Summer Clearout

SALE! SALE! SALE! SALE!

Bargains galore to be had here including many titles half price or less. We've only got very small quantities of most of these so grab 'em quick.

The Staves

All Now

    It was in December 2022 that The Staves celebrated the 10th anniversary of their debut album Dead & Born & Grown – a strange and beautiful period in the lives of sisters and band members Jessica, Camilla and Emily Staveley-Taylor, making their fourth album All Now with the same organic vulnerability as that first record: except now everything was different, and they kind of were too.

    All Now emerges, bold and bright, from a period of quiet, which followed a period of chaos, for the band. When Good Woman was released in 2021, to positive reviews, it felt like “an echoing silence” to share such a cathartic album with a world shut down. So The Staves had to retreat, again, and actually wrestle with everything they had been through.

    The result? An album as rich and honest as all the most profound music by The Staves scattered across albums for the last decade, calcified here into something special.

    But the most thrilling part of this album, is that the hardest pills to swallow, here, almost have a sweeter taste. Once you’ve survived the climb to the top, learned from the journey, you may as well enjoy the view. “When you sing about hesitation and fear, there’s a lot of power in not making it sound fearful and being quite steadfast instead,” says Camilla. “It feels like an act of taking control.” With All Now, there’s no letting go. 


    STAFF COMMENTS

    Barry says: Though it's the vocal interplay between Jessica and Camilla Stavely-Taylor and the relative instrumental minimalism that first comes to mind when you think of The Staves, their formula works just as well when transplanted onto a hefty backdrop of soaring synths and throbbing basses, and 'All Now' is the perfect display of a more hi-nrg version of their trademark sound.

    TRACK LISTING

    Side A
    All Now
    I Don’t Say It, But I Feel It
    Fundamental Memory
    Make A Decision
    The Echo
    Side B
    I’ll Never Leave You Alone
    After School
    Great Wave
    Recognise
    So Gracefully
    The Important One
    You Held It All

    Robin Turner

    Believe In Magic - Heavenly Recordings: The First 30 Years - Working Men's Club Exclusive Edition

      We're super excited to be able to get our hands on some of these limited edition version of this fantastic book. 

      This edition features an exclusive 7" single
       - Angel (part 1) b/w Angel (part 2) - from Piccadilly favourites Working Men’s Club. They blew us away with their live shows last year and we can't wait for their debut album. 

      You may have heard Angel in all its 12 minute glory in WMC’s legendary live sets. Here’s the studio version, produced by Ross Orton, split over both sides of a 7”.

      Heavenly was already a state of mind. Seemed like the right time to make it something really special. We were all deeply immersed in music that we loved. None of us could believe our fucking luck, really. (Jeff Barrett) 

      It was thirty years ago today - or thereabouts - that Heavenly came to be. In celebration of this big ol’ birthday comes Believe in Magic - a chronicle not only of Foxbase Alpha, Working Men’s Club and 28 of the releases in between that got the label to where it is today, but also of the haircuts, nights down the pub, pencil-eraser-carvings, cheese toasties, acid houses, Sunday Socials and lost Weekenders - Yorkshire and otherwise - that are as much a part of its story. 

      As Jeff Barrett puts it at the beginning of the book, if there’s a continuous theme that runs through all of this, I think it’s that everything comes down to conversations with people about music. It might seem like it all starts with someone on one side of the counter who is selling you something, or someone writing excitedly in a magazine telling you about a band you need to hear, but I don’t think I’ve ever really seen things as one-way transactions. It’s more an ongoing dialogue, one that never really stops and helps to build up this growing soundtrack to our lives, something that’s passed from one person to another. That’s really the ever-present thread. That’s why we still believe in magic. 

      Though we are three decades distant from The World According to Sly and Lovechild, lineup changes, ups, downs, and a good few office cleanups under the label’s belt, the Heavenly firm continue not to believe their fucking luck; at still being here, keepin’ on keepin’ on doing what they love, and at being able to pass all of this - then, now, and next week - on to you. 

      Believe in Magic is a fully illustrated history of one of the most colourful and exciting independent British record labels; a label responsible for creating satellite communities of fans around the country and at all the major festivals.
      After several years working at Factory and Creation, Heavenly Recordings was set up by Jeff Barrett in 1990 as the acid house revolution was in full swing; early releases set the tone and tempo for the mood of the decade to come - their first release was by perhaps the most revered acid house DJ of them all, Andrew Weatherall; and this was quickly followed by singles from St Etienne and Manic Street Preachers. 

      Heavenly was always different to other labels; more of a 'club' with a defiant spirit of inclusiveness, and in 1994 they set up The Heavenly Social, which alongside the Hacienda, became perhaps the most famous club in recent British history, where the Chemical Brothers made their name. 

      Over nearly 200 releases in thirty years Heavenly have consistently produced some of the most exciting music across all genres - dance, acid house, singer-songwriter, psych-garage - and this book collects rare photographs, ephemera, artwork into a celebration of a label that is, alongside Rough Trade and Factory, one of the most beloved institutions on the independent landscape. Running though the book are thirty stories, mostly told in the form of oral history by artists like James Dean Bradfield, Flowered Up, Beth Orton, Doves and Don Letts, which capture the presiding personality of the label, its bands and the people associated with its success. 



      Dave Rimmer

      Like Punk Never Happened : New Expanded Edition

        The definitive account of the first rise and fall of Boy George and Culture Club, and British pop music in the 1980s. NEW EXPANDED EDITION, WITH A FOREWORD BY NEIL TENNANTFEATURES A BONUS CHAPTER ON DURAN DURAN AND A NEW AFTERWORD'Speaks from the centure of pop's beating heart.' DYLAN JONES'Fascinating.' NEW YORK TIMES'A controversial and honest account.' NME'Music journalism at its best.' THE WORDA story of money, sex, stardom, screaming fans and forgotten ideals, Like Punk Never Happened is Dave Rimmer's witty, authoritative, fast-moving and provocative insider account of the roller-coaster ride that was Boy George & Culture Club and the new '80s pop. 'Rimmer is among the most entertaining writers ever to pen a rock book.'ROCK AND ROLL CONFIDENTIAL'The funniest, smartest book I know about the connections between pop glitter and real-life human passion, the erotics of fandom, or the dirty details.'ROB SHEFFIELD, author of Talking to Girls about Duran Duran'As sharp a study of British pop as we'll get.'SIMON FRITH, CITY LIMITS

        Sheldon Pearce

        Changes : An Oral History Of Tupac Shakur

          A New Yorker writer's intimate, revealing account of Tupac Shakur's life and legacy, timed to the fiftieth anniversary of his birth and twenty-fifth anniversary of his death. In the summer of 2020, Tupac Shakur's single "Changes" became an anthem for the worldwide protests against the murder of George Floyd. The song became so popular, in fact, it was vaulted back onto the iTunes charts more than twenty years after its release-making it clear that Tupac's music and the way it addresses systemic racism, police brutality, mass incarceration, income inequality, and a failing education system is just as important now as it was back then.

          In Changes, published to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of Tupac's birth and twenty-fifth anniversary of his death, Sheldon Pearce offers one of the most thoughtful and comprehensive accounts yet of the artist's life and legacy. Pearce, an editor and writer at The New Yorker, interviews dozens who knew Tupac throughout various phases of his life. While there are plenty of bold-faced names, the book focuses on the individuals who are lesser known and offer fresh stories and rare insight.

          Among these are the actor who costarred with him in a Harlem production of A Raisin in the Sun when he was twelve years old, the high school drama teacher who recognized and nurtured his talent, the music industry veteran who helped him develop a nonprofit devoted to helping young artists, the Death Row Records executive who has never before spoken on the record, and dozens of others. Meticulously woven together by Pearce, their voices combine to portray Tupac in all his complexity and contradiction. This remarkable book illustrates not only how he changed during his brief twenty-five years on this planet, but how he forever changed the world.


          Kathy Iandoli

          Baby Girl: Better Known As Aaliyah

            In a definitive and "excellent homage to a star who left this planet too soon" (Questlove), the life, career, tragic death, and evolution of Aaliyah into a music legend are explored-now updated with new material featuring in-depth research and exclusive interviews. By twenty-two years old, Aaliyah had already accomplished a staggering amount: hit records, acclaimed acting roles, and fame that was just about to cross over into superstardom. Like her song, she was already "more than a woman" but her shocking death in a plane crash prevented her from fully growing into one.

            Now, two decades later, the full story of Aaliyah's life and cultural impact is finally and lovingly revealed. Baby Girl features never-before-told stories, including studio anecdotes, personal tales, and eyewitness accounts on the events leading up to her untimely passing. Her enduring influence on today's artists-such as Rihanna, Drake, Normani, and many more-is also celebrated, providing Aaliyah's discography a cultural critique that is long overdue.

            "There's no better way to pay your respect to R&B's true angel than to lose yourself in the pages" (Kim Osorio, journalist and author of Straight from the Source) of this "dazzling biography" (Publishers Weekly) that is as unforgettable as its subject. This book was written without the participation of Aaliyah's family/estate.

            Various Artists

            Reggay Undercover Vol. 1

              Attention, we are here "undercover", there are no well-known covers. Some of the tracks selected are rare, others unknown or forgotten - but all are excellent and blended in an impeccable mix, in line with previous the Harlem Shuffle compilations... All Killer, No Filler! Reggay undercover is an exciting musical kaleidoscope of Jamaican and Reggae music from the early 60s through to the mid 70s.

              In the 1950s, Jamaican dancehall regulars were crazy about the haunting sounds of American Rhythm & Blues. But in the mid-1950s, Rock 'n' Roll began to replace RnB in America, and Jamaican dancehall owners like Duke Reid and Clement Dodd turned to local musicians to record their own versions of American RnB. The trend of covering foreign hits exploded during the Ska heyday of the early 60s and continued through the Rocksteady and Reggay eras. Jamaican musicians have covered virtually every genre of music, from jazz and rock to film scores, television soundtracks, pop, classical music and more. Over the years, they have also recorded many "versions" of already existing covers. Cover of cover of cover… Admittedly, some of these covers were futile but many were sublime as this new and eclectic collection of Ska, Rocksteady and Reggay nuggets, compiled by the very competent and very charming D.J. Héléa, brilliantly demonstrates.


              Rush Hour-affiliate and Amsterdam local Relmer is back with what may well be his best work so far. ‘H2O’ expertly displays the vibrant energy he’s known for with two Amazon-inspired deep house groovers; a melancholic walk through the jungle; a Detroit-infused progressive anthem and a hypnotic midtempo floorwarmer. Absolutely stellar stuff from A to Z.

              Produced to an exquisite standard, with maximum clarity, weight and dyanamic, "Bummer Paradise" opens and forces you to absolutely lose yourself to in the club. Heads-down, fist-pumping, sweat poring from every orifice. "Strange Movement" is a more delicate, enchanted offering, with rippling synth work, ethereal pads and crisp, midtempo disco beat.

              "Naked Chimp" deploys a tribal chant and broken beat rhythm section, whirring sirens and extreme sound design to a deadly effect before "H2O" sweeps in on galactic chords, phazed hats and twinkling melodies from the outer cosmos. Space age techno funk that'd make B12 or John Shima sit up and take note. Amazing stuff here. the course of a few days. Sweet and savory both, the new material strikes a perfect balance between emotive sensibility and dancefloor appeal.


              STAFF COMMENTS

              Matt says: Check that "Bummer Paradise" track! Proper driving, late night tech vibe. Similar to Manchester's D. Ball. Feelin' it. Rest of the EP ain't half bad either.

              TRACK LISTING

              Bummer Paradise
              Strange Movement
              Naked Chimp
              H20
              Natural Disruption

              Direct from the Midwest, ace imprint Clear present us with four tenacious hardware workouts from Juzer. For the uninitiated, Juzer is the joint project of two artists central to the underground music scene in Chicago, Beau Wanzer and Dan Jugle. The work of both straddles the fault-lines between, noise, techno, industrial, EBM, and the more frenzied shades of house. 
              In theory the 12” starts slowly, with the 100 bpm rattle of "Old Reliable", although it’s fitful energy is anything but, while the following track "September" coils itself into a tightly wound circuit freak-out. "Busy Bees" and "We Work Hard We Play Hard" are the buildup and climax of the record’s machine driven anxiety, fit for a chase scene in a post apocalyptic megacity thriller.

              TRACK LISTING

              A1. Old Reliable
              A2. September
              B1. Busy Bees
              B2. We Work Hard We Play Hard

              At long last Andres returns to Mahogany! His fifth album to date, it features more of his industry standard MPC chops, dusty soul samples, snappy Dilla-esque drums and 'nuff bump for your trunk! The formular ain't changed, but it's definitely a refined, sleek, and multisensory experience at hand...

              The way his tracks unfurl and naturally develop is half the genius of Andres, perfectly demonstrated on A-side closer "Listen To The Sound"; while speeding up the tempos on tracks like "Cybermate", the producer invents his own hybrid of ghetto-tech / booty-electro few can replicate. 





              STAFF COMMENTS

              Matt says: Sure to cause a stampede amongst Detroit house lovers. Andres has been a mainstay on Moodymann's Mahongany label from day dot (I think he dropped the forth release on the label back in 2002). His numerically ordered albums have always been widely celebrated and "V" is no exception - the perfect pairing of dusty samples, MPC innovation, and Motor City grit.

              TRACK LISTING

              A1. Praises
              A2. Cybermate
              A3. Listen To The Sound
              B1. Autumn Getaway
              B2. Funky 2Step
              B3. Detoxfromtheworld
              B4. I Need It
              B5. Junglestroll

              The Dutch icon Orlando Voorn is releasing his second album for Deeptrax Records sublabel Contrafact! Having started his career in the early 80s with major influences of Parliament, Kraftwerk, Motown and P funk, he is now widely recognized as an ingenious (Detroit) house and techno producer with former releases on Juan Atkins’ Metroplex records and Kevin Saunderson’s KMS. "The Master 2" is the follow up to "The Master 1" as sees the producer explore brave new worlds of electronic jazz, Detroit techno and futuristic, yet highly soulful house music. Orlando Voorn has used aliases in the past to present and release various styles of music without limiting himself and is one of the most versatile producers out there. As well as expert sound design and brilliant use of textures and dynamics, the LP possesses a musicality that elevates it far outside the immediate dance music spectrum and gives is a universal appear and sophisication.  

              TRACK LISTING

              A1. Style Is Free
              A2. Jazz Hoppin
              A3. 6 Feet Away
              B1. Venus
              B2. Jazzism
              B3. Drama At The Opera
              C1. Swing That Jazz
              C2. Infinite Fusion
              D1. Aquarius
              D2. Bizar Escape
              D3. 6 Feet Away (Funk Mix)

              Awanto3 (also known for his work with Aardvarck and Kid Sublime on Rednose Distrikt) returns to Rush Hour with "Party" Volume 1. Moody and rolling MPC work outs with live accompaniment from a solid cast (Jos De Haas (New Cool Collective) on percussion and Stefan Schmid (Zuco 103) on keys). Broken beat heads look out .... this really smacks. TIP!

              Backstory: “Party” was born in a small village located in Wallonia during a period of house-sitting for a family on holiday. Initially my mother was asked to take care of the chickens, goat, dog and donkey but eventually I decided to take care of them to relieve my mother. This week turned out to be a small nightmare, because I think the house was being possessed by a spirit that I had to deal with night and day. The vibe of the house was so grimy, due to the fact that there were calendars with all kinds of weapons and dark oak furniture, interspersed with a huge flatscreen and blinds at the ready to be rolled out when the sun started to go down (by request of the paranoid owner). This setting affected my sketches; a dark side that was looking for contra light weight. After I took care of the animals, I had an energy to escape to my MPC to make the basis for a possible new album. When I got back in Amsterdam, I started to work out some of the sketches I’ve made in the ghost house together with Stefan and Jos in Studio K at Sloterdijk.

              Containing very much the essence of deep house throughout. Awanto’s skilled MPC usage and choice phrasing decorates the entire EP. A warm, spiritual affair that kicks and bumps enough for any dancefloor. If you like Moods and Grooves, Sound Signature, Andres, DJ Nature and such like - this is for you.

              Support from Giles Peterson, Danny Krivit, Radioslave, Axel Bowman and Laurent Garnier.



              STAFF COMMENTS

              Matt says: Warm n live house music inna similar vein to Andres and DJ Nature.

              TRACK LISTING

              The Lime King
              Seayousoon
              Sawyoulater

              Venus Ex Machina

              Lux

              It's the new year and time for a new sound, so give this winner from Whities alumni Venus Ex Machina a go. Assembled out of digital incantations, choral ambience, layered electronics and no input mixer scree, this warped and weird fusion of gnarly EBM, tough techno and out-there electronica is billed as a requiem for an Earth beset by environmental change. 
              Upon an initial listen to the squirming acid and rabid drum boxes of "Quaraquara", I was pretty sure I'd missed my meds this morning, and by the middle of the eerie "Paraquat" the paranoia had seriously taken hold. Still, the polyrhythms and 303 of "Nacht" are on hand to help you dance your troubles away before "Mysterium" and "Grace" offer a little EBM and techno respectively. 'Elephant' serves precise percussion and subtle sound design, before 'Bloodmoon' and 'Avril' sign off with otherworldly ambience. Deep and dope folks.


              STAFF COMMENTS

              Patrick says: Tessellating between techno, industrial, EBM and electronica, the menacing 'Lux' is the perfect soundtrack for life right now. Totally fucked in the most appropriate way.

              TRACK LISTING

              Quaraquara
              Paraquat
              Nacht
              Mysterium
              Grace
              Elephant
              Bloodmoon
              Avril

              After his excellent debut EP 'Dance Class', which garnered a lot of love and attention from many DJ's across the dance music world, Sangre Voss returns with a superb new 6 track EP on Al Zander's A-Z Records.

              Ranging from slow, balearic rhythms to dystopian atmospheres reminiscent of Detroit Techno, equally perfect for both a longing summer's day or a recently reopened dancefloor.
              Subtle yet diverse musical references and idiosyncrasies run throughout this six-tracker, which together create a unique, genre-blending style that really stands out.

              Label boss, Al gives his own take on 'Bona Fide Friday', potentially the most club or House ready out of the lot, with its dramatic breakdowns and acid melody.

              TRACK LISTING

              Guido
              Mendl 15
              ATC Penguin
              Bonafide Friday (Al Zanders Edit)
              All My Friends Are So Baroque
              Brettes Sholden

              Roger Van Lunteren is an artist of enviable experience. For more than two decades the dutchman has been developing and perfecting his sound. After his first steps on Heimelektro Ulm in 1999, Van Lunteren has shown his talents on labels like 030303, Diffuse Reality and Something Happening, Somewhere. It is this knowledge, and his musical craftsmanship, that Van Lunteren draws upon for his debut on FireScope: Future Wounds.

              The EP is a veritable universe of delights. At either ends of the galaxy you’ll find two takes of the same piece. The textured “Stop (Sync In)” opens. Satellite bleeps bob on a flotsam and jetsam of pads as strings soar above hedged claps. “Stop (Original) flows in a beatless ambience, heady yet light and ephemeral. Coquettish and playful, “Spätzünder” is an altogether different entity. Dancing between braindance and house, this jam has all the spontaneity of a live track with flourishes of the silken-funk of Chicago. Clouds gather for “IRF4.” Haunted modulations and reel scratches lurk before a slow rhythm lumbers forth. Stalking through a moonless sky, the track is chillingly atmospheric with an undeniable lo-fi groove. Drums stagger and swell in the sweetness of “Coinc.” Bright and dreamy, the track cherry-picks from a spread of influences and sounds and is emblematic of the EP.

              Future Wounds is a constellation of Roger Van Lunteren’s music. From cheerful and innocent to shadowy and subtle, this quintet is a cross-section of this artist’s abilities. Rich and infinitely varied, five tracks to explore and return to.

              STAFF COMMENTS

              Matt says: Unfathomably intricate, sumptuously delicate; a truly brilliant edition to braindance /IDM soundscapes also populated by John Shima, Space Dimension Controller, Morphology etc.

              TRACK LISTING

              A1. Stop (Sync In)
              A2. Spätzünder
              B1. IRF4
              B2. Coinc
              B3. Stop (Original)

              Ge-ology / Ascendant & Shannon Harris

              Pursuit Of Time The Journey / Gyenyame (Only God)

              The second release from the compilation series "Beyond Space And Time 002" selected by Antal and Rainbow Disco Club.

              Following the sensational and collectable first release in 2022, this hands on approach album contains powerful and soulful house music. These tracks were carefully selected by Antal and would place the central role of his set.

              A-side features the vinyl premiere "Pursuit Of The Journey" by Baltimore's mastermind GE-OLOGY. Deep house with beautifully vibrant beats, glossy voice sampling and synth melodies that takes you to the vivid journey. GE-OLOGY has been active in a wide range of fields from hip-hop to house since its early days. "Darkly active is the exact word to express him. Without making a display of one's originality, he is showing the current state of the fresh US deep house.

              A superb deep house with a mellow and raw Afro-futuristic rhythms played on actual machines "Gyenyame ("Only God")" is recorded with license on the B-side. This was released in 2006 from excellent label "Urbanicity" founded by Chicago producer Shannon Harris who is known for almost all of its work being featured on David Mancuso's Loft playlist.

              As the first release was a collectible 2LP package of Rush Hour's taste from Japanese to rare groove, Caribbean, soul and leftfield, this EP "Beyond Space And Time 002" has changed pace from the first volume with a more focus on dance tracks with a deeper flavor with true value delivered from the dancefloor of the Rainbow Disco Club.

              STAFF COMMENTS

              Matt says: Antel cements why he's one of the world's hottest selectors and in-demand DJs, continuing his "Beyond Space And Time" series with a cheeky double header. Sexy, glistening, dreamy house music for big outdoor stages on side A, with side B's "Gyenyame" a bit of a jazz-dance secret weapon. As usual, his taste is impeccable! Let Antel do the hard work so you don't have to!

              TRACK LISTING

              GE-OLOGY - Pursuit Of The Journey
              Ascendant & Shannon Harris - Gyenyame (Only God) (Holistic Harmony Mix)

              Stacked maxi EP of heavily dubbed house from part-time rockstar and full-time posterchild of Detroit's next generation. 2Lanes turns in an impressive set for Cape St. Francis' second release.

              "Mind Print" features Jonah Baseball on guitar.
              "TX Pluck" features Jonah Baseball on bass guitar and synth keys.
              "Everlast" features Natty G on vocals.

              Mixed by Salar Ansari
              Mastered by Rude66
              Artwork by Zeevaarder


              STAFF COMMENTS

              Matt says: Brand new Detroit producer that's already garnered the attention of Mikey Don. With a handle on synthesis and sound design miles ahead of the pack (it's a Detroit thing); kinda reminds me of when we first heard Kyle Hall. Much like Manchester, the Motor City might be becoming gentrified but there's still a layer of underground artists still pushing the envelope and waiting for the rest of the world to catch up.

              TRACK LISTING

              Diamond Rain
              Bootcut Chords
              TX Pluck
              Everlast Ft. Natty G
              Mind Print

              J Prorok & Captain Knuckles

              Delicious Sequence / Some Day - Inc. Sobek / Sasha Dive Remixes

              Brand new music from the capital here, Flow 2 The Floor presenting an EP of mixed house music from Hungary's Captain Knuckles & J Prorok alongside remixes from established producers Sobok and Sasha Dive. "Delicious Sequence" gets us underway with dreamy chime melodies cascading through reversed guitar sequences, reverb drenched vox and a very ethereal atmosphere. The psychedelic yet dancefloor nature of the track recalls classic Deep Dish DJ sets: hypnotic, expansive and kicking. Fellow Hungarian Sobek remixes the track, pulling out the tribal elements and locking us into a mesmerizing tom tom passage onto which he layers up male voice chants and steadily rising arpeggios. The resulting breakdown halfway through the tracks sees the intensity levels soar as the concentric arps and crashing white noise snares converge on the mix. Again, one for the house heads of the early 00's, this one recalls a mid-session Osunlade or Danny Tenaglia with its unrivalled primal power. Flip the disc and we're treated to a grinding tech-house workout courtesy of "Some Day". This one has the white isle's infamous superclubs inscribed into its DNA - sweaty, main room tech house with the perfect balance of tension, drama and big drops. Low pads bubbling away, swinging hats and stupendously catchy technoid refrains; think Carl Cox at Space and you're there! Frankfurt house royalty, Sasha Dive remixes "Some Day" for the EPs final track. Stylishly conjuring up another slice of simmering yet driving tech-house, Dive utilizes the bubbling low end pads wonderfully, creating new rhythms as he wraps a buoyant 4/4 around the stems.

              TRACK LISTING

              Delicious Sequence 
              Delicious Sequence (Sobek #420 Remix)
              Some Day 
              Some Day (Sasha Dive FX Dub)

              Tradition

              Slip / Switchblade

              Tradition was born from two individuals forging an identity in the studio that consisted of a heads down approach and a love of machines.

              Taking inspiration from their ‘live run’ studio recordings, the duo of Matt Domino and Norris Raider have built a sound that resonates on many levels and is rooted in a ‘hands on’ approach to creativity, traditionally speaking of course.

              ‘Slip’: adventuring into vintage Detroit systems with razor arps, dubbed out chords, insistent bass and heavy acid hypnosis.

              ‘Switchblade’: emerging from the underworld ready to slash and scar with scuttling beats and contorted bass that may have you dancing, or hiding behind your hoodie.


              STAFF COMMENTS

              Matt says: Really tasty new stuff from our fertile soils. Tradition bridge the gap between Kode 9 and Red Planet. The well trodden transatlantic cross-pollination continues to offer subterranean sonic fruits such as this beast. Watch ya bass bins!

              TRACK LISTING

              A. Slip
              AA. Switchblade

              Ko-Ta

              Shiza EP - Inc. Don't DJ / DJ Nobu Remix

              For the tenth release, Ko-ta joins DJ Nobu's Bitta label. The legendary Japanese producer, known for his releases on Stratosphere Records where he showed a unique take on tribal and off-beat techno tools, now returns with two fresh and fast paced rhythm work outs. After blown away by a tune he heard in a friend's Instagram Stories, Nobu asked the friend about the track which turned out to be a work of Ko-ta's. Nobu immediately suggested Ko-ta to release his material on Bitta, and the result is this outstanding and singular EP for which Ko-ta contributed two amazing originals. Remixed by Don't DJ who flips 'Shiya' into an energetic stripped down drum and bass swinger and DJ Nobu who re-works 'Shiza' with his powerful broken techno touch.

              STAFF COMMENTS

              Matt says: Conjuring a cauldron of bass, rhythm and shamanic energy, two far out cats cast spells onto Ko-Ta's "Shiya".

              TRACK LISTING

              A1. Shiya
              A2. Shiya (Dont DJ Remix)
              B1. Shiza
              B2. Shiza (DJ Nobu Remix)

              Introducing Jaisiel; The Canary Islands’ answer to Bacalao. After years modestly honing his craft in Madrid and Tenerife and re-appropriating forgotten dollar bin gems for his label Ears On Earth, Jaisiel has found a home on Antinote with his shimmering “On The Universe” EP. Tinged with a late 80s sound are 3 tracks of convertible top down, shirts unbuttoned, neon glow dance music.

              Opening the maxi 12” is the ecstatic “Talk To Nature” replete with chirps, coos and woofs. Its catchy melody a subtle nod to ATB’s seminal anthem “9PM (Till I Come)” which was once quoted as sublimating sexuality with its ‘purring titillation’. There is an equally evocative fluidity to “Talk To Nature” found in Jaisiel’s use of pitch bent guitar, climaxing snare rolls and pounding kick drum. However it’s all very lighthearted when compared to “Embrace The Unknown” a driving and mystical track filled with vocoder commands, tinny drones and synth stabs whose accompanying pointed bass line makes this the perfect song for peak time transitions. Raving into the sunrise on the Carretera El Saler is “On The Universe” a contemplative and melancholic closer. Still vibrating with residual dance NRG, the central vocoder breakdown beckons you to reach for trance, to consider The Universe, as it were.

              What ties together this “On The Universe EP” is Jaisiel’s penchant to upcycle 80s and 90s trance dance sounds in a clear and fresh flavour, distinctly Spanish, while simultaneously using just-enough-cheese catch phrases without being too cliché or pastiche. 


              STAFF COMMENTS

              Matt says: Tropical house goodness from Jaisiel which tips its hat to a well known trance classic! Infact, the whole EP sounds like it's been birthed in 90s Ibiza - proggy, expansive, littered with pan pipes, bird song and tropes from the glory days of hedonism.

              TRACK LISTING

              Talk To Nature
              Embrace The Unknown
              On The Universe

              Wet Silk was a rare digression into house music by the legendary star-crossed duo of Lamar Thomas and Judy Taylor. For this sonic liaison, Thomas brought along his high school friend, disco impresario Patrick Adams to co-produce, and the resulting “Let Me Do You Baby” is a slow and seductive sunset soirée with champagne and caviare. The track is skillfully arranged with slippery 808 programming, serpentine guitar, and silky pads, all sliding around Thomas and Lamar’s playfully suggestive vocals. For the first 12” release of this hypnotic track, Mixed Signals have paired it with two other delicious Thom/Tay productions, the rare and dubby house mix of Shelly Pearse’s “If You Want My Love”, and the instrumental end-of-the-nighter “I’ll Be Waiting”.

              TRACK LISTING

              1. Wet Silk - Let Me Do You Baby
              2. Shelly Pearse - If You Want My Love (House Mix)
              3. Thomas & Taylor - I'll Be Waiting (instrumental)

              Slim Media Player returns to Pacific Rhythm with a wonderfully original EP, "Quicksand", his first new material since 2016’s "Rhythms Of The Pacific Volume 3". The EP is the product of Slim Media Player & DJ D.DEE culling through 20+ hours of live jams recorded in Vancouver at Deep Blue Studios from 2016 to 2018.

              The EP opens with the records namesake "Quicksand", a playful piece of peak-time material that’s quirky, uplifting, and dare we say a touch heart-warming. "Mouthfeel" comes through swinging but plays a touch more koi than the opener, serving as an effective tension-builder on the dancefloor that builds into a thoughtful groover with some light at the end of tunnel.

              On the b-side S.M.P explores deeper territory with "Memory Bias (Nostalgia Mix)", an aquatic roller blanketed with warmth and a contemplative aire that stretches for nearly 9 minutes. The EP fades out with the gentle drift of "Tschüs", a warm swaddle that will quell your anxieties and affirm that there are indeed some things that are right in this world, this track being one of them.


              TRACK LISTING

              01. Quicksand
              02. Mouthfeel
              03. Memory Bias (Nostalgia Mix)
              04. Tchüss

              Villa Åbo is the alternative solo project of Swedish musician and producer Jan Svensson, who has been making electronic music for the best part of 30 years. The artist behind such aliases as Frak, Studio SS and Alvars Orkestra, Svensson also runs legendary Swedish dance and experimental music label Börft, the product of a mutual appreciation for Severed Heads and Terse Tapes. As Villa Åbo he released two records in 1997 on Börft and remained inactive for 17 years until the Dutch label Bio Rhythm coaxed him into revisiting the project and released a double 12″ in 2014. Jan has since followed with a steady stream of 12” singles for Kontra-Musik, Noise In My Head and Radio Lundberg.

              “Magnetic Moves” is Villa Åbo’s debut album, originally released in an limited edition of 65 hand-numbered cassettes by Funeral Fog in 2016. Clocking in at over 46 minutes, this first-ever vinyl edition spreads the 8 ragged techno tracks across four sides for maximum loudness. Some songs are aggressively potent, with cyclical synth riffs and razor-sharp acid lines riding a heavy, funk-fuelled techno groove. Others tracks are more fluid, vintage Underground Resistance or Derrick May with killer drum machine workouts that come in handy as DJ tools. All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record is housed in a custom made jacket designed by Eloise Leigh, featuring a photograph of Jan’s mother’s house, the meaning behind “Villa Åbo”. Each copy includes a double-sided postcard with notes. 

              TRACK LISTING

              Again Again
              The Tiny One
              Doortest 
              Dreams Of Italy 
              Assiduous Dreams 
              Massive Duometer (Raw Mix)
              Bianco Festival
              Water Galaxy (Version D)
              Short Relaxing End

              Skaters

              Deadbolt

              After the release of their debut single ‘I Wanna Dance (But I Don’t Know How)’ and sets at this year’s Reading and Leeds festivals, New York City’s Skaters release new single ‘Deadbolt’.

              Domenico Cipriani aka Lucretio is somewhat of a stalwart in the Italian underground. Now based in Berlin, he is the founder of Machines State and co-founder of Restoration Records, Appointment, Parassela and Muscle Records. His first solo release on Memento (and only his second release to date this year), the “System Pressure EP.” opens with a re-rub of True Faith's 1991 rave classic, "Take Me Away". Beefing it up with more chunky drums, Lucretio keeps the killer vocal hook by Bridget Grace and the massive M1 line; molding it into a more terrace friendly 4/4 than the warehouse-breaks of the OG. Top stuff! "2PDAB1" follows suit, a direct and wobbly number composed of buzzing leads and sharp beats while "Love Don't Leave" concludes with rolling house beats, deep organ riffs and soaring strings, conjuring up a classy retrofit house slammer with lovely vocal inflections. Three crowd pleasing hits that'll keep the party rolling right through.... Ace.

              “2bpad1” is a relentless ride of voltage controlled oscillators and hexadecimal quirks over hefty bare drums processed with a juicy analogue filter.

              Finally “Love wont leave” bring back together House and Techno, melting their rhythm and blues essence into an absolute peak-time conjunction.

              TRACK LISTING

              A. Addict To The Dancefloor
              B1. 2PDAB1
              B2. Love Don't Leave

              Spring King

              Mumma / Mumma II

              One winter morning after a sleepless night, young producer Tarek Musa set up a drumkit and a Marshall practice amp in a disused broken bathroom in his home in Wilmslow, Greater Manchester. By the end of that same day, he'd recorded 'Let's Ride' and released it online under the alias Spring King to an overwhelmingly positive response. A short, sharp garage sound adapted for multiple vocals.

              Over the course of the next three months, his philosophy became one of writing, recording and mixing each song in a day in his ramshackle bathroom studio. Very quickly he amassed an overwhelming amount of songs and decided to release a ten track demo tape online entitled 'In All This Murk And Dirt'.

              Initially, Spring King was a diary entry, a way of capturing a moment, to catalogue the thoughts and feelings of that day. Now, joined by four friends (Peter Darlington – guitar/vocals, Anna B Savage – keys/vocals, Andy Morton – guitar, James Green – bass, with Tarek himself on drums/vocals), Tarek feels differently. They're still recording in the bathroom, but they're deep into making their debut album proper, a more carefully considered, concentrated effort.

              The first track to emerge from this new approach is 'Mumma'. Inspired by the phrase 'she must have got it from her mother' overheard from a conversation one evening, a story and narrative began to develop about a girl struggling with addiction, at first set to piano but now against a backdrop of anthemic drums and searing guitars. It showcases the band's new approach to production, but maintains the fuzzy, eccentric character that defines Spring King's sound. All that from a bathroom in the north of England.

              Thee J Johanz

              Declassified Vol.2

              Glasgow's Work For Love have once again descended deep into the cellars of Thee J Johanz early 90’s DAT recordings and pulled a companion selection to 2017's "Declassified EP".

              This time they've come back up the ladder clutching a sultry yet sturdy triple-tracker, a little snapshot detailing the full spectrum of house and techno hybridisation that was rife in the rave at the time. The EP kicks off lovingly lamenting the second summer of love with the proto house jam of "Tender Tales" which features Johanz himself giving his best Sleazy D impression on vox whilst masterfully tickling the 303 to several squelchy climaxes.

              Flip over for "Desire", a curled-lip 4am weird and wonky warehouse destroying techno leviathan that captures the stark minimalism of yer best Axis records and ads a real touch of John Carpenter esque menace to the affair. Bringing things to a close is the refreshing twinkly pulse of "Prophet" to say goodnight.

              STAFF COMMENTS

              Matt says: One of those cheeky house records that might escape the less observant dance music 'nado. But that "Tender Tales" is especially worthy of a mention - especially if you've a penchant for Mike Huckaby, Move D or that Basement Floor 12" featuring Traxx & Turtle Bug.

              TRACK LISTING

              A1. Tender Tales
              B1. Desire
              B2. Der Prophet

              The Goa Express

              Everybody In The UK

                Teenagehood, brotherhood and a genuine love for alternative music has united The Goa Express from the off. Hailing from the industrial town of Burnley and adopted by the Manchester culture carriers, their teenage years can be viewed as something of a hedonistic pilgrimage into the underbelly of suburban rock and roll- their first gig having been 3 songs blasted out their mates garage, the next on top of a local vintage shop where the floor nearly caved in: “when there’s fuck all, you make do with what you got”.

                The intensity of this friendship has resulted in the occasional bust up along the way, yet it only adds to the burning chemistry that the band offer on record and on stage. Together, brothers James Douglas Clarke (Guitar + Vocals) and Joe Clarke (Keys), along with Joey Stein (Lead Guitar), Naham Muzaffar (Bass) and Sam Launder (Drums) all contribute to a fuzzy wall of diverse sound, becoming harder to pin down with their constantly evolving, psych-umbrella’d, rock and roll. What sets The Goa Express apart from other musicians who sit comfortably within scenes is that their identity as a band has been growing organically long before the 5 of them decided to pick up instruments and teach themselves art of killing time.

                Their genuine joy in the everyday; their attitude and antics seem to hark back to the glory days of the NME- if they talk about a night out, you want to be there because these lads ooze charm and wreak havoc. This purist, old school approach to creating music through unified experiences and stimulated good times is married with the plain fact that they are very much young people of this generation, and while they see its flaws its hyperreality, its sheep-like tendencies, they still understand the importance in the immediacy of pop music: of a banging riff, or a glorious chorus and how effective this can truly be, and they want everyone along for the ride.

                With influences ranging from Spacemen 3 and The Brian Jonestown Massacre to French existentialism, from Beat Literature to long hours working at the Bookies to the journey into the sunrise on the night bus home, it is their ability to be all these things at once which makes The Goa Express a guitar band for the 21st Century. Nothing is ever a compromise because they are so unapologetically themselves in everything they do- proud Northerners with a DIY foundation that aren’t afraid to look into the often dim future and see themselves shining brightly in it, unforgiving and unpretentious.

                So far, the band have released 3 singles with great success. The first: ‘Be My Friend’, produced by Ross Orton right next Sheffield’s famous ‘City Sauna’ brothel, presents itself to us as a cheeky, snarling pop song, holding undertones of raw cynicism laden with psychedelic sunshine. Ross Orton’s studio was also right next door to where the band recorded their last single ‘The Day’ with Nathan Saoudi of Fat White Family at ‘Champ Zone.’ Both these producers have been able to give these instant pop classics a grittier feel, capturing the essence of the unfettered lifestyle the band were living at the time that they were able to capture themselves in the music video for ‘Be My Friend’.

                After signing with Ra-Ra Rok, (WU-LU/Bingo Fury) the band released anthemic summer hit ‘Second Time’, that went straight to the 6 music B-List before quickly heading up to the A-List 2 for 2 weeks. This was followed by the release of its B-Side ‘Overpass’ that almost immediately caught the eyes and ears of BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders, who had the band on his ‘Next Wave’ Segment. Closing the year that saw them play to thousand-strong crowds at festivals like Latitude and End of the Road, the band headlined their biggest headline show to date at Manchester’s Gorilla - its fair to say that this really is only the beginning.

                TRACK LISTING

                Side A - Everybody In The UK
                Side B - Everybody In The UK (Demo)

                Laundromat

                Red EP

                  The Red EP is the third and final Laundromat (AKA Toby Hayes) EP in the current set, concluding a triology completed with the prebiously released Blue and Green EPs. Laundromat has previously received support from Steve Lamacq, Marc Riley, DIY, Dork among others.

                  On the EP opener ‘Flat Planet’, Laundromat says "I don’t ever remember setting out to write a tune like this, but here it is anyways. I kinda hear it like a St. Vincent song or something like that. Some tongue in cheek (but not) apocalyptic-pop. An eye-roll pointed right back at us dumb humans. You know how when you’re reading the news, and it’s facepalm after facepalm? This was a response to that feeling. The drop at the end is a Big Muff driving a Harmonic Percolator - a lot of fun through headphones."

                  Laundromat, the new project from Toby Hayes has been a long time in the making. Hayes admits as much, recalling a process that has taken "years" to bear fruition. The resulting EPs showcase a musician who has earned his stripes in the DIY scene.

                  Elsewhere on Red, En Bloc is an ode to friendship, Hayes describing how he "grew up a bit awkward, socially. So now I get really romantic about my pals". While Milky is a more sombre affair that recalls Beck at his most tender.

                  Lyrically the project explores the end of the world, panic attacks, political figures that don’t represent the people that elected them, the preciousness of friendship, binge drinking, mental health and the time Hayes got ‘catfished’ - for nearly 7 years.

                  Influences are broad, ranging from Broadcast, Jaki Liebezeit, Jason Albertini, Madlib to Gonjasufi. Kim Deal stands out as major inspiration. Film is also a huge source of intrigue for Hayes "I find a lot of inspiration in film. Repo Man (1984), Deep End (1970), Punch-drunk Love (2002), and Alice in the Cities (1974) in particular" he says.

                  Hayes finds salvation in the intimacy of bedrooms recordings, " I love the sound of them. There’s something special there that I will always love, the sound of someone exploring their imagination, performing to themselves." Lo-fi may be the guiding force, but after an eventful and painful few years Laundromat is ready to embrace positive change and seek catharsis with these new recordings.


                  TRACK LISTING

                  1. Flat Planet
                  2. En Bloc
                  3. Milky

                  At the close of a marathon year supporting their breakthrough album, "Con Todo El Mundo", Khruangbin return with an exciting addition - an update on Vince Guaraldi’s timeless “Christmas Time Is Here.”

                  'Growing up the three of us all had very different Christmases,' says bassist Laura Lee. 'But we recently discovered we all had the exact same favourite Christmas song. When we realized it, we sat down to play it and it came together instantly. In 15 minutes, we had this recorded. It was like the best Christmas present ever.'

                  With ambling sweetness and a fresh, beat-driven groove, Khruangbin have taken this oft-covered classic and made it wholly their own. It's not in-your-face festivity and cheer, more languid, by-the-fire snugness from our favourite Texan laid-back funk rockers.


                  TRACK LISTING

                  A1. Christmas Time Is Here
                  B1. Christmas Time Is Here (Version Mary)

                  Halo Maud

                  Tu Sais Comme Je Suis / Depression Au-dessus Du Jardin

                    Halo Maud

                    Des Bras - Andy Votel Remix

                      Andy Votel says: "Working with Halo Maud's song came extremely naturally to me, and I thank Jeff [Barrett, of Heavenly] for recognising this connection. The contrast of her strong melodic songwriting combined with the fragility of her vocals is a real secret weapon and much more than just a breathy pastiche. I think Maud effortlessly captures many unique subtleties in French language music which so many contemporary bands seem to forget, and it's ingredients like these which gave me the confidence to take a more minimal route with this mix, which I appreciate.

                      "In the past I could only dream of finding a singer that comes close to Léonie Lousseau or Ann Sorel so working with Maud's vocals was an enjoyable experience and I already regard this short track as one of my personal favourite production achievements.... which I can't wait to play on the radio... off 7" vinyl naturally."

                      Maud says of the track, "I wrote the basis of the song in a few minutes, the day before a show. It was just the guitar and the voice, very simple. The rest of the track is a mix between a band jam, improvisations, ambient sounds, happy studio accidents, and all this material has been re-cut and tinkered with, until I felt it made sense. "It’s an amazing feeling to discover another vision of your own song, and Andy Votel’s version really overwhelmed me, in a good way. This is another song, but it’s still me. Thank you for this huge present.”

                      The original song features on Halo Maud's debut album, Je Suis Une île (which translates as "I Am An Island"), released on Heavenly Recordings last May.

                      Andy Bell

                      All On You EP

                        Four tracks recorded by Ride guitarist and singer Andy Bell for radio sessions, including a cover of 1990 Mancunian cult classic ‘Perfume’ by Paris Angels.

                        TRACK LISTING

                        1. Love Comes In Waves (Acoustic Version)
                        2. Cherry Cola (Acoustic Version)
                        3. Skywalker (Acoustic Version)
                        4. Perfume (Acoustic Version)

                        The Clean

                        Tally Ho! / Platypus (Reissue)

                          On November 12, Merge will reissue two crucial releases from The Clean's distinguished discography. The "Tally Ho!" b/w "Platypus" 7-inch and the Boodle Boodle Boodle 12-inch EP, the Dunedin trio's first official recordings as a band, both celebrate their 40th anniversary this year. These reissues have been remastered by Tex Houston with assistance from the Alexander Turnbull Library New Zealand, and The Clean's David Kilgour and Robert Scott oversaw the careful re-creation of the original packaging. Merge is thrilled to make these records globally available for the first time since their original release in 1981. Pitchfork described "Tally Ho!" as "a classic of immense proportions, from its Velcro melody, absurdly mixed garage organ and motorik beat, to the crusty, hiss-laden home eight-track recording that embodies it." Recorded in the middle of a New Zealand tour for a humble NZ$60, the song broke into the country's Top 20 singles chart at #19, surprising everyone including the band. Its B-side "Platypus" was recorded live at a show just days prior, capturing the band's buoyant and elastic sound on stage. The 7” reissue will be available on limited-edition silver Peak Vinyl and standard black vinyl, as well as limited clear vinyl exclusively in New Zealand.

                          Wu Lyf

                          LYF011 - Archives 1998-2012

                            A Celebration of the glimpses of gold that characterised WU LYF’s short reign-Featuring New Essays, Original Art, Photography & Lyrics.

                            Whilst preparing the 10th Anniversary Re-issue of the Singular WU LYF LP- "Go Tell Fire to the Mountain" a long forgotten hard drive was unearthed that held a pristine archive of the golden years of the LYF's creative output.
                            On it we found many snapshots of early Live Performances, Scans of all the Collaged Art works and Paintings, numerous Beautiful Photos captured by Friends and Lovers.

                            For those directly involved browsing over it provoked some giddy nostalgia for a well spent youth - a glorification of what was and some starry eyed speculation as to what could have been…

                            The conversation then arose that it would be a real shame to leave the work of WU LYF entirely overlooked in cultural history, lost to the sands of time, left as mere digital ash decaying in discarded digital urns.

                            So why not share it all?

                            Featuring text by and interviews by our very own Liam with Joe, Tom, Ellery and Evans. Plus additional text by Warren (War God) Bramley, JD Beauvalet, Matt Wilkinson, Beatrice Miniconi, Mino Tristovskij & Sean Wood.

                            STAFF COMMENTS

                            Liam says: In 2021, I had the privilege of being able to contribute to the LYF ARCHIVES 1998-2012 by interviewing members Ellery, Joe and Tom. Fast forward to July of this year, LYF ARCHIVES saw life. Documenting the short but spirited life of this seminal band, this is a must for anyone who followed the WU in any capacity during their brief existence.

                            Sonic Youth

                            Live In Brooklyn 2011

                              The final U.S. show, a triumphant and blistering bookend to the storied career of one of the most influential bands in rock music, featuring a unique and expansive eighty-five minute set list that spans Sonic Youth’s nearly three decade catalog. Mixed from multitrack by longtime live engineer Aaron Mullan and mastered and cut by Carl Saff.

                              On August 12, 2011 Sonic Youth played their final US show on an outdoor stage overlooking the East River at the Williamsburg Waterfront in Brooklyn. Fitting that their storied career would bookend with a panoramic view of New York City where it all began 30 years before, having left in their wake one of one of the most powerfully influential careers in rock music.

                              Following incredible sets from Kurt Vile and Wild Flag, the band took the stage. As the sun went down over the city, Sonic Youth ripped through a 17 song set that spanned from deep cuts off their first studio album and highlighting many other albums all the way through to their last, like a band with everything to prove. Or as Brooklyn Vegan’s Andrew Sacher said at the time: “While most bands who are thirty years into their career are either fading away or living off of the nostalgia of their older material, Sonic Youth continue to sound and perform as fresh as ever.”

                              Steve Shelley explains the uniquely career spanning set list of Live in Brooklyn 2011 and how it came to be, as well as the importance of outdoor NYC summer shows in Sonic Youth’s legacy:

                              “This show was a culmination of a run of really special outdoor summertime shows in New York City for us, starting in ’92 with Summerstage in Central Park when we played with Sun Ra. For the Williamsburg Waterfront show I wrote out the set list to present to the band and it was a lot of material we hadn’t played in a while, a lot of deep cuts, so I wasn’t sure if everybody would feel like doing it. After worrying about which songs the band might say yes or no to, I threw those concerns out the window and I just made a list of songs that I thought would be a great set. We practiced the week of the show at our space in Hoboken and put the set together. First we’d try and make sure we had a guitar in the song’s tuning, then we’d try to remember the arrangement and try and put it together, sometimes re-learning bar by bar. In the end I think the whole song list made it through. Even as early as ’86 and ’87 we stopped playing ‘Death Valley 69’ and ‘Brave Men Run’ with any regularity. We’d just get excited about new material coming into the set and songs would get ‘retired’ and wouldn’t get played again for years. So on this particular night in Brooklyn a lot of those retired songs and deep cuts got dusted off and played for this show. It turned out to be a pretty special event with a really special song list.” The band would go on to fulfill a contracted festival run in South America a few months later but, by then, the group’s center was severed beyond repair and the festival appearances didn’t hold the same kind of weight.

                              “The stage was facing the East River from the Williamsburg, Brooklyn waterfront, and I recall the sun going down in the west during our set. It was a pretty magical, if kinda weird day. Fitting, somehow, that our ‘last show’ should be in New York City, our home and where it all began…” Lee Ranaldo

                              The Williamsburg Waterfront show would fondly become referred to as ‘The Last Show’ by fans and band alike, equally for its triumphant high energy performance, its unique and expansive set list and locale.

                              Newly remixed and remastered, Live in Brooklyn 2011 is presented for the first time on 2xLP, 2Xcd, August 18, 2023.

                              STAFF COMMENTS

                              Darryl says: The legendary Sonic Youth played an historic gig on the Williamsburg Waterfront overlooking the East River on August 12th 2011. It would prove to be their final U.S. show, and this double vinyl and double CD on Silver Current Records perfectly captures this raw and expansive 85 minute set.

                              Heavy on songs from their early years Sonic Youth powered through these tracks like a band full of teenage energy. The fact that this show was their U.S. swansong after around 30 years together makes this blistering set all the more remarkable.

                              Kicking off with the hypnotic “Brave Men Run (In My Family)”, before exploding into the sensational noise carnage of “Death Valley ‘69”. Sonic Youth continue to rip through the set with 80s classics; “Kotton Krown”, “Kill Yr. Idols”, “Eric’s Trip” and the awesome “Tom Violence” all dispatched with visceral vigour and punky power.

                              Interspersed with three tracks from their last album ‘The Eternal’ along with a brilliantly brutal “Sugar Kane” they finish off proceedings with an apocalyptic version of “Inhuman” complete with feedback and wailing guitars and then it’s all over with the line “… with the power of love anythin’ is possible”.

                              TRACK LISTING

                              1. Brave Men Run (In My Family)
                              2. Death Valley ’69
                              3. Kotton Krown
                              4. Kill Yr Idols
                              5. Eric’s Trip
                              6. Sacred Trickster
                              7. Calming The Snake
                              8. Starfield Rose
                              9. I Love Her All The Time
                              10. Ghost Bitch
                              11. Tom Violence
                              12. What We Know
                              13. Drunken Butterfly
                              14. Flower
                              15. Sugar Kane
                              16. Psychic Hearts
                              17. Inhuman

                              Catatonic Suns

                              Catatonic Suns - EOY Bonus Disc Edition

                                END OF YEAR BONUS DISC EDITION - BOTH FORMATS INCLUDE A 13 TRACK BONUS CD DISC 'A LIGHT AND A SCREAM'.

                                Third album from Allentown/PA three-piece Catatonic Suns: their self-released sophomore LP “Saudade” from early '22 was a feat of sonic guitar haze and grunged out pop.

                                The new album is a step forward in sound for the band, it sees them blend the underground psychedelia of the late 80s / early 90s Pacific Northwest with the shimmering shoegazery of Britain from the same time. Heavy and soft guitars, songs that soar, these new recordings verge on the epic.

                                For fans of Screaming Trees, Nirvana, The Verve (early), Loop, Slowdive, and Ride.

                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                Darryl says: Catatonic Suns are a psychedelic three-piece hailing from Pennsylvania, USA. Having released a couple of low-key releases (the mini-album ‘Aphelion’ in 2019 and a full length ‘Suadade’ in 2022) they’ve completely blown our minds with their new self-titled album.

                                Featuring seven original tracks and a raucous amped-up Original Sins cover, ‘Catatonic Suns’ finds the band honing their sound to perfection. Pitched somewhere between the melodic grunge noise of Nirvana and the blissed-out shoegaze of Ride and Swervedriver, the Catatonic Suns have delivered an astonishing album.

                                From the psych drenched opener “Deadzone” through to the huge eight minute swirling space-rock of “No Stranger” the band have created an epic wall of sound. Tracks like “Failsafe” and “Be As One” showcase the band's melodic side (either of these wouldn’t be out of place on the Verve’s ‘A Storm In Heaven’) whilst “Fell Off” and the aforementioned Original Sins cover “Inside Out” sees lead singer / guitarist Patrick Shields practically shredding his own vocal chords. Throughout all of this the rhythm section of Caleb Strobl (drums) and Jakob Christman (bass) keep things tight allowing the swirling guitar maelstrom to ride off into the sun.

                                TRACK LISTING

                                1. Deadzone
                                2. Slack
                                3. Failsafe
                                4. Inside Out (Original Sins Cover)
                                5. Sublunary
                                6. Fell Off
                                7. Be As One
                                8. No Stranger

                                Panoptique

                                How Did You Find Me?

                                  Theo Delaunay aka Panoptique aka Constance Chlore releases his first solo album on Macadam Mambo. Head of the Simple Music Experience label (dedicated to releasing punk experiments on tape), member of Violent Quand On Aime, Succhiamo, Simplists, Ono Omen and United Assholes, he had previously been part of the “Danzas Electricas” volumes 1 and 3, released a little single in 2019 and curated the “Simple Music Experience Vol.2” compilation. Panoptique sticks to what he knows best, to present his stories, singing spoken words, gogolitos deliriums, whispers and rough voices on minimal synth wave ballads or Drexciyanesque electro bangers. It’s scuzzy, DIY, maverick sometimes gritty sometimes groove. Special mention to his guest : Fiesta En El Vacio, for her ‘caliente’ featuring on “Menta Y Regaliz”.

                                  Perfectly suited to the label’s ethos and a treasure for DIY electronix, minimal wave and electro-punk occultists! Check! 


                                  TRACK LISTING

                                  A1. La Colonie Penitentiaire
                                  A2. Slippery
                                  A3. Sable
                                  A4. How Did You Find Me
                                  A5. Menta Y Regaliz (Featuring Fiesta En El Vacio)
                                  B1. Rice & Beans
                                  B2. My Desire
                                  B3. Sulpice
                                  B4. Sub RDV
                                  B5. Look At The Stars (Shoot A Drone, Man) 

                                  Notion

                                  Outsider

                                    Bristol DJ and producer NOTION releases his highly-anticipated project, ‘OUTSIDER’.

                                    The 8-track project is a showcase of 18 months of hard work, self-reflection, doubt, anxiety, excitement and all the other things that go into a project like this.

                                    Marking a new chapter in his creative output, ‘OUTSIDER’ is a reflection of NOTION’s evolution as an artist, spanning across bassline, UK Garage, drum and bass, jungle and more.

                                    One of the most prominent names of the new generation UK club scene, NOTION is setting standards as an outsider in the landscape of bass music. In the last few years he has proved himself to be an independent, boundary-pushing artist of serious intent, not only through his approach to genre-blurring DJ sets and production, but through community spirited collaboration and systemdefying success.

                                    Tapping into a sound he is quickly making his own, ‘OUTSIDER’ finds NOTION at his bold and brilliant best.

                                    Following on from the huge success of four singles taken from the ‘OUTSIDER’ project, amassing five million streams and counting.

                                    Available to independent retailers on 12” vinyl.

                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    FOUND LOVE (feat. Carrie Baxter)
                                    CHERRY
                                    1997
                                    ON IT (feat. Snowy)
                                    LIGHTS (feat. Charlotte X)
                                    JACK & PLAY
                                    CIRCLE (feat. Paige Eliza)
                                    DANGER

                                    “The letter X marks the spot, crosses over, literally with a cross. It’s the former, the ex-. The ex-lover known simply as “an ex”. Ex- is the latin prefix meaning “out”. Exterior, an exit. Extraordinary. Excellent. It’s exciting. Generation X. X-files. X is the unknown. X is Extreme“.

                                    Extreme is Molly Nilsson’s tenth studio album. Recorded in 2019 and throughout the 2020 global pandemic at home in Berlin, Extreme is a departure for Nilsson, an explosion of angry love. It’s an album of anthems for the jilted generation, soaked with joy and offering solace, bristling with distorted, Metal guitars and planet-sized choruses that bring light to the dark centre of the galaxy. It’s an album of the times, by the times and for the people. It’s a record about power. About how to fight it, how to take it and how to share it.

                                    Absolute Power explodes with massive guitars, double kick beats and the instantly iconic line “It’s me versus the black hole at the centre of the galaxy.” Nilsson’s performance itself portrays absolute power in its confidence but the song is a call-to-arms, an entreaty to grasp the here and now, to take the power back. It’s Nilsson pacing the ring and we’re instantly in her corner. Earth Girls takes familiar Molly Nilsson themes - female empowerment and subverting the patriarchy - but casually throws in one of the choruses of her career. “Women have no place in this world” she sings, but it’s the world that isn’t good enough. Stadium-sized but still warmly hazy, Earth Girls has its fists in the air, glorifying in harmony, almost ecstatic in its feeling good. Nilsson’s Springsteen-level conviction and righteousness bleeds through the speaker cones, the cognitive dissonance between the song’s cadences and angry lyrics redolent of Bruce in his prime. Female empowerment isn’t always an angry energy on Extreme, however. On Fearless Like A Child, Nilsson’s anthem to the female body and women’s sovereignty of it, she croons over a mid-80s blue-eyed Soul groove. It sets a nocturnal scene as the narrator surveys her past and her surroundings. Before we’re fully submerged in a dreamlike, Steve McQueen-era Prefab Sprout poem to learning from your mistakes the song erupts into one of those lines only Molly Nilsson can get away with: “I love my womb, come inside I feel so alive” she fervently sings. Against the backdrop of ever-encroaching, conservative rulings on women’s reproductive rights in places like Texas, it’s simultaneously angry and full of love.

                                    Every song on Extreme is a gleaming gem in a pouch of jewels. On Kids Today, Nilsson is the voice of wisdom, archly commenting on the eternal struggle between youth and authority. Wisdom infuses Sweet Smell Of Success with a transcendent love that forgives the narrator’s shortcomings and celebrates the moment, it’s a letter to the author from the author that asks “what is success” and concludes that this is it, this song, this moment. It’s a rare moment of simple reflection that is generous in its insight to Nilsson’s inner life. “Success” is a tool of power and we don’t need it… We need power tools and there are moments on Extreme where it feels like Nilsson is showing us how to find them. It's an open conversation through out Extreme. She’s a warm, comforting presence through out the album and specially on these songs of encouragement, songs perhaps sang to a younger Molly Nilsson or, really, to whomever needs to hear them. “They’ll praise your efforts, they’ll call you slurs a rebel, a master, an amateur / Merely with your own existence, you already offer your resistance.” On Avoid Heaven she’s even more direct, pleading with us to avoid concepts of purity and to embrace the glorious, ebullient, emotional mess we’re often in as a method of upending the power structures who need things to be perfect.

                                    They Will Pay brings back the big, distorted power chords in the form of a agit-punk, pop slammer. Of course, when Molly Nilsson does punk pop we get the catchiest chorus this side of The Bangles or The Nerves. It’s rendered in an off the cuff, throwaway manner that is just perfect in its roughness. However, it’s on Pompeii that Nilsson delivers the album’s epic, emotional heartbreaker. Like 1995 on Nilsson’s album Zenith, or Days Of Dust on Twenty Twenty, the lyrics of Pompeii are heavy with a transcendent sadness, an aching poetry that cuts to the truth of the heart like the best Leonard Cohen lines, though here delivered with an uplifting, life-affirming love. It contains the most personal moments of Extreme, a song lit by the dying embers of romance. Yet it’s here where the alchemy at the base of all Nilsson’s best work is found. Turning small nuggets of personal truth into big, generous universal moments that invite everyone to cry, to love and to fight the power. In an album of jewels, it might be the shining star.

                                    Molly Nilsson’s biggest, boldest and most vital album to date, Extreme is about power. Against the love of power and for the power of love.


                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    1. Absolute Power
                                    2. Earth Girls
                                    3. Fearless Like A Child
                                    4. Kids Today
                                    5. Intermezzo
                                    6. Sweet Smell Of Success
                                    7. Obnoxiously Talented
                                    8. Avoid Heaven
                                    9. Take Me To Your Leader
                                    10. They Will Pay
                                    11. Pompeii

                                    Rickard Jäverling

                                    Album 4

                                      Rickard Jäverlings music can deservedly be described as playful and searching but for that sake not fumbling or too loose around the edges. On Album 4, the second album release from Jäverling on Höga Nord Rekords, he dwells more in dub than on his prior album release, and Jäverlings skillful songwriting is carried smoothly by the soft and fluffy production: the rhythm section sounds as if resting upon a sun warm bed of moss and elements flows in and out of the production like a freshly rippling stream of water deep in the summer forest. Echoes shoots through the pines, the hills and the valleys and makes the album a premium dub experience which dominates large parts of the album.

                                      Aside the obvious references to nature that comes in mind listening to Jäverlings music, this album is more than a romantic view on the Swedish wilderness. It flirts, like all quality dub from the seventies and eighties with science fiction and space with broad synthesizer sweeps and delay drenched clouds like imploding and exploding stars somewhere in the outskirts of the Milky way, spreading dust over the Swedish forest. On the final three tracks, Ganjaman_72 takes the album out of the galaxy with spaced out-remixes on some of the songs.

                                      With his feet steadily grounded in jamaican music tradition whit a non sentimental and curious view on production, Rickard Jäverling have together with Johan Holmegård (Dungen, Goran Kajfes), Andreas Söderström (ASS, Goran Kajfes) och Ganjaman_72 created the natural follow up to Album 3.

                                      TRACK LISTING

                                      A1. Set Piece
                                      A2. Road Across World
                                      A3. Rising Skies
                                      A4. Bruised Banana
                                      A5. I Won’t Get Your Love
                                      B1. From Left To Right
                                      B2. Radiation
                                      B3. I Won’t Get Your Love
                                      B4. From Left To Dub
                                      B5. Radiation Dub

                                      Gawd Status

                                      Firmamentum

                                        ‘Firmamentum’ is the debut album from Gawd Status aka King Kashmere and Joker Starr. Fronted by lead singles “Heavy Metal” - which was premiered on Tom Ravenscroft (BBC 6Music) show - and “The Alchemist ft. Fae Simon”, the LP showcases Gawd Status’ versatility and eclecticism as an unconventional prodder/MC duo, delivering a killer and off-kilter record that lies in between the worlds of hip-hop, psychedelia and soul.

                                        “Heavy Metal” is an experimental hip-hop meets psychedelic trip-hop listen that is boisterous, chaotic and marked by a profound sense of urgency. Exploring disparate but interwoven themes of Roman Catholic priests, Afrika Bambaataa, Braintax, the origins of humanity, Babylon and devilish behaviour - Joker Starr’s intention is to uplift and discomfit the listener; “heavy metal for the devil” he ominousness preaches in sinister and satanic voice. “Heavy Metal” closes with a psychedelic outro, that pays a closer tribute to the experimental pop of early Animal Collective than their UK hip-hop counterparts.

                                        “The Alchemist ft. Fae Simon” pours hypnotic soul and genuine jazz vibes, reminiscent of the hey-day of trip-hop kings Massive Attack. Featuring as a guest vocalist, Fae Simon adds her darkly sensual melodies to track. Introduced initially to King Kashmere through fellow UK rapper Jehst (who Fae Simon collaborated with on “Timeless”), Fae’s smooth, effortless and instantly recognisable voice allures vocal valour. While DJ Jazz T guests showing off him turntablism skills, scratching sparsely with choice vocal clips below hip-hop rhythms. Featuring on the record, fellow UK MCs Micall Parksun and Big Cakes (who has collaborated with the Godfather of grime Wiley) team up on politicallycharged, Thabo Mbeki-inspired “I Am An African”. “Messiah Hybrids” showcases the duo delivering what they do best, a conscious straight-up hip-hop banger.

                                        TRACK LISTING

                                        Heavy Metal
                                        Messiah Hybrid
                                        I Am An African Ft Micall Parknsun & Big Cakes
                                        Amplified Science Ft Anyway Tha God
                                        The Alchemist Ft. Fae Simon / Admiral Byrd
                                        Uranium
                                        From Nibiru With Love

                                        Gemma Cullingford

                                        Tongue Tied

                                          ‘Tongue Tied’ is the sophomore album from Gemma Cullingford (Sink Ya Teeth). Written and produced from Gemma's humble home studio in Norfolk, ‘Tongue Tied’ blends many styles of electronica from 70's experimental and new wave, early 80's electro, acid house and techno to noughties electro clash, topped with her own vocal style to produce a unique and fresh sound. It explores relationships and the different emotions they can bring, from paranoia, yearning and helplessness to lust, shyness and just downright wanting to dance.

                                          ‘Tongue Tied’ is a progressive follow up to her debut ‘Let Me Speak’ which garnered support from the likes of Steve Lamacq, Amy Lame, Nemone, Chris Hawkins, Jamz Supernova, John Kennedy and James Endeacott, plus glowing reviews in Mojo, Uncut and Electronic Sound.

                                          For the cover artwork on ‘Tongue Tied’, Gemma has collaborated with visual artist Kelda Storm who shares Gemma's love for bright, contrasting neon colours and minimal bold designs. She uses the iconography of feminine lips across her work as a symbol of speech and voice.

                                          RIYL: Sink Ya Teeth, Lonelady, A Certain Ratio.

                                          TRACK LISTING

                                          Side A
                                          1. Accessory
                                          2. Tongue Tied
                                          3. Bass Face
                                          4. Holding Dreams
                                          5. Mechanical
                                          Side B
                                          6. New Day
                                          7. No Fail
                                          8. Chronicle Of Sound
                                          9. Red Room
                                          10. Daisy

                                          Everything Is Recorded

                                          Show Love / Carry Me

                                            White label edition, featuring Sampha, Syd Tha Kid and Obongjayar!

                                            Andy Bell

                                            See My Friends EP

                                              The two tracks from Andy Bell’s debut solo single reworked by Pye Corner Audio, with the original tracks remastered by Heba Kadry.

                                              TRACK LISTING

                                              1.The Commune (Pye Corner Audio Remix)
                                              2.Plastic Bag (Pye Corner Audio Remix)
                                              3.The Commune
                                              4.Plastic Bag

                                              Andy Bell

                                              The Grounding Process

                                                Stripped down versions of tracks from Flicker. “On my debut solo album The View From Halfway Down I did all of my promotion via Zoom and pre-recorded interviews and acoustic sessions,” explains Andy of the EP. “I enjoyed making the acoustic versions and decided to do some more for this album.” “‘Something Like Love’ is the most popular song from Flicker and one of the oldest, starting life in the ’90s. It’s probably the only one that dates back to the Ride era.“The riffs for ‘World Of Echo’ were written while I was on tour with Oasis, at the height of my La’s obsession. It went through a few iterations from then onwards, but never had a final melody until last year.“’She Calls The Tune’ was the first song I wrote after I joined Oasis, ending a period of writers’ block which I had started going through some time in 1999. The very first performance of it was to an audience of Liam Gallagher, Gem Archer and Richard Ashcroft in a Milan hotel room. No pressure! I don’t think I ever saw this as an Oasis song, but I have them to thank for the fact that I was able to write songs again at all.” ‘Lifeline’ was another riff I came up with while on tour with Oasis. I remember being on a UK tour with Shack, and sitting around backstage on acoustics with Mick and John Head jamming around the Simon & Garfunkel version of ‘Scarborough Fair’. The riff for ‘Lifeline’ followed soon after. It was always called ‘Lifeline’ but I never found the right lyric for it until recently.

                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                Barry says: The Grounding Process has some of the lesser well known (but equally superb) pieces in the Andy Bell canon, being written while on the road and in various cities around the world. Another lovely addition to the discography.

                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                A1. Something Like Love
                                                A2. World Of Echo
                                                B1. She Calls The Tune
                                                B2. Lifeline

                                                Andy Bell

                                                Untitled Film Stills

                                                  Songs that inspired Flicker by Yoko Ono, Pentangle, The Kinks and Arthur Russell. “The idea was that I would be covering songs which helped in some way to colour in the edges of the picture of the influences that make up Flicker,” explains Andy.“The song ‘Jenny Holzer B. Goode’ on the album refers to a few of the female artists from the music and art worlds who I find inspiring, including Yoko Ono, so it felt right to include a cover of ‘Listen, The Snow Is Falling’, my favourite Yoko Ono song. “Pentangle’s ‘Light Flight’ came out in 1970, the year I was born, and I’ve loved it ever since I heard it on the 1997 folk compilation Transatlantic Ticket. “Nat Cramp, the head honcho of Sonic Cathedral, requested that I cover ‘The Way Love Used To Be’. I’d never heard this song despite being a big fan of The Kinks, but it’s lovely and it felt very natural to do a version of. All hail Ray Davies! “Arthur Russell has been a big reference point for all my music away from ‘band world’. There is something impressionistic and open-ended about his records. I guess you could describe the production style I’m trying for on ‘Our Last Night Together’ as ‘World Of Echo meets This Mortal Coil doing Skip Spence’.”

                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                  Barry says: A lovely bunch of covers here seeing the light of day from the ever-talented Andy Bell. Yoko Ono gets the cover treatment as well as Pentangle's brilliant 'Light Flight'

                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                  A1. Listen, The Snow Is Falling
                                                  A2. Light Flight
                                                  B1. The Way Love Used To Be
                                                  B2. Our Last Night Together

                                                  Hailing from Liege in Belgium, David Body has been put on our radar with releases on the fine Endless Music, but this EP for Exploited’s cult collected Black Jukebox series is truly next level house music!

                                                  Timed perfectly for that sweet Summer release, "I Bird You" is a seriously charming affair, led by a colourful, sugary-sweet refrain that twinkles and sparkles in cute fashion. A warm deep house groove crafted through swirling Rhodes chords builds the vibe before the flowery melody explodes into life, pushing the track into an altogether more magical direction. Playing this at one of the first festivals of Summer 2022 could be a truly spiritual occassion! There's 'nuff tension from the last two years to warrent a full-on maximum love in; and tracks like this could be the perfect catalyst!

                                                  "Jack Me Baby" channels rubbery bass and a galloping house beat, with minor piano chords creating a dramatic feel as a classic vocal sample whoops away in delight. The enormous snare-roll propelled build-up thrusts the track into overdrive, with a delightful, balmy synth line woven in to provide a mystical counterbalance. Another hand-aloft rush of euphoria to sound track the party season. 

                                                  "The Talking Mouettes" is a supremely feel-good slab of Balearic-tinged peak time house, with choice piano chords cut up and cascading over a high-energy groove. Big squelchy melodic bass wiggles under the chords and shoulder-popping chime riff, with plenty of power and punch scattered throughout to keep the vibes rolling. Cleverly warped vox the icing on this sweet slice of sonic cake.  

                                                  "Endless Love" is an absolute monster to close the EP, a soaring, triumphant electro-disco beauty that overflows with euphoric melody and ecstatic, eyes-closed-and-rolling tingles. It just keeps building and building through layer upon layer of synth mastery to an explosive, epic climax.

                                                  Shir Khan's series has always been a big hitter here at Picc HQ but this is one of the biggest 12"s from the firm for some time. Get them orders in quick! 

                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                  Martin says: It's been an eternity since Shir Khan's had us cantering around the shop. It's with huge delight that I can state, with authority, that David Body's launched us into the party season with this collection of open air festival house anthems.

                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                  A1. David Body - I Bird You
                                                  A2. David Body - Jack Me Baby
                                                  B1. David Body - The Talking Mouettes
                                                  B2. David Body - Endless Love

                                                  Alongside a killer long player from label mainstay Lexx, Phantom Island treat us to a new solo effort by Zurich based Drummer and Multi Instrumentalist Domi Chansorn. He is best known for playing in and producing numerous Swiss bands like Fai Baba or Evelinn Trouble. Everything you hear was written, played, sung, arranged, produced, recorded and mixed by Domi Chansorn. With "Strawberry Moon" he has created a timeless psychedelic Pop-Opus which takes the listener on a trip to another sphere. The aforementioned Lexx pops up on remix duties, dropping a typically Balearic mix combining dub swelter, open hearted melodies and an irresistible day time disco groove.

                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                  A1. Strawberry Moon
                                                  B1. Strawberry Moon (Instrumental)
                                                  B2. Strawberry Moon (Version By Lexx) 

                                                  Chapterhouse

                                                  Freefall EP

                                                    Formed in Reading in 1987, Chapterhouse took the unusual step of rehearsing and gigging for well over a year before recording even a demotape. Initially, the band got lumped in with the British acid rock scene of the time, a mistake hardly rectified by the band's early performances supporting the rather laidback Spacemen 3. Chapterhouse eventually escaped from one genre only to find themselves amongst the infamous shoegaze groups of 1991 such as Lush, Moose and Slowdive.

                                                    Freefall was their 1990 debut EP and includes the popular track “Falling Down”, which was also included in their debut full-length album Whirlpool. The other three tracks, “Need (Somebody)”, “Inside Of Me” and “Sixteen Years”, were never included on their albums on vinyl and only appeared on this EP.

                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                    1. Falling Down
                                                    2. Need (Somebody)
                                                    3. Inside Of Me
                                                    4. Sixteen Years

                                                    Cumgirl8

                                                    Phantasea Farm EP

                                                      New York City four-piece c*mgirl8 (aka cg8) announce their debut 4AD EP 'Phantasea Pharm'. Made up of Lida Fox (bass), Veronika Vilim (guitar), Chase Lombardo (drums) and Avishag Rodrigues (guitar), phantasea pharm was born out of an obsession with Ella Fitzgerald’s ‘Old McDonald’ ahead of a show in Charlottesville, Virginia. The band decided to pay homage. Vilim dressed up in a cow leotard with pig accessories, Lombardo in a g-string and apron that read ‘The Grillfather,’ Rodrigues became a lawn mower, and Fox took on the role of a sexy rooster. “We went on stage that night and told everyone we were a ‘Fantasy Farm.’” They knew then that would become the basis of their new EP.

                                                      Last month’s single ‘cicciolina’ was a perfect introduction, a tribute to the Hungarian-Italian pornstar turned politician Ilona Staller, aka Cicciolina. The new single ‘gothgirl1’ opens another chapter. Written with Nick Launay (Kate Bush, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Slits), during the band’s stay at Barbizon, “a magical artist hotel nestled on the edge of a mushroom forest,” the result is a four-minute cut of hypnotizing eroticism that perfectly captures the dark mysticism of its genesis.

                                                      phantasea pharm follows last year’s standalone single ‘dumb bitch’ and EP’s c*mgirl8 (2020) and RIPc*mgirl8 (2021), and arrives in the midst of their headlining EU/UK tour and festival run that has seen them play Primavera, The Great Escape, London Calling, and more. c*mgirl8 will then make their return to UK later this Summer joining the line-up for Greenman and Core Festival after having opened for Le Tigre in North America.

                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                      1. Cicciolina
                                                      2. Dead Pixels
                                                      3. Cursed Angel
                                                      4. Picture Party Ft. Christeene
                                                      5. Gothgirl1
                                                      6. Pritney Llc

                                                      Das Koolies

                                                      The Condemned EP

                                                        Hit-writing anti-icons, Das Koolies emerge to explode three decades of digression as Super Furry Animals with their electronic depth-charge debut EP: The Condemned. Huw Bunford, Cian Ciarán, Dafydd Ieuan and Guto Pryce restore original Furry vision with techno-inspired, heavy-tech sound inspired by illegal rave roots.

                                                        A past fades out for a future to begin as the long-running, secretive DAS KOOLIES ‘dream project’’, emanating from Cardiff’s post-industrial docklands, delivers its first consignment of complex, wired euphoria: The Condemned. Chains of decayed connection and shackles of genre-expectation are audibly broken as Huw Bunford, Cian Ciarán, Dafydd Ieuan and Guto Pryce re-route their paths as notorious scientists of sound, taking the outside lane to arrive close to where it all began for Super Furry Animals.

                                                        Soldering human touch to synths and samplers, Das Koolies come through on their manifesto pledge of incinerating acoustic guitars while unsafely loading as much noise- making machinery onto their studio mains supply as possible. The Condemned, a confrontational, synth-driven outsider anti-anthem comes through as a warm-blood-on-cold- steel rope act of strict automation and humanity, commanding computers and code to find compromise with Ieuan and Bunford’s vocals.

                                                        All tracks from the forthcoming EP were produced by Das Koolies and mixed in collaboration with Chris Shaw (Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, Run-DMC). In a brief statement, Das Koolies say: “Everything for a reason and a reason for everything. A beginning catalysed by the past. Of machines and of man. Let the beat now lead the way.”

                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                        01. The Condemned
                                                        02. Dim Byd Mawr
                                                        03. You Killed My Robot
                                                        04. Grab A Slice

                                                        Exit North

                                                        Anyway, Still

                                                          Exit North are: Japan co-founder, solo artist Steve Jansen, Swedish singer songwriter Thomas Feiner, pianist Ulf Jansson, and renowned Swedish producer/multi-instrumentalist Charlie Storm. Their 2nd studio album ‘Anyway, Still’ continues the quartet’s appetite for exploring provocative song structures. Weaving classic elements such as piano and strings into the layered threads of the bands material. Where intimacy and atmospherics give way to powerful dynamics, animated rhythms and grooves, driving distortions and crescendos in cinematic scale. Like excavators with uncompromising autonomy, Exit North relish the exploration of every nuance and detail of the recorded performance. Artwork contains full lyrics. 

                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                          Barry says: There aren't many composers more qualified to compose dynamic, surprising electronic music than the great Steve Jansen of Japan, and this project sees him team up with Thomas Feiner and Charlie storm for a touching and airy suite of rich modern-classical topped with Feiner's soft but imposing vocal talents. Reminiscent of Michael Gira's vocals atop a more restrained, brittle background hum.

                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                          1. I Only Believe In Untold Stories
                                                          2. Your Story Mine
                                                          3. The Unforeseen
                                                          4. Where The Coin Fell
                                                          5. Bled Out
                                                          6. Us In Half
                                                          7. A Battle Cried
                                                          8. With All The Indifference
                                                          9. In The Game
                                                          10. The Signal

                                                          Dana Gavanski

                                                          When It Comes

                                                            There’s something mesmerising about the fingertips of Dana Gavanski. Conducting each note with a light gracefulness, they appear to dance whilst aiding their owner in expressing the stories behind each of her lighter-than-air tones. Stories which, on her new album When It Comes, may never have been heard if not for healing ‘lost’ vocal cords and a lesson in taking the rough with the smooth.

                                                            “In many ways this record feels like it is my first,” Dana tells. “When I could use my voice, I had to focus so there is an urgency and greater emotional trajectory than before… it’s very connected to vocal presence, which extended into an existential questioning of my connection to music. It felt like a battle at times, which I frequently lost.”

                                                            Arriving where introversion and extroversion meet, When It Comes is Dana’s most vulnerable record to date. A Canadian-Serbian artist unafraid of extremes, she seamlessly blends her love of music from the 50s-70s with mythology. Led by instinct in its purest form, Dana’s latest chapter is an ode to the voice as an instrument – its power, and how intricately it can deliver words to tug at, and tie knots in, every heartstring. “Words can be taken quite literally, but to me, a lot of the time, they are pivots. They point in a direction but don’t necessarily stay there,” she says.

                                                            Just as Dana’s debut Yesterday Is Gone and her covers EP Wind Songs were lauded for their intimacy captured through an innate sense of melody to convey a mood, they traced a timeline of Dana’s teenage years in Vancouver, a move to Montreal and visiting family homes for kitchen talks with her “Baka” (grandma) in Belgrade / Serbia. Her latest was started in Montreal before ending in Belgrade and whilst expressive with French Yé-yé flourishes – offers something altogether more atmospheric and widescreen.

                                                            “Yesterday Is Gone consisted of straightforward pop songs, this album is about searching for something to excite me back into songwriting,” Dana reveals. “It’s about finding the origins of my connection to music, that tenuous but stubborn and strong link - why it draws me and what if anything, I can learn from it. The album title has a heaviness to it but also a lightness, depending on your frame of mind. It’s about being open, and letting it come whatever it is, without judgement.”

                                                            Recorded in London, the original ideas for the record were played out on Dana’s toy Casiotone. Returning to Capitol K’s Total Refreshment Centre (TRC) with partner James Howard, the pair co-produced the songs together and felt very much at home. “James has an effortless musicality and we work together so well. The TRC is a special place, like a community centre,” she recalls. “It’s very understated but important to the people who come through it. It’s a rehearsal space, a recording studio, and there are a handful of music studios.”

                                                            Opening with music box sweetness, ‘I Kiss The Night’s twinkling piano melody paves the way for the baroque Wurlitzer-like nursery rhyme of ‘Bend & Fall’ and mystical lullaby ‘Under The Sky.’ Alongside humour and caricature (‘The Reaper’), mythological romance and spirituality (‘Knowing to Trust’) and idiosyncratic carnival arpeggio grooves (‘Indigo Highway’), the squelchy staccato and subtle jazzy flecks of ‘The Day Unfolds’ and tension release of ‘Letting Go’ dazzle like bokeh in a Nick Drake haze. The autumnal hymnal of ‘Lisa’ meanwhile, was one of the first, more fictional tracks written for the record, from the viewpoint of the sea, watching the protagonist pass by day after day, offering a metaphorical reflection on the natural world around us. “We don’t realize we are surrounded by all this beauty; we’re shut up inside, rushing to get to work, buying books online without ever leaving home. It’s about focus, recognising what’s in front of you.”

                                                            Now planning her headline tour with an expanded 5-piece line-up and taking to the stage for the first time since touring with Porridge Radio, Damian Jurado and Chris Cohen, Dana is currently perfecting her live performance by practising a voice ever more elaborate, and perfecting those subtle hand gestures to match. “I’m so inspired by David Bowie’s performances and discovered he practised mime with Lindsay Kemp early on in his career,” she says of seeking inspiration. “I’ve done some mime classes since and it’s become good practice to go deeper into the body and be less controlled by the humility of the mind.”


                                                            STAFF COMMENTS

                                                            Barry says: There are echoes here, without a doubt of Cyrk era Cate Le Bon, in Gavanski's swooning vocal style and keen melodic ear. There are moments of brittle, thoughtful vulnerability and unease but the general, overwhelming sense is of a warm and familiar wonder. Evocative and satisfying, 'When It Comes' is a beauty.

                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                            1. Kiss The Night
                                                            2. Bend Away And Fall
                                                            3. Letting Go
                                                            4. Under The Sky
                                                            5. The Day Unfolds
                                                            6. Indigo Highway
                                                            7. Lisa
                                                            8. The Reaper
                                                            9. Knowing To Trust

                                                            Gengahr

                                                            Red Sun Titans

                                                              Experimental North London alt-pop outfit Gengahr return with their anticipated new album, Red Sun Titans, produced and mixed by Matt Glasbey.

                                                              Comprising of bassist Hugh Schulte, drummer Danny Ward, lead vocals/guitarist Felix Bushe and guitarist John Victor, Gengahr first arrived in 2015 with their debut album, A Dream Outside, gathering rave reviews for its dark take on dreamy shoegaze and updated approach to British-bred indie rock.

                                                              The band promoted the record on a nationwide and European tour before getting to work on their sophomore effort Where Wilderness Grows (2017), praised by the likes of DIY and The Line of Best Fit. They returned in 2020 for their third LP, Sanctuary, capturing the magic from their debut and featuring hits ‘Heavenly Maybe’ and ‘Icarus’.

                                                              'Red Sun Titans' is Gengahr at their finest – a bold collection of indie pop that sees the beloved UK outfit continue to push the boundaries. 

                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                              Liam says: Well isn't this just lovely? Gengahr are back with another collection a sun-kissed indie alt-pop that channels the likes of Wild Beasts and Bombay Bicycle Club. My 18 year old indie kid self would have LAPPED this up and, to be honest, my haggard 27 year old self can't resist it either - check it!

                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                              1. Alkali
                                                              2. Red Sun Titans
                                                              3. From Beruit (Interlude)
                                                              4. A Ladder
                                                              5. In The Moment
                                                              6. Heels To The Moon
                                                              7. Floating In The Undercurrent (Interlude)
                                                              8. White Lightning
                                                              9. Suburbia
                                                              10. In My Way
                                                              11. The Interview
                                                              12. Haunted Spaces (Interlude)
                                                              13. Napoleon
                                                              14. Collapse

                                                              Gentle Sinners

                                                              These Actions Cannot Be Undone

                                                                Rock Action Records are pleased to present Gentle Sinners, a project by James Graham of The Twilight Sad and....ta dah! Aidan Moffat of Arab Strap! "These Actions Cannot Be Undone" is the brilliant album from two pals who wanted to try something different musically. The outcome being an epic explorative set of songs that stands quite apart from their esteemed work with Arab Strap and The Twilight Sad.

                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                1 Waiting For Nothing
                                                                2 Killing This Time
                                                                3 Let Them Rot Feat. AKG
                                                                4 The Cries
                                                                5 Date & Sign
                                                                1 Rent Free
                                                                2 Shores Of Anhedonia
                                                                3 Face To Fire (After Nyman)
                                                                4 Don't Say Goodnight
                                                                5 Landfill

                                                                Peter Alexander Jobson

                                                                The Piano Tuner - Signed Edition

                                                                  Peter Alexander Jobson: Musician, Composer, Performer. Ex member of Mercury nominated I Am Kloot. On occasion guitar player for Guy Garvey. On occasion bass player for Nadine Shah.

                                                                  Ahead of the release of his debut album in 2022, adopted Mancunian Peter Alexander Jobson brings us this rather wonderful four track EP.

                                                                  "I have been writing and recording my debut album for 50 years. It is now complete."

                                                                  “When men do great things everyone knows it takes them a very long time”.

                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                  Andy says: Imagine the plaintive beauty of Bill Fay, but with a wicked sense of humour. Or Richard Hawley's classicist vibes but topped with a barstool storyteller. Then you'll get some idea of the sound of PAJ. There's a real poise and deep sense of bruised beauty on display here. It's magnificent.

                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                  Side A
                                                                  1. Holiday (Live)
                                                                  2. Just ‘Cause I'm Dead
                                                                  3. Please Please Please

                                                                  Side B
                                                                  1. Kesta

                                                                  John

                                                                  A Life Diagrammatic

                                                                    With March 2023's 7" ‘Theme New Bond Junior’/‘Hopper On The Dial’ reaching No.1 in the UK Vinyl Single Chart, and April 2023's BBC/KEXP supported ‘Trauma Mosaic’ single announcing a debut fifteen date US/CA Tour for October 2023. JOHN consolidate their reputation as a truly uncompromising force with the announcement of their fourth full length A Life Diagrammatic.

                                                                    The album – which features collaborations with award-winning actor Simon Pegg, and Barry Adamson (formerly of The Bad Seeds and seminal post-punk act Magazine) – is released via Brace Yourself Records & Pets Care Records, and is the follow-up to 2021’s Nocturnal Manoeuvres LP which crashed the top 75 of the main UK album chart.

                                                                    “Limitations are key for us,” says drummer and vocalist John Newton. “I never view being a two-piece as a minus - it’s a key idiosyncratic element of what the project is.”

                                                                    For the last decade, and now over four albums, the duo of Newton and Johnny Healey have constantly redefined and expanded the role, function and parameters of what a guitar and drum two-piece can be. No more so is this apparent than on their latest A Life Diagrammatic, a record that harnesses the punch and intensity of their blistering live shows with the band’s increasingly textural, cinematic and expressive sensibilities. “We knew the direction we wanted to go in after the last record,” Healey says of Nocturnal Manoeuvres. “We had started moving towards soundscapes rather than straight-up noise and four to the floor structure.”

                                                                    The level of thought, ambition and scope is what makes JOHN such a captivating and genre-defying band, and A Life Diagrammatic such a rich and evocative listening experience. And the album artwork is perhaps a perfect metaphor for the band itself: a surface level glance may only reveal the basic function of an ostensible two-piece rock band but undertake a full service and you’ll discover a wealth of complexity, technicality, skill and function. Or quite simply, as Healey himself says, “we're not just a rock band. There's more to it than that.”

                                                                    Seth Manchester (Big Brave, Battles, METZ) was brought in to mix the album, with Frank Arkwright (Mogwai, Arab Strap, Squarepusher, Autechre) mastering it at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. The aim being to merge the powerful live presence of the band whilst also honing in on some of the more varied dynamics at play. “We wanted to further explore the space and ambience of our instrumentation,” says Newton. “To offer an album that deliberately pushes and pulls in a multitude of directions throughout its duration.”

                                                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                    Laura says: On their fourth album John continue to evolve their sound, adding more experimentation to their driving guitar and drums onslaught. As with previous releases, the taut guitar riffs create a tension throughout the album as it sweeps between brooding atmospherics and explosive outbursts, but there’s a more nuanced, cinematic feel this time around. This is typified on “Media Res” which features a strange, slightly unnerving monologue from Simon Pegg - a distorted conversation that you only hear one side of. Typical of the whole album there’s an ambiguity to the narrative that sucks you in and forces you to listen. There’s no snappy sloganeering here, the lyrical depth is integral to the sound as a whole, it’s an album that demands your attention. Still not convinced? Then surely a nod of approval, in the shape of a collaboration on “Riddley Scott Walker”, from the king of cinematic noir, Barry Adamson, should surely seal the deal.

                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                    1. At Peacehaven
                                                                    2. Media Res
                                                                    3. Côte D’Adur
                                                                    4. A Submersible
                                                                    5. A Whole House
                                                                    6. Service Stationed
                                                                    7. Construction Site/Summer_22
                                                                    8. Trauma Mosaic
                                                                    9. Riddley Scott Walker
                                                                    10. The Common Cold

                                                                    Scottish five-piece band Marouli, led by musician and composer Graham McCusker unveil their debut album "Tall Tales From A Distant Uncle". A determined and heart felt record, it was recorded after McCusker successful beat lukemia and, with a unique and quirky turn, pays homage to Billy Connolly's storytelling tradition. 

                                                                    It features Alex Hill on keys, saxophonist Josh Poole (Bill Laurance, The Beautiful South), bass player Nick Waldock and former drummer Xavier Winton (G4). The band, which now features Matt Brown on drums, has a sound that is inspired by jazz and pop artists like Steely Dan and Gregory Porter, as well as those from Graham’s classical roots, like J.S. Bach. It has a vintage sound which is hard to date, like a good tweed jacket. McCusker's vocal shines through like beautifully polished oak, rich and syrupy; whilst the muscians involved are deceptively locked into each others groove; natural yet complex arrangements flowing from the backline like luxurious carpet. There's a warmth like a good camp fire or freshly baked bread that's hard to articulate but instantly felt throughout the duration of the LP. Drawing elements from blues, rock and throwback pop "Tall Tales From A Distant Uncle" creates a cinematic sound that is classic yet fresh.

                                                                    Songwriter Graham and keyboard player Alex Hill met when they were students in 2018 and with the addition of three college friends, the lineup was complete and Marouli was born. The album was recorded at Angelic Studios near Banbury and at Hope Mill Studios in Manchester. Artwork is by Paul Hemmingfield.


                                                                    *** ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY plus special guests:

                                                                    Friday 28th October - The Eagle Inn - 7:30pm. 

                                                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                    Matt says: McCusker's tales sink deep into the psyche; a collection of songs that reflect the overcoming of adversity that the band leader has endured. It's a triumph - unshakingly sincere, with skilled and sophisticated song writing and arrangements that feel warm, friendly and inviting. One of those albums that feels like a long lost friend returning time and time again.

                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                    1. Let Her Go
                                                                    2. Shane
                                                                    3. Thoughts On A Thursday
                                                                    4. Where Do They Go
                                                                    5. I'll Keep On Running
                                                                    6. When You're Afraid
                                                                    7. The Boy With The Stone In His Shoe
                                                                    8. Fumblin'
                                                                    9. Strange But True
                                                                    10. Can't I Dream?

                                                                    Nile Marr

                                                                    Lonely Heart Killers

                                                                      Following on from 2020's debut album 'Are You Happy Now?', Manchester's Nile Marr returns with Self Care, the first track off his sophomore LP 'Lonely Hearts Killers'.

                                                                      "I wanted to this one to feel different to my previous album. Songs came out quickerand I mostly recorded it at night in the Mill, I just tried to go with the late night vibe" says Marr.

                                                                      "I got back into listening to all the bands that made me want to write songs in the first place, like the Lilys and Neil Finn. I guess the whole album was trying to focus on song writing, and because I couldn’t play live during lockdown, I focussed more on song writing rather than ‘I know this works at our live shows', so I feel like this one differs in every wayfrom my previous album".

                                                                      For fans of Broken Social Scene, Big Star and Elliott Smith

                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                      Barry says: Nile Marr is back! This time sees him partially eschew the soaring britpop indebted groove of 2020's 'Are You Happy Now?' in favour of a more distinguished and broad palette of sounds, veering towards west-coast sunshine pop and jangling, grand stadium rock.

                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                      A1 Lonely Hearts Killers
                                                                      A2 The Rush
                                                                      A3 Self Care
                                                                      A4 You Pull Me In
                                                                      A5 Birdsong
                                                                      B1 Eyes Like Deer
                                                                      B2 Skin
                                                                      B3 Late Night Champion
                                                                      B4 Two Words
                                                                      B5 The Easiest Game
                                                                      B6 Run The Last Mile

                                                                      Growing Bin switches back into reissue mode with an off-kilter obscurity from Austrian eccentrics Molto Brutto. Equal parts amateur funk, indie jangle, art rock and idiot pop, "2" is a real weird bastard with a whole lot of charm. As the Bin continues to grow in all directions, there's plenty of space for new sounds to take root. Alongside patches of Ambient, Balearic, Kosmische and Jazz, Hamburg's audio allotment now stretches to accommodate the strange waves of Molto Brutto.

                                                                      Basso dug their first LP a decade back in Stuttgart's Second Hand Records, embracing their abrasive style of sandpaper sonics and experimental urges. Interest piqued, he made the journey through their DIY catalogue, capturing excellent collaborations under the Ganslinger alias before bumping into the second of their two LPs. Originally released on their Golfdish imprint in 1988, "2" walks into the pub with an air of accessibility, but quickly unravels into glorious chaos - pissing in the corner and passing out on the bar. Pop structures are suggested then subverted.

                                                                      Pints of Paisley slosh out of a broken Glass, tape loops spool onto shabby Material, and indie janglers are just a couple of stamps short of a Postcard.

                                                                      Turning you tipsy, this loveable rogue starts to tell you his life story, but you're going to have to fill in some blanks. They miss 'Blackie', but who is he - a dog? What happened on the 'Deadly Vacation'? Is that song really about a 'Goldfish', or did they find out the name of America's horse? Words repeat until they lose all meaning, awkward poetry masks a lost laureate and a drunken Wurlitzer sends the room into a spin.

                                                                      The pubs are shut, so get happy drunk with Molto Brutto.

                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                      Patrick says: Growing Bin throw a fuzzed out curveball at the Balearic crowd here with a reissue of this Austrian post punk / DIY pop rarity from Molto Brutto. Coming out the gates with cold wave curios, nutso synth-funk, C86 style jangle, this is one weird bastard - and I love it!

                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                      A1. Chant
                                                                      A2. Sadman
                                                                      A3. Blacky
                                                                      A4. Deadly Vacation
                                                                      A5. Smalltalk
                                                                      B1. Time
                                                                      B2. Secret Life
                                                                      B3. No Monkey No Work
                                                                      B4. Go Ahead Goldfish
                                                                      B5. Psychobilly

                                                                      The Orielles

                                                                      The Goyt Method

                                                                        The Orielles on The Goyt Method: Our concept for The Goyt Method was birthed from our interest in cybernetics, improvisation and experimental electronic music. We wanted to zoom out of ‘Tableau’ (the band’s third album released in 2022) and disconnect all the pieces, rearranging them in new ways to create variations of songs, which encapsulate the whole record. We left this part of the process completely down to chance, adopting an online roulette wheel to choose our stems. This way of creating music was familiar to us from spending a lot of time remixing and record collecting, gaining an invested interest in deep listening and avant-garde electronic music.

                                                                        The name itself comes from the initial location in which we remixed with Joel Patchett, a wintery and freezing cold Goyt Mill. From here, we coined the term ‘Goytism’ or ‘to Goyt’ which was basically our way of describing the process of repurposing and resampling acoustic sounds through digital production, making them unrecognisable from their original source.

                                                                        The photograph on the sleeve was taken in winter 2020, our first visit to the Mill studio, our first Goyt session. 


                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                        Side A:
                                                                        1. Tableau 001
                                                                        2. Tableau 002
                                                                        3. Improvisation 002
                                                                        Side B:
                                                                        1. Tableau 003
                                                                        2. Tableau 004 

                                                                        OSEES

                                                                        Intercepted Message

                                                                          A pop record for tired times. Sugared with bits of shatterproof glass to put more crack in your strap. At long last, verse / chorus. A weathered thesaurus. This is OSEES bookend sound. Early grade garage pop meets protosynth punk suicide-repellant. Have a whack at the grass or listen while flat on your ass. Heaps of electronic whirling accelerants to gum up your cheapskate broadband. Social media toilet scrapers unite! Allow your 24-hour news cycle eyes to squint at this smiling abattoir doorman. You can find your place here at long last. All are welcome from the get go to the finale…a distant crackling transmission of 80s synth last-dance-of-the-night tune for your lost loves. Suffering from Politic amnesia? Bored of AI-generated pop slop? Then this one is for you, our friends. Wasteland wanderer, stick around. Love y’all. For fans of Teutonic synth punk and Thee Oh Sees (who the fuck are they?)” — John Dwyer.

                                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                          Barry says: The brilliant OSEES are back with a vitriolic blast of fuzzy guitars, frenetic percussion and wonky synth sweeps. Dwyer and co are without a doubt at the forefront of the garage/indie movement, crafting a sound that's both hugely impactful and undoubtedly their own, with more than a hint of irony peeking through here and there. Brilliantly done, as ever.

                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                          1. Stunner
                                                                          2. Blank Chems
                                                                          3. Intercepted Message
                                                                          4. Die Laughing
                                                                          5. Unusual & Cruel
                                                                          6. The Fish Needs A Bike
                                                                          7. Goon
                                                                          8. Chaos Heart
                                                                          9. Submerged Building
                                                                          10. Sleazoid Psycho
                                                                          11. Always At Night
                                                                          12. LADWP Hold

                                                                          TVAM

                                                                          High Art Lite

                                                                            TVAM self-released his much-acclaimed debut Psychic Data in the autumn of 2018, something of a cult-classic, the album joined the dots between Suicide’s deconstructed rock ’n’ roll, Boards of Canada’s irresistible nostalgia and My Bloody Valentine’s infinite noise. Psychic Data spawned an ‘Album Of The Day’ at BBC 6Music whilst signature tune ‘Porsche Majeure’ featured in HBO’s smash-hit ‘Succession’.

                                                                            Fast forward the VCR to 2022, High Art Lite takes a different tilt to its predecessor by emphasising the immediate and the personal.The colours are blown-out and the brightness is cranked up.TVAM’s take on role models, fictional movie character tropes, and fables of good and evil, are all tackled with the same suspicious cynicism but this time with an urgent belief in the human condition.

                                                                            A heady mix of Black Mirror’s modern fables, JG Ballard’s gated communities of sun-drenched wealth, and Mulholland Drive’s boulevard of broken daydreams, High Art Lite offers an all-inclusive package of redemption.

                                                                            High Art Lite is the first-ever Dinked Edition collaboration with Invada Records.

                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                            Side A
                                                                            Future Flesh
                                                                            Every Day In Every Way
                                                                            Club Nautico (Part 1)
                                                                            Piz Buin
                                                                            Double Lucifer
                                                                            Shallow Ends
                                                                            Side B
                                                                            Semantics
                                                                            Say Anything
                                                                            Host
                                                                            Club Nautico (Part 2)
                                                                            High Art Lite

                                                                            "The Pink Album", is dawn and dusk, the epic and the intimate. This 22-track double album, its title inspired by the artwork of Julian House, features collaborations with Jarvis Cocker, Étienne Daho, Raven Violet and Jon Spencer. It has its modulations: shocking at times but signifying also tenderness, intimacy, the carnal. It knows the shades of love, its nuances, and how it can be delicious - and frightening. Marvellous - and aching. Rather than be the silver lining to the cloud, "The Pink Album" mines deeper, to a precious ore, dark and glittering.

                                                                            Unloved: Jade Vincent, Keefus Ciancia, David Holmes. In Los Angeles, Ciancia - producer, keyboardist & creator of soundtracks - met David Holmes, the innovative, inquisitive and ingenious Belfast DJ who recast himself as master of song and image for film and television. Ciancia invited Holmes to the Rotary Room in Los Feliz, where the extraordinary Jade Vincent was singing.

                                                                            Tuesday nights in the Rotary Room in Los Feliz: a place of thrilling sonic alchemy, where musicians could experiment and collaborate at Ciancia and Vincent’s long-running salon. Holmes was asked to DJ and then to curate another night – and then another.

                                                                            Nights bled into later nights. Conversation spun into collaboration. These three artists, kindred spirits, sonic familiars, spoke the same language, one whose lexicon included Jack Nitzsche, Morricone, Nino Rota, the electronic sounds of Raymond Scott, the vocabulary of vocal instrumentalists and fearless raconteurs, Edda Dell’Orso, Ruth White, Françoise Hardy, Connie Francis, Brigitte Fontaine, Jacques Brel, Elvis and Lee Hazlewood. Finding sound and programmed beats, Keefus and David excavated and innovated, experimented and re-interpreted, creating a landscape for Jade’s melodies and lyrics, for sublime songs of lament and confession. The legendary Hollywood Vox Studios was where the Unloved trio formally came together as a band, in a studio almost original to its 1936 incarnation.

                                                                            Unloved’s immersive power and playful menace has fitted the slippery thriller series Killing Eve like a velvet glove, the thread to the needle. The music and sound of Unloved plays an integral role as their music is the soundtrack, the score, one of the core characters unseen.

                                                                            And now, in 2022, it’s the magnificent, metaphysical "The Pink Album". Be seduced by the whispered, languorous, bluesy, not so sweet nothings of “Love Experiment” and the lippy insouciance of “Turn Of The Screw”. Thrill to the infinite variety: “Mother’s Been A Bad Girl” is brazen, and “I Don’t Like You Anymore” gloriously sultry. “Foolin’”, where languid, world-weary jazz sounds are skewed by a phantasmagoric organ from a funfair hallucinated, and there’s the sparkling fury and celestial chorus of “Rainbrose”, as though some flower-festooned goddess is emerging.

                                                                            Go from the jaunty keyboards and hey! hey! hey! of “WTC” to the melancholic poise of “Ever”, the jittery electropop of “Girl Can’t Help It”, to the spacious Morricone-tinged “Lucky”. Be reminded that the past is a snare, the future doesn’t care. All we have is Now. There is psychedelic world-warping sound, but also times when reality is acutely, achingly, present. “Number In My Phone” is a beautiful, wistful paean to those no longer here. Jade’s remarkable voice - whispering, icy, lush, wounded, smoky - unifies the album with its striking diversity.

                                                                            Unvarnished, unabashed, unbridled, uncensored: rising from the ashes, this is raw emotion transmogrified. This is experimental free-flow form, from instrumental arrangement to voice. It’s Man, Woman, Human, Love and Death.

                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                            01. Rainbrose
                                                                            02. Waiting For Tomorrow
                                                                            03. Now
                                                                            04. Girl Can't Help It
                                                                            05. I Don’t Like You Anymore
                                                                            06. Foolin'
                                                                            07. Mother’s Been A Bad Girl
                                                                            08. Boowaah
                                                                            09. Lucky
                                                                            10. WTC
                                                                            11. Sorry, Baby
                                                                            12. Number In My Phone
                                                                            13. Call Me When You Have A Clue
                                                                            14. No Substance
                                                                            15. Love Experiment
                                                                            16. Turn Of The Screw
                                                                            17. To The Day I Die
                                                                            18. Walk On, Yeah
                                                                            19. Accountable
                                                                            20. There’s No Way
                                                                            21. Ever
                                                                            22. Thinkin' About Her

                                                                            Zaya

                                                                            No Words

                                                                              Zaya is a nomadic traveler currently residing in the Arab Emirates. ‘No Words’ is a collection of ideas worked on over a three year period with the occasional swapping of ideas with his best friend in rainy Manchester. A sun-kissed collage of hazy bedroom guitar instrumentals and blissed-out passages of psychedelic? rock..

                                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                              Andy says: If only Whyte Horses, with their beautiful way with melody, were to ever release an instrumental LP......waiiiiit a minute!!!

                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                              SIDE A
                                                                              1. Lost Souvenir
                                                                              2. Triangular Dreams
                                                                              3. Interlude 01
                                                                              4. We Made It
                                                                              5. Interlude 02
                                                                              6. Long Way To Get There
                                                                              7. Tripoli
                                                                              SIDE B
                                                                              1. Lonely Jewel
                                                                              2. Interlude 03
                                                                              3. Taste Of Gold
                                                                              4. Interlude 04
                                                                              5. Thought I Told You
                                                                              6. Had To Go


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