Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever return in 2022 with Endless Rooms, the Melbourne quintet's third album proper. Described by the band – comprised of Fran Keaney, Joe White, Marcel Tussie and brothers Tom Russo and Joe Russo – as them "Doing what we do best: chasing down songs in a room together", Endless Rooms stands as a testament to the collaborative spirit and live power of RBCF.

While initial ideas were traded online during long spells spent separated by lockdowns, the album was truly born during small windows of freedom in which the band would decamp to a mud-brick house in the bush around 2hrs north of Melbourne built by the extended Russo family in the 1970s.

There, its 12 tracks took shape, informed to such an extent by the acoustics and ambience of the rambling lakeside house that they decided to record the album there. The house also features on the album cover. For the first time, the band self-produced the record (alongside engineer, collaborator and old friend, Matt Duffy), creating their most naturalistic and expansive document yet. The result is a collection of songs permeated by the spirit of the place; punctuated by field recordings of rain, fire, birds, and wind.

"It's almost an anti-concept album," say the band. "The ‘endless rooms’ of the title reflects our love of creating worlds in our songs. We treat each of them as a bare room to be built up with infinite possibilities."

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Aaah, there's nothing quite as satisfying as a new RCBF album. Their latest definitely sounds like them, with the roaring angular guitar lines and post-punk vocal sneer but is somehow softened into a more crepuscular, thoughtful selection of pieces. It's by no means a mellow record, but their usual drive is tempered a little, and all the better for it. A lovely record.

TRACK LISTING

Pearl Like You
Tidal River
The Way It Shatters
Caught Low
My Echo
Dive Deep
Open Up Your Window
Blue Eye Lake
Saw You At The Eastern Beach
Vanishing Dots
Endless Rooms
Bounce Off The Bottom

'Once Twice Melody', the first album produced entirely by Beach House, was recorded at Pachyderm studio in Cannon Falls, MN, United Studio in Los Angeles, CA, and Apple Orchard Studios in Baltimore, MD.

For the first time, a live string ensemble was used, with arrangements by David Campbell. Once Twice Melody was mostly mixed by Alan Moulder but a few tracks were also mixed by Caesar Edmunds, Trevor Spencer, and Dave Fridmann.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: It's heartening to see every development of Beach House add to their already significant musical foundations, this time sees a significant orchestral presence come to the fore, ofsetting their usual hazy swagger but perfectly fitting in with their already wildly cinematic inclinations. It's a beautiful and perfect meeting of melody and ambience, while retaining their airy, otherworldly sound.

TRACK LISTING

1. Once Twice Melody
2. Superstar
3. Pink Funeral
4. Through Me
5. Runaway
6. ESP
7. New Romance
8. Over And Over
9. Sunset
10. Only You Know
11. Another Go Around
12. Masquerade
13. Illusion Of Forever
14. Finale
15. The Bells
16. Hurts To Love
17. Many Nights
18. Modern Love Stories

When Porridge Radio’s Dana Margolin, one of the most vital new voices in rock, began to consider the themes of her new album, three vivid words began to emerge: joy, fear and endlessness. The artwork of the band’s third full-length, Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky, is a surreal image that evokes the ducks and dives, slippery slopes and existential angst of life in recent times. “To me, the feelings of joy, fear and endlesses coexist together,” says Dana. “You’re never just happy or unhappy.”

Following Every Bad’s release in 2020, Margolin was quickly becoming regarded as one of the most magnetic band leaders around. But if Every Bad established Dana’s bravery in laying herself bare, her band’s third record takes that to anthemic new heights. While there are moments of guttural release, she also finds soft power on songs. “I used to think I had to be loud to be heard,” she admits, “but now I’m definitely less afraid of being gentle.” The band’s first new single, ‘Back To The Radio’, sets out their stall, a lurching call to arms that contrasts Dana’s lyrics of panic and closing herself off. This song is just one of example in WDBLTTS that explores something that has long been an important part of Porridge Radio’s process: playfulness. “I think the album needed to have that balance,” Dana explains.

Balance: that’s the word the album seems to be eternally striving for – joy, fear and endlessness in harmony but also self-acceptance. Dana is more aware of how she’s creating a persona as her star continues to rise, and how she’s singing personal songs that now belong to other people which gives her purpose. She says, “I wrote these songs for myself, but I think everyone wants to feel like what they’re doing is useful in some way. I’m ready to embrace it all now, whatever happens.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: There's a wonderful strength around the new Porridge Radio LP, it's bold and it's nuanced and anthemic but it's also defiant, with moments of instrumental and lyrical fragility perfectly offset by grand crescendos and almost post-rock levels of intensity. Beautifully written and melodic throughout, but with both moments of divine joy and passages of honest vulnerability.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A:
1. Back To The Radio
2. Trying
3. Birthday Party
4. End Of Last Year
5. Rotten
6. U Can Be Happy If U Want To

SIDE B:
7. Flowers
8. Jealousy
9. I Hope She’s OK 2
10. Splintered
11. The Rip
12. Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky

With their new album, If I Never Know You Like This Again, SOAK has finally shaken the hangover of their starry debut Before We Forgot How To Dream, and the pressures that came with it, hiding in the wings of their ambitious follow up album, Grim Town. Having come up through BBC introducing at the tender age of 15 before signing to Rough Trade Records as well as winning the RTE Choice Music Prize, The Northern Irish Music Prize and the youngest ever Mercury Prize nominee, SOAK has again and again been described as ‘the voice of a generation.’

Showing from a young age an intensely artistic awareness of the poetry of memory, Bridie Monds-Watson, aka SOAK, would incessantly photograph and video everything, documenting and organising the material so it was always there for them to revisit. ”I always want to remember exactly how I felt at a certain moment.” Now, at 25, SOAK’s third album ‘If I Never Know You Like This Again', is naturally made up of what Bridie intimately calls “song-memories”.

Working closely with Tommy McLaughlin (Villagers), with whom Bridie has been collaborating with since the age of 15, and armed with influences from Pavement, to Radiohead to Broken Social Scene, they wrote most of the album together before recording it with the rest of the band in Attica Studios, Donegal. Throughout the album SOAK pushes and pulls at melodies, but never milks their brilliance. Bridie masterfully glides their vocal melody slightly off-kilter above excitable compressed high hats and flourishing guitar lines. With the new direction of a grungier, more lo-fi production the swooning guitars are given a contemporary pop-edge, reflected in the rich and robust musicality of songs like ‘Bleach’, ‘Last July’ and ‘Pretzel’. There’s a constant pulsating beat at the album’s centre, propelling it towards a kind of dewy happiness, like the end credits of a 90s coming-of-age film. Bridie’s lyrics move through the songs almost as effortlessly and they sing them, and the songs when read, read like poetry. With this album Bridie is, as the title suggests, freezing time in the pursuit of truth: capturing their life into existence.

In the world of ‘If I Never Know You Like This Again’, a life is lived only because it's remembered.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Falling somewhere between the youthful vigour of pop-punk and the fuzzy guitars and snappy bass of garage, all softened with the beautiful vocals of Monds-Watson. Another gorgeous, heartfelt outing from one of the most distinctive voices in indie music.

TRACK LISTING

Purgatory
Last July
Bleach
Get Well Soon
Red-eye
Guts
Baby, You’re Full Of Shit
Pretzel
Neptune
Swear Jar

Twice Mercury Prize nominated, 5 time Ivor Novello nominated and critically acclaimed, Everything Everything launch their new forthcoming studio album 'Raw Data Feel'.

On Raw Data Feel, Everything Everything set about revolutionising modern pop music, with Higgs abandoning his own brain and letting technology do at least some of the thinking: feeding LinkedIn T&Cs, Beowulf, 4Chan forum text and the teachings of Confucius into A.I. automation processes and using its responses as a basis for the record's lyrics, song titles and artworking.

This new phase is a rapturous return and - staying true to form - sees the band continue to push the ribbon on melody & rhythm with a heavy helping of electronic exploration.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Everything Everything are back! This time taking the fruitful modern phenomena of AI generation and neural networks to produce some of the most effervescent and poppy productions we've heard from EE thus far. It's brilliantly surprising in parts, but so seamlessly put together that you can't fail to enjoy it. Sleek pop perfection.

TRACK LISTING

1. Teletype
2. I Want A Love Like This
3. Bad Friday
4. Pizza Boy
5. Jennifer
6. Metroland Is Burning
7. Leviathan
8. Shark Week
9. Cut UP!
10. HEX
11. My Computer
12. Kevin’s Car
13. Born Under A Meteor
14. Software Greatman

Hailing from New York and currently based in Berlin, musician Curses releases sophomore LP ‘Incarnadine’ on label Dischi Autunno, operated by music pioneer Jennifer Cardini, featuring collaborations with Jennifer Touch and TERR.

Known for blending his Morricone–esque guitar with elements from early 80s music genres like New Wave, Post Punk and New Beat, Curses keeps pushing the boundaries of these references with an emphasis on his own ghostly vocals and guitars on the 2nd album for Dischi Autunno, following his 2018 debut ‘Romantic Fiction’. A resident DJ for Berlin’s infamous Pornceptual party, he also established his own label Ombra INTL in 2016. Further solidifying his love for genre-hopping, Curses runs a monthly Rinse France radio residency where he showcases artists who also share this passion for mixing Wave and the dark and weirder side of Italo Disco.

“The album is a dialogue between the inner self and outer, and romance of eternal and immortal existence. Hence the first single, ‘Miriam’ being a ballad to the Vampiress main character in The Hunger book and film from the 80s. How do we make an emotion timeless?“

Cult classic film The Hunger explores themes of immortality, love and timelessness, the post-modern vampire film contains a dark glamorous atmosphere and stars David Bowie. In a similar way we can see this reference transposed on Curses record. Slick production values and dark grooving melodies push the listener down a path. Opening with cloying nostalgic guitars the track ‘Miriam’ is based on the antagonistic lover from the 80s film. Played by Catherine Deneuve, Miriam is a character trapped in eternal loneliness forever searching for a love that can last the test of time. A battle between her internal desires and external reality. In the same way Curses music is caught in a push and pull between the melancholic beats of the past, contrasted with a contemporary and sophisticated production.

With ‘Boundless feat Jennifer Touch’ Curses turns his references on their heads, going from the dark moody guitar driving tracks akin to Depeche Mode into a more playful goth Siouxsie and the Banshees vibe. With vocals by Touch the melody is fast and dynamic with the lyrics almost holding a teasing quality. ‘Smoke’ continues the playfulness but this time pushing further into dance floor territory with vocal samples weaving in and out of a moody but very smooth rhythm. With ‘Ghost of Arms feat TERR’ Curses explores an ethereal pop atmosphere with the Brazilian artist’s vocals. Throughout the LP you can hear the signature running bass-lines from Dame Bonnet who tours with Curses for his live show. ‘Made In Shade’ closes out the album, paying homage to Curses’ musical roots and the sounds that have shaped him.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Incarnadine is a superbly accomplished mixture of 80's indebted post-punk groove and spacious, gothic ambient business. It's reminicent of Blackest Ever Black's Tropic Of Cancer, but veers more into basement post-punk and machinated industrial thump.

TRACK LISTING

A1 - Miriam
A2 - Blood Oath
A3 - Gretchen Bender
B1 - Boundless Feat Jennifer Touch
B2 - Smoke
B3 - Coma
C1 - Déjà-vu, Inc.
C2 - Malice (Interlude)
D1 - Ghost Of Amrs Feat. Terr
D2 - Made In Shade

In association with DJ Amir and 180 Proof Records, BBE Music proudly presents ‘Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Reimagined by Jazzanova’, a brand new celebration of the iconic imprint. How does the Berlin-based production collective Jazzanova find itself reimagining songs from the iconic, Detroit record label Strata? “I couldn’t think of a more perfect band to do this work,” DJ Amir says about Jazzanova, a combination of DJs, record collectors and musicians, “because they brought passion and love to the project, because they know the music and love the music. And on top of that, they know how to play.” This unlikely, yet ideal pairing is the result of years of work and passion from Amir Abdullah, the crate-digging, DJ and label-head for 180-Proof Records which in 2011 began reissuing the groundbreaking Strata Records back catalog and unreleased gems from the vaults. On Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Reimagined by Jazzanova, DJ Amir and Jazzanova breathe new life into eleven hand-picked tracks from the Strata catalog for fans of the label’s historic recordings and new ears alike. Strata Records rose from the ashes of Detroit’s tumultuous 1960s decline..

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A superb compilation from the ever reliable BBE which sees renowned collective Jazzanova reimagining the output of Detroit stalwart label Strata. It's an absolute wealth of amazing material to draw on, and the endlessly talented Jazzanova do it great justice here. A match made in heaven.

TRACK LISTING

Disc: 1
1. Introduction
2. Face At My Window
3. Root In 7-4 Plus
4. Lost My Love
5. Creative Musicians
6. Joy Road
Disc: 2
1. Orotunds
2. Inside Ourselves
3. Scorpio’s Child
4. Beyond The Dream
5. Saturday Night Special
6. Loser

“I went back to my roots,” says Émilie Tiersen (née Quinquis). “And I realised how much Breton culture was a part of me.”

Émilie Tiersen has, over the course of two albums and several years, made music as Tiny Feet and is now, with the release of Seim, her debut for Mute, known as QUINQUIS. The name change is symbolic; simultaneously paying homage to her personal and family history by referencing her maiden name, as well as representing a fresh start musically. “It’s been a new start for many things,” Émilie says. “Self-acceptance has been a really big thing for me.”

From forging a deeper connection to her own culture, history and identity, to exploring new musical terrain and becoming a mother, it’s been a period filled with significant change. It was during this time that she began to explore new ideas. “I was on tour with Yann [her husband, Yann Tiersen] and our baby,” she recalls. “During my baby's nap I created a rule for myself: to come up with one new idea in every new city. From the very beginning this was a journey.”

Soon people began to join Émilie on this journey. Characters - some from her own life, others rooted in the history of Breton culture - began to come alive in song ideas. She discovered Ankou, a servant of death in Breton mythology who comes to see you in the year that you die; she explored Seiz Breur, a 1923 Breton art movement founded by a young woman in the very same small village she is from; she tapped into the lives of friends, exploring a rich tapestry of people, places, emotions and stories all tied together by a shared commonplace: Brittany. “I put the stories of those people around mine so that I could have them share this journey with me.”

“It’s been a really rich and nourishing period,” Émilie says. “I've discovered what it is to be a mother. To have a son has answered many questions I had about life and roots, and so this was the first step to a very deep discovery. I am raising my child in the Breton language, so there was this kind of rebooting of the whole system.”

Once these ideas began to mutate into something more musical, she connected with Gareth Jones, celebrated producer who has worked with groups such as Liars, Depeche Mode and Apparat. He initially offered to play some synths but their partnership grew into something more. “The record revealed itself in the back-and-forth Gareth and I had,” she says. “It was really unexpected because Gareth and I are quite the opposite. We are really different on paper but through this album we've shared something unexpected. He’s got a bit of a mentor aura - he was the light to my darkness.”

The result of their work is one that merges sparse electronics, immersive atmospherics, and deft melodies, all of which are carried by Émilie’s tender yet quietly soaring vocals. The opening ‘Adkrog’ (aptly translated as ‘Start Again’) stirs the album to life with soothing yet unpredictable pulsations, as though a new world is awakening and working out its newfound surroundings. “It's about finding the energy in environment and nature,” she explains. “When I was feeling desperate, I sat outside and I prayed for nature to give me some answers. This song is about that - if you just let go then nature gives you an answer.” ‘Setu’, on the other hand, a story about the aforementioned Ankou is driven by scattered beats, floating vocals and considered sonic textures that bubble up from peaceful to potent.

The subtle arrangements across the album are reflective of a philosophy Émilie was exploring. “I'd been reading into wabi-sabi,” she explains. “It's a Japanese way of thinking about finding beauty in imperfections. The idea was to accept my imperfections and find the beauty in simple and small things. Minimalism has impacted the album - to try to find a way to stay humble.”

Collaborations also extend to Ólavur Jákupsson, who sings in Faroese on ‘Run’ (which translates to ‘Hill’), a song about being woken up by a blast of cold wind on top of a hill, which melds woozy tones, plucked strings, engulfing atmospheres and Émilie’s intimate and whispered vocals. On ‘Netra Ken’ the writer and endurance cyclist Emily Chappell features, reading an extract from her book (in Welsh) “Where There’s A Will”, capturing her determination and resilience. Talking about the use of language on the album, she explains, "I think languages are a living way of telling people’s mind and culture, their diversity brings us closer and helps us understand better. That’s why I was happy to have Welsh and Faroese along with Breton in the record… they are somehow cultures that seem close to mine.”

To make it even more unique, Émilie sings throughout in Breton. “Singing in the Breton language made me realise what I was made from,” she says. “Everything was suddenly easier and it gave me more freedom. It's a very special language and so to write interesting lyrics was a process of researching but it was so nourishing to discover new stuff about nature or people thanks to that language.”

Nature is key to the album and lends itself to the title, as well as key themes in individual songs. The album title Seim translates as “sap”. “It's really about when you have low energy,” Tiersen says, “and you need to recollect the sap so that the tree gets green again. The whole album was really about making me green again. The more I recorded music, the more I felt green.”

This sense of rejuvenation, rebirth and a musical awakening coincided with Émilie plunging into her own community, history and culture. “The more I was learning about myself, the more I was discovering the people around me,” she says. “Now I'm on the City Council here on Ushant [the remote Breton island she and her family live on]. The more I go into it, the more involved I am in the Ushant community. I really felt during these past few years that people have been so supportive.”

This feeling of being lifted by the community is reflected in ‘Ôg’ a story about a woman from Ushant whose husband went to work at sea (the oil tanker Betelgeuse) while she was 8 months pregnant. All 52 men died, 51 on board, with the exception of her husband who died trying to make it ashore.” The widows of the 51 men on board came together to help the woman with clothes and other things for the baby. “This story really resonated with me.”

This sense of interconnectedness leads to the album being a multifaceted one. It is deeply personal and introspective yet also collaborative and expansive. It is rooted in both historical and modern stories. It is an album that connects worlds while being entirely its own. “There is something cosmic about it,” says Émilie. “I don't know how to explain that but the way it happened with Gareth, and the way everything just suddenly all came together feels like cosmic harmony.”

It’s also an album that brings to life, in a singular and contemporary way, the lives, stories and people of the Breton culture and its language. “The album was a way for me to tell stories of the people here. I really felt that during the whole process that through stories I could tell the history of Brittany or Ushant. It's an album that is full of ghosts. I'm happy with that. I have a good relationship with ghosts.” 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Seim is a striking collection of swooning electronic anthems, rooted in club music, but tempered into a hazy post-party wooze, all topped with soft French vocals. It's a wonderfully written evocative set of electronic anthems, and perfectly at home on Mute.

TRACK LISTING

1. Adkrog
2. Eñvor
3. Setu
4. Run
5. Mintin
6. Estren
7. Netra Ken
8. Ôg
9. An Divare
10. Te

Jimi Tenor has always been something of a Renaissance man. On leaving his Finnish homeland for New York in the early 1990s, and later as he travelled through Europe, he quickly discovered what he calls his ikigai, his great joy in life: to record and produce music in DIY mode at home with the most rudimentary of means, spont- aneously and intuitively. In more than 30 years of making music, Tenor has remained true to his ideal, whether as a solo artist on his early electronic albums or in the widely diverse collaborations and constellations which followed (with the likes of Tony Allen, Kabu Kabu, Abdissa Assefa). "Multiversum" is now his third album for Hamburg-based label Bureau B.

Jimi Tenor and Bureau B first teamed up in 2020 on the former's "NY, Hel, Barca" retrospective and continued their association with the release of "Deep Sound Learning", a collection of rarities, in spring 2021.

Whilst Tenor has predominantly released jazz and Afrobeat records over the past two decades, his live performances have often seen him return to his minimalist roots. Enthralled by how Jimi Tenor the solo artist conjured up his space music with just a synthesizer, flute and saxophone, Bureau B ultimately invited him to record an album with this basic and yet astoundingly effective set-up.

Within just a few months, Tenor delivered an impressive selection of new pieces to Bureau B; all recorded in his Helsinki home studio. These tracks are now presented on "Multiversum", a record which provides further proof of Jimi Tenor's versatility. Based on drum machine beats and synthesizer loops, Tenor's music invites the listener to drift into open, limitless expanses - he is a master of the unforeseeable, audibly infusing all twelve new tunes with a sense of joie de vivre and intuition, with no recourse to standards. "Multiversum" is a declaration of love to the DIY spirit, somewhere between bedroom jazz and deviant techno.

As a counterpoint to the album release, "Omniverse" is one of the first books to be published in ‚Bureau B/Tapete Records' joint venture with the Mainz- based publisher Ventil. It is an impressive portrait of the artist, packed with photos and stories documenting Jimi Tenor's life and career in music.

TRACK LISTING

1. Slow Intro
2. Life Hugger
3. Jazznouveau
4. Uncharted Waters
5. Baby Free Spirit
6. Monday Blue
7. Bass Kalimba Dance
8. Birthday Magic
9. Gare De Noir
10. RajuRaju
11. The Way To Kuusijärvi
12. Bad Trip Good

Iconic singer Mavis Staples is an alchemist of American music, and during her 70+ year career one of her most beloved musical moments was her riveting performance in Martin Scorsese’s film’ The Last Waltz,’ performing “The Weight” with The Band, a moment that forged a life-long friendship between her and Levon Helm.

Staples came to Woodstock, NY to perform as part of Helm’s renowned Midnight Ramble series, and the ensuing concert—available now for the first time on the rousing new ANTI- Records release Carry Me Home—would mark a personal high watermark for both artists. Captured live in the summer of 2011, Carry Me Home showcases two of the past century’s most iconic voices coming together in love and joy, tracing their shared roots and celebrating the enduring power of faith and music. The setlist was righteous that night, mixing vintage gospel and soul with timeless folk and blues, and the performances were loose and playful, fueled by an ecstatic atmosphere that was equal parts family reunion and tent revival. Read between the lines, though, and there’s an even more poignant story at play here. Neither Staples nor Helm knew that this would be their last performance together—the collection marks one of Helm’s final recordings before \r\nhis death—and listening back now, a little more than a decade later, tunes like “This May Be The Last Time” and “Farther Along” take on new, bittersweet meaning. The result is an album that’s at once a time capsule and a memorial, a blissful homecoming and a fond farewell, a once-in-a-lifetime concert—and friendship—preserved for the ages. Staples and the night’s soulful crew of backup singers handle the vast majority of the vocal work here, but it’s perhaps album closer “The Weight,” which features Helm chiming in with lead vocals for the first time, that stands as the concert’s most emotional moment.

"It never crossed my mind that it might be the last time we’d see each other,” says Staples. “He was so full of life and so happy that week. He was the same old Levon I’d always known, just a beautiful spirit inside and out.”

"My dad built The Midnight Rambles to restore his spirit, his voice, \r\nand his livelihood,” says Helm’s daughter, Amy, who sang backup \r\nvocals with her father and Staples at their performance. “He’d risen back up from all that had laid him down, and to have Mavis come sing and sanctify that stage was the ultimate triumph for him.”

TRACK LISTING

1. This Is My Country 
2. Trouble In My Mind 
3. Farther Along 
4. Hand Writing On The Wall 
5. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free 
6. Move Along Train 
7. This May Be The Last Time 
8. When I Go Away 
9. Wide River To Cross 
10. You Got To Move 
11. You Got To Serve Somebody 
12. The Weight

Beat smith Red Astaire (AKA Freddie Cruger) returns with some crucial instrumental cuts from the three volumes of the "Nuggets For The Needy" series. The supremely talented sample-smith throws a whole manner of vinyl-dug deepness into the pot: Latin, salsa, funk, soul, bop jazz.. you name it; all underpinned by one of his his many trademark boom-bap beats and a plethora of organic percussion licks.

Practically inviting anyone with a penchant for wordplay to get busy with some bars, if you're looking for super tasty instrumentals to construct your next beat tape out of - look no further! Scratch deejays also get plenty to cut and juggle with here, might be worth bagging two copies! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: A really nice, full-bodied, instrumental beats album. Intricate and well-formed, it stands alone wonderfully; but add a rapper and a turntablist and these cuts will really explode in a live context.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. Move Yo Ass (3:01)
2. Its Going Down(3:28)
3. The Wildstyle (4:31)
Side 2
1. Follow Me (3:36)
2. The Gong (4:05)
3. We Only Bs (3:52)
Side 3
1. Come Down (4:49)
2. Hazlo Correcto (3:30)
3. U Know How We Do (2:25)
Side 4
1. B-boy (3:34)
2. Ghetto Hell (4:13)
3. Cop That Red (3:27)

Coming on like a mutation of all the wild and tempered instrumentation of the Dirty Three in full flow, the ambling and meandering yet intense desert rock of Scenic via a long and delightful trawl around the mountain tops of the Mediterranean coastline… evocative and exhilarating music that pulls you along for the ride!! although an instrumental record, this album is as joyous as some of the most rambunctious and rowdy pop albums you’re ever likely to hear.

For fans of Mdou Moctar, Dirty Three, Scenic, Captain Beefheart, Music Ehtiopiques etc// good times!

“One of us once came in with a guitar riff he’d made alone at home and asked the band to play it the way he composed it. The result was a disaster!”

Portron Portron Lopez don’t do concepts. There are no great discussions about where they should pull their influences from, or pre-planning about how to structure studio work. The Parisian-formed trio exist in spontaneity, a creative co-habitancy that relies on feel and groove – as evidenced on their three studio albums to-date. Exploratory odysseys that bely the potential pitfalls an improvisational-minded group might fall into during the recording process, they’ve moved between shades of psychedelia and Middle Eastern-inflected drones as well as more electronic and club-based touchstones, doing so in a way that feels effortlessly free. That sense of adventure is furthered still on forthcoming album Ice Cream Soufi.

“We need exploding ideas that allow us to build tracks that we can emotionally convey onstage” they say. “It's not about being a concept band, but about striking ideas that make sense. It’s not ‘our music’ we’re making - it’s transposing who we are into music.”

Portron Portron Lopez were formed in 2011 in Paris by guitarists and brothers Marceau and Valentin Portron. High school friend and drummer Lucas Lopez joined after a two-day long improvisation session in a Parisian wine bar. He left after two records – 2012’s beguilingly Beefheart-meets-Afrobeat set of tracks on Uh!, and 2015’s similarly acid-fried Moi Aussi J'ai Des Amis Qui Font Du Bruit – but his position was taken by Olivier Kelchtermans. The Belgian artist had contributed to PPL’s previous studio recordings as a saxophonist but switched to behind the kit in time for the 2016 tour dates and then the 2018 release De Colère et d'Envie’s mix of lo-fi hypnagogia and proto-punk recalling mayhem.

Ice Cream Soufi certainly doesn’t eschew all the chaos of that record, but the seven tracks that make up the group’s fourth LP lean further into their penchant for cross-pollination across globally inspired styles. Opener Comment Vas-Tu Rossignol’s roots are in western Iran and a recording Valentin made there of local musicians playing in the ethnographic museum of Sanadaj. The material served as inspiration for the resulting track, which leans on Kurdish folk style and structure while the trio whip themselves into a sense of frenzy around it.

Elsewhere, third track A Stranger I May Be came out of several improvisations based around the group’s goal of “getting to a country-techno song” – an on-paper incongruous mix that makes a hell of a lot of sense when listened to. It’s unwavering kick drum drives through the group’s duelling guitars and unburdened vocal shrieks, supplemented by musician and comedian Charly Fournier who adds a touch of knowing absurdity to proceedings.

Those two tracks bookend Pensée Sans Tête, which was improvised and demoed in April 2019 during a rehearsal, before being taken to an old barn in Normandie the following year to flesh out. The track’s repeato-riffs gradually spin quicker and quicker as the group underpin it vocally and with rolling percussion.

Arguably the centre piece of the record, though, is Aubes – an 11-minute-long opus of cacophonic drones that gather and bustle for space amidst each other, a line of tension pulled tight through them. It’s a stirring midpoint that encourages the listener’s mind to pick its own sonic adventure within the different shades of sound.

“At first, the original concept of the album was to put three straight rock songs in and a 23-minute drone” the band comment. “But the result was not satisfying”.

Instead, they cut half the drone and added a few overdubs. Valentin added some recordings he’d made during a trip to Iranian Kurdistan where he’d seen Farzad Memar - the uncle of ambient composer Porya Hatami - playing duduk. He also mixed in some Târ playing by his beloved Persian friend Mostafa Heydarian.

“The initial idea of three songs and one drone was boring because it was a rational concept” they say. “All of a sudden, a new album started to take shape in front of us, as a rosebud growing under our very touched eyes. It was a beautiful surprise.”
Aubes’ peak allows the two following tracks to giddily scramble down the other side of the record, with Fin De Partie perhaps the most garage rock-inspired track on the album, its rawness the result of a direct lift from the outro of a live set that took place in a small basement in Bordeaux. Tayau rounds things out, a short two-minute finale recorded at home on Marceau’s phone in his bedroom.

Recorded across six different locations over a period of 20 months, sessions saw the trio set up everywhere, from various rehearsal studios to band members respective homes, a large church in Sète and an old barn in Normandie. The three group members are now spread out across Paris, Corrèze in the central west of France and Sète on its south coast. All that meant, though, was that the sessions for the album took on even more of an improvisatory vibe as they sought to make the most of their increasingly limited time together.

“One of the greatest achievements of these sessions was being able to put up an album that is like a house with lots of different rooms” they say. “You never want to stick in the main hall when you're visiting someone, and that's the feeling you may have when listening to a record fully recorded and mixed in the same place and time. For us, the live nature of the tracks and the different moods they take on make it feel more like a journey through us.”
And beyond the feeling of it, nothing else matters.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
01 Comment Vas-Tu Rossignol
02 Pensées Sans Tête
03 A Stranger I May Be
04 Trois-Cent-Dix-Huit Poussettes
Side B
01 Aubes
02 Fin De Partie
03 Tayau

Dinked Edition Bonus 7”
A: Train Bluc
B: Kula

Dinked Edition 
13 TRACK BONUS CD IN SLEEVE
A Bakers Dozen: PPL Primer.
1: BICHETTE
2: SOL MAMMOUTH
3: JEROME
4: VELVET TARGUI
5: UNE BARQUE SUR L'OCEAN
6: LEELOO
7: ADIOS JUAN NAVIDAD
8: BICHETTE II
9: EVERYBODY'S GOT A NUMBER IN THE NECK (LIVE)
10 LA CHAUVE SOURIS (LIVE)
11 CIRCUS
12 TRAIN BLUC
13 KULA

For his lead artist debut Panamá 77 he engages a diverse array of friends and collaborators - including Bardo Martinez (Chicano Batman), Jeff Parker (Tortoise), Marta Sofia Honer (Adrian Younge), Anna Butterss (Jenny Lewis), and Aquiles Navarro (Irreversible Entanglements) - to create a vibrant and verdant suite of multi-textural psychedelic instrumental folk-funk

TRACK LISTING

A1 Bella Vista
A2 Ofelia
A3 Uncanny
A4 I Didn’t Expect That
A5 In/On
A6 Cali Colours
B1 Activo
B2 Sombras
B3 Parque En Seis
B4 Patria
B5 18th & Morgan
B6 Messenger

The following story might be bullshit (drug use and memory enhancements): years ago I was sitting at home staring into the middle distance and the phone on the wall rang (that should denote how long ago this was). On the other end was the booker from The Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco, who had never called me before. She was excited about the show they had that night and was calling people to invite them. Apparently the night before a band called Laddio Bolocko had played and were so mesmerizing, so strong that they had offered them the next night, which was open. I was intrigued as no band had ever warranted this invite previously to my knowledge. This was new and exciting territory.“I had my ass and ears handed to me that evening. Scorching, pummeling, deep waters ran over me as I stood, beer in hand, mouth open. My memory may be embellishing but I remember a sax as big as me, drums that were physically hanging on by a thread, and twin electric strings that reeled sinister sprites over my head in outwardly circular patterns. Aggressive, far out fractals burned in my brain. I had never seen anything like this band, and never have again.“That’s why it’s so shocking to wait around all these years for someone to pick up the thread and re-release these three perfect recordings on LP for the first time…and still be waiting. So, I’m happy to announce, Castle Face is here with a 3xLP remedy. We’ve been working with all the original members of Laddio Bolocko and sifting through to put together this concise LP box set of what is arguably their strongest home studio recorded material. Included here (for the first time on wax) are Strange Warmings Of Laddio Bolocko, In Real Time and As If By Remote.“Includes former members of Dazzling Killmen, Panicsville, the Psychic Paramount, and Mars Volta. For fans of Can, This Heat, The Residents, improvisation (really they are hard to compare, they are so singular in sound).” —John Dwyer

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: The thoroughly bonkers Laddio Bolocko hit Castle Face records for a collection that you know is going to be of the highest quality possible, and is, believe me, HEAVY. It's like if JOMF could only use fuzz pedals and distortion.

Brand new studio album by The William Loveday Intention! As part of an incredibly productive year by one of the world's most productive and cherished artists, Billy Childish releases a new LP by The William Loveday Intention as part of his attempt at “a career in a year”. “The Baptiser is titled after John The Baptiser, Christ's teacher who proclaimed that you don't need to make blood sacrifices in the temple of Jerusalem to have communion with God – it's direct one to one in the desert, wearing a camel hair shirt and eating the fruits of the honey locust tree. The LP has many spiritual highs and blaming lows. It should move and sound like the contents of a thinking mind.” 

TRACK LISTING

1/The Baptiser
2/A Library To You And The Self
3/A Painted Pantomime Dame
4/Mister Smith
5/Poems Of Anxiety And Uncertainty
6/I'm Good Enough
7/Knockin' Of Heaven's Door
8/A Framed T-Shirt Remnant
9/Poems Of Anxiety And Uncertainty (Blues)
10/The Baptiser (Reprise)

Produced and recorded by Arca, The complete Kick Cycle; KICK ii – kiCK iiiii. The Grammy nominated Venezuelan star, showcasing the multiplicity of her artistry. The distinct collections span moods and modes, featuring her visionary avant-garde cyber-reggaeton production, operatic range, unexpected collaborations (including Sia, Shirley Manson, Oliver Coates, Planningtorock, Ryuichi Sakamoto), and a boundary-smashing approach to genre and identity.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Doña
Prada
Rakata
Tiro
Luna Llena
Lethargy

Side B
Araña
Femme
Muñecas
Confianza
Born Yesterday Ft. Sia
Andro

Produced and recorded by Arca, The complete Kick Cycle; KICK ii – kiCK iiiii. The Grammy nominated Venezuelan star, showcasing the multiplicity of her artistry. The distinct collections span moods and modes, featuring her visionary avant-garde cyber-reggaeton production, operatic range, unexpected collaborations (including Sia, Shirley Manson, Oliver Coates, Planningtorock, Ryuichi Sakamoto), and a boundary-smashing approach to genre and identity.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Bruja
Incendio
Morbo
Fiera
Skullqueen
Electra Rex
Ripples

Side B
Rubberneck
Señorita
My 2
Intimate Flesh
Joya

Produced and recorded by Arca, The complete Kick Cycle; KICK ii – kiCK iiiii. The Grammy nominated Venezuelan star, showcasing the multiplicity of her artistry. The distinct collections span moods and modes, featuring her visionary avant-garde cyber-reggaeton production, operatic range, unexpected collaborations (including Sia, Shirley Manson, Oliver Coates, Planningtorock, Ryuichi Sakamoto), and a boundary-smashing approach to genre and identity.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Whoresong
Esuna Ft. Oliver Coates
Xenomorphgirl
Queer Ft. Planningtorock
Witch Ft No Bra
Hija

Side B
Boquifloja
Alien Inside Ft. Shirley Manson
Altar
Lost Woman Found
Paw

Produced and recorded by Arca, The complete Kick Cycle; KICK ii – kiCK iiiii. The Grammy nominated Venezuelan star, showcasing the multiplicity of her artistry. The distinct collections span moods and modes, featuring her visionary avant-garde cyber-reggaeton production, operatic range, unexpected collaborations (including Sia, Shirley Manson, Oliver Coates, Planningtorock, Ryuichi Sakamoto), and a boundary-smashing approach to genre and identity.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
In The Face
Pu
Chiquito
Estrogen
Ether
Amrep
Sanctuary Ft. Ryuichi Sakamoto

Side B
Tierno
Músculos
La Infinita
Fireprayer
Crown

Toronto-born, London-based artist Tess Parks will return with her long-awaited new album ‘And Those Who Were Seen Dancing’ on May 20th 2022 via Fuzz Club Records. Following years of international touring and a lengthy list of critically-acclaimed collaborations with Brian Jonestown Massacre’s Anton Newcombe in recent years (most recently the duo’s self-titled 2018 LP), the new album will be Parks’ first full-length solo offering since her much-loved debut album, ‘Blood Hot’, was released back in 2013 on Alan McGee’s 359 Music label.

“In my mind, this album is like hopscotch”, Parks says: “These songs were pieced together over time in London, Toronto and Los Angeles with friends and family between August 2019 and March 2021. So many other versions of these songs exist. The recording and final completion of this album took over two years and wow - the lesson I have learned the most is that words are spells. If I didn’t know it before, I know it now for sure. I only want to put good out into the universe.” A growing disillusionment with the state of the world paired with an injury that stopped Parks from being able to play guitar and piano for months meant the album was nearly shelved.

“I really felt discouraged to complete this album”, she recalls: “I stopped listening to music for honestly about a year altogether and turned to painting instead. I really had to convince myself again that it’s important to just share whatever good we can - having faith in ourselves to know that our lights can shine on and on through other people and for other people. The thought of anyone not sharing their art or being shy of anything they create seems like a real tragedy to me. Even if it’s not perfect, you’re capturing a moment.” Recorded over a two year period but with songs, lyrics and ideas dating back over a decade in some form, ‘And Those Who Were Seen Dancing’ is an album full of such moments, people and places.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: The brilliant Tess Parks brings another selection of woozy psychedelic ballads, imbued with a glimmer of 1970's folk and Americana but without a doubt a sound all of her own. Lysergic, heady and hypnotic audio bliss.

TRACK LISTING

1. WOW
2. Suzy & Sally's Eternal Return
3. Happy Birthday Forever
4. We Are The Music Makers And We Are The Dreamers Of Dreams
5. Brexit At Tiffany's
6. Old Life
7. Do You Pray?
8. Good Morning Glory
9. I See Angels
10. Saint Michael

If you’re looking for a raw, sugary blast of distorted pop, look no further than Weird Nightmare. The debut album from METZ guitarist and vocalist Alex Edkins contains all of his main band’s bite with an unexpected, yet totally satisfying, sweetness. Imagine The Amps covering Big Star, or the gloriously hissy miniature epics of classic-era Guided by Voices combined with the bombast of Copper Blue- era Sugar—just tons of red-line distortion cut with the type of tunecraft that thrills the moment it hits your ears. 

These ten songs showcase a new side of Edkins’ already-established songwriting, but even though the bulk of Weird Nightmare was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic some of its tunes date back to 2013 in demo form. “Hooks and melody have always been a big part of my writing, but they really became the main focus this time” he explains. “It was about doing what felt natural.” 

To be clear: Weird Nightmare is not a “pandemic album,” but an album—some of which had been gestating for quite a while—that just so happened to be recorded during the pandemic. “I had always planned on finishing these songs, but being unable to tour with METZ, and forced to lock down, really gave me a push.” After days spent homeschooling his son, Edkins would drive to the METZ rehearsal room and tinker deep into the night on these songs’ deceptively simple structures and rich, static-laden textures. “It was a godsend for me,” he states about the creative process. “The hours would disappear and I would get lost in the music and record. It was a beautiful escape.”

Weird Nightmare is, in its own way, a study in extremes: Edkins’ melodic instincts and penchant for dissonance are both turned up to the max throughout, the latter reflecting not only the barn-burning tendencies of METZ, but Alex’s own sonic predilections. “It doesn’t sound right to my ears until it’s pushed over the edge.” He also cites other artists who are masterful at mixing the sublime and the punishing—Kim Deal and Scout Niblett among them—as influences on his own songwriting. “My favorite songs are the simple ones,” he explains. “I’ve never been attracted to virtuosity or technicality. Certain songs have the power to lift your spirits like nothing else can. I wanted to create that type of song.” 

A few guests pitch in on Weird Nightmare: Canadian alt-pop genius Chad VanGaalen adds his unmistakable touch to the ever-escalating “Oh No,” while Alicia Bognanno of Bully lends her distinctive pipes to the thrashing “Wrecked,” a collaboration that effectively saved the song. “I almost didn’t put it on the album because I thought it was missing something,” Edkins explains. “I sent it to Alicia and she lifted it way up.” 

And taking risks and reaching out of Edkins’ comfort zone was the name of the game when it came to making Weird Nightmare. “I found myself doing new things I didn’t have the guts to do before, recording everything by myself and trusting all of my musical instincts,” he states. “I think when music manifests quickly, a certain amount of honesty automatically comes along with it. When it is a purely instinctual creation, there is no opportunity to obscure the truth.”

TRACK LISTING

Searching For You
Nibs
Lusitania
Wrecked (feat. Bully)
Sunday Driver
Darkroom
Dream
Zebra Dance
Oh No (feat. Chad VanGaalen)
Holding Out

Electronica meets orchestral in a new album of house, techno and contemporary classical remixes: Reprise Remixes reimagines tracks of Moby’s hit album and Deutsche Grammophon debut Reprise (released May 2021). Featuring artists such as Bambounou, Planningtorock, Topic, Peter Gregson, Christian Löffler as well as Moby himself.

TRACK LISTING

1. Heroes – Planningtorock Remix
2. Porcelain – Christian Löffler Remix
3. Go (Moby’s Trophy Remix)
4. Porcelain – Bambounou Remix
5. Go – Ansifa Letyago Remix
6. Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad – Biscits Remix
7. Natural Blues – Topic Remix
8. Lift Me Up – Mathame Remix
9. We Are All Made Of Stars (Moby’s Ac@n Remix)
10. Porcelain – Efdemin Remix
11. Porcelain – Efdemin Dub
12. Natural Blues (Moby’s West Side Highway Remix)
13. Extreme Ways – Felsmann + Tiley Reinterpretation
14. Natural Blues – Max Cooper Remix
15. The Great Escape (Moby’s Observatory Remix)
16. Extreme Ways – Peter Gregson Remix

Flock is a brand new collaboration between five leading musicians from London's open-minded jazz and experimental scenes: Bex Burch (Vula Viel), Sarathy Korwar, Dan "Danalogue" Leavers (Soccer96, The Comet Is Coming), Al MacSween (Maisha) and Tamar Osborn (Collocutor).

The musicians were first brought together by drummer Sarathy Korwar during March 2020 for one of Boiler Room, Total Refreshment Centre and Night Dreamer’s more memorable streamed sessions from early lockdown. It caught the attention of Strut Records and the label presented an open offer for the musicians to create a new, completely freeform project.

Gathering together at The Fish Factory in London Summer 2020, the approach was to try something fresh. "I wrote texts as scores for the session and the emphasis was on breathing and listening to each other", explains Bex Burch. "Improvisation is composition in itself, so although the music was freely improvised, we sometimes chose to stay on form and rhythm, repeating melodies and groove."

Tracks include the pulsing, searching opener ‘Expand’, the taught soundscape ‘Prepare To Let Go’ and the frenetic, urgent ‘Bold Dream’. At times widescreen and cinematic and at others more tense and claustrophobic, each Flock piece explores its own colour and mood.

"Every moment in this process has been a new journey into the unknown. Everyone came, breathed and brought openness of heart, ears, lungs and wings."

Artwork is based on an exclusive new illustration piece by Muhammad Rofi Fatchurofi.

TRACK LISTING

01 / A1. Expand
02 / A2. Prepare To Let Go
03 / A3. Sounds Welcome
04 / B1. It’s Complicated
05 / B2. What Purpose
06 / C1. Murmuration
07 / C2. Bold Dream
08 / C3. My Resonance
09 / D1. How Many Are One
10 / D2. Fully Breathed

A cinematic musical journey that plays out like a long-lost soundtrack (think cult B-movies of the 60s and 70s); 'The Children of Scorpio' was formed from Paul's love of a myriad of genres; from European library music, acid folk, psych-funk, vintage soundtracks and the contemporary breaks scene. The album draws on iconic classics such as the masterful cinematic funk of Lalo Schifrin's 'Dirty Harry', Ennio Morricone's 'Vergogna Schifosi' and Luis Bacalov's 'The Summertime Killer', to name but a few.

You can also hear the folk sounds of Mark Fry's iconic 'Dreaming With Alice', the Britsh folk-jazz of The Pentangle and the David Axelrod-produced 'Release Of An Oath' by The Electric Prunes, woven into the cultural tapestry of this gem. The influence of these vintage productions of the 60s and 70s is evident; however, it could be argued that there's also echoes of the funkier psychedelic moments of bands such as The Stones Roses and The Charlatans, alongside contemporaries such as The Heliocentrics and Little Barrie, thus giving the album a broader crossover potential beyond the world of crate digging and vintage soundtracks. We are delighted to be releasing this slowly- brewed timeless classic that manages to achieve that rare feat of keeping one foot firmly in the past whilst still sounding totally contemporary.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Children Of Scorpio
2. The Road Through The Hills
3. Path Through The Forest
4. Searching For June (Interlude)
5. June
6. Scorpio's Waltz
7. The Invitation (interlude)
8. The Ritual '70
9. Scorpio's Garden
10. The Turning
11. Plan Your Escape
12. The Deserted Compound (interlude)
13. Buried In The Woods
14. Closing Theme

About time Ebbot and I have finally been able to make an album that is largely an extension of all the time we have spent together and all the concerts we have done. You could say it's a kind of fusion of the two of us in music form. A key ingredient was that Reine Fiske (Dungen) wanted to be part of this musical adventure and record with us. His tone and spontaneous playing were absolutely crucial in making this album. Also at the heart of this album, and which made our recording sessions so edgy and good, were the beautiful poppy bass playing by Marcus Holmberg (Komeda), the dynamic and responsive drumming by Nicklas Korsell and the funky piano playing by Daniel Kurba. And finally, working as both a musician and sound engineer, Ponus Torstensson, aka Tentakel, played a vital role in creating the psychedelic sound on the album.

TRACK LISTING

Line 1
Me And My Mojo
Travel In Time
Line 2
New Orleans (Taking Back)
Straight For Fun
Family
Line 3
Brave New World
Line 4
Under The Moon

On Oct 9, 2007, Robert Pollard simultaneously released two albums on Merge Records: Standard Gargoyle Decisions and Coast To Coast Carpet Of Love. Both now out of print, Pollard has reimagined and condensed the two as Our Gaze, a single fifteen song album. Because it’s better.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Killers
2. Pill Gone Girl
3. Count Us In
4. The Island Lobby
5. Rud Fins
6. Current Desperation
(Angels Speak Of Nothing)
7. Hero Blows The Revolution
8. Come Here Beautiful
9. Shadow Port
10. Miles Under The Skin
11. Folded Claws
12. Feel Not Crushed
13. Youth Leagues
14. When We Were Slaves
15. Our Gaze

‘I’m Not Here’ inhabits the shaggy, world-weary mode of Alex Izenberg’s favorite 1970s artists, folks like Harry Nilsson, John Lennon, Randy Newman, and Lou Reed.

Recorded at Tropico Studios, produced by Izenberg and Greg Hartunian in Los Angeles, CA, the album’s swelling string and woodwind arrangements - courtesy of collaborator Dave Longstreth of Dirty Projectors - bring to mind the technicolour sweep of Van Dyke Parks.

TRACK LISTING

1. Ivory
2. Gemini Underwater
3. Egyptian Cadillac
4. Breathless Darkness
5. Broadway
6. Our Love Remains
7. Ladies Of Rodeo
8. Sorrows Blue Tapestry
9. Juniper & Lamplight
10. Sea Of Wine

The first volume of Back To Mine was released back in 1999 by Nick Warren, designed to showcase a selection of tracks you’d find and be heard playing at the artist's home. Selectors have come in the form of New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Fatboy Slim, and Faithless who all dug deep to find their essential at-home listening. The latest compilers in the Back To Mine series are none-other than the renowned four-piece, Horse Meat Disco. The horsemen are known for their incredibly fun, deep-diving selections, and this shines through in their Back To Mine compilation in flamboyant style.

Over the course of 16 years of their nightclub tenure, they have become a global brand as pinnacle players of the queer party scene in London and beyond, holding down residencies in New York, Berlin, and Lisbon. Their flamboyant nature and incredibly fun, deep-diving selections have made them one of Disco’s most beloved acts. Across 15 eclectically brilliant tracks, Horse Meat Disco, which comprises Jim Stanton, James Hillard, Luke Howard, and Severino Panzetta expertly traverse through classic disco cuts, wonky dancefloor groovers, and silky smooth soul.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: You always know you're in good hands with a 'Back To Mine' and this time sees London disco favourites Horse Meat Disco pull out an absolutely simmering collection of late night funk and disco classics, as well as a good few lesser heard gems. Superb.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Gwen McCrae - Move Me Baby (Danny Krivit Edit)
A2. Alien Alien Feat Igino - Perfidia (Severino Panzetta & Ray Mang Remix)
A3. Escape From New York - Fire In My Heart
B1. Margie Lomax - God’s Greatest Gift To Man Is A Woman
B2. Róisín Murphy - Ancora Ancora Ancora (Severino & Nico De Ceglia Remix)
B3. Marianne Faithfull - Sex With Strangers (feat. Beck)
B4. Lisa King - You've Got Magic
C1. William Stuckey - Just Around The Corner
C2. Larry Heard Presents Ona King - Premonition Of Lost Love (Extended Adult Mix)
C3. Kassav - Avèou Doudou
C4. Fajardo '76 - C'mon Baby, Do The Latin Hustle (Oye Mami Ven Y Baila El Latin Hustle)
D1. GAME - Gotta Take Your Love (Single Version)
D2. Horse Meat Disco & Kathy Sledge - Jump Into The Light (Wash House Dub)
D3. Horse Meat Disco Featuring Xavier Smith & ROY INC. - Self Control (Eagle Dub)
D4. The RAH Band - Messages From The Stars

Astonishing, five LP boxset from CircoLoco. Featuring heavy-hitting releases from visionaries of every era of CircoLoco’s 20-year party history, including Carl Craig, tINI, Kerri Chandler, Rampa, Sama' Abdulhadi, and other icons, the acclaimed debut compilation album from CircoLoco Records is presented in matte full color sleeves with box artwork designed by TOILETPAPER.

With support from DJ’s worldwide and accolades including back-to-back Essential New Tune awards from BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong for Seth Troxler’s “Lumartes,” and DJ Tennis’ “Atlanta,” Monday Dreamin’ has already carved out a unique place in the world of dance music having been featured in the digital world of Los Santos in Rockstar Games’ blockbuster Grand Theft Auto Online: Los Santos Tuners which also featured Monday Dreamin’ artist Moodymann as a new character in the world.

Monday Dreamin’ is the first project from the pioneering partnership between global club culture icons CircoLoco and the creators of some of the world’s most popular and critically acclaimed video games, Rockstar Games, a partnership aimed at elevating and supporting dance music through the collective power of the two entertainment brands.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Jam-packed and deliciously varied, all inclusive boxset from one of clubland's most notorious mainstays. A wildly regarded & infamous brand, known for having it large right across the board; and right across the world. This boxset should fill the gap if you're not off to the party isles this Summer...

TRACK LISTING

A1. Lost Souls Of Saturn & TOKiMONSTA - Revision Of The Past
A2. Moodymann - Keep On Coming Feat. CD
B. Luciano - Mantra For Lizzie
C1. Jamie Jones - Laser Lass
C2. Carl Craig - Forever Free
D1. Deichkind - Autonom (Dixon Edit)
D2. Adam Beyer - Break It Up
D3. Tale Of Us - Nova Two
E1. DJ Tennis - Atlanta
E2. Mano Le Tough - As If To Say
F1. Kerri Chandler - You
F2. Butch - Raindrops Feat. Kemelion
G1. Damian Lazarus - The Future Feat. Robert Owens
G2. Sama' Abdulhadi - Reverie
H1. Seth Troxler - Lumartes
H2. Margaret Dygas - Wishing Well
I1. Rampa - The Church
I2. TINI - What If, Then What? Feat. Amiture
J1. Red Axes - Calib
J2. Bedouin - Up In Flames

On-U Sound is proud to present the latest volume in the much-loved and collectable series of On-U Sound label samplers, packed with exclusives, alternate mixes and previews of upcoming releases. Includes unreleased tracks from Lee “Scratch” Perry, Tackhead, African Head Charge, Mark Stewart, Creation Rebel, Andy Fairley and more.

The release of the new compilation also coincides with a very special concert taking place at the Forum in London, originally scheduled for 2020 but delayed because of the pandemic. Celebrating 40 years of the On-U Sound label, it brings together musicians and artists from at least four different continents for a unique evening with Horace Andy, Tackhead, African Head Charge, Creation Rebel and most of the other musicians featured on the album.

Label boss Adrian Sherwood comments: “As usual with the Pay It All Back series, the intention is to promote our upcoming releases and productions. Also on offer are previously unreleased gems, versions of tracks exclusive to this release and more from artists that we’re keen to promote. Sadly in the last year we have lost so many music giants from amongst us, including Lee “Scratch” Perry, George Oban and John Sharpe. Lee Perry laughed at death. It was to him just a part of life and another beginning...I trust Lee. I’m very proud of this album, it goes out to all On-U Crew, our missing and irreplaceable friends.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: One of the longest serving UK dubwise labels and one of its most visionary and creative. Adrian Sherwood's maverick imprint return for volume 8 of its sporadic, long running, highly collectable compilation series. Crucial!

TRACK LISTING

LP Tracklisting
A1. MAD 45 You’ll Own Nothing
A2. Lee “Scratch” Perry Ft. LSK Many Names Of God
A3. Tackhead Ft. LSK Rulers And Foolers
A4. Rita Morar Meri Awaaz Suno (Hear My Voice)
A5. African Head Charge Asalatua
A6. Horace Andy Watch Over Them
B1. Mark Stewart Storm Crow
B2. Creation Rebel Stonebridge Warrior
B3. Jeb Loy Nichols What Does A Man Do All Day?
B4. Denise Sherwood This Road
B5. Sherwood & Pinch Ft. Daddy Freddy, Ghetto Priest And Jen Jen We No Normal (Anger Management)
B6. Andy Fairley Your Best Tune

Bonus Tracks Accessible Via DL Card:

Tackhead Ft. MAD 45 - I Don’t Wanna Work A Fake Job
Sherwood & Pinch - Excessive Drinking
Ital Horns - Metropolis
LSK - Money Masters
Andy Fairley - Deranged Man

Please Note That The Rita Morar And Mark Stewart Tracks Are Vinyl Only, Are Not Currently Available Digitally, And Therefore Are Not Accessible Via The Download Card. 

CD Tracklisting
01. MAD 45 - You’ll Own Nothing
02. Lee “Scratch” Perry Ft. LSK - Many Names Of God
03. Tackhead Ft. LSK - Rulers & Foolers
04. Rita Morar - Meri Awaaz Suno (Hear My Voice)
05. African Head Charge - Asalatua
06. Horace Andy - Watch Over Them
07. Mark Stewart - Storm Crow
08. Creation Rebel - Stonebridge Warrior
09. Jeb Loy Nichols - What Does A Man Do All Day?
10. Denise Sherwood - This Road
11. Sherwood & Pinch Ft. Daddy Freddy, Ghetto Priest And Jen Jen - We No Normal (Anger Management)
12. Andy Fairley - Your Best Tune
13. Lesson 7 & Scott Crow Ft. Doug Wimbish - Andthe (Arise) Adrian Sherwood Remix
14. Hebden’s HiFi - Segue 8
15. Tackhead Ft. MAD 45 - I Don’t Wanna Work A Fake Job
16. Sherwood & Pinch - Excessive Drinking
17. Ital Horns - Metropolis
18. LSK - Money Masters
19. Andy Fairley - Deranged Man

Following the success of the first Planet Love compilation, Safe Trip has delved even deeper into the roots and formative years of trance music. The result is a vivid snapshot of heady, trance-inducing music released between 1990 and ’95.

Like its predecessor, Planet Love 2 does not deliver a straightforward chronological run-down of influential ‘proto-trance’ cuts and key early anthems. Instead, it casts its’ net far wider for inspiration, joining the dots between trance-inducing tracks in a disparate mixture of interconnected styles.

Before trance became rigidly defined in the late 1990s, the term was more loosely used as a descriptor, with the tag variously being attached to tracks that combined elements of techno, ambient, breakbeat, deep house, electronica, progressive house, acid, tribal and new beat. What unified these disparate musical strands was an emphasis on groove, melody, atmosphere and – more often than not – psychedelic intent.

You’ll find all this and more amongst the 12 colourful and emotive tracks from around the world that make up Planet Love 2. The hard-to-pigeonhole, early ‘90s New York rave scene is represented by the immersive ambient of Lazer Worshippers’ ‘Free Flight’, Revelation’s trippy gem ‘First Power (Domination Dub)’ and the delay-laden drums, held-note new wave chords and psychedelic electronics of ‘Time Warp’ by Moodswings.

The UK’s rarely discussed role in the development of early trance – often via tracks that touched on ambient techno and progressive house – is represented by the Obsession Project’s prototype melodic trance obscurity ‘Untitled Part 3’, the Arc’s fast-then-slow rework of The Moody Boyz ‘The Pygmy Song (Nocturnal Version)’ and ‘X O Surf’ from The Deep, a breakbeat-driven workout that defies easy categorization.

Naturally, the popularity of early trance in Europe is reflected in the track listing, too. Check the formative progressive trance of French producer Innertales’ ‘Odysee’, two tracks from Italy (T.E.W’s ‘Doubt Int’ and Alien Signal’s melodic ‘Deep Sky Delights’), and a trio of often overlooked cuts by German artists (early Svan Vath number ‘L’Esperanza’, the Jam El Mar co-produced ‘We Come in Piece (Desert Mix)’ by Dance 2 Trance, and ‘A Source’, the opening track from Tobias Beldermann’s first EP as Redeye.

Offering a deeper and more diverse definition of early trance than volume one and packed to the rafters with sought-after and overlooked gems, Planet Love 2 is a fitting follow-up to Safe Trip’s first collection of formative trance treats.

TRACK LISTING

Lazer Worshippers - Free Flight
Sven Väth - L'Esperanza (Single Edit)
Dance 2 Trance - We Came In Peace (Desert Mix)
Innertales - Odyssee
Alien Signal - Deep Sky Delights
Revelation - First Power (Domination Dub)
The Deep - X O Surf
The Moody Boyz - Pygmy Song (Nocturnal Version)
The Obsession Project - Untitled Part 3
Redeye - A Source
Moodswings - Time Warp
T.E.W. - Double Int

Blue Hours sees the much-loved folk-rock duo – made up of Andrew Davie and Kevin Jones – once again team up with producer Ian Grimble on what is one of their most personal records to date.

Speaking about the new album, Davie says: “Blue Hours is a kind of imaginary space you get into at night, a place where you process difficult things or where you try to figure everything out.”

Themes on the album include both self-reflection and mental health after both struggled with the latter in recent years. “It’s the main over-arching theme with this record,” Davie explains. The group, who have worked with mental health charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) previously added: “It probably speaks to our struggles and hopefully many other people’s too. Men are not very good at talking. We’re not really taught how to – men have no idea how to talk about this stuff, certainly to each other.”

The pair describe the conceptual blue hours headspace that gives the new album its title as being “somewhere between a hotel, a mental health hospital, a bar that stays open later than anywhere else, a paradise, a dream, a nightmare and an endless sea of corridors and staircases leading you to rooms that represent memories – good, bad, happy or difficult.”

Despite the album’s challenging themes, it’s an album drenched in hope too. “We wanted this to be a celebration of music,” Jones continues. “I think that informed some of the bolder decision making on this record. At a time when music was so distant, it felt important to make an album that sounded hopeful, celebratory, ambitious and beautiful in spite of the heavy subject matter in some of the songs.” Jones adds: “It was almost like we needed to shout louder than before because we felt that there were more barriers between the audience and us. We needed something to transcend that.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: This is another beautiful outing from Bear's Den, both orchestral and tender in equal measure. These are grand, bold pieces with a brittle and fragile core, both cathartic and touching.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
New Ways
Blue Hours
Frightened Whispers
Gratitude
Shadows
Side B
All That You Are
Spiders
Selective Memories
On Your Side
All The Wrong Places

Dance Fever was recorded predominately in London over the course of the pandemic in anticipation of the world’s reopening. It conjures up what Florence missed most in the midst of lockdown -clubs, dancing at festivals, being in the whirl of movement and togetherness -and the hope of reunions to come. It’s the album that brings back the very best of Florence – the festival headlining Boudicca, wielding anthems like a flaming sword.

Just before the pandemic Florence had become fascinated by choreomania, a Renaissance phenomenon in which groups of people - sometimes thousands - danced wildly to the point of exhaustion, collapse and death. The imagery resonated with Florence, who had been touring nonstop for more than a decade, and in lockdown felt oddly prescient.

The image and concept of dance, and choreomania, remained central as Florence wove her own experiences of dance - a discipline she turned to in the early days of sobriety - with the folkloric elements of a moral panic from the Middle Ages. In recent times of torpor and confinement, dance offered propulsion, energy and a way of looking at music more choreographically.

Starting, as ever, armed with a notebook of poems and ideas, Florence had just arrived in New York in March 2020 to begin recording the record with Jack Antonoff when Covid-19 forced a retreat to London. Holed up at home, the songs began to transform, with nods to dance, folk, ‘70s Iggy Pop, longing-for-the-road folk tracks a la Lucinda Williams or Emmylou Harris and more.

Once back in London, ‘My Love’ was one particular track that shapeshifted from one entity to another with the help of Dave Bayley from Glass Animals. Welch had written the song in her kitchen as a “sad little poem”, and when she recorded it acoustically it just didn’t seem to work. Bayley suggested using synths and it soon expanded with floor-filling, chest-thumping energy.
With Dave’s love of synths and Florence’s fascination with all things gothic and creepy a kind of “Nick Cave at the club” sound started to emerge to shape the record. Lyrically, she took inspiration from the tragic heroines of pre-Raphaelite art, the gothic fiction of Carmen Maria Machado and Julia Armfield, the visceral wave of folk horror film from The Wicker Man and The Witch to Midsommar.

Dance Fever is an album that sees Florence at the peak of her powers, coming into a fully realised self-knowledge, poking sly fun at her own self-created persona, playing with ideas of identity, masculine and feminine, redemptive, celebratory, stepping fully into her place in the iconic pantheon.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: The great Florence Welch returns, machine in tow for her most bombastic and exuberant outing yet. The ever-present gothic leaning synth anthems take on a more confident and operatic tone, lending further evidence (as if any were needed) that Welch and to a lesser extent, The Machine are here to stay. a Majestic and impeccable collection.

TRACK LISTING

King
Free
Choreomania
Back In Town
Girls Against God
Dream Girl Evil
Prayer Factory
Cassandra
Heaven Is Here
Daffodil
My Love
Restraint
The Bomb
Morning Elvis

The story begins with Kevin Morby absentmindedly flipping through a box of old family photos in the basement of his childhood home in Kansas City. Just hours before, at a family dinner, his father had collapsed in front of him and had to be rushed to the hospital. That night Morby still felt the shock and fear lodged in his bones. So he gazed at the images until one of the pictures jumped out at him: his father as a young man, proud and strong and filled with confidence, posing on a lawn with his shirt off. This was in January of 2020. As the months went on and the world dramatically changed around him, Morby felt an eerie similarity between his feelings of that night and the atmosphere of those spring days. Fear, anxiety, hope and resilience all churning together. The themes began twisting in his mind. History, trauma and the grand fight against time. Having the courage to dream, even while knowing the tragedy that often awaits those who dare to dream.

While his father regained his strength, Morby meditated on these ideas. And then, he headed to Memphis. He moved into the Peabody Hotel and spent his days paying tribute and genuflecting to the dreamers he admired. In the evening, he would return to his room and document his ideas on a makeshift recording set-up, with just his guitar and a microphone. The songs, elegiac in nature, befitting all he had seen, poured out of him.

Produced by Sam Cohen (who also worked on Morby’s Singing Saw and Oh My God), This Is A Photograph features musical contributions from longtime staples of Morby’s live band, as well as old friends and new collaborators alike. If Oh My God saw Morby getting celestial and in constant motion and Sundowner was a study in localized intent, This Is A Photograph finds Morby making an Americana paean, a visceral life and death, blood on the canvas outpouring. As Morby reminds us early on, time is undefeated. So what do we do while we’re still here? This is a photograph of that sense of yearning.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Morby's latest may have come from a place of heavy introspection, but results in nothing less than a joyful reaffirmation of life through a selection of typically beautiful progressions and evocative vocals. Definitely his most stylistically focused and accomplished work to date, and a most importantly, a hugely enjoyable listen.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A:
1. This Is A Photograph
2. A Random Act Of Kindness
3. Bittersweet, TN
4. Disappearing
5. A Coat Of Butterflies

SIDE B:
6. Rock Bottom
7. Five Easy Pieces
8. Stop Before I Cry
9. It’s Over
10. Goodbye To Good Times

Cascading through kaleidoscopic stardust and forming in the outer reaches of the music universe, transcending time and distance, cosmonaut musicians Mo Morris & Zeben Jameson reconnect to write and record songs from opposite sides of their planet (Bali and London). Written over the internet during the pandemic, "Stars Planets Dust Me" is the duo's first album for over two years.

Welcome to the formative British psych electronic heroes A Mountain Of One’s 3rd studio album. Mastered and reimagined and a full forthcoming album rework by electronic wizard, master selector & global superstar Ricardo Villalobos, featuring additional collaborations from 80s/90s Balearic legends The Woodentops' front man Rolo McGinty, Japan’s cult heroes Dip in the Pool, Unkle and Toy Drum's Pablo Clements.

With its cosmic pop sound; soulful, soaring, Balearic sensibilities and feel-good choruses, it carries all the weight of a much needed revolution in psychedelic popular music and sounds & feels like the infamous crossover album that promised to come from the heady days of the band’s ascent last time round.

Retreating and gathering new inspiration over the enforced lockdown and downtime of the last two years, the solace and rejuvenation it given had them was noticeable. Re-emerging as invigorated, inspired and wiser music creators, 'Our capacity as human beings is more phenomenal and limitless and way beyond the conventional thinking of society constructs but also in complete harmony with the intelligence and brilliance of advancing technologies' - state the band.

Experiencing this energy together, as dedicated and devoted music pioneers, these great collaborative universal truths were revealed, imbued and steeped in their writing and recording experience as the music touched and resonated with all involved to create the fresh and fully formed A Mountain Of One 2.0. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Coming back rejuvenated and reinvented after a 2 year hiatus. A Mountain Of One's musical blend of Balearic psychedelia is a welcome tonic to all the negative energy in the world. Their song writing more refined than ever, this is a highly crafted masterpiece; their best work to date!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Custards Last Stand
A2. Black Apple Pink Apple
B1. Make My Love Grow
B2. Surrender
C1. Dealer
C2. Star
D1. Stars Planets Dust Me
D2. Soft Landing 

After the overwhelming success of last years 1971-74 box set release, containing the first four studio albums and for the first time ever this lost 'last' album recording, 'Punkt' gets a deserved and necessary stand alone release to the relief of fans and collectors and the undoubted future gratification of those yet to experience the magic in these recordings.

'While working on the "lost" album which the band recorded in Munich, it became clear that I was listening to the last ever made recordings of this band lineup. It had been their attempt to release another album, which did not happen for several reasons. After this Munich session every band member focused on other things.So this was the end of Faust. No further recordings, no shows. Punkt. Which means "full stop" in German and has "punk" in it as well. An attitude which the band or at least some of the members certainly approved'. Gunther Buskies - bureau b

The band called it 5½, fans referred to it as the "Munich album" and for almost fifty years it's been the missing chapter in Faustian mythology. Now for the first time, the German iconoclasts' previously unreleased fifth album sees the light of day as Punkt. Not only does this title place a bold full stop after the final recording by the group's seminal line up of Péron, Irmler, Sosna, Wüsthoff and Diermaier, but it also references the unflinching anarchism of German rock's ultimate outsiders. Punktis Faust at their most unhindered, untethered and unstoppable.

Returning to Germany after a loss-making U.K. tour and after their manager Uwe Nettelbeck had split with them,the group dusted themselves down and planned their next project, what would have been their second for Richard Branson's Virgin. Joined as always by their engineering genius Kurt Graupner, the band took residence in the Arabella High Rise Building, the luxury hotel which housed Giorgio Moroder's Musicland Studio in its basement. At the time, the Italian's space disco odyssey was yet to blast off, and he gave the group the studio downtime around his sessions with Donna Summer.

Off the leash and on the lash (running up a record breaking room service bill), Faust spent their nights below ground, creating the sublime cacophony which courses through these seven tracks. Driven by Diermaier's primitive repetition and Péron's rabid low end growl, "Morning Land" stomps its way through almost ten minutes of heavy psychedelia. Vocals disintegrate into the sonic landslide of guitar feedback and synth scree, momentum building until the track rends open the hellmouth with its unthinkable heft. A Luciferian spirit courses through the beatless "Crapolino", a tumult of scorched guitar chords, strident FXs and disembodied vocals which bares all the hallmarks of a black mass. And just like that, the group summon some demonic hunting party for "Knochentanz" (bone dance), arguably their most immersive creation. Opening with Péron's plangent horn, the track soon establishes a hypnotic c ounterpoint between Irmler's electronic sequences and Diermaier's sparse rhythm, a pulse which continues to build for six minutes as kick drum, snare, shaker and toms pile on beneath the ever-present drone. The storm clears for a second to allow a celestial chord progression to emerge from the darkness before the heavens open and Sosna's snarling, sawing guitar rains down from above, carrying "Knochentanz" through its final iteration, a collision of muscular fretwork, percussion freakout and bleeping organ which completes the most psychedelic recording you've never heard.

The frazzled optimism of "Fernlicht" buzzes away like an acid Beethoven bathed in neons, before the breathless "Juggernaut" stretches the definition of blues rock to its limit as squirming sine waves, clattering cymbals and corrosive guitars pan, reverse and overlap, each following its own unhinged rhythm. Then for a time the sound and the fury abate, making space for the frankly sublime "Schön Rund", a piano-led diversion into the soul-swelling realms of ECM jazz and fin de siècleimpressionism, which rivals anything else in their catalogue for pure beauty. And in case you thought they'd gone soft, Faust sign off with the guttural groans and course drones of "Prends Ton Temps".

After ten days of recording, it became clear that Branson wasn't footing the bill and Péron, Irmler and Sosna were arrested until the mothers of Sosna and Irmler paid the bill - though not before smuggling the master tapes into an undisclosed location, where they've waited ever since...

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: This final 'Lost' article from the Faust pentalogy sees the German experimental powerhouse in fine form, wildly swaying between avant jazz, lounge funk and krautrock in a musically surprising triumph. Bonkers and brilliant.

TRACK LISTING

1. Morning Land

2. Crapolino

3. Knochentanz

4. Fernlicht

5. Juggernaut

6. Schön Rund

7. Prends Ton Temps

For bands, a “hiatus” is usually just a polite way of announcing a break-up, but sometimes, a hiatus is just that—a hiatus. Back in 2017, when Moderat announced that they’d be taking an extended break following a final concert in their hometown of Berlin, many assumed that the group was basically calling it quits. After all, they’d already completed a celebrated trilogy of albums, repeatedly broken into the pop charts and performed all around the globe (including MainStage sets at some of the world’s biggest festivals including Coachella, Roskilde, Rock Werchter, Glastonbury, Primavera, Sónar and many many more)—what else was left for the German trio to accomplish? Moderat, however, always knew that they’d find their way back to one another.

10 TRACKS
MORE D4TA, the group’s fourth album, arrives more than six years after its predecessor (2016’s III), yet its contents are quintessentially Moderat. Although the trio’s hiatus was absolutely real—exhausted after years of touring, Apparat (a.k.a. Sascha Ring) and Modeselektor (a.k.a. Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary) spent two years away from one another, focusing instead on their own respective projects—once they decided to resume working together, the music (eventually) started flowing again.

46 MINUTES, 33 SECONDS
It wasn’t an easy process. It’s never been easy for Moderat, an outfit who tellingly titled their debut EP Auf Kosten Der Gesundheit (translation: At the Cost of Health) and then needed seven years to put together a follow-up. Back in those days, the group’s members were essentially remixing each other, but over time, they’ve gradually developed into a proper band, writing together and developing a workflow that’s totally distinct from their other projects. (In a band where all three members are artists, producers and mixing engineers, striking that sort of creative balance is trickier than it might seem.)

494 WORDS
Created largely during a time when touring (and most traveling) was off the table, MORE D4TA is an album that wrestles with feelings of isolation and information overload—issues that have become particularly pronounced over the past two years. Many of its lyrics are rooted in Ring’s frequent trips to Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie museum (often with his infant daughter in tow), where he’d seek refuge in the great paintings of the past while worrying about the future.

490,6 MB
MORE D4TA is rooted in that same collaborative spirit, but long before any of its tracks were laid down, Moderat spent months hanging out and getting musically reacquainted, indulging in extended bouts of experimentation and slowly fleshing out ideas as they dove into modular composition, field recordings and other sonic oddities. That said, MORE D4TA is very much a Moderat album. No matter how far the band ventures into music’s outer realms, they always wind up back in their own unique soundworld, a place where emotive pop and fluttering electronic soundscapes walk hand in hand. What they make isn’t necessarily dance music, but it is something that shines brightest in the dark of night, the group’s rich melodies and Ring’s ethereal vocals emitting a warm, almost bioluminescent glow.

MORE D4TA
Although the LP’s title is an anagram for “Moderat 4,” there’s more to it than cheeky wordplay. In a time where everyone is constantly bombarded with content, and taking part in the cultural conversation requires engaging with digital platforms more interested in harvesting data than celebrating art, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and disillusioned. MORE D4TA acknowledges that reality, but it also refuses to be cowed by it. Moderat’s new album is ultimately just another addition to the content pile—there’s no escaping that—but the trio still yearns to create and connect. They’re not a conceptual outfit, and never have been: After spending the better part of two decades making music together, they’ve carved out a sound and aesthetic that are all their own, and MORE D4TA showcases a group that’s creatively recharged and fully dedicated to its craft. Maybe bands should take hiatuses—real ones— a little more often.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: As expected, this collaboration of these two musical masterminds sees a perfect juxtaposition of laid-back mellow electronica and more dancefloor orientated heft, and is probably the most refined of their musical visions thus far. Both brilliantly produced and endlessly deep, it's a wonderful journey.

TRACK LISTING

1. FAST LAND
2. EASY PREY
3. DRUM GLOW
4. SOFT EDIT
5. UNDO REDO
6. NEON RATS
7. MORE LOVE
8. NUMB BELL
9. DOOM HYPE
10. COPY COPY

The Joseph Mount-fronted electronic pop collective Metronomy announce details of the forthcoming special vinyl release of the instrumental versions of their career-changing 2011 album The English Riviera, which is this year celebrating its ten year anniversary. The English Riviera (Instrumentals) are available to listen to online now and will be released on vinyl in November.

The Dinked vinyl edition of The English Riviera (Instrumentals) will be a cream coloured 12” vinyl with numbered sleeve, complete with transparent sticker sheets, A6 Postcard and Dinked sticker.

A love letter to the stretch of coast a stone's throw from where Joe Mount grew up, The English Riviera marked a breakout moment in the band’s history that would lead them to global success and see them constantly developing their sound for a decade to come. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: So, you know that perfect funky synth-pop powerhouse 'The English Rivera' by Metronomy?, yeah well imagine that but without vocals.. Oh, you can't? well if it's something you fancy then this, 'The English Rivera Instrumentals By Metronomy' might be exactly what you need. It's good, it's like the album but without the vocals.

TRACK LISTING

A Side:
The English Riviera
We Broke Free (Instrumental)
Everything Goes My Way (Instrumental)
The Look (Instrumental)
She Wants (Instrumental)
Trouble (Instrumental)

B Side:
The Bay (Instrumental)
Loving Arm (Instrumental)
Corinne (Instrumental)
Some Written (Instrumental)
Love Underlined (Instrumental)

Steven Umoh grew up in Calabar, Nigeria. He was raised by his grandmother; his mother had moved to the UK to escape Umoh's father, who was abusive. Early in his life, he primarily listened to bootleg rap, particularly Eminem, Usher, Nelly, Snoop Dogg and Ciara. Umoh moved to live with his mother in England at the age of 17, but stayed active in the Nigerian music scene. He grew up a devoutly religious Christian, but became less so after he attended university in Norwich. In college he sang primarily in an American accent, influenced by his childhood spent listening to American hip hop music, but he transitioned to singing in his natural Nigerian-British accent before embarking on his professional career. Obongjayar's music has been called "hard to describe", incorporating elements of afrobeat, spoken word, soul, and electronic music. His lyrics incorporate spiritual overtones, although they are not readily identifiable with any specific religious tradition. A unifying feature of all of Obongjayar's music is his very deep voice, which slides between rapping, singing, and spoken word.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: It's really mindblowing work, this. A heady juxtaposition of soulful synth music, minimalist pop and bright, percussive African rhythms all brought together flawlessly and meticulously into a cohesive and unique vision.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE 1
1. Try
2. Message In A Hammer
3. Parasite
4. Some Nights I Dream Of Doors
5. Wrong For It
6. Sugar

SIDE 2
1. My Life Can Change Today (Interlude)
2. New Man
3. All The Difference
4. Tinko Tinko (Don't Play Me For A Fool)
5. I Wish It Was Me
6. Wind Sailor

After 10 albums, the last five of which have gone top 10 or better, six Grammy awards, and sold-out tours around the world, The Black Keys are back: the duo, called ‘America’s Most Trusted Band’ by Stephen Colbert, and ‘One of the best rock’n’roll bands on the planet’ by Uncut, releases its eleventh studio album, Dropout Boogie, via Nonesuch Records. Dropout Boogie features collaborations with Billy F. Gibbons (ZZ Top), Greg Cartwright (Reigning Sound), and Angelo Petraglia (Kings of Leon).

Dropout Boogie is released one day before the twentieth anniversary of The Black Keys’ first album, The Big Come Up. As they have done their entire career, the duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney wrote all of the material in the studio, and the new album captures a number of first takes that hark back to the stripped-down blues rock of their early days making music together in Akron, Ohio basements.

“That’s always been the beauty of the thing Pat and I do. It’s instant,” Auerbach says. “We’ve never really had to work at it. Whenever we’d get together, we’d just make music, you know? We didn’t know what we were going to do, but we’d just do it and it would sound cool. It’s the natural chemistry Pat and I have. Being in a band this long is a testament to that. It was a real gift that we were given. I mean, the odds of being plopped down a block-and-a-half from each other in Akron, Ohio – it just seems crazy.”

After hashing out initial ideas as a duo at Auerbach’s Nashville-based Easy Eye Sound studio, Auerbach and Carney welcomed new collaborators Billy F. Gibbons, Greg Cartwright, and Angelo Petraglia to the Dropout Boogie sessions. Although The Black Keys previously co-wrote songs with frequent producer/collaborator Danger Mouse, this is the first time they have invited multiple new contributors to work simultaneously on one of their own albums. Both Cartwright and Petraglia can be heard on the new album’s first single, ‘Wild Child’.

“Living in Nashville and making records here has opened both of our minds to that experience a little bit more,” said Auerbach. “I knew Pat would love working with both of these guys, so we decided we’d give it a shot. It was the first time we’d ever really done that. It was fun as hell. We just sat around a table with acoustic guitars and worked out a song ahead of time.” “The cool thing with Greg is that he wants to approach stuff with a story in mind – there’s a plot, almost,” added Carney.

The Black Keys had previously jammed with ZZ Top guitar legend Billy F. Gibbons more than a decade ago in Los Angeles, while ZZ Top was working on an album with producer Rick Rubin. “We never even really wrote one song – we just had some ideas we put down,” Carney said. “We really just wanted to hang out with him. We stayed in touch, and Dan invited him to the studio once we started working on this album.”

Between the duo’s albums, Auerbach, through his Easy Eye Sound studio and label, has produced and co-written with artists including Yola, Marcus King, Robert Finley, Ceramic Animal, and the Velveteers.

Carney has also been busy as a producer at his Nashville-by-way-of-Akron studio Audio Eagle, where he has worked with Michelle Branch, Tennis, Jessy Wilson, Calvin Johnson, and The Sheepdogs, among others.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: The inimitable Black Keys return for their sleekest and most groove-filled outing yet. Funky af, swimming with the spirit of southern rock and hazy rock and/or roll.

Jason Quever has been releasing timeless guitarbased dream pop as Papercuts since 2004, impervious to trends or micro genres that have come and gone around him. In that regard, his contemporaries are artists like Hiss Golden Messenger, Fruit Bats, Andy Shauf or Kings of Convenience - artists who are more concerned with song craft and perfecting their sound, and less concerned with gimmicks or fitting into a specific scene.

‘Past Life Regression’ is his new album and it’s a journey into the dreamier reaches of psychedelic folk-pop that digs deep into influences as wideranging as The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Spiritualized, Echo & The Bunnymen, Leonard Cohen and late 60s pop of various flavours.

Jason Quever is / was also the producer for Beach House, Dean Wareham and Cass McCombs, among others.

TRACK LISTING

Lodger
Sinister Smile
Fade Out
I Want My Jacket Back
My Sympathies
The Strange Boys
Palm Sunday
Hypnotist
Remarry
Comb In Your Hair

For Fans Of... Durand Jones & The Indications, Tame Impala, Temples, Lee Fields.

Monophonics cordially invite you to attend the grand re-opening of the once thriving, once vibrant establishment, the legendary Sage Motel. A place where folks experience the highs and lows of human existence. A place where big dreams and broken hearts live, where people arrive at without ever knowing how they got there. It's where folks find themselves at a crossroads in life.

So join us as we examine where the stories are told and experiences unfold.....and sink into a soft pillow of soulful psychedelia.....down at the Sage Motel.

Sage Motel, Monophonics' fifth studio album since 2012, tells its story. Once again produced by brilliant bandleader Kelly Finnigan, the album captures a timeless sound that blends heavy soul with psych-rock. With their previous album, It’s Only Us, selling over 10,000 physical units and garnering over 20 million streams, Monophonics have built a reputation over the past decade as one of the most impactful bands in the country.

If these walls of the Sage Motel could talk, this is what they'd say. So join us as we examine where the stories are told and experiences unfold.....and sink into a soft pillow of soulful psychedelia.....down at the Sage Motel.

TRACK LISTING

1. Check In
2. Sage Motel
3. Let That Sink In
4. The Shape Of My Teardrops
5. Broken Boundaries
6. Love You Better
7. Never Stop Saying These Words
8. Warpaint
9. Crash & Burn
10. Check Out

The Qualitons are one of the few internationally known and critically acclaimed bands Hungary has had to offer in recent years.

They played at numerous festivals across Europe and the USA, performed a live session at legendary indie station KEXP and have released a total of four albums.
Their last LP called “Kexek” is a beautiful and respectful tribute to the music of KEX, one of the most legendary, interesting, and tragic bands of Hungarian music history.

Their avant-garde performances were ahead of their time (especially in communist Hungary) and resulted in brutal repression from the authorities. They could release only one official single before they were literally smashed by the police, to save his life, key figure Janos Baksa-Soos even had to flee the country.

The concept of the “Kexek” album was simple: each member of The Qualitons picked one KEX song which they had full creative control over, they re-arranged, mixed them individually and then recorded the tracks together.

What came out of this process is a unique, yet consistent mix of folk, psychedelic, and progressive funk-rock that gets more exciting with each listen.

The LP is limited to 500 copies worldwide.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Incendiary in parts, deliciously funky and melodic in others, The Qualitons are a singular and rebellious force. A psych-rock, funk rampage; sung in Hungarian and containing some exquisite musicianship. If you dug Tinariwen, Goat & Koudede - this is for you!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Zold Sarga
A2. Elszallt Egy Hajo A Szelben
A3. Piros Madar
B1. Csillagok Ne Ragyogjatok
B2. Csalad

Benny Sings’ latest release Beat Tape II is the successor to Benny's 2018 project Beat Tape, and follows his April 2021 album, Music. Beat Tape II is a mixtape-style record with some of the best beats Benny has created over the years. It features wide variety of artists including JONES, Cola Boyy, Mocky, Marc Rebillet, St. Panther, Rae Khalil, Kenny Beats, GRAMMY nominee Cory Henry, the Koreatown Oddity and more. Benny will be playing a sold-out headline show at Lafayette London in March 2022 as part of his second European tour.

TRACK LISTING

1. Slash
2. Look What We Do (ft. JONES)
3. Beat 100 (ft. Cola Boyy, Mocky & Marc Rebillet)
4. Beat 8
5. Beat 5 (ft. St. Panther & Rae Khalil)
6. CGEOOL (ft. Rae Khalil)
7. Don’t Look (prod. By Kenny Beats & Cory Henry)
8. Money & Guns
9. Beat 2 (ft. Oddisee)
10. Song 13 (ft. The Koreatown Oddity)
11. Watch Me Heal (ft. PawPaw Rod)
12. Green Grass
13. All That You Wanted
14. Falling (ft. MadeinTYO)
15. Mag Ik In Je Huid (ft. Faberyayo)
16. Beat 3 (feat. St. Panther)

Without the West German-born Väth, techno would look, sound and feel very different. Since falling in love with electronic music and DJing in 1981, his dedication to the art has never faltered. He plays every party as if it were his last. His broad smile has connected with millions of people around the world. His colourful and curious character has imbued techno with a personality it was often lacking. His selections remain hugely unpredictable, despite the fact that he has been playing around the world for more than 40 years. To remain not only relevant but innovative after so long is a testament to Sven's ability to connect through music on a deeper level.

Technically, of course, he is a DJ who can play for thirty hours and not miss a beat. His track selections seem almost divine, and his aura is certainly otherworldly. But more than that, he is a ringleader who is able to mix the artful side of techno with the playful side of partying. Most famously he has done this for more than 20 years at his iconic Cocoon parties in Ibiza. They single-handedly introduced techno to the White Isle and have been its beating heart ever since. Under his charge, strict style guidelines and exaggerated pigeonholing no longer apply. Instead, he has perfected the art of playing far and wide while always remaining true to his own musical identity.

In the studio, Sven has always been just as unique. He has worked under several aliases but always brought a fresh perspective. Whether securing chart hits as part of OFF in the eighties, serving up brutalist techno and trance-tinged sounds in the nineties or crafting major label albums in the 2000s, his music has remained utterly forward-looking. That legacy continues with ‘Catharsis’ as Sven teams up with highly respected producer Gregor Tresher for his latest long-form offering. Tresher has long been part of the Cocoon family and is a revered artist in his own right, when the two got together in the studio it was clear they had an instant connection and there would only be one person fit to co-author this LP.

It is a record inspired by Sven's interest in the physical and spiritual processes that take place when we dance. "They are realms into which we immerse ourselves to experience our own mysticism and ecstasy," he muses. "Dancing is a conversation between body and soul and it spiritually connects us with each other." Because of the pandemic, that is of course a feeling that we all missed out on for so long. "No dancing, no paradise!" says Sven. "My imagination for this record was fueled by the many cultural experiences and encounters I have had in my life. They gave me the strength to find a way, the way to myself." And that way to himself is through music, through purifying dancing rituals and the exchange of spiritual energies that are generated in the club.

The thirteen-track album explores all facets of Sven's sound. It opens with the stomping drums but sleek synths of 'What I Used To Play' and unfolds through deep and dirty rhythms like 'The Worm', subtly euphoric highs on 'The Inner Voice' and the bubbly tribalism of the title track. There is the impassioned call-to-arms that is 'Feiern', peak-time melodic workout 'Mystic Voices' and soothing electronic lullabies like 'Being In Love'. The second half of the album takes in many more twists and turns such as the exotic strings and driving drums of 'Butoh', the paranoid techno minimalism of 'NYX' and expansive synthscapes of ambient gem 'The Cranes Of Gangtey Valley' before things play out though rugged beats and emotive chords on 'We Are', which is named after the idea that we are what we think. "With our thoughts, we make the world.” says Sven.

Then comes the moody reflection of 'Silvi's Dream', which was written in French for Sven's girlfriend. Last but not least we have the immersive dream that is 'Panta Rhei', which completes a trio of electronica tunes on the album. Ambient music has been an integral part on almost every album Sven has written because it can bring a certain emotional deepness, a quality that Sven always has been looking for.

'Catharsis' is an adventurous album that captures the good times, the sad times and, most importantly, the times of hope.

TRACK LISTING

3LP:
1. (A1) Sven Väth – What I Used To Play
2. (A2) Sven Väth – The Worm
3. (B1) Sven Väth – Catharsis
4. (B2) Sven Väth – The Inner Voice
5. (C1) Sven Väth – Mystic Voices
6. (C2) Sven Väth – Nyx
7. (D1) Sven Väth – Butoh
8. (D2) Sven Väth – Feiern
9. (E1) Sven Väth – We Are
10. (E2) Sven Väth – Being In Love
11. (F1) Sven Väth – The Cranes Of Gangtey Valley
12. (F2) Sven Väth – Silvi‘s Dream
13. (F3) Sven Väth – Panta Rhei

CD:
1. Sven Väth – What I Used To Play
2. Sven Väth – The Worm
3. Sven Väth – The Inner Voice
4. Sven Väth – Catharsis
5. Sven Väth – Feiern
6. Sven Väth – Mystic Voices
7. Sven Väth – Being In Love
8. Sven Väth – Butoh
9. Sven Väth – The Cranes Of Gangtey Valley
10. Sven Väth – We Are
11. Sven Väth – Silvi‘s Dream
12. Sven Väth – Panta Rhei

A legendary event in the incredible 60-year history of the Rolling Stones is being released in full for the first time on Friday, April 29th. Live At The El Mocambo marks the first official appearance of the group's two famous secret concerts at the 300-capacity Toronto club in March 1977.

It features the Stones' full set from the March 5 show, plus three bonus tracks from the March 4 gig, newly mixed by Bob Clearmountain. Only four of the performances found their way onto the Love You Live album that followed in September 1977, which was dominated by tracks captured on the band's 1975 and '76 tours, with the full set having never been heard before.

As the Stones took to the stage of the “El Mo,” a fixture of the Toronto music scene since the 1940s, punk and disco were both rearing into full view, supposedly ready to see off a band who had already been at the top of their game for 15 years. Over two nights, in an intimate space in one of their favourite cities, they were about to make that prognosis look foolish indeed.

The gigs became reality after the El Mocambo was identified as the potential home for a secret booking. A radio contest was organised in which the prize was tickets to see Canadian rock heroes April Wine, supported by an unknown band called the Cockroaches. Guess who they turned out to be...

On the nights, naturally, April Wine were themselves the opening act, and so it was that the Stones rolled back the years to the exhilarating club incarnation of their early years. Against all the odds, the band produced two nights of exhilarating music that they still talk about in Toronto, and in Rolling Stones legend, to this day.

It was a setlist for all seasons, from Muddy Waters' 'Mannish Boy' and Bo Diddley's 'Crackin' Up' to staples such as 'Let's Spend The Night Together' and 'Tumbling Dice,' and back to the blues with Big Maceo's 'Worried Life Blues' and Willie Dixon's 'Little Red Rooster.' There was the live debut of 'Worried About You,' not heard in studio form until 1981's Tattoo You, and more highlights from 'Honky Tonk Woman' to 'Hot Stuff.' Forty-five years on, this is a trip back to the intensity of the Crawdaddy Club in the Stones' earliest days, as revisited by the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world.

The closer you are to someone, the crueler you can treat them, but if they love you, they’re inclined to forgive you. My Idea’s Lily Konigsberg and Nate Amos forgive each other now, but they were in a bad way when they recorded CRY MFER — which is not to say their debut album is some kind of sonic bum out. CRY MFER proves you can still make pop music while spiraling, as evidenced by the existence of “Breathe You,” a bop all about fucking Nate constructed while “high as shit in my room making fun of Justin Bieber,” the vocals of which Lily tracked while “blindly sad” and “genuinely devastated.” They’re best friends now, and they were best friends when they recorded CRY MFER last year, but they didn’t know that yet. (“We definitely were like, oh, maybe we're in love?” Lily recalls; it was a confusing time.) CRY MFER is the sound of two people figuring out what they mean to one another “in the midst of,” quoth Nate, “a bunch of other chaos,” up to and including being drunk as skunks; when listening to the album, Nate can “smell” the aforementioned chaos. “Thank God we're not those people [anymore],” Lily, with the clarity of newfound sobriety, marvels.

When not using the other party as an emotional punching bag, Nate and Lily used one another as a creative filter and sounding board. In life, as in art, they share a language, a hive mind, finishing each other’s sentences while lounging on Lily’s parents’ couch in the Hudson Valley. The duo joined forces in the Fall of 2020, when Lily, after a few years gobbing away in the punk trio Palberta, solicited Nate (who, at the time, was popping away as half of dance duo Water From Your Eyes) as a potential producer for her solo record; the subsequent songwriting competition that followed resulted in dozens of tracks and one EP, That’s My Idea. No strangers to productivity, Nate’s Water From Your Eyes recently released their fifth album, and Lily recently released her solo LP, both to high marks. CRY MFER is, true to the band’s vision, a beautiful mess of different sounds, completely and effortlessly genreless (though if pressed to label it, the band settles on “Truth or Dare Pop”). While a milieu of myriad styles, from folk to dance, the album’s main througH-line is truth, regardless of how much the expression thereof may hurt. Its lyrics aren’t “particularly diary-ish,” Nate says, they’re “a little more…” “Diarrhea-ish,” Lily jokes. It’s a reaction against the self-seriousness that runs rampant throughout indie music, which comes as no surprise when you learn the duo originally wanted to call themselves The Grammys (Why? Because when the two of them started working together, “we were like, we're gonna get a Grammy,” Lily says). They aren’t ashamed to admit they listen to Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, in much the same way they aren’t ashamed to use a vocoder or lyrically play the heel.

My Idea has only just begun, but already misery is in the rearview. CRY MFER is a punisher, to be sure, but it’s also a banger; reflecting on the time period during which it was recorded, Nate breathes a sigh of relief: “Oof. Well, we made it, and we got something out of it, too.” And so, dear listener, have you.

TRACK LISTING

1. Cry Mfer
2. Crutch
3. Baby I’m The Man
4. Lily’s Phone
5. Breathe You
6. Not Afraid Anymore
7. Yea
8. One Tree Hill (feat. Thanks For Coming)
9. I Can’t Dance Part 2
10. Pretty You
11. I Should Have Never Generated You
12. Popstar
13. Yr A Blur

Gothenburg, Sweden trio Firebreather’s 2019 RidingEasy Records debut album Under a Blood Moon was a powerhouse that most certainly established the band’s incendiary potential. But none of us would be prepared for the suffocating onslaught that is Dwell in the Fog. While that album was in-your-face and raw, Dwell in the Fog rumbles and rages with a fury the band had only hinted at previously.

Firebreather has a streamlined focus on driving, symphonic riffs in the vein of High on Fire, Inter Arma and their tour- and label-mates Monolord. The guitar and bass tones are, quite simply, entrancing. Paired with vocalist/guitarist Mattias Nööjd’s guttural yet melodic howls and drummer Axel Wittbeck’s groove based rhythms, their entire sound flows like thick, viscous lava.

“The album is a cathartic journey inwards and a musical continuation from Under A Blood Moon, but with more emphasis on groove and feel,” Nööjd says. From the first notes of album opener “Kiss Of Your Blade” you’ll know exactly what he means.

Like their preceding two albums, Dwell in the Fog was also recorded and mixed by engineer Oskar Karlsson at Elementstudion in Gothenburg. The band is joined by new bassist Nicklas Hellqvist on this album, who seems to have increased the thunder rumble tenfold.

From the aforementioned album opener “Kiss Of Your Blade”, with its droning opening chords over a rollicking tom pattern, the band quickly shifts gears into a head bobbing, serpentine riff with a transcendent melodic hook. Elsewhere, as on the title track and “Weather The Storm” rapid-fire hummable riffs come and go in an ever-shifting mass of devastating swirling churn. It’s like the band has such an endless supply of great hooks that to, ahem, dwell for too long on any one would undo their constantly building momentum. That they somehow give each song, and the album as a whole, a streamlined and cohesive, monolithic groove is testament to their skill. And, proof that the album must be absorbed in its entirety to experience the overwhelming swaying and lunging low end growl that drives the band’s most captivating work to date.

We at Jazzman have already given legitimate release to albums that fell foul of the notorious '70s 'tax scam' practice, namely those by Sounds of the City Experience and Ricardo Marrero. It now gives us great satisfaction to present Reality's 'Disco Party' album, for the very first time in agreement with the surviving members of the band. Possibly the most obscure of all the obscurities in the TSG catalogue, 'Disco Party' isn't actually 'disco' at all, moreover it's a fully rounded excursion into mid-70s dancefloor funk and proto-disco-jazz, performed by a group of expert musicians at the height of their powers. Recorded in one long session in NYC, until now, bandleader Dr. Otto Gomez and the rest of his crew had never even heard the recordings they'd made almost 50 years ago. Indeed, none of the band even knew that their album had been released!

At Jazzman, we consider it our mission to shine new light on music that went under-appreciated at the time of its original release. There are many varied circumstances which can cause an otherwise great record to not do so well - for instance, poor budget, marketing, promo and sometimes just plain old bad luck. Perhaps the most unjust circumstance involves the tax loss releases of the mid-70s - records made purely to cheat a few dollars out of the tax man.
Here, along with restoring the music, we have dug deep into the backstory of the group, interviewing Gomez and others to find out exactly who this unheralded NYC funk orchestra were and what happened to them before and after the monumental session laid out on this record. Our liner notes tell the story of the TSG label and the 'tax loss' phenomenon, and we delve into the history of the band from their humble beginnings as the Smokin' Shades of Black(!) to the present day. We also find out exactly what it means to record some brilliant music - only to have it taken away - and discarded.

TRACK LISTING

1. Reality
2. Road
3. Disco Party (Let's Have A)
4. Welcome
5. Movin' & Groovin'
6. Let's Party People
7. You Keep Me Holdin' On
8. Clap & Hustle

Polarity, the first album from percussionist and multi-instrumentalist James Larter is a cross-genre Psychedelic journey with driving rhythms at its core.

Larter has always been obsessed with rhythm; whether it be the roaring sound of Brazilian Samba or the intricate and hypnotic drums from the African diaspora, music that makes people move is a passion. He is an in demand musician that has played with a staggering variety of groups and artists from Sampha to the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Hailing from the UK and studying in London and New York, his soundscape crosses genres and styles all with a psychedelic twist. Marimba and vibraphone feature heavily with echoes of electronic music played out by an all-star accompanying 10 piece band.

STAFF COMMENTS

Millie says: This is really really beautiful, jazzy rhythms swoop down and pick you up with this one.. especially enjoying the track Indras Net with Maddy's vocals lifting it to the next level.

TRACK LISTING

1. Polarity
2. Indra's Net (feat. Maddy)
3. Sorbet I
4. And Then There Were Vibes (feat. Will Heard)
5. Sorbet II
6. Salvadora (feat. Will Heard)
7. Espresso Martini
8. Desesperada (feat. Alba)

The Return of Blues & Rhythm, Popcorn, Exotica & Tittyshakers.

A brand new volume in the successfull Stag-O-Lee series titled Exotic Blues & Rhythm. Enjoy amazing and danceable tunes from the late 50s and early 60s - a handful of Popcorn dancefloor smashs, a few grinding Tittyshakers, awesome Rhythm & Blues - most of them with an exotic twist! 12 songs each on nice 10” vinyl.

Sharon Van Etten has always been the kind of artist who helps people make sense of the world around them, and her sixth album, We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong, concerns itself with how we feel, mourn, and reclaim our agency when we think the world - or at least, our world - might be falling apart. How do we protect the things most precious to us from destructive forces beyond our control? How do we salvage something worthwhile when it seems all is lost? And if we can’t, or we don’t, have we loved as well as we could in the meantime? Did we try hard enough? In considering these questions and her own vulnerability in the face of them, Van Etten creates a stunning meditation on how life’s changes can be both terrifying and transformative. We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong articulates the beauty and power that can be rescued from our wreckages.

We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong is as much a reflection on how we manage the ending of metaphorical worlds as we do the ending of actual ones: the twin flames of terror and unrelenting love that light up with motherhood; navigating the demands of partnership when your responsibilities have changed; the loss of center and safety that can come with leaving home; how the ghosts of our past can appear without warning in our present; feeling helpless with the violence and racism in the world; and yes, what it means when a global viral outbreak forces us to relinquish control of the things that have always made us feel so human, and seek new forms of connection to replace them.

We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong is intensely personal, exploring themes like motherhood, love, fear, what we can and can’t control, and what it means to be human in a world that is wracked by so much trauma. The track “Home To Me,” written about Van Etten’s son, uses the trademark “dark drums” of her previous work to invoke the sonic impression of a heartbeat. Synths grow in intensity, evoking the passing of time and the terror of what it means to have your child move inevitably toward independence, wanting to hold on to them tightly enough to protect them forever. In contrast, “Come Back” reflects on the desire to reconnect with a partner. Recalling all the optimism of love felt in its infancy, Van Etten begins with the plain beauty of just her voice and a guitar, building the arrangement alongside the call to “come back” to anyone who has lost their way, be it from another person or from themselves. Hovering between darkness and light, “Born” is an exploration of the self that exists when all other labels - mother, partner, friend - are stripped back.

The ten tracks on We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong are designed to be listened to in order, all at once, so that a much larger story of hope, loss, longing and resilience can be told. This is, in itself, a subtle act of control, but in sharing these songs it remains an optimistic and generous one. There is darkness here but there is light too, and all of it is held together by Van Etten’s uncanny ability to both pierce the hearts of her listeners and make them whole again. Things are not dark, she reminds us, only darkish.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: There are few artists around that are as eminently talented as Sharon Van Etten, and her latest outing has all of the acoustic nuance and juxtaposing heft we've come to expect from her. There are moments of minimalist beauty, but they fit in perfectly with the crashing waves of synth and her uncompromising vocals, pulling together all the disparate parts seamlessly. Gorgeous.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A:
1. Darkness Fades
2. Home To Me
3. I’ll Try
4. Anything
5. Born

SIDE B:
6. Headspace
7. Come Back
8. Darkish
9. Mistakes
10. Far Away

'Radiate Like This' - Warpaint’s much anticipated new record, not to mention their first in almost 6 years - arrives with its own very modern mythology intact, continuing the strange, brilliant, beautiful story of the band and quite neatly picking up where 'Heads Up' left off. If the previous album was the coming of age, 'Radiate Like This' presents Warpaint mk II in all their glory, a luminous coalescence of sound and vision which stubbornly belies its genesis, with the quartet of Kokal, Theresa Wayman, Stella Mozgawa and Jenny Lee Lindberg all recording their parts separately in various cities.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever made an album like that, but in a weird way, it made us take our time with everything”, muses Kokal. “The process felt more meditative, less rushed”. This new sense of quiet confidence can be heard all through the album, in the hushed, slow build of first single “Champion” the beguiling push pull of “Proof”, the delicate intricacy and complexity of tracks like “Melting” and the winking “Send Nudes”. It’s an album that pulsates with ideas, energy and- most crucially – gorgeous melodies. Listen on in wonder.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: As is the way at the moment, Warpaint recorded their new LP in several parts, from different cities and although it sounds like a recipe for a disconnected, diparate work, in Warpaint's case it couldn't be any less true. Incendiary groove, huge percussion and their impeccable sense of melody comes shining through, it's a triumph. A great return.

TRACK LISTING

1. Champion
2. Hips
3. Hard To Tell You
4. Stevie
5. Like Sweetness
6. Trouble
7. Proof
8. Altar
9. Melting
10. Send Nudes

A Bit of Previous is the tenth studio album by Belle and Sebastian and their first full-length in seven years. This may be surprising to anyone following the recent life pursuits of the Glasgow 7-piece: a trilogy of EPs; a soundtrack for the directorial debut of The Inbetweeners’ Simon Bird; The Boaty Weekender – a 3000 capacity star-studded four-day music festival on a cruise liner sailing the Mediterranean; a live album showcasing the band’s present-day iteration as savvy main stage entertainers; and in 2020 a collaborative project with fans called ‘Protecting The Hive’. But in all these idiosyncratic endeavours, as intrinsic to the band’s DNA as the stage invasion at the end of each of their shows, a full-length has eluded us.

A Bit Of Previous was recorded in Belle and Sebastian’s hometown of Glasgow when plans to fly to Los Angeles in spring of 2020 were scrapped due to the pandemic. Says Murdoch in the liner notes: “We did it together, us and the city. This record was the first ‘full’ LP recording for B&S in Glasgow since Fold Your Hands Child, 1999. We clocked in every morning, we played our songs, we wrote together, we tried new things, we took the proverbial lump of clay, and we threw it every day.”

A Bit Of Previous is a classic Belle and Sebastian album preoccupied with songs and melodies that won’t leave your head and lyrics that can make you smile and ponder and sometimes be melancholic. The result is one the most diverse, hands-on and thrilling entries in the bands catalogue, self-produced and recorded (with contributions from Brian McNeill, Matt Wiggins, Kevin Burleigh and Shawn Everett). ‘Young And Stupid’ is a stuttering folk rock earworm that faces the passage of time with wry ennui, ‘Come On Home’ with its warm fireside piano evokes a handing over of the generational baton, while the deceptively feelgood, choir-backed ‘If They’re Shooting At You’ reads like a poignant ode to defiance and survival.

A Bit of Previous is also scattered with big, occasionally delirious pop moments. ‘Unnecessary Drama’ rips through a cacophony of overdriven riffs and a droning harmonica that borders on the unhinged and is one of the band’s heaviest outings since, well, ever. The 140+ bpm ’Talk To Me Talk To Me’ is ablaze with euro synths and keyboard horns as the voices of Murdoch and Martin intertwine on a breathless chorus. ‘Working Boy in New York City’ exists in a parallel universe where the band did in fact make it to California – such is the escapist bliss of its sloping flute and bittersweet funk. On the other side of the spectrum are some of Belle and Sebastian’s most moving ballads. Tender finger-picked paean to a lover ‘Do It For Your Country’ and doo-wop-inflicted ‘Sea Of Sorrow’ showcase Murdoch’s tenor at its most bare and affecting, while Stevie Jackson contributes lovelorn country waltz ‘Deathbed of My Dreams’.

So what is a A Bit of Previous? It’s a bit of everything, and a lot of what makes Belle and Sebastian so special and enduring. It’s a band tackling age and growing older with grace, irreverence, musical bravado and lyrical exactitude and emerging as an endless source of energy and reinvention.

STAFF COMMENTS

Martin says: I famously adore Belle & Sebastian, but this is definitely one of my favourites of theirs thus far, and goes some way to cementing their place on the greatest bands of all time list. Swimming melodies, clever progressions and heartfelt lyricism make for a classic Belle & Sebastian LP.

TRACK LISTING

1. Young And Stupid
2. If They're Shooting At You
3. Talk To Me Talk To Me
4. Reclaim The Night
5. Do It For Your Country
6. Prophets On Hold
7. Unnecessary Drama
8. Come On Home
9. A World Without You
10. Deathbed Of My Dreams
11. Sea Of Sorrow
12. Working Boy In New York City

7” (Indies Only)
1. A Bit Of Previous
2. Sometimes

With some of the best DJs and selectors there is a certain mysterious sound or underlying feeling which unites the music they play, regardless of genre, year or tempo. Luke Una is a master of telling a story through music and this compilation is a perfect example of his musical alchemy in action. Featuring tracks from Yusef Lateef, Airto Moreira, Crooked Man, Henri Texier and many more, it is a collection of new, old, rare and under-discovered music from around the world, all united by Luke under the banner of "E-Soul Cultura".

It's best described by Luke himself, who writes: "As the 5AM city sleeps and the strobe lights are slowly turned off, we gather on the wrong side of town in a transcendental journey alone together. We are the late night disenfranchised holding on in various after parties, flats, lofts, random kitchens and basements into the outer cosmos with É Soul Cultura. Music from exotic tear jerkers, Afro-spiritual jazz, cosmic Brazilian celestial grooves, machine street soul, dark horses, lost B-sides, £1 bargain-bin bombs, hidden gems, late night Italo dubbing, deep velvet N.Y.C garage, bass buggin sonic futurism, wrong speed 33BPM pitched up +8 new beat, majestic sunset strings, sweet vocals from heaven, no half steppin jazz dancing in outer-space and odd numbers. Yes… magical moments, together, holding on in witness protection suburban cul-de-sacs and Castle Court flats. Cosmic É high, 3000ft above the city getting evangelical to murky, wonky timeless beautiful music. This thing of ours dreaming of better days. Fail we may, sail we must, the sun will come up again." For anyone who has enjoyed his epic 5 hour shows on Worldwide FM, you know what to expect from the man who is Luke Una. Variety and quality all the way. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: One of Manchester's most well known DJ's and personalities brings his impeccable music taste and curation skills to stalwart label, Mr Bongo for a silky-smooth collection of crepuscular serenades, hazy dancefloor grooves and tropical bliss. A seamless, nuanced musical journey.

TRACK LISTING

1. Robson Jorge & Lincoln Olivetti – Eva
2. Chene Noir - Le Train
3. Metropolis - Every Time I See Him
4. The Brand New Heavies Featuring N'Dea Davenport – Stay This Way (The Lunar Dub)
5. Typesun - The P.L. (Extended Edit)
6. King Errisson - Space Queen
7. Yusef Lateef - Robot Man
8. Daniel Humair, Francois Jeanneau, Henri Texier - Le Cyclope
9. Airto Moreira - O Galho Da Roseira (The Branches Of The Rose Tree)
10. Francisco – Wache
11. Nar'Chiveol - Apocalypse Now Ho
12. On - Southern Freeez
13. Soylent Green - After All

Produced by Nigel Godrich, Win & Régine, and recorded in multiple locales including New Orleans, El Paso and Mount Desert Island, WE paradoxically distills “the longest we’ve ever spent writing, uninterrupted, probably ever" (per the band’s Win Butler) into a concise 40 minute epic – one as much about the forces that threaten to pull us away from the people we love, as it is inspired by the urgent need to overcome them. WE’s cathartic journey follows a definable arc from darkness into light over the course of seven songs divided into two distinct sides -- Side “I” channeling the fear and loneliness of isolation, and Side “WE” expressing the joy and power of reconnection.

On the album’s cover, a photograph of a human eye by the artist JR evokes Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy. This stunning image -- embellished by the distinctive airbrush color tinting of Terry Pastor (utilizing the same physical technique he employed on David Bowie’s iconic Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust covers) – is the visual expression of WE.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: 'We' takes Arcade Fire back to their orchestral roots, eschewing the mind-bogglingly diverse range of sounds on 2017's 'Everything Now'. Pieces here sound like classic Arcade Fire but imbued with the real-world concept of tension and release, manifested as a taut musical energy offset by a jubilant orchestral bliss. Massive and euphoric and quintessentially Arcade Fire.

TRACK LISTING

“I”
1. Age Of Anxiety I
2. Age Of Anxiety II (Rabbit Hole)
3. End Of The Empire I-IV
“WE”
1. The Lightning I, II
2. Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)
3. Unconditional II (Race And Religion)
4. WE

The band’s ninth record, Let it Be Blue, takes that feeling of constant, radical transformation to new, untapped zones. It’s a record of sparse dance music. The kind of stuff you want to put on loud, let loose, go to the bar to get a drink only to abandon your plans because the song that just came on was too good not to dance to. Let it Be Blue is a computer record, but it doesn’t feel like it. Featuring production from Patrick Ford, Let it Be Blue is the product of file sharing, trading stems, song particles, little ideas on their way to being fully realized dance tracks. It was conceived during the past two years, with dreams of future dancefloors very much on the brain. The resulting 11 songs are some of the band’s most production focused offerings to date. They’re crystalline, full of sub-bass and drums. It evokes visions of clubs where a concoction of Dembow and acid house play at volumes so loud your ears hurt and you forget what day of the week it is. In other words, it’s a !!! album. It makes you freak out a little bit.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: The distance-working scenario here has clearly helped !!! hone their sound down into perfectly produced micro-segments of rhythm and melody, with their ninth album being easily their most clearly-defined and beautifully realised dancefloor statement. It's bold and full of swagger, as they always are but this feels like the work of a band determined to only get better, and to keep pushing things forards while retaining the sound that made them so distinctive in the first place.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Normal People
A2. A Little Bit (More)
A3. Storm Around The World (feat. Maria Uzor)
A4. Un Puente (feat. Angelica Garcia)
A5. Here's What I Need To Know
A6. Panama Canal (feat. Meah Pace)
B1. Man On The Moon (feat. Meah Pace)
B2. Let It Be Blue
B3. It's Grey, It's Grey (It's Grey)
B4. Crazy Talk
B5. This Is Pop 2

The third album from Afro-Cuban French twins Lisa-Kainde and Naomi Diaz who together are Ibeyi. Inspired by the Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead, this is a record celebrating their multitudes are harnessing their power to heal others. Featuring collaborations with Pa Salieu, Jorja Smith, BERWYN, Dave Okumu, Ben Reed and Owen Pallett, with production by Richard Russell.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Ibeyi fall perfectly in that magical middle ground between synth-pop disco and funk, imbued with musical sensibilities from their Afro-Cuban heritage, it's a beautifully balanced and eminently listenable triumph. The track with Jorja Smith on it is a particular delight too, probably my favourite piece of theirs to date. ace.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Sangoma
O Inle
Made Of Gold Feat. Pa Salieu
Sister 2 Sister
Creature (Perfect)

Side B
Tears Are Our Medicine
Foreign Country
Lavender & Red Roses Feat. Jorja Smith
Rise Above Feat. BERWYN
Los Muertos

New York trio Sunflower Bean - vocalist and bassist Julia Cumming (she/her), guitarist and vocalist Nick Kivlen (he/him), and drummer Olive Faber (she/they) – announce that their long-awaited third album Headful of Sugar will be released on May 6 via Lucky Number.

A psychedelic headrush, fuelled by the agony and ecstasy of contemporary American life, Headful of Sugar is about outsiders disillusioned with the modern world who, despite their alienation, refuse to be subdued; buoyed by the relief found in interpersonal relationships that counteract the daily barrage of cheap entertainment and convenience.

If their acclaimed second album Twentytwo in Blue, released in 2018, was a self-described “ode to the fleeting innocence of youth,” then Headful of Sugar shoves the listener into a new, dangerous world, one that is less safe but also less suffocating. “Tomorrow is not promised, no tour is promised, no popularity is promised, no health or money is promised,” bassist/vocalist Julia Cumming says. “Why not make what you want to make on your own terms? Why not make a record that makes you want to dance? Why not make a record that makes you want to scream?”

Headful of Sugar was produced and mixed by UMO’s Jacob Portrait, co-engineered by Olive Faber and Portrait, and recorded between Electric Lady and Sunflower Bean Studios.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Without a doubt the most vibrant Sunflower Bean outing yet. Though their moody NY-indebted garage-rock sound is still present, there's a latent melodicism and experimental feedom that seeps out of these tracks. It's bold, and it's a little different to the sound they've established thus far but i'm absolutely for it.

TRACK LISTING

1. Who Put You Up To This?
2. In Flight
3. Otherside
4. Roll The Dice
5. Headful Of Sugar
6. I Don’t Have Control Sometimes
7. Stand By Me
8. Post Love
9. Baby Don’t Cry
10. Beat The Odds
11. Feel Somebody

Hot on the heels of a live session for Marc Riley at BBC 6music, Chester indie-pop trio PEANESS are delighted to finally be able to announce details of their long-awaited debut album World Full Of Worry, set for release through the band’s own label, Totally Snick Records.

‘How I’m Feeling’ is the second single to be taken from forthcoming debut album World Full of Worry, and serves as the perfect taste of what fans can expect from the record.

Commenting on the track, the band said: “In an unfulfilling job? Need a shake up with something in your life or you’ll go mad? Well, that’s ‘How I’m Feeling’ and it can’t be ignored anymore! Amongst self loathing and melancholy there are sparks of determination and a belief that you deserve more. I hope it works out.” 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Brilliant long-awaited debut from the super talented Peaness. Falling somewhere between 90's influenced pop-punk, clashing lo-fi indie and Lovely Eggs-indebted heft, it's a skilfully written and wonderfully effervescent release. Really great stuff.

TRACK LISTING

1. Take A Trip
2. Kaizen
3. How I’m Feeling
4. Girl Just Relax
5. Irl
6. Doing Fine
7. Worry
8. Left To Fall Behind
9. What’s The Use?
10. Hurts ‘till It Doesn’t
11. Sad Song 

Nowadays, voice memos, videos, and pictures chronicle our lives in real-time. We trace where we’ve been and reveal where we’re going. However, Suki Waterhouse catalogs the most intimate, formative, and significant moments of her life through songs. You might recognize her name or her work as singer, songwriter, actress but you’ll really get to know the multi-faceted artist through her music. Memories of unrequited love, fits of longing, instances of anxiety, and unfiltered snapshots interlock like puzzle pieces into a mosaic of well-worn country, ‘90s-style alternative, and unassuming pop.

She writes the kind of tunes meant to be grafted onto dusty old vinyl from your favorite vintage record store, yet perfect for a sun-soaked festival stage. Her first album for Sub Pop, I Can’t Let Go, is a testament to her powers as a singer and songwriter. In Suki’s words: “The album is called I Can’t Let Go because for years it felt like I was wearing heavy moments on my sleeve and it just didn’t make sense to do so anymore. There’s so much that I’ve never spoken about. Writing music has always been where it felt safe to do so. Every song for the record was a necessity. In many ways, I’ve been observing my life as an outsider, even when I’ve been on the inside. It’s like I was a visitor watching things happen.”

Growing up in London, Suki gravitated towards music’s magnetic pull. She listened to the likes of Alanis Morissette and Fiona Apple, and Oasis held a special place in her heart. She initially teased out this facet of her creativity with a series of singles, generating nearly 20 million total streams independently.

Nylon hailed her debut track, “Brutally,” as “what a Lana Del Rey deep cut mixed with Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both Sides, Now’ would sound like.” In addition to raves from Garage, Vice and Lemonade Magazine, DUJOR put it best: “Suki Waterhouse’s music has swagger.”

Suki is constantly consuming artists of all stripes, and, in the lead-up to making I Can’t Let Go, she was particularly drawn to the work of Sharon Van Etten, Valerie June, Garbage, Frazey Ford, Lou Doillon, and Lucinda Williams. After falling in love with Hiss Golden Messenger’s Terms of Surrender, she reached out to its producer Brad Cook (Bon Iver, War On Drugs, Snail Mail, Waxahatchee) to help define the sound of I Can’t Let Go.

On I Can’t Let Go, Suki not only catalogs her life up to this point, but she also fulfills a lifelong ambition. “When I’ve been stuck or feel out of touch with a sense of inner meaning and outer purpose, I’ve found both through searching my memories and finding those events buried in the shadowy areas of the psyche where they were ignored,” she says. “So many times of change in my life have required return visits—especially at the transitions through to the next stages. The album is an exploration of those moments when there is nothing left to lose. What is left and can’t be thrown away is the self.”

TRACK LISTING

Moves
The Devil I Know
Melrose Meltdown
Put Me Through It
My Mind
Bullshit On The Internet
Wild Side
On Your Thumb
Slip
Blessed

Introducing The Garden: a strings album and a retrospective from a room in Montreal with the windows open, and the wind moving, and the leaves changing, and a spring-coloured secret on the tip of Basia Bulat’s tongue.

The band made it in a pandemic. Bulat and her old friend Mark Lawson, with whom she recorded the Polaris- and Juno-nominated album Tall Tall Shadow. Bulat and her husband, Legal Vertigo’s Andy Woods. Bulat and her friends Ben Whiteley, Zou Zou Robidoux, Jen Thiessen, John Corban and Tomo Newton, four fifths of whom form a string quartet, because did we mention this is a string album? Not a greatest hits but a re-configuration: a chance to record anew some songs that Bulat didn’t fully understand when she originally composed them, five or ten or fifteen years ago. As she first sang in 2006 — and again last fall, in that second-storey apartment: We gave away our hearts / before we knew what they were.

The Garden gathers fourteen string arrangements by three different arrangers (Owen Pallett, Paul Frith, and Zou Zou Robidoux), revisiting material from all five of Bulat’s studio albums. There’s Pallett’s interpretation of 2010’s “Heart of my Own,” calling back to the Béla Bartók compositions that marked Bulat’s high-school career as an upright bassist. There’s Frith’s “Infamous,” which turns 2016’s prickly kiss-off into something open-facing and generous. And there’s Robidoux’s reimagining of “Are You In Love?” — released just last year — which here becomes a whirling ballroom dance, full of discovery.

Bulat performs throughout, finding new feelings for old lines. Distance teaches; distance reveals things. “I sing the songs differently now,” she says. “It’s the gift of time.” Not just that: at the time of recording, Bulat had just found out she was expecting her first child. (Her daughter was born in April 2021.) She admitted it to her collaborators only in the midst of recording, down a wire from the vocal booth. “Hold it up to the light and let it grow,” Bulat sang once – and again that fall, as her body changed shape. “Tell me you’re always my only.” A song can change shape too — turning new leaves, growing new blooms, in unexpected seasons. You can play a record once; you can play it again. The Garden won’t wear out. It’s alive.

TRACK LISTING

1.The Garden
2. Infamous
3. Heart Of My Own
4. The Shore
5. I Was A Daughter
6. Go On
7. Tall Tall Shadow
8. The Pilgriming Vine
9. Windflowers
10. Fables
11. Already Forgiven
12. Love Is At The End Of The World
13. Lupins
14. In The Name Of
15. Are You In Love?
16. Good Advice

Until recently, it was thought that we had heard all there was to hear from Saâda Bonaire. The German studio project’s 1980s recordings had been compiled on the now cult-classic double LP Saâda Bonaire, released by Captured Tracks in 2013. Though the group had continued working until 1994, founder Ralph “von” Richtoven had firmly stated that all of their post-1986 work was lost. Released now for the first time ever,1992 compiles the band’s long-lost early nineties material. Produced between Bremen and New York City, the 12 songs presented here capture the group’s attempts at steering their trademark fusion sound (reggae, afro-funk, Eastern music, and sultry German female vocals) into uncharted nu jazz, trip-hop, and house territories.

It’s no surprise, given both the time lapse and the fluid nature of the project, that these recordings differ sonically from the 1980s material.1992 finds Saâda Bonaire folding new influences from the time (house, hip-hop, rap) into their eclectic sonic universe. Vocalist Andrea Ebert’s soulful voice –the result of a church choir background and an early love of American soul and jazz music– offset Stephanie Lange’s laid-back, more German-sounding vocals. This unique interplay bolstered the band’s new direction - evident in their inspired takes on James Brown’s “Woman” and Syreeta Wright and Stevie Wonder’s “To Know You Is To Love You”. The American influence was also made literalvia contributions by renowned DJ Matthias Heillbronn and rapper Jimmy Lee Patterson, both of whom lent some stardust to the track sat François Kevorkian’s Axis Studios in NYC.

Unfortunately, the demo recordings were considered too bizarre for1990s record label standards, and as a result were never published. As with all things Saâda Bonaire, the discovery of these discarded recordings feels like a sort of magical impossibility. It’s been nearly ten years since the release of the last compilation, and thirty since the recordings were originally captured. That they still manage to sound fresh and avant garde is a testament to Saâda Bonaire’s flair for creating pop music for past, present, and future outsiders.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: While the material we got from the SUPERB 2013 Captured Tracks offering differed quite a bit from what we get here, there is still a clear line to be drawn between them where composition and production is concerned. Just imagine the off-kilter soulful, percussive nature of that stormer and add in some hazy 90's house vibes and a healthy dose of hip-hop influence and you might be somewhere near to describing it. Singularly voiced, and completely unique new chapter here from the great Saâda Bonaire.

TRACK LISTING

LP:
1. Woman
2. To Know You Is To Love You
3. Extremes
4. So Many Dreams
5. Running
6. Okay It’s Over
7. That’s Right
8. Lovelife
9. Your Prince
10. 7th House
11. Move From The Heart
12. Follow Your Mind

CD:
1. Woman
2. To Know You Is To Love You
3. Extremes
4. So Many Dreams
5. Running
6. Okay It’s Over
7. That’s Right
8. Lovelife
9. Your Prince
10. 7th House
11. Move From The Heart
12. Follow Your Mind
13. So Many Dreams (NYC Classic Edit)
14. So Many Dreams (1992 Demo Mix)
15. So Many Dreams (Amek Live Dub) 

‘Wax Limousine’ is the third solo album from London’s Wesley Gonzalez. 

With its truly eclectic range of musical influences drawing on Gonzalez’s ever developing sonic palette, the album’s uplifting sound juxtaposes its themes, documenting the end of a long-term relationship and the overwhelming experience of dealing with a family member’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment. ‘Wax Limousine’ navigates these hurdles with a razor-sharp wit and often brutally perceptive self-awareness, nowhere more so than on the new single. Inspired by both 'Faithless' by Scritti Politti and Aretha Franklin, it is Gonzalez’s version of an 80’s gospel song and, as he explains, written at a crucial point over the last 12 months

“This was written right after the breakup and cancer diagnosis. It was that early stage of a breakup where you can't really understand what went wrong for you or for your ex. There was resentment for the extreme change I had suddenly found myself in, and I was asking what it really was I did wrong. The title Wax Limousine came from old phrases like "as useless as an ashtray on a motorbike". I was trying to express how useless I felt within every situation that had just arrived at my doorstep.”

Wesley Gonzalez first made a name for himself as the leader of Let's Wrestle, whose tuneful and eccentric punk earned critical accolades and a devoted audience with three albums, including 2011’s Steve Albini produced ‘Nursing Home’. Gonzalez wasted little time forging his own path and quickly assembled a live band for his solo work, expanding upon the guitar-driven music of his former band, with an interesting concoction of classic 70’s pop, soul, and indie rock. Gonzalez released his debut solo record ‘Excellent Musician’ in 2017, then the follow up ‘Appalling Human’ in June 2020 through Moshi Moshi Records. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Greater Expectations
2. When I Fell For You
3. Protein & Perfume
4. In Confidence, I’m Scared
5. 1,2,3,4,5 Just Get Rid Of It
6. Wax Limousine
7. A Taste Of Something New
8. Penelope Ditches Ulysses
9. It’s You
10. Drive You Home
11. Grateful
12. Waiting For Your Letter 

Dean Honer and Kevin Pearce present a beautifully designed original soundtrack of songs taken from a science show for children and adults alike.

Dean Honer is a Sheffield based musician, producer and founding member of many iconic electronic music bands including The All Seeing I, I Monster, The Moonlandingz and The Eccentronic Research Council. He has worked as a producer for bands such as The Human League, Add N to X and Roisin Murphy.

Kevin Pearce is a songwriter from Essex. He has received plaudits for his work from The Independent, The Guardian and Mojo magazine. His music has been used on HBO programmes in the USA as well as BBC TV shows in the UK.

Castles in Space is proud to present The Sound of Science. Dean explains the background and inspiration for the album:

“The idea for The Sound of Science had been in my head for a number of years.

“Being a parent of young kids I endured a lot of very cliched and awful children's songs that were attempting to combine education and entertainment. These quickly became a form of torture to me, something that the CIA might use in covert operations to flush out a drug cartel from their hideout. It became apparent that there was a desperate need for informative songs and music that were appealing and bearable for both children and their parents.

“I recruited my friend Kevin Pearce, (who I have produced and collaborated with on various projects over the years), to bounce ideas off and who could put together a nice series of chords and could sing! Which helps when writing songs. Kevin is from an acoustic folk background and I'm more of a one finger synth player in the Human League tradition. I thought it would be interesting to mix the folk and electronic element together for children’s songs. Something that harks back to both the BBC Radiophonic Workshop in the 60's and 70's and also the folk songs of TV programmes like Play Away, public information films and music from various weird and oddball kids TV from that era.

“We then recruited various artists to sing on the tracks including PsychFolk singer Sharron Kraus, performance artist Heidi Kilpaleinen (HK119), synth goddess Tara Busch, artist and ex Add N to X man Steven Claydon and vocalists Liza Violet and Tom O'Hara.

“Kevin and I are both interested in science and astronomy so that was the obvious direction for the album. Writing songs about various scientific subjects was interesting and a challenge. Aiming them at children meant that we didn't need a PHD for the lyrics. It became more about conveying a sense of wonder and presenting some amazing facts to audience.

“In 2018 we were asked by Sheffield University to work on a live version of the album and to collaborate with some of their senior scientists on the project. This turned The Sound of Science into a live performance spectacular involving scientific experiments on stage, a live band performing the songs, plus 3D visuals created by Human in Sheffield. We performed 3 shows over two days and the reaction from kids and their parents was amazing. More festival shows due in 2020 were curtailed because of the pandemic, but we hope to get the show back on the road in 2022.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: An absolutely stunning package here, once again for the ever-brilliant CiS, and a landmark release for their 100th cat no. too! Beautiful kosmische synths, robot vocals and airy arps, bringing to mind Kosmischer Laufer or Panabrite, but imbued with a percussive drive and Hohner-exclusive humour. Really beautiful stuff in sight and sound.

TRACK LISTING

1. Photosynthesis (Love The Green Machines)
2. What Makes Sound
3. Everything’s Made Of Atoms
4. These Are The Elements
5. Global Warming
6. The Water Cycle
7. The Speed Of Light
8. Gravity
9. Nebulae
10. The Planets And Moons Of The Solar System
11. Black Hole (Sagittarius A Star)
12. A Total Solar Eclipse

The wonderful new full length from Swede, Daniel Brandt’s Free / Slope project. “Blissful Repetitions” features 5 extended kraut infused jams, inspired in equal measures, by the likes of Spacemen 3, “Lazer Guided Melodies” era Spiritualized, Manuel Gottsching, Alice Coltrane, Terry Riley, Cluster / Harmonia, Morricone, David Crosby and Bo Hansson.

…..”Through the haze of a warm summer night FREE / SLOPE emerges, painting in tones a lazy state of bliss and calm. By blending the enigmatic melancholia and pastoral tones of fellow countryman Bo Hansson, (with cues taken from many of the names above), Daniel improvises kosmische jams that evoke not only space but also the serene scenery of Swedish west coast nature, afternoon daydreams and otherworldly psychedelic landscapes.

With a truly unique and personal melodic sensibility the music shines bright with its own special colours, ensuring the listener an experience both familiar and excitingly new. “Blissful Repetitions" will appeal both to the seasoned krautrock aficionado looking for some fresh jams to the casual listener seeking everyday escapism. Experimental but accessible, crystal clear yet blurred, organic but electronic - a fully formed vision brought to reality in a small bedroom studio.

It’s a mellow yet adventurous trip, cut on gorgeous clear vinyl, a soothing remedy for anyone wanting to escape the anxiety-ridden current state of the world" - Daniel aka F R E E / S L O P E.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: You know it's a good week when two PY records land at the same time. First up is this beautiful selection of blipping oscillations and (ahem) blissful repetitions from Free / Slope aka Daniel Brandt. Whirring and cosmic, full of beautiful proggy guitar and snappy percussion. You always know you're in for a treat with PY, and this is one of my favourites so far.

Neil Young is set to deliver more rare live recordings from his extensive archives with the Neil Young Official Bootleg Series (OBS) which began last autumn with the release of Carnegie Hall 1970 (OBS1).

On May 6th Young will release the next three installments in the bootleg series as follows: Royce Hall, 1971 was recorded January 30 on the UCLA campus, a solo acoustic gig. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 1971 – also solo acoustic -- is the last US show of Young’s 1971 solo tour. Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line), from New York City 1974 is a surprise set. Where analog tape exists in Young’s archive, these concerts have been mixed properly, providing much higher quality recordings than have previously existed – Royce Hall 1971 and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 1971 are from the original analog masters. If no tape exists, the original bootleg has been restored and remastered to bring listeners the best audio experience possible - Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line), from New York City 1974.

The original bootleg artwork has also been replicated wherever possible, lending each release that treasured collector’s vibe and conjuring the era they were first created in. 

TRACK LISTING

01 Pushed It Over The End
02 Long May You Run
03 Greensleeves
04 Ambulance Blues
05 Helpless
06 Revolution Blues
07 On The Beach
08 Roll Another Number (For The Road)
09 Motion Pictures
10 Pardon My Heart
11 Dance Dance Dance

Neil Young is set to deliver more rare live recordings from his extensive archives with the Neil Young Official Bootleg Series (OBS) which began last autumn with the release of Carnegie Hall 1970 (OBS1).

On May 6th Young will release the next three installments in the bootleg series as follows: Royce Hall, 1971 was recorded January 30 on the UCLA campus, a solo acoustic gig. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 1971 – also solo acoustic -- is the last US show of Young’s 1971 solo tour. Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line), from New York City 1974 is a surprise set. Where analog tape exists in Young’s archive, these concerts have been mixed properly, providing much higher quality recordings than have previously existed – Royce Hall 1971 and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 1971 are from the original analog masters. If no tape exists, the original bootleg has been restored and remastered to bring listeners the best audio experience possible - Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line), from New York City 1974.

The original bootleg artwork has also been replicated wherever possible, lending each release that treasured collector’s vibe and conjuring the era they were first created in. The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 1971 album cover, for example, features the worn and faded ring of an LP.

TRACK LISTING

01 On The Way Home
02 Tell Me Why
03 Old Man
04 Journey Through The Past
05 Cowgirl In The Sand
06 Heart Of Gold
07 A Man Needs A Maid
08 Sugar Mountain
09 Don't Let It Bring You Down
10 Love In Mind
11 The Needle And The Damage Done
12 Ohio
13 See The Sky About To Rain
14 I Am A Child
15 Dance Dance Dance

Neil Young is set to deliver more rare live recordings from his extensive archives with the Neil Young Official Bootleg Series (OBS) which began last autumn with the release of Carnegie Hall 1970 (OBS1).

On May 6th Young will release the next three installments in the bootleg series as follows: Royce Hall, 1971 was recorded January 30 on the UCLA campus, a solo acoustic gig. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 1971 – also solo acoustic -- is the last US show of Young’s 1971 solo tour. Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line), from New York City 1974 is a surprise set. Where analog tape exists in Young’s archive, these concerts have been mixed properly, providing much higher quality recordings than have previously existed – Royce Hall 1971 and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 1971 are from the original analog masters. If no tape exists, the original bootleg has been restored and remastered to bring listeners the best audio experience possible - Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line), from New York City 1974.

The original bootleg artwork has also been replicated wherever possible, lending each release that treasured collector’s vibe and conjuring the era they were first created in. 

Bill Fay has always sung about attempting to understand the most universal questions: those of nature, spirituality, humanity. His songs are “calming hymns for another chaotic time,” he says. His influence can be traced through many artists’ works, so it only seemed right to celebrate this with a collection of newer voices interpreting his timeless tracks.

Originally released in 2010 by David Tibet (Current 93), ‘Still Some Light’ was issued as a double CD, made up of 70’s album demos (Disc One) and 2009 home recordings (Disc Two). This year, for the first time, this collection of recordings will be pressed to vinyl as a double LP with reimagined artwork, presented alongside contemporary reimaginings of the tracks by Julia Jacklin and Mary Lattimore. Bill Fay’s words and melodies remain unaffected by the passing of time and changing trends; and here alongside the original recordings, these reinvented versions still calmly guide us through another moment of chaos.

The remastered, repackaged set Music From Grizzly Man contains all of the out of print material Thompson recorded for the acclaimed documentary. Richard Thompson's score for “Grizzly Man” Werner Herzog's 2005 documentary film of real life and death in the Alaskan wilderness is one of the best-kept secrets in the British guitarist's epic canon: an instrumental masterpiece disguised as a movie soundtrack. Recorded over two days as Thompson played live in the studio to Herzog's footage – mostly alone, at times in chamber settings with cello, piano and percussion – these tenderly detailed melodies and quietly visceral improvisations are cinema in their own right, rendered with pictorial instinct and the dazzling technique forged in Thompson's lifelong passage through traditional folk, psychedelia, North African modes and intensely personal songwriting. Here is Thompson at his natural best – finger-picking dance; snake-curl twang and singing-wire harmonics – in a solo clarity that runs from jig-like joy to deep-note meditation, the "Main Title" blues march with its echoes of Fairport Convention's "Sloth" to the long night of "Treadwell No More," a harrowing darkness in slicing treble and tremolo shiver. Produced by guitarist Henry Kaiser, Grizzly Man is a record of powerful solitude as bold and majestic as the land in Herzog's film; as intimate as prayer and essential Richard Thompson.

TRACK LISTING

1. Tim & The Bears
2. Grizzly Man
3. Foxes
4. Ghosts In The Maze
5. Glencoe
6. Parents
7. Bear Swim
8. Twilight Cowboy
9. The Kibosh
10. Treadwell No More
11. Teddy Bear
12. Small Racket
13. Streamwalk
14. That's My Story*
15. Bear Fight*
16. Big Racket*
17. Corona For Mr. Chocolate
18. Grizzly Man (Revisited)
* CD Only.

A reawakening for the Swedish visionaries, Sincere solidifies their impressive trajectory in a fuzzed out haze of dark and arresting shoegaze pop. An expansive trip through noisier, bittersweet pop realms that recalls My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Deerhunter.

Underpinning everything there’s a continuing sense of drama throughout; richly textured crescendos, chiming guitars and delicate melodies are guided by Caroline Landahl’s tender yet sharpened vocals. Sincere is joyously effervescent, but with a dark underbelly where fury manifests in a swirl of entrancing and propulsive percussion.

A gorgeous and dazzling piece of aching romanticism, destined to feature on a thousand mixtapes.

Recorded last year in Malmö, Hater welcomed two new band members and those early day sparks saw them quickly turning demos into fully-formed new songs that appear on the record. Sincere was produced by long-time collaborator Joakim Lindberg and was mixed and mastered by John Cornfield, whose credits include Ride, The Stone Roses and Robert Plant.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
A1 Something
A2 I'm Yours Baby
A3 Bad Luck
A4 Proven Wrong
Side B
B1 Brave Blood
B2 Far From A Mind
B3 Summer Turns To Heartburn
B4 Renew, Reject
B5 Hopes High

RIYL: Guided by Voices, Pavement, The Clean, XTC, Flying Nun

The title of The Stroppies' newest LP, Levity, serves as a creative statement of intent and an acknowledgment of the dichotomy between the music they have made and the conditions in which they were produced. For a group that started over an initial idea to "create open ended music, quickly and haphazardly”, the logistical challenges of creating their second album in the midst of a pandemic, in a city that endured the longest lockdown in the world, created a need to redefine process.

Levity, The Stroppies strongest creative statement to date, is the result of this new approach to creative process. Playful yet focused, but broader in scope and experimentation than previous efforts, the ten songs that comprise Levity continue the band's exploration of the pop song as both foil for experimentation and conduit for personal reflection.

Whereas the group's debut LP Whoosh! demonstrated their ability to craft clean, concise jangle pop, Levity takes a different route by utilizing a darker pallet of sounds to create its impressionistic whole. Fuzz and distortion are employed to add weight to songs built on tape loops and Motorik drum patterns. Warbling synthesisers and modulated keys add new moods and dimensions to The Stroppies unique brand of pop classicism. Thematically, the band continues their exploration of the personal refracted through the lens of the absurd, though this time around the music feels a few shades darker, a somewhat inevitable consequence of the collective trauma of the past 24 months. The songs still hit with the immediacy that made their debut so engaging, but there’s a creeping cynicism and wistfulness that now permeates The Stroppies sound.

While the narrative around the 'lockdown record' is increasingly commonplace, there are unavoidable realities involved in making creative decisions under such circumstances that can't be overlooked, especially for a band that thrives on collaboration. "The restrictions around COVID really informed the way we made the record', says Angus Lord, the band's co-founder and guitarist. "It meant that there was a lot less opportunity to meet and build ideas collaboratively, which is how we’ve worked in the past. Instead, ideas were developed in isolation, then shared digitally, developing slowly over correspondence and only bearing fruit when we were able to be in a room together. I think this had a big effect on the songwriting and execution.” This process even extended to the studio, where The Stroppies found a kindred spirit in John Lee of Phaedra Studios, who mixed the record in isolation, somehow managing to synthesise the band's pop sensibilities with their penchant for studio experimentation. Furthermore, the addition of new member Zoe Monk, known for playing in a diverse array of Melbourne acts (Eggy, Thibault, The Opals) contributed both synthesiser experimentation and rock solid rhythm guitar, a huge addition to the band's developing sound, an infectious combination of the off-kilter 90s US underground, British artpunk ala Wire and a more than generous love of classic Pop songwriting.

Reflecting on the making of the record, bassist and co-vocalist Claudia Serfaty understands their shift in approach, noting that, “the world feels strange and in turn making pop music feels even stranger. A healthy dose of levity had to be employed in order to find meaning in the process.” In spite of this light hearted attitude, The Stroppies have managed to craft a record of weight and substance.Through Levity the Stroppies have, at least temporarily, found their feet amongst the chaos..

TRACK LISTING

1. The Perfect Crime (04:40)
2. Smilers Strange Politely (02:49)
3. Material Condition (05:24)
4. Butchering The Punchline (02:07)
5. Up To My Elbows (03:28)
6. I’m In The Water (03:51)
7. Tricks On Everything (02:33)
8. Caveats (03:06)
9. Figure Eights (02:57)
10. The Bell (02:08)

“Oberst and company have effectively crafted a searing punk fueled half-hour funeral march for both small-town life and the days when you were more likely to hear the words mom and pop than multinational corporation. At the record's core, there is a sense of great disillusionment with watching the cold, calculated displacement of human interaction and community while the world tries to fill the void with money and chain stores.” - Tiny Mix Tapes

“Desaparecidos is like nding gold when you're looking for silver.” - Exclaim!


2022 finds us releasing the 20th Anniversary Edition of Desaparecidos' Read Music/Speak Spanish into a world in which the dread and disenfranchisement detailed throughout the album feel as pertinent today as they did then. The characters and settings may have changed, but the startling narrative has not.

In late 2001, Conor Oberst, Denver Dalley, Landon Hedges, Ian McElroy, and Matt Baum spent a week at Presto! Recording Studio in Lincoln, NE recording a punk album. That debut album, released in the post-9/11 fog of early 2002, screamed out observational commentary on urban development, the sacrifice of human value for the dollar bill, and the new American Dream in a way that felt distinctly out of sync with the hyper-patriotic atmosphere of peak G.W. Bush-era America.

The band toured, got a bit of attention, and then went their separate ways for a long spell. In the ensuing years, Read Music/Speak Spanish gained cult status and became one of the most beloved and meaningful documents of the era, capturing the alienation that those who had seen through the fog of war for $$$$ experienced at the time.

20 years on, those feelings are just as, if not more, relevant than they were in that moment. America has mutated into a new confused version of itself, in many ways unimaginable two decades ago. Yet, the fear and disgust voiced on Read Music/Speak Spanish now sound more prophetic than paranoid, making the album’s message as necessary as ever.

TRACK LISTING

01. Man And Wife, The Former (Financial Planning)
02. Mañana
03. Greater Omaha
04. Man And Wife, The Latter (Damaged Goods)
05. Mall Of America
06. The Happiest Place On Earth
07. Survival Of The Fittest / It's A Jungle Out There
08. $$$$
09. Hole In One

Deer Scout’s debut full length Woodpecker is a record about memory and the subconscious. And like an unforgettable dream that keeps you puzzling over its riddles for days, it’s as packed with direct symbols as it is with ruminative haze. “I approach songwriting as a process of boxing things up, or putting away a time capsule,” explains front person Dena Miller, who wrote the album over a period of six years. It’s a culminating collection of the project’s many sounds and influences to date, from Philly’s punk cooperatives to Oberlin’s conservatory experimentalism to New York’s DIY history. At the center is Miller’s assured guitar fingerpicking and boldly clear voice, firmly grounded even as it gently probes uncertain emotional and musical terrain.

Raised by two folk musicians in Yonkers, Miller began recording songs as Deer Scout her freshman year of college in Philadelphia. There, she wrote Woodpecker’s earliest song “Synesthesia” about a train ride home from a basement show: “Night in the city / Big house on the corner / Her voice has the timbre of summers ago,” recalls Miller resonantly. After Miller’s transfer to Oberlin College, Deer Scout began touring DIY venues around the country and sharing stages with favorite artists including Waxahatchee and Told Slant. The twinned intimacy and intricacy of those two influences is reflected in the carefully adventurous arrangements on Woodpecker, which features, among other contributors, bass from close collaborator Ko Takasugi-Czernowin, cello from Zuzia Weyman, drums from Madel Rafter, and guitar from Miller’s father Mark—who also wrote the song “Peace with the Damage” and originally released it with his band Spuyten Duyvil in 2011.

Many of the songs on Woodpecker were written during periods of grief or change. “I used to sing myself to sleep as a baby and I think music still plays the same role in my life—it’s a way of self-soothing or seeking comfort,” explains Miller. “But there’s also part of it that comes from wanting to connect with people." Recorded and mixed primarily by Heather Jones at So Big Auditory in Philly with overdubs by Miller at home, Woodpecker is an exercise in portraying the incommunicable. “Cup”—about a relational psychology test called “a walk in the woods” that turns encounters with symbols into meaning—uses watery arpeggios, wintry strings, and roving bass to create a liminal sonic space, optimistic but tense. “Cowboy,” with airy layers of acoustic guitar riffs and Miller’s charmingly double tracked voice, takes its little fish, big pond inspiration from the character Joe Buck in Midnight Cowboy. And “Afterthought,” with its unexpectedly bright resolutions, is about God, love, and the complexity of empathy; “Heaven isn’t watching us,” sings Miller candidly over pedal steel.

Though Woodpecker is a record about uncertainty and the unknown, it’s also about compassion and connection—as Miller was able to find over the course of writing and recording this next chapter for Deer Scout and first release for Carpark, which she’s excited to at last share with the world. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Cup
2. Cowboy
3. Synesthesia
4. Kat And Nina
5. Peace With The Damage
6. Dream
7. Breaking The Rock
8. Afterthought

Soft Cell - legendary frontman Marc Almond and producer/instrumentalist Dave Ball - return with their fifth studio album and first in 20 years, ‘*Happiness Not Included’, to be released in Spring 2022. It represents their first new album since they issued ‘Cruelty Without Beauty’ back in 2002. 

TRACK LISTING

CD Tracklist:
1. Happy Happy Happy
2. Polaroid
3. Bruises On My Illusions
4. Purple Zone
5. Heart Like Chernobyl
6. Light Sleepers
7. Happiness Not Included
8. Nostalgia Machine
9. Nighthawks
10. I’m Not A Friend Of God
11. Tranquiliser
12. New Eden

LP Tracklist:
SIDE A
1. Happy Happy Happy
2. Polaroid
3. Bruises On My Illusions
4. Purple Zone
5. Heart Like Chernobyl
6. Light Sleepers
SIDE B
1. Happiness Not Included
2. Nostalgia Machine
3. I’m Not A Friend Of God
4. Tranquiliser
5. New Eden

LNDFK (aka Linda Feki) presents her ground-breaking debut album, "Kuni" on Brooklyn-based Bastard Jazz Recordings. Undeniably on the rise after her 2019 breakout performance at Primavera Sound, LNDFK has already caught the attention of Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Clash Magazine, Noisey, and Brooklyn Vegan (among many others) while being championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Tom Ravenscroft, and Jamz Supernova & landing spots on tastemaker playlists like Spotify's "Pollen" and "Fresh Finds."

"Kuni" is a spellbinding exploration of dichotomies: Love & Death (Eros & Thanatos), Flower & Fire, Delicacy & Violence, Poetry & Realism, Purification & Destruction. These opposites are reified in the 10-track LPs multifarious and multifaceted sounds, elegantly meandering through a variety of styles and genres, spearheaded by Linda and features the production wizardry of Darrio Bassolino who co-wrote the album.

"Kuni" opens with "Hana-bi," an ambient instrumental piece that sets the tone for the album. Inspired by the Takeshi Kitano 1997 film of the same name – particularly Joe Hisaishi's stunning soundtrack, as well as Kitano's paintings which appear in the film. "Hana-bi" expresses the dialoguing opposites of flowers and fire, the first of many dichotomous representations throughout the album. "Takeshi" acts as an extension and to "Hana-bi," albeit one of opposing sound, with its driving, highly syncopated drums (which reappear throughout "Kuni") – à la Karriem Riggins, Questlove, or Yussef Dayes – frenetic bass line, and jazz chords. Linda's sultry voice is interspersed, initially jumping around in scat fashion, being triggered as if a sample, before her lyrics come in; her vocals are used like an additional instrument, adding to the song's rich texture. "Kuni" truly hits its stride with the next song, "Smoke – a moon or a button" (its title lifted from the 1959 book by Ruth Krauss and Remy Charlip), which is structured like a jazz standard yet flows into neo-soul territory sonically with those prodigious drums a highlight once again.

LNDFK touches on experimental hip hop in two songs on the record (both of which were released as singles in 2021): "Don't Know I'm Dead or Not (feat. Chester Watson)" – track #4 – and "How Do We Know We're Alive (feat. Pink Siifu)" – track #9. Although they embrace a more hip hop-leaning sound, these songs by no means shy away from the exploratory theme, and feature two of the alt-rap scenes rising stars with Chester Watson and Pink Siifu who offer provocatively impressing verses, combining dense word play with unconventional flows. While these tracks may first appear to be outliers on the album, they are undeniably in tune with "Kuni's" message and sonic palette, acting as testaments to LNDFK's willingness to explore and experiment.

Meanwhile, "Ku" – the third and last single before the album release – furthers the pre-established future soul sound while meandering through nu jazz and left-field electronic. Inspired by the graphic novel and film, "Sin City," and its female assassin protagonist Miho, "Ku" is a musical interpretation of Miho's story, incorporating both her beauty – the first half of the song – and murderous tendencies – the second half – to create a stunning juxtaposition, culminating in an ambient finale that suggests the character's vulnerability and inner peace. The song gracefully bridges the gap between Hiatus Kaiyote-esque songwriting, Dilla's rhythmic syncopation, and Thundercat's instrumental prowess (LNDFK has shared a stage Brainfeeder labelmate Kamasi Washington).

Mixed in throughout "Kuni" are a series of instrumental pieces that function as something akin to an interlude. The aforementioned intro, "Hana-bi," and the album closer "se mi stacco da te, mi strappo tutto:" act as bookends, while "Om" indicates the half-way mark, and "Ktm" sees Jason Lindner add his sound the album. These tracks are the ambient foundation of "Kuni," representing the thematic duality of the work. Clocking in at only 24 minutes, "Kuni" packs an astonishingly diverse array of sounds, styles, and themes, all while showcasing virtuosic musicianship and instrumental prowess.

Appearing on "Hana-bi" and "Ktm," renowned international artists Asa-Chang and Jason Lindner add an additional perspective to "Kuni": Asa-Chang on "Hana-bi," and Jason Lindner on "Ktm." Asa-Chang - famously of the Japanese avant-garde group Asa-Chang & Junray - provides vocals and percussion to an alternate version of the instrumental opener, while the acclaimed keyboardist Jason Lindner offers his synth expertise on "Ktm." These features highlight the spirit of collaboration found in LNDFK's music, always willing to try out new ways of working.

LNDFK is a singer and songwriter, born of two cultures – an Italian mother and Arab father. She grew up in Naples, away from her father, the Sahara, her homeland and traditions, which has helped nourish the desire to rediscover – through art – an engagement to her roots. Her music melts with jazz, neo-soul and hip-hop influences, filtered through her experiences and sensibility.

Her first EP, "Lust Blue," was composed with the artistic production of Dario Bass and released by Feelin' Music; after that she released several singles that saw international radio support (BBC, NTS, Wordwide FM) and gained a massive audience on digital platforms. Together with her band, she toured around Europe, performing alongside such notable artists as Kamasi Washington and Mndsgn, among others. Most recently she toured Italy, and performed at Primavera Sound Festival 2019 in Barcelona.

STAFF COMMENTS

Millie says: A stunning mix of electronica, jazz and R&B, the album 'Kuni' marries them all together perfectly. This will be your bag if you like Moonchild, Jordan Rakei or the Brownswood Bubblers vibe, get going!

TRACK LISTING

1. Hana-bi
2. Takeshi
3. Smoke - A Moon Or A Button
4. Don't Know I'm Dead Or Not (feat. Chester Watson)
5. Om
6. Hana-bi (feat. Asa-Chang)
7. Ku
8. Ktm (feat. Jason Lindner)
9. How Do We Know We're Alive (feat. Pink Siifu)
10. Se Mi Stacco Da Te, Mi Strappo Tutto:

BBC Radio 1’s Breakthrough Artist Of The Year for 2021, TSHA’s DJ sets bring a bright future-faced energy, while also respecting vintage dancefloor sounds and a classic raver spirit.

It’s a feeling she’s transported into creating her ‘fabric presents’ work that spans rave, ‘90s dance, house, techno, UKG, soul, grime, disco and bass music and includes her own exclusive ‘BOYZ’.

It was the idea of acid house (see smiley artwork) and the idea of old skool rave culture plus the ethos around peace and love that inspired TSHA.

Just as Bonobo gave her track ‘Sacred’ a platform on his fabric compilation so she introduces up-andcoming artists to her mix. They all echo the distinctly British club culture sound she wants to pay tribute to with this work.

TRACK LISTING

CD
Soulful Behaviour - Get To Groove (Jazznotic Groove Mix - Ben Gomori's Bad Behaviour Edit) [Monologues Records]
Stefan Seay Ft WILLYOUARENOT - Acid Kiss (MOOD Mix) [Cool Contest]
Posthuman - You’re Mine (Mac & Ward Extended Remix) [Food Music]
Conny - Song For Eva (Shan 3am Pump Mix) [Cold Tonic]
Delicious Inc. - Eau De Chante’ (For Men) [Umm / Purple Music Inc.]
Trax Unit - Get The Werk [Gyration Station]
Jacques Greene - (Baby I Don’t Know) What You Want [Night Slugs]
Granary 12 - Mancmania [Balkan Vinyl]
Para - Naked [Para Beats]
Jeran Portis - Unproven [fabric Records]
UNCLE KNOWS - FLOCK [Wisdom Records]
WK7 - The Higher (Hardcore PCK Mix) [Power House]
Ryan Clover - Velvet Lace Dream State [fabric Records]
Nowsm - Funny Lies (Edit) [Nowsm]
Sally C - Downtown [Big Saldo's Chunkers]
Nicolson - 1988 [fabric Records]
TSHA - BOYZ [fabric Records]
Gallegos- Sycophantic Maniac [Curving Track]
Elkka - Harmonic Frequencies [Technicolour]
Aspect - Norf [fabric Records]
WTCHCRFT - Uhmm [Balkan Vinyl]
Protect Ryan- Liam Features [HOMAGE Records]
Undivulged - Moppie [Undivulged]
Tom VR - Soared Straight Through Me (Kareem Ali Remix) [All My Thoughts]
Mafro - Miss Me [Mafro]

2LP
TSHA - BOYZ [fabric Records]
Granary 12 - Mancmania [Balkan Vinyl]
Stefan Seay Ft WILLYOUARENOT - Acid Kiss (MOOD Mix) [Cool Contest]
Conny - Song For Eva (Shan 3AM Pump Mix) [Cold Tonic]
Jeran Portis - Unproven [fabric Records]
Ryan Clover - Velvet Lace [fabric Records]
UNCLE KNOWS - FLOCK [Wisdom Records]
Nicolson - 1988 [fabric Records]
Jacques Greene - (Baby I Don’t Know) What You Want [Night Slugs]
Gallegos - Sycophantic Manic [Curving Track]
Aspect - Norf [fabric Records]
Mafro - Miss Me [Mafro]

Nice Swan Records announce the release of compilation LP ‘Nice Swan Introduces Vol.1’. 

Introducing a wave of new and exciting talent including the likes of Jelly Cleaver, Courting, Sprints, Hallan, Malady, Mandrake Handshake and Anorak Patch. 

The upcoming compilation solidifies Nice Swan’s growing status as one of the UK’s most reputable indie labels, with further signings and releases set to be announced in the coming weeks. 

Launched in 2016 by North West duo Pete Heywoode and Alex Edwards, Nice Swan’s initial aim to become a platform for discovering and nurturing new talent soon attracted widespread recognition, with the subsequent success of signees such as Sports Team, Pip Blom, FUR and Hotel Lux building momentum at an impressive rate. 

Instilled with a passion to push emerging artists on a monthly basis, ‘Vol.1’ marks the next stage of the cult indie label’s development. With several acts already becoming mainstays on the BBC Radio 1 / 6 Music airwaves and gaining extensive tastemaker approval, the compilation could not be arriving at a better time.

TRACK LISTING

1. Jelly Cleaver - Feeling Fine
2. Courting - David Byrnes Badside
3. Sprints - The Cheek
4. Hallan - Modern England
5. Malady - London, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down
6. Mandrake Handshake - Gonkulator
7. Anorak Patch - Irate
8. Jaws The Shark - Demon Dream
9. Opus Kink - Wild Bill
10. English Teacher - R&B

Toro y Moi’s seventh studio album, Mahal, is the boldest and most fascinating journey yet from musical mastermind Chaz Bear. The record spans genre and sound—encompassing the shaggy psychedelic rock of the 1960s and ‘70s, and the airy sounds of 1990s mod-post-rock—taking listeners on an auditory expedition, as if they’re riding in the back of Bear’s Filipino jeepney that adorns the album’s cover. But Mahal is also an unmistakably Toro y Moi experience, calling back to previous works while charting a new path forward in a way that only Bear can do. Mahal is the latest in an accomplished career for Bear, who’s undoubtedly one of the decade’s most influential musicians. Since the release of the electronic pop landmark Causers of This in 2009, subsequent records as Toro y Moi have repeatedly shifted the idea of what his sound can be. But there’s little in Bear’s catalog that will prepare you for the deep-groove excursions on Mahal, his most eclectic record to date.

The second the album begins we’re immediately transported into the passenger seat, jeep sounds and all, ready for the ride Chaz and company have concocted for us. Seeds of some of Mahal’s 13 songs date back to the more explicitly rock-oriented What For? from 2015. MAHAL was mostly completed last year in Bear’s Oakland studio with the involvement of a host of collaborators, Sofie Royer and Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Neilson to Neon Indian’s Alan Palomo and the Mattson 2.

“I wanted to make a record that featured more musicians on it than any other record of mine,” he explains. “To have them live on that record feels grounded, bringing a communal perspective to the table.” As a result, Mahal is lush and surprising at every turn, from the cool-handed “The Loop,” which recalls Sly and the Family Stones, to the elastic psych rock of “Foreplay” and the dizzying Mulatu Astatke-recalling of “Last Year.”

Lyrically, the album zooms in on generational concerns, picking up where the Outer Peace standout “Freelance” effectively left off. Bear seems to be surveying the ways in which we connect with technology, media, each other, and what disappears as a result. Cuts like the squishy “Postman” and “Magazine” take a deep dive into our relationship with media in a changing digital world. “It’s interesting to see how we adapt to this new age. We’re so connected, but we’re still missing out on things,” Bear ruminates while discussing the album’s themes. It’s not all introspection. Bear cools things down near the album’s end with the Mattson 2-featuring “Millennium,” a laid-back jam with tricky guitar licks about ringing in new times even when everything else seems upside down. “It’s about enjoying the new year, even when it’s been shitty,” Bear explains. “There’s nothing else to do.” Finding a sense of joy in the face of adversity is embedded in MAHAL’s DNA, right down to the jeepney that literally and figuratively brings the music out into the community. “We know that touring is messed up for now, and large gatherings are a fluke,” he explains. “It’s about the notion of us going out to the people and bringing the record to them.” And with the wide-open atmosphere of Mahal, Toro y Moi stands to connect with more listeners than ever before.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Airy, funky psychedelia from Chaz Bear on the endlessly shifting, beautifully produced 'Mahal'. there are more than whispers of Beck's sugar-sweet drawl, but floating smoothly atop road-trip radio grooves and lysergic melted soul. Lovely.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A:
1. The Medium
2. Goes By So Fast
3. Magazine (feat. Salami Rose Joe Louis)
4. Postman
5. The Loop
6. Last Year
7. Mississippi

SIDE B:
8. Clarity (feat. Sofie)
9. Foreplay
10. Déjà Vu
11. Way Too Hot
12. Millennium (feat.
The Mattson 2)
13. Days In Love

The indelible Jon Spencer (Blues Explosion, Boss Hog, Pussy Galore, Heavy Trash etc) is back with Jon Spencer & the HITmakers. 

Spencer Gets It Lit delivers friction, excitement, and post-modern depravity in a gonzo retaliation against idiocy that is as good a balm for our collective PTSD as any. Across layers of big beats, fuzz guitar, and fat synths he spits, croons, rhapsodises, and seduces. Spencer Gets It Lit is his most complex, groovy, and fun record in years; a dark and danceable odyssey – both a studied take-down of the early 21st century, and a celebration of the place where electricity meets the mind.

‘The Worst Facts’ has the HITmakers chanting “It's called a fact!” over a uniquely Spencer lesson in humility. ‘Strike 3’ has Spencer exchange anxieties with HITmaker (and one half of Quasi) Sam Coomes (Jon: “This world! Make me feel bad!”, Sam: “I'm grindin' my teeth! Grindin' 'em out!” ) before they jointly erupt into the chorus of “Hot dogs! Baseball!...We're gonna die!!". Forthcoming single ‘Worm Town’ (with its gambit “Twinkle twinkle little star, tried to run but didn't get far”) is country-synth-funk that you didn't know you needed til you needed it. In ‘Get It Right Now’, Spencer mixes hitmaking with troublemaking, calling out Zuckerberg, Bezos, and, er, Jagger (“You got nothin' on me!!”). Spencer Gets It Lit is classic Jon Spencer taken to the extremis – electro-boogie, constructivist art pop, a cocktail of industrial sleaze and futurist elegance.

Says Spencer, "Send out the Hit Signal! This is the most uncompromising album I've ever made!"

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Over his time in the business, the inimitable Jon Spencer has crafted a huge number of killer albums across several different projects, but 'Spencer Gets Lit' might go down as one of his greatest. A joyful and clever extension of his notoriously gifted songwriting and wry lyricism. Fuzzed out grooves and jagged garage-funk of the highest order.

TRACK LISTING

1. Junk Man
2. Get It Right Now
3. Death Ray
4. The Worst Facts
5. Primary Baby
6. Worm Town
7. Bruise
8. Layabout Trap
9. Push Comes To Shove
10. My Hit Parade
11. Rotting Money
12. Strike 3
13. Get Up & Do It

bonus CD Tracks
14. Germ Vs. Jerk
15. The Devil’s Ice Age

Let’s Eat Grandma released their second album, I’m All Ears, in 2018. It came out to a blaze of critical glory, thrilled fans who’d been with them since I, Gemini, and won them interested new listeners as they widened their musical scope. They won Album of the Year at the Q Awards along with many end of year list placements, toured relentlessly, played a life-changing set at Coachella, and then… they disappeared.

​​Two Ribbons tells the story of the last three years from both Jenny and Rosa’s points of view. As a body of work, it is astonishing: a dazzling, heart-breaking, life-affirming and mortality-facing record that reveals their growing artistry and ability to parse intense feeling into lyrics so memorable you’d scribble them on your backpack. The band has been through a lot in the last three years, and Two Ribbons is the artefact that signals some kind of progression out of distressing times; a story of loss, change, and of survival; a proof of life.

Such was the intensity of Jenny and Rosa’s bond that when they promoted their first album, they positioned themselves as twins. Friends since early childhood, they had graduated into a teenage friendship that was unbreakable and practically telepathic. Those intense and all-consuming friendships are subject to the same ebbs and flows as any other, and as they grew older the two began to find themselves as individuals, tastes differing here, reactions jarring there. There was a time when both felt a little trapped, and needed to fight to create the space to express themselves as individuals within their relationship.

And so the partnership began to fray. Two Ribbons can be heard as a series of letters between the two of them, taking the place of conversations as they try to make sense of the rift in their relationships. It’s a cathartic blood-letting and a devastating realisation about the fickleness of life. Though it is still very much a Let’s Eat Grandma album, for the first time there are Rosa’s songs and Jenny’s songs.

Both Rosa and Jenny found themselves more involved in the production of this album, experimenting with new sounds and diverse instrumentations within the studio, collaborating with David Wrench, also the primary producer of I’m All Ears. On this record Rosa in particular threw herself into the behind the scenes work and driving her own sonic agenda, whilst Jenny sought to synthesise new influences to forge new spaces artistically for the group.

The backdrop to Two Ribbons is two women navigating their way through a lot, for the first time without the tiller of each other to guide them. The songs they wrote and eventually brought to each other are little pockets of light in the darkness, signals in the night to show each other how they were feeling and what they had lost.

Two Ribbons is an album that treads a fine line expressing the most intimate feelings of, whilst making space for, the different perspectives of two women; an album that says this is not the beginning or the end but part of a never-ending circle. It’s cyclical in nature; there is sadness, and pain, and joy, and hope – and knows that no matter what detours we take, we are all connected.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: I've definitely got a bit of a thing for synths, this much I know. I've also historically loved all sorts of synth music but particularly 80's tinged pop, I loved the Kristen Kontrol LP some years ago, Christine & The Queens AND Georgia, and 'Two Ribbons' has echoes of all the above while retaining the weird avant-pop moments that made their first couple LP's such a different prospect. Big, bold melody-focused anthems.

TRACK LISTING

Happy New Year
Levitation
Watching You Go
Hall Of MirrorsInsect Loop
Half Light
Sunday
In The Cemetery
Strange Conversations
Two Ribbons

Emotional Eternal, the third studio album from Melody’s Echo Chamber, is a deeply human collection of songs full of prolonged moments of sonic transcendency – a record that clearly exhibits its maturity but still regards the world with a childlike wonder. Having swapped Paris for the clean air of the Alps, Melody hopes the record “has that uplifting quality. I made some big and impactful decisions and changes to my life. It took me to where it is peaceful, and I think the record reflects this.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Melody's Echo Chamber lies in the sweet spot between tropical, psychedelic pop (think the recent Pop Psychedelique Comp) and jangling indie, both anthemic and dreamy. A Brilliant and hugely melodic juxtaposition of thoughtful groove and major-key jubilance.

We've managed to get our hands on a lovely signed test pressing from Honeyglaze, pre-order the album now to be in with a chance to win it!
NPN*

Honeyglaze are the South London based, Haiku loving trio comprised of vocalist and guitarist Anouska Sokolow, bassist Tim Curtis, and Yuri Shibuichi on drums.

Born out of lead songwriter Sokolow’s un-desire to be a solo-act, the group met officially at their first ever rehearsal- just three days ahead of what was to become a near-residency, at their favoured ‘The Windmill’, Brixton. Forming a mere eighteen-months ahead of a subsequent eighteen-months of mandatory solitude, a parallel that’s both aligned and universally un-timely, Honeyglaze, at first appearance, are a group who play with chance, time, and synergetic fate, in mannerisms few others are able to do.

Pricking the ears of seminal producer Dan Carey and his team of merry taste-makers: Speedy Wunderground (Tiña, Squid, Black Country New Road), the Speedy Wunderground / Honeyglaze partnership would manifest into a dynamic that, despite not having met prior, quite simply, just worked.

Much like the eponymously debuted statements of contemporary folk-singer Bedouine’s ‘Bedouine’, ‘Crosby, Stills and Nash’, or, dare we suggest Madonna’s ‘Madonna’, Honeyglaze the album presents to the world an audibly picturesque documentation of soul-searching, in all its figment’s of reality; a proclamation of cultivated intent which in turn creates a subliminal safe-space between relatability and self-projection, and creative-comradery paired with introspective artistry.

A self-described “opposite to a concept album” that sonically encapsulates the who, what, where and how of their individual circumstances coming together as one, Honeyglaze is a meticulously transformative feat of which, in their own eyes, is a “quite accurate” sonic encapsulation of who the trio believe to be.

This is storytelling at its most soulful, and Honeyglaze presents human-instinct in a manner that accepts all of the insecurities that come from their present adolescence, whilst acknowledging the formative maturity that’s earned when we allow ourselves to embrace the unknown, of our futures ahead.

“If someone is going to find you special – then you want to show what’s most special about yourself” notes Curtis. “Then you can do what you want from there.”

Mixing the personal with romanticised ideals in ways that are simultaneously heart-wrenching, and humorous to a dead-pan effect, there is no one trajectory for Honeyglaze who’s greatest ability, is finding ways to present what’s written in-between the lines, in moments of beautifully well-versed clarity.

In their own words: “Hi we are Honeyglaze, and there’s no time to explain.”

NPN*
For the NPN option email us at mail@piccadillyrecords.com with Honeyglaze TP - NPN in the subject.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: There are moments here of angular off-kilter pop to contrast the more straight up melodic pieces like 'Shadows' or the stumbling beauty of 'Burglar', but it's in this juxtaposition that the album's true charm lies, is that these moments can sit next to each-other and work together to great effect. Cleverly written, delightfully weird but full of moments of undeniable melodic genius.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Start
Shadows
Creative Jealousy
I Am Not Your Cushion
Female Lead
Burglar

Side B
Half Past
Deep Murky Water
Young Looking
Souvenir
Childish Things

Bloc Party return with their forthcoming sixth studio album 'Alpha Games'. 'Alpha Games' is the band’s first studio album since 2016’s 'Hymns', and the first Bloc Party album written and recorded as this four piece; adding the musicality of Justin Harris (bass) and the unbridled energy and power of Louise Bartle on the drums to capture the spark of their live shows and to deliver the most exciting Bloc Party album yet.

'Alpha Games', produced by Nick Launay & Adam Greenspan (Nick Cave, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, IDLES), includes new single Traps, which sees the band returning to the raucous, high-octane sound of their earliest work in an outburst of propulsive post-punk. The album’s 12 tracks veer from the intense and confrontational (Traps, Day Drinker) to melodic and introspective (If We Get Caught, By Any Means Necessary), and marks a new and important chapter in one of music’s most important voices in Kele Okereke and important bands in Bloc Party.

“Alpha Games was conceived on the road, playing in front of amazing crowds on our last tour and then brought to life with the fire and the frustrations of 2020,” says Kele Okereke on Bloc Party’s first new album in seven years.

“We wanted to can what was happening at those massive gigs in 2019, to showcase what Louise can do, what Russell is capable of and most importantly the electricity coming off the audience. We knew that Nick & Adam were the right choice of producers to do that and the result feels like fire in a bottle.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Bloc Party have always been keen on changing their sound between releases, with 2016's 'Hymns' favouring a more electronic approach, it's not entirely surprising that 'Alpha Games' is a scuzzy punk-rock indebted behemoth. We still get Okoreke's angular almost rhymical vocal incantations but this time they flow above a spitting, distorted scree and snappy percussive blast.

TRACK LISTING

1. Day Drinker
2. Traps
3. You Should Know The Truth
4. Callum Is A Snake
5. Rough Justice
6. The Girls Are Fighting
7. Of Things Yet To Come
8. Sex Magik
9. By Any Means Necessary
10. In Situ
11. If We Get Caught
12. The Peace Offering

Ribbon Around The Bomb is the first new music from Blossoms since their ‘vibrant single’ (NME) Care For, which was released in 2021. 

Speaking about the new album and single, Blossoms’ Tom Ogden says:
‘While on tour in 2019 in Mexico, I visited Frida Kahlo’s house. Looking at her paintings on show, someone had described one of them as being like a ‘ribbon around a bomb’. I immediately thought that it was a great title for a song and album because of the imagery that it evoked in my mind. I thought about how lots of things in life could be described as being a ribbon around a bomb in the sense that as people we often dress things up which have a darkness lying beneath them’.

The band’s new album is produced by their consistent and renowned collaborators James Skelly and Rich Turvey and revolves around a central character ‘The Writer’. 

Tom Ogden explains:

"The more songs I wrote, the more I realised that the writer referenced in the songs was in fact me. Having been so busy for the past eight years I and the band have never really had the chance to step back and reflect on what we’ve achieved. You’re so focused on the future; write the next album then tour. Your life is usually mapped out at least two years in advance".

Standout tracks on the record include Ode To NYC, described by Tom as ‘a love letter to my favourite city, as well as my wife’, The Writer which deals with the fear of and frustration associated with writers block and Everything About You, one of the album’s only love songs, which Tom says is ‘as honest as they come’. Visions meanwhile contains one of the album’s key lyrics ‘Was I complete at 23’, as Tom explains. ’At 23 I had just had a number 1 album and begun my relationship with my now wife Katie. Reflecting on what I’d achieved at such a young age left me wondering, what now?’ 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Blossoms are back! Stockport's favourite export bring with them all the vim of their 2020 hit, 'Foolish Loving Spaces' and expand into even more neon-tinged electronic realms. It's as bold as anything they've done, but perfectly in keeping with their keen grasp of melodicism and pop progressions.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Writer’s Theme
2. Ode To NYC
3. Ribbon Around The Bomb
4. The Sulking Poet
5. Born Wild
6. The Writer
7. Everything About You
8. Care For
9. Cinerama Holy Days
10. Edith Machinist
11. Visions
12. The Last Chapter 

Live At Sefton Park - Deluxe CD Bonus Disc:
1. Intro Live At Sefton Park
2. Your Girlfriend Live At Sefton Park
3. There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls) Live At Sefton Park
4. I Can’t Stand It Live At Sefton Park
5. Getaway Live At Sefton Park
6. My Swimming Brain Live At Sefton Park
7. Paperback Writer Live At Sefton Park
8. Blown Rose Live At Sefton Park
9. Honey Sweet Live At Sefton Park
10. Sunday Was A Friend Of Mine Live At Sefton Park
11. If You Think This Is Real Life Live At Sefton Park
12. Oh No (I Think I’m In Love) Live At Sefton Park
13. At Most A Kiss Live At Sefton Park
14. Charlemagne Live At Sefton Park 

Tripe. It’s what graces the cover of Cassels’ third album, A Gut Feeling. It looks gross. And Cassels are a rock band who’ve often sounded gross. You know the adjectives. ‘Discordant’. ‘Angular’. ‘Cynical’. Shellac quickly mentioned. I’ve done it already, see?Listening to A Gut Feeling, though, Cassels sound different. Not too different – the molten riff of advance single ‘Mr Henderson Coughs’ puts paid to the idea that the London-based duo have taken a hard 180. But instead of writing as quickly as possible, riding the churn forced on DIY bands by an indifferent ecosystem, the Covid-19 pandemic gave the brothers Beck (Jim, guitar/vocals, and Loz, drums/BVs) some time to mull things over. Instead of sticking with the stripped-back recording approach of previous LPs, Jim and Loz spent time at Tom Hill’s Bookhouse Studios in South London, considering tone, layering tracks, and bringing new instruments into the fold.

Lyrically, the approach has changed too. Rather than presented as personal experience, Jim notes that his words this time around “are an intentionally muddy mix of experience, opinion, red herrings and fiction,” adding, “I found that setting myself the brief of writing character pieces offered a nice way of sneaking quite personal things into the songs without being explicitly autobiographical.” The result is the most satisfying and unexpected collection of songs in the Cassels catalogue. Instruments at turns razor-sharp and bludgeon-blunt provide the backing track to a savage, hilarious, and tender collection of short stories. Jim notes that “writing can be a great way of unearthing hang-ups and becoming acquainted with your own anxieties”. Hardly new ground for a rock band, but presented in this third person format – unbiased and filled to the brim with human warmth – these songs are more empathetic than anything the band have written before. You might have been Michael on his daily commute.

Perhaps you’re Sarah, or have a mum like her. And many of us will recognise ourselves in the heart-breaking ‘Family Visits Relative’. It’s clear that the band still aren’t afraid to tackle weighty subjects too, with A Gut Feeling picking up where their previous album, The Perfect Ending, left off. ‘Charlie Goes Skiing’ pulls a similar trick to Future of the Left’s ‘Goals in Slow Motion’ – setting a screed against consumerism to one of the most propulsive, catchy tracks on the record. It’s followed by ‘Dog Drops Bone’, a rustling loop overlaid with sad, simple chords reminiscent of a Sparklehorse tune, which uses the internal monologue of a beloved canine companion to question the true depth and sincerity of human relationships. This kicks into the breakneck ‘Beth’s Recurring Dream’ – a track exploring a sexual identity crisis which owes as much to early Los Campesinos! as it does Steve Albini. Of ‘Your Humble Narrator’, the album’s punishing, pulsing opener and A Gut Feeling’s thematic frame, Jim explains: “I liked the idea of introducing an unreliable narrator who frames the album as an exercise in manipulation for personal gain. When a person engages with a piece of art they are invariably being manipulated by the artist to some degree – that’s part of the fun. The artist aims to elicit some sort of emotional response, the audience buys into the conceit at the promise of experiencing some form of escape.” as listeners, we experience that manipulation first-hand on A Gut Feeling. But the fact Cassels have packaged it up as offal feels like another bleak wink. This is far from a stinking by-product, salvaged and sold to maximise profit. It’s nothing less than the most complete, relatable, and fully realised piece of art the duo has produced to date. Emotional response elicited. Conceit embraced. Escape gratefully achieved.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: At points arrhythmic and delightfully angular, heavy af and absolutely littered with a++ riffs, Cassels' 'Gut Feeling' is every bit the modern punk-rock monolith. At points hilariously obscure, before being brilliantly incisively candid and all above a roaring, jagged collection of time signatures and perfectly avant momentum. Very clever and VERY exciting.

TRACK LISTING

1. Your Humble Narrator
2. Pete's Vile Colleague
3. Family Visits Relative
4. Mr Henderson Coughs
5. Michael's Daily Commute
6. Charlie Goes Skiing
7. Dog Drops Bone
8. Beth's Recurring Dream
9. Sarah Misses Them

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

Melbourne-based producer, DJ and instrumentalist, Harvey Sutherland announces his stunning debut album, Boy via House Anxiety.

Drop the needle on Boy and find yourself transported to a hypermodern take on funk music.

Recorded between London, Los Angeles and Katz’s own Swimming Pool studios with a host of hotshot Melbourne session musicians and a string of guests, tracks like “Age Of Acceleration” and “Michael Was Right About You” take the base elements of funk and fire them through a prism of influences.

The hyper-produced studio pop of Todd Rundgren, the lush synth groove of New York boogie and the harsh snap of coldwave.

Early Harvey Sutherland 12-inches like “Bermuda” and “Priestess” (handpicked by Paul Woolford aka Special Request for his recent DJ Kicks compilation) were electronic dance records in love with the sound of soul, funk and disco music.

But Boy is every bit the real deal.

Boy has been a couple of years in the works, taking shape in between tours with Khruangbin and Hot Chip as well as a busy studio schedule that include production and killer remixes for Disclosure, Genesis Owusu and Hiatus Kaiyote.

In this time, Katz also spread his wings as a bandleader, touringinternationally with his live ensemble and directing an 11-piece band for the New York boogie icon Leroy Burgess on his Australian tour.

TRACK LISTING

1. Jouissance
2. Age Of Acceleration
3. Feeling Of Love Ft. DāM-FunK
4. Holding Pattern
5. Michael Was Right About You
6. Slackers
7. Type A Ft. Sos
8. Angry Young Man
9. Boy
10. Time On My Side

For WEMA, collaboration is a state of mind. The fivepiece collective – consisting of Tanzanian multiinstrumentalist Msafiri Zawose, producer Photay and Penya members Magnus P.I, Lilli Elina and Jimmy le Messurier – is an artistic pursuit founded on community;a space in which to harness the transformative power of connection. Translated from Swahili, ‘wema’ means kindness and benevolence – virtues that lie at the core of the project, and are reflected in the group’s worldembracing approach to music. “WEMA is a state of gratitude and belief, without sorrow or grief. It’s about giving your entire heart,” Msafiri declares.

The self-titled album is an intoxicating, dancefloorindebted blend of traditional Tanzanian music, AfroLatin rhythms and experimental electronic music, with the majority of lyrics sung in Swahili and Spanish. It’s a smorgasbord of sounds, moods and textures that call on the very ethos of the band; the pursuit of cohesion and togetherness in a fractured world. Through this lens, WEMA is a near-spiritual listen, invoking the sacred sounds of their global influences. The tape-delayed vocal samples and sparse industrial clangs of Kande are reminiscent of the kind of deconstructed beats you might find in a closing club set. Bendir Bendir’s pointillist soundscapes are juxtaposed with a warm chorus of Msafiri’s layered harmonies. Msafiri Jam Pt 2, with its uptempo percussion and atmospheric background noise, features the undulating hornwork of groundbreaking Afro-Cuban trumpeter Yelfris Valdes. There’s a palpable optimism running through WEMA; it’s raw, unfiltered music that is as danceable as it is soul-stirring.

TRACK LISTING

01 / A1.Wema Song
02 / A2. Luanje Pt. 1
03 / A3. Luanje Pt. 2
04 / B1. Kiherehere
05 / B2. Zeze
06 / B3. Kiherehere Slow
07 / C1. Kande
08 / C2. Bendir Bendir !
09 / C3. Pepote Pt. 1
10 / C4. Pepote Pt. 2
11 / D1. Msafiri Jam Pt. 1
12 / D2. Msafiri Jam Pt. 2
13 / D3. Wema Outro

Immortal Onion have already built a strong position as one of the most interesting, new jazz projects from Poland. After two well received albums ("Ocelot of Salvation" in 2017 and "XD [ExperienceDesign]" in 2020) we've had the pleasure of presenting the new re- lease called "Screens" recorded at the initiative of the saxophonist Michał Jan Ciesielski.

The songs composed by Michał confirm, that jazz electronic fusion can be still fresh and thrilling. The album, where beside Michał, Tomir, Wojtek and Ziemowit, you will find many guest instrumentalists. Thus resulting in a step forward made by the still young musician from TriCity.

It is worth mentioning, the song entitled "ZOZI" is enriched with the string parts recorded by Ola Szymańska on violin (Alfah Femmes, Ralph Kamiński, The Fruitcakes) and Weronika Kulpa on cello. Also, you can hear the brass section consisting of David Lipka on trumpet (Zgniłość, Bizzarre Penguin) and Paweł Niewiadomski on trombone (Power of the Horns). In the composition called "OK Boomer" you can hear characteristic guitar soundscape recorded by Marcin Gałązka (Tymon Tymański).

The whole album was recorded and mixed by Michał Jan Ciesielski. Mastering was done by Michał "Eprom" Baj. Graphic design was created by Marta "Martiszu" Ludwiszewska, who, like no one else senses the crazy spirit of immortal onion.

STAFF COMMENTS

Millie says: Now this is megaaa! I've tried to demonstrate in the clips how diverse this album is, 'Orange Moons' and 'Digital Relations' are more mellow, giving me a Gogo Penguin vibe whereas 'OK Boomer' (great name, which started lots of discussion in the shop) is heavier on the electronic side of things. My favourite track however is 'ZOZI', sultry jazz which just hits right.. listen to the whole track you'll know what I mean.

TRACK LISTING

1. Screens
2. ZOZI
3. Orange Moons
4. Digital Relations
5. OK Boomer
6. Biter Habbits

“As human beings, what we don’t know vastly overshadows what we do know. As teenagers, we would discuss our own fascination and preoccupation with the infinite and the impossible – the most profound mysteries of life.” Svein Berge & Torbjørn Brundtland

Röyksopp unveil Profound Mysteries, an expanded creative universe and a prodigious conceptual project.

On January 1st, 2022 Röyksopp launched the film (Nothing But) Ashes… and fans were encouraged to Press «R». Alongside the Kasper Häggström-directed short film BJA, a second piece of music, The Ladder, was released. A new artefact and visualiser, created by Australian contemporary artist Jonathan Zawada, brought the music to life. All elements are accessible through the Profound Mysteries portal. A premiere of The Downfall by Marc Reisbig f0llowed, and another chapter was revealed with Impossible featuring Alison Goldfrapp—the first human voice to be heard on Profound Mysteries. A third artefact and visualiser designed by Jonathan Zawada expanded the collection.

TRACK LISTING

1. (Nothing But) Ashes…
2. The Ladder
3. Impossible (feat. Alison Goldfrapp)
4. This Time, This Place… (feat. Beki Mari)
5. How The Flowers Grow (feat. Pixx)
6. If You Want Me (feat. Suanne Sundør)
7. There, Beyond The Trees
8. Breathe (feat. Astrid S)
9. The Mourning Sun (feat. Suanne Sundør)
10. Press «R»

Swaying & icy electronic dub composition straight from the Delodio studios; programmed, produced and compiled by F.M. Cut and Fa_Fane.

Possessing the slow tectonics of Sheriff Lindo, "Shotgun Dub" gets us underway with an oceanic bobber, a mammoth slice of dub floating in a sea of echo. "Frozen Sandwich" teases and tickles with rubbery, interwoven synth lines and some slowed down dubbed out vox. "First Floor" gentle rolls with the waves against the coastline, our first side complete and returning to land with a stoned smile across our face.

As we set sail again, "Iguana Style" is a bit redux'd, digi-stepper, complete with hefty sawtooth B-line and waspy synth buzzes. "Minamatos" sees us explore abandoned islands with unusual flora and fauna, insectoid sfx and delays washing over the unknown landscape. Finally, "The Murderer" concludes the trip with a ganja-soaked delve into the space echo; familiar voices from the shore calling us back in a second time....

TRACK LISTING

A1. Shotgun Dub
A2. Frozen Chips Sandwich
A3. First Floor
B1. Iguana Style
B2. Minamatos
B3. The Murderer

Just as a film or painting does, recorded music proposes a space in three dimensions, it may not be permanent and it could be said to be illusory, but to us, in the moment, it is there. Sunstroke were Ben Bollaert and Etienne Delaruye. Both were obsessed with the burgeoning possibilities of electronic music so it made sense that they collaborate in the studio. The resulting experiments culminated in the 1985 release of "Nothing's Wrong in Paradise".

The record was conceived as a soundtrack to a film that doesn’t exist - a sophisticated meeting of post-Berlin-school dreaming, Yen-records hi-tech calm and Impressionist Café music ennui. What makes it most compelling though, is that even while it conjures a seemingly perfect world, something around the edges lets you know that all might not be as it seems. Maybe there is nothing wrong in paradise. Or maybe that’s just wallpapering over the cracks. The rough edges and regret of everyday life cannot help but intrude. Once you have spent some time with it, the whole record starts to seem bathed in a dim half-light, suggesting utopia glimpsed through a smudged lens.

Just like the ethereal space in their music Sunstroke only existed for a moment, a second LP was planned but never materialized, Delaruye returned to theatre music and Bollaert opened a successful synthesiser store and was active in the new beat scene. Briefly they created a paradise and pointed out its temporary nature, all at the same time.

TRACK LISTING

A1 Nothing's Wrong In Paradise
A2 Re-Incarnation
A3 Race Of The Oasis

B1 Boat People
B2 Dance Of The Prophets
B3 Re-Incarnation (Prepared Piano)

Ghost Power are Jeremy Novak [Dymaxion] and Timothy Gane [Stereolab, Cavern of Anti-Matter and Turn On].

Duophonic Super 45s have previously released music by both artists - Novak via a Dymaxion compilation album and 7", Gane via various Stereolab, Cavern of Anti-Matter and Turn On releases.

Having previously released a limited edition 7" in 2020, Ghost Power by Ghost Power brings the two musicians together for a full length album.

The tracks were recorded in Berlin and New York, both remotely and with Novak and Gane working together in each city.

TRACK LISTING

1. Asteroid Witch
2. Panic In The Isles Of Splendor
3. Lithic Fragment
4. Inchwork
5. Zome Primer
6. Grimalkin
7. Heavy Bubbles
8. Vertical Section
9. Opsimath
10. Astral Melancholy Suite

Astrel K is Rhys Edwards of Ulrika Spacek.

Astrel K's debut single ‘You Could If You Can’ was released via Duophonic Super 45s - a label which has a history of releasing limited edition abstract releases from Stereolab, Broadcast & Yo La Tengo. 500 copies of the 7” were made, hand stamped and numbered, quickly selling out in selected record shops.

Following the loss of KEN, a shared house in which Ulrika Spacek band members lived and worked from, Edwards relocated to Stockholm, Sweden where he began making music on his own:

“At this time, I didn’t really know anyone in Stockholm so kinda retreated into making music just by myself. The album title definitely reflects this period; I was on my own making music and sometimes nothing would be happening and sometimes there would be little sparks of ideas that could keep me going”

Edwards would spend nights writing and recording in a shared rehearsal space producing music rich with layers and texture, synonymous with the work of Ulrika Spacek but with perhaps a greater focus on the art of ‘song writing’. Tracks with verse’s and chorus’s are surrounded by instrumental interludes; inspired by old library music and compositions for film as well as being reminiscent of bands such as Broadcast.

The album doesn’t sound like one made in either London or Stockholm, rather somewhere in the nether region. Written pre pandemic but mixed in the past year, the music led Edwards to finding like minded musicians from the Stockholm music scene:

“Though I’m now glad I can say I wrote an album by myself, I was definitely confronted with my own musical strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes when you have an A/B decision you want some perspective and you’d be in the studio, turn around and no one is there. It really made me curious to bring in more people into the fold, not to compromise any original vision or anything, but to have other energy in the room, to exorcise out any lazy tricks I may fall into”.

Stockholm musicians (including Lili Holényi, Milton Öhrström, Niklas Mellberg, Tomas Hellberg) played on the album and join Edwards in the live version of the project.

TRACK LISTING

1 Is It It Or Is It I?
2 You Could If You Can
3 Imperial Phase
4 9V
5 Clicktivism
6 Clean Coal
7 Forwardmomentum
8 Flickering I
9 Morbid Clinging
10 Maybe It All Comes At Once

Large Plants started as a solo project for Jack Sharp, the singer and guitarist for Wolf People. It was spurred on by a writing frenzy during the lockdown of 2020 when Sharp played and recorded all the parts for what would become the debut single, La Isla Bonita and the first album The Carrier. In summer of 2021 the tracks were mixed by songwriter Chris Cohen (formerly of Deerhoof & Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti).

Large Plants’ songs are immediate, heavy psychedelic rock belters filtered through a haze of analogue tape flutter. Sharp’s voice has an eerily distant and delicate tone that lends a strong folk sensibility to the album; like the scent of winter mornings and fresh soil mixed with the whiff of petrol. Though the songs are generally three-minute gems, they are lyrically more like ancient ballads; peopled with tragic youths, witches, lovelorn troubadours and femmes fatales. Sharp is now touring Large Plants as a four piece along with Ed Taylor on drums, Ollie Taylor on bass and Joe Wooley on guitar with dates booked so far at OSLO, Hackney -17th April and The Betsy Trotwood, Clerkenwell 5th May

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Swooning, progressive psychedelia from Jack Sharp bringing to mind the loose garage wooze of BJM or heady echoic psych a-la Jefferson Airplane all tinged with Ghost Box's distinctive and almost ever-present tape-distressed aesthetic. A beautiful addition to the label and a wonderful full-length for the Large Plants. A superb addition to any collection.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Carrier
2. No Difference
3. Don't Let Me Let You Down
4. Never Seen
5. How Far
6. Wreckers
7. Hold Onto
8. I Lie Awake
9. Marceline
10. The Witch

Lola Kirke stands out like a flash of neon magenta in this nostalgic landscape of Americana tin-types. While many of her singing, songwriting peers look further back for inspiration, Kirke’s sweet spot is decidedly in the excess of the 80’s. Anyone only familiar with Kirke through her on-screen performances (Mistress America, Gone Girl, or Mozart in the Jungle) may be surprised by just how dazzling Lola-playing-Lola can be. Just a few lines into “Better than Any Drug,“ it’s clear no written role could reveal more of Kirke’s wit, lust for life, and sense of humor than this record captures with the help of producer Austin Jenkins (White Denim, Leon Bridges).

Scheduled for release in April 2022, the 10-song sophomore full-length album showcases Kirke’s unselfconscious, country-twinged vocals alongside a brightly colored candy shop of glam-twang guitar riffs, department store tv commercial synth stylings, and swooping, lilting, unabashedly feminine background vocals. Lady For Sale channels a high-spirited insouciance that feels invigorating and familiar, decidedly more easy-going and fun-loving than what we’ve come to expect from its genre (and the world in general) in recent years. This is a party you’ll want to attend.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE 1
1. Broken Families
2. If I Win
3. Better Than Any Drug
4. Lady For Sale
5. Pink Sky

SIDE 2
1. Stay Drunk
2. The Crime
3. Fall In Love Again
4. No Secrets
5. By Your Side

Neil Young announces the release of the fourth installment in his Official Release Series (ORS): a box set that includes his classic ‘80s records Hawks & Doves, Re•ac•tor, and This Note’s for You, as well as his Eldorado EP, previously released only in Japan and Australia. Both vinyl and CD box sets will be available for pre-order today and out on April 29th.

The ORS Vol 4 collects an eclectic set of decade-spanning sounds. Hawks & Doves (1980) revisits his folk roots and explores some of his most country-leaning offerings; the blistering Re•ac•tor (1981) showcases a stomping set of heavy, overdriven rock with Crazy Horse; and This Note’s for You (1988) casts Young as a big band leader, belting out intricately arranged blues. The Eldorado EP (1989) is full of feral distortion and earthy crunch featuring Young backed by The Restless (Chad Cromwell and Rick Rosas). It includes two thundering tracks — “Cocaine Eyes” and “Heavy Love”— not available on any other album.

ORS Vol 4 collects a large swath of his diverse and compelling ‘80s work, testifying to the legendary songwriter’s gift for sonic shape-shifting.

TRACK LISTING

LP1
Hawks & Doves:
01 Little Wing
02 The Old Homestead
03 Lost In Space
04 Captain Kennedy
05 Stayin’ Power
06 Coastline
07 Union Man
08 Comin’ Apart At Every Nail
09 Hawks & Doves

LP2
Re•ac•tor
01 Opera Star
02 Surfer Joe And Moe The Sleaze
03 T-Bone
04 Get Back On It
05 Southern Pacific
06 Motor City
07 Rapid Transit
08 Shots

LP3
This Note’s For You
01 Ten Men Workin’
02 This Note’s For You
03 Coupe De Ville
04 Life In The City
05 Twilight
06 Married Man
07 Sunny Inside
08 Can’t Believe Your Lyin’
09 Hey Hey
10 One Thing

LP4
Eldorado
01 Cocaine Eyes
02 Don’t Cry
03 Heavy Love
04 On Broadway
05 Eldorado

Bristol techno, noise and hardcore supremos SCALPING are releasing their highly anticipated debut album “Void”.

Void comes on the heels of an extremely exciting 2021 for the band, which saw them play to sold-out crowds at the Roundhouse twice in two weeks - both on tour with Squarepusher and at Pitchfork Festival London - as well as releasing two widely acclaimed EPs titled “FLOOD” and “FLOOD Remixed”, the latter of which featured treatments from producers Hodge, Azu Tiwaline, object blue, AQXDM and Laurel Halo, and Scottish instrumental rock legends Mogwai.

SCALPING are heavy metal in 4D; the sound is moody, distorted and rhythmic, but the use of electronic techniques gives the finer details room to breathe, making more space for experimentation.

Tracks such as “Tether”, featuring Oakland rapper DÆMON, puts a modern, metal twist on Bristolian trip-hop, whereas album closer “Remain in Statis” features fast-rising artist Grove, a Bristol-based rapper and self-professed metalhead whose commanding presence sets the track alight.

In the heat and darkness, it’s a swarm of low-end frequencies and ripping guitars, somewhere between Black Sabbath-esque psychedelica and The Bug’s sub-bass headfuckery. Live, the effect is immense. SCALPING play continuously for the duration of their sets, generating a storm of metal-and-techno through a rising beats-per-minute count.

TRACK LISTING

1 Blood Club
2 Caller Unknown
3 Tether (feat. DÆMON)
4 Silhouettes
5 Cloak & Dagger
6 Flashforward
7 Desire
8 Over The Walls
9 Remain In Stasis (feat. Grove)

On their third album Constant Connection, West Australian-based Erasers create hypnotic compositions of synth, guitar and voice, evoking the vast expanse of their native landscape and the shrouded emotions behind the senses. Comprising of vocalist, synth player Rebecca Orchard and Rupert Thomas on guitar and synths, Erasers have developed their earthly kosmische music into an open language based on drone, variation in repetition and minimal song structures. Based in Perth, regarded one of the most isolated cities in the world, Orchard and Thomas’s music has brewed in the city’s vibrant DIY/Outsider community and evolved into a meditation on landscape, power, the shadow-world of human emotions and stream of consciousness. Constant Connection, with its waves of sound and chant-like vocals evokes a trance that suggests an infinity just beyond the senses.

At the heart of each Erasers composition is the interplay between the instrumentation, played with stoic restraint and recorded directly with minimal effects and the transcendental states induced in the listener. It’s a magic that is performed in plain sight and all the more powerful for it. The recognisable vibrato of Fender Rhodes keyboards and simple drum machine loops, the subtle strands of analog synth melodies that snake in and out of the ear, above all the towering encantations of Rebecca Orchard’s undeniably Australian-accented hymns; all of this is presented with minimal ostentation and yet it instantly engenders a dream state, hints at an infinity beyond the material.

Shades of John Cale’s 70s work with Nico, early 70s German synthesists Kluster and even fellow Australians Fabulous Diamonds can be seen as stylistic touchstones for Constant Connection. Where Nico hinted at the macabre and gothic, Rebecca Orchard’s similarly gliding vocal is more zoned in to a kind of oceanic openness, with words becoming chants and spells that suggested themselves to the singer during recording sessions. It’s this hidden hand of improvisatory, automatic writing that lends a sense of expanse to the music. On opener I Understand, while the lyrics might hint at discontent the emotional spectrum it opens up is far more rich and complex, as layered as the waves of droning chords that are the bedrock of each Erasers track. The title track talks of flow, continuum and balance, the protagonist in the song seemingly weightless, gently pulled through a walking reality that borders on dream. In Erasers’ world, it seems, the borders between reality and dream, consciousness and sub-consciousness are blurred and eroded.

On Constant Connection, Erasers’ music might be deeply evocative of landscape but it’s never clear which one. The vast, open terrain that surrounds Perth is dusty, burned by the sun into desert and Constant Connection feels like the product of the heat and relative isolation, the altered states these elements can create. But it’s these altered states of mind that appear to be the real landscape described by Erasers. It’s a landscape that’s hazy, in-and-out of focus, with emotional undertows pushing and pulling you into a weightlessness. On album closer Easy To See the band dispense with percussion all together, field recordings of the water at the edge of their native city ushering in two duetting synths. Orchard’s vocal undulates with the flow, viewing both the geographical and psychological landscape from the perspective of a consciousness not bound by bodies and from a timescale measured in millennia. The album ends as it begins, with field recordings of the real world that the music seeps out from, temporarily, before regressing back into the other realm it feels like it belongs to.

Between these two recorded hints of reality, Erasers manifest a deeply sensual dreamscape that constantly feels like it’s dissolving at its seams. A desert psychedelia emanating from a real world that might not be that real in the first place.

TRACK LISTING

1. I Understand
2. You See
3. Constant Connection
4. Tending To Twenty
5. Folding
6. A Breeze
7. Away From It All
8. Easy To See

After spending a few nights in a beautiful old castle near Brussels at the start of 2021 (following lockdown), Belgian art-poppers Balthazar returned from their stay with Sand Castle Tapes, a documentary and live concert filmed by Heleen Declercq and co-produced with HolyShit sessions. They released Sand Castle Tapes as a digital EP on 24th September 2021, featuring 10 songs from the film; 8 songs reworked from the album and two jams. On 29th April 2022, Balthazar are releasing Sand Castle Tapes for the first time in physical format as a single LP.

The band say of the stay: “You only get to fully understand an album when you start playing it together, the relaxed circumstances lead to a whole other way of interpreting the songs than we would have for a live show. It’s refreshing, it’s very human.” 

TRACK LISTING

1. On A Roll (Sand Castle Tapes Version)
2. Powerless (Sand Castle Tapes Version)
3. Jam 1 (Sand Castle Tapes Version)
4. Moment (Sand Castle Tapes Version)
5. You Won’t Come Around (Sand Castle Tapes Version)
6. Linger On (Sand Castle Tapes Version)
7. Jam 2 (Sand Castle Tapes Version)
8. Losers (Sand Castle Tapes Version)
9. Halfway (Sand Castle Tapes Version)
10. I Want You (Sand Castle Tapes Version)

Though JonQuan is relatively new to the reggae scene, youd never know it by listening to the music on the upcoming 'Easy Star Presents JonQuan & Associates'.

Working closely with two time Grammy winner Victor Rice (Easy Star All-Stars, Bixiga 70, Ticklah), JonQuan fashions brand new tunes that evoke the majesty of the golden age of reggae.

TRACK LISTING

Spread Love Around (feat. Vernon Maytone)
Sunny Monday (feat. Eazy D)
In A Man's Heart (feat. Sammy Dread)
Accidental Badman (feat. Carlton Livingston)
Special Request To Pupa Quan (It A Murdah) (feat. JonnyGo Figure)
So Far Gone
When Ya Hold Me (feat. Screechy Dan)
I Am Trying (feat. Kelly Di Filippo)
One Bright Road (feat. Elliot Martin)
Lean (feat. Danny Rebel)

The Rough Trade Counter Culture compilation is back - Everyone’s favourite collection of musical confetti is back for another round up of some of the highlights of 2021, ready and raring to shower down with some of the best tracks of the year as selected by Rough Trade Shops staff. Some will be familiar, some won’t, but they’re all great.

TRACK LISTING

LP Tracklist:
A1: Big Thief - Change
A2: Cassandra Jenkins - Hard Drive
A3: Riddy Arman - Spirits, Angels, Lies
A4: Horsegirl - Sea Life Sandwich Boy
A5: Lunar Vacation - Shrug
B1: Geese - Low Era
B2: VLURE - Shattered Faith
B3: Lande Hekt - Octopussy
B4: The Muckers - So Far Away
B5: Yard Act - Dark Days
C1: Maxwell Farrington - We, Us The Pharaohs
C2: El Michels Affair - Murkit Gem
C3: Wu-Lu - South
C4: Mdou Moctar Afrique Victime
C5: Altin Gun - Yug Dag Basinda
D1: Charlotte Adigéry And Bolis Pupul - Blenda
D2: Mandy - Indiana Alien (vinyl Only) 3
D3: Marina Allen - Oh Louise
D4: Hania Rani Buka - Live From Studio S2
D5: The Vernon Spring - Mercy Mercy Me

2CD - CD1:
1. The Vernon Spring - Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
2. Hania Rani Buka - Live From Studio S2
3. Peace Flag Ensemble - Human Pyramid
4. Mdou Moctar - Chismiten
5. Natalie Bergman - Shine Your Light On Me
6. Clara Mann - I Didn't Know You Were Leaving Today
7. Cassandra Jenkins - Hard Drive
8. Marina Allen - Oh Louise
9. Big Thief - Change
10. Riddy Arman - Spirits, Angels, Lies
11. Katy Kirby - Traffic
12. Lunar Vacation - Shrug
13. Horsegirl - Sea Life Sandwich Boy
14. Typical Girls - Nice Boys
15. Lande Hekt - Octopussy
16. Lime Garden - Sick & Tired
17. Maxwell Farrington - We, Us The Pharaohs
18. Spencer Cullum - Jack Of Fools
19. Caleb Landry Jones - Bogie
20. Whitney K Maryland
CD2:
1. Charlotte Adigéry And Bolis Pupul - Blenda
2. Erol Alkan - Automatic
3. Lone - Echo Paths
4. El Michels Affair - Murkit Gem
5. Mckinley Dixon - Brown Shoulders
6. Altin Gun - Yug Dag Basinda
7. Lingua Ignota - Pennyslvania Furnace
8. Yard Act - Dark Days
9. Geese - Low Era
10. FUR - The Fine Line Of A Quiet Life
11. VLURE - Shattered Faith
12. Silverbacks - A Job Worth Something
13. Wu-Lu - South
14. Goa Express - Second Time
15. Do Nothing - Glueland
16. Folly Group - Sand Fight
17. Mandrake Handshake - Monolith
18. Pom Pom Squad - Crying
19. The Muckers - So Far Away
20. Walt Disco - Weightless

2020’s A Hero’s Death saw Fontaines D.C. land a #2 album in the UK, receive nominations at the GRAMMYs, BRITs and Ivor Novello Awards, and sell out London’s iconic Alexandra Palace.

Now the band return with their third record in as many years: Skinty Fia. Used colloquially as an expletive, the title roughly translates from the Irish language into English as “the damnation of the deer”; the spelling crassly anglicized, and its meaning diluted through generations. Part bittersweet romance, part darkly political triumph - the songs ultimately form a long-distance love letter, one that laments an increasingly privatized culture in danger of going the way of the extinct Irish giant deer.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Fontaines D.C are back! The incendiary Irish quintet bring us another slab of scathing post-punk, snapping percussion and wry, political lyricism. This time sees the band draw in elements of psychedelic electronica and gothic pop while still retaining the quintessential melodic grit that made their previous outings so adored.

TRACK LISTING

1 In ár GCroíthe Go Deo
2 Big Shot
3 How Cold Love Is
4 Jackie Down The Line
5 Bloomsday
6 Roman Holiday
7 The Couple Across The Way
8 Skinty Fia
9 I Love You
10 Nabokov

During lockdown last year, J Spaceman would walk through an empty “Roman London” where the world was “full of birdsong and strangeness”, trying to make sense of all the music playing in his head at the time. The mixers and mixes of his new record weren’t working out yet. Spaceman plays 16 different instruments on Everything Was Beautiful which was put down at 11 different studios, as well as at his home.

He also employed more than 30 musicians and singers including his daughter Poppy, long-time collaborator and friend John Coxon, string and brass sections, choirs and finger bells and chimes from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. Eventually the mixes got there and Everything Was Beautiful was achieved.

The result is some of the most “live” sounding recordings that Spiritualized have released since the Live At The Albert Hall record of 1998, around the time of Ladies & Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Mr. Spaceman returns for a new album, hot on the heels of those fervently snatched and much-requested reissues of the first four LP's. This time sees more orchestral beauty, both swooning and romantic but imbued with a melancholic edge, it's classic Spiritualized with a few hints of soulful Americana and brittle folk woven through the fabric. 'Crazy' is a particularly evocative highlight.

TRACK LISTING

1. Always Together With You
2. Best Thing You Never Had (The D Song)
3. Let It Bleed (For Iggy)
4. Crazy
5. The Mainline Song/The Lockdown Song
6. The A Song (Laid In Your Arms)
7. I’m Coming Home Again

S. Carey is the moniker of Eau Claire, Wisconsin-based multiinstrumentalist, songwriter, and producer Sean Carey. Over the past decade, Carey has fostered his flourishing solo career via themes of nature and sustainability, songwriting built from jazz beginnings, and heartfelt, emotive lyricism. His latest and fourth album, Break Me Open, is best described in his own words:

In Break Me Open, I confronted darkness, I wrote about fear, I looked at love from different angles, I left it all out on the field. These past couple years have been the hardest of my life: full of grief, loss, and change. I feel like I had two choices. I could run from life, turn away, grow cold, resort to drugs, run and keep running. Or, I could give myself a deep look within. I could dig deep where the pain lives, where fear is festering, to try shed a new skin and come back a better person.Everyone is so far from perfect.This is not a “divorce” album. And while going through that has shook me to my core, leaving me at times, wondering who I am, and where to go, this record is bigger. It’s about love - past, present, and future. It’s about fatherhood - the overwhelming feeling of deep love for my kids and the melancholy of watching them grow up right before my eyes. It’s about accepting my faults and wrongdoings, exposing myself, and trying to know myself better than I did the day before. But above the darkness, it’s a message of hope, honesty, and growth. It’s a call to be vulnerable: Break Me Open.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: 'Break Me Open' is rich with Carey's faultless mastery of melody and tender instrumentation, it is both melancholic and hopeful in equal measure. With perfectly pitched vocals reminiscent of Bon Iver and grand instrumentation that wouldn't sound out of place on Sigur Ros' Takk, What's not to love?

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A:
1. Dark
2. Starless
3. Sunshower
4. Island
5. Waking Up

SIDE B:
6. Desolate
7. Paralyzed
8. Where I Was
9. Break Me Open
10. Crestfallen

"for you who are the wronged" is the much anticipated follow-up to 2018’s "from when i wake the want is", and her 2014 debut "bones you have thrown me and blood i’ve spilled", which won 2015’s Scottish Album of the Year award. If "from when i wake…" was written for love to return, this is where she fights tooth and claw to protect it.

Written and co-produced by Kathryn Joseph, it was recorded at The Lengths Studio in Fort William, with producer Lomond Campbell (also a recording artist for Heavenly Records and has previously produced King Creosote). Kathryn is signed to fellow Scottish musicians, Mogwai's Rock Action Records. It will appeal to those that have bought Kathryn's earlier albums plus fans of Lana Del Ray, Laura Marling, Kate Bush, Aidan Moffat, and Erland Cooper.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: For her third LP, Kathryn Joseph brings all of the brittle balladry and off-kilter weirdness of her previous outings, but imbued with a confidence and cinematic intensity we've not heard before. Beautifully rich and the perfect follow-up to 2018's 'From When I Wake The Want Is'.

TRACK LISTING

1. What Is Keeping You Alive Makes Me Want To Kill Them For
2. The Burning Of Us All
3. Only The Sound Of The Sea Would Save Them
4. How Well You Are
5. Until The Truth Of You
6. The Harmed
7. Bring To Me Your Open Wounds
8. Flesh And Blood
9. Of All The Broken
10. For You Who Are The Wronged
11. Long Gone

There are approximately a great deal and very many ‘Welcome Breaks’ scattered throughout the sprawling motorways of the UK.

Now, regardless of whether that statement’s true or not… when life’s become a series of long-stretches and welcomed breaks, it’s to no avail that sometimes all it takes to alleviate spirits is the simplest, of experiential indulgences.

Be it the buzz of an overly exhausted tour van, or the green light and smell of sausage rolls in the near Beaconsfield distance... inspiration can be found in the funniest corners of this place we call home; and it’s in the heart of day-to-day simplicities and sprawling services, that we gladly receive Amsterdam’s beamy-grinned, indie-pop powerhouse Pip Blom, back into lives.

Following an extensive touring schedule which saw the Dutch 4-piece roam over field, oceans, and Glastonbury’s John Peel stage following the release of their debut record ‘Boat’, any such cool-cat would be forgiven for wanting to kick back, and indulge in some very appreciated, time off.
As is often the way, such timely-abandon cannot be said for Pip Blom however, who immediately began to gather up all her soaked-up inspirations taken from the road, and manifest a re-energised sense of self, and ritualistic songwriting.

Cosying down in a room of her parents’ house (which she shares with her brother and fellow bandmate Tender Blom), Pip, a self-confessed “fan of deadlines”, set aside three months to write twenty songs- sixteen of which
were to become demos for the band to structure and flesh out, once in the studio together.

It’s at this stage in our indie-fairy-tale that things start to get ever so 2020. Whilst the world was suddenly put on hold as a result of Covid-19, Pip Blom, who’d made plans to return to their favourite ‘Big Jelly Studios’ in Ramsgate, England, were suddenly faced with a very sticky, kind of dilemma. “We’d scheduled to go into the studio in September but summer started moving and there were a couple of countries not allowed to go to the UK anymore... a week before we had to go, the Netherlands was one of those countries”- notes Pip.

Sentimentalities, and pre-established friendships (by way of Grammy award-winning engineer Caesar Edmunds) took president, and the decision was made to pack up their gear and a variety of board games and exercise equipment, all in preparation of a fourteen-day quarantine faced upon arrival in the UK.

In total, three weeks were spent recording what would become the groups sophomore release; a Al Harle engineered love-affair which was self produced entirely by the band and culminated in a legally intimate, fully seated album play-back, to six, of Ramsgate’s most chorus-savvy and ‘in the-know’ residents.

Getting out of their hometown and into an environment which removed all notions of “normality” or personal space, was an atmospheric godsend in terms of motivation; an act which encouraged Pip Blom to re-adjust and buckle down as a unit again, after spending so long in mandatory isolation.
Much like the danceable-realism of Pip’s beloved Parquet Courts, the key to an album well done, is the balancing act of fine-production, and capturing that core live-essence we all miss. “We always play one live track three times and after we then build that track in the studio” says Pip, assembling together amalgamated “live-energies” in order to produce a capsule of environmental-satisfaction, that can be appreciated during any time of day, or life’s little moments.

Actively seeking out moments of creative-authenticity, be it via a slightly out-of-tune guitar or proudly-fuzzed vocals, Pip Blom take us back full circle and introduce us to their ‘Welcome Break’- an eleven-track release which resonates with about as much decisive allure as it’s ‘Boat’ precursor, but this time with a bit more contemporary chaos to boot.

Where ‘Boat’ reckoned as a fresh-faced, yet gloriously fearless game changer, ‘Welcome Break’ is the self-assured older sibling who, with an additional year or two behind themselves, isn’t afraid to speak out, take lead, and instigate a liberated revolution-come-bliss-out.

Lead single’s ‘Keep It Together’ and ‘You Don’t Want This’ are glistening masterclasses in feel-good chorus- the very kind of coming-of-age relatability where a soul would want to let down their hair, stick their arm out the window of their best friends car and roll with the motions in a rapture of soundtracked euphoria, and jangled adventure.

Unhinging genre in our instant-access era of musical snoot, no-one does an enthused-chorus quite like Pip Blom yet much can be said for this gang being far from one-trick-ponies.

Anthemic drifters ‘Different Tune’ and ‘It Should Have Been Fun’ are slow building, amplified highlights. Carrying all the weight of convicted fearlessness on their shoulders, Pip Blom unhinge pre-disposed expectations of crafted alternative like graduates straight outta Kim Deal’s school of rock, whilst closing number ‘Trouble In Paradise’, sets the tone for what will only be the ultimate, set-list once gigs resume again.

With Pip Blom, no mood is untouched nor sense of renewal left behind. The trick to it all? As Pip reveals: “I just really like catchy songs and I feel like that’s something we try to do. I’d classify it as being sentimental – it’s not sugar-happy Pop.... more like ‘Titanic’ pop songs...”

For those of us missing the buzzed adrenaline of communal music exploration, the idea of escapism in cramped and sweaty crevices can seem quite lifeless. If it's a sense of community you’re after then look no further than ‘Pip Blom Backstage’.

Streaming goodness 24/7 as a fan-centric loyalty app, ‘Pip Blom Backstage’ gives access to exclusive news, premium content, and, a chat box for the Pip Blom Backstage community; further cementing Pip Blom as undeniable pals for life as fan-clips, spotify playlists and even a cooking lesson from bassist Darek Mercks, are all made available from the VIP lounge of your own back-pocket.

In conclusion, there're actually thirty-five ‘Welcome Break’ pit stops a weary traveller can make in a lifetime spent on the M1, and it’s associates. Whilst the road’s presently a little less travelled, Pip Blom’s ‘Welcome Break’ is adamantly nothing to do with the present state of affairs. In fact, it doesn’t have anything to do with much at all and that’s the way they like it.
‘Welcome Break’ is but two nouns of which when placed together in context, ring confidently with prowess, intent, and a radiant true-spirit - much like Pip Blom herself. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Both thoroughly melodic and swimming with that airy haze we've come to expect from this Dutch outfit, but with moments of distorted heft and crashing post-punk groove, the new one from Pip Blom is every bit the essential purchase. Ram-packed with hooks and brilliantly produced, it's definitely their most accomplished work to date.

TRACK LISTING

1 You Don't Want This
2 12
3 It Should Have Been Fun
4 Keep It Together
5 Different Tune
6 I Know I’m Not Easy To Like
7 Faces
8 I Love The City
9 Easy
10 Holiday
11 Trouble In Paradise

Tyler, The Creator returns with his highly anticipated 6th studio album ‘CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST’ with features from Pharrell Williams, Brent Faiyaz and Lil Wayne. The album includes the previously-released songs "LUMBERJACK" and "WUSYANAME" as well as "JUGGERNAUT”.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Interesting fact: Tyler, The Creator is probably our most requested rapper, in person over-the-counter anyway. The kids love 'im! And so do we, as the ingenious lyricist returns with another sprawling epic.

TRACK LISTING

SIR BAUDELAIRE (feat. DJ Drama)
CORSO
LEMONHEAD (feat. 42 Dugg)
WUSYANAME (feat. Youngboy Never Broke Again & Ty Dolla $ign)
LUMBERJACK
HOT WIND BLOWS (feat. Lil Wayne)
MASSA
RUNITUP (feat. Teezo Touchdown)
MANIFESTO (feat. Domo Genesis)
SWEET / I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE (feat. Brent Faiyaz & Fana Hues)
MOMMA TALK
RISE! (feat. Daisy World)
BLESSED
JUGGERNAUT (feat. Lil Uzi Vert & Pharrell Williams)
WILSHIRE
SAFARI

The second album from Hatchie, ‘Giving The World Away’ is the truest introduction to the songwriter at the helm of the project, Harriette Pilbeam. Although her sound arrived fully-formed, a dazzling dream-pop and shoegaze tangle, it’s here that she distills the core of herself into a record.

“There's more to me than just writing songs about being in love or being heartbroken -- there's a bigger picture than that,” Pilbeam explains. “This album really just feels like the beginning to me, and scratching the surface – and even though it’s my third release as Hatchie, I feel like I’m rebooting from scratch.”

For Pilbeam, that bigger picture explored here includes confronting her anxieties after decades of compartmentalisation; realising her own self-confidence and self-esteem; taking control of her own narrative, and her place in both her professional and personal life. On ‘Giving the World Away,’ she held herself to higher standards, especially with personal lyrical precision. At the time she started working on it, she was caught in a strange headspace. When 2018 EP Sugar & Spice and subsequent debut LP Keepsake both arrived to critical acclaim and catapulted Hatchie into an international spotlight, she felt both unsure of herself and an intense, self-imposed pressure to keep going forward. Trapped in constant motion, Pilbeam was unable to be present or appreciative of herself, both professionally and personally.

She tackles that struggle directly in the moody single “Quicksand,” written with GRAMMY-nominated Olivia Rodrigo collaborator Dan Nigro. “I used to think that this was something I could die for / I hate admitting to myself that I was never sure,” she sings, inverting the thesis of one of her early break-out singles “Sure.” And then, a few lines later, she regains her footing -- in her musicality, and in herself: “It’s all I know, and I’m taking it back.”

“Quicksand is about dealing with the realisation that you'll never be satisfied” Pilbeam comments. “I started writing it when I was home between tours in 2019 before finishing it with Joe Agius and Dan Nigro the next year. I was feeling guilty and ungrateful for not being happy about a few different things in my life that were technically going well. I had to work through some tough learned thought processes and emotions that had been working away for years to try to understand how to be happy with my present, and stop fixating on my past and future. The video digs deeper into showing this juxtaposition of such sadness and anger despite being surrounded by glamour and grandeur."

Director Nathan Castiel adds: “For ‘Quicksand', I created a video that plays off of some tropes of Hollywood glamour in a melancholy and surreal way while giving Harriette room to perform and express the song's raw emotions. We leaned into a neon-tinged after hours aesthetic and shot on 16mm which added a griminess to the opulent locations and set pieces.”

“Quicksand” sets up the rest of the record; an album about self-confidence, about reclamation, about the strange time in young adulthood where you begin to finally be able to see yourself clearly.

Produced by Jorge Elbrecht, also recently GRAMMY-nominated and known for his work with Sky Ferreira, Japanese Breakfast, and Wild Nothing, ‘Giving the World Away’ is Hatchie’s most thunderous, sprawling work yet. Featuring extensive input from longtime Hatchie collaborator Joe Agius, it takes the celestial, shimmering shoegaze and pop sensibilities of her earlier releases, but with the volume knob cranked up tenfold. Built out with percussion from Beach House drummer James Barone, it’s synthed-out, sonic opulence, a more structured and ornate musicality with traces of ‘90s trip-hop and acid house influences.

Pilbeam initially intended for these songs to go in a higher-energy direction -- she had the distinct vision of a Hatchie show turned dance party, inviting more movement and vibrancy into her live shows. But then, between Covid and the lockdowns in Australia, Pilbeam retreated more into herself, and that introspection and self-discovery served as the true inspiration for the record. Again and again across ‘Giving the World Away,’ she returns to that same theme – dismantling internalized shame and finding gratitude and steadiness, and finally being able to trust herself. Pilbeam grew up the youngest in her family, a self-described “big baby,” but says the last year and a half gave her the space to understand herself better. After years of emotional avoidance, here she excavates her fears fully.

‘Giving the World Away’ is an album about self-confidence, about reclamation, about the strange time in young adulthood where you begin to finally be able to see yourself clearly. Incisive and probing, ‘Giving the World Away’ is the clearest look at Pilbeam yet, and a relic of the power and bravery that spring forth from embracing vulnerability and putting your heart on the line.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Crystalline synths and rolling bass licks permeate the retro-tinged percussion and dreamy echoic vocals, bringing to mind the perfect pop of Tegan & Sara mixed with walls of shoegaze fuzz.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1) Lights On
2) This Enchanted
3) Twin
4) Take My Hand
5) The Rhythm
6) Quicksand
Side B
7) Thinking Of
8) Giving The World Away
9) The Key
10) Don't Leave Me In The Rain
11) Sunday Song
12) Til We Run Out Of Air

BONUS TRACKS On Download Card:
Back Into Your Arms (Hatchie's Version)
Don't Leave Me In The Rain (Demo)
Quicksand (Demo)
The Rhythm (Demo)

For Night Beats’ Levitation Session, Danny Lee Blackwell and his band ventured out into the Mojave Desert and recorded a discography spanning 13 track set on reel-to-reel tape, featuring classic Night Beats tracks + our first chance to hear some jams off their new LP “Outlaw R&B” in the live setting. Recording with all analog equipment in the blazing Mojave heat was a test of both the band and their vintage gear (they even had to put ice on their guitar pedals to keep them operational), but well worth the trouble because they emerged from the desert with a dusty, warm-hued rock n roll artifact ready to share with the world. More than just a cool location, the desert provided Night Beats an opportunity to tap into something deeper in the Mojave: "For our Levitation Session we recorded on reel-to-reel 1/2 inch tape in the middle of the Mojave Desert in Antelope Valley. Due to my natural tendencies to explore the layers of my ancestry and being forever inspired by the beautiful sounds coming out of the Saharan desert, I wanted to challenge myself to produce a recording that doesn't filter but fully embraces a similar environment. A search for symbiosis between the music and the ground it’s made on. Thanks to a place I love and respect, a welcomed challenge, and some of my closest friends, what you are hearing is Night Beats in one of its truest and rarest forms. Thank you for listening and thank you to those who lived on and cherished this land before us." - Danny Lee Blackwell // Night Beats

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Dusty 12-bar groove and psychedelic fuzz from Night Beats here on their raucous live session from the literal desert here. Imbued with a sort of heated urgency that being BOILING HOT and recording a career-spanning live set brings, it's a dizzying and heavy psychedelic experience.

TRACK LISTING

1. Stuck In The Morning
2. New Day
3. Shadow
4. Right / Wrong
5. Sunday Morning
6. Cream Johnny
7. Ticket
8. Never Look Back
9. No Cops
10. H-Bomb
11. That's All You Got
12. New World

Roger Eno is a British composer and musician whose distinctive style as a recording artist has attracted a cult following. Last year he made his debut on Deutsche Grammophon with Mixing Colours, his first duo album with his brother, Brian, which was released to great acclaim.

Now Roger’s latest solo album, The Turning Year, is set for release on the Yellow Label. The Turning Year allows the listener to step through Roger Eno’s looking-glass, filled with glimpses of pastoral scenes and free-flowing, affecting compositions. These pieces are exquisitely realised by Eno as pianist and he is joined on some tracks by the lauded German string ensemble Scoring Berlin.

With a blend of recent compositions and live favourites from Eno’s concert repertoire, the album offers a comprehensive presentation of the composer’s solo work. “The Turning Year is like a collection of short stories or photographs of individual scenes, each with its own character but somehow closely related to the other,” explains Eno. “Listening to it made me think about how we live our lives in facets, how we catch fleeting glimpses, how we walk through our lives, how we notice the turning year.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Poor Rodge, hiding in the shadow of his definitely better known brother while crafting such sweet and beautiful modern-classical compositions must be a bitter pill to swallow, it must give him *some* comfort to know that I, a lowly shop worker in Manchester actually listens to and enjoys his work far more often. Surely? This is stunning anyway. Gorgeous, evocative modern classical soundscapes.

TRACK LISTING

A Place We Once Walked
Slow Motion
Introit
Hymn
Clearly
The Turning Year
Bells
Hope (the Kindness Of Strangers)
On The Horizon
Innocence
Something Made Out Of Nothing
An Intimate Distance
Stars And Wheels
Low Cloud, Dark Skies

Within 11 seconds of clicking “play” on “Lava Lamp Pisco” it’s instantly apparent why Night Gnomes, the latest album from Psychedelic Porn Crumpets might be their greatest offering yet. The track is a riffy monster that delivers a much-welcome Black Sabbath-style slap to the head. It’s big, shiny, sleek and irresistible. It’s Psychedelic Porn Crumpets giving their best and Jack McEwan the band’s fearless leader has the battle scars from the four-second harmonica solo to prove it. “I hadn’t blown the harmonica in five years. It was just sitting on my desk,” he recalls. “The first thing I did was suck in all this dust, and I couldn’t talk for like a day. Afterwards, the rest of the band was like, ‘You have to scrap that. It’s so cheesy.’ Anyone under 30 hates it, but it has the dad-rock vibe, so I kept it in.”

That devil-may-care spirit is present on each and every song on Night Gnomes. With guitarist Luke Parish, drummer Danny Caddy, bassist Wayon Billondana and multi-instrumentalist Chris Young by his side, McEwan bunkered down in his home studio, creating a sonic pastiche that almost sounds like turning the dial on a temperamental old radio every few minutes. “A lot of these songs are structured from the beginning, but then we add another part towards the end to really keep it interesting, even if it’s just for ourselves,” he says of the project, which was recorded at McEwan’s home studio in and around Perth. “Like on Fleet Foxes’ “Helplessness Blues,” every song has an ending that is completely different than the first part. That was the idea here.” Hence, distorted synths giving way to and then enveloping the lighter-waving riffage on opener “Terminus, The Creator,” a magnificent string section suddenly appearing on the nostalgic acoustic folk ditty “Dread and Butter” and a dizzying array of sounds linking arms on the title track, which imagines the proverbial creatures frolicking around a campfire in some far-off, mystical forest. “It feels jolly, but it’s also kind of terrifying and disturbing. My girlfriend told me she couldn’t listen to that song,” McEwan says of “Night Gnomes,” adding, “I’ve always liked how some Beatles songs just come out of nowhere, like “Mean Mr. Mustard.” This is our own little jingle that doesn’t fit with anything else on the record.”

On “Bubblegum Infinity,” the Crumpets waded through nearly 50 different variations of the track before a Eureka moment during a rehearsal jam session revealed its final structure. The song itself wound up as a commentary on the often rudderless nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and “taking comfort in the fact that nobody had a clue what was going on,” according to McEwan. “The song used to open with a huge riff that was sidechained to the kick drum so it sounded like it was thumping, but then that's how every Crumpets song starts. I swapped the heavy guitars for acoustics, which made it feel way stronger, both dynamically and sonically. It felt like we'd uncovered the clutter which guides the song to build into that chorus and not give anything away beforehand.”

McEwan is particularly proud of the dreamy “Sherbert Straws,” which he says “actually has some dynamics in it rather than having nine elements in the same spectrum as my vocals that I’m trying to constantly mix in and out of the track.” The song descends from the proud lineage of Australasian rock acts such as Tame Impala and Unknown Mortal Orchestra to whom McEwan professes devotion. “When we formed back in 2015, we marveled at how these awesome bands from around here could self-release music on vinyl and create their own stories. There wasn’t any waiting for labels to come knocking. It was all DIY and we loved that concept. We’re still holding right onto those coattails and we’re getting dragged as far as we can,” he jokes. For all of its varied vibes, the album never skimps on massive rockers sure to delight Psychedelic Porn Crumpets fans across the world in 2022. “Acid Dent” thrashes with abandon, but actually offers a slight concession to advancing age. “When we were younger, we were carefree and living tall, “McEwan says. “You get home with a handful of stuff in your pocket from whatever festival and just munch all of it, until you wake up in the morning so scattered. If we kept carrying on this way, we’d wind up in mental institutions by 35. So this is a nice little story about slowing down a bit.”

“Bob Holiday” pays homage to classic riffs McEwan remembers from his youth, like Lenny Kravitz’s “Are You Gonna Go My Way?” “We’ve been trying to emulate that sound forever,” says McEwan, who also played in a Rage Against The Machine cover band when he was younger. “I also thought ‘Bob Holiday’ was a really strong name — like, if you were called that, you’d be able to do anything.”

The album comes full circle with the one-two closing punch of the instrumental “In Dreams, Out” and “Slinky/ Holy Water,” touching again on the thumping drums, acoustic guitar flourishes, washes of sound and strange noises introduced on the opening track. With the pandemic having provided McEwan the chance to “get my life together and get healthy,” not to mention move 200 meters from his favorite pub, he and his bandmates will soon be onto their next musical adventure. But exploring the undiscovered territory of Night Gnomes has already made a major impact on its creators.

“I have no idea what I’m doing half the time,” McEwan says. “It’s like, plug in, record. Why does this sound like shit but this other thing works? I needed five albums to get to this point of revealing some golden nuggets of information about dynamics, production and exploring new sounds. Everyone finds fault in their own work, but that’s probably what makes us want to keep creating.”

TRACK LISTING

1. Terminus, The Creator
2. Lava Lamp Pisco
3. Dread & Butter
4. Bubblegum Infinity
5. Sherbet Straws
6. Night Gnomes
7. Bob Holiday
8. Microwave Dave
9. Acid Dent
10. In Dream, Out
11. Slinky / Holy Water

After releasing their aptly titled first three LPs (I, II & III) GODTET concluded their triptych with the idea of a 'clean slate'. To allow the universe of GODTET to grow the band hit reset somewhat. Returning to their original conception of the band; Hitting record in the studio without preconceived thought or discussion on the outcome.

After recording Meditations GODTET were asked to pay homage to the great John Coltrane at The Sydney Opera House during their lockdown web series in 2020. To celebrate the 50 year anniversary of Giant Steps GODTET reimagined the seminal body of work into one long set. The band collaborated with local artists Chris Cooper & Sam Whickham who designed the audio visual aspect of the show. And after an astounding reception, decided to utilise the two artists to build upon Meditations.

TRACK LISTING

1. Meditation I
2. Meditation II
3. Meditation III
4. Mens Choir
5. Struck Bamboo Pipes No.2
6. Dub Horn
7. Caribbean
8. Morocco
9. Womens Choir
10. Mouth Harp

Poppy Ajudha epitomises the uniquely diverse musical culture that exists in London. Her South London, St. Lucian-British background, the scene she has grown up in, and the musicians and creatives she regularly works with have all been pivotal in the forward thinking, socio-politically aware unique blend of R&B, Soul and Pop that she creates. Unafraid to stand up for what she believes in, her lyrics speak of the feminism, colonialism, gender politics, current social issues and more.

Speaking on her upcoming debut album, Poppy says:
“This album is made up of all the things swimming in my mind, from women’s rights, to the right to cross borders, to the power of young people to inspire and be unafraid to rock the boat in the name of progress. Women don’t have to be just what they are taught to be, there is so much more to us than Mothers, Sisters, Daughters, Girlfriends and our relation to men. I want men to engage more heavily in feminism and really see how their defiance against it only holds both women and men back. There are so many boxes we put ourselves in; I want us all to break out of them. We are in an era of so much information and I feel the weight that young people take on because we are the generation bombarded with global politics and a million causes that need fighting for. This calls for better understanding around mental health and a society that nurtures us rather than demands of us everything we have until all that is left is our Demons. Every song on this album touches on these issues because they are all I think about everyday, all I see around me in my friends and my family. I hope it flips a switch in your mind, like it did for mine.”

The album features a host of stellar production including Joel Compass (Jorja Smith, Snoh Allegrah, FKA Twigs, Mabel), Karma Kid (Dua Lipa, Octavian, Arlo Parks, Shy Girl), Wyn Bennett (Janelle Monet, Goldlink, Haim), Itai Shapira (Grammy nominated, Baby Rose, Rhye, Kadjha Bonet), Wesley Singerman (Anderson Paak, Kendrick Lamar, Pink Sweat$)

TRACK LISTING

1. Who's Future? Our Future!
2. Playgod
3. Holiday From Reality
4. Mothers Sisters Girlfriends
5. Interlude / Reclaim Yourself
6. Demons
7. Interlude / All For You
8. Fall Together
9. Fall Together Outro (Ft. Nubya Garcia)
10. Land Of The Free
11. London's Burning
12. Power You Might Share

Their sound bristles with raw, unbridled energy, recalling the fast tempos and furious chords of goo-era Sonic Youth.

It's a rather apt comparison, as Thurston Moore himself has shared his admiration for the band (which he discovered via his daughter). In an interview with NME, Moore described the band's sound as "sorta post-Riot grrrl, post-No Wave, experimental music and completely engaging from beginning to end."

Contemporary pianist and composer James Heather announces his second album ‘Invisible Forces’ out via Ahead of Our Time, Ninja Tune founders Coldcut’s first record label. Influenced by the sensibility of electronic, ambient, orchestral and post-rock music but channelled through solo piano and his classical and jazz grounding, the album follows the release of the critically acclaimed ‘Modulations: EP2’, released in 2021.

Heather’s new album is about becoming aware of invisible forces around us to help deepen understanding of self and our connection to the world, from tuning into the natural world and getting lost in its patterns and energies to gaining more knowledge around ancestral lines such as the concept of epigenetics. It’s about looking that bit deeper into things, into areas that are not instantly visible but are all around us to achieve this. “Composing these songs gave me an anchor to feel more present in life after some troubling times and sent me on a journey to rediscover a kind of wonderment with the world. I hope the Invisible Forces universe will bring warmth to other people too.”

Recorded, mixed and produced by Heather in his new home studio on a refurbished Bosendorfer 200 grand piano utilising various microphone techniques, ‘Invisible Forces’ is a love story to the instrument that was his first love. A step forward compositionally from his 2017 debut album ‘Stories From Far Away On Piano’, the songs are grander, deeper and broader in emotional range and are developed through a series of improvisation techniques rarely seen in the often notated world of classical music. He describes his music as “pulse music” with each track performed in a single take and with their roots in this live improvisation, often honed on the road where Heather moves between tender to more propulsive, trance-inducing dynamics. He memorised each movement, then subtly adapted, adding more complexities and compositional dexterity over time before committing to the final take. His approach to the new compositions, finds him playing freely, with no metronome or official notation to recall or dictate the piece but instead using just his muscle memory, feel and instinct to decide where each track will go.

A deeply personal and autobiographical album, the first four tracks on ‘Invisible Forces’ come from inside, about life dreams that end up becoming devastatingly flawed (or not) as in ‘Meant to Be’, to complications around the sharing of grief and moving on in ‘No Time Limit to Grief’. Elsewhere, the loss of the “sixth” sense of balance in Heather’s father due to a brain tumour is addressed in ‘Balance,’ while Heather acknowledges trusting in his inner being to overcome life’s difficulties and look out once again with positivity in ‘In Your Spirit’.

Heather’s profound sense of awe at the big wide world outside of the self is considered in ‘Ultraviolet’ – the realisation that everything is connected in the universe, often in unseen ways, like a magic that surrounds us while ‘Forgotten Cities’, is a dreamlike interest in lost civilisations who built at one with nature and the stars above to cities today affected by war, nostalgic for peaceful times, hoping their city won’t be forgotten. ‘Invisible Forces’, the core of the album, absorbs all the albums messages, and connects different stages of Heather’s own compositional history from childhood to now. “I feel like one of the messages in my music is an activism for peace and equality for all, it is political but just done in a minimalist way. It’s about learning to love ourselves but also to love others even more.”

Throughout the closing stages of ‘Invisible Forces’, Heather questions the journey towards the end of a life, a feeling transcending perhaps even joy. A feeling of connecting back to ancestors long since gone and the realisation they might be effecting him now in subliminal ways as in ‘Ancestral Future Now’, to ‘Beginnings,’ which looks at the evolvement of the natural world around us.

Empathy and compassion are two key themes underpinning the album, in particular with the most personal song in ‘Hidden Angel’, a letter of forgiveness to a missing lorry driver who put Heather in a coma in 2008 whilst he was cycling and may not know that he miraculously survived the episode. A topic which Heather has never addressed before in song, he was given just a 5% chance of survival and he endured both the mental and physical challenge of adjusting back into life, changing him fundamentally as a person through many highs and lows as he battled back to full fitness, an experience that he now looks at as a positive. ‘I am lucky that at last my life is now filled with a joy I could never have dreamed of before, dealing with the aftermath of such trauma can take time. The driver couldn’t be located some years later and I always wanted to let him know I survived, in case he didn’t know, and to tell him I’m ok and that I hold no anger. The whole experience has given me an increased empathy to people that may be going through something heavy and to face mortality head on at such a young age, whilst a shock, has deepened my understanding of life.”

The album concludes with ‘Immortal Beloved’, a song about the treasuring of love, and a reference to the famous letter Beethoven, an early influence on Heather, wrote and never sent to someone unnamed.

The album artwork is by long-time collaborator Suki and is a representation of the many invisible layers of our inner and outer worlds. Inspired by the structure of earth, each layer or journey is connected to the next through implied space and time transcending to unknown depths. ‘Invisible Forces’ is as much about emotional growth as it is physical awareness. The album art interprets this tension through a series of contrary emotions where wonderment and solitude, awe and isolation, contemplation and silence can be found in equal measure. Informed by real world invisible forces, the art is designed using computational techniques. Procedural materials and the movement of light create hyperreal terrains that feel both familiar and unfamiliar.

TRACK LISTING

Meant To Be
No Time Limit To Grief
In Your Spirit
Balance
Ultraviolet
Forgotten Cities
Invisible Forces
Ancestral Future Now
Beginnings
Hidden Angel
Immortal Beloved

Get back to the rich musical universe of Daft Punk with this album dedicated to the legendary duo. Rediscover their best hits with versions interpreted by :Chilly Gonzales, Christian Prommer, The Dø, Señor Coconut, Chamberlain, Kid Loco, Soulwax and many more…

TRACK LISTING

A1. Chilly Gonzales - Something About Us
A2. Christian Prommer's Drumlesson - Around The World
A3. Emre Yazgin - Giorgio By Moroder
A4. Federation Of The Disco Pimp - Robot Rock
A5. Acoustic Beat Roots - Get Lucky
A6. The Dø - Instant Crush (Live)
B1. Señor Coconut - Around The World - Intro
B2. Flash Mob Jazz - Get Lucky
B3. Chamberlain - Veridis Quo
B4. Kid Loco - Da Funk
B5. Laura Lace - Aerodynamic
B6. Soulwax - Teachers

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

Feat Link Wray, Sanford Clark, Duane Eddy, Jimmy Dean, Dorsey Burnette and more...

TRACK LISTING

Bob Hood & The Rhythmaires – The Alamo
Buddy Greco – They Took John Away
Jimmy Dean – Big Bad John
Sanford Clark – Still As The Night
Duane Eddy And His Orchestra – (why Must I Die) The Girl On Death Row
Link Wray And His Raymen - The Outlaw
Don French – Lonely Saturday Night
Doodle Duncan – Death Row
Ernie Chaffin - I'm Lonesome
Jericho Brown – Lonesome Drifter
Dorsey Burnette – Midnight Train
Stan Jones – (ghost) Riders In The Sky

SAM Records was one of the labels at the forefront of the disco genre when the format was at its creative peak. This was the late 70’s and early 80’s, when the producers and artists involved were all using top notch professional recording studios with live instrumentation and their focus was on songs and rhythms that would make the dancefloor move. Sam Weiss the founder of SAM was involved with various aspects of the music industry in addition to his role running the label, but the Sam Records imprint was his greatest passion, and that energy comes through in the songs that make up the catalogue. In this compilation Nervous have engaged with some of the world’s premier producers of modern disco. They have used their talents and appreciation of the genre to mix, edit and master these classic jams into newly polished, disco inspired productions that are fully equipped to ignite DJ sets and dancefloors worldwide; keeping the flames of this timeless genre burning bright in 2022. A brilliantly curated release that offers some super strong updates to these glitterball anthems. Check!

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Everyone loves (and has) a bit of SAM in their collection. Here, the original disco boogie label lets a team of current producers loose on the stems of some of the label's classic hits. The results are glitterball-tastic!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Gary's Gang - Keep On Dancin' (Dr Packer Rework)
A2. Lucy Hawkins - Gotta Get Out Of Here (Dorothy’s Fortress Remix)
B1. John Davis & The Monster Orchestra - Up Jumped The Devil (Moodena Remix)
B2. Komiko - Feel Alright (Dr Packer & Michael Gray Remix)
C1. BBCS & A - Rock Shock (Dr Packer Remix)
C2. Steve Shelto - Don't Give Your Love Away (Patchouli Brothers Edit)
D1. K.I.D. - It's Hot (Take It To The Top) (Mark Lower Remix)
D2. John Davis & The Monster Orchestra - Bourgie Bourgie (JKriv Errybody Rework)

Hyperituals is part of the new research path undertaken by Hyperjazz Records. Entirely curated by Khalab – Raffaele Costantino, HJ’s founder and head of A&R - Hyperituals is a philological investigation that delves deeply into the musical influences and cultural roots of the young Italian label. The theme that runs through Hyperituals is the exploration of the possibilities of sound, rhythm, remix, and endless sampling. Inspiring listening, interpretation, and reinterpretation. Is it an exercise in cratedigging that explores the past of some of the most important yet sometimes forgotten record labels and aims to bring to light music that is contemporary both in its sound and its message.

The first stage of this journey is represented by Black Saint/Soul Note, an Italian ‘double’ label based in Milan that, since the 1970s and throughout the 1980s, established itself as one of the most important imprints for international jazz. Founded respectively in 1975 by Giacomo Pellicciotti and in 1979 by Giovanni Bonandrini (to whom Pellicciotti sold Black Saint in 1977), Black Saint and Soul Note have represented a safe haven for incredible and brilliant artists who were unable to find their space elsewhere.

By combining jazz tradition with the political vanguard sentiment of the time, the two sister labels were able to press and produce more than five hundred records (still available today - the catalogue is now owned by CAM Jazz), many of which are by some of the brightest names in creative jazz or the ‘avant-garde’ of the era. Black Saint and Soul Note always placed the artists, their visions, and their music at the center, giving them total freedom of creative expression. It is thanks to this constant, cutting-edge and meticulous commitment that today we have some of the shiniest musical gems by Sun Ra, Archie Shepp, Don Cherry, Max Roach, Anthony Braxton, David Murray, and many others. And it is this long list of jazz gods and idols that led the two labels to be recognized as the best in the world by critics, winning the DownBeat Critics Poll for Best Record Label for six years in a row, from 1984 to 1990, conquering the American market.

“For me, for my listeners, and for many other musically famished Americans, the Italian imports of Black Saint/Soul Note were the first introduction to and, often, only source for the names and music of people like David Murray, Muhal Richard Abrams, Julius Hemphill, Henry Threadgill, Cassandra Wilson, Giorgio Gaslini and many others.”- Frank Tafuri, US publicist for BS/SN and founder of Omnitone Records

This first double gatefold vinyl volume is entirely dedicated to the Soul Note catalogue. Khalab’s selection - focused on rhythms, grooves and Afrocentric traditions - demonstrates how this music, through its sensibility, can renew our connection to the present in unexpected ways. As the curator and music critic Enrico Bettinello writes in the compilation’s liner notes, in this volume “we find moments of ecstasy, irresistible percussive webs, fiery solos, poetic awareness, and magical ritual lyricism.”

A second volume focused on the Black Saint catalogue is already in the works.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Mesmerizing collection of wild free / spiritual jazz that keeps you well and truly hooked. Reminds me a little of those two Barney Wilen LPs (and yes, they're as good!). Tons of tuned percussion, gamelan, glocks, bells etc - causing a right hypnonis across this beautifully sequenced compilation. Do not sleep on this!!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Adam Rudolph’s Moving Pictures - The Earth Spins Faster Than Words
A2. Billy Bang Sextet - The Nagual Julian
A3. Hamiet Bluiett - Bouka
B1. Beaver Harris 360 Degree Music Experience - Aladdin's Carpet
B2. Paul Motian Quintet - Hide And Go Seek
B3. Tony Scott - Spirits Return
C1. George Russell - Cubano Be, Cubano Bop
C2. Dannie Richmond Quartet - Olduvai Gorge
C3.The Andrew Cyrille Trio - A Tribute To Bu (take 1)
D1. Hamiet Bluiett - Rain Shout
D2. Hamiet Bluiett - Nu Tune
D3. Max Roach Quartet - Mwalimu
D4. Nana Vasconcelos / Antonello Salis - O

On his major label debut album, Kurt Vile pulls his talents as a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer in unexpected directions — and the result is a vibrant, yet meditative record propelled by laid-back charm and curious spirit.

Kurt Vile’s signature brand of laid-back and meandering rock takes center stage on the lead single off his first major label album, (watch my moves). Produced by Kurt Vile & Rob Schnapf.

Ravenously creative songwriter Kurt Vile broke through to mainstream success after years of steadily working on his craft. His laidback and drifting guitar rock took notes from masters like Neil Young, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr., exploring inventive guitar tones on meditative and often self-reflective songs. He co-founded the War on Drugs with friend Adam Granduciel in 2005, but quit shortly after the band got off the ground to focus more on his own music. After several albums on various indie labels, Vile signed with Matador in 2009 and would find increasing success with each new album. His 2013 album, Walkin' on a Pretty Daze, broke through bigger than anything before it, taking Vile's blurry-eyed musings and signature songwriting style to a worldwide audience. He would continue frequent collaborations, working with a multitude of special guests on his own records as well as co-creating albums with Steve Gunn and Courtney Barnett.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: This latest offering sees Vile in a perfectly laid back, tranquil mood, slowly moving from shimmering, country-lite into classic Kurt psychedelia. It's a perfectly composed and unsurprisingly brilliant twist to his established sound. Dreamy, evocative bliss.

TRACK LISTING

1. Goin On A Plane Today
2. Flyin (like A Fast Train)
3. Palace Of OKV In Reverse
4. Like Exploding Stones
5. Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone)
6. Hey Like A Child
7. Jesus On A Wire
8. Fo Sho
9. Cool Water
10. Chazzy Don’t Mind
11. (shiny Things)
12. Say The Word
13. Wages Of Sin
14. Kurt Runner
15. Stuffed Leopard 

The tracks on this latest Global Beats’ showcase album, produced by Mafia & Fluxy, have been chosen for their relevance and enduring ability to liven up any roots session. They’re timeless, but then we’re talking about profound message songs; vocal performances steeped in authenticity, and deep, heavy rhythms that effortlessly blur any distinctions between reggae’s old and new schools. The full force of such regal backdrops can be heard at its best in the dub mixes that accompany each track, making this album even more irresistible to selectors and serious collectors alike.

In terms of character, lifestyle and demeanour, there was a world of difference between these two Jamaican reggae legends. Gregory Isaacs’s arsenal of tender love songs, coupled with impeccable dress sense, earned him a fervent female following but there was

darker side to the Cool Ruler’s talents, as featured here. Down The Line is about police harassment and Wah Dee a convict’s lament, whilst Motherless Children, which he first voiced for Sly & Robbie, is a stark and chilling account of the inequality that continues to divide us.

Max Romeo is strictly low-key by comparison but he has the same gift, and is no less outspoken when it comes to speaking truth to power. He’s a graduate of Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Black Ark whose breakthrough hit was a bawdy ditty banned by the BBC, and nothing at all like the insightful roots songs and social commentaries that later came to define him. He’s advocating repatriation to Africa on The More The Merrier and No Peace, whilst Reverend is a scathing attack on organised religion, and voiced over another of Mafia & Fluxy’s thunderous rhythms.

STAFF COMMENTS

Martin says: These roots classics come courtesy of two of the most respected figures in reggae history. The grinding groove of Max Romeo perfectly offset by the horizontal classic sound of the great Isaacs, plus the accompanying dubs for each tune. Ace.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Gregory Isaacs – Down The Line
2. Dub Down The Line
3. Gregory Isaacs – Motherless Children
4. Motherless Dub
5. Gregory Isaacs – Wah Dee
6. Wah Dub

Side B
1. Max Romeo – Reverant
2. Reverant Dub
3. Max Romeo – More The Merrier
4. Dub The Merrier
5. Max Romeo – No Peace
6. No Peace Dub

‘Black Pearl’ is the brand new album from 50 Foot Wave: Kristin Hersh’s ‘other’ band - active since 2003, with fellow Throwing Muses’ member Bernard Georges on bass and drummer Rob Ahlers. A sonic trip from the heavy, echoey riff of ‘Staring Into The Sun’ with all of its grunge melancholy and dronecore menace to the perfectly baroque ‘Hog Child’ with its spidery guitar that dissolves into motorik bass and drums.

Hailed in various quarters as “an outlet for the material deemed too weird or wild for Throwing Muses”, their “menacing, stalking, spirals of lean, hungry riffs, set alight” as “feedback rips into the fragile melody.”

50 Foot Wave continue to traverse the rigid tension of their own sound. They remain detuned and discordant at will.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: It's been quite the week for heavy new music, with Kristin Hersch's band putting out this absolutely stunning mix of grooving post-rock and angular hardcore on the ever reliable Fire records. Roaringly heavy but imbued with myriad moments of paddling, Isis-like downtuned post-metal business. Really, very good indeed.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
A1 Staring Into The Sun
A2 Hog Child
A3 Fly Down South
A4 Black Pearl
Side B
B1 Broken Sugar
B2 Blush
B3 Double Barrel

Curated by director Todd Haynes, the official soundtrack to his feature documentary (on Apple TV+) about the highly influential, iconic New York band, The Velvet Underground.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: NY legends The Velvet Underground feature on this new documentary from Todd Haynes, and this is the soundtrack to that feature. What we have in essence though, is just a great collection of tunes from VU and associated acts. It's a superb collection on it's own merits, and a superb soundtrack too.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Venus In Furs - The Velvet Underground
The Wind - The Diablos
17 XII 63 NYC The Fire Is A Mirror (excerpt) - The Theatre Of Eternal Music
Heroin [mono] - The Velvet Underground
Side B
Road Runner (Live) - Bo Diddley
The Ostrich - The Primitives
I'm Waiting For The Man - The Velvet Underground
Chelsea Girls - Nico
Sunday Morning - The Velvet Underground
Side C
Sister Ray (Live) - The Velvet Underground
Pale Blue Eyes - The Velvet Underground
Side D
Foggy Notion - The Velvet Underground
After Hours (Live) Version 1 - The Velvet Underground
Sweet Jane - The Velvet Underground
Ocean - The Velvet Underground
All Tomorrow’s Parties - The Velvet Underground

Timeland is a long-lost King Gizzard record mysteriously unearthed on the eve of 2022.

It will not appear on any DSPs anywhere, making the physical product a highly coveted collector's item.

All LPs are housed in a brown paper bag to help combat the environmental impact of vinyl manufacturing.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: King Gizz return once again for their 19TH studio LP (not including all the live records that have dropped recently), and it's every bit the off-piste turn we expected it would be. Wonderfully weird, conceptually rich and skilfully performed. It's both exactly what you'd expect and everything you wouldn't expect.

TRACK LISTING

Timeland
Smoke & Mirrors

Over the course of their seven-year run back in the ‘00s, These Arms Are Snakes covered a lot of territory, both in terms of actual miles spent on the road and in terms of their creative bandwidth. Though the band was often mistaken for a typical non sequitur-named screamo out­t or another “animal” indie band, the Seattle group quickly de­ed expectations and garnered a reputation for subverting the popular underground sounds of time. The group cultivated a small but fervent fanbase across multiple continents with their signature combination of synth-infused noise rock, bad-trip psychedelia, ‑amboyant proto-metal boogie, and unhinged basement-show hardcore before imploding at the end of 2009.

And while These Arms Are Snakes’ full-length albums remain ­tting testaments to the band’s frantic urgency and stylistic ‑uidity, there is a treasure trove of deep cuts buried on b-sides and split releases that further reinforce their position as one of the weirdest and wildest acts of the decade. For the fi­rst time, those rarities and one-offs have been compiled into a cohesive overview of These Arms Are Snakes’ lifespan on the double LP Duct Tape & Shivering Crows.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: The inimitable TAAS return for a final outing of lesser-publicised extras and b-sides. With every bit of the grinding groove of their earlier full-length LP's, this collection shows what an incendiary and unique musical force they were, and shows off some of the tragically overlooked gems from their oeuvre.

TRACK LISTING

1. Meet Your Mayor
2. Camera Shy
3. Trix
4. Energy Drink And The Long Walk Home
5. Heart Shaped Box
6. Washburn
7. Old Paradise
8. Payday Loans
9. Hook On This
10. Riding The Grape Dragon
11. Run It Through The Dog
12. Diggers Of Ditches Everywhere
13. The Blue Rose

Butcher Boy’s ‘You Had A Kind Face’ is the tenth release from the acclaimed Needle Mythology label. The album an anthology of songs by the revered Glasgow band originally released between 2007 and 2017. Butcher Boy released three albums of literate, melodic pop songs, none of which were released on vinyl, before returning in 2017 for a stand-alone EP Bad Things Happen When It’s Quiet. Gathering together songs from all of these releases, vinyl copies of You Had A Kind Face also come with a seven-inch made up of three brand new songs including the new single 'Dear John'.

Long-time fan of Butcher Boy, the author John Niven has written a devastatingly beautiful complement to the songs on You Had A Kind Face drawn from his own early memories of pacing the same Irvine streets where the band’s songwriter John Blain Hunt spent his formative years. The images used for this anthology are all taken from a series of 1979 photographs by John Walmsley capturing the new town landscape of Wester Hailes in South-East Edinburgh. Now in his 70s, Walmsley was so taken with Butcher Boy’s music that he assented to the use of previously unseen photographs for You Had A Kind Face.

For Needle Mythology founder Pete Paphides, the release of You Had A Kind Face is the culmination of a love affair that began back in April 2009, when Butcher Boy’s second album React Or Die was about to come out. “It was as close to an out-of-body experience as I’ve had listening to music in my adult life,” he recalls. “I was working for The Times back then, I called my editor on Monday morning and told her that we had to make this our album of the week. And the other thing I remember was that I was so nervous writing my review, the way you would be nervous writing a letter declaring your feelings for someone with whom you had fallen in love. Because I had.”

TRACK LISTING

SIDE 1
1. When I'm Asleep
2. There Is No-One Who Can Tell You Where You've Been
3. Helping Hands
4. Sunday Bells
5. The Day Our Voices Broke
6. Storm Warning In Effect

SIDE 2
1. I Know Who You Could Be
2. Carve A Pattern
3. You’re Only Crying For Yourself
4. Bad Things Will Happen When It's Quiet
5. This Kiss Will Marry Us
6. Every Other Saturday

Following on from his 2018 album "Sincerely, S. Love x", Tapete Records are proud to present Simon Love's new record "LOVE, SEX and DEATH etc"

Swinging from love songs to hate songs through all points in-between, the centrepiece of the album is the nigh on 7-minute long pop epic "L-O-T-H-A-R-I-O" "

"Incantaions" is a collection of sixteen visual and sonic experiments centred around the idea of the score as a spell. The incantation of a spell gives it life, brings breath to body, raises hairs, moves minds. For this project, eight spell- scores were created by visual / text-based artists for a musician / composer to incant. Taking a wide interpretation of what can be considered a score, these works include concrete poetry, collage, painting, drawing, spell-poetry, instructional art, and recipe. The resulting sound works give voice to these evocative 'texts', residing in the liminal space between musical form and magical utterance.

Creating what became the cover artwork for this release, musician and artist Benjamin Kilchhofer conjured salt paintings reminiscent of ancient runes and salt circles - improvised talismans of protection. Translating these expressions into sound using a hydro harp (water drops hitting tuned water-filled porcelain bowls), musician and artist Tomoko Sauvage evokes an embryonic environment, the cleansing and purification of salt water oceans. Artist Mehrnaz Rohbakhsh created a piece that arose from a drawing ritual - a meditation on textile, pattern, and code. In response, Museum Of No Art (Mona Steinwidder) worked her composition by 'weaving the piece, layer by layer'. She was 'particularly interested in the state one achieves when one works repetitively, stoically and excessively towards a form. Which leads to trance or meditation and creates its own immaterial energy.'

Dani Spinosa, poet of digital and print media, created a typewriter poem that emerged after consulting Hesiod's “Works and Days and Theogony” to learn more about the witch goddess Hekate. Synchronously, interdisciplinary artist Gavilán Rayna Russom had recently returned to research on Hekate, teaching about the goddess in her class “Queering European Witchcraft Traditions”. Russom spent time with Spinosa’s spell, spoke to Hekate, and then unlocked the gate, seeking to 'stir sonic emanations that were radiant, multiple and liminal.'

The side ends with a composition by musician and artist Felicia Atkinson via an instructional text from conceptual artist David Horvitz. What is it like to inhabit the mind of a crow? This simple gesture to befriend a crow, to be in relationship with something other than human implies much more, a re- orientation to our living environment and forms of intelligence.

The B-side opens with electronic composer C.R. Gillespie’s sonic manifestation of a score by bricolage artist Andrew Zukerman. Taking compositional inspiration from the Smiss stone, Zukerman created a collaged visual score on staff paper that hints at the formal aspects of occult symbols and sigils, while remaining obliquely secular. Creating an interlocking tapestry of Roman gamelan, Gillespie’s track dramatizes the negotiating power and structure of the abstract score

Over three days, iconic Canadian poet bill bissett created a jazz-scape painting filled with an ecstatic gathering of eidetic spirits, 'connekting trembling xploring serching remote brooding grooving melodee solo lifting n refrain filling.' Immersing himself in the energy of the painting, musician and composer Idris Rahman overlaid three takes of bass clarinet and found that 'melodies, textures and harmonies emerged without thought and the piece took on a life of its own.'

As a way to explore the connection between food and music, the curators commissioned a recipe from electronic producer and home chef, Yu Su. Her simple and wholesome pudding recipe lays out instructions for texture and taste that musician Scott Gailey stirs into a sonic caldron of field recordings and electronics. The closing chant, penned by writer and activist adrienne maree brown and incanted by musician Beverly Glenn-Copeland, was the result of a synergistic conversation between the two. The refrain, 'surrender to the present moment / what’s coming now is all that’s left' is a mantra reminding us of the power of speech, repetition, and the evanescent nature of temporal experience.

The eight spell cards, inspired by the format of oracle and tarot cards, are invitations for further interpretation and play. To be under a spell is to be lost in a transformation, an alternate reality, to be in collaboration with an unknowable and powerful force. The works in this collection have created a spontaneous and ludic alchemy, courageous attempts to catalyze and spark in our present moment.

Curated by Seance Centre.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: One for all the modern day witches and wizards - very big in Pendle right now! A truly spellbinding (sorry) selection of tracks based around witchcraft, sorcery and alchemy with mesmerizing results. Datura not included.

TRACK LISTING

Tomoko Sauvage - Salt Spell (Spell By Benjamin Kilchhofer)
Museum Of No Art - Textile Trance (Spell By Mehrnaz Rohbakhsh)
Gavilán Rayna Russom - Shadows Cast By Moonlight (Spell By Dani Spinosa)
Félicia Atkinson - Enter The Memory Of A Crow (Spell By David Horvitz)
C.R. Gillespie - Invitation To A Clog (Spell By Andrew Zukerman)
Idris Rahman - Incanti Jazz Score 1 (Spell By Bill Bissett)
Scott Gailey - Ginger Soy Milk Pudding ŧ

In 2010, I had asked Eamon Ore-Giron - aka DJ Lengua - if he would be interested in compiling a Latin project for Analog Africa, and if so, if he had a theme in mind He replied, "Have you ever heard of rebajada?" The question mark above my head, together with the wall of China, must have been the only other object visible from out of space because Eamon, probably noticing I got paralysed, continued, "Rebajada in Spanish means "to reduce, to lower". It's basically Mexican sonideros (soundsystem operators) slowing down the beat of a Cumbia to create a much more tangible music to dance to.

I'll send you a mix I made last year and let me know what you think." And so he did.That mix was called Rebajada Mota Mix and I began listening to it on a loop. Although I was not immediately hooked it was intriguing from the get- go, and so I kept listening until magic began unfolding. Slowed down music allows you enough time to hear right through it, revealing itself in ways I had rarely experienced before. Everything became more transparent and I was noticing sounds normally only perceptible by bats. A near psychedelic experience. That mysterious mix included a few Ecuadorian songs by Junior y su Equipo - aka Polibio Mayorga (a cult fgure in the sonidero scene), a couple of Mexican tunes, one Colombian, and various Peruvian songs, undoubtedly the driving force behind this project.

The sonidero who brought Peruvian and Ecuadorian music to Mexico was the legendary Pablo Perea from Sonido Arco-Iris, and although his fngerprints are all over the compilation Saturno 2000, this selection of songs in rebajada is exclusive to DJ Lengua. With the exception of a few classics from Polibio Mayorga and La Sampuesana – the queen of all rebajadas – most of these songs were probably never performed as such before, let alone released. So how did rebajada come to be? In a nutshell; Rebajada started with two families of brothers – the Pereas and the Ortegas – who travelled all over Latin America and returned to Mexico with heavy loads of records which they would sell to the various sonideros always on the lookout for new tunes. Colombian beats especially seemed to ft almost perfectly with the Mexican dance steps – but they were just a bit too fast. As a result some sonideros began experimenting with equipment, and Marco Antonio Cedillo of Sonido Imperial created a revolutionary pitching system that could slow records down to an extent other players could only dream about. And so rebajada was born . . . or so we thought. At the same time in north of the country, in Monterrey, sonidero Gabriel Dueñez almost got electrocuted by a short circuit that nearly set his record player on fre. As a result the platter started spinning in slow motion for the rest of the party, turning Cumbia into a different affair altogether. The youngsters went crazy for it and started harassing the sonidero with requests to record cassettes for them. Reluctant at frst, Dueñez fnally began recording a series of pirated cassettes called "Rebajada" which included mainly Colombian cumbia and porro in slow- mo exclusively. Those tapes took the city by storm and turned rebajada into a celebrated and defant movement of the youth. Of course it would not be a Mexican urban legend if it didn't include dramaturgical elements, and so for nearly 30 years, until this day and probably for ever, both cities have been arguing and claiming ownership the creation of rebajada for themselves. But sonidera Joyce Musicolor, who never has time for such trivial arguments, got straight to the point: "Rebajada, and the equipment to perform it, is from here [Mexico City] but it was Monterrey that popularised it."

TRACK LISTING

1. Los Dinners - Sampuesana
2. Junior Y Su Equipo - La Borrachita
3. Manzanita - Paga La Cuenta Sinverguenza
4. Hugo Blanco Y Su Arpa Viajera - Infinito
5. Manzanita Y Su Conjunto - El Jardinero
6. Los Feos - Feito Parrandero
7. Junior Y Su Equipo - Bien Bailadito
8. Los Santos - Saturno 2000
9. Lucho Gavilanes - La Danza Del Mono
10. Conjunto Típico Contreras - Capricho Egipcio
11. Los Gatos Blancos - El Chacarero
12. Los Atomos De Paramonga - Pa' Oriente Me Voy
13. Junior Y Su Equipo - Alegrate
14. Grupo Celeste - Todo Lo Tengo De Ti Menos Tu Amor
15. Los Ecos - La Fuga Del Bandido

More digging in the gospel section... Possibly less obscure but definitely deeper. Made up of tracks that were started in Wyoming for Kanye/Sunday Service and then finished in LA and transposed to this project. Includes 7 tracks exclusive to the vinyl release.

STAFF COMMENTS

Millie says: Kanyes' Sunday service out-takes of gospel choir strikes, uplifting and excellent for samples this really has it all, this is an absolute must!

TRACK LISTING

1. Keep My Promise
2. Blessed
3. Want 2 Love U 2
4. The Same
5. 2 Your Will
6. Hold On
7. Thank U
8. The Building
9. Anything U Want
10. Heal The Land
11. Trust In God
12. There 4 U
13. Rescue Me
14. Time Goes By
15. Whatever U Need
16. Jesus Rock
17. God Will
18. Redeemed
19. Sungday
20. Streets Of Gold

Selected by British DJ and vinyl hunter Paul Hillery, new BBE Music compilation 'We Are The Children Of The Sun' showcases a shimmering collection of rare folk funk and AOR with a distinctly Balearic feel. Former tour DJ for Polyphonic Spree and the man behind YouTube channel and mix series ‘Folk Funk & Trippy Troubadours’, Paul Hillery’s lovingly handpicked musical assembly takes in strummed soft rock, blissful beach beats, the soft fizz of electronica, all carried to your ears by a gentle summer breeze. The music on 'We Are The Children Of The Sun' ranges from hazy, long-forgotten early 70s tapes, right through to digital compositions recorded during lockdown in 2020. “Tune in” says Paul, “and ruminate while consciousness is awoken with transmissions dropping out from the fringes of psyche tranquillity, holding hands with folk-funk that runs deep and hazy, as the bejewelled turquoise waters lap gently at the ocean’s shore.”

TRACK LISTING

1. Jim LaMarche, Theresa Moylan, Music Industry Arts - Make Believe
2. Mike Baumann, Tom Huntington - Man Of Misery
3. David Datunashvili - Wonders
4. Pixie Lauer - Sunday Morning
5. Ron Drago - Phase Dance
6. Guy Schwartz - Ride That Train
7. Marla Fant - Land Of Wonder
8. Diana Pequeno - Mistérios
9. Airborne - Marie
10. Scott McGregor Moore - So Good When It Comes
11. Checkpoint - I Send You All My Love
12. Gabriel Gladstar - Flow
13. White Feather - Summer Days Golden Haze
14. Philip John Lewin - Fear Of Flying
15. Monica Rypma - Let Love Flow
16. Alex Crispin - Effert
17. Michael Welch - Phone Home
18. Guy Maxwell - You Never Sang This Song

Debut LP from college buddies Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers who’s rapid ascent has seen them go from playing a handful of gigs pre-lockdown, to being name checked by Iggy Pop and ranked No. 2 in the BBC’s Sound Of 2022.

Surely everyone has heard their debut single Chaise Longue by now? It catapulted this Isle Of Wight duo into our consciousness during lock down and was followed by a handful of smart, hook filled pop songs that have made this LP one of the most anticipated debuts of the year. And it doesn’t disappoint!

Their half sung half spoken vocals deliver witty, brazen takes on navigating the ups and downs of modern life. There’s a definite nod to the 90s their sound: Angelica’s dead pan vocals and meandering bass bring to mind Elastica while Being In Love recalls the bitter sweet, dreamy pop of Lush and there’s a smattering of The Breeders in their more up beat songs. Combining this love of 90s indie-pop with a playful, anything goes attitude, they’ve created one of the most exciting debuts of the year.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A
1 Being In Love
2 Chaise Longue (Vinyl Version)
3 Angelica
4 I Don't Wanna Go Out
5 Wet Dream
6 Convincing

SIDE B
1 Loving You
2 Ur Mum
3 Oh No
4 Piece Of Shit
5 Supermarket
6 Too Late Now

Fear of the Dawn is the fourth studio album from Jack White, founding member of The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather. True to his DIY roots, this record was recorded at White's Third Man Studio throughout 2021, mastered by Third Man Mastering, pressed to vinyl at Third Man Pressing, and released by Third Man Records.

TRACK LISTING

1. Taking Me Back
2. Fear Of The Dawn
3. The White Raven
4. Hi-De-Ho
5. Eosophobia
6. Into The Twilight
7. Dusk
8. What's The Trick?
9. That Was Then (This Is Now)
10. Eosophobia (Reprise)
11. Morning, Noon And Night
12. Shedding My Velvet

Father John Misty returns with 'Chloë and The Next 20th Century', his fifth album and first new material since the release of God’s Favorite Customer in 2018.

'Chloë and the Next 20th Century' was written and recorded August through December 2020 and features arrangements by Drew Erickson. The album sees Tillman and producer/multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Wilson resume their longtime collaboration, as well as Dave Cerminara, returning as engineer and mixer. Basic tracks were recorded at Wilson’s Five Star Studios with strings, brass and woodwinds recorded at United Recordings in a session featuring Dan Higgins and Wayne Bergeron, among others.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Father John Misty has always been one of the most distinctive voices working in the middle ground between modern indie and country music, and his latest is the perfect illustration as to why he's so revered in the field. Beautifully produced and gorgeously evocative throughout, this is classic Misty.

TRACK LISTING

1 Chloë
2 Goodbye, Mr. Blue
3 Kiss Me (I Loved You)
4 (Everything But) Her Love
5 Buddy's Rendevous
6 Q4
7 Olvidado (Otro Momento)
8 Funny Girl
9 Only A Fool
10 We Could Be Strangers
11 The Next 20th Century

Calexico's Joey Burns and John Convertino return with their luminous 10th studio album, El Mirador; a hopeful, kaleidoscopic beacon of rock, bluesy ruminations and Latin American sounds.

Convening at longtime bandmate Sergio Mendoza's home studio in Tucson, Arizona, the ensemble recorded throughout the summer of 2021, crafting one of their most riveting and whimsical productions to date. Convertino, who now resides in El Paso, and Burns, who relocated to Boise in 2020, channeled cherished memories of Southwestern landscapes and joyful barrio melting pots into an evocative love letter to the desert borderlands that nourished them for over 20 years.

“El Mirador” features gossamer vocals from Guatemalan singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno, while Spanish rocker Jairo Zavala brings his signature bravado to “Cumbia Peninsula.” By working with friends and recurring collaborators, Calexico also highlights the unique social and linguistic intersections at the US-Mexico border and the magnificent possibilities of a borderless world.

El Mirador stands both as a lookout point and beacon in the dark; an opportunity to search inwards, ponder our connections to the Earth and its people, and hopefully illuminate a path forward. After decades on the road Calexico's music remains boundless and romantic, still gazing upon the horizon in search of their next adventure.

STAFF COMMENTS

Laura says: Wonderful new album from Joey Burns and John Convertino. Although still infused with Latin American influences, the last few release from Calexico have taken a 'poppier' route. On this album though, they hark back to dusty desert blues of their earlier releases. Shimmering through the baking Tuscon heat, you can almost feel the sun on your back.

TRACK LISTING

A1. El Mirador
A2. Harness The Wind
A3. Cumbia Peninsula
A4. Then You Might See
A5. Cumbia Del Polvo
A6. El Paso
B1. The El Burro Song
B2. Liberada
B3. Turquoise
B4. Constellation
B5. Rancho Azul
B6. Caldera

Mute / BMG announce 'Surrender: A Collection' by influential electronic-punk duo Suicide.

This brand new, remastered collection spans Alan Vega & Marty Rev’s forty year career and serves as an introduction to their raw, eclectic and inspiring catalogue.

Although the band barely received any credit during their career, Suicide are cited as one of the most inspirational bands of the 1970s, influencing the likes Soft Cell, Depeche Mode and The Jesus And Mary Chain, whilst garnering fans in Nick Cave, Jim Thirlwell, M.I.A., Spiritualized, Lydia Lunch, Bobby Gillespie and Savages to name a few.

“SUICIDE MADE SOME OF THE COOLEST, MOST UNCOMPROMISING MUSIC EVER INFLICTED ON OUR SPECIES. THIS GATHERING OF SONGS IS NOT A “BEST OF” NOR IS IT A “DEFINITIVE” ALL-YOU-NEED-TO-KNOW COMPILATION. IT IS AN INTRODUCTION THAT WILL HOPEFULLY COMPEL YOU TO EXPLORE THE ALBUMS.” Henry Rollins, Surrender.

Presented as a limited edition double album, on 140g Blood Red Vinyl in an embossed outer and mirror board inner gatefold, this unique package also contains a set of brand new, extensive and extraordinary liner notes by long serving fan/collaborator and NYC stalwart Henry Rollins.

The tracklisting, collated by Marty Rev, Liz Lamere, and Henry Rollins, includes tracks from their classic debut album, Suicide (1977), to their final outing, American Supreme (2002). The LP also features two brand new, unheard tracks Girl (Unreleased Version) and Frankie Teardrop (First Version). The package has been full remastered by Denis Blackham at Skye Mastering.

TRACK LISTING

LP Tracklist:
A1. Dominic Christ (2022 – Remaster)
A2. Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne (2022 – Remaster)
A3. Harlem (2022 – Remaster)
A4. Rocket USA (2022 – Remaster)
B1. Cheree (2022 – Remaster)
B2. Dream Baby Dream (2022 – Remaster)
B3. Touch Me (2022 – Remaster)
B4. Ghost Rider (2022 – Remaster)
B5. Mr. Ray (2022 – Remaster)
C1. Surrender (2022 – Remaster)
C2. Why Be Blue? (2022 – Remaster)
C3. Wrong Decisions (2022 – Remaster)
C4. Dachau, Disney, Disco (2022 – Remaster)
D1. Radiation (2022 – Remaster)
D2. Girl (Unreleased Version) (2022 – Remaster)^
D3. Frankie Teardrop (First Version) (2022 – Remaster)*

CD Tracklist:
Dominic Christ (2022 – Remaster)
Diamonds, Fur Coat, Champagne (2022 – Remaster)
Harlem (2022 – Remaster)
Rocket USA (2022 – Remaster)
Cheree (2022 – Remaster)
Dream Baby Dream (2022 – Remaster)
Touch Me (2022 – Remaster)
Ghost Rider (2022 – Remaster)
Mr. Ray (2022 – Remaster)
Surrender (2022 – Remaster)
Why Be Blue? (2022 – Remaster)
Wrong Decisions (2022 – Remaster)
Dachau, Disney, Disco (2022 – Remaster)
Radiation (2022 – Remaster)
Frankie Teardrop (First Version) (2022 – Remaster)*

^Previously Unreleased, Vinyl Only.
*Previously Unreleased.

Daniel Rossen, the lead vocalist and instrumentalist of era-epitomizing act Grizzly Bear, announces his first-ever solo LP, You Belong There, via Warp Records. 

The landscape surrounding You Belong There is Daniel Rossen’s sophisticated and visceral consideration of what comes after the restless enthusiasm and public fanfare of your youth. It's a riveting 10-song reintroduction to a voice that sounds both entirely familiar and fully re-energized by the act of unfettered expression and newfound self-sovereignty. These songs explore the personally uncharted territory of adulthood, including the troubles left behind and the possibilities that wait ahead.

For nearly two decades, Rossen had been a crucial component of Grizzly Bear, whose shared harmonies and interlaced textures reimagined music of the early aughts. He is also a founding member of the acclaimed folk and electronica outfit Department of Eagles. Rossen left the close-knit nest of Brooklyn many years ago, first for an isolated patch of land in upstate New York and then for Santa Fe, where he slowly built the world that is You Belong There largely in his high desert home. Rossen bought himself an upright bass (one of his instruments as a kid), along with the cello and performed almost all of the parts on the album himself, with Chris Bear of Grizzly Bear contributing as a rare guest on “Tangle.” Best known as a guitarist, Rossen took up woodwinds, too, buying several cheap student models and learning just enough to understand the rudiments.

You Belong There follows Rossen’s 2012 EP, Silent Hour/Golden Mile, critically acclaimed and rated an 8.0 by Pitchfork, who called it a “majestic song cycle full of fingerpicked notes that babble like tributaries.”

TRACK LISTING

A1. It's A Passage
A2. Shadow In The Frame
A3. You Belong There
A4. Unpeopled Space
A5. Celia
B1. Tangle
B2. I'll Wait For Your Visit
B3. Keeper And Kin
B4. The Last One
B5. Repeat The Pattern

Bronco is the new album from country artist and songwriter Orville Peck. A consummate storyteller, the country rock inspired Bronco plays upon the horse theme so often found in Orville’s work, but this time with an exploration of freedom, breaking free from that which binds us and all that is wild and untamed.

Bronco builds upon and follows Peck’s previous album Pony and EP Show Pony, which explored themes of love, loss and loneliness but advances the story arc in a bolder, newer and warmer trajectory.

“This is my most impassioned and authentic album to date,” says Peck. “I was inspired by country rock, 60s & 70s psychedelic, California and even bluegrass with everything being anchored in country. Bronco is all about being unrestrained and the culmination of a year of touring, writing in isolation and going through and ultimately emerging from a challenging personal time.”

TRACK LISTING

Daytona Sand
The Curse Of The Blackened Eye
Outta Time
Lafayette
C’mon Baby, Cry
Iris Rose
Kalahari Down
Bronco
Trample Out The Days
Blush
Hexie Mountains
Let Me Drown
Any Turn
City Of Gold
All I Can Say

bdrmm release a new EP, featuring their acclaimed recent single ‘Port’, alongside remixes by Daniel Avery, Working Men’s Club, A Place To Bury Strangers and more. The seven-track Port EP will be released digitally and on CD on April 8, with a limited-edition orange vinyl 12” version following later in the year. The EP is the Hull and Leeds-based band’s first major release since their debut album, Bedroom, which was hailed as a latter-day shoegaze classic when it came out in July 2020.

‘Port’, which was originally released as a single last October, marked a major step forward for the band. Sounding not unlike the Low of Double Negative or Hey What deconstructing The Temptations’ ‘I Know I’m Losing You’, it’s a much darker sounding song; its distorted drones and beats burst into life with frenzied guitar and howls of anguish. "It helped us consider the band in a much more fluid perspective,” says bassist and synth player Jordan Smith of the pivotal track. “Swapping instruments and redefining roles gave us time to spend working on new and more intriguing sonic ideas.”

This new experimental and more electronic approach was expanded as the standalone single release grew, almost accidentally, into a full EP, which features radical reworkings by Daniel Avery (a fearless, al