Buscar:float

*REMASTERED ROUGH TRADE DEBUT LP LIMITED TO JUST 500 COPIES WITH EMBOSSED OUTER SLEEVE AND ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE ON BLACK VINYL*

Dream POP, they called it. Given AR Kane’s Alex Ayuli once worked for advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, it’s no surprise that he and collaborator Rudy Tambala invented their own genre before critics could stick their oar in. It was a canny move, but more importantly, it was accurate: the music of AR Kane was made for dreamers, by dreamers, and its languor and longing made it particularly bewitching listening; their music is often smeared and blurry, happily lost in its own indefinable pleasures. “We wanted dream pop,” Tambala says, “that feeling of a dream where the rules are different. Dream logic.”
-UNCUT REISSUE OF THE MONTH

"A.R. Kane carved out a unique musical path, welding elements of pop, psych, dub, electronica, funk, noise, jazz, ambient and more in a way that had never been done before. Or since. Their debut in particular is a work of unbridled brilliance."
*Electronic Sound*

‘Sixty Nine’ the group’s debut LP that emerged in 1988 had critics and listeners struggling to fit language around A.R. Kane’s sound. As a title it was telling - the year of ‘Bitches Brew’, the year of ‘In A Silent Way’, the erotic möbius between two lovers - and as originally coined by the band themselves, ‘dream pop’ (before it became a free-floating signifier of vague import) was entirely apposite for the music A.R. Kane were making. Crafted in a dark small basement studio in which Tambala recalls the duo had “complete freedom - We wanted to go as far out as we could, and in doing so we discovered the point where it stops being music”. There was an irresistibly dreamy, somnambulant, sensual and almost surreal flow to ‘sixty nine’s sound, but also real darkness/dankness, the ruptures of the primordial and the reverberations of the subconscious, within the grooves of remarkable songs like ‘Dizzy’ and ‘Crazy Blue’. Alex’s plangent vocals floated and surged amidst exquisite peals of refracted feedback but crucially there was BASS here, lugubrious and funky and full of dread, sonic pleasure and sonic disturbance crushed together to make music with a center so deep it felt subcutaneous, music constructed from both the accidental and the deliberate, generous enough to dance with both serendipity and chaos. ‘sixty nine’ remains - especially in this remastered iteration - ravishing, revolutionary – Neil Kulkarni


"A.R. Kane made some of the most exciting, forward-thinking, and science fictional music of their era".s*

After his debut album 'Happy Floating' in 2022, Leipzig-based producer Damian Dalla Torre returns to Squama with 'I Can Feel My Dreams'. Developed during a residency in Santiago, Chile, it incorporates electronic, jazz and ambient influences utilizing Andean quena flutes, synthesizers and field recordings and again centering on collaborations with fellow artists like Ruth Goller, Miriam Adefris and Christian Balvig.
A wistful haze runs throughout the album, coming out at the end, there's both light and darkness and no need to choose.

Recorded live, the music on this album is a wild, spacey psychedelic jam, featuring Here & Now’s initial members.

Moods & Grooves welcomes another talented deep house producer to the stable. BitterSuite's Jon Gray channels his influences into Compulsive Response, an EP of hypnotic synths and mesmeric atmospheres, floating on pulsing drum machines and deeply rooted basslines.

Following BitterSuite's releases on UK labels Situationism and Deep Systems, Compulsive Response creates moods of different shades to vitalize the mind, body and soul. Each of the four tracks sets its unique vibe, driven by a machine groove and steered with the colors of the imagination.

Braulio Lam's Close-Up is a captivating soundscape that blurs the lines between music and photography.
Hailing from the border region between San Diego and Tijuana, Lam's inspiration stems from the vibrant cultural exchange and diverse musical traditions of the area. His creativity as a music producer and photographer converges seamlessly into this album, where he manipulates images and sounds, using light as a catalyst for his sonic experiments.
The album's eight tracks showcase Lam's eclectic sonic palette, ranging from electronica and dub techno to ambient and trip hop. The opening track, "Prologue," sets the stage with a haunting guitar echo and a spacious, downtempo beat. Angelic vocals float ethereal over the sonic backdrop, creating a sense of scenic grandeur. "Cinestill" immerses listeners in a sub-aquatic realm with its slow-pulsing beat and cavernous ambiance. "Buena Vista Social Dub" captivates with its sensual vocals, echoing drums, and hypnotic melody.
"Monika" evokes a sense of beachy tranquility with its electric guitar and ambient soundscapes, while "Mirror" transports listeners into an atmospheric swirl of broken beats and ambient textures. "Eastman" delves into the depths of dub techno, its hypnotic chords and airy soundscapes creating an otherworldly atmosphere. "Winter Light," showcases Lam's mastery of minimalism. Field recordings of natural sounds, sparse guitar plucks, and evocative imagery paint a stark but beautiful soundscape that lingers long after the music has faded. "Tiffen" closes the album on a serene note, its gentle island rhythms and floaty textures inviting listeners to relax and unwind.
Overall, Close-Up is a testament to Braulio Lam's boundless creativity and artistry. Its unique fusion of musical styles, experimental sonic textures, and evocative imagery makes it an immersive and captivating listening experience that transports listeners to a realm where the senses intertwine.

Der aus Wien stammende und mittlerweile in Manchester beheimatete Produzent salute (Pronomen mittlerweile „him/ they“, folglich im Deutschen wieder Singular) kündigt sein kommendes Album, „TRUE MAGIC“, an, das am 12. Juli 2024 bei Ninja Tune erscheint. Auf dem kommenden Album von salute sind außerdem Disclosure, Empress Of, Karma Kid, Sam Gellaitry, piri, Léa Sen, LEILAH und Nakamura Minami vertreten.

Mit ästhetischer und auditiver Inspiration durch alte japanische Autowerbung, die salute stundenlang in YouTube-Archiven recherchierte, entwickelte er ein Konzept für das Album, bei dem sie den legendären 1985er Toyota MR 2 W1 in einem Rennen namens „TRUE MAGIC“ fahren. Dieses sehr visuelle Konzept half dabei, den Sound des Albums voranzutreiben und dem Album ein Gefühl von treibender Dynamik zu geben. Die Albumankündigung folgt auf seine allererste Nominierung bei den MOBO Awards 2024 in der Kategorie „Best Electronic/ Dance Act“ nach der Veröffentlichung von salutes EP, „Shield“, die von The FADER als „verträumt“ und von Clash als „Surging with spring-like energy“ gelobt wurde. „Shield“ folgte auf die früheren Singles „Joy“ und „Therapy“ und wurde von Künstlern wie Four Tet, DJ Seinfeld, Floating Points, Mall Grab, Daphni, Skrillex, Fred Again und anderen bestätigt, was ihn zu einer Kultsensation machte und die Bühne für ein größeres Album bereitete. salute wurde mit 18 Jahren in die britische Clubszene eingeführt, nachdem er nach Brighton und dann nach Manchester gezogen war. Dort kam er mit der Clubkultur in Berührung, die sich zuvor nur auf Videos bei YouTube und Boiler Room beschränkt hatte. Von hier aus verfeinerte er seinen unverwechselbaren Sound, der sich aus seinem neu gewonnenen Verständnis für Genres wie Grime, Garage und Dubstep speiste.

Der aus Wien stammende und mittlerweile in Manchester beheimatete Produzent salute (Pronomen mittlerweile „him/ they“, folglich im Deutschen wieder Singular) kündigt sein kommendes Album, „TRUE MAGIC“, an, das am 12. Juli 2024 bei Ninja Tune erscheint. Auf dem kommenden Album von salute sind außerdem Disclosure, Empress Of, Karma Kid, Sam Gellaitry, piri, Léa Sen, LEILAH und Nakamura Minami vertreten.

Mit ästhetischer und auditiver Inspiration durch alte japanische Autowerbung, die salute stundenlang in YouTube-Archiven recherchierte, entwickelte er ein Konzept für das Album, bei dem sie den legendären 1985er Toyota MR 2 W1 in einem Rennen namens „TRUE MAGIC“ fahren. Dieses sehr visuelle Konzept half dabei, den Sound des Albums voranzutreiben und dem Album ein Gefühl von treibender Dynamik zu geben. Die Albumankündigung folgt auf seine allererste Nominierung bei den MOBO Awards 2024 in der Kategorie „Best Electronic/ Dance Act“ nach der Veröffentlichung von salutes EP, „Shield“, die von The FADER als „verträumt“ und von Clash als „Surging with spring-like energy“ gelobt wurde. „Shield“ folgte auf die früheren Singles „Joy“ und „Therapy“ und wurde von Künstlern wie Four Tet, DJ Seinfeld, Floating Points, Mall Grab, Daphni, Skrillex, Fred Again und anderen bestätigt, was ihn zu einer Kultsensation machte und die Bühne für ein größeres Album bereitete. salute wurde mit 18 Jahren in die britische Clubszene eingeführt, nachdem er nach Brighton und dann nach Manchester gezogen war. Dort kam er mit der Clubkultur in Berührung, die sich zuvor nur auf Videos bei YouTube und Boiler Room beschränkt hatte. Von hier aus verfeinerte er seinen unverwechselbaren Sound, der sich aus seinem neu gewonnenen Verständnis für Genres wie Grime, Garage und Dubstep speiste.

The new Macadam Mambo release by Poperttelli is a great piece of music ! In the Ambient vibe of the originators Future Sound Of London or The Orb, this album concept around dreams travelling, brings us into tribal futuristic landscapes, dark atmospheres on heavy beats and trippy floatings. Poperttelli is not a new artist in the electronic scene, he has already put out few releases on labels like Lost Dogs, Brokntoys, Maturre or Pinkman more recently, and is definetely a name to follow if you didn’t alredy do…

“MARK” is the new solo record from acclaimed drummer and composer Mark Guiliana: an auditory manifestation of one of theworld’s most creative and innovative musical minds. Ever since the first day he picked up a pair of drum sticks, Mark Guiliana has been instinctively exploring and absorbing themusic and rhythms that have been ever-present in his life. Fast forward to the present day and he has earned a formidable reputation as a world-class drummer, composer and thinker at the forefront of contemporary jazz and beyond. Guiliana’sartistry defies convention, weaving together a musical output beyond jazz with the ultimate goal of creating compelling musical narratives.

His songs serve as a conduit for his relentless quest for creativity, striving to share his sonic visions withthe world in their most unadulterated form. Guiliana’s new album “MARK”, represents an introspective voyage into his creative depths. On the record, Mark performs soloon a wide array of devices; you can hear his quintessential grooves intermixed with intriguing percussive soundscapes,sublime tapestries of synthesisers and fragments of spoken word. “MARK” is an album that peels back the layers of Guiliana’sexperiences, reflections, and the wisdom gleaned from a life immersed in music. It transcends genres and defiescategorisation, floating in the boundless space of pure expression.

Through music and through life, Mark looks into the mirrorand asks eternal questions of identity and growth: who am I, where am I going and what do I stand for? This album invites listeners to share in Mark’s personal dialogue, offering a sanctuary where they can begin to untangle and examine themselves track by track. “MARK” is an exploration of new and uplifting musical territory, unrestricted by norms andfree from preconceived ideas or satisfying (but ultimately unfulfilling) genre expectations. It embodies the impact of Guiliana’sjourney, marking his evolution as an artist. This record echoes the spirit of freedom, the courage of inquiry, and the beauty of unfettered expression.

Pearlescent White Vinyl with A5 card inserts.

Welcome to the " Triangle d'Or " by Nathan Melja. The first opus of a series to come out on his label Parodia, this record is an ode to those Parisian nights where the prestige and extravagance are prior.

Showing a strong willing to integrate elements from the mainstream world in his creative process, the EP opens with the contemplative and emotive 'Stargazing'. You're walking down Champs Elysées, looking at the sky. In a fraction of a second, everything starts to move in slow motion. You're passing out, your eyes stuck on moving stars. It was all a dream, they say.

As you wake up, you're sitting next to a glossy club. 'UnDcided' is blasting out of that neon door. You get lost in its colorful and trippy intro before your head starts to feel the vibrations of its wobbly baseline.

You need a cocktail to get your night started. You enter the restaurant next door. 'Welcome!' is playing in the background. That's Patrick Holland on the guitars you just tried to Shazam! Like the missing piece is not missing anymore.

One too many drinks - you got lost in the groove of the night. It's time to go home. As you leave the club, the sounds of 'Bblluurrryy' are floating in the air, every noise you hear melts into the music. Everything looks hazy. Nothing feels the same anymore.

*REMASTERED ROUGH TRADE DEBUT LP LIMITED TO JUST 500 COPIES WITH EMBOSSED OUTER SLEEVE AND ORIGINAL INNER SLEEVE ON BLACK VINYL*

Dream POP, they called it. Given AR Kane’s Alex Ayuli once worked for advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi, it’s no surprise that he and collaborator Rudy Tambala invented their own genre before critics could stick their oar in. It was a canny move, but more importantly, it was accurate: the music of AR Kane was made for dreamers, by dreamers, and its languor and longing made it particularly bewitching listening; their music is often smeared and blurry, happily lost in its own indefinable pleasures. “We wanted dream pop,” Tambala says, “that feeling of a dream where the rules are different. Dream logic.”
-UNCUT REISSUE OF THE MONTH

"A.R. Kane carved out a unique musical path, welding elements of pop, psych, dub, electronica, funk, noise, jazz, ambient and more in a way that had never been done before. Or since. Their debut in particular is a work of unbridled brilliance."
*Electronic Sound*

‘Sixty Nine’ the group’s debut LP that emerged in 1988 had critics and listeners struggling to fit language around A.R. Kane’s sound. As a title it was telling - the year of ‘Bitches Brew’, the year of ‘In A Silent Way’, the erotic möbius between two lovers - and as originally coined by the band themselves,
‘dream pop’ (before it became a free-floating signifier of vague import) was entirely apposite for the music A.R. Kane were making. Crafted in a dark small basement studio in which Tambala recalls the duo had “complete freedom - We wanted to go as far out as we could, and in doing so we discovered the point where it stops being music”. There was an irresistibly dreamy, somnambulant, sensual and almost surreal flow to ‘sixty nine’s sound, but also real darkness/dankness, the ruptures of the primordial and the reverberations of the subconscious, within the grooves of remarkable songs like ‘Dizzy’ and ‘Crazy Blue’. Alex’s plangent vocals floated and surged amidst exquisite peals of refracted feedback but crucially there was BASS here, lugubrious and funky and full of dread, sonic pleasure and sonic disturbance crushed together to make music with a center so deep it felt subcutaneous, music constructed from both the accidental and the deliberate, generous enough to dance with both serendipity and chaos. ‘sixty nine’ remains - especially in this remastered iteration - ravishing, revolutionary – Neil Kulkarni


"A.R. Kane made some of the most exciting, forward-thinking, and science fictional music of their era".
*Reissue Of The Week In The Quietus*

‘’The duo’s music has traces of 1980s dream pop and 1990s slowcore, particularly Low, another married-couple band. There’s more to the comparison than ink on a certificate. Marriage’s suffering and devotion breed a particular kind of intimacy. Windy & Carl often resemble an ambient version of Yo La Tengo, another group that centers on a long-wed duo and conveys a secret, profound sense of life beyond the music.’’ PITCHFORK 7.2
For the first time in almost twenty years, Windy & Carl’s second album for kranky, Consciousness, will be available on the vinyl format once again. The fourth album from Michigan’s premier space duo, again delivers their shimmering trademark wall of sound, beautiful vocalization, and delicate songcraft. Six sweet and easy new tracks recorded in their home studio in Dearborn, that drift and dream with layered guitars, keyboards, bass and a love-arsenal of delicious effects and distortion.
“There is an airy shaft of light that extends straight through these six extended pieces, offsetting the density of sound with a breezy loveliness that’s almost impossible to articulate, towering on a floating sea of mesmerising, sub-level sounds.” —Boomkat
“Genre descriptions such as ‘ambient guitar soundscape’, ‘wall of sound’ and ‘drone’ fail miserably to capture the astonishing, magical emotional beauty of their pieces.” —Cyclic Defrost

Graham Keith Gouldman (geboren am 10. Mai 1946) ist ein englischer Sänger, Musiker und Songschreiber, der vor allem als Co-Leadsänger und Bassist der Art-Rock-Band 10cc bekannt ist. Nicht viele Musiker können die größten britischen Gitarristen aller Zeiten und den bekanntesten Schlagzeuger der Welt für ihr Soloalbum gewinnen.
Aber der legendäre Sänger, Songwriter und Hüter der 10cc-Flamme Graham Gouldman hat im Laufe seiner 60-jährigen Karriere einige
bahnbrechende Freunde gefunden. Unter anderem haben Brian May, Hank Marvin, Albert Lee und Ringo Starr zu Gouldmans kommendem sechsten Soloalbum I Have Notes beigetragen.

I Have Notes bietet eine breite Palette an musikalischen Stilen und Texturen, die die Vielfalt von Gouldmans Katalog widerspiegeln. Von der choralen Eröffnung I'm Not In Love, der wortwörtlichen Weltraumballade Floating In Heaven (mit Brian May), dem erhebenden Country-Stomp von We're Alive, über den liebenswerten romantischen Walzer von When You Find Love (mit Hank Marvin), und der überschwänglichen kindlichen Freude von Play Me, dem frechen, festlichen Swing von Christmas Affair (mit Beth Nielsen Chapman) bis hin zum Abschlussstück der Seite A dem unverhohlen von den Beatles inspirierten Couldn't Love You More (mit Ringo Starr).

Mythical Sussex psychedelic protoprog band Five Day Rain cut an album that never was in 1970, since a dispute nixed its official release. This must-have collection of rarities includes outtakes such as the fuzz box-filled 'Dartboard' and the raunchy 'Floating', as well as a tasteful cover of Bobby Hebb's 'Sunny,' plus full version of 'Rough Cut Marmalade.' 'Spare The Children,' released as a 45 by side project Studd Pump is included here too. Required listening for all who wish to understand the Five Day Rain story in full.

Sometimes music is supposed to feel weird and indescribable. It’s the moments of clarity within the dense, sonic mess that often feels the most satisfying. That’s the space that Earth Tongue occupy. At times, their songs are shrill and disorientating, other times their reverb-washed textures and instantly- familiar hooks can wrap you in a warm, loving embrace. The one consistent thread through their music, however, is the thick and all encompassing fuzz. Guitarist Gussie Larkin has become a master of the fuzz-smothered riff, and along with Ezra Simons’ off-kilter drumming, they’ve been sending punters into transcendental states since they began gigging in their home town of Wellington, New Zealand in 2016. Floating Being will be released this June 21st. The album was pieced together throughout their travels of Australia and Europe, with the finishing touches being added in their hometown. The album contains songs they’ve been playing live for the past year, and it captures the raw, primitive energy that exists within their live performance. Earth Tongue embrace the imperfections in their playing and recording - drawing influence from early 70s psych and prog rock. The last thing they wanted was to create a shiny, over-produced record - with that in mind, they recorded the drums to an old 8-track Tascam reel-to-reel in a friend’s garage in Melbourne. The result is a punchy, raw and fuzzy journey into psych-rock with songs that weave between melodic and jarring. Unexpected twists and turns leave the listener in a disorientated yet satisfying haze.

"Androids may not yet dream of electric sheep, but maybe computers do sing sad songs."

In 2013, Tzoukmanis released ‘Hope Is The Sister Of Despair’, issued here for the first time on vinyl with 4 previously unreleased tracks.
The album was made following the end of a relationship and the happy/sad feeling is everywhere in this music. Sequences twinkle and nag, soft pads pour balm on tired ears and when drums do appear they provide an intimate framework rather than a call to the dance floor. The album taps into a rich vein of sequencer romanticism, from Tangerine Dream-obsessed-‘Berlin School’ daydreamers to the whole nebula of music inspired by Warp’s Artificial Intelligence series. It also looks forward, prefiguring the return today, in troubled times, to the comforting inner space of ‘90s-worshipping ambient techno.

The German word ‘weltschmerz’, roughly translating as ‘world sadness’, fits this music well. The melancholy it inspires feels collective, almost heartening. Sorrow might be said to infuse the technology’s basic building blocks – Leibniz’s binary ‘one’ bereft of its ‘zero’, its presence twinned with absence. But there is hope, too, in the network of actions and decisions that have been fashioned here into melody and rhythm.

Eight years since the breathtaking Somewhere Anywhere EP, The Mad Walls return to re-ignite psych rock with this gorgeous, floatily heavy, effortlessly groovy and sublimely sinuous debut LP. Driven by bone shaking acoustic guitar, visceral drums, wonderfully trippy basslines and the throwaway perfection of Christopher Mercado’s spooked vocals. Pure rock n’ roll yet devoid of cliché. Informed by, but no way in hock to, early MC5, Skip Spence, Sonic Youth, Syd Barrett and Jefferson Airplane when they still all lived together.
Recorded on tape in Mercado’s garage, there’s a DIY heart with epic results across sixteen songs. Only one track over three minutes and some under thirty seconds. “It’s just chatter about life and human feelings. Stylized human expression”. - Is Christopher's self effacing explanation of his mind bending, playful, storytelling. It opens with the walloping drum canter/bass attack of WHO WANTS TO DIE FOR RELIGION. Passes through the furious distorted acoustic guitar solo on I TELL YOU HOW I FEEL. The woozy, elastic time-stretching of COOL TRIPPER. The brief, funky lurch of IN YOUR DREAM YOU ARE NO ONE. The almost lush, cinematic SEVEN DAYS which conjures Serge Gainsbourg by way of Moby Grape. HIP COMMA’s floaty strut and the groovy raga of MAKA THE NATIVE, which has not one but two ‘breath solos’. CLOUDS OF DUST is a skeletal Krautrock fragment and THERE ONLY IS a luminous psych-pop single. Final track APPLES ends the album with a sinewy twelve bar blues and a killer psych guitar break. Bliss.
Somehow the MAD WALLS manage woozily florid and sharp as a blade. Studiedly detailed but effortless. Whip smart and dumb. And as we said at the start - just gorgeous…

Eight years since the breathtaking Somewhere Anywhere EP, The Mad Walls return to re-ignite psych rock with this gorgeous, floatily heavy, effortlessly groovy and sublimely sinuous debut LP. Driven by bone shaking acoustic guitar, visceral drums, wonderfully trippy basslines and the throwaway perfection of Christopher Mercado’s spooked vocals. Pure rock n’ roll yet devoid of cliché. Informed by, but no way in hock to, early MC5, Skip Spence, Sonic Youth, Syd Barrett and Jefferson Airplane when they still all lived together.
Recorded on tape in Mercado’s garage, there’s a DIY heart with epic results across sixteen songs. Only one track over three minutes and some under thirty seconds. “It’s just chatter about life and human feelings. Stylized human expression”. - Is Christopher's self effacing explanation of his mind bending, playful, storytelling. It opens with the walloping drum canter/bass attack of WHO WANTS TO DIE FOR RELIGION. Passes through the furious distorted acoustic guitar solo on I TELL YOU HOW I FEEL. The woozy, elastic time-stretching of COOL TRIPPER. The brief, funky lurch of IN YOUR DREAM YOU ARE NO ONE. The almost lush, cinematic SEVEN DAYS which conjures Serge Gainsbourg by way of Moby Grape. HIP COMMA’s floaty strut and the groovy raga of MAKA THE NATIVE, which has not one but two ‘breath solos’. CLOUDS OF DUST is a skeletal Krautrock fragment and THERE ONLY IS a luminous psych-pop single. Final track APPLES ends the album with a sinewy twelve bar blues and a killer psych guitar break. Bliss.
Somehow the MAD WALLS manage woozily florid and sharp as a blade. Studiedly detailed but effortless. Whip smart and dumb. And as we said at the start - just gorgeous…

The long running vessel for Cameron Stallones' psychedelic excursions, Sun Araw, returns to Discrepant after last year's split with Tarzana via Keroxen sister label (KRXN033).
Without much precedent in his own - already wide-ranging - back-catalog, 'Cetacean  Sensation' discards the dubby vibes, psych-rock sunburnt jams, tropical visions, or stalking sensibilities of such classic efforts as 'On Patrol' or 'Ancient Romans' towards a deeply focused and vivid solitary approach, while still retaining this Sun Araw blissed out escapist feeling.
Composed of hydrophone recordings of whales and dolphins sourced during a summer in Galicia, 'Cetacean Sensation' paints an impressionistic and sensory floating canvas that expertly escapes both academic-like documentarian purposes and any new-age spa vibrations one could associate with such subject matter. Processing those raw recordings into alluring collages that flow gracefully between moments of clear eco-location  and submerged impressions of wildlife social dynamics. By the third track - Dance of the Minke - we're introduced to this ringing MIDI tone that evokes a CD-ROM era of mystic educational programs and click-and-deploy strategies  that still feel very much like an unfulfilled future, conjured again by 'Spider Crab Elegy's sparse keyboard pads and sound effects that give way to this properly elegiac tentative melody. 'The Spider Crab Point' ends the album on a more uneasy vibe, with synth tones pointing towards no particular direction, confounding and strangely inviting at the same time. As sensations often do.
Music written and produced by Cameron Stallones using hydrophones and digital synthesisRecorded in 2019 in Galicia, ES
Mastering by Rashad Becker

Two years after the release of the Polarius EP Inner Voices Of A Clown, Danny Wolfers returns to Altered Circuits, this time under his best-known alias Legowelt, for Ruins Of Cracktopolis: a collection of "hymns to survive the dystopian circus of today's techno scene" in the artist's own words. On Do You Know Who You Never Be, a short staccato lead and dark chords revolve around a monolithic kick drum pattern that takes care of the cadence and bass. A mysterious vocoder and a laser sequence that gets torn and twisted to the max join, but the track never loses its steady pace - it gets help from shakers so much mixed to the front they could be lifted from a B'more track.

Amidst the effervescing 303 lines and bold drum sequences of In A Trance Dance All Night" Wolfers finds a canvas for a stretched synthesizer jam with eighties breaking allure. This melody, together with the pads and vocal, are drenched in reverb - they float like mist ascending from the The Hague dunes. Throughout Ruins Of Cracktopolis, more vintage Dutch West Coast, the hiss-laden broken beat that guides the bass sequences and ominous blippy synth patterns switches to a 4/4 structure and back. These make for captivating shifts in pace while the minor progressions continue unfolding. Like Twin Peaks targets prime energy once the arpeggiator sequence present from the start lowers an octave. The track runs smooth like a pomade slick-back; it's only tempered slightly when the crunchy kick and tom change place for a moody chord sequence break. Even if these four tracks target the club, they are equally suited for - quoting Wolfers again - "leisurely home listening". Their greatest strengths are, as so often, their melodic aspects.

The artist is known to be a synthesizer aficionado, but his unique personal touch immediately shines through no matter which gear he works with. The machines never seem to dominate the composing process; quite the opposite: it's as if he isn't programming or registering as much as trying to teach them his take on electronic music.

Drag City is excited to present the first ever vinyl pressing of guitarist Lee Underwood"s under-sung 1988 acoustic guitar opus, California Sigh. Guitarist Lee Underwood"s syncretic blend of jazz, folk, and blues was a tremendous force behind Tim Buckley"s genre-stretching late 60s/early 70s music - but his 1988 acoustic guitar opus California Sigh has remained a unsung footnote to his story. Until now! This first time vinyl-edition reveals Lee"s free-floating acoustic moods, with synths and co-production from ambient avatar Steve Roach, as a soulful work of tranquility and transcendence. In the years following the release of California Sigh, Lee wrote and recorded two solo piano CDs, Phantom Light and Gathering Light. Additionally, he wrote Blue Melody: Tim Buckley Remembered, a memoir of their time together, as well as three books of poems, Timewinds (2010), Diamondfire (2016) and Into Light (Poetic Matrix Press, 2021). He continues to live in Northern California.

DJ Support: Disclosure, Ross From Friends, Eliza Rose, Floating Points, Emerald, Jaguar, Danny Rankin

3 years in the making, Peaky Beats debut 10 track LP 'Bloodlines' takes us on a spiritual journey through ancient and modern middle eastern sounds fused with the spectrum of UK Bass music. Heavy subs and intricate rhythms bring this listening experience to life from the hypnotic melodies to the samples only a well-trained ear can catch. As well as teaming up with some good friends on two collaborations, Peaky has delved into a diverse and new sound whilst staying true to his musical roots in late 90’/ early 00’s UK Garage / Dubstep.

Jenifa Mayanja is a favourite amongst true deep house heads. Her work is smoky, jazzy, and emotive, and has come on labels like Underground Quality before now. Here she arrives on the sixth EP from fledgling but already cultured label Sole Aspect and shows off her sophisticated sound once more. 'Rise To The Top' is full of elegant harmonies and jazz melodies that dance on pulsing rhythms, 'Like A Dream' brings spiritual vocals to bold chords and dusty drums while 'Our World' has piano lines floating high over the languid drums and bass.

'Rose Colored Glasses' has fresh melodies and challenging synths that defy usual genre norms and bring all new ideas to deep house. This is music that elevates mind, body and soul.

Mick Harris is one of the world's greatest compositional treasures. Starting his career as the energy dynamo behind the drum kit of the UK's Napalm Death, he made the term Blastbeat a household reference, wrote the band's music on his mother's one string guitar, and joined the Guinness Book of World Records for composing the world's shortest song. In the decades succeeding, he has re-inventedmusic several more times, from the wild abstract jazz of Painkiller with John Zorn and Bill Laswell, to the drowning ambience of his Lull project, all while continuing to build a world that he can truly call his own - the dark post-dub of SCORN. "Reaching 54 this year - this won't stop the challenge, driving me more so now than ever" - says Mick Harris, commenting on the recent phase in his creativity. The pandemic isolation and lockdown pushed the work of the maestro more than anything else could have. In 2021, his output is ever-increasing, releasing the newest collabs with Justin K. Broadrick and the single "Distortion", featuring one of the most outstanding voices of hip-hop - Kool Keith - his closest collaborator, Ohm Resistance founder - Submerged. Commenting on the release of "Distortion", Mick Harris said to mxdwn: "I enjoy collabs - they bring something different to the swim." Working on his own and collaborating with everyone from Sleaford Mods' James Williamson, on the previous SCORN release or with Kool Keith and Submerged on "Distortion", Mick Harris never had problems with putting energy into beats and sound landscapes, combining various surreal elements with three basic elements that always push Harris further, that are extremely crucial for both Mick Harris and SCORN as a project - frustration, anger and anxiety. Combining the signature soundscapes of Scorn with tartareous textures, the newest album "The Only Place" reaches a psychedelic groove, based on what Harris calls "Pushing an original idea further" with his own shades of light and dark and celestial electricity of what SCORN is. These 10 new tracks add elements unheard in Scorn since Evanescense and Gyral - ethereal ambiences and floating, near-melodic-but-not-quite moments, a signature of Harris' abilities to generate feelings in a lost world of his own creation. 2024 vinyl version on orange coloured vinyl!

After ‚Running in Waves‘ the Cologne based label ‚Serial Sound’ is back with the second release. ‚´till things ghost‘ is going to be Jonas Landwehr´s debut solo EP. After publishing collaborative works or various artist EPs he is now ready to take the next step. The newest project is tied around the idea of a diverse taste and inspirations while it’s centered around playing with different rhythms. Multiple styles such as House, Techno or Reggaeton as well as various tempos come together on this project. ‚ginko‘ serves as an intro and shows what kind of contrast the rest of the record will be about with it’s airy chord pads that cut to a growling bass accompanied by a slow burning reggaeton groove. ‚disaronno straight‘ adopts this idea but gives it a faster UK influenced twist with a wobbly bassline and chopped vocals ready for the club. ‚sin tí‘ closes the A-Side and aims for summer vibes and floating lightness. ‚overcome?‘ opens the B-Side with a hypnotic pulsing bass and percussion interaction and leads into ‚something about u‘, a soulful vocal feature from LAINE which sits on a broken beat with deep chords and House accents. ‚seeds‘ is closing off the record with an aggressive, faster paced metallic Dancehall rhythm contrasted with enthralling pad sounds.

Available on ltd edition transparent purple vinyl.

We are delighted to bring you Alber Jupiters incredible 2nd album ‘Puis vient la nuit”!! 

Founded in Rennes in 2017, instrumental bass-drums two-piece ALBER JUPITER draw inspiration from Berlin’s 70s krautrock scene and Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s hallucinatory post-rock to craft a unique soundscape. Their motorik rhythm wanders between plaintive delays and intergalactic reverbs. Magic happens immediately! 

Following the release of their stunning debut album We Are All Floating In Space’, the band took advantage of the forced covid break tocompose and record a second album which sees them pursuing their psychedelic exploration. A looper, a few pedals and the journey becomes limitless! The bass morphs into guitars, trippy violins, screams, ethereal or distorted layers. The synths are also part of the adventure, completing the already rich sonic spectrum and propelling the band into new territories. 

Pushing the boundaries of intelligent dance music higher into experimental-adjacent analogue territories, where abstract serenity and complex analogue developments entangle in an organic symbiosis of sorts, Noordens newest puzzle in sound comes courtesy of two label habitues, Orion Moustache and Panta Rex. Staying true to their genre-unbound DNA and innovative vision, both artists each contribute a trio of oblique sound equations, conjuring up both identifiable rhythmic patterns and off-piste downtempo digressions to shape a grammar truly their own - not quite your usual function-oriented DJ tool, but not floor-opposed either. Hybrid and agile, this co-op between Orion Moustache and Panta Rex oozes inspirational spaciousness and ascetic sophistication thru and thru.

Black vinyl back in for the first time in a while, note new price. Produced by Leon Michels. Toured with Chicano Batman. Planned touring with Lee Fields & The Expressions. What is Buck? Buck is a state of mind, a way of life, a demeanor that gets you through the good times and the bad. If you ask Brainstory, It is also the energy that permeates their debut album. Kevin, Tony, and Eric are a trio of brothers bounded by blood, fate, and a small town with nothing to do. Their story begins in the long lost lands of the San Bernardino Valley, in the twilight zone known as Rialto, California: An arid wasteland of boredom and empty lots. Through punk rock and skateboarding they found temporary liberation from the local monotony. However, it wouldn’t be long before a hunger for more led them to explore musical realms beyond that of the hardcore punk they admired. After stints at music school and steady disappointment trying to navigate their local jazz scene they moved to Los Angeles and Brainstory was born. Through a introduction from Chicano Batman’s bassist, Brainstory caught the ears of Big Crown head honchos Danny Akalepse and Leon Michels. Shortly thereafter they were on their way to Queens, to record at The Legendary Diamond Mine with Michels at the helm. An instant chemistry yielded 10 songs in 10 days and now Brainstory has gifted the world with one hell of an introduction to all things Buck. Highlights include the sublime slow burner, “Dead End” which was the A-side to their first 45 on Big Crown that sold out in a matter of days. With Kevin’s sublime falsetto floating atop Tony and Eric’s unflappable and unmistakable backbeat, this tune has become a favorite with the ballad heads, the low-riders, and the slowie collectors. “Breathe” showcases another side of their sound taking a page out of the Shuggie Otis playbook and flipping the script with some stoned out west coast swag. Kev and Tony’s father, Big Tone, an accomplished performer himself, steps in on “Peter Pan” to sing lead vocals over a chorus of friends and family. Bassist extraordinaire, Tony, takes over lead vocal duties on “Sorry”, a smoked out, G Funk groove that is just waiting to be sampled. These guys have come a long way from their self released EPs and opening tours with Chicano Batman. Their musical growth is undeniable, and taking their California sunshine vibes and mixing them with Michels’ NYC aesthetic has proven to be an amazing combination. It’s a debut record that pulls influences from so many genres seamlessly it’s hard to nail down. Call it Funk, call it Rock, call it Soul, but over here at Big Crown HQ, we’ve decided to call it BUCK.

The Guardian wrote “the Canadian songwriter has one of the all-time great singing voices in popular music, an intensely romantic Chet Baker-ish instrument that seems to float with piercing direction, like a paper aeroplane thrown hard through mist.” With Uncut describing his songcraft “as delicate and lovely as a rare orchid” and Record Collector praising the album’s “sublime alien balladry” such are the accolades that have accrued throughout Chenaux’s unique and consummately uncompromising solo music for well over a decade now. Delights Of My Life opens a new chapter for the singer/guitarist and formally introduces the Eric Chenaux Trio, with Toronto-based musicians Ryan Driver on Wurlitzer organ and Phillipe Melanson on electronic percussion. Driver is a longtime collaborator, appearing on several of Chenaux’s solo albums (even embedded into the very title of the 2010 masterpiece Warm Weather With Ryan Driver). Melanson has a long list of involvements that include Bernice, Joseph Shabason, and U.S Girls, and a recent release with his Impossible Burger project on Chenaux’s own experimental label Rat-drifting, but this marks the first fulsome involvement between the two as players on a recording. In many ways Delights Of My Life also picks up right where Chenaux’s previous album left off, in its subversions of a classic, timeless jazz-inflected balladry, while the interplay of the trio formation indeed unfurls many new delights. Recording together at Chenaux’s spartan home studio in rural France, Driver’s harmonically warped organ and Melanson’s electroacoustic sampling and percussion hold time in newfound ways. Where previously Chenaux relied on a freeze/sustain pedal and minimalist rhythmic triggers to generate both pulse and chordal foundations, Melanson now paints timekeeping with expressive and intricate colourations, through live deployments of fluid sampled percussion (including orchestral timbres like timpani, kettle drums, and woodblock) that blur the boundaries between acoustic and electronic. Driver also ramps up his role in the song arrangements (prefigured in his support playing on Say Laura), teasing out chords and melodic filigree on Wurlitzer that percolate more prominently with Chenaux’s signature fried guitar solos and succulent singing. Both trio members add dulcet backing vocals, most notably on the 10-minute tour-de-force of fuzzed and ring-modulated swing “This Ain’t Life” that opens the record. All seven songs on the album groove and sway, simmer and sparkle, like nothing in the inestimable Chenaux discography to date. Chenaux’s tunes have the uncanny ability to sound like jazz standards; songs you feel you’ve heard before, though certainly never quite like this. Yet these are of course all originals, compositionally and interpretively, bent through an inimitable avant/out-music lens. Delights Of My Life conveys warm familiarity, shot through with the exuberantly experimental subversion and playful, even mischievous, iconoclasm that continues to mark Chenaux as defiantly, virtuosically, and genially one-of-kind

Especially now, in the news, we can witness its impact every single day. And yet, it is an integral part of the human condition. On his new album for Ozella, Rain Sultanov is confronting anger by writing some of the most heavenly music of his career. Soprano saxophone, organ, cello - this unusual instrumentation is at the heart of these nine floating, deeply moving compositions.

As such, Forgiveness is an extension of the palette of the 2018 release Cycle, which focused on the core duo of organ and saxophone. The lineup, however, as Sultanov stresses, is not what matters. What counts is using music as an instrument to transform our anger - and to offer it, others, and ourselves forgiveness.

Floating World Pictures is a 'Loud Ambient' project led by Chestnutt, producer & member of Snapped Ankles, and graphic/sound artist & instrument builder Raimund Wong.

For this new release they have come together with producer Ocean Moon (AKA Jon Tye) to create a heady brew of deep, resonant sonic exploration, spanning two sides of a beautiful limited cassette release which will be available via Lo Recordings on 14th June 2024.

Mystical, new age, ambient soundscapes born of psychic improvisation and excursions into worlds lost in mist, intertwine seamlessly with fragments of found dialogue, melodies and environmental sounds, cassette tape loop manipulations, live dub/effects and analogue synthesis. The cassette album comprises two singular but wholly complementary sound projects:

‘Look Now For The World Is Shining Bright’ is a suite of 4 tracks, all of which contain elements of music featured on the band's debut album ‘The Twenty-three Views’ (Friendly Recordings 2022), performed by Chestnutt, Rai Wong, Alabaster Deplume, Akihide Monna, Charles Prest, Cathy Eastburn, Kamal Rasool, Danalogue and Clémentine March with additional keyboards, collage and composition by Ocean Moon.

‘Have You Met Your Maker?’ was recorded as a trio one day in August 2023, at Ocean Moon’s Cornwall studio The Centre Of Sound, Maker Heights. Amidst the wind, rain and occasional sunny outburst they create sensuous deep dives between light and shade, with soundscapes filled with tape hiss, sweeping reverberance, field recordings from around Maker and angelic mood music; delicately weaving a web of movement and brightness with sounds of eternity that dissipate all negative thought patterns.

Enjoy The Ride Records, in conjunction with Paramount Music proudly presents Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition, Music Composed and Conducted by Jerry Goldsmith.

Jerry Goldsmith's iconic score to the 1979 film has been restored, remixed, and mastered from the first-generation multi-track masters by Bruce Botnick (Original album Executive Producer and Goldsmith's long-time engineer). Mike Matessino co-produced the album with Botnick, handling the restoration, editing, and track assembly.

With over 80 minutes of music, Star Trek: The Motion Picture – The Director’s Edition is available on vinyl for the first time in this definitive assembly. Pressed on 2xLP 140g colored vinyl and housed in a high gloss gatefold jacket with black poly-lined inner sleeves, there is also a double-sided full-color insert nestled inside.

Dark Distorted Signals proudly presents their 50st release: "Ordin Air - Ordinize" with a sampler vinyl, including 3 tracks, and a full album, 10 tracks as a cd and via downloadcode, all in one sealed package.
The digital release is also available on all mayor platforms. The vinyl comes as a black and white splatter. That same graphical theme extends to the layout of the cd. This special release is of the hand of Ordin Air, who again delivers his craftsmanschip in melodic techno. Hint: for those who bought the fysical package, look for the hidden gemns!
This full album is not a retrospective of himself, nor of the label. But all tracks combined are like a milestone, a beacon for those who need a textbook example of true dark melodic techno. Each track is unique and independently playable and essential for any DJ who wants to play relevant music. These are power tools! Play it loud!

12" compilation with new tracks by Eoism, Voertuig, Colkin and a lost gem by Peter Seiler featuring Sheryl Hackett. Picture sleeve with a bold artwork based on a sculpture by Hede Bühl. Limited to 500 copies.


Colkin (Raw Soul, Mauke Club) kicks off the a-side with a spheric acid house meditation. Next is a track by Peter Seiler which could be found on the extended reissue of his 'Flying Frames' debut LP on Innovative Communication in 1989. It features the soulful voice of Sheryl Hackett. An extraordinary groover that is meandering between song and jazz improvisation. Eoism (Pulse Drift, Undersound, Inch By Inch) complete the a-side with some low-swung electro flavors, driving you straight into sunset.

On the b-side Voertuig (Tonal Oceans, Cobra Club) hit us with a serious and raw acid jam - dark and dirty. On the following track they show us their experimental jazzy side and cool things down again. A track the 1990s downbeat era was missing. Eoism close the first volume of FUTUR with a floating, futuristic banger from their lab.

Benedikt Meger's aspiration for funkscapes was always to feature funk grooves, old and new, fresh and relevant for today. Whether some rare, not so rare or just under the radar recordings from the past or new productions from today's artists across different electronic genres. This idea now culminates into the selection for the compilation FUTUR.

Enjoy the ride.

London producer Keplrr debuts on Midgar with ‘Plumes’. Known for his productions on trendsetting outlets like Control Freak Recordings and Pressure Dome where he showed his excellent take on forward thinking broken techno music, right here for Midgar he uses a more straight forward approach with two versions of title track ‘Plumes’. The original is a subtle, percussive and playful techno groover, where the ‘Meditation Mix’ flips this impeccable groove into an airy atmospheric after-house mood. Second track ‘Pulse’ continues on this breezy atmosphere, it’s a floaty eyes-closed deep trip, with carefully arranged drums creating the perfect breakdown. Keplrr’s creative process delves into the profound, seeking to encapsulate the sensation of falling or morphing, blurring the lines between reality and reverie. His aim is to transport listeners to a state somewhere between a dream and a trip, where the boundaries of perception dissolve, and the subconscious takes flight. This EP embodies that quest, each track a sonic voyage into the depths of consciousness.

In 1999, The Aquabats! enter experimental territory with the release of "The Aquabats! vs. the Floating
Eye of Death!" Expanding beyond their ska roots, the band flexes their imaginative songwriting muscles
both in subject matter and style. A retroactive favorite with fans, The Aquabats! push into a more
electronic sound that presages their future records.

„Prism Of Pleasure“ wurde in 18 Monaten geschrieben und fasst Elkkas Wesen als eine LGBTQI+-Künstler:in zusammen, die Freiheit und Sinnlichkeit in den Vordergrund ihrer Arbeit stellt. Das war nicht immer so: Geboren und aufgewachsen in Südwales, wo es so gut wie keine Queer-Community in ihrer unmittelbaren Umgebung gab, musste Elkka ihre Identität langsam und neugierig zusammensetzen und dabei allmählich zu sich selbst finden. Nachdem sie sich geoutet hatte und in ihren 20ern nach London zog, begann die Musikerin mit dem Auflegen, Schreiben und Produzieren, was schließlich dazu führte, dass sie ihr eigenes Plattenlabel, femme culture, gründete und ihre eigenen queeren Clubnächte veranstaltete. „Prism Of Pleasure“ ist wie ein weiblicher Blick in einen dampfenden Raum voller Wunder (ein Konzept, das sich wunderbar im pinkfarbenen Albumcover widerspiegelt, das von Elkkas Frau und langjähriger kreativer Mitarbeiterin Alex Lambert fotografiert wurde), das sich um den Begriff der queeren Intimität dreht. Von den sanften, seidigen Vocals von „Crushhh“ bis zu den sich langsam entwickelnden, gehauchten Beats von „Your Skin“ („I'm breathing you in, I want to taste every inch of your skin“) und den gleichmäßigen, wogenden Synthesizer-Mustern von „surrender2me“ entfaltet sich „Prism Of Pleasure“ wie ein Patchwork aus schweißtreibenden Nächten, emotionaler Verbundenheit und versteckten Freuden. Elkka wurde von vielen Kolleg:innen unterstützt, darunter Four Tet, Floating Points, TSHA, Caribou, Sofia Kourtesis, Jon Hopkins, Ben UFO und SHERELLE, und gewann kürzlich einen AIM Award in der Kategorie „Bester Remix“ für ihre Überarbeitung von Ela Minus' „Megapunk“. Letztes Jahr veröffentlichte Elkka eine 4-Track-EP mit energiegeladenen Club-Tools unter dem Titel „DJ Friendly“ und trug auch zur bahnbrechenden DJ-Kicks-Reihe mit einem fesselnden Mix bei, der ihre Liebe zu Frauen und der LGBTQI+-Dance-Community zum Ausdruck brachte, zu der Elkka gehört und regelmäßig in intimen Räumen und auf Queer-Partys wie in der Panorama Bar und FEEL IT auftritt.

San Francisco psych-pop legend announces new album, “La Fleur” out June 7th, 2024. Between outside musical projects, pushing past 50 years old and becoming a father for the first time, San Francisco psych-pop legend Kelley Stoltz has spent the past two years steadily writing and recording his 18th album, “La Fleur”. The dazzling 12 song collection will be released in June by Agitated in Europe/UK and Dandy Boy Records in the USA. “La Fleur'' finds Stoltz once again playing nearly all of the instruments on the album- though a new friendship with pop guru Jason Falkner has led to Falkner appearing on two songs, “Hide In A Song” and “Make Believer” respectively. There’s the requisite 60’s meets 80’s pop rock confections that Stoltz favors with a new focus on out front vocals and perhaps a bit shinier production. Pandemic era blues, politics and fatherhood are lyrical touchstones throughout. The album’s first single “Reni’s Car” is the jangle rock lead single based on an actual event of Kelley riding around Manchester in the Stone Roses drummer's car. The accompanying music video was shot (partially) on location. “About Time” marries Twin Peaks synths to Fleetwood Mac and Avalon era Roxy Music in a cautionary tale to Stoltz's young daughter. “Human Events” puts revolutionary prose to a Moody Blues strum that floats off into Osees territory …and do I hear a nod to Gershwin in there? During the 2010’s Kelley played live as a sideman with Rodriguez and Echo & the Bunnymen, as the 2020’s dawned he was invited to support Pavement on their big reunion tour. He’s also been heard playing drums live with Robyn Hitchcock as well as adding sitar to Hitchcock's last two albums. In 2022, Stoltz was championed with a live appearance on Marc Riley’s BBC6 show. As producer, he has recorded the new album by Brigid Dawson formerly of the Ohsees. In my ears, Stoltz rarely does any wrong, and these comparisons are only just that little fruit to get you curious- he is still one of a kind. An under the radar hero to a few, and still after all these great songs, deserving of more. Climb on the bandwagon - as ever it’s quite pleasing here. - GEORGE CLOUD San Francisco, CA 2024

San Francisco psych-pop legend announces new album, “La Fleur” out June 7th, 2024. Between outside musical projects, pushing past 50 years old and becoming a father for the first time, San Francisco psych-pop legend Kelley Stoltz has spent the past two years steadily writing and recording his 18th album, “La Fleur”. The dazzling 12 song collection will be released in June by Agitated in Europe/UK and Dandy Boy Records in the USA. “La Fleur'' finds Stoltz once again playing nearly all of the instruments on the album- though a new friendship with pop guru Jason Falkner has led to Falkner appearing on two songs, “Hide In A Song” and “Make Believer” respectively. There’s the requisite 60’s meets 80’s pop rock confections that Stoltz favors with a new focus on out front vocals and perhaps a bit shinier production. Pandemic era blues, politics and fatherhood are lyrical touchstones throughout. The album’s first single “Reni’s Car” is the jangle rock lead single based on an actual event of Kelley riding around Manchester in the Stone Roses drummer's car. The accompanying music video was shot (partially) on location. “About Time” marries Twin Peaks synths to Fleetwood Mac and Avalon era Roxy Music in a cautionary tale to Stoltz's young daughter. “Human Events” puts revolutionary prose to a Moody Blues strum that floats off into Osees territory …and do I hear a nod to Gershwin in there? During the 2010’s Kelley played live as a sideman with Rodriguez and Echo & the Bunnymen, as the 2020’s dawned he was invited to support Pavement on their big reunion tour. He’s also been heard playing drums live with Robyn Hitchcock as well as adding sitar to Hitchcock's last two albums. In 2022, Stoltz was championed with a live appearance on Marc Riley’s BBC6 show. As producer, he has recorded the new album by Brigid Dawson formerly of the Ohsees. In my ears, Stoltz rarely does any wrong, and these comparisons are only just that little fruit to get you curious- he is still one of a kind. An under the radar hero to a few, and still after all these great songs, deserving of more. Climb on the bandwagon - as ever it’s quite pleasing here. - GEORGE CLOUD San Francisco, CA 2024

A1 - Blue Sky
Opening with a clean, DJ-friendly Hot Pants break, Blue Sky offers the listener a subtle, warming production with inquisitive synth work creeping around a fine selection of serene effects, panning excitedly across a pristine, polished field. Utilising light orchestral strings, a soft undertone bassline and wistful twilight sounds, Aural Imbalance blends danceable breakbeats with the soothing sounds of yesteryear as fluidly as ever.
A2 - Starburst
Starburst jumps straight into a tight, energetic beat pattern constructed with old school breaks and an off-key bassline, soon joined by eerie, spectral pads to gradually build an ethereal, other-worldly vibe. The composition is elevated by arising symphony of swirling blippy melodies, expressing a nervy and curious tone with detail and harmony before the beat recedes, allowing the melodies to shine alone in the dreamy outro.
AA1 - Frozen Tears
Aural Imbalance conjures a quietly grandiose track with Frozen Tears, driven by muffled keys and thick hi-hats in the intro before a luscious, meditative melody enters the mix. Intricate breakbeats with a suitably understated bassline accompany the fading and echoing synthetic strings, rich pads and subtle bells, producing a beautifully varied spectrum of sound, perfect for the Spatial record box.
AA2 - Moonlit Clouds
A distinctive, impeccably produced Helicopter break takes center stage with Moonlit Clouds, a deftly relaxing ambient aura floating overhead as synths and knowing melodies slowly weave their way into your psyche like shimmering fireflies seizing the moment in the dark. A low sub bassline permeates the depths to complete a collage of euphony to round off another special EP from Aural Imbalance.

Words by Chris Hayes Spatial/Red Mist