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Factory Benelux presents a limited crystal clear vinyl edition of Dark Light, the eighth studio album from post-punk trailblazers Section 25, originally released in 2013.
Recorded in 2012, Dark Light would be the band’s first collection of new material since the tragic loss of founder Larry Cassidy in 2010, and marked a return to the smooth electro and synth-pop textures first explored on their seminal 1984 album From the Hip. These echoes are amplified by the presence of co-vocalists Beth and Jo Cassidy, as well as a sublime cover image by iconic artist/designer Peter Saville.
Much of Dark Light was produced in collaboration with remixer Derek Miller (aka Outernationale), and includes new versions of single tracks Colour Movement Sex & Violence and Inner Drive. Other stand-out cuts include future pop classic My Outrage, also released as a single on Record Store Day.
“A revelation. The group were once doomy post-punks whose 1984 electronic album From the Hip anticipated house music and thrilled New York clubland. Now the deaths of singers Larry and Jenny Cassidy have inspired their daughter Bethany to carry on the family business and give the band a makeover. The collision of the original members’ brittle rhythms and the angelic voices of Bethany and similarly fresh-faced co-singer Jo takes recent material into shimmering club-pop heaven” (The Guardian, 2014)
Now released on vinyl for the very first time, FBN 145 is limited to just 500 copies pressed on crystal clear vinyl. The digital copy contains several bonus tracks.

Sydney Northern Beaches' very own hard-biting rockers C.O.F.F.I.N are proud to announce their fifth full-length studio album entitled 'Australia Stops', the highly-anticipated follow-up to their monumental 'Children In Finland Fighting In Norway' album from 2020. Due for release on September 15th 2023 via Bad Vibrations in Europe, the new album comes off the back of the band's world tour with Amyl and the Sniffers in 2022, and their recent UK headline dates this May where C.O.F.F.I.N stunned audiences with the high-intensity rock action they are renowned for. 'Australia Stops' was recorded in January 2023 at The Pet Food Factory studio with producer Jason Whalley (Frenzal Rhomb) behind the desk. A record that showcases a collection of diverse and gripping new works that highlight the band's evolution into more melodious, 1970's Australiana and boogie rock and roll. Frenzied, high-voltage guitars, thumping rhythms, flowing melody and clever, captivating lyrics exhibit an undeniable progression in composition and songwriting, while still unmistakably the C.O.F.F.I.N that fans world-wide have come to worship over their 18-year lifespan. 180g green vinyl, printed inner-sleeve, download card included

CNPY007 marks a strong return to Canopy for Sam Redmore, on the second edition in the Alafia series where he impresses with two powerful and inspired re-imaginings of these tropical synth future-classics.

Tough afro-centric broken beats meet dirty fuzz basslines. Chic-esque guitars and icy synths swirl among horn crescendos and steel drums. Sam assembled a troupe of tight players who deliver slick performances which sincerely compliment the original arrangements, while he turns the electronic tropical funk factor to full - Inspired music reinvented for inspired dancefloors!

The Faithful Brothers

Soul and R&B from Tel Aviv

"It's so difficult to produce the feel and the excitement of the classic northern sound, but The Faithful Brothers were born to do it and they do it so well." Craig Charles, The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show, BBC Radio 6 Music.

Is there a Northern Soul scene in Tel Aviv? The surprising answer is – yes, there is. If you're a soulie and in town, look for the Tel Aviv Soul Club, and you might find yourself swaying across a talcum-powder covered floor to Tel Aviv's own unique blend of classic Northern Soul 45s and early 1960s R&B sounds.

Chances are that those 45s will come out of the record boxes of one of the brothers Neeman, Johnnie and Bin. Sons of an Israeli diplomat, they travelled abroad extensively as children, in the 1960s and 1970s, discovering the wonderful world of rare soul music on the way. Tel Aviv Soul Club, aka TASC, is the brainchild of Yashiv Cohen, a DJ who, in 2006, lured the brothers Neeman, whose massive soul collections been hitherto confined to their respective living rooms, into playing their records to the Tel Aviv public. Yashiv is also the lead singer of Men of North Country (MONC), a Tel Aviv band with a distinct sound, blending rock, British pop and soul, that has recorded two albums for the London based label Acid Jazz Records, and toured Europe numerous times.

Since Neeman means Faithful in Hebrew, Yashiv woke up one morning with the crystallization that MONC must create a spin-off, a more puristic soul band, called the Faithful Brothers. There the biological Neeman/Faithful brothers would be joined by some of the members of MONC and a few more musical brothers from Tel Aviv to create new, original soul and R&B music. With a nod to the Northern Soul slogan "Keep The Faith", the name seemed too perfect to waste. The fact that the Neeman brothers were collectors, and not musicians, did not bother a man of vision like Yashiv. One day, he sent Johnnie some lyrics he wrote, asking him to compose music for it. Well, Johnnie called Bin, and they met in Johnnie's record room. With Johnnie playing some of the few chords he knew on his dusty old acoustic guitar, out came Teenage Frost, the first-ever musical composition of the Neeman brothers, recorded by MONC.

It took a few more years, but gradually the brothers succumbed to their fate, to continue their musical progression, from collectors to DJs to musicians. Johnnie took his guitar, Bin took to the piano, and the brothers began pouring out some of their influences, creating new songs. It is finally all coming together. The Faithful Brothers – now an eight-piece band, complete with a mighty brass section – release their first album "The Faithful Brothers".

Brussels-based power trio Don Kapot are set to release their rousing new album 'I Love Tempo' on the 15th of September via W.E.R.F. Records - NEWS distribution.

A lifeboat of free jazz, afrobeat and krautpunk sailed by Giotis Damianidis (bass), Viktor Perdieus (baritone saxophone) and Jakob Warmenbol (drums), the album follows the release of their critically acclaimed 2022 album 'Un Peu Live' recorded with Dutch multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer Fulco Ottervanger, and described by Bandcamp Daily as a 'very fun mix of modern jazz and krautrock.'

Don Kapot strike hard with their fourth album, mixed and co-produced by Greg Saunier (Deerhoof). Using a wide range of instruments, they evolve their sound into a solid complex rhythmic wave, shaken by demented samples and punk attitude.

From the vibrant, pounding rhythms of opening track 'Me Pig' to the off-kilter, whimsical beats of 'Macarona' and 'Terryble,' Don Kapot integrate new instruments and sounds into their repertoire, including keyboards and sampling. The groove remains a central element to the sound as the trio deliver a palpable blend of high tension and joyous energy where genres are demolished.

Elsewhere, the funk-heavy 'Bernadette' allows the magical, freestyle sax work of Perdieus take centre stage while 'Don Be No' is an urgent, flippant blast of vigour and zest before the album title track 'I Love Tempo' is an exhilarating and hypnotic journey that combines the freedom and verve of free jazz with the trance-like zeal of artists such as Tony Allen, Fela Kuti and Kologbo

Releasing their self-titled debut album in 2018 via Mr. Nakayasi Records, in 2021 they signed to Flemish record label W.E.R.F. Records and have released three albums under the label and have performed sold-out shows across Belgium and the Netherlands.

The players in Don Kapot also extend their musical adventures to other projects. Damianidis leads Punk Kong and has performed with Akira Sakata, Sakis Papadimitriou, Oghene Kologbo, Tony Allen, Baba Ani, Balasz Pandi and Gonzalo Almeida among others. Warmenbol was a member of The Unrevealed Society, Robbing Millions and M(h)ysteria. He also performs with Ruth Tafebe & the Afrosoul Messengers (with Giotis), Under The Reefs Orchestra and Monolithe Noir. Perdieus performs in Punk Kong and with Pompelmoes and The Milk Factory and took part in Ifa y Xango, Laia Arkestra, Bolhaerd, Nest and VVolk. He has also recorded and played with Andrew Cyrille (Bambi Pang Pang).

The last time Canadian underground techno tastemaker Rennie Foster had a record on a French label it was the historic F-Communications. Back then Rennie’s penchant for bringing warehouse nostalgia together with hi-tech futurism was a consistent theme and in 2023 this fusion based musical concept is realized further toward the future through a new EP release, Cryptic Layers on Parisian imprint Skylax Records.


The record opens with Let It Go, a simple title for a complex and dreamy piece of lo-fi rave house featuring clattering breaks, ear worm vocals and a drastic bassline driving the whole custom vehicle. Then the similarly, simply titled Just Do It explodes into action with an inspired mix of Detroit inspired dub techno chords, fierce amen breaks and a hip-house energy akin to both current urban style and authentic musical roots. These tracks sound like they could have been released at any time during the past decades but still sound current, or even futuristic. Apparent is craft, design and an understanding of dance music from the perspective of obsession, experience and passion.



The remixes come from absolute legends in the world of techno, representing Rennie’s other home-base territories, the techno cities Detroit and Tokyo. Japanese electronic music icon Ken Ishii provides a storming acid remix of Just Do It with liquid 303 bass, anxious and trip vocal snips, and punchy drums that will sound absolutely ace in a club. Detroit third wave pioneer Sean Deason closes out the record with a crisp dose of hi-tech funk that is sure to be a DJ weapon with it’s hypnotic energy and timeless production style.



The digital only portion of Cryptic Layers begins with a second version from Ken Ishii, this time sans vocals leaving the acid stripped down and bare. Two more original tracks by Rennie Foster are also on offer. Sadlands is an organ laden deep house, synth-wave, contrasting piece of melancholic dream dance while I Say Peace signs off the project in a layered classic house style with early rave stabs and grooving after-hours appeal.

repress!

NIGHT COMMUNICATION was a production team composed by Andrea Gemolotto and Leo Marras.
They both were very active in the early italo house scene, Gemolotto was famous for his technical skills, in fact in 1989 he won the italian DMC Championship as Cutmaster-G. Leo Marras aka Leo Mas, is one of of the most underground italian djs, he started his career playing in the late 80's alongside Alfredo at Amnesia Ibiza, and he was one of the first djs bringing Ibiza atmosphere into the early house italian club scene. Night Communication EP' was originally released in 1992 and it's now officially repressed from Groovin Recordings. All the tracks come from the original tapes and have also been remastered.

“Can’t Slow Down“ was originally released in 2009, 15 years after Foreigner’s previous studio album. It marked the Melodic Rock comeback of the year; praised by fans and critics alike. “It was our first studio album with the new lineup and I think it has a tremendous amount of energy in it“, says founding member and lead guitarist Mick Jones. “The title just seemed to sum up the way we were feeling at the time. It captured the fact that Foreigner had become a powerful live band and was ready to take on the world again. I’m happy to say that it drew the attention of Foreigner fans, old and new, and went on to become a chart album in several countries.“ CD1 includes the complete studio album, produced by Mick Jones & Marti Frederiksen (Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe) and featuring the song ‘Fool For You Anyway‘, produced by the acclaimed Grammy Award-winning producer Mark Ronson. Exclusive to this 2CD Deluxe Digipak Edition is the second CD „B-Sides And Extra Tracks“ which includes a carefully selected set of Foreigner’s biggest hits as well as beloved fan favourites – all recorded in energetic live versions of which some will be released the first time on CD. This collection istopped of by an exclusive Radio Edit of “Can’t Slow Down“’slead single ‘In Pieces‘. CD2 will also become available as a Strictly Limited Heavyweight Double LP Edition on transparent orange vinyl.

Recorded in 1995 and 1996, mostly in John Fahey"s room at a Salem, Oregon boardinghouse, the performances on Proofs and Refutations prefigure the ornery turn of the page that marked Fahey"s final years, drawing another enigmatic rabbit from his seemingly bottomless musical hat. Cloaked in the language of dogma - what is he proving? refuting? - this is Fahey dancing a jig in the Duchampian gap, jester cap bells a-jingling. True believers? He"s got something for you: an uncompromising vision that you can sneer at ("guy can"t play anymore and refuses to concede!") or embrace as evidence of his genius ("the reinventor does it again!"). Skeptics? He"s there with you, too: sending up the fallacy of certitudes altogether. Institutions, systems, accepted wisdoms. Heroes. Alternative facts, indeed. Right out of the gate, Fahey re-materializes before us, somewhere between Oracle of Delphi and Clown Prince at Olympus. Mounting a thundering dialectic from on high, "All the Rains" resembles nothing else in his extensive discography - betraying roots in everything from Dada to Episcopal liturgical chant - and contains nary a plucked guitar note. You can"t fool him! When the lap steel of yore appears on "F for Fake," it serves more as soundbed for an extended sequence of vocal improvisations, running the gamut from wordless Bashoian caterwauling to free-form (but decidedly fake) Tuvan, even revealing a burnished falsetto in the process. Fahey takes on a different kind of provocation in the two acoustic guitar-based tracks closing Side 1 - "Morning" parts 1 and 2 - the first of 4 recordings in this session that have him wrestling with the ghost of Skip James, perhaps Fahey"s effort to wrench the "bitter, hateful old creep" (his words) back into the grave. Anchoring Side 2 is the two-part "Evening, Not Night," the second half of his extended cathexis on James (and the latter"s avowed castration complex - another story for another day, perhaps). Bit of a chill in the air - where"s the impish Fahey from earlier? Unmistakably working through some psychic wounds here, we might think: the unheimlich rendered in glistening viscera. Or is he playing with our notions of authenticity, of his reputation as troubadour of raw emotional states, a pilgrim of the ominous, the simmering unconscious? These cards are kept decidedly close to the vest. The opening and closing pieces again feature Fahey"s guitar as drone soundbed - employing distortion, oscillation, and an altogether absurd quotient of reverb to create texture and harmonics that are - if we wanna go there - not dissimilar to the sustained tonic clusters of Tibetan singing bowls, the hurdy gurdy, Hindustani classical music, or La Monte freaking Young. Portions of this material appeared on obscure late "90s vinyl in the 7" or double-78 rpm format, but as a "session" it has lain dormant more than a quarter century now. Taken together, we can now see these tracks as secret blueprints to latter-day Fahey provocations, several years prior to records like 1997"s City of Refuge and Womblife.

Public Service Broadcasting kündigt This New Noise an, den neu abgemischten und neu gemasterten Live-Mitschnitt ihrer gefeierten BBC Proms-Show 2022 in der Londoner Royal Albert Hall, der am 8. September 2023 über Test Card Recordings veröffentlicht wird. Bei This New Noise, einer Feier der Macht des Radios, die anlässlich des hundertjährigen Bestehens der BBC geschrieben wurde, tat sich die Band mit dem 88-köpfigen BBC Symphony Orchestra unter der Leitung von Jules Buckley zusammen. Es war eine herausragende Aufführung bei den BBC Proms 2022 und wurde von The Telegraph mit 5* bewertet, der es als "eine klangvolle, zeitgemäße und letztlich berührende Show" bezeichnete. Gründungsmitglied J. Willgoose, Esq. hat das Konzert von Grund auf neu abgemischt, um der vielschichtigen Aufführung noch mehr Tiefe und Textur zu verleihen und sie in einem neuen Licht zu zeigen. This New Noise ist das zweite Mal, dass Public Service Broadcasting einen Auftrag für die BBC Proms erhalten hat. Im Jahr 2019 spielte die Band ein Orchesterarrangement ihres 2015er Studioalbums The Race for Space mit dem Multi-Story Orchestra anlässlich des 50. Jahrestages der ersten bemannten Mondmission. Public Service Broadcasting lehrt seit mehr als einem Jahrzehnt "die Lektionen der Vergangenheit durch die Musik der Zukunft". Das Debütalbum Inform - Educate - Entertain aus dem Jahr 2013 nutzte Archivsamples des British Film Institute als Audioportale zur Battle Of Britain, dem Gipfel des Everest und darüber hinaus. Zwei Jahre später nutzte The Race For Space ähnliche Methoden, um die Rivalität und den Heroismus der Supermächte im Orbit und auf dem Mond zu loben. Als Indie-DIY-Phänomen hat das Album mit über 100.000 verkauften Exemplaren allein im Vereinigten Königreich inzwischen Goldstatus erreicht. Im Jahr 2017 erforschten sie gemeinsam mit Stimmen wie James Dean Bradfield von den Manic Street Preachers in Every Valley auf bewegende Weise die Gemeinschaft und die Erinnerung an den Aufstieg und Fall der britischen Kohleindustrie. Ihr bisher ehrgeizigstes Projekt, Bright Magic, bringt den Hörer in das Herz und die de facto Hauptstadt Europas, die kulturelle und politische Metropole, die die "Hauptstadt" der Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist - Berlin. Das Ende 2021 erschienene vierte Album der Band, das auf Platz 2 der britischen Albumcharts einstieg, wurde von Electronic Sound als "ihr bisher ehrgeizigstes, unkonventionellstes und majestätischstes Werk, ihr glorreicher kreativer Höhepunkt, ihr Magnum Opus" beschrieben, DIY meinte, "es blühte am ruhigsten auf und brach am glühendsten aus" und Clash meinte, es "zementierte den Ruf von PSB als vitaler Act an der Spitze ihres Spiels". Das Album enthielt auch mehrere BBC Radio 6 Music A-Listed Singles, darunter "People, Let's Dance" ft. EERA und "Blue Heaven" ft. Andreya Casablanca.






d 1.4A CELLO SINGS IN DAVENTRY FT. SETH LAKEMAN

Public Service Broadcasting kündigt This New Noise an, den neu abgemischten und neu gemasterten Live-Mitschnitt ihrer gefeierten BBC Proms-Show 2022 in der Londoner Royal Albert Hall, der am 8. September 2023 über Test Card Recordings veröffentlicht wird. Bei This New Noise, einer Feier der Macht des Radios, die anlässlich des hundertjährigen Bestehens der BBC geschrieben wurde, tat sich die Band mit dem 88-köpfigen BBC Symphony Orchestra unter der Leitung von Jules Buckley zusammen. Es war eine herausragende Aufführung bei den BBC Proms 2022 und wurde von The Telegraph mit 5* bewertet, der es als "eine klangvolle, zeitgemäße und letztlich berührende Show" bezeichnete. Gründungsmitglied J. Willgoose, Esq. hat das Konzert von Grund auf neu abgemischt, um der vielschichtigen Aufführung noch mehr Tiefe und Textur zu verleihen und sie in einem neuen Licht zu zeigen. This New Noise ist das zweite Mal, dass Public Service Broadcasting einen Auftrag für die BBC Proms erhalten hat. Im Jahr 2019 spielte die Band ein Orchesterarrangement ihres 2015er Studioalbums The Race for Space mit dem Multi-Story Orchestra anlässlich des 50. Jahrestages der ersten bemannten Mondmission. Public Service Broadcasting lehrt seit mehr als einem Jahrzehnt "die Lektionen der Vergangenheit durch die Musik der Zukunft". Das Debütalbum Inform - Educate - Entertain aus dem Jahr 2013 nutzte Archivsamples des British Film Institute als Audioportale zur Battle Of Britain, dem Gipfel des Everest und darüber hinaus. Zwei Jahre später nutzte The Race For Space ähnliche Methoden, um die Rivalität und den Heroismus der Supermächte im Orbit und auf dem Mond zu loben. Als Indie-DIY-Phänomen hat das Album mit über 100.000 verkauften Exemplaren allein im Vereinigten Königreich inzwischen Goldstatus erreicht. Im Jahr 2017 erforschten sie gemeinsam mit Stimmen wie James Dean Bradfield von den Manic Street Preachers in Every Valley auf bewegende Weise die Gemeinschaft und die Erinnerung an den Aufstieg und Fall der britischen Kohleindustrie. Ihr bisher ehrgeizigstes Projekt, Bright Magic, bringt den Hörer in das Herz und die de facto Hauptstadt Europas, die kulturelle und politische Metropole, die die "Hauptstadt" der Bundesrepublik Deutschland ist - Berlin. Das Ende 2021 erschienene vierte Album der Band, das auf Platz 2 der britischen Albumcharts einstieg, wurde von Electronic Sound als "ihr bisher ehrgeizigstes, unkonventionellstes und majestätischstes Werk, ihr glorreicher kreativer Höhepunkt, ihr Magnum Opus" beschrieben, DIY meinte, "es blühte am ruhigsten auf und brach am glühendsten aus" und Clash meinte, es "zementierte den Ruf von PSB als vitaler Act an der Spitze ihres Spiels". Das Album enthielt auch mehrere BBC Radio 6 Music A-Listed Singles, darunter "People, Let's Dance" ft. EERA und "Blue Heaven" ft. Andreya Casablanca.






[d] 1.4A CELLO SINGS IN DAVENTRY [FT. SETH LAKEMAN]




[d] 1.4A CELLO SINGS IN DAVENTRY [FT. SETH LAKEMAN]

Flatlife Records 3x12" Sales Pack including:

- V/A - The Factory 001 (FACTORY001RP)
- V/A - De Missie Various Artists 01 (DMVA01)
- V/A - Jack Wax Presents: Flat Acid Compilation Volume 5 (FLAT019RP)

Curated by Reference Point residents Mark GV Taylor and George Arthur, this 15 track
compilation album features tracks the pair have played at their peripatetic, Europe wide
events since 2012.
Stretching from the 1970s to the present day the Reference Point compilation spans a whole
range of genres, tempos, languages and grooves where the quality of music is paramount
whether $1.00 bin records or $1000 rarities.
Reference Point, 'a place to hear the music', is a truly trans-global album with music from
Argentina, Brazil, Oakland, Detroit, Texas, London and more, including tracks from private
press albums, from artists who have played at Reference Point events and from current
artists such as MF Robots and Caixa Cubo.
Releasing as a CD, digital and a double LP, Reference Point is another essential compilation
from BBE Music and one that belongs in the collection of all collectors and lovers of great
music

Ltd grey vinyl LP! Manchester's/Berlin's The Underground Youth have built an impressive back catalogue of seven full-length albums. Now again their highly sought-after album Mademoiselle is being given a physical release by Fuzz Club. The story of Mademoiselle is a testament to the power of great music being able to reach an audience, regardless of the fact the artist might be unsigned, underground and almost unheard of. Originally released in 2010 and only available online, Mademoiselle has piled up millions of views on YouTube, and saw The Underground Youth acquire a cult following at a ferocious pace. The album has continued to endear audiences with its bluesy psychedelic-leaning, based on beautifully crafted lyricism and a sculpted sound. Layers of reverb-drenched, folk-indebted guitars and forlorn vocals bleed over hypnotising, monolithic drums to create a record that is 46 minutes of lethargic, lo-fi psych mastery.

Prince Fatty's new independent record label Lovedub Limited kicks off with a super 7" from the man himself. It is in fact something of an homage to the 1970s jazz-funk of Lonnie Liston Smith but with some hefty dub and reggae treatment. Shniece Mcmenamin stars on vocals and brings plenty of summer soul to the groove which is also lit up with free-flying flute lines over steady reggae rhythms that will sink you in deep to Winston "Horseman" Williams and Carlton "Bubblers" Ogilvie's drums, organ and piano. On the flip is the dub with the iconic Liston-Smith melody leading you through a lazy afternoon in style.

Banshee is the new record label from internationally renowned DJ/producer Brianna Price (B.Traits/Baby T). Drawing “esoteric aggressive feminine energy” from the folkloric figure that gives Banshee its name, the imprint will focus on the output of Price’s Baby T alias.

Brianna knows her way around a dance. Years spent producing, DJing, and touring under the B.Traits alias have given Price a vast knowledge of rave culture. Now, all of that experience has been put to good use as part of Baby T’s “hardcore junglist shit only” approach. Anyone who has encountered a Baby T tune in a dark basement over the years should know that there will be no messing around with Banshee’s output. Baby T specialises in hardcore rave tackle schooled by junglism, electro and darkside techno, the project’s sound was honed via releases on labels like Samurai Music and Central Processing Unit. It’s a style at once wild yet focused, untamed yet laser-precise - This is music that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up – not unlike a banshee’s shriek, in fact…

The first Banshee release is not a collection for the faint of heart. Each of these four cuts is primed for deployment at the point of the party when things really kick into overdrive. Fiercely danceable, and unapologetically abrasive, Baby T’s productions here can school any challenger in the electro, techno, and jungle fields yet also carry themselves with a punkish spirit that sets them apart from the pack.

The fourth EP from HOMO-CENTRIC Records presents GIDEÖN's broad musical vision, with tracks that span genres such as house and techno, as well as other influences, and includes his latest offering, “A Road Called Destiny”, his headiest offering yet and hot on the heels of previous anthem “Brighter Day”. This latest gospel belter has been tearing up dancefloors all summer and the track reaches euphoric heights comparable with the Baptist sermons featured in the house classics from the likes of Kerry Chandler and Robert Hood. "Hector’s Revenge" is a dark sleazy queer techno anthem already slaying Berghain’s main floor, "Vasquez Goes East" is a "raw basement cut that tips its hat to Junior Vasquez’s Sound Factory classic "Get Your Hands Off My Man” whilst “Fridays” serves up classic Swing 52 style chopped-up vocal cuts straight from vintage 90s NYC. Scope, range and diversity, but all quintessentially GIDEÖN

Factory Benelux presents a special 35th anniversary edition of Here Comes Everybody, the highly-regarded second album by Scottish group The Wake, originally released by Factory Records in 1985. Just 800 copies will be made available for Record Store Day on 18 April 2020, pressed in crystal clear vinyl with a bonus 7-inch single + digital copy.

The Wake formed in Glasgow in 1981 after singer/guitarist Caesar left Altered Images. Joining Factory the following year, the group toured with New Order and released popular mini-album Harmony. Trailed by sprightly single Talk About the Past in 1984, second album Here Comes Everybody was eventually recorded as a trio, combining dreampop melodies and wistful lyricism typified by standout track O Pamela (later interpreted by artful French new wave covers project Nouvelle Vague).

Praise for Here Comes Everybody: “Holds up as a touchstone for aching, atmospheric synth-pop, all slinky guitars, crispy percussion, textured keyboards and limber bass" (Pitchfork); “The album stands as a pillar of moody synth pop, still bearing passing resemblance to New Order while retaining the bounce of the Postcard label bands and the cavernous production of Closer-era Joy Division, covering it all in some of the heaviest synth wash this side of Klaus Schulze" (Dusted)

Newly re-mastered for this special 35th anniversary edition, the original 8 track album is now augmented by companion singles Talk About the Past and Of the Matter, pressed on a bonus 7-inch single in a picture sleeve. Here Comes Everybody itself is pressed on clear vinyl, housed in a white reverse board sleeve with printed inner bag containing lyrics, images and liner notes by band members Carolyn Allen and Caesar.

Feeling stronger, positive, and more empowered than ever. Lucy has reunited with music industry supremo Simon Cowell who has signed her to his Syco Publishing and is an instrumental part in the forthcoming album. Lucy was the first contestant in X Factor history to score a Top 40 single and album before the live shows aired.
Since her appearance on X Factor, Lucy has sold over 140k albums and reached over 140 million streams on Spotify alone with over 540k monthly listeners. Choices, Lucy's last album released in 2021, debuted at #5 in the Official UK Albums charts.

2023 Repress Blue Vinyl

- Eagerly anticipated follow up to 2014 debut - number 7 in Mojo's best albums of the year.
- LP jacket is gloss laminate with front & back folds on the outside.The back panel is uncoated/matt varnish - 300 gsm card and 180g vinyl. Digital Download included.
- EU tour coming in April with Summer festivals later in 2017.

Sometimes it can take years to find your calling. Not so, for wanderer Julie Byrne, whose power of lyrical expression and melodic nous seems inborn. But often, what comes naturally demonstrates against speed. Julie's second album Not Even Happiness has taken time to evolve, but as it spans recollections of bustling roadside diners, the stars over the high desert, the aching weariness of change, the wildflowers on the coast of California and the irresolvable mysteries of love. Her new album archives a vivid world that would've otherwise been lost to the road and in doing so, Byrne exhibits her extraordinarily innate musicality.

In fact, some of the album's songs took two years of fine tuning to get where they needed to be. And if you were to ask her why the follow up to 2014's Rooms With Walls And Windows has taken so long, you'd only be greeted with a bemused smile as though it's the strangest question she's ever been asked, Writing comes from a natural process of change and growth. It took me up to this point to have the capacity to express my experience of the time in my life that these songs came from.'

Having counted Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Northampton, Massachusetts, Chicago, Illinois, Seattle, New Orleans as her home in recent years. For now, Julie has settled in New York City where she moonlights as a seasonal urban park ranger in Manhattan. Whether witnessing the Pacific Northwest for the first time ('Melting Grid'), the morning sky in Colorado after staying up through the night at a house party in the mountains of Boulder ('Natural Blue'), recording the passage of freight trains on the outskirts of Buffalo, New York ('Interlude'), or a journey fragrant with rose water, reading Frank O'Hara aloud from the passengers seat during a drive through the desert of Utah into the rainforest of Washington State ('All The Land Glimmered Beneath'), Not Even Happiness is Julie's beguilingly ode to the fringes of life.

Self-taught on the guitar after picking it up when her father became ill and could no longer play the instrument himself, Julie readily admits she can't read music and doesn't even listen to it all that much - the first vinyl she owned was indeed, her own. Recorded with producer Eric Littmann (Phantom Posse), Julie laid down the new album in her childhood home in western New York state and offers an altogether bigger picture to its predecessor through a wider, yet subtle, exploration of instruments and atmospherics, Not Even Happiness reveals an artist who has grown in confidence over time.

Byrne's debut album was released back in January 2014 on Chicago based DIY label Orindal after initially being as two separate cassettes releases. Rooms With Walls and Windows went onto become a true modern-day word of mouth success story (it would have to be for an artist who shuns all forms of social media) and ended the year being voted number 7 in Mojo magazine's best albums of the year, with the Huffington Post calling it "2014's Great American Album". A collection of hushed intimate front porch psych-folk songs, that unknowingly recalled the greats, but felt very much for our time. It saw her travel to Europe over two summers playing the Green Man festival and End Of The Road, as well as lesser trodden tour paths around Europe.

Julie Byrne will take the songs from Not Even Happiness (the first release on a new record label Basin Rock, based in the Lancashire / Yorkshire border town of Todmorden) on the road throughout 2017.

Following the success of Hiroshi Sato's reissue, Wewantsounds is proud to announce an ambitious programme to release Akiko Yano's albums outside of Japan starting with her 1981 synth-pop masterpiece 'Tadaima.', co-produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto and featuring YMO. The reissue includes original artwork by cult illustrator King Terry, a 2 page insert and OBI Strip (LP) plus a new introduction by renowned Electro DJ Joakim. Japan's best kept secret, Akiko Yano is one of the most ground-breaking artists to come out of the 70s Japanese music scene along with HaruomiHosono, Ryuichi Sakamoto. A piano child prodigy, Yano started her solo recording career in 1976 at just 21, recording her debut album "Japanese Girl" with no less than Little Feat as the backing band. This album created a stir on the Japanese scene and Yano was on the map. She went on to record a series of superb albums mixing Funk, Electro and City Pop featuring the cream of Japanese (and sometimes American and English) musicians; The fact she was producing, writing and composing herself made her a true maverick in a very male-dominated industry. These albums, incredibly, have never been released outside of Japan to this day. "Tadaima." ("I'm home" in Japanese) recorded in 1981 is Yano's fith studio album co-produced by her then husband Ryuichi Sakamoto and featuring all the musicians from YMO (HaruomiHosono, Yukihiro Takahashi and Sakamoto), the group she was touring with at the time. "Tadaima." is Yano's first attempt to leave the acoustic piano aside and delve into the synth sounds of the early 80s. The result is a fascinating electro pop masterpiece showcasing her talent as a writer, musician and singer, creating her own unique universe. Mixing Japanese and English lyrics, Yano crafts perfect pop songs such as "Tadaima" "I Sing", "HarusakiKobeni" (which became one of her most famous songs after its use in a Japanese cosmetics ad), while "Taiyo No Onara" is a suite composed of nine short stories written by Children. Contributors on Tadaima also include ShigesatoItoi, one of Japan's most famous copywriters (for Studio Ghibli among others) who wrote two tracks on the album and his friend legendary illustrator TeruhikoYumura - aka King Terry - who revolutionised underground manga in the 70s with his 'heta-uma' (bad-good) style, as showcased on the album's striking artwork. 'Tadaima.' is the perfect entry point to Akiko Yano's unique body or work.


The reissue comes with the original obi strip artwork, extensive liner notes and a new introduction from Joakim

We’ve had a quieter start to 2021 than previous years, but that doesn’t mean we’ve not been busy. In fact, our next physical release marks the first in a run of 9 or more we’ve got booked and ready for the rest of the year... To kick off the first FKOFv release of 2021, we welcome an artist back to the roster we first worked with as FKOF Records in 2013. It’s been great watching Subreachers develop his sound and material over the last ~10yrs, and it’s wicked to have him on a record – with some incredible tunes as well! FKOFv005 also welcomes Congi to the label for the first time, with a sumptuous remix that we know you’ll love as much as we do...

Machine's self-titled album is shrouded in mystery. Supposedly released in 1972 on All Platinum Records, it completely disappeared without a trace and only a few copies seem to have survived, making it one of the rarest Funk albums on the planet. The album, only known to a handful of hardcore collectors, fetches prices in excess of $5000 whenever one turns up on the auction market, which happened four times in the last twenty years. Consisting of three young session musicians backing their label mates The Whatnauts, the group display a superb mix of socially-conscious hard-hitting funk and earthy soul, the album is reissued here in its original artwork and remastered by Colorsound Studio in Paris. It includes a 2-page insert with new liner notes by Charles Waring. Masterminded by singer and guitarist Michael Watson accompanied by bass player Curtis McTeer and drummer Donald McCoy, the album Machine came straight out of the New Jersey-based All Platinum studios where the label was based. The musicians had been active as session musicians for the label since the late 60s, mainly backing such label acts as The Whatnauts. As a matter of fact, the Whatnauts' manager, Bunch Herndon, makes guest appearance on the album as percussionist. Beside the core group of Watson, McTeer and McCoy, the album's line-up features several other cult musicians and also the orchestrator Sammy Lowe, a seasoned professional who had been arranging for Sam Cooke, James Brown and Nina Simone to name just a few. âÇ

The West Indian-born alto saxophonist Joe Harriott was one of the most convincing boppers outside of the USA, though by the end of the 1950s he was exploring freer musical pastures, and the quintet with which he undertook the exploration was an outgrowth of the hard bop band with which he'd made a name on the British scene.

Often in the past the group's music, in which trumpet and flugelhorn player Shake Keane figured alongside Harriott in the front line, has been compared with that of the early Ornette Coleman quartets, but here it's far more interactive, a fact borne out most obviously by the lack of soloists. Here on Free Form (1961) is where the rhythm of that indigenously West Indian form is extraordinarily maintained in the midst of characteristic group exchanges.

Rare Jazz-Funk album from 1978 by Headhunters founder.
Featuring an all-star line-up including Herbie Hancock.
Originally released in 1978 on Tobisha EMI Japan.
First vinyl reissue outside of Japan released in collab w/Totown Records. Comes with double side insert.

Paul Jackson (born in Oakland, California in 1947) needs little introduction. Paul began playing bass at the age of nine and was considered by many of his teachers to be a musical prodigy. Jackson was known as a “Musician’s Musician” and shaped a sound that launched a new direction in contemporary music: the so-called ‘Pulse Playing’, a trademark sound of close-meshed funk grooves combined with sensational rhythms. With this innovative approach, he influenced entire generations of jazz and funk musicians to come. Paul’s compositions were sampled by big acts from the likes of Prince, TLC, Mobb Deep and NWA…just to name a few.

Paul Jackson was a founding member of the Headhunters under Herbie Hancock (THE group responsible for their ground-breaking fusion and jazz-funk compositions that took the world by storm in the 70’s). The solid union between Hancock and Jackson has been especially evident in the many international tours they have made together…not to mention that he participated on most of the Headhunters albums and Herbie’s solo albums.

Paul has also worked as a producer and as a studio/live musician alongside acts such as Santana, Sonny Rollins and The Pointer Sisters. He was a frequent guest performer at renowned international festivals such as the Montreux and Newport events. Jackson’s composing has not gone without recognition and was nominated for Grammy Awards in 1974, 1975 and 1976. Like other highly talented, creatively motivated engineers of music, Paul has expanded his career to other mediums such as playing on blockbuster movie soundtracks such as “Death wish” and “Dirty Harry”.

Paul Jackson also wrote five solo albums worth listening to – including the monster of an album that is known as “Black Octopus” which is considered to be a kind of lost Headhunters album.

His debut album “Black Octopus” saw the light of day in 1978 and is a total piece of art filled with abstract sticky funky grooves, floating electric piano playing, strong thumping bass lines, raw heavy drums and amazing vocal acrobatics (Jackson himself takes vocals in 3 out of 5 songs, and his soulful singing voice strikes an emotional chord that does not go unnoticed).

On “Black Octopus” you’ll also find some of the best all-star musicians from the likes of Alphonse Mouzon (Roy Ayers, Betty Davis, Azar Lawrence)…and last but not least fellow Headhunters Bennie Maupin and Herbie Hancock himself.

With “Black Octopus” Paul Jackson wrote the book on how a jazz-funk-fusion album should sound like. The fact that the album was only distributed in Japan at the time (Jackson resided in Tokyo since the late 70’s, where he passed away in 2021) continues to increase its reputation as an album that is VERY hard to find. This is a must-have gem…not only for fans of jazz, funk and rare grooves, but also for DJs and collectors around the globe.

Audiophile reviews rave about saxophone master John Coltrane's immortal Impulse! records, A Love Supreme (1964) and Ballads (1963). In fact, jazz critics have lauded A Love Supreme as Coltrane's most important recording. The rave reviews which appeared in the magazines Downbeat, Jazz Hot, Jazz Podium and Swing-journal reflected this: critics all over the world, in America, Europe and Japan recognized that Coltrane's deep religious belief had influenced both his approach to life and his music-making.

You're about to experience A Love Supreme at its peak of vinyl perfection — in UHQR format on Clarity Vinyl, with the added bonus of a double 45 RPM cut by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound. Ryan's cut has his characteristic clarity and transparency all set against Quality Record Pressing's usual noiseless backgrounds on 200-gram flawless records. Each UHQR will be packaged in a deluxe box and will include a booklet detailing the entire process of making a UHQR along with a hand-signed certificate of inspection. This will be a truly deluxe, collectible product.

For this 45 RPM 2LP edition you'll also receive a 12" x 12" 12-page booklet featuring liner notes by Ashley Kahn and images from the Coltrane home.

The original master tape is available but it's not in the best shape. This LP was cut from a flat tape copy made by Rudy Van Gelder and used for cutting in the UK in April of 1965. Of course, the original recording was in December '64, so only a handful of months later. This tape was discovered at Abbey Road and had been untouched between 1965 and 2002. So while the original tape is available and while we would always opt for the original whenever we can, in this case this copy was the better choice as the tape has incurred less overall wear and sounds much better than the original.

A Love Supreme was Coltrane's pinnacle studio outing that at once compiled all of his innovations from his past, spoke of his current deep spirituality, and also gave a glimpse into the next two and a half years (sadly, those would be his last). Recorded at the end of 1964, Trane's classic quartet of Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, and Jimmy Garrison stepped in and created one of the most thought-provoking albums of their relationship.

The album not only enabled Coltrane to express himself with great intensity but also lent him the necessary inner peace to conceive a work of almost 40 minutes in length and to lead his quartet along the same path as himself.

Blow Your Brains Out formed in 2019 with members of Stand United, Inside, Die Birth, Civil Defense and Soul Vice from Tokyo and Kanagawa. The band are all active members of their local hardcore communities whether it's putting on shows or running a popular radio show called Sick People. Hardcore fans were hyped for the demo with its instant hit mix of Cro-mags and Dynamo style influenced hardcore, and were excited to hear what the band would do next. However, as with all things at this time, they had to put everything on pause. Fast forward to 2023 and the band have recorded their debut 12” ‘The Big Escape’. This sees the band keep true to their demo influences but with greater flair, and will have you humming the tunes in no time at all. It was important for vocalist Kai to sing in Japanese, a language with a unique rhythm and flow that he wanted to match to the riffs, as well as to communicate about topics important to the local, as well as global community, using powerful Japanese words. ‘The Big Escape’ 12” talks about cult religions, political corruption, domestic violence, and companies that force people to work in poor conditions, as well as the suppression of citizens who resist authoritarian forces. I see through their lies and madness and act with the determination I have squeezed out, without succumbing to after-the-fact sophistry or threats. The underlying theme is the understanding that structural issues in society and politics cannot be easily solved, but it’s important to voice dissatisfaction and anger, and resist, and sometimes that’s by running away to survive, but it’s difficult to put this into practice in everyday life. However, there is hope that one day, the big escape will be achieved.

Thom invites us on an epic journey, carried by strong bass lines and robust drums, that guides us from our inner world to the outer world.
Thom Draft presents his first EP entitled "Breathtaking", the fruit of his first musical sketches. This EP transports us into a world of ambiences, sensations and emotions, taking us on a journey through landscapes where we feel at home, defining the contours of a tumultuous and intense voyage. It invites us on an epic journey, carried by strong bass lines and robust drums, guiding us from our inner world to the outer world.

"Matasuna Records" journey goes to "South Africa" for the first time to reissue two superb Afro-/Jazzfunk songs by the band "Freeway". Released in 1975 on the South African label "Flame", the album "Abahambi – Balomhlaba" was rediscovered and re-released by the good folks of "Black Pearl Records" from Berlin in 2013. The LP immediately landed on Matasuna Records' album best list and was at the top of the reissue wish list. Now that goal has come true to officially release two songs on 45, making them available as 7inch vinyl singles for the first time. Transferred from the original master tapes and remastered to sound as good as never before. An essential release!

The title track of the album "Abahambi" composed by "Sipho Gumede" and also the album opener is also the A-side of the Matasuna release. The song immediately builds up an incredible groove with the first bar and offers an atmospherically dense, 5-minute funk firework. The musicians master their instruments to perfection: be it in the collective playing as well as in the polished solo passages, where they can fully demonstrate their skills. One of the tunes that could run endlessly without ever getting boring.

On the flip side, the song "Umlazi" composed by "Enoch Mthalane" is another testament to the sophistication of their arrangements & musicality. Although this song is much slower in tempo, it is in no way inferior to the A-side in intensity. Especially the piano generates a hypnotic groove, which is skillfully continued by the guitar. Another musical treat!

The fact that the composers of the songs and musicians of the band are (or were) well-known greats of South African jazz music, but the album respectively the band name "Freeway" does not appear in any bio/discography is more than curious. Apparently it is considered proven that the band was founded by bass player "Sipho Gumede".

Born in "Durban" (South Africa), "Sipho Gumede" learned to play the guitar autodidactically until he received his first introduction to jazz from jazz guitarist "Cyril Magubane" at the age of 16. He switched to bass and then got his first professional music job as a member of the "Jazz Revellers" band. In 1970 he went to "Johannesburg" where he met, worked with and toured with some great musicians of that time. He formed several bands with some of them such as "Roots", "Spirits Rejoice" or "Sakhile". Gumede also recorded collaborative pieces with other jazz legends before recording his first solo album in 1985. In the following years he was involved in tours of North America, Europe, as well as many African countries. In 2000, Sipho moved back to "KwaZulu-Natal", where he taught music and performed for township youth. His artistic productivity did not stop there, however, and he produced a number of other albums. In total, he produced, recorded and contributed to more than 20 albums. He died in July 2004 after a short illness.

Fiddlehead's third album Death is Nothing to Us is a defiant, new chapter for the band. Since 2014, the Boston-based group have been honing their unique sound, bringing together the energy of hardcore, the anthemic melodies of `90s alternative, and the unbridled passion of Revolution Summer era emo. Their previous albums, 2018's Springtime and Blind and 2021's Between The Richness, dealt heavily with grief from different perspectives, and now their latest feels like a de facto culmination, drawing together many of the catalog's through-lines sonically and lyrically. The band again teamed with producer Chris Teti for their third record, and his punchy production captures Fiddlehead's live energy while showcasing the massive guitars and undeniable catchiness that makes their music so immensely satisfying. The album's concise 27 minutes sound like a natural extension of all of the band's strengths, but is glued together by vocalist Pat Flynn's singular tuneful roar. Flynn, since his time as the vocalist of Have Heart and now as Fiddlehead's frontman, has earned a reputation as one of hardcore's most thoughtful lyricists. He interweaves his ruminations on life, death, and all the joy and tragedy in between with references to Roman philosopher Lucretius; the author Jean Améry; other musicians like Bad Brains, Alex G, or Wire, and even references to the band's own back catalog. The humanity across Death Is Nothing To Us is palpable in every note. It's the kind of art that observes pain with real honesty rather than prescribing a solution for it-and in doing so, inadvertently offers some sense of hopefulness. The album finds Fiddlehead so deeply delving into the pain, confusion, nuances, and contradictions of sadness-so willingly wrapping their arms around a concept as existentially baffling as death itself-that they've created an album that is truly life-affirming. Death is Nothing to Us exemplifies so much of what makes Fiddlehead a special band: taking these heady, unanswerable questions and wrestling with them in a very earthbound way, all wrapped up in the urgent power of a three minute punk song.

Factory Benelux presents a limited (500 copies only) coloured vinyl edition of Nature + Degree, the sixth studio album from post-punk trailblazers Section 25, originally released in 2009.

Self-produced in 2009, Nature + Degree was the first SXXV project to feature new members Stephen Stringer and Stuart Hill. Founder members Larry and Vin Cassidy are also joined on several tracks by Beth Cassidy, whose vocal style recalls that of her late mother Jenny on From the Hip and Love & Hate.

Stand-out tracks include Garageland, Singularity, Remembrance and Saddled With Something, the latter burnished by a string quartet.

"All Factory groups now have a cult following and Section 25 have done more than many to deserve it. The electronic pop-rock sound is no longer novel, but on their second album of new material since 2007 the group turn in an album that's straightforward, sincere and musically ebullient" (The Wire)

"The natural follow-up to Part-Primitiv, yet still recalling the Factory legacy" (Brainwashed)

Factory Benelux presents a limited (500 copies only) orange vinyl edition of Retrofit, the seventh studio album from post-punk trailblazers Section 25, originally released in 2010. First time on vinyl.

Recorded before the untimely death of founder member Lawrence Cassidy in February 2010, Retrofit saw cult Factory Records group Section 25 revisit key tracks from their 1980s back catalogue, remade and remodelled for the 21 st century using an appropriate mix of new and old technology.

‘Gathered here is a selection of Section 25 faves, re-recorded and re-thought. The idea is born from their invigorating live set – compelling use of technology to lift them (almost) free from the familiar shards of 80s underground. Shockingly, this newattack works. All this tightening appears to have tugged the band into a sense of Now, gloriously at odds with the contemporary norm’ (The Quietus)

‘Audacious and innovative’ (Record Collector)

‘Section 25 might just be the best band in the world. Since 1980 they’ve been forging music that is as beautiful as it is challenging, from the monochrome psychedelia of their first album through Zen guitarscapes, electronic epiphanies, the arguable invention of Acid House, and on to an unexpected rebirth in 2006. Even within the narrative of such an unusual band, Retrofit is an odd confection: not a best-of or remix album, but a retrospective in which tracks are remodelled as gleaming technosculptures with the most human of hearts.’ (Glasgow Herald)

Now released on vinyl for the very first time, FBN 140 is limited to just 500 copies pressed on orange vinyl. The digital copy contains 5 bonus tracks, including a blistering re-boot of Looking From A Hilltop by Stephen Morris of Joy Division/New Order.

Factory Benelux presents a limited (500 copies only) 180g black vinyl edition of Part-Primitiv, the fifth studio album from post-punk trailblazers Section 25, originally released in 2007.

Recorded after a hiatus lasting almost two decades, Part-Primitiv saw founder members Larry and Vin Cassidy joined by former Tunnelvision guitarist Ian Butterworth, as well as multi-instrumentalist Roger Wikeley. Combining raw postpunk power and retro-futurist electro, the album marked a convincing return to form and drew praise from reviewers.

"Haunting, melancholic beauty - part post-rock, part trance" (Plan B)

"A vibrant, fierce collection of songs played with all the intense, live-wire energy one could want. Well worth the wait" (All Music Guide)

"The music on Part-Primitiv is informed by all phases of the band's back-catalogue, incorporating their early post-punk impulse alongside their later disposition towards electronic music. She's So Pretty is one of the band's closest brushes with pop music, while Power Base is a surprisingly straight-forward venture into techno, with its rampaging drum machine" (Boomkat)

Two tracks, Dream and Better Make Your Mind Up, were written and sung by Jenny Cassidy before she lost her battle with cancer in 2004. Best known for her beguiling vocal on 1984 club hit Looking From A Hilltop, on subsequent SXXV projects Jenny would be replaced by her daughter Beth.

Undeniably one to watch, the release of his upcoming body of work is set to cement Sam’s status as one of the year’s most exciting new artists. His music has already been praised by the likes of MTV, Clash, BBC, and Notion magazine, played across BBC Radio 1 by Scott Mills, Clara Amfo, Ricky, Melvin and Charlie, and featured on flagship Spotify editorial playlists. Elton John and Bastille are fans, pop phenomenon Bebe Rexha has co-signed his work, while Justin Bieber is a prominent supporter. The two hosted a sensational IG Live together and more recently hung out in LA, while a video of Justin singing Sam’s single ‘Whole’ has gained more than one million views –and counting. Closer to home, JayKae jumped onstage on Sam’s last tour, and renowned UK tag-team Krept & Konan are fans. Such a broad spread of support simply represents his audience as a whole; there’s a literal army of TikTok followers moving alongside him, with Sam amassing almost a half million followers on Instagram –that’s more than some very established artists. In fact, he already has more Instagram followers than some winners at the BRITs last year. Matching pop touches to a classic feel, he’s often compared to Sam Fender’s anthemic truth-seeking or Tom Walker’s revelatory autobiography. Yet Sam’s work stands alone and is already scaling

Freak Frequency was a fitting title for the new material Greg Obis was planning for Stuck, the frenetic and twisted post-punk outfit he formed in 2018. Inspired by the doomy social economics of Mark Fisher’s Capitalist Realism, the bleak worldbuilding of horror games Demon’s Souls and Bloodborne, and the bombastic yet arty satire of Devo, Obis channelled his audio analogy into Freak Frequency, an album ringing out with explosive sounds and ideas.

Stuck formed after Obis’ previous projects, Yeesh and Clearance, called it quits in short proximity. Obis is on guitar and vocals, which span from booming theatrics to ecstatic yelps. The project’s rhythm section is completed by shoegaze guitarist-turned-chugging bassist David Algrim and tightly wound drummer Tim Green—also a graphic designer, and the artist responsible for Stuck’s distinctively unified visual aesthetic. Original co-guitarist Donny Walsh contributed freely inventive lines for the first few years of the project, including on Freak Frequency; Ezra Saulnier of Red Tunic, the newest member of the band, now brings calculated contrapuntal riffs to match Obis’ parts.

The building blocks of Stuck include the egg punk eccentricities of Uranium Club and The Coneheads filtered through noise rock power, à la Jesus Lizard or Slint; that melange is glittered with the precision microtones of Unwound and Women. “I want the feeling of immersion and chaos and tension, with a big guitar amp playing a big chord,” says Obis of his inspirations, citing friends and peers Cloud Nothings and Preoccupations. “But I want it delivered by having a lot of smaller points of light poking through.”

In fact, writing for Freak Frequency began while Content’s recording was still underway—beginning with “Scared,” which features acoustic layers under feedback squalls. “Time Out,” with motoric guitars in the sputtering lineage of Wire, was also composed in late 2019. Obis wrote it about the cycles of compulsion and shame woven into social media use, and the way negativity drives algorithmic engagement. It became an exciting exercise for the group in ramping up speed; “I thought I knew how far I could push Tim’s tempos,” Obis recalls. “But Tim kept insisting we do it 20 bpm faster than what I had. He is an absolute monster for playing that.”

Album opener “The Punisher,” a spiral staircase of disembodied guitars and rhythmic slams over a 2/4 beat, came in the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection. It felt immediately emblematic to Freak Frequency, and Obis describes it as his favorite Stuck track: one he wishes he could write again and again. “It hits all the boxes that Stuck can do: it’s goofy, but there’s a lot of intricate guitar interplay, and at the end, there’s a big payoff,” he explains. The last song written was “Do Not Reply,” a pre-album single that came to Obis after engineering for Melkbelly and channelling their earworm melodies. Algrim wouldn’t let it on the record unless Melkbelly’s front person Miranda Winters dueted on vocals; she was happy to oblige, and the gritty epic closes Freak Frequency.

With slippery snark, percussive heft, and funhouse mirrors of sludge, Freak Frequency delivers its needed screeds with gratifying nuance. If Stuck’s interpretation of this messed-up world goes down like a bitter pill, it’s only because its sugar coating is too delicious to keep from eating.

Over the past eight years Teenage Wrist have continually evolved their sound, a process that"s peaking with their third full-length, STILL LOVE. Reaching new heights in both scope and execution, the album sees the duo-Marshall Gallagher (vocalist, guitarist, bassist) and Anthony Salazar (drums, vocalist, percussion)-producing the album themselves to handcraft their most expansive collection of songs to date from the ground up. ? e result is a self-realized collection of songs that saw the band borrowing vintage gear, bringing in friends in the form of members from 311 vocalist/turntablist Doug "SA" Martinez and Softcult and incorporating tasteful pop sensibilities to craft a collection of songs that rede? nes the band"s sound while staying true to their guitar-driven roots. From the atmospheric, fuzzed out opener "Sunshine" (which Gallagher says is "the coolest ri? he"s ever written") to the midtempo rocker "Dark Sky"" (the latter of which features the aforementioned cameo from 311 vocalist/turntablist Doug "SA" Martinez), the album will undoubtedly please fans who favor distorted guitars and crunchy chords. However, that"s only one aspect of the album and Teenage Wrist aren"t ashamed to admit that there"s a strong pop sensibility on the album that shows how much they"ve grown as songwriters since 2021"s Earth is a Black Hole. From the brain-invading ballad "Something Good" to the downbeat electronic vibe of "Diorama," the album is teeming with unexpected moments that are reminiscent of Radiohead"s ? air for experimentation. ? e powerful bond between these two collaborators lies at the core of Teenage Wrist"s music and, more than any other factor, that"s evident on every moment of STILL LOVE. "? ere was a certain feeling that music gave me as a kid and this is honestly the ? rst time on any record I feel like we kind of came close to achieving that," Gallagher says of the end result. "We just shot from the gut on this record and tried not to overanalyze things... and I think the record speaks for itself."

Incredible jazz / prog / folk score to groundbreaking tattoo film by maverick filmmaker. Unreleased until now, so don’t go saying it’s a reissue because it isn’t, but I’m sure some people will because they always do.

John Samson (1946 - 2004) was a truly great documentary maker. He must be as I’ve been obsessed with his work for many years. Educated first at Glasgow School Of Art (circa 1963) and then finally in the art of film making at The National Film And Television School in Beaconsfield - he headed there in its opening year of 1971 having made a short film that got him a scholarship.

It was at the NFTS that Samson met Mike Wallington, who was to become his right hand man and eventual producer; together as a quite brilliant team they made a handful of inspiring, entertaining and hugely prescient films about important, overlooked, unseen and marginal fringes in society. Tattoo (1975) Exploring the rather clandestine world of tattooing in the UK. Dressing For Pleasure (1977) Exploring the rather clandestine world of festish in the UK. Brittania (1979) A film about railway enthusiasts and a steam train restoration.

Arrows (1979) The life of dart player Eric Bristow. Drag Ball (1981) An unreleased film about the annual Porchester Hall Drag Ball. The Skin Horse (1983) BAFTA winning film about The Outsiders Club, a dating agency for disabled people. The subject matter in all films was always unusual for the time, and Samson managed to navigate his way with compassion, interest and subtlety, immersing himself in the chosen scene and producing moving, fascinating and sometimes darkly amusing situations. His documentaries also do not rely on traditional voiceovers, with stories, facts and narrative threads being dictated by the subjects.

I’ve tried for a long time to find the music for a couple of his early films (there was actually an original 7” for Arrows) - so far this is the only unreleased soundtrack I have found. This one was written by Steve Jolliffe, who met Samson at the NFTS. Joliffe was the resident composer and had a room at the college complex where he could work on scores for the fledgling film makers. Jolliffe was and still is a multi-instrumentalist and prolific composer who had met Edgar Froese at the Berlin Konservatorium in the late 1960s and played in an early incarnation of Tangerine Dream. He toured with blues rock outfit Steamhammer, before hanging out at the NFTS, making this recording (and many others) and eventually rejoining Tangerine Dream in the late 1970s. Jolliffe still writes, records and releases today and once i had made contact with him we traced the original Tattoo master tape to a box at his brother’s house. Musically it’s charming, slightly folky, a touch baroque, there’s a whiff of prog too, and it perfectly suited this early documentary about the art and desire of tattoos. I only wish it was longer. But the film is only 16 minutes long. Seek it out if you can. Try and find all the Samson films, they really are a joy.

As well as featuring intimate footage of tattooed people, the film also includes a rare and very early interview with Alan Oversby (better known as Mr Sebastian), a seminal character in the development of tattoos and body modifications worldwide - it was he who eventually was to tattoo and pierce Genesis P-Orridge.

The images for this vinyl release were all found in Mike Wallington’s Tattoo documentary research folder from 1974, and were photos sent in to Mike and John by people who wanted to feature in the film. Most answered an advert in Time Out, and others included people from my home town of Aldershot where tattooist Bill Skuse and his wife, Rusty (the most tattooed woman in Britain at the time, and featured in the film) were based. His parlour was situated at the back of the arcade where we all used to lose all our pocket money in the slot machines.
The Musicians:
Steve Jolliffe - keyboards, flute, sax Geoff Jolliffe - bass guitar Julian Furniss - guitar Mick Kirby - drums

No. is the tenth Soft Riot album by Glasgow-based Canadian synth auteur Jack Duckworth (also known as JJD). With origins from the mid-nineties in the vibrant art-punk/hardcore dominating the West Coast American/ Canadian underground at the time, he has clocked in over twenty five years of musical output in various bands and projects.

No. is the logical follow-up to When Push Comes To Shove, released in November 2019 on the Glasgow UK-based label Possession Records, which saw some critical acclaim in the increasingly diverse synthwave scene — a crystallization of the artist’s signature “SynthLord” sound.

With No. things have been shaken up and pushed into new directions. Many different factors came into play, including the conditions of the pandemic lockdowns and an urge for listening to music favourites from beyond his own scene informed developments on this new record. One key feature of these tracks is that under these conditions they were developed as individual pieces — a contrasting approach from previous albums where tracks were written with an album in mind. An evaluation of all of these individual tracks in the summer of 2022 unveiled a common pattern going through these new compositions.

One can still hear any number of echoes of the spirits of original synth artists in his sound, such as Images in Vogue, The Box, Section 25, Thomas Dolby, Skinny Puppy, Chrome, Cabaret Voltaire, Fad Gadget, Japan and Bill Nelson. However, some of Jack’s halcyon punk influences surface as well, taking inspiration from legendary punk/hardcore labels such as Dischord and Gravity, as listening habits over pandemic steered back towards more guitar-based styles. The introduction of expanded production techniques, experiments with vocal styles and tones, and stylistic shifts mark a progression of Soft Riot’s sound. The result is a snarkier, urgent and more playful, with a focus on pure synthpop, new wave, art-punk, proto-EBM as well as grittier synth-punk and post-punk tones.

The variation, energy and tone of this collection of tracks illustrates Soft Riot’s ability to transcend the hallmarks of today’s music environment, which increasingly is fragmenting into smaller and smaller micro-genres. Dry wit and dark humour take the lyrics and the tone of this album on a fun ride through music scenes, dark alleys and inside jokes.

Now here's a cover album with a few interesting angles to it -
First there is the fact that Matthews Southern Comfort have a, let's call it:
Woodstock history - Well over 6 million spotify streams confirm the
legendary status of Matthews Southern Comfort's global hit
And of course: although this collection is called the Woodstock Album, the song
itself is not featured on this album as it was written post festival and therefor
never performed at Mac Yasgur's farm.
In 2022 MSC were looking for a way to reactivate the band as a viable and touring
unit again. The concept they came up with was a Matthews Southern Comfort reinterpretation of songs that were all performed at the Festival by artists like Joe
Cocker, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimi Hendrix, John Sebastian and The
Grateful Dead
The songs very much speak for themselves, as do these new versions with a
distinct Matthews Southern Comfort signature.