The giant avalanche that is THE LONDON DIRTHOLE COMPANY is back with another slab of prime-time partisan punk noise. With a Futurist disdain and Dadaist sense of sardonic humour, the MODERN IST EP celebrates the realities of the Family Of Noise as a truly interactive social experiment. The genuinely odd bunch of protagonists that make up the bands personnel stretch the boundaries of conventional group structure and methods. A truly outsider approach that reverberates with its nebulous intensity and spirit of joy. The result is a fractious cacophony created (on this record) by four drummers, 3 guitarists a bass player and 2 different vocalists. Live the band rotate up to a dozen singers if occasion and availability conspire. The music has elements and attitudes in common with The Monks, Velvet Underground, Pussy Galore and The Fall without any direct plagiarism or imitation. These bands are but ships in the night to the Battleship Dirthole and its crew of desperate fellows. PROFESSOR THE CONFESSOR is an intimate memoir of utterances from the dark recesses of The Professor’s mind. CRYING ONIONS is a sleazy ballad of all-consuming pleasure, timeless romance, sensual purgatory, erotic possession, empty tears, disrobing and eating an onion. TOMORROW, TODAY faces up to the bleak realities of a passion consumed and the vagaries of the staring up from the gutter as you watch your former partner dance the same dance you fell for with someone else. The strapping fit and healthy London Dirthole Company pedigree on this recording; The Nuns, Pulkas, Echobelly, Headbutt, Felix Moment Power Trio, Lot Lizards, Project Dark, Headcleaner.

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

TRACK LISTING

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TRACK LISTING

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

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

TRACK LISTING

Digging The Vibes
Vibes Dub
Vibes Riddim

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

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

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

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

Double Green LP Vinyl, x16 trk remix album.

A sublime set of roots, vocal and dubbed out instrumental magic, Close Encounters Of The Third World is a real lost gem in the treasure-filled Creation Rebel back catalogue. A true cross-atlantic collaboration - initial rhythm tracks were laid down in London in 1978, with horns and vocals overdubbed at Channel One in Jamaica, before bandleader Crucial Tony returned to London with the tapes for the album to be mixed by a visiting Prince Jammy.

Originally released on pre-On-U Sound label Hitrun, and the second album released by the group chronologically. Unavailable for 45 years, it has been carefully pieced back together, for this new edition featuring extended 12” discomix versions of “Beware” and “Natty Conscience Free”, re-cut by Frank Merritt at The Carvery. Includes new sleevenotes by reggae scholar David Katz that tells the story of the album in full, plus download card

TRACK LISTING

1. Know Yourself
2. Conspiring
3. Beware
4. Dangerous And Deadly
5. Shouldn’t Do That
6. Creation Fever
7. Natty Conscience Free
8. Joyful Noise

An essential 2024 purple vinyl repress of 'The Inevitable End', Royksopp's second album release in the space of 6 months, following the critically acclaimed mini album 'Do It Again' with fellow Scandinavian legend Robyn. 'The Inevitable End' is their most personal album to date and features Jamie McDermott (The Irrepressibles), Ryan James (Man Without Country), Norwegian singer songwriter Susanne Sundfor and Robyn. Having now created five complete bodies of work, the pair feel like the future is open to being more experimental with how they share their music.

Opening track 'Skulls' feels like classic Royksopp - all squelchy bass lines, filtered synths and vocodered, yet soulful vocals - the album also takes in sophisticated, delicate heartbreak on the Man Without Country collaboration 'Sordid Affair'; odd, shape-shifting ambience on the Robyn-featuring 'Rong'; bouncing electro pop on the deceptively upbeat 'Save Me' and the deliriously sad, cry-on-the-dance floor classic, 'I Had This Thing'.

Unreleased, "lost" 7 inch off the Bruton library music album "Deep Funk". Two killer cuts by the Sound Stylistics: The Message is a piece of heavy soul featuring the vocals of late great UK soul singer Noel McKoy, Freedom Sound is a space funk groove with moog synth on top. Officially licenced from BMG Zomba Production Music in 2007, manufactured and forgotten. These 45s have just been unearthed from the pressing plant's storage room after more than 15 years.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Message
2. Freedom Sound

The Soninke collective consciousness finds its origins in a founding myth, a blood pact: the legend of Biida and the decadence of the empire of Ghana or Wagadu (evoked by Léopold Sédar Senghor as a land of plenty in his poem Le Kaya Magan). From the 3rd century AD, gathered in the region of Sahel, on the edge of the Sahara desert, the Soninko ruled over their kingdom and its capital Kumbi Saleh. According to folklore, they were blessed with abundant rain and nuggets of gold could be picked directly from the ground.

They owed this prosperity to a providential but cruel protector: the Wagadu Biida, a seven-headed serpent who lived at the bottom of the Kumbi well. Every year, as a reward for his favours, the Biida demanded an offering: the life of the most beautiful virgin woman in the community. Sacrifices took place for generations, until the 13th century AD, when fate chose Siya Yatabéré, Maamadi Sehedunxote's sweetheart...

Centuries later in 1977, Gaye Mody Camara, a young Soninke raised in Mali's Kayes region, settled in France to found his own empire. Initially selling wax, kola nuts and other goods in his Parisian outlets, he rapidly started distributing cassette tapes and eventually producing a multitude of recordings for his own label: Camara Production.

Crossing paths and collaborating over the next four decades with legendary artists, griots and industry moguls like Boncana Maïga, Jean-Philippe Rykiel, Ganda Fadiga, Diaby Doua or Ibrahima Sylla, Camara became one of the great independent music producers of his generation, and a pilar of the Parisian Soninke diaspora.

Released in close collaboration with Gaye Camara and with the assistance of Daouda N'diaye, one of A.P.S' (Association pour la Promotion de la langue et de la culture Soninké) historical members, this selection of songs and accompanying notes aim to shed a light on an intricate culture and its modern music, injustifiably unknown outside of West Africa and the various Soninko diasporas around the world.

From Malian Zouk to Mauritanian Reggae and other psychedelic groovers originally released on cassettes or digitally, we have given the utmost attention to bringing this music to a new format. It has been carefully remastered and pressed on 180g vinyl, with riso printed liner notes.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Really nice comp which shines a spotlight on this criminally undiscovered West African hub. There's a fresh, contemporary feel to a lot of the tracks, even though many of them date back some years. Progressive afrobeat rich in vitalic vocal parts and skilled instrumentalists; not to mention its evocative nature which takes easily-guided minds straight to the heart of its community.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Mamadou Tangoudia - Kori
A2. Halima Kissima Touré - Koolo Fune
A3. Lassana Hawa Cissokho - Ñogome

B1. Hadja Soumano - Nteri Diaba
B2. Naïny Diabaté - Sankoy Djeli
B3. Mah Kouyaté - Soso

C1. Halima Kissima Touré - Alla Da Fo Ña
C2. Ami Traoré - Tenedo
C3. Babani Koné - Soyeba
C4. Kaniba Oulé Kouyaté - Songne Bela

D1. Diaby Doua - Boliñaame
D2. Diobo Fode - Yexu
D3. Halima Kissima Touré - Duna
D4. Hadja Soumano - Ayebo

A collection of unreleased tracks from the early 90's "Jumpin' & Pumpin'" era, when FSOL hid behind various guises. Generally revolving around bleep, hardcore and ambient house; three, then-recently-established genres that FSOL would explore and develop on throughout the extensive discography. A lot of these tracks have been out of print and quite sought after for many years, making this anthology quite a special releases for fans of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans' boundary-pushing project. 

TRACK LISTING

01. Sightings
02. 1st Calling
03. Across The Rivers
04. Great Danger
05. Corridor Lm3
06. Shes So Automatic
07. Keep Walking
08. In A Cage
09. Under The Rock
10. Visual Attack
11. You Might
12. Garden Bridge
13. We Bring It
14. Kremlin Taped
15 .travellers
16 .just Look
17. 831am

Four elusive, somewhat previously unofficial club remixes of the iconic "Papua New Guinea" come together on one 12" vinyl EP. All underground dance hits now in demand.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Tasty remixes of one of the biggest dance tracks of all time. Two jungle remixes, one breakbeat and one for the house brigade. Lovely jubbly.

TRACK LISTING

1. Papua New Guinea (Soul Central Remix)
2. Papua New Guinea (L. Major Remix)
3. Papua New Guinea (Nishesque Remix)
4. Papua New Guinea (Dee Montero Remix)

Needing no introduction, The Chemical Brothers make a very special appearance on Phantasy with a limited-edition vinyl pressing of Erol Alkan’s triumphant remix of ‘Goodbye’, a highlight from their recent, Grammy-nominated album, ‘For That Beautiful Feeling’.

Masterfully bridging soulful vocals and widescreen techno with their typical psychedelic edge, Alkan’s interpretation demonstrates his unique brotherhood with Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons. Across a near ten-minute journey, Alkan pushes the Brothers’ irresistible synth line further into dissonant analogue bliss, which coupled with celestial breakdowns, already counts as a personal favourite in the London DJ and producer’s diverse, enviable back catalogue of reworks. The other side of the record includes Alkan's previously unreleased instrumental.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Form an orderly queue! Two heavyweights meet for a titanic clash of stadium-destroying peak time energy. "Goodbye" has been Tom & Ed's closing song throughout their last tour and given the Erol Alkin treatment, who slices sawtooths and squarewaves together like a sashimi chef, it's taken to a whole higher elevation.

TRACK LISTING

A. Goodbye (Erol Alkan Rework)
B. Goodbye (Erol Alkan Instrumental Rework) 

FSOL present the final instalment in the Environments Trilogy. “7.003” goes deeper and darker than the previous two albums, the flavour here harping back with memories of the groups 90s sounding pre “Dead Cities” album. On this release we have swamp laden electronics dripping from cavernous breakbeats weaving in and out of otherworldly chords and strings firmly back in the driving seat. FSOL deliver not only the final piece of the jigsaw but a clever jaw-dropingly sensorium.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Crisp percussive trickles and paddling guitar snippets weave around each-other into echoing electronic chirps. There are moments of jagged, glitched unease but the soaring melodic direction and airy, echoic haze more than offset that. As ever, a wonderful and perfectly produced outing from FSOS.

TRACK LISTING

1. Future Testaments
2. Resting Point
3. A Desolate Stretch Of Night Road
4. Where All Is Ending
5. Overwrite
6. I'm Eating Here
7. Echos Of Inherent Sense
8. A Space In The Subsequent Familiar
9. Drift Incline
10. Trichome
11. Absence Of Solution
12. Kwaahu
13. Ruler
14. Awkward Shape

The Roger Webb Sound's Moonshade is one of the coolest records ever. Originally appearing via the legendary De Wolfe library in 1971, it's a sumptuous jazz-soul-funk instrumental set. Full of melodic, melancholic yet sun-drenched songs, rich with colour and contrast, it was composed by self-taught jazz pianist Roger Webb and features vocal performances by Barbara Moore. That's right; *the* powerhouse library music duo! It makes Moonshade the perfect precursor and accompaniment to Barbara Moore's eternal classic Vocal Shades And Tones. It will come as no surprise that original copies, if you can ever find them, will set you back north of 200 notes.

Moonshade is a phenomenal showcase of Brit maestro Webb's own roots in jazz. Those roots are served up here with a plethora of fast-stepping rhythms that truly give flight to the vocals of Barbara Moore, as they soar in wonderful ways. Moore sings wordlessly throughout, allowing her voice to act like another instrument in concert with the horns and keyboards elevating the fine arrangements. This is a deeply beautiful record.

The album opens with the ornate Baroque pop splendour of the sun-dappled melancholia of "Sunshine". Strings, piano and wordless female vocals combine to create this brief beauty of unimaginable grace. The cool "Gentle Eyes" features haunting and beautiful vocals, smooth jazz piano and horns and a general easy vibe without being easy listening, if you know what we mean. You do. Just listen. The pounding "Heavy Lace" is one for the beat-heads, funky open drums (!) with muted organ, bassy piano chords and ace horns. Sampled by Quakers for their great debut album on Stones Throw. The nostalgic "Yesterday" is wistful and beautifully melodic instrumental soul music with gorgeous acoustic guitar and flutes. It's followed by the light, lilting "Petal Soft" which features more Baroque styles, overflowing with flutes and harps. The bright, bouncing "Coaster" is an easy-going piano-led, guitar-driven swinger whilst "Grey Sigh" is another classic. A real highlight, with more fantastic propulsive drums and percussion and plaintive wordless vocals courtesy of Barbara. Speaking of which, the soft, sweet Rhodes jazz of the lilting "Sweet Thing" is another staggering showcase of the brilliance of Barbara. Just astounding.

Head straight past the honky-tonk-by-numbers piano jaunt "Cough Drop" and luxuriate in the soft, delicate beauty of the album's melodic, cyclical title track, "Moon Shade". Fragile flutes and acoustic guitar float across judicious bass notes before giving way to slightly ominous piano and, again, those beguiling wordless vocals. And then round again to the flute refrain of the intro. This time with the vocals to see us out. Majestic drama jazz at its finest. The cello-and-flute adorned "Sapphire" is a fluid orchestral beauty whilst "Interweave" rides with more urgency in its string and bass stabs. When the warm keys enter, it's a bonafide mellifluous wonder. The softer "Musette" begins in beautifully gentle fashion before pivoting for a driving yet elegant piano middle section. It reverts back to the mellow intro, for its outro. Understood? The melodic organ and prominent rhythm section running through "Reminiscence" makes for a delightfully understated folk-funk instrumental whilst the cool, rolling piano feels of "7.30 For 8.00" seem to perfectly suit the phrase "dinner jazz". It's no bad thing, c'mon. This classy, memorable set is rounded out by the half-minute mince of the Barbara-blessed "Sparky". It's just over too soon!

The audio for Moonshade has been brilliantly remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring this release sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

TRACK LISTING

A1 Sunshine 1:13
A2 Gentle Eyes 2:08
A3 Heavy Lace 1:32
A4 Yesterday 2:33
A5 Petal Soft 2:54
A6 Coaster 2:20
A7 Grey Sigh 2:38
A8 Sweet Thing 2:17
B1 Cough Drop 1:59
B2 Moon Shade 2:43
B3 Sapphire 2:44
B4 Interweave 2:39
B5 Musette 2:49
B6 Reminiscence 2:29
B7 7.30 For 8.00 2:05
B8 Sparky 0:39

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the release of "TOUCH," a selection of sought-after tracks produced by Yuji Ohno, one of the most revered producers and arrangers on the Nippon music scene. His blend of Jazz, Space Funk and Disco have long been highly sought-after by DJs around the world and we've been given unique access to the Nippon Columbia vaults and to Mr. Ohno himself to come with a versatile selection from his 70s body of work, all bearing his uniquely recognisable sound. The set includes works with singers Nanako Sato, Hatsumi Shibata and Ken Tanaka alongside tracks from his cult anime soundtracks for "Lupin III" and "Captain Future." Approved by Yuji Ohno himself, "Touch" was remastered in Tokyo by Nippon Columbia and features liner notes by Nick Luscombe in conversation with the maestro and artwork by Optigram's Manuel Sepulveda.

Born in Atami in 1941, Yuji Ohno started learning the piano at a young age and formed his own band during his teenage years, getting into Jazz in the process. After high school, he entered the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo and played in the revered university big band alongside two other pianists, Masahiko Sato and Hirosama Suzuki, who would have an illustrious career in their own right. After University, Ohno became a professional musician and started playing with the new wave of Japanese Jazz musicians forming his own trio and recording with the likes of Hideo Shiraki, Terumasa Hino and Masahiko Togashi from 1967 onwards.

At the turn of the 60s, Ohno started to veer away from the Jazz scene as he realised, as told to Nick Luscombe that "the jazz music being played by the Japanese at the time was only chasing the cutting edge, and was ignoring the roots and origins of jazz." Ohno therefore shifted his efforts to film and TV and also to producing artists for various Japanese labels, becoming one of the most in-demand composers, arrangers and producers in Japan. This is when Ohno developed his unique sound across a wide variety of styles. More than anything else, he got renowned for his anime soundtracks, particularly with the Lupin III series - represented here by the superbly funky "Silhouette" - which made his fame in Japan

Whether it's jazz, funk, disco or Pop, the "Ohno Sound" is unmissable both in terms of melodies and arrangements, on a par with those of such legends as Quincy Jones and Michel Legrand. Ohno's melodies are sophisticated yet accessible and there's a great sense of space in his productions especially when it comes to slow-burning grooves as heard on "Kirameku Inner Space" from the cult anime soundtrack "Captain Future" or "The Soaring Seagull" from the sought-after 1975 album "Electro Keyboard Orchestra." This album was recorded with seven fellow musicians including Kentaro Haneda and Ohno's old friend, Masahiko Sato and using twenty Korg synths to create a unique blend of futuristic jazz funk. "The Soaring Seagull" could be the perfect embodiment of Ohno's signature sound when it comes to instrumentals. The producer was however equally at ease with producing lush disco extravaganzas such as "Subterranean Futari Botchi" by Nanako Sato or "I Wish You Love" by Hatsumi Shibata, a revamp of Charles Trenet classic, both colourful and glitzy.

Ohno's versatility is on display here with a couple of jazz vocal tracks, "Speak Low" by Ann Young accompanied by the Yuji Ohno Trio and Mieko Hirota's fast and furious "I Want to Be Happy" while he also excelled at crafting gorgeous mellow songs such as Ken Tanaka's "Lilac-gai No Aki" and Hatsumi Shibata's "Mouichido Kikasete" closing the selection on a perfect note. "Touch" is just a tiny selection from Yuji Ohno's immense body of work and it will hopefully open the ears of Japanese music lovers to one of the most important musician, producer and arrangers of his generation.

TRACK LISTING

1. Nanako Sato - Subterraean Futari Botchi
2. You & The Explosion Band - Silhouette
3. Hatsumi Shibata - I Wish You Love
4. Yuji Ohno & Galaxy - Kirameku Inner Space
5. Ann Young & Yuji Ohno Trio - Speak Low
6. Ken Tanaki - Lilac-Gai No Aki
7. Mieko Hirota - I Want To Be Happy
8. Electric Keyboard Orchestra - The Soaring Seagull
9. Hatusmi Shibata - Mouchido Kikasete

Billed as “Canada’s All Indian Band,” the Tsimshian Nation garage band The Chieftones stormed the U.S. in the mid-’60s with their own brand of native rock n’ roll. More Buddy Holly than Link Wray, The New Smooth and Different Sound compiles their debut single for Wisconsin’s lauded Cuca label and adds a dozen previously unissued demos from their brief time in the Driftless region.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A
1. Don’t Let It Bother You
2. Don’t Dare
3. Indian Wedding
4. You’re My Angel
5. I Need Your Lovin’
6. I Won’t Be Around
7. Do Lord

SIDE B
8. I Shouldn’t Have Did What I Done
9. The Sun Is Shining
10. Ebony Eyes
11. Just A Closer Walk With Thee
12. Cutie From The Beauty Shop
13. You Don’t Need Me Anymore
14. Don’t You Leave Me Behind

Originally out in 1991, FSOL's "Papua New Guinea" is one of those classic rave era moments. Combining a huge dub bassline with breakbeats, piano lines and synth washes, ethereal Bulgarian vocals and other atmospheric efx the track was a monster club / field tune back in the day. So much so that it got reissued a year later with a whole new set of remixes. UK techno originals Andrew Weatherall (Sabres Of Paradise) and Graham Massey (808 State) serve up a remix each while FSOL's Brian Dougans and Garry Cobain bring us four more. All that and the original too. It's all you need.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE 1
1. Papua New Guinea (12" Original)
2. Papua New Guinea (Andrew Weatherall Mix)
3. Papua New Guinea (Dub Mix)

SIDE 2
1. Papua New Guinea (Journey To Pyramid)
2. Papua New Guinea (Monsoon Mix)
3. Papua New Guinea (Graham Massey Mix)
4. Papua New Guinea (Dumb Child Of Q Mix)

Coco María and Bongo Joe reunite for the second edition of Club Coco, featuring a sackful of Latin inspired tracks from international bands and producers. All the songs were selected by Coco María, who in recent years has gone from a promising up-and-comer to an ever-present and influential figure in the music industry, widely known for her tireless work shining a light on contemporary, pan-Latin roots music around the world, through both her live DJs sets and eclectic radio sessions.

This compilation brings together several of the most respected and innovative artists on the frontiers of tropical music today. Those who take the energy, melodies and textures of classic Latin music and turn those gems into songs tailor-made for a new generation of music lovers. Simply put, it's a record for those diggers who jump with excitement when they find a vinyl reissue of some Latin star of the past, be it Joe Arroyo, Los Mirlos or Aniceto Molina and then wonder, "This classic music sounds amazing, but where are the bands that are taking these sounds to new places?”

TRACK LISTING

1. Raz Olsher - Pacific Dreams
2. Los Pirañas - Puerta Del Sol
3. Lola's Dice - Sacudete
4. Guess What - Children's Favourite
5. Acid Coco - Seguimos Sonriendo
6. Juan Hundred - Always Ready To Smoke
7. Las Mijas - Ronca (Carta Para Una Mija)
8. Dip In The Dub - La Cumbia Del Sufi Que No Sabia Bailar
9. Chupameeldedo - Metalero
10. Guess What - Stickle Bricks
11. Candeleros - El Bravo
12. Iko Chérie - Lepidoptera
13. Ronald Snijders - Off The Groove
14. Raz Olsher - Vamonos Cocos

Son Volt’s latest record, Day of the Doug, revisits the music of legendary Texas troubadour Doug Sahm. But it’s much more than fond remembrance and colorful tribute. It is a summoning and a celebration of a songwriter and performer whose work forged country, Tex-Mex, rock, rhythm and blues, folk, and psychedelia into an utterly unique American sound. Sahm’s 50-year career was a restless and relentless quest for the Holy Grail of “the groove.” He played pedal steel with Hank Williams, Sr. as a kid before making three Top 40 hits with the Sir Douglas Quintet and recording a dizzying array of solo works with a passel of shifting personas on a carousel of record labels. Son Volt’s eleventh release since 1995’s Trace steps confidently on the trails Sahm blazed. Like any journey to find a grail, Day of the Doug also seeks out all the things that make young artists fall in love with making music in the first place: adventure, youth novelty, and a chance to snatch a bit of immortality.

TRACK LISTING

1. Doug Intro
2. Sometimes You’ve Got To Stop Chasing Rainbows
3. What About Tomorrow
4. Beautiful Texas Sunshine
5. Float Away
6. Yesterday Got In The Way
7. Keep Your Soul
8. Dynamite Woman
9. Huggin Thin Air
10. Juan Mendoza
11. Poison Love
12. Seguin
13. It’s Gonna Be Easy
14. Doug Outro

Super cool one-off collector’s pressing in a fold out paper sleeve and specially silk-screened ‘Punk 45’ outer sleeve.

Exact reproduction of this excellent two-sider (double B-side) ‘The Only Sound’ / ‘New Musical Express’, the debut punk single by Dansette Damage from Birmingham, originally released on the tiny Shoestring Records in early 1978.

The tracks were produced incognito by Robert Plant from Led Zeppelin. “Robert put all needles in the red which is why it sounds so raw! Also, we couldn’t sing and you can hear Robert’s high falsetto at the top end, trying to keep us lot in tune!” said the band.

Original copies of this record sell for over £100, so here is a chance to see and hear what all the fuss is about.

Dansette Damage’s ‘NME’ features on Soul Jazz Records’ ‘Punk 45: I’m A Mess’.

TRACK LISTING

The Only Sound
New Musical Express

A groundbreaking music history book from BBC Radio 3 broadcaster Kate Molleson, which fundamentally changes the way we think about classical music and the musicians who made it on a global scale.

In a world undergoing rapid transformation, twentieth century classical musicians brought forth a truly paradigm-shifting aural catalogue of human existence. Yet when we reflect on the genre’s history its central figures seem to share three characteristics: they were white, male and western. Sound Within Sound is the impassioned and exhilarating story of the composers who dared to challenge the conventional world of classical music in the twentieth century. Kate Molleson tells the stories of ten figures from across the globe who altered the course of musical history, only to be sidelined during an era that systemically favoured certain sounds – and people – over others.

A celebration of radical creativity rooted in ideas of protest, gender, race, ecology and resistance, Sound Within Sound is an energetic reappraisal of twentieth-century classical music that opens up the world far beyond its established centres, challenges stereotypical portrayals of the genre and shatters its traditional canon.

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2023 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

Single-sided 12" featuring 2 new originals from RSD US Ambassadors Jason Isbell & Amanda Shires, a reimagined version of "Tour of Duty" from Here We Rest, and a cover of Richard Thompson's "Beeswing". Side B includes a stunning vinyl etching designed by Pearl Rachinsky-Moreland.

The definitive biography of guitar icon and Grammy Award-winning artist Bill Frisell. FEATURING EXCLUSIVE LISTENING SESSIONS WITH: Paul Simon; Justin Vernon of Bon Iver; Gus Van Sant; Rhiannon Giddens; The Bad Plus; Gavin Bryars; Van Dyke Parks; Sam Amidon; Hal Willner; Jim Woodring; Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill'A beautiful and long overdue portrait of one of America's true living cultural treasures.'JOHN ZORN'The perfect companion-piece to the music of its subject.'MOJO'Outlines the subject's life in a series of scrupulous strokes and intimate interviews that are rare in such undertakings . .

. a cool, casual victory.'IRISH TIMESOver a period of forty-five years, Bill Frisell has established himself as one of the most innovative and influential musicians at work today. A quietly revolutionary guitar hero for our genre-blurring times, he connects to a diverse range of artists and admirers, including Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, Gus Van Sant and Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, all of whom feature in this book.

A vital addition to any music lover's book collection, Bill Frisell, Beautiful Dreamer tells the legendary guitarist's story for the first time. 'Stuffed with musical encounters, so many that every couple of pages there's an unheard Frisell recording for the reader to chase down.'NEW YORKER'Bill Frisell, Beautiful Dreamer is the definitive biography.'BILL MILKOWSKI, DOWNBEAT'Superb . .

. the book races along like Sonny Rollins in full sail. Like subject, like writer: this is super-articulate, adventurous prose.'PERSPECTIVE'[Watson's] writing balances unbridled passion and dispassionate research nearly as deftly as Mr.

Frisell's playing does sound and silence . . .

compelling.'WALL STREET JOURNAL

In association with DJ Amir and 180 Proof Records, BBE Music presents ‘Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Volume 1’, a new compilation taking in just a few highlights from the short-lived but hugely influential jazz imprint. With a raft of Strata material now entering entering the BBE Music catalogue for the first time, joining together with already-released gems such at the long-lost Charles Mingus live album ‘Jazz In Detroit’, we asked 180 Proof founder and Strata catalogue curator DJ Amir to compile a selection of tracks as an introduction to the uninitiated. Over to DJ Amir to tell us more: I carefully selected my top-choice select tracks that have not been already bootlegged or comp’d in the past; from the well-known fan favourites, to the obscure, to the previously unreleased cuts. This is by no means an exhaustive and comprehensive compilation, but these are the songs that truly represent the catalog and help to tell the story of Strata. I thought it would be fitting to begin the compilation with one of my all-time favourites from the catalog, ‘Beyond the Dream’ by Kenny Cox, a spiritual groover, highlighted with the haunting mellotron strings and soulful vocals from Detroit legend Ursula Walker. And I absolutely love the ending, with the chanting of “Vamonos Que Ya Fiesta Se Acabo” (“It’s time to go because the party is coming to an end”)! When I originally issued the previously unreleased album ‘Mirror, Mirror’ by Sam Sanders in 2013, the track ‘Face At My Window’ that features an unknown vocalist instantly became a fan favourite thanks to its hypnotising vocals and mellotron strings. How could I not include my all-time track from Lyman Woodard, ‘Saturday Night Special’? This track represents the best of that lo-fi jazz funk organ groove and bass combined, again, with those mellotron strings. And after meeting Lyman in 2008, I became even more of a fan! His magnum opus that is ‘Saturday Night Special’ began my journey to re-introducing the world to the Strata label. After a chance discovery of a Strata master with only the letters ‘TJ’ written on the front, I took a chance and digitally transferred the master. Unfortunately, the master was in awful shape, but what I discovered was truly a stunning recording! At first, I thought I was listening to a young Shuggie Otis but then I quickly realised that I was not Maulawi Nururidin, to a few previously unreleased gems from Ursula Walker, Mixed Bag, and the Soulmates, hopefully, you’ll be inspired to dive deeper into the Strata catalog! Enjoy! Amir Abdullah aka DJ Amir All of the original albums from which these tracks were chosen are now available to download or stream wherever you find your music.

TRACK LISTING

Beyond The Dream
Tune For L.N.
Face At My Window
People We Got To Do Better
Noh Word
Joy Road
Time Is Wasting
Root In 7/4 Plus
Salsa Pt. 1
Maiden Voyage
You're The One
Where Is The Place?
Saturday Night Special
Inner City Player
Island Song
All But Blind

Acid Jazz collaborates with Dutch-Italian vinyl specialist Tardam Records for this collection of raw R&B and Soul hard-hitters Featuring the likes of The Mighty Typhoons, Spinshots and Voodoo Working Club, it’s a modern exploration of a classic soul-night ready sound Presented in impeccable style with a specially commissioned sleeve illustration by Emanuel Wiemans of a midcentury pool party to really set the tone.

TRACK LISTING

1. I’m Com’un Home In The Morn’un – The Mighty Typhoons Ft. Beaulah Enser
2. Seven Bullets, One Gun – The Spinshots
3. Scorched – Rosie Stevens & The Dry Riverbed Trio
4. Do It All Night – Working Voodoo Club
5. Open Your Heart – The Uppertones
6. Gigglewater – 44 Shakedown
7. Waddasei – The Mighty Typhoons Ft. Viky De Sentis
8. One More Chance – The Might Typhoons Ft. Beaulah Enser
9. Sweet Baby Of Mine – Rose Stevens & The Dry Riverbed Trio
10. The Snake – The Mighty Typhoons
11. For A Minute – Voodoo Working Club
12. Sometimes I Feel – The Uppertones
13. Ramrod – 44 Shakedown
14. Diabolik - Skepticals

While the whole of the UK seemed to be mining the sound of The Beatles, Stones and The Who as Britpop slavishly paid homage to the 60s, The Sound Of McAlmont And Butler took its influences more from music of Dusty Springfield, Scott Walker, Andy Williams and Burt Bacharach while creating something unique and timeless

Rock, indie, soul, jazz and folk all meld in an album full of beguiling momentsBernard Butler had risen to fame as guitarist with Suede, who he'd left in 1994. After six months of solo writing, he approached ex- Thieves singer David McAlmont at London's Jazz Café, with the bare bones of a song, Yes. McAlmont added lyrics, and the track soared to No 8 in the UK charts, becoming the sound of summer 1995. It is impossible to listen to Yes without breaking into a beaming smile. With this headstart, the duo recorded more sides together – the Top 20 hit You Do and attendant tracks. However, it ended as quickly as it had began. Never intended as a long- term arrangement, McAlmont & Butler were over by autumn 1995. Considering The Sound Of McAlmont & Butler is effectively a compilation of the duo's sessions as opposed to a planned work, it has a tremendous consistency. A lot of the tracks were recorded as bonus tracks for CD singles (the 90s equivalent of a B- side), and retain a spontaneous air alongside the huge production numbers of Yes, You Do and Disappointment.

This re-issue faithfully replicates the original 1995 Virgin Records UK release with printed inner sleeve and is pressed onto high quality 180g vinyl.

TRACK LISTING

Yes (Full Version)
What's The Excuse This Time?
The Right Thing 
Although
Don't Call It Soul
Disappointment
Interval
The Debitor 
How About You?
Tonight
You'll Lose A Good Thing
You Do (Full Length)

The Outsert carves some cold IDM / breakbeat work outs for the first piece of wax on his elusive Intrasert Sound imprint. Clinical drum programming, fathoms deep bass rumbles, hi-tech mainframe glitches and atmospheres from the event horizon characterize the EP which is essential stuff for fans of Objekt, Batu and classic Skam 12"s. There's a real poise and sophistication at play here which puts The Outsert miles ahead of the pack. One serious sonic alchemist which anyone with a casual interest in synthesis or modular composition should study. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Martin says: Pin-point precision modular techno and bass jams here which twist melons inside out, re-arrange them as a 3D jigsaw puzzle then upload onto the cloud as hi-fidelity holograms. More futureproof than an avatar in the metaverse.

TRACK LISTING

01 Our Sour
02 Reset Tru
03 Eurorust
04 Out Use

Berlin-based psychedelic post-punk group The Third Sound (led by Brian Jonestown Massacre guitarist Hákon Aðalsteinsson) are set to release a new Fuzz Club Session LP on December 9th. Recorded live at Berlin's Marie Antoinette club, the 10-track double album sees The Third Sound perform a discography-spanning set with tracks from last year's highly-praised 'First Light' LP (2021), 'All Tomorrow's Shadows' (2018), 'Gospels of Degeneration' (2016), 'The Third Sound of Destruction and Creation' (2013) and 'The Third Sound' (2011). The session is released on vinyl, digitally and as a series of videos by Fuzz Club Records. It's number 19 in the London label's ongoing Fuzz Club Session series which has also seen the likes of A Place To Bury Strangers, Night Beats, Holy Wave, Heaters, The Entrance Band, The Myrrors, Lumerians, The Underground Youth, 10000 Russos and more. 

TRACK LISTING

Ghosts Of Memphis
We Will Be Together
Dissociation
Your Love Is Evol
For A While
You Are Not Here (ft. Lucy Kruger)
This Is The Only Way I Know
Half Alive
Nine Miles Below
Re-Elevation

On-U Sound are proud to present a new album from longtime friend and associate of the label, Jeb Loy Nichols. Produced by Adrian Sherwood, with careful arrangements framing twelve beautiful, acoustic-based songs. The album features contributions from the likes of Martin Duffy (Primal Scream/Felt) and Ivan “Celloman” Hussey, fresh from his work on the massively acclaimed duo of Horace Andy albums, Midnight Rocker and Midnight Scorchers, both of which featured songwriting contributions from Jeb Loy.

Jeb Loy comments: "The United States Of The Broken Hearted has been forty years in the making. I’ve known Adrian, and considered him one of my closest friends, for that long. During that time we’ve spent more hours listening, and talking about, music than anything else. Reggae, Country, Folk, Jazz, Soul; it’s been the backdrop to our friendship. Adrian introduced me to some of my favourite music; Count Ossie, Culture, Harry Beckett, Mulatu Astatke. Through the years we’ve listened to Sun Ra, Lee Perry, Ornette Coleman, Johnny Cash, Woody Guthrie. A couple years ago, on a visit to Adrian, I mentioned Gram Parsons’s concept of ‘American Cosmic Music’, the melting mix of musical genres that constitutes a uniquely American sound. We talked about recording a record that incorporated all the influences I’d gathered, from Bluegrass to Jazz to Reggae to Soul. The United States Of The Broken Hearted is that record. We wanted to include Folk (Deportees), Country (Satisfied Mind), protest songs (I Hate The Capitalist System), and songs of my own that bore the marks of those that had gone before. I sang the songs and played guitar; Adrian brought in friends and fellow travellers to finish them. It’s all there, Soul, Jazz, Country, Folk; and underlying everything, Adrian’s Reggae infused production.”

Adrian Sherwood adds: “This is Jeb’s ‘Great American Songbook’, he’s become such a great singer and songwriter over the years. This is a beautiful piece of work reminiscent of our mutual love for the Miracle album I made with Bim Sherman. I’m really proud of this record and it’s a fitting follow-up to Long Time Traveller.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: A lovely pensive selection of acoustic pieces, brimming with feeling, from downbeat cosmic country to more swinging jazzy numbers. there are echoes of dub and jazz, and all topped with JLN's distinctive vocals. Brilliant.

TRACK LISTING

Monsters On The Hill
Big Troubles Come In Small Doors
Fold Me Up
I Hate The Capitalist System
No Hiding Place For Me
What Does A Man Do All Day
United States Of The Broken Hearted
I’m Just A Visitor
I’ve Enjoyed As Much Of This Good Life
Deportees
Looking For Some Rain
Satisfied Mind

Another science fiction dancehall classic. Originally released in 1984, this is one of the most envelope- pushing records on the On-U Sound label: a rhythmic collision of noise, dub and electronics. Adrian Sherwood pushed the possibilities of the studio to the limit, capturing dystopian mid-80s cold war menace with layers of spatially- disorientating percussion, alien keyboard sounds and teeth-rattling distortion. Features vocal contributions from Shara Nelson (Massive Attack) and Annie Anxiety (Crass Records). Re-cut at Dubplates and Mastering in Berlin for maximum bass pressure. Includes a fold-out poster insert and download card which contains the full album plus a previously unreleased extended mix of 'Ace Of Wands', their contribution to the classic first volume of the long running 'Pay It All Back' series.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Crocodile's Court
A2. Gentle Killers
A3. Frequency Feast
A4. Quicksand Beach Party
B1. Savanna Prance
B2. Meander
B3. Igloo Inn
B4. Missing Brazilians

“There Is Nothing Left But The Enjoyment Of Senseless Destruction” is the first deadly plastic bullet from Dead Normal, a Barcelona-based trio fusing harsh electronics with a confrontational punk aesthetic to devastating effect. Think: early SPK meets 1990s Whitehouse, distorted Scorn/JFK type skullcrushing beats, a sprinkling of deconstructed Mark Stewart/Tackhead-esque mutant groove and a ferocious dual male/female vocal attack reminiscent of Mark E Smith at his most irascible combined with Crass' Eve Libertine at her most acerbic. Push the levels into the red and you're still only half way close to the unique and original hybrid of Dead Normal's punishing sonic assault. Founded in 2016 by Mario (electronics) with Oriol Rosell and Zoë V sharing vocal duties, the members of Dead Normal have a pedigree spanning two decades in the experimental/avant-garde scene, including collaborations with artists such as The New Blockaders and 2nd Gen. Dead Normal have played in Spain, London and Berlin alongside a diversity of acts from hardcore punk to power electronics and synthpop with further live performances to be announced shortly. 

TRACK LISTING

1/Reasons To Not Love
2/When The Shit Hits The Fan
3/The Epiphany
4/Little Tweaker Fuck 
5/The Man Is A Twat
6/Bobby
7/Guilt Hits Harder Than The Truth
8/You Were Good
9/Fully Loaded

Katy J Pearson would like you to know that she is not a country singer. Sure, there was an influence of the genre to the now - 26 - year - old’s celebrated debut ‘Return’ - an album that saw Pearson snowball from Bristolian newcomer to a critically - acclaimed bre akthrough star, selling out shows up and down the UK - but there’s also much, much more to her magnetic blend of soaring, widescreen melodies and warm, intimate storytelling than just three chords and the truth.

“There was one music video [for ‘Tonight’] that I did in the beginning where I line - danced and was wearing rhinestones, and from there it just turned it into this real thing,” she laughs. “Every review would be ‘country - tinged’ whereas actually, there was literally one country song on the record re ally. But I think that’s what’s good about the new record, that I think it’s not what people will expect from me. When people ask me what the new album sounds like, it’s just... a bit different?!”

Happy to wax lyrical about the relative merits of Townes Van Zandt, Elton John and Fugazi within the same breath, there’s always been a lot going on in Pearson’s musical palette (FYI she’d call her debut more of a folk - rock LP, if anything). But though the critics might have skewed the specifics of ‘Return’ - relea sed via Heavenly Records in November 2020 - the acclaim for the album still came pouring in. Having had a previous taste of the industry via a major label project that quickly turned sour, the difference this time around was tangible: praised for “ the arre sting quality of [her] Kate Bush - meets - Dolly Parton vocal delivery” by The Times, labelled as “finding humanity in every moment” by DIY and with lead single ‘Take Back The Radio’ described as “a whoop of pure joy” in the Guardian, amidst the bleak toll of lockdown, something about this curiously optimistic album began to really resonate. “ It was terrifying getting to the point of releasing a debut after making music for eight years, like woah!” she says with an exaggerated grimace (random noises and excita ble gestures are par - for - the - course in a Pearson anecdote).

“But weirdly it feels like it couldn’t have come out at any other time. It felt like everything people were saying to me [during lockdown] was everything that I’d been feeling when I wrote that al bum; it was a very personal album for me, and it was released at a time when a lot of people were in their house, feeling isolated. It was the antidote to a lot of peoples’ lives.” It feels fitting then that, having provided an aural balm at just the righ t moment with her first album, its follow - up should reflect a world brimming with curiosity, back in action and wanting to expand its horizons.

If Pearson’s extracurricular activities in recent months have shown that she can dip a toe into a multitude of g enres - providing guest vocals on Orlando Weeks’ recent album ‘Hop Up’; popping up with Yard Act for a collaboration at End of the Road festival; singing on trad - folk collective Broadside Hacks’ 2021 project ‘Songs Without Authors’ - then forthcoming secon d album ‘Sound of the Morning’ takes that spirit and runs with it. It’s still Katy J Pearson (read: effortlessly charming, full of heart and helmed by that inimitable vocal), but it’s Katy J Pearson pushing herself musically and lyrically into new waters. Written and recorded in late 2021 after a self - prescribed period of down time spent walking, going on daily cold water swims and “just chillaxing massively”, even the credits on ‘Sound of the Morning’ profess a new thirst for experimentation from the sin ger. Joining ‘Return’ producer Ali Chant on desk duties this time was Speedy Wunderground head honcho Dan Carey, who worked with Pearson on some of the album’s grittier tracks. “Dan got a completely different structural, songwriting style out of me which i s what I wanted: something a bit more confident and in your face,” she nods. “He could see that there was a part of me that wanted to branch out, I just didn’t know where and how far to push it, but it was exactly the kind of progression I was looking for. ”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: While Pearson's voice may draw comparisons to much beloved country singers (understandably), it's in her clever songwriting that her latest outing really shines. There are more woozy, airy moments of jangling indie amongst the heavier progressions and orchestrally intricate compositions, lurching between ideas seamlessly and without losing the melodic thread. Another brilliant success for Katy J Pearson.

TRACK LISTING

1. Sound Of The Morning
2. Talk Over Town
3. Riverbed
4. Howl
5. Confession
6. The Hour
7. Float
8. Alligator
9. Game Of Cards
10. Storm To Pass
11. Willow’s Song

Blink-and-you'll-miss-it 7" from Terekke who touches on the kind of sublime, cushion soft dub-techno-electronica that used to be the realm of acts like Farben, Fluxion, Burnt Friedman and such like.

"2 The World" reflects deep space red-shift across a plasma lake, it's thick, viscous buoyancy supporting a whole manner of contemplative emotion before a thudding kick returns us to focus.

"Fandn" swells with a positive luminescence, airy strings and delicate, distant leads teasing the senses like seeing by the ocean at a Summer's daybreak.

Tender, sensuous movements from a master of the machines. Don't miss this one folks.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Icey, crystalline vapour-dub from esteemed sound smith Terekke. Really, really limited!

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. 2 The World
Side 2
1. Fandn 

In association with DJ Amir and 180 Proof Records, BBE Music proudly presents ‘Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Reimagined by Jazzanova’, a brand new celebration of the iconic imprint. How does the Berlin-based production collective Jazzanova find itself reimagining songs from the iconic, Detroit record label Strata? “I couldn’t think of a more perfect band to do this work,” DJ Amir says about Jazzanova, a combination of DJs, record collectors and musicians, “because they brought passion and love to the project, because they know the music and love the music. And on top of that, they know how to play.” This unlikely, yet ideal pairing is the result of years of work and passion from Amir Abdullah, the crate-digging, DJ and label-head for 180-Proof Records which in 2011 began reissuing the groundbreaking Strata Records back catalog and unreleased gems from the vaults. On Strata Records - The Sound of Detroit - Reimagined by Jazzanova, DJ Amir and Jazzanova breathe new life into eleven hand-picked tracks from the Strata catalog for fans of the label’s historic recordings and new ears alike. Strata Records rose from the ashes of Detroit’s tumultuous 1960s decline..

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: A superb compilation from the ever reliable BBE which sees renowned collective Jazzanova reimagining the output of Detroit stalwart label Strata. It's an absolute wealth of amazing material to draw on, and the endlessly talented Jazzanova do it great justice here. A match made in heaven.

TRACK LISTING

Disc: 1
1. Introduction
2. Face At My Window
3. Root In 7-4 Plus
4. Lost My Love
5. Creative Musicians
6. Joy Road
Disc: 2
1. Orotunds
2. Inside Ourselves
3. Scorpio’s Child
4. Beyond The Dream
5. Saturday Night Special
6. Loser

Sunshine Sound deliver an absolute doozy for their vinyl debut, treating us to 'Happy Song', the original DJ tool from the legendary Francois K.

This is not just a bonus beat...This is THE bonus beat! This iconic rhythm track has been the source of countless samples, imitations & duplications since it first appeared in 1977. Now for the first time FK's original edit is available as a high quality stereo recording direct from tape. You may now put away your bootlegs.

Flip it over to find the long lost Walter Gibbons Battle Edit of 'Happy Song'. 
Walter Gibbons, one of NYs founding DJs, would skilfully experiment with the rhythm live on turntables at his Galaxy 21 club residency, whipping the floor into a frenzy as well as inspiring FK to create his famous edit.
What you may not know is that Walter also worked on his own version of Happy Song. Pulsing with primordial stereo syncopation, Walter's previously unheard Battle Edit could be considered the Director's Cut.

This is just the beginning, prepare to amend the history books.

Package includes hand-stamped sleeve and information inlay.

TRACK LISTING

A. Happy Song (Edit By Francois K)
B. Happy Song (Walter Gibbons Battle Edit)

Evan Wright’s debut full-length album Sound from out the Window is a shimmering collection of country-tinged indie psychedelia. Recorded, mixed, performed, produced by Wright, the New Jersey-born, New York-based songwriter crafts a self-contained world, both nostalgic and stressed out, a personal and deeply compelling work that continually reveals itself with each listen.

Recorded partially in Wright’s New York apartment before Covid caused him to decamp to his parents’ barn in New Jersey for quarantine, Sound from out the Window is the work of a consummate craftsman, fully in control of his sonic arsenal. “I always enjoyed recording and doing everything by myself,” says Wright. “It gives me a chance to learn something new. Every time I write and record and makes it feel like the music is completely my own.” This determination to create something truly personal led Wright to play every instrument on the record. It also led to a lot of experimentation.

“I became really obsessed with manipulating sounds using cassettes and tape,” says Wright. “I also began reamping a lot of instruments, including my voice.” The results form a nuance and strangely-textured album, with unrecognizable sounds flitting in and out of the background, like the indie western movie soundtrack of your dreams. Electronic and acoustic guitars meld with synth lines with Wright’s half-whispered croon anchoring the music throughout.

TRACK LISTING

01. People
02. IDM
03. Just A Sign
04. Turn The Other Way
05. Sound From Out The Window
06. Change
07. Morning Lights
08. On The Line
09. Ride

Swansea Sound started in the middle of lockdown. They realised that fast, loud, joyous, angry indiepop punk was the answer to being stuck indoors. Who needs introspection?

Hue Williams is reunited with Pooh Sticks partner Amelia Fletcher (ex- Talulah Gosh, Heavenly). Rob Pursey (also ex-Heavenly) and Ian Button (Wreckless Eric’s live collaborator) provide the noise. Swansea Sound are the fast, acerbic and joyous past, present and future of indie.

Four of the tracks were released as singles, all of them now impossible to obtain. ‘Corporate Indie Band’ was a limited edition cassette, ‘I Sold My Soul on eBay’ was a one-off lathe cut that got auctioned on eBay (with a £400 winning bid), ‘Indies of the World’ was a 7” inch single that briefly hit the UK physical charts, but immediately sold out and plummeted back out again. And then there was ‘Swansea Sound’: a requiem for a lost radio station; an anti-corporate lament - another limited edition cassette single.

First track Rock N Roll Void gives a three minute revision session, just in case you’ve forgotten about The Ramones, The Kinks, The Buzzcocks and the brief explosion of indie noise pollution of 1986. Some of the songs are reflexive – ‘Swansea Sound’ and ‘The Pooh Sticks’. (Who else was going to write a tribute to The Pooh Sticks?) Others are searching for hope in the digital desert – ‘Let It Happen’, ‘I’m OK When You’re Around’, ‘Pasadena’, ‘Angry Girl’. ‘Je Ne Sais Quoi’ is pure pop throwaway fun. The others songs are dead catchy too, they just happen to express a sickness and a contempt for the state of things. ‘Corporate Indie Band’ is about a group who have mortgaged their creativity to a major label and sold their identities to an online marketing team of public schoolboys. Freedom of Speech takes a look at three contemporary ‘alternative’ music stars and considers how they’ve responded to BLM, the pandemic and the rise of right-wing populism. ‘Like self-serving arseholes’, is the unfortunate answer. (You won’t struggle to work out who the three ‘alternative’ stars are.)

Swansea Sound took their name from a well-loved local radio station when it was given a corporate makeover in 2020. They even used the radio station’s abandoned logo. Like the indiepunk pop songs, something modern acidic and angry has taken up residence in a familiar, borrowed frame. You can throw yourself around to Swansea Sound like it’s 1986, but if you catch the lyrics you’ll remember you’re in 2021. (Sorry about that.)

The Rum Puncheon, a notorious pub in Swansea, closed down decades ago.

TRACK LISTING

A1 Rock N Roll Void
A2 I Sold My Soul On Ebay
A3 I'm Ok When You're Around
A4 The Pooh Sticks
A5 Let It Happen
A6 Je Ne Sais Quoi
B1 Pasadena
B2 Indies Of The World
B3 Corporate Indie Band
B4 Freedom Of Speech
B5 Angry Girl
B6 Swansea Sound

Throughout his career fronting Superchunk and Portastatic, Mac McCaughan has channeled more than his share of angst into a microphone, resulting in undeniable rock anthems. So how can a voice so familiar to others still seem foreign to its owner? On The Sound of Yourself, McCaughan’s second release under his own name, he explores that question fully, shooting his voice through a prism and refracting it across these songs in new and rewarding ways. In January 2021, McCaughan found himself at his home studio in Chapel Hill North Carolina staring down a clean slate after wrapping a film score and several other music projects. His thought process was simple: “Each day is blurring into the next, so what are we doing today?

How can I disrupt this? I think what resulted was a theme of subdued… ‘joy’ is the wrong word, but it’s at least comforting if not propulsive to have something open-ended to work on every day without any kind of structure or deadline or rules.” McCaughan leaned into allowing randomness and accidents to catalyze his compositions. Where a guitar riff might typically start a Superchunk song, an indistinguishable loop found on an old sampler dictates the mood on “Found Cricket,” and simply opening up his studio to the woods outside channels Another Green World on “36 and Rain.”

Instrumentals make up nearly half of The Sound of Yourself, and are integral to the album’s atmosphere. While the pop-oriented tracks hint at sounds explored on Non-Believers, McCaughan’s recent scoring work and frequent excursions with synthesizers and sequencers (see: the Moogfest commissioned POMS and his ambient project with Mary Lattimore) add a particularly crystalline spaciness akin to The Durutti Column and Bowie’s Berlin trilogy. A sloping new wave bassline grounds the catchy “Circling Around” as McCaughan rejects rumination with cleverly cyclical lyrics and a few strategically placed “whoa”s. The warbled synthetic voices emanating from the Mellotron on “Sleep Donor” are already singing isolation blues well before McCaughan frets, “I hear a footstep in the hall when there should be no one there at all…”

These could be the same ghostly sounds “softer than the light, under the door” he describes in “I Hear a Radio,” a track on which Michael Benjamin Lerner (Telekinesis) and Annie Hayden (Spent) provide shimmering vocal harmonies. For a record titled The Sound of Yourself, the irony in having many contributions from friends is not lost on McCaughan: “I’m constantly inspired by the work of my peers. I feel lucky to be able to collaborate with them despite the distances between us. Sending off a song into the ether and having it returned greatly improved and in often surprising and moving ways was one of the most satisfying aspects of making this record.” 

TRACK LISTING

1. Moss Light
2. The Sound Of Yourself
3. I Hear A Radio
4. 36 And Rain
5. Burn A Fax
6. Gen Ash
7. Circling Around
8. R Dream
9. Sleep Donor
10. Dawn Bends
11. Found Cricket

Year Of The Spider was written and recorded in Nashville with GRAMMY® Award winning Producer of the Year, Dan Auerbach, at his legendary Easy Eye Sound studio this past year, fronted by Shannon Shaw and Cody Blanchard on lead vocals. It is an endlessly vivacious, ebullient, and clever album from the kings and queen of the Bay Area garage punk scene. Fresh off of their supporting tours with the likes of The Black Keys and Greta Van Fleet, they returned to the studio with their unique vintage sound that incorporates wonderfully strange elements of doo-wop, classic R&B, garage psych and surf rock to produce this timeless gem from these perennial favourites.

TRACK LISTING

1. Do I Wanna Stay
2. All Of My Cryin'
3. Midnight Wine
4. I Need You Bad
5. Year Of The Spider
6. In The Hills, In The Pines
7. Godstone
8. Snakes Crawl
9. Mary, Don’t Go
10. Leaves Fall Again
11. Flowers Will Return
12. Crawl
13. Vanishing

Punk The Capital: Building A Sound Movement A Documentary Tracing The Birth Of Punk-rock In Washington D.C. (1976-1983) Featuring Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Void, Rites Of Spring And More, With Interviews From Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, H.R., Jello Biafra, Joe Keithley And Many Others. Includes 50+ Minutes Of Bonus Shorts With Scream, Void, The Cramps And The Slickee Boys.

When Punk Rock Erupted In Washington D.C., It Was A Mighty Convergence Of Powerful Music, Friendships And Clear Minds. This Film Is The First To Explore The Incredible Challenges That This Subculture Faced When It Took Root In The Nations Capital In The Late 1970s.

Punk The Capital Situates D.C. Punk Within The Larger Narratives Of Rock N Roll, Working As A Powerful Multi-layered Story For Both Fans And Non-fans Of Punk Rock. Featuring Musicians Such As Bad Brains, Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye And Jello Biafra, This Film Dives Deep Into The Ideas And Sounds From This Transformative Music Scene Which Continues To Be Influential Culturally And Politically Around The World.

Created By James June Schneider (co-director, Editor), Paul Bishow (co-director) And Sam Lavine (associate Producer, Co-editor), Punk The Capital Was Theatrically Released In The US Last Month And Garnered Rave Reviews From The Press And Fans Alike. Many Of The Screenings Became Special Events, With Q&As With The Directors And Pete Stahl Of Scream, Chris Stover Of Void, Nicky Thomas Of Fire Party, Curator/publisher Roger Gastman And Hudley Flipside Of Flipside Fanzine, Just To Name A Few.

Schneider States: The Final Version Of Our Film That Were Releasing Now Is Just The Intense Tip Of The Iceberg Our First Cut Was 7 Hours Long. In The End, We Wound Up Focusing On The Untold And Improbable Story Of Punk Rocks Beginnings In Washington D.C., That Happened Concurrently With Cities Across The Western World. We Took A Lot Of Our Extra Material That Otherwise Might Never Have Been Seen And Edited It Together To Make Short Films That Will Be In The Bonus Section On The DVD. One Of The Shorts Focuses On The Band Scream And Their Family Connections To D.C.s Legendary 1960s Garage Band Scene.

As We Roll The Film Out, Weve Been Blown Away By The Positive Response Not Just From Fans Of Punk And D.C. Punk Who See And Hear A Lot Of Unseen Material. Weve Also Heard From A Lot Of People Even Up To 90 Years Old Who Didnt Really Like Punk But Nonetheless Love The Film. Were Glad To See That Punk The Capital Works On A Lot Of Levels And Are Hoping That It Will Reach A Broad Audience Since The DIY Ideas Highlighted In The Film About The D.C. Punk Scene Go Well Beyond The Music.

Punk The Capital Will Be Released On DVD In The US For Record Store Day On June 12 Via Passion River And In The UK For Record Store Day On July 26 Via Wienerworld. A Portion Of All DVDs Sold Through Dischord Records Will Go To The D.C. Charity We Are Family.

As An Added Bonus, The Discs Contain 50+ Minutes Of Short Films From The Archives Of Punk The Capital:

Scream Meets The Hangmen: Featuring All Of Scream Including Dave Grohl

Void And Friends: A Portrait Of The Cult Hardcore Band From The D.C. Suburbs

The Seminal WGTB Concert: The Legendary First Punk Concert For So Many D.C. Kids, The Cramps And Total Chaos

The Slickee Boys: Extra Material On The Band Who Got D.C. Punk Off The Ground Circa 1976

Tony Joe White's posthumous album, Smoke from the Chimney, brings to life previously unknown home recordings by the legendary songwriter and musician. A pioneer of the Louisiana swamp rock sound, White's eclectic legacy has persevered through decades of influence, covers and popular culture. Starting with the album's genesis as an unforeseen trove of demos to the hands of producer Dan Auerbach and legendary session musicians, Smoke from the Chimney captures Tony Joe White's signature style in its purest form and serves as a living testimony to one of the most gifted lyricists and storytellers music has ever known.

TRACK LISTING

1. Smoke From The Chimney
2. Boot Money
3. Del Rio You're Making Me Cry
4. Listen To Your Song
5. Over You
6. Scary Stories
7. Bubba Jones
8. Someone Is Crying
9. Billy

Over the past 5 years, The Future Sound of London have released three A6 booklets, filled with stories of FSOL's past, images and accompanied by 20 mins of music. For the first time, these have now been put these together to form a 1 hour seamless journey.

TRACK LISTING

1. Viewed From Outside
2. The Whispering Masses
3. Orrery
4. Fracti
5. Episode
6. Magnify Within The Thought
7. Replace I With You
8. Viewed From Trains
9. External Limits
10. To Become Silent
11. Skylines
12. Turbulent Haze
13. Restricted Conversation Between Occupants
14. Take Umbrage
15. Outsourced
16. Viewed From Pedestrian's Angle
17. Desseminate

Black vinyl pressing of the now sold out RSD 2020 reissue. 'Cascade' was first released in 1993 reaching a chart position of 27. A whopping 26 years later FSOL rebuilt and created 10 new compositions inspired by the original to celebrate RSD 2020. Now, due to popular demand, this superb LP is back on vinyl - so don't miss out again!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Cascade (part 1 - Recreated) 
A2. Flood Of Reflection 
A3. Amid The Overwhelm 
A4. Cascade (part 6)
A5. Brief Silence In The Distance 
B1. Cascade (part 4 - Recreated) 
B2. Dark Hours Of Your Being 
B3. Sluice 
B4. Multiple Falling Objects
B5. Deep Sea Of Clouds

When Seattle-based recording engineer Kearney Barton died in 2012, the 80 year-old studio veteran had spent the past 50 years recording the cream of the Seattle music scene through the decades. The Fleetwoods, Quincy Jones, The Ventures, The Wailers, The Sonics, Ann Wilson (Heart), The Frantics, The Kingsmen, and Dave Lewis to name a few. Barton also captured Seattle’s vibrant 1960s-70s R&B and soul scene, including Black On White Affair and Soul Swingers, among others, as documented in Light in the Attic’s Wheedle’s Groove series. In his later years Barton’s old school reputation drew in contemporary bands like Young Fresh Fellows, The Smugglers, The Minus 5, and The A-Bones into his studio. Essentially, when a local unknown band wanted to make a demo tape, or record their debut album, or perhaps someone just wanted to capture their uncle playing banjo or their kid sister’s first songs, they’d go to Barton’s studio.


There were 7,000 reel-to-reel tapes piled up in Barton’s house at the time of his passing. The University of Washington carefully cataloged these tapes, and former Sub Pop employee Dan Trager (who had learned the art of recording from Kearney years earlier as a student) began listening and taking notes. With input from a team drawn from the university and Light in the Attic, Dan compiled a shortlist of essential tracks that would form the basis of this compilation. Kearney Barton: Architect of the Northwest Sound is a comprehensive document of Seattle in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

It is also a testament to Barton’s life-long dedication to the art of recording. It includes long out of print recordings originally released by local labels such as Jerden, Topaz, Piccadilly, and Etiquette Records. It covers a wide range of genres: sitar and balalaika players, gospel church choirs, unknown garage bands, steel drums, obscure soul artists and teenage a cappella singers. There’s also some familiar names here: Sonics, Wailers, a young pre-Heart Ann Wilson, Larry Coryell making his first ever studio recordings with Chuck Mahaffay, the Hudson Brothers long before they were on TV. “However diverse, there is a commonality that stands out among his recordings: hardcore analog fidelity,” says University of Washington archivist John Vallier. “It sounds like you are in the room with the drums, bass, guitar, and vocals. The mix is minimum. It’s a raw, sonic reality, even if the band is poppy and jangly. It’s an honest sound that doesn’t sugarcoat what’s being performed. That’s Kearney, too.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Millie says: Kearney Barton’s recordings was what he dedicated his life too, the passion for music runs deep.This compilation is the essentials from his collection over the many years and highlight all the best from Seattle ranging from the 60’s through to 80’s. A joy to listen to!

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A

1. Introduction – Kearney Barton
2. Hey Little One – Woody Carr & The Entertainers
3. Through Eyes And Glass – Ann Wilson & The Daybreaks
4. Bold Soul Sister, Bold Soul Brother – Black On White Affair
5. Occupation Soul – Occupation Soul
6. Sticky – James Henry & The Olympics
7. Dig That Crazy Jam Session – Valamont
8. Two Guitars – Serge Lusgins & His Russian Balalaika Orchestra

SIDE B

1. Ooze – Valamont
2. Flying Bird – Tropical Rainstorm
3. Spanish Harlem – Prabha Devi
4. Happy – Secret Dynamics
5. Introducing A New Concept – Kearney Barton
6. Hold To God's Unchanging Hand – Beacon Hill First Baptist Choir
7. Everybody Knows – Sweet Rolle
8. Wrong Age – MUF

SIDE C

1 With Five Types Of Music – Kearney Barton
2 Qui El Petit – Wilkins
3 Gold + Mellow – Fox-Brownsmith
4 Sunshine Morning – Keith Kessler
5 Bossa Nada – Chuck Mahaffay & The Individuals
6 For All We Know – Patty Waters

SIDE D

1 MMM MMM MMM – Dave Lewis
2 Don't Ask Me – Tiki & The Fabulons
3 He's Waitin' – The Sonics
4 High Flyer – Magic Fern
5 Blind Love – The Cuidads
6 All My Nights, All My Days – The Wailers
7 Mr. Blue – Fury Four

Extensive 4CD/book set exploring the punk and post-punk sound of the ‘steel city’.

Features classics, rarities, album tracks and TWELVE previously unreleased gems from The Human League, Pulp (and members thereof), Heaven 17, Thompson Twins, B.E.F., Artery, ABC, Clock DVA, Hula, The Danse Society, In The Nursery, Treebound Story and many more.

4CD + hardback book format contains over 20,000 words of artists’ sleevenotes, essays and memoirs from key players in the city’s music scene.

Curated and designed by the people who brought you Manchester – North Of England, Revolutionary Spirit – The Sound Of Liverpool, Silhouettes And Statues, Electrical Language, Scared To Get Happy, Still In A Dream and many more critically acclaimed box sets.

Journey through the music of a generation in one of the UK’s most vibrant and creative cities.

Sheffield in the 1970s…. a city in decline, its steel mills and factories closing and its vast housing estates beginning to crumble. Even the city’s two football teams were both experiencing the worst form in their long histories. An unlikely setting, then, for a musical revolution, but aren’t they always? As it transpired, in the aftermath of punk this industrial backdrop, alive with frustrated young talent and peppered with accessible and affordable rehearsal and performance spaces, became a hotbed of uniquely informed new bands that challenged both the constraints of genre and the dominance of music from London, Liverpool and Manchester.

Dreams To Fill The Vacuum charts the revival of Sheffield and its music in the latter half of the 1970s and throughout the 1980s, from The Human League to Pulp, via Aardvark, Pax and Native Records, and onto the chart successes of Heaven 17, ABC, Thompson Twins and many others. Featuring cornerstone contributions from the city’s brightest stars – Oakey, Cocker, Ware, Marsh, Hawley, Newton and co – alongside many more lesser-known legends, this is a tale of a city and its people rediscovering itself.

Packed with first-hand artist sleevenotes, insightful essays, revealing imagery and brilliant, essential music, Dreams To Fill The Vacuum offers a story in need of telling.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE: CD
1977-1981
1. DANCEVISION – The Human League
2. DON'T TRY TO CURE YOURSELF - They Must Be Russians
3. DREAMS TO FILL THE VACUUM – I’m So Hollow
4. MODERN MEN – The Prams
5. ALL TIME LOW - 2.3
6. METAL BOYS – Hobbies Of Today
7. TRACK NO. 5 - Mein Glas Fabrik *
8. HELP ME - Red Zoo *
9. AVOID THE SURGERY (DEMO) – I Scream Brothers
10. JUNIOR - B. Troop
11. SHE’S IN LOVE WITH MYSTERY – Thompson Twins
12. SAY AND DO - Repulsive Alien
13. TORCH – Veiled Threat
14. QUESTIONS OF GENDER - De Tian
15. UNKNOWN – Molodoy
16. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY - TV Product *
17. ELECTRIC WALTZ – Negatives
18. END OF ACT ONE - Y?
19. THE MAZE – The Toy Shop
20. A GIRLFRIEND IS… - Vena Cava
21. DROWNING – Graph
22. MEN IN THE MIRRORSHADES – Rapid Eye Movements
23. LLAMAS (LIVE AT THE WIMPY BAR) – A Major European Group
24. RAINDANCE - The Past Seven Days
25. LIVING IN CONFUSION – Pagan Bo

DISC TWO: CD
1981-1982
1. (WE DON'T NEED THIS) FASCIST GROOVE THANG (12" MIX) – Heaven 17
2. LUCIFER’S FRIEND – Vision
3. THE CLOWN – Artery
4. TWIST - New Model Soldier
5. TRAIN - Surface Mutants
6. 4 HOURS (REMIXED SINGLE VERSION) - Clock DVA
7. A BABY CALLED BILLY – British Electronic Foundation
8. WAR GAMES - Flying Alphonso Brothers *
9. ENGLISH INDUSTRIAL ESTATE – Shy Tots
10. HEAVY MEN - Disease *
11. DEITY’S LAMENT – Stunt Kites
12. SECRET SOCIETY – Mau Maus
13. MARCELLA BALL – The Naughtiest Girl Was A Monitor
14. CORPSE CREEPER - Quite Unnerving
15. PARKING BOYS - Acrobats Of Desire
16. MAN WITH A LUMINOUS HEAD (DEMO) * - The Blimp
17. SCRAMBLE FOR STYLE – The Mirror Crack’d
18. REAL LIFE – Vital
19. PSYCHOKILLER - Heroes Of The Beach
20. ALPHABET SOUP - ABC

DISC THREE: CD
1982-1984
1. EVERYBODY’S PROBLEM – Pulp
2. INTRUDER IN THE DUST – Bass Tone Trap
3. JUST A GAME - U.V. Pøp
4. DANSE/MOVE – The Danse Society
5. ISKRA - In The Nursery
6. DYING MAN, FAITHFUL PRIEST – Dachau Choir
7. TEX MIRROR H - Out Of Reach
8. NO ONE LEAVES THE) FEVER CAR – Hula
9. QUIET TYPE – Time In Motion
10. OVER – SIIIII
11. MANNEQUIN – Ipso Facto
12. WORLDS APART - Fatales *
13. BILLINGHAM’S ISLAND (DEMO)* - Tsi Tsi
14. FISH AND BREADCAKE - Fish And Breadcake
15. LATE NIGHTS (DEMO) - Harriet *
16. OUT OF THE FLESH (MIX 1) – Chakk
17. THE DISTANCE FROM KOLN – Native Europe
18. SILICON CHIP – Defective Turtles
19. PERSUASION – Vendino Pact
20. IN MY EYES (DEMO)* - Typhoon Saturday

DISC FOUR: CD
1984-1988
1. KITCHENETTE - Peter Hope And The Jonathan S. Podmore Method
2. WINDS OF CHANGE – Scala Timpani
3. YOU UNGRATEFUL BASTARD (FLEXI VERSION) - One Thousand Violins
4. CRAYOLA - A.C. Temple
5. UP THE HILL – Sedition
6. MESSAGE FROM A DEAD MAN – The Flight Commander
7. ZULU - The Anti Group
8. CHAINS – Chain
9. FIX THE KITCHEN - Dig Vis Drill
10. CHILDREN – Kilgore Trout
11. BOTTLE BREAST – Fishwives
12. TREEHOUSE - Mr Morality *
13. SKIN SCRAPED BACK – Workforce
14. LIKE A FOOL – Treebound Story
15. WONDERFUL LIFE – Nick Fish & The Seahorses
16. CROW BAR – The Box
17. COLORADO DEAD MAN – The Midnight Choir
18. THE WORLD DOESN'T TURN – The Junk
19. LAWNMOWER WOMAN (LIVE) - The Wacky Gardeners

‘Odyssey: The Sound Of Ivor Raymonde Vol II’ is Bella Union’s follow-up to the critically acclaimed ‘Paradise: The Sound Of Ivor Raymonde’.

This new compilation is a further celebration of the great British arranger, musical director, producer and songwriter Ivor Raymonde, who died at age 63 in 1990. Bella Union, the label behind both releases, is run by Ivor’s son Simon Raymonde.

Like ‘Paradise’, ‘Odyssey’ has been compiled by Simon with author, journalist and music historian Kieron Tyler. Simon explains that: “The research Kieron and I did for Paradise showed us that there was still an extremely rich seam of his music to be uncovered. A follow-up volume was increasingly inevitable.”

‘Paradise’ told the story of a British musical great for the first time. Classic Sixties hits like Billy Fury’s ‘Halfway To Paradise’, Dusty Springfield’s ‘I Only Want To Be With You’ (co-written by Ivor) and The Walker Brothers’ ‘Make It Easy On Yourself’ were collected. All were arranged or produced by Ivor and heard alongside just-asfantastic tracks by David Bowie, Sonny Childe, Cindy Cole, Tom Jones, Los Bravos and Helen Shapiro. ‘Odyssey’ is additional confirmation of the seemingly limitless scope of Ivor’s talents. More hits are featured: the Alan Price Set’s irresistible Top Five interpretation of Randy Newman’s ‘Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear’, Dusty Springfield’s kinetic ‘Little By Little’, Frankie Vaughan’s epic chart topper ‘Tower Of Strength’ and the aural drama of Marty Wilde And His Wildcats’ ‘Endless Sleep’.

There are also lesser-known tracks by best-sellers: Los Bravos’ Raymonde-composed soul stomper ‘Brand New Baby’, Cat Stevens’ moody ‘Blackness Of The Night’ and the extraordinary 1966 Walker Brothers’ album track ‘Where’s The Girl’, which pointed to where the solo Scott Walker would soon be heading.

Although Ivor Raymonde was a back-room figure, he made the Top 30 in early 1963 as the clandestine vocalist with The Chucks – a studio demo had been made with no intention of it ending up in record shops. Then, it was issued and a band name needed. Ivor plumped for The Chucks and ‘Loo-Be-Loo’ began rising up the charts. On Odyssey, it is at last given its context.

Going into the reasons for a follow-up to ‘Paradise’, Simon adds “I knew there was more but even a serial curator, late-night trawler like me, at some point thinks ‘the best stuff must now surely be all discovered.’ But finding tracks like Christopher Colt’s ‘Girl In The Mirror’ is like unearthing a rare Donovan track produced by Ray Davies. Probably my favourite discovery was The Martells’ ‘Time To Say Goodnight’ which Ivor produced when he worked at Decca Records. They only released one seven-inch single which sells for over £200, so it’s quite a rarity and more importantly a banger of a track.”

Instead of Ivor, the cover image of ‘Odyssey’ is of Ivor’s wife Nita.

TRACK LISTING

Dusty Springfield: Little By Little
Alan Price Set Simon: Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear
Los Bravos: Brand New Baby
The Eyes Of Blue: Don’t Ask Me To Mend Your Broken Heart
The Chants: Wearing A Smile
Susan Maughan: That Other Place
Kathy Kirby: The Way Of Love
Cat Stevens: Blackness Of The Night
Paul Slade: Odyssey
Frankie Vaughan: Tower Of Strength
The Martells: Time To Say Goodnight
The Cryin’ Shames: Please Stay
Roy Orbison: Pretty Paper
The Outlaws: Swingin’ Low
Ronnie Carroll Chain Gang 
Del Shannon: From Me To You
The Chucks: Loo-Be-Loo
Olé Jose & The Golden Leaves: Tequila 68
The Rogues: Memories Of Missy
Marty Wilde And His Wildcats: Endless Sleep
Giles, Giles & Fripp: Thursday Morning
Twinkle: Michael Hannah
Christopher Colt: Girl In The Mirror
The Stylistics: I Feel Lucky Tonight
The Walker Brothers: Where's The Girl

Following on from RW Hedges Pop debut 'The Hunters in the Snow'.. this one takes place in The American West of 1877 the year the phonograph was invented.

Constructed in RW's studio 'The Chalet' a get away full of books and fairy lights out in a field in a no man’s land. RW & Luca Nieri sat around bonfires and wrote lyrics written on big spools of paper.

As per last time Luca Nieri produces and RW Hedges directs the songwriting further towards his influences of 1930's Hollywood. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Havent Seen Her In A While
2. Deep In The Valley
3. Girl In The Story
4. Trail Of The Setting Sun
5. Old Missouri
6. My Dearest
7. Down To Venezuela
8. Sure Enough
9. Prairie Moon
10. The Westerners 

The Black Keys’ long-awaited ninth studio album, “Let’s Rock”, their first in five years, is a return to the straightforward rock of the singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney’s early days as a band. Auerbach says, “When we’re together we are The Black Keys, that’s where that real magic is, and always has been since we were sixteen.” 

“Let’s Rock” was written, tracked live, and produced by Auerbach and Carney at Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville and features backing vocals from Leisa Hans and Ashley Wilcoxson. “The record is like a homage to electric guitar,” says Carney. “We took a simple approach and trimmed all the fat like we used to.”

Rolling Stone named ‘Lo/Hi’ a “Song You Need to Know” and said, ‘the Keys have officially returned, louder than ever’ and the New York Times calls the song ‘the kind of garage-boogie stomp that the band never left behind.’ In the words of the NME, ‘It’s the soundtrack to the type of party that doesn’t exist anymore, but one you still wish you were cool enough to get the invite to.’

Formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001, The Black Keys have released eight studio albums: their debut The Big Come Up (2002), followed by Thickfreakness (2003) and Rubber Factory (2004), along with their releases on Nonesuch Records, Magic Potion (2006), Attack & Release (2008), Brothers (2010), El Camino (2011), and, most recently, Turn Blue (2014). The band has won six Grammy Awards and headlined festivals including Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Governors Ball.

Since their last album together, both Auerbach and Carney have been creative forces behind a number of wide-ranging artists:
Dan Auerbach formed the Easy Eye Sound record label, named after his Nashville studio, in 2017, with the release of his second solo album, Waiting on a Song. Since its launch, Easy Eye Sound has become home to a wide range of artists including Yola, Shannon & The Clams, Dee White, Shannon Shaw, Sonny Smith, Robert Finley, and The Gibson Brothers; it also has released the posthumous album by Leo Bud Welch as well as previously unreleased material by Link Wray.

Patrick Carney has produced and recorded new music with artists such as Calvin Johnson, Michelle Branch, Damns of the West, Tobias Jesso, Jr., Jessy Wilson, Tennis, *repeat repeat, Wild Belle, Sad Planets, Turbo Fruits, and more. He also created the theme music for the Netflix TV show BoJack Horseman with his late uncle, Ralph Carney.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Having always epitomised the fuzzy groove-led party vibe, it's no surprise that their latest is the most danceable and head-nodding instalment yet, but here it is. Bluesy, sleazy and heavy but crisp and beautifully presented. Black Keys do it again!

TRACK LISTING

1. Shine A Little Light
2. Eagle Birds
3. Lo/Hi
4. Walk Across The Water
5. Tell Me Lies
6. Every Little Thing
7. Get Yourself Together
8. Sit Around And Miss You
9. Go
10. Breaking Down
11. Under The Gun
12. Fire Walk With Me

In 1986 iconic group The Future Sound of London released the UK Top 40 chart album "Dead Cities", from which came a track "Yage". Such has been the interest in this masterpiece of electronica over the years that the guys have been back into the studio to revisit it. "Yage 2019" takes the core of the original and rebuilds it. All together there are eleven tracks reconstructions and interpretations, woven together (as FSOL do) into a 42 minute dreamscape journey. A wonderful update to this iconic release. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Yage 2019
2. Floating Into Focus And Then Moving Away
3. Purged
4. We Flew Together
5. Yage (Rhodesia)/Insulin
6. Voodoo Doll
7. Earth Spirit
8. Ayahuasca
9. Slowly Stumbled
10. The People Of Yage (Humanoid Rebuild)
11. Yage Sunset Strip
12. A Sensation Of Vagueness
13. The Images Were Simple And Few

In 2001, a group of David Bowie insiders put together a private CD of the cover versions of the Bowie songs that had appeared on Pickwick Records’ notorious ‘Top Of The Pops’ budget album series between 1972 and 1980. They called the CD ’Top Of The Fops’ and put a picture of a lookalike lifted from the 1970s teen mag Mirabelle on the cover. Bowie, we’re reliably informed by one of those insiders, loved the album.

‘The Top Of The Poppers Sing And Play The Hits Of David Bowie’ gathers together the nine Pickwick cover versions on vinyl for the very first time. It’s a fascinating document of a confused era, where the high water mark of British pop and the countervailing trash aesthetic of the 1970s collided. And as is only fitting for those heady days, our album is released as a limited edition on groovy purple vinyl.

The ‘Top Of The Pops’ business model saw Pickwick churn out album after album of cover versions of the big hits of the day recorded by a ever-changing group of session musicians known only as The Top Of The Poppers. It didn’t seem to matter that the original records had already sold hundreds of thousands of copies. The ‘Top Of The Pops’ compilations were cheap to buy and were so popular that they were excluded from the official charts because they’d just clog the place up week after week, like bin bags during the Winter of Discontent. Listening to them as an over-eager pop consumer of the 1970s was to enter a disconcerting parallel world of the ersatz.

It’s perhaps no wonder that Bowie himself enjoyed these cover versions so much. After all, here was a man who had built a career on pretending to be someone else, manoeuvring his various invented personas through a succession of albums and telling anyone who bothered to listen that it wasn’t actually him the audience was responding to. It was Ziggy, or Aladdin Sane, or The Thin White Duke.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A
1 Starman
2 Life On Mars?
3 Sorrow
4 The Man Who Sold The World
5 TVC15

SIDE B
6 Space Oddity
7 Heroes
8 Boys Keep Swinging
9 Fashion

After Vox Populi!'s "Half Dead Ganja Music" and Frank Dommert's "Kiefermusik", we have a hand picked compilation by the Hamburg artist Maat. Maat is a solo project by Dorte Marth, who created two secretly powerful and underappreciated records in 1993. They were released on two labels (Dragnet, Dom Elchklang) run by Achim P. Li Khan, the co-founder of the Greatest Band On Eearth, H.N.A.S. Maat's musical pallette is at once, strikingly, a more dark and brooding occult version of Anima and Limpe Fuchs. One can hear classical music references much like Coil's Unnatural History, but played further, blurring the shadowy lines between sampling and virtuoso playing.

Maat's dark and glisteningly illustrated use of electronic drums, Pan-Asian arrangements, and classical styles, invent a private world where she uncovers and projects forth, a new and ancient female energy. Its almost as if she is orchestrating her pallette and shooting it through star-clusters beneath the world. Probably Typhonian Highlife's and 4th World Magazines greatest influence. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Krypt
2. She
3. Sie
4. Shaku
5. Monoton
6. Duster
7. Sphare
8. Quer
9. Tudelo
10. Vopice
11. Kurz Davor 

The Future Sound of London's long and varied history stretches back almost 25 years and as such a vast amount of unreleased material exists in the FSOL archives. "Archived 9" brings together another 12 such tracks; in some cases these are completed but unreleased songs from that time, in others the songs have been reconstructed or enhanced and then further mixed to form the journey. This album is not just a collection of random off-cuts. It is a fully realized album, worthy of sitting alongside the rest of the band's critically acclaimed work. Did you know - The Future Sound of London were the first band to distribute their music via the internet, in 1994. Did you know - The Future Sound of London were the first band to use ISDN technology to transmit their music via the internet and also to radio stations across the world - a system that has now been adopted by the radio industry worldwide. (No I did not; but as I often say, every day's a school day here at Piccadilly Records... - ed).

TRACK LISTING

1. Ocea
2. Semi Conscious Participant
3. Silent Midnight
4. Halfer
5. Embodied
6. Super Tide
7. Without You It's Meaningless
8. Oska Traveller
9. Slow Moving World
10. Propagate
11. Photographs Of An Object
12. A Constantly Changing Mind
13. Confirmation Bias
14. These Days
15. Riverbed
16. Extruded
17. Views Of A Empty Sky

Classic singles like Billy Fury’s ‘Halfway To Paradise’, Dusty Springfield’s ‘I Only Want To Be With You’ and The Walker Brothers’ ‘Make It Easy On Yourself’ would not have been hits without Ivor Raymonde. As their arranger, and in the case of ‘I Only Want To Be With You’ songwriter too, he shaped the final recordings. He decided on the orchestration and backing vocals, chose the instruments and determined what was heard on the radio - and what record buyers bought.

‘Paradise: The Sound Of Ivor Raymonde’ is a long-overdue celebration of Ivor Raymonde, collecting his work as an arranger, musical director, producer, singer and songwriter. The story of a British musical great is told for the first time.

Billy Fury, Dusty Springfield and The Walker Brothers are heard. So is the only vocal performance for which Ivor Raymonde received a credit on a record label. He worked with the pre-fame David Bowie and Tom Jones. He spotted the potential of Los Bravos, steering them into the charts with ‘Black Is Black’. Near-misses and obscurities made with Brit-girls Cindy Cole and Helen Shapiro, the soulful Sonny Childe and confrontational protopsychedelic London band The Flies are as fantastic as the hits. With these and more, ‘Paradise: The Sound Of Ivor Raymonde’ distils the essence of the magic of Ivor Raymonde.

‘Paradise: The Sound Of Ivor Raymonde’ is released by Bella Union, the label run by Ivor’s son, former Cocteau Twins member Simon Raymonde. Compiled by Simon and Kieron Tyler, it is a very personal tribute to a sadly missed father. Born in 1926, Ivor Raymonde passed away in 1990.

The previously untold story is revealed through a moving reminiscence written by Simon and in-depth liner notes and a track-by-track commentary by Kieron. Ivor Raymonde played on the ocean liner The Queen Mary in 1949. In the Fifties, British television viewers saw him in legendary comedian Tony Hancock’s ‘Hancock’s Half Hour’ but music was always going to be most important - the hits with Billy Fury and Dusty Springfield in 1961 and 1963 meant he was in demand. The 26 selections balance the wellknown with collectable rarities and tracks drawn from - until now - barely heard-of singles. Each is a gem and each shows the magic of an Ivor Raymonde recording.

‘Paradise: The Sound Of Ivor Raymonde’ is issued on CD and 180g heavyweight double vinyl album with digital download code. The vinyl version is sequenced slightly differently for listening flow. Every track was originally issued as a single issued in mono for the pop market until 1968 / 1969. Keeping the integrity of the compilation in mind, all but four tracks appear in mono as they did originally. The masters used are those of the original singles.

TRACK LISTING

Halfway To Paradise - Bill Fury
I Only Want To Be With You - Dusty Springfield
He Doesn't Love Me - The Breakaways
He Knows How To Love Me - Helen Shapiro
Giving Up On Love - Sonny Childe
Black Is Black - Los Bravos
Love You Till Tuesday - David Bowie
Make It Easy On Yourself - The Walker Brothers
Mylene - Ivor Raymonde
Chahawki - Burr Bailey
Little Lonely One - Tom Jones
He's Sure The Boy I Love - Cindy Cole
Jealous Heart - Ottilie Patterson With The Ivor Raymonde Group
Your Hurtin' Kinda Love - Dusty Springfield
I Got The Feeling - Dave Berry
Now It's My Turn - Jon Gunn
I Love Her - Paul & Barry Ryan
Grotty - Ivor Raymonde And His Orchestra
Beautiful Friendship - Barbara Ruskin
Sueperman's Big Sister - Ian Dury & The Blockheads
(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone - The Flies
It's The Real Thing - The Ivor Raymonde Orchestra
Wait By The Fire - The Majority
She Sold Blackpool Rock - The Honeybus
I Found Out Too Late - Alan David
My Ship Is Coming In - The Walker Brothers

By 1965, the folk-pop nexus was at its glorious peak. That was particularly true in Britain, which saw many variations on the basic pop-meets-folk theme (in America, folk-rock had a relatively homogenised sound). • Across three CDs and 79 tracks, Gathered From Coincidence examines every aspect of the British mid-Sixties folk-pop boom, incorporating Dylan-inspired singer/songwriters with a commercial pop sensibility, the more introverted beat groups, Marianne Faithfull-inspired female chanteuses and R&B hoodlums in newly-pensive mode, all bound together by the 6 or 12-string thrum or Rickenbacker clang. • Ranging from massive chart hits to records that barely sold in double figures, Gathered From Coincidence includes the true believers, the musical dilettantes, the young wannabes, the cash-in merchants, the old guard looking to resuscitate a fading career and, of course, the earnest protest singers – and, just for good measure, we’ve also rounded up a handful of folksploitation discs from those positioning themselves for roughly three minutes as anti-protest protesters. • With a significant number of tracks making their CD debut and even a couple of previously unissued cuts, Gathered From Coincidence is a fascinating, even revelatory overview of a still largely-neglected stitch in pop’s unending tapestry.

TRACK LISTING

1. TAKE ME FOR WHAT I’M WORTH – The Searchers
2. MORNING’S CALLING - Peter & Gordon
3. COME AND STAY WITH ME – Marianne Faithfull
4. FOLLOW ME - The Tony Jackson Group
5. IT’S YOUR TURN TO CRY – Terry Kennedy & John Carter
6. REJECTED - The Fenmen
7. I LOVE HER STILL – The Poets
8. FROSTED PANES – The Kytes
9. GOLDEN LIGHTS - Twinkle
10. I WON’T BE ROUND YOU ANYMORE – The Chosen Few
11. ABSOLUTELY SWEET MARIE – The Factotums
12. HEY WOMAN - Kenny Bernard
13. HEY MAMA YOU’VE BEEN ON MY MIND - The Caravelles
14. DON’T GO AWAY – The Zombies
15. NOW THE SUN HAS GONE – The Beatmen
16. THINK ABOUT THE TIMES – The Times
17. PENNY ARCADE - Michael Leslie
18. BEYOND THE RISIN’ SUN – Marc Bolan
19. TILL YOU SAY YOU’LL BE MINE – Olivia Newton-John
20. GO AWAY - The Mirage Featuring Graham Nash
21. IT’S ALL LEADING UP TO SATURDAY NIGHT – The Knack *
22. YOU’VE COOLED - Five Steps Beyond
23. THERE’S JUST NO PLEASING YOU – The Epics
24. SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS – Gullivers People
25. MR. SMITH - The Foresters
26. IT’S ALL OVER NOW BABY BLUE – The Cops ‘N Robbers
* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

1. LIKE A ROLLING STONE - The Other Side
2. WELL, HOW DOES IT FEEL? – Barbara Ruskin
3. LOVERS OF THE WORLD UNITE – David & Jonathan
4. CATCH THE WIND - Donovan
5. AGE OF CORRUPTION - Alan Klein
6. BLESSED – Guy Darrell
7. THAT MAN’S GOT NO LUCK – Gary Benson
8. IT’S GOOD NEWS WEEK – Hedgehoppers Anonymous
9. BELLS - Dave Helling
10. VERY LAST DAY – The Hollies
11. SOMETIME NEVER DAY – Bill Fay
12. DON’T YOU CRY OVER ME - The Slade Brothers
13. WHEN THE SHIP COMES IN - Folk Blues Incorporated
14. WAKE UP MY MIND – The Uglys
15. PLEASE DON’T SWITCH OFF THE MOON MR. SPACEMAN - Nicholas Hammond
16. THE PROTEST SINGER - Micha
17. SQUARE PEG - The Four Pennies
18. GOTTA MAKE THEIR FUTURE BRIGHT - First Gear
19. THE BELLS OF RHYMNEY - Murray Head
20. DON’T TALK TO ME OF PROTEST - Jonathan King
21. DEJECTION (DEMO VERSION) - Five’s Company
22. THAT’S NOT MY KIND OF LOVE - Mick Softley With The Summer Suns
23. DON’T SING NO SAD SONGS FOR ME – The Sorrows
24. RATTLE OF A TOY - Tommy Yates
25. TALKIN’ DENMARK STREET – John Cassidie *
26. THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ – The Ian Campbell Folk Group
* PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

1. YOU’VE GOT TO HIDE YOUR LOVE AWAY – The Silkie
2. WAIT TILL THE SUMMER COMES ALONG – The Kinks
3. DON’T MAKE PROMISES (YOU CAN’T KEEP) - Peter Nelson
4. CHERYL’S GOING HOME – Adam Faith
5. IF YOU GOTTA GO, GO NOW – Manfred Mann
6. I’M LOOKING THROUGH YOU – Davey Graham
7. NIGHT COMES DOWN - Jon-Mark
8. EARLY MORNING RAIN – The Settlers
9. SADNESS HIDES THE SUN - Greta Ann
10. THANK YOU BOY - Dana Gillespie
11. LOVE MINUS ZERO NO LIMIT – The Compromise
12. DAY MUST COME - Justin Hayward
13. THE CLOWN IN THE ALLEY - Meic Stevens
14. I’M ON YOUR SIDE - The Frugal Sound
15. LONDON TOWN - The Pretty Things
16. PICKING UP THE SUNSHINE (AKA BERT’S BLUES) - Beverley
17. CORRINA CORRINA - The Nightshift
18. LISTEN PEOPLE – Sarah Jane
19. FOUR STRONG WINDS - Chad & Jeremy
20. SO SAD (TO WATCH GOOD LOVE GO BAD) - The Greenbeats
21. DON’T THINK TWICE IT’S ALRIGHT – Heinz With The Wild Boys
22. TODAY IS THE HIGHWAY – The Ramblers
23. LOVE IS STRANGE - The Overlanders
24. SUBTERRANEAN HOMESICK BLUES – Chas McDevitt & Shirley Douglas
25. MARY ANNE – The Shadows
26. THE CARNIVAL IS OVER – The Seekers

It's the end of a busy and stressful year for Sheffield / Liverpool electronic pioneers, Black Beacon Sound. Having released a 7" every month for the whole of 2017 (or thereabouts), with each one being released digitally, with extra content (and each one featuring a remix by an undeniably talented producer), they have decided to make all of these superb remixes available on a drool-inducingly beautiful double 12" emblazoned with their eye-catching and iconic logo and sleeve design. 

It's a beautiful package in itself, but focusing on that is obviously doing an injustice to the superb work put in by all the producers to create this mindblowing excercise in cohabitational production and community-minded collaboration. 

We kick things off with the glitched hip-hop aestetics and stoner haze of the Mad Wash rework of Zen The Sharpshooters' 'Every Lil' Bit', bringing the hot-boxed haze and relaxing the muscles before The Fire Beneath The Sea's 'Error Correction' sees a pitch-bent funked-out remix, grounded with insistent shuffled hi-hats and wah'd out guitars, before the legendary Galactic Funk Milita's festival vibe is chopped into a syncopated latin stomp for a rubberlips rework. 

On the flipside, David J Boswell's haunting electro-folk goes full dubstep in the more than capable hands of the forward-facing electronic euphorics of Liverpool electronic virtuoso, Afternaut before Denham Audio bring forth a clattering industrial fractalisation of Hang Syem's 'Frontier J'. 

The following track is possibly my favourite on the compilation (but with enough material on here to keep even the most diverse of tastes more than happy, I expect yours will be different), and comes from Sheffield wunderkind, Yak. Snappy percussion and perfectly measured electronic stabs bring a disphoric syncopation to the already excellent 'Wicked Sound' by Grievous Angel. 

Onto the final side now, (the last being blank for you to admire the gorgous sky-blue marbling) and R. Lyle takes Apta's 'Tides' and breaks it down into a simmering futuristic haze of reversed reverbs and hazy throbs, before the arshaw remix of my personal favourite release of the lot, in Bemp's 'Minotaur', culminating in a psychedelic propulsive stomper, courtesy of the aforementioned Yak and YAKONA. A match made in heaven. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Black Beacon have culminated their journey in a fittingly epic and ridiculously efficacious summary of their dedication to the independent music industry with this stunning double LP. A journey in every sense of the word, and a superb flipside to their already mindblowing releases.

TRACK LISTING

1. A1. Every Lil' Bit (Mad Wash Refixture)
2. A2. Error Correction (atdhe Remix)
3. A3. Dance Floor Grinder (Rubberlips Remix)
4. B1. No Colours (Afternaut Remix)
5. B2. Frontier J (Denham Audio Remix)
6. B3. Wicked Sound (Yak Remix)
7. C1. Tides (R. Lyle Remix)
8. C2. Minotaur (Arshaw Remix)
9. C3. Viggy (YAKONA Remix)

You could be forgiven for thinking that this compilation draws its name from Don Randi’s rare popcorn-oddity “Oh Yeah!” (side 1, track 8). But in fact, it is inspired by the opening lines of Bobby Mitchell’s legendary New Orleans R&B dancer (side 1, track 1)…

“Oh Yeah! Oh Yeah! Yeah, I done got over it.”

Mitchell’s epic fire starter was recorded in 1960 for Sho-Biz Records and has waited almost 60 years to be fully recognized as a truly awesome slice of R&B propelled along by Dr John’s piano and Hungry Williams’ rhythm section with a price tag in access of $500!

The set continues with Chuck Scratch Nolen’s signature guitar on his Federal rarity “The Way You Do” and the compelling R&B roller “Pack Your Clothes” by Hamp Jones. Dorothy Berry & Jimmy Norman raise the pace with HB Barnum’s production on his own Little Star label while Carol Fran terrifies everyone with her raucous R&B thumper “Knock Knock”. BK Anderson, Frank Minion and Don Randi round off side 1 with three storming popcorn favourites.

Side 2 is equally uplifting and kicks off with the insanley rare “Honey Bee” by Bethlehem recording artist Lenny Johnson. Look out too for Larry Bene’s in demander “Come Back” and Tony Allan’s harmony rarity “Little Lonely Girl” recorded for Art Laboe’s Original Sound label.

Oh Yeah Indeed!…

Extensive 5CD/book set exploring the ‘second wave’ of music on Merseyside, from 1976-1988 Features classics, rarities, album tracks and previously unreleased gems from Echo And The Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes, OMD, The La’s, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Dead Or Alive, China Crisis, A Flock Of Seagulls, Wild Swans, Big In Japan and many more. 5CD + 56pp A5 book format contains many artists’ own sleeve-notes, previously unseen photographs and essays from key observers and participants in the city’s music scene - Bernie Connor, Mike Badger, Yorkie and Joe McKechnie. Curated and designed by the people who brought you Scared To Get Happy, Still In A Dream, Manchester – North Of England, Silhouettes And Statues and many more extensive box sets. A remarkable journey through the music of a generation inspired and enabled by punk rock to step out from behind the shadow to the Fab Four. Packed with first-hand artist sleeve-notes, insightful essays, imagery and brilliant, essential music, this is a story long in need of telling…

Liverpool in the 1970s…. The Beatles had gone, but the expectations remained. It took many years until, with the arrival of punk rock, the city’s tunesmiths were able to regroup and usher in a new generation of musical innovation which would form the backbone of the UK’s music scene throughout the 1980s. From Eric’s to the top of the charts, the city found its feet and once again became the epicentre of cool. Revolutionary Spirit charts the rise of Liverpool and its music in the latter half of the 1970s and throughout the 1980s, from Deaf School and Spitfire Boys, via Zoo Records and Probe Plus, and onto the chart successes of Frankie, OMD, the Bunnymen and many others. Featuring cornerstone contributions from the city’s brightest stars - Bill Drummond, Holly Johnson, Ian Broudie, Pete Burns, Ian McCulloch, Julian Cope, Lee Mavers and co – and many more lesser-known legends, this is the unique tale of a city trying to find itself with the world watching – and succeeding.

TRACK LISTING

DISC 1
1. WHAT A WAY TO END IT ALL – Deaf School
2. BIG IN JAPAN - Big In Japan
3. SUFFICE TO SAY – Yachts
4. THE PICTURES ON MY WALL - Echo And The Bunnymen
5. LIL’S GONE TO PARIS – Ded Byrds **
6. BREAKTHROUGH IN GREY ROOM - 0-51 **
7. TODAY'S MYSTERY IS... - The Dance Party **
8. SLEEPING GAS - The Teardrop Explodes
9. FACTION-Faction
10. TOUCH – Lori And The Chameleons
11. BLACK LEATHER - Nightmares In Wax
12. BUNKER SOLDIERS - Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
13. 194 RADIO CITY – Jaqui & Jeanette
14. LONELY EVENING – Clive Langer And The Boxes
15. MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT – Glass Torpedoes
16. COULD THIS BE HEAVEN – Original Mirrors
17. HEADS I WIN – The Moondogs
18. BREAK IT TO ME GENTLY – The Planets
19. DO THE CHUD – The Chuddy Nuddies
20. BRITISH REFUGEE – Spitfire Boys
21. THE DOCTOR - Geisha Girls 22. DON'T STOP THE WORLD – Deaf School

DISC 2
1. DALEK I LOVE YOU (DESTINY) – Dalek I
2. TELECOMMUNICATION - A Flock Of Seagulls
3. WHEN I DREAM - The Teardrop Explodes
4. HIT THE MOON - Ellery Bop
5. NUCLEAR SUMMER – The Nice Men
6. HUMAN FEATURES – Black
7. TOTAL RECALL – Systems
8. TOUCH - Freeze Frame
9. SUPERMAN – Attempted Moustache
10. INTERCONTINENTAL – Afraid Of Mice
11. RESCUE – Echo And The Bunnymen
12. PIGGIE IN THE MIDDLE EIGHT – Cook The Books
13. CREATION REBEL – Windows
14. MY MOTIVE – Chinese Religion
15. TOO LATE TO FLY THE FLAG - Hambi And The Dance
16. SOLDIERS - Egypt For Now
17. DOWN AT THE ZOO - Those Naughty Lumps
18. EUTHENICS – Modern Eon
19. LAUNDERETTE – A Formal Sigh **
20. NIGHTLIFE - The Moderates **

DISC 3
1. REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT (STEREO MIX) – Wild Swans
2. AFRICAN AND WHITE – China Crisis
3. DON'T LET GO – Pink Industry
4. OBSESSIONS - Passion Polka
5. I'M THINKING OF YOU NOW – Box Of Toys
6. FLAMING SWORD – Care
7. DORIAN GRAY – The Bamboo Fringe
8. SHE'S LOCKED MY LIFE UP IN HER SUITCASE – Steve Lindsey
9. OCEANIC EXPLORERS – Ex Post Facto
10. SOME ASPECTS - Chain Of Command
11. HE'S DEAD ALRIGHT – Ambrose Reynolds
12. ART ON 45 – Royal Family And The Poor
13. THEMES FOR 'GRIND' SCENE V - Will Sergeant
14. THROUGH THE GLASS - Shiny Two Shiny
15. BIRDS FLY (WHISPER TO A SCREAM) – Icicle Works
16. A GIGANTIC RAFT IN THE PHILIPPINES - It's Immaterial
17. TOXTETH - Public Disgrace
18. PLAYING FOR TIME – Send No Flowers
19. THINGS HAVE LEARNT TO WALK THAT OUGHT TO CRAWL – The Room
20. SHE KEEPS HER SECRET - The Balcony (Mk I)
21. BURST BALLOONS - The Turquoise Swimming Pools

DISC 4
1. TWO TRIBES – Frankie Goes To Hollywood
2. REASONS TO LIVE – Mr Amir
3. EVERY DAY ANOTHER DREAM - Brenda And The Beach Balls
4. THE FIRST PICTURE OF YOU – The Lotus Eaters
5. MISTY CIRCLES – Dead Or Alive
6. ARE YOU READY FOR THAT FEELING? – Virgin Dance
7. VALLEY OF EVERGREEN - Alternative Radio
8. JIMMY'SGRIN–Margox
9. - KARDOMAH CAFÉ (2017 MIX) – The Cherry Boys
10. CONTRASTING STRANGERS – The Light
11. JEAN'S NOT HAPPENING – Pale Fountains
12. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE – The Balcony (MK II) **
13. WORKING FOR THE MAN – The High Five
14. JAMES WHERE ARE YOU NOW? – The Press Gang
15. MY WAR – Western Promise
16. DON'T CRY DARLING (DADDY HAD TO DROWN THE CAT) - Old Ma Cuxsom And The Soapchoppers
17. HAPPEN - The Rioutous Hues
18. BOMB SUTRA - Mel-O-Tones
19. HELL - Marshmallow Overcoat

DISC 5
1. ALWAYS THE BRIDESMAID – Jegsy Dodd And The Sons Of Harry Cross ‎
2. GET DOWN OVER - The La's
3. HIP AND HER CHEEK ELECTRIC (DEMO) – Barbel
4. A TRICK OF FATE – Magic Carpets
5. DEVIL LAUGHING – Benny Profane
6. THE TALLEST MAN – Jactars
7. DIDN’T WE HAVE A NICE TIME? (AND ALL MY FRIENDS ARE HERE) - The Tempest
8. PRECIOUS LOVE – The Onset
9. PAT NEVIN'S EYES – The Tractors
10. DANCE - Cyclic Amp
11. WHEN YOU'RE IN - The DaVincis
12. WAY OUT - The La's
13. TANTRIC WIPEOUT – The Walking Seeds
14. BURNIN' AND LOOTIN' – Ministry Of Love
15. BIG BAD MONEY WORLD – A Game Of Soldiers
16. ONLY IN AMERICA - Exhibit B
17. SONS OF - Thomas Lang
18.COME HOLY SPIRIT- Revolutionary Army Of The Infant Jesus 

Recorded between the chaos and bustle of a New York cinema on Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn and the windswept loneliness on the south-side of the Isle of Wight in the spring of 2017, I Can't Stand The Sound is the second album from Berlin based English/Irish songwriter Ryan O'Reilly. Produced by David Granshaw and in collaboration with Canadian, Tyler Kyte the album is an exploration in searching for meaning, the meaning in a fatal car accident, the beauty and darkness on the streets of Berlin, comprehending the American landscape at the end of 2016 and trying to filter out the noise of relentless opinions on 24 hour news TV and online.

Littered with snapshots from myriad conversations; A Grandmother's warning that ghosts are never as dangerous as humans, talking to a loved one after a terror attack, a fall from a horse, with a hangover whilst reading in the bath and the faceless people who blithely tell you to 'live your dreams' the characters and conversations restlessly change locations and perspectives.

I Can't Stand The Sound began life on the journey between New York and Tennessee in the aftermath of the American election in 2016, the long conversations, the search for conclusions and reasoning in a void of reason. Written on municipal Frisbee-golf course in East Nashville, a front porch in Hamilton, Ontario and along side the beautiful, dirty Spree in Ryan's adopted hometown of Berlin each place finds it's way into the heart of the album. In May 2017 Ryan, Tyler and Dave travelled back to New York. Joined by members of Toronto's Dwayne Gretzky and Ryan's European touring partners The O'Pears to begin recording of I Can't Stand The Sound in the Cinema/bar where the journey towards the album began six months earlier. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Don’t You Know That
2. Make It Holy
3. Never Be Afraid Of Ghosts
4. I Can’t Stand The Sound
5. People Tell You
6. The Modern World
7. Flesh & Blood
8. Conversation
9. Somethings Really Wrong
10. Till It Ends

American bands have never gotten in the habit of their British counterparts, who tend to release lots of extended singles filled out with not-meant-for-prime-time experimentations. If the Beasties had gotten into that habit, this would be their B-side compendium. Originally released through the Beastie Boys' French fan club, The In Sound From Way Out! is a collection of the group's funky instrumentals from Check Your Head and Ill Communication, with a couple of new tracks thrown in. The Beasties have a flair for loose, gritty funk and soul-jazz, and the stuttering, greasy keyboards of Money Mark give the music an extra edge - he helps make the music sound as authentic as anything from the early '70s.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Ricky's Theme
A2. Groove Holmes
A3. Pow
B1. Son Of Neckbone
B2. Bobo On The Corner
B3. In 3's
B4. Eugene's Lament
C1. Futterman's Rule
C2. Shambala
C3. Transitions
C4. Sabrosa
D1. Drinkin' Wine
D2. Namaste
D3. Lighten Up

‘The Original Sound of Burkina Faso’ follows the hugely successful ‘The Original Sound of Mali’ compilation released in March this year, also on Mr Bongo. Here we have a collection of songs that pay tribute to a truly golden age of music; touching on folk, funk, blues, highlife, disco, psyche, latin, rock and soul.

Burkina Faso may be one of the least well-known parts of West Africa but it has a deep history and musical pedigree. A few years before President Thomas Sankara changed his country’s name from Upper Volta to its current one, a new sound emerged to soundtrack a cultural revolution. Featuring music by Abdoulaye Cisse, Amadou Balake, Pierre Sandwidi & Super Volta, Tidiani Coulibaly & Dafra Star, Bozambo, Youssouf Diarra and more.

TRACK LISTING

CD:
Abdoulaye Cisse - Jeunesse Wilila _
Bozambo - Kombisse _
Pierre Sandwidi - Boy Cuisinier _
Abdoulaye Cisse - Aw Ye Douba Ke _
Tidiani Coulibaly& Dafra Star - De Nwolo _
Mangue Konde & Le Super Mande - Touba _
Amadou Balake - Whisky Et Coca-Cola _
John Oumar Nabolle - M’ba Lale _
Amadou Balake - Super Bar Konon Mousso _
Mangue Konde Et Les 5 Consuls - Pop Konde _
Tidiani Coulibaly & Dafra Star - Sie Koumgolo _
Youssouf Diarra (dit El Grand Ballake) - Djanfa Magni _
Abdoulaye Cisse & Super Volta - A Son Magni _
Amadou Balake - Wayisjelequeyele _
Amadou Balake - Aminata Du The _
Pierre Sandwidi & Super Volta - Yamb Ney Capitale _

LP 1:
Abdoulaye Cisse- Jeunesse Wilila
Abdoulaye Cisse - Tieba Lou Tounouna
Bozambo - Kombisse
Amadou Balake - Whisky Et Coca-Cola
John Oumar Nabolle_ - M’ba Lale
Pierre Sandwidi - Boy Cuisinier
Tidiani Coulibaly & Dafra Star - Sie Koumgolo

LP 2:
Amadou Balake - Super Bar Konon Mousso
Mangue Konde Et Les 5 Consuls - Pop Konde
Youssouf Diarra (dit El Grand Ballake) - Djanfa Magni
Amadou Balake - Wayisjelequeyele
Amadou Balake - Aminata Du The
Abdoulaye Cisse & Super Volta - A Son Magni

The story of Topic is synonymous with the growth of folk as a musical and social movement in Britain and these recordings demonstrate the bridge between modern music and a traditi onal art form. On this 2 CD set you will fi nd some of the most remarkable singers, songs and tunes - either drawn directly from the traditi on or inspired by it.

Tracks featured include John Tam’s, Unity, Steve Ashley’s ,Ships of Shame, Dick Gaughan’s, Both Sides the Tweed and Ewan MacColl’s, Dirty Old Town. Many of the tracks deal with social issues of the ti me and there are also re-workings of great traditi onal story songs like - Anne Briggs’ Blackwater Side, Mike Watersons’ Tamlyn, Nic Jones’ Canadee-i-o and the majesti c performances by Marti n Simpson, Shirley Collins, Davy Graham, Marti n Carthy, Eliza Carthy and The Watersons.

Topic also off ers up June Tabor and Oysterband cover version of Joy Divisions classic Love Will Tear Us Apart.

Pentangle, Andrew Cronshaw, Brass Monkey, Vin Garbutt , Johnny Handle, Bill Caddick, The Cheviot Ranters, Cilla Fisher and Arti e Tresize, Silly Sisters, Tim Van Eyken, Peter Bellamy and Oak - the list goes on - a fi lling and haunti ng introducti on to the great legacy of the folk traditi on and Topic Records

Produced by Alex Somers (Sigur Rós, Jónsi). Features members of The Drums. Sound Of Ceres = formerly Candy Claws. Features short story by Alastair Reynolds. The mysterious tale of The Twin, the second full-length from Sound of Ceres, exists in myriad permutations, too: a new album, a mesmerizing live show, videos, an Alastair Reynolds short story... and others in-between. While their 2016 debut Nostalgia for Infinity responded to the hugeness of time and space, now Sound of Ceres explore the strangeness of being just one human outcome amidst an infinitude of possibilities.

The adventure begins with one of the great works of 20th century German literature, The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. As Ryan Hover read the tale of Hans Castorp (named for one of the twins of Gemini), whose life as a shipbuilder gets sidetracked by a visit to a rest home in the Swiss Alps, new chords, melodies, and lyrical ideas seized his imagination. Elements from the novel – the snow and isolation of the mountains, echoes of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, a fixation with the number seven – took on a new form as the fantastic universe of The Twin took shape. Karen Hover and Ryan gave voice to early versions of the songs, exploring the sound of words even as they teased out lyrical ideas. Rough sketches were dispatched to bandmates Derrick Bozich, Jacob Graham, and Ben Phelan, and then Ryan fashioned their instrumental contributions into new arrangements.

But just as Hans in The Magic Mountain undergoes a great transformation as from the flatlands through the narrow gauge to the Alps, The Twin underwent great changes as it began to travel – in this case, to Iceland. Ryan, Karen, and Jacob arrived at the Reykjavik studio of producer Alex Somers (Sigur Rós, Julianna Barwick) with the original mixes of what seemed like more-or-less finished songs. And then they went through a different door. Guitars andharpsichords gave way to more analog synthesizers and melodic percussion. As the music’s dynamic range grew wider, timbres chilled, and more layers of vocals were woven into the background, a new twin of The Twin emerged. Hints of ‘60s exotica, ‘70s AM radio, and even symphonic grandeur weave through layers of rippling synths and shifting rhythms. Ideas drawn from the past and future fold together, creating a sound that exists outside any particular time or trend. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Gemini Scenic,
2. Humaniora,
3. Outer Century,
4. The Trance,
5. Rhatikon Chain,
6. Io Scenic A/B,
7. The Twin,
8. Mercury's Moods,
9. Solar Mirror 9,
10. Eden V. 

The Sound of Studio One can be identified by the great singers that it cultivated along the many great songs that these singers released. But as studio 1’s dominance was slowly pulled away by the up and coming new breed of producers many of the artists would inevitably end up working for these new camps and so the songs and singers found a new audience. The reggae sound of the Studio 1 would make a great combination and the man to pull this was together Bunny Lee.

The 1960’s in Jamaica was run by two main factions, Coxsonne’s Studio 1 and Duke Reid’s Treasure Isle. These two leading protagonists saw what some of the other great Sound System men like ‘ Tom The Great Sebastian’ had not taken onboard, that when the tunes they imported began to dry up from the USA, their future lied in producing music. Tunes that suited the musical styles that the people of Jamaica still enjoyed. By the late 1960’s thse supremacy was being challenged by the up and coming new producers on the scene, Lee Perry being one, and the other being ‘Ghost of the Studios’ himself, Bunny Lee. Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee may have inherited the moniker ‘Striker’ from his liking of a particular TV show called ‘The Hitch-Hiker’, but it would soon stand also for the considerable hits he would obtain as he was declared producer of the year in Jamaica in 1969, 1970,1971 and 1972.
For this release, we have compiled many of the great Studio hits that Bunny Lee recorded with the singers that had originally cut at the famed Studio 1. Bunny Lee’s sprinkling of magic over some classic tunes….the sound of Studio 1 backed up this time Bunny ‘Striker’ Lee’s set of star musicians The Aggravators. Proving you can’t keep a good tune down, or a great producer pushing forward…..Bunny Lee strikes back….
Hope you enjoy the set…..

The Nashville Sound was recorded at Nashville’s legendary RCA Studio A and produced by Grammy Award-winner Dave Cobb, who produced ‘Something More Than Free’ and Isbell’s celebrated 2013 breakthrough album ‘Southeastern’.

‘The Nashville Sound’ features 10 new songs that address a range of subjects that include, politics and cultural privilege (“White Man’s World”) longing nostalgia (“The Last Of My Kind”), love and mortality (“If We Were Vampires”), the toxic effect of today’s pressures (“Anxiety”), the remnants of a break up (“Chaos and Clothes”) and finding hope (“Something To Love”). Songs such as “Cumberland Gap” and “Hope The Highroad” find Jason and his bandmates going back to their rock roots full force.

TRACK LISTING

1. Last Of My Kind
2. Cumberland Gap
3. Tupelo
4. White Man's World
5. If We Were Vampires
6. Anxiety
7. Molotov
8. Chaos And Clothes
9. Hope The High Road
10. Something To Love

Coldcut (Matt Black and Jon More) and Adrian Sherwood (kingpin of the legendary On-U Sound label) are the perfect sonic match; two pioneers of British music united by a maverick spirit. Coldcut x On-U Sound’s ‘Outside the Echo Chamber’ via Ahead Of Our Time – is an album of freshly-minted, electronic dub-pop. Uniting an array of global musicians and vocalists including Roots Manuva, Junior Reid, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Ce’Cile – to name but a few – and made in London, Ramsgate, Jamaica, and Los Angeles – with co-producer and fellow dance heavyweight Dave Taylor (Switch & With You.) Toddla T also helped produce 2 songs. At the beating heart of this album are long time On-U Sound collaborators Skip McDonald on guitar and bassist Doug Wimbish. These two formed part of the house band for the pioneering rap label Sugar Hill, providing the music for some of the most seminal records of the era like Grandmaster Flash's ‘The Message', and many others. In the bleak political landscape of early 2017, this album’s warmth, and its outward-looking, globally-minded sound couldn’t feel more welcome.

TRACK LISTING

CD:
1. Vitals Feat. Roots Manuva
2. Metro
3. Everyday Another Sanction Feat. Chezidek
4. Make Up Your Mind Feat. Ce’Cile And Toddla T
5. Aztec Riddim
6. Kajra Mohobbat Wala Feat. Hamsika Iyer
7. Divide And Rule Feat. Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Junior Reid And Elan
8. Make Up Your Mind Feat. Elan
9. Robbery Feat. Rholin X
10. Livid Hip Hop
11. Vitals Feat. Roots Manuva (Dub)
12. Everyday Another Sanction Feat. Chezidek (Dub)
13. Make Up Your Mind Feat. Ce’Cile And Toddla T (Dub)
14. Kajra Mohobbat Wala Feat. Hamsika Iyer (Dub)
15. Divide And Rule Feat. Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Junior Reid And Elan (Dub)
16. Robbery Feat. Rholin X (Dub)

7” Box Set:

A. Everyday Another Sanction Feat. Chezidek
B. Everyday Another Sanction Feat. Chezidek (Dub)

A. Vitals Feat. Roots Manuva
B. Vitals Feat. Roots Manuva (Dub)

A. Robbery Feat. Rholin X
B. Robbery Feat. Rholin X (Dub)

A. Divide And Rule Feat. Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Junior Reid And Elan
B. Divide And Rule Feat. Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Junior Reid And Elan (Dub)

A. Kajra Mohobbat Wala Feat. Hamsika Iyer (7” Version)
B. Kajra Mohobbat Wala Feat. Hamsika Iyer (7” Dub Version)

A. Make Up Your Mind Feat. Ce’Cile And Toddla T
B. Make Up Your Mind Feat. Elan

A. Metro
B. Livid Hip Hop

A. Aztec Riddim
B. Make Up Your Mind Feat. Ce’Cile And Toddla T (Dub)

Red vinyl 7" single coupling the original album version of 'The Sound Of All Things' with a remix by Russian trio Gnoomes.

Limited-edition of 274.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: One of the highlights of their album, 'The Sound Of All Things' is a slice of motorik guitar-driven synth pop, psychedelic and bracing, all remixed on the flip by Gnoomes into a dystopian re-imagining of the original. Shadowy where it was glittering, but retaining the charm and skill of the original. Great stuff.

TRACK LISTING

A. The Sound Of All Things
AA. The Sound Of All Things (Gnoomes Remix)

Malian music is arguably the most sophisticated form of African music. Now Mr Bongo, who have long been entranced by Malian culture, and, in particular, the immense hypnotic beauty of Malian music, have put together a selection of songs from across the country. Compiled by Vik Sohonie & Dave ‘Mr Bongo’ Buttle, the story of this release began in 2015 when Dave happened upon the Soul Bonanza blog. One mix in particular stood out and totally enthralled Dave - le monde a change: a tribute to mali 1970 - 1991. He already knew of Malian legends such as the Rail Band, Salif Keita, & Les Ambassadeurs du Motel de Bamako, but this mix was something else. On this album you will find well-known artists sing next to rarer discoveries. The Rail Band, who are one of the best known of all the big bands in Mali, gave us the stars Mory Kante and Salif Keita. Les Amabassedeurs du Motel de Bamako were another big act that had Idrissa Soumaoro, Kante, Man la, and for a while Salif Keita in their ranks. Sometimes Salif would play in both bands in one night, quite a feat considering the bands were fierce rivals. Asan albino Salif has had to face considerable prejudice from society, focusing on his musical career to help overcome this. A major discovery on the album has been Idrissa Soumaoro et L’Eclipse de L’Ija. L’Eclipse de l’Institut des Jeunes Aveugles was a Blind teenagers institute and their record was produced by the German association that took care of blind Malian teenagers in Bamako. It was never properly released commercially and was the first recordings by the legends of Malian music Idrissa Soumaoro, Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia. Amadou & Mariam later got married and became household names. This album is a concerted global effort to showcase the most vital cornerstone of Malian culture in an attempt to preserve its reputation in the face of its current, grim reality. We hope our highlights of Mali’s rich history of musical innovation will serve as a starting point for reclaiming an image tainted by unnecessary conflict. May peace and music return to Mali soon.

TRACK LISTING

Idrissa Soumaoro Et L’Eclipse De L’Ija - Nissodia (Joie De L’op Misme)
Les
Ambassadeurs Du Motel De Bamako - Tiecolom-Ba
Super Tentemba Jazz - Mangan 
Rail Band - Mouodilo
Les Ambassadeurs Du Motel De Bamako - M’Bouram-Mousso 
Sorry Bamba - Yayoroba
Super Djata Band - Worodara
Zani Diabate Et Le Super Djata
Band - Fadingna Kouma
Les Ambassadeurs Du Motel De Bamako - Fatema
Super Djata Band De Bamako - Mali Ni Woula
Salif Keita - Mandjou
Alou Fane & Daouda
Sangare - Komagni Bela
Idrissa Soumaoro Et L’Eclipse De L’Ija - Fama Allah

The first new Diamanda Galás album in nine years.

All The Way features remarkable, radical takes on familiar tunes, including the seminal "The Thrill Is Gone" and a solo piano interpretation of Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight." The album's centrepiece is the American traditional "O Death," which has become a staple in live performances, and concludes with "Pardon Me I've got Someone To Kill" by country singer Johnny Paycheck.

Hot Milk is back with a crucially wicked box set of some of the most forward thinking and experimental reggae of the early 80’s. Inside you’ll find four studio albums from Adrian Sherwood’s On-U Sound label, including the fourth instalment of the Singers & Players series, two Creation Rebel albums and the other planetary compilation of industrial reggae experiments, Wild Paarty Sounds Vol.1.

Released in 1984 “Leaps & Bounds” by the collective known as Singers & Players features vocal contributions from Prince Far I, Congo Ashanti Roy, Mikey Dread and Bim Sherman. 1981’s “Threat To Creation” is a Creation Rebel/New Age Steppers double billing. Probably the most daring dub album to emerge from the UK, this is the nexus where reggae and post punk collide. Coming out of 1982, Creation Rebel’s “Lows & Highs” featuring vocals from Crucial Tony and Lizard Logan is the most straight ahead reggae album in the box. One for those less experimentally minded, Style Scott lays down the beats next to Eskimo Fox and Donald Campbell. Wild Paarty Sounds is where it all starts to get really weird. There must have been something in the water in 1981, this is Charles and Diana’s child the establishment didn’t want you to know about. An album for those who like reggae influenced by PiL’s Metal Box.

TRACK LISTING

Disc: 1
1: Moses - Singers & Players
2: Make A Joyful Noise - Singers & Players
3: Alla La Dreadlocks Soldier - Singers & Players
4: Autobiography (Dread Operator) - Singers & Players
5: Breaking Down The Pressure - Singers & Players
6: Dog Park - Singers & Players
7: Vegetable Matter - Singers & Players
8: Striving - Singers & Players

Disc: 2
1: Chemical Specialist - Creation Rebel / New Age Steppers
2: Threat To Creation - Creation Rebel / New Age Steppers
3: Eugenic Device - Creation Rebel / New Age Steppers
4: Last Sane Dream - Creation Rebel / New Age Steppers
5: Painstaker - Creation Rebel / New Age Steppers
6: Earthwire Line - Creation Rebel / New Age Steppers
7: Ethos Design - Creation Rebel / New Age Steppers
8: Final Frontier - Creation Rebel / New Age Steppers

Disc: 3
1: Independent Man (Part 1) - Creation Rebel
2: Independent Man (Part 2) - Creation Rebel
3: Rebel Party - Creation Rebel
4: A Reasoning - Creation Rebel
5: No Peace - Creation Rebel
6: Love I Can Feel - Creation Rebel
7: Rubber Skirt (Parts 1 / 2 / 3) - Creation Rebel
8: Creation Rebel - Creation Rebel
9: Creative Involvements - Creation Rebel
10: Read And Learn (B-Side Of Single) - Creation Rebel

Disc: 4
1: Woodpecker Sound - Jah Woosh
2: Bed Bound Saga - Machine Gun Hogg & Co
3: Quante Jubila - Prince Far I & Creation Rebel
4: Quit The Body - The Chicken Granny
5: Parasitic Machine - Alan Pillay
6: Dreams Are Better - London Underground
7: Asian Rebel - Suns Of Arqa
8: Demonic Forces - Alan Pillay
9: Afghani Dub - The Mothmen
10: Things That Made U.S. - Jeb Loy & The Oil Wells
11: Yipee I Aah - New Age Steppers
12: The Dice - Judy Nylon

Trip. A simple arrangement of four letters that has many associations: a trip to the seaside, a drug trip (and so a journey into the unknown), a trip is to suddenly fall.

"The Soft Bounce" is a trip album in the widest sense: containing nearly 45 minutes of carefully programmed music, it sets off into to the unknown, it contains pleasure and pain, doubt and transcendence, and it ends somewhere that is different from where you started.

Beginning with expansive synth washes and "Love To Love You Baby"-style oohs, "Delicious Light" is immediately uplifting: we’re off on a switchback journey that will pass from light through darkness and confusion and pain to transcendence and acceptance. Darkness of a sort is forged in explosive motion ("Iron Age") before passing through sunshine pop ("Creation"), first wave UK psych ("Door To Tomorrow" with its invocation of "Emily", beloved of both the Pink Floyd and the Piccadilly Line), and the blissful Balearic emotion of "Diagram Girl". This passes into the American Gothic of "Black Crow" - that traditional avian harbinger of doom - and then we’re down the rabbit hole.

“Tomorrow, Forever" begins in the sound of nothingness and slowly unfolds into beatless cloud reveries that are at once solemn and hopeful. Weightless, blown with the wind, you come down to earth with the skipping afro beat of "The Soft Bounce": a soft female voice pleads for connection, but she is almost swamped by the stinging, shocking guitar reverb. The positive moods of "Finally First" and "Triumph" put everything back together before the all-out acid assault of "Third Mynd": from life to death to rebirth, ‘you throw the sticks up in the air, and they come down in a different pattern.’

“Is it the history of human kind or a personal, individual odyssey? With guest appearances from Blaine Harrison (Mystery Jets), Euros Childs (Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci), Jane Weaver, Holly Miranda and Hannah Peel, Erol Alkan and Richard Norris have constructed an album that is both highly enjoyable and on a deeper level, perceptual and psychological. Growth is necessary, as is adaptation to change: neither are achieved easily or without some kind of sacrifice. Operating on a level that can be verbal but is more often non-verbal, music can ease that passage.” - John Savage.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: This is indeed a trip. Melodic but psychedelic rock music to get up and dance to. Anthemic choruses and stoner guitars hide behind swirling synths and softly delivered vocal harmonies before smashing into the foreground with a riotous burst of distortion and glam. Exciting and groovy, gleefully nostalgic ('Emily' he sings, I was fully expecting Barrett to walk in and tell me about how she plays), but resolutely modern. A trip through all the best bits of all the things you should like. Ace.

TRACK LISTING

01 Delicious Light
02 Iron Age
03 Creation
04 Door To Tomorrow
05 Diagram Girl
06 Black Crow
07 Tomorrow, Forever
08 The Soft Bounce
09 Finally First
10 Triumph
11 Third Mynd

In the spring of 1968 a cargo ship was preparing to leave the port of Baltimore with an important shipment of musical instruments. Its final destination was Rio De Janeiro, where the EMSE Exhibition (Exposição Mundial Do Son Eletrônico) was going to be held. It was the first expo of its kind to take place in the Southern Hemisphere and many of the leading companies in the field of electronic music were involved. Rhodes, Moog, Farfisa, Hammond and Korg, just to name a few, were all eager to present their newest synthesisers and other gadgets to a growing and promising South American market, spearheaded by Brazil and Colombia.

The ship with the goods set sail on the 20th of March on a calm morning and mysteriously disappeared from the radar on the very same day. One can only imagine the surprise of the villagers of Cachaço, on the Sao Nicolau island of Cabo Verde, when a few months later they woke up and found a ship stranded in their fields, in the middle of nowhere, 8 km from any coastline. After consulting with the village elders, the locals had decided to open the containers to see what was inside – however gossip as scintillating as this travels fast and colonial police had already arrived and secured the area. Portuguese scientists and physicians were ordered to the scene and after weeks of thorough studies and research, it was concluded that the ship had fallen from the sky. One of the less plausible theories was that it might have fallen from a Russian military air carrier. The locals joked that again the government had wasted their tax money on a useless exercise, as a simple look at the crater generated by the impact could explain the phenomena. “No need for Portuguese rocket scientists to explain this!” they laughed.

What the villagers didn’t know, was that traces of cosmic particles were discovered on the boat. The bow of the ship showed traces of extreme heat, very similar to traces found on meteors, suggesting that the ship had penetrated the hemisphere at high speed. That theory also didn't make sense as such an impact would have reduced the ship to dust. Mystery permeated the event. Finally, a team of welders arrived to open the containers and the whole village waited impatiently. The atmosphere, which had been filled with joy and excitement, quickly gave way to astonishment. Hundreds of boxes conjured, all containing keyboards and other instruments which they had never seen before: and all useless in an area devoid of electricity. Disappointment was palpable.

The goods were temporarily stored in the local church and the women of the village had insisted a solution be found before Sunday mass. It is said that charismatic anti-colonial leader Amílcar Cabral had ordered for the instruments to be distributed equally in places that had access to electricity, which placed them mainly in schools. This distribution was best thing that could have happened - keyboards found fertile grounds in the hands of curious children, born with an innate sense of rhythm who picked up the ready-to-use instruments. This in turn facilitated the modernisation of local rhythms such as Mornas, Coladeras and the highly danceable music style called Funaná, which had been banned by the Portuguese colonial rulers until 1975 due to its sensuality!

The observation was made that the children who came into contact with the instruments found on the ship inherited prodigious capabilities to understand music and learn instruments. One of them was the musical genius Paulino Vieira, who by the end of the 70s would become the country's most important music arranger. 8 out of the 15 songs presented in this compilation had been recorded with the backing of the band Voz de Cabo Verde, lead by Paulino Vieira, the mastermind behind the creation and promulgation of what is known today as “The Cosmic Sound of Cabo Verde”.

TRACK LISTING

01. Pinta Manta - António Sanches
02. Dia Ja Manche - Dionisio Maio
03. Morti Sta Bidjàcu - José Casimiro
04. Pontin & Pontin - Bana
05. That Day - Fany Havest
06. Odio Sem Valor - Pedrinho
07. Mino Di Mama - Quirino Do Canto
08. Mundo D'Margura - Tchiss Lopes
09. Po D'Terra - Joao Cirilo
10. Corre Riba, Corre Baxo - Abel Lima
11. Ilyne - Os Apolos
12. Sintado Na Pracinha - Americo Brito
13. Capchona - Elisio Vieira
14. Djal Bai Si Camin - Antonio Dos Santos
15. Stebo Cu Anabela - Abel Lima

The Third Sound's new album Gospels of Degeneration shows a shift in style for the group, having toned down the shimmery psychedelia in favour of something a little cleaner. That’s not to say this is a barren sounding album at all, it’s still hypnotically layered with country-kissed reverb, and retains those itching guitar riffs that will keep whispering through your mind for hours after listening.

Founded by Icelandic frontman, Hakon Aðalsteinsson - an ex-member of Singapore Sling who are often hailed as founding members of the new psych sound - The Third Sound came into being in Rome in 2010 and have since relocated to Berlin. Since forming, The Third Sound have enjoyed the support of Anton Newcombe, who released their self-titled first album, on his label A Recordings, and chose the group to support his band The Brian Jonestown Massacre on tour in Europe. He also provided the studio for recording their second album The Third Sound of Destruction and Creation which was released on Fuzz Club in 2013. Most recently they’ve shared members with Anton Newcombe and Tess Parks’ band, which led to Parks’ appearance on the single “You Are Not Here” from this new album. What began as somewhat of a solo project by Aðalsteinsson, the new album sees The Third Sound stretching its definition with deeper levels of collaboration between band members and the influence of a new character in its story, the city of Berlin.

The group’s sound has been described as “ebbing between light and dark, dream and reality, pop and experimentalism” and “ranging from hypnotic soundscapes to tweaked out and fuzzed up numbers.” In a recent premiere on Clash Music they were described as "lynchpins of the psychedelic underground."

The second album by the loose On-U Sound collective, originally released in 1982. Featuring Prince Far I, Bim Sherman, Jah Woosh, plus members of The Roots Radics, The Slits and Glaxo Babies.

Heavy dread vibes, earthquaking dub and classic deejay chatter, recorded in the flash, heat and studio experimentation of post-punk London.

“There really is not a single weak track here. Sherwood spins his glistening web of intrusive, hyperactive magic, a production approach that would never work for anyone else but almost always does for him. No reggae collection should be without this one.” - All Music

Re-cut at dubplates & mastering in Berlin for maximum bass pressure. Includes a 24” x 12” fold-out poster insert and digital download card.

TRACK LISTING

A) Dungeon B) Merchant Ship C) Jah Army Band
Too Much Workload
Prodigal Son
Follower
Water The Garden
Resolution (Pt.2 / Version 2)
Thing Called Love (Don’t Fight)
Cha-Ris-Ma

Psychedelic Pirates formed in Manchester, UK in 2013. They had the aim to produce a new genre of music, one that had never been heard before and pose the question... what is music???

They have now achieved this with their debut album... The New Sound.

The Pirates use the latest computer technology and some incredibly talented musicians to make a symphony of psychedelic sounds. Each song explores a different a genre ensuring the listener is taken on a trip through new musical possibilities.

Their live show is an eccentric mix of Pirate cabaret and tantalising circus performance, including fire performance and ariel arts.

So far their quest has taken them around UK, Europe, Asia and Africa performing at various festivals and events.

Will you join their crew?

Performers // Josh Lisiuk - Vocals / Luke Slater - Ableton, Synthesizer, Kaoss Pads, Bazooki, Samples, Effects & VST's / Martyn Jarmin - Guitar, Bass Guitar / Happie - Percussion / Elliot Slater - Saxaphone / Anna Lowenstein - Violin / Tom Moon - Trumpet, Melodica, Accordion / John Lisiuk - Mandolin / Ben Of The Green - Didgeridoo

STAFF COMMENTS

Ryan says: Finally a new arrrtist with a new sound. Plenty of hooks without going overboard. On sail now.

First time ever on vinyl!!! "Environments" is generally regarded as ‘the great lost album’ by The Future Sound Of London. It has taken on almost mythical status with the group’s fan base. “Environments” was due for release much sooner after the 1993 release of the UK Top 10 album hit “Lifeforms”, and only now is it being released - back on the group’s original home, Jumpin’  & Pumpin’ Records.

This release also comes after the recent success of the ‘Archive’ series which has so far sold over 20,000 units across the different volumes and still climbing.

To re-cap, Brian Dougans and Garry Cobain began their musical partnership and friendship in Manchester, England, in the mid 1980s whilst the two were studying at Manchester University. Dougans had already been making electronic music for some time when they first began working in various local clubs. In 1988, Brian embarked on a project for the Stakker graphics company. The result was Stakker Humanoid. In the following three years the pair produced music under a variety of aliases, followed by the breakthrough classic ambient dub track Papua New Guinea in 1992, which was also the first release under the Future Sound of London moniker.

The Sound And The Fury, Nerina’s fifth album, is released on her own Idaho Records. To describe the album as a departure from its four predecessors is something of an understatement. When Nerina says it’s her mid-life crisis album, she’s only half joking. When she says it isn’t her happiest collection of songs, she isn’t kidding.

The album is as tempestuous as its title suggests. It’s a bold, bluesy, Biblical storm, in turns restless, aggressive and defiant.

Sonically too there’s been a shift. Inspired by Nerina and her producer (and husband) Andy Chatterley’s collective electronic roots it’s atmosphere crackles with electronics, space is as vital as sound and textures matter as much as melodies. From the crackling, menacing electro-blues of opener This Is A Drum to spectral, reflective, electro-classical closer The Longest Memory, The Sound And The Fury is as beguiling beautiful as it is disturbingly dark.

Inspired by actual events and the emotions they evoked, The Sound And The Fury is an album of stories, from the city, from inside Nerina’s mind, from weeks spent glued to the news. It’s about love, loss and survival as much as any heartbreak album. It’s about one woman and her fears for her family, but it’s also about where the world is at right now and where it will be in the future.

TRACK LISTING

1. There Is A Drum
2. Ain’t Got Anything Left
3. Rousseau
4. If I Had A Girl
5. Boy On The Bus
6.Handle
7. Spirit Walks
8. Big White House
9. The Road
10. Blessed
11. Longest Memory

This is the fourth release in the critically acclaimed 'Environments' series and continues where the third left off. It is a fourteen track journey from the river's delta to no-man’s land where murmurations lead across supercontinents and back to the clear light of reality. Strings meet choirs - cascading down to the glass valleys of synthesised biophany.

“Murmurations” was the track featured on an exclusive vinyl 10” release for Record Store Day in 2012, it coincided with the CD version of this album’s release that year. The album also has collaborations with Riz Maslen (Neotropic) and Ivor Novello award winning composer Daniel Pemberton.

The sessions for this album came about by coincidence. In April 2013 The Dust were on tour in Europe. We had an unusual show scheduled at a small festival out in the desert near Marrakech, Morocco, which fell in the middle of our tour, and which fell through, as these things often do, at the very last minute, just days before the gig was to take place. It left a big hole right in the middle of our tour.

To the rescue came our Spanish tour promoters, Carles and Jordi, who secured for us an apartment in Barcelona for the week, and suggested that we use our downtime to do some recording in a small studio there.

The band had a small handful of acoustic shows under our belt by this time, and we were keen for the opportunity to try some recordings in an acoustic setting. Acoustic Dust!

We hooked up with Raül Fernandez Refree, our engineer for the sessions. Raul was great in the studio and we all immediately became fast friends. Another friend from Portugal, João Paulo Feliciano was also in Barcelona at the time, and we invited him in to add some Hammond Organ.

In four or five days we tracked 14 or 15 songs, choosing some from my album ‘Between The Times And The Tides’, plus a few from the record we were still working on at the time, ‘Last Night On Earth’, and some cover songs too.

After the sessions we hit the road again with our electric instruments to finish our tour, and slowly over the following months plans were made for Raul to mix the music for release. You hold in your hands the fruits of those acoustic days in Barcelona, I hope you enjoy them” - Lee Ranaldo (New York City, August 2014).

The Free Fall Band are five very young timeless pop creators bursting with melody and sublime choruses, hailing from Mataró, a village north Barcelona.

‘Elephants Never Forget’ was the band’s debut album, produced by Miqui Puig and released on LAV Records. The record sums up The Free Fall Band perfectly: echoes of The Beatles, Jonathan Richman, The Shins, The Zombies… fun and emotion in equal measure, carefully assembled arrangements and a youthful image.

2013 put them at the forefront of Spanish pop, thanks to landmark moments such as their performance at the Primavera Sound Festival and supporting Rodriguez in Barcelona. They also released their first step on El Segell del Primavera, an EP with covers of The Strokes, Violent Femmes, New Order, Booker T. & The MGs and Jonathan Richman.

And now their second album arrives. It’s called ‘The Münster Sights’ and shows the band in another level: the songs reflect a band that have been playing and growing as musicians. The album was produced by Darren Hayman (he used to play in Hefner and has a long and amazing solo career) and engineered by Giles Barrett (from London popsters Tigercats), a perfect choice for The Free Fall Band as they’ve long been fans of both musicians. As a result ‘The Münster Sights’ sounds richer and fatter than their previous efforts and contains such great numbers as ‘Fontana’ and ‘I Want To Know’.

TRACK LISTING

I Want To Know
City Of Raleigh
Fontana
Look At Me Run, Dear
Lonesome Cowboy, Solitary Peggy Sue
Oh, What An Awkward Day
By Your Window
Every Man
The Barbershop
A Friend’s Homecoming
The Münster Sights

Ample Play Records hit us with a heavily, heavenly hallucinogenic collection of Richard Norris’ recent Time And Space Machine remixes. A man of many guises, he has often operated as a duo - as The Grid with Dave Ball, as Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve with Erol Alkan - but when it's time for some solo sonic action, he records and remixes as The Time And Space Machine. It's under this guise that he sparks up the Bunsen burner, primes his iron filings and ionizes "The Way Out Sound From In", reworking the most cosmic beat combos around into hitherto unheard psychedelic shapes.

Warpaint, Jagwar Ma, Temples, Psychemagik, The Sufis and more fall into the Time And Space Machine and come out the other side with wider grins and shinier eyes. Ploughing a similar dancefloor furrow to Andrew Weatherall and Timothy J Fairplay's A Love From Outer Space sound, Norris revives the late 80s / early 90s tripped-out, cosmic, Balearic-friendly, baggy house sound, which combines well with the psychedelic sounds of the original bands / artists here.  It's The Way Out Sound From In....all aboard.

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: It's all gone a bit Baggy in 'ere! Love it!!

"ARE YOU WIRED TO GET HIRED? Let’s get this straight, nobody likes to be pushed around by THE MAN. With all of the corporate involvement in the music industry these days, it’s finally time to grab those smug CEOs and thrust them onstage and see what comes out when you really stick ‘em. And nothing is more satisfying, both financially and fiscally responsible, than to let THE MAN do their thing, because they will walk all over you and you will love every minute of it. With a panicky/riveting/down-sizing guitar crunch, merging with the heavy dose of anxiety-riddled bass throb, over-worked, stress-wrenched drumming, and all slathered in “workplace harassment”-style vocals, your long-term relationship with THE MAN is one “meeting” you just can’t opt out of and still come away with your promotion intact. Resistance is futile, projections seem grim, and your mental and fidooshiary well-being depend on nothing more than your complete and utter submission to THE MAN, in all of it’s holdings and territories, as declared in their mission statement, thumbtacked to your forehead." - VictimofTime.com.

Recommended for fans of Baseball Furies, Wire, Reatards, Persuaders, Guilty Pleasures

Soundway’s second foray into South East Asia is focused on North-East Thailand, the epicentre of Molam and Luk Thung Isan music. Hypnotic phin and khaen riffs, pulsing, electrified country rhythms and heartfelt vocals punctuate another journey into the lesser known reaches of 1970s Thai music.

In this second volume of 'The Sound of Siam' the focus is firmly on the music the sounds of north-east Thailand, or Isan and attempts to show how a genre evolved and developed from essentially an acoustic tradition with specific geographic roots, to one that started to incorporate other instruments and influences that reached out to the Isan diaspora around the country.

The term molam is actually two separate words pushed together: Mo meaning ‘expert’ or ‘doctor’ and lam meaning ‘to sing’. Hence the literal translation means ‘singing expert’. Many molam records have extended intros that allow a vocalist to establish the theme of the song, as well as flex their improvisational muscles.

Luk Thung (literally ‘song of the countryside’) is a much broader, rural style that had a bigger impact nationally. Artists like Saksiam Petchompu began fusing this style with molam, a move which propelled him to national fame. You can hear the influence of western funk, as well as Thai arrangements, on the luk thung Isan (as the hybrid became known) smash Jeb Jin Jeb Jai included here.

'The Sound of Siam 2 - Molam & Luk Thung Isan from North-East Thailand 1970 - 1982’ features 19 tracks, many appearing outside of Thailand for the first time. Both CD and double LP and is accompanied with detailed liner notes written by compilers Chris Menist and Maft Sai.

TRACK LISTING

1. Angkanang Kunchai - Kid Hod Chu
2. Panom Promma - Mainaa Tam Pom Loey
3. The Petch Phin Thong Band - Bump Lam Plearn
4. Angkanang Kunchai - Teoy Salap Pamaa
5. Saksiam Petchchompu & Pornsurapon Petchseethong - Jeb Jing Jeb Jai
6. Montien Tienthong - Kor Kai
7. Onuma Singsiri - Lam Plearn Toe Lhong Tong
8. Petch Asia Band - Lam Plearn Tua Yaang
9. Banyen Sriwongsa - Ramwong Saraphan
10. Thepporn Petchubon - Pa Gun Tor
11. Thonghuad Faited - Eua Aree See Sor
12. Angkanang Kunchai - Lam Plearn Mee Mia Laew Pai
13. Banyen Sriwongsa - Lam Plearn Kon Baa Huay
14. Thepporn Petchubon - Saam Gler Tiew Krung
15. Angkanang Kunchai - Yak Si Glap Isan
16. Chanpen Sirithep - Lam Plearn Kiew Bao
17. Thepporn Petchubon - Fang Jai Viangjan
18. Yenjit Porntawi - Lam Plearn Gok Kaa Kao
19. Rome Sithammarat - Sao New Look

Following on from their critically acclaimed ‘New Moore Island’ EP (“Simply astonishing... exhilarating and devastating... a thrilling journey” - Q Magazine; “Roaring with the hot-headed intensity of Arcade Fire, made brittle with tumultuous rage and regret” - NME), 7-piece band The Mariner’s Children return with a new work, ‘Sycamore EP’, as devastating and as poignantly beautiful as their last.

Hinging on the themes of love and death, songwriter Benedict Rubinstein explores the relationships between these experiences and how both can distort logic.

The Mariner’s Children include members of Peggy Sue, Laura Marling, Sons Of Noel And Adrian, Alessi’s Ark, and Eyes & No Eyes.

Drawing inspiration from Chris Taylor (Grizzly Bear)’s approach to production, Angels Of Light, and Pentangle amongst others, their music has, at the same time, all the immense instrumentation of Arcade Fire and the subtlety of the likes of Iron & Wine and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy.

“Purveyors of lovingly crafted music with anthemic uplift and widescreen ambition” - The Guardian; “(‘New Moore Island’) sets an impossibly high level of expectations of any future endeavours... an intimate, poignant release

Lost sounds are the archives of a forgotten history. The raucously raw, Vodoun-inspired rhythms of Cotonou have confirmed Benin as a mecca of 70s Afro-funk sounds and revived the story of its people, but the unopened vaults housing the country's catacombs of musical riches are endless. With this as our compass, Analog Africa charters its fifth expedition to Benin, traveling far north to delve deeper into the obscured repertoires and tales of the Bariba and Dendi people.

Originating from the Kwara state of northwest Nigeria, the Bariba - a predominantly Islamic people - now dominate the Borgou department of Benin with the market city of Parakou at its heart. The rhythms of their culture constitute just one domain of the Islamic Funk Belt - a distinct musical swath of land encompassing northern Ghana, Togo and Benin. Once frequented by Muslim merchants and traders, the belt has yielded a rich harvest of talent with the likes of Uppers International (Ghana), Orchestre Abass, the Black Devils (Togo), Anassoua Jazz (Benin) and, undoubtedly the most powerful band from Parakou, Orchestre Super Borgou, who were first introduced to the West via Analog Africa's defining release, "African Scream Contest."

The birth of modern African music in Parakou is inextricably linked to Super Borgou. Their reinvention redefines what contemporary audiences classify as the "Afro" genre.

Post-independent Burkino Fasso saw an urban middle class willing to invest in the Burkinabe arts. A cadre of singers, bands, orchestras and, most importantly, competitive record labels arose who all played their part in ushering in a golden age of music in their landlocked nation during the 1970's - a decade marred by political instability in the country and an era of artistic enlightenment empowering the whole of Africa.

In search of better gigs, well-to-do producers and sufficient recording equipment, Burkinabe musicians ventured across the surrounding region, returning home with a wealth of knowledge of their neighbors' distinctive styles. The raw sound of Burkina Faso combined Afro-Funk, traditional Islamic rhythms and subtle Afro-Latin sounds brought over by visiting Cuban ensembles. Mandingue melodies and guitar techniques from Mali and Guinea, however, were by far the most defining traits of a potent African mix that distinguished the Voltaic style between 1974 and 1979.

Record labels across Burkina Faso sprung up to capture the newly born mystic and soulful sound taking over the country. Volta Discobel and Club Voltaique du Disque (CVD) emerged in 1974 and competed for the modern music of their people. Despite its humble beginnings as a record shop, CVD came to dominate the industry. Both labels worked with the heavyweights of the time, such as the majestic Amadou Ballaké, a national icon who is featured extensively on this compilation.

"Pardon us for living, but the graveyard is full." Or so goes the title of a new documentary film telling the tale of The Fleshtones. While that sentiment is a bit tongue-in-cheek, it's also true. The Fleshtones have been grinding out garage rock before garage rock was even called garage rock, and turning rock clubs like Max's Kansas City into impromptu discos for over 30 years.

While chart hits and magazine covers weren't to be their fate; a reputation as the hardest working, most sincere rock band on the planet was cultivated in the process. The result of that distinction is their new album Brooklyn Sound Solution featuring the legendary Lenny Kaye. In addition to his role as long-time guitarist for Patti Smith, Kaye also curated the seminal garage and psychedelic music compilations Nuggets. Have a problem you can't solve? The Fleshtones offer you a Brooklyn Sound Solution.

TRACK LISTING

Comin’ Home Baby
I Wish You Would
Day Tripper
Bite Of My Soul
You Give Me Nothing To Go On (Instrumental Version)
I Can’t Hide
Solution #1
Rats In My Kitchen
Back Beat #1
You Give Me Nothing To Go On
Solution #2
Lost On Xandu

Radioclit are definitely on the rise, both as remixers / DJs (with their popular Club Secousse nights at the Notting Hill Arts Club in London and in Paris) and as two-thirds of acclaimed Afro-electronic band The Very Best. For this compilation, they have hand-picked their favourite tracks among the wealth of hot electronic dance music which is being produced all across the African continent, from Angola to South Africa to the Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and more. This is African music NOW, giving us its own slant on electro, grime, dancehall and other dancefloor styles. If you liked the Honest Jon's "Shangaan Electro" compilation, check this.

Mission Of Burma's fourth LP is a departure from the pinned-needles roar of 2006's "The Obliterati". Far more spacious and dynamic, it blasts off with the anthemic, catchy "1, 2, 3, Partyy!", a classic Burma rocker on a level with "This Is Not A Photograph" or "Certain Fate". Other tracks, such as "Feed", "Forget Yourself", and "Slow Faucet", are slow, hypnotic builders. "Good Cheer" is a burst of almost uncontainable joy that literally explodes from the speakers. Of course, all the Burma trademarks are also present: the military snare drum, the melodic basslines high up on the neck, and the furiously dissonant guitarwork, refracted back into the songs via tape loops – all punctuated by the hoarse shouts of drummer Peter Prescott. This controlled chaos, this disciplined letting go, is at the heart of what they do and it remains as exhilarating and fulfilling as ever.

The Smiths were the definitive British independent band of the eighties, releasing a remarkable series of singles and albums between 1983 and 1987 that were both commercially and critically successful and which laid down a marker for guitar pop-rock that remains unsurpassed. Disc 1 of "The Sound Of The Smiths" comprises 23 tracks and presents all the Smiths' single releases, reinstating singles that were scheduled though eventually unreleased ("Still Ill" and "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby") plus European only singles such as "Barbarism Begins At Home" and "The Headmaster Ritual". The core of disc one, however, is that matchless run of singles from their first Rough Trade 7" single "Hand In Glove" through to "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me". The second disc features a further 22 tracks including rare B-sides, tracks that were exclusive to 12" releases and selected live recordings. Among the rarities are the Troy Tate produced "Pretty Girls Make Graves" and "What's The World", a cover of a track from the fellow Manchester band James, recorded live at Barrowlands, Glasgow.

TRACKLISTING:
CD1
1 Hand In Glove
2 This Charming Man
3 What Difference Does It Make? (BBC Peel Session Version)
4 Still Ill
5 Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
6 William It Was Really Nothing
7 How Soon Is Now?
8 Nowhere Fast
9 Shakespeare's Sister
10 Barbarism Begins At Home (7" Version)
11 That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
12 The Headmaster Ritual
13 The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
14 Bigmouth Strikes Again
15 There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
16 Panic
17 Ask
18 You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby (World Won't Listen Version)
19 Shoplifters Of The World Unite
20 Sheila Take A Bow
21 Girlfriend in A Coma
22 I Started Something I Couldn't Finish
23 Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

CD2
1 Jeane
2 Handsome Devil (Live at Manchester Hacienda 04/02/83)
3 This Charming Man (New York Vocal),
4 Wonderful Woman
5 Back To The Old House
6 These Things Take Time
7 Girl Afraid,
8 Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
9 Stretch Out And Wait
10 Oscillate Wildly (Instrumental)
11 Meat Is Murder (Live at Oxford Apollo 18/03/85)
12 Asleep
13 Money Changes Everything
14 The Queen Is Dead,
15 Vicar In A Tutu
16 Cemetery Gates
17 Half A Person
18 Sweet And Tender Hooligan
19 Pretty Girls Make Graves (Troy Tate Version)
20 Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
21 What's The World? (Live at Barrowlands Glasgow 25/09/85)
22 London (Live at National Ballroom Kilburn London 23/10/86)

"The Hawk Is Howling", their sixth album, sees Mogwai return to a totally instrumental landscape, with many songs coming in at around the eight minute mark. A brooding and atmospheric collection, full of the band's exceptional use of dynamics and creation of hypnotic soundscapes, "The Hawk Is Howling" is, however, partly more reflective than previous releases, perhaps sharing more in common with 2001's "Rock Action". Instrumentally the band have somewhat branched out, utilising light synthesizers on tracks such as "The Sun Smells Too Loud". The album was recorded with Andy Miller at Chemikal Underground and mixed by Gareth Jones at Castle Of Doom. It's the first time the band have recorded with Andy Miller since they worked with him on their debut "Young Team". Artwork for the album is designed by Aidan Moffat.

TRACK LISTING

1. I'm Jim Morrison I'm Dead
2. Batcat
3. Daphne And The Brain
4. Local Authority
5. Sun Smells Too Loud
6. Kings Meadow
7. I Love You I'm Going To Blow Up Your School
8. Scotland's Shame
9. Thank You Space Expert
10. Precipice

Atlas Sound is the solo moniker of Deerhunter frontman / provocateur Bradford Cox. Here on his debut album, Cox's sound moves out of dank nightclubs filled with eternal existential drone punk, and relaxes at home in his Grant Park, Atlanta bedroom. And this is, essentially, a bedroom album, a collage, mixing the garage rock and ambient electronic influences previously explored with Deerhunter into a new context, with newly explored recording techniques, mainly laptop-based, learned with guidance from Kranky artist Nudge's Brian Foote. The result is fourteen songs of melancholy and mania. This is a true solo album, entirely created and produced by a single person. That is certainly not unique, especially in the contemporary scene. But Bradford Cox's unusual talent is the ability to take a wide variety of seemingly incongruous sound elements, and seamlessly meld them into a cohesive pop narrative. Ultimately it is this innate ability to combine all these disparate elements into a singular whole that makes this album such an enjoyable, and unique listen.

Finally together on one CD are two legendary compilations: "You Can't Argue With Sucksess" which featured bands from Long Beach like Mad Society, Secret Hate and others, and "Clock-work Orange County" which has DI, Doggy Style, Even Worse and tons of others.

Debut single from this hotly tipped Irish four piece. Classy, indie pop with hints of everything from early U2 to The Killers.

Long overdue 'best of' from one of reggae's most distinctive voices. Features 70s roots tracks produced by Lee Perry, Dennis Brown, Sly & Robbie, Augustus Pablo, Prince Jammy, Niney The Observer etc. This is Sound Boy's debut LP release.

A great cross-section of psychedelic, freakbeat and garage acts from the Tuscon scene recorded between 1959 and 1968. As usual with a Dionysus release there has been a lot of thought and research to compile this wonderfully atmospheric set of tracks and there are some real gems amongst the 27 tracks on offer here.

Great guitar pop from this Reading band, Beach Boys harmonies and catchy guitar riffs.

The usual suspects on another ace San Francisco compilation. Encapsulating the heady Haight Ashbury trip are the Jefferson Airplane, It's a Beautiful Day, Tripsichord and more.

Moby Grape, It's a Beautiful Day, Jefferson Airplane, Tim Hardin and more - 'nuff said.

Not since the arrival of Snuff on the UK underground scene many moons ago has a UK band made such an impact as Capdown. Playing over 250 gigs a year, recently supporting Less Than Jake on their UK tour, opening Deconstruction 2001 and appearing at this year's Reading / Leeds festivals. This, their latest offering looks set to be one most interesting punk releases of 2001 and eclipses everything the band has done before.