Celebrating twenty-five years of Aficionado as a place to play away from suffocating mainstream club culture, DJs Jason Boardman and Moonboots have compiled a contemplative set of 16 tracks that holds a deep meaning to both themselves and attendees of their now legendary parties. The compilation includes two new tracks exclusive to the release: J-Walk’s ‘Cool Bright Northern Morning’ and Begin’s remix of Canyons ‘Akasha’.

Reflecting on how it all started 25 years ago, Moon considers their no-plan-plan to be a makeshift plateau which evolved organically: “All we did was try to play good records one after the other without any consideration for fashion. And people wanted that”. Alternative approaches were not unknown at the time, but Aficionado, as Jason and Moon’s Sunday sessions became known, pressed the reset button with unique resolve.

Jason elaborates: “It was 1998 when we started. It was our own 'fuck you’ to the Super Club regime - almost everywhere then. The ‘anything goes’ Balearic ethos was in abeyance. It wasn’t cool at the time, but we both just wanted to keep that original spirit alive. ‘Keep it open’ had always been my approach to DJing - even from playing at Youth Clubs as a teenager. No rules or generic constrictions. Play anything that you like from any era, any style from any time. We always encouraged our guests to dig deep and play outside of their comfort zones, their usual styles”.

Regular contributors quickly realised there was a freedom here which expected exploration of the most cobwebbed corners of the collection. The trick was to do something that hadn’t been done before - to play a record which might make these genuinely genre-less sonic adventurers double take. Aficionado reserved the right to apply the brakes and offered the same opportunity to their guests in terms of avoiding stultifying ‘sets’ and routine dance floor button pushing. At the same time, Jason and Moon were also adept in responding to the hedonistic excess that often erupted by playing music likely to facilitate random outbursts of dancing on tables on a school night. Aficionado never settled or coalesced into something readily identifiable and easy to sell.

While there were many Manchester venues, for Jason Sundays at Zumbar were special: “It would get very deranged. A cranky Citronic double deck console and very lo-fi, but a real vibe. Free pizza! At Fat Cat we got offered a proper wage - credit in the straight world! A basement by the Canal”. Moon concurs: “Zumbar was crackers - Sunday became the essential day to go out for our lot. But my two favourite ’Nado venues were Arch in Hulme and Fat Cat. People who’d been up all weekend would turn up spangled. Some bods stopped going out on Saturdays and made Sunday their big night out. Did these people have jobs? Very, very funny times…”.

The lovingly crafted musical mystery tour of this compilation, considering its pleasantly hypnagogic intent, may not reflect the madness of these now distant memories. This is an older and considerably more responsible collection and this is what we need right now - a temporary respite from a world almost capsized. A mood, a meditation created by masters of their craft. Odd socks from disparate global locations making new sense side by side. An assemblage, if you like. A thread through many different kinds of thinking. A new picture pieced together from the lost pieces of many jigsaws. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Aficionado is a cult. A nod-and-a-wink into cryptic catacombs of musical discovery. A paradoxical combination of Moonboot’s hushed mythical reverence and the contagious sense of enthusiasm and adventure from Jason Boardman.

A club night that’s uniquely Mancunian in spirit yet has gone on to inform and inspire a whole global network of record obsessives. A label that spins on a different axis to the mainstream, yet evolves and adapts in natural cycles in harmony with the growing maturity of its founders. Which is why we find ‘25 Years Of Aficionado’ in a decidedly unhurried and meditative mood - showcasing sounds that are at home amongst sun-blushed beaches, English countryside and the relaxed contentment of a free weekend afternoon. Rather than re-hash the hits that soundtracked their debauched Sunday sessions back in the day, the pair have curated a contemplative set that reflects the unwinding of pace that undoubtedly comes with age – in turn delivering something that’s unequivocally relevant to the listeners it's aimed at.

I’ve had both the joy and pain of playing at ‘Nado. Forced to spend most of the evening wearing record sleeves on my head as my ill prepared set contained bootlegs, edits and, the biggest rule break of all – beat matching! I was young and ignorantly unaware of these basic fundamentals, but it was a beautiful schooling. To some this might seem like a militant and contrary manifesto; but it serves to highlight the purity of spirit that can easily be lost in today’s modern age, where digital versions of most songs can be acquired at the click of a mouse and true undiscovered rarities come few and far between. JB & Moon epitomise the excitement of the hunt, the joy of eclecticism; and I think it's due to this immovable and uncompromising passion for unearthing true vinyl gems that goes someway to explaining the pair’s universal admiration and acclaim as DJs and label curators.

TRACK LISTING

Vinyl Tracklisting:
1. Held By Trees - In The Trees - Ambient
2. Stanley Clarke - Desert Song
3. Jan Akkerman - Ode To Billy Joe
4. Alain Debray - Concierto De Aranjuez
5. The Hightower Set - Departure Lounge (Nothing To Declare)
6. J-Walk - Cool Bright Northern Morning
7. Canyons - Akasha (Begin Remix)
8. Waves - Summer Sunday
9. Mudd - Summer In The Wood
10. Trevor Heiron - Love Chains (Instrumental)
11. Korallreven - Honey Mine (Lissvik Remix)
12. Giorgio Tuma - Through Your Hands Love Can Shine (feat. Laetitia Sadier)
13. The Superimposers - Seeing Is Believing
14. Teacher - Can't Step Twice (On The Same Piece Of Water) (New Version)
15. Kalima - Shine (Gilles Peterson Vibrazonic Dub Mix)
16. The Haggis Horns - The Traveller Part Two 

CD Tracklisting:
1. Stanley Clarke - Desert Song
2. Jan Akkerman - Ode To Bellie Jo
3. Alan Debray - Concierto De Aranjuez
4. High Tower Set - Departure Lounge (Nothing To Declare)
5. J-Walk - Cool Bright Northern Morning (Exclusive)
6. Canyons - Akasha (Begin Remix)
7. Waves - Summer Sunday
8. Mudd - Summer In The Woods
9. Trevor Herion - Love Chains (Instrumental)
10. Korallreven - Honey Mine (Lissvik Remix)
11. Georgio Tuma With Laetitia Sadier - Through Your Hands Love Can Shine
12. Superimposers - Seeing Is Believing
13. Cecilio & Kapana - Someday
14. Teacher - Can't Step Twice On The Same Piece Of Water
15. Kalima - Shine On (Vibrazonic Dub Mix)

Two-Piers, the label that brought you ‘Pop Psychédélique (The Best of French Psychedelic Pop 1964-2019)’, ‘Garage Psychédélique (The Best of Garage Psych and Pzyk Rock 1965-2019)’ and ‘Music for the Stars (Celestial Music 1960-1979)’ bring you ‘Waves of Distortion (The Best of Shoegaze 1990-2022), a magical journey through the history of the Shoegaze scene from its inception to the current exponents on the scene championing the sound. A perfect introduction to all that is glorious and great about ‘Shoegaze’, and if it takes the listener down a rabbit warren to discover more then job done

‘Waves of Distortion’ brings in some of the OG (original ’gazer) classics – Ride’s peerless ‘Vapour Trail’, Lush’s ‘Sweetness and Light’ from 1990 and Chapterhouse’s ‘Pearl’ from 1991. They are all incredible and timeless tunes. Then there are some others that were never really a part of that other great music press construct, The Scene That Celebrates Itself, in the case of The Telescopes and their fantastic 1991 single ‘Flying’, and Spirea X’s ‘Chlorine Dream’ from the same year – both are indicative of the post-rave psychedelia that coloured everything at the time and fit perfectly within the Shoegaze scene at the time.

Once we get to 1992, there’s a bit of a gap in the chronology as shoegaze was all too hastily dismissed in the country that birthed it, ignored in favour of grunge and then Britpop, the feedback fading away along with the bands that made it. But something amazing happened. when the s-word was used elsewhere in the world, rather than having negative connotations, it was merely a descriptive term. So, the flame was kept burning in the most unlikely places, waiting for everyone else to catch up once again. It’s no surprise, then, that there are bands on this compilation from America (Ringo Deathstarr, Beach House), Australia (Lowtide, Flyying Colours), Sweden (Echo Ladies) and everywhere in between.

Since the turn of the century, successive generations have returned to the sound, taking it to new and exciting places. Thanks to the internet and streaming and listening to music without context the echo got louder and louder. The original scene may have morphed into a myriad of things, from acoustic Americana to ambient techno and post-rock (as evidenced by Mogwai, who appear here with ‘Kids Will Be Skeletons’), but it was only a matter of time before things came full circle. However it was Slowdive’s reunion six years later that finally made people sit up and take notice. There were scores to settle, too. The backlash Slowdive had faced the first time around went beyond mere music criticism into outright hatred. Their return and self-titled album from 2017 somehow managed to be their best yet and one of the finest examples of the genre to date. It brought in yet another generation of fans – the likes of bdrmm and Horsegirl, both included here, weren’t even born when Slowdive first existed, they were discovering them anew.

So, it’s fitting that this compilation begins with ‘Slowdive’s opener, ‘Slomo’. Neil Halstead and Christian Savill’s chiming guitars seemingly awakening from a 22-year slumber as the song gradually comes into focus. This was more than just a rebirth; it was a reaffirmation that this hard to define genre is here to stay.

And that is why we are here now, all these years later, listening to a compilation that joins the dots between all of this stuff, from the beginning to the present day. The beautiful noise that has soundtracked the past 30 years and will continue to do so for many more. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Liam says: This comp looks like it's raided my iPod classic circa 2017, full to the brim of absolute shoegaze classics and hidden gems. With cuts from shoegaze forefathers Slowdive and Ride, to more contemporary additions from the likes of DIIV and bdrmm, this is a must have for shoegaze veterans and newcomers alike! Mega, MEGA stuff!!!

TRACK LISTING

2LP Vinyl:
A1) Slowdive – Slomo
A2) Chapterhouse – Pearl
A3) Ride – Vapour Trail
A4) Blind Mr Jones – Henna And Swayed
A5) The Telescopes – Flying
B1) Lush – Sweetness And Light
B2) Spirea X – Chlorine Dream
B3) Kitchens Of Distinction – The 3rd Time We Opened The Capsule
B4) Pale Saints – Sight Of You
B5) Lowtide – Alibi
B6) Ringo Deathstarr – Kaleidoscope
C1) Horsegirl – Billy
C2) Air Formation – Daylight Storms
C3) DIIV – Taker
C4) Bdrmm – A Reason To Celebrate
C5) Flyying Colours – Long Holiday
C6) Echo Ladies – Overrated – Robin Guthrie Version
D1) Beach House – Lazuli
D2) Mogwai – Kids Will Be Skeletons
D3) Fleeting Joys – Go And Come Back
D4) Ultra Vivid Scene – Mercy Seat
D5) Galaxie 500 – Ceremony

2CD:
CD1
1) Slowdive – Slomo
2) Chapterhouse – Pearl
3) Ride – Vapour Trail
4) Blind Mr Jones – Henna And Swayed
5) The Telescopes – Flying
6) Lush – Sweetness And Light
7) Spirea X – Chlorine Dream
8) Kitchens Of Distinction – The 3rd Time We Opened The Capsule
9) Pale Saints – Sight Of You
10) A.R.Kane – Lollita **
11) Airiel – In Your Room **
12) Lowtide – Alibi
CD2
1) Ringo Deathstarr – Kaleidoscope
2) Horsegirl – Billy
3) Air Formation – Daylight Storms
4) DIIV – Taker
5) Bdrmm – A Reason To Celebrate
6) Flyying Colours – Long Holiday
7) Echo Ladies – Overrated – Robin Guthrie Version
8) The Daysleepers – Flood In Heaven **
9) Astrobite – Crasher **
10) Beach House – Lazuli
11) Mogwai – Kids Will Be Skeletons
12) Fleeting Joys – Go And Come Back
13) Ultra Vivid Scene – Mercy Seat
14) Galaxie 500 – Ceremony

** Exclusive Tracks To CD Format

• Ace Records is thrilled to be working with seminal singer-songwriter, toast of this year's Olivier Awards and all-round Sheffield legend Richard Hawley on this, the first volume of a compilation series of some of his favourite singles. This is a selection of 28 7''s that Richard has collected on his travels around the globe, through friends, family, collectors, word of mouth, thrift shop finds, pub jukebox gems and everything in between. Richard refers to the glue that joins these selections together as 'Little Bangers' as they are all mini hand grenades; bright lights that explode and fizzle out, some big names, some rarities, some lost souls, some obscurities, some by artists he actively enjoys knowing almost nothing about other than they want to get him on his feet and dance. Many are garage instrumentals, exposing the guitar-line as lead melody and the art of telling a story without lyrics.

• As Richard puts it, 'I’m fascinated by the 7-inch single because of the discipline of it. A 7-inch single can only contain a certain amount of information... So, you have to learn the discipline of cramming all that information and craft into a short space of time. If you imagine this album as a piece of bacon, there’s absolutely no fat on it at all. It’s just juicy meat. There aren’t flabby recordings, they are very nimble.'

• We're extra proud that the Hendrix Estate have allowed us to include Curtis Knight & The Squires' ferocious and never previously licensed 'Hornet's Nest' which naturally we proudly kick off with. We feature the five-minutes-plus long version that has never been released before. The pace never slackens, taking in the Shadows, Link Wray, the Troggs, the Champs, Jimmy Gordon and so many more besides. It's joyful, it's relentless, and you can listen to it on repeat for a thousand miles.

To give Richard the last word: 'My advice to everybody, is keep on the surfboard, motherfucker. These records have kept me on my surfboard for decades, you know what I’m saying?'

STAFF COMMENTS

Laura says: Richard Hawley was schooled on rock’n’roll; his dad was a musician in the 60s and 70s and growing up he was always surrounded by musicians. So, it’s no surprise that he’s compiled these 7” gems from that era, collected on his travels. As he says: “They’re called Little Bangers because they’re like miniature musical hand grenades!”

TRACK LISTING

SIDE ONE
1. HORNET'S NEST –
Curtis Knight & The Squires Feat. Jimi Hendrix
2. NASTY - The Time Keepers
3. PATH THROUGH THE FOREST - The Factory
4. GET ON THIS PLANE - The Premiers
5. SCOTCH ON THE SOCKS - The Shadows
6. QUASIMOTO - The Road Runners
7. LAZY REBEL - Twangy Rebels
SIDE TWO
1. SWINGING DRUMS - Ronny Kae
2. CUTTIN' OUT - Rockin’ Ronald & The Rebels
3. HONKY - The Ho-Dads
4. BLACK NIGHT - Cheryl Thompson
5. LONG LINE RIDER - Bobby Darin
6. POPPIN' POPEYE - Link Wray
7. HOT-ROD - King Curtis
SIDE THREE
1. FEELS LIKE A WOMAN - The Troggs
2. CUTTIN' OUT - The Pirates
3. WHERE YOU GONNA GO - Art Guy
4. NEB'S TUNE - Ahab & The Wailers
5. BUZZZZZZ - Jimmy Gordon
6. JUNGLE WALK - The Dyna-Sores
7. SURFIN' & SWINGIN' - Les Brown Jr
SIDE FOUR
1. TAHITI - Jimmy & Stan
2. BAWANA JINDE - Al Duncan
3. DEAD END PART 1 - The Executioners
4. REQUIEM FOR LOVE - Bobbie Gentry & Jody Reynolds
5. 3/4 MASH - The Champs
6. EL GATO - The Chandelles
7. IT’S NOTHING TO ME – Sanford Clark

Wig Out! Freak Out!’, the latest compilation from Two-Piers, dives into the world of Freakbeat, Psych and Mod from 1964-1969. Pulling the cream of tracks from the UK & United States Freakbeat and Garage scenes of the time. Featuring tracks from The Sonics, The Kinks, The Action, Chocolate Watch Band, The Haunted, The Standells, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Shadows of Knight, The Yardbirds, The Seeds and more ‘Wig Out! Freak Out!’ is packed full of Freakbeat and Mod classics as well as rare sought after nuggets.

Talking about ‘Wig Out! Freak Out!' Two-Piers compiler Mark McQuillan says "The album was inspired by my many happy DJ nights promoting my club night ‘Club Pod’ down in Brighton in the 1990s and my love of all things Sixties Freakbeat. I wanted to put as many great tracks as I could on one compilation to hopefully bring across the feeling of sheer joy from spinning these awesome tracks in a club and seeing the place go off. This compilation isn’t supposed to be a rare crate diggers album, but rather a gateway to give listeners a flavour of the scene and allow them to go off and discover new and brilliant hidden gems within the Freakbeat and Mod Psychedelia genre, and if ‘Wig Out! Freak Out!’ does that job done!"

Aimed squarely at the Alternative & 60s Club Dancefloors ‘Wig Out! Freak Out!’ Kicks off with the fuzz guitars of The Sonics ’Shot Down’, The Standells epic ‘Dirty Water’, and lesser known gem '1-2-5’ by The Haunted, before taking you down a road of pure riotous Freakbeat joy with tracks by the likes of The Birds ‘You’re on My Mind', The Wimple Winch 'Save My Soul' and The Remains ‘Don’t Look Back’. Add the epic Freakbreat grooves of The Eyes ‘You’re Too Much’ and The Open Mind ‘Magic Potion’ an chuck in some brilliant covers by The Kinks, with their take on ‘Louie Louie, Paul Reeve & The Raiders sublime version of ‘I’m Not Your Stepping Stone, Girl group The Starlets garage cover of ‘You Don’t Love Me’, ‘Gloria’ reworked by The Shadows of Knight, and The Action covering ‘Land of 1000 Dances’ and making the track their own, and your feet can’t help but move. The compilation contains lesser known gems such as The Satans ‘Makin’ Deals’, Count Five ‘Double Decker Bus’, The Poets ‘Wooden Spoon’ and The Pirates ‘Cuttin’ Out’. It also takes a turn into Mod Psychedelic territory with the Hammond led grooves of The Quik ‘Berts Apple Crumble’, The Spencer Davis Group ‘I’m A Man’ and the glorious ‘Indian Rope Man’ by Julie Drsicoll, Brian Auger and The Trinity, before ending on the instrumental blues psych rock of Davie Allan & The Arrows ‘Blues Theme’ - a journey through the very best of Freakbeat and Mod Psychedelia at the peak of its powers 1964-1969.

Two-Piers the label has brought to you such wonderful compilations as the Pop Psychédélique, Garage Psychédélique and Lounge Psychédélique compilation series introducing the listener to the worlds of French Psychedelic Pop, Garage Psych, and Lounge & Exotica Space Age Bachelor Pad Music, Waves of Distortion (The Best of Shoegaze 1990-2022) and Music for The Stars (Celestial Music 1960-1979).

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: One look at that tracklist and you know you're in for a treat. Weird psychedelic mod grooves, fuzzy guitars and syncopated swagger, soaring airy numbers and scuzzy garage-adjacent stomp. As always, presented beautifully and perfectly compiled by Two-Piers.

TRACK LISTING

A1. The Sonics - Shot Down
A2. The Standells - Dirty Water
A3. The Haunted - 1-2-5
A4. The Birds - You’re On My Mind
A5. Paul Revere & The Raiders - I’m Not Your Stepping Stone
A6. The Shadows Of Knight - Shake
A7. The Starlets - You Don’t Love Me
A8. The Wimple Winch - Save My Soul
B1. The Action - Land Of 1000 Dances
B2. Jacques Dutronc - Le Responsable
B3. The Eyes - You’re Too Much
B4. The Remains - Don’t Look Back
B5. The Kinks - Louie Louie
B6. Rita Chaos & The Quests - Hanky Panky
B7. The Argyles - Farmer John
B8. The Poets - Wooden Spoon
C1. The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band - Shifting Sands
C2. ? & The Mysterians - Up Side
C3. The Third Bardo - I’m Five Years Ahead Of My Time
C4. The Shadows Of Knight - Gloria **
C5. The Chocolate Watch Band - Let’s Talk About Girls
C6. The Open Mind - Magic Potion **
C7. Count Five - Double-Decker Bus
C8. The Satans - Makin’ Deals
D1. The Quik - Berts Apple Crumble
D2. The Spencer Davis Group - I’m A Man
D3. Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity - Indian Rope Man
D4. The Hi-Fis - Tread Softly For The Sleepers
D5. The Yardbirds - Stroll On
D6. The Pirates - Cuttin’ Out
D7. The Seeds - Pushin’ Too Hard
D8. Davie Allan & The Arrows - Blues Theme

** Exclusive Tracks For Vinyl

‘Lounge Psychédélique’ takes you on a journey into the world of Lounge, Exotica and Space Age Bachelor Pad Music, from its early days in the 1950s and 1960s to the current crop of artists championing the Lounge & Exotica sounds today. Compiled by Spencer Hickman & Mark McQuillan for Two-Piers

‘Lounge Psychédélique (The Best of Lounge & Exotica 1954-2022)’ is the third instalment in the Psychédélique Compilation series on Two-Piers, following the critically acclaimed ‘Pop Psychédélique (The Best of French Psychedelic Pop 1964-2019)’ and ‘Garage Psychédélique (The Best of Garage Psych and Pzyk Rock 1965-2019)’.

‘Lounge Psychédélique’ brings together the sounds of Easy Listening, Soundtrack Instrumentals, Exotica, Jazz, Psychedelic, and Space Age sounds all under the umbrella of Lounge Music. The compilation includes legends of the Lounge and Exotica scene, such as Martin Denny, Yma Sumac, Mel Tormé, Herb Alpert, and Les Baxter, alongside legendary composers Hugo Montenegro, Lalo Schifrin, Michael Giacchino. Add some Lounge Jazz from Cal Tjader and the Latin Bossa Nova of Quincy Jones. Then throw in some beautiful oddities from Leonard Nimoy, Pizzicato Five and Mort Garson. Next, mix in some Lounge-Mod moments from Dave Pike and Jack Trombey, KPM library classics from Alan Hawkshaw and Keith Mansfield, and finish with some brilliant modern-day exponents of the Exotica sound Los Bitchos, Ixtaheule and the Percussive Funk Moog party sounds of The Bongolian. The result is a fun and crazy ride through the world of Lounge Music which will bring a smile to your face and a spring to your step. So raise a cocktail glass to ‘Lounge Psychédélique (The Best of Lounge & Exotica 1954-2022) – a sheer joy from start to finish!

‘Lounge Psychédélique’ isn’t meant to be a ‘crate diggers’ album or a compilation of obscure, hard-to-find tracks to outdo your mates. Instead, it is intended to celebrate the Lounge scene and, hopefully, the perfect introduction to this fantastic and beautiful music for any newcomers out there. So let your journey into Lounge and Exotica begin here….

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: Delving into the world of Lounge, Exotica and Space Age Bachelor Pad Music, these cuts are the creme de la creme of the scene. Featuring legends like Martin Denny, Yma Sumac, Les Baxter, Mort Garson, Alan Hawkshaw, Leonard Nimoy, Pizzicato Five, and Keith Mansfield, there’s plenty of delights to raise a cocktail glass to!

TRACK LISTING

Vinyl Tracklist:
A1. Leonard Nimoy – Music To Watch Space Girls By
A2. Martin Denny – The Enchanted Isle
A3. Yma Sumac – Gopher
A4. The Bongolian – B-Boy Toga Party
A5. Los Bitchos – The Link Is About To Die
A6. Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – The Lonely Bull (El Solo Toro)
A7. Michael Giacchino & Nouvelle Modernica Orchestra – Sidereal Day: 3 (Instrumental)
B1. Mel Tormé – Sunshine Superman
B2. Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 – Mais Que Nada
B3. Lalo Schifrin – Lalo’s Bossa Nova
B4. Quincy Jones – Black Orpheus (Manha De Carnaval)
B5. Les Baxter & 101 Strings Orchestra – Tropicando
B6. Pizzicato Five - ǚ

For 'Folk Funk & Trippy Troubadours Volume Two', Paul dives back into the vaults for more seriously good, rare cuts for all to enjoy. Spanning seventeen tracks, the new compilation represents his continued journey with the Folk Funk & Trippy Troubadours sound. Think of heady sounds to soundtrack balmy English summers and Balearic poolside drops, the compilation includes a huge slab of privately pressed obscurities with some previously unreleased material.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: From horizontal ambient folk business to head-nodding Balearica, the wonderful Paul Hillery once again raids his vaults for a unique selection of the finest gems. This time sees more drifty numbers like Len Udow's gorgeous “Beauty Raise The Tree” joined with some more upbeat numbers, like Grand Union's funky odyssey, “Morning Brings The Light”'.

TRACK LISTING

1. Morning Brings The Light - Grand Union
2. Undone - Tasha Lee McClunney
3. Olivia - Lucy Kitchen
4. Beauty Raise The Tree - Len Udow
5. Wild Canada - Dan Donahue
6. The Ballad Of Ho Chi Minh - Mike Glick
7. Song Of Creation - Chris Rawlings
8. Bamboo In The Wind - Gary Lapow
9. Turn On Your Lovelight - Summer Rain
10. Rainfall - Jennie Rylatt
11. Prospect Of Wealth - Henry Parker
12. Teardrops Lost In The Rain (Stallions Remix) - Findlay Brown
13. Change Is Me, Change Is You - Harris And Crane Band
14. Waco - Frank Pyne & Loon Saloon
15. Theme IV _A Detective KJAMM1644 D1 - The B.B. Jackson Band
16. Weepin' - Cascada
17. Let Me Ride - Peter Campbell 

The Endless Coloured Ways is a collection of songs by legendary singer/ songwriter, Nick Drake, performed and recorded by over 30 incredible artists from a range of different backgrounds, genres, age groups and audiences. From Fontaines D.C to Guy Garvey, and Aurora to Feist, each artist has offered their own incredible take on a timeless classic.

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: How would you present a compilation of modern day artists covering singer-songwriter Nick Drake's work? Like this! Get them to re-interpret the material in their own individual way, re-imagine if you like, whilst maintaining Nick's original melody and words. We all know the original songs so well; that this record brings them to life so eloquently and sincerely is a huge testament to everybody involved.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Wandering Hearts – Voice From A Mountain (prelude)
2. Fontaines D.C – Cello Song
3. Camille – Hazey Jane II
4. Mike Lindsay Featuring Guy Garvey – Saturday Sun
5. Bombay Bicycle Club & The Staves – Road
6. Let’s Eat Grandma – From The Morning
7. David Gray – Place To Be
8. John Parish & Aldous Harding – Three Hours
9. Stick In The Wheel – Parasite
10. Ben Harper – Time Has Told Me
11. Emeli Sandé – One Of These Things First
12. Karine Polwart & Kris Drever – Northern Sky
13. Craig Armstrong Featuring Self Esteem – Black Eyed Dog
14. Bombay Bicycle Club & The Staves – Road (reprise)
15. Nadia Reid – Poor Boy
16. Christian Lee Hutson Featuring Eleanor Moss – Which Will
17. Skullcrusher & Gia Margaret – Harvest Breed
18. Katherine Priddy – I Think They’re Leaving Me Behind
19. AURORA – Pink Moon
20. Joe Henry & Meshell Ndegeocello – Time Of No Reply
21. Famous Blue Cable Featuring Feist – River Man
22. Liz Phair – Free Ride
23. Philip Selway – Fly
24. John Grant – Day Is Done
25. The Wandering Hearts – Voice From A Mountain

Esteemed scribe, proper DJ, and discreetly deft twiddler Bill Brewster, drops the latest instalment in his ‘After Dark’ series, for Late Night Tales.

A throbbing, louche and leisurely affair, groove is very much at the heart of this freestyle selection, a vibe which Bill de- scribes as “a basement, a red light and a sound system. Or, as the Beastie’s once rapped, slow and low, that is the tempo”.

There’s Hawaiian drum machine bossa balearica from Island Band, percussive afro post punk from Czech jazz singer Jana Koubkova, and breathy-bubbling-dubwise-slap-bass-soul from Debbe & The Code.

There’s also sultry deep house mood music from Lanowa, infectious bouncy jazz funk breaks from Canada High, and Nail’s life affirming re-edit of singer songwriter Gilbert O Sullivan’s electro pop gem ‘So What’.

Bill’s own studio skills are present and correct too, featuring an undulating bassy version of country troubadour Jeb Loy Nichols, reworked along Alex Tepper under their Hotel Motel moniker, and a chugged-up squelchy disco take on Khruangbin, this time paired with Raj Gupta, as Mang Dynasty.

Chock full of exclusives, tracks are either completely brand new, or available digitally for the first time, whilst others are wallet-rinsing rarities if purchased elsewhere. Whichever way you slice it though, every tune is a highlight, working equally well as standalone nuggets, or within Bill’s fluidly cohesive mix.

Whether he’s taking the roof off a club with his unique selection of deep and tough house music, enchanting a backroom with a genre-bending set of disco, Balearic, rock and hip hop or playing chillout music in a bay in Croatia, Bill Brewster is the man for all occasions.

In a former life, Bill was a punk rocker, a chef and also the co-editor of football magazine When Saturday Comes but has been a record nerd all of his life. He began DJing in the 1980s, but came into his own in the early 1990s, particularly during a two-year stint in New York running DMC’s office, where nights at the Sound Factory and hanging out with Danny Tenaglia gave him the musical grounding you can still hear in his music today.

Bill was also one of the founding residents at Fabric in London, a position he held for five years. There are few still playing regularly today that have his dedication, eclecticism and encyclopedic knowledge of music.

His parallel life is as a writer, and with his long-term part- ner-in-crime Frank Broughton, they have written four books together, including the acclaimed ‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’ (latest edition published last July), ‘How To DJ (Prop- erly)’ and ‘The Record Players’. The pair are also behind the legendary DJhistory.com and their party, Low Life, has been running for nearly 30 years.

He has been working in the industry’s fringes for over 40 years including the running of various labels from Twisted UK and Forensic in the ’90s to Disco Sucks and Anorak in the noughties.

He is one of NTS radio’s new residents for 2023 and his ‘Low Life Loves You’ show is available on the first Tuesday of every month.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A smooth as silk collection of deep lounging groovers, airy disco numbers and thumping percussion, brought together with Bill Brewster's incomparable musical ear. A thoroughly rewarding collection.

TRACK LISTING

2LP
A1 Island Band – Idle Hours 4:55
A2 Chaz Jankel – Manon Manon 4.56
A3 Gilbert O’Sullivan – So What (Nail Edit) 8.44*
B1 Rheinzand – Kills And Kisses (Scorpio Twins Remix) 8.10*
B2 Canada High – Le Chiffre 5.02*
B3 Lanowa – Burning Up 6.38*
C1 Khruangbin – So We Won’t Forget (Mang Dynasty Irreverent Dub) 7.16*
C2 Fernando – 1998 7.00*
C3 Debbe & The Code – Code Of Love 6.02
D1 Jana Koubková - Nijána 6.15
D2 IPG V Hot Toddy – Open Space 7.32*
D3 Smashed Atoms & Backdoor Man – Hey Dreamer 6.50*
*After Dark Vinyl Exclusive

CD
1.T.O.E – Infinite Consciousness*
2.Island Band – Idle Hours
3.Jana Koubková - Nijána
4.Dan Wainwright – Come Home*
5.Jeb Loy Nichols – Don’t Drop Me (Hotel Motel Remix)*
6.Nick Munday – Drum Lock
7.Khruangbin – So We Won’t Forget (Mang Dynasty Irreverent Dub)*
8.Rhythm Plate – We Were Made To Be Artists*
9.Debbe & The Code – Code Of Love*
10.Lanowa – Burning Up*
11.Gilbert O’Sullivan – So What (Nail Edit)*
12.Canada High – Le Chiffre
13.Smashed Atoms & Backdoor Man – Hey Dreamer*
14.Gus Paterson – Arphicelago*
15.Fernando - 1998*
16.IPG V Hot Toddy – Open Space*
17.Carl Finlow – Hyperkagome*
18.Rheinzand – Kills And Kisses (Scorpio Twins Remix)*
19.Chaz Jankel – Manon Manon
* After Dark Exclusive

É Soul Cultura Vol. 1 seemed to land at exactly the right moment. Post-lockdown, optimism was back on the rise and the dance floors swelled again. For many listeners, Manchester based DJ Luke Una's intriguingly woven pattern of new, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world became the soundtrack to rejuvenated positivity. Piccadilly Records (that's us!) made the release their top compilation of the year, with Rough Trade placing it as their number two. The enthusiasm from the industry was mirrored by record buyers and demonstrated that in the right hands, moving through genres, tempos and decades can make perfect musical sense.

This second volume gives another opportunity for Luke to share his journey of the past four decades of staying up late and getting transcendental whilst listening to holy grail music as the city slept. It at times ventures into the deeper, spiritual, soulful, downtempo, experimental aspects of his tastes. From the conscious, street soul fusion gospel of Veronica Mickie's 'Lost Children', to an excursion into Swiss, psych, progressive rock in the form of Pyranha, then onto the classic Indian music-inspired electronic workout of Andi Otto's 'Bangalore Whispers'. Luke hints at his softer side in Avis; a sweet, obscure cover version of Minnie Riperton's 'Baby, This Love I Have', as well as championing local heroes in the shape of Manchester's Yargo and their driving, obscure, proto-house belter, 'Marimba'. There's also Japanese, electronic, slo-mo heaviness from 1979, courtesy of Bach Revolution. House music is integral to the É Soul sound and is represented by Nav Aktah's deep remix of Mr Scruff, and then there's Isis 'In Essense'; a track of such majestic brilliance that it has never left Luke's record bag.

The selection is eclectic, global, and plucked from different times and spaces. In theory, perhaps they shouldn't work together, but there is a mysterious link that makes them gel as a whole. That's what Luke does best. He creates a sort of musical alchemy, unifying the diverse.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: There's a reason Luke's first compilation was such a massive hit in the shop, and Volume 2 takes all of the afterparty energy of the first and stretches the outer limits of the sound field into more spiritual, off-piste excursions. Perfectly collated, researched and presented.

TRACK LISTING

Real Thing - Children Of The Ghetto
Avis - Baby, This Love I Have 
Veronica Mickie - Lost Children
Rare Silk - Storm (Arp Duppy Chip Mix)
LFO - Shove Piggy Shove
Bach Revolution - D.E 108
Andi Otto - Bangalore Whispers (feat. MD Pallavi)
Unnayanaa & Irfan Rainy Feat Ibtisam - Taht Min Aini (Alberghina Remx)*
Michael De Albuquerque - We May Be Cattle But We All Got Names
Pyranha - Clepsydre
Yargo - Marimba
Okyerema Asante & Black Fire - Play A Sweet Rhythm On Them Drums (feat. Plunky)
Mr. Scruff Feat. Nke - Giffin (Taken Re-edit Speechless Dub Mix)
Isis - In Essense
Frank Hatchett - Malibu Nites

* Vinyl Only Track.

Following on from the Primal Scream frontman’s brilliantly-received previous release for Ace, ‘Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down’, Bobby Gillespie brings us another slice of the music that soundtracks his life. And in this case, it’s his touring life. Drawing on the experience of ‘the way that the noise and clamour of the road can tire you out, wear you down and frazzle your nerves to shattered fragments of jangled exhaustion’, these are the records Bobby turns to for solace, for comfort, for empathy and for resourcefulness.

The compilation features an introduction from the man himself, talking us through his personal choices as though he’s sitting cross-legged on the carpet going through records with you in his lounge. Also long-time cohort of the band, Kris Needs has written extensive liner-notes, serving up an intensive track by track insight and analysis.

Titled after and kicking off with the Willie Nelson track of the same name, ‘I Still Can’t Believe You’re Gone’ leads us through a darker and deeper exploration than its predecessor, featuring Nick Cave’s funereal version of ‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’ and Ry Cooder’s sparse and beautiful reworking of ‘Dark End Of The Street’. And we get there via such greats as Bob Dylan, JJ Cale, Donnie Fritts, Crazy Horse, Lee Hazlewood, Al Green, Thin Lizzy and so many more.

In Bobby’s own words: ‘These songs are soul savers to soothe frayed and battered nerves and to ease and settle the heart. They work on me like medicine every time. I would like to share this wonderful music that has given me strength, joy and inspiration over the years with you the listener, so that you too might get the same feelings of protection and inspiration that I do whenever I listen to these songs. We're all travellers on some kind of road through this life, and we all need respite from time-to-time - the music on this compilation is soul food of the highest order - I hope you enjoy it.’. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: Read any interview with Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie over the years, and you can't fail to notice what a ridiculously knowledgeable fan of musical history he is. It's there in the multitude of styles his band have always explored, and it's there in his previous compilation for Ace, ‘Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down’. Guess what? This second outing is even better!

TRACK LISTING

Vinyl Tracklisting
Side One
1. I Still Can't Believe You're Gone – Willie Nelson
2. Love Sick - Bob Dylan
3. We Had It All - Donnie Fritts
4. Magnolia - J.J. Cale
5. In The Rain - The Dramatics *
Side Two
1. By The Time I Get To Phoenix – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2. I Don't Want To Talk About It - Crazy Horse
3. Dark End Of The Street - Ry Cooder
4. Kind Woman - Percy Sledge
5. Wait And See - Lee Hazlewood
Side Three
1. Strong As Death (Sweet As Love) - Al Green
2. Shades Of A Blue Orphanage - Thin Lizzy
3. Heart Like A Wheel - Kate & Anna Mcgarrigle
4. When My Mind's Gone - Mott The Hoople
Side Four
1. I'll Be Long Gone - Boz Scaggs
2. The Coldest Days Of My Life Pt 1 – The Chi-Lites
3. Roll Um Easy - Little Feat
4. Brokedown Palace - Grateful Dead
5. I Feel Like Going Home - Charlie Rich

* Exclusive Vinyl Track
 

Next Wave Acid Punx DEUX is the second compilation for Eskimo Recordings compiled and curated by Berlin-based Musician and DJ Luca Venezia, aka Curses, to explore the darker side of club music. Spread across 3CDs and three 2LPs Next Wave Acid Punx DEUX features a mammoth 49 tracks that join the dots between early industrial pioneers Throbbing Gristle, EBM legends like Nitzer Ebb and the post-punk experiments of people like Malcolm McLaren and Big Audio Dynamite with some of the most exciting artists around today, such as Boy Harsher, Nuovo Testamento and Years of Denial.

Where the first Next Wave Acid Punx compilation was a personal journey for Luca, a lockdown inspired exploration of his record collection to find the thread that ran through the music that had soundtracked much of his life, DEUX is a celebration of that music let loose on the world, the thrill of music performed live, the smoke and strobe filled clubs you'll hear it in and the artists you'll find on those stages.

"After our enforced break, getting back out there and playing live again really brought home to me so much of what I love about the scene I'm in but also just how important live music has been and is to club culture over the years," Luca explains. "Too often we think of club nights and live gigs as these separate things, but throughout the years it's where the two meet, the friction that can cause, that you'll find the most vibrant scenes."

"There's an energy, an atmosphere that you get with live music, an unpredictability where at any moment something can go wrong or even better right in a way you never expect. I think about a live set we played at a Lebanese festival where our MPC drum machine froze up because of all the dust and sand trapped in the pads. We had to improvise half our set, jamming bass and guitar and pedal FX and vocals, embracing this surreal environment and experience, something that could only happen in the moment."

"With Next Wave Acid Punx DEUX I wanted to celebrate those bands and artists, past and present who, to me, represent that spirit. Both full live bands and makeshift electronic duos alike, the kind of acts that you might have found wedged between DJs back in the day at The Hacienda in the 80s, Trash in the 00s or today at nights like Berlin’s MILK ME, EXBTN in Paris, Night Terrors + SC&P in London, New York City’s Synthicide or Ukraine’s Worn Pop."

"So I've put this compilation together much like my favourite kind of night, going out to see some bands play, hitting up a club where live music and DJs blur together, before the serious business of the after party. On Chapter 1 you'll find bands like Vicious Pink, DAF and Cabaret Voltaire, some of these acts are more obscure than others, some flirted with pop and even the charts but they were all embracing new ways of working in the late 70s and 80s that both set them apart and set the scene for much of what we think of as club music."

"Chapter 2 moves the night on, and this is the sound of the clubs I love to both play and just hang out in these days, clubs where the people involved put a lot more time into digging through the crates than working on their Instagram Reels. These are places where you're as likely to find a band on stage as you are a DJ, where 80's German electro pop by a band like Boytronic seamlessly flows into tracks like Silent Servant’s Non Fiction. Timeless music that can be romantic, dreamlike and ethereal one moment, then veer into dark, industrial sounds the next."

"Then finally we get to that part of the night where you probably should go home but if it's too late for good decisions there's still time for good music. Things are a bit wilder here, the drums a bit harder, the synths are more aggressive, tracks like The Hacker's Monopoly, Zanias' Tryptamine Palace or EVA's Industrial Hope that don't let up, don't let you go, just subjugate you to the beat and keep you there till you stumble out blinking into a new day." 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Another absolute stormer of a comp from the Eskimo crew. this time it's split into three, and it's REALLY hard to say which i'd go for given the chance. Throbbing Gristle, Cab Voltaire, DAF, The KVB and literally tens more. A perfectly curated selection of dark dancefloor grit and soaring synthy groove.

TRACK LISTING

Chapter 1:
A1. Throbbing Gristle - Distant Dreams, Pt. 2
A2. Mary Möör - Pretty Day
A3. Sad Lovers & Giants - Things We Never Did
A4. Malcolm McLaren - Madam Butterfly (Un Bel Di Vedremo)
B1. Big Audio Dynamite - The Big V
B2. Cabaret Voltaire - Blue Heat
B3. Nitzer Ebb - Hearts And Minds (Mix Hypersonic)
B4. Clan Of Xymox - Obsession
C1. In Sotto Voce - In Sotto Voce
C2. Psyche - Prisoner To Desire (Single Mix)
C3. Propaganda - The Murder Of Love
C4. DAF - Brothers (Gabi Mix)
D1. Book Of Love - Modigliani (Lost In Your Eyes) (I Dream Of Jeanne Mix)
D2. Vicious Pink - Cccan’t You See
D3. Absolute Body Control - Total Control

Chapter 2:
A1. Boytronic - Voloczny
A2. The KVB - Still Warm (2023 Version)
A3. Cardinal & Nun - Freak And Weak
A4. Jennifer Touch - Altars
A5. Matrixxman - Assembly Line
B1. Silver Tears - Always Shine (Wait For The Rain)
B2. Essaie Pas - Retox
B3. Aili X Transistorcake - Dansu
B4. Years Of Denial - It Sucks
C1. Dina Summer - Darkness
C2. Patriarchy - Suffer
C3. Maelstrom & Louisahhh - Hate Machine
C4. Dame Area - Buon Cittadino
C5. Kris Baha - Into The Dark
D1. Desire - Love Races On
D2. Blind Delon Feat. I Hate Models - Flashback
D3. Poison Point - Altered Beats
D4. Roe Deers - Muscles

Chapter 3:
A1. Boy Harsher - Machina (feat. Mariana Saldaña) (Dark Remix)
A2. Silent Servant - Non Fiction
A3. J.W.B. Hits The Beat - Body On Body (Curses Revamp)
A4. Hungry Boys - Toi
B1. Nuovo Testamento - Heartbeat (Curses Remix - Edit)
B2. Autumns - Repeat Prescription
B3. Buzz Kull - A Place (That’s Meant To Be)
B4. Soft Crash - Dolce Morte
C1. Dame Bonnet & Mufti - Pleasure Dreams
C2. Ultra Sunn - Night Is Mine
C3. Neu-Romancer - Burning Eyes
C4. EVA - Industrial Hope
D1. Andi Vs Randolph & Mortimer - Formidable Truths
D2. Zanias - Tryptamine Palace
D3. The Hacker - Monopoly
D4. Paradox Obscur - Evo-Devo

Gather together beneath the sun as we journey through the rhythmic sands of time, Paul Hillery, an esteemed collector and vinyl hunter, presents his follow-up to the highly acclaimed "We Are The Children Of The Sun." Andrew Male of MOJO Magazine calls the album "One of the most emotionally uplifting and hazily beautiful compilations of recent years." "Once Again We Are The Children Of The Sun" is a shimmering collection of rare finds, reminding us that we have more to connect us than to divide us.

The music encompasses a broad range of sounds, starting in Cajun country with Will & James Ragar, their handmade acoustic guitars allowing for soaring vocals. Along with many of the tracks featured on this compilation, "As the Day Grows Tired" is reissued on vinyl for the first time. Experience the previously unreleased cover of "Milk and Honey" featuring Kat Barnard and Greg Foat, a versatile mainstay of the UK jazz scene. Discover the first-ever vinyl release of "Kayenta Crossing" by William Eaton Ensemble, capturing the austere presence of Monument Valley. Immerse yourself in Wendy Grace's jazz-folk masterpiece "More Than Hope" and the acoustic ambience of "Golden Hour" by Aria Rostami.

Paul Hillery and BBE present a compilation of styles and genres, fusing together to make private press wants accessible as a springboard for further listening pleasures. "Once Again We Are the Children of the Sun'' is an eclectic selection mixing styles, year and tempo, painstakingly gathered and presented with a great deal of love.

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: Another Paul Hillery compilation, and this one’s the follow up to last year’s impeccable ‘We Are The Children Of Sun’. His legendary crate digging talent shows no sign of drying up with these amazing obscure psych, folk, rock and jazz gems from across the world.

TRACK LISTING

1. As The Day Grows Tired - Will & James Ragar .
2. Crazy Days - Forest
3. Free And Easy - Cunningham Corner
4. More Than Hope - Wendy Grace
5. Tight Tonight - Bengt Liedman
6. Soul Shadow - Corill
7. Come And Take Me By The Hand - Varela
8. Just A Thought - Just Us
9. Time - Mike Baumann & Thom Huntington
10. Write Your Lucky Number - Darrell John
11. Going Back In Time - The Freeze Band
12. Ice Cold - Godspeed
13. Moonshine - Orion
14. Milk And Honey - The Greg Foat Group Feat. Kat Barnard
15. Golden Hour - Aria Rostami
16. Fate (Demo) - Bugatti & Musker
17. Peace Train - Garth Fletcher
18. If Life Was A Ferris Wheel - Mark Capanni

Ok here we go again boogie nuts! The fourth volume of Full Beam!'s infamous "For Gees Only" series is finally upon us. Another 8 nuggets from the depths of Pharaoh Brunson's pyramid suite presented in a super fresh, screen printed gatefold sleeve.

You must know the drill by now - vinyl only, no digital, no tracklist (yet!). Rest assured these are primo boogie bombs that have been doing the rounds at the Red Laser club night as well as exported to all the best underground festivals not to mention receiving 'nuff rotation on Pharoah Brunson's Full Beam! FM radio show on NTS.

Super limited edition - future collectors item. Move quick! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Another top drawer selection from the Pharaoh's cabinet that'd take serious leg work and a few bitcoins to amass on an individual basis. People are already saying this is the best volume to date - and given the pedigree of the last three, that's some serious clout! Worth the entrance fee for the White Limousine (whoops!) track alone - it's (to quote the curator) 'all hitters no shitters' from start to finish.

Light in the Attic’s Pacific Breeze series has supplied the world’s growing legions of Japanese music fans with an expertly curated selection of the most sought-after City Pop recordings—the mesmerizing and nebulous genre of Japanese bubble-era music of the ‘70s-’80s that encompasses AOR, R&B, jazz fusion, funk, boogie and disco. These familiar sounds are spun through the unique lens of optimistic, cosmopolitan fantasy colored by Japan’s affluence at the time. Much of the music has previously been nearly impossible to acquire outside of Japan and continues to captivate listeners with its unique blend of groove-laden escapism, even birthing wholly new genres such as Vaporwave.

Pacific Breeze 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1975-1987 marks the latest chapter in the famed series and features holy grails plus under-the-radar rarities. The collection bursts at the seams to reveal some of the greatest Japanese tracks ever laid to tape, pushing towards the edge of City Pop to reveal glimmers of the next waves of styles to spring forth from the country’s creative minds. The appearance of Pizzicato Five hint at the emergence of Shibuya-kei while the influence of hip hop and electro as an emerging global trend are also evident here through the prevalence of heavier programmed drum beats on tracks such as “Heartbeat” by Miho Fujiwara.

This volume of Pacific Breeze, like its predecessors, is a female-forward offering with many tracks being voiced by women who would become household names in Japan as actresses and pop idols. Their songs here subvert the norm and brim with an innovative spirit that shatters gender roles in favor of sonic transcendence. Techno-pop classics from Susan, Miharu Koshi and Chiemi Manabe sit alongside sublime funk from Atsuko Nina and Naomi Akimoto while Teresa Noda slides into the mix with a sultry reggae jam. The genre span is stretched wider with hypnotic jazz fusion by Parachute and Hiroyuki Namba, a synthesizer fantasy from Osamu Shoji, and magnetic pop by Makoto Matsushita and Chu Kosaka.

Although not front and center, the visionary members of Yellow Magic Orchestra are still very present on Pacific Breeze 3, with Haruomi Hosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi taking up producer and musician roles on many of these tracks. Pacific Breeze 3 serves up a captivating musical journey that adds an essential chapter to the iconic compilation series.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Another instalment in the hugely popular Pacific Breeze franchise here, coming *just* in time for the first light of spring. Collecting another suite of lesser-heard Japanese boogie & City Pop, AOR and jazz-fusion records, perfectly sequenced and presented. You can't go wrong with a Light In The Attic comp, and this is one of their best.

TRACK LISTING

Naomi Akimoto - Bewitched (are You Leaving Soon)
Atsuko Nina - Tonkachi
Miho Fujiwara - Heartbeat
Miharu Koshi - Scandal Night
Chu Kosaka - Shirakechimauze
Teresa Noda - Tropical Love
Makoto Matsushita - Business Man Pt. 1
Susan - Ah! Soka
Yukako Hayase - Suiyoubi Madeni Shinitaino
Parachute - Kowloon Daily
Hiroyuki Namba - Tropical Exposition (who Done It? Version)
Pizzicato Five - Boy Meets Girl
Mari Iijima - Love Sick
1986 Omega Tribe - Cosmic Love
Osamu Shoji - Pub Casablanca
Chiemi Manabe – Untotooku

Features previously unreleased tracks including early recordings by Gang Of Four/Mekons/Delta 5/Sheeny & The Goys & much more.. (20 Tracks)

The Leeds post-punk scene, and the impact of the city’s art schools on its music, have been unjustly overlooked – until now. This double vinyl set compiled by author Gavin Butt comprises hitherto unreleased, unheard & rare tracks, plus several favourites, by diverse art school acts who experimented with art-punk, electro, pop, dada, fluxus and punk-funk. Contains extensive liner notes and reproductions of unseen ephemera and artworks.

Re-mastered with care & attention from the very best available audio sources for maximum listening pleasure.. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: Focussing on the Leeds post-punk scene this wonderful compilation features early recordings from a host of well known artists like The Gang Of Four, Soft Cell, Delta 5, Mekons, and The Three Johns as well as more obscure acts. All bases are covered here from art-punk, primitive synth, punk-funk and indie.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
The Mekons - Trevira Trousers (Demo 1979)
Sheeny And The Goys - Pretty Girls (previously Unreleased)
Gang Of Four-The Things You Do (Previously Unreleased)
Delta 5-Alone (Live At Hurrahs)
Scritti Politti - Messthetics
Side 2
Soft Cell-The Girl With The Patent Leather Face (Demo)
Steve Shill & Graeme Miller (The Commies From Mars) - Moomins Theme
Fad Gadget-Incontinent
Ron Crowcroft -Go Go Dancer
Smart Cookies-Loud & Lonely (Previously Unreleased)
Side 3
Another Colour-Wartime Working Woman (Previously Unreleased)
Cast Iron Fairies-Tengo Tengo Tengo (Previously Unreleased)
Household Name-Indoctrination
Shee Hees-(I Made Love On The ) Astroturf (Previously Unreleased)
The Three Johns-Snitch
Side 4
Gang Of Four-Disco Sound (Previously Unreleased)
MRA-I Am A Monument
Another Colour-World From A Chair (Previously Unreleased)
The Three Johns - Bloop
Sheeny & The Goys-You Let Me Down (Previously Unreleased)

There was plenty of genuine discontent in Britain at the tail end of the 1970s, and it had little to do with bin strikes or dark rumours about overflowing morgues. In the world of popular music, the most liberating after-effect of the Sex Pistols was that anyone with something to say now felt they could make a 7” single. “Winter Of Discontent” is the sound of truly DIY music, made by people who maybe hadn’t written a song until a day or two before they went into the studio. It’s spontaneous and genuinely free in a way the British music scene has rarely been before or since.

“Winter of Discontent” has been compiled by Saint Etienne’s Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs, the latest in their highly acclaimed series of albums that includes “The Daisy Age”, “Fell From The Sun” and “English Weather” ("really compelling and immersive: it’s a pleasure to lose yourself in it" - Alexis Petridis, the Guardian). The era's bigger DIY names (Scritti Politti, TV Personalities, the Fall) and the lesser-known (Exhibit A, Digital Dinosaurs, Frankie’s Crew) are side by side on “Winter Of Discontent”. Mark Perry’s Sniffin’ Glue command – “Here’s one chord, here’s another, now start a band” – was amplified by the Mekons and the Raincoats, whose music shared a little of punk’s volume, speed and distortion, but all of its obliqueness and irreverence.

The discontent was with society as a whole. No subject matter was taboo: oppressive maleness (Scritti Politti); deluded Britishness (TV Personalities); gender stereotypes (Raincoats, Androids of Mu); nihilistic youth (Fatal Microbes); alcoholism (Thin Yoghurts); self-doubt and pacifism (Zounds). The band names (Thin Yoghurts!) and those of individual members (Andrew Lunchbox!) had enough daftness to avoid any accusations of solemnity.

“Winter Of Discontent” is the definitive compilation of the UK DIY scene, and a beacon in grim times. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: A soundtrack to a generation of discontent in the late 70s. DIY music that spontaneously smashed through the British music scene in the wake of the punk revolution.
Mark Perry’s Sniffin’ Glue command, “Here’s one chord, here’s another, now start a band” was the fuse and these tracks are the light that shone through those dark days.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE ONE
1. WHERE WERE YOU? – The Mekons
2. VIOLENCE GROWS – Fatal Microbes
3. THE TERRAPLANE FIXATION – Animals & Men
4. WORK – Blue Orchids
5. SMALL HOURS – Karl’s Empty Body
6. SOMEBODY – Frankie’s Crew
SIDE TWO
1. CONFIDENCE – Scritti Politti
2. DRINK PROBLEM – Thin Yoghurts
3. LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT – Anne Bean & Paul Burwell
4. BROW BEATEN – Performing Ferret Band
5. NO FORGETTING – The Manchester Mekon
6. FAIRYTALE IN THE SUPERMARKET – The Raincoats
SIDE THREE
1. CAN’T CHEAT KARMA – Zounds
2. BORED HOUSEWIVES – Androids Of Mu
3. IN MY AREA (Take 2) – The Fall
4. THE SIDEWAYS MAN – The Digital Dinosaurs
5. ATTITUDES – The Good Missionaries
6. THE WINDOW’S BROKEN – Human Cabbages
SIDE FOUR
1. KING AND COUNTRY – Television Personalities
2. IN THE NIGHT – Exhibit ‘A’
3. NUDES - Performing Ferret Band
4. DIFFERENT STORY – Tarzan 5
5. THE RED PULLOVER – The Gynaecologists
6. PRODUCTION LINE – The Door And The Window

• A 76 track celebration of all things Manchester from 1977 to 1981.

• A comprehensive look at the city’s sounds featuring Buzzcocks, Joy Division, New Order, The Fall, John Cooper Clark, Durutti Column, A Certain Ratio, The Freshies, Slaughter & The Dogs, Magazine and many more.

• Includes tracks featuring many future stars of the Manchester music scene, such as Mick Hucknall (Simply Red), Martin Coogan (The Mock Turtles), Graham Massey (808 State), Mike Joyce (The Smiths) and Chris Sievey (Frank Sidebottom).

Back in 2017, Cherry Red unveiled a mammoth 7-CD compendium entitled ‘Manchester North Of England’, which attempted to document the city’s vibrant music scene from punk to Britpop. Six years on, ‘Keeping Control’ is the sequel, a modest triple-disc retrospective concentrating on music from the punk and post-punk years.

‘Keeping Control’ boasts the “name” bands out of Greater Manchester from that period, however, the underlying musical story of this box set lies with the lesser-known Manchester Musicians Collective. A catalyst for many musicians at the time, the MMC organised gigs, other activities and encouragement to the many and varied talents emerging in the region during punk and its aftershocks.

Louise Alderman, co-founder of the Manchester Musicians Collective, has written a foreword for the box set, which is named after the MMC’s short-lived fanzine. Via Louise’s band mate in Manchester Mekon, Frank Ewart, we also have a few previously unissued tracks by acts closely affiliated with the organization. At the time, the Collective was celebrated across two albums, ‘A Manchester Collection’ and ‘Unzipping The Abstract’ (both 1980) – and most of the artists from these releases are represented.

Beyond the MMC, Manchester enjoyed a thriving independent scene from 1977 onwards, inspired by Buzzcocks’ debut EP on New Hormones, Rabid, TJM, Object Music, Absurd, Bent and last but certainly not least Factory … each of them carved a different furrow. Outside of the gravitational pull of London, which exerted such a strong pull across the South of England, Manchester evolved its own unique identity, often mixing sharp humour with seemingly bleak, desolate-sounding music (reflecting the city’s hardship during that time).

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: Following Cherry Red’s 2017 ‘Manchester North Of England’ 7CD box set, this trimmed down 3CD follow up concentrates on the punk/post-punk scenes. Across its 76 tracks ‘Keeping Control’ features Mancunian legends such as the Buzzcocks, Joy Division, New Order, The Fall, John Cooper Clark, Durutti Column, ACR, Magazine and many more.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE
1 BUZZCOCKS Orgasm Addict
2 SLAUGHTER AND THE DOGS The Bitch
3 THE NOSEBLEEDS Fascist Pigs
4 THE DRONES City Drones
5 THE PANIK Murder
6 V2 Nothing To Do
7 JILTED JOHN Jilted John
8 GYRO Central Detention Centre
9 SALFORD JETS Lookin’ At The Squares
10 JOHN THE POSTMAN’S PUERILE Kawalski Of The Seaview Has Got The Best Hairstyle I’ve Ever Seen
11 ALBERTO Y LOST TRIOS PARANOIAS Fuck You
12 JOHN COOPER CLARKE I Don’t Want To Be Nice
13 THE TEARDROPS Pompous
14 PASSAGE Slit Machine
15 SPHERICAL OBJECTS Sweet Tooth
16 STEVE MIRO Smiling In Reverse
17 JOY DIVISION Digital
18 THE SMIRKS American Patriots
19 NOTSENSIBLES Lying On The Sofa
20 48 CHAIRS Psycle Sluts
21 EDDIE FICTION UFO Part 2
22 MELLOTRON Warriors From Space
23 SPEED She’s All There
24 GENOCIDE Renegade
25 SISTER RAY Suicide
26 EDDIE MOONEY & THE GRAVE I Bought Three Eggs
27 GERRY AND THE HOLOGRAMS

DISC TWO
1 THE FALL Flat Of Angles
2 STEROID KIDDIES Seaside Teaser
3 DIRECT HITS Back To The Sixties
4 FOREIGN PRESS Crossfire
5 CRISPY AMBULANCE Motorway Boys
6 I.Q. ZERO Insects
7 ACCIDENT ON THE EAST LANCS. We Want It Legalized
8 THE OUT Who Is Innocent?
9 GODS GIFT These Days
10 MUD HUTTERS Danger
11 PATHETIX Love In Decay
12 PRIVATE SECTOR Just Wanna Stay Free
13 THE FRANTIC ELEVATORS Hunchback Of Notre Dame
14 FAST CARS You’re So Funny
15 MISS KATE Ebony Eyes
16 GROW-UP The Best Thing
17 PROPERTY OF… Dance Like You’re Dead *
18 THE DISTRACTIONS Doesn’t Bother Me
19 THE DURUTTI COLUMN Sketch For Summer
20 BET LYNCH’S LEGS Riders In The Sky
21 THE HOAX Storm Trooper
22 MANICURED NOISE Metronome
23 MAGAZINE A Song From Under The Floorboards
24 VIBRANT THIGH Walking Away
25 ENIGMA Play With Fire
26 THE STILL 9.5
27 SPURTZ Boyfriends Or Your Money Back
28 THE CHARLIE PARKAS Space Invaders

DISC THREE
1 IF ONLY Puppet Masters
2 THE CHEATERS (I Wanna Be A) Policeman
3 MANCHESTER MEKON Must Have More Wheels
4 BATHROOM RENOVATIONS Apathetic Hell
5 THE LIGGERS Recorded Or Live *
6 SECTION 25 Knew Noise
7 THE DIAGRAM BROS. There Is No Shower
8 THE THINGS Pieces Of You
9 DISLOCATION DANCE Familiar View
10 MARTIN HANNETT The Music Room
11 BLUE ORCHIDS The Flood (Demo) *
12 KEVIN HEWICK Haystack
13 ELECTRA COMPLEX Magic *
14 HAMSTERS Animal
15 BITING TONGUES You Can Choke Like That
16 THE FRESHIES Wrap Up The Rockets
17 LUDUS Hugo Blanco
18 MOTHMEN Temptation
19 A CERTAIN RATIO Waterline
20 BEE VAMP Lucky Grills
21 NEW ORDER Everything’s Gone Green

A new compilation explores the far reaches of the post-punk, experimental and electronic landscape in Switzerland on Senza Decoro: Liebe & Anarchia in Switzerland 1980-1990 curated by producer / DJ Mehmet Aslan.

During the mid-‘70s, Switzerland had embraced punk within its cities, informing the subsequent post-punk era of the 1980s as music splintered into freeform musical strands across the whole of the country. It was to become one of the most innovative periods in Switzerland’s modern day music history.

“It was like a wild laboratory for all forms of new and strange sounds, rackets and compositional experiments,” explains writer Lurker Grand, “accompanied and inspired by cutting-edge developments in electronic musical instruments. A broad, innovative scene developed and the four different language and cultural regions of Switzerland were no longer perceived to be an obstacle. There was a curiosity for the foreign and the strange. Conflicts for freedom and free spaces took place and this was reflected in the music.”

It was unfiltered creativity and this free, non-commercial approach is a common denominator for the songs on this compilation. Many artists operated in their own universe; hardly any of the acts on this album actually met each other at the time. Only Liliput from Zürich achieved notable fame, building on the success of their previous incarnation as Kleenex.

Although Swiss, some bands were based outside of the country and many brought in international elements to their music. Compiler Mehmet Aslan touches on this aspect; having grown up in Basel with Turkish heritage, he is now based in Berlin. His selection travels deep into obscure musical corners. Grand continues: “Mehmet’s selection is expansive. Christian Pfluger from Die Welttraumforscher sings about moon folklore, JürgNutz about a labyrinth, while Dr. Chattanooga & The Navarones found inspiration through African marabout business cards.”

Released as a gatefold LP and digipak CD, Senza Decoro includes two exclusive edits by Mehmet Aslan. Both formats feature in-depth sleeve notes and band interviews curated by Lurker Grand alongside rare photos and original sleeve artwork. The compilation is mastered and cut by The Carvery. Compilation and artwork courtesy of Mehmet Aslan.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Aaaah, Strut. You know where you are with Strut don't you? It's no surprise that if anyone is going to create a compilation of 70's experimental Swiss electronica, post-punk, and minimal wave then you really want them on the case. A brilliant, intoxicating oddity.

TRACK LISTING

1. Dr. Chattanooga & The Navarones – KabylMarabù
2. Mittageisen - Anfang
3. Elephant Château – WirFangenMit Arbeit An
4. UnknownmiX – Nightmare
5. Aboriginal Voices – Le Jour L’Ennui
6. Café Türk – Söyledir
7. Lilliput – Boat-song
8. Bells Of Kyoto – Asho II
9. SchamanenCircel – Arbeiter (The Worker)
10. El Deux - Gletscher (Mehmet Aslan Edit)
11. KonX - …Basic Ground Without Voice… (Mehmet Aslan Edit)
12. JürgNutz – Labyrinth
13. Schaltkreis Wassermann – Arabesque
14. Die Welttraumforscher – Mondfolklore
15. Christine Scaller – L’Ombre Dorée Du Scarabée Bleu

Futurismo present their new anthology series: Altered Vision, beginning with SUBURBAN ANNIHILATION The California Hardcore Explosion / From The City To The Beach: 1978-1983.

This aggressive collection draws from California’s rich history of punk, more specifically hardcore: a new sound that eschewed melody for intensity, a sound that took punk harder and faster, a sound intrinsically American. Whilst hardcore was also burning over on the East Coast, it was in California that it had ignited and sprawled, a sonic punch in the face that raged socio-political disdain and total abandonment for commercialism, fuelled by a crumbling American Dream and the collapse of family values.

Suburban Annihilation takes you from the major cities, to the coastal towns, to the SoCal suburbs, showcasing some the most important bands of the West Coast. Blasting off with the Adolescents ‘I Hate Children’, it heads from the year zero of Middle Class’s ‘Out Of Vogue’ to the surf punk of Agent Orange’s ‘Bloodstains’, from the blues tinged outlaw of The Gun Club’s ‘She’s Like Heroin to Me’ to the classic anti-anthems: ‘Live Fast Die Young’ by the Circle Jerks, lifted from their seminal Group Sex album, and the hardcore staple ‘California Über Alles’ by the Dead Kennedys. Also present are so many other bands integral to the era: T.S.O.L, Wasted Youth, Germs, Social Distortion, Suicidal Tendencies, Negative Trend, Flipper and many more.

Though the music was designed to repel, this historical document has been lovingly designed to remind us that this genre created some of the most immediate and acutely-realised music ever produced. Making this collection of choice cuts essential for long-time fans of hardcore and punk, just as those new and inquisitive about one of the most angry and pissed off genres to have given birth in America. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Martin says: Words can't adequately express how incredible this record is. While the Gun club's psychobilly assault and Dead Kennedys' laser guided genius were very much appreciated this side of the Atlantic, much of the rest was not, only making it over on limited numbers as obscure imports for the curious. A tragic omission. The California hardcore scene, diverse, wild, aggressive shot through with irreverence, had no peers at the time. These acts were the inspiration for many bands who went on to dominate the American punk and alt-rock scene. Do yourself a favour.

TRACK LISTING

1. Adolescents - I Hate Children
2. Middle Class - Out Of Vogue
3. Agent Orange - Bloodstains
4. Dead Kennedys - Chemical Warfare
5. Simpletones - I Like Drugs
6. Suicidal Tendencies - Fascist Pig
7. T.S.O.L. - Abolish Government/Silent Majority
8. Circle Jerks - Beverly Hills
9. Wasted Youth - Fuck Authority
10. The Gun Club - She’s Like Heroin To Me
11. Redd Kross - Burn Out
12. China White - Live In Your Eyes
13. Circle Jerks - Live Fast Die Young
14. Negative Trend - How Ya Feeling?
15. Eddie And The Subtitles - American Society
16. Channel 3 - Manzanar
17. Flipper - Ha Ha Ha
18. Rikk Agnew O.C. - Life
19. Social Distortion - Playpen
20. Dead Kennedys - California Über Alles
21. Shattered Faith - I Love America
22. The Weirdos - Helium Bar
23. Middle Class - Insurgence
24. Germs - Communist Eyes
25. Adolescents - Kids Of The Black Hole 

Welcome to Silberland - where the streets are paved with strobes. Home to neon lights, straight lines and open roads, this futurist fantasy was first founded in the mid-seventies, when Germany’s creative class chose musical therapy in order to indulge their shared hallucination of a new Europe. Fuelled by the catalytic fusion of globalisation and new technology, the world was turning ever faster and the kosmische generation were ready to keep the pace. With synthesisers, rhythm computers and human metronomes turned to a gallop, these electronic innovators set modernity to a motorik beat, and Bureau B’s second trip into Silberland cuts right to the thrust of the genre.

The set begins with the propulsive opener from Harald Grosskopf’s 1986 LP Oceanheart, in which pristine sequences play in counterpoint atop a mechanical kick, hurtling forward until the rest of the kit catches up. Live drums take centre stage for Cluster’s feverish “Prothese” and the time travelling “Elektroklang” by Conrad Schnitzler, which foreshadows industrial and techno innovations while maintaining a primal punch. You offer astral ascension on “Son Of A True Star”, weaving proggy square waves and pulsating arps around an irresistible shuffle from mysterious percussionist Lhan Gopal (Grosskopf in disguise), before the optimistic “Für Dich” fuses classic kosmische chords with Thomas Dinger’s pummelling beat. Asmus Tietchens’ detuned keys and drum machine samba are imbued with a punk spirit shared by Moebius Plank Neumeier’s discordant jazz-tanz jam “Search Zero”. “Beat For Ikutaro”, plucked from a mid 80s demo tape by Camouflage keyboardist Heiko Maile, swerves into icy electroid territories where moonlit melodies ride robotic riffs and a whirring low end. The cassette energy continues with the mechanised boogie of Lapre’s “Flokati”, a funkier take on the style in wonderful contrast with Adelbert Von Deyen’s breakneck, straight shooting “Time Machine”, a massively motorik night drive down the A7 which finally runs out of gas at the compilation’s midpoint. Günter Schickert takes us inside the fuel pump on the weird and watery “Puls”, while the charmingly disruptive Faust complete the pitstop via the blasted blues of “Juggernaut”, a fuzzbox stampede which builds from ratchet whirrs to a V8 purr in no time at all. Moebius & Plank return sans Neumeier for the deep and dubby “Feedback 66”, all murmured vocals and surging pedals powered by a seismic bassline from Holger Czukay, whose collaborations recur throughout the duo’s 1980 classic Rastakraut Pasta. Wheels spun and rubber burned, we move up through the gears via the airy tones of Roedelius to arrive at the high tension electronics of Serge Blenner’s “Phonique”, an anxious amalgam of insistent percussion and agitated sequences from the French import’s 1981 release. Moebius & Beerbohm’s “Subito” follows in a flurry of tribal drumming, guttural distortion and corrosive drone, a synthesised translation of punk spirit which mellows into the soft focus serenade of Tyndall’s “Wolkenlos”, a thrilling contradiction of pastoral motifs and breathless tempo. Pyrolator’s 1981 creation “180°” maintains the lightening pace, lurching forward in bursts of chaotic drum programming and sampler abuse, sending us spinning out into the strange beauty of Die Partei’s “Guten Morgen In Köln”. Enmeshing fragments of musique concrète and yearning guitar with throbbing sequences and a rigid rhythm grid, the duo signpost a melodic destination finally delivered by Streetmark keyboardist Dorothea Raukes under her Deutsche Wertabeit alias. A fitting finale, “Auf Engelsflügeln” radiates human warmth and cosmic wonder, serving electronic emotion from start to finish.

STAFF COMMENTS

Darryl says: Bureau B are one of the greatest labels in the game, and responsible for some of the greatest records in electronic music history, so when they bring you a compilation, you listen. Every bit as brilliant as you'd expect, this is a beautifully curated and perfectly paced cosmic synth tome.

TRACK LISTING

01. Harald Grosskopf - Eve On The Hill (bureau B Edit)
02. Cluster - Prothese
03. Conrad Schnitzler - Elektroklang
04. You - Son Of A True Star (bureau B Edit)
05. Thomas Dinger - Für Dich (bureau B Edit)
06. Asmus Tietchens - Bockwurst á La Maîtresse
07. Moebius Plank Neumeier - Search Zero (bureau B Edit)
08. Heiko Maile - Beat For Ikutaro (Tape 52) (bureau B Edit)
09. Lapre - Flokati (bureau B Edit)
10. Adelbert Von Deyen - Time Machine
11. Günter Schickert - Puls (bureau B Edit)
12. Faust - Juggernaut
13. Moebius & Plank - Feedback 66 (bureau B Edit)
14. Roedelius - Band 068 3 Bock Auf Rock (nicht Verwendetes Stück)
15. Serge Blenner - Phonique
16. Moebius & Beerbohm - Subito
17. Tyndall - Wolkenlos (bureau B Edit)
18. Pyrolator - 180°
19. Die Partei - Guten Morgen In Köln
20. Deutsche Wertarbeit - Auf Engelsflügeln (bureau B Edit)