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Following his collaboration with Al Storm, Euphony brings his decades of skill and experience to a slightly more underground, but equally powerful EP. Every track on this one is a winner, from the bouncing madness of Hardy Party to the more subtle but equally devastating 8990, this EP is four tracks of perfection!

Whitney did more than turn Whitney Houston into a pioneering sensation known around the world by her first name. Originally released in June 1987, the singer's blockbuster sophomore record became the first album by a female artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart — a position it claimed for a total of 11 weeks en route to selling more than 10 million copies in the U.S. The Diamond platinum effort also contains four No. 1 Hot 100 hits that, when combined with the three chart toppers from her 1985 debut, gave her seven consecutive No. 1 singles — an accomplishment that no other artist has accomplished. Commercially and creatively, Whitney stands on hallowed ground — especially now that the record plays with a sound that puts into perspective just how extraordinary, engaging, and vital Houston's music remains.


Mastered from the original master tapes and pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's 180g 33RPM SuperVinyl LP of Whitney invites listeners to experience the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee's pivotal album in audiophile quality for the very first time. Free of the dynamic limitations and tonal flatness prevalent on prior vinyl and CD pressings, it lets the music breathe and reveals the copious detail, nuance, and texture within the immaculately produced songs. MoFi's SuperVinyl profile offers further advantages in the forms of a nearly inaudible noise floor, dead-quiet surfaces, and superb groove definition.

In addition to featuring extreme clarity and immediacy, this numbered-edition reissue does wonders for the attribute that inspired more than 20 million people around the globe to add Whitney to their record collections: that inimitable voice. Houston's trademark mezzo-soprano — an acrobatic instrument equally capable of taking off on fantastic flights and unwinding for hushed meditations — benefits from the fantastic airiness and transparency afforded by this meticulously restored edition. Whitney has never sounded or looked better. The crossover landmark deserves nothing less.

Issued just two years after Houston's breakthrough debut, Whitney immediately signalled the genre-defying singer's intent to continue to push ahead and expand her palette. Shot by photographer Richard Avedon, the album cover depicts an iconic image of Houston — captured with a gleaming smile, bright eyes, teased-out afro, toned arms, and a right hand that appears to wave a friendly hello — whose active, athletic profile stands in contrast to the extremely formal sit-down shot of her that graces her '85 record. The change is telling: Whitney overflows with unfettered joy, rhythmic vibes, and deep-seated emotions that forever endeared her to the hearts and minds of countless listeners — and which set the standard for the wave after wave of divas that followed in her footsteps.

It's no coincidence that the first track on Whitney is the declarative "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)." Like Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and Madonna's "Material Girl," the feel-good smash is one of the quintessential '80s gems — a lithe, melodic, celebratory release of pent-up energy and loneliness that glides across club floors, shouts to the rooftops, and shrugs off any concerns about vulnerability or embarrassment. Houston's swooping voice moves in sync with the sleek beats and dipping-and-diving synths. She practically takes her fellow musicians by their hand and leads them in a blissful dance that nobody would dare sidestep. Focusing on Houston's singing — a task made challenging only because of the impossible-to-ignore hooks and grooves — showcases the virtuosic facets of not only her register but her control, discipline, smoothness, and warmth.

That she replicates those feats for the entirety of the nearly 53-minute-long album makes Whitney that much more special. Houston reaches back and channels her childhood gospel training on the R&B-flared "So Emotional"; effortlessly slips into Quiet Storm mode on the duet with her mother, gospel great Cissy Houston, on "I Know Him So Well"; flirts with smooth jazz and collaborates with tenor saxophonist Kenny G on the lush "Just the Lonely Talking Again"; conjures dreamscapes and shadow-boxes with supple funk on a romantic cover of the Isley Brothers' "For the Love of You"; and, for the majestic power ballad "Didn't We Almost Have It All," displays the sky-scraping reach of her vocals amid a grand arrangement made even bigger by Houston's sweeping performance and triumphant finish.

Houston's once-in-a-generation talents weren't lost on the adoring public, radio deejays, or industry experts. In addition to harbouring four No. 1 hits and receiving nominations for four Grammy Awards, Whitney generated another Top 10 success in the guise of the Afro-Cuban-leaning "Love Will Save the Day." The album also netted Houston four American Music Awards; two Billboard Music Awards; back-to-back People's Choice Awards; a Soul Train Award; and various other accolades. It all makes the crux of the Washington Post's July '87 review of the album appear prophetic: "Her voice sounds stronger still and the songs are varied but so consistent she could garner 10 Top 10s out of a field of 11."


That claim still holds true. A brilliant fusion of pop, R&B, smooth jazz, and soul, Whitney is a showstopper – and one of the key reasons Houston is the most-awarded female artist of all time.

Two Saviors is Buck Meek's second album, following 2018's self-titled LP also released on Keeled Scales and currently on its third pressing. The Big Thief lead guitarist worked with producer and engineer Andrew Sarlo on this album (who's produced all four of Big Thief albums, as well as coproducing Bon Iver's i,i ). Andrew agreed to record it only if it was made under his conditions-- that they make the album in New Orleans during the hottest part of the year, spend no more than seven days tracking live, on an 8-track tape machine, with only dynamic microphones and no headphones, and not allowing the players to hear back any of the takes until the final day. The band, featuring Adam Brisbin (guitar, vocals), Mat Davidson (bass, pedal steel, fiddle, vocals), Austin Vaughn (drums), and Buck's brother Dylan Meek (piano, organ, vocals), set up in a Victorian house one block from the Mississippi River, and worked within these limitations, encouraging every recording to be imbued with the living, intuitive, and human energy of a first take.

Miles Davis created just one studio album with his original sextet: Milestones. And he made every moment count. Pairing with Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones, Davis not only laid the groundwork for the modalism that immediately followed but tailored a genuine modern-jazz masterwork laden with performances among the most explosive of his distinguished career. Sandwiched between the more famous 'Round About Midnight and the epochal Kind of Blue, Milestones remains a seminal work of art.

Sourced from the original master tapes and pressed on dead-quiet SuperVinyl, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g LP grants each musician their own space amid broad soundstages. Afforded the benefits of a nearly non-existent noise floor and supreme groove definition, this vinyl reissue doubles as a time machine back to the February-March 1958 recording sessions.

Colors, shapes, and dimensions appear in the manner that resembles what you'd glean from behind a studio control room's window. Davis' burnished trumpet is rendered in three-dimensional perspective and seemingly coaxes the band to play with unburdened zest. Coltrane's trademark saxophone teems with lifelike tonality and images with specificity; his solos work in tandem with and against the driving rhythms. Garland's swaggering piano lines? Visualize the keys as he hits full stride, the chords and fills slithering around skeletal frameworks.

Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and selected as a "Core Collection" record by the Penguin Guide to Jazz, Milestones is as famous for its title track – widely considered ground zero for modalism and bolstered by Jones' hallmark "Philly Lick" rim shot – as the players that produced it. The launching pad for many of Davis' improvisational flights, the album teases the explorations Coltrane would soon chase. Davis' own solo work broaches territories that far exceed what he had done in his bop-rooted past. Every song is a highlight.

Take the bravado "Dr. Jackle," featuring a hot-foot pace and bebop strains, or "Sid's Ahead," which continues the album's blues theme while juggling edgy harmonics and inside-out structures. On "Billy Boy," distinguished with an arco bass solo from Chambers, Garland gets a turn in the spotlight and channels the openness practised by one of his heroes, Ahmad Jamal. Even more instructive is the band's reading of Dizzy Gillespie's "Two Bass Hit." Three years removed from the version Davis and company recorded for the trumpeter's Columbia debut, this interpretation demonstrates the extent to which the group had jelled in a relatively short amount of time.



Then there's "Straight, No Chaser," the definitive rendition of Thelonious Monk's signature piece. Coltrane's marbled playing pulls at the tune's borders, Adderley takes liberty with solos, and Davis dances around his mates, at one point quoting "When the Saints Go Marching In" while demonstrating his knowledge of tradition and casting an eye towards the future.

About that future. Garland already had one foot out the door during the Milestones sessions to the extent Davis spells him on "Sid's Ahead." Jones would stick around for a bit longer but soon plot his exit. History proves Davis navigated the changes with visionary aplomb. Yet the chemistry, excitement, and beauty the sextet achieves on Milestones cannot be overstated. This reissue helps put the album in proper perspective – and presents the music the fidelity it deserves.

Bob Dylan was at several crossroads in the mid-1970s. Artistically, he was largely written off as being past his prime. Emotionally, he was suffering through a painful divorce from his then-wife Sara Lowndes. Creatively, he appeared at a stalemate, his previous decade's unprecedented run of transformational brilliance finished. Then came Blood on the Tracks.

A start-to-finish cycle that documents a lover's pursuit of, entanglement with, and loss of a woman, the bracingly intimate 1975 effort remains one of the most encompassing break-up albums ever made and ranks as the most personal statement of the Bard's career. To hear it is to experience the agony, frustration, trauma, highs, lows, confusion, sadness, and, ultimately, requisite redemption associated with intimate relationships gone astray. Dylan maintains it's a work of fiction, but it's evident close-vested autobiographical premise is what helps make it universal: It's the icon singing through tears, going out of his mind, battling hallowing emptiness, firing shots across the bow, and accepting culpability. It is, in short, a consummate expression of love's darker sides and the consequences of what happens when dreams unravel.

As part of its Bob Dylan catalogue restoration series, Mobile Fidelity is thoroughly humbled to have the privilege of mastering the iconic LP from the original master tapes and pressing it on dead-quiet LP at RTI. The end result is the very finest, most transparent analogue edition of Blood on the Tracks ever produced – and the first-ever proper analog reissue. Fantastically presenting both the solo acoustic and band-supported songs with the utmost clarity, dynamics, presence, immediacy, spaciousness, imaging, and balance, this version shines a high-powered light on the fluid vocal phrasing, timbral shifts, functional rhythms, and inward-looking strumming that contribute to every song here serving as a wound-exposing confessional.

For all the melancholic pain, unresolved questions, shattered memories, wasted times, unrequited dialogues, and weary regret within, Blood on the Tracks remains as daring as it is reflective. Rather than follow for a monotone caustic vibe, Dylan's songs burrow into the subconscious for the manners in which they are even-keeled, mellow, and occasionally, even peaceful. Dignity, honour, poignancy, and fairness – all traits uncommon in any situation in which partners dissolve histories, change hearts, and attribute blame – instil the record with equilibrium on par with the consistency of the flowing melodies.

Throughout, tunes come on and proceed as if they could continue forever, Dylan spinning poetic verses and conversations amidst finely tied knots of acoustic notes, chords, and fills, the deceivingly simple architecture conjuring the intertwined refractions of a bezeled jewel, various angles, colours, and textures conjoining into a gorgeously inseparable whole. Backed by Tony Brown's flexible albeit subtle bass, Buddy Cage's country-streaked pedal-steel guitar, and Paul Griffin's soul-baring organ – an instrument used to shadow, tuck-point, and illuminate here as effectively as any time in rock history – Dylan pours soulful emotion, open his veins, and bleeds.

Ranked 16 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and replete with existential thought, piercing directness, raw singing, and majestic arrangements,

Given the sonic and artistic merit of this album, we anticipate huge demand.

Unadorned with any post-production tricks or overdubs, Garcia/Grisman breathes with naturalism and presence. You will effortlessly detect the full body of the instruments, witness the woody grain textures, and get lost in the surprisingly velvety qualities of Garcia's lullaby-like singing. Our pressing also marks the first time this delightfully joyous affair has been issued in analogue form. You will never hear a better-sounding Americana-styled recording.

Pals since the mid-1960s, Garcia and Grisman bonded over their love for traditional folk and bluegrass. The two teamed up amidst what became a gold rush of top-notch productivity and creativity for Garcia. Partnering with bassist Jim Kerwin and percussionist/fiddler Joe Craven, the pair approaches every passage with innate ease, as if either musician could finish the others sentence. The affable chemistry and soothing interplay wash over a selection of songs as notable for their diversity as the way Garcia and "Dawg" turn them into the equivalent of old friends you haven't seen in years.

Exquisite melodies and jewel-shaped notes decorate the simple, convivial structures of tunes that hop, jump, skip, skitter, and bop. The atmosphere is reminiscent of the legendary gypsy-jazz exchanges between Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, and equally sharp. Swirling with Middle Eastern modality, the closing 16-minute-plus rendition of Grisman's rippling "Arabia" – complete with a section based on a Cuban fold theme - is alone enough worth the price of admission to this sensational session. But there's so much more.


The quartet delves into Celtic themes ("Two Soldiers"), jazz-grass ("Grateful Dawg"), old-world ballads ("Russian Lullaby"), and Appalachian flavours ("Walkin' Boss") with nonpareil skill and soulfulness. Garcia and Grisman's tandem picking throughout epitomize sublime. And for many listeners, the duo's revised version of the Grateful Dead staple "Friend of the Devil" ranks as the finest-ever recorded, the pace patient, the narrative vocals heartfelt, and the synchronous solos tailor-made for the enveloping progression. Better yet, it's all captured in astonishing fidelity.

The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series Entry #2: From The Nesta Vaults: Jake Ferguson with Malcolm Catto (Heliocentrics) take on Cosmic Funk and Psychedelic Jazz. This is the next up in a series of music library releases, with future volumes produced by DJ Muggs, J-Zone, and Karriem Riggins, among others. The series continues with Jake Ferguson’s Emotions Run Dry featuring Malcolm Cattio. The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series was created by Madlib and Egon to give their creative friends a chance to stretch out and indulge in whatever type of music they wanted. This music was created for easy, one-stop clearance in film and television synchronization usage and for sampling. You can also enjoy these albums in the way that many do with the best of the best vintage library catalogs – listen, ponder, repeat.

Fünf Jahre ließ sich Grammy-Preisträger John Legend mit der Veröffentlichung eines neuen Solo-Albums Zeit - Ende August ist es nun endlich soweit: mit "Love In The Future" erscheint der heiß ersehnte Follow-Up zu "Evolver", das im November 2008 Platz vier der US Billboard Charts erreichte. "Love In The Future", das mittlerweile vierte Studioalbum des Ausnahme-Sängers, -Songwriters, -Pianist, -Produzenten und neunfachen Grammy-Preisträgers wurde u.a. von Kanye West und Dave Tozer produziert. Nach dem vorab veröffentlichten "Who Do We Think We Are", einer Zusammenarbeit mit Rapper Rick Ross, erscheint nun der Song "Made To Love" als erste Leadsingle, in dessen Produktions- und Songwriting-Credits sich Big Names wie Kanye West, Dave Tozer, Nana Kwabena und Da Internz finden. Das Video zu "Made To Love" wurde vom renommierten Modefotografen Daniel Sannwald inszeniert. In den USA wurde der Song bereits für wie TV-Serien und -Spot ("Greys Anatomy", Chrysler) gepickt. "Ich freue mich wahnsinnig auf die Veröffentlichung des Albums", erklärt Legend, "wir sind jeden Tag mit dem Ziel ins Studio gegangen, etwas Schönes zu erschaffen und das beste Album meiner Karriere aufzunehmen."

Four full-cast radio episodes based on the hit series, adapted by David Renwick from his TV scripts.
Having been made redundant from his job by an electronic box, crabby Victor Meldrew is faced with the
prospect of finding his feet in an increasingly frustrating world. In these four episodes – Alive and Buried,
Timeless Time, In Luton Airport No-one Can Hear You Scream and The Beast in the Cage – things hilariously
go from bad to worse for Victor and his long-suffering wife, Margaret.
Written by David Renwick, and starring Richard Wilson as Victor and Annette Crosbie as Margaret, these
highly entertaining BBC Radio 2 adaptations also feature a supporting cast including Doreen Mantle, Owen
Brenman, Sally Grace, Jeffrey Holland, Jon Glover and Michael Fenton-Stevens.
Presented in full-colour inner bags, depicting the everyday trappings of Victor’s life, two burgundy 140g
vinyl LPs are housed in an illustrated wide-spine outer sleeve -complete with coffee-spilled rear. You simply
won’t believe it!

Celebrate Hip-Hop At Fifty, Bad Boy records and the 25th anniversary of the debut album of The Lox, as they takes you on a journey through the streets where money, power, and respect rule supreme. With hard-hitting beats and thought-provoking lyrics, Money, Power & Respect is a timeless masterpiece that will keep you captivated from start to finish. Feel the energy surge through your veins as you immerse yourself in these iconic street anthems.
Featuring iconic tracks like "Money, Power & Respect," "If You Think I'm Jiggy," and "We'll Always Love Big Poppa," this album is a must-have for any true hip-hop aficionado. It's a sonic experience that will leave you hungry for more.








g A7. Let's Start Rap Over (feat. Carl Thomas) 4:28

No shortage of colorful characters emerged from Cameroon’s bikutsi scene in the 1980’s and early 90’s. Gibraltar Drakus is one of the most enduring and enigmatic of the artists who helped transform bikutsi into a beautifully endless fabric of triplet rhythms that eventually reached ears around the world.

Following the advent of Cameroon Radio Television in 1987, bikutsi began to supplant makossa and soukous for domination of the local airwaves and the attention of cosmopolitan, thrill-seeking residents of Cameroon’s capital Yaoundé and beyond. Biktusi perfectly fused Beti traditional music and increasingly electronic, highly rhythmic guitarbased bikutsi. Mimicking the sound of village-based xylophone music by rigging a mute to electric guitar strings, bikutsi artists provided a relentlessly energetic dance format for those with a taste for music steeped in their hometown sensibility (countering the popular makossa that many felt sounded less indigenous).

By the early 1990’s, Les Tetes Brûlées were indisputably the most famous and influential artists in bikutsi, due in part to the innovations of their incendiary guitarist Théodore Zanzibar Epeme. Following their first European tour in 1987, the band blew up internationally but Zanzibar tragically, and mysteriously, passed away, which nearly brought an end to the band completely. In hindsight, the consensus among most Cameroonians is Zanzibar’s contributions to biktusi were transformational and immeasurable.

“Zanzibar is the one who taught me how to compose a song, and I learned a lot from Zanzibar musically. We spent whole nights working on methods and other approaches to compose beautiful songs. I owe half of everything I have today to Zanzibar!”

Swept up in all this was Gibraltar Drakus, who was the youngest member of Les Têtes Brûlées and was also the protégé of his biggest supporter, Zanzibar. So it was fitting that he dedicate his 1989 debut to their groundbreaking late guitarist who had meant so much to him. Drakus literally exploded from his first album Hommage A Zanzibar (1989), which sold over 100,000 copies despite rampant piracy. For the recording, Drakus made sure he engaged prolific producer Mystic Jim to record and mix the album. The innovation musically rests both within the guitar interplay and the discipline in the orchestration, which result in a mind-bending clockwork of cross-rhythmic harmony.

Cesaria Evora's album Voz d'Amor won a Grammy for Best Contemporary World Music Album in 2004. It features hit songs like "Jardim Prometido" and "Amdjer De Nos Terra." The album reached high positions on various European charts and peaked at #2 on the US Billboard World Albums Chart. It received Gold certifications in France, Poland, and Russia.

Voz d'Amor is the ninth album from the great Cape Verdean singer Cesaria Evora. It was awarded a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album in 2004 and received much appraisal.

The album was recorded with musicians led by pianist Fernando (Nando) Andrade who have backed Cesaria on stage since the start of 2000 and appeared on her previous album São Vicente di Longe. It features the popular songs “Jardim Prometido”, “Amdjer De Nos Terra” and “Velocidade”. Voz d'Amor made it to the charts of different European countries and peaked at #2 on the US Billboard World Albums Chart. The album received a Gold certification in France, Poland, and Russia.

Voz d'Amor is available as a 20th anniversary edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on gold and black marbled vinyl and includes an insert with lyrics.

Mirai is a 2018 Japanese animated adventure fantasy comedy film written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda and produced by Studio Chizu (known for Belle, Wolf Children and The Boy and the Beast). The film stars the voices of Moka Kamishiraishi, Haru Kuroki and Gen Hoshino a.o. It was met with critical acclaim and became nominated for an Academy Award in 2019 for Best Animated Feature Film. Additionally, the movie received an Annie Award in the same year.

Mirai follows the story of a four-year-old boy named Kun whose world is turned upside down when he meets his new baby sister. After venturing into a magical garden, Kun encounters strange guests from the past and future, including his sister Mirai, as a teenager. Together, Kun and teenage Mirai go on a journey through time and space, uncovering their family's incredible story.

The soundtrack for the film was written by Masakatsu Takagi, who had previously scored Hosoda's Wolf Children and The Boy and the Beast. His work for Studio Chizu has been praised for its magical and whimsical atmosphere. For Mirai specifically, this dreamy aesthetic was mixed with a contemporary sound and made to be simple in tone and be reflective of family.

Much of Radio Red, the first full length album Laura Groves has released under her own name, was written, produced and recorded by Groves in her studio, watched over by two radio transmitting towers. “I became very drawn to them and they became like symbols to me; they were always awake, sending their messages, the red lights always came on at night and watched over whatever was going on in my life.” The album deals with themes of communication - missed and intercepted signals, chance meetings, synchronicities, the channels through which we try to express our true feelings, the outside interference that can get in the way and the joy of letting go and allowing the messages to flow freely.

Self-recording and production is a core part of Laura’s songwriting process. “I remember years ago getting hold of some basic recording software and being instantly drawn in. The idea of being able to layer up my voice was a dream, like building an orchestra out of what I had at home.” The passion for home-recording, using the resources available at the time, working through limitations and capturing textures through layering, forms the foundation of Groves’ experimental and off-centre pop music and electrified folk music. The sound world of Radio Red is made up of echoes, and snapshots of half-remembered pop songs, piano ballads, chopped up TV theme tunes, ambient synthesised sounds and electronic music; tuning in between channels without fully belonging to any one of them, with the comfort, familiarity and strangeness that can come with hearing voices on the radio.

Blue/Black Marble Vinyl, limitiert auf 100 Exemplare. NYHC-Schlagzeuger Legende "Will Shepler" (früher bei Agnostic Front, Madball) und Sick Of It All-Bassist Craig Setari (ebenfalls früher bei Agnostic Front) hatten die Idee eine neue Punk Rock Band zu gründen. Will rief seinen langjährigen Freund, den Gitarristen und Sänger Scott Roberts (früher bei Biohazard, The Spudmonsters, Bloodclot!) an, der Biohazard nur wenige Wochen zuvor verlassen hatte. Für Scott war es das perfekte Timing, denn er wollte weitermachen und etwas Neues von Grund auf mit völliger kreativer Freiheit und Leidenschaft schaffen. Bald darauf begannen Scott und Will mit der Arbeit an dem selbstbetitelten Debütalbum von The Take. Craig war mit dem hektischen Tourneeplan von Sick Of It All beschäftigt, also rekrutierte Scott seinen Freund Eric Klinger (ehemals Pro-Pain), um das Line-up zu vervollständigen.

Blue/Black Marble Vinyl, limitiert auf 100 Exemplare. NYHC-Schlagzeuger Legende "Will Shepler" (früher bei Agnostic Front, Madball) und Sick Of It All-Bassist Craig Setari (ebenfalls früher bei Agnostic Front) hatten die Idee eine neue Punk Rock Band zu gründen. Will rief seinen langjährigen Freund, den Gitarristen und Sänger Scott Roberts (früher bei Biohazard, The Spudmonsters, Bloodclot!) an, der Biohazard nur wenige Wochen zuvor verlassen hatte. Für Scott war es das perfekte Timing, denn er wollte weitermachen und etwas Neues von Grund auf mit völliger kreativer Freiheit und Leidenschaft schaffen. Bald darauf begannen Scott und Will mit der Arbeit an dem selbstbetitelten Debütalbum von The Take. Craig war mit dem hektischen Tourneeplan von Sick Of It All beschäftigt, also rekrutierte Scott seinen Freund Eric Klinger (ehemals Pro-Pain), um das Line-up zu vervollständigen.

Svart Records presents a very limited vinyl edition of Kivimetsän Druidi's two full length albums. Never before available on vinyl, Shadowheart (2008) and Betrayal, Justice, Revenge (2010) are limited to 400 copies on pitch black vinyl. Newly remastered for vinyl, both come with spectacular 12 inch booklets. Kivimetsän Druidi (The Druid Of The Stone Forest) play metal that is both adventurously original and filled with elements that sound familiar. Part of the Finnish folk metal movement, which also spawned bands like Korpiklaani and Turisas, Kivimetsän Druidi's music stems from a similar origin but is more complex and symphonic. Their two albums to date were released by Century Media and are now being made available on limited vinyl courtesy of Svart Records.

Svart Records presents a very limited vinyl edition of Kivimetsän Druidi's two full length albums. Never before available on vinyl, Shadowheart (2008) and Betrayal, Justice, Revenge (2010) are limited to 400 copies on pitch black vinyl. Newly remastered for vinyl, both come with spectacular 12 inch booklets. Kivimetsän Druidi (The Druid Of The Stone Forest) play metal that is both adventurously original and filled with elements that sound familiar. Part of the Finnish folk metal movement, which also spawned bands like Korpiklaani and Turisas, Kivimetsän Druidi's music stems from a similar origin but is more complex and symphonic. Their two albums to date were released by Century Media and are now being made available on limited vinyl courtesy of Svart Records.

In 2018, New York based composer and improviser Lucie Vítková made recordings in caves in the Czech Republic and an abandoned Gothic church in Slovakia. Their album Cave Acoustics combines a beguiling exploration of the physicality and acoustics of these unique locations with profoundly personal themes of family legacy and roots.

Lucie performed with their sisters in Výpustek Cave – an underground system of tunnels and former Soviet-era bunker. The choreography-based piece creates crescendos of metallic noise as the trio moves around the spaces. It begins with echoing clanks of tins and coins and accelerates towards a rattling cacophony with distant singing floating up from deep in the shadows. Bearing in mind the siblings had never performed together before, their frenzied kinetic outpourings seem even more special, a wordless cohesion forming between them. Lucie clearly doesn’t shy away from a physically full on experience; they embarked on a Fitzcarraldo-style journey to carry heavy props up a steep hill and across a river to reach the less accessible Jáchymyka Cave.

‘Hair Score’ is an attempt to process the death of the siblings’ mother through a serene then slightly unsettling swaying ritual, with rising and falling waves of wailing and emergency siren sounds growing in intensity as they emerge from their mourning mouths.

After the cavernous acoustics, ‘Stones’ by American experimental classical composer Christian Wolff feels more immediate with its textural sounds and fast, insistent rhythms, as we hear different sized stones knocked together rapidly, following the composer’s instructions not to break anything.

‘Inside the Ritual’ was a “transformative” experience for Lucie, where they felt their body merge with the forest and hills in Slovakia. The 23-minute long track is hypnotic, listening to cowbells and chirping insects at the end of a hot summer’s evening. Things get stranger as metallic clatter is punctuated with Lucie’s voice and reedy tones from their Japanese hichiriki flute.

The album is a calm, contemplative but also energetic and moving reflection of these rare and unheard environments and Lucie’s reunion with the people and places that have shaped them.

Julian Cannonball Adderley's only Blue Note album, Somethin' Else, would likely forever be famous in music lore if just for the presence of Miles Davis. The iconic composer/trumpeter steps into the role of sideman on the 1958 set, one of just a handful of times he'd make such a move after the calendar passed the mid-1950s. Yet evaluating Somethin' Else strictly on Davis' involvement misses the big picture. Plain and simple, Adderley's jubilant work remains a jazz landmark due to the chemistry of its Hall of Fame personnel, enthusiasm of its participants, and sophistication of its arrangements – not to mention the reference-grade production and inclusion of the definitive renditions of two all-time jazz standards.

Limited to 6,000 numbered copies, pressed on dead-quiet MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, and mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's ultra-hi-fi UltraDisc One-Step 180g 45RPM 2LP collector's edition pays tribute to the record's merit and includes the bonus track "Allison's Uncle." Offering reference-calibre sonics, this spectacular collector's version provides a clear, transparent, ultra-dynamic, and up-close view of a cornerstone effort that witnesses Adderley and Davis sharing horn duty alone for the only time in their fabled careers – an arrangement that occurred as a result of Adderley having joined Davis' majestic sextet a year prior.

The premium packaging and beautiful presentation of the UD1S Somethin' Else pressing befit its extremely select status. Housed in a deluxe slipcase, it features special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendour of the recording. No expense has been spared. Aurally and visually, this UD1S reissue exists as a curatorial artefact meant to be preserved, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and production, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the iconic photos to the gorgeous finishes.

The vibrant potency reveals itself openly on an analogue set that provides full-range reproduction of an ensemble that also includes pianist Hank Jones, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Blakey. Each and every snare hit, downbeat, and cymbal splash registered by the latter take on realistic proportions, blooming and decaying as they would right in front of you on a stage. Jones' foundational bass lines register with uncommon depth and palpability, the litheness of the strings and fullness of the instrument epitomizing the definition of rhythm. Stellar, too, are the surefooted 88s. Sublime in scale, tonality, and attack, with the delineation such you can practically separate the white and black keys in your mind. As for that liquid interplay between Adderley and Davis? Breathtakingly lifelike in timbre, naturalism, purity, and presence. This collector's version takes you there – there being Rudy Van Gelder's legendary New Jersey studio in March 1958 to witness it all unfold, again and again.

For reasons that extend far beyond the outstanding playing and flawless repertoire, Somethin' Else is without question a record you'll always want to watch and hear come together. As veteran critic Bob Blumenthal observed writing about the album four decades after its release, "The instant rapport achieved by the quintet is thus the product of much shared and common history, though the tensile strength that they create throughout created a totally unique feeling that can be attributed to the sensitive musicianship of all concerned, including the supposedly hard bopping leader and drummer." Such inimitable feeling, or emotion, courses throughout every passage, and no where more obviously than on "Autumn Leaves" and "Love for Sale."

Without question, the discreet interpretations of the Johnny Mercer and Cole Porter songs, respectively, found on Somethin' Else have long been considered part of jazz's alluring mystique. Adderley and Davis bring contrasting approaches to the table yet sound of a singular mind on "Autumn Leaves," with the latter's muted trumpet and the headliner's lush alto saxophone dovetailing into a performance that endures as a blueprint for expression, counterpoint, sophistication, fluidity, and linearity. Blues, melody, and romance pour from their horns. Their bandmates, picking up on the intimate vibe and calm mood here – as well as on the spry, head-over-heels spirit of "Love for Sale" – join in on the conversation with sharp economy and float-on-air roundedness.

Not to undersell the other three numbers, all deserving five-star status. Twelve measures in length, the title track offers a slow burn in swing. Written by Adderley's brother, Nat, the 12-bar "One for Daddy-O" transmits funk flavors. The closing "Dancing in the Dark" pops with lushness and temptation, its stream of bold colours and understated textures calling for a moonlight twirl, or at least fantasies suggestive of a memorable night. Somethin' else, indeed.

Celebrating dubwise origins, Mole Audio delivers two fresh remixes of their very first release: Andy Martin ft. Gavsborg’s Plato & Caves.

Gavsborg is a towering figure in Jamaica’s dancehall scene. So when Andy found an acapella, he set to work on a renegade edit. Subsequently approved and embraced by Gavborg himself, Andy’s interpretation provided the launch point for Mole Audio – and is re-envisioned twice more here.

Paired with the original A-side, the first B-side remix comes courtesy of Dub War’s legendary Bill Fuller. A progenitor of London bass music, Bill’s records as Dubwar are prized among collectors. Pairing hypnotic beats with spacious textures, an insistent analog bass line weaves its way through an infectiously dystopian atmosphere.

Taking a minimalistic house-driven approach, Andy’s all-new Mad Magnetism Version brings Gavsborg’s original vocal to a prime time environment. Sizzling high hats and diving bass drops combine to keep the dancefloor in motion before insistent dub chords further elevate the urgent atmosphere.

Combined with the original and Nit Yardman’s remix, the resulting package once again showcases Mole Audio’s unique approach to modern dub aesthetics.

Special Limited Edition of LN001 and LN002 as a double pack 12″ - 100 only available... The interdisciplinary collective and record label Liber Null proudly presents its newborn vinyl series, kicking off with two releases “ Vol I & II”, taking eight of the best cuts from it’s Seven Years Anniversary compilation, “Delirium”.

The releases showcase unique music from a diverse selection of artists and friends, including tracks from Phase Fatale, Alessandro Adriani, An-i + Unhuman, Zanias, Celldöd and SSSS.

Loyal to the concept of Ritual Magick and with a deeply ideological approach towards darkness and chaos in performance art, the two records complete a cutting-edge journey through mutant soundscapes and electronic body-music, made by the finest producers. Distributed by ReadyMade Manufactured by Forged Sound Mastering by Dadub Studio Cover/Design: Eloise Leigh

Dallas diamond Zack Witness drops a bumper package of peak time ‘Hood House’ club cuts ready made to rock any dancefloor they’re put before. Gospel flavours mix with booty business, disco house heaters sit side by side with RnB flexin ghetto gold - all with that Zach Witness magic woven deep in their grooves.

A name which requires no introduction, Masonna to this day stands as an unparalleled and absolutely unique voice from the golden era of noise. During the mid-90s Maso Yamazaki released a series of savage CDs on the legendary “Good Alchemy” series from Alchemy records. Originally released in 1996, “Ejaculation Generater” manages to cram 32 tracks of Masonna’s signature vocal noise in a nearly unrelenting half an hour. The artists personal favourite in a vast discography, “Ejaculation Generater” is now made available for the first time since its original release. The original liner notes by Jojo Hiroshige have been translated into english for the first time by Kato David Hopkins (R.I.P.). Mastered for both vinyl and digital editions by Rashad Becker.

Multiple GRAMMY® Award winners Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak are releasing their award-winning album An Evening With Silk Sonic on vinyl for the first time on 12th August 2022. The track list includes the hits “Skate”, “Leave The Door Open” and “Smokin Out The Window”. Silk Sonic won International Group of the Year at the 2022 BRIT Awards and are set to open the 2022 GRAMMY Awards. The album entered the UK Album Chart at #9 and remained in the chart for 16 weeks. The focus track on album launch “Smokin Out The Window” peaked at #12 on the UK Singles Chart.

Their debut single “Leave the Door Open,” earned them Best Group at the 2021 BET Awards, entered the UK singles chart at #20 and is now certified Gold in the UK. They released the live version “Leave The Door Open (Live)” and serenaded audiences three times over at the GRAMMY® Awards, iHeartRadio Music Awards, and the BET Awards. The track was followed by a hugely popular social media campaign, #LetSilkSonicThrive and was immediately welcomed by unprecedented critical acclaim. “What’s new, smooth as silk on the ears, and features two stars of R&B?” wrote Billboard, praising Silk Sonic as “a groovy duo” and the single as “lounge at its heart.” Consequence of Sound enthused, “Mars has a voice like a liquid whip, while .Paak raps and sings through a foggy haze. They sound like smoke on the water.”

ABOUT SILK SONIC:

The seeds of the collaboration were planted in 2017 when Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars toured together on the European leg of his 24K Magic World Tour. One late-night jam session on the road unlocked immediate chemistry. Just before the world slipped into quarantine, Bruno called Anderson: “Remember that idea we had back in 2017? Let’s do it.” One studio session grew into to a months-long collaboration, culminating the “setlist of doom.” Legendary Bootsy Collins christened Silk Sonic and came in as the “special guest host” for An Evening With Silk Sonic, their debut album.

Silk Sonic was finally set free on March 5th, 2021. Within less than a month, their debut single “Leave The Door Open” cracked over 230 million streams, and currently sits at 2 billion streams with over 510 million official video views. It reeled in rave reviews, including Variety who noted it “could be a Best R&B Song GRAMMY® winner from 1974.” After petitioning the GRAMMY® Awards to #LetSilkSonicThrive, they made their debut performance with “Leave The Door Open” and served up a powerful tribute to Little Richard.

The “Nite Dreams” release features remixes (called here Dreamixes) by Emil of one of his own Change Request productions and two by other artists.

The three lustrous Dreamixes on Emil's Nite Dreams are, put simply, irresistible. Chicago-based music collective Artispure (feat. The Remedy) opens the release with the enticingly swinging “Chicago Underground,” its dynamic house groove sprinkled with claps, chunky synth chords, slick hi-hat accents, and soulful vocal interjections.

Made over by Emil, the tune's straight-up fabulous. The snappy Change Request production “Sunday's Best” glides breezily on a tropical wave of claps, a skipping house groove, and gentle melodic figures that give the music a nostalgic, even plaintive quality. The closing cut, Emil's soulful treatment of “Sunlight” by native Chicagoan Elbert Phillips and singer Andre Espeut, shows no drop-off. With a snare-popping groove driving the tune and Espeut laying a beautiful vocal across the percolating backdrop, “Sunlight” rivals the other two tracks for quality and appeal. Vaz keeps bringing them strong.

2023 Repress

Songwriter Ron Stassens assembled a team of musicians in 1977 in anticipation of local side the Portland Trailblazers taking an NBA championship title. Milton Davis was the chosen front man and the music made got regional plays but not more so the band went their separate ways. But not before recording the album that is now presented here via Albina Music Trust. It is a funk work of the highest order with six super tight grooves all laden with percussion, disco energy and big vocals. These will all do plenty of damage in the right setting and remind why Davis is such a cult figure.

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

John Samson (1946 - 2004) was a truly great documentary maker. He must be as I’ve been obsessed with his work for many years. Educated first at Glasgow School Of Art (circa 1963) and then finally in the art of film making at The National Film And Television School in Beaconsfield - he headed there in its opening year of 1971 having made a short film that got him a scholarship.

It was at the NFTS that Samson met Mike Wallington, who was to become his right hand man and eventual producer; together as a quite brilliant team they made a handful of inspiring, entertaining and hugely prescient films about important, overlooked, unseen and marginal fringes in society. Tattoo (1975) Exploring the rather clandestine world of tattooing in the UK. Dressing For Pleasure (1977) Exploring the rather clandestine world of festish in the UK. Brittania (1979) A film about railway enthusiasts and a steam train restoration.

Arrows (1979) The life of dart player Eric Bristow. Drag Ball (1981) An unreleased film about the annual Porchester Hall Drag Ball. The Skin Horse (1983) BAFTA winning film about The Outsiders Club, a dating agency for disabled people. The subject matter in all films was always unusual for the time, and Samson managed to navigate his way with compassion, interest and subtlety, immersing himself in the chosen scene and producing moving, fascinating and sometimes darkly amusing situations. His documentaries also do not rely on traditional voiceovers, with stories, facts and narrative threads being dictated by the subjects.

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

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

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

Repress!

The debut album from the I & I Band, originally released in 1981. Excellent British roots, includes the tracks Marijuana,
Jah Made Them All and Marcus Children.

Put Webbed Wing’s Taylor Madison up against some of rock’s most celebrated songwriters––he’s ready. On their new EP, Right After I Smoke This..., the Philly-based guitarist and singer puts on the kind of unforgettable performance that can take everyday people and turn them into musical heroes for the masses.

For those in the know, Webbed Wing––incomplete without Jake Clarke (drums) and Mike Paulshock (bass)––have long-since reached cult status; the project follows Madison and Clarke’s already-decorated career in their band, Su- perheaven. Here, each member freely flexes their innate genre-bending musicality, taking notes from the likes of The Lemonheads, Teenage Fanclub, and Weezer.

In just three songs, Right After I Smoke This... channels everything lyrically-gripping about rock music and everything vibrant about pop. There’s as much earnest twang in their toolkit as there is snotty skate-park punk and intense metal; it’s a celebration of the genre as they’ve come to love it, resulting in something highly palatable and new.

Joshua Ray Walker announces NEW RECORD “What Is It Even?” - lending his signature alt-country style to iconic pop songs - paying homage to female-identified powerhouse vocalists and their influence on global culture. Launching with his reimagination of Lizzo’s “Cuz I Love You,” Walker pushes himself and his band to respectfully and artfully build a bridge between two seemingly polar styles of music. What Is It Even? Album Rollout 6/2 - “What Is It Even?” Preorder launch & IG1 “Cuz I love You” 7/7 - "Linger" 8/4 - “What Is It Even?” Street Date The catalyst of Joshua Ray Walker’s new album, What Is It Even?, was sparked on the patio of the Tulsa, Oklahoma music venue and dive bar Mercury Lounge, a fitting origin story for any country record. But this is far from an ordinary country record. It was on that Tulsa patio, deep into tour, when Walker and drummer Trey Pendergrass were half joking about what their gospel jump blues version of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” would sound like, wondering “what if the Blues Brothers covered a Whitney Houston song?” At that point, it was still unclear how the Dallas native would follow up his trio of critically acclaimed, interconnected albums, all of which were packed tight with character-driven songs that put multiple national-tours worth of crowds on the precipice of staining their shirts with either beers or tears, depending on the song. The third of the trio, See You Next Time, led to Walker appearing on The Tonight Show and CBS Saturday Morning, brought with it performances at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and Gruene Hall in Texas, landed him on Rolling Stone’s “Best of 2021” list, and prompted SPIN to call him “one of country’s most exciting storytellers.” Those stories about dive bar dwellers running out of last chances made listeners feel a gauntlet of emotions. What Is It Even?, a 10-track covers album consisting of songs made famous by female pop acts, produced with John Pedigo and arranged alongside his touring band of Pendergrass, bassist Billy Bones, and pedal-steel player Adam Kurtz, was born out of wanting to make people feel joy.

Repress!

Originally released Feb. 2002 as a UK single on XL Recordings
B-Side is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and made famous by Dusty Springfield, Dionne Warwick, Cissy Houston, Elvis Costello & The Attractions, etc.
Tracklisting

A little more than two years after the reunion album ‚The Art of Navigating by the Stars‘, which was received fantastically by the press, SIEGES EVEN released the follow-up ‚Paramount‘ in autumn 2007. The songwriting had started directly after concerts in Russia (Moscow), Greece (Larissa and Athens) and a double headlining tour with DEADSOUL TRIBE.

It was clear from the beginning that this album - the second with the new singer Arno Menses - would not be a concept album. Rather, the band put more emphasis on writing autonomous, partly shorter songs, which were not connected by any concept in terms of content.

For the production they decided this time to work with Kristian ‚Kohle‘
Kohlmannslehner, who had rather made his mark in the field of harder music. The production style was quite different from the work of Uwe Lulis on ‚The Art of Navigating by the Stars‘: There, a lot of the material was recorded live and without clicktrack, whereas Kristian Kohlmannslehner focused more on precision and modern editing techniques. Without judging which approach is the better one, one can say that ‚Paramount‘ sounds perhaps a bit punchier, more conducive to the somewhat altered songwriting and extremely transparent.

The lyrical spectrum ranges from experiences on the mountain Corcovado in the urban area of Rio de Janeiro (‚Iconic‘), human hubris (‚Paramount‘), the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima (‚Bridge to the Divine‘) to personal narratives (‚Tidal‘ or ‚Leftovers‘).

‚Paramount‘, like its predecessor, was very well received by the press. The band embarked on a European tour immediately following the release of the album in the fall of 2007 and played at the renowned ‚ProgPowerEurope‘ festival in the Netherlands, among other venues. In 2008 followed a show at the ‚Rock Hard‘-Festival as well as three concerts in the support of the American AOR legend JOURNEY. The live album ‚Playgrounds‘, released in spring 2008, documents the concerts of this tour. The stars were actually aligned favorably for SIEGES EVEN, so it was all the more surprising that the band‘s journey finally came to an end at the last of the three support shows for JOURNEY in Bamberg in the summer of 2008.

„Paramount“ was not available for many years and was only released on CD in 2007.

Lucca Leeloo is back on vinyl with his new remix LP “Prosperous (The Remixes)” – a cosmic, aesthetic mix of indie dance, italo and nu-disco made for the club. This time around he’s been working with Shubostar, Daniele Baldelli & Marco Dionigi, Luca dell’Orso, Endrik Schroeder, David Van Bylen, Hard Ton, Boys’ Shorts and Phunkadelica – so put on your red shoes and dance the blues.

Opaque Purple Vinyl.

Former Mind & Matter bandmates James "Jimmy Jam" Harris and Michael Dixon teamed up for 1978's gospel-boogie banger "You're All I Need" b/w "You're Everything" on the private Mad label.

Emil Amos (Grails, OM and podcaster plus) decommissions pieces originally bound for the KPM library. A personal interpolation of "music for films (& television)" expounds upon diverse sounds: synthy 80s soundtracks, contemporary hip-hop beatmaking, ambient music, and The Hulk"s "Lonely Man Theme". Emil"s dark visions are full of noirish shadows and eerie neon glow - mood music for drug trips spent dreaming up new soundtracks to take drugs to! Emil Amos" forthcoming Zone Black album is a fully inhabitable world, its episodic narrative divided into an improbable balance between morbid ambient anthems and insouciant hip-hop instrumentals. Emil hadn"t heard it done quite this way before, so he took it upon himself. And it sounds real! Straight out of Madlib"s kitchen sink, and with a sense of brooding dread, "Jealous Gods" features throbbing beats, low synth paired with high vocal melody, layered together into something even more impossibly bizarre than the sum of their parts - like say, monks singing from on high, over a battleground littered with remnants of the old guard. Emil warps evocative tones, taking familiar sounds into new dimensions, reaching for the kind of depth and resonance that defines moments with an almost invisible touch.

"SAMURAI'S boss only released his debut EP 'RATS' in 2021 (after a quarter-century in the game), but his brutalist productions are already essential. Landing somewhere between Dylan and death metal, iron-clad breaks clash against the digital roar of techstep bass across opener 'Raven', title track 'Sacrifice', and the searing 'Temple'. The dubby halftime ritualism that's become Samurai's calling card is never far away though, and the sinuous 'Anaconda' made with label regular Sam KDC is a prime example, providing a less hectic yet equally intense ride." DJ Mag

Rare 1986 Funk/Soul From Alabama.

Originally released as a private pressed cassette tape only.

First Time On Vinyl.

Released in collaboration with the Numero Group.

180g BLACK vinyl limited to 500 copies w/obi strip. Non-Returnable.

Armed with little more than his Peavey T-60 guitar and a Jumbo Fuzz pedal, Errol Stubbs and his bar-band cohorts cranked out a self-released tape of funked-up disco soul in 1986. With no label or distribution to speak of, Errol would simply put on his best suit and sell the cassettes by hand. The tape languished into obscurity…until now!

The story of Errol Stubbs begins in Birmingham, Alabama in 1959. The youngest of five, he was surrounded by music as a child–his aunt taught piano at Daniel Payne College while his older brother, Avery Beavers, was an accomplished jazz trumpeter. Under the guidance of Avery, Errol started playing trumpet at the age of nine, though he gravitated toward songwriting and quickly picked up the guitar. Inspired by blues greats the likes of Albert King, Buddy Guy, and Little Milton, 12-year-old Errol began mimicking the sounds that filled southern airwaves. As a teenager, he played at barbecues, fish fries, and dive bars across the Magic City. After a brief stint at Jefferson State studying music, Errol’s passion for songwriting beckoned him away from the classroom.

Stubbs bounced around bar bands before settling on a live lineup and saving enough dough to take his vision to the recording studio. Over the course of two days, his well-rehearsed band recorded Turning it Out mostly live to tape at the Sound Of Birmingham Studio. Located on Birmingham’s east side, the state-of-the-art studio kept the lights on by recording commercial jingles but was more than happy to open their doors to local talent.

Taking notes from guitar god Ernie Isley and funk legend Rick James, the resulting recordings are drenched in cosmic phaser-fuzz guitar work, slapping bass lines, and sexual disco innuendos. Big brother Avery lends a hand on Clavinet for “Sweat,” while studio owner/engineer Don Mosley adds a tasteful dose of Moog synthesizer across a handful of cuts.

Soon after the Sound Of Birmingham sessions, Errol released the private pressed EP “Dancin’ Fancy,” b/w “Spaced Out On Your Love,” the latter of which was featured on Numero Group’s 2019 compilation Visible and Invisible Persons Distributed In Space.

The seven-song cassette Turning It Out was sold in local record stores and from night club stages, but only a few copies made their way out of Birmingham.