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There are few people across the globe, who will have not been touched by the work of Frankie Knuckles. Forever regarded as ‘The Godfather of House’ for his unrivalled contribution to the house music we know today; what started as an underground movement in Chicago has grown to international heights thanks to Frankie. His records earned him recognition on a global scale, allowing him to work with some of the globes biggest names including the likes of Diana Ross, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.

Five years ago, Frankie passed away in Chicago on 31st March 2014 leaving behind one of the greatest house music legacies spanning almost four decades. Now he is commemorated by long time writing and production partner Eric Kupper. Eric, himself a seasoned DJ producer and writer, has worked on over 116 Billboard #1 Dance Records and played a pivotal role in a many of Frankie’s productions. Having both worked together for many years they established themselves at ‘Director’s Cut’ from 2011 and set about producing original releases and remixes based on the classic ‘Def Mix’ sound while sharing equal credits for their creations.

Together they re-produced and re-purpose classic cuts for modern dancefloors, with reworks including tracks from Marshall Jefferson, Ashford & Simpson, Artful & Ridney and The Sunburst Band, alongside Frankie Knuckles originals. These releases have now been brought together by Eric to feature on special album called ‘The Directors Cut Collection’ on SoSure Music. It includes the Director’s Cut reworks of Frankie’s classic cuts such as ‘Your Love’ and ‘Take You There’ with Jamie Principle, alongside Frankie’s first #1 single - ‘The Whistle Song’ on which Eric shares writing credits.

Within a multitude of classic reworks, highlights include a previously unreleased version of Ashford & Simpson’s ‘Bourgie Bourgie’ and a huge Director’s Cut Retro Signature mix of Marshall Jefferson’s 'The House Music Anthem (Move Your Body)' featuring Curtis McClain.

The Director’s Cut Collection is a fitting tribute to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Frankie’s passing whilst giving Eric a platform to tell his side of the creative story. This album is to be released in collaboration with The Frankie Knuckles Foundation who work to continuing Frankie’s legacy well into the future.

Icelandic composer Högni"s score for the much-acclaimed Netflix"s series Katla will see its full release on July 28. The series takes place in Iceland, after the subglacial volcano Katla has been erupting constantly for a whole year, Gríma is still looking for her missing sister who disappeared the day the eruption started. As her hope of ever finding her body is fading, the residents of the surrounding area start to have visits from unexpected guests. There might be something hidden under the glacier no one could ever have foreseen. Speaking about the score, Högni says: "when I was asked by Baltasar Kormákur - the director and show creator - I started writing so when the filming was finished, I had already written a number of pieces for the show. As relatively in-experienced in the field I imagined that my work was finished and the rest was a matter of post-production and music editing. However it immediately became clear that my ambitions and the nature of the project called for second, third and fourth wind in order to fulfil the auditory architecture that needed to be built". Realising it was a monumental task, Högni kept a strict schedule every day, starting by writing and arranging in the morning, recording and mixing in the afternoon and presenting to the producer each evening. The score was recorded in Högni"s own studio, where him and his collaborators consisting of Tóti Gudnason, Inga Magnes, Petter Ekman, _órunn Osk and Sigurgeir found themselves working in a completely different way than they"ve done before, due to the nature of the project - "we worked the music out of my studio in Reykjavik, where a healthy number of musicians rotated through at the pace of an average ice cream parlour on a long summers evening in Reykjavik. The urgency of delivering cues and material left one in the state of instinctual execution at all hours without hesitation".

Wenn es ein einziges Wort gibt, um Saint Agnes zu beschreiben, dann ist es " Hingabe". Die vierköpfige Band aus dem Vereinigten Königreich steht für ehrliche Texte, raue Gesangsdarbietungen (von Frontfrau Kitty A. Austen) und wutentbrannte Musik, die denjenigen eine Stimme geben soll, die eher am Rande als in der Mitte stehen. Mehr Gang als Band, wollen Saint Agnes (römische Märtyrerin, Schutzpatronin für eine Reihe von Dingen, darunter auch Mädchen) diejenigen ermutigen, die geschlagen und verletzt wurden, sich aber weigern, sich niederzulegen, und das ist ein roter Faden, der sich durch "Bloodsuckers" zieht - das zweite Studioalbum von SA und ihr erstes für Spinefarm. Anfangend mit dem Titeltrack, ist dies ein genreübergreifendes Werk, das Elemente aus Metal, Punk, Industrial und Grunge aufnimmt, ohne an einen bestimmten Stil gebunden zu sein; die 11 Tracks kommen direkt von der Quelle, größtenteils selbst produziert und abgemischt (NIN-Kollaborateur Sean Bevan leiht seine Mixing-Fähigkeiten der zukünftigen Single / Video, 'Follow You'), und dieser in sich geschlossene Ansatz sorgt für ein zusätzliches emotionales Gewicht, mit Kerrang!-Coverstar Mimi Barks, die das Chaos auf dem kurzen, scharfen Schock, der 'Body Bag' ist, weiter anheizt.

Wenn es ein einziges Wort gibt, um Saint Agnes zu beschreiben, dann ist es " Hingabe". Die vierköpfige Band aus dem Vereinigten Königreich steht für ehrliche Texte, raue Gesangsdarbietungen (von Frontfrau Kitty A. Austen) und wutentbrannte Musik, die denjenigen eine Stimme geben soll, die eher am Rande als in der Mitte stehen. Mehr Gang als Band, wollen Saint Agnes (römische Märtyrerin, Schutzpatronin für eine Reihe von Dingen, darunter auch Mädchen) diejenigen ermutigen, die geschlagen und verletzt wurden, sich aber weigern, sich niederzulegen, und das ist ein roter Faden, der sich durch "Bloodsuckers" zieht - das zweite Studioalbum von SA und ihr erstes für Spinefarm. Anfangend mit dem Titeltrack, ist dies ein genreübergreifendes Werk, das Elemente aus Metal, Punk, Industrial und Grunge aufnimmt, ohne an einen bestimmten Stil gebunden zu sein; die 11 Tracks kommen direkt von der Quelle, größtenteils selbst produziert und abgemischt (NIN-Kollaborateur Sean Bevan leiht seine Mixing-Fähigkeiten der zukünftigen Single / Video, 'Follow You'), und dieser in sich geschlossene Ansatz sorgt für ein zusätzliches emotionales Gewicht, mit Kerrang!-Coverstar Mimi Barks, die das Chaos auf dem kurzen, scharfen Schock, der 'Body Bag' ist, weiter anheizt.

Voyager Gold Vinyl

On Jupiter, Brooklyn trio Upper Wilds voyage deeper into the cosmos, mapping out the overwhelming enormity of the universe in soaring hooks and blistering noise. The third installment in the trio"s exploration of our solar system looks to its largest planet for a daring exploration of scale and perspective. New York underground mainstay Dan Friel"s melodic gifts and wry lyricism are magnified and propelled ever outwards by the thundering rhythm section of bassist Jason Binnick and drummer Jeff Ottenbacher, all immersed in rippling fuzz. Just like its namesake, Jupiter stands as Upper Wilds most colossal offering in their catalog. The raw power of their music is amplified to titanic proportions, sky-clawing riffs invoking the sheer awe that the heavens inspire. More than any Upper Wilds album before it, Jupiter makes humanity"s endeavors in space exploration an inseparable part of its sonic DNA . Recorded with Travis Harrison at his studio Serious Business in Brooklyn (Guided By Voices, Dope Body, The Men), the trio"s live recordings are inspired by the Voyager Golden Record - a double LP launched with the 1977 Voyager probe spanning field recordings to compositions by J.S. Bach and Laurie Spiegel. While the Voyager Golden Record"s intended audience may have originally been the extra-terrestrial beings that might encounter the probe, Upper Wilds bring cosmos-seeking sounds back to earth with a record made for and about humanity. Jupiter finds comfort in space"s unending expanse. Far from feeling defeated by the smallness of our existence in the face of an uncaring universe and ever-expanding infinite, Upper Wilds capture the power of creativity to extend our lifespans far beyond our limited time on earth

Mancunian pianist and producer Matt Wilde prepares to release his debut album 'Hello World' via Band on the Wall Recordings. With a slew of hotly tipped projects released over the past two years via Root Records & Inner Ocean Records- Matt has been steadily gaining support from the likes of Jamie Cullum, Gilles Peterson, Jazz FM & many more. With his name firmly cemented as one to watch in the Jazz / Beats landscape, 'Hello World' promises to be his most expansive body of work to date.

'Hello World' is an audio catalogue of personal experiences, thoughts and feelings, shared with honesty and curiosity for the human condition. Matt crafts emotive and uplifting compositions denoting a tender illustration of the human experience, finding and celebrating the simple and beautiful moments of life.

Three hip-hop titans return with the 10-year anniversary of their classic album Bad Neighbor. MED, Blu, and Madlib—each legendary in their own solo careers—reunite to deliver a timeless body of work featuring Anderson .Paak, MF DOOM, Aloe Blacc, Phonte, and other heavyweights of the culture. Across 17 tracks, Madlib’s soulful production provides the perfect backdrop for Blu and MED’s razor-sharp rhymes, giving the album undeniable replay value. The 10-Year Anniversary vinyl edition features a brand-new mix and master, two bonus tracks, and includes all original songs and skits in their original format across a 2xLP. A must-have for any serious record collection.

Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Rita Ora releases her new album You & I via BMG. Threaded together to signify the different chapters of her relationship, You & I is a deeply personal body of work intrinsically linked to a new stage in Ora's life and career and pays homage to her own eclectic tastes.

"Ob man sie nun Darkwave, Synth-Pop, Post-Punk, EBM oder anders nennen sollte, was Body of Light machen, ist Tanzmusik. Und was die Tanzmusik angeht, so trifft sie jede Genusszone genau ins Schwarze." - Treble Bitter Reflection, das vierte Album der Wüstenbrüder Alex und Andrew Jarson alias Body Of Light, verfeinert ihren schwelenden, stürmischen Synth-Pop zu einer transformativen Suite von Hymnen, Träumereien und Abrechnungen. Nach dem Neo-EBM-Klassiker "Time To Kill" (2019) suchten sie nach Inspirationen aus versteckten Momenten in ihren eigenen Arkanen - Kassetten aus der Kindheit, Heimvideos, verworfene Demos - und stellten sich die Frage: "Wie können wir das wachsen lassen?" Gesampelte Schnipsel von Stimmen, Geräuschen, Synthesizern und Feldaufnahmen flackern in der Peripherie der 11 Tracks von Bitter Reflection auf und murmeln wie halb vergessene Nostalgien oder verdrängte Erinnerungen. Zusammen mit Josh Eustis von Telefon Tel Aviv, haben Body Of Light in Los Angeles eine erweiterte Palette von Live-Instrumenten - Klavier, Bass, Saxophon, Akustikgitarre - zusätzlich zu alten Akai-Samplern, Moogs und archaischer Hardware in Bitter Reflection integriert, was dem Album eine eklektische, unvorhersehbare Sound-Palette verleiht. Dies ist Musik zwischen den Zwillingsflammen von Wahrheit und Sehnsucht, Romantik und Realität, Katharsis und Kontrolle, geboren aus einem Band, das durch Jahre, Träume und Blut besiegelt wurde. Bitter Reflection führt durch eine Galerie der anhaltenden Faszinationen von Body Of Light: Depeche-eske Deklarationen des Schreckens und des Exzesses, grüblerische Dancefloor-Epiphanien, liebeskranke Spiegel-Balladen mit orchestralen Stabs von Art Of Noise und sanfte Thomas-Dolby-Melancholien der Stadtsilhouette.

"Ob man sie nun Darkwave, Synth-Pop, Post-Punk, EBM oder anders nennen sollte, was Body of Light machen, ist Tanzmusik. Und was die Tanzmusik angeht, so trifft sie jede Genusszone genau ins Schwarze." - Treble Bitter Reflection, das vierte Album der Wüstenbrüder Alex und Andrew Jarson alias Body Of Light, verfeinert ihren schwelenden, stürmischen Synth-Pop zu einer transformativen Suite von Hymnen, Träumereien und Abrechnungen. Nach dem Neo-EBM-Klassiker "Time To Kill" (2019) suchten sie nach Inspirationen aus versteckten Momenten in ihren eigenen Arkanen - Kassetten aus der Kindheit, Heimvideos, verworfene Demos - und stellten sich die Frage: "Wie können wir das wachsen lassen?" Gesampelte Schnipsel von Stimmen, Geräuschen, Synthesizern und Feldaufnahmen flackern in der Peripherie der 11 Tracks von Bitter Reflection auf und murmeln wie halb vergessene Nostalgien oder verdrängte Erinnerungen. Zusammen mit Josh Eustis von Telefon Tel Aviv, haben Body Of Light in Los Angeles eine erweiterte Palette von Live-Instrumenten - Klavier, Bass, Saxophon, Akustikgitarre - zusätzlich zu alten Akai-Samplern, Moogs und archaischer Hardware in Bitter Reflection integriert, was dem Album eine eklektische, unvorhersehbare Sound-Palette verleiht. Dies ist Musik zwischen den Zwillingsflammen von Wahrheit und Sehnsucht, Romantik und Realität, Katharsis und Kontrolle, geboren aus einem Band, das durch Jahre, Träume und Blut besiegelt wurde. Bitter Reflection führt durch eine Galerie der anhaltenden Faszinationen von Body Of Light: Depeche-eske Deklarationen des Schreckens und des Exzesses, grüblerische Dancefloor-Epiphanien, liebeskranke Spiegel-Balladen mit orchestralen Stabs von Art Of Noise und sanfte Thomas-Dolby-Melancholien der Stadtsilhouette.

After a year of scheming and crafting, building and destroying, Maisie Peters is ready to share what she’s been conjuring up – her brand new album ‘The Good Witch’, arriving via Gingerbread Man Records/Asylum on June 16th.

Recently heralded by vulnerable lead single, ‘Body Better’, Maisie’s second studio album ‘The Good Witch’, is the official follow-up to her No. 2 BRIT Breakthrough certified debut, ‘You Signed Up For This’, and in many ways the older, wise and scorned counterpart.

Exhibiting a newfound confidence, sharper storytelling and greater artistic ambition, Maisie created ‘The Good Witch’ across London, Suffolk, Stockholm, Bergen and LA, alongside the likes of, Oscar Görres (Taylor Swift, Troye Sivan), Two Inch Punch (Sam Smith, Jessie Ware), Matias Tellez (girl in red), Brad Ellis (Jorja Smith, Little Mix), Joe Rubel (Ed Sheeran, Tom Grennan) and Elvira Anderfjärd (Tove Lo, Katy Perry).

'All Of This Will End' markiert für Indigo De Souza eine wärmere und kühne Ära. Es ist eine Aussage darüber, sich furchtlos von der Vergangenheit in eine von Dankbarkeit erfüllte Gegenwart zu bewegen, jeden Schritt zu fühlen und sich dafür zu entscheiden, liebevolles Bewusstsein zu verkörpern. Über 11 Songs hinweg ist das Album ein radikal optimistisches Werk, das sich mit Sterblichkeit, der Verjüngung, die die Gemeinschaft bringt, und der Wichtigkeit, sich jetzt zu zentrieren, auseinandersetzt.

In a world of endless, bottomless content, to find something that stands out from the crowd is a rare thing. But it’s something that 7ebra manage without breaking a sweat. Based in Malmö, twin sisters Inez and Ella Johansson deal in sparkling indie-rock that’s pretty without being soft, sweet without losing its edge and catchy without being cheap. With Inez on guitar and vocals and Ella on keys, organ and Mellotron, their minimal set-up makes a virtue of simplicity – with a sliver of guitar fuzz, and organ lines snaking around stark, striking vocals, augmented by shivering harmonies, they don’t need a lot to make music that’s colourful, kaleidoscopic, and effortlessly original.

7ebra debuted in 2022 with the double-single “I Have A Lot To Say”/ “If I Ask Her”, two helpings of psych-tinged, street-smart rock and roll, and the music scene around them wasn’t slow to notice. They opened for the Future Islands and the Dandy Warhols, were picked out by Apple Music’s Matt Wilkinson as a Hidden Gem of 2022 and were booked for prestigious showcases SXSW and Eurosonic. With a packed schedule of shows across Europe and the UK already planned for 2023, their world looks set to get a lot bigger – something that their debut album Bird Hour makes certain. The record is a warm, elegant introduction to the sound 7ebra have crafted. The songs are full of personality and character, but also retain a little bit of enigma, a sense of keeping something secret to themselves. To unwrap that elusiveness is a daunting task, but one the listener can’t resist leaping into.

Ella and Inez’s parents played in bands as they were growing up, so picking up music was a natural thing for them. The origins of 7ebra start with Inez whiling away the hours playing guitar in her bedroom. “I learned by playing covers by myself in my room”, she says. “Ella didn’t do that as much, but we sometimes played and sang together, country songs”. Eventually she would start writing her own. Ella wasn’t involved originally (“we did play together a few times”, she says, “and it just went to shit laughs. We fought a lot”), and Inez was originally reluctant: “I was a bit unsure whether I wanted to be in a band with my sister. Because you get clumped together all the time, when you’re twins”. But Ella was keen to join, and eventually persuaded Inez to let her join for a show. It went – so well that producer Tore Johansson (The Cardigans, Franz Ferdinand), saw it and asked if they’d like to record with him. That changed things, says Ella: “It made us think there might be something in this music”. As a duo, 7ebra were in flight. “In the end, it’s kind of a nice thing too being sisters in a band”, Inez says. “It doesn’t bother me anymore. It just made sense to play together”.

On the album that they eventually came up with, the talent that caught Johansson’s eye is immediately obvious. Opener “Secretly Bad” has a way of walking along your nerves, an eerie echo of a hymn in Inez’s vocal backed by a swirl of woozy blend of guitars and organ. That’s followed up by “I Like To Pretend”, an easily charming song that has a sleepy brightness about it, like morning sunlight breaking through a window. They take a couple of different genres for a whirl on Bird Hour – they’re tense and snappy on “If I Ask Her”, breezy and cocky on “Lighter Better”, and there’s even a couple of droplets of blues and folk in the mix, in the raw intensity of the emotions in the slower songs, the vulnerability and aching of songs like “Lean” and “Stripey Horsey”. The record has a way of sweeping you along in its mood and tones, fuelled in part by the band’s use of repetition, sometimes fast and fevered, sometimes crawling and hypnotic. The duo’s musical input blends perfectly, with Inez’s guitar and vocals forming the core, and Ella drawing in the detail with keys, organ, and harmonies, to really bring out the vivid nature of the songs. Indie rock that’s melodic and sweet, but with enough shadow mixed in to make it really compelling.

On Bird Hour, what strikes you first about 7ebra’s sound is how fully formed it is, how much they’ve carved out their own sonic territory, perfected by trial and error in the studio with Johansson. “Tore wanted us to try everything possible”, says Ella. “We had moments where things weren’t working. But that was necessary in order to find the good stuff”. 7ebra’s signature might be found in the deft way they deal with emotion – unafraid of being open, but a little too clever to make things too clear cut: “You can’t take yourself that seriously. It’s too emotional to take it seriously, to start hating yourself. But at the same time, it is quite serious”, says Ella. Another trademark is the simplicity – a 7ebra song has just enough to make it work, and nothing more. “I think it was important for me that our voices were at the centre of the songs”, says Inez, “that all the little melodies have their place, and don’t get overwhelmed. With lyrics, I sometimes come up with something, and just feel ‘there’s no need to add more to this’. Sometimes a line works by itself. You don’t have to add a bunch of lyrics”. Finally, the album’s themes are ones that will resonate with most people that have set foot on this planet. “I guess it’s about trying to understand yourself, in relation to others. Just life. ‘Why am I not good at this, why is this thing happening to me, why is this thing so hard, why am I so stupid?’”, laughs Ella.

7ebra haven’t been around for very long – but a handful of songs and their fizzing live shows have stirred up the biggest buzz in Scandinavian music in quite a while. Their debut album justifies it all. It showcases the magic they’re capable of conjuring up, and hints at even more to come in the future. But from where they are right now, they’ve made something very special. Bird Hour takes all that promise and turns it into something concrete, in the form of one of the year’s best rock debuts.

In a world of endless, bottomless content, to find something that stands out from the crowd is a rare thing. But it’s something that 7ebra manage without breaking a sweat. Based in Malmö, twin sisters Inez and Ella Johansson deal in sparkling indie-rock that’s pretty without being soft, sweet without losing its edge and catchy without being cheap. With Inez on guitar and vocals and Ella on keys, organ and Mellotron, their minimal set-up makes a virtue of simplicity – with a sliver of guitar fuzz, and organ lines snaking around stark, striking vocals, augmented by shivering harmonies, they don’t need a lot to make music that’s colourful, kaleidoscopic, and effortlessly original.

7ebra debuted in 2022 with the double-single “I Have A Lot To Say”/ “If I Ask Her”, two helpings of psych-tinged, street-smart rock and roll, and the music scene around them wasn’t slow to notice. They opened for the Future Islands and the Dandy Warhols, were picked out by Apple Music’s Matt Wilkinson as a Hidden Gem of 2022 and were booked for prestigious showcases SXSW and Eurosonic. With a packed schedule of shows across Europe and the UK already planned for 2023, their world looks set to get a lot bigger – something that their debut album Bird Hour makes certain. The record is a warm, elegant introduction to the sound 7ebra have crafted. The songs are full of personality and character, but also retain a little bit of enigma, a sense of keeping something secret to themselves. To unwrap that elusiveness is a daunting task, but one the listener can’t resist leaping into.

Ella and Inez’s parents played in bands as they were growing up, so picking up music was a natural thing for them. The origins of 7ebra start with Inez whiling away the hours playing guitar in her bedroom. “I learned by playing covers by myself in my room”, she says. “Ella didn’t do that as much, but we sometimes played and sang together, country songs”. Eventually she would start writing her own. Ella wasn’t involved originally (“we did play together a few times”, she says, “and it just went to shit laughs. We fought a lot”), and Inez was originally reluctant: “I was a bit unsure whether I wanted to be in a band with my sister. Because you get clumped together all the time, when you’re twins”. But Ella was keen to join, and eventually persuaded Inez to let her join for a show. It went – so well that producer Tore Johansson (The Cardigans, Franz Ferdinand), saw it and asked if they’d like to record with him. That changed things, says Ella: “It made us think there might be something in this music”. As a duo, 7ebra were in flight. “In the end, it’s kind of a nice thing too being sisters in a band”, Inez says. “It doesn’t bother me anymore. It just made sense to play together”.

On the album that they eventually came up with, the talent that caught Johansson’s eye is immediately obvious. Opener “Secretly Bad” has a way of walking along your nerves, an eerie echo of a hymn in Inez’s vocal backed by a swirl of woozy blend of guitars and organ. That’s followed up by “I Like To Pretend”, an easily charming song that has a sleepy brightness about it, like morning sunlight breaking through a window. They take a couple of different genres for a whirl on Bird Hour – they’re tense and snappy on “If I Ask Her”, breezy and cocky on “Lighter Better”, and there’s even a couple of droplets of blues and folk in the mix, in the raw intensity of the emotions in the slower songs, the vulnerability and aching of songs like “Lean” and “Stripey Horsey”. The record has a way of sweeping you along in its mood and tones, fuelled in part by the band’s use of repetition, sometimes fast and fevered, sometimes crawling and hypnotic. The duo’s musical input blends perfectly, with Inez’s guitar and vocals forming the core, and Ella drawing in the detail with keys, organ, and harmonies, to really bring out the vivid nature of the songs. Indie rock that’s melodic and sweet, but with enough shadow mixed in to make it really compelling.

On Bird Hour, what strikes you first about 7ebra’s sound is how fully formed it is, how much they’ve carved out their own sonic territory, perfected by trial and error in the studio with Johansson. “Tore wanted us to try everything possible”, says Ella. “We had moments where things weren’t working. But that was necessary in order to find the good stuff”. 7ebra’s signature might be found in the deft way they deal with emotion – unafraid of being open, but a little too clever to make things too clear cut: “You can’t take yourself that seriously. It’s too emotional to take it seriously, to start hating yourself. But at the same time, it is quite serious”, says Ella. Another trademark is the simplicity – a 7ebra song has just enough to make it work, and nothing more. “I think it was important for me that our voices were at the centre of the songs”, says Inez, “that all the little melodies have their place, and don’t get overwhelmed. With lyrics, I sometimes come up with something, and just feel ‘there’s no need to add more to this’. Sometimes a line works by itself. You don’t have to add a bunch of lyrics”. Finally, the album’s themes are ones that will resonate with most people that have set foot on this planet. “I guess it’s about trying to understand yourself, in relation to others. Just life. ‘Why am I not good at this, why is this thing happening to me, why is this thing so hard, why am I so stupid?’”, laughs Ella.

7ebra haven’t been around for very long – but a handful of songs and their fizzing live shows have stirred up the biggest buzz in Scandinavian music in quite a while. Their debut album justifies it all. It showcases the magic they’re capable of conjuring up, and hints at even more to come in the future. But from where they are right now, they’ve made something very special. Bird Hour takes all that promise and turns it into something concrete, in the form of one of the year’s best rock debuts.

Sound Metaphors and Transmigration explore the early underground Goa party scene with a 2x12” compilation.

A collection of Techno, Italian-House, New Beat and Post Punk all heard on the same dancefloors amongst Goa's tropical beaches during the late 80's and early 90's. What is now understood as Goa Trance was once preceded by an amalgamation of many different genres smuggled to Goa in tape format by true music devotees that filtered through all that was being produced in the West shaping a unique dancefloor sound that could only pertain to the “Special Goa Music” genre. Sound Metaphors teams up with Transmigration and journalist, DJ and first hand witness of the scene at hand - Ray Castle – to present a meticulous body of research into the sound signature of that unique scene. 11 highly sought after tracks presented in a double LP gatefold format with an A1 poster insert and insightful liner notes by Ray Castle. A tracklist so lush, your discogs wantlists will forever be grateful – buy on sight.

“Everything about the Goa counterculture was illicit. The music from vinyl was bought with black market money and bootlegged onto cassettes and backpacked to India. Collectors and DJs would swap, dub and edit it, for free parties. The music was disseminated tape-to-tape by a clandestine traveller clique of ragtag party makers. This highly coveted ‘Special Goa Music’ contained a vibe—a brain-infesting vibe—capable of triggering apotheosis-like states for dosed up dancefloors, only possible for sunrise Goa parties in nature, in India.” - Ray Castle

Eric Emm and Jesse Cohen of Tanlines are indie-rock lifers turned reasonable, happy middle-aged fathers of two, figuring out their place in a chaotic culture and industry that can no longer command their full attention. They are emblematic of a particular time and place that doesn't really exist anymore, yet here they are existing, and thriving, in 2023. The Big Mess came together when Emm and his family moved from Brooklyn to rural Connecticut, while Cohen launched a marketing career and a successful podcast and stayed in the city. Emm continued writing songs_hundreds of them _ through all the weirdness of the past few years, but he wasn't exactly sure who he was writing them for. "I spent years figuring out in my mind, `What is my musical life going to look like?'" he says. "I just kept writing." Cohen gave Emm his blessing to continue Tanlines, even if his own contributions would be limited due to his own non-musical obligations. "I'm like, `Whatever you can do to keep this thing going, do it,'" Cohen says. And with that, Tanlines was reborn. By January 2022 Emm felt he had a body of work that made sense as a Tanlines album. Cohen spent ten days with Emm at his Connecticut studio, along with unofficial third Tanline Patrick Ford (!!!). This was tied together with a sleek final mix from Peter Katis (The National, Interpol) at his famed Tarquin Studios, resulting in a clear vision of what Emm's musical life was going to look like: The Big Mess. The first sounds on The Big Mess are the title track's coiled guitars and thumping drums, building into the kind of outsize, choral rock anthem artists like Tanlines were almost a reaction to. It is warm and nostalgic, and Cohen likens a lot of the prevailing mood to "a sepia filter on a digital photo." He continues, "we were pretty intentional about making this the first song on the album, underlining the way that this is a new phase of the band." Cohen says. The moody, scintillating "Burns Effect" serves as one of the biggest pushes forward for the Tanlines sound, and for Emm as a lyricist. He says that the song is "deep and dark and dangerous, but in a fun way. It's one of the more personal tracks on the album where this ungrounded part of my personality surfaces, but with an over-the-top machismo, almost an ironic character." Other tracks like "New Reality" and closer "The Age of Innocence" are also demonstrably guitar-forward in ways that wouldn't seem obvious for Tanlines (despite Emm's pedigree in austere avant-garde math-rock outfits Storm & Stress and Don Caballero), but Emm is less sure The Big Mess is a total departure. "I'm trying to make these absolutely simple things," he says. "I think of these songs as Rothko paintings: They're big and they're bold and they're seemingly straightforward, but they have a lot of depth and they engage with you and make you feel something."

Eventually crowned Queen of theNorfolk Sound, Barbara Stant wasjust a teenager when she auditionedfor Shiptown impresario NoahBiggs in 1970. A dozen sides weretracked throughout the decade,producing a body of work thatstretched from deep soul tonorthern soul to sister funk. By1978 disco was in overdrive, NoahBiggs was in the ground, and Stant'scareer on hold.My Mind HoldsOnto Yesterdayis what remains.

Eventually crowned Queen of theNorfolk Sound, Barbara Stant wasjust a teenager when she auditionedfor Shiptown impresario NoahBiggs in 1970. A dozen sides weretracked throughout the decade,producing a body of work thatstretched from deep soul tonorthern soul to sister funk. By1978 disco was in overdrive, NoahBiggs was in the ground, and Stant'scareer on hold.My Mind HoldsOnto Yesterdayis what remains.

FOR FANS OF: LOUNGE-MUSIC, PACHA, AMBIENT MUSIC.
Sommer, Sonne, Ibiza-Feeling: IBIZA BEACH BEATS ist die ultimative Chill-, Relax- und Lounge Music Compilation im LP-Format; gepresst in schneeweißem Vinyl. 24 Tracks, emotionale cool-down Klänge für Ibiza-Lovers.

Offering a three track EP on Token, emblematic UK producer James Ruskin proves his capability and linear focus once again through 'From the Ashes'. Looking past trends to create a lasting record rich in texture and thick with impact, the project affirms what the scene has already known to be true about his work for the past 25 years.

Setting his intentions from the A1, Ruskin wastes no time by creating an intimidating introduction. Saturated percussion and stuttering keys whip through a 4 minute masterclass of sound system focused production. Adventurous in structure, Ruskin remains unquestionably in control of a bursting, almost chaotic track. 'From the Ashes 2' picks up what was left off, containing a hard-set groove with hi hats slithering in progressively from the stereo image to slightly destabilize an impressive club-heavy tool. With intricate work being done in the ambience, the EP's hard hitting second track booms through a cavernous acoustic, giving the record not only body, but dimension. Switching up the rhythm and focusing on more mental synth work for the third act, Ruskin quickly and mercilessly rips through his work with a shrill pad, creating overwhelming tension to be released in the first third of the recording. He brings a dosed dissonance between his elements, reflective of the qualities of vintage techno with today's capabilities and arrangement. Pushing intensity through waves, Ruskin leaves us in anticipation of a fourth track that is never given.

London’s own Trev appeared on our first release, Body Music Vol 1, as well as other key releases on CoOp Presents and Local Talk. We’ve been fans from the start and, after Trev joined the family, his music went from strength to strength. It was already out-of-this-world production, with serious attention to detail, and this EP is nothing short of excellent! He told us 'there’s no hiding that this EP is, in essence, a long love letter to Brazil', but that it’s also written to 'Iran, London, Lisbon, Japan, probably more - too many to remember!'. Trev described his process as 'listening, learning, combining my favourite elements of all this music that has brought me so much joy over the years'. Right on!

This EP is fresh, different and sonically on point. It’s Bruk, it’s Brazilian, it’s Bass, it’s… all-round-really-good dance music! Trev is a real modern musician, an awesome keys player as well as a producer. He understands the importance of musicality and originality, together with weighty beats and bass, working just as well on the dance floor as they do at a house party… or dinner party, for that matter!

'Nightjar', the title track, draws you in with hypnotic plucks like crickets on a hot summer’s night. Eerie pads float in building tension before the beat drops - Pandeiro and Caxixi serving broken-beat with the kick - pumping the sonic palette and pumping the dancefloor. Deep sinister chords pulse in and out, percussive melodies bring love from the middle east, and we reach a beautiful jazz-harmony break - then it’s straight back to the body movement - this time letting loose with the cowbells and the shakers. Think Brazil, think Persia, think Jazz, think dance-floor, it’s all in there!

'Late Flip' pulls us into a more ethereal intro, with the Koto and skate sounds laying our dream scene. Morphing out of flutes, modular synth plucks pay tribute to the sounds of Lisbon as we drop - a rolling broken beat punch, playful Rhodes and distant vocal chops ring out with the Koto dripping in warm echoes. A truly amazing composition and arrangement that leaves you wanting more!

'Beijo' is one of our faves on this EP. We’re straight in with a kiss - MWAH! - a classic Baile rhythm gets a warm Bruk embrace. It’s passionate and dark and tells a story as old as history. Get lost in the movements between drums and percussion, in the flutes and cicadas, until the organ bass calls it - time to get moving. This really is Trev’s signature dance floor style. A banger with a naughty-yet-subtle bassline, and its own game of perspective - feel this rhythm in more ways than one. Vocal chops and Tamborim place São Paulo’s influence front and centre.

'Grey' takes us on a dusty House/Bruk journey with filtering chords that grow patiently until the beat drops - getting your feet moving and neck bopping! Burning slow, Trev is playful with the harmony, keeping the fun with a roller of a bassline that pulls it all together. It’s a six-and-a-half-minute rich musical journey that feels more like half that time!?

Complete your Dance Regular Vinyl collection with this absolute killer EP from the one called Trev.

'All Of This Will End' markiert für Indigo De Souza eine wärmere und kühne Ära. Es ist eine Aussage darüber, sich furchtlos von der Vergangenheit in eine von Dankbarkeit erfüllte Gegenwart zu bewegen, jeden Schritt zu fühlen und sich dafür zu entscheiden, liebevolles Bewusstsein zu verkörpern. Über 11 Songs hinweg ist das Album ein radikal optimistisches Werk, das sich mit Sterblichkeit, der Verjüngung, die die Gemeinschaft bringt, und der Wichtigkeit, sich jetzt zu zentrieren, auseinandersetzt.

BBE Music are proud to reissue one of the most elusive and sought-after Afro-Funk LPs of all time: SON OF AFRICA, by REMI KABAKA.

Now a proud 85 years of age and enjoying retirement in America, Remi was the cornerstone of British West African music in the 50s, 60s and 70s, along with Ginger Oloronso Johnson, Fela Kuti and others. But while Ginger played mambo and cha cha cha in Soho clubland and Fela released his early ‘highlife jazz’ records on the Melodisc label, Remi Kabaka was fully ensconced in the UK Rock world, playing sessions and live shows with The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood and countless others.

As the 60s became the 70s, Kabaka developed yet another string to his bow: the development of a UK based West African Funk scene, that found its genesis in the legendary Osibisa, but with an influence and an inspiration that spilled over into every contemporary Brit Funk band from Cymande and the Equals to The Average White Band, Matata and beyond.

SON OF AFRICA was originally released by Chris Blackwell’s Island records in 1976, to little acclaim, very few reviews, and with almost no promotion. African music was a hard sell when the 70s Black British record market wanted reggae first and foremost, and with Bob Marley on the books, Island understandably had other priorities at the time. The record disappeared. Until it reappeared in the early 2000s, as a £700-plus collectors’ item.

It’s barely 30 minutes long. But every single minute is drenched with sinuous, spare funk: no spacey psych rock, no disco, no boogie, no over-the-top production: just 90-110 BPM grooves that go straight to the body.

So: whether you’re a turntablist, a hip hop sampler, or just an honest-to-goodness African Funk lover, catch this limited reissue (with full, updated liner notes) while you can. There won’t be another chance.

Nas King's Disease II Album Following the Grammy Award winning album, King’s Disease, the king returns to his throne with the second coming, King’s Disease II. The star-studded project offers tacit game on life, love, and loss, uplifting through action and lived experience in a way only Nas can. This is a body of work for the fans, for the day 1’s that contributed to the legacy. Alongside the decorated production savant, Hit-Boy, Nas remains rooted in lyrical prophetism while proving that he constantly reinvents the wheel. The sequel to last year’s King’s Disease features Ms. Lauryn Hill, Eminem, EPMD, Hit-Boy, Charlie Wilson, YG and more.

As the momentum continues to build for old-school blues rock trio GA-20, the band takes their expanding fanbase by storm with the release its first full-length live LP, Live In Loveland!. Featuring 11 rowdy, blistering performances (including five songs from 2022's Crackdown, three from their 2019 debut Lonely Soul and three previously unrecorded tracks), Live In Loveland! captures GA-20 feeding off the energy of the wall-to-wall crowd and delivering each song with raw emotion and body-shaking force. Live In Loveland! mixes band originals and vintage covers, from early electric blues and honky-tonk country to proto rock 'n' roll, all performed live with deep feeling and punk energy. The album was recorded direct-to-tape on a vintage Tascam 388 at Plaid Room Records in Loveland, Ohio, home of the famous Colemine record label. Produced by Stubbs and engineered by Colemine owner Terry Cole, the band blasts out of the gate playing Harold Burrages' I Cry For You, before tearing into Little Walter's obscure gem My Baby's Sweeter. The previously unrecorded original Hold It One More Time proves to be an instant classic, sitting seamlessly next to the vintage covers on the album. According to guitarist Matthew Stubbs (whose resume includes playing with blues legends Charlie Musselwhite and James Cotton, among others), "There is a special type of energy that is exchanged when we play in front of a live audience, and we definitely feed off of that and wanted to capture that. I love the power and energy of the best live blues albums. Historically, some of the most iconic blues and jazz records have been live ones. B.B. King's Live At The Regal changed my life. So did Hound Dog Taylor's Beware Of The Dog!, and Albert King's Live Wire/Blues Power. We really wanted to continue that tradition and do one of our own."

Ground Groove, the third full-length release from the LA-based, Iranian-American producer and DJ, Maral, begins with an invocation: the sprawling, achingly heavy Feedback Jam opens the floodgates of history. Conventional (linear) spacetime collapses, crushed beneath the track’s lumbering 4/4 heartbeat and successive waves of distortion. As each wave recedes, samples trickle forward in the mix — seeking, perhaps, to fill the void. Voices and instruments rise and fall in uncanny reverse. Overlapping, implied melodies flicker into focus, then flit away. Feedback Jam is at once an initiation ritual, and a thesis statement for the record that follows.

Drawing upon a vast personal archive of Iranian folk, classical, and pop recordings (some sourced from mixtapes made by her parents in the eighties/nineties), Maral presents, on Ground Groove, a further refinement of the signature “folk club” sound she developed as a live DJ— a sound she would later codify on Mahur Club (2019) and Push (2020). By collecting, dissecting, and re/presenting sonic fragments from Iran, Maral practices a kind of dance-floor ethnomusicology. The subject of her inquiry: Iranian


culture and contexts, throughout history and in the present. But, crucially, this inquiry is instantiated within and throughout the body of the listener, whether this listener is dancing in the club, or riding the train, nodding along with headphones on.

Maral speaks of being in collaboration with her samples, treating each as a distinct bandmate, often consulting with an artist’s catalog (or even a single recording) as one would a trusted creative partner. In so-doing, Maral claims to seek to transcend the self. In this regard, her output neatly triangulates contemporary dance and heavy music with much of the traditional religious music that she samples. Broadly speaking, each of these idioms addresses a desire —shared by audience and performer alike—to transcend the self through volume, repetition, and movement.

Having, in her youth, studied the Setar under Nader Majd (the founder of Virginia’s Center for Persian Classical Music), Maral cycled through various genres (ex: punk, emo, dub) in her adolescence and early twenties, all the while expanding her knowledge of, and appreciation for, Iran’s diverse musical traditions during regular summer trips to Tehran. In college, Maral taught herself to make beats with a ripped copy of Ableton (which remains her DAW of choice), eventually transitioning to playing and hosting various club nights. Forever abiding by an autodidactic, DIY impulse to create art and foster community, Maral relocated to Los Angeles in 2013, where she quickly immersed herself in the city’s numerous overlapping music scenes.

Collaboration (beyond sampling) has proven an important component of her process, with notable spoken word contributions from the likes of Lee Scratch Perry and Penny Rimbaud, as well as a 2021 Panda Bear collab track (On Your Way), which the Animal Collective founder co-produced. Maral is equally attentive to the visual components of her records (album art, music videos, etc.), drawing upon the work of peers and friends for inspiration.

Indeed, the genesis of Ground Groove can be traced back to an audio-visual collaboration between Maral and the artist Brenna Murphy, originally commissioned for the 2021 Rewire Festival — a project that would eventually serve as the album’s foundation. Tracks eight through eleven on Ground Groove comprise Maral’s half of this installation, with tracks one through seven composed afterwards, inspired by the fruits of Maral and Murphy’s collaboration. Murphy’s visuals will be released alongside Ground Groove as a visual accompaniment. Additionally, Murphy designed the album’s art, directed the video for the lead single (the aforementioned Feedback Jam), and is featured on track six, Shy Night.

Composed largely on Ableton, Ground Groove features more frequent and more prominent live recordings from Maral (guitar, bass, and vocals) than either Push or Mahar Club. The cult favorite Roland MC-909 groovebox rears its head on Mari’s Groove. Mixed by Trayer Tryon (Hundred Waters) and mastered by Daddy Kev, the attention to sonic quality on Ground Groove constitutes another significant step in Maral’s development as a studio artist.

Ground Groove’s eleven tracks are “grooves” in the obvious sense, in that they are each driven by a persistent, propulsive rhythm, but the album’s title may just as well suggest the glacial passage of time—the scope of human history, in which individual voices, like streams, carve paths (impossibly) through earth and stone, winding their way to the vast sea of the present.

Sebastian Gummersbach's Yore debut brings with it a further refinement of the material he's created for the German label Raw Soul. It specializes in material infusing modern house and techno grooves with flavourings of jazz, funk, and soul, the result a timeless take on house music. Anyone who's been keeping tabs on Andy Vaz's Yore releases will realize immediately that the same description could be applied to his imprint.

Given all that, it's easy to understand why Gummersbach, a producer hailing from Neuss, Germany, is such a natural fit for Yore. There's no small amount of artistry in play in the EP's four tracks, each one arguing strongly on behalf of his skills as an arranger and mood shaper. No cut better shows that than the opening “Rough Edges,” which is, frankly, anything but rough. He builds the arrangement methodically, starting with warm, billowing washes and then layering in step-by-step dub atmospherics, a strutting house pulse, congas, and synth ear-worms—a seductively smooth intro to the release.Gummersbach might have been listening to Hall and Oates's “I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)” prior to crafting “Calming Solitude” when the latter sounds so much like a clubby instrumental riff on the hit. Here too silky chords and synth textures merge with a rousing beat pattern to draw listeners to the dance floor.
On the flip side, “Eden” initially changes things up with a classic B-Boy beat and handclaps, but the tune gradually aligns itself to the character of the EP's other body-movers, even if acid-tinged synths become part of the mix. Closing out the release is the most techno-oriented of the four cuts, “Undisclosed Thoughts,” acid once again central to the track's identity and the chugging groove frothy. The word Eden naturally calls to mind the Biblical paradise, and consistent with that the tone of Gummersbach's EP, its A-side cuts especially, is generally smooth, serene, and harmonious; it's also, as stated, a seamless addition to the Yore catalogue.

One amp. One mic. One person. Countless hooks. That’s the Dazy formula. Since first releasing the single Bright Lights b/w Accelerate in August 2020, Dazy mastermind James Goodson has been writing, recording, and releasing new music like a man on the hunt to find the best pop hook, and he won’t stop until he’s put all of them into his songs. Show- casing a unique set of influences, Dazy’s sound marries thumping drum machine beats, blasts of feeding back guitar, and sugar-sweet hooks into something that sounds like God- flesh covering Oasis—or maybe the other way around. With lean songwriting that recalls Teenage Fanclub but a home-re- corded production style better suited for Big Black, Goodson builds a constant churn of abrasive, consuming noise and then makes it catchier than anyone else would ever dare to.

In the midst of a wave of hybridizing ambient, drone, folklore and experimental electroacoustic music, Roxane Métayer has gained a cult following with only a couple of releases to date. Following her debut album (Éclipse Des Ocelles) for Morc with a split EP and a limited cassette for Wabi-Sabi, Roxane now turns to Marionette with her intimate narrative based multi-instrumental recordings, a match made in the heavens if you ask us. With her violin, woodwind, voice and various effect pedals, Métayer takes the listener on a newfound journey into the ancient, medieval, and primordial.

Perlée de sève is Métayer’s second full length, a sophomore to the critically acclaimed Éclipse Des Ocelles, where Métayer continues to sonically realize the map of the fictional habitats that inhabit her mind. Coming from a background of studying narration and different animation mediums, it’s no surprise that her recordings evoke vivid imagery and carry a trace of the environment they were conceived in. The instruments morph as extensions of her body and ultimately become new organs, a means of communicating these bio-memetic stories and creating a dialogue between herself and her surroundings. Meandering melodies intertwine with accompanying drones, mantra-like fragments and a handfeel percussion lend themselves as living and breathing elements in Roxane’s beguiling and spellbinding anecdotes.

Roxane is an observer of the world, her projects conceived from elements that inform her reality, such as the organic imagery and sounds of nature, then transforming that into a strangely familiar parallel universe that would not exist otherwise. Whether it's active research or taking her instruments to the forest, Métayer opens up her imagination by taking this mental journey to discover locations, creatures, and time periods then channeling that into her own fairy tales. The album and track titles act as a portal into those worlds, like chapters in a book where the protagonists are animalia, plantae, and fungi. As Métayer wrote in an interview: “Stories are a privileged way to create an awareness of a specific subject.”

New England rock band Four Year Strong have announced a re-recorded version of "Enemy of the World” complete with an updated depiction of the album art. The album originally came out over 10 years ago and was a breakout record for the band. Now it sees new production and 4 extra b-sides. "We decided to re record EOTW first and foremost to be as cool as Taylor Swift, but secondly because we wanted to be able to repress the vinyl and offer it to fans that haven’t been able to get it since the record came out." says Alan Day. He continues "It was really interesting to revisit all of the songs down to every detail, getting to kind of relive it in a way. We recorded the drums with Will Putney (who worked on the original EOTW as a engineer), did the rest by ourselves at Dans house, and then had Will work his magic on it and mix and master it. We had just worked with Will for the first time since 2010 on our new album Brain Pain, and figured it would be perfect to work with Will as he knows FYS old and new more than anyone. So give it a listen, come out to the tour, and party like it’s 2010 again."

New England rock band Four Year Strong have announced a re-recorded version of "Enemy of the World” complete with an updated depiction of the album art. The album originally came out over 10 years ago and was a breakout record for the band. Now it sees new production and 4 extra b-sides. "We decided to re record EOTW first and foremost to be as cool as Taylor Swift, but secondly because we wanted to be able to repress the vinyl and offer it to fans that haven’t been able to get it since the record came out." says Alan Day. He continues "It was really interesting to revisit all of the songs down to every detail, getting to kind of relive it in a way. We recorded the drums with Will Putney (who worked on the original EOTW as a engineer), did the rest by ourselves at Dans house, and then had Will work his magic on it and mix and master it. We had just worked with Will for the first time since 2010 on our new album Brain Pain, and figured it would be perfect to work with Will as he knows FYS old and new more than anyone. So give it a listen, come out to the tour, and party like it’s 2010 again."

Did you know Micheal "Eyedea" Larsen - one half of the progressive hip hop duo Eyedea & Abilities - once released a solo project under the moniker Oliver Hart? Fresh on the heels of winning three of the most notable MC Battles of the time - Scribble Jam (1999), Rocksteady MC Battle (2000) and the nationally televised HBO Blaze Battle (2000) - and the release of his debut album with musical partner DJ Abilities, First Born, Eyedea was inspired, intent, insatiable. He used most of his earnings from those MC battles and the group's rigorous touring schedule to build himself a home studio and teach himself how to record and mix records, and in less than a year's time, he returned to share the fruits of his labor. Originally released in 2002, The Many Faces of Oliver Hart or How Eye One The Write Too Think was written, produced, recorded and engineered by a 20-year old Eyedea (aka Oliver Hart). Featuring the songs "Weird Side", "Here For You", "Step By Step" and "Bottle Dreams", which Complex named as #11 on a list of the best songs ever released on Rhymesayers Entertainment, the album was a diverse body of work that demonstrated Eyedea could not be easily defined, nor should he be.

Ya’ll know it is time to get ready for some bass drum pressure. So there is a number eleven on their roster from JJ Fortune. The moniker of an Irish DJ and a producer who at the moment lives in Melbourne, Australia. Now he is mostly releasing new music on his own Pachinko and Rizzwax record labels, like the serious guys do. But now it is time to take a step further from the homeland and check in with Moscow.

Classic deepest deep house-ish style grooves with some extra spices and cream but also edgy 8-bit passages on top. With all the respects to the roots this young man will show up with some new school body movements. Fresh Irish blood is definitely ready to boil up the dance music scene a bit. B-side remix duties are

Jasper James fights for what he wants to be, cuz function is the key. This is his first offering for the ESP Institute, and after many trials and tribulations with the pressing plants, everyone’s patience is now handsomely rewarded. On the A side, '0141' is percussion-based track utilizing a variety of overdriven metallic percussion and petite vocal snips that roll up neatly into a seductive rhythm. This is one for the hips and hands, with instrumentation chopped into short staccato spikes, Jasper invites impulsive body theatrics and the freedom to spastically express oneself. On the flip, 'E-Maniac' is a bona-fide tops-off Summer anthem if we ever heard one. What would typically qualify as an A-side banger, we’ve decided would better suit our contrarian leanings as a nice Easter egg, just to make sure you’re actually listening. This one drives hard, shuffling at a maniacal pace with gut-bending bass notes and stuttered pad stabs. These two songs will ping your pong and pong your ping.

Carmy Love brings a stylish hint of gospel to the beautiful vocal on this new single on Big A C. 'Rebel' was actually written many years ago yet the lyrics have huge repugnance today. The song has regularly been performed in that time with New Street Adventure but now the live version becomes all the more glorious as a full studio production. On the back is a tune inspired by the fertile soul crossover sounds of the late 60s and early 70s, with funky bass and body brass. These are tunes to warm your heart and uplift you as you leave the bad times behind.

The Florence, SC-based multi-instrumentalist Alex Melton, known for his renditions of Punk Songs as country influenced songs on YouTube, has announced his new album 'Southern Charm'. The record, which is out 23rd January 2023, is Alex's debut album on label Pure Noise Records. Southern Charm is made up of two halves, amped-up versions of country classics and Alex's trademark alternative spin on punk and metal tracks. The album synthesizes all of Melton’s influences, from the country staples played on a loop in his childhood home through scene icons like blink-182, The Starting Line, A Day to Remember and Four Year Strong. In the first half of Southern Charm it includes covers of Tim McGraw’s nostalgic “Something Like That” (ft. Ryan Scott Graham) and Garth Brooks’ “Friends In Low Places'' the second half offerings come from The Story So Far, The Amity Affliction and Stick To Your Guns. Proficient on drums, guitar, bass, keyboards, and trumpet, Melton typically produces all of his YouTube covers at his home studio, a testament to his insatiable desire for knowledge and self-improvement – and a snapshot of how far he’s come as an artist and recording engineer throughout the years. “All of the technology has changed so much since I first started,” he says, noting his first video was a pop-punk cover of Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” “I started with a Home Recording for Dummies book and an original GoPro, which at the time was the cheapest way to get HD footage on YouTube.” Now armed with vastly more knowledge and resources, Southern Charm finds him working with outside producers for the first time, bringing in Tom Denney (A Day to Remember, who helmed the rock-based country covers) and Alan Day (Four Year Strong, who produced the country-based rock songs) to offer new perspective and add a level of vision and cohesion to the project.

A space of wonderment and exhilaration, the home of
true heart and a timeless soul, Delays’ ‘Faded Seaside
Glamour’ was an atmospheric and evocative debut
album. Released in 2004, the fragile strength of
frontman Greg Gilbert’s vocals intoxicatedly
intertwined with the forward looking synths of his
brother Aaron, Colin Fox’s bass and Rowly’s
drumming, to create a series of affecting songs that
delivered an immediate pop hit that also left a deep
and wistful impact worthy of the album’s enticing title.
Its iconic singles, ‘Nearer Than Heaven’ and ‘Long
Time Coming’, became immediate yet lasting focal
points for Southampton’s Delays, while tracks
including the melancholic ‘No Ending’, the smooth
beats of ‘Stay Where You Are’ and chiming opener,
‘Wanderlust’, demonstrated the remarkable depth of
this unique debut.
Nearly 20 years have passed since the release of
‘Faded Seaside Glamour’ and much has changed -
most notably the loss of Greg Gilbert, who passed
away in 2021 after a period of treatment for cancer -
but like the idiosyncratic places the album’s name
celebrated, Delays’ music has not only endured but
their art has been loved and cherished as it has
continually connected with audiences.
To celebrate this soaring and smouldering body of
work, Rough Trade Records are pleased to announce
the release of Delays’ ‘Faded Seaside Glamour’ on
vinyl for the first time ever.
Also available to independent retailers on orange vinyl
with deluxe packaging, a print of Greg’s art and some
words written by Aaron.

A space of wonderment and exhilaration, the home of
true heart and a timeless soul, Delays’ ‘Faded Seaside
Glamour’ was an atmospheric and evocative debut
album. Released in 2004, the fragile strength of
frontman Greg Gilbert’s vocals intoxicatedly
intertwined with the forward looking synths of his
brother Aaron, Colin Fox’s bass and Rowly’s
drumming, to create a series of affecting songs that
delivered an immediate pop hit that also left a deep
and wistful impact worthy of the album’s enticing title.
Its iconic singles, ‘Nearer Than Heaven’ and ‘Long
Time Coming’, became immediate yet lasting focal
points for Southampton’s Delays, while tracks
including the melancholic ‘No Ending’, the smooth
beats of ‘Stay Where You Are’ and chiming opener,
‘Wanderlust’, demonstrated the remarkable depth of
this unique debut.
Nearly 20 years have passed since the release of
‘Faded Seaside Glamour’ and much has changed -
most notably the loss of Greg Gilbert, who passed
away in 2021 after a period of treatment for cancer -
but like the idiosyncratic places the album’s name
celebrated, Delays’ music has not only endured but
their art has been loved and cherished as it has
continually connected with audiences.
To celebrate this soaring and smouldering body of
work, Rough Trade Records are pleased to announce
the release of Delays’ ‘Faded Seaside Glamour’ on
vinyl for the first time ever.
Also available to independent retailers on orange vinyl
with deluxe packaging, a print of Greg’s art and some
words written by Aaron.

When R.A. The Rugged Man dropped his first album, it seemed like he'd been around for years...and, well, he had. The Rugged Man's storied background includes early 90s collaborations with legends like Mobb Deep and The Notorious B.I.G., plus a few epic appearances on the seminal "Soundbombing" compilations. But until this 2004 masterpiece, he had never released a proper album. Thankfully, R.A. delivered "Die, Rugged Man, Die", a defiant opus that kick-started his journey from industry outcast to independent hip-hop icon. Featuring the classic single "Chains", "Die, Rugged Man, Die" proved R.A. could deliver on a full-length album, and remains an impressive body of work. Now, the previously out-of-print collection is available again on vinyl, complete with new updated artwork. Despite the efforts of doubters, R.A. The Rugged Man lives.