Buscar:butler

Die Welt war nie bereit für The Monsters, und The Monsters waren nie bereit für diese Welt. Nach vierzig Jahren, in denen sie zu einem echten Monster aus Fleisch und Blut herangereift sind, präsentieren sie ihr neuntes Album: gut ein Dutzend kompromissloser, wilder, lärmiger und fuzz-geladener Tracks. Ein Mix aus Ein-Riff-Beat, Trash, Garage, "Bern Metal", Boogie, Punk und Grunge - Songs, die einen von innen nach außen stülpen, aufgenommen mit "Miracle" Robert "Worker" Butler und abgemischt von Jim "Dirtbomb" Diamond - ein echtes Garage-Punk-Dreamteam. Vor vierzig Jahren, 1986, war die Jugendkultur-Revolution in Bern (Schweiz) in vollem Gange, Jugendliche und junge Erwachsene wollten sich aus den konservativen Fesseln befreien. Die Straßen brannten, Clubs entstanden und eine neue Schweizer Musikkultur wurde geboren. Dies markierte auch den Beginn von The Monsters. Vierzig Jahre später hat sich der Zustand der Musikkultur - oder vielmehr der Welt im Allgemeinen - wohl eher verschlechtert. Individuelles Denken und Schaffen sind nach wie vor nicht sonderlich anerkannt oder gar erwünscht (Hey KI!). Im März 2026 blieb der Band also nichts anderes übrig, als ihre Instrumente, das Aufnahme-Equipment und ihre Ideen in den Proberaum zu verfrachten. Sie verbrachten einen Monat mit Robert Butler (u. a. The Miracle Workers) und seinem mobilen "Two Cent Recording Studio". Sie schrieben Texte (insgesamt etwa 100 Wörter - mal sinnvoll, mal unsinnig, über das ganze Album verstreut), tüftelten am Sound und nahmen Gitarren in allen erdenklichen Variationen auf. Das Ganze wurde gewürzt mit Percussion, Schlagzeug, Bass sowie obskuren Orgeln und Synthesizern, die sie auf Flohmärkten oder in den Kellern von Freunden aufgetrieben hatten. Nach diesem vierwöchigen Trip schickten sie das gesamte Chaos an Jim Diamond (Ghetto Recorders Studios in Detroit, Dirtbombs, White Stripes, Gories, André Williams... klar, worum es geht, ne?!), um es einem umwerfenden Mix-Abenteuer zu unterziehen. Das Ergebnis ist ein Dutzend Songs ohne Kompromisse, Schwächen oder Stärken. Einfach nur roher, ungeschliffener Lo-Fi-Garage-Punk'n'Roll voller Energie - und das mit vierzig Jahren "Nicht-Erfahrung". Erhältlich sind schwarzes Vinyl und eine pinke Picture-Disc (beide mit Insert & DLC), eine höchst audiophile CD sowie Kassette, die bei doppelter Geschwindigkeit leiert! Für Fans von Reverend Beat-Man, VRR, The Mummies, Oblivians, Billy Childish, Damaged Goods, Monks, very early Hives, Garagepunk, Lo-Fi-Roll, Alternative Beat

Mit Selbstbewusstsein und Präzision kehrt der sich ständig weiterentwickelnde Musiker, Produzent und Rapper Ishmael Butler als Shabazz Palaces mit It's a Style Sport zurück. It's a Style Sport bleibt dem Stil von Shabazz Palaces treu - mit seiner gewagten Mischung aus experimentellem Hip-Hop und freier Poesie - und offenbart gleichzeitig eine nachdenklichere und direktere Seite des Musikers aus Seattle. ,It's a Style Sport" zeigt, wie Butler das, was er in seiner legendären Karriere gelernt hat, zu einem verspielten, schillernden Portal zusammenfügt und sich damit erneut als Künstler mit chamäleonartigem Ehrgeiz beweist, angetrieben von Neugier, Mut und grenzenloser Fantasie. Das Album ist das Ergebnis einer gemeinschaftlichen Zusammenarbeit mit vielen Mitgliedern von Butlers Tourband: Evan Flory-Barnes am Kontrabass und E-Bass; Thaddeus Turner an Gitarre, Keyboards und Gesang; Kassa Overall am Schlagzeug; Gerald Turner am Bass und Gesang; Marquetta Miller am Gesang; und Carlos Overall am Saxophon. Butlers langjähriger Freund und Mitstreiter Erik Blood übernahm Instrumentierung, Produktion und Abmischung. Auf It's a Style Sport wird ein Bild von Butlers früheren Leben als Rapper und Performer seiner heutigen Persönlichkeit gegenübergestellt - provokativ und aufschlussreich zugleich. Im Kern ist It's a Style Sport eine Ode an die Rap-Szene vergangener Jahre, als der spielerisch-wettbewerbsorientierte Ehrgeiz das Genre dazu trieb, seine Kollegen stets zu übertrumpfen, zu überholen und an Raffinesse zu übertreffen.

“Cue Blue”, the latest and fifth studio recording from Australian down under, gritty jazzfunk grooves ensemble Kerbside Collection sees a return to a more classic, stripped back, meat-and-potatoes, home-cooked, quartet formation sound of guitar, bass, drums and brass.


A sound formed on previous, recent recordings (incl. Golden Rules compilation tune “Fleet Streak” etc), seemingly harking back to the approach of the group’s first recordings (2013’s “Mind The Curb”, “Night in Tunisia” etc), whilst embodying inspirations from more ‘true school’, classic, bluesy New Orleans funk and soul groove flavours à la early Meters, Boogaloo Joe Jones, Melvin Sparks, Billy Butler etc. But it’s not all completely ‘retro’ and ‘looking back’, the album definitely taps into some of the current exponents and leaders of the contemporary deep funk sound – The Greyboy Allstars, Eddie Roberts, The New Mastersounds, The Mighty Mocambos, Breakestra and fellow Aussie funksters Cookin’ on 3 Burners, Lance Ferguson and The Bamboos etc.


The lead single and first tune “Shivers” gives us a clear, picture and definitive opening statement to the record with all the characteristics you’ve come to expect from the Kerbside gritty jazzfunk sound: silky guitar line phrasing, rubbery bass-lines, tight crusty drum breaks, and sweet brass arrangements. Then it’s straight into a frenetic, jangly, mod-funk workout complete with Northern Soul & Motown inflections in the surging B sections. “City Park Avenue” conjures up classic New Orleans funk flavours with its strutting brass, slinky guitar and swinging tambourine groove. There’s classic, b-boy funk territory covered in “Coffee Grinder” (a breakdance move) with its razor-sharp drum break groove and chunky riff complete with sizzling trombone solo. Before the pace of the record changes up with the finger-clicken’, hand-clappin’ boogaloo, reminiscent of early 60s Harlem x Puerto Rican Bronx sounds (à la Willie Bobo, Mongo Santamaria, Ray Barretto) loaded with a scintillating baritone sax solo from long standing part of the collection ‘Papa Joe’ Roberts.


“Sittin’ On The Porch” cools the temperature down even more, delving into slight Southern Louisiana Delta blues territory, while suggesting some of the hot and muggy atmosphere and imagery of their home town location in suburban Brisbane Australia, complete with kooky Casio percussion representing familiar yard sounds such as sprinklers (spinning lawn watering devices) and ‘mozzies’ (mosquitos), passing cars indicated by trombone, and guitarist TC Tyler, channelling some bluesy John Lee Hooker, R.L. Burnside guitar flavours - you can almost feel the humidity on your skin.


Then it’s time for a stroll down memory lane, with their version of a People Under The Stairs hip hop classic “San Francisco Knights”, bringing the tune full circle back into band mode, also with another tasty guitar solo. The album then enters its final stages with a mesmerising, soulful, jazz ballad “Shimmer”, complete with Elliott Parker’s sultry upright double bass, and trombone taking the melody for a gentle stroll down the street. The album finally closes and arrives at its title “Cue Blue”, a classic blue-eyed soul number (penned by bassist Parker), emitting the scent of true school, vintage R&B and soul (à la Donny Hathaway, Marvin Gaye).


An album of funky arrangements and refined compositions, mostly penned by recent new-ish member, guitarist Tyler (for fans of Tower of Power & John Scofield guitar playing) taking the ensemble through their paces with all the usual characteristics of the Kerbside sound, on top a groove that will take you round-the-block-and-back :P Gritty jazzfunk and rustic soul grooves with definite bluesy overtones, some classic 60s, 70s flourishes and down-home funk flavours.

IT is celebrating the Detroit - Bristol connection with the "Magenta Glow EP" from Hodge. This began with Hodge playing for IT in Detroit, first at Return to the Source, and then at a spring party at Tangent, where he was so inspired by what he saw that he began composing music for these environments. It quickly expanded to a number of songs, each to be carefully mixed from their stems by BMG in the Interdimensional Laboratory on hardware to give the record the largest and most solid sonic footprint it could have, using the same process as the recent Andy Toth record and Alchemical Sisters album. Each song is unique, yet each is so strong it could be its own single. Science fiction themes are highlighted with "Magenta Glow" referencing Philip K. Dick, and "Oankali" being named after entities from Lilith's Brood by Octavia E. Butler.

Release #50 celebrates the digging, care & musical curiosity that’s made the GSC series essential for DJs, collectors & break seekers alike.

For years GSC has built a catalog that earns immediate “cop-on-sight” status. Thoughtful edits. Deep respect for the OG recordings. Breaks that knock w/out feeling heavy-handed. The kind of taste that reminds you these are real heads behind the decks.

Side A pulls from Jerry Butler’s “I’m Your Mechanical Man,” released in ’74 on the Sweet Sixteen LP. The track contains a raw drum break hip-hop producers recognized instantly. Most famously it powers Method Man’s “Bring The Pain,” 1 of the defining solo joints from the Wu-Tang Clan era. The break later resurfaced in Missy Elliott & Method Man’s 2002 version & Snoop Dogg’s “I Miss That Bitch.”

On the flip, GSC draws the source into pure DJ tooling: a sample break edit, a full drum break edit & the “Mechanical Wu” mix — built for selectors who know the power of letting a break breathe.

Then they deliver a beautiful surprise. Instead of leaving empty wax, GSC slides in Les McCann’s “Vallarta,” from the 1977 album Music Lets Me Be. Jazz-funk heads know it instantly — the hypnotic groove behind Biggie’s “Ten Crack Commandments.”

This is why Galaxy Sound Co. matters. They’re not just pressing edits — they’re curating moments. Unearthing grooves DJs need back in rotation. Some originals now cost serious money on Discogs. Others simply faded from memory. GSC dusts them off & hands them back to the community.

50 releases in & the curiosity still runs deep.

Following Parnell March’s Back Bar Grooves EP in February and November’s release of the Dust Tears (lead song from Sarah/Shaun’s debut) remixes, Edinburgh’s Hobbes Music label returns with a second EP of dream pop from husband-and-wife duo Sarah/Shaun (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), alias Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced McLochlun), who wooed hearts and wowed critics with debut EP ‘It’s True What They Say?’ last year.

‘It’s True What They Say?’ attracted fans across the board: Artist Of The Week in The Scotsman, rapturous reviews from The Skinny and Tokyo's Ban Ban Ton Ton blog, BBC 6Music airplay courtesy of Nemone (Mary Anne Hobbs' Morning Show), more radio play from Radio Scotland's Roddy Hart & Vic Galloway, plus Simone Butler (Primal Scream) and Jim Sclavunos (Bad Seeds) via their respective Soho Radio shows, not forgetting ringing endorsements from the likes of David Holmes, Youth, Kevin Bales (Spiritualized), Brent Rademaker (Beachwood Sparks) and Julian Corrie (Franz Ferdinand).

They played gigs supporting Glasgow's huge Glasvegas, at festivals (Kendall Calling, Dunbar Music, Hidden Door), plus a slew of venues across the Scottish capital, ending the year with a trio of shows supporting Glaswegian 80s pop legends The Bluebells at Aberdeen’s Tunnels, Dunfermline’s PJ Molloys and Edinburgh’s Liquid Rooms, while The List magazine tipped them among their Ones To Watch For 2025, with journalist Fiona Shepherd suggesting they were “blending the starry-eyed pop of Sonny & Cher with the electronic experimentation of Chris & Cosey.”

Very much the companion piece to the debut EP but arriving a full twelve months later, Someone’s Ghost is emblematic of the duo’s desire not to rush things or release anything half-baked.

“I’ve always wanted to create the perfect pop record and I do really feel that we’ve achieved that with this one,” says Shaun. And he’s clearly not the only person who thinks so.

REVIEWS, FEEDBACK ETC:

"I LOVE that! Dreamy dreamy pop." ROY MOLLOY (Marvellous Crane/Alex Cameron) on BLAST RADIO, Sydney
“the Scottish music scene’s cream of the cool... buzzy drum beats, high, distant chimes, and heavenly electronics…. very ethereal.” THE SKINNY

"Listening to Sarah/Shaun is like eavesdropping on a noir dreampop, long-distance phone call between them both, across two separate sonic locations. On this stunning 4-song EP, Sarah’s voice, effortlessly mesmerising, draws you into these big beautiful and haunting passages of perfect dream-pop. All beautifully produced in a multi-layered-scape of low-fi analogue textures, epic cinematic crescendos, intense electro-pulse grooves and warped psycho-pop guitar riffs. Within the songs lurk a sense of unresolved emotions, longing and pathos. There are shades of classic Lee Hazelwood & Nancy Sinatra but also Post-Punk Electronica and Beach House. But what a unique sound they’ve created of their own. I love it" DAVID MCCLUSKEY (The Bluebells)
"Absolutely beautiful" SEAN JOHNSTON (A Love From Outer Space)
"Lovely stuff here! Total quality." MARTYN 'MASH' HENDERSON
"Ooooh. Everything the last record promised is here. Well done" GEORGE T aka George Demure (Accident Machine)
"Vince clark Era Depeche Mode in places" KEVIN BALES (Spiritualized)
"Sounds cool. Well done" PETE KEMBER (Sonic Boom, Spacemen 3)
"Glorious, it (Debbie Harry) grabs hold of you and doesn't let go." IAIN DAWSON aka RAVECHILD (Everyone Wants To Play The Hits Podcast)

SOMEONE’S GHOST

Born out of an incredibly anxious, stressful time, the songwriting process for these recordings has been something of a personal tonic for Shaun…

“There was a period when I was having nightmares,” he reveals. “Apparently I was saying there was someone in the room, I was talking to that person and Sarah was seeing all this while I was still asleep.

So, I was thinking that this was my ghost. I started writing songs because I was going through something and I was dealing with something and writing songs was a comfort. My ghost was a comfort, whether it was real or not. The idea of it was a comfort.”

“I firmly believe that everyone has someone who watches over them but all of the songs are essentially about being there for someone,” he says. “Everybody needs someone but also everyone needs to stay real and keep what you have, keep it close, never let it go. If you don’t have it, continue to tell people you’re there for them. It’s about loving and hoping people will be good to you in return.”

While Shaun took the songwriting lead on Filter Of Love and EP closer The Sound Which Stresses The Sound Of My Ears, Debbie Harry was originally instrumentally conceived by producer Jaguar Eyes, alias Ali Chisholm, later lyrically completed by Shaun, and the EP’s lead track, Anhedonia, and one of its stand-outs (much like Starbed on the debut) was conceived by Sarah, as a result of experiencing a bit of a spiritual epiphany of her own.

“When I first heard the word Anhedonia, I didn't know what it meant but when I found out I thought about it quite a bit. How sad it would be to have no enjoyment in anything,” she explains. “This song is really about my own personal beliefs. When I have been down, that's one of the things that helps me the most. It talks about trying to make amends but realising, for some things, you can't. But I think with any kind of faith comes hope… which is always a good thing.”

A record about hope, truth, honesty, a belief in something bigger than oneself… and all set to a soundtrack that wouldn’t feel out of place in a David Lynch or Eighties feature film. What more could anyone ask for, really?

There’s equally a desire to offer something universal and positive to anyone who tunes in. The labels for the 12” edition reveal the dual mantras “Who just wants to survive?” and “It’s about time to live a little”, with both messages also engraved in each record’s run-out grooves. T-shirts accompanying debut EP It’s True What They Say? bore the slogan “Kill Them With Kindness” - leading caps intentional. Shaun carries the acronym KTWK everywhere he plays, as a reminder: it’s stitched into his guitar strap. And this particular wee pebble has already caused a few ripples: people have been approaching him at gigs to acknowledge their appreciation and respect for it.

"We feel we have made an honest, open, colourful, body of work,” say the duo. “We hope to go out and play the songs with the guys (our band) and then potentially make more records. We are taking things as they come. Everything has been organic so far, after all. We are looking forward to whatever this brings."

Legendary dub techno artist Paul St. Hilaire (AKA Tikiman) announces new collaborative album, marking 10 years of Kynant Records



Building on the success of Paul St. Hilaire’s landmark solo album for Richard Akingbehin’s label Kynant in 2023, w/ The Producers switches up the formula to pair St. Hilaire’s with a different producer on each track. Referencing fellow dub techno pioneers Mark Ernestus & Moritz von Oswald’s acclaimed album w/ The Artists as Rhythm & Sound, St. Hilaire flips the concept to feature as the lone vocalist.



Over the album’s nine tracks, St. Hilaire offers a range of conscious song-writing and headtop musings, such as the spoken-word dread of “What’s This” or the sparse call-to-action of “Send Them On”. The record weaves through all shades of contemporary dub evolutions, showing the vocal range and versatility of St. Hilaire. w/ The Producers is yet another essential record in St. Hilaire’s unmatched discography.



The producers were curated by label owner and DJ Richard Akingbehin to give the new album a future-facing feel and mark 10 years of Kynant Records. Akingbehin sourced beats from luminaries such as Digital Mystikz boss and dubstep trailblazer Mala or elusive Chain Reaction artist Shinichi Atobe. They sit alongside some of the most exciting names in recent electronic music - Batu, Gavsborg, Azu Tiwaline, Priori, Cousin, Russell E.L. Butler, Aurora Halal and DJ G - all of whom bring different elements of dub techno into their productions.



w/ The Producers finds Kynant Records bridging the original voice of dub techno with the genre’s new wave. It’s a statement of intent from the label, which began 10 years ago with deep, hypnotic techno and has veered gradually towards more dubwise sounds

l 4What Does It Take (To Win Your Love for Me) feat. Jonathan Butler












[l] c4 | What Does It Take (To Win Your Love for Me) [feat Jonathan Butler]












[l] c4 | What Does It Take (To Win Your Love for Me) [feat Jonathan Butler]

The album delivers masterful arrangements, inventive rhythms, rich harmonies, and a perfect balance of flute and saxophone interplay. Funk, Jazz, Gospel, Afro, and traditional elements all merge seamlessly into something unique and timeless.
Joshua Sithole (1947–1999) was a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and vocalist from South Africa who first started busking with the Kwela kids in 1959 and then went solo in 1978. He became popular in the 80’s, performing widely in Durban and Cape Town.

Originally released in 1975, this overlooked masterpiece is now reissued for the first time by Voom Voom Records — the first 500 copies include a poster of Vladimir Tretchikoff's painting, "The Pennywhistlers" which captures the beauty of Joshua's playing.

“Joshua Sithole, Errol Dyers, and Jonathan Butler come from some of the most influential and esteemed musical families in South Africa. You cannot write about Jazz in Cape Town and not mention some of these families and their contributions to the art form.” — Fanie Jason (Music Photographer - Cape Town)

"South African spiritual funk gem. slick guitar, banks of horns" - Chris Albertyn (Matsuli Records)
"Dynamic South African funk. An album that will make you want to dance from start to finish" - Franck Descollonges (Heavenly Sweetness)

Hardcover Book which includes a 208-page book documenting Louisville's rich Black Gospel music legacy and access to a comprehensive digital archive.

In the mid-20th century, Louisville gospel music was occasionally recorded when members of the local gospel community pressed 45rpm records and LPs, and released them through grassroots record labels such as Sensational Sounds, Grace, Blessed, and D.J.S. Over the years, a substantial body of work was produced in our city, but those recordings are in danger of being lost forever.

The Louisville Story Program has been working with dozens of people in the local gospel music community to locate, digitize, and preserve hundreds of these recordings and to develop a book that documents and honors the legacies of the people and communities that produced them.

For decades, the passion, hard work, and support of countless people across dozens of Black church communities in Louisville have nurtured and sustained a rich gospel music ecosystem. This music has served as a central part of people's religious practice and as an expression of Black pride, joy, affirmation, love, dignity, determination, and hope. This legacy continues to this day.

With support from The Owsley Brown II Family Foundation and Owsley Brown III Philanthropic Foundation, LSP has partnered with members of the gospel community and a local advisory group of local gospel historians and luminaries:

To locate, clean, and digitize gospel records of local artists released by small local labels
To accompany the local Black gospel music community in developing a 4 CD box set that includes a 200+ page hardcover book with first-person documentation of their rich history
To create an accompanying double LP featuring 26 of those songs
To create and maintain a public-facing digital archive of 1,000 songs and 1,000 photographs
To celebrate the final release with a large concert at the Brown Theatre (September 28, 2024)

“Bumpers” is the latest EP on T4T LUV NRG by DJ Autopay, the alias of musician and DJ Russell E.L. Butler. All of these tunes were written with DJs and blending in mind—like bumper cars, they are fun yet emotionally charged and built for unexpected collisions of sound. “More Femme, More Masc” is a queer non-binary anthem with heavy Baltimore-influenced vibes, written by Russell during the pandemic in a time of peak vulnerability, their voice cracking throughout. The track is an interpretation of “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman and “Sometimes I Rhyme Slow” by Nice & Smooth but sounds like nothing we have heard before. Tropes 1, 2 & 3 are all house instrumentals in the spirit of the golden age of American house music yet interpreted through Russell’s unique lens. These cuts would have been as at home on Guidance records years ago as they are today on T4T LUV NRG, evoking the swinging dance beats and heady vibes of producers like Callisto and the early Large records by Kerri Chandler and DJ Rasoul. Russell has created something truly special for the contemporary dance floor with this timeless EP.

‘The Nature of Nature’ is the debut LP by Hanegi Koen, the Japan-based creative duo composed of British ¦lmmaker Sam King and Canadian label head Sean Mallion (ADSR Collective). Picking up where they left off with their 2021 EP ‘Well Worth A Visit’, this album continues the legacy of spaced-out ambient guitars and driving analog beats the band nicely cued up for us. It has continuity from their previous work, going even deeper this time, further de¦ning the contours of their sound. As the title suggests, Nature was a big influence on the record. Many of the track titles are from the season they were recorded in – for example, ‘Hanafubuki’, when the cherry blossoms fall, ‘Tsuyu’, the rainy season, or ‘Kaminari’ which was written during a crazy thunderstorm. The sights and sounds of those times are reflected in the tracks, with ¦eld recordings helping to supplement the atmosphere. Hanegi’s founding ethos of only using analog instruments and drum machines to compose and perform, minimizing the need for the computer as an interface, is alive and well in this album. The tracks got tested in front of an audience and improved on, based on feedback from playing them live, leading to a psychedelic, synth-rich, analog journey. “We like all things analog. We both use computers and digital screens a fair amount in our day job, so it’s nice to give our eyes a rest from that and allow the music to be created from everything we have on the table.
Similarly vinyl records, ¦lm photography, and simply walking around outside in the forest – all these things are a way of slowing down and escaping the digital world.”

Greatly influenced by the wild contrasting outdoors of their home in Japan, the mountains, forests, and ocean, ‘The Nature of Nature’ is an open invitation to unplug to reconnect, a feeling that Hanegi Koen want to share with you. Released on August 18th, on vinyl and digital via Subtempo. Credits: Written and composed by Sean Mallion and Sam King Mixed by Aoki Takamasa Mastering by Manmade Mastering Album art by Laine Butler Design by Rocco Tyndale

Released on the Sony Legacy label. If you sit and talk to many of the alternative rock artists dominating today's music you'll find that many of them pay homage to the The Psychedelic Furs. Artists as diverse as The Rapture, Annie Lennox and Buffalo Tom have all released cover versions of the band's singles. Led by front man and songwriter Richard Butler, the Furs won over fans and critics alike by combining poetic lyrics, innovative rhythms and melodies driven by an aggressive, punk desperation. Through it all, the band released seven studio albums to great commercial success and critical acclaim. The band are back playing sold out shows in the UK and return this summer for a series of gigs and festival appearances, notably as part of Meltdownon London's South Bank, curated by Robert Smith. By way of celebration Sony are reissuing all 7 of their studio albums on heavyweight 180gm vinyl in original, replica packaging, with download code insert. Promo & marketing activity.

Initium Mortis, the upcoming new album from LEFT TO DIE, sees the DEATH-inspired supergroup—including original DEATH members Terry Butler (OBITUARY) and Rick Rozz (MASSACRE)—joining Harvey (EXHUMED, GRUESOME) and Gus Rios (GRUESOME) to capture DEATH's deep, die-hard-only catalog.

Time To Get On Board A New Black Universal Express.

With each new recording Anthony Joseph presents an imaginative, personal vision of contemporary black culture, and The Ark is yet another compelling album by the award-winning Trinidadian poet and musician. This second part of a sequence of two albums launched with last year’s Rowing Up River To Get Our Names Back, finds Joseph giving full vent to his desire to explore many thought-provoking themes. However, there is a specific thread running through the glorious offering of sounds.

”I was especially interested in the idea of using Afrofuturism as a means of using the future in order to correct the wrongs of the past,” explains Joseph. “And so a lot of lyrics reimage or imagine an alternate black history. At the same time there are elements of autobiography.” The aforesaid cultural phenomenon, a view of the black experience through the prism of science fiction and ancient Egypt and Africa, as mapped out by visionaries from music and literature such as Sun Ra, Parliament-Funkadelic and Octavia E. Butler, has previously inspired Joseph. His 2006 novel The African Origins Of UFOs was a multi-hued work, and the new music shows how Joseph

has, much like all significant artists, gone on to broaden his conceptual palette, creating beguiling new stories and images set to startling rhythms and tones. Tracks such as ‘James’, with its taut, crisp bass and dubbed-up brass, and ‘Transposition Of Space (Glissant)’, a potent evocation of the influential Martiniquan theorist set in a haze of jazz guitar and ambient synthesizers, are marvels of text-sound painting.

As for ‘Baron Samedi’, shaped by a languid, almost wounded guitar line and slow rise of horns that frame Joseph’s journey to the ‘mountain of fire, almost touching the sky’ it is an epic blend of commanding vocal delivery and dramatic sonic tapestry.

Joseph led the Spasm band in the early 2000s and recorded well-received albums such as Bird Head Son and Time, in which songs were largely based on spirituals or chants enhanced by improvisation. But his musical curiosity has naturally led to collaborations, and the new work is produced by Dave Okumu, the prodigiously talented guitarist-vocalist-composer known as the leader of Mercury Music Prize-nominated The Invisible, and who was also a member of the seminal band Jade Fox.

Having first performed together at a show curated by influential saxophonist-flautist Shabaka Hutchings at the storied Total Refreshment Centre In London during lockdown, Joseph and Okumu struck up a rapport that further developed when the former guested on he latter’s album. With the connection made Joseph knew Okumu was the ideal producer for this latest project, which has a freewheeling, almost black psychedelic thing. After sifting through demos and loops the guitarist made on pro-tools the poet started to live with the music. Many months later words began to take shape. Joseph then went into the studio with Okumu’s band and set about creating a magnum opus. Boasting a stellar cast such as vocalist Eska Mtungwazi, trumpeter Byron Wallen and keyboardist Nick Ramm, The Ark is a highly intricate musical mosaic framed by simmering funk grooves, wily jazz improvisation and haunting dub effects. Through the use of many genres the music has simply become its own genre.

The Ark can be perceived as a vessel or means of transport to new worlds, along the lines of Sun Ra’s Ark or Funkadelic’s Mothership, and the material it contains is a unique blend of who Anthony Joseph is and how he sees the world and society in these stimulating, challenging times. “It balances the personal with the universal in a much more vulnerable, accessible way than on previous albums,” Joseph explains.

“It has become less about a personal experience and more about a collective, communal experience in which the artist is conduit, messenger, urban griot.”

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

Fast zwanzig Jahre nach ihrem einzigen Studioalbum veröffentlichen die britisch-amerikanischen HeavyMetal-Giganten Heaven & Hell – bestehend aus Tony Iommi und Geezer Butler von Black Sabbath sowie
den Ex-Sabbath-Größen Ronnie James Dio und Vinny Appice – 2025 eine neue Box mit ihrem legendären
Album „The Devil You Know“ und zwei bei den Fans beliebten Live-Aufnahmen aus der Radio City Music
Hall und vom Wacken Open Air Festival.
Die vier Mitglieder von Heaven & Hell tourten und nahmen von 1980 bis 1982 und von 1991 bis 1992
als Black Sabbath gemeinsam auf. Dio hatte damals den Black-Sabbath-Gründungssänger Ozzy Osbourne
und Appice den Gründungs-Schlagzeuger Bill Ward ersetzt. Der Bandname leitet sich vom gleichnamigen
Album „Heaven and Hell“ aus dem Jahr 1980 ab. Diese Deluxe-CD- und LP-Boxsets enthalten die komplette Diskografie von Heaven & Hell und die letzten Aufnahmen von Ronnie James Dio vor seinem Tod.
„Live From Radio City Music Hall“ erscheint erstmals vollständig auf Vinyl, und die einzelnen Konzertfilme
wurden in HD hochskaliert und erstmals auf einer hochauflösenden Blu-ray zusammengestellt. „The Devil
You Know“ enthält außerdem drei seltene Bonustracks, die bisher noch nie auf Vinyl erhältlich waren.

FUMU christens the promising new label Return To Zero (RTZ) with »Funeral Rites on Planet Saturn«, the surrendering sophomore album from Nigerian artist, self-described »negro-producer«, hedonist, and iconoclast LINTD. With production collaboration from Porter Brook and features from Samrai (Swing Ting), Porter Brook, Sam Scott Francis (GOMID), Rizmi, and Imani Jendai.

LINTD’s work emerges as a call and response between the tender, dynamic sounds of Black music across history and the surreal reality of contemporary, vulnerable Black life – a haunting dialogue. These themes are catalysed in the Black Impossible LP Trilogy, reclaiming Black utopia through sound technologies via »Smooch Soundsystem Live at The White Hotel« for Second Born (Kop-Z, Porter Brook), and »DOGTOOTH. And Other Such Tales of the Macabre« on The White Hotel’s HEAD II outlet.

While earlier works engaged with the mania, joy, and paranoia of this impossible experience, »Funeral Rites on Planet Saturn« arrives at a soulful conclusion, allowing grief to tell a truer story. In the vein of Sun Ra, Alice Coltrane, and Octavia Butler, LINTD introduces the speculative planet Saturn as a site where impossible Black being across the world can come and rest: a site for liberation and emancipation.

»This one is an act of care towards myself, and hopefully others like me. I have proven everything I want to prove this year; this one is my elixir from all the lonely grief, a place of rest.«

In 1962, Black Music was making its transition from R&B to soul and the Chicago music industry was exploding, producing thousands of records and dozens of new labels. The two biggest black labels Vee-Jay and Chess led in the creation of the distinctive, smooth, Chicago soul brand with names familiar and not so familiar: the former with Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler and the latter with Mitty Collier, Etta James and Billy Stewart. And yet it's the smaller labels that make up the bulk of the Chicago story: Hawk with Geraldine Taylor, Lu-Cee with Roberta, M-Pac with Dorothy Prince and it's here that we explore some of the finest sounds of the era in this collection. Extensive liner notes written by Robert Pruter, author of the acclaimed 'Chicago Soul'. Side One. 1. The Town I Live In - McKinley Mitchell 2. I'm The One Who Loves You - The Impressions 3. Shake A Tail Feather - The Five Du-Tones 4. Mama Didn't Lie - Jan Bradley 5. Make It Easy On Yourself - Jerry Butler 6. Seven Day Fool - Etta James 7. The Blues Don't Like Nobody - Tony Adams 8. I've Got To Get Away From It All - Mitty Collier 9. How Much Longer - Geraldine Taylor 10. I'm On The Prowl - Roberta. Side Two: 1. Fat Boy - Billy Stewart 2. Can't Take No More - Ted Taylor 3. I Don't Want To Suffer - Walter Jackson 4. Open Your Heart - Sugar Pie DeSanto 5. Shook Up Over You - Dee Clark 6. Something's Got A Hold On Me - Etta James 7. Why Not Tonight - Dorothy Prince 8. Delilah - Major Lance 9. Money In My Pocket - Moss Tolbert

By 1968, Soul music is fully in the ascendant, with some of the tracks getting funkier and funkier - no Blues or R & B any more. So this album of music from the Lone Star state continues the tradition of mixing up big star artists with lesser known singers - plenty of uptempo dancers and a few delicious ballads for a change of pace. Definitely the best of Texas ‘68!

Limited Green LP is for Indies only. all LPs include a DL card. Island Family is the fifth album from Isle-of-Eigg dwelling electro-acoustic psych-pop wonder Pictish Trail, AKA Johnny Lynch. A strange, unpredictable, sardonic and yet deeply personal record inspired by all from Fever Ray to The Flaming Lips, Liars, Mercury Rev and Beck, Island Family is Pictish Trail's contrarian view of arcadia; a search for the euphoric in the bucolic, bound up in sometimes conflicting ideas and feelings around nature and environment, sincerity and artifice, escapism and belonging. It's an album about how no man can remain an island, however hard he might try. Released by Fire Records, with support from Johnny's own label Lost Map, and produced by long-term collaborator Rob Jones (The Voluntary Butler Scheme, The Gene Dudley Group), 'Island Family' opens with its title track, a song of death, ghosts and the ties that bind, fusing abrasive electronic beats with a tongue-in-cheek fireside folk refrain and the haunted ice cream van melody of a digitally reincarnated traditional Scottish jig. A purgative surrender to nature's whim driven by a clattering machine drumbeat rolled in a puddle of filthy dirty fuzz, 'Natural Successor' is five-and-a-half-minutes of cathartic churning bass. 'In The Land of The Dead' is an eight-bit glitch-core reflection on island party excesses spasming into existential dread and regret, suitably accompanied by a funereal mariachi band. It's followed by the epic 'It Came Back', the understated verses and arms-aloft falsetto chorus of which are accompanied by a tense, foreboding bass-driven electro hip hop instrumental with (spoiler) a brain-shattering industrial-metal meltdown. 'Melody Something' is the album's purest moment, a cautiously uplifting solar-powered-ballad about losing track of time in the cycle of the seasons, and the gap between memory and reality. Shapeshifting closer 'Remote Control' is a channel hopping cabin-fever-dream flipping from warped boyband ballad to deep-fried fuzz pop. "One of my favourite artists" Lauren Laverne, BBC 6 Music

[a] A1 Cabin Talk Feat. Giancarlo Esposito [album Intro]










[l] A12 Believe (In Him) [feat. Lady Stout And K. Butler & The Collective]


[o] A15 Just How It Is (Sometimes) [feat. Jay Pharoah & Gareth Donkin]



[s] A19 Day In The Sun (Gettin' Wit U) [feat. Q-Tip & Yummy Bingham]

Debut studio album by the British soul singer, who topped the BBC's Sound of 2012 list. Produced by Paul Butler, the lead singer of indie rock band The Bees, the album debuted at #4 in the UK Albums Chart and features the singles 'I'm Getting Ready' and 'Home Again'.

Will Butler, known for his work with Arcade Fire, has composed the original score for the Broadway play Stereophonic. The play, set in the 1970s, explores the dynamics of a rock band on the brink of success or collapse. Butler’s score authentically captures the era, using period-specific instruments and recording techniques to evoke the raw energy of 1970s rock.. He recorded the parts with the original cast from Stereophonic, including Will Brill, Andrew R. Butler, Juliana Canfield, Eli Gelb, Tom Pecinka, Sarah Pidgeon, and Chris Stack. The production received acclaim from critics and no less than 13 nominations at the 77th Tony Awards, taking home five, including Best New Play. Stereophonic now holds the record for the most Tony nominations by a play. Stereophonic is available as a limited edition on translucent yellow coloured vinyl and includes an insert.

Bert At the BBC is a comprehensive collection of Jansch’s appearances at the BBC, featuring over eight hours of rare and unreleased recordings, including live-on-air spots, studio sessions and full concerts straight from the BBC vaults, delving further into this legendary performer’s canon. Bert Jansch was the very essence of folk music, providing inspiration for everyone from Paul Simon and Neil Young to Led Zeppelin and countless folk revivalists. This unparalleled limited-edition compendium is available as a 4xLP and 8xCD set, housed in a coffee-table book set with a lavish 40-page book tracing the recordings from Bert’s earliest moments at the BBC. It includes interviews and insights from Lauren Laverne, Jools Holland, Johnny Marr, Jacqui McShee, Bob Harris, Bernard Butler, Mark Radcliffe and many more. Twenty broadcasters, producers and collaborators contribute at length to the booklet, with great affection for this gentle, maverick genius. Bert’s BBC legacy remains the most significant and exciting untapped reservoir of his music. The undeniable advantage of recordings made for broadcast is that they were, by their nature, created for public consumption and, barring live-on-air appearances – which might go well or go badly, but were going out either way – were explicitly signed-off by the artist as representations of his art that were good enough to be heard. The set is compiled by Colin Harper, author of Dazzling Stranger: Bert Jansch and the British folk and blues revival (Bloomsbury, 2000), who contributes detailed liner notes to the package. The release is mastered by IFTA award-winning engineer Cormac O’Kane. The vinyl release features 48 tracks on LP and is accompanied by a download card with over six hours of extras spanning 1966–2009, including BBC4’s St Luke’s concert (2003), and a complete Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh concert (2004) for BBC Radio Scotland. It is also available as a special 8xCD set containing all 147 tracks and encased within a coffee-table book. Bert Jansch At The BBC is an epic and enduring trail, 45 years in the making. “He was that rarity, a musician who really did deserve to be regarded as a legend.” The Guardian // “As a guitar player there was no one like him. He was jazz and blues and folk but there was a whole world in there that was just him, esoteric”

Die Musik von Bobby Krlic (aka The Haxan Cloak) und Daniel Pemberton für den Film Eddington auf rot-blauem Split-Vinyl. Mit Original-Artwork von Matt McCormick. Kommt mit einem ,Keep Honking"-Autoaufkleber. Eddington ist eine schwarze Komödie und ein moderner Horror-Western von Ari Aster. Der Film mit Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler und Joaquin Phoenix in den Hauptrollen spielt in einer Kleinstadt in New Mexico während der Corona-Pandemie. Der Film feierte im Mai 2025 bei den Internationalen Filmfestspielen in Cannes seine Premiere und wurde dort für die Goldene Palme nominiert und kam im Juli 2025 in die US-amerikanischen und im November 2025 in die deutschen Kinos.

Hercules & Love Affair music has always been about folding past, present and future together – and never more so than in the latest phase, encapsulated by the track that launches things, “Someone Else is Calling.”

If the song-first, ultra-gothic mind-movie of the last H&LA album In Amber was partly motivated by Andy Butler falling out of love with dance culture, this new body of work – an EP titled Someone Else Is Calling – is an unabashed resurgence of the love affair. A co-production with London underground veteran and inspiration to Butler, Quinn Whalley of Paranoid London and Decius, the lead single is a surging, tactile acid track woven around the vocal of Icelandic icon Hips & Lips aka Elín Ey – who hits that new wave disco sweet spot between Grace Jones and Yazoo era Alison Moyet.

Elín’s lyrics work perfectly with the bodily momentum of the sounds, circling around themes of self-possession and the urge to move on to the next experience, the next sensation: hunger for reality. And this taps into Andy’s feelings on escaping New York and moving to Belgium, discovering that dance culture was anything but the hollowed-out, identikit-festival-lineup conveyor belt he’d feared, and still had plenty of outposts where it was still – as he’d first experience it as a teen – about the hot, sweaty reality of diverse people seeking communion, communication and heightened ways of being in the here and now.

The video, filmed by Tatsumi Milori couldn’t be a better expression of exactly this. A love letter to the strange and glorious party scene of Mexico City, it captures people who are both tapping into the eternal verities of those magical dancefloor communions, and thrilling – against all the odds of oppressive forces – at the sense of possibility in the flow of gender and sexuality in the present moment. It’s powered by innocence and experience as intertwined forces, and it amplifies the heartbeat of the song a thousandfold. There will be more, much more, to follow from the partnership of Andy, Elín and Quinn. It digs deeper still into the decades of dance and other underground cultures that feed into this modern moment – but this shining beacon should give you a pretty good hint.

Someone Else Is Calling will arrive on one of Los Angeles’s most exciting new independent labels and creative hubs, StrataSonic, on December 14. The lead single of the same name, along with the music video directed by Tatsumi Milori, is out now. This marks the first collaboration between Hercules & Love Affair and Stratasonic.

15 soul classics from the greatest artists of the genre including James Brown, Barry White, Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye.

Available on LP format - comes with Japanese obi-strip.

Jamaica's national treasure. Legendary Jamaican Jazz. Internationally acclaimed guitarist Ernest Ranglin with piano genius Leslie Butler in a dazzling quartet. Recorded in 1965. Ernest Ranglin is a guitar player who represents Jamaica as well as one of the forefront personals who took Jamaican music to the world. As an arranger and a musical director, he contributed with his talent in the development of Jamaican music, including Ska and Reggae, from the origins. Musicians who have started their career at the time, still look up to him as a mentor and pay their respects. The internationally acclaimed guitarist Ernest Ranglin is currently pursuing his career without any musical boundaries at the age of over 80.

---

Musicians:GUITAR: Ernest Ranglin, BASS: Stephen Lauz, DRUMS: Carl Mcleod, PIANO: Leslie Butler.

Produced by K. Khouri.

Recorded at Federal Studio.

Get ready to trim your tree with a rollicking mix of mid-century Rhythm & Blues holiday gems. This vinyl is packed with everything from soulful longing to boisterous celebration, featuring legendary artists like Charles Brown's heart-wrenching "Please Come Home for Christmas" and the Dominoes' gorgeous "Christmas in Heaven" with a young Jackie Wilson on vocals. Dive into the bluesy mischief of Jimmy Butler's playful "Trim Your Tree" and the fiery gospel of Marvin Williams' "When Was Jesus Born." From the sweet soul stomp of Big Dee Irwin & Little Eva's "I Wish You a Merry Christmas" to Lightnin' Hopkins' funky "Happy New Year," each track captures a unique holiday spirit. This lively collection is sure to be a December favourite, filled with both cheer and heartbreak, grit and grace_an unforgettable Christmas party on vinyl!

Pink vinyl. Get ready to trim your tree with a rollicking mix of mid-century Rhythm & Blues holiday gems. This vinyl is packed with everything from soulful longing to boisterous celebration, featuring legendary artists like Charles Brown's heart-wrenching "Please Come Home for Christmas" and the Dominoes' gorgeous "Christmas in Heaven" with a young Jackie Wilson on vocals. Dive into the bluesy mischief of Jimmy Butler's playful "Trim Your Tree" and the fiery gospel of Marvin Williams' "When Was Jesus Born." From the sweet soul stomp of Big Dee Irwin & Little Eva's "I Wish You a Merry Christmas" to Lightnin' Hopkins' funky "Happy New Year," each track captures a unique holiday spirit. This lively collection is sure to be a December favourite, filled with both cheer and heartbreak, grit and grace_an unforgettable Christmas party on vinyl!

First time on vinyl reissue of this indiepop classic, 15 years after its original release.

Living & Growing was the debut album from The Felt Tips, a Glasgow-based indiepop band that gloriously combined gritty lyrics with sublime jangly guitars. Set For October 17th Vinyl-Only Reissue On Unspun Heroes.

• A band synonymous with the 2010’s indiepop renaissance
• Ten melodious, infectious and utterly unforgettable songs
• Reissued for the first time on EcoVin™ Bio Vinyl

October might not appear to be the ideal time to release a bright and sunny set of songs, but autumnal days bring a mix of dark and light that perfectly matches the overall vibe of the debut album by the jangly indiepop band, The Felt Tips.
 
The Felt Tips debut album was originally released by Peruvian label Plastilina Records in 2010 to much acclaim in the international indiepop scene. The ten songs are crammed full of catchy melodies and chiming guitar riffs, with memorable lyrics covering everything from religious hypocrisy (Boyfriend Devoted) to what teenagers get up to in the park after dark (Lifeskills).
 
It’s clear that these four lads grew up listening to The Smiths – not only name-checking the 80’s indie darling’s frontman and his ever-expanding girth but also deftly leaning into similar unconventional lyrical themes. And while there’s an obvious Belle and Sebastian comparison being Scottish, musically the enigmatic and skillful guitar playing from Miguel Navarro owes more to Bernard Butler and Johnny Marr – and his talents learning flamenco guitar in his native Spain. The weaving of the guitar’s melodic musical backdrop, alongside the pulse of Kevin Carroll’s inventive drumming and Neil Masson’s intricate bass playing, is what truly elevates The Felt Tips.

 And it’s this juxtaposition of bright melodic tunes from the band and the exploration of the darker side of human nature conjured by Andrew Paterson’s lyrics makes The Felt Tips such a noteworthy addition to the indiepop scene.

Originally recorded at CaVa Sound in Glasgow, the album has been remastered and cut for vinyl by Guy Davie at Electric Mastering, and pressed on INEOS EcoVin™ Bio Vinyl at Press On Vinyl in Middlesbrough. New liner notes have been written by Roque Ruiz, the owner of legendary US-based indiepop label, Cloudberry Records. An extremely limited selection of the reissued albums will ship alongside a make-your-own cardboard rose sculpture created by London-based indie illustrator and maker, Hey Kids Rock ‘n Roll.

Sdban Records is proud to announce the first official reissue of Coal Mining, the 1978 debut album by Dutch jazz pianist René van Helsdingen. This album marks a significant milestone-the beginning of van Helsdingen's decades-spanning career as an innovative and independent musician.

Born in 1957 in Jakarta, Indonesia, but holding Dutch nationality, René van Helsdingen began classical piano studies in the Netherlands in the early 1960s. While initially following in his family's footsteps by enrolling in mining engineering at the Technical University of Delft, his passion for music ultimately prevailed. His academic path may have diverged, but it set the stage, both figuratively and literally, for what would become an extraordinary musical career.

Coal Mining was originally released on Munich Records, a respected Dutch jazz and roots label founded by music producer and musician Job Zomer. The album features a blend of jazz influences from giants such as Oscar Peterson, McCoy Tyner, and Bill Evans, and showcases van Helsdingen's distinctive voice as a composer and pianist at the very start of his professional journey.

The record includes contributions from a rich ensemble of musicians, including Wim Essed (bass), Klaus Flenter (guitar), Børge Ring (double bass), Henk Zomer (drums), Martijn Nesenberend (drums), Dick Pluim (bass), and even a student orchestra formed during van Helsdingen's time at Delft University.

Often mistakenly referred to as Piano, a result of the album's back cover design prominentlyfeaturing the word, Coal Mining is both a literal and symbolic title. It alludes not only to van Helsdingen's brief academic past, but to the depth and labor of jazz creation itself: layered, gritty, and forged under pressure.

A year after the album's release, van Helsdingen moved to Los Angeles to continue his jazz studies. While living in Hollywood, he shared a house with future musical collaborators including Kent Brinkley, Essiet Okon Essiet, Brian Batie, John Rigby, Edmond Allmond, David Best and John Butler. Even in the early stages of his career, van Helsdingen displayed the entrepreneurial spirit that would define his path, self-releasing albums and even pioneering an early form of crowdfunding by selling 400 ad spaces on a record sleeve to finance an LP project. After his jazz studies in Los Angeles, he performed extensively in Europe, Canada, the U.S., Australia and Asia, often traveling with his own 'Stage bus', which housedboth a stage and instruments.

In August 2018, van Helsdingen was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Despite the physical challenges brought on by the condition, he continues to perform and compose music. His openness about the diagnosis-shared publicly in a 2019 documentary-has helped raise awareness of Parkinson's and the role of creativity and improvisation as tools for resilience.

Now, nearly five decades after its initial release, Coal Mining is finally receiving a well-deserved reissue. Introducing a new generation of listeners to the raw talent and visionary beginnings of a true European jazz original.

Zwei Garagen-Generationen treffen aufeinander! Reverend Beat-Man, das Schweizer Ein-Mann-Orchester und der König des Blues Trash, trifft auf Milan Slick, eine echt dunkle Seele und vielleicht Reinkarnation von Nick Cave (ach, noch zugegen)/Johnny Thunders, um Rock'n'Roll zu spielen, der so frisch und lebendig, wild und düster ist wie nie zuvor. Reverend Beat-Man und Milan Slick lernten sich 2020 inmitten der Pandemie kennen, als sie einen Soundtrack für den Vampirfilm "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" von Ana Lily Amirpour schrieben. Zusammen spielten sie Gigs bei Super Sonic Records oder im legendären SO36 in Berlin, um dann gemeinsam mit Beatrice Graf und Benjamin Glaus ein Album unter dem Namen "Reverend Beat-Man & The Underground" zu produzieren (im Rahmen des Rocklette PALP Festivals), eine makabre Tanzparty zum Untergang der Menschheit. Als Nächstes nahmen der superprimitive Rock 'n` Roll-Trash-Hi-Energy-Lo-Fi Reverend Beat-Man und der raffinierte, clevere, verspielte und düstere Milan Slick ihr erstes gemeinsames Album im ehemaligen Züri West Studio mit Sebastian Zwahlen und dem einzigartigen Robert Butler von Miracle Workers auf. Reverend Beat-Man ist eigentlich eine Ein-Mann-Band mit einer Mission: Blues-Trash und wilden Rock'n'Roll. Geboren 1967 in Bern, Schweiz, im Sommer der Liebe und des Hasses, ist er seit 1992 auf Tour, zuerst als Lightning Beat-Man, dann als Reverend Beat-Man One-Man-Band und mit seiner Band The Monsters. Er spielte in ganz Europa, Nord- und Südamerika, Japan, Vietnam, Neuseeland, Australien, Afrika, CBGBs, Montreux Jazz, Muddy Roots usw. Er ist der Gründer von Voodoo Rhythm Records (1992). Wäre er Politiker, würden ihn sogar seine Feinde respektieren (die Regierung). Er wurde 2014 für den Schweizer Musikpreis nominiert, gewann den lokalen Musikpreis als einflussreichster Musiker in Bern (Hauptstadt der Schweiz) und betreibt dort einen Platten- und Souvenirladen. Der Singer-Songwriter Milan Slick (Jahrgang 2004) steht noch ganz am Anfang seiner Karriere, hat aber bereits mit namhaften Künstlern wie Mario Batkovic oder Birdman Jäggi oder seiner eigenen Band Fatigues zusammengearbeitet. In seiner Musik sind Einflüsse von u.a. Nick Cave bis David Bowie zu hören, aber auch, dass sich eine eigenwillige junge Stimme herauskristallisiert, von der wir in Zukunft hoffentlich noch viel hören werden. Als Classic Black or limitiertes Glow In The Dark Vinyl, jeweils mit vierseitigem A4-Insert & DLC, Digisleeve-CD, Kassette sowie Tonband mit Extras erhältlich!