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Murder tbs is back with a special three-part vinyl series, paying homage to the genres that have influenced the label since its inception. The first various artists release is dedicated to ELECTRO & WAVE, while Parts II and III will focus on TECHNO and EBM. 
 Written & produced by various artists: L.F.T., Le Syndicat Electronique, The Exaltics, Electro Nation, Leroy Se Meurt, and Charlou. Mastered by Daniele Antezza at Dadub Studios. B1 mastered by Thomas P. Heckmann. Artwork by ZIMMMERIT. Curated by Davit Japaridze. Dedicated to Juan Mendez (Silent Servant) and Simone Ling. Murder tbs © 2026. All rights reserved MURDERCH01

If you've yet to succumb to the charms of Children of Zeus - and there can't be many out there who haven't - then this "odds and ends" LP offers a neat introduction. Five of the seven tracks have been plucked from the Manchester crew's previous full-length excursions, while the other two - seductively soulful two-step garage reworks of "Vibrations" and "Slow Down" by fellow Manchester resident Zed Bias - have previously been almost impossible to get hold of. Setting aside the club-ready remixes, what "Excess Baggage" proves is that Children of Zeus are one of British music's most essential outfits right now, delivering sensual and life-affirming cuts that brilliantly blend the best aspects of hip-hop, R&B and modern soul.

Nonclassical are proud to release Nneka Cummins’ Ivor Classical Award-winning finding gills (when they try to drown you), pairing the original orchestral work with its remix, finding gills realms and possibilities.

Originally commissioned and composed during Nneka’s time on nonclassical’s Artist in Residence programme and premiered by Sinfonia Smith Square in 2025, the work marks their first large-scale exploration of fixed electronics alongside chamber orchestra. Built entirely from its source material, the remix dissolves the perceived sacredness and permanence of orchestral music, stretching, warping and reassembling its fragments into a fluid electronic form.

Drawing on fragments of earlier compositions, Finding Gills embodies both destruction and creation, embracing the spirit of metamorphosis. Inviting the listener to sit in moments of dissonant discomfort and distress, an emerging sense of hope gradually reveals itself through radiant strings and spiralling melodies. Hinting at a sense of tiredness that is continually renewed, sparks of new life blossom within a shifting orchestral landscape where memory, experimentation and survival coexist.

The title alludes to the Afrofuturist mythology of Drexciya, imagined by Detroit duo James Stinson and Gerald Donald, in which the descendants of pregnant African women who were thrown overboard during the transatlantic slave trade adapted to breathe underwater, creating a new civilisation beneath the sea. Nneka draws on this subtle reference as they are inspired by the deep creative alchemy of transforming horror into vibrant and powerful myth.

FIRST TIME ON VINYL! “Instalação Do Samba”, originally released in 2004, has become one of the defining albums in the history of Schema Records. With producer Stefano “S-Tone Inc.” Tirone, Toco created an album that embraced the essence of samba and bossa nova while allowing them to breathe naturally within a contemporary musical landscape, blending Jazz, soul, understated electronics and sophisticated arrangements. Released only on CD at the time, “Instalação Do Samba” is finally given the analogue home it always deserved. This first-ever vinyl edition also includes “Qui C’Est Celui-Là”, previously included in the French CD edition. Over the years, Toco has become the most streamed artist in the entire Schema catalogue, introducing his music to audiences beyond the traditional boundaries of Brazilian jazz and contemporary bossa nova. His songs continue to resonate with listeners around the world, proving that authenticity never goes out of style.

As Brice shares, "Anybody can see a sunset, but a sunrise, you gotta earn. Whether you're waking up or just pulled an all-nighter, I tip my hat to you, sunriser." Brice's sixth studio album delivers hopeful and resilient reflections on love, faith, and heartbreak for all sunrisers - from firefighters, nurses, and truck drivers, to blue- collar workers clocking out of graveyard shifts, to tired parents waking up to take care of little ones. Through the lens of what defines who he is -- God, country, and family -- the awardwinning Country star encourages listeners to keep rising.

Norway's Aura Noir was formed in 1993 by Aggressor & Apollyon in pursuit of a more thrash- based form of black metal than much of what was coming out at the time - particularly in their homeland - citing bands such as Slayer, Sodom & Kreator as inspirations along with purveyors of the scene such as Venom, for a dirtier, stripped down, violent black/ thrash metal sound. Their first official release was the 'Dreams Like Deserts' EP on Hot Records, & from there-on the band became a truly cult act, releasing a string of albums among ongoing live performances over the subsequent decades. All members of Aura Noir have had illustrious careers to date, with Carl-Michael Eide (Aggressor) notable for his work in Ved Buens Ende, Dodheimsgard, Virus, & Fleurety, as well as being part of other scene icons such as Ulver & Satyricon in their formative years. Apollyon, currently also seen in Coffin Storm with Darkthrone's Fenriz, previously featured in Dodheimsgard, as well as Lamented Souls & Immortal. Completing the trio is Blasphemer, formerly of fellow Norwegian legends Mayhem, as well as being current mainman in his recently established band, Ruim. Originally released in 2012, 'Out To Die' was the band's fifth full length release, & a continuation of the savage raw & ugly feast offered by its predecessors, containing eight relentless tracks in praise of the old thrash masters & early primal black metal forefathers of the 80's. 'Out To Die' features additional guest lyrics by Dirge Rep (Gehenna/Enslaved), & Fenriz, whilst the fittingly underground cover art was created by the prolific artist, Costin Chioreanu.

Initially forming under the moniker of Black Death back in 1986, the star of Darkthrone has ascended with reverence & a degree of infamy over the course of four decades, to become one of the most notable metal bands to have emerged from Norway. Highly inspirational to a whole generation of bands, & also uncompromisingly steadfast throughout their now extensive catalogue, the long-standing duo of Fenriz & Nocturno Culto have remained dedicated to the art of the riff & forging their own path, relentlessly steering the band against the tide of trend. From the death/ doom technicality of 1991's debut masterpiece 'Soulside Journey', through the spearheading of the notorious "second wave of black metal" period of the earlier 1990s, & the integration of punk & heavy doom elements along with way, the Nordic titans have undoubtedly carved an exquisite & eclectic legacy. After a sequence of albums under the Moonfog label throughout the mid-latter 90's & into the new millennium, Darkthrone made the leap back to their original home at Peaceville, for a spectacular return in the shape of 'The Cult Is Alive', released in 2006. With the band's own newly-established Necrohell 2 studio in operation, this allowed the duo to make everything purely on their own terms & in their own time. Creative boundaries were also further removed in order to embrace some of the punk influences which had to date been more subdued, & in the process, created the beginnings of a new era for the band, first revealed in the form of lead track 'Too Old, Too Cold'.

EverEve - "Seasons", "Stormbirds" & "Regret"The first three masterpieces of Germany's EverEve, (Their name is taken from a poem out of "Lord of the Rings") "Seasons" (1997), "Stormbirds" (1998), and "Regret" (1999), are deeply emotional works of art, forged in darkness, melancholy, and poetic introspection, standing today as some of the most compelling statements ever produced within the Gothic Metal movement.In the late 1990s, while countless bands attempted to define the boundaries of Gothic Metal, EverEve effortlessly rose above convention Their music was never confined by genre limitations. It drew equally from Doom Metal's oppressive weight, Gothic Rock's romantic desolation, and the emotional grandeur of Dark Wave, creating a soundscape that was uniquely their own. "Seasons " marked the beginning of this remarkable journey. A debut album rich in atmosphere and emotional depth, it introduced a band already possessing a mature artistic identity. Its songs unfold like chapters from a forgotten gothic novel, where every melody is wrapped in shadows and every lyric resonates with profound emotional sincerity.

EverEve - "Seasons", "Stormbirds" & "Regret"The first three masterpieces of Germany's EverEve, (Their name is taken from a poem out of "Lord of the Rings") "Seasons" (1997), "Stormbirds" (1998), and "Regret" (1999), are deeply emotional works of art, forged in darkness, melancholy, and poetic introspection, standing today as some of the most compelling statements ever produced within the Gothic Metal movement.In the late 1990s, while countless bands attempted to define the boundaries of Gothic Metal, EverEve effortlessly rose above convention Their music was never confined by genre limitations. It drew equally from Doom Metal's oppressive weight, Gothic Rock's romantic desolation, and the emotional grandeur of Dark Wave, creating a soundscape that was uniquely their own. "Seasons " marked the beginning of this remarkable journey. A debut album rich in atmosphere and emotional depth, it introduced a band already possessing a mature artistic identity. Its songs unfold like chapters from a forgotten gothic novel, where every melody is wrapped in shadows and every lyric resonates with profound emotional sincerity.

The first three masterpieces of Germany's EverEve, (Their name is taken from a poem out of "Lord of the Rings") "Seasons" (1997), "Stormbirds" (1998), and "Regret" (1999), are deeply emotional works of art, forged in darkness, melancholy, and poetic introspection, standing today as some of the most compelling statements ever produced within the Gothic Metal movement.In the late 1990s, while countless bands attempted to define the boundaries of Gothic Metal, EverEve effortlessly rose above convention Their music was never confined by genre limitations. It drew equally from Doom Metal's oppressive weight, Gothic Rock's romantic desolation, and the emotional grandeur of Dark Wave, creating a soundscape that was uniquely their own. "Seasons " marked the beginning of this remarkable journey. A debut album rich in atmosphere and emotional depth, it introduced a band already possessing a mature artistic identity. Its songs unfold like chapters from a forgotten gothic novel, where every melody is wrapped in shadows and every lyric resonates with profound emotional sincerity.

The first three masterpieces of Germany's EverEve, (Their name is taken from a poem out of "Lord of the Rings") "Seasons" (1997), "Stormbirds" (1998), and "Regret" (1999), are deeply emotional works of art, forged in darkness, melancholy, and poetic introspection, standing today as some of the most compelling statements ever produced within the Gothic Metal movement.In the late 1990s, while countless bands attempted to define the boundaries of Gothic Metal, EverEve effortlessly rose above convention Their music was never confined by genre limitations. It drew equally from Doom Metal's oppressive weight, Gothic Rock's romantic desolation, and the emotional grandeur of Dark Wave, creating a soundscape that was uniquely their own. "Seasons " marked the beginning of this remarkable journey. A debut album rich in atmosphere and emotional depth, it introduced a band already possessing a mature artistic identity. Its songs unfold like chapters from a forgotten gothic novel, where every melody is wrapped in shadows and every lyric resonates with profound emotional sincerity.

The Modern Jazz Quartet had become a jazz institution by the time Pyramid was recorded. Formed out of the rhythm section of the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band (1946 -48), founding of the members The MJQ , pianist Lohn Lewis and vibraphonist Milt Jackson , brought a sophisticated blend of jazz and classical music to audiences around the world. Active from 1952 through to 1997 (with a seven- year break in between), the MJQ's 38- year reign counts as being among the most enduring ensembles in jazz history. Presented here is their classic album Pyramid , featuring three compositions by the quartet's pianist John Lewis (including his hit 'Django), alongside jazz standards by Ellington, Ray Brown ('Pyramid'), and Jim Hall; plus, a unique take on the Nancy Hamiton & Morgan Lewis' popular standard, 'How High The Moon'.




[d] Vendome [Original 1952 Version]



[h] Django (John Lewis) [original 1954 Version]

Miles Davis' quintet formed in 1955 is widely regarded as one of the greatest combos in jazz history. Each of its members was an individual creative force and each could easily have been the leader. Cookin' was the first in a series of four albums featuring this classic all-star combo: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. Like its followers ' Steamin ', ' Workin' and Relaxin' , ' Cookin' is the product of two massively productive recording sessions during May and October of 1956, sessions required to fulfil Davis's contractually obligations to Presage Records before moving to Colombia Records. . A quartet version of the song 'When Lights Are Low' from a previous session has been added to this special edition as a bonus.



[c] When Lights Are Low [Quartet Version]

Out There was Eric Dolphy's second LP as a leader, taped in 1960 the same year he recorded his debut LP, Outward Bound - both for Prestige Records. Although these were his first recordings as a leader, Dolphy was already a veteran performer with considerable recording experience. He had formed part of drummer Roy Porter's orchestra during 1948-1950 (with whom he waxed his first sides), and in 1949 he made his first recording with Charles Mingus, who would serve as his employer and mentor for many years. The instrumentation used on Out There is quite unusual, with Eric Dolphy playing in a quartet format with Ron Carter on cello, George Duvivier on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums.

The year 1956 when Tenor Conclave was recorded represented a transitional period in the musical career of John Coltrane . He had first joined the Miles Davis Quintet in 1955 and would form his own celebrated quartet with McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones in 1960. What we have here with Tenor Conclave is Coltrane in equal collaboration with four other giants of the tenor saxophone, Hank Mobly, Al Cohn, and Zoot Sims. Presenting the four players together under the group name of Tenor Conclave was an imaginative A&R idea by Prestige, but because of Coltrane's growing fame and the obvious marketing opportunities it presented, later pressing had Coltrane as the headline name on the cover, and Tenor Conclave as the album title. Includes the bonus track 'Polka Dots & Moonbeams'.

Stone Age Is Now: Poems from Lithic is the new album by musician and poet Caleb Nichols - both a companion piece to his book Lithic: A Hyperballad (Harbor Editions 2026) and a follow-up to his album Stone Age Is Back (Royal Oakie 2025). Across twelve tracks Nichols interpolates poems from Lithic: A Hyperballad with tracks from Stone Age Is Back, bringing new depth to his indie-rock and alt-folk compositions. A meditation on grief, but not in the ways you’d expect, the album explores what it means to be living and dying right now, in this moment of extraordinary change.


Inspired by the raw immediacy of Neil Young, early REM, and Califone, Nichols adhered to a first-take best-take rule and tracked the album in just five days. Produced by Nichols, the album was engineered by Jay Pellicci (Deerhoof, Om, Sleater-Kinney) at Brother’s (Chinese) Recording in Oakland, CA, with Nichols later recording the spoken word overdubs after hours at an empty bar in San Luis Obispo, CA. Pellicci later mixed the tracks and David Glasebrook (Patti Smith, Peter Case, Sugar Candy Mountain) mastered the album at The Garden Shed in Oakland, CA.


Featuring even more experimentation than Stone Age Is Back, the album is peppered with field recordings captured by Nichols from many locations, including Kew Gardens, London; Llan Tysilio, Yns Mon; Treborth, Gwynedd; a secret beach in Bangor; Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow; and Broad Street in San Luis Obispo, CA. In addition to contributions from band members John Metz and Aaron Kroeger, the album features saxophone by Lorenzo Coretese , and Rhys Trimble provides the Welsh translation and performance you hear on “Orme Dream At The Car Park”. Additionally, Nichols took some liberties adapting the poems from the book to the recordings. “You’ll notice that there are differences between the printed poems and the poems recorded here. That is because a poem is never finished and can exist in multiple instances at the same time, like in quantum mechanics. The cat in Schrodinger’s box is both alive and dead; at the bottom of the cliff, our eyes are both: closed and open” says Nichols.

glass beach's debut album the first glass beach album is the first album from glass beach. That's a good place to start, but the album's plain & descriptive title does little to explain exactly what goes on in the hour-long adventure contained therein. the first glass beach album was initially self-released by the band in Spring 2019, but it's roots date back to as early as 2015 - songwriter & band leader j mclendon started demoing songs for the album when they first moved to Los Angeles & spent three years polishing those first demos into these songs with bassist Jonas Newhouse & drummer William White. On their Bandcamp page, the band describes their sound as the accumulation of jazz, new wave, synth music, and emo distorted through the lens of punk. The songs that make up the first glass beach album are ambitious, theatrical and chaotic. Abandoning genre limitations makes glass beach's talent for songwriting all the more apparent - mathy guitar leads, catchy drum grooves and the constant interplay of horns, synths, and even the intermittent theremin set the perfect scene for j's stunning vocal performance, which can shift from a charming falsetto to the lead of a sing-a-long in an instant.

* 2026 REPRESS *
Ashanti Selah – Musician & Dub Producer hailing from the UK, is the eldest son of the world-renowned soundman, Aba Shanti-I. Ashanti's musical journey began at a tender young age, during his formative years of soundsystem exposure through his father's musical infrastructure he learned the art of the Dub. His education continued as he attended his father’s long-standing annual sessions at the Notting Hill Carnival and traveled the globe as a crew member and diligent student. Via his Steppas Records imprint, Alpha Steppa, son and nephew of pioneering dub-duo Alpha & Omega presents a unique collaboration between two second generation Dub / Reggae producers. 'Ashanti Selah Meets Alpha Steppa' is a testament to their teachers and the product of a life spent in dub. Steppas Records delivers four unique cuts of the long-time Aba Shanti-I exclusive 'Violin Step', featuring the uplifting and transcendental strings of Ras Divarius. New generation soundsystem music with a deep roots foundation.

Across the past decade, KAS has established herself as a unique voice in experimental electronic music, a composer and synthesist whose work dissolves the boundaries between ambient electronica, contemporary classical, composition, and immersive sound design. Her new album “Ruin: It’s Not Just Music” arrives with a distinctive gravitational pull. The record moves with greater physical force, placing rhythm and impact at the centre of its architecture, revealing a more confrontational and embodied dimension of KAS’s musical language.
The first single “Ruin” arrives May 22nd, with the full album released October 2nd via SOMEONE SPECIAL the new label co-founded by KAS.
Where much of KAS’s earlier work explored harmonic environments, the forthcoming album is built around tension and release. Inspired by the sound of drum and bass, breakbeats fracture through dense fields of synthesis, percussive patterns and her signature melodic fragments – motions that feel closer to the kinetic language of club music than the meditative spaces often associated with her past catalogue. The result is a body of work that feels both recognisably hers and newly charged, music that moves through the body as insistently as it engages the mind.
For listeners who first encountered KAS through the glowing synthesis of “Ears” (2016) or the intricate experimental pop of “The Kid” (2017), this direction may feel initially surprising, yet the shift has been quietly unfolding across the past several years. KAS’s practice has steadily expanded beyond the expectations placed upon experimental electronic artists, moving between orchestral composition, audiovisual installations, film scoring, and large-scale commissions while retaining the unmistakable sonic signature that defines her work.
The 2022 albums “I Could Be Your Dog / I Could Be Your Moon” (2022) and “Let’s Turn It Into Sound” (2022) explored a deeply immersive approach to composition, expanded her reputation and instinct for constructing detailed sonic ecosystems while continuing to blur the lines between experimental electronics and contemporary pop structures. KAS’s most recent output has continued to widen that field including the rhythm oriented electronic album “Gush” (2025) and her return to more orchestral roots with “Thoughts on the Future” (2025). Together these releases underscored the breadth of her practice.
Her prolific collaborators and creative partners have ranged from Patti Smith and Suzanne Ciani to Danny Elfman, Tycho, Glass Beams, RY X, Caribou, Four Tet, Reggie Watts, and Max Richter, while her compositions have appeared in projects with Apple, Chanel, Meow Wolf, the BBC Orchestra, and major film and television productions.
On “Ruin: It’s Not Just Music”, that vocabulary becomes more kinetic than ever before. The record draws energy from jungle, drum and bass, and dance-floor focused electronic music while retaining the intricate synthesis and tonal curiosity that have defined KAS’s work from the beginning. The result is a record that feels equally at home within club culture, contemporary composition, and the experimental spaces that have long championed her artistry.
On May 27th KAS will present a major performance at London’s Barbican Centre alongside the London Contemporary Orchestra, marking the ten-year anniversary of her landmark album Ears. The evening will trace the arc of her creative evolution while also introducing material from the new album.

“One day, I’ll be a ghost, a spirit, that moves with you along the winds,” pines Twin Atlantic’s Sam McTrusty on the beautiful and cinematic ballad ‘Your, The End’, the fitting opener to the Scottish alt-rockers’ eighth album ‘Separation From The Animals’. “It’s about the responsibility I feel around being a parent,” he says, revealing that he cried while recording his vocal over bandmate Ross McNae’s tender Beatles-y piano part. If the album says anything, it’s ‘All You Need Is Love’, told with maturity and reckoning with the past to make sense of the present. ‘Separation From The Animals’ is an album born of two tales of triumph and perseverance – one of McTrusty grappling with his own ghosts, and the other of their finest album to date coming after a time when band morale was at an all time low. When their friends’ bands and peers were all calling it quits, words of wisdom from those close to the band were urging them to take time off. The album started out as a McTrusty solo effort, isolated in his new home. The day the band finished work on their last album, 2024’s ‘Meltdown’, was also the day McTrusty packed up his entire life and studio to start a new life in Toronto with wife and two kids, unaware of the rich seam of songwriting that it would inspire.

[GER Seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 2014 haben sich These Wicked Rivers zu einer der fesselndsten Bands der aktuellen Rock-Revivals in Großbritannien entwickelt. Die aus Derby stammende Gruppe schöpft aus dem reichen Erbe von Rocklegenden und Blues-Größen und hat sich mit ihrem unverwechselbaren, vom Blues geprägten modernen Rock einen Namen gemacht. Dank ihrer Live-Auftritte, die oft eine fast spirituelle Tiefe erreichen, und ihres zeitlosen Songwritings hat die Band in den letzten Jahren enorm an Fahrt aufgenommen. Ausverkaufte Konzerte in Großbritannien, den Niederlanden, Frankreich und Deutschland sowie der große Kritikererfolg ihres zweiten Studioalbums "Force of Nature" (Platz 3 der UK-Rockcharts) haben ihren Ruf als Live-Act, den man unbedingt gesehen haben muss, gefestigt. Das Jahr 2026 verspricht ein Meilenstein für das Quintett zu werden: Im Herbst erscheint ihr mit Spannung erwartetes drittes Album "Fire and Folklore". Aufgenommen wurde das Werk in der Heimatstadt der Band, Belper in Derbyshire, im Heimstudio von Andy Sneap. Unter der Regie des Grammy-Preisträgers Sneap (Judas Priest, Saxon, Megadeth) und Colin Richardson (Slipknot, Massive Wagons, Those Damn Crows) ist das bisher ausgereifteste Album der Band entstanden. "Fire and Folklore" geht über den typischen ,Wizard-Blues-Rock"-Sound hinaus und erschließt neue klangliche Territorien; dabei werden Country-Einflüsse und Southern-Rock-Flair integriert, ohne den für die Band charakteristischen Groove und Soul zu verlieren. Zudem ist die aus Derby stammende Country-Hoffnung Kezia Gill als Gastmusikerin auf dem Album vertreten. Geliebt von einer rasant wachsenden Schaar von Fans und ausgestattet mit einem Album, das den Sprung auf die großen internationalen Bühnen anvisiert, stehen These Wicked Rivers bereit, neue Höhen zu erklimmen. Seid dabei, klingt klasse. CD mit zwei Bonustracks, LP als Purple oder Black Vinyl! Established in 2014, These Wicked Rivers have emerged as one of the UK's most compelling forces in the recent rock resurgence. Hailing from Derby and drawing influence from the well of rock legends and blues greats, the band have made quite an impact since their inception with their unique brand of blues-infused modern rock. With a reputation for soulful-bordering-on-spiritual live performances and timeless songcraft the band have built unstoppable momentum in recent years. Sold-out shows across the UK, the Netherlands, France and Germany have cemented their reputation as a must-see act, bolstered by the critical acclaim of their second studio album 'Force of Nature' (#3 UK Rock Chart). 2026 is set to mark a landmark chapter for the quintet, with their hotly-anticipated third album 'Fire and Folklore' set for release in autumn 2026. The record was recorded in the band's hometown of Belper in Derbyshire, at Andy Sneap's home studio. With the Grammy-winning Sneap (Judas Priest, Saxon, Megadeth) and Colin Richardson (Slipknot, Massive Wagons, Those Damn Crows) at the helm, it's the band 's most accomplished record to date. Expanding beyond their signature wizard-blues rock sound, Fire and Folklore pushes into new sonic territory, blending in shades of country and Southern spirit while retaining the groove and soul that defines the band. The record also features a special guest appearance from fellow Derby artist, country starlet Kezia Gill. Loved dearly by a rapidly growing "Family" of fans, and armed with a homegrown record with its sights set firmly on the global stage, These Wicked Rivers are poised to reach new heights. Jump on in and enjoy! CD contains two bonustracks, LP comes in Purple or Black Vinyl!

Belgian artist Jennifur announces MAZDA, an album inspired by long car rides, emotional transitions, and the strange beauty of existing between places, people, and versions of yourself.

Musically, MAZDA moves fluidly between genres and emotional textures, blending electronic love songs, indie rock structures, UK bass influences, cinematic electronica, and flashes of classical composition.

The project began when Jennifur's brother sent him a playlist called MAZDA, filled with songs their father used to play in the car. What started as a nostalgia gesture quickly became the emotional blueprint for the album.

While writing MAZDA, Jennifur realized he was unknowingly creating the soundtrack to a fictional romcom film that existed only in his imagination. Rather than avoiding clichés like love, heartbreak, growing older, or transition, he chose to embrace them wholeheartedly.

"In a car, you exist in a kind of in-between space," Jennifur explains. "You've left something behind, but you haven't arrived yet. That feeling became the entire record."

The album opener, From A to B, sets the emotional framework for the entire project. Its extended introduction mirrors the exact moment you pull out of your street and realisethat something new has begun.

Highlights include "I Need You To Hold On", written for Jennifur's brother as a message of encouragement. The song "I Once Had a Dream Where I Could Fly" originated from a conversation with his father about recurring dreams of flying. Meanwhile, "From The Sideline" confronts a quieter existential fear, becoming a coming-of-age anthem for anyone who suddenly realizes they have become more of a spectator than an active participant in their own life.

Tracks like "In The Sun" bring a softer, almost cinematic intimacy to the album. Written around the image of spending one final Sunday at the seaside with someone who is seriously ill, the song captures the beauty and fragility of fleeting moments. The closing track "The Dialogue Before We Left" serves as the emotional final scene of the album.

"For me, it's the moment after a long drive when you turn off the engine but stay seated for a minute," Jennifur explains. "You realise something happened. You listened to my story, and we travelled from A to B together."

Sublime frequencies from the golden era of ambient electronica.

Plumbing hidden depths beneath a deceptively tranquil surface, MLO's mid-90s masterpiece Io is an overlooked gem from a golden era for ambient electronic music. Originally released in 1994, Jon Tye and Pete Smith's collaborative album responded to the growing chill-out movement by leaning into classical and avant-garde influences from Satie, Debussy and Cage through to Soft Machine, Incredible String Band and Eno. Recorded across various studios stacked with classic and rare synths, Io was patiently composed into slowly unfolding suites punctuated with ripples of arrhythmic interference to arrive at a purist vision of true ambient.

The next instalment in Forever Records' ongoing reissue series shines a light back on this landmark piece of UK electronica with the first official reissue since its original edition on Rising High. As well as the original double LP pressing and a new CD digipak version, there will also be a uniquely numbered, limited edition housed in a gatefold sleeve that comes with a bonus 10" featuring two previously unreleased versions of the album's opening cut, 'Wimborne'.

Press response to Io:

"Not so much ambient, more environmental music, Io lets you bring as much (or as little) of your surroundings in as suits your mood. Every listen can be different. Interactive ambient at last.”

IO is pure ambience. Relying on motif as opposed to melody, MLO have produced a truly evocative album.

Peter McIntyre, Mixmag, UK 1994.

"MLO's influences range from the likes of Eric Satie and the intellectual salon music of his era to the more predictable reference point of dubby, modern techno, though they feel, perhaps rather contentiously, that "ambient music can exist in isolation from the rest of the dance music arena". Can it? Take a trip to Io, and find out."
Generator Magazine, UK 1994.

"If you like your ambient deep and moody with long chords that creep along at approximately the speed of drying paint then check out MLO’s Io."
Mixology, UK 1994.

"MLO set the controls for the heart of headspace for their first full album release. Io is top grade ambient brain… Ace album…"
Select, UK 1994.

Sublime frequencies from the golden era of ambient electronica.

Plumbing hidden depths beneath a deceptively tranquil surface, MLO's mid-90s masterpiece Io is an overlooked gem from a golden era for ambient electronic music. Originally released in 1994, Jon Tye and Pete Smith's collaborative album responded to the growing chill-out movement by leaning into classical and avant-garde influences from Satie, Debussy and Cage through to Soft Machine, Incredible String Band and Eno. Recorded across various studios stacked with classic and rare synths, Io was patiently composed into slowly unfolding suites punctuated with ripples of arrhythmic interference to arrive at a purist vision of true ambient.

The next instalment in Forever Records' ongoing reissue series shines a light back on this landmark piece of UK electronica with the first official reissue since its original edition on Rising High. As well as the original double LP pressing and a new CD digipak version, there will also be a uniquely numbered, limited edition housed in a gatefold sleeve that comes with a bonus 10" featuring two previously unreleased versions of the album's opening cut, 'Wimborne'.

Press response to Io:

"Not so much ambient, more environmental music, Io lets you bring as much (or as little) of your surroundings in as suits your mood. Every listen can be different. Interactive ambient at last.”

IO is pure ambience. Relying on motif as opposed to melody, MLO have produced a truly evocative album.

Peter McIntyre, Mixmag, UK 1994.

"MLO's influences range from the likes of Eric Satie and the intellectual salon music of his era to the more predictable reference point of dubby, modern techno, though they feel, perhaps rather contentiously, that "ambient music can exist in isolation from the rest of the dance music arena". Can it? Take a trip to Io, and find out."
Generator Magazine, UK 1994.

"If you like your ambient deep and moody with long chords that creep along at approximately the speed of drying paint then check out MLO’s Io."
Mixology, UK 1994.

"MLO set the controls for the heart of headspace for their first full album release. Io is top grade ambient brain… Ace album…"
Select, UK 1994.

2026 Repress

'Quiet Pieces' initiates Abul Mogard’s personal imprint Soft Echoes with a definitive self-portrait of calm, contemplative, and discreet inner landscapes made audible. It is the first solo album on vinyl in four years. RIYL Alessandro Cortini, William Basinski, The Caretaker.

While sifting through archived material left idle from earlier projects, a chance encounter with a late uncle’s trove of beloved 78rpm classical and opera records prompted the reworking and completion of what would eventually become the album. Spinning dusty records at 33 and 45rpm, Abul Mogard recombined their enduring spectres with unfinished sketches from his archive. The resulting soundscape blurs distinctions between his memories and those of another, exquisitely short-circuiting the senses with its waking, dream-like lucidity.

This was a process I hadn’t explored in my earlier works. I began sampling brief moments from these records, altering them with studio effects and playing them at slower speeds. In many cases, I wasn’t entirely sure how the original music sounded. These fragments, once further processed, became a source of inspiration for my new compositions. Over time, I realised that the old pieces from the archive and the new material derived from the samples naturally complemented each other.”

The resulting pieces hover over a threshold, a liminal space that harmonises the old and older material. Voluminous waves of quiet and loud undulate between consonance and dissonance, conjuring imagery of a decaying grandeur that humanity’s decadence has surrendered to the elements. Abul Mogard’s seemingly abandoned yet vast landscapes are nevertheless intimate with timbral frissons of red-lined distortion. Elusive, yet as tangible as sea spray or smog, they affect the olfactory senses with a rarified, synesthetic quality that modestly engages one’s emotional register – a hypnotic, distinguishing feature long hailed as one of the hallmarks of his work. A fidelity to memory and dream recall is sensitively probed in the journey from the stately symphonic stasis of 'Following a dream' to the almost industrial, untethered brutality evoked by a looming silhouette that’s never fully visible in 'Constantly slipping away', culminating in the foreboding coda of 'Like a bird'. Those pieces appear to shield the album’s sentimental core, where the tempestuous play of light and shadow of 'In a studded procession' escalates to breathtaking, panoramic climax, while 'Through whispers' evokes an out-of-body-like experience encountered with visceral poignancy.

Looking back, Mogard notes an unexpected influence: “I realise being inspired by Phill Niblock, whose work I had barely known at the time but explored after his passing in 2024. His album 'Boston Tenor Index' changed the way I approached dissonance. It encouraged me to push my sound further, to the edge of a space where I began to feel uncomfortable.”

The album artwork, created by longtime collaborator Marja de Sanctis, features a photograph taken at the Temple of Jupiter Anxur, an archaeological site overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Captured with an iPhone, the image traces the residual presence of construction techniques and architectural forms of the Romans, where material history is transcribed through contemporary tools. The convergence of ancient and modern technology aims to reverberate the site’s lasting spiritual presence – an echo persisting in what is now perceived as a quiet, emptied space. The spiral gestures towards infinity and light. Past and present dissolve into one another, reflecting 'Quiet Pieces' meditation on sound, memory, and time.

RIYL Alessandro Cortini, William Basinski, The Caretaker

Argentinian artist Juan Hansen presents his debut album 'Ultrasonido'; twelve tracks spanning indie dance, tech house, and soft melodic house, released on his own newly founded label Ultrasonido, with the second single 'Inside My Mind' coming out via belonging by Innellea.

After his breakthrough Boiler Room appearance in 2019, Juan has been on a relentless quest to push the boundaries, playing major stages around the globe, becoming one of the figureheads of the Argentinian electronic music world. As an exceptional live artist, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Juan brings a real sense of groove to the stage, merging two worlds effortlessly: deeply emotional songwriting and direct, dancefloor-focused club tracks. 'Ultrasonido' brings both sides together. The album is a clear evolution of Juan Hansen, presenting a wider range of his sound, which he also presents in his live performances. A journey through the musical world of Juan Hansen.

Across twelve tracks, with contributions from Clér Letiv, Santi Portillo, Franco BA, Rocio Giorgi, Miko Franconi, Brigado Crew and Marley Waters, Juan shifts between club-focused tracks and more intimate, song-driven moments, moving naturally between Spanish and English. It’s a debut album that captures both his roots and the direction he’s evolving toward.

Juan Hansen's story doesn't start on the dancefloor, it starts with acoustic instruments. He built his foundation in the indie and rock scenes of Argentina before crossing into electronic music, a journey that's still audible in every track he makes. After years of building his profile with live performances, mesmerizing audiences from Cosquín Rock and Ultra in Argentina to Watergate in Berlin, Burning Man in the Nevada desert, and Grand Factory in Beirut.

His search is real and visceral; a search for the different, mixing genres without prejudice, with a seriously playful attitude. Positioned within a new generation of artists dedicated to improvising on stage, Juan fuses electronic sounds with analog instruments and organic soundscapes. There's no genre cage. 'Ultrasonido' is his debut album and the launch of his own label, also named Ultrasonido. A long-form statement after years of singles, EPs, and shows around the globe.

Twenty-five years after his debut album I’m Serious permanently altered the DNA of Southern hip-hop, Tip "T.I." Harris is officially closing this chapter with KILL THE KING, his twelfth and final studio album. For a man who has spent over two decades as the self proclaimed “King," the project’s title speaks volumes. This is not a surrender of the crown to a rival, but rather a symbolic death of the ego. T.I. is choosing to dismantle the moniker on his own terms, trading the battlefield for peace, legacy, and the freedom to step out of the booth and into the next phase of his life as an actor and family man.

Rather than leaning on pure nostalgia, KILL THE KING proves T.I. is walking away while his pen is still razor-sharp. The project is anchored by the certified gold lead single "LET 'EM KNOW," produced by long-time collaborator Pharrell Williams, which sets an immediate tone of veteran-level precision and polished bravado. Across the 18-track album, T.I. pulls together a masterclass of multi-generational talent that bridges the gap between his trap origins and modern dominance. The album boasts heavy-hitting Southern anthems like "DOPE BOYS ACADEMY” featuring 2 Chainz, Jeezy, and T-Pain, alongside soulful reflections from the Dr. Dre produced track "WHERE I’M FROM" with Anderson .Paak, Atlanta eloquence with Usher on "GORGEOUS," and moody, atmospheric cuts featuring Summer Walker and YoungBoy Never Broke Again.

Ultimately, KILL THE KING is designed to leave nothing unsaid, directly addressing the trials, tribulations, triumphs, and the undeniable imprint he’s left on global hip-hop culture. To mark the end of this historic era, T.I. isn't just letting the music speak for itself; he will be taking his final bow on the road with The King Succession Tour, bringing his sons Domani and King along to officially pass the musical torch. With this final statement, T.I. ensures that the trap music foundation he helped lay the framework for what will endure long after he sets down the mic. The King is dead; long live the legacy.

Teal return on October 2 with Love Comes Thru, the trio's nine-track debut album. Expanding their emotionally resonant blend of downtempo trip-pop, the record reaches into street soul, dub, and experimental grooves, marking a confident new chapter for the group.

At its core, Love Comes Thru is a reflection on the quiet strength of love—not through grand gestures, but through the steady presence that carries us through uncertainty, change, and connection. Written over the course of a year of bi-coastal collaboration, the album became a testament to the bond Teal share as artists, friends, and family.

From the lush synth landscapes of "Aries Moon" to the footwork-inspired pulse of "Time Is Blind," the album explores themes of patience, vulnerability, longing, and intimacy. Standout singles "Kissing in a Dream" and the title track lean into left-field street soul, while stripped-back, 808-driven tracks like "Change Your Mind" and "Anomaly" demonstrate the power of restraint without sacrificing momentum. Building on the group's love of ambient improvisation, Love Comes Thru also features instrumental pieces with percussion by Brandon Valdivia (Mas Aya/Lido Pimienta).

The album closes with the sensual "Bubbling," bringing the journey full circle with a reminder that love ultimately comes through in its most embodied, physical form. Love Comes Thru is presented in a deluxe, limited-edition matte-finish, double-embossed jacket with a printed inner sleeve. Available on LP and digitally through Rubadub, In Sheep's Clothing, and Forced Exposure beginning October 2.

Kukangendai are the innovative three-piece Kyoto based experimental rock band formed in 2006 with Junya Noguchi on guitar and vocals, Keisuke Koyano on bass, and Hideaki Yamada on drums. Since 2016 the band have set up shop in their studio and venue space, Soto, which houses an incredibly well tuned and powerful sound system that has become a well known destination for touring musicians. In March of 2025, Marionette was celebrating a belated 10 years of activity with label showcases across Japan in collaboration with Dotei Records, and Soto was inevitably one of the stops as many label alumni have set foot in the venue over the years. This is where I got to experience Kukangendai perform for the very first time and knew right then we were destined to work together.

Kukangendai embody an undeniable sense of timing and precision through collage-like repetition of minimalist phrases that manifest as a single unified rhythm. Their latest offering for Marionette, titled Baquet Wheel, is a purely acoustic endeavor, remarkably recorded live using Taku Unami's special binaural microphone. The trio seamlessly twist polyrhythms and melodies rooted in jazz, krautrock, blues, and Tuareg producing a timeless sound that preserves the primitive and memory evoking narratives buried deep within the music. Over the course of five tracks, the visceral nature of Kukangendai’s dynamic evolves from playful riffs that are seemingly familiar yet strikingly original, making it impossible to discern exactly when this material was conceived.

Kukangendai have maintained a prolific yet relatively low profile for the last two decades, with a handful of self-released editions on their own labels (Soto and Leftbrain) as well as a collaborative album with pioneering electronic music composer Ryuichi Sakamoto in 2018, then venturing outside Japan in 2019 to release their first widely distributed album on Ideologic Organ, a label curated by Sunn O)))’s Stephen O'Malley. Other collaborative projects to date include an album produced with rap group Moe and ghosts, live performances with Keiji Haino and with poet Gozo Yoshimasu, productions with the Chiten theater company, and most recently a remix album of their works featuring Carl Stone and Madteo.

Das im März 1983 veröffentlichte Album *Magical Ring* ist das siebte Studioalbum der irischen FolkGruppe Clannad und markiert einen entscheidenden Wendepunkt in der Entwicklung der Band – weg
vom traditionellen keltischen Folk hin zu jenem atmosphärischen Klang, der später einen Großteil ihres
internationalen Erfolgs ausmachen sollte. Das Album verbindet Lieder in irischer Sprache, traditionelle
Melodien und eine moderne Produktion zu einem facettenreichen und stimmungsvollen Hörerlebnis.
Der herausragende Titel des Albums, das eindringliche „Theme from Harry’s Game“, entwickelte sich
zu Clannads Durchbruchshit; er erreichte Platz 5 der britischen Single-Charts und machte ein breiteres
Publikum mit dem unverwechselbaren Sound der Band bekannt.
Zu den weiteren bemerkenswerten Stücken zählen „Newgrange“ – ein bei Fans beliebter Song, der den
ätherischen Gesang und die vielschichtigen Arrangements der Band zur Geltung bringt – sowie „I See
Red“, eine seltene Coverversion, die ebenfalls als Single in die Charts gelangte. Das Album selbst erreichte
Platz 26 der britischen Album-Charts; es war Clannads erster großer kommerzieller Erfolg und legte den
Grundstein für spätere Klassiker wie *Legend* und *Macalla*.

Die norwegische Punkband Aktiv Dödshjelp aus Oslo hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren in Ihrer Heimat
durch ihre explosiven Liveshows und nicht zuletzt durch ihre supermelodiösen Songs mit witzigen und
ironischen Texten einen hervorragenden Ruf erspielt. In den 17 Jahren seit ihrer Gründung im Jahre 2007
ist die Band pausenlos im Inland und Ausland getourt und präsentiert nun ihr zweites Album! Aktiv
Dödshjelp haben ihren Sound seit ihrem letzten Album ”Send Dudes” (das in 2025 für den norwegischen
Grammy als bestes Rockalbum nominiert war) perfektioniert und liefern auf dem neuen Album ”The Nasty
Piece” den perfekten Mix aus Punk und Rock. Wer auf norwegische Bands wie Turbonegro, The Good
The Bad and The Zugly und Kvelertak steht, wird Aktiv Dödshjelp lieben!
Für die neue Platte holte sich die Band diesmal Produzent Bendik Markovic Toming-Weston (brenn, TØFL,
Fred again.…) ins Boot, der laut der Band ”eine echte Pop-Hure” ist.
Natürlich haben es nur die stärksten Songs auf The Nasty Piece geschafft. Das Album enthält außerdem
die bereits veröffentlichten Singles „Jakter en Løve“, „Kjøttkverna“ und „Hun som sitter fast“ und mit
”Lazer Tag” den besten Turbonegro-Song, den Turbonegro nie geschrieben haben.

Hippotraktor, the progressive metal band from Belgium, combining the best of prog, groove and post-metal return with new album! Wmerging from Mechelen, Belgium, to the joy of ear-splitters and deep-feelers of post rock, Hippotraktor release their third studio album Annihilist. "A good blend between the vibes of Meridian and the technicality of Stasis." (Verheyden), that exhibits once again the band's ability to balance crushing physicality with emotional nuance, whilst pushing further into highly cultivated experimentation. For Hippotraktor, immense sonic weight coexists with remarkable clarity and depth, and through the many shifting passages and moments Annihilist becomes a journey of awe, dissolution, melancholia and rampaging power. At the heart of this album is a sense of collective inspiration. Verheyden's compositional vision provides the framework for music that is both intricate and instinctive, yet Hippotraktor's identity is forged through the dialogue between all five musicians. Although often associated with progressive metal, post-metal and sludge, Hippotraktor resist classification. Their music draws freely from multiple traditions while remaining unmistakably their own, blending rhythmic complexity, cinematic atmosphere and deeply human expression into a sound that feels both expansive and immediate. As an album Annihilist is not only gripping in every moment and turn, but their balance of the intimate and titanic feels deceptively effortless; a testament to their galvanised abilities. FOR FANS OF Psychonaut Mershuggah Dvne Vola The Ocean Hypno5e Sikasa Blackshape

Hippotraktor, the progressive metal band from Belgium, combining the best of prog, groove and post-metal return with new album! Wmerging from Mechelen, Belgium, to the joy of ear-splitters and deep-feelers of post rock, Hippotraktor release their third studio album Annihilist. "A good blend between the vibes of Meridian and the technicality of Stasis." (Verheyden), that exhibits once again the band's ability to balance crushing physicality with emotional nuance, whilst pushing further into highly cultivated experimentation. For Hippotraktor, immense sonic weight coexists with remarkable clarity and depth, and through the many shifting passages and moments Annihilist becomes a journey of awe, dissolution, melancholia and rampaging power. At the heart of this album is a sense of collective inspiration. Verheyden's compositional vision provides the framework for music that is both intricate and instinctive, yet Hippotraktor's identity is forged through the dialogue between all five musicians. Although often associated with progressive metal, post-metal and sludge, Hippotraktor resist classification. Their music draws freely from multiple traditions while remaining unmistakably their own, blending rhythmic complexity, cinematic atmosphere and deeply human expression into a sound that feels both expansive and immediate. As an album Annihilist is not only gripping in every moment and turn, but their balance of the intimate and titanic feels deceptively effortless; a testament to their galvanised abilities. FOR FANS OF Psychonaut Mershuggah Dvne Vola The Ocean Hypno5e Sikasa Blackshape

Seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 2014 haben sich These Wicked Rivers zu einer der fesselndsten Bands der aktuellen Rock-Revivals in Großbritannien entwickelt. Die aus Derby stammende Gruppe schöpft aus dem reichen Erbe von Rocklegenden und Blues-Größen und hat sich mit ihrem unverwechselbaren, vom Blues geprägten modernen Rock einen Namen gemacht. Dank ihrer Live-Auftritte, die oft eine fast spirituelle Tiefe erreichen, und ihres zeitlosen Songwritings hat die Band in den letzten Jahren enorm an Fahrt aufgenommen. Ausverkaufte Konzerte in Großbritannien, den Niederlanden, Frankreich und Deutschland sowie der große Kritikererfolg ihres zweiten Studioalbums "Force of Nature" (Platz 3 der UK-Rockcharts) haben ihren Ruf als Live-Act, den man unbedingt gesehen haben muss, gefestigt. Das Jahr 2026 verspricht ein Meilenstein für das Quintett zu werden: Im Herbst erscheint ihr mit Spannung erwartetes drittes Album "Fire and Folklore". Aufgenommen wurde das Werk in der Heimatstadt der Band, Belper in Derbyshire, im Heimstudio von Andy Sneap. Unter der Regie des Grammy-Preisträgers Sneap (Judas Priest, Saxon, Megadeth) und Colin Richardson (Slipknot, Massive Wagons, Those Damn Crows) ist das bisher ausgereifteste Album der Band entstanden. "Fire and Folklore" geht über den typischen ,Wizard-Blues-Rock"-Sound hinaus und erschließt neue klangliche Territorien; dabei werden Country-Einflüsse und Southern-Rock-Flair integriert, ohne den für die Band charakteristischen Groove und Soul zu verlieren. Zudem ist die aus Derby stammende Country-Hoffnung Kezia Gill als Gastmusikerin auf dem Album vertreten. Geliebt von einer rasant wachsenden Schaar von Fans und ausgestattet mit einem Album, das den Sprung auf die großen internationalen Bühnen anvisiert, stehen These Wicked Rivers bereit, neue Höhen zu erklimmen. Seid dabei, klingt klasse. CD mit zwei Bonustracks, LP als Purple oder Black Vinyl!

The final installment of the GIANT SKY trilogy, Giant Sky III, will be released on October 2nd, 2026, preceded by the single "Fleeting Glimpse", which offers the first taste of the new album. A companion postlude album, The Further We Go The Deeper It Gets, will follow on October 16th, 2026. Together, the two records complete an ambitious body of work that has seen Viken explore a broader and more introspective musical landscape than ever before. "Fleeting Glimpse" provides an evocative introduction to the final chapter of the GIANT SKY trilogy. While Viken"s band Soup has become renowned for its emotionally charged, crescendo-driven soundscapes, GIANT SKY allows him to embrace an even wider palette of influences. Drawing from alternative art rock, post-rock, electronica, ambient music, indie, folk, and progressive rock, the project balances immersive atmospheres with memorable melodies. In an era increasingly dominated by algorithms, artificial intelligence and digital perfection, Viken has consciously taken the opposite path. GIANT SKY is built around the human element of music-making, embracing imperfections and authenticity as artistic strengths. "This album has been with me for a long time. Some of the ideas on Giant Sky III go back many years, and in a way it feels like a cross section of the last 25 years of my life as a composer. We live in a time where music is increasingly shaped by algorithms, AI and endless digital possibilities. I suppose this record is my way of walking upstream a little bit - taking the slower route, trusting the human imperfections, and letting the music find its own shape. It wasn"t a quick album to make, but I"m proud of what it became: ambitious where it needed to be, modest where it should be, and above all, honest." - Erlend Viken

The final installment of the GIANT SKY trilogy, Giant Sky III, will be released on October 2nd, 2026, preceded by the single "Fleeting Glimpse", which offers the first taste of the new album. A companion postlude album, The Further We Go The Deeper It Gets, will follow on October 16th, 2026. Together, the two records complete an ambitious body of work that has seen Viken explore a broader and more introspective musical landscape than ever before. "Fleeting Glimpse" provides an evocative introduction to the final chapter of the GIANT SKY trilogy. While Viken"s band Soup has become renowned for its emotionally charged, crescendo-driven soundscapes, GIANT SKY allows him to embrace an even wider palette of influences. Drawing from alternative art rock, post-rock, electronica, ambient music, indie, folk, and progressive rock, the project balances immersive atmospheres with memorable melodies. In an era increasingly dominated by algorithms, artificial intelligence and digital perfection, Viken has consciously taken the opposite path. GIANT SKY is built around the human element of music-making, embracing imperfections and authenticity as artistic strengths. "This album has been with me for a long time. Some of the ideas on Giant Sky III go back many years, and in a way it feels like a cross section of the last 25 years of my life as a composer. We live in a time where music is increasingly shaped by algorithms, AI and endless digital possibilities. I suppose this record is my way of walking upstream a little bit - taking the slower route, trusting the human imperfections, and letting the music find its own shape. It wasn"t a quick album to make, but I"m proud of what it became: ambitious where it needed to be, modest where it should be, and above all, honest." - Erlend Viken

“Neither from here nor from there” is often used to describe migrant identities in territorial terms. In the case of Siete Catorce, it works better temporally: his music has always been so far ahead of its moment that it ultimately carved out a space of its own within both Latin American and global electronic music.

Born in Mexicali and shaped between the Bay Area and northern Mexico, his musical identity emerged through hip hop, dubstep, and the independent borderland scenes. After several years in Mexico City — without a clear place inside the local circuit — he created his own space through his music, developing a distinctive DJ/live set and a singular vision of contemporary Mexican electronic music, becoming a key figure within the city’s most forward-thinking underground.

In 2026, he releases El Valle, his first album in nearly three years. The record moves through different currents of electronic music — ambient, techno, cumbia, and tribal — filtered through a unique rhythmic language marked by syncopation, unpredictable breaks, and a constant tension between restraint and energy.

The album opens with “Mexicali,” alongside Andre Pereda, a tribal track stripped down to its percussive essence, evoking the genre through an ambient and synthetic approach. From there, “Aragón” and “El Rancho” progressively increase the tempo and intensity, combining cadenced phrases with minimalist tribal beats and unexpected turns.

In the second half of the album, now moving through territories of 140 BPM and beyond, tracks like “Montecarlo 1” and “Tierra Roja” drift between futuristic bass music and large-scale techno structures. This is followed by the 8-minute epic “East LA,” where Siete Catorce expands the energy of syncopated techno before releasing it into a pre-Hispanic tribal journey with flute and all the drums required for the occasion.

The closing section arrives with “Tlatelolco,” accelerating into an epic cumbia infused with trance references, and “Los Pinos,” a direct and forceful finale sustained by some of the album’s most precise sound design.

More than genres, Siete Catorce’s work is defined by meticulous sound design and an exceptional rhythmic sensibility — qualities that have established him as one of the most respected drum programmers of his generation.

Das ursprünglich 2016 veröffentlichte Album „The Divine Feminine“ markierte einen der einschneidendsten Wendepunkte in einer Karriere, die von kreativer Neuerfindung geprägt war. Nachdem Mac Miller auf seinem 2015 erschienenen Album „GO:OD AM“ seine Rap-Fähigkeiten noch einmal unter Beweis gestellt hatte, überraschte er seine Fans mit einem kühnen Kurswechsel und schuf ein Konzeptalbum, das seine Ansichten über die Kraft der Liebe und die heilige Energie der Frauen thematisierte. Von Pitchfork als „mit Abstand sein bisher mitreißendstes Album“ gepriesen, deuteten der Einsatz seiner Gesangsstimme und der genreübergreifende Ansatz beim Songwriting bereits die Entwicklung an, die sich auf seinem 2018 erschienenen Album „Swimming“ weiter konkretisieren sollte. Die 10-Jahre-Jubiläumsausgabe von „The Divine Feminine“ enthält drei bisher unveröffentlichte Songs aus den Aufnahmesessions des Albums und wird ab dem 2. Oktober als 3LP mit bedruckten Innenhüllen in einer Single-Pocket-Hülle erhältlich sein.

Written in collaboration with British jazz pianist and organist Kit Downes, the album was recorded in the hushed, reverberant atmosphere of Bragernes Kirke in Norway in November 2024 - a setting that lends the record an intimate, almost sacred stillness. The album was mixed and mastered by Jorgen Traeen. The album takes its title from the landmark 14th- century mystical text by Julian of Norwich - the first book known to have been written in English by a woman. Sundfor encountered Julian's writing around the same time she and Downes were performing together in churches in 2024, and the timing felt fated. Drawn to the text's extraordinary themes of hope, resilience, and its quietly radical feminine perspective, she found in Julian's words a natural spiritual and artistic continuation from her acclaimed 2023 album Blomi . The connection felt so immediate and profound that she invited Downes to join her as a full collaborator on the project.

Nicola Conte & Gianluca Petrella’s 2021 brilliant collaborative jazz dance album People Need People channelled a vision of togetherness and used the universal language of music to elevate our spirit during these trying times. This vision can’t be more relevant today and the album’s legacy is kept alive with the same spirit of collaboration that distinguished the project.

“Inner Light” - featuring Raashan Ahmad on vocals - is the first song from the album chosen for a series of reinterpretations of the project that will be released throughout 2022. Joaquin Joe Claussell needs no introduction, the Body & Soul founder and Sacred Rhythm label honcho is a true legend and purveyor of spirituality – a cosmic messenger that brings us two versions of “Inner Light”; his work here is not to be solely intended as a remix but, as the title suggests, delivers two new proper versions of the original song.

This EP is the first in a trilogy of 12” releases that will also feature further reinterpretations of tracks taken from the “People Need People” album, by none less than Anthony Nicholson, DJ Spinna and Tall Black Guy!