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THE A'S

Following the success of their first release with Serpico’s ‘Just Can’t Stop’, Moonworks are reissuing a highly sought-after UK house 12” from The Outsiders, originally from 1995.

The Outsiders’ Beyond The Ego EP is a lost London gem born from the UK capital’s rich musical heritage and the transatlantic influence of deep house. Produced by two close friends Mark Mellor and Paul Murphy within 48 hours in their Westbourne Grove home studio, its fusion of US house production techniques with a myriad of UK influences has cemented its status as a timeless and unique treasure.

The record received few plaudits on release but has since become a sought-after underground rarity, with scarce original copies trading hands for hefty prices. Whether you draw for the euphoric Warp Factor 9 Mix, the stripped back Ego Dub or the sun-kissed grooves of Do Dat Scat and Shu Bop, the record epitomizes the tasteful and quirky sound of UK house music from the 90s.

Moonworks have once again worked closely with the original artists to restore and remaster these tracks to modern standards, as well as revamping the original artwork in their own style.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Beyond The Ego (Warp Factor 9 Mix)
A2. Beyond The Ego (Ego Dub)
B1. Do Dat Scat
B2. Shu-Bop

Bruce Springsteen

Born In The USA - 40th Anniversary Edition

    This 40th anniversary edition of Bruce Springsteen’s history-making ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ album has been re-pressed on translucent red vinyl. The anniversary edition also features a gatefold sleeve and exclusive booklet with archival material from the era, new liner notes penned by Erik Flannigan and a four-color lithograph. Originally released on June 4, 1984 - ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ had an unprecedented seven Top Ten singles on its tracklist, sold 17 million copies to date and captured the pop culture zeitgeist with once-in-ageneration impact.

    TRACK LISTING

    Side A
    1. Born In The U.S.A.
    2. Cover Me
    3. Darlington County
    4. Working On The Highway
    5. Downbound Train
    6. I'm On Fire

    Side B
    1. No Surrender
    2. Bobby Jean
    3. I'm Goin' Down
    4. Glory Days
    5. Dancing In The Dark
    6. My Hometown

    The Triffids

    Calenture - 2024 Reissue

      Step into the enchanting realm of The Triffids once again with their acclaimed album, ‘Calenture’, now presented in a captivating LP reissue on blue coloured vinyl.

      Originally released to critical acclaim, this album showcases The Triffids’ distinctive fusion of folk, rock and post-punk sensibilities.

      With its ethereal melodies and introspective lyrics, ‘Calenture’ invites listeners on a journey of introspection and emotional resonance.

      Led by the evocative vocals of David McComb, each track weaves a spellbinding narrative that lingers in the mind long after the music fades.

      TRACK LISTING

      Bury Me Deep In Love
      Kelly’s Blues
      A Trick Of The Light
      Hometown Farewell Kiss
      Unmade Love
      Open For You
      Holy Water
      Blinder By The Hour
      Vagabond Holes
      Jerdacuttup Man
      Calenture
      Save What You Can

      The Triffids

      In The Pines - 2024 Reissue

        Step into the mesmerizing world of The Triffids with their renowned album, ‘In The Pines’, now available in a striking red coloured vinyl double LP reissue for 2024.

        Originally released in 1986, this album showcases The Triffids’ unique blend of folk, rock and postpunk.

        Featuring the haunting vocals of David McComb and lush instrumentals, ‘In The Pines’ invites you on a journey through atmospheric landscapes that captivate the senses.

        With its enduring allure and rich sonic textures, this album stands as a testament to The Triffids’ timeless artistry.

        TRACK LISTING

        Suntrapper
        In The Pines
        Kathy Knows
        25 To 5
        Only One Life
        Do You Want Me Near
        You
        Trick Of The Light
        Once A Day
        She’s Sure The Girl I
        Love
        Jerdacuttup Man
        Just Might Fade Away
        Better Off This Way
        Keep Your Eyes On The
        Hole
        Blinder By The Hour
        Wish To See No More
        One Soul Less On
        Your Fiery List
        Born Sandy
        Devotional
        Love And Affection

        The Decemberists

        Castaways And Cutouts - 2024 Repress

          As its title would suggest, Castaways and Cutouts is a record populated with an eclectic array of unlikely characters in various states of abandonment and revelry - While the likes of Spanish gypsies, infant specters, and Turkish prostitutes are not common elements to be found within modern pop music, these figures find ample footing within the songcraft of Mr Meloy, supported comfortably by the bands lush and orchestral instrumentation.

          Recorded over a two month period in a warehouse in Portland, Oregon's Industrial Southeast, the record swims gracefully between heart- rending, deftly arranged pop and scrappy off-the-cuff dirge.

          TRACK LISTING

          Leslie Anne Levine
          Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect
          July, July!
          A Cautionary Song
          Odalisque
          Cocoon
          Grace Cathedral Hill
          The Legionnaire's Lament
          Clementine
          California One
          Youth And Beauty Brigade

          The Decemberists

          Picaresque - 2024 Reissue

            The Decemberists know that the psychology of a culture at war is complex; that historical archetypes can inform the masses on current events far better than the evening news; and, perhaps most importantly, that life is ultimately a spectacular and colorful pageant

            They remind us that, on any given day, we might rub shoulders with rogue spies and runaway prostitutes, child monarchs and vengeful mariners, boy ghosts, couples contemplating suicide, cannibals and drowning angels. This existence is indeed a spectacle to be revered.In August of 2004, Rachel Blumberg, Jenny Conlee, Chris Funk, Colin Meloy, and Nate Query set up shop at a former Baptist church in Portland, Oregon. With co-producer Chris Walla at the controls, the five musicians collectively known as The Decemberists emerged three weeks later with the bulk of the work completed for Picaresque (Kill Rock Stars - March 22, 2005), their most ambitious and realized effort to date.Features: 5 extra songs and incredible packaging - double lp in a gatefold with a 20 page color booklet.

            TRACK LISTING

            The Infanta
            We Both Go Down Together
            Eli, The Barrow Boy
            The Sporting Life
            The Bagman's Gambit
            From My Own True Love (Lost At Sea)
            Military Wives
            The Engine Driver
            On The Bus Mall
            The Mariner's Revenge Song
            Of Angels And Angles
            Bandit Queen (w/ DT)
            Bridges & Balloons
            Constantinople
            Kingdom Of Spain
            Bandit Queen

            The Decemberists

            Her Majesty - 2024 Reissue

              For all intents and purposes, "Her Majesty" could best be described as the charming older brother to the band's previous outing. And, while being recognizably related to its sibling predecessor, it is an altogether different beast. Present and accounted for are the Victorian literary tropes, the rakish mariners, and the Dickensian downtrodden that slouched their way across the lazer imprinted surface of "Castaways and Cutouts"; in "Her Majesty the Decemberists," a new cast of characters is introduced as well, giving further depth to the richly bizarre songcraft of the band's bespectacled leading player, Colin Meloy: an aristocratic Jewess, slumming it blindfolded among the exotic avenues of a Chinese bazaar, the coifed and coked-up bon vivants of greater Los Angeles, the writer Myla Goldberg, and a pair of affectionate soldiers, celebrating their comradery among the mortar blasts and trench mud of World War I Belgium. Musically, the band travels

              TRACK LISTING

              Shanty For The Arethusa
              Billy Liar
              Los Angeles, I'm Yours
              The Gymnast, High Above The Ground
              The Bachelor And The Bride
              Song For Myla Goldberg
              The Soldiering Life
              Red Right Ankle
              The Chimbley Sweep
              I Was Meant For The Stage
              As I Rise

              The Bevis Frond

              The Clocks - 2024 Reissue

                ‘The Clocks' was originally issued in 2007 as a CD-only limited edition of 110 for members of 'The Bevis Frond Online Community'. It comprised 19 previously unissued tracks. Most of these were home demos featuring just Frond frontman Nick Saloman on all instruments and vocals. Since then, it has never been re-issued in any format. It is therefore with great pleasure that Blue Matter are re-issuing it for the first time, and now as a vinyl double album and limited CD. Due to certain circumstances, three of the original tracks could not be used, so these have been replaced these with another three previously unheard tracks from Nick Saloman's extensive archives. These songs include the seven minute 'She's Taken It All', originally intended for 2004's 'Hit Squad' album but dropped at the last minute due to timing constraints. The beautiful 'You Better Make Do' and the edgy 'Devil Doll' have also been added. We are delighted to be able to make this 'long lost' album available once again and think it will be a welcome addition to the Bevis Frond canon.

                TRACK LISTING

                Side One.
                1 Worlde Is Older
                2 The Clocks
                3 Home Is Where The Head Is
                4 Cut To The Quick
                Side Two.
                5 Bless Him
                6 Anything You Say
                7 Devil Doll
                8 God
                9 When I’m Gone
                10 I Need The Rush.
                Side Three.
                11 Watch The Sun
                12 You Better Make Do
                13 Little Ray
                14 She’s Taken It All.
                Side Four.
                15 Things He Said
                16 I’ll Save Myself
                17 I Wasn’t There
                18 I’m Better Now
                19 Shades 

                The Howlers

                What You've Got To Lose To Win It All

                  ‘What You've Got to Lose to Win It All' Is the highly anticipated debut album from East London Trio The Howlers, a 15 track collection, produced by Black Honey and defined by resilience, friendship and unconditional love through unimaginable pain. Taking their lead from an eclectic range of influences, from the film scores of Ennio Morricone and John Willams, to desert blues pioneers Tinariwen, Kurt Vile, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Father John Misty, The Howlers are far from your conventional British guitar band. The album's announcement comes with the release of new single ‘Lady Luck’ and the promise of an exceptional debut record.

                  The Debut album promises glorious, expansive songs that conjure up cinematic landscapes a long, long way from London’s East End. Escapism, perhaps, but entirely understandable and justified given what frontman Adam has experienced over the last two years. Two life threatening illnesses in the course of two months, the loss of four family members and two close friends and the following immeasurable grief have all played a huge part in the creation of the album, the devoted bond between bandmates and the unique connection between the band and their fanbase.

                  TRACK LISTING

                  1. Intro
                  2. How Long
                  3. I Need Your Love
                  4. To Make A King
                  5. El Dorado
                  6. Further Down The Line
                  7. Cowboy’s Don’t Cry
                  8. Wanting, Waiting, Wishing
                  9. Lady Luck
                  10.On The Run (Over You)
                  11. Once Again
                  12.Matador (Interlude)
                  13.Nothing To Lose
                  14.When The Flowers Bloom Again
                  15.Take It Easy

                  Bat For Lashes

                  The Dream Of Delphi

                    ‘The Dream Of Delphi’ is an ode to motherhood created in LA, Natasha’s second home, during the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s a sonic archive of a time when Natasha birthed her daughter Delphi earth side. The record weaves together ten song poems, documenting the polarity of navigating both an exterior world that was seemingly turning upside down, whilst also experiencing theprofoundly personal and transformational early moments of mothering Delphi, named after the Greek Oracle, the ancient future teller. The music became Natasha’s sanctuary, born out of stolen trips to the studio, where each track was improvised and completed in a few hours and chronologises her diary like offerings over a period of two years; from “TheMidwives Have Left”; to writing a “Letter To My Daughter”; and all the way through to “Waking up”, as well as a cover of her daughter’s favourite song, “Home”.

                    While the storytelling behind Bat For Lashes’ previous albums have traditionally used otherworldly narratives and female lead characters (e.g. ‘Laura’, ‘Daniel’ and ‘The Bride’), for the first time, ‘The Dream Of Delphi’ is about Natasha’s personal experience of themagical and sometimes melancholy intimacy of early motherhood. This record creates a more private form of mythology around the music than her previous work. ‘The Dream Of Delphi’ touches on more of an instrumental “Bat For Lashes” world, and shows Natasha to be both a confident composer and craftswoman of intimate landscapes. While the music creates a more womb-like, ambient space for the listener, it still leaves ample room for her signature dream pop songwriting to vibrate through. Natasha has worked with Brad Oberhofer, Mary Lattimore and Jack Falby on this record.

                    TRACK LISTING

                    The Dream Of Delphi
                    Christmas Day
                    Letter To My Daughter
                    At Your Feet
                    The Midwives Have Left
                    Home
                    Breaking Up
                    Delphi Dancing
                    Her First Morning
                    Waking Up
                    The Dream Of Delphi (Extended Strings Version)

                    Various Artists

                    Do You Have The Force? Volume 2 - Jon Savage's Alternate History Of Electronica 1978-82

                      Jon Savage's second eclectic voyage through Post-Punk era Electronic music, Disco, Experimental & Proto-Techno 1978-82.

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

                      This compilation is selected and curated by renowned cultural commentator, writer and film-maker Jon Savage. Amongst many highly revered projects Jon has produced the definitive work on Punk Rock in “England's Dreaming” and the documentary & book “Teenage” The Creation of Youth, 1875 - 1945. He is also the biographer of Joy Division & author of the top 10 Sunday Times best seller "This Searing Light, The Sun & Everything Else" The Oral History Of Joy Division in 2019. His new book The Secret Public: How LGBTQ Resistance Shaped Popular Culture (1955-1979) is published in in 2024.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      A1 Dee D. Jackson-Automatic Lover 4:07
                      A2 Telex - Moscow Diskow (Original 12" Version) - 5"20
                      A3 Soft Machine - Soft Space 8"56
                      B1 Qondile-African Dawn 2"54
                      B2 Gaz Nevada - I.C. Love Affair 6"30 (Original 12" Mix Version)
                      B3 I Signori Della Galassia - Archeopterix 4"00
                      B4 Cerrone - La Secte De Marrakech Suite 4"33
                      C1 John Foxx-Burning Car 3”15
                      C2 Thomas Leer & Robert Rental – Monochrome Days 4”01
                      C3 Cabaret Voltaire-Red Mask 6”54
                      C4 Caution – UFO 5"30 (Original 12" Mix Version)
                      D1 Martin Rev - Nineteen 86 4"36
                      D2 Pascal Comelade - Sequence 1 2"55
                      D3 The Flying Lizards - An Age 2"31
                      D4 Throbbing Gristle - Beachy Head 3"39
                      D5 Terminal City -Mugin For Unknown 5”40

                      Various Artists

                      Down To The Sea & Back: Volume Tres. The Continuing Journey Of The Balearic Beat - Compiled By Balearic Mike & Kelvin Andrews

                        After a 10-year hiatus, Balearic Mike and Kelvin Andrews return to continue the journey of the Balearic Beat with another edition of their distinguished Down To The Sea And Back compilation series, presenting a formidable new set of rare and obscure records.

                        With Vols. 1 and 2, the well loved duo showed us that not only are they serious collectors but chroniclers of a scene, assembling lost gems and unheard marvels into Balearic mythology. Reaping, along the way, accolades such as Piccadilly Records’ Compilation of the Year, and featured on Lauren Laverne’s BBC6 Music show. For Vol. Tres, Mike and Kelvin team up with Copenhagen-based Music For Dreams label – themselves no strangers to the Balearic archives. The compilation features 16 tracks, every selection accompanied by an essential background story in the liner notes of the gatefold vinyl and CD booklet.

                        As fellow comrade and beloved friend Luke Una puts it: “From Greek acid folk, Balearic bossa, outsider pop and electronic chug, to cosmic machine soul, majestic songs, odd numbers, proto-techno new wave to dubbed out 5am technoid, bass buggin deepness and ethereal outer-space Detroit via San Francisco. This album is a story. A story from the heart, with over three decades digging and grafting in the trenches. In a world of faux, pastiche, counterfeit and aggrorhythm fakes, it oozes a wholesome intuitive authenticity. Majestic songs, odd numbers, cosmic dreaming and late night astral travelling as we all hold on together.” 

                        TRACK LISTING

                        A1 Josete Ordonez - Objetos Perdidos (Dagobert Böhm Version)
                        A2 Robert Williams - I Believe You're The One
                        A3 Lee Ryda - Electro Eyes
                        A4 Francisco - Heal Yourself
                        B1 Vidderna - Villfarelser
                        B2 Meo - Cikuana
                        B3 The Emperor Machine - Dying By Wits (Original Mix)
                        B4 Tri Atma - Yummy Moon (Long Version)
                        B5 Pressure Drop - Unify /Rip Up (instrumental)
                        C1 Enzo Carella - Malamore
                        C2 Ad Vissar & Daniel Sahuleka - Giddyap A Gogo
                        C3 Le Couleur - Underage (Original Mix)
                        C4 Sunshine Jones - Fall In Love Not In Line (Extended Vocal Version)
                        D1 Car Crash Set - Fall From Grace
                        D2 Len - Steal My Sunshine (Version Idjut)
                        D3 Mcraft - She Sells Sanctuary

                        The Telescopes

                        Radio Sessions 2016-2019

                          The Telescopes Radio Sessions collects together the essence of three live session recordings in 3 different countries over a three year period between 2016-2019. This is the third in a series of radio session releases from Tapete Records that have so far included The Monochrome Set and Comet Gain. More session releases are being lined up for the rest of the year and beyond - enjoy the sonics and stay tuned.

                          Over the years I have read a lot on people’s impressions of The Telescopes. Some folk think it’s a collective, others imagine it used to be a band and feel nostalgia towards what they consider to be the original line-up (even though many had come before, during and since) and some people refer to it as currently a solo career. In a way this is all true and none of it is. When faced with these kind of questions, along with questions about the style of music that The Telescopes make I often say The Telescopes house has many rooms, which explains things perfectly for me but for people on the outside looking in it only serves to increase their confusion. For me, confusion isn’t such a bad thing. Everything is born into confusion, the sense we try and make of that chaos is interesting and excites me. The universe often disorientates, it sends me a jumble of thoughts and impressions coupled with a feeling of something I need to express… if I could only decipher the encryption. This is how The Telescopes music comes to be and it is also how The Telescopes came to me.

                          I regard The Telescopes as an entity of it’s own that introduced itself in my darkest hour and I was chosen as its vessel. From the second it arrived I was obsessed to the point where there was nothing else. A bit like having an imaginary friend. As the obsession grew it began to infect others, everybody loved my imaginary friend and wanted a piece of it. As its success grew however, so did the corruption, until one day the entity fell silent. The silence lasted for years, I tried everything to reconnect but it was having none of it. I had been a bad caretaker, I had let the house become infested and I had lost my way. This epiphany served to remind me of simpler times when anything felt possible with this entity by my side. It had trusted me with something so simplistically profound and I had let it down. The realisation of this was a eureka moment. I am not The Telescopes, I never was and never will be, I am the caretaker, the lighthouse keeper and if a job is worth doing it is worth doing well.

                          With this dawning, I felt a crack open up in the cosmic egg and a familiar confusion in my head. The entity had returned. It was time to start untangling its tangled threads once more, to make sense of what it was saying, this time without corruption. It’s all about listening. I listen to what my cosmic friend sends me and channel this expression into what you hear through your speakers. It may take one person to achieve this, it may take more. There is no set line up or instru- mentation that can hold The Telescopes. Whatever it takes to hit the zone, whatever is available, absolute focus is imperative. Sometimes it takes sabotage to keep that line of vision intact, there is no room for preconceptions or complacency in making the music. The Telescopes music is the now incarnate and a state of total being is necessary to achieve. From the outside looking in... again, it’s all about listening. What comes through your speakers is the only thing that matters. The music either reaches you or it doesn’t. Everything else may seem interesting or confusing but ultimately it is corruption. So if you’ve bought the record, read the sleeve notes and bought a ticket to see a live show, don’t be surprised if the line-up is or isn’t the same as the recording. The only thing that is for sure is that The Telescopes as an entity is speaking to you in its own voice in every scenario. Of course the difference between albums and live shows is that you can play the record over and over again to the point where you know every line and every note that was played. Whereas with live events you are left with an impression that can only be replayed in your mind. It can be frustrating at times. When you are touring with a great line-up and feel like something exciting is happening, you want everyone to hear it, not just the people at the shows but the people that couldn’t make it on the night as well. There is no guarantee that there will be the same line-up at a live show as there is on the album. This is why live sessions are important, they document a side of things that is often fleeting.

                          Here we have three sessions, all different people transmitting The Telescopes sound on each. Some are regulars, some dip in and out and some were just passing through. In each case The Telescopes chose them as their vessel and as the lighthouse keeper I did everything I could to help them on that journey while trying to be a good caretaker to the house of many rooms. The Telescopes have been invited in for many sessions over the years, the first two were for John Peel on BBC Radio 1. We also recorded a session for Marc Riley and Mark Radcliffe before their celebrity when they had a show on BBC Radio Manchester. We could have compiled this album from those sessions, it was certainly considered but Tapete and myself believe this selection gives an exciting glimpse into that fleeting side of The Telescopes in a constant state of flux that is left mostly to myth and imagination. For those who listen to the records but have never had the chance to take in the live experience, welcome to the other side. For those that follow us live, here’s a little reminder and a keepsake. Infinite suns.

                          Stephen Lawrie
                          February 2024.

                          TRACK LISTING

                          A1. Handful Of Ashes (Radio Sessions)
                          A2. The Perfect Needle (Radio Sessions)
                          A3. Violence (Radio Sessions)
                          B1. Strange Waves (Radio Sessions)
                          B2. We See Magic And We Are Neutral, Unnecessary (Radio Sessions)
                          B3. You Can't Reach What You Hunger (Radio Sessions)
                          B4. Something In My Brain (Radio Sessions)

                          Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Nathan Salsburg, & Tyler Trotter

                          Hear The Children Sing The Evidence

                            When Nathan Salsburg’s daughter was a baby, he often sang her to sleep in a rocking chair. At one point, he remembered a song he had taught himself as a teenager: “The Evidence” by Lungfish, the Maryland band who coined a singular brand of post-punk in the 90s and 00s. Salsburg realized he could play the guitar part with one hand, singing while holding Talya in his other arm. Though the original version of “The Evidence” is only five minutes long, it’s essentially a repetitive mantra, so Salsburg could extend it as long as he wanted–10 minutes, 20 minutes, even an hour. “It was therapeutic and calming and just lovely for me,” he says.

                            “And it worked on her.” Eventually Nathan and Talya moved on from their ritual, but his lullaby cover stayed in his head. So he proposed to his fellow Louisville collaborators Bonnie “Prince” Billy (aka Will Oldham) and Tyler Trotter that they record a version with Salsburg on guitar, Oldham singing, and Trotter adding drum machines and synths. They decided to pair it with a rendition of another Lungfish song, “Hear the Children Sing,” playing each tune for more than enough time to fill two sides of an album. The result is the beguiling Hear the Children Sing the Evidence, an album that displays the strengths and visions of the participants while showcasing how richly powerful Lungfish’s songs are.

                            TRACK LISTING

                            1. Hear The Children Sing (19:56)
                            2. The Evidence (21:08)

                            Various Artists

                            Jon Savage's The Secret Public - How The LGBTQ+ Aesthetic Shaped Pop Culture 1955-1979

                              Homosexuality has been a part of post-war popular music since its very inception. Until the early 70s, however, it wasn’t talked about openly in that world: it was coded, hidden, secret. This of course mirrored society - during the 50s and 60s, the gay community felt like outcasts: harassed by the police, demonised by the media and politicians, imprisoned simply for being who they were.

                              This compilation spans the time before and after Bowie, reflecting both the coded nature about the topic in the 50s and 60s and the greater openness that occurred in the early 70s. It begins in late 1955, with the extraordinary success of Little Richard; continues through early-60s pop and pop art; Tamla and soul, glam rock, the early 70s funk and disco that was played in the underground New York clubs, and then moves on to the omnipresence of disco, in the late 70s.

                              This double CD compilation is about freedom - and freedom for all. Whilst some of the artists identify as LGBTQ+, then or now, some are included simply because they were played in gay or lesbian clubs — where their lyric or sound proved useful and enjoyable to the patrons - or because they were shaped in some way by the gay aesthetic or gay managers. It’s a love letter to the entwined world of music and sexuality in all its many guises and we hope you enjoy the ride.


                              TRACK LISTING

                              Disc One
                              1. I Hear A New World - Joe Meek & The Blue Men
                              2. Tutti-Frutti - Little Richard & His Band
                              3. Esquerita And The Voola - Esquerita
                              4. Wondrous Place - Billy Fury
                              5. Strawberry Blonde (The Band Rocked On) - Frank D'rone
                              6. Foot Stompin' - The Dovells
                              7. Johnny Remember Me - John Leyton
                              8. Peppermint Twist (Part 1) – Joey Dee & The Starliters
                              9. Sally, Go ‘Round The Roses - The Jaynetts
                              10. You Don't Own Me - Lesley Gore
                              11. Needle In A Haystack - The Velvelettes
                              12. Get Down With It - Bobby Marchan
                              13. I'll Be Your Mirror – The Velvet Underground & Nico
                              14. Heaven Must Have Sent You - The Elgins
                              15. Stand Up Straight And Tall - Jackie Shane
                              16. Women Is Losers – Big Brother & The Holding Company
                              17. No Stranger Am I - Norma Tanega
                              18. Pretty Golden Hair - Al Stewart
                              19. David Watts - The Kinks
                              20. Nothing But A Heartache - The Flirtations
                              21. Stand! - Sly & The Family Stone
                              22. Life & Death In G & A - Abaco Dream
                              23. Nathan Jones - The Supremes
                              24. Walk On The Wild Side - Lou Reed
                              25. Coochi-Coo - Polly Perkins
                              26. I'm A Man - Jobriath
                              27. Soul Makossa - Manu Dibango
                              28. Law Of The Land - The Temptations

                              Disc Two
                              1. Get Dancin' Part 1 – Disco Tex & The Sex-O-Lettes Featuring Sir Monti Rock Iii
                              2. Lady Marmalade - Labelle
                              3. Nobody's Gonna Change Me – The Dynamic Superiors
                              4. Ain't Nobody Straight In L.A. - The Miracles
                              5. I Need A Man (12-Inch Version) - Grace Jones
                              6. I Feel Love - Patrick Cowley
                              7. Orgasm Addict - Buzzcocks
                              8. Fuck Off - Jayne County & The Electric Chairs
                              9. Glad To Be Gay - Tom Robinson Band
                              10. I Was Born This Way (12-Inch Version) - Carl Bean
                              11. Prison (12-Inch Version) - Space
                              12. Disco Dance (Mega Mix) (12-Inch Version) - Michele
                              13. I Need Somebody To Love Tonight (12-Inch Version) - Sylvester

                              Sun Ra

                              Inside The Light World: Sun Ra Meets The OVC

                                Introducing a musical treasure from the enigmatic Sun Ra's expansive discography, Strut Records proudly presents "Inside The Light World: Sun Ra Meets The OVC”.

                                This extraordinary album unveils previously unreleased recordings from the year 1986 for the very first time, showcasing a unique chapter in the Sun Ra catalogue. Crafted by the forward-thinking technological innovator and rocket scientist, Bill Sebastian, during the mid-1970s, the Outer Space Visual Communicator (OVC) stood as a groundbreaking invention. Instead of producing traditional sound, this keyboard-triggered "instrument" harnessed the power of light, casting mesmerising kaleidoscopic, multicoloured patterns onto a screen suspended above performers on stage. Ra first performed with the idiosyncratic fractal light projector in the late ‘70s

                                and, in 1986, two grainy VHS tapes surfaced featuring Ra performing ‘Calling Planet Earth’ and ‘Sunset On The Nile’, both accompanied by the OVC’s radiant light painting.

                                “I was curious about the performances,” explains Irwin Chusid, administrator of the Sun Ra catalogue. “I couldn't locate these terrific versions and wondered from where they originated. I discovered that not only was Bill Sebastian alive but he was still in Boston developing advanced iterations of the OVC, which by then incorporated Virtual Reality (VR) technology.” Sebastian and Chusid embarked on the intricate task of assembling the session tapes sourced from Sebastian's archives. These recordings, which took place on August 25, 1986, at Mission Control studios in Westford, Massachusetts, were originally spontaneous and never intended for a formal album release. Although the tape transfers yielded remarkable material, the recordings remained in an unmixed state, prompting Chusid to collaborate with engineer Joe Lizzi. Together, they embarked on the journey of reconstructing each track with painstaking precision.

                                The end result is nothing short of a revelation, featuring exceptional performances by the Arkestra. This release unveils previously unheard renditions of Sun Ra classics such as 'Love In Outer Space,' 'El Is A Sound Of Joy,' and 'Calling Planet Earth.' Additionally, it offers a complete performance of 'Discipline 27-II,' making it a musical gem for fans and collectors alike.

                                The package features stills from the original OVC videos, extensive liner notes and a full interview with Bill Sebastian. The album is fully remastered from the original reel to reel tapes by Joe Lizzi and Peter Beckmann.

                                TRACK LISTING

                                1. Calling Planet Earth
                                2. Theme Of The Stargazers
                                3. Love In Outer Space (DX7 Interlude)
                                4. Love In Outer Space
                                5. Stardust From Tomorrow
                                6. El Is A Sound Of Joy
                                7. Sunset On The Nile (DX7 Interlude)
                                8. Sunset On The Nile
                                9. East Of The Sun
                                10. Saturn Rings
                                11. Calling Planet Earth (Piano Interlude)
                                12. Discipline 27-II

                                Madala Kunene

                                1990: The Hidden Years Recording

                                  Madala Kunene (better known to his friends as Bafo) blends Zulu folk with township blues to produce a unique hybrid and contemporary music he calls "Madala-line"

                                  Apart from his own colourful life- experiences Madala often uses traditional songs, nursery rhymes and lullabies as the basis for his material. His highly spiritual music is guided by the mood, moment and the experience he brings to his playing. Most compositions are inspired by dreams and messages from the ancestral realm as well as the teachings of Zulu culture and folklore.

                                  Madala's music has been researched and taught by musicologists as a course material in music studies. In May 2023 Madala was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree by the University of KwaZulu- Natal for his contribution to the development of indigenous music and his contribution to the music of Africa and that of the world. Madala Kunene was born in 1951 in Cato Manor, a vibrant mixed community in the harbor city of Durban, South Africa.

                                  The son of a carpenter, Kunene was raised by his grandmother - a staunch academic who wanted him to be something of a bookworm. He started busking on Durban's beachfront at the age of 7 making his first guitar out of a cooking oil tin and fish gut for the strings. It was friends such as the late guitarist Sandile Shange who encouraged him to take guitar playing much more seriously. At the age of eight, in the year 1959, Kunene and some members of his extended family were trucked off by the Apartheid government to go live in the then relatively new township of KwaMashu. In very little time he had become the hottest guitar player and was discovered by the late Sakhile leader and bassist Sipho Gumede. Madala started to share the stage with such luminaries as Doc Mthalane, Mankunku Ngozi and Busi Mhlongo.

                                  Madala Kunene's debut album was produced in 1990 by Sipho Gumede for David Marks label 3rd Ear Music and released on Vinyl and Cassettes. 30 years later the album was re-released digitally and now you are holding the first Vinyl re-release in your hands.

                                  TRACK LISTING

                                  U- Gongo Amayeni Wemama
                                  Vumela Abaphani (Song Of Happiness) 
                                  Ku-Khon Othwele
                                  U-Ncede
                                  Abangoma
                                  Sanibonani
                                  U-Mata-Gota-Fri 123

                                  Alan Vega

                                  Insurrection

                                    In The Red Records is proud to announce a previously unreleased new album by Brooklyn-born master of minimalism Alan Vega, Insurrection. The eleven songs here showcase the unparalleled vision and uncompromising force from one of the most influential artists of all time. Alan Vega was born in Brooklyn in 1938. He co-founded the legendary New York City punk band Suicide with Martin Rev in 1970. Suicide’s groundbreaking 1977 debut is considered one of the most influential albums of all time. Vega considered his solo records the audio counterpoint to his visual art that reflected the world around him while simultaneously exploring universal themes. It makes his work as relevant today as it was when he created them. It was during his highly experimental period beginning in the late ’80s that he began working with Liz Lamere, who became the most crucial collaborator of his solo career until his death in 2016. Lamere, along with Jared Artaud, resurrected these newly unearthed collection of lost recordings, which they co-produced and mixed. Lamere and Artaud spearhead the Vega Vault project, which aims to bring rare, unreleased and back catalog work spanning Alan Vega and Suicide’s career to the public for the first time. On Insurrection, Lamere says: “Insurrection was created in the time period around 1997/98, after Mutator and prior to Vega’s 1999 release of 2007 and captures the intense energy of NYC in the ’90s rife with crime, killing, hate, fascism, racism, and moral bankruptcy. You can hear the tortured souls floating through this album. Post-Gulf War angst still enveloped Alan. He was having premonitions about a major terror attack in the US, well before 9/11. The upcoming birth of his son raised further awareness of the state of our world. All these emotions are mirrored in the sounds he magnetized. And true to Vega form, there remains hope and empowerment coursing through the tracks. In the almost three decades of going into the studio with Vega, we recorded significantly more material than the seven albums released. Vega’s intention was to experiment with sound which would become the canvas for the poetry that reflected his vision of the universe. Because the goal wasn’t to make albums, he had no timeline or constraints and would freely follow new paths uncovered along the way.”

                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    1. Sewer
                                    2. Invasion
                                    3. Crash
                                    4. Cyanide Soul
                                    5. Murder One
                                    6. Fireballer Fever
                                    7. Genocide
                                    8. Chains
                                    9. Jet Lord
                                    10. Mercy
                                    11. Fireballer Spirit

                                    Various Artists

                                    The Rough Guide To Blues & The Beast

                                      This Rough Guide captures a whole menagerie of animals, both large and small, which provided the inspiration for many classic early blues recordings.

                                      From the mighty alligator to the lowly bedbug, these songs provide an intriguing insight into this weird, wonderful and often hilarious association.

                                      180-gram Limited Edition Vinyl

                                      Lovingly remastered using pioneering restoration techniques The early recorded annals of the blues allude to a real Noah's Ark of beasts, both large and small

                                      Guitar wizardry abounds from the likes of Josh White, Ramblin' Thomas and Curley Weaver

                                      Featuring legendary blues divas including Memphis Minnie, Ma Rainey and Victoria Spivey

                                      Early blues music refers to animals in ways both metaphoric and in the literal sense to help convey its underlying message

                                      Includes a track by the original Howling Wolf himself "Funny Papa" Smith from 1930

                                      Following on from the success of other blues titles in the Rough Guide range

                                      An album which offers a more light-hearted take on the blues

                                      Featuring seminal recordings by arguably the two greatest early blues pioneers, Charley Patton and Blind Lemon Jefferson

                                      TRACK LISTING

                                      The Alligator Pond Went Dry
                                      Howling Wolf Blues (part 1)
                                      Lazy Black Snake Blues
                                      Ground Hog Blues
                                      Black Cat Hoot Owl Blues
                                      Mean Old Bedbug Blues
                                      Frankie Jean (That Trottin' Fool)
                                      Wild Cat Kitten
                                      Mosquito Moan
                                      Alligator Blues
                                      Black Skunk Blues
                                      Mississippi Boweavil Blues
                                      The Wild Cat Squawl

                                      Various Artists

                                      The Rough Guide To Memphis Blues

                                        From the classic sounds of the jug band heyday to the earthy blues straight from the Mississippi Delta, Memphis was at the very epicentre of the 1920s country blues explosion

                                        This Rough Guide charts the city's huge influence with classic tracks by blues legends Memphis Minnie, Furry Lewis, Sleepy John Estes and many more.

                                        180-gram Limited Edition Vinyl

                                        Lovingly remastered using pioneering restoration techniques

                                        An album which traces the development of the Memphis blues during its 1920s/30s heyday

                                        Featuring seminal recordings by many blues legends including Sleepy John Estes, Furry Lewis and Robert Wilkins

                                        Memphis is one of the quintessential musical melting pots of the US, which helped spawn the blues

                                        Featuring classic tracks by blues divas Memphis Minnie and Minnie Wallace

                                        Nowhere provided a concentration and diversity of early blues forms to rival Memphis

                                        Featuring classic tracks by the great jug bands, including Will Shade's Memphis Jug Band and Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers

                                        Memphis is often dubbed as the "Home of the Blues"

                                        Following on from the success of other blues titles in the Rough Guide range

                                        TRACK LISTING

                                        Save Me Some
                                        The Girl I Love She Got Long Curly Hair
                                        North Memphis Blues
                                        The Old Folks Started It
                                        Falling Down Blues
                                        On The Road Again
                                        I Let My Daddy Do That
                                        Kassie Jones - Part 1
                                        Viola Lee Blues
                                        I Couldn't Help It
                                        Cold Iron Bed
                                        Happy Blues
                                        How Long Blues

                                        The Spatulas

                                        Beehive Mind

                                          To address the weight of the world without speaking of weariness. To march the song to breathlessness but loosen your grip when the band wanders. To tell all your secrets but shield your loved ones from vulnerability. To dress up in the charm and temptation of the pop song but maintain a core of peculiarity, of a single voice trying to navigate this world. This is the project of the Spatulas.

                                          Think of the few songwriters who know they’re the only ones in the world who could write their songs. The ones who sing in the confidence that the song couldn’t exist without them: Peter Jefferies, Jenny Mae, Ron House, Heather Lewis. Jonathan Richman? Put Miranda Soileau-Pratt and the Spatulas on this list.

                                          All eleven songs on debut album ‘Beehive Mind’ share a percussive, unshadowed presence, a steady, clear-voiced clop. Every note on the record is a little bit sad on its own but then they’re organized in a way that you don't actually notice. Credit this to the band’s skill - Jon Grothman, Lila Jarzombek, Kyle Raquipiso and Miranda Soileau-Pratt all play with no limits and they all play with profound ease.

                                          The songs breathe in warmth and patience, they are immediate and sweet. And then they start to meander. The guitar skitters with the deliberate unpredictability of a wild animal. Parts repeat and reset with the obsessiveness of an anxious mind.

                                          The lyrics open doors to unexpected scenes of lovers, family, and violence. This is all intentional: “I need to play music and listen to music as a form of therapy,” explains Soileau. This means safety, this means encouragement, this means trauma, this means hard questions. Only a band so comfortable at the margins, only a band so capable, only a band so trusting can achieve all this.

                                          Miranda Solileau-Pratt wrote the first Spatulas song in 2020, while living in Oregon. Since that time, the band have released two cassettes and toured the United States. Members of the Spatulas have also played in The Blimp, Honey Bucket, Hot Gum and Meerkaz. The band have shared stages with Helen, Lavender Flu, Debt Rag, Pink Reason, Blues Ambush and Kath Bloom.

                                          TRACK LISTING

                                          1. Ariel Tram
                                          2. Somewhat Alike
                                          3. Facedown
                                          4. Maya
                                          5. The Long Way
                                          6. Suzie Girl
                                          7. Shedded Life
                                          8. Mother Brother
                                          9. Get Along
                                          10. Beehive Mind
                                          12. Frontotemporal

                                          The Gluts

                                          Bang!

                                            Arriving following 2021’s ‘Ungrateful Heart’ LP, ‘Bang!’ is the fifth studio album from the Milan-based band. “Like the sound of a single gunshot, straight to the heart”, the record is balanced between punchy, fast-paced punk songs and noisy experimentalism, perfectly distilling the strength and energy of their notoriously wild, feedback-blasted live shows.

                                            Lead single 'Cade Giù', out everywhere now, is a two-minute blast of searing psych-punk noise. The Gluts say of the typically hedonistic new single: “Cade Giù (‘Falls Down’) is the first song we've ever written and recorded in Italian and speaks about the blurry reminiscences of the typical after party night during the tour, evoking one wild night spent with our friend and booking agent Gab.”

                                            The Gluts is made up of Marco Campana (guitarist), Nicolò J. Campana (frontman), Claudia Cesana (bassist) and Dario Bruno Bassi (drummer). To this date, they have released four studio albums, one live album and contributed to a handful of compilations. Over the last few years they’ve toured heavily around Europe, performed shows in South Africa and USA and appeared at a number of independent festivals including New Colossus, The Great Escape, Eurosonic and more.

                                            TRACK LISTING

                                            1. Soybeans
                                            2. Bang!
                                            3. Fight
                                            4. Self-Destruction
                                            5. Vampire, A Walk At Midnight
                                            6. Cade Giù
                                            7. Sleep Demon
                                            8. Marble Cats
                                            9. Isabella
                                            10. Born & Die

                                            The Brkn Record

                                            The Architecture Of Oppression Part 2

                                              Introducing "The Architecture of Oppression Part 2" - the highly anticipated follow-up to Jake Ferguson's critically acclaimed debut album - Part 1. Ferguson is recognised as the ‘other half’ of The Heliocentrics, producing his solo work under the moniker, The Brkn Record. Effortlessly merging the realms of music and activism, he has created a groundbreaking album, which is set to be one of the most important bodies of work that illustrate ongoing systemic racism this side of the millennium. Ferguson takes the listener to a world where artistry and social consciousness intersect. Crafting an array of captivating soundscapes and themes. This album showcases the vocal talents of both established artists and hidden gems discovered through Ferguson's day-job as a former charity CEO and community activist. While Part 1 served as a rallying cry to dismantle oppressive systems, Part 2 offers a compelling soundtrack of a Pro-Black world reclaiming its destiny. This thought-provoking art piece invites listeners to envision alternative paths while avoiding the pitfalls of past paradigms. Unlike a broken record, this The Brkn Record album keeps pushing boundaries— By enlisting the voices of The Global Majority, The Brkn Record creates a platform for genuine expression through sound. Renowned for his production skills, Ferguson has captured the admiration of industry heavyweights including Nas, Madlib and Kanye West. However, rather than seeking popular features, he chooses to amplify the authentic perspectives of the talented youth he collaborates with in Hackney. One such initiative supported by Ferguson, Account Hackney, introduced him to two gifted artists showcased on this album – Great Okosun and Yolanda Lear. ‘This album serves as a visceral demonstration of my anger at the racially founded status quo in this country and globally. The continued oppression of people on the basis of their race is beyond evil, its common place and needs to end. Simple as.’ The album also sees Ferguson joining forces with award winning laureate Anthony Joseph and legendary hip-hop MC Percee P - their dynamic and thought-provoking lyrics seamlessly intertwine with expertly produced musical landscapes. "The Architecture of Oppression Part 2" is not just an album; it is a transformative journey that challenges the listener and wants you to ‘feel’. It’s Art. A musical experience that inspires, compels, and empowers. Over to you!

                                              TRACK LISTING

                                              Disc: 1
                                              1. We Need Freedom (featuring Jermain Jackman)
                                              2. Black Gold (featuring Jermain Jackman)
                                              3. Cut The Cheque (featuring Percee P & Great Okosun)
                                              4. Believe (featuring Ugochi Nwaogwugwu & Toyin Agbetu)
                                              5. Skull Tax (featuring Anthony Joseph)
                                              6. Indifference (featuring Anthony Joseph)

                                              Disc: 2
                                              1. Why Do They Fear Us? (featuring Yolanda Lear)
                                              2. Prison Of Skin (featuring Ugochi Nwaogwugwu)
                                              3. The Walls Of Jericho (featuring Dylema)
                                              4. Intensity In Five (featuring Anthony Joseph)

                                              The Black Angels

                                              Passover - 2024 Repress

                                                These are fighting times, people. We are surrounded by grit, spit, and bloody war, but in the distance moving forward is The Black Angels. Passover, The Black Angels debut album, speaks of real-life horrors, death, and destruction with doses of love, sex, and healing. Don’t lose track, these are caring times as well.

                                                Formed in 2004 and hailing from the mescaline-infused outskirts of Austin, Texas, this gang of musical misfits has been on the road non-stop since their birth, performing at such renowned venues as Sin-e, Middle East, and Spaceland. In early 2006, the band’s self-titled debut EP was dubbed highly recommended in Spin Magazine while receiving heavy radio airplay on such influential stations as KEXP and BBC Radio 1 by Zane Lowe.

                                                Growing in spades since their EP, Passover showcases a band on the make. Spiraling upwards to the skies with the enemy straight on their trail, “The Sniper At The Gates Of Heaven” sees The Black Angels reaching high and stretching out with trance-inducing guitar lines from Christian Bland, Nate Ryan’s filthy medical dumpster bass, and the grizzly preacher vox of lead shaman Alex Maas. “Black Grease” is a bluesy monster full of swagger propelled by the primitive beat of drummer Stephanie Bailey and the mourning drone of organist Jennifer Raines.

                                                10-songs deep, Passover has come again. Reflecting and questioning the intergenerational psychosis of American social life that surrounds us, The Black Angels put forth their answers in song. It’s a “Call To Arms” for those ready to join the good fight, a rock ‘n’ roll salvation during the times we need it the most. As Maas bellows on “Young Man Dead,” “Fire for the hills, pick up speed, and let’s go…”


                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                Young Men Dead
                                                The First Vietnamese War
                                                The Sniper At The Gates Of Heaven
                                                The Prodigal Sun
                                                Black Grease
                                                Manipulation
                                                Empire
                                                Better Off Alone
                                                Bloodhounds On My Trail
                                                Call To Arms

                                                Precocious Neophyte

                                                Home In The Desert

                                                  Precocious Neophyte is the shoegaze/dreampop project of South Korean singer songwriter Jeehye Ham.

                                                  After gaining recognition both in the Korean indie scene and abroad as vocalist/guitarist of Vidulgi OoyoO (shoegaze/post rock) and guitarist of JuckJuck Grunzie(noise/psychedelic), Ham relocated to Chicago where she began experimenting with home recording. In 2019, she released an EP comprised of intimate acoustic compositions under the name Sophysoon.

                                                  With Home in the Desert, Ham embraces the solitary action and lo-fi aesthetics of home recording to create a fuzzier, more expansive sound, inspired by the organized noise of bands she grew up with in Korea's indie scene. Home in the Desert, written and recorded in her apartment between 2021-2022, developed out of Ham's attempts to envision how skeletal guitar lines might sound when performed live at ear-splitting volumes by a full band. “I never expected that I would make loud music again, but one day I took my guitar out and started jamming on my own.“

                                                  As its title suggests, Precocious Neophyte's debut release negotiates the impossible longings for perpetual spaces and times of home. In doing so, Ham fills unstable distances with what KEXP calls "ethereal vocals and soaring melodies," and cradles the insecurities of isolation in overdrive warmth and many layers of distorted guitars.


                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                  1. From My Tiny Room
                                                  2. My Electronic Idol
                                                  3. Traveler
                                                  4. AIWA
                                                  5. Yasik (Midnight Meal)
                                                  6. Girls On The Bed
                                                  7. Korean Lesson 7 At Home (Where Is Michael?)
                                                  8. Golden Eyes
                                                  9. Dreaming Alone Or Together (Bonus Track)
                                                  10. My Electronic Idol (Alternative Mix)

                                                  Joni Mitchell

                                                  Live At The BBC, 1970

                                                    Joni Mitchell turns 80: Ermitage celebrates the nine times Grammy winner with the release of this vinyl album featuring the artist performing live on the BBC in 1970

                                                    Star singer- songwriter of Canadian music and author of songs such as "Big Yellow Taxi", "River" and "A Case of You".

                                                    For all the fans around the world always eager for the releases of the great singer- songwriter and particularly since a few months ago she returned to the stage after the brain aneurysm that struck her in 2015 and left her unable to speak or walk let alone play the guitar.

                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                    1. Chelsea Morning
                                                    2. The Gallery
                                                    3. Cactus Tree
                                                    4. My Old Man
                                                    5. For Free
                                                    6. Woodstock
                                                    7. All I Want
                                                    8. California
                                                    9. Big Yellow Taxi
                                                    10. Both Sides, Now

                                                    Vegyn

                                                    The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions

                                                      Vegyn releases his emotionally rich sophomore album, The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions. Sublimely crafted songs, each allowing for a dose of human imperfection, wobbling on a tightrope between elation and an eerie melancholia. The record includes guest features from John Glacier, Léa Sen, Matt Maltese, Lauren Auder and Ethan P. Flynn, and is released through his own imprint, PLZ Make It Ruins.

                                                      The producer's shape-shifting musical output has so far tended towards excess, whether working with some of the world’s biggest rap and R&B artists (Frank Ocean, Travis Scott, Kali Uchis), or unleashing 70 track mixtapes, letting light into his creative process by sharing scraps from the cutting room floor. By contrast, this new album emerged from a space of free-flowing experimentation, with a lighter touch to the productions. His trademark flourishes and BPM changes take a backseat to melody and clear structure. As Vegyn himself puts it: “I’m just trying to make interesting songs – feeling was the focus.”

                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                      1. A Dream Goes On Forever (feat. John Glacier)
                                                      2. Another 9 Days (feat. Ethan P. Flynn)
                                                      3. Turn Me Inside (feat. Léa Sen)
                                                      4. Halo Flip (feat. Lauren Auder)
                                                      5. Everything Is The Same
                                                      6. The Path Less Travelled
                                                      7. Makeshift Tourniquet
                                                      8. Time Well Spent
                                                      9. In The Front (feat. John Glacier)
                                                      10. Trust (feat. Matt Maltese)
                                                      11. Stress Test
                                                      12. Last Night I Dreamt I Was Alone
                                                      13. Unlucky For Some…

                                                      Jacques Renault / The Patchouli Brothers / Paul Older / Elado

                                                      Let's Dance Vol 3

                                                      Funkyjaws Music keeps on keeping on with its Let's Dance series, which now hits volume number three. It is another doozy that follows the tradition of bringing together four different and equally able artists on one 12". Jacques Renault kicks off with some funky and disco-fried fun on 'Such A Tease' and The Patchouli Brothers take it old school with their steamy disco burner 'Wishin' U Would Call.' The flipside keeps the good vibes alive with some lovely cowbell action and mad-funky riffs on Paul Older's 'Dancin' On Your Mind' and then a little steamy psyched-out guitar magic defines the glorious closer 'House Of Rising Sun.'

                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                      Jacques Renault - Such A Tease
                                                      The Patchouli Brothers - Wishin' U Would Call
                                                      Paul Older - Dancin' On Your Mind
                                                      Elado - House Of Rising Sun

                                                      Back in 2019, Emotional Rescue began a series where it licensed some all-time favourites, remastered them and pressed them up with new remixes by modern producers. It now draws to a close after many fine instalments with early 80s band The Impossible Dreamers. Their cult 'Spin' arrives here with an epic nine-minute extended reversion that is heavy on the dub and percussion and also an even more dubcentric reprise from regular label artist Dan Tyler of Idjut Boys and Noid fame, her under his NAD guise. There is plenty of raw and raucous rhythm to this 12" that will enliven any dancefloor and round out this series in style.

                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                      Spin
                                                      Spin (NAD Reversion)
                                                      Spin (NAD Riddim Reprise)

                                                      Normil Hawaiians

                                                      Empires Into Sand

                                                        ‘Empires into Sand’ is the first album of new material from Normil Hawaiians in 40 years. The group first refined their sound during the early 80s, hitting on a pastoral experimentalism that drew on ambient drone, motorik impulse and post-punk pep.

                                                        ‘Empires into Sand’ came together in the familiar manner of their original three albums, with improvisation and nuance informing the blueprint of the tracks. It was with the official release of this last record ‘Return of the Ranters’ (originally recorded in 1984/85, but then unconsciously shelved) in 2015 by Upset The Rhythm that led to the group reconnecting with the intention of playing music together again. Normil Hawaiians played a launch show for that ‘lost album’ and followed that up with more concerts, including an appearance at Supernormal, a residency at the Edinburgh Festival, gigs at Cafe OTO. They were even chosen by Richard Dawson to perform with him in London.

                                                        Throughout this time, Normil Hawaiians revisited their original songs for live performance. However for a group always so interested in evolving their sound, it came as no surprise that they shirked at the idea of a faithful retread. The band pushed their songs into new inventive dimensions, still progressive at core, but now imbued with a cosmic uncanny. A cinematic approach that was always quietly present has come to the fore. The quaint weirdness of folk song, the humanity of communal practice and the group’s ecological mindedness have all found a place in Normil Hawaiians’ current sound world.

                                                        When Normil Hawaiians write and record music they prefer to gather in a remote location and live together for a while, such is their communal ethos. Being far-flung across the UK, the Family Hawaii (numbering seven key members) decided to encamp to Tayinloan, a small village on the west coast of the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland. They set up their own studio in an isolated, windswept house overlooking the sea and started the tape rolling. Noel Blanden from the band explains the process neatly: “we set up and began playing, slowly and patiently, allowing the music to take its own shape based on where we were staying and our ongoing friendship. We recorded for days, capturing everything. A lot of new and rich ideas began to emerge”.

                                                        Normil Hawaiians took their time to develop these threads at their own pace, allowing songs to mutate and settle over months. Simon Marchant deftly produced and recorded the album whilst also performing in the band, this marked the first time the band had total control of their own sound. The last few years has seen the band reconvene in Herne Bay, Faversham, London and Leith to record new parts, constantly responding to the changing form of these quietly spectral songs of defiance.

                                                        ‘Empires into Sand’ incorporates samples from old rehearsals and live music into the new finished pieces, this is in continuum with their previous records. Snippets of sound from the static of short wave radio and satellite transmissions also embellish the work. In fact the whole album is stitched together with interludes, creating an acutely immersive 45 minutes. ‘Exiles’ opens the album amid swirling atmospheres, synth flights and recordings of Vilnis Egle (father of Zinta Egle from the band) retelling his experience of fleeing his home in Latvia during Soviet occupation in 1942. George Bikandy also features on this track talking about his flight from Syria in 2014. ‘Ghosts of Ballochroy’ is a winding river of a song featuring a lively discourse in Scots courtesy of Rodney Relax. There’s a commitment to truth telling present across this hopeful album populated with angels, incoming tides, long shadows and the rose-washed sun. “From our broken windscreen, we feel the breeze” soars Guy Smith triumphantly over the driving beat of ‘Waterfalls : Bedford 330’. ‘Big City Sky’ flutters and sparkles with rapid synth runs, tape-looped drums and Jimmy Miller’s commanding vocal. With ‘In The Stone’ Zinta’s melody is deliberately jagged and blunt, exaggerated by octave-layered vocals and interjections from Guy.

                                                        This is thought-provoking, boundary-bothering music. Honest in intent, a solidarity of vision. The album’s title is derived from a poem by band member Mark Tyler, who sadly passed away during the recording process and the transience of life is felt heavily throughout. Noel best coins the group’s wish for the album: “we wanted to create an album that acknowledges our history and also reflects who we are today. We remained true to ourselves and we wanted to make something beautiful without removing the edges.” ‘Empires into Sand’ certainly does that, it’s an echo from the past, an echo from the future.


                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                        SIDE A
                                                        01. Exiles
                                                        02. Ghosts Of Ballochroy (ft. Rodney Relax)
                                                        03. Waves NR728524
                                                        04. Back Home To The Stars
                                                        SIDE B
                                                        05. Waterfalls / Bedford 330
                                                        06. We Stand Together
                                                        07. Big City Sky
                                                        08. In The Stone (Luddenham Mix)
                                                        09. North Atlantic

                                                        CD Bonus Tracks
                                                        (The LP Version Will Also Feature These Via The Download Card.)
                                                        10. Where Is Living?
                                                        11. Ornament Of The Tribe
                                                        12. In The Stone (Scratch Mix)
                                                        13. Deep Beneath Snow

                                                        Young Jesus

                                                        The Fool

                                                          John Rossiter (Young Jesus) had quit music to study permaculture and to work in landscapes and gardens. His last album, 'Shepherd Head', was too much time spent on the computer. Working with soil and plants gave him some life back. He said, “You know, when gardening, the right decision to make for the landscape is usually the one that is already happening. It just takes time to read what that is."

                                                          So, John left the orchard to meet Shahzad Ismaily (Feist, Lou Reed, Arooj Aftab) for lunch. They instantly bonded, talking about improvisation, rhythm, the heart. On a lark, Shahzad invited John to New York.

                                                          Songs started to form, songs about shame and grief, love and redemption. They came fast, a song a day for two weeks. It was different from past albums, which felt like years of hammering out lyrics and ideas. This one came in the wake of a long illness, where tunes came in a rush, as if they were physical, as if the body couldn’t heal without them. An almost involuntary outpouring, overrunning his usual self-consciousness.

                                                          Rossiter had to sit and transcribe without judgment: let the ideas grow on their own. Shahzad was in LA one day when John sat down at the piano and played them for him. They decided to record them at Shahzad's Figure 8 Studios in Brooklyn – these songs would blossom into Young Jesus’ album, 'The Fool'.

                                                          Inner landscaping requires presence and bravery. It can get pretty dark and strange the deeper you walk into that jungle. And it’s from the absolute pits of that inner landscape that the truest music rises from.

                                                          At the end of the last session, Rossiter and Alex Lappin sat down and drew tarot cards. John drew The Fool.


                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                          1. Brenda & Diane
                                                          2. Two Brothers
                                                          3. Rabbit
                                                          4. Rich
                                                          5. Moonlight
                                                          6. MOTY
                                                          7. The Weasel
                                                          8. Am I The Only One?
                                                          9. Sunrise
                                                          10. Dancer
                                                          11. God's Plan

                                                          La Luz

                                                          News Of The Universe

                                                            “I was in a dream, but now I can see that change is the only law.”

                                                            With a credo adapted from science fiction author Octavia E. Butler, an album title from a collection of metaphysical poetry, and an expansion in consciousness brought on by personal crisis, guitarist and songwriter Shana Cleveland learns to embrace a changing world with unconditional love on 'News of the Universe', the new full-length from California rock band La Luz.

                                                            'News of the Universe' is a record born of calamity, a work of dark, beautiful psychedelia reflecting Cleveland’s experience of having her world blown apart by a breast cancer diagnosis just two years after the birth of her son. It’s also a portrait of a band in flux, marking the first appearance for drummer Audrey Johnson and the final ones from longtime members bassist Lena Simon and keyboardist Alice Sandahl, whose contributions add a bittersweet edge to a record that is both elegy for an old world and cosmic road map to a strange new one.

                                                            But is there any band in the world more suited to capturing the chaos of change in all its messy beauty than La Luz? Formed by Cleveland in 2012, La Luz is beloved for their ability to balance bedlam and bliss, each new record another fine-tuning of the band’s mix of swaggering riffs with angelic vocals borrowed from doo-wop and folk; a band so reliably great that it makes the huge step forward in confidence and sheer musicality that is 'News of the Universe' all the more formidable. Cleveland, also a writer and painter, has developed into a truly original songwriter with her own canon of haunted psychedelia. Yet if Cleveland has spent years writing songs about ghosts, what lurks in the shadows of 'News of the Universe' is nothing less than death itself. “There are moments on this album that sound to me like the last frantic confession before an asteroid destroys the earth,” says Cleveland.

                                                            The powerful sense of openness that permeates 'News of the Universe' is at least partially due to the fact that it is a record made entirely by women—from the performing, writing, and producing all the way through to the recording, engineering, and mastering. Working with producer Maryam Qudos (Spacemoth), the all-female environment allowed Cleveland to feel safe tapping into difficult places and expressing hard emotions women are socialized to suppress.

                                                            Unashamedly vulnerable, unabashedly feminine, and undeniably triumphant, 'News of the Universe' is another knockout record from a band so reliably great that it has perhaps led people to overlook how pioneering La Luz really are: women of color in indie music forging their own path by following their own artistic star into galaxies beyond current musical trends, always led by an earnest belief in the cosmic power of love and a great riff. Never is that more true than on 'News of the Universe', which might be La Luz’s most brutal record to date but also their most blissful.


                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                            1. Reaching Up To The Sun
                                                            2. Strange World
                                                            3. Dandelions
                                                            4. Poppies
                                                            5. Good Luck With Your Secret
                                                            6. Always In Love
                                                            7. Close Your Eyes
                                                            8. I'll Go With You
                                                            9. Blue Moth Cloud Shadow
                                                            10. News Of The Universe
                                                            11. Moon In Reverse
                                                            12. Blue Jay

                                                            Of Montreal

                                                            Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer - 2024 Reissue

                                                              Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? is of Montreal's landmark 2007 album. The album defined of Montreal's career and continues to be hailed as a classic. Pitchfork called the album "Ceaselessly fascinating and inexhaustibly replayable," honoring it with "Best New Music" and placing it in the Top 5 albums of 2007.

                                                              With Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, of Montreal has created its masterpiece. It is an irresistible and remarkable album, sounding like a logical extension of the erratic indie-disco sounds of The Sunlandic Twins. However, Hissing Fauna is also the most personal of Montreal album to date, with Kevin Barnes, lead of Montreal songwriter, pouring tremendous amounts of emotion, heartbreak, frustration and elation into its twelve tracks.

                                                              Written and recorded primarily during what they call "an insane year," Hissing Fauna sees Barnes adopt a new writing style. It's an unabashedly autobiographical attempt from a songwriter whose early material tended towards characters and story-songs. Barnes continues down the whimsical pop-funk path, while changing up its lyrical scope; and Hissing Fauna balances its poppy nature while showcasing brutal and unflinching honesty. 

                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                              1. Suffer For Fashion
                                                              2. Sink The Seine
                                                              3. Cato As A Pun
                                                              4. Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse
                                                              5. Gronlandic Edit
                                                              6. A Sentence Of Sorts In Kongsvinger
                                                              7. The Past Is A Grotesque Animal
                                                              8. Bunny Ain't No Kind Of Rider
                                                              9. Faberge Falls For Shuggie
                                                              10. Labyrinthian Pomp
                                                              11. She's A Rejecter
                                                              12. We Were Born The Mutants Again With Leafling
                                                              13. Du Og Meg
                                                              14. Voltaic Crusher/Undrum To Muted Da
                                                              15. Derailments In A Place Of Our Own
                                                              16. Miss Blonde, Your Papa Is Failing
                                                              17. No Conclusion 

                                                              Henry Mancini

                                                              The Pink Panther (Special Edition)

                                                                April 16, 2024 marks the centenary of the birth of Henry Mancini. Ermitage celebrates him with the release of the very famous music of the Pink Panther with the unforgettable theme song and all the other compositions present in the 1963 film with Peter Sellers and Claudia Cardinale. Over forty years of career in cinema, music composed for over one hundred films, four Oscars out of 18 nominations, 20 Grammys and two Emmys, over 50 albums, more than 300 million copies sold worldwide, 500 songs composed: here is the portrait of Enrico Mancini.

                                                                Exclusive pink vinyl edition in magnificent gatefold and collectible cover!

                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                A1. The Pink Panther Theme
                                                                A2. It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera) (Instrumental)
                                                                A3. Royal Blue
                                                                A4. Champagne And Quail
                                                                A5. The Village Inn
                                                                A6. The Tiber Twist
                                                                B1. It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio Stasera)
                                                                B2. Cortina
                                                                B3. The Lonely Princess
                                                                B4. Something For Sellers
                                                                B5. Piano And Strings
                                                                B6. Shades Of Sennett

                                                                Sean Khan Presents The Modern Folk & Jazz Ensemble

                                                                Sean Khan Presents The Modern Folk & Jazz Ensemble

                                                                  Saxophone master Sean Khan presents a brand new album project on Acid Jazz – The Modern Folk & Jazz Ensemble. The album explores the sounds of the late-’60s/early-’70s folk revival, recast and reimagined in a jazz setting with featured guest singers, including compositions by Pentangle, Sandy Denny, John Martyn and Nick Drake.

                                                                  Featured vocalists are the legendary Pentangle lead singer Jacqui McShee, acclaimed singer-guitarist Rosie Taylor-Frater, and emerging artist Kindelan. Sean Khan meanwhile is known as one of the UK’s premier saxophonists, and particularly his ‘Supreme Love: A Journey Through Coltrane’ LP. His distinctive Soprano playing can be heard throughout.

                                                                  Presented in a beautiful, evocative sleeve and inner-sleeve layout on LP and gatefold-style CD.

                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                  1. She Moves Through The Fair
                                                                  2. Solid Air
                                                                  3. Light Flight
                                                                  4. Parasite
                                                                  5. Things Behind The Sun
                                                                  6. Who Knows Where The Time Goes
                                                                  7. I’ve Got A Feeling
                                                                  8. Ode To Nick Drake

                                                                  The Pearlfishers

                                                                  Making Tapes For Girls

                                                                    After a hiatus of five years, The Pearlfishers, Glasgow’s finest, return with their ninth album for Marina – most probably their best and most immediate one so far.

                                                                    Driven by main man David Scott’s exceptional songwriting and sophisticated arrangements, Making Tapes For Girls is a goldmine of pop gems – full of witty & colourful lyrics about the affirmative & healing power of music and pop escapism. 

                                                                    The title track evokes memories of those days of compiling a C-30/60/90 for your loved one or secretly adored one: “I didn’t know how to say the right thing / So I left it to Joni and Paul...”. Those mix tapes that came straight from your heart & soul – “the nub of it, the truth of it, the ‘you’ of it.” It is another Pearlfishers classic in the vein of My Dad The Weatherfan and Even On A Sunday Afternoon and also David Scott’s nod to Terry Hall’s The Colour Field.

                                                                    All of these 12 new tracks could have made it easily onto such a tape. Kisses On The Window is a very personal and straightforward love song, with a beautiful string quartet arrangement. Hold Out For A Mystic, most definitely the only song in pop history which references Henri Matisse and Billy Childish in the same line (“The Fauve and the Stuckist man”), is built around a cosmic ELO acoustic guitar sound, while Put The Baby In The Milk channels Carole King jumping through some harmony hoops à la Laura Nyro. We experience more name dropping in The Word Evangeline, a rumination on all songs featuring that name, from The Cocteau Twins to Emmylou Harris to Matthew Sweet. Yellow & The Lovehearts is a wonderful two part suite that takes us from full-on shiny pop to a glacial Simon & Garfunkel soundscape. We are even visiting a Fleetwood Mac-ish vibe in Until I Knew Happy – listen to that great cosmic country banjo solo which creates a fantastic widescreen sound! The super poppy We’re Gonna Make A Hit Record, Boy features the great line: “And we’ll sing it out for Judee Sill and Tony Bourdain”.

                                                                    Oh yes. When The Sun Comes Back To The West Coast definitely lives up to its title – a return to the catchy Byrds harmonies of The Pearlfishers’ Marina debut The Strange Underworld Of The Tall Poppies.

                                                                    Most of the album was recorded at La Chunky Studios in Glasgow where everything is vintage – from an old Ludwig kit, old Wurlitzer electric piano and Fender Rhodes keyboards to tons of vintage microphones and compressors. It made a big stamp on the overall sound to an album which is most probably the best one by The Pearlfishers yet.


                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                    01. Making Tapes For Girls
                                                                    02. Kisses On The Window
                                                                    03. Hold Out For A Mystic
                                                                    04. Put The Baby In The Milk
                                                                    05. Until I Knew Happy
                                                                    06. The Word Evangeline
                                                                    07. We’re Gonna Make A Hit Record, Boy
                                                                    08. Yellow & The Lovehearts
                                                                    09. The Wild Lives
                                                                    10. Protect The Heart That’s Beating
                                                                    11. When The Sun Comes Back To The West Coast
                                                                    12. Sweet Jenny Bluebelle

                                                                    Brisa

                                                                    Stir EP - Incl. Jon Dixon & Byron The Aquarius Remixes

                                                                    Tetsu Shibuya, better known as simply Tetsu or Brisa is a Japanese producer and DJ known for works on the iconic Japanese Jazzy Sport imprint, King Street sub-label Nite Grooves and his own Brisa Music. Leading the EP is title-track 'Stir', in collaboration with Turbojazz Brisa delivers a classic slice of deep house built upon layers of bright stab sequences and loose organic percussion. Detroit's beloved Jon Dixon turns his hand to 'Stir' next, encapsulating the soul of his hometown in reshaping fragments of the original composition. The original of 'Reverie' opens the B-side, laying down a broken rhythm, low-pitched vocal hooks and elongated bass grooves for a more bruk tinged feel. Byron The Aquarius then extracts the core of 'Reverie' and spins it into bumpy, subtly nuanced house workout. Lastly the third original 'Flux' rounds out the release, shifting deeper in funkinfused realms with a playful plucked bass groove and heavily swung drums.

                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                    Stir (feat Turbojazz)
                                                                    Stir (feat Turbojazz) (Jon Dixon Remix)
                                                                    Reverie
                                                                    Reverie (Byron The Aquarius Remix)
                                                                    Flux

                                                                    The Unknowns

                                                                    East Coast Low

                                                                      Members of The Chats, EU pressing of their second LP in anticipation of their debut Euro Tour. FFO: Cosmic Psychos, The Saints, Stiff Richards, The Chats. Australia never misses.

                                                                      European release of The Unknowns second LP, released on Bargain Bin Records in Australia. "There have already been some monster LPs released in 2023, and the sophomore album from The Unknowns just might be the best of the lot. The Brisbane-based then-trio released one of the greatest punk albums of the roaring twenties (so far) with Nothing Will Ever Stop back in late 2020. Now a foursome following the addition of The Chats' Eamon Sandwich on guitar, The Unknowns have returned with an even better follow-up. East Coast Low manages to take most of the musical genres I hold dear and mash them together in the most delightful way. Basically the sound is classic punk rock with a ton of energy and catchy tunes (what else would you expect from Australia?). Yet at the same time, this album aligns beautifully with modern-day garage punk, power pop, and straight-up rock n' roll. East Coast Low packs ten tracks of punchy sing-along punk rock into 23 and a half minutes of pure fun. Songs like "Dianne," "Rid of You," "Thinking About You," and "I Don't Know" prove once again that there's a certain kind of itch that only old school punk rock n' roll can scratch. These guys are doing nothing new. But man, they do it so freaking well! If we're talking about the cream of the contemporary Aussie punk crop, The Unknowns have earned a place in the conversation." - Josh / Faster and Louder blog.

                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                      1. Shot Down
                                                                      2. Dianne
                                                                      3. Rid Of You
                                                                      4. Crying
                                                                      5. Beat Me
                                                                      6. Thinking About You
                                                                      7. Know It All
                                                                      8. I Don’t Know
                                                                      9. Deleted
                                                                      10. Supersonic Love

                                                                      The Trammps

                                                                      This One Is For The Party - 40th Anniversary Expanded Edition

                                                                        This One Is For The Party is the final studio album by The Trammps, originally released in 1984. The Trammps, hailing from Philadelphia, were a prominent fixture in the disco scene of the 1970s. Consisting of Earl Young, Harold Wade, Jimmy Ellis, Robert Upchurch, and Stanley Wade, they were known for their infectious grooves and energetic live performances. The Trammps earned their place in music history with hits like “Disco Inferno” and “Hold Back the Night”, but also “Shout” and “Move” became disco classics.

                                                                        40 years after its original release, the tracks of This One Is For The Party continue to fill dance floors at parties and their influence can be heard in modern dance and pop music. The album also features a guest performance by the Dutch female group Mai Tai on “I Don’t Know (One For The Party)”.

                                                                        In celebration of its 40th anniversary, This One Is For The Party is available as an expanded edition, including the extended version of the Top 40 hit “Move” as a bonus track. Also, the album has been completely remastered at Artone Studio in Haarlem, The Netherlands.

                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                        SIDE A
                                                                        1. Are You Ready
                                                                        2. I Will Be Here For You
                                                                        3. Twenty-Five Miles
                                                                        4. Truly Wonderful
                                                                        5. Shout

                                                                        SIDE B
                                                                        1. Move
                                                                        2. Shine A Light
                                                                        3. I Don't Know (One For The Party)
                                                                        4. Fantacity
                                                                        5. Move (Extended Version) (bonus Track)

                                                                        The Janitors

                                                                        An Error Has Occurred

                                                                          “Everything’s been fucked since David Bowie died or they started up the Hadron Collider” say The Janitors. This feeling is epitomised in the title of their riveting new album: An Error Has Occurred. Marking over two decades of activity for the Swedish psych-rockers, the recording is informed by heartbreak and loss as well as the dismal state of the entire planet. For The Janitors, these two polarities intertwine constantly: “What’s personal is political and vice versa.” To channel their frustration and anger, the band revived certain songs they’d shelved during the pandemic when working on the acclaimed Noisolation Sessions. They added others, written since, that suited the mood of sticking a middle finger up to the oppressive world around us. Whereas previous recordings were often layered up gradually, this time the full band (Henric Herlenius, Jonas Eriksson, Anders Thorell and Wilhelm Tengdahl) rehearsed intensely together before laying down everything live, over two days and nights, in a converted missionary church. The songs on Side A have the menace of Melvins, the swagger of The Stooges and the cosmic heft of The Heads. These are the more simply constructed and poppier pieces... or so the band believe. (One friend of theirs did consider this “delusional”.) ‘In A Bliss’ acts as the album’s radiant centrepiece. A palette-cleansing love song which recalls The Jesus And Mary Chain at their most starry eyed, it finds The Janitors searching for solace and strength in straightforward companionship. After this come the dronier numbers, drawn out with soundscapes and textures influenced by The Velvet Underground’s sonic experiments and the equally immersive atmospheres of electronic acts like Massive Attack. Hence, ‘Operator’ swings threateningly like a space-rock Swans, while the approach on ‘Farewell Spacegirl’ is jazzier and more meditative. “It can be hard to muster up some, or even any, positive energy at this point in time,” says Henric. “We are eternally grateful to have the creative output that this constellation gives us. Neither me or Jonas would probably be here, or be the same people we are, if it wasn’t for The Janitors. We’ll leave you with a quote from an old anarchist: ‘Every society gets the criminals it deserves.’”

                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                          Anger The World
                                                                          Kalfjället
                                                                          Lies
                                                                          In A Bliss
                                                                          Operator
                                                                          What Is Real?
                                                                          Farewell Spacegirl

                                                                          Dexys

                                                                          The Feminine Divine + Dexys Classics: Live!




                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                            Side A (Act 1: Getting Honest)
                                                                            1. The One That Loves You
                                                                            2. It’s Alright Kevin (Manhood 2023)
                                                                            3. I’m Going To Get Free
                                                                            4. Coming Home

                                                                            Side B (Act 2: Attitude To Women)
                                                                            1. The Feminine Divine

                                                                            Side C (Act 3: The Relationship)
                                                                            1. My Goddess Is
                                                                            2. Goddess Rules
                                                                            3. My Submission
                                                                            4. Dance With Me

                                                                            Side D (The Concert: Part 1)
                                                                            1. Soon/Plan B
                                                                            2. I’ll Show You
                                                                            3. All In All (This One Last Wild Waltz)

                                                                            Side E (The Concert: Part 2)
                                                                            1. Until I Believe In My Soul
                                                                            2. Free
                                                                            3. Come On Eileen

                                                                            Side F (Encore)
                                                                            1. Geno
                                                                            2. Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile)
                                                                            3. Tell Me When My Light Turns Green
                                                                            4. Carrickfergus

                                                                            The Third Sound

                                                                            Most Perfect Solitude

                                                                              ‘Most Perfect Solitude’ is the sixth studio album from The Third Sound, due out May 17th on Fuzz Club. The follow-up to 2022' 'First Light' LP marks a new chapter, in terms of both sound and personnel, for the Berlin psych/post-punk band led by Icelandic musician and author Hakon Adalsteinsson. “After touring ‘First Light’ heavily and releasing our Fuzz Club Session LP last year – a career-spanning, retrospective document – this album feels like starting with a clean slate”, Haken says. Written and recorded in under two weeks, during a rare gap in his non-stop touring schedule as guitarist in The Brian Jonestown Massacre and new project Golden Hours at that time, ‘Most Perfect Solitude’ introduces a new Third Sound line-up: Hakon and long-time member Robin Hughes (Organ/Guitar) now joined by Frankie Broek (drums) and Wim Janssens (bass). As well as the line-up changes, Hakon reflects, “There is a certain warmth to some of the songs that has not been there before, but they still flicker between light and shadows, kind of like a slow motion audio version of Brion Gysin‘s Dreamachine.” On the one hand, jangly ‘60s 12-strings and breezy melodies shine on tracks like ‘Another Time, Another Place’ and ‘On Returning’, undoubtedly The Third Sound at their most radiant. Yet the record is not without its darker, heavier moments either – see the scuzzy psych-rock drone ‘Veiled’ or soon-to-be live favourite ‘Wasteland’, which sets a nightmarish vision of a city in ruins to the tune of heavy fuzz-guitar repetition and hypnotic drums. The album’s title is a phrase lifted from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and found by way of Werner Herzog’s journal writings in ‘Of Walking In Ice’, documenting the film-makers walk from Munich to Paris, which Hakon was reading whilst on the road himself: “Many of the songs touched on the theme of trips or some sort of travel, so I knew immediately that it was going to be the title. When you are travelling or touring you can find yourself in a weird sort of isolation, whilst also often looking for solitude to get away from everything. And, sometimes, it is best to listen to music in that most perfect solitude.”

                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                              1. See You On The Other Side
                                                                              2. On Returning
                                                                              3. Don't Look Back
                                                                              4. Catch Fire
                                                                              5. Veiled
                                                                              6. Another Time, Another Place
                                                                              7. Shooting Star
                                                                              8. Dots
                                                                              9. Wasteland
                                                                              10. Departure

                                                                              Loyle Carner

                                                                              Live From The Royal Albert Hall

                                                                                Loyle Carner has Mercury and Brits nominations, NME Awards, global brand campaigns, and 2 top #3 albums! After performing at a SOLD-OUT Royal Albert Hall on his 29th birthday, the multi-talented artist is looking to make history once again with this release.

                                                                                Loyle Carner has been announced as a headliner for 2024’s All Points East. His only London live date for 2024 and his biggest yet, he’ll be playing on Saturday 17 August, joined by special guests including Nas, André 3000, Lianne La Havas, Ezra Collective and Flying Lotus across the East, West and North stages that Carner himself has curated.

                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                Hate
                                                                                Plastic
                                                                                Georgetown (feat. John Agard)
                                                                                Polyfilla
                                                                                Desoleil (Brilliant Corners) (feat. Sampha)
                                                                                Homerton (feat. JNR Williams)
                                                                                Blood On My Nikes (feat. Wesley Joseph & Athian Akec)
                                                                                Nobody Knows (Ladas Road)
                                                                                Still
                                                                                Loose Ends (feat. Jordan Rakei)
                                                                                A Lasting Place
                                                                                Speed Of Plight
                                                                                The Cycle
                                                                                HGU
                                                                                Ottolenghi (feat. Jordan Rakei)

                                                                                British Sea Power

                                                                                The Decline Of British Sea Power - 2024 Reissue

                                                                                  Released on the band's own Golden Chariot Records label comes this lovingly rendered reissue of 'The Decline of British Sea Power', the band's debut album, originally released in June 2003 to huge critical acclaim and available now on coloured vinyl for the first time

                                                                                  Over the course of their 5 studio LPs and three award winning film soundtracks, British Sea Power have become a true British institution: Top 10, Mercury nominated LP, 3 UK silver discs and renowned for their astonishing live shows in unique and unlikely locations - National History Museum, Great Wall of China, Cutty Sark, Cern Hadron Collider, Chelsea Flower show, down a Cornish mine, up in the hills in the highest pub in England, Jodrell Bank and at the John Betjeman centenary with Nick Cave, Barry Humphries, Ronnie Corbet and Prince Charles - as well as hundreds of more traditional sell out tours and festivals around the world.

                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                  Men Together Today
                                                                                  Apologies To Insect Life
                                                                                  Favours In The Beetroot Fields
                                                                                  Something Wicked
                                                                                  Remember Me
                                                                                  Fear Of Drowning
                                                                                  The Lonely
                                                                                  Carrion
                                                                                  Blackout
                                                                                  Lately
                                                                                  A Wooden Horse

                                                                                  April Magazine

                                                                                  Wesley's Convertible Tape For The South

                                                                                    "The wash of flangers & shimmery reverb have been the foundation in Cali psych ever since the Byrds went electric. And while that sound might've dropped off occasionally, it never dropped out. The Velvets minimalist stylings were infused into the mix by The Dream Syndicate in the early 80's & thus a game changer was born. Clay Allison, Opal, Green On Red all took their charge from that current. Then the Shoegaze scene of the 90's looked at those bands as vectors, things got a little more drenched, so yet more seeds were sown into the fertile terroir. Cut to current climes & the bay area is teeming with the latest iterations: Children Maybe Later, Now, & Cindy easily come to mind. But curiously the band most steeped in the mohair constitution is April Magazine, who (thus far) have been content in the shadows. Up till now they've seemed like characters plucked out of a Kazuo Ishiguo novel-mysterious & ethereal-but perhaps this pressing of last year's cassette only release will flush them out. 'Wesley's Convertible Tape For The South' shows the band defly balancing all those that have come before them while also incorporating flourishes of Les Rallizes DeNudes, Hallelujahs & Nagisa Ni Te into the pageantry . So in a way, April Magazine is transforming the landscape yet again; denser, fuzzier, lush & wistfully challenging. 'Wesley's Convertible Tape For The South' is the band's 1st vinyl release stateside (an LP of older tracks was released last year via a UK only label) so no import tariffs! What were once whispers are now proclamations. Just because you don't know them doesn't mean you can't love them. So grab a copy & hug it out amongst yourselves." - Tom Lax (Siltbreeze Records).

                                                                                    Pub emerges from the mists to follow the 'Autumn' ep with his first album of new music in over a decade. 'Process The Wise' LP.

                                                                                    A selection of tracks that are deeply lustrous and magical, equally measured yet wandering, with complimentary harmonics & scattered chaos.

                                                                                    An inexplicable vibe, liquid feelings for endless summer nights. 

                                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                                    A1. Pussykeys
                                                                                    A2. Hearts Conduct
                                                                                    A3. The Water In Magic
                                                                                    A4. Humble Be
                                                                                    B1. Resist The Escalator
                                                                                    B2. Waves Across
                                                                                    B3. Walking On Footprints
                                                                                    B4. Joyus
                                                                                    B5. Done?

                                                                                    Mr Ben & The Bens

                                                                                    Small Wide World

                                                                                      Cult DIY outfit and BBC 6 music favourites Mr Ben & the Bens return in 2024 with a brand new 10 track LP Small Wide World via Bingo Records.

                                                                                      After years of steadily touring the back and even-further-back of beyond in the UK, as well as some of the island’s most beloved venues, Ben found himself taking a well-earned hiatus during 2023. Hibernating in his Sheffield studio in an old pewter factory, and in between working as a full-time potter come illustrator, he penned a set of contemplative songs which would later become the new album.

                                                                                      From the ‘Village Green’ era Kinks-style ‘Poor, Poor Me’ to the motoric ‘Listening Party’, Small Wide World combines tried-and-tested methods with sonic departures for the band. Recorded in Tesla Studios and produced by David Glover the new album inhabits a world of vintage drums machines, shimmering acoustics and wiry synthesisers.

                                                                                      Lyrically, kitchen sink realism winds its way around a set of songs jam packed with melancholic melody. ‘So long Sympathy’ speaks of fragile ego and our means of combatting this, and ‘Penny Drop’ of the loudest voice in the room disarmed by a junior colleague. Ben aims to disarm hostility in both society and the self with sensitive, personal sentiment.

                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                      1. Penny Drop
                                                                                      2. Hermit & The Hare
                                                                                      3. So Long Sympathy
                                                                                      4. My Balloon
                                                                                      5. I Got You
                                                                                      6. Listening Party
                                                                                      7. Pity Party
                                                                                      8. Poor Poor Me
                                                                                      9. Where Do You Wander?
                                                                                      10. Small Wide World

                                                                                      Cage The Elephant

                                                                                      Neon Pill

                                                                                        Neon Pill is the highly anticipated new album from Cage The Elephant, and group’s first new music since their album, Social Cues, which won Best Rock album at the 2019 GRAMMY Awards. Cage The Elephant consists of brothers Matt Shultz (vocals) and Brad Shultz (rhythm guitar) along with Daniel Tichenor (bass), Jared Champion (drums), Nick Bockrath (lead guitar) and Matthan Minster (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals).

                                                                                        Alan Braufman

                                                                                        Infinite Love Infinite Tears

                                                                                          In 1975, the New York City alto saxophonist Alan Braufman released his debut album, Valley of Search, on the India Navigation label. Braufman went on to record and tour with everyone from Carla Bley to The Psychedelic Furs, and didn't release another album under his name until 2020's The Fire Still Burns, which received rave reviews from The WIRE, Downbeat, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and NPR.

                                                                                          2024's Infinite Love Infinite Tears is a surprisingly catchy program of free jazz, richly detailed and forthright, embodying a range of emotions and circumstances that convey individuality, collectivity and hope. There is much history and love in this band, and in Alan Braufman’s art overall. Fifty-odd years after debuting on record, his sound-world is as vital and inviting as ever.

                                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                                          1. Chasing A Melody
                                                                                          2. Infinite Love Infinite Tears
                                                                                          3. Spirits
                                                                                          4. Edge Of Time
                                                                                          5. Brooklyn
                                                                                          6. Liberation 

                                                                                          Cosmo Sheldrake

                                                                                          Eye To The Ear

                                                                                            Animated by themes of interconnection and symbiosis, Cosmo's expansive musical imagination is rooted in practices of listening-both to human and morethan- human sound worlds. Eye To The Ear, Cosmo's most accomplished creation to date-as producer, composer, performer and songwriter-makes it clear that the living world is a noisy and musical place with the power to change the way we think, feel, and imagine.

                                                                                            The second studio album from UK Alternative artist Cosmo Sheldrake. Following 2018's Much Much How How And I which has sold over 100,000 units globally and embarked 250m streams on DSPs, Cosmo continues to take the listener onto a journey into his musical world with a brand new 21 song release.

                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                            1. Gnort Or Gnortle
                                                                                            2. Stop The Music
                                                                                            3. Marvellous Clouds
                                                                                            4. I Did And I Don't And I Do
                                                                                            5. Old Ocean
                                                                                            6. By Being With You
                                                                                            7. I Stitched My Mind Back To My Body
                                                                                            8. The Feet Are The Link
                                                                                            9. Half Past Three
                                                                                            10. I To The Maybe Go
                                                                                            11. Tea For Seventeen
                                                                                            12. Breathe Round Corners
                                                                                            13. Run
                                                                                            14. But Once A Child
                                                                                            15. Shiny Is The View
                                                                                            16. The Snapping Of Shrimp
                                                                                            17. More Than A Mountain
                                                                                            18. Lichens
                                                                                            19. Flora's Pond
                                                                                            20. Interdimensional
                                                                                            21. Does The Swallow Dream Of Flying

                                                                                            Various Artists

                                                                                            Back To Black: Songs From The Original Motion Picture

                                                                                              The official soundtrack release to the new film of Amy Winehouse, Back  To Black, releasing Spring 2024. Amy Winehouse is widely considered as one of the greatest artists in recent history, selling more than 30 million records worldwide. Her acclaimed self-produced 2006 album Back to Black, propelled her to global stardom, going on to win a (then) record breaking 5 Grammy Awards, including Record Of The Year and Song of The Year for hit single Rehab.

                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                              Single LP/CD
                                                                                              1. Amy Winehouse - What Is It About Men
                                                                                              2. Amy Winehouse - Stronger Than Me
                                                                                              3. Amy Winehouse - Know You Now
                                                                                              4. The Shangri-Las - Leader Of The Pack
                                                                                              5. Billie Holiday - All Of Me
                                                                                              6. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
                                                                                              7. Minnie Riperton - Les Fleurs
                                                                                              8. Dinah Washington - Mad About The Boy
                                                                                              9. Amy Winehouse – Love Is A Losing Game
                                                                                              10. Sarah Vaughan Featuring Clifford Brown - Embraceable You
                                                                                              11. Amy Winehouse - Tears Dry On Their Own
                                                                                              12. Nick Cave – Song For Amy

                                                                                              Double LP/CD
                                                                                              Disc 1:
                                                                                              1. Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser
                                                                                              2. Amy Winehouse - What Is It About Men
                                                                                              3. Amy Winehouse - Stronger Than Me
                                                                                              4. Amy Winehouse - I Heard Love Is Blind
                                                                                              5. The Specials - Ghost Town
                                                                                              6. Amy Winehouse - Know You Now
                                                                                              7. Little Anthony & The Imperials - I'm On The Outside (Looking In)
                                                                                              8. The Shangri-Las - Leader Of The Pack
                                                                                              9. Billie Holiday - All Of Me
                                                                                              10. The Shangri-Las - Dressed In Black
                                                                                              11. Donny Hathaway - I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know
                                                                                              12. The Libertines - Don't Look Back Into The Sun
                                                                                              13. Amy Winehouse - Fuck Me Pumps

                                                                                              Disc 2:
                                                                                              1. Tony Bennett - Body & Soul
                                                                                              2. Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
                                                                                              3. Amy Winehouse - Valerie (Live Lounge Version)
                                                                                              4. Minnie Riperton - Les Fleurs
                                                                                              5. Willie Nelson - That’s Life
                                                                                              6. Dinah Washington - Mad About The Boy
                                                                                              7. Amy Winehouse - (There Is) No Greater Love
                                                                                              8. Amy Winehouse - Me & Mr Jones
                                                                                              9. Amy Winehouse - Love Is A Losing Game
                                                                                              10. Amy Winehouse - Rehab
                                                                                              11. Sarah Vaughan Featuring Clifford Brown - Embraceable You
                                                                                              12. Amy Winehouse - Tears Dry On Their Own
                                                                                              13. Nick Cave - Song For Amy

                                                                                              MINING

                                                                                              Chimet

                                                                                                In October 2017, ex-Hurricane Ophelia and Storm Brian hit the British Isles. These weather systems had formed separately over the Atlantic before moving north-east and converging. In addition to 100mph winds and widespread damage and disruption, the storms brought dust from the Sahara Desert that turned the skies orange over much of the UK. This otherworldly meteorological phenomenon serves as a fitting backdrop to Chimet.

                                                                                                Chimet charts the progress of the two storms over the course of a week, utilising data from Chichester West Pole Beacon a weather station in the Solent which stands in some of the most treacherous waters in the UK.

                                                                                                The album was created using 2,016 sampled data streams, translating seven days of information into 67 minutes and 12 seconds of detailed and evolving music. With mother nature orchestrating the piece, she is joined by intuitive and powerful improvisations on piano, cello and synthesiser. The recording captures the sense of building expectation and tension, the dropping air pressure, the rising winds, the interlocking storm systems and the serene aftermath. The shifts are seamless, monumental and open to the elements.

                                                                                                Chimet is a record to lose yourself in. Like the sea itself, it doesn’t give up its secrets easily. The listening experience seems to change depending on your state of mind, and resonates on a primal level which belies its data led compositional approach. For generations, artists and musicians have been drawn to the sea for their inspiration. That emotional response to the vastness of the ocean is a powerful force. While the origins of Chimet lie in the numbers, the resultant record sits proudly in that artistic tradition. Music to watch the horizon to.

                                                                                                Craig Kirkpatrick-Whitby: project concept, artistic direction, data sourcing, analytics & programming PJ Davy: sound design & programming Matthew Bourne: piano, cello & Lintronics Advanced Memorymoog (LAMM) synthesiser


                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                A1. Ophelia (14:40)
                                                                                                A2. Petrichor (5:58)
                                                                                                B1. Latent (4:40)
                                                                                                B2. Chimet 50º 45’.45 N, 00º 56'.59 W (7:59)
                                                                                                C1. Arise (12:20)
                                                                                                C2. Force 10 Pt. 1 (2:19)
                                                                                                D1. Force 10 Pt. 2 (15:00)
                                                                                                D2. Debris (6.29)

                                                                                                Dub & Sound International returns for a third time and this one welcomes legendary Jamaican trombonist Vin Gordon who is rightly 'Digging The Vibes.' The title track kicks off and pairs his playful patterns with a Dubsetters rhythm and some nice sunny and soothing melodies from Trommie aka Don Drummond Jr. After the horn-led, organic and unhurried instrumental comes a dub that is fleshed out with a little more echo and is a sublime bit of roots. A second version adds another perspective to the original and we already look forward to hearing more from this project.

                                                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                Matt says: Breath-taking NEW roots reggae here from a rising star on the scene. Sounds like Bunny Lee & Tommy McCook - with equally impressive dub versions. Those horns man!! A high watermark showing that original JA flavour is still strong.

                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                Digging The Vibes
                                                                                                Vibes Dub
                                                                                                Vibes Riddim

                                                                                                The Lovely Eggs

                                                                                                Eggsistentialism

                                                                                                  “Eggsistentialism” sees The Lovely Eggs return after a 4 year break since their Number One Independent Selling Album “I am Moron”. During that time they have made their own TV show Eggs TV (featuring Ian McKaye, Stewart Lee, Katie Puckrik, Maxine Peake, David Shrigley and more), dueted with Iggy Pop, played a load of sold-out gigs and festivals and fought a campaign to save Lancaster Music Co-op (a community rehearsal rooms and recording studio where they live).

                                                                                                  Recorded at home in Lancaster, with production advice from Dave Fridmann, the album was mixed at Tarbox Road Studios, NY with Dave Fridmann and the band.

                                                                                                  As the title suggests, “Eggsistentialism” explores a much more personal, introspective, and reflective side to The Lovely Eggs world and sees the Eggs explore new sounds and experiment in unventured musical territories.

                                                                                                  “The new album is really a reflection on what has been happening to us these last couple of years, stewing up in Eggland in our own juices,” explains Holly. “It’s about loss and strength. On this album you’ll hear us at our lowest and most vulnerable. Daily life is hard. Realising everything you grew up with and loved is never coming back, alongside the responsibilities of caring for others is sometimes hard to take. The album is about life and death. Eggsistentialism. It’s about dragging yourself through all the shit to get to the other side.”

                                                                                                  “It’s a bit of a ‘wilderness years’ album,” continues Holly. “We haven’t released a new record since 2020 and in the meantime, we’ve been here fighting shit and trying to defend a right to a lifestyle that we’ve enjoyed here in this town for the last 30+ years as working musicians who refuse to get a “normal” job and tow the line. It’s about believing in something and not letting go. But that unwillingness to give in ultimately takes its toll. It does start to destroy you and the album is kind of a documentation of that destruction and collapse as well as the strength we’ve got to get through it all. Ultimately, this is a hopeful record about survival.”

                                                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                  Barry says: Another soaring punky missive from The Lovely Eggs, rich with melodic choruses and clashing groove. Putting to the world to rights with wry politicism and instantly unforgettable instrumental hooks has always been the Lovely Eggs' bread and butter, but Eggsistentialism is without a doubt the Warburtons Toastie (the absolute best) of the Lovely Eggs' output.

                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                  1. Death Grip Kids
                                                                                                  2. Nothing/Everything
                                                                                                  3. Meeting Friends At Night
                                                                                                  4. People TV
                                                                                                  5. My Mood Wave
                                                                                                  6. I Don't Fucking Know What I'm Gunna Do
                                                                                                  7. Memory Man
                                                                                                  8. Things
                                                                                                  9. Echo You
                                                                                                  10. I Am Gaia

                                                                                                  Of Montreal

                                                                                                  Lady On The Cusp

                                                                                                    On Of Montreal’s latest album, 'Lady on the Cusp', Kevin Barnes shapeshifts between genres with each song. On tracks like 'Rude Girl on Rotation', Barnes revisits sounds of late 60’s guitar pop & psychedelia reminiscent of 2013’s 'Lousy With Sylvianbriar', while 'Young Hearts Bleed Free' and 'Music Hurts The Head' showcase Barnes’ love of experimental funk pop that has been present throughout much of the band’s discography. 'Lady on the Cusp' is another exciting listen from one of the most prolific and influential artists making music today.


                                                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                    1. Music Hurts The Head
                                                                                                    2. 2 Depressed 2 Fuck
                                                                                                    3. Rude Girl On Rotation
                                                                                                    4. Yung Hearts Bleed Free
                                                                                                    5. Soporific Cell
                                                                                                    6. I Can Read Smoke
                                                                                                    7. PI$$ PI$$
                                                                                                    8. Sea Mines That Mr Gone
                                                                                                    9. Poetry Surf
                                                                                                    10. Genius In The Wind

                                                                                                    Various Artists

                                                                                                    The Best Of Rare Mod

                                                                                                      The ’Rare Mod’ series has been one of the most enduring Acid Jazzcurated comps of recent years. This included the CD Volumes 1-3 and a 3CD Boxset, uncovering a host of lost classics that capture sound of the original Mod scene: Hard R’n’B, Beat & Soul, and archetypal Pop from the 1960s.

                                                                                                      For the first time, the Best Of… is available on vinyl, with choice selections from across the series, presented in a hip, evocative sleeve, with printed inner, and on orange transparent vinyl. The track-list contains a couple from the legendary Fleur De Lys, as well as a track from their brief billing as ‘Shyster’. Elsewhere, there are several productions from unsung hero and prolific session man Graham Dee, and even a turn from young David Bowie performing with The Riot Squad!

                                                                                                      An absolute must-have collection of the less-heard tracks from one of the most iconic periods of British music.

                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                      1. Mud In My Eye – The Fleur De Lys
                                                                                                      2. It’s A Hard Way – Cathedral
                                                                                                      3. She’s Got The Time – The Afex
                                                                                                      4. Tick Tock – Shyster
                                                                                                      5. Big Bird – Dog Soul
                                                                                                      6. I’m A Man – The Top Six
                                                                                                      7. I’m Waiting For The Man – The Riot Squad
                                                                                                      8. We Can Make It Together – Tony & Tandy
                                                                                                      9. A Love I Believe In – Maxine
                                                                                                      10. Brick By Brick (Stone By Stone) – Fleur De Lys
                                                                                                      11. Soul Ride – Mike Berry
                                                                                                      12. Just A Little Misunderstanding – Richard Kent Style
                                                                                                      13. Sing A Simple Song – Ossie Lane Show
                                                                                                      14. Mr. Super Cool – Graham Dee

                                                                                                      We've managed to snaffle some copies of this under-the-radar hip-hop comp from last year. "Down The Local" is an absolute gem; featuring a plethora of rappers I haven't heard yet but the UK flavours are strong throughout with each MC having their own unique flow and style with clear regional accent variations indicating a nationwide roster. Meanwhile the instrumentals are rich with that smokey, jazzy, boom-bap flavour synonymous with the golden days of UK hip-hop complete with nice scratch passages and clever sampling.

                                                                                                      Real rap heads ain't gonna wanna sleep on this one trrruusst! 






                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                      Matt says: A truly fine selection of UK hip-hop that brings to mind that halcyon period around 2002 with strong regional dialects and simple, boom-bap, sample heavy production.

                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                      1. Deeflux & Miracle - Unquenchable
                                                                                                      2. Louie G X Barry Manalog - Stylin Merd
                                                                                                      3. Cappo X Luther Andross - Ellar 
                                                                                                      4. Deeflux & Miracle Feat Ash The Author & Gee Bag - Reel Me Back In 
                                                                                                      5. Ash The Author X Barry Manalog Feat Mysdiggi & Dj Chud - Same As It Never Was 
                                                                                                      6. Cappo X Luther Andross - Nye 
                                                                                                      7. Louie G X Barry Manalog - Milty 
                                                                                                      8. Ash The Author X Barry Manalog Feat Dj Chud - Modern Day Jazz Crumpet 
                                                                                                      9. Deeflux & Miracle Feat Chrome - Oovavoo 


                                                                                                      Earth Ball

                                                                                                      It's Yours

                                                                                                        December 2012 I showed up totally exhausted in Vancouver BC after touring stupidly and relentlessly for however many straight months and got a job at a call centre raising money for the Red Cross. It was a scent free office but one time this woman cooked a piece of fish in the microwave for 10 minutes on low and hot boxed the whole office - we got sent home early no pay. There was the other woman I named the Call Centre Coltrane because her pitch and routine usually involved improvised flights of fancy that went off in both directions at once somehow landing back down with a credit card number and a donation. I used to sleep under the desk. I was there a few months and at the time I reconnected with John Brennan who I had played with briefly in Montreal at the Mutek Festival. In Montreal John was running an experimental music night at a burrito shop downtown called Garbage Night. While in Vancouver I began connecting with the music scene there and would go hang out with the Shearing Pinx lads who I think lived with Sydney the bass player at the time. I knew Nic and Jer from an AIDS Wolf Tour and was so stoked to get to know them both better. I really fell in love with that era of Vancouver's music scene.

                                                                                                        Fast Forward to today. 2024

                                                                                                        Actually it was the dying days of 2023 but you get it and John asks if I'll sit in with Earth Ball and I keep thinking about Earth Balance, the vegan butter everyone eats here. I brought my aching bones and my ipads on the beautiful ferry named the Queen of Oak Bay and out to Nanaimo BC, home of the nanaimo bar (a dessert treat - special to this region - that seems to be more popularly found under the weird glass sneeze guards in office building deli's out east in Ontario.... anyhoops ). No one in Nanaimo wants to talk to me about the famous treat. I asked a couple of people. Silence. Nanaimo is like London, Ontario but more fried and by the sea. The town is filled with blown out old sea dawgs with tin coffee pots and loose leaf tobacco, then there's the usual streetfolk you find in this part of the Canadian Pacific Northwest and a bunch of bohemians who I guess have left Vancouver behind - that fine city having become uninhabitable for those not making over 100k a year. And then up the way are all the retirees. Yup Nanaimo is a strange one. They mined the shit out of this region and Nanaimo is surely haunted by those buried in mining shafts or maimed by the heavy machinery or blown up by accident in the explosives store house. And when Earth Ball fire up the amps in Izzy and Jer's basement you can hear the voices of the ghosts hum through electrical lines and out the speakers, Kellen's hued feedback, Izy's sturdy basslines, Jer's paperbag guitar tone and rumble pack zaps, Liam's (aka the Kid) sheets of sound and Brennen's multidirectional drums. You wouldn't guess Earth Ball was auto-composing and from what my rat brain can tell - the lyrics are improvised too...Improvising lyrics and singing them is the hardest thing to do in all of music.. Izzy and Jer are pros. And their attitudes are pro too.

                                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                        1. Moon FM
                                                                                                        2. Antifreeze
                                                                                                        3. Through & Through
                                                                                                        4. A Need To Cool Down
                                                                                                        5. Flash In The Pan
                                                                                                        6. Hollowgramma

                                                                                                        L.B. Dub Corp - "Only the Good Times" - original version & ultra hyped Burial remix.

                                                                                                        Cut direct from studio tape master to limited white label vinyl. Taken from the forthcoming album by Luke Slater - “Saturn To Home”, which will be out on Dekmantel later this month.

                                                                                                        'For me "Only The Good Times" is a deeply emotional track. It’s one of those tracks that ended up entwined in love and somehow life affirming. My immediate thought was to get Burial to remix it, not only because he is one of the most entrancing producers ever, but also because of our heart felt connection and to get him away from his Playstation for ten seconds. Thank you Arnol, Will and everyone else connecting to the music ♥️' - Luke Slater

                                                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                        Matt says: After being spoken about in hush tones via the more devoted Burial heads for the last few weeks, we've finally secured copies of the vinyl for your enjoyment! Get those orders in folks as copies are seriously limited.

                                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                        Only The Good Times(Original Version)
                                                                                                        Only The Good Times (Burial Remix)

                                                                                                        Various Artists

                                                                                                        Above The Rim (The Soundtrack) - 30th Anniversary Edition

                                                                                                          Death Row Records/ gamma is pleased to announce the release of a 30th Anniversary edition of Above The Rim (The Soundtrack) on 17th May. This is the first time the full 21-song tracklist will be available on vinyl. All previous LP releases have been 18 tracks. It will be available on double yellow with orange and red splatter vinyl.

                                                                                                          Upon its initial release, Above The Rim (The Soundtrack) sold over 2 million copies and held the #1 spot on the Billboard R&B Albums chart for 10 consecutive weeks. The soundtrack is loaded with songs from epic artists including Tha Dogg Pound featuring Nate Dogg and Snoop Doggy Dogg, Dr. Dre, Warren G, DJ Quik and Al B. Sure! Additionally, this special 30th Anniversary edition will now include tracks from 2Pac "Pain" (feat. Stretch), Lord G “Mi Monie Rite!" and 2Pac “Loyal To The Game" (feat. Treach & Riddler).

                                                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                          Side A
                                                                                                          1. Anything Swv
                                                                                                          2. Old Time's Sake Sweet Sable
                                                                                                          3. Part Time Lover H-Town
                                                                                                          4. Big Pimpin’ The Dogg Pound Gangstas
                                                                                                          5. Didn’t Mean To Turn You On 2nd Ii None

                                                                                                          Side B
                                                                                                          1. Doggie Style D.J. Rogers
                                                                                                          2. Regulate Nate Dogg & Warren G
                                                                                                          3. Pour Out A Little Liquor Thug Life
                                                                                                          4. Gonna Give It To Ya Jewell & Aaron Hall
                                                                                                          5. Afro Puffs The Lady Of Rage

                                                                                                          Side C

                                                                                                          1. Jus So Ya No Cpo-Boss Hogg
                                                                                                          2. Hoochies Need Love Too Paradise
                                                                                                          3. I’m Still In Love With You Al B. Sure!
                                                                                                          4. Crack ‘Em O.F.T.B.
                                                                                                          5. U Bring Da Dog Out Rhythm & Knowledge
                                                                                                          6. Blowed Away B-Rezell

                                                                                                          Side D
                                                                                                          1. It's Not Deep Enough Jewell
                                                                                                          2. Dogg Pound 4 Life Tha Dogg Pound
                                                                                                          3. Pain 2pac & Stretch
                                                                                                          4. Mi Monie Rite! Lord G
                                                                                                          5. Loyal To The Game 2pac, Treach & Riddler

                                                                                                          Get ready to embark on a hypnotic journey as Full Circle presents the highly anticipated re-release of Danny J Lewis' iconic track, "Spend The Night," accompanied by a brand new Archie Hamilton remix that brings a fresh new perspective to the classic garage anthem. Not to mention not one but two mesmerizing dub versions by H-Man and DJL VIP. These carefully crafted dubs take the original masterpiece to new heights, offering unique perspectives on the timeless classic.

                                                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                          A1. H-Man Dub
                                                                                                          A2. Archie Hamilton Remix
                                                                                                          B1. VIP Dub
                                                                                                          B2. Disco Dub

                                                                                                          Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids

                                                                                                          Shaman!

                                                                                                            Influential jazz collective Idris Ackamoor and The Pyramids return with an epic new opus, ‘Shaman!’, featuring a fresh line-up including original 1970s Pyramids member Dr. Margaux Simmons on flute Bobby Cobb on guitar, long-term associate Sandra Poindexter on violin, Ruben Ramos on bass, Gioele Pagliaccia on drums and Jack Yglesias on percussion. The band transitions from the political and social commentaries of 2018’s acclaimed ‘An Angel Fell’ into more introspective themes. “I wanted to use this album to touch on some of the issues that we all face as individuals in the inner space of our souls and our conscience,” explains Ackamoor. “The album unfolds over four Acts with personal musical statements about love and loss, mortality, the afterlife, family and salvation.”

                                                                                                            Evolving around Ackamoor’s intricate compositions, the album takes us effortlessly across moods and emotions through a series of expansive, extended pieces. Starting with ritual, soul-searching, and masculine vulnerability on the title track, the band explores timeless existence on ‘Eternity’ and mourns the sudden loss of loved ones in the prescient ‘When Will I See You Again?’, a track which gains new relevance amidst the current COVID-19 crisis. Ackamoor pays tribute to his mentor Cecil Taylor on the angular ‘Theme For Cecil’ and renders homage to the ancestors on ‘Salvation’ and ‘The Last Slave Ship’, recalling the last ship to bring slaves to the US from Africa, the Clotilda. The superb ‘Virgin’ is an anthem of forgiveness, new beginnings and self-healing.

                                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                            1. Shaman!
                                                                                                            2. Tango Of Love
                                                                                                            3. Eternity
                                                                                                            4. When Will I See You Again?
                                                                                                            5. Salvation
                                                                                                            6. Theme For Cecil
                                                                                                            7. Virgin
                                                                                                            8. The Last Slave Ship
                                                                                                            9. Dogon Mysteries

                                                                                                            The Paper Kites

                                                                                                            Evergreen

                                                                                                              Notably the release includes standout single "Bloom" which has been certified platinum in the U.S.A, Canada, Australia, Italy & the Netherlands.

                                                                                                              It melds earthy instrumentals to create a perfect backdrop for the band's trademark harmonies that have garnered them a dedicated audience and over 1 billion streams across their catalog.

                                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                              1. Bloom
                                                                                                              2. Woodland
                                                                                                              3. Featherstone
                                                                                                              4. Halcyon
                                                                                                              5. Willow Tree March
                                                                                                              6. The Mortal Boy King
                                                                                                              7. A Maker Of My Time
                                                                                                              8. Leopold Street
                                                                                                              9. When Our Legs Grew Tall
                                                                                                              10. Paint
                                                                                                              11. Kiss The Grass

                                                                                                              An integral figurehead of the new hardcore revivalists, Dawl drops a three razor sharp EPs on the newly minted Under The Radar. Hyped up breaks, bleep melodies, square bass and undiluted rave energy are order of the day as he updates the formula laid down by the early 90s pioneers. Part 1 of a three part series. 

                                                                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                              Matt says: Finally someone to give DJ Absolutely Shit some competition on the waltzers. DAWL heads up the southern charge with a 3 part EP series of hardcore, acid and bleeps n bass carnage.

                                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                              Side 1
                                                                                                              1. Are You Ready 
                                                                                                              2. Chamber 
                                                                                                              Side 2
                                                                                                              1. Azeotrope 
                                                                                                              2. Automatik 

                                                                                                              Various Artists

                                                                                                              Delta Swamp Rock - Sounds From The South: At The Crossroads Of Rock, Country And Soul - 2024 Reissue

                                                                                                                Soul Jazz Records’ classic, ‘Delta Swamp Rock’, features a killer all-star line-up of seminal artists who first blended rock, soul and country together to create a stunning new sound of southern American music in the 1970s.

                                                                                                                Featuring the Allman Brothers, Dan Penn, Leon Russell, Tony Joe White, Johnny Cash, Bobbie Gentry, Big Star, Link Wray, Area Code 615 and loads more.

                                                                                                                This album comes as a classic black vinyl edition complete with extensive original sleevenotes, interviews and exclusive photography, all spread over a 12-page fullsize magazine and two bespoke inner sleeves.

                                                                                                                ‘Delta Swamp Rock’ is an interstate southern road trip through the United States of America where country, rock and soul met at the crossroads - an exploration of the musical and cultural links between the cities of Memphis, Muscle Shoals and Nashville in the 1960s and 70s.

                                                                                                                At the start of the 1970s, a new type of music emerged out of the southern states of Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi and Florida. Southern rock, the creation of young blue-collar white Americans, blended rock, soul, country and blues music together to present a new vision of the south - a post-civil rights southern identity complete with a celebration of the regions natural landscape and its way of life.

                                                                                                                The Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd epitomised the definitive southern rock groups - a mixture of blues-rock and country with a southern rebelliousness and attitude. Unfortunately, both The Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd were to be struck by tragedy, which would affect the movement’s rise and fall.

                                                                                                                The backstory to southern rock is the fact that a number of the people involved in its creation had been central to the production of southern soul music in the 1960s mainly in Memphis, Tennessee, and the small town of Muscle Shoals (population around 10,000) deep within the Bible Belt, liquor-free, deeply segregated state of Alabama, creating 100s of R&B hits on an almost daily basis.

                                                                                                                Here in Muscle Shoals, with its proximity to Memphis and Nashville, an all-white group of in-house musicians, (famously referred to by Lynyrd Skynyrd in the song ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ as the ‘Swampers’), created countless classic soul records for the likes of Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Clarence Carter and more during the 1960s.

                                                                                                                This album charts the rise and fall of southern rock from its funky swamp roots in southern soul to its phenomenal success in the first half of the 1970s, including its influence on Nashville’s ‘outlaw’ country and tracing it right back to the arrival of rock and roll in the 1950s - the first meeting of black and white American music at the crossroads.

                                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                1. Lynyrd Skynyrd - The Seasons
                                                                                                                2. Barefoot Jerry - Smokies
                                                                                                                3. Joe South - Hush
                                                                                                                4. Bobbie Gentry - Papa, Won’t You Let Me Go To Town With You
                                                                                                                5. Area Code 615 - Stone Fox Chase
                                                                                                                6. Cher - I Walk On Guilded Splinters
                                                                                                                7. Cowboy - Please Be With Me
                                                                                                                8. The Allman Brothers - Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More
                                                                                                                9. Link Wray - Be What You Want To
                                                                                                                10. Boz Scaggs - I’ll Be Long Gone
                                                                                                                11. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Comin’ Home
                                                                                                                12. Bobbie Gentry - Seasons Come, Seasons Go
                                                                                                                13. Leon Russell - Out In The Woods
                                                                                                                14. Tony Joe White - Polk Salad Annie
                                                                                                                15. Barefoot Jerry - Come To Me Tonight
                                                                                                                16. Dan Penn - If Love Was Money
                                                                                                                17. Linda Ronstadt - I Won’t Be Hangin’ ‘Round
                                                                                                                18. Waylon Jennings - Big D
                                                                                                                19. Big Star - Thirteen
                                                                                                                20. Bobbie Gentry - Mississippi Delta
                                                                                                                21. Travis Wammack - I Forgot To Remember To Forget
                                                                                                                22. Johnny Cash & June Carter - If I Were A Carpenter
                                                                                                                23. Billy Vera - I’m Leavin’ Here Tomorrow, Mama

                                                                                                                Various Artists

                                                                                                                Jazz Dispensary: The Freedom Sound! The People Arise

                                                                                                                  Let the sound of the night drums and the cry of the horns empower you! The crate diggers of Jazz Dispensary are proud to present a collection of jams propelled by the spirit of nature, protest, and freedom, featuring songs from pioneering musicians Joe Henderson, Gary Bartz, Ran Blake, Azar Lawrence, A.K. Salim, and The Dungills. 



                                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                  SIDE A:
                                                                                                                  1. Afro-Centric – Joe Henderson
                                                                                                                  2. Freedom One Day – Gary Bartz Quintet
                                                                                                                  3. Theme For A New Day – Azar Lawrence
                                                                                                                  SIDE B:
                                                                                                                  4. Afrika – A.K. Salim
                                                                                                                  5. Night Drums – The Dungills
                                                                                                                  6. Three Seeds (A Suite): I) Regis Debray; II) Che Guevara; III) Malcolm – Ran Blake

                                                                                                                  Raven Maize / Pacha / Joey Montenegro / Dave Lee

                                                                                                                  Flashback To The Future EP

                                                                                                                  Dave Lee's Z Records looks back to go forward as it offers up a spiffing new 12" of contemporary reworks of 4 classics cuts of various vintages from the ZR back catalog. Kicking things off in fantastic fashion is a slap bass and wah clav powered take on Raven Maize's 'Forever Together', originally released in1989, this was the first house cut to feature the now iconic keys riff. Dave's Heavenly Star mix of 'One Kiss' (first out in 1991) is pure hip-swinging soulful disco. Joey Montenegro (who could that be?) offers two classic cuts on the flip side. 'Make A Move On Me' (Original Disco Mix) sees the crossover hit from 2005 get a Chic like makeover with its zippy leads and timeless diva vocals. Whilst the special 25th Anniversary Mix of 1998's 'Can't Get High Without U' closes things off with some peak time, tension filled, disco house action!

                                                                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                  Matt says: Dave Lee revisits the past in his disco Delorean, galvanizing some classic moments of dancefloor delight with a fresh new coating. "Forever Together" certainly piqued by beak with its new sfx and driving timpanis.

                                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                  Side 1
                                                                                                                  1. Raven Maize - Forever Together (Closer To The Source Mix)
                                                                                                                  2. Pacha - One Kiss (Dave's Heavenly Star Mix)

                                                                                                                  Side 2
                                                                                                                  1. Joey Montenegro - Make A Move On Me (Original Disco Mix)
                                                                                                                  2. Joey Montenegro - Can't Get High Without U (25th Anniversary Mix)

                                                                                                                  Fucked Up

                                                                                                                  Year Of The Hare - 2024 Reissue

                                                                                                                    Fucked Up are one of the most prolific hardcore punk bands of our generation. Since their 2001 inception, they’ve challenged listeners with thoughtful artful chaos and a seemingly limitless drive for musical experimentation. Because of this, they’ve also become a record collectors worst nightmare; releasing over 80 recordings and collaborations on countless labels that include Arts & Crafts, Matador, Jade Tree, and more. Fucked Up “Year of the Hare” is the latest installment of their Zodiac themed releases. Over a two year period, it was recorded and constructed at Electrical Audio, Key Club Studios, and Candle Studios. Title track “Year of the Hare” is a 21 minute epic that frantically mixes traditional instrumentation, piano/synths, flutes and sax, experimental editing/soundscapes, and guest vocals from great Isla Craig into one dizzying experience. While B-Side “California Cold” slowly builds and deconstructs over an 8 and a half minute stretch. Organically shifting from jangly melodic-punk anthem into a fuzzed out psychedelic jam session. Eclectically blending musical styles and voices in the most, well, Fucked Up way possible.

                                                                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                    1. Year Of The Hare
                                                                                                                    2. California Cold

                                                                                                                    Ron Geesin

                                                                                                                    Basic Maths - Soundtrack From The 1981 TV Series

                                                                                                                      Wow! So you’re telling me Ron Geesin made this kooky electro groovy score to a really progressive maths educational programme on Central TV in 1980 and it’s musically anarchic and amazing and it’s never been issued before? Until now. Wow again!!!! And there’s 30 tracks!!! Trunk Records we love you...

                                                                                                                      Basic Maths was the second educational TV Series for the Midlands-based ITV station for which I composed, played and recorded all music and noises. The first series, also for budding mathematicians in the 7-10 age group, was Leapfrog in 1978 produced by ATV (Associated Television): Basic Maths was for the newly-formed Central Television, the work spanning 1980-1981; both series were of twenty-eight parts.

                                                                                                                      The most worthy idea for both of these series was to project mathematics into life by means mainly of non-verbal sound and vision, with both animated and live action films, linked by two presenters, Fred Harris and Mary Waterhouse. In my role as Media Composer, I had had quite enough of voice overs, therefore music well under, so this fairly radical educational approach at the time encouraged my creative juices to run unhindered. Of course the sound had to do something with the picture and not just use it as a carrier for peacock display. It had to duet, play with and explain the visual content using novel and engaging techniques, so this involved the usual and sometimes intricate mathematical calculations which constantly exercised my already reasonable school maths.

                                                                                                                      The Mr K Edits

                                                                                                                      Before I Let Go / Hollywood Message

                                                                                                                      Mr. K has an amazing knack for knowing what will fill a dancefloor, and it's hard to imagine this pair of tunes causing anything less than a roadblock. On the A-side, he pays tribute to beloved NYC DJ and editor Gail "Sky" King by recreating her extended edit of the Frankie Beverly and Maze sureshot 'Before I Let Go'. The edit arrived a decade after the original surfaced on the best-selling 1981 Live In New Orleans LP, although the track was not actually a concert recording but a new studio track made to fill out the final "D-side" of the release. Alas, the gorgeously danceable funk/soul hybrid was pressed at low quality, the harsh sonic nature meaning it never got the support it truly deserved. It comes here backed by 'Hollywood's Message' from legendary hip-hop pioneer DJ Hollywood, a self-released single from the man who was one of the first to grab the microphone at a jam and rhyme over records. As a backing track for his rhymes, Hollywood took a shortcut and used the renowned 'Love Is The Message' edit created by Mr. K that repeatedly runs the groovy clavinet break from MFSB's tune. Here, Mr. K tightens up the instrumental chant version for its first 7" release, adding a touch of Millie Jackson's 'Now That I Got Your Attention Again' as an intro. Two slices of absolute gold.

                                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                      Matt says: Cult collected by disco & soul heads across the globe, Danny Krivit's Mr. K series dunt show any sign on letting up yet! Latest instalment has the deep soul stylings of Frankie Beverly and Maze plus the wildcard curveball of DJ Hollywood 'rapping' over "Love Is The Message" - a totally new jam for me and worth the entrance fee alone. Megohhh!!

                                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                      Before I Let Go (Homage To Gail Sky King - Mr K 7" Edit)
                                                                                                                      Hollywood Message (Mr K 7" Edit)

                                                                                                                      Dangerdoom

                                                                                                                      The Mouse & The Mask - 2024 Repress

                                                                                                                        Previously only available in Europe in limited quantities, this is the first time many fans will be able to get their hands on a double vinyl copy of "The Mouse and the Mask".

                                                                                                                        Lex has a history of lavish packaging but this remains one of the lushest sleeves in the catalogue. Design by EHQuestionmark, the outer sleeve is made from thick translucent textured plastic with DOOM's mask printed on cover, and mouse ears on each side of the mask forming a pattern that looks like a Rorschach test (a technique reused in another Danger Mouse project six months later). The inner sleeves, visible through the outer at first glance pattern based on an Ishihara test, but inside the circles in the pattern are tiny icons depicting a different disasters - climate change, acid rain, holy war, nuclear leaks.

                                                                                                                        "The Mouse and the Mask" was produced by Lex super-producer Danger Mouse and masked supervillain MF DOOM. The album features Cee-Lo Green (also of Gnarls Barkley), Talib Kweli, Ghostface Killah, Money Mark and the cast of cult cartoon show Aqua Teen Hunger Force and ten years on remains DOOM's best selling album to date.

                                                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                        A1. El Chupa Nibre
                                                                                                                        A2. Sofa King
                                                                                                                        A3. The Mask
                                                                                                                        A4. Perfect Hair
                                                                                                                        B1. Benzie Box
                                                                                                                        B2. Old School
                                                                                                                        B3. ATHF
                                                                                                                        C1. Basket Case
                                                                                                                        C2. No Names
                                                                                                                        C3. Crosshairs
                                                                                                                        C4. Mince Meat
                                                                                                                        D1. Vats Of Urine
                                                                                                                        D2. Space Ho's
                                                                                                                        D3. Bada Bing

                                                                                                                        Temples of Jura enlist long serving Croatia polymath Ilija Rudman for his ninth LP entitled ‘The Great Beyond’. The concept of the album is the afterlife with words from Nikola Tesla, Slavoj Zizek, Jim Morrison, JF Kennedy, Charles De Gaulle, WH Auden, Azar Nafisi and Eleanor Roosevelt woven together to tell the story of ‘The Great Beyond’ and what may lie ahead for us all. The voice itself was created by AI (let’s call him ERIC) and is set beautifully to music that has a timeless cinematic quality. Ilija only uses pure analogue equipment in the creation of his music, resulting in a rich tapestry of basses, drums, chords and lead sounds. He’s been a prolific producer for over 20 years now with a discography that runs deep with more than 100 vinyl EP releases and 8 studio albums, but we feel he’s reached the pinnacle with this concept album. We’ll leave the final word to ERIC “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.”

                                                                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                        Matt says: Philosophic musings merge with AI and lush, dreamy instrumentals in an ambitious concept album from Rudman. I'm sure there's some Timothy Leary titbits in there...

                                                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                        Anas Theme
                                                                                                                        River Cant Wash My Tears Down
                                                                                                                        In The End (Intermezzo Theme)
                                                                                                                        Heroinas Atom Heart
                                                                                                                        Dreams (Part I)
                                                                                                                        Dreams (Part Ii)

                                                                                                                        An integral figurehead of the new hardcore revivalists, Dawl drops a three razor sharp EPs on the newly minted Under The Radar. Hyped up breaks, bleep melodies, square bass and undiluted rave energy are order of the day as he updates the formula laid down by the early 90s pioneers. EP 2 of a three part series. 

                                                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                        Side 1
                                                                                                                        1. Unleash The Sound
                                                                                                                        2. Sound Reckage 
                                                                                                                        Side 2
                                                                                                                        1. Visitor 
                                                                                                                        2. The Land Of Those Beyond 

                                                                                                                        An integral figurehead of the new hardcore revivalists, Dawl drops a three razor sharp EPs on the newly minted Under The Radar. Hyped up breaks, bleep melodies, square bass and undiluted rave energy are order of the day as he updates the formula laid down by the early 90s pioneers. Third EP in a three part series. 

                                                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                        Hear This 
                                                                                                                        Dark Chemistry
                                                                                                                        Mindtrix
                                                                                                                        I Control The Energy 

                                                                                                                        Suzi Ronson

                                                                                                                        Me And Mr Jones : My Life With David Bowie And The Spiders From Mars

                                                                                                                          From the stylist behind David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust look, an electrifying peek behind the curtains during a legendary chapter of pop culture history. 'Suzi Ronson was there as Bowie transitioned from suburban folkie to world superstar and genius. Few can offer such insight, and tell this fascinating story with such verve.' HANIF KUREISHISuzi Ronson was working in a Beckenham hair salon in the early seventies when Mrs Jones came in for her weekly shampoo and set.

                                                                                                                          After being introduced to her son David and his wife Angie, Suzi finds herself at the Bowies' bohemian apartment and is soon embroiled in their raucous world. Having crafted his iconic Ziggy Stardust hairstyle, Suzi becomes the only working woman in David's touring party and joins the Spiders from Mars as they perform around the globe. Amid the costume blunders, parties and groupies she meets her husband-to-be, Mick Ronson, and together they traverse the absurdities of life in show business, falling in with the likes of Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan and Lou Reed along the way.

                                                                                                                          Dazzling and intimate, Me and Mr Jones provides not only a unique perspective on one of the most beguiling stars of our time but also a world on the cusp of cultural transformation, charting the highs and lows of life as one of the only women in the room as it happened.

                                                                                                                          Christoph Dallach

                                                                                                                          Neu Klang: The Definitive History Of Krautrock

                                                                                                                            West Germany, 1968. Like everywhere else in the Western world, the young generation is pushing for radical change, still suffering the after-effects of the Second World War. Many stream out of the lecture halls and onto the streets.

                                                                                                                            Some into the underground. And some into the practice basements, in search of the soundtrack of the movement. The unique and adventurous sounds that German bands like Can, Neu!, Amon Düül, Popul Vuh, Tangerine Dream, Faust, Cluster or Kraftwerk produced back then, now known as Krautrock, are considered a blueprint for modern rock music.

                                                                                                                            And the stream of their creative admirers and continuators has been constantly widening since the first fans like David Bowie and Iggy Pop: whether Blur, Aphex Twin, Sonic Youth, Radiohead or the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. In Neu Klang, Christoph Dallach interviewed its pioneers, including Irmin Schmidt, Jaki Liebezeit and Holger Czukay of CAN; Neu!'s Michael Rother; Dieter Moebius of Cluster; Klaus Schulze of Tangerine Dream; Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk, Brian Eno and many others. Their answers combine to form an oral history that points far beyond the individual band histories: on the one hand, into the past, to Nazi teachers, post-war parental homes, free jazz, terrorism, LSD and extremely long hair; but just as much into the future, to global recognition, myth-making, techno or post-rock.

                                                                                                                            Andre Marmot

                                                                                                                            Unapologetic Expression : The Inside Story Of The UK Jazz Explosion

                                                                                                                              A lively, subversive history of the new UK jazz wave, encapsulating its revolutionary spirit and tracing its foundations to birth of the genre itself. For many in the nineties, jazz was viewed as an obsolete, uncool music, a genre loved by out of touch white men with deeply questionable taste. And yet, by 2019, a new generation of UK jazz musicians were selling out major venues and appearing on festivals line ups around the world.

                                                                                                                              How has UK jazz regenerated its image so totally in twenty-five years? And how did it ever become uncool in the first place?Reaching back to the roots of jazz as the 'unapologetic expression' of oppressed peoples, shaped by the forces of slavery, imperialism and globalisation, Andre Marmot places this new wave within the wider context of a divided, postcolonial Britain navigating its identity in a new world order. These artists have crafted a sound which reflects the nation as it is today - a sound connected to the very origins of jazz itself. Drawing upon eighty-four interviews with key architects of this jazz renaissance and those who came before them - from Shabaka Hutchings, Nubya Garcia and Moses Boyd to Gilles Peterson, Courtney Pine and Cleveland Watkiss - Unapologetic Expression captures the radical spirit of a vital British musical movement.

                                                                                                                              Jordan Rakei

                                                                                                                              The Loop

                                                                                                                                GRAMMY-award nominated Jordan Rakei is a renowned multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, and songwriter who, over soon-to-be-five studio albums, has been on a wide-ranging journey that explores the outer reaches of his inner psyche, traversing themes of emotional evolution, personal growth and family with unwavering sincerity. Always positioning himself in and amongst the bigger questions in life, he has navigated his musical journey with passion and precision, unveiling something new about himself through his songwriting at every turn. The Loop is by far Rakei’s most cohesive and evolutionary work to date following an impressive career of previous releases, each of which have demonstrated his natural curiosity and capabilities in exploring new sounds.

                                                                                                                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                Barry says: Another stunningly assured, confidently presented outing from soulful jazz-tronica hero Jordan Rakei. The Loop sees his once minimal sound blooming into a grand, orchestrated statement that's as bold as it is heartfelt. There are as many brittle, tender progressions as there are cinematic swells and rich Bonobo-like grooves.

                                                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                1. Flowers
                                                                                                                                2. Freedom
                                                                                                                                3. Friend Or Foe
                                                                                                                                4. Royal
                                                                                                                                5. Trust
                                                                                                                                6. State Of Mind
                                                                                                                                7. Hopes And Dreams
                                                                                                                                8. Learning
                                                                                                                                9. Cages
                                                                                                                                10. Forgive
                                                                                                                                11. Everything Everything
                                                                                                                                12. Miracle
                                                                                                                                13. A Little Life

                                                                                                                                Keeley Forsyth

                                                                                                                                The Hollow

                                                                                                                                  Keeley Forsyth is a singer, composer and actress from Oldham, UK. A frequent presence on primetime TV since the mid-'90s, over the past few years she has forged an unusual parallel career as a unique and uncompromising new presence in contemporary music. Described by Pitchfork as “arid and beautiful”, by Uncut as "astonishing" and The Sunday Times as "one of the most remarkable in years”, Keeley's debut LP 'Debris' (2020) and follow-up 'Limbs' (2022) drew unanimous critical praise, prompting comparisons with Nico, Beth Gibbons, Aldous Harding, Nick Cave, Anohni and even Scott Walker. It's often stated that no one else is making music quite like this.

                                                                                                                                  The bleak and foreboding landscape surrounding Keeley's North Yorkshire home seems to inhabit her third LP, 'The Hollow'. The moors, visible from her studio window, impact upon a music that feels made of these places: windswept, rain-soaked and blinking through the low-lit landscape. The album's title derives from discovering a long-abandoned mining shaft whilst out walking - the past lurking within and haunting the present we now occupy. A connection to time that places us within it, facing what is gone and what may come. But also, perhaps that time has no concern as to whether we're here or not.

                                                                                                                                  Keeley's unique elemental voice again sits centrally within this world-building. Her cathartic reflections are exorcisms in song. We hear an artist making sense of her life, willing to expose vulnerability without ever appearing weak. Working again with producer Ross Downes, the LP features Matthew Bourne and Colin Stetson, Forsyth sought to expand both her voice and music. Taking aspects of sacred music, minimalist post-classical, dark ambient, film and theatre soundtracks, she layers her vocals into chamber choirs, applies pitch shifts and other digital processing, moves from clear articulate intention to mumbled numb utterances.

                                                                                                                                  Composer Mihály Vig's score to Bela Tarr’s film 'The Turin Horse' is reimagined as a pressurised outpouring, recasting the everyday within a mythical light of survival and hope. On ‘A Shift’, Mal Finch's protest song ‘We Are Women, We Are Strong ‘, originally sung by wives and daughters in support of the '80s miner’s strikes, is recontextualised in solidarity for an experience of creative labour.

                                                                                                                                  A sought-after collaborator, Keeley is currently working towards new projects with Ben Frost, Teho Teardo, and Matthew Bourne. She has provided vocals for Louis Carnell; remixed both Gazelle Twin and Quin Quis; has soundtracked Maxine Peake’s directorial debut; and is currently developing a stage and studio project with Ben Frost and writer Robert MacFarlane.

                                                                                                                                  A magnetic live performer able to create an immersive almost ritualistic experience, Keeley recently received a standing ovation at Unsound and supports the LP with shows at Bristol New Music, Rewire festival and London's ICA.


                                                                                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                  Barry says: A monolithic slab of otherworldly cascading vocals and foreboding postclassical heft, Keeley Forsyth has crafted a terrifying and hugely moving LP that falls somewhere between ambient soundtrack business, gothic folk and drone, and honestly I couldn't be any more on board. Stunning.

                                                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                  Side A
                                                                                                                                  1. The Answer
                                                                                                                                  2. The Hollow
                                                                                                                                  3. Come And See
                                                                                                                                  4. Eve
                                                                                                                                  5. Turning
                                                                                                                                  6. A Shift
                                                                                                                                  Side B
                                                                                                                                  1. Slush
                                                                                                                                  2. Drag Me Down
                                                                                                                                  3. Do I Breathe
                                                                                                                                  4. In The Corner
                                                                                                                                  5. Horse
                                                                                                                                  6. Creature

                                                                                                                                  Blancmange

                                                                                                                                  Everything Is Connected - The Best Of Blancmange 1979-2024

                                                                                                                                    Celebrating 45 years of Blancmange, Everything Is Connected (Best Of) is the first collection to be curated by Neil Arthur, tastefully blending a mixture of hits and personal favourites. Originally from the UK’s post punk DIY scene, Blancmange found success in 1982, long player ‘Happy Families’ selling Gold in the UK, and its 3 singles becoming international hits. They went on to have 7 Top 40 hits and 70 weeks in the UK album charts. Long-standing admirers include Moby, John Grant and Honey Dijon, who states that “British synth pop was hugely influential in the burgeoning house music scene and Blancmange was a big part of that.”

                                                                                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                    LP:
                                                                                                                                    Side One
                                                                                                                                    1 Living On The Ceiling
                                                                                                                                    2 Waves
                                                                                                                                    3 Blind Vision
                                                                                                                                    4 Don’t Tell Me
                                                                                                                                    5 The Day Before You Came
                                                                                                                                    Side Two
                                                                                                                                    1 What’s The Time?
                                                                                                                                    2 Distant Storm
                                                                                                                                    3 Mindset
                                                                                                                                    4 Reduced Voltage
                                                                                                                                    5 Some Times These

                                                                                                                                    CD:
                                                                                                                                    Disc 1
                                                                                                                                    1 Sad Day (Original Version)
                                                                                                                                    2 I’ve Seen The Word
                                                                                                                                    3 God’s Kitchen
                                                                                                                                    4 Feel Me
                                                                                                                                    5 Living On The Ceiling
                                                                                                                                    6 Waves
                                                                                                                                    7 Game Above My Head (12 Inch Version)
                                                                                                                                    8 Blind Vision
                                                                                                                                    9 That’s Love, That It Is
                                                                                                                                    10 Vishnu
                                                                                                                                    11 Don’t Tell Me
                                                                                                                                    12 The Day Before You Came
                                                                                                                                    13 What’s Your Problem
                                                                                                                                    14 Lose Your Love
                                                                                                                                    15 Why Don’t They Leave Things Alone
                                                                                                                                    16 Drive Me
                                                                                                                                    17 I’m Having A Coffee
                                                                                                                                    18 The Western
                                                                                                                                    19 Just Another Spectre
                                                                                                                                    Disc 2
                                                                                                                                    1 The Fall
                                                                                                                                    2 Last Night (I Dreamt I Had A Job)
                                                                                                                                    3 Jack Knife (Red Shift EP)
                                                                                                                                    4 What’s The Time?
                                                                                                                                    5 We Are The Chemicals
                                                                                                                                    6 Anna Dine
                                                                                                                                    7 Distant Storm
                                                                                                                                    8 I Smashed Your Phone
                                                                                                                                    9 Not A Priority
                                                                                                                                    10 Mindset
                                                                                                                                    11 This Is Bliss
                                                                                                                                    12 Clean Your House
                                                                                                                                    13 Commercial Break
                                                                                                                                    14 Some Times These
                                                                                                                                    15 Reduced Voltage
                                                                                                                                    16 Take Me
                                                                                                                                    17 Again, I Wait For The World
                                                                                                                                    18 Wish
                                                                                                                                    19 Empty Street 

                                                                                                                                    Various Artists

                                                                                                                                    The Power Of The Heart: A Tribute To Lou Reed

                                                                                                                                      It goes without saying that the legendary Lou Reed was a true rock ’n’ roll pioneer. From The Velvet Underground’s debut in 1967 all the way through the end of his days, Reed sang truth from his heart. He lived life to the limit—and then some. The Power of the Heart is a tribute to Reed’s freedom of expression with covers spanning his groundbreaking years with the Velvets into his majestic solo career. Each track is a glorious extension of the Rock ’n’ Roll Animal’s soul, ever adventurous and avant-garde. The Power of the Heart: A Tribute to Lou Reed kicks off with a legend in his own right, Keith Richards, reimagining the Velvets’ classic, “I’m Waiting for the Man.” Richards’ rendition instantly invites you on board this unforgettable ride.

                                                                                                                                      In stark contrast, “Perfect Day” is somehow even more melancholy than the original given the Rufus Wainwright treatment, featuring sparse fingerpicking and gentle harmonies. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts deliver a version of “I’m So Free” that would have even Lou rockin’ in his grave. It’s thrilling to hear these songs reinterpreted and sung by such heavyweights; you can even hear as Lucinda Williams channels the spirit of Lou with her take on “Legendary Hearts.”

                                                                                                                                      Other tracks include a punk-drunk, loved-up duet by real-life lovers Angel Olsen & Maxim Ludwig with “I Can’t Stand It,” and Rickie Lee Jones’ reimagining of “Walk on the Wild Side,” both whimsical and enticing with her whispery vocals, stripped-down percussion, and a piano fit for a late-night lounge. This tribute album truly defies genre, but its throughline, in the end, is its heart: a deeply thoughtful collection of songs that shaped a generation, each paying homage to a man whose body of work still sings.

                                                                                                                                      “To me, Lou stood out. The real deal! Something important to American music and to ALL MUSIC! I miss him and his dog.” – Keith Richards.

                                                                                                                                      “Lou seemed fearless to me, like he’d rather die than be a people-pleaser. I took inspiration from that.” – Rosanne Cash.

                                                                                                                                      “Lou Reed is my earliest influence, my introduction to punk rock, and the soundtrack to the beginning of my romance with Maxim.” – Angel Olsen.

                                                                                                                                      “Lou Reed has been gone now for many years. He’s one of the few people whom I miss as much now as when he left. There are so many instances where I wonder what he would say or what he would think. His general aura would always lend something really unique to the room. Thank God he left his great music and recordings. His personality is sorely missed. Love you, Lou.” – Rufus Wainwright.


                                                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                      I'm Waiting For The Man - Keith Richards
                                                                                                                                      I Can't Stand It - Maxim Ludwig & Angel Olsen
                                                                                                                                      Perfect Day - Rufus Wainwright
                                                                                                                                      I'm So Free - Joan Jett And The Blackhearts
                                                                                                                                      Sally Can't Dance - Bobby Rush
                                                                                                                                      Walk On The Wild Side - Rickie Lee Jones
                                                                                                                                      I Love You, Suzanne - The Afghan Whigs
                                                                                                                                      Coney Island Baby - Mary Gauthier
                                                                                                                                      Legendary Hearts - Lucinda Williams
                                                                                                                                      New Sensations - Automatic
                                                                                                                                      Magician - Rosanne Cash
                                                                                                                                      The Power Of The Heart (bonus Track Cd Only) - Brogan Bentley

                                                                                                                                      Various Artists

                                                                                                                                      Ghana Special (Volume 2): Electronic Highlife & Afro Sounds In The Diaspora 1980​-​93

                                                                                                                                        Highlighting a time when the burgeoning Ghanaian diaspora across Europe and North America was utilising new music technology and recording techniques. A period of movement, emigration and innovation.

                                                                                                                                        The dawn of the 80s saw an increase in emigration following a period of political upheaval at home, with many Ghanaians moving to Europe - especially Germany - to find work. Musicians recording both at home and abroad began to blend highlife with outside influences, taking inspiration from US disco and boogie, European new wave and Caribbean zouk and soca, reflecting new surroundings and cementing musical connections forged in London, Hamburg, Toronto and New York.

                                                                                                                                        Ghana Special celebrates this key period of musical innovation and cultural
                                                                                                                                        exchange that redefined the parameters of Ghanaian music and accelerated the cultural exchange between West Africa and Europe.

                                                                                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                        1. The Godfathers - Ebe Ye Yie Ni
                                                                                                                                        2. Pat Thomas - Gye Wani
                                                                                                                                        3. Pepper, Onion, Ginger & Salt - M.C. Mambo
                                                                                                                                        4. Andy Vans - Adjoa Amisa
                                                                                                                                        5. George Darko - Kaakyire Nua
                                                                                                                                        6. Rex Gyamfi - Obiara Bewu
                                                                                                                                        7. Starlite - Anoma Koro
                                                                                                                                        8. Abdul Raheem - Alaiye
                                                                                                                                        9. Jon K - Asafo
                                                                                                                                        10. Kwasi Afari Minta - Barima Nsu
                                                                                                                                        11. Marijata (feat. Ata Kak) - Otanhunu
                                                                                                                                        12. Gyedu Blay Ambolley - Apple
                                                                                                                                        13. Dadadi - Jigi Jigi
                                                                                                                                        14. Charles Amoah - Fre Me (Call Me)
                                                                                                                                        15. Ernest Honny - New Dance
                                                                                                                                        16. Bessa Simons - Sii Nana
                                                                                                                                        17. Nan Mayen - Mumude
                                                                                                                                        18. Nana Budjei - Asobrachie

                                                                                                                                        Bill Evans Trio

                                                                                                                                        Sunday At The Village Vanguard - 2024 Reissue

                                                                                                                                          The complete iconic Bill Evans LP Sunday at the Village Vanguard, featuring Scott LaFaro on bass, and Paul Motian on drums. Contains perennial versions of Solar, Gloria's Step, and Alice in Wonderland.

                                                                                                                                          This edition also offers an exclusive collector's item consisting of a replica of the exceedingly rare Japanese 7" single (Riverside SR-3033), containing Evans' readings of My Foolish Heart and Polka Dots and Moonbeams.

                                                                                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                          1. Gloria's Step
                                                                                                                                          2. My Man's Gone Now
                                                                                                                                          3. Solar
                                                                                                                                          4. Alice In Wonderland
                                                                                                                                          5. All Of You
                                                                                                                                          6. Jade Visions
                                                                                                                                          7. Jade Visions (alternative Take)
                                                                                                                                          8. Bill Evans Trio
                                                                                                                                          9. Bill Evans Trio

                                                                                                                                          Jimi Hendrix

                                                                                                                                          First Rays Of The Rising Sun - 2024 Reissue

                                                                                                                                            Originally released in April 1997, First Rays Of The New Rising Sun, was the first album prepared under the direct supervision of the Hendrix Family. Drawing together seventeen songs whose creation spans from March 1968 through to Jimi’s final sessions at Electric Lady Studios in August 1970, the album marked the last graceful gesture by the innovative artist Jimi Hendrix. Features “Dolly Dagger,” “Angel,” “Ezy Rider” and “Freedom.” This release is a new, all analog edition mastered from the original 1/4" mixes by Bernie Grundman and pressed on 140-gram black vinyl.

                                                                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                            Side A
                                                                                                                                            1. Freedom
                                                                                                                                            2. Izabella
                                                                                                                                            3. Night Bird Flying
                                                                                                                                            4. Angel
                                                                                                                                            5. Room Full Of Mirrors

                                                                                                                                            Side B
                                                                                                                                            1. Dolly Dagger
                                                                                                                                            2. Ezy Ryder
                                                                                                                                            3. Drifting
                                                                                                                                            4. Beginnings

                                                                                                                                            Side C
                                                                                                                                            1. Stepping Stone
                                                                                                                                            2. My Friend
                                                                                                                                            3. Straight Ahead
                                                                                                                                            4. Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)

                                                                                                                                            Side D
                                                                                                                                            1. Earth Blues
                                                                                                                                            2. Astro Man
                                                                                                                                            3. In From The Storm
                                                                                                                                            4. Belly Button Window

                                                                                                                                            Tymon Dogg & The Dacoits

                                                                                                                                            The Granada Sessions

                                                                                                                                              Both Tymon Dogg and Richard Dudanski had musical roots playing in The 101'ers with future Clash singer/guitarist Joe Strummer. All three shared a deep love for southern Spain, due perhaps to the influence of the Romero sisters, Paloma (later "Palmolive" of The Slits) and the artist Esperanza, who were among the first Spanish punk refugees in London. Tymon's career began with beguiling interactions with Apple Records, The Moody Blues and future Led Zeppelin members John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page before he discovered his true musical self as a punk / folk experimentalist, opening shows for the likes of The Slits, Raincoats and Pop Group and becoming the longest-running musical foil in Strummer's career, continuing into The Clash and Mescaleros. Similarly, Richard played in Basement 5, Public Image Ltd, The Raincoats and others before following Esperanza back to Granada...which subsequently became second home to Tymon and Joe.

                                                                                                                                              Spain is not without its own punk heroes, and chief among them was Granada's Antonio Arias, another pal of Joe's and leader of Spain's musical heroes, Lagartija Nick, which also included Dacoits members Juan Codorniu and JJ Machuca. Antonio sings the albums two Spanish-language songs. while Tymon sings the other nine...and there's an instrumental, "Mongols", which the band considered too epic as a stand-alone instrumental to mess with! Tymon sings three songs from his past: "The Wheel Of Life And Death" has been heard before as a live bonus track on the expanded reissue of "Battle Of Wills", "Conscience Money" was heard in a very different version on the impossible-to-find "Made Of Light" album, and an embryonic take of "Something To Prove" turned up the even rarer 1989 solo album, "Relentless". If you imagine the playful elasticity of "Sandinista!" recast into a more straightforward record, with Tymon taking the lead on something more than that album's "Lose This Skin", you're halfway there. Guests include Killing Joke bassist / famed producer Youth and Dr Robert from The Blow Monkeys. 

                                                                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                              01 Wheel Of Life And Death
                                                                                                                                              02 Cruel Mind
                                                                                                                                              03 Casida Del Herido Por El Agua
                                                                                                                                              04 Something To Prove
                                                                                                                                              05 Brother Of Genghis Khan
                                                                                                                                              06 I Don't Wanna Be Poor
                                                                                                                                              07 Nadsat
                                                                                                                                              08 Chimney Sweep
                                                                                                                                              09 Conscience Money
                                                                                                                                              10 Give Us A Jesus
                                                                                                                                              11 Turning Of The World 

                                                                                                                                              Miles Davis

                                                                                                                                              Kind Of Blue - The Mono & Stereo Versions

                                                                                                                                                The complete 1959 Miles Davis album 'Kind of Blue', one of the most influential Jazz albums of all time, presented here as a 2LP set in its original mono and stereo versions.

                                                                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                1. So What
                                                                                                                                                2. Freddie Freeloader
                                                                                                                                                3. Blue In Green
                                                                                                                                                4. All Blues
                                                                                                                                                5. Flamenco Sketches
                                                                                                                                                6. So What
                                                                                                                                                7. Freddie Freeloader
                                                                                                                                                8. Blue In Green
                                                                                                                                                9. All Blues
                                                                                                                                                10. Flamenco Sketches

                                                                                                                                                Mary Lattimore And Walt McClements

                                                                                                                                                Rain On The Road

                                                                                                                                                  Mary Lattimore and Walt McClements are two of contemporary music’s most renowned innovators. Each has managed to expand the perception of their instrument’s capabilities.

                                                                                                                                                  Lattimore’s inventive harp processing and looping has brought the instrument to a new audience. Her prolific run of celestial solo albums and evocative film scores have redefined the instrument in the modern consciousness. Her genre-agnostic collaborations include work with Kurt Vile, Steve Gunn, Jeff Zeigler, Meg Baird, and Thurston Moore. McClements, who tours as a member of Weyes Blood, is an acclaimed composer in his own right, sculpting glacial atmospherics from the accordion.

                                                                                                                                                  The Los Angeles based duo became quick friends on overlapping tours, sharing both a drive to push the sonic possibilities of their instruments and roots in North Carolina.

                                                                                                                                                  Mary Lattimore and Walt McClements’ debut collaboration, ‘Rain on the Road’, blossomed out of that time spent on the road together, capturing the liminal existence of touring life in deeply cinematic compositions.

                                                                                                                                                  Recorded in the cozy setting of McClements’ apartment during a rainy December in LA, ‘Rain on the Road’ unfurls as a series of sonic vignettes, rolling landscapes hewn from longform improvisations for harp and accordion. Embellished with additional instrumentation such as the shimmering constellations of hand bells on ‘Stolen Bells’ that glisten like lights on wet pavement, or the stately piano figures on ‘The Top of Thomas Street’; their pastoral pieces manage to paint vivid images.

                                                                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                  1. Stolen Bells
                                                                                                                                                  2. The Poppies, The Wild
                                                                                                                                                  3. Mustard, The Blue-Eyed Grass
                                                                                                                                                  4. We Waited For The Bears To Leave
                                                                                                                                                  5. Nest Of Earrings
                                                                                                                                                  6. The Top Of Thomas Street

                                                                                                                                                  Various Artists

                                                                                                                                                  Soul Jazz Records Presents: In The Beginning There Was Rhythm - 2024 Reissue

                                                                                                                                                    Unavailable for over 20 years, ‘In The Beginning There Was Rhythm’ was Soul Jazz Records’ first foray into post-punk and punk-funk in the UK, capturing the groundbreaking, seminal groups that crossed the divide of punk and dance music for the first time.

                                                                                                                                                    First released in 2001, this album is fully remastered, remade and presented once more in its entirety and features A Certain Ratio, Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, The Human League, The Pop Group, Gang of Four, The Slits, 23 Skidoo and This Heat.

                                                                                                                                                    This album comes as a CD and as a double black vinyl edition with download code complete with two bespoke inner bags containing extensive sleevenotes and original photography.

                                                                                                                                                    As Muzik magazine noted on its initial release, ‘In The Beginning There Was Rhythm’ is a choice selection from the fertile post-punk period when bands thought nothing of combining politics and philosophy with imported dance rhythms and edgy industrial angst.

                                                                                                                                                    Most of the bands featured come from the then bleak postindustrial North of England - Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds as well as Bristol and London - and yet all show a fascination with Black American rhythms and an experimentation in sound that was completely unique at the time.

                                                                                                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                    1. A Certain Ratio - Shack Up
                                                                                                                                                    2. 23 Skidoo - Coup
                                                                                                                                                    3. Gang Of Four - To Hell With Poverty
                                                                                                                                                    4. The Human League - Being Boiled
                                                                                                                                                    5. The Slits - In The Beginning There Was Rhythm (Early Version)
                                                                                                                                                    6. This Heat - 24 Track Loop
                                                                                                                                                    7. Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats
                                                                                                                                                    8. The Pop Group - She Is Beyond Good And Evil
                                                                                                                                                    9. Cabaret Voltaire - Sluggin' Fer Jesus
                                                                                                                                                    10. 23 Skidoo - Vegas El Bandito
                                                                                                                                                    11. A Certain Ratio - Knife Slits Water

                                                                                                                                                    Memo PST

                                                                                                                                                    Memo PST

                                                                                                                                                      “Memo PST was formed in 2022 by longtime associates Orville Neeley and Chris Shaw. “The band released a self recorded cassette demo and played a handful of shows in California before setting up shop at Discount Mirrors (the neighborhood studio owned by John Dwyer and Eric Bauer) to lay down an LP. “Recorded the first five days in May of 2023, the debut album from Memo PST features twelve blasts of raw and primitive Los Angeles punk rock, with Orville Neeley (Bad Sports, OBN IIIs) handling songwriting duties and Chris Shaw (Ex-Cult, Vile Nation) handling vocals and lyrics. “The debut long player from Memo PST is everything fans have come to expect from the two longtime fixtures in underground rock, but also features some of their most memorable songs yet, including ‘I Used To Be A Pretty Boy’ the debut single from the band that sold out in hours via record label In The Red. “The black and white album cover photo (taken behind the iconic rocker shop Worship) and the stark presentation that Memo PST has thus far deployed is a clear statement that this is punk made for punks, and the band has little to no regard for current trends created and championed by those less informed. “Written, recorded, and released in Los Angeles, this is the latest chapter in the LA transplants discography, and only the beginning of what we can expect to hear from the songwriting duo. “Rounding out the live lineup is life long Los Angeles punk Danny Clodfelter on bass and San Clemente surf punk Jackson Todd on drums. Crumple up your scribblings, this is Memo PST.”

                                                                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                      1. Coming Back From Hell
                                                                                                                                                      2. Blue Cellophane
                                                                                                                                                      3. Chipped Teeth
                                                                                                                                                      4. Dog Meds
                                                                                                                                                      5. Best Ones Leave
                                                                                                                                                      6. Night Circuit
                                                                                                                                                      7. Platform Damage
                                                                                                                                                      8. Reptile Zodiac
                                                                                                                                                      9. I Used To Be A Pretty Boy
                                                                                                                                                      10. Rise Fall Repeat
                                                                                                                                                      11. Under Your Chains
                                                                                                                                                      12. Your Past Is A Mirror

                                                                                                                                                      New mastering and new cutting of one of Metroplex's keystone releases - considered by many as one of the most important tracks in Juan Atkin's catalogue and a milestone of Detroit techno.

                                                                                                                                                      It wasn't a wholly Detroit affair however. Originally released in '92 on Tresor by 3MB featuring Magic Juan; 3MB is three men in Berlin - no other than Moritz Von Oswald, Thomas Fehlmann and Juan Atkins. 

                                                                                                                                                      Signed to Metroplex in '93 with slightly different credits it perfectly encapsulates the cross pollination that was present between Detroit, Berlin (and Manchester) at the time. It still sounds futuristic to this day - the flanging percussion, rolling riff and gliding bass. "Cosmic Courier" (also originally signed to Tresor) is an enveloping, 4/4 rollercoaster of deep interstella emotion - again a perfect example of the development of techno as a form of a high tech jazz. "Bassmental" concludes with a more mentalist, acidiic airstrike - very much in keeping with Tresor's club ethos (where Jeff Mills and co. famously had to have oxygen tanks DELIVERED to them, mid-set, due to the underground nature of the club and the extended set times gifted to the Detroit breathen). Pivotal, encapsulating tracks from the storied and embryonic period of techno - every home needs one! 

                                                                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                      Matt says: A high watermark of the techno genre, widely celebrated as one of Juan Atkins' finest moments, and a brilliant example of the cross-pollination between Detroit and Berlin - "Jazz Is The Teacher" deserves a place in every techno lover's record collection.

                                                                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                      1 Jazz Is The Teacher
                                                                                                                                                      2 Cosmic Courier
                                                                                                                                                      3 Bassmental

                                                                                                                                                      Peter Herbolzheimer

                                                                                                                                                      The Catfish

                                                                                                                                                      Another new Killer big band jazz bangers from Germany, first time on 7" 45, heavy moog and drums with power horns and grooves. When i first heard of this artist Peter Herbolzheimer back in the Early 90s, I was literally blown away. Big band Funk was the way. Back in the dayz the LP was selling for big bucks, and now we have taken two monsters from the Live recordings at the famous ONKELPO in Sweden and added to the Dynamite cuts 7" serires.

                                                                                                                                                      A side "The Catfish" heavy moog and drum groove on layered with outstanding horn section.

                                                                                                                                                      B side was easy to choose, it had to be "Head Egg" uptempo and powerful groove, including a banger of a drum loop.

                                                                                                                                                      This is a must have 7" release great for all good music lovers

                                                                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                      1. The Catfish
                                                                                                                                                      2. Head Egg

                                                                                                                                                      TMD Volume 1 kicks off with 4 tracks of sure fire, rare as …. NYC tracks from THEEEEEE golden era of NYC house that saw David doing his Red Zone thang, along with Simonelli, Frankie and all the other leading the way.
                                                                                                                                                      These 4 to the floor house dub gems are taken from the legendary Tommy Musto’s DAT vaults, remastered just for you. Don’t sleep.

                                                                                                                                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                      Matt says: There's certain tracks of certain eras of certain geographical locations that are impossible to dislodge. Tommy Musto epitomises the early spirit of NY house perfectly across these four lost tracks.

                                                                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                      A1. Love Is Needed
                                                                                                                                                      A2. Holdin' On
                                                                                                                                                      B1. Baby's Right
                                                                                                                                                      B2. Keep It Movin'

                                                                                                                                                      The Village Choir

                                                                                                                                                      Along The Beach PT1 / Sweet Hot Lips

                                                                                                                                                      Holy Grail alert! Two stunning sweet soul cuts from New York based quintet, The Village Choir. Blending latin, soul & jazz, two dancefloor swayers of serious class. This super soulful 70’s 7 inch has regularly been changing hands for over £500 on the second hand market & for the first time ever, it has been officially licenced and lovingly reissued on heavyweight 7 inch vinyl for this RSD exclusive release. For the dancers and the romancers!

                                                                                                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                      A1. Along The Beach PT1
                                                                                                                                                      B1. Sweet Hot Lips

                                                                                                                                                      The Wire

                                                                                                                                                      Issue 484 - June 2024

                                                                                                                                                        On the cover: Shellac: The US noise rock survivors are hard as rails on long awaited new album To All Trains. By Emily Pothast. Plus: Arnold Dreyblatt: The Berlin based composer unwinds with the rich overtones of The Orchestra Of Excited Strings. By Peter Margasak; Dreyblatt on disc: Peter Margasak selects choice recordings from the composer’s catalogue, from the early 1980s to the present day; Robyn’s Rocket: Trumpeter, mentor and activist Robyn Steward nurtures an anything goes ethos at her inclusive events. By Clive Bell; Zoh Amba: The US saxophonist has forged friendships with Chris Corsano and Farida Amadou in the fire of free music. By Stewart Smith; Invisible Jukebox: Iceboy Violet: Can the Manchester MC/producer keep their cool when faced with The Wire’s mystery record collection? Tested by Claire Biddles. Also inside this issue: Unlimited Editions Ipecac; Unofficial Channels: MusicRepublic & Moroccan Tape Stash; Global Ear: Berlin; Kalia Vandever; Antti Vauhkonen; Marion Cousin; Normil Hawaiians; The Inner Sleeve by Kai Fagaschinski; Epiphanies by Tashi Wada; 40 pages of reviews and much more.

                                                                                                                                                        Shannon & The Clams

                                                                                                                                                        The Moon Is In The Wrong Place

                                                                                                                                                          The Moon Is In The Wrong Place is an upbeat, yet poignant narrative on grief and resilience from Shannon & The Clams. Woven from the threads of devastating loss and communal ties in the aftermath of profound loss – the sudden passing of Shannon's fianceé just months before their wedding – this record unfolds as the Clams' most introspective to date. With Dan Auerbach's production, the album delves deep into themes of heartache and healing, and showcases the band's trademark wry psychedelia, energetic nostalgia, and flourishes of retro beauty. It's a tribute to the power of art and community to triumph over tragedy, and a milestone in Shannon & The Clams' venerable oeuvre.

                                                                                                                                                          TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                          CD TRACKLIST

                                                                                                                                                          1. The Vow
                                                                                                                                                          2. The Hourglass 
                                                                                                                                                          3. Big Wheel 
                                                                                                                                                          4. Oh So Close, Yet So Far 
                                                                                                                                                          5. UFO
                                                                                                                                                          6. What You're Missing 
                                                                                                                                                          7. Real Or Magic 
                                                                                                                                                          8. The Moon Is In The Wrong Place 
                                                                                                                                                          9. So Lucky
                                                                                                                                                          10. Dalí's Clock
                                                                                                                                                          11. Bean Fields
                                                                                                                                                          12. In The Grass 
                                                                                                                                                          13. Golden Brown 
                                                                                                                                                          14. Life Is Unfair

                                                                                                                                                          VINYL TRACKLIST

                                                                                                                                                          SIDE A

                                                                                                                                                          1. The Vow
                                                                                                                                                          2. The Hourglass 
                                                                                                                                                          3. Big Wheel 
                                                                                                                                                          4. Oh So Close, Yet So Far 
                                                                                                                                                          5. UFO
                                                                                                                                                          6. What You're Missing 
                                                                                                                                                          7. Real Or Magic 

                                                                                                                                                          SIDE B

                                                                                                                                                          1. The Moon Is In The Wrong Place 
                                                                                                                                                          2. So Lucky
                                                                                                                                                          3. Dalí's Clock
                                                                                                                                                          4. Bean Fields
                                                                                                                                                          5. In The Grass 
                                                                                                                                                          6. Golden Brown 
                                                                                                                                                          7. Life Is Unfair

                                                                                                                                                          Nancy Sinatra

                                                                                                                                                          How Does That Grab You? - 2024 Reissue

                                                                                                                                                            Less than two weeks after “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” made it to the top of the charts, Nancy was back in the studio working on the follow-up. With a newfound confidence and a fresh batch of songs, How Does That Grab You? is a snapshot that captures the fun, creativity, and genius of an artist embracing her moment. The album includes the sparse masterpiece “Bang, Bang,” the Boots-esque “How Does That Grab You, Darlin’?” and Nancy & Lee Hazlewood’s very first duet, the proto-psychedelic “Sand.”

                                                                                                                                                            Equal parts strong, sultry, and savvy, Nancy Sinatra has long been ahead of her time—both in her choices as an artist and as a businesswoman. Unapologetically, she established her own path early on and paved the way for decades of female artists to come—all while firmly maintain- ing control over her career, her image, and her music. In 1965, Nancy Sinatra changed the face of music, fashion, and culture.

                                                                                                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                            Not The Lovin’ Kind
                                                                                                                                                            The Shadow Of Your Smile
                                                                                                                                                            Sorry ’bout That
                                                                                                                                                            Time
                                                                                                                                                            Sand
                                                                                                                                                            Crying Time
                                                                                                                                                            My Baby Cried All Night Long
                                                                                                                                                            Let It Be Me
                                                                                                                                                            Call Me
                                                                                                                                                            How Does That Grab You, Darlin’?
                                                                                                                                                            Bang, Bang
                                                                                                                                                            The Last Of The Secret Agents? (non-album B-side)
                                                                                                                                                            If Things Don’t Start Picking Up (session Outtake)

                                                                                                                                                            Jon Langford & The Men Of Gwent

                                                                                                                                                            Lost On Land & Sea

                                                                                                                                                              'Lost on Land & Sea' is Jon Langford's Men of Gwent third album for Country Mile Records - The band spent time locked away in a rural mid Wales studio recording every track 'live' with minimal overdubs

                                                                                                                                                              Taking local stories and individuals from their hometown, Newport. The 12 songs weave in and out of a mostly true but partly imagined landscape where all the characters are set adrift at the mercy of the tides of time. The cover art by Jon Langford returns the infamous Newport Cherub (the town emblem on the old bridge) from Manchester back to Newport after the Stone Roses borrowed it for the cover of their 'Love Spreads' single in 1994!

                                                                                                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                              1. Commercial Street
                                                                                                                                                              2. The Last Murenger
                                                                                                                                                              3. How Bright Are The Stars? 
                                                                                                                                                              4. Ruby
                                                                                                                                                              5. Mrs Hammer's Dream
                                                                                                                                                              6. Tenby Boatman
                                                                                                                                                              7. Honest Ken
                                                                                                                                                              8. Encounted With A Selkie Off Llangranog
                                                                                                                                                              9. River Daughter
                                                                                                                                                              10. Ghost Light
                                                                                                                                                              11. Lost In The Wentwood 
                                                                                                                                                              12. Black Gold At Six Bells

                                                                                                                                                              The Church

                                                                                                                                                              Eros Zeta & The Perfumed Guitars

                                                                                                                                                                Following on the theme from last year’s critically acclaimed The Hypnogogue. 15 new songs take the story further.

                                                                                                                                                                TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                                1. Realm Of Minor Angels
                                                                                                                                                                2. Pleasure
                                                                                                                                                                3. Amanita
                                                                                                                                                                4. 2054
                                                                                                                                                                5. Manifesto
                                                                                                                                                                6. The Immediate Future
                                                                                                                                                                7. Sublimated In Song
                                                                                                                                                                8. Song 18
                                                                                                                                                                9. The Weather
                                                                                                                                                                10. Korea
                                                                                                                                                                11. Song From The Machine Age
                                                                                                                                                                12. Sleeping For Miles
                                                                                                                                                                13. Last Melody
                                                                                                                                                                14. A Strange Past
                                                                                                                                                                15. Music From The Ghost Hotel

                                                                                                                                                                Camera Obscura

                                                                                                                                                                Look To The East, Look To The West

                                                                                                                                                                  Look to the East, Look to the West, the new album by Camera Obscura, is a revelation. The Tracyanne Campbell-led outfit, reuniting with producer Jari Haapalainen (Let’s Get Out of This Country, My Maudlin Career), have crafted an album that simultaneously recalls why longtime fans have ferociously loved them for decades while also being their most sophisticated effort to date.

                                                                                                                                                                  It is also the most hard-fought album of Camera Obscura’s career. Following the 2015 passing of founding keyboardist and friend Carey Lander (to whom the penultimate track “Sugar Almond” is addressed), the band went into an extended hiatus. They remained in contact, but their status was uncertain until they announced their return, having been invited to perform as part of Belle & Sebastian’s 2019 Boaty Weekender cruise festival, along with a pair of sold-out warm-up shows in Glasgow. Donna Maciocia (keys and vocals) joined founding members Kenny McKeeve (guitar and vocals), Gavin Dunbar (bass), and Lee Thomson (drums and percussion) for those shows and has since become a regular songwriting partner of Campbell’s.

                                                                                                                                                                  Recorded in the same room where Queen wrote “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Look to the East, Look to the West feels big, a widescreen reframing of Camera Obscura’s sound that, paradoxically, saw the band go back to basics there are no string or brass arrangements, with more emphasis placed on piano, synthesizers, Hammond organ, and drum machines, and, perhaps most strikingly, the group have dropped the veil of reverb that characterized their previous albums. The tinges of country and soul that give Camera Obscura’s baroque take on pop music its bittersweet edge have never been more apparent guitars shimmer into the distance, keys haunt, and Campbell’s voice searches for the heart, reflecting on love, loss, and the passage of time.

                                                                                                                                                                  Lead single “Big Love” relishes in the space between country rock and prog, a pining break-up anthem featuring the soaring pedal steel of Tim Davidson. It’s a Nashville Sound heartbreaker, tackling the complexity of wanting to rekindle a bad relationship with Campbell’s uncanny ability to render the past: “It was a big love, she said / That’s why it took ten years to get her out of her head,” she begins.

                                                                                                                                                                  “We’re Going to Make It in a Man’s World” was co-written with Maciocia for filmmaker Margaret Salmon’s 2021 film Icarus (After Amelia). (Salmon, in turn, shot Look to the East, Look to the West’s cover photography featuring Fiona Morrison, who was on the cover of Camera Obscura’s debut, Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi.). Ironic and sincere, the two navigate the reality of being women in the music industry, somehow floating over Davidson’s pedal steel and Maciocia’s keys. “The Light Nights” is a swooning song propelled by a western shuffle and killer guitar, striking a balance between a particularly good honky-tonk joint’s jukebox and a lost gem of California pop music waiting to be discovered in a 7” bin.

                                                                                                                                                                  Look to the East, Look to the West is the sound of a band that has grown more confident in its sound and purpose than ever. It is Camera Obscura at their best and most evocative, an album that completely rearranges the listener’s emotional core, leaving them sad and exhilarated at the same time. Camera Obscura’s catalog is replete with songs people point to as life-changing, songs that will stick with them all their lives. Look to the East, Look to the West has 11 of them; take your pick. 

                                                                                                                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                                                                                                                  Barry says: Camera Obscura return! After the sad passing of Carey Lander, it's hard to imagine how the band could continue but 'Look To The East...' takes all of the latent melodicism and swooning choruses and strips them back to a fairly minimalist backbone. There are moments of the cinematic intensity and wistful grandiosity of their previous work but it's a much more emotionally wrought, fickle affair, and all the more beautiful for it.

                                                                                                                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                                  1. Liberty Print
                                                                                                                                                                  2. We’re Going To Make It In A Man’s World
                                                                                                                                                                  3. Big Love
                                                                                                                                                                  4. Only A Dream
                                                                                                                                                                  5. The Light Nights
                                                                                                                                                                  6. Sleepwalking
                                                                                                                                                                  7. Baby Huey (Hard Times)
                                                                                                                                                                  8. Denon
                                                                                                                                                                  9. Pop Goes Pop
                                                                                                                                                                  10. Sugar Almond
                                                                                                                                                                  11. Look To The East, Look To The West.

                                                                                                                                                                  Ibibio Sound Machine

                                                                                                                                                                  Pull The Rope

                                                                                                                                                                    Pull the Rope, the new record by Ibibio Sound Machine, casts the Eno Williams and Max Grunhard–led outfit in a new light. The hope, joy, and sexiness of their music remain, but, further honing the edge of their acclaimed 2022 album Electricity, the connection they aim to foster has shifted venues from the sunny buoyancy of a sunlit festival to a sweat-soaked, all-night dance club.

                                                                                                                                                                    Williams and Grunhard attribute this shift to a matter of collaborators, recording Pull the Rope with Sheffield-based producer Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, M.I.A.) over the course of two weeks. The way the pair wrote songs changed significantly rather than Eno penning lyrics to music generated by Max and company’s jamming, Orton started with Eno and Max writing together before adding the band. With less time in the studio

                                                                                                                                                                    and a new way of considering how they built songs, the duo found making decisions about Pull the Rope’s sound quicker and more instinctual than before.

                                                                                                                                                                    “Ross is from Sheffield, which has an edgier, more industrial vibe than London,” Grunhard explains. “He hears things differently than us, is more grounded in rave and grungier sounds, and knew when to add drums or push the instrumentation more. It was very different for us, but it lends itself to where Ibibio Sound Machine is going.”

                                                                                                                                                                    In melding their songwriting process, Grunhard and Williams have, impossibly, pulled the trick of making Ibibio Sound Machine a tighter band than ever before, building out from their core in a way that highlights the electrifying group of musicians they play with. Rather than recording with the full band in the room, Pull the

                                                                                                                                                                    Rope was sculpted, elements added and shaped by Grunhard, Williams, and Orton along the way. As a result, Pull the Rope is a nimble, sleek machine that’s thrilling from the first note of the opening title track, Eno’s otherworldly voice and PK Ambrose’s throbbing bass driving through a kaleidoscopic array of house, post-punk, funk, Afrobeat and disco, bangers and ballads, making an argument for unity that begins on the dancefloor. “We are the places we grew up, the places we’ve been, and the people we’ve met along

                                                                                                                                                                    the way,” Williams says. “Hopping around the globe, we’ve found that people are fundamentally the same they’re people. Opposing sides push and pull, but there is an alternative to war, violence, and suffering.”

                                                                                                                                                                    Lead single “Got to Be Who U Are” literally globetrots, name checking locales across the world that would feel disparate were it not for how well-traveled they are. Eno growing up in the musical melting pot of the Ibibio region of Nigeria and Max being a conservatory-trained musician from Australia, one could call their meeting in London and formation of Ibibio Sound Machine predestined.

                                                                                                                                                                    “Mama Say” and “Let My Yes Be Yes” touch themes of female empowerment. They’re indicative of the band’s depth as they push further into the electronic; “Mama Say” hits notes of electropop while “Let My Yes Be Yes” fuses electro to Afrobeat. Ibibio Sound Machine have always imbued their music with political consciousness, and the light that shines through in Williams’ vocals and voice has never felt more necessary. The sound of Pull the Rope, then, is hope in darkness, bliss in spite of bleakness. Once again, Ibibio Sound Machine are here to provide the soundtrack to the best night of your life, and the better world to come.

                                                                                                                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                                                                                                                    1. Pull The Rope
                                                                                                                                                                    2. Got To Be Who U Are
                                                                                                                                                                    3. Fire
                                                                                                                                                                    4. Them Say
                                                                                                                                                                    5. Political Incorrect
                                                                                                                                                                    6. Mama Say
                                                                                                                                                                    7. Let My Yes Be Yes
                                                                                                                                                                    8. Touch The Ceiling
                                                                                                                                                                    9. Far Away
                                                                                                                                                                    10. Dance In The Rain


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