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Helsinki quartet Alder Ego, led by drummer/composer Joonas Leppänen, returns with their new album "III" on 9 April on We Jazz Records. A follow up to their successful 2018 We Jazz album, "III" finds Leppänen and his bandmates extracting more depth and punch out of their tenor sax + trumpet + double bass + drums setup, which echoes the greats in the game, such as Ornette Coleman, yet adds a readily identifiable edge to it all. Leppänen's writing is evolving, becoming more and more of a signature of the band and sounding delightfully angular yet easily flowing. On "III", Alder Ego features Leppänen on drums, Jarno Tikka (of OK:KO) on tenor sax, Tomi Nikku (of Bowman Trio) on trumpet and the new addition Nathan Francis on bass.

Kicking off with a key track introducing the band's deep sound, "Love And Maladies", "III" moves through a sonic landscape which is constantly surprising yet identifiable as Alder Ego guided by Leppänen's musical vision at all times. This is true even during moments when the composer himself steps aside, namely in the Tikka–Nikku duo cut "Impermanence" and Nathan Davis's highly memorable solo outing "Nathan's World".

The album's many highlights include singles "November Ghost" and "I Saw It In a Dream", plus the stunning closing track "Ephemeral", featuring Natalia Castrillon on harp.

Alder Ego "III" is available on We Jazz Records on as orange and black vinyl editions, digitally, plus as a bundle bringing together "III" and the band's 2018 album "II".

Swiss artist Lukas Traxel releases his powerful debut album One-Eyed Daruma on We Jazz Records, March 10. The trio features Traxel on double bass, Otis Sandsjö on sax and Moritz Baumgärtner on drums. Compact, deep, and organic to the bone, Traxel & co's sound echoes the innovations of rhythmically driven avantgarde jazz while keeping things moving at all times. There's both drive and freedom to this sound.
ONe-Eyed Daruma features eight new compositions by Traxel, who crafted the outline for the album while dealing with the loss of his father. The group came together after an open invitation from the Zurich jazz club Moods to present a new group. The trio of Traxel, Sandsjö and Baumgärtner creates a full, symphonic, and powerful body of sound despite the instrumentation without a harmony instrument. The trio functions as a collective where the boundaries between composition, melody, and accompaniment are in flux, while keeping the common goal of creating new music together in sight at all times. Traxel reports that after playing bass in various groups with guitar and/or piano, he wanted to create a counterpoint of sorts with his new group and specifically go about it with a more sparse setup. As One-Eyed Drama proves, the idea behind the trio dynamic is a strong one and the unit makes use of their extra space in creating evocative, moody, swinging creative jazz with a distinguishable fingerprint of its own.
Lukas Traxel says:

"The process of composing this music while dealing with the loss of a loved one resulted in a writer's block at first. The notes would just not flow out of my pen until I noticed a mysterious-looking figure in the right upper corner of my piano. It was a daruma, an eyeless figure that in the Japanese tradition brings luck and prosperity. According to the myth, the first eye must be drawn onto the figure while expressing a wish. The second eye can be added only if the wish comes true. My daruma is meant to stay one-eyed as my wish, strongly connected and intertwined with my now gone father, is not meant to be fulfilled. The feeling of unfulfillment and imperfection of life serves as a common thread throughout this album, right down to its title. In a similar fashion, a composition remains incomplete until it is interpreted by musicians, and given form as music. That being said, for me playing together with this trio symbolises the upside: the sense of fulfillment in music and life.

Our musical influences include the American composer and singer Caroline Shaw, Swiss pianist Colin Vallon's trio, and composer/singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane. In addition, I have listened a lot to the trio albums of Jimmy Guiffre and Sonny Rollins. Besides that, my musical heroes like Charlie Haden, John Coltrane, and Keith Jarrett always flow into the music. Another very important influence in the music is the work of American visual artist Agnes Martin, in whose works the imperfection of a multiplicity of repetitions results in a lively big whole in the end. (See "Wild Flower")

Live, the trio takes a lot of freedom in interpreting this music, yet we have a deeper, almost pop-like attitude towards the live performance as an experience. For me it's always important to build a strong narrative with the band while on stage."

One-Eyed Daruma by Lukas Traxel is released on 10 March 2023 by We Jazz Records on LP/CD/digitally. The LP edition is shelved in an inside-out sleeve and pressed on white vinyl. The CD is housed in a cardboard digisleeve with UV lacquer finish.

Label head Rob Pearson and long-time collaborator Paul Donton return with a heavyweight 12” that captures the essence of the Evasive sound — raw, hypnotic and undeniably underground. Fresh from a run of gigs, remixes and late-night studio sessions, the duo present the latest instalment in the coveted limited vinyl-only series on Evasive Records.

Kicking things off is the title cut “Who’s The Boss”, a peak-time weapon forged back in 2018 and road-tested extensively on dancefloors worldwide. Revisited and reworked in the Online Studios lab, the track has been given a sharp 2025 update, pushing the tempo and intensity into perfect territory at 125 BPM. Anchored by a hypnotic rolling groove, its trippy synth riff weaves around eerie pads, FX flourishes and a sly narrated vocal. Underneath it all, a thunderous sub bass line locks everything down — the kind of cut that commands the floor rather than asks.

Track 2 on the A-side, “Loosen Up” continues the pressure. Don’t be fooled by the name — this is high-grade tech-funk built for serious heads. A driving percussive backbone keeps the energy surging forward while vocal stabs teasing “Relax” and “Pretty Deep” contrast its relentless momentum. Filtered arpeggios ripple through the mix, adding texture without ever smothering the groove. And just when you think you’ve found steady ground, a wobbling low-end flex hits you right in the chest — all hips, toes and tingles from there.

To complete the package, the pair turned to a true underground icon: Jay Tripwire. Known for his deep, intricate and uncompromising sound, Jay delivers an extended reinterpretation of “Who’s The Boss” that’s nothing short of masterful. Clocking in at 11 minutes and 12 seconds, this remix is a full-blown journey — expansive, detailed and effortlessly hypnotic. So strong, in fact, that it takes the entire side of the record. No gimmicks, no shortcuts. Just a seasoned craftsman at work, reimagining a future classic.

Who’s The Boss EP is a statement of intent from Rob Pearson & Paul Donton — timeless underground energy pressed to wax for those who know.

Timo Lassy follows up his new album "Trio" on We Jazz Records by sharing two non-album cuts from the same sessions on a new 7" vinyl single / digi release. "Mountain Man Exit" is a stormy number featuring the trio of Lassy (tenor sax), Ville Herrala (bass) and Jaska Lukkarinen (drums) in full flight plus Tuomo Prättälä (of Ilmiliekki Quartet) on synth duties. Album track "Orlo" gets a new treatment, edited for the 7" and taking shape as a tough-as-nails mix breaking new ground here without the string section.

Timo Lassy follows up his new album "Trio" on We Jazz Records by sharing two non-album cuts from the same sessions on a new 7" vinyl single / digi release. "Mountain Man Exit" is a stormy number featuring the trio of Lassy (tenor sax), Ville Herrala (bass) and Jaska Lukkarinen (drums) in full flight plus Tuomo Prättälä (of Ilmiliekki Quartet) on synth duties. Album track "Orlo" gets a new treatment, edited for the 7" and taking shape as a tough-as-nails mix breaking new ground here without the string section.

Drummer/producer Teppo Mäkynen's 3TM returns with a new album, "Lake", on 29 November on Helsinki's We Jazz Records. The album is the much awaited follow up to 2017's successful 3TM debut "Form", which was awarded as the "Jazz Album of the Year" in Mäkynen's native Finland. "Lake" was preceded by the ambient electronic album "Abyss" in August, which set the mood for what's to come next: A compact yet far-reaching body of work bringing together the trio's acoustic jazz sound and ideas rooted in abstract electronic music in a remarkably boundless way.

"Lake" is a collection of 9 Mäkynen-penned originals ranging from the looping, hypnotic compositions such as first single "Laws Of Life" to the delicacy of tracks such as "Woods". There is a sense of long form narrative here, evident in glorious, slowly evolving tracks such as "Lake" and "A Pile Of Broken Dreams". The overall sound is swinging, melodic, deep and futuristic. It's acoustic jazz and abstract electronic music understood deeply and used as the base of a new sound, which goes beyond the usual distinctions of "acoustic jazz" or "electronic music". This is music for the present day, moving forward.

3TM's "Lake" will be available as white and black vinyl versions, complete with printed inner sleeve featuring Mäkynen's essay about the theme of the album. On vinyl, "Lake" will also be available as a 2LP bundle with "Abyss", and the CD version includes both discs, "Lake" and "Abyss".

In the 3TM trio formation Mäkynen is joined by sax man Jussi Kannaste and bassist Antti Lötjönen, both Finnish scene mainstays. The band will celebrate their new release at Helsinki's We Jazz Festival on 7 December.

Designers is a new trio by Joachim Florent (double bass), Will Guthrie (drums) and Aki Rissanen (piano). Florent and Guthrie are based in Nantes, France, Rissanen in Helsinki, Finland, and their debut album on We Jazz Records presents a band with highly original, forward-reaching sound that builds on the long tradition of the jazz piano trio, updating it successfully.

Pure feel-good club energy from Italian producer Niccolo Turini, landing on 4lux with a killer slice of classic-inspired house magic! Think warm MPC grooves, rolling basslines, dusty chords and that unmistakable 90s US vibe -- deep, soulful and built for sweaty late-night floors. Essential material for true house lovers!

St. David Unleashes 'Deep House Damage EP' on Definitive Recordings.

Definitive Recordings is proud to present a brand-new four-track outing from Italian house innovator St. David, titled 'Deep House Damage EP'. Following his acclaimed remixes earlier this year for label classics like 'Good Music' (John Acquaviva, Dan Diamond, Alex D'Elia, Nihil Young) and 'Do It' (Las Americas), St. David now steps forward with a full EP that delivers nothing less than pure oldschool house fire.

The release opens with 'Touch Me (Sexy Hard Dub)', a shuffling house cut with a vintage edge, driven by a rolling bassline and a sensual spoken-word female vocal that sets a playful, club-ready tone. 'I Like It Deep' heads into deep house territory, pairing organ stabs and a steady oldschool beat with both male and female spoken-word phrases, creating a hypnotic, afterhours mood. On 'Dub Swagin'', the energy kicks back up with stomping drums, chopped samples, and filtered percussion. All wrapped in unmistakable 90s house flavor. Closing things out, 'Gonna Work It' is a peak-time smasher stacked with classic vocal samples and grooving organ chords that lift the track into euphoric territory.

Born in Bari, St. David (real name Davide Disanto) has carved a reputation as one of today's most authentic purveyors of oldschool house. Deeply inspired by the American house scene, his tracks blend groove, funk, and raw analog warmth, consistently topping vinyl charts and earning support from global heavyweights like The Martinez Brothers, Riva Starr, Jovonn, and Chris Stussy. He is the founder of Theory of Swing Records, a vinyl-only label dedicated to preserving the magic of 90s house. His music has been featured on Cinthie's DJ-Kicks and he has released on respected imprints including Snatch! Records, Body N' Deep, Heist Recordings, Skylax, and Let's Play House.

With 'Deep House Damage EP', St. David confirms his role as one of the most vital voices in contemporary house, channeling the spirit of the past into tracks made for the dancefloors of today.

Dubcore 27 features DJ Badshape from Leipzig’s vibrant breaks and bass scene with her full vinyl debut. She already made her solo debut with Hurrican Kick on Defrostatica Records and dropped some tunes on some compilations like Bassmæssage Second Drop as well as on cassette on human togetherness. While producing tunes she dj and regularly uploads her Temper mixes on SoundCloud.

The first two tracks, “Facebreaker” and “Entitled,” were produced shortly after Bangface. Hours of waiting at Humberside Airport turned into long talks about music — the festival's energy and conversations inspired this creation. The tune “Spring Bird Symphony” is the first track I produced with the KO2 media sampler from Teenage Engineering. It was the best birthday present my boyfriend could have given me! You hear the spring fever in it? ;) Finally, “Der Fallende Bach” is an ode to the flora and fauna of the Austrian Alps, imagining the joy a drop of water must feel as it rushes down a waterfall, riding nature’s own rollercoaster.

Damian Lazarus reveals the eighth chapter of Crosstown Rebels acclaimed annual ‘SPIRITS’ VA compilation series.

The latest instalment sees the label founder once again curating a carefully balanced lineup of emerging voices and established names, with the eight-track collection set for release on 30th January 2026.

Since its inception in 2017, Damian Lazarus’ SPIRITS series has become a trusted barometer for the year ahead, spotlighting forward-thinking artists and cutting-edge club music from across the global electronic landscape. With ‘SPIRITS VIII’, Crosstown Rebels continues this tradition, delivering a refi ned yet adventurous selection that moves seamlessly between hypnotic house, melodic depth, and late-night energy - building on the momentum of previous volumes and capturing the label’s unmistakable essence.

Opening the release, Raz Alon sets the tone with ‘Hey It’s Me’, a warm and immersive opener that draws listeners in with emotive touches and fluid groove work. Lost Desert follows with ‘Ultima’, leaning into trippy, melodic-tinged sensibilities as tumbling rhythms meet expansive atmospheres and subtly evolving motifs. On the flip, TIMANTI ventures into a captivating voyage with ‘Warrior Spirit’, pairing swirling synths with hazy melodies, before STEB delivers ‘House Of STEB’, a groove-led cut packed with personality, swing, and club-ready flair.
The journey continues with Yuvèe’s ‘Set The Fire’, featuring FADO, a hypnotic and vocal-led track that balances emotional weight with understated rhythmic pressure. Ekoboy then ups the intensity on ‘Lose Control’, combining crisp percussion with infectious momentum designed for peak-time moments. On the final stretch, MADI brings a reflective buy playful touch with ‘Around Me’, weaving lush textures and subtle dynamics into a deeply absorbing listen, before JUAAN closes the compilation with ‘Bass Cliente’, a punchy and bass-forward finale that rounds things out with raw club energy.

With its continued ability to champion new talent while welcoming respected artists into its orbit, Crosstown Rebels remains a vital force within electronic music. SPIRITS VIII stands as another clear statement of the label’s vision, reaffirming its role in shaping the sound of contemporary house and techno.

Prolific powers in rave and counterculture, Luca Lozano and Mr. Ho debut on Phantasy with the deliciously gnarly ‘WREKONS’ EP. Already locked in close collaboration at their own Klasse Wrecks label, this temporary migration to Erol Alkan's peerless London imprint with four outsider-electro variations that sit comfortably amongst the more bombastic moments in Phantasy's history.

‘Reach Out and Touch’ sets the tone, bursting sound systems wide open with an introduction that takes Lozano and Ho out of the basement and into the widest festival fields, overdriven with sheer energy and a flawless arrangement that sets up all manner of musical twists until the final chord. ‘Psycho Rasp’ expands from a simple cowbell beat to a circuit-frying melody, a machine rush that isn’t afraid to strip back to bare essentials for a devilishly simple, extremely effective breakdown.

On the flip, ‘WREKONS' pushes things further still, particularly on the lubricious ‘Grease Beat’, an unrelenting symphony of rubber-faced bass, crashing cymbals and demented drums, ideally composed to pair daring DJs with submissive dancers. ‘Tin Can Hustler’ closes off the EP with the duo’s leftfield take on jackin’ house, its dense groove bubbling up from underneath the strangest analogue signals.

The title and sleeve artwork for 'WREKONS' makes reference to the PERKONS HD01, a drum machine made by Latvian wizards Erica Synths, and one that was used heavily throughout the two-day session in which these tracks were recorded

There’s a rare tenderness to the way Byron The Aquarius makes house music. Across every release, the Alabama-born producer brings a deep sense of humanity - chords that breathe, basslines that sway, and melodies that seem to remember. On 'One of a Kind (Love Affair)', his debut for Hard Times, that emotional clarity shines through once again.

A master of the keys with a discography that spans Eglo, Signature, Apron, Axis, and more recently Skylax and Star Creature, Byron has long blurred the boundaries between jazz, soul, and machine groove. Here, he builds four tracks that each glow with feeling and finesse.

‘A New Life' opens with uplift and propulsion - crisp kicks and fluid sax lines circling around tender vocal refrains. 'The Last Mile of the Way' drifts inward, its spoken-word cadence and pulsing rhythm turning reflection into hypnosis. On the flip, 'I Be Like Dat' pushes forward with a tougher, more percussive edge. A laser-guided club moment that still hums with soul. Finally, '4 Mike Huckaby' closes the record as both elegy and celebration: shakers, muted horns, and shimmering keys floating in quiet reverence for a lost friend and inspiration.

As its title suggests, One of a Kind (Love Affair) is less about romance and more about devotion.

Shep is a new project from respected UK veteran Jay Shepheard, and it has already made a good start with some solid tracks and an even better title with the 'Higher States Of Nonchalance' EP back in December. This third outing on his People Pleasers label opens with the sleek synth warmth and curious melodies of 'Home Again'. 'A Box Ticker' has a darker vibe with daubs of synth, warped bass and jumbled percussion and flip side cuts 'Mongolian Samba Diaries' and 'The Lime Deck' up the energy first with some nice trippy motifs and then with a grittier, more heads down tech cut. Superb sound design makes this another standout 12".

Infinite Salutations is a game of two halves from Coflo and Emmaculate, where free wheeling jazzy expression meet club ready grooves. Salutations feat. QVLN is a guitar led winner with sweet vocal touches and layered percussion. Infinite is more of a dancefloor bumper with cool keys, bass delving and barbed synths. The Bay Area's Coflo is a mainstay on the label, having chalked up a range of hits from the deeper If It Goes to his magical cover of Love's Masquerade. Illinois' Emmaculate touches down on Cataleya for the first time, fresh from his release on G.A.M.M. with DJ Spen, production work for Ten City and remixes for the likes of Incognito. With Infinite Salutations, Coflo and Emmaculate provide a fantastic start to 2026 for Cataleya.

Hot Creations Summer Vinyl Sampler featuring four of the Hottest recent release on Hot Creations.

Straight from the heart of Amsterdam’s vibrant club scene, PIV founder Prunk and RED 87 offer up a first-time collaboration with ‘Express’, bringing together lush synth pads, simmering hi-hats, and echoed vocal snippets, crafting a warm, hypnotic energy that reflects the pair’s signature sound. Next up and hotly tipped DJ/producer Rafael linking up with fellow countryman Mishell, whose psychedelic take on House and Indie Dance, together, they make their label debut on Jones’ Hot Creations with ‘Naughty’, bringing a fresh burst of House energy as they blend their distinctive styles.

On the flip and a name ascending from the Netherlands’ thriving house scene, Easttown makes his debut on ‘Rocking To The Rhythm’ which sets the pace with tight drums, grooving bass, and a clear-cut sense of movement. Hooky as hell. Finally rising Dutch talent Jamback has been turning heads with his energetic style, earning support from house music heavyweights like Toman, Chris Stussy and East End Dubs. ‘Is That OK?’ is a cheeky infectious slice of hot house pie!

Killer Groove Records proudly presents the debut 45 by Italian cinematic funk trio Atabasca. A syncopated journey where funk, psychedelia, and cinematic groove merge into a timeless narrative suspended between rhythm and vision.


"Cacopoulos" and "Kundela Mawedi" mark the birth of Atabasca's sonic universe: the first two singles from the upcoming self-titled debut album,which will be released on March 27 in limited-edition LP, CD digipack, and digital formats.

On the A-side, "Cacopoulos" is an impetuous, visionary ride that fuses the power of instrumental groove with the evocative imagery of library music and Italian golden-age soundtracks. From the first beat, listeners are drawn into a dry, dusty landscape driven by a primal drum groove and the acid twang of a guitar that evokes the spirit of classic Westerns. Indeed, "Cacopoulos" pays homage to I Quattro dell'Ave Maria (Ace High) and to the legendary Eli Wallach, the sly outlaw who turns deception into revenge, a subtle yet powerful nod that ties the trio's sound to imagery steeped in dust, dreams, and redemption.


On the flip side, the sound of an old lap steel guitar evokes the gentle waves of the sea, opening the doors to "Kundela Mawedi", a dreamy track with exotic tones and heavenly atmospheres. The sonic journey unfolds through hypnotic rhythms and echoes of ancient cultures, where ethereal voices and warm, entrancing bass lines intertwine with psychedelic riffs and evocative guitar melodies, merging into a soundscape rich in warmth and mystery. The chorus, with its unexpected choral chant, adds a spark of magic. An elegant twist that gently stirs the dreamlike mood and transports the listener into a new sonic dimension, steeped in mysticism and tribal vibrations. "Kundela Mawedi" is more than just a song: it's a sensory experience, a musical ritual where tradition meets psychedelia, sand meets sea, and the soul dances upon the waves of time.


Recorded in a single take, the session captures the raw energy and natural atmosphere of the performance. Artistic production was handled by the trio alongside Andrea Fabrizii (digger, musician, producer, and catalogue curator for CAM Sugar), while Riccardo Ricci mastered the tracks at Velvet Room Mastering Studio in Brighton.


A killer double-sider, blending psychedelic and funk moods with percussive, jazzy textures. A must-have gem for every groove-loving DJ.


Like a desert blooming within the evergreen forests of the planet's far north, a unique, alien, disruptive environment: this is the vision behind Atabasca, the project of Luca Mongia (guitars, lap steel, keyboards, vocals), Paolo Mazziotti (bass, keyboards, vocals), and Valerio Pompei (drums, percussion, vocals). Individually active for over twenty years on both national and international scenes, the three musicians came together in 2023 to create a project that merges experience, experimentation, and creative freedom. Their music is imaginative and at times dreamlike, blending the classic concept of the instrumental trio with the worlds of film scoring and sound design.


Atabasca's sound moves through jazz-funk, world, and cinematic territories, weaving together afrobeat, desert, and psychedelic influences into a personal and timeless language. Each piece is a scene; each sound, a fragment of a world, a journey between reality and imagination where groove, texture, and organic timbre merge into a singular sonic ecosystem: a perpetually shifting balance that generates new inner landscapes.


Fans of Khruangbin, Surprise Chef, and instrumental psych-funk, take note!

Now universally recognized as one the great ambassadors of House Music around the globe, Todd Edwards first built his reputation in the early 90’s with a string of 12" releases from some of New York’s more prominent independent labels. This was an era when on any given week you would have up to 100 new 12" releases from New York based producers, all vying for space on the 12" shop walls. In this hypercompetitive environment it was not easy for a new producer to garner a reputation. But Todd’s releases did not sound like anything else. Using an innovative blend of rhythmic, cut-and-paste vocal samples, rubbery basslines, and slapping percussion, he created a 4 track EP for Nervous in 1994 under the production acronym The Sample Choir. This 12" created such a massive buzz in the UK that it is now considered instrumental in helping to propel Britain’s Sunday clubscene into the genuine cultural phenomenon of speed garage.

Hot Creations latest Vinyl Sampler featuring four of the Hottest recent release on Hot Creations.

Fresh off his Paradise debut with ‘Way U Move’ alongside Jamie G, Manchester’s Goosey steps up solo on Jamie Jones’ Hot Creations with ‘Funky Shit’ featuring Dope Earth Alien, with wobbly subbass
pulses and Dope Earth Alien’s catchy vocals, sweeping you into a full-body groove!

Murphy’s Law return to Jamie Jones’ Hot Creations, joined by label debutant Sam Curran and Harry Unsworth,on the collaborative banger, ‘Proper Whopper’. ‘Proper Whopper’ brings booming low-end that demand attention while soaring sirens and charismatic vocals build the track’s energy and pave the way for a thundering bassline to command dancefloors.

London-based DJ/producer Sidney Charles is back on Hot Creations with ‘Disco Bumping,’ a slick House cut that blends Aleya Mae’s lush vocals with Sidney’s warping sonic textures and immersive synth work.

Brazilian nocapz delivers the huge anthem ‘Getting Heard’, driving forward with quick, bouncy
beats and heavy synths that build a wave of intensity to the dancefloor.

A Vega Records special edition 7” by Elements Of Life with sneak peaks of two new Elements Of Life tracks from the forthcoming 2026 album “Dreamer”.

Side A is a brilliant cover of the famed Brazilian band Black Banda Rio’s “Maria Fumaca”.

Side B an energetic Latin jazz infused cover of John Coltrane’s ultra class “Giant Steps” done up Rumba style tributing the great Tito Puente with special guest, the maestro Christian McBride on upright bass. Elements Of Life are on Fiyaaah and it’s just the beginning!

2026 Restocked!

If you've been following the Payfone story over the last 13 years, you'll know that Phil Passera and Jimmy Day's long-running collaborative project has specialised in one-off musical morsels - sublime songs cooked up in cahoots with all manner of guest musicians and vocalists. Never ones to rest on their laurels, Day and Passera have now delivered a full six-track tasting menu in the shape of Lunch, their hotly anticipated debut album.

Recorded over an 18-month period at Passera's Barcelona studio and Day's studio in Brighton, Lunch is an unsurprisingly assured and musically detailed affair that's entirely made up of previously unheard songs. Unlike acid-flecked recent single 'Volt To Volt', which delivered a tweaked take on late 1980s house music, the album's six tracks showcase the trademark sound the duo has been developing since first joining forces 13 years ago.

Trawl back through Passera and Day's high-quality catalogue, which includes outings on Leng, Golf Channel Recordings and Defected as well as their own OTIS imprint, and that distinctive musical recipe becomes clear. Rooted in their love of classic drum machines and their trusty JUNO-60 synthesiser, the Payfone sound combines equal amounts of electronic and organic instrumentation, warm and inviting downtempo and mid-tempo grooves, and pertinent and thoughtful lyrics delivered with panache by an impressive roll call of guest vocalists.

Lunch, then, is a standalone sonic statement - an initially vinyl only album on their own OTIS imprint - that continues this impressive lineage. Like all Passera and Day's collaborative work, it is free of samples, with the pair preferring to create their own sounds from scratch. Opener 'Movin' On', featuring the honeyed vocals of former XL Recordings artist Willis Earl Beal AKA Nobody and slap-bass from Jo Gabriel Harris (who also features on three other songs across the album), is a deep and effortlessly evocative mid-tempo delight that perfectly sets the tone for what's to come.

Brooklyn-born April Pittman and Russian/Armenian vocalist Zara Kian lend their talents to woozy, sun-baked shuffler 'Paperman' before regular Payfone collaborator Ludmilla Rodriguez headlines 'Joan of Arc', a veritable Mediterranean breeze rich in tumbling analogue synth synths, elastic bass and tumbling guitar solos. Those yearning for a touch of lightly disco-flecked dancefloor heat will savour 'Spend The Night', where Los Angeles singer Collette Tibbetts AKA Carmella The Balls, accompanied by virtuoso keys courtesy of Parisian pianist Gabriel Cazes, rises above a sweet, melodious, dub disco-adjacent backing track. In contrast, 'Pamela' is low-slung and hypnotic, with 'Sofian' vocalist Barbara Alcindor ushering us through a deep, heady groove-scape.

Fittingly, Passera and Day round off Lunch via a vibrant and potent sweet treat, 'Pony Bar'. Headed up by the J.J Cale-esque lead vocals of man of mystery Leon Lace, the pedal steel-sporting song joins the dots between dusty Americana, kaleidoscopic Balearic beats and lilting, slow-motion disco. Like the rest of the album, you'll be thinking about it long after you've washed down the last few musical mouthfuls.

Waking Up the new album from Annabelle Chairlegs - produced by Ty Segall

With roots in the industrial heartland of New Jersey. Annabelle Chairleg's music fuses gritty, dark, mechanical textures with a playful and whimsical spirit. The band has shared bills with The Zombies, Lucy Dacus and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, while lighting up festivals including Austin City Limits, SXSW, Levitation, and Austin Psych Fest.
On her newest release, Waking Up, lead singer Lindsey Mackin is joined by Nick Cornetti on drums and Derek Strahan on bass. Produced and recorded by Ty Segall in his home studio in Topanga, CA- this marks Chairlegs’ third full-length album— a bold new chapter for the Austin mainstay.
To Note: This vinyl has two vinyl exclusive tracks 'I Feel So Mad' and 'Beef Witted' which will not be available in streaming services upon release

Grupo um celebrate 50 years with release of lost dictatorship-era album nineteen seventy seven!

First time release - vinyl comes with printed innersleeves

Brazilian avant-jazz vanguardists Grupo Um celebrate their 50th anniversary, sharing a second previously lost 1970s album from the vaults. Nineteen Seventy Seven (titled after the year it was recorded) is another rip-roaring instrumental fusion treasure from the band which spawned from within Hermeto Pascoal’s famed mid-1970s São Paulo collective.

Like their debut album Starting Point, Grupo Um’s Nineteen Seventy Seven was recorded when Brazil's military dictatorship was at its most repressive. “There were no open doors to those who dreamt to be protagonists in creative instrumental music”, remembers drummer Zé Eduardo Nazario, “even popular composers and singers had to submit their songs to censors and many records were banned and confiscated from the stores.”

Just like Hermeto Pascoal's Viajando Com O Som (1977) and Grupo Um's previous album Starting Point (1975), both of which remained unreleased until the 21st century, Zé Eduardo asserts that the 1977 album was flatly 'without any chance to be released at that time."

Recorded at Rogério Duprat’s Vice-Versa Studios in São Paulo, the group were under both time and space restraints, “we chose the small Studio B,” Lelo Nazario recalls, “which had a Tascam (TE AC) 12x8 console and a 4-channel AMPEX AG 440 machine. Therefore, we had to record without overdubs, everything straight to tape.”

Expanding from a trio to a quintet, original Grupo Um members Lelo Nazario (keys), Zé Eduardo Nazario (drums), and Zeca Assumpção (bass) were joined by saxophonist Roberto Sion and percussionist Carlinhos Gonçalves. Carlinhos, Zé and Zeca had already played together in the group Mandala, while brothers Lelo and Zé had just finished a stint backing Hermeto Pascoal during his years in São Paulo.

Lelo was deeply immersed in modular synthesizer experimentation during this period, working extensively with the ARP2600 and EMS Synthi AKS. These electroacoustic explorations formed the sonic foundation for "Mobile/Stabile," one of his first compositions to merge modular synthesis with Brazilian music, a fusion that would ripple throughout the Brazilian jazz scene. The piece premiered at the first São Paulo International Jazz Festival in 1978, performed by Grupo Um with guest trumpeter Márcio Montarroyos. In a shocking moment, festival organizers interrupted the show mid-performance, sparking fierce backlash from both audience members and journalists who denounced the incident as artistic censorship during Brazil's era of political and cultural repression. The version on Nineteen Seventy Seven is the first recording of the composition.

Nineteen Seventy Seven combines Afro-Brazilian rhythm, modular synthesis and a plethora of whistles, percussion and effects pedals. Album opener “Absurdo Mudo” - so titled for the absurd difficulty it poses to the musicians performing it - starts out in a cloud of mysterious dissonance, before the haze breaks for a glorious keyboard and saxophone interplay atop an uptempo samba groove. “Cortejo dos Reis Negros (Version 2)” (Procession of the Black Kings), based on the maracatu rhythm, inverts the traditional jazz song structure by beginning with improvisations, which are followed by the theme and a final coda. “The studio also had two Parasound electronic reverb units,” Lelo notes, “and the timbre is very audible on the soprano sax and percussion.”

Grupo Um’s daring music represents a manifesto of resistance during the dictatorship years, but it’s one which remains just as relevant today. As Lelo puts it: “For me, the aesthetic issue has always been about combining contemporary avant-garde languages with Brazilian music, independent of categories and commercial interests. The result of this fusion takes music to a new level.”

Recording credits (1977)
Recorded at Vice-Versa B Studio, São Paulo, November 9, 1977
Produced by Lelo Nazario and Zé Eduardo Nazario
Engineered by Ricardo “Franja” Carvalheira



Lelo Nazario – Wurlitzer electric piano, acoustic piano, signal generator, percussion

Zé Eduardo Nazario – drums, percussion

Zeca Assumpção – electric bass

Carlinhos Gonçalves – percussion

Roberto Sion – soprano sax, clarinet

Release credits (2025)
Produced by UTOPIA Studio, São Paulo
Project Coordination in Brazil by Irati Antonio (Utopia Studio)
Tape Restoration and Digital Mastering by Lelo Nazario at Utopia Studio, July 2025
Liner Notes by Lelo Nazario and Zé Eduardo Nazario
Photography by Jorge Las Heras, Lelo Nazario, and artists' personal archives
Photo Restoration by Lelo Nazario
Artwork and Design by Alessandro Renaldin

Helsinki bassist Antti Lötjönen follows up his 2020 We Jazz Records debut LP with a new 7" introducing a fresh version of key album cut "Erzeben Strasse" and throws in a wild treatment by Petter Eldh's Koma Saxo on the flipside. "Erzeben Strasse" presents Lötjönen's Quintet East lineup in fine form, swinging steadily but also adding enough sideways movement to blur the lines just a little bit. The band features a stellar Finnish cast in Lötjönen (bass), Verneri Pohjola (trumpet), Mikko Innanen (baritone sax), Jussi Kannaste (tenor sax) and Joonas Riippa (drums).

The Koma Saxo treatment of the track, dubbed here as "Erzeben Koma" is full of fire. Uplifting, a bit hectic, beat-driven and jubilant, Eldh's band of brothers double the ensemble heard on Side A, both sampling and adding new recording into the mix. The entire Koma Saxo live band is featured here: Eldh (bass/production), Otis Sandsjö (tenor sax), Jonas Kullhammar (tenor sax), Innanen (alto sax) and Christian Lillinger (drums). The modern sound of Helsinki meet Mauerpark Liquid Jazz.

Although they emerged from Melbourne bayside outer suburbs onto the local live scene with their fresh and spirited indie-rock update of the garage-beat sounds of The Easybeats, Kinks and early Beatles only a year or so ago, Gnome actually started out as a bedroom solo project for teenaged singer/songwriter/ guitarist Jay Millar a few years back. Jay, playing everything himself, started recording and releasing a steady succession of material - quite a few albums' worth - on his own Goblin Records label via Bandcamp. Realizing he needed a band to start playing out, Jay approached some like minded players from Frankston's rehearsal hub Singing Bird, and with Jay on lead vocals and lead guitar, Ned Capp on guitar, Olly Katsianis on bass, and Ethan Robins on drums, Gnome became a band.

Early in 2025, the last solo Jay recordings released under the Gnome name caused something of an international underground sensation when the Bandcamp only I Like It EP - four songs of kranked up Kinks-style mono riffage - was posted by a Spanish garage-punk YouTube page and quickly clocked up over 50,000 views.



At the same time, the band quickly began gaining attention on the thriving Frankston scene and around Melbourne. They started breaking out, sharing bills with the likes of Drunk Mums, Skegss, Split System, The Prize, The Unknowns, Cosmic Psychos, Hockey Dad, Guitar Wolf, The 5.6.7.8's, The Breadmakers, Loose Lips, fellow Frankstoners/Singing Bird alumni The Belair Lip Bombs, and, on a quick trip to Sydney, Cammy Cautious & The Wrestlers.

And now, finally, we have The Gnomes' debut album. Twelve killer tracks that combine the best of the '60s with the best of today. Twelve killer tracks that show off assertive and accomplished songwriting, singing and playing and an explosive and authentic swinging group sound. Twelve killers slices of raw rock'n'roll running the gamut from the savage Rhythm & Blues of "Play With You" and “Better With You” to the vibrant beat pop of "I'll Be There" and "I'm Not The One", with forays into the heavy reverb psych of "Stung", the Cavern/Star Club stylings of "Flippin' Stomp" and the first flyte jangle of "Time Will Tell" along the way. There’s more of course, including a new version of that Kinks-style kranker “I Like It” for good measure.

Frankston’s Fab Four are taking their sound to the world. Join them for the ride!

Building logically on the natural development of their two previous collections, this time the fearless threesome can be heard roaming further than ever before into the uncharted hinterlands where the deep jazz tradition of the classic tenor trio format, laden with melody and swing, ventures into the untamed regions of free improvisation. At the heart of the band is the unmistakable beat of drummer Spike Wells, who this year celebrates his 80th birthday and the 65th year of his extraordinary career at the forefront of jazz in the UK, providing the driving force behind everyone from homegrown heroes Tubby Hayes to Bobby Wellins to visitors like Stan Getz and Roland Kirk and countless others. Riding at his side to represent the current Londonbased millennial cohort is saxophonist Riley Stone- Lonergan , whose intriguing compositions and boundless creative imagination as an improvisor continue to add to his burgeoning reputation.

Representing the diversity of tastes and interests and uncompromising creative stance typical of Gen X, big- toned bassist Eddie Myer rounds up the posse. The trio initially got together through their mutual love of Sonny Rollins' touring pianoless trios of the late 50s and early 60s, but soon found themselves expanding their repertoire to explore the rich and varied territory opened up by their unique combination of individual tastes. This album is their most coherent, wide-ranging and adventurous set of recordings yet. From Ayler to Strayhorn, from be-bop to calypso, from cowboy movie to free-jazz shootout, there's a surprise at every turn, but always delivered with total sincerity and conviction and a driving desire to bring the audience with them every step of the way. 'The Rule of Three' is a bold and confident statement of intent from a real long-term project that's as invested in the music's future as it is inspired by and reverent of its past.

Two years after their debut on Berlin-based Mannequin Records, Parisian duo Leroy Se Meurt returns with their second full-length album, Hier Pour Toujours. Far from any sense of nostalgia, this record offers no illusion of hope—history repeats itself, the future looks bleak, and their brand of electronic punk is the perfect soundtrack to it all.Drum machines dictate the pace while synths saturate the space, looping sequences grind relentlessly, and vocals lead this machine orchestra straight into the heart of the chaos. Drawing from their roots, Leroy Se Meurt pushes their fierce electronics further than ever—experimenting with bold slogans, spoken passages, and powerful sing-along choruses.The album opens with Pas Ma Croix, a commanding anthem built for the stage. It flows into Du Plafond à La Terre, driven by a monstrous electro beat and bassline, flirting with emotional vulnerability in its chorus before exploding into a synth solo. Alevlere Karşı once again taps into the duo’s EBM-meets-Turkish vocals signature style, hitting the mark with dancefloor precision.The title track, Hier Pour Toujours, closes side A with a more intimate, drumless moment—solemn but no less intense.That brief calm is shattered by Déviance, marking the return of guitars and an eruptive chorus brimming with raw energy. From there, the album launches into the furious Révolte Ardente, with its syncopated rhythm and vocals drenched in distortion, and continues with Pro Déclin, a stripped-down rhythmic skeleton carrying anti-growth mantras straight to the point. In a world clouded by confusion, the most direct messages often land the hardest.For a change of scenery, Fütürsüz dives into John Carpenter-esque territory—no drums, eerie night-streaked synths, and, for the first time in the band’s history, nearly clean vocals.Closing the record, Encore crawls at a BPM so slow it’s nearly in reverse. But what it lacks in speed, it makes up for in weight—a crushing incantation capable of toppling sound systems.With Hier Pour Toujours, Leroy Se Meurt isn’t offering optimism, but rather persistence. Nothing is settled yet—and perhaps, just perhaps—there’s still light at the end of the tunnel.

Rough Trade Records freut sich, das fantastische Debütalbum von Tyler Ballgame ankündigen zu dürfen: For the First Time, Again erscheint am 30. Januar 2026. Mit zwölf Songs, die zwischen Classic Rock, Indie und Americana oszillieren - Ballgame zeigt, wie große Stimmen und starke Melodien Herzen bewegen und Horizonte öffnen können. Die erste Single I Believe in Love, eine hymnische Mischung aus Lennon und Orbison, ist ab sofort mit Video erhältlich - gefilmt von engen Freunden in Ballgames WG. Entstanden am Küchentisch und inspiriert vom Rat seines Produzenten Jonathan Rado ("Schreib den größten Song der Welt"), wurde daraus eine Ode an die Liebe selbst - und an die Narren, die sie macht. Produziert von Jonathan Rado (Foxygen, Weyes Blood, Miley Cyrus) und Ryan Pollie (Los Angeles Police Department), bringt das Album analoge Wärme, akustische Energie und üppige Harmonien zurück - mit Unterstützung von Amy Aileen Wood (Fiona Apple) am Schlagzeug und Wayne Whitaker am Bass. Ballgames Weg hierhin war alles andere als geradlinig: Vom Kellergeschoss in New England über Coverband-Auftritte in Rhode Island bis hin zum mutigen Neustart in Los Angeles. Offenheit, Risiko und der Glaube an sich selbst prägen seine Songs - und werden live zur großen Bühne.

Sweatmaster releases a new full-length album after a 15-year hiatus via Svart Records Sweatmaster, one of the aristocrats of Finnish garage rock, is making a big comeback with the release of their fifth album More! in January 2026. After the release of their 2010 album Dig Up the Knife, the band took a long break, which ended a few years ago with live performances both domestic and abroad. At the same time, new material began to emerge in the rehearsal room, and the band quickly found a common strategy for working on it. "We were unanimous about the strengths of our band and decided to get to the heart of the matter. The main idea was to make straightforward songs carried by the vocals. The kind that would work well live with our aggressive playing style," says the band's drummer Matti Kallio. Svart Records will release Sweatmaster's fifth album early next year. More! is a sharp package of fourteen songs that has not been polished to death. "We wanted a raw and electric sound for the new album, built tightly around the three of us playing. The aim was to stick to Sweatmaster's original energy and not spread ourselves too thin. However, despite our efforts, the intervening years brought some new tones with them," guitarist Mikko Luukko explains the background of the new album. The album's first single will be released on Friday, September 19th, and according to singer-bassist Sasu Mykkänen, Destroyer is the essence of Sweatmaster. "The drum fill draws you into the pull of the electric triangle. The guitar taps at the ballads and wants nothing more than to drive the rhythm until the passionate vocals take over. The song doesn't lead anywhere, it's already there. 2 minutes, 37 seconds. Wham bam. Here you go." More! is available for pre-order now at Svart’s webstore on Svart exclusive vinyl, limited coloured vinyl, classic black vinyl, and CD. Release date January 30th, 2026.

Rough Trade Records freut sich, das fantastische Debütalbum von Tyler Ballgame ankündigen zu dürfen: For the First Time, Again erscheint am 30. Januar 2026. Mit zwölf Songs, die zwischen Classic Rock, Indie und Americana oszillieren - Ballgame zeigt, wie große Stimmen und starke Melodien Herzen bewegen und Horizonte öffnen können. Die erste Single I Believe in Love, eine hymnische Mischung aus Lennon und Orbison, ist ab sofort mit Video erhältlich - gefilmt von engen Freunden in Ballgames WG. Entstanden am Küchentisch und inspiriert vom Rat seines Produzenten Jonathan Rado ("Schreib den größten Song der Welt"), wurde daraus eine Ode an die Liebe selbst - und an die Narren, die sie macht. Produziert von Jonathan Rado (Foxygen, Weyes Blood, Miley Cyrus) und Ryan Pollie (Los Angeles Police Department), bringt das Album analoge Wärme, akustische Energie und üppige Harmonien zurück - mit Unterstützung von Amy Aileen Wood (Fiona Apple) am Schlagzeug und Wayne Whitaker am Bass. Ballgames Weg hierhin war alles andere als geradlinig: Vom Kellergeschoss in New England über Coverband-Auftritte in Rhode Island bis hin zum mutigen Neustart in Los Angeles. Offenheit, Risiko und der Glaube an sich selbst prägen seine Songs - und werden live zur großen Bühne.

Sweatmaster releases a new full-length album after a 15-year hiatus via Svart Records Sweatmaster, one of the aristocrats of Finnish garage rock, is making a big comeback with the release of their fifth album More! in January 2026. After the release of their 2010 album Dig Up the Knife, the band took a long break, which ended a few years ago with live performances both domestic and abroad. At the same time, new material began to emerge in the rehearsal room, and the band quickly found a common strategy for working on it. "We were unanimous about the strengths of our band and decided to get to the heart of the matter. The main idea was to make straightforward songs carried by the vocals. The kind that would work well live with our aggressive playing style," says the band's drummer Matti Kallio. Svart Records will release Sweatmaster's fifth album early next year. More! is a sharp package of fourteen songs that has not been polished to death. "We wanted a raw and electric sound for the new album, built tightly around the three of us playing. The aim was to stick to Sweatmaster's original energy and not spread ourselves too thin. However, despite our efforts, the intervening years brought some new tones with them," guitarist Mikko Luukko explains the background of the new album. The album's first single will be released on Friday, September 19th, and according to singer-bassist Sasu Mykkänen, Destroyer is the essence of Sweatmaster. "The drum fill draws you into the pull of the electric triangle. The guitar taps at the ballads and wants nothing more than to drive the rhythm until the passionate vocals take over. The song doesn't lead anywhere, it's already there. 2 minutes, 37 seconds. Wham bam. Here you go." More! is available for pre-order now at Svart’s webstore on Svart exclusive vinyl, limited coloured vinyl, classic black vinyl, and CD. Release date January 30th, 2026.

Biblische Motive macht Vibrafonist Joel Ross zum Thema seines fünften Blue-Note-Albums, mit einem
erweiterten Set-Up seiner Band Good Vibes, feat. Josh Johnson (Alto-Sax), Maria Grand (Tenor-Sax),
Jeremy Corren (Piano), Kanoa Mendenhall (Bass) und Jeremy Dutton (Drums). Die Botschaft von Liebe
und Hoffnung vermitteln sie mit spirituellem, groovendem Jazz.
Das Album vereint die Komplexität früherer Alben des Vibraphonisten mit der Direktheit und Zugänglichkeit
seiner späteren Werke und kreiert so einen neuen, unverkennbaren „Joel-Ross-Sound“. Es erscheint, nachdem er sich in den letzten Jahren intensiv mit den theologischen und historischen Dimensionen seines
Glaubens auseinandergesetzt hat. Indem er einige seiner älteren, unveröffentlichten Kompositionen neu
interpretiert und im Lichte neuer Erfahrungen betrachtet, schuf er ein Album, das mehr denn je von seiner
Persönlichkeit offenbart. „Dies ist wohl das bisher mutigste Beispiel dafür, wie ich versuche, die biblische
Botschaft zu verkünden und gleichzeitig meinen Wurzeln Tribut zu zollen“, erklärt er.

Adventure's self-titled 2000 debut is finally getting the reissue treatment, remastered by Jacob Holm-Lupo. This album got great reviews at the time, and helped kickstart a new Norwegian prog scene. The music was inspired by bands like Kansas, Uriah Heep and Camel, with an added touch of folk music. ADVENTURE is the brainchild of the Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Odd Roar Bakken, who had 23 years of experience in Rock bands playing guitars & mandolins, and singing in bands like Tammatoys and Nordagust until 1990, when he met Nils Larsen, Torkel Aune and eventually the talented guitar player Terje Flessen. They started working together, each time getting closer to the Symphonic sound they aimed for But they still had a hard time finding a singer that could fit their style - until 1995 when they finally met Verbjorn Moen. They soon started work on their self-produced and self-released, self-titled debut album, a process lasting all the way until November 1999, with a release in the year 2000. The album is a great expression of Symphonic Prog - inspired mostly by Camel, but with an added hard rock influence from bands as Ayreon and Uriah Heep. The lineup of their debut album is consists of Odd-Roar Bakken (Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Lead Guitar and Backing Vocals), Terje Flessen (Lead Guitars, Rhythm Guitars, Acoustic Guitars and Bass Guitars), Vebjorn Moen (Lead Vocals and Backing Vocals) with some guests like Elisabeth Nilssen and Stine Mostervik on flute and Stein Egil Bratland on drums and backing vocals. ADVENTURE is a rare example of a band that didn't played Progressive Rock by nature: They set out to perform music in the vein of the classic symphonic prog genre - but adding some Norwegian Hard Rock, inspired by the Byron & Thain Uriah Heep line-up, something entirely different manifested itself.

Digital Dub from East France, very Jahtari influenced, with a Low-Fi texture and some bloody good featurings with Brother Culture and Charlie P ! Indie Prod ! Support !

'In 2023, sound artist and composer Weston Olencki toured across the American South. Beginning in their hometown in South Carolina, they snaked a circuitous path from the mountains of West Virginia to the banks of the Mississippi River. As the miles accumulated, so did the initial seeds of new work.
'Instruments and artifacts they acquired hitched a ride in the backseat, while songs and sounds filled their portable recorder: water in its various states, the familiar insectoid buzz of those summer nights, trains cutting through the landscape, the traditional music that lived alongside the communities that kept it. Olencki took it all in, and over time, found ways that these experiences coalesced into a bramble-like perspective of time, where past, present, and future intersect in ways both barbed and beautiful.
'Broadsides, Olencki’s newest solo full-length is the multilayered result of this journey. The album follows their landmark release Old Time Music from 2022, which presented radical interpretations of traditional tunes from Appalachia and throughout the South alongside original compositions that drew significantly on archival recordings. On Broadsides, Olencki rejects delineations between the unmoored avant-garde and the rootedness of one’s cultural heritage, revealing their porous and intertwined nature. “My mother was a quilter. Her mother before that,” they write in the album’s liner notes. “Quilting, like music, is a practice of embedding knowledge and remembrance into the very core of the thing you are making. It’s not just about the materials, but how they’re reassembled, recontextualized, stitched, woven to form new patterns - the minutiae of craft holding significance to those looking to find it. Stories woven from stories, never told the same way twice.”
'Like all great road trips, Broadsides unfolds slowly and continuously, with moments of dramatic reverie punctuating the endless melt of highway in the rearview. We’re immediately confronted by the uncanniness of revisiting old haunts, as Southern storms break through the initial churn of the freight locomotives of Alabama. Olencki’s interpretation of the bluegrass standard “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” captures the euphoria of melancholy in motion. The permutational plucks of banjo are bounced around the frame by a computer, its pitches determined within algorithmic sequences and transcriptions of classic three-finger licks. The tonalities of old-time are smeared and stretched until all that’s audible is the insistence that Heaven might be real.
'In the album’s second half, “Omie Wise,” a murder ballad made famous by Doc Watson, follows an interlude recorded on the river in North Carolina in which the titular character’s body was laid. Ghostly echoes of a dozen other renditions float through the substrata as Tongue Depressor’s Henry Birdsey accompanies them on the pedal steel guitar. The album’s central composition, “all my father’s clocks,” is a profound meditation on entropy and impermanence. The sound of their father’s extensive clock collection ticks away as Olencki pulls a bow across the length of an autoharp sourced from a rural strip mall. The instrument was left as detuned as it was found, the resonance of its deep bass drone and clanging high-end the result of years of neglect and the warping effects of Southern humidity.
'Historically, broadsides were an early form of broadcasting, an often- musicalized telling of current news pasted in the public square. The name was later taken up by Sis Cunningham and Gordon Friesen in the 1960s, whose Broadside magazine published songs and social commentary when American folk music resurfaced as an urgent way of communicating the multifaceted politics of its time.
'Olencki borrows the phrase to recall both this old form of songmaking and that later prominent reexamination of traditional music’s role in modern life, but also to draw attention to the fragmented and machine- mediated way heritage is diffused in this very different, but no less pivotal, moment.
'As a sanitized past is used as justification for current violence and domination, we can turn to these artifacts to better understand the history of ourselves, but only if they are consciously pushed to evolve. Broadsides represents one personal, striking vision of what far-flung futurisms could be respun from = these high, lonesome sounds: a reflection of the unbridled joy and deep sorrow inherent to living together through time, and a desire to push further into the untold and unknown.'

With a GRAMMY nomination and years of touring experience, this female- forward string band releases a career- defining album with Magic Accident . Longtime supporters of women in roots music, Della Mae teamed up with producer Alison Brown for this new release, their first on Nashville-based Compass Records. Magic Accident showcases the band's range of talents, from Americana songs that evoke early Chicks to energetic bluegrass and dreamy indie folk-inspired tunes.

The band's vocal power and instrumental skill shine throughout this mostly original collection, with standout tracks including "Out Run 'Em," written by guitarist Avril Smith and featuring champion fiddler and band founder Kimber Ludiker, "Lifeline," sung by bassist Vickie Vaughn, and the title track, written and sung by Celia Woodsmith. Guest artists on the project include Mary Bragg (vocals) and Jen Gunderman (accordion), with Brown playing banjo and guitar throughout. Since forming in Boston in 2010, Della Mae has proved to the roots music world that an all-women band is no novelty. Their 2013 Rounder Records release, This World Oft Can Be, earned them their first GRAMMY nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. That same year, the International Bluegrass Music Association named them Emerging Artist of the Year. Della Mae has performed in over 30 countries on behalf of the U.S. State Department. They are favorites on the roots music circuit, where their highenergy performances always get audiences on their feet, inspired by the power of their music and message. Available on turquoise coloured vinyl with 4-page folder and digipak CD editions

Half-Speed Remaster des 2012er Albums

Anlässlich des 40-jährigen Jubiläums des Albumklassikers "Thick As A Brick" erscheint am 30. März 2012 eine Fortsetzung zum Originalalbum mit dem Titel "Thick As A Brick 2".

1972 hatte Ian Anderson mit dem Jethro-Tull-Album "Thick As A Brick" einen Klassiker des Progressive Rock aufgenommen. Im Mittelpunkt der Songtexte stand die fiktive kindliche Hauptfigur Gerald Bostock. Das Album avancierte zum Spitzenreiter in den Billboard Charts und zu einem beachtlichen Erfolg in etlichen anderen Ländern.

Vierzig Jahre später: Was würde Gerald Bostock, der nun 50 Jahre alt wäre, heutzutage machen? Wie wäre es ihm in all der Zeit ergangen? Der "zweite" Teil des Albumklassikers zieht die unterschiedlichsten Möglichkeiten in Betracht, was aus dem frühreifen Schuljungen Gerald Bostock hätte werden können, welche Wege er hätte einschlagen können. In den diversen Songs nimmt die Hauptfigur verschiedene Alter Egos an, um die Vielzahl der möglichen Wendungen zu verdeutlichen, die Schicksal und Zufall in einem Leben bereit halten. So illustrieren die Songs nicht nur Geralds Leben, sondern auch die Entwicklungen unserer eigenen Biographien, die nicht selten durch zufällige Begegnungen und Eingriffe völlig neue Wendungen annehmen, auch wenn sie manchmal zunächst noch ganz nichtig und unbedeutend erscheinen.

Ian Anderson über sein neues Album: "Wenn unsere Generation auf ihr Leben zurückblickt, überkommt sie sicherlich gelegentlich dieser 'Was wäre wenn'-Moment. Wären wir, wie Gerald, statt dem, was wir sind, vielleicht Prediger, Soldat, Penner, Geschäftsinhaber oder Finanztycoon geworden? Und all jene, die der Generation des Internet und der sozialen Netzwerke angehören, mögen darüber sinnieren, was mit den unzähligen Möglichkeiten ist, die sich bei jeder Gelegenheit anzubieten scheinen."

Im Rahmen dieser Veröffentlichung wird Ian Anderson erstmals seit 1972 "Thick As A Brick" gemeinsam mit seinen Bandkollegen John O'Hara (Keyboards), David Goodier (Bass), Florian Opahle (Gitarre) und Scott Hammond (Schlagzeug) - sowie einigen musikalischen Gästen - in kompletter Länge live spielen. Zudem präsentieren Ian Anderson und seine Band im zweiten Teil der Show auch die Fortsetzung des Albumklassikers live.

Through crushing riffs and haunting vocals, it reflects on loss, the forces of nature, and existential struggle. The production balances raw intensity with a deep, immersive atmosphere, enhancing the album's emotional depth. The album opens with a song in Latin, setting the tone with a ritualistic invocation. As its title suggests, it serves as a reminder to preserve one's inner purity in a decaying world, weaving ancient echoes into the album's foundation.

Todeslied follows as a hymn to death, carrying a solemn mood. The record also draws upon literary inspirations: one track is based on The Road by Cormac McCarthy, evoking apocalyptic desolation and the desperate fight for survival, while Dress in flames gives voice to the fury and imprisonment of Bertha Mason, the tormented character in Charlotte Bronte's victorian novel Jane Eyre. Compared to her previous release, which was more personal, Moonstone marks a shift towards greater collaboration within the band, with a more unified approach to songwriting and arrangements. The album, featuring two tracks by bassist Francesca Papi, has been arranged and refined together with Davide Rosa (guitar) and Fabio Orticoni (drums). The release also includes a powerful tribute to Bathory with a reinterpretation of Shores in Flames.

Recorded at Produzione Rumorose, mixed by Maurizio Baggio, and mastered by Giovanni Versari, this record represents a powerful evolution in the band's sound, sharpening their identity and pushing the boundaries of their musical expression.

Through crushing riffs and haunting vocals, it reflects on loss, the forces of nature, and existential struggle. The production balances raw intensity with a deep, immersive atmosphere, enhancing the album's emotional depth. The album opens with a song in Latin, setting the tone with a ritualistic invocation. As its title suggests, it serves as a reminder to preserve one's inner purity in a decaying world, weaving ancient echoes into the album's foundation.

Todeslied follows as a hymn to death, carrying a solemn mood. The record also draws upon literary inspirations: one track is based on The Road by Cormac McCarthy, evoking apocalyptic desolation and the desperate fight for survival, while Dress in flames gives voice to the fury and imprisonment of Bertha Mason, the tormented character in Charlotte Bronte's victorian novel Jane Eyre. Compared to her previous release, which was more personal, Moonstone marks a shift towards greater collaboration within the band, with a more unified approach to songwriting and arrangements. The album, featuring two tracks by bassist Francesca Papi, has been arranged and refined together with Davide Rosa (guitar) and Fabio Orticoni (drums). The release also includes a powerful tribute to Bathory with a reinterpretation of Shores in Flames.

Recorded at Produzione Rumorose, mixed by Maurizio Baggio, and mastered by Giovanni Versari, this record represents a powerful evolution in the band's sound, sharpening their identity and pushing the boundaries of their musical expression.

Whitelands' second album Sunlight Echoes builds on their elemental debut - that won them fans from Slowdive to David Jonsson - with a more expansive sound that takes them out of the shoegaze shadows to somewhere bigger, better and brighter. Produced by long-time collaborator Ian Flynn and mixed by double Grammy Award-winner Eduardo De La Paz (New Order, The Horrors, The Charlatans, The KVB, Drug Store Romeos), there are soaring string arrangements (by Iskra Strings) and Lush guest vocals from labelmate Emma Anderson. "We're coming back with a lot more maturity and realness," says singer and guitarist Etienne Quartey-Papafio of their step up. "It shows in how much more emotional our music has become." With maturity comes a newfound confidence, so not only are there stunning melodies everywhere, but Etienne's vocals are front and centre throughout. "It's been really cool to watch Etienne push through boundaries," adds bassist Vanessa Govinden. "I like the direction we've taken on this album. We're taking a risk. It's half and half." She's right - the first half of the album has an almost Britpop breeziness, that belies the serious subject matter that inspired the songs, while the second half gets heavier, in all senses, with added grit and gravitas."This album is one of enduring," says Etienne of the overarching theme. "We had family that were dying, I was broke, there was a shortage of my ADHD medication_ I was suffering, but not just me, everyone around me was too." "The last two years have been challenging," concludes Vanessa. "The universe really fucked with us. That's why there are themes of loss, disconnection, fragmentation and yearning, but on the other side there is also unity and hope." Sunlight Echoes is a poetic, melodic statement of intent from this formidable band. Whitelands have fought back and triumphed in the face of adversity.