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Michael Chapman (1941-2021) released his debut album Rainmaker in 1969 on Harvest. He went on to release over fifty albums and influence many with his evocative songwriting and guitar prowess. From heady jams to expressive ballads to experimental noise, Chapman’s work continues to inspire. Tompkins Square recruited Henry Parker to curate a collection of covers by working musicians from Chapman’s home turf in Northern England. With stunning artwork by local artist Bunty Marshall mapping the important places in Michael’s life, this 12th volume of Tompkins Square’s Imaginational Anthem series is the ultimate tribute to a very dearly missed artist. Notes from Henry Parker: Tompkins Square approached me in Autumn 2022 about putting together a tribute album to Michael Chapman who had passed away one year ago, on my birthday, in 2021. I remember it well; Michael Chapman had always been a huge inspiration to me since starting out on the acoustic guitar and was the first artist I had heard who played the instrument with that heavy thumb, drop tuned sound. I first got the chance to see him live at the Bradford experimental music festival Threadfest in 2015 and then went on to watch him play many more times, in the northern towns of Halifax, Hebden Bridge and Preston, also getting the chance to support him on a couple of his Yorkshire dates in 2018, in Saltaire and his hometown of Leeds. With both Michael Chapman and myself proudly coming from the county of Yorkshire in northern England, Tomkins Square and I decided to make this compilation decidedly Yorkshire focused, bringing together seven other artists from the county who have drawn influence from the profound music of this man.For those who don’t know, Yorkshire is an area that spans much of northern England, with its people taking great pride in the county, never too seriously, and poking fun at the “soft south” or it’s near neighbour Lancashire. Michael’s sound always spanned from introspective folk songwriting to more experimental forms and naturally so does this album, created for Tompkins Square. When it came to choosing musicians to contribute to the record, I was grateful for the Yorkshire limitation on who I could draw from, as the resulting album is comprised of eight artists, who have all shared stages with each other across the folk and experimental scenes in the area. The lack of “bigger” names on the record feels natural, there’s no ego about this project as there never was with Michael, who always seemed content touring the smaller clubs and making records for anyone who was interested. The artwork for the project came together organically, and firmly within the Yorkshire cottage industry. Two months before I was asked to put this album together, I had played a show in Leeds for the launch of a new zine, centred on folklore and mythology. The artist and founder of the zine Bunty has an exceptional eye for detail and a profound love of Yorkshire landscape and culture. Her intricate maps and illustrations created for ‘Hwaet’ zine were the perfect starting point the for this record, and the cover art and inner sleeve is an ocean of detail for Michael Chapman’s incredible life, music and his connection to Yorkshire

Recommend If You Like: Allen Ginsberg, Hal Willner, Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, The Beat Poets, Lenny Bruce, Jazz. Allen Ginsberg, the voice of a generation, fierce, gentle, profound and profane, paired with music created especially for his work, by some of the guiding lights of Jazz in the modern era - Mark Bingham, Bill Frisell, Arto Lindsay, Marc Ribot, and others. All masterfully coordinated and produced by the mad scientist of collaborations, Hal Willner. First released in 1989, this time capsule surges forth into the now with 8 additional tracks never included on the original release. These are timeless works, a garden of eden on vinyl to wander through repeatedly, guided by the founding father of Beat Poetry. Graced by an irresistible coda co-written with Shimmy-Disc founder Kramer, his lyrical mantra of "Don't Grow Old

Following on from recent works for 12k, The Trilogy Tapes, and Important, Far More Decentralized is a new collection of subtle, enchanting pieces from Tokyo-based sound and visual artist Akhira Sano. Working with electronic, instrumental, and concrete sounds, he crafts immersive assemblages of long overlapping tones and blurred resonance, cut through with textural crunch and hiss. The resonant bell-like tones of opener ‘Kouai’ invite the listener in, calling up the warm sound palette of ambient classics like Hiroshi Yoshimura’s Music for Nine Postcards, but leaving any sense of compositional anchor behind for a free-floating harmonic drift. Woven through this seductive tonal cloud is a wavering stream of white noise and tactile pops, its textural grit threatening to derail the calmly reflective pool of pitched sounds, but never quite doing so. Each of these seven pieces occupies a similarly ruminative harmonic space while possessing its own identity. On ‘Neow’, lush tonal swells form around fragmented samples, touching on the techniques of early 2000s glitch artists like Ekkehard Ehlers. ‘Orbv’ is particularly subtle in its combination of rippling back-masked tonal wash, almost subliminal suggestions of field recordings, and distant traces of raw electronic interference, as if a Toshimaru Nakamura recording is playing through an open window across the road. ‘Margin’ weaves together a skein of wistful slow-motion melodies while untraceable, resonant clinks and ambiguous static washes rise gradually to the surface. In comparison to his recent Phase Contrast for Recollection on 12k, recognisable instrumental sounds are a rarity here, yet a hand-played feeling is present throughout. On ‘Teens’, filtered electric guitar tones reminiscent of the melancholic miniatures of Andrew Chalk float over aqueous burbles, bringing the album to a magisterial close. In the crowded field of contemporary electronic music tending toward ambience, Sano is a distinctive voice. Like his elegant abstract paintings, here seemingly static surfaces of unhurried calm reveal rich interior worlds of subtle activity and gentle chaos. Where much contemporary ambient music aims for an almost stifling cleanliness of tone, Sano breathes life into Far More Decentralized through the acceptance of imperfection, accident, and rough edges. As the artist himself says, ‘In a world where everything can be made perfectly, I think it’s a beautiful and primal act to touch the fragile and imperfect’

Marjaa: The Battle of the Hotels” is a concept album born of the idea of merging singer & songwriter Mayssa Jallad’s two vocations: music and urban research/architectural history. Written in collaboration with producer Fadi Tabbal, the music builds upon Tabbal’s spatial approach to sound and Jallad’s research on Beirut’s Hotel District. The album is a reference to Jallad’s Historic Preservation master's thesis, in which she detailed the history of the “Battle of the Hotels”, a 5-months battle that took place in Beirut at the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War, from October 22nd, 1975 to March 29th, 1976. Jallad saw architecture as a main protagonist of the battle, as she discovered it was the first high rise urban battle in the world. The close of the battle resulted in the 15-year Green Line, an urban rift which split Beirut into “East and West”, restricting movement and communication and creating a violent divide that still resonates today. The album comprises two parts. Part A: Dahaliz, is a stroll in the city, where Jallad tries (and fails) to follow an old map. Musician Youmna Saba is a companion in this journey of remembering the once winding corridors (“Dahaliz”) of the city, destroyed by new developments since the 1960s. Empty skyscrapers propel her onto a past filled with the violence of snipers, and a present filled with the glamorous injustice of empty luxury real estate endorsed by powerful warlords-turned-politicians. In Part B: Maaraka, Jallad inhabits the building of the Battle of the Hotels, as its events unfold. She calls the fighting militias the Blues and Reds, respectively the Lebanese Front (Christian Nationalists) and the Lebanese National Movement (Pro-Palestinian leftists), leveling the playing field, and drawing a map of the battle through songwriting. Sary Moussa produces the conclusion of the battle in “Holiday Inn (March 21 to 29)”, which ends with the ultimate severance of the city of Beirut. The music caters to post-war youth who have never been taught this difficult history. Once we consider the “Battle of the Hotels” as our common heritage, it provides an opportunity to teach the value of civil peace. It is also a call to protest for the renewal, rather than the recycling of the political class that has once destroyed the country and holds us, to this day, hostage of its violence. Limited edition of 300 copies. 140gsm vinyl pressed at Microforum (Canada).

‘Demos/sketches/interludes from the hinterland between records. Drum machines and single take vocal sketches tied together with downtime synth experiments and recordings of local disappearing areas.’ True as it is, Jabu’s strap-line is a somewhat understated take on what also proved to be a transformative experience for them. The follow-up record to their 2020 sophomore LP ‘Sweet Company’ (and the ensuing ‘Versions’), ‘Boiling Wells’ weaves a smudged, group -mind spell. Originally released earlier this year without fanfare as a digital-only release, it now receives the proper release attention it deserves, issued in a neatly packaged vinyl edition of 300 copies. Dreamlike, woozy, raw and in dub, the album documents a blossoming process, and encapsulates a fragment in time - holed up in the country, soaking up the atmosphere in collective isolation, creatively embracing the limitations of a small recording set-up, and finding a new way to work as a band. “My mum had gone away so we’d decided to take the mixing desk and a couple of drum machines out to her house and set it up in the front room. We did it a couple of times to get the bulk of the tunes on 'Boiling Wells' done, one in summer and one boozy one around Christmas. I think we all immediately enjoyed working that way, sat around all together, more of an immediate thing. Jas started to play a lot more guitar, her and Al would write lyrics on the fly or be programming a drum beat in or something. We were all switching around and getting ideas down really quickly, not worrying too much if they were good or not. The music was limited by the stuff we had there, I didn’t bring a big desk so we only had six channels or so, and everything was basically just recorded in as a stereo take so we were more or less stuck with it after we’d laid it down - which was nice too. I don’t think we would’ve changed them anyway; it was the sound of the room and of us doing it together in the moment that was really important.” There has always been a collaborative heart to Jabu, though its nature has shifted and morphed over time. In their earliest incarnation, in after-school jams, Alex Rendall would rap over Amos Childs’ beats, but by the time they began releasing music in 2012, Al had found his singing voice – a sweet, soulful counterpoint to Amos’ increasingly dub-wise, experimental backing. Both are founder members of Bristol’s Young Echo, a collective of friends and musicians first operating loosely together on radio shows, artistic collaborations and events, and later on, running a record label. As expansive as their original remit was, Young Echo has steadily evolved since featuring in The Wire’s 2013 cover feature on Bristol’s new school of post-dubstep bass music. Of late, Seb (aka Vessel) has been working with violinist Rakhi Singh on string arrangements for Jabu, and the upcoming residency at Bermondsey’s MOT will showcase relative newcomers Birthmark and Intel Mercenary alongside the regular crew. Jabu’s debut album proper, ‘Sleep Heavy’, arrived in 2017 courtesy of Blackest Ever Black. A sublime, focused meditation on grief and loss written largely by Amos and Al, it marked the debut of Jasmine Butt (aka Guest), adding a further layer of vocal texture to their palette. ‘Sweet Company’, their first album written as a trio (released via their own do you have peace? label), drifted into lighter, more ethereal introspection. Featuring guest appearances by Sunun and Daniela Dyson, remixes by Equiknoxx’s Time Cow and Young Echo ‘s Ossia teased out the inherent pop and dub sensibilities respectively. Recent times have also seen remixes by kindred spirits Seekers International and Jay Glass Dubs, and a collaboration with the renowned T.S. Eliot Prize-winning dub Poet and musician Roger Robinson on a pair of plaintive, aching 7” singles. Jabu’s broad raft of inspirations can be experienced first -hand on their monthly NTS Radio show ‘Music 4 Lovers’, co -hosted by long-time friend and soul afficionado Andy Payback. A celebration of the endless tapestry of interrelated musical connections, it runs parallel to Jabu’s own reinterpretation of their influences. For ‘Boiling Wells’, Amos remembers a diet of “A.R. Kane, Cocteau Twins, DJ Screw, Southern/Memphis rap mixtapes, early 90’s jungle, Karen Dalton, Sybille Baier, Vashti Bunyan, Svitlana Nianio, a lot of soul, Armand Hammer & Alchemist, Grouper, Bobby Caldwell. Jazz was a constant, Japanese, Polish, Latin, American…”. And from those diverse strands, something new and singular has formed, to line up alongside them. ‘Boiling Wells (Demos ‘19-’22)’ is released by UK newcomer Six of Swords in a limited vinyl edition of 300 copies, pressed on black vinyl housed in full colour 270 gsm matt varnish sleeve and black paper inner, with full download coupon

Die-cut sleeve. In the fall of 2013 Bry Webb was putting the finishing touches on his second album Free Will. Released on May 20th 2014, Bry, with his newly assembled band The Providers, spent the following few years traversing North America playing clubs, festivals and storied stages such as Toronto’s Massey Hall. Nothing new for an artist who had spent the aughts in a constant state of motion with Constantines, a band who on average had performed one of every three nights on a stage somewhere in the world. In fact, running in parallel to Bry’s solo touring schedule was a reunion with his former Constantines’ bandmates to once again present their incendiary live show and celebrate the 11th anniversary reissue of the band’s Shine A Light. It is what happened as the decade wound down that seemed out of character for an artist who had spent close to 20 years immersed in the studio and on the stage: the music stopped altogether. Bry explains his feelings at that time, “I lost the musical plot about 5 years ago and stopped playing music entirely, sold instruments and recording equipment, and committed myself to the idea that I was absolutely done”. Webb dedicated himself to his ongoing work in community radio, months turned to years and musical life seemed to be all but gone from view. Now in an unexpected turnaround 10 years on from the recording of his last studio album, there is not only a return to the stage for Bry but also a new record. Primarily composed in a season of upheaval, Run With Me contains some of Bry’s rawest sentiments. Fresh and painfully present there is an immediacy one can hear as emotional walls collapse in real time. Bry explains the context of the album’s creation: “In early 2023 my personal life exploded. In the process of dealing with that, I started writing music again and started recording at home. Advised that I needed to figure out how to ask for, and accept, help from other people, I sent early recordings of songs to friends from twenty-five years of music making - many folks I hadn’t connected with in years - and asked if they’d contribute anything to the songs. People came through in ways that overwhelmed me to the point that I cried when I wrote out the list of players for the liner notes. I felt incredibly cared for. From Andy Magoffin, who recorded the first Constantines album in 1999, to members of the Cons, to my nieces Addy and Ella playing drums, and a doppler recording of my daughter’s heartbeat, the record is a document of my creative life, and the people who made it possible to make music again.” If the cover of Run With Me looks familiar, it is with full intent. The album’s technicolor marbling and die cut text serve to signal the inclusion of the album in a trilogy started with Bry’s first record Provider. Just as that album starts with the track Asa, this new one introduces itself with the instrumental Webb. The trilogy is now completed with his daughter's first, middle and last names represented as the first tracks on each of the three albums. While the LP’s package signals its place in the collection, and tracks such as Older Than The Dirt and What I Do revisit their predecessor’s familiar sonic starkness, Run With Me is the outlier of the trio. A number of new tracks forego the quietude of Provider and Free Will, clearly recalling the rallying rhythms of Constantines’ anthems. Thunder Bay (instrumental backing courtesy of The Harbourcoats circa 2009), with its insistent kick drum and wall of electrics, support one of Webb’s most indelible melodies, and the not so subtly psychedelic Modern Mind reveal an expansion of Webb’s palette. Perhaps the furthest afield is the contextual centerpiece of the album, Goodbye, where we not only hear a joyful voice that lay dormant for years, but hear it reclaim its power. Backed by Constantines’ Will Kidman, Doug MacGregor and Dallas Wehrle, Bry belts out “I’m through with all the rage, now watch the light pour out of me.” As with all of Bry’s work, Run With Me’s lyrics take their time to settle in. Songs of self-examination, reconfigured love ballads, and songs for those who work to help others. Songs of singing abound. It’s there in Older Than The Dirt’s second verse: "Logic to the last intention, logic in the way we kept holding on forever, singing as the floor- was swept”, ten thousand birds sing a warning song in Thunder Bay and again in Goodbye’s telling of a cathartic return to one’s true self with its celebration of those “Who sing - sing all joy - all joy of language, in a single word”. Joining Bry in singing Run With Me’s songs of “death, transition and hope,” are kindred spirits Jennifer Castle, Julie Doiron, Daniel Romano and Steph Yates. All of these singers elevate the album’s healing sentiments and help express the album’s central plea; a prayer of sorts wrapped in the traditional Scottish Gaelic melody of She Is Here’s second verse: “Let the sun rise in the morning and any witness bring. Let all the blooming cosmos teach us to sing”.

Milanese techno shaman MAIKE DEPAS travels from the dark to the dreamy side of the dance floor on his EP "Euphoria" (out 24 November on The Innovation Studio)

"Techno emissary Maike Depas storms back onto the scene with 'State of Techno', a bold fusion of past and present influences set to reshape dance floors in 2023." (Magnetic Mag)

"State of Techno is the Milanese producer's visionary work fusing 80's and 90's sounds through a modern lens creating an exhilarating release weaving through 30 years of underground club music." (The Brvtalist)

On the back of the breaky Grand Prix 2049 anthem "Midnight Ride", Milanese techno shaman MAIKE DEPAS (Michelangelo De Pasquale) travels from the dark ("We Move", "Inner Voices" and "Techno Appeal") to the dreamy side ("Midnight Ride" and "Green Hornet") of the dance floor on his EP "Euphoria", coming out on 24 November via The Innovation Studio. One foot in stoic Schranz techno of Chris Liebling"s CLR, the other one in eschatological goa trance of Dragonfly Records, never going under 134 BPM, Depas strikes the perfect balance between dystopia and utopia. "This is my idea of what the ravers want to listen inside the club's Depas reckons.

"Euphoria has two sonorities: the dark vibe, and the dreamy one. This is my idea of what the ravers want to listen inside the club's Maike Depas

With the complex arrangements of the past Depas-releases left out and the trusted workhorse a custom-made pitch black Roland TR-909 from 1983 responsible for doing the heavy lifting in the drum sections, "Euphoria" is a beat-heavy affair that draws its relentless drive and rhythmic richness from merging polyrhythmic patterns merged with streamlined melodies and nifty vocal samples such as the double entendre "quiero jugar una horas mas" (Engl. "I want to play one hour more") on the no-holds-barred hard trance number "Techno Appeal", and the riveting juxtaposition of mesmerizing female vocals and handclaps of roaring crowds in hypnotic "Inner Voices".

"These demoniac figures resemble human transformation and the idea of achieving euphoria through esotericism's Maike Depas

However, when it comes to Depas, there is always more to his music than merely being dead set on setting the dance floors on fire. The antler-wearing figures and witches" circles depicted in the artwork hint at Depas" invitation for the clubbers to let his music move them far beyond the physical world. "These demoniac figures resemble human transformation and the idea of achieving euphoria through esotericism's

Only 200 copies of black 180g vinyl was made.

"Macrodose" is an album recorded in the classic form of Producer & MC, (Antiquant and Prykson Fisk). JuNouMi Records (est. 2002) gives this hip-hop project the highest mark of quality. Real underground rap album including many guests such as Axel Holy and King Kashmere from UK.

Prykson writes about the album as follows: Macrodose is a lyrical "trip report" with a perfect musical accompaniment, a diary of a total life transformation inspired by the power of medicine contained in entheogens.

To emphasize the urban character of the project, we asked the well-known street artist TYBER to create the graphic design of the album, which is ultimately based on a dedicated mural painted in September in Gdańsk.

Mr. Aleksander aka Prykson Fisk aka Fred Flin100NER is 170 kg of live hip-hop. Beat-boxer, MC and DJ, associated with Hip-Hop culture since 2003. Prykson is an experienced psychonaut and owner of the KOMORA REC home studio. Creator and author of over 20 albums and mixtapes. His official debut K02M02 (2020) landed in the respectable 7th place of OLiS... Representative of the MOST BLUNTED team, KOLOKOS - one of the creators and founder of such projects as: Renegaci Funku, Hedora, Prykson Ifs and Dusty Vibez. He played beats in every genre, from dubstep, grime, drum and bass, through rap, to jazz and funk played live with a band. He has conducted countless workshops in the field of hip hop (beat-box, rap) throughout Poland... A fan of good food, underground music, multidimensional visual art and conspiracy theories. An experienced gourmand of life and a well-known local healer.

Antiquant - 24-year-old producer from Zielona Góra. He has collaborated with artists such as Ryfa Ri, Mada, Asthma, Mareceli Bober. With his beats, he tries to drown the listener in an ocean of cosmic sounds. The axis of its production is the artistic achievements of producers such as flying lotus, monte booker and j dilla. In his songs, he does not limit himself to one style, his beats are often a patchwork of various genres of music. In his productions you can hear boom bap drums, trap eight hundred eighth notes and jazz trumpets coexisting in the strangest musical ecosystems. Antiquant appreciates experiments, loves to push his boundaries, look for undiscovered sounds and use effects in ways they shouldn't be used.

2023 Repress

Only released in October 2006, Anders Trentemøller's stunning debut-album - The Last Resort' already evolved into one of the most successful independent albums of the year. Raving reviews all over the place, various elections as - album of the year' and solid playlists at the radios express the huge interest in the fantastic album. While 2006 has been topped of with a tour through Australia, the first Trentemøller highlight in 2007 will be the release of - Moan', the second single from the album. For the a-side Trentemøller himself created a brilliant remix of the - Moan'-Vocal Version, which has been released on the Bonus-CD of the limited edition album only. Trentemøller managed to keep the mystic melancholic vibe of the track featuring the vocals of danish talent Ane Trolle, but adds punshy drums, screaming synths and some more guitars to guarantee serious dancefloor-action. Radioslave aka Matt Edwards aka Rekid aka Quite Village, on of the most in demand remix artists at the moment (Moby, Booka Shade, Justice, Peace Division, Pet Shop Boys, Joakim etc) contributed a great remix on the flipside. Slowly building over reduced drumpatterns their mix culminates into a manic wall of sound. While Poker Flat 81 features the vocal versions of both Trentemøller's and Radioslve's remixes, the instrumental and dub versions will be released simultaneously

2023 Repress

Here after a long time the first EP release on Best Record containing new unreleased music. Afrodesia project born from a close collaboration between Periodica Records and Best Italy featuring Mystic Jungle & Whodamanny.
Afrodesia took inspiration from the italian afro-movement that lasted for few years during mid-eighties expecially from those songs produced at the legendary Les Folies Studios in Milan. Afrodesia sounds balearic boogie afro and cosmic with heavy use of original past synths and drum machines programmed and played by Dario Di Pace, Raffaele Arcella and real acoustic instruments thanks to the musicians : Giulio Neri (Tenor Saxophone and vocals), Andrea Farias (Guitar), Davide Di Sauro (Bass) and the late George Aghedo (Percussion).

• Following on from the highly successful first two editions
of Dance Masters featuring the classics mixes from
maestros Shep Pettibone and Arthur Baker the spotlight
turns to another remix legend, John Luongo.
• Boston born, John is one of the truly legendary DJ's and
remixers of the Disco era. John got his break at Epic by
overdubbing percussion from salt shakers and spoons
onto a promo and then passing them back the tape. This
resulted in him being flown to New York, and put in a
studio (of his choice) to mix and produce Melba Moore`s
“You Stepped Into My Life”. From this point everything he
touched was a hit. He went onto remix Disco classics by
Jackie Moore – “This Time Baby”, Dan Hartman “Vertigo
/ Relight My Fire” and Patti Labelle “Music Is My Way Of
Life”.

• John, however was not afraid of remixing artists that
didn’t fit into the disco genre and this attitude is borne out
by the tracklisting of this compilation on which Gladys
Knight and The Pips rub shoulders with ZZ Top and Billy
Idol, and Baltimora appears alongside Bill Nelson and ILevel.
• “…if you played this whole thing, just put it on and
didn’t tell anyone it was me, they’d say ‘boy, what a great
group of songs this is!’” - John Luongo
• The collection is housed in a beautiful lift-off-lid box, with
a 16 page booklet featuring foreword by Arthur Baker, an
in-depth essay written by Alexis Petridis (Rock and Pop
reviewer for The Guardian) and complete with rare photos
from John’s personal collection plus a limited signed insert.

• All tracks remastered by Nick Robbins at Sound
Mastering.
• A 43-track 4CD edition is also available, along with a 2LP
vinyl edition featuring 16 highlights.

Girlada edits are back with one of the hottest tracks of the year , Played by some of the biggest names in the business. With a super classy edit on the flip to finish things off ! 12" limited vinyl

Vecchio's Afro-Rock is one big horn-heavy, bass-blasting, Latin groove funk-rock party. Only now, you're all invited because this, ladies and gentleman, is officially...a grail no more. With copies currently starting at 400 Euros for an original, this beautifully presented reissue, part of Be With's fresh campaign with Music De Wolfe, is well overdue. A magnificent and somewhat obscure library set that's just a total, cohesive joy from start to finish, this here is the soundtrack to all your smokin' summer BBQs and communal cookouts.

Afro-Rock is the debut album by Argentine keyboardist Luis Vecchio. Recorded for the sound library label De Wolfe, the album is frequently mentioned in hushed reverence among the beat digger DJ collecting crowd. It features fiery brass charts, funky bass lines, fluttering flute, choppy organ and additional hand tribal percussion. The band let loose too and jam hard; yet there's a certain thread of solidity that runs throughout, the tracks just belong together, not disparate sound and rhythm experiments like some library records; this is just straight up, no messin', consistent funk-rock FIRE! Hips will sway, heads will nod to the steady vibes. It's insanely good.

The humid, building funk of the appropriately titled "Megaton" is a dramatic explosion of swirling, dazzling organ lines, ferocious beats and heavy horns throughout. It just don't stop. The tempo slows slightly for the deep and deeply addictive "Renegade". It's all heavy jazz horn refrains, always triumphant, coupled with devastating percussive breakdowns and killer guitar riffing. It's an insistent organ-led juggernaut. The frenetic "Facade", up next, is no less driving, horns high up in the mix over rattling percussion and brilliant organs lines. Just sensational. The bright "Chabati" is another glorious extension of the optimistic Vecchio sound, the organs wilder than ever before. The moody "Green Hell" is a real highlight and closes out the A-Side with some outrageously funky refrains - be it horns, organ or guitars - and is complimented by gorgeous flute work that galvanises the piece, elevating it to downright heavenly status.

Knowing full well that he's on to a surefire thing, Vecchio opens the flipside in much the same vein. Indeed, "Boss" is yet another uptempo highlight, a sensual orgy of proud horns, hand percussion and melodic flute playing over driving organ and guitars. It's followed by "Nsambei", which is rightly adored for its briefly open drum break, fantastically propulsive percussion breakdowns throughout and the jazzy, loose organ and guitar shreds. The bright "Waboco" ups the tempo and the pressure, hanging on one hell of a guitar hook and infectious horn refrain. Perhaps foreseeing how this album would come to be viewed, the aptly-titled "Cult" is possibly the finest song on the record. Which is saying something, because this record is insanely good. Riding a steady, confident organ groove straight out the gate, the kinda melancholic flute line over the top serves as a beautiful counterpoint which the horns often come in and imitate/riff off. Goddamn this is so so good, it needs to be played everywhere. The overwhelmingly mighty 7-minute jam "Ngoma-ku" rounds out this quite staggering record brilliantly in its heavy, mid-tempo blues with countless extended solos.

The audio for Afro Rock has been meticulously remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis, ensuring this release sounds better than ever. Cicely Balston's expert skills have made sure nothing is lost in the cut whilst the records have been pressed to the highest possible standard at Record Industry in Holland. The original, iconic sleeve has been restored here at Be With HQ as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

I can say that the album It's not too late has been created by chance.
Few years ago together with Lisa Gerrard we visited synagogue in a small town hundred kilometres from Cracow, Bobowa. When we entered the synagogue Lisa started to sing. It appeared that the place had spine-tingling acoustics. I said then to Lisa: " let's try to record something here".
The rule was simple: I prepared themes and we recorded live performance. Lisa heard what I was playing for the first time during the recording and she improvised. We recorded nine compositions in 45 minutes. It supposed to be a holiday joy.

Six years later I returned to the material we recorded and decided to finish it. What is left from the original recording is the voice of Lisa. I composed and recorded everything else in my studio. Dominik Wania played piano, Magdalena Pluta - cello and Jerzy G?owczewski- saxophone.
That's the way the album It's not too late came in to being.

We live in the most dangerous time since the Second World War.
Lisa Gerrard and I want to tell you about the world we share. Our weapon is music. It doesn't kill, it resurrects, and it brings hope to life.
It's not too late.

Zbigniew Preisner

"PRODUCER ZEV FELDMAN’S NEW IMPRINT, JAZZ DETECTIVE, LAUNCHES NEVER BEFORE RELEASED CAL TJADER LIVE SETS RECORDED IN THE 1960s AT THE PENTHOUSE JAZZ CLUB IN SEATTLE.
THIS IS THE FIRST OFFICIAL RELEASE OF PREVIOUSLY UNISSUED LIVE CAL TJADER MUSIC IN NEARLY 20 YEARS!
Transferred from the original tapes by Bernie Grundman, Cal Tjader: Catch The Groove – Live at the Penthouse 1963-1967 is presented as a 180-gram vinyl limited edition 3-LP SET and will also be available as a Deluxe 2-CD set and as a digital download.
Package includes reflections by producer Zev Feldman and jazz writer Greg Casseus, as well as interviews with Poncho Sánchez, Eddie Palmieri, Joe Locke, Gary Burton, Carl Burnett, and Brent Fischer, and a statement by Tjader’s son and daughter Rob and Liz Tjader. The extensive booklet contains previously unpublished photos by Ray Avery and Fred Seligo.
All of the performances heard on this set are previously unreleased. Legendary vibraphone player Tjader is heard with a variety of quintets, backed by pianists Clare Fischer, Lonnie Hewitt and Al Zulaica, bassists Fred Schreiber, Terry Hilliard, Monk Montgomery and Stan Gilbert, drummers Johnny Rae and Carl Burnett, and percussionists Bill Fitch and Armando Peraza.
Taking its name from Feldman’s handle “the Jazz Detective” and reflecting his determined work unearthing hitherto unheard, award-winning treasures, the Jazz Detective label is an imprint of Deep Digs Music Group, a partnership with Spain’s Elemental Music, with which Feldman has enjoyed a long professional relationship."

"Recorded and released in The
Netherlands by Gerry Teekens for
his Criss Cross label in 1985, Chet’s
Choice marked one of the best studio
albums from Chet Baker’s final years. It
presents Baker, beautifully captured in
Stereo, singing and playing the trumpet
in an intimate trio format with guitarist
Philip Catherine and bassist Jean-Louis
Rassinfosse. This expanded edition
presents the full seven tunes from the
original album plus three songs that
only previously appeared on the CD
edition of Chet’s Choice, as well as five
amazing never before heard alternate
takes.
180-GRAM VIRGIN VINYL – THE
COMPLETE ALBUM + 8 BONUS
TRACKS, AMONG THEM 5 PREVIOUSLY
UNISSUED ALTERNATE TAKES –
2-LP SPECIAL GATEFOLD EDITION"

Out Of The Blue is the debut studio album by Debbie Gibson and was released on August 18, 1987. The album received favorable reviews from music critics and sold more than five million copies worldwide.

Gibson wrote all ten songs on this album at the age of 16 going on 17, Gibson’s youthful exuberance and energy shine through infectiously on this album. No less than five tracks of this album hit the Top 40: “Only in My Dreams,” “Shake Your Love,” “Out of the Blue,” “Foolish Beat” and “Staying Together”.

This album stands out from the competition due to Gibson’s talent as a singer, musician, pop songwriter, arranger, and even producer.

Following on from the psychoacoustic concrète of Outside Ludlow / Desert Disco LP (BT075), Sam Dunscombe returns to Black Truffle with Two Forests / Oceanic. Dunscombe has been active in recent years on multiple fronts, including as a key member of the Berlin community of Just Intonation researchers and practitioners; working with composers like Taku Sugimoto, Mary Jane Leach, and Anthony Pateras; and the release of Horatiu Radulescu - Plasmatic Music vol. 1 (the result of many years performance research into the thought and music of this seminal Romanian spectralist). In parallel with these activities, Dunscombe has been deeply involved in research on the role of music in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, prompting these two side long pieces, composed using field recordings and digital synthesis. As Dunscombe explains in the accompanying liner notes, music plays a key role in psychedelic-assisted therapy, yet it is often restricted to stock forms of New Age, ambient and electronica. Taking seriously the potential for spatio-environmental sonic experiences to add to the therapeutic process, these two pieces are intended to suggest how ‘a music-as-environment approach may help to add options to the therapist’s toolbox’. ‘Two Forests’ begins in a central Californian sequoia grove. Bird songs and buzzing insect life are treated with a variety of time-based processing methods (slicing and recombination, primitive granular synthesis, delay, and so on), which strip the field recordings of their linear, documentary character, reframing them in an enchanted web of traces and echoes. Analysing the pitches found in the original recordings, Dunscombe used them to generate a large Just Intonation pitch set. These tones are woven slowly into the field recordings, gradually building in density and complexity until the forest has been transformed into an unreal space of infinite proportions. Emerging from this cosmic expanse in the final minutes of the piece, we find ourselves in the Amazon rainforest outside Manaus, Brazil. As Dunscombe writes, the piece creates ‘a sense of place-gone-strange, of space and time simultaneously expanding and contracting across octaves, miles, and minutes’. On ‘Oceanic’, several recordings of different beaches fade in and out to create a texture both homogenous and constantly shifting in both the rhythm of the waves and each recording's sense of depth and distance. Tones relating in simple ratios to the average rhythm of each beach float over each other, colouring the white noise texture of the field recordings with shifting hues. In both pieces, Dunscombe forgoes the easy consonance that bogs down much contemporary ambient music for a richer harmonic array informed by extended tuning practices and spectralism. The end results suggest a hitherto undreamt-of meeting of Radulescu’s undulating sonic masses and the discreetly processed location recordings of Irv Teibel’s ‘psychologically ultimate’ Environments. Looking beyond the insularity that can afflict experimental music culture, Dunscombe’s work is a moving argument for the healing power of expanded approaches to sound and music. Even outside of a psychedelics-assisted therapy, frequent immersion in Two Forests / Oceanic is almost guaranteed to produce beneficial psychological results.

„ The dissonance, the discord, is the tongue in the cheek of Ralf Schauff's music. Be it that the transverse flute, always underestimated as an instrument of torture, is used or slow synthesizer automations shift the tonality in an agonizingly and unnecessarily cruel way. Without this intention to challenge the listener, the music would have been there before. There are the soundscapes of NEU!, Harmonia or Cluster, the modality of Can, Afrobeat and all kinds of electronics, but also the impression of „Weltmusik" associated with folkloric instruments like the didgeridoo or the recorder. But it's none of these things. It only reminds us of them. And it reminds us listeners that music is also produced. The meta level comes into play and gets in the way of consumption. This is much more amusing, surprising and enriching than the mere description suggests. This is a must hear. It's just insanely fun. " Frank Spilker (Die Sterne)
„ Die Dissonanz, der Missklang, ist die Zunge in der Backe der Musik von Ralf Schauff. Sei es, dass die als Folterinstrument immer wieder unterschätzte Querflöte zum Einsatz kommt oder langsame Synthesizer Automationen die Tonalität qualvoll und unnötig grausam verschieben. Ohne diese Absicht den Hörer herauszufordern wäre die Musik schon mal da gewesen. Da wären die Klanglandschaften von NEU!, Harmonia oder Cluster, die Modalität von Can, Afrobeat und aller möglichen Spielarten von Elektronik, aber auch die mit folkloristischen Instrumenten wie dem Didgeridoo oder eben der Flöte verknüpfte Anmutung von „Weltmusik.“ Das alles ist es aber nicht. Es erinnert nur daran. Außerdem erinnert es uns Hörer daran, dass Musik ja auch hergestellt wird. Die Meta Ebene kommt ins Spiel und stellt sich dem Konsum in den Weg. Das alles ist viel Amüsanter, Überraschender und Bereichernder, als die bloße Beschreibung vermuten lässt. Das muss man gehört haben. Es macht einfach wahnsinnig viel Spass. " Frank Spilker (Die Sterne)
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mule musiq welcomes british producer jimmy wallace, presenting his debut album “red, yellow, black” - a nine track strong record that partly leaves the dancefloor behind.

since childhood, music has been a strong influence on the 33-year-old artist. his mother, a music teacher, exposed him to classical sounds from an early age.

but it was hearing the electronic tones of the french touch movement, which really ignited his mu-sical journey. a year later he started to dj, acting out his love for four-to-the-floor grooves in local clubs. today you'll find him on the bill with artists like ruf dug, mr scruff, or bradley zero, heating up the dance floors.

as a producer he has already released a handful of stunning eps, including one for sweden’s finest house label studio barnhus, and one for london’s revered rhythm section international imprint.

both feature house tunes with an edge, house tunes with a love for the roots of the genre along-side more reflective, ambient moments. he also runs the label tartan records, where he publishes dancefloor focused white labels.

his music has been championed by titans of the scene such as palms trax, ryan elliott, dj tennis, gilles peterson, dixon, and hunee. axel boman even coined his debut ep as “one of the very best demo emails ever received at label studio barhnus hq”.

an advance praise, that wallace now acknowledges with an album full of deeply crafted music. some tracks lean towards the dancefloor, like the swung sounds of “bubbles”, the hypnotic mael-strom of “good morning”, or the epic, jazzy moments of “labyrinth”.

the theme of nature is evident throughout, with field recordings and environmental sounds he rec-orded on the road, being fused with his own musical ideas.

tracks like “waterfall” and “tokyo street”, draw influence on time spent in asia, whereas "dhq", "by the river", and "by the lake" are inspired by his childhood and hometown in the shropshire country-side. “i’ve been writing ambient and more nature focused material for a few years now without really having a plan for it.

finally, this year after writing the tune “labyrinth” i felt i had a body of work which was both diverse and cohesive enough to bring together on a record. so, the album represents moments of time i have spent in various outdoor spaces around the world, using sound to try and turn these experi-ences into musical format.” wallace discloses.

the result is a mesmerizing long player featuring an evocative, emotional story arc that avoids ste-reotypes and straight party orientated narration. “having written plenty of club music for the past few years, i wanted to show a different side to my sound.

something more intimate, private, experimental which can be listened to away from the party.” he reveals on the meditative, blissful “red, yellow, black” - an album, which has the power to transport listeners to places and spaces new – for inspiration, relaxation, and dancefloor moments off the beaten path

LTD MARBLED YELLOW-OXBLOOD LP

16 Jahre nach dem letzten Studioalbum kommt das neue Album von LOIKAEMIE mit Namen "Menschen"! "Anschnallen! Unglaublich, aber wahr! Verdammte Axt!" Die Worte von Sachsens größtem Punkfestival hätten keinen Funken kleiner sein dürfen. Mit ihrem Überraschungs-Headliner verkündete das Back To Future 2019: LOIKAMIE ist wieder da! Innerhalb von fünf Jahren ging so gleich zweimal ein Ruck durch die europäische Oi!- und (Street-)Punk-Szene: Schwer die Emotionen beim Abschied 2014, umso größer die Euphorie beim Live-Comeback! Und noch größer angesichts 12 neuer Songs! Seit 2019 ist LOIKAEMIE wieder eine feste Größe, weit oben in den Lineups der Festivals und den Clubs, und das weit über Deutschland hinaus. Thomas, Eddie, Paul und Bruno konnten live nicht nur nahtlos anknüpfen, sondern eine Stufe emporsteigen, auf den Konzerten trifft sich Jung und Alt in seiner ganzen subkulturellen Vielfalt, LOIKAEMIE ist eine Band, auf die sich - im besten Sinne - alle einigen können. Auch die Kreativität ist wieder erwacht: 2022 erschienen mit "Lumpenmann" und "Tief im Herzen" die ersten neuen Songs seit 2007 (digital und als limitierte 7"-Single), dazu gesellen sich bisher "Was Soll Die Ganze Scheisse?" und "Lasst Uns rein", alles Vorboten des nun erscheinenden fünften Studioalbums "Menschen" und schon auf einer Menge Playlists zuhause. Kein Wunder, dass nach 16 Jahren die Erwartungen riesig sind, bei den Fans wie der Band selbst. Und ,Menschen" ist nicht weniger als ein Manifest dessen, wie Punkrock im Jahr 2023 klingen muss: Rotzig und melodisch, kompromisslos und reflektiert, politisch und gut gelaunt. Alle zwölf Ohrenfräsen atmen den unverkennbaren LOIKAEMIE-Spirit und doch ist ,Menschen" ein Riesenschritt nach vorn. Schon der überaus modern klingende Opener ,Wenn wir alle so wären" fegt alles weg, was derzeit belanglos auf Allgemeinplätzen durch den Punk pogt, vom anschließenden hymnischen Titeltrack bis zur abschließenden Selbsteinladung ,Lasst und rein" bleibt die Energie ganz oben, gleichzeitig ist das Album vielschichtig wie nie zuvor in der Bandgeschichte. Zu Streetpunk- und Rock'n'Roll-Brettern gesellt sich Reggea, Sprechgesang, Ballade und Melodien, die sich auch im Pop nicht verstecken müssten. Statt markiger Statements erzählen die Texte pointierte Geschichten, teilen durchdachte Gedanken zu aktuellen Miseren in der Welt, der Szene oder im eigenen Kopf. Aber es gibt auch keine Scheu vorm hymnischen Refrain, den fortan volle Konzertsäle gemeinsam intonieren können. Oi!, was sind das knallende Hits! Im Klappcover mit bedruckter Innenhülle, hier auf klassisch schwarzem Vinyl!

LTD MARBLED YELLOW-OXBLOOD LP

16 Jahre nach dem letzten Studioalbum kommt das neue Album von LOIKAEMIE mit Namen "Menschen"! "Anschnallen! Unglaublich, aber wahr! Verdammte Axt!" Die Worte von Sachsens größtem Punkfestival hätten keinen Funken kleiner sein dürfen. Mit ihrem Überraschungs-Headliner verkündete das Back To Future 2019: LOIKAMIE ist wieder da! Innerhalb von fünf Jahren ging so gleich zweimal ein Ruck durch die europäische Oi!- und (Street-)Punk-Szene: Schwer die Emotionen beim Abschied 2014, umso größer die Euphorie beim Live-Comeback! Und noch größer angesichts 12 neuer Songs! Seit 2019 ist LOIKAEMIE wieder eine feste Größe, weit oben in den Lineups der Festivals und den Clubs, und das weit über Deutschland hinaus. Thomas, Eddie, Paul und Bruno konnten live nicht nur nahtlos anknüpfen, sondern eine Stufe emporsteigen, auf den Konzerten trifft sich Jung und Alt in seiner ganzen subkulturellen Vielfalt, LOIKAEMIE ist eine Band, auf die sich - im besten Sinne - alle einigen können. Auch die Kreativität ist wieder erwacht: 2022 erschienen mit "Lumpenmann" und "Tief im Herzen" die ersten neuen Songs seit 2007 (digital und als limitierte 7"-Single), dazu gesellen sich bisher "Was Soll Die Ganze Scheisse?" und "Lasst Uns rein", alles Vorboten des nun erscheinenden fünften Studioalbums "Menschen" und schon auf einer Menge Playlists zuhause. Kein Wunder, dass nach 16 Jahren die Erwartungen riesig sind, bei den Fans wie der Band selbst. Und ,Menschen" ist nicht weniger als ein Manifest dessen, wie Punkrock im Jahr 2023 klingen muss: Rotzig und melodisch, kompromisslos und reflektiert, politisch und gut gelaunt. Alle zwölf Ohrenfräsen atmen den unverkennbaren LOIKAEMIE-Spirit und doch ist ,Menschen" ein Riesenschritt nach vorn. Schon der überaus modern klingende Opener ,Wenn wir alle so wären" fegt alles weg, was derzeit belanglos auf Allgemeinplätzen durch den Punk pogt, vom anschließenden hymnischen Titeltrack bis zur abschließenden Selbsteinladung ,Lasst und rein" bleibt die Energie ganz oben, gleichzeitig ist das Album vielschichtig wie nie zuvor in der Bandgeschichte. Zu Streetpunk- und Rock'n'Roll-Brettern gesellt sich Reggea, Sprechgesang, Ballade und Melodien, die sich auch im Pop nicht verstecken müssten. Statt markiger Statements erzählen die Texte pointierte Geschichten, teilen durchdachte Gedanken zu aktuellen Miseren in der Welt, der Szene oder im eigenen Kopf. Aber es gibt auch keine Scheu vorm hymnischen Refrain, den fortan volle Konzertsäle gemeinsam intonieren können. Oi!, was sind das knallende Hits! Im Klappcover mit bedruckter Innenhülle, hier auf klassisch schwarzem Vinyl!

On their debut EP, Sam De Nef and Camille Camille delve into some of their most personal and introspective songwriting yet. These songs showcase their individual talents but also highlight the powerful synergy that arises when two gifted artists and unique vocalists join forces to create something truly special.

Sam and Camille are two unique and talented artists hailing from Belgium who share a gift for writing compelling contemporary folk and singer-songwriter songs. They both released acclaimed debut albums in recent years and have been crossing paths on numerous occasions. Camille appeared in duets on Sam's debut EP and his first album, Sam featured in Camille's live band, each time expressing a profound musical chemistry.
This collab EP seemed the logical next step, uniting their talents to craft an EP embodying heartfelt, warm, and uncomplicated songs.

"In the collaborative journey of crafting the songs on Waving, our different creative approaches brought about a unique synergy. We feel the result transcends our individual styles. Each song resonates with our individual aspirations, which makes playing them very refreshing and challenging."

Stripped to their core, these compositions on their debut EP are defined by the gentle interplay of acoustic guitars and harmonious vocals. Only subtle percussion and the occasional cello add subtle layers to the sonic tapestry. The two recorded the six songs on their debut EP by themselves in the intimate atmosphere of Sam's home studio, opting for a DIY and back-to-basics approach. Their primary focus was on capturing spontaneity and the essence of live performance. Musical sparring partner PJ Decraene added the final touches and mixed the EP.

Der wahre Blues ist lange keine Neuigkeit mehr. Hier finden sich nun 16 elektrifizierte Post-War Kracher, aufgenommen zwischen Chicago und New Orleans, die oft nur ein kurzes Leben als 7"-Single fristeten und heute begehrte Sammlerobjekte sind. Diese Musik wurde in verschwitzten Clubs und bei House Rent Parties der 50er und frühen 60er Jahre gespielt bzw. aufgelegt. Und noch heute kann man exzellent dazu tanzen, denn alle Tunes sind schnell, rauh und dafür gemacht, die Meute in Bewegung zu bringen. Volle fünf Sterne für die fünfte Veröffentlichung der Rockinitis-Reihe! Diese Zusammenstellungen zeigen die rauen und wilden Klänge des rockigen Electric Blues aus den 1950er und frühen 1960er Jahren. Auf der A-Seite ist R-Man, Chef des Stag-O-Lee-Labels, mit weiteren acht Dirty-Blues-Dancetracks zurück, zu denen die Tailfeather zwingend geshaket werden muss. Jeweils zwei Tunes von Killerlabels wie Excello, Groove, Herald und Chess/Checker. In diversen Clubs auf Tauglichkeit getestet. Die Rückseite bestreitet Donna Driscoll, langjährige Kennerin und Sammlerin zwischen Northern Soul und R&B aus London. Donna legt regelmäßig in Blues- und Soul-Clubs sowie bei Mod-Events im Vereinigten Königreich und im Ausland auf. Egal in welcher Stimmung man ist, ihre Auswahl wird jeden in Bewegung und zum Grooven bringen. Hear me now!

Atack’s founder member and lead guitarist Keith Atack has a long pedigree in the rock music scene. He grew up during the sixties and was influenced from an early age by bands like The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Yardbirds and then on to Jimmy Page and Ritchie Blackmore. He has also toured with many pop acts like Bonnie Tyler, Rick Astley and many others. He has a rock / funk / soul style as well as a jazz and blues influence. He is joined by band members that also have strong roots in the rock scene such as Bob Richards on drums who has rubbed shoulders with members of bands like Iron Maiden, Survivor, Asia and Shy. Bassist Chris Childs is well respected and is the bass player with UK stalwarts “Thunder/ Lonerider/Tyketto”, he is an ideal addition to the line-up along with seasoned vocalist Lee Small (Shy/Phenomena/Lionheart and many more). Finishing off the quintet is Nick Foley whose keyboard prowess is ever present throughout the album. The sound of the Hammond for which he is known gives the whole album a feel of Deep Purple and Rainbow with a true classic British Rock sound. “Nine Lives” is an exciting addition to the escape music roster and available in limited edition vinyl and CD formats, something very much to look forward to.

Smile your way through two songs by The Teacher Haters — in fact, we challenge you to get through these tracks without smiling. Even the name of the band invokes a chuckle as it suggests what these guys are about — and that’s the P-A-R-T-Y. Straight out of the 60s comes a group that could have been played with Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs back in the day. These whimsical works are deceptively deep as they take us to a time when garage punk fused with R&B.

Big Pig Alley is uncomplicated, and that’s what makes it great — it sounds like a bunch of college guys having a good time, writing lyrics on the spot: “If you’re lookin’ for romance, take a train, take a plane...or a raft to France.” The guys have something other than romance on their minds as they chug along on acoustic guitar and trash can drums (and possibly other things). What really makes the track, though, is the witchy background voice — the performance is loose enough, while the witch is doing his own thing entirely.

The witch returns on side B in the up-tempo, dance-ready Cut Loose. No obscure artistry here — these guys tell you exactly what the song is for in the title. In fact, just in case you missed it, they state their thesis in the opening lines: “I wanna shake all night, I wanna do it right, I wanna dance, dance, dance with you…” All of their collegiate effort is put toward getting you to move your hips in this groovy, rockabilly-flavored mix.

Snap up the mid-century college party in a box that is PP006 — and hope your tables don’t get too scuffed up from people dancing on them. The fun that The Teacher Haters had in making these tracks is all here and available to you — whether you want to go on a nostalgic trip through a 60s coed party, or host your own shindig where dancing is mandatory. Get your hands on this disc before the regents show up.

Mount Maxwell returns with another full-length journey into memory, melody, and geography - this time roaming beyond the BC environs of his previous records into a stranger, less knowable country. While still woozily nostalgic in the vein of Only Children and The People’s Forest, this outing feels more exploratory and wide ranging in scope, with a denser mixture of influences at play. The somnambulistic drift of Sea of Milk sets the stage with a series of wavering synth pulses that push us languidly toward land, eventually setting us down on the sands of Maze Crete, where a shadowy latticework of hand drums, flutes and synths await. From there we ascend to the aptly named Sky Eye, a rolling mixture of acoustic beats and analog string machines that gives us our first bird’s eye view of the album’s landscape. A Long Road pushes the acoustic instrumentation further, with shimmering tambourine marking time for a collection of hand drums and shakers, while Ages summons up an occult-like dream of glacial arpeggios and whispering synths. Slow Moves and Tree Motion float effortlessly along on beds of lazy congas and woodblocks before finally giving way to the title track - a heady juggernaut of distorted synths and trundling rhythms that propels us through the album’s second half like a locomotive through darkening hills. Drawing the record to a close, the gently repeating keyboard phrase of Mist blooms unexpectedly into a rainbow of human voices before evaporating into the oceanic swells of Hi Traveller. And there Littlefolk leaves us as it found us; adrift in a rolling sea.

Tenor saxophonist Ben Webster (born Kansas City, 1909) needs little introduction, Webster is regarded as one of the three foremost swing era tenor saxophonists - the two others being Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. His ballad playing and sound inspired such later fellow saxophonists as Archie Shepp, Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. Webster became famous for his unique sound, quick tempos, his solos that contained great virile rhythmic momentum, a rasping timbre and an almost brutal aggressiveness filled with growl, while his ballad playing was breathy, tender and sensual. The list of his collaborations is long, Ben Webster worked, recorded and played with legends from the likes of Art Tatum, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Roy Eldridge and Dexter Gordon_but a dream came true when he was offered a permanent job in Duke Ellington's orchestra where his personal style matured. Webster stayed with Ellington until 1943, after which he formed his own groups and played with other small ensembles. From 1952 on he spent his time between Los Angeles and New York playing, freelancing and recording with a variety of soloists, among them high-profile singers like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae and Frank Sinatra. Despite excellent reviews of his albums, it was difficult for Webster to find steady work in the US during the early 1960's, and when in 1964 he got offered to play for a month in London he accepted and sailed to England. Webster never returned to the United States. In Europe he found plenty of work, playing residences in Scandinavia, settled in Amsterdam (1966-69) and then in Copenhagen (where he even has a street named after him). He toured frequently, playing in clubs and at big festivals with local bands or with visiting American musicians. Ben Webster suffered a stroke in Amsterdam in September 1973 following a performance in Leiden and died on September 20. Even when his health started to decline during his last years, his playing never did. To the last day Webster played with passion and intensity, delivering weight on every note. Webster is the subject of two renowned documentaries and two extensive biographies have been published about his legacy. Responsible for a plethora of excellent recordings he remains THE best-selling tenor saxophonist in jazz. Ben Webster was one of those unique jazz musicians whose presence came through on every recording (He recorded for prestigious labels including Verve, Impulse!, Prestige, Reprise, Blue Note_and countless others. On the album we are proudly presenting you today (Wayfaring Stranger recorded in 1970 by the NPS Radio network in The Netherlands) you will find mind-blowing high-quality Dutch sessions that were left dormant on a shelf and weren't commercially released for over 30 years! On 'Wayfaring Stranger' the listener is treated to no less than nine sublime tracks that document Webster's trademark relaxed-swinging but imaginative playing style that never gets boring. The album features an all-star line-up from the likes of Rob Langereis (Toots Thielemans), John Engels (Chet Baker, Dizzy Gillespie) and Cees Slinger (Dexter Gordon, Slide Hampton). Expect a 61-year-old Ben Webster in excellent form giving a warm, dusky, gritty yet funky performance where he delivers everything from up-tempo material, 12-bar blues jams to soulful expressive ballads. Webster's quartet is in constant musical dialog with each other, creating a unique back and forth between musicians at the top of their game. Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the FIRST EVER vinyl release of this fantastic album (originally released as a limited Compact Disc edition back in 2000). This unique record comes as a deluxe 180g DOUBLE vinyl edition (strictly limited to 1000 copies) with obi strip.

'Elephantasia' is a glorious folk opus from 1972, long lost and attaining a legendary reputation for its candour and creativity, from the late Bangor-born singer/songwriter Dave Evans. Finally, the LP sees the light of day again via Earth Recordings, it is a true gem from the vaults of British folk history. For fans of Nick Drake, Bill Fay and Davy Graham - with a touch of Michael Chapman, Bert Jansch and Fahey for good measure. Dave Evans' story is like a Pinter play; he sailed the seas in the merchant navy, was taught guitar in a brief interlude by the "mythical" Morocco John, wound up sharing a room with Steve Tilston in 1963 when they attended Loughborough Art College and ran the local folk club, while learning to make stringed instruments, the art of wine making and ceramics. Over the next year, Dave got a domestic 2-track reel-to-reel tape recorder and experimented with its two speeds to produce the tracks 'Elephantasia' and 'Lady Portia'. He pulled in members of local prog band Squidd, including latter day Hawkwind member Steve Swindells on keyboards, John Merritt on bass and Rodney Matthews on drums, who also designed the 'Elephantasia' album cover, and went on to become a renowned fantasy artist. 'Elephantasia' the album was originally released in 1972, fully exposing Dave's finger picking style, lilting vocal and his dalliance with the tape manipulation. It sold around 2000 copies and over the years became a talked about rarity, deemed too progressive for folk, too folk for the new prog heads. In best plot-thickening style, Dave tried two more releases and then disappeared. The scant sleeve notes recounted the songs' creation, featuring tales of experimentation in sound inspired by elephants, old memories recounted with all of the unpleasant bits edited out, storylines for escapists, the residents of St Agnes Park, broken beauty queens and a fat feline. It's an eclectic but beautifully fluent narrative from a finger picking maestro with a warm and engaging vocal style that wowed Peel and Whispering Bob back in the day. Dave Evans sadly died in April 2021. Earth Recordings is proud to reissue 'Elephantasia' for the first time in over 50 years, in collaboration with his estate and original Village Thing producer Ian A. Anderson. "Cult status guaranteed." Uncut. Classic Black Vinyl, DL card. CD Digisleeve.

Bob Balch here. In November of 2022 I went out to Joshua Tree for a day of jamming with the guys in Yawning Man with the intention of calling it "Yawning Balch." No riffs were planned. We just plugged in and played. The only discussion beforehand was that Gary Arce and I wanted to mess with tons of guitar pedals. I knew that while we were jamming it sounded great, but it wasn't until I got home and listened to it all that I realized we had something special. It's hard to believe that we jammed for five hours and got two full length LPs and then some out of it. Every player killed it on these recordings and I'm beyond grateful to have my name involved with this legendary band. Fingers crossed they invite me back out annually for more jam sessions. I hope you enjoy these jams and please use responsibly.

Bob Balch here. In November of 2022 I went out to Joshua Tree for a day of jamming with the guys in Yawning Man with the intention of calling it "Yawning Balch." No riffs were planned. We just plugged in and played. The only discussion beforehand was that Gary Arce and I wanted to mess with tons of guitar pedals. I knew that while we were jamming it sounded great, but it wasn't until I got home and listened to it all that I realized we had something special. It's hard to believe that we jammed for five hours and got two full length LPs and then some out of it. Every player killed it on these recordings and I'm beyond grateful to have my name involved with this legendary band. Fingers crossed they invite me back out annually for more jam sessions. I hope you enjoy these jams and please use responsibly.

2LP with poster + iron-on print, gatefold sleeve. On their 2015 self titled debut EP, Hällas lay the foundation of the saga bearing the same name as the protagonist crusader as well as the band themselves, which later grew into a trilogy composed of the two last songs on the aforementioned EP and the two following albums Excerpts from a Future Past and Conundrum. To celebrate the completion of the trilogy the band decided to do a one-off show in front of a seated audience at Cirkus, a classic venue in Stockholm. Due to worldwide restrictions the show had to be replanned and postponed several times until it finally happened on April 10th 2022. After more than two years on hiatus and with the exception of a minor festival gig the year before, this was the band's first performance during that whole period, and it was by far the longest set to date in the band's entire career. All first three releases of the band were to be performed from back to back divided into two acts. Act I consisted of Hällas and Excerpts from a Future Past while Conundrum and two songs from their newly released album Isle of Wisdom were performed in Act II. For the first time people were able to experience these new songs live. Some of the older songs such as Insomnia and Tale of a Tyrant had not been performed for several years. Strider and Blinded by the Emerald Mist had never even been played live before. So Hällas fans from all over the world attending the show were in for an unforgettable evening. With this record you get a slice of that pie in the comfort of your own living room. So please have a seat and enjoy this time capsule, as it is a very good representation of how this band sounded live back then.

2LP with poster + iron-on print, gatefold sleeve. On their 2015 self titled debut EP, Hällas lay the foundation of the saga bearing the same name as the protagonist crusader as well as the band themselves, which later grew into a trilogy composed of the two last songs on the aforementioned EP and the two following albums Excerpts from a Future Past and Conundrum. To celebrate the completion of the trilogy the band decided to do a one-off show in front of a seated audience at Cirkus, a classic venue in Stockholm. Due to worldwide restrictions the show had to be replanned and postponed several times until it finally happened on April 10th 2022. After more than two years on hiatus and with the exception of a minor festival gig the year before, this was the band's first performance during that whole period, and it was by far the longest set to date in the band's entire career. All first three releases of the band were to be performed from back to back divided into two acts. Act I consisted of Hällas and Excerpts from a Future Past while Conundrum and two songs from their newly released album Isle of Wisdom were performed in Act II. For the first time people were able to experience these new songs live. Some of the older songs such as Insomnia and Tale of a Tyrant had not been performed for several years. Strider and Blinded by the Emerald Mist had never even been played live before. So Hällas fans from all over the world attending the show were in for an unforgettable evening. With this record you get a slice of that pie in the comfort of your own living room. So please have a seat and enjoy this time capsule, as it is a very good representation of how this band sounded live back then.

Columbarium are a Belgian (the village of Zwevegem) heavy doom metal band, formed in 2021 but comprised of seasoned members from the regional doom scene over the last ten years.

Having played about a hundred gigs in a former incarnation (as Loose License) in Belgium, The Netherlands and France with bands like The Gates Of Slumber, Nekromant, Marche Funebre, Serpent Venom, FAAL, Famyne and King Hiss, they have built a serious reputation as a live act in the last decade.

The addition of an extra guitar / keyboard player some years ago (Koen Biesbrouck, formerly also from the avantgarde / instrumental rock band Locus Control) has taken the music to another horizon and that newfound sound was the cradle for the band’s rebirth, which led to renaming the band Columbarium.

The four guys found that sound with Belgian producer Lander Cluyse from Hearse Studio (Amenra and Aborted) and with Brad Boatright from AudioSiege Mastering Studio (Portland - Monolord and Pig
Destroyer).

Featuring guest vocals from Michelle Nocon (Bathseba / Serpentcult / Of Blood And Mercury).

The LP is pressed on green vinyl.

For fans of Paradise Lost, Winter, Tiamat, Swallow The Sun, My Dying Bride, Opeth, Celtic Frost, Anathema, Cemetary, Katatonia, Autopsy, Candlemass.

Deer Tick’s debut album, ‘War Elephant’, is back (even though it never went anywhere). It is the same stellar album released in 2007 and then reissued by Partisan in 2008. This version of the album finds us returning to the original 2007 illustrated cover. This cover will become the new standard version of the album across all formats. The music and track listing remains the same.

John McCauley III wrote, arranged, played, and recorded the album at the tender age of 21. The album is full of songs wiser and more nuanced than John should have been able to produce according to natural law. The words are deliberate and heartfelt and follow the lead of singer / songwriter heroes of John’s like Townes van Zandt, Neil Young and Richie Valens.

The album concludes with a cover of the 1962 GRAMMY-winning Song Of The Year, ‘What Kind of Fool Am I’, made famous by Sammy Davis, Jr.

It can safely be said that this debut album is a genre defying classic; it’s a hook filled bar room rock album that is as connected to 90’s Seattle catchy gloom as it is to left-of-the-dial late 80’s Minneapolis and 70’s Austin honky tonk.

140g Heavy Metal Grey (gun metal grey) coloured double LP with an etching on side D, housed in a single sleeve jacket with printed insert.

Original release press included reviews from Pitchfork and The Line of Best Fit plus support from Billboard, Brooklyn Vegan, All Music and American Songwriter.

Heavenly Cream 'An Acoustic Tribute To Cream' features Ginger Baker, Cream lyricist the late Pete Brown, Free front man Paul Rodgers, Bernie Marsden, Joe Bonamassa, Bobby Rush, Malcolm Bruce (son of Jack Bruce), Debra Bonham, Maggie Bell and others.

For a band that only existed for two and a half years, the influence and fame of Cream seems to have only grown and grown over the decades.

One of the highlights of this project was the participation of Cream's original drummer Ginger Baker. It turned out, sadly, that these were the last recording sessions he ever did.

Another big plus was getting the great Bobby Rush. The 85 year old blues/ funk master verve and energy is spectacular.

Joe Bonamassa didn't quite realize that we were all- acoustic, but plugged in for his slide work on "Sunshine" to great effect.

The powerful vocals of Deborah Bonham gracefully shook the walls of Abbey Road studios when she came in to lay down a couple of tracks. Her husband Peter Bullick also added to the mix, displaying his guitar finesse with great ease.

Maggie Bell's performances were a welcome reminder that she is still one of the greatest British blues/ soul artists of our time. And multi- instrumentalist and singer Malcolm Bruce, who played on every track, did some magical work that his late father Jack would surely have been very proud of.

If that wasn't enough, the phenomenal voice of Paul Rodgers puts the sweetest icing on this fine collection of tracks with his unmistakable presence.

In 2006 Cream won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys. Features Joe Bonamassa 3 times Grammy Nominee, Bobby Rush 2 time Grammy Winner, Son Of Jack Bruce, Malcolm Bruce, plays on every track.

Produced by Rob Cass, also producer of Silver Rails, Jack Bruce's final album.

Fully remastered edition of the classic rarities collection from The Obsessed, plus new tracks and new liner notes! A historic document of the stoner/doom godfather's original and best-known band. This new version is Black.Blues Swirl Vinyl! 2020 is the 40th anniversary of the formation of The Obsessed, one of the preeminent bands in the worldwide stoner/doom scene. Led by Scott "Wino" Weinrich, a heavy music lifer admired and acclaimed by the likes of Dave Grohl, Pepper Keenan, Henry Rollins and Phil Anselmo, The Obsessed has been releasing milestone albums for decades on labels like Hellhound, Columbia and Relapse, with Wino himself playing and performing with members of Sleep, Neurosis, Foo Fighters, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and more. Since their earliest days, The Obsessed accumulated dozens of demos, b-sides, covers and alternate recordings, many of which were issued in various limited releases and an early-2000s collection called Incarnate. Long out of print, Blues Funeral Recordings' new ultimate edition of The Obsessed 'Incarnate' is completely remastered, features the addition of 4 new tracks, and is packaged with all new artwork, photos, and extensive new liner notes with Wino himself telling stories behind each long-lost gem. Fully remastered, new tracks, new artwork, new photos, new liner notes! Press Quotes: 'The career of Wino is a rich and fabled one, and his tentacles of influence weave throughout the arenas of rock, punk and metal.' _Alternative Press 'Wino, what a fucking guitar player, and one of my favorite singers, nothing to prove, just soul-felt vocals.' _Phil Anselmo (Down, Pantera) 'Wino's music has always been so serious, that's the only thing he knows, and he's gonna do it whether or not he makes a million dollars or ten bucks... he means it.' _Pepper Keenan (Corrosion of Conformity) 2020 is the 40th anniversary of the formation of The Obsessed, one of the preeminent bands in the stoner/doom scene worldwide for nearly 40 years. Led by Scott ""Wino"" Weinrich, a heavy music lifer admired and acclaimed by the likes of Dave Grohl, Pepper Keenan, Henry Rollins and Phil Anselmo, The Obsessed has been releasing milestone albums for decades on labels like Hellhound, Columbia and Relapse, as well as Wino himself playing and performing in bands with members of Sleep, Neurosis, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and more. Since The Obsessed's earliest days, the band accumulated dozens of b-sides, covers, alternate takes and demos, many of which were issued on a variety of compilations and an early-2000s collection called Incarnate. Long out of print, Blues Funeral Recordings' new ultimate edition of The Obsessed 'Incarnate' is completely remastered, features the addition of new tracks, and is packaged with all new artwork, photos, and all-new extensive liner notes written by Wino himself to tell the stories behind each long-lost gem.

‘Just Before The World Starts Burning’ is the debut album from The Sleeping Souls. Known
globally as Frank Turner’s loyal bandmates and fellow road warriors they have played
together for over a decade. But alongside this role, Tarrant Anderson (bass), Matt Nasir
(piano), Callum Green (drums), Ben Lloyd (guitar) and together with Frank’s guitar tech
Cahir O’Doherty (Fighting With Wire, Jetplane Landing and currently New Pagans) on
vocals, they have branched out on their own with an album of driving and at time heavy
rock anthems that are as sharp as a butchers knife with poignant hard hitting lyrics and
crunching guitar riffs.