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Transparent Blue Vinyl. After years of preparation, Marcus Drake emerges from the basement networks of the resistance underground to claim the first save point along his quest ahead. Welcome to Save Point 1, a universe where popular forms of the past collide at warp speed with Marcus's mutant inspirations to produce sounds and genres hitherto unknown. Save Point 1 is a visionary and singular Debut work of Avant Rock & Pop Alchemy, blown apart and reassembled under the laws of Quantum Musical Mechanics. Written, Produced & Performed by Marcus Drake, the album eludes classification, but sounds like a sci-fi fusion of musical DNA from Nine Inch Nails, Prefab Sprout, Nobuo Uematsu (the Final Fantasy video game composer), Animal Collective, Prince, Mr. Bungle, Liars, The Mars Volta, and Lil Ugly Mane. The album marks the first release under Drake's own name, and the latest since his 2017 release as Anthony Fremont's Garden Solutions_his idiosyncratic side-project with Water From Your Eyes' Nate Amos, Options' Seth Engel, and NNAMDI. He has also since scored for film and video, including the Adult Swim short Thoron the Conqueror. Save Point 1 isn't just a new beginning, but a reintroduction to Marcus Drake the artist and composer. Drake experimented with new techniques and approaches for many years while recording Save Point 1, a process that transformed his sound, voice, and artistic identity. The resulting oeuvre is giddy and dreamy, an Olympic-height diving board from which to descend through indie rock and videogame soundtracks, thrilling math-rock riffs that turn experimental, and synths that glow in rainbow hues. Just turn to the glitchpop of "Heaven's in the Rot" or the slow-motion acoustic glitter that is "Dragon It Out" to hear it in motion. And note the two-part "Haunted" suite that funnels his unpredictable experimentation into darker, weirder directions.

Adam F drew inspiration from legendary artists like Lalo Shiffrin, Stevie Wonder, and Quincy Jones, as well as the vibrant Funk era for his monumental track.
“With these influences I set out to create something truly unique.” Looking back on the now towering legacy of the track Adam states: “It's incredibly humbling to think that my work on Brand New Funk sparked a fusion movement within the jungle/drum and bass scene.
Over the years numerous bootlegs of my tracks emerged, showcasing the impact it’s had. However, I'm thrilled to announce that the two new releases we're unveiling are official collaborations - a joint effort between myself and Bladerunner, accompanied by the exceptional skills of another talented mixer who prefers to remain anonymous.
For these tracks, I had the pleasure of incorporating live funk bass and horns, which further elevated the energy and groove. It has been an incredible path with many a twist and turn, with club performances that have captivated audiences for over a year now. I am truly grateful for the support and the opportunity to share my passion with all of you."

Adam F drew inspiration from legendary artists like Lalo Shiffrin, Stevie Wonder, and Quincy Jones, as well as the vibrant Funk era for his monumental track.
“With these influences I set out to create something truly unique.” Looking back on the now towering legacy of the track Adam states: “It's incredibly humbling to think that my work on Brand New Funk sparked a fusion movement within the jungle/drum and bass scene.
Over the years numerous bootlegs of my tracks emerged, showcasing the impact it’s had. However, I'm thrilled to announce that the two new releases we're unveiling are official collaborations - a joint effort between myself and Bladerunner, accompanied by the exceptional skills of another talented mixer who prefers to remain anonymous.
For these tracks, I had the pleasure of incorporating live funk bass and horns, which further elevated the energy and groove. It has been an incredible path with many a twist and turn, with club performances that have captivated audiences for over a year now. I am truly grateful for the support and the opportunity to share my passion with all of you."

Introducing Airways, Alpha Tracks’ new record label, crafted to be an ultra-inclusive platform that celebrates the full spectrum of electronic music.

Airways is a space for experimentation, where fresh and unexplored visions can thrive. It’s an auditory stage for musical ideas in all forms—a place where genre boundaries dissolve, and connections emerge between diverse musical tastes.

Kicking off this new era, the label debuts with a stunning masterpiece from Scandinavian trance artist and avant-gardist Mikkel Rev.

Strange Power!, the fifth record from Durham, NC-based songwriter and poet Anne Malin Ringwalt, emerges from the darkest waters of the self into a world remade. Releasing in conjunction with her second book of poetry, What Floods (Inside the Castle, Oct. 2024), Strange Power! overflows with Ringwalt's teeming and sensuous personal symbolry: glowing lilacs and gentle queens, dolphins wild and girls who grew up brave _ T.S. Eliot sung by Cat Power, backed by Mount Eerie. She sings: "I rose up from water." Ringwalt writes and performs with the authority of a lifetime spent harnessing the alchemy of storytelling; her belief in the power of words to heal and transform is palpable in each achingly- delivered lyric. Made amidst profound inner and outer change, Strange Power! also sees Ringwalt taking up the role of self-producer for the first time, mirroring and supporting the record's Orphic quest by gathering contributions from a coterie of friends wielding an electric range of American instruments. Violins, vibraphones, drum machines, electric guitars dappled with spring reverb, wind-blown shells, and a host of other numinous sounds form an unfurling and shadowy world which was then carefully honed during the mixing process (shepherded by Michael Cormier-O'Leary and Lucas Knapp) _ settling the final record in an eerie meridian between spareness and verdancy. The result is a beguiling and darkly blooming realm: the sound of a personal cosmos being remade, piece by piece. Ringwalt is at the height of her spirit as both songwriter-poet and singer, her willowy voice by turns conjuring and keening as she reckons with her deep past and the stories told since. Opening track "The Pines" sets the stage for a record of truly life-long scope: "I was a child, now I hold her / I was asleep for many years." Some songs, like the gorgeous "North Carolina" and "The Saint," were written as early as 2013 but, Ringwalt says, "insisted upon being remembered" as the record took shape; in its final form, they serve as inciting moments of self-discovery before the journey to come. "The Visionary" recalls one of Ringwalt's earliest musical breakthroughs _ her re-rendering of an Emily Brontë poem into a song at age 15 _ and, she says, "`cites' the melody of that song in the context of this new one _ a holding of the past and present and every layer in between/beyond, in utter solitude _ a solitude that reflects certain aspects of abandon as a child and an adult..." This unusually lengthy time-scale lends Strange Power! a deeply moving sense of narrative fullness. Stretches of the record _ particularly the "Judgment Day" ? "River" ? "Lilac Bloom" trifecta that form the black heart of Side 1 _ may recall familiar wanderings of personal underworlds such as Mount Eerie's Lost Wisdom Pt. 2 or Neil Young's Ditch Trilogy. Yet this hollowed landscape is in turn exorcized by the a capella "I Know," in which Ringwalt sings "I won't be gutted by you / For giving and trying to heal / I won't be gutted, I am not a fool / I deserve a love that is new" before the song concludes with a piano passage that recalls hymnal music _ suggesting a faith in life itself to offer new beginnings. Side 2 features some of Ringwalt's most powerfully introspective writing to date, as the songwriter casts off myth after myth in her search for personal transformation. By the final song, "Stories," the energy that has been gathering all throughout the record breaks loose as Ringwalt reflects: "I wrote so many stories, not knowing what the end was." But at this stage in the journey, we know there is no such thing as an ending; if the healing process is never complete, the storyteller's strange power is what finally offers liberation.

Label heads Decoder and Jay York return to Toca with their second release, a split EP titled "Distant". This new collection of tracks aims to resonate with home listeners and DJs alike, offering a profound journey that balances introspective depth with dancefloor functionality. "Distant" emerges from the spaces between - the physical and creative distances that have shaped the music crafted by the duo for this release. Despite the miles apart due to their intense touring schedules, they have harnessed their separation as a source of inspiration,
resulting in an EP that reflects the nature of their circumstances. While each track has its own unique theme, the tracks share a common motif with minimalistic yet emotive layers of sound that invite listeners to delve into more deeper and introspective ideas. Each piece within
the EP exemplifies the artists' ability to create a sonic bridge that serves as an auditory journal of their experiences.

Love Is A Flame In The Dark is the debut album by experimental songwriter Karl D’Silva. A raw labour of love, a towering spire of twisted steel, tenderness and becoming, it’s a body of songs that belies the virtuoso talents of an artist whose reputation has been built on collaborating with various avant garde underground luminaries. Self-recorded at home in Rotherham and pulsing with the conviction of a true believer, these songs burst out of their self-consciousness to meet life head on, bristling with energy, 10 glimpses of the human spirit in the darkness.
Recorded throughout 2021 - 2023 and mixed in Leeds with engineer Ross Halden, D’Silva has constructed a Pop language for himself. Mutated songs that owe a small debt to the post-Industrial music of Cabaret Voltaire, Nine Inch Nails and Coil, they’re nonetheless powered by a vigorous tenderness, earnestness and D’Silva’s knack for melody. Each song is meticulously sound-designed, using synthesised sounds created from scratch married with D’Silva’s virtuoso playing on saxophone and guitar. The songs on Love Is A Flame In The Dark are unabashed, earnest love letters to living, requiems for a world fading away and small gestures of solidarity in the face of entropy.
Until now, D’Silva’s fingerprints could be found on live dates with Thurston Moore, Oren Ambarchi, Hardcore pioneers Siege and Rian Treanor as well as recordings by previous groups Trumpets Of Death and Drunk In Hell. Primarily associated with the alto saxophone in his improvisation work, Love Is A Flame In The Dark features a dizzying array of instrumentation, all played by D’Silva. D’Silva’s current membership of the group Vanishing may be a good touchstone for the dense, sonically thrilling world-building on the album but the most
striking instrument, perhaps, is D’Silva’s voice. With a soulful, rasping timbre resulting from prolonged intubation as a new-born, his vocal is both fearless and tender. On the soaring, electronic body mover Wild Kiss, thundering percussion is in service to Karl’s voice full of desire, arching up into a flayed falsetto. It’s a trick repeated on Flowers Start To Cry, where it’s deployed against the backdrop of layers of ripping alto and thudding drum programming that recall Nine Inch Nails’ visceral production, if they were covering a Prince hit. These songs capture the essence of 2024’s Karl D’Silva music; pure physicality
breaking down to reveal a shining, compassionate vulnerability.
The full breadth of Karl D’Silva’s instrumental prowess is in evidence from the off. On The Outside imagines blooming out of personal apocalypse with a soundscape of synth, saxophone worthy of any late 60s Free Jazz blower and crushing sound design. Entropy is planet-sized synth pop, Nowhere Left To Run uses midi-string orchestration to tell a story of light emerging from the dark. It’s a theme picked up
throughout the album: The Butcher is a political parable, the narrator holding power to account with grotesque, brutal imagery. It’s on a track
like Real Life that the true message emerges, however. D’Silva is peering through the layers of artifice, struggle and the fog of daily
living to find a life full of energy, connection and light. Each song here is a route into this light, out of the darkness.

The Leeds jazz scene is the gift that keeps on giving. From the dub-leaning ambience of Submotion Orchestra through to the afro-jazz fusion of Nubiyan Twist and TC & The Groove Family, a multi-generational lineage has emerged. Adding yet another page to the eclectic story of jazz from the city, emerging punk-jazz upstarts Plantfood announce the imminent arrival of their debut album ‘Carnivores’ on Friday 4th October via Bridge The Gap.

Consisting of JJ Petrie (percussion), Ruben Maric (keyboards), Joe van der Meulen (tenor saxophone), Woolley (baritone saxophone), Finn Hamilton (drums) and Woody Hayden (bass), Plantfood began in the throes of lockdown, during which all the members lived together. The group spent day after day sharing their eclectic music tastes, ranging from the electronic punk of The Prodigy and art-rock of Black Country New Road, through to the jazz dance of Steam Down and The Comet Is Coming. Taking these influences, they crafted their own sound, but without live shows, their only audience was the plants in their rehearsal room:

“We called the band Plantfood because we were writing and rehearsing in one of our bedrooms which was full of house plants. The plants kind of became our only audience, so it was like the music was food for the plants.”

The band’s debut album ‘Carnivores’, plays on this theme, referring to the plants as carnivores for consuming the bands music, whilst also reflecting the apocalyptic palette of sounds and chaos found within the record. However, mirroring the dynamism of a Plantfood live show, the album is anything but one-dimensional. The group expertly balance moments of serenity and vulnerability with cataclysmic urgency, all brought together under the guidance of producer David Haynes (TC & The Groove Family, Nubiyan Twist). The group share:

“The album’s moments of vulnerability and hope are intended as the depiction of a return-to- earth theme (circle of life, growth and decay), reflecting that the cycle of nature is not simply destructive.”

The project’s lead single ‘Y.U.S.’ drew praise from tastemakers including Jamz Supernova on BBC Radio 6, with the track featuring the talents of UK-Palestinian MC Yung Yusuf, a serial collaborator who also appears on album closer ‘Monstera’. Both tracks channel Plantfood’s explosive live energy into a blend of afro-latin rhythms and broken grooves, with the distinctive blend of tenor and baritone saxophone weaving in and out of grime-leaning, poetic exchanges with Yusuf.

Elsewhere, the second single from the project ‘Birdgang Pt. II’ is a fresh take on the band’s contemporary jazz sound, blending jazz, Balkan folk and Moroccan rhythms with a punk edge. The album’s title track resets the balance, soothing the soul through a swirling approach to spiritual jazz that wouldn’t be amiss amongst the Gondwana Records catalogue.

Razorlight were at the forefront of the indie-rock resurgence of the early 2000s, their biggest moments - ‘Golden Touch’, ‘Somewhere Else’, ‘In The Morning’, ‘America’ and ‘Wire To Wire’ - driving three Top 5 albums, nine Platinum album certifications, an NME Award, and live highlights including headlining the Reading Festival and performing at Live 8. After reuniting for live shows in 2021, the classic line-up - Johnny Borrell (vocals/guitar), Björn Ågren (guitar), Carl Dalemo (bass) and Andy Burrows (drums) - will release the new album ‘Planet Nowhere’ on October 25th, their first together since 2008. Razorlight preview the set by sharing its first single, ‘Scared Of Nothing’. Since reuniting, Razorlight have sold-out a headline tour which included a London show at the Eventim Apollo, and played shows as guests to Muse, Kaiser Chiefs and James. But as the ever ambitious Johnny challenged himself, “Who wants to be a greatest hits band?” So he hatched a plan, and late in 2023 booked a five-day session with the legendary producer Youth (The Verve, James) at his Space Mountain studio in Spain. Youth knew what they had to achieve, telling the band, “Razorlight’s quite simple isn’t it? Just a driving bassline, driving drums and a story.” For whatever reason, things weren’t that simple. After four days they had a stack of ideas, but nothing really worth pursuing. And then, as Johnny recalls, something remarkable emerged from out of nowhere. “I’d been down in the barranca, and came back up to find the studio empty. So I picked up this weird six-string bass/guitar hybrid I'd never seen before and wrote this thing. On our last night, I started playing it with the guys. The drums came in hard, the bass pounded. It sounded like shit. Absolute shit. But Youth was there, saying 'Can, Velvets, see where it takes you’ and 'Why don’t you try it like that?' But still, the track just wouldn't budge, locked in its own inertia. Youth says, 'You're getting there, just one more' and almost instantly the song came out, from nothing to something, like a statue coming up out of marble.” That song was ‘Scared of Nothing’ and listening back to the finished track, it’s easy to see why it resparked Razorlight’s mojo. Exuding taut, spiky post-punk energy in a way that’s instantly infectious - the very traits that attracted highfalutin praise from NME back when they started out (“More tunes than Franz, more spirit than The Strokes, and more balls than nearly every band out there”). And as ever, Johnny demonstrates the swaggering, high-intensity charisma that took him from being a figurehead of the Camden scene to rise to become a Vogue cover star. It was also the track which unlocked Razorlight’s creativity, leading the band to return to Spain with Youth for a second session earlier this year, during which they crafted an extensive catalogue of songs for the upcoming album. Other titles vying for inclusion include ‘Zombie Love’, ‘U Can Call Me’, ‘Dirty Luck’ and ‘Cool People’. Since returning, Razorlight have also looked back on their initial achievements, first releasing ‘Razorwhat? The Best of Razorlight’ (complete with the new song ‘You Are Entering The Human Heart’) and then last month issuing the 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of their breakthrough debut album ‘Up All Night’. Never a dull moment. Writing a new ending for themselves, Razorlight are back to cast out the boring in your life.

The sea has long been central to Japanese culture, symbolizing both sustenance and spiritual depth. Charles A.D.'s Deep Diver draws inspiration from this, channeling the ancient traditions of diving and fishing into his music. Historically, the sea has influenced everything from Shinto rituals to the livelihoods of coastal communities. In Deep Diver, this reverence flows through aquatic soundscapes, where rhythmic waves of 90s house and Detroit techno meet Japanese minimal production techniques, New Age and Pacific Jazz. Like the tides, the album ebbs and flows, creating a serene yet dynamic homage to the timeless connection between Japan and the sea.
The opening track 'Deep Diver' plunges into the depths, its abstract sound design capturing the sensation of deep-sea propulsion. Rhythmic bubbles pulse gently alongside slow-moving chords, creating an otherworldly atmosphere. The textures are lush yet restrained, setting a tranquil stage that pulls the listener into a submerged world. 'Underwater Ruins' builds on this aquatic theme, introducing rhythmic layers and bass-heavy notes reminiscent of mid-90s Japanese ambient techno. The smooth, melodic flow nods to pioneers like Mr.YT and Susumu Yokota, while subtly incorporating the Detroit techno influence through soulful, deep basslines.
The track feels like a fusion of ambient and techno, balancing serene tones with a rolling groove, emblematic of Japanese techno soul. As the album progresses into 'Bubble Ring', it becomes clear that Charles A.D. is a master of minimalism. The production is timeless, leaning
on analog techniques where echo-drenched chords and carefully layered soundscapes take on an addictive, hypnotic quality. The simplicity of the composition is deceptive, as each element carries weight, drawing the listener deeper into the rhythm and space between the notes.
'Merperson' is where organic rhythms truly come into play. Charles A.D. gently evolves the patterns, allowing each percussive hit to flow naturally into the next. Soothing melodies emerge from within the track’s structure, eventually reaching an emotional peak without ever feeling forced. The organic nature of the arrangement creates an effortless progression that feels deeply connected to the natural movement of water.Starting the second half with 'Deep Exploration', the theme of underwater excursions becomes even more pronounced. Light, steady drumming anchors the track, allowing the melodic layers
to develop gradually. It unfolds with a calm, measured pace, before ending softly, almost as if the sounds are drifting off into the oceanic depths. 'Diffuse Reflection' stands out as the most dub house-influenced on the album, with rolling rhythms and hypnotic elements reminiscent of Maurizio's deep, pulsing sound. Yet here, the production feels submerged, with aquatic effects swirling around the rhythmic core, blending dub house with a fluid, oceanic touch. 'Traitors' delves even deeper into dub-inspired territory. Deep, resonant bass hits combine with wooden drums, while static-like sounds evoke the image of a radio tuning through static to find clarity.
Chords shimmer briefly before fading back into the liquid depths, evoking the ebb and flow of the tide. The final track on Deep Diver 'Levitation', is a fitting conclusion, as the rhythms merge and overlap like waves gently lapping the shore. The minimalistic arrangement allows each element to blend effortlessly into the next, creating a sense of unity and closure. The sounds move with the gentle grace of water, ending the album in a way that feels both complete and
open-ended, like the infinite motion of the sea.

A hard rock mash up - Bandleader Paul Ngozi's split album with his drummer and co-vocalist Chrissy Zebby Tembo. The set includes an oversized 8 page booklet detailing Ngozi’s arc, rare photographs, discography and annotations.

"Zambia’s Zamrock movement that exploded in the 1970s...provided young musicians access to European and American music, and created a unique sound. At its root, Zamrock melded fuzz-toned psychedelia, chugging garage rock and roiling funk with a broad mix of African cadences and beats...enlivening a scene that included bands like Musi-O-Tunya, Amanaz and the Ngozi Family” - New York Times

Zamrock was a bona-fide rock scene: on the African continent, only Nigeria can claim one so comprehensive, and Nigeria’s was largely catalyzed and funded by subsidiaries of the European major labels. Zamrock was as independent as the newly-named country, formerly known as Northern Rhodesia. Zamrock is starting in its completeness, especially for a scene that emerged, unfurled and disappeared so quickly. From Musi-O-Tunyaís fusion of Fela’s Afro-beat, Hendrix’s rock, South African jazz and traditional Zambian melodies and rhythms to Salty Dog’s acid folk/rock, Zambia’s rock scene contained all of rock’s subgenres. Zamrock was much more than an imitation of American and European rock music: it quickly became a uniquely Zambian movement, befitting of its name. WITCH, Paul Ngozi and Amanaz sound nothing like other rock music from the African continent - or elsewhere. Zamrock came from a nation's youth carrying forth the momentum of a political and social revolution with a musical revolution that maintained the fiery power of early rock - in the mid-to late-70s. From that era, Zamrockís energy is matched only by the punk and hip hop scenes of England and America.

"Sophie Allison has always written candidly about her life, making Soccer Mommy one of indie rock’s most interesting & beloved artists of the last decade. On Evergreen Allison is again writing about her life, but life’s different these days: Since 2022's Sometimes, Forever Allison experienced a profound & personal loss. New songs emerged, unflinching reflections on what she was feeling. She wanted them to sound that way too, as true to the demos as possible. Nothing overindulgent, everything real.

UK HIGHLIGHTS: BRICKS Magazine cover, DORK Magazine cover, Line of Best Fit Cover, NTS Takeover, features from CRACK, NME, Wonderland, Louder Sound, support from Kerrang!, Rock Sound, CLASH, 6Music, Apple Music 1, Radio 1, Radio X. Recent UK shows: Glastonbury 2024, Outbreak 2024, UK Headline tour in May 2025"

"Sophie Allison has always written candidly about her life, making Soccer Mommy one of indie rock’s most interesting & beloved artists of the last decade. On Evergreen Allison is again writing about her life, but life’s different these days: Since 2022's Sometimes, Forever Allison experienced a profound & personal loss. New songs emerged, unflinching reflections on what she was feeling. She wanted them to sound that way too, as true to the demos as possible. Nothing overindulgent, everything real.

UK HIGHLIGHTS: BRICKS Magazine cover, DORK Magazine cover, Line of Best Fit Cover, NTS Takeover, features from CRACK, NME, Wonderland, Louder Sound, support from Kerrang!, Rock Sound, CLASH, 6Music, Apple Music 1, Radio 1, Radio X. Recent UK shows: Glastonbury 2024, Outbreak 2024, UK Headline tour in May 2025"

Minimal wave legend Das Ding is back on Electronic Emergencies after 10 years with a stunning selection of archival tracks from retrieved tape recordings. In the early eighties, Danny Bosten got together with his friends after school in his bedroom studio, somewhere in the bleak Dutch countryside. They experimented with cheap analogue gear and made music to kill time. The sound is raunchy and slightly experimental, but already unmistakable Das Ding. New wave, early EBM and proto techno are found this album, pressed on clear vinyl. To preserve the original atmosphere and sound, the tapes received the Ruud Lekx mastering treatment.

The prolific & visionary artist known for his work with TV ON THE RADIO, and SPACEK emerges from the shadows with this extremely limited 7" on his newly formed label SPA. This will not be repressed so get it while you can! Full pic sleeve. (SPA) NUJAZZ SOUL HEADZ
"COULD IT BE UR LOVE" introduces a gentle and soothing half-time rhythm, inviting the audience to experience a love bruk atmosphere. SPACEK draws inspiration from the heavenly nights at Plastic People, creating a track that resonates with selectaz who love to move on the dance floor. The warm and luscious sonic of this piece is a testament to SPACEK's meticulous attention to detail and passion for creating music that transcends boundaries.
On the flip side, "DANCING IN THE LIGHT" presents a horse-step rhythm that underpins a future lovers rock style track. With synths and bass pulsating, this track is tailor-made for dance floor enthusiasts who enjoy a one-foot skank.

lp wiBola’s music melds sheer force of spirit with a sound not often heard by ears outside the remote Upper East Region of Ghana. This man who grew up herding livestock in the savannah, far away from the tropical coast and cosmopolitan cities of Accra and Kumasi, has aligned himself with national and international means of expression to transform his hometown sound into something downright avant-garde. His bold fury stems from the kologo—a two-stringed lute with a calabash gourd resonator—and Frafra language vocals, emitted in raspy bursts.

Traditionally, kologo performances occur at pito (local beer made from fermented millet or sorghum) bars, weddings, funerals, festivals or spontaneous jams on the street, which are the environments where Bola honed his craft as a solo musician. In recent years, he came into contact with people like his mentor Guy One who helped him get into the studio to document what is some of the most dynamic music to come out of Ghana since the emergence of hiplife in the mid-'90s.

Volume 7, which came out in 2009, is just one entry in a brilliant series of recordings Bola has released on CD and cassette. Although he employs a traditional instrument and the age-old mode of griot story-telling, Bola embraces elements of up-to-the-minute mainstream Ghanaian music—drum machines, synths, bone-shaking bass. Inspired by pioneering kologo greats like King Ayisoba, Bola has taken a dynamic instrument used by traditional healers and herbalists to sing to god in search of advice and taken it to futuristic heights.

The Proclaimers, formed by twin brothers Charlie and Craig Reid emerged in 1987. The duo are renowned for their singing style with a distinct Scottish accent and their infectiously melodic songs about love, politics, and life in Scotland. Well-known for their most memorable songs "Sunshine on Leith", "I'm On My Way", "Letter from America" and of course, the hit single "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)”.

This Is the Story is the debut studio album from The Proclaimers, originally released in 1987 and celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. It contains the Gerry Rafferty-produced full band version of "Letter from America", which reached number 3 in the UK Single Chart.

Songwriter and performer Sam Cooke (1931-1964) was one of the most popular and influential black singers to emerge in the late 50s.

RUN-DMC DOWN WITH THE KING 30th ANNIVERSARY Pressed On Red, White and Black Double Colored Vinyl With Commemorative Numbered OBI Limited To 2000 Copies Thirty years ago on May 4, 1993, Run-DMC made one of the greatest comebacks in Hip-Hop history with the release of their 6th studio album Down With The King. To understand the significance of this feat we have to go back a few years. Coming off an amazing four-album run ending with the platinum album Tougher Than Leather, Run-DMC released their 5th studio album, Back From Hell, to lackluster sales. Did Run-DMC fall off? Did the emergence of gangsta rap push them off to the side? It was sad to see your Hip-Hop heroes take a fall. Then in 1991, a 12-inch remix came out for the single "Back From Hell" featuring Chuck D and Ice Cube and fans took notice. It would be two more years before anyone would hear from Run-DMC again. In March of 1993, a new single and video “Down With The King” debuted on Yo! MTV Raps featuring the new Hip-Hop Gods Pete Rock and CL Smooth paying homage to The Kings calling back verses from Sucker MCs over a dope signature Pete Rock beat. The video would be in constant rotation on Ralph McDaniels Video Music Box, YO!, BET’s Rap City and more. Fans watched it over and over to catch all the cameos, everyone from Eazy-E to the Native Tongues Family of De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. The anticipation was building, but would the album live up to the lead single that knocked it out of the park? On May 4, 1993, the album dropped on CD, Cassette, and Vinyl. Run-DMC enlisted The Bomb Squad from Public Enemy, Q-Tip, EPMD, Jermaine Dupri, Kay Gee of Naughty By Nature, and Pete Rock to produce the album with a special appearance by Tom Morello rocking out his guitar emulating DJ scratches he made famous with Rage Against The Machine. Their rhyming was as enthusiastic and powerful as they were on their debut album 10 years prior. Run-DMC, the self-proclaimed Kings of Rock and original Kings of Hip Hop were indeed back. The album debuted at #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts and #7 on the Billboard 200 and would go Gold within two months. Get On Down is proud to present for the first time on vinyl since its original release, a 30 Year Anniversary pressing on double-colored vinyl with numbered OBI in a gatefold jacket.

Transparent gelbes Vinyl. Handgemachter, kompromissloser Riffrock, der die Vergangenheit mit der Gegenwart verbindet - dafu?r steht ATRIO. Das Trio u?berzeugt mit seinen leidenschaftlichen, ehrlichen Liveshows und erinnert an Bands wie Audioslave und Rival Sons. Auf ihrem zweiten Album THE KING behandeln ATRIO Themen wie den Kampf um eine bessere Welt und den Umgang mit Selbstzweifeln. Dass ATRIO ihr Handwerk beherrschen, haben sie schon mit der Qualifizierung beim Emergenza Deutschlandfinale und einer Europatour zusammen mit Corky Laing's Mountain unter Beweis gestellt.

Oliver Coates' Throb, shiver, arrow of time is a portal into somatic chiaroscuro, aglow with the embers of imperfect memories and smudged with the plumes of internal echoes, which augment in vast, mercurial dimensions. For his third album on RVNG Intl., the British cellist, composer and producer offers a capsule of personal resonance and remembrance, assembled over the past six years. Throb, shiver, arrow of time traces the familiar metallic anatomy and viscous string modulations of his 2020 release skins n slime, while recentering his inner compulsions following a procession of lauded score writing projects, including the films Aftersun (Charlotte Wells, 2022), The Stranger (Thomas M Wright, 2022) and Occupied City (Steve McQueen, 2023). While working on Aftersun, Wells asked Coates how music could signal that someone is going on a trawl through their memory_a question that has stayed with him ever since and fosters a heartbeat running through the record. Throb, shiver, arrow of time is "all about inaccurate transmissions from our memories, overlaid with emotions from other sources," says Coates. The release is imbued with the ache and glow of recollections mulched together, where the guttural dissonance of misremembering is shrouded by strange orbs of sentiment. At the record's inner core is "Shopping centre curfew," a swift yet cavernous track that emerged five years ago when two real world events, both occurring in South London during the pandemic lockdowns, became fused in a dream: the demolition of Elephant and Castle shopping center, and the discussion of a curfew as a real possibility for all men following a violent crime. A strange simultaneity occurred with this piece of music and Coates built the album out from there, a sense of temporal entropy refracting shimmers of lurking convulsions into lucid sonic topologies. The ten compositions of Throb, shiver, arrow of time find weightless melodies soaring across after-image gradients, magnified and compressed. Misted tones within "Please be normal" and "90" soften drone-soaked shudders of inner acoustics messing up. Vocal invocations appear from long-term collaborators Malibu and chrysanthemum bear, as well as drifting synth radiance from Faten Kanaan. Throb, shiver, arrow of time furthers Coates' reach in collapsing the digital into the analogue and vice versa, allowing serendipity to reorganize the material and push out against the confines of flatness. This sculptural approach to sound is deeply influenced by the intricate installations of artist Sarah Sze, whose permutations of visual matter with its own after-image form kaleidoscopic epitaphs for ephemera and emotion. Coates' thinking about Sze's work and processes flowed together with his own playing and editing techniques, superimposing the textural relief of a live take back into a composition, and allowing the sound to succumb to a dream of itself. As Coates expands, "The cello is a kind of melancholic instrument with a light ethereal spirit. When the sound is flattened into digital processes, with shifted frequencies and time stretching I'm trying to give it even more of those qualities. Sometimes I'm distancing myself from it, so it becomes a piece of discarded debris that has soul in it, a down-sampling. Or other times, it's trying to maximize the present tense in the act of playing, and collapse that vivid color into a burnished, photocopied kind of sound. So the music acts like weather, weathering the listener, or as flames licking at the sides of objects." As the record unfurls, the compositions swell in duration, until the granular glimmers of its finale "Make it happen" persist in almost violent delight. "There's a feeling of not wanting to let this album go, trying to defy the extinguishing sound at the end of the music, trying to push the colors beyond the confines of the structure, to defeat the silence." In the scramble to resist denouement, Coates suspends the arrow of time in its eternal flight, just for a moment, to reveal the solace of the dust settling in the afterglow. Oliver Coates' Throb, shiver, arrow of time will be released on vinyl, Japanese import CD, and digital editions on October 18, 2024. On behalf of Oliver and RVNG Intl., a portion of the proceeds from this release will benefit The Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland, an organization fostering opportunities for people of all ages to participate in the traditional music and culture of Scotland.

The origins of Oreo Jones forthcoming third studio album, to be released September 20th, 2024, started in 2019 while on an extended trip to Antananarivo, Madagascar supported by an Andy Warhol Foundation grant. The myriad sights and sounds of this journey greatly inform the sonic tapestry of this new album.Jones teamed up with indie producer Ben Lumsdaine (Durand Jones/Wishy/Varsity/Barrie) to build songs from the ground up sending demos back and forth from across the country. Jones also recruited composer and vocalist Hanna Benn to add heavenly harmonies sprinkled throughout the album. The result is a sound that is intentional and immediate, earthly and ethereal. Each song is a chapter in a narrative crafted with purpose.Emotionally, the album emerges from a place of much needed rest and peace. During the recording process, Jones' uncle passed away unexpectedly. Over the past few years, he has found himself processing grief and loss within his immediate family of elders. Nephew is an ode to celebrate the ancestors who shaped the artist he is today.

Tornado Wallace and Jamie Tiller present Heart Sphere, on their new imprint Basic Spirit. The first release "E.R. (Emergency Relief)", is a mid-tempo, cosmic trance manifestation with three revisions; Guitar Mix, Piano MIx, and the vinyl only Children Mix. For disciples of Big Room Balearic ™️, new-normal-beat, classic-trance, and George Clooney.

***BACK IN STOCK ON ORANGE CREAM VINYL!!!

On Fire is widely recognized as the canonic pinnacle of Galaxie 500's career. The artwork conveys this, with a low-angle shot of the band, looking up towards an amber sky. This record marked the realization of their signature sound. Nowhere is it clearer than on the album opener, "Blue Thunder," the closest a song can come to waves crashing on a beach in song form. Lyrically inconsequential, with a chorus composed entirely of "la"s, the track's power lies in a systematic build and break of intensity that reaches a Spector-like climax. It is the quintessential Galaxie 500 song, encapsulating all that was great about the band. With the Boston trio once again utilizing the bizarre genius of producer Mark Kramer, On Fire sounds like anything but. The guitars are warm blankets enwrapping Dean Wareham's vocals, percolated by the open percussion of Damon Krukowski and anchored by the emotion-laden bass of Naomi Yang. Songs like "Snowstorm," "Strange," and "Decomposing Trees" have an endless quality, without beginnings or ends, but rather frozen somewhere on a spectrum of melancholy. For the first time since its original pressing, On Fire is available again on vinyl. Cut by vinyl ace Kevin Gray from a remaster by Kramer and Alan Douches, the album sounds more vibrant than ever, and Galaxie 500 exists again as one of the most enrapturing and glorious bands to emerge from the underground in the past 25 years.

2024 Repress

Dark Entries is honored to finally present the first ever official vinyl reissue of Space Museum by Solid Space. Solid Space was the British duo of Dan Goldstein (keyboards, vocals) and Matthew 'Maf' Vosburgh (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals) formed in 1980. Dan and Matthew met at the age of 11 while attending school in north London. In late 1978 at at the age of 14, they formed Exhibit 'A' with Paul Platypus' and Andrew Lunchbox' Bynghall. They recorded two EPs in 1979 and 1980, self-released on Irrelevant Wombat Records and appeared on 'The Thing From The Crypt' compilation. After the dissolution of the group, Mathew started taking his guitar over to Dan's house where he'd play his Casio MT-30 and they would record songs. Eventually a second hand drum machine and Wasp synthesizer were acquired from classified ads in Melody Maker and the Solid Space sound was born. By this time they were just turning 18 and finally found the freedom to make the music they'd had in their heads. Over the course of the next two years the band assembled eleven bedroom recordings that would become one of the most cherished DIY obscurities of its kind. Their debut album 'Space Museum' was released in 1982 on cassette by In Phaze Records. All of the songs were mixed by label boss Pat Bermingham on 8-track tape at The Shed, in Ilford, which was literally a garden shed. The band's music and lyrics were heavily indebted to science fiction, in particular the 1960s television series Doctor Who. 'Space Museum' is an unveiling of atmospheric, minimalist post punk supported by bright melodies. The music combines drum machines and synths with acoustic guitar and toy drums whilst also experimenting with samples between tracks. Lyrics deal with space travel and a general sense of dejection. Representing a bubbling spirit within the underground, they foreshadowed an entire world of independent music which would emerge across the 80's and well into the 90's. For this reissue we've included two bonus tracks from the band's archive, Platform 6' originally released on the B-side of the second single by Exhibit 'A', this song features only Dan and Matthew and is the first Solid Space track ever recorded. Tutti Lo Sanno' is a cover of In Phaze label mates Marine Girls, though the lyrics have been changed to suit the gender of the new singer.Each song has been carefully remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record is sleeved in a replica of the cassette artwork featuring the Cybermen and Jamie from the Doctor Who episode "The Wheel in Space". Every copy includes a double sided 11x11 insert with lyrics, notes and never before seen photographs of the band taken by Maf as well as a postcard featuring an original advert for the cassette.

After a near decade spent in obscurity, Peter Cat Recording Co. or PCRC, emerged from the toxic winter smog of Delhi to enter the global Krishna consciousness with the release of 2019's "Bismillah", the culmination of years of refining their unique vision of 21st century pop music. Seeking a transcultural sound, centered around the song writing of Suryakant Sawhney, PCRC's music mines ideas from both time and space, across centuries and continents, extracting and transforming them into modern hymns and timeless folk, something you could perhaps imagine hearing in the holo-deck of a ship from Star Trek. As the name suggests, Peter Cat Recording Co. is less a band and more of a self-sufficient factory of music and art. With 3 potent song writers in Suryakant, Dhruv & Kartik, the group is building a legacy informed and echoing the spirit of groups like The Velvet Underground and The Beatles. The next chapter of this entity began with the announcement of their new album, "BETA", a name inspired by the birth of Karan Singh's son. PCRC is Suryakant Sawhney on vocals and guitars, Karan Singh on drums, Dhruv Bhola on bass and samples, Rohit Gupta on keys, horns and woodwind, and Kartik Sundareshan on guitars, horns and woodwind.

Boudica is proud to present their first record of 2024, featuring an artist who holds a special place within the platform - none other than DJ and producer Wallis.
DJ, live-act and former mastering engineer, Wallis speaks for a generation searching for novelty and emotion in the electronic music realm.
Sharp engineering skills coupled with a unique approach to sound design allowed her to develop a trademark sound. Using an array of synthesisers, effects units, and experimental studio techniques, Wallis produces melancholic electronic music rapidly shifting between different patterns and atmospheres.
She tours as a DJ and Live Act around the world, having played large festivals such as DGTL or renowned clubs like Berghain, and will happily play at a large stage one day but at a small intimate sweaty basement the next.
In 2024, she started producing music for fashion shows and debuted that project by creating the music for the entire Natasha Zinko runway show at London Fashion Week February 2024.
The EP's opening track, "Hell is a Girl from Before (Rainy Summer Mix)," introduces a stirring blend of emotions. Starting with an emotional melody, accompanied by synths and a plucked instrument, it swiftly transitions into energetic segments driven by the drums. Vocals emerge, their words almost imperceptible, adding an intimate layer to the experience. The track maintains a steady pace, evoking the ambience of a rainy summer day. This creates a melancholic yet hopeful mood, transporting listeners through a journey of introspection.
As "Protect Me From My Friends" unfolds, it feels like being whisked away to a new dimension, greeted by otherworldly, robotic sounds. The introspective journey of the previous track mutates into raw emotions, driven forward by a relentless bassline. Clear vocals take the forefront, guiding the listener through the sonic landscape, only to be interrupted by the commanding presence of the bassline, which assumes the main character role.

In "Sleeping Pills Are Gone," an atmospheric and gloomy introduction is abruptly interrupted by an acid and hefty bassline that dynamically evolves throughout the track, plunging the listener into an eyes-open dream born of a sleepless night. The vocals echo the track's title, creating a haunting repetition. Wallis strategically grants brief breaks, constructing a powerful crescendo that heightens the experience. These are momentary escapes before immersing the listener once more into the hypnotic trance induced by the solid four-to-the-floor march.
Closing the EP with a striking finale, "Teenage Apocalypse" introduces a clunky melody that encapsulates the signature sound of the record. Characteristic vocals weave throughout, guiding the listener towards the track's crescendo. Driven by a flawless fusion of drums, the song transitions seamlessly into a powerful breakbeat moment, accompanied by yet another impeccable bassline. True to its title, it evokes the intensity of a day of judgment, leaving a lasting impact as the EP draws to a close.
This EP is a testament to Wallis's growth as a producer and her fantastic storytelling ability through sound.
In the artist's words: "Sometimes life takes a weird turn. Angry, confused and dealing with moral: this EP targets the pain and absurdity of attachment and strongly themes Gregg Araki's teenage apocalypse trilogy. The artwork poem plastered on the wall was written by wallis."

Hardwarez, the third LP by Master Boot Record (aka MBR) on Metal Blade, sees multi-instrumentalist mastermind Vittorio D'Amore (aka Victor Love) aurally exploring the duality of technology and humanity in 9 intense and incandescent tracks. The LP, which follows 2022’s Personal Computer and 2020’s Floppy Disk Overdrive, comes from the expansive mind of Love, an Italian producer who emerged from the underground as an anonymous project in 2016 to create the soundtrack for the cyberpunk point-and-click adventure game VirtuaVerse. The project seamlessly evolved into a standalone entity, releasing over 14 albums in just a few years.
To create Hardwarez, the technologist worked by live streaming his desktop on YouTube while composing new music. Everything is programmed via MIDI. “The very first song I wrote is actually also the first single, “CPU,” he says. “Even though the other songs on the album have a quite different style, the type of riffing and the different melodic section of this track worked as a base to upgrade the sound before moving forward.” “CPU” is also where Love decided to test the real guitar overdubs and was inspired by the results.
“With every album I’ve upgraded bits of the sounds, adding new layers,” he says. “In Hardwarez the core sounds for synth guitars, leads and pads are still those that constitute the trademark MBR sound, but what makes this album very different is the addition of guitar overdubs that play along synth guitars for both the rhythmic and solo sections.”
Intensive touring augmented with live musicians helped Love to make the decision to include real guitars to achieve a massive sound and boost the enhanced frequency spectrum of the instrument. “On this record there are a lot of heavy riffs with palm muting and my lead guitarist Shreddy recorded most of those leads and solos as well playing in unison with synth leads and adding extra energy to them.”

Hardwarez, the third LP by Master Boot Record (aka MBR) on Metal Blade, sees multi-instrumentalist mastermind Vittorio D'Amore (aka Victor Love) aurally exploring the duality of technology and humanity in 9 intense and incandescent tracks. The LP, which follows 2022’s Personal Computer and 2020’s Floppy Disk Overdrive, comes from the expansive mind of Love, an Italian producer who emerged from the underground as an anonymous project in 2016 to create the soundtrack for the cyberpunk point-and-click adventure game VirtuaVerse. The project seamlessly evolved into a standalone entity, releasing over 14 albums in just a few years.
To create Hardwarez, the technologist worked by live streaming his desktop on YouTube while composing new music. Everything is programmed via MIDI. “The very first song I wrote is actually also the first single, “CPU,” he says. “Even though the other songs on the album have a quite different style, the type of riffing and the different melodic section of this track worked as a base to upgrade the sound before moving forward.” “CPU” is also where Love decided to test the real guitar overdubs and was inspired by the results.
“With every album I’ve upgraded bits of the sounds, adding new layers,” he says. “In Hardwarez the core sounds for synth guitars, leads and pads are still those that constitute the trademark MBR sound, but what makes this album very different is the addition of guitar overdubs that play along synth guitars for both the rhythmic and solo sections.”
Intensive touring augmented with live musicians helped Love to make the decision to include real guitars to achieve a massive sound and boost the enhanced frequency spectrum of the instrument. “On this record there are a lot of heavy riffs with palm muting and my lead guitarist Shreddy recorded most of those leads and solos as well playing in unison with synth leads and adding extra energy to them.”

In the follow-up to 2023’s ‘Chrysalis’, Zanias returns with ‘Ecdysis’,
which travels even further into alternate dimensions, casting off all
language and song structures in favour of something far more alien
and sensual. Named after the final stage of emergence from a former
self, ‘Ecdysis’ lays claim to an entirely new electronic soundscape
influenced by the ethereal pioneering of Dead Can Dance, Enya and
Fever Ray. Zanias’s voice morphs deftly between species and gender,
exemplifying the oneness of conscious experience evoked by the more
extreme psychedelic states, while the atmosphere is headily influenced
by the Queensland rainforest where much of the recording took place,
conjuring an environment rich with biodiversity. The creation of the
album itself became a deeply healing process for its producer, and it is
designed to function the same way for its listeners. Best enjoyed on
headphones in total darkness. 140g white and transparent blue A-side /
B-side marbled vinyl housed in a matte 3mm cardboard sleeve with
insert featuring photography and artwork by Hidrico Rubens and Nat
Soba. Limited to 300 copies.

Still Music Chicago is thrilled to announce the reissue of Jiraffe's ''Out'A The Box,'' a legendary dance record from New York City. Originally released in 1988 on Goldqwest Records, this track emerged from the collaboration between Richie Weeks and Al Smith. This limited 12'' release includes a full sleeve with a never-before-seen picture of Richie Weeks with Vaughan Mason at Vaughan home studio and a story of ''Out'A The Box''. Richie Weeks, known for his work with The Jammers and Weeks & Co, founded Goldqwest Records after Salsoul Records closed. Inspired by his friend Vaughan Mason, Richie ventured into house music production, recording demos that caught the attention of Reynald ''Crazy Frenchman'' Deschamps of M.T.I Exports. A generous supporter funded Goldqwest's third release, leading to Richie and Al Smith creating ''Out'A The Box'' at Al's home studio in Philadelphia. The track blended post-disco, dance, latin, and proto-house elements, achieving cult status among DJs worldwide.

With the debut album "Mechanical Spin Phenomena", MNEMIC introduced themselves to the metal world impressively: Their music, made of heavy Thrash riffs, Progressive elements, modern synthesizers and electronic samples created both a hard and spacy atmosphere – therefore the band decided to describe their sound as Fusion Future Metal. Crushing songs like 'Ghost' and 'Liquid' got stuck in your head so easily and the comparisons to bands like FEAR FACTORY, MESHUGGAH or STRAPPING YOUNG LAD were drawn soon. But MNEMIC are not a simple copy of those acts – they are a band with their own ideas and self-contained style. "The Audio Injected Soul" shows MNEMIC grown and more mature. Less complex than "Mechanical Spin Phenomena", the band worked a lot with melodies and set a high value on creating catchy refrains. The result is amazing songs like 'Dreamstate Emergency', 'Door 2.12' or 'Deathbox' groove like hell and unify brutality with melody. Finalized by a dynamic cover version of DURAN DURAN's 'Wild Boys', "The Audio Injected Soul" is all in all a perfect package of ten punishing Modern Metal songs that will catapult MNEMIC to the major league of the genre! Tue Madsen, who again took care of the producing in his Antfarm Studios in Aarhus/Denmark, additionally provided the album with a clear and explosive sound that displays the effect of each track fully.

Pioneering Dutch punk band, the Squats, was one of the first to emerge from the underground of late 1970s Nijmegen.

Pioneering Dutch punk band, the Squats, was one of the first to emerge from the underground of late 1970s Nijmegen.

Gil Tamazyan is the founder and president of Capsule Labs, a boutique pressing plant, record label and analogue mastering studio in Los Angeles. He has been making cultured sounds for twenty years and does everything from deep house to Italo disco while drawing on a wide range of influences from the words of jazz, funk and more.
-On “Morning Cleanser,” Gil Tamazyan beautifully crafts a deep house record with notes of jazz sprinkled throughout.
-Pressed on 180g black vinyl for the best listening experience.
Gil Tamazyan unveils "Morning Cleanser," a musical gem that masterfully blends house and jazz, showcasing his signature authenticity and groove. The EP begins with "Bumper Car Theater," where Gil's craftsmanship paints a spacious sonic landscape. A steady bassline anchors the track, while ethereal chords drift, inviting introspection and calm. As dawn breaks, the title track "Morning Cleanser" emerges with vibrant chords and infectious beats. The groovy bassline sets the rhythm, and spirited vocals infuse the track with energy, awakening the senses and stirring the soul.
Continuing the journey, "My Body" offers a sultry exploration of sound and sensation. Smooth keys intertwine with dreamy vocals, creating a warm and intimate ambiance. The rhythmic groove carries listeners away, transporting them to a realm of pure musical delight. Closing the EP, "News Cast" weaves a tapestry of rhythm and melody. Powerful kicks and a punchy bassline drive the track, while a sultry saxophone ties back to the opening track, adding a sense of allure. With "Morning Cleanser," Gil Tamazyan delivers a mature and grounded musical experience, inviting listeners to tune in and vibe out.

On this LP you hear two kanteles built by the Master Luthier Rauno Nieminen. One of them is a copy of a historical instrument built by the folk poet Ontrei Malinen in 1833. It is carved from single piece of pine, and it has five bronze strings. The other one is carved from a single piece of spruce. Its lowest seven strings are bronze, and highest three strings are English iron. On most tracks the two kanteles are played simultaneously.

For me, playing these instruments is searching for meaningful ways to interact with wooden objects from another time. By choosing a set of 5 to 15 frequencies and plucking them, I'm able to think, feel, and imagine more than I could without the instruments. the patterns that emerge from the vibrating strings give temporal shapes to thoughts.

The music on this album is improvised. It was recorded at home after dark and outdoors in daylight during 2020-2022. No overdubs or edits were made afterwards. On the last track the kantele is accompanied by detritus gathered from the forest floor.

Tuokioita translates to moments. This music is about colouring time.

In the early 1990s, before the era of social media dominance, skateboarding culture found its voice through magazines and VHS video releases, notably from brands like Santa Cruz and Powell Peralta. These videos not only shaped the skateboarding world but also influenced creativity across various industries worldwide.

In 1988 and 1989, two groundbreaking videos, "Shackle Me Not" and "Hokus Pokus," emerged from the fledgling skateboard company: H-Street, unleashed a seismic shift in street skateboarding. These videos are revered as iconic masterpieces, celebrated for their innovative skateboarding sequences and unforgettable soundtracks.

“What’s particularly interesting about Hokus Pokus was its soundtrack, largely comprised of demo cassettes, unsigned artists, and bands with loose ties to the brand. Some of the songs were goofy, others almost anthemic, and few sounded of their time. Perhaps it was the repetition or the fact that Matt Hensley could have skated to the sounds of a broken oven and it would have been iconic, but the songs in Hokus Pokus became a secret handshake for the hardcore—people who really gave a shit about skateboarding’s culture not just the act”.

Artless / Anthony Pappalardo

“When we were filming for Shackle Me Not we were still a brand new company and hardly anybody knew who we were and it was so brand new. I was so busy skating and I noticed there was like a movement in skateboarding, you could feel there was a change in the way, in the tide, not just white H-Street but with every company. I think that video, the H-Street video was saw raw, with the crazy music, and you know, just the wackiness of all of it, I think that feeling went out into the world, and kids everywhere understood you don’t need to live 20mn away from Del Mar to actually be part of what’s happening. I think that just opened up the world of skateboarding to more people”

Matt Hensley – Pro skater and Floggin Molly band member.

Fast forward 35 years, and H-Street, in collaboration with Paris (France) based label Stereo Ronin Records, embarks on a momentous project to release special edition vinyl soundtracks from these seminal videos. This exclusive release features meticulously remastered tracks, including new versions and previously unreleased gems on vinyl, making it a treasure trove for any skateboarding enthusiast.

Curated from bands like Kirk & The Jerks, Sub Society, Wonderful Broken Thing, Voluntários da Pátria and The Cry, representing the golden era of skateboarding music, this album promises an unparalleled experience for fans of Punk Rock, Indy Rock, and of course, skateboarding.

Working alongside RTM Studio in Paris, Stereo Ronin Records has undertaken a remastering journey, ensuring that this vinyl edition delivers a truly unique sonic experience, capturing the essence of a bygone era while resonating with contemporary audiences.

In the story of Los Sanders, many sources can be found to understand the emergence of “chicha”, a style associated with the life of migrants in the city that saw its heyday in the 1980s, but also to understand the connections between youth music, “new ola”, and rock with tropical rhythms.

Los Sanders serve as a bridge between periods and styles, and their ability to adapt to musical genres and reinvent them has given them a unique style. Los Sanders de Ñaña reflect a Lima that was transforming, giving way to a new face and a new urban soundtrack.

In the universe of Peruvian tropical music, one can distinguish a wide variety of styles. One of the most unique is known as the “carretero” style, also referred to as the “Carretera Central” sound, which alludes to the sound developed by a series of musical groups that became known during the 1970s in the areas surrounding this major highway. At that time, this area received a large influx of migrants from the provinces who came to the capital in search of a better future. The initiators of this carretero style were Los Sanders de Ñaña, and following them, other groups emerged, not only creating a unique style but also establishing a circuit.

John Mayall is often referred to as the "Father of British Blues." Born on November 29, 1933, he's primarily known for his work as a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, particularly as a harmonica player and keyboardist. Mayall gained prominence in the 1960s as the founder and leader of the band John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, which served as a launching pad for numerous British blues and rock musicians. Mayall's Bluesbreakers lineup famously included Eric Clapton, Peter Green, and Mick Taylor, all of whom went on to achieve great success in their own right. His band became a crucial part of the British blues movement and influenced countless musicians around the world. Over the years, John Mayall has released numerous albums both as a solo artist and with various iterations of the Bluesbreakers. His music spans a wide range of blues styles, from traditional Chicago blues to more experimental and progressive sounds. Mayall's influence on the development of blues and rock music cannot be overstated, and he will always remain a respected figure in the music industry. This John Mayall release from Indigo Records ''Through The Years Live 60's to 80's'' are live recordings presented on Blue vinyl.