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Everything clicks on Safe to Run, the fourth album from singer, songwriter Esther Rose. It’s the quiet culmination of years spent fully immersed in a developing artistry, and presents Rose’s always vividly detailed emotional scenes with new levels of clarity and control. As with previous work, her songwriting transfigures the chaos and uncertainty of a life in progress, but here she introduces a newfound pop element that attaches unshakably catchy hooks to even the darkest stretches of the journey. Rose takes an unblinking look at her own vulnerabilities as well as more universal concerns, somehow never taking herself too seriously in the process. This manifests as a critique of the insidious sexism of the music industry on “Dream Girl,” but quickly melts into a hazy memoryscape of the dive bar drama and suspended hovering of her early 20s on “Chet Baker.” The song “Safe to Run” (a gorgeous duet with Hurray for the Riff Raff’s Alynda Segarra) directly merges the personal with the global, superimposing feelings of spiritual displacement onto the larger, looming dread of climate grief. Rose breathes in the ecstasy of the natural world in one line and makes fun of herself a few bars later. There are ghosts in the room for most of her songs, but she’s invited them in and is cracking jokes with them over a drink or two. Ultimately all of these new advancements become twinkles of light in the background as they fold into the big picture impact of the songs themselves. Esther Rose translates her world into eleven curious and captivating scenes. While the songs are stunning one by one, absorbing Safe to Run as a whole feels like witnessing something taking shape, experiencing the headspins of the elevation and the slow return to equilibrium as the clouds start clearing.

“I feel like there are two sides of me,” says the Nashville-based singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso known as Sunny War. “One of them is very self-destructive, and the other is trying to work with that other half to keep things balanced.” That’s the central conflict on her fourth album, the eclectic and innovative Anarchist Gospel, which documents a time when it looked like the self-destructive side might win out. Extreme emotions can make that battle all the more perilous, yet from such trials Sunny has crafted a set of songs that draw on a range of ideas and styles, as though she’s marshaling all her forces to get her ideas across: ecstatic gospel, dusty country blues, thoughtful folk, rip-roaring rock and roll, even avant garde studio experiments. She melds them together into a powerful statement of survival, revealing a probing songwriter who indulges no comforting platitudes and a highly innovative guitarist who deploys spidery riffs throughout every song. Because it promises not healing but resilience and perseverance, because it doesn’t take shit for granted, Anarchist Gospel holds up under such intense emotional pressure, acknowledging the pain of living while searching for something that lies just beyond ourselves, some sense of balance between the bad and the good. Featuring: David Rawlings, Allison Russell, Jim James, Micah Nelson

Dalmata Daniel welcomes Filmmaker and Petros Spatharos for the eighth part of their split series. This obscure 3-3 track vinyl is the debut of the Columbian music maker on the label. However, for the Athens-based producer it's a return after his participation on "Dalmata Daniel eats Lahmacun" compilation. But this project isn't their first collaboration, because Petros released his first album on Body Musick, Filmmaker's own imprint.

Filmmaker probably doesn't really need to be introduced to those who are comfortable with contemporary underground music. In less than five years he has composed and released a huge and relevant oeuvre by himself or on labels such as the UK-based Opal Tapes, Dutch Tartarus, Greek Phormix or the German Veyl, etc. To add Dalmata Daniel to this list is kind of a dream come true for the label, because they have been following his musical journey since the beginning. And no doubt, his side of the vinyl is another testament to his already perfected sound. What you recognise from the first moment of this noisy, industrial, sometimes dissonant ebm driven electro, infused with a film noir atmosphere and total darkness.

While on the flip side, Petros Spatharos keeps the obscurity going, which is the real link with his split partner's music. Only his sound is clean, not chaotic, but rather underworld techno with an extremely restrained tempo and some beyond-the-grave acid screams. That's how this inferno journey will be complete with full of dark emotional atmospheres and hypnotic textures.

Bathed in a green haze, the crowd oozed to the mutant rock and roll roaring from the basement's dusty depths — everything and everyone was sweaty and sticky. But as Speedy Ortiz crammed into the back corner, their grins just inches away from ours, D.C.’s Dougout became a moshed-and-sloshed sauna of 20-somethings delirious on rock euphoria.

After spending much of the new millennium bored out of my skull by network soap indie, Speedy Ortiz — not to mention its pals in Pile, Ovlov, Grass is Green and the rest of New England’s burgeoning basement scene — was rock's wild howl. The songs were unpredictable, yet weirdly memorable, swaggering with a winky and wry sense of self. Riffs would twist with a topsy tenderness, then slam a ruptured discord. Sadie Dupuis' sphinxian-yet-sensitive lyrics were not only matched but accentuated by her coil-sprung vibrato. How could Speedy Ortiz not immediately become my new favorite band?

What began as a short-lived solo project recorded in Dupuis' off-hours as a rock camp counselor became a four-piece band in Northampton, Mass., by the end of 2011: Dupuis on guitar and vocals with drummer Mike Falcone, bassist Darl Ferm and guitarist Matt Robidoux. They made cool mixtapes, cracked inside jokes and gushed about teenagers that opened for them on tour. They freaked out (via LiveJournal) when they met the bassist from Polvo or Helium's Mary Timony, but also rolled their eyes at '90s indie-rock comparisons. The band's first single — the gender-bending got-laid grunge yowler "Taylor Swift'' — elicited that rare response of the simultaneous giggle and headbang. The Sports EP amped up the taut yet rubbery riffery.

Released July 9, 2013, Major Arcana is filled with wedding chapel exorcisms, oiled-down attractants and criminally twisted puny little villains — this is Dupuis' haunted lexicon as she scales the toxic Aggro Crag of a breakup. And while Dupuis wrote these songs, the band's convulsing arrangements and diverse influences sprawled the squigglier edges of feedbacked fuzz to mete out matters of the heart. Falcone — who, it's worth noting, has a knack for vocal harmony — swung as much as he smashed the drums. In easily tipoverable songs, Ferm's burly bass and percussive overdubs gave the unruly glee its momentum. Robidoux ripped skronky guitar solos and countered Dupuis' riffs with decorative splatter. Over a four-day marathon session at Sonelab in Easthampton, recording engineer Justin Pizzoferrato sparked the studio imagination of Speedy Ortiz — not only leaning into gritty tones but layer-caking dense dynamics that made these songs pop and pulverize.

For all her sweet-toothed seething, Dupuis was not easy on herself. Everyone's allowed the idiot growing pains of your 20s and the misery that follows, but I can only imagine the emotional exhaustion that playing these songs on the road, night after night, must have wrought. "But you left something on my lips: a mark so sick," she repeats over the doomy destruction that ends the album. Thinking back to the many Speedy Ortiz shows I caught in those early years, including an unofficial after-after party for my own wedding, "MKVI" often served as the noisy down-and-out closer — heads would bang in solidarity as the crowd became co-authors in the chaos, the biting phrase now a hex, Speedy Ortiz forever our coven. —Lars Gotrich

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Major Arcana, Speedy Ortiz release a remastered edition on Carpark Records.

Known for their ability to seamlessly traverse various musical genres while upholding a high standard for quality, Angis Music now presents a mesmerizing 5-track EP crafted by Igaxx, an exceptionally talented Japanese artist hailing from Tokyo. Igaxx's analog productions, while exuding an understated minimalism, possess an extraordinary depth, captivated by the hypnotic and lush atmospheres that define his signature style.

To enhance the experience, this EP is adorned with an artwork by Franco Grignani, a celebrated Italian artist and designer renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to the kinetic art movement in the 20th century. Dated back to 1963, Grignani's masterpiece is given new life with the gracious consent of his family, presented as a prestigious silk-screen print on the album cover. Prepare to be entranced by this absolute gem.

Len Faki recently put out his mammoth LP Fusion, but his new moniker Hardspace finds him harking back to his signature style of specifically editing tracks for his personal club usage.
Working on the album may have helped open him up creatively, but this new project has him investing countless hours and a lot of passion into building the most efficient club tracks imaginable.

Long-time fans of Faki know that he's always edited all of his sets' tracks to uniquely suit his personal mixing style, making his sets sound as tight and cohesive in a way that stands out from the rest. Decades of experience as a producer and DJ for the dancefloor have gone into these edits, re-arranging and re-mixing sometimes forgotten tracks for a new audience. Incorporating his singular understanding of frequencies and floor dynamics, Hardspace is meant to express this side of his musical personality, while Len Faki will continue to explore a more varied approach to producing.

Swapping a lot of weekends away busily touring for much more studio time, the result marks both a technical and also personal achievement for Faki. Improved production skills, tears and emotions all have been poured into Hardspace, which will see a slew of releases in the forthcoming months.

The first volume includes a total of six reworks, both previously unreleased tools of colleague Viers or Helena Hauff's modern acid chug, as well as some 90's classics from Perry & Rhodan, Resist 101 and Ectomorph. All of these tunes have been meticulously pieced together to keep the originals' flavor and ideas, but infuse them with the undeniable power and presence that all Faki produtions have come to hold.

Australia post-punk duo The Native Cats - bassist Julian Teakle and singer and electronics operator Chloe Alison Escott (who released solo album Stars Under Contract via Chapter in 2020). Spiritual forebears to the current wave of speak-singing post-punk a la Dry Cleaning and Sleaford Mods, The Native Cats have grown a sizable cult following from their home in Tasmania (Australia's remote and chilly island state) since the late 2000s. Their minimal bass and drums rumble is offset by Chloe's lyrics which twist, confound and linger. The band have toured the US and played Memphis' legendary Goner Fest, been written up by the likes of Stereogum, NPR and Brooklyn Vegan, and performed at the Sydney Opera House. In 2020, they were riding a growing wave of recognition and admiration following their best run of records to date, culminating in killer double A-side single Two Creation Myths. But the pandemic and Australia's extended lockdowns brought with them a period of intense loneliness, isolation and despair. Chloe's confidence as a lyricist, singer and performer was at an all-time low. Even in those low times, the apparition of Native Cats LP #5 just kept on calling out. Julian never stopped recording instrumental demos and emailing them to Chloe. Chloe never stopped writing, and even began revisiting lyrics that had previously felt too raw or revealing to include.. Small moments of inspiration grew into more substantial ones. The band committed to weekly songwriting sessions, started to accept invitations to perform again, and had crowds fall instantly in love with their new songs. Recorded with producer Ben von Fürstenberg, The Way On is the Way Off takes a meticulous, painterly approach to the band's heavy, scorching songs. Every element is chosen for its thematic resonance and emotional impact. Chloe's lyrics arise from deep-rooted trauma and identity issues she is finally facing head-on, as well as reflections on post-punk history and lineage - the title of the album is drawn from the rules and principles David Thomas wrote for his band Pere Ubu. With the setbacks and self-doubt now a distant memory, The Way On is the Way Off is everything The Native Cats believed it could be when its completion seemed impossible, and everything they have been working towards since the day they began.

Mit sperrig und kontrapunktisch kann man "Wider" untertiteln, ebenso mit eigenständig und -sinnig. Ja, Leto waren und sind deutschsprachiger Post-Punk mit Emo-, Hardcore-und Indie-Einflüssen. Obendrein passiert in wechselnden Melodien und eingängigen Rephrains viel Überraschendes und Abwechslungsreiches in den zehn Songs; so finden sich neuerdings auch rockige Momente, posenfrei und ohne Peinlichkeit, in Songs wie "Keine Reaktion", "Katzenwäsche" und "Blau". Leto treiben sich und die Hörer*innen in vielen Passagen regelrecht durch "Wider", häufige 200 BPM sprechen fürs Tempo und insbesondere Phills Gitarrenspiel unterstreicht die genre-untypischen Instrumentalteile. Die Hardcore-und Emo-Vergangenheit einzelner Bandmitglieder scheint in harten, schreienden Passagen immer wieder durch, bestes Beispiel ist mit "Kammerflimmern" der Song, den Jörkk Mechenbier (Love A, Schreng Schreng & La La, Trixsi) gemeinsam mit Jannes und Paul eingesungen beziehungsweise -geschrien hat. Der Entstehungsprozess lief bei "Wider" schneller und zielstrebiger als bei "Vor die Hunde", schrieb die Band die Songs diesmal am Stück, und das Album klingt entsprechend mehr aus einem Guss als das Debüt, dessen Titel in einem Zeitraum von zwei Jahren entstanden waren. Produzent Kristian Kühl, der Bands wie Leoniden und Schrottgrenze aufgenommen hat und selbst Gitarre bei Trixsiund Shatten spielt, hat "Wider" mit seinem dynamischen Mix maßgebliche Impulse gegeben. Eines scheint gleichzubleiben: Leto nehmen ihre Alben in Krisenzeiten auf: Entstand die Produktion von "Vor die Hunde" während des G20 Gipfels, ist "Wider" ein Kind der Pandemie. Gemastert wurde die Platte von Helge Hasselberg, das Artwork stammt wie bereits beim Debüt von Julius Dettmer.

The earth rotates, seasons change_there is but one long day_ Time is a beguiling, indistinct entity_sometimes standing still, sometimes bending back upon itself with premonitions or memories of the future. Growing out of a pen pal style correspondence that took place over the course of a year, separated by the Atlantic Ocean, Gloria de Oliveira and Dean Hurley passed thoughts and music back and forth that would eventually form their collaborative album, Oceans of Time. The result is an aural tapestry of that exchange: woven from conceptual threads of the celestial within, mortality and the realm beyond stars. The duo's partnership is an effortless merge, yet it's the steady presence of de Oliveira's vocals that endows the record with its sense of potency. Throughout the album, there is an innate understanding of how a lyric across a chordal color can sharpen an emotional truth. Much like a sunbeam that pierces a spiderweb to reveal its intricacy, her lyric and melody are purposely aimed in order to illuminate the truths deep within oneself_a process that ties us all to the universal. The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, a professed influence, wrote about the truth as something that was inherently subjective, less about the concrete reality of what is believed and more about how it is experienced by the believer. Frequent David Lynch collaborator Dean Hurley sets the tonal and sonic landscape of each track on the album, lending a layered ether that envelops, frames and holds de Oliveira's vocals. With its impressionistic synths, shimmering guitars, and ethereal sonics, Oceans of Time at moments recalls the foundational dreampop of 4AD acts like Cocteau Twins and Lush. The album feels especially attuned to the connections between the physical and transcendental realms, and the best dreampop has a way of making the veil between two worlds feel just a little bit thinner. Oceans of Time is a key that has the power to release its listener from the handcuffs of reality, however briefly_

The earth rotates, seasons change_there is but one long day_ Time is a beguiling, indistinct entity_sometimes standing still, sometimes bending back upon itself with premonitions or memories of the future. Growing out of a pen pal style correspondence that took place over the course of a year, separated by the Atlantic Ocean, Gloria de Oliveira and Dean Hurley passed thoughts and music back and forth that would eventually form their collaborative album, Oceans of Time. The result is an aural tapestry of that exchange: woven from conceptual threads of the celestial within, mortality and the realm beyond stars. The duo's partnership is an effortless merge, yet it's the steady presence of de Oliveira's vocals that endows the record with its sense of potency. Throughout the album, there is an innate understanding of how a lyric across a chordal color can sharpen an emotional truth. Much like a sunbeam that pierces a spiderweb to reveal its intricacy, her lyric and melody are purposely aimed in order to illuminate the truths deep within oneself_a process that ties us all to the universal. The Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard, a professed influence, wrote about the truth as something that was inherently subjective, less about the concrete reality of what is believed and more about how it is experienced by the believer. Frequent David Lynch collaborator Dean Hurley sets the tonal and sonic landscape of each track on the album, lending a layered ether that envelops, frames and holds de Oliveira's vocals. With its impressionistic synths, shimmering guitars, and ethereal sonics, Oceans of Time at moments recalls the foundational dreampop of 4AD acts like Cocteau Twins and Lush. The album feels especially attuned to the connections between the physical and transcendental realms, and the best dreampop has a way of making the veil between two worlds feel just a little bit thinner. Oceans of Time is a key that has the power to release its listener from the handcuffs of reality, however briefly_

"The Twits" wurde von der Band im Februar 2023 innerhalb von nur acht Wochen in einem provisorischen Heimstudio auf Mallorca aufgenommen und von Marta Salogni abgemischt. Nach einem Kinderbuch von Roald Dahl benannt, zeigt sich das Songwriting von bar italia in rauen, mystischen, ungebürsteten und gelegentlich düsteren Arrangements. Songs wie "my little tony" mit seinen harten Riffs und dem kathartischen Sound ist ein klassischer Indie-Banger für die große Bühne. In anderen Momenten wagt sich die Band auf bisher unbekanntes Terrain, auf dem sie eine hypnotische Dissonanz ihrer Stimmen schaffen. "Jelsy" zum Beispiel spielt sich wie ein Gespräch zwischen Freunden über wehmütigen, summenden Country-Blues ab, wobei die Stimmen abwechselnd tröstlich, ironisch und hoffnungslos sehnsüchtig sind. Der geschmeidige, langsam brennende Walzer "Twist" besticht durch seine nackte Lyrik und scheint jedes Bandmitglied zu einem individuellen Bekenntnis einzuladen. Während "Tracey Denim" von seinen kompakten 2-3-minütigen Songs lebte, besticht "The Twits" durch seine eher offenen und mitunter uferlosen Kompositionen. "glory-hunter" nimmt z.b. spielerische Wendungen, bevor es an einem völlig anderen Ort endet, als es begonnen hat. Das abschließende "bibs" ist ein seltener Fall, in dem alle drei im Einklang zu hören sind. Eine Prozession geradezu geisterhafter Akkorde mit einer zerreißenden Rückkopplung bildet den Abschluss des Albums. Das im Mai veröffentlichte Matador-Debüt "Tracey Denim" von bar italia wurde schnell zum Gesprächsthema der weltweiten Indieszene. Publikationen wie The Guardian ("eines der Alben des Jahres 2023 bisher"), The Times ("excellent debut album"), The Observer ("Artist To Watch"), NME ("a lasting impression that"s all of their own making"), The Quietus ("endlessly evocative") und Pigeons And Planes ("quickly establishing themselves as one of the most enticing upcoming bands") feierten das Album. Im Juni gaben bar italia ihr Live-Debüt in den USA mit fünf ausverkauften Konzerten in New York sowie vier in Los Angeles und auch ihre Debüt-Show in Berlin war binnen kürzester Zeit ausverkauft. Über einen der New Yorker Auftritte schrieb Brooklyn Vegan: "Live spielt die Band ganz natürlich und großartig auf, mit Songs wie "Punkt", "Changer" und "Nurse!" (...), die Post-Punk der frühen 80er mit Indie-Rock der 90er und einem Hauch Trip-Hop mischen".

Rotterdam based Kessler returns from a hiatus with a new EP on his latest project, Elicit Records. The inaugural release, the Irish producer's first solo release in over a year, explores the realms of intricate drum & bass, futuristic IDM, and synth laden post-dubstep. Continuing on his sonic endeavour into high tempo, emotional driven music, 'Lunar' bridges the gap with anthemic melodies & cutthroat, meticulous breakbeat programming synonymous of Kessler's signature, garnished with flourishes of sombre tones & cinematic impacts, seamlessly tying together this body of work. October 2023 welcomes the birth of Elicit, co-founded alongside longtime friend & collaborator, Koboro.

Leto aus Hamburg bieten auf ihrem Debütalbum "Vor die Hunde" zwölf deutschsprachige Songs, die an Bands wie Captain Planet und Muff Potter erinnern und die "mit ihrem lockeren Vibe, der Punk-Schmiss an Indie-Tanzbarkeit schweißt und sich auch den ein oder anderen Ausreißer in komplexere Gefilde gönnt" (visions.de), massiv nach vorne gehen. Diese Musik überzeugt mit einer überraschenden instrumentalen Komplexität, die insbesondere Phills Gitarrenspiel zu verdanken ist. Während die beiden Sänger Jannes (Gitarre) und Paul (Bass) in wechselnden Farben und Stimmlagen von Emo-Elementen bis zu glasklarem Gesang scharfsinnige Texte ausführen, hält Drummer Pascal mit der Präzision eines Uhrwerks allen den Rücken frei. Mit anderen Worten: Irgendwo zwischen sperrigen Strophen und überraschend hymnischen Refrains loten Leto ihre Extreme aus. "Vor die Hunde" wurde zusammen mit Produzent Olman in den Hamburger NullZweiStudios (Hertzwerk) realisiert. Der Longplayer erscheint als LP und CD bei Rookie Records.

Hilary Woods' artistry is one of rare emotive reach. Her minimalist and compositional finesse combine with densely layered atmospheric instrumentation and dreamlike vocals to create music rich with both delicacy and intensity. The Sunday Times hailed her early solo recordings as "a revelation."After the release of two critically acclaimed EPs, Woods spent 2017 writing and recording songs on an eight-track in an abandoned flat she was living in at the time. Layering piano, synth, tape machine, field recordings, vocals, drone, unadorned beats, and old string instruments, these songs culminate in her debut solo LP Colt. Straddling the acoustic and electronic worlds, Colt is an intensely personal journey through grief, abandonment, and mutating love. Woods navigates this journey with a lyrical potency that cuts through stark piano, sensuous synth work, and textural acoustics. Somewhere between Marissa Nadler, Grouper and Julee Cruise, these songs evoke both the anguish of their content and the ecstasy of their craft.

‘Double Pink’ is the debut album by And Is Phi (Andrea Isabelle Phillips), a multidisciplinary artist from Norway and the Philippines now based in South East London. ‘Double Pink’ is a nuanced world that draws on colours and texture; with influences of Joni Mitchell and Frank Zappa, 90's R&B and Madlib’s ‘Shades Of Blue’ blending languidly to produce a base for uncovering layers of self, a deep release, and fragile new form.

Written by Andrea and co-produced with Fiona Roberts and Lorenz Okello over a nine month period; ‘Double Pink’ thematically explores the many movements of internal change, speaking from a deep inner voice inside the body. The title track is an invitation to be as unapologetically hungry as you please after a long absence of life giving passion and trust in oneself. ‘White Noise’ is a recovery song playing in your soul the first time you made it back out to the dance floor after a heart break so massive it laid rest to the person you used to be. Songs like ‘Working’ and ‘Staaar’ come from a candid and contemplative aspect. Stages of grief and resilience and wonder and wisdom are all touched upon.

“The album explores metamorphosis, liminal spaces, and the multiple faces of love”, says Andrea. “I mention love as a key ingredient, because anyone who has had to push and pull and hold and yield themselves through great loss and transformation knows it ain’t gonna happen without love. Tough times ask for double love, a stronger heart, something like a double pink”.

Andrea’s story dots between periods spent living in Norway, the Philippines and England - experiencing joy and beauty battling corruption and violence in Manila, DJing in Oslo, losing her sizable record collection in a warehouse fire before making friends and family in the jazz scene in London. Every story needs a scene, a landscape, an environment; all things Andrea visualises when writing songs.

“At my heart I am emotional and imaginative, searching for freedom for my spirit. What grounds it all is coming from a family of storytellers. My father played drums and percussion, he was a great dancer and a true collector and connoisseur of music from everywhere. My wise mother instilled in me a sense of faith and grace”.

Andrea is far from new to the scene, having performed with Steamdown, Emma Jean Thackray, Hector Plimmer, Scrimshire, William Florelle and many more as a valuable and inspiring creative force within the South London music scene. Andrea also created the album’s artwork and music videos: musicality and painting evolved from her initial creative languages of drawing and dance. All aspects are dialects of her common language: singing what can’t be painted and painting what can’t be sung.

An EP based on nostalgic feelings of bygone days. Deep electronic grooves and melodies are mixed with intense emotional musicality that transports you to the past… Resulting in a 'hands up in the air' feeling, where the rush of music bathes you in warmth and remembrance, showcasing Wink’s diverse range of production and artistry on each cut.

"12 months of Longing" begins with a pounding 909 kick that soon gets flooded with funky percussion building up to the 1st break of lush keys and swirling beats. The production continues leading into bouncing bass and a serious groove, that evolves into a rhythmic pause where soaring strings, and melodies build and build leading to an intense crescendo that will blow the roof off.

"Sexy Bot” is a title which suits this sexy tune. It’s journey begins with latin rhythms and is quickly joined with repetitive stabs and ascending pads, that spirals around you, directing the path of music that unfolds into a Detroit inspired musical progression. Symphonic string plucks leads you into a break of serious sexy melodies that explodes into a rolling bassline that will elevate any listener into another sexy feel good echelon.

“Used to Be” quickly guides you to a signature wink acid bassline, that writhes its way to an infectious groove that is soon complimented by a hauntingly smooth analog synth, advancing into a sensual musical progression. Wink then adds his voice to the song, with simple and effective contemplative words “The way I used to be”, endorsing the overall nostalgic feeling of this unique and diverse EP.

Underground house and disco maestro Mark E makes a welcome return to Delusions following hot on the heels of last years Leaning Into The Light EP. The revered producer has been steadily doing his thing for almost two
decades now, racking up releases on Running Back, Golf Channel and Spectral Sound to name just a few. His sound is a unique, sublime vision of US deep house which transcends the dance floor and he proves his salt once again on the four new tracks that make up this stunning EP.

Title track Enchantment Under The Sea sets the mood with a minimal, low slung drum machine groove laying the foundation for layers of Rhodes and synth chords conjuring up images of a sub-aquatic vision of depth and beauty. Up next we have Zone Tonight, the epitome of a late night city scape driving track utilising heavily saturated drums, subtle acid line, distant piano melody and moody Detroit pads to draw you into its deep confines.

Flipping over we have Vertigo which treads a similar sonic path as Mark effortlessly fuses rich harmonies and entrancing melodies, inviting listeners to lose themselves in its depths. Closing out this blissful journey we have Bodymap which drops the BPM a little more with simple understated drums, melancholic string line and pulsating bassline.

The Zone Tonight EP is a testament to Mark E's unparalleled prowess in crafting immersive, uncompromising and emotive soundscapes for your aural pleasure. He also created the original artwork for this release.

Repress!

Since his first Submorphics release on The North Quarter, the Detroit native has tenaciously developed his unique brand of lo-fi, deep drum & bass. With his new six-track EP ‘Verona Highway’, the Den Haag-based producer has created what he calls “a late night Detroit to Chicago road trip aesthetic”. Rooted in the underground, this project is an assemblage of techno, footwork and soulful house influences fused with his own signature earworm melodies, deep minor chords and the modern North Quarter drum & bass sound. The result is an EP that feels emotive and nostalgic while maintaining a modern atmosphere.

'Verona Highway’ marks the return of Submorphics to The North Quarter, just over a year after his critically acclaimed Newport Magnetic EP. Reminiscent of night time drives and peaceful after hours, the EP is a collection of warm, dreamy and sentimental music and is the ultimate soundtrack for serene summer nights.

Brontez Purnell has been making music since the ‘90s. The Southern-raised, Oakland-based American musician and writer has centered his queerness and Blackness in projects Gravy Train!!! and Younger Lovers as well as in his award-winning books ‘100 Boyfriends’ and ‘Since I Laid My Burden Down’. He is also a dancer, film maker and choreographer.
CRYSTAL CLEAR VINYL.
Hot on the heels of recent 7” singles for Sub Pop, PPM and his first solo electronic record ‘No Jack Swing’ (Dark Entries / Papi Juice), Brontez returns in DIY-punk band formation for a new album entitled ‘Confirmed Bachelor’, out Sept 15th on Upset The Rhythm. These twelve songs presented are of the no-time-wasted variety. Fuzzed-out pop songs, hotly delivered from the heart, often sassy, sometimes sappy, always snappy! Brontez’s band includes the multifaceted talents of Vice Cooler (who also produced and mixed the album), Sean Teves (of Younger Lovers) on drums, Kevin Preston (Prima Donna, Green Day) on guitar, Aaron Minton (Prima Donna) on piano and saxophone, and Laena Myers-Ionita on violin. The album was recorded in Los Angeles at The VCR earlier this year.
‘Bachelors Theme’ opens ‘Confirmed Bachelor’ and sets the scene perfectly with the heady, rush along swoon “That's when I heard the doctor singing to me, "Son; you got all those boys in love, I wish I knew what you were saying to them. Their storming castles are coming for you!” It’s a tour de force of bop and bravado. This is what the album does so well, it sweeps you off your feet first, making its lyrical disclosures all the more affecting.
‘Rude Life’ begins in lilting, measured contemplation. “You're the rudest boy I know, and I've a real rude life” confesses Brontez as the violin laces through his vocal. This is all shook up at the halfway mark though when the adrenaline kicks in and the drums pummel. ‘Sky Opens Up’ similarly dials up the tumbling, careening clamour and energy buzz. ‘Hellish Banger’ is more of slow dance meets grunge reverie. The album also boasts an amazing spiraling auto-tuned cover of The Amps ‘Bragging Party’. ‘No Cigarettes / Stay Monkey’ is pulse-grabbing rally of unadorned declarations split into two fleeting sketches.
‘Hey Boy’ and ‘Boy With Butterfly Wings’ are more reflective in intent, both yearning and unapologetically poetic. In fact the little details observed in the lyrics across the whole album are quietly elegiac; winter nights, electric bills, ticking clocks and many allusions to hauntings only lending pathos to the love-drunk / lovelorn axis of the record. ‘Confirmed Bachelor’ is a hot wonder, upbeat, witty and ever-lively only with a forlorn core, a resolute focus and defiant honesty. It’s a rare triumph, a record you can dance your Friday night away to, whilst the songs’ subtly work on your emotions from the inside out.
of it all. Jagged riffs, bubblegum bounce and Brontez’s vocal effortlessly racing to dizzying effect.

Dass sich Rap vermehrt persönlichen und melancholischen Themen widmet, ist nicht neu. Was den Wiener Bountydave jedoch vom Großteil sogenannten Emo Raps unterscheidet, ist der überraschend optimistische und konstruktive Spin, den er in seinen Songs finsteren Themen wie Depression, Traumata oder Liebeskummer zu geben vermag. Dabei überzeugt er mit einer pop-sensibility, die manchmal an den späten Mac Miller erinnert.

Daneshevskaya (Dawn-eh-shev-sky-uh), the project of New York's Anna Beckerman, writes songs steeped in the folklore of her own personal history. Her artist (and real middle) name comes from her Russian-Jewish great-grandmother, a person whose presence she has always felt although their paths never crossed in real life. Beckerman grew up in a musical family; her father is a music professor, her mother studied opera and her own songs often feel spiritual, less so by any religious connotation and more as a hymn-like, archival record of Beckerman's own past, present and future. Her first release on Winspear, Long is the Tunnel, contemplates how the people you meet impact the pathway you travel. Through songs like the poignant "Somewhere in the Middle," the lilting "Challenger Deep" and the surreal "Big Bird," the EP paints a distinctive collage between traditional songwriting and modern turns of phrase that remain spellbound in the unadulterated luster of self discovery. The seven songs read as both patchwork memories/diary entries and elegies to those in her life. Co-produced by Ruben Radlauer and Hayden Ticehurst of Model/Actriz and Artur Szerejko, the final versions of these initial demos also saw contributions from Lewis Evans of Black Country, New Road (saxophone), Maddy Leshner (keys) and Finnegan Shanahan (violin), adding to the gleaming instrumentation that makes each song sound like a world within itself. Long is the Tunnel is filled with hyperreal imagery that denotes a form of escapism: two of the songs reference birds, which Beckerman describes as about being transfixed by something you can't take your eyes o‑ while also being able to leave at will. Long is the Tunnel prolongs this feeling of being completely immersed: by desire, emotion, and fantasy, though the somber melancholy of her love songs are often more manifestations to her internal self than anyone else.

Daneshevskaya (Dawn-eh-shev-sky-uh), the project of New York's Anna Beckerman, writes songs steeped in the folklore of her own personal history. Her artist (and real middle) name comes from her Russian-Jewish great-grandmother, a person whose presence she has always felt although their paths never crossed in real life. Beckerman grew up in a musical family; her father is a music professor, her mother studied opera and her own songs often feel spiritual, less so by any religious connotation and more as a hymn-like, archival record of Beckerman's own past, present and future. Her first release on Winspear, Long is the Tunnel, contemplates how the people you meet impact the pathway you travel. Through songs like the poignant "Somewhere in the Middle," the lilting "Challenger Deep" and the surreal "Big Bird," the EP paints a distinctive collage between traditional songwriting and modern turns of phrase that remain spellbound in the unadulterated luster of self discovery. The seven songs read as both patchwork memories/diary entries and elegies to those in her life. Co-produced by Ruben Radlauer and Hayden Ticehurst of Model/Actriz and Artur Szerejko, the final versions of these initial demos also saw contributions from Lewis Evans of Black Country, New Road (saxophone), Maddy Leshner (keys) and Finnegan Shanahan (violin), adding to the gleaming instrumentation that makes each song sound like a world within itself. Long is the Tunnel is filled with hyperreal imagery that denotes a form of escapism: two of the songs reference birds, which Beckerman describes as about being transfixed by something you can't take your eyes o‑ while also being able to leave at will. Long is the Tunnel prolongs this feeling of being completely immersed: by desire, emotion, and fantasy, though the somber melancholy of her love songs are often more manifestations to her internal self than anyone else.

Daneshevskaya (Dawn-eh-shev-sky-uh), the project of New York's Anna Beckerman, writes songs steeped in the folklore of her own personal history. Her artist (and real middle) name comes from her Russian-Jewish great-grandmother, a person whose presence she has always felt although their paths never crossed in real life. Beckerman grew up in a musical family; her father is a music professor, her mother studied opera and her own songs often feel spiritual, less so by any religious connotation and more as a hymn-like, archival record of Beckerman's own past, present and future. Her first release on Winspear, Long is the Tunnel, contemplates how the people you meet impact the pathway you travel. Through songs like the poignant "Somewhere in the Middle," the lilting "Challenger Deep" and the surreal "Big Bird," the EP paints a distinctive collage between traditional songwriting and modern turns of phrase that remain spellbound in the unadulterated luster of self discovery. The seven songs read as both patchwork memories/diary entries and elegies to those in her life. Co-produced by Ruben Radlauer and Hayden Ticehurst of Model/Actriz and Artur Szerejko, the final versions of these initial demos also saw contributions from Lewis Evans of Black Country, New Road (saxophone), Maddy Leshner (keys) and Finnegan Shanahan (violin), adding to the gleaming instrumentation that makes each song sound like a world within itself. Long is the Tunnel is filled with hyperreal imagery that denotes a form of escapism: two of the songs reference birds, which Beckerman describes as about being transfixed by something you can't take your eyes o‑ while also being able to leave at will. Long is the Tunnel prolongs this feeling of being completely immersed: by desire, emotion, and fantasy, though the somber melancholy of her love songs are often more manifestations to her internal self than anyone else.

12" / Vinyl made with 100% CO2 Reduced / 100% recycable / ISCC PLUS-certified "BioVinyl"

Two accomplished house mainstays come together on Get Physical Music as James Curd joins forces with the legendary Osunlade for superb new single 'Chocolate Puddin'' while FNX Omar and Kai Alcé step up with their own remixes.

Curd came up as a DJ in Chicago and has gone on to become a mainstay of the scene. He is also credited with inventing G-Swing, a house sound infused with swing. He has run various labels over the years while releasing on some of the world's finest imprints and serving up his magical sets everywhere from fabric in London to The Avalon in Los Angeles and The Arches in Glasgow. American Osunlade meanwhile has deep spiritual roots in Yoruba traditions that are also reflected in the name of his record label. He makes music with a rare spirituality as proven once again here.

The superb 'Chocolate Puddin'' is silky smooth deep and Afro-tinged house with gorgeous percussive melodies and soft shakers. It's full of soul and warmth with meaningful leads that bring plenty of uplifting emotions next to a bluesy vocal.

Atlanta's house mainstay and a long-time underground favourite Kai Alcé then remixes. His version is more pacey but no less deep - the jazzy chords are seductively draped over the cuddly deep drums and the vocal has a more soulful edge. Osunlade also offers his own Yoruba Soul mix which is a hi-tek sound with futuristic synth chords and uplifting house drums. Last to remix is Moroccan mainstay and label regular FNX Omar. He flips the track into something that is richly layered with percussion and nimble bass, organic hand claps and hypnotic drum lines that all sink you in deep.

This package is as delicious as its name suggests.

Auf R o n i a s zweitem Album 'string along' fordert sie uns auf, ihr in ihr minimalistisches Pop-Universum zu folgen
Nach dem Vorgänger 'waltz' in (hereinspaziert!) ist 'string along' eine erneute Aufforderung von R o n i a an ihre Hörer: Folgt mir! Melancholische Melodien beschreiben darauf filigrane Emotionen in einem reduzierten Klangbild, häufiger Überlagerung mehrerer Stimmen oder auch Melodien mit vielfältigen Tasten-, Saiten- und Blasinstrumenten, die alle von der One-Woman-Band R o n i a selbst gesiet werden.

Diviner ist eine 2011 gegründete griechische Heavy Metal Band. Nach ihrem donnernden Debüt Fallen Empires (2015) und dem grandiosen Zweitwerk Realms Of Time (2019), das ihren Status etabliert hat, kehren sie mit ihrem dritten und bisher besten Album zurück. Avaton zeigt eine verblüffende Musikalität, inspiriertes Songwriting und kompromisslosen Heavy Metal mit allen Elementen eines echten Klassikers. Kraftvoll, melodisch, episch, düster, spirituell, atmosphärisch, intensiv, Aggressiv, roh und vielfältig zugleich. Herausragende Produktion, dynamischer Sound, außergewöhnliche Texte, süchtig machende Riffs, wunderbare Melodien, eingängig-hymnische Refrains, atemberaubende Gitarrenarbeit, herausragendes Schlagzeugspiel und einige der großartigsten und leidenschaftlichsten Vocals. Avaton ist eine zeitlose, atemberaubende Reise von der grausamen dystopischen Welt zu unseren tiefsten Träumen, auf der Suche nach den wahren Geheimnissen des Lebens. Voller Abenteuer, Emotion und purer Magie, die das Herz eines jeden Metal Fans begeistern wird.

Diviner ist eine 2011 gegründete griechische Heavy Metal Band. Nach ihrem donnernden Debüt Fallen Empires (2015) und dem grandiosen Zweitwerk Realms Of Time (2019), das ihren Status etabliert hat, kehren sie mit ihrem dritten und bisher besten Album zurück. Avaton zeigt eine verblüffende Musikalität, inspiriertes Songwriting und kompromisslosen Heavy Metal mit allen Elementen eines echten Klassikers. Kraftvoll, melodisch, episch, düster, spirituell, atmosphärisch, intensiv, Aggressiv, roh und vielfältig zugleich. Herausragende Produktion, dynamischer Sound, außergewöhnliche Texte, süchtig machende Riffs, wunderbare Melodien, eingängig-hymnische Refrains, atemberaubende Gitarrenarbeit, herausragendes Schlagzeugspiel und einige der großartigsten und leidenschaftlichsten Vocals. Avaton ist eine zeitlose, atemberaubende Reise von der grausamen dystopischen Welt zu unseren tiefsten Träumen, auf der Suche nach den wahren Geheimnissen des Lebens. Voller Abenteuer, Emotion und purer Magie, die das Herz eines jeden Metal Fans begeistern wird.

Diviner ist eine 2011 gegründete griechische Heavy Metal Band. Nach ihrem donnernden Debüt Fallen Empires (2015) und dem grandiosen Zweitwerk Realms Of Time (2019), das ihren Status etabliert hat, kehren sie mit ihrem dritten und bisher besten Album zurück. Avaton zeigt eine verblüffende Musikalität, inspiriertes Songwriting und kompromisslosen Heavy Metal mit allen Elementen eines echten Klassikers. Kraftvoll, melodisch, episch, düster, spirituell, atmosphärisch, intensiv, Aggressiv, roh und vielfältig zugleich. Herausragende Produktion, dynamischer Sound, außergewöhnliche Texte, süchtig machende Riffs, wunderbare Melodien, eingängig-hymnische Refrains, atemberaubende Gitarrenarbeit, herausragendes Schlagzeugspiel und einige der großartigsten und leidenschaftlichsten Vocals. Avaton ist eine zeitlose, atemberaubende Reise von der grausamen dystopischen Welt zu unseren tiefsten Träumen, auf der Suche nach den wahren Geheimnissen des Lebens. Voller Abenteuer, Emotion und purer Magie, die das Herz eines jeden Metal Fans begeistern wird.

In apartheid-era South Africa, gospel music provided solace and served as a tool for covert communication to circumvent the censorship of the settler regime. By the 2010s, South African gospel, deeply ingrained in the soul of Soweto, assumed a new role—as a heartfelt cry against persistent failures and shortcomings, a cry mourning a South Africa that never materialized.

A new South Africa needed a new gospel sound.

In 2016, nine young men from different parts of Diepkloof, a celebrated neighbourhood brimming with talent within Soweto's sprawling township, came together to form the sound of a new South Africa under the name Diepkloof United Voice.

Diepkloof United Voice's music has gone viral multiple times on TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, garnering between 60,000 to 2 million views. The comments section displays flag emojis from Brazil to India, showcasing the global reach of their music.

This album was recorded on site in Soweto, in an abandoned classroom of Lebowa Elementary School in Diepkloof Zone 3, where the choir rehearsed for years. Amid rolling blackouts, Diepkloof United Voice poured their heart, soul, and vocal chords into their debut record, combining classic South Africa gospel, Soweto's own kasi soul, American blues, and Zulu flavor, to present the contemporary gospel sound of a changing South Africa.

The promise of a new South Africa might finally be realized, as Diepkloof United Voice guarantees the country's future is guided by the truth, uttered with each gasp of breath from their inimitable voices.

In apartheid-era South Africa, gospel music provided solace and served as a tool for covert communication to circumvent the censorship of the settler regime. By the 2010s, South African gospel, deeply ingrained in the soul of Soweto, assumed a new role—as a heartfelt cry against persistent failures and shortcomings, a cry mourning a South Africa that never materialized.

A new South Africa needed a new gospel sound.

In 2016, nine young men from different parts of Diepkloof, a celebrated neighbourhood brimming with talent within Soweto's sprawling township, came together to form the sound of a new South Africa under the name Diepkloof United Voice.

Diepkloof United Voice's music has gone viral multiple times on TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook, garnering between 60,000 to 2 million views. The comments section displays flag emojis from Brazil to India, showcasing the global reach of their music.

This album was recorded on site in Soweto, in an abandoned classroom of Lebowa Elementary School in Diepkloof Zone 3, where the choir rehearsed for years. Amid rolling blackouts, Diepkloof United Voice poured their heart, soul, and vocal chords into their debut record, combining classic South Africa gospel, Soweto's own kasi soul, American blues, and Zulu flavor, to present the contemporary gospel sound of a changing South Africa.

The promise of a new South Africa might finally be realized, as Diepkloof United Voice guarantees the country's future is guided by the truth, uttered with each gasp of breath from their inimitable voices.

First music in 10 years from cult favourites Dark Dark Dark.
B Side is a solo cut from the bands lead vocalist Nona Maie Invie.
10” EP limited to 500 in UK/EU.

Fans of contemporaries Weyes Blood (of which DDD multi-instrumentalist Walt McClements is now a full-time member) and Angel Olsen (in whose live and studio band Invie is now a staple) will find much to love in these songs, as well as the b-side, Invie’s solo piece, “For Now” which, not unlike Invie’s 2017 solo release under the moniker IN / VIA, makes use of seamlessly interwoven piano and swelling, liquid synthesizer.

Invie sounds a bit like an alternate dimension Sharon Van Etten here and elsewhere. The three song set has the understated intensity of Nick Cave’s The Boatman’s Call and the promise of emotional liftoff that characterizes Kate Bush’s The Sensual World. 

Dark Dark Dark’s rich history is punctuated by house shows and train hopping; touring as support for The National in Portugal;
playing both the National and TV on the Radio’s ATP Festivals, and years of indefatigable coast-to-coast U.S. touring. It’s a
history rich with recordings, including a pair of celebrated full-lengths produced by Tom Herbers (Low, The Cactus Blossoms),
three EPs, and a feature film score. Now, ten years later, –– surprise –– a new 10” single.

In 2013, when Dark Dark Dark released the What I Needed EP, anyone might have guessed it was a bridge between the previous year’s lauded LP Who Needs Who and the next big venture. The band had closed out 2012 as part of Australia's touring Harvest Festival, during which they stepped up to fill an unexpectedly vacant slot much later in the day, enchanting thousands of unsuspecting festival goers. Alas, after that, the band went silent.

The release of these new songs is certainly delightful and perhaps startling, as is the promise of more solo work from singer Nona Marie Invie. On the gorgeous and stately “Didn’t I Try,” Invie’s voice is elegant as ever, couched in the familiar sounds of Marshall LaCount’s distorted banjo and Mark Trecka’s rolling drums. The loping and haunted “Something Was There” follows –– a staple of Dark Dark Dark’s live sets in the last year of their touring.

Considering this band's history, their distinctive and dramatic sense of identity, this music is really and truly for fans of Dark Dark Dark.

Udo Jürgens, wohin man auch hört! Nach dem Chart-Stürmer "da capo, Udo Jürgens - Stationen einer Weltkarriere" und dem kürzlich veröffentlichten Kinderliederalbum "Die Blumen blühn überall gleich" erscheint am 10. November die Edition "Die schönsten Lieder zur Weihnachtszeit". 3 CDs mit 55 Songs in 5 Sprachen, darunter deutsche und internationale Weihnachts-Klassiker, ein Duett mit José Carreras und einer von Pepe Lienhard neu arrangierten Version des spaßigen "Merry Christmas allerseits". 14 der Titel sind erstmals digital verfügbar, 2 bislang unveröffentlicht. Die einzigartige Sammlung liegt auch auf Vinyl vor. /// CD1 - Weihnachten zu Haus - Beinhaltet vierzehn Kompositionen von Udo Jürgens, darunter den Titel "Schneerose" aus dem Jahr 1967, der nach längerer Zeit wieder digital verfügbar ist. Dazu fünf absolute Klassiker: "Leise rieselt der Schnee", "Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht" (das berühmteste Weihnachtslied der Welt), "Oh du Fröhliche", (ein Lied aus Deutschland zu einer Melodie aus Sizilien), "Süßer die Glocken nie klingen" und "Der kleine Trommlerjunge" (1941 in den USA entstanden). Als Bonustrack "Merry Christmas allerseits", eine Live-Aufnahme aus Udos letztem Konzert in Zürich. Mit einer humorigen Einleitung des großen Meisters. /// CD2 - Weihnachten in aller Welt - Enthält internationale Weihnachtsklassiker wie "Jingle Bells" und den Welthit "White Christmas", geschaffen von Irving Berlin, 1947 von Bing Crosby zum ersten Mal veröffentlicht. Dazu zwei Songs auf Französisch, "O Tannenbaum" und "Minuit chrétiens", auch bekannt als "O Holy Night". Ferner alle Lieder von Udos Weihnachtsalbum "Buon Natale da Udo Jürgens", das in den 70er Jahren in Italien veröffentlicht wurde und hier erstmals digital verfügbar ist. Als Bonustrack "Yo creo", die spanische Version von "Ich glaube". /// CD3 - Zeit der Lieder, Zeit der Stille - Die Botschaft von Christi Geburt geht weit über das eigentliche Fest hinaus. Getragen von der Hoffnung, dass es Frieden werde, dass wir Menschen Freunde sind, ein Lächeln uns verbindet, dass Liebe regiert. Und dass jedes Jahr alles besser wird. Udo hat viele Songs über diese Themen geschrieben. Die emotionalsten davon gibt es auf der dritten CD zu hören. Darunter auch ein Duett mit dem Klassik-Star José Carreras "Mein größter Wunsch". Zum guten Schluss noch einmal das amüsante "Merry Christmas allerseits", neu arrangiert und eingespielt von Pepe Lienhard, selbstverständlich mit Udos unverwechselbarem Gesang. Ende gut - alles Udo!

Black Truffle is thrilled to present a previously unheard performance by rudra veena master Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, recorded in the North Indian city of Vrindavan at the Druhpad Samaroh festival in 1982. Z.M. Dagar was a nineteenth-generation descendant of the Dagar family of musicians, famed for their profoundly meditative approach to the tradition of Hindustani court music. Perhaps the most revered members of the family were the brothers Mohinuddin and Aminuddin Dagar, who played a key role in reawakening interest in dhrupad in the mid-20th century. The great exponents of the tradition from whom Z.M. Dagar descended were all singers, and dhrupad is essentially vocal music. However, as Z.M. Dagar explained, the veena family of instruments plays an important role in the education and practice of dhrupad singers, especially as an aid to mastering the fine microtonal nuances of pitch essential to the genre. Introduced as a child by his father to the rudra veena, a large and low-pitched veena amplified by two enormous gourds, Z.M. Dagar became the first modern dhrupad musician to perform with it as an instrumental soloist, giving his first recital at the age of 16. Devoted to the instrument throughout his life, he made innovations to its design and materials, as well as introducing novel techniques (such as playing without the use of the traditional wire plectrum, resulting in the remarkable warmth of his tone). In the great Dagar family tradition, his approach to the various ragas that make up the dhrupad repertoire was stately, slow, and considered, with a great emphasis on the alap, the heavily improvised exposition section. True to form, in this recording of Dagar performing the night raga Yaman Kalyan, the alap section stretches out to more than forty minutes of slow-motion bliss, a frozen tanpura drone hovering above Dagar’s gracefully bent notes and elegantly twisting phrases. In the alap’s first half, Dagar’s figures are so intently focused on the lower reaches of the rudra veena’s range that they register more as shudders and moans than melodic patterns. As the performance continues, he slowly climbs in pitch, though continuing with the same intent focus on the articulation of single notes and subtle microtonal variations. This leads to the jod section of the performance, which, though still accompanied only by the tanpura, gradually takes on a more rhythmic character. Developing almost imperceptibly over the course of nearly thirty minutes, the jod moves from the stillness of the opening alap to a rapid pulse that announces the closing section of the piece, where Dagar is joined by Shrikant Mishra on the pakhawaj (a double headed hand drum). Where many performers use the final section of the raga as an exercise in unrestrained virtuosity, Dagar and Mishra subtly weave a web of finely shifting accents and hypnotic melodic variations, bringing the recording to a fitting conclusion while remaining within the meditative space occupied by the performance as a whole. Adorned with beautiful archival photographs of Dagar taken by Swedish percussion legend Bengt Berger and accompanied by detailed notes from Bradford Bailey, Vrindavan 1982 is a stunning document of music unmatched in its patient focus and mysterious emotional depth. .

By the early '70s, Milford Graves had more or less stopped gigging. Having learned his lesson the hard way in multiple-night runs like a legendary Slugs' residency with Albert Ayler, he knew that the level of energy that he put out during a performance would be difficult to sustain over the long haul. A concert was a kind of absolute ritual for him, after which he would be totally spent, emotionally and physically. Graves rarely left anything on the table. Any musical performance was an opportunity to present an amalgamated version of all the things he had learned. He was an innovator and a teacher at his core, and the concert venue was one of his first classroom settings.

In March 1976, Verna Gillis invited Graves to perform on WBAI's Free Music Store radio show. For the date, he chose to present a trio lineup which he had been occasionally playing – featuring two saxophonists who were dedicated to the drummer's vision. Hugh Glover is almost exclusively known for his work with Graves, while Arthur Doyle would gain exposure later for an obscure record that he made two years later, Alabama Feeling, which would become a highly collectable item among free jazz enthusiasts.

Originally released in 1977, Bäbi remains one of Graves' most seminal recordings. The music played by the trio was ecstatic. Extreme energy music, buoyant and joyful. It relied on Graves' new way of approaching the drum kit, in which he had opened up the bottoms of his skin-slackened toms and eliminated the snare. Graves' art was always unblemished by commercial interests, and this album is its finest mission statement.

A thrilling immersion into FM synthesis and a puzzle of MIDI data, the Los Angeles based multi-instrumentalist Gregg Kowalsky returns to Mexican Summer with Eso Es, his sophomore outing for the label and first new music since 2017’s L'Orange L'Orange. Representing a significant creative leap for the veteran composer, Eso Es unfolds as a hypnotic journey into Kowalsky’s inner world, laced with a depth of emotiveness and vulnerability that’s rarely encountered in the electronic music realm. Raised in South Florida and trained at Mills College under Fred Frith and Pauline Oliveros, Kowalsky first came to prominence during the mid-2000s as a member of the thriving experimental music scene in the Bay Area, issuing a series of stunning albums on imprints like Kranky and Root Strata and contributing to a reinvigoration of American made Minimalist and electroacoustic music. In an addition to composing solo works, pieces for large ensembles, film soundtracks, dance performances, and site-specific installations over the past twenty years, during the 2010s Kowalsky concentrated his energies as one half of the critically acclaimed duo Date Palms, performing extensively and releasing three hypnotic albums, including 2011’s Honey Devash on Mexican Summer.

9Million is a Toronto shoegaze band helmed by the multi instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Matthew Tomasi. Best known for his work with alt pop icons like Ethel Cain and Nicole Dollanganger, Tomasi has gained increased notoriety in recent years for his behind the scenes work as a producer and mix engineer, but he is also a tireless creator and songwriter himself; playing and contributing to the music of countless bands and independent artists. With 6 other members including Ace Mendoza (Lead Guitar, Vocals), Danielle Clark (Vocals), Lia Lepre (Keys), Jamie Fastlane (Bass), Brandon Santi (Drums), and Looch Man (Guitar, Vocals); Tomasi says 9million started out “as a creative outlet for myself to explore new sounds and ideas that I wasn’t touching on with any of my other projects or clients'', but quickly the project took on a collaborative spirit not unlike his hardcore band Friction.

The sound of 9million infuses a shoegaze / alt rock foundation with elements of brooding alternative pop, indie rock, and synthwave - resulting in something that recalls ahead of their time 90s bands like Hum and Failure while connecting that sound from the past to the modern world of post-Lana Del Rey slowcore pop sound that Tomasi traffics in on records like Preacher’s Daughter, Natural Born Losers,
and Married In Mount Airy. Featuring several new original songs and two covers, the mixtape explores more electronic elements and layers of vocal processing that, when paired with the fuzzed out rock sound of Between Us, present an exciting blend of styles the band is pulling from. As a whole, Gush is a loose yet emotionally hefty collection of songs that highlights Tomasi’s distinct approach to shoegaze while also capturing the unique dynamic and possibilities of this band as a whole.

Unlike what we might expect, traditional music is not one-size-fits-all. Each song has its own story,
history and characters which the singers must serve, rather than themselves. On his new album, Look
Over The Wall, See The Sky, John Francis Flynn delicately unpicks these traditional songs and
rearranges them with an emotional force that sometimes leaves them unanchored, floating in a surreal
space between the past and the present, the analogue and the digital, between love and tragedy.

Beloved Polish downtempo / nu jazz masters Skalpel present an exquisite collection of the older Skalpel’s classics and some exclusive material performed live by a masterful 17-piece Big Band. Skalpel’s “Big Band Live” brings mellow, smoky vibes, hypnotic grooves and vibrant, occasionally blissful mood. Polish jazz at its best!

Skalpel is a nu-jazz classic. On their debut and sophomore albums “Skalpel” and “Konfusion” (Ninja Tune) they were able to resurrect the dusty spirit of the 60s & 70s jazz and reimagine it for the 21st century audiophiles. They created emotionally charged music, sophisticated in its structure. After ten years Skalpel returned in 2014 with “Transit” an album that segued from sample-based music into compositions created on virtual instruments. Their critically acclaimed 2020 album “Highlight” together with the follow-up: „Escape Remixes EP” (which included a remix by rising modern classical star Hania Rani and globally respected house duo Catz‘ N Dogz ) had almost 6 million streams on Spotify alone. Their last studio album „Origins” was an inspiring contemporary vision adapting various currents of electronica and dance music of the millennium era. The latest release earned them a „Polish Grammy” - Fryderyk Award.

The journey continues as Marcin Cichy and Igor Pudło present Skalpel Big Band. Patryk Pilasiewicz, composer and musician from Poznań, who is the originator of the idea, dissected and revised Skalpel’s music for a seventeen-person Big Band. The idea was to weave new, acoustic interpretation of Skalpel’s compositions with their original electronic sound.

Farbige Vinyl-Wiederveröffentlichung von "My Happy Place", dem vierten Studioalbum der britischen Sängerin und Spice Girls-Legende Emma Bunton. Ursprünglich veröffentlicht im April 2019. Das Album besteht aus zehn Tracks; acht sind Coverversionen einiger von Buntons Lieblingssongs und zwei sind Originalsongs, die die Sängerin mitgeschrieben hat.

"My Happy Place" erreichte bei seinem Debüt Platz 11 der UK-Album-Charts. Damit erreichte Bunton zum dritten Mal in Folge eine Top-20-Platzierung in den Charts. In Großbritannien erreichte das Album Platz 3 der Independent Albums Chart, Platz 9 der UK Album Downloads und Platz 6 sowohl der Physical Albums als auch der Albums Sales Chart. "My Happy Place" debütierte auch auf Platz 7 der schottischen Albumcharts.

Sarah Chang gilt als eine der faszinierendsten Künstlerinnen ihrer Generation, die über ein erstaunliches musikalisches Verständnis, technische Virtuosität und emotionale Bandbreite verfügt. Seit Beginn ihrer Karriere von 1992 bis 2009 hat sie exklusiv für EMI Classics aufgenommen.

Die 2007 erschienene Aufnahme der Vier Jahreszeiten ist einer der Höhepunkte ihrer Diskographie. Sie ist nun erstmals auf Vinyl erhältlich. " ...Sarah Chang und das Orpheus CO liefern eine vorhersehbar gute Leistung ab, mit einem sanft geglätteten Ton der Solistin und einem erstklassigen Zusammenspiel." Gramophone