players from the leading progressive jazz/rock/funk unit known as COS (formally Classroom) who would stand as close affiliates of the likes of Marc Moulin, Kiosk and Placebo through the 1970s.

                                                                                                                                                              Reproduced in close collaboration with COS leader Daniel Schell who, under the early guise of Daniel ‘Max’ Schellekens, authored both tracks that make up this facsimile 45 single, this one-off single includes the only known output by the Brussels Art Quintet thus marking the essential in-road to instantly start and complete your entire Brussels Art Quintet collection not without reliving the early germination of the forward-thinking jazz fusion that came to shape Belgium’s truly unique movement. Pressed in miniscule numbers, original copies of this sought-after piece of Belgian jazz history regularly exceed £300.

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                                                                                                                                                              Cover of Varyete by Grup Ses & Elektro Hafiz.

                                                                                                                                                              Grup Ses & Elektro Hafiz

                                                                                                                                                              Varyete

                                                                                                                                                              Zel Zele

                                                                                                                                                                ‘Varyete’ is a collaborative album from producer extraordinaire Grup Ses, one of the leading heads of Istanbul’s beats scene and Cologne-based electric-saz player Elektro Hafiz. Travelling from deep Anatolian psychedelic grooves to dirty electronics, playful beats and hip hop, ‘Varyete’ is an adventurous ride of genre-bending music.

                                                                                                                                                                The opening track, “Mega Hafiza 2”, is based around Elektro Hafiz’s strong psychedelic chops on the electric saz, backed up by Grup Ses’ raw, neckstepping beats. “Gargara” takes things even deeper featuring an exploration into Tuvan throat singing, laying over a driving rhythm section and an atonal saz chord. Across the first side of the album, the duo take forays into soundscapes, psych, acid and electronics with remixes from Berlin’s producer Onofon and Istanbul’s acclaimed hip hop producer and MC Da Poet adding yet more layers.

                                                                                                                                                                Being a prolific crate digger and a sampling whiz, Grup Ses is armed with the perfect source material for ‘Varyete’. He sits at the controls for B side, kicking off with a Grup Ses classic “Atardamar Operasyonu”, which has been on heavy rotation on Istanbul’s dancefloors and finally sees its release here. The track is a hard-bodied hip-hop smash infused with arabesque melodies. “Re Ya Hat” features one of the only vocal performances on the album courtesy of Istanbul natives Roadside Picnic, who deliver menacing double-time bars over a doomy beat.

                                                                                                                                                                Grup Ses manages to tip-the-hat to the styles of yesteryear and gaze into the future while maintaining an immediately recognisable individual style. “Grup Ses Meets Salah Ragab in Spacetime” sees the producer flip a sample from the Egyptian jazz musician Salah Ragab into an astral facing drum workout. ‘Varyete’ finishes off with “Telesafir 2”, dramatic strings droned out with distortion effects to leave the listener in a state of wonder.

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                                                                                                                                                                Cover of Irrational Overcast by K. Leimer.

                                                                                                                                                                K. Leimer

                                                                                                                                                                Irrational Overcast

                                                                                                                                                                First Terrace

                                                                                                                                                                  A haunting but uplifting piece which open the album. Featuring the classic hallmarks that K. Leimer has become famous for, with light drifting piano punctuating the dense undercurrent of synth work and samples. For an artist releasing their 20th Solo album to continue to sound fresh and timeless is a statement to his growing legend. Spliced vocal lines add an air of earthliness to the heavenly piece, emphasising a sense of human fragility.

                                                                                                                                                                  Kerry is a legend in the world of experimental electronics and ambient with wide ranging press support from Pitchfork, Dazed, Ransom Note, XLR8R, Resident Advisor & more. His previous outing on First Terrace as part of their Split series was supported by Pitchfork, The Line of best Fit, Electronic Sound Mag, Dummy & more!

                                                                                                                                                                  Kerry includes this transcript to accompany "Irrational Overcast":

                                                                                                                                                                  "Authoritarian ideas that have persisted somewhere in the depths of human nature for millennia have resurfaced at a crucial moment for the environments we all inhabit — natural, cultural, intellectual and economic. The power and influence of this ideology will again prove catastrophic, as it already has for many people in many parts of the world. Authoritarianism, along with the refutation of our shared responsibility to one another and to objective knowledge in favor of personal gain & gratification consistently lead to disaster. Yet, somehow, a significant number of people seem to feel that this time will be different. To some extent they are right. It will be infinitely worse.

                                                                                                                                                                  Irrational Overcast is preoccupied with the perpetual failings of human tribalization, of assuming dominance over nature, of choosing belief and ideology over objective reality. The impetus was brought into immediate focus by the destructive impulses and actions of such excrescences as the Trump Administration and his republicans, as well as the blatant dishonesty and bigotry of thousands more retrograde, ill-informed nihilists operating in and outside the pubic sphere.

                                                                                                                                                                  I do not profess that music — especially an experimental, lyric-free music — can change or influence such circumstances. But this is the context in which we now live, and this has shaped the music of Irrational Overcast — a coping mechanism for living under clouds of baseless beliefs and simplistic ideologies that disfigure and stifle what is an admittedly difficult though really quite lovely world. Music, to my mind, can not clearly express anything so literal, or metaphoric, or allegoric — but Irrational Overcast makes the effort to articulate the problems created by some enduring and banal aspects of human behaviour. Which is the reason it is built of lo-fi, deformed emergent or regressing or fragmented phrases, subsumed by distortion, noise, wow and flutter… and played with the understanding that there can be no more bedtime stories." 


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                                                                                                                                                                  Cover of Break by Catnapp.

                                                                                                                                                                  Catnapp

                                                                                                                                                                  Break

                                                                                                                                                                  Monkeytown

                                                                                                                                                                    The time has come for Catnapp’s debut full length record on Monkeytown Records. Break follows last year’s EP Fear and No Cover single and sees Catnapp capturing the jawdropping energy of her live shows as well as further refining her characteristic blend of rap and heavyweight electronic beats. She challenged herself with exploring more complex emotions and subjects for this album, which is more than a collection of love songs, as she explains: "With so much happening in our world today, I feel incomplete telling only love stories. I want to give people inspirational tools that work like fuel. Songs that can make one hop out of a bad and complicated situation in order to move on and up with confidence."

                                                                                                                                                                    Catnapp is the guise of Argentinian artist Amparo Battaglia. Long before signing to Monkeytown in 2018, the Berlin based producer, singer/rapper and striking performer already (self-)released a couple of records full of boundless creativity and originality, taking whatever, she needed from every electronic genre as well as pop and rap music. Amparo cites classic influences like The Prodigy, Aphex Twin, OutKast or Beyoncé, while her productions also draw from today’s post-internet and post-rap sounds. Break combines these diverse influences in a very distinct sound.

                                                                                                                                                                    The album’s opening track “Down In The Basement” is an ode to the underground, dealing with how to grow as an artist whilst staying true to your roots. You can take the artist out of the underground, but you cannot take the underground out of the artist. As she is playing big stages more frequently than gritty basement clubs, Catnapp tackles the beautiful contradictions of going her own way. Next up is "The Mover" featuring Modeselektor, a slow burning, bass-heavy song about standing up for yourself and showing strength. It opens with the line "Don’t you tell me what to do”, an eternal credo for both Catnapp and Modeselektor, two generations of maverick electronic artists. "Fight For A Fight" is inspired by the repression the LGBTQ community is facing all around the world. It came about when Amparo was invited to perform at the Pride March in Buenos Aires in 2018, its lyrics are aimed at supporting the ongoing fight against patriarchy: "My knife is sharp, my mind is bright, you’ll never stop my will to fight."

                                                                                                                                                                    Still, love and heartbreak are essential elements of Catnapp’s songwriting and thus appear in songs like "Thunder", "Lengua" and "Give It Back". The latter is about leaving a toxic relationship behind and regaining control about one’s life. Musically, these tracks show Catnapp alternating fierce raps and booming beats with liquid R&B vocals and melancholic, dreamlike electronica.

                                                                                                                                                                    Catnapp has been compared to electroclash artists like Peaches, her blend of modern rap and electronics may also evoke likeminded artist Tommy Genesis. There’re leaders and there’s followers – you already know which this girl belongs to. Break is no less than her most accomplished musical statement to date.


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                                                                                                                                                                    Cover of Disco Jazz - Reissue by Rupa.

                                                                                                                                                                    Rupa

                                                                                                                                                                    Disco Jazz - Reissue

                                                                                                                                                                    Numero

                                                                                                                                                                    After a slightly dubious reissue a couple of years back, Numero treat Rupa Biswas' viral sensation "Disco Jazz" with their usual precision, care and respect, giving each of us the opportunity to own this masterpiece in lush HQ.
                                                                                                                                                                    Engineered at Calgary's Living Room in 1982, "Disco Jazz" was the only release Rupa put out, working with a crack team of Canadian disco muscle and Indian studio talent to create the perfect fusion dish. East meets West, guitar meets sarod, soul meets funk and psych meets disco as Rupa and her crew groove their way through four far out moments of dance floor brilliance. Opener "Moja Bhari Moja" locks us into a frankly irresistible bassline, before the wild guitar riffs, spectral synth lines and trippy sitar create a kaleidoscopic visionquest for our collective third eye. Rupa's echo drenched vocals arrive right on time to seal the deal and steal the show, securing the much coveted 'cosmic disco killer' title all records should aspire to. "East West Shuffle" does exactly what it says on the tin, fusing transcontinental tonalities into a smooth jazz funk simmer before "Aaj Shanibar" closes out the A-side with the kind of cinematic sunset disco all the Balearic heads go wild for. If it weren't for the expert tabla and psychedelic sitar, you'd be forgiven for thinking this was one of those flamenco disco bombs you'd hear in a peak time Mison set. Stretching itself suavely over the whole of the B-side, "Ayee Morshume" is the kind of cosmic disco journey only the most experienced trippers should attempt - a heads down, hands aloft groove-voyage through endless solos and enchanting vocals. Chances of finding an original copy are way beyond slim, and on the rare occasion they turn up on the second hand market you're looking at the top end of three figures. It's a special record, and you're never gonna get a better chance to bag a copy - don't sleep!

                                                                                                                                                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                    Patrick says: Numero rock our world with a much needed reissue of THE Indian disco holy grail, Rupa's magnificent "Disco Jazz". An East meets West affair, the LP combines Rupa's echoing vocals with slick disco grooves, spacey synths and all kinds of strung out psychedelia resulting in a cosmic bomb for the most enlightened of listeners. It's a must have!

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                                                                                                                                                                    Cover of Memories Of Cindy Pt. 3 by Palmbomen II.

                                                                                                                                                                    Palmbomen II

                                                                                                                                                                    Memories Of Cindy Pt. 3

                                                                                                                                                                    Beats In Space

                                                                                                                                                                      Pt. 3 dishes up some of the creamiest, hypnagogic 303 work and acid-faded synth-pop that you’re likely to hear since 1991’s debut lush-out for Opal Tapes, gently taking us by the hand from the simmering new age serenity of Ultimate Lovestory Fantasy to a pocket of John Hughes-movie romance in Wilco’s Funeral, touching on tattered tribal patterns and choral coos for the disco in Teleac, and coughing up something verily tasty for the DJs and dancers who like the jack sprung and psychedelic in Disappointment Island.

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                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of Memories Of Cindy Pt. 1 by Palmbomen II.

                                                                                                                                                                      Palmbomen II

                                                                                                                                                                      Memories Of Cindy Pt. 1

                                                                                                                                                                      Beats In Space

                                                                                                                                                                        Kai Hugo eulogizes our dear Cindy through new Palmbomen II music and a surreal, neo-noir lens, chronicled over a series of four 12” EPs and public access television transmissions. Crack open a refreshing Apple Shorle™ and direct your remotes to channel BIS to experience an initial offering and explanation.

                                                                                                                                                                        The first three Palmbomen 12”s, Memories of Cindy Pt. 1 – 3, will be available individually. Memories of Cindy Pt. 4 will be available exclusively as a “box set” including the first three 12”s. Each set includes a unique, pre-tragedy polaroid portrait of Cindy taken by Kai Hugo.


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                                                                                                                                                                        Cover of Memories Of Cindy Pt. 2 by Palmbomen II.

                                                                                                                                                                        Palmbomen II

                                                                                                                                                                        Memories Of Cindy Pt. 2

                                                                                                                                                                        Beats In Space

                                                                                                                                                                          A certain someone spirits above the second part of Palmbomen II’s Memories of Cindy saga, a passage of five plaintive cuts rendered with spineful percussion, succinct melodies, and classic acid and New Beat textures and treatments. Beyond the brash bash of “IAO Industries” (Kai at his clubbiest) and menacing, lurking BPMs of “pyrotechnomarco” and “Dancing & Crying” are the meditative, atmospheric exercises of “Transportzone Meer” and “Forever Afslutidijk.” There is hope for Cindy in Pt. 2, but it’s only faintly detectable in the hushed vocals that appear here and there.

                                                                                                                                                                          Cindy’s story may take a darker direction musically in Memories of Cindy Pt. 2, but Kai’s appearance on Real Talk alludes only to strange ways that make up a normal day in Carmel Vista. If you missed part one, back track a bit or enter Palmbomen II’s world at your own risk.


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                                                                                                                                                                          Cover of Gin ‘N’ Tears by Guiddo W/ Georges Perin.

                                                                                                                                                                          Guiddo W/ Georges Perin

                                                                                                                                                                          Gin ‘N’ Tears

                                                                                                                                                                          Beats In Space

                                                                                                                                                                            Globetrotting producer Guiddo debuts on Beats In Space Records with the Gin ‘n’ Tears EP, three tracks of Balearic bliss featuring the soulful psalm of Greek-French vocalist Georges Perin.

                                                                                                                                                                            The record’s title track lilts like a disco 45 at 33 rpm, Perin’s croon rising higher and higher above Guiddo’s baseline funk and expert riffage channeling Nile Rodgers’ sultry stabs. “I Miss You Now” glides on the seductive sunset vibe of “Gin ‘n’ Tears,” while Perin pleads to “lose that feeling tonight” in his characteristic falsetto.

                                                                                                                                                                            The EP’s finale, “One Last Bite,” captures the A-side’s allegiance to the Balearic beat while riding into a pop-oriented realm that fits in with the best dancefloor ballads of the past thirty years. Guiddo elevates “One Last Bite” with melodies made to soundtrack two lovers’ farewell after a summer fling on the Mediterranean coast.

                                                                                                                                                                            Each 12” on Beats in Space Records features original artwork in considerate and serial form. Nicole Ginelli abstracts the tone palette of Gin ‘n’ Tears into a canvas of party survival tools, fittingly bright and ecstatic. The 12” packaging constructed by Will Work For Good features a removable vinyl BIS logo cling.


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                                                                                                                                                                            Cover of In Motion: Modern Progressive Group Sounds by Rubba.

                                                                                                                                                                            Rubba

                                                                                                                                                                            In Motion: Modern Progressive Group Sounds

                                                                                                                                                                            Farfalla

                                                                                                                                                                            Whether we're talking L’Illustration Musicale, Sonimage, Técipress-In Editions (Timing), Musax, Freesound, Montparnasse 2000 in France or De Wolfe and Chappell in England, each of these legendary Library labels can call Jacky Giordano one of their own. As was the custom in the world of library sounds, he was a man of many aliases, and for his crowning glory on De Wolfe he formed the imaginary ensemble Rubba with UK colleagues John Hyde (aka John Saunders, James Harrington, Astral sounds or even Wozo) and his wife Monice Hyde (aka Monica Beale), Alan Howe (aka John Collins), Robert Poole and Tim Broughton.

                                                                                                                                                                            Out of print since its 1980 release, the LP became a cult classic, adored by hip hop heads - notablyMadlib and Freddie Gibbs who reworked "Way Star" to form the basis of 2011 heater "Thuggin". Nearly 40 years after its original release, the Farfalla Records label, after publishing Timing Archives, presents another aspect more progressive and psychedelic of the multi-faceted composer Jacky Giordano by fully reissuing at last this coveted, mysterious and mesmerizing "Rubba". Very desired by crate-diggers, In Motion appears in the want-list of plenty enthusiasts in this enigmatic world of the library music.

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                                                                                                                                                                            Cover of Can 2002 by Neba Solo.

                                                                                                                                                                            Neba Solo

                                                                                                                                                                            Can 2002

                                                                                                                                                                            Secousse

                                                                                                                                                                            In 1999, a friend of the young musician Neba Solo informed him that his country, Mali, would host the Africa Cup of Nations in 2002. The balafon virtuoso immediately decided to seize the opportunity and create a national anthem for the competition. More power to him: what happened after is nothing short of legendary.
                                                                                                                                                                            Twenty years later, "Can 2002" is still a hit, often heard in African nightclubs, radios, and professional football team training sessions. Neba has to play the song every time he’s on stage, and people stop him in the street to talk about it all over the world.
                                                                                                                                                                            Lucky for us then that Secousse present the remastered classic, pressed for the first time on vinyl, right in time for the Africa Cup of Nations 2019.

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                                                                                                                                                                            Cover of Mizik Soley Sa Bon by Various Artists.

                                                                                                                                                                            Various Artists

                                                                                                                                                                            Mizik Soley Sa Bon

                                                                                                                                                                            Atanaga

                                                                                                                                                                            For their fourth release, those exotic folks at Atangana team up with Henri Debs & Fils to pay homage to the legendary Guadeloupean producer. Déni Shain and his team dig deep into the label's archives, blowing away the cobwebs on a quartet of rare and unpublished titles and allowing as many of us as possible to discover the pearls of the French Caribbean. 
                                                                                                                                                                            The EP opens in ephemeral, tribal and triumphant fashion with the chant-heavy "Pa Dekouraje'w Toni" from Ti Celeste. If you enjoyed that Ziskakan reissue from a couple of years back, you'll be feeling these vibrations. Next up the tempo bumps with the snaking Caribbean jazz of Les Maxels and "Bail Ti Bouin Z'Oizo", a red hot mover with stepping rhythms and mighty horns. The jazzy mood continues on the flip with the gentle zouk groover "Oh Claudy My Love" from Lewis Meliano before Daniel Dimba's "C'est La Vie" sees us home in frantic fashion.

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                                                                                                                                                                            Cover of Makumba Rock by Lee "Scratch" Perry.

                                                                                                                                                                            Lee "Scratch" Perry

                                                                                                                                                                            Makumba Rock

                                                                                                                                                                            On-U Sound

                                                                                                                                                                              A follow-up to his recently released and critically-acclaimed Rainford set. The A-side of this EP serves up an extended version of album highlight “Makumba Rock”, vocal mashed into dub in classic Jamaican discomix style/ On the flip is the essential non-album track “Heaven & Hell”, a psychedelic funk shuffle with decaying horns disintegrating into the fog of effects and relentless Upsetter wisdom. Both cuts are exclusive to this release, the latest in On-U’s long-running and highly collectable discoplate series.

                                                                                                                                                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                              10" Info: Indies exclusive, limited to 1000 copies worldwide.

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                                                                                                                                                                              Cover of The Brighter The Light by The Juan Maclean.

                                                                                                                                                                              The Juan Maclean

                                                                                                                                                                              The Brighter The Light

                                                                                                                                                                              DFA

                                                                                                                                                                                The Juan Maclean return to DFA with a compilation LP of 12-inch singles they’ve amassed over the past six years – re-edited, re-mastered, and ready for fans who may have missed the tracks the first time around. From the dub house sway of 2013’s “You Are My Destiny” to the high-energy stomp of this May’s “Zone Non Linear,” and featuring two never-before-released tracks, “Quiet Magician” and “Pressure Danger,” The Juan Maclean once again justify their longevity as a musical force that is more than capable of repurposing club tracks for every setting.

                                                                                                                                                                                The Brighter The Light is put together in a way that lends itself to appreciating the sheer banging quality of the songs while simultaneously being able to dance to them in your living room. For example, take “Feel Like Movin,’” which Pitchfork called “gloriously beatific” and “pure DFA gold.” In the new remastered version, the fullness of the keys and the kicks takes over, unfurling across the listener. Deep house rhythms, sparkling synths and a certain spaciousness are what’s emphasized across the record. Gone is the slow-motion melancholy disco from their recent full-lengths – The Brighter The Light is all fierce enthusiasm and dance floor missives, perfect for those who aren’t quite ready to let go of summer.

                                                                                                                                                                                Juan Maclean is a DJ and producer who has been a mainstay of the New York club scene, as well as maintaining a rigorous international touring schedule, since the release of his first records on DFA in 2002. Vocalist Nancy Whang is his longtime collaborator, best known as a founding member of LCD Soundsystem and a busy touring DJ. Together, the two artists have released an extensive catalogue of 12” singles and full-length albums for DFA, including 2014’s seminal In A Dream LP. The proper follow-up studio album will follow in 2020.

                                                                                                                                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                                2xLP includes MP3 Download Code.

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                                                                                                                                                                                Cover of Muldrew by Shabason & Gunning.

                                                                                                                                                                                Shabason & Gunning

                                                                                                                                                                                Muldrew

                                                                                                                                                                                Seance Centre

                                                                                                                                                                                Like many Canadians, Joseph Shabason and Ben Gunning like to untangle themselves from urbanity and disappear up north a few times a year. Unlike other cottage-goers, Ben and Joseph don’t while away the ur-time on jet-skis and lounge on docks reading pulpy mysteries. Instead, they bring a car full of synths, drum machines, saxophones, guitars, samplers, effects, and recording equipment to jam the days away in a cabin-fever inducing haze of wood smoke, cedar musk, hot wires and jazz sweat.

                                                                                                                                                                                Muldrew, recorded on the northern Ontario lake by that name, is the culmination of several years of this collaborative tradition. Resisting their penchant for composition and arrangement, the duo embarked on this project with only an open framework that encouraged restraint. The result is a sparse and improvisational album, hung on enough structure for each song to evoke a distinct, albeit ambiguous mood. Space is paramount and even the most digital elements breathe with the resonance of the room and mingle with creaking floors. The resulting album is steeped in the placid stillness and northern ambience of a lake at dawn, and the emotive expanse of a forest at dusk. Imagine an ECM cottage-series, or Jon Hassell and John Martyn scoring a Bela Tarr film set in rural Canada. This is the future-proof music of metropolitan polyglot minds invigorated by nature’s mute refusal to follow a click-track.

                                                                                                                                                                                DMM Pressing. Limited Edition of 500.

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                                                                                                                                                                                Cover of EP1 by LCSM (Likwid Continual Space Motion).

                                                                                                                                                                                LCSM (Likwid Continual Space Motion)

                                                                                                                                                                                EP1

                                                                                                                                                                                Super Sonic Jazz

                                                                                                                                                                                Iconic within the broken beat / jazz movement, IG Culture delves into afro-futurist, nu-jazz territory that helps bridge the gap between inner-city London, the streets of Amsterdam, and distant outer space. Recording under the pseudonym Likwid Continual Space Motion, the UK producer’s debut on Amsterdam’s Paradiso jazz imprint Super Sonic Jazz is the soundtrack to 'Earthbound', a new science-fiction theatre production, that comes alive with the interstellar sounds of instrumental funk, soul, and space-age jazz.

                                                                                                                                                                                Produced in cooperation with SummerDance Forever Amsterdam, 'Earthbound' is a journey into intergalactic live jazz fusion, that sees IG Culture, a.k.a. Ian Grant, team up members from the London artist collective Steam Down, Alex Phountzi of Selectors Assemble (see Bugz In The Attic), and Rhythm Section’s Neue Grafik. The resulting collage is a melange of live sax, alternating percussions sessions, Sun-Ra like piano lines, and otherworldly synth sessions. The EP’s music delicately travels the spaceways, ultimately conveying the messaging behind Earthbound, a story based on the work of author Zecharia Sitchin, in which the ancient people of Nibiru return to Earth to discover the people they had once passed down knowledge to, are now living in a world of chaos.

                                                                                                                                                                                IG Culture is one of the most important protagonists in catalyst of the UK’s broken beat jazz scene, which he refers to as 'London Bruk Boogie'. Having set up the legendary CoOp night at Plastic People, IG Culture is no stranger to Super Sonic Jazz, having released an homage to Sun Ra on Kees Heus' first imprint, Kindred Spirits back in 2003. With three decades worth of production nuance, 'Earthbound' is the next challenge in the producer’s legacy, an idea that was spurned on once again by the Paradiso DJ KC the Funkaholic. With the theatre production having already debuted in February, the full soundtrack and LP is set for release in November this year. Keep your earth frequencies open for more information.


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                                                                                                                                                                                Cover of Vwayajé by Gwakasonné.

                                                                                                                                                                                Gwakasonné

                                                                                                                                                                                Vwayajé

                                                                                                                                                                                Seance Centre

                                                                                                                                                                                “Stop here!” exclaimed Robert Oumaou as we passed a mango tree on the side of the road just outside of Point-a-Pitre, the balmy capital of Guadeloupe. He filled a plastic bag with ripe fruit, and we set off on our journey across the small Caribbean island in search of musicians he hadn’t seen in years. On the way, we shared stories in broken French and English, stopping at truck stops to eat delicious fried fish. Robert took me to his hometown, and placed a mango and a flower on the grave of his teacher and mentor, a local poet. The seeds of Vwayajé (Traveller) were sewn on this trip, but shortly after returning home, I heard that Robert was ill, and he sadly passed away in 2018. This compilation was originally intended as a way to share Robert’s brazen work with a wider global audience, but it now also serves to immortalize his indomitable spirit.

                                                                                                                                                                                Gwakasonné is the ecstatic articulation of Robert Oumaou’s artistic and political vision, a unified expression of his interests in American jazz, pre-colonial rhythms, Guadeloupian independence, and Créole poetics. Over the course of three albums, all released in the 80s, Robert piloted a revolving cast of musicians, a venerable who’s-who of Point-a-Pitre avant-jazz pioneers, to deftly intone his creative communal concepts. The songs on Vwayajé are compiled from these three releases, Gwakasonné, Temwen, and Moun, along with an electronic mantra taken from his 2007 solo album Sang Comment Taire. Viewed from our current artistic and cultural landscape, Robert’s work is exceptionally enduring, grounded in its declarations of freedom and foundational use of the Ka (drum) and voice, and prescient in its borderless explorations of protest folk, electronics, ambient atmosphere, music from the African diaspora, and spiritual jazz. The long-form hive-mind expression of the group has parallels with similar explorations by The Grateful Dead, electric
                                                                                                                                                                                Miles, Pharaoh Sanders, and even the Boredoms, but these are only oblique references for a truly peerless sound. Like other conceptual children of Gérard Lockel, the group was part of a progressive movement of like-minded musicians, such as Serge Fabriano, Dao, Erick Cosaque, and Gaoulé Mizik, who embraced Lockel’s modernist ideals, fusing Gwo Ka drumming and tuning systems with contemporary jazz and vanguard recording technologies. Robert’s ecstatic phrasings, embrace of electronic instruments, and daring lyrics set the group apart as the beatific expression of a sagacious soul.

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