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On and on, the beat goes on. Sound System culture plays a huge part in the history of House music, shaping Mysticisms, its founders and the music it brings into the spotlight. Continuing the dive into that history, in all its forms and permutations, Tranquil Elephantizer’s 1995 classic Zombie Dawn is reissued here in its original form.

A name that has been getting noticed on recent releases for the likes of legendary San Francisco collective Wicked Records and Manchester’s cult Red Laser label, the project has, in fact, been around for several decades.

Morphing out of the late 80s Acid House revolution, members Alexis Worrall, brothers Caspar and Darius Kedros and focal point, David Jenkins aka DJ Shakra came together in the South London melting pot of free parties and DIY anything is possible ethos.

Born of a collaboration between the short-lived Camberwell Butterflies project – featuring Alexis Worrall and DJ Shakra amongst others – and the Kedros’ bothers downtempo/trip hop forbears Slowly. With a shared label, on the ground-breaking Chill Out Records, and Thursday late-night encounters at London’s legendary Megatripolis club, they decided to pool studio resources and Tranquil Elephantizer was born.

Mixing lo-fi 808 heavy analog jams of the Butterflies, with the studio sophistication from the Slowly crew, sparked something new and Zombie Dawn was the first result. Local producer Crispin J Glover dropped by the studio, riding high with his Caucasian Boy project’s hypnotic Northern Lights (featuring DJ Shakra on Roland 303) – recently out on Strictly Rhythm – he offered to remix both Zombie Dawn and the Slowly album cut No Slo Dub for release on his own Matrix label and an underground hit on the London and West Coast 90s party scene was born.

Coming in the original “Saxmental Mix”, alongside Glover’s storming “Nu Dawn Club Mix” Zombie Dawn was a correlation of the past, present and future in one record. The history of British House can be heard in the bumpin’ nature of the beats, the sharp hats encompassed around dub overtones that give it added warmth. The slightly quirky, left field touches of the tracks, set against the then weekly overload of sharp US imports, brought the mix of influences from the Tonka and Sugarlump Sound Systems they had partied and been involved with, on to vinyl, adding touches of jazz keys and disco’s heritage for good measure.

A bedfellow for the emerging UK House sound coming on the likes of Luxury Service (Rob Mello / Zaki Dee), Other (A Man Called Adam / DJ D) and Nuphonic (Faze Action / Idjut Boys), that shaped and defined London clubs and far beyond. Some 30 years later, with a new album on the way, here is debut Tranquil Elephantizer’s release, remastered especially for this reissue, ready to bring that optimistic thinking back.

Tranquil the Mystery.

“Mi Manifesto” = “I just show up”. No warning.

MI MANIFESTO is an album slow-cooked—actually, really slow-cooked—pretty much over a match flame. It’s a little peek into my everyday life. If you stumble into it, you might bolt… or sit down, watch it unfold, and let this train hit you head-on. It’s not an album for everyone—only for those who walked in, got it, and decided to stay.

Pressed on a brilliant acid-yellow 12”, this special release is packed with surprises:
Each copy includes a custom insert by Pan Dan featuring the album’s lyrics. Inside every package, you’ll also find a personalized surprise gift — a small creative token straight from Pan Dan’s imagination. It might be playful, poetic, unexpected… or all of these at once. In any case, it will always be yours alone.

"On its Various 2 compilation, Altered Circuits returns with a gripping four-track selection by an equal number of distinct-voiced artists. Perrax En La Calle sees tINI merge sturdy drums, arpeggiated basslines, and ominous synth work. She knows what makes the floor tick blindfolded, and keeps the energy high here, channelling electronic body music and Italo into a contemporary club knockout. Up next is Ionic, a fusion of quirky, pointillist hooks that play call and response, driven by 909 kicks and a sub pattern underneath. Mogwaa spellbinds, and often pulls the rug only to reveal more intricate melodic needlework -- it's done so nimbly and enticingly, there's no way not to get drawn in. On the flip side, rising talent Desiree Falessi joins with the peak time Scandal. Statically-charged basslines mesh with reverb-drenched percussion salvos, and as slinky pads and subtle theme variations emerge, the intensity builds toward a tipping point. Closer Flex features a sharp arpeggiated bassline that funnels through misty, LFO-steered synths, scattered alarm-like melodies, muffled vocals, and gated-reverb snares. When classic high-pass modulation intermezzos are introduced, Monile demonstrates how sparse means, when deployed precisely, can sustain considerable tension."

Originally released in 1988 on the compilation Acid Tracks Vol. 3 via Needle Records, "The Other Side" has long been recognised as a potent example of early Chicago acid house. Now, more than three decades later, the track receives its first official 12" release - and, crucially, its first release with the original artists correctly credited. While historically attributed to Maurice Joshua, "The Other Side" was in fact produced by Da Posse (Hula Mahone), with vocals by Martell. This forthcoming release marks the first time that the original production has been properly acknowledged and presented in its intended standalone 12" format, restoring authorship to the artists responsible for the record's creation. The release is issued by Island Life Records, a Bali-based label with a growing reputation for carefully curated projects that bridge foundational dance music history and contemporary club culture. By formally reintroducing "The Other Side" with accurate credits, Island Life Records contributes an important corrective to the historical record of Chicago house and acid house music. Musically, "The Other Side" remains a striking artefact of its era: minimal, hypnotic, and emotionally charged, balancing raw machine-driven groove with an atmospheric vocal presence. It exemplifies the experimental, DJ-led ethos of late-1980s Chicago, where tracks were built for function, feeling, and longevity on the dancefloor rather than commercial visibility. The release is accompanied by a set of new remixes that respectfully extend the track's legacy into the present day. Remix duties come from Island Life Records founder Garry Todd under his Clouds Of Kouros alias, Johnny Aux (one half of Paranoid London), and Age Of Hyperion, with the digital including a remix from Garry Todd, each offering a distinct contemporary interpretation while retaining the spirit and tension of the original recording. This release stands not only as a long-overdue physical edition, but as a historically significant moment: the first time the original production has been released on 12", and the first time the correct creative contributors have been formally recognised.

Non Series welcomes Erik Luebs with a four-track EP of warm, minimalistic and groove-focused material.

Franky Wah returns to Crosstown Rebels and reunites with Kuuda on ‘Light Years’.
Dropping on 13th February 2026, the two-tracker sees the acclaimed UK producer continue his collaborative journey alongside the impressive Brighton-based collective for both his and their second appearance on Damian Lazarus’ revered imprint.

Having made a splash with his impactful label debut last summer, Franky Wah returns to Damian Lazarus’ Crosstown Rebels imprint with ‘Light Years’, a two-track EP that explores emotion and movement with measured confidence. The release sees the Yorkshire-born producer further embed himself within the Crosstown universe, delivering a project built on patience, progression, and feeling, where every moment earns its weight.

The EP opens with the title track, a wide-screen, hypnotic solo burner that balances uplifting melodic energy with weighty, driving grooves. Built for long moments on the floor, the track unfolds, allowing atmosphere and tension to do the heavy lifting while maintaining a clear sense of momentum throughout. On the flip, Franky reunites with longtime collaborators, producer-songwriter-vocalist trio Kuuda, for their second outing alongside him on Crosstown Rebels with ‘House In My Veins’. Continuing a partnership rooted in shared musical language and emotional depth, the Brighton-based trio is central to the track, bringing drive, earworm vocals, and a distinctive identity, woven seamlessly throughout Franky’s cinematic production - grounding expansive moments with human connection.

Following heavy support from Pete Tong on his Crosstown Rebels debut, and a recent invitation to host Tong’s flagship BBC R1 show at the start of 2026, Franky continues to assert himself as an artist equally at home in club culture’s most intimate spaces and its widest-reaching platforms. Meanwhile, Kuuda continue their impressive start to 2026, hot on the heels of their recent collaboration with Hot Since 82 on Bedrock. This latest partnership delivers a focused yet expressive statement, music designed to breathe, to move, and to resonate long after the lights come up.

Alongside with the release of the new album “Tote Winkel”, Sankt Otten will be delighting us with another limited vinyl bonus release. “Hymnen und Helden” (hymns and heroes) is a collection of cover versions created over the last few years. As the album title suggests, it pays homage to self-proclaimed musical hymns and heroes from the seventies and eighties.

HYMNEN UND HELDEN – track by track: A well-known Moog sequence leads us on the way into the cover album. Giorgio Moroders 1977 disco classic “I feel love” has been tackled here. Sankt Ottens instrumental interpretation starts out familiar, but ends in a slightly disturbing disharmony of mellotron and ebow guitar.

The instrumental version of the melancholy Wipers anthem from 1983 starts with a rather unusually fast 808 beat for Sankt Otten. The 80s electronic echoes suit the punk rock earworm “Doom Towen” surprisingly well.

Without Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft, more unusual electronic music would hardly have been conceivable in Germany in the early 1980s. “Alles ist gut” tribute to this band and singer Gabi Delgado-Lopez, who passed away in 2020 and with whom they shared the festival stage in 2015. Gabi‘s lyrics are rendered by text- to-speech software with the voice of an unknown Claudia.

“Wishing (If I had a photograph of you)” was made famous in 1982 by A Flock of Seagulls. This record was regularly played on Stephan Ottens turntable back then. Reason enough to remember this with “Sehnen (Hät- te Ich von dir eine Fotografie)”. The recordings for this album were made in 2007 and have been updated and completed in the last year. Carsten Sandkämper, who was also featured on Sankt Ottens debut album “Eine kleine Traurigkeit”, contributed the vocals and lyrics.

The Swiss band Grauzone became famous with the NDW hit “Eisbär”. Instead of this title, they took on the B-side of this single with “Ich liebe sie”. A synthpop love song full of innocence, stylishly sung by Carsten San- kämper and refined with Kraftwerk-like choral sounds and an herbaceous motorik beat.

The band has enjoyed a personal friendship with Harald Grosskopf since their collaboration in 2013 on the album “Messias Maschine”. With “So weit, so gut”, they take on his little hit from the album “Synthesist”, which is one of the gems of the synthesizer albums of the eighties.

“Kriegsmaschinen, fahrt zur Hölle” is an anti-war song from 1974 by Günter Schickert, the Berlin master of the echo guitar. Unfortunately, the lyrics are still relevant. Oliver Klemm contributes the delay guitars and Stephan Otten puts the lyrics through a vocoder. Sankt Otten compress the 17-minute original to just under 5 minutes and move it musically from the 70s to the 80s.

Sankt Otten’s adaptation of David Bowies “Heroes” is equipped with warm Juno 106 sounds, ebow guitar and synthesizer pads. The German “Helden” version, known from the movie Christiane F. – Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, is sung in a touching way by Carsten Sandkämper.

New York-based Rafael Anton Irisarri was responsible for mastering the record. As part of the series with graphic covers, this die-cut artwork was also created by Mexican designer Daniel Castrejon. The one time only vinyl pressing, limited to 350 copies, comes in a beautifully designed die-cut cover and colored vinyl. The Osnabrück duo Sankt Otten, founded in 1999, have been releasing on Denovali since 2009. The band has dedicated itself to the holy trinity of Krautrock, Ambient and contemporary Electronics.






d Sehnen [Haette ich von Dir eine Fotografie]

Dictaphone are back with their 6th full length called "Unstable". In the 25th year of the project Brussels born composer and mastermind Oliver Doerell is surrounded again by a lot of musicians & friends. Roger Döring is there, his clarinet and saxophone play has always been a trademark sound of the band - also Alexander Stolze's ghostly violins. The dark atmosphere and experimental sound of the new album is a reference to the 80s belgian art music scene, which Doerell had the luck to experience in his formative years. Minimal jazz meets musique concrete meets a postpunk mind. On this new album “Unstable“ more voices and vocals than usual can be heard - especially Helga Raimondi (who already sang on the last album “Goats and Distortions 5") . As a collage artist she is also responsible for the visual side of Dictaphone - she designed the cover artwork and the visuals for the live shows.

The Brussels-Berlin-Teheran connection: Other guests on "Unstable" are the voices of Kaveh Ghaemi and Ashkan Afsharian, who Doerell met during a modern ballet production by Modjgan Hashemian (2008). The trumpet of Shahab Anousha can be heard in the track “La fin“ - Oliver Doerell and Shahab Anousha also share the spoken words Project “Noufān”. For nearly 20 years Oliver Doerell is linked to the Iranian Diaspora in Berlin and the Dictaphone track “Rattle” from the classic album “ Poems from a rooftop “ (2012) has been a hit in Teherans underground scene since the beginning. Furthermore the title track “Unstable“ is a homage to Ian Curtis of Joy Division. The words of this piece are based on the setlist of Joy Divisions last show.

Dictaphone played more than two hundred shows all over the world (including festivals Mutek, Transmediale, Unsound , Benicassim and many others). Their music can be heard in countless films, tv series and theatre pieces - (“the responder“ (BBC) , “the love he knows” (Ali Mohammad) , “Don´t move“ (Modjgan Hashemian) , Ring (Felix Ruckert) among others.

Siavash Amini is a composer from Tehran, Iran. He Has worked with labels like Room40, Hallow Ground, Opal Tapes and Umor Rex for the better half of the past ten years. He has performed at festivals like CTM & MUTEK and many other well known international events. Apart from it Siavash is a co-founder of the “SET experimental art events” and “SETfest” in Tehran, Iran. His work ranges from fragile ambient pieces and brittle IDM (incorporating his distinctive style of atmospheric guitar playing) to noisy drones and bleak modern classical pieces. His compositions have been inspired by films such as Andrei Tarkovsky's The Mirror as well as novels by Dostoyesvky and poems by T.S. Eliot.

Saffronkeira is the Sardinian sound researcher Eugenio Caria being active in the electronic music scene since almost two decades. His most recent work - a cooperation with the Italian jazz trumpet legend Paolo Fresu - earned a lot of praise from the international music press for the pure timelessness of the album.

"Upon hearing a small snippet of sound an image is conjured, not a memory but not unfamiliar. A shell of a memory, thousand events superimposed on each other. While trying to extract points of a narrative to ease the discomfort of this recollection, I try to separate and unfold the image and with it the points of the spectrum which make up the sound, a shell of a narrative. Here is an album based upon an almost entirely imagined/ synthesized happening upon hearing a snippet of sound. It sounded like of a whole story that never happened but yet I felt myself amongst it’s participants, a sound triggering a false memory. Each sound in Eugenio’s collection of sounds and ideas guided me a to a point in the narrative and it’s construction. He had handed me a portals of some kind to a few scenes of the whole narrative. This is the soundtrack for that false memory from all the perspectives I can think of."

Written during a period of geographic and artistic transition, Country Music traces Severin Black’s movement from London to Berlin, unfolding through cycles of isolation and adaptation. Composed on the city’s periphery, the album’s material was continually dismantled and reassembled, reflecting a process of both artistic and personal reconstruction. The album marks a shift in production methodology, moving away from the immediacy of summed live takes toward a more deliberate, stratified multitrack approach. Sparse yet hypnotic, the record distills layers of sound formed by constant relocation, recurrent solitude, and a recalibration of instinct. In many ways, it echoes the experience of exile, not in a political sense but in the quieter, more insidious form of displacement that alters one’s perception of time and self. The music drifts between structure and dissolution, a reflection of existing at the threshold of different spaces—both physically and sonically.

The shedding of the previously used Nape moniker signaled a decisive sonic transformation, informed by extended time spent in the Pyrenees and a renewed engagement with folkloric material. Severin began playing the clarinet while making this record, and though its presence is minimal, it reveals itself as an interest in acoustic simulation, particularly the digital approximations of classical instruments that emerged within 1990s synthesizer technology. This interrogation of authenticity and mediation parallels the album’s thematic engagement with memory, where recollection functions not as a retrieval of fixed experience but as an iterative process of distortion and reconstruction. The relocation to Berlin reignited an affinity for grime music, evident in the syncopated brass of Pilgrim Wine and the fractured vocal layers of March, while memories of childhood in rural Wales permeate the record’s atmospheric spaces. The album includes contributions from longtime collaborator Vanessa Bedoret and Berlin-based artist Pavel Milyakov (Buttechno).

Country Music situates itself within an unresolved dialogue—between past and speculative futures, between folk lineage and digital fragmentation, between place and its embodied and sonic traces. What emerges is not a fixed statement but a process, an ongoing negotiation between what is left behind and what is brought forward. Words by Chantal Michelle

Mastered by Owen Pratt / Design by Severin Black / Center label image by Nicky Kidd / Back cover text by Alya Kanıbelli

Yamila presents her second album on Umor Rex, Noor. Following Visions, Yamila returns with a work that merges nature-experience listening with expansive musicality. Noor was born from her time in an ecologist community, where she sought refuge in stillness, learned from animals, and tried to forget the human. In this communion with nature, she discovered a new compositional approach: reducing acoustic noise to allow unheard voices to emerge, transforming music into a possibility for interspecies dialogue.

Since ancient times, sound has been used to care for herds, to call across distances, to communicate with the non-human. Noor reimagines that ancestral role in a contemporary language, where epic harmonies collide with delicate micro-tonalities, and where rhythm unfolds not only as pulse but as movement for the body, a natural extension of Yamila’s work with dance companies and choreographers.

Her voice is interwoven with electronics and the resonant strings of Echo Collective, creating sonic landscapes that radiate intensity and fragility. At times monumental, at others almost whispered, Noor oscillates between composition and spontaneity, structure and suspension.

The album unfurls as a dialogue between the organic and the artificial, where sound grows like a sprout breaking through hard soil. Yamila’s music here is not only to be heard, but to be inhabited: a choreography of air, vibration, and resonance. Noor is both shelter and revelation, a reminder that music can still be epic, luminous, and deeply human, while listening beyond the human.

All music and voices by Yamila Ríos. Recorded at Destelheide by Christophe Albertijn. Strings by Trio Echo Collective (Violin: Margaret Hermant, Viola: Neil Leiter), (Cello: Stijn Kuppens), (Arrangements: Pierre Slinckx). Mastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri at Black Knoll Studio, NY. Photos by Assiah Alcázar. Design & layout by Daniel Castrejón.

The Hamburg duo Bêtes Sauvages started out as a DJ team and discovered their calling relatively late: the synthesizer. In 2019, the pair bought two synths, more for fun, after watching a documentary about these instruments. Eventually, they began to delve deeper into the how and what of them, and suddenly they received an offer from the label Kernkrach to contribute a track to a sampler. Things were getting serious. When the track "roboti" was played at parties as far afield as Guatemala, they decided: an album was needed. The work on it turned out to be more intensive than expected. Therefore, several more sampler contributions and even years passed before their self-titled debut was finally completed. The result is a wild mix of minimal, synthpop, synthwave, and quirky DIY sound.

It is time for the guitar riffs and the basslines deeper than the Mariana Trench and therefore who can do it better than the Uruguayan born & raised mastermind that stands behind this next next edition - Matole. Hearing the music from this man leaves a great positive feel wanting to dance, live and love life. By perfecting his sound over the years, as soon as it touches the ear canals you can tell that it’s him and can only be him behind the wheel.

By his young age with utmost will to create, the man is leaving disc artefacts all over the globe working with different labels and promo teams. Now the time has come to synergize with XRD and the feeling is absolutely blissful. As the wise people say the algorithm is not going to fight itself, very important to get into battle stance and show these ones and zeros who is the boss around here.

Nat King Cole was one of the most distinctive and beloved voices in popular music, whose warmth, elegance and effortless phrasing defined an era. Very Best Of Nat King Cole brings together a superb selection of his most enduring recordings, from timeless ballads like Unforgettable, Mona Lisa and When I Fall In Love to upbeat classics such as (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66, Straighten Up And Fly Right and Ramblin’ Rose. Showcasing his remarkable range as both a romantic crooner and a swinging entertainer, this vinyl LP offers a perfect introduction to his extraordinary legacy. Pressed on highquality 180g black vinyl, it is an essential collection for long-time fans and new listeners alike.

The Amazing Nina Simone reveals Nina Simone at the dawn of her recorded legacy—already assured, deeply expressive, and impossible to categorize. Moving effortlessly between jazz, blues, folk, and classical influences, Simone delivers performances of striking intimacy and emotional precision, pairing a distinctive, searching voice with elegant, commanding piano work. This special repressing on 180g orange vinyl brings renewed warmth and presence to these recordings, enhancing their dynamic range and tactile immediacy. A timeless listening experience, The Amazing Nina Simone remains a powerful introduction to one of the most singular voices in modern music

In 1949 Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan and Gil Evans - they'd never met before - gravitated together with the natural
affinity of kindred souls. Combined, they gave each other a spiritual boost that resulted in many all-night sessions of
earnest discussion, writing and playing-productive work on new musical ideas, new voicings, new concepts of jazz.
Their first appearance startled a delighted jazz public, and marked the birth of the cool. Today, these famous Miles
Davis instrumentals are as exciting as ever, and here are in all their glory.

The much-missed Vaughn Benjamin reminds us why his approach to reggae lyricism remains peerless with “Charges,” a standout track from the Polarities LP released on 7” vinyl for the first time. Arriving amidst an era of global economic shifts, the release feels forcefully timely. Genius metaphorical wordplay and wide-ranging subjects are distilled into a cohesive whole as the global economy and its entrapping neo-colonial rules come under the microscope. Produced by Zion I Kings with Tippy I at the helm, the track is anchored by the rock-solid drumming of Lloyd “Junior” Richards and the propulsive bass of David “JAH David” Goldfine. This release features a previously unheard B-side dub, giving space to the celestial synth work of the late Andrew “Drew Keys” Stoch. This series honours both the vocal and version culture of the reggae sound system and the profound lyricism of Vaughn Benjamin.

Chicago legend K. Alexi returns to Dark Entries with K.A. Posse’s Strkes Again, an EP of preleased unreleased acid and house mayhem. K’Alexi Shelby’s illustrious career has included releases on legendary labels such as Trax, DJ International, and Transmat, as well as collaborations with high-profile artists like Marshall Jefferson and Pet Shop Boys. But his musical journey began at the young age of 12, when he befriended Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles while frequenting the Music Box and Warehouse. In high school, he began to write songs and hone his poetic craft. “I recognized I had a gift to say what I was thinking. I would study Prince and Marvin Gaye, figure out what they meant and put my spin on it. The power of the word. I was writing love notes for all my boys in high school and making a killing. I would know what to say and what they should do.”

Dark Entries previously reissued Shelby’s debut record, Essence of a Dream, which was recorded under the name Risque III in 1987. Strikes Again brings us six tracks recorded in Chicago between 1988 and 1990, which come courtesy of Mike Dunn’s personal archive. This record showcases the rawer, more immediate side of Shelby’s sound, with tracks full of overdriven 808’s, careening sirens, and dangerously funky breakbeats. “Imported Taste” brings Shelby’s signature deep pads to the front of wild congo-laced percussion. “Suckas Be Ready” is a slamming hip-house cut featuring vocals from MCD-TA, while disco-samples duel with crunchy 909s on the jacking “Muzic Box.” Strikes Back showcases the real underground sound of Chicago, where sonic abstraction meets full-body kinetics. The record comes housed in a retro-styled sleeve designed by Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh.

Chicago legend K. Alexi returns to Dark Entries with Warehouse Trax, an EP of previously unreleased acid and house mayhem. K’Alexi Shelby’s illustrious career has included releases on legendary labels such as Trax, DJ International, and Transmat, as well as collaborations with high-profile artists like Marshall Jefferson and Pet Shop Boys. But his musical journey began at the young age of 12, when he befriended Ron Hardy and Frankie Knuckles while frequenting the Music Box and Warehouse. In high school, he began writing songs and honing his poetic craft. “I recognized I had a gift to say what I was thinking. I would study Prince and Marvin Gaye, figure out what they meant and put my spin on it. The power of the word. I was writing love notes for all my boys in high school and making a killing. I would know what to say and what they should do.”

Dark Entries previously reissued Shelby’s debut record, Essence of a Dream, which was recorded under the name Risque III in 1987. Warehouse Trax follows with six tracks recorded in Chicago between 1991 and 1994. The material here has all the hallmarks of classic K’Alexi. Salsa-inflected rhythms, emotive basslines, and hip-house vibes are displayed on tracks like the high-octane “Jungle Line” or the low-key tearjerker “Protect and Survive.” There are also some unexpected surprises in store. “Aaaah” comes out of the gate swinging with hard-hitting beats and apocalyptic ravey vocal pads evocative of the edgier material on Saber Records or Djax Up Beats, and the surprisingly contemporary-sounding “Klub Dred” delivers half-time dub with stuttering vocal samples. Warehouse Trax comes in a retro-styled sleeve designed by Eloise Shir-Juen Leigh. This is essential material for devotees of classic house sounds.

C.L.A.W.S. comes to Dark Entries with a new ripping LP, Splat City II. C.L.A.W.S. is the solo project of musical luminary Brian Hock, who has been a key figure in the Bay Area underground for over two decades via his involvement in projects like Bronze and The Vanishing, as well as helming the record labels Squirrels on Film and Immortal Sin. With C.L.A.W.S., Hock takes on the dancefloor, picking up cues from the Hague’s Giallo-dipped electro, the skewed minimalism of Chicago acid, and the mind-rending forays of San Francisco post-punk icons like Chrome and Tuxedomoon. Following 2019’s inaugural Splat City EP, Splat City II continues to map the psychogeography of a metropolis both alien and immediately recognizable, one where life is cheap, but so are the thrills. Previously released on Squirrels on Film in digital-only format, this expanded vinyl edition of Splat City II features two new cuts. Things kick off with “Route 505” and “One Tear,” a duo of rompers that vibe like Tom Ellard and Chip E locked in a room with a vial of liquid. Next up, Bay Area deckmaster Tyrel lends his editing chops to “Vigilant Slimy Monsters,” sculpting a moody space disco beast. Squirrels on Film co-founder Solar teams up with Hock for “Black Magic Carpet Ride III,” a cavernous downtempo banger. The slow-mo pace continues with “Wild Slugs United,” which features the no wave-esque clarinet work of Paul Costuros. Closer “Don’t Flip the Crystal Ship” pays homage to Bayview venue Bay Area 51 with melancholic strings and a quartz-solid electrofunk bassline. Splat City II comes in a sleeve with artwork by Bert Bergen, which features a vampiric cat and sci-fi cityscapes.

‘DISCOMBOBULATED’ is the confounding and haunting new album from Hen Ogledd, the collaborative project of artists Dawn Bothwell, Rhodri Davies, Richard Dawson and Sally Pilkington.

· This album is perhaps their most complex and emotionally charged record to date, involving meditations on political tumult ,personal crisis and mental wellbeing in a world gone mad, yet also their most warmly inclusive and accessible.

· ‘DISCOMBOBULATED’ features collaborations from avant-garde legends, family members, animals and even elements.

· By turns emphatic and vulnerable, subtle and direct, joyous and furious, DISCOMBOBULATED is a strange, complex and moving a record as we have come to expect from Hen Ogledd.

· LP with four-page booklet and digital download card

The British electronic and sibling duo, Disclosure celebrate 5 years since the release of their third studio album ENERGY.



For this album Disclosure shifted towards a more rhythmic and percussion focused sound, taking influence from UK house, garage, hip hop and world music.



It showcases a diverse range of vocal collaborations including Kelis, Channel Tres, Mick Jenkins, Fatoumata Diawara, Blick Bassy, Kehlani, Syd, and Common.



ENERGY was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and the single "My High" was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 2021 Grammy Awards. It is BPI certified Silver in the UK.



This 5th anniversary 1LP will now be available for the first time on limited edition Zoetrope, housed in a single die cut sleeve. Designed by Drew Tetz, each side of the zoetrope is inspired by the original album artwork, using the water and the clouds imagery to create lifelike movement with these earth elements.

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Disclosure's sophomore studio album, Caracal.    

This record features an eclectic lineup of vocal collaborations including The Weeknd, Sam Smith, Gregory Porter, Lorde, Jordan Rakei and many more. With a total of five singles, the acclaimed second single, 'Omen' featuring Sam Smith was the highest charting of the singles, peaking at No.13 in the UK charts, and has accumulated almost 1 billion global streams since release. The Lorde featured track 'Magnets' follows closely behind with just under 710 million streams since release. Caracal has sold over 135,000 physical copies worldwide since release and was Grammy nominated for The Best Dance/Electronic Album back in 2016.

The limited edition will be available for the first time on a 2LP Zoetrope, housed in a gatefold die cut sleeve. Each side of the vinyl is inspired by the original album artwork and campaign poster from the time, using the caracal cat and the featured vocalists illustrations to create animated movement across the discs as they spin.

Based on an unbelievable true story, Roofman follows Jeffrey Manchester (Tatum), an Army veteran and struggling father who turns to robbing McDonald's restaurants by cutting holes in their roofs, earning him the nickname: Roofman. The film's score was composed by Grizzly Bear multi-instrumentalist Christopher Bear, with contributions from The War on Drugs' Jon Natchez. Christopher Bear is a drummer and multi- instrumentalist member of the Brooklynbased indie-rock group Grizzly Bear. He continues developing his independent career, most recently working on arranging soundtracks for the HBO series High Maintenance, and scoring the 2023 film Past Lives alongside his bandmate Daniel Rossen.

Six years after his Grammy-nominated LP5, Sascha Ring - aka Apparat - takes a bold dive into the complexities of life with his sixth studio album.



A Hum Of Maybe is detailed, finely crafted, and wonderfully unpredictable. At its core, the record is about love - for himself, his wife, and his daughter - and holding onto it, protecting it, and constantly recalibrating as it is in a constant state of flux. As the title suggests, the songs explore being stuck in between: not a clear yes or no, but A Hum Of Maybe.



Ring elegantly combines the perspectives of an electronic producer and a classical composer, working closely with long-time collaborators Philipp Johann Thimm (cello, piano, guitar) - who also co-wrote and co-produced the record - Christoph “Mäckie” Hamann (violin, keyboard, bass), Jörg Wähner (drums), and Christian Kohlhaas (trombone). The album also features Armenian-American artist KÁRYYN - Apparat’s Mute labelmate - on ‘Tilth’, and Berlin-and Rome-based musician Jan-Philipp Lorenz (aka Bi Disc) on ‘Pieces, Falling’.



A Hum Of Maybe is complex, deeply personal, and embraces a state of limbo, marking an exciting new chapter for Apparat.

Donovan Philips Leitch is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist who in the 1960s developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music. He emerged from the British folk scene and reached fame in the UK in early 1965 before replicating this in the US the following year, baring the fruits of the blossoming, successful, and eventually long collaboration with record producer Mickie Most.

Fast forward to 2018 and we're very pleased to say we're re-issuing these wonderful albums on our own state51 Conspiracy label - these are the first two of five, with another special release to follow in 2019. All five were cut at Abbey Road, pressed on 180g audiophile vinyl and lovingly re-created to replicate the original releases. They are all strictly limited to just 300 copies for the world too.

Repress!

With the fourth Realm Of Consciousness compilation, Tale Of Us shine a light on the artists whose work has shaped their sets in recent times. The sound encompasses everything Afterlife represents: introspective electronica, euphoric peak-time cuts and more subtle rollers.

Do You Want More?!!!??! Is the second studio album and the major-label debut from The Legendary Roots Crew. The album, recorded with the original crew, including Scott Storch, was released January 17th, 1995, and was immediately welcomed with open arms by critics, the Chicago Tribune wrote, “This is an impressive display of skills, intelligently arranged and performed.” Do You Want More?!!!??! prepped fans for what The Roots were capable of, and would later show on their magnum opus, Things Fall Apart.

2026 Repress

DJ Quik is a giant of West Coast hip-hop. With his fourth album Rhythm-Al-Ism he created his masterpiece, a perfect hip-hop album. As Quik explains, “the name Rhythm-Al-Ism alone tells you what I was doing. I was mixing up rhythms. I was meshing R&B with hip-hop and jazz. And a little bit of comedy”. It’s absolutely sensational and as with a lot of mid-90s albums those original vinyl copies are now rare so here’s the Be With re-issue.

A preternaturally gifted producer/rapper, DJ Quik has produced scores of LA gangsta rap classics. He’s released platinum and gold records of his own, as well as helped craft them for the likes of Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and Dr Dre. Quik has always been quirkier and more interesting than his gangsta rap peers, both musically and lyrically. An old-school funk producer at heart, he’s also incredibly nice on the mic. His raps often deal in boasts, jokes and good times but also cover his beefs, his trials and his trauma. Partying and pain, all mixed up. DJing and producing hype beat tapes from age 14, Quik’s tracks blended the languid funk and rubbery synths of Zapp and George Clinton with a gangsta aesthetic, creating a more danceable foil to Compton’s more typical nihilistic hedonism. Ultimately, his records sound custom engineered to drift out over sun-soaked barbecues.

Released in 1998 on Profile, Rhythm-Al-Ism was the closest Quik ever got to making a commercial splash. “You’z A Ganxta” and “Hand in Hand” made radio waves across the country and the less radio-friendly tracks like “Medley For A ‘V’” were bumping out of car stereos. Combining his soulful, jazzy P-Funk/G-Funk beats with his effortlessly smooth flow, Rhythm-Al-Ism was the quintessential West Coast Party. Squelchy synths, bouncy bass, monstrously knocking drums and freaky keys - this is peaking acidic party-rap, straight out the gate. Music for gliding, for skating, for time with your people and your poison. Sunshine. No cares. BBQs. Heavy smoke in the air. Dripping with wit and good humour. A real swing to the vibe.

The album opens with Quik setting out his mission statement with “Rhythm-Al-Ism (Intro)”, telling us what this is all about before the self-explanatory “We Still Party” rocks the spot. It’s definitely all about the party here, complete with Quik’s signature head-nod/body-moving beat. Next up, the undeniable laidback funk and dripping swing of groove-laden “So Many Wayz”. This positively slaps.

Then we get to the three huge singles. The R&B-tinged radio-friendly minor-hit “Hand In Hand” closes the first side only for the flip to get straight into the rolling and scratching of bleepy computer-funk banger “Down, Down, Down” (featuring a particularly nice use of Howard Johnson’s epochal “So Fine”). The effortlessly smooth, flute and guitar-laced “You’z A Ganxta” completes the trio. Next up the fast-paced, vocoder-enhanced, woulda-beena-global-hit “I Useta Know Her”. This coulda (shoulda) been a single too. Head-nod funk workout “No Doubt”, with its ace sample of Prince's “Sexy Dancer”, closes out the second side.

“Speed” races out the gate on the second disc, sampling Edwin Birdsong’s “Rapper Dapper Snapper” in a harder, better, faster, stronger way than those daft Parisian punks. Amphetamine-swift raps over soaring, string-drenched b-boy beats. A total anthem. Up next, the staggering, near 8-minute laconic, lounge-y sax-rap of “Whateva U Do” cools things down and smooths things out with its flute wrapping around a sample of Smokey Robinson’s “So In Love” and some oh-so-classy lounge-piano tinkling. And speaking of smooth, things don’t get much smoother than the blissfully melodic glider-anthem “Thinkin’ ’Bout U” riding that ace flip of SWV’s “Use Your Heart”. Exceptional.

The exquisite funky-flute-slapper “Medley for a ‘V’ (The P***Y Medley)” opens the fourth and final side, with star turns from Snoop Dogg and a typically suave Nate Dogg. It’s followed by the supremely skanked-out “Bombudd II”, a beautifully sweet reggae-fuelled ode to the herb. “Get 2Getha Again” is slick funk. Stunning.

This 2022 Be With double LP re-issue has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and pressed at Record Industry. Unusual for the time, Rhythm-Al-Ism was originally pressed as a double and we’ve reproduced the original LA vibe picture sleeve and insert to match.

As that original front cover says, this is “over 70 minutes of commercial free music” and it’s absolutely perfect from start to finish. There are no stand-out tracks here. It’s all gold.
: Rhythm-al-ism (2LP)

"On a dozen restlessly expressive instrumentals recorded between Marin and Reykjavík, the American guitarist finds turbulent beauty at the edges of the fingerstyle tradition." - PITCHFORK 7.9/10

"The greatest living guitar player" - Hayden Pedigo

Today, guitarist Mason Lindahl — whose “unabashedly beautiful" (Aquarium Drunkard) sound "balances the romantic dynamics of flamenco and the meticulousness of Windham Hill with the unguarded qualities of improvised music" (Pitchfork) — announces a pair of new albums: Joshua / Same Day Walking via Mt. Brings Death.

Though packaged together, Joshua and Same Day Walking chart distinct worlds. Recorded in northern California and produced by Robby Moncrieff (Dirty Projectors, Zach Hill), Joshua is woolier and warmer, evoking haze, humidity, and overgrown Spanish moss. Meanwhile, Same Day Walking — recorded in Iceland and produced by Moncrieff alongside two-time GRAMMY-winning composer / sound designer Sam Slater (Joker, Chernobyl) — is, appropriate for its icier climes, windswept and beholden to the vast emptiness of harsh landscapes. As a pair, they provide a thorough portrait of Lindahl's singular and versatile playing.

Amid Lindahl's purely evident virtuosity, close listeners can savor wonderful imperfections freckled throughout Joshua / Same Day Walking: buzzing strings, minimal electronic ambience, soft undulations of tempo. Lindahl isn’t here to pageant his craft; he's adventuring within, uncovering fresh avenues of sound and emotive gesture.

Described by friend and contemporary Hayden Pedigo as “the greatest living guitar player,” Mason Lindahl’s “austere, gothic flamenco...dares you to submit to this odd and immersive sonic universe" (Uncut). The Northern California native's solo instrumental debut Kissing Rosy in the Rain, released in 2021 via Tompkins Square, was praised as "gorgeous" (Petal Motel) and "a minimalist gem" (Everything Is Noise). Prior to that, his only other solo release is 2009's Serrated Man Sound.

Lucid Express sind fünf junge Träumer aus Hongkong, die mitreißenden, bittersüßen Rock machen, der zum Träumen einlädt. Ihr zweites Album "Instant Comfort", das Nachfolger ihres selbstbetitelten Debütalbums aus dem Jahr 2021 ist, enthält ihre bisher komplexesten Arrangements. Lucid Express holten den Shoegaze-Autor Kurt Feldman (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Depreciation Guild) für das Mixing und Mastering an Bord - das Ergebnis ist ein noch klarerer und mitreißenderer Sound der Band. Über Discord zusammengekommen, entstand ,Instant Comfort" in marathongleichen nächtlichen transpazifischen Sessions zwischen der Band in Hongkong und Feldman in New York City - ein gemeinsames Streben nach Perfektion, das sich von Mitternacht bis zum Sonnenaufgang abspielte. Durchdrungen von gleichermaßen schleichender Melancholie und hoffnungsvoller Romantik, werden in diesen neuen Songs verwirrende Gefühle zugelassen. Luftige Melodien werden von einer schweren Gitarrenwand untermalt: siehe ,Promise Me" und ,Something Blue". Lucid Express waren schon mit Punchlove und Blushing in den USA auf Tour und hat auf renommierten Festivals in Asien und Amerika gespielt, darunter Clockenflap, LEVITATION und Slide Away.

The artistry of Midori Hirano lives in the resonance between sonic and visual worlds. Over her distinguished career the Berlin-based, Kyoto-born composer, pianist, and synthesist has crafted a distinctive voice straddling the spheres of classical music and harmonies with abstraction and invention. In addition to works under her own name, Hirano has released dynamic experiments under her MimiCof moniker as well as composed for film, television, art exhibitions and architectural expos. Hirano has also been a prolific collaborator, working with CoH, Brueder Selke, Nils Mosh, Teodor Wolgers, Ben Lukas Boysen & Paul Emmerich, SPECIMENS, Mami Sakurai, Atsuko Hatano, and more, contributing to dozens of releases. Hirano is acclaimed for crafting emotive works that stimulate all the senses with impressionism, or painting with sound. OTONOMA is the culmination of her work synthesizing these elements and highlights her acumen as a practiced and intuitive artist. The album infuses Hirano"s more classical sense of harmony on the piano with the endless textural possibilities of synthesizers.

For a few fleeting moments during a sunset, the sky is cast a vivid shade of amber. A dramatic flare of colour, a moment belonging to both the day and the night. It is within this vibrant, ephemeral world, that Mongolian-born, Munich-based Enji has written her new album Sonor.
Sonor is a reflection of Enji's personal evolution and the complex emotions that accompany living between two worlds. The album's themes revolve around the unplaceable feeling of being between cultures, not as a source of conflict, but as a space for growth and self-discovery. Enji explores how distance from her traditional Mongolian roots has shaped her identity, and how returning home brings a heightened awareness of these changes. Backed by a band of renowned jazz musicians (Elias Stemeseder on piano, Robert Landfermann on bass, Julian Sartorius on drums and co-composer Paul Brändle on guitar), Enji isn't just revisiting tradition, she's distilling the feeling of home, of small joys that reveal their significance only when viewed from afar.
Like a familiar song hummed by a parent, her music captures the essence of belonging, not tied to a single place, but to the emotions and memories that shape us.