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Repress!

Last year's release of "The Midlands Roots Explosion Volume One", saw the culmination of many years work spent tracking down artists and tapes to shine a light on one of England's greatest, yet most overlooked musical scenes, the home grown take on reggae that briefly flourished from the mid-seventies and had almost disappeared little more than a decade later.

Volume Two starts off in exactly the same way as its predecessor with Handsworth's biggest musical exports, the legendary Steel Pulse and "Bun Dem produced by the legendary Dennis Bovell. Our first act new to the series are Natural Mystique with their 1982 single "Generals" whilst tracks 3, 4 and 5 round off the missing A and B sides from some of the most popular artists we included last time with Iganda's "Mark Of Slavery", Carnastoan's "Sweet Melody" and yet another Generals, this one from Musical Youth featuring the same line up that caused so much surprise and positive feedback with their inclusion on Volume One.

"Africans" from Bass Dance featuring a second appearance from former Steel Pulse guitarist/vocalist Basil Gabbidon, is the first of four previously unreleased tracks. The other three that we've managed to track down on long forgotten tapes, are Leicester's Groundation with "Rebel" recorded a few years before "Fa Ward" which we included last time, "Cannot Take It Away", another lost gem from Handsworth's Mystic Foundation and "Equalisation" another lost slice of early eighties roots from Wolverhampton's Capital Letters.
The late Linton Haughton is another new name with his scarce Shield label 12" cut "Hustling Man". Also making their first appearances, are Afrikan Star with "Run And Hide" originally issued in 1980 on Black Vinyl Records and from the Crucial Music stable, Sledge Hammer with "Ruled By The Stone" released as a 7" single on the Crucial Music Inc. label. The remaining three tracks are provided by label favourites and key players in the Birmingham scene, Black Symbol, Sceptre and Eclipse and showcase songs from the individual albums we've previously released by each band.
British roots reggae at its finest.

The follow-up to his acclaimed Constellation debut Third Album released in lockdown spring 2020, Markus Floats returns with Fourth Album, pushing the Montréal-based artist's distinct abstract electronic compositions into newly evocative terrain (while preserving his record-titling literalism). Faced with another couple of years spent unexpectedly, though not unfamiliarly, secluded and studio-bound, working on both paintings and music, Floats emerged by the end of 2022 with a set of tracks "about 60% finished" and a determined desire to throw off the shackles of distancing and isolation. "I had always thought about Markus Floats as a solo project but I am wrong about that. Fourth Album is about asking for help, inviting in, and making a home. It's about trust, exploration, and the effort of letting go."Sharing his in-progress recordings with a trio of close friends and collaborators from the powerhouse free music ensemble Egyptian Cotton Arkestra, each of these players then spent a day improvising to the tracks at Montréal's Hotel2Tango studio. With violin by Ari Swan, saxophone and mbira by James Goddard, and guitar and drums by Lucas Huang, Floats stitched their extemporized instruments back into his compositional process. The result is a fluid, lustrous, dynamic expansion of his sound and structure that continues to strike the ineffable balance of abstraction and soulfulness rightly highlighted and celebrated in the critical response to Third Album. Fourth Album sustains much of that previous work's enchanting equanimity, while inviting a bit more restlessness, accident and grit, with the incorporation of acoustic instruments and improvisation melding Floats' own background in Electroacoustic Studies and Jazz Performance more than ever before.Signature avant-electronic explorations of arpeggiated and timbral transformation, subtle shifts in harmonic consonance and dissonance, and a through-composed praxis that draws coterminously upon free jazz, musique concrète and modern Minimalism, all continue to shape Fourth Album to great effect. But an additional palette of sonic and gestural raw material is now also decidedly "out-of-the-box", charting a wider range of gestures, textures and temporalities. Fourth Album complexifies and intensifies across its 12 tracks, thematizing dualities and introducing new elements of play and accident, even a sort of looseness here and there, as it conjures communal expressivity within shorter, still scrupulous formal structures. Fourth Album also for the first time includes spoken word as a recorded element, previously only (and always) a feature of Markus Floats live performances. The album's final track samples the poet and activist Fred Moten, closing with these words: "What we've been trying to figure out how to get to is how we are when we get together to try to figure it out." This koan of socially-engaged process and creation/advancement of meaning through praxis and immanence reflects the unique fusion of intangible materiality and affective sensibility at work in Markus Floats music, unfolding in new depths and currents with Fourth Album.

Across the arc of Tristan Allen’s epiphanic, four part journey, Tin Iso and the Dawn, the New York based composer and puppeteer brings sonic life to a fantastical realm of characters whose universal longings mirror our own. In the first release of this mythic trilogy, intricate sound design and spellbinding leitmotifs make sense of loss and what’s beyond.

Formative exposures by way of travel through Asia, studies in Gamelan, a paper mache Christmas angel, and their dad’s Bread and Puppet Theater artifacts formed a web of inspiration from which Tristan’s desire to combine puppetry and their fascination for the narrative power of instrumental music emerged. Years of synchronistic inspirational encounters with “guardian angels” in the form of music mentors and puppeteer masters incentivized Tristan to pursue a project where they could focus on sound and diverse instrumentation.

Through this impulse, Tristan ceremoniously constructed the imaginary world of Tin Iso and the Dawn, loosely based on Wagner’s three act opera Tristan und Isolde. Composed and recorded between 2015 and 2022 across apartments from Boston to Brooklyn, with field recordings from locations of vivid sentiment: Upstate New York—where Tristan grew up, Quebec—where most of their close family lives, and Japan—where they lived briefly as a child, each moment of Tin Iso glimmers with nostalgic immediacy and the prescience of new voyages unfolding.

As a follow-up to the debut EP; Anaesthesia, Avilynn is back with another dynamic four track EP; Five Million Sunsets, which is accompanied by a remix from Ostgut Ton’s Answer Code Request.

‘Why So Serious’ opens the project and focuses on dynamically evolving and unfurling drums, plucked synths and modulating percussion while expansive reverberations and nuanced echoes further instil dynamism throughout. Answer Code Request steps up next, shifting the focus to an aesthetically industrial feel, twisting elements of the original’s synthesis and high-octane drums into an ominous, subtly unfolding take on things.

Opening the flip-side is title-cut ‘Five Million Sunsets’ which sees Avilynn explore a more textural landscape, dropping the tempo significantly and introducing circling dub chords, earthy sub tones and menacing bass swells throughout. Last up to round out the release is ‘Your Eye Was Bigger Than The Other One’, here Avilynn focuses her musical theme around “a trippy experience where the person has a distorted reality’’, the composition laid out across three and a half minutes melds together choppy broken drums, eerie tones and bubbling synths alongside gritty distorted moments and metallic chimes.

About the label:

Life experiences in macro and micro; daily reveries and introspections; byproducts of clubbing and city life…converted into sonic frequencies.

The focus of the label is on releasing physical products and the use of the cityscape as the primary interface between artist and music listener. Access to Avilynn’s music and multimedia output is made possible through stickers scattered about different cityscapes which feature personal quotes and QR codes. You can find sticker locations via insta’s highlights at instagram.

The first release from Microtonal Records, Residents of Aotearoa: Microtonal Showcase (ROAMS) EP, presents producers currently living in New Zealand and their interpretation of a warm, atmospheric and dark sound with a groove that provokes movement and thought.

Track A1: Astral Aura by Seb Selknam
A pure analog production from Seb Selknam - Astral Aura provides an instant groove from a warm bassline that sits in pure harmony with the kick to give structure to the melodic and atmospheric landscape you are led into. Minimal crisp percussion and echoing vocals add a familiar and human element to the journey as you slowly float through vista's unknown and aura's unseen. This is 08:22 of pure bliss.

Track A2: Bosun by HRZNTL
The last beat drops, the party ends, the taxi awaits. Bosun by HRZNTL is a reflective piece, the transition from pure adrenaline and the buzz of the rave into a lasting memory of a night spent with family and friends dancing at a castle in the hills of Barcelona. The track itself is built around a detuned dubby key which represents the emotions of ending an epic night, it is surrounded by dark and haunting stabs to add to the atmosphere and a bubbling synth which brings an optimistic reality that it's only day one at Sonar.

Track B1: Admiral Frick by Harvo x Patella
The first ever demo sent to Microtonal HQ, Admiral Frick by Harvo and Patella is pure energy. Taking elements of tribal percussion and combining it with acidic stabs, it is balanced perfectly with a wandering atmospheric pad. There are subtle shifts between four four and breakbeat, as it builds with syncopated snares and a beautiful unrecognisable monotonous vocal calling you deeper into mysteries of the jungle at night. Calmness descends to create space for a powerful sweeping drone like bass that drops you back into a hypnotic state of being. Your relationship with this track will be like an addiction, constantly seeking a hit.

Track B2: Introspection by Felipe Martinez
The epitome of a Microtonal Records track; warm, atmospheric, dark and with a groove. Introspection by Felipe Martinez is a microbreaks track that draws you in with a wide pulsating low end and irregular percussive stabs that float from left to right at the high end. A soft acid synth builds and explodes like a solar flare creating an outer planetary experience. The beautifully crafted breakdown gives you time to pause, observe and contemplate, creating space to process your mental state and explore your emotions from the past, present and future. Introspection; 10 minutes of self healing.

For Volker Bertelmann, aka HAUSCHKA, music is not solely about its sound, but also a means to facilitate the exchange of ideas and foster meaningful interactions between individuals, revealing his fascination with human connection and engagement. Despite being known for his distinctive prepared piano sound, the Academy Award-winning composer intentionally named his 15th solo studio album PHILANTHROPY to express his compassion and openness. The album's song titles, such as "Diversity," "Nature," "Loved Ones," and "Altruism," perfectly align with their respective musical compositions. HAUSCHKA's albums often serve as a platform to provoke dialogue on specific themes, and PHILANTHROPY follows this pattern, aiming to offer optimism and energy in response to the challenges of recent years. The album combines upbeat and pensive pieces, featuring moments of joy, introspection, and peaceful interludes. Overall, PHILANTHROPY showcases HAUSCHKA's compositional prowess and serves as a gift that sparks reflection and celebration.

This October Melbourne/Naarm synth-punk five-piece screensaver return with ‘Decent Shapes’, their second album. ‘Decent Shapes’ is loaded with bubbling tension, a low grade but growing fever, a rising rage. The frustration is so tangible you can taste it. Detachment and dissociation become survivalist coping mechanisms.


Thematically, screensaver's latest offering finds them exploring existence on an ever-growing trash heap where we’re desperate for the new, the nice and the shiny. A world where materialism reigns supreme and corporate niceties litter the public dialogue but behind closed doors the sentiment is warlike, total domination is the only answer to the bottom line. All of which is underpinned by the band's sonic sense of urgency and a commitment to creating a sound that taps into the mood and spirit of post-punk whilst also allowing space for new wave elements and electronic experiments to shine through.
‘Decent Shapes’ was recorded and mixed by Julian Cue, who was also the recording engineer for Expressions of Interest. Defined by a kinetic energy, dynamic range and brooding atmosphere, the 10-track release comprises some tracks that were mainstays within the band's live shows - featuring in their US tour set-list - alongside others which were written later in the recording process. During the creation of ‘Decent Shapes’, the band also experimented with swapping instruments, allowing for different playing styles and song-writing approaches.


screensaver was formed in 2016 as a trans-Pacific project between Krystal Maynard (Bad Vision/ex Polo) and Christopher Stephenson (Spray Paint/Exek). Their debut album Expressions of Interest received support from the likes of Brooklyn Vegan, Beats Per Minute, DIY and Post-Trash and last September the band played a 12-date tour across the US.

The rising Tamil-Swiss artist Priya Ragu is set to release her long-awaited debut album ‘SANTHOSAM’ on October 20th.



‘SANTHOSAM’ (the Tamil word for ‘happiness’) is a standout dynamic album which takes her raguwavy sound – simmering R&B, masterful pop hooks, earthy soulful vocals, dance beats, and the warm tabla rhythms, and spiralling melodics of Tamil music – to even more adventurous heights. Defined by Priya’s contagiously positive spirit, it pulsates with gorgeously varied musical textures and urgent political themes. Once again crafted in collaboration with her brother and producer Japhna Gold, it’s an album that originates from Priya’s quest for self-discovery.



‘SANTHOSAM’ opens with ‘Ammama’s Note’, which features a voice recording in which Priya’s grandmothers is questioning why she isn’t married. Like many young South Asian women, Priya felt like she wanted to achieve much more before she settled down, regardless of other people’s preconceptions of what direction her life should take. That ability to write one’s own destiny continues the euphoric ‘School Me Like That’, set to a rumbling tambla beat and breezy synths. More universal issues are explored in the blazing anger of ‘Black Goose’, which was written in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests, and ‘Let Me Breathe (Reprise)’, a spiritual call for freedom, emancipation, and peace.



Elsewhere, the record brims with highlight-after-highlight, taking in everything from the dancefloor disco energy of ‘One Way Ticket’ to ‘Power’ which features a rousing string arrangement that was written by Indian composer Bala and recorded with an orchestra in Budapest. It closes with ‘Mani Osai’, a song which continues a yearly family tradition in which Priya, Japhna and their father write a song together. Never intended to be a Priya Ragu track, it nonetheless felt like the perfect way to close the album – especially as the concluding “santhosam” chant conveys the meaning of the word with life-affirming zest.

SAVED! is an apocalyptic revelation on the complex, sometimes ugly, always nonlinear process of healing. Herein, Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter documents an earnest attempt to achieve salvation through the tenets of charismatic Christianity, focusing on the Pentecostal-Holiness Movement, which dictate that one's closeness to God is demonstrated through transcendental personal experience. Sonically and thematically, the record is both a logical conclusion to and a significant departure from Hayter's previous work as Lingua Ignota. Mirroring her personal evolution away from pain, she sheds the moniker that made her successful for its unflinching expression of lived trauma and instead builds herself anew, claiming her full given name, determined to see value within. Musically, while she continues to use historical avant-garde technique and formal constraints superimposed over accessible frameworks, she also strips down her instrumentation and degrades audio to provide a sense of musicological antiquity. Similar to Lingua Ignota, the record is steeped in pathos, but now the wrath of God gives way to His deliverance: "His boundless love shall make you whole."

SAVED! is an apocalyptic revelation on the complex, sometimes ugly, always nonlinear process of healing. Herein, Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter documents an earnest attempt to achieve salvation through the tenets of charismatic Christianity, focusing on the Pentecostal-Holiness Movement, which dictate that one's closeness to God is demonstrated through transcendental personal experience. Sonically and thematically, the record is both a logical conclusion to and a significant departure from Hayter's previous work as Lingua Ignota. Mirroring her personal evolution away from pain, she sheds the moniker that made her successful for its unflinching expression of lived trauma and instead builds herself anew, claiming her full given name, determined to see value within. Musically, while she continues to use historical avant-garde technique and formal constraints superimposed over accessible frameworks, she also strips down her instrumentation and degrades audio to provide a sense of musicological antiquity. Similar to Lingua Ignota, the record is steeped in pathos, but now the wrath of God gives way to His deliverance: "His boundless love shall make you whole."

In the early 1990s, a team of linguists, engineers, anthropologists, and archaeologists were tasked with constructing a type of communication that could transcend time. How might we converse with future civilizations when language may evolve or dissolve entirely? The result yielded the design of spike fields; a strange construction of granite thorns bursting from the earth to alert its viewers to the deadly uninhabitability of nuclear waste disposal sites. For Maria BC (they/them), this state of temporal focus molds the wanderings on their second full length album Spike Field. How do we connect with the weathered shadow of our experience, while envisioning the self a few steps ahead of us? While their debut album Hyaline (2022, Father/Daughter) explored grief and anxiety through a series of character-led accounts, Spike Field recognizes that the past will continue to lurk below the surface until we decide to break through the soil. Spike Field was recorded in the home of a family friend. The home featured an out-of-tune baby Steinway piano, complete with squeaky hammers and strange, sporadic sounds. The piano is sprinkled throughout the album, and features extensively on opener "Amber," showcasing Maria BC's looser, more extensive arrangements. The song flickers with electronic wonder, like a wave seeking out its station, before crashing into the angelic choral introduction of "Watcher". Strings, plucked guitar and buzzing swells accompany their classically-trained mezzo-soprano voice on "Return to Sender," a song that focuses on the frustrations and turmoil of being unable to reach a loved one--both physically and emotionally. Spike Field reminds us that despite our best efforts to bury certain aspects of ourselves, they will always lurk beneath the surface. Instead of ignoring the seeds striving to break through, we can point to these places with a curious grace, concocting a language that transcends words to converse with our previous selves. Maria BC pieces together juxtaposing sonic landscapes and oscillating vocals to represent the thread of miscommunication, or the failure of words, that weaves throughout the album, transforming it into a distinct and ever-evolving sonic tongue. If we listen, we might find something new within ourselves.

Legendary Dublin punk band formed in November 1978 by Maurice Foley (guitar/vocals), which had a number of iterations before disbanding in 1981. The Threat built up a following in Dublin and maintained a heavy reputation through the 1979 and 1980. Playing the legendary Dandelion on a couple of occasions towards the end of 1979 and became friendly with members of the Virgin Prunes and U2. Stano, another friend of the band, bought a synthesizer, purely as a sound generator, and joined them. As a nonmusician, his synth added noise and texture to the band's sound and brought out their experimental side.

This tape of the band's April 1981 gig in Limerick came to us a few years ago from one of the band members drummer Stephen O' Brien and it's been remastered for the perfect cassette experience.

Emerging from the heart of Brussels, the captivating five-piece Azmari is set to release "Maëlström" on October 20. For Maelström, the follow up to their acclaimed debut album Sam?'? (with raving reviews in Uncut, Songlines, Uk Vibe and Electronic Sound), the group has delved into uncharted musical territories creating a mesmerizing "azmarian" identity and melding intricate jazz textures with intoxicating oriental influences, otherworldly ethio grooves, enigmatic dark funk, and the pulsating beats of dub music,

For the creation of "Maëlström," Azmari embarked on an intensive one-week recording journey. During this time, they meticulously honed the sound of their instruments, blending the nostalgic notes of old-school clavinet keyboards with cutting-edge synth sounds, resulting in a distinct and alluring atmosphere. Enriching their traditional instruments with balanced pedal effects and special amplification, the band added new flavours to their sound.

Founded in the vibrant musical haven of Brussels in 2015, Azmari have been crafting a truly unique tapestry of musical exploration. Azmari defies conventional labels to weave a narrative of sonic innovation and artistic liberation. Influences range from an eclectic array of artists, including Okay Temiz, Heliocentrics, Whitefield Brothers, Surprise Chef, Antibalas and Sons of Kemet.

From the band: "For the third part of our musical journey, we dug into a deeper creative process. We literally immersed ourselves in deep waters during a unique two-week aquatic residency. The tracks on this album are thus directly imbued with distinctive underwater frequencies, the sounds of abyssal creatures, and the beauty of the seabed. Convinced by this creative experience, and guided by captain (and producer) Frederik Segers, we brought this album back to the surface and reveal a resolutely scaly, sandy, and deep soundscape."

Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express was the phoenix that rose from the ashes of sixties combo The Trinity. Fusing R&B, jazz, soul and funk, keyboard maestro Brian Auger created a new breed of music that took the US and the UK by storm. Auger’s unique experimentation culminated in rhythm-infused jazz funk that united Black and white ’70s audiences. The 6 studio albums that make up Complete Oblivion illustrate the group’s diverse musical influences and progression, from the 1970 self titled debut’s heavy jazz-rock to the jazz fusion, latin and disco tinged Reinforcements from 1975 - this process no doubt powered by the groups’ evolving line up, which included guitarists Jim Mullen and Jack Mills, drummers Robbie McIntosh & Steve Ferrone, bassists Barry Dean and Clive Chaman and vocalist Alex Ligertwood. The musical highlights within Complete Oblivion are many, but particular highlights to mention have to be Total Eclipse (Oblivion Express), Fill Your Head With Laugher (A Better Land), the blistering cover of Eddie Harris’ Freedom Jazz Dance (Second Wind), the Barry Dean composition Whenever You're Ready, the version of Marvin Gaye’s Inner City Blues (Closer To It), Beginning Again (Straight Ahead) and the mind bending keyboard tour de force Brain Damage (Reinforcements). Given the groups legendary status among fellow musicians such as Zucchero and Herbie Hancock, DJ’s like Kenny Dope and Gilles Peterson and Auger’s legion of fans worldwide - that mission was fully accomplished - or to put it another way, in the words of super fans The Beastie Boys: “Those who remain oblivious to the obvious delights of Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express do so at their own risk!”

Reissued on limited edition 180 gram Clear vinyl. On The Blackened Air (her second album but first for Touch and Go, originally released in 2002), Nina Nastasia and her band are not content to just support a vocal melody; they pry it apart and look down its throat. The stringed and wind instruments (viola, cello, mandolin, accordion, bowed saw, acoustic and electric guitars) reach up out of the songs into rarefied territory. Little stories of Peeping Toms and the police lights they bring with them, graveyards and impolite family, epigrams against disaster, depression, simple forgetfulness, all delivered so effortlessly that the precision of the delivery registers long after its substance has left its mark. When she sings "I'm not hiding anything / I'm not trying to fool you at all," in a song titled "That's All There Is," it is all the truth. A generation-plus of young troubadours pine for things they never had to lose, as if sadness and depression were inevitable consequences of being alive. Nastasia's music is an antidote to all of that. The Blackened Air is a darkish record not just in title, but by examining everything without caving in to decadence or solipsism, it is a rejuvenating experience. It is informed, without affect, unique, and succinct. Above all, it is beautiful to hear and a pleasure to have in one's home.

‘Hey don’t touch that dial, good news Punk Rock Is Back!’ Mal-One

Mal-One’s new album starts with running through the radio dial, looking for some suitable music to listen to. These snippets are actually samples of songs from his previous album ‘It’s All Punk Rock’. Leading the listener nicely into a new set of songs to get their Punk Rock teeth into.

Songs that cover… the great New York punk scene of the 1970’s that grew out of a little bar in the Bowery District of New York City called CBGB’s ‘New York City Punk’. The Clash’s first album discussed in ‘When The Two 77’s Clashed’. The excitement of London’s Roxy Club revisited with its one line chant ‘Down The Roxy’. Those great ‘Punk Rock Fanzines‘, that kept us all so well informed. An early Sex Pistols gig at the Chelsea School of Art, ‘Machine Bubble Disco’. So named after what was to be the main event of that nights entertainment!!!.’45 Random Punk Memories’ sprang from Mal-One’s own reminisces. Talking of memories ‘Looking At The Decals On Steve Jones Guitar’, the recollection of Steve Jones, future guitarist of the Sex Pistols, stealing Mal-One’s bike when he was the tender age of seven years old. An incident that might have triggered this whole road of discovery in the first place.

A reflection on London’s harsh setting in those heady Punk times in ‘Corrugated London’ alongside a call and response to remember that ‘London’s Turning’ all the time for better or worse and that we can’t always pick and choose the bits we want to keep. The self-explanatory, ‘We Will All Lose Some Good Friends Along The Way’. ‘Shakespeare Meets Chuck Berry On Shepherds Bush Green’, a great story when Joe Strummer was asked by a reporter what he was up to and what he might call The Clash’s next album, which would turn out to be the timeless ‘London Calling’. Joe’s rather
tongue in cheek answer was “Shakespeare Meets Chuck Berry On Shepherds Bush Green’’.
A place close to Mal-One’s heart and a great title, that was crying out to be reused. Which Mal-One does via what he calls his Punk Art Poetry. Sometimes these lines are turned into lyrics and reworked into songs.

The album ends with such a call, ‘An Open Letter To…’ all those people who helped influence us all along the way. As the lyric states often without thought of financial gain, but done so, quiet simply because it had to be done.Maybe some young guns might in some small way, be inspired and find in Mal-One’s current efforts that ‘anything is possible’ and the true meaning of Punk was in fact, ‘Do It Yourself’.

The vinyl version of this release includes a poster that is part of Mal-Ones continuing Street Art project that involves putting up posters around London. This time declaring the news ‘Punk Rock Is Back!’. Included in the album packaging also is a signed and blind stamped limited print of one of Mal-One’s works ‘What Is It About Punk That’s So Different So Appealing’. A punk collage that just carries one word in among its multiple punk images and that word is PUNK. We hope you enjoy the indulgence.

Multi-disciplilnary Swiss artist Zimoun makes large-scale installations of noise and movement from cardboard, DC motors and other industrial objects. He has shown them in prestigious museums and galleries across the globe and now in his new album ModularGuitarFields I-VI he has relied on just one instrument, the Tenor Baritone Guitar, which he has then fused with elements of a modular synth setup and a vintage 1960s Magnatone Amp. It is a deliciously atmospheric work of raw sound, hints of psychedelia and gritty microsounds that are like scone sculptures that evolve as you listen and make for a hypnotic experience. Each new listen reveals a fresh layer to get lost in and as such makes for a fascinating album.

On My Own Terms / Time, a new non-label created for Yorobi's self-released projects.

The first ep "Projection Palace" features 4 tracks across various genres and tempo's.
From bass heavy breaks and house to sound along the hardcore jungle continuum.

The name of the ep refers to a psychological principle of "projection", whereby you project certain (negative) qualities onto others without them being necessarily right.
Quite often the projections say a lot more about the person who's doing the projecting rather than the person on the receiving end.
The idea then was to make an EP that revolved around this theme. The palace bit being a metaphor as if you were a house which would show you all these mirrors which are wonky and distorted, like a fun house on a fairground

Sampha announces the full details of his highly-anticipated, sophomore album LAHAI, out October 20th on Young. Taken from his paternal grandfather’s name, which is also Sampha’s middle name, LAHAI revels in the awe and magic of our existence, synthesizing the exquisite chaos that one experiences confronting the cycle of life and the beyondness. Spanning 14-tracks, with contributions from some of Sampha’s closest friends, peers and collaborators including: Yaeji, Léa Sen, Sheila Maurice Grey (Kokoroko), Ibeyi, Morgan Simpson (Black Midi), Yussef Dayes, Laura Groves and Kwake Bass, LAHAI, in contrast to Process, is a communal affair seeing Sampha explore the many ways in which we as humans connect to each other, and to something bigger than ourselves. On the album’s latest single “Only,” premiering today via a new music video directed by Dexter Navy in collaboration with Sampha, which follows the recent “Spirit 2.0,” we meet a newly energized Sampha, as he spits melodically over a fragmented hip-hop hued beat with co-production from El Guincho.

Not unlike its maker, LAHAI defies clear categorization. Spanning jazz, soul, rap, dance, jungle and west African music, LAHAI sees Sampha elevating his production and vocal ambition to great new heights. A notable singer, songwriter and producer, it’s no wonder that artists like Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Travis Scott and previously, Drake, Solange, Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne and Alicia Keys have all tapped the artist for his inimitable voice plus songwriting and production contributions to their music. His work expands across multiple disciplines, with previous creative partnerships including the fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner, the Shy Light zine with Durimel (who also shot the LAHAI artwork) his Process film with director Kahlil Joseph, and most recently creative director Jonny Lu, with whom Sampha worked to create the LAHAI album artwork and logo.

If Process, Sampha’s 2017 Mercury-Prize-winning debut album, was an artist figuring out his own place in the world, engulfed in the shadows of grief and loss, LAHAI is an exercise in the radical acceptance and joy in the human condition, and the beauty in the journey itself. Welcome to Sampha’s next musical chapter: LAHAI.

Betamax of The Comet Is Coming and Pete Bennie of Speakers Corner Quartet are Coma World. They have come together again to produce a further batch of rhythmically enlightened Dystopian Jazz, alongside illustrious graphic and sound artist Raimund Wong (Floating World Pictures) for this record - 'Coma Wong' (out 6 October 2023 on Byrd Out). The storm clouds are gathering at sea, with the white horses dancing ever faster on the waves. Coma World chose to ride out the tempest, sail up, speeding along together towards who knows what… Expect drums precision engineered with just the right degree of insouciance, drone-bathed sounds rippling and depth charge bass that explodes beneath the surface across 12 tracks. The Wire on their first album, the self-titled ‘Coma World’: “a bold drum ‘n’ bass affair, a nervy meeting between dub and jazz experimentations with new channels explored track by track”. Tom Ravenscroft on BBC 6 Music on ‘Calamari’ from the new album: “I think this is like my favourite track right now… Love it.”

The first two minutes of Sun June’s third album, Bad Dream Jag-uar, is a reverie - Laura Colwell’s voice floats above a slow-burn,sparse synth, conjuring a tipsy loneliness, a hazy recollection, a disco ball spinning at the end of the night for an empty dancefloor. Sun June’s music often feels like a shared memory – the details so close to the edge of a song that you can touch them. And as an Austin-based project, their music has also always feltstrangely and specifically Texan – unhurried, long drives acrossan impossible expanse of openness, refractions shimmering off the pavement in the heat.

But on Bad Dream Jaguar, Sun June is unmoored. The back drop of Texas is replaced by longing, by distance, by transience, and aquiet fear. The only sense of certainty comes from the murky past.It’s a dispatch from aging, when you’re in the strange in-betweenof yourself: there’s a clear image of the person you once wereand the places you inhabited, generational curses and our fami-lies, but the future feels vast, unclear – and the present can’t helpbut slip through your fingers.

Fresh from supporting Blur at Wembley Stadium this summer, Sleaford Mods are getting set for some of their biggest ever UK and Europe dates this autumn with the release of new six track EP, More UK GRIM, on 20 October. Recorded at the same time as their acclaimed 2023 album, UK GRIM, the freshly released songs not only continue Andrew Fearn and Jason Williamson's current dancefloor dominance, but with a mix of insight and wit, outrage and compassion, they critique and celebrate our turbulent times.à Lead single Big Pharma, shares a 'take no prisoners' lyrical approach with the band's recent album as it casts a doubtful eye down the 'truther' wormhole, although entwined around a slinky bass riff the track confirms the two-piece at their most dexterous musically. Big Pharma, which sets the tone for the More UK GRIM EP, is accompanied by a sharply satirical animated video directed by Sean Sears, who has applied his distinctive, stylised 2D vision to examining the consequences of a health 'philosophy' that prizes drinking urine over carefully researched medical treatments.à "Big Pharma was written in the opening chapters of autumn 2022 when Covid kicked in again. It carries a lot of the normal Sleaford Mods absurdism but also looks at the ongoing fascination with trying to find truths in information wholly pushed by very questionable people," explains Jason Williamson. Alongside the lead single, the More UK GRIM EP also features Under The Rules, Old Nottz, PO Crazeh and My 18hr Girdle, all previously unavailable.

A captivating work of impressionistic memories, observations and intimate confessions, Ebony wrote her debut self-titled solo album while coming into prominence as an in-demand portrait photographer within New Zealand’s contemporary literature and independent music scenes. The release comes five years after her alt-country band, Eb & Sparrow, amicably parted ways in 2018.

Recorded on vintage analog studio gear and mastered to tape, EBONY LAMB finds Runga and Nielson placing Ebony’s distinct, fragile-but-firm voice within a cinematic confluence of jazz, folk, psychedelia, alt-country and ambient pop. Written over the last five years while coming to terms with the realities of a changing world, themes of gratitude, loss, acceptance and aspiration run through the album like a river, especially in the nocturnal groove of ‘My Daughter My Sister My Son’ and ‘Brother Get Me Home’.

From the album’s opening notes, Ebony expresses herself in non-judgmental terms, singing with a raw tenderness that draws listeners into her reflections on friendship (‘Drive Me Around’), the complexity and contradictions of success (‘Successful Feelings’), and connections in seemingly hopeless moments (‘Come, Put A Record On’). Yet while her songs can feel like she’s sitting just across from you, Runga and Nielson’s production imbues them with an expansive sensibility. Spare, vivid and moving,

EBONY LAMB is an album that captures a defining artistic leap from a talented artist coming into her own. Singing to herself and the listener, she implores us to continue reaching forward without losing sight of what we have and the elements of our lives that truly matter.

Dead Times is Lee Buford (The Body, Sightless Pit, Manslaughter 777) and Steven Vallot (Muslin). The duo originally began working together in 2008 while living together in Providence DIY space The Sickle, and releasing the early records from The Body and The Assembly of Light Choir on their short-lived Aum War label. They quickly achieved cult status with just two limited releases. Those releases have become highly coveted rarities for The Body fans and those familiar with the world of Providence, Rhode Island"s legendary DIY scene, which gave rise to artists like Lightning Bolt and Black Dice. Emerging over a decade later, Dead Times connects the threads of the untethered extremes of their origins to the mastery of production, composition, and structure each member has cultivated in their time apart. On their debut self-titled full-length, Dead Times present a kind of mesmeric dread, a world of desperate beauty wrapped in sonic venom. Buford and Vallot each bring wells of experience and new skill to Dead Times since their days living together in dilapidated warehouses. The duo"s shared history remains an essential element to their chemistry, but each has sharpened their craft to harness that raw creativity into music that is fearless, poignant and undeniably unique. A band"s band, but not for long. Dead Times, the duo"s first album, is staggering in its ambitions and exquisite in its execution. Lee Buford is known for his prolific work in acts including The Body, Sightless Pit, Everyone Asked About You, and more, alongside numerous collaborations with the likes of Full Of Hell, BIG|BRAVE, Thou, OAA, and Siege Engine. Steven Vallot is known for his collaborative work both musically, and artistically, with artists such as Krieg, The Body, Whitehorse, and Drew McDowall.

"Dahab Days" is the highly anticipated third album from acclaimed British guitarist Rob
Luft, who has witnessed remarkable growth in Europe in recent years, notably as a BBC
New Generation Artist and through collaborations with Elina Duni. Luft's debut album,
"Riser," released in 2017, made a lasting impact, showcasing his exceptional talent and
distinctive musical voice. Building on the success of "Riser," his second album, "Life is the
Dancer," further solidified his reputation as a versatile guitarist and composer.
With "Dahab Days," Luft embarks on another significant stride in his artistic journey. This
album represents a notable expansion of his sound, incorporating a string quartet and
reinforcing the contributions of his talented band members, who have become an integral
part of his musical identity. Luft's well-deserved reputation as a versatile guitarist shines
through as he delivers uplifting improvisations that evolve in hypnotic and contemporary
ways, captivating listeners with their compelling and immersive qualities.
The album derives its name from Dahab, a location in Egypt where much of the music was
written. Over the past three years, Luft has spent considerable time there due to the
Covid-19 pandemic's limitations. While not overtly drawing from the music of the region,
"Dahab Days" subtly reflects the influence of his experiences in that unique setting.

McCombs is one of the most highly regarded bassists/guitarists working today, known for his pioneering band Tortoise, his bass playing in Chicago"s Eleventh Dream Day, and his innovative instrumental group Brokeback. He has released albums with guitarist David Daniell, and collaborated with the likes of Tom Zé to Yo La Tengo, Stereolab to Daniel Lanois. In addition to being the touring bassist for The Sea and Cake, McCombs has somehow found time to form a new trio Black Duck with guitarist Bill MacKay, and percussionist Charles Rumback. Douglas McCombs" VMAKMcCombs" debut solo album is a mix of improvisation, textural explorations and recurring melodic themes. Taking after Brokeback"s classic Morse Code in the Modern Age: Across the Americas, "Two To Coolness" is a piece that McCombs refined through a series of improvised performances and features Calexico drummer John Convertino, as well as singer/guitarist/synth player Sam Prekop (also of The Sea and Cake). "Green Crown"s Step" was largely improvised working through melodies and patterns. The stately "To Whose Falls Shallows" reshapes three key themes that Tortoise and Brokeback fans will find to be signature McCombs, buoyed by fellow Brokeback member James Elkington (Tweedy), who also engineered and mixed the album. On the album, McCombs plays with spare instrumentation and primarily plays electric and acoustic guitars as well as the Bass VI, drawing out textures that stretch the scope of his instruments. McCombs" work is pastoral and expansive, his playing is refined and nuanced, and his melodies often bely his admiration for Ennio Morricone as his guitar imbues endlessly sprawling fields of the midwest with the same sense of magic. It is a true pleasure to hear him perform in such an intimate way. This is an absolute essential for followers of McCombs and newcomers alike, as the album lays bare his influence on each of his groups as well as firmly stakes McCombs as a force all his own.

Behind Ljudbilden and Boelja you'll find the melodic ambient veterans Kristofer
Strom and Markus Clemmedson. They've been following parallell musical paths
since at least 20 years and are now finally releasing their official collaboration
project with Malmo Inre. Embers is an improvisational meeting where they
explore the borderland between electronic and acoustic instrumental music.

"Ruiner" the new full-length LP from time-honored US black metal entity
KRIEG will see its release on Oct 13
"Ruiner" is the first full- length from the cult US black metal force since 2014's
"Transient" and is a despondent expression that captures the classic KRIEG
complexion which has solidified KRIEG as a vanguard and pioneer of US black
metal.
Even though "Ruiner" is the first KRIEG full-length album in nine years, KRIEG has
continued to remain active leading up to its long-awaited release through various
splits, collabs and EPs. This all culminated in that moment for "Ruiner" to
ultimately manifest itself.
"Ruiner" is unrepentant and remorseless black metal in the reflective manner
KRIEG and mastermind N. Jameson have always been known for. Most-notably
that of the savage and unhinged aura present in the triarchy of classic KRIEG
works, namely "Destruction Ritual" (2001), "The Black House" (2004), and "Blue
Miasma" (2006) while maintaining that harsh, sorrowful and cold- blooded
melancholic aura

On his latest album as The Drums, New York-based indie pop artist Jonny
Pierce plunges into the work of healing from childhood trauma and the
long shadow it casts over adulthood
The sparkling, eponymous Jonny unfurls a love letter to a galaxy of younger
selves, all hungry to be nourished, all rejoicing now that they finally get to belong.
Playful, heartbreaking, raucous, and serene all in turn, Jonny embraces the mess
of life in all its facets. It renders the magic that happens when you fall in love with
yourself down to the marrow.
Soaring to alt- pop prestige on arrival, The Drums have released studio albums
that deftly walk the line of aching melancholy and irresistible pop sensibilities,
presented through a kaleidoscope of pastel guitars, reverb, modular synthesizers
and drum machines. It's a sound that's wholly unique, and unmistakably The
Drums.
The Drums' music remains timeless, as evidenced by the recent explosion of their
RIAA Gold- certified song Money, which first appeared on their breakout
sophomore album Portamento, reaching #1 on the Alternative Global Shazam
Chart and #2 on the TikTok Global Hashtag Chart

King Tree & the Earthmothers is Henry James, Adam Ditt & Derek Eglit
Guitarist/singer Henry James (Robert Jon & The Wreck) and bassist
Adam Ditt (Balto, Gethen Jenkins) met in high school and were always
performing around and touring with different bands
There was a lot of chaos and inconsistency, but the constant would be after
school improvised jam sessions which would inspire the name and core concept
of the project. There was a certain freedom involved in performing as a trio that
always seemed to spark inspiration. Over the years James would find himself
working on psychedelic and progressive rock-influenced bedroom demos. Some
of these can be heard on 2020's "King Tree & The Earthmothers", an effort
performed, produced and recorded entirely by Henry James.
There were various incarnations of King Tree as a live band (as far back as 2016),
but the full potential of the group would not be realized until the addition of
drummer Derek Eglit (Painted Wives, Pinkly Smooth) in 2021. With an undeniable
and explosive chemistry, the trio became locally known in Southern California for
eclectic and virtuosic live performances. They brought a collection of songs to
the studio as a band in 2022 and are now preparing to release their true debut
album in 2023 and hit stages across Europe for the first time in October and
November.
King Tree & the Earthmothers is the "other" band for Henry James, guitarist for
Robert Jon & The Wreck - They will be touring Europe in October/November 2023

Going, Going, Going, Gone: The Rare Recordings of
Connie Cunningham and the Creeps Vol. 1
When Nick Kinsey moved into his farmhouse in New York's Hudson
Valley, he dreamed that he would stumble upon a trove of unreleased
music from some eccentric artist who'd previously lived there - If anyone
would be inclined to expect that kind of treasure, it would be the prolific
Kinsey, who in addition to his own music has produced and played on
Waxhatchee's St Cloud, toured with Kevin Morby, and drummed for AC
Newman, Hand Habits, and Cold War Kids, among many others
And with all those various styles and ideas swirling around his head, that
imaginary stash of songs appealed more and more. "I needed to create a fictional
character to get into the headspace necessary to finish this group of songs,"
Kinsey says. "I was able to escape my usual writing blocks and get away from any
need to sound 'cool' by pretending I was this fictional weirdo and failed session
musician." And after rounding out his compositions with some key collaborators,
the first volume of Connie Cunningham and the Creeps fulfilled Kinsey's dream in
the form of six brilliant, retro oddball pop planets circling one oddball songwriting
star.

When the two brothers Alex and Mikael Lachan grew up in the small town of
Finspang, music was the highway and the world was the destination.
Playing together in the basement every day since they were kids, they formed a
bond that would translate into an explosive live show years later. The rejuvenated
band hammers out a sound that is energetic enough to sustain a live show
revolution, talented enough to keep your attention and welcoming enough to let
your voice sing the anthemic choruses like there was no tomorrow.
Over the span of their career they have released three full length albums (soon to
be four), two EPs and multiple digital singles. They have toured Europe many
times and played with bands such as Millencolin, Street Dogs, Asta Kask and
received praise from bands such as Dropkick Murphys for their heart-and-soulpacked melodic punk rock.
Now in 2023 they are back with a brand new full length album called Wanderlust
& Hardships. Recorded with the acclaimed producer Niels Nielsen, known for his
work with In Flames, Dead Soul, Ghost, and MCC, the album showcases the
band's signature sound that blends hard- hitting instrumentals with anthemic
lyrics. Fans can expect a celebratory and energetic tone that is sure to get them
involved.

The Chills reissue their celebrated early singles compilation, this 24-track expanded version of Kaleidoscope World gathers together tracks from the ‘Dunedin Double’ compilation, live recordings, Doledrums’ single and the band’s seminal ‘Pink Frost’. The collection also contains ‘The Lost EP’, with early takes on their groundbreaking ‘Submarine Bells’ album, alongside the aching ‘I Love My Leather Jacket’, perfectly illustrating the rollercoaster ride of Martin Phillipps and The Chills as portrayed in the award film The Triumph And The Tragedy Of Martin Phillipps. “Singer/guitarist Martin Phillipps’ group was at the forefront of the extraordinary little guitar-pop scene in New Zealand in the early ’80s.. Kaleidoscope World is the major document of their early era.” Pitchfork. Part of the 80’s extraordinarily vibrant and innovative independent music scene in New Zealand, The Chills became flag bearers, taking the Dunedin sound, as championed by the Flying Nun label, to the world. Long recognised as one of New Zealand's most influential bands, Kaleidoscope World is a definitive artifact from Martin Phillipps’ groundbreaking project.

The heralded Minneapolis-based band Barbaro forges an exhilarating
new musical path on 'About the Winter', their inaugural outing for
StorySound Records
Featuring guitarist Kyle Shelstad, bassist Jason Wells, and violinist Rachel
Calvert, the dynamic young group developed a strong following for their
modernist bluegrass sound on their 2020 debut, 'Dressed in Roses'. Their new
album, however, represents a "coming of age" for Barbaro, according to Shelstad,
as it more authentically reflects the band's adventurous musical evolution over
the past few years. All three band members point to the title tune, "Let's Talk
About the Winter" as the song that established the tone for the album. The song,
Wells explains, "fully captured the soundscape that now defines us as a band."
The ten tracks on 'About the Winter' provide a wonderful showcase for the unique
dynamic created from Shelstad's string band roots blending with Calvert's and
Wells' backgrounds in classical music. The album also finds Barbaro expanding
its sound by having Shelstad share vocal duties with Calvert for the first time,
along with weaving electric instrumentation into the group's acoustic- based
music. The bandmates all agree on the key contributions of producer Brian
Joseph (Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens). "His production," Calvert revealed, "elevated
these tracks to an entirely different level." Together they have fashioned a
captivating pastoral Americana sound on 'About the Winter' that is both
traditional and progressive.
The new album adds to what has been already exciting time for Barbaro, who
were selected by the U.S. government to perform concerts and conduct music
workshops in Qatar, Turkey, and Bulgaria as part of its 2023 American Music
Abroad program.

The Best of Kris Drever includes all the highlights of his acclaimed career to date including those made with Lau and Drever McCusker Woomble Limited Edition of 500 Black LP's. Featuring for the first time on vinyl format "Wintermoon" , hard to find / out of print classics "Ghosts", "Harvest Gypsies" and "The Poorest Company" alongside two brand new songs "Catterline" and "Punchbag". "The Best of" album features many incredible guest performances from over 17 years of recordings including: Boo Hewerdine, Eddi Reader, Kate Rusby, Ian Carr, Yola, Heidi Talbot, Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), Roddy Woomble (Idlewild), Louis Abbott (Admiral Fallow), Andy Cutting (Leveret), Euan Burton, Rachel Lightbody, Elysian Quartet, John McCusker, Tim O'Brien, Megan Henderson (Breabach), Eamonn Coyne and Joan As Police Woman. ' Completely infectious' BBC Music ***** ' Immense yet ultra- supple sophistication, musicianship of the first order ...a breath of fresh air' SONGLINES ' Guitarist with that bravely experimental trio Lau, Kris Drever has all the makings of a solo celebrity' THE GUARDIAN ' Sets the standard for others to follow - Kris Drever is a serious talent' MOJO

Limited repress of the post-hardcore quartets debut album """"Feel Something""""

Music and emotion share a timeless physiological, psychological, and spiritual bond. A chord, a melody, or a lyric can lift spirits and inspire. Movements achieve that sort of reaction on their full-length debut, Feel Something Fearless Records. In the sessions, their signature style crystallized and coalesced. Bolstered by intricate instrumentation and explosive vocal delivery, these 11 tracks signify the musicians' evolution and bring emotion to life in each note.

"

Discos Perdidos - which translates as Lost Records - is a new series started by Lisbon label Paraiso, dedicated entirely to releasing archival music that, for a reason or another, never saw the light of day. The first outing on this adventure into the unknown is by none other than the legendary portugal-born, london-based techno instigator The Advent aka Cisco Ferreira. The three tracks on this EP were written in 1998 and were meant to be released on a label that another Portuguese techno legend - Jiggy - meant to start running, but other projects got in the way. Fast forward to early 2023, Jiggy showed the Paraiso crew the DATs containing these gems - immediately entrancing - and both him and The Advent agreed to give Discos Perdidos the honours of putting them out. Titled Shiolas, this three-tracker opens with 'Don't Do It', a relentless techno banger that, albeit its four to the floor drum pattern, feels swingy thanks to cleverly programmed percussion and claps. A concise but extremely effective bassline and synth lead guides the energetic smasher, with cut-up vocals, timely placed filters and hi hats giving it a final shimmer. It's followed by the Piano Mix, with an equally strong and raw arrangement and a new element - an alien, sound-sculpted piano that gives it an extra sense of urgency. The closing track 'Jacker' has more abstract leanings, although similarly dancefloor-ready, featuring an off-kilter yet driving conversation between stabs and bells in a display of expertly crafted dubby yet visceral sound design. A piece of dance music history is recovered - techno is now a story told more accurately.

Sampha announces the full details of his highly-anticipated, sophomore album LAHAI, out October 20th on Young. Taken from his paternal grandfather’s name, which is also Sampha’s middle name, LAHAI revels in the awe and magic of our existence, synthesizing the exquisite chaos that one experiences confronting the cycle of life and the beyondness. Spanning 14-tracks, with contributions from some of Sampha’s closest friends, peers and collaborators including: Yaeji, Léa Sen, Sheila Maurice Grey (Kokoroko), Ibeyi, Morgan Simpson (Black Midi), Yussef Dayes, Laura Groves and Kwake Bass, LAHAI, in contrast to Process, is a communal affair seeing Sampha explore the many ways in which we as humans connect to each other, and to something bigger than ourselves. On the album’s latest single “Only,” premiering today via a new music video directed by Dexter Navy in collaboration with Sampha, which follows the recent “Spirit 2.0,” we meet a newly energized Sampha, as he spits melodically over a fragmented hip-hop hued beat with co-production from El Guincho.

Not unlike its maker, LAHAI defies clear categorization. Spanning jazz, soul, rap, dance, jungle and west African music, LAHAI sees Sampha elevating his production and vocal ambition to great new heights. A notable singer, songwriter and producer, it’s no wonder that artists like Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Travis Scott and previously, Drake, Solange, Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Lil Wayne and Alicia Keys have all tapped the artist for his inimitable voice plus songwriting and production contributions to their music. His work expands across multiple disciplines, with previous creative partnerships including the fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner, the Shy Light zine with Durimel (who also shot the LAHAI artwork) his Process film with director Kahlil Joseph, and most recently creative director Jonny Lu, with whom Sampha worked to create the LAHAI album artwork and logo.

If Process, Sampha’s 2017 Mercury-Prize-winning debut album, was an artist figuring out his own place in the world, engulfed in the shadows of grief and loss, LAHAI is an exercise in the radical acceptance and joy in the human condition, and the beauty in the journey itself. Welcome to Sampha’s next musical chapter: LAHAI.

In his childhood home among the Bavarian Alps, where the loudest sounds were the ringing of church bells and the mooing of cows, he discovered the power of music via his sister's collection of rock records: Jimi Hendrix, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana. Improvised music and the double bass were revelations that spurred his next voyages of discovery - first to the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich, then north to the Jazz Institute in Berlin, then across the ocean to New York at the Manhattan School Of Music. Since returning to Berlin, he has released two acclaimed albums as part of the band SCOPES. Now we are invited to join him for Journey, his debut album as a leader & composer. With him is a select crew of his peers from among the brightest young stars of the thriving Berlin scene - Ben Kraef on tenor sax, Carl Morgan on guitar, Simon Seidl on piano and drummer Fabian Rosch - Tom has embarked on a fascinating journey of musical exploration; producing a superb culmination of all he has learned along the way and venturing to another level.

Jorja Smith is officially back. Further to making a recent return to the musical sphere with her singles ‘Try Me’ and ‘Little Things’, today she has confirmed the details of her highly anticipated second album, ‘falling or flying’, set for release globally on September 29th 2023 via FAMM and available to pre-order now - here.

Alongside the announcement, Jorja has also unveiled the album's poignant artwork; a stunning portrait of her, shot on film by the prestigious British photographer, Liz Johnson Artur. In addition, Jorja has also announced a series of UK live shows in September, commemorating the release of the album. Further details below.

Through her new record, Jorja has delivered an undeniable modern classic, effortlessly condensing any number of disparate styles and genres into music which thrillingly broaches any gap between Jazz, Soul, R&B and Funky House. A bold, brave and courageous leap forward from her critically acclaimed debut album ‘Lost and Found’ - ‘falling or flying’ is an album that speaks to the musical and emotional era where Jorja is now, and how she got here. It isn’t so much an exploration of how she’s found herself but more a statement that she has arrived, and that her understanding of her life, her relationships, and her feelings, have deepened, matured and crystallised as she enters her twenty six year. ‘And despite it all,’ she says, ‘it's definitely a journey I've just started. That's what's crazy.

It's only just begun.’ Sonically, this album, a no-skips body of work, isn’t like anything you’ve heard before. It sits masterfully in this same space of excitement, self-exploration and self-assertion that Jorja does. Compromised of deep, thumping drums, racing basslines, irresistible hooks and distinctive beats, ‘falling or flying’ runs at the same pace that Jorja’s mind does. ‘I don't slow down enough’ she says. ‘This album is like my brain. There’s always so much going on but each song is definitely a standstill moment.’

Much of the creative energy that shaped the album emerged from studio sessions with the producer duo DAMEDAME* back in her hometown of Walsall, where, to Jorja, the heart is. The album is both a sonic and an emotional tour of where she’s been, and what she’s been about, in the two years since she dropped her latest offering, ‘Be Right Back’. ‘It touches on breakups, relationships with my friends, relationships with old friends, relationships with myself.’ She says. ‘It's definitely about a lot of relationships, but every song I write I can sing it to myself.’

Of the many British voices in music today, Jorja is among the most commanding, writing at a pitch of intensity and urgency that few can match. Over the past five and half years, since the release of her debut album ‘Lost & Found’, she has been celebrated unanimously across the world for her evocative song-writing, powerful delivery, pure emotion and unbridled talent as a young woman navigating her way through life and in 2021 was the year Jorja’s hiatus from music was broken. Enter ‘Be Right Back’, the holding space between the sensation that was ‘Lost & Found’, and ‘falling or flying’. ‘Be Right Back’ was born from playing, jamming, freestyling, and sounding out what Jorja had been on the edge of expressing all her life. It was a project entirely for her fans. “Be Right Back did exactly what I wanted it to do. It was a little waiting room so people knew I was coming back.”

And come back she has - entering a chapter of her return to music that’s certain to draw in and intoxicate Jorja’s fans and new listeners alike. And what has changed for her, in the five years since ‘Lost & Found’ dominated the charts and the soundscape? “I like this world that I've just come into. And I’m still figuring things out. Always figuring things out.” Jorja says. “This is the first time I’m putting stuff out there that I can connect with right now.” Over the last few years, it’s been a reflective and transformative step into her mid twenties for her.

She’s been able to step into herself and evolve as a songwriter and a woman despite an ever-changing musical landscape.

While she recognises that the global pandemic has been completely devastating, she acknowledges that it allowed her to stay still, to come more into herself, and to be more in control of the person she is, and of her musical output. Like some of the legendary musicians that came before her, Jorja is looking at the chaos and disorder in the world right now with resourceful, refined eyes, and she sees the glorious opportunity and enormous responsibility that affords. The net result is that while ‘falling or flying' sounds very much like Jorja Smith, it sounds like no Jorja Smith album you have ever heard before.

‘falling or flying’- released on September 29th