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CIRCLE X

Tom Misch

Full Circle

    Tom Misch’s long-awaited sophomore album 'Full Circle' finds the London-based artist, songwriter, and producer at his most personal and honest. Exploring the moments that have shaped him over the last eight years: family, friendships, nature, and celebrates the work of finding his way back to himself. Made during his time spent between London, Suffolk, Portugal, and Nashville with a focus on classic songwriting, honing a collection of eleven timeless songs including the previously released singles ‘Old Man’ and ‘Red Moon’.

    While it contends with the struggles that Tom has faced, 'Full Circle' remains optimistic and effortlessly listenable. Its true strength lies in the universality of its lyrics, inviting listeners to inhabit Tom’s world or trace their own path within it. 'Full Circle' stands as both a reflection of his journey and a statement of his ongoing evolution. 


    TRACK LISTING

    1. Flowers In Bloom
    2. Red Moon
    3. Slow Tonight
    4. Sisters With Me
    5. Old Man
    6. Running Away
    7. Goldie
    8. Echo From The Flames
    9. Fear Can't Hurt Any More Than A Dream
    10. Sultan Of Silence
    11. Days Of Us (feat. Kaidi Akinnibi)

    Circle X

    Prehistory - 2026 Reissue

      The music of these Louisville-NYC art-punk-rockers continues to exist bafflingly outside of time – so when better than 42 years after initial release to reissue their album debut on vinyl? New listeners will find, in addition to the roiling compulsion of its odd, dance-damaged clockwork and synthesis of feral and aestheticized values, a refined understanding of the width and breadth of “post-punk” music, from any era, known or unknown.

      TRACK LISTING

      1. Current
      2. Prehistory Part I
      3. Prehistory Part II
      4. Culture Progress
      5. Underworld
      6. Beyond Standard

      5 track EP including 2 remixes.

      Embracing a rich Italo-heavy sound infused with global music elements, 'Ritmomento' firmly positions the duo as modern-day producers carrying on the legacy of both the late '80s Italo wave and the cosmic, tribal, and Afro-influenced Italian 90's electronic scene. In addition to the EP's three original tracks, London-based South African DJ/Producer Esa and Amsterdam’s Masalo both contribute stellar remixes and re-interpretations that transport the originals to new dimensions.

      The EP kicks off with 'Luna Manga', where a strong Italo synth bassline and a catchy, Mory Kante-inspired vocal hook set the tone for the journey ahead. Following this is 'Echo Danza', with mid-tempo grooving rhythms and captivating vocals that highlight the duo's unique interpretation of the diverse influences that defined the late '90s Italian electronic scene - also showcased in 'Nakarap', a track featuring infectious synth stabs that delivers a classic cosmic vibe, paying homage to the genre's rich roots.

      With Esa's live band version of 'Nakarap' things are taken up a notch, introducing a lively bassline and dynamic drums that weave throughout the track. Lastly, Masalo adds his unique touch to 'Luna Manga', transforming for the peak-time dancefloor with hypnotic arpeggios and an ecstatic build-up.

      STAFF COMMENTS

      Matt says: Modern Italo / cosmic / electro-disco enthusiasts got per-lenty to get stuck into here with four brand new tracks inspired by the golden age of the genre. Get those poppers in quick!

      TRACK LISTING

      Luna Manga
      Echo Danza
      Nakarap
      Nakarap (Esa's Afro-Synth Band Version)
      Luna Manga (masalo Remix)

      Kutcorners

      Full Circle / DiscoPlanetBob

      Vancouver-based instrumentalist Kutcorners pays a fine tribute to the legendary jazz-funk king Bob James at the same time as showcasing his fine edit skills on this fresh 7" for The Freshest Recordings. Opener 'Full Circle' swirls with immediately recognisable melodies from James that have been used in all sorts of records over the years. They're carried by a mid-tempo house groove for a breezy late-night sound. On the B-side is a 119bpm funky and broken beat house number, 'DiscoPlanetBob', with more familiar references and playful drums that will get any floor vibing.

      TRACK LISTING

      Full Circle
      DiscoPlanetBob

      Second Circle is very excited to announce ‘In Dream’, the eight-track debut album from Tokyo-born, Berlin-based producer and DJ Courtney Bailey.

      Sonically, 'In Dream' unfolds as a rich, lush soundscape, woven together with expansive digital synth pads, Fairlight-esque stabs, and vibrant acid bass lines. At times the EP leans back horizontally to evoke the balearic spirit of Yello ('Burnt Moon'), at other times it leans more upright towards to dancefloor ('In Heaven'), but what remains throughout is a sense of intimacy, gracefully guided by Bailey’s whisper soft spoken vocals and gentle melodic vocal lines.

      Building on an initial spark of inspiration that arose when listening to the work of Japanese artist Dream Dolphin aka Noriko Kodera, ‘In Dream' is Bailey’s direct creative response to new feelings, energy and emotions. Time spent in the outdoors, specifically in the natural landscapes of Australia also had a profound influence on the making of the record; opener ‘Kodou’ was directly inspired by a moment in Melbourne watching rainbow-colored parrots in a pink-flowering tree. Similarly, 'Burnt Moon' captures the essence of watching moonlight shimmer on ocean waters. At its core, 'In Dream' embraces a child-like wonder for the beauty of nature, an act which infuses the music with a radiant, luminous sense of positivity.

      Capturing the essence of stepping into the unknown and more importantly, doing it with curiosity and optimism, ‘In Dream’ paints a vibrant, multi-colour vision of life, with Bailey inviting us all to immerse ourselves in it’s wonders.

      Sleeve art and design by Michael Willis.

      TRACK LISTING

      Kodou
      In Dream
      Kokoro No Koe
      Burnt Moon
      Under The Water
      Like A Heaven
      Swept Away
      New Journey

      Based in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, Dark Circles Recordings has
      rediscovered and is reissuing an album originally recorded and released in 2008 by Dog Soup, a then London-based quartet that played a handful of gigs and recorded just one exemplary album before, seemingly, disappearing. Fragments, that album, is a crucial chapter in the British jazz story that can now be told again.

      The brainchild of trumpeter and composer Robbie Robson, Dog Soup was briefly part of the Loop Collective, a group of musicians founded in London in 2005. Dog Soup cut one mesmerising album of rhythmic shapes and melodic colours that still sounds fresh, exciting and dynamic 17 years later. An intoxicating mix of composed and freely improvised playing, Fragments keeps the listener guessing just where the music is coming from.

      Released in 2008, Fragments just preceded the revitalised British jazz scene and slipped under the radar of even the most ardent aficionados, becoming a lost classic—until Dark Circles Recordings recognised its brilliance 17 years later and persuaded Robson to reissue it.


      TRACK LISTING

      1. Fragments (2025 Remaster)
      2. Tricksy (2025 Remaster)
      3. Shimmer (2025 Remaster)
      4. Push (2025 Remaster)
      5. Hypnotic (2025 Remaster)
      6. Black Mackerel (2025 Remaster)
      7. Settle (2025 Remaster)

      Ricardo Villalobos / Random Factor

      20/20 Vision: Full Circle Vol Two - Incl. Bobby, Craig Richards & Hardway Bros Remixes

      Ralph Lawson's Leeds-based 20/20 Vision Recordings continues to mark its 30th anniversary with another special release. "Full Circle Vol. Two" revisits label classics through a series of fresh, heavyweight remixes. Co-founder Random Factor flips Ricardo Villalobos' seminal "Easy Lee" into bubbling electro, all lush harmonies and tremulous bass. Bobby reimagines "Lockdown" as a moody, propulsive 4/4 club weapon and on the B-side, Fabric resident Craig Richards strips "Convergence" into hypnotic, percussive minimalism, while Hardway Bros' acid-tinged rework of "Digitize" delivers rumbling low-end and twisted vocal fragments.

      STAFF COMMENTS

      Matt says: Future-gazing interpretations of some classic 20:20 Vision tracks. Craig Richards, RV & Carl Finlow ensure this is a very Fabric flavoured release! TIP!

      TRACK LISTING

      Ricardo Villalobos - Easy Lee (Random Factor Remix)
      Random Factor - Lockdown (Bobby Remix)
      Random Factor - Convergence (Craig Richards Remix)
      Random Factor - Digitize (Hardway Bros Remix - ALFOS Edit)

      Skullcrusher

      And Your Song Is Like A Circle

        Recorded piecemeal over a period of years following the release of her celebrated 2022 debut, 'Quiet the Room', 'And Your Song Is Like a Circle' does not capture experience – it gestures toward the imprint of an experience that is uncapturable. Swaying between vaporous folk and crystalline electronics, landing somewhere in the snowfields shared by Grouper and Julia Holter, '...Circle' probes the ways that grief turns itself inside out. Loss itself becomes as real and substantial as what's been lost.

        TRACK LISTING

        1. March
        2. Dragon
        3. Living
        4. Maelstrom
        5. Changes
        6. Periphery
        7. Red Car
        8. Exhale
        9. Vessel
        10. The Emptying

        Tristeza

        Dream Signals In Full Circles - 25th Anniversary Edition

          Tristeza’s Y2K sophomore album and debut for Tiger Style, back in print a quarter century later. Tracked in Chicago—the post-rock capital of the world— 'Dream Signals In Full Circles' weaves together shimmering counterpointed guitars, mathlete precision percussion, synth glaze and dramatic strings into a trance-inducing sonic screensaver. Do they ID at this bar?

          TRACK LISTING

          1. Building Peaks
          2. Respira
          3. City Of The Future
          4. Shifty Drifty
          5. Auroura Borealis
          6. I Am A Cheetah
          7. Chiaroscuro
          8. Are We People
          9. Opiate Slopes

          Max Richter

          Sleep Circle

            This new album you hold in your hands, 'Sleep Circle', is this newly recorded, abridged version of 'Sleep' informed by those concert experiences and focusing on the movements within the composition that are more in the foreground. This way 'Sleep Circle' becomes a hallucinatory 90-minute trip into the hypnagogic state. For Max, the approach offered new insights into his epic composition: “Some of these compositions, such as 'Dream 11', 'Moth-like Stars' or 'Non-Eternal', are so rich in their poetic core that I wanted the music to be experienced in a more traditional way. I first wrote a structure for a concert performance. The new version we’ve recorded now is based on these performances, which also means that it has a slightly different architecture. It's like 'Sleep' distilled.” 

            TRACK LISTING

            1. Dream 11 / Moth-Like Stars Pt.1
            2. Dream 11 / Moth-Like Stars Pt.1
            3. Dream 11 / Moth-Like Stars Pt.3
            4. Dream 11 / Moth-Like Stars Pt.4
            5. Path 3 / Whose Name Is Written On Water Pt.1
            6. Path 3 / Whose Name Is Written On Water Pt.2
            7. Patterns / Solo Pt.1
            8. Patterns / Solo Pt.2
            9. Patterns / Solo Pt.3
            10. Return Pt.1
            11. Return Pt.2
            12. Dream 11 / Moth-Like Stars Pt. 5
            13. Dream 11 / Moth-Like Stars Pt. 6
            14. Dream 11 / Moth-Like Stars Pt. 7
            15. Non-Eternal Pt.1
            16. Non-Eternal Pt.2
            17. Non-Eternal Pt.3
            18. Chorale
            19. Dream 0 Pt.1
            20. Dream 0 Pt.2
            21. Dream 0 Pt.3
            22. Dream 0 Pt.4
            23. Dream 0 Pt.5
            24. Dream 0 Pt.6

            George FitzGerald

            Full Circle - 10 Year Anniversary Edition

              To celebrate 10 years of the eminent after-hours track 'Full Circle' taken from his debut album 'Fading Love', FitzGerald releases a very limited 12” repackage which includes a sharp and fresh club mix of the track by FitzGerald himself entitled 'From The Vaults 10 Year Mix' as well as the original track and remix by Bonobo.

              TRACK LISTING

              1. From The Vaults (feat. Boxed In) (From The Vaults 10 Year Mix)
              2. Full Circle (feat. Boxed In)
              3. Full Circle (Bonobo Remix Feat. Boxed In)

              Gary Numan

              A Perfect Circle (Live At OVO Arena Wembley)

                Gary Numan's Intruder live show at the OVO Arena, Wembley in May 2022 was an electrifying display of innovation, artistry, energy and poignancy.

                An unforgettable experience for Numan and Numanoids alike, this iconic show is now presented on two limited edition formats including a 3LP live album and a 2CD+Blu-ray containing both the audio and video from the show under the moniker A Perfect Circle, referencing his return to the legendary venue. The Blu-ray also features a backstage interview with Gary himself.

                A Perfect Circle is a perfect blend of past and future, darkness and light, and electronic innovation. As a pioneering figure in music, Numan continues to push the boundaries of performance, proving that his influence on both the electronic and rock genres remains as strong as ever. For those fortunate enough to witness it, the show was a testament to his enduring legacy and a glimpse into the future of live music.

                TRACK LISTING

                3LP Tracklist:
                1. Intruder
                2. Remind Me To Smile
                3. Halo
                4. Metal
                5. Ghost Nation
                6. The Gift
                7. Films
                8. Pure
                9. Resurrection
                10. Down In The Park
                11. Dead Sun Rising
                12. Is This World Not Enough
                13. Everyday I Die
                14. A Black Sun
                15. My Name Is Ruin
                16. Cars
                17. Me, I Disconnect From You
                18. Love Hurt Bleed
                19. The Chosen
                20. We Are Glass
                21. Jo The Waiter
                22. M.E.
                23. A Prayer For The Unborn
                24. Are 'Friends' Electric?

                2CD & Blu-ray Tracklist:
                1. Intruder
                2. Remind Me To Smile
                3. Halo
                4. Metal
                5. Ghost Nation
                6. The Gift
                7. Films
                8. Pure
                9. Resurrection
                10. Down In The Park
                11. Dead Sun Rising
                12. Is This World Not Enough
                13. Everyday I Die
                14. A Black Sun
                15. My Name Is Ruin
                16. Cars
                17. Me, I Disconnect From You
                18. Love Hurt Bleed
                19. The Chosen
                20. We Are Glass
                21. Jo The Waiter
                22. M.E.
                23. A Prayer For The Unborn
                24. Are 'Friends' Electric?

                BLURAY:
                Intruder Live Show At The OVO Arena, Wembley In May 2022

                Sarah Davachi

                All My Circles Run - 2025 Reissue

                  The acclaimed 2017 LP, originally released in a small run of vinyl on the Cincinnati-based Students Of Decay label. Featuring a suite of extended pieces for strings, voice, organ, and piano, it is said to hover “somewhere between the conscious and the unconscious, barely there and indisputably present” - Pitchfork. Recorded at Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s analogue recording studio in Montreal, Hotel2Tango, the album sees Davachi’s Keyboards supplemented by Camille Hesketh’s soprano vocals, Jessica Holmes on cello and Jessica Mosson violin.



                  TRACK LISTING

                  1. For Strings
                  2. For Voice
                  3. Chanter
                  4. For Organ
                  5. For Piano

                  Peter Brown & Steven Gaines

                  All You Need Is Love : The End Of The Beatles - Unpublished, Unvarnished And Told By The Beatles And Their Inner Circle

                    All You Need is Love is a ground-breaking oral history of the Beatles and how it all came to an end. Based on never-before-published or heard interviews with Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and their families, friends, and business associates, this is a landmark book, containing stunning new revelations, about the biggest band the world has ever seen. In 1980-1981 former COO of Apple Corp, Peter Brown and author Steven Gaines interviewed everyone in the Beatles' inner circle and included a small portion of the transcripts in their international bestselling book The Love You Make, which spent four months on the New York Times bestseller list.

                    But left in their archives was a treasure trove of unique and candid interviews that they chose not to publish, until now. A powerful work assembled through honest, intimate, sometimes contradictory and always fascinating testimony, All You Need is Love is a one-of-a-kind insight into the final days, weeks, months and years of the Beatles phenomenon.

                    Black Hole

                    More Love Songs / Searching The Circle

                    If you like your jazz mystical and spaced out then you're on the right page with this one. The Blackhole label returns with a sixth self-titled offering that is buy on sight. 'More Love Songs' has whimsical leads disappearing off into the cosmic ether over mic jazz-funk drums with some breezy vocals finishing it in style. 'Searching The Circle' then take off on another carefree and breezy groove with far-sighted melodies and gorgeous vocal harmonies that melt you to your core. Beautiful stuff.

                    TRACK LISTING

                    More Love Songs
                    Searching The Circle

                    Avidya is back with a third EP to build on the head-turning success of the first two and it is another trip to the outer edges of the dancefloor. Odopt from Born Free and 777 Recordings kicks off with a snappy cut that is deceptively simple but devastatingly effective with its gurgling and acidic bass. Remotif is a fast-rising talent who impresses with the heavy techno sludge of 'HAJKSD15' and Full Circle aka Alexis Le Tan and Joakim link with Kris Baha to offer a remix that is all twitchy electrons, busted drum loops and fizzing pads before 53X's 'Simulaatio' is another brilliantly loose jumbled of wiry electronics, sci-fi effects and techno chug for a fantastic closing beatdown.

                    TRACK LISTING

                    Side 1
                    1. Odopt - 11000 Versions Of A Simple Track (Berlin Mix)
                    2. Remotif - HAJKSD15

                    Side 2
                    1. N Tropic - One Night Stand (Full Circle & Kris Baha Remix)
                    2. 53X - Simulaatio

                    London-based experimentalists Kinkajous have announced their new studio album, Nothing Will Disappear, set for release on October 18th via Nottingham's Running Circle label. Maximalism at its most subtle and tender – ambient music at its most rejuvenated. There are echoes of Sam Shepherd's collaborative work with Pharoah Sanders as Floating Points, and the subtle timbre shifts of Jon Hopkins and James Holden more so than their capital-"J" jazz contemporaries. A marked step-up from their previous work, which already holds critical acclaim by tastemakers from Gilles Peterson to the Vinyl Factory. Their debut album "Hidden Lines" (2019) and sophomore "Being Waves" (2021) both nestled into numerous end of year lists, praised for their blends of analogue, acoustic and orchestral instrumentation.

                    Described by CLASH as "a key part of the British music landscape," Kinkajous draw inspiration from orchestral, instrumental, and electronic music, and are renowned for their captivating and cinematic sound. Led by drummer/producer Benoît Parmentier and saxophonist Adrien Cau, they boast a formidable lineup including keyboardist Jack Doherty and bassist Andres Castellanos. It comes good on the brave new spaces Kinkajous pushed into with sell-out headline shows at London's Jazz Café and King's Place, alongside a gargantuan collaboration last winter with the London Contemporary Orchestra at London's EartH Theatre, and performances at Bluedot and EFG London Jazz Festivals.

                    TRACK LISTING

                    1. AARA
                    2. Pulses
                    3. In The Void Of All Things
                    4. Shifting Sands
                    5. Transient, Forever
                    6. Overflow
                    7. Calling
                    8. Heliosphere
                    9. Jann

                    Tanukichan

                    Circles

                      RIYL: Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, SASAMI.

                      Tanukichan, the musical project of Oakland, CA’s Hannah van Loon, has been a prominent figure in modern shoegaze music since 2016, when she first collaborated with Chaz Bear of Toro y Moi. Together, they released an EP and two full-length albums under Bear's Company Records, culminating in 2023's GIZMO. With her new EP Circles, out September 20th, 2024, via Carpark Records, van Loon ventures into new territory by teaming up with a new producer for the first time – Franco Reid.

                      The genesis of their partnership dates back to the GIZMO campaign, when Reid noticed van Loon wearing an Incubus shirt in a press photo on Instagram. Intrigued by whether or not van Loon was a genuine fan, he sent her a DM. Their shared musical interest sparked a dialogue that eventually led to the creation of the single "NPC" in 2023.

                      Lead single “City Bus,” offers a reflection on van Loon's childhood bus rides in San Francisco, evoking the stop-and-go rhythm of commuter life through hard-hitting drums and heavy guitar feedback phasing in and out of the mix. Themes of self-reflection and societal belonging permeate the track, echoing van Loon's ongoing personal journey.

                      While much of Circles delves into internal struggles, “It Gets Easier” takes on a more celebratory tone as van Loon realizes she’s developed a heightened sense of maturity when dealing with hardship. “It feels easier to let go of situations or people that don’t serve me,” reflects van Loon, “Or if they can’t be avoided, at least I don’t have to dwell on the sadness or discomfort I feel when letting someone down.” Introduced by Reid, nu-gaze sensation Wisp, contributes a verse in her similarly ethereal vocal style.

                      There is a notable shift on Circles when you consider the first three Tanukichan releases were produced by a pioneer of the chillwave genre. With van Loon’s consistently dreamy songwriting and Reid at the helm, Tanukichan enters new sonic territory that feels larger, arena-ready, and more like a highspeed night drive than the hazy summer dream of its predecessors.



                      TRACK LISTING

                      Side A
                      1. City Bus
                      2. Circles
                      3. It Gets Easier (feat. Wisp)

                      Side B
                      4. Low
                      5. In A Dream

                      Big Bend

                      Last Circle In A Slowdown

                        Big Bend’s new album is a monument to listening through the veil of time and space. Ohio native and primary songwriter, Nathan Phillips, built upon ensemble jam sessions he hosted at a residency in Australia and collaged those recordings alongside co-producer Shahzad Ismaily to make Last Circle in a Slowdown.

                        Reflective, hi-fi, and elemental, the folk-meets-freeform sonics evoke rich 90s acoustic rock and the British post pop songwriting of Mark Hollis and David Sylvian. Lyrical observations of nature’s mystery and modes of regeneration consider the looming chance all things could move in any direction.

                        TRACK LISTING

                        Wheeling
                        The Exit
                        Last Circle In A Slowdown
                        Fast Moon
                        Same Hour
                        Cistern
                        At The Door
                        Rolling Chair
                        Terrey

                        Stretching genre and medium boundaries, 'Being Waves' leads listeners to explore their own concepts of reality and perception. The new record marks an evolution from Kinkajous' acclaimed debut, Hidden Lines (2019, Running Circle). This release, engineered by long-term collaborator Brendan Williams, gives life to a wide aural landscape made up of rich and diverse musical influences. With its blend of acoustic and orchestral instrumentation, analogue synthesis and sampling processes, there is an elaborate yet organic feel to the music that makes Being Waves the five-piece band's most introspective work to date.

                        Led by drummer/producer Benoît Parmentier and saxophonist/clarinetist Adrien Cau, Kinkajous have earned a reputation for conjuring up a powerful and cinematic sound, being described by CLASH as "a key part of the British music landscape". Joined by Jack Doherty (synths), Maria Chiara Argirò (keys) and Andres Castellanos (bass), this album is exhilarating yet intimate, reflecting the band's outstanding musicianship and versatility.

                        TRACK LISTING

                        1. Convolution
                        2. It Blooms/Then Nothing
                        3. NOOMS
                        4. Cloaks
                        5. The Eyes
                        6. A Quiet Chaos
                        7. System
                        8. Still (Drifts)
                        9. Those Real

                        Born in Ningbo, Guohan began shaping his sound within the underground music movement of southern China. After relocating to Nottingham UK, he became involved with the city's music scene where he self-released his solo LP 'Lost Sound Book' in 2021. The album listens like a layered beatscape inspired by people and cultures encountered from east to west; fractured rhythms and harmonies from eastern funk, traditional music and jazz.

                        Drawing from a tapestry of organic grooves and global influences, this LP and Guohan's subsequent EP 'City of the Sun and Moon' (Darker Than Wax 2022) have received support from radio and selectors worldwide, including Osunlade, Don Letts, Mr. Scruff, Crazy P and more. As a DJ and selector, Guohan hosts monthly shows on Balamii Radio, sharing his eclectic taste with friends across the world. He is also a regular presence at Brilliant Corners and JAZU, and has played alongside certified heads like Jazzy Sport, Jamz Supernova and Dean Chew.

                        TRACK LISTING

                        1. Circle
                        2. Wake Up
                        3. Respect
                        4. Before Glow (feat. George Butt)
                        5. Midnight Stroke
                        6. Khatka Break
                        7. Light It Up (feat. DFU)
                        8. Scent Of Stress
                        9. Pottery Jar
                        10. P.B. Says (feat. Pete Beardsworth)
                        11. Sundown
                        12. Call Me
                        13. Lees Hill Hideout (feat. Tom Towle)
                        14. One Language (feat. George Butt)
                        15. Walking Down Alfreton Road
                        16. Find It...

                        Nurse With Wound

                        She And Me Fall Together In Free Death

                          "She and Me Fall Together in Free Death" is probably the most approachable, largely "musical" album that NWW has released since Rock N' Roll Station . It's also one of his strangest concepts, a marriage of trance inducing Krautrock grooves with a traditional jazz standard and some jarringly atonal musique concrete. Side A is the 20- minute title track: a slow-motion jam reminiscent of of one of Can's sidelong tracks on Tago Mago or the more avant-garde grooves of Tony Conrad and Faust's Outside the Dream Syndicate. The propulsive Jaki Liebezeit drumbeat is the foundation for a long jam session with what sounds like a dijderidoo and layers of guitar feedback. It's a massive, heavy sound, the kind that Julian Cope would devote a whole chapter to in his "Kratrocksampler". Side B is one long piece with three distinct movements. Beginning with those familiar, World Serpent-trademark windchimes, the listener is quickly ushered into Staple- ton's singing debut (!) in a rendition of the oft- covered traditional jazz ballad " Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair " This was a favorite of the recently deceased Nina Simone, and also of the avant- jazz screamer Patty Waters. Nurse With Wound's version is backed by cello drones, repetitive guitar strums and tambourine, sounding very much like The Velvet Un- derground's " Venus in Furs ". It's such a treat to hear Steven Stapleton's multitracked vocals cover this classic song, and this eerie version rates as one of my favorites. This song and the title track prove to the naysayers that Nurse With Wound is equally adept at rock n' roll songcraft as he is at demented sound collages. The creepy jazz cover seques into "Chicken Con- cret (For Missy E)", a truly warped tape-edit job that juxtaposes chicken squawks and sythesized birdcalls with random bleeps, speaker hiccups and gongs.

                          Could this be Steven Stapleton 's tribute to Timbaland and Missy Elliott's incomparable use of musique concrete techniques on their major label hip- hop anthems? Hard to say, but I like to think so. Side B ends with the hyper-sexualized "Gusset Typing", in which a mutated woman's voice describes her masturbation and orgasm in in- timate, anatomical detail. Her monologue is set against an intense rhythmic throbbing that builds as she reaches her climax. At the end, she blows her load and the record ends. This certainly qualifies as an active listening experience, and it's also a great make-out rec

                          TRACK LISTING

                          1. She And Me Fall Together Like Free Death
                          2. Black Is The Color Of My True Loves Hair
                          3. Chicken Concret 
                          4. Gusset Typing
                          5.She And Me Fall Together Like Free Death (Phosphorous Mix) 
                          6. Chicken Korma
                          7. Fine Writin'
                          8. She And Me Fall Together In Free Death (Funereal Mix)
                          9. Yellowed
                          10. Seeting Red
                          11. Black

                          Tel Aviv's Elado has put out a fine run of eight releases in just two years on the likes of GAMM, Barefoot Beats and Bonfido Disques, but for his next move, he branches out with his own reissue label. Its aim is to "focus on uncovering lost gems" with the original paired with his own remixes. The first one is a 1983 private press from the Canadian pair OUI. 'Circle Of Love' is a big disco banger with flashy synth work and rugged arps, with a pair of Elado's mixes making it even more dancefloor ready. 'You Make Me High' is a more sentimental 80s pop sound. A fine start to life for this new label.

                          STAFF COMMENTS

                          Mine says: One for fans of euro pop soundalikes and big, borderline cheesy disco tunes. This 12" has got it all - 3 versions plus a bonus number for those who like it extra kitschy, what more could you ask for!

                          TRACK LISTING

                          Side 1
                          1. Circle Of Love (Elado Remix)
                          2. Circle Of Love (Original)

                          Side 2
                          1. Circle Of Love (Elado Remix Instrumental)
                          2. You Make Me High

                          Russian Circles

                          Gnosis

                            Across the span of their previous seven studio albums, Chicago-based instrumental trio Russian Circles traversed a diverse topography of sounds, moods, and approaches with their limited armory of drums, bass, and guitar. It’s difficult to chart an evolution in their sound when their records have always felt like well-curated playlists. It wasn’t uncommon to hear drone-heavy meditations, dazzling prog exercises, knuckle-dragging riff-fests, haunting folk ballads, and tension-baiting noise rock all within the span of one album. Still, it’s difficult to ignore the progression from the pensive and intricate melodies of Enter (2006) to the layered distorted dirges of Blood Year (2019). It’s been a gradual sonic shift owing to the band’s rigorous tour schedule and a predilection towards playing their more authoritative material on stage. But with their latest album, Gnosis, Russian Circles eschew the varied terrain of their past work and bulldoze a path through the most tumultuous and harrowing territory of their sound.

                            As was the case for so many artists in the age of COVID, the obstacles of geography and isolation forced Russian Circles to reevaluate their writing process. Rather than crafting songs out of fragmented ideas in the practice room, full songs were written and recorded independently before being shared with other members, so that their initial vision was retained. While these demos spanned the full breadth of the band’s varied styles, the more cinematic compositions were ultimately excised in favor of the physically cathartic pieces.

                            Gnosis was engineered and mixed by Kurt Ballou. Drums and bass were tracked at Electrical Audio in Chicago to maximize the natural room sounds of the rhythm section. Guitar and synth overdubs were conducted at God City in Salem, MA to take advantage of Ballou’s vast inventory of amps and effects pedals. Despite the entirety of the album being written remotely, the songs were recorded with the full band playing together to retain the live feel of the material. Owing to the climate of the times and a new writing method, Russian Circles created their most fuming and focused work to date—an album that favors the exorcism of two years’ worth of tension over the melancholy and restraint that often colored their past endeavors.

                            TRACK LISTING

                            1. Tupilak
                            2. Conduit
                            3. Gnosis
                            4. Vlastimil
                            5. Ó Braonáin
                            6. Betrayal
                            7. Bloom

                            Carola Baer

                            The Story Of Valerie - 2021 Reissue

                              The discovery of a cassette of Carola Baer’s early ’90s private home recordings was like finding a needle in a haystack. Made as a one-off mixtape of newly-recorded songs, and given to a long-since forgotten recipient, this cassette was found in 2017 at a Goodwill “bins” location in Portland, Oregon.

                              These chaotic, by-the-pound thrift stores contain thousands of unsorted items in constant flux, which are only available for the public to buy for a limited time before they are discarded. The prospect that this obscure relic would be rescued from its untimely fate is nothing short of a miracle. As this tape was the only one in existence, with no back up versions of many of the songs, it’s more than likely that this music would have been lost forever.

                              The Story Of Valerie is made up of songs culled from that cassette, with a few additional tracks from the time, and is the first time Carola Baer’s solo material has been heard by the public. The intense emotion of the music is brought upon by the primary themes of the album: the cruelty of humanity, isolated life as a British immigrant in the US, and the pain of doomed relationships.

                              Despite being inspired by classic 4AD acts like Dead Can Dance and Cocteau Twins, Baer’s home recordings have a sound and style that is uniquely her own. Many of the tracks feel like musical exorcisms, with Baer’s spine tingling voice soaring above minimal arrangements for Yamaha DX-7 and Casio CZ-101 synthesizers. Like finding a stranger’s diary, the listener is granted access to music that is emotionally raw and deeply personal.

                              TRACK LISTING

                              1. Maker Of Me
                              2. Golden Boy
                              3. Save Me
                              4. We Already Feel
                              5. Springtime
                              6. Doors Talk
                              7. Solemn Cattle
                              8. Nothing Left To Say
                              9. See The Lights Again
                              10. Dreams
                              11. On Top Of The Mountain

                              Richard Dawson & Circle

                              Henki

                                Richard Dawson is the diminutive Geordie troubadour whose moving songs have been described as state-of-the-nation addresses, even — or perhaps especially — when he’s singing about pre-medieval peasants. Circle are the genre-straddling pioneers of The New Wave Of Finnish Heavy Metal, known for wearing spandex or dead fish onstage and singing in a made-up language.

                                Together they are… Richard Dawson & Circle! Today, we are pleased to announce news of their collaborative album Henki, due November 26th via Weird World. Their epic joint record might seem a departure to those who are most familiar with Dawson from recent solo albums like 2017’s Peasant and 2020 (released in 2019). In fact, Henki fits comfortably into the bigger picture of two acts who have always strived for uninhibited originality.

                                Dawson explains the album’s title: “The word 'henki' roughly translates as 'spirit'. It's a very rich word, supple in its meaning in the same way as the Geordie 'canny'; difficult to pin down.” True to its name, while Henki is influenced, in part by heavy-metal bands, it does not sound like any metal album you will have heard before. For one thing, few metal albums are filled with songs about plants. Inspired by Circle’s guitarist Janne Westerlund instructing the group during recording to be less straightforward and more “like a plant”, each of Henki’s seven tracks deal with special plants throughout history.

                                As mutual fans of each other, Circle and Dawson originally hit off it via Twitter, which led to Dawson being invited to accompany Circle for their set at Helsinki’s Sideways Festival in 2019. Dawson recalls the moment: “It was like being a teenager and suddenly being asked to go onstage with Iron Maiden. That’s how important this band are to me”. Having pulled that off, they started exchanging demos before they finally got in a room together to set off on their journey proper. Most of the recording took place in Pori - a fine jewel of a city on Finland's balmy west coast - across several visits, the last being in late January 2020 just as Covid-19 first reached Europe. From there they had to finish Henki remotely - via waves of pure thought beamed across the dark dividing oceans betwixt them, and email.

                                Easily the greatest flora-themed hypno-folk-metal record you’ll hear this year, Henki adds an electrifying new chapter to the remarkable story of each act, and marks the beginning of a beautiful partnership. Circle, described as "the world’s greatest band - in every category” are Pekka Jääskeläinen (guitar), Julius Jääskeläinen (guitar), Jussi Lehtisalo (bass, voice), Mika Rättö (keyboard, voice), Tomi Leppänen (drums) and Janne Westerlund (guitar, voice). Richard Dawson plays guitar and vocals. Henki was mixed by Antti Uusimäki and mastered by Christian Wright.


                                Various Artists

                                May The Circle Remain Unbroken: A Tribute To Roky Erickson

                                  Texan Roky Erickson was one of the true mind-blowing pioneers of psychedelic music. The original leader of the Austin-based 13th Floor Elevators formed in 1965, Erickson and band invented a brand new style of rock & roll, one that was slightly unhinged while it explored the consciousness-expanding influence of LSD on music. After three years, the group imploded with mental issues and legal challenges, ending with Erickson being incarcerated for several years in the Hospital for the Criminally Insane in Rusk, Texas. When he was released in the early ’70s the musician continued on his own trail, recording songs that had come to him in his far-flung cerebral wanderings. Erickson, who passed away May 31, 2019, is now celebrated on this 12-track tribute to one of the most original rockers ever.

                                  The participants range the whole world of modern music, and each chose one of Erickson’s originals to stamp their own imprint on. They include Lucinda Williams, Billy F Gibbons, The Black Angels, Margo Price, Mosshart Sexton (Alison Mosshart & Charlie Sexton), Neko Case, Mark Lanegan & Lynn Castle, Jeff Tweedy, Gary Clark Jr & Eve Monsees, Ty Segall, Chelsea Wolfe, and Brogan Bentley. With the full support of the Roky Erickson estate, the album is produced by Bill Bentley, executive producer of the 1990 Roky Erickson tribute album Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye on Sire Records, with associate producers Matt Sullivan, co-founder/co-owner of Light in the Attic, and Wyatt Bentley.

                                  The songs range from Erickson’s debut iconic original, “You’re Gonna Miss Me,” recorded when he was a member first in The Spades and then the 13th Floor Elevators during the early ‘60s in Austin, to some of Erickson’s later songs, like “If You Have Ghosts,” which heard him exploring some of the outer limits of the human psyche. Each new recording is a stunning modern take on the sound that Roky Erickson gave the world over a half-century of writing, recording and touring. No one has ever equaled those explorations.
                                  This truly is the music of the spheres, as Erickson once sang about his sound, as seen through the eyes and ears of those who are united in their love and respect for a person who dedicated his life to rock & roll. Roky Erickson, through the trials and tribulations of a man both imbued with greatness and haunted by darkness, never quit in his quest to share with others what he heard and saw. As he sang on the 13th Floor Elevators last recording, “May the circle remain unbroken.”


                                  TRACK LISTING

                                  Billy F Gibbons - (I've Got) Levitation
                                  Mosshart Sexton - Starry Eyes
                                  Jeff Tweedy - For You (I'd Do Anything)
                                  Lynn Castle & Mark Lanegan - Clear Night For Love
                                  The Black Angels - Don't Fall Down
                                  Neko Case - Be And Bring Me Home
                                  Margo Price - Red Temple Prayer (Two-Headed Dog)
                                  Gary Clark Jr. & Eve Monsees - Roller Coaster
                                  Ty Segall - Night Of The Vampire
                                  Lucinda Williams - You're Gonna Miss Me
                                  Chelsea Wolfe - If You Have Ghosts
                                  Brogan Bentley - May The Circle Remain Unbroken

                                  Second Circle return with a special one-off album of music by Belgian producer soFa, German musician Houschyar and the legendary Turkish drummer and percussionist Okay Temiz.

                                  SC019 – Şelale (LP) is the result of a string of sessions that began in Istanbul during 2018, when soFa spontaneously teamed up with friend Houschyar for a series of smoky jams in the young producer's 5th floor apartment. They would meet again a few months later, with a plan to finish the EP, and whilst having lunch, the two decided to pay a spontaneous visit to Okay Temiz, with whom soFa had worked previously.

                                  Welcoming the pair in the percussion workshop (Atölye) where he spends most of his days, Temiz was excited by their demos and the three of them began to jam around the tracks, with Temiz utilizing a number of his own homebuilt instruments. The duo had now become a trio, it seems, and back in their home studio the jams would be edited and reworked; with Okay adding further overdubbing and contributions to the tracks.

                                  Probably best known as a member of The Don Cherry Trio, for his own band Oriental Wind and for numerous collaborations with some of the best Jazz musicians in the world, Okay Temiz is considered to be one of the most innovative and outstanding musical figures in Turkey and beyond. A professional musician since 1955, Temiz's career began in Jazz and traditional Turkish music, but he became increasingly fascinated with the possibilities of electronic and self-built instruments, which he would experiment within different forms. During the late 70ties Temiz also developed a special love for Brazilian instruments such as the Berimbau and Cuica, both of which are omnipresent on this album.

                                  In this latest collaboration, Okay Temiz weaves his percussive magic through six diverse psychedelic synthesizer and drum computer jams, alongside two exciting young producers. Şelale is mixed by Dusseldorf studio wizard Gordon Pohl.

                                  TRACK LISTING

                                  A1. Ritimsiz
                                  A2. Der Wunsch Service
                                  A3. Taksi
                                  B1. Selale
                                  B2. Kapu Ska
                                  B3. Rhythm Is The Mother

                                  Fleur De Lys

                                  Circles: The Ultimate Fleur De Lys

                                    Acid Jazz present ‘Circles: The Ultimate Fleur De Lys’, the definitive compilation centred around one of the greatest 60s bands.

                                    Atlantic Records, Andrew Loog Oldham, Shel Talmy, Cream, Isaac Hayes and Tony Blackburn - all these and so many more turn up in the story of Southampton band the Fleur De Lys. You may not have heard of them and if you have it may be just because of their glorious cover of the Who’s ‘Circles’, an ultimate freakbeat anthem that this compilation is named after, but the singles they released in the second half of the 1960s are one of the greatest collections of singles by any band, ranging from R&B through freakbeat and psych and back into club soul.

                                    Emerging from the English South Coast’s competitive club scene they signed to Rolling Stones’ manager Andrew Loog Oldham’s pioneering indie label Immediate where they recorded two singles before being taken under the wing of Frank Fenter, who worked out of the UK Polydor office running the UK arm of Atlantic. The group went through numerous line up changes as they recorded a series of singles which are now some of the most collectible of the era.

                                    Acid Jazz and Countdown Records have been the custodians of the Fleur De Lys catalogue for the last decade and this compilation is the culmination of that work, containing all the singles that they released for Immediate, Polydor and Atlantic (where they pipped Led Zeppelin to become the first UK signed band to that legendary label).

                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    Circles
                                    Mud In Your Eye
                                    Hold On (as Ruptert’s People)
                                    Gong With The Luminous Nose Tick Tock (as Shyster)
                                    Hammer Head
                                    One City Girl
                                    I Forgive You (as Chocolate Frog)
                                    Brick By Brick (Stone By Stone)
                                    I Can See A Light
                                    Prodigal Son
                                    Nothing To Say
                                    Stop Crossing The Bridge
                                    The Bitter And The Sweet (as Tony And Tandy With The Fleur De Lys)
                                    So Come On
                                    You’ve Got To Earn It
                                    Two Can Make It Together (as Tony And Tandy With The Fleur De Lys)
                                    I’ve Been Trying
                                    Liar
                                    Moondreams
                                    Wait For Me
                                    Love Them All (Demo)
                                    Gotta Get Enough Time (Demo)
                                    I Walk The Sands
                                    Yeah I Do Love You (Demo)

                                    Faten Kanaan

                                    A Mythology Of Circles

                                      ‘A Mythology of Circles’ is the new album from Brooklyn-based composer and musical artist Faten Kanaan, her first to be released on Fire Records. Cyclical patterns and 'variation through repetition' are central to Faten’s music. Harmony and counterpoint are composed intuitively and treated as narrative tools- with sound, silence, and the resulting mystical relationship between notes used as gestures to tell a wordless story. The album is separated into a ‘dusk to evening’ side, and an ‘underworld/dream-state’ side; highlighting the myths of Ishtar, Inanna, Orpheus, Persephone, and others.

                                      Inspired by cinematic forms and mythological story structures: from sweeping landscapes and quiet romances, to patterned tensions and dream sequences; Faten brings an earthy, visceral touch to electronic music. In symbiosis with technology is an appreciation for the vulnerability of human limitations and nuances.

                                      All the sections are played in real time, neither looped nor sequenced- allowing for subtle changes to unfold. The use of VST sampled choral voices in this album embodies the forlorn state of technological acceleration, and the desire to return to a vulnerable human sound. The album art also explores a complicated relationship with technology: the statue comes from a series of digital replicas, returning in its last stage to a more intimate and handmade feel.

                                      Composed, produced and mixed by Faten Kanaan, the album was mastered by Heba Kadry (Bjork, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Julianna Barwick).

                                      STAFF COMMENTS

                                      Barry says: I've been a fan Of Faten Kanaan's work since her superb split 7" with Pye Corner Audio on Polytechnic Youth a few years ago. What we have here is the spiritual and logical culmination of an artist working hard at their already considerable skills in the intervening years. It's a stunning work of scope, beautifully transportive and haunting.

                                      TRACK LISTING

                                      1. Patagonia Motet 1: Lago
                                      2. The Archer
                                      3. Hesperides
                                      4. Birds Of Myrrh
                                      5. Night Tide / Anteros
                                      6. Sleepwalker
                                      7. Mist & Madrigal
                                      8. Rêve-Rivière
                                      9. Erewhon
                                      10. Patagonia Motet 2: Andes
                                      11. The North Wind
                                      12. The Heron
                                      13. Ishtar Terra

                                      Jungle Brown

                                      Full Circle

                                        The second full-length LP from Jungle Brown, ‘Full Circle’, drops on Mr Bongo and features collaborations with Sampa The Great, Fliptrix (High Focus) and Terri Walker amongst other super-talents. The trio - Ric Flo, MAEAR & Tony Bones - have spent the last two years redefining soulful hip-hop - the sound is bigger, more thought-provoking, and it has matured with a rich soulful underpinning. They have also entered territories fans are yet to hear as they glide effortlessly over Tony Bones’ productions that introduce trap and house into their repertoire. The project is an eclectic array of their influences, twisted and blended together to create a ground-breaking release for UK music.

                                        TRACK LISTING

                                        Keep It Movin
                                        Wicked Ft Fliptrix
                                        Ikoja Ft Elde
                                        Huami Ft Terri Walker
                                        Sometimes Ft Ruby
                                        Wayside
                                        Time Ticks
                                        U&I
                                        We On Ft Sampa The Great
                                        Situationships Ft K. Waltz
                                        Custom Made Ft Ayo The Yung African Pioneer

                                        Alan Hawkshaw And Brian Bennett

                                        Full Circle LP

                                          Their NEW album, in full, iconic KPM cover is a return to the laidback jazz-funk that helped Alan and Brian demonstrate their library chops. The album is classic Hawkshaw/Bennett. It swings, it grooves, moves and thrills with a flair these two have perfected over years.

                                          Alan Hawkshaw (piano/Hammond) and Shadow’s drummer Brian Bennett are responsible for some of the slickest, funkiest and most sought-after library records ever made in the UK, particularly ones recorded on the legendary KPM label. Their work has now become the go-to place for sampling in music today. Artists such as Dilla, Nas, and the xx, right through to the billion selling Kanye & Drake have taken Hawkshaw’s and Bennett’s immaculate beat-driven soundscapes for their own usage.

                                          Their new album, in full, iconic KPM cover is a return to the laidback jazz-funk that helped Alan and Brian demonstrate their library chops. The album is classic Hawkshaw/Bennett. It swings, it grooves, moves and thrills with a flair these two have perfected over years.

                                          Standout tracks such as "Hole In One", "In The Clouds", "Interchange", "Oasis", "On The Nile" and "Corcovado" are no mere excursions in nostalgia, for they carry lots of deft studio work that many a producer would give their right arm for. Hawkshaw’s arrangements allow the drums, guitar, bass, strings, Hammond, flute and brass to swirl elegantly around the 12 original tracks; a masterclass in recording.

                                          Cut by Pete Norman, housed in a beautifully designed Richard Robinson sleeve and pressed at 180g by Record Industry in Holland, this release has been afforded the care and attention it rightly deserves. Essential.


                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                          Patrick says: The kings of the KPM library scene, groove barons Alan Hawkshaw and Brian Bennett hit the studio together for the first time in years and treat us to an eagerly anticipated LP of new material. As you'd expect from this pair of heroes, it's a far out and funky affair. KPM x BeWith for the win!!!

                                          TRACK LISTING

                                          Flying
                                          Hole In One
                                          Reignited
                                          Straight Up
                                          Serengeti
                                          Open Road
                                          In The Clouds
                                          Corcovado
                                          On The Nile
                                          Marrakech
                                          Oasis
                                          Midnight Jazz

                                          Nu-Balearica refracted back through a rose tinted lens here as Giuseppe Leonardi deploys some truly enchanted vibrations to the Second Circle label. "Unsinn" kicks us, sounding like an Adrian Sherwood number if the UK dub head had resided on some tropical island and drank LSD for breakfast. "Kannibalentanz" follows suit and performs a steel bongo ritual on said island, the hypnotic percussion lines drawing us ever-closer to the magical core - a lone, squelching synthesizer. "Orpheus" sees new terrains explored with moxie, it's novel, beguiling lines hinting at the unexpected nature lying ahead - only to be met by a choir of throat-singers and delicate female utterances - lovely stuff! "Every Tree And Creature" takes us gleefully into the nighttime, a blanket of warm pads placed over our receptive bodies as twinkling keyboard parts highlight the starry skies. Finally, "All Blue" almost soundtracks the sunrise, as if the whole EP has taken us through an entire Earth cycle, ready to start all over again....

                                          TRACK LISTING

                                          1. Unsinn
                                          2. Kannibalentanz
                                          3. Orpheus
                                          4. Every Tree And Creature
                                          5. All Blue 

                                          Kyle Craft

                                          Full Circle Nightmare

                                            Ever since his debut album Dolls of Highland was released on Sub Pop in 2016, Kyle Craft has been a critic's dream. Based in Portland, he serves up all the observational, storytelling talent with none of the attitude that so often comes with male singer-songwriter territory. “I've found my place,” he says. “I'm not one of those people that approaches music for anyone other than myself. My favorite part about music is when it's just me and a notebook.” Speaking of, his second forthcoming album Full Circle Nightmare is entirely autobiographical. Sonically, thematically, lyrically, it's a huge leap forward from his 2016 release.

                                             The title Full Circle Nightmare refers to a moment where Craft saw his life for what it is and told himself to be satisfied. “But that's nightmarish to me,” he laughs. He described his debut record as: “like walking down this long hall of bizarre characters and surreal experiences, moving through the spider web of love and loss.” This album is when you get to the end of that hallway, turn around and see all the stuff you've been through, then walk through the door, close it and start a new chapter in an even crazier hallway. A straight-up rollicking rock'n'roll album, it traverses all the different nuances of the genre; from the bluegrass twang of 'Exile Rag,’ to the gothic style of 'Gold Calf Moan,' it's a timeless piece that could exist in any of the past five decades.
                                            In terms of contemporary peers, Craft likes to stay in his own lane. He's an old soul who sticks to his tried and tested influences. Social media is not his game - it's just not interesting to him. He's not fussed about preaching his politics or discussing the status quo either. “I don't really like writing a time piece. I don't wanna get trapped in the 'Donald Trump era of Kyle Craft,' you know? I'm a very off-the-grid sort of person. As much as I am traveling across this giant place sometimes I just feel so outside of it. Also, I'm not necessarily a stand-up citizen so it's hard for me to say: here's Kyle Craft's America, ladies and gentlemen.”

                                            The ironic thing is that Full Circle Nightmare sounds exactly like Kyle Craft's America. That is what he's built for us: the story of one man's trials and tribulations to find his passion and voice for art and creativity in this vast opportunistic country. Where did he find it? Among the historic riches of America's most honest sounds.


                                            STAFF COMMENTS

                                            Barry says: Sliding guitars, tinkling pianos and the percussive sound of saloon doors opening in a hurry, tastefully hinting at classic Americana anthems, but tempering them with a melodic and progressive sensibility rarely heard in classic country rock.

                                            TRACK LISTING

                                            1. Fever Dream Girl
                                            2. Full Circle Nightmare
                                            3. Heartbreak Junky
                                            4. The Rager
                                            5. Exile Rag
                                            6. Belmont (One Trick Pony)
                                            7. Slick & Delta Queen
                                            8. Fake Magic Angel
                                            9. Bridge City Rose
                                            10. Gold Calf Moan

                                            Ela Orleans

                                            Circles Of Upper And Lower Hell

                                              Circles Of Upper and Lower Hell is the grandest, deepest work to date by Polish-born, Glasgow-based sound artist and composer Ela Orleans. The seventh album under her own name, Orleans' expansive vision, loosely based on Dante's Inferno but infused with deep personal experience, incorporates sound art, orchestral textures, synth pop and electronic music to construct a world equally peppered with loss and inspiration. Circles Of Upper and Lower Hell pulls all the strands of Orleans' previous work together, an epic depiction of turmoil wide in scope but reveling in detail. From her beginnings inaugurating a lo-fi, homespun sound that has since developed fully into a language uniquely her own, from tentative live outings featuring multiple instruments to a now-masterly command of sound, Orleans has become one of the most consistently surprising musicians of the global underground.

                                              "Circles" documents Ela's research into dark sonic interiors and a far more personal approach to conventional songwriting. Previously, Orleans' sonic textures have relied on samples cleaved out of context, buried songs beneath warped aural gauze, but Circles blows every element of Orleans' art upwards and further apart. Circles begins with a masterful, sparse composition, The Gate, that instantly showcases the expert mastering by Jon Brooks before melting into You Go Through Me (featuring Stephen and Katrina from The Pastels), one of the most direct, aching pop moments. Ghost and Whispers is a hit from another universe, a sparkling propulsion instantly recognizable as an Ela Orleans composition; light of touch and almost unbearably, ghostlily human. Circles Of Upper and Lower Hell is an honest portrayal of a descent; be it personal or metaphorical and there are times, like on the minimal, string-led Tower, when the listener feels submerged, alienated from comfort. Through-out there's a massive, cinematic scope to the album, rumbling synth textures escalating into celestial harmonies, the stereofield sparkling with sound, shimmering melodies crackling with the sort of pathos that Ela has made her recognisable trademark. It's a weighty journey, pitched aurally between Ghost Box records and a mournful classicism, drawing references from literature and autobiography.

                                              Circles... is really without parallel in Orleans' discography, though its most obvious sister record, 2015's Upper Hell, gave some streamlined, carved-up hints at Circles Of Upper Hell's majesty. Orleans' previous work has always suggested threads, blurred ghost-ideas from an artist always growing. In 2016 Orleans has mastered her craft completely, never heavy-handed but deftly handling themes of loss, chaos, documenting personal journeys sometimes arduous with an ever-deeper understanding.

                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                              Barry says: 24 tracks? Some short, some long... that would usually be a red light right there, but in this case, you'd be wrong. This is a cohesive and flowing collection, varied but with a similar ilk of instrumentation and drive. Electronic and percussive, but studded with acoustic elements. There are organs in there, pianos and guitar weaving through the fog of electric drone. On top of all that, vocals segue in and out, punctuating the chaos with divine melody. A skilled and meticulous construction of acoustics and electronics.

                                              The latest in Tru Thoughts’ series of essential label compilations, compiled by A&R and label co-owner Robert Luis, 'Shapes: Circles' brings the best of the current sound of the label across 12 tracks and 2LPs, including a handful of remixes, upfront exclusives - a newbie from brand new signing Titeknots and an upfront album track from rising soul sensation Harleighblu - and cuts previously only available on other formats, as well as the odd stone cold classic.

                                              Serving to reinforce Tru Thoughts’ reputation as home to a diverse array of talent, the artists showcased here include Harleighblu, Belleruche, Ty, Wrongtom Meets Deemas J, Hint feat. T-Fly, Mark de Clive-Lowe feat. Omar & Sheila E, Titeknots, Yannah Valdevit & Lay-Far, The Bamboos feat. Aloe Blacc, Drumagick, Sleepin’ Giantz and Natalie Storm. Vinyl also comes with CD version of the album enclosed.

                                              TRACK LISTING

                                              CD Tracklisting:
                                              Disc 1
                                              1. The Valleys Feat. Tanya Auclair & Milly Blue - Natural Self
                                              2. Let Me Be - Harleighblu
                                              3. Twin Peaks - Alice Russell
                                              4. Wasted Time (Ross PTH Remix) - Belleruche
                                              5. Like You Never - Ty
                                              6. We Renegades Feat. Nia Andrews - Mark De Clive Lowe
                                              7. Plum Rain Anchorsong
                                              8. Aliens Enter Feat. T-Fly (Hint Remix) - Hint
                                              9. Ghost Town - Hot 8 Brass Band
                                              10. Magdalena (Acoustic Version) - Quantic & Alice Russell With The Combo Barbaro
                                              11. The Chosen - Menagerie
                                              12. They Reminisce Over You (TROY) - Quantic Y Su Conjunto Los Miticos Del Ritmo
                                              13. Jump + Move + Rock - Wrongtom Meets Deemas J
                                              14. Live Up Feat. The Peoples Army & Mighty Moe - Rodney P
                                              15. Where Does The Time Go? Feat. Aloe Blacc (Si Tew Take It Back Remix) - The Bamboos
                                              16. Tuesday Is Friday - Freddie Cruger & Anthony Mills Are Wildcookie
                                              17. Floating Zzzzzz - Kinny

                                              Disc 2
                                              1. Mind Open Titeknots
                                              2. Vorka (King Britt Remix) - Hidden Orchestra
                                              3. Get Started Feat. Omar & Sheila E (Full Crate Remix) - Mark De Clive Lowe
                                              4. Empty Heart Yannah Valdevit & Lay-Far
                                              5. Dub Is For Real Feat. Mr Scruff Maddslinky
                                              6. Maracatu Drumagick
                                              7. Take The Space Trane Mark De Clive Lowe & The Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra
                                              8. Crash And Burn Feat. Natalie Storm (C.O.N.E Remix) Hint
                                              9. Jump + Move + Rock (Benny Page Remix) Wrongtom Meets Deemas J
                                              10. Raving Bully Sleepin' Giantz
                                              11. All Of You Feat. Aruba Red & Plan B Riz Mc
                                              12. Badness Feat. Skream Zed Bias
                                              13. Money Mad (Drumagick D Step Remix) London Posse

                                              LP Tracklisting:
                                              1. Harleighblu - Let Me Be
                                              2. Belleruche - Wasted Time (Ross PTH Mix)
                                              3. Ty - Like You Never
                                              4. Wrongtom Meets Deemas J - Jump+Move+Rock
                                              5. Hint Feat. T-Fly - Aliens Enter (Hint Remix)
                                              6. Mark De Clive-Lowe Feat. Omar & Sheila E - Get Started (Full Crate Remix)
                                              7. Titeknots - Mind Open
                                              8. Yannah Valdevit & Lay-Far - Empty Heart
                                              9. The Bamboos Feat. Aloe Blacc - Where Does The Time Go? (Si-Tew Take It Back Mix)
                                              10. Drumagick - Maracatu
                                              11. Sleepin’ Giantz - Raving Bully
                                              12. Hint - Crash & Burn Feat. Natalie Storm (C.O.N.E. Remix)

                                              Circle

                                              Rakennus (Live)

                                                Approximately the seventh full length Circle release this year - is an hour-long snapshot of the band's recent tour of the USA. The concert (recorded in September in Charlottesville, Virginia) thunders and wobbles onwards with unprocessed authenticity. The recording effectively captures the full spectrum of Circle's contemporary live expression, revealing to us a glimpse of the spiritual landscapes of the most astonishing speedkraut pioneers of our times. There's an abundance of ritualistic rumbling to be discovered between the twitchy hard rock show opener "Uusi Uhraus" and "Kaappikellon Kummitus", the ravishing Rättö Ja Lehtisalo cover song that closes the album. Rakennus displays the joy of playing music in its most pure form.

                                                Circle Jerks

                                                Wild In The Streets

                                                  A prime side of old school hardcore beef (a badly chosen metaphor for a veggie to use, but there you go.) You need this kids!!!!

                                                  Rupert's People

                                                  The Magic World Of Rupert's People

                                                    Everything recorded by this little heard but highly respected psycedelic / freakbeat group from 1969. All tracks are from the original Columbia mastertapes including the current club faves "Hold On" and "Dream On My Mind".


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