Castles in Space is delighted to have been able to curate an album pulled from Robin The Fog's unreleased tape archive. A true innovator and incredible live performer, Robin comments on the album "A Loop Where Time Becomes. Rare and Unreleased Recordings 2012-2017"

After twelve years, ten albums and innumerable live shows (including at least one former underground reservoir), the Howlround sound has indeed changed quite a lot, but the basic ethos remains the same as it did back in 2012. All tracks are created by manipulating field recordings dubbed onto analogue tape, with all digital effects and artificial reverb strictly forbidden - a process that has been described by Electronic Sound magazine as ‘conjur[ing] magic’. Of the twelve tracks here, only one has been physically released on a limited edition and long out of print compilation. A second appeared on a download only release several years ago and a third was created as part of the unreleased soundtrack to a documentary. Everything else on this compilation is seeing the light of day for the first time.

All were created in South London at various periods between 2012 and 2017, five years during which the project evolved from the Radiophonic mournfulness of 2012's debut album The Ghosts Of Bush ('The ultimate Hauntological artefact' - Simon Reynolds), to 2015's tour with tape legend William Basinski, to 2016's darker and weirder soundtrack to Steven McInerney's multiple award-winning film A Creak In Time and on towards what would become the wilder, gnarlier noise of 2019's The Debatable Lands. This retrospective from the first five years marks the gradual evolution of Howlround from the earliest days conjuring 'aural ectoplasm' from nocturnal field recordings of the last days of an underground BBC studio to increasingly spurning of the external world altogether by creating blistering no-input noise and raw analogue feedback. It's been quite a trip.

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.

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

Almost three years since their debut self-titled release, Dream Nails aren't changing route, but broadening their appeal.

In their slick, humoured new album, 'Doom Loop' produced by Ross Orton (Arctic Monkeys, Amyl and The Sniffers) the band tackle everything from incel culture to rewriting the available images of trans masculinity. It's concise, powerful, and refreshingly disruptive.

TRACK LISTING

Good Guy
Case Dismissed
Geraniums
Prevenge
Monster
Sometimes I Do Get Lonely, Yeah
She's Cutting My Hair
Femme Boi
Ballpit
Time Ain't No Healer

Onloop welcome Ketiov to the label for his debut release. Faithfully blending old school tropes with new production techniques has resulted in an infectious and heady 12" with four tracks that traverse funky techno and jacking house with an authentic and captivating flavour. Excellent sampling skills give each track of a cut up tapestry of tasty vox while Ketiov's highly combustable drum programming is sure to set of sparks and flares across the dancefloor. Top stuff this for warehouses, dingy basements and lazer-guided mainrooms. Check! 

Heavy support coming in from Midland, Leon Vynehall, Shanti Celeste, Roi Perez, Partok & of course Moxie herself.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Diverse four tracker that aptly traverses across four flavours - slinky tech-house; slamming Chi-town beats; swung, sexy garage and primordial '88-era proto-house.

TRACK LISTING

A1. El Ritmo 
A2. LikeLikeLike 
B1. Icon 
B2. WhatWhatWhat 

“It was so great to see what came back when I gave these tracks from Flicker to various comrades, friends and heroes to play with,” says Andy. “They’ve given them a new technicolour life.” “David Holmes requested the opening track as he had formed a bit of a connection with it, and what he came up with turns the song into an hallucinogenic beast, taking pride of place here as the opening track but in a whole different way to how Flicker opens. “James Chapman AKA Maps has taken ‘It Gets Easier’ to a bigger, brighter and shinier place, he’s given quite a downbeat track a euphoric and epic sheen. James is an absolute master of electronic production and he’s taken the same care and attention over this remix as he does with his own wonderful music. “I couldn’t put Richard Norris’ lovely widescreen take on ‘Something Like Love’ better than the man himself – in his own words he found the ‘hitherto undiscovered sweet spot between ‘Roscoe’ and ‘Outdoor Miner’’ and he tapped into the melancholy euphoria at the core of the song. “bdrmm’s remix of ‘Way Of The World’ is one for headphones. There are so many great moments to love, all held together by a bassline worthy of Jah Wobble (by way of Andrew Weatherall). Astonishing!”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: 'I am a Strange Loop' is the first in the trio of Andy Bell recordings this week, seeing the hugely talented Ride legend Andy Bell reworked by a number of today's most renowned musicians. This time we get ambient legend Richard Norris as well as the brilliant bdrmm, Maps and David Holmes. Ace

TRACK LISTING

A1. The Sky Without You (David Holmes Radical Mycology Remix)
A2. It Gets Easier (Maps Remix)
B1. Something Like Love (Richard Norris Remix)
B2. Way Of The World (bdrmm Remix)

Back in the 1990s, 'beat tapes', as hip hop producers' demo-reels are now quaintly referred to, were literally that: cassettes of beats made either for self, friends, or potential collaborators. Madlib cranked out a bunch of ‘em in the days between his early productions for the Alkaholiks around 1992, and the release of his Quasimoto album in 2000, after which he took a couple of years off the beats to focus on his fictional jazz outfit Yesterday's New Quintet. This collection showcases the way that Madlib’s early hip hop demos were filtered out to his friends and associates and provides an opportunity for a unique view into his working process. These beats, often freestyled on whatever machine he had at the ready, were picked up by rappers over a period of many years, including tracks later used by the likes of Wildchild and Percee P yet created some years before release. This collection is also punctuated with a series of early solo raps by Madlib and his Quasimoto alter ego, and features the crew known collectively as CDP : rappers who worked side by side with Madlib during the early days of his Oxnard-based Crate Diggas Palace studios.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: We don't usually give a genre pick of the week to a reissue. We like to keep things fresh. But such was the impact of this incredibly creative masterpiece by Madlib, and in leu of anything that could by considered serious competition; it's time to reload on this classic leftfield beat tape. The inspiration for many; and on permanent rotation here at Picc HQ since its release in 2010.

TRACK LISTING

1. Warning (Intro)
2. Static Invazion
3. Stakeout
4. Rapper X Radio
5. Last Day's Music
6. Episode VI
7. Nothing From Nothing
8. Episode VIII
9. Episode IX
10. Episode X
11. Episode XI
12. Episode XII
13. Episode XIII
14. Episode XIV
15. Episode XV
16. Episode XVI
17. Episode XVII
18. Episode XVIII
19. Episode XIX
20. Episode XX
21. Further Adventures Of Walkman Flavor
22. Episode XXII
23. Episode XXIII
24. Episode XXIV
25. Episode XXV
26. Episode XXVI
27. Episode XXVII
28. Live From Outer Space
29. Real Days
30. C.D.P. Assassins Pt. 1
31. C.D.P. Assassins Pt. 2 & 3
32. C.D.P. Assassins Pt. 4
33. C.D.P. Assassins Pt. 5
34. C.D.P. Assassins Pt. 6

“Style wise, it’s incredibly different, going back to thinking about guitars and guitar sounds. Obviously you have to take into consideration things like percussive elements such as drums, which I haven’t been using in my other projects; but this is the mind set that makes up Loop.”

So says Robert Hampson, the indefatigable visionary behind inspirational sonic architects Loop, whose eagerly anticipated fourth LP Sonancy (Latin for “to create noise”) is the perfect document for these strange times. Dynamic, dystopian, righteously angry and unashamedly Loop-ian, it’s an album that marks a vital re-emergence for Hampson and co.

Formed in South London in the mid-1980s, Loop blazed a trail with their potent mix of motorik beats and heavy guitar riffs, recording a trio of brilliant albums that set the indie charts alight before imploding in 1990 after the release of album number three, A Gilded Eternity. As critics enthused at the time, Loop were the sound of Suicide jamming with the Stooges aboard a spaceship built by Hawkwind and piloted by CAN. They were post-psychedelic, pre-shoegaze figureheads in a world of anodyne pop jangle and baggy rhythms, and even their closest contemporaries like Spacemen 3 and My Bloody Valentine didn’t plough such a distinctive furrow as theirs.

After Loop’s demise, Hampson pivoted away from guitars with electronic project Main, before moving to France and hooking up with fabled experimental collective Groupe de Recherches Musical (GRM). Loop were a distant memory, one that Hampson seemed unwilling to revisit, so it was a delightful surprise when they remerged in 2013 to play and curate the All Tomorrow’s Parties (ATP) festival, followed by a performance personally requested by Robert Smith of The Cure at Meltdown Festival in 2018.

“Through that long period when I often said I wouldn’t reform Loop, I didn’t miss it, I didn’t feel the need to have it in my life,” Hampson explains. “It was working with people like Barry Hogan at ATP and the re-mastered reissues of our original albums coming out that sparked my interest again. It took me a few years to be comfortable to say, ‘Yes, we can do this again, we’re relevant’. I’m not someone who will do something for the sake of doing something.”

Along with the live shows, there also came new music in the shape of a 2015 EP called Array 1, the first in a planned trio of EPs of protracted tracks which Hampson eventually abandoned in favour of the more direct pleasures of their astounding new full length Sonancy.

“I dropped the idea of the EP series and went in an entirely different direction. I started writing songs that were much more immediate, tighter, dare I say more aggressive – although not aggressive in the old Loop way, but with a spikiness. It needed to sound more modern. When Main petered out, I started working with people like the GRM in France, so I went in the direction of electroacoustic musique concrète. Loop is completely removed from that, but there are parts of the Array EP and Sonancy that go towards the more experimental sounds. It’s not just guitar thrash.

“My motto has always been ‘Forward’ and I always try to do something new with each record. I always try to push different influences in there. Specifically for this record, I wanted to counter the idea of the Array EP, on which all the tracks were longer and drawn out. They still had the motorik element of bands like Neu! and CAN, but Loop’s always had that. With Sonancy I also wanted to take a post-punk sound, spin it on its head and mix it with a psych influence. A total gumbo. Which has always been Loop, this mash up of spicy rhythms.”

Indeed, with its rich mixture of styles and cadences, Sonancy is the sound of Loop in the 21st century, Hampson’s intense guitar work anchored by propulsive backing in service of songs with clinically dissociative titles such as ‘Eolian’, ‘Supra’, ‘Penumbra’ and ‘Fermion’.

“People who know my music well know that from the last Loop album onwards, my interest in chemistry, science and astronomy have come to the fore,” Hampson elaborates. “I use those titles but I use them in an abstract context. With the cutback, minimalist sound I wanted for this record, I wanted to do that with the lyrics and the titles as well. It’s very immediate. The songs are shorter in length, the lyrics more minimal than ever.

“I’m often asked to print the lyrics but I want people to approach our records with a sense of mystery, so you don’t necessarily know what’s going on. You may call it challenging. I’m influenced by J.G. Ballard and Philip K. Dick to a certain degree. Lyrically, if you listen to it intently, there’s this dystopian outlook. There’s a lot of anger in there. I don’t like seeing the wanton abuse of power, which is what we’re seeing right now and I’m disgusted by it. I wouldn’t say Sonancy is bleak though because I’m one of those people who believes there’s a chance for change. That may be naïve, but I always hope that people will come out of this coma they all seem to be in. I’ve imbued the lyrics with a little bit of hope.”

Hope is a powerful force, one perhaps needed more than ever today. Pandemic lockdowns stretched the making of Sonancy, recorded at long-term Loop soundman Joe Garcia’s Bristol-based studio Joe’s Garage, from an expected couple of weeks to almost a year. Still, if recording was elongated, the experience was made easier by the interplay between the members of what is the most enduring line-up of Loop to date.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: It's been a LONG time since Loop fans got any new material. There was an EP some 7 years ago, but that could only hint at the fiery beats and immediately endearing maelstrom that 'Sonancy' provides. It's a wonderful return, and has every bit of the scathing industrial percussion and treble-heavy guitar walls we've come to know and love, a brilliant outing from a much-loved band and most importantly, a great LP on it's own merits.

TRACK LISTING

1. Interference
2. Eolian
3. Supra
4. Penumbra I
5. Isochrone
6. Halo
7. Fermion
8. Penumbra II
9. Axion
10. Aurora

‘Earth Loop’, the debut album by BEAK> keyboardist William Young’s Moon Gangs project, is set for release via Village Green Recordings.

A classically-trained pianist, Young composed ‘Earth Loop’ “half and half in a classical sense,” some played live on keyboards, with ideas notated traditionally, the other half created using analogue sequencers with random voltage sources.

“Earth Loop mainly came out of jamming with synths. The mixer I use is an old Tascam 144 so if things are sounding good I just hit record and get it to tape. Everything started as big long rambles recorded live that are then trimmed down into something more concise. Inspiration-wise I’d been listening to more classical stuff, a lot of chamber music for strings, and I think that shows in the string section-y bits. Although they’re all synths, not actual strings. It was recorded all over the place over quite a long time which I guess is why there are a lot of different ‘moods’ on it, rather than it being a document of a specific period of time/place. I also started building a field recording library over the last couple of years so there’s quite a bit of that in there, but they’re generally processed and run through synths so they’re not too recognisable.” - William Young, Moon Gangs

Young’s introduction to synth music came from listening to film scores when he was a teenager, such as ‘Terminator’, ‘Videodrome’, ‘Zombie Flesh Eaters’ and ‘Phantasm’. Scores from kosmische pioneers Tangerine Dream and Popol Vuh also played a large part in these formative musical years.

Not going out much as a child, Young spent a lot of time indoors playing video games. Instead of a SNES, his mum bought him a Commodore 64 as she thought the keyboard made it seem more educational. Certain games and their soundtracks also struck a chord, such as ‘The Last Ninja’, ‘Dante’s Inferno’, ‘Stormlord’ and ‘Castle Master’.

Moon Gangs officially began in 2011, with the release of ‘Sea/Sky’ on cassette tape via the incipient Where To Now label. Friends from his time spent in Brighton, it was both Young’s and the label’s first release and set the tone for his later output with ambient, analogue synth loops and foreboding, cinematic drones. Subsequent releases followed, such as 2014’s self-titled EP, mixed by Hookworms’ MJ, and an appearance on the Blanck Mass-curated film score ‘The Strange Colour Of Your Body's Tears’, released via Death Waltz.

Described, variously, as “dusky and mysterious, cosmetic and up-for-it”, “Industrial techno disco,” and “like a Japanese express train”, Curve’s second album Cuckoo is more sophisticated, more seductive, less serrated, even squelchy in places than their debut, Doppelganger. A mature, fluent, and literary album, it hit the Top 30 on release in 1993. Cuckoo takes the listener from the established hallmarks and runs with them - over the horizon - to many new and rich areas of pop melodrama. Delicate and gorgeous moments sit easily with their simultaneously cool and incendiary sound. A more personal album, it is nonetheless metallic, unforgiving, LOUD, clear. As with Doppelganger the album was produced by the band with Flood and Steve Osborne, and it was mixed by Alan Moulder. It is home to the lead tracks from singles ‘Blackerthreetracker’ EP and ‘Superblaster’ and is regarded by the band as their best piece of work.

TRACK LISTING

Disc: 1 (2CD Version)
1. Missing Link
2. Crystal
3. Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus
4. All Of One
5. Unreadable Communication
6. Turkey Crossing
7. Superblaster
8. Left Of Mother
9. Sweetest Pie
10. Cuckoo

Disc: 2 (2CD Version)
1. Missing Link (Single Version)
2. On The Wheel
3. Triumph
4. Superblaster (Remix)
5. Low And Behold
6. Nothing Without Me
7. Missing Link (Screaming Bird Mix)
8. Rising (Headspace Mix)
9. Half The Time (Honey Tongue Mix)
10. Rising (Original Version)
11. Half The Time (Original Version)

Vinyl
1. Missing Link
2. Crystal
3. Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus
4. All Of One
5. Unreadable Communication
6. Turkey Crossing
7. Superblaster
8. Left Of Mother
9. Sweetest Pie
10. Cuckoo

'Loop The Loop' is the debut album from Nathan Jenkins, otherwise known as Bullion. Initial pressing of vinyl edition is limited to 1000 copies and comes as 2LP gatefold. The album features the single 'Never Is The Change'.

The evolution of Nathan's sprightly electronic pop continues with a playful and open hearted record, showcasing his inventive arrangements and crisp production. Instrumentation on 'Loop The Loop' is broad and features performances from friends and collaborators including Sampha, Laura Groves, Sarah Anderson (Chrome Hoof), Nautic and Tom Skinner.

Having released music with Young Turks, R&S and Greco Roman, the album comes out via Nathan's own label DEEK Recordings.

'One of Bullion's greatest assets is being able to work with so many different ideas and styles.' - Pitchfork

'Bullion never fails to surprise. His instruments are samples, beats and loops, stitched together with intelligence and wit - his music stubbornly refuses to be tied to genre, time or place.' - Dummy Magazine

Earl Brutus achieved notoriety and cult status with the release of their debut album Your Majesty… We Are Here. Their attention grabbing interviews and gigs attracted wider interest and they sign to Island Records via Fruition. They released a second long player, Tonight You Are The Special One, and several singles including The SAS And The Glam That Goes With It and Come Taste My Mind (“masterful examples of raging techno-pop” - Select ) and Larky.

The band continued to play chaotic shows and the last ever gig is at Hammersmith Working Men’s Club on 7th April 2004 and the last track from that gig, Teenage Taliban, is included on the 2CD edition along with a demo recorded in William Reid’s (Jesus And Mary Chain) front room. Other bonus tracks include all the single b-sides sequenced by the band.

The art direction on this re-issue has been done by Scott King who realised the concepts for the original release and singles. The album sleeve is included in Q magazine’s 100 Best Album Sleeves Of All Time in 2001.

TRACK LISTING

DISC: 1
1: The Sas And The Glam That Goes With It
2: Universal Plan
3: Midland Red
4: God, Let Me Be Kind
5: Come Taste My Mind
6: Second Class War
7: Your Majesty We Are Here
8: Don't Die Jim
9: 99 P
10: East
11: Edelweiss
12: Male Wife

DISC: 2 (2cd Edition Only)
1: Nicotine Stain (Live)
2: Superstar
3: Larky
4: Tv Tower
5: William, Taste My Mind (William Reid Remix)
6: Gypsy Camp Battle
7: The Scottish
8: Teenage Opera
9: Come Taste My Mind (Live At The Astoria 1998)
10: Nice Man In A Bubble
11: England Sandwich
12: Teenage Taliban (Demo / Live From Hammersmith Working Men's Club, 7 Th April 2004

Earl Brutus are Nick Sanderson (Clock DVA, Jesus And Mary Chain, World Of Twist), Gordon King and Jim Fry (World Of Twist), Rob Marche (JoBoxers, Subway Sect) with Shins and Stuart Boreman.

Earl Brutus formed in 1993 and release a handful of singles before their debut album Your Majesty… We Are Here on Deceptive Records in 1996. They are chaotic, glam-rock, glitter-stomp British Pop. They think Bowie, T-Rex, Kraftwerk and The Fall. Their chaotic live shows became folklore and their reviews and interviews were always impressive. Your Majesty… featured in Q Magazine’s Top 50 Albums of the Year in 1996 and in 1000 Albums To Hear Before You Die.

Your Majesty… has been long unavailable and is now re-issued.

The two CD edition also includes all the b-sides sequenced by the band and an unreleased David Arnold remix of Life’s Too Long, the rare Alan Vega (Suicide) version of On Me Not In Me and Earl Brutus Display Purchasing Power, both commercially available for the first time.

TRACK LISTING

DISC: 1
1: Navy Head
2: I'm New
3: Male Milk
4: On Me Not In Me
5: Don't Leave Me Behind Mate
6: Thelmex
7: Black Speedway
8: Motarola
9: Shrunken Head
10: Cursty
11: Blind Date
12: Life's Too Long
13: Karl Brutus
14: Single Seater Xmas

DISC: 2 (2cd Edition Only)
1: Earl Brutus Display Purchasing Power
2: North Sea Bastard
3: Mondo Rotunda
4: On Me Not In Me (Alan Vega Version)
5: Bonjour Monsieur
6: Valley Of The Slimkings
7: Like Queer David
8: Life's Too Long (Flash Vs Tarkus)(Saint Etienne Remix)
9: 48 Trash
10: Life's Too Long (David Arnold Remix)
11: I Love Earl Brutus (Introducing Shinya)

“Return To The Last Chance Saloon” is a hit packed, gold selling, Top 10 album that was originally released in March 1998. Featuring the hit singles ‘Solomon Bites The Worm’, ‘If…’, and ‘Sleazy Bed Track’ plus mail-order only single ‘4-Day Weekend’, this re-issue is augmented by the addition of standalone Top 10 single ‘Marblehead Johnson.’

The bonus material included across this 2CD set includes each band member’s favourite B-side, plus a stunning gig recorded at BBC’s Sound City in Newcastle in 1998. A set packed with all their hits; it’s the sound of a band at the top of their game playing to a jubilant and adoring audience. The 2CD, 36 track package is completed by the addition of previously unreleased BBC session tracks from the era and all contained in a tri-fold sleeve with a new booklet containing brand new sleevenotes from Mark Morriss.

"Return To.." is as fresh as your first outdoor breath on a crisp spring day, as adrenalising as a five mile freefall into neat vodka and as heartbreaking as finding an ex's hair on a long forgotten shirt.” Melody Maker, 1998 “At times better than anything they've ever done” NME, 1998

60ft Dolls are one of the most underrated of the Cool Cymru bands. They spearheaded the Newport scene of the 1990s, were championed by Steve Lamacq and soon signed to Indolent Records following a couple of Rough Trade singles and support slots for Oasis, Elastica and Dinosaur Jr. The Big 3 was released in 1996 to strong reviews and made the Best Of The Year lists in the NME, The Guardian, New York Times and was named in 2003 by Mojo as one of the Top 12 Britpop Albums Of All Time. It features the singles Happy Shopper, White Knuckle Ride, Pig Valentine, Stay and their Top 40 hit Talk To Me.

They spearheaded the Newport scene of the 1990s, were championed by Steve Lamacq and soon signed to Indolent Records following a couple of Rough Trade singles and support slots for Oasis, Elastica and Dinosaur Jr. This 2CD expanded edition includes the original album together with the best of their b-sides as chosen by the band. Also included is their session for John Peel which is listed in the Best Peel Sessions Of All Time.“as close to soar-away rock perfection as it's possible to imagine" NME 1996. “pure, unadulterated, no nonsense, emotional, tuneful, impassioned, purposeful, hedonistic rock 'n' roll" Melody Maker 1996. A blistering kamikaze mission of damaged punk magic.” MOJO (2015)

TRACK LISTING

DISC: 1
1: New Loafers
2: Talk To Me
3: Stay
4: Hair
5: Happy Shopper
6: The One
7: Good Times
8: No. 1 Pure Alcohol
9: Streamlined
10: Loser
11: Pig Valentine
12: Terminal Crash Fear
13: Buzz

DISC: 2
1: Doctor Rat
2: British Racing Green
3: Everybody's Got Something To Hide(Except For Me And My Monkey)
4: Mess
5: Stay (60ft Dolls Vs Pastor Ray Bevan)
6: White Knuckle Ride
7: After Glow
8: Easy
9: The Maindee Run
10: Yellow Candles
11: Rosalyn
12: The New Loafers*
13: Streamlined*
14: Loser*
15: Piss Funk*
16: Stay*

Sea of Bees is the musical project of Julie Ann Bee, or Jules as everyone calls her. She sings, writes the songs, and plays lots of musical instruments. She is the kind of singer-songwriter you come across only a few times in a lifetime – special, unusual, leaping out at you like an alien, her character fully-formed, her uniqueness intact.

Following the acclaim of debut album, Songs For The Ravens and follow-up Orangefarben, Jules is leaving the darkness for brighter horizons, gathering the good things up, leaving the bad behind and moving forward. The music has moved forward sonically too, with a full band sound after Jules bought a drum set and spent as much time playing it as she played guitar, much to her neighbour's dismay.

Working with long-time producer John Baccigaluppi she again visits a variety of styles across the album – folk, Americana, pop and rock. The album was mixed by Jesse Lauter (The Low Anthem).

Following the acclaimed re-issue of their sole album, Leave The Straight Life Behind, BOB return with an anthology of all their singles, many appearing on CD for the first time.

The band’s most well-known single, Convenience, a John Peel favourite, opens this 2CD set and the CD is then a chronological run through of the key songs from the various singles and EPs.

Disc Two includes many of their b-sides and EP tracks including their debut 1986 flexi disc.

All tracks bar Convenience appear on CD for the very first time having all only ever been released on vinyl previously.

The Male Eunuch follows the highly acclaimed Music for People Who Hate Themselves and its remixed companion album Music for Homeowners. Early material has been streamed online and has had strong radio play with tracks Speed Queen and A Song for One Direction.

The bands own protest ambassador Stu Boreman stated: "Binary Digital Bankruptcy converts this Sonic Debris into the sound of summer. Off shore becomes on shore as British Summer Time arrives early. Shot thru the Black Hole into the hole in your heart, it's the colour chart from hell. Foxton's still burns. Face-sitting is banned. Froch vs Groves. Farrow & Ball. We are at War."

“The Pre New bring absurdist punk spleen, synth pulse and the chaotic free play of signifiers – with an enraged estate agent on vocals, a Zal Cleminson lookalike in a hoodie and samples from Mike Leigh’s ‘Nuts in May’” – Q
“The Pre New – as the name suggests – are the a mix of the noble past and the glorious future” – THE HERALD
“Wow – that was definitely made for television...brilliant” – BBC 6 MUSIC - MARC RILEY
“Wrap your ears round the warped brilliance of The Pre-New” – THE QUIETUS

Twenty years after the demise of independent rock favourites The Family Cat, singer and lyricist Paul “Fred” Frederick returns with a new record as Jack Adaptor, a duo with songwriting partner Christopher Cordoba.

Fans of the Family Cat will recognize the vocal style and find joy in the sophisticated songwriting of Frederick and Cordoba, from up-tempo indie rockers like “Number One Record” (a tribute to Alex Chilton and Big Star) to atmospheric, genre-defying songs such as “V.U.” (check out the unpeeled banana!). Fred wrote the lyrics and sings the songs, while Cordoba provides most of the instruments, production and mixing skills.

Fred refers to this record as “a distillation of 20 years thinking about music and the kind of record I really wanted to make. Now I feel I really have something to say and the musicians to give it life”.

Originally released in 1994, the album turns 20 this year and can be considered to be one of the defining albums of the Britpop era, making the end of year lists in Melody Maker, NME, and Select that year. It is home to the hit singles ‘Insomniac’, ‘Close... But’, and the anthemic ‘I Can’t Imagine The World Without Me.’

EGO is the album that saw Echobelly land a major label deal, tour the world, sell out gigs from Japan to the US, build up fervent fanbases and famous followers including Morrissey, REM (who asked them to be their support band) and Madonna (who wanted to sign them to her label).

The bonus material includes the “Bellyache EP” from 1993, plus the b-sides from the singles and a previously unreleased Steve Lamacq BBC Radio 1 session from 1994.

The set is packaged with brand new sleeve-notes by Sonya Madan and unseen and rare photographs.

TRACK LISTING

1: Today Tomorrow Sometimes Never
2: Father, Ruler, King, Computer
3: Give Her A Gun
4: I Can't Imagine The World Without Me
5: Bellyache
6: Taste Of You
7: Insomniac
8: Call Me Names
9: Close...But
10: Cold Feet Warm Heart
11: Scream
12: Bellyache
13: Sleeping Hitler
14: Give Her A Gun
15: I Don't Belong Here
16: Centipede
17: Talent
18: Sober
19: Venus Wheel
20: So La Di Da
21: I Can't Imagine A World Without Me (Live)
22: Cold Feet Warm Heart (Live)
23: Father Ruler King Computer
24: Call Me Names
25: Taste Of You
26: Give Her A Gun

It was released in 1999 as a follow up to the acclaimed Trailer Park and received a Mercury Music Prize nomination and helped Beth earn a BRIT Award in 2000 for Best British Female. The album also features in the book, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

The album featured the hit singles Stolen Car and Central Reservation and is now re-issued with a second disc of material compiled by Beth. It features key b-sides, including the Spiritual Life Ibadon remix of title track Central Reservation plus unreleased live recordings and demos.

The expanded packaging features brand new sleevenotes including a new interview with Beth.

Rolling Stone – “A space cowgirl with a stolen car heart”

Beth remembers: “Listening back to the record now, I enjoy hearing the melodies and how I played with them and the words. The making of records is often a period of redemption for me and the recording of Central Reservation was the actualizing of all my most positive

The Auteurs fourth and ultimately final album, How I Learned To Love The Bootboys was released in July 1999, a 3-year gap since their previous release, After Murder Park, a period during which Luke Haines released albums as part of Black Box Recorder and under the guise of Baader Meinhof.

This expanded edition, compiled by Luke Haines, features 40 tracks including key b-sides and rarities plus 5 previously unreleased tracks. The second disc features the band’s final gig recorded at London School Of Economics in November 1999. This is the first time it’s been on CD, having been briefly available as a download previously.

“On listening to '...Bootboys' again, I'm actually surprised how focussed it sounds. There's a straightforward 'pop side' and an unstraightforward 'experimental' side. My only regret is not putting more on the album – really stretching it out and making it a sprawling double, songs like 'Breaking Up' and 'Get Wrecked At Home' were far too good for B-sides.” Luke Haines 2014

TRACK LISTING

1: THE RUBETTES
2: 1967
3: HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE BOOTBOYS
4: YOUR GANG, OUR GANG
5: SOME CHANGES
6: SCHOOL
7: JOHNNY AND THE HURRICANES
8: THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN
9: ASTI SPUMANTE
10: SICK OF HARI KRISNA
11: LIGHTS OUT
12: FUTURE GENERATION
13: GET WRECKED AT HOME
14: BREAKING UP
15: POLITIC
16: ESP KIDS
17: JOHNNY AND THE HURRICANES
18: FUTURE GENERATION
19: SCHOOL
20: ESSEX BOOTBOYS
21: THE RUBETTES (ACOUSTIC)
22: 1967 (ACOUSTIC)
23: SOME CHANGES (ACOUSTIC)
24: LIGHTS OUT (ACOUSTIC)
25: BAADER MEINHOF
26: MEET ME AT THE AIRPORT
27: BURN WAREHOUSE BURN / THERE'S GONNA BE AN ACCIDENT
28: BACK ON THE FARM
29: BAADER MEINHOF 2
30: UNSOLVED CHILD MURDER
31: 1967
32: THE RUBETTES
33: HOW I LEARNED TO LOVE THE BOOTBOYS
34: YOUR GANG, OUR GANG
35: HOW COULD I BE WRONG
36: BUDDHA
37: AFTER MURDER PARK
38: LIGHT AIRCRAFT ON FIRE
39: LENNY VALENTINO
40: FUTURE GENERATION

Legend has it that a chance meeting with John Peel in the Rough Trade record shop set Bob on the road to becoming a true indie favourite in the late 80s and early 90s, with Peel championing the band throughout their career.

Starting life in 1986, the band released a series of acclaimed singles, and with each single release, they toured and promised an album. Eventually they got enough money together to release Leave The Straight Life Behind on their own House Of Teeth label in 1991.

The album met with rave reviews but due to the collapse of Rough Trade Distribution it was frustratingly difficult to find. Now available again for the first time in many years, the album has been expanded to 2CDs, with a second disc including all four of their Radio 1 sessions, 3 for John Peel and 1 for Simon Mayo.

Following the various pieces of bad luck that befell the band, they became disillusioned with the industry and finally split in 1995, leaving a legacy of eight singles, one compilation of early singles, the album and a legion of happy fans who had been lucky enough to see them live.

The single ‘Convenience’ graced the John Peel Festive Fifty in 1989.

Taking its name from two renowned members of The Red Army Faction, the album tells the story of the organisation and was recorded by Haines between Auteurs albums.

Long unavailable, the album has been remastered and expanded with five bonus tracks, including four previously unreleased tracks taken from a remix EP that was never commercially released.

The album comes with brand new sleeve-notes by Luke Haines.

TRACK LISTING

1. BAADER MEINHOF
2. MEET ME AT THE AIRPORT
3. THER'S GONNA BE AN ACCIDENT
4. MOGADISHU
5. THEME FROM BURN, WAREHOUSE, BURN
6. GSG-29
7. ...IT'S A MORAL ISSUE
8. BACK ON THE FARM
9. KILL RAMIREZ
10. BAADER MEINHOF
11. I'VE BEEN A FOOL FOR YOU - LP BONUS 7"
12. BAADER MEINHOF (CONFRONTATION REMIX)
13. THERE'S GONNA BE AN ACCIDENT (FUSE REMIX) *
14. THERE'S GONNA BE AN ACCIDENT(MUZIQ REMIX)
15. GOD IS WAR- DALAI LLAMA

Kitchens of Distinction were formed in London in 1986 and started and ended their career with a Single of the Week in the UK music press. In between they put out four albums and won the hearts and minds of a generation. Hit singles generally eluded them (the band’s third single “The 3rd Time We Opened The Capsule” did however make it into the ‘NME Writers 100 Best Indie Singles Ever’ list in 1992) but they fared better in the US with “Drive That Fast” hitting number one on the college radio charts over there.

A compact trio comprising of Patrick Fitzgerald (Vocals, Bass), Julian Swales (Guitars) and Dan Goodwin (Drums, Percussion) they were known for their swirling maelstrom of guitar effects - coined in the press as like being a ‘sonic cathedral’ – and Patrick’s introspective and unabashed lyrics that often dealt with his own homosexuality. They were tagged with the genre ‘shoegaze’ (UK) and ‘dreampop’ (US) although, like many of their peers similarly defined, they never felt comfortable with either term. Their sound was inspired largely by their love of Joy Division, Cocteau Twins, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Echo and the Bunnymen and peers A R Kane and it went on to be heard in a new generation of bands like Interpol, Bloc Party, Editors and British Sea Power.

• The songs were recorded in Patrick’s studio in Derbyshire and at Julian’s studio in Brighton.

“I can listen to a British Sea Power record and think: ‘You know what? Kitchens Of Distinction were ahead of their time.” STEVE LAMACQ / BBC RADIO / 2013

“I love them to death. Long may they burn.” GRAHAM LINEHAN / writer Father Ted, Black Books, The IT Crowd

“Kitchens of Distinction are one of my favourite bands” CHRIS PACKHAM / Springwatch BBC2

Sebastopol Rd was Mega City Four’s first album for their new major label home, Big Life. With the success of debut album “Tranzphobia”, follow up “Who Cares Wins”, and a constant touring schedule around the UK, Europe and the US they built up a solid, devoted fanbase easily identifiable in one of the many MC4 t-shirts. By this time, the band were appearing on the front covers of the NME and Melody Maker and the crossover to a major label was no great surprise.

Teaming up with producer Jessica Corcoran (Senseless Things, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, Shed Seven and The Wonder Stuff) gave the album a pop-punk crunch and more emphasis on the pop than previous material. It features the Top 40 hit ‘Stop’, ‘Prague’, covered by Muse in 2010 on the Resistance single as a tribute to the band who had influenced them, and CD1 now includes the two singles (plus their attendant b-sides) Words That Say and Shivering Sand, their highest charting release.

This 2CD set, 21 years after the initial release, gathers together all the studio material from this period and adds 10 previously unreleased tracks, including demos and the John Peel Session from September 1993. It includes all the b-sides and demos taken from the box loads of cassettes and DATs in guitarist Gerry’s shed.

Remastered from the original analogue sources, the first two releases, "Heaven's End" and "Fade Out" are released as double discs and housed in a mini vinyl style card sleeve, reproducing the original artwork. Both are released with re-mastered extra material from the relevant chronological time frame as the main album: The album in its entirety on CD 1, with the bonus tracks (including relevant Peel session material from the time) on CD 2, the bonus material will be available on CD formats only. Remastered by Robert Hampson at Sound Masters with Kevin Metlcalfe, "Heaven's End" originally came out on the Head label in 1987, they recorded their first Peel session that year (on the bonus disc) and the album draws heavily from the likes of the Velvets, Stooges, and the MC5. So, for the reissue, a two CD set will be issued with "Heaven's End" on CD 1, CD 2 will feature the only true outtake from the H E sessions, "Rocket USA". Also found from the archive are two different mixes of "Soundhead" and "Head On" which have never been released in any form before, two for the collectors there and rounded up with the first John Peel Session - "Soundhead", "Straight To Your Heart" and "Rocket USA".

"Fade Out" was originally released on Chapter 22 Records in late 88, the Peel session was recorded at that time too: Loop were loosely influenced by bands such as The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, The MC5, but retaining an avant-garde and experimental edge from Can, Faust, Neu!, Rhys Chatham, Glenn Branca and minimalist systems music, to name but a few.