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The Brkn Record is a new project led and produced by Jake Ferguson, the co-founder and bass player for the UK's foundational deep jazz outfit the Heliocentrics. With fellow Heliocentrics co-founder and legendary drummer Malcolm Catto, Ferguson has been a regular collaborator with globally recognised artists including Archie Shepp, Mulatu Astatke, Melvin Van Peebles, Orlando Julius and many others. The Architecture of Oppression Part 1 represents Ferguson's debut as a bandleader and orchestrator, and manifests as a committed and soulful response to ongoing and systemic anti-black racism, social oppression and state violence both at home in London and across the globe. Combining poetry, testimony and song with rich and cinematic backdrops, Ferguson has produced a sui generis sound that conjures flavours of Arthur Verocai, Ennio Morricone, classic library productions, Madlib-style deep-jazz beat science, and psychedelic soul. With bandmate Malcolm Catto on drums, Ferguson draws on their long years of collaborative experience in the Heliocentrics to build an album of striking texture and depth.

Parallel Traces of the Jewel Voice by dj sniff is a project that takes inspiration from historical narratives and personal memories constructed around The Jewel Voice Broadcast (Gyokuon Hoso) that took place on 15th August 1945. Contrary to common belief, Emperor Hirohito did not speak live on air to announce the surrender of Japan on this day. Instead, two lathe-cut discs with his recorded voice were skilfully mixed and played by NHK engineer Shizuto Haruna. Haruna’s proto-DJ/turntablist performance was heard not only in Japan but also throughout the colonized territories in Asia, marking the end of World War II and Japanese rule.

Interested in these aspects which often have been overlooked within the Japanese narratives of this historical event, dj sniff conducted research in both Taiwan and Japan. Over the course of 3 years he collected various materials that include; interviews and field recordings, audio samples extracted from phonograph discs and recordings sessions with improvising musicians, and a re-reading of the Imperial Rescript on Surrender in Chinese. These were used to compose two compositions that are paired differently depending on their distribution format.

The vinyl release is a multi-sided disc with two parallel grooves cut on one side, which in effect plays a different composition depending on where the stylus is cued. The other side has no audio but features two silkscreened lines that refer to how Haruna played the original lathe-cut discs. For the digital release, each composition is independently assigned to the left and right channel and is heard simultaneously.

Additionally, an extensive text written by dj sniff accompanies this release. Sniff uncovers technical details of the recording and broadcasting of the emperor’s voice that took place over 75 years ago. He also reflects on his encounters with the elderly community in Taiwan who spoke fluent Japanese and shared their personal stories after listening together to records from their childhood.

DJ Sniff – Biography

dj sniff (Takuro Mizuta Lippit) is a musician, curator, and educator. His work builds upon a distinct practice that combines DJing, instrument design, and free improvisation. His collaborations include Evan Parker, Otomo Yoshihide, Paul Hubweber, Tarek Atoui, Senyawa, and Ken Ueno.

He was the Artistic Director of STEIM in Amsterdam between 2007 to 2012 and a Visiting Assistant Professor at the School of Creative Media, City University Hong Kong between 2012 to 2017. He is now based in Tokyo where he is the Co-Director of AMF (Asian Meeting Festival) and teaches at Kyoto Seika University.

Dutch producer returns to Boogie Angst for instrumental sophomore LP

Rotterdam, The Netherlands - Boogie Angst proudly presents Music Ruined My Life, the brand new instrumental LP from Rotterdam-based artist and producer Moods.

Dropping in the wake of front runner singles 'Talk About It,' and 'Music Saved My Life',' the Dutchman's notorious fusion of soul, R&B, and alternative influences takes a whole new dynamic courtesy of his first fully live recorded offering.

Recorded live in the city of Leiden during the peak of the pandemic alongside a full band, the LP taps effortlessly into the balance of soulful and jazz-inspired undertones that have hallmarked the project since breakthrough single 'Love Is Real.' A tastemaker favorite and label staple, the LP shows a more intricate and uncaged spin on the Moods sound, which has been consistently hailed by tastemakers globally and sampled by the likes of Logic.

The supple guitar plucks and resonating brass of 'Deeper Water' sets the LP in motion, building towards the funkier and perkier swells of album cuts such as 'Ecstacy' and 'Push Pull.' Capped by 'Return To 4ever,' a sultry and deeply atmospheric fusion of jazz and contemporary soul sounds, the eight-track endeavour shows that for all his streaming and collaborative success, the rich musicianship of the Moods project has not waivered.

"There really wasn't a huge concept or target for this record, it was more about tapping into the pure joy of making and creating music," he explains. "The pandemic was such a weird time, there was a lot of uncertainty in all aspects of life. So it almost felt like the perfect time to try something new. Having the band together in one room was a real rush, I liked how the record came together and how each artist brought their own energy to the project.

"I enjoy working with vocals, and I think the vocalists I have worked with on projects so far have been amazing. But when you take that element out and focus more on the instrumentation and arrangement, it's a really different experience, and that's something I really enjoyed for Music Ruined My Life.

Moods garnered more than 30m+ streams globally for debut LP Zoom Out, and has continued to leap from strength-to-strength courtesy of his soulful take on the boundaries between electronic and contemporary R&B.

Perfect Location Records in close collaboration with Cherushii’s family is proud to present Nobody’s Fool, Starlight Express, and Manic on vinyl for the first time as 3 EPs. Originally released by Cherushii on her Bandcamp in 2015 and 2016, these 3 EPs encompass the radiant love, fluent creativity, and unapologetic joviality of not only the musical world of Cherushii, but also the person behind the music.

The hand-drawn artwork, which has become iconically synonymous with the Cherushii sound, are original creations by Cherushii’s sister, Sabrina Fox. With this reissue, we offer a continuation of the same visual candy with a new front cover by Sabrina: the nudibranch pattern. Chosen by Sabrina after a dream visitation, the nudibranch is a curious, resilient creature which harnesses its profound coloration to flourish in the oceanic infinity. It can only do so, however, once it sheds its shell.

Inside of 3 EPs you will find the original covers belonging to Nobody’s Fool, Starlight Express, and Manic as gloss sleeves for the respective EP.

3 EPs also features some of Cherushii’s talented friends and mentors, from her production with Golden Donna, lyrics by her longtime friend Kara Marie, and an appearance by her childhood music teacher Marcia Miget, to remixes by 100% SILK all-stars Bobby Browser and Magic Touch.

It is our hope that this vinyl reissue, with its beautiful, large gloss prints of Sabrina’s artwork, will further disseminate the legacy of Cherushii while contributing to the posthumous archive of a musical mastermind, viciously devoted and missed friend, and beloved sister.

In loving memory of Chelsea Faith 1983-2016









i F1 Manic (Magic Touch Mix feat. Colored Craig) Vinyl Edit









i F1 Manic (Magic Touch Mix feat. Colored Craig) Vinyl Edit

Repress

Growing Bin burst into 2018 with a bang, crash and symbol splash, uniting a premier pair of per-cussion obsessives for a supernatural mission into the heart of the rhythm.
Dressed in the pitch black of Du¨sseldorf stands Wolf Mu¨ller, master of the tropical drums and seven time Salon Des Amateur breakdance champion. Repping Cologne and Berlin is Niklas Wandt, Germany's funkiest drummer and a mixed musical artist as adept in experimental jazz as demen- ted Euro dance. Standing toe to toe in a no holds barred, no drum unstruck groove contest, these two titans will make you swing your pants like a Crash Bandicoot victory dance...so stretch out and step in to ‚Instrumentalmusik von der Mitte der World'.

Taking to their task with the joyful abandon of two big kids getting creative with the Kindergar- ten music tray, Mu¨ller & Wandt marry dripping electronics, Froesean pads and rubber-limbed basslines with tribal polyrhythms, C2 claps and Indonesian shakers - and that's only on the A1. Comprising of three trance-inducing epics, a handful of medium-sized movers and a couple of freeform interludes, this dynamic double pack could almost pass as a lost Library masterpiece, but our mind guides go Furthur, fusing esoteric funk and free-jazz freak-out a truly transportive experience. Prepare to enter a world of techno totems and neon skulls, shades of Yello and excel- lent birds. Within these grooves lies a transdimensional pathway between the Temple of Doom, the Twilight Zone and De Palma's Paradise, brought to life in a shamanic rite.

Forget the healing frequencies of Growing Bin's ambient outings, this time we're dancing for mental health.

(words by Patrick Ryder)

Ahead of the release of his much awaited debut album « blablablue » , Belgian singer-songwriter Delv!s just shares a new single, the dreamy “Human Trumpet”.

It’s no secret that Belgium owes much of its cultural prestige to its vibrant music scene. Lately, with much of the attention turned to Flanders, the Flemish side of the country is playing host to many exciting, genre-bending projects, including a tremendously innovative rap scene and a lively pool of electro bands walking in the footsteps of pioneers such as Soulwax: A tradition that Delv!s, one of the country’s most exciting newcomers to the soul, blues, disco-funk and pop genres, is set on honouring.

Delv!s is now ready to introduce “blablablue" to the world: a soul album infused with electro, funk and rock sounds, blended with a score of field recording samples; twelve tracks all penned by himself, unveiling a whirlwind of emotions that fuel the singer’s unique voice. The nostalgic brass arrangements and vintage-sounding harmonies may evoke Billie Holiday, Nina Simone or even James Brown at times, but “blablablue” nevertheless triumphs as a current and socially relevant record thanks to its topical commentary and diverse influences. Addressing many of the great issues plaguing the world today, including the sense of urban solitude, this is the first offering by a great artist, a sensitive soul also fluent in the language of love. Something to reflect on, unite us and even comfort us at times when we need it the most.

1971 and Black America was luxuriating in the soft soul
of the O’Jays, the Temptations had just left behind their
flirtation with psychedelia, James Brown was
explaining Soul Power, Sly & the Family Stone were
having a Family Affair, and Marvin Gaye was asking
‘What’s Going On’.

• In their own inimitable way, Funkadelic were laying
down their own statement about the ecology of the
planet in the opening of lead and title track ‘Maggot
Brain’, turning it into an elegy for the Earth in the
ensuing heart-wrenching extended Eddie Hazel guitar
solo – one of the most radical records of the period.

• The album also spawned two Top 50 singles with the
usual Funkadelic wry observational humour of ‘You
And Your Folks, Me And My Folks’ and ‘Can You Get To
That’. And just in case you think things have
normalised, the set closes with nine minutes of the
chaotic sound collage ‘Wars Of Armageddon’.

• This 50th anniversary edition includes a second 12”
with two versions of the title track. Side A features the
live version from Meadowbrook from the same year that
the studio album came out. Jump forward 46 years to
the “Reworked by Detroiters” release and side B has
the BMG Dub, showing the enduring quality of one of
the great guitar records of all time.

• This issue is mastered from fresh transfers of the tape.

• Facsimile gatefold sleeve

Take cover: there’s a storm coming !

With its lyrical thunderbolts, lightning-flash fretwork and ground-shaking grooves, Black Wind Howlin’ is a record to blow your roof off – and Samantha Fish is stood at the eye of the hurricane. Released on September 20th through Ruf Records, Black Wind Howlin’ flips a finger at the cliché of the ‘difficult second album’, firing off 12 classic tracks that chart Samantha’s evolution as songwriter, gunslinger
and lyricist. While lesser artists work to a template or settle into a pigeonhole, Samantha shifts her shape across the Black Wind Howlin’ tracklisting. She can be brutally rocking on cuts like the tourbus snapshot of Miles To Go (“Twelve hours to Reno/ten hours til the next show”), the swaggering Sucker Born (“Vegas left me weary, LA bled me dry/skating on fumes as I crossed the Nevada line…”) and the
venomous Go To Hell (“Oh, this ain’t my first rodeo/You hit yourself a dead end/ Your voodoo eyes, ain’t gonna cast a spell/ So you can go to hell!”). And yet, elsewhere, backed by the versatile production of Royal Southern Brotherhood guitarist and longtime collaborator Mike Zito, you’ll find Samantha shifting gears to the aching slide- guitar balladry of Over You (“Echoing words, said I’d never make it on my own…”) and the redemptive country strum Last September (“Don’t
remember the curves of my face/Can’t feel the warmth in my embrace/Well I’m here to remind you…”). She might stop off for a gritty cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s.
Who’s Been Talkin’, and co- wrote Go To Hell with Zito, but all other tracks are Samantha’s self-penned originals, and it’s a mix to keep listeners on their toes. “I wanted this record to have a modern rocking sound,” she explains of the lightfooted vibe. “I also wanted it to have elements of Americana, country and roots.”
Therefore she had support from a first- call band that included Royal Southern Brotherhood rhythm section Yonrico Scott (drums) and Charlie Wooton (bass), back- up guitar and vocals from Zito, plus guest appearances from Johnny Sansone (harmonica), Bo Thomas (fiddle on Last September) and Paul Thorn (vocals on Go To Hell). So here it is. Harder, darker, bolder and better than even its revered predecessor (Runaway), this is the sound of an artist on the brink of the huge-time with both hands on the wheel.

Like only the most gifted storytellers, Matisyahu spins the rare kind of stories that simultaneously enlighten and enthral and expand the audience’s sense of possibility. On his eponymous new album, the Grammy Award-nominated singer/songwriter/rapper shares his most autobiographical work to date, merging that personal revelation with a shapeshifting collision of reggae and hip-hop and boldly inventive pop. Produced by Salt Cathedral (a Brooklyn-based duo comprised of Colombian musicians Juliana Ronderos and Nicolas Losada), the result is an undeniably transformative album, one that invites both intense introspection and unbridled celebration. About “Chameleon” On the album’s dancehall-infused lead single “Chameleon,” Matisyahu presents a potent piece of self-reflection spiked with equal parts idiosyncratic wordplay and warmly expressed wisdom (“Turn an evil eye inverted to let the light in/Illuminate the evil till dem heart get sizzlin’”). “Chameleon” Quote “Chameleon has two facets. On the one hand it is able to blend with its surroundings in order to survive without sticking out. On the other hand is the shedding of its coat in order to grow. The story line continues here as our protagonist must learn both the necessity to blend in it at times but also to continue to grow and change.”

Since their debut 45 back in 2019, Night Owls have consistently taken the bar up a notch re-imagining classic funk & soul with a Jamaican twist. With eight sold out 45’s in a span of three years and regular airplay on BBC6, KCRW and more, we’re happy to announce this much anticipated LP “Versions” comprising all their groove filled singles to date. This all-star production team comprised of Dan Ubick (The Lions, Connie Price and the Keystones, De La Soul) on Guitar & Percussion, Blake Colie (Arise Roots,The Lions, Hollie Cook) on Drum Kit, Dave Wilder (The Lions, Ziggy Marley, Macy Gray) on Bass, and Roger Rivas (The Aggrolites, Jason Mraz, LBDA) on Organ & Piano, team up with many of today’s top soul singers to bring their signature take on beloved chart topping hits and deep cuts. Featuring vocalists Afrodyete (Breakestra),Terin Ector (Orgone), Durand Jones (The Indications), Malik “The Freq” Moore (The Lions),Alex Désert (Hepcat,The Lions), Jesse Wagner (The Aggro- lites), Jamie Allensworth (Jungle Fire), Sy Smith (Macy Gray, Sheila E.), Chris Dowd (Fishbone), John Arthur Bigham (Fishbone, Soul of John Black), Kevin Sandbloom, Kendra Morris and Destani Wolf (Matisyahu,The Pharcyde), each track was carefully selected by producer Dan Ubick to match the featured vocalists strength resulting in a heavy soul and dub infused LP that surely won’t want to leave your turntable!

After half a decade of not releasing new music Orange Countys most notorious melodic hardcore force IGNITE are ready to get back to work with their new vocalist Eli Santana up front and a new album in hand. “It’s a new chapter for IGNITE,” reaffirms Brett. “But there’s a lot of looking back to some of our earliest records like Call on My Brothers and having the same feeling writing these songs with a new singer.” In these Southern California stalwarts’ minds, the more things change, the more they stay the same. “This is what we love doing – as it was in 1993 and as it is now.”

Last copies of ultra limited version on half & half black/red vinyl. Only around a 100 available!

“I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig” reasoned George Bernard Shaw. “You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it.” True to form, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs have left the wiser of us aware that they are no band to be messed with. This is made manifest on ‘Viscerals’, their third proper, and an enormous leap forward in confidence, adventure and sheer intensity even from their 2018 breakthrough ‘King Of Cowards’.

Incisive in its riff-driven attack, infectiously catchy in its songcraft and more intrepid than ever in its experimental approach, ‘Viscerals’ is the sound of a leaner, more vicious Pigs, and one with their controls set way beyond the pulverising one-riff workouts of their early days. Yet Pigsx7 have effortlessly broadened their horizons and dealt with all these new avenues without sacrificing one iota of their trademark eccentricity, and the personality of this band has never been stronger, whether on the Sabbathian and philosophical warcry of ‘Reducer’, the debauched, Jane’s Addiction-tinged swagger of ‘Rubbernecker’, the Melvins vs Sonic Youth demoltion derby of ‘New Body’ or even the demented MBV-meets-Twisted-Sister party-banger from hell that is ‘Crazy In Blood’.

“We’re a peculiar bunch of people - a precarious balance of passion, intensity and the absurd” notes vocalist Matt Baty. Such is the unstoppable character of this unique and ever-porcine outfit; still the hungriest animals at the rock trough.

"Sonny Stitt & The Top Brass" - Sonny Stitt (as); Jimmy Cleveland, Matthew Gee (tb); Blue Mitchell, Dick Vance, Reunald Jones (tp); Willie Ruff (frh); Duke Jordan (p); Perri Lee (org); Joe Benjamin (b); Philly Joe Jones, Frank Brown (dr)
General opinion has it that Sonny Stitt always stood in Charlie Parker’s shadow. That, however, is unjustifiable. The legendary jazz critic Nat Hentoff wrote, for example: »Sonny has been one of the wholly involved players, well known and admired for his soul and the earthiness of his message only by musicians who feel and play like he does and by that part of the jazz audience that is most moved by naked, open emotion. He has made his mark with them as an honest yea-sayer who can’t help but play what he knows and feels.« The present recording is proof of this – a session which shouldn’t really have worked out so well. Sonny Stitt’s alto saxophone presides over a seven-man-strong brass group, and although the prospect of a Sonny Stitt big band does not sound too promising initially, this rendezvous is really enjoyable, thanks in part to Stitt’s superb solos. At this time he was on the top of his form and he plays freely over the basis provided by the brass section consisting of Blue Mitchell, Jimmy Cleveland and Willie Ruff. The arrangements by Tadd Dameron and Jimmy Mundy are closely-knit yet offer enough room for swing and a generous pinch of soul. Special highlights are contributed by the unknown, female organist Perri Lee –, little groovy additions that are really successful and infuse the arrangements with a slender sound and sparkle. Although "Sonny Stitt & The Top Brass" may not stand in the limelight like "Boss Tenors" or "Salt And Pepper", it is certainly on a par with these from an artistic point of view.

After turning heads with the densely orchestrated Riddles, produced by Dan Deacon, the Baltimore-based duo Ed Schrader’s Music Beat have given us another giant leap forward with their fourth record Nightclub Daydreaming. The whiplash-inducing stylistic shifts between aggressive noise rock and operatic gloom pop that have become the band’s trademark have given way to a single aesthetic that fuses both impulses. On Nightclub Daydreaming, menace teems just below the surface as propulsive, stark arrangements leave space that Schrader fills with strident, reverb-soaked narration.

LIMITED GOLD VINYL w/ Download Card

When Ed Schrader and Devlin Rice began writing the record in 2019, the idea was to make a fun, danceable album, but an underlying moodiness proved unshakeable. As Schrader puts it, “The cave followed us into the discotheque.”

The duo road-tested the songs “This Thirst,” “Echo Base” and “Black Pearl” with drummer Kevin O’Meara on tour with Dan Deacon in February 2020. COVID restrictions cut the tour short, squashed plans to go immediately into the studio and sent the touring party on a sprint from LA to Baltimore. “We broke down outside Roswell,” Schrader recalls. “And these cops laughed at our dumb asses as we used all our pent-up stress and fear to propel our half-submerged bus out of the muck, yelling epithets to the sky.”

It was one of the last experiences they had with O’Meara, whose death in October 2020 weighed heavily on Rice and Schrader’s minds as they worked on the record. It was also a cathartic moment that presaged the aesthetic that would permeate the songs on Nightclub Daydreaming: “mad euphoria in the face of doom,” as Schrader puts it.

“This Thirst” is an alienation-fueled barn burner barely restraining itself through musically sparse, lyrically dense verses to culminate in a howling, synth-saturated chorus that beats horror punk at its own game. “Came from the north with a twisted planetarium, rock salt, nervous tic and novocaine,” Schrader sings, assuming the guise of a vagrant whose irresistible urges lead him through a fever dream of chemicals, back-alley bartering and existential threats.

The hyperactive “Echo Base” exudes agitated-cool, with breakneck drum fills and a relentless bass line. The narrator is stranded in a frozen landscape and running out of options. “She is just a night train away,” we are assured, and yet we sense that may not be an altogether good thing.

The band recorded and mixed Nightclub Daydreaming over a two-week period with Craig Bowen at Tempo House in Baltimore with David Jacober on drums, turning demos with artificial sounds and placeholder melodies into fully realized songs playable by a live band. The end result is not the album of “sunny disco bangers” that Rice says the band set out for, but something deeper, darker and more rewarding.

Stelios Vassiloudis enters an inspiring new phase as he unveils his sophomore LP All Else Fails available March 25th via Balance Music.

Hailing from Athens, Greece, Stelios Vassiloudis poses a triple threat as a composer, producer and DJ. Having been active in the electronic music scene since the early 2000s he has cultivated his own brand of distinctive ambience reflective of his rich and diverse musical background; transcending the dance floor via an emotional narrative of complex soundscapes, intricate harmonies and hypnotic rhythms. Over the past decade Stelios has released music under various other monikers, yet this new endeavour is his most diligent to date - allowing him to rediscover his love for making music during the process, "I'm more hopeful, inspired and determined than ever before."

Ten years on from the release of his debut LP, Stelios' detail-oriented offerings remain incomprehensibly thought-provoking and thorough with this new album. Noticeably dissimilar to any previous efforts, Stelios consciously took a step back from the pressure of maintaining a steadily flowing supply of functional, club-oriented music and as the world stood still amidst the pandemic, he embraced the opportunity to reconnect and express himself with a broader musical vocabulary. He admits that: "with the world around us seemingly on the fast track to Armageddon, the music ended up being very much reflective of the sadness and helplessness I felt."

All Else Fails is a stimulating odyssey to anyone listening. Harmonically dense, arcadian glistens seep throughout the ten tracks, each complementary to the next. Bask in the wistful iridescence and you won't be disappointed.

Stelios carved his way into electronic music by traversing around the globe as a DJ and performer - performing at intimate underground bars in Beirut, festivals in Miami, after-hours in Tokyo, beaches in Goa and mega clubs in Argentina. Having developed a formidable discography on esteemed labels such as Bedrock, Poker Flat, Ovum, Constant Sound and Darkroom Dubs, among others, Stelios' studio prowess and coveted productions cemented his reputation as a versatile and acclaimed artist. His intense passion and drive for innovation in music serves as the fuel to keep him inspired and relevant, qualities that no doubt ensure his reputation as an artist of the highest calibre, will endure.

Achtes Volumen der beliebten Serie auf Stag-O-Lee. Limitiert auf 666 Exemplare, kommt das Werk feinstverpackt im 10" Cover mit Mittelloch. Gunsmoke ist eine Sammlung von Country- und Cowboy Tränenziehern mit oder ohne leichter Schräglage, melancholischem Rockabilly und Popcorn Noir aus den späten 50ern und frühen 60ern. So könnte eine alte Jukebox in einer verlassenen Stadt im alten Westen klingen....

The New Jersey songwriter might have started out banging on doors, gigging at New York City's blues clubs, and playing piano until her fingers bled. She is winning over the city one show at a time. But lately, the multi-instrumentalist has raced through career milestones at a rocket pace. There was her Blues Blast and
IBMA-nominated 2018 debut album, High and her international breakout on Ruf's 2022 Blues Caravan Revue. Resulting in the starburst of media acclaim, including Henry Yates of Classic Rock, NME and The Guardian, who saluted "a runaway talent you need to keep up with." Now with Ruf's release of the second album, On
My Way, Katie has found another gear. Whether slinging her trusty Gibson SG, hammering the keys, or hollering a storm, these ten original songs, co-written with bassist and slide- guitar maestro Antar Goodwin, announce her as an alchemist who creates gemstones from the base metals of American roots. Recorded at Brooklyn's Degraw Sound studio in May 2021, On My Way is the profoundly personal second album on which Katie gives you her beat-up heart. "A lot of these songs are about letting go," she considers. "And how scary, but ultimately liberating, it can be…."

Classic Marty Robbins album pressed on limited edition 180g vinyl
picture disc.

This quintessential release features Marty Robbins' most celebrated album, originally issued on the Columbia label: 'Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs' (1959). With his cowboy albums, Robbins helped keep western music alive during the late '50s and early '60s, and the warm, affectionate spirit of this music illustrates why.
Here you will find such country favourites as "El Paso," "Big Iron" and "Cool Water," and a classic version of "Billy the Kid," among other western standards. These songs are about work, love, travel, death, the beauty of the American West, and living life on your own terms (and paying the price for it). Robbins' subject is mostly the West of myth and movie, which benefits from his ability as a storyteller
- most of the tracks may tell tales heard or seen one hundred times onscreen, but he makes listeners feel like this is the first time they are hearing them, creating the excitement and anticipation of a poet in the middle of a spellbinding recital.
This sensational album has been remastered and packaged in this incredibly special collector's edition, which also includes 4 bonus tracks from the same period.

Originally released on CD in 1992 - Favourite Colours finds Ken and David in fine fettle.

A beautiful study in soulful folk music. A wonderful progression from their earlier work in The Bluebells.

Originally released on CD in 1992 - Favourite Colours finds Ken and David in fine fettle.

A beautiful study in soulful folk music. A wonderful progression from their earlier work in The Bluebells.

Originally released on CD in 1992 - Favourite Colours finds Ken and David in fine fettle.

A beautiful study in soulful folk music. A wonderful progression from their earlier work in The Bluebells.

Tape

Lucia H. Chung is a Taiwanese experimental artist based in London. She performs and releases music under the alias 'en creux'.

Under this alias, Lucia is interested in the underlying structures of what we call noise and is examining the effects of human interventions into its complex web of tones. Repetition and chance operations are fundamental to Lucia‘s music. It is not built on the dionysian maximalism and symbolic harshness of lots of noise artists; catharsis is not reached via an explosion of sound, but via concentration on sound phenomena and small changes, which, not unlike some minimal disco night your usual mind-altering drone ritual, sucks you in more with every tiny alteration. This music is as intense as it is sensitive.

„The Liberated Mind“, in Lucia‘s own words, „is a sort of split release between two no-input configurations“. For „Wyldside“, she tuned two different feedback mixers with identical routings as close possible, as much as tuning is possible at all on these highly volatile instruments. „The two channels naturally phased in and out from each other. I guess the process was actually akin to Steve Reich's tape techniques on Come Out and It's Gonna Rain. The whole release extrapolated from that point onwards...“ Finding and replicating similar routings/settings on no input mixing desks is the nightmare of every control freak and a task doomed to failure, but in letting go and embracing these failures, patterns emerge. And thanks to Lucia‘s careful work, these patterns become hypnotic as she carves out the essence of each feedback loop, or, as she puts it: „Actually, I did remember the setting for the final track „Earthrise“, but for whatever reasons, I just cannot reproduce the sounds and it's forever lost (at least for this point in time, maybe when the conditions are primed again for the machine, the same sounds will emerge again...). I guess that's really the essences of improvised NIMB setup. Every single sound was the effect of the previous iteration and the cause of the next iteration... (Wait... isn't it just like a Blockchain? Ha!)“

A collection of no-input studio sessions improvised with Mackie 1202-VLZ Pro, TAPCO MIX260FX, MXR Phase 90 and Electro-Harmonix Bad Stone Phase Shifter. All tracks recorded live, no overdubs. Recorded in London in February 2020. Mastered by causeandcondition

Lucia also works as independent curator, producer and broadcaster at Happened. Check out Lucia‘s other albums on Hard Return, Falt and SM-LL.

The Hip Hop world had long been looking for a breath of fresh air when four legendary emcees stepped up, together, as EMC. EMC consists of the Midwest phenom Stricklin, the widely respected Lyricist Lounge duo Punchline & Wordsworth, and the Brooklyn-bred, battle-tested Juice Crew all-star Masta Ace. The Milwaukee born and raised Stricklin garnered attention in the late 90s while signed to Tommy Boy Records, and Punch and Words were integral in the success of the groundbreaking MTV program “The Lyricist Lounge Show” and have released EP’s both as a group and as solo artists. After the three toured extensively with Ace in 2001, the four became extremely close. Both the rappers themselves and the fans recognized the chemistry and, according to Masta Ace, “the group idea was a natural progression of the relationships we had all made from being on the road together. It wasn’t just about the music with us, we are pretty much like brothers.” EMC started a feeding frenzy in 2007 with the release of the 12” single “E.M.C.” and the subsequent 2008 full-length album The Show. With more than 20 tracks and appearances by Sean Price, Little Brother, Ladybug Mecca (of Digable Planets), DJ Eclipse, and Money Harm (of Product G & B), The Show satisfied even the most Rap-hungry fan. And while the album proved to be a showcase of lyrical talents, the beats themselves delivered as well, with production by Marco Polo, The Are of K-Otix, Ayatollah, Nicolay, Koolade, and more. Stricklin’s personality combined with the cleverness of Punchline, the wordplay and work ethic of Wordsworth, and the leadership of the Music Man himself Masta Ace, proved to be a massive success and this sought after album is now back in print and ready to be devoured by hungry rap fans once again.

With ‘Love on My Mind’ - the six-song mini-album, mixed by Claudius
Mittendorfer (Tennis, Parquet Courts, Johnny Marr) - Bambara condense all the energy and darkness that have made them so compelling and rearrange it into something defiantly new.

Opening track, ‘Slither in the Rain’, all hissing high-hat and spectral
synthlines, is a true statement of intent. It’s minimal and atmospheric,
foregrounding Bateh’s raw vocals as he introduces one of ‘Love on My Mind’s main characters years after the events of the album are over, a lonely man who throws bottles at airplanes and dances a two-step in the pattern of a figure-8. While Bateh has always been adept at character sketches, tracks like ‘Slither’ introduce a newfound vulnerability that runs true through the entire album and cause the songs to hit on a more human level.

Similarly, ‘Point And Shoot’ - in which each stanza describes the louche, lawless scenes of “rooftop girls / standing shoulder-to-shoulder, naked figures with their hips / cocked,” busted up jaws, and couches full of burnholes captured by the snapshots of ‘Love on My Mind’s female lead - displays an autobiographical intimacy that is not as apparent in Bambara’s previous releases. This tenderness is echoed on ‘Birds’, a rare love song (from which the EP’s title is derived), and album closer ‘Little Wars’, a gripping finale of loneliness and isolation.

But while these songs may display a softer side of Bambara, it’s important to note that they haven’t lost the thrill of what attracted so many people to them in the first place. ‘Mythic Love’ (featuring vocals from Bria Salmena), with its driving bassline and ricocheting guitar lines, brings to mind past rave-ups like ‘Serafina’ and ‘Sunbleached Skulls’ but obliterates them in the process, while ‘Feelin’ Like A Funeral’ - a dangerously oscillating tale of a city knifing - is probably the most thrillingly anthemic song the band have ever recorded.

Taken together, ‘Love on My Mind’ amounts to another massive step forward for Bambara - the boldest thing they’ve ever done - and the sound of yet another breakthrough.
“Engrossing, dark and irresistible… an adventurous group, who just keep getting better all the time.” - CLASH
“Never anything less than captivating.” - Upset
“What Athens, Georgia bunch Bambara do, they do very well… the trio’s commitment to the dark side is never in question.” - DIY
“Bambara are ice cold and sharp as a knife’s edge.” - Loud & Quiet
“Brooklyn based doom-mongers delight… the trio go further than most in their quest to rattle.” - Q (4/5)
For fans of Daughters, Protomartyr, IDLES, King Krule, Ice Age.

RIYL: Japanese Breakfast, Clairo, Perfume Genius, Sufjan Stevens. Follow up to 2019’s breakout debut ‘Happy To Be Here’, which ranked #21 on Billboard Heatseekers Chart upon release. Early singles “Frankie” and “Dig” praised by Stereogum, The Line Of Best Fit, Billboard, Consequence, and Under The Radar. Radio support from SiriusXMU, KCRW, KEXP, BBC 1, BBC 6 & Triple J. Headline dates in NYC, London, Paris and Los Angeles. Tour dates supporting Sunflower Bean down to Texas, where Barrie will be showcasing as an official artist at SXSW 2022. Release week instore performances at record shops across the UK. On Barbara, the sophomore album from Brooklyn-based songwriter and producer Barrie, she battles the loss of a parent, the start of a new relationship, and the impulse to separate herself from her music. This result is a beautifully peculiar, and quietly ambitious collection of synth-pop, art-pop, indie rock and folk songs that reflect a new willing- ness to let listeners into her world. Two events redefined Barrie Lindsay’s life and shaped the direction of Barbara. In the summer of 2019, she met her now-wife, the musician Gabby Smith. Simultaneously, Lindsay’s father learned that his lung cancer had worsened. In January of 2020, she moved home to Ipswich to spend time with family and begin work on her album. Three months became nine, thanks to the pandemic. Lindsay wrote Barbara while quarantining with Smith in Maine, while her father was dying, and while she was falling in love. Lindsay finds catharsis from the ambivalent desperation of losing a parent on the album’s centerpiece, “Dig.” You can hear her newfound boldness as she wails the song’s central refrain, giving herself over to emotion: “I can’t get enough of you / Where did you come from?” Despite the grief, personal and collective on Lindsay’s mind while making Barbara, she often pauses to embrace joy. “Jenny,” is a simple, acoustic guitar ode to meeting Smith. Similarly, her fantasy of a roman- tic but bloodied afternoon, “Quarry,” sounds eerie and aque- ous, before erupting into a euphoric geyser of synth and drums. “Barbara isn’t an album specifically about grief or love. It’s just an album where I let myself actually feel my emotions,” Lind- say says. “That was something I’d never done before in music.” UK Dates – 24th March Portsmouth, UK @ Pie & Vinyl, 25th Brighton, UK @ Resident, 26th London, UK @ Banquet, 28th Nottingham, UK @ Rough Trade Nottingham, 29th Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade Bristol, 30th Leeds, UK @ Jumbo Records, 31st London, UK @ Rough Trade East. Track listing: A side 01. Jersey 02. Frankie 03. Jenny 04. Concrete 05. Dig 06. Bully B side 07. Harp 2 Interlude 08. Harp 2 09. Quarry 10. Basketball 11. Bloodline

Purple with Black Smoke vinyl / New EP from Exeter's Soot Sprite! 6 songs on a one sided 12", purple smoke vinyl limited to 500 copies. The rising trio have seen Soot Sprite grow from a one-woman lo-fi bedroom pop project to a fully-fledged touring alt-indie shoegaze outfit, championed by BBC6 Music’s Steve Lamacq, Gideon Coe and more. After signing with Specialist Subject for their previous EP Sharp Tongue just before the pandemic, they’re set to continue where they left off, with tour dates in the works and a collection of heartfelt songs that see lead singer Elise Cook learn how to find self-acceptance and belief. She says; “I wrote these songs up until and during lockdown, about turbulent relationships with others, how they affected my relationship with myself, and eventually when they broke down; just being able to accept myself, move on, and celebrate the accomplishments I’d made in my life regardless of others.” A vein of hopefulness runs right through the middle of Poltergeists, though encased within an ocean of murky thoughts, fears and doubts; the lack of a sense of self that many of us experience in relationships is balanced thoughtfully by an epiphany that led Elise Cook to find self-love and a newfound joy for life. Within her beautifully personal lyrics, Cook perfectly exemplifies the confusion and anxiety that often accompanies growing into adulthood. Throughout the tracks, Cook consistently calls herself into question, yet thankfully resolves her insecurities with a profound maturity. Soot Sprite may only be at the start of their exciting journey, but their achingly poignant music is already winning them new audiences far and wide, and their relatability clearly resonates with new listeners and fans alike.

P.E.’s sophomore album, ‘The Leather Lemon’, ushers in a new era for the New York band. A wild ride through chewy bubblegum pop, sweeping synthetic orchestrations and mutant club beats, the album slides ever closer to the fully-realized pop sensibility only winked at with their debut album, ‘Person’ (2020), and subsequent releases.

 Recorded primarily at Schenke’s Studio Windows in Brooklyn, NY, ‘The Leather Lemon’ was cultivated from a fertile creative period between spring 2020 and summer 2021, which also yielded 2021’s acclaimed ‘The Reason For My Love’ EP.

 Digging into mystery, romance and sex appeal, the album centres its sound within a Bermuda Triangle of dance music, electronic composition and experimental rock. Members Jonathan Schenke, Bob Jones and Jonny Campolo play within pop parameters, building upon free-form collaboration to create a fluorescent groove machine that harnesses the energy of their frenetic live shows.

 Singer Veronica Torres explores her softer side, expanding her vocal repertoire from spoken word and jagged growls to cherubic and sensuous psalms.

 Sax virtuoso Benjamin Jaffe’s chiseled experimental tone is heard in an extended solo of true romance in ‘Tears in the Rain’, a sombre surrealist duet penned by Torres and Andrew Savage, singer/guitarist of Parquet Courts.

 It is a reckoning record for the times; an album of psychedelic resurfacing, real-time response to world events, and soft, sympathetic magic. This is a collection of songs shaped by five individuals who embrace music-making as a way to centre themselves in times of uncertainty; it’s resilience and imagination given shape. ‘The Leather Lemon’ is a true sweet-and-sour listening experience, an album as bright and clear as it is fractured and fun.

First Fragment was founded in 2007 by Phil Tougas (Chthe'ilist, Atramentus, Funebrarum) & brothers Gabriel Brault-Pilon and David AB. From day one, the trio sought to create a brand of extreme technical death metal that combined counterpoint-based riffing, neoclassical lead guitar work, power metal-inspired passages as well as flamenco & swing sections in a desire to branch out and establish their own unique voice in the Quebec scene. Their critically-acclaimed 2016 debut album "Dasein", released through Unique Leader, built upon the foundation established with the band's notorious EP "The Afterthought Ecstasy", self-released in 2010, Dasein was the culmination of almost 10 years of hard work and dedication to their craft. First Fragment have since honed their craft and perfected their sound through expanding upon their extensive musical influences, further blurring the line between flamenco-inspired technical death metal and neoclassical power metal. The result is "Gloire Éternelle" - an ambitious conceptual album that is unmistakably First Fragment, yet at the same time, impossible to categorize and pigeonhole. Boasting baroque-influenced guitar counterpoint, flamenco sections, unique slap-bass-driven swing grooves (which the band trademarked by name as "swingdowns"), face-ripping lead guitar work and bombastic drumming. Add a highly aggressive dual vocal approach and a lyrical approach soaked in abstract poetry (sung all in french), sprinkle with a ton of fretless bass solos and the result is the ultimate shredfest. A word which may be perceived positively or negatively depending of the listener, but nevertheless, a shredfest with soul, memorability, identity, purpose and conviction. For fans of : Yngwie Malmsteen, Cacophony, Racer X, Spawn of Possession, Capharnaum, Theory In Practice & Necrophagist

First Fragment was founded in 2007 by Phil Tougas (Chthe'ilist, Atramentus, Funebrarum) & brothers Gabriel Brault-Pilon and David AB. From day one, the trio sought to create a brand of extreme technical death metal that combined counterpoint-based riffing, neoclassical lead guitar work, power metal-inspired passages as well as flamenco & swing sections in a desire to branch out and establish their own unique voice in the Quebec scene. Their critically-acclaimed 2016 debut album "Dasein", released through Unique Leader, built upon the foundation established with the band's notorious EP "The Afterthought Ecstasy", self-released in 2010, Dasein was the culmination of almost 10 years of hard work and dedication to their craft. First Fragment have since honed their craft and perfected their sound through expanding upon their extensive musical influences, further blurring the line between flamenco-inspired technical death metal and neoclassical power metal. The result is "Gloire Éternelle" - an ambitious conceptual album that is unmistakably First Fragment, yet at the same time, impossible to categorize and pigeonhole. Boasting baroque-influenced guitar counterpoint, flamenco sections, unique slap-bass-driven swing grooves (which the band trademarked by name as "swingdowns"), face-ripping lead guitar work and bombastic drumming. Add a highly aggressive dual vocal approach and a lyrical approach soaked in abstract poetry (sung all in french), sprinkle with a ton of fretless bass solos and the result is the ultimate shredfest. A word which may be perceived positively or negatively depending of the listener, but nevertheless, a shredfest with soul, memorability, identity, purpose and conviction. For fans of : Yngwie Malmsteen, Cacophony, Racer X, Spawn of Possession, Capharnaum, Theory In Practice & Necrophagist

First Fragment was founded in 2007 by Phil Tougas (Chthe'ilist, Atramentus, Funebrarum) & brothers Gabriel Brault-Pilon and David AB. From day one, the trio sought to create a brand of extreme technical death metal that combined counterpoint-based riffing, neoclassical lead guitar work, power metal-inspired passages as well as flamenco & swing sections in a desire to branch out and establish their own unique voice in the Quebec scene. Their critically-acclaimed 2016 debut album "Dasein", released through Unique Leader, built upon the foundation established with the band's notorious EP "The Afterthought Ecstasy", self-released in 2010, Dasein was the culmination of almost 10 years of hard work and dedication to their craft. First Fragment have since honed their craft and perfected their sound through expanding upon their extensive musical influences, further blurring the line between flamenco-inspired technical death metal and neoclassical power metal. The result is "Gloire Éternelle" - an ambitious conceptual album that is unmistakably First Fragment, yet at the same time, impossible to categorize and pigeonhole. Boasting baroque-influenced guitar counterpoint, flamenco sections, unique slap-bass-driven swing grooves (which the band trademarked by name as "swingdowns"), face-ripping lead guitar work and bombastic drumming. Add a highly aggressive dual vocal approach and a lyrical approach soaked in abstract poetry (sung all in french), sprinkle with a ton of fretless bass solos and the result is the ultimate shredfest. A word which may be perceived positively or negatively depending of the listener, but nevertheless, a shredfest with soul, memorability, identity, purpose and conviction. For fans of : Yngwie Malmsteen, Cacophony, Racer X, Spawn of Possession, Capharnaum, Theory In Practice & Necrophagist

Like the creeks that run and tributaries that trickle throughout singer-songwriter Ian Noe’s homelands in Eastern Kentucky, water flows throughout his new LP. Thoughtfully and intentionally named, River Fools & Mountain Saints highlights Noe’s storytelling prowess through 12 country rockers and Appalachian ballads, depicting contemporary and historical life in the region. Broader in scope and brighter in tone than his lauded debut, 2019’s Between the Country, River Fools & Mountain Saints boasts a fuller sound with more diverse instrumentation. Produced by Andrija Tokic (Phosphorescent, Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Benjamin Booker, AHI), and featuring "Little" Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs) on bass and Derry deBorja (Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit) on keys, this album explores the themes of Nature, Appalachia, Division, Death, and Redemption. They recorded on reel-to-reel tapes in short spurts over the course of two years, without the pressure of time, which enabled a wider range of experimentations, collaborations, and sounds.

Nothings Real, So Nothing’s Wrong is Kevin’s 10th full length record. His career began in the early 2000s with the band Miracle Of ’86. Along the way Kevin has amassed a loyal and rabid fan base. He has built an interesting career with the ability to play as a solo artist, his own band – The Goddam Band – and as a member of Bad Books alongside Manchester Orchestra, and as a touring member of The Front Bottoms and Brand New. In 2015 Kevin started his split 7” series – artists involved included Craig Finn, The Front Bottoms, Matthew Caws (Nada Surf), David Bazan, Meredith Graves and many others. This helped open up a new audience. Kevin has toured the world as a headliner and toured with a wide variety of artists including Manchester Orchestra, Frightened Rabbit, John K Samson, Julien Baker and Pinegrove to name a few. Also, Devine has appeared at numerous festivals including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Ohana, Shaky Knees and many more. From Kevin: Nothing’s Real, So Nothing’s Wrong is a grown-up break-up record, for strugglers by a struggler. It’s a record about fatherhood written during a pandemic. It’s a kitchen-sink 10th album pivot, painstakingly brought to life by two career-long collaborators and their shared and split obsessions. Lyrically evocative, excavating and unflinching without irresponsibly printing your journals.

Nothings Real, So Nothing’s Wrong is Kevin’s 10th full length record. His career began in the early 2000s with the band Miracle Of ’86. Along the way Kevin has amassed a loyal and rabid fan base. He has built an interesting career with the ability to play as a solo artist, his own band – The Goddam Band – and as a member of Bad Books alongside Manchester Orchestra, and as a touring member of The Front Bottoms and Brand New. In 2015 Kevin started his split 7” series – artists involved included Craig Finn, The Front Bottoms, Matthew Caws (Nada Surf), David Bazan, Meredith Graves and many others. This helped open up a new audience. Kevin has toured the world as a headliner and toured with a wide variety of artists including Manchester Orchestra, Frightened Rabbit, John K Samson, Julien Baker and Pinegrove to name a few. Also, Devine has appeared at numerous festivals including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Ohana, Shaky Knees and many more. From Kevin: Nothing’s Real, So Nothing’s Wrong is a grown-up break-up record, for strugglers by a struggler. It’s a record about fatherhood written during a pandemic. It’s a kitchen-sink 10th album pivot, painstakingly brought to life by two career-long collaborators and their shared and split obsessions. Lyrically evocative, excavating and unflinching without irresponsibly printing your journals.

This quintessential release features Marty Robbins' most celebrated album, originally issued on the Columbia label: 'Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs' (1959). With his cowboy albums, Robbins helped keep western music alive during the late '50s and early '60s, and the warm, affectionate spirit of this music illustrates why.
Here you will find such country favourites as "El Paso," "Big Iron" and "Cool Water," and a classic version of "Billy the Kid," among other western standards. These songs are about work, love, travel, death, the beauty of the American West, and living life on your own terms (and paying the price for it). Robbins' subject is mostly the West of myth and movie, which benefits from his ability as a storyteller
- most of the tracks may tell tales heard or seen one hundred times onscreen, but he makes listeners feel like this is the first time they are hearing them, creating the excitement and anticipation of a poet in the middle of a spellbinding recital.
This sensational album has been remastered and packaged in this incredibly special collector's edition, which also includes 4 bonus tracks from the same period.

Following the revival of the iconic 1990s dance album series, Club Culture in 2020, Stress presents Club Culture Vol. 2. Much like in volume 1, the label continue to pay homage to the UK’s rich and diverse club culture with a collection of the scene’s freshest tracks.

To celebrate the return of the series, a limited edition vinyl sampler will be available which features five of the album’s most cutting edge selections, including exclusives from Richie Blacker, and Danny Howard. Label favourites, Tommy Farrow, Ben Hemsley, and Because of Art are also included on the sampler. Each handpicked track captures the sonic essence of Stress and clubland today.

Stress brought the world many seminal house tracks in the 1990s including Bedrock’s ‘For You Dream Of’, Last Rhythm’s ‘Last Rhythm’, and Greed’s ‘Pump Up The Volume’. During the 1990’s, Stress was considered one of the world’s greatest independent record labels, where it became known for its growing influence on the progressive house scene. It gave birth to the early careers of iconic producers Sasha and John Digweed. Today it is carving out a whole new scene taking inspiration from the past but creating a whole new sound for the stable.

This is the sound of clubland and club culture.

Selma's own Doctor T, a.k.a. Lenoah Presley Strong, a.k.a. Rick Strong, was a fierce Selma talent, he could pick up any instrument and play it and was always playing local clubs. Lenoah came from a large musical family, his Dad, a professional gospel singer, would mentor him and his brother, who ended up recording on Malaco Records and has an underground classic - "Doing It Cause It Feels Good.

Lenoah split his time between the historic community of Selma, AL, where he was born, Beverly Hills, CA where he worked as an auto body hand alongside his older brother, Chuck Strong, a musical force in his own right. In California, T impressed the great Willie Hutch with his playing, rubbed elbows with soul icons such as Leon Haywood and Carl Carlton.

Athens of The North is proud to present a compilation of Doctor T's 7" Recording, all have been difficult to find on original vinyl even to the most avid collectors, most notably "Love Is A Heartbreaker," which is one of the best ballads and grittiest recordings ever laid to wax.

T recorded all of the instruments himself and had an ear like no other, always listening to music and drawing inspiration from his surrounding artists and musicians. Sadly, T passed away in 2021 at the age of 68 but leaves us some timeless Funk & soul that will endure

Live radio broadcast recording of their 1991concert from the legendary Quartier Latin Club during The Berlin Independence Days.
This 300 limited edition vinyl only release with double sided A3 poster captures BOB at the peak of their powers.
Includes tracks from their Indie top 10 album ‘Leave The Straight Life Behind’ , Singles, and the previously unreleased ‘You Can Stop That For A Start’.
When BOB hit the stage at the legendary Quartier Latin club during the Berlin Independence Days on October 21 1991, they were talking loud and saying something.
BOB had been touring relentlessly for five years. All over the UK and Europe. Headlining their own shows and supporting some of the biggest names in indie rock, but this gig was something else. It couldn’t have happened in any other place, or, at any other time.
In Berlin, the wall had come down two years previous.Things were changing. There was a freedom of movement, unknown for many decades. You could grasp the spirit of creativity.
In London, the underground indie scene of the mid to late 80’s was being replaced by the corporate music marketing machine they called Britpop.
On this recording we capture a milestone moment of this time.

Legendary Italian musician Sergio Messina serves up his 13 track Sensual Musicology on Hell Yeah this March. It comes a couple of years after he first released on the label's Buena Onda compilation and takes in everything from demented waltz to grown-up jazz, groovy beach music to heart-aching melancholia with artwork by virtuoso Italian AD DeeMo.

Now based in Lombardy, Sergio was there at the birth of pirate radio in the mid-seventies and eventually produced Radio art for national broadcaster Rai. At the same time, his DJ career took off and he helped establish Hip hop in Rome before taking his own live show to the stage with a mix of PCs, samplers and tape recorders as early as 1989. Frank Zappa declared himself a fan and in the years since Sergio has done everything from radio art to producing Neapolitan reggae and hip hop band 99 Posse, producing his own solo albums and writing for monthly music magazine Rumore. On top of this, he has both written books about and delivered lectures on the digital porno revolution, as well as teaching History of Pop Culture at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan. All this makes him a truly original creative thinking who has long been immersed in many niche facets of popular culture.

Sensual Musicology took several years and four different locations to happen. Its release has been delayed by the pandemic, during which Sergio lost many friends and relatives close to him. As a result, the album is dedicated to all of them. It is a record that addresses many topics from economic migration to jazz piano, 60s blues motifs to corruption, pollution and racism via Michael Jackson covers, odes to West Coast guitar albums and spaced-out pieces of electronica.

Opening with the beautifully delicate Mingus melodies of 'Goodbye Porkpie Hat' the album roams through the bluesy Italo-American-Jamaican groove of 'Amara,' slow melancholy of 'Sometimes Remember' with classy vocals from chanteuse Valeria Rossi and 'The Way You Make Me Feel', an acoustic rebuild of Michael Jackson's hit song. Then comes the serenade that is 'Just Because You're Dead,' and ‘Sono Stufa di Tutto’ which is based around a protest speech recorded from the radio in the 1980s. Jon Hassell Beach Bar' is a musical hybridisation for dancing pleasure.

The second half of the album takes in 'Ouana Di lambo' which is the Four Twenties taking you to a cocktail bar in the tropics, 'Benjamino Placido' which is a melody for a man who inspired Sergio to start writing his columns, and 'Nowhere Special' which is a tribute to West Coast guitar albums. Closer ‘Switchblade Bolero' has a Zappaesque theme.

Sensual Musicology is a rich and diverse musical world that is as thought-provoking and deep as it is emotionally rewarding.


Early DJ Support:
Leo Mas, Phat Phil Cooper, Calm, Chris Coco, Andy (We are The Sunset), Severino (Horse Meat Disco)

Bristol's jazz daddies The Jazz Defenders drop their second album for Haggis Records (home of UK funk kings The Haggis Horns), in March 2022 and it's a real departure from their debut release "Scheming" (released in 2020). Whereas that album was a homage to the late 1950s/early 1960s classic jazz style known as hard bop, this release moves into new territory with hip-hop/jazz, cinema soundtrack flavours, Latin rhythms and soul-jazz all upfront in the mix. Three taster singles from the album released in mid/late 2021 and march 2022, "The Big Man/Love's Vestige, "Live Slow" (featuring US rapper Herbal T), and "Perfectly Imperfect" (feat Doc Brown) received great radio support from the likes of Craig Charles (BBC 6 Music), Helen Mayhew (Jazz FM), Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2), Ashley Beedle (Worldwide FM), Colin Curtis (Worldwide FM) amongst many others, all loving the Jazz Defenders' musical fusion of retro meets modern.

The classic sound that has inspired the band this time is very much from the mid-late 1960s era and the merging of soul and funk beats with jazz solos/improvisation. Tracks like "Wagger Jaunt" and "Munch" nod to the piano and organ-led soul-jazz of artists like Ramsey Lewis, Herbie Hancock, Reuben Wilson, and Jimmy Smith. Meanwhile "Saudade" and "Love's Vestige" feature Brazilian bossa rhythms but with some added film soundtrack overtones. Speaking of movie soundtracks, "The Oracle'' is a pure homage to the classic cinematic compositions of maestros like John Barry(James Bond, The Ipcress File) or Lalo Schifrin (Mission Impossible, Bullitt) right down to the very impressive string arrangement, beautifully scored and orchestrated by band leader George Cooper.

A big departure from the previous album comes via the two hip-hop/jazz tracks, both of which feature guest MCs. "Live Slow" has US rapper Herbal T blessing the mic over an uptempo soul-jazz number whilst "Perfectly Imperfect" features London MC/actor Doc Brown rapping on a nice and slow 90's style head-nodding hip-hop groove. Both compositions show George Cooper's love for old-school boom-bap hip-hop (by the way, he also plays keys with renowned UK hip-hop big band Abstract Orchestra). For classic jazz lovers who dug the first album, there are two pure jazz tracks that join the dots between that debut release and this sophomore one - "Twilight" and "From The Ashes" - with plenty of vibrant solos for the discerning listener.

"King Phoenix" is a statement in itself from The Jazz Defenders. After 2 years of music being destroyed by the pandemic and many musicians inactive, the band has risen from the ashes with new vigour, energy and vision to try something new and not just repeat past musical glories. A band that sticks to the same script every release might just end up having a short shelf life but the Jazz Defenders are planning on being around for a long time.










j Live Slow (Album Version) feat. Herbal T