Buscar:collection

Babau is the pantropical project of Artetetra founders Matteo Pennesi and Luigi Monteanni in which a fascination with exotica, world music 2.0 and field recordings meets the compositional and improvisational techniques of computer music. Their latest work, the album »Stock Fantasy Zone«, was recently released on Discrepant and they have been nominated Shape artists 2023. The duo has participated in various Italian and non-Italian festivals such as Fusion, Club to Club, Nextones, Outernational Days, Camp Cosmic and Saturnalia.

»Flatland Explorations« is an ever-growing collection of completely improvised attempts at mapping the surface and irregular shapes of Babau's sonic flatland by means of audio manipulations and digital sorceries. Joining live recordings with studio material and field recordings, the duo crafts its unique sound made of granular illusions, midi extravaganza, wind instruments' acrobacies, and vocal calembours. The results have been remarkably described as 'the sound of a continent moving, ethnicities, animals, plants and mineral included.

Out of the stack, the flatland has no boundaries.

This is the origin of Chiemi Eri, who continues to enjoy immense popularity across generations and borders. Seven vinyl records focusing on jazz are
released simultaneously! Chiemi's punchy style explodes against the backdrop of two of Japan's biggest big bands!
This album is a collection of soulful standard numbers that marks the end of her single years.

The debut album by the 8-bit music unit YMCK, which caused a sensation when it was released in 2004, is now available on vinyl! This classic album, which laid the foundation for 8-bit music/chiptune, is a collection of pop music that combines retro game sounds with cute whispery vocals and stylish melodies!

Bone w/ black splatter vinyl. NYC ska/reggae legends The Slackers are back with a new collection of rarities - or as they put it, "Tales of Mirth, Heartbreak, and Woe!" - from their extensive catalog with the release of Lost & Found Vol 2 on Pirates Press Records. In their well over 30-year career, The Slackers have been one of the most consistently prolific artists in the game. While that means their legions of worldwide fans are never wanting for new material, it can also mean that once in a while, even dedicated fans can miss a new song here or there. Thus, it's helpful that the band periodically collects some of these lesser known and sought-after gems for wide release under the Lost & Found banner! Lost & Found Vol 2 includes some of the rarest Slackers tunes of them all. Live versions of several songs as well as the studio track "Diskambobulated" come from ultra-rare lathe cut singles. Still others come from limited one-time-only single pressings on PPR, including two 12" singles and one collaborative 7" which features vocals by Japanese dancehall sensation Papa B. Finally, it includes a dub mix of "Time Won't Set You Free" that is previously unreleased.

studio mule announces the first-ever vinyl release of shinsuke honda’s banka (1991)

known as the guitarist of the legendary band hachimitsu pie, shinsuke honda—whose album silence is celebrated as one of the most remarkable achievements in japanese ambient guitar jazz—sees his 1991 cd-only masterpiece banka finally released as a double lp from studio mule.

carrying forward the spirit of silence while reaching new levels of refinement and depth, banka presents a collection of beautifully crafted ambient jazz pieces that reveal honda’s distinctive musical vision.

With simpatico support from double bassist Drew Gress and drummer Tom Rainey, Hersch presented fresh interpretations of tunes by his favourite jazz composers, which included Miles Davis ('Milestones'), Wayne Shorter ('Iris'), Thelonious Monk ('Played Twice'), Dizzy Gillespie ('Con Alma'), and Herbie Hancock (Speak Like A Child). The album also includes an original number, 'Evanessence,' which Hersch composed as a salute to pianist Bill Evans. The Fred Hersch Trio Plays is a remarkable collection of performances affirming that jazz is about exploration, constant reinvention, and selfless teamwork.

Working with elite keys player Ross Stanley (steadily making ripples on the world stage through his work with legends like Maceo Parker, and more recently with Robben Ford), guitarist Nigel Price says: "I've never heard Ross play a bad note, and he absolutely played out of his skin on this record." Joel Barford is one of the most exciting and vibrant young drummers on the scene today. He relishes the space and freedom of the organ trio format, which is totally evident on this new recording.

Six of the nine pieces are original Price compositions, confirming his strength as a writer, especially for this tight, powerful unit. A relaxed recording session brought out the best in these three master musicians, and the result is an exciting collection of captivating music. Nigel Price is acknowledged as one of the foremost UK exponents of jazz guitar. He has played on more than 60 albums including eight as a leader, spent 10 years with acid jazz outfit The Filthy Six, was a member of James Taylor's band, JTQ, for three years (with whom he recorded five albums) and performed with the legendary David Axelrod. Price has worked tirelessly to organise his own tours, with epic tours he's organised for the Nigel Price Organ Trio becoming the stuff of legend.

Inspired by Lou Reed’s groundbreaking 1975 noise opus Metal Machine Music, this collection assembles a formidable lineup of sonic provocateurs—Aaron Dilloway, Drew McDowall, Thurston Moore, Pharmakon, The Rita, and Mark Solotroff—to explore the outer edges of distortion, feedback, and raw electronic texture. Each artist channels the spirit of Reed’s original manifesto of anti-music, pushing their own boundaries through modular synthesis, tape manipulation, harsh noise, and industrial decay. The result is a visceral, immersive experience that celebrates chaos, confronts structure, and redefines what music can be.

Oh No helped shape the texture of modern independent hip-hop, introducing the world to his turbulent lyricism with the 2004 Stones Throw classic The Disrupt before establishing himself as one of the world’s most dynamic beat architects. Ranging from soulful to sinister, hypnotic to chaotic, Dr. No’s psychedelic production has become a vital force in hip-hop, bringing the best out of artists like Mos Def, Action Bronson, Prodigy, Murs, Dilated Peoples, Danny Brown, Elzhi, Your Old Droog, and more. The California native has also released several acclaimed sample-themed instrumental collections, mining Mediterranean psyche funk, the work of jazz icon Roy Ayers, Italian library music, rare Ethiopian grooves, and more. Now, Oh No is back with Nodega, his first vocal album in more than a decade. Conceptualized as a corner store where microphone assassins stop through to lay down their street tales, the project finds Oh No cooking up a fresh batch of wild creations as the drama unfolds. While contributing a handful of memorable verses himself, Oh No mostly focuses on crafting soundscapes for a staggering array of guests, including Logic, Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli, Tha God Fahim, Alchemist, Guilty Simpson, Blu, Crimeapple, Rah Digga, Esoteric, Vic Spencer, Wildchild, Big Twins, and more. “I work with some of the most dangerous emcees in the game,” he explains. “I wanted the album to be like a hip-hop play, with all these different geniuses showing how they steal the scenes.” This concept is brought to life by music Oh No describes as a “cinematic landscape ranging from dark stabbing pianos to melodic jazz interludes, raw gutter loops to funk grit, dirty synths to nighttime thrills.” A visceral experience elevated by immense collective talent, Nodega is a compelling one-stop shop for Oh No’s expansive artistry.

Celebrating 25 years since its original release, The High & Mighty's seminal debut album, "Home Field Advantage", returns in a special anniversary edition vinyl reissue. Originally launched under the iconic Rawkus Records banner, this album became a defining moment in underground hip-hop, showcasing the sharp wit and raw talent of Mr. Eon and DJ Mighty Mi. Now, in collaboration with Eastern Conference Records, RRC Music Co. revives this classic with the care and respect it deserves.

"Home Field Advantage” stands as a testament to the golden era of hip-hop, featuring an all-star lineup of guests who helped cement its legendary status. The album includes unforgettable appearances by Mos Def, Pharoahe Monch, Evidence, Eminem, Defari, Cage, Kool Keith, among others, each bringing their unique flavor to the project and amplifying its impact.

This 25th-anniversary edition is more than just a reissue; it's a revitalization. As a special treat for collectors and die-hard fans, this edition includes six bonus tracks, adding further depth to an already rich collection of tracks. Remastered for vinyl by the renowned Davide "Bassi Maestro" Bassi and packaged in a gatefold jacket with restored original artwork curated by Mr. Krum, this release pays homage to the album's legacy while celebrating its enduring influence.

This 25th anniversary reissue is not just a trip down memory lane — it's a reminder of why this album continues to resonate in the hip-hop community today. Don't miss the chance to own this piece of music history, reborn for a new generation.

Following the completion of the Pulse EP series, Peverelist invites four producers to present their own refreshing takes on choice cuts from his most recent phase of club exploration.

Fadi Mohem channels the bright angles of 'Pulse IX' into a buoyant, sleek run of uptempo dub techno with an unmistakable Berlin focus. Huey Mnemonic takes the crafty, curious swerve of 'Pulse XX' and sets it to a 4/4 rush of exuberant, steady-climbing techno informed by his Detroit surroundings. Munich-based artist Polygonia's snaking electronica response to 'Pulse VII' capitalises on the swooning melody of the original's second half and matches it with vibrant sound design. Rounding off an especially invigorating round of remixes, the stark jack of 'Pulse V' becomes a twinkling, dreamy Motor City reverie in the hands of the legendary Optic Nerve, aka Keith Tucker.

The end result is a collection of remixes bursting with the same vibrant, uplifting energy that courses throughout the Pulse series.

Livity Sound is a label set up by Peverelist in 2011 as a vehicle for a raw and exploratory strain of UK techno, rooted in the heritage of UK dance music and sound system culture. It has since become one of the UK's foremost protagonists for cutting edge underground electronic music.

Tina Records presents the apocalyptic visions of Nokuit. Constructing a hellish diorama across six tracks of industrial electronics, Gates of Horn and Ivory uses biblical allegory to map out our current End Times. With sleeve notes by Andy Sharp a.k.a The English Heretic.

Eurosleaze film composer by day, Nokuit has developed a distinctive cosmology over a mutating series of releases on underground labels including wannamarchi club and NKT. Alongside Cut Hands (William Bennett of Whitehouse), he remixed Roberto Musci on the inaugural Tina Records release, as well as having been remixed himself by schuttle, Kinn and Sonae. He has performed internationally, including at Cafe OTO alongside Mun Sing as part of a lineup curated by Flora Yin-Wong and has received radio support from Ad93's Nik Tasker and Ana Quiroga of Editions Mego's LCC, amongst others.

English Heretic is an autonomous creative research project helmed by writer, occultist and multimedia artist, Andy Sharp. Having released over a dozen albums and booklets since it's inception in 2003, the project culminated with the publication of The English Heretic Collection in 2020 by Repeater Books. Friend and collaborator of the late Mark Fischer, Andy has talked at academic conferences and counter-cultural events on a wide range of subjects drawn from his research.

This is the second release from Tina Records, following Cargo Cult by Roberto Musci. Featuring remixes from Cut Hands and Nokuit, that record received airplay from the likes of Surgeon and Not Waving on stations such as NTS, Noods, Resonance and Intergalactic FM. It was also named one of the best releases of 2024 by Bleep. Tina Records is based in London and Rome.

“Detraex Corp arrives on Sagome to deliver a heady journey through experimental rhythm and dub-informed weight and release with their new album Live at Pompeii. The album, much like its Carlo Gabriele Tribbioli created artwork, represents a journey, a collection of sounds and emotions, sequenced to share with us, the listener, a variety of experience, and of memory, which are at once familiar and other.
"Live at Pompeii sets things off with the tone-setting Tykes of, where frazzled, shuffling drums meet sub bass weight and ketamine oud, sounding something like Wordsound’s Scarab leaving the 90s and entering the future. Tombaroli invites the head nods, clearly communicating the album’s intentions and inviting us to that party under that out-of-town bridge with its insistent percussion and pulsing weight.
"Other tracks, such as Bullet Holes, carry us further into a psychedelic alternative, with its lysergic fever-dream soundtrack to an unnamed mediterranean plaza, and No Minus’s sounding like a nascent, primitive distant cousin to Jeru’s Premier-produced Come Clean.
"Channel 83 firmly returns us to the club, weaving mystical soundsystem magic with its stunted horns and swirl of voice, driven forward with the most chest-rattling of stomps, before the album enters its finale, where the grimey judder of Expect Excerpt slides to a bleary-eyed half-speed, evoking the club which won’t let you leave.
"Mount Point eventually provides that release, an early morning sunrise of a track, with rich, slow trudge and post-club shimmer, before Landings Dub signals the end of the journey, a metallic elegy to what has preceded, and a contemplation of your upcoming repeat listen, and re-entry, to the world of Detraex Corp.”

Words by Daniel Magee
Music by Detraex Corp
Mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi
Artwork and Layout by Carlo Gabriele Tribbioli

JVB released their self-written, self-produced, self-mixed and mastered sophomore album – No Hands – which debuted in the Top 10 on Spotify’s Top US Album’s Chart. The critically-and-fan-acclaimed collection of genre-bending tracks are their most impressive work to date and feature appearances by Danny Brown, Terror Reid and Z-Trip.

Symmetry is proud to announce the arrival of Solid State Vol. 1 - a special vinyl release from Break. Due to popular demand, we’ve compiled four standout tracks, including some fan favourites that until now were only available digitally.

The EP brings together a serious collection: Release Me, which hit number 1 on Beatport; Overstayed, Symmetry’s highest selling tune on Bandcamp; alongside two more heavyweight cuts, All You Gotta Do and Zodiac.

Pressed and presented in physical form, Solid State Vol. 1 is both a collector’s piece and a must-have for DJs - and this time it’s something you can hold in your hands.

Another side of Steve Rachmad. Preceeds and album of archive tracks that shows the far reaching talents of this master producer.. TIP!


Some things are just too good to be hidden from view. That's certainly the case with 'Things To Think About', the first album from Dutch electronic music legend Steve Rachmad's lesser-known Sterac Electronics project.

Rachmad first rose to prominence in the late 1990s, spearheading a surge in Dutch techno that was heavily inspired by the futurist intent and machine soul of Detroit. Since then, he has continued to successfully explore a wide range of dancefloor-centric electronic styles under a dizzying array of aliases.

It's a while, though, since the public has been treated to a heavy dose of Sterac Electronics
material. He first established the alias at the turn of the millennium, primarily as an outlet for hardware-driven electro music shot through with funk and soul.

A handful of highly regarded 12' singles were released on Music Man and Interpersonal XP, before Rachmad began focusing on other projects. When inspiration struck, he returned to the project, jamming out tracks using a mighty collection of vintage synthesizers and drum machines.

Recently, Rachmad and Tom Trago decided to revisit the Sterac Electronics archive, discovering a killer collection of cuts created at different points over the course of the last 15 years.

Now 9 of those spellbinding hardware jams have been gathered together for the first time on 'Things To Think About', a warm, rich and evocative collection of electro-fuelled workouts that giddily pay tribute to the music of Rachmad's youth.

'Things To Think About' will be released as a limited-edition double album, preceded by this 12' single featuring another previously unheard gem from the vaults.

From 1968 through to the mid 1970’s the reggae beat began to slow down,some say due to the extreme heat hitting down onto Kingston Town and its surrounding enclaves. People needed something less strenuous to dance to. The Ska and Rocksteady Sounds (see 101 Orange Street KS007) that rocked Jamaica previously, had now found a slower tempo and become more ‘Dread’ lyrically to suit the times. Reggae music has always moved within the social climate it found itself in and this set here, as we ‘Return To Orange Street’ was ROOTS ROCK REGGAE TIME....

The Rastafarian message that runs through this collection of ‘Reality’, sometimes labelled ‘Sufferers’ music,is strong and works on many levels. It can come across on a heavy rhythm and vocal cut. Its example represented here by Prince Jazzbo’s ‘Dread in a Earth’ and ‘I Roy’s ‘Roots Man Time’, moving through to the popular new sounds of the DJ’s working over an old rhythm and alongside its existing vocal. As with Busty Brown working with Delroy Wilson's ‘Know Your Friend’ and Mr Jah Stitch working over Johnny Clarke’s ‘Roots Natty Roots’ to produce an even more dreader ‘True Born African’. The heartfelt lyric can also convey this message as we can see when Horace Andy laments ‘Where is the Love’ and Delroy Wilson again shows us on his ‘Who Cares’ cut. The great Twinkle Brothers also put the message across on their two cuts we have here, ’Too Late’ one of their lost classics if ever there was one and the thoughtful ‘It’s Not Who You Know’,being another prime example.

Orange Street itself is always at the heart of all reggae's musical changes and some singers also ride these waves as Mr Cornell Campbell shows us here with two cuts. The mournful ‘Too Be Loved’ and his uplifting ‘Girl of My Dreams’, which uses the same rhythm as our previously mentioned Prince Jazzbo’s 'Dread in a Earth’. Showing us that firstly you can’t keep a good rhythm down and secondly that two if not more great songs can work from the same source point. The light hearted ‘Vengeful’ lyric also worked in this period when artists spared off to each other on records to vent their frustrations. As we can hear here with Mr Lee Perry’s ‘You Funny Boy’. The song snipping back at a previous employer over what he felt were his misdoings to an under appreciated Mr Perry. We have culled these tracks together to show that the Dread Roots feel of the 1970’s came across in many guises and even in earlier songs these sentiments were also prevalent. As represented in Slim Smith’s almost bluesy feel in ‘Trying To Find a Home’, never a truer statement in Kingston's ghetto areas.

Well we hope you enjoy this musical journey and make a connection with messages portrayed here, as Mr Monty Morris points out on his contribution to this collection ‘Times Are Dread’.... Dread indeed.....

Vinyl Only 300 Copies Limited.

Sascha Dive returns to the Tenampa podium with another outstanding release. True to form, he stays faithful to his signature style: a well-defined, punchy, groovy, and solid tech-house sound that has become his trademark... sophisticated and refined!
On remix duties, the excellent Tuccillo delivers his touch of class, fresh off a string of acclaimed releases on some of the most respected electronic labels around, and delivers a standout remix. This is a must-have addition to your collection: a vinyl-only release, limited to just 300 copies worldwide, featuring a stunning full-cover illustration by renowned Mexican artist El Stitch.
Straight from Tenampa, and blazing, get yours!

2025-2026 marks the 40th anniversary of the Happy Mondays, a milestone celebration of one of Britain's most iconic and era-defining bands.

To celebrate, London Records will launch a series of special anniversary releases, beginning with a fully remastered brand-new compilation: The Factory Singles. This definitive collection captures the band's ground-breaking output from 1985-1992, celebrating their pivotal role in shaping UK music culture. Classic remixes from Paul Oakenfold, Andrew Weatherall, Terry Farley and Jon Carter make up bonus tracks on the 2CD and 2LP.

The release will be available across multiple formats, appealing to collectors and fans alike.

Complementing the physical editions, a series of brand-new digital remixes will be unveiled from world-renowned artists Daniel Avery, Paul Oakenfold, Mella Dee, and Shadow Child and more, bridging the Mondays' legacy with today's electronic innovators, and a revisit from Paul Oakenfold.

This campaign marks the beginning of an extensive celebration of the Happy Mondays' 40-year legacy, bringing their iconic sound to both devoted fans and new generations

Pianist and singer songwriter Tilda Gebhardt creates a curious and immersive world on her debut "Come the Afternoon", a tender portrait of her upbringing in the bleak yet beautiful north west English countryside.

Telling tales that take us back to a 1936 premier of Swing Time, or inside a telescope where a man named Ernest lives, via the vast plains of the Australian desert - Gebhardt's unusual combination of playfulness, storytelling and profound reflection is carried along by her crystalline voice, and acrobatic piano.

Inspired in turn by the magic of moving images and nature, "Come the Afternoon" is like a collection of miniature films, chronicling Tilda's adventures on the fells of the langdales, hiding in the heather on the Trough of Bowland, and exploring the fields and valleys that surround her home in Lancaster.

Sounds like: Joni Mitchell, Liza Minelli and Joanna Newsom picking cockles in Morecambe Bay.
Recommended if you like: Keith Jarret, Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru, Issa Kobayashi, John Berger.

Kill Them With Kindness is the 18th album from Beans on Toast, recorded at Greenmount Studios in Leeds with The Beans on Toast Band, a collection of musical friends he handpicked from the UK music scene a few years back.

"We've done a few tours together, but this was our first venture into a studio. Each one of them is amazing, and together... well, I'm proper chuffed with how it sounds. Have a listen for yourself," says Beans.

This album is a bit of a juxtaposition, as is the title. "There are songs that deal with the current state of the world: wars, maniac leaders, the rise of AI and the fall of the establishment. Then there are songs about trees, late nights in music venues, art, love and my new cat. As usual, it's a time stamp of my thoughts and feelings from the past year on planet Earth."

Have you noticed how the flood of daily news numbs your senses, dulling the ability to feel anything good? As if the world is slowly turning into a place meant for someone else - strangers whose faces you’d rather not see, whose voices you’d rather not hear. Perhaps it’s only a passing distortion
on the path to a better future - a glitch in the grand narrative of human progress. When the world above burns with confusion, we descend deeper underground - to outlast the chaos. Let the blood cleanse the word’s body; let the beat be our sanctuary. Welcome to Bunker No. 999. But even in exile, we need supplies. From the cold circuitry of soulless digital boxes - forced through the jaws of filters, resonators, and endlessly decaying reverberations - emerges a collection of DJ tools built to endure what unfolds above. Sounds to make you last, to make you tremble, to send shivers through the black box we call the dance floor. The rise of 999 Goosebumps begins - a Barcelona-born label debuting with Alex Pletnev’s transcendent first release, featuring Trancesetters of Westphalia on the remix.

Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped), is the definitive Kylie Christmas album – a sparkling collection of timeless, glittering holiday tracks that capture the warmth, fun and glamour of the festive season in true Kylie style. A selection of her very best Christmas tracks plus three new songs, Hot in December, Office Party and This Time of Year on limited edition pink & white marble vinyl.

Dear Wormwood acts as a volume II to Through the Deep, Dark Valley. While Through the Deep, Dark Valley is about the protagonist's past, Dear Wormwood is about the character's future. The duo explains, "This album is a collection of letters, all written by a single protagonist and addressed to a single recipient, a conversation to which the listener is an observer as a relationship gone wrong reaches its breaking point - the words and music are at times affectionate and bittersweet, at others resigned and resolute."

Coke Bottle Clear vinyl. Jun 25, 2021 (EST) CD MRG755cd 673855075525 $6.00 Jun 25, 2021 (EST) LP - Black MRG755lp 673855075518 $11.00 Dec 02, 2022 (EST) LP - Coke Bottle Clear MRG755lp-dlx-C1 673855075556 $12.50 TOTAL Quietly Blowing It was written and arranged by Taylor in his home studio_his 8' x 10' sanctuary packed floor to ceiling with books, records, and old guitars_as he watched the chaotic world spin outside his window. "Writing became a daily routine," he explains, "and that was a ballast for me. Having spent so much time on the road over the past ten years, where writing consistently with any kind of flow can be tricky, it felt refreshing. And being in my studio, which is both isolated from and totally connected to the life of my family, felt appropriate for these songs." Between March and June, Taylor wrote and recorded upwards of two dozen songs_in most cases playing all of the instruments himself_before winnowing the collection down and bringing them to the Hiss band. In July, the group of musicians, with Taylor in the production seat, went into Overdub Lane in Durham, NC, for a week, where they recorded Quietly Blowing It as an organic unit honed to a fine edge from their years together on the road. "We all needed to be making that music together," he recalls. "We've all spent so many years traveling all over the world, but in that moment, it felt cathartic to be recording those particular songs with each other in our own small hometown."

Following the kaleidoscopic ambition of Djesse Vol. 4, Jacob returns with The Light For Days – a stripped-back, emotionally resonant body of work that is reflective of the quiet core of his artistry.

Recorded in just four days in the very room where his career first took flight, The Light For Days trades scale for intimacy, spotlighting Jacob’s unmistakable voice and a deepening relationship with the guitar. The result is a collection of originals and handpicked covers that feel immediate, heartfelt, and timeless.

The Light For Days is a powerful reminder of the versatility that has earned Jacob seven GRAMMYs across various genres. For those who’ve seen Jacob live, this record will feel like coming home. For everyone else, it’s an invitation to see and to hear him in a new light.

'In collaboration with the children of Nico Kasanda, better known as Docteur Nico, Planet Ilunga proudly presents an anthology dedicated to African Fiesta Sukisa, available as a 3LP set and a digital release with bonus songs. This release is the result of many years of preparations and was realized in close partnership with Liliane Kasanda, Nico’s eldest daughter. Marking forty years since his passing, we felt that the year 2025 was the right time to honor Docteur Nico’s legacy with this original collection.
'Almost all of the African Fiesta Sukisa songs were released on Nico’s Sukisa label which translates in Lingala for “the final accomplishment”. The music on Sukisa, crafted by Nico and legendary vocalists such as Chantal, Sangana, Apôtre, Mizele, Lessa Lassan and Josky, embodies the essence of that powerful phrase with genius, class and depth. The label ran between 1966 and 1975 and released approximately 280 songs. Ngoma also issued the group between 1967 and 1971 and, in addition, reissued material from the Sukisa label. Many of these songs have become part of the collective memory of Congolese society and are still heard, discussed, and analyzed daily across digital platforms worldwide, as well as on numerous Congolese radio and TV stations.
'The album we put together features some of Nico’s signature songs alongside never before reissued tracks from the Sukisa catalog. It furthermore contains a large booklet with song commentary, testimonial interviews from well-known musicians, journalists, fans and Nico’s entourage, besides never before published photography about his personal and musical life.
'Alastair Johnston, author of the book ‘A Discography of Docteur Nico’ and longstanding Planet Ilunga collaborator, designed a stylish booklet and cover using all our collected material. Audifax Bemba, longtime admirer, compiler and connoisseur of Nico’s music, and the author of most of the song commentary in our accompanying booklet, offers his portrait of Docteur Nico:
“After displaying technical virtuosity with African Jazz, expert and accomplished guitar with African Fiesta, which musicologist Sylvain Bemba described as a dream guitar, Nico Kasanda was consecrated ‘dieu de la guitare’ by the public in the late sixties. With his band African Fiesta Sukisa, Docteur Nico displays his wide palette of unusual sounds. While exploring the Hawaiian guitar with its clear, airy, plangent, psychedelic effluvia, he continues to replicate the piano comping technique, and adds two missing strings to his bow: a simulation of the sanza (likembé or thumb piano), whose sounds he reproduces right down to the noisemakers of the tiny tin rings, on the one hand, and the sounds of the Luba balafon on the other. The right note, in the right place, at the right time, is the triptych on which Nico Kasanda’s playing is based, a note dressed in the perfect sound. A guitar of pure emotion. With African Fiesta Sukisa, his playing takes a ‘Chopin-esque’ turn, sending out more notes in a sublime adagio. The true artist is the one who simplifies everything. Docteur Nico is a genius of our time, whose style makes him the supreme exponent of the most important guitar school in Congolese music. He is recognized by his peers as the greatest African solo guitarist of all time. Sculpting sound in a tireless quest for beauty, Nico Kasanda has sublimated the guitar throughout his career.”






























[xd] Kamulangu [Outro] (Dr. Kasanda – Sukisa 135) Folklore Baluba

The second volume of Bollywood Nuggets is a 14-track collection of instrumental gems spanning three decades, blending legendary composers with hidden talents for a rich musical journey. Volume 2 of this series focused on the amazing sonic treasures Bollywood music has to offer. This second volume is centered on the incredible instrumental gems that populate Hindi cinema soundtracks. 14 tracks of pure Bollywood instrumental genius to continue the dive into the mind-blowing world of Hindi cinema music. Covering a time span of 3 decades, this compilation mixes well-known names (like S.D. and R.d. Burman or O.P. Nayyar), with lesser-known talents from the endlessly thrilling vaults of Hindi movie soundtracks and throws a couple of delicious covers for a truly unforgettable sonic experience. Includes liner notes.

US Black Friday 2025 Release. There are very few albums in the psych/punk/hard rock/private presses strata that garner the sort of universal awe and accolades that Fraction’s almighty Moonblood LP does, and even fewer records in the world that could be dubbed ‘Christian Rock’ incur such fierce devotion. Indeed some records just meteorically lift themselves out any genre tag with brilliance and sheer defiance--and Moonblood is surely one of them. Based in LA, Fraction was a ragged collection of working-class musicians--the line-up was ringleader Jim Beach--vocals; Don Swanson--lead guitar, Curt Swanson--drums, Victor Hemme--bass, and Robert Meinel--rhythm guitar. Beach himself describes those early days: “The guys met through various acquaintances that we had in LA. All of us had been in bands before, but were seeking something with more teeth. We had a small studio in an industrial complex in North Hollywood and started practicing sometimes as early as 4:30 AM. We all had day jobs, so we did what we could.”

Amazingly the recording sessions for the album were recorded similarly on the fly, as Beach further states: “The Moonblood recording took place at Whitney’s Studio in Glendale, CA, early in 1971. On a strict budget, these songs were recorded in less than three hours—all of them “one takes.” We played, all 5 of us, simultaneously-- there were no studio effects, no overdubbing or any additional sound effects added. Basically what you hear is considered ‘old school’ recording.”

This workmanlike description in no way prepares one for the pure tortured genius the session wrought. Particularly noteworthy is Beach’s vocals—as commonly stated, the spirit of Jim Morrison is conjured in his deep baritone, which gives way to unparalleled pained howls, at times bathed in delay which trails into the abyss. Fascinatingly enough, Beach cites the much punker Love as his fave LA band over the Doors, and also gives influence-nods to proto-everything rockers The Yardbirds and to Dylan, whose dark word tapestries surely inspired Beach’s lyrics (though lines from The Doors’ “L’America” pop up on the LP) Whatever the case, the man clearly has a vision, as even the stark sleeve concept is Beach’s own. Equally as integral to the Fraction sound is lead guitarist Don Swanson—his blown-out fuzz riffs set a template for what is now commonly known as “stoner rock” or “acid punk,” and his solos consist of jagged, wah-wah-ed shards of notes, with his amplifier clearly pushed to the limit.

Beach says: “Don’s guitar was always my driving force and he did everything he could to keep it over the top. You’d never know that (his sound) was coming from an old, broken down Esquire. Don kept it alive!” The other members contributions shouldn’t be underappreciated though-- drummer Curt Swanson keeps things at a constant simmer, and then boils over when the whole band launches into snarling glory. The band and LP as a whole equals something indescribably intense from start to finish—comparisons to the Detroit late 60s high-energy bands like The Stooges and MC5 abound, as well as the sort of late 60s damaged spirit lurking in biker clubs and disgruntled Vietnam vets. The song cycle on side 1 of the LP in particular cuts to the emotional core, with severely charged dark lyrics like “Extend your thumbs and burn the darkness out of her.” Which brings us to the Christian aspect--it often can confuse listeners. The Fraction/Beach world of religion is complex and perhaps a bit pagan/sinister than most---fire and brimstone, temptation, and the truth-seeker being burned by this hell on earth—or perhaps as Beach himself best put it: “Speaking for myself, as a believer, it’s been a progressive experience since my childhood.

I think we’re all basically driven to live more than religion.” The album was pressed in a run of but a few hundred to little attention in the day, but now inferior bootlegs flood the marketplace, and originals of Moonblood command thousands of dollars. So enjoy this all-inclusive reissue, which also features for the first time on vinyl, 3 lost tracks-- like the more acoustic-minded “prisms” and “dawning light,” as well as the proto-metal choogle of “Intercessor’s Blues.”

Funk collection featuring gems from Blowfly, Patrice Rushen, Tommy Stewart and Clarence Reid.

Laaps starts into 2024 with the release of the first collaborative recordings by Benoît Pioulard and Offthesky, two long-time explorers of the experimental ambient genre.

Benoît Pioulard is the primary audiovisual project of Michigan-born, Brooklyn-based Thomas Meluch. With six LPs on the renowned kranky imprint, as well as a catalog of works for Universal (UK), Morr Music (DE) and others, he has constructed a unique aesthetic steeped in the textures of analog decay and pop song structure using chiefly guitar, piano and tape processing. He has also built an extensive archive of Polaroid photographs (many of which grace his album covers), the first official collection of which is the hardcover book "Sylva", released in 2019. His most recent album "Eidetic" (Morr Music, 2023) was his first vocal-heavy work in several years.

Jason Corder aka Offthesky is an experimental-ambient multimedia artist based in Denver, CO. He has been producing music, video art, audio software, and the occasional interactive sound sculpture, for over 20 years. He teaches private courses on generative music and occasionally lectures on various sound design topics at Denver University. He currently is the Audio Director at the Denver based videogame studio Dire Wolf. Over the years, he has worked with labels such as Home Normal, 12k's term, Facture, and more. Over the years he has performed at Mutek, Decibel, Communikey and other festivals, sharing the bill with likeminded artists Pole, Matmos, William Basinski, and more.

Originally released as an edition of 50 lathe-cut LPs housed in silk-screened jackets in 2020 (fast on the heels of What's Tonight To Eternity), Cat O' Nine Tails has long intrigued die-hard Cindy Lee fans with its combination of the classic songwriting that would dominate Diamond Jubilee a few years later and an actual suite of classical songs under the title itself.

Opening with the gothic soap opera theme of "Our Lady Of Sorrows" into the manic exploration of "Cat O' Nine Tails," onto the dusty western walk through Patrick Flegel's lovely guitar work on "Faith Restored," the album seems to soundtrack the coolest movie the late '60s ever produced. All of this builds to the lush and sweeping ballad of bruised hearts that introduces that beautiful voice via "Love Remains."

Side Two sees 2024 live show closer "Cat O' Nine Tails III" complete the suite to epic effect, before introducing the absolute showstopper that is "I Don't Want To Fall In Love Again." It is tender and fragile in that way that only Flegel can make both familiar and unique. Closing with the ethereal soul shuffle stomp of "Bondage Of The Mind," the album showcases nine songs from an essential time in the Cindy Lee evolution.

W.25TH / Superior Viaduct bring this collection to the larger audience as it deserves.

Fourth edition of the Metro Jaxx series, 303 copies, hand-numbered on purple vinyl. Six tracks of jacking acid house, rave and techno. KMRT makes his vinyl debut with the opener Beez Waxx, all breakbeats and wonky 303 lines. Hacienda legend Jon Dasilva brings “Look At The Owl” which repeatedly builds and strips itself back, while Balkan mainstay Nightwave ends the A side with the frantic snares of “Bang The Rocks”. The B side opens with “Xtasy” in typical Acidulant distorted voices and acid lines, Hannah Holland goes high speed & high energy with the vocal talents of Kurtis Lincoln, and label boss Posthuman sees the collection out with dirty 303 & 707 action. And yes, this blurb was 303% written by a human not f’kin ChatGPT.

Fuzzy Blanket Recordings out of Portland returns with a mesmerizing Various Artists EP, weaving together four deep excursions into house and dub-infused atmospheres. Each track unfolds like a story - warm, textured, and deeply hypnotic. From glowing deep house grooves to magical, dub-touched explorations, this collection captures the label’s unique spirit: intimate, timeless, and endlessly inviting. A record made for dreamers and dancers alike.

Get ready for a fresh journey on Phunkit Records! This new release brings together the talents of Hawkinson, Ray Kajioka, and Joel Mull. Across four tracks, they deliver a spectrum from driving techno to deep dub techno grooves. It's a must-have for any techno lover's collection.

Ground-breaking percussive ambient recordings from Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors, inducing altered states of consciousness through ecstatic dance. "Selected Works from 1985 to 2005" finally available on Time Capsule

Despite featuring an extraordinary cast of musicians (with credits including Pharoah Sanders, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Santana and Milton
Nascimento) and selling hundreds of thousands of albums, the music of Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors remains largely unheard beyond their sphere. Conceived as live, improvised soundtracks to Roth’s transcendental dance workshops, musical acclaim was never on the agenda.Instead, for a passionate dancer and spiritual polyglot like Gabrielle Roth, movement was a means through which to channel a wide spectrum of teaching, from experimental psychology to psychedelic counter-culture. It was from this heady mix that she devised a movement meditation known as 5Rhtyhms, which came to define her life’s work.

As “guide and catalyst”, Roth would dance to inspire the percussion-led instrumentals that would in turn fuel her 5Rhythms workshops, stimulating a secular form of ecstatic dance with roots in Native American shamanic traditions, Afro-Brazilian Candomblé and Yoruba drumming. Using anything from a Sioux pony drum to East African kihembe and Japanese Kabuki drums, Gabrielle’s lawyer-turned-drummer husband Robert Ansell set the foundational rhythms for The Mirrors’ recordings, each of which would then feature a rotating cast of friends and professional musicians.

“The secret of everything we’ve done is that we never told anybody what to play,” Robert shares. “Instead of our albums being a musical vision of one person like me or Gabrielle, they were the musical vision of a whole bunch of people.”At times the recordings have a Middle Eastern flair, at others, West African and spiritual jazz modes come to the fore. Hints of kosmische musik, proto-house and electronic ambience are laced like LSD through the organic rhythmic structures. This was kaleidoscopic ambient music to stir the body and free the mind.

In practice, the task of synthesising these different elements fell to Scott Ansell, Robert’s son and a recording engineer whose credits now include Nile Rogers, Duran Duran, Grace Jones. With meticulous attention to detail he captured and translated the dynamic energy of each drum onto record. Their sessions became legendary, and with access to the best studios in the NYC, The Mirrors sparkled.

Despite being initially overlooked by the burgeoning ‘80s New Age market, which preferred pipes and gongs to The Mirrors’ heavy-grooving drums, Robert Ansell set up Raven Recording to self-release the music, creating a vast sonic archive of sixteen albums over almost forty years. The breadth of Raven’s catalogue is such that curator Pol Valls had to cut an initial selection of sixty-six tracks down to the eleven featured here. What crystallises is a stunning, mind-altering collection which spans, in Pol’s words, “a variety of genres, styles, and vibes within their catalogue, whether it is emotional, esoteric, spiritual, melancholic, hypnotic, dark, or at times a combination of these elements together.”Music for immersive and intimate environments, Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors were born from the dance. In the hands of the right DJ, at the right time, in the right place, they might just return there.

“Twenty-five years into their existence, The Album Leaf are an old comfy sweater. It might not be the most fashionable thing in your collection but it always feels good when you put it on. Jimmy LaValle’s synth textures are warm, nostalgic and steeped in Boards of Canada / Ulrich Schnauss-style soundscapes that are relaxing, otherworldly and melodic” – Brooklyn Vegan

The Album Leaf shares his new ambient LP, Rotations. The record is a mediative experiment into atmospheric sound. Creator Jimmy LaValle explains, “This collection of music is a true reflection of my creative process—rooted in sound exploration, experimentation, and spontaneous response. Each track captures a moment of creative discovery, free from the pressure of achieving a polished result. Throughout my career, I’ve often placed significant weight on what an album should be. With this release, I’ve let go of those expectations to share a body of work that feels genuine and authentic.

The Album Leaf began as the solo project of Jimmy LaValle, who came up in the San Diego music scene playing in hardcore bands and the instrumental rock band Tristeza. He had inked a deal to release his next solo album through the indie label Tigerstyle Records, so he put the modest advance towards a self-recording starter setup, building out the sound with occasional studio access. The music that emerged — vivid, rhythmic, soaring instrumentals guided by lines of Guitar and Rhodes — not only set the path for The Album Leaf over the next two decades of acclaimed releases (for Sub Pop, City Slang, and others), it became a touchstone for the next generation's wave of melodic and meditative electro-organic music.

It has been said of Hiroshi Suzuki, one of Japan's leading trombonists, "If you want to sound good, you need to have him as a member of your group”. Suzuki moved to the U.S. in 1971 when he was invited to play with the Buddy Rich Orchestra, and had been living in Las Vegas ever since. The album Cat was recorded when he returned to Japan for the first time in about four years, and released on Nippon Columbia in 1976. The musicians are the same as in Freedom Unity, the group Suzuki had been a member of until his 1971 departure – consisting of pianist Hiromasa Suzuki, drummer Akira Ishikawa, bassist Kunimitsu Inaba, and saxophonist Takeru Muraoka.

Cat is a kind of second chance for that group, which once had a promising future but came to a premature demise. Based on the synergy that they had cultivated together in the past, the players brought their individual technical and musical growth to the album and collectively refined their efforts even further. Each of them had been active on the front lines of the jazz scene, and the quality of their compositions, arrangements, and performances here are extremely high. Cat is one of the most revered albums in the extraordinary Japanese Jazz discography and an essential piece of any music collection.

(Text by Yusuke Ogawa - Universounds)

Juga-Naut, cultural Renaissance man, master of crafts, has done it again. Out of the deepest recesses of Nottingham’s underground caves, in brain-melting stereo and mesmerising technicolor, comes… Bem II.

Following on from 2020’s Bem, while defying the outdated belief that a sequel never outshines its predecessor, this is a lyrically ascendant, sonically euphoric, genre-defying, fever-inducing, hellcat of an album. Built upon the backbone of Juga-Naut’s inimitable production, wry, streetwise and knowing poetics, with hooks so catchy they cause problems when swallowed, Bem II gives listeners more funk, more soul, more grooves, more breaks, and more grit than ever before. The album’s co-stars include incredible artists and collaborators from both sides of the Atlantic, such as Crimeapple, Vandal Savage & Yumah.

Inspired by legendary cinema, each track is filmic in and of itself, a collection of twelve potent and timeless songs that together mean more than a million vapid viral videos. If played in the presence of the planet’s most infamous haters in a darkened theatre on a moonless night, Bem II has the power to unite even the most acrimonious of enemies.

This album is best listened to just before your decide to ask Jugz in 2024 after a decade plus of releases if he is 'still doing his little music thing?'.