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Vinyl-Compilation mit den besten Tracks der bei Kent erschienenen Sampler 'This Is Lowrider Soul'. 14 Tracks, schwarzes Vinyl!

Dialling it back to the early ‘80s yet with a firm foot still in the future, Dr Packer takes on two of Freeez’s classic brit funk cuts ‘I.O.U’ and ‘We Got The Juice’ for a double dose of disco remix deliverance.

First up for a slice and dice, Freeez’s biggest hit ‘I.O.U’ gets a trademark Dr Packer update with a tougher bassline and squelching synths, echoed and extended in all the right spots. On the B, ‘We’ve Got The Juice’ gets a DJ friendly edit, with the Dr replaying the bass riff to get that extra dose of funk, whilst tightening up the percussion ready for it to be unleashed on the dancefloor.

DJ Support:

Arthur Baker, Dave Lee, Michael Gray, Fingerman, Casual Connection, Yam Who?, Andy Smith (Streetsounds), Walterino, Casa Blanco + many more

2026 Repress


Another Thought was the first collection of Arthur Russell’s music to be released after his death in 1992. Released in 1993 on Point Music it marked the beginning of nearly 30 years of work to let the world hear the enormous archive of unreleased recordings Arthur left behind. Be With revisits this first compilation for a new gatefold double vinyl version and a triple-fold digipak CD reissue.

Both versions of Be With’s 2021 reissue of Another Thought have been mastered by Simon Francis and the vinyl cut by Pete Norman. The original artwork has been restored and tweaked at Be With HQ for the gatefold sleeve and the triple-fold digipak, with the essential help of Janette Beckman. Each version comes with an insert reproducing the liner notes and lyrics from the original CD release.

Together with Calling Out Of Context, Soul Jazz’s World of Arthur Russell, and much of the ongoing work of Audika, Another Thought is absolutely essential for even the most casual Arthur Russell collection. In fact we’d argue it’s essential for any fan of non-obvious pop music. This is the only place where you can hear some of Arthur’s most recognisable tunes and it’s an album that absolutely deserves to be kept in press.


We’ll assume that by now you’re all at least a little familiar with the story of Arthur Russell, the farm boy from Iowa who moved to 1970s New York. Arthur Russell the genuine musical genius who died just 40 years old, leaving behind a wealth of music that dwarfed the few 12"s and LPs that were released during his short life.

Although Arthur had been working on an album for Rough Trade during his last years, with the label no-longer operating it was Point Music (Philip Glass and Michael Riesman’s label set up together with Philips) who stepped in to help Arthur’s partner Tom Lee start working out exactly what Arthur had left behind.

Tom suggested that Arthur’s friend Mikel Rouse was the right person to make the first catalogue. Working in Tom and Arthur’s apartment he had only two weeks to go through what turned out to be around 800 tapes.

As Tom explained “at the end of each day he would generally wait for me to come home and I would, to the best of my knowledge, name and identify pieces in question from that day’s work. As he worked Mikel compiled about a dozen cassettes that he thought would present the most finished sounding songs for Don/Point to use. As Don listened he would then suggest and ask me and thus we collaborated on the choices.”

Don is Don Christensen, Another Thought’s producer. With a final selection of songs from recordings made between 1982 and 1990, including sessions with some of Arthur’s regular collaborators Peter Zummo, Steven Hall, Mustafa Ahmed, Elodie Lauten, Julius Eastman, Jennifer Warnes and Joyce Bowden, it was then Don’s job to turn these into a finished album.

Another Thought is a little different from the compilations of Arthur’s music that came out since. In our conversations with Steve Knutson (who founded Audika Records and who manages Arthur’s estate together with Tom), he explained that “more than any project released by Arthur during his lifetime or posthumously by Audika, ‘Another Thought’ is the most worked over. The material was significantly edited and rearranged from the original source tapes”.

If the aim was to release a comprehensive exploration of every facet of Arthur’s music, from the most avant-garde of his avant-garde compositions through to the most disco-not-disco of his disco-not-disco tunes then the project was a spectacular failure. But as a coherent album of non-obvious pop music Another Thought is wonderful.

Starting with the sparse voice-and-cello of the title track, A Little Lost adds some guitar along with the sneaking suspicion that we’re listening to something nowhere near as simple as it first sounds. By the time we get to This Is How We Walk On The Moon - it could be the moment you notice the congas, or the percussion that’s been building behind them, or maybe it’s that blast of trumpet and trombone - we realise we’ve gone from splashing around to being completely submerged in the musical world of Arthur Russell.

From here the album heads off on its journey around the sounds of the left-field contemporary classical music of the time, re-directed towards pop ears, with minor detours through the swirling woozy disco of the half-remembered night before on In The Light Of The Miracle and My Tiger, My Timing. Whether it’s just Arthur, his cello and some bleeps on Just A Blip, or whether he has some vocal help as he does on the bounding Keeping Up, this is difficult music made so, so easy. And through it all is Arthur’s voice and cello. Sometimes drowned in distortion and sometimes clear as a bell, but always there somewhere.

A Sudden Chill finally returns us to the calmer waters we started in and this last track closes the album with a melancholy that’s not surprising given how soon after Arthur’s death the album was put together.

Whilst Another Thought holds together with the consistency of a proper album, there’s still no getting away from the fact that this was put together from audio recorded in different ways, in different places, with different people at different times. Those with keen ears will hear traces of tape hiss, the occasional blown-out note and some digital fuzz, all fingerprints of those original recordings as well as of the 1990s digital equipment that was used to piece Another Thought together.

Add to this Arthur’s obvious pleasure in making music from the sort of sounds that can make microphones, speakers and ears uncomfortable, it’s no surprise that Another Thought isn’t glossy and pristine. Don Christensen’s productions have been careful to not scrub up those original recordings so much that they lose their original vibe, understandable given that Arthur wasn’t around as a guide. We’ve applied a similarly light touch with the mastering for these Be With versions, just working to make sure they sound like they should on both the vinyl and the CD.

Despite the Discogs rumours, Another Thought was never originally released as an LP. So when it came to the sleeve for this Be With vinyl version we took the original CD artwork as a starting point to come up with something that looks like it could have been in the record racks back in 1993.

We have to thank Janette Beckman for helping us reproduce her iconic photograph of Arthur in his newspaper boat hat. One of many photographs she took of Arthur, Janette shot this in her New York studio back in 1986 for a short article in the January ’87 issue of The Face Magazine. Those with eagle-eyes will notice we’ve used an ever-so-slightly different shot from the one that appeared in The Face and then again on the original cover of Another Thought. The original has long since been lost so we’ve worked with what is left in Janette’s archives. And we also have to thank Tom Lee for giving us permission to reproduce his liner notes from the original CD booklet, together with Arthur’s lyrics.

The downtempo legacy of Tosca continues. Originally released in 2005, J.A.C. is the fourth studio album by the Austrian duo - an album dedicated to their then newly born sons, "Joshua, Arthur, Conrad". For its 20th anniversary, which also marks !K7"s 40th anniversary, it has been fully remastered and compiled into a beautiful gatefold 2LP. Between the release of their classic Dehli 9 and J.A.C., the two entered fatherhood. As all Tosca albums relate to biographic events in the life of Huber and Dorfmeister, the birth of their sons naturally called for an album dedication. J.A.C. is perhaps the most consistent formulation of both, the carefree and melancholic sound of Tosca.

With its cinematic origins The Odd Couple is the natural title for the second album by a pair who seem to spend as much time in wardrobe as the studio and whose recordings are often compared to film scores. Their greatest hit, 2006's "Crazy" was even built around a chunk of a spaghetti western soundtrack. Yet after the success of 2006's excellent St Elsewhere, the collaboration of singer Thomas "Cee-Lo Green" Callaway and producer Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton has become a permanent institution.

Two years on, The Odd Couple stands up proudly alongside its predecessor. The basic recipe hasn't been drastically altered--Danger Mouse's skittering beats and snap-crackle-pop production still provide the perfect platform for Cee-Lo's mighty, soulful wail. If anything, the pair have refined and sharpened their approach to a razor's edge. The key is the way the musical flavors intersect: the Arthur Lee-meets-N.E.R.D. stroll of "Surprise," the jubilant jumble of gospel/soul/synthpop on "Going On," the Otis Redding-shares-a-treadmill-with-Outkast feel of the single "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)." The cumulative effect is one of a group whose trick-bag has a never-ending supply of happy surprises.

"Bookends" bildet soetwas wie das Herzstück des am 20. Juni erscheinenden Albums. Die weitläufige Ballade zollt ihrem verstorbenen Freund Riley Gale Tribut, ehemals Sänger der Band Power Trip. Sie ist auch inspiriert von John Careys Buch "Eyewitness To History", einer Sammlung von über 300 historischen Augenzeugenberichten zu prägenden Ereignissen der menschlichen Geschichte. Zu Bookends erscheint ein Video von Caity Arthur. "Im Video geht es um Tod und Absolution, wie der Tod eines der wenigen sicheren Dinge im Leben ist, der große Gleichmacher, nolens volens", so Arthur. "Es untergräbt aber auch das traditionelle Narrativ vom Tod als verzweifelte Leere und porträtiert ihn mit seinem halluzinogenem Sixties-Ensemble stattdessen als euphorische Übergangserfahrung samt TV-Pop-Performance und Taschenspielertricks, während Megs Lyrics den Tod in all seinen Formen beschwören." Für "Scratch It" hat Meg Remy mit Gitarrist Dillon Watson eine Band zusammengestellt - ursprünglich für einen einmaligen Festivalaufrtitt, aufgrund der guten Chemie schließlich gleich für ein ganzes Album. Mit Watson an der Gitarre, Jack Lawrence (The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs, Loretta Lynn) am Bass, Domo Donoho am Schlagzeug und Jo Schornikow und Tina Norwood an den Keys entstand "Scratch It" innerhalb von zehn Tagen in Nashville. Zwischendurch schaute auch Mundharmonika-Legende Charlie McCoy vorbei, der bereits mit Elvis, Bob Dylan und Roy Orbinson gearbeitet hatte und seine Künste für einige Songs einbrachte. Die Authentizität der analog produzierten Songs ist unmittelbar, ein Zeugnis der Chemie zwischen allen Beteiligten, Remy klingt relaxt wie kaum je zuvor. Das Album verwebt Country, Gospel, Garage Rock, Soul, Disco und Folk, während sich Remy in den Lyrics mit Patti Smith auseinandersetzt, mit junger Liebe, Mutterschaft, Macht-Dynamiken, der Kraft von James Brown, verstorbenen Weggefährten, dem Goldrausch am Yukon - oder dem eigenen nach einer Tequila-getränkten Nacht. Dabei lässt sie wie immer auch ihren beißenden Humor spielen.

Cindy Lee, Arthur Russell, Viagra Boys, On-U Sound. In the discourse around new albums from singular, world-building artists, the phrase “a big step forward” can often be a blinking red warning sign. You know you’re about to be pulled somewhere new against your will. Inertia is a hell of a thing. It’s nice here. Surely, the party’s not over yet? JJULIUS’ Vol. 3 album is a big step forward, or a step up, out of the murky basement of the preceding two volumes. There’s no time to acclimate. A spindly violin grabs you by the hand and pulls you into the pastoral bounce of “Brinna ut,” which, in spite of its meaning (“Burn out”), creates the kind of blind positivity and warm stomach feeling less cynical people might find in self-help seminars. For us, we have records like this. And, inertia be damned, Vol. 3 has charm like a balm. JJULIUS records have always arrived like meteors from another planet, an impression hammered home by the fact that they’re titled like compendiums of artifacts. And while Vols. 1 and 2 carried that notable tinge of darkness, Vol. 3 has (almost!) cast that shadow, adding elements of disco (“Dödsdisco”) and dream-pop (“Etopisk hallucination”) to his forever favorites Arthur Russell, African Head Charge, and The Fall. Some of that new car smell could be attributed to a change in process. Each song was written over beats played by Tor Sjödén of the wild-eyed Stockholm group Viagra Boys, beats that were themselves inspired by tracks from the likes of Patrick Cowley, CAN, Count Ossie, Black Devil Disco Club and others that Julius would send to him as inspiration. Unless you’re Mark E. Smith, fervor fades. Eventually we all crave a lie down in some nice grass, a few minutes to gaze at the sky and wonder if everything is actually all that bad. Vol. 3 gives you 35 of those respiting minutes. “No looking back, no misery, no talking trash, no enemies.”

Find all the titles that influenced one of the greatest rock band of all times, on a double vinyl. With: B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Muddy Waters, Sonny By Williamson I... The tracklist was made up by the journalist Lionel Eskenazi, who is a true specialist of the what many consider as the best rock band ever

A hugely in demand repress (the original vinyl pressing on North Country changes hands for hundreds of pounds..) now released on Shack’s newly created own label Shack Songs.

The Shack story is one of music’s greatest legends. It incorporates hardship, bereavement and chaotic misadventure, but above all it tells the tale of beautiful music triumphing over trouble and tragedy.

‘Here’s Tom with The Weather’ boasts a majestic and fresh form. These are magical songs, psychedelic folk songs of the finest Head vintage. Sleepy-eyed, wistful and mystical, yet crafted with a cunning and acute dexterity beyond just about anybody you can think of.

The two profoundly Liverpudlian brothers Mick and John Head have made several brilliant albums together , but none as quickly as ‘Here’s Tom…’ which was completed in seven weeks at Brynderwen Studios in North Wales along with drummer Iain Templeton (RIP) , bassist Guy Rigby and producer Jay Reynolds in 2003.

In the 80’s , the two brothers from the notorious Kensington estate in north Liverpool were singer and guitarist with The Pale Fountains , an effervescent pop group which imploded under the weight of two albums in 1986. The Heads returned in ‘88 as Shack and a debut album Zilch. In 1991 , Shack made ‘Waterpistol’ , an inspirational guitar jewel that would have proved just as influential as any British album in that era had the studio not burned down, taking the master tapes with it. Four more years passed , but by the time it was finally released on Marina it had developed ‘lost classic’ status.

The Heads battled on. They toured as their hero Arthur Lee (RIP) of Love’s backing band. In ‘97 , they created a new group called The Strands and recorded the delicate, dreamy masterpiece ‘The Magical World Of The Strands’ . They spent a long time making another classic ‘HMS Fable’ , and then decided that next time they wouldn’t take quite as long recording. Enter ‘Here’s Tom With The Weather’.

Showcasing John’s slow , shy emergence as a songwriter to challenge his brother (on the sparkling, heartbreaking ‘Miles Apart’ and ‘Carousel’ , and the spun-out ‘Kilburn High Road’ ) , toasting Mick’s newest confirmation as the most unrecognised genius of his or any other generation (the ode to his bro, ‘Byrds Turn To Stone’ , the mariachi horns that break open the slow folk fog of ‘Meant To Be’ , the two lullaby bookends ..and on , and on) .

“The journey we’ve had together has been beautifully turbulent”, laughs John. “But there’s times when we glide and we’re gliding forward now”

Mick agrees. “Making this album has been frantic, chaos, carnage, intense : the normal way with us. But it doesn’t sound like that. That’s all that matters. The story is what it is. But so are the songs and so are the records. Because we’re good.”

Nobody could disagree with that.

A hugely in demand repress (the original vinyl pressing on North Country changes hands for hundreds of pounds..) now released on Shack’s newly created own label Shack Songs.

The Shack story is one of music’s greatest legends. It incorporates hardship, bereavement and chaotic misadventure, but above all it tells the tale of beautiful music triumphing over trouble and tragedy.

‘Here’s Tom with The Weather’ boasts a majestic and fresh form. These are magical songs, psychedelic folk songs of the finest Head vintage. Sleepy-eyed, wistful and mystical, yet crafted with a cunning and acute dexterity beyond just about anybody you can think of.

The two profoundly Liverpudlian brothers Mick and John Head have made several brilliant albums together , but none as quickly as ‘Here’s Tom…’ which was completed in seven weeks at Brynderwen Studios in North Wales along with drummer Iain Templeton (RIP) , bassist Guy Rigby and producer Jay Reynolds in 2003.

In the 80’s , the two brothers from the notorious Kensington estate in north Liverpool were singer and guitarist with The Pale Fountains , an effervescent pop group which imploded under the weight of two albums in 1986. The Heads returned in ‘88 as Shack and a debut album Zilch. In 1991 , Shack made ‘Waterpistol’ , an inspirational guitar jewel that would have proved just as influential as any British album in that era had the studio not burned down, taking the master tapes with it. Four more years passed , but by the time it was finally released on Marina it had developed ‘lost classic’ status.

The Heads battled on. They toured as their hero Arthur Lee (RIP) of Love’s backing band. In ‘97 , they created a new group called The Strands and recorded the delicate, dreamy masterpiece ‘The Magical World Of The Strands’ . They spent a long time making another classic ‘HMS Fable’ , and then decided that next time they wouldn’t take quite as long recording. Enter ‘Here’s Tom With The Weather’.

Showcasing John’s slow , shy emergence as a songwriter to challenge his brother (on the sparkling, heartbreaking ‘Miles Apart’ and ‘Carousel’ , and the spun-out ‘Kilburn High Road’ ) , toasting Mick’s newest confirmation as the most unrecognised genius of his or any other generation (the ode to his bro, ‘Byrds Turn To Stone’ , the mariachi horns that break open the slow folk fog of ‘Meant To Be’ , the two lullaby bookends ..and on , and on) .

“The journey we’ve had together has been beautifully turbulent”, laughs John. “But there’s times when we glide and we’re gliding forward now”

Mick agrees. “Making this album has been frantic, chaos, carnage, intense : the normal way with us. But it doesn’t sound like that. That’s all that matters. The story is what it is. But so are the songs and so are the records. Because we’re good.”

Nobody could disagree with that.

Washington, DC’s DES DEMONAS have been hailed as a favorite of Henry Rollins (KCRW FM/Black Flag), Marc Riley (BBC6 Music/The Fall), and Iggy Pop (BBC6 Music/The Stooges) since the release of their debut LP on In The Red Records and their subsequent singles and EP. DES DEMONAS’ much anticipated follow-up LP “APOCALYPTIC BOOM! BOOM!” is out this fall on In The Red Records. The group is made up of some familiar names from the DC punk, garage, and indie scenes. A Kenyan punk-poet-politique Jacky “Cougar” Abok (Foul Swoops, Thee Lolitas) is on vocals & percussion, Mark Cisneros (Hammered Hulls, Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds, The Make-Up) is on guitar, Paul Vivari (Benjy Ferree, DJ Soul Call Paul) is on Farfisa organ and bass machine, and Matt Gatwood (Two Inch Astronaut) is on drums. Des Demonas’ music is a melding of disparate sounds and influences, hitting with a driving pulse and fiery intent. “The sonic fuel of the band is a blend of post punk, punk, funk, blues, psych rock, Afro beat, even bubble gum but the noise you hear is pure Des Demonas.” - Kim Salmon / The Scientists “Dig the Des Demonas. Play it loud. Twist your wig.” - Kid Congo Powers

Freestyle Records drop another UK boogie 12" rarity from Eddie Capone's Treatment, this time the previously white label-only "Only You Know What I Like" from 1985. Limited to 300 copies worldwide.

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A mainstay of the UK's reggae, soul, funk & rock circuits since the early 1970s, Eddie Capone has played with a diverse and revered collection of acts; Chairmen of the Board, The Foundations, Black Velvet, The Elgins, Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come, Arthur Lee's Love, Billy Preston and Edwin Starr to name but a few. Eddie was also part of short-lived group Casablanca, with David Costa & Barry Clarke of early 70's folk-rockers Trees, signed to Elton John's Rocket Record Company.

Eddie founded the Treatment band in the early 1980s bringing in a revolving cast of singers and players, and created the Treatment Records imprint out of his own Black Rock studio in South East London in 1982. Releasing a string of singles - with efforts from Eddie Capone's Treatment, a side-project with singer Beryl Marsden as Salt & Pepper, and a single from Norwegian group Wave - Treatment Records then followed this up in 1985 with the 12" release of "I Won't Give You Up" with Diane Jones brought in on vocal duties. This received solid support amongst DJs and radio at the time, and was quickly followed with this solid slice of white label-only UK boogie-funk that has since become a favoured deep cut on the selectors circuit.

Treatment Records continued through the 1980s through to early 1990s releasing Eddie's music, both as a solo artist and as part of collaborative side-projects, and Eddie has continued to write, perform and produce music from his home studio right through to the present day. As a committed community figure & activist in South East London, Eddie has since 2014 re-started Treatment Records under the name of 3G Treatment - bringing together three generations of people from the local area to ensure young artists & musicians have access to the expertise and experience of their elders for support and encourage successful careers in the industry.

One of THE most iconic albums to hail from Merseyside. ‘H.M.S. Fable’ was the third LP released from Shack following 1988’s ‘Zilch’ and 1995’s ‘Waterpistol’. A collection of majestic storytelling in guitar form, written by two extraordinarily talented brothers, Michael & John Head.

Originally released on Laurel Records/London Records in 1999, the band at that time comprised of
MICHAEL HEAD - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar JOHN HEAD - Electric Guitar, Vocals REN PARRY- Bass Guitar IAIN TEMPLETON - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals.

The album was voted #2 in both NME and Uncut’s critics album of the year polls, only missing out to The Flaming Lips’ ‘The Soft Bulletin’ in both.

Now released on the band’s newly-formed label Shack Songs, ‘H.M.S. Fable’ encompasses many musical styles, from orchestral guitar pop to psychedelic-tinged folk and even elements of Britpop, nicely summed up by the editor of NME Steve Sutherland in a 9/10 review, in June 1999:

‘’Not since Liam Gallagher howled his early indolent disdain has this music sounded so alive. 'Pull Together' is an anthem easily the equal of Oasis at their most loved-up and huge. ‘Comedy' tender and uplifting, like the missing track from 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', 'Daniella' a haunted and exhausted homage to Head's hero Arthur Lee, and 'Lend Some Dough' a rollicking Scouse Play For Today with a chorus that goes, "I've got a sore back and I'm itching’’ ”

The Shack story is one of music’s greatest legends. It incorporates hardship, bereavement and chaotic misadventure, but above all it tells the tale of beautiful music triumphing over trouble and tragedy.

In the 80s, the two brothers from the notorious Kensington estate in north Liverpool were singer and guitarist with The Pale Fountains, an effervescent pop group which imploded under the weight of two albums in 1986. The Heads returned in ‘88 as Shack and a debut album ‘Zilch’. In 1991, Shack made ‘Waterpistol’, an inspirational guitar jewel that would have proved just as influential as any British album in that era had the studio not burned down, taking the master tapes with it. Four more years passed, but by the time it was finally released on Marina it had developed ‘lost classic’ status.

The Heads battled on. They toured as their hero Arthur Lee (RIP) of Love’s backing band. In ‘97, they created a new group called The Strands and recorded the delicate, dreamy masterpiece ‘The Magical World Of The Strands’. They spent a long time making another classic ‘H.M.S. Fable’...

One of THE most iconic albums to hail from Merseyside. ‘H.M.S. Fable’ was the third LP released from Shack following 1988’s ‘Zilch’ and 1995’s ‘Waterpistol’. A collection of majestic storytelling in guitar form, written by two extraordinarily talented brothers, Michael & John Head.

Originally released on Laurel Records/London Records in 1999, the band at that time comprised of
MICHAEL HEAD - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar JOHN HEAD - Electric Guitar, Vocals REN PARRY- Bass Guitar IAIN TEMPLETON - Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals.

The album was voted #2 in both NME and Uncut’s critics album of the year polls, only missing out to The Flaming Lips’ ‘The Soft Bulletin’ in both.

Now released on the band’s newly-formed label Shack Songs, ‘H.M.S. Fable’ encompasses many musical styles, from orchestral guitar pop to psychedelic-tinged folk and even elements of Britpop, nicely summed up by the editor of NME Steve Sutherland in a 9/10 review, in June 1999:

‘’Not since Liam Gallagher howled his early indolent disdain has this music sounded so alive. 'Pull Together' is an anthem easily the equal of Oasis at their most loved-up and huge. ‘Comedy' tender and uplifting, like the missing track from 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', 'Daniella' a haunted and exhausted homage to Head's hero Arthur Lee, and 'Lend Some Dough' a rollicking Scouse Play For Today with a chorus that goes, "I've got a sore back and I'm itching’’ ”

The Shack story is one of music’s greatest legends. It incorporates hardship, bereavement and chaotic misadventure, but above all it tells the tale of beautiful music triumphing over trouble and tragedy.

In the 80s, the two brothers from the notorious Kensington estate in north Liverpool were singer and guitarist with The Pale Fountains, an effervescent pop group which imploded under the weight of two albums in 1986. The Heads returned in ‘88 as Shack and a debut album ‘Zilch’. In 1991, Shack made ‘Waterpistol’, an inspirational guitar jewel that would have proved just as influential as any British album in that era had the studio not burned down, taking the master tapes with it. Four more years passed, but by the time it was finally released on Marina it had developed ‘lost classic’ status.

The Heads battled on. They toured as their hero Arthur Lee (RIP) of Love’s backing band. In ‘97, they created a new group called The Strands and recorded the delicate, dreamy masterpiece ‘The Magical World Of The Strands’. They spent a long time making another classic ‘H.M.S. Fable’...

A nice boxset with 3 LP and a poster. Including all the greatest blues artists: LIGHTNIN" HOPKINS, JOHN LEE HOOKER, SCREAMIN" JAY HAWKINS, BO DIDDLEY, MUDDY WATERS, HOWLIN" WOLF, T-BONE WALKER, B.B KING...

One thing is certain about the idiosyncratic J. B. Lenoir, he was a true original. No one ever sounded quite like him and despite comparisons by some writers to Arthur Crudup his high pitched vocals were pretty much unique. Although J. B. Lenoir only had one hit in the US with “Mama Talk to Your Daughter” his influence over the British blues scene was immense. In fact John Mayall was a huge fan and he helped to get his 45s released in the UK. Rocking R&B and topical social commentary all thrown in the mix. This is Chicago blues with a twist. Let’s call it Chicago blues J.B. Lenoir style. Limited edition press on 140 gram colour blue/black marbled vinyl.

Patsy Cline was the first true Queen of Country, putting down markers in a male dominated musical world for the likes of Kitty Wells, Brenda Lee and Loretta Lynn. She is now revered by a new generation of performers. Invited to sing on American television’s Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts show, the show’s producers insisted she sing Walkin’ After Midnight. The standing ovation it won from the studio audience told its own story, and a Number 12 Pop hit resulted. She came back strongly, recording another crossover hit in Crazy, written by Willie Nelson. It became her biggest seller, reaching Number 9 in the Billboard Pop listing that October. Other 1962-vintage tracks featured here are She’s Got You, When I Get Thru With You (You'll Love Me Too) and So Wrong, show an artist at the top of her game. But while 1962 would bring more acclaim, the story ended for Patsy Cline all too soon. However, her recordings ensure Patsy’s name lives on through her songs Heartaches, You're Stronger Than Me, Lonely Street, Stop, Look And Listen, Why Can't He Be You, You Belong to Me, Strange and the Hank Williams cover Your Cheatin' Heart.

#40 ON ROLLING STONE'S 500 GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME: ANTICIPATES LATE 1960S TURBULENCE VIA PROPHETIC SONGS AND DARK THEMES
1/4" / 15 IPS analogue master to DSD 256 to analogue console to lathe



Any discussion about the finest psychedelic rock record ever recorded is incomplete if it doesn't grant consideration to Love's Forever Changes. Ranked by Rolling Stone as the 40th greatest album ever made, and named by Mojo the second-greatest psychedelic set in history, the effort is an internationally recognized seminal work of art. Transcending language and convention, its magnitude and magnificence need to be heard again and again. For here is an effort whose mind-boggling acoustic complexities and kaleidoscopic nuances are tailored for high-fidelity playback.

Nearly unlimited headroom, vast instrumental separation, transparent clarity, artifact-free atmospherics, and faithful balances appear out of jet-black backgrounds. Turn it up as loud as you want; the sole limitation will be your system's potential.

Commercially ignored upon release in November 1967, Forever Changes confronts the alienation, paranoia, violence, and strife that would soon plague the countercultural movement and send the Summer of Love into a tailspin. Apart from its lyrical themes and prescient malaise, the record's enduring nature equally owes to intertwined arrangements sewn together with Latin guitar-picked lines, finessed folk harmonies, mariachi-inspired horn charts, and subdued strings.

The seemingly opposing combination – ominous, dark reflections situated amidst lush, light melodic beds – affords Forever Changes a distinguished tension of claustrophobia and openness, dourness and ecstasy, ugliness and elegance enjoyed by no other record in the rock canon. Much of the contrast owes to leader Arthur Lee's mental state and pertinent observations. Lee, whose suppressed romanticism often surfaces even amidst the blackest shadows and most cynical moments, believed he would soon die, and hence channeled everything from lasting hopes to acid-addled decay to the chilling testimony of a Vietnam veteran in his narratives.

Alternatively sad and beautiful, the album-opening and flamenco-inspired "Alone Again Or" establishes the mood for what follows. Vocals overlap and soar; tempos rise and fall; surrealism trades places with reality.Forever Changes thrives both because of and in spite of a surfeit of labyrinthine chords and difficult notes that never repeat. Its ambitious construction almost forced the already fractured band to cede responsibilities to session musicians, which appear on two tracks. The quintet's resolve to not only complete the album, but to do so with such poignancy and curiosity, further enhances Forever Changes' standing.

No wonder that, in the twilight of his troubled career, Lee performed the record in its entirely during concerts met with overwhelming critical acclaim. It was, and will always be, a personal manifesto of timeless relevance and appeal.

Curated by Reference Point residents Mark GV Taylor and George Arthur, this 15 track
compilation album features tracks the pair have played at their peripatetic, Europe wide
events since 2012.
Stretching from the 1970s to the present day the Reference Point compilation spans a whole
range of genres, tempos, languages and grooves where the quality of music is paramount
whether $1.00 bin records or $1000 rarities.
Reference Point, 'a place to hear the music', is a truly trans-global album with music from
Argentina, Brazil, Oakland, Detroit, Texas, London and more, including tracks from private
press albums, from artists who have played at Reference Point events and from current
artists such as MF Robots and Caixa Cubo.
Releasing as a CD, digital and a double LP, Reference Point is another essential compilation
from BBE Music and one that belongs in the collection of all collectors and lovers of great
music

*BLUE VINYL REPRESS* Started during lockdown by three friends from Leeds, UK who wanted to make some crossover thrash, having been fans of the music for years, Pest Control is the classic story of DIY music straight from a time of crisis. Jack (from Death Metal bruisers Mortuary Spawn) joined soon after the release of the Demo in 2020 and the line up was complete with Pest Control’s first show commencing in their home town the week lockdown ended. Influenced by classic thrash giants such as Metallica, Testament etc. but with a healthy spoonful of crossover like Crumbsuckers, Ludichrist and Municipal Waste, the members grew up with one foot in the Leeds metal and hardcore scenes, taking the best from both worlds. Topping it all off, Leah's powerful vocal reminds one of the great Dawn Crosby from Detente. For the recording of the LP they were joined by Luke on second guitar and now have a permanent second guitarist in the shape of Joe Williams (Big Cheese, Fate) and will be seen touring Europe with the almighty Foreseen, having already played across the UK with Municipal Waste, Eternal Champion and as well as appearances at Outbreak and Wrongside Fests. With this LP the band have truly shown their technical chops from the fast and furious title track to the almost operatic thrash style of The Great Deceiver. There is a fresh range of ideas and most importantly catchy songs for the Crossover Thrash fan to sink their teeth into. Mastered by Arthur Rizk, who knows a thing or two about thrash metal excellence having worked with Power Trip and Fugitive, expect to have your brain well and truly FUMIGATED.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword is a 2017 fantasy film directed by Guy Ritchie and is loosely based on the Arthurian Legends. The film stars Charlie Hunnam as the title character, and co-stars Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, Djimon Hounsou, Aidan Gillen, Jude Law and football star David Beckham. The film follows Arthur, who is robbed of his birthright and comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy - whether he likes it or not.

The score is written and produced by Daniel Pemberton, an English Ivor Novello Award-winning, Golden Globe Award and multi-BAFTA Award-nominated composer. The soundtrack features Mercury Prize winner and folk musician Sam Lee.

Circles is the sixth and final studio album by Mac Miller. Conceived as a sister album to 2018's full length Swimming, the album was completed with the assistance of Jon Brion, with whom Miller worked on Swimming and had been working together on Circles at the time of his passing. While sonically distinctly different than its predecessor, Circles features many of the hallmarks for which Swimming was critically-acclaimed upon its release -- Miller further realizing his singing voice in addition to rapping, live instrumentation and earnest, confessional lyrical content. Listeners will hear shades of some of the album's influences in its songs, from the T-Rex guitar tone of "Surf" to the Plastic Ono Band-era John Lennon feel of its production and the inspired cover of Arthur Lee's 1972 single "Everybody's Gotta Live." It's a momentous final entry into the discography of an artist that remains at the centre of reimagining the limits of rap.

It’s been 43 years since the release of The Selecter’s seminal debut album Too Much Pressure and while it still inspires and resonates today, their new studio album Human Algebra keeps the fire burning with a stellar collection of hard-hitting tracks in the band’s own inimitable style. Human Algebra, released April 21st, is a word from the wise – from questioning ‘fake news’ (“Big Little Lies”), to pointing the finger at keyboard warriors (“Armchair Guevara”), and the scourge of knife crime (“Human Algebra”). Human relationships are also touched upon (“Boxing Clever”), along with a touching tribute to the late great Ranking Roger from The Beat (“Parade The Crown”).
As ever, The Selecter are led by their iconic frontwoman Pauline Black OBE and co-fronted by original member Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson with original drummer Charley ‘Aitch’ Bembridge. Human Algebra is produced by Neil Pyzer, who also contributes Sax, Guitar and keyboards. The rest of the band feature John Robertson on Guitar, Lee Horsley on organ and Andy Pearson on bass duties.

Singer-songwriter Amos Lee draws inspiration from soul music, contemporary jazz and 1970s folk artists such as James Taylor. The Philadelphia native honed his song writing skills while waiting tables and bartending after graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in English. He eventually landed some high-profile gigs as an opening act, including an extended tour with pianist/vocalist Norah Jones, whose bassist, Lee Alexander, agreed to produce Lee's first album.

With Alexander's help, Amos Lee released his self-titled debut on Blue Note in 2005. The album won Lee a small following for his blend of acoustic funk, folk, and light jazz. Norah Jones herself plays the piano on two tracks; "Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight" and "Colors."

A notable debut like Amos Lee deserves the Analogue Productions reissue treatment. This beauty was cut by Bernie Grundman in Los Angeles from the master tape, and is now pressed at 45 RPM on two glorious sides of 180-gram vinyl by Quality Record Pressings, makers of the world's finest-sounding LPs. QRP is noted for deep-black backgrounds and pristine clarity. If you're already familiar with Amos Lee, get ready — you've never experienced it with such lifelike sonics and premium richness. This is how all vinyl should sound.

The songs on the album incorporate themes of folk, soul, gospel and jazz. Amos's style is a mix of Bill Withers, Arthur Lee, and James Taylor. Amos has recently toured with Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison, Adele, Dave Matthews and many others.

Die "Blue Record" EP enthält 5 Songs: die beeindruckenden Akustikversionen von drei Songs des 2013er Albums ,II" sowie zwei fantastische Coverversionen, "Swing Lo Magellan" (DIRTY PROJECTORS) und "Puttin It Down" (BECK). "Ich habe erst im letzten Jahr damit angefangen, Akustikgitarre zu spielen. Die Idee, dass eine Gitarre Sound in Elektrizität übersetzt und es dann richtig laut wird, mochte ich schon immer. Ich dachte, dass die Akustikgitarre vielleicht ein bisschen zu niedlich für mich ist. Doch nachdem uns einige Gelegenheiten geboten wurden, Akustiksets zu spielen, um die neue Platte zu promoten, habe ich beschlossen, das Ganze als Herausforderung zu betrachten und zu versuchen, akustisch zu spielen und dabei nicht langweilig zu klingen. Schließlich fand ich es schon immer toll, wie Arthur Lee akustisch spielt und fragte mich, ob ich das wohl überzeugend hinbekommen könnte. So wurde ich praktisch durch ein paar Radiosessions dazu gezwungen, mir die Akustikgitarre anzueignen und beschloss, ein paar Songs akustisch aufzunehmen und zu veröffentlichen, weil den Leuten das anscheinend gefiel. Alles wurde in meinem Keller mit nur einem Mikro direkt auf Band aufgenommen." - Ruban Nielson, UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA ENG "I only started playing the acoustic guitar last year. I'd always preferred the idea that the guitar converts a sound into voltage and then becomes really loud. I thought the acoustic guitar was a little bit too twee for me or something. But after being offered some opportunities to play various acoustic sessions to promote the new record, in situations where it wasn't possible to record the whole band, I decided to treat it like a challenge to try and play acoustic and not have it be lame. After all I was really into Arthur Lee's ability with an acoustic and started wondering if I could make it sound convincing. Anyway, after being somewhat forced to develop some skill on the acoustic through these various radio sessions and things like that I decided to record some songs acoustically and release them since people seemed to be liking the way I was doing it. Everything was recorded straight to tape in my basement with a one mic set up." - RUBAN NIELSON, UMO


[a] 1 SWIM AND SLEEP (LIKE A SHARK) [ACOUSTIC VERSION]
[b] 2 FADED IN THE MORNING [ACOUSTIC VERSION]
[c] 3 SO GOOD AT BEING IN TROUBLE [ACOUSTIC VERSION]

Die "Blue Record" EP enthält 5 Songs: die beeindruckenden Akustikversionen von drei Songs des 2013er Albums ,II" sowie zwei fantastische Coverversionen, "Swing Lo Magellan" (DIRTY PROJECTORS) und "Puttin It Down" (BECK). "Ich habe erst im letzten Jahr damit angefangen, Akustikgitarre zu spielen. Die Idee, dass eine Gitarre Sound in Elektrizität übersetzt und es dann richtig laut wird, mochte ich schon immer. Ich dachte, dass die Akustikgitarre vielleicht ein bisschen zu niedlich für mich ist. Doch nachdem uns einige Gelegenheiten geboten wurden, Akustiksets zu spielen, um die neue Platte zu promoten, habe ich beschlossen, das Ganze als Herausforderung zu betrachten und zu versuchen, akustisch zu spielen und dabei nicht langweilig zu klingen. Schließlich fand ich es schon immer toll, wie Arthur Lee akustisch spielt und fragte mich, ob ich das wohl überzeugend hinbekommen könnte. So wurde ich praktisch durch ein paar Radiosessions dazu gezwungen, mir die Akustikgitarre anzueignen und beschloss, ein paar Songs akustisch aufzunehmen und zu veröffentlichen, weil den Leuten das anscheinend gefiel. Alles wurde in meinem Keller mit nur einem Mikro direkt auf Band aufgenommen." - Ruban Nielson, UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA ENG "I only started playing the acoustic guitar last year. I'd always preferred the idea that the guitar converts a sound into voltage and then becomes really loud. I thought the acoustic guitar was a little bit too twee for me or something. But after being offered some opportunities to play various acoustic sessions to promote the new record, in situations where it wasn't possible to record the whole band, I decided to treat it like a challenge to try and play acoustic and not have it be lame. After all I was really into Arthur Lee's ability with an acoustic and started wondering if I could make it sound convincing. Anyway, after being somewhat forced to develop some skill on the acoustic through these various radio sessions and things like that I decided to record some songs acoustically and release them since people seemed to be liking the way I was doing it. Everything was recorded straight to tape in my basement with a one mic set up." - RUBAN NIELSON, UMO


[a] 01. SWIM AND SLEEP (LIKE A SHARK) [ACOUSTIC VERSION]
[b] 02. FADED IN THE MORNING [ACOUSTIC VERSION]
[c] 03. SO GOOD AT BEING IN TROUBLE [ACOUSTIC VERSION]

"Love Is Overtaking Me", originally released in 2008 comprises 21 demos and home recordings of unreleased pop, folk and country songs from Arthur"s vast catalogue. While much critical and popular affection for Russell"s music has come about well after his untimely death from AIDS in 1992, many fellow artists believed in his genius and were drawn to collaborate with him during his lifetime. The legendary producer John Hammond (Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen) recorded Russell on several occasions; a number of these recordings can be heard on "Love Is Overtaking Me". Alongside songs recorded with various incarnations of The Flying Hearts, a group formed by Russell with Ernie Brooks whose shifting line up included, by turns, Jerry Harrison, Rhys Chatham, Jon Gibson, Peter Gordon and Peter Zummo as well as Larry Saltzman and David Van Tieghem. Several other Russell projects are represented on Love Is Overtaking Me, including The Sailboats, Turbo Sporty and Bright & Early. Compiled from over eight hours of material, "Love Is Overtaking Me" reaches back further to Russell"s first compositions from the early `70s and spans forward to his very last recordings, made at home in 1991. Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear contributed mixing, restoration and editing to the album, whose tracks were selected by Audika"s Steve Knutson, Ernie Brooks and Russell"s companion, Tom Lee. Several songs feature prominently in Matt Wolf"s film "Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell". Extensive "Love Is Overtaking Me" liner notes by Tom Lee provide an intimate perspective on Russell"s diverse catalogue, which spanned an extraordinary diversity of styles and won the love of artistic communities that would seem utterly disparate, from Philip Glass, John Cage and Allen Ginsberg to rock bands like The Talking Heads and The Modern Lovers; the pre-Studio 54 disco-party scene of Nicky Siano"s Gallery and David Mancuso"s Loft; and DJ-producers like Francois Kevorkian and Larry Levan, among others.

Corn, originally released in 2015, features nine tracks Russell recorded in 1982 and 1983. In collaboration with Russell"s partner Tom Lee, Audika"s Steve Knutson compiled Corn from Arthur"s original, completed 1/4" tape masters. Russell himself compiled this material on three separate test pressings-labelled El Dinosaur, Indian Ocean, and Untitled, respectively- in 1985. Russell fans know something of the Corn sound from Audika"s debut release, "Calling Out of Context" (2004), which included four songs from these sessions: "The Deer In The Forest Part 1," "The Platform on the Ocean," "Calling Out Of Context," and "I Like You!" This new collection includes rhythmic alternate versions of "Lucky Cloud," "Keeping Up," "See My Brother, He"s Jumping Out (Let"s Go Swimming #2)," "This Is How We Walk on the Moon," and "Hiding Your Present From You," along with "Corn," "Corn (Continued)," "They and Their Friends," and the closing instrumental "Ocean Movie," one of the most beautiful and curious Russell tracks ever to see the light of day.

Steel, Speed, and Destruction!
*Behold the debut album from Power Trip!!!!
*Drawing from the sacred texts of the Cro-Mags, Vio-lence,Leeway, Exodus, and Nuclear Assault, Texas savages Power Trip have unleashed their debut album with Southern Lord.
*They leave in their wake a multitude of crushed generic and feeble contemporaries. POWER TRIP don't emulate they properly channel the old-school energy of the old cross-over gods and add their own brand of modern thrash warfare.
*'Manifest Decimation' was recorded/produced by Arthur Rizk (War Hungry, Mother of Mercy, Inquistion). The recording is absolutely face-peeling and will ensure
maximum head-banging from the hordes.
POINTS OF INTEREST:
- Huge buzz in underground hardcore, crust-punk and metal scenes. A very highly anticpated debut album
- Have played several high profile festivals including: The Power of the Riff, This is Hardcore, United Blood etc..

Perhaps the best Soul / Funk LP Athens of the North has ever released and you know we have high standards, not one filler and mostly unreleased tracks – Essential LP

The Up Tights were formed by Henry Bradley in Forrest City, Arkansas in March of 1967 while most of the band members were attending Lincoln High School.They took their name from the Stevie Wonder song "Uptight - Everything's Alright." Playing at school functions, they quickly branched out to playing bigger shows and headlined the 1968 St. Francis County Fair in Forrest City.

The Up Tights first recorded for Action Records in Memphis as Noble and the Up Tights. The 45 featured an original song by singer, Izear "Ike" Noble Jr. titled "Don't Worry About It."

Henry Bradley was drafted into Vietnam in 1968. He served in the 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. While he was away, the Up Tights continued with Henry's brother, Arthur, taking over all the guitar duties. The band also hired a manager named John Mitchell. In 1968, the band met Joe Lee, who owned Variety recording studio in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

For the band's first recordings at Variety, Lee chose two originals by Noble titled "Look a Little Higher" and an updated version of "Just a Dream" which Lee released on his Alley Records label in 1968. Lee continued to record the band over the next several months. He liked to experiment in the studio and produced many versions of the group's original songs, adjusting the mix and adding elements to each unique take.

For the group's second Alley release, they appeared simply as Ike Noble on the record label. Lee brought in a local songwriter named Charles "Jamie" Holmes, who had previously written for Alley records and Joe Keene's studio in Kennett, Missouri

The resulting 45 from this collaboration was "It's Bad" backed with "That's What I Get," two Holmes originals. Another Holmes original was unreleased at the time, but available here titled "There's Gonna Be a Better Day Coming." Stax Records was interested in signing the group and wanted to re-cut "It's Bad" at their studio, but ultimately the label passed since they generally had a policy of working with Memphis based groups.

As the band grew in popularity, they began appearing with and competing with Memphis legends, the Bar-Kays. The group's biggest show in Arkansas was an opening slot at Barton Coliseum, one of the largest venues in the state, in Little Rock in mid-1969. As a result, the band was offered a spot on George Klein's "Talent Party" television show on WHBQ in Memphis in July of 1969..... Further Sleeve notes on back of the LP

A sound that embraces different styles and different eras, but which has only one basic concept as a common denominator: spreading the “Black Power Sound”.

That’s the spirit of the double vinyl compilation of Soul Fingers, a legendary Black Music traveling party that has now become a cult in Italy, still religiously followed by dancers of all kinds and ages.

At Soul Fingers it is usual to listen and dance to a unique and tasty blend of soul, disco and funk, with rap and latin rhythms. There are no preconceptions other than that of putting songs to feel good and make people feel good.

The real deal is to share with the dancefloor a record that is magical, full of soul and that can elevate us from our state of human beings to become a single beating heart under the speakers of the sound system.

The Decades Collected compilations are part of the Collected compilation series, which is a collaboration between Universal Music and Music On Vinyl. The compilations bring together the biggest names of each decade, combined with forgotten hits and less discovered gems, giving the listener an experience of listening to their favourite tunes while uncovering new musical grounds at the same time.

Various Artists - Sixties Collected features Love “Alone Again Or”, Cher “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)”, The Who “Pinball Wizard”, Diana Ross & The Supremes “Love Child”, Steppenwolf “Magic Carpet Ride”, The Animals “House Of The Rising Sun”, The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations”, David Bowie “Love You Till Tuesday”, Bob Dylan “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, Tom Jones “It’s Not Unusual”, Nina Simone “I Put A Spell On You”, Rod Stewart “Handbags & Gladrags” a.o.

Various Artists - Sixties Collected is available on black vinyl and includes an insert.

To celebrate tthe 60 years of the release of the first 7 inch of the greatest rock band of all time, rediscover all the tracks that influenced the sound of the Beatles in a double vinyl. With : Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent, Bill Haley, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, The Isley Brothers, Peggy Lee...

The Brkn Record is a new project led and produced by Jake Ferguson, the co-founder and bass player for the UK's foundational deep jazz outfit the Heliocentrics. With fellow Heliocentrics co-founder and legendary drummer Malcolm Catto, Ferguson has been a regular collaborator with globally recognised artists including Archie Shepp, Mulatu Astatke, Melvin Van Peebles, Orlando Julius and many others. The Architecture of Oppression Part 1 represents Ferguson's debut as a bandleader and orchestrator, and manifests as a committed and soulful response to ongoing and systemic anti-black racism, social oppression and state violence both at home in London and across the globe. Combining poetry, testimony and song with rich and cinematic backdrops, Ferguson has produced a sui generis sound that conjures flavours of Arthur Verocai, Ennio Morricone, classic library productions, Madlib-style deep-jazz beat science, and psychedelic soul. With bandmate Malcolm Catto on drums, Ferguson draws on their long years of collaborative experience in the Heliocentrics to build an album of striking texture and depth.

The Brkn Record is a new project led and produced by Jake Ferguson, the co-founder and bass player for the UK's foundational deep jazz outfit the Heliocentrics. With fellow Heliocentrics co-founder and legendary drummer Malcolm Catto, Ferguson has been a regular collaborator with globally recognised artists including Archie Shepp, Mulatu Astatke, Melvin Van Peebles, Orlando Julius and many others. The Architecture of Oppression Part 1 represents Ferguson's debut as a bandleader and orchestrator, and manifests as a committed and soulful response to ongoing and systemic anti-black racism, social oppression and state violence both at home in London and across the globe. Combining poetry, testimony and song with rich and cinematic backdrops, Ferguson has produced a sui generis sound that conjures flavours of Arthur Verocai, Ennio Morricone, classic library productions, Madlib-style deep-jazz beat science, and psychedelic soul. With bandmate Malcolm Catto on drums, Ferguson draws on their long years of collaborative experience in the Heliocentrics to build an album of striking texture and depth.

Our Lowriders album is an amalgam of the two “This Is Lowrider Soul” CDs. We have chosen 14 tracks that represent the sounds loved by Los Angelenos, often of Mexican descent, that emanate from their fabulously designed motors while cruising Whittier Boulevard in East LA or, say, Van Nuys Boulevard in the northwest of the city.

The classic Los Angeles vocal group the Superbs are featured here on their glorious ‘It Hurts So Much’, but it is mainly the records discovered by sweet soul collectors that dominate. The Carnival label has a great reputation on this scene; Lee Williams & the Cymbals’ ‘Please Say It Isn’t So’ and ‘Follow Your Heart’ by the Manhattans are a pair of killer ballads perfect in tempo and harmony for the cruisers. Other East Coast offerings include the Persians’ captivating ‘Here It Comes’ and two gems which were only on master tape prior to their Kent releases – Melvin Hicks & The Versatiles’ ‘I’m Just Passing Time’ and the similarly unknown outfit the Exceptions, with the wailing ‘So Much In Love’.

Chicago has always been a breeding ground for black harmony groups. The Esquires saw much success at Bunky; ‘No Doubt About It’ was their equally great first release at Wand. Little Ben & The Cheers hailed from the same city; their ‘I’m Not Ready To Settle Down’ fetches big bucks due to Lowrider demand, as does ‘What Am I Gonna Do’ by the mysterious Houston Outlaws – their origins are uncertain, but must be Midwestern. The Vanguards hailed from Indianapolis and deservedly charted with ‘Somebody Please’, licensed to LA’s Whiz label. All of their seven singles on Lamp are also fine, harmonic soul tracks. The Lovers were a Bay Area group who recorded in Los Angeles with the maestro Arthur Wright; their ‘Someone’ was tipped for the charts when licensed to Philips, but flopped, leaving it ripe for revival by the soul connoisseurs. Like the Lovers, the reputation of Reuben Bell’s ‘It’s Not That Easy’ has grown over the decades and a record once considered common can now fetch hundreds of dollars – class will out.

FFO: Arthur Russell, Stealing Sheep, Neu!, Agar Agar, Galaxians
Holodrum are a new disco-infused synth-pop group, who feature members of Hookworms, Yard Act, Cowtown, Virginia Wing, Drahla and more.

Maybe Holodrum were destined to start at this point. This might be the first time they’ve all officially worked together, but between Emily Garner (vocals), Matthew Benn (synth/bass/production), Jonathan Nash (drums), Jonathan Wilkinson (guitar), Sam Shjipstone (guitar/vocals), Christopher Duffin (sax/synth) and Steve Nuttall (percussion) they’ve shared bands, mixed each other’s records, promoted live shows and made music videos together in and around Leeds. As Holodrum, this is the 7 piece’s debut album, but the interlocking grooves and hot headiness of their repeato-rock-via-CBGBs dopamine hits have in one way or other been fermenting for years.

“When it comes to doing music most bands fall between two extremes of doing it for some goal or as an end to itself” says Shjipstone. “I think Holodrum is about the joy and complexity of living, and I just hope to god everyone gets to have a good time doing it.”

Ultimately the core of the group comes from Shjipstone and his former Hookworms bandmates Benn, Nash and Wilkinson. After their abrupt dissolution in late 2018, the four of them spent six months apart; Benn still had Xam Duo, his ongoing project with Virginia Wing and some-time James Holden & The Animal Spirits live member Duffin, Nash remains vocalist and guitarist of long-running DIY rockers Cowtown and helms his solo project Game_Program; and Shjipstone plays guitar with Yard Act. However, the four of them missed the sixth sense synergy they’d built-up playing together over a decade and soon enough demos were being swapped and new ideas were discussed.

The vision of a large live electronic ensemble formed quickly. Friends were added: Duffin and Nuttall – who was keen to resurrect the double percussion interplay that he and Nash had been exploring as part of motorik trio Nope joined first. Then animator and VIDE0 singer Garner crystallised the line-up by joining on vocals.

“Apart from Emily, all of us had actually played together before in a covers band at a New Year’s Eve party at the Brudenell Social Club a couple of years ago, so we knew we could have fun together” says Benn. “So we set up to be a live party band early on. We wanted lots of people on stage having fun, playing for people that also wanted to have fun. It makes sense we take inspiration from bands like Tom Tom Club and Liquid Liquid; they were trying to help people to party at a point when New York was quite a scary and dangerous place we’re doing the same, albeit in the face of a decaying world and a global pandemic.”

Covid-19 hasn’t given them much opportunity to do that yet, with two fledgling shows in late 2019 to their name before festival appearances at the likes of Bluedot, Sounds From The Other City and Gold Sounds were scuppered last year. However, the 6 tracks on Holodrum crackle with the energy of the dancefloor. Opening cut 'Lemon Chic' described by Garner as her “workout track” starts out sparsely, with tight drum claps and burbling synths holding a teetering suspense before the whole thing’s prised open, allowing beaming saxophone skronk to shine in. Garner’s vocals bob and weave around the syncopations of the track’s building cacophony.

It sets the stall for an album heavy on euphoria, built atop crisp interplaying percussion and acid-flecked grooves. At times Shjipstone provides a raw counterpoint on vocals, while elsewhere - like on the strutting, swirling disco of 'Free Advice' and 'Low Light'’s late night ping pong synths - the pair indulge in playful call and response as the instrumentation builds and contorts around them. 'Stage Echo' provides a respite of sorts halfway through, a swirling, fever dream of a track that peaks with big squelchy frequencies and cavernous reverb, before the album returns to its repetitious exercises in body-moving catharsis underpinned at all times by a relentlessly propulsive rhythm section.

For their 5th volume of the 'Downtownsounds Classics' series, Fatty Fatty Phonographics are proud to present these gems from the West End Records catalogue, the famed underground disco label that gave us so many of our dancefloor staples.

"Tell You Today" is probably the Downtownsounds anthem, a sweet song of yearning, regret and innocent joy married to Arthur Russell's wonky, wobbly percussive genius, with a perfect pop climax that has led to many moments of collective disco joy on the DTS dancefloor.

We didn't need to do much on this edit beyond adding some elements from Arthur's B-side dub, so the joy goes on for just that little bit longer.

On the flip is 'When The Shit Hits The Fan', a no-nonsense, hit-the-floor and forget your troubles disco-rap stompout from 1980.
A favourite with the likes of Theo Parrish and Dave Lee, this one always get the sneaky shebeen vibes a going...Check those lyrics!