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Confessor's genre defying album Unraveled reissued in January Confessor is a progressive doom metal band from North Carolina that made its mark on the underground metal scene in the late 80's by combining some of the genre's essential elements in a way that no band had attempted before. Once dubbed "the world's most obstinately technical metal band", Confessor's technically complex interpretation of traditional doom gained them a reputation also within the progressive metal circles. Their grand sophomore album Unraveled from 2005 will finally be reissued after two decades on January 16th via Svart Records. Following the release of their 1991 debut album, Condemned, Confessor disbanded in 1994 while they were already planning a second album. Sadly, in 2002 the band's guitarist Ivan Colon passed away, and in tribute to Ivan, the band re-formed in order to play a benefit show for him. Things went so well, that they decided to continue after almost a decade apart. Their second full length Unraveled followed in 2005; an immensely satisfying and unique blend of majestic Doom Metal raised to the next level.

Confessor's genre defying album Unraveled reissued in January Confessor is a progressive doom metal band from North Carolina that made its mark on the underground metal scene in the late 80's by combining some of the genre's essential elements in a way that no band had attempted before. Once dubbed "the world's most obstinately technical metal band", Confessor's technically complex interpretation of traditional doom gained them a reputation also within the progressive metal circles. Their grand sophomore album Unraveled from 2005 will finally be reissued after two decades on January 16th via Svart Records. Following the release of their 1991 debut album, Condemned, Confessor disbanded in 1994 while they were already planning a second album. Sadly, in 2002 the band's guitarist Ivan Colon passed away, and in tribute to Ivan, the band re-formed in order to play a benefit show for him. Things went so well, that they decided to continue after almost a decade apart. Their second full length Unraveled followed in 2005; an immensely satisfying and unique blend of majestic Doom Metal raised to the next level.

The night is restless, the streets eerily silent... only distant echoes and haunting rhythms fill the air. Halloween 2025 drags you deep into the atmosphere of a world forever changed.



As shadows lengthen and whispers grow louder, the familiar coziness of Lofi Girl’s room takes a darker turn. This 20-track compilation gathers artists from across the globe to conjure chilling melodies and spectral beats, the perfect soundtrack for the spooky season. Press play, and lose yourself in a soundtrack where the undead roam and even the walls seem to listen.

MidnightRoba is the solo project of vocalist, songwriter and producer Roba El-Essawy. The voice of Attica Blues (Mo Wax 1997, Sony 2000), Raise A Symphony is MidnightRoba's second solo album. Her first album, Golden Seams, very much rooted in jazz, received support, airplay and features from DJs such as Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 6), Tony Minvielle and China Moses (Jazz FM), Robert Elms (BBC London Live) and Kevin Le Gendre on J to Z (BBC Radio 3). Single releases from this second album have been played by Gilles Peterson (WorldWideFM & BBC Radio 6), Kate Hutchinson (Soho Radio), Marshmello (NTS), Rob Luis (Tru Thoughts), Kev Beadle, Patrick Steele, DJ Amazon, and more.

'Raise A Symphony' is music of our time. A 15-track electronic offering, it comments on topics ranging from colonialism to complicity of silence; from compromised politicians to the power of protest and gratitude to those on the frontlines of change; from displacement and sea migration to the desire to protect our loved ones and the need for kindness; to have faith in the future and the importance of searching for joy in the meantime. The self-produced album 'Raise A Symphony' sees contributions from Saul Williams, Deschanel Gordon, Michael King and Tony Kofi, amongst others. The album title takes it's name from Martin Luther King's 'I Have A Dream' speech where King calls for the nation to rise to gather together and form a 'beautiful symphony of brotherhood'.

"..in Raise A Symphony, Midnight Roba has transmuted talent into something more powerful, where bridges built from her exquisite, unique harmonies, soaring songs and percussive productions allow competing emotions to co-exist and feed into each other. This album itself is a form of community; voices in unison, reaching outwards and offering restoration and upliftment throughout this remarkable work of love and fury." Emma Warren



a 01: Joy (Reprise) [feat. Deschanel Gordon]

With My Best Friend, CHOP — the duo of Cosmo Dance and Whodamanny — return to deliver a new chapter of their analog-driven dance language on Mirella Records.

Built around warmth, groove, and an unspoken dialogue between machines and emotion, My Best Friend reflects CHOP’s purest intentions: to explore rhythm as a living form, to make the floor breathe, and to connect people through sound. Each element feels carefully shaped yet deeply human — the pulse of friendship and creative trust translated into music.

This 7-inch release, pressed on red transparent vinyl, stands as a statement of authenticity. It’s not about spectacle or nostalgia, but about presence — a timeless moment captured in movement and frequency. CHOP invite listeners to tune into the essence of the dancefloor: where simplicity becomes depth, and truth becomes magic.

Leave it to Langhorne Slim - a pioneer of raw, rule-breaking Americana for more than two decades - to reach far beyond the genre he helped inspire.

The Dreamin' Kind finds the Nashville transplant strapping on an electric guitar and embracing his longtime love of larger-than-life rock & roll. With it's chugging power chords, 1970s-sized riffs, and richly layered arrangements, The Dreamin' Kind is fueled not only by sheer amplification, but by the soul-baring songwriting that's become Slim's calling card, too. Tucked between those anthems are acoustic-driven songs that skirt the outer orbits of folk music, from the bare-boned heartbreak of ''Stealin' Time'' to the organic, orchestral sweep of ''Dance On Thru.'' The result is the more explorative and expansive album of Slim's career: a record made for rock clubs, campfires, and garages alike, produced by Greta Van Fleet's Sam Kiszka, and anchored by a lifelong desire to break down new walls.

''It felt like I was blowing some old shit up so I could plant some new flowers,'' Slim says of the creation process. ''I love acoustic music. I love folk music. But those aren't my only loves. Rock & roll has always tickled the same place in my soul as great singer-songwriter music, and I wanted to explore those influences. Raw songs that make you feel something: that's the stuff I'm after.''

„Weihnachten ist wirklich die schönste Zeit des Jahres“! „Im Laufe der Jahre habe ich viele originelle Weihnachtslieder geschrieben und ich hatte das Gefühl, dass es jetzt an der Zeit ist, die besten davon auf einem Album zu bündeln. Und hier ist es: Ein wundervolles Weihnachtsalbum mit einer Vielzahl von Liedern, von denen jedes ein wesentliches Element der Weihnachtsstimmung enthält, jetzt in einer Deluxe-Edition. 15 Songs, die ich sorgfältig ausgewählt habe. Ich habe 9 der 11 Originale mit den Amerikanern Jeff Franzel und Maria Christensen geschrieben und die anderen 2 Originalsongs mit den niederländischen Songwritern Simon Gitsels und Karel Schepers. Die Cover auf diesem Album sind Songs, die ich so sehr liebe, dass ich ihnen meine eigene Note geben und ihnen einen Platz auf dem Album geben wollte.“ Vier erfolgreiche Studioalben, mehreren Theatertourneen in den Niederlanden und erste internationale Shows, die allesamt ausverkauft waren. Es folgten bereits zahlreiche Auszeichnungen, darunter eine Goldene Schallplatte und bereits zweimal der renommierte Edison Jazz Award (der Holländische Grammy). Keine alltägliche Errungenschaft im Jazzbereich oder wie „Crooner“ Dennis es lieber nennt, im Swing, einem Stil, der für ihn unvergleichlich ist.

Schwarze Vinyl LP Edition. Inklusive 7’’ Vinyl mit unveröffentlichten Bonus Tracks.

10-Jahre-Jubiläums-Reissue von Twit Ones wegweisendem Album „The Sit-In“ aus dem Jahr 2015. Von vielen Twit-Aficionados als eines seiner besten Werke gefeiert, unterschied sich „The Sit-In“ bei seinem Erscheinen deutlich von seinen vorherigen Alben – und Twits Musik war noch nie leicht vorhersehbar. „The Sit-In“ war die erste Twit-Platte, zu der man Räucherstäbchen anzünden kann, und auch zehn Jahre später hat sie nichts von ihrem Zauber verloren. Mit Sängerin May sowie den Poeten PB Louison und Imam Ally-Salaam. Artwork von Van Lagerstein und Robert Winter. Das 10-Jahres-Jubiläums-Reissue enthält außerdem eine Bonus 7"" mit vier neuen Tracks.

After the release of her highest charting album to date in 2024, Elles Bailey is back with brand new album "Can"t Take My Story Away". Fiercely independent, the British singer-songwriter has been steadily honing her craft for the better part of a decade. Her magnificent voice - instantly recognisable, full of grit - weaves stories of resilience and survival, of hope and new beginnings. In her music, we find liberation as she picks at the threads of human connection, carefully unravelling the truths we might not have realised about ourselves. Produced by Luke Potashnick and recorded with a stellar lineup of musicians separate from her live band, the eleven tracks of "Can"t Take My Story Away" tie together to form the album Elles has been destined to make. An honest and vulnerable glimpse into Elles" story, the record was created over a three year period, using songswhose origins can be traced back almost 10 years, "Can"t Take My Story Away" is Elles" life placed carefully together to form a dazzling, kaleidoscopic story.

After the release of her highest charting album to date in 2024, Elles Bailey is back with brand new album "Can"t Take My Story Away". Fiercely independent, the British singer-songwriter has been steadily honing her craft for the better part of a decade. Her magnificent voice - instantly recognisable, full of grit - weaves stories of resilience and survival, of hope and new beginnings. In her music, we find liberation as she picks at the threads of human connection, carefully unravelling the truths we might not have realised about ourselves. Produced by Luke Potashnick and recorded with a stellar lineup of musicians separate from her live band, the eleven tracks of "Can"t Take My Story Away" tie together to form the album Elles has been destined to make. An honest and vulnerable glimpse into Elles" story, the record was created over a three year period, using songswhose origins can be traced back almost 10 years, "Can"t Take My Story Away" is Elles" life placed carefully together to form a dazzling, kaleidoscopic story.

Das dritte Album von Jana Horn wurde in New York geschrieben und in der Wüste von Texas aufgenommen. Horn begab sich mit Jade Guterman (Bass) und Adam Jones (Schlagzeug) ins Sonic Ranch Studio, um ihr selbstbetiteltes Album aufzunehmen, das aus zehn Klanglandschaften besteht, die nicht wirklich so klingen, als kämen sie von irgendwoher. Frühere Vergleiche mit Yo La Tengo und Phil Elverum sind nach wie vor zutreffend für ,Love" und ,All in bet", während sparsame Post-Punk-Rhythmen ,Designer" und ,Don't Think" prägen. Im Jahr 2023 schrieb The New Yorker: ,Horns Werk reiht sich in eine Gemeinschaft der Einsamen ein, die Genregrenzen überschreitet: Spuren von Young Marble Giants, Syd Barrett und Broadcast schweben durch ihre Songs."

Sassy 009 ist das wandelbare Projekt der in Oslo ansässigen Produzentin, Songwriterin und Sängerin Sunniva Lindgård. Dreamer+ ist ein Album, das Lindgård seit Jahren in Gedanken mit sich trägt: ein konzeptgetriebenes Werk, zusammengesetzt aus fast vier Jahren Studioarbeit – und ein ambitionierter Versuch, die volle Kontrolle über ihre Kunst auszuüben.
Gelenkt von frisch verzerrten Vocals und Elementen aus Grunge, Shoegaze, 90er-Beatronica und schimmerndem Hyperpop ist das Album zugleich ein Protokoll der Selbstentdeckung und Selbstaufgabe, durchzogen von Gastbeiträgen von Blood Orange, BEA1991 und Yunè Pinku.
Dreamer+ ist im Kern ein fiktionales Werk, ein düsteres Märchen, in dem Träume und Emotionen durch eine Landschaft von Gestaltwandlerfiguren, dunklen Kräften und moralischen Verantwortungen verarbeitet werden. Auf eine Mission in eine verlassene Stadt geschickt, wird Lindgård zur eigenen Hauptfigur, hineingestoßen in eine „magische, aber verzerrte traumähnliche Welt“ nach einer fatalen Begegnung: „Ihre Liebe zu Jakov ist absurd eng mit seinem Sterben verwoben; kein Weg könnte sie davon fortführen."

Greywind is an Irish emo/alternative rock duo from Killarney, formed by siblings Steph and Paul O’Sullivan. Known for their atmospheric soundscapes, soaring melodies, and deeply emotive lyrics, the band first gained attention with their critically acclaimed debut album Afterthoughts in 2017. Blending post-hardcore energy with cinematic grandeur, Greywind quickly earned a devoted following, praised for their anthemic choruses and powerful emotional honesty. Their long-awaited sophomore album, Severed Heart City, was recorded in Los Angeles with acclaimed producer Sam Guaiana and is set for release via Frontiers Label Group in September 2025. The record showcases the band’s continued growth both sonically and thematically — evolving their signature blend of brooding textures and explosive hooks into something even more dynamic and expressive. From the haunting opener Acid Rain to the cathartic closer Cope in the Coma, Severed Heart City is a visceral, emotionally resonant journey. Themes of mental health, inner conflict, and fragile hope run throughout, elevated by Steph’s impassioned vocal delivery and Paul’s gripping guitar work. With Severed Heart City, Greywind cements their place as one of the most compelling and authentic voices in modern alt-rock. This is a band that turns vulnerability into power — and pain into unforgettable songs

"Control" dokumentiert eine Phase, in der Conrad Schnitzler neue elektronische Technologien testete - inspiriert durch seine Verbindung zu Peter Baumann (Tangerine Dream). Das Album wirkt wie eine Kompilation verschiedener musikalischer Ansätze: Von klassischen Schnitzler-Stücken mit perlenden Klangkaskaden bis zu überraschenden Momenten, in denen er traditionelle Harmonik streift. Die Stücke sind kurz, skizzenhaft, aber präzise - ein akustisches Tagebuch seiner künstlerischen Rastlosigkeit. Die Original-LP von 1981 verzichtete auf Kennrillen, die Tracks fließen ineinander. Auch hier bleibt Schnitzler seinem Prinzip treu: Musik als Bewegung, als Momentaufnahme, als Experiment. "Control" ist eine starke Dosis seines kreativen Elixiers - und ein weiterer Schritt auf dem Weg zum "gesamten Schnitzler".

Ltd. Orange Vinyl Finnish powerhouse Bloodred Hourglass (BRHG) return with their seventh studio album “We Should Be Buried Like This”, a bold and unrelenting statement from a band that has steadily evolved into one of the most commanding forces in modern death metal. Hailing from Mikkeli, BRHG have long stood out for their ability to merge the ferocity of thrash and groove metal with the immersive soundscapes of metalcore, alternative metal, and melodic death. Their music is as dynamic and emotionally resonant as it is heavy and entertaining - a mix that has earned them critical acclaim, a devoted international fanbase, and a reputation for explosive live performances. On “We Should Be Buried Like This”, the band takes their darkest, most unfiltered turn yet. Described as “a work of end-time songs,” this album does not aim to comfort or explain. It’s a raw, confrontational piece built around the slow erosion of hope, the fading of love, the repetition of generational mistakes, and a world defined by self-obsession, disconnection, and indifference. “There’s no pleading, no sugarcoating,” the band explains. “We’re not here to prove anything. This is an album born from an urgent drive to rip things open and say them as they are.” Musically, “We Should Be Buried Like This” is the most aggressive and straightforward album BRHG have ever crafted, yet it never loses sight of the unmistakable melodic power that defines their sound. With searing riffs, explosive energy, and sweeping emotional depth, the album pulses with intensity from start to finish. Guest appearances and fresh sonic elements are woven throughout, yet the band remains firmly rooted in the signature style they’ve spent years perfecting.

Five years after her bossa nova single "Tes petites fesses" and a notable appearance at the Colors studio in 2023, singer LYNN releases her debut album: La vie me va si bien. Comprising eleven tracks, it blends French neo-soul, smooth R&B, and minimalist pop, with a confident and sincere approach. For LYNN, each song explores the fragility of moments when tenderness shifts into doubt, expressing the fatigue of loving, the fear of losing oneself, and the beauty of longing. Her writing, precise and nuanced, focuses on detail and restraint. Accompanied by guitars, pianos, and layered voices, she tells stories between childhood and lucidity, in an organic and harmonious soundscape. The album exudes a controlled sincerity, meant to be listened to in calm, establishing LYNN as a distinctive voice, ready to mix gentleness with truth in a hurried world.

ugne&maria is a collaboration between Marija Rasa Kudabaite and Ugnė Vyliaudaite, both residing in Belgium. Their musical style is characterised by a multilayered, down-tempo, yet danceable approach, incorporating violin, synthesizers and sampling techniques.

We were completely blown away by the duo’s live performance at Meakusma Festival in August 2024. It was one of those rare moments when time seemed to stand still: the music, the atmosphere and the audience merged into a single warm, smooth and radiant aura of positive energy and vibes. This experience made us want to share such exceptional talent on Hands in the Dark and we are over the moon to announce the release of ugne&maria’s new album ‘Zotasphere’, dropping on 16th January 2026.

The 8 songs featured on the record came together slowly, bit by bit. Diary-like, each track reflects on different moments and life events that have followed ugne&maria over the past couple of years. Layers of sound and layers of memory are interlaced into the album, an embodiment of all that feels distant, yet still present. Most of the tracks move around a steady, unhurried pulse, never faster than 120 bpm. Some tracks even ended up being intentionally slowed down, as if the music itself wished to breathe more, mirroring life’s natural pace, with elements stretching, shifting and decelerating. Focused on bass and rhythm, influenced by the depth and warmth of classic house and low-end music, ugne&maria let the sounds drift elsewhere. The violin became a voice, the voice became a texture.

"It’s an album where I’ve limited myself to using only two instruments—a metallophone and a four-track tape recorder. Explorations of the metallophone and tape sounds are deconstructed and reintegrated into tracks with cassette loops. This release is part of this year’s Muscut label series, dedicated not to electronic but to electro-acoustic music focusing on analog recording and production."
Taken from the Shape platform interview (March 2024)

Hazy Runway Indie Rock That Oozes Vibes

Katie Schecter is for fans of Sharon Van Etten, Caroline Rose, and Amy Winehouse. Raised in NYC, it feels as if Katie Schecter time traveled to present day from a chicer and more sonically cool yesteryear of the future. She effortlessly blends the half-cool, half-kitsch of her home in Nashville that is neither new nor timeless. Deeply soulful and introspective indie rock vibes await the listener when you drop the needle on this LP. Produced with love and care by Nick Bockrath of Cage The Elephant with an incredible set of musicians (Homer Stenweiss, Leon Michels to name a few!) this LP is one that reveals more of itself the more you spin it.

French chanson, electro beats, pared-down or synthetic piano: at 21, Iliona draws on all of this. Plural, multifaceted, elusive. Yet her lyrics resonate as if one were singing heartache—and the love one hopes for—for the very first time.
She composes, records, and produces her tracks alone, determined to keep them as close as possible to the tunes, harmonies, and silhouettes she holds in her mind. This time, they are infused with the light of an intense love, and still carried by extreme sparseness in their arrangements: nothing—from electronic arpeggios to melodic autotune—is ever superfluous; everything has its place. Lifted by a new lightness, the tracks also echo the spirit of the yéyé sound Iliona has been listening to for a few years, without necessarily knowing the name of every songwriter or the mark they left behind. It’s their longing for carefree abandon that hovers over the hypnotic Si tu m’aimes demain and its music video inspired by the New Wave, the Beatles, and all those future memories you begin to build when you’re in love.


A gentle warmth also sweeps through the hazy doo-wop contours of Tête brûlée, and the lo-fi twist of Cocoon; but always with that veil of shadow that once floated over the apparent nonchalance of Françoise Hardy’s songs. That unease, that worried smile, resurfaces in the lovely pop gallop of Garçon manqué, an ode to the deepest friendships—the ones you hold in your arms to dance or, sometimes, to cry. Or in the delicate Cent fois, which whispers, “when will the movie scenes we quietly dreamed of come to life?”
The answer, perhaps, lies in wherever you hide, the party finds you, a superb soundtrack to an imaginary drama, whose venomous keyboards unfold the pictorial strength of Iliona’s songs.

SOEN - the Swedish progressive metal powerhouse spearheaded by Joel Ekelöf (vocals) and Martin Lopez (drums) - continue to find incredible new pathways into the spatial areas between light and dark, loud and calm, heavy and soothing. And with its seamless march across deeply human emotional terrain, their forthcoming 7th studio album Reliance, SOEN continues to explore the human mind, heart, and soul with a visionary duty of care, plus an extra edge of heavy. With Lars Enok Åhlund (keyboards & guitar), Cody Lee Ford (guitar), and Stefan Stenberg (bass) standing shoulder to shoulder with Ekelöf and Lopez, the lush continual evolution of SOEN’s sound soars. Take “Primal”, a barrel-chested roar detailing the existential fight between the human spirit and our current world, Ekelöf’s incredible vocals leading the heavy charge. “Axis” is a resolute and defiant look into where humanity sits, propelled by Lopez’s relentless yet swinging drums, and then there’s the serene elegance of “Indifferent” a beautifully orchestrated modern lament on the loss of love which rides resolutely on the power of strings, piano, and Ekelöf’s marvellous voice. With Reliance, SOEN continue their extraordinarily raw and earnest lifetime exploration of the mental and physical boundaries which challenge humankind as it writhes and wrestles with itself in these challenging times. Thoughtful, provocative, beautiful and brutal, Reliance is a journey you need to take.

SOEN - the Swedish progressive metal powerhouse spearheaded by Joel Ekelöf (vocals) and Martin Lopez (drums) - continue to find incredible new pathways into the spatial areas between light and dark, loud and calm, heavy and soothing. And with its seamless march across deeply human emotional terrain, their forthcoming 7th studio album Reliance, SOEN continues to explore the human mind, heart, and soul with a visionary duty of care, plus an extra edge of heavy. With Lars Enok Åhlund (keyboards & guitar), Cody Lee Ford (guitar), and Stefan Stenberg (bass) standing shoulder to shoulder with Ekelöf and Lopez, the lush continual evolution of SOEN’s sound soars. Take “Primal”, a barrel-chested roar detailing the existential fight between the human spirit and our current world, Ekelöf’s incredible vocals leading the heavy charge. “Axis” is a resolute and defiant look into where humanity sits, propelled by Lopez’s relentless yet swinging drums, and then there’s the serene elegance of “Indifferent” a beautifully orchestrated modern lament on the loss of love which rides resolutely on the power of strings, piano, and Ekelöf’s marvellous voice. With Reliance, SOEN continue their extraordinarily raw and earnest lifetime exploration of the mental and physical boundaries which challenge humankind as it writhes and wrestles with itself in these challenging times. Thoughtful, provocative, beautiful and brutal, Reliance is a journey you need to take.

Sunburst vinyl version of “Make Metal Royal Again” (previously released August 15th, 2025 via Reaper Entertainment), HAMMER KING once again raise their banners high: the throne of power metal is theirs to claim. Following the chart-breaking success of their last two records – “Kingdemonium” (#17 DE) and “König und Kaiser” (#16 DE) – the German quartet returns in 2025 with even more grandeur, might, and majestic songwriting. Produced by Charles Greywolf (Powerwolf) and Titan Fox V, and mixed & mastered by Jacob Hansen (Amaranthe, Volbeat), the album delivers ten powerful new tracks and a surprise bonus cover. With “Danger Zone”, the band pays a thunderous, metallic tribute to pop culture for the very first time. From anthemic epics like “For Crown And Kingdom” to the cinematic grandeur of “Hoheitsgebiet” and the touching ballad “Schlaf Kaiser schlaf”, HAMMER KING offer a full royal banquet of sound and spirit. Introducing new drummer Count Shandorian, whose precision and creative drive elevate the band’s sound even further, Make Metal Royal Again marks a new peak in the group’s journey. The magnificent artwork by Péter Sallai (Powerwolf, Sabaton), inspired by The Last Supper, captures the album’s core themes: power, identity, and loyalty. This is not just an album – it’s HAMMER KING’s metal manifesto for a new golden age.

In 2022, In the Red Records released The Great Confrontation, an album of instrumental electronic music by Chip Kinman. It was Chip’s first solo album; his previous recording, This American Blues, by his band Ford Madox Ford, was issued just prior to the 2018 death of his brother Tony. The Kinmans had been partnered musically since they were teens, in a variety of now-legendary projects: the OG California punk band the Dils, the pathfinding cowpunk unit Rank and File, the ear-shattering electro-rock duo Blackbird, and the Western music twosome Cowboy Nation.

In the wake of The Great Confrontation, Chip and In the Red plotted another record. The resultant collection, Chip Kinman, is reflective, soulful, and profoundly affecting, a statement of identity and a look back at life that avoids the pitfalls that could derail an autobiographical work.

"I had to figure out something to write about, and I thought, it’s time to make that record," Chip says. "A long time ago, Tony and I were talking about singer-songwriters, and he said, ‘If you’re going to sing about your life, you better have had a fucking interesting life.’ And I thought, I have. I’ve gotta deep-dive into that. I figured, if I was going to write about what it was like, how was I gonna approach that? How was I going to say that without being nostalgic or without being maudlin or without being over-celebratory? It it was, well, just say it like it was."

Texas-based Ben Hixon is a high-quality house head and for the one on his home label of Dolfin he hooks up with Stonie Blue, while Atlanta mainstay Stefan Ringer also steps up to feature on one cut. 'DX15' opens with a hooky synth motif that's stretched and bent over wooden drum knocks. It's minimal but warm and full of subtle tension. 'The Dancers (feat Stefan Ringer)' has more of a shuffle and sway to it to get those hips going and 'W3dnesday' then sinks back into loopy, elastic rhythm territory with woozy late-night chords draped over the top. 'What You Want (feat Sotnie Blue)' is a more jacked-up cut with hurried kicks and an irresistible urgency.

The 3rd album from Jana Horn was written in New York and recorded in the Texas desert. Horn went to Sonic Ranch studio with her trio (Jade Guterman - bass / Adam Jones - drums) to record her self-titled record, comprised of 10 sonic landscapes which don't quite sound like they're from anywhere. Past comparisons to Yo La Tengo and Phil Elverum are still apt on "Love" and "All in bet", while spare post-punk rhythms drive "Designer" and
"Don't Think."
In 2023 The New Yorker stated: "Horn's work aligns with a fraternity of the lonely that cuts across genres: traces of Young Marble Giants, Syd Barrett, and Broadcast all waft through her songs."

The record captures the raw electricity of their live performances while revealing surprising moments of melody and restraint. Tracks like "Bastard," "Reptilian Brain" and "Professionalism Debunked" showcase the band's volatile edge, while "Holy Building Tourist" offers a brief but memorable shift in tone. The result is a cohesive and unpredictable debut that positions Volk Soup as one of the most inventive underground bands emerging from Leeds

In addition to performing his own compositions, the legendary Bruce Springsteen has, throughout his career, covered numerous songs by artists he most admired and favoured.

Presented here are 23 original artist tracks that Springsteen covered most frequently, offering a clear window into a wide range of musical influences that mark his own work: Rhythm & Blues, Rock 'N' Roll, Doo-Wop, Soul, and Folk, and artists such as Elvis Presley , Pete Seeger , Woody Guthrie , The Isley Brothers , Little Richard , Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, and many more.

Belgian producer and DJ Ethan Fawkes returns with Funky Raver, a vibrant six-track vinyl release that channels the spirit of 70s funk and disco through a modern electronic lens. It features three originals alongside remixes from Victor Muerte, A.Fruit and Nite Fleit.

Fawkes, known for pairing raw rhythm with emotional punch, dives headfirst into the golden age of groove and rebuilds it for today's dance floor. The result feels warm and energetic, fresh take that nods to disco's roots while pushing forward.

Each remixer takes the core idea in a new direction without losing its heartbeat.

Victor Muerte takes "Funky Raver" track into a remix out a driving techno rework marked by hypnotic whiper repetition. It taps into the darker side of the groove, building steady pressure and giving the release a powerful late-night edge.

A.Fruit flips her version of "Get the Groove" into a fast, broken beat-driven workout full of tight percussion and futuristic low-end, giving the original a kinetic bass-forward storm that keeps the momentum surging.

Nite Fleit, the producer with a reputation for bold, genre-blending club tracks, injects her remix with electro pressure. She delivers a high-voltage version of "I Misplaced You" to take that turns the funk foundations into pure rave.

Taken together, the originals and remixes trace a full arc, from glittering disco lights to the throb of the warehouse. Funky Raver is a celebration of groove, motion and emotion. A reminder of how timeless dance-floor energy can be.

Originally released as a digital double a side both lead tracks were chosen by the remixers and the results are like an electrical storm.

Newark, NJ’s Dälek (Will Brooks) drags T. Relly’s growl through the quicksand, a cacophony of whiplashed beats and visceral loops spurring our protagonist on. It’s a gaggle of Ghostface Killas trapped in a hall of mirrors; it’s next door’s MBV heard through the walls whilst submerged in a low-lit bathtub. And Wu Tang are pulling the plug out.

Kevin Martin aka The Bug continues to release teeth rattling sonic masterpieces, his most recent being November’s ‘Implosion’ on his own Pressure label. In his hands ‘Protein’ becomes a submarine bass, head n’ rig wrecker opting here for more of his hooky ‘In Blue’ style Bug mix. As Kevin said – “to my fantastical mind it sounds like Bug dirt ‘n’grind Vs Yin Yang Twins’ louche swagger and Neptunes funk”.

“In Bristol, it was hip-hop and reggae renegades meeting up with white ex-punk guitarists, alternative pop pioneers hanging out with underground roots music makers, and sound system sonic stalwarts grooving out with rave’s space cadets that laid the bedrock for such an explosion. And if you think that such an eclectic melting pot ever went away, you would be wrong. Ree-Vo is all the proof that you need” – The Big Takeover

THE ART GRAY NOIZZ QUINTET is spearheaded by twisted Australian guitar legend STU-ART GRAY, most notoriously known as STU SPASM of LUBRICATED GOAT, CRUNT, SALAMANDER JIM, and THE BEASTS OF BOURBON. Adding another crazed chapter to an already solidly sordid musical history, THE ART GRAY NOIZZ QUINTET stars some of the finest scoundrels of the New York City underground scene - SKELETON BOY of WOMAN on two-string bass, NIKKI D'AGOSTINO on sax, and veteran drummer RICH HUTCHINS of LIVE SKULL providing the savage, swinging beat. A rotating roulette of characters swagger into the second guitar slot as needed, each showcasing their particular specialty - twang, treble, or atmosphere. Stuart Gray's wayward path through the flashpoints of noise, grunge, and swamp-rock history is well-represented in the Quintet's sound - chaos with a cinematic edge. Sharing stages with kindred spirits such as THE SCIENTISTS and MUDHONEY got the attention of audiences early on. Their recordings and incendiary gigs throughout the New York scene and beyond soon caught the eye of the infamous LYDIA LUNCH, and it was only a matter of time before a new collaboration was born . . . Now, THE ART GRAY NOIZZ QUINTET collide with the queen of no wave LYDIA LUNCH on a new two-fisted ten-inch single . . . Melting the MAGAZINE classic "PERMAFROST", and grinding out an apocalyptic version of IGGY POP's "MASS PRODUCTION". Only on IN THE RED RECORDS! "Speaking of noise, that’s kind of Stu Spasm’s thing — from LUBRICATED GOAT in the late 1980s, to his current project, THE ART GRAY NOIZZ QUINTET. This elder statesman of clamor hasn’t lost his touch." - THE NEW YORK TIMES

Pioneering experimental electronic record receives first-ever complete vinyl pressing, featuring expanded content and exclusive liner notes.

Editions Mego release the highly anticipated vinyl reissue of Get Out, the groundbreaking second album by Peter Rehberg under his influential PITA moniker. Originally released in 1999, this seminal work stands as a landmark achievement in experimental electronic music, praised for its revolutionary fusion of ear-splitting noise and melancholic melodies. Moving beyond the era's trend of pure abstraction, Get Out represents a pivotal moment when experimental electronic music began exploring new territories laying forth a path which many artists would subsequently follow.

This expansive reissue marks a significant milestone for collectors and enthusiasts, presenting all 12 tracks from the 2008 eMego CD version on vinyl for the first time. The inclusion of the rare Detroit live recording (remastered by Jim O’Rourke) provides invaluable insight into PITA's performance practice during the album's original touring cycle, whilst new liner notes from Jim O'Rourke and Chris Clepper provide further personal and anecdotal insight.

Since its original release, Get Out has been recognized as essential listening for understanding the evolution of experimental electronic music in the late 20th century. This authoritative reissue ensures that Rehberg's visionary work remains accessible to new audiences while providing longtime admirers with the definitive version of this crucial album.

The vinyl comes with a DL code which contains a 20 minute live performance in Kyoto, Metro, 25.01.1999.

Editions Mego is proud to release the new album by Australian producer Jasmine Guffond. Developed over a two year period, Microphone Permission is an unsettling musical journey utilising contemporary tools of communication to display Guffond's ongoing research into online surveillance and sound as a method of investigation.

Source material on Microphone Permission are from various projects Guffond has been working on; a commission to sonify the data of the city of Melbourne, a dance performance about the future sounds of an extinct forest, an installation that sonifies Twitter meta data in real time, a job as a composer for a theatre work about music and feminism by five young female identifying performers in Western Sydney and a site specific installation at the Linachtalsperre dam that employed the harmonic frequencies of electric currents.

The results are a stark, brooding, disorientating journey into a paranoid musical field that sits somewhere between ambient club music and a dystopian soundtrack. Elements of techno, classical music and sound art form a dark intriguing masterwork that questions the nature of invasive, algorithmic and computational listening practices.

For example Microphone Permission refers to the consent we routinely give when installing various apps. onto our smart devices. Inspired by a 2018 scandal in which fans of Spain's most popular soccer team were effectively turned into unwitting spies by granting the La Liga application microphone permission. No matter which make or model, all smart devices are built with a microphone that is by default, forever listening. Listening in these situations often takes on an algorithmic form that enables tech developers to bypass public response to what is intuitively considered invasive practice, that is, traditional modes of eavesdropping such as using the microphone to listen and record audio.

Editions Mego presents The Psychologist, the sophomore album by the Istanbul born and raised, Berlin based electronic music composer and sound artist Hüma Utku.

As the title suggests, The Psychologist, is a series of sonic essays based around themes of psychological phenomena and can be read as a musical enquiry into the human condition. With Utku’s background as a graduate of Psychology and her current practice as a conceptual music composer we see the two main threads in her professional career intertwine on this unique and ambitious release.

Including recordings of Buchla 200 from Utku’s Elektronmusikstudion residency in October 2020,The Psychologist is a genre aversive work that embodies elements of synthesiser music, electroacoustic, experimental techno, industrial, modern composition and spoken word. Piano, string compositions and vocals hold weight throughout a number of pieces providing a dramatic acoustic edge to the psychological explorations contained within.

The foreboding mood of much of this release is the product of investigation that lends the unsettling theme of anticipatory grief to the mood of the tracks Light of All Lights and Continuing Bonds. Islands of Consciousness refers to Jungian metaphor for consciousness whilst the unnerving Rüya twists around dream analysis in Gestalt psychology. Fuel For The Flames proceeds as a buzzing and swirling representation of alchemy and psychological symbolism. Dissolution of I is haunted by a strange sensation of dissociation whilst defense mechanisms support the sublime Sublimation. The bright shapes of Chironian Wound represent archetypes and analytical psychology whilst the fried soundscapes and rhythms of Ataxia encapture neurological states.

The results unravel with both the clockwork rhythms of the human body and the unpredictable nature of the psyche, the pieces follow arrhythmic patterns in a harmonious way. It tells the raw and intimate story of the human experience with a new work whereby the predictable operates in parallel with the unexpected and like human experience itself, is dark and complex.

Composed, Written & Produced by Hüma Utku
Piano by Hüma Utku
Vocals by Hüma Utku
Double Bass performed by Adam Pultz Melbye
Cello performed by Florina Speth (aka Schloss Mirabell)
Violin performed by Marta Forsberg
Cover photography & art by Gözde Güngör
Design by Eloise Leigh

Reissue of the 3rd full length by Thomas Bücker aka Bersarin Quartett.

Melancholia. Longing. It is difficult to speak about these moods or states of the mind without invoking stereotypes. In ancient medicine, melancholia was considered to be one of the four temperaments, matching the four humours. In fact, melancholia, meaning "black bile" in Ancient Greek, was thought to be caused by an excess of this very body substance. By contrast, in more modern interpretations, literates and Freudians relate many variations of longing to the one primordial longing, the desire to return to one's mother's womb. In this context, the womb is considered to be the place of absolute comfort and cosiness, of total bliss. Thus it should not be surprising that to many of us melancholia is a mood which we like to invoke and to maintain, we like to envelop ourselves in it like in a warm blanket. Our brain and our sensory systems appear to be made for perceiving and emotionally responding to music in a very immediate fashion. Consequently music is the obvious drug for all of us melancholia-addicts. However, there is a thin line between melancholia and sadness, and music which is meant to be melancholic too often crosses this line by far. Only very few artists succeed in avoiding this crossing, and in creating music which is melancholia in its most pure form. It is safe to say that BERSARIN QUARTETT - the electronic music project of Thomas Bücker - is one of them.

After his debut in 2008 and the sophomore "II" in 2012 - album of the month in many magazines and in numerous "Best of the year" lists - Bücker in 2015 returned with his third BERSARIN QUARTETT album "III". Much like his two predecessors, III is a pure paradox. It is the creation of a perfectionist, an adamant control freak. Every element, be it a note, an ambience layer, a string arrangement, a field recording, a baseline, a vocal (Clara Hill on Track 11) or a beat, is meticulously modified and then assigned its place in Bücker's vast but still minimalistic arrangements. Thus, superficially Bücker's pieces seem to radiate a certain mechanical bleakness. However, there is a unique reduced warmth and liveliness emerging from these stainless compositions and transcending them. This transcendence is precisely the point where Bücker ironically looses control over his creations. In contrast to the first two BERSARIN QUARTETT albums, III offers a few darker shades and succeeds even further in narrowing down the arrangements to the absolute essentials without loosing the characteristic grandeur of Bücker's sound. Whereas BERSARIN QUARTETT's debut was merely a description of melancholia in its most pure form, III maybe even goes as far a defining what melancholia really is. It is the only emotion in the vast spectrum of human states of mind which one can bear forever.

NPVR is the avant garde duo made up of the late Peter Rehberg and Nik Void. Editions Mego is proud to present their second and final release. No this is not some kind of Beatles synthetic AI that raises the dead reconstructed recordings but rather a new album made by the humans and their machines.

The initial meeting of Rehberg and Void was in London in 2016 and despite or due to their mutual awkwardness found solace and compatibility in the fact that they both had a similar electronic modular set up, along with matching cases to transport all. The idea to collaborate was an obvious and organic process as a means to connect their individual gear together and observe the outcome. The fruits of these initial experiments, recorded in London, resulted in the playful experimentation of their acclaimed 2017 release 33 33 (eMego 251).

Now in 2024 Editions Mego presents the logically titled follow up, 33 34. These sessions were recorded six months after the initial recordings at Peter’s home in Vienna. This was planned out as a mirror city release to the original London recordings. With Peter having access to his full studio set up this time around we encounter a rich audio landscape which organically folds together a variety of musical genres blurring any distinction between these forms so the resulting music hovers as a new cloud of sound. Any musical form, be it industrial, electro-acoustic, ambient, drone and techno all coexist and melt into the other as the ensuing result unveils a hypnotic swarm of divergent sounds (music). When active there were no lines or contexts with NPVR, either between sound or genre within these recordings or live where NPVR were at home playing at a techno club one night and an avant garde venue the next.

The initial session of these recordings was edited by Rehberg and sent to Void to further develop. Over time the final versions were agreed on and then shelved as other outside projects took over. The awkwardness had been surmounted and the two had become close friends. NPVR performed at a range of venues such as Tresor, Sutton House, Corsica, Blitz, Paris GRM #Focus2, LEV Festival and Rigas Skanumezs Festival. Following Rehberg’s untimely passing Void had difficulty listening back to the sessions but eventually thought it fit to complete and release this album, of which even the artwork (like 33 33, an image from Zurich photographer, Georg Gatsas) had been decided upon prior to Rehberg parting ways.

There is an unmistakable joy to these recordings. One encounters an enthralling exploration of their chosen machines which conveys the excitement of what can be randomly conjured when people speak through such devices. There is no grand statement or argument here, just the sheer thrill of creation and the recorded results of random encounters. The art of collaboration was always a mainstay of Rehberg’s practice from the advent of the MEGO adventure. Rehberg & Bauer was an initial collaboration with former business partner Ramon Bauer. Even at this stage one can hear a relaxed sense of delight in the sheer discovery of sound.

A mix made for the Wire magazine following the release of 33 33 hints at the freedom that comes with endless urge for exploration and discovery. Abstract tracks from Z'EV. Jérôme Noetinger and Jung An Tagen are included alongside British stalwarts The Fall and New Order. There were no lines between pop / academic / underground or mainstream in Rehberg’s world. All of it sat at the same table. It is just matter in the atmosphere, like the diverse exploration found in these recordings that comprise 33 34.

Towards the end of his life Rehberg was obsessing over the immense output of the German ambient musician Pete Namlook. An artist renowned for not only his sprawling catalogue of ambient masterpieces but one who often said his main inspiration was nature. This is apt with regards to the work of NPVR which also aligns with such thought as the intertwining of the two individual artists and their machines results in a natural symbiotic flow, as it happens, just like in the world around us.

blickwinkel welcomes composer and multi-instrumentalist Francis Plagne to the label with a reissue of Asleep in a beached boat, an album that was initially released on his own Mould/Mouse Museum label in 2021 on cassette. The album was mostly given away to friends but now gets a wider release through a limited vinyl and digital edition.

Gentle melodies set an airy atmosphere and are intertwined with tensive dialogs between rhythms and textures coming from a wide array of acoustic and electronic instruments. Stylistically somewhere in between his Rural Objects (Black Truffle) and Udge (Horn of Plenty), on the eleven tracks on this album we hear Plagne in his most playful way to date.

Francis Plagne is a musician from Melbourne, Australia whose work swings between songwriting and a variety of other approaches, including group improvisation, instrumental abstraction, and domestic musique concrète. He performed live regularly since 2005 and has released recordings on labels such as Black Truffle, Horn of Plenty, Kye Records, Penultimate Press and his own Mould/Mouse Museum micro-label. In addition to performing his own work either solo or with a band, he has performed and recorded in improvised and other arrangements with Tetuzi Akiyama, Oren Ambarchi, Andrew Chalk, Crys Cole, James Rushford, and Joe Talia, among others.