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Winner of the Gold Medal at the 2024 Jazz Audio Disc Awards, a jazz critic magazine!
This best-of album features selections from three of Alessandro Galati's most talked-about albums!
Alessandro Galati, a master of Italian jazz who has released numerous albums on Terashima Records, released his standards collection "Plays Standards" series
at the end of 2024, following "European Walkabout," a collection of European traditional music, and "Portrait in Black and White," a collection of Jobim's classic
bossa nova works. All three albums (23 tracks) of Galati's standards collection, released at the end of 2024, are now being released simultaneously! The album
won the Gold Medal at the 2024 Jazz Audio Disc Awards, a jazz critic magazine magazine, and caused a stir. This long-awaited best-of album, featuring selected
tracks from the three albums, is finally being released on limited-edition vinyl. Enjoy this collection of gentle, warm, and beautiful standards, woven with a touch
that evokes the warmth of human skin and refined phrasing.

Alessandro Galati - piano
Ares Tavolazzi - bass
Bernardo Guerra - drums

Following the release of the 7-inch "La Tua Amica Più Cara / Corteggiamento Lento" last September, Marengo is thrilled to announce Lumiero's debut LP, Il Primo Grande Disco Di Lumiero. Distributed by Four Flies Records, the album will be available starting Friday 5 December.

Featuring a timeless voice and a sophisticated touch, Lumiero sends poetic postcards from Milan and its Barona district that expertly blend auteur pop, chanson, and 60s exotica. Born in '97, Lumiero is the city's new chansonnier. Drawing inspiration from both the core and fringes of Milanese life, he offers a romantic, nuanced, yet playfully irreverent look at contemporary Italy and its profound longing for new horizons.

Marquis's compositions and arrangements provide the perfect backdrop for Lumiero's captivating melodies, acting as both canvas and frame. Meanwhile, the lyrics explore passionate romances, fleeting summer escapades, and a nation striving to reconnect with its core identity.

Moving between exotic waltzes and theatrical atmospheres, Lumiero's full-length debut is imbued with lightheartedness, underpinned by elegant songwriting and vocals that combine irony and melancholy. Living fully in the present but rooted in tradition, the album's tracks are little musical gems that bridge eras and generations, infusing the classic style of Italian songs with a modern, elegant, and cinematic quality.

And so, as time comes full circle, we find ourselves at a new beginning.

SPFDJ steps up for her long-awaited debut EP, Heel Thyself, out Friday 7th November on Intrepid Skin.

A core figure in grassroots techno circuits, and an internationally lauded DJ, SPFDJ's ascent reflects a passion for music governed by love and grit in equal measure. At once providing a gleefully chaotic two-fingers to dance music's self-serious establishment, whilst also flexing an ever-expanding knowledge of its roots and potentials, her musical armoury is renowned the world over for inspiring debauchery and sweat-soaked hedonism.

As an artist whose journey has been defined by challenging the norms of electronic music, SPFDJ's rebel spirit is recognised locally and globally, but guiding this attitude is a vulnerability to the realities of the music industry, and the rise of conservatism that permeates every aspect of life. And whilst sensitive to the use of buzzwords like community, it's ultimately a respect for the people who keep these scenes alive that motivates her artistry.

In releasing this EP, she taps into a more vulnerable side. The title - a nod to internal healing processes, and a play on words to motivate queers and women to 'boot up for battle' against increasingly oppressive structures - shines a light on some of the values she holds up to electronic music culture. At once playfully chaotic and deeply energising, Heel Thyself spins us through a cyclone of kicks, punches, and noise.

Opener 'Cluster B Intro' is a tempo-twisting barrage of gabber led by a robotic vocal command, setting the scene for pretty much anything to happen. 'That Stiletto Track' kicks in like a tweaked out distortion of 90s trance before spiralling upwards into a storm of heavy breaks. 'F*ckboi' is hot n heavy electro - classic in its structure, but with the added industrial touch of hammerdrill synths and razor sharp percussion. Swinging into a bouncier state, 'The Hot in Psychotic' flings ricocheting rhythms through frantic claps, with a donk to keep things moving. Rounding things off, 'Mindless Counting' flies higher with pummeling drums lifted by a touch of euphoria.

A debut laced with both defiance and self-reckoning, Heel Thyself finds the rebel looking inwards - vulnerable, but sharpened and ready.

Liverpool-based DJ and production duo North 90 channel the raw energy of classic electro on their new EP, Panorama, via M.A.D Records. Fusing punchy drum programming, funk-laced basslines, and icy synth textures, the release pays homage to the genre’s old-school roots while keeping one foot firmly in the modern club landscape.

Acclaimed Scottish composer Craig Armstrong releases his new work Pacific via his own label CMA Records. Written for piano, cello, and electronics, the three-movement piece was originally commissioned in December 2024 by Christian Kellersman, a pioneering figure in contemporary classical and jazz music, for his new live event series Berlin Confidential, co-curated with Alexander Szlovák. The series aims to promote innovative new music projects, with a particular focus on emerging musicians and composers.

Armstrong was among the first artists invited to perform as part of Berlin Confidential, premiering Pacific at Berlin’s historic Meistersaal concert hall in March 2025. The concert featured Armstrong on piano alongside cellist Lena Angelina von Almen and producer and musician Guy Sternberg, combining acoustic instruments with live electro-acoustic treatments to create a rich and atmospheric sound world.

Recorded in May 2025 at Lowswing Studios in Kreuzberg, Pacific continues Armstrong’s ongoing exploration of blending acoustic and electronic sound in a natural, seamless way. Over several days in the studio, Armstrong, von Almen and Sternberg developed the work’s intricate textures and dynamic interplay, resulting in a recording that captures both the intimacy and expansiveness of the original live performance.

Speaking about the inspiration behind the piece, Armstrong says: “I wrote this work during a time of great instability in the world, I wrote “Pacific” as an Elegy dedicated to the many suffering in today’s conflicts and in the hope that peace will prevail.”

Across its three movements, Pacific 1 is elegiac in nature, with the main themes stated and developed throughout the piece, punctuated by recurring piano motifs. The movement is reflective and atmospheric, with subtle electronic interventions. The second movement is arrhythmic in nature, following shifting time signatures that reflect a sense of uncertainty - the music is searching and static, ending without resolution but leaving hope for one to come. Pacific 3 moves towards peace and resolution, bringing the work to a close with quiet strength and emotional release.

When speaking about the creative process and his collaborators, Armstrong said: “Lena’s beautiful playing , tone and expression worked so beautifully on Pacific, Lena was also a great collaborator and was always willing to experiment and try new musical approaches. Lena is such a natural musician and she brought so much emotion and beauty to the piece. I wish her all the best in her future musical journey.”

He continues: Guy is a unique combination of being a brilliant engineer and mixer and a prolific very talented musician/composer. I was very fortunate to spend time with Guy in his studio in Berlin. His sensitivity to the project and his electronic programming made a wonderful contribution to the composition. His collaboration and friendship made the days working in Berlin such a great experience I would like to thank Emma Ford for her dedication, enthusiasm and guidance on Pacific”

For both von Almen and Sternberg, the collaboration was equally meaningful. Von Almen reflects on the experience of recording the piece, saying: “As a musician, it is always a great privilege to work on a piece together with the composer, and of course I felt even luckier to go through the process of creating something new with an artist like Craig Armstrong. Figuratively speaking, it felt like knitting a silk scarf: using the finest materials and taking the utmost care during the recording, we have realised another beautiful and touching work by Craig, which will bring us and certainly many others great joy. I feel very honoured to have been part of this and to have experienced this warm encounter.”

Sternberg adds: “Diving into Armstrong’s music while working on this record felt like examining a diamond under a microscope, discovering endless beauty within simplicity. Perfection and complexity emerging from simplicity, where every note, tone, noise, and gesture has meaning. I’m deeply grateful to have been part of this process, and for the freedom Craig gave me to express myself through his music, to let our sonic visions merge into one. It’s been both a lesson in music-making and in setting the ego aside, if only for a moment.”

Reflecting Armstrong’s belief in the role of music as a force for empathy and reflection, proceeds from Pacific will be donated to charities working towards peace: Médecins Sans Frontières and the Red Cross.

The limited-edition vinyl release has been pressed on Eco Vinyl at SeaBass Vinyl, a sustainable plant near Edinburgh. The record features striking cover art by Dirk Rudolph, who has designed several of Armstrong’s previous releases.

A glimpse through the window into the mind of Ox Omni, No Prayers to the Devil is a declaration of war against all things ungodly—an unflinching, uncompromising statement from an artist who refuses to bow. Fully produced by 94Maax and mixed/mastered by Shiggy, the album weaves razor-sharp lyricism through haunting samples, crisp drumwork, and cinematic textures. Ox Omni blends street wisdom with introspective storytelling, delivering a project that is both raw and thought-provoking.

The album features carefully curated guest appearances that enhance its immersive atmosphere. RocxNoir joins on “Paid in Full,” Rome Streetz lends his presence to “Kitchen Counter,” and Daniel Son adds his touch to *“Favorite Episode.” Each collaboration amplifies the album’s dynamic range, seamlessly shifting between moments of darkness and revelation.

The striking album artwork, created by Stab Master Arson, reinterprets Friedrich August Moritz Retzsch’s classic painting Checkmate, reinforcing the album’s core themes of power struggles, fate, and the fight for one’s soul. Just as the painting portrays a man locked in a high-stakes chess match against the devil, No Prayers to the Devil finds Ox Omni navigating the trials of life with unwavering conviction.

With its eerie production, calculated lyricism, and masterful sequencing, No Prayers to the Devil is a gripping body of work that cements Ox Omni’s place in the modern underground scene.

Just one year and 13 days after their critically acclaimed debut Colorful White Lies, Bergen- based rock band Electric High return with their second album Free to Go. While the debut was a manifestation of the band's first five years of existence, Free to Go is quite the opposite: written, rehearsed and recorded at breakneck speed, the album bursts with freshness, spontaneity and raw energy. Ahead of the release, Electric High have already dropped three singles - Thick as Thieves, Ain't Got Nothing But Time (watch music video) and the title track Free to Go - each showcasing different sides of the record, from singalong anthems to heavier, more hard-hitting rock. Free to Go expands on the band's signature sound: an explosive blend of classic and modern rock. Expect infectious choruses inspired by Aerosmith, Whitesnake and AC/DC, dark riffs echoing Black Sabbath, a touch of 70s glam and punk attitude - along with flavours of contemporary rock à la Arctic Monkeys and Royal Blood. The result is an album that feels both timeless and fresh, balancing melody with sheer power.

Hector Lavoe's "Alejate" (Joe Claussell Mix) Extremely Limited yellow Vinyl repress 12” of the timeless Joe Claussell remixes of the Fania Records masterpiece.

Legendary New York DJ, producer and soul magician Joe Claussell delivers yet another of his stunning reworks of one of Hector Lavoe's Iconic Songs the classic "Alejate." Taken from him universally praised Hammock House Remix produced for the Iconic Fania Records Label. As usual, he brings his signature touch while honoring the original's spirit and with great respect for its Latin roots. Claussell still manages to breathe new life into the track by mixing up organic rhythms and
percussive flair to create a version tailor-made for any dance floor. There is a Dance Dub with a heavier low end and plenty of jazzy expression before the Alt instrumental shuts down. This is a 12" that bridges tradition and modernity with care and creativity.

Fin" is the fourth album by Spanish band Exnovios, a group that has been described as a blend of Spacemen 3 influences and the best of Spanish '60s pop. The new dozen songs that make up their fourth LP happily shifts away a bit from to the usual unbeatable formula of this Pamplona-based quartet (garage reverbcore as if sung by Spanish legends Juan y Junior) and add new and fascinating layers-at once fresh yet entirely logical in the evolution of such a unique band within the local scene. Exnovios' new collection of songs wasn't created in a rehearsal space or recorded in a single week in the studio. Rather, it was composed and rehearsed slowly in bedrooms and living rooms-songs that were later brought into the studio with the idea of finishing building them there. Over the course of nearly a year, the band approached each song one by one, in a handcrafted manner, alongside their trusted ally, producer Guillermo Mutiloa. The result is a treasure trove of songs, perhaps more psych-folk than ever, as acoustic pieces abound-full of exquisite melodies without abandoning the consciousness-expanding journeys that have made Exnovios a cult favorite: from the instant classic 'Nubes' (with its very Byrds-like harmonies and gorgeous twelve-string acoustic guitar), to the delightful Big Star-style fiction of 'El cine se queda en silencio', or even the fabulous cover of Stephin Merritt's 'Tú tú tú tú.' These are often drumless tracks, perhaps with some light percussion, always featuring detailed and exquisite arrangements of guitar, electronics, percussion, and even touches of strings. And despite the reduced presence of drums (which, along with the laid-back recording approach, makes this almost Exnovios' "White Album"), fans of the band's legendary fuzz-guitar reverbcore sound won't be disappointed: there's the psychedelic 'Viaje Alucinante', full of their classic riffs; their brutal cover of Psychic TV's 'Godstar' (drenched in echo and eccentric vocal effects); and the perfectly crafted 'Naves Misteriosas', which pulls off the impossible feat of sounding like 'Cerca de las Estrellas'-era Los Pekenikes in the verses, Phil Spector in the chorus, and the Ramones in the post-chorus. And there's much more: percussion reminiscent of the most 'baggy' Primal Scream on the brilliant 'Aún no es tarde'; love lyrics wrapped in an exquisite drum machine soaked in reverb and Suicide-style Farfisa on 'Ha venido a quedarse'; the beautiful two-chord electronic Christmas carol 'Ya es Navidad'; and that lysergic waltz that sings of the peace brought by karmic revenge, carried along by waves of fuzz and delay, titled 'El día del juicio final.' "Fin" reveals more sides and nuances of Exnovios than ever before-a festival of eclectic styles that all remain true to the musical vision that has defined them over the past decade, with their melodic powers at the peak of their talent.

Sex Tags UFO presents the second instalment of the non stop ongoing HOUSE music collaboration between the Burger man and DJ Sommer! Music created as house music as a FEELING!

Another four track EP smashing out some fine underground house music, all with the mix of DJ Sommers studio skills and old-school hardware approach, and the Burger man's wonky touch! The almost weekly live session recorded in DJ Sommer's studio, then arranged and mixed at Casa de Fett bare some fruits, and here is their first record!

The first track on this EP, a deep and mellow house groover, with some trippy beats and percussion that keeps it moving. Deep pad, with a light and engaging melody on top. A real house groover to start the night.

The second cut, the energy shifts! A power infused feel good house track with spacey elements, timeless and simple 909 kick, a catchy bass line, swinging hi-hats for the groove, a strong classic snap. Added with some keyboard infused organ melody, and a 303 bass line. Sparkled with some synth EFX to give it a feeling of Galaxy!

One the flip side we go back to the depth. A deep tribalistic and dubbed out house track. Simple by all means. A moving and grooving beat added with a simple but catchy pad that brings everything together! Simple, pure and groovy!

The last tune on the EP, another uplifting energy driven house track! Classic US house style, with the driving, and swinging beats to make you move. With an uplifting organ pad, and some additional party oriented flute action! A real underground party smasher!

Just as previous time, versatile, simple, raw dance floor oriented HOUSE EP made in and for the underground!

Enjoy!

Cyphon Recordings proudly presents the latest release from Berwick, a Sheffield by Bristol
producer and DJ carving out a reputation for razor-sharp electro and forward-thinking club
sounds. With a background steeped in underground electronic music, Berwick has steadily built
his name through a string of uncompromising releases and energetic live and DJ sets, blending
the grit of classic electro with a modern rave-inspired touch. His new EP showcases his most
refined work yet—four tracks built for the floor, designed to move bodies and shake systems.
Opening with Fall & Melt, Berwick sets the tone with a punchy, contemporary electro cut. Its
driving percussion, crisp groove, and propulsive energy make it a peak-time weapon, balancing
raw dancefloor impact with seriously fat production finesse. Next up, Powerflip dives deeper
into the shadows. Gnarly synth lines, guttural bass, and clipped vocal hits collide to create a
darker, more menacing side of Berwick’s electro vision. With eyeball-rattling low-end, it’s a track
that demands a big system to unleash its full force.
On Impossible, Berwick shifts gears into an even faster lane. Elasticated bass and synths bounce
around the crisp drum groove, pushing the pace with an adrenaline-fuelled rhythm that’s as
urgent as it is infectious. Rounding off the EP, fellow Bristolian Sam Lester takes Powerflip into
new territory with a remix that leans towards wonky tech house. Stripping back some of the
raw menace of the original, Lester reshapes it with a 4 on the floor kick, layering in hypnotic
textures and a slick low-end that makes it a tripped-out weapon for house and techno sets
alike.
This release cements Berwick’s position as an artist unafraid to push electro into bold and
uncompromising spaces, while also opening the door to cross-genre interpretations.

Difficult as it may be to imagine, there was a time when Sun City Girls did not exist. Prior to the Bishop brothers teaming up with drummer/shaman Charlie Gocher to form SCG's classic trio lineup, there were various ad-hoc assemblages of local Phoenix-area freaks and weirdos – groups which existed only long enough to play a single gig, open mic or house party before disbanding without a trace. Hatched from this milieu was Paris 1942, a short-lived band formed by guitarist Jesse Srogoncik that included Alan Bishop, Richard Bishop and former Velvet Underground drummer Maureen Tucker.

Paris 1942 would play only four shows in as many months, but between April and August of 1982, the band would gather several times a week in Tucker's living room, where the group feverishly wrote and rehearsed with a kind of quotidian discipline. While P42 didn't release anything during their brief tenure, a 7" EP and LP (both self-titled) surreptitiously surfaced on the Majora label in the mid to late '90s. Until now, those two titles – as well as an appearance on Placebo's Amuck comp in late '82 – would be the only documented evidence that this improbable, serendipitous and magnificent band ever existed.

While those expecting P42's music to sound like a tantalizing combination of Sun City Girls' iconoclastic hoodoo havoc and the Velvets' primal drug-chug certainly won't be disappointed, Paris 1942 more often than not transcends even these nearly impossible expectations. Srogoncik's songs, in particular, are a revelation, displaying as much in common with the exuberant raunch of The Gun Club and the chapbook punk of Peter Laughner as they do any of the more obvious touchstones.

The group's foresight to document and capture this meeting of musical minds – a meeting as unlikely as it was short-lived – provides a missing link between the Velvets and the Voidoids, between the Dead Boys and the Dead C, between ESP-Disk' and DNA. Far more than a historical curiosity, Paris 1942 provides a fresh perspective on an embryonic and sadly vanishing US underground. It is music that blinks at the past and anticipates a thousand possible futures.

– James Toth (excerpt from the liner notes)

Despite immense challenges, SOYUZ have delivered a career-defining album in KROK.
“Krok” means “step” in Belarusian - and for Alex Chumak and his band this word comes with a lot of meaning. It’s the title and theme that ran throughout СОЮЗ (SOYUZ)'s fourth album, reflecting the journeys the band has navigated in recent years, having moved to Warsaw due to political unrest in their homeland of Belarus and the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Embracing the uncertainty became both the inspiration and main lyrical theme for Alex Chumak, SOYUZ’ composer and arranger, who also decided to go a step further and change the language in which he writes songs from Russian, which is used as lingua franca in many post-Soviet countries, to his native Belarusian. The result is nine songs about dreams and outer space, ordinary miracles, things very close and very distant at the same time.

In early 2022, Chumak and original members, Mikita Arlou and Anton Nemahai, joined tens of thousands of Belarusians seeking safety abroad. Resettling in Warsaw, the band released Force of the Wind in October 2022, garnering widespread acclaim, a string of major European gigs, and led to Polish musicians Albert Karch and Igor Wiśniewski joining the band.

Deeper and more melancholic than previous works, KROK is quintessentially SOYUZ, laced with hope, dreams and a celebration of life. Given the difficulties with finding rehearsal and recording spaces in Warsaw and the departure of the drummer Anton Nemahai from the band, Chumak explored alternative options. He reached out to friend and fellow musical collaborator, Sessa, about the possibility of recording the new album in his recently finished studio in São Paulo, with Sessa and Biel Basile coming onboard as recording engineers.

At the tail end of 2024, Chumak and SOYUZ’ new drummer, Albert Karch, made the trip to São Paulo to record the first sessions for KROK. Laid down directly to tape, these sessions featured prominent Brazilian musicians Sessa, Biel Basile, and Marcelo Cabral, with a guest vocal feature by Tim Bernardes recorded at a later date. The final touches were then added back in Europe. Lush string and woodwind arrangements written by Chumak and Karch were recorded at the Polish Radio studio in Warsaw, and Rhodes parts were added by Chumak at Sven Wunder’s studio in Stockholm.

Though primarily recorded in Brazil, KROK is not a Brazilian or MPB album. It blends the band’s Eastern European roots with jazz, folk and global influences. The genre of the music is hardly identifiable: there are folk ballads and jazz-driven pop compositions covered in lush and often dissonant string and woodwind arrangements where each note is placed with care and meaning behind it.

The title track was the first song Chumak wrote in Belarusian as an adult, making for a fitting opener and one of the band’s finest tracks. Darker than most of SOYUZ’ songs, the tensions lift and lighten as the track progresses. The cinematic library jazz of 'Voo Livre', with ghostly vocals sung by Ciça Góes and Ina, feels like a modern twist on the Italian library composer Alessandro Alessandroni through its sublime choir and woodwind orchestration. Elsewhere, the heartfelt 'Lingua Do Mundo', composed, written, and sung by Chumak and the incredible Tim Bernardes, features one of the standout string arrangements from Chumak and Karch. 'Cichi Karahod' is an instant SOYUZ classic, almost Pat Metheny-esque as it opens, with the acoustic guitar and bass riff transitioning into jazzy AOR / pop-folk territory. The record closes with 'Smak žyćcia', a gentle, dreamy spoken-word poetry piece in Japanese by singer-songwriter Manami Kakudo.

Recloose’s ‘Dust’ returns to the spotlight on The Remedy Project, with the remaster of the original joined by remixes from Natasha Diggs, Aroop Roy and a never before available accapella.

First championed by Gilles Peterson on BBC Radio 1 in the noughties, ‘Dust’ is now a cult favourite as it effortlessly bridged genres and soundtracked dancefloors across the globe. The track’s warm groove, featuring Joe Dukie’s unmistakable vocals and Recloose’s signature production, cemented it as an underground classic; Dallas Tamaira, occasionally releasing under the alias Joe Dukie, is best known as the lead singer of New Zealand band Fat Freddy’s Drop.

A pioneering figure in the Detroit electronic scene, Recloose (aka Matt Chicoine) first broke through in the late 90s with support from techno legend Carl Craig, releasing on Planet E and later building deep ties with New Zealand’s fertile soul and jazz community. His music fuses house, funk, and broken beat with a distinct warmth and musicality that have made him a trusted name across generations of selectors.

To mark its 20th anniversary, ‘Dust’ is renewed with a package of remixes from some of the scene’s finest tastemakers. Natasha Diggs injects her soulful New York finesse, while Aroop Roy brings his global dancefloor touch. With the two new remixes sitting alongside the both the original record and the accapella, ‘Dust’ is ready to gain a new generation of fans.

EN/JP liner notes by Doran and a hyper-realistic cover by Japanese visual artist/graphic designer Kai Yoshizawa using 3DCG software.

"8 Automated Works", the first full release by Componium Ensemble, an "indeterminate chamber music" ensemble helmed by Spencer Doran of Visible Cloaks. The project is inspired by the long history of automated musical instruments, beginning with the ancient Greek Archimedes and further developed by the Banū Mūsā brothers in 9th century Baghdad, who "first perfected the concept of a programmable, automated musician: a mechanically controlled flute which used hydraulic water pressure and a system of arrangeable punchcards using a visionary proto-MIDI structure", as Doran explains in the liner notes. This mechanical music-making was extended a millennium later with the use of aleatoric principles by the European Dietrich Nikolaus Winkel, inventor of the self-composing Componium mechanical music system. Doran continues this lineage further, using the possibilities of digital technology and its ability to automate a huge range of virtual instruments and introduce aleatoric elements, moving beyond human impulses and limitations, allowing "new shapes to emerge". Dedicated also to Noah Creshevsky, pioneer of what can be considered cyber-human music, Componium Ensemble features a wide and intriguing range of instruments including prepared piano, bowed harpsichord, celesta, bass clarinet, flute, cello, Balinese tingklik, and more, often in multiple groupings. Despite this variety of instrumentation and the seemingly formidable theoretical underpinnings, the music is very accessible and attractive, spacious and fresh, with a light touch and a sophisticated melodic sense which will appeal to pop fans as well as classical/contemporary music listeners. The album is mixed by longtime collaborator Joe Williams (Motion Graphics, Lifted) and available in 10-inch vinyl, ,

Among the most revered voices in funk, Marva Whitney holds a special place thanks to her fierce energy and unmistakable style on tracks like the classic 'Unwind Yourself,' a long-time favorite for DJs and dance floors alike. Emerging from the dynamic world of the James Brown Revue in the late 1960s--alongside iconic names like Lyn Collins and Vicki Anderson--Marva quickly carved out a name for herself. In 1969, she began recording as a solo artist under James Brown's King label, scoring a Top 20 R&B hit with 'It's My Thing.' While mainstream hits were few, her music resonated deeply with funk lovers and crate diggers around the world. Songs like 'You Got to Have a Job' and the endlessly sampled 'Unwind Yourself' have only grown in stature over the decades. Her album, "It's My Thing", dropped that same year and has since become a touchstone of the genre. Backed by the legendary JB's and produced by James Brown himself--who also contributed to most of the songwriting--the album captures a raw, unapologetic funk sound with a distinctly female voice at the forefront. From the explosive opening of 'It's My Thing'--a bold response to the Isley Brothers' 'It's Your Thing'--Marva channels sheer intensity, backed by a band that doesn't let up. The pace briefly softens with 'If You Love Me,' a soul soaked ballad in the spirit of Otis Redding, before diving back into the rhythmic grit of tracks like 'Unwind Yourself.' Decades later, "It's My Thing" continues to inspire, sampled by producers and treasured by collectors--a powerful snapshot of funk at its most uncompromising. Reissue on 180g vinyl.

Volume 26 of the 12" series Attack The Dancefloor features four chart topping no.1 singles available on Vinyl for the first time, WOW. First up it's the meeting of giants as we are treated to the huge version from Michael Gray of 'What About My Love' who bumps the tempo and takes the source parts into HOUSE territory, priming it for the peak time & finally satisfying the 'when's it out on vinyl' crowd. Up next the floor filling, gospel tinged "(You Gotta) Give It Up" by Z Factor, still doing damage on the dancefloors since it's recent digital release. On the flip we have the 3rd & current chart topper 'Down Down Down' by Raw Essence aka Dave Lee, his latest dose of Discotheque dopamine. Feeling both familiar yet fresh, it's all about classic good times here backed up with ravishing Moog Wizardy and irresistible vocals. To round of this essential slab of wax is Opolopo's standout 'Bebeccie's Theme' which delivers muso boogie of the highest order. Full of discreet chords and sophisticated string turnarounds, backed up with deft synth touches from the keyboard magician.

Up next on Brooklyn's Scissor & Thread is the latest EP from Snad, aka Shyam Anand (also known as Spandrel), the Berlin-based artist whose discography already spans labels like Smallville, Minibar, 20:20 Vision, Phonica AM, TerraFirm, Running Back, Cabinet, Kimochi and Dungeon Meat with remixes for names including Seafoam and Chez Damier.
A trusted selector and producer in the underground, Snad has steadily built a reputation for deeply considered productions that balance classic inspiration with his own forward-thinking edge.
The AM Yard EP opens with its title track, a warm, hazy cut rooted in the kind of bassline architecture that recalls Chez n Trent's Morning Factory but reshaped with Snad's signature dreamlike touch.
Anticip8 fanchors the release with a more direct energy, rolling, insistent and focused on the floor, balancing stripped-down drive of dusty samples wrung through his digitakt with just enough harmonic flourish to pull the listener inward.
On the flip, The Pursuit follows in a slightly different mode, drawing on experimental vocoder techniques and filtered percussion creating a hypnotic push-and-pull that feels as intricate as it is understated.
Rounding things out, label heads Francis Harris and Anthony Collins, under their Frank & Tony alias, reimagine The Pursuit with their Housebeat Remix, extending its atmospherics into an even deeper headspace that glides effortlessly into late-night territory.

Bangs and Talbot get back to business with a stonking new 45 for 2025, their take on the instrumental classic ‘K Jee’.

Originally by US band the Nite Liters (an instrumental precursor to soul act New Birth), this classic track has been a club favourite for decades. It was later covered by MFSB and included in the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

Taken from their forthcoming album on Acid Jazz, this latin disco funk flavoured jam is written by Motown hit producer Harvey Fuqua and Charles Hearndon. It features Mick Talbot on Wurlitzer, organ and piano, ably assisted by German funk guitarist Felix Fraenkel, Italy’s Donato Greco on flute, brass from California’s Dan C, and drums, percussion, and bass from original Acid Jazz DJ/producer Chris Bangs.

On the flip is a Mick Talbot-original ‘Re-Micks’ from the ‘Back to Business’ sessions, which gets a heavy-duty live boom bap rework by hip hop pioneer DJ Premier Inn.

Presented on black vinyl in a new colour version of the current Acid Jazz house-bag, with labels reminiscent of the classic RCA design for an authentic ’70s touch…

"Que Se Sepa Pt. 1 & 2" by Kenny Dope Featuring Daniel Rojo
Released on Kay-Dee Records, "Que Se Sepa Pt. 1 & 2" is a vibrant, rhythm-driven collaboration between the legendary Kenny Dope and talented vocalist Daniel Rojo. This two-part single captures the essence of Latin breakbeats, infused with the unmistakable flair of Roberto Roena’s cover song influence, creating an energetic fusion of tropical percussion and funky beats.

Kenny Dope, known for his work with Masters at Work and his extensive influence on the house and hip-hop scenes, produces a dynamic track that combines smooth rhythms with infectious hooks. The sound is an irresistible blend of classic Latin grooves and modern, dancefloor-friendly beats, perfect for both the old-school salsa lover and the contemporary club crowd.

The release is an homage to Roena's legacy, infused with breakbeats and explosive percussive elements that pay tribute to the genre's rich history. The energy and rhythms of "Que Se Sepa Pt. 1 & 2" are destined to bring the heat to any playlist, with Daniel Rojo’s vocal contributions adding the finishing touch to this unforgettable Latin-influenced masterpiece.

This release marks yet another impressive addition to Kay-Dee Records, known for curating tracks that bridge the gap between classic sounds and modern production, celebrating the vibrance of Latin music while keeping it fresh and exciting for today’s audience.

Following the success of the 12” “Trip To Your Mind (The Reworks)”—where Delfonic and LTJ Xperience both brought their own magic to Hudson People’s disco/jazz-funk anthem—we’re back with a fresh twist: DJ Friction steps in for an official 7” rework, breathing new life into this cult classic in his own unmistakable style.

For those who’ve been following the story, you know “Trip To Your Mind” is a true favorite among DJs and collectors since decades, from its creative inception by the writer Reginald Hudson with the GI funk band Body Heat, to the original recording taking place in the late 70s in London that eventually paved the way for disco lovers to produce this recent string of reworks.

Where the 12” reworks stretched out the groove with extended intros and club-friendly builds, Friction’s version keeps things tight and energetic. He adds his own drums, claps, synth touches, and some new vocal layers—combining the standout parts from both the original mix and the classic UK remix. The result is a punchy new take that’s perfect for DJs who want maximum impact in a short format, but still want all the funk and psychedelic flavor that’s made this song a dancefloor staple for decades.

And for collectors? The original 7” of “Trip To Your Mind” is notoriously hard to find—and pricey when it turns up. This new release finally makes it easy to spin a fresh, fully licensed version on 7” wax, expertly mastered for today’s systems.

Whether you were hooked by the Delfonic or LTJ Xperience edits, or you’re just discovering this tune for the first time, DJ Friction’s rework is a natural next step in the ongoing journey of “Trip To Your Mind.

Italian producer, musician, DJ, and groove architect Sam Ruffillo drops his long-awaited debut album Tipo Così on Toy Tonics – a sun-drenched, genre-blurring statement that blends classic house with Mediterranean flair, romantic funk, and tongue-in-cheek Italo vibes. Over 11 expertly crafted tracks, Ruffillo delivers a dancefloor-ready, emotionally rich LP that connects deep musicality with irresistible rhythm and light-hearted elegance.

After three acclaimed EPs and collaborations with revered artists such as Barbara Boeing, Kapote, and Fimiani, Ruffillo has firmly cemented himself as a core artist on the Berlin-based label. Known for his unmistakable signature sound — a warm mix of vintage disco, 90s house, and Italian vocals — Sam’s music has garnered widespread DJ support from tastemakers like Gerd Janson, Palms Trax, Seth Troxler, and DJ Tennis, while becoming a staple on Italian airwaves. His infectious summer anthems like Danza Organica and Perfetta Così have soundtracked countless club nights and festivals, creating a loyal following that eagerly awaited this full-length debut.

Tipo Così is the natural culmination of a musical journey that’s both playful and profound — a travel diary written in grooves, synth stabs, and melodies that feel like postcards from a parallel Mediterranean universe. The album expands and deepens Ruffillo’s world into a fully immersive experience: lush emotional chords meet tight syncopated grooves, vintage synth textures collide with irresistibly catchy pop refrains, and the boundary between sincerity and playful irony is exquisitely blurred.

Entirely written, produced, and recorded in Italy, in his beloved hometown of Bologna, the album finds Ruffillo at the helm on keys, drum machines, and production, supported by a talented cast of musicians contributing live bass, guitar, and other organic elements — further enriching his trademark fusion of electronic grooves and natural instrumentation. There’s a tactile warmth in these tracks, a hands-on feel that adds soul and depth to every beat.

This album also marks Ruffillo’s heartfelt return to singing in Italian, with standout tracks like House Tipo Così, Mi Fa Volare, Ancora, and Dentro Di Me, where romantic naïveté meets pulsing club energy in a way that feels both timeless and refreshingly new. The vocal performances add an intimate, human touch to the music, reinforcing the personal stories woven into each song. There’s poetry in the casual, a bittersweet elegance in the way the lyrics float over groove-heavy production.

Having toured extensively across Europe, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Mexico — with sets at iconic venues like Panorama Bar and festivals such as Sónar Barcelona — Ruffillo has fine-tuned much of this album in front of live audiences. The real-world testing ground infused the record with a dynamic energy and immediacy that only comes from genuine crowd interaction. These songs weren’t just made in the studio — they were lived on dancefloors around the world.

Tipo Così is not just a collection of tracks. It’s a philosophy — playful, stylish and unmistakably personal. A modern club album bursting with heartfelt emotion and sophistication. Music for dancers with taste; for lovers of beauty, rhythm, and the little imperfections that make things feel real.

But what exactly is Tipo Così? More than just a phrase, it’s a way of being. It’s about embracing elegance without effort, mixing irony with sincerity, and letting nostalgia slip into the room without taking over the party. It’s Sam Ruffillo’s signature language: relaxed, confident, meticulous yet never rigid — where a chord progression can say as much as a lyric, and every beat carries intention.

The album’s visual identity complements this vision perfectly. The artwork and promotional materials lovingly reference Italian design from the ’80s and ’90s, combining bold graphic elements with playful pop culture nods. This aesthetic mirrors Ruffillo’s music — a fusion of vintage warmth and contemporary freshness, delivered with authenticity and charm.

Sam Ruffillo belongs to a new generation of European artists who are reshaping electronic music by blending past and present, analog and digital, groove and emotion — without nostalgia or pose. His artistic universe is coherent, vibrant, and alive; a rich tapestry of sound, images, and stories that coexist with lightness, precision, and a distinctive voice.

Reflecting on his artistic journey, Sam describes music as a vital, deeply human impulse — a tribal connection to rhythm and body that has driven him since he was a teenager. His creative process balances meticulous planning with room for spontaneity, usually sparked by clear melodic ideas that evolve naturally. Collaborations with close friends, especially vocalists like Ninfa, add warmth and authenticity, exemplified in tracks like “House Tipo Così.” For Sam, music is honest self-expression — crafted for listeners who crave memorable melodies and rhythms imbued with genuine feeling.

While technical perfection is tempting, Sam prioritizes emotion, knowing that what truly resonates is the soul behind the sounds. His long-standing partnership with Toy Tonics has been key in nurturing his vision, offering a blend of creative freedom and professional support. Looking ahead, Sam Ruffillo is excited to broaden his live performances, and release new projects that continue to blend electronic grooves with organic, heartfelt sounds — maintaining the delicate balance between playful irony and sincere emotion that defines Tipo Così.




Kurzversion:
Italian DJ, producer and musician Sam Ruffillo drops his debut album Tipo Così on Toy Tonics - a sunny blend of house, funk, Italo and pop, full of groove and emotion. Written and recorded in Bologna with live instruments and Italian vocals, it’s a playful, elegant journey shaped on dancefloors worldwide. A stylish, sincere club album where nostalgia, irony and rhythm meet in perfect harmony.

- Mi Fa Volare
Road-tested across continents and now finally released, “Mi Fa Volare” channels 90s uplifting euphoria with big breakbeats, lush chords, and Italian vocals built to stick. Somewhere between balearic bliss and piano house nostalgia, it’s a feel-good club weapon made for peak-time moments - already sung back by crowds after just one listen.


- Ancora
“Ancora” is a vibrant hi-NRG track inspired by 80s Italo disco, sung entirely in Italian. It blends driving rhythms with dreamy melodies, capturing the radiant spirit of the decade. This fresh yet nostalgic song delivers euphoric vibes and timeless energy, making it a perfect fit for both dancefloors and reflective listening moments worldwide.


- Dentro Di Me
“Dentro Di Me” channels ‘90s sensuality through a fast-paced, UK house-inspired lens. Entirely in Italian, it’s a bold and contemporary dance track where hypnotic vocals meet high-energy grooves. Blending nostalgic textures with forward-thinking production, the result is a seductive and euphoric trip - equal parts emotional and club-ready.


- Amigo
“Amigo” blends Latin groove, acoustic guitar-driven rhythm, and Mediterranean flair into a warm, magnetic, cross-cultural dance anthem. Sung in Spanish and Italian, it celebrates connection, inclusivity, and the joy of moving together - whether stranger or friend. With its unstoppable rhythm and vibrant energy, it’s a feel-good track with a unifying spirit.


- Ma Sei Fuori
“Ma Sei Fuori” is a tongue-in-cheek dancefloor bomb blending raw house energy with catchy vocal phrases and a nod to classic French touch. Driven by hypnotic vocal lines and a playful attitude, it doesn’t take itself too seriously - while still proving serious club impact. Built for late-night moments, it’s bold, bouncy, and impossible to ignore.

Erstmalig überhaupt auf Vinyl erhältlich: "Blue Collar Sons", das zweite Album der schwedischen Streetpunker "City Saints"! 2012 gegründet machten sich die Ex-Mitglieder von Perkele und Chillihounds mit ihrer neuen Band schnell einen Namen in der Streetpunk/Oi-Szene mit ihrem explosiven Mix aus High-Energy-Punkrock, Oi! und von Bands wie Mötley Crew inspirierten R'N'R-Touch. Ihr Debüt "Kicking ass for the working class" ist mittlerweile zurecht ein Klassiker. Der nur ein Jahr später veröffentlichte Nachfolger "Blue Collar Sons" bewies mit Songs wie "Hooligan", "Punk, Rock & Oi!" oder "Working Class Rockers", dass die Göteburger ein besonderes Händchen für explosive Rough'n'Tough Hymnen haben, die sofort zünden! "The (City) Saints come marching in" war und ist kein leeres Versprechen! Nach mittlerweile 6 veröffentlichten Alben und ihrem erst vor ein paar Monaten veröffentlichten letztem Werk "EXPLOSIV!" darf man die City Saints getrost zu eine der großartigsten, schwedischen Streetpunk'n'Roll Bands bezeichnen! "Blue Collar Sons" erscheint limitiert auf classic black und multicoloured (clear w/ smokey dark blue) Vinyl!

Erstmalig überhaupt auf Vinyl erhältlich: "Blue Collar Sons", das zweite Album der schwedischen Streetpunker "City Saints"! 2012 gegründet machten sich die Ex-Mitglieder von Perkele und Chillihounds mit ihrer neuen Band schnell einen Namen in der Streetpunk/Oi-Szene mit ihrem explosiven Mix aus High-Energy-Punkrock, Oi! und von Bands wie Mötley Crew inspirierten R'N'R-Touch. Ihr Debüt "Kicking ass for the working class" ist mittlerweile zurecht ein Klassiker. Der nur ein Jahr später veröffentlichte Nachfolger "Blue Collar Sons" bewies mit Songs wie "Hooligan", "Punk, Rock & Oi!" oder "Working Class Rockers", dass die Göteburger ein besonderes Händchen für explosive Rough'n'Tough Hymnen haben, die sofort zünden! "The (City) Saints come marching in" war und ist kein leeres Versprechen! Nach mittlerweile 6 veröffentlichten Alben und ihrem erst vor ein paar Monaten veröffentlichten letztem Werk "EXPLOSIV!" darf man die City Saints getrost zu eine der großartigsten, schwedischen Streetpunk'n'Roll Bands bezeichnen! "Blue Collar Sons" erscheint limitiert auf classic black und multicoloured (clear w/ smokey dark blue) Vinyl!

Georgette Sayegh & Melhem Barakat – Belghi Kull Mawaidi & Instrumental:

Finally, hopping across from Egypt to Lebanon for this infectious number, Georgette Sayegh delivers what some consider her magnum opus in a captivating duet together with Melhem Barakat, and on the flipside a stripped-down instrumental version that’s equally catchy.

Georgette Sayegh is a legendary Lebanese singer and actress known for her tender and dulcet voice that echoed the grace and beauty of the inimitable Fairuz yet carried its own unique warmth. Her passion for collecting vinyl at an early age formed her eclectic musical palette, and she eventually caught the eyes of the Rahbani brothers and played the lead role in a monthly play written by Fairuz’s son, Ziad. Georgette’s household classic "Yay Yay Ya Nassini” shot her to stardom across the Arab world in the 1970’s, and till this day carries the exact same nostalgia of a Lebanese summertime anthem – flirtatious, jolly, and unfettered. In Belghi Kull Mawaidi (I cancel all my appointments), Sayegh’s voice entwines with compatriot and fellow household staple, Melhem Barakat in an emotional display of longing and depth - her voice delicate yet powerful, effortlessly blending with Barakat's commanding baritone.

The instrumental version on the flipside (surprisingly a stereo mix) reveals a highly catchy arrangement that is lush and emotive, driven by strings that glide smoothly through the melody, while brass instruments add a touch of drama. The rhythm section, punctuated by a steady percussion, anchors the track, allowing the interplay of instruments to build a sense of urgency and longing, accurately reflecting the struggles and emotional resilience that defined Sayegh’s own life.

This reissue, remastered with painstaking care, brings both versions of Belghi Kull Mawaidi back to life, making it an essential addition to any avid listener, DJ or collector’s shelf. It captures the timeless beauty of two of Lebanon's most cherished musical icons, their voices and instruments merging to create a track that resonates through the ages.

Muhammad Al-Najjar
London, April 2025

credits
Audio restoration and vinyl mastering: Colin Young
Lacquer cut: Timmion cutting lab
Sleeve and label artwork: Grotezk Studio
Under License of Voix de L'Orient

A stone-cold Detroit classic returns: Reel By Real’s ‘Surkit’ is back, remixed, remastered, and ready for a new generation of dancers.

Originally dropped in 1990 on Juan Atkins’ Interface imprint, it’s since become a cult touchstone far beyond techno.

Now, over 30 years on, Surkit – Remixed & Remastered

Berlin artists CRYME and Christoph Faust get together under their new name C&CF to present their creative take on modern house music with classic touches with the release "No Fool Love"
.
This one's for the summer, for the lovers - packed with vocals, good energy, lush sound design and a lot of chord stabs.

Sticking a dirty thumb in the eye of fate, our third collaboration sees this marrow deep family malarky turn official as Pace Yourself teams up with YS’s own imprint ERF REC for a split release. As if our status as minor celebrities and footnotes of the underground could level off no further: the unification no one asked for is here. Sticking it to the man, handing your arse to ya on plate; cauterising infected suburban minds world over.

Burn is the second YS album and written as a direct follow-up album to Brutal Flowers. If their first album was an exercise in the incremental, a construction of poise and patience, Burn, should be taken way the fuck at it’s word: it quite literally finds catharsis in twisted reverse. Birthed out the malignant kick found in deconstruction and chaos. Evil twin, psychotic younger sibling, call it what the hell you like. It might take you a moment to get the lay of the land in this darkly mutated world. Like a bug eye’d native first confronted with a zippo, the hit is radical and instant: a new way for the world to go up in smoke.

Splice the Seattle slacker scene with the spliffhead soundsystem culture of the 90s Bristol trip-hop scene, then cross-breed that with the DIY optimism and glee in creation found in the cut-and-paste worlds of skate, graffiti and hiphop, now run that through the skitzo basement mind of John.T. Gast and you’re close to the kind of scorched earth and spiked suburbia that birthed Burn.

Dunno quite what YS have been ingesting of late but this massively twisted LP touches on a host of gloriously fucked totemic underground sources while not sounding much like any of them. It has the ballsy swagger and hard flipping of the script as Massive Attack’s seminal Blue Lines. Indeed, the eponymous album tracks sound similar - the opener ‘Burn’ is like a hard nosed jammed out redux of ‘Blue Lines’. Getting into a kind of slow-spinning overdubbed maximal euphoria ending with mumbled downer vocals, struggling to conceal their tongues in their cheeks there’s an air of paranoia and proto-conspiracy theory. It’ll leave you scratching your head, feeling like you’ve stepped into a New World Order governed by a cacophony of drop outs, dope fiends and apocalyptic stoners. A cracked out world somewhere between Richard Linklater’s movie Slacker (1990) and Marc Singer’s Dark Days (2001).

The rest of the album parts like a tongue on a wine glass: Smith and Mighty, Bandulu, ambient Luke Slater records, Wah Wah Wino, Nurse with Wound, Land of the Loops, Placid Angels, Adrian Sherwood, Urban Tribe and DJ Shadow can all be heard in momentary splatters - but Burn like other works by YS, is its own ritual beast. ‘Moth’, a track which has been knocking about the underground deejai circuit for many moons, is a real raw chopped and screwed slice of stoner erotica that reeks of obsession and unrequited desire. Elsewhere, on tracks like ‘Switch’, ‘Trying’ and ‘Drift’ the throughline from Brutal Flowers can be heard. Underneath the driving heavy gravity the trademark emotional intimacies of YS linger: eternal recurrence, ghosts of static and shortwave, worn memories of the playful and painful sort. The brief moments where flashes of orchestral ambience get out from underneath the swagger are so pure, personal and unguarded that for a moment they leave you completely lonesome. In the album’s closer ‘End’, you can hear the fleeting promise and DIY possibilities of an analogue world and embers of ash that flutter in its wake: where it seemed, for a brief moment, that collective of DJs, engineers, rappers, graffiti artists and skate crews were emerging from the streets, giving the middle fingers to the system, before just as quickly disappearing back to the doldrums of obscurity. ‘End’ is a bittersweet ode to early soundsystem culture, MCs and pirate radio - an out of step time where for a moment the underdogs and weirdos seemed to be kicking on the door of something bigger.

A veritable teenage doof suite dosed with desire, claustrophobia and deviance. Burn is a good old howl at the moon: lonely, raw, and out for blood; basement style exegesis at its best. A thump to the gut, a stud through your blood. A dubbed-to-death classic straight out of the annals of nowhere. A perfect post card from oblivion. A bleak, bold and personally ferocious vision of tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.

This is everything that record collectors skip dates for. Fuck the scene and keep that shit underground. That’s what it is all about. Know what I mean, if you do? You’re in…

Zopelar has built a distinguished place in the Brazilian electronic music industry. He is known as a complete and versatile DJ and music producer, and is a key figure in São Paulo’s underground music scene.

With his signature “retro-futuristic-funky-groovy” style, Zopelar has made some celebrated albums and EPs released by labels like Apron Records, Clone Records, Tartelet Records, Soul Clap Records and others.

A prolific producer and sound designer, Zopelar’s work extends beyond music production into the realm of contemporary art and film scoring. His sound pieces have been showcased in prestigious
exhibitions and galleries, including New Museum (NYC) and the Venice Biennale.

Zopelar is now back for his third solo release on Apron Records - LP titled "Call it Love” The first single "We Can Make It" feels nostalgic but with a modern to the future twist which compliments the Apron DNA! It features Brazilian artist Ashira, she lays her beautiful voice over Zopelar classic R&B production..

The second single Je t'aime features French born Brazilian based L’Homme Statue plus Amsterdam’s Retromigration” giving a tropical and very hot Brazilian house for the dance floors and the last single
features US Virgina Beach very own MC “Hernbean5150” With a soulful downtempo smooth production with a perfect complimentary vocal, Some say he reminds them of MF Doom”.

Overall this LP slams in every way and its very well put together, whether at home, driving, in nature or in the clubs, it takes you on a journey for your listening pleasure!

Editions Mego presents Bosko, landing exactly 30 years after the initial General Magic flights into the fantastic; the legendary first Mego release, a collaboration with Pita whereby all sounds were harnessed from the buzzing, drinking, humming sounds of fridges MEGO 001 General Magic & Pita and a 12” with Elin called Die Mondlandung (The Moon Landing) MEGO 002 which embarked on a minimal techno template so austere and strange it was one of the historic progenitors of austere and wonky rhythms alongside Sakho and other European explorers.

The initial return of the playful and mystical Austrian outfit General Magic came with the 20th year anniversary vinyl reissue of their classic debut Frantz eMEGO 010. A record so audacious and playful it still baffles as much as it entertains. At some point whilst working on this reissue GM’s Ramon Bauer and Andi Pieper were spurred on to rummage around with ideas and tools once more and after more than two decades of inactivity sonic sorcery was conjured once again. Live shows in honour of Peter Rehberg were performed in Vienna and London. Softbop, a limited risograph collaboration with Tina Frank came with the first new recordings as a digital download came out discreetly online. The first full length album following Rechenkönig in 2000 MEGO 032 “Nein Aber Ja” released in 2023 on Finlay Shakespeare’s GOTO Records on CD and cassette. An ongoing series of mix tapes online further highlights their interests encapsulating a new found angle on electronic mayhem. All of these elements retain the wildly eclectic and ecstatic glow that only they can harness and hand out to an unprepared world.

Now, we have General Magic’s second official full length comeback recording, Bosko. The new album is initially notable prior to the needle hitting the wax or the cursor identifying a track due to the artwork. Made by long term collaborator Tina Frank, this is Frank’s first analogue artwork, with a painting of a happy/nervous machine thing hovering in a landscape of no discernible identity. It’s quasi science fiction hovering amongst the potential for fun. Suited to the music? Natürlich.

Bosko sees Bauer and Pieper update and reframe their original investigations with a fresh supply of head scratching, heart racing tunes that hit the inexplicable with a wild mesh of drums, pianos, synthetic voices and all manner of immaterial sonic play. Startling sonics shock the ears on Club Duchamp which sounds like a conversation between synthetic adult ants in an environment still in development. Elfer features vocals supplied by a female-ish voice who, whilst grappling melody, has trouble executing a firm identity. Noorenhalt catapults along a mainframe of syncopation so unwieldy it feels like the voice, which is utterly alien, provides the only comfort. Seite 5 inhabits a fuzzy zone where a synthetic Horn of Jericho type ambience competes with rhythms never quite sure of who they are. Rise of the Ombré raises the spectral dread. Is this Science Fact? Absolutely nothing within Bosko is predictable.

The amount of change in the miasma of existence and the things we touch in order to make things has shifted so exponentially we are at the point where minds are starting to glaze over. All of this makes the return of the always original, always surprising, always fresh and exciting General Magic totally in tune with the artificial intelligent apocalyptic age we currently inhabit. The tools may have changed but the wonderfully warped gaze of Bosko offers a fresh new vision of perplexing funk and robotic punk.

Wishbone Ash reigned supreme through the 1970s — centered on inspired musicianship, joyful spirit and inventive songs. Their concerts were uplifting and their recorded work sublime. Argus remains a stunning high point in the band's startling repertoire. Argus was a 1972 tour de force, a hard-rocking masterpiece that has gone on to have a huge impact on rock bands moving forward. If you've never heard Argus, you've surely heard music that it inspired.

The British quartet's trademark harmony guitars became a touchstone for many: Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden, Opeth, and Lynyrd Skynyrd have all acknowledged an Ash influence, and tracks such as Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back in Town," Maiden's "The Trooper," and even Steely Dan's "Reeling in the Years" all have twin-guitar moments that hark back to Argus. But Wishbone Ash were different from the start. They were never strictly a hard rock band; their soaring vocal harmonies and musical grandeur placed them close to progressive rock.

But they weren't strictly prog either: They had no keyboards, no real classical influence and weren't into side-long suites. Their roots were in the blues, and their calling card was twin lead guitars in harmony (played in the original lineup by Ted Turner and Andy Powell). Even the hardest Ash rockers — like "Blowin' Free," the most famous track from Argus — had an ethereal touch. They could rock the big stages, but they did it with subtlety and grace. This is reflected perfectly in the classic album sleeve by prog-associated designers Hipgnosis: The front cover shows a Greek sentry — the "argus" of the title — staring off into the distance. It's a mythic, old-world kind of image until you look closely at the back cover, and see that he's heralding the arrival (or perhaps watching the departure) of a spaceship.

Two worlds colliding. Exactly what the band and album were all about. By the time of Argus, Wishbone Ash were stars in England and cult heroes among Anglophiles in the US. What made Argus a step forward was its flow of moods. The songs don't run together, but there's an emotional connecting thread from the album's somber beginning to its heroic end. The band insisted at the time that lyrics were something of an afterthought: Shortly after its release, main lyricist Martin Turner told NME that he wrote them mainly to fit the mood of the music: "The music that was coming out was very English, very medieval, and the lyrics had to reflect that." Added Powell at the time, "The expression comes out in the guitars. We wouldn't play it if it didn't express something." Now, Analogue Productions has applied all of its vaunted craft and technical expertise to make this epic album shine! Two 45 RPM LPs pressed on virtually silent 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings make the remastered audio sparkle. Quieter lyrical sentiments and softer musical passages are rendered precisely, while majestic riffs and fist-waving anthems fully reveal the energy of the music! Argus isn't just another rock record — it's a journey through a sonic landscape rich with depth, emotion and technical prowess. It's the album that solidified Wishbone Ash as masters of twin guitar harmony. Discerning audiophiles will find Argus an essential addition to their record collection. It's a masterclass in sound engineering that fully captures the intricate interplay of dual guitars with pristine clarity and a warmth that only analog recordings can provide.

We welcome back Tubbs & Burns on Public Possession offering yet another highly danceable selection of tunes.
The main title on this EP features Paula Tape and has it all: seductive vocals, a mesmerizing acid baseline and the classic hypnotic Tubbs & Burns touch.
It comes in three versions incl. an epic Todd Modes remix. Cheeky Bonus and potentially a secret Deejays favorite is Colter Carsons remix of the previously released „Where were you in 92“ turning it up a few gears, ready for some festival MainStage plays

The Ancient Greeks & Romans sure had that "classic" touch. Before their empires crumbled into ruin, they set the standard with their classical forms, in art, buildings, and philosophy. They've set the pace ever since with pretenders and imitators making "classical music," "neo-classical architecture," and of course "classic rock" _ Once something is a classic, it's untouchable. No one would dare attempt to improve it. That would be sacrilege! After all, who could do better than Ovid, Homer, & Virgil? Or the classic tunes of Rolling Stones, the Stooges, et al? They're the gold standard of perfection; no one would dare try to improve upon them_ until XYZ that is! That's right, XYZ -- those little-known legends -have achieved the impossible; they've taken the classics and made them even better! More relevant, more updated, more "now," more _ wow! They improved the classics using all the latest sensibilities, technologies & innovations. On "XYZ PLAYS THE CLASSICS," the XYZ band - the twosome that sang "Bubble Gum" - take the beloved but tired tunes of the classic rock canon - The Rolling Stones, VU, Neu!, The Seeds, Stooges, & the other Hall of Famers - and resuscitates them, pumping new blood into worn-out veins, revitalize them with new themes, new lyrics, and new riffs to make them new again! This is the record that merges the old with the new, that completes the circle of life; it's the cosmic record that everyone needs right now!

Born in 1981 in Detroit, MI, Negative Approach were the undisputed champs of Midwestern hardcore in the early to mid-'80s. Led by John Brannon's hoarse wail, with OP Moore on drums and brothers Rob and Graham McCulloch playing guitar and bass respectively, the band concocted an extreme sound devoid of frills. This was first documented on their 10 Song 7" released on Touch and Go Records in 1982. The band released the more metallic-sounding Tied Down in 1983. After disbanding Negative Approach in 1985, John Brannon went on to form Laughing Hyenas. For over three decades, Negative Approach's minimalist and aggressive brand of punk has inspired countless hardcore bands around the globe. Their classic LP, Tied Down, is still considered paramount by most hardcore fans new and old.

2025 Repress

Loose Grooves & Bastard Blues is Tommy Guerrero's sublime debut. Of this beloved masterpiece, the legendary skater himself says: "my 1st album. It was never meant to be released. I was just recording for the fun of it.. still my fave. Oh so naive..." And you know what? It's definitely Be With's fave too. An astonishingly great record. A chill, blissful, deeply moving album, it was rightly garlanded as an instant classic.

A laidback, fusionistic ride replete with loopy drum tracks underpinning Tommy's trademark reflective guitar stylings, Loose Grooves & Bastard Blues remains powerfully evergreen. Originally released in 1997, there's elements of jazz, trip hop, rock and downtempo groove. All shot through with a heavy dose of soul. Thirteen tracks of lo-fi (mostly) instrumental freshness fused with Cuban, Latin and blues, it's a must for fans of Money Mark, J Dilla, RJD2, DJ Shadow and Pete Rock. As ever with Tommy's records, the title sums up the music contained within most aptly. And writing about his songs, his vibes, is one of the trickier things to do, it has to be said. It's just all gorgeous!

A total vibe throughout, to blast Loose Grooves & Bastard Blues is a majestic experience, one that suits a start-to-finish listen and renders the picking out of highlights totally redundant. Featuring nagging, deeply melodic guitar lines - both electric and acoustic - over simple rhythms with such sumptuous elegance, the hypnotic playing against unrushed percussion releases a crystal clear stream of healing frequencies. It's ust divine. This album laid the blueprint from which Tommy Guerrero would subsequently explore further on A Little Bit of Somethin' and Soul Food Taquiera.

Meticulously remastered and cut by both Simon Francis and Cicely Balston respectively, it has been pressed to the highest possibly quality at Record Industry in Holland. The original and iconic sleeve, designed by Natas Kaupas, has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

Donald Byrd’s 1974 R&B-Funk fusion masterpiece Stepping Into Tomorrow was the third album the trumpet legend made in collaboration with visionary producer Larry Mizell. Featuring the standout title track and “Think Twice,” the album became a touchstone for future hip-hop generations and featured Gary Bartz, Fonce Mizell, Chuck Rainey, Harvey Mason, and others. This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Debuts come and go. Some serve as juvenilia. Others showcase lost promise. Rarely are they cultural touchpoints. Enter This Better be Something Great by Westside Cowboy, an EP rammed with nu-generational indie. It’s been a while since something so era-defining dropped but you get the impression that Westside Cowboy are about to become a reference point. Shorthand for a new movement in guitar music. And when the dust settles, held in similar acclaim reserved for only the most influential of indie bands. With a sound raw as a carpet burn, they ride a thrilling lo-fi boxcar tuned to the melodic precision of Teenage Fanclub and held together with the slacker cool of Pavement. Authentic, fidgety and immediate, the guitars on this record crackle like a twinkling bed of kindling primed to ignite at any given moment and when they do it’s a barn dance of headrush overdrive & blitzkrieg drums leaving listeners raw and fully exposed to each bristling, crackle of magic coming their way. File under: modern classic.

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry & The Upsetters’ classic Return of Django. Lee Perry had already been making name in the Jamaican music scene for about a decade before Return of Django hit the UK charts in 1969. It was released after Trojan released
a hugely popular collection of Perry’s biggest instrumentals. This album is a must for everyone that enjoys that good old vintage reggae sounds.

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry was a pioneer of dub music and worked together with artists such as Bob Marley and the Wailers, The Clash and The Beastie Boys.

Return of Django is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on white coloured vinyl.

Danny Krivit’s landmark rework of Marvin Gaye's “I Want You" is amazingly celebrating its twentieth anniversary, and Most Excellent Unlimited have answered the pleas of the faithful by reissuing it for the first time on 7-inch. For the uninitiated, Mr. K’s much-loved edit peels back the instrumental layers of the original to focus on the lushly soulful vocal, leaving the track nearly drumless with just a touch of conga providing the only percussion. A magical listen. Elevating the tempo on the flip side is Billy Paul's "Only The Strong Survive", a stone-cold classic in the pantheon of Philly disco and the inspiration for countless house bangers that have drawn from its relentless drive and soaring vocals. Mr. K’s edit naturally focuses on the epic ride out of the original, a blissful 5+ minutes that will lift dancefloors to the heavens.