Search:anthems

What"s new for the first time in over a decade? Squirrel Bait"s self-titled 12" EP and Skag Heaven in the black. In "85-"87, their screamin" teenage psycho dilemmas stood way out in the emerging field of metal damaged hardcore punk. "Kid Dynamite" would ring in your head like a #1 single that had just unseated "Sun God" from the vaunted top spot. Every week. Anthems for the freaks! It happened fast. After a couple of records, guitarists David Grubbs and Brian McMahan split for Bastro and Slint (and Gastr del Sol and The For Carnation, respectively) With Grubbs went bassist Clark Johnson, original Bait batterie mate Britt Walford joined McMahan in Slint. Leaving only the stuff of legend: records eternally exploding with youthful feels through all the endless winters and summers of hearts and minds. Repressed, Squirrel Bait can now continue to dialogue with the young in the creation of new useful and unforgettable experiences. For the children of tomorrow as well as your own damn selves, get copies now.

A legendary chapter of hard rock history comes to a thunderous conclusion with The Final Ride, the ultimate live release from Lynch Mob, capturing the band’s final run on stage with uncompromising power, precision and attitude. Available on CD/DVD, Blu-ray and LP, The Final Ride delivers a fully immersive live experience, meticulously recorded, mixed and mastered by Chuck Alkazian at Pearl Sound Studios, ensuring outstanding sonic clarity while preserving the raw intensity and immediacy of a true Lynch Mob performance. The setlist is a powerful career-spanning journey, combining cornerstone Lynch Mob classics with three iconic Dokken-era songs that remain inseparable from George Lynch’s legacy. Explosive performances of “Lightning Strikes Again,” “It’s Not Love,” and “Paris Is Burning” ignite the crowd and serve as a direct bridge between past and present, while Lynch Mob anthems such as “River of Love,” “No Good,” “Hell Child,” “Let the Music Be Your Master,” “Street Fighting Man,” and the timeless closer “Wicked Sensation” showcase the band at full force. At the heart of The Final Ride stands George Lynch, whose unmistakable guitar tone, phrasing and musical authority continue to define generations of hard rock and metal guitarists. He is backed by a formidable lineup featuring Gabriel Colon (vocals), Jaron Gulino (bass) and Jimmy D’Anda (drums), delivering a tight, aggressive and emotionally charged performance worthy of the band’s legacy. The Final Ride is more than a live album—it is a farewell, a celebration and a definitive statement. Captured with premium production values and released across multiple physical formats, it stands as an essential document for fans, collectors and anyone who has followed the enduring impact of George Lynch and Lynch Mob on hard rock history. The final curtain falls—but the fire still burns.

Shit Robot and DFA are psyched to rerelease 2015 anthem "Where It's At", a collaboration with the singer/comedian/television star Reggie Watts. Reggie Watts' vocal performance runs the gamut of Chicago dance music history - from the gloom and melodrama of iconic label Wax Trax, to the jubilant choruses of Frankie Knuckles' house anthems. But let's not de-emphasize the solid instrumentation provided by Mr. Marcus 'Shit Robot' Lambkin - we've got that classic DFA bassline, claps, and bleeps and bloops aplenty - mixed and manipulated by none other than our own James Murphy. The flip features a remix by London producer Johnny Aux, who turns the track into a staticy, stripped down, raw Deep House banger, with hissing glimmers of icy cymbals peeking through the smog.

For the first time in its 27-year history, Defected compile its greatest hits, underground anthems and bonafide house music classics into a five volume triple vinyl collectors series.

Volume One collects twelve of Defected’s most established and sought after releases.
Featuring arguably ‘the' Defected anthem; Kings of Tomorrow ‘Finally’ alongside Solomon’s huge Noir & Haze remix, Ibiza anthems ‘Guitarra G’, ‘At Night’ and ‘Coma Cat’ plus productions and remixes from Louie Vega, Dennis Ferrer and Dimitri From Paris.

An essential addition to your record collection.

For the first time in its 27-year history, Defected compile its greatest hits, underground anthems and bonafide house music classics into a five volume triple vinyl collectors series.

Volume Two collects twelve of Defected’s most established and sought after releases. Featuring Dennis Ferrer’s anthem ‘Hey Hey’, CamelPhat & Elderbook’s huge ‘Cola’, alongside MK’s classic ‘Burning’, Oliver Dollar & Jimi Jules’s chart smash ‘Pushing On’, Defected’s first ever release; Soulsearcher’s ‘Can’t Get Enough!’. Plus Mike Dunn, DJ Gregory, Hercules & Love Affair and more.

An essential addition to your record collection.

British alt-rock favourites A return with PRANG, their first studio album in over 20 years, released via Cooking Vinyl. Sparked by the effervescent lead single "Hello Sunshine," the album finds the band rediscovering their identity with the carefree spirit and stylish sloppiness that defined their early days. Written and recorded free from expectation or pressure, PRANG is a vibrant, hook-laden reaffirmation of A"s enduring appeal - balancing punchy, riff-driven anthems with heartfelt, soul-baring moments. Frontman Jason Perry, now a Grammy Award-winning producer known for his work with Don Broco, McFly and Kids In Glass Houses, helms production to preserve the band"s DIY ethos and singular personality. Lyrically, PRANG is A"s most open and reflective work to date. Drawing on two decades of life experience, Perry explores gratitude, resilience, mental health and friendship with warmth and disarming honesty. The result is an album that feels both nostalgic and strikingly modern - each track its own colourful island, yet unmistakably A. Twenty years in the making, PRANG is more than a comeback; it"s a rebirth. Cathartic, melodic and life-affirming, it marks a bold new chapter for one of Britain"s most beloved rock bands.

2026 Repress


Straight fire from the vaults! Three deep raw joints including the legendary floor anthems "Live at Palladium" and "Back to my Groove” by the legend Phil Weeks, back on wax with that gritty groove. OG vibes only — limited press, real heads know. Grab Rare Cuts before it’s gone!

From dancefloor anthems to deep, soulful grooves-pure contemporary fire - a stunning fusion of soul, jazz, hip hop, and funk from Spain's most exciting artists presented in volume 5 of Sampladelia series. The Groove Family kicks off the compilation, Sampladelia 2025, with a dancefloor banger, while Carlos Abril takes us on a soulful journey, and producer Blunted Soul dives into instrumental hip hop infused with funk. From Jerez, Maestro Mutante delivers a distinctive sound full of contemporary soul, while Sr. Zambrana blends jazz, hip hop, and Japanese influences. Smart K., from Vigo, brings his signature Spanish-sung R&B, and guitarist Juanma Montoya proves that soul-funk and flamenco accents are a perfect match. Karmasound mixes jazz with electronic textures, MrFoxMad pays an elegant tribute to Roy Ayers, and Malage delivers a killer track for the dancefloor. Laboca joins Flavia Beaká with experimental, conscious hip hop, and to close the compilation, Pablo Torti represents the new wave of Spanish contemporary jazz. Enjoy this new volume of Sampladelia series!

Coinciding with the band’s European tour in June 2026, High Roller Records re-releases “Rat God” (2021), “Fearsick” (2022), and the “Panic Prayer” EP (2023) by US death metal powerhouse Inhuman Condition.
Formed in late 2020, Inhuman Condition unites three seasoned veterans of the genre: Jeramie Kling (Overkill, ex-Venom Inc., ex-Massacre) on vocals and drums, guitarist Taylor Nordberg (Deicide, Umbilicus, ex-Massacre), and Terry Butler (Obituary, ex-Death, ex-Six Feet Under, ex-Massacre) on bass. With roots deeply embedded in the legacy of classic Florida death metal, the trio quickly established a reputation for delivering relentless, and unapologetically old-school extremity infused with modern precision and songwriting clarity.
The group’s debut full-length “Rat God” introduced their signature blend of crushing mid-tempo grooves, razor-edged riffing, and commanding vocal presence. Praised for its clear and powerful production, dynamic guitar work, and unmistakable homage to early 90s death metal, the album delivered headbanging anthems such as ‘Euphoriphobia’, ‘Crown of Mediocrity’, and ‘Planetary Paroxysm’, marking Inhuman Condition as a veritable force carrying the tradition forward.
With “Fearsick” (2022), the band sharpened their attack while staying true to their core identity. Featuring artwork by Dan Goldsworthy and produced by Jeramie Kling, the album expanded the sonic palette with atmospheric touches, crushing riff sequences, and memorable hooks, thus cementing the band’s status.
The “Panic Prayer” EP (2023) showcased three new tracks and a cover of Blue Öyster Cults ‘Godzilla’ alongside raw live recordings capturing the band’s ferocious stage energy.
High Roller Records’ 2026 re-issue campaign offers fans the chance to rediscover the early catalog in premium physical editions, celebrating the recordings that established Inhuman Condition as a modern standard-bearer of classic death metal intensity.

Chinese American Bear return in 2026 with their third album, Dim Sum & Then Some, released in May via cult UK label Moshi Moshi.

“Dim Sum & Then Some was started the day after we finished our 2024 album Wah!!!. We were having a lot of fun and inspiration was still high,” the band explain. “The album explores themes around what we love—food, little joys, fun simple nonsense, China, love, anthems, and fairytales. It’s a collage of our life, distilled into positivity and lightheartedness.”

Often described as The Flaming Lips, Dusty Springfield, and The Beach Boys having a baby with a Care Bear, Chinese American Bear’s music is bursting with comedy, groove, quirk, and cuteness. Dim Sum & Then Some is melodically rich and joyfully maximalist, weaving together psychedelia, doses of funk, and lush instrumentation, with plenty of lyrics devoted to the simple pleasure of filling up your belly with good food.

VINDICATE, Black Veil Bride’s seventh album, casts a brilliant symbolic signal across the darkened skies. It’s a living will and testament to the band’s storied past, triumphant present, and unwritten future. VINDICATE harnesses the blend of grandeur and intimacy at the heart of the band’s melodic and metallic sound. Across timeless songs, VINDICATE conjures enduring archetypes, interwoven with themes of revolt and vengeance, and shades of John Milton’s epic 1677 poem Paradise Lost.

Guitarists Jake Pitts and Jinxx, drummer Christian Coma, bassist Lonny Eagleton, and frontman/vocalist Andy Biersack celebrated several milestones in recent years, including massive shows in London and Mexico City. “Bleeders” was a Top 10 hit at Active Rock radio and a several-month-long mainstay on YouTube’s Hard Rock & Metal chart (which tracks both current and catalog music videos) in 2024 and 2025.

VINDICATE is the first new Black Veil Brides full-length produced by Pitts and Biersack, exercising complete creative control while synthesizing the best of what they’ve learned from A-list producers. The album was mixed by Zakk Cervini (Bring Me The Horizon,
Evanescence, Bad Omens).

VINDICATE ushers in Black Veil Brides' most visceral, creative, thrilling, and uncompromising era yet, as the band continues to defy expectations and misconceptions held by casual onlookers. Black Veil Brides forever champions the isolated and the dismissed.
They’re an object of devotion and obsession for those who sing their anthems in unison, a diverse BVB Army that never surrenders.

VINDICATE, Black Veil Bride’s seventh album, casts a brilliant symbolic signal across the darkened skies. It’s a living will and testament to the band’s storied past, triumphant present, and unwritten future. VINDICATE harnesses the blend of grandeur and intimacy at the heart of the band’s melodic and metallic sound.
Across timeless songs, VINDICATE conjures enduring archetypes, interwoven with themes of revolt and vengeance, and shades of John Milton’s epic 1677 poem Paradise Lost.

Guitarists Jake Pitts and Jinxx, drummer Christian Coma, bassist Lonny Eagleton, and frontman/vocalist Andy Biersack celebrated several milestones in recent years, including massive shows in London and Mexico City. “Bleeders” was a Top 10 hit at Active Rock radio and a several-month-long mainstay on YouTube’s Hard Rock & Metal chart (which tracks both current and catalog music videos) in 2024 and 2025.

VINDICATE is the first new Black Veil Brides full-length produced by Pitts and Biersack, exercising complete creative control while synthesizing the best of what they’ve learned from A-list producers. The album was mixed by Zakk Cervini (Bring Me The Horizon, Evanescence, Bad Omens).

VINDICATE ushers in Black Veil Brides' most visceral, creative, thrilling, and uncompromising era yet, as the band continues to defy expectations and misconceptions held by casual onlookers. Black Veil Brides forever champions the isolated and the dismissed.

They’re an object of devotion and obsession for those who sing their anthems in unison, a diverse BVB Army that never surrenders.

It would be easy to pigeonhole Footballhead’s unapologetically-buttrock-inspired record Weight of The Truth as simple nostalgia bait. Why wouldn’t millennials lust for the days of Halo and energy drinks in carpeted basements they’re not convinced they’ll ever be able to afford for themselves? Beyond that, why would the zoomers that now intently follow not try and chase the high of hyperreality in a bygone world that looks, to them, downright utopian when compared to the present?

What sets Footballhead’s capital-R Rock sound apart from contemporaries is - in addition to just sounding better - a desire and an ability to thread the needle between paying homage to a quasi-idyllic past and pursuing an earnest future. Footballhead wears their 2000s-era influences on their waffle-knit longsleeves, with power chord drives and pummeling choruses, all sequenced together like the teeth of a skeleton key able to unlock core memories for people who’ve either been there or people who simply wonder what being there was like. Both the anthems and ballads on Weight of The Truth are waxed and polished to perfection like the lip of a favored skatepark ledge.

But underlying all that, even more impressively, is a grit and substance derived from years spent in the Chicago DIY scene, exposing themselves to different styles and influences equally out of necessity as out of interest. It bleeds through on every track. You can bullshit your way into a vibe but, as the band shows on any number of recent releases, including singles off their upcoming second LP: you can’t fake heart. With an ear to the past but an eye to the present, Footballhead invites you to remember what it meant to give a shit back when the world felt simpler - and what it might feel like to do so again.

It would be easy to pigeonhole Footballhead’s unapologetically-buttrock-inspired record Weight of The Truth as simple nostalgia bait. Why wouldn’t millennials lust for the days of Halo and energy drinks in carpeted basements they’re not convinced they’ll ever be able to afford for themselves? Beyond that, why would the zoomers that now intently follow not try and chase the high of hyperreality in a bygone world that looks, to them, downright utopian when compared to the present?

What sets Footballhead’s capital-R Rock sound apart from contemporaries is - in addition to just sounding better - a desire and an ability to thread the needle between paying homage to a quasi-idyllic past and pursuing an earnest future. Footballhead wears their 2000s-era influences on their waffle-knit longsleeves, with power chord drives and pummeling choruses, all sequenced together like the teeth of a skeleton key able to unlock core memories for people who’ve either been there or people who simply wonder what being there was like. Both the anthems and ballads on Weight of The Truth are waxed and polished to perfection like the lip of a favored skatepark ledge.

But underlying all that, even more impressively, is a grit and substance derived from years spent in the Chicago DIY scene, exposing themselves to different styles and influences equally out of necessity as out of interest. It bleeds through on every track. You can bullshit your way into a vibe but, as the band shows on any number of recent releases, including singles off their upcoming second LP: you can’t fake heart. With an ear to the past but an eye to the present, Footballhead invites you to remember what it meant to give a shit back when the world felt simpler - and what it might feel like to do so again.

Repress 2026

DJ Support from Danny Howard, Annie Mac, Mistajam, Pete Tong, Charlie Hedges, Kraak & Smaak, Maxinne, Todd Terry, Alex Preston, Full Intention, GW Harrison, DJ Rae, Rudimental, Alaia & Gallo, Illyus & Barrientos, Johan S, David Penn, Sam Divine, Riva Starr, Claptone, Nice7, Dario D’Attis, Mousse T, S-Man, Huxley, KC Lights, Friend Within, Dombresky, Gorgon City, Chris Lake, Format:B, Pirupa, TCTS, Alan Fitzpatrick, Low Steppa, Mat.Joe, Raumakustik, Eskuche

The next of Toolroom’s 4 track vinyl sampler series kicks off with a bang(er!). Welcoming CHANEY back onto the label with possible his finest release to date in the shape of ‘I Choose You’. On Toolroom alone he has amassed over 40m streams across leading streaming stores in just 3 years and can add massive imprints like Defected, Insomniac and Perfect Havoc to his list of musical successes. Everything in this record is 100% original and written by CHANEY himself from the self-played bass line, lush rhodes chords and distinctive, poignant vocals.

Next up is Gene Farris who has been a mainstay on Toolroom in recent years and is a regular artist at our label events all over the World. ‘In My Heart’ lands as an exciting collab with the Basura Boyz, a duo also hailing from Gene’s hometown of Chicago and the chemistry between the 3 of them is evident from the first beat! A super cool, stripped back vocal tech house track that sits in that sweet spot of club and specialist radio.

Kicking off the B-side is Deeper Purpose who returns to Toolroom alongside Jalja & Lazy Joe, after his debut club weapon ‘Stutter’ dropped on the label last year. He has had success across all the scene’s leading imprints over the past 12 months including Fisher’s Catch n Release, Experts Only and Repopulate Mars and this record is an anthem in the making! Jalja is on vocal duties, the vocalist that shot to fame after her huge ‘Hanging Tree’ record alongside Michael Bibi. She adds her trademark ethereal vibe to the record and delivers a typically killer hook - This is a real EAR WORM!!

Wrapping things up on Sampler 14 is a very exciting collaboration from 2 of the scene’s brightest shining new stars; Tony Romera and Crusy. Having been die-hard Toolroom fans for many years, this record came about during a conversation about old Toolroom records, and how they collectively wanted to emulate that slightly progressive tech house but bring it right up to date. And they have certainly done that! A real peak-time dance floor moment here with insane production and a unique, intense build up that is already causing maximum mayhem!

Countless radio plays on Radio 1 from Danny Howard, Sarah Storie, Pete Tong

Other notable radio plays – Kiss FM, Toolroom Radio, Sirius XM, Data Transmission Radio, Radio 1 Dance Anthems, Radio 1 Party Anthems, Rinse FM, Select Radio, Tomorrowland Radio

More than half a century into its existence, heavy metal still prowls as a living force in the dark, and Vancouver's SPELL summon that spirit with defiant conviction on their fifth album, 'Wretched Heart'. Rejecting the safety of nostalgia, the band; Cam Mesmer, Al Lester, Gabriel Tenebrae and Jeff Black, step beyond retro homage into shadowy new terrain, where harmony guitars blaze like torches against the night and gothic atmospheres coil around songs pulsing with desperation, longing, and wild exaltation. Forged through the fire of the stage and shaped by trusted collaborators, this is SPELL at their most potent: dramatic, vulnerable, and unafraid of excess. From existential laments to bittersweet anthems that shimmer with both steel and sorrow, 'Wretched Heart' beats with a fiercely human pulse. In SPELL's hands, heavy metal is no museum relic but a darkly romantic covenant-restless, cathartic, and forever reaching beyond the veil.

More than half a century into its existence, heavy metal still prowls as a living force in the dark, and Vancouver's SPELL summon that spirit with defiant conviction on their fifth album, 'Wretched Heart'. Rejecting the safety of nostalgia, the band; Cam Mesmer, Al Lester, Gabriel Tenebrae and Jeff Black, step beyond retro homage into shadowy new terrain, where harmony guitars blaze like torches against the night and gothic atmospheres coil around songs pulsing with desperation, longing, and wild exaltation. Forged through the fire of the stage and shaped by trusted collaborators, this is SPELL at their most potent: dramatic, vulnerable, and unafraid of excess. From existential laments to bittersweet anthems that shimmer with both steel and sorrow, 'Wretched Heart' beats with a fiercely human pulse. In SPELL's hands, heavy metal is no museum relic but a darkly romantic covenant-restless, cathartic, and forever reaching beyond the veil.

More than half a century into its existence, heavy metal still prowls as a living force in the dark, and Vancouver's SPELL summon that spirit with defiant conviction on their fifth album, 'Wretched Heart'. Rejecting the safety of nostalgia, the band; Cam Mesmer, Al Lester, Gabriel Tenebrae and Jeff Black, step beyond retro homage into shadowy new terrain, where harmony guitars blaze like torches against the night and gothic atmospheres coil around songs pulsing with desperation, longing, and wild exaltation. Forged through the fire of the stage and shaped by trusted collaborators, this is SPELL at their most potent: dramatic, vulnerable, and unafraid of excess. From existential laments to bittersweet anthems that shimmer with both steel and sorrow, 'Wretched Heart' beats with a fiercely human pulse. In SPELL's hands, heavy metal is no museum relic but a darkly romantic covenant-restless, cathartic, and forever reaching beyond the veil.

In eine Szene, die häufig von Schein und Dunkelheit dominiert ist, schickten die DESCENDENTS ab Mitte der 80er eine Portion dreckigen Humor, Songs über die junge Liebe und das junge Leben, unverschämt eingängigen Hooks, eine koffein-befeuerte Rhythmusgruppe und natürlich dem legendären Milo am Gesang. Es gab wieder Spaß im Punk. Das erstmals 2004 veröffentlichte Album ,Cool to Be You" zeigte, dass man erwachsen werden und einen ,richtigen" Job machen kann und trotzdem schneller und lauter spielt, als die nachgerückten Kids, die halb so alt sind wie man selbst. Es festigte ihr Vermächtnis als die Band, die den Pop" in den Punk brachte, ohne dabei die Punk-Kante zu verlieren. "Luckily, the only thing that has changed about the band is their switching of record labels from Epitaph to Fat Wreck Chords. Milo Aukerman, Bill Stevenson, Karl Alvarez, and Stephen Egerton continue to spit out hook-laden pop-punk with the energy and humor they have been known for since the early '80s. Like the Ramones before them, the Descendents' overall sound tends to be interchangeable, in the best possible way, with previous efforts. Why mess with a good thing? For instance, among these 14 tracks, "Nothing With You" can be compared to "Clean Sheets," while "Cool to Be You" and "Mass Nerder" are anthems à la "I'm Not a Loser" and "I Don't Want to Grow Up." - Zurück auf schwarzem und limitiertem farbigem Vinyl! Das entscheidenen Verkaufsargument: Jeder liebt die DESCENDENTS! Richtige Annahme, oder?

In eine Szene, die häufig von Schein und Dunkelheit dominiert ist, schickten die DESCENDENTS ab Mitte der 80er eine Portion dreckigen Humor, Songs über die junge Liebe und das junge Leben, unverschämt eingängigen Hooks, eine koffein-befeuerte Rhythmusgruppe und natürlich dem legendären Milo am Gesang. Es gab wieder Spaß im Punk. Das erstmals 2004 veröffentlichte Album ,Cool to Be You" zeigte, dass man erwachsen werden und einen ,richtigen" Job machen kann und trotzdem schneller und lauter spielt, als die nachgerückten Kids, die halb so alt sind wie man selbst. Es festigte ihr Vermächtnis als die Band, die den Pop" in den Punk brachte, ohne dabei die Punk-Kante zu verlieren. "Luckily, the only thing that has changed about the band is their switching of record labels from Epitaph to Fat Wreck Chords. Milo Aukerman, Bill Stevenson, Karl Alvarez, and Stephen Egerton continue to spit out hook-laden pop-punk with the energy and humor they have been known for since the early '80s. Like the Ramones before them, the Descendents' overall sound tends to be interchangeable, in the best possible way, with previous efforts. Why mess with a good thing? For instance, among these 14 tracks, "Nothing With You" can be compared to "Clean Sheets," while "Cool to Be You" and "Mass Nerder" are anthems à la "I'm Not a Loser" and "I Don't Want to Grow Up." - Zurück auf schwarzem und limitiertem farbigem Vinyl! Das entscheidenen Verkaufsargument: Jeder liebt die DESCENDENTS! Richtige Annahme, oder?

Relive three decades of Belgian clubbing history.

We're celebrating the 35th anniversary of Cherry Moon withan essential collection of the anthems that defined a generation. Hard to find tracks, classics and sounds from the underground combined in a splendid 10x12" Vinyl Box Set.

From the first beats of 1991 to the peak of the "House of House", this is the ultimate tribute to a legendary venue.

Courtney Marie Andrews has long been celebrated as an artist who challenges herself, and who finds new interplays of Folk and Americana.. Also a vivid poet and accomplished painter, she brings a multidisciplinary richness to her work that shines throughout her 9th studio album, Valentine. Co-produced with Jerry Bernhardt and recorded almost entirely to tape, the album features complete in-studio performances that prize raw performance rather than perfection. It is Andrews’s most sonically explorative record thus far – she plays flute, high strung guitars, myriad synths, and draws heavy inspiration from her art outside of music. Her voice is gorgeous and acrobatic always, but on Valentine it finds a new depth, an assertiveness that brings new dimension to its biggest anthems and its softest moments. Written during a period of profound endings and new beginnings, Valentine is a vulnerable exploration of love vs. limerence. While anticipating the imminent loss of a loved one who would eventually recover, a new but uncertain romance began to develop. Rather than lift her up, the two emotional poles seemed to bleed into each other to sow doubt, trouble, even obsession. But through her own exploration of music and art, Andrews found a way to grow stronger inside this feeling. “I didn’t want to slink into my pain, I wanted to embrace it, own it” she says. The songs that emerged are devotional in their lyrics but defiant in their energy; it’s the very sound of a woman standing in her first wisdom. With Valentine, Andrews rejects the objectification of love, the love filled with gestures and objects instead of trust, mess, and growth. In doing so, she delivers her most beautiful and loving album to date.

Ready for 10 Years since "Guns of Gothenburg"? Here's the last collector's reissue of the "rare and sold out since years"-CS albums on vinyl! The Swedish Punkrockers often heard that their 3rd album "Guns of Gothenburg" is still their best release! The combination of riot street punk, pub rock anthems, some high energy glam-elements and melodic rough'n'tough Oi! was considered as an absolute genre-highlight 2016 "Guns of Gothenburg features 12 songs like "Kids from the Streets", "United we stand", "Fuck the Upper Class" or "Street Punk Bop", which is still the encore-highlight at every City Saints show Stefan, singer and bandleader about the new release: "When we released Guns of Gothenburg on CD back in 2016, we felt that the songs were good, but we soon began having doubts about the mix of the album. In 2017, when we were approached to release it on vinyl, we had it remixed and remastered with a new song order. This version never made it onto the streaming services, and the limited edition of the LP has been out of print for a long time. Now we're thrilled to present this re-release of Guns of Gothenburg. The original painting used for the cover has been dusted off and restored and the recording has been remastered once again to bring it closer to our original vision. We sincerely hope you enjoy it. "Guns of Gothenburg" comes on 180gr. strongly limited vinyl in classic black and two multi-colored variants (only 333 copies all in all)

Ready for 10 Years since "Guns of Gothenburg"? Here's the last collector's reissue of the "rare and sold out since years"-CS albums on vinyl! The Swedish Punkrockers often heard that their 3rd album "Guns of Gothenburg" is still their best release! The combination of riot street punk, pub rock anthems, some high energy glam-elements and melodic rough'n'tough Oi! was considered as an absolute genre-highlight 2016 "Guns of Gothenburg features 12 songs like "Kids from the Streets", "United we stand", "Fuck the Upper Class" or "Street Punk Bop", which is still the encore-highlight at every City Saints show Stefan, singer and bandleader about the new release: "When we released Guns of Gothenburg on CD back in 2016, we felt that the songs were good, but we soon began having doubts about the mix of the album. In 2017, when we were approached to release it on vinyl, we had it remixed and remastered with a new song order. This version never made it onto the streaming services, and the limited edition of the LP has been out of print for a long time. Now we're thrilled to present this re-release of Guns of Gothenburg. The original painting used for the cover has been dusted off and restored and the recording has been remastered once again to bring it closer to our original vision. We sincerely hope you enjoy it. "Guns of Gothenburg" comes on 180gr. strongly limited vinyl in classic black and two multi-colored variants (only 333 copies all in all)

Ready for 10 Years since "Guns of Gothenburg"? Here's the last collector's reissue of the "rare and sold out since years"-CS albums on vinyl! The Swedish Punkrockers often heard that their 3rd album "Guns of Gothenburg" is still their best release! The combination of riot street punk, pub rock anthems, some high energy glam-elements and melodic rough'n'tough Oi! was considered as an absolute genre-highlight 2016 "Guns of Gothenburg features 12 songs like "Kids from the Streets", "United we stand", "Fuck the Upper Class" or "Street Punk Bop", which is still the encore-highlight at every City Saints show Stefan, singer and bandleader about the new release: "When we released Guns of Gothenburg on CD back in 2016, we felt that the songs were good, but we soon began having doubts about the mix of the album. In 2017, when we were approached to release it on vinyl, we had it remixed and remastered with a new song order. This version never made it onto the streaming services, and the limited edition of the LP has been out of print for a long time. Now we're thrilled to present this re-release of Guns of Gothenburg. The original painting used for the cover has been dusted off and restored and the recording has been remastered once again to bring it closer to our original vision. We sincerely hope you enjoy it. "Guns of Gothenburg" comes on 180gr. strongly limited vinyl in classic black and two multi-colored variants (only 333 copies all in all)

As Nathan Fake rises from the nocturnal subterranea and rave catharsis of his previous records, on Evaporator, he resurfaces into the domain of daylight, bringing a tangible sense of air rushing against your face, of big skies, and endless landscapes.

The idea of pop accessibility that trickled into 2023’s Crystal Vision is refracted here through the prism of sweeping ambient, deep electronica, and trance uplift. Evaporator is Fake’s idea of “airy daytime music”, with each track a different barometer reading across the album’s varying atmospheres, which range from vibrant sunbursts, bracing rainscapes, and fine mists of clement melodics. “It’s not overtly confrontational electronic club music,” states Fake. “It’s quite pleasant, it’s accessible. As I was progressing through making the tracklist, I called it a daytime album. It doesn’t feel like an afterparty album.” For the past decade Fake has been gingerly introducing collaborations with heroes and friends alike into his lone, idiosyncratic working process.

Border Community alumni Dextro AKA Ewan Mackenzie transmutes his ferocious drumming for Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs into the blurred choral thump of ‘Baltasound’. ‘Orbiting Meadows’, meanwhile, is his second collaboration with Clark, an eerily idyllic duet where microtonal 18EDO piano clangs slowly twirl around wailing pads. Evaporator marks the junction point of old technology and ever fresh creativity for Nathan. The trusty “dinosaur” age software, particularly Cubase VST5, that has powered two decades of music is rarely updated. “I used to sort of feel a bit ashamed of using such old software, and then I kind of had an epiphany – that’s just how I work”, comments Fake. “That’s just how I play. I’m very fond of these old tools, and I get the most joy out of them, but now I’ve incorporated new technology too.” When an artist accumulates so much synergy with their instrument, music making becomes instinctual. By Fake’s account, much of Evaporator just fell into place. The album title arrived randomly in his head (“it felt completely perfect. Airy.”), ideas looped and developed until things locked into place and just felt right. ‘The Ice House’ is a fleeting glimpse of the sonic world he taps into in this creative state, its glassy FM synths built around a counterpoint between rough-hewn crystalline arpeggios and sparse yet gravitas-bearing bass. “That riff I just wrote out on the keyboard, I just played it forever and ever and ever.

The original track ended up being really short. Here you go, and it’s gone!” These unplanned channellings of sound call forth records from Fake’s past while he looks ahead, perhaps getting at the very essence of his musicianship. The opener ‘Aiwa’ (“the breeziest,” he muses) reminds of the introspection that characterised Providence, excited by the fire and grit of Steam Days’ textural experiments, its chunky slams and clatters surging into a flood of harmonic buzzing as they reach out for old wisdom. ‘Hypercube’ stampedes in a similar chronological confluence, infusing an incessant synth line reminiscent of the golden age of rave with the crackling, ecstatic energy of modern festival anthems. Like the vaporisation of liquid to particles, everything that Evaporator presents has a mutant desire to be amorphous. Sounds rarely settle; the irradiated garage beat of ‘Bialystok’ is pitched downwards to driving, rebounding effect, while ‘You’ll Find a Way’ warps static into shivering energy, cinematic synth strings building anticipation into a gradual gush of chords. This translates into a more expansive stereo field than Fake has explored before.


‘Slow Yamaha’ saves the wildest, most kinetic transformations for last with a cornucopia of crispy melodies and fried drums; a sibilance of cymbals on the left, a susurrus of shakers on the right, and kaleidoscopic lasers pulsing and fizzing all around. Evaporation culminating in pure excited atoms.

"Invaders Must Die" is The Prodigy"s 5th album, and is 40 minutes of having your head battered by future nostalgia, serotonin levels twisted by feel-good horrorcore and your synapses snapped by whiplash attitude. It"s the sound of The Prodigy mixing up genres, contorting the past and rewiring the future, ram-raiding through the tranquility of music"s status quo like a blot on the landscape of England"s dreaming. The first thing you notice about "Invaders Must Die" is how complete it sounds, a consistent collection of bangers all firing from the same cannon. The next thing you notice about "Invaders Must Die" is just how melodic it is. Not just melody in the vocal sense but in the heyday-of-hardcore keyboard-hookline sense. Yes, if The Prodigy have learned anything from the hugely successful live shows it was that those old skool rave anthems still rock hard - and are every bit as iconic to their generation as punk was to the nation"s forty-somethings. So "Invaders Must Die" is awash with references to the free party generation, thundering along like the mother of all E-rushes, all hairs tingling, spine jumping and lips buzzing. But not a retroactive arms-in-the-air, water-sharing nostalgia trip, but a set fuelled by punk"s saliva-dripping rabid snarl. "Invaders" also features Dave Grohl drumming on "Run With The Wolves".

Heavyweight psychedelic improvisers EarthBall are back with their third and most monstrous record to date: ‘Outside Over There’, released on Upset The Rhythm (Nov 7th). Born from the haunted basements of Nanaimo, Canada, the quintet thrives on spontaneity, shaping improvisation into jagged hallucinations and ecstatic eruptions.
Recorded live-off-the-floor in 2024 in Jeremy, Izzy, and Kellen’s basement, and mixed by drummer John Brennan, ‘Outside Over There’ is an album that feels both summoned and inevitable. Each track lands with uncanny purpose, as if uncovered rather than written.
The opener, 100%, features a cameo from comedian and English icon Stewart Lee, who lent his blessing for the band to use a fragment of his stand-up. The album was mastered by John Dieterich (Deerhoof), with liner text contributed by longtime comrade John Olson (Wolf Eyes). Olson describes the album in his unmistakable style:
“This eight-track odyssey unfolds like a dreamscape, where whispered incantations brush against the shadowy fringes of the cosmos, and wild, Cézanne-inspired rock anthems erupt like geysers of color in the midst of a western warm and wet rain storm… culminating in the sprawling eleven minute masterpiece, ‘And The Music Shall Untune The Sky,’ aptly dubbed the Earth Crusher. A creation so utterly deconstructed and intertwined with the pulse of nature itself that if AI was called upon to conceive ‘Outside Over There’ anew, it would just spit back, “F.U. in Tree Font”. An enchanting invitation for even the flat-earthers to join the circle, if only just a little.”
EarthBall’s trajectory has been relentless. Their 2024 album ‘It’s Yours’ was praised by The Quietus as “fully aggressive and fully life-affirming,” and by The Wire as "a boisterous mind-melting album”. The band’s live double set LP ‘Actual Earth Music Vol. 1 & 2’ (2025) captured blistering performances: a performance opening for Wolf Eyes at the Fox Cabaret, and a Café OTO improvised throw-down featuring Chris Corsano and Steve Beresford. These releases on their own confirm them as one of Canada’s most vital experimental exports, not to mention the impressive self-released discography on their Bandcamp. The band’s reach has stretched far beyond their west coast roots with a UK tour May 2024, plus this past June, EarthBall closed Montreal’s Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival alongside Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Raven Chacon. This November they will perform at Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, with a European tour to follow (tour dates below). Outside of EarthBall, each member carries their own torch. Jeremy Van Wyck, founding member of the legendary Shearing Pinx, has toured extensively, released over 100 records, and has been a vital force in the Vancouver and West Coast underground for the past 25 years. He and Isabel Ford (Izzy) play together not only in EarthBall, but also in Psychedelic Dirt, Shearing Pinx, Behaviours, and Crotch.
John Brennan collaborates widely, including recently with Endlings (Raven Chacon and John Dieterich), Evichen (Victoria Shen), Francesco Fonassi, Plan Your Future (with Greg Saunier of Deerhoof), Brennan/Corsano duo and Physics with John Dieterich. Kellen Maclaughlin performs with KVMP and Ora Corgan, while saxophonist Liam Murphy is a west coast staple, playing with the best across Vancouver Island and the mainland. On three of the tracks of ‘Outside Over There’, the band is joined by their comrade Justin Patterson, who also plays with Brennan in the duo Modale. This cross-pollination fuels EarthBall’s sound - a collective improvisation, psychically overdriven, and grinding into bloom.
Outside Over There’ is more than an album though, it is a ritual, a gathering of sound at the forest’s edge; where feedback, saxophone screams, and ecstatic vocals dissolve the boundary between chaos and clarity. EarthBall invite you into their circle, to share in the joyful terror of spontaneous creation. ‘Outside Over There’ will be released on November 7th through Upset The Rhythm digitally and as a limited blue-in-black vinyl LP.

PET NEEDS return with their fourth studio album ‘ELBOWS OUT! THIS IS CAPITALISM’ to be released on Xtra Mile Recordings on 27th March 2026. Recorded by George Perks (Enter Shikari, You Me At Six, Mogwai, Skindred) it follows the release of their Top 20 album ‘Intermittent Fast Living’ in February 2024. The album charts the exploits of the band buying a second-hand punk rock career at auction and trying (and failing) to make it work.

Over the course of the genre-spanning 12 tracks, the story unfolds with a mix of frenetic punk rock defiance; reflective melodic introspective and beat heavy party anthems as well as guest appearance by CJ Ramone, legendary auctioneer Eric Olson and friends The Whops and Jess Guise who help the story develop. The album is a satirical look at the pitfalls of trying to make it as a DIY punk band, delivered by a band at their most creative and bold as they continue on their own ascension of success.

PET NEEDS are a punk fuelled melodic rock fourpiece from Colchester who have toured the world since they signed with Xtra Mile in 2020. Their past three albums have helped catapult the band to the rising stars they are today. They regularly headline tours in UK, Europe and in America as well as huge support tours with Laura Jane Grace, Art Brut, Frank Turner, Flogging Molly, Skinny Lister, Bouncing Souls, NOFX, The Hives. The Lottery Winners, Spike & The Gimmie Gimmies and The Levellers. In the lead up to the album release the band will tour the UK’s regional towns giving fans exclusive listens to some of the new songs. And throughout week of release will perform instores and outstores to push for a high chart position.

British rock singer Chez Kane is back with her third studio album, “Reckless” — an explosive blend of arena-ready hooks, slick guitar work, and unapologetic 80s-style swagger. Following the success of her first two records, Chez levels up with a collection that’s bigger in sound, richer in emotion, and packed with pure melodic firepower. Once again written and produced by Danny Rexon, frontman of Swedish hard rockers Crazy Lixx, “Reckless” channels the golden age of melodic rock while injecting it with fresh energy and modern production. The chemistry between Chez and Danny continues to shine, resulting in a record that blends 80s-inspired anthems, infectious hooks, and soaring vocals into a modern rock statement with attitude.

From glam-infused bangers to emotional slow-burners, “Reckless” showcases Chez’s growing confidence and undeniable charisma, proving she’s not just riding the revival wave — she’s leading it. If you’re craving fist-pumping choruses, soaring vocals, and a no-holds-barred throwback to the glory days of rock, look no further. Chez Kane’s “Reckless” is melodic rock done right — bold, catchy, and undeniably alive. Turn it up loud. This one’s recklessly unforgettable.

British rock singer Chez Kane is back with her third studio album, “Reckless” — an explosive blend of arena-ready hooks, slick guitar work, and unapologetic 80s-style swagger. Following the success of her first two records, Chez levels up with a collection that’s bigger in sound, richer in emotion, and packed with pure melodic firepower. Once again written and produced by Danny Rexon, frontman of Swedish hard rockers Crazy Lixx, “Reckless” channels the golden age of melodic rock while injecting it with fresh energy and modern production. The chemistry between Chez and Danny continues to shine, resulting in a record that blends 80s-inspired anthems, infectious hooks, and soaring vocals into a modern rock statement with attitude.

From glam-infused bangers to emotional slow-burners, “Reckless” showcases Chez’s growing confidence and undeniable charisma, proving she’s not just riding the revival wave — she’s leading it. If you’re craving fist-pumping choruses, soaring vocals, and a no-holds-barred throwback to the glory days of rock, look no further. Chez Kane’s “Reckless” is melodic rock done right — bold, catchy, and undeniably alive. Turn it up loud. This one’s recklessly unforgettable.

Their debut album, Why Trains Crash was released in June of that year to rave reviews. In 2023 they released their follow-up LP, A Company Sleeve, solidifying their reputation with critics and fans alike for all- killer/ no- filler indie rock. Their third LP, Never Felt Bitter, will be released on March 27, 2026. The music on Never Felt Bitter -- the quartet's first release for Chicago- based Forge Again Records--is the result of playing together on hundreds of nights in innumerable bars and clubs across Southern California and beyond. Over the years the band has honed a fearsome melding of pop melodicism and raw physicality. Their knack for crafting catchy anthems for outsiders and underdogs has made them one of the most respected underground bands in L.A.

Wish You Well is the powerful new album from US rock band Lansdowne, a journey through renewal, resilience, and transformation. Built around the pillars of physical, mental, and spiritual health, the record channels real emotion into anthems about breaking down and rebuilding stronger than ever.

Featuring the explosive singles "Burn It Down", "Make It a Lie", and "Release Me", Wish You Well captures Lansdowne at their most inspired, merging raw energy with purpose-driven storytelling. Available now on CD Digisleeve with a 16-page booklet, and as a limited edition transparent blue vinyl, strictly limited to 500 copies for collectors and fans alike.

PMF006 Has Landed

Poor Man's Friend Recordsproudly welcomes the legendarySylford Walkerto the label with a powerful roots debut single:"They Don't Know."

True to form, this track delivers exactly what you'd expect — and crave — from one of reggae's most iconic and unmistakable Rasta voices. Aheavily saturated drum and bass groovesets the foundation, locked tight with atough, swung Nyahbinghi section. The rhythm is sparse but deeply textured, featuring carefully placedguitars, percussion, and saxophonethat leave room for the message to breathe.

Low in tempo butloaded with low-end weight, "They Don't Know" is a roots statement that resonates. Fans of classic conscious anthems like"Babylonians," "Chant Down Babylon,"and"Africa Homeland"will find themselves right at home.

A heavyweight One Drop. A voice of experience. A message for the times.
Don't sleep on this one.

Out now via Kudos/Poor Man's Friend Records.Catalog number:PMF006.

As Nathan Fake rises from the nocturnal subterranea and rave catharsis of his previous records, on Evaporator, he resurfaces into the domain of daylight, bringing a tangible sense of air rushing against your face, of big skies, and endless landscapes. The idea of pop accessibility that trickled into 2023’s Crystal Vision is refracted here through the prism of sweeping ambient, deep electronica, and trance uplift. Evaporator is Fake’s idea of “airy daytime music”, with each track a different barometer reading across the album’s varying atmospheres, which range from vibrant sunbursts, bracing rainscapes, and fine mists of clement melodics. “It’s not overtly confrontational electronic club music,” states Fake. “It’s quite pleasant, it’s accessible. As I was progressing through making the tracklist, I called it a daytime album. It doesn’t feel like an afterparty album.” For the past decade Fake has been gingerly introducing collaborations with heroes and friends alike into his lone, idiosyncratic working process. Border Community alumni Dextro AKA Ewan Mackenzie transmutes his ferocious drumming for Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs into the blurred choral thump of ‘Baltasound’. ‘Orbiting Meadows’, meanwhile, is his second collaboration with Clark, an eerily idyllic duet where microtonal 18EDO piano clangs slowly twirl around wailing pads. Evaporator marks the junction point of old technology and ever fresh creativity for Nathan. The trusty “dinosaur” age software, particularly Cubase VST5, that has powered two decades of music is rarely updated. “I used to sort of feel a bit ashamed of using such old software, and then I kind of had an epiphany – that’s just how I work”, comments Fake. “That’s just how I play. I’m very fond of these old tools, and I get the most joy out of them, but now I’ve incorporated new technology too.” When an artist accumulates so much synergy with their instrument, music making becomes instinctual. By Fake’s account, much of Evaporator just fell into place. The album title arrived randomly in his head (“it felt completely perfect. Airy.”), ideas looped and developed until things locked into place and just felt right. ‘The Ice House’ is a fleeting glimpse of the sonic world he taps into in this creative state, its glassy FM synths built around a counterpoint between rough-hewn crystalline arpeggios and sparse yet gravitas-bearing bass. “That riff I just wrote out on the keyboard, I just played it forever and ever and ever. The original track ended up being really short. Here you go, and it’s gone!” These unplanned channellings of sound call forth records from Fake’s past while he looks ahead, perhaps getting at the very essence of his musicianship. The opener ‘Aiwa’ (“the breeziest,” he muses) reminds of the introspection that characterised Providence, excited by the fire and grit of Steam Days’ textural experiments, its chunky slams and clatters surging into a flood of harmonic buzzing as they reach out for old wisdom. ‘Hypercube’ stampedes in a similar chronological confluence, infusing an incessant synth line reminiscent of the golden age of rave with the crackling, ecstatic energy of modern festival anthems. Like the vaporisation of liquid to particles, everything that Evaporator presents has a mutant desire to be amorphous. Sounds rarely settle; the irradiated garage beat of ‘Bialystok’ is pitched downwards to driving, rebounding effect, while ‘You’ll Find a Way’ warps static into shivering energy, cinematic synth strings building anticipation into a gradual gush of chords. This translates into a more expansive stereo field than Fake has explored before. ‘Slow Yamaha’ saves the wildest, most kinetic transformations for last with a cornucopia of crispy melodies and fried drums; a sibilance of cymbals on the left, a susurrus of shakers on the right, and kaleidoscopic lasers pulsing and fizzing all around. Evaporation culminating in pure excited atoms. In a world where music has increasingly become background content, making albums remains lifeblood for Fake: “It makes me realise how long; twenty years is ages! It’s weird to see how much the world has changed. Release day back then you did fuck all, now you spend all day on socials. When I grew up the people who made the electronic music I was into were quite mysterious, and the artwork was very abstract. There was a massive distance between you and that music, and that was a key part of it, really. Now it helps to be an extrovert, and I'm just not, but the album marks the first time my face has graced the cover art. I’ve never wanted to do this before, I'm very shy, and generally I don’t like being seen,” he professes. “But, twenty years in, I supposed I could try something new. I'm very lucky that I'm somehow surviving in this world, where the media world favours extroverts and interesting looking people. It’s not my world but somehow I’m still in it.” Evaporator continues to prove Nathan’s necessary presence, with some of his most engaging, varied, and magical music yet.

Following his critically acclaimed debut "Dentsu2060" released via Lorenzo Senni's Presto!?, Tasho Ishi's second full-length album "Tasho Ishi lI" is now available on his own label T's.

tI features the new-wave Parapara anthem "Collapse Roppongihills" which became a staple at Narita Airport raves. celebrity trap rave track "DreamDrakeDrain" reminiscent of jam session between Drake and David Chronenberg. the junk entertainment track "Hellnwein" depicting modern pop utopia and its violent underbelly.

The Japanese-style Eurodance meets Philip Glass "The Bachelor" inspired by reality TV. These anthems are contemporary, pop, and carry Tasho Ishi's unique critical edge.

The second album, 'Tasho Ishi Il', is both a musical translation of Japan's diverse techno-animism and a sequel to the previous work "Dentsu2060" Techno-animism: Para Para, anime voice actors, reality TV, epics, advertising, and raves. Each track stands alone yet forms part of a larger, chronologically unfolding narrative.

While all tracks are animated by Japan-specific sound imagery, this is a pop album rather than avant-garde or abstract. In essence, it's a series of songs generated by rave trans-layers, serving as both reportage and documentation tracing Tasho Ishi's visionary city and its phenomena.

Following a trilogy of introductory EPs, a buzzed-about tour with Alvvays, and a mountain of global acclaim since they first emerged in 2022, the Stockholm-based trio teamed up with Alex Farrar (Wednesday, Snail Mail) for their first-ever full-length record. A sun-drenched prism of Girl Scout’s guitar-driven indie rock, Brink refracts with a new glow from each song to the next. Towering anthems intersecting with hushed tenderness. Nostalgia with momentary living. Doubt with joy. Forever a band of dualities, Brink is no exception for Girl Scout. Comprised of 13 tracks caught between apocalyptic anxiety and wistful escapism, the album captures the all-too-familiar crossroads of feeling stuck, yearning for change, and standing on the edge of something unknown.

With »News from Planet Zombie«, The Notwist return to view after years of exploration and experiment with an album rich in both melancholy and positivity, sketched across a suite of thrilling, fiercely committed pop songs. It’s an album reflecting a chaotic world, but responding with warmth and generosity, to achieve creative and spiritual consolidation. Recorded in their home base of Munich, it reconnects with the security of the local to explore the troubles of the global: a guiding impulse writ large across this album’s eleven songs. It’s also the first studio album since 1995’s »12« that the entire band recorded together in the studio in its expanded live formation.

A new album by The Notwist is always a curious endeavour; their musical language is as consistent and resilient as the contexts for creativity are unpredictable and ever shifting. For »News from Planet Zombie«, the core trio of Markus and Micha Acher and Cico Beck embraced the plural possibilities of writing together, bringing songs to the collective and then arranging, rehearsing and recording that material live, in the studio.

The result is an album that’s energised, fully in ›the now‹, with spectacular moments where you can hear the magic bubbling up in the dynamic between the Achers, Beck, and fellow members Theresa Loibl, Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Andi Haberl. If »Teeth« begins »News from Planet Zombie« quietly and reflectively, by »X-Ray« everyone’s supercharged, blasting out future anthems with the collective energy cranked up high. The chiming keys of »Propeller« skim the instrumental’s surface like stones across burbling water; »The Turning« clangs its way into one of the album’s most heartwarming melodies.

»News from Planet Zombie« was recorded over one week at Import Export, a non-profit space for arts and music. You can tell, too; there are some pleasingly rough edges here, as though The Notwist’s striving for hazy perfection means they’re also confident enough to let the songs breathe and mutate between our ears. That openness to chance also takes in guest turns from friends both local and international, reflective of a cosmopolitan Munich: Enid Valu joins in on vocals, while Haruka Yoshizawa guests on taishōgoto and harmonium, Tianping Christoph Xiao on clarinet, and Mathias Götz on trombone.

The Notwist aren’t best known for cover versions, but »News from Planet Zombie« features two: a gorgeous version of Neil Young’s »Red Sun« (from 2000’s »Silver & Gold«), which the group originally developed for a theatre play directed by Jette Steckel, and a take on Athens, Georgia folk-pop gang Lovers’ »How the Story Ends«. They slot into the album’s narrative perfectly, nestling in like old friends, revealing The Notwist as poetic interpreters. Played well, the cover version is both acknowledgement of fellow travellers and act of generosity, and The Notwist nail both aspects here.

And that narrative, the way the album plays out? »News from Planet Zombie« acknowledges the distress of our current geopolitical impasse, while reminding us there are collective ways forward. Fed through the figure of the zombie, Markus Acher explores our anxieties: »In the title and some lyrics I reference B- and horror-movies, which is a reference to the crazy world at the moment, which seems to be like a really bad and unrealistic B-movie.« But there’s a reminder here not to lose the thread entirely, that these things, too, will pass.

»The river here in Munich I often go to has been there forever and will be there long after us,« Acher reflects, pinpointing an important source of succour for him, »always the same but always changing. Very calming, but also always reminding me that like this river time only flows into one direction and you can’t go back. Every moment is very precious.«

Artwork by Marie Vermont

The Notwist:
Markus Acher: vocals, guitar
Micha Acher: bass, sousaphone, euphonium, trumpet
Cico Beck: electronics, keyboards, guitar, recorder, percussion
Theresa Loibl: bassclarinet, clarinet, piano, harmonium, organ
Max Punktezahl: guitar
Karl Ivar Refseth: marimbaphone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, congas, percussion
Andi Haberl: drums, dulcimer
+
Enid Valu: vocals on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Haruka Yoshizawa: taishōgoto on 6, harmonium on 9, 10, 11
Tianping Christoph Xiao: clarinet on 4, 10, 11
Mathias Götz: trombone on 4, 10, 11

With »News from Planet Zombie«, The Notwist return to view after years of exploration and experiment with an album rich in both melancholy and positivity, sketched across a suite of thrilling, fiercely committed pop songs. It’s an album reflecting a chaotic world, but responding with warmth and generosity, to achieve creative and spiritual consolidation. Recorded in their home base of Munich, it reconnects with the security of the local to explore the troubles of the global: a guiding impulse writ large across this album’s eleven songs. It’s also the first studio album since 1995’s »12« that the entire band recorded together in the studio in its expanded live formation.

A new album by The Notwist is always a curious endeavour; their musical language is as consistent and resilient as the contexts for creativity are unpredictable and ever shifting. For »News from Planet Zombie«, the core trio of Markus and Micha Acher and Cico Beck embraced the plural possibilities of writing together, bringing songs to the collective and then arranging, rehearsing and recording that material live, in the studio.

The result is an album that’s energised, fully in ›the now‹, with spectacular moments where you can hear the magic bubbling up in the dynamic between the Achers, Beck, and fellow members Theresa Loibl, Max Punktezahl, Karl Ivar Refseth, and Andi Haberl. If »Teeth« begins »News from Planet Zombie« quietly and reflectively, by »X-Ray« everyone’s supercharged, blasting out future anthems with the collective energy cranked up high. The chiming keys of »Propeller« skim the instrumental’s surface like stones across burbling water; »The Turning« clangs its way into one of the album’s most heartwarming melodies.

»News from Planet Zombie« was recorded over one week at Import Export, a non-profit space for arts and music. You can tell, too; there are some pleasingly rough edges here, as though The Notwist’s striving for hazy perfection means they’re also confident enough to let the songs breathe and mutate between our ears. That openness to chance also takes in guest turns from friends both local and international, reflective of a cosmopolitan Munich: Enid Valu joins in on vocals, while Haruka Yoshizawa guests on taishōgoto and harmonium, Tianping Christoph Xiao on clarinet, and Mathias Götz on trombone.

The Notwist aren’t best known for cover versions, but »News from Planet Zombie« features two: a gorgeous version of Neil Young’s »Red Sun« (from 2000’s »Silver & Gold«), which the group originally developed for a theatre play directed by Jette Steckel, and a take on Athens, Georgia folk-pop gang Lovers’ »How the Story Ends«. They slot into the album’s narrative perfectly, nestling in like old friends, revealing The Notwist as poetic interpreters. Played well, the cover version is both acknowledgement of fellow travellers and act of generosity, and The Notwist nail both aspects here.

And that narrative, the way the album plays out? »News from Planet Zombie« acknowledges the distress of our current geopolitical impasse, while reminding us there are collective ways forward. Fed through the figure of the zombie, Markus Acher explores our anxieties: »In the title and some lyrics I reference B- and horror-movies, which is a reference to the crazy world at the moment, which seems to be like a really bad and unrealistic B-movie.« But there’s a reminder here not to lose the thread entirely, that these things, too, will pass.

»The river here in Munich I often go to has been there forever and will be there long after us,« Acher reflects, pinpointing an important source of succour for him, »always the same but always changing. Very calming, but also always reminding me that like this river time only flows into one direction and you can’t go back. Every moment is very precious.«

Artwork by Marie Vermont

The Notwist:
Markus Acher: vocals, guitar
Micha Acher: bass, sousaphone, euphonium, trumpet
Cico Beck: electronics, keyboards, guitar, recorder, percussion
Theresa Loibl: bassclarinet, clarinet, piano, harmonium, organ
Max Punktezahl: guitar
Karl Ivar Refseth: marimbaphone, vibraphone, glockenspiel, congas, percussion
Andi Haberl: drums, dulcimer
+
Enid Valu: vocals on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11
Haruka Yoshizawa: taishōgoto on 6, harmonium on 9, 10, 11
Tianping Christoph Xiao: clarinet on 4, 10, 11
Mathias Götz: trombone on 4, 10, 11

Y2K25: The Music That Made The Millennium (Various Artists) - VinylOops!we did it, again! Get ready to relive the magic of the millennium with Y2K25: The Music That Made the Millennium. Say Bye Bye Bye to your playlistthis is the way you want your music. Featuring pure nostalgic bliss from NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, TLC, P!nk, Ricky Martin, and so many more. Let that genie out of the bottle, grab your Tamagotchi, flip phone, and CD player to enjoy the biggest anthems from the biggest stars. Order now and escape the everyday existential dread for 78 minutes and 48 seconds of pure nostalgic bliss. 20 chart-topping hits on 1 unforgettable CD (or 12 hits on 1 totally awesome vinyl!) Dont Wait for Tonight. Dont be a Teenage Dirtbag. Celebrate Y2K, 25 years later.