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Concocted on the Clovelly coastline over the back end of 2024, we’re super excited to present Elijah Something & Wilba’s debut dual EP.

4 cuts pulling influences from all corners of house, tech and deep house, this EP is perfect for those summer season occasions.

Beach side, sunrise sessions or festival sunsets, this one’s for the feel-good moments.

"Wind, Again" is Sary Moussa’s fourth studio album and second album on Other People. Based between France and Lebanon, Moussa returns with a riveting electro-acoustic album informed by his ever-changing relationships to space, listening, and resonance as well as his growing interest in the study of harmonics in electronic and electro-acoustic music.

Years in the making, “Wind, Again” approaches distinct musical worlds and languages by bringing together improvisations by musicians performing on Western and West Asian instruments such as the Hammond organ, clarinet, saz, and buzuk with electronic arrangements and textures. Rather than force a rapprochement of these musical worlds through the instruments, and keenly aware of the weighty sonic histories they carry, Moussa proposes another way through which they can exist together in contemporary electronic composition.

Composed of six tracks, each of which demonstrate an array of recording and processing techniques, the album generates moments of tension produced by the synthesis of textural, tonal, and harmonic encounters that Moussa calls “shadows”, which outline an impressionistic musical language, existing at the edge of familiarity. Such moments permeate tracks like “Everywhere at once” and “Violence” that open with the Hammond organ and the saz respectively and slowly reveal an expansive field of sounds that showcases each of the musicians’ characteristic performances and Moussa’s densely layered textures. It is a latent yet unrelenting tension through which the composer invokes rather than represents a collective experiential state, especially familiar to those who know his environment. In “Wind, Again” these shadows are articulations of sounds steeped in traditions they are never quite tethered to. Such articulations are implied and alluded to, they play within a musical reference without the latter explicitly existing in the recording, always teetering, never completely here nor there.
Sonically and musically, the album is fueled by the cultural, social, and personal realities that Moussa was brought up and lives in.

Both personal and musical ties with the musicians who feature on the album is central to Moussa’s practice. In the title track “I will never write a song about you”, musician Julia Sabra opens with rolled piano chords, followed by Paed Conca on clarinet and Abed Kobeissy on buzuk, before Moussa’s electronic processing pieces together, lifts, and sustains the melodic direction of the track that emerged from the musicians’ separate improvisations. For Moussa: “The initial connection between the three performances was made on a track that no longer existed, the original recording was both an obstacle and necessary step for the track we hear on the record. It’s as if we were all telling different stories and I pulled on the thread that held them together”. The track, and more generally the record, is tinged with a melancholy of things lost, though it never fully succumbs to it.
“Everything inside a circle”, Moussa’s most personal track and for which he provides the only vocals on the record, harkens back to a childhood memory of listening to music with his mother in a car: “There was a sound I was looking for — a memory of a sound and how I first heard it. This track is a hybrid of that memory and what I wanted to make of it”. The track relies heavily on generativesystems and perhaps embodies most the ambiguous quality of the record’s music in its refusal to be pinned down by one musical tradition or another.
“Wind, Again” is both familiar and alien, cold and warm; it pays homage to the mechanics, materials, and tactility of the instruments and converges acoustic and synthetic spaces. What anchors the sound of the album are the elements of a whole that cannot find its own idiosyncrasy and that is precisely why Moussa’s album is a tour de force.

Gerade, als MONO anfingen, die Grundsteine zu "You Are There" zu legen, experimentierten sie zusammen mit dem ebenfalls aus Tokio stammenden elektronischen Komponisten WORLD'S END GIRLFRIEND. Die Zusammenarbeit resultierte in einer Reise voller neoklassischer Leichtfüßigkeit und Leuchtkraft, die sich jeglicher Kategorisierung entzieht. "Palmless Prayer..." ist weniger ein alles enthüllender Tagtraum als eine Erinnerung an das Schöne, das bereits um uns herum existiert.

"PEOPLE" (original release year : 1988)
Hothouse Flowers' debut album People (1988) was a remarkable fusion of rock, folk, and soulful blues, spearheaded by the charismatic vocals of Liam Ó Maonlaí. The album was anchored by the hit single 'Don't Go', which propelled the band to international recognition.

With rich instrumentation and passionate performances, People stood out for its refreshing blend of Irish musical roots with contemporary rock influences.

The album was the fastest-selling debut in Irish history at the time. It topped the Irish Albums Chart and peaked at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart, while also making significant impact in the U.S. and other markets. People was certified Platinum in the UK and Double Platinum in Ireland. Backed by strong singles like 'I'm Sorry' and 'Feet on the Ground,' the album sustained impressive momentum, further fuelled by the band's dynamic live performances.

People solidified Hothouse Flowers as one of the most exciting Irish bands of the late '80s, demonstrating the band's ability to bridge genres while delivering powerful, heartfelt music.

For 2025 Hothouse Flowers celebrate both People and its follow up album Home with a UK national tour revisiting both albums in full.

London Records celebrate the tour with represses of People and Home on vinyl, with restored artwork faithful to the original editions.

"HOME" (Original Release year : 1990)

Hothouse Flowers' sophomore album, Home, released in 1990, built on the success of their debut People while showcasing a more mature and introspective sound while maintaining their signature heartfelt, genre-blending approach to music. The album continued their signature fusion of rock, folk, gospel, and blues, its tracks demonstrating both introspection and a vibrant energy.

Home reached No. 1 on the Irish Albums Chart and peaked at No. 5 in the UK. The album was certified Gold in the UK and Platinum in Ireland, reaffirming the band's status as one of Ireland's most successful exports at the time. Lead single 'Give It Up' became a fan favourite, while the band's cover of Johnny Nash's 'I Can See Clearly Now' broadened their appeal, a Top 5 in Ireland and chart hit in UK and Australia.

The band's relentless touring and powerful live shows helped sustain Home's international momentum and commercial success. For 2025 Hothouse Flowers celebrate both Home and its predecessor People with a UK national tour revisiting both albums in full.

London Records celebrate the tour with represses of People and Home on vinyl, with restored artwork faithful to the original editions.

One of Norways most acknowledged and established drummers, is finally ready to unleash his debut album as an
solo artist. DUMMY THICC - who’s real name is Sigmund Vestrheim - has played for acts such as Boy Pablo,
AURORA and with his own R&B/Soul-group Giddy Gang.

This album tells the story of DUMMY THICC, with crisp
snares and drums being the focal point of the soundscape. He invites a bunch of his friends in on the
journey, members from Giddy Gang, Ivan Ave and Vuyo jumps on the mic and instruments to help DUMMY
THICC complete his awaited debut album. The album is a travel in sound, and a perfect introduction to the world
of DUMMY THICC as a producer and artist.

Sit back and enjoy 44 minutes of beautiful beats, R&B and hiphop in the spirit of DJ Harrison, Ohbliv, Madlib and other inspirational figures that have been a key source
for Sigmund.

Grade 2 is a UK punk band from the Isle of Wight, formed in 2013. The young three-piece is made up of Sid Ryan - Bass & Lead Vocals, Jack Chatfield - Guitar & Vocals and Jacob Hull - Drums. Their music can be described as a classic punk sound, hard and fast whilst also including melodic guitar and vocal parts. Influence taken from classics such as The Clash, The Jam and The Stranglers. While touring, the band met Lars Frederiksen (Rancid) who took an interest in Grade 2 and ultimately played some of their music videos to his bandmate Tim Armstrong. Armstrong liked what he saw and not only agreed to produce the band"s forthcoming record but signed them to his label, Hellcat Records. Last December, Grade 2 flew to Los Angeles, and over the course of two weeks, tracked the dozen songs that comprise Graveyard Island. "He"s one of the most efficient people we"ve ever worked with. He knows exactly what he wants. In the studio, he wanted to capture how we sound onstage, so we were tracking songs live with a scratch vocal," vocalist/bassist Sid Ryan said on working with Armstrong.

A lush, energizing contemporary pop record, built on heart-swelling minimal/maximal electronic production + deep feels. Reality"s breaking and rebirth is happening, one day at a time - essential asks deconstructed and refitted in new ways. Unconventional songwriting/performance duo Sharpie Smile ride inspired waves of futurist sound art, a dreamy, ethereal vision-quest through serpentine soul-terrain. RIYL: SOPHIE, 100 gecs, Ouklou

VERY LIMITED 2025 REPRESS ON BEAM OF LIGHT VINYL .

Everything changed for The Beths when they released their debut album, Future Me Hates Me, in 2018. The indie rock band had long been nurtured within Auckland, New Zealand’s tight-knit music scene, working full-time during the day and playing music with friends after hours. Full of uptempo pop rock songs with bright, indelible hooks, the LP garnered them critical acclaim from outlets like Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, and they set out for their first string of shows overseas. They quit their jobs, said goodbye to their home town, and devoted themselves entirely to performing across North America and Europe. They found themselves playing to crowds of devoted fans and opening for acts like Pixies and Death Cab for Cutie. Almost instantly, The Beths turned from a passion project into a full-time career in music.

Songwriter and lead vocalist Elizabeth Stokes worked on what would become The Beths’ second LP, Jump Rope Gazers, in between these intense periods of touring. Like the group’s earlier music, the album tackles themes of anxiety and self-doubt with effervescent power pop choruses and rousing backup vocals, zeroing in on the communality and catharsis that can come from sharing stressful situations with some of your best friends. Stokes’s writing on Jump Rope Gazers grapples with the uneasy proposition of leaving everything and everyone you know behind on another continent, chasing your dreams while struggling to stay close with loved ones back home.

"If you're at a certain age, all your friends scatter to the four winds,” Stokes says. “We did the same thing. When you're home, you miss everybody, and when you're away, you miss everybody. We were just missing people all the time.”

With songs like the rambunctious “Dying To Believe” and the tender, shoegazey “Out of Sight,” The Beths reckon with the distance that life necessarily drives between people over time. People who love each other inevitably fail each other. “I’m sorry for the way that I can’t hold conversations/They’re such a fragile thing to try to support the weight of,” Stokes sings on “Dying to Believe.” The best way to repair that failure, in The Beths’ view, is with abundant and unconditional love, no matter how far it has to travel. On “Out of Sight,” she pledges devotion to a dearly missed friend: “If your world collapses/I’ll be down in the rubble/I’d build you another,” she sings.

“It was a rough year in general, and I found myself saying the words, 'wish you were here, wish I was there,’ over and over again,” she says of the time period in which the album was written. Touring far from home, The Beths committed themselves to taking care of each other as they were trying at the same time to take care of friends living thousands of miles away. They encouraged each other to communicate whenever things got hard, and to pay forward acts of kindness whenever they could. That care and attention shines through on Jump Rope Gazers, where the quartet sounds more locked in than ever. Their most emotive and heartfelt work to date, Jump Rope Gazers stares down all the hard parts of living in communion with other people, even at a distance, while celebrating the ferocious joy that makes it all worth it -- a sentiment we need now more than ever.

Willie Nile"s "The Great Yellow Light" is the 21st full length release from veteran New York-based rocker that the New Yorker has called "One of the most brilliant singer-songwriters of the past thirty years". The album title is a reference to Vincent Van Gogh"s letters to his brother, Theo, and the light that inspired him in Arles, France where he lived from February 1888 to May 1889. The album was recorded at Hobo Sound, Weehawken, NJ produced by Nile and his long-time producer, Grammy-winner Stewart Lerman (Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, Sharon Van Etten, etc.). Features special guests Steve Earle, Paul Brady, Waddy Wachtel, David Mansfield, and members of Black 47 and The Hooters.

NON EXCL LP , Black Vinyl

The Soulful Trio, a band from Barcelona made up of three musicians with an international background (Spain, Holland, Argentina, USA, France) after playing their repertoire live in different venues for several months, with their songs well shot, have decided to record "Said & Done", in one of the best studios of Barcelona, nine original compositions of Soul-Jazz with derivations towards funk and blues.

Music reminiscent of the classics of the Hammond B3 organ trio such as Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Lonnie Smith, Richard “Groove” Holmes or Big John Patton, reinventing the sound and bringing it closer to today with their vibrant fusion of genres full of energy.

Enjoy this instrumental Soul-Jazz album with these young veterans Homero Tolosa (drums), Pablo Sánchez (guitar) and Lucas Herrera Fernández (Hammond B3) in all their splendor with their respective instruments including the exciting & dynamic sounds of the Hammond B3, the great electric guitar groove of solos and huge variety of rhythms, playing a music that is always intense and made from their hearts.

The first and most independent of all independent producers, Joe Meek needs little introduction. He was the first to chart in both the UK and the USA with an independently produced song -which was actually recorded in his home’s kitchen- when The Tornados' Telstar took the world in 1962. Meek was, of course, one of the most in vogue producers of the first half of the 1960s, providing the soundtrack to the evolution of UK Rock’n'Roll to Swinging London, scoring hits with actors like John Leyton (Johnny Remember Me), showmen like Screaming Lord Sutch and bands like The Outlaws and The Tornados. He also produced a wide stream of R&B and freakbeat 45s that are nowadays hardly sought after by the collectors with the biggest bank accounts.

Joe Meek experimented with all kinds of recording techniques in his home studio, his tricks and gimmicks won his productions chart placement and critical and public acclaim, but none of his projects was so advanced and way out as the avantgarde experimentation showed in his I Hear a New World electronic symphony from 1960. Aided by The Blue Men formed by Rod Freeman (group leader, guitar, vocals), Ken Harvey (tenor sax, vocals), Roger Fiola (Hawaiian Guitar), Chris White (guitar), Doug Collins (bass), Dave Golding (drums) -also known as Rodd-Ken and The Cavaliers- who provided a tight base to his electronically produced sounds, Meek came up with what he envisioned as the soundtrack of the future, the sounds he envisioned were to be heard in outer space. It was too way out for its time, certainly. To the point that of all the opus, only four tracks saw the light of day on a 7" EP released on Triumph, Meeks very own label. It wouldn’t be until 1991 that the whole recordings from the I Hear a New World sessions would see the light of day on a CD issued by the RPM label.

Wah Wah offers a new reissue of this now classic early electronics masterpiece, housed in a beautiful front-laminated back-flapped sleeve and offered as a limited 400 copies only black vinyl version and an ultra-limited 100 copies only transparent purple vinyl. Get yours before they fly!

RIYL : Delia Derbyshire and The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Louis and Bebe Barron’s soundtrack to Forbidden Planet, Raymond Scott, Tom Dissevelt & Kid Baltan, Morton Subotnick…

The first and most independent of all independent producers, Joe Meek needs little introduction. He was the first to chart in both the UK and the USA with an independently produced song -which was actually recorded in his home’s kitchen- when The Tornados' Telstar took the world in 1962. Meek was, of course, one of the most in vogue producers of the first half of the 1960s, providing the soundtrack to the evolution of UK Rock’n'Roll to Swinging London, scoring hits with actors like John Leyton (Johnny Remember Me), showmen like Screaming Lord Sutch and bands like The Outlaws and The Tornados. He also produced a wide stream of R&B and freakbeat 45s that are nowadays hardly sought after by the collectors with the biggest bank accounts.

Joe Meek experimented with all kinds of recording techniques in his home studio, his tricks and gimmicks won his productions chart placement and critical and public acclaim, but none of his projects was so advanced and way out as the avantgarde experimentation showed in his I Hear a New World electronic symphony from 1960. Aided by The Blue Men formed by Rod Freeman (group leader, guitar, vocals), Ken Harvey (tenor sax, vocals), Roger Fiola (Hawaiian Guitar), Chris White (guitar), Doug Collins (bass), Dave Golding (drums) -also known as Rodd-Ken and The Cavaliers- who provided a tight base to his electronically produced sounds, Meek came up with what he envisioned as the soundtrack of the future, the sounds he envisioned were to be heard in outer space. It was too way out for its time, certainly. To the point that of all the opus, only four tracks saw the light of day on a 7" EP released on Triumph, Meeks very own label. It wouldn’t be until 1991 that the whole recordings from the I Hear a New World sessions would see the light of day on a CD issued by the RPM label.

Wah Wah offers a new reissue of this now classic early electronics masterpiece, housed in a beautiful front-laminated back-flapped sleeve and offered as a limited 400 copies only black vinyl version and an ultra-limited 100 copies only transparent purple vinyl. Get yours before they fly!

RIYL : Delia Derbyshire and The BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Louis and Bebe Barron’s soundtrack to Forbidden Planet, Raymond Scott, Tom Dissevelt & Kid Baltan, Morton Subotnick…

The Last Question is the first album by electronics master Tim Clark. It collects his early works, when he was the Music Director of the Strasenburgh Planetarium in Rochester, N.Y. These tunes were the soundtrack to the planetarium’s adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s The Last Question short stoy. The idea was conceived by Von Del Chamberlain, director of teh Abrams Planetarium, and was taken to fruition in a joint venture bewtween the Abrams and Strasenbergh Planetariums, were the shows were premiered in 1972.

Clark composed and produced the works in the Strasenberg Planetarium’s own sound studio, equipped with three Ampex 440 recorders, a 4-channel mixing board with 18 inputs and a Moog Synthesizer. The album was released as a private pressing in 1973 and it has since become an elusive collector’s piece among electronic music afficionados. Comes with remastered sound and straight reproduction of the original artwork.

ULTRA RARE OUTER SPACE PRIVATE PRESS!

RIYL : Tonto’s Expanding Head Band, Iasos, Peter Davidson, Michael Stearns, Steve Roach...

The Last Question is the first album by electronics master Tim Clark. It collects his early works, when he was the Music Director of the Strasenburgh Planetarium in Rochester, N.Y. These tunes were the soundtrack to the planetarium’s adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s The Last Question short stoy. The idea was conceived by Von Del Chamberlain, director of teh Abrams Planetarium, and was taken to fruition in a joint venture bewtween the Abrams and Strasenbergh Planetariums, were the shows were premiered in 1972.

Clark composed and produced the works in the Strasenberg Planetarium’s own sound studio, equipped with three Ampex 440 recorders, a 4-channel mixing board with 18 inputs and a Moog Synthesizer. The album was released as a private pressing in 1973 and it has since become an elusive collector’s piece among electronic music afficionados. Comes with remastered sound and straight reproduction of the original artwork.

ULTRA RARE OUTER SPACE PRIVATE PRESS!

RIYL : Tonto’s Expanding Head Band, Iasos, Peter Davidson, Michael Stearns, Steve Roach...

Thirteenth studio album by the British rock band. Released in September 1987, it is the first album featuring the later three piece line-up: David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright.

The sixth studio album by the British rock group, originally released in 1971. Produced between touring commitments and widely regarded as a notable progression from their previous work, the band devised a series of novel recording and writing experiments, which also inspired the album's signature track “Echoes”.

With Bass Temprature, rediscover on one single CD the first three vinyl EPs by High Tone: Bot Dub Seasons, Low Tone, and Bass Temperature-a total of 12 tracks that propelled the Lyon-based group into the ranks of electro-dub heavyweights. In addition to these two reissues, four extra tracks have been added, making for a 12-track album just as compelling as it's predecessor. It marks a shift toward a more roots-oriented sound while remaining firmly grounded in the electro-dub genre. The album opens with Echo-Logik, a warrior-like chant followed by a driving bassline that makes you want to move-DJ Twelve's scratches laid over the groove offer a brilliant showcase of the band's talent. The title track, Bass Temprature, follows-perhaps the least striking piece, though that's only relative given the strength of the rest. Worth noting are the mystical vocal samples in Train to Transylvania, evoking vampires and devils, while N1 Station brings a heavy psych sound, a more energetic beat, and moments that border on hard-tek. Other influences also emerge, such as the strong Eastern vibe in The Orientalist. As always, High Tone delivers a stunning dub album sure to delight ears tired of the everyday noise pollution that surrounds us.

This Project is really a two in one offering. Combining the three tracks from Ringer’s 2021 release, the “Meta Music EP” and his darker more aggressive moniker, Black Sued’s offering the “Rogue EP”. The EP is sort of a yin and yang. Monotone is a deep chordal track with uplifting vocals and a pulsing almost distorted bassline. This track is complimented with minimal drums and a simple yet beautiful synth riffs that bring it all together. New Plan is a fast paced cut that insights the listener to move. The drums and chords wrestle in a rhythmic dance while Ringer’s voice projects the essence of this side of the 12”. Positivity and persistence, the energy is alive in this track. YIA, an acronym that stands for Yes I Am, is meditative and filled with affirmations for the listener. Deep solemn chords, and the sounds of a thunder storm take the listener into a inner place of self reflection. The affirmations are for the listener to embody, a solid thought provoking end to this side of the 12”.

Rogue, the title track of this side of the record, is an intelligent, dark and jazz filled groove, that takes the listener on a journey. The groove is easy to catch, and wraps the listener into an almost mysterious landscape of rhythm and melody. Keeping the tone of this side of the 12” is Maze. The chords and rhythm walk in tandem to a beat that almost favors a marching band. A higher energy feel arrives as the 16th high hats meet a long defining chord that take this track to the next level. Deep Dirt reminds me of a drum machine tweaking or malfunctioning. The ominous chords paired with the distorted synth and bass lines that carry the listener through the filth that is this track.

For three seasons, Jung’s (of Parasite and Mickey 17 fame) iconic music has been essential in creating the intense atmosphere and emotional impact of the series. For this vinyl release, Jung Jaeil has exclusively compiled the best moments from three seasons of Squid Game.

On this double LP, you’ll hear Jung’s mastery of blending classical, electronic and minimalist elements to create a soundscape that reflects the psychological tension and moral complexity
of the show. From eerie piano motifs to unsettling
ambient textures, the soundtrack heightens the suspense and emotional gravity of the survival drama. Squid Game’s soundtrack not only complements the show’s gripping visuals, but also stands
as a masterclass in modern TV scoring. Jung Jaeil’s work has received widespread acclaim, cementing his reputation as one of the most visionary contemporary composers.

With the world burning around oneself, the importance of the current moment is core, not to get lost. Focus on the important, i.e. the non-urgent, the ectoplasmatic material in the cracks between the whirlwinds of hurry, angst and greed around. Scarred ourselves, yet with unrelenting blissful resistance to the unforgiving circumstances, an apocalypse is not about giving up. Circling around the chaos to find one's own unique place(s), hailing and embracing the rare people that share those whereabouts. Connection, mutuality and community as the means to walk through the harsh cliffs of the world.

Nachgepresste Vinyl-Zusammenstellung von frühen Singles und EPs der kanadischen Alternative-Künstlerins LOLO! Die aus Toronto, Kanada, stammende LOLO hat sich zu einem aufstrebenden Star der alternativen Popmusik entwickelt. Ihr Durchbruch gelang ihr mit ihrer Overkill-EP, in der sie sich mit peinlicher Adoleszenz (,lonely and pathetic"), Herzschmerz (,hurt less") und Selbstironie (,death wish") auseinandersetzt. Das People Magazine bezeichnete sie daraufhin als ,Emerging Artist" und Spotify nahm sie in seine EQUAL-Kampagne auf, die aufstrebende Künstlerinnen fördert. Nachdem sie bei Hopeless Records unterschrieben hatte, trat LOLO mit ihrer Zusammenarbeit mit der Alt-Pop-Künstlerin Maggie Lindemann ins Rampenlicht. Der Song ,debbie downer" landete in allen Pop/Alt-Playlists und brachte ihr Tourneen und Festivalauftritte beim Lollapalooza und Sad Summer Festival sowie eine UK/EU-Tournee mit Leah Kate ein. Mit der Veröffentlichung ihrer zweiten EP ,Debbie Downer" feierte LOLO mit dem eingängigen ,u turn me on (but u give me depression)" Erfolge im kanadischen Pop-Radio und gestaltet die Alternative-Pop-Szene weiter mit, zuletzt mit ihrem 2024 erschienenen Debütalbum ,Falling For Robots And Whishing I was One". "LOLO creates honest, grungy breakup anthems and hot-girl bangers that mix genres and confuse categories."-Westword "Full of all the anger, angst, cynicism and depression that makes a proper pop punk artist, Toronto singer-songwriter LOLO is well on the rise." -Paper Für Fans von Charlotte Sands, Maggie Linderman, Stand Atlantic, Alternative Rock, Indie-Pop, Punkpop Diese neue Vinyl-Ausgabe der Singles-Compilation kommt in transparentem Rot!

3rd limited edition vinyl EP in the series of EPs celebrating the 20th anniversary of the group Chinese Man and Chinese Man Records. For this 3rd opus, we take a look back at the various collaborations between Chinese Man and O.B.F over the years. Two versions of Salune included, plus two O.B.F.-Remixes of CM tracks. 20 years logo by Joan Oaï of Life. Available on limited transparent purple vinyl.

Originally released in 1981, this is Mizutama Shobodan's legendary debut album. A wild theatrical mix of avant-post-punk material worked out by one of the most uncompromising women’s brigades ever. An outstanding document from ›another‹ Japan!

»Mizutama Shobodan were a force of nature – powerful and original and unapologetic. I saw them live before I heard the first record and was very impressed. I liked the way the group interacted, it was a very good atmosphere between everybody. I really liked the contrasting sounds and styles of Kamura and Tenko, two very different kinds of voices that really worked well together.« (Fred Frith)

With solid training as a classical musician, Sophie Agnel took a close interest in modern jazz before committing in the early 90s to the shifting, deliciously uncertain ground of free improvisation, thanks to her fascination for the powers of expression displayed by a few great keyboard-heretics such as Keith Tippett, Fred Van Hove or Christine Wodrascka. She began reworking the prepared piano techniques imagined by John Cage and transformed her instrument into a sort of extended piano.

Coming from a Punk music background Joke Lanz started in the mid 80s to play Experimental- and Noise music. Best known for his internationally acclaimed project Sudden Infant, Lanz is presenting his work since 30 years all over the world. Born in Switzerland and currently operating out of Berlin, he is one of the most prolific and profound artists working in the border zones where performance and body art meet Improvisation and Noise.

Agnel and Lanz have performed stunning live shows as a duo, now their debut album is coming out on Klanggalerie. Turntables and piano, a unique combination that is a lot of fun!

Wytch Hazel's stellar 2016 debut Prelude confirmed these Lancastrian apprentice wizards to be Britain's most promising new hard rock band. Two years on, that promise comes to abundant fruition on II: Sojourn, an album that moves Wytch Hazel on from the innocence and exuberance of the debut to a darker, more profound and complex place, carefully wrought into optimum shape by the band's singer, guitarist, songwriter and mastermind Colin Hendra. "I'm really into the idea of an album," notes Colin. "I don't do mix-tapes, I don't listen to singles, I'm interested in albums. I want to make a good, listenable, cohesive work, that is the whole thing." Asked what inspirations were brought to bear this time, Colin has good news, and even better taste: "I was listening to plenty of Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy and Wishbone Ash last year," remarks the frontman. "This seems to be more of a hard rock album, where the last one was more rock-folk. It's definitely more rock than folk!" The most crucial influence fully expresses itself via Les Paul guitars in sweet twin harmony through cranked Super Lead Marshalls - "Exactly the same type of amp that Thin Lizzy would have used," beams Colin - a benefit of working in James Atkinson's Hand Of Law Studio, a converted gaolhouse in Leeds. "We knew there would be a lot more great gear, more amps, more options," enthuses Colin of this productive new work environment. "We were more prepared, we planned better. I had a lot more vocals to record on this album, pretty much every song has at least three harmonies, but James is a really chilled out guy, he made it easy for us. I had a very clear idea of how I wanted each song to sound, I thought about every single aspect. I probably over-prepared for this album, and it paid off!" Wytch Hazel's proud, avowed Protestant Christianity continues to set them apart from the occult hocus-pocus of their peers, and the very title Sojourn has a Biblical inspiration: "It's used a lot in the Old Testament, people would travel somewhere to stay for a short period of time," explains Colin, comparing the idea to Wytch Hazel's development since Prelude. "We're going to reside here with this sound for a while, and the next album might not sound the same. Come and have a listen to this aspect of Wytch Hazel - it's a temporary stay. We'll be here for a while, then there will be something else. I'm always writing, it's a constant stream, but I'm always trying to raise the bar, because I don't want the next album to be not as good as the other ones!"

Over the past near-decade, Lancashire's medieval metal phenomenon WYTCH HAZEL have been honing an uncommonly wholesome, rustic and devotional brand of timewarped hard rock that's all their own, with 2016's Prelude and 2018's II: Sojourn summoning to mind fevered images of Robin Hood and his Merry Men grooving to Jethro Tull and Thin Lizzy. Yet within moments of pressing play on their third LP, III: Pentecost, the musty mystical minstrelsy takes a back seat in favour of a rich, sumptuous, anthemic late-night drivetime vibe, passionately embracing the most high-end smash-hit classic rock and metal circa its late 1970s heyday. "I thought I put a lot into the second album, but this album has been an absolute obsession," stresses the band leader, Colin Hendra. "Every aspect had to be as good as possible. We've gone back and forth, Ed was tinkering with it for months on end. There's quadruple tracking going on with the rhythm parts, then we've doubled, tripled and quadrupled all our lead parts to get that richness and fullness of sound, all meticulously planned with pages and pages of organisational notes. It wasn't just `get in the studio and see how it goes!'" he laughs. "One day I did 14 hours of vocal recording. All vocals are double-tracked, I can't express how much hard work that is. The last album feels like a breeze compared to what we've done with this - and I don't plan on ramping it down!" Musically there are gorgeous self-professed touches of Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, AC/DC and early Scorpions_"With the soloing I was trying to go for Michael Schenker" beams Colin_while the scampering headbanger I Will Not initially took a nod from Angel Witch, who Hendra was helping out on second guitar back in 2015 when the track was composed, before studio treatment made it sound "a lot more Wytch Hazelly". But perhaps the most lateral comparison is to a band from the opposite spiritual realm, with Archangel an explicit homage to Swedish faux-Satanic devil cult Ghost. "I find them fascinating, Ghost; musically great, the songwriting is spot-on," enthuses the frontman. "We share an intrinsic connection, with Bad Omen honcho Will Palmer being the person who discovered us both. "Music is created for all, it's a common grace for everyone," he affirms, "which is why the music that shows the glory of God the most, in my opinion, is not music created by Christians. It's Black Sabbath!"

This is an album made during a crucial period in South Africa’s history during which there was a palpable feeling of a slow turning towards the collapse of the apartheid state side by side with an increasingly well-organised culture of resistance through the formation of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and various affiliated bodies. However, as a result, there was increased pushback from the state security establishment, a turning to dirty tricks and the formation of hit squads whose members murdered and tortured many of our friends and created chaos throughout South Africa as well as neighbouring countries.

This album is situated in this political environment however it took advantage of the new do-it-yourself music technologies available at that time. Technologies that made it possible to make and release records without interference from traditional record company executives. Two musician friends of mine pooled their resources after their respective bands had broken up. Ivan Kadey (National Wake) and Lloyd Ross (Radio Rats) built an 8-track recording studio control room and fitted it out in a second hand caravan and called it Shifty. They parked it in a garage attached to the only house left in a demolished and derelict mining village near Soweto on the outskirts of Johannesburg.
All the work on this album was completed there, mainly after hours and mostly alone where I enjoyed an exhilarating freedom to develop a whole new set of musical skills and ideas, incorporating my love of a wide range of music I’d grown up with. Influences of 1970s progressive/kraut/and psychedelic rock combined with mbaqanga bass styles, early reggae/dub and Indian tabla rhythms. Stockhausen, early Zappa and Holgar Czukay were radio text and shredding influences, and Chris Cutler’s band Henry Cow & Art Bears helped me see a way to political expression. Mostly though was the exciting post-punk and no-wave music coming through to us from Europe and America: bands like This Heat, the Mekons, Raincoats, Sonic Youth and Pere Ubu were immensely important to me as was my reading from the period: J.M.Coetzee’s first 3 novels are strong influences on Free State Fence; the stark landscape, superstition, ritual, and sexual repression are in many of his settings. JG Ballard was a constant presence throughout that period, especially whilst living in such a surreal environment, surrounded by mine dumps, but mostly I think the whole French post-modern philosophical movement—Derrida, Foucault and of course, Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulation—set out a new sense of possibilities, possible ways to express oneself, ways to think, and ways to try and analyse the political intersection of public and private life. Most important at that time was the influence of sound recordings I had made and experiences garnered from working as a sound recordist on documentary films. These financed my work and later the studio and were consistent employment throughout the 1980s. Film work also enabled me to experience much of South Africa that was hidden from most. The track Independence Day is a good example; drawn from some time spent in the rural homeland of Venda. This then was the first full length Kalahari Surfers album, completed in summer of 1984 it was taken to EMI pressing plant but rejected by the cutting engineer as being ""political, pornographic and anti religious"". Chris Cutler at Recommended Records took up the challenge and released the album through his label. He wrote the original liner note

Hot on the heels of a 7" released in Febuary, Split System follow up with a split 7" release in tandem with French garage-punks Les Lullies - one song apiece.
The Australian side features a tough-as-guts Rock & Roll stomper, 'Chemicals'.
On the other side Les Lullies deliver A L'Etroit. written and recorded in a burst of urgency - fast, loud and straight to the point.
The two bands will hit the road together in June for a run of high energy gigs across Europe.

Prism Shores are Montreal janglers with one foot planted in ramshackle C86-indebted indie pop and the other in the shimmer of early English shoegaze. While their sound is reminiscent of perennial genre reference points (Sarah, Creation, Flying Nun), the band leaves their own idiosyncratic stamp. Out From Underneath, their new record due out January 17, 2025, on Meritorio Records, tackles young adult ennui and the adjustment of settling in an unfamiliar city, its lyrics dealing with the growing pains experienced during a time of upheaval. It is contemplative and chock-full of emotional depth; a nighttime album that channels self-reflexive melancholy into some form of catharsis.