quête:do easy

Deluxe 180g vinyl. Art Edition LP includes set of six 12”x12” art cards.



The follow-up to Kee Avil's acclaimed 2022 debut Crease: "A stunning debut" (The Quietus); "A whiplash style of uninhibited exploration" (The Wire); "Kee Avil's debut is a force" (Foxy Digitalis); "A work of Frankensteinian wonder" (Electronic Sound); "A tightly coiled, finely wrought vision of avant-pop" (Exclaim); "A debut of fiendish creativity" (Bandcamp Album Of The Day / Albums Of The Year) Kee Avil's music is both adventurous and intimate, intellectually challenging and emotionally resonant. The Montréal guitarist and producer's 2022 debut LP Crease garnered plaudits from outlets like The Wire, The Quietus, Mojo and Foxy Digitalis, picking up a Canadian Juno Award nomination and Bandcamp Album Of The Day and Albums Of The Year along the way. Its intricate construction, unnerving atmospheres, and knife-edge take on avant-pop prompted comparisons to early PJ Harvey, This Heat, and Gazelle Twin. A remix EP with work by claire rousay, Ami Dang, Cecile Believe, and Pelada brought collaborative perspectives to four Crease tracks, offering new pathways within those songs. With Spine, Kee Avil strips back her heavily textured compositions, opening up a much rawer sound. She calls it folk… and while traditionalists might scoff, this is urgent music that reflects the precarity of modern life, as well as the jarring mixture of electronic and real-world interactions that have become the fabric of our day-to-day experiences. There's a hypnotic post-punk somnambulance to it all, using the repetition and fracturing of melodic phrases interwoven with delicate electronics to create curious and persistent hooks. While not a concept album, themes of time's passage, remembrance, and decay crop up across multiple tracks. Each track intentionally only has four elements - guitar, electronics, and two other instruments, with Kee's voice and guitar pushed to the front. Within this minimalist framework, the juxtaposition of beauty and discomfort that is key to the Kee Avil sound stands out in skin-prickling relief. "We're shaped by many versions of ourselves," says Avil. "I was looking back at these versions of myself and what could have been, what didn't end up being and what did end up being, and going back like that through time. Seeing the future, the past." Spine was written in Kee Avil's home studio after a lapse in writing while touring Crease and working on other projects. She is a well-known and respected member of the Montréal experimental scene, and formerly ran Concrete Sound Studio with Zach Scholes, who continues to work with her as a producer on Spine. Compared to the three years that went into making her debut, Spine emerged in a matter of months - a process that may also be a factor in its intensity and sharpness: "This record was much harder, like it was really discovering everything from scratch." In her desire to not simply replicate or extend the sound of Crease, she felt she had to rip up the rule book, write in a different way, and pare back songs against her usual instincts. Sometimes, when we work against our ingrained habits, we get to the core of who we really are. Spine is an exercise in that process. Without over-intellectualizing or being didactic, it hits immediately and emotionally, especially if you are a person who has spent much time in the process of self-examination. Kee's voice hisses, whispers, and chants; her guitar bends and rings; electronics skitter and crackle; violin creaks like a door in the wind. There is something so evocative about the atmospheres she creates that it's easy to overlay one's own feelings onto her work, but to do that wholly would be to overlook one of the most important things about Spine: Kee Avil's clear and thoughtful vision. This isn't just the next step forward in her artistic trajectory; it's a stunner of a record that stands on its own, a bracing and thrilling listen that has much to reveal about the contradictions inherent in being human. - jj skolnik

Der neueste Titel in der Veröffentlichungsreihe der Steve Hackett-Vinyl-Editionen ist sein achtes Soloalbum "Till We Have Faces", das ursprünglich 1984 erschien. Auf dem Album, das in Brasilien und Großbritannien aufgenommen wurde, kollidieren Rock und Weltmusik auf wundervolle Weise mit dem Einsatz von Marimba, etruskischer Gitarre, Rainstick und einer Gruppe von brasilianischen Perkussionisten. Steve wird außerdem von seinem langjährigen Kollegen Nick Magnus und dem Marillion-Schlagzeuger Ian Mosley unterstützt. Das Album wurde speziell für Vinyl neu gemastert und wird als Gatefold 180g LP erhältlich sein.

Die besten Songs aus den kultigsten Woddy Allen Filmen.

Rude Boys are synonymous with Jamaican Dancehall culture from the present day going back to the very early days of Sir Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid’s first sound-clashes in Kingston. Studio One Rude Boy features artists and songs about rude boys and rude boy culture from all periods of Studio One’s history.

The album features Ska, Rocksteady, DJs, Roots and Dub The album features classic tracks from Jamaica’s finest singers and groups such as The Wailers, John Holt, the Wailing Souls, Dennis Brown alongside super-rare tracks from artists such as Mr Foundation, Dudley Sibbley and The Soul Brothers all recorded under Clement ‘Sir Coxsone’ Dodd’s supervision at the legendary recording studio and record label. Musical backing comes from the legendary in house bands – The Skatalites, The Sound Dimension, Soul Vendors and Soul Defenders – who provide the classic Studio One rhythms so influential in the history of Reggae.

"Mane Attraction is the fourth studio album from the New York-based glam metal band White Lion. The album featured the singles “Love Don’t Come Easy”, the eight-minute heavy rock epic track “Lights and Thunder”, and a re-recorded version of their debut single “Broken Heart”. It was the last album that featured both Greg D’Angelo and James Lomenzo in the line-up. For the first time since its original release in 1991, the album is getting a reissue. Mane Attraction is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on silver coloured vinyl and includes an insert. "

Audionaut sound adventurer Neil Stringfellow (aka Audio Obscura) makes a welcome return to Subexotic with his many-splendoured mixed media project Acid Field Recordings In Dub. Following years of avid field recording, Neil explains how it came about through a series of epiphanies: "It sort of started after I did a field recording introduction weekend workshop with the legend that is Chris Watson (the BBC wildlife team and ex-Cabaret Voltaire), just in terms of it being very inspirational and meeting like minded people. I've been sound recording for about 12 years now and have a good archive of sounds, and simply enjoy just listening and capturing the world. Since then over the years I've learned to really listen to the everyday soundscapes and as such I no longer walk down the street listening to a personal stereo anymore, the world can often be more exciting than music. A few memories of listening stick out which really helped form this album. I was walking up a hill in Norwich and a street cleaner was coming down pushing his cart, the broom attached to the cart but one end was bouncing up and down in the exact way a snare drum in a Dub reggae record might sound with the dub echo effect.. for a few seconds it was amazing and I stopped and stood still and just savoured the moment but of course did not have a microphone with me. Another time recording the dawn chorus in Lowestoft the chirping birds sounded intense coming from different trees and walking between the trees seemed to make the classic 303 acid squelch sound. part of this is in the middle section of the Babyloniacid track. Another time I was recording in a forest after a storm sitting under thick trees trying to keep the mics dry and the wind blowing the tops of the trees was like a swooshing synth line. I always liked the moments when the soundscapes felt like music and over time had a desire to marry music and field sounds together. Things really came together though when in summer 2022 I had a minor operation and was resting in bed after the operation, high on painkillers feeling quite spaced out. It was in the middle of a heat wave and the nurses had opened the ward windows, it was evening and I could see pink clouds but the sunset was out of view. I'd been listening to the Eno / Harmonia album and after that ended, I put on some Burial. I just lay there watching the clouds and the title Acid Field Recordings In Dub just came into my head... I could hear how the concept should be: made with field recordings, manipulating them and creating ambient soundscapes... dubby beats fractured in places and snatches of the acid 303. This is more or less what I wrote down that day and a few weeks later I started to create it... the process came easy and at first, I thought I'd need to spend some time making new extra field recordings but, to be honest, I has such an archive I pulled most of the sounds from that." Music, electronics & field recording by Neil Stringfellow. Design & mastering by Dan Seville. Test siren on 'Through Nuclear Skies' recorded by Marc Weidenbaum. Melodica on 'Hollowlands' played by Simon McCorry

Jinte Deprez aka J. Bernardt, eine Hälfte und Co-Frontmann der belgischen Band Balthazar, veröffentlicht sein zweites Solo-Album. 'Contigo' greift auf eine Vielzahl von Einflüssen zurück, darunter Pop, Soul, Funk und Spaghetti-Western-Soundtracks, und spiegelt Deprez' Liebe zu Künstlern wie Serge Gainsbourg oder Ennio Morricone wider. Das Album dient als Soundtrack für verlorene und verwundete Liebende, ist eine emotionale Achterbahnfahrt und fängt Deprez' persönliche Reise mit einer Mischung aus Melancholie und Humor ein. 'Contigo' ist ein dramatisches, fesselndes und farbenfrohes Werkund beweist J.Bernardts außergewöhnlichen Fähigkeiten als Sänger, Songwriter, Instrumentalist und Produzent.

People's only work in 1971 featuring Outkast's organist Yusuke Hoguchi and guitarist Kimio Mizutani, Adams's Hideaki Takebe, and percussionist Larry Sunaga. Produced by Naoki Tachikawa, it was created with the concept of Buddha + Rock.



It is full of unique psychedelia sounds, such as the sutra chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo" backed by a fuzz guitar, the sound of monk's geta, bells, wooden fish, sitar, etc.

Although it uses a lot of sound effects reminiscent of Buddhism, it doesn't feel like a religious idea, and the work is overall easy to listen to.

In recent years, this album has been highly desired by DJs as a breakbeat material and as a spiritual record.

To celebrate 50 years of this mighty band - A brand new studio album by the legendary Johnny Moped! Green vinyl limited to 425 copies! First up, that title - Quonk! What's that all about? Johnny - I have no idea where the name Quonk! come from! it seemed rather weird for a possible album title. Slimy - Incidental noise that's picked up _. We are a bit like that _ Johnny Moped's Quonk! is very Quonk le Donk (saucepan lid landing on head) and it's available soon from all Damaged record outlets. Marty - This one's for Toad really. It was his call and it's a great title for a Moped album. Robot - The band suffers from Quonking pretty regularly, so we thought we'd make a whole album of it. It's been five years since your last album Lurrigate Your Mind. How come it's taken so long to write and record this one? Johnny - it must have taken up to five months to rehearse for that album. Around the same time as previous albums. Slimy - Toads are slow moving creatures. Marty - Because we're old and very very lazy. Robot - That's pretty quick for us, it was over 30 years between 'Rock 'n' Roll Rookie' and Cycledelic. We wanted to make sure it passed quality control before letting it loose on the world. It sounds like you had a fun time recording it. Is that the case or was it more painful this time round? Johnny - We did have a lot of fun recording those albums starting from Real Cool Baby and Lurrigate Your Mind. Classic albums! I have enjoyed recording all of our albums from Cycledelic up to our latest album (problems aside!) Slimy - Creating Quonk! was fun _ always thrills me when the sounds come together _ Johnny and his band have a plethora of tunes. Yeah! It was alright. Marty - Bits were really easy and other bits were really hard. A lot of the songs on any Moped album really only take shape in the studio. And Dick Crippen helps a lot with how they turn out. I'm very proud of this album and the band and Johnny have worked really hard to make the best record we can. Robot - Yeah it's always fun making a Moped record. Johnny's totally at home in the studio environment...and the pub across the road. Give him the lyrics, he takes hold and delivers the goods in one take. There are some brilliant songs on the new LP. Can you tell us what 'Oh Jane' is about? Johnny - Jane is a traveller on that song, nothing to do with an ex-girlfriend of the same name! Slimy - That's about Johnny's love life. Marty - Over to you Rob.. Robot - Johnny wrote it about his love affair with a certain TV starlet who spends most of her time cruising around the world. I'll give you a clue - it ain't Susan Calman! 'Things May Happen' is being released as a single. What inspired you to write that song? Johnny - I did not write 'Things may happen', that is a Slimy Toad song; but I did not have a problem with it being released as a single. Slimy - The extraordinary lightness of being ... just the path and what's on it. Marty - This is Toad's one and it's a cracker! Robot - I think it's about the possibility of London buses running on time, or Crystal Palace winning a trophy. Johnny turned 70 last year, celebrating in style with a gig at London's 229 Venue. Some people have said it was the best Moped gig ever. How was it from your point of view? Johnny - Yes it was a gig at the 229 club to remember for all the right reasons, it was a blinder of a gig. Slimy - I thought Johnny's birthday gig was a rip-roaring success _ I enjoyed it _ The next Moped gig will be the best Moped gig ever and the one after that. Marty - It's not the best gig as far as how we performed. But as far as the turn out and the size of the crowd that came along to celebrate Johnny's birthday it was the best vibe of all the gigs for certain for me. Robot - Yeah I think it was up there with the Koko gig a few years back, great sound and a great crowd, yeah one of the best. This year marks the 50th year of Johnny Moped. What have been the high (and low) points for the band in the last five decades? Johnny - Not much was happening with the band gigwise. we were in hiatus between 2006 up to 2016 when we were getting gig bookings thick and fast, including mini-German tours and three dates in Norway and one in Sweden. Slimy - The constitution of these thoroughbred punk rockers is testimony to getting up and rocking out _ Johnny is not stopping he's class. Marty - I've only been in the band since 2017 and before that was the driver and shit carrier and before that a fan and also the band are my mates. So not one low point for me at all. Robot - I don't recall any low points...being in the band is one long high. You'll be back out on the road this summer. Any message for fans who'll be coming to see you? Slimy - You better believe it! You enjoyed that you bums or I'll kill you! Tomcats! Marty - Be afraid. Be very afraid! Robot - Enjoy the show...things may happen!

To celebrate 50 years of this mighty band - A brand new studio album by the legendary Johnny Moped! Green vinyl limited to 425 copies! First up, that title - Quonk! What's that all about? Johnny - I have no idea where the name Quonk! come from! it seemed rather weird for a possible album title. Slimy - Incidental noise that's picked up _. We are a bit like that _ Johnny Moped's Quonk! is very Quonk le Donk (saucepan lid landing on head) and it's available soon from all Damaged record outlets. Marty - This one's for Toad really. It was his call and it's a great title for a Moped album. Robot - The band suffers from Quonking pretty regularly, so we thought we'd make a whole album of it. It's been five years since your last album Lurrigate Your Mind. How come it's taken so long to write and record this one? Johnny - it must have taken up to five months to rehearse for that album. Around the same time as previous albums. Slimy - Toads are slow moving creatures. Marty - Because we're old and very very lazy. Robot - That's pretty quick for us, it was over 30 years between 'Rock 'n' Roll Rookie' and Cycledelic. We wanted to make sure it passed quality control before letting it loose on the world. It sounds like you had a fun time recording it. Is that the case or was it more painful this time round? Johnny - We did have a lot of fun recording those albums starting from Real Cool Baby and Lurrigate Your Mind. Classic albums! I have enjoyed recording all of our albums from Cycledelic up to our latest album (problems aside!) Slimy - Creating Quonk! was fun _ always thrills me when the sounds come together _ Johnny and his band have a plethora of tunes. Yeah! It was alright. Marty - Bits were really easy and other bits were really hard. A lot of the songs on any Moped album really only take shape in the studio. And Dick Crippen helps a lot with how they turn out. I'm very proud of this album and the band and Johnny have worked really hard to make the best record we can. Robot - Yeah it's always fun making a Moped record. Johnny's totally at home in the studio environment...and the pub across the road. Give him the lyrics, he takes hold and delivers the goods in one take. There are some brilliant songs on the new LP. Can you tell us what 'Oh Jane' is about? Johnny - Jane is a traveller on that song, nothing to do with an ex-girlfriend of the same name! Slimy - That's about Johnny's love life. Marty - Over to you Rob.. Robot - Johnny wrote it about his love affair with a certain TV starlet who spends most of her time cruising around the world. I'll give you a clue - it ain't Susan Calman! 'Things May Happen' is being released as a single. What inspired you to write that song? Johnny - I did not write 'Things may happen', that is a Slimy Toad song; but I did not have a problem with it being released as a single. Slimy - The extraordinary lightness of being ... just the path and what's on it. Marty - This is Toad's one and it's a cracker! Robot - I think it's about the possibility of London buses running on time, or Crystal Palace winning a trophy. Johnny turned 70 last year, celebrating in style with a gig at London's 229 Venue. Some people have said it was the best Moped gig ever. How was it from your point of view? Johnny - Yes it was a gig at the 229 club to remember for all the right reasons, it was a blinder of a gig. Slimy - I thought Johnny's birthday gig was a rip-roaring success _ I enjoyed it _ The next Moped gig will be the best Moped gig ever and the one after that. Marty - It's not the best gig as far as how we performed. But as far as the turn out and the size of the crowd that came along to celebrate Johnny's birthday it was the best vibe of all the gigs for certain for me. Robot - Yeah I think it was up there with the Koko gig a few years back, great sound and a great crowd, yeah one of the best. This year marks the 50th year of Johnny Moped. What have been the high (and low) points for the band in the last five decades? Johnny - Not much was happening with the band gigwise. we were in hiatus between 2006 up to 2016 when we were getting gig bookings thick and fast, including mini-German tours and three dates in Norway and one in Sweden. Slimy - The constitution of these thoroughbred punk rockers is testimony to getting up and rocking out _ Johnny is not stopping he's class. Marty - I've only been in the band since 2017 and before that was the driver and shit carrier and before that a fan and also the band are my mates. So not one low point for me at all. Robot - I don't recall any low points...being in the band is one long high. You'll be back out on the road this summer. Any message for fans who'll be coming to see you? Slimy - You better believe it! You enjoyed that you bums or I'll kill you! Tomcats! Marty - Be afraid. Be very afraid! Robot - Enjoy the show...things may happen!

The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series Entry #11: Madlib sampled composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Henkel on his Bandana album with Freddie Gibbs, leading to this collection of decelerated rare grooves. The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series was created by Madlib and Egon to give their creative friends a chance to stretch out and indulge in whatever type of music they wanted. This music was created for easy, one-stop clearance in film and television synchronization usage and for sampling. You can also enjoy these albums in the way that many do with the best of the best vintage library catalogs – listen, ponder, repeat.

All different alternate versions of songs featured on 1973’s Tanx album. • Many appear on vinyl for the first time. • Limited edition of 400 copies on Pink Vinyl with printed inner bags. All royalties go to Light of Love Foundation for the Marc Bolan School of Music & Film

Having been dormant for over three years, New York label Satamile returns to continue spreading the gospel of proper electro music with a six-track EP from The Ghost That Walks. Drexciya enthusiasts will be all over this record; the rubbery melody of "The Angriest Angel" recalls the Detroit duo at their most playful but with a simmering undercurrent of tension that is very much the producer's own signature style. Similarly great are the searing analogue synth buzz of "Seven Deadly Sons", the tribal 303 stomp of "Urban Jungle" and the 808 rattle and Belgian rave tones of "Resident Evil". Those who were lost without the label's presence should rest easy - Angry Angels is easily among their extensive catalogue's best releases.

Son Mieux is a collective formed around Dutch singer, songwriter & producer Camiel Meiresonne. Once the keyboard player in Soul Sister Dance Revolution and in his young years frontman of All Missing Pieces. After playing in bands since he was eleven years old, he is now a grown young man, ready to invite the world into his own. Son Mieux writes his songs in the after hours, which make his songs both intimate & alive. By combining folk, indie and electronic music, he manages to create a unique sound and to process the expressions of his personality in his music.

The past two years have been an accumulation of highlights for Son Mieux. Single 'Even' became 3FM Megahit, debut EP 'Vice Versa' (2016) was streamed more than 6 million times and the song 'Easy' was used under major advertising campaigns from ING, McDonalds and Deezer. The band toured the country with sold-out club shows, festivals such as Zwarte Cross and Where The Wild Things Are.

In 2017 and 2018 they took their time to write the debut album. With singles 'Hiding', 'Everyday' and 'Old Love', the debut album Faire de Son Mieux makes a more mature and fuller sound. Together with producer Thijs van der Klugt (Douwe Bob, Sue the Night), a deepening was sought without losing the characteristic Son Mieux sound.

Faire de Son Mieux is available as a limited first pressing of 500 individually numbered copies on white vinyl. The package includes 5 exclusive inserts with song lyrics and photos.

Ornette Coleman's hugely influential 'The Shape Of Jazz To Come'
pressed on limited edition 180g premium orange vinyl.

'The Shape of Jazz to Come' was a watershed event in the genesis of avant-guard jazz. The record shattered traditional concepts of jazz harmony, disposing of both the piano player and the whole idea of concretely outlined chord changes. The album includes Coleman's classic tune 'Lonely Woman.'

"The element that pours out of this disc is creativity in strong, concentrated waves. Four of the half dozen Coleman originals in this collection grow out of bop roots, but Coleman hears other things, too. This is not easy music for the listener, but even at its most difficult it remains compelling." - John S. Wilson, DownBeat

Sam Cooke’s SAR Records Story 1959-1965 gathers significant recordings of SAR Records – the label Sam Cooke co-founded, produced the majority of records for and was instrumental in operating. Groundbreaking artists such as The Soul Stirrers, Johnnie Taylor, Billy Preston, and Bobby Womack’s group The Valentinos are all featured, in addition to Sam himself. “The whole SAR Records Story is infused with Sam Cooke’s rapturous sense of how sacred gospel and sexual soul flow together, unbroken,” stated Milo Miles on NPR’s Fresh Air upon the set’s initial release almost three decades ago. In an era where black-owned labels were a rarity, Los Angeles based SAR Records was founded at almost exactly the same time as Motown, its Detroit counterpart. SAR was established in 1959 by Sam Cooke, music publisher J.W. Alexander, and S. Roy Crain, Cooke’s road manager and founder of gospel group The Soul Stirrers. The acronymous name standing for Sam Alex Roy, SAR sought to keep gospel music alive while simultaneously crossing over to pop audiences in the secular world. LPs 1 and 2 of the set focus on the former, while LPs 3 and 4 encompass the latter. From choosing talent, to writing a great number of songs, to producing, SAR was entirely the fulfillment of Cooke’s vision on a musical/creative level. The superstar singer, who had already crossed over from the gospel world himself, tirelessly coached the vocalists during SAR recording sessions, emphasizing diction. His methods are heard throughout the collection, as he is heard speaking to artists between takes. “And by Sam being there with you and just giving you that special attention, you wanted to give it to him like it was supposed to be. I think that’s what made SAR, SAR. Because he was selling himself through different artists.” – Bobby Womack. VERY LIMITED 1-2 COPIES ONLY PER SHOP

Kee Avil's music is both adventurous and intimate, intellectually challenging and emotionally resonant. The Montréal guitarist and producer's 2022 debut LP Crease garnered plaudits from outlets like The Wire, The Quietus, Mojo and Foxy Digitalis, picking up a Canadian Juno Award nomination and Bandcamp Album Of The Day and Albums Of The Year along the way. Its intricate construction, unnerving atmospheres, and knife-edge take on avant-pop prompted comparisons to early PJ Harvey, This Heat, and Gazelle Twin. A remix EP with work by claire rousay, Ami Dang, Cecile Believe, and Pelada brought collaborative perspectives to four Crease tracks, offering new pathways within those songs. With Spine, Kee Avil strips back her heavily textured compositions, opening up a much rawer sound. She calls it folk—and while traditionalists might scoff, this is urgent music that reflects the precarity of modern life, as well as the jarring mixture of electronic and real-world interactions that have become the fabric of our day-to-day experiences. There's a hypnotic post-punk somnambulance to it all, using the repetition and fracturing of melodic phrases interwoven with delicate electronics to create curious and persistent hooks. While not a concept album, themes of time's passage, remembrance, and decay crop up across multiple tracks. Each track intentionally only has four elements—guitar, electronics, and two other instruments, with Kee's voice and guitar pushed to the front. Within this minimalist framework, the juxtaposition of beauty and discomfort that is key to the Kee Avil sound stands out in skin-prickling relief. "We're shaped by many versions of ourselves," says Avil. "I was looking back at these versions of myself and what could have been, what didn't end up being and what did end up being, and going back like that through time. Seeing the future, the past." Spine was written in Kee Avil's home studio after a lapse in writing while touring Crease and working on other projects. She is a well-known and respected member of the Montréal experimental scene, and formerly ran Concrete Sound Studio with Zach Scholes, who continues to work with her as a producer on Spine. Compared to the three years that went into making her debut, Spine emerged in a matter of months—a process that may also be a factor in its intensity and sharpness: "This record was much harder, like it was really discovering everything from scratch." In her desire to not simply replicate or extend the sound of Crease, she felt she had to rip up the rule book, write in a different way, and pare back songs against her usual instincts. Sometimes, when we work against our ingrained habits, we get to the core of who we really are. Spine is an exercise in that process. Without over-intellectualizing or being didactic, it hits immediately and emotionally, especially if you are a person who has spent much time in the process of self-examination. Kee's voice hisses, whispers, and chants; her guitar bends and rings; electronics skitter and crackle; violin creaks like a door in the wind. There is something so evocative about the atmospheres she creates that it's easy to overlay one's own feelings onto her work, but to do that wholly would be to overlook one of the most important things about Spine: Kee Avil's clear and thoughtful vision. This isn't just the next step forward in her artistic trajectory; it's a stunner of a record that stands on its own, a bracing and thrilling listen that has much to reveal about the contradictions inherent in being human. — jj skolnik.

Limited to 1000 copies for RSD 2024. The Flirtations are poised to release 'Still Sounds Like the Flirtations' - their first album of new material in 55 years. They are best known for their 1969 signature song, "Nothing But A Heartache", off their debut album 'Sounds Like the Flirtations'. That song spent 14 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100, and its success saw the group tour with Stevie Wonder, Tom Jones, The Four Tops and The Temptations. "Nothing But a Heartache" remains an undeniable Northern Soul classic; it has been streamed over 13 million times, and in 2022 was remixed by Tobtok and Oliver Nelson. On their forthcoming album, which was produced, engineered, mixed, and co-written by Ben Rice (Joan Osborne, Valerie June), Earnestine Pearce, Shirley Pearce, and Viola Billups aka Pearly Gates tell the stories of their lives. Drawing inspiration from the churn of personal, social, and political situations that they have lived through over the past five decades, they capture a timeless and well-earned perspective on love and life. The record, which features the Dap King horns, contains standout tracks, including the reflective call to action "Memories", co-written by Stevie Wonder; the hopeful love song "Ain't No Easy Way" and the instant dance floor hit "Didn't Anybody Tell You", both co-written by Grammy-nominated songwriter Gian Stone (John Legend, Meghan Trainor); the uplifting groover "Love Somebody"; and the roaring "Take It Back", co-written by Dave Sherman (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Elle King). The recording process was a transatlantic adventure, with sessions at Abbey Road and Resident Studios in London, Degraw Sound in Brooklyn, and Creative Workshop in Nashville. Retaining the classic soul sound and melodic harmonies The Flirtations are known for, the album will not disappoint long-time fans, while also promising to bring their authentic, inimitable sound to a new generation of music.

BRUME (ausgesprochen wie das englische Wort "Broom") sind der lebende Beweis dafür, dass es auch in Kalifornien nicht nur Sonnenschein und Easy-Living gibt. Das aus San Francisco stammende Quartett verschmilzt Doom Metal, Gothic und Indie Rock zu einer oft monolithischen, aber ebenso auch zerbrechlich wirkenden Mischung aus harter Schwere, die von der dunklen Seite der Musik kommt. Nach einem Jahrzehnt verlockender Sounds und Gänsehaut-Crescendi treiben BRUME die Klangexperimente und spannenden Genre-Umdeutungen auf ihrem dritten Album "Marten" einen großen Schritt weiter voran. Die Erweiterung zum Vierer mit Jackie Perez Gratz an Cello und Gesang eröffnet den Kaliforniern einen Kosmos neuer Möglichkeiten, den sie zielstrebig erkunden. Durch das Verweben von aufsteigenden Melodien mit melancholischem Doom Pop entstehen Songs, die gleichermaßen intim und eindringlich, wie auch massiv und kraftvoll sind. BRUME gründeten sich im Jahr 2014 ursprünglich als Trio. Gitarrist Jamie McCathie aus Bristol, England kam musikalisch mit der Bassistin und Sängerin Susie McMullan aus Baton Rouge, Louisiana zusammen, nachdem die Beiden ihre gemeinsame Leidenschaft für Trip-Hop und Sludge entdeckt hatten. Die Besetzung wurde bald darauf von Jordan Perkins-Lewis am Schlagzeug vervollständigt, der mit seinem reichhaltigen und experimentellen Schlagzeugstil den Grundstein für die Studioaufnahmen der frisch gegründeten Band legte. Mit ihren Doom Metal Alben "Rooster" (2017) und "Rabbits" (2019) nahm das Trio schnell Fahrt auf, wobei ersteres von The Ripple Effect zum "Album des Jahres" gekürt wurde und letzteres den ersten Platz auf der "Best of 2019"-Liste von Wonderbox Metal einnahm. BRUME hinterließen auch auf der Bühne ihre Spuren und traten unter anderem sowohl beim Desertfest 2017 in London als auch im Jahr 2019 beim Desertfest New York und SXSW auf. Mit "Marten" machen BRUME einen mutigen Schritt in Richtung ihrer musikalischen Zukunft, indem sie zuerst sich selbst und nun auch ihre Zuhörer herausfordern, sich von vertrauten Sounds zu anspruchsvolleren, weniger vertrauten Klangräumen zu bewegen.

BRUME (ausgesprochen wie das englische Wort "Broom") sind der lebende Beweis dafür, dass es auch in Kalifornien nicht nur Sonnenschein und Easy-Living gibt. Das aus San Francisco stammende Quartett verschmilzt Doom Metal, Gothic und Indie Rock zu einer oft monolithischen, aber ebenso auch zerbrechlich wirkenden Mischung aus harter Schwere, die von der dunklen Seite der Musik kommt. Nach einem Jahrzehnt verlockender Sounds und Gänsehaut-Crescendi treiben BRUME die Klangexperimente und spannenden Genre-Umdeutungen auf ihrem dritten Album "Marten" einen großen Schritt weiter voran. Die Erweiterung zum Vierer mit Jackie Perez Gratz an Cello und Gesang eröffnet den Kaliforniern einen Kosmos neuer Möglichkeiten, den sie zielstrebig erkunden. Durch das Verweben von aufsteigenden Melodien mit melancholischem Doom Pop entstehen Songs, die gleichermaßen intim und eindringlich, wie auch massiv und kraftvoll sind. BRUME gründeten sich im Jahr 2014 ursprünglich als Trio. Gitarrist Jamie McCathie aus Bristol, England kam musikalisch mit der Bassistin und Sängerin Susie McMullan aus Baton Rouge, Louisiana zusammen, nachdem die Beiden ihre gemeinsame Leidenschaft für Trip-Hop und Sludge entdeckt hatten. Die Besetzung wurde bald darauf von Jordan Perkins-Lewis am Schlagzeug vervollständigt, der mit seinem reichhaltigen und experimentellen Schlagzeugstil den Grundstein für die Studioaufnahmen der frisch gegründeten Band legte. Mit ihren Doom Metal Alben "Rooster" (2017) und "Rabbits" (2019) nahm das Trio schnell Fahrt auf, wobei ersteres von The Ripple Effect zum "Album des Jahres" gekürt wurde und letzteres den ersten Platz auf der "Best of 2019"-Liste von Wonderbox Metal einnahm. BRUME hinterließen auch auf der Bühne ihre Spuren und traten unter anderem sowohl beim Desertfest 2017 in London als auch im Jahr 2019 beim Desertfest New York und SXSW auf. Mit "Marten" machen BRUME einen mutigen Schritt in Richtung ihrer musikalischen Zukunft, indem sie zuerst sich selbst und nun auch ihre Zuhörer herausfordern, sich von vertrauten Sounds zu anspruchsvolleren, weniger vertrauten Klangräumen zu bewegen.

Holland, Dozier and Holland are arguably the greatest songwriters ever. More prolific than Lennon and McCartney, they shaped “the Sound of Young America” and propelled the Motown sound in the mid-1960s into a creative stratosphere unmatched by any other independent music label. Their trademark catchy teenage love songs were delivered energetically by previously unknown Detroit groups like The Supremes, the Four Tops, Martha & the Vandellas & Marvin Gaye. Although synonymous with Berry Gordy’s Motown, it was their departure from Motown after a stand-off strike in 1967 and a brutal legal battle that led them to run their own group of labels, Invictus, Hot Wax and Music Merchant. This compilation is a definitive look at this period in history, exploring how H-D-H, under a new guise ‘The Creative Corporation’, drove the next generation of soul music in a myriad of different ways, towards funk, underground disco and jazz. Featuring 55 tracks, this collection documents HDH’s creativity and growth over this seminal 8 year period. During this time the trio developed new artists to rival Motown’s success such as Chairman Of The Board, Freda Payne, Honey Cone, Glass House, Flaming Ember, 8th Day, Laura Lee & Eloise Laws. The collection is complete with a detailed depiction of this period in history by award winning author Stuart Cosgrove who wrote the Soul Trilogy, a series of books on soul music and social change - Detroit 67: the Year That Changed Soul, Memphis 68: The Tragedy of Southern Soul which won the Penderyn Prize, as Music Book of the Year in 2018, and Harlem 69: the Future of Soul. Stuart’s notes detail the relationship with Motown in the final days, the immediate fall out after the trio left Motown and the creation of the new labels Hot Wax, Invictus & Music Merchant

Im Geiste der klassischen jamaikanischen Aufnahmen der späten 70er und frühen 80er Jahre präsentiert uns Pachyman sein zweites Album mit Ausflügen in Dub und Roots Reggae. Inspiriert von der Roots Radics Band, erweitert Pachyman diesmal seine Erkundung des frühen Studio One-Sounds, Sly & Robbies Steppers-Stil und ein wenig Soul-Jazz-Reggae. Gemischt mit den Techniken von Scientist und King Tubby zollt Pachyman der Klangpalette der Dub-Meister Tribut. Aufgenommen zwischen April und Oktober 2019 in seinem eigenen 333 House Studio.

Culled from three 1985 gigs in the UK during a transitional and transcendent time in the band's story, Sonic Youth's `Walls Have Ears' appeared as a 2LP set in 1986, not just a live album but an artful tapestry full of live experimentation with songs, between-song tape segues, darkness, humor and audio verité on par with elements of side B of `Master Dik' to come later. With a bit of complexity to the situation of the release itself. But that's a different story. Deleted as quickly as it appeared then, it's now issued for the first time officially under the band's auspices. In this 2LP set brimming with primitive classics like "The Burning Spear", "I Love Her All The Time", "Death Valley 69" and "I'm Insane" (uncredited on sleeve), segues and live guitar changes ooze together threaded by Madonna tapes and vocal loops off the board. The first two sides of `Walls' are massive, cavernous, with newly-drafted drummer Steve Shelley in tow taking on past tunes and unveiling "Expressway To Yr Skull" in glorious form. They tear it up especially on one trash-fi excerpt of "Blood On Brighton Beach" (actually "Making the Nature Scene") from a legendary outdoor gig November 8th where Moore, Gordon and Ranaldo's guitars treble-blast dissonant shockwaves over the black-stoned beach of Quadrophenia fame. The record's second slab spotlights an April 1985 pre-Shelley gig supporting Nick Cave at London's Hammersmith Palais and was one of the final appearances live of Bob Bert, again featuring some molten takes on "Brother James", "Kill Yr Idols", "Flower" (Iisted as "The Word (E.V.O.L.)"), "Ghost Bitch" and others. The emergence of the Jesus and Mary Chain in the world gave Brit scribes a lazy and easy parallel, addressed here with a wink with the inclusion of "Speed JAMC", another offstage tape interlude playfully scrolling through one of that band's songs at fast-forward. This document remains an essential representation of some lean and mean years of the quartet's throttling march out into the world in the mid eighties. Coloured vinyl, one red, one yellow LP.

The Path is the latest album from Belbury Poly (aka Ghost Box records founder Jim Jupp). This time round Jupp has recruited a full band roster to expand his own unique electronica. He is joined by occasional Belbury Poly collaborator Christopher Budd on Bass and Guitar, Jesse Chandler (of Midlake, Mercury Rev & Pneumatic Tubes) on flute, clarinet and keyboards, Max Saidi on drums plus narration from author and poet, Justin Hopper.

Musically it takes as its starting point a particular moment of early 1970s British film soundtracks by the likes of Roy Budd and Roger Webb; a soundworld of easy-going jazz and funky rhythms gently coloured with pastoral strings and flutes. The Path, however, is unmoored from time or place thanks to Hopper’s narrative style, Chandler’s rustic flutes and keys, Budd’s soulful psychedelic guitars and Jupp’s production and electronics. The co-writers were all chosen for their unique abilities and an
intuitive understanding of the ongoing Belbury Poly project. The spoken word elements form a loose, open-ended narrative; very much an album with spoken word rather than a spoken word album.

The Band and Album Recording:
Christopher Budd: Electric Bass, Double Bass, Guitars, Electric Sitar
Jesse Chandler: Piano, Synths, Mellotron, Flute, Clarinet
Justin Hopper: Narration
Jim Jupp: Electric Piano, Synths, Mellotron, Percussion, Sound Effects
Max Saidi: Drums, Percussion

The project came together over two years, beginning with a conversation between Hopper and Jupp during a walk on the Sussex South Downs. Originally, it was to tell the tale of an American academic unravelling while adrift in an alienating English landscape. From the beginning, the pair wanted on a narration integrated lyrically into the piece, rather than dropped on top. The words gradually became more film-noir and open to interpretation; occasionally a little tongue-in-cheek. The final
texts explore a folklore of alienation; the way we impact the landscape and it impacts us.

Belbury Poly:
Jim Jupp has released EPs, singles and seven albums on Ghost Box as Belbury Poly. It’s generally a solo project, but he calls on a floating roster of like-minded musicians to extend the sound beyond studio based electronica. He is also one half of The Belbury Circle along with Cate Brooks (of The Advisory Circle) - occasional collaborators with John Foxx. He has recorded library tracks for KPM, BMG and Lo-Editions. He’s remixed tracks for several artists including Beautify Junkyards,
John Foxx and Bill Ryder-Jones (The Coral) and co-written a song with Paul Weller for his 2020 album On Sunset.

Warehouse Find!

Zepp001 returns to Delusions for our first release of 2011 and what a way to start the new year! The Seattle based disco obsessive has been holed up in his recently completed studio in Delphia (a city located on Antarctica's southern shore) and its easy to hear the influence this strange and otherworldly place has had on the two original tracks here on this release.

Stuck in the depths of a dark alley, blocked by yet another breeze, hitting a stone wall, road sign ahead: Dead End.
Impasse. "Cul-de-sac".
Hip‐hop. The original, some would say, official music of the late 20th Century Bronx.
Some say it has endured it's fair share of distractions, detractors and defectors. Some say it has murdered itself, having been abandoned by its so‐called best men, those who have gone off in other directions, or who have, simply, just beat‐retired. Yet, there are plenty of Soldier Monks still out there, prepared to sweat it out in the Temple of Machinery and Mics.
Low Cut honored this cause four years ago, with his MPC crafted minimalist version of NY Minute and he's back to ring the bells and unsheathe the samples!

The starting point of Dead End's production remains the 90's boom-bap, but the will to carry it even further brings it to its destination. By decorating it with rich samples flushed out after digging through vinyls pressed several decades ago, it is guided by a compass pointing deposits to the East. With sound quality inherited from a fastidious composition and mix works, using inspiration rather than just being a copycat, Dead End celebrates it without setting it up as a museum piece.

Picturing the beatmaker stuck in the depths of a dark alley, ended with a brick wall, is easy. But far from isolated in his Parisian basement, Low Cut has rung phones in New York, Baltimore and Detroit, rounding up the faithful. He magnetized the hidden but sharp forces, and gained attendance of legends. The casting of Dead End : Ruste Juxx & Nutso, Dirt Platoon, Guilty Simpson, Torae, Rasheed Chappell and the stainless Masta Ace, among other beat crushers. Also starring DJ Duke, Nix'on, Topic and Ordoeuvre with their DMC titles crates, for a deep beatfight on bars scarified of scratches.
Heavy atmosphere, martial beats and street soul, Dead End is also the final episode of the projects initiated by Low Cut, based on the model of a producer inviting various MCs.
He will then replace his turntable needles, refresh his sample banks, and settle the BPMs of his productions on more abstract frequencies.

You get older, you have a family, and you start to slow down-that's how things are supposed to go, right? Not for Montreal band Corridor, who have returned on their fourth album, Mimi, with a sound and style that's more widescreen and expansive than anything that's preceded it. The follow-up to 2019's Junior is a huge step forward for the band, as the members themselves have undergone the type of personal changes that accompany the passage of time; even as these eight songs reflect a newfound and contemplative maturity, however, Corridor are branching out more than ever with richly detailed music, resulting in a record that feels like a fresh break for a band that's already established themselves as forward-thinkers. Mimi immediately recalls the best of the best when it comes to indie rock-Deerhunter's silvery atmospherics immediately come to mind, as well as the spiky effervescence of classic post-punk-but despite these easy comparisons, Corridor remain impossible to pin down from song to song, which makes Mimi all the more thrilling as a listen. "The goal was to work differently, which is the goal we have every time we work on a new album-to build something in a new way," Robert explains. "This time, we took our time." And so in the summer of 2020, Corridor's members-Robert, vocalist/bassist Dominic Berthiaume, drummer Julien Bakvis, and multi-instrumentalist Samuel Gougoux-holed away in a cottage to engage in the sort of creative experimentation that would lead to Mimi's ultimate creation. Corridor tinkered with the songs' raw parts digitally and remotely over the next few years, with co-producer Joojoo Ashworth (Dummy, Automatic) lending their own specific talents in the theoretical booth. The process was a byproduct of not having access to their rehearsal space due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also a result of the four-piece leaning harder into incorporating electronic textures than on previous records. "For a long time, we identified as a guitar-oriented band, and the goal of making this whole record was trying to get away from that," Berthiaume states. Berthiaume also describes Mimi as a record about "getting older" and "figuring out new parts of life"-but despite any claims of transitional growing pains from the band, Mimi is a record bursting with new energy and life, a vibrance that's owed in no small part to Gougoux joining the band full-time after pitching in on live performances in the past. "I come more from a background of electronic music, so it was nice to involve that with the band more," he explains, and Mimi contains a distinct rhythmic pulse reminiscent of classic era-post-punk's own melding of dance and rock textures. Over bright, chiming guitars and ascending synths, Robert addresses his looming mortality on "Mourir Demain": "I wrote it when my girlfriend and I were shopping for life insurance," he laughs. With our little daughter growing up, we also considered making our will. I said to myself, 'Oh shit, from now on I'm slowly starting to plan my death." Don't mistake this as music about dead ends, though, as Mimi embraces and champions unfettered creativity while paving a way for Corridor's own bright future. "We just focused on making a record that sounded the way we wanted," Gougoux exclaims while discussing the band's aims. "There were no limitations when it came to what was possible."

Matthias Reim ist zweifellos ein großfühlender Mensch. Ein beneidenswert produktiver Zeitgenosse ist er sowieso. Vor bald 35 Jahren hinterließ der Vollblutmusiker und Songwriter einen Aphorismus von bleibendem Wert: "Verdammt, ich lieb' dich". Liedzeilen, die aus einer Laune heraus entstanden, formte der damals 32 Jahre junge Mann zu einem Mammut-Refrain, der zu einem Millionenseller gelangte. Er hat rund zwei Dutzend Studioeinspielungen veröffentlicht, etliche davon brachen in Gold- und Platin gegossen Verkaufsrekorde. Auf dem neuen Longplayer "Zeppelin" präsentiert Reim seine 16 neuen Songs so frühlingsfrisch und auf den Punkt gebracht wie ein tatendrängender Newcomer. Einer, der sich gleichzeitig eines enormen Musikmacher- und Lebenserfahrungsschatzes ermächtigen kann. Anders lässt sich die gesteigerte Wahrhaftigkeit in "Zeppelin" nicht erklären. Reims Rock klingt heute handgemacht-rockiger als je zuvor, die Refrains sind größer geworden und die Balladen balladesker. "Zeppelin" ist kurzum der beste Reim aller Zeiten.

About 20 years ago, Carlos Giffoni quickly made a name for himself both as a noise guitarist and a laptop noisician upon arriving in New York (via Florida and Venezuela). His expertly curated annual No Fun Festival, as well as his No Fun label, further solidified him as a key figure in the international noise scene. The festival's success proved the formula for experimental and improvised music fests could work with the noise underground as well, but it also capitalized on the faster rate of connections being made between geographically disparate artists as a result of the (still relatively nascent) internet. Back then Carlos would play his laptop like a pinball machine, in contrast to the static stage presence of most laptop performers, and his solo music, like many others' at that time, expressed a less dark and dour vision of the implications of harsh noise. By the close of the 2000s, he had stopped doing the festival, switched gears musically to playing the lighter No Fun Acid sets, and moved to LA. Now he has re-emerged in a big way with Dream Walker, his first full-length since 2018's Vain (and only his second since 2010). Inspired by the masterful performances and diffusions he heard at the February 2023 GRM electronic music festival in Paris, particularly sets by old friends Lasse Marhaug, Jim O'Rourke, and Eiko Ishibashi, he began conceptualizing new music of his own in response, turning to synthesizers and other hardware to produce a work more firmly in the tradition of European electronic music than anything else he's done. Intended as a late night listen that evokes the edge of consciousness, with Carlos getting as close as possible to a trance state during the actual recording and mixing, each of the eleven tracks transition into one another rather than being standalone discrete pieces, forming two side-long suites that proceed like stages of a dream. Unabashedly tonal and repetitive, the glistening opener "Now Dream," the droning "Sleep Walker," and the closing triptych of "Lost in Descanso," "Sunrise," and "The Hidden Path" occupy a power electronics-ambient nexus that feels spiritually close to the Mego label. Elsewhere, "Ticking Clock" is reminiscent of Stereolab's non-easy listening vintage electronic side, while the two-part arpeggiated "Euphoria" recalls early Oneohtrix Point Never (which Carlos released on No Fun). The contrast between "One Breath"'s crackling opening and its remarkably fluid and soaring sustained synthesized chords is a distillation of the album's lingering tension between electronics' ability to project mechanical rupture as well as the organic and the infinite _or "walking between dreams," as Carlos himself puts it. Produced by Lasse Marhaug (who also mastered Carlos' first solo album, Welcome Home, back in 2005), released by Stephen O'Malley (who I remember DJing at the No Fun fest), with cover art and photos by personal friends, Carlos considers the album a family affair. But Dream Walker most of all heralds a maturation of the artist, and stands as a record that exists out of pure desire, rather than obligation or force of habit; a statement of reconnecting with music not by merely revisiting it, but by building on what's come before, both in his own work and in the music he loves. -Alan Licht, New York, December 2023

Precursor EP to Mr Raoul K's new album, which will be released in autumn 2024. The afro house pioneer has returned to his home country Côte d'Ivoire. Raoul K: "Since I know how good and easy it is to live in my home country of Côte d'Ivoire, I drew a line in Germany and set off." So he's back in full effect with spiritual afro-tinged gems, catching the vibe and easier living there, and discovered new voices from Kenia, South Africa and India, too. "Sinkere" got mixing skills from Rancido, while Compost head honcho Michael Reinboth delivered a tempered stripped down remix of "Loni ké".

1998 was a fertile year defined by juggernaut projects from Black Star, Lauren Hill, Outkast, and others, all of whom synced experimentation with foundational tenets that made the 1990s ferociously groundbreaking.


Out of Oakland, California, a collective known as Hieroglyphics were positioning away from industry control, to helm their own assets in manners more suited to their own marketing self-vision. While artists have certainly went solo prior, this came at a critical juncture for the crew during a spiraling and newfound Internet world. Born out of this independent spirit was the crew’s first official studio album 3rd Eye Vision.


The album spans twenty-two songs, all featuring beats by Domino who manned the lion’s share of production. A-Plus, Opio, Del, Casual, and Phesto also contributed beats. MCs each had their own song, short interludes highlighting their individuality through short verses, a clear espirit de corps statement.


Even among standouts like “Oakland Blackouts” or “At The Helm,” perhaps the most celebrated song off the release is “You Never Knew,” a track that propelled 3rd Eye Vision to #88 on the Billboard Top 200, not an entirely easy feat as a new label competing with the late ‘90s’ abundant onslaught of classic material.


In celebration of 20 years of 3EV, Fat Beats and Hiero Imperium are proud to present this CD/Vinyl reissue in deluxe packaging, expansive liner notes and the full original album tracks and a bonus for the very first time in one package.

New album by the successful duo Steve Kilbey (The Church) and Martin Kennedy. Interest and profile of Steve Kilbey has been raised considerably over the past year due to The Church re-forming, touring and issuing 2 new albums. Steve’s solo albums are all getting a complete makeover and the fan clubs are ablaze with rumours and gossips regarding forthcoming releases. Reviews & advertising in Vive Le Rock, Record Collector, Classic Rock, R2, The Big Takeover. Embark on a mesmerising journey with the third and culminating chapter of the highly acclaimed trilogy by Steve Kilbey and Martin Kennedy. Building on the success of Jupiter 13 (2021) and The Strange Life of Persephone Nimbus (2022), their latest epic, 'Premonition K,' unveils a sumptuous and organic sonic landscape, delving into the dark and enigmatic realms that exist between the boundaries of life and death. This album, a testament to their musical synergy, encapsulates a darkly beautiful soundscape, drawing inspiration from diverse sources, ranging from the haunting tones of Roger Waters' Final Cut to the shadowy depths explored by early 1970s Black Sabbath. Steve Kilbey, best known as frontman of legendary Aussie post-prog rockers The Church, infuses each track with an emotional resonance and sense of mystery. Martin Kennedy co-pilots this sonic odyssey with Steve Kilbey, weaving an intricate musical bed for Kilbey's lyrical dreamings. Drawing from his twenty years of soundscaping with All India Radio, Kennedy adds layers of sonic complexity, at once warmly familiar and mysteriously strange, creating an immersive experience for the listener. Together, Kilbey and Kennedy invite you to break out the Ouija board, turn off the lights, and immerse yourself in the mysteries of 'Premonition K'

Where does pop start and experimental music end? Instead of drawing lines, Red On keeps on exploring the spaces in between these supposed poles with his latest album Phantom Easy, a record that offers moments of pure beauty as well as unpredictable, uncontrollable wilderness.
The spaces Red On moves in aren’t per se terra incognita, but have been explored in recent years by like-minded musicians such as How To Dress Well, Fever Ray, or Dawuna, as well as artists that are affiliated with Präsenes Editionen, where Red On’s album is published, such as Martina Lussi, Belia Winnewisser, or Magda Drozd. Yet, Phantom Easy is an exploration of its own: The melancholic album, which is informed by pop, electroacoustic music, rhythm-focused jazz, and krautrock, is carried by Red On's voice, which appears in ever-changing stages of alienation. The wistful tone of the twelve tracks is reinforced by single phrases sung by Red On that, through their repetition, develop an urgency that can hardly be escaped. The result is pop music that is brave enough to embrace the adventure; or experimental music that doesn’t shy away from offering catchy hooks and grand melodies.

Sechs Jahre sind seit dem letzten Longplayer "Du bist so symmetrisch" (2018) des Schweizer Duos Klaus Johann Grobe vergangen und man hört, dass sie einen weiten Weg zurückgelegt haben. "io tu il loro", ihr viertes Album für das in Chicago ansässige Label Trouble In Mind Records, wurde innerhalb von zwei Wochen in einer Hütte ganz am Ende eines abgelegenen Schweizer Tals geschrieben, wo - ziemlich genau an der gleichen Stelle - Klaus Johann Grobe im Jahr 2014 ihr komplettes Debütalbum "Im Sinne der Zeit" erdachten. Was damit begann, einfach mal wieder Musik zu machen, wurde schnell zu einer ernsthaften Arbeit an einem neuen Album. Alles, was es brauchte, war eine echte Pause: Dani und Sevi arbeiteten nicht an irgendwelchen Grobe-bezogenen Sachen, bis sie sich 2022 in den Bergen trafen. Einmal beschlossen, wurde das Ganze recht schnell fertiggestellt und Ende 2022 noch einmal in David Langhards Dala Studio aufgenommen. "io tu il loro" ist eine Platte, die nicht durch endloses Herumspielen an hunderten von Ideen und Sounds zustande kam. Es ist ein Album mit einer verschwommenen Vision und weichen Grenzen. Irgendwie spürt man, dass die beiden nachsichtig auf ihre Arbeit zurückblicken und dann zu dem übergehen, was sich richtig anfühlt. Hier sind wir also mit neun Tracks voller umarmender Wärme, so melancholisch einladend, dass man nicht weiß, ob man lächeln oder weinen soll. Manche mögen es zeitlos nennen, manche mögen es Dad-Rock nennen... nun, es ist sicherlich keine Disco für die Massen, es ist mehr wie "Wenn ich mich nach vier Bieren nicht zum Tanzen bringen kann, kann ich genauso gut nach Hause gehen." Also, keine Disco? Keine synkopischen Synthies? Kein Deutsch? Kein Reverb? Wo ist Grobe? Nimm dir die Zeit und du wirst merken, dass Klaus Johann Grobe nicht weg sind, sie haben nur eine Biegung genommen_

The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series Entry #8: Karriem Riggins’ To The Jungle. Riggins is the type of drummer whose power and finesse shakes even Malcolm Catto. If you know what that means, this is the album for you. The Madlib Invazion Music Library Series was created by Madlib and Egon to give their creative friends a chance to stretch out and indulge in whatever type of music they wanted. This music was created for easy, one-stop clearance in film and television synchronization usage and for sampling. You can also enjoy these albums in the way that many do with the best of the best vintage library catalogs – listen, ponder, repeat.

Superb 45 featuring two Hammond-led instrumentals! We caught up with Mr Guy Hamper for an insightful Q&A_ Q: What a cracking single this is! 'Instrument of Evil' in particular has a very eerie vibe. What was the inspiration for it? A: The track is the sequel to '7% Solution', which featured on the last Guy Hamper Trio LP with Thee Headcoats standing in as rhythm section. A 7% Solution being the amount of morphine Dr Watson administered to Sherlock Holmes. For 'Instrument of Evil' I took Sherlock Holmes' later designation of his syringe as "an Instrument of Evil". This is originally a quote from the bible: "Wicked men do at times reject God's purpose for the state, transforming the good of civil government into an instrument of evil." Point of interest: Morphine addiction happens to tie in with another aspect of the song. In the section that nods to Elmer Bernstein's main title theme to the film of the book The Man With the Golden Arm, in which the main character is also a morphine addict. Another ingredient - we added six-string bass to that section in tribute to Jet Harris - he formerly of top group The Shadows, who recorded a great version of Bernstein's classic. To top it all off the record sleeve references the fine graphics of the great Saul Bass. Phew! Q: The track features contributions from Tom Morley (trumpet) and Anna Jordanous (sax). What's it like working with them? A: They are great and easy to work with. I basically make a playground and let them loose in it with very little direction, apart from pointing out the swings and location of the roundabout. I told Tom "You're a Spanish trumpeter stood on a hill in Spain." For Anna, I think we said "go low and nasty." Q: On the flip side you have 'Incense Rising From a Censer'. A very evocative title for an evocative track. Do you have lyrics in mind for this for a possible later release? A: No lyrics have sprung to mind as yet - but it's always possible. The title is from The Elders observation in Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, a book I really recommend. Prayer rises to God on the smoke of the incense burning in the censer. I imagine this track being some kind of antidote to 'Instrument of Evil'. Q: This single marks your first time in the new premises of Jim Riley's Ranscombe Studio. What's the new place like? A: The studio is great - the sound - using my old Mighty Caesars drum kit, and Jim engineering, is pure, easy with a better sound than the old premises. Q: Any more Guy Hamper Trio releases in the pipeline? A third album perhaps? A: Again, anything is possible. Me and Jamie (James Taylor, Hammond organ) have talked of writing together in the future. Jamie is a truly great musician - the cherry on the cake if you will. We're just busted old eggs, sour milk, and some gunk. Q: A live Guy Hamper Trio show would be amazing. Any chance of that happening or will it remain a studio-based project? A: It could happen if someone came up with a very cunning plan.

Big Crown Records is proud to present Brainstory’s sophomore full-length album Sounds Good.

Based in L.A. but hailing from the Inland Empire's own Rialto, California, two-thirds of Brainstory, Kevin and Tony Martin are brothers by blood, while Eric Hagstrom is a brother through their music and long term friendship. Since they started the band they have constantly faced situations that forced them to rise to the occasion. They got signed to Big Crown Records, they stepped up their game. COVID happened, they learned to record themselves. They started touring a ton sharing the stage with the likes of Lady Wray and they got their live show super tight. All of this time spent grinding and growing has certainly paid off. The path to take their art to the next level is clearer than ever, and once again, they are here for it. If there is one thing that is abundantly clear on Sounds Good, it’s that Brainstory has leveled up.

Part of this evolution is undoubtedly attributed to having access to and working constantly in their own studio in Long Beach. Another major factor is that their brotherhood has expanded. "I've been playing music with my brother all my life and now with Eric for a long time," Tony tells us. "Leon, though, is like another brother I've just met."

Leon Michels, Big Crown's co-owner, produced this record and applied his unmistakable golden touch in crucial ways. The other member of the extended Brainstory brotherhood whose contributions were essential to the album, is studio engineer legend Jens Jungkurth who controls the tones and textures of the music. "That's what you're hearing, our connection, the fun moments, the little details," Kevin describes. "This record isn't half what it is without them—and it made us want to match that effort," and match that effort they did. Album opener "Nobody But You" is an uplifting, dance ­oor burner, that shows off a new side of Brainstory's range. Drummer Eric Hagstrom’s crushing back beat lays the foundation for an inspirational feel good banger that manages to take the uncomfortable truth that “nobody will save you but you” and turn it into pure blissful motivation. "Peach Optimo" is a laid back half time tune that blends the bounce of Down South Hip-Hop with California G funk and Jazz. They once again show off their B said ballad talents with "Gift Of Life" but this time taking the genre to a new place with lyrics about existentialism and a track that is drop dead gorgeous, haunting, and profound all at once. "NyNy" is an homage to Kev and Tony's recently deceased grandfather while "Too Yung" is a show stopping, deeply personal, stripped down number about being introduced to

alcohol at a young age. They put another hit on the boards with "Hanging On," a Latin / Psychedelic Soul inspired banger featuring Claire Cottrill on background vocals while "XFaded” addresses the all too common vicious cycle of smoking and drinking too much over a trippy shuf­e.

"It's been four years since our last full length record, and with everything that's happened since, it's like we've been catching up to ourselves." That's one way to describe change: catching up to oneself. Each member of Brainstory has gone through shifts, both personally and musically, and all of that threads through Sounds Good. It's easy to say that the music industry can be short on lasting, genuine relationships. However, for Brainstory, from day one it's been about standing by each other, for each other. Their friendship started the group. Track listing:

Maurice Fulton's outrageous remix of "The Fall" by Rhye has been cherished as a stone-cold masterpiece for the past decade. Out of print almost immediately, its legend has only grown and for too long it's been impossible to find a copy without parting with considerable cash. We've wanted to remedy this situation for years so we're delighted to announce that we've finally given it the Be With treatment.

The word ‘genius’ is bandied about liberally but it's fair to anoint Maurice Fulton with such lofty praise. Sheffield’s king of oddball disco, Fulton is one of our favourite artists, an outerspace-minded producer with roots in Baltimore club music who has no problem injecting dank interplanetary funk into the smoothest of acts. And so it goes with his remix of "The Fall". Rich and typically off-kilter, this is spellbinding disco par excellance. Fulton arms the track with a juddering electro-funk synth-bassline before shifting to a twanging disco reverb and conga-led, crash-cymbal-elevated groove.

Essential doesn't even cover it; it's just astonishingly good.

The gorgeous original, situated here on the flip, is a sublime serenade, all twinkling strings and sweet, sumptuous vocals over smooth, jazzy piano styles. It earned comparisons to Sade, Air and the xx upon initial release and it's still easy to understand why; it's warm and buoyant yet deeply melancholy. Elegantly downlifting, you could say.

Simon Francis remastered the original audio for both tracks and Cicely Balston's precise cut for Alchemy at AIR Studios ensures this 12" well and truly slaps. The immaculate Record Industry pressing will ensure this incredibly sought-after masterpiece finds a home in many more DJ boxes this and every year.

The incendiary proto hard rock and ambitious epic journeys this album delivers are all the more uncanny and devastating when you realize Gary Del Vecchio was a mere 16 years old when the title track Buzzin was unleashed! Even more astonishing is how far he travelled over the next five years, documented in this brilliant selection of nine tracks from the classic daze of early 1970s underground rock. Ohio was a hotbed for hard rock at the time with bands like the James Gang, Glass Harp, Poobah, Left End, Damnation Of Adam Blessing… what you get here matches the style any of those bands laid down. Gary's music grabs you immediately and grows over time. Grabber and Grower… best of both worlds style! It makes sense that Gary later owned a recording studio, right out of the gate he was laser focussed on all the aspects involved in making music that stands the test of time. The guitar action is incredible, shards of sound flying free yet hitting the bullseye continuously, vocals confident with none of the macho posturing that ages poorly in much early hard rock. These tracks are all vividly recorded and meticulously mixed in a way that balances fiery performance and intelligent structure to maximum effect. The bass and drumming here are phenomenally inventive and propulsive, the several players involved across the album nail it in their support of Gary's vision. This is rock music born in the 'anything is possible' life affirming energy of the late '60s right on time with where the most enduring artists of the early '70s took it. Had he scored the major label deal he pursued with labels like Mercury or London at the time I am confident we'd be hearing his music on classic rock radio today! The music on this album is both uncompromising and accessible. In particular, the two long tracks Wasted King and Starman have all the moves needed to grab fans of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and the likes by the throat and brain in the extended progressive epic department! RidingEasy Records sets a high bar when it comes to unleashing the best vintage hard rock you never heard… take my tip people, the ride this one takes you on is definitely an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10… Gary Del Vecchio really knows how to do it!