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STEVE O'DONOGHUE

Seasick Steve

A Trip, A Stumble, A Fall Down On Your Knees

    It's been almost 20 years since Seasick Steve's celebrated appearance on Jools Holland's Hootenanny launched the unknown American singer-songwriter to worldwide fame, and his beat-up three-string Japanese guitar and old wooden stompbox made musical history. The overwhelming response surprised nobody more than Steve himself, and was like a lightning strike; the impact of which is still being felt close to two decades later, as he has gone onto play almost every major festival in the World, rack up over 2 million album sales, and release three UK Top 10 albums.

    His new record A Trip A Stumble A Fall Down On Your Knees is released on 7th June 2024 via So Recordings and available to pre-order now. It's a record he proudly says is his favourite to date, and is announced alongside a run of UK instore and outstore shows. Steve says: “This album was made by mistake, as the title suggests we just tripped and stumbled into it, and it became my favourite album ever and the piece of work I’m most proud of to date. There’s not a week goes by that I don’t thank my lucky stars for that night on the Hootenanny which has brought us here to this record”.

    TRACK LISTING

    1. Move To The Country
    2. Internet Cowboys
    3. San Francisco Sound '67
    4. A Trip And A Stumble (For Leya)
    5. This Way
    6. Backbone Slip
    7. Let The Music Talk
    8. Funky Music
    9. Cryin' Out Loud
    10. Elisabeth

    Mal Waldron & Steve Lacy

    The Mighty Warriors - Live In Antwerp (RSD24 EDITION)

      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.


      Inkswel

      Space Love - Incl. Steve Spacek, Fluterumental & Yoruba Soul Remixes

      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.

      TRACK LISTING

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

      Well Curated is a series of releases and parties that - in its own words - "reflects the ethnomusicology of the last 50 years of music" - and aims to reach into all genres, merging classic styles and breaking down barriers. Steve Spacek occupies the A-side with the breezy broken beat and soul-in-space of 'Alone In Da Sun', while Lukid's 'Hair Of The Dog' is a more intense counterpart, with wobbling sub-bass and swirling, surging atmospherics hovering above.

      TRACK LISTING

      Side 1
      Beat Spacek - Alone In Da Sun

      Side 2
      Lukid - Hair Of The Dog

      Two longstanding electronic legends, Steve Bug reunites with frequent collaborator Cle for the three-track ‘It Just Happened EP’ on Nu Groove. The German tastemaker and Poker Flat label boss has helped define a plethora of electronic sub genres through his modern releases and expansive DJ sets. From early LPs ‘Volksworld’ and ‘Da Minimal Funk’, to later works ‘Traffic Signs’ and ‘Never Ending Winding Roads’, Bug’s futuristic vision is apparent throughout his experimental releases. Joined once again by Cle, a fellow veteran of the German rave scene, the pair return to the cult NYC label with three striking originals following previous release ‘Let It Go / Suitcase In A Box’. The EP’s lead, ‘It Just Happened’ features breathy synths and acidic loops that harken back to an era of underground house, immediately nostalgic yet forward thinking in its technique. ‘Crew Thing’ and ‘House Music Transcends’ follow suit, both teeming with energy as the two producers show off their unique creative process through sound.

      TRACK LISTING

      A1. It Just Happened
      A2. Crew Thing
      B1. House Music Transcends

      Recorded in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, UK, December 1976. Private session. Previously unheard. Available in digital format and limited edition CD.

      The amazing lost Dean, Miller, Pyle private tapes from 1976: featuring the very first recorded meeting of these three extraordinary pioneering talents of British Jazz/Rock, performing four magical co-composed pieces, none of which have ever been issued in any form.

      This session was originally intended to be released on Mike King's highly regarded Reel Recordings label. Sadly, Mike passed away before the project was completed and consequently the session has instead sat on a shelf of the esteemed British jazz collector and historian Philippe Renaud for the past decade. UNTIL NOW.

      Album includes extensive notes by Philippe and renowned Canterbury music expert Aymeric Leroy.

      Original mastering by Mike King. additional mastering by Matt Parker.

      TRACK LISTING

      1. Molly's Mild
      2. Pilgrim's Hope
      3. Crack Le Whip
      4. Tea, Kettle, Stout

      Steve Jolliffe

      Tattoo - The Unreleased Music From The 1975 John Samson Documentary

        Incredible jazz / prog / folk score to groundbreaking tattoo film by maverick filmmaker. Unreleased until now, so don’t go saying it’s a reissue because it isn’t, but I’m sure some people will because they always do.

        John Samson (1946 - 2004) was a truly great documentary maker. He must be as I’ve been obsessed with his work for many years. Educated first at Glasgow School Of Art (circa 1963) and then finally in the art of film making at The National Film And Television School in Beaconsfield - he headed there in its opening year of 1971 having made a short film that got him a scholarship. It was at the NFTS that Samson met Mike Wallington, who was to become his right hand man and eventual producer; together as a quite brilliant team they made a handful of inspiring, entertaining and hugely prescient films about important, overlooked, unseen and marginal fringes in society.

        Tattoo (1975) Exploring the rather clandestine world of tattooing in the UK.

        Dressing For Pleasure (1977) Exploring the rather clandestine world of festish in the UK.

        Brittania (1979) A film about railway enthusiasts and a steam train restoration. Arrows (1979) The life of dart player Eric Bristow.

        Drag Ball (1981) An unreleased film about the annual Porchester Hall Drag Ball.

        The Skin Horse (1983) BAFTA winning film about The Outsiders Club, a dating agency for disabled people.

        The subject matter in all films was always unusual for the time, and Samson managed to navigate his way with compassion, interest and subtlety, immersing himself in the chosen scene and producing moving, fascinating and sometimes darkly amusing situations. His documentaries also do not rely on traditional voiceovers, with stories, facts and narrative threads being dictated by the subjects.

        I’ve tried for a long time to find the music for a couple of his early films (there was actually an original 7” for Arrows) - so far this is the only unreleased soundtrack I have found. This one was written by Steve Jolliffe, who met Samson at the NFTS. Joliffe was the resident composer and had a room at the college complex where he could work on scores for the fledgling film makers. Jolliffe was and still is a multi-instrumentalist and prolific composer who had met Edgar Froese at the Berlin Konservatorium in the late 1960s and played in an early incarnation of Tangerine Dream. He toured with blues rock outfit Steamhammer, before hanging out at the NFTS, making this recording (and many others) and eventually rejoining Tangerine Dream in the late 1970s. Jolliffe still writes, records and releases today and once i had made contact with him we traced the original Tattoo master tape to a box at his brother’s house. Musically it’s charming, slightly folky, a touch baroque, there’s a whiff of prog too, and it perfectly suited this early documentary about the art and desire of tattoos. I only wish it was longer. But the film is only 16 minutes long. Seek it out if you can. Try and find all the Samson films, they really are a joy.

        As well as featuring intimate footage of tattooed people, the film also includes a rare and very early interview with Alan Oversby (better known as Mr Sebastian), a seminal character in the development of tattoos and body modifications worldwide - it was he who eventually was to tattoo and pierce Genesis P-Orridge.

        The images for this vinyl release were all found in Mike Wallington’s Tattoo documentary research folder from 1974, and were photos sent in to Mike and John by people who wanted to feature in the film. Most answered an advert in Time Out, and others included people from my home town of Aldershot where tattooist Bill Skuse and his wife, Rusty (the most tattooed woman in Britain at the time, and featured in the film) were based. His parlour was situated at the back of the arcade where we all used to lose all our pocket money in the slot machines.

        The Musicians:
        Steve Jolliffe - keyboards, flute, sax Geoff Jolliffe - bass guitar Julian Furniss - guitar Mick Kirby – drums.

        Steve Turner & Adem Tepedelen

        Mud Ride : A Messy Trip Through The Grunge Explosion

          A down-and-dirty chronicle of the birth and evolution of the Seattle grunge scene-from amateur skate parks and underground hardcore clubs to worldwide phenomenon-as told by one of its founding fathers and lead guitarist of legendary alternative rock band, Mudhoney. In the late 80s and early 90s, Steve Turner and his friends-Seattle skate punks, hardcore kids, and assorted misfits-started forming bands in each other's basements and accidentally created a unique sound that spread far beyond their once-sleepy city. Mud Ride offers an inside look at the tight-knit grunge scene, the musical influences and experiments that shaped the grunge sound, and the story of Turner's bands, Green River and Mudhoney, which went from underground flophouse shows to selling out stadiums with Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

          Including stories about the key moments, musicians, and albums from grunge's beginnings to its come-down from the highs of global success and stardom, this is the first account of the musical phenomenon that took over the world from someone who was there for it all. Written by Steve Turner, lead guitarist of Mudhoney, a foundational grunge band that inspired musical icons from Kurt Cobain to Sonic Youth, Mud Ride features a foreword by Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard and never-before-seen photographs and grunge memorabilia throughout. Take a seat and ride through the messy and muddy grunge scene that grew from the basements of the Northwest and went on to circle the globe.

          Helen Love

          Steve Lamacq Session 16.09.98

            Thirty years after they started kicking out the jams, indie legends Helen Love make their debut on Precious with a session that has legendary status with fans – and with listeners of Steve Lamacq’s much-loved Evening Session.

            Yes indeedy, pop pickers, to coincide with the 25th anniversary of its initial broadcast, this is the session featuring none other than Joey Ramone on the phone and a never-to-be-forgotten (and never-before-released) cover of The Clash’s ‘Tommy Gun’ that morphs into a jingle for Lammo.

            Then we get three Helen Love classics, great photos from Alison Wonderland and a set of postcards (and Joey shows up here as well – more than once) Free downloads with the vinyl – and get a move on, because there are only 300 copies.


            TRACK LISTING

            Tommy Gun
            Does Your Heart Go Boom
            Shifty Disco Girl
            MC5

            Steve Mason

            Brothers & Sisters

              His most open, honest and vibrant solo record to date, Brothers & Sisters marries the personal and the political but does so in an emotive and uplifting manner. Written against a backdrop of fear and uncertainty, and at a time when those in charge lurched from one disaster to the next mismanagement with increasing regularity, Brothers & Sisters is in fact an incredibly joyous, even spiritual, listen.

              With musical contributions from feted Pakistani singer Javed Bashir, British gospel singers Jayando Cole, Keshia Smith, Connie McCall & Adrian Blake and Kaviraj Singh on the santoor it’s a record about bringing people together through art, music and culture.

              “To me, this record is a massive ‘Fuck you’ to Brexit,” explains Mason. “And a giant ‘Fuck you’ to anyone that is terrified of immigration because there is nothing that immigration has brought to this country that isn’t to be applauded. Can you imagine what this place would be like without that [immigration]? I mean what would it be like? Cornish pasties and morris dancing?.”

              STAFF COMMENTS

              Andy says: A record which Steve himself calls "a massive Fuck You to Brexit" is actually an incredibly uplifting pop record with some of the best tunes and grooves of his whole career. Inspirational!

              TRACK LISTING

              1. Mars Man
              2. I’m On My Way
              3. No More
              4. All Over Again
              5. The People Say
              6. Let It Go
              7. Pieces Of Me
              8. Travelling Hard
              9. Brixton Fish Fry
              10. Upon My Soul
              11. Brothers & Sisters

              Steve Hillage

              Live At Deeply Vale - 2023 Repress

                Talk to any connoisseur of 70s-era double live albums, and many will agree that Steve Hillage’s "Live Herald", recorded and released in 1977-78, rates among the finest jewels that the genre has to offer. So it’s astonishing to discover that someone has spent the last 25 years sitting on tapes that knock that set into the dust, both in terms of on-stage excitement and aural enjoyment. "Live At Deeply Vale Festival 1978" (Ozit, UK) transports the listener back to one of the last truly great festivals staged in the UK that decade, a weekend’s worth of music that fearlessly ranged across both the traditional rock range and the upcoming punk movement, before climaxing with a Hillage set that the guitarist himself reflects, “…(sounds) as exciting now as Live Herald was back then.” Goldmine Magazine USA. The Band : Steve Hillage - guitar, vocals, keyboards. Miquette Giraudy - synthesiser, vocals. Christian Boule (sadly missed) – glissando guitar. John Mackenzie - bass, vocals. Andy Anderson - drums. 

                TRACK LISTING

                Side One:
                Saucer Surfing
                Searching For The Spark
                Octave Doctors
                Side Two:
                Salmon Song
                Crystal City
                Radio
                Side Three:
                Palm Trees
                Light In The Sky
                Hurdy Gurdy Man
                Lunar Musick Suite
                Side Four:
                Activation Meditation
                Glorious Om Riff
                Getting Better
                Steve Hillage Talks About The 70's And Deeply Vale
                U.F.B

                Steve Monite

                Only You - 2022 Reissue

                  Shooting, space-synth sounds ripple and vibrate, incessant grooves keep the tracks in motion and Nkono Teles production, a producer often overlooked for his hand in the Nigerian boogie sound, sets the LP into orbit. An album that was largely overlooked on release in 1984, the track list includes the latter day hit Only You and Things Fall Apart, the melody of which was lifted for Young Franco’s 2020 single Fallin’ Apart.

                  TRACK LISTING

                  1. Only You
                  2. I Had A Dream
                  3. Things Fall Apart (Disco Jam)
                  4. Welcome My Love
                  5. Only You (Disco Jam)
                  6. Things Fall Apart (Vocal)

                  Steve Jansen

                  Slope (Remastered)

                    Steve Jansen, the co-founder of new wave legends Japan and bona fide collaboration multi-hyphenate, is reissuing his first two solo studio albums: Slope and Tender Extinction.

                    But how to accurately parse Steve Jansen’s path through music? It’s a journey that’s taken him from 80s royalty as what The Guardian calls “a key component” of one of the UK’s premier new wave acts, releasing classic records like Tin Drum and Quiet Life, to a renowned collaborator, working with artists as diverse as Ryuchi Sakamoto, Anja Garbarek, Annie Lennox, and, most recently, Maiya Hershey. His is a career of ever-changing styles and genres, from blissed-out electronica made with YMO’s Yukihiro Takahashi, to his work with jazz-rock group Nine Horses, to the heavy atmospheres of his transcendent Exit North project, and far, far, beyond.

                    Based on his consistently excellent creative output, it’s not surprising that he’s also had time to fit in a clutch of excellent solo albums. Although on first listens the music on Slope and Tender Extinction can seem austere and chilly, it certainly bears further listening. Songs that might seem impenetrable can shyly give up their secrets - a moment of tenderness, say, or soaring strings, or a wistful chord change. Slope, his debut, was described by The Observer upon its release in 2007 as “unclassifiable”, a description that goes some way to detailing the album’s crystalline synthetic peaks, dusty analogue depths, and wide experimental sweep. To hear the icy IDM of ‘Grip’ rubbing up against the drone-led modern classical in ‘Sow The Salt’, and the strange sound experiments in ‘Gap of Cloud’ juxtaposed with the fractured emotion of ‘Playground Martyrs’ is to hear an artist capable of ploughing his own unique furrow through music.


                    Although nine years and another glut of projects (an ambient album called A Secret Life made with John Foxx and Steve D'Agostino, an array of instrumental pieces, Jansen and Japan bandmate Richard Barbieri’s fifth album, Lumen, and the list really does go on and on) came between Slope and second album, Tender Extinction, the same restive spirit remained that first prompted Jansen to go it alone. Tender Extinction is a more meditative affair than its predecessor, one where comet tails of synthesiser stretch across a song and fathomless sonic depths simmer and roll like an ocean. James Ginzburg’s brand new remaster will render the hiemal beauty and sumptuous arrangements of tracks such as ‘And Birds Sing All Night’, ‘Captured’, and ‘Her Distance’ even more perfectly than before.

                    But why these albums and why now? Both are special pieces of work, and place the talents of an artist that often stays in the shadows front and centre. Jansen is someone whose every action is in service of The Project, shapeshifting and adapting in relation to how he can improve the music. He’s said in that past that “I remove myself from any references to other people or popular culture. I explore sound and composition without any preconceptions about the finished piece or its place in the world.” Though this is a humble approach that clearly pays dividends (as evinced by his mixing, session, and collaborative work) Slope and Tender Extinction allow for the full range of his influences, experimentation, and ideas to come to the fore. These reissues are timely and necessary, bringing particularly gorgeous high points of Steve Jansen’s sparkling oeuvre into new light.

                    TRACK LISTING

                    1. Grip 06:42
                    2. Sleepyard 05:13
                    3. Cancelled Pieces 03:20
                    4. December Train 04:14
                    5. Sow The Salt 05:49
                    6. Gap Of Cloud 02:45
                    7. Playground Martyrs 03:02
                    8. A Way Of Disappearing 01:57
                    9. Ballad Of A Deadman 06:25
                    10. Conversation Over 05:07
                    11. Life Moves On 02:25
                    12. Playground Martyrs (Reprise) 03:05

                    Steve Jansen

                    Tender Extinction (Remastered)

                      Steve Jansen, the co-founder of new wave legends Japan and bona fide collaboration multi-hyphenate, is reissuing his first two solo studio albums: Slope and Tender Extinction.

                      But how to accurately parse Steve Jansen’s path through music? It’s a journey that’s taken him from 80s royalty as what The Guardian calls “a key component” of one of the UK’s premier new wave acts, releasing classic records like Tin Drum and Quiet Life, to a renowned collaborator, working with artists as diverse as Ryuchi Sakamoto, Anja Garbarek, Annie Lennox, and, most recently, Maiya Hershey. His is a career of ever-changing styles and genres, from blissed-out electronica made with YMO’s Yukihiro Takahashi, to his work with jazz-rock group Nine Horses, to the heavy atmospheres of his transcendent Exit North project, and far, far, beyond.

                      Based on his consistently excellent creative output, it’s not surprising that he’s also had time to fit in a clutch of excellent solo albums. Although on first listens the music on Slope and Tender Extinction can seem austere and chilly, it certainly bears further listening. Songs that might seem impenetrable can shyly give up their secrets - a moment of tenderness, say, or soaring strings, or a wistful chord change. Slope, his debut, was described by The Observer upon its release in 2007 as “unclassifiable”, a description that goes some way to detailing the album’s crystalline synthetic peaks, dusty analogue depths, and wide experimental sweep. To hear the icy IDM of ‘Grip’ rubbing up against the drone-led modern classical in ‘Sow The Salt’, and the strange sound experiments in ‘Gap of Cloud’ juxtaposed with the fractured emotion of ‘Playground Martyrs’ is to hear an artist capable of ploughing his own unique furrow through music.


                      Although nine years and another glut of projects (an ambient album called A Secret Life made with John Foxx and Steve D'Agostino, an array of instrumental pieces, Jansen and Japan bandmate Richard Barbieri’s fifth album, Lumen, and the list really does go on and on) came between Slope and second album, Tender Extinction, the same restive spirit remained that first prompted Jansen to go it alone. Tender Extinction is a more meditative affair than its predecessor, one where comet tails of synthesiser stretch across a song and fathomless sonic depths simmer and roll like an ocean. James Ginzburg’s brand new remaster will render the hiemal beauty and sumptuous arrangements of tracks such as ‘And Birds Sing All Night’, ‘Captured’, and ‘Her Distance’ even more perfectly than before.

                      But why these albums and why now? Both are special pieces of work, and place the talents of an artist that often stays in the shadows front and centre. Jansen is someone whose every action is in service of The Project, shapeshifting and adapting in relation to how he can improve the music. He’s said in that past that “I remove myself from any references to other people or popular culture. I explore sound and composition without any preconceptions about the finished piece or its place in the world.” Though this is a humble approach that clearly pays dividends (as evinced by his mixing, session, and collaborative work) Slope and Tender Extinction allow for the full range of his influences, experimentation, and ideas to come to the fore. These reissues are timely and necessary, bringing particularly gorgeous high points of Steve Jansen’s sparkling oeuvre into new light.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      1. Captured 06:08
                      2. Sadness 03:52
                      3. Her Distance 06:43
                      4. Memory Of An Imagined Place 03:24
                      5. Give Yourself A Name 06:50
                      6. Diaphanous One 05:58
                      7. Faced With Nothing 05:31
                      8. Mending A Secret 05:03
                      9. Simple Day 02:37
                      10. And Birds Sing All Night 02:28

                      Steve Lacy

                      Gemini Rights

                        Following the worldwide success of Steve Lacy’s critically acclaimed album Gemini Rights, this collection is now available on vinyl. The album features Steve’s chart topping global hit, Bad Habit.

                        Steve Lacy is a Grammy nominated singer-songwriter, producer, and musician who was born and raised in Compton, California. Steve was introduced to the music industry initially in 2015 as a member (guitarist) of R&B group, The Internet.

                        His previous solo work includes his debut EP, Steve Lacy’s Demo (Feb 2017), his debut album, Apollo XXI (May 2019), and The Lo-Fis (December 2020). Steve has production, writing and feature credits with artists like Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Tyler, Mac Miller, The Internet, Thundercat, GoldLink, Solange, YG, Vampire Weekend, and Kali Uchis to name a few.

                        TRACK LISTING

                        SIDE 1
                        Static
                        Helmet
                        Mercury
                        Buttons
                        Bad Habit
                        SIDE 2
                        2gether (Enterlude) Steve Lacy & Matt Martians
                        Cody Freestyle
                        Amber
                        Sunshine
                        Give You The World

                        Steve Reid

                        Odyssey Of The Oblong Square - 2022 Reissue

                          New special one-off pressing gold CD / gold vinyl edition of this deep spiritual jazz classic.

                          Drummer legend extraordinaire, Vietnam conscientious objector, ex- Black Panther, Steve Reid has played with everyone from James Brown to Sun Ra, Fela Kuti and Miles Davis, was a friend of John Coltrane, worked at Motown and, in the latter part of his career, worked extensively with Kieran Hebden, following his path of a radical, revolutionary music up until his untimely death in 2010.

                          Soul Jazz Records are re-releasing this rarest release of deep heavyweight jazz by Steve Reid and The Master Brotherhood, entitled ‘Odyssey of the Oblong Square’, first released over thirty five years ago on Steve Reid’s own Mustevic Sound record label (where it came out in an edition of 1000 copies) and has been a serious collector’s album ever since.

                          Steve Reid became known worldwide for his radical collaborations with Kieran Hebden after they first recorded together on the Steve Reid Ensemble album, ‘Spirit Walk’, released on Soul Jazz in 2005, releasing five joint releases together in the following years.

                          Steve Reid is steeped in musical history and a true pioneer of US deep leftfield jazz. He played in Sun Ra’s Arkestra, was a Motown session drummer and backed James Brown at the Apollo. He was a Black Panther, imprisoned during the Vietnam war as a conscientious objector and lived in Africa in the early 1970s. Reid worked with Freddie Hubbard, Gary Bartz, Ornette Coleman, Lester Bowie, Fela Kuti, Leon Thomas, Miles Davis and many more in his long illustrious and groundbreaking career.

                          TRACK LISTING

                          1. Odyssey Theme
                          2. Deacon’s Son
                          3. Odyssey Sweet
                          4. Ginsameng

                          Steve Bates

                          All The Things That Happen

                            RIYL: William Basinski, Wolf Eyes, Gas, Tim Hecker, Emeralds, Yellow Swans, Flying Saucer Attack. Steve Bates is an artist and musician known for his work with post-rock ensemble Black Seas Ensemble, duos with Timothy Herzog and Sophie Trudeau of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, amongst others, as well as a series of digital-only sonic explorations on his own label, The Dim Coast. All The Things That Happen is his first full-length album for Constellation. For this album, Bates pursued a more stripped down exploration of the noisier terrain of the cheap timbre and tonality of the much-loved Casio SK-1 keyboard sampler. These sounds were fed through a variety of electronics, effects, amps, cassettes recorders to shift into their current form heard on these tracks.

                            Steve notes that all the tracks started off as ambient, "but I always kept reaching for more texture and noise." Getting reacquainted with the Casio SK-1 was the initial focus on developing the music here. Processed and manipulated during the recording and mixing stages, these initial SK-1 sessions became the foundation of this body of music. Working within the rich world of experimental electronics, these tracks have a core melodicism to them and maybe even a melancholy, as distortion and overtones saturate and spray the music in various directions, while feeling whole and integrated as a body of sound. A fixture of Winnipeg's burgeoning anarcho-punk and social justice community in the 80s-90s, Bates played in hardcore and indie rock bands (XOXO, Bulletproof Nothing) while contemporaneously continuing to fiddle obsessively with the shortwave radio his father bought him as a child — sensibilities that continue to meld and inform his sound work to this day. Bates founded the Send + Receive Festival in 1998, a crucial development in putting Winnipeg on the map for avant music and experimental sound art, which he helmed for seven years. Moving to Tiohti:áke/Montréal in 2005 he took on the Sound Coordinator position at Hexagram (Concordia University), released solo and duo work on ORAL_records and two albums with his Black Seas Ensemble on The Dim Coast, while pursuing myriad other ongoing audio research, installation and collaborative projects. His exhibition and site-specific works have been presented throughout North America and Europe, Chile and Senegal. 

                            TRACK LISTING

                            A1 Groves Of…everything!
                            A2 These Problems Are Multiplied By The Difficulty I Have In Front Of A Tape Recorder
                            A3 Glistening
                            A4 Covered In Silt And Weed
                            B1 Destroy The Palace
                            B2 Glimpse An End
                            B3 Bring On Black Flames
                            B4 We Do Not, Nor To Hide
                            B5 September Through September

                            Steve Pilgrim

                            Beautiful Blue

                              Working with Paul Weller as producer and co-writer on his 5th studio album, Liverpool troubadour Steve Pilgrim releases the achingly melancholic “Beautiful Blue” on Ltd Vinyl and CD. The album features Paul Weller, Steve Craddock and Rachael Jean Harris with string arrangements from Hannah Peel.

                              “Stevie, I’ve got this idea I thought might be good for you…”

                              A text from Paul Weller was the only inspiration Steve Pilgrim needed to finish the writing of his much-anticipated sixth album ‘Beautiful Blue’

                              Acclaimed songwriter Steve Pilgrim, who has played drums and sung with living legend Paul Weller for more than a decade, was in the middle of writing the songs of his life when a modern catalyst arrived. Pilgrim was reaching for humanity, humility and sanity in a fouled and confused pre-pandemic world of cultural unrest and rising extremism when the audio note landed (“Stevie, I’ve got this idea I thought might be good for you…”) and set the scene for Pilgrim’s progress.

                              “It was pre-pandemic, but still a time of political and cultural unrest in the UK: Brexit, austerity, the rise of extremism in various forms. It felt as a country we were being divided, pulled-apart… atomised. In the midst of this unrest and disquiet - as people, individuals, families, as humans - there was a sense of loss of direction and I felt it was important to break through to the other side with some semblance of positivity and hope. That’s how these songs started: to start making sense of becoming a functioning human in a dysfunctional country.”

                              That’s how they started, but it was the text from Weller that helped bring them together for critically-acclaimed songsmith Pilgrim. These sketches of songs, melodies and chord progressions became the beginning of a co-writing direction for Pilgrim/Weller and took the material to a new place, tugging and pushing the softly-spoken Scouser in new ways that only Weller could provoke. Tunes such as ‘Test of Faith’, ‘Don’t Let The Mirror Break You’, ‘One With All’, ‘Universe’ and ‘Where Our Love Goes’ have echoes of Pilgrim’s previous work, but add a warmth and classicism found in his co-writer’s celebrated ‘True Meanings’ record.

                              “By the time the pandemic arrived in 2020 the songs were ready and Paul suggested we start recording the album at his studio in Woking. With the assistance of house engineer and sonic wizard Charles Rees, within three days we had the bulk of the record done. We had ‘Beautiful Blue’ and everything was going to be ok.”

                              With the aural assistance of string arrangements from the renowned Hannah Peel, ‘Beautiful Blue’ is the work of an artist who finds strength in still life and shouts loudest when whispering. The songs on this album are streamlined, lacking fat and offer intricate acoustic guitar playing weaving in and out of memorable melodies (‘New Sky’), undulating strings (the gorgeous title track) and devastatingly delicate vocal harmonies (‘Everyday’).

                              “This set of songs took a while to complete as I wanted to impose thematic constraints on my writing. I knew it was important to stay focused and that’s when the message from Paul arrived. What an honour. The songs might now be written, but they couldn’t be realised without listeners… it would be great to see you at a gig.”

                              TRACK LISTING

                              1 New Sky
                              2 Lifeboat
                              3 Beautiful Blue
                              4 Test Of Faith
                              5 Bread And Honey
                              6 Whistle In The Wind
                              7 Don’t Let The Mirror Break You
                              8 One With All
                              9 Universe
                              10 Olive
                              11 Where Our Love Goes
                              12 Everyday

                              Steve Earle & The Dukes

                              Jerry Jeff

                                Steve Earle has been creating intimate and personal music for well over four decades now. His songwriting has wound itself along a path from Texas to Tennessee and his education came in the form of learning from the best. 2009"s Grammy-nominated record, Townes was a tribute to his dear friend and mentor, Townes Van Zandt. Ten years later Earle released, Guy. An album concentrated on paying homage to the late Guy Clark and the indelible friendship that they had formed in stories told through song. 2022 welcomes the release of Jerry Jeff. A 10-song collection of songs written by the gypsy songman, Jerry Jeff Walker. Featuring hits like, 'Mr Bojangles' and 'Gettin' By', Earle and The Dukes honor the late Texan by amplifying the concept and sound of each song with a full-band recording.

                                TRACK LISTING

                                1. Gettin' By
                                2. Gypsy Songman
                                3. Little Bird
                                4. I Makes Money (Money Don't Make Me)
                                5. Mr Bojangles
                                6. Hill Country Rain
                                7. Charlie Dunn
                                8. My Old Man
                                9. Wheel
                                10. Old Road

                                Steve Gunn

                                Way Out Weather - 2022 Reissue

                                  'Way Out Weather' completes Steve Gunn's satisfying transformation into a mature songwriter, singer and bandleader of subtlety and authority. The critically acclaimed Time Off (2013), his first full-band album highlighting his vocals represented the culmination of Steve's steady 15 year migration from the fringes of the guitar avant garde, where he is regarded as a prodigy, and towards his especial style of more traditionally informed songcraft.

                                  "A voice as rich and warm as Tim Buckley or a young Van Morrison" - The Wire.

                                  "His tunes unfurl like bales of wire rolling down country roads" - Uncut.


                                  An enthusiastic and generous collaborator - recently he has partnered with Kurt Vile, Michael Chapman, Mike Cooper, The Black Twig Pickers, Cian Nugent - Gunn's WOW band comprised longtime musical brothers Jason Meagher (bass, drones, engineering), Justin Tripp (bass, guitars, keys, production), and John Truscinski (drums), in addition to newcomers Nathan Bowles (drums, pianos, keys: Black Twig Pickers, Pelt); James Elkiington (guitar, lap steel, dobro: Freakwater, Jeff Tweedy); Mary Lattimore (harp, keys: Thurston Moore, Kurt Vile); and Jimmy Sei Tang (synths, electronics: Psychic Ills, Rhyton).

                                  A radical widescreen evolution, 'Way Out Weather' is Steve's career defining statement to date.

                                  Ensemble Intercontemporain

                                  Steve Reich: Reich/Richter

                                    Nonesuch Records releases the first recording of Steve Reich’s Reich/Richter, performed by Ensemble intercontemporain and conducted by George Jackson. The composition was originally written to be performed with German visual artist Gerhard Richter and Corinna Belz’s film Moving Picture (946-3).

                                    Reich describes Richter’s book Patterns, which served as source material for the film: “It starts with one of his abstract paintings from the ’90s. He scanned a photo of the painting into a computer and then cut the scan in half and took each half, cut that in half and two of the four quarters he reversed into mirror images. He then repeated this process of ‘divide, mirror, repeat’ from half to quarter, eighth, sixteenth, thirty-second, all the way up to 4096th. The net effect is to go from an abstract painting to a series of gradually smaller anthropomorphic ‘creatures’ (since the mirroring produces bilateral symmetry) to still smaller very fine stripes.

                                    “Belz described the film in terms of ‘pixels’. It begins with two-‘pixel’ stripes and the music begins with a two-sixteenth note oscillating pattern. When the film moves to four ‘pixels’, the music moves to a four-sixteenth note pattern, then to eight, and sixteen,” the composer continues. “After that, I began introducing longer note values – initially eighth notes, and later to quarter notes. By the middle of the film, when the images move from 512 to 1064 pixels, the music really slows to dotted half notes. Finally, as the ‘pixel’ count begins to diminish, the music moves back into more rapid eighths and then ending with the most intense rapid sixteenth movement.”

                                    After more than one hundred performances of Reich/Richter at The Shed in New York in 2019, it was performed in London at the Barbican by the Britten Sinfonia conducted by Colin Currie and then in Paris at the Philharmonie, where this recording was made. The Austrian ensemble Windkraft Tirol, led by Kasper de Roo, will perform Reich/Richter on September 8 at Szentrum, Silbersaal in Schwaz, and the LA Phil New Music Group, led by Brad Lubman, performs the piece, accompanied by Richter and Belz’s film, at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on April 1, 2023.

                                    Nonesuch has recorded every new piece of music by Steve Reich since 1985, beginning with The Desert Music and continuing through 2018’s Pulse/Quartet, resulting in twenty-two albums and the two box sets Phases in 2006 and Works: 1965-1995 in 1997. The label will put out a collection of his complete works in 2023.

                                    Reich released a book last month, Conversations, that includes dialogues with past collaborators, fellow composers, musicians, and visual artists who have been influenced by his work, including: David Lang, Brian Eno, Richard Serra, Michael Gordon, Michael Tilson Thomas, Russell Hartenberger, Robert Hurwitz, Stephen Sondheim, Jonny Greenwood, David Harrington, Elizabeth Lim-Dutton, David Robertson, Micaela Haslam, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Julia Wolfe, Nico Muhly, Beryl Korot, Colin Currie, and Brad Lubman. Booklist said in its review, ‘Iconoclastic American composer Steve Reich is singular in his own right, and when he is in conversation with other equally iconoclastic composers, conductors, sculptors, musicians, percussionists, and video artists, sparks not only fly, they sparkle. Reich and his colleagues conduct lovely give-and-takes during which they share stories, creative approaches, and viewpoints. Reich's Conversations is the best kind of eavesdropping.’

                                    Steve Reich has been called ‘America’s greatest living composer’ (Village Voice), ‘the most original musical thinker of our time’ (New Yorker), and ‘among the great composers of the century’ (New York Times). His music has influenced composers and mainstream musicians all over the world. Music for 18 Musicians and Different Trains have earned him two Grammy Awards, and in 2009, his Double Sextet won the Pulitzer Prize. Reich’s documentary video opera works – The Cave and Three Tales, done in collaboration with video artist Beryl Korot – have been performed on four continents. His recent work Quartet, for percussionist Colin Currie, sold out two consecutive concerts at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London shortly after tens of thousands at the Glastonbury Festival heard Jonny Greenwood (of Radiohead) perform Electric Counterpoint followed by the London Sinfonietta performing his Music for 18 Musicians.

                                    In 2012, Reich was awarded the Gold Medal in Music by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has additionally received the Praemium Imperiale in Tokyo, the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm, the BBVA Award in Madrid, and the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale. He has been named Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres and has been awarded honorary doctorates by the Royal College of Music in London, The Juilliard School, and the Liszt Academy in Budapest, among others. ‘There’s just a handful of living composers who can legitimately claim to have altered the direction of musical history and Steve Reich is one of them’, states the Guardian.

                                    Pierre Boulez founded the Ensemble intercontemporain in 1976 with the support of Michel Guy (who was France’s Minister of Culture at the time) and the collaboration of Nicholas Snowman. The Ensemble’s thirty-one soloists share a passion for twentieth and twenty-first century music. Under the artistic direction of Matthias Pintscher, the musicians work in close collaboration with composers, exploring instrumental techniques and developing projects that interweave music, dance, theater, film, video and visual arts. In collaboration with IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique), the Ensemble intercontemporain is also active in the field of synthetic sound generation. New pieces are commissioned and performed on a regular basis. Resident of the Cité de la musique – Philharmonie de Paris, the Ensemble performs and records in France and abroad, taking part in major festivals worldwide.

                                    George Jackson, winner of the 2015 Aspen Conducting Prize, came to attention after stepping in at short notice with Orchestre de Paris, where he stepped in for Daniel Harding. Recent highlights include leading Ensemble intercontemporain at Festival Romaeuropa, the Rainy Days Festival in Luxembourg, and Festival D’Automne in Paris, as well as conducting the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the orchestra of Opéra de Rouen and the world premiere of Tscho Theissing’s Genia with Theater an der Wien. His varied operatic experience includes performances at Opera North, Hamburg State Opera and Opera Holland Park, as well as conducting a new production of Hänsel und Gretel at Grange Park Opera.


                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    Reich/Richter: Opening
                                    Reich/Richter: Patterns & Scales
                                    Reich/Richter: Cross Fades
                                    Reich/Richter: Ending

                                    Hefner

                                    Steve Lamacq Session 24​.​03​.​99

                                      Third and final Hefner contribution to the Precious singles series … and what a contribution it is, a session from Steve Lamacq’s ‘Live Lounge’ with a Jonathan Richman cover in the mix. The download will also include ‘The Hymn For The Cigarettes’, which the band played live into the show from Maida Vale. Plus the package includes a set of four 'Hefner does DiY' postcards by Darren Hayman, which any self-respecting fan will surely want. And he's done his usual top job on the sleeve notes.

                                      TRACK LISTING

                                      1. The Weight Of The Stars (Lamacq Session) 02:57
                                      2. The Hymn For The Things We Didn't Do (Lamacq Session) 03:38
                                      3. Every Little Gesture (Lamacq Session) 04:04
                                      4. To Hide A Little Thought (Lamacq Session) 03:04

                                      Hefner

                                      Steve Lamacq Session 15​.​07​.​98

                                        Indie favourites Hefner were to become regulars at the BBC’s Maida Vale Studios with both Steve Lamacq and John Peel vying for their services. This is the group’s first-ever BBC session, recorded for Lamacq soon after the release of their debut LP; among the four songs is live favourite Twisting Mary’s Arm, which was usually the closing song of their live set. According to Darren Hayman, they intended never to record it but eventually relented. Gatefold package also includes free downloads of original BBC files and a set of postcards.

                                        TRACK LISTING

                                        1. The Librarian (Lamacq Session) 04:17
                                        2. Tactile (Lamacq Session) 04:53
                                        3. May God Protect Your Home (Lamacq Session) 04:11
                                        4. Twisting Mary's Arm (Lamacq Session) 05:04

                                        Steve E. Nix And The Famous Lizards

                                        Motorcade EP

                                          Steve E. Nix and The Famous Lizards are a new four-piece group led by guitarist/singer Steve E. Nix (from legendary Seattle punk band The Briefs). Accompanying him as The Famous Lizards are bassist Kicks (also from The Briefs), guitarist Emi Pop and drummer Miles Freeborn. The Motorcade EP is the band’s debut release. Available on a limited edition black vinyl 7”, it features four killer pop-punk tracks, just what you’d expect from the prolific pen of Steve E. Nix. “I’m a punk rocker who loves guitars and interesting songs. I really like The Godfathers” says Steve. Steve has been putting out quality underground music since 2000 when The Briefs released their first single ‘Poor And Weird’. After four albums, a slew of singles and relentless touring, The Briefs took a well-earned hiatus. Never one to stay still for long Steve almost immediately formed and fronted The Cute Lepers. With Briefs’ bassist Kicks on board and a rotating cast of drummers, guitarists and back-up singers The Cute Lepers continued to tour across the US and Europe and released three albums, all on Damaged Goods Records, along with a bunch of 7” singles. In 2014 The Briefs started touring again and also began work on an album, Platinum Rats, which was eventually released by Damaged Goods Records in 2019.

                                          Steve Gunn

                                          Other You

                                            Acclaimed songwriter and Piccadilly favourite, Steve Gunn returns this summer with the follow up to his wonderful 2019 album  "The Unseen Inbetween".

                                            Recorded in Los Angeles with Grammy Award winning producer and engineer Rob Schnapf, Gunn sought to create an album that would push his melodic and compositional sensibilities to thrilling new heights. The resulting tracks find Gunn pushing his cosmic Americana to exciting new dimensions encompassing elements of prog, jazz, and contemporary classical music.

                                            The album also features contributions from Mary Lattimore, Juliana Barwick, Bridget St. John and Jeff Parker.

                                            STAFF COMMENTS

                                            Barry says: We all loved The Unseen Inbetween in the shop, and 'Other You' i'm sure will go down just as well. It's quintessentially Gunn, with soaring melodies and perfectly poised guitar sitting wonderfully in the mix beneath Steve's unmistakeable husky vocals. A gorgous work once again from one of the greatest in the 'biz.

                                            TRACK LISTING

                                            Other You
                                            Fulton
                                            Morning River
                                            Good Wind
                                            Circuit Rider
                                            On The Way
                                            Protection
                                            The Painter
                                            Reflection
                                            Sugar Kiss
                                            Ever Feel That Way

                                            Steve Reid Ensemble (featuring Kieran Hebden)

                                            Spirit Walk (RSD21 EDITION)

                                              THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2021 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON SATURDAY JULY 17TH 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 6PM ON THE SAME DAY (SATURDAY JULY 17TH).


                                              This album is released as a special one-off exclusive blue double vinyl edition for Record Store Day 2021. Out of print for nearly 15 years, this album was recorded at the start of the long-relationship between Kieran Hebden and drummer extraordinaire Steve Reid. Soul Jazz Records had begun to release Reidís music in 2000, reissuing much of his early catalogue of radical, deep and spiritual jazz music from the 1970s when an encounter between electronic music pioneer Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid effectively launched a new career for jazz drummer Reid - a man steeped in history having played with John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Fela Kuti, Motown and much more.

                                              Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid released a set of ground-breaking albums together in London, New York and Africa (including four on Domino Records) and continued to work together up until Steve Reid died in 2010. This album launched the start of this new connection between the two very different and yet connected artists  a mixture of electronic and jazz sensibilities like no other. The album Spirit Walk contains an updated version of Reidís seminal Lions of Judah (originally released on Reidís classic Nova in 1976), For Coltrane, and the stunning and epic 15-min Drum Song. The album comes with complete original artwork, including innersleeves (featuring an interview with Steve Reid by Gilles Peterson).


                                              TRACK LISTING

                                              A 1. Lugano (7.02) 2. Bridget (5.49) 3. For Coltrane (8.03)
                                              B 1. Blind Tom (1.23) 2. Which One? (6:43) 3. Lions Of Juda (8.26)
                                              C 1. It Cannot Be True (6.04) 2. Unity (9:10)
                                              D 1. Drum Story (14.29)

                                              James Johnston / Steve Gullick

                                              We Travel Time

                                                James Johnston (Gallon Drunk / Nick Cave / PJ Harvey) and Steve Gullick (renowned music photographer) are pleased to announce their new album. It's a dark but beautiful trip. After working together on an art show in late 2019, the idea of making music again immediately resurfaced. Without any firm strategy, Johnston and Gullick began recording, unprompted, drawing 3 upon a shared love of noise, folk, and classical. After the first tracks began to evolve, however, they knew they’d unearthed something compelling and fresh, not to mention unexpectedly mysterious. This became WE TRAVEL TIME.The result is a deceptively crafted album that slowly reveals – and, more importantly, embraces – beauty in its cracks. Piano, voice, violin and guitar create a drifting haze, with the focus on these acoustic elements forging an imagined soundtrack which offers echoes of Big Star, Nico, Lee Hazlewood and Palace Brothers, as well as the gentle, haunting influence of contemporary minimal classical. Ambient sounds – birds, rain, cars, clocks, distant voices – also drift in and out, melting into the music’s fabric via windows left open during the early 2020 heatwave. WE TRAVEL TIME, nonetheless, resists definition, remaining enigmatically timeless.

                                                Prefab Sprout

                                                Steve McQueen - National Album Day Edition

                                                  A 'National Album Day' release - Pressed on Clear LP Vinyl. 

                                                  Alternative pop rock band Prefab Sprout formed in 1978 in Newcastle and rose to fame during the 1980s. Frontman Paddy McAloon is regularly hailed as one of the great songwriters of his generation. 'Steve McQueen' is their second album and was originally released in 1985. Smart, sophisticated and timelessly stylish, 'Steve McQueen' is somewhat of a classic, a shimmering indie / jazz-pop masterpiece sparked by Paddy McAloon's witty and inventive songwriting. One for fans of the Smiths, Everything But The Girl etc.

                                                  Graeme Miller & Steve Shill

                                                  The Carrier Frequency

                                                    Frozen in time over four decades, this 1984 ‘cyclic incantation’ combines electroacoustics, grazed euphoria, industrial aesthetics, sampled salvage and recycled mechanic folk to score a widely revered dystopian physical theatre performance from the UK’s hugely influential Impact Theatre Co-Operative. From a seminal post-punk art-action faction (formed in a Leeds warehouse space alongside Gang Of Four and The Mekons), this apocalyptic prophecy not only cracked avant garde stage boundaries but provided a captive audience with stunning set design and an incredible broken-music soundtrack before its swan song amidst Poland’s 1986 power plant panic. From the sonic workbench of the very same bedsitsituationists that created the haunting 1983 music to ‘The Moomins’ TV animation comes the eventual isolated music release to this pioneering theatrical spectacle of truly mythical status.

                                                    ‘The Carrier Frequency’ (1984) was a legendary stage work that emerged from the collaboration between the influential performance company Impact Theatre Co-operative and cult novelist Russel Hoban. The incantation of Hoban’s text voiced in the broken verbiage of a post-apocalyptic broken language and the entranced physicality of Impact’s ritualistic performance in a pool of cold dark water printed deeply on those who witnessed it. It reached an impassioned crescendo on the rising score by Graeme Miller and Steve Shill who also performed in the work. The music exploited samples from Hoban’s own recordings of the shortwave radio broadcasts which he tuned in as he wrote, helping him order the green phosphorescent letters on the screen of his Apple computer. Shill and Miller mirrored Hoban’s channelling in their approach to making the score, following the notion that this was the broadcast of some Central Eurasian radio station doomed forever to circulate fragments of static interlaced with desultory public information broadcasts and ‘The Record’, its only surviving fragment of a lost culture.

                                                    The score was forged on an 8-track tape recorder sandwiching harmonium and accordion with the output of a digital delay machine that could trap and fragments of audio to be triggered and manually pitched. It is a knowingly crude montage where samples denote fragmentation itself and their reassembly, like Frankenstein’s monster, shows the stitches that join the stolen body parts.

                                                    Available for the first-time ever on deluxe vinyl with the full cooperation of the composers and Impact Theatre Co-Operative lynchpins Graeme Miller and Steve Shill.

                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                    A Long Paleness
                                                    Reggie Windmill
                                                    Landschaft
                                                    And Now The Record
                                                    Longdream
                                                    Beat Frequency Oscillator
                                                    Without Impatience
                                                    A False Altar
                                                    The Girl From Tirana

                                                    Alison Chesley, Steve Albini, Tim Midyett

                                                    Music From The Film Girl On The Third Floor

                                                      Touch and Go release a double LP of music from the film Girl on the Third Floor; "creepy instrumental music" as described by co-creator Steve Albini. When director Travis Stevens called about composing music for his new horror film, Steve Albini (Shellac) found himself with a new creative challenge. After meeting with Stevens and Greg Newman from Queensbury Pictures, Steve signed on and recruited Tim Midyett (Mint Mile, Silkworm) and Alison Chesley (Helen Money) to complete the ensemble that would compose and record the soundtrack. Guest vocals on “Irish” by Gaelynn Lea. Upon completion of the soundtrack, Albini reflected, "Tim and Alison are a joy to work with, very open-minded and eager, and master musicians. Just great. That whole part of it, writing and playing with them, was fucking fantastic and effortless, and I wish I could do it all the time."

                                                      The Illness

                                                      Descending G' W/ Steve West & 'Phrases Redacted' W/ Bob Nastanovich

                                                        The debut, limited edition 12" by The Illness featuring collaborations with Steve West and Bob Nastanovich (Pavement & Silver Jews).

                                                        The Illness are a UK collective of Sea-related personnel (members of Ambulance / Wolf Solent / Broken Arm / Alisia Casper) This 12" is the first release following 5+ years of scrapped sessions, line-up changes and other distractions.

                                                        This double sided single serves as a precursor to an Illness album, due to be recorded/released in 2020 (worldwide crisis permitting).

                                                        Both tracks were initially recorded in the basement of a former maternity home, Heworth Moor House in York (on Scout Niblett's old 8-track machine), then sent to Steve and Bob respectively. Steve recorded his vocals at Marble Valley Studio, Richmond, Virginia and Bob in Des Moines, Iowa.

                                                        The songs were mixed and Mastered by Iwan Morgan (Euros Childs, Cate le Bon, Gruff Rhys, Laura J Martin).

                                                        ‘Love & Peace’ sees Steve mixing up all of his much-loved ingredients to deliver a fresh new record that offers the perfect antidote for the troubled times in which we live. Full of hope for the future, it’s a great mix of boogie, blues, rock, Americana and folk – all delivered in Seasick Steve’s unique style. It’s a sizzler of an album that he can’t wait to release.

                                                        “In these crazy times seems to me there just ain’t enough love and peace to go around,” says Steve. “I ain’t exactly sure what this here record got to do with love and peace, but I figured I’d call it that anyways!”

                                                        Produced and written by Seasick Steve, this album sees him breaking with tradition. While some of it was recorded in his barn, the majority was recorded in Los Angeles at Studio 606 and at East West Studio 3. The album was mixed by Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton) and Steve at East West.

                                                        Steve’s long-term drummer Dan Magnusson (a.k.a. Crazy Dan) is of course featured on the record, along with some amazing contributions from guitarist Luther Dickinson (North Mississippi Allstars) and harmonica player Malcolm Arison (The BossHoss).

                                                        Steve adds, “This was recorded on 2” analogue tape, mixed to analogue tape and for the vinyl it was cut from the 1/2” master tape direct to lathe. ‘Old skool’, no computer, hear what I’m sayin’? I hope you like it ok. Adios amigos!”


                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                        1. Love & Peace
                                                        2. Regular Man
                                                        3. I Will Do For You
                                                        4. Clock Is Running
                                                        5. Carni Days
                                                        6. Church Of Me
                                                        7. Toes In The Mud
                                                        8. My Woman
                                                        9. Ain’t Nothin’ Like The Boogie
                                                        10. Travelling Man
                                                        11. Ready Or Not
                                                        12. Mercy

                                                        The third album on Black Focus continues the South London tradition but this time in the form of one of the originators: a triple OG, Steve Spacek. Spacek recently released a solo record through Alexander Nut’s imprint Eglo, dBridge’s Exit Records as Blackpocket, following on from his work with Ninja Tune under the Beat Spacek moniker and collaboration with Mark Pritchard as Africa HiTech on Warp. He’s also made formative work with legendary artists J Dilla, Raphael Saddiq, Q Tip and Common and made early drum & bass tunes with his brother dBridge. It’s an incredible career resume and an honour to be releasing this new work.

                                                        ‘Houses’ sees Spacek return to his Detroit influences, with house music at the heart of this record as its foundation but as with all Spacek’s releases, it transcends genre and focuses more on swing, melody and feeling. There are elements of soul, jazz and R&B interlaced within the DNA of his electronic music, alongside his signature falsetto vocals. The entire project was produced using iPhone and iPad apps, an approach Steve champions and feels liberated by using technology to join the past with the present.

                                                        Describing the project his own words: “It’s been well overdue for me to be releasing some 4/4 House vibes! This music has been a big part of my musical journey from dot. Mainly from two angles. The first is, of course, the early rave scene in London and the UK in general, with all its early iterations. Techno from the D, acid, (happy) hardcore, what we use to call dub house (pre jungle), coming into Garage and Balearic to name a few. The other angle is the music production angle: I’ve always used the basic 4/4 template as a means of being able to learn a new piece of recording equipment. Whenever I get any new beat making hardware or software, I’d always make a house beat. I find it the easiest music to make and have always joked about how I can knock up a house beat in 10 minutes! Well now I have an LP’s worth to share! Taken a tad longer than 10min but hey ;) Enjoy.”

                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                        Rawl Aredo
                                                        Waiting 4 You
                                                        Where We Go
                                                        Tell Me
                                                        African Dream
                                                        Songlife
                                                        Higher Place
                                                        Single Stream
                                                        Love 4 Nano
                                                        Bright Eyes Rev *
                                                        Yu Used To Love *
                                                        Me *
                                                        Who Cares *
                                                        Child Insperation *

                                                        * = CD Bonus Track

                                                        Apollo XXI is the debut album from Steve Lacy - best known as the guitarist of space-soul band The Internet. At the ripe age of 20, the Grammy-nominated Compton native already has a veteran’s resume; he was Wired Magazine’s Tech Visionary, Time Magazine’s Most Influential Teen, produced-written-featured with Solange, J Cole, Vampire Weekend, Blood Orange and produced some of Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN on his iPhone. He’s also toured the world with his band mates The Internet, given a TED Talk, worked extensively with Louis Vuitton on behalf of Virgil Abloh (including walking at the LV Paris Fashion Week show) and now releases his debut album on his own terms. The most purely glorious song is Playground, whose one-chord rhythm guitar jangles as if announcing the arrival of swallows, ice cream and Love Island all at once, and is met by a limber falsetto top line worthy of Sly and the Family Stone.

                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                        Only If
                                                        Like Me Feat. Daisy 
                                                        Playground
                                                        Basement Jack
                                                        Guide 
                                                        Lay Me Down
                                                        Hate CD 
                                                        In Lust We Trust
                                                        Love 2 Fast
                                                        Amandla’s Interlude
                                                        N Side
                                                        Outro Freestyle/4ever

                                                        Prefab Sprout

                                                        Steve McQueen - Half Speed Master Edition

                                                          Off the back of the incredible latest album ‘I Trawl The Megahertz‘, and following last month’s first hit of remastered vinyl, Prefab Sprout have announced an exciting next batch, featuring four of the band’s classic albums - out October 25th - all overseen by Paddy and Martin McAloon. The releases include Prefab Sprout’s renowned hit album ‘Steve McQueen’ - this time arriving as a ½ speed remaster from the original tapes and follows its 2007 ‘legacy edition’ release. An album that frequently graces critics’ “all time best” lists, it’s a record that is highly-revered. The BBC labelled it as “one of the greats. What really matters is the music. Really. If you have never listened to this album then I urge, no, demand that you do.” The releases include Prefab Sprout’s fourth studio album ‘Protest Songs’ - an essential release for the band that secured them a UK Top 20 record, as well as their sixth album ‘Andromeda Heights’, that spawned singles ‘A Prisoner Of The Past’ & ‘Electric Guitars’ and comes on 180g black vinyl for the very first time. Finally, the fourth part in the latest batch is the band’s newly mastered and remastered release of 2009’s ‘Let’s Change The World With Music’ - seen widely as the band’s comeback album, which received critical acclaim. Promo & marketing activity.

                                                          Steve Moore

                                                          Beloved Exile

                                                            Beloved Exile is the new studio full-length by Steve Moore, his first non-soundtrack album in over five years, and his first for Temporary Residence Ltd. A prevalent figure of the modern synth era, Moore cofounded the influential synth-prog duo, Zombi, and has scored more than a dozen feature films and TV shows, including The Guest, Crunch Time, and Mayhem. Composed and produced by Steve Moore in his home studio in upstate New York, Beloved Exile is a collaboration with internationally-renowned Tunisian singer-songwriter Emel Mathlouthi, visionary harpist Mary Lattimore, and veteran percussionist Jeff Gretz. Drawing influences from vintage ambient synth libraries, New Age/spiritual music, and menacing horror film canon, Beloved Exile proves to be simultaneously exquisite and deceptively unsettling. It is appropriate, then, that a literary treasure like John Darnielle (The Mountain Goats), would provide the song and album titles – his masterful mind most fitting to put moniker to this mercurial triumph. 

                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                            1. Your Sentries Will Be Met With Force (5:27)
                                                            2. In The Shelter Of The Dunes (5:15)
                                                            3. Beloved Exile (5:26)
                                                            4. Throne Lane (5:09)
                                                            5. My Time Among The Snake Lords (15:36)

                                                            Steve Marino

                                                            Fluff

                                                              Recommended If You Like: Bill Callahan, Cass McCombs, Damien Jurado, Hovvdy, Phoebe Bridgers, Sam Evian, Sun Kil Moon. Over the last decade Steve Marino has recorded multiple solo albums (as Moor Hound), been in countless bands, and toured the country consistently, but his newest full-length, Fluff, is the first collection of songs he’s released in his own name. In that sense it’s his “debut” album. One might expect such a transition, from the artifice of a band name to the intimacy of one’s given name, to be born of some newfound, inward focus. It makes sense; it’s a story of an artist going back to basics, getting real. It’s also not what happened.

                                                              Fluff is an album about home, and one’s place in it, love, and intimacy, and it’s the result of Steve marrying his direct, honest songwriting with a deeply collaborative process. He developed the record with fellow Bloomington, Indiana resident, and standout producer/engineer Ben Lumsdaine (Kevin Krauter, Major Murphy, Spissy) and together they open up the songs, giving them tangible depth. The title track, “Fluff”, with its precise drums, layered guitars, and visceral, emotive vocals, captures the power of this collaboration. It’s a song that is delicate, yet driving, lyrically opaque, yet emotionally direct. It is, like the rest of the album, in perfect balance. Press Quotes: “Steve Marino’s folksy, Midwestern vibes are genuine. Based out of Bloomington, IN, Marino makes music that’s easy on the ear and the soul” Indie Shuffle // “Marino’s heartfelt tunes are ballads for the every person, stripped to simplicity for repeated enjoyment.” Austin Town Hall… Tracks: Fluff, Six Two Four, On the Line, Green and Blue, Open Door, Under the Table, Dehilya, Va. 

                                                              Steve 'Doc' Willoughby

                                                              All My Life

                                                              In 1978 multi talented New Jersey singer songwriter Steve Willoughby recorded an incredible piece of sweet, soulful and orchestral disco, arranged by his good friend, the late great Tony Camillo, ‘All My Life’ will make you feel good about living and loving!
                                                              The original version will whet your appetite for the main event; an extended version which has been miraculously restructured by Phillip Ward, building to a mind blowing crescendo, never heard before until now!

                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                              1. All My Life (long Version) (5:24)
                                                              2. All My Life (3:05)

                                                              Having written most of his previous albums alone, About The Light marks a change in approach for Steve.

                                                              “I decided with this album that I wanted to get my live band involved at every stage because I wanted to capture the energy that we produce when we play live shows, so this time the band and myself worked on a collection of songs over the course of last year,” he explains.

                                                              Picking Stephen Street to produce the album, and with a very clear plan in mind, from the off the goal was to capture the songs live and draw out their soulful elements.

                                                              Talking about the process, Stephen Street says, “Steve explained that he wanted to make this album with his band playing more ‘live’ than on some of his previous offerings and also to augment the songs with brass and female backing vocalists. I felt this approach of first stripping back the songs to a more ‘live’ feel to create more space for the more ‘soulful’ elements to breathe in was an interesting one and we got down to work!”

                                                              Recorded at studios in London and Brighton, About The Light, sees a subtle yet noticeable evolution in Steve’s sound.

                                                              “When I listen to this album it feels and sounds like the first ‘legitimate’ record that I have ever made. It’s hard to explain but it sounds like a ‘real’ album. I think that is partly the production, the playing and the work that I did with the band for all those months in our rehearsal room on the South Coast,” says Steve.

                                                              “It’s a beautiful, confident, positive, angry, loving and gentle album which once again moves what I do forward,” he adds. “David Bowie said that you should always be slightly out of your comfort zone if you want to achieve greatness, and for the first time perhaps ever, I deliberately pushed myself into that place. Who doesn’t want greatness?”

                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                              Laura says: Wearing his heart on his sleeve both emotionally and politically, the former Beta Band front man brings us his best and most direct album to date. As ever he dabbles with different genres, be it folky ballads, melodica tinged dub, Stones-ey southern Soul or big hook filled pop songs, but this time around, more than ever, he’s managed to meld everything into a cohesive, uplifting whole.

                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                              1. America Is Your Boyfriend
                                                              2. Rocket
                                                              3. No Clue
                                                              4. About The Light
                                                              5. Fox On The Rooftop
                                                              6. Stars Around My Heart
                                                              7. Spanish Brigade
                                                              8. Don’t Know Where
                                                              9. Walking Away From Love
                                                              10. The End

                                                              FOR A LIMITED PERIOD ONLY BOTH ALL FORMATS INCLUDE A FREE CD BONUS DISC, 'ACOUSTIC UNSEEN' (TRACKLISTING BELOW).

                                                              For over a decade, guitarist/vocalist Steve Gunn has been one the American music’s most pivotal figures-conjuring immersive and psychedelic sonic landscapes both live and on record, releasing revered solo albums ranking high on in-the-know end of year lists, alongside exploratory collaborations with artists as diverse as Mike Cooper, Kurt Vile, and Michael Chapman (whose most recent studio album he produced). Gunn is known for telling other people's stories, but on his breakthrough fourth album, The Unseen In Between, he explores his own emotional landscapes with his most complex, fully realized songs to date. 

                                                              STAFF COMMENTS

                                                              Laura says: Steve Gunn’s talents as a guitarist are well known, whether it be the American primitive finger picking style of his early work, as a member of Kurt Vile’s Violators or from any number of collaborations over the years, but on this album it’s as much about the songs as the guitar. His songwriting conjures vivid images while at the same time leaving space for your imagination to fill the gaps. This is beautifully exemplified on “Vagabond” on which he duets with Espers’ Meg Baird and “Stonehurst Cowboy” a tribute to his father and his generation who grew up in the shadow of Vietnam. And the guitars! Did I mention the guitars? Whether it’s the gentle acoustics of “New Moon” or the hypnotic looping riffs of “New Familiar” and “Morning Is Mended”, they are truly mesmerizing. A wonderfully understated record that’s already worked its way into my all time favourites.

                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                              New Moon
                                                              Vagabond
                                                              Chance
                                                              Stonehurst Cowboy
                                                              Luciano
                                                              New Familiar
                                                              Lightning Field
                                                              Morning Is Mended
                                                              Paranoid

                                                              'ACOUSTIC UNSEEN' BONUS DISC:
                                                              1. New Moon
                                                              2. Vagabond
                                                              3. Chance
                                                              4. Luciano
                                                              5. New Familiar
                                                              6. Lightining Field
                                                              7. Paranoid

                                                              Steve Poindextor Presents: Scientifictodd

                                                              Feel Some Type Of Way

                                                                103rd released on Mathematics sees old friend Steve Poindextor come thru with a new alias - Scientifictodd. 

                                                                Beginning with the eerie and seductive creep of "Always On My Mind", we move into more typical Poindextor biznis on "Feel Some Time Of Way" with a growling b-line and darkened male vox. "Everybody Dance" isn't a tribute to Chic but instead a filthy rotten acidic barn dance. "Always On My Mind" is an abstract and experimental number, again typically Poindextor if you know what you're looking for! ;) Cerebral but feral, and more than capable of summoning up some raged nightclub demons come the witching hours. "Peacefull Bliss" concludes with a slow, churning, mainframe glitching number that's become kinda synonymous with Mathematics as a whole and closes the EP on a nigh-essential track for high grade electronic music fans. Wonderful stuff! 

                                                                Martin Hannett & Steve Hopkins

                                                                All Sorts Of Heroes

                                                                  From the shrapnel of the unlikely collision point where Mancunian post punk royalty collides with sci-fi cinema and art house animation, this obscure diamond in the rough shines a new light on the Northern DIY era providing disc detectives with a whole new punk funk perspective. Recorded in 1976 by Invisible Girls’ Steve Hopkins and Martin Hannett for a truly bizarre stopmotion animation called ‘All Sorts Of Heroes’, this hard edged funk instrumental theme reveals another side to this versatile production team, joining the hidden dots between Hannett’s own discoid experiments with ESG, Gyro, A Certain Ratio and the mythical Afro Express recordings from the same year. Embodying as much in common with 1970’s bass heavy European funk soundtracks by bands like Goblin and Placebo, as the expected parallels with John-Cooper Clarke’s backing tracks or early Happy Mondays, this early 1976 session is the perfect example of Hannett and Hopkins’ under-the-radar artistic commissions working to a storyboard brief in what has now become recognised as a fertile arena for lost filmic funk.

                                                                  Drawing historic parallels with Leeds based Graeme Miller and Steve Shill’s home recorded DIY soundtracks for ‘The Moomins’ animation and accentuating the connection between Manchester based animation house Cosgrove Hall (‘Dangermouse’ / ‘Chorlton And The Wheelies’) and its employees Bernard Sumner, John Squire and members of Gerry And The Holograms, this lost recording adds kudos to a quirky micro-niche and reveals another dimension to Northern anti-pop’s snarky personality.

                                                                  Pressed here by Finders Keepers for the first time on vinyl, in close accordance with the wishes of Steve Hopkins himself, this custom-composed track originally appeared on the short film by Rick Megginson and Steve Hughes which was shown at the Ottawa International Animation Festival in 1976 where it might have otherwise remained, preserved in an 8mm film box up until now. As relevant today as it was then, this closely recorded, cosmic cartoon, slappy funk theme provided the films backdrop for a workshop montage scene where an aardvarkian spaceman constructs a giant metal face robot which might well leave fans of Madlib and MF Doom fans pondering time travel. Like much of the lost and unreleased projects that stalled on the peripheries of early proto-Madchester, including the disco-pogo music of Spider King, Gerry And The Holograms, The 48 Chairs, Naffi and The Mothmen, this record has been frozen in time waiting for the wider marathon of independent pop to catch up.

                                                                  This 7” might well be another missing link between your Rabid, Absurd and Factory records, backed with another lesser-known Invisible Girls recording, ‘Scandinavian Wastes’, which has also been begging for its first vinyl outing since its recording in the early 1980s.

                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                  All Sorts Of Heroes
                                                                  Scandanavian Wastes

                                                                  Steve Monite / Tabu Ley Rochereau

                                                                  Only You / Hafi Deo - Frankie Francis / Nick The Record & Dan Tyler Edits

                                                                  The ever-reliable Soundway come more than correct this week with a vinyl only DJ 12" featuring two mega re-edits of GIANT Afro dancers from Steve Monite and Tabu Ley Rochereau. Now a firm favourite in many a DJ's record bag, Nigerian disco-boogie king Steve Monite's hit "Only You" (featured on Soundway's recent "Doing It In Lagos" compilation), is given a rework by Sofrito's own Frankie Francis. Frankie switches up the arrangement, boosts that pinging bassline and adds a little extra club thwomp to deliver a definitive dance floor mix of this Afro-disco bomb. Sublime synthlines, impassioned vocals and insane space echo fly at you from all sides as this masterpiece unites the club in bass-led ecstasy. On the B-side, Nick The Record teams up with Idjut Boys' Dan Tyler to take on "Hafi Deo" - a beautiful taste of breezy tropical Congolese pop from Tabu Ley Rochereau. Dubbing out most of the vocals, tweaking the arrangements and adding the requisite amount of tape delay, Nick and Dan reshape this proto-house scorcher in time honoured fashion. Imagine hearing Boyd Jarvis and Shep Pettibone back to back in a Congolese jungle - ace!

                                                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                  Patrick says: Soundway's biggest dance floor heaters get the edit treatment here, with Frankie Francis turning up the heat on Steve Monite's synth disco smasher, and Nick (The Record) and Dan (The Idjut) offering a classic dub mix of loved up afro winner "Hafi Deo".

                                                                  TRACK LISTING

                                                                  A. Steve Monite - Only You (Frankie Francis Disco Jam Mix)
                                                                  B. Tabu Ley Rochereau - Hafi Deo (Nick The Record & Dan Tyler Re-Edit Dub)

                                                                  We've Got A Fuzzbox And We’re Gonna Use It!!

                                                                  Bostin Steve Austin - Splendiferous Edition

                                                                    A keenly awaited re-press for the debut long-player from the mighty We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It!! Hailing from Birmingham, England, the punk-pop, all-female quartet, also known simply as Fuzzbox first made their mark on the nation when their debut single ‘XX Sex’ / ‘Rules and Regulations’ stormed the UK indie charts reaching the coveted Indie #1 spot in 1986 for a staggering 9 week stint. Cited as a "Loud, gaudy and mildly controversial both visually and aurally, with a willful raw amateurishness to their playing..." the band soon earned the respect of influential publications such as the NME, Melody Maker as well as recognition from DJ's Janice Long and the late, great John Peel. This 2CD/AA Sided "Splendiferous Edition" of the band’s seminal classic "Bostin' Steve Austin" originally made its CD debut on Cherry Red in 2013, some 27 years after its premiere on Vindaloo/WEA Records. Side A features the original 12 track studio album, digitally remastered from its original analogue master tapes, whilst Side AA offers a comprehensive insight into the formative Fuzzbox years compiling 22 of the band’s rarest and sought after recordings.

                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                    Disc: 1
                                                                    1. Love Is The Slug
                                                                    2. Wait And See
                                                                    3. Jackie
                                                                    4. Spirit In The Sky
                                                                    5. XX Sex
                                                                    6. Alive
                                                                    7. What's The Point
                                                                    8. You Got Me
                                                                    9. Hollow Girl
                                                                    10. Console Me
                                                                    11. Rules And Regulations
                                                                    12. Preconceptions

                                                                    Disc: 2
                                                                    1. Rules And Regulations
                                                                    2. XX Sex
                                                                    3. Do I Want To?
                                                                    4. She
                                                                    5. Aaarrrggghhh!!!
                                                                    6. Rockin' With Rita (Head To Toe)
                                                                    7. Fuzzy Faves
                                                                    8. Aaarrrggghhh!!!
                                                                    9. Spirit In The Sky
                                                                    10. Justine
                                                                    11. Radio Fuzzbox
                                                                    12. What's The Point
                                                                    13. Fever
                                                                    14. Fuzzy Ramblings
                                                                    15. Bohemian Rhapsody
                                                                    16. Rules And Regulations
                                                                    17. Rockin' With Rita (Head To Toe)
                                                                    18. Love Is The Slug
                                                                    19. What's The Point
                                                                    20. Rules And Regulations
                                                                    21. XX Sex
                                                                    22. By The Light Of The Silvery Moon

                                                                    Imagine, if you will, a foreboding homemade electro-acoustic, new age, synth driven, proto-techno, imaginary world music Portastudio soundtrack for a Polish-made animated fantasy based on a modern Finnish folk tale, created for German and Austrian TV, composed in 1982 by two politically driven post-punk theatre performers from a shared house in Leeds!

                                                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                    Barry says: This one will obviously resonate with a lot of you. the Moomins is inseparable from the quirky library synth vibes and twanging cosmic blips and twee folky bloops. It's eminently nostalgic and essential.

                                                                    TRACK LISTING

                                                                    1. The Moomins Theme
                                                                    2. Travelling Theme
                                                                    3. Hobgoblin's Hat
                                                                    4. Leaving Moomin Valley
                                                                    5. Partytime
                                                                    6. Hattyfatteners Row
                                                                    7. Woodland Band
                                                                    8. Most Unusual
                                                                    9. Midwinter Rites
                                                                    10. Piano Waltz
                                                                    11. Creepers
                                                                    12. Woodland Band Far Away
                                                                    13. Comet Shadow
                                                                    14. Comet Theme
                                                                    15. The Moomins Theme (End)

                                                                    Steve Reich / Terry Riley

                                                                    Six Pianos / Keyboard Study #1

                                                                      Played by: Gregor Schwellenbach /Hauscka/ Daniel Brauer / Paul Frick / Erol Sarp / Lukas Vogel (Grandbrothers) John Kameel Farah.

                                                                      After the widely noticed performance at the „Acht Brücken Festival 2016” at Cologne's Philharmonic Hall, Gregor Schwellenbach, Hauschka, Erol Sarp (of „Grandbrothers“), Daniel Brandt, Paul Frick (both of „Brandt Brauer Frick“) and John Kameel Farah will be releasing their interpretation of Steve Reich’s „Six Pianos” as a studio recording via FILM. The re-recording of this piece is an interpretation of Reich’s composition but still far more than just that – it is a modern approach to his idea behind it.

                                                                      The basic idea came up at the beginning of the 70s at „The Baldwin Piano & Organ Company“ in New York. During a rehearsal phase Steve Reich spent in this very piano store, the idea emerged of writing a composition for all the grand pianos available to him at the company. By the time of the finished piece, the actual number of pianos had settled down to six, whereof „Six Pianos” developed in 1973.

                                                                      On the occasion of his 80th birthday, the six pianists declare their love to Steve Reich and his composition with this release. Shaped by electronic club music as well as their classical education, they form „Six Pianos” in dignified modernity and top it off with today’s sound esthetics and technical recording possibilities.

                                                                      What you will be hearing is not the recording from the „Kölner Philharmonie” (Cologne Philharmonics) but the ensemble play of six different grand pianos in six different locations, throughout Germany. Each pianist performed his part on his piano using his typical studio equipment and passed the recording over to the next one. Thus the six characteristic and individual timbres of the performers overlay to create the overall picture – „Six Pianos” the way it should be looked at in 2016.

                                                                      „Pianists are soloists and lone warriors by nature”, as Gregor Schwellenbach once said. But the initiator not only won over solo artists to the greatest possible extent such as Hauschka or John Kameel Farah but also musicians from „Brandt Brauer Frick“ and „Grandbrothers“ as well as their ensemble partners: Jan Brauer mixed „Six Pianos” in the studio while Lukas Vogel provided delays for the b-side.

                                                                      „Keyboard Study #1“ by Terry Riley is a worthy b-side opposed to Reich’s composition. The piece is kind of a building set of ever lengthening, repetitive patterns played against each other with the right and left hand displaced. The composition proposes various possible combinations for the performer to choose from and repeat at will. And what the performers have chosen proves Gregor Schwellenbach’s assumption: „Especially Terry Riley’s and Steve Reich’s music are open doors for pianists socialized by pop music and their audience.”


                                                                      Steve Moore

                                                                      The Mind's Eye - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

                                                                      STEVE MOORE (of Zombi fame) returns with a mesmerizing new score for the action/horror film 'The Mind's Eye'. More vivid and dynamic than ever, 'The Mind's Eye' demonstrates STEVE MOORE's mastery of the vignette alongside his ability to weave together cohesive, consistent themes. Over the course of eighty-five minutes, STEVE MOORE crafts a riveting portrait of tension and terror through a variety of textures ranging from probing dark ambient and slick arpeggiations to anxious sound collage and epic, gothic bombast. The latest testament to STEVE MOORE's legacy of synth supremacy

                                                                      RIYL: Zombi, Goblin, S U R V I V E , Trans Am, John Carpenter, Mogwai, Tangerine Dream, Explosions In The Sky. 

                                                                      TRACK LISTING

                                                                      1. Intro
                                                                      2. Police Station
                                                                      3. Interrogation
                                                                      4. Titles
                                                                      5. Zack Attack
                                                                      6. The Shot
                                                                      7. Good Girl
                                                                      8. Zack's Out The Bag
                                                                      9. The Escape Pt 1 03:02
                                                                      10. The Escape Pt 2
                                                                      11. Stitches
                                                                      12. Father And Son
                                                                      13. I Trust Her So Much
                                                                      14. It's Complicated
                                                                      15. What Are You Waiting For
                                                                      16. Injections
                                                                      17. Kurt And Travis Arrive
                                                                      18. You're Making A Big Mistake
                                                                      19. Mike Vs Kurt
                                                                      20. Confrontation
                                                                      21. Rayne In Blood
                                                                      22. Goodbye
                                                                      23. Armstrong Splits
                                                                      24. On The Phone
                                                                      25. Zack's Back
                                                                      26. Zack Vs Travis: The Rematch
                                                                      27. Get Ready
                                                                      28. Psychic War
                                                                      29. Slovak Escapes
                                                                      30. My Brain Does Not Tire
                                                                      31. This Ends Now
                                                                      32. The End
                                                                      33. End Credits

                                                                      Steve Gunn

                                                                      Ancient Jules

                                                                        In a rare break from touring, Steve Gunn and the NPR Music crew ventured to New York’s abandoned Rockaway Branch in Forest Park for a special, solo “Field Recording.” A fitting atmosphere for Gunn’s music and a perfect reminder of the depth of Eyes On The Lines, Gunn played “Full Moon Tide,” and the album’s closing numbers, “Night Wander” and “Ark.”

                                                                        Steve Gunn & the Outliners just returned from an incredible European run. And to book end that tour, on Black Friday Record Store Day (November 25th), Gunn will release his “Ancient Jules” 12,” which features non-album cuts “The Handshake” and “The Soloist.” 

                                                                        Graceful compositions flow throughout. Steve Hauschildt’s fourth release for kranky following his Where All Is Fled full length from late summer 2015.

                                                                        The songs fluctuate from the serene calm of album opener Horizon of Appearances, to the pulsing hypnosis of Ketracel, and on to searing grandeur of album closer Die in Fascination, Throughout, Steve remains restrained and in complete control of his sound.

                                                                        Strands is a song cycle that is about cosmogony and creation/destruction myths. The title alludes to the structural constitution of ropes as I wanted to approach the compositions so that they consisted of strands and fibers which form a unified whole. This was so the songs could have the appearance of being either taut or slack without being fundamentally locked to a grid. So the sounds/tones have a certain malleability to them and sound like they're bending through time. It's also grittier and more distorted than my previous albums.

                                                                        I wanted to try and capture that moment in nature and society where life slowly reemerges through desolation, so it has a layer of optimism looming underneath. The music represents this by seemingly decaying at times but then reforms and morphs in a fluid way back to its original state. I was also inspired by the movement of rivers, particularly their transformative aspect and how they're in a state of flux and change, in particular the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland where I live, which notoriously caught on fire thirteen times because of industrial pollution in the 1960s and before. I was very interested in the dichotomy of oil and water and the resulting, unnatural symptoms of human industry. It's a very personal record for me as it is a reflection of my hometown where I grew up and where it was mostly recorded.

                                                                        STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                        Barry says: Where 'Where all Is Fled' was nuanced, but rife with confident and optimistic moments, 'Strands' is much more tilted towards the uneasy. Slightly syncopated melodies and growing pads unsettle but never become jarring, merely lending an equally proficient counterfoil to the majority of his already startling oeuvre.

                                                                        TRACK LISTING

                                                                        1. Horizon Of Appearances
                                                                        2. Same River Twice
                                                                        3. A False Seeming
                                                                        4. Ketracel
                                                                        5. Time We Have
                                                                        6. Strands
                                                                        7. Transience Of Earthly Joys
                                                                        8. Die In Fascination

                                                                        Prefab Sprout

                                                                        Steve McQueen

                                                                          Alternative pop rock band Prefab Sprout formed in 1978 in Newcastle and rose to fame during the 1980s. Frontman Paddy McAloon is regularly hailed as one of the great songwriters of his generation. 'Steve McQueen' is their second album and was originally released in 1985. Smart, sophisticated and timelessly stylish, 'Steve McQueen' is somewhat of a classic, a shimmering indie / jazz-pop masterpiece sparked by Paddy McAloon's witty and inventive songwriting. One for fans of the Smiths, Everything But The Girl etc.

                                                                          STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                          David says: Of all the albums in my list, this is the most evocative. I can almost smell the rising damp.

                                                                          Steve Gunn

                                                                          Eyes On The Lines

                                                                            “How does a questing psychedelic guitarist transform themselves into classic singer-songwriter? By compromising, in many cases. Brooklyn’s Steve Gunn, however, is managing the transition with uncanny elegance.” - Uncut

                                                                            Steve Gunn’s music has always embraced expanse and movement, springing from the simple and profound relationship between humans and their environment. ‘Eyes On The Lines’, his Matador debut and follow-up to the pastoral and highly acclaimed ‘Way Out Weather’, is Gunn’s most explicit ode to the blissful uncertainty of adventure yet.

                                                                            Accompanied by a full band - Nathan Bowles (drums, banjo, organ), Hans Chew (wurlitzer), James Elkington (guitar, lap steel, dobro), Mary Lattimore (harp), Jason Meagher (bass, guitar, flute), Paul Sukeena (guitar), Justin Tripp (bass, keyboards), John Truscinski (drums) - ‘Eyes On The Lines’ presents Gunn embracing his urban surroundings through a series of songs that showcase his extraordinary ability to match inventive hooks to deftly constructed melodies full of personality.

                                                                            Gunn’s songwriting on ‘Eyes On The Lines’ tells vibrant and evocative tales through a series of both imagined and real life characters and moments but throughout he is more narrator than diarist.

                                                                            STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                            Andy says: Beautiful rocking, interwoven guitar melodies make this Gunn's most direct record yet, even sounding like the more melodic side of Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo on a few numbers.

                                                                            Barry says: Melodic country-tinged folk might not necessarily be something you would associate with former psych-rock great Steve Gunn, but that is exactly he has managed to write, and with great effect. This is absorbing and interesting, full of catchy melodies and imbued with a plethora of influence, from both sides of the pond. Intricate and comforting. Brilliant.

                                                                            The debut album by Ex-Fenster member Rémi Letournelle. Following a 7" split single on Berlin DIY label Späti Palace and Steps, a six-track EP released on Morr Music last year, Adventures is the first LP of the French man. His bubbling vintage synths (together with an impressive variety of instruments) will take you on a strange trip through imagined galaxies and secret deep-sea worlds. Call it weird, but this is amateur pop in all its glory, and the most natural outlet for Slow Steve. Think of Ariel Pink, John Maus, early Future Islands, old Krautrock luminaries or Arthur Russell - a whole school of alternative pop music that Rémi is very likely to join. Adventures is more than just an application. When Rémi moved to Berlin, he met psychedelic pop outfit and fellow Morr signees Fenster. Rémi has been part of their live shows as well as contributing to their first two albums. There are certain familiarities between the washed-out sound of Fenster and Slow Steve, but Adventures sees Rémi doing his own thing.

                                                                            Written at home by Mason, the tracks were then rehearsed in Brighton with touring band mates Steve Duffield and Greg Nielson, before being recorded with Elbow keyboardist and producer Craig Potter at Blueprint Studios in Salford. Recorded in the studios ‘big room’, an ex-factory space with floor to ceiling windows, the album took shape during a smooth and enjoyable six weeks in the early summer of 2015.

                                                                            Following from his ‘double political concept album’ ‘Monkey Minds In The Devil’s Time’ this album is a move towards a more simple ethic; ‘an album where each song is a separate entity, where there is no great narrative running through it.’

                                                                            ‘Meet The Humans’ is shot through with a sense of renewal following Steve’s recent move to Brighton, swinging musically across dance, pop, folk, dub, and deep house influences. It’s a record which repeatedly returns to core themes, the possibility of others to redeem the self, the opportunity of change for the better in the individual, the joy of life and the world we inhabit, it’s arguably the most complete and direct of Steve’s long discography - eleven personal stories combined into one positive and proper whole, the sweep of the human condition written large and full of love and hope and joy.


                                                                            STAFF COMMENTS

                                                                            Andy says: The funky ex Beta Band maestro returns with a buoyant encapsulation of all that is good in his groovesome world. The lush production and airy vibes make this pretty close to a pop record, but as ever, there's always the melancholy in the melody for Mr. Mason. However, certain tracks on here take us right back to those glorious baggy days of 1989, which I always thought was Steve's musical template. Combining these with the more introspective moments make this possibly the best album of his career so far. Inspirational.

                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                            1. Water Bored
                                                                            2. Alive
                                                                            3. Alright
                                                                            4. Another Day
                                                                            5. Ran Away
                                                                            6. To A Door
                                                                            7. Hardly Go Through
                                                                            8. Through My Window
                                                                            9. Planet Sizes
                                                                            10. Like Water
                                                                            11. Words In My Head

                                                                            There’s something particularly pleasing about a privately pressed record. The artist or musicians involved have wanted these recordings to exist with such conviction that they’ve been willing to fund it themselves; the result is either a vanity project or something rather special. Steve Warner’s eponymous 1979 debit falls firmly into the latter. Funded by the combination of a bank loan and a council grant from his native Australia, Steve manage to record, produce, mix and manufacture what would be come to be his only recorded output (Steve went onto teach music afterwards - imagine being in that class!). Nick Armstrong at the legendary Spectangle Studios - also where Howard Eynon recorded ‘Jam’ - was there to assist and the album was eventually managed by Tasmanian label, Candle.

                                                                            Running to 13 tracks, 11 of which original compositions, this album of delicate folk songs, madcap ditties and more psychedelic orchestrated pieces feels incredibly accomplished for what was basically a one man show. For fans of Dennis Wilson, Roedelius, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and Elliott Smith (yes, as far reaching as that). "At the time I would have long dreams about music, but strangely never did I actually hear music in them. I would dream of music in a very abstract sense - it's tension and release, it's inner harmonies, often in a visual or graphic way like an architect might. Lines of stress and of release, tension and slackness, angles between elements, heavy and light, strength and fragility. I used to be fascinated by the grey zone between sleeping and waking, and of finding that place in music.” - Steve Warner, 2015

                                                                            TRACK LISTING

                                                                            01 Summer
                                                                            02 Hey, Hosanna
                                                                            03 Lightning Over The Meadow
                                                                            04 A Boogie
                                                                            05 Rainfall
                                                                            06 Charlton
                                                                            07 We’ll Go On
                                                                            08 Poems In Your Eyes
                                                                            09 Fireflies
                                                                            10 Momento
                                                                            11 Untitled
                                                                            12 Crisp Morning
                                                                            13 Cement River

                                                                            Explosions In The Sky & Steve Jablonsky

                                                                            Lone Survivor - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

                                                                              The Lone Survivor Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is a collection of tracks by composers Steve Jablonsky and Explosions In The Sky. Jablonsky is the composer behind many blockbuster movies, such as the Transformers franchise, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Chicken Run. He has also won 5 BMI Film Music Awards and 3 BMI TV Music Awards with Danny Elfman for the theme track and excerpts featured in ‘Desperate Housewives. In 2013 alone he composed the scores for Gangster Squad’, ‘Enders Game’ and Pain & Gain with Jablonsky already signed up for the new, unnamed Transformers sequel. Texan rockers Explosions In The Sky have released 6 studio albums as well as having their music included in a number of films such as This Means War, The Kite Runner and Friday
                                                                              Night Lights.


                                                                              After the critically lauded ‘Boys Outside’, ex-Beta Band mainman Steve Mason delivers his magnum opus ‘Monkey Minds In The Devil’s Time’.

                                                                              ‘Monkey Minds In The Devil’s Time’ is an album saturated with politics. With a title referring to the Buddhist term for an easily distracted brain, the album features 20 songs - 9 recorded in London with producer Dan Carey and 11 short linking pieces self-produced in Mason’s Fife studio.

                                                                              All songs on the album were written by Mason, while Dan Carey appears on bass throughout the record, and acclaimed London MC Mystro provides vocals on ‘More Money, More Fire’.

                                                                              TRACK LISTING

                                                                              1. The Old Problem
                                                                              2. Lie Awake
                                                                              3. Flyover ‘98
                                                                              4. A Lot Of Love
                                                                              5. The Last Of Heroes
                                                                              6. Lonely
                                                                              7. Safe Population
                                                                              8. Friends For Ever More
                                                                              9. Seen It All Before
                                                                              10. From Hate We Hope
                                                                              11. Oh My Lord
                                                                              12. Goodbye Youth
                                                                              13. Never Be Alone
                                                                              14. Behind The Curtains
                                                                              14. More Money, More Fire
                                                                              16. Fire!
                                                                              17. Operation Mason
                                                                              18. Fight Them Back
                                                                              19. Towers Of Power
                                                                              20. Come To Me

                                                                              BONUS CD DISC:
                                                                              1. Seen It All Before (Greg Wilson Remix)
                                                                              2. Come To Me (Greg Wilson Remix)

                                                                              Pocket Feat. Steve Kilbey

                                                                              Here In Noiseville - Inc. Justus Kohncke Remixes

                                                                                Pocket is the snappy moniker of NYC based Richard Jankovich. As the principal creative mind behind the based electro-pop band Burnside Project he is not just well versed in top notch original productions but also is an indemand remixer (Beck, Radiohead, Kristin Hersh, Of Montreal, Elk City, Joanna Newsom and many others).

                                                                                His debut release on Tirk is the ever-so-tuneful ‘Here In Noiseville’. In this first single Richard pairs up with Steve Kilbey from the Australian rock band The Church. Steve adds his thoughtful and emotively melancholic vocal to the classic, quality synth-pop backing track. First up on the remix duties is sister-label Nang’s favourite German golden boy, Justus Köhncke. Justus takes things on the dancefloor route, by adding bigger synths and some Rushent-esque Linn drum. Both Justus’ vocal and dub versions are included. Next up, Italian Brioski fixates on the groove by adding his slap bass and driving groove.

                                                                                Mumm-ra

                                                                                What Would Steve Do?

                                                                                  Mumm-ra's long deleted debut finally gets a re-release. A charming pop song that weaves together the lush beauty of The Beach Boys with the pastoral quirks of The Kinks and the outer limits reached by the Beta Band and Sigur Ros.

                                                                                  Steve Howe Martin Taylor

                                                                                  Masterpiece Guitars

                                                                                    An album of 17 guitar tracks played by two excellent musicians, Yes guitarist Steve Howe and British jazz guitarist Martin Taylor. Let loose on a huge and valuable private collection of hundreds of rare American guitars it's an exhilarating disc played on instruments ranging from the D'Angelico Teardrop to a Dyer Symphony Harp Guitar, which are, collectively, worth over £5,000,000. Howe and Taylor played and recorded many of these guitars for the first time ever; some haven't been heard on a recording for decades - recordings of the D'Angelico Teardrop (valued at over £600,000 alone) or the D'Aquisto Solo simply didn't exist before this CD. One of the oldest guitars featured is a CF Martin which was made during the 1840's - they add up to a guitar fan's dream release.

                                                                                    Steve Miller Band

                                                                                    Children Of The Future

                                                                                      From the Floydian Mellotron ballad of "In My First Mind" to the seagulls and wavesounds on "The Beauty of Time Is That It's Snowing" the first Steve Miller Band album from 1968 is full of suprises, each track segues into the next and can be termed a concept album, there is a blues feel about it but there are also moments of psychedelia and progressive rock that make you really sit up. A minor classic.

                                                                                      Steve Miller Band

                                                                                      Number 5

                                                                                        "Number 5" the Steve Miller Band's 1970 release remains a real favourite amongst his fans. It seems to epitomise his early work (prior to his car crash and later more pop-orientated career). It's full of melodic, spacey guitar-led songs with much use of the Echoplex. It includes classic Miller songs like "Good Morning", "Going To The Country" and "Jackson-Kent Blues".

                                                                                        Steve Miller Band

                                                                                        Sailor

                                                                                          Opening with the haunting "Song For Our Ancestors" Steve Miller's 1968 album "Sailor" is probably the finest of his career. The band were on song with half the album more bluesy and the other half more rockin'. It includes classic Miller songs like "Living In The USA" and "Gangster Of Love". With Stones producer Glyn Johns at the controls, this is a great album if you love that epic 60s San Francisco sound.


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