MAGIC MIX

STAFF PICKS

VINYL REISSUES

Filling in the gaps in your record collection? Look no further with these staff approved vinyl reissues.

Follow PiccadillyRecs on Twitter
Cover of Different Trains / Electric Counterpoint by Steve Reich.

Steve Reich

Different Trains / Electric Counterpoint

Nonesuch

Nonesuch reissues on vinyl Steve Reich’s 1989 classic album Different Trains / Electric Counterpoint. On the Grammy-winning piece Different Trains, performed by Kronos Quartet, Reich evokes his American childhood during World War II while also addressing the Holocaust. The New York Times declared it ‘A work of such originality that ‘breakthrough’ seems the only possible description.’ Legendary guitarist Pat Metheny performs Electric Counterpoint.

Steve Reich has been called ‘our greatest living composer’ (New York Times) and ‘the most original musical thinker of our time’ (New Yorker). His path has embraced not only Western Classical music, but the structures, harmonies, and rhythms of non-Western and American vernacular music, particularly jazz. ‘There’s just a handful of living composers who can legitimately claim to have altered the direction of musical history and Steve Reich is one of them,’ states the Guardian. In April 2009 Steve Reich was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his composition Double Sextet. Nonesuch has released twenty-four Steve Reich albums, beginning in 1985 with The Desert Music and including two box sets; his most recent album was Pulse / Quartet (2018).

‘There’s just a handful of living composers who can legitimately claim to have altered the direction of musical History and Steve Reich is one of them.’ – Guardian.

‘Reich’s late-career masterpiece. The piece found a new tenor for Reich – clear-eyed, anguished, searching – that suited him. He wasn’t a minimalist upstart anymore; he was a moral conscience, albeit as earthbound and lost as the rest of us.’ – Pitchfork, 100 Best Albums of the 1980s.

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: The two finest moments in the whole Reich catalogue, the propulsive and engaging "Different Trains" and the uber-Balearic guitar composition "Electric Counterpoint" (Pat Methany ladies and gentlemen) on one record - this is essential!

FORMAT INFORMATION

Ltd LP Info: Heavyweight 140 gram high-performance vinyl.

[ + ]
[ - ]
Cover of White Album (Stereo 50th Anniversary Reissue) by The Beatles.

The Beatles

White Album (Stereo 50th Anniversary Reissue)

UMC

In November 1968, millions of double LPs were shipped to record stores worldwide ahead of that tumultuous year’s most anticipated music event: the November 22nd release of The BEATLES (soon to be better known as ‘The White Album’). With their ninth studio album, The Beatles took the world on a whole new trip, side one blasting off with the exhilarating rush of a screaming jet escorting Paul McCartney’s punchy, exuberant vocals on “Back In The U.S.S.R.” “Dear Prudence” came next, John Lennon warmly beckoning his friend and all of us to “look around.” George Harrison imparted timeless wisdom in “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” singing, “With every mistake we must surely be learning.” Ringo Starr’s “Don’t Pass Me By” marked his first solo songwriting credit on a Beatles album. For 50 years, ‘The White Album’ has invited its listeners to venture forth and explore the breadth and ambition of its music, delighting and inspiring each new generation in turn.

For it’s 50th anniversary, The Beatles release a suite of lavishly presented ‘White Album’ packages. The album’s 30 tracks are newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and mix engineer Sam Okell in stereo and 5.1 surround audio, joined by 27 early acoustic demos and 50 session takes, most of which are previously unreleased in any form.

“We had left Sgt. Pepper’s band to play in his sunny Elysian Fields and were now striding out in new directions without a map,” says Paul McCartney in his written introduction for the new ‘White Album’ releases.

This is the first time The BEATLES (‘White Album’) has been remixed and presented with additional demos and session recordings. The album’s sweeping new edition follows 2017’s universally acclaimed Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Anniversary Edition releases. To create the new stereo and 5.1 surround audio mixes for ‘The White Album,’ Martin and Okell worked with an expert team of engineers and audio restoration specialists at Abbey Road Studios in London. All the new ‘White Album’ releases include Martin’s new stereo album mix, sourced directly from the original four-track and eight-track session tapes. Martin’s new mix is guided by the album’s original stereo mix produced by his father, George Martin.

“In remixing ‘The White Album,’ we’ve tried to bring you as close as possible to The Beatles in the studio,” explains Giles Martin in his written introduction for the new edition. “We’ve peeled back the layers of the ‘Glass Onion’ with the hope of immersing old and new listeners into one of the most diverse and inspiring albums ever made.”

The minimalist artwork for ‘The White Album’ was created by artist Richard Hamilton, one of Britain’s leading figures in the creation and rise of pop art. The top-loading gatefold sleeve’s stark white exterior had ‘The BEATLES’ embossed on the front and printed on the spine with the album’s catalogue number. Early copies of ‘The White Album’ were also individually numbered on the front, which has also been done for the new edition’s Super Deluxe package. The set’s six CDs and Blu-ray disc are housed in a slipsleeved 164-page hardbound book, with pull-out reproductions of the original album’s four glossy color portrait photographs of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, as well as the album’s large fold-out poster with a photo collage on one side and lyrics on the other. The beautiful book is illustrated with rare photographs, reproductions of handwritten and notated lyrics, previously unpublished photos of recording sheets and tape boxes, and reproduced original ‘White Album’ print ads. The book’s comprehensive written pieces include new introductions by Paul McCartney and Giles Martin, and in-depth chapters covering track-by-track details and session notes reflecting The Beatles’ year between the release of ‘Sgt. Pepper’ and recording sessions for ‘The White Album,’ the band’s July 28 1968 “Mad Day Out” photo shoot in locations around London, the album artwork, the lead-up and execution of the album’s blockbuster release, and its far-ranging influence, written by Beatles historian, author and radio producer Kevin Howlett; journalist and author John Harris; and Tate Britain’s Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Andrew Wilson.

The Deluxe 3CD is presented in an embossed digipak with the fold-out poster and portrait photos, plus a 24-page booklet abridged from the Super Deluxe book. Presented in a lift-top box with a four-page booklet, the limited edition Deluxe 4LP vinyl set presents the 2LP album in a faithful, embossed reproduction of its original gatefold sleeve with the fold-out poster and portrait photos, paired with the 2LP Esher Demos in an embossed gatefold sleeve.

Much of the initial songwriting for ‘The White Album’ was done in Rishikesh, India between February and April 1968, when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr joined a course at the Maharishi’s Academy of Transcendental Meditation. In a postcard to Ringo, who had returned to England before the others, John wrote, “we’ve got about two L.P.s worth of songs now so get your drums out.”

During the last week of May, The Beatles gathered at George’s house in Esher, Surrey, where they recorded acoustic demos for 27 songs. Known as the Esher Demos, all 27 recordings are included in the new edition’s Deluxe and Super Deluxe packages, sourced from the original four-track tapes. Twenty-one of the demoed songs were recorded during the subsequent studio sessions, and 19 were ultimately finished and included on ‘The White Album.’

The Beatles’ studio sessions for The BEATLES (‘White Album’) began on May 30, 1968 at Abbey Road Studios. In the 20 weeks that followed, The Beatles devoted most of their time to sessions there for the new album, with some recording also done at Trident Studios. The final session for the album took place at Abbey Road on October 16, a 24-hour marathon with producer George Martin to sequence the double album’s four sides and to complete edits and cross-fades between its songs. The Beatles’ approach to recording for ‘The White Album’ was quite different from what they had done for ‘Sgt. Pepper.’ Rather than layering individually overdubbed parts on a multi-track tape, many of the ‘White Album’ session takes were recorded to four-track and eight-track tape as group performances with a live lead vocal. The Beatles often recorded take after take for a song, as evidenced by the Super Deluxe set’s Take 102 for “Not Guilty,” a song that was not included on the album. This live-take recording style resulted in a less intricately structured, more unbridled album that would shift the course of rock music and cut a path for punk and indie rock.

The Beatles’ newly adopted method of recording all through the night was time consuming and exhausting for their producer, George Martin. Martin had other duties, including his management of AIR (Associated Independent Recording), and he had also composed the orchestral score for The Beatles’ animated feature film, Yellow Submarine, released in July 1968. After the first three months of ‘White Album’ sessions, Martin took a three-week holiday from the studio, entrusting the control room to his young assistant Chris Thomas and balance engineer Ken Scott. Scott had taken the place of engineer Geoff Emerick, who left the sessions in mid-July. On August 22, Ringo Starr also left the sessions, returning 11 days later to find his drum kit adorned with flowers from his bandmates. While the sessions’ four and a half months of long hours and many takes did spark occasional friction in the studio, the session recordings reveal the closeness, camaraderie, and collaborative strengths within the band, as well as with George Martin.

The BEATLES (‘White Album’) was the first Beatles album to be released on the group’s own Apple Records label. Issued in both stereo and mono for the U.K. and in stereo for the U.S., the double album was an immediate bestseller, entering the British chart at number one and remaining there for eight of the 22 weeks it was listed. ‘The White Album’ also debuted at number one on the U.S. chart, holding the top spot for nine weeks of its initial 65-week chart run. In his glowing ‘White Album’ review for Rolling Stone, the magazine’s co-founder Jann Wenner declared: “It is the best album they have ever released, and only The Beatles are capable of making a better one.” In the U.S., ‘The White Album’ is 19-times platinum-certified by the RIAA and in 2000, it was inducted into the Recording Academy’s GRAMMY® Hall of Fame, recognizing “recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance.”


FORMAT INFORMATION

4xDeluxe LP Info: 2018 stereo album mix + Esher Demos
The 180-gram 4LP vinyl box set (limited edition) pairs the 2018 stereo album mix with the 27 Esher Demos.

FREE SHIPPING This item has FREE UK shipping!

2xLP Info: 2018 stereo mix.
180-gram 2LP vinyl in gatefold sleeve with faithfully replicated original artwork.

3xDeluxe CD Info: 2018 stereo album mix + Esher Demos
The 3CD pairs the 2018 stereo album mix with the 27 Esher Demos.

Box set Info: Super Deluxe: The comprehensive, individually numbered 7-disc and digital audio collections feature:
CDs 1 & 2: The BEATLES (‘White Album’) 2018 stereo album mix
CD3: Esher Demos
- Esher Demo tracks 1 through 19 sequenced in order of the finished song’s placement on ‘The White Album.’ Tracks 20-27 were not included on the album.
CDs 4, 5 & 6: Sessions
- 50 additional recordings, most previously unreleased, from ‘White Album’ studio sessions; all newly mixed from the four-track

FREE SHIPPING This item has FREE UK shipping!

[ + ]
[ - ]
Cover of Songs For Christmas by Sufjan Stevens.

Sufjan Stevens

Songs For Christmas

Asthmatic Kitty

As some of you may or may not know, for the past few years, as a holiday tradition, Sufjan has embarked on an extraordinary experiment to record an annual Christmas EP. It started in 2001, the year of Epiphanies, and continued onward (skipping only 2004), culminating into an odd and idiosyncratic catalog of music that has only existed in the Asthmatic Kitty archives (and on a number of file sharing sites). The recording process took place every December, for one week, usually at home, provoking collaborations with friends, roommates, and musical peers. Armed with a Reader's Digest Christmas Songbook (and a mug of hot cider) Sufjan & friends concocted a musical fruit cake year after year, implementing every musical instrument they could find lying around the house: banjo, oboe, Casiotone, wood flute, a buzzy guitar, hand claps, sleigh bells, Hammond organ, and some tree tinsel. Did we mention sleigh bells? It doesn't take much to capture that Creepy Christmas Feeling, does it? Recorded, mixed and mastered at home, the EPs themselves were often assembled in the kitchen, stapled together, and sent out with stickers and stamps to loved ones across the globe, year after year. Recording traditional favourites alongside unique originals, Sufjan has, over the course of five years, constructed an odd, impressive, and compelling collection of Christmas hits (and some misses) that will either warm your heart or make you throw up eggnog all over the bath mat (depending on your constitution). Asthmatic Kitty now releases ALL of the material (newly mixed and mastered) in one generous box set.

FORMAT INFORMATION

5xLP Box Set Info: 5 LP box set.

[ + ]
[ - ]
Cover of The Story Of Valerie by Carola Baer.

Carola Baer

The Story Of Valerie

Concentric Circles

New label Concentric Circles open their account with a vinyl release of Carola Baer's "The Story of Valery", which is comprised of music from a one-off demo cassette found in a thrift store. Beautiful personal & emotionally resonant drum computer mantras in the key of Dead Can Dance, The Cocteau Twins and classic 4AD.

The discovery of a cassette of Carola Baer's early 90s private home recordings was like finding a needle in a haystack. Made as a one-off mixtape of newly recorded songs, and given to a long-since
forgotten recipient, this cassette was found in 2017 at a Goodwill "bins" location in Portland, Oregon. These chaotic, by-the-pound thrift stores contain 1000's of unsorted items in constant flux, which are only available for the public to buy for a limited time before they are discarded. The prospect that this obscure relic would be rescued from its untimely fate is nothing short of a miracle. As this tape was the only one in existence, with no back up versions of many of the songs, it's more than likely that this
music would have been lost forever.

"The Story of Valerie" is made up of songs culled from that cassette, with a few additional tracks from the time, and is the first time Carola Baer's solo material has been heard by the public. The intense emotion of the music is brought upon by the primary themes of the album: the cruelty of humanity, isolated life as a British immigrant in the US, and the pain of doomed relationships. Despite being inspired by classic 4AD acts like Dead Can Dance and Cocteau Twins, Baer's home recordings have a sound and style that is uniquely her own. Many of the tracks feel like musical exorcisms, with Baer's spine tingling voice soaring above minimal arrangements for Yamaha DX-7 and Casio CZ-101 synthesizers. Like finding a stranger’s diary, the listener is granted access to music that is emotionally raw and deeply personal.

STAFF COMMENTS

Patrick says: Even without the totally improbable and wonderfully romantic backstory (one off cassette found among thousands in a thrift shop bin), Carola Baer's "The Story Of Valerie" is irresistible. Mournful, melodic, epic and unique, Baer takes the bedroom synth pop stylings of the Cocteau's and twists it into something entirely her own. Be thankful that this one got saved from the tip.

[ + ]
[ - ]
Cover of Waveform Transmission Vol.3 by Jeff Mills.

Jeff Mills

Waveform Transmission Vol.3

Tresor

Pivotal, iconic, groundbreaking & pioneering, the third part of Jeff Mills and Rob Hood's "Waveform Tranmission" series is given a limited re-run. When this originally came out in 1994 on Tresor it sounded fierce, uncompromising and unique - and perfectly encapsulated the spirit and energy across the German capital following the collapse of the Berlin Wall. As such Jeff and Rob became heros and flagbearers for the techno sound in Europe, miles away from their home in Detroit (who would take much, much longer to embrace the sound outside the select group of DJs, producers and dancers which were involved in the scene).

The unrelenting tempos, machine-code drums and alien frequencies would soundtrack many a 48-hour weekend as the punk spirited, electronically-guided party spirit came into blossom throughout the 90s.

An absolute masterpiece which every home should posses. Limited to 1500 hand numbered copies - this is one techno album you can't be without!




STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: They don't make 'em like this anymore... Boundry dissolving militancy from the Wizard. One of his most uncompromising and arresting releases in his catalogue.

FORMAT INFORMATION

Ltd LP Info: This repress is a stamped and hand-numbered edition, limited to 1500 units.

[ + ]
[ - ]
Cover of Peng! by Stereolab.

Stereolab

Peng!

Too Pure

    ‘Peng!’ is the band’s 1992 debut album. 

    Often noted as being one of the most influential and original bands of the 90s, Stereolab were formed by Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier in London in 1990 and released 13 studio albums, 15 EPs and numerous singles. Simon Reynolds commented in Rolling Stone that the group’s early records form “an endlessly seductive body of work that sounds always the same, always different.”

    Theirs is a rich, overflowing palette, readily able to blur the gulf between Os Mutantes and the BBC Radiophonic Orchestra; merge Krzysztof Komeda with the Velvet Underground, Francoise Hardy with Neu! and Burt Bacharach with Esquivel. A deluxe blend, in other words, with ingredients plucked assiduously from pop’s coolest outposts: 50’s lounge, Rive Gauche chanson, Brazilian tropicalia, North American art rock, East European film music, Krautrock. hi-fi test recordings, mood music and more. Somehow they distil these apparently incongruent components into an ageless exotica that is all their own.

    [ + ]
    [ - ]
    Cover of The Groop Played Space Age Batchelor Pad Music by Stereolab.

    Stereolab

    The Groop Played Space Age Batchelor Pad Music

    Too Pure

       ‘The Groop Played Space Age Batchelor Pad Music’ is an 8-track mini album, released in 1993.

      Often noted as being one of the most influential and original bands of the 90s, Stereolab were formed by Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier in London in 1990 and released 13 studio albums, 15 EPs and numerous singles. Simon Reynolds commented in Rolling Stone that the group’s early records form “an endlessly seductive body of work that sounds always the same, always different.”

      Theirs is a rich, overflowing palette, readily able to blur the gulf between Os Mutantes and the BBC Radiophonic Orchestra; merge Krzysztof Komeda with the Velvet Underground, Francoise Hardy with Neu! and Burt Bacharach with Esquivel. A deluxe blend, in other words, with ingredients plucked assiduously from pop’s coolest outposts: 50’s lounge, Rive Gauche chanson, Brazilian tropicalia, North American art rock, East European film music, Krautrock. hi-fi test recordings, mood music and more. Somehow they distil these apparently incongruent components into an ageless exotica that is all their own.

      [ + ]
      [ - ]
      Cover of II by Desire.

      Desire

      II

      Italians Do It Better

      Montreal based Desire is blissed out Euro disco featuring Johnny Jewel on synth and guitars, (Chromatics, Glass Candy) Nate Walker on drums, (Chromatics) and hot as glass, Montreal singer, Megan-Louise. What sets Johnny Jewel's great production style apart from so many others is his reluctance to use computers and new equipment in both production and live performance, thus giving the music and analog quality that is infinitely more arresting than most contemporary disco counterparts. Features the hit song "Under Your Spell" which was on the Original Soundtrack for 2011's Drive (film featuring Ryan Gosling).

      FORMAT INFORMATION

      Coloured LP Info: 180g bubblegum pink vinyl.

      [ + ]
      [ - ]
      Cover of Papir (Reissue) by Papir.

      Papir

      Papir (Reissue)

      Stickman Records

        Before releasing a string of albums on the El Paraiso label and hitting upon their trademark sound of soft, warm and even jazz-tinged psychedelic rock, Papir released their first and perhaps most experimental record to the world in a limited pressing of only 250 copies. Even in their early days, the Copenhagen trio Christoffer Brøchmann Christensen, Nicklas Sørensen and Christian Becher Clausen were virtuosos in their art of hypnotizing rock, and their debut record is a testament to the group’s early devotion to krautrock. Incorporating haunting, industrial sounds, keyboards and otherworldly guitar sounds into their tapestry of sound, Papir gives a glimpse into the band’s early days where a certain weird joy in experimentation was palatable.

        Hints of the blissful psychedelia the band is now known for shine through in intervals, only to collide against beeps and loops, submerging and emerging while unexpected sounds assail the listener. Papir is a beautiful and highly unique record in the band’s catalog that will be appreciated by the band’s current fans as well as krautrock enthusiasts. Papir’s first studio album is a powerful statement that established the band immediately as one of the most creative psychedelic forces in the European scene. Stickman Records is reissuing the record for the first time on vinyl since 2010.

        FORMAT INFORMATION

        Coloured LP Info: 180 gram neon yellow vinyl including download code.

        [ + ]
        [ - ]
        Cover of El Gran Cacique by Juaneco Y Su Combo.

        Juaneco Y Su Combo

        El Gran Cacique

        Infopesa

        Essential psychedelic cumbia album.

        At the beginning of the year 1966, in the Amazonian city Pucallpa of Peru, the merchant and musician Juan Wong Paredes decided to form a group to share and play some upbeat music throughout the city.

        Wong Paredes, of Chinese ancestry, enjoyed playing music with his accordion, especially at the Peruvian jungle parties known as "tahuampas". After finishing a stretch of military service, his son Juan Wong Popolizio decided to collaborate with his father's band, and was joined by his friend Noe Fachín, who took on the lead guitar and composing duties.

        Popolizio and Fachín worked together to select six young natives from the area who shared their same love for exotic music, rhythms and modern tracks that filtered in directly from the Colombian and Brazilian borders. All together, these members became one of the best psychedelic cumbia bands ever: Juaneco y Su Combo.

        The members of the band included Juan Wong Popilizio as the official director, keyboard player, and musical arranger of the group, Noe Fachín as the lead guitar, and Wilindoro Cacique as the main vocalist as well as the guiro and tambourine player. They were joined by Walter Domínguez on bass guitar, Rosendo Hidalgo on drums, Wilberto Murrieta on second guitar, Juvencio Pinchi on percussions, and Jairo Aguilar Tejada on the bongo.

        In 1972, they were signed by Infopesa and recorded their first LP: The classic "El Gran Cacique". This LP, named eponymously after the nickname of the leader of the band, featured a timeless version of the Brazilian toada "Mulher Rendeira" with vocals from Wilindoro Cacique, becoming an instant hit. "Vacilando con Ayahuasca," an instrumental cumbia composed by Noe Fachín, was also recorded for this album, and it featured some sexy hypnotic vocals from Infopesa´s secretary.

        Nowadays, "El Gran Cacique" is considered one of the world´s essential cumbia records, and after 46 years since its first press this iconic LP returns as zestful as ever in a special vinyl reissue that will surely reignite the psychedelic craze one more time.

        This limited vinyl release was remastered from the original analog tapes at Infopesa's studio by Aldo Montalvo under the direction of Juan Ricardo and Alberto Maraví, who produced and oversaw the original mastering of the record in 1972. It's packaged with an artwork that uses the original cover of the LP reinterpreted by well-known Peruvian collage master Yerko Zlatar.

        [ + ]
        [ - ]
        Cover of Lingua Franca-1 by EP-4.

        EP-4

        Lingua Franca-1

        WRWTFWW Records

        WRWTFWW continue to RWTFTW this week with the first official reissue of crazy J-wave grail "Lingua Franca-1" by Kyoto crew EP-4. Originally released in 1983, this sampler mashing, distorto-clashing, gear grinding stormer is essential listening for fans of Liquid Liquid, PiL, Talking Heads, Colored Music, Grauzone, David Bowie, Yello.

        Straight from the delirious minds of unconventional geniuses Kaoru Sato (who had previously released an album as R.N.A. Organism on legendary Osaka label Vanity Records) and Yuji "Banana" Kawashima, "Lingua Franca-1" is a seamless voyage of spellbinding mutant funk grooves, joyful post-punk explorations, synth fantasies, sexy distortions, and fluid cool-no-sweat vocals. Constantly mutating in an almost biological way (similarly to Colored Music’s self-titled album), always mysterious and seductive, sometimes reminiscing of a freaky cross between PiL, Liquid Liquid, Bowie and Yello, EP-4’s debut is hard to label, although "Debonair Wave" could be a legitimate way to describe this Japan’s best-kept-secret of an album.

        Defying the rules wasn’t limited to sonic experimentations for band leader Kaoru Sato. To promote Lingua Franca-1, he and his crew plastered gigantic (illegal) billboards all over Shibuya and Harajuku, announcing performances in four different cities on odd hours of the same day (May 5th 1983). Other of his notable antics included originally sub-titling the album Death to the Emperor Showa causing a controversy (which led to censorship and a title-change), trying to release two albums on the same day without the concerned labels being aware of the plan or, in the R.N.A. Organism days, fooling Vanity Records into believing the demo he sent them came from a foreign band (it worked). Unique personality, unique music!


        FORMAT INFORMATION

        Ltd LP Info: Vinyl housed in heavy 350gsm sleeve.

        [ + ]
        [ - ]
        Cover of Spaceark by Spaceark.

        Spaceark

        Spaceark

        Mr Bongo

        Brilliant self-released, private-press jazz/soul LP from 1975, recorded at Sunset Sound studios in LA. This is the super-rare debut album from SpaceArk, a band of brothers on an interstellar voyage to discover “electrifying new sounds”. It’s another one of those private press treasures - a dynamic group of talents seizing the moment and making magic in an astounding 12-hour turnaround.

        [ + ]
        [ - ]
        Cover of The Proposition - Vinyl Reissue by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis.

        Nick Cave & Warren Ellis

        The Proposition - Vinyl Reissue

        BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.

        A powerful western drama set in the savage Eden of 1880s Australia; "The Proposition" is an elemental story of family conflict and primal violence, destructive love and divided loyalties. Featuring an international superstar cast including Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Emily Watson and Danny Huston, it is directed by John Hillcoat from a specially commissioned script by the globally acclaimed singer-songwriter Nick Cave. 'Because of Nick's narrative songwriting, the characters are so vivid,' says Hillcoat. 'I knew something really good would come out of it.' Cave has also composed the film's soundtrack in conjunction with Warren Ellis, his longtime Bad Seeds collaborator and multi-instrumentalist frontman of The Dirty Three. Incorporating soft chamber pieces, ghostly moodscapes and whispered laments, these 16 tracks are as starkly beautiful as the landscape of the film. Story and music are closely intertwined.

        FORMAT INFORMATION

        Coloured LP Info: Gold vinyl (limited to 750 units in the UK).

        [ + ]
        [ - ]
        Cover of The Conversation – Original Movie Soundtrack by David Shire.

        David Shire

        The Conversation – Original Movie Soundtrack

        Trunk

        This is the first time the complete score to The Conversation has been released on vinyl. The film itself was originally released in 1974 and a 7” demo of the theme was sent out as promotional material by Paramount (PAA-0305), but a USA stock edition was never issued. In Japan the same music was also issued on a 7” at about the same time (JET-2273), with a picture sleeve, but until now nothing else has ever been pressed on vinyl.

        Jonny Trunk’s little obsession with this music began after I’d caught the film, late night, sometime in the mid 1990s. Musically it’s an exceptional example of the “new minimalism” in film music of the period, marking a departure (for some) from big scores to smaller, more economic ensemble sounds.

        The film was written, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and is still a thrilling journey into sound, mind and murder. Heavily influenced by Antonioni’s Blow-Up (and not, as some thought, by Watergate), Coppola wanted to fuse the concept of Blow-Up with “the world of audio surveillance”. The story centres around Harry Caul (Gene Hackman), a mac-wearing professional wire-tapper and clandestine bugger who gets unusually consumed by a conversation he’s been paid to record. Caul is a loner, an obsessive-compulsive character with numerous neuroses that play out brilliantly throughout the film. And as he slowly pieces together the conversation fragments and forms his own story around it, his world falls apart.

        Sonically this movie – all about sound - is groundbreaking in many ways, with actual “sound design” provided by the legendary Walter Murch - the man who actually invented the term in the first place.

        For the music, Coppola wisely chose a young David Shire, his brother in law. Shire’s deceptively simple piano theme (composed because of no budget for big orchestra) is one of tragic beauty, brilliantly capturing Caul’s loneliness, his slightly disturbed nature and this trip into darkness. The melody has both sweet and sour tones, feeling a little like a slow ragtime, which both develops and retreats throughout the film; there are even trips into avant-garde territory with electro-acoustic flourishes and concrète. The solo, agitated figure of Caul, wearing his distinctive transparent mac, is made all the more raw and poignant by the score - the sparse and curiously emotional compositions are unlike any others I can think of from the period.

        The soundtrack for The Conversation proved to be a major break for Shire, his career really taking off from this musical point. His next score was to be the underground classic Taking Of Pelham 123, followed up later ironically by All The Presidents Men - a thriller about the Watergate scandal.

        The Conversation went on to win several awards and nominations, and has become a classic of the “New Hollywood” movement. Hopefully now this music may become part of the renewed interest in old film soundtracks.


        [ + ]
        [ - ]
        Cover of Best Of Disco Demands Compiled By Al Kent Part Two by Various Artists.

        Various Artists

        Best Of Disco Demands Compiled By Al Kent Part Two

        BBE

          The Disco Demands series started sometime in the early 2000s - I couldn't give you an exact year because it didn't feel like a big deal, so I never noted it. I simply wanted to put out a compilation of some records I really liked and maybe make a little of the money back I was spending on them. Buy some food and stuff. There's always been Disco comps around of course but there was rarely anything that strayed too far from the standards.. the same songs kept appearing over and over again, or the comps would feature records you could pick up anywhere for little money. I've never seen the point in that. I gave up judging a record on its value or rarity a long time ago but surely there's more to disco than Exodus, Martin Circus, Mass Production and all those Salsoul, West End and bloody Prelude records. So it was a nice surprise to find that there were other people out there who thought the same way.

          Volume 1 was pretty straightforward - just some nice records, with the only edit being an instrumental of Disco Socks; a strange, thinly veiled reference to the disco sucks movement. Then on Volume 2 I included a few of my edits and introduced the cover up concept to the disco world. That caused a bit of controversy, which of course I loved. And so it continued for five volumes.

          What we have here then is the full series, give or take one or two cuts, all remastered, many re-re-edited, with lots of nice naked pictures to boot. For those who've asked since day one "will there be vinyl" I can finally say yes, you're holding it!

          [ + ]
          [ - ]
          Cover of Camera by Chromatics.

          Chromatics

          Camera

          Italians Do It Better

          'I Want To Be With You…But Sometimes Life Becomes Too Real…I Want To See The Things In My Heart I Know I Feel'.

          The opening track is a love song written from the perspective of the camera, asking to be held up to see the world through the eyes of its user. Chromatics’ dense electronics are anchored by the intimacy of Ruth Radelet’s vocals. Framed by negative space, this is pop music from the blurry hours. She softly sings, 'I write a song in my head, pretend that I’m lying in your arms'. The music is minimal & bare, layered with sparse percussion. The Camera EP features unreleased material, including a haunting take on Dear Tommy’s title track & the midnight mood of "Flashback To Forever".


          STAFF COMMENTS

          Matt says: Chromatics turn their daze to the auto-tuned neo-tropicalia-R'n'B that seams to be the commercial sound of the Summer and deliver it in effortless style.

          FORMAT INFORMATION

          Ltd LP Info: 3rd Edition pressed on 180-gram cherry red vinyl.

          Ltd 12" Info: Ivory white vinyl.

          [ + ]
          [ - ]
          Cover of Nite by Chromatics.

          Chromatics

          Nite

          Italians Do It Better

          This was the follow up to the "Healer/Witness" white label 12 inch & the last recordings Chromatics made before Ruth Radelet joined the band. Archival reissue originally recorded 2004-2005 in Portland. Out of print for over a decade, this new LP version includes unreleased outtakes & alternate mixes from the original tapes. Recorded during the first experimental studio period for Chromatics that would eventually become the sound of the "Night Drive" album.

          FORMAT INFORMATION

          Coloured LP Info: Gatefold LP pressed on 180-gram ivory vinyl.

          [ + ]
          [ - ]
          Cover of Lady by Chromatics.

          Chromatics

          Lady

          Italians Do It Better

          Glitz, gloss, glamour and grit from the mean streets of NYC here, as Chromatics' cinematic synth chanson "Lady" gets plucked off "Kill For Love" and slapped on a maxi Pink Champagne coloured vinyl. A perfect combination of pulsating bass, trembling synth keys and soft focus vocals, "Lady" is vintage IDIB, especially when that stomping beat comes in. The "Looking For Love (Instrumental)" is a killer bit of moody and hypnotic Italo heat for warm ups and rub downs, while the synthetic grandeur of "Lady" comes through fully via the instrumental version. The B-side features the unreleased “Lady” (On Film) which contains the 3rd vocal verse that was never released on “Kill For Love,” plus the extended 15 minute disco version of “Looking For Love”, a frankly epic addition to any Italo collection.

          FORMAT INFORMATION

          12" Info: Pink champagne coloured vinyl.

          [ + ]
          [ - ]
          Cover of The Only Ones by Farah.

          Farah

          The Only Ones

          Italians Do It Better

          Persian-American cryptic electronic ingenue Farah can’t be solved or explained. She makes dreamy, archly somber disco tunes that somehow sound both spontaneous & immaculate, painstaking & off-the-cuff. Crooning laconically — sometimes in English, sometimes in Farsi, but always with the taste of a woman too cool to betray anything as vulgar as emotion. “Come, come, come, come, come, come, come” she commands on “The Only Ones”, the chant a wanton incantation. It’s difficult to tell if the majestic synths that swirl around her are in harmony with the spirit or its counterpoint.

          B-Side “Baby Girl” delves into a chorus of Persian idiom: “Dooset daram,” she sings, or “I love you” in the Iranian expression. The song has the air of enigma — another of Farah’s dance floor mysteries. The instrumental tracks that bookend the record are its atmospheric framing device. Enter the maze.


          FORMAT INFORMATION

          12" Info: 180-gram pink champagne vinyl.

          [ + ]
          [ - ]
          Cover of Themes For An Imaginary Film by Symmetry.

          Symmetry

          Themes For An Imaginary Film

          Italians Do It Better

          The neon lights that decorate a dive bar’s window cast a vivid reflection in rainwater on the pavement outside, as steam rises from deep beneath the ground. A slow pan across the scene, past alleys cast in shadow, twilit corners & glass doorways streaked with the mist of humid bodies fuming inside: the camera catches the denizens of an unnamed city, studying faces heavy with secrets too sad to bear. Cut to the motorway. Sleek cars barrel through the night. Sirens moan. Engines rev. You’re behind the wheel, over the edge as the credits roll.

          This film does not exist — but the soundtrack does. Symmetry is Johnny Jewel & Nat Walker, & Themes For an Imaginary Film is their two-hour cinematic opus pokus, a sprawling score for a movie that screens only in your mind. A “conceptual tangent between Glass Candy, Chromatics, Mirage, & Desire’s more abstract sides,” as Jewel himself describes the project, Symmetry is a vigorous, electric, restless exploration of ideas on the bleeding edge of instrumental sound. Analog synthesizers roll and crest, drums collide, keys cascade clear & crystalline. These themes evoke the phantasmic images that inspired them: urgent and ethereal, sinister & romantic. It’s a neo-noir epic of pink fog & femme fatales hidden behind rain drenched windshields after dark.

          [ + ]
          [ - ]
          Cover of Architecture & Morality by Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark.

          Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark

          Architecture & Morality

          UMC

            To kick off the start of a year-long 40th anniversary campaign, we are reissuing four of OMD's albums on 180g vinyl. They will all be half speed mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road and housed in original packaging.

            Architecture & Morality is the band's third studio album which reached #3 in the UK chart and features top 5 singles 'Souvenir', 'Joan of Arc' and 'Maid of Orleans'. 

            STAFF COMMENTS

            Andy says: Beautiful album which includes three stunning singles in Joan Of Arc, Maid of Orleans and of course,Souvenir.

            FORMAT INFORMATION

            LP includes MP3 Download Code.

            [ + ]
            [ - ]
            Cover of Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark by Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark.

            Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark

            Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark

            UMC

              To kick off the start of a year-long 40th anniversary campaign, we are reissuing four of OMD's albums on 180g vinyl. They will all be half speed mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road and housed in original packaging.

              The self-titled album, Orchestral Manoeuvres in The Dark, features hit singles 'Electricity' and 'Messages'. 

              [ + ]
              [ - ]
              Cover of Organisation by Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark.

              Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark

              Organisation

              UMC

                To kick off the start of a year-long 40th anniversary campaign, we are reissuing four of OMD's albums on 180g vinyl. They will all be half speed mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road and housed in original packaging.

                Organisation is the band's second studio album which reached #6 in the UK chart and features top 10 single 'Enola Gay'. 

                [ + ]
                [ - ]
                Cover of Dazzle Ships by Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark.

                Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark

                Dazzle Ships

                UMC

                  To kick off the start of a year-long 40th anniversary campaign, we are reissuing four of OMD's albums on 180g vinyl. They will all be half speed mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road and housed in original packaging.

                  Released in 1983, Dazzle Ships is the band's third studio album which reached #5 in the UK chart and features singles 'Genetic Engineering' and 'Telegraph'.

                  [ + ]
                  [ - ]
                  Cover of Arcade Fire EP by Arcade Fire.

                  Arcade Fire

                  Arcade Fire EP

                  Sony Music

                  This is the original Arcade Fire demo EP recorded in August 2003 in a barn in Maine, and featuring an earlier line up of the band (Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Dane Mills, Brendan Reed and Myles Broscoe). It was produced by Richard Reed Parry, Win and Régine, and was originally only available at shows.

                  The EP features an early version of fan favourite “No Cars Go”.

                  [ + ]
                  [ - ]
                  Cover of Free Ride by Causa Sui.

                  Causa Sui

                  Free Ride

                  El Paraiso

                  Finally back in print on CD and vinyl after being sold out for more than a decade! The original single-LP version, released in 2007 on Elektrohasch, has been selling for ridiculous prices on Discogs and eBay. Even the CDs are much sought after collectors items almost impossible to find - until now. For the first time out on glorious double vinyl with a 20 minute bonus track recorded live at the Roadburn Festival in 2007. Remastered by Jonas Munk.

                  Imagine a tidal wave sweeping up from the 1960s through the 1970s; then cresting in the 1990s before finally crashing on a present shore – that's what Causa Sui's ”Free Ride” sounds like. This is the 'heavy psych' LP of the Causa Sui catalogue – one out of only two albums they recorded with a lead singer, this is most direct-sounding collection of tracks the band has done to date. You'll find the sonic experimentation and curious song structures that also defines later Causa Sui records (just listen to those echo-treated flutes in ”Passing Breeze”), but what really ties this record together is an unashamed appreciation of the Grande Rock of the previous four decades. One can literally feel how the young lads has been absorbing endless amounts of Blue Cheer, Zeppelin, Mudhoney, Sabbath and Kyuss before cooking up these seven tracks. There's no shortage of killer riffs and Bonham-esque grooves.

                  The culmination is the epic breathtaking acid-rock finale that takes up the ENTIRE second platter: the 15-minute ”Newborn Road” and the 20-minute extended live version of the band's signature track ”El Paraiso” - captured in front of a mesmerized crowd at Roadburn on the very day Free Ride was released. It's impossible not feel swept away by the Hendrixian glory of these two cuts, as they fly from tranquil noodlings to the most thunderous peaks. This is the kind of album where you drop the needle and ride it all the way to the end, as if overwhelmed by an awesome natural force.

                  FORMAT INFORMATION

                  2xLP includes MP3 Download Code.

                  [ + ]
                  [ - ]
                  Cover of Bad Debt - Deluxe Remastered Reissue by Hiss Golden Messenger.

                  Hiss Golden Messenger

                  Bad Debt - Deluxe Remastered Reissue

                  Merge

                    Taylor recorded this spiritually devastating, austere antecedent to the widely celebrated Hiss Golden Messenger albums Haw (2013) and Poor Moon (2011) direct to a portable cassette recorder at the kitchen table of his pine-entwined home in rural Piedmont North Carolina in 2010. It was the dead of winter and the pit of the financial crisis, a moment when the dire ramifications of debt—in its economic, political, and personal senses—had assumed a rank immediacy and terror for many working people around the world, not least of all in the American South.

                    Taylor, his one-year old boy Elijah sleeping in the next room, was compelled to chart the sacred valences of debt, doubt, and family in fresh ways, in the process stripping bare and reinventing his songwriting idiom. In his own words: Bad Debt comes from ten dense acres of oak, cedar, and apple trees in Pittsboro, North Carolina, directly south of the Haw River. The house where it was made was built in the early 1970s by a hippie cohort that settled along Brooks Branch; though this may sound like some kind of brag, I offer this to explain just how cold it was during the fall and winter when this record was conceived. Most hippies— except for the most famous one, of course, and probably a few others—are shit carpenters. The record is about my God: that is, whether I have one, and whether there is a place for me in this world. I don’t go to church, and I am not saved. I can party too. I can do a saxophone now and again, bang the drum. Bad Debt was my revelation, and there are many for whom I’ll never make a record better than this one. Ruminating on the riddle of faith, a firstborn son, and thorny existential questions large and small, the album laid the lyrical and compositional foundations for HGM’s critically acclaimed releases to come.

                    Half of these domestic devotional songs appear elsewhere in the HGM discography in radically reinvented arrangements and permutations—Taylor’s writing practice revealed itself following Bad Debt as essentially iterative, the deliberate enunciation and re-articulation of koans—but they exist here in germinal, psalmic purity and economy, as unadorned and plain and perfectly ragged as the cedar floorboards in that Brooks Branch cabin. Bad Debt remastered by Chris Boerner at Kitchen Mastering. Artwork reimagined by Sam Smith (Lateness of Dancers). 

                    [ + ]
                    [ - ]
                    Cover of Haw - Deluxe Remastered Reissue by Hiss Golden Messenger.

                    Hiss Golden Messenger

                    Haw - Deluxe Remastered Reissue

                    Merge Records

                      Haw is the name of a river, a modest tributary of the Cape Fear, flowing rocky and swift through 110 miles of Piedmont North Carolina, wending Southeasterly past abandoned and repurposed textile mills, rickety hippie homesteads, and red-clay farmland fringed with pine forests. Haw is also one of a few names for a small Siouan tribe that once resided in the river’s valley and may have alternately known themselves as the Saxapahaw or Sissipahaw. M.C. Taylor, who wrote these songs, once lived hard by the Haw with his wife Abigail and their son Elijah, but he doesn’t live there anymore. Having followed the slipstream to the relative bustle of nearby Durham, North Carolina, he has composed a new clutch of tunes that conjure the half-remembered dreams of peace promised by our pasts.

                      Taylor’s writing and singing here achieve a tenebrous clarity, invoking— and occasionally challenging—a intermingling cast of prophetic characters both sacred and profane: Daniel, Elijah, the Apostles, and the Son of Man, sure, but also the Peacock Fiddle Band, Mississippi John Hurt, and by implication, Lew Welch, Waylon Jennings, Michael Hurley, and our friend Jefferson Currie II. Say whatever prayer you want: to Jehovah or Yahowah, or Red Rose Nantahala. More than ever before, the supporting players of Hiss Golden Messenger feature as tellers of the tale. Each episode earns a meticulously turned ensemble statement. 

                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                      LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                      [ + ]
                      [ - ]
                      Cover of Poor Moon - Deluxe Remastered Reissue by Hiss Golden Messenger.

                      Hiss Golden Messenger

                      Poor Moon - Deluxe Remastered Reissue

                      Merge Records

                        Composed and arranged by Head Messenger M.C. Taylor at his home in the rural Piedmont mill town of Pittsboro and recorded with longtime collaborator Scott Hirsch in New York, California and North Carolina, Poor Moon offers a moving culmination of the spiritually-charged song cycle commenced on the critically acclaimed album Bad Debt. Treading a red-clay road between Bad Debt and Country Hai East Cotton in sound and sentiment, it is the first fully electric ensemble recording since the highly limited Hiss Golden Messenger live release Root Work in 2010.

                        Featuring contributions from Terry Lonergan, Nathan Bowles (Black Twig Pickers; Pelt), Hans Chew (D. Charles Speer & the Helix), Matt Cunitz (Brightblack Morning Light), Tom Heyman (The Court & Spark), and others, Poor Moon represents both an elaboration and inversion of previous Hiss Golden Messenger efforts, proposing an America at perpetual sundown, wracked by devotion, wrecked by celebration. Named in homage to the Canned Heat track penned by the immortal Blind Owl, Poor Moon conjures the unsteady experience of soul at home in the wild, and it stands as a captivating document of Southern songcraft. Poor Moon remastered by Chris Boerner at Kitchen Mastering. Artwork reimagined by Sam Smith (Lateness of Dancers). 

                        FORMAT INFORMATION

                        LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                        [ + ]
                        [ - ]
                        Cover of At Studio One by Sugar Minott.

                        Sugar Minott

                        At Studio One

                        Soul Jazz

                        Long out of print re-release of this classic Sugar Minott album on Soul Jazz Records, bringing together the best of his classic material recorded at Studio One in the 1970s. Lincoln Sugar Minott was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1956. He grew up in a poor area of West Kingston and from an early age developed a love of reggae music and the music of Studio One in particular. As a teenager, he became selector for Sound of Silence Keystone and Gathering of Youth local soundsystems. By the late 1970s Minott had risen to become one of the biggest stars in Jamaican music.

                        Sugar Minott began his career at Studio One. After auditioning in front of Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd in the early 1970s, he became the first artist to record new songs over classic rhythms, singing over original Studio One tapes - the significance of which led directly to the birth of dancehall, as Channel One, Joe Gibbs and hundreds of other Jamaican producers quickly began releasing their own material based on these same classic Studio One rhythms replayed by Sly and Robbie, The Aggrovators, Soul Syndicate, Roots Radics and many others.

                        'I knew Studio One spiritually before I knew Studio One physically. You know I grew up beside a dancehall and Sir Coxsone’s sound used to play there from when I was a boy. So from that influence you know I used to love Studio One sound so much, I became a sound selector. So that was my first involvement with getting to know Studio One music like The Heptones, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, the whole works and that was my life from a youth.'

                        After Sugar Minott’s debut many other artists followed suit at the label such as Freddie McGregor, Johnny Osbourne, Lone Ranger and Michigan & Smiley leading to one of the most creative periods for the label. This is the first retrospective of Sugar Minott at the label and most of these recordings have never been widely available outside Jamaica. Sugar Minott went on to a huge career in reggae and is today one of the biggest stars in Jamaican music. He set up his own Black Roots / Youth Promotions label releasing music by Barry Brown, Michael Palmer, Tenor Saw, Barrington Levy, Horace Andy, Garnett Silk, Junior Delgado, Yami Bolo, Junior Reid and many more.

                        Sugar Minott went on to work for numerous Jamaican producers. His "Good Thing Going", produced by Donovan Germain, became a Number One hit in the UK and led to the rise of Lovers Rock. This album includes classic cuts as well as super-rare singles, all of which have been digitally re-mastered for this release.


                        [ + ]
                        [ - ]
                        Cover of Recordings 1969-1988 (2018 Remaster) by Ursula Bogner.

                        Ursula Bogner

                        Recordings 1969-1988 (2018 Remaster)

                        Faitiche

                        Faitiche is ten years old. October 2008 saw the release of Ursula Bogner - Recordings 1969-1988, for which the label was created. While working as a scientist in the pharmaceuticals sector, Ursula Bogner experimented with electronic music, undiscovered, for over three decades. When Jan Jelinek first heard Bogner’s work in 2008, he was enthusiastic. The resulting album, compiled by Jelinek from Bogner’s extensive oeuvre, is being reissued in a remastered version (LP/digital) to mark the label’s tenth anniversary. The new version also includes four bonus tracks that were previously only available on a vinyl 7" single.

                        FORMAT INFORMATION

                        Ltd LP Info: Limited edition, remastered, gatefold vinyl with four bonus tracks and download code to Mark Faitiche's 10th anniversary.

                        [ + ]
                        [ - ]
                        Cover of Point Of View by Marti Caine.

                        Marti Caine

                        Point Of View

                        Be With Records


                        Marti Caine's infamous Point Of View is a groovy blend of slow-mo funk, dark disco and precise pop. Originally released on BBC Records in 1981, it has attracted a considerable cult following this century. The odd charity shop score aside, it has been impossible to find a copy for less than eye-watering sums (often selling for over £200) and, as such, it's an honour to present the first officially licensed vinyl reissue of this sublime record. Featuring expert liner notes written by Bill Brewster - perhaps the record's most notable champion - this lovingly curated release is limited to just 500 copies.

                        Marti Caine was a popular UK TV entertainer in the late 1970s onwards and Point Of View presented her with an opportunity to proceed in a hip direction by working with British R&B heavyweight Barry Blue. His legendary reputation was secured with a string of great records, among them the first three Heatwave albums, the Balearic hit "Afro Dizzi Act" by Cry Cisco and the cult smash "Breakin' In" by Javaroo. However, despite the array of talent working on the album, Point Of View sank without trace at the time. It's something that Blue attributes to the bizarre way BBC Records worked, and he entertainingly expands upon this within the liner notes.

                        Musically, the highlights are many and memorable. Its most notorious track is the sublime soul stepper "Love The Way You Love Me", the reason most people covet this album so profoundly. However, from the dark dubby disco of "Snowbird City" to the moody ballad "Love Is Running Through Me", the lesser heralded tracks are nothing short of exquisite. Indeed, the chugging elegance of sleazy disco opener "Can I Speak To The World Please?" showcases a string-drenched strutting-funk that would've been enviable the world over. It's that good.

                        The outlandish artwork - presenting a striking, green-eyed Marti treating a tiger to a headlock - has been faithfully restored and is arguably worth the price of admission alone. With access to the original tape transfers, Simon Francis' sensitive mastering elevates the sound throughout and, as ever, it has been pressed at a reassuringly weighty 180g. Sadly, Marti died of lymphatic cancer at the tragically early age of 50 in 1995, so is not here to experience what we hope will be a long overdue reappraisal of the hitherto underheard genius of Marti Caine, the singer.

                        STAFF COMMENTS

                        Millie says: Marti Caine slaying it with this groovy disco and funk-filled reissue of Point of View. Featuring the legendary track ‘Love The Way You Love Me’ which is an anthem in itself. This Be With release is super limited so don’t hesitate.

                        [ + ]
                        [ - ]
                        Cover of The Age Of Consent - 35th Anniversary Edition by Bronski Beat.

                        Bronski Beat

                        The Age Of Consent - 35th Anniversary Edition

                        London Recordings

                        This era defining, pop classic includes debut single ‘Small Town Boy’, a huge global hit, which continues to resonate with today’s LGBT+ generation and remains a dance-floor staple. To celebrate the 35 year anniversary of Bronski Beat forming ‘The Age Of Consent’ has been remastered and expanded. 

                        STAFF COMMENTS

                        Patrick says: Undeniable pop powerhouse Bronski Beat operated where high emotion met Hi-NRG, and "The Age Of Consent" remains an essential piece of 80s pop / poppers history. I'm off to enjoy a Smalltown Boy moment...

                        FORMAT INFORMATION

                        Coloured LP Info: Limited edition pink vinyl in gatefold sleeve including new sleeve notes from Jimmy Somerville, Mike Thorne and Paul Flynn. Package also includes 2 x CD of album and 20 bonus tracks (previously unreleased).

                        [ + ]
                        [ - ]
                        Cover of Grinderman - Coloured Vinyl Reissue by Grinderman.

                        Grinderman

                        Grinderman - Coloured Vinyl Reissue

                        BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd.

                          Grinderman was formed as the side project of Nick Cave and members of The Bad Seeds (Warren, Ellis, Martyn P. Casey and Jim Sclavunos). This, their seminal, self-titled debut album was originally released on CD and LP in 2007 and revisited the rudimentary, powerful sound of Cave’s former band, The Birthday Party, with the lyrical and musical content differing from his work with The Bad Seeds as he explored alternative ways of working. The songs were written on guitar (an instrument Cave rarely plays), giving them an urgency and raw feel that drew acclaim from critics and fans alike. The album (which hasn’t been available on vinyl since its original 2007 release) is re-issued here with a limited run of green vinyl in a gatefold sleeve and includes the singles ‘No Pussy Blues’ and ‘Get It On’.

                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                          Coloured LP Info: Green vinyl (limited to 750 in the UK).

                          [ + ]
                          [ - ]
                          Cover of In The Flat Field by Bauhaus.

                          Bauhaus

                          In The Flat Field

                          4AD

                            Late 2018 will mark the 40th anniversary of Bauhaus. To celebrate, Beggars Arkive is reissuing six records from the band’s catalogue on limited edition coloured vinyl.

                            Formed in 1978, The legendary and hugely influential quartet hailed from Northampton, England and is comprised of Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins. The dark, dramatic music that they made, possessed far more force, variety and playfulness than the "founding fathers of goth" tag that is always attached to them.

                            Bauhaus' landmark debut album, In the Flat Field, came out towards the end of 4AD's first eventful year. Following the plan at the time, the band then "moved upstairs" to Beggars Banquet, for whom they cut three further albums before dissolving in 1983. They charted with their cover of David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust”, they’ve been and namechecked by everyone from Nine Inch Nails, Sepultura, Janes Addiction, MGMT, Interpol, Bjork, Nirvana and more. They remain a huge cult concern, periodically reforming to wow their legions of dedicated followers.

                            In The Flat Field is the band’s debut studio album, released by 4AD and considered to be one of the very first “goth” albums.

                            This was mastered from HD audio files transferred from the original tapes.

                            “this record’s influence on the impending goth scene cannot be underestimated or denied” – Drowned In Sound

                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                            Coloured LP Info: Bronze coloured vinyl.

                            [ + ]
                            [ - ]
                            Cover of Mask by Bauhaus.

                            Bauhaus

                            Mask

                            Beggars Banquet

                              Late 2018 will mark the 40th anniversary of Bauhaus. To celebrate, Beggars Arkive is reissuing six records from the band’s catalogue on limited edition coloured vinyl.

                              Formed in 1978, The legendary and hugely influential quartet hailed from Northampton, England and is comprised of Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins. The dark, dramatic music that they made, possessed far more force, variety and playfulness than the "founding fathers of goth" tag that is always attached to them.

                              Bauhaus' landmark debut album, In the Flat Field, came out towards the end of 4AD's first eventful year. Following the plan at the time, the band then "moved upstairs" to Beggars Banquet, for whom they cut three further albums before dissolving in 1983. They charted with their cover of David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust”, they’ve been and namechecked by everyone from Nine Inch Nails, Sepultura, Janes Addiction, MGMT, Interpol, Bjork, Nirvana and more. 

                              Mask is the band’s second album, and was released by Beggars Banquet in 1981. This album is mastered from HD audio files transferred from the original tapes

                              “their second album and masterpiece…..a record that stretched out their aural madness in every direction possible with pure noise and the space of dub clashing against each other.” – Louder Than War

                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                              Coloured LP Info: Yellow coloured vinyl.

                              [ + ]
                              [ - ]
                              Cover of Just A Simple Soul by Bert Jansch.

                              Bert Jansch

                              Just A Simple Soul

                              Sanctuary Records

                                • The first comprehensive Best Of collection spanning Jansch’s 5-decade-long career, compiled by Bernard Butler and the Bert Jansch estate

                                • Presented chronologically, the collection begins by drawing from his prolific 1960s period, during which he released six albums between 1965 and 1969

                                • This collection plucks tracks including the seminal song ‘Needle of Death’ (famously covered by Neil Young) and the achingly beautiful ‘Angie’

                                • Includes the track ‘Black Water Side’, the foundations of which were taken by Led Zeppelin for their later release ‘Black Mountain Side’

                                • Just A Simple Soul reminds us of Bert Jansch’s enduring legacy and his influence across the musical spectrum. As Bernard Butler eloquently puts it; “Bert lived and breathed the sound of the guitar and its endless possibilities for communication, storytelling, conversation, emotional dialogue. We have a life’s work here, and what a life Bert Jansch has given us.”

                                “But as for acoustic guitar, Bert Jansch is on the same level as Jimi [Hendrix]. That first record of his is epic.” – Neil Young.


                                [ + ]
                                [ - ]
                                Cover of Tim Maia - Reissue by Tim Maia.

                                Tim Maia

                                Tim Maia - Reissue

                                Mr Bongo

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

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

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

                                [ + ]
                                [ - ]
                                Cover of Cubist Blues by Alan Vega, Alex Chilton, Ben Vaughn.

                                Alan Vega, Alex Chilton, Ben Vaughn

                                Cubist Blues

                                Light In The Attic

                                'Cubist Blues' is considered as one of the best recordings Alan Vega ever did. The combination of 3 great talents, Alan, Alex Chilton and Ben Vaughn, who decided to spend 2 nights in a recording studio and just follow their instincts, their inspiration, and combine the experience they acquired during their impressive careers gives a surprising and amazing result.

                                * New liner notes interviewing Alan Vega & Ben Vaughn
                                * Remastered from original tapes
                                * 2xLP housed in a deluxe gatefold Stoughton tip-on jacket
                                * LP includes download card for full album
                                * CD includes download card for live show at Trans Musicales, France, Dec. 7th, 1996

                                The unlikely union of Suicide's Alan Vega, Big Star's Alex Chilton, and singer-songwriter Ben Vaughn happened in December 1994 in a fog of cigarette smoke at two barely-lit, all-night improv sessions at Dessau Studios in New York. What transpired was the group's only release, a brilliant album called Cubist Blues.

                                Some kind of alchemy happened. The elements are disparate–Vega, known for Suicide's grinding, pre-industrial drone, Chilton for his ultra-melodic FM rock, and Vaughn for his outsider art. Put together, what came out was something totally unexpected, a long, mesmeric incantation built on Elvis-meets-Ian Curtis vocals, rockabilly guitar, growling synths, and metronomic drums.

                                A jam session at heart–albeit a very productive one–the songs took shape as they were recorded. "I showed up with lyrics for one song and figured we would see what happened," says Vega, recalling the first night in the brand new liner notes. "Little did I know, we would record for hours and hours. By the last song, my brain was burning up. I literally felt myself on fire. I was depleted. Yet, we could have gone on and on."

                                So-called supergroups get a bad rap for not equaling the sum of their parts. Vega, Chilton, and Vaughn add up to something from a place beyond any of them. Originally released by Henry Rollins on his 2.13.61 label via Thirsty Ear, the album failed to find any sort of audience–remarkable, considering its players, but reflective of the lull following Kurt Cobain's death and the collapse of the all-conquering grunge sound. The group played two live shows and then promptly went their separate ways. "At the time, I didn't fully realize how unique the Cubist Blues experience was," says Ben Vaughn now. "Looking back, it was magic to work with those guys."

                                Timeless, groundbreaking in sound even now, this is a chance to hear a woefully overlooked album that–had it not been so–might have re-shaped the next decade of music. 

                                [ + ]
                                [ - ]
                                Cover of Wonderland - 180 Gram Vinyl Reissue by The Charlatans.

                                The Charlatans

                                Wonderland - 180 Gram Vinyl Reissue

                                UMC

                                  Not since it first appeared on vinyl in 2001 has The Charlatans’ 7th studio album ‘Wonderland’ been readily available, now almost after an 18 year absence ‘Wonderland’ has been re-pressed on 2 x 180g vinyl featuring original artwork and indie classics ‘Love Is The Key’ and ‘A Man Needs To Be Told’. With SoV download code.

                                  [ + ]
                                  [ - ]
                                  Cover of Up At The Lake - 180 Gram Vinyl Reissue by The Charlatans.

                                  The Charlatans

                                  Up At The Lake - 180 Gram Vinyl Reissue

                                  UMC

                                    Up At The Lake is the eighth studio album from Indie pioneers The Charlatans - which pretty much went under the radar upon its release in 2004 and is, still today, one of the more undiscovered and rewarding albums by The Charlatans.

                                    Pressed onto 180g vinyl for the first time since its original release and with the correct vinyl side splits of Side A 6-songs and Side B 6-songs (as confirmed by Tim Burgees himself) along with the original artwork and download code, makes this an essential purchase for any Charlatans fan.

                                    [ + ]
                                    [ - ]
                                    Cover of Love Power by Annette Brissett.

                                    Annette Brissett

                                    Love Power

                                    Wackies

                                    Originally out in 1983, Love Power is co-produced by Fabian Cooke (from Itopia) and Lloyd Bullwackie Barnes, with assistance from Prince Douglas. Cooke plays most of the instruments himself, with his drumming centre-stage, though Ras Menelik puts in a brilliant shift on congas, and backing vocals are by Sugar Minott and the Love Joys. Cooke’s own well-crafted compositions are joined by covers of Irene Cara and the Four Tops, infectiously bridging roots, lovers and synthy, soulful eighties boogie.

                                    Betrayed is solid-gold, signature Wackies. He’s My God is a tasty sip of low-slung, grooving gospel-reggae. Evoking Michael Jackson, the jamming album-closer Drums is top-notch disco-reggae, opportunely poised for revival.

                                    Terrific stuff, full of personality, charm and in-ting hybridity.


                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                    Martin says: What do I always say? If it's got Wackies name on it - just buy it! This lover's rock / disco-reggae flavoured offering is a bit different from his deep rooted dread but equally addictive!

                                    [ + ]
                                    [ - ]
                                    Cover of Give Me Your Love - Reissue by Sylvia Striplin.

                                    Sylvia Striplin

                                    Give Me Your Love - Reissue

                                    Expansion

                                    “Give Me Your Love” by Sylvia Striplin is an iconic album of the early 80s and was first released on Uno Melodic Records, a label belonging to jazz and soul legend Roy Ayers. Sylvia previously sang with Aquarian Dream as lead on “You’re A Star” before joining Roy as a member of the group Eighties Ladies. “Give Me Your Love” is soul, disco, boogie and ‘rare groove’ all in one. This is an album of timeless gems which on both LP and CD has exchanged hands for hundreds of UK Pounds in both original and reissue formats. These are signature tracks from a golden era of music.

                                    [ + ]
                                    [ - ]
                                    Cover of Dead Bees On A Cake by David Sylvian.

                                    David Sylvian

                                    Dead Bees On A Cake

                                    UMC/Virgin EMI

                                      Following on from the phenomenal success of the RSD 2018 white vinyl edition of David Sylvian's album from 1999, we now present the album on 180gram black vinyl for the first time. Now expanded with the addition of four non-album tracks, "The Scent of Magnolia", "Albuquerque (Dobro #6)", "Cover Me With Flowers" and "Aparna and Nimisha ( Dobro #5)".

                                      The artwork differs from the RSD edition and features a photograph by David's ex-partner Ingrid, plus some rare photographs by Anton Corbijn. 

                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                      2xLtd LP Info: 180 gram black vinyl.

                                      [ + ]
                                      [ - ]
                                      Cover of The Great Destroyer (2018 Reissue) by Low.

                                      Low

                                      The Great Destroyer (2018 Reissue)

                                      Rough Trade

                                      “From the ominous, post-punkish pulse and clang of opener ‘Monkey’, to the decidedly punky frustration of ‘Everybody’s Song’ and the unapologetic riffing of ‘California’, ‘The Great Destroyer’ pushes the band's sound on to thrilling new vistas” - The Guardian

                                      Formed in 1993, Low are a trio from Duluth, Minnesota comprised of guitarist/vocalist Alan Sparhawk, percussionist/vocalist Mimi Parker and bassist Zak Sally.

                                      Initially garnering attention as leaders of the ‘90s slowcore movement, Low went on to develop a sonic repertoire that incorporated pop, R&B and dissonant rock ‘n’ roll. With this kind of storied history, most people thought they had Low pegged. But then they turned in ‘The Great Destroyer’.

                                      The band’s seventh full-length album, ‘The Great Destroyer’ is fascinating in that it blends the band’s austere melodies (‘On the Edge Of’, ‘Silver Rider’) with an aggressive guitar onslaught (‘Monkey’, ‘Everybody’s Song’) and even melds Low’s varied styles together into a single song (‘When I Go Deaf’).

                                      Co-produced by Low and David Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev), ‘The Great Destroyer’ was a welcome surprise and, in the end, a rock ‘n’ roll revelation.

                                      [ + ]
                                      [ - ]
                                      Cover of Songs About Fucking by Big Black.

                                      Big Black

                                      Songs About Fucking

                                      Touch & Go

                                        Probably the best and definitely the most well known of Big Black albums. This incredible noise trio led by Steve Albini, released this ferocious album in 1987, but it still sounds intense and fantastic to this day. In a word, ESSENTIAL!!!

                                        [ + ]
                                        [ - ]
                                        Cover of Reminiscence by Motohiko Hamase.

                                        Motohiko Hamase

                                        Reminiscence

                                        Studio Mule

                                        Righteous expensive: Motohiko Hamase's 1986 album "Reminiscence" scores a decent prize at online vinyl selling platforms and it is worth every coin!

                                        It's a perfect 'refuge from nasty reality', as the glorious British 20jazzfunkgreats blog once said, and it comes from a man that knows his trade: bass play - an artisan on which he also already wrote many theoretical books in his more than four decades long career.

                                        In the 1970's Hamase was no stranger to Tokyo's vibrant jazz scene. Together with jazz pianist Tsuyoshi Yamamoto and jazz-rock guitar-ist Kazumi Watanabe he played in the Isao Suzuki Sextet and was part of their classic landmark jazz-funk album "Ako's Dream" from 1976.

                                        In the following years he also participated on records like Mikio Masuda's latin-funk-jazz gem "Moon Stone" or Japanese female jazz singer, actress, and essayist Minami Yasuda's last album "Moritato". In the early 1980's his work shifted from pure jazz to electronic and ambient spheres and he started to compose his own music around his deeply emotional bass play.

                                        From 1985 to 1993, Hamase released five solo albums. just recently Studio Mule dropped his first one, "Intaglio", in a new recording that sounds as stunning as the original release from 1986.

                                        Now the previously mentioned "Reminiscence", his second work for the celebrated defunct Japanese new age record label Shi Zen, follows in a fresh shape on Studio Mule.

                                        As the original, it features deeply touching moments of sheer pristine perfection and distributes Hamase's inner emotional landscape with a bewitching bass performance. a soothingly beauty of an album, that reflects Hamase's search for spaces of melancholy.

                                        A rhizome of soundscapes that capture, settle and sound elusive while simultaneously being awe-inspiring. As for "Intaglio", the 66-year old artist gathered again some befriended musicians, rented a studio, staged his gear and recorded most of the original "Reminiscence" material new, while keeping the moving musical story arc of the original album alive in a fresh wrapping.

                                        The result is a dazzling, blue mood seething, strongly hypnotic long-player, full of personality and hybrid ambient electronic jazz spheres that open doors to unheard sound universes and that perfectly work for all those stress-relieved souls that love the disclosure of the mind and seek for a 'refuge from nasty reality'.


                                        [ + ]
                                        [ - ]
                                        Cover of I Am Kurious Oranj by The Fall.

                                        The Fall

                                        I Am Kurious Oranj

                                        Beggars Banquet

                                          I Am Kurious Oranj is The Fall’s eleventh studio album. Released by Beggars Banquet 30 years ago, in 1988, it contains some of their most loved songs including “Cab It Up!”, “New Big Prinz” and “Jerusalem” which takes its lyrics from a poem by William Blake.

                                          The album was written as the soundtrack to an avant-garde ballet titled I Am Curious, Orange, produced by the experimental Michael Clark Company and performed in London with The Fall playing live. As it said in the original ballet program, replicated inside this reissue, “Mark E. Smith is a history buff and admirer of Michael Clark, and I Am Curious, Orange spawned the idea of a thematic delving into the foibles and little-known psyche of William of Orange.”

                                          According to Mark E. Smith in his book, Renegade, “We adapted the title from a Swedish porno film--I am Curious, Yellow. I was trying to make the point that we all share some kind of common knowledge that’s within ourselves; that comes out in all sorts of things. Some people call it a gene pool. It’s as if you already know subconsciously about historical incidents. You don’t have to have been taught it. It’s in-built. At the time I wanted to put this across, basically as a loose explanation of what was happening in Belfast: it’s in the head and bones and there’s nothing you can do about it. I was on a roll at the time. I’m rarely short of ideas, and I’m not into preserving them much, either. If it’s in your head and you’ve got the right people around you them there’s no better time to tell the story.”

                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                          Coloured LP Info: Orange coloured vinyl. Contains the replica of original programme of the ballet play performed at Sadler Wells Theatre.

                                          [ + ]
                                          [ - ]
                                          Cover of Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) - Coloured Vinyl Reissue by Wu-Tang Clan.

                                          Wu-Tang Clan

                                          Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) - Coloured Vinyl Reissue

                                          Columbia

                                          The classic debut from the Shaolin gang circa 1993 is one of the most important rap albums of all time, wrestling the initiative back from the West Coast gangsta crews and G-funk sound and taking hip hop to rawer, dirtier place altogether. The RZA's mix of kung fu movie samples and twisted soul loops gives a unique backing to the en masse duelling of Method Man, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Genius, Masta Killa et al. "Bring Back Da Ruckus" sets their stall out and things continue at a neck-breaking pace through the graceful "Can It All Be So Simple", the complexity of "Da Mystery Of Chessboxin'", threatening "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit", the scarily prescient "CREAM", Meth's evil signature theme, all the way through to "Protect Ya Neck" and "Tearz". Sheer brilliance.

                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                          Coloured LP Info: Yellow coloured LP Vinyl with download code insert.

                                          [ + ]
                                          [ - ]
                                          Cover of Back To Black (Half Speed Master - 10th Anniversary Edition) by Amy Winehouse.

                                          Amy Winehouse

                                          Back To Black (Half Speed Master - 10th Anniversary Edition)

                                          UMC

                                          Amy's sublime second LP is now permanently available as a Half Speed Master edition. The album was cut from high-resolution digital transfers from the best known analogue tapes by Abbey Road mastering engineer Miles Showell, one of the foremost practitioners of this artisan process in the world today. Only minimal sympathetic equalisation was applied to the transfers to keep everything as pure as possible. Also, as this is a vinyl-only release, Miles did not apply any digital limiting. This is added to almost all digital releases to make them appear to be loud and is responsible for the so-called “loudness war” and in almost every case is anything but natural and pure sounding.

                                          What we said 10 years ago: 

                                          Three years on from her debut "Frank" and all the acclaim she got back then, 2006 sees Amy Winehouse back at the centre of media attention with its follow up, and especially inspirational new single "Rehab" which kicks things off here too. Bracketed in with the nu-soul singers back then, Amy always had more of a jazz edge to her songs, and especially her voice which sounded like it should be coming from a 50-year-old black American singer, not a skinny white Londoner. With "Back To Black" she takes a trawl through the sound of 60s soul, girl group pop and the kind of laid back torch song crooning favoured by the mafioso of old, all given a totally modern twist by her smart confessional lyrics. This all comes backed by The Dap-Kings and features lush orchestration too, with production by Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi. ESSENTIAL!!! 

                                          This 2LP 10th anniversary vinyl set contains all the tracks from Deluxe Edition CD, the original album plus many of which appear on vinyl for the first time. 2LP in gatefold sleeve with two inner picture bags.

                                          [ + ]
                                          [ - ]
                                          Cover of Hosono House by Haruomi Hosono.

                                          Haruomi Hosono

                                          Hosono House

                                          Light In The Attic

                                          The unbelievably prolific Haruomi Hosono is one of the major architects of modern Japanese pop music. With his encyclopedic knowledge of music and boundless curiosity for new sounds, Hosono is the auteur of his own idiosyncratic musical world, putting his unmistakable stamp on hundreds of recordings as an artist, session player, songwriter and producer.

                                          Hosono House is debut solo album by Japanese musician Hosono, released on May 25, 1973. Besides Hosono, this album also features performances by the group "Caramel Mama" (featuring Hosono's fellow Happy End member Shigeru Suzuki). Hosono wanted to emulate The Band's Music from Big Pink and James Taylor's One Man Dog. With this album, recording equipment technology had evolved enough for domestic recordings of good quality to be feasible, and going to the center of the city to reach a recording studio was somewhat inconvenient. The album was recorded for five hours every afternoon in a 144 square foot large bedroom in Hosono's residence in Sayama, Japan (with a 16-track mixing console in his living room). The instruments were recorded unprocessed from the amplifiers in a small room, leading to the album's unique sound. Hosono continued to develop the tropical style of Hosono House in his following works, Tropical Dandy and Bon Voyage co..

                                          [ + ]
                                          [ - ]
                                          Cover of Fireside Favourites - Mute 4.0 (1978>Tomorrow) Edition by Fad Gadget.

                                          Fad Gadget

                                          Fireside Favourites - Mute 4.0 (1978>Tomorrow) Edition

                                          Mute

                                          Fifteen years and four stone ago I used to hang out at Manchester's Retro Bar, a cheap n cheerful scenester haunt with a proper sleazy basement. Amongst other attractions on offer there was a night called Barbed Wire Kisses run by the infamous Jake Barnes. An acolyte of the Dark Wired Sound, Jake introduced me to many a musical oddity, but none were as strange, terrifying and totally irresistible as Frank Tovey's Fad Gadget. The first signing to Mute, Tovey operated at the foremost fringe of the UK's DIY electronic movement, composing lust-songs for drum machine and synth from his 80s bedsit. Bursting onto the scene like an electronic Iggy Pop with a penchant for uncompromising performance art, Tovey spent the next two decades auto-asphyxiated by the microphone lead, covered in tar and feather while shaving his pubic hair - all on stage.
                                          Despite his best efforts to outweird anyone and everyone, these challenging antics did nothing to distract from the music, and a quick listen to the soundclips here should tell you exactly why. Wasting no time on the foreplay, "Fireside Favourites" dances from the skewed white funk of "Pedestrian" through the low slung growl of "State Of The Nation" to the unhinged electro pop of "Salt Late City Sunday". Then comes the unstoppable, unparallelled sleaze synth hit "Coitus Interruptus". Not only was this the first Fad Gadget track I ever heard, it has remained my favourite ever since, and a constant feature in my record box. The titular "Fireside Favourite" closes the side with a completely batshit and utterly hilarious pub-rock piss take. 
                                          I could keep going, maybe mention the serrated post punk of "Newsreel", the uncompromising techno of "Insecticide", medicated storytelling of "The Box" or cinematic scuzz of "Arch Of The Aorta", but ultimately, words will never do this justice. The finest moment in the Fad Gadget repetoire, and arguably the best synth pop record ever made, this is an essential item folks. Now available on orange vinyl.

                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                          Patrick says: I love my job. Today I got to listen to my favourite Fad Gadget record, from start to finish, at punishing volume. Bedsit synth's most uncompromising figure, Frank Tovey is a legend around my gaff, and his debut LP is also his best. Twisted, tongue in cheek lyricism set to infectious (and infected) synth grooves, "Fireside Favourite" balances the funk and punk spirit in the most visceral fashion.

                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                          Coloured LP Info: Limited edition of 500 on orange vinyl.

                                          [ + ]
                                          [ - ]
                                          Cover of The Beta Band by The Beta Band.

                                          The Beta Band

                                          The Beta Band

                                          Because Music

                                            Arguably one of the most acclaimed and loved bands of the past 20 years, by both fans and their musical peers alike, The Beta Band formed in St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1996. Innovative and singular, their unique musical and aesthetic approach to everything they did set them far apart from their musical contemporaries. Together for a relatively short period of time, the three albums and three EPs they released between 1996 and 2004 would nonetheless help define them as one of the most exciting and cherished bands of their generation.

                                            Released in 1999, the album “The Beta Band” followed the critically acclaimed compilation “The Three E.P.'s” (1998). With high anticipation for The Beta Band, the band originally planned to record the album in four separate continents, but financial constraints slimmed the recording locations down; however, the album was still recorded in a variety of locations and pulling inspiration from sources as diverse as Jamaican reggae, Disney's movie “The Black Hole” and Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart".

                                            The band also originally intended the album to contain a bonus disc of two long form ambient pieces, ‘Happiness and Colour’ and ‘The Hut’, both of which lasted over 20 minutes and represented the band's desire to "make a record of sound as a description for something like happiness, where a distinct first part gives way to a distinct second part”. However, the band and label ultimately decided to remove these tracks from the album prior to release.


                                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                                            3xDeluxe LP Info: Deluxe 3LP+2CD edition with double black vinyl album in gatefold sleeve with printed inner-sleeves and CD included, plus a single black vinyl bonus EP in single sleeve with 3mm spine, printed inner-sleeve and CD included. Both vinyl sleeves are hold together with an obi strip.

                                            2xLtd LP Info: 2LP+CD edition with two black vinyl in gatefold sleeve with printed inner-sleeves. CD included.

                                            2xCD Info: 2CD edition in 3-panel digisleeve with 24-page stapled booklet.

                                            [ + ]
                                            [ - ]
                                            Cover of Grace by Jeff Buckley.

                                            Jeff Buckley

                                            Grace

                                            Columbia

                                              Originally released in 1994, Jeff Buckley's solo debut "Grace" is now considered by many to be one of the best albums of the 90s. "Grace" displays a dazzling array of influences from an artist still developing his craft.

                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                              Coloured LP Info: Gold & purple coloured LP Vinyl.

                                              Coloured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                              [ + ]
                                              [ - ]
                                              Cover of Aha Shake Heartbreak - Coloured Vinyl Reissue by Kings Of Leon.

                                              Kings Of Leon

                                              Aha Shake Heartbreak - Coloured Vinyl Reissue

                                              Hand Me Down

                                              Produced by Ethan Johns and co-produced by Angelo, the twelve-song album is fast-paced. Lyrically shocking at times, the album appropriately reflects the last eighteen months of the guys' lives; over-indulgence, debauchery and general fast-living. But that's where the cliches end, because who else is marrying f**ck-off Southern blues / boogie with intelligent, niftilly-played, NYC new wave? No-one, and that's why this lot are so adored. They've got the spirit, the attitude, and now with this set of songs weighing in even stronger than last year's, they've really proved themselves musically. Where's the beards though?!

                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                              2xColoured LP Info: Double album, pressed on clear vinyl. Includes download code insert.

                                              [ + ]
                                              [ - ]
                                              Cover of The Graveyard & The Ballroom - Mute 4.0 (1978>Tomorrow) Edition by A Certain Ratio.

                                              A Certain Ratio

                                              The Graveyard & The Ballroom - Mute 4.0 (1978>Tomorrow) Edition

                                              Mute

                                                A Certain Ratio ‘The Graveyard & The Ballroom’: A Certain Ratio's debut release, ‘The Graveyard And The Ballroom’ originally came out on Factory Records in December 1979. Classic Pop call it an “astonishing opening salvo” and this new edition of the album is available on special edition orange vinyl with coloured PVC sleeve.

                                                [ + ]
                                                [ - ]
                                                Cover of Ssss - Mute 4.0 (1978>Tomorrow) Edition by VCMG.

                                                VCMG

                                                Ssss - Mute 4.0 (1978>Tomorrow) Edition

                                                Mute

                                                Ssss - Mute 4.0 (1978>Tomorrow) Edition

                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                Matt says: Almost fidget in parts and harking back to a time which I generally had no energy for. These stadium pleasing, wobbly electro-house bangers have actually got me fuckin' going for it in my chair at work today... when's the weekend?!?!

                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                2xColoured LP Info: Limited edition of 500 copies on orange vinyl.

                                                2xColoured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                [ + ]
                                                [ - ]
                                                Cover of Marquee Moon (Deluxe Audio) by Television.

                                                Television

                                                Marquee Moon (Deluxe Audio)

                                                Rhino

                                                  Television are pleased to announce ‘Marquee Moon (Deluxe Audio)’. The legendary band Television were part of the ’70s New York City underground rock scene, where they were among the first bands to play the punk rock and new wave venue CBGB. Richard Hell left the band in 1975 before the recording of Marquee Moon to be replaced by Fred Smith.

                                                  Marquee Moon was released to widespread critical acclaim in February 1977 and has since been viewed as one of the greatest albums of all time and continues to open eyes to the ways the Verlaine and Lloyd utilised electric guitar creatively within punk rock.

                                                  Marquee Moon 2LP deluxe vinyl will be released on 5th October on blue vinyl with the original album plus an additional LP of bonus tracks that featured on the 2003 remastered CD.

                                                  FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                  2xColoured LP Info: Limited edition double blue coloured vinyl.

                                                  [ + ]
                                                  [ - ]
                                                  Cover of Silent Alarm - Vinyl Repress by Bloc Party.

                                                  Bloc Party

                                                  Silent Alarm - Vinyl Repress

                                                  UMC

                                                    Repress of the original LP from Bloc Party's debut studio album. Originally released in 2005, it peaked at number 3 on the UK album chart. 'Silent Alarm' is being pressed onto 180g vinyl and comes complete with download code.

                                                    [ + ]
                                                    [ - ]
                                                    Cover of Imagine - The Ultimate Collection by John Lennon.

                                                    John Lennon

                                                    Imagine - The Ultimate Collection

                                                    UMC

                                                      John Lennon's second solo album was also his masterpiece. Produced by Phil Spector and with an apperarance by fellow ex-Beatle George, it has two world classics in the title track and "Jealous Guy" but that's only half the story. The whole LP is brilliant. Not one duffer. And the out-takes on this special edition show just what a glorious band Lennon had for the sessions. It;s a classic.

                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                      Andy says: John Lennon's timeless classic gets beautifully remastered with an extra LP providing a time capsule back to 1970/71 and the whole recording process. It;s incredible.

                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                      2xLP Info: 2LP 180 gram heavyweight black vinyl edition.

                                                      [ + ]
                                                      [ - ]
                                                      Cover of The Private Press - Vinyl Reissue by DJ Shadow.

                                                      DJ Shadow

                                                      The Private Press - Vinyl Reissue

                                                      UMC

                                                      Six years after his groundbreaking debut LP "Entroducing", Josh Davis (AKA DJ Shadow) came back with a follow up, "The Private Press". Containing everything you'd want from a DJ Shadow LP, the fifteen track LP zips through crazy B-boy breaks, audacious cut ups, sublime hip hop instrumentals, oddball samples, quirky downbeat and leftfield rock weirdness. It was released on June 4, 2002, by MCA Records to widespread acclaim from critics. This double LP reissue has been printed on 180gm heavyweight vinyl, in a triple gatefold package. It also comes complete with a download code.


                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                      2xLtd LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                      [ + ]
                                                      [ - ]
                                                      Cover of Maxinquaye - Vinyl Reissue by Tricky.

                                                      Tricky

                                                      Maxinquaye - Vinyl Reissue

                                                      UMC

                                                      Around the time Tricky emerged as a solo artist, independent of the Massive Attack collective, he was asked to describe his music. “If you want to dance to it, go ahead. If you want to sit in a darkened room and let it fill your head with strange thoughts, that’s fine too”.

                                                      ‘Trip Hop’, a term Tricky soon grew to despise, has become so omnipresent over the years, that it’s easy to forget how outside the mainstream it once was. Tricky’s 1995 debut 'Maxinquaye' is one of those albums that brought the music to the forefront, entering the UK charts at #2 on its release despite a shocking lack of airplay, and ending up topping many, many year-end lists.

                                                      But despite its being a harbinger of one of the most prevalent music styles of the 90s, it exists outside of trends and time and still stands as a powerhouse of musical innovation almost 20 years on. Featuring vocalists Martina Topley-Bird and Alison Goldfrapp.


                                                      [ + ]
                                                      [ - ]
                                                      Cover of Calling Out Of Context by Arthur Russell.

                                                      Arthur Russell

                                                      Calling Out Of Context

                                                      Rough Trade

                                                      The late Arthur Russell wrote and played disco non-anthems, solo pieces for cello and voice and tender pop in the late 70s through the 80s. He was a musician of eclectic training with a great ear for dance rhythms and heavy atonality. "Calling Out Of Context" is the record that Arthur Russell was working on for Rough Trade during the last 5 years of his life. It incorporates all the many facets of Arthur's distinctive and diverse music and as such, it was a fitting finale to an incredible legacy. Melodic, innovative and sonically unique, the tracks on this LP are a dreamlike testimony to the genius of NY's Downtown visionary. 

                                                      [ + ]
                                                      [ - ]
                                                      Cover of Revisited by Love.

                                                      Love

                                                      Revisited

                                                      Rhino

                                                        Love were an LA based psychedelic pop band led by the bonafide genius Arthur Lee. They occupy a place in pop culture similar to The Velvet Underground in that although they were nailed on brilliant and even released a record hitherto and still to this day regarded as one of the best albums ever made (Forever Changes) they never really got their due in their late 60's heyday.

                                                        Released in 1970, this compilation  contains 13 singles from the band’s albums that were released between 1966-1970. Only here wlll you find the first post- Forever Changes stand-alone, Your Mind And We Belong Together, which few people realise is an absolute classic, bizarrely overlooked. There's also two superb songs from the similarly undervalued Four Sail which followed in 1969.  


                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                        Andy says: The perfect introduction to one of the 60's greatest ever bands! Essential.

                                                        [ + ]
                                                        [ - ]
                                                        Cover of 4 Your Eyez Only by J Cole.

                                                        J Cole

                                                        4 Your Eyez Only

                                                        Dreamville

                                                        Platinum with no features - J Cole ladies and gentlemen. After the success of '2014 Forest Hills Drive', Cole did it again with the powerhouse "4 Your Eyez Only", a response to the endless cycle of police brutality and discrimination which has been on a steady increase over the past decade. One of the first responders to the murder of Michael Brown, Cole embarked on using his fame and position, something he's struggled with since "Friday Night Lights", to stand up against systematic oppression. Powerful and provocative, "4 Your Eyez Only" is a modern classic.

                                                        [ + ]
                                                        [ - ]
                                                        Cover of Les Stances A Sophie by Art Ensemble Of Chicago.

                                                        Art Ensemble Of Chicago

                                                        Les Stances A Sophie

                                                        Soul Jazz

                                                        As the legendary Art Ensemble Of Chicago celebrates its 50th anniversary, Soul Jazz Records release a new, fully re-mastered edition of the group’s seminal 1970 album ‘Les Stances à Sophie’, which features the great singer Fontella Bass on the opening track ‘Theme de Yoyo’, a stunning 9-min opus that continues to startle and compel new audiences today.

                                                        Drawing upon the mutual soul and funk background of Bass and her then husband Lester Bowie with all the power of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago’s collective musicianship on board, ‘Theme de Yoyo’ is powerfully funky, soulful and free at the same time, a classic fusion of black music styles.

                                                        The Art Ensemble explored many areas of popular black music during their career. For instance, their ‘Ancient to the Future: Tribute to the Masters’ album covered songs by artists such as James Brown, Fela Kuti and Jimi Hendrix. This however, remains a pinnacle moment in their exploration of black dance music.

                                                        The Art Ensemble Of Chicago are one of the most important and radical jazz groups to come out of the USA.

                                                        ‘Les Stances à Sophie’ was recorded in Paris in 1970 and features regular Art Ensemble members (Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell and Malachi Flavors) alongside newly recruited drummer Don Moye and guest Fontella Bass on vocals and piano.

                                                        Fontella Bass already had a successful career as a soul singer - ‘Rescue Me’ was her biggest hit in the Sixties. She and Lester Bowie first met in St Louis while working with legendary rhythm and blues producer Oliver Sain. Vocals (and lyrics), alongside a constant drum and bass beat, were new elements to the music of the Art Ensemble at this time.

                                                        Musicians such as Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane spearheaded the free jazz movement at the start of the 1960s. Far from simply defining a musical concept, they also began to redefine the concept of the African-American musician in society. A new period of self-respect and spirituality among musicians paralleled the Civil Rights Movement led by Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, encouraging self-determination and empowerment in every African-American musician.

                                                        The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) was formed in Chicago in 1965 by Muhal Richard Abrams with members including future Art Ensemble of Chicago members Bowie, Jarman, Mitchell and Flavors, as well as others including Anthony Braxton and Amina Claudine Myers. The AACM explored experimental music and began promoting concerts, teaching music and Black history and offering spiritual guidance to youngsters in the Chicago community.

                                                        Out of this The Art Ensemble was formed in 1968 and in June 1969 the group headed for France. ‘Les Stances á Sophie’ was originally released on EMI France in 1970 and later in the US on Nessa Records. Soul Jazz Records first released the album in 2000. Now ten years out of print, they are releasing it once more in this new fully re-mastered edition.

                                                        ‘Les Stances á Sophie’ came about when Israeli film director Moshe Misrahi befriended the group and asked them to record a soundtrack to a (then unmade) French New Wave film of the same name. During a two-year period in France the group recorded an astonishing amount of music - over fifteen albums recorded for various labels such as BYG, Freedom, Nessa, Arista and EMI - before returning to America in 1971 to continue their journey.

                                                        The Art Ensemble Of Chicago’s musical soundtrack remains perhaps the definitive release from this period, a stunning exploration of radical jazz music and, with with the rare addition of vocalist Fontella Bass on ‘Theme De Yoyo’, an unashamedly powerful celebration of Great Black Music.

                                                        [ + ]
                                                        [ - ]
                                                        Cover of Live At Freak Valley by Causa Sui.

                                                        Causa Sui

                                                        Live At Freak Valley

                                                        El Paraiso

                                                          The first official live album from Causa Sui, recorded in the early summer of 2013 at midnight, headlining the outdoor festival Freak Valley in Netphen, Germany. This full 90 minute Causa Sui set comes hot of the heels of last years acclaimed studio effort Euporie Tide, and is a condensed manifestation of the low-end heavy side of the band. This show presents the band in elemental quartet mode and features a wide palette of cuts from the entire catalog. From the band's signature cut ”El Paraiso” from their 2005 debut, through revamps of the more translucent Summer Sessions material, straight up to virgin jams, fresh from the rehearsal room.

                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                          2xColoured LP Info: One disc blue, one disc red vinyl..

                                                          [ + ]
                                                          [ - ]
                                                          Cover of Come On Pilgrim... It's Surfer Rosa by Pixies.

                                                          Pixies

                                                          Come On Pilgrim... It's Surfer Rosa

                                                          4AD

                                                          30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Pixies’ Debut EP and Album, Come On Pilgrim and Surfer Rosa, includes Bonus 1986 Radio Concert Live From The Fallout Shelter

                                                          “An unparalleled example of rule-smashing innovation in independent music.” Pitchfork

                                                          “Smack in between hardcore punk and alternative, their secret weapon was leaping from sweet to screaming, driving a spike into Eighties rock.” Rolling Stone

                                                          “Surfer Rosa quickly cemented itself as a must-have album (and) 30 years on, its aged into timelessness rather than becoming a period piece.” The Quietus

                                                          It’s been thirty years since the release of Surfer Rosa – a record made up of rage, religion, gore, incest and superheroes named Tony – a debut album so good that it’s since seen as a masterpiece. A year prior came Come On Pilgrim, an eight-track mini-album released in 1987 which contained cuts culled from their first ever studio session, where they famously recorded seventeen tracks in just three days (in full, this session makes up the band’s much bootlegged and now officially released The Purple Tape).

                                                          These formative records showed the Pixies to be an alien breed; four oddball outsiders from Boston blending US underground thrash rock, indie surf pop and Spanish-language flamenco with the Biblical mythology of Frances’s childhood. They would go on to record another masterpiece in 1989’s Doolittle but it’s the gruesome glory of Surfer Rosa, and the ruined sexuality of its cover image (a topless flamenco dancer in a crumbling Mexican bar) that set a fresh blueprint for an indie rock dynamism that not only planted the seeds of grunge (Kurt Cobain would admit that he was trying to imitate the record while writing Nevermind) but of much of the best rock music made since.

                                                          To celebrate this milestone, Pixies are playing fi ve sold-out intimate shows at London’s Roundhouse this October and preceding them is the release of Come On Pilgrim… It’s Surfer Rosa, the thirtieth anniversary edition which contains Come On Pilgrim, Surfer Rosa and Live From The Fallout Shelter, a concert-cum-session that first aired in late-1986 on WJUL in Lowell, MA.

                                                          In addition to both a three CD and three LP edition, there’s also a super-limited and stunning deluxe clothbound hardbook three LP version, which will be a must for all fans. Like all other Pixies sleeves, Vaughan Oliver returns as designer, stunningly reinterpreting his original artwork with Simon Larbalestier’s iconic photographs remaining these record’s crowning glory.

                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                          3xColoured LP Info: Wide Spine Cover, Gold Vinyl, Download Card of Live From The Fallout Shelter Included.

                                                          3xDeluxe LP Info: Clothbound Hardbook, Clear Vinyl, Lyric Booklet, Art Book & Download Card of Live From The Fallout Shelter
                                                          Included.

                                                          FREE SHIPPING This item has FREE UK shipping!

                                                          3xCD Info: Hardbook Wallet Case with Lyric Booklet.

                                                          [ + ]
                                                          [ - ]
                                                          Cover of Straight Ahead by Zenit.

                                                          Zenit

                                                          Straight Ahead

                                                          Edition Hawara

                                                          Zenit is a jazz ensemble from Krems in Lower Austria, founded in 1976 by Hannes Treiber and Willi Langer. Their music was celebrated locally, but to reduce them to their local fame would be a shame: After all, their first two LPs, "Stimmungswechsel" (Change of Moods) and "Früchte" (Fruits), quickly gained them a much wider audience of discerning listeners. Arguably, however, Zenit’s third and final LP "Straight Ahead" is the most special of their records. It initially came out in 1986 on the producer’s label Spray Records, and is today one of the hardest-to-find Austrian jazz records. Its centrepiece is the infectious slow-motion disco piece “Waiting,” with vocals by American jazz singer Linda Sharrock. Effortlessly bringing together pop, soul and new age vibes, this is a record that is as unique as it is difficult to date. Does it sound like from the 80s? We’re not sure. To our minds at least, it could also be from the future.

                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                          Patrick says: A reissue for the Balearic beards, deep diggers and YouTubers here, as the third album from Austria's Jazz fusion outfit Zenit gets a reissue. Loved by Harvey for the slo mo cool of climax "Waitin'", lusted after by a generation of diggers who met on the IF forum, and now known to pretty much anyone who uses Autoplay - this is straight up algo-rhythm!

                                                          [ + ]
                                                          [ - ]
                                                          Cover of East Plants by Takeo Moriyama.

                                                          Takeo Moriyama

                                                          East Plants

                                                          BBE

                                                          BBE bring us the next instalment in their J Jazz Masterclass Series: ‘East Plants’ by Takeo Moriyama, one of Japan’s finest jazz drummers. A genuine ‘under the radar’ album known only to a handful of Japanese jazz collectors, ‘East Plants’ is now available once more, reissued for the first time as a double 180g LP, with exact reproductions of the original artwork, obi strip and insert. It also comes with the original notes fully translated. ‘

                                                          Originally released in 1983 on the Japanese VAP label, ‘East Plants’ is an essential album in the J Jazz canon. It’s an album that distils several key characteristics of Moriyama’s music: clearly articulated and inventive rhythms, open yet orderly arrangements, and an accessible groove balanced with a graceful control.

                                                          ‘East Plants’ features no piano, just percussion, bass and reeds. From the luxurious raga-like build of the album’s hypnotic title track and the fierce post-bop workout of ‘Fields’, to the stately modal track ‘Kaze’ ( as featured on the sell-out BBE compilation, ‘J Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz From Japan 1968-1984’), the album was, until now, a rarely acknowledged masterpiece. ‘East Plants’ shows Moriyama’s quintet at their most transcendent: delicate layers of percussion by Yoji Sadanari, a warm and pliant bass from Hideki Mochizuki, with colour and texture provided by the eloquent reed work of Shuichi Enomoto and Toshiko Inoue. And, overseeing it all, Moriyama’s discreet yet commanding drumming.

                                                          The BBE J Jazz Masterclass Series is curated by Tony Higgins and Mike Peden and is dedicated to presenting the very finest in Japanese jazz. The series will feature rare, long-lost and unreleased material presented in the highest quality reproductions of the original releases, fully licensed and authorised.


                                                          [ + ]
                                                          [ - ]
                                                          Cover of Floral Shoppe by Macintosh Plus.

                                                          Macintosh Plus

                                                          Floral Shoppe

                                                          Olde English Spelling Bee

                                                          **ALERT!!!! - MASSIVE CULT VAPOURWAVE OG SMASHER BACK IN STOCK FOR THE FIRST TIME...like... EVERRRR!!!**

                                                          Yes, it's THIS release motherfuckerrrs, the cassette that goes for £1K, the year-long controversy that was Olde English Spelling Bee's bandcamp kerfuffle and the record that propelled the vapourwave movement into the mainstream.

                                                          Macintosh Plus' "Floral Shoppe" is one of the most truly enigmatic releases to have ever graced my time in the shop (the last 11 years then...) and elevates it beyond the music industry and into the art world - something very few artists have managed to achieve (Bowie? Talking Heads?). For a short time at least, this masterpiece is now available for all...

                                                          Do not delay! Remember the aaaesthetic!


                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                          Matt says: I know I'm putting my neck on the line comparing this to Bowie and Byrne; but the sheer buzz and culture shock this created when it came about was monumental. It suddenly shone a new light on a whole global family of producers, often in the mid teens and using a whole array of hacked music programs and Windows95 idents to create a highly concise and well thought out sonic environment. It fuckin' blew my mind!

                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                          Ltd LP Info: White vinyl and poster.

                                                          [ + ]
                                                          [ - ]
                                                          Cover of Different Voices For You. Different Colours For Me. Demos 1980 by Robert Rental.

                                                          Robert Rental

                                                          Different Voices For You. Different Colours For Me. Demos 1980

                                                          Optimo Music

                                                          On an unassuming cassette, just labelled ‘Robert Rental’ in green Dymo tape, these demos have lain unheard for years amongst his family’s treasured possessions, cared-for artefacts of a life cut short far too soon.

                                                          These songs, which Robert recorded in his council flat in Battersea in 1980, provide an enticing glimpse into his all-too-infrequent solo work. On most occasions, Robert worked with Thomas Leer, Daniel Miller or other collaborators. These are rough recordings, tape hiss still in evidence, but his creativity shines through the murk, like uncut diamonds.

                                                          With these recordings Robert appears to be moving towards more recognisable song structures than most of his earlier work, which could be wildly experimental and would often involve found recordings taped directly off television.

                                                          We know 2 of these tracks from their later re-recording for the Mute Records single ‘Double Heart’ late in 1980. Robert spoke to friends of his frustration at being unable to replicate his sound in a commercial studio – it was these demos’ sound that he wanted to recreate. Sometimes having only access to the most rudimentary of equipment can hone the creative talent into something sharper and more focused – necessity is the mother of invention, indeed.

                                                          Simon Dell, 2018.

                                                          I am humbled and ecstatic to be entrusted with this music and able to aid getting these songs out into the world. I have now listened to them countless times and feel they are so, so much more than just an interesting archival release, but rather a small, fully formed body of wondrous songs that deserve to be heard and enjoyed by as many people as possible. In this current era where so much music is so completely focused on the production, with the result that often the soul is sucked out of it, it’s a pleasant shock to discover that a forgotten tape from nearly 40 years ago can be the freshest and most refreshing sounding thing ever.


                                                          [ + ]
                                                          [ - ]
                                                          Cover of Switched On by Stereolab.

                                                          Stereolab

                                                          Switched On

                                                          Duophonic

                                                            Remastered edition of a compilation of Stereolab’s first three singles, first issued in 1992.

                                                            Although Switched On is much more guitar driven than some of their later releases, it still employs the same Krautrock grooves and bubbling analogue synths, and of course Laetitia Sadier’s cooler than cool vocals are ever present.

                                                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                            Coloured LP Info: Limited clear vinyl.

                                                            Coloured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                            [ + ]
                                                            [ - ]
                                                            Cover of Refried Ectoplasm (Switched On Vol. 2) by Stereolab.

                                                            Stereolab

                                                            Refried Ectoplasm (Switched On Vol. 2)

                                                            Duophonic

                                                              Remastered edition of a compilation of Stereolab singles and rarities, first issued in 1995.

                                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                              2xColoured LP Info: Limited clear vinyl.

                                                              2xColoured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                              [ + ]
                                                              [ - ]
                                                              Cover of Aluminium Tunes (Switched On Vol. 3) by Stereolab.

                                                              Stereolab

                                                              Aluminium Tunes (Switched On Vol. 3)

                                                              Duophonic

                                                                Remastered edition of a compilation of Stereolab singles and rarities, first issued in 1998.

                                                                25 tracks including the music from the New York Sculpture Exhibition "Music For The Amorphous Body Study Center", along with various other hard to find tracks.

                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                3xColoured LP Info: Limited clear vinyl.

                                                                3xColoured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                [ + ]
                                                                [ - ]
                                                                Cover of Joe Strummer 001 by Joe Strummer.

                                                                Joe Strummer

                                                                Joe Strummer 001

                                                                Ignition Records

                                                                  Punk pioneer, singer, songwriter, recording artist, activist, musical and political inspiration for a generation and mighty diamond Joe Strummer was the most charismatic and passionate frontman to emerge from the punk explosion of the late seventies.

                                                                  After Joe’s untimely death in December 2002 it was discovered that Joe had been quite an archivist of his own work, having barns full of writings and tapes stored in his back garden. There are now over 20,000 items in the Joe Strummer Archive. The archiving of this material and compiling of ‘Joe Strummer 001’ was overseen by Joe’s widow Luce and Robert Gordon McHarg III.

                                                                  All tracks were restored and mastered by Grammy Award winner Peter J. Moore at the E. Room in Toronto Canada. On-going through cassettes and recording tapes it was discovered that Joe was rather frugal and keen on hiding tracks. On cassettes he would leave 20 minutes between songs. On the 1” 8 track recordings it was discovered there were hidden tracks superimposed onto each other. For example tracks 1-4 were taken by one song and tracks 5-8 by two other songs which were thought when played back to be caused by tape denigration until the tapes went to Peter J Moore who was able to separate one song from another.

                                                                  The box set has the same content as the CD set and is pressed on audiophile quality 180g vinyl. The box set's accompanying book also included in the Deluxe CD features rarely seen and previously unpublished memorabilia from Joe’s personal collection as well as historical press reviews and technical notes about the albums. The cover of all formats is taken from Joe’s 1990 Californian driving license.

                                                                  The artwork was curated by Robert Gordon McHarg III who previously worked on the Clash ‘Sound System’ box set with Paul Simonon, the John Cooper Clarke compilation ‘Anthologia’ and curated the Black Market Clash Exhibition.

                                                                  Gordon says, “The idea behind the book is that it’s an A4 notebook done as if Joe had designed it himself, telling his story. Hopefully it is an insight into his workings and includes hand written lyrics with personal notes and scribbles.”


                                                                  FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                  3xDeluxe LP Info: 3 pieces of vinyl on 180 heavyweight black vinyl plus heavyweight 12” one sided single.

                                                                  Box set Info: Limited edition Deluxe Box set: Quadruple heavyweight Vinyl, 7” vinyl single, cassette, A4 Book, enamel badge, envelope containing a screen print, a high quality image of Joe, two original art prints, and a sticker sheet.

                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                  Cover of Full Circle by Holger Czukay, Jah Wobble, Jaki Liebezeit.

                                                                  Holger Czukay, Jah Wobble, Jaki Liebezeit

                                                                  Full Circle

                                                                  Groenland

                                                                    Upon examining the eventful life of Can bassist Holger Czukay, one might conclude that this intrepid musician was a loner. His turbulent career exuded an enduring eccentricity governed by a boundless free spirit. Yet Czukay, who passed away unexpectedly last year at the age of 79, constantly emphasized that his creativity was always contingent upon a musical partner, whether that was a skin-and-bones counterpart or an anonymous manifestation that interacted with him through radio waves or, as happened later, the internet. Nonetheless, most of his partners were of flesh and blood.

                                                                    His oeuvre, which is in itself cinematic in nature, boasts a cast worthy of a Martin Scorsese film. Only the most interesting character actors were cast: Brian Eno, Phew, Rolf Dammers, David Sylvian, Annie Lennox, Jah Wobble, his Can bandmates… the list could go on and on.

                                                                    Many of these masterpieces are now out of print, so Groenland Records, who already released the highly acclaimed retrospective ‘CINEMA’ to mark the occasion of Holger’s 80th birthday at the beginning of the year, has taken it upon themselves to release reissues of Holger’s music in order to make it accessible once again.

                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                    Cover of Movies by Holger Czukay.

                                                                    Holger Czukay

                                                                    Movies

                                                                    Groenland

                                                                      Upon examining the eventful life of Can bassist Holger Czukay, one might conclude that this intrepid musician was a loner. His turbulent career exuded an enduring eccentricity governed by a boundless free spirit. Yet Czukay, who passed away unexpectedly last year at the age of 79, constantly emphasized that his creativity was always contingent upon a musical partner, whether that was a skin-and-bones counterpart or an anonymous manifestation that interacted with him through radio waves or, as happened later, the internet. Nonetheless, most of his partners were of flesh and blood.

                                                                      His oeuvre, which is in itself cinematic in nature, boasts a cast worthy of a Martin Scorsese film. Only the most interesting character actors were cast: Brian Eno, Phew, Rolf Dammers, David Sylvian, Annie Lennox, Jah Wobble, his Can bandmates… the list could go on and on.

                                                                      Many of these masterpieces are now out of print, so Groenland Records, who already released the highly acclaimed retrospective ‘CINEMA’ to mark the occasion of Holger’s 80th birthday at the beginning of the year, has taken it upon themselves to release reissues of Holger’s music in order to make it accessible once again.

                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                      Cover of Canaxis 5 by Technical Space Composer’s Crew Featuring Holger Czukay.

                                                                      Technical Space Composer’s Crew Featuring Holger Czukay

                                                                      Canaxis 5

                                                                      Groenland

                                                                        Upon examining the eventful life of Can bassist Holger Czukay, one might conclude that this intrepid musician was a loner. His turbulent career exuded an enduring eccentricity governed by a boundless free spirit. Yet Czukay, who passed away unexpectedly last year at the age of 79, constantly emphasized that his creativity was always contingent upon a musical partner, whether that was a skin-and-bones counterpart or an anonymous manifestation that interacted with him through radio waves or, as happened later, the internet. Nonetheless, most of his partners were of flesh and blood.

                                                                        His oeuvre, which is in itself cinematic in nature, boasts a cast worthy of a Martin Scorsese film. Only the most interesting character actors were cast: Brian Eno, Phew, Rolf Dammers, David Sylvian, Annie Lennox, Jah Wobble, his Can bandmates… the list could go on and on.

                                                                        Many of these masterpieces are now out of print, so Groenland Records, who already released the highly acclaimed retrospective ‘CINEMA’ to mark the occasion of Holger’s 80th birthday at the beginning of the year, has taken it upon themselves to release reissues of Holger’s music in order to make it accessible once again.

                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                        Cover of Looking Up: The Complete Works by Carrie Cleveland.

                                                                        Carrie Cleveland

                                                                        Looking Up: The Complete Works

                                                                        Kalita

                                                                        Kalita Records keep their hot streak molten with a first, frankly definitive discography of Carrie Cleveland, an expanded version of her 1978 album ‘Looking Up’, including both the issue and promotional versions of her single ‘Make Love To Me’, and the previously unknown sweet soul single ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’.

                                                                        Privately arranged, recorded and produced by Carrie and her husband Bill as a labour of love in their backyard studio in 1978, ‘Looking Up’ is one of the most in-demand soul/disco LPs in existence, sought-after in particular for their track ‘Love Will Set You Free’. In addition, the promotional version of Carrie’s single ‘Make Love To Me’ is one of the best and rarest sweet soul records to have emerged out of the West Coast soul scene, and her single ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’ is until today virtually unknown even to the most seasoned of collectors, with even Carrie herself unsure if it was ever released. With the album originally pressed in a limited run of just 1000 with 500 copies of each single, original copies of Carrie’s records deservingly command eye-watering figures on the second-hand market. Kalita now satisfy the thirst with the first ever official reissue of her entire discography.

                                                                        The Kalita vinyl reissue consists of both the expanded album and a bonus 7” single, and is housed in a gatefold sleeve. The CD is accompanied by a mini-poster. Both the vinyl and CD releases include extensive interview-based liner notes and never before seen photos, detailing Carrie and Bills’ life and musical career.


                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                        Patrick says: Another slice of sweet, sweet soul from the Kalita stable, who put a wealth of Carrie Cleveland material (both released and otherwise) in this excellent retrospective collection.

                                                                        FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                        LP Info: Includes bonus 7"

                                                                        CD Info: Includes mini poster

                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                        Cover of Colored Music by Colored Music.

                                                                        Colored Music

                                                                        Colored Music

                                                                        WRWTFWW Records

                                                                        An incredible mix of cosmic new wave, unconventional disco, avant-garde synth pop, and hybrid electronic funk, Colored Music is enchantingly unique, a sort of experimental and magnetizing take on David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy with a psychedelic Haruomi Hosono touch.

                                                                        From the groovy post-punk glam title track to the proto-house dance floor killer "Heartbeat", Ichiko Hashimoto and Atsuo Fujimoto hit all the right (and sometimes not-exactly-right-but-truly-genius) notes to create the odd and beautiful, an unparalleled audio escape to the best elsewhere you can think of.
                                                                        Also playing on the album are celebrated musicians Mansaku Kimura, Shuichi “Ponta” Murakami (Pacific, KI-Motion by MKWAJU ensemble, collaborations with Jun Fukamachi, Yasuaki Shimizu, Haruomi Hosono…) Kiyohiko Semba, Tamio "Doyo" Kawabata, and Tatsuhiko Hizawa.


                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                        Patrick says: WRWTFWW continue to mine the rich seam of underground Japanese gems with an ace reissue of Colored Music's self titled LP. Fusing glam, art-rock, avant pop, synth wave and twisted disco, the duo created a unique album for thinking, dreaming and dancing.

                                                                        FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                        Ltd LP Info: 140g Vinyl, Stoughton Tip-On Sleeve, Liner Notes (English & Japanese) by Chee Shimizu, + Sticker.

                                                                        CD Info: Digipack, Liner Notes (English & Japanese) by Chee Shimizu, + Sticker.

                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                        Cover of Preservation Tapes by Bruce Haack.

                                                                        Bruce Haack

                                                                        Preservation Tapes

                                                                        Telephone Explosion

                                                                        In 2016, after reissuing two Bruce Haack albums, "Haackula” and “Electric Lucifer Book II”, Telephone Explosion began speaking with Ted Pandel (Bruce’s lifelong friend and business partner) about working on the 1970 masterpiece “The Electric Lucifer”. It turned out there was another matter that he wanted to discuss: finding a final resting place for the Bruce Haack archive. The label were shown test-pressings of “The Electric Lucifer” board mixes from his Columbia studio sessions, countless pieces of written music, a large number of personal photos, an invitation from Raymond Scott inviting Bruce to play his newly created Electronium instrument (now owned by Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh), poems, press clippings, and, most importantly, a heavy duty shelf containing 213 reel-to-reel tapes.
                                                                        All of the chosen material on “The Preservation Tapes” is unreleased, has only been heard by a handful of people and showcases a relatively unknown period in Bruce’s musical career where Bruce was recording for Sparrow Records (who billed themselves as "America's best Christian music record label”). Bruce’s signature Farad vocoder continues to feature prominently, but the lyrical content is decidedly more religious. Preservation Tapes is a small window into a largely unknown period of devotion in Bruce Haack’s life. Assembled from 218 raw 1/4” tapes, Preservation Tapes is comprised of 100% unreleased material ranging from deep groove, bubbly synth-pop, instrumental synth explorations, experimental tidbits and a heartwarming crooner ballad. 


                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                        Patrick says: Telephone Explosion hook us up with a selection of previously unheard works from idiosyncratic synth oddball Bruce Haack. Though the tracks on this set were mostly recorded for a Christian music label, the vocoded lyrics and opiated synth arrangement suggest something altogether more arcane. Mindbending stuff!

                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                        Cover of In A Garden Of Eden by Heavenly Music Corporation.

                                                                        Heavenly Music Corporation

                                                                        In A Garden Of Eden

                                                                        Astral Industries

                                                                        Originally released on CD in 1993, "In A Garden Of Eden" was 'created for the space age lounge, a technomystical chill room in Goa, India.'. Now, being a gullable sod I actually just googled said 'Space Age Lounge Goa' but to no avail - I guess it was just a clever concept by HMC - what a disappointment (Matt had obviously planned his next techno-hippy holiday itinery to said destination before actually checking if it was real - Ed).

                                                                        What isn't a disappointment, thankfully, is the, as always, glorious music contained within these grooves. Heavenly Music Corp. do just that - create heavenly music! Cerebral, ever-so-slightly rhythmic and oozying modular juices it, to me, epitomizes the sound of floating in deep space with no cord.

                                                                        Five tracks are culled from the seven originally presented on the CD - I guess the crew didn't wanna compromise on sound quality - and rightly so! This sounds SO lush, you'll wanna dive headfirst into this three dimensional record. Get those orders in quick!


                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                        Matt says: Teased me in with talk of some fantasmic descriptions of space aged chill-out lounges - then ensured I hung around for the duration with lush and dreamy ambience, floating in an intergalacic bubble.

                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                        Cover of Laulik Elektroonik - Explorations In Estonian Electronic Folk Music, The First Years 1979-1983 by Olev Muska.

                                                                        Olev Muska

                                                                        Laulik Elektroonik - Explorations In Estonian Electronic Folk Music, The First Years 1979-1983

                                                                        Frotee

                                                                        "Laulik-elektroonik" LP by an ex-pat Estonian musician Olev Muska is the new release of Estonian archival label Frotee Records. The compilation subtitled as "Explorations in Estonian Electronic Folk Music - The First Years, 1979-1983" brings together all Muska's Estonian-themed songs recorded prior to his debut album from 1985, "Old Estonian Waltzes". It includes previously unreleased material and tracks from limited edition tapes and 7" single. For its 10th release, Frotee has expanded its scope and is now also offering insights into quality music by Estonians all over the world.

                                                                        Olev Muska was born to a family of expatriate Estonians in Australia. From 1979 onwards he recorded unique versions of Estonian folk songs on various electronic music instruments at his home studio. As Muska was into contemporary experimental music and also bored with the conservative take on Estonian culture prevalent in the activities of the Australian ex-pat community, he decided to combine these two influences to create his unique brand of electronic Estonian folk music. As Muska had access to more advanced musical equipment, he achieved a level of quality in his arrangements that would not have been possible in Soviet Estonia. He managed to create surprisingly amazing Estonian minimal wave with his group Elektrio but wasn't ashamed to make medley of Estonian themes with cheesy-sounding small Casio synthesizer either. His early versions of some folk songs, like "Kaera-Jaan" or "Saaremaa", are less crazy than on his debut LP and as such a welcome addition to Frotee's collection of Balearic sounds.

                                                                        Although Muska was not a stranger to the contemporary Australian underground music scene, he continued to record with a couple of close friends and performed only at local Estonian events. Thus Olev Muska has been a well kept secret amongst Estonian music fans, one that remained entirely unknown to Australian record collectors until Chris Bonato from Left Ear Records introduced "Old Estonian Waltzes" LP to a wider audience. Left Ear Records has now licensed "Karjapoisi lugu" off the 1985 LP for their Australian underground music compilation "Antipodean Anomalies".

                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                        Patrick says: Frotee's journeys through the backpages of Estonian music turns the spotlights of Estonian musicians based elsewhere with a wonky set of electronics from Autralian Estonian Olev Muska.

                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                        Cover of Total Assault: 50th Anniversary Collection by MC5.

                                                                        MC5

                                                                        Total Assault: 50th Anniversary Collection

                                                                        Rhino

                                                                          MC5 only released three albums, but they were ferocious, adventurous, and confrontational enough to secure the group’s place as one of the greatest rock ’n’ roll bands ever. Singer Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred “Sonic” Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson came together as the MC5 in 1965. The band performed for several years before making its first record. This year is the 50th anniversary of the recording of the band’s incendiary debut, Kick Out The Jams, which was recorded live over two nights at Detroit’s Grande Ballroom in October 1968. To celebrate, MC5 will release Total Assault: 50th Anniversary Collection, a limited-edition boxed set that features all three of the band’s albums pressed on coloured vinyl.

                                                                          It includes Kick Out The Jams (red vinyl), Back In The USA (white vinyl) and High Time (blue vinyl). The albums come in sleeves that faithfully re-create the original releases, including gatefolds for Kick Out The Jams and High Times. All three are housed in a hard slipcase with new art and previously unseen photographs by world renowned photographer Raeanne Rubenstein. The music on TOTAL ASSAULT shows why the MC5 is held is such high regard today with indelible tracks like “Kick Out The Jams,” “Human Being Lawnmower” and “Sister Anne.”


                                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                          3xLP Box Set Info: Triple coloured LP's (Red / White / Blue) housed in a hard slipcase.

                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                          Cover of African Rhythms (2018 Reissue) by Oneness Of Juju.

                                                                          Oneness Of Juju

                                                                          African Rhythms (2018 Reissue)

                                                                          Strut

                                                                          Strut present a brand-new edition of Oneness of Juju’s Afro-jazz classic ‘African Rhythms’, originally released on Black Fire in 1975 and first reissued on Strut in 2002.

                                                                          For bandleader James “Plunky” Branch, ‘African Rhythms’ marked a significant return to his home town of Richmond, Virginia after a politically charged five years based on the East and West coasts. His personal journey had taken him from activism at Columbia University to San Francisco where Zulu musician Ndikho Xaba used theatre to “resurrect” Afro-Americans with a new African identity. The first incarnation of Plunky’s band, Juju, drew attention to the struggle in South Africa under apartheid, layering heavy Afro rhythms under uncompromising avant garde jazz.

                                                                          Back in Richmond, Plunky tapped into the mid-Atlantic preference for Southern R&B and gospel: “Juju had always been blues-based and it was a natural progression to add R&B and dance rhythms. It didn’t change our message.” Produced by Jimmy Gray of Black Fire Records, the new sessions included the title track (“We wanted a song to dance to with a message – ‘you are dancing to African rhythms’”), the positive message of ‘Don’t Give Up’ and political commentary on ‘Liberation Dues’.

                                                                          Originally just a regional hit on the East coast and in Washington DC specifically, the album gradually spread, influencing the nascent DC go-go scene. The UK revived the album during the rare groove era of the late ‘80s and the title track has since become a soul-jazz favourite worldwide.

                                                                          Remastered from the original sessions and featuring rare photos and extensive liner notes, this new repress also features Part 1 and Part 2 of the original 45 version of ‘African Rhythms’ and the previously unheard ‘Afrobeat’, recently unearthed from the original tapes.


                                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                          Patrick says: Jeepers! Oneness of Juju's Afrocentric jazz-funk great "African Rhythms" gets a nicely remastered, repackaged reissue from the fine folks at Strut. Quality stuff...

                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                          Cover of Les Esclaves by Popera Cosmic.

                                                                          Popera Cosmic

                                                                          Les Esclaves

                                                                          Finders Keepers

                                                                          For the few people lucky enough to have heard the entire album in the five decades since its release, the mythical Popera Cosmic LP is now considered to be France’s first dedicated psychedelic album and the shrouded blueprint for the hugely influential Gallic concept album phenomenon that followed, including Serge Gainsbourg’s ‘Histoire De Melody Nelson’ and Gérard Manset’s ‘La Mort D’Orion’.

                                                                          Spearheaded by François Wertheimer (songwriter for Vangelis, Barbara and Byg Records), composed with future Jodorowsky soundtracker and genius all-rounder Guy Skornik and based on an embryonic concept co-conspired by a teenage Jean-Michel Jarre, this instantly-deleted 1969 recording is a true essential for any outernationalradicalised record collection.  With credentials that mark the birth of the cosmic funk (later disco) that helped shape the influential sound of France today, this album also includes the first pressed instrumentals by members of Space Art, some of the best orch rock arrangements by William Sheller (Lux Aeterna, Eriotissimo) and orchestrator Paul Piot (Jean Rollin), as well as sitar psych benchmarks courtesy of uber legend Serge Franklin - all pinned down by the rhythm section that would later be known to prog aficionados as Alice.

                                                                          Subtitled ‘Les Esclaves’ (The Slaves), this street theatre / rock opera (influenced by the work of Julien Beck’s Living Theatre) now celebrates its 50th birthday standing firmly as a sonic tome to the birth of the no-no era (that rebuked France’s ‘yé-yé’ hamster wheel) leading directly to the thematic progressive network of Wakhévitch, Manset and Magma while comprising an inter-Gallic intergalactic super group from the early annals of France’s pop psych revolution. Imagine a rock opera where the cast of Mister Freedom perform ‘Clash Of The Titans’ at the foot of The Holy Mountain - then pinch yourself.

                                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                          Patrick says: Screwball psych-Francais reissued by the digging brains at Finders Keepers - lunatic street theatre meets rock opera as a shadowy no-no flip to the ye-ye movement.

                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                          Cover of In Tweed We Trust by Thee Headcoats.

                                                                          Thee Headcoats

                                                                          In Tweed We Trust

                                                                          Damaged Goods

                                                                            Thee Headcoats were mainly Billy Childish (Git/Vox) Bruce Brand (Drums) and Johnny Johnson (bass), they formed in 1989 after Billy's previous band Thee Mighty Caesers gave up the ghost. By 1992 they had already released something like 6 albums and 15 singles.Lots more releases followed including this great LP In Tweed We Trust originally released in 1996, the follow up to the equally great Conundrum. Thee Headcoats carried on touring and releasing records in every corner of the world until mid 2000 when they called it a day. During the '90's I must have seen them 60 times, I even went over to Japan with them in 1993. There was something really natural about them, no bullshit. We did the 'We hate The Fuckin' NME' single after NME journo Johnny Cigarettes walked out of their gig in Archway after insisting that he should get in for free as he was from the NME and then reviewing Thee Headcoatees by saying their was no girls in the band (he left before they came onstage!!). 

                                                                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                            Coloured LP Info: Limited Lp Pressing On Duck Egg Blue Vinyl To Match The Cover

                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                            Cover of Furr by Blitzen Trapper.

                                                                            Blitzen Trapper

                                                                            Furr

                                                                            Sub Pop

                                                                              Blitzen Trapper is the Portland, Oregon-based experimental country and folk rock band, who in 2008 released Furr, its breakthrough album and label debut for Sub Pop. The record was met with universal acclaim, earning praise from the likes of The Guardian, Pitchfork, Paste, AV Club, and Rolling Stone, who in its four-star review called the album “an engaging album full of rootsy beauty.” The album would earn the no. 13 spot on Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Albums of 2008 later that year.

                                                                              For the newly remastered and expanded deluxe edition of Furr, Blitzen Trapper have compiled over two LPs worth of material: the original album and twelve rare and previously unreleased tunes. The added songs are from the same recordings that become Furr, with the exception of the “Live at KCRW” tracks, which were recorded during the Furr tour. The songs “War is Placebo,” “Booksmart Baby,” and “Maybe Baby” appeared as limited-edition singles for Record Store Day in 2009 and 2011. This reissue also features new liner notes from Eric Earley reflecting on the album, as well as a track-by-track description of the bonus songs, and a Q&A with the stage and screen actor Rainn Wilson (of The Office fame).

                                                                              “It's difficult to remember exactly where my head was in those days, recording Furr in a leaky, dilapidated, pre-boom Portland building, all but condemned, where the migrant workers congregated at the curb outside hoping to get picked up by desperate contractors, the dealers working the opposite corner, two blocks up the Burnside bridge running with pitched tents and sleeping bags all the way to the West Side Mission, the black river sliding by beneath. For those in the know enough at the time to have heard it when Sub Pop first released Furr in 2008, listeners had to have been underwhelmed by the hit and miss production, the furry overdriven vocals and perilous sounding dubs, all industry-standard production fare now. But the songs must have shone through the noise even then. The stand-out title track recorded on a nearly defunct cassette four-track in one take and mixed on a couple-hundred-dollar PC was almost an afterthought at the time, but its message was real enough: that life consists of change and growth, love and transformation.

                                                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                              2xColoured LP Info: Loser edition Clear vinyl and gold swirl!

                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                              Cover of Forever Breathes The Lonely Word: Remastered by Felt.

                                                                              Felt

                                                                              Forever Breathes The Lonely Word: Remastered

                                                                              Cherry Red

                                                                                Following the release of FELT’s first five albums in February, the band’s reissue campaign continues with the second half of their discography. During the ‘80s Felt recorded ten albums and ten singles for the Cherry Red and Creation labels. This gorgeously-produced series explores the work of one of the greatest indie groups in recent memory. 

                                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                LP Info: Limited edition vinyl featuring the original front cover artwork.

                                                                                CD & 7" Info: The CD version comes in a bespoke 7” box, complete with various ephemera consisting of: the original album in a special gatefold sleeve - long deleted 7” vinyl single pertaining to the original year of the album’s release – reproduction gig flyers – double-sided wall poster – and four button lapel badges for displaying with pride!

                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                Cover of Poem Of The River: Remastered by Felt.

                                                                                Felt

                                                                                Poem Of The River: Remastered

                                                                                Cherry Red

                                                                                  Following the release of FELT’s first five albums in February, the band’s reissue campaign continues with the second half of their discography. During the ‘80s Felt recorded ten albums and ten singles for the Cherry Red and Creation labels. This gorgeously-produced series explores the work of one of the greatest indie groups in recent memory. 

                                                                                  FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                  LP Info: Limited edition vinyl featuring the original front cover artwork.

                                                                                  CD & 7" Info: The CD version comes in a bespoke 7” box, complete with various ephemera consisting of: the original album in a special gatefold sleeve - long deleted 7” vinyl single pertaining to the original year of the album’s release – reproduction gig flyers – double-sided wall poster – and four button lapel badges for displaying with pride!

                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                  Cover of The Pictorial Jackson Review: Remastered by Felt.

                                                                                  Felt

                                                                                  The Pictorial Jackson Review: Remastered

                                                                                  Cherry Red

                                                                                    Following the release of FELT’s first five albums in February, the band’s reissue campaign continues with the second half of their discography. During the ‘80s Felt recorded ten albums and ten singles for the Cherry Red and Creation labels. This gorgeously-produced series explores the work of one of the greatest indie groups in recent memory. 

                                                                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                    LP Info: Limited edition vinyl featuring the original front cover artwork.

                                                                                    CD & 7" Info: The CD version comes in a bespoke 7” box, complete with various ephemera consisting of: the original album in a special gatefold sleeve - long deleted 7” vinyl single pertaining to the original year of the album’s release – reproduction gig flyers – double-sided wall poster – and four button lapel badges for displaying with pride!

                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                    Cover of Train Above The City: Remastered by Felt.

                                                                                    Felt

                                                                                    Train Above The City: Remastered

                                                                                    Cherry Red

                                                                                      Following the release of FELT’s first five albums in February, the band’s reissue campaign continues with the second half of their discography. During the ‘80s Felt recorded ten albums and ten singles for the Cherry Red and Creation labels. This gorgeously-produced series explores the work of one of the greatest indie groups in recent memory.

                                                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                      LP Info: Limited edition vinyl featuring the original front cover artwork.

                                                                                      CD & 7" Info: The CD version comes in a bespoke 7” box, complete with various ephemera consisting of: the original album in a special gatefold sleeve - long deleted 7” vinyl single pertaining to the original year of the album’s release – reproduction gig flyers – double-sided wall poster – and four button lapel badges for displaying with pride!

                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                      Cover of Me And A Monkey On The Moon: Remastered by Felt.

                                                                                      Felt

                                                                                      Me And A Monkey On The Moon: Remastered

                                                                                      Cherry Red

                                                                                        Following the release of FELT’s first five albums in February, the band’s reissue campaign continues with the second half of their discography. During the ‘80s Felt recorded ten albums and ten singles for the Cherry Red and Creation labels. This gorgeously-produced series explores the work of one of the greatest indie groups in recent memory.

                                                                                        FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                        LP Info: Limited edition vinyl featuring the original front cover artwork.

                                                                                        CD & 7" Info: The CD version comes in a bespoke 7” box, complete with various ephemera consisting of: the original album in a special gatefold sleeve - long deleted 7” vinyl single pertaining to the original year of the album’s release – reproduction gig flyers – double-sided wall poster – and four button lapel badges for displaying with pride!

                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                        Cover of The Three EPs - 20th Anniversary Remaster (Deluxe Edition) by The Beta Band.

                                                                                        The Beta Band

                                                                                        The Three EPs - 20th Anniversary Remaster (Deluxe Edition)

                                                                                        Because Music

                                                                                          Arguably one of the most acclaimed and loved bands of the past 20 years, by both fans and their musical peers alike, The Beta Band formed in St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1996. Innovative and singular, their unique musical and aesthetic approach to everything they did set them far apart from their musical contemporaries. Together for a relatively short period of time, the three albums and three EPs they released between 1996 and 2004 would nonetheless help define them as one of the most exciting and cherished bands of their generation.

                                                                                          After acquiring the Beta Band’s catalogue last year, Because Music will reissue their releases, starting on September 14th with a deluxe vinyl edition gathering in a slipcase the EPs ‘Champion Versions’, ‘The Patty Patty Sound’ and ‘Los Amigos Del Beta Bandidos’ with remastered tracks and coloured vinyls, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 1998 compilation. Because Music will release at the same time a double CD Best-Of compiling all their best hits and a live show recorded at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire (London) in 2004. 


                                                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                          Ltd Box Set Info: 4x12” EP + CD.
                                                                                          NUMBERED SLIPCASE featuring ‘Champion Versions’ EP (red vinyl 12” in single sleeve), ‘The Patty Patty Sound’ EP (double yellow 12” vinyl ) and ‘Los Amigos Del Beta Bandidos’ EP (blue 12” vinyl in single sleeve).
                                                                                          CD included in clear plastic sleeve with flap (includes all tracks)

                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                          Cover of Buari by Buari.

                                                                                          Buari

                                                                                          Buari

                                                                                          Be With Records

                                                                                          A surefire Afro-Funk classic, long treasured by collectors across the globe, the fantastic self-titled LP from Ghanaian singing/percussion sensation Sidiku Buari nevertheless remains a criminally hard-to find gem. We're honoured to present the first ever officially licensed vinyl reissue of this undoubted masterpiece. Limited to just 500 copies.

                                                                                          Originally released on RCA in 1975, this is, quite simply, a ridiculous record. This super-rare album boasts an all-star cast of top funk instrumentalists playing alongside Buari as he blends heavy African rhythms with American soul-funk grooves. The arrangements and the playing are incredibly tight and the album is stacked with killer tracks including "Advice From Father" (sampled brilliantly by Kenny Dope) and "Ku Ka Maria", with its intense, neck-snapping breaks and funky drumming from legend Bernard 'Pretty' Purdie. Purdie is in the pocket for the entirety of this stunning LP - the drumming is just straight out of hand; so varied yet so precise.

                                                                                          It's not hard to fathom why these tracks have always been huge on the b-boy/breaking scene. Other standouts include the wonderful disco-tinged afro monsters "Karam Bani" and "Iro Le Pa" plus the cool laidback groove of "Them Yebtheyet".

                                                                                          With access to the original analogue tape transfers, Simon Francis' stellar mastering elevates the sound throughout and, as ever, it has been pressed at a reassuringly weighty 180g.

                                                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                          David says: Beautifully repackaged and remastered. Buari is a genuine, bonafide Afro disco classic that NO home should be without, unmissable.

                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                          Cover of King Jammy Presents: Dennis Brown Tracks Of Life by Dennis Brown.

                                                                                          Dennis Brown

                                                                                          King Jammy Presents: Dennis Brown Tracks Of Life

                                                                                          VP Records

                                                                                          Now ain't this summat spesh.... A re-vamped selection of Dennis Brown songs recorded and produced at Jammy's and now remixed and remastered with a selection of new vocalists, deejays and toasters adding ad-libed lines and improvisations to the original compositions!

                                                                                          The A-list selection of vocalists includes Protoje, Dre Island, Alborosie, Romain Virgo, Agent Sasco and more (no Chronix though?! - ed). Some of Dennis Brown’s finest performances for King Jammys, remixed and refreshed with 21st century flavor, the album also includes a newly remastered solo feature for Dennis Brown, “You Satisfy My Soul” (a King Jammy personal favorite). The vinyl LP includes the special bonus addition of the Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley feature "Can’t Keep (A Good Man Down)" backed with "Can’t Keep Version".

                                                                                          King Jammy is one of reggae’s most prolific and innovative producers, with "Tracks Of Life" he shows himself strong once again. Part tribute and part greatest hits, this album will win new listeners and inspire fans to dig into the original songs. The album is a blend of raw and vibrant vocal performances revisiting vintage Dennis Brown from the King Jammy catalogue.


                                                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                          Matt says: One of my favourite reggae producers of the 80's, maybe ever, shines a light on the incredible vocal talent currently spearheading Jamaica's roots n culture renaissance.

                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                          Cover of Mission Of Dead Souls by Throbbing Gristle.

                                                                                          Throbbing Gristle

                                                                                          Mission Of Dead Souls

                                                                                          Mute

                                                                                            ‘Mission Of Dead Souls’: The final performance of Throbbing Gristle before their initial breakup, at the Kezar Pavillion, San Francisco on 29 May 1981. Remastered. Following the release of this album and public statement by Throbbing Gristle of ‘This Mission Is Terminated’ the legend of the band began and influence upon generations started to be felt.

                                                                                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                            Coloured LP Info: Unavailable on vinyl since the early 1990s, pressed here on white vinyl, recreating the original sleeve and using a silver ink with a new inner sleeve with photos and a passage by Jon Savage.

                                                                                            Coloured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                            Cover of Heathen Earth by Throbbing Gristle.

                                                                                            Throbbing Gristle

                                                                                            Heathen Earth

                                                                                            Mute

                                                                                              ‘Heathen Earth’: A live document of a performance by TG to a small and invited audience on 16 February 1980. Uses re-mastering from 2011. Neither an insight into TG’s recording process nor private live show, ‘Heathen Earth’ is its own entity and exists as a document and testament to a group of people at the height of their creative powers, recorded just over a year before they disbanded and terminated the mission.

                                                                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                              Coloured LP Info: Blue vinyl in gatefold sleeve, echoing the first pressing of the album from 1980, of which there were only 750 copies pressed. Subsequent pressings have all been on black vinyl. Also contains an 8 page 12” booklet entitled ‘Industrial News’. Vinyl format also contains a high definition download code for the tracks featured on the 2CD set’s second disc.

                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                              Cover of Heartattack And Vine - Remastered by Tom Waits.

                                                                                              Tom Waits

                                                                                              Heartattack And Vine - Remastered

                                                                                              Epitaph UK

                                                                                                Released in 1980, Heartattack and Vine was Waits’ final album on Elektra Asylum and it built on the raw blues approach of Blue Valentine with the incendiary title track, the funky, organ driven “Downtown” and the stomping NOLA blues of “Mr. Siegal”. This album also contains some of Waits most popular ballads, including “Jersey Girl” which was famously a hit for Bruce Springsteen. “On the Nickle” is a moving song about the homeless people who lived on 5th street in downtown LA, and “Ruby’s Arms” is a beautiful song with a lovely Bach-like melody.

                                                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                Coloured LP Info: RSD stores exclusive clear vinyl edition.

                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                Cover of In A Priest Driven Ambulance (With Silver Sunshine Stares) by The Flaming Lips.

                                                                                                The Flaming Lips

                                                                                                In A Priest Driven Ambulance (With Silver Sunshine Stares)

                                                                                                Rhino

                                                                                                  In A Priest Driven Ambulance (With Silver Sunshine Stares) is a concept album surrounding Wayne Coyne’s fascination with religion, and was released in 1990.

                                                                                                  All of the music on vinyl has been remastered from original sources by the band’s longtime musical foil and producer, David Fridmann, with help from the Lips’ Wayne Coyne and Michael Ivins, with lacquers cut at Sterling Sound. Additionally, the studio albums – which have been out of print for years – have been restored to their original cover art.

                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                  Cover of Death Trippin’ At Sunrise: Rarities, B-Sides & Flexi-Discs 1986-1990 by The Flaming Lips.

                                                                                                  The Flaming Lips

                                                                                                  Death Trippin’ At Sunrise: Rarities, B-Sides & Flexi-Discs 1986-1990

                                                                                                  Rhino

                                                                                                    Death Trippin’ At Sunrise: Rarities, B-Sides & Flexi-discs is a new rarities collection, packed with the music originally released on singles, flexis and various compilations. It includes their Sub Pop single “Drug Machine In Heaven”, “Stychnine/Peace, Love And Understanding” and a cover of “After The Gold Rush” from a 1989 Neil Young tribute album. A number of the tracks on the rarities compilation are making their first appearance on vinyl.

                                                                                                    All of the music on vinyl has been remastered from original sources by the band’s longtime musical foil and producer, David Fridmann, with help from the Lips’ Wayne Coyne and Michael Ivins, with lacquers cut at Sterling Sound. Additionally, the studio albums – which have been out of print for years – have been restored to their original cover art.

                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                    Cover of The Scream - 2018 Reissue by Siouxsie & The Banshees.

                                                                                                    Siouxsie & The Banshees

                                                                                                    The Scream - 2018 Reissue

                                                                                                    UMC

                                                                                                      Siouxsie And The Banshees – The Scream debuted in November 1978 born out of part sweet suburbia and part grey Orwellian uber state. The Scream was unlike anything else released that year.

                                                                                                      Remastered from the original ¼” tapes and cut at half speed at Abbey Road studios, London. Both artwork and audio have personally been overseen and orchestrated by Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin.

                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                      Cover of A Kiss In The Dreamhouse - 2018 Reissue by Siouxsie & The Banshees.

                                                                                                      Siouxsie & The Banshees

                                                                                                      A Kiss In The Dreamhouse - 2018 Reissue

                                                                                                      UMC

                                                                                                        A Kiss in the Dreamhouse brought with it a new musical direction, with the addition of strings and rampant guitarist John McGeoch the Banshees were able to exploit the potential of the studio to full effect.

                                                                                                        Remastered from the original ¼” tapes and cut at half speed at Abbey Road studios, London. Both artwork and audio have personally been overseen and orchestrated by Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin.

                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                        Cover of Journey Through A Body by Throbbing Gristle.

                                                                                                        Throbbing Gristle

                                                                                                        Journey Through A Body

                                                                                                        Mute

                                                                                                          ‘Journey Through A Body’: Recorded as a piece of art for and in the studios of Italian National Radio RAI in Rome March 1981. Remastered. On the recommendation of Robert Wyatt, RAI originally commissioned Cosey Fanni Tutti to create a sound work based on the theme of ‘A Journey Through The Body’. It became a Throbbing Gristle project which was later broadcast by RAI. This was the last studio recording by Throbbing Gristle. It was recorded in five days, a day per body section. No tracks were re-recorded or added to after their day. Each track was mixed immediately after recording. No tracks were pre-planned; all tracks were invented directly to tape.

                                                                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                          Coloured LP Info: Unavailable on vinyl since 1983 and now repressed
                                                                                                          on silver vinyl with foil blocked cover and featuring photos from the session.

                                                                                                          Coloured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                                          Cover of Superstition - 2018 Reissue by Siouxsie & The Banshees.

                                                                                                          Siouxsie & The Banshees

                                                                                                          Superstition - 2018 Reissue

                                                                                                          UMC

                                                                                                            The tenth studio album from the Banshees only reinforced the belief that nothing outside of their world was of real concern. Produced by Stephen Hague, one might say an odd choice, given that grunge was soon to be thrust into the mainstream. Forever evolving and experimenting - Superstition would become yet another offering of unique songs to treasure.

                                                                                                            Remastered from the original ¼” tapes and cut at half speed at Abbey Road studios, London. Superstition has been expanded and cut over three sides for the first time with a special Vinyl etching on Side Four. Both artwork and audio have personally been overseen and orchestrated by Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin.




                                                                                                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                            2xLtd LP Info: Double LP with etched side D.

                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                                            Cover of Songs Of Experience by David Axelrod.

                                                                                                            David Axelrod

                                                                                                            Songs Of Experience

                                                                                                            Now-Again Records

                                                                                                              “Songs of Experience was supposed to have a different feel than Song of Innocence. You see, music is a great outlet. And regardless of what the titles say, and as close as I wanted it to be to William Blake, what was going on in my life took precedence.” – David Axelrod. Songs of Experience is visionary composer/arranger/producer David Axelrod’s second album; it was recorded after the death of his beloved son Scott. Experience is an ominous affair, an album concerned with mortality and spirituality – the solitary, pastoral musings of William Blake set to the urban bombast of a full Los Angeles orchestra, with Wrecking Crew vets grounding the proceedings with dark funk.

                                                                                                              This is the next Now-Again issue in a series of reissues centered around Axelrod’s Capitol Trilogy – Song of Innocence, Songs of Experience and Earth Rot – which will see release through 2018. LP Contains oversized, 28 page booklet that delves into Axelrod’s incredible life and music, replete with never before published photos and an interview with Axelrod by Eothen Alapatt and Wax Poetics’ Brian Digenti. (CD 32 page booklet) “There are very few people who see the Grand Picture of the Universe and understand the Nothingness that it all comes from. There are even fewer who can express these ideas through music - David could do it all.” 

                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                              Cover of Cosmic Sounds by N'Draman Blintch.

                                                                                                              N'Draman Blintch

                                                                                                              Cosmic Sounds

                                                                                                              Hot Mule - Secousse

                                                                                                              Tired of reading the words ‘classic’, ‘masterpiece’, ‘missing link’, ‘cult’, in every press release? Just trust us on this one: We have no choice but to use those words and urge you to (re)discover one of the ultimate Afro-Disco lost classics.
                                                                                                              How could such a masterpiece stay in obscurity for so long? Well, no one knows where N’Draman is. He’s presumed dead, and so is Mr Patrick (not me), the label owner, an ex-football player who turned his focus into fashion after suffering a career ending injury. Selling jeans from an outlet in Monrovia (Liberia), he only ventured in the music business for a short period of time, releasing a handful of incredible albums on his Cosmic Sounds imprint.
                                                                                                              The word on the street was that Nigerian legend William Onyeabor was somehow involved with the production of the album, or maybe playing synths on it. Both were inaccurate, although N’Draman Blintch’s previous and first record "Cikamele", was indeed recorded at Willfilms, Onyeabor’s studio. And some of the musicians playing here were also key members in his pool of session musicians.
                                                                                                              "Cosmic Sounds" is many things: Psychedelic, politically engaged, funky to death, full of synths, with an artwork to die for, a perfect crossover of African and Western culture: Music for the body and soul, Cosmic disco before the genre even existed. Did DJ Danielle Baldelli hear it? Was it ever played by Larry Levan or Mancuso? In a pre-internet era, it’s unlikely but not impossible.
                                                                                                              Both artwork and audio have restored by specialists, and liner notes were written by Temitope Kogbe, Afro-Funk expert who runs the Odion Livingston label, founded with legendary producer Odion Iruoje. 38 years after its original release, the world is finally ready to hear "Cosmic Sounds" in all its glory.

                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                              Cover of Filled With His Spirit by The Nelson Family.

                                                                                                              The Nelson Family

                                                                                                              Filled With His Spirit

                                                                                                              Rain & Shine

                                                                                                              Rain & Shine give out a hefty holler of "Church!" and take us all a little bit higher with the first ever official re-release of The Nelson Family's Gospel classic from 1986. An enduring and seriously in demand LP, "Filled With His Spirit" is an essential purchase for any serious collectors of Gospel. Quality from end-to-end, the LP including the cuts "Thank You Lord" (firm favorite of Floating Points and Skymark), title track "Filled With His Spirit" and "Everlasting Love".

                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                              Cover of Club Soul - Wigan Casino Soul Club by Various Artists.

                                                                                                              Various Artists

                                                                                                              Club Soul - Wigan Casino Soul Club

                                                                                                              Charly

                                                                                                              “In 1978 America’s Billboard Magazine voted Wigan Casino the World’s Best Disco. Over 4-million soul fans passed through the Casino doors, it really was a wonderful time.” - Russ Winstanley

                                                                                                              While other clubs may be able to argue they were the birthplace of Northern Soul in the UK, few can claim to have the same popularity or influence as the mighty Wigan Casino. The venue became a Mecca for fans of rare, imported soul records, with a passionate, dedicated fanbase. No-one could have predicted the club’s enormity and impact on Northern Soul. Perhaps it was a combination of circumstances: the untimely demise of the Golden Torch in Stoke-On-Trent, the escape from the workplace that the “scene” offered, a sense of belonging, and something your parents couldn’t begin to understand!
                                                                                                              This new LP album, presented on 180g heavyweight audiophile vinyl with sleeve notes, collects some of the classic tracks that were played at the famous club from 1973-81 including exclusive songs not on the 2013 CD edition (CHARLY661X).
                                                                                                              It features a host of legendary artists including The Ringleaders, The Jerms, Ohio Players, Blanch Carter, The Inspirations, The Young Savages, Little Richie, Maurice Williams, Ron Holden, The Combinations, The C.O.D.’s and more.

                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                              Cover of Reflections In The Sea Of Nurnen by Doug Hammond & David Durrah.

                                                                                                              Doug Hammond & David Durrah

                                                                                                              Reflections In The Sea Of Nurnen

                                                                                                              Tribe

                                                                                                              An incredible session from the legendary Tribe Records scene — an equal effort from leader Doug Hammond and keyboardist David Durrah, who contributes some ground-breaking Fender Rhodes and moog work to the set! Hammond handles drums plus a bit of vocals and synthesizer on the session — working alongside Durrah in a groove that mixes electric and acoustic instrumentation into a totally righteous sound with lots of heavy Afro Jazz leanings. A number of tracks feature great vocals from Hammond — righteous, and with a beautifully soulful message-oriented approach — and a few other tracks, such as the classic “Space I” and “Space II”, feature a sparer all-electric sound. The whole thing’s wonderful — skittishly rhythmic, warmly flowing, and righteously beautiful. Titles include “Sea Of Nurnen”, “Fidalgo Detour”, “Reflections”, “Space II”, and “For Real”.
                                                                                                              (Dusty Groove, Inc.)


                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                              Cover of The Avalanche - Coloured Vinyl Reissue by Sufjan Stevens.

                                                                                                              Sufjan Stevens

                                                                                                              The Avalanche - Coloured Vinyl Reissue

                                                                                                              Asthmatic Kitty

                                                                                                                Released in 2006 as a follow-up to Sufjan Stevens’ 2005 Illinois, Asthmatic Kitty Records is finally releasing Avalanche on vinyl. Initially conceived as part of a double album version of Illinois, Avalanche instead became a “companion” (a polite word for “b-sides”) to Illinois. Since its release, fans have had mixed reactions. “3 versions of Chicago?!?! Enough already,” wrote ‘biografiend” on Sputnik. But “cravenmonket,” who gave the album 4.5 stars on rateyourmusic, suggests that we all “stop thinking of The Avalanche as more Illinois. It actually owes more to Michigan.” Cravenmonket may be right. Take “The Mistress Witch” or “Saul Bellow,” both of which could have lived on the 2003 Michigan as much as on Illinois. One can hear Sufjan’s 2004 Enjoy Your Rabbit in “The Undivided Self.” And the band jam on “Springfield” looks forward to 2010’s All Delighted People. Then there’s “Pittsfield,” which, at least lyrically, foreshadows the more personal themes of 2015’s Carrie & Lowell.

                                                                                                                All that to say, a vinyl release of Avalanche is long overdue. Complete with all 21 songs from the original release, including the three versions of “Chicago” (you’re welcome, biografiend).


                                                                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                2xColoured LP Info: Limited edition coloured vinyl. Avalanche white hatchback orange double LP.

                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                Cover of Salad Days Demos by Mac Demarco.

                                                                                                                Mac Demarco

                                                                                                                Salad Days Demos

                                                                                                                Captured Tracks

                                                                                                                  Mac DeMarco’s breakthrough sophomore album, Salad Days – released on April Fools’, 2014 – garnered widespread critical acclaim, landing on over 30 Year End lists. It was the album that catapulted DeMarco from “loveable slacker” to “mature songwriter with a gaptoothed grin,” all at the tender age of 23. DeMarco’s demos for Salad Days, originally included in an expanded edition of the album only available on Captured Tracks Mail Order site, peel back the curtain of said artist, who, up until then, may have been more known for his raucous live shows than his genuine talent as a songwriter and craftsman. This collection of demos and sketches as well as previously unreleased instrumental demos offer a rare insight into Mac’s world and process.

                                                                                                                  FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                  Coloured LP Info: Captured Tracks Tenth Anniversary Edition, Pressed on White Vinyl. Limited to 5000 copies.

                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                  Cover of 2 Demos by Mac Demarco.

                                                                                                                  Mac Demarco

                                                                                                                  2 Demos

                                                                                                                  Captured Tracks

                                                                                                                    Mac DeMarco’s second album, 2, cleaned up the songwriter’s warped take on soft rock and brought it to a broader audience. Given DeMarco’s affinity for keeping things lo-fi—2 was the first time he’d bothered to record demos—it’s revealing to hear these songs in their most embryonic form. The performances here are a little looser and the sound a little hazier than on the actual LP, lending an atmosphere of dreamy vulnerability, especially to ballads like “Annie” and the Lennon-esque “Sherrill.”

                                                                                                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                    Coloured LP Info: Captured Tracks Tenth Anniversary Edition, Pressed on Green Vinyl. Limited to 5000 copies worldwide.

                                                                                                                    Coloured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                    Cover of Germfree Adolescents by X-Ray Spex.

                                                                                                                    X-Ray Spex

                                                                                                                    Germfree Adolescents

                                                                                                                    Real Gone

                                                                                                                      The one and only LP release from X-Ray Spex and its irrepressible frontwoman Poly Styrene has been deemed by everybody from Greil Marcus to Robert Christgau to Spin to Mojo as one of the greatest punk albums ever made, yet, somehow, this is its first vinyl reissue (and you can tell because prices for the used vinyl are insane)! And we've done it right; besides the colored vinyl, we've reproduced the inner lyric sheet, where you can read Poly's brilliant observations about the plastic, corporate nature of modern society. All of which she sings in a passionate yowl all her own (with Lora Logic among others backing on saxophone); this is not only one of the most penetratingly observant punk records, it's also one of the most passionate, and, surprisingly enough, catchy.

                                                                                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                      Coloured LP Info: Clear vinyl!

                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                      Cover of The Faust Tapes by Faust.

                                                                                                                      Faust

                                                                                                                      The Faust Tapes

                                                                                                                      Superior Viaduct

                                                                                                                        Faust stand among the most influential creative forces to have emerged from Germany in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Along with Can, Agitation Free, Neu! and others, Faust rejected the Anglo-American norms of rock ’n’ roll dubbed by the UK press with the semi-derogatory term “krautrock.” Faust would reach near-mythical status through a series of classic albums recorded between 1970 and 1973 at their secluded Wümme studio. As Dave Segalwrites in the liner notes, “There’s no consensus about which Faust album represents their zenith. But a survey of the group’s fans would likely find the collage-heavy messterpiece The Faust Tapes triumphing.

                                                                                                                        Its freewheeling, jump-cut nature and unlikely earworm Moments conspire for more what-the-fuck epiphanies per minute than just about any other record about which Krautrocksampler author Julian Cope has raved.” Comprised of twenty odd tape-manipulation experiments and freak-out jams, The Faust Tapes stashes away some of the band’s best-known songs. “Flashback Caruso,” with its delicate acoustic guitar and Rudolf Sosna’s airy vocals, could easily have appeared on So Far or Faust IV , while on “J’ai Mal Aux Dents,” Jean-Hervé Peron’s playful lyrics and this ecstatic, era-defining riff perfectly represent Faust’s magical mischievousness. This first-time US release of The Faust Tapes on vinyl reproduces the original sleeve design, featuring artwork by Bridget Riley

                                                                                                                        FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                        LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                                        Cover of Reachin' (A New Refutation Of Time And Space) - 25th Anniversary Edition by Digable Planets.

                                                                                                                        Digable Planets

                                                                                                                        Reachin' (A New Refutation Of Time And Space) - 25th Anniversary Edition

                                                                                                                        Modern Classics

                                                                                                                        At a time when hip-hop was determined to snap your neck, a young, hip trio from Brooklyn (by way of Seattle, Philly, and Brazil) conspired on an uncommonly smooth new sound and freaky way of speak, a titanically chill expression of Black bohemia loaded with jazz idiom and a subversive Marxist bent—and pushed it worldwide via an undeniable crossover hit.

                                                                                                                        Digable Planets’ 1993 debut, Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space), unexpected to all involved, produced a massive radio hit in “Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)”, which won the 1994 Grammy for Best Rap Performance by Duo or Group. Unduly lumped into an “alternative rap” subgenre they chafed at, the Dig Plans were dismissed by some as one-hit wonders, coming out of nowhere; but the Digable Planets concept, and what became Reachin’, had been in the works for close to five years, as group leader Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler wrote music and soaked up game in multiple cities, navigating the industry of hip-hop’s golden age.

                                                                                                                        In the end, Butler, Mary Anne “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira, and Craig “Doodlebug” Irving came together to create a seamlessly articulated vision of urbane hiphop cool with an uncommonly literary bent that subtly pushed the hip-hop genre’s frames of reference and added breadth to rap music’s burgeoning political philosophy. Drawing on inspiration from Butler’s jazzbo father, the Black Panthers, Jose Luis-Borges, the Last Poets, and Jimi Hendrix, Reachin’ posited a theory of “universal beats”, narrated by three unearthly MC’s that had “split to Earth to resurrect the funk”, assuming curious, arthropodic aliases—a nod to the natural collective action of the insect world. In just four years the crew would record two beloved and ambitious LPs before disbanding.

                                                                                                                        Out of print on wax domestically since 1993, Reachin’ captures one of the last gasps of rap music’s jazzy, upbeat adolescence in the early 90’s—those warm, blissed-out grooves every bit as slick as when they were laid way back when. Put this on, roll up with your crew and bug out again with the insect tribe.

                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                                        Cover of Gentlemen Take Polaroids - Remastered by Japan.

                                                                                                                        Japan

                                                                                                                        Gentlemen Take Polaroids - Remastered

                                                                                                                        UMC

                                                                                                                          The last album with Rob Dean, Gentlemen Take Polaroids was also unquestionably the album in which Japan truly found its own unique voice and aesthetic approach. The glam influences still hung heavy, particularly from Roxy Music, but now the band found itself starting to affect others in turn. Even the back cover photo says as much -- looking cool in glossy, elegant nightwear, the quintet had a clear impact on Duran Duran, to the point where Nick Rhodes obviously was trying to be Sylvian in appearance. Musically, meanwhile, the swooning, hyper elegant Euro-disco sheen of Quiet Life was polished to an even finer edge throughout, the title track and the obvious descendant of "Quiet Life" itself, "Methods of Dance," in particular sheer standouts. Sylvian's sighing, luscious croon is in full effect on both, and the arrangements are astonishing, Karn's fretless purring between Jansen's crisp, inventive, and varied drumming, Barbieri's icy keyboards filling out the corners. What makes Gentlemen Take Polaroids even more of a success is how the group, having reached such a polished peak, kept driving behind it, transforming their exquisite pop into something even more artistic and unique. "Swing," in particular, is an astounding showcase for the Karn/Jansen team; snaky funk at once dramatic and precisely chilled, brass section blasts adding just enough wry, precise sleaze, Sylvian delivering with focus and intensity while not raising his voice at all. "Nightporter," meanwhile, is a hyper ballad and then some; a slow-paced semi-waltz with Barbieri's piano taking the lead throughout with wonderful results. Further hints of the future come with the album closing "Taking Islands In Africa," which Sylvian co-wrote with future regular collaborator Ryuchi Sakamato, and which wraps up the whole experience with a gliding, supple grace. - AllMusic.

                                                                                                                          A Half Speed Mastered edition of Japan's fourth album from 1980. Mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road. Features the single "Gentlemen Take Polaroids". This record was cut using a specialist technique known as half-speed mastering. This artisan process results in cuts that have superior high frequency response (treble) and solid and stable stereo images. In short, a very high quality master that helps to create a very high quality record. In addition to this, we will release this album as a double 45 RPM half-speed mastered edition. This is the ultimate for high quality reproduction as the faster the replay speed of the record, the higher the potential quality. Also, the shorter side times allow the level recorded to the master lacquer discs to be increased thereby improving the signal to noise ratio.

                                                                                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                          2xLtd LP Info: Half speed mastered edition. 2LP sets on 180gram vinyl, which play at 45rpm for enhanced fidelity.

                                                                                                                          LP Info: Standard 180gram 1LP.

                                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                                                          Cover of Tin Drum - Remastered by Japan.

                                                                                                                          Japan

                                                                                                                          Tin Drum - Remastered

                                                                                                                          UMC

                                                                                                                            Partially growing out of their success in the country they were named after, as well as growing friendship and affiliation with such bands as Yellow Magic Orchestra, Japan, on Tin Drum, made its most unique, challenging, and striking album. It was also the final full studio effort from the group, and what a way to bow out -- there was practically no resemblance to the trash glam flailers on Adolescent Sex anymore. Rather than repeat the sheer restraint on Gentlemen Take Polaroids, Tin Drum is an album of energy, Sylvian's singing still the decadently joyful thing it is, but the arrangements and performances tight, full, and active. The fusion of exquisite funk courtesy of Karn and Jansen's joined-at-the-hip rhythm section and a range of Asian music influences, from instrumentation to subject matter, combined with an even wider use of technological approaches to create the dramatic, sly songs on offer. Only the Talking Heads showed the same attempt at reach and variety at the time, at least in the Western rock world, but Japan arguably outstripped the New York band with its sheer sense of theatrical style. To top it all off, the band was more popular than ever, with "Ghosts," an appropriately haunting ballad notable for its utterly minimal arrangement, almost entirely eschewing beats for Barbieri's textures and Jansen's work on marimba, becoming a Top Ten hit in the U.K. The wound-up dancefloor art grooves of "The Art of Parties" and especially "Visions of China," the latter featuring what has to be Karnand Jansen's eternal highlight performance (check out Jansen's jaw-dropping drum break) were also notable efforts. Meanwhile, the evocation of Chinese culture in general continued with such songs as "Canton," a slightly martial, stately march with clear inspiration from the country's classical music tradition, and the concluding "Cantonese Boy." - Allmusic.

                                                                                                                            A Half Speed Mastered edition of Japan's 5th studio album from 1981. Mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road studios. Features the singles "The Art Of Parties" and "Ghosts". This record was cut using a specialist technique known as half-speed mastering. This artisan process results in cuts that have superior high frequency response (treble) and solid and stable stereo images. In short, a very high quality master that helps to create a very high quality record. In addition to this, we will release this album as a double 45 RPM half-speed mastered edition. This is the ultimate for high quality reproduction as the faster the replay speed of the record, the higher the potential quality. Also, the shorter side times allow the level recorded to the master lacquer discs to be increased thereby improving the signal to noise ratio.

                                                                                                                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                            2xLtd LP Info: Half speed mastered edition. 2LP sets on 180gram vinyl, which play at 45rpm for enhanced fidelity.

                                                                                                                            LP Info: Standard 180gram 1LP.

                                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                                                            Cover of KAYA 40 by Bob Marley & The Wailers.

                                                                                                                            Bob Marley & The Wailers

                                                                                                                            KAYA 40

                                                                                                                            UMC

                                                                                                                            On August 24, The Marley Family, Island Records, and UMC celebrate 40 years of "Kaya", Bob Marley & The Wailers’ historic March 1978 release. This most special anniversary edition to date will feature Stephen 'Ragga' Marley’s exciting and vibrant new "Kaya 40" mixes of all ten tracks from the original album alongside its original mixes in 2CD and 180-gram 2LP configurations.

                                                                                                                            Bob Marley’s artistic legacy forever endures, and the 40th anniversary edition of "Kaya" only serves to reinforce just how much we all share the shelter of this special music.

                                                                                                                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                            2xLP Info: Two disc set featuring new, 'Kaya 40' mixes on one disc and the original album set on the other.

                                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                                                            Cover of The Voice Of Love by Julee Cruise.

                                                                                                                            Julee Cruise

                                                                                                                            The Voice Of Love

                                                                                                                            Sacred Bones

                                                                                                                              25 years after its initial release, Julee Cruise’s sophomore album The Voice of Love is being issued for the first time on vinyl as a deluxe 2xLP, and returning to print on CD.

                                                                                                                              In 1992, after the release of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, David Lynch, Angelo Badalamenti, and Julee Cruise returned to the studio with new compositions as well as the intent to craft previously instrumental score-based material from Fire Walk With Me and Wild at Heart into Julee Cruise songs. The result was 1993’s final studio album The Voice of Love, a gorgeous ethereal album, which like her debut “Floating Into The Night” had a dreamlike, cinematic feel to it.

                                                                                                                              “In the studio, David would always say ‘[sing] like an angel, like an angel…” Cruise remembers.

                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                              Cover of Mirage by Josefin Öhrn & The Liberation.

                                                                                                                              Josefin Öhrn & The Liberation

                                                                                                                              Mirage

                                                                                                                              Rocket

                                                                                                                              Having already been nominated for a Swedish Grammy with their debut EP, Diamond Waves, their full-length 2015 debut on Rocket Recordings, Horse Dance, marked out a territory in which beguiling repetition could sashay with sweet pop suss, melodic flourishes with experimental intensity, and it was summarily rapturously received on arrival, making new fans and earning them appearances at Roskilde Festival and Eindhoven Psych Lab. Their second effort Mirage, which follows a mere year after its predecessor, sees the band sculpting sprawling, hypnotic jams into elegant nocturnal serenades. “We agree on not remembering very much about how these tracks came about, that all of them were written on the road and that most of them came fully formed” note the band. “Most were really long to begin with, but we found it relieving to break away a bit from the mandatory psych jams a little bit. We also just realised that none of them were written in daylight, which might be why memory is so elusive.” Indeed, this hypnagogic approach seems to fit well with the primary inspiration for the five-piece, which centred on ‘the state where dreams, visions and the present are entwined’ .Mirage sees the band taking a chic tradition of avant-pop that extends all the way from Serge Gainsbourg and Françoise Hardy to Broadcast and Saint Etienne, and warping it mercilessly to their own darker ends. Whilst the brooding yet sultry ‘Sister Green Eyes’ is no less than a sharp slice of velveteen motorik-pop and ‘Looking For You’ reinvents three-chord garage-rock attack with mighty finesse, The Liberation are just as comfortable dealing out the heavy-lidded and electronically-driven ‘In Madrid’ or the dive in the hallucinatory deep end of ‘Circular Motion’, on which they’re aided and abetted by Lay Llamas’ Nicola Guinta. The seductive splendour of these ten songs åmake manifest a parallel world of disorientation and deliverance in which one would be a fool not to want to languish adrift . Fresh excitement for the band lies in wait, courtesy of a UK tour with Goat and an appearance at Liverpool International Festival Of Psychedelia.

                                                                                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                              Barry says: Driven and mesmerising psychedelic loops, snarling basses and full on funky-psych freakouts. Sweetly sung vocals contrast perfectly to the experimental backdrop, breaking out into moments of profound serenity. A perfectly measured combination, and just another essential part of this enthralling collection.

                                                                                                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                              Coloured LP Info: Purple & Green Swirl Effect Vinyl repress.

                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                              Cover of Sirens Of The Ditch: Deluxe Edition by Jason Isbell.

                                                                                                                              Jason Isbell

                                                                                                                              Sirens Of The Ditch: Deluxe Edition

                                                                                                                              New West

                                                                                                                                The debut album from accomplished guitarist and songwriter Jason Isbell, formerly of Drive By Truckers, is reissued with four unreleased tracks from the original recording sessions. The addition of those extra songs finds ‘Sirens Of The Ditch’ clocking in at 15 total tracks.

                                                                                                                                ‘Sirens Of The Ditch’’s mystical quality can be partially attributed to the FAME recording studio (Aretha Franklin, Duane Allman, Otis Redding) in Isbell’s hometown of Muscle Shoals, AL, where the album was recorded.

                                                                                                                                Co-produced by Isbell and Patterson Hood (Drive By Truckers), ‘Sirens Of The Ditch’ features Isbell singing lead vocals and playing guitar throughout, joined by Shonna Tucker (formerly of Drive By Truckers) on bass and Brad Morgan (Drive By Truckers) on drums. Several musicians pop in for cameos including Spooner Oldham and David Hood (Patterson’s father) on ‘Down In A Hole’, John Neff (formerly of Drive By Truckers) on ‘Dress Blues’ and Patterson himself guests on ‘Shotgun Wedding’.

                                                                                                                                “A strong debut, full of the kind of confident, charismatic songwriting that just can’t be taught.” - Pitckfork

                                                                                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                2xLP Info: Double LP format pressed on 180 gram vinyl with
                                                                                                                                digital download code included.

                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                Reduced Cover of Just Say No To The Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Industrial Death Machine by Gnod.

                                                                                                                                Gnod

                                                                                                                                Just Say No To The Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Industrial Death Machine

                                                                                                                                Rocket Recordings

                                                                                                                                Considering the current political climate, Gnod's newest outing was never going to be a particularly cheery affair. 'Just Say No To The Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Industrial Death Machine' is indeed political, it is wrought and angry, and it installs everything you would expect from a Gnod album, and adds to it exponentially. 'Bodies For Money' sets out as a state of intent from the off with a screaming pillar of feedback before launching headfirst into a barrage of percussion and punishing guitar. Settling slightly to leave sonic headroom for an angry muted voice is as symbolic as it is effective, giving the impression of fighting against the tide of noise and crushing weight of the background. 

                                                                                                                                'People' begins much more unceremonoiusly, pitching a looped vocal abstraction against rich and guttoral bass guitar and driving percussion. More akin to the aggressive Krautrock of their earlier years, but injected with a satisfying grit and industrious drive. The vocal segments are layered and amplified, giving the impression of a growing force speaking towards one end. This is music for protest, a soundtrack for forced disillusionment, a call to arms and it is as rousing as it is brilliant. 

                                                                                                                                The clanging of 'Paper Error' quickly becomes one of the more melodic points on the album, eschewing vocal snippets and ambient swells for a deft stoner-rock passage, before twisting and tunring into a rawkous and molten grinding thump. It's towering conclusion is inched upon you, like a frog boiling in water without jumping out. 

                                                                                                                                'Real Man' is rich in thunderous sub-bass, and propelled by galloping drums and a snarling monologue half-sung about our hero, the man in a dirty grey suit with a bag full of beers. Claging old-school punk littered with instrumental passages and cataclysmic breakdowns, screaming and feedback twisted and rolled into a voracious wall of noise and force. 

                                                                                                                                The epic closer 'Stick In The Wheel' grows from a vocal refusal of convention, accompanied by rhythmic guitar stabs and dark-ambient synth work, the constantly propulsive and militaristic rhythm perfectly befits the conventions of the previous numbers, acting as an anchor for the political tumult that preceeds it, before breaking down into a psychedelic and metallic distillation of rage into an eastern-tinged opium den percussive head-nodder. 

                                                                                                                                A driven and direct assault on the troubles of today, and a bold, bracing barrage of musical magma. Caustic, loud and captivating to the end. 

                                                                                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                Barry says: Brilliance as ever from Manchester noise-rock-drone-psych stalwarts Gnod. Brilliantly musical, stunningly direct and absolutely unmissable.

                                                                                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                Coloured LP Info: Black with Red Stripe repress.

                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                Cover of Chapel Perilous by Gnod.

                                                                                                                                Gnod

                                                                                                                                Chapel Perilous

                                                                                                                                Rocket Recordings

                                                                                                                                Chapel Perilous exists whereby the supernatural converges with the everyday - whatever one’s definition of reality, this psychological realm serves to prove it endlessly subjective and changeable. Robert Anton Wilson may have laid claim to the modern use of this phrase - as in his 1977 tome ‘Cosmic Trigger’ - yet there can be few musical outfits in the here and now more worthy of carrying on its tradition than Gnod. In more than a decade on the planet this singular Salford-birthed entity have married intrepid musical exploration with psychic fearlessness - not to mention a tendency to leave any tag or bracket one attempts to place on them utterly redundant. In a sense, the latest adventure bearing this title evolved both from the lengthy European tour that the band embarked upon in the wake of their stripped-down and paint-stripping 2017 opus Just Say No The Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Industrial Death Machine.

                                                                                                                                Yet recording in Supernova studio in Eindhoven under the auspices of Bob De Wit, the band found themselves free not only to lay down two tumultuous tracks that they had been honing and hammering into shape on the road - the pulverising fifteen-minute opener ‘Donovan’s Daughters’ and the bracingly brutal ‘Uncle Frank Says Turn It Down’ - but to sculpt more abstract material, utilising dubbed-out repetition, furious riff-driven rancour, bleak soundscapes and off-the-map experimentation to create an intimidating and invigorating tableau of dystopian dread and unflinching intensity. Always working purely on their own instincts and co-ordinates, Gnod’s pathway into unchartered territory continues to move firmly on with nary a care for the sanity of anyone in their surroundings. Chapel Perilous is a still more indomitable chapter in a transcendental travelogue from an iconoclastic institution that only gathers momentum with the passing of time. Wherever Gnod go in 2018 and beyond, expect reality to be reinvented anew, whatever the consequences

                                                                                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                Barry says: Gnod once again ripping everyone a new one with a heady mix of metallic drone, psychedelic ambience and visceral spoken-word musings, incisive cut-throat guitar lines and hypnotic scree. Classic, unbelievable Gnod. Killer.

                                                                                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                Coloured LP Info: Teal Blue repress.

                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                Cover of Simple Things (Reissue) by Zero 7.

                                                                                                                                Zero 7

                                                                                                                                Simple Things (Reissue)

                                                                                                                                New State Entertainment

                                                                                                                                Zero 7 were formed in 1997 by producers Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. In 2001 their debut album "Simple Things" was released selling over a million copies to date and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. Zero 7 were also nominated as Best Newcomer at the Brit Awards 2001. "Simple Things" peaked at no.28 in the UK album chart and spent 89 weeks on the chart. Stateside, the album hit no.4 on the Billboard Dance / Electronic album chart and stayed on that chart for 52 weeks.

                                                                                                                                Singles taken from the original album included ‘I Have Seen’ featuring Mozez, ‘Destiny’ featuring Sia & Sophie Barker, "In the Waiting Line" featuring Sophie Barker and "Distractions" featuring Sia. The LP has been out of print for almost two decades and second-hand copies of the original pressing are changing hands on Ebay and Discogs for upwards of £100!

                                                                                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                Andy says: Beautiful, lushly produced downtempo grooves topped with sweet melodies, somewhat akin to French masters Air but with soul and jazz flavours, this is a timeless classic, and every home should have one!

                                                                                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                2xCD Info: Special edition with an extra 11 tracks.

                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                Cover of Juju by Siouxsie & The Banshees.

                                                                                                                                Siouxsie & The Banshees

                                                                                                                                Juju

                                                                                                                                UMC

                                                                                                                                  An absolute classic from 1981. Budgie’s tribal drums and John McGeoch’s swirling guitars provide the perfect backdrop for Siouxsie’s distinctive vocals.

                                                                                                                                  This is one of four albums released by taken from the Siouxsie And The Banshees extensive studio catalog, each album appearing as it should on glorious 180-gram black vinyl.

                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                  Cover of Tinderbox by Siouxsie & The Banshees.

                                                                                                                                  Siouxsie & The Banshees

                                                                                                                                  Tinderbox

                                                                                                                                  UMC

                                                                                                                                    Originally release in 1986, this is one of four albums released by UMC from the Siouxsie And The Banshees extensive studio catalog, each album appearing as it should on glorious 180-gram black vinyl.

                                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                                    Cover of Join Hands by Siouxsie & The Banshees.

                                                                                                                                    Siouxsie & The Banshees

                                                                                                                                    Join Hands

                                                                                                                                    UMC

                                                                                                                                      This is one of four releases by UMC of classic Siouxsie And The Banshees LPs, each album appearing as it should on glorious 180-gram black vinyl. Join Hands was their second LP, originally release in 1979. Includes Playground Twist.

                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                      Cover of Through The Looking Glass by Siouxsie & The Banshees.

                                                                                                                                      Siouxsie & The Banshees

                                                                                                                                      Through The Looking Glass

                                                                                                                                      UMC

                                                                                                                                        This covers collection was originally released in 1987 and is one of four albums released by UMC, from the Siouxsie And The Banshees extensive studio catalog, each album appearing as it should on glorious 180-gram black vinyl.

                                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                                                        Cover of Bandwagonesque - Remastered Edition by Teenage Fanclub.

                                                                                                                                        Teenage Fanclub

                                                                                                                                        Bandwagonesque - Remastered Edition

                                                                                                                                        Sony

                                                                                                                                          Originally released on Creation Records, this long out of print classic has been re-mastered for the first time from the original tapes at Abbey Road Studios, London under the guidance of the band, Norman Blake, Gerard Love, and Raymond McGinley. Packaged in a faithful re-production of the original vinyl artwork and available on heavyweight 180g single vinyl.

                                                                                                                                          This is one of a series of five releases, and for each the band have also selected rarities, favourites and tracks previously unavailable on vinyl to include on a 7” with each album. These 7” singles each feature two tracks and are only available with the initial pressing of each album.

                                                                                                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                          Andy says: The Fannies' masterpiece (actually their second album, proper) exploded onto the scene in 1991, blowing away the cobwebs of bogus Baggy and insipid Shoegaze with a devil-may-care attitude and a hearty lifting of classic 70's rock riffing and tuneage. It's still amazing, and timeless today!

                                                                                                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                          Ltd LP Info: Limited edition includes bonus 7".

                                                                                                                                          Ltd LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                                                                          Cover of Thirteen - Remastered Edition by Teenage Fanclub.

                                                                                                                                          Teenage Fanclub

                                                                                                                                          Thirteen - Remastered Edition

                                                                                                                                          Sony

                                                                                                                                            Originally released on Creation Records, this long out of print classic has been re-mastered for the first time from the original tapes at Abbey Road Studios, London under the guidance of the band, Norman Blake, Gerard Love, and Raymond McGinley. Packaged in a faithful re-production of the original vinyl artwork and available on heavyweight 180g single vinyl.

                                                                                                                                            This is one of a series of five releases, and for each the band have also selected rarities, favourites and tracks previously unavailable on vinyl to include on a 7” with each album. These 7” singles each feature two tracks and are only available with the initial pressing of each album.

                                                                                                                                            STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                            Andy says: TFC's third album wasn't received as merrily as its predecessor by the UK music press. But where are they now hey!!?? To be fair, it lacked the panache and swagger of its predecessor but (most importantly) certainly not the tunes. In 1993 there was no-one around quite like them.

                                                                                                                                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                            Ltd LP Info: Limited edition includes bonus 7".

                                                                                                                                            Ltd LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                                                                            Cover of Grand Prix - Remastered Edition by Teenage Fanclub.

                                                                                                                                            Teenage Fanclub

                                                                                                                                            Grand Prix - Remastered Edition

                                                                                                                                            Sony

                                                                                                                                              Originally released on Creation Records, this long out of print classic has been re-mastered for the first time from the original tapes at Abbey Road Studios, London under the guidance of the band, Norman Blake, Gerard Love, and Raymond McGinley. Packaged in a faithful re-production of the original vinyl artwork and available on heavyweight 180g single vinyl. 

                                                                                                                                              This is one of a series of five releases, and for each the band have also selected rarities, favourites and tracks previously unavailable on vinyl to include on a 7” with each album. These 7” singles each feature two tracks and are only available with the initial pressing of each album.

                                                                                                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                              Andy says: Probably Teenage Fanclub's best ever album. Released in 1995 and spurred on by label mates Oasis ( doing something pretty similar, to be honest) igniting the scene, this record has classic song after classic song and still rings true to this day.

                                                                                                                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                              Ltd LP Info: Limited edition includes bonus 7".

                                                                                                                                              Ltd LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                                              Cover of Songs From Northern Britain - Remastered Edition by Teenage Fanclub.

                                                                                                                                              Teenage Fanclub

                                                                                                                                              Songs From Northern Britain - Remastered Edition

                                                                                                                                              Sony

                                                                                                                                                Originally released on Creation Records, this long out of print classic has been re-mastered for the first time from the original tapes at Abbey Road Studios, London under the guidance of the band, Norman Blake, Gerard Love, and Raymond McGinley. Packaged in a faithful re-production of the original vinyl artwork and available on heavyweight 180g single vinyl. 

                                                                                                                                                This is one of a series of five releases, and for each the band have also selected rarities, favourites and tracks previously unavailable on vinyl to include on a 7” with each album. These 7” singles each feature two tracks and are only available with the initial pressing of each album.

                                                                                                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                Andy says: Following their masterpiece with a more mature and restrained instalment, the once fun-loving and flippant Fannies got all thoughtful and mellowin 1997. The songs are still absolutely 18 carat, and none less than Norman's puzzlingly under the radar, scarf-waving classic "Winter".

                                                                                                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                Ltd LP Info: Limited edition includes bonus 7".

                                                                                                                                                Ltd LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                Cover of Howdy! - Remastered Edition by Teenage Fanclub.

                                                                                                                                                Teenage Fanclub

                                                                                                                                                Howdy! - Remastered Edition

                                                                                                                                                Sony

                                                                                                                                                  Originally released on Creation Records, this long out of print classic has been re-mastered for the first time from the original tapes at Abbey Road Studios, London under the guidance of the band, Norman Blake, Gerard Love, and Raymond McGinley. Packaged in a faithful re-production of the original vinyl artwork and available on heavyweight 180g single vinyl. 

                                                                                                                                                  This is one of a series of five releases, and for each the band have also selected rarities, favourites and tracks previously unavailable on vinyl to include on a 7” with each album. These 7” singles each feature two tracks and are only available with the initial pressing of each album.

                                                                                                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                  Andy says: Teenage Fanclub finally slow up with this year 2,000 record. It's still sweet, supremely well crafted, and in Raymond's "My Uptight Life" in particular, extraordinary, but it was no surprise that this release closed a particular chapter for this much-loved band.

                                                                                                                                                  FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                  Ltd LP Info: Limited edition includes bonus 7".

                                                                                                                                                  Ltd LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                  Cover of The Moldy Peaches by The Moldy Peaches.

                                                                                                                                                  The Moldy Peaches

                                                                                                                                                  The Moldy Peaches

                                                                                                                                                  Rough Trade

                                                                                                                                                    The Moldy Peaches were established in the mid-90s by Adam Green and Kimya Dawson, after meeting in upstate New York. The duo helped spawn the “anti-folk” music genre movement, bringing a more quirky, lo-fi punk element into the indie music scene. After releasing their own music for a few years, they collected their best material for a proper album, and in 2001 shared “The Moldy Peaches” via Rough Trade Records.

                                                                                                                                                    Known for their sense of humor, whimsy and self-deprecation, the album featured gems like “Downloading Porn With Dave” and Who’s Got The Crack”. In 2007, “Anyone Else But You” (another song from the aforementioned album), was used in the Academy Award winning movie Juno, and reignited the album’s cult popularity. Since then, the two founders have had continued success in their respective solo careers.

                                                                                                                                                    Kimya Dawson has also made children’s albums, and collaborated with many artists including Aesop Rock, They Might Be Giants, and The Mountain Goats. Adam Green has several albums on Rough Trade, as well as showing exhibitions of his visual art and making films.

                                                                                                                                                    We asked Adam Green what he thought about reissuing the album at this time....he said "It's been 17 years since this was last released and we are putting it out again just in time to capitalize on the popularity of Juno. JK LOL  we are slow at re-releasing stuff. We decided to ignore Barbara Walter's advice when she told us to strike when the iron was hot, and decided to wait until the iron had become safely tepid. Once a Moldy Peach, always a Moldy Peach. Bon appétit!"

                                                                                                                                                    “punk poets disguised as Nancy Sinatra and Dean Martin against a background of guitars and hiss...sweetly crazy and completely memorable.” -GUARDIAN

                                                                                                                                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                    Coloured LP Info: This is the first vinyl pressing of the album in 15 years, and includes a bonus 7" single of "County Fair" / "Rainbows".

                                                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                    Cover of Blue Valentine - Remastered by Tom Waits.

                                                                                                                                                    Tom Waits

                                                                                                                                                    Blue Valentine - Remastered

                                                                                                                                                    Epitaph UK

                                                                                                                                                      Blue Valentine is a big departure from earlier Waits albums. Trading the piano for the guitar, Waits is getting rawer and bluesier and title track is a great example of this. Waits is in transition here, so you also get a stunning orchestrated rendition of Gershwin’s “Somewhere”, and the beautiful piano ballad, “Kentucky Ave.”, but you also get the juke joint swagger of “Romeo Is Bleeding” and “Whistlin’ Past the Graveyard”. This is also the record that contains one of Waits’ most popular songs ever, “Christmas Card from A Hooker in Minneapolis.

                                                                                                                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                      Coloured LP Info: RSD Stores Exclusive transparent blue vinyl.

                                                                                                                                                      Coloured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                      Cover of The Lost Future by Dub Surgeon.

                                                                                                                                                      Dub Surgeon

                                                                                                                                                      The Lost Future

                                                                                                                                                      Ark To Ashes

                                                                                                                                                      This is a great, long lost album from the Dub Surgeon now finally released on Ark to Ashes. Engineered by one Ricardo Villalobos (!!) and a big one for fans of Rhythm & Sound, Echospace & Seekers International, this is oceanic and thoroughly psychedelized DUB MUSIK for the deep heads and should demand your immediate attention!

                                                                                                                                                      Devoid of traditional rhythmic structures, ideas and motifs drift in on waves of white noise and electrostatic; the 'rainforest' fx and exotica idents indeed predating the SKRS INTL blueprint by some years.

                                                                                                                                                      Smothered in tape delay and aquatic reverb, the music rests below the surface of a crystalline sea, an ancient dub story lost in the vast currents of the Pacific but, like a message in a bottle, impossible the destroy and ready to be uncovered by human life once again...

                                                                                                                                                      Highly, highly recommended!


                                                                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                      Matt says: Oh my! Just when you've exhausted the SRKS catalogue, here comes these 13 blissful tracks, suspended inna dub dreamscape, ready to take you off into another world. So good.

                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                      Cover of Soul Journey by Gillian Welch.

                                                                                                                                                      Gillian Welch

                                                                                                                                                      Soul Journey

                                                                                                                                                      Acony

                                                                                                                                                        To surpass 2001's brilliant "Time (The Revelator)" Gillian Welch has had to pull out all the stops for her new studio album "Soul Journey". The resulting ten tracks are amongst the finest acoustic music of 2003 with Welch's plaintive, emotional singing and deep felt beliefs impacting on the listener on many levels. It's music that brings a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat and its simple beauty will warm your soul.

                                                                                                                                                        FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                        Deluxe LP Info: Mastered direct from the original tapes through custom Ortofon amplifiers to the artists’ own personal Neumann VMS-80 cutting system.
                                                                                                                                                        Plated and pressed at Quality Record Pressings on 150 Gram audiophile quality vinyl.
                                                                                                                                                        Packaged in an "Old Style Tip-On" gatefold jacket with lyrics (for the first time) and with a printed sleeve.

                                                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                        Cover of Toni Tornado by Toni Tornado.

                                                                                                                                                        Toni Tornado

                                                                                                                                                        Toni Tornado

                                                                                                                                                        Mad About Records

                                                                                                                                                        Son of a Guyanese father and a Brazilian mother, at 11 years old Tony ran away from home and ended up in Rio de Janeiro where he became a street kid and made a living selling peanuts and shining shoes.

                                                                                                                                                        At 18 he served in the Deodoro School of Parachuting along with the futurely TV presenter and entrepreneur Silvio Santos. In 1957, he fought in the Suez Canal.

                                                                                                                                                        Tony began his artistic career in the 60s with the stage name Tony Checker, lip-synching and dancing on "Hoje é dia de Rock" show of Jair Taumaturgo. That time Tony imitated singers Chubby Checker and Little Richard. Even in the 60s, he traveled to the United States where he lived for five years in New York.

                                                                                                                                                        In New York, Tony served as drug dealer and pimp, to deceive the immigration department, pretending to be an employee of a car wash. At that time, Tony met another Brazilian who also lived in New York, the also singer Tim Maia.

                                                                                                                                                        Back in Brazil in 1969, he worked in the group of Ed Lincoln and also sang at night with the pseudonym Johnny Bradfort, the owner of the club forced him to pretend to be a foreigner.

                                                                                                                                                        In 1970, he adopted the name with he came to be known, "Tony Tornado". Influenced by James Brown, Tony was one of the artists who introduced soul music and funk in Brazilian music.

                                                                                                                                                        That same year, alongside Trio Ternura defended the song BR-3, which got the first place in the festival. His first role on television was in 1972 , in the 1972 telenovela "Jerônimo" on TV Tupi.

                                                                                                                                                        James Brown released "I'm Black and I'm Proud" during the height of the Black Power Movement in the United States in 1968. Brown's in-your-face approach to racial pride resonated in the U.S. ghettos as well as the slums abroad. Many black people, all around the world, embraced the Black Power soundtrack and consciousness. Working-class black cariocas (residents of Rio) of Zona Norte began using the English phrases "Black Power," "brother" and "black is beautiful." They played African-American soul records at their bailes(dances) and incorporated the lyrics and sounds into their music.

                                                                                                                                                        Maia, the godfather of música soul, spent five years in the United States. He came to know the sounds of black America intimately. When he returned to Brazil in 1964, Maia incorporated the soul and funk influences into his songs. By the 1970s, other Brazilian musicians, such as Tony tornado, Banda Black Rio, Cassiano, Gerson King Combo, Jorge Ben Jor and Gilberto Gil, began making soul records. DJs started throwing soul-only parties. This nova (new) music spoke to an experience - both universal and unique at the same time. The time period was known as "Black Rio. By the end of the '70s, funk and disco would take over where soul left off, but it was the latter that helped to shape a generation of artists around a universal black identity.

                                                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                        Cover of White1 by Sunn O))).

                                                                                                                                                        Sunn O)))

                                                                                                                                                        White1

                                                                                                                                                        Southern Lord

                                                                                                                                                          Fourth album from Sunn 0))), featuring a new expanded line-up with Julian Cope, Joe Preston (Thrones, ex-Earth, ex-Melvins) and Runhild Gammels (Thorr's Hammer vocalist). Sunn 0))) converged in August 2002 in Magnetic Park studios (curated by Rex Ritter of Fontanelle / ex-Jessamine) Portland, Oregon. The results of this diverse yet visionary collaboration are certainly Sunn 0)))'s most eclectic, pro/regressive birthing. Julian Cope guests on the incredible "My Wall". For fans of Earth, Jessamine, 70s Miles Davis, Warp Records and drugs!

                                                                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                          Cover of White2 by Sunn O))).

                                                                                                                                                          Sunn O)))

                                                                                                                                                          White2

                                                                                                                                                          Southern Lord

                                                                                                                                                          Fifth album from Greg Anderson and Stephen O'Malley aka Sunn O))). Unsuprisingly, "White 2" is the follow up to "White 1" and features contributions from Attilla Csihar (Mayhem, Tormentor, etc), Joe Preston (Thrones, ex-Melvins), Rex Ritter (Fontanelle) and Dawn Smithson. Sunn O))) is not your standard doom metal band... taking influences from legends Earth, adding electronica and stpping ahead of the crowd, Sunn O))) appeal to fans of electronic music, metal and experimental all at once.

                                                                                                                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                          2xLP Info: Double album in a gatefold sleeve.

                                                                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                          Cover of 45 84 89 A-Sides by The Fall.

                                                                                                                                                          The Fall

                                                                                                                                                          45 84 89 A-Sides

                                                                                                                                                          Beggars Banquet

                                                                                                                                                            Originally released in 1990, the seventeen songs collected here come from The Fall’s Brix Smith era, aka “the golden era of Fall releases.” This is a perfect introduction to the band, and as legendary critic Robert Christgau said, it’s “The only Fall record any normal person need own”.

                                                                                                                                                            The band’s legendary and notorious frontman Mark E. Smith passed away earlier this year at the age of 60. The band’s output since they formed at the height of the punk rock movement in Manchester in 1976 was prolific to say the least. It’s hard to be exact, but in their four decades, The Fall released 31 studio albums, 5 part-studio/part live albums, 32 live albums, 40 compilations, and Mark E. Smith also released two spoken word albums. Another high number is that of former members of The Fall. There were over 60 different band members over the years. Their high volume of quality work over the last 40+ years had an enormous influence which was extolled greatly after his death.

                                                                                                                                                            FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                            Coloured LP Info: White vinyl edition.

                                                                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                            Cover of Highs, Lows, And Heavenly Blows by Spectrum.

                                                                                                                                                            Spectrum

                                                                                                                                                            Highs, Lows, And Heavenly Blows

                                                                                                                                                            Medical Records

                                                                                                                                                              First time reissue on any format of the 1994 album by Spectrum. Spectrum is the project of Sonic Boom (ex-Spacemen 3 as well as Experimental Audio Research) and collaborators. Technically his 3rd album but the 2nd under the name Spectrum. Carrying on the signature sound exemplified on “Soul Kiss (Glide Divine)”, “Highs, Lows, And Heavenly Blows” lulls the listener into a deep trance with it’s droning and hypnotic tracks and treated vocals on top of a myriad of analog synths and Sonic’s recognizable guitar treatments. The first track “Undo the Taboo” sets the stage for a meditative ride that doesn’t let up until the last track. Absolutely crucial and long awaited reissue.

                                                                                                                                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                              LP Info: Second pressing on black 180 gram Vinyl.

                                                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                              Cover of Through The Looking Glass (2017 Re-Edition) by Midori Takada.

                                                                                                                                                              Midori Takada

                                                                                                                                                              Through The Looking Glass (2017 Re-Edition)

                                                                                                                                                              We Release Whatever The Fuck We We Want

                                                                                                                                                              Rightly considered to be THE Holy Grail of Japanese music, "Through The Looking Glass" was Midori Takada’s first solo endeavor, a captivating four-song suite capturing her deep quests into traditional African and Asian percussive language and exploring contemplative ambient sounds with an admirably precise use of marimba. The result is alternatively ethereal and vibrant, always precise and mesmerizing, and makes for an atmospheric masterpiece and an unparalleled sonic and spiritual experience. Thank Christ for Palto Flats and WRWTFWW, otherwise I'd have had to remortgage the house to buy a copy!

                                                                                                                                                              The fully licensed reissue is available as a single 33rpm LP and a limited 45rpm DLP, both cut directly from the original studio reels (AAA), at Emil Berliner (formerly the in-house recording department of renowned classical record label Deutsche Grammophon) for the 45rpm DLP, and at the equally famous Frankfurter SST Studio for the LP. It is also available in CD format for the first time. All versions come with extensive liner notes.


                                                                                                                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                              Ryan says: Every now and again we stock something which has the whole spectrum of our customers in palpitations. This WRWTFWW reissue was the perfect case in point. Suddenly indie kids, techno heads, Balearic beards and psych collectors were all united in rapturous counter chatter, all raving about this Japanese ambient classic. It’s time to join the conversation…

                                                                                                                                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                              2xDeluxe LP Info: Limited edition 2LP on 180g CRYSTAL CLEAR TRANSPARENT VINYL.
                                                                                                                                                              Ultra Deluxe 45rpm Cut Edition with Gatefold "Tip On" Sleeve.
                                                                                                                                                              Housed in heavy cardboard old Stoughton tip-on jacket (Gatefold).
                                                                                                                                                              Sticker.
                                                                                                                                                              45 rpm cut for highest possible Audiophile Sound made by Emil Berliner Studios.

                                                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                              Cover of Selected Ambient Works 85-92 - Official Vinyl Repress by Aphex Twin.

                                                                                                                                                              Aphex Twin

                                                                                                                                                              Selected Ambient Works 85-92 - Official Vinyl Repress

                                                                                                                                                              Apollo

                                                                                                                                                              Originally released in 1992 on R&S Records offshoot Apollo, "Selected Ambient Works 85-92" marks the first full length studio album by Richard D. James under his Aphex Twin name. Considered a landmark release in ambient techno, it's easy to see why it has endured. Feathery keys, dreamy production and trickling rhythms are drenched over distant samples from sources as diverse as Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory ("We Are The Music Makers"), Robocop ("Green Calx") and ethereal female vocals on opener "Xtal". Arguably some the most beautifully realised and majestic sounds of the revered musician's career.  The album provided the blueprint for every electronica, downbeat and chill-out record for years after. This is just one of those classic electronica releases that every home should have; melodic, semi-ambient and musical, this is AFX at his most accessible. Essential.




                                                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                              Cover of What Another Man Spills (Remastered 20th Anniversary Reissue) by Lambchop.

                                                                                                                                                              Lambchop

                                                                                                                                                              What Another Man Spills (Remastered 20th Anniversary Reissue)

                                                                                                                                                              City Slang

                                                                                                                                                              To celebrate its 20th anniversary, Lambchop’s 1998 album ’What Another Man Spills’ has been pressed to vinyl for the first time after it’s original release 20 years ago! Remastered from the original DAT and featuring refreshed artwork.

                                                                                                                                                              What Another Man Spills (1998) represents a milestone in Lambchop’s career, but not in the modern sense of a ‘landmark’ release. Building on foundations that had once sounded almost literally creaky, it expands upon the tentative manoeuvres they’d undertaken with the previous year’s Thriller (1997) and gestures confidently towards its brassy successor, Nixon, which would arrive in 2000 to wild acclaim and previously unimaginable commercial success.

                                                                                                                                                              Liner notes by Kurt Wagner himself.

                                                                                                                                                              FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                              2xColoured LP Info: 180g double heavyweight coloured vinyl (one LP yellow, one LP clear), plus liner notes.

                                                                                                                                                              2xColoured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                                                              2xLP Info: 180 double vinyl plus liner notes.

                                                                                                                                                              2xLP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                              Cover of Soundtracks For The Blind - Reissue by Swans.

                                                                                                                                                              Swans

                                                                                                                                                              Soundtracks For The Blind - Reissue

                                                                                                                                                              Mute

                                                                                                                                                                SWANS Soundtracks for the Blind - originally released in 1996, and the band’s last studio album prior to their 2010 reformation - will be released for the first time on vinyl by Mute / Young God Records on 20 July 2018.

                                                                                                                                                                Much requested by Swans fans, the vinyl package will consist of four LPs in jackets enclosed in a box with a poster, insert and digital copy. The box set will be a limited edition of 4,000 copies worldwide and, once sold out, will be followed by a gatefold LP version. Soundtracks for the Blind will also be reissued on CD featuring a repackage of the original digipak for the 1996 Atavistic release plus a bonus disc of the contemporaneous Die Tür Ist Zu EP (a German language version of some of the material from Soundtracks that also includes unique material) recently released for the first time on vinyl in the USA for Record Store Day 2018. Outside of the US, the Die Tür Ist Zu EP will be released as a limited edition companion piece double vinyl set, also on 20 July.

                                                                                                                                                                “This album has everything in there – all the ideas from Swans’ initial 15 years of work. There’s some contemporary recordings of the band as it existed in ‘96/7, with Larry Mullins on drums/percussion, Jarboe singing and playing keyboards, Vudi playing electric guitar, and Joe Goldring playing bass and electric guitar, and me singing and playing electric and acoustic guitar, but there’s also a huge amount of sounds and recordings that Jarboe and I collected over the years. These are reassembled, looped, mangled, and in many cases overdubbed upon to create new pieces of music… I really set my own trap, dug my own grave on this one. There was SO MUCH material to deal with, to sift through (whole trunks full of decomposing, moldy cassettes and discs with samples and sounds), and the task of making it into something coherent was at times debilitating. Really like climbing up a mountain of sand. I don’t remember why I set this goal for myself, to somehow incorporate such a ridiculously disparate amount of material. I think maybe it was so I could justify throwing all that crap into the local dump, which is what I did when I finished the album. But in the end, after centuries of picking at this huge iceberg of material with a toothpick, my trusty engineer Chris Griffin and I managed to sculpt something out of it. It actually breathes, seems to live, in most places I think. … When I decided to reform Swans in 2010 Soundtracks was what I referred to as a starting point”. 
                                                                                                                                                                - Michael Gira / Swans 2018.

                                                                                                                                                                “Now that this last phase of Swans is over, I'm not quite sure it actually happened. It's already fading, like most things. I think we achieved something there though, and it was good after shows to go out and meet people and get a sense of how the music has affected them, either that night or through the years. I'm always touched when I hear the music has had a salutary effect on someone, since it's had the same effect on me - which is why I do it. So, even if the details are increasingly hazy, I feel we've left something positive behind, and perhaps contributed something worthwhile.

                                                                                                                                                                Now, as is natural, I'm looking towards what comes next. I'm currently writing new material for the next phase of Swans, some of which I'll perform on my upcoming solo tours. Sitting there alone on stage with a dead piece of wood and some wires and just my voice is a challenge I set for myself a number of years ago, trying to fully inhabit the same thread that's run through the music all along, with the simplest of means. I think I've gotten pretty good at it over time. I play the guitar my own way. I've never really learned how to play it conventionally and I don't care to do so. I could just as easily be hitting two rocks together. It provides a context for the voice and words, and just as in the music of Swans, when all the elements (known and unknowable) combine, it can lead to something beyond itself, which is always the place I'd like to go: somewhere else. I hope to see you there."
                                                                                                                                                                - Michael Gira / Swans 2018.


                                                                                                                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                4xLP Box Set includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                Cover of Die Tür Ist Zu by Swans.

                                                                                                                                                                Swans

                                                                                                                                                                Die Tür Ist Zu

                                                                                                                                                                Mute

                                                                                                                                                                  Die Tür Ist Zu EP is a German language version of some of the material from The Swans "Soundtracks For The Blind" and also includes unique material. It was recently released for the first time on vinyl in the USA for Record Store Day 2018 and is now available in the UK.

                                                                                                                                                                  FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                  2xLP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                  Cover of Call Me By Your Name - OST by Various Artists.

                                                                                                                                                                  Various Artists

                                                                                                                                                                  Call Me By Your Name - OST

                                                                                                                                                                  SONY Classical

                                                                                                                                                                    Released on the 'Sony Classical' label, "Call Me By Your Name" is a sensual and transcendent tale of first love, based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman. Summer of 1983, Northern Italy. An American-Italian is enamored by an American student who comes to study and live with his family. Together they share an unforgettable summer full of music, food, and romance that will forever change them.

                                                                                                                                                                    Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His debut album A Sun Came was released in 2000 on the Asthmatic Kitty label which he cofounded with his stepfather. He is perhaps best known for his 2005 album Illinois, which hit number one on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart, and for the single Chicago from that album.

                                                                                                                                                                    Ryuichi Sakamoto is a Japanese musician, composer, record producer, pianist, activist, writer, actor and dancer, based in Tokyo and New York. 

                                                                                                                                                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                    Coloured LP Info: Limited edition 180g blue vinyl.

                                                                                                                                                                    2xColoured LP 2 Info: The is the special Limited Peach Season Edition. The records are pressed on peach-coloured vinyl and the gatefold sleeve has a peach scent. 14,999 individually numbered copies are available, but only in Peach Harvest season.

                                                                                                                                                                    Ltd LP Info: Black vinyl edition.

                                                                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                    Cover of The Order Of Change by Orquestra De Las Nubes.

                                                                                                                                                                    Orquestra De Las Nubes

                                                                                                                                                                    The Order Of Change

                                                                                                                                                                    Music From Memory

                                                                                                                                                                    Following on from a retrospective compilation of solo work and an album of recent work in 2016, Music From Memory continue to explore the work of Spanish ambient and experimental pioneer Suso Saiz. The subject of Music From Memory’s latest compilation focuses on Suso Saiz’s output as part of the group Orquesta De Las Nubes, formed by Suso Saiz and percussionist Pedro Estevan when the two met whilst studying a course on ‘Techniques of Contemporary Composition’ in Madrid.
                                                                                                                                                                    Sharing a curiosity for American minimalist and Non-Western music, the pair began to share music through many listening sessions, during which the idea slowly evolved to try and make music together. Pedro’s partner at the time, soprano singer María Villa, would later join the two on vocals. With Suso’s sparse use of guitar loops, synthesizers, and drum computers in combination with the hypnotic percussion of Pedro Estevan and the wordless drifting vocals of María Villa, Orquesta De La Nubes would evolve as a group with a truly unique musical language; an ethereal and almost otherworldly musical realm.
                                                                                                                                                                    Developing at first as a live act, through a number of performances in Madrid and beyond, Orquesta De Las Nubes was very much connected with, and inspired by, the avant-garde arts scene in Madrid at the time. Throughout their shows, a close circle of friends, including a number of painters, sculptors and designers, would collaborate with the trio to create unique imagery and elaborate stage sets for the group’s performances.
                                                                                                                                                                    Yet, despite the growing fascination surrounding Orquesta De Las Nubes’ live performances, the trio would however find it extremely difficult to find a label willing to release their music on record. The group’s then manager Silvia Lovosevic therefore decided to set up her own label ‘Linterna Música’ in order to make the work available. The group would release three albums between 1983-1987, two on the Linterna Musica label as well as an album and CD compilation of live tracks on the cult Spanish label ‘Grabacionnes Accidentales’.
                                                                                                                                                                    Between this period the trio would also team up with American percussionist Glen Velez to record as the group ‘Musica Esporadica’; a one-off project in which they recorded a single album of the same name in 1985. ‘Musica Esporadica’ will be released on Music From Memory in 2019.

                                                                                                                                                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                    Patrick says: MFM continue their fruitful relationship with Spain's Suso Saiz via the gentle melodies, sprightly rhythms and rich textures of the Orquestra De Las Nubes. Impressionistic vignettes and soothing atmospheres drift out the speakers like a lost PCO / Cocteaus collab.

                                                                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                    Cover of Worship The Glitch by ElpH Vs Coil.

                                                                                                                                                                    ElpH Vs Coil

                                                                                                                                                                    Worship The Glitch

                                                                                                                                                                    Dais Records

                                                                                                                                                                    Dais Records is proud to announce the official reissue of "ELpH vs Coil - Worship the Glitch". Remastered by engineer Josh Bonati and supervised by Coil's Drew McDowall, the vinyl release is pressed onto double 12" LP vinyl (from the original 10" release), and is packaged in a gorgeous 24pt stock matte gatefold LP with sticker and vellum track listing insert. . Also available on digipack CD.

                                                                                                                                                                    "Unexplainable" may well be the best explanation for the members of the UK based electronic outfit COIL. Making a radical shift from intentional accessibility, by means of traditional pop songwriting, to abstract happenstance, Coil had entered into a new phase in their career...uncharted waters utilizing what was then the newest computer technology, digital and analog synthesis and the newly formed ideas that something outside of themselves was steering the ship.

                                                                                                                                                                    During the studio sessions that developed into what would become “Worship the Glitch”. Coil became aware of random compositions emitting from their gear, and were at odds with constant ͞”accidents” that were perpetually plaguing the recordings. The band called these unintentional emissions "ELpH": a conceptual being that is one part physical equipment, one part celestial being...constantly playing the role of trickster, throwing a wrench into Coil’s methodology. Eventually, these accidents and mistakes were embraced by the band, and the process of misusing audio software to create intentional "errors" was adopted as a musical technique. The acceptance of the "mistake", and the use of discovered mistakes as intentional elements slowly became the drive and concept behind the album, thus birthing the title “Worship the Glitch”.

                                                                                                                                                                    Originally released in 1995 on Coil’s in-house imprint Eskaton, Worship the Glitch was Coil’s first proper album-length attempt at conceptual ambient composition, with a radical focus on chance. Seamless vignettes of shattered electronics (though ebbing softly and in delicate balance with each other) provide an underlying uncertainty and discomfort to the listener. 


                                                                                                                                                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                    2xColoured LP Info: Limited edition of 500 on TRANSLUCENT YELLOW.

                                                                                                                                                                    2xLtd LP Info: Limited edition of 500 on BLACK VINYL.

                                                                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                    Cover of Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake - 50th Anniversary by Small Faces.

                                                                                                                                                                    Small Faces

                                                                                                                                                                    Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake - 50th Anniversary

                                                                                                                                                                    Sanctuary Records

                                                                                                                                                                      Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake is the third studio album and first concept album by the English rock band Small Faces. Released on 24 May 1968, the LP peaked at number one on the UK Album Charts on 29 June, where it remained for a total of six weeks. The title and the design of the distinctive packaging was a parody of Ogden's Nut-brown Flake, a brand of tobacco.

                                                                                                                                                                      These deluxe, Art Of The Album versions celebrate this seminal records 50th anniversary.

                                                                                                                                                                      Vinyl cut at half speed mastering for finest audio quality at Alchemy Mastering.
                                                                                                                                                                      New liners notes by acclaimed music journalist Jon Savage.


                                                                                                                                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                      Ltd LP Info: LP comes with 12” x 12” art print.
                                                                                                                                                                      180g LP also contains 6 page roll fold booklet.

                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of Lord Of Lords by Alice Coltrane.

                                                                                                                                                                      Alice Coltrane

                                                                                                                                                                      Lord Of Lords

                                                                                                                                                                      Superior Viaduct

                                                                                                                                                                      Originally released in 1972, Lord Of Lords was Alice Coltrane’s final album for Impulse! and the last installment in her awe-inspiring trilogy that also included Universal Consciousness and World Galaxy. While all three records featured strings alongside a jazz ensemble, Lords Of Lords stood apart from its predecessors due to the sheer size of the orchestra (12 violins, 6 violas and 7 cellos, arranged and conducted by Coltrane herself) and its refined, blissful performances—shining a vital light on the devotional path that she would follow for the rest of her career. On the first two pieces, “Andromeda’s Suffering” and “Sri Rama Ohnedaruth” (titled after the spiritual name for her late husband), Alice’s dazzling piano and harp blend perfectly with the blanket of strings, while the haunting rhythm section of Charlie Haden and Ben Riley and a magnificent, droning electric organ emerge immaculately on the title track and closer “Going Home.” Coltrane’s musical vision is bold in its imagination and cosmic in scope, yet remains intensely personal and immediate. Lord Of Lords points inward as much as to the beyond, recalling her classical roots and recasting Eastern modes to radically invert the American avant-garde and spiritual jazz traditions. This first-time vinyl reissue has been carefully remastered from the original master tapes.



                                                                                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                      Patrick says: Super spiritual tackle from Alice here, harnessing the power of a twenty five person orchestra to deliver her devotional compositions with true zeal.

                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of Blank Generation by Richard Hell & The Voivoids.

                                                                                                                                                                      Richard Hell & The Voivoids

                                                                                                                                                                      Blank Generation

                                                                                                                                                                      Rhino

                                                                                                                                                                        Consistently heralded as one of the most influential punk albums of all time, Richard Hell & The Voidoid’s “Blank Generation” is now available on coloured vinyl.

                                                                                                                                                                        FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                        Coloured LP Info: 140g Solid Orange Vinyl.

                                                                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                        Cover of Stories (Reissue) by Masayoshi Fujita.

                                                                                                                                                                        Masayoshi Fujita

                                                                                                                                                                        Stories (Reissue)

                                                                                                                                                                        Erased Tapes

                                                                                                                                                                          Ahead of the release of his new album Book Of Life, Erased Tapes will re-issue Stories, the first in a trilogy of vibraphone solo albums by Berlin-based composer Masayoshi Fujita. This quietly exquisite album is like a book of illustrations, evoking scenes of natural beauty and poetic poignancy that combines climactic crescendos laced with electronic detail and luxurious melody. Stories is the beginning of Masayoshi’s mission in bringing the vibraphone — a relatively new invention in the history of instruments often kept in the background in orchestras and jazz outfits — into the spotlight. Having trained as a drummer, Masayoshi began experimenting with the vibraphone, preparing its bars with kitchen foil or beads, playing it with the cello bow or using the other end of the mallets to create a more ambient texture of sound. Focussing on the vibraphone in this way sets Masayoshi apart, dedicating his artistic life to celebrating this fascinating and often under appreciated instrument and making his take on ambient and modern compositional styles a unique one.

                                                                                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                          Cover of Oh My Gawd!!!... The Flaming Lips by The Flaming Lips.

                                                                                                                                                                          The Flaming Lips

                                                                                                                                                                          Oh My Gawd!!!... The Flaming Lips

                                                                                                                                                                          Rhino

                                                                                                                                                                            The Flaming Lips are on a roll in 2018. Their campaign continues with the releases of the Restless-era studio albums on vinyl, as well as a double-LP of rarities. All of the music on vinyl has been remastered from original sources by the band’s longtime musical foil and producer, David Fridmann, with help from the Lips’ Wayne Coyne and Michael Ivins, with lacquers cut at Sterling Sound. Additionally, the studio albums – which have been out of print for years – have been restored to their original cover art.

                                                                                                                                                                            Oh My Gawd!!!... The Flaming Lips, released in 1987, opens and closes with references to The Beatles. It starts with the quote “take this, brother. May it serve you well” “Revolution 9”, and closes with “turn off your mind, relax” from “Tomorrow Never Knows".

                                                                                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                            Cover of Hear It Is by The Flaming Lips.

                                                                                                                                                                            The Flaming Lips

                                                                                                                                                                            Hear It Is

                                                                                                                                                                            Rhino

                                                                                                                                                                              The Flaming Lips are on a roll in 2018. Their campaign continues with the releases of the Restless-era studio albums on vinyl, as well as a double-LP of rarities. All of the music on vinyl has been remastered from original sources by the band’s longtime musical foil and producer, David Fridmann, with help from the Lips’ Wayne Coyne and Michael Ivins, with lacquers cut at Sterling Sound. Additionally, the studio albums – which have been out of print for years – have been restored to their original cover art. 

                                                                                                                                                                              Hear It Is (1986) was The Flaming Lips’ first full-length album, and the first with Wayne Coyne on lead vocals, taking over from his brother Mark after leaving the band.

                                                                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                              Cover of Telepathic Surgery by The Flaming Lips.

                                                                                                                                                                              The Flaming Lips

                                                                                                                                                                              Telepathic Surgery

                                                                                                                                                                              Rhino

                                                                                                                                                                                The Flaming Lips are on a roll in 2018. Their campaign continues with the releases of the Restless-era studio albums on vinyl, as well as a double-LP of rarities. All of the music on vinyl has been remastered from original sources by the band’s longtime musical foil and producer, David Fridmann, with help from the Lips’ Wayne Coyne and Michael Ivins, with lacquers cut at Sterling Sound. Additionally, the studio albums – which have been out of print for years – have been restored to their original cover art.

                                                                                                                                                                                Telepathic Surgery from 1989 includes the Sub Pop single “Drug Machine In Heaven” which was the band’s first official single.

                                                                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                Cover of At First Sight Violets Are Blue by The Stems.

                                                                                                                                                                                The Stems

                                                                                                                                                                                At First Sight Violets Are Blue

                                                                                                                                                                                Citadel Records

                                                                                                                                                                                  To coincide with The Stem's 30th anniversary tour celebrating the release of their 1987 debut album At First Sight Violets are Blue, Citadel Records are set to reissue the long deleted title as a limited digipak 'anniversary edition' CD. The album has been digitally re-mastered and includes 3 bonus tracks. The vinyl is limited to 500.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Originally released through Mushroom Records' White Label, the album was first pressed in mid-1987. The title track At First Sight and subsequent singles For Always and Sad Girl gained mainstream airplay. They are one of only a handful of Australian bands to crack the mainstream charts with an indie approach in the late 80's, influencing a host of new local bands to emulate their brand of garage rock and roll.

                                                                                                                                                                                  At First Sight became the band's signature track and the album is still rated as one of the best Australian guitar pop releases. In 1993 Rolling Stone Magazine included it in the top 100 Australian releases to date. The album attained gold record status in 2007. Seminal Australian 60s influenced 80s pop…all of em antipodean Nuggets!

                                                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  Cover of La Vie Electronique Volume 1.2 by Klaus Schulze.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Klaus Schulze

                                                                                                                                                                                  La Vie Electronique Volume 1.2

                                                                                                                                                                                  One Way Static

                                                                                                                                                                                  Now available for the first time on vinyl, One Way Static Records presents the THIRD volume in our new archival series ‘La Vie Electronique’. This volume (1.2) focuses on the years 1970-1972 and is spread over two glorious LP’s containing +77 minutes of Klaus Shulze rarities. This deluxe vinyl set also comes with an insert containing extensive liner notes. Available as a limited classic black vinyl retail edition (700 copies) with obi strip.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Klaus Schulze is a German electronic music pioneer, composer and musician that needs very little introduction. In the late sixties & early seventies he was a member of several iconic bands such as ‘Tangerine Dream’, ‘The Cosmic Jokers’ & ‘Ash Ra Tempel’ before launching a solo career consisting of more than 60 albums released across five decades. Collaborations were numerous and highlights include working with Steve Winwood, Brian Eno & Alphaville… just to name a few.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Klaus Schulze’s proto moog-synthesizer work is regarded as a milestone in electronic music & during the decades he released landmark albums in genres catalogued as ‘Ambient’, ‘Electronic’, ‘New Age’, ‘Berlin School’, ‘Experimental’, ‘Kosmische Musik’ & ‘Krautrock’. Mr. Schulze had a more organic sound than most electronic artists of the time, often he would throw in decidedly non-electronic sounds such as acoustic guitar and a male operatic voice. Schulze is also known for developing a Minimoog technique that sounds uncannily like an electric guitar, which is quite impressive in concert.

                                                                                                                                                                                  On occasions he would also compose film scores such as Body Love 1977), Barracuda (1978), Next of Kin (1982), & Angst (1983). His best known song ‘Freeze’ has been used in films like Manhunter (1986) and more recently in Sofia Coppola’s ‘The Bling Ring’ from 2013.

                                                                                                                                                                                  In 2009, producer Klaus D. Mueller and Schulze began releasing La Vie Electronique ("The Electronic Life"), a series of sets that collected rare sought-after early works & unreleased tracks put in chronological sequence. These sets contain some of the best music Klaus ever created and are early 70’s masterworks that will appeal to both fans and collectors.


                                                                                                                                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                  Barry says: Schulze, as one of the masters in the vast pool of talent that is the world of 70's synths, has an impeccable understanding of tone, texture and melody. Here, we get some of the lesser heard gems of his catalogue, beautifully presented and perfectly sequenced for a long, hypnotic undertaking. Absolute essential.

                                                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  Cover of Labcabincalifornia by The Pharcyde.

                                                                                                                                                                                  The Pharcyde

                                                                                                                                                                                  Labcabincalifornia

                                                                                                                                                                                  Concord Music Group

                                                                                                                                                                                  The sophomore follow-up to the wildly successful "Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde", "Labcabincalifornia" showcases the production talents of a then virtually unknown J Dilla. The first single from the album, the Dilla-produced "Drop" was a hit and the accompanying music video, performed backwards and replayed backwards by director Spike Jonze, reinforced the group’s wildly creative reputation. The album would go on to produce two more successful singles: "Runnin", which peaked at #55 and "She Said". This reissue features vinyl cut under the supervision of Dave Cooley (J Dilla, Madlib) at Elysian Masters.

                                                                                                                                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                  Matt says: Inspiring a generation on 'cool', The Pharcyde was the stuff of mixtape folklore amongst music fans across the board in the pre-Internet days. 25 years and the world's changed somewhat, but the message and delivery presented here still rings true.

                                                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  Cover of Oh, Good Grief by Vince Guaraldi.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Vince Guaraldi

                                                                                                                                                                                  Oh, Good Grief

                                                                                                                                                                                  Warner Proper

                                                                                                                                                                                  In 1968, Vince made a label switch from his long-time home, Fantasy Records, to his new label, Warner Bros. Records. For his inaugural album, he decided to re-interpret his Peanuts classics on Oh, Good Grief! In addition to the instantly recognizable Guaraldi sound of piano, bass, and drums, this time he added electric guitar and electric harpsichord to the mix. The record was a smash hit.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Now, for its 50th anniversary, Omnivore Recordings is proud to present the album the way the world first heard it as stated on the original album’s back cover, “on shiny black vinyl.” Well, actually, this special pressing is “on shiny red vinyl!” Mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed at RTI, this timeless album has never sounded better.

                                                                                                                                                                                  With songs like “Linus And Lucy,” the special was a hit and for over five decades not a holiday season goes by without an airing of the television classic. So potent and successful was the Peanuts/Guaraldi combination that Guaraldi went on to score a total of 15 Peanuts television specials and the first feature film.

                                                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  Cover of Loc-ed After Dark by Tone-Loc.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Tone-Loc

                                                                                                                                                                                  Loc-ed After Dark

                                                                                                                                                                                  Concord Music Group

                                                                                                                                                                                  The debut album by West Coast emcee Tone-Loc, "Loc-ed After Dark" features two collaborations with a pre-fame Young MC that would rocket the artist to the top of the pop charts: “Wild Thing,” the first Top 10 Pop hit for a black rapper, and the follow-up smash, “Funky Cold Medina.” The former reached #1 on the Billboard chart, while the latter topped out at #3. The net result was a #1 album, making it only the second rap album to top the charts at the time (the Beastie Boys’ "License to Ill" was the first). RIAA certified double platinum, Tone-Loc’s debut remains a hallmark of West Coast party rock, mixed with a healthy dose of streetwise swagger. This reissue features vinyl cut under the supervision of Dave Cooley (J Dilla, Madlib) at Elysian Masters.

                                                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  Cover of Stone Cold Rhymin’ by Young MC.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Young MC

                                                                                                                                                                                  Stone Cold Rhymin’

                                                                                                                                                                                  Concord Music Group

                                                                                                                                                                                  The debut album by Young MC, "Stone Cold Rhymin’" reached #9 on the Billboard album chart upon its original release in 1989 and spawned the GRAMMY® Award-winning (Best Rap Performance), ubiquitous party anthem, “Bust A Move” Featuring clever, acrobatic rhymes by Young MC and skillful production by Matt Dike, Michael Ross and the Dust Brothers, the album remains one of the most catchy, infectious party records of all time. Fun fact: the album features Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers holding down the groove on bass. This reissue features vinyl cut under the supervision of Dave Cooley (J Dilla, Madlib) at Elysian Masters.

                                                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  Cover of Viva Disco by Tunde Mabadu.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Tunde Mabadu

                                                                                                                                                                                  Viva Disco

                                                                                                                                                                                  Mr Bongo

                                                                                                                                                                                  Official Mr Bongo reissue of the ultra-rare Nigerian disco-boogie, ‘Viva Disco’, album from 1980. Originally released on the Afrodisia label, this one is unknown to even the most knowledgable collectors out there.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Tunde Mabadu recorded two albums in the 70’s - ‘Viva Disco’ and ‘Bisu’ as Tunde Mabadu & His Sunrise. Perfect examples of golden-era Nigerian disco & boogie that still hold their own today.

                                                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                  Cover of Split LP (Repress) by Ty Segall / Black Time.

                                                                                                                                                                                  Ty Segall / Black Time

                                                                                                                                                                                  Split LP (Repress)

                                                                                                                                                                                  Telephone Explosion

                                                                                                                                                                                    A 180 gram repress of a classic record in Ty's career. Constantly referred to as his best early work. Originally released in 2009, the Ty Segall / Black Time split LP highlights a dichotomy between two vastly different musical climates. Ty Segall plants himself firmly in the California sun with seven unreleased (and reverb-drenched) tracks. Black Time infiltrate their side like a disorienting British fog, stumbling through six songs in a most cacophonous way. This repress offers fans a chance to lay their hands on a highly desirable record, priced much lower than the original, which sells for around 50 USD.

                                                                                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                    Cover of Paid In Full by Eric B & Rakim.

                                                                                                                                                                                    Eric B & Rakim

                                                                                                                                                                                    Paid In Full

                                                                                                                                                                                    UMC

                                                                                                                                                                                    The major label massive come through with something for the heads here, hooking us up with f-f-f-fresh reissues of Eric B & Rakim's four iconic studio albums. First in the series is the NYC duo's game-changing debut "Paid In Full", a perfect example of Eric B's break-fuelled, lo-fi beats and scratch prowess and Rakim's revolutionary flow. Though the mighty and mega title track may be the stand out track here (crossover classics don't come much better), the boombox fire of "I Ain't No Joke", slow and sludgy "My Melody" and neck-snapping groove of "I Know You Got Soul" would be standouts on any other record.



                                                                                                                                                                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                                    2xLP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                    Cover of Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again - Reissue by Tim Hecker.

                                                                                                                                                                                    Tim Hecker

                                                                                                                                                                                    Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again - Reissue

                                                                                                                                                                                    Kranky

                                                                                                                                                                                      Reissue of 2001 debut album of renowned ambient / noise / electronic artist 

                                                                                                                                                                                      Originally issued on the Alien8 label and now long out-of-print.

                                                                                                                                                                                      This is the first reissue of Tim Hecker’s classic 2001 debut full-length. The original recordings were remixed by Tim Hecker and mastered by Matt Colton at Alchemy Mastering.

                                                                                                                                                                                      Press quotes for Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again:
                                                                                                                                                                                      "Haunt Me is alien, amorphous and occasionally noisy, but always welcoming.” Pitchfork
                                                                                                                                                                                      "Haunt Me Haunt Me, Do It Again is a brilliant album of subtle, evocative mood music.” AllMusic
                                                                                                                                                                                      "Hecker was already on a different wavelength with Haunt Me, clearly seeking something that would trigger ASMR-induced enlightenment, and he ran with it.” Stereogum. 


                                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of Radio Amor - Reissue by Tim Hecker.

                                                                                                                                                                                      Tim Hecker

                                                                                                                                                                                      Radio Amor - Reissue

                                                                                                                                                                                      Kranky

                                                                                                                                                                                        Reissue of classic 2003 album by renowned ambient / noise / electronic artist.

                                                                                                                                                                                        Originally released on Alien8 and now long out-of-print.

                                                                                                                                                                                        Press quotes for Radio Amor:

                                                                                                                                                                                        "Hecker at his most painterly and evocative.” Pitchfork

                                                                                                                                                                                        "Radio Amor has a simultaneous tangible/intangible quality that is both miraculous and enigmatic.” Tiny Mix Tapes

                                                                                                                                                                                        "Tim Hecker may be the finest sonic photographer around, the re-release of Radio Amor being further evidence for this claim.” Brainwashed

                                                                                                                                                                                        "Hecker’s 2003 standout is a stirringly emotional narrative, without the slightest aid of a single voice.” Treble

                                                                                                                                                                                        "A slow-shifting mix of steely headrush and protracted morse code dispatches from the bottom of the ocean.” Dusted 


                                                                                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                        [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                        Cover of Foreign Affairs - Remastered by Tom Waits.

                                                                                                                                                                                        Tom Waits

                                                                                                                                                                                        Foreign Affairs - Remastered

                                                                                                                                                                                        Epitaph UK

                                                                                                                                                                                          1977’s Foreign Affairs takes the jazz and poetry that Tom Waits explored on his earlier albums in a more cinematic direction, foreshadowing his own breakthrough work in the 80s. Opening with the instrumental “Cinny’s Waltz” and featuring some new standards like “Muriel” and “I Never Talk To Strangers”, his dramatic duet with Bette Midler, this album gets into some of Waits’ most ambitious storytelling ever. Foreign Affairs also features the jazzy, colorful “Jack and Neil” and the sweeping, dramatic “Potters Field” as well as classic Waits ballads “Burma Shave” and “Sight for Sore Eyes”.

                                                                                                                                                                                          FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                                          Coloured LP Info: RSD Stores Exclusive 180g Opaque Grey Vinyl.

                                                                                                                                                                                          Coloured LP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                                                                                          [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                          [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                          Cover of Time For Heroes by The Libertines.

                                                                                                                                                                                          The Libertines

                                                                                                                                                                                          Time For Heroes

                                                                                                                                                                                          Rough Trade

                                                                                                                                                                                            Bringing together the tracks that defined a generation, from their epochal debut "Up The Bracket" and feted, self-titled follow-up, "Time For Heroes" is a timely reminder of the unique talent of Albion's favourite sons Pete Doherty, Carl Barât, John Hasall and Gary Powell.
                                                                                                                                                                                            The album also includes ‘Don’t Look Back Into The Sun’ and ‘What A Waster’, which have never previously been available on either of the band’s albums.

                                                                                                                                                                                            The collection includes the classic singles ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’, ‘Time For Heroes’, fan picks ‘What A Waster’, ‘Boys In The Band’ and live favourites / B-sides ‘The Delaney’ and ‘May Day’.

                                                                                                                                                                                            [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                            [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                            Cover of Love Is Real (Reissue) by John Maus.

                                                                                                                                                                                            John Maus

                                                                                                                                                                                            Love Is Real (Reissue)

                                                                                                                                                                                            Ribbon Music

                                                                                                                                                                                              John Maus lives and works in Austin, Minnesota. Although first drawn to our attention as a core member of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti and keyboard player with Animal Collective's Panda Bear, Maus has proved himself to be an extraordinary musician with a distinctive sound in his own right. His second album "Love Is Real" is an apocalyptic journey through the nostalgic streets of our home towns deep into the recesses of the human heart. It is a map of self discovery, rejection and escapism captured across 14 songs of melancholic baroque pop music. Similar in style to his 2006 debut "Songs", the album is a mixture of exploratory synthesiser theatrics, tensely-strung bass lines and insistent drum machine clicks and pops, all set off by John's deeply resonant reverb-drenched vocal. "Love Is Real" is a more reflective and realised effort than "Songs" however, focusing its attentions on impulsive song writing and inspired musicianship, replacing the reminiscent feel of the first record with genuine poignancy.

                                                                                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                              Cover of Songs (Reissue) by John Maus.

                                                                                                                                                                                              John Maus

                                                                                                                                                                                              Songs (Reissue)

                                                                                                                                                                                              Ribbon Music

                                                                                                                                                                                              Better known as a core member of Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti and keyboard player with Animal Collective's Panda Bear, John Maus is a musician with a distinctive sound of his own. This is his debut release, his life work, which was written and recorded at home over the last five years.

                                                                                                                                                                                              'Songs' is a twisted baroque pop record that brings to mind early 80's hits and coming-of-age movie soundtracks. Almost entirely electronic, Maus' sound is created from synthesisers, drum machine, bass and his remarkable vocals, which are pitched somewhere between Ian Curtis, Calvin Johnson and David Bowie.

                                                                                                                                                                                              The record is a manic lo-fi masterpiece, which blurs addictive melodies, emotive lyrics and dreamy soundscapes to memorable effect. Permeated by feelings of intense nostalgia, with this album Maus has created a testimony to lost romance and to longing.

                                                                                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                              Cover of We Must Become The Pitless Censors Of Ourselves (Reissue) by John Maus.

                                                                                                                                                                                              John Maus

                                                                                                                                                                                              We Must Become The Pitless Censors Of Ourselves (Reissue)

                                                                                                                                                                                              Ribbon Music

                                                                                                                                                                                              John Maus lives in his birthplace of Austin, Minnesota. Whilst working towards his PhD in Political Science he also composes music that taps into melancholic fantasy and affirms that we are all truly alive. Questing synthesisers, tensely strung bass lines and chasing drum machines providing the perfect backdrop for John's deeply resonant reverb-drenched vocal. Born in the decade of synth pop and sharing his birthday with George Frideric Handel, John started making music when Nirvana posters went up on every teenager’s wall. It’s this curious conflux of influences that partially helps to describe John’s music. It’s a world where the Germs jam with Jerry Goldsmith, Cabaret Voltaire relocate to Eternia and Josquin des Prez writes a new score for RoboCop. The confrontation of punk, the fleeting poignancy of 80’s movie soundtracks, the insistent pulse of Moroder and the spirituality of Medieval and Baroque music all find salvation in John Maus.

                                                                                                                                                                                              After a spell working alongside Ariel Pink (whom Maus met whilst studying at Cal Arts in Los Angeles) and Gary War in Haunted Graffiti, 2006 saw the release of John’s debut album proper through Upset The Rhythm. It was a record permeated with aching memories; a perfect testimony to lost romance and longing. It’s awe-inspired follow-up ‘Love Is Real’ (released on UTR, 2007) proved a more cohesive listen in terms of focus and emotional depth. Like an apocalyptic journey through the nostalgic streets of a common hometown, deep into the recesses of the human heart, ‘Love Is Real’ still stands out as an impressive whole. Both albums made an impact which grew and grew during some quieter academic years for Maus in the Hawaiian heat, before he returned last year to the heavy snows of the Midwest to finish album number three, ‘We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves’.

                                                                                                                                                                                              ‘We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves’ breaks new ground for Maus. The shirt pulling and air punching of his impassioned live performance is finally captured in all its frenzied appeal alongside a tender inner space. After stretching muscles with opener ‘Streetlight’, arpeggiators bubble up to new levels with ‘Quantum Leap’, a song full of dead zones, glancing slaps and oscillating solos. “Heart to heart, mind to mind, we are the ones who seem to travel through time,” intones Maus resolutely through the mist. John’s lyrics are as likely to touch upon themes of Cronenberg gore just as much as the musings of Jacques Rancière. It’s this no-brow approach that makes things interesting, casting Maus as a savant and allowing his music to startle us in ways whereby we open up to the unimaginable.

                                                                                                                                                                                              John’s preoccupation with truth, love and eternity are perfectly suited to this treatment as seen with “And The Rain’ and the softly cascading ‘Keep Pushing On’ .The songs are devastatingly catchy, saturated with keyboards and overflowing with Maus’ allegorical summons. The hypnotic fugue ‘We Can Break Through’ treads new territories into minimalism for Maus, seeing the phrase “Break through this” repeated almost like a mind control procedure scored by Bach and Suicide.

                                                                                                                                                                                              ‘Pitiless Censors’ as an album displays a more delicate touch than its predecessors. ‘Hey Moon’ is John’s first duet, performed with Molly Nilsson, who originally wrote the song. It’s a serene and elegiac song, which subtly weaves an impression of nocturnal loneliness and romantic dreams. Closing track ‘Believer’ is equally evocative with its bells, choral soaring and echoing sentiment. Of course, a John Maus album wouldn’t be a John Maus album without the same anthemic genius and dark humour that we’ve seen previously with songs like ‘Maniac’ and ‘Rights For Gays’ and this new album finds its succour in ‘Cop Killer’. The eerie waltz-time offspring of Body Count’s controversial 90’s protest track, ‘Cop Killer’ is dystopian, bleak and ridiculous and in short, classic Maus.

                                                                                                                                                                                              Unlike the last two albums, Pitiless Censors looks towards the future in all its absurdity. It’s a record where promise takes the lead for the first time, providing a counterpoint to John’s default existential calling. The cover of Pitiless Censors depicts an airbrushed lighthouse, thrashed by wave after wave, bringing to mind Beckett’s quote "Unfathomable mind: now beacon, now sea." The everyday realm where our lives seem both familiar and equally strange is where John Maus resides. His surreal touch is disarming, opening our eyes to the reality outside the four walls. Perhaps we’re all like “the human being who finds himself in the locker” in ‘Head For The Country’ in that if we surprise ourselves and open the door we can let the light in despite the storm.


                                                                                                                                                                                              [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                              [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                              Cover of 21 Singles by The Jesus And Mary Chain.

                                                                                                                                                                                              The Jesus And Mary Chain

                                                                                                                                                                                              21 Singles

                                                                                                                                                                                              Rhino

                                                                                                                                                                                                21 Singles will be available on vinyl for the very first time!!!

                                                                                                                                                                                                The Jesus And Mary Chain are a Scottish alternative rock band formed by brothers Jim and William Reid in their hometown of East Kilbride. Jim and William’s legendary song-writing partnership was first recognised in 1983 by Alan McGee’s highly influential Creation Records, where they released their debut single ‘Upside Down’ in 1984. The Jesus And Mary Chain went on to enjoy an illustrious career signed to Warner Music label Blanco Y Negro, releasing several critically acclaimed albums and cult singles such as ‘Just Like Honey’, ‘April Skies’, ‘Darklands’ and ‘Happy When It Rains’.

                                                                                                                                                                                                Originally released on CD in 2002, ‘21 Singles’ is a career spanning compilation featuring all the band’s singles in chronological order. Beginning with their Creation debut, the album takes us through fifteen years of The Jesus And Mary Chain’s indie and major label discography, travelling through their Blanco Y Negro heyday of the 80s and 90s, to their 1998 return to Creation. The album also includes their late appearance on Seattle’s legendary Sub Pop Records in the States. Many of the versions on ‘21 Singles’ are unique and alternative to their album counterparts.

                                                                                                                                                                                                FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                                                2xLtd LP Info: Available on vinyl for the very first time, on double 180g heavyweight vinyl.

                                                                                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                Cover of Song Of Innocence by David Axelrod.

                                                                                                                                                                                                David Axelrod

                                                                                                                                                                                                Song Of Innocence

                                                                                                                                                                                                Now-Again Records

                                                                                                                                                                                                This is the first Now-Again issue in a series of reissues centered around Axelrod’s Capitol Trilogy – "Song of Innocence", "Songs of Experience" and "Earth Rot" – which will see release through 2018. This audiophile reissue was transferred directly from Axelrod’s original EQ’ed master tapes at Capitol Records by Ron McMaster. Axelrod’s debut, and a ‘60s masterpiece.

                                                                                                                                                                                                Celebrated as psychedelic, the birth of jazz-fusion, the harbinger of hip-hop, "Song of Innocence" is a hybrid that no one, not even Axelrod himself, could describe. Grounded by Wrecking Crew vets Earl Palmer and Carol Kaye’s funk, torn between the juxtaposition of musical elements, put at ease, Axelrod’s sweeping arrangements, which utilize brass and strings in a way that no one of his era did. It’s both violent and sublime. LP/CD Contains 28 page booklet that delves into Axelrod’s incredible life and music, replete with never before published photos and an interview with Axelrod by Eothen Alapatt and Wax Poetics’ Brian Digenti. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                Cover of The World Of Arthur Russell by Arthur Russell.

                                                                                                                                                                                                Arthur Russell

                                                                                                                                                                                                The World Of Arthur Russell

                                                                                                                                                                                                Soul Jazz

                                                                                                                                                                                                This new edition of Soul Jazz Records’ ‘The World Of Arthur Russell’, the seminal collection of Arthur Russell’s essential music, is released on heavy deluxe triple vinyl and deluxe tip-on Japanese style CD edition.
                                                                                                                                                                                                This album brings together some of Russell’s best-loved and most accessible works including his wide-ranging music, both solo and in groups, including Dinosaur L (the essential ‘Go Bang’), Loose Joints (the equally classic ‘Is It All Over My Face’) as well as rarities such as the 7” only ‘Pop Your Funk’, Indian Ocean’s ‘Schoolbell / Treehouse’, Lola’s ‘Wax The Van’ and more.

                                                                                                                                                                                                Arthur Russell’s music effortlessly crossed musical boundaries making it timeless. His dance music credentials are faultless and this collection features mixes from Larry Levan, Françcois Kevorkian and Walter Gibbons. Similarly, his songwriting, musicality and performance skills are equally cherished, as composer Philip Glass wrote, “this was a guy who could sit down with a cello and sing with it in a way that no one on earth has ever done before or will do again.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                When Soul Jazz Records’ ‘The World Of Arthur Russell’ first came out in 2003, Russell’s music had slipped into near obscurity. Nearly 15 years later there are over a dozen releases of his music, reissues of his original albums and more. ‘The World Of Arthur Russell’ is the classic first collection of his work available once more.


                                                                                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                Cover of Solid Gold Hits by The Beastie Boys.

                                                                                                                                                                                                The Beastie Boys

                                                                                                                                                                                                Solid Gold Hits

                                                                                                                                                                                                UMC

                                                                                                                                                                                                Double LP gold here, The Beastie Boys finest fifteen tracks throughout their incredible career. This record features some of the best tunes such as ‘Fight For Your Right’ and ‘An Open Letter to NYC’ but is filled to the brim with all the best of beasties. The Beasties consistent 'triple trouble' MC style is the thread that runs through each track here, creating cohesion to this whole LP, which presents us with a great overview of their career so far.

                                                                                                                                                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                                Millie says: The perfect summary of some of their golden hits over the years, this is a pure necessity.

                                                                                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                Cover of KI-Motion by MKWAJU Ensemble.

                                                                                                                                                                                                MKWAJU Ensemble

                                                                                                                                                                                                KI-Motion

                                                                                                                                                                                                WRWTFWW Records

                                                                                                                                                                                                WRWTFWW Records follow their universally acclaimed release of "Through The Looking Glass" with the official reissue of legendary album "KI-Motion" by Japanese percussionist Midori Takada’s MKWAJU ensemble, sourced from the original masters and available in two versions: a vinyl LP cut at Emil Berliner Studios and housed in 350g old Stoughton tip-on sleeve, and a digipak CD.
                                                                                                                                                                                                A highly creative and transcendental fusion of marimba, vibraphone, bamboo percussion and synthesizers, KI-Motion was recorded in 1981 and captures the birth of Midori Takada’s exploration of minimalism, African rhythmic tradition, and ambient music.
                                                                                                                                                                                                The album takes its conceptual inspiration from the tamarind ( 'mkwaju' in Swahili), a drought resistant tree notably used to craft some of the first mallets and marimbas but also known for its culinary and medical uses, an essential symbol of life and identity for the Central African grasslands. Drawing from the region’s culture and music as well as the crucial notion that rhythms represent the very fabric of life, Midori Takada leads her ensemble into environmental heaven to create one of the highlights of her recording career and an absolute must-have from the golden age of Japanese ambient…the ideal companion to her majestic "Through The Looking Glass" opus!


                                                                                                                                                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                                Patrick says: WRWTFWW revisit magnificent Midori Takada for this reissue of the 1981 LP from her MKWAJU ensemble. (Slightly) Less esoteric than her better known "Through The Looking Glass", "KI-Motion" hits us with weird-wave dancers, ambient dreamers and lysergic lullabies, all inspired by the tamarind. Tasty fusion tackle from my favourite Japanese percussionist.

                                                                                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                Cover of Creation Rebel by Johnny Clarke.

                                                                                                                                                                                                Johnny Clarke

                                                                                                                                                                                                Creation Rebel

                                                                                                                                                                                                VP Records

                                                                                                                                                                                                Among the ranks of singers, only Johnny Clarke comes close to challenging Bob Marley & Dennis Brown for reggae’s crown, through his unequalled run of hit songs. His output of mid-70s classics powered by producer Bunny “Striker” Lee, give Clarke status among the top artists of the period and contemporary relevance on the live show and reggae festival circuit.

                                                                                                                                                                                                Many of Johnny’s classic roots recordings gathered here, were given international exposure in the 1998 release ‘Dreader Dread’ released by the esteemed Blood & Fire label. Expanded and re-mastered, the release of ‘Creation Rebel’ captures the very essence of what is now regarded as the golden age of roots music.

                                                                                                                                                                                                Package bonus features include extended length mixes of “Jah Love Is With I,” “Bad Days Are Going,” and “Peace And Love In The Ghetto.” Newly composed liner notes by Noel Hawks. 


                                                                                                                                                                                                [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                Cover of Chairs Missing by Wire.

                                                                                                                                                                                                Wire

                                                                                                                                                                                                Chairs Missing

                                                                                                                                                                                                Pink Flag

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Wire’s first three albums need no introduction. They are the three classic albums on which Wire’s reputation is based. Moreover, they are the recordings that minted the post-punk form. This was adopted by other bands, but Wire were there first. These are the definitive re-releases. Each album is presented as an 80-page hardback book – the size of a 7-inch, but obviously much thicker. After a special introduction by Jon Savage, Graham Duff provides insight into each track. These texts include recording details, brand-new interviews with band members, and lyrics.

                                                                                                                                                                                                  This stunning set of presentations also includes a range of images from the archive of Annette Green. Wire’s official photographer during this period, Green also shot the covers for Pink Flag and Chairs Missing. Promotional and informal imagery – in colour and black and white – is featured throughout the books. Most of the photographs have not been seen for 40 years – and many have never been published anywhere before.

                                                                                                                                                                                                  With "Pink Flag" Wire tapped happily into punk's energy and iconoclastic tendencies, "Chairs Missing" is, perhaps, a little truer to their own instincts. They didnt completely shed the past completely; the joyful "Sand In My Joints" and grinding "Mercy" have more than a hint of "Pink Flag" about them, but their 1978 offering is moodier and much more textured than its predecessor, the addition of swathes of electronic sounds moving them firmly into post punk territory, a genre they helped to spawn. There is pure pop beauty on here too, of which "Outdoor Miner"  and "French Film Blurred" being the most gorgeous examples. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Martin says: Their most varied L.P. and possibly their finest hour (or so). Straddling the fire of punk and the colder, darker charms of brooding electronic post punk, it also contains within its grooves moments of melodic magic. Worth buying for the outrageously amazing "Outdoor Miner" on its own.

                                                                                                                                                                                                  [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                  [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                  Cover of Pink Flag by Wire.

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Wire

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Pink Flag

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Pink Flag

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Wire’s first three albums need no introduction. They are the three classic albums on which Wire’s reputation is based. Moreover, they are the recordings that minted the post-punk form. This was adopted by other bands, but Wire were there first. These are the definitive re-releases. Each album is presented as an 80-page hardback book – the size of a 7-inch, but obviously much thicker. After a special introduction by Jon Savage, Graham Duff provides insight into each track. These texts include recording details, brand-new interviews with band members, and lyrics.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    This stunning set of presentations also includes a range of images from the archive of Annette Green. Wire’s official photographer during this period, Green also shot the covers for Pink Flag and Chairs Missing. Promotional and informal imagery – in colour and black and white – is featured throughout the books. Most of the photographs have not been seen for 40 years – and many have never been published anywhere before.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    These special editions are something every Wire fan will want to own. It has been a number of years since these albums were readily available. The aim with these new vinyl and CD releases is to approximate the original statements as closely as possible, but with remastered audio. The vinyl releases have the same covers and inners as the originals (minus the Harvest logo). The digipack CDs have identical tracklistings to their vinyl counterparts. These versions should be considered Wire’s classic 1970s albums, pure and undiluted.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Pink Flag was very much Wire's punk rock album, and while they fully embraced it's revolutionary spirit, they came at it from their own obtuse angle. unhindered by talent (any kind of prior musical schooling) they gleefully took a baseball bat to Rock's overblown torso with humour and irreverence, producing classic, unsurpassed razor pop brilliance and a joyful antidote to the pomposity of their forerunners.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Martin says: From the naked aggression of "12XU" and the ominous chordless drone of the title track, to the playful artpunk of "Start To Move" and "Brazil", this is, beginning to end, pure, unadulterated genius. Nothing more to add.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                                                    CD Box Set Info: Deluxe 2CD.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                    [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                    Cover of 154 by Wire.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Wire

                                                                                                                                                                                                    154

                                                                                                                                                                                                    Pink Flag

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Wire’s first three albums need no introduction. They are the three classic albums on which Wire’s reputation is based. Moreover, they are the recordings that minted the post-punk form. This was adopted by other bands, but Wire were there first. These are the definitive re-releases. Each album is presented as an 80-page hardback book – the size of a 7-inch, but obviously much thicker. After a special introduction by Jon Savage, Graham Duff provides insight into each track. These texts include recording details, brand-new interviews with band members, and lyrics.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      This stunning set of presentations also includes a range of images from the archive of Annette Green. Wire’s official photographer during this period, Green also shot the covers for Pink Flag and Chairs Missing. Promotional and informal imagery – in colour and black and white – is featured throughout the books. Most of the photographs have not been seen for 40 years – and many have never been published anywhere before.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      These special editions are something every Wire fan will want to own. It has been a number of years since these albums were readily available. The aim with these new vinyl and CD releases is to approximate the original statements as closely as possible, but with remastered audio. The vinyl releases have the same covers and inners as the originals (minus the Harvest logo). The digipack CDs have identical tracklistings to their vinyl counterparts. These versions should be considered Wire’s classic 1970s albums, pure and undiluted.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      "154", released in 1979, is perhaps the most overlooked of the first trio of classic Wire L.P.s, before a ten year haitus interrupted only by esoteric solo releases. It develops further on the electronic and experimental direction of "Chairs Missing", and while guitars are not entirely done away with, keyboards and often unsettling vocal harmonies are the dominant mode of expression here. That's not to say they abandoned their talent for an exquisite harmony, it is very much still there; just bent a bit. That said it is given undiluted free rein during "Map Ref...", and elevates the sublime "The 15th" into the realm of the gods.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Martin says: "154" is the last of the trio of Wire's groundbreaking late 70s output. Given their general wont for being wilfully awkward, its no surprise that this is possibly the most enigmatic and opaque of the three; but definitely not enough to conceal interludes of pure gorgeousness. A fitting bookend to a matchless chapter of punk/post punk brilliance.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of Waak Waak Ga Min Min by Waak Waak Djungi.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Waak Waak Djungi

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Waak Waak Ga Min Min

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Efficient Space

                                                                                                                                                                                                      After the excellent Sky Girl, Midnite Spares and Oz Waves comps, Efficient Space now bring us the little-heard recordings of three Yolngu songmen from Northeast Arnhem Land - Bobby Bunnungurr, Jimmy Djamunba and Peter Milaynga (d. 2007) - working in collaboration with Victorian musician Peter Mumme. Yolngu are the indigenous peoples of Arnhem Land in Northern Territory, Australia; their clans are the Marangu and Malabirr, the languages Djinang and Gannalbingu. Their songs are of instruction, story and ceremony.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      A connection first initiated by Yolngu actor David Gulpilil, Waak Waak Djungi’s mid-90s recordings were preceded by years of respectful sharing of culture. Mumme explains that “the aim was to produce something that is new, not in the sense of a breakthrough, but what emerges from the combining of existing ideas”. What developed was sonically unique - sprawling vocal/electronic soundscapes and field recordings that reimagine the traditional songs of black crows and white cockatoos, sharing, creation spirits and of leaving and returning home to country. Spacious and patiently durational, the songs resound in a big land with a big story to tell.
                                                                                                                                                                                                      On the 1997 Waak Waak Djungi album Crow Fire Music, these interpretations were assembled with traditional recordings and additional material from Sebastian Jörgensen and Sally Grice. Falling short of generating public interest, it became well known in the Yolngu homeland. Nearly two decades later, a CD copy filed away in the 3RRR FM library would prompt a three year investigation to meet the people behind the music.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      "Waak Waak ga Min Min (Black Crow, White Cockatoo)" combines the previously unreleased "Gandi Bawong" with five contemporary versions from the original album, with a new cover painting by Bobby Bunnungurr. Tracing 1997 back to many millennia ago, this is a captivating window into the richness of Aboriginal culture and collaboration. 


                                                                                                                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Patrick says: Efficient Space (AKA the mega label behind the fantastic Sky Girl comp) introduce us to the obscure brilliance of indigenous Australian troop Waak Waak Djungi with this retrospective set of their nineties output. Amid the beautiful new age twinkle of "Rainbow Serpent", "White Cockatoo" and "Black Crow" we find the motorik pulse of "Djambaku", Balearic house of "Gandi Bawong" and the spine tingling acid chug of "Mother, I'm Going".

                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of Home Boy, Sister Out by Don Cherry.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Don Cherry

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Home Boy, Sister Out

                                                                                                                                                                                                      We Want Sounds

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Don Cherry's downtown Paris funk masterwork, produced in 1985 by Ramuntcho Matta and originally given a French-only release by Barclay, finally gets a worldwide release on Wewantsounds. Featuring French post-punk muse Elli Medeiros, avant garde poet Brion Gysin and cult Senegalese drummer Abdoulaye Prosper Niang (Xalam), this is a unique soundbite of Paris in the early 80s at its coolest when funk, jazz and new wave were mingling with sounds from Africa, Jamaica and Latin America. Newly Remastered, the album is augmented by a second LP worth of bonus tracks and a deluxe gatefold sleeve with a new essay by French journalist Jacques Denis (Liberation).

                                                                                                                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Patrick says: Top notch fusion here as Don Cherry teams up with Ratmuncho Matta, Elli Madeiros, Brion Gysin and Abdoulaye Prosper Niang for an inspired snapshot of Paris in the 80s. Peppered with snatches of funk, new wave and dub, this expanded reissue should find favour with fans of Talking Heads, Arthur Russell or Bill Laswell.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                                                      2xLP includes MP3 Download Code.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of Version 2.0 by Garbage.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Garbage

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Version 2.0

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Stun Volume

                                                                                                                                                                                                      20th Anniversary reissue of Garbage's acclaimed second album. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                      The eponymous Garbage debut was a critically acclaimed if unexpected smash. Version 2.0 cemented the reputation of the each of the individuals in the band as leaders in their field. It also announced that Garbage was not just a one-off studio creation but well and truly a band with every intention of conquering the world on its own terms. If there were any doubts that Vig, Erikson, Marker and Manson were not serious about their intentions the doubts were put to rest with their successful sophomore release.Butch Vig, Duke Erikson, and Steve Marker brought to the band a lifetimes worth of production and experienced music making. That experience was married to Shirley’s insightful lyrics and lead singer presence. This combination made for a grand success and spectacular music which many would try to imitate but few would ever master. Platinum certified Version 2.0 would be nominated in 1999 for Grammy’s album of the year and best rock album. In 2000 the single Special would be nominated for Grammys best rock song and best rock performance by duo or group. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Barry says: The newest wave of 'Things I Remember Being Into That Have Had 20 Year Reissues' is possibly the best, with Garbage's seminal 1998 classic still brimming with nuanced electronics, Manson's iconic voice and Butch Vig's unrivalled production prowess. Still completely stunning.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                                                      3xIndies Exclusive LP Info: Limited edition deluxe LP format contains 3 x 180g black vinyl housed inside a rigid box with magnet closure. This box also contains a movie-style poster, 4 x sticker inserts (‘Push It’, ‘When I Grow Up’, ‘Special’, ‘The Trick Is To Keep Breathing’), download card and a condom in a matchbook style card cover

                                                                                                                                                                                                      2xDeluxe CD Info: Double CD format includes a 12-page booklet. Second disc contains B-side compilation.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of The Nireus Years (1995 - 1997) by Angelo Ioakimoglu.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Angelo Ioakimoglu

                                                                                                                                                                                                      The Nireus Years (1995 - 1997)

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Into The Light

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Into the Light continues its journey to unearth and update overlooked Greek music. This time out the focus is on a smooth, warm, youthful yet intelligent work that finds effortlessly its place in the tiny Greek electronic scene of the mid 90's. "The Nireus Years" is a rare selection of eight unheard home recordings produced between 1995 and 1997 by the then 16-year old Angelo Ioakimoglu in Athens. The album encompasses his most special productions ranging from bucolic new age to dubbed out midi electronics, jazzy r&b to Mediterranean ambient trance - in other words, it's as Balearic as Moonboots' sandals.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Angelo was born and raised in Zografou area of Greece's capital in 1981. It was there where his father had a typical 80's electronic lab and it was that specific environment where Angelo spent most of early childhood. A first attraction for electronic musical equipment was developed that very soon became a passion for hunting down used pieces of gear soon to form the basis of his well equipped bedroom setup.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      During his teens, his connection with music was either practicing the piano at home or listening to the most recent dance hits at his uncle's place who happened to be a professional DJ. Big part of Angelo's demos around that period is driven by those two aforementioned worlds. But there were moments of escape. Moments where the music went for the unexpected. Leaving the producer following a solitary path where he could express his teenage dreams and fantasies...through extensive midi programming, live keyboards mimicking string, brass and steel instruments and sampled portions of his live percussion burst.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Angelo's work, which can sometimes seem naive or surrealistic, is supported by his unique and surprisingly energetic approach, one that gives us the courage to continue something different. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Patrick says: Into The Light dig deep into the Greek underground to turn up this ace set of smooth and sensual electronics from the then teenage Angelo Ioakimoglu. Combining downbeat, new age, R&B and the most mellow house imaginable, Iokimoglu sounds like a Mediterranean Larry Heard - how's that for Balearic. Check "Slide Break" and tell me I'm wrong...

                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of Jackson Sisters by Jackson Sisters.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Jackson Sisters

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Jackson Sisters

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Mr Bongo

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Officially reissued at last - a genuine ‘holy grail’ of soul & funk. Featuring ‘Miracles’ as sampled by Public Enemy, Basement Jaxx, Arrested Development and many more.
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Originally from Compton, Los Angeles, the Jackson Sisters were one-hit wonders who briefly shone and made some noise in the early 1970s before quickly fading into obscurity. Their only US chart entry was ‘I Believe In Miracles,’ a funky slice of bubblegum soul with a catchy, sing-along chorus released on the Prophesy label that briefly saw them make the lower reaches of the R&B charts in September 1973.
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Even though the sisters ceased performing together in 1975, their greatest tune, ‘I Believe In Miracles’ began to live a charmed life. In 1988, the song was resurrected as part of the UK ‘Rare Groove’ scene which resulted in it denting the bottom end of the UK pop charts (it peaked at No. 72). British vocal group, The Pasadenas, cut their own version of the tune in 1989, and a year later, Public Enemy sampled ‘Miracles’ for their track, ‘Can’t Do Nuttin’ For Ya Man.’

                                                                                                                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                                                      David says: Mr Bongo bring more brilliance for the funk/soul brothers with this essential reissue of the sisters - but don't take my word for it, ask Chuck D.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of For All The Fucked Up Children Of This World by Spacemen 3.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Spacemen 3

                                                                                                                                                                                                      For All The Fucked Up Children Of This World

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Space Age Recordings

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Space Age Recordings are pleased to announce the first official CD release of the album "For All the Fucked Children of This World” featuring Sonic Boom a.ka. Peter Kember (Spectrum / E.A.R.) and Jason Pierce (Spiritualized). Released July 28th on Space Age Recordings. Presented in a shrink-wrapped 6 panel fold out card wallet and also available from the iTunes store as a digital download including a digital booklet this release is the latest release in an on-going co-ordinated campaign which will see the complete Spacemen 3 catalogue re-issued; properly managed and released on heavy weight vinyl and CD in a fold-out card wallet format.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      For All the Fucked Up Children of This World” from the neo-psychedelic trio Spacemen 3 was first released as a bootleg record in 1995. The record consists of Spacemen 3's first ever recording session from 1984. The music itself sounds like a primitive version of what the group were to become; the dominating sound of the record is a slow, droning psychedelic blues performed with sparse instrumentation. A drum set is matched with a pair of distorted electric guitars, all of which provide a swirling foundation for Jason Pierce's vocals. The album's liner notes replicated here are actually an early review of the band by Gary Boldie, where he contemplates the city of Rugby and finds it an odd source for this new sound, and he declares Spacemen 3 as the "all singing, all dancing answer to the problems of a grey 1985.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      FORMAT INFORMATION

                                                                                                                                                                                                      LP Info: This album is again pressed on heavyweight 180 gram vinyl with printed card inner sleeve but this version is the standard black vinyl version.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of Decksanddrums Androckandroll - 20th Anniversary Edition by Propellerheads.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Propellerheads

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Decksanddrums Androckandroll - 20th Anniversary Edition

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Wall Of Sound

                                                                                                                                                                                                      20 years ago Propellerheads released "Decksandrumsandrockandroll" - the only ever album from the band! Stuffed with hit singles "Spybreak!" "Bang On!", "Take California" and the extraordinary "History Repeating" timeless featuring the only true James Bond songstress - Shirley Bassey. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                      As said at the time, "Decksanddrumsandrockandroll" is something very special. Funky music and a little crazy, it’s music for good and bad times, for those dirty moments when drugs are no longer effective but the party refuses to stop. An effective groove filled with hints of humour and a little kitsch. It sat beautifully next to fellow breakbeaters Fatboy Slim, Midfield General, Jacques Lu Cont and Mint Royal.  20 years later Propellerheads are now back with this reissue. The charm has remained intact and it stands the rest of time. A living room classic, brought to life once again!

                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      [ - ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                      Cover of First And Last And Always by The Sisters Of Mercy.

                                                                                                                                                                                                      The Sisters Of Mercy

                                                                                                                                                                                                      First And Last And Always

                                                                                                                                                                                                      Rhino

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Signing to WEA in 1984, their debut album ‘First And Last And Always’ went on to chart in the UK Top 20 upon release in 1985. The album featured the singles ‘Walk Away’ (charting at #45) and ‘No Time To Cry’ (charting at #63), with a band featuring future Mission members Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        [ + ]
                                                                                                                                                                                                        [ - ]