‘empathogen’ is the sixth studio album from WILLOW.

This release sees WILLOW moving again in a new alternative and jazz-tinged direction following her widely praised 2022 release, ‘’.

The album includes features from Jon Batiste and St. Vincent.

WILLOW’s album campaign includes performances on Jimmy Fallon and NPR Tiny Desk, with more to be announced, as well as Allure, Flaunt and Pop magazine covers.

TRACK LISTING

1. Home Ft. Jon Batiste
2. Ancient Girl
3. Symptom Of Life
4. The Fear Is Not Real
5. False Self
6. Pain For Fun Ft. St Vincent
7. No Words 1 & 2
8. Down
9. Run!
10. Between I And She
11. “I Know That Face.”
12. B I G F E E L I N G S

Big Crown Records is proud to present Zero Grace, Liam Bailey’s sophomore album on the label. Following the success of 2020’s Ekundayo album, the tried and true chemistry of Bailey and producer Leon Michels (El Michels Affair) is on full display again as they take the sound they established and push it further. On Zero Grace they lean more into the bleeding heart singer-songwriter side of Liam. The result, much like Bailey himself, is impulsively honest without reserve.

Born and raised in Nottingham, England, the son of an English mother and 2nd generation Jamaican English father, Liam will admit his early childhood was fairly chaotic and fi­lled with "all the cliche racism that happens when people started mixing up in the '80s in England." Liam got his early influences from his mom’s record collection. Bob Marley and Dillinger, Stevie Wonder and The Supremes, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix would eventually shape the singer/songwriter we know today. Fast-forward to 2005, Liam is in London performing at every open mic and acoustic night he could, hustling with hopes of landing a record deal. It was through this time that Liam fi­rst teamed up with Michels, musician/producer luminary, and the co-founder of Brooklyn's own Big Crown Records.

Liam flew out to New York and those fi­rst sessions together produced the now classic tunes “When Will They Learn” and “I’m Gonna Miss You” which still gets spins at Reggae spots around the globe and were co-signed by heavy hitters like David Rodigan & Don Letts.That first trip to NYC brought a lot of industry attention to Liam, including being noticed by a just-famous Amy Winehouse who heard one of Liam's apartment-made, lo-­ recordings, and liked what she heard. Regardless of the audio quality, Liam's particular sound shone through—all guitar, warm-rough and genuine soul.

Eventually Liam signed to Polydor and wound up bumping against the typical major label industry obstacles. They already had an idea of the Liam they wanted to make, promote, and push. With the typical large advance enticement, Liam did his best to trust that path. "Maybe I can make it work,' that's what you're thinking," Liam remembers, "but, you quickly fi­nd out that you can't."

Zero Grace is full of freedom and love, in fact, working with Leon Michels and Big Crown Records has encouraged Liam to be himself. On album opener “Holding On '' Bailey speaks to his observations & fears when looking out at the world in front of him and also to the dedication it has taken to get on the other side of his personal trials & tribulations. “Dance With Me" is an instantly infectious two-stepper that nods to those incredible soul records that were coming out of Jamaica during the early Reggae days.

Bailey steps into the dance with hopes of finding a new love and pulls us all out on the dance floor with him. “Disorder Starts At Home” is another close to the chest tune that addresses the dif­culties he struggles with from his early chaotic childhood and his progress in getting past them. "Mercy Tree" is a powerhouse of Reggae Rebel Music. Bailey addresses the racial tensions that plague humanity and encourages everyone to step up and do their part to help foster equality. What starts out as a declaration of injustice turns into a call for action and an inspiration for hope.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A
1 Holding On
2 Dumb
3 Sekkle Down
4 Boy
5 Dance With Me
6 Disorder Starts At Home
SIDE B
7 Mercy Tree
8 Sour Wine
9 Canary In The Coal Mine
10 Winter Is Within Thee
11 I Got No Answers
12 Light Up The Darkness

Round two of Leo Zero's edit archive series sees four more favourites given the LZ treatment.

On the A you'll find a killer housed-up version of an NYC New Wave classic, alongside a tight n' tidy beefed up slo-mo disco remaster and chop of a west coast rock beauty. On the flip, a chunky remake of Brit soul bomb as well as a curveball dubby, wonked out version of an alt rock rhythm that's flipped this one into a deep 5am groover.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Leo Zero flips four well-known hits with his own charismatic personality. Tipped if you've been feeling the recent Beatconductor refixes.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Punches
A2. Dreams
B1. Taboo
B2. Feel The Pain

In 1983, Dieter Moebius (Cluster) and legendary producer Conny Plank teamed up for the third time, resulting in the Zero Set project. On this occasion, they were backed up by one of the best drummers on the German rock scene: Mani Neumeier of Guru Guru. Moebius had got to know and admire him as the live drummer for Harmonia (Moebius, Roedelius, Rother) and during the recording sessions for their second album (De Luxe).

Conny Plank, usually more of a background figure as producer, takes an equal share of the limelight alongside the musicians. His supermodern studio is brought into play like an instrument in its own right; Plank explores the full range of audio editing, pushing recording techniques to the limit to achieve maximum brilliance and plasticity. Neumeier uses all of his many years of experience as a drummer, demonstrating the precision and stamina of a drum machine, just infinitely livelier and more inventive. And finally, to Moebius. Always one of the patriarchs of German electronic music, a creator of the most bizarre sound happenings, yet never sounding forced or arbitrary. On the contrary, he consistently worked within the context of the tracks themselves and their relationship to each other.

The music on Zero Set flows both smoothly and energetically. No single idea is overplayed, none of the tracks hits the ten minute mark. Aural and musical structures are concentrated to the point of askesis, yet there is no mistaking just how much the musicians are relishing playing together - these are the two very different, yet defining characteristics of the album. Moebius, Neumeier and Plank are unsentimental in their use of technology, exploiting it as an effective tool in pursuit of their musical vision. Three musicians at the top of their game and far too smart to allow their efforts to drift into psychedelic meanderings.

TRACK LISTING

01. Speed Display
02. Load
03. Pitch Control
04. All Repro
05. Recall
06. Search Zero

Plot Zero is the second album by the late West Coast composer, healer, and medium Pauline Anna Strom. First released in 1983, Strom envisioned the album as a “mind trip without chemicals,” utilizing boundless imagination to cover a canvas with brilliant synthesized shapes and tones. The pieces on Plot Zero flow freely and infinitely, evoking a transportative momentum with Strom’s distinctive synthesizers soaring across infinite horizons into vast, colorful nebulas. Restored and mixed from the original reels by Marta Salogni, and newly remastered, this is the album’s first ever official reissue, and the definitive edition of a visionary statement. 

It has now been repressed for the 1st time, this 2023 pressing is limited to 500
copies on transparent 10" eco-vinyl with unique colour swirls. Zero 7's debut album 'Simple Things' sold over a million copies and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and the band as Best Newcomer at the Brit Awards. The album featured singers Sia, Sophie Barker and Mozez. 'When It Falls' followed with the same guest vocalists along with Danish singer Tina Dico. Their third album 'The Garden' was nominated for a Grammy Award with singers Jose Gonzalez and Sia. Two further albums 'Yeah Ghost' and a best of 'Record' completed their time with Atlantic Records.

TRACK LISTING

1. Home (Alternative Mix)
2. Somersault (Danger Mouse Remix Ft. MF DOOM)

The second album by underground rock-and-beyond shapeshifters The Holy Family comes complete with a heavy concept for the psychedelically inclined, and pairs this with music which does this justice and then some. ‘Go Zero’ follows up the British group’s widely praised self-titled debut from 2021 and – says foundational member David Jason Smith – “is based on a hypothetical theory that there is no such thing as ‘the future’. We are continually moving forward into our past until we arrive at our birth – creation – the Tree Of Knowledge… or ‘Going Zero’, as I’ve termed it.” It figures, then, that over some 40 minutes the five musicians conjure a sound that exhibits an affinity with great experimental totems down the ages, in a manner that’s avowedly forward-facing and stamped with their own identity. All involved boast a pre-Holy Family CV to turn clued-in heads: Kavus Torabi (guitars), Sam Warren (bass) and Emmett Elvin (piano and Rhodes), along with Smith himself, were all members of the mighty Guapo. Finnish studio wizard Antti Uusimaki (Circle/Pharaoh Overlord etc), who co-sculpted the eight tracks on ‘Go Zero’ into their final form. Drummer Joe Lazarus is new to the band – taking over that role from Smith, who largely concentrates on vocals and synths here – and his versatility is never in doubt, as his rhythms pull in myriad directions, blurring the lines between jazz, prog and psych rock. If you dig anything from Can to Boredoms to Oneida, then step this way. Though The Holy Family’s musical inspirations are multitudinous, and rarely if ever obvious, the lyrics nod to a distinct literary source – namely ‘Vorrh’, the trilogy of fantasy novels by cult British author Brian Catling, who died in 2022 while ‘Go Zero’ was being assembled. In these books, the Vorrh is “an impenetrable sentient forest, older than mankind, believed to house all knowledge” – and in the same way that the name The Holy Family references an Angela Carter work, Smith explains, “the track titles ‘Chalky’s Eyes’ (had been eaten by flies) and ‘The Watcher’ are direct references to characters in the book.” With ‘Go Zero’, The Holy Family have returned with an album that unfurls elegantly, even while big time discombobulation is occurring.

TRACK LISTING

1. Crawling Out
2. Bad Travelling
3. Chalky’s Eyes
4. The Watcher
5. Hell Born Babel
6. Go Zero Suite: Pt. I
7. Go Zero Suite: Pt. II
8. Go Zero Suite: Pt. III 

Channel Zero is a band from Brussels formed in 1990 by Franky "DSVD" De Smet Van Damme, Xavier Carion, Tino De Martino and Phil Baheux. Their name came from an American rap song by the group Public Enemy called "She watch Channel Zero?". Inspired in its beginnings by Metallica and more generally by the thrash movement of the 90s. Play It Again Sam signed the group in 1994 and produced its third album Unsafe. This album allows them to make themselves known in the States, to perform in major European festivals and to be the headliner on a tour in Australia

TRACK LISTING

1. Suck My Energy
2. Heroin
3. Help
4. Black Fuel’
5. Fools Parade

Akae Beka's inimitable style of rich, deep, multi-layered songwriting, uncompromising devotion to RasTafari and soulful healing melodies developed over decades performing with St. Croix based band Midnite and countless recordings. At the point of his untimely passing in 2019, he had released over 70LP's. He is without a doubt one of the most prolific reggae artists ever known.

The stellar production trinity that is Zion I Kings have been involved collectively and individually in creating some of the most highly regarded contributions to the vast Akae Beka catalogue. Beauty For Ashes was named as the best reggae album of 2014 according to iTunes. A monumental achievement for undiluted, uncompromising RasTafari roots reggae music this side of the millennium. Two of the LP's tracks, Weather the Storm and Same I Ah One, have been catapulted into global notoriety in part due to the viral success of the YouTube video of the 'Dub in the Rainforest' session organised in St. Croix by Tippy I in 2014. The video offered an unparalleled audio visual insight of the powerful, captivating, energy of Vaughn Benjamin, Pressure Buss Pipe, Ras Batch, and many of the bredrin and sisterin of St. Croix rallying around the I Grade Dub living dub experience.

Following 8 years of anxious anticipation, for the countless Akae Beka fans that are also vinyl connoisseurs, this LP is now being released on as a 12" vinyl LP courtesy of Before Zero Records. This offers the listener not only the chance to enjoy this LP in an analogue form, but also the chance to hold the artwork as a 12" square masterpiece, created by the hands of Ras Marcus, the artist who gave the powerful visual presence that became synonymous to much of the I Grade / Akae Beka works over the years.

TRACK LISTING

1. A Reminder
2. When JAH Arise (feat. Lutan Fyah)
3. Same Boat We
4. Beauty For Ashes
5. Betterment Mouth
6. Same I Ah One (feat. Pressure Buss Pipe)
7. Holy Mountain
8. All I's On You
9. Weather The Storm (feat. Ras Batch)
10. A Healing

Akae Beka's inimitable style of rich, deep, multi-layered songwriting, uncompromising devotion to RasTafari and soulful healing melodies developed over decades performing with St. Croix based band Midnite and countless recordings. At the point of his untimely passing in 2019, he had released over 70LP's. He is without a doubt one of the most prolific reggae artists ever known.

The stellar production trinity that is Zion I Kings have been involved collectively and individually in creating some of the most highly regarded contributions to the vast Akae Beka catalogue. Ride Tru, originally released digitally and on CD in 2014, stood every chance disappearing into the all eclipsing shadow of the LP released by them earlier that year, Beauty for Ashes, which had been named by iTunes as the reggae album of the year. A monumental achievement for undiluted, uncompromising RasTafari roots reggae music this side of the millennium. So needless to say, the bar was high and Vaughn Benjamin and Zion I Kings must have known that, as they managed to raise it higher again.

Ride Tru continues in the same form, rootsy, soulful, refreshingly polished and authentically raw, the threads of anciency that any devout reggae lover will be looking for and the threads of modernity that keep it alive and appealing in the modern day. A uniquely regal tapestry that has become synonymous with music created from the unity of Zion I Kings and Vaughn Benjamin

Following 8 years of anxious anticipation, for the countless Akae Beka fans that are also vinyl connoisseurs, this LP is now being released on as a 12" vinyl LP courtesy of Before Zero Records. This offers the listener not only the chance to enjoy this LP in an analogue form, but also the chance to hold the artwork as a 12" square masterpiece, created by the hands of Ras Marcus, the artist who gave the powerful visual presence that became synonymous to much of the I Grade / Akae Beka works over the years.

TRACK LISTING

1. Calm The Day
2. To Them
3. To Ge Da
4. Credited
5. Conquering Lion
6. Voices Of The Remnancy
7. Arise Again
8. Worry Free
9. How I'll Carry On
10. Ride Tru

Zero 7’s 4th album Yeah Ghost from 2009, spans everything from dance pop to acoustic folk and everything in between it's an idea-splattered work of genius that even includes a quartet of instrumental tracks derived from their experimental side projects and sampled, overdubbed and rebuilt from scratch. From the evocative intro 'Count Me Out' to the album's shuffling, twitchy closer 'All Of Us' - via the haunting 'Solastalgia' and 'Ghost sYMbOL' avant-garde electronic and distorted vocals - it's Zero 7 as you've never heard them before. 'Destiny' this aint. One thing that remains consistent though is the roll call of up-and-coming talent on vocal duties, including singer ESKA Mtungwazi. The Londoner, whose collaboration credits include Matthew Herbert and Bugs In The Attic, appears on 'Mr McGee', 'Medicine Man', 'Sleeper' and 'The Road' & folk singer songwriter/ painter / filmmaker Martha Tilson for Pop Art Blue.

TRACK LISTING

LP Tracks:
Disc 1
1. Count Me Out
2. Mr McGee
3. Swing
1. Everything Up (Zizou)
2. Pop Art Blue
3. Medicine Man

Disc 2
1. Ghost SYMbOL
2. Sleeper
3. Solastalgia
1. The Road
2. All Of Us

CD Tracks:
1. Count Me Out
2. Mr McGee
3. Swing
4. Everything Up [Zizou]
5. Pop Art Blue
6. Medicine Man
7. Ghost SYMbOL
8. Sleeper
9. Solastalgia
10. The Road
11. All Of Us
12. E Sgwers (demo Version)
13. Methods
14. Ghost SYMbOL (Klang Version)

Akae Beka's inimitable style, developed over decades performing with St. Croix based band Midnite and countless recordings (including 2014 iTunes reggae album of the year BEAUTY FOR ASHES and RIDE TRU). At the point of his untimely passing in 2019, he had released over 70LP's. He is without a doubt one of the most prolific reggae artists ever known and his quanity is always matched with quality, with his albums consistently featuring in the top 10 on the billboard charts reggae LPs.

A unique contribution to the sea of Akae Beka titles, this LP showcases Vaughn Benjamin in a stripped back, raw accoustic fashion. An LP which will not be easily confined to any one genre, but for the fans of Vaughns uniquly rich, deep, textrued songwriting, uncompromising devotion to RasTafari and soulful healing melodies an absolute must have!

TRACK LISTING

1. Tempest I've Seen
2. Rallying Cry
3. Melodies
4. Here Hear
5. Going Thru
6. Clarify And Resume
7. Real Ranks
8. Perdon
9. Topaz
10. Edgy Business

For more than a decade, Jamaica's Micah Shemaiah has been crafting his musical message with a keen and steady focus on Rastafari redemption and African unification. His writing style embraces and combines several genres of music delivering unique sounds that will appeal to any ear. Coming from the original home of the sound, Kingston City, and growing up in the Rastafarian house of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, this singer / songwriter has certainly put down a solid foundation in the reggae industry and has carved a place in the hearts of reggae lovers all over the world.

This new 12' vinyl LP offers 8 vocals and 2 dubs. Produced by Zion I Kings and underpinned with their trademark style of hardcore roots reggae, showcasing a broad spectrum of Micahs vocal talents. 

TRACK LISTING

Side 1
1. Spiritual (4:13)
2. Angels In Zion (4:22)
3. House Of Cards (4:06)
4. Natural Man (3:37)
5. Natural Man (dub) (3:38)
Side 2
1. Still (3:39)
2. Space & Time (4:13)
3. Wicked Babylon (4:39)
4. Roots Rock Sound (4:08)
5. Roots Rock Sound (dub) (4:08)

Number 4 on 7's Clash takes us into folk-rock territory with this tidy chop-up of a 1970 cut with extra drums and fx taking it into solid 21st century dancefloor territory, on the flip we have label co-owner Pete Herbert do his thing with a more atmospheric dub on a trippy Adriatic / Balinese sunrise / sunset tip, perfect 'look out to sea and space out’ vibes.

TRACK LISTING

A1. I Feel Edit
B1. I Feel Edit - Pete Herbert Dub

Following the release of their highly acclaimed new album ‘Sister’ in March 2020, Ultraísta have announce a remix package featuring the talents of Floating Points, FaltyDL, Zero 7, Crate Classics and Leifur James. Ultraísta are formed by Grammy-winning producer/engineer/musician Nigel Godrich, best known for his two decades helming Radiohead’s groundbreaking studio output; celebrated drummer Joey Waronker, who’s toured and recorded with everyone from R.E.M. and Beck to Roger Waters and Elliott Smith; and singer Laura Bettinson, an acclaimed solo artist whose work combines synthdriven electropop and dreamy vocal looping.

TRACK LISTING

Ordinary Boy (Floating Points Remix)
Ordinary Boy (FaltyDL Remix)
Ordinary Boy (Zero 7 Remix)
Ordinary Boy (Crate Classics Remix)
Ordinary Boy (Leifur James Remix)

The Garden is another timelessly classic album from a seminal electronic band and an essential soundtrack to any laidback listening.  Zero 7 were formed in 1997 by producers Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. In 2001 their debut album Simple Things was released selling over a million copies to date and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. They released their third album The Garden in 2006 it also peak at no 4 UK album chart spending 7 weeks in total there. It has sold over 125k copies. In the USA, it entered the Billboard Dance/Electronic chart at #2 and stayed in the Top 20 of that chart for 5 weeks. Singles taken from the album include Futures featuring Jose Gonzalez, Throw It All Away and You’re My Flame both featuring Sia

TRACK LISTING

CD1:
Futures
Throw It All Away
Seeing Things
The Pageant Of The Bizarre
You’re My Flame
Left Behind
Today
This Fine Social Scene
Your Place
If I Can’t Have You
Crosses
Waiting To Die

CD2:
Dreaming
Thistles
Carolina
Futures (Acoustic Version)
Seeing Things (Extended 12” Version)
Left Behind (Live Session)
Today (Live Session)
Dreaming (Live Session)
You’re My Flame (Live Session)
Crosses (Live Session)
The Pageant Of The Bizarre (Live Session)

LP1:
Futures
Throw It All Away
Seeing Things
The Pageant Of The Bizarre
You’re My Flame
Left Behind

LP2:
Today
This Fine Social Scene
Your Place
If I Can’t Have You
Crosses
Waiting
To Die

This vinyl only "When it Falls" re-issue will mirror the original release, cut over 4 sides and using the original artwork but now pressed on heavyweight 180g vinyl. Cutting is by engineer Kevin Metcalfe using his original cutting notes. The vinyl LP has been discontinued and second-hand copies of the original pressing are changing hands on Ebay and Discogs for upwards of £100!

"When It Falls" was a Top 10 album, peaking at No. 4 in the UK album charts and spent 24 weeks in total in the charts. It has sold over a quarter of a million copies. Stateside the album entered the Billboard Dance / Electronic chart at #3 and stayed in the Top 20 of that chart for almost thirteen months.

Singles taken from the original album include “Home” with Tina Dico on vocal duties, “Warm Sounds” featuring Mozez. Sia and Sophie Barker also feature on the album, on tracks “Somersault”, “In Time” and “Speed Dial No. 2”.

"When It Falls" is a timelessly classic album from a seminal electronic band and the essential soundtrack to any laidback summer chilling.

This Special Edition release artwork will have a premium, luxury feel as it reworks the original artwork but this time using a metallic foil blocked finish. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: I'd just moved to Manchester when this came out and it soundtracked its fair share of bleary-eyed morning afters. Now back in all its former glory you too can re-live a slow Sunday morning with the curtains closed shut, safe in the bussom of this wonderful album.

TRACK LISTING

Warm Sound 
Home
Somersault
Over Our Heads 
Passing By
When It Falls
The Space Between
Look Up
In Time 
Speed Dial No. 2
Morning Song

Zero 7 were formed in 1997 by producers Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. In 2001 their debut album "Simple Things" was released selling over a million copies to date and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. Zero 7 were also nominated as Best Newcomer at the Brit Awards 2001. "Simple Things" peaked at no.28 in the UK album chart and spent 89 weeks on the chart. Stateside, the album hit no.4 on the Billboard Dance / Electronic album chart and stayed on that chart for 52 weeks.

Singles taken from the original album included ‘I Have Seen’ featuring Mozez, ‘Destiny’ featuring Sia & Sophie Barker, "In the Waiting Line" featuring Sophie Barker and "Distractions" featuring Sia. The LP has been out of print for almost two decades and second-hand copies of the original pressing are changing hands on Ebay and Discogs for upwards of £100!

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: Beautiful, lushly produced downtempo grooves topped with sweet melodies, somewhat akin to French masters Air but with soul and jazz flavours, this is a timeless classic, and every home should have one!

TRACK LISTING

LP:
I Have Seen
Polaris
Destiny
Give It Away
Simple Things
Red Dust
Distractions
In The Waiting Line
Out Of Town
This World
Likufanele

CD:

Disc 1:
I Have Seen
Polaris / Destiny
Give It Away
Simple Things
Red Dust
Distractions
In The Waiting Line
Out Of Town
This World
Likufanele
End Theme

Disc 2:
Simple Things (KFOG Session)
Destiny (KFOG Session)
In The Waiting Line (KFOG Session)
Monday Night
Spinning
Salt Water Sound
Distractions (Version Idjut)
In The Waiting Line (Dorfmeister Con Madrid De Los Austrias Dub)
End Theme (Herberts Chop Dub)
Distractions (Block 16 Mix)
Destiny (Photek Remix)

‘Race To Zero’ is the new album by musician and composer John Matthias and producer, musician and composer Jay Auborn, via the Village Green label.

The album’s starting point was a series of acoustic improvisations recorded in a variety of locations, from a 700-year-old chapel in the Devon countryside to a basement studio in Reykjavík, Iceland. In an attempt to create a fractured sense of space reflective of the digital condition, the duo found themselves working within a place that could only exist in the digital landscape. By crushing the recordings through a hundred different virtual rooms of reverb and other chaotic digital processes they collided, soared and splintered into sweeping new rhythms, melodies and drones. Pushing the computer’s processor beyond its limits threw up sonic ‘errors’ that wouldn’t be easily possible to create through standard methods. In response, these outcomes created new and unplanned inspiration for further composition. Elements of the album were then produced binaurally adding a three dimensional listening experience. The outcome is a unique landscape that blurs the line between the virtual and physical worlds.

“Cerebral yet accessible” - Uncut (8/10)

“A fascinating album that continually surprises with its neo-classical meets electronic template” - Clash

The invocation of classic west coast psychedelia that permeates Morgan Delt's Sub Pop debut LP feels like a continuous sunrise, never concealing its influences yet perfectly putting its songs through a gauzy lens that blurs and obscures. Is such a thing even possible after witnessing umpteen reverb-jockeys creating their own take on the genre? Can anything truly different be done in the realm of being both original and reverent, wearing favorite records and artists' moves on one's sleeve? Definitely the case with our man here. After releasing a 6-song cassette in 2013 followed by a full length for the Trouble In Mind label, the California native now fine-tunes his sound world outwardly rather than honing in on a specific trajectory, allowing all of said influences to coexist together in a unique yet undoubtedly Californian vision.

The resulting 10-song collection, performed entirely by Delt, recorded in his Topanga Canyon studio, and mastered by JJ Golden, is a home-fi construction with a more subtle, brain-tickling character than its predecessor, and somewhat reflects a realist take on the flower power fantasy of 1967. Doused in echo and haze, slow chords lap in like Pacific waves, flanked by gentle whispers of multi-tracked, cooing vox, phased guitars and fuzz that calmly surrounds the listener's head less than it jabs at the cortex.

The great thing about Delt's approach to such history is (and sorry to sound harsh) that unlike too many of his so-called L.A. psych-rock peers, there's no costume involved, no application of a conjured identity to match a specific image. He's no psychedelic Civil War re-enactor, so to speak. It's subtle and tactful revisionism without using psychedelia as a crutch/easy marketing tool and letting the sounds come out and make their own case.

It takes a creative mind to make psychedelic rock music – tablas, drones, hallucinatory vocal effects, and all – without slipping into cliché, but Delt can transport what would normally be a dark-n-druggy blanket into a much more optimistic and friendly listening experience. Despite his voice being channelled through hallucinatory effects, it's warm and inviting, projecting a sense of hope (particularly in “Some Sunsick Day,” which evokes the hopeful “We'll Meet Again” as the world explodes at the end of Dr. Strangelove, later covered by the Byrds). It's more or less just an invite to watch the sun rise too. -Brian Turner, WFMU

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Hazy Late-60's tinged psych on the newest LP from hippie music maestro Morgan Delt. Swirling whirs of analogue synths, torn speaker-fabric fuzz and twangy guitars intersperse with sunny blissed-out guitar and delayed falsetto vocals. Mellow, warming summer feels. Lovely.

Andy says: I loved Morgan's debut but this ups his game tenfold! Still with that fuzzy, warm, home-made feel, but so much deeper and better and with stronger songs all round, this is the perfect soundtrack for your hazy Indian Summer.

TRACK LISTING

I Don’t Wanna See What’s Happening Outside
The System Of 1,000 Lies
Another Person
Sun Powers
The Age Of The Birdman
Mssr. Monster
A Gun Appears
The Lowest Of The Low
Escape Capsule
Some Sunsick Day

RIYL: Zombi, John Carpenter, Maserati, Vangelis, Yes.

Following their well-received debut EP, First Contact, the cinematic synth-prog duo, Contact, return with their first full-length album. Comprised of prolific UK film composer, Paul Lawler, and veteran multi-instrumentalist, A.E. Paterra (Zombi, Majeure), Zero Moment emphatically delivers on the promise of First Contact. With cinematic sprawl still intact, it's an album of dramatic, stately gestures. Efficiently packed with vintage, celestial explorations of shape-shifting, alien landscapes, Zero Moment is the soundtrack to pondering what it's like for your body to wander as close to the stars as your mind.

“Every bit as impressive as you’d imagine.” – Noisey.
“Will instantly appeal to fans of previous Zombi work. A synth nerd’s waking wet dream.” – Exclaim.

TRACK LISTING

1. Zero Moment (6:12)
2. Grand Detector (5:29)
3. Serenad (5:56)
4. Sensorium (5:34)
5. Modal Force (5:21)
6. Dawn Star (7:20)
7. Dao Valis (5:58)

Hailing from London, England, Tyler Zypreska has been crafting shiny pop gems all by his lonesome, building up an impressive backlog of tunes that hit all the sweet spots from O.M.D. to La Dusseldorf, to Trio & the pining ennui of the teenage angst-anthems littering your 'Pretty In Pink' & 'Breakfast Club' soundtracks. Although his influences may lie in the discarded neon bones of the 80's & 90's there's an infectious spark of melodic tune-smithing permeating the album's 10 tunes.

Stolen from a Crow is the genre-defying alter ego of Crispin Case-Leng, a singer, songwriter and poet who believes in pushing boundaries within music and performance in a quest to leave the mainstream far behind. Sometimes romantic, sometimes introspective, always unpredictable, Case-Leng’s music is about exploration, delving into unconventional themes ranging from social commentary, through to darkly comic fairy tales about werewolves and winged messengers between worlds. His instrumentation is similarly off-centre, dipping into seemingly incompatible areas like punk, folk and art rock, yet managing to blend them together into something new and exciting.

Melbourne instrumental heavyweights The Night Terrors offer a mind-melting mix of dark synth magic, thunderous dreamscapes and other-worldly electronica. Featuring the haunting theremin melodies of Miles Brown (student of Russian theremin queen Lydia Kavina), vintage horror synths and a powerhouse rhythm section, The Night Terrors have earned a reputation as one of Australia's most unusual and original acts. Following the release of two stellar EPs The Night Terrors and Lightless through Unstable Ape Records, The Night Terrors' debut full-length album Back To Zero was first released on CD in April 2009 through Australian label EXO Records.

Back To Zero is now reissued for the first time on double 12" vinyl through Homeless Records, remastered by Mikey Young (Total Control, Eddy Current Suppression Ring). Since the initial release of Back To Zero, The Night Terrors have toured the world with the likes of Hawkwind, Black Mountain, Melt-Banana, Serena Maneesh, and shared the stage with Goblin, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Boris, Bardo Pond, Marc Ribot, Pink Mountaintops, Nick Oliveri, Midnight Juggernauts and HTRK.

The band has toured Europe extensively and appeared at international festivals such as VIVID Live (AUS), Polyhymnia (DE), Bracara Extreme Fest (Portugal), Denovali Swingfest (DE), Incubate (NL) and recently composed a 50 minute original piece for the Melbourne Town Hall?s Grand Pipe Organ as part of Melbourne Music Week 2012. The Night Terrors new full-length album "Spiral Vortex" looms in 2013... FANS OF THE DEATHWALTZ LABEL TAKE NOTE!!!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Human Hair
A2. The Dream Eater
A3. Glass Eyes
B1. Blood And Bone
B2. Saturnalia
B3. Sesquipedalian
C1. Epithet
C2. Existential Revelation In The Circle Pit At Slayer
C3. Righteous
D1. Back To Zero

Say hello to The Alien Ballroom, the combination previously known as Koolaid (Global Tyranny). "Huh?" you may think, "What has happened to Koolaid???" Let's be perfectly clear about this: there is a current market glut of "koolaids". The group, therefore, have sensibly altered their nomenclature and are henceforth known as The Alien Ballroom. You may recall Agitated Records "I'm So Convoluted" compilation - or you may not. Rest assured friends, there is guaranteed conceptual continuity here. On their new Agitated Records long player Zero PAC A.D. the mystrionic Alien Ballroom plant their seeds and pitch their balls on the lush interzone betwixt the vintage and the cutting-edge to create a seven song album that fuses Atomic Age pop foppery with Neolithic year-zero sanguinity. Aficionados of their previous releases will find much to enjoy in this new recording - or perhaps they won't. Frankly, it vexes the band not. Of course, we really should have made some mention that this album is "song based" and not just relentless "space-rock-riff-battery" - is it as weird and leftfield as the Koolaid album? Probably not ...or maybe it is. Very different but very similar perhaps – we will leave it up to you.

Brand new! 7 tracks on 12" vinyl! comes with a DL postcard..you can actually see members of the band in song making pose on the sleeve...

Side one, is one long track that pretty much sets out the M.O from the get go.. you will shake, you will shiver, you will want to play it over and over and over to work out why it has taken over your life..but look out, theres 6 tracks on the other side that will equally blast your mind.. heres the rub, its NOTHING like the Koolaid 12", but really, its just like the Koolaid 12"... we could list a load of bands you might like also..but thats irrelevant.. its loud, its nasty, it will make you dance oddly, you will go and see them play live....

500 copies only..

Such was the response from press and public to "Dirty Water - The Birth of Punk Attitude" that Kris Needs has been filling the bathtub again with another riotous selection of proto-punk scorchers, garage band delights and seminal figures who either revolutionised a movement or upset their chosen apple-cart; all filling the arteries which would explode in 1976 and change the world.

The new set casts its net even wider than the first, corralling sonic marauders such as Germany’s Faust, New York’s wilfully shambolic Godz, George Clinton’s barrier-trampling Parliament, original folk activist Woody Guthrie and deathly 60s electronic trailblazers United States Of America. The set stretches back to primitive rock‘n‘roll‘s early salvos, including Bo Diddley and Johnny Thunders’ favourite Eddie Cochran, plus the hot-wired tremors of UK outfits such as Kilburn and the High Roads, Doctors Of Madness, Stack Waddy, Hammersmith Gorillas and the Edgar Broughton Band. New York City is represented by Patti Smith, Blondie, the mighty Jayne County, demented Holy Modal Rounders and Dizzy Gillespie representing the bebop movement which flame-blasted cool jazz’s rigid trouser-seat, leaving a wide open orifice for the raw, spiritual anarchy of Albert Ayler.

Needs also exercises his long-standing fixation with obscure, unhinged 60s US garage-psych with the Misunderstood, Zachary Thaks, Human Expression and high-energy Detroit garage bands Unrelated Segments and Tidal Waves.

Constellation's second vinyl-only release from Godspeed contains two long songs, and sets the bar for the sprawling compositions that would characterize the group in the years to follow. Side one is cut at 45rpm and features "Moya", a broiling cascade of upward scales that repeatedly explodes beyond its own threshold. "BBF3" on Side two clocks in at 18 minutes, and is the band's most lyrical, multi-movement music to date -- more elaborated melodic figures wind around an angry spoken-word field recording (infamously culminating in the recital of the speaker's poem -- verses lifted straight from Iron Maiden). Both songs were recorded with Dale Morningstar at the old Gas Station studio in Toronto.

From 79 through to 83 The Zero Boys ruled the Mid-West hardcore scene. "History Of" is the first release of their 'Lost' second album. Whilst contemporaries concentrated on aggression and turbo-charged ferocity, The Zero Boys pointed a way to a scene which could include melodicism, intelligence and rock 'n' roll suss. Craig Finn of The Hold Steady has written a feature about this band (as one of his primary influences) for The Guardian. Re-mastered from the original tapes, with liner notes by Jack Rabid.

After last years "Red Zero Seven" compilation, comes Manchester electronica label Struktur's second release "Orange Zero Six". Seven tracks from Production Unit, Kutchi, Eakui, Bovaflux, Peachfish, Comission For A New Town and Chris De Giere.

Impeccable credentials, The Blueprint are made up ex-members of Pitchshifter, Earthtone9 and Consumed. It's a six track mini album that's heavy, heavy, heavy. Probably the most exciting thing to have emerged from Nottingham for quite a while.

Some of the finest skate punk on the planet comes from 4Ft Fingers who are without doubt one of the UK's brightest punk hopes. This second album produced by Dave Chang is full of infectious songs enhanced with a super thick production. The band's debut "At Your Convenience" was good but this is better and should see this highly talented and hard working band reach new heights.

The original release date for this collection of prayers recorded by two thirds of the Roches (Maggie and Suzzy) was September 11th 2001. Delaying the release allowed them to include a special song written by Suzzy in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on their home town. The added poignancy is apparent in the haunting simplicity of the performances.

Zero Down are a three piece punk outfit hailing from LA and are the latest additions to the Fat Wreck roster. The members possess a sterling punk rock resume, having spent time in bands like Strung Out, Down By Law and Pulley. With some slower moody pieces and the usual high standard of Fat Wreck sound this is a brilliant debut.