The Mysticisms crew is back with a fifth instalment in their Deplete series and this time it takes the form of music from one of the inspirations for the series itself, namely the not-so-well-known but nevertheless influential Digi Dub label. It was headed up by Lee Berwick and echoed the sound of South London squat parties in the 80s and early 90s. Berwick himself got into music production later on and built a studio around the AKAI sampler before hooking up with other like-minded people to create the LZ Diesel alias. Opener 'For The Love Of' is a timeless digi-stepper with dancehall stylings, super sweet vocals and bongos tumbling freely. 'Suicidial Dub' is more busy and percussive with screwy synth energy and 'Skunk Funk' is a slow-motion melon-melter.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. For The Love Of
2. Bad Boys

Side 2
1. Suicidal Dub
2. Skunk Funk

O.Genesis present a super Limited 12" Pressing, exclusive to Piccadilly Records, of remixes from Tim Burgess' recent, critically acclaimed, album "Oh No, I Love You".

Seahawks delivers a stunning 11 minute remix of "A Gain//Stoned Alone Again Or (Seahawks Remix)", exclusive to 12", whilst on the flip Tandy Love aka Andy Votel brings his remix skills to "Hours".

TRACK LISTING

A – A Gain // Stone Alone Again Or (Seahawks Remix)
B – Hours // Tandy Love (Andy Votel Remix)

TRACK LISTING

A1. Love Me Tonight (moplen Edit)
A2. Love Me Tonight (original)
B1. I'm Ready For Your Love
B2. Baby Let Me Kiss You

Scruniversal hit gold once more with the fifth outing, this one from the label head Scruscru as well as Tony Lavurtz and DJ Pecan. This series is all about re-edits and reworks of old and rare records from Scru's friends' collections and first off is 'Pela Internet', a brilliantly sunny and percussive Brazilian number with great instrumentals and steamy Portuguese vocals. DJ Pecan steps up on the B-side with 'Marengo In Love' which is a more romantic sound for when the sun has gone down and you want to get up close and personal and gaze up at the stars while a sultry slow-motion funk groove unfolds.

TRACK LISTING

Tony Lavrutz & Scruscru - Pela Internet
DJ Pecan - Marengo In Love

TRACK LISTING

Bizarre Love Triangle
Bizarre Dub Triangle

This is Northumberland songwriter, poet, raconteur and old friend of Piccadilly Records, Peter Alexander Jobson's debut solo album and it's an absolute treat.

Recorded at his home studio and produced by Ben Christophers, the album is an extraordinary collection that blends genres as diverse as country-flavoured psychedelia and cocktail jazz with the spirit of the Northern variety circuit. His vocals answer the question: what if Serge Gainsbourg had been born in the North East of England? Inspirations include Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits and Scott Walker, blues and country legends like Robert Johnson and Hank Williams, and Northern entertainers of days past like Les Dawson and the great Jake Thackray.

Jobson made his name as bass guitarist and keyboard player in I Am Kloot. After six albums and 16 successful years together the cult trio of Jobson, drummer Andy Hargreaves and singer/guitarist John Bramwell broke up after a final triumphant performance at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the 2016 Meltdown Festival on London's South Bank. I Am Kloot were noted for their distinctive sound, the jazzy swing of Jobson and built a fervent following both in the UK and across Europe, culminating in a Mercury Music Prize nomination for their lavish fifth album, 'Sky At Night' - produced by Elbow's Guy Garvey and Craig Potter in 2010.

Heavily autobiographical in inspiration, the songs on 'Burn The Ration Books Of Love' are deeply rooted in Jobson's lived experience, and in his geographical roots in Northumberland, with its wild, windswept coastline, rugged hills and moors, and extensive agricultural farmland where his family have worked the land for generations.

TRACK LISTING

Holiday (Live)
Mountain
The Night Of The Fire
Taxi Supplies
Go Go
Foolish Boy
Please Please Please
Home
Kesta
Just 'Cause I'm Dead
Burn The Ration Books Of Love

Hounds Of Love invites you to not only listen, but to cross the boundaries of sensory experience into realms of imagination and possibility. Side A spawned four Top 40 hit singles in the UK, ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)’, ‘Cloudbusting’, ‘Hounds of Love’ and ‘The Big Sky’, some of the best-loved and most enduring compositions in Bush’s catalogue. On side B, a hallucinatory seven-part song cycle called The Ninth Wave broke away from the pop conventions of the era by using strange and vivid production techniques that plunge the listener into the psychological centre of a near-death experience. Poised and accessible, yet still experimental and complex, with Hounds Of Love Bush mastered the art of her studio-based songcraft, finally achieving full control of her creative process. When it came out in 1985, she was only 27 years old.

This book charts the emergence of Kate Bush in the early-to-mid-1980s as a courageous experimentalist, a singularly expressive recording artist and a visionary music producer. Track-by-track commentaries focus on the experience of the album from the listener’s point of view, drawing attention to the art and craft of Bush’s songwriting, production and sound design. It considers the vast impact and influence that Hounds Of Love has had on music cultures and creative practices through the years, underlining the artist’s importance as a barrier-smashing, template-defying, business-smart, record-breaking, never-compromising role model for artists everywhere.

This book charts the emergence of Kate Bush in the early-to-mid-1980s as a courageous experimentalist, a singularly expressive recording artist and a visionary music producer. Track-by-track commentaries focus on the experience of the album from the listener’s point of view, drawing attention to the art and craft of Bush’s songwriting and sound design. It considers the vast impact and influence that Hounds Of Love has had on music cultures and creative practices through the years, underlining the artist’s importance as a barrier-smashing, template-defying, business-smart, record-breaking, never-compromising role model for artists everywhere.

Be With Records reaching 10 years feels like a landmark worth celebrating. So we proudly present Joyride (the record) and Labour Of Love (the book) in one beautiful slipcase. We're not doing this for self-indulgent reasons. This book and record package was conceived as an opportunity to praise, shine a light on and above all else show gratitude to all the artists we've worked so closely with over the last 10 years. But not just the artists - all of the amazing people who form part of the wider Be With family.

Without question, this package represents the most exciting, daunting and rewarding thing that the label has ever put together. Some time in 2023, we had the idea that 2024 should feature some special releases, events and, well, "things". The "thing" is the very book and record you're reading about. Thanks to the brother Jim - writer and editor of the very thing - for suggesting we do a book. (I thought he was joking). Anyway, how could Be With do a book, shaped like a record sleeve and sized the same, without including a record inside to complete a very special package of "Be Withness"?

THE RECORD: JOYRIDE
10 tracks for 10 Years of Be With from 10 of our favourite artists we've ever worked with over the past decade. As a happily "all over the place" label, the music, accordingly, had to be varied in vibe and style.

We start with a gorgeous acoustic folk track from Thomas Almqvist. I first heard this when our dear friend Andre Allday - who first suggested and then facilitated the Nyanser reissue - played it during our release party for the record at the amazing Hosoi in Stockholm. As something to grab your attention from the off, it's a pretty good opener, I reckon - it'll stop you in your tracks.

We move into an almost totally "lost" Lewis Taylor track, known to and beloved by only his hardest of hardcore fans. Before now, it has only ever seen the light of day on some obscure late 90s CD of "lullabies" compiled by Joan Armatrading. Us neither!

Mic Murphy from Sass/The Mighty Soulmates/The System (!!!) allowed us to use an unreleased track from his mysterious late 90s period. He sent over 7 stunning tracks and, over breakfast one winter morning with my two sons, Rocco and Bruno, the 3 of us selected the track that made us bounce the most while chomping on our cereal.

In deep fall of 2023, myself and Steven (The Funky Paramedic™) had the great pleasure of visiting Tony Henry, leader of the legendary Manchester 80s soul-funk act 52nd Street (those who "put the dance into Factory") to speak some more about a forthcoming retrospective that's been in the works for 5 years now. Fear not - it's coming! Anyway, we went into Tony's amazing studio and he played us the track you hear, here. A demo originally meant for Phyllis Hyman (I mean, come on!), he's very kindly let us use it for this record. A thousand thank yous. It's sensational.

Side A closes out with an elegant exclusive from our favourite Japanese duo, Coastlines, a tropical jazz-funk-fusion track that only they can so effortlessly craft. Sublime.

Side B opens with another total exclusive, and the title track of this compilation. "Joyride" is like some kind of swinging, G-Funk library from the Californian master of modern cinematic soul - Maston. We love everything about this dude. Speaking of California, next up is possibly the coolest ex-pat Manc in all of the Golden State.

Kenny Dickenson's instant classic "Stupid Rain" knocked me out the first time I heard it. The way it starts as a beautifully ornate ambient piece before introducing the barest of pulses to then segue into a full slo-mo cosmic chugger just gets me every time. Man's a genius.

Our great friends from Wilco, Pat and John, comprise The Autumn Defense. Two of the nicest humans in the game and "Bluebirds Fall" is chiming folk-rock at its finest. What they do best and, beyond a tiny-run CD EP decades ago, this is the only way to own this majestic stunner.

Stimulator Jones is a Stones Throw artist who we've loved ever since the epochal "Soon Never Comes" graced our ears. We're putting out his archive beats and when I asked if he had anything fresh that hadn't yet found a home, he sent over a modern / spiritual jazz movement that just blew me away. It's here.

We round out the compilation with a staccato funk-rock track from a Prince alumnus, the one and only Andre Cymone. If this track isn't blasting from radio stations from Dublab to Gilles to NTS then there's no justice in the world.

Of course, as is our way, none of these tracks have ever appeared on vinyl before. This is the only way to own them on wax. Pretty cool. As ever, all we ever want to hear is music with soul and personality. And that's what's contained here. We think we've nailed it. We think you'll like it too.

THE BOOK: LABOUR OF LOVE
Created in conjunction with the editor and design team behind Disco Pogo, Labour Of Love is our first ever book and serves as a brilliantly rich and varied document of Be With's first 10 years. It surveys our entire catalogue with the artwork for every single release faithfully reproduced in full colour accompanied by Rob's inimitable reviews.

The book contains fresh, exclusive interviews with Ned Doheny, Leon Ware, Lewis Taylor, Tommy Guerrero, Wally Badarou, Steve Moore, Pete Fowler, Kimiko Kasai, Tony Henry (52nd Street), The Autumn Defense, Coastlines and The Mighty Soulmates.

There's also fantastic contributions from a whole host of well regarded fans of the label. We have Gilles Peterson on Ned, Trevor Jackson on Nucleus, Efficient Space on Steve Hiett and the joy of collaboration in a competitive industry, Bill Brewster on Marti Caine, Balearic Mike on Kylie and Lou Hayter on her beloved Air.

We explore the development of the Be With logo and also take an insider's look at the journey of a typical Be With record; from the mastering stage with Simon Francis, cutting it up with Cicely Balston, the artwork ordeals with Chris Stevenson, pressing matters with Record Industry, slinging product with ace distributors Word And Sound, stocking product with our favourite London record shop When Spaceships Appear and even packing records for direct orders with our very own Funky Paramedic.

There's also an irreverent look at the legendary Reissue Request Line over on Facebook, with many hints at things to come. 

TRACK LISTING

A1 Thomas Almqvist - Lullaby For Zak
A2 Lewis Taylor - Cherry Blossom
A3 Mic Murphy - Salon Du Chocolat
A4 52nd Street - I'd Fallen In Love (With The Wrong Kind)
A5 Coastlines - Hot Wind
B1 Maston - Joyride
B2 Kenny Dickenson - Stupid Rain
B3 The Autumn Defense - Bluebirds Fall
B4 Stimulator Jones - Aquarius-Pisces Cusp
B5 Andre Cymone - Sex Love Experience

In the age of streaming platforms and social media, stimulation is easy to come by. Real pleasure, however—the kind that feeds our soul rather than draining it—is in shockingly short supply. The second LP by THUS LOVE is full of that kind of nourishing euphoria. It swoons, shakes, and swaggers with a combination of grit and sensuality that’s been hard to locate in music lately. It’s called, fittingly, 'All Pleasure'.

The album came out of a period of dizzying growth and transformation for the group. When they began work on it, vocalist/guitarist Echo Mars and drummer Lu Racine were still reeling from the runaway success of their 2022 debut Memorial—a set of lush, elegant post-punk that brought praise from The FADER, the NME, and the Guardian—along with processing the departure of the founding bassist.

With 'All Pleasure', the band re-formed with new bassist Ally Juleen and guitarist/keyboardist Shane Blank. The group convened in a barn in the woods that Mars had transformed into a recording studio, and kept one rule at the forefront: “If it’s not joyful, don’t do it.” What emerged from that mission is a stunningly gorgeous album, full of big, arcing melodies and a range of kinky stylistic twists that will surprise listeners who know the group just for Memorial’s chorus-drenched 80sstyle psychedelia. 'Birthday Song' gives grungy glam rock with a transcendent hook that underlines Echo’s lyrical tribute to communal joy. 'Get Stable' transmutes existential panic into sharp-angled punk pop.

The anthemic title track is something like the album’s mission statement, paying tribute to the power of joyful creation. Mixed by Matthew Hall and Rich Costey and mastered by Bob Weston, 'All Pleasure' was recorded as live as possible, capturing the sheer infectious ecstasy that comes from sharing space together and making a divine racket. Put on 'All Pleasure', tap into the energy that THUS LOVE is putting out, and you just might find an escape.

TRACK LISTING

1. On The Floor
2. Birthday Song
3. Get Stable
4. All Pleasure
5. Face To Face
6. Lost In Translation
7. Show Me Patience
8. House On A Hill
9. Bread For Blood
10. Losing A Friend

“The title speaks for itself. Maudlin means emotionally sentimental. Tales, these songs are stories to me, about different times. Grief - there is much sadness and darkness in it, and Love - there is some light there too, a bit of joy, to frame the shadow.”

Mystery Tiime is the new musical project from Ayman Rostom aka The Maghreban.

For the first time in his diverse musical career, we hear him sing. The song writing came first, he had initially intended for other people to sing his songs about death & love, but they found them too personal. He had put down guide vocals for the demos and it soon became apparent that his raw and reflective voice was the only one that could tell these tales.

“Some people said it sounded like Robert Wyatt, I had never listened to his stuff before I started singing, it was a compliment, I mean he can’t sing either”.

Musically he explores his post punk side, a musical thread in his life that started at 10 as he found the melancholy of The Cure speak to him. Bauhaus, Tones on Tail Dub Mixes, SPK, The Creatures, Connie Plank Ultravox, Swamp Children and The Au Pairs followed later down the line.

The album is coming out on Vicious Charm, the new label from Damian Harris who said. “The album really took me by surprise, it’s just unlike anything else - authentic and captivating. It just kept calling me back… time and time again. These qualities are my criteria for signing an album, and here we are...”

TRACK LISTING

1. Don’t Cry
2. Long Distance Runner
3. A Cruel Trick
4. What Then
5. One Day
6. A Summer Sunday
7. Thank You Deeply
8. Nausea
9. Plughole Man
10. Not Your Fault
11. The Humour Is Not Lost On Me
12. Out Of Time

Today, Fashion Club, the alias of Los Angeles-based artist Pascal Stevenson, has announced her highly anticipated sophomore album, A Love You Cannot Shake, due out October 25th via Felte Records. Lead single “Forget,” the steamy art-pop track with country-inspired harmonies from Perfume Genius’ Mike Hadreas, is a conversation between Stevenson and her past self about the power of overcoming struggles. “It’s trying to love a version of myself that I’ve spent so long trying to distance from,” Stevenson says. “But it’s also a recognition that if I drift too far away from the version of myself that I see as really flawed, I might forget the things about myself that I felt I needed to change.”

Though A Love You Cannot Shake is the first album that explicitly addresses her transness, it’s not so much a “coming out” record or a confessional, straightforward tell-all as it is a tastefully abstract distillation of her personal experiences and identities into stirring vignettes that anyone can relate to. Whether it’s the search for self-worth in a society that only values humanity in its relation to capital (“Confusion”), the uncomfortably circular nature of self-growth (“Forget”) or the self-destructive urge to make up for “lost time” (“Ghost”), this LP is rooted in the universal truth that self-actualization is always worth pursuing. Tracks often begin from a place of discomfort and shame, but by the end, they tend to arrive at a more patient, hopeful frame of mind, as Stevenson cherishes the authenticity of a more amorphous emotionality.

TRACK LISTING

1. Faith
2. Confusion
3. Forget (feat. Perfume Genius)
4. Ghost (feat. Jay Som)
5. Enough
6. One Day
7. Ice Age
8. Deny
9. Rotten Mind (feat. Julie Byrne)
10. Deify

'East My Love', the resplendent, country-tinged 12th album by Current Joys, feels familiar. It’s meant to: the 12 songs contained within dive deep into the rich folklore of the American West to tell time-worn tales of love and trauma, heartbreak and spiritual renewal. Cast with a warm glow and finding Current Joys’ Nick Rattigan tapping into some of his lushest, most high-fidelity production to date, it’s the kind of album that listeners could see themselves within, and, hopefully, keep close when they’re most in need of reassurance or escapism. For Rattigan, though, it’s all that and more.

Rattigan wrote 'East My Love' alone in the woods in Tennessee, with no cell reception and nobody in earshot for miles. Composed three years before 'Love + Pop', the experimental pop double record he released in 2023 and 2024, the songs on 'East My Love' felt too raw to confront until he felt well and truly out from underneath the cloud that had been cast over him. Rattigan describes the songs as “landmines” that, for years, threatened to upend his carefully balanced mental state. “They were just triggers that would put me back in this emotional space, and I think eventually I got to a place where they were more comforting,” he recalls. “That’s what I hope people find out of the record – a solace from any anxieties or depressions.”

Along with that comfort comes pain, and an acknowledgement that any repair requires some level of breakage. Lead single “California Rain” acts like a tableau depicting Rattigan’s attempt to escape his demons, its placid lyrics a distinct counterpoint to the tidal-wave production: “Isn’t it nice to get away?/Clearing my head up, and dull away the pain.” It speaks to the album’s constant coin-toss between peace and chaos: “It’s like you’re trying to outrun your demons, but at a certain point, they become your friend, and you have to walk alongside them,” says Rattigan. “I feel like you don’t know that when you’re suppressing them – when you’re hiding them in the rain.”

At other points, Rattigan is more clear-eyed about the struggle of moving forward; opening track “Echoes of the Past,” aches with the acknowledgement that inner peace exists on a knife’s edge. “The world won’t end in blazing fire and brimstone – it’ll end from us not learning from our past and our mistakes,” says Rattigan. 

There’s a purity of catharsis that runs through these songs; written without pretense, they take base human needs and desires and fit them into a grander tradition of American songwriting that takes in everything from Willie Nelson to Bright Eyes. True to that, many of the songs on East My Love, due to their outside-looking-in perspective, play like standards. “Slowly Like The Wind,” a simple voice-and-guitar ballad, finds Rattigan reassuring his subject that “slowly like the wind” he’ll help push them in the right direction in times of need. On “Lullaby for the Lost,” which feels parched but emotionally rich, he urges himself to remember that “we’ll get oh so strong” despite the depths of despair he may be feeling in the moment. “I wanted it to be very slow and meditative, with these punctuations of lyrics that I really wanted to stick out. I felt like it was powerful to accentuate certain points, but also let the song be a meditative comfort to the listener.” That comfort can be traced back to an idea at the core of East My Love that Rattigan describes simply: “Everyone deserves peace of mind. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Echoes Of The Past
2. California Rain
3. Days Of Heaven
4. Never Seen A Rose
5. Lullaby For The Lost
6. Oh, Sister
7. They Shoot Horses
8. Slowly Like The Wind *
9. Tormenta
10. Sister Christian
11. East My Love
12. Feelin’ Groovy

*CD & Cassette Only

Over a career that spans half a century, Zimmerman’s discography is a sonic memoir. A sprawling collection of records that have explored folk, 12-bar blues, full-band rock concertos and classical piano compositions, his work is also a tribute to the people, experiences and sounds that have shaped his life, amassing in a deeply personal and resonating songbook.

“After years of writing and filling a box with over 500 song sheets, I had finally found my path, my originality, my voice. It had become clear to me that songs of only one kind were worth spending time on: those which had a positive message and a peaceful vibration [...] Just poetry. Little hums that perhaps might lift us all above our daily worries and fears, little hums that try to make the world a better place to live in.” – Tucker Zimmerman

Despite sailing under the radar throughout most of his storied and multi-layered career, the 83-year-old native Californian has received praise from contemporaries like Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker (“Tucker Zimmerman is one of the greatest songwriters of all time,”) and even from one of the greats (David Bowie called Zimmerman, “too qualified for folk.”). Inspired by Lenker’s appreciation for his work, Zimmerman was brought to the States to record the album, with Big Thief (and collaborators Mat Davidson and Zach Burba) serving as his backing band. On many tracks, Lenker meets Zimmerman half-way, their vocals fusing together in a soothing harmony; Zimmerman’s beloved wife, Marie-Claire, who graces the album’s cover also joined the chorus line.

With 'Dance Of Love', listeners will find a multi-faceted and heartfelt record from a songwriter who has had a full and exciting life decorated with meaningful friendships, hard but valuable lessons, worldly experience, and ultimately, lots of love.

TRACK LISTING

1. Old Folks Of Farmersville
2. Idiot’s Maze
3. Lorelei
4. The Season
5. Burial At Sea
6. They Don’t Say It (But It’s True)
7. Leave It On The Porch Outside
8. The Ram-a-lam-a-ding-dong Song
9. Don’t Go Crazy (Go In Peace)
10. Nobody Knows

After 2 years of relentless touring in support of their critically acclaimed debut album, Thee Sacred Souls return with "Lucid Girl", the lead single from their forthcoming sophomore album, Got a Story to Tell.

Backed by a heavy beat and lavish arrangement, singer Josh Lane–displaying a soulfulness beyond his years–sings an empowering tale of a girl who has the clarity to put her needs before prospective suitors. B-side features "Losing Side of Love."

TRACK LISTING

Side A – Lucid Girl
Side B – Losing Side Of Love

Love Is A Flame In The Dark is the debut album by experimental songwriter Karl D’Silva. A raw labour of love, a towering spire of twisted steel, tenderness and becoming, it’s a body of songs that belies the virtuoso talents of an artist whose reputation has been built on collaborating with various avant garde underground luminaries. Self-recorded at home in Rotherham and pulsing with the conviction of a true believer, these songs burst out of their self-consciousness to meet life head on, bristling with energy, 10 glimpses of the human spirit in the darkness. Recorded throughout 2021 - 2023 and mixed in Leeds with engineer Ross Halden, D’Silva has constructed a Pop language for himself. Mutated songs that owe a small debt to the post-Industrial music of Cabaret Voltaire, Nine Inch Nails and Coil, they’re nonetheless powered by a vigorous tenderness, earnestness and D’Silva’s knack for melody. Each song is meticulously sound-designed, using synthesised sounds created from scratch married with D’Silva’s virtuoso playing on saxophone and guitar.

The songs on Love Is A Flame In The Dark are unabashed, earnest love letters to living, requiems for a world fading away and small gestures of solidarity in the face of entropy. Until now, D’Silva’s fingerprints could be found on live dates with Thurston Moore, Oren Ambarchi, Hardcore pioneers Siege and Rian Treanor as well as recordings by previous groups Trumpets Of Death and Drunk In Hell. Primarily associated with the alto saxophone in his improvisation work, Love Is A Flame In The Dark features a dizzying array of instrumentation, all played by D’Silva. D’Silva’s current membership of the group Vanishing may be a good touchstone for the dense, sonically thrilling world-building on the album but the most striking instrument, perhaps, is D’Silva’s voice. With a soulful, rasping timbre resulting from prolonged intubation as a new-born, his vocal is both fearless and tender. On the soaring, electronic body mover Wild Kiss, thundering percussion is in service to Karl’s voice full of desire, arching up into a flayed falsetto. It’s a trick repeated on Flowers Start To Cry, where it’s deployed against the backdrop of layers of ripping alto and thudding drum programming that recall Nine Inch Nails’ visceral production, if they were covering a Prince hit. These songs capture the essence of 2024’s Karl D’Silva music; pure physicality breaking down to reveal a shining, compassionate vulnerability.

The full breadth of Karl D’Silva’s instrumental prowess is in evidence from the off. On The Outside imagines blooming out of personal apocalypse with a soundscape of synth, saxophone worthy of any late 60s Free Jazz blower and crushing sound design. Entropy is planet-sized synth pop, Nowhere Left To Run uses midi-string orchestration to tell a story of light emerging from the dark. It’s a theme picked up throughout the album: The Butcher is a political parable, the narrator holding power to account with grotesque, brutal imagery. It’s on a track like Real Life that the true message emerges, however. D’Silva is peering through the layers of artifice, struggle and the fog of daily living to find a life full of energy, connection and light. Each song here is a route into this light, out of the darkness.

TRACK LISTING

1. On The Outside
2. Entropy
3. Wild Kiss
4. Flowers Start To Cry
5. The Crucible
6. Nowhere Left To Run
7. Real Life
8. Shine Brightly
9. The Butcher
10. Love Is A Flame In The Dark

Cindy is to release a new six song EP called Swan Lake on 4th October via Tough Love. The title isn’t a nod to the folktale or ballet in any real way, but to the fact that it all has ended up in the collective imagination as an object, vaguely recognizable, a little suggestive, and mostly blank. Karina Gill, Cindy’s songwriter, likes to make use of that kind of resonance to connect sound and experience.

The six songs on this EP continue the stripped-down habits of previous Cindy releases, while adding a few departures and left-turns. Cindy likes to work at the essentials and the elements here say exactly what’s needed. In other ways, these songs present a soft filigree that’s unusual for their recordings. Oli Lipton (Now, Violent Change) on guitar and Will Smith (Now) on bass play counterpoint melodies to Gill’s structures. Staizsh Rodrigues (Children Maybe Later, Almond Joy, Peace Frog) sings vocal harmonies that both offset and deepen Gill’s voice and delivery. There are playful drums by Mike Ramos (Tony Jay, Sad Eyed Beatniks) and coolly elaborate guitar lines from Stanley Martinez (Famous Mammals, Violent Change, Non Plus Temps).

Gill’s songs strike this balance too: almost nonchalant reporting tied up in unexpected knots. A ride in an elevator connects up with questions about peace and/or the nature of things; the title track wonders about associative thinking and associative feeling; The Bell is an account of one of those times when everything makes sense but you can’t explain it; and there’s the scene of a party viewed with admiration for how friends can love each other. As Gill herself says:

"People have told me that they can’t quite identify my influences. Me neither. The foundational layers of music of the past and my past have been metabolized like breakfast and turned into more me, sorry to say. But I experience the music of people I’m connected with and it impacts me in the moment. There’s the music I’m around – April Magazine, Sad Eyed Beatniks, Violent Change, Katsy Pline, collaborating with Mike on Flowertown – that I can feel a direct line from. Then there’s music that is being made far away but feels close, like Lewsberg, specifically, for this EP. "

TRACK LISTING

All Weekend
Party At The Atelier
The Birds In Birmingham Park
The Bell
Swan Lake
Consolation’s Test

2024 first-time 12" reissue pairing of previously hyper-rare tracks, 140g vinyl, mastered by Simon Francis.

Two seminal 12" mixes of a pair of enormous tracks from Surface. Housed in the super-rare and - until now - French-only picture sleeve of the eternal "Falling In Love", we've backed that classic with Be With's favourite deconstructed mix of the swirling electronic soul / synth-driven slow jam "Happy". These sought-after versions have never been paired on the same record before. This fresh Be With edition ensures these legendary tracks now sound, looks and feel as sensational as they deserve to. You know what to do...

American post-disco/R&B trio Surface were a New Jersey vocal group made up of Bernard Jackson, David Townsend and David Conley. The majesty of boogie ballad "Falling In Love" was their first single, released in 1983 on Salsoul Records. The mellow magic of this track is loved the world over; it's a feel-good smooth boogie jam that's forever coveted. The slick, crystal clear beat, the legendary minimoog bassline, the melody, Karen Copeland's superb vocal, the great flute solo (referenced on the cover) all of it is literally perfect and beautifully encapsulates that mid 80s international club vibe. This here is the original Shep Pettibone mix in its entirety - it's the only one you really need.

Flip for the legendary "Love Mix" of 1987 hit single “Happy". You all know the original. At least, you *should* all know it. But the "Love Mix" is a deconstructed, boldly produced mix which is the one the heads have turned to for so long. Yet, in our opinion, its hypnotic groove has flown under the radar for too many years. This killer remix begins with Jackson's spine-tingling isolated vocal, cleverly subverting expectations by actually delivering the first words of the original's second verse "You must be Heaven sent...Sent into my life...And I compliment you baby...Baby" before a heavy 808 drum kicks hard with echoey handclaps. It's super sparse and a dubbed out slow-mo boogie banger like no other. The synth bass, atmospheric synth pads and synthesized flute glide in and out with effortless style and the whole thing is a wonder to behold.

It's a slow jam, for sure, but crafted in the straight up funk tradition, using the digital tools of the day and this sparser than sparse version almost sounds like a precursor to UK Street Soul. A unique combination of undeniable funk, electro beats and an earnest, youthful tenor; it should be slamming out of every jeep forevermore.

Simon Francis remastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12" well and truly slaps. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this incredibly sought-after treasure finds a home in many more collections, this and every year. Simply flawless.

TRACK LISTING

A1 Falling In Love
B1 Happy (Love Mix)

Our close friend and fellow Scot, now Ibiza resident, Pikes resident DJ and island favourite, 'For Mankind' (Russ Forman) had talked about doing a studio collaboration for some time. Last winter, we finally managed to get in the studio and make some music.

Drawn upon our mutual loves of house music, dub and weirdo dance music by the likes of African Head Charge, Larry Heard and Sun Ra. We also added sprinkles of influence from other oddball tracks that make up our more interesting sets. We spent hours just pulling and listening to records from all our collections and talking about music before hitting the studio.

What resulted from the session is a beautiful and exciting blend of everyone's taste - dreamy, minimal, almost techno synthscapes, New York oddball house that sounds like some lost Sleeping Bag test press to almost Música Popular Brasileira.

At one point Russ, (For Mankind) grabbed the mic and hit us with his best pidgin Spanish, this snowballed onto a few more tracks, so we felt it only right the LP should also bear his name. Russ' vocal came as a surprise to us all, loose, funky, wild and carefree, (like the man himself), with positivity and a message: This music is for everyone. We should all work together, help and contribute.

Our good friend Hanna (Philomenah) also brings her giant talent on Brazilian influenced 'I Can't wait', expect to hear a lot more from this Shetland-born singer on Athens of the North and elsewhere.

TRACK LISTING

1. Musica Para Todos Ullal De Da Coloms (feat. For Mankind)
2. Ullal De Da Coloms
3. Punta Moscarter
4. Xylocopa Violacea
5. The Morrígan Sings (feat. For Mankind)
6. Stay Above With Love (feat. For Mankind)
7. I Can't Wait (feat. Philomenah)
8. A Gradual Precipitation

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. The Moon And The Sky
2. Soldier Of Love
3. Morning Bird
4. Babyfather
5. Long Hard Road

Side B
1. Be That Easy
2. Bring Me Home
3. In Another Time
4. Skin
5. The Safest Place

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. No Ordinary Love
2. Feel No Pain
3. I Couldn’t Love You More
4. Like A Tattoo

Side B
1. Kiss Of Life
2. Cherish The Day
3. Pearls
4. Bulletproof Soul
5. Mermaid

Prepare to experience a true soul gem reimagined for the modern age with this special 7-inch reissue of Matt Covington’s classic, I'm So In Love With You. Originally released in 1983, this rare groove masterpiece captures the essence of early '80s R&B with its smooth, heartfelt vocals and lush instrumentation. Covington’s romantic delivery and the track's elegant arrangement have made it a coveted piece for collectors and soul aficionados alike, with the original pressing becoming increasingly hard to find over the years. For the first time ever, I’m So In Love With You is being reissued, allowing a new generation of listeners to discover its timeless charm. On the flip side, we’ve included Muhammad Ali, a standout cut from Covington’s self-titled album that resonates with soul, funk, and infectious energy. A favorite of acclaimed DJ Floating Points, Muhammad Ali pays tribute to the legendary boxer with a groove that’s as fierce as its namesake. Whether this has been sat in your wantlist for years or new to Matt Covington’s music, this 7-inch offers an essential addition to your collection. With its impeccable blend of silky soul and rhythmic punch, this reissue promises to become as cherished as the original release.

The Greatest Love follows the British trio’s critically acclaimed #1 selling album Californian Soil, which was released in 2021 and earned the band their second BRIT nomination for Best British Group. Arriving over a decade since the trio first entered our consciousness, the new album is a celebration; the sound of a band laying to rest the past and realising a newfound sense of freedom.

First single House embodies London Grammar’s new trajectory as frontwoman Hannah Reid delivers the uncompromising lyric: This is my place, my house, my rules. Speaking about the single Hannah said, “House is about drawing boundaries around yourself. When I hit my thirties, my mindset shifted, and I no longer felt like a victim of anything – it all felt within my power. I thought, making music should be fun, and we're gonna make that happen.”

Having first formed as teenagers at University, their seminal double-platinum selling debut If You Wait paved the way for what was to become a hugely successful career for the band, the rare longevity of which has firmly rooted London Grammar in British pop culture. Now over 10 years later, the band have sold more than 3 million albums world-wide, with two #1 selling records, 1 billion streams, an Ivor Novello and numerous BRIT Award nominations under their belts.

Following last year’s JUNO award winning album 'When We Were That What Wept From The Sea', 'The Love It Took To Leave You' features 11 new pieces of emotionally scorching music.

The album was recorded over a week in 2023 at The Darling Foundry, a 144-year-old former metalworks facility in Montreal with a voluminous main room that still maintains its raw architecture of brick, concrete and steel. From the album’s opening track Stetson charts a carefully sequenced ride, travelling through intense territories punctuated with tragic melodies that seek transcendence, epic and frenzied shredders, and many shades of scary beauty, betrayal, and redemption. This is the art of storytelling wrought instrumentally. 'The Love It Took To Leave You' is a perfect storm of technical, musical and compositional complexity and achievement. 

TRACK LISTING

1. The Love It Took To Leave You
2. The Six
3. The Augur
4. Hollowing
5. To Think We Knew From Fear
6. Malediction
7. Green And Grey And Fading Light
8. Strike Your Forge And Grin
9. Ember
10. So Say The Soaring Bullbats
11. Bloodrest

Whiskey Disco #74 follows up Michael The Lion’s stellar single with a return to classic Whiskey Disco form; a mix of somewhat recognizable samples tweaked for the floor or the poolside.

Summer is in full swing and so are the artists on the latest Whiskey Disco ode to summer parties. The A side showcases a long lost gem from Cole Medina that never quite saw the light of day. It’s a longtime honour to be able to put this song on the label and we can’t wait to have a loud 45 side in our hands to drop at the choicest of rooftop parties, poolside, beachside, or to break the tension after a dirty underground session. On the flip, we see Love Athletics breaking out with All of My Love, a cheeky vocal sample underpinned by a rocking bass groove and high hats that are more than a nod to Sex Shooter. The flanged groove will be perfect for day or night tie parties. Closing out, label boss, Sleazy McQueen provides an all analog cut up with palpitating drums and hypnotic grooves, with a nice surprise to break things up a bit.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Cole Medina - We Call It Good 2 Me
B1. Love Athletics - All Of My Love
B2. Sleazy McQueen = BSD (Brian Saves The Day)

For Fans Of... Jungle, SAULT, Aaron Frazer, CARRTOONS, daste., Thee Sacred Souls, Yaya Bey, Durand Jones.

Admittedly, I'm not a great salesperson when it comes to running our little label. I do my best not to give into hyperbole or build something up too intensely if someone has not heard a new artist yet. I prefer to simply present the music and let the listener decide how they feel about it. However, we live in an age when the "story" put together by publicists, labels, and managers are often the driving force of an artist's ascension into the zeitgeist. And for me, that's always felt rather artificial, even when the narrative is genuine.

But every once in a while, a project comes along that takes on a life of its own. And I can say without a doubt that the growth of Pale Jay's reach since we first started working with him has little to do with conjured narratives or clever marketing, but more to do with how the music makes the listener feel. It's that simple. In fact, Jay is so enigmatic and without a narrative that the mere absence of a story has become the story. Who is he? Where is he from? What's next?

Some questions are better left unanswered in my opinion, my friend. Including the question, "Why does this music make me feel so much?" You're better off just sitting back, disconnecting, and letting Low End Love Songs by Pale Jay wrap you up. Enjoy and spread the good word. Terry Cole (Colemine).

“Low End Love Songs”, more so than previous releases, is a diary in form of song. I knew I just had to wait for the songs to be ready to be picked, like ripe fruit from a tree. Each tune encapsulates a distinct moment in my life, with music serving as my means of processing complex and sometimes conflicting emotions. In this album, I depart from loop-based song structures towards more intricate and lush compositions. Latin influences permeate the music, adding new layers of rhythms and textures to my soul-music roots. Pale Jay

TRACK LISTING

1. The Simple Days
2. Quadris De Ouro
3. Baby
4. Branch By Branch
5. The Garden
6. Floating On A Memory
7. Spend More Time With Your Friends
8. Love Around The World
9. Easy, Lee

On this new ATON 12" we have two very different beast, basement or bigroom, both sampling a rare disco 45 by Sass Band called 'Where Is the Love'. Side A is another East Coast Love Affair outing, a super deep druggy disco burner for the heads, we need to make more of these. To counteract the A side on the flip we have a full on late 90s style party banger that will deffo get some asses moving (and some beard strokers crying). Kevin McCullagh (BDK) sent me this last year (or possibly the year before) and gave me the idea for this 12, it took some time to track down the licence but with some help Julien (Waxist DJ) andPascal. at Pusher distrubtion we were a le to clear the sample which was super appreciated. Get it, pick your side, rock the party.

TRACK LISTING

1. Love Chug
2. Pure Sass

Absolutely electrifying and timeless, the 1973 Philly disco anthem is back! Now fully licensed and repressed for 2024 on a premium 12" single, "The Love I Lost" shines brighter than ever. This all-time classic showcases the extraordinary vocals of a young Teddy Pendergrass, who was on the cusp of becoming one of the era's most successful male performers. This full-length LP version, generously spread across an entire side of the 12" single, is an essential addition to any collection. It's one of those formative tracks that laid the foundation for the disco explosion—pure perfection!

Flip the record, and you'll find another landmark tune: "Wake Up Everybody." This 1975 mellow dancer carries a powerful, heartfelt message and stands as another monumental hit in the Blue Notes' impressive catalog. With socially conscious lyrics that resonate even today, this track has solidified its status as a timeless classic, exuding depth and soul. The entire B-side is dedicated to this one track, providing ample room for its message to resonate and ensuring top-quality sonic playback for DJs and dancers alike. If you appreciate soulful sounds, this record is a must-have—peerless and unforgettable!

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Possibly overshadowing all other variations of these two releases. The definitive version of these two bonafide disco classics gifted a whole side of 12" vinyl for maximum fidelity and headroom.

TRACK LISTING

A. The Love I Lost
B. Wake Up Everybody 

On Oceanator’s third full-length album, 'Everything is Love and Death', songwriter Elise Okusami showcases her exceptional pop sensibilities, delivering 11 tracks full of melodic depth and lively energy. Produced by Grammy nominated engineer/producer Will Yip (Title Fight, Turnstile, Bartees Strange), the new album features some of the biggest and boldest songs Okusami has ever written, such as the anthemic and sludgy 'Drift Away', featuring backing vocals from NNAMDÏ.

Oceanator’s music has been praised in outlets such as Stereogum, Pitchfork, NPR and SPIN, who described Okusami as having “the kind of voice that can silence a room.” The band has shared the stage with the likes of Jeff Rosenstock, Laura Jane Grace, PUP, and others with a notable touring history across North America and Europe.

TRACK LISTING

1. First Time
2. Lullaby
3. Cut String
4. Happy New Year
5. Get Out
6. Home For The Weekend
7. Be Here
8. All The Same
9. Drain The Well
10. Drift Away
11. Won't Someone

'Love Rudiments' is a meditation by Ty Segall on his first love: the drums. Known popularly as a singing guitar player, he generally starts the recording of his songs by laying down a drum track. 'Love Rudiments' kicks off with drums and percussion, then adds a few other percussive and production aspects. It travels a great journey in this configuration. However, 'Love Rudiments' wasn’t written or performed to present as some kind of solo drums album - it’s just another music album, with vibes (figurative as well as literal), feels, a theme and a through-line.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Ty’s made an instrumental album of percussive music that rides the wild surf of a waxing-then-waning love affair - from the first blinding look, to the eventual recognition, that look back at love’s rudiments, viewed from beyond and outside that seemingly infinite sensation.

And why not? Drums are a melody instrument too. Ty plays them with precision and sensitivity, delving deep into the textures of timpani, vibraphone, xylophone, percussion and e-drums, all of them occupying space within the luxe stereo spread of the drumkit. In the process, a psychological space is opened - a private emotional location where only two can meet.

'Love Rudiments' reembodies the passion and compulsion that drives all of Ty Segall’s music in a suite of moments played on orchestral batterie to explore the most delicate passages of human interaction - playing on the bones of love.

TRACK LISTING

1. First Look
2. First Conversation
3. Walk Home Pt. 1
4. Getting Ready
5. Arrival
6. The Dance
7. Walk Home Pt. II
8. First Touch
9. Honeymoon/Life
10. Confrontation
11. Argument
12. Separation
13. Realization
14. Love Rudiments

Pink Rhythm was one of John Rocca’s mid 80’s solo project and an evolution of his pioneering band Freeez. Pink Rhythm lasted between 1984 and 1985 three singles were released including the cult favourites 'Melodies of Love' & 'India'.

Over the years John Rocca’s music has been sampled by many including Jamie xx, Empress Of, Brandy, Burial, Todd Terry, Coolio and more. Often credited as one the pioneers of BritFunk, John’s music is iconic and has been used in TV & Film and the Fashion world for Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton and more.

'An 80’s Love Affair' contains six classic Pink Rhythm tracks, four of which have not been available on vinyl since the original single releases in 1985. The tracks were originally produced and recorded at Miraval Studios in The South of France (made famous by George Michael with Careless Whisper).

They were mixed by John in Rooster Studios London and remastered in 2024 by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road.

It is pure, smooth 80s drum machines, it is synth sounds, saxophones, and keyboards.... it’s retro, but it could also be current. Either way, it's as refreshing now as it was then.

TRACK LISTING

1. Melodies Of Love
2. Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love
3. India (12” Instrumental)
4. More & More
5. Walking In The Rain
6. India (12” Version)

One of the smash hits of last year, Ghost Assembly's more-garage-than-garage burner 'I Miss Your Love' is back for 1993 with a pair of deadly remixes and another world-building insert to break your heart.

Also known as one of Manchester's finest DJs/curators/all round top humans Abigail Ward, her debut release (!), the original Ghost Assembly 12", dropped a year ago, sold out almost instantly and is yours off discogs right now, for £100+.

But wait - we've got some shark repellent here in the form of a brand new 12 featuring the all-important club mix together with 2 phenomenal remixes that take things in very different directions.

After Abigail wowed all her mates with her hitherto-unheard production GENIUS, her more eager pals were quick to hit her up for some stems so they could have a go at a remix. Abs is better connected than most and has better taste than us all so it's no surprise that we got some top-shelf efforts returned to us.

Keen to elaborate on the world she'd expertly created with the first 12 - and its accompanying insert, masterfully telling the story of a queer club in 80's Manchester; a more brutal time, long before the Pink Pound - we now fast forward 5 years and who better to capture the vibe of the North in 93 than Red Laser's hardcore OG...DJ ABSOLUTELY SHIT who teleports us from the Jive Club to Bowlers with 2 double doves straight up the bum and earns himself the prime A1 position on the record, cut loud and heavy for maximum impact.

Flip over and you get the classic Club mix once more and then there's a B2 for the ages - double legends BRIAN NOT BRIAN and PIERS HARRISON team up with a load of hardware and dub everything right out creating a bonafide Red Seal Roller, channelling On-U to bring a remix that if it actually dropped in 93 might have saved us all from Trip Hop.

Don't forget the insert - sealed with a loving kiss is a letter that will make you cry. It's not addressed to you though, so will you be a nosey parker and crack it open or will you leave it be so you can shark the whole thing on Discogs (trust me no amount of money you get for doing this will match the value of opening the letter).

This is strictly limited again, it's gonna be the hit of the year yet again, just be grateful you didn't have to wait five actual years for it...!!

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Second lap for one of the biggest records of 2023. Now with added remixes from DJ Absolutely Shit and Brian Not Brian & Piers Harrison who each impart plenty of character into their individual tangents.

TRACK LISTING

1. I Miss Your Love (dj Absolutely Shit Remix)
2. I Miss Your Love (original Club Mix)
3. I Miss Your Love (brian Not Brian & Piers Harrison Disco Dub)

More Modern Soul madness from the team at Celestial Echo. No Stranger To Love is one of those rare tracks that crosses over both Modern and Northern scenes & has long been a favourite of collectors and selectors with original copies regularly changing hands for £100 + on the second hand market.

This lead to the synth laden funk track being picked up by Dam Funk & the Stones Throw crew, who shone a new light on the track via online mixes which has only increased the demand.

Officially reissued for the first time in 40 years and as always, officially licenced and remastered by Celestial Echo Records. Needless to say, buy or cry.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Modern soul from '89 that'll set you back over a ton for an original. Thankfully this repro 7" sounds just as slick, with that punchy bass and fizzy stabs complimenting the suave vocals by Glenda beautifully. Top drawer stuff.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Vocal
B1. Instrumental

Celebrating their 20th year in the game, award-winning imprint First Word Records continue their impressive run of releases,unveiling their brand new compilation album 'Love & Purpose'. Lovingly crafted by label founder Aly Giliani (AKA Gilla), the album is a celebration of British soul music, past and present. Inspired by the vinyl compilations that shaped his early years as a DJ, Gilla has curated a set of 12 tracks that tell the story of underground British soul music over the last 40 years, taking in street soul, alternative R&B, neo-soul and lovers rock.


Keen to ensure that this was more than an exercise in nostalgia, the album is split into two halves: Disc One (Love) is focussed on artists who were active pre-2000, whilst Disc Two (Purpose) shines a light on newer artists who are carrying the torch for the previous generation. So the Carl McIntosh produced 'Feel' by Ruth Joy sits alongside the throwback street-soul sounds of Lynda Dawn, and Children Of Zeus' modern lovers rock classic 'Hard Work' rubs shoulders with Omar's evergreen 'Ghana Emotion'. With music from artists in Manchester, London, Leeds, Cardiff and Sheffield, Love & Purpose is the soundtrack to summers from 1985 to the present day. Highlights include the Nick Martinelli (Loose Ends) produced 'Tell Me' by 52nd Street, Lynda Dawn's Roses and cover-star Dazzle's 'Dazzle You'.

TRACK LISTING

1. Dazzle - Dazzle You
2. Robyn - Searching
3. 52nd Street - Tell Me (How It Feels)
4. Omar - Ghana Emotion
5.. Ruth Joy - Feel
6. Jay Dee - Simple Solution
7. Children Of Zeus - Hard Work
8. Demae - Basic Love
9. Gareth Donkin - Autumnbreeze
10. Eliza - Livid
11. Lynda Dawn - Roses (XL Middleton Version) [feat. XL Middleton]
12. Metabeats - Passport (feat. Vanity Jay)

Dance floor in need of a little spark? Need some extra ammo in the record bag for this weekend’s set? Pleasure of Love has the key to your ignition with a new series of specialty re-edits from the vaults. "Covers Blown Vol. 1," features a pair of unlikely disco classics expertly done up in a smokin' tex-mex style.

TRACK LISTING

A1.  Bailando (edit)
B1.  Sexie (edit)

Funkyjaws Music comes though with more of that lovely loose-limbed disco goodness that is never going to fail in energising a decent dance floor. Let's Dance Volume 4 is another various artists affair that launches with James Greenwood & Aniello's feel-good 'Look Of Love' which has it all - the sweet female vocal, the florid strings, the rolling bassline and big brass leads. Scruscru & Los Protos's 'Corason' brings some Latin flavours with a more deep and seductive groove and Jkriv and Love Drop offer up two b-side jams packed with soul and irresistible rhythms that effervesce with uplifting vibes.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Manchester darlings James Greenwood & Aniello hit the accelerator on the frenetic jazz-funk-disco journey "Look Of Love". Meanwhile, the other three contributions ensure the quality is kept high as they meander through vibrant gardens of organically grown disco.

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. James Greenwood & Aniello - Look Of Love
2. Scruscru & Los Protos - Corason

Side 2
1. Jkriv - Moonlight Dance
2. Love Drop - Ain't Never

Recorded as part of the same daydreaming puzzle as Unwishing Well, Still Clouds at Noon brings out the slowcore/sadcore elements that drift through The Reds, Pinks & Purples’ melancholy catalogue. Donaldson names '90s hometown San Francisco acts such as American Music Club and the more obscure Timco as pivotal to his guitar playing and development as a songwriter, both of which shine bright here. The slower tempo ballads on Still Clouds… often culminate in heavy fuzz drenched codas and showcase the more abstract poetic side of Donaldson’s lyricism. There’s an inherent pop-sensibility always at work though, with ear-worm melodies appearing over intoxicating circular riffs.

Formerly a Bandcamp only digital release, this white vinyl version is remastered and adds two unreleased tracks, one featuring Mark Monnone from Australian pop-legends The Lucksmiths on bass. Edition of 500.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A softer outing this time from The Reds, Pinks & Purples, showing all of their latent melodicism and wistful melancholia taking the shape of a more hazy, slowed offering. Every bit the classic RP&P offering just a little slower.

TRACK LISTING

1. All Night
2. Happiness All Around
3. Violent Pictures
4. The Future's Just More Of The Same
5. Walking-Away World
6. Still Clouds At Noon
7. Everything You Ever Loved
8. Walk Through Any Wall
9. The House They Went Past
10. Writing Songs

From the longing expressed in "My Little Red Book" and "Alone Again Or" to the introspective nature of "A House Is Not a Motel" and "You Set the Scene," each track from the Love ‘Now Playing’ delves into the complexities of love and human connection. Formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s, Love blends elements of rock, folk, jazz, and psychedelic music, creating a unique sound that was ahead of its time.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Love's own brand of psychedelic folk and stamping rock and/or roll influenced jams get nicely summarised by a nice collection from the Now Playing crew. Another *love*ly collection (sorry).

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. "My Little Red Book" 2:32
2. "7 & 7 Is" 2:08
3. "Orange Skies" 2:42
4. "Alone Again Or" 2:44
5. "A House Is Not A Motel" 3:14
6. "Andmoreagain" 3:10

Side 2
1. "The Red Telephone" 4:28
2. "Maybe The People Would Be The Times Or Between Clark & Hilldale" 3:21
3. "You Set The Scene" 6:34
4. "Always See Your Face" 3:15

Widely hailed as a genius, Arthur Lee was a character every bit as colorful and unique as his music. In 1966, he was Prince of the Sunset Strip, busy with his pioneering racially mixed band, Love, and accelerating the evolution of California folk-rock by infusing it with jazz and orchestral influences, a process that would climax in a timeless masterpiece, the Love album Forever Changes. Shaped by a Memphis childhood and a South Los Angeles youth, Lee always craved fame.

He would achieve his ambition with a mixture of vaulting talent and colossal chutzpah. Drug use and a reticence to tour were his Achilles heels, and he succumbed to a dissolute lifestyle just as superstardom was beckoning. Despite endorsements from the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, Lee s subsequent career was erratic and haunted by the shadow of Forever Changes, reaching a nadir with his imprisonment in 1996 for a firearms offence.

Redemption followed, culminating in an astonishing postmillennial comeback that found him playing Forever Changes to adoring, multi-generational fans around the world. This upswing was only interrupted by his untimely death from leukemia in 2006. Written with the full consent and cooperation of Arthur s widow, Diane Lee, Forever Changes is a meticulously researched biography that includes lengthy extracts from Arthur s vivid, comic, and poignant memoirs, published here for the first time.

Author John Einarson has also amassed dozens of new interviews with the surviving members of Love and with many others who fell into the incomparable Lee s flamboyant orbit. This updated edition adds a new foreword by Love s co-founder and lead guitarist, Johnny Echols.

An incredible, uplifting joint from New Zealand soul artist Arjuna Oakes. His second release on the Albert’s Favourites imprint overflows with the clear enjoyment of the band featuring legendary Nathan Haines. We’d say there’s a reasonable nod to D'Angelo’s essential Spanish Joint within these grooves.

The b-side delivers a vinyl exclusive – a downtempo, moody little number with an emotional drive that is deeply compelling – one to get lost inside.

TRACK LISTING

A1. The Love That I Feel
B1. Mallet Groove

Lowell George was the guitar virtuoso, vocalist, and songwriter for Little Feat. In this collection of 25 songs, artists such as Elvis Costello, Ben Harper and Dave Alvin interpret and perform his diverse catalogue.

George, born in Hollywood, California, was a member of Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention before leaving that band and forming Little Feat with Bill Payne. Lowell’s tenure in the band was for seven years until his death, and during that time they released eight albums.

While George died in 1979, his legacy lives on through this album. Sweet Relief, the organization who provide financial assistance to all types of career musicians and music industry workers who are struggling to make ends meet, have come up with a gem.

TRACK LISTING

Trouble - Mike Viola
Cold, Cold, Cold - Joachim Cooder
Long Distance Love - Elvis Costello
Heartache - Bedouine
I've Been The One - Bhi Bhiman
Rock 'n' Roll Doctor - Miles Tackett
Be One Now - Lady Blackbird
Love Needs A Heart - Madison Cunningham
Easy To Slip - Jonah Tolchin
Dixie Chicken - Eleni Mandell and Milo Jones
Roll 'Um Easy - Ben Harper
Lafayette Railroad - Larry Goldings
6 Feet Of Snow - Jack Shit
Cheek To Cheek - Gaby Moreno
Two Trains Running - Chris Seefried
China White - Chris Stills
A Apolitical Blues - Dave Alvin
Feats Don't Fail Me Now - Sugaray Rayford
Sailin' Shoes - Taylor Goldsmith
Spanish Moon - Inara George
Rocket In My Pocket - Sam Morrow
Willin' - Jonathan Wilson
Teenage Nervous Breakdown - The Bird And The Bee
Crazy Captain Gunboat Willie - Andras Jones
20 Million Things To Do - Gus Seyffert

Limited run 7" vinyl, featuring a previously unreleased version of “Angel[Take 7].” This newly mixed, stripped down version includes the original performances recorded by Hendrix, Mitchell and Cox on July 23, 1970. It does not include any of the drums and additional percussion elements Mitchell opted to add to this master take after Jimi had died. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Angel (Take 7)
2. Message To Love (New York Pop Festival, Downing Stadium, Randall's Island, NY - July 17, 1970)

Mr. K Edits' latest release caters to roller skaters and groove enthusiasts alike. It features two mid-tempo tracks uniquely edited by the studio scalpel master himself as they make their debut on 45rpm. First is Rodney Franklin's 'Felix Leo,' which was originally overshadowed by his hit 'The Groove.' It unfolds with hypnotic chords trimmed to their essence and unfolds at a gradual, majestic pace with captivating and lush strings making it all the immersive. Second up is Prince's early gem 'In Love' which showcases his instrumental prowess with drums, bass, guitar, and creamy synth lines. Mr. K extends the mix seamlessly, enhancing its danceable rhythm and timeless appeal with his usual class.

TRACK LISTING

Felix Leo
In Love

It’s been over seven years since The Rifles released their previous record, but now the east Londoners are set to return with their new album ‘Love Your Neighbour’ on April 26 which they today preview with the new single ‘The Kids Won’t Stop’. Their previous two albums - ‘Big Life’ and ‘None The Wiser’ - achieved the highest chart positions of their career to date, while their cult-like popularity has continued in the intervening years with countless sold-out London shows at venues including the Roundhouse, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, O2 Kentish Forum, KOKO, Electric Ballroom and Electric Brixton. The triumphant reaction and electrifying energy of those shows inspired The Rifles as they sent about writing ‘Love Your Neighbour’. It’s a record which bursts with the traits that have inspired such devotion amongst fans: songs as gritty as they are anthemic, and full of lyrics which capture broadly relatable experiences and provide evocative snapshots of modern British life. The overriding message of the album is a plea to embrace the power of your local community

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Though their sound is often cited as rock & roll, it reminds me pretty strongly of the early 00's ska-punk / skate punk scene, with bright melodies and crisply produced distorted guitars sitting beautifully behind the rousing vocals.

Repress of the critically acclaimed 3rd album from the South-East London based post-rock trio.

‘If I don't make it, I love u’ is Still House Plants’ third LP and the fullest embodiment of their sound to date. Where ‘Fast Edit’ formed with quick attachment and jump cuts, ‘If I don't make it’ is shaped by persistence - a commitment to the songs that makes the music solid, warmer and accepted. Marking the trio’s decade of friendship, this is the first record written whilst all live in the same city since 2017's ‘Assemblages’. The band rehearsed it relentlessly, playing for nobody except themselves, consistently building support for one another and growing the way they play. Jess’ voice is deeper. Fin’s guitar is full size, richer. David drums harder. Focused on one point together, everyone gets bigger and nothing falls apart. The guitar and the drums blend, raise the voice, make room for what is being said, what is felt. When able to finally record, production allowed layers, gave elasticity, a chance to fully stretch. Playing with length and connections, the band brought in analogue techniques - a Lesley cabinet on ‘Headlight’, sidechaining the snare with the guitar, pushing vocals through cheap DJ software - each process an attempt to bring one instrument closer to another, to give bass, body, backup. ‘If I don't make it, I love u’ seeks beauty, holds feeling maximum and builds surety with its sound. The most generous SHP record to date, the music is wide open, demands less. Play it again, it will come clear. 

TRACK LISTING

1. M M M
2. Pant
3. Sticky
4. MORE BOY
5. Probably
6. 3scr3w3
7. Silver Grit Passes Thru My Teeth
8. Headlight
9. No Sleep Deep Risk
10. Pushed
11. No More Faster

Emerging once again from the unending waves crashing upon our fragile time-craft (adrift on the eternal ocean, and taking on water), Dirty Three are (a) back, (b) tangled in seaweed, rank with saltwater and possessed of three rather ominous thousand-mile stares (at least!), and (c) not wasting another minute – as nothing is guaranteed.

For their first album in over a decade – yep, it’s been since 2012’s ‘Toward the Low Sun’ – they flew in, got together and started playing. End of story. What else is there to say or do but that? Music’s their language, their true love; they never stop listening to that. And like the label says, ‘Love Changes Everything’.

The Dirty Three – Warren Ellis, Mick Turner and Jim White – formed up in Melbourne in 1992, to play with guitar drums and violin or viola, and within a couple years, they’d broken out – out of Australia, out of anything else they might have been inside of, to boot – and got worldwide. Over the next ten years, they toured over and over the planet, ceaseless like, and cut seven albums out along the way. After this, their unique style of play, fitted together like puzzle pieces, was decoupled, more often than not, and pieced together in many other, fruitful collaborations with many other esteemed talents. Over the past 20 years, they’ve gotten together a few times, renewed the vow, revved the engines and played some shows, or made an album. Like now –

These are the sounds of Dirty Three getting up to speed again:
- the original fury of their drums/guitar/violin-or-viola power trio, cutting three unique paths through the wild into sudden convergence –
- piano-plucked melodies ringing sweetly out over an undulating landscape flowing with guitar, drums, violin or viola, and synths! And broken hills, forests, lakes and deserts. And mountains rising in the distance...
- mercurial shifts in mood; sudden descent from tumult of flights and heights into deep canyons of heart-struck adagio.

Equally sudden second-winds, feisty activity in their extremities never really ceasing. Opening depths. Wariness and patience allowing them to get caught up in loops, become ambient, transcend, and then fight their way back in again. Their wild and wandering heart not simply a spry derivative of collective sea legs; a telepathy already old as time evidenced way back in the beginning of their thirty-years-and-some run.
- such mood! Once desolate fields pouring full of emotion, wandered into, come upon as if by happenstance (but actually sourced by the divining rods in their hands).

- all of it – everything changed by love and bubbling up with the clarity of just-struck spring water; translucence giving way to muddy gushes of distortion – dirty guitar, smears of violin, drums at times pounded upon beyond the microphones’ ability to receive...

And when received, and committed to “tape”, or whatever they used – the master could well be carved in plates of amphibole – this music has been untethered from its streams of consciousness and reconsidered as a recording; brought to bear through edits, overdubs and mixes, re-sequenced and made suite-like. Made into this album. These lot were born to be as weathered as they are today. Time doesn’t matter. They make their gathered wisdom of the ages sing like something new every time. It renews. And Love Changes Everything. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: I've long been a fan of Dirty Three's unique brand of cataclysmic, free-wheeling post-rock / experimental chamber music, and their latest is a brilliant summary of their sound in one grand statement. Sweeping waves of guitar and soaring violin arpeggios break upon the shore into brittle streams of flickering pizzicato and droplets of tentative piano. Stunner.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
Love Changes Everything I
Love Changes Everything II
Love Changes Everything III
Side B
Love Changes Everything IV
Love Changes Everything V
Love Changes Everything VI

'Love Heart Cheat Code' is a snapshot of four musicians dancing together on the edge, 11 playful, exuberant tracks that shine light. Yet, for a band that made a name for itself with its complexity and received critical praise and multiple Grammy nominations for their embrace of maximalism, one of the most striking things about Love Heart Cheat Code is its simplicity.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Hiatus Kaiyote have always been a pretty upbeat bunch, with Choose Your Weapon and Mood Valiant proving a big hit in the shop, but 'Love Heart Cheat Code' is the perfect summery distillation of their hazy, psychedelic sound.

TRACK LISTING

1. Dreamboat
2. Telescope
3. Make Friends
4. BMO Is Beautiful (feat. BMO Of Adventure Time)
5. Everything's Beautiful
6. Dimitri
7. Longcat
8. How To Meet Yourself
9. Love Heart Cheat Code
10. Cinnamon Temple
11. White Rabbit

Charlotte-born and raised artist LUCI has always sought music as a refuge. The Don’t Sleep signee’s catalogue, buoyed by 2022’s debut EP, ‘Juvenilia’, showcases a blend of R&B, hiphop, trip-hop, and whatever else she has the whim to explore.

After graduating from Charlotte’s Northwest School of The Arts in 2014, she moved to nearby Asheville and immersed herself in the local music scene. She made her way to upstate New York in 2019, where she learned how to produce on Ableton music production software and filled multiple notebooks with songs. Some of those ended up on 2022’s ‘Juvenilia’, including her formal debut, the ‘Ash & Dust’ single, which music outlet Consequence called, “a wildly original statement that points towards the future of hip-hop."

The future is now for LUCI, who’s set to release her upcoming album. ‘They Say They Love You’ was recorded in Ambridge, Pennsylvania as well as LA, and explores themes of love, loneliness, perseverance amid uncertainty, self-care, and coming of age.

The album includes production from William J Sullivan (Kid Cudi, Ye, 070shake, Paris Texas), Louallday (Doja Cat, Tylor, the Creator, Outkast, Khelani, Dckwrth), Elias Abid and Edmund Irwinsinger (Glass Animals), and others. She says she wants ‘They Say They Love You’, like all of her music, to “touch all the senses. My inspiration comes from the fact that great art exists in the world. And if I can touch people, move people, and it makes people want to do things for the better. I want to be the example of doing what you love, and being relentless about it.”

TRACK LISTING

Martyr
11:11
Lips
Rockwichu
Thunder Calling
Inside
Spins
Call Jane
Stay Steady
Morning Wine

It got away! The hounds are back on the leash for another session, as Montel makes a bid for better days with this all-out charm offensive of serenades, blissed up patter and emotional blackmail, Palmer-style.

The result is 12 tracks steeped in mind games, romance power plays and neurotoxin rollercoasters, with additional bonus strategies to dissociate with minimum dignity.
Big up Kiwi’s Kiosk..

Seriously wacked-out musica! RIYL: Dean Blunt / Hype Williams, James Ferraro, Sun Araw, Michael J Blood, Durutii Column. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: A truly singular piece of outsider electronica and druggy downbeat that should appeal to fans of Relaxin Records (Lolina, Inga Copeland etc) and the aforementioned Dean Blunt / Michael J Blood axis. Truly breathtaking mutant musicia!

TRACK LISTING

Love Getaway
Just What You Do
Get Into It
Monopoly
Talk To Me
Cant Walk Straight
Time To Get Up
Told You Not To
Mermaid Wolf Whistle
Western Break Apple Turnover
Questions Looking For Solutions
Tears Of Pure Joy

Isobel Campbell is no stranger to navigating turmoil. On her previous album, There Is No Other (2020), she re-emerged after a decade of label trouble with a gem of subtly questing psychedelic folk. Four years on, Campbell spreads her net wider on Bow to Love, a soft-spun yet sharp-edged set of reflections on modern crises that doesn’t stop at diagnosing the problems: it goes further to ask how we might progress from our tense, conflicted times.

With all the dexterity the Glasgow-born singer-songwriter and cellist is known for, the result is an album of lambent surfaces and choppy riptides, a deeply personal record for today poised between hope and despair. “The album is about what we’re all in right now, and my response to that and my life as a microcosm within that,” says Campbell, before suggesting how exposing modern horrors might prove purgative. “I think there’s a quote from A Course In Miracles which says, ‘Love brings up everything unlike itself for the purpose of healing and release.’ Maybe these horrible things are coming up and out so we can get rid of them and things can be better.”

Her radar keenly attuned to inequities, Campbell spotlights toxic masculinity on the luminous ‘Everything Falls Apart,’ it’s circling lilt and warm, fretless bass framing a call to unmask patriarchal power in readiness for “a brand new start”. “My elegy to the patriarchy” is how Campbell pitches it, noting how “even the words we use to insult a substandard man will often blame the woman – ‘son of a bitch’, ‘bastard’.” The spellbinding psych-folk of ‘Spider to the Fly’ and ‘Second Guessing’ add themes of “narcissistic abuse” and “repetition compulsion”, lending bite to the album’s take on relationships.

Some songs were first conceptualised in 2016, when Brexit and Trump exacerbated what Campbell describes as “real tension” amongst people. Between its gently jazzy shuffle and cushioning arrangement, the Yoda-esque ‘Do Or Die’ foregrounds fortitude in the face of gnawing anxieties. The rainy-day soul-pop of ‘Keep Calm Carry On’ also started in 2016, when Campbell was staying at her aunt’s flat in Yoker and her then-husband and collaborator Chris Szczech texted her from New York about the Brexit vote. “Chris was saying, ‘It looks like it’s going to happen’ but I was like, ‘No way.’ And actually – ‘way’. It did happen.”

Technology is touched on with first single ‘4316’, an almost robo-folk-pop challenge to the idea of the “transhuman”: the idea that technology might sire a new stage in human evolution. Favouring “honest, decent communication” over AI, Campbell takes a dim view of our “friend, unfriend, block, unblock” culture. “I know what I love and it ain’t that,” she says. “I was talking to an Uber driver the other day and I said, ‘I don’t want to be living in a video game.’ And he said, ‘Well, we are.’ I feel like I’m offering a human element in these transhuman days of artificial intelligence.”

The looping sing-song swing of the title track applies that open, complex thinking to myths about love: “It’s not enough to bow to love” is the full lyric, offering a grown-up take on the matter. “I grew up loving The Beatles and ‘All You Need Is Love’,” Isobel says, “but sometimes love’s not enough. Sometimes love can get a bit wonky. Love brings up everything - good, bad, ugly - and it can push your buttons.”

To close the album, a warm cover of Dire Straits’s ‘Why Worry’ disregards any hipster disdain for Mark Knopfler’s band to find a core of consolation at the song’s heart. “I never really bought into all that hipster stuff,” says Campbell. “If something speaks to me, it speaks to me. My dad had all those records and I would always sing it to myself.”

In making the album, Campbell chose an environment that spoke to her. She recorded and co-produced the record with Szczech in his studio in Los Angeles, sticking with what works through the upheaval in their personal lives. “Chris Szczech and I made this record no longer as a couple. There’s been shit tons going on but then as I tell myself, things come up to be addressed and dealt with.”

The result is an inquisitive, complex and fully matured album from an artist who has travelled long and far. Campbell was first noticed as a teenage founder member of Belle & Sebastian, before she released two dream-folk solo albums under the name The Gentle Waves and left B&S in 2002. Two records under her own name followed, leading to a union with late rock-carved growler Mark Lanegan for three albums of gravel’n’honey Americana duets, where Lanegan would stand aside while Campbell called the creative shots.

A move to LA and a near-decade of label troubles followed; the latter ended with There Is No Other in 2020 before – as Campbell puts it – “the world went down the crapper” for the pandemic. And on Bow to Love, suggests Campbell, the world’s ongoing troubles are clear. “Anyone with two eyes, a brain and a heart can see that people are struggling, and I suppose I have a lot of thoughts about that. And it’s this album.”

An album that also, says Campbell, has thoughts about how the future remains unwritten. “I feel like we’re living in some kind of dystopia, but I think it’s up to us what we buy into and what we react to. We do have a choice, even if sometimes we think we don’t. You can still see acts of great kindness. In all the bleakness, that’s what I hang on to. We are co-creators. Where we go next is up to us.” Mounted with clear-sighted artistry and care, Bow to Love is a light in the dark of uncertain times.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A beautiful mix of airy melodies and indie-adjacent electronica from former Belle & Sebastian member, Isobel Campbell. It's a perfect balance between driven hypnotic melodies like on opener 'Everything Falls Apart' and more punchy, acoustic folk numbers.

TRACK LISTING

1. Everything Falls Apart
2. Do Or Die
3. Spider To The Fly
4. Second Guessing
5. Bow To Love
6. 4316
7. Dopamine
8. Keep Calm Carry On
9. Saturday’s Son
10. Take This Poison
11. Om Shanti Om
12. You
13. Why Worry

"At the frayed bottom-edge of Indiana – just a moderate bike ride north of Louisville, Kentucky – multi-instrumentalist, artist and songwriter Ryan Davis’’ Americana-noir soundwaves have been emanating for years in a myriad of forms. As driving force for the lauded State Champion, long-running member of Tropical Trash, administrator of the esoteric and excellent Cropped Out festival, and lone proprietor of the Sophomore Lounge label, Davis lays down his first proper ‘solo’ release with Dancing On The Edge, a rich, 2LP tapestry of tunes that absolutely glows over seven expansive cuts. It’s a pure collage of modernity and heritage.

After a period of introspection spent re-immersing himself in his drawing & painting practice, as well as his newfound delvings into instrumental music, Davis’ sea change was imminent. “I wasn't sure I would ever make another record of ‘song’ songs,” he says, “but last year I started writing again and it eventually took the shape of the record at hand. I worked painstakingly hard on the material. It felt virtually impossible to complete for a bulk of the time I spent trying to enter into it, but the process pulled me out of a strange place. I was eventually able to live inside of the songs enough to understand the world within them – to ultimately help shape them into what I understood them to be.” Indeed, there’s a load of inspiration captured in the grooves with Ryan’s unfiltered, folk-traditioned approach to poetic twists-of-tongue meeting head on with sublime instrumentation.

TRACK LISTING

1. Free From The Guillotine (08:22)
2. Learn 2 Re-Luv (06:03)
3. Flashes Of Orange (09:56)
4. Bluebirds In A Fight (07:07)
5. Junk Drawer Heart (06:25)
6. A Suitable Exit (09:20)
7. Bluebirds Revisited (03:57)

DJ Subaru has already made their name exciting dancers with offbeat anthems and obscurities as part of their luminous Pleasuremaxxx parties, alongside similarly inclined soirees in Leeds, London, Berlin and beyond. Making their accomplished production debut on CWPT with 'Lots of Love', DJ Subaru instinctively mines the expressive, outsider strains of disco, Italo and pop pleasures in their record bag, revealing an EP that throbs with the pleasures, pain and potential of a life in strobes and smoke.

Vocalist and muse Tiss Vampiric emerges from London’s shadowy underground to lend their voice to the brooding, disco-Gothic track, ‘My Love’. Stalking a moody paradise amongst DJ Subaru’s EBM-oriented synthesizers, their baroque lyrics conjure an atmosphere that bridges the energies of subversive pioneers such as Soft Cell and Ministry, a sensual maze where denial only leads to more devotion, as well as more dancing.

Keeping the lights dim but brightening the corners, the prolific cosmic disco pioneer Prins Thomas reinvigorates his legendary ‘Discomiks’ approach for a euphoric remix of ‘My Love’. Incorporating DJ Subaru and Tiss Vampiric into a dancefloor canon that also includes Lana Del Rey, Pet Shop Boys and the Chemical Brothers, this classic arrangement has been road-tested to build euphoria, joyfully reflecting menace from mirrorballs.

The latter portion within 'Lots of Love' leaves us entirely in DJ Subaru’s musical visions. The only voice on ‘I <3 You’ is soft and robotic, intoning the track’s simple title over a lush, caramelized groove that’s pure circuits and sentiment. In contrast, the moody pads of ‘Just Visiting’ build to a crescendo of breaks and basslines that capture more urgent early hours energy, while ‘She’ provides a beautifully naive melody and a slightly balearic touch for a wide-eyed kiss goodbye.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Lazer guided electro-disco here from this Leeds talent. Prins Thomas blesses it with a legendary post-punk-esque reworking, making it snarl and spit with attitude. "She" also worth checking for its spiralling space arp mantra.

TRACK LISTING

A1. My Love Ft. Tiss Vampiric
A2. My Love (Prins Thomas Discomikks)
B1. She
B2. Just Visiting
B3. I <3 You 

Next up in Mr Bongo's Groove Merchant Records reissue series, sees an outing for a much-loved and heavily sampled funk/soul/blues album by Junior Parker

Originally issued under the title The Outside Man on Capitol Records in 1970 with an alternative cover, this reissue replicates the Groove Merchant release titled Love Ain't Nothin' But A Business Goin' On featuring the car cover released in 1971. The Mississippi- born, Memphis- based blues singer, harmonica player and songwriter Junior Parker (aka Little Junior Parker) had a stellar career in music. Since the early 1950s he released records on labels such as Duke, Mercury, United Artists Records and more. Sadly though, Parker died at the young age of 39 during surgery on November 18, 1971. Originally released under the alternate title a year before his untimely death, Love Ain't Nothin' But a Business Goin' On is drenched in Parker's trademark buttery vocals and soulful grooves, swaggering between smokey blues, raw funk outings and orchestrated soul ballads (with sublime arrangements by Horace Ott).

The album also features three Beatles cover versions in the form of 'Taxman', 'Lady Madonna' and 'Tomorrow Never Knows'. For 'Taxman', Parker completely reinterprets the song taking into a New Orleans funk realm, a sample of which was used as the main hook line on Cypress Hill's classic 'I Wanna Get High'. Elsewhere, 'Tomorrow Never Knows' is flipped into a tripped- out, psychedelic soul-swamp blues ballad, whilst 'Lady Madonna' is given a funky blues makeover.

As shown with Cypress Hill's use of 'Taxman', since the '70s Parker's legacy has been immortalised for future generations through the deep well of samples that his music has become a source of. Tracks from Love Ain't Nothin' But a Business Goin' On have been sampled by some of the biggest names out there, such as A Tribe Called Quest, DJ Shadow and De La Soul.

A seriously smooth album oozing with soul and emotion from a Blues Hall of Fame inductee, Junior Parker's Love Ain't Nothin' But A Business Goin' On is a superb example of the early '70s crossover funk/soul sound.

TRACK LISTING

Love Ain't Nothing But A Business Goin' On
The Outside Man
Darling Depend On Me
Taxman
Rivers Invitation
I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone
Just To Hold My Hand
You Know I Love You
Lady Madonna
Tomorrow Never Knows

Vocal house duo Bäs Noir’s ‘My Love Is Magic’ receives edits from British DJs Bushwacka! and Mark Broom on Nu Groove. Hailing from Philly, the female duo of Morie Bivens and the late Mary Ridley first released ‘My Love Is Magic’ as Bäs Noir in 1988, with the Rhano Burrell production going on to chart in the UK. Today, the record remains a favourite of tastemakers everywhere, with Big Love label boss Seamus Haji dropping the OG at Defected Croatia in 2023. The hugely influential British DJ and producer Bushwacka! now returns to the legendary NYC label Nu Groove, following his four-track EP ‘House Sounds Vol. 1’, to bring out the percussive power of ‘My Love Is Magic’ with its distinct piano bassline and modern synth work. Also a Nu Groove returnee, the seasoned DJ Mark Broom delivers a techno A-12 Edit and house Dub Re-Touch of the Bäs Noir vocal house staple.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: With the Mark Broom remix lighting the touch paper on this late 80s house rocket and Buckwacka! giving it a suitably twangy, Nu Groove vibe, this is a tasty collection of mixes of this truly classic house anthem.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Bushwacka! Edit
A2. Club Mix
B1. Mark Broom’s Dub Retouch
B2. Mark Broom’s A12 Mix

The so-far anonymous Funtown outfit proceed with another top drawer double header on their own personal Hot Biscuit off-shoot.

"Love Content" has all the hallmarks of a classic Black Cock - big bolshy strings, syrupy vox, high powered octave bass and brass stabs that'll give you tingles. Where Funtown are sourcing these jams from is anyone's guess, but I'm sure the more clued up disco aficionado might, just might, clock this floorfiller.

"Everybody" is another high speed disco rocket - with instrumentation and energy that suggests a late 70s time stamp. Those hooky Strat licks, triple headed brass stabs and meandering saxophone hooks building up a fiery, coursing energy that the vocalist simply has to ride until the end of the track. Urging everybody on the floor to 'have a good time'; it's gonna be hard not to when the uplifting and unrelenting power of this peaktime disco roller hit home.

Too many unmissable jams coming from the Hot Biscuit camp at the moment! Keep 'em coming...! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Funtown return with another essential splice for the sizzling Hot Biscuit. Heavy stomping disco here for the Harvey heads and Theo fans. We're in the middle of a disco edits feeding frenzy at the moment!

TRACK LISTING

A. Love Content
B. Everybody

If ever an album could transport you to the hazy sunshine and imagined halcyon paradise of Southern California in the mid-1980s, could capture the early evening warmth of hanging at an inclusive boogie jam as it approaches “magic hour” in Santa Ana or Anaheim, then it’s Vaughan Mason and Butch Dayo’s Feel My Love. A brilliantly produced deep slung, low rider funk classic originally released on Salsoul in 1983. It’s a masterpiece of “funk love music”.

Yes, this is indeed a perfectly formed five track “mini LP” of unparalleled heat, but there’s one song here that, above the rest, represents Orange County boogie-funk. A straight killer beloved by all that have had the pleasure of moving to it. A track that can fill up a dance floor within seconds of its starting. That song is the eternal title track, “Feel My Love”.

This is a work of art that made people fall in love with the funk. It transcends the limitations of genre. “Feel My Love”’s deceptive simplicity makes it perfect to drop during a house set, a classic funk party or at a west coast rap jam. It’s sexy, deeply emotional, melancholic, hopeful, passionate and just radiates so, so much raw energy. This is music.

The rest of the record is hardly filler though. Opener “Oh, Love” is a dizzying, emotional slow jam. With heaven-sent vocals riding gorgeous, sweeping keys that alternate between sweet twinkling lines and funk-fuelled stabbing. It’s sensational. A rollerskating jam named “Rollalong Songs” is an ultra-swish piece of dance floor dynamite. Its slick drums, staccato piano and neck snapping claps underscore Dayo’s buoyant vocals. It’s essentially “Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll Part II”.

The flip begins with “Party On The Corner”. Smoother than silk vocals, day-glo synths, a bubbling bassline and guitar licks that surely received the Prince seal of approval. It’s another example of how Vaughan Mason and Butch Dayo flirt with perfection so routinely. The most majestic closer, the kaleidoscopic, cow-bell-assisted synth-funk heater “You Can Do It” is a proto-rap groover that truly smokes.

This prized LP is a stone cold jam and finding original copies on vinyl at affordable prices has been tough for years. Mastered brilliantly by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and with lovingly reproduced artwork, this fresh Be With reissue ensures this legendary LP now sounds, looks and feels as sensational as it should.

TRACK LISTING

A1: Oh, Love
A2: Rollalong Songs
A3: Feel My Love
B1: Party On The Corner
B2: You Can Do It

The new album by Richard Hawley, 'In This City They Call You Love' sees Richard ditch the distortion pedals and go back into making voice most prominent.

Following the universal acclaim for 'Standing At The Sky's Edge', the award-winning musical based on his songs, in May Richard Hawley returns with 'In This City They Call You Love', his ninth studio album and his first since 2019's 'Further'.

'In This City They Call You Love' features 12 outstanding songs, many of which can be described as 'vintage Hawley' and are amongst some of the finest ballads he's ever written. Gorgeous melodies and arrangements are accompanied by his emotive and sonorous voice, which sounds better than ever, and will make this a crowning moment in a hugely successful recording career of almost 25 years.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A perfect distillation of Hawley's classic sound, whimsical balladry and beautiful instrumentation around a core of thoughtful lyrics and rich, swooning orchestral majesty. Nobody sounds quite like Hawley, and this couldn't be a more perfect representation of his appeal.

TRACK LISTING

1. Two For His Heels
2. Have Love
3. Prism In Jeans
4. Heavy Rain
5. People
6. Hear That Lonesome Whistle Blow
7. Deep Space
8. Deep Waters
9. I’ll Never Get Over You
10. Do I Really Need To Know?
11. When The Lights Go Out
12. ‘Tis Night

Multi-genre album with crossover potential, blending jazz, soul, funk, and electronics. Cult artist active since the early 1990s who has released records on labels like Warp and Kindred Spirits. Fresh collaboration between singular vocalist/musician and the Cold Diamond & Mink band. LP Housed in vintage style Tip-On Sleeve. There are certain occasions when you can truly feel the stars align. One of these is when the interstellar voyager of cosmic soul Jimi Tenor finally lands his spaceship at full force on a Timmion recording. In 2024, he will be serving us two spaced out album sessions recorded together with Cold Diamond & Mink. Jimi is no stranger in these space ways as he has operated behind the Timmion scenes for years, furnishing several of the label’s artists with his flute and reeds artistry. The first album out is titled “Is There Love In Outer Space?”, which begs the question with the force of five extended tracks that are guaranteed to blow your mind to the stratosphere. The pieces are loaded with whooshing and glistening synth noises and span from lofi space funk to cinematic soundscapes. The sweetly floating title track is like some of those galactic ballads that rare soul collectors are spending their pensions on. At the other side of the spectrum, album closer ‘What Are You Doing?’ sounds like Sun Ra sat down at a JBs session, and is straight up meant to get that booty moving. Combined with the raw soul prowess of CD&M, Jimi is able to refine new shades from his already impressive repertoire of talent. Even if you are a friend of his previous work you might not have heard him get down quite like this. 

TRACK LISTING

Side A:
1. Is There Love In Outer Space?
2. Gaia Sunset Pt.1
3. Gaia Sunset Pt.2
Side B:
1. Orbiting Telesto
2. Laputa
3. What Are You Doing?

Age Of Love wrote and released their most iconic track in 1990. It went on to become a stone-cold dance classic that inspired a whole trance movement that has endured throughout the years.

Diki present the three most famous remixes on one record: the legendary 1992 Jam & Spoon 'Watch Out For Stella' Mix, Charlotte de Witte & Enrico Sangiuliano's 2021 remix & Solomun's 2017 remix.

TRACK LISTING

A.The Age Of Love (Charlotte De Witte & Enrico Sangiuliano Remix)
B1. The Age Of Love (Jam & Spoon Watch Out For Stella Mix - 2021 Remaster)
B2. The Age Of Love (Solomun's Renaissance Remix)

Another sublabel of Hot Biscuit, Funtown drops its sixth volume. Soley featuring the cuts of the so far anonymous outfit, we get another duo of disco cuts, tastefully chops for our dancefloor delectation.

"Pleasure" is the kinda of driving, late 70s-styled number we've come to expect jocks like Theo Parrish and Jeremy Underground tease our dopamine glands with. Gilded bass, driving drums, sparkling Strat licks, and that all important, soul-elevating vocal section.

"For Love" swaps the gender of the vocalist, but otherwise is another exercise of peak time disco enjoyment. More synth heavy than its predecessor, it's still propelled by a hefty slap bass line, and delicately picked guitar riffs; with the vocalist clearly enjoying the tight instrumental backing supplied to him.

Criminally I've no idea who did either of the tracks on display - so hats off to Funtown for keeping us on our toes and keeping the source material fresh. Recommended! 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Hot Biscuit continue their upward trajectory with sub-project Funtown who mine more secret seams of disco gold with a 24 carrot double header.

TRACK LISTING

A. Pleasure
B. For Love

A rare but unknown modern soul dancer from band Premonition or Premonitions depending on what release they put out. The A side is well written proto disco dancer, it's no wonder collectors have been calling begging for the TPs on this , as nobody can find an original (my copy is beat to death).

I actually really dig the sweet soul flip, its almost to cheesy but walks the edge well, and has some great rising moments if that's your bag (which is should be).

TRACK LISTING

1. Here In The Name Of Love
2. Righteous Love

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

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

TRACK LISTING

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

Released by Epic Records on April 6, 2004, Good News For People Who Love Bad News offered a unique blend of existential lyricism and innovative soundscapes which helped Modest Mouse break out of the rock underground after more than a decade of existence. The album, which has been certified double platinum for U.S. shipments of 2 million copies, is hailed as an alternative classic on the strength of songs such as the Modern Rock chart-topping, 5-times platinum single “Float On,” the gold-certified “The World At Large” and “Ocean Breathes Salty.”

Remastered for vinyl in opaque baby pink and opaque spring green, the package includes an alternate album cover, 8-page booklet and five ew remixes. 

Limited to only 200 copies this firey reissue of 2PAC & Ice Cube is the hot stuff we've been waiting for to get this Summer on the road. Don't wait around on this one, it's sure to fly out of here. 

TRACK LISTING

A1. 2Pac - California Love (feat Dr Dre)
B1. Ice Cube - Jackin For Beats

Having already forged a scene-shifting career as a DJ, producer, remixer and collaborator, it was only in 2013 that Erol Alkan released a debut EP, 'Illumination' on his label Phantasy. Its shimmering opener was 'A Hold On Love', the soaring, glossy chords that have remained a staple in Alkan's DJ sets in the decade since.

Upon its tenth anniversary, Alkan presents two subtle but hugely effective reworks that transport one of the London producer's most enduring tracks onto contrasting dance floors.

The '(dyna-mix)' finds canyons of heady dub and psychedelia among halcyon chords, first means tested on wide-eyed crowds at Houghton Festival and throughout Alkan's ongoing 'To The Rhythm' all-nighters. Meanwhile, the '(trip-mix)' subtly lifts the energy for a pacier take, rich in reverie yet without sacrificing the detail and musicality always at the centre of Alkan's still fertile blend of house, electro, techno and alternative sensibilities.

The two tracks are available pressed onto extremely limited edition vinyl featuring manually screen printed sleeves, hand numbered by Erol himself. 300 copies only.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Reminiscent of some lost Kevin Saunderson nugget, but with added stadium-busting energy; two fresh takes on a certified Erol Alkan banger that'll obliterate any large arena.

TRACK LISTING

A. A Hold On Love (dyna-mix) 
AA. A Hold On Love (trip-mix) 

In a celebration of soul music's enduring legacy, Celestial Echo is excited to unveil the reissue of Winfield Parker's revered classic, 'I Wanna Be With You.' Originally released in Baltimore in 1979, this soulful gem has maintained its status as a sought-after treasure by soul DJs for decades. With original copies commanding prices well beyond £200, the decision to reissue this timeless piece of soul music history on vinyl is a testament to its everlasting dancefloor impact. Celestial Echo is proud to present the reissue on a limited edition 7-inch vinyl record, meticulously remastered and pressed on heavyweight vinyl for an authentic analog experience. It also features a picture sleeve and redesigned labels. The following releases on this brand new re-issue label will include tracks from Brutal Force and Curtis. Diggers, and rare soul lovers need only apply.

TRACK LISTING

A1. I Wanna Be With You
B1. My Love For You

One day early in the global lockdown, Frédéric Blais scribbled four words on a Post-It note and pinned it up in his studio. When he headed to a studio in the mountains north of Montreal to start work on his fifth album as Fred Everything, those words went with him. They would not only provide inspiration during two weeks of isolated music-making, but ultimately provide the subsequent album with its title: Love, Care, Kindness and Hope.

Those sentiments – a positive mantra during a period of personal and collective vulnerability and isolation – resonate throughout the album, a gorgeously warm and beautiful affair that counts as Blais’s most personal, musically expansive, mature and sonically detailed set to date.

While each of the tracks began as a rough sketch laid down during Blais’ retreat, they evolved considerably over the months that followed. Blais reached out to a handful of carefully selected guest vocalists and collaborators, including Stereo MC’s, Robert Owens, Sapele, James Alexander Bright, Wayne Tennant, string arranger Pete Whitfield and multi-instrumentalist Finn Peters. He also lent his voice to several tracks, a first in a career that stretches back to the 1990s.

The results are magical, with Blais not only offering subtle variations on his own trademark deep house sound, but also nods to complimentary music styles and classic electronic albums from the late ‘90s and early 2000s.

Naturally, much focus will fall on the album’s high-profile guests, whose contributions work perfectly with Blais’ cultured dancefloor electronica and soul-soaked broken house grooves. Robert Owens – “the voice of house” himself – expertly delivers lyrics full of compassion and reassurance on recent single ‘Never’, Sapele infuses ‘A Long Time Coming’ with lashings of soulful spirituality, and UK hip-hop/soul legends Stereo MC’s make their presence felt on the subtly Latin-infused dub house excellence of ‘Soul Love’.

Then there’s ‘Breathe’, where UK singer-songwriter James Alexander Bright and backing vocalist Wayne Tennant rise above punchy broken house beats, Blais’ trademark square-wave bass and Pete Whitfield’s swelling strings on ‘Breathe’. By the time kaleidoscopic, sun-down breakbeat brilliance of ‘A Good Day’ arrives to draw proceedings to a close, you’ll be overflowing with Blais’ “love, care, kindness and hope” – just as he intended.

TRACK LISTING

A1. A Long Time Coming (feat. Sapele)
A2. Evening Ghost
A3. Never (feat. Robert Owens)
A4. Something For You
B1. Soul Love (feat. Stereo MCs)
B2. Breathe (feat. James Alexander Bright)
B3. Asolee
B4. A Good Day

Limited edition silver vinyl anniversary reissue of the Magnetic Fields’ classic 1999 rumination on, of course, love. Funny, smart, dark, memorable, and a lifetime’s worth of listening. Stephin Merritt solidifies his songwriting genius on his “most ambitious and fully realized work.” (AMG)

This vinyl reissue is remastered for vinyl and beautifully packaged in a 10” slipcase box with three double gatefold sleeves and a 24 page booklet!

TRACK LISTING

1 Absolutely Cuckoo (1:34)
2 I Don't Believe In The Sun (4:16)
3 All My Little Words (2:46)
4 A Chicken With Its Head Cut Off (2:41)
5 Reno Dakota (1:05)
6 I Don't Want To Get Over You (2:22)
7 Come Back From San Francisco (2:48)
8 The Luckiest Guy On The Lower East Side (3:43)
9 Let's Pretend We're Bunny Rabbits (2:25)
10 The Cactus Where Your Heart Should Be (1:11)
11 I Think I Need A New Heart (2:32)
12 The Book Of Love (2:42)
13 Fido, Your Leash Is Too Long (2:33)
14 How Fucking Romantic (0:58)
15 The One You Really Love (2:53)
16 Punk Love (0:58)
17 Parades Go By (2:56)
18 Boa Constrictor (0:58)
19 A Pretty Girl Is Like (1:50)
20 My Sentimental Melody (3:07)
21 Nothing Matters When We're Dancing (2:27)
22 Sweet-Lovin' Man (4:59)
23 The Things We Did And Didn't Do (2:11)
24 Roses (0:27)
25 Love Is Like Jazz (2:56)
26 When My Boy Walks Down The Street (2:38)
27 Time Enough For Rocking When We're Old (2:03)
28 Very Funny (1:26)
29 Grand Canyon (2:28)
30 No One Will Ever Love You (3:14)
31 If You Don't Cry (3:07)
32 You're My Only Home (2:17)
33 (Crazy For You But) Not That Crazy (2:18)
34 My Only Friend (2:01)
35 Promises Of Eternity (3:46)
36 World Love (3:07)
37 Washington, D.C. (1:53)
38 Long-Forgotten Fairytale (3:37)
39 Kiss Me Like You Mean It (2:01)
40 Papa Was A Rodeo (5:01)
41 Epitaph For My Heart (2:50)
42 Asleep And Dreaming (1:53)
43 The Sun Goes Down And The World Goes Dancing (2:46)
44 The Way You Say Good-Night (2:44)
45 Abigail, Belle Of Kilronan (2:00)
46 I Shatter (3:09)
47 Underwear (2:49)
48 It's A Crime (3:54)
49 Busby Berkeley Dreams (3:36)
50 I'm Sorry I Love You (3:06)
51 Acoustic Guitar (2:37)
52 The Death Of Ferdinand De Saussure (3:10)
53 Love In The Shadows (2:54)
54 Bitter Tears (2:51)
55 Wi' Nae Wee Bairn Ye'll Me Beget (1:55)
56 Yeah! Oh, Yeah! (2:19)
57 Experimental Music Love (0:29)
58 Meaningless (2:08)
59 Love Is Like A Bottle Of Gin (1:46)
60 Queen Of The Savages (2:12)
61 Blue You (3:03)
62 I Can't Touch You Anymore (3:05)
63 Two Kinds Of People (1:10)
64 How To Say Goodbye (2:48)
65 The Night You Can't Remember (2:17)
66 For We Are The King Of The Boudoir (1:14)
67 Strange Eyes (2:01)
68 Xylophone Track (2:47)
69 Zebra (2:15)

In the secret history of indie-punk, Love Child were the missing link between Sonic’s Rendezvous Band and Bikini Kill. “[O]ne of Gotham’s most mercurial bands, able to leap from twee pop tunes to galvanizing skronkadelic constructs in a single bound.” - Trouser Press.

This, Love Child’s debut release, features shredding guitar (by future Drag City recording artist / author Alan Licht), cheeky lyrics, teen angst, proto-riot grrl, Ubu references, and songs that get way inside your skin and don’t let go. Plus: an incredible full-colour picture sleeve by Rudolph Grey.

TRACK LISTING

An obscure late 80s double sided killer brought to light! Originally released as a 12 inch, this was dug out of a white label box by Planets head honcho on a North London digging mission. 1989 fusion of Lovers, Street Soul & Soundsystem music from T-Dynamix & Lisa Ellis. Originally based up North near Manchester!

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: As the months turn brighter and the clouds clear we look towards carnival season and this record in particular could cause more than a casual rukus at your local Mancunian sounds soundsystem. A huge single that traverses that golden boundry between reggae, street soul and lovers rock. Essential!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Alone
B1. Your Love

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 22ND.

The first track from Celeste's highly anticipated sophomore album. Includes a stunning rendition of Love Will Tear Us Apart.

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 22ND.

Reissued for RSD 2024 exclusively - 3 track 12" single- Something About Us - Love Theme from Interstella 5555

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 22ND.

With her debut solo album ëThe Love Inventioní, pop auteur Alison Goldfrapp delivered an intoxicating cocktail of synth-pop innovation with the disco and house touches that are an integral part of her extensive musical DNA-all capped with her enigmatic and ever alluring voice. Now Alison takes those songs deeper into the dancefloor as she releases ëThe Love Reinventioní on vinyl for the first time with a very limited run. It sees two of the original albumís key contributors, Richard X and GhostCulture (aka James Greenwood), reimagining its acclaimed songs through a sonic prism of techno, electronica and deep house.

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 22ND.

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 22ND.

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 22ND.

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 22ND.

10th anFollowing on from Record Store Day 2022ís ecstatically received 10th anniversary deluxe of her debut album ëDevotioní, 2014ís ëTough Loveí by Jessie Ware ñ one of the hottest stars on the planet right now ñ gets the same treatment for 2024 with this lovingly curated 2LP set of the original album plus bonus tracksÖ all pressed on solid white 140-gram vinyl. After her Mercury Prize and Brit Best Newcomer nominations in the wake of ëDevotioní, Jessie Ware explored new sonic soundscapes and music collaborators for its follow up. Still with its roots in the London urban tradition that characterized her previous work, ëTough Loveí expanded Jessieís palette with collaborators and songwriting partners that included Miguel, Benny Blanco and Sam Dew. Meanwhile, Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith and The XXís Romy all made appearances on the album. From the resulting rich mix came four classic singles ñ ëTough Loveí, ëSay You Love Meí, ëYou & I (Forever)í and ëChampagne Kissesí. For this limited-edition 2LP 2024 release the original UK CD deluxe version of ëTough Loveí feayures a whole side of bonus mixes from Cyril Hahn, Shift K3Y, Alex Adair, and TCTS and also the stunning ëMeet Me In The Middleí, taken from the soundtrack to í50 Shades Of Greyí..

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 22ND.

Beautiful x3 LP Vinyl boxset of original album + rare bonus material. Very limited!

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY APRIL 20TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8PM ON MONDAY APRIL 22ND.

An exclusive marbled vinyl product: With these songs and our upcoming album BIRTHDAY we truly let ourselves free, leaving all the boundaries and expectations behind to write music that we love. The singer Elin was pregnant during the recordings of these two rock bangers, and what isnít more rockíníroll than that? To create human life and music.

Experience the rebirth Of Jim Spencer’s musical vision through Piya Malik’s captivating rendition in say she she’s limited 45 rpm edition of ‘Wrap Myself Up’. Malik’s artistry infuses fierce elegance into the original tune, honoring spencer’s legacy, with spencer himself featured on the B-side.

TRACK LISTING

1. Say She She - Wrap Myself Up In Your Love
2. Jim Spencer - Wrap Myself Up In Your Love

Across the ten tracks on Jess Ribeiro’s incoming new album ‘Summer of Love’, she traverses isolation, loss, tiny snatches of love, expectation versus reality, once-in-a-century pandemics and healing. It was written and recorded during a particularly unstable time, with Ribeiro living in nine different houses across a two year period, including six months in a church outside of the city, “That instability affected my mental health, ”she says. It also created the spark for her fourth album, on which she transfixes audiences as she digs deep into the present, past, and wanted future.

The first demos for Summer of Love were put down at a solar-powered shack by Jess with her friend and musical collaborator Dave Mudie (Courtney Barnett, Super American Eagle), an experience that wasn’t without excitement: “We used all the solar power trying to record. It ended with us around a fire for the rest of the night, terrified that the boars were going to get us.”

From there, she recorded the album with Nick Huggins on Wautharong Country in Point Lonsdale, with special guests Jim White (Dirty Three, Xylouris White,) on drums, Darcy McNulty on saxophone, folk-diviner Leah Senior on keys, James Seymour on bass, Davie Mudie taking percussion duties, Carrie Webster’s violin and viola, and Huggins himself chipping in on bass, tape and drum loops, synth, guitars and piano. The way in which the album came together with her collaborators - separately, but towards the same north star - is where the beauty in the work is experienced. “It was improvised and experimental, musicians could only visit on eat a time due to the restrictions, half of the musicians never even came to the studio”.

TRACK LISTING

1. Maybe If I Wore Sunglasses Inside I Won’t Feel Tired
2. Everything Is Now
3. The Trees & Me
4. Paradise
5. Jump The Gun
6. Airborne
7. Helicopter
8. Summer Of Love
9. Wake In Fright
10. Howl

RIYL: The Field Mice, Blue Boy, The Clientele, Cindy.

The cinema of the scenes as told from the heart and spirit of the omniscient narrator shines through the awe-inspiring oeuvre of Glenn Donaldson's canonical titan that is The Reds, Pinks & Purples. The storied and esoteric histories of every underserved underdog becomes immortalized in records and poignantly penned paeans that evoke the eras and underachievers that became synonymous with their own respective corresponding localized micro-movements. Donaldson channels that psychic spirit and journeyman earned wisdom to provide contemporary era rock operas that eulogize tales of infinitely influential rises and falls. Crystalizing the tragic self-celebrating kingdoms of fortunate failures, false heroes, music press deities of limitless deceit, hometown dive gods and humanity in the grips of all its romanticized wonder and woe — the latest sortie of the sensational and spectacular takes aim at the threads of hope and an untethered abandon into the intimacy and dualities of idolatry and isolation with Unwishing Well.

Ever since its emergence from the harried late 2010s — The Reds, Pinks & Purples have become the absolute encapsulation of Donaldson's own proliferation and prestige. From a musical legacy that chronicles a long list of minor successes and major tragedies; Glenn distills the timelines of distinction from yesterday, today, tomorrow and whatever may be into a musical phenomenon that embodies something more than all of its analogous inspirations. Beyond the clamor about the retro cult pop artistic allusions and tropes that can be found in those spirit expanding kaleidoscope chord chimes; Donaldson takes you on a guided tour through the San Francisco underground movements that would have been, could have been or perhaps never were at all from the start. The Reds, Pinks & Purples’ coveted catalog inadvertently, consciously or unconsciously, offers an authorized and anonymous history of imperfect and ambitious debutantes, dilettantes, auteurs, et al. The lauded visionaries whose volition informed the big money touring stage headliners, but only enjoyed a fleeting jaunt through the glorious corporate clad carnival canopies from the touring circuit routes and tech funded festival tent tabernacles. Unwishing Well is a eulogy for the buzz bands that crashed, the wily one hit wizards, and omnipresent (and often uninspired) eternal aesthetes who work the lucrative outlets of licensing media markets.

Glenn pulls no punches with the promiscuity of the pop machines and their exploited propped up brand ambassadors on the cutting "Your Worst Song is Your Greatest Hit" that tangles with the lumbering and inescapable creatives and careerist trajectories that trade in boardroom playbooks and verticals. Expressions and influencers break out into the collective commissaries of commerce exhibitionism on “Public Art”, to auditing the forums of fandom that pertain to developed affinities and the roads to rabid infatuation with the obsessive in earnest, “Learning to Love a Band”.

And while the Glenn spins many yarns on the under-appreciated secret histories of DIY, Unwishing Well offers cathartic hymns of modern malaise. Sighing in lamentation of regressive trends, “What’s Going on with Ordinary People'' balks with concern over contemporary states of devolution, while “Faith in Daydreaming Youth” questions what vestiges of hope and valor can be found in the new vanguards of political bodies that govern the world’s sovereign daydream nations. The dustbins of dastardly discontinuity are imbued with desire and grief on the dramatist tragedy of “Dead Stars in Your Eyes”, to basking in the discarded ditches of the damned below in voids of obscurity on “Nothing Between the Lines at All”. The human addiction to languishing in anguish, misery and negativity tussles, tosses and turns on “We Only Hear the Bad Things People Say”, the penultimate ode to inherent human infallibility as Donaldson rides the audience out into the gilded sunset glow of “Goodbye Bobby”.

The central set piece of Unwishing Well revolves around the title track that wrestles with wellness and wishes tempered by the sobering reality of ultra pragmatic skepticism. Donaldson shows the audience where the dream falls short, an indictment on the fickleness of wants and the life/work/art balances of making it all work. It's the group that never makes it, the idea that never gets off the ground, the recognition that never arrives, the raise that is never awarded, nor the promotion to the next ladder rung that remains laughably inaccessible. Glenn has the gift of bridging the divide between the hunger artist, their adoring cult public and the common threads that connect these local and global communities through the humanist cause of collective commiseration.

As increasingly found in the continued adventures of The Reds, Pinks and Purples canon — Glenn circles the drain of surrendering to unabashed sentimentality in passions worthy of being showcased as the top headlining spot that your favorite revered then later reviled pop act never even had the chance to claim or ascend. Unwishing Well uplifts and uproots the undercurrents that carry the commonalities between the spectators and the spectacles. Donaldson pays homage in heart to everything and everyone that never got their due or to the lucky ones that made the grade, but paid an ultimate price. The cycle of these pop vignettes depict successes and failures in the same sentences, existing within the same stanzas, where the stories of making it and breaking it operate as events that live on different sides of the same coin. Unwishing Well is a reflection of us, the icons we adore, the Adonises we worship, the false prophets that proselytize the edicts from theses cults of personality, the fallouts, the third acts and the artistic fabrics that spool these sub-sects of artful dodgers into the stuff of legend.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: There are obvious comparisons to be made here with the jangling, morose indie of the late 80's and 90's but the resulting sound on The Red Pinks & Purples' new album is both hugely modern, while breezily embracing the lo-fi jangle and airy melodicism of the era. 'Unwishing Well' is a perfect distillation of both Donaldson's established sound and the musical influences he absorbs, and results in an absorbing and emotional listen.

TRACK LISTING

1. What’s Going On With Ordinary People
2. Learning To Love A Band
3. Unwishing Well
4. Faith In Daydreaming Youth
5. Your Worst Song Is Your Greatest Hit
6. Dead Stars In Your Eyes
7. Nothing Between The Lines At All
8. Public Art
9. We Only Hear The Bad Things People Say
10. Goodbye Bobby

2023 was a remarkable year for James - with a Top 3 album (their 9th Top 10 album), a sell out UK tour with a 25 piece orchestra and 8 piece choir onstage with them, a stunning special guest appearance at Latitude Festival, a headline show at The Acropolis in Greece and receiving the Icon award at The Ivor Novello awards in recognition of their songwriting. Amongst all of this, the band have recorded their new album to be released in April 2024. It is produced by Leo Abrahams (who has previously collaborated with Jon Hopkins, Brian Eno, Jarvis Cocker, Imogen Heap and Regina Spektor) and mixed by Cenzo Townsend (Courteeners, Specials, Keane, Snow Patrol, Everything Everything).

2024 is already shaping up to being another huge year for the band - their June Arena tour is their biggest ever tour and they are already close to selling out both The O2 and the new Manchester Co-Op arena. James release their new album Yummy, with the first single ‘Is This Love’. The artwork for both the album and first single was designed by Stephen Kennedy (Studio Fury) who is responsible for a number of iconic works over the years including the Rolling Stones’ latest album Hackney Diamonds.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: One of the most legendary bands in Manchester's storied musical history return for their latest LP, 'Yummy'. It's got all of the soaring melodic turns and presents a perfectly produced, meticulously paced backdrop for Tim Booth's instantly recognisable vocals. Another brilliant statement from a band that show no signs of slowing down.

TRACK LISTING

Standard CD And LP Tracklisting:
1. Is This Love
2. Life Is A Fucking Miracle
3. Better With You
4. Stay
5. Shadow Of A Giant
6. Way Over Your Head
7. Mobile God
8. Our World
9. Rogue
10. Hey
11. Butterfly
12. Folks

Deluxe 2CD Tracklisting:
1. Is This Love
2. Life Is A Fucking Miracle
3. Better With You
4. Stay
5. Shadow Of A Giant
6. Way Over Your Head
7. Mobile God
8. Our World
9. Rogue
10. Hey
11. Butterfly
12. Folks
13. Anyone But You
14. Close Enough
15. Mine To Lose
16. Activist Song
17. Won’t Be The Same
18. Tell Me Something
19. Poolewe Day1Jam4
20. Arpen Charp
21. Deliver The Dawn
22. Something Of A Pleasure
23. Walk Tall
24. 50s Out Takes

Reissued for the first time on vinyl is 'Taking All The Love I Can' by Newark, New Jersey outfit The Chosen Few. Initially released on Maple Records in 1971, their debut album boasts incredibly moody 'Northern Soul' and perfectly represents the golden age of soul.

The Chosen Few are swaggering with confidence throughout the LP and draw comparisons to fellow Maple Records artists Lee Moses and Gloria Barnes. 'Taking All The Love I Can' is a highly sought after record with original issues fetching upwards of $500 when found in the wild.

On High Records is thrilled to present this modern reissue which is remastered and pressed on audiophile virgin vinyl for music lovers worldwide.

TRACK LISTING

1. Taking All The Love I Can
2. Something's Bad
3. Birth Of A Playboy
4. I Caught You Cheating
5. I Got To Hold You
6. Trespassin'
7. I Can't Take No Chance
8. Nobody Can Save Me
9. You Say You Love Me
10. Love For My Girl
11. Crying Shame

Recalibrating her singular journey in the British musical landscape with her most open-hearted, direct and intimate collection of material yet. Love In Constant Spectacle evokes spectacular imagery and distills the artists’ vision in its purest form, elevating her inimitable sound and poetic vision to new heights.

Recapturing the melancholy of her early work whilst propelling it forward, she sketches scenes as we watch new colours, shapes and languages emerge and fill the frame. Love In Constant Spectacle sees her take measured steps towards a vivid, dreamlike record, that offers resolve in the face of life’s inevitability.

The foundations of Weaver’s sound are still evident – lush motorik drums, pulsating bass, custom modded synths and exotic fuzz pedals - but the stream is awash with scrabble piece poetry and Letraset lullabies leading to lush escapism, the free abandon that you’d associate with free jazz and the avant-garde. But, as determined and visionary as Weaver might be, Love In Constant Spectacle wasn’t executed without assistance. Here we find a long mooted unison with Jane’s first ever producer, John Parish (PJ Harvey, Aldous Harding), who has shared Weaver’s process in the surrounds of Rockfield Studios and Geoff Barrow’s Invada studio.

Love In Constant Spectacle is otherworldly, it is both intimate yet distant, a surrealist interpretation of the foundations that make us human – the stories and landscapes it paints are habitats of their own. A voyage into undisclosed pastures, it’s a heartfelt manifesto from an artist that continues to boundlessly evolve with each chapter in her career.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: We're big fans of Jane & co. here at Piccadilly, and 'Love In Constant Spectacle' takes everything we've known and loved from previous releases; her rich melodic thread and progressive instrumental leanings, and injects the pieces with perfectly extracted DNA from jazz, 60's psychedelic pop and art-rock.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
A1 Perfect Storm
A2 Emotional Components
A3 Love In Constant Spectacle -
A4 Motif
A5 The Axis And The Seed
Side B
B1 Is Metal
B2 Happiness In Proximity
B3 Romantic Worlds
B4 Univers
B5 Family Of The Sun

Australian producer Inkswel is back on the Cosmocities label in France with more of his superbly soulful sounds, this time with none other than Chicago legend Robert Owens. The lush 'Space Love' is a playful deep house jam with the sort of cosmic synths that recall early Fingers Inc and Owens's smoky tones only heighten that feeling. Steve Spacek provides a mix that rides on broken beats with elastic bass but just as much cosmic energy and Fluterumental gets all loose-limbed and seductive. On the flip side are two Yoruba Soul mixes that bring extra rich soul vibes and shimmering pad work. A classy and timeless EP for sure.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: boogiemeister Inkswell returns with a new track - a total curveball from the Aussie producer as he enlists Robert Owens for a modern soul epic that's got a feel of "The Back Stabbers" about it. A real departure from his usually boogie-centric sound but one with real universal appeal. Nice smattering of remixes too. Excellent stuff indeed.

TRACK LISTING

Space Love
Space Love (Steve Spacek Remix)
Space Love (Fluterumental Mix)
Space Love (Yoruba Soul Remix)
Space Love (Yoruba Soul Instrumental Mix)

Hand-stamped 12" limited to 1000 pieces. Among the depths of the DFA vault (really an assortment of poorly organized hard drives of varying vintages), we found this true hidden gem, a version of "pow pow" made all squirrely by master squirrels the Idjut Boys. Why we kept this a secret for 14 years will forever remain a mystery. It's a distant cousin of the original - vocals gone, drums looped out, synths and delay coming down like acid rain. A real chugger. What better to pair it with, then, than Rub-N-Tug's remix of "too much love," long out of print from its original pressing in 2005 and still a complete monster meant for dark rooms and smoke machines cranked up past 11. It lives on wax once again, now with a likeminded buddy. Both tracks were recut at 45RPM by Bob Weston and pressed with care by the good humans at Third Man Pressing in Detroit, MI

TRACK LISTING

A1. Pow Pow (Idjut Boys Remix)
B1. Too Much Love (Rub-N-Tug Remix)

Big Love guru Seamus Haji commits four of the label’s freshest funk, disco and groove-laden releases to wax for the fifth edition of ‘A Touch Of Love’. Who else to open up the compilation but the label boss himself with ‘Dance With Me’, his funky, feel-good collaboration with prolific dance vocalist and friend Kathy Brown. Glaswegian production duo Illyus & Barrientos bring their genre-crossing disco and house vibes with ‘Wait’, featuring soulful Big Love returnee Phebe Edwards. Up next, a collaboration between two house masters, the multi-faceted Richard Earnshaw and Sole Channel founder Mr. V unite for funky release ‘This House Is Yours’. Closing out this tight and groovy vinyl collection is Rio De Janeiro’s premiere producer DJ Meme with ‘Century’, utilising a classical piece of music from Strauss synonymous with the sound of the future.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Seamus Haji Ft. Kathy Brown - Dance With Me 
A2. Illyus & Barrientos Ft. Phebe Edwards - Wait 
AA1. Richard Earnshaw & Mr. V - This House Is Yours 
AA2. DJ Meme - Century 

In their decade-plus together, the four-piece Julia Shapiro (guitar, vocals), Lydia Lund (guitar, vocals), Gretchen Grimm (drums, vocals), and Annie Truscott (bass, vocals)—have created a resonant body of work. Live Laugh Love is a natural continuation. Against the bizarre backdrop of the past few years, Chastity Belt remained a supportive space for the members to grow and experiment, drawing on the ingredients most essential to their process since the beginning: authenticity and levity. Recorded over three sessions in as many years (January 2020, November 2021 and 2022), the focus became more about enjoying their time together in the studio than making it feel like work. Their ease and familiarity with engineer Samur Khouja in LA, who also recorded their last album, made for a particularly enjoyable process. Once completed, they returned to renowned engineer Heba Kadry who mastered the album.

Album opener “Hollow” sets the tone with a gently driving rhythm while guitar layers stream like sun rays through an open car window. A warmth radiates through Shapiro’s voice, even while grappling with feeling lost and stuck. “The older I get,” Shapiro says of the lyrics, “the more I realize that I might just always feel this way, and it’s more about sitting with the feeling and accepting it, rather than trying to fight it.” That wisdom seems to anchor Live Laugh Love. Chastity Belt has never shied from navigating the spectrum of difficult emotions, and an existential thread weaves throughout the subject matter. And yet the songs feel more grounded than ever; there’s a sense of quiet confidence and self-assurance that comes with being less numb and more present. Facing discomfort takes more fortitude, after all.

Live Laugh Love finds the members in their prime as musicians. Their parts trace intricate patterns over one another, but there’s room to breathe between the layers. Everyone contributes to the writing, sometimes switching instruments, and for the first time, all four members sing a song. It’s never been more apparent that they are creative siblings, cut from the same belt. “We’ve been playing music with each other for over a decade,” says Shapiro, “so it really does feel like we’re all fluent in the same language, and a lot of it just happens naturally.”

“Laugh” seeks in the balm of friendship, aware of the anticipatory nostalgia that hits during a good time that you’re already missing before it’s gone; the heavier guitar tones on “Chemtrails” streak ominous chord progressions over Grimm’s precision timekeeping, lamenting memories that won’t fade easily. During a transitional time, Truscott came across a note in their phone that read, “it's not hard all day, just sometimes,” which inspired a poignant line in the chorus of “Kool-Aid,” their first song as lead vocalist on a Chastity Belt recording. Another standout, “I-90 Bridge” shines with a silvery melody that soars as Lund belts one of the most resounding moments on the album: “Tell your girlfriend she’s got nothing to fear/I’m set in my head/My body’s a different story.” The track “Blue” saunters nonchalantly with a wink; you can almost hear Shapiro’s smile as she sings “Faking it big time/So I can hit my stride/Man, it feels good to be alive,” channeling early Chastity Belt channeling early ’90s before channeling the late Elliott Smith in a spiral of distortion and insight: “Don’t get upset about it/It’s gonna pass/Tell all your friends about it/They’re gonna laugh.” “We have such a strong sense of each other’s musical inclinations” says Lund. “I think this allows for a lot of playfulness…we can kinda surprise each other, like a good punchline would.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Jangling indie guitars float beautifully around airy vocal melodies, crafting a beautifully honed noise that lands somewhere between shoegaze, folk and art-rock. Brilliantly inventive throughout, but never shy a melody or two. Lovely stuff.

TRACK LISTING

Hollow
Funny
Clumsy
It’s Cool
Kool-Aid
Chemtrails
Blue
Tethered
1-90 Bridge
Laugh
Like That

Charlie Ingui a veteran blued eyed soul singer who formed the band The Soul Survivors In the 60's is back with a brand new single.

'Wake Up Old World' is a song about making the world a better place.

Charlie explains 'This has always been a theme in our songs inspired very much by our collaboration with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff of Philadelphia International Records whose songs like "Love Train" and "Love Is The Message" had a positive and spiritually uplifting message.'

In 1967, Charlie Ingui formed the band The Soul Survivors. They scored a #2 record with Gamble and Huff' first major hit with the song "Express Way To Your Heart.' They were a bunch of hoods from The Lower East Side of New York.

They were part of the same scene in NY with The Rascals, Joey Dee and the Starlighters, The Soul Survivors, The Vanilla Fudge, and many other Blue Eyed Soul Bands that paved the way for folks like Hall and Oates.

Originally they were a trio and had a third singer, Kenny Jeramiah, who went on to have success in Atlantic City.

They went on to have several other great records. The first was in 1969 with Muscle Shoals producer. Rick Hall. The Swampers with Duane Allman played on that one. In 1974, Gamble and Huff got a custom CBS label – Philadelphia International Music and signed the Soul Survivors once again. They made a fantastic record with their amazing band, Charlie and Richie Ingui, John "Beedo"Dzubak The amazing Fred Beckmeier on bass. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Wake Up Old World
2. Movin' In Love's Direction'

Originally released in 1975 by RCA via its subsidiary Midland International—and recorded at the legendary Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia—these two tracks have never since both been released on the same single up until now, appearing once in unison on an acetate reference recording, copies of which have never sold on Discogs and are believed to be in the hands of 4 collectors worldwide.

Hailing from their brilliantly produced debut ‘I’m In Heaven’, this release skims the cream of the album and hones in on the poignancy, sheer musicality and grit of the Philly sound; combining soaring male vocal harmonies and flamboyant horns with luscious strings and rollicking disco rhythms to fantastic effect. These are readymade and tested dance floor classics, certainly with the legs and drive to make the modern listener get down.

Touch of Class effortlessly blend together the classic Motor City Sound and Philadelphia’s hard-driving disco groove in one fell swoop, records that sound like they have been produced from both the Gamble and Huff and Dozier playbooks, while retaining a unique register exclusive to the group—from John “The Monster” Davis’ nimble flute movements and Larry Washington’s rolling congas on I Love You Pretty Baby to “Sugar Bear” Thornton’s thumping basslines and Roco Bene’s sensational breathwork on You’ve Got To Know Better

TRACK LISTING

1. I Love You Pretty Baby
2. You Got To Know Better

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

Jacob Lusk, Ryan Hope & Ari Balouzian; an acclaimed gospel singer and choir director, an established film director and a classically trained musician and soundtrack artist. This is the trio that fate brought together and now make up Gabriels.

Their debut EP ‘Love & Hate In A Different Time’ comprises five songs that sound instantly of another era without faltering into throwback territory. True masters of story-telling, their timeless take on vintage soul, new R&B and just a hint of ultra-contemporary altpop have seen them become firm favourites of Gilles Peterson, Off White’s Virgil Abloh, Benji B, Annie Mac, Elton John... the list goes on.

The lead track and new single, ‘Love & Hate In A Different Time’, showcases their sound perfectly. A soul-stirring song with elements of funk and that joyous gospel influence too. Jacob has one of those terrifically cavernous deliveries and understands the power of when to adopt restraint and when to let rip. It’s raw, show-stopping and combines to form a magical few minutes of cinematic sound, unlike anything else out there today.

In the song’s long-form video, directed by band member and British born musician Ryan Hope (himself a celebrated music video director), we’re taken through a history of the dancefloor in archive footage, culminating in Jacob singing Billie Holliday’s Strange Fruit to a rapt audience during a Black Lives Matter protest in LA last year. It’s an engrossing, moving watch and an evocative listen.

The rest of the EP stands tall with its lead track, shoulder to shoulder. Experimental flourishes, sultry beats and jazzy polyrhythms. Intoxicating stuff, it’s music that is hard not to like. Simply riveting and a hugely promising introduction to an already accomplished new act.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Repress of pretty much the biggest soul 12" of the year. There's been no escaping these tracks and now they're available for all once again.

TRACK LISTING

A1 - Loyalty (Featuring Ashley Sade)
A2 - In Loving Memory
A3 - Professional
B1 - Love And Hate In A Different Time
B2 - The Blind
B3 - Love And Hate In A Different Time (Alternate Version)

RIYL: Stereolab, High Llamas, Deserter’s Songs era Mercury Rev, Death of A Ladies Man.

The Foreign Department is the second album by Astrel K, the solo project helmed by Stockholm-based British ex-pat, Rhys Edwards. Those already familiar with Edwards’ work will likely know him for fronting the cultishly great Ulrika Spacek, and given he operates as the principal songwriter in both projects, much of the same hallmarks of his cathartic, elliptical songwriting are present in Astrel K. Nonetheless, The Foreign Department feels like a rubicon moment of sorts, and the album that Edwards has unconsciously been working towards his entire creative life.

As a title, The Foreign Department offers an instructive guide for the listener, framing a life-in-transition/artist-in-exile document that maps two impromptu moves in twelve months for its songwriter: the first from London in pursuit of a relationship, the second between homes in Stockholm as that decade long relationship then suddenly dissolved. Indeed, diffusion, dissolution and reconstitution feel like appropriate touchstones for its recurring themes. Written amidst the flux of two states, at once isolated from home and then any established emotional anchor, the resulting eleven tracks came to represent a precognitive search for shifting identity and with it forming an unwittingly biographical record. It's commendable and somewhat telling that during this shake up, Edwards somehow landed upon his most realised and original work.

With a former life stripped away, there emerged an opportunity to reinvent a sense of self through art, now not just as a writer, but a composer also. Developing the confidence to arrange songs in ways he'd previously considered off-limits, while also taking cues from the opulent string and brass arrangements of records like Mercury Rev's Deserters' Songs and Death of A Ladies Man by Leonard Cohen, Edwards enlisted a range of performers to bring to life the mini-symphonies forming in his head. Perhaps it's inevitable that an album written while facing the consequences of being alone would eventually ossify around the process of bringing people together.

For all its troubled origins, The Foreign Department is a remarkably warm sounding collection. Edwards' lyrics are typically knotty and neurotic, dancing around the poetry of quarter-life anxiety, but the music itself is often joyous and even uplifting, the combination expressing that neat duality of melancholic euphoria. Edwards sings variously of crises, "torrid pieces of art", of "houses on fire" and not "having the guts for it", yet these troubling sentiments are framed by seemingly incongruous swelling strings, chirping horns or motorik percussion, creating that sense of pushing forward or floating above, of wrapping your troubles in dreams, a salve for the moments when you get a bit too much for yourself.

Lead single, 'Darkness At Noon', likely captures this all best. Named for the French idiom "midi a quatorze heures", the maddening idea of attempting the impossible for the sake of some greater possibly pointless cause, it directly grapples with the opposing notions of wanting and not wanting, of being here and being there at the same time. The conflicting and impossible self. It’s something Edwards addresses in the song at perhaps his most open, opining, “I know I want to be seen, but I hate most of what comes out of me”. And yet here is, putting it all out in the open and on the line, the dialectics of his enlightenment up on show.

TRACK LISTING

Heavy Is The Head
Darkness At Noon
By Depol
Brighter Spells
Firma
Birds In Vacant Lots
The Foreign Department
C Ya!
A Rudderless Ship
Daffodil
R U A Literal Child?

Love Makes Magic, the debut LP by JIM - aka Jim Baron of Crazy P & Ron Basejam notoriety - was released in June 2023 and the album has connected with an ever growing number of fans; lured in by great songs, Laurel Canyon singer-songwriter acoustics, 60’s psychedelic folk-rock, a dash of Balearic, discoid funk and a healthy dose of yacht-rock. The album was voted Album of the Year in the Bill Brewster Furtive 50 chart for 2023 - like a Balearic BAFTAs - and Still River Flow (Generalisation Dub) came 2nd in the tracks of the year... which was nice.

Disco Pogo, Piccadilly Records and Mr Bongo all gave the LP honourable mention in their end of year charts too. As you’d expect with an artist who has 25 years of dance music connections the accompanying remixes weren’t bad either... Crooked Man, Ruf Dug, Flying Mojito Brothers and Generalisation all came up with fine reinterpretations. Luke Unabomber hailed The Crooked Goth version of Phoenix as his track of the year. The vinyl run of the Crooked Mixes sold out in record time.

As the remixes racked up we considered collecting them together for a remix LP. And so here we are... presenting Love Makes Magic - The Remixes.

The five aforementioned mixes will be joined by five brand new ones from X-Press 2, Mang Dynasty, Chris Coco, Begin ( James Holroyd) and Brown Fang. Spanning pumping club bangers, perfect sunsets soundtracks and left-field electronica.

We love them.
We hope you do too..

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A stunning set of remixes from some of the hottest names in the electronic music world, for Jim's brilliant 'Love Makes Magic' LP, one of our collective favourites of 2023. Basking in the relaxed, Balearic waters of the original but twisted and coaxed around a variety of grooves, these pieces shine in a whole new light when viewed through a different lens, and show the talents of remixers and Baron alike. Brill.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Still River Flow (Generalisation Dub) Phoenix (Crooked Goth)
A2. Oxygen (Ruf Dug Remix)
B1. Ballad Of San Marino (Mang Dynasty Remix) Still River Flow (Begin Remix)
B2. Where The Leaves Are Falling (Brown Fang Remix) Across The Street (Generalisation Dub)
C1. Phoenix (X-Press 2 On Fire Remix)
C2. Oxygen (Flying Mojito Bros Refrito)
D1. The Ballad Of San Marino (Chris Coco Extended Dub Version)

Mari Steven aka Little Red Flames has been writing songs forever, singing in bands throughout the 90s, supporting the likes of The Fall, The James Taylor Quartet and Gil Scott Heron and playing the first T in The Park and then working with dance music producers in the 00s and featuring on several Ibiza chill out albums! With life rooted in music she interviewed every major band from 1994 – 2006 on TV, Radio and in the press and made TV documentaries about Coldcut and Roni Size and Reprazent… but all this good life kept getting in the way of the dream… to record an album.
Non, je ne regrette rien, the life stuff is all brilliant and the time has never been quite right until now.

Produced by legendary Glasgow producer Alex Smoke, ‘Love Feeling’ is a spirit lifting, heart wrenching, emotional rollercoaster of the smoothest electronic synth pop with the darkest most gynormous beats and oh yes, it will make you dance.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: 'Love Feeling' is one part gritty minimal electronica, one part airy spine-tingling rave and a healthy dash of synth-pop all melted into a pot and laid down as a syrup-smooth backdrop for Mari Steven's soaring vocal. It's bold, blistering electronic music, beautifully produced too.

"Matasuna Records", on a mission to unearth musical treasures of the past for the last 7 years, presents an exciting discovery of the present with the band "Bidaide" from Barcelona. This 7-inch vinyl single not only marks Bidaide's vinyl debut, but also unveils their captivating versatility and musicality with two previously unreleased tracks, "Batua" and "Love Me & Give Up".

Soul, funk, psychedelic rock, reggae-dub and library music merge seamlessly in Bidaide's recordings, forming a unique sound. Two great tracks that are now available on vinyl!

"Batua" on the A-side is the energetic prelude to this 45. A dynamic, unfiltered rhythm section provides the foundation, while two guitars engage in an agile conversation underscored by sharp keys and fantastic brass overdubs. Recorded in the band's studio on multiple tracks using analog methods and equipment, the song boasts an opulent, organic sound. Batua is a funky, psychedelic journey interspersed with soulful & harmonious interludes and stirring percussive breaks.

Flipping to the B-side, "Love Me & Give Up" offers a more soulful, relaxed contrast, showcasing the band's versatility. A laid-back beat sets the stage, with keys and guitars weaving a soulful sound tapestry.The chorus, delivered with restrained conviction and backed by a warm organ, evoke a Motown-esque charm.

Founded in 2019, Bidaide began as a duo with "Asier del Álamo" and "Juan Cruz Chiappara". With the arrival of "Sergio Caño" (keyboards), "Manuel Diaz" (drums), and "Nacho Llauradó" (Telecaster), the duo blossomed into a vibrant band. Through experimentation and maturation, they forged their own distinct sound, reflected in their 2021-2022 recordings titled "BATUA" (Basque for "unity"). These recordings embody the spiritual essence of a group that has found and solidified its own powerful sound, showcasing its talent for arrangements and harmonies.

Some members of Bidaide, who already knew Matasuna and their releases through their involvement in the "Gatzara Soundsystem", sent Matasuna their demo of the recordings in mid-2003. Their fresh, impressive sound immediatelyfound open ears. This connection paved the way for Bidaide's exciting vinyl debut, marking a new chapter in their musical journey.

TRACK LISTING

1. Batua
2. Love Me & Give Up

DJ and producer Gratts returns to his own imprint with the third instalment of the "Balearic but bumpin'" trilogy. Here, the Belgian puts forward a captivating piece of organic, Body & Soul NY inspired deep house, assisted by Cata Mansikka-aho on vocals. As always, an instrumental is provided for maximum nightclub daydreaming. On the flipside, British duo Faze Action up the energy levels with an equally musical disco version that hits in all the right spots. Artwork once again by Mads Cooke.

TRACK LISTING

Rhythm Of Love
Rhythm Of Love (Daydreamin' Instrumental)
Rhythm Of Love (Faze Action Remix)

Introducing the limited 7" re-release of the single by the legendary Bay Area group, Liason. Led by Morris 'Skid' Clay, Liason made their mark on the music scene with their distinctive sound and unforgettable performances. Recorded at Freeway Studios in Oakland back in 1977, this single captures the essence of the era and the spirit of the band.

Originally released on their independent imprint, 'A.L.C.' - named after three of the group's members astrological signs: Aquarius, Libra, and Capricorn - this single quickly became a cherished gem among fans and collectors alike. Now, decades later, it's being brought back to life for a whole new generation to enjoy.

TRACK LISTING

1. Life
2. Disco Party

Saturday night and Sunday morning; the sacred and the profane. These are the creative spaces of electronic pop duo Strange Boy. Disillusioned with the elitist hierarchies of classical singing, Kieran Brunt turned his attention to the songwriting world, drawing on his love of storytellers such as Anohni, The Magnetic Fields and Rufus Wainwright. With Brunt weaving a choral narrative on top of collaborator Matt Huxley’s atmospheric soundscapes, Strange Boy create a world rich with symbolism, grandeur and communion.

The London-based duo are releasing their debut album, ‘Love Remains’, via Groenland Records. The eleven songs that make up the album have formed gradually years of collaborating since they first met on a night out while wandering through Glastonbury in 2011. After moving to London together to pursue music seriously, Strange Boy’s sound has matured alongside Brunt and Huxley’s notable collaborations with the likes of Terry Riley, Nils Frahm, Clark, Squid, Aurora and artist Jeremy Deller.

Combining a bold narrative thrust with grandiose symbolism, Strange Boy have created a suite of impressionistic songs that exist in atmospheric soundworlds. The first single, ‘Boston Blue Period’, sets out the stall as a lush-but-unsettling piece, building over an extended intro then falling away to reveal a tender tale about letting go.

Following single ‘Sofia’ opens with a bouncing solo synth; the propulsive pattern ebbs and flows through the song, swelling with the outline of Brunt's beautiful, bittersweet address to the titular ‘Sofia’, who he explains “was the first child to come into my life as a grown-up. She brought with her such a fun and fresh energy at a time when I was grappling with early adulthood and despairing at what was happening in the world around me.”

‘Follow The News’ is the lead single from the album and draws upon Brunt’s personal experiences with ‘medication and self-medication’. Serious themes of mental illness are brought to the fore across the record, and treated with a mixture of irony, humour and catharsis.

Elsewhere on the album, the band lean further into this intimate, reflective mode of storytelling than ever before. ‘November Skies’ combines lo-fi vocal production with the lush strings and guest vocal of Nico Muhly and Anna B. Savage respectively, while Side A closer Whipping Boy’s softly crooned vocals and up-close piano recall the early works of James Blake and Anohni and the Johnsons. Brunt signposts his love for The Magnetic Fields with a cover of cult classic ‘100,000 Fireflies’, recorded in one take over layers of found tape played backwards at half-speed.

The album closes with the eponymous ‘Love Remains’, a song written early in the band’s formative years and honed gradually over their time together in live performances. The song swells in intensity as Brunt’s choral-inspired vocal soars over Huxley’s organ drones, industrial layers and experimental string textures, meditating on life and death in a swooping narrative of deep self-introspection.

The writing and recording of the album was as dramatic as it’s subject matter: while developing material Brunt was forced to leave his studio space at very short notice and ended up moving into the crypt of a Victorian church in London. The space - beautiful , spooky and very atmospheric - had a grand impact on the sonic imprint of the music, which was completed in Yorkshire alongside producer and mixer Richard Formby.

Working with rising star Jack Warne on the artwork, the band decided to make church objects and surroundings integral to the imagery of the album.

Ultimately, as the amorphous presence of Strange Boy, Brunt and Huxley have built a sonic world that inspires communion – with ourselves and with something more ethereal. Their debut album is a visceral storytelling experience not to be missed.

TRACK LISTING

Boston Blue Period
Follow The News
Oscar’s Song
Drunk In Iceland
Whipping Boy
(I Count The Fleeing
Hours)
Annunciation
Sofia
November Skies
100,000 Fireflies
Love Remains

The third single off her seminal 1989 debut album, "Ladies' First" remains one of Queen Latifah's signature songs

Featuring Monie Love, "Ladies' First" became an anthem of women's empowerment. This 7" also includes a B-side of "Come Into My House," originally released in 1990 as the fourth single.

TRACK LISTING

Ladies First (feat. Monie Love) [Radio Edit]
Come Into My House