Buscar:front

Die New Wave-Legenden aus Düsseldorf um Meikel Clauss aka Micky Matschkopf sind mit neuem, tiefschwarzem Material zurück! 1980 noch kurz mit dem KFC den Ratinger Hof abgerockt, prägte NICHTS mit Sängerin Andrea M. und zwei erfolgreichen Alben in den frühen Achtzigern die Szene zwischen Punk, New Wave & NDW. Singlehit "Radio", "Licht Aus" sowie natürlich der zeitlose Top 20-Erfolg und Club-Klassiker "Tango 2000" gehören zur deutschen Musikgeschichte. 1983 fand noch ein drittes Album ohne Clauss statt, der lieber Belfegore ins Leben rief, aber 2009 die Band reanimierte und 2011 in neuer Besetzung das Album "Zeichen Auf Sturm" (Gesang: Sabine K.) über Unique/Electriqie Mud herausbrachte. Seitdem spielen Nichts live, veröffentlichen Deluxe-Ausgaben der drei 80er-Alben, kehrten in die Charts zurück und wurden zu Pandemie-Zeiten von DJ Hell mit einem Remix ihres Kulttracks "Eingeschlossen" bedacht. Mit der neuen Frontfrau Nina H. wurde seit 2022 an neuen Songs gearbeitet, was Ende 2024 zu "Nitroglycerin" führte und nun im fünften vollem Nichts-Werk Gestalt annimmt. Mit "Tiefschwarz" kehrt die Band zu den düstersten Wurzeln ihrer Klangwelten im Update zurück, schließt an Tracks wie "Eingeschlossen", "Tango 2000" und "Schwarze Gedanken" oder eben auch erwähnte Belfegore ("All That I Wanted") an. Ein Sound getragen vom charakteristischen Spiel Clauss' und seinen intensiven Gitarrenriffs, garniert mit hypnotischen Beats und donnernden Drums, gelegt auf ein Fundament aus Bass und Elektronik. Die Texte - mal direkt, mal poetisch, mal rau, mal sanft - zeichnen eine Reise durch die Schattenseiten des Lebens, melancholisch, kraftvoll und ungeschönt. Singles "Kugel durch den Kopf" und "Alien", der Opener "Maschine oder Mensch" sowie der abschließende Titeltrack sind nur vier von 10 starken, neuen Songs. Nichts entfalten eine klangliche Dichte, die sowohl bisherige Verehrer*innen wie auch neue Fans in den Bann ziehen wird. Das stringente musikalische Konzept wird durch das von Katharina Sieverding lizenzierte Artwork noch geadelt: die weltweit erfolgreiche bildende Künstlerin und Fotografin aus Düsseldorf gab für "Tiefschwarz" ein Bild aus ihrer Reihe "Die Sonne Um Mitternacht Schauen" frei, welches gänzlich und ohne überlagernde Schriften das Sleeve-Artwork ausmacht. Die CD kommt als 4-Panel Digipack mit 12seitigem Booklet, die LP im Klappcover mit bedruckter Innenhülle. Das klassisch schwarze Vinyl kommt in 180g, das transparent blaue Vinyl ist 140g.

Based in São Paulo and formed in 2017, TaguaTaguais lead by songwriter and producer FelipePuperi. Felipe, having fronted space groove rock band WannabeJalvafor several years, has an extensive indie resume. Having played at Lollapalooza Brazil, supported shows for Pearl Jam and Jack White. He's also been featured on KCRW, NY Times, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan and WFUV.

Tagua Tagua's 3rd full length LP and 3rd release on Wonderwheel following 2024's Todo Tempo EP and 2023's Tanto LP

Upcoming tour plans include SXSW and Lollapalooza Brasil in March 2025

Lead singleLado a Ladofeatures James Petralli frontman of the Austin, TX based rock band White Denim

White Denim were founded in 2008 and have shifted through genres like post-punk, soul, garage, and psychedelic rock and have released music on labels such as Bella Union, City Slang, and Downtown

2024 was a big year at radio as Tagua Tagua filmed and recorded a live sessions for NPR's World Cafe (US) and Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Basement on Worldwide FM (UK)

Embarked on a 10 date Brazilian tour in Spring of 2024 playing to capacity crowds each night in 400-500 cap rooms

Recent tour history includes two stints in the US for New Colossus Festival in NYC and SXSW March 2024 and November of 2024 in Miami, New York, and Philadelphia as well as a headline tour throughout Europe in September and October of 2024

Significant press coverage from publications like NPR Alt Latino, Remezcla, FIP, Bandcamp, and Sounds & Colours to name a few

Huge worldwide radio support from stations like KEXP, KCRW, KUTX (US) Inter, FIP, Nova (FR), RinseFM, Soho Radio, Worldwide FM (UK), 3RRR, 2SER, RTR (AU), RTP Antena 3, TSF Rádio Notícias, Rádio Oxigénio (PT) iCat, Radio 3 (ES) RBB Radioeins (DE) and many more

"Music was his passion. His life, his love_ his all." Book-ended by the two parts that make up the album's centrepiece, "Opus Imperfectus", Maestro is Magic Pie's long-awaited 6th studio album, years in the making... "Maestro! Where did you go? People ask and I need to know." Does life imitate art, or is it the other way around? Magic Pie is a Norwegian progressive rock band formed in 2001, known for their intricate compositions, symphonic arrangements, and blend of vintage and modern influences. Highly regarded in the international prog community, Magic Pie's music explores themes of introspection, existentialism, and human emotion. Drawing inspiration from bands like Dream Theater, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Kansas, Deep Purple, Yes and many more - their music incorporates complex time signatures, lush keyboards, and dynamic guitar work, mixing elements of symphonic rock, jazz, and even folk. Fronted by the charismatic Icelandic singer and lyricist Eirikur Hauksson and "maestro-mind" & composer Kim Stenberg, Magic Pie continues to strive for higher & bigger musical conquests. "Follow your vision, fulfill your dream".

Australia's left-field club renaissance keeps flowering, and Horatio Luna's cult 2020 debut Yes Doctor remains an essential root document. The LP welds dub-soaked bass pressure, broken-beat jack and smoky nu-jazz improv onto a house chassis—picture Moodymann deep cuts drifting through Dadawah's spiritual haze. Championed by Gilles Peterson after Luna appeared on Brownswood's Sunny Side Up compilation—where drummer Phil Stroud and synth maestro Dufresne also featured—the record was pieced together across 2019 during a run of late-night sessions while Hicks was living in the La Sape house. La Sape's brand-new 2025 pressing (cat. SAPE00825) uses freshly cut plates and presents the full ten-track programme on 140 g black vinyl. The package features subtle touch-ups to the jacket artwork and refreshed centre-label stickers while preserving the original aesthetic. "Yes Doctor is my coming-of-age—mixing every style I could think of into house, pushing aesthetic boundaries, making 'un-boxable' music," Luna says. File next to Theo Parrish and Yesterday's New Quintet: DJs will lock onto the title track's seven-minute bruk workout, while deeplistening customers will cherish the front-to-back journey in groove alchemy.

Über die letzten zwei Jahrzehnte hat sich Papa Roach als echter Trendsetter im Heavy-Genre etabliert: Sie wurden für zwei Grammys nominiert, tourten weltweit mit allen von Eminem bis Marilyn Manson und erschufen die Nu-Metal-Hymne »Last Resort«, die siebzehn Jahre nach Erscheinen noch immer auf Heavy Rotation in den Rock-Radios läuft.

Dennoch markiert das neunte Album der Band »Crooked Teeth« die Rückkehr zu ihren ursprünglichen – hungrigen – Wurzeln. Aufgenommen wurde das Album mit den aufstrebenden Produzenten Nicholas »RAS« Furlong und Colin Brittain in einem kleinen Studio in North Hollywood. Furlong und Brittain sind mit der Musik von Papa Roach aufgewachsen und haben die Band dazu inspiriert, sich auf einige der Tugenden zu besinnen, die sie an Papa Roach immer besonders gemocht hatten – allen voran die bemerkenswerte Rap-Technik von Frontmann Jacoby Shaddix.

Über die letzten zwei Jahrzehnte hat sich Papa Roach als echter Trendsetter im Heavy-Genre etabliert: Sie wurden für zwei Grammys nominiert, tourten weltweit mit allen von Eminem bis Marilyn Manson und erschufen die Nu-Metal-Hymne »Last Resort«, die siebzehn Jahre nach Erscheinen noch immer auf Heavy Rotation in den Rock-Radios läuft.

Dennoch markiert das neunte Album der Band »Crooked Teeth« die Rückkehr zu ihren ursprünglichen – hungrigen – Wurzeln. Aufgenommen wurde das Album mit den aufstrebenden Produzenten Nicholas »RAS« Furlong und Colin Brittain in einem kleinen Studio in North Hollywood. Furlong und Brittain sind mit der Musik von Papa Roach aufgewachsen und haben die Band dazu inspiriert, sich auf einige der Tugenden zu besinnen, die sie an Papa Roach immer besonders gemocht hatten – allen voran die bemerkenswerte Rap-Technik von Frontmann Jacoby Shaddix.

Für viele Fans auf der ganzen Welt gilt Paul Di’Anno bis zum heutigen Tag als der einzig wahre Maiden Frontmann. Während seiner langen Solokarriere veröffentlichte er auch zwei Alben auf Metalville Records. "In Memory Of" enthält, neben den Highlights aus diesen beiden Alben, zwei bisher nie in physischer Form veröffentlichte Songs. Dazu bietet das Booklet unveröffentlichtes Fotomaterial sowie exklusiv für dieses Album verfasste Liner Notes durch den bekannten Rock Hard Autor und Maiden-Biografen Matthias Mader.

AAA Gripper have seemingly dropped out of nowhere but the story goes back. The idea was conjured in the summer of 2023 at the first Wrong Speed Records festival in the town of Glastonbury. Inspired by a weekend of radical sounds and fine company a decision was made - 'let's try something'.
Recording hours and hours of bass and drums in deep Somerset then editing it down to a sharp and concise 32 minutes. From Can's Lost Tapes boxset to No Means No's 0+2=1 via a thousand song structure decisions. Wild guitar strafe and precise hyper vocal added. Nine tight tunes magically appeared. The band raised a glass of tea. The band was born. The 'something' had worked.
We Invented Work For The Common Good is a deep dive into the world of the working person. How we end up. Why we climb onto the conveyer belt and never get off. The front cover is one of many of the same photo taken every day, on the walk to work, the dark mills looming - KEEP THEM BUSY, THEY WON'T RISE UP.
Music is therapy. They think it's part of the bread and circuses. We know it's armour. We know it's weaponry.
Gigs being planned.

"Metalhorse" ist das dritte Studioalbum von Billy Nomates, nach dem von der Kritik hochgelobten "Cacti" von 2023 und ihrem selbstbetitelten Debüt von 2020. Ein Konzeptalbum, das sich um das Bild eines verfallenen Jahrmarkts dreht und für die Turbulenzen des Lebens steht - Risiko und Vergnügen, Gefahr und Rausch. Die 11 neuen Songs erkunden Blues, Folk und pianobetonte Arrangements, die Billy Nomates' starken Punk-Sound in eine pastoralere Richtung lenken. "Metalhorse" ist das erste Billy Nomates-Album, das in einem Studio und mit kompletter Band aufgenommen wurde. Zur Besetzung gehören die Bassistin Mandy Clarke (KT Tunstall, The Go! Team) und der Schlagzeuger Liam Chapman (Rozi Plain, BMX Bandits), dazu gab es einen speziellen Gastbeitrag von The Stranglers-Frontmann Hugh Cornwell zu dem Song "Dark Horse Friend". "Metalhorse" ist eine Balance der Extreme. Verlust, materielle Unsicherheit und der Versuch, sich selbst treu zu bleiben, vor dem Hintergrund eines zunehmend unvorhersehbaren globalen Chaos - die Waage hätte leicht in Richtung Dunkelheit kippen können, aber je mehr Tor Maries durchmachen musste, desto wertvoller wurden die kleinen Momente des Glücks. "Metalhorse" fordert den Hörer auf, seinen eigenen Rummelplatz zu finden; es wird immer Dinge geben, die sich gefährlich anfühlen. Gleichzeitig muss man die Lichter bestaunen, solange sie noch brennen. "Metalhorse" tanzt mit diesen Gefühlen von Ungewissheit und Freude und ist von Schmerz und Ausdauer durchdrungen.

An album for sleeping and waking, walking and driving, hunting and fishing, for loitering outside a roadhouse on the haunted tundra. Okay in elevators, not great for dinner. On Caveman Wakes Up, Friendship’s new album and second for Merge Records, the band’s historically capacious definition of country music grows wider still. Shambolic guitars are offset by flute pads, bleary poetry is set against a Motown rhythm section, a song about Jerry Garcia and First Lady Betty Ford fades out with a drum solo, like if Talk Talk came from a dingy Philadelphia basement and was fronted by James Tate. Songwriter Dan Wriggins’ ragged baritone cuts through eleven murky, swirling country-rock songs with profound lyrical substance and sincerity. Like an alarm clock incorporated into the edge of a dream, Caveman Wakes Up belongs equally to the conscious and subconscious mind, fraught with background, steeped in reference and experimentation, delivered casually and as a dire warning, dedicated, above all, to music’s creative soul. Over the years, dedication has paid off. Friendship has become a kind of reverse supergroup,
wherein the band itself and each individual member are located centrally in an increasingly prominent scene of young folk and country musicians and songwriters. Drummer Michael Cormier O’Leary leads the instrumental collective Hour and, along with bassist Jon Samuels, runs Dear Life Records, home to friends and peers who count Friendship as a major influence including MJ Lenderman, Florry, and Fust. (Samuels also plays lead guitar in MJ Lenderman and the Wind). Guitarist Peter Gill’s band 2nd Grade records prolifically. Wriggins began writing the songs of Caveman Wakes Up on a downtuned classical guitar of Lenderman’s and finished on a barely tuned piano in an apartment he shared with Sadurn’s G DeGroot.
In the summer of 2023, Wriggins had just left the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where his love for poetry and mistrust for the academic poetry world grew in tandem. A relationship fell apart, and Wriggins crashed for several weeks at Lenderman and Wednesday’s Karly Hartzman’s home in North Carolina, where he recorded the first demos of “Resident Evil,” “All Over the World,” and “Love Vape.” Wriggins returned to Philadelphia, and the band got to work on new ideas, finally tracking the album in five days with engineer Jeff Ziegler (Mary Lattimore, War on Drugs). Wriggins recorded vocals with Love the Stranger engineer Bradford Kreiger, and organ, violin (Jason Calhoun), and flute (Adelyn Strei) were recorded by Lucas Knapp in a West Philadelphia church.

'Better The Devil You Know' marks the long-awaited comeback of British band The Spitfires. Their first release with a refreshed line-up and also their debut on Bellevue Music, the track sees the band teaming up with producer Simon Dine (Paul Weller, Dexys Midnight Runners, Noonday Underground) to deliver a punchy, politically charged anthem.

On the B side, exclusive to the physical release only, is a remix of new track 'A Man Of Time' by french wizard and Paul Weller collaborator Le SuperHomard. Another new song to discover in its original form on the forthcoming album " MKII ". With musical hints of The Clash, The Specials and Hard-Fi at their most outspoken, 'Better The Devil You Know' is a sharp reflection on the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East. Frontman and songwriter Billy Sullivan explains "It relates to all war. A true protest song" The band is set to hit the road for a UK and European tour ( see below for details ), culminating in a headline show at London's KOKO on May 23rd.

"Music collectors have the chance to rediscover a lost gem from the golden age of psychedelic rock. This Half-Speed Mastered Edition offers the ultimate listening experience of the Texan band"s legendary 1967 debut-and only-album. Originally pressed by the International Artists label, Power Plant has gained mythic status among fans of the genre, often fetching up to $2,000 for an original pressing. But this exclusive reissue surpasses even the most sought-after versions, delivering a superlative experience that uncovers astonishing stereo details never before heard. Recorded at the height of the Texas psych-rock explosion, Power Plant stands as the only album on the International Artists label to rival the cult-like fascination surrounding the 13th Floor Elevators. Fronted by George Kinney, The Golden Dawn crafted a sound both haunting and transcendental, blending poetic lyrics, distorted guitars, and dreamlike vocals. Fans old and new will be transported back to the heart of the 1967 psych revolution, reliving this masterpiece as it was meant to be heard.

"After a first appearance on the "Various 1" EP, Oshana now makes her full release debut on Altered Circuits. The "Origins EP" is, in the artist's words, a collection of old-meets-new four-to-the-floor club flavours. Originating from her live set practice, it's a proper representation of where she's currently at: making a push for the bigger and bolder. Her obvious talent for meticulously stacking textures doesn't stop her from shifting to the stripped-back and straightforward when needed. The constant throughout is a sensibility for the dancefloor, which never lets anything get in the way of groove and rhythm. "Above We Soar" drops right into the action with a menacing bassline and equally gloomy synthesizer layering. The cut's gothic-black palette works a charm merging palpable tension with restraint. It builds for 4 minutes towards a drop - and then a slamming acid line succeeds in cranking the energy even up another notch. "Space And Time Dimensions" is a loopy roller which, by the sound of its reverb levels and ambient noises, might have been recorded at a missile silo. The stretched vocal samples and ever-evolving drums propel it forward in a vintage, Chicago house type way. There's a moment of calm when those briefly fall away; one of its quirky basslines subsequently makes room for a slick little polyrhythm sine, and everything clicks even more. On the other side, "Girls In The Front" doesn't loosen the reins either, as hefty kicks and another sturdy bassline immediately set the tone. The air appears charged with static electricity, and Oshana's way of niftily adding and subtracting seamlessly draws the listener into a groovy trip. 5 minutes fly by, and then the lead still has to emerge. The one that eventually comes in is huge and hypnotic. Topped off with a selection of vocals that burst with impatience, the track hints at the anthemic. Closer "Origins" taps into a more progressive and trance side with its modulated formant bassline, jittery arpeggiator lead and heavily flanged flourishes. A gust of electronic flutes and sleek chords take a turn for the - almost - idyllic. Not for long: not uncharacteristically, it switches back to the main beat and back into more ambiguous yet familiar territory."

"Kindred spirits and loyal soldiers on the frontlines of the dub war Detroit's 2Lanes and Los Angeles' Cromie link up to present to the world, Destiny Cloud. With a project name inspired by a mystical vacant storefront in Cromie's neighborhood of Altadena (still standing after the fires, bless), the guys formed like a storm after being intro'd by a notorious LA promoter and hotboy producer matchmaker. Funnily enough, the first session was foiled by a missing cable, so it wasn't until the sexy summer of 2023 that the cloud seeds that went on to become Sun Phase/Moon Phase were planted. From the jump, their vision was lucid and their objective collective: lock in at the stu(s) to make the most jiggy, psychedelic, tripped out club shit they could muster. Fast forward to today, Destiny Cloud is proud to bring you the latest missive on 2Lanes' Auto Shop imprint.

On the A side, Sun Phase sets it off with searing stabs from the hands of session killer Ji Hoon on a heavenly Jupiter-8 (sorry not sorry, the real thing does sound better) before a bassline straight off the Adriatic's Argonaughty comes in to funk up the flow over a bed swung hi-hats and drum circle conga lines the Wickedest west coast house heads can appreciate (no hippy shit, but we ARE on Hipp-E's dick). A keep-it-simple-stupid *muah' organ line plays nice with a gang of embellishments to take this one through its duration (Joey pressed record and said "ooh-wah" into the vocoder; no lie, I was there). With his Toxic Love remix, NYC upstart DJ John Brooklyn injects the tune with the highest grade octane to up the revs. The aforementioned organ becomes a timeless trance lead, and new pipes are inserted reminding us all that house music is forever.

Day turns to night on the B Side with Moon Phase, where booming kicks let you know off the rip that this is some real deal late night trunk funk. We're talking dualities here y'all; Cromie's deep-as-the-Pacific bassline meets Joey's frozen-lake-cold Detroit stabs as the drums speak in tongues with those on the other side of the slab. Reverb ghosts and rhythmic acid have this one veering more psychedelic without losing the jiggy factor, while diving proggy synths will have the Global Underground saying, "yea this is our shit, for real." With a run time that allows for maximum fun time, the ambient outro gives you a kiss on the forehead to put that ass to sleep. The iconic DJ Miss Parker takes the wheel on the remix, taking this one straight down the Tunnel with new-school/true-school Tenaglia-isms that wouldn't sound out of place in 2000, 2005 or 2025.

Like all the work we do, this one's a team effort. Salar Ansari put's his deft touch on the mixdowns and Jack Anderson blesses the center of both sides of the disc. Out mid-May, just in time for when things start heating up

It's 2022. The world lockdown is finally over. Imagine a picturesque lake in Tuscany. Now imagine a floating state of the art studio on that lake with two maverick rock icons creating a wild, alchemical concept album: Hugo Race, frontman of Australian post-punk legends The Wreckery and guitarist for the Bad Seeds and leader of True Spirit and Fatalists, and Gianni 'Marok' Maroccolo, producer of Italian alternative music and film soundtracks since the 1980s Florence darkwave scene with Litfiba, CSI & CCCP. Together, they fuse an existential narrative made up of individual stories in the style of Boccaccio's Decameron with psychedelic soundscapes framed by experimental electronica, rock instrumentation and decades of experience as cutting edge musicians and studio producers to bring you an album that defies categorization - The Vigil… "We all knew the situation was inauspicious, the planets lined up overhead like a firing squad and this empty silence roaming around our town, cut off from the other mountain towns by an electrical blackout. Without power, there was no way of knowing what was happening anywhere else. Left alone with our thoughts until help came from outside, a group of us gathered around a blazing fire in the abandoned city hall, feeding it with documents and broken furniture. Scientific progress had long told us we were parcels of dumb atoms and that consciousness and the soul were merely human projections. Now science had failed itself..."

TELEFAX PRODUCTIONS present a special, four-track wax release of one of 2024’s hottest club cuts - revivalist hip-house jam ‘Break This House Down’. Formed by two vastly experienced producers whose working partnership began way back in the late 1980s, TELEFAX PRODUCTIONS was born to provide a platform for established and unknown artists. One of 2024’s hottest club cuts supported by Honey Dijon, Luke Solomon and London’s Faith crew, ‘Break This House Down’ stars previously unheard mic man DeeVoeNay – a young rapper hailing from Buffalo, NY. Joining the original on this vinyl package is a live version with DeeVoeNay’s band HR Nightmare, alongside a bruk remix from London broken beat torchbearer EVM128, plus TELEFAX PRODUCTIONS’ vinyl-only Acid House Remix. ‘Break This House Down’ spotlights DeeVoeNay’s distinctive flow and party-starting lyrics front and centre, with the well-established, multi-faceted artist Jimmy Cauty responsible for the bold and highly stylised artwork - with Cauty also designing a special physical print included in this unmissable vinyl package.

This outernational project sees the UKs South West unite with Italy's South Tyrol. No Ice Cream Sound makes the journey from the beach to Bolzano to link up with Berise. Multilingual lyrical mastermind; frontman of Stantipowa and longstanding MC alongside Wicked and Bonny. The breathtaking back drop of the mountains sets the scene as Berise works his magic on this heavy hitting steppa style riddim. Much like the landscape, the rolling bass is covered with a message of positive vibrations!

Flipping to the B side we head back west to Spain where we link up with steppa maestro High Nebra. The warmer climate providing the inspiration for a high energy take on this track. We see him take on this already solid riddim and carve it out into that european style we all know and love. As the dance draws into the early hours it's tunes like this that keep the vibes alive!

Chilean-born, Bristol-based DJ, producer, and vocalist Shanti Celeste is back with her highly anticipated second album, Romance, set for release on May 16 via the label head’s own Peach Discs, in collaboration with Method 808. Marking her debut LP on the cult London-based label, Romance sees Celeste fully embracing her artistic evolution, delivering a lush and deeply personal exploration of love, longing and self-discovery across its nine tracks. The album’s bubbling lead single, ‘Thinking About You’, is out now - an emotional and dancefloor-facing glimpse into Celeste’s new era with her voice at the fore.

Shanti Celeste has long been revered for her radiant and infectious sound in a vibrant blend of house and techno. Romance takes this signature style to new heights, exploring the depth of romantic and platonic relationships that permeates the record with a pop-infused sheen. With her vocals placed front and center for the first time, Celeste weaves a sonic tapestry that is as introspective as it is euphoric; it’s a love letter to romance, but also an ode to the transformative power of opening your heart.

For all of Romance's soft focus, it still functions for the dance floor - lead single ‘Thinking About You’ is poignant and heartfelt, driven by a shimmering groove and Celeste’s ethereal falsetto. Inspired by memories of a late friend, the song is a tribute to the enduring nature of love and loss. “He was my first boyfriend but also a really good friend,” Celeste shares. “He was a really important person in my life.” —a beautiful, danceable meditation on the power of remembrance.

The majority of Romance was crafted between Celeste’s home of Bristol and London, featuring collaborations with longtime friend and esteemed producer Batu on ‘Note to Self’, ‘Light as a Feather’ and ‘Softie’. The album also sees Celeste teaming up with Austrian-Ethiopian harpist Miriam Adefris, whose delicate instrumentation adds a celestial edge to tracks like ‘Butterflies’ and ‘Medicine’. It follows her previous smash hit ‘Ice Cream Dream Boy’ last summer, which was named a track of the year by both Mixmag and DJ Mag. Earlier this month, Shanti celebrated the release of the vinyl version with a packed-out in-store set at Phonica Records in Soho.

Shanti will be taking her Club Celeste event series to The Cause for the third year running on May 17, in celebration of the album release. The day & night party will feature sets from Shanti as well as Daisy Moon, Gabrielle Kwarteng, Lishy, Peach and Ryan Elliot b2b Ogazón. Tickets are available here: https://ra.co/events/2062135

With Romance, Celeste steps into her full potential, creating an album that is as deeply personal as it is universally resonant. The album arrives this summer via Method 808. Stream ‘Thinking About You’ now.

Many of the greatest artists of all time found inspiration in their dreams... and pdqb is known to be an absolute pro when it comes to creatively exploiting the REM cycles.

Recently, for example, he dreamed of Gunnar, who had witnessed the rise and fall of electronic dance music, which had once held simple-minded creatures in its thrall. The beats had a peculiar effect on them, drawing them into euphoric trances. But Gunnar, allergic to its hypnotic frequencies, stood apart, unaffected. However, eventually, in a hidden enclave in the highlands of Reykjavík, he met Dr. Amara El-Amin, a neuroscientist fascinated by his unique immunity. Together, they discovered that Gunnar's resistance was a gift, offering insights into human consciousness and the power of music. With this knowledge, Gunnar inspired a global movement celebrating frequencies that resonate...differently. Though EDM had become a relic, Gunnar Oliasson remained a legend - a bad taste survivor who embraced a symphony of pure electrical potential, a language of circuits and oscillations beyond sound.

He woke with a jolt, the phantom music still echoing in his mind. He scribbled furiously, equations and diagrams mixing with strange, abstract notations. The dream, he knew, was a glimpse into a world where his inventions would dance, not just function.

For Synaptic Cliffs, it is an extraordinary honor to be able to offer you, dear listeners, the soundtrack of pdqb's world-changing dream: Four beautiful genre-defining Electrocognition tracks, embracing the depths of the human wetware. And three jaw-dropping sonic remodels from a human-like being called The Exaltics.

Previously unreleased; four track 12" with two different vocal takes, each w/ dub. Comes in Bond Export company sleeve.

Another cold case solved! One of DKR's early victories was finding a tape of the drum & bass cut of the legendary dubplate 'Rocks & Mountains.' Rumor had said the artist was the Mighty Travellers, but this didn't really add up chronologically or audibly. More astute listeners mostly agreed the artist was likely the Majesterians, a little recorded group who had made a couple other records for Taxi circa 1980. When we first issued the song on a 10" back in 2011, even Sly himself couldn't recall for sure who sang the tune. Like with other 'mystery' projects which we eventually came to realize, we never gave up digging on this one. There were two mysteries at work here - one, confirming the identity of the group, and two - finding the other cut of the tune, which features fuller instrumentation and a different vocal take. Both cuts were around on dubplate circa '80/'81, and the latter cut can be heard ever so briefly in the infamous UK "Sound Business" documentary film from '81. In the course of a mere 13 years, both questions came to be solved - we obtained a pretty clean plate cut of the fuller mix, and we confirmed the identity of the group. The Majesterians were a vocal trio consisting of Everton Dacres, Roderick Perkins and Paul Mitchell. While the latter two gentlemen don't seem to have done much otherwise, we are sure the roots heads and hopefully all DKR followers know Everton Dacres, who made some fine roots music in the 1970s prior to fronting the Majesterians. We spoke to Everton and he confirmed 'Rocks & Mountains' was their tune, cut in Channel 1 at a Taxi session featuring a host of other artists. Indeed, these were the heady days of 1980 with Channel 1 booked round the clock for locked-in sessions, with the Taxi Gang and the Roots Radics laying down future classic after future classic. All that said, we're happy to re-present this tune now with not only proper accreditation, but also both known mixes and the drum & bass mix in improved fidelity over its previous issue.

LEPER COLONY kreuzen den deutschen und schwedischen Death Metal Stil mit klassischen Einflüssen aus der US-Szene. Die Band entstand aus der langjährigen Freundschaft und der gemeinsamen Liebe zum Death Metal der alten Schule, die den deutschen Sänger Marc Grewe und den schwedischen Gitarristen Rogga Johansson dazu brachten, im Jahr 2020 ein gemeinsames Album zu produzieren. Das Duo holte sich CONSUMPTION-Schlagzeuger Jon Skäre und Lead-Gitarrist Kjetil Lyngahug (PAGANIZER) ins Boot, um das selbstbetitelte Debütalbum aufzunehmen, welches im Jahr 2023 veröffentlicht wurde. Das Werk wurde von Kritikern und Fans gleichermaßen positiv aufgenommen. Es wurde schnell klar, dass es sich bei LEPER COLONY keineswegs bloß um ein weiteres "Superprojekt" handelte, sondern dass eingefleischte Death Metal Fanatiker mit einer Vielzahl von frischen Ideen aufwarten. Marc Crewe hat sich als ehemaliger Frontmann von MORGOTH, und später mit INSIDIOUS DISEASE sowie ASINHELL einen klangvollen Namen in der Szene erworben. Gitarrist und Bassist Rogga Johansson prägte den schwedischen Death Metal in einer Reihe von Bands wie PAGANIZER, RIBSPREADER und REVOLTING entscheidend mit. WOMBBATH-Gitarrist Håkan Stuvemark übernahm mittlerweile die Leadgitarre und Jon Rudin wurde ebenfalls als neues Mitglied verpflichtet. Der britische Schlagzeuger ist unter anderem von MONSTROUS und DEAD SUN bekannt. Mit "Those of the Morbid" geben LEPER COLONOY allen Old School Death Metal Fans exakt das brutale und kompromisslose Album, auf das sie lange warten mussten!

Die Liverpooler RATS sind knallhart der Wahrheit und den Beats verpflichtet. Furchtlos, gelegentlich wild und häufig zärtlich kommt dieser mitreissende Pöbel auf der Debüt-LP "Rule The World" zusammen, nachdem die Single "Patsy Decline" (2021) ein neugieriges Publikum zu ihren lebhaften Liveshows lockte. Der direkte und optimistische Mix der Band aus unerschrockener lyrischer Ehrlichkeit und Crossover-Rock, R&B und Ska ist der Soundtrack des modernen innerstädtischen Grossbritanniens. Frontmann/Texter Joe Maddocks wird mit Mike Skinner (Jamie T, The Streets) verglichen, und die Band ergatterte einen frühen Supportslot für Liam Gallagher bei seinem Auftritt in der Royal Albert Hall 2022. Der gewundene Weg zu einem vollständigen Album wurde geduldig beschritten, RATS brauchten über zwei Jahre, um den Spass und die Wut ihrer prickelnden Liveshows auf Band zu bannen. "Es ist eine Mischung aus unseren individuellen Charakteren, die zusammenkommen", sagt Drummer Alan Phillips. "Da sind Lowells Dub und Ska, Joes scharfe, fast schon Hip-Hop-artige Texte, und dann sind da noch Mikey und Chris mit ihren mitreissenden Indie-Gitarrenriffs. Es ist eine Mischung aus den unterschiedlichsten Melodien in uns."

Growing up is painful, brutal, and sometimes beautiful _ something Brooklyn-based indie-rock band Bedridden knows all too well. The band's name is even a nod to that ineffable period between childhood and the jagged edges of the real world. "When I was 21, I kind of lost my home," says frontman/guitarist Jack Riley. "I was couch-surfing. I was having a hard time.The next iteration in the band's maturation, then, is their debut, LP Moths Strapped To Eachother's Backs, 10 fuzzed-out (and sometimes gnarly) ruminations on dating, drugs, and survival out April 11 on Julia's War. The title came from a mysterious missive Riley received on astrology app Co-Star. "Last year I was way too reliant on other people _ my partner at the time, my friends," he says. "I was strapped to them in a weird way _ and flying in circles. This album is about that time."The current incarnation of Bedridden encompasses a patchwork of styles, influences, and friends Riley accumulated over the years. A Chicago native who first started making music at age five on a thrift-store guitar emblazoned with Kurt Cobain's name, Riley moved to New Orleans for college where he dabbled in punk before falling in love with shoegaze. There, he launched the first version of Bedridden. Sebastian Duzian (bass) _ a jazz musician and Pasadena native _ linked up with Riley in NOLA along with his bandmate, drummer Nick Pedroza. Pedroza, from Claremont, grew up on rock, metal, and jazz, honing his style after joining the band. Wesley Wolffe _ a guitarist fed on a steady diet of New Wave and `90s alt _ rounded out the crew just a few months back. Bedridden's previous lineup released their first EP, Amateur Heartthrob, in 2023 _ a noise-washed blend of shoegaze, DIY, and indie that Riley says is a "coming-of-age EP _ these formative stories about not having a bed, dating, being kind of a jackass. I was making fun of myself a lot." That release caught the attention of Douglas Dulgarian from Philly Label Julia's War (and TAGABOW), who signed them for Moths."Some of these songs have been around for years," says Riley, adding that they were recorded last February at Studio G Brooklyn; the album was produced by Aron Kobayashi Ritch (Momma). "As opposed to Amateur Heartthrob, we attempted to blend more clean guitars into a driving sound to capture more clarity _ one that also sounds live_ and raw," Riley says. That rawness thrums through the record, which kicks off with the thrashed "Gummy," about an incident when Riley had to gently fend off a co-worker's unwanted advances while both drunk and high on an MDMA gummy. And then there's mournful rager "Etch," which sees Riley daydreaming about beating up a meddler in his personal life _ in the minor key.The annihilating "Chainsaw" revs in next, a lightning-fast Lemonheads-inspired track that recalls Riley moving in with new roommates who were unnaturally obsessed with purchasing a lamp. "For some reason that pissed me off," he laughs; that rage is evident in the album cover, which shows said power tool demolishing a lampshade. Heavy-shredding "Heaven's Leg" showcases the band's affinity for `90s mainstays like Smashing Pumpkins while telling the tale of a gig at a local church. "The lyrics are about a pastor I had met that had lost his leg," Riley says. "The church had signs about not cussing and I had a feeling that neither of us had anything to talk about without potentially offending the other."The band's not afraid to get confrontational, though, on the anger-fueled, drum-heavy "Philadelphia, Get Me Through," which deals with a dead-end relationship and the mistaken assumption that getting drunk in the titular city would be a balm against the pain. And the nasty, brutist, and short hardcore-adjacent "MainStage"? "It's about being disrespected at a show on New Year's and how I lashed out," Riley says. "I then began to take it out on other people, which was a quality that I despise."Things get contemplative and mournful from here on out _ the emo-edged "Snare" is about bringing flowers to a hospital room where you're not welcome, while the Smiths-inspired "Uno" wrestles with self-loathing. "I guess the big finale of that song was my response to dealing with this recurring experience of feeling like I wasn't good enough by getting really into whippets," Riley says. Nu-metal bop "Bonehead," then, recalls an embarrassing dinner that turned into an argument _ the name applies both to that incident and the delicious simplicity of the guitar parts.After all that turmoil and pain, the band caps everything off with their eyes to the future on the jangle-pop "Ring Size." "All my friends are getting married _ do I follow in their footsteps? Or is it all a waste of time?" Riley says of the song. "At the end, through it all, I guess that's what I've been trying to figure out _ how to grow up, how to move on. I'm trying to navigate things as an adult and I'm not very good at it. But this is just the first record. This is just the beginning."And, hey, at least now he has a bed.

Seit 2011 und mit sieben Alben hat das explosive Trio immer größere Erfolge gefeiert und sich Aufmerksamkeit und Anerkennung bei Rock-Fans und Jazz-Anhänger:innen gleichermaßen erarbeitet. Der Bandname lässt eventuell auf Jazz schließen, nur dass in der Besetzung vom Hedvig Mollestad Trio Klavier, Saxophon oder Trompete nicht auftauchen. Stattdessen: Gitarre, Schlagzeug, (Kontra-) Bass und Songs, die gerne mal die Melvins beschwören (Blood Witch). Jazz ist hier also in erster Linie Rock und keine Kammermusik. Mollestad lässt ihre Gitarre dabei unablässig und vom Overdrive getrieben jaulen, tänzelt die Skalen auf und ab, rifft sich durch die halsbrecherischsten Soli und spielt dennoch geerdet mit dem satten Groove von Schlagzeug und Bass. Nach arbeitsreichenJahren (solo, mit Weejuns, Soundtracks und Auftragsarbeiten) verspürte Mollestad den starken Drang, zum Kern zurückzukehren, der immer das Trio war, mit dem alles 2011 und dem starken Debütalbum Shoot! begann. Die Aufregung war groß, als es ins Studio ging, und da ein Großteil der Musik recht kompliziert ist, mit vielen kleinen Variationen und langen Strukturen, waren die Studio-Sessions extrem fokussiert und konzentriert. Hedvig betont, dass das Hauptziel des Trios darin besteht, immer Spaß zu haben, ob im Studio oder auf der Bühne, und diese Freude mit den Zuhörern zu teilen. Beim Hören von Bees In The Bonnet wird deutlich, wie sehr das Trio es vermisst hat, gemeinsam neue Musik zu machen, und dass sie sowohl als Songschreiber als auch als Musiker sehr gut sind. Frontfrau Hedvig Mollestad präsentiert sich hier nicht nur als Riffmeisterin, sondern auch als Sologitarristin, die den bereits angestellten Vergleichen mit Tony Iommi und Jimmy Page mehr als gerecht wird.

Hey, hard rock and metal fans—ready for another classic, early ‘90s album that never before made it to vinyl here in the States? Did we hear you say “Yeah!?” Then may we present Tyketto: Don’t Come Easy! This is another great, rockin’ record that got lost in the grunge craze that swept the music industry, and, just like our recent reissue of Wildside’s Under the Influence, it’s the debut release from a band that should have blown up much bigger than they did. You no doubt remember their single “Forever Young;” but the rest of the album offers melodic hard rock of the highest order, especially on tracks like “Burning Down Inside” and the power ballad “Standing Alone.” Excellent vocal work from former Waysted frontman Danny Vaughn, too. Remastered for vinyl by Mike Milchner at Sonic Vision…teal with white swirl vinyl, complete with printed inner sleeve!

I’m Sad as Hell and I’m Not Going to Fake It Anymore is the best, sharpest, briefest, and fourth record from Paper Castles, the band fronted by Jericho, Vermont’s Paddy Reagan. In one way, it’s a simple and modest collection of nine fuzzy guitar-led pop songs. The title, a play on the iconic scene from Network (written by Paddy Chayefsky), can be clocked as nothing more than that at first glance, playful. But like the music behind it, Reagan thinks you can sit with the title if you want.

I'm Sad as Hell... was tracked by Benny Yurco (Michael Nau, Lily Seabird, Robber Robber) in a little over eight hours across two days, a testament to the quartet’s perfection of these songs on stage, and to Yurco’s comfortable Little Jamaica Recordings in Burlington.

Tompkins and Mangan lock into a wonderful foundation for Kitz’s lolling guitar lines on “Clean + Organized,” while on “Avalon,” the band sings harmony for the most ironic line in the waltz (“We don’t really want company”) before their instruments explode into technicolor. “Lying Here” showcases PC deftly navigating washed out verses and tight knit, twangy choruses, all in a tidy, under-three minute package.

Lyrically, Reagan is at his finest: playful and savage, biting and beautiful. Double entendres and clever wordplay abound—a line like “it's not the ideals but the high heels that’ll make you a man” from “Modern Myth” will make you wish John Prine was still around to hear it. On “Name Changer,” when Reagan sings “I’ll never change my name again / Got a real good handle and I don’t want to give it in,” what kind of “handle” is he referring to? I’d like to think Elvis Costello would smile at most lines in the Attractions rave-up “Content Creator.”

"In a world where there are no more heroes, the Fleshtones walk the earth like Roman gods. Since their inception in 1976 in Queens, New York, and their sweaty, boozy gestation at legendary venues such as CBGB, Max’s Kansas City, and the storied Club 57— recently feted at the Museum of Modern Art, where their proto-video underground film “Soul City” was unspooled for art stars, glitterati, and a raft of punk rockers who managed to get past the front gate — they have perpetrated their proprietary brand of SUPER ROCK, a frenetic amalgam of garage punk and soul, punctuated by the big beat and unleashed with the spectacular show business majesty which has kept them on the road for over forty years, adored by audiences whose love for them borders on religious fervor.

It’s Getting Late (…and More Songs About Werewolves) is a smash that could have dropped at any point in their epic career — it is an outburst, and a celebration of the SUPER ROCK sound. Unlike their contemporaries, they have not dialed down the tempos to compensate for osteoporosis, they have not lost anything on their fastball, and continue to throw it for strikes. The hardest working band in garage rock has never sounded better, and now you see why they've been your favorite band's favorite band for decades."

Die beliebte New Yorker Rockband Sunflower Bean meldet sich neu belebt mit ihrem vierten Album zurück. In Eigenregie produziert, von Caesar Edmunds (The Killers, Wet Leg) gemischt und von Sarah Tudzin (Illuminati Hotties, Boygenius) engineert, liess sich die Band von Alternative Rock, verträumter Psychedelia und Arena-Ehrgeiz inspirieren, um mit "Mortal Primetime" das härteste und verletzlichste Album ihrer Karriere zu liefern. Die Songs sind ungeschminkt und offen, Dissonanz und Unsicherheit werden akzeptiert. Sunflower Beans breite Palette von Einflüssen würden die meisten Bands nicht wagen, in einem Satz zusammenzufassen, und diese Kühnheit hat sie undefinierbar gemacht. Der Power-Pop-Opener "Champagne Taste" kanalisiert Iggy Pops "The Idiot"-Phase, "Look What You've Done To Me" beschwört den beunruhigenden Wahnsinn und die Launenhaftigkeit von Kate Bush, und die hochfliegenden Powercords auf "Nothing Romantic" erinnern an Arena-taugliche 70/80er Hits von Heart, Pat Benatar und Joan Jett. "Manchmal denke ich, diese Platte ist wie eine Mischung aus Belle And Sebastian und Alice In Chains", sagt Frontfrau Julia Cumming.

After "RUINER", "CLEAN" and "GOLD", Atlanta's noise juggernauts WHORES. return with fierce new album ,WAR". American Muscle to drown out the American Dream as it careens into the ditch_ "WAR" is a an album full of brazen rhythms, serpentine riffs, walls of feedback, and howls of contempt. It is an album that is as rowdy and boisterous as it is anxious and savage. "Helmet comparisons are understandable but Helmet wishes they sounded this authentic and convincing in 2024", Heavy Mag wrote in their rave review, and Rolling Stone included "WAR." in their 20 best metal records of 2024. "It pisses me off when people talk shit about us. They don't know the lengths I go through to keep this band going" says guitarist/vocalist Christian Lembach in an interview with New Noise Magazine on why it's taken eight years between albums. Personal issues, accidents and then the pandemic presented obstacles for the band. Lembach injured both of his knees and tore the meniscus in his right one, and he broke both elbows and his ribs in an accident at his day job. WHORES. have dealt with setbacks that would have killed other bands, but instead it's made them stronger. And Lembach's high standards haven't exactly accelerated the making of "WAR": "It takes a while because I need to make a record I can stand behind. I just don't want to put anything out to just do it. I never think the one I'm working on is a masterpiece. To me the masterpiece is the next one", he says. "Lyrics are the most important part to me. Not the riffs not the song structures but the actual words" Lembach elaborates. "I always have the title before I write the lyrics. All the lyrics and song titles fit thematically into the album title. In this case I did a lot of soul searching. I was trying to figure out what it takes to be happy. I had to confront the ugly parts of myself. The title isn't political, it's about conquering the ugly parts of yourself." "WAR" is a battering ram of a live band, slugging like a doomsday clock towards midnight. Originally self-relased in 2024, we are happy to finally release in Europe what we're sure will become a noise rock genre-classic. PRESS "time is just a construct and Whores. are forever" - Everything Is Noise " ein weiterer musikalischer Schlag in die Magengrube" - Visions 10/12 " Frontman Christian Lembach is not so much a singer as a verbal assailant a spitting cobra of a human who leaves you drenched in his venomous wordplay." - Heavy Mag FOR FANS OF CHAT PILE, HELMET, HIGH ON FIRE, KEN MODE, INTERCOURSE, UNSANE, NAILS

After "RUINER", "CLEAN" and "GOLD", Atlanta's noise juggernauts WHORES. return with fierce new album ,WAR". American Muscle to drown out the American Dream as it careens into the ditch_ "WAR" is a an album full of brazen rhythms, serpentine riffs, walls of feedback, and howls of contempt. It is an album that is as rowdy and boisterous as it is anxious and savage. "Helmet comparisons are understandable but Helmet wishes they sounded this authentic and convincing in 2024", Heavy Mag wrote in their rave review, and Rolling Stone included "WAR." in their 20 best metal records of 2024. "It pisses me off when people talk shit about us. They don't know the lengths I go through to keep this band going" says guitarist/vocalist Christian Lembach in an interview with New Noise Magazine on why it's taken eight years between albums. Personal issues, accidents and then the pandemic presented obstacles for the band. Lembach injured both of his knees and tore the meniscus in his right one, and he broke both elbows and his ribs in an accident at his day job. WHORES. have dealt with setbacks that would have killed other bands, but instead it's made them stronger. And Lembach's high standards haven't exactly accelerated the making of "WAR": "It takes a while because I need to make a record I can stand behind. I just don't want to put anything out to just do it. I never think the one I'm working on is a masterpiece. To me the masterpiece is the next one", he says. "Lyrics are the most important part to me. Not the riffs not the song structures but the actual words" Lembach elaborates. "I always have the title before I write the lyrics. All the lyrics and song titles fit thematically into the album title. In this case I did a lot of soul searching. I was trying to figure out what it takes to be happy. I had to confront the ugly parts of myself. The title isn't political, it's about conquering the ugly parts of yourself." "WAR" is a battering ram of a live band, slugging like a doomsday clock towards midnight. Originally self-relased in 2024, we are happy to finally release in Europe what we're sure will become a noise rock genre-classic. PRESS "time is just a construct and Whores. are forever" - Everything Is Noise " ein weiterer musikalischer Schlag in die Magengrube" - Visions 10/12 " Frontman Christian Lembach is not so much a singer as a verbal assailant a spitting cobra of a human who leaves you drenched in his venomous wordplay." - Heavy Mag FOR FANS OF CHAT PILE, HELMET, HIGH ON FIRE, KEN MODE, INTERCOURSE, UNSANE, NAILS

DMV-by-way-of-the-U.K. punk duo Teen Mortgage have announced their debut album, Devil Ultrasonic Dream, out May 9th on vinyl via Roadrunner Records.
Produced by the band alongside longtime collaborator Kenny Eaton, the album’s first single, “BOX,” is a two-minute sprint of seething defiance, packed with hooks and unrelenting energy.
The album’s title, Devil Ultrasonic Dream, leans into the 1980s-era satanic panic in rock and roll. “The Devil Ultrasonic Dream,” explains frontman James Guile, “is about realizing a fantasy that Christian fascists don’t understand or want you to have. The devil—Satan—has always been a symbol of counterculture.”
Originally from England, Guile had been toying with the Teen Mortgage project under various monikers for years, crafting a sound steeped in sociopolitical commentary and built for the mosh pit, heavily influenced by classic ’80s punk. After relocating to Maryland five years ago, he connected with drummer (and former nurse) Edward Barakauskas via a Craigslist ad. Since then, the duo have spent years building Teen Mortgage’s presence in the DMV scene. In between a global pandemic and Barakauskas serving as an ER frontline worker, they managed to drop an EP and a string of singles before signing to Roadrunner Records in 2024.
Teen Mortgage has earned support slots with a stacked list of artists, from Weezer, Smashing Pumpkins, OFF!, and Alkaline Trio and return to the UK in June to play Download Festival and support Weezer at their Halifax Piece Hall show.

Conflict formed in 1981 in Eltham, Southeast London, when frontman Colin Jerwood, inspired by early encounters with the Pistols 'Spunk' bootleg and following The Clash on tour, struck up a friendship with Crass and set about crafting a whole new kind of punk that totally upped the ante in terms anger and confrontation. Crass, the renowned anarchist punk collective, having got Conflict started by releasing their debut single 'The House That Man Bult' in 1982 on Crass Records, ended in 1984 as they had always intended. Now it was up to Conflict to pick up the baton and run with it. And they did, charging into the battle lines of authority.

The years that followed saw Conflict go from strength to strength, peaking on the 18th of April in 1987 at the London Brixton Academy for the 'Gathering of the 5,000' concert. A climax and explosion of rage and rebellion that inevitably ended up in a police provoked full-scale riot with police injuries, arrests, and with the band hopelessly in debt and banned from the majority of major London and UK venues.

Undeterred, Conflict continued into the 90s with their acclaimed 'Conclusion' album and remained a mainstay of the live punk circuit throughout. However, after more than two decades since the release of their (2003) 'There's No Power Without Control' album, the band are back with 'This Much Remains'. Featuring sixteen brand new Conflict creations, the album sees the band keeping one eye on their eventful past, and the other firmly on moving forward, both musically and politically. Animal Rights are still at the forefront of Conflict’s collective minds, giving a voice to the voiceless on songs such as 'A Mother's Milk' and 'Shut The Fuck Up', whilst their anger at world governments will never dissipate.

Also featuring an appearance by the late Benjamin Zephaniah on the track 'Cut The Crap', 'This Much Remains' is the sound of a band that continues to surprise and progress, decades after it first began. Conflict are Colin Jerwood - vocals; Fiona Friel - vocals; Gav King - guitars, melodica & Hammond; Fran Fearon - bass; Stoo Meadows - drums. With Benjamin Zephaniah - vocals on 'Cut The Crap'; Mitsuko Sonoda - voice on 'The Impossible Soul'.

Hell 2 is not the first album from Austin’s Blank Hellscape, but it’s certainly the most fully-realized. OK, at least it’s the LONGEST. The three-piece nightmare band knocked around the claustrophobic end of the house show circuit for a longish spell but right around pre-‘dermic times, the trio of Ethan Billips, Max Deems and Andrew Nogay morphed into a multi-dimensional synapse-snapper with little regard for genre nor their own self-preservation. On that front, Hell 2 was echelons in the making; it would not be an exaggeration to say the writing / recording / editing process was arduous and lengthy enough it nearly took Blank Hellscape out of the game for good. But before you declare, “better luck next time”, strap yourself in to your favorite listening chair / apparatus and bask in this sprawling double album, to these ears, an uncanny musical & lyrical representation of the confusing, scary and thoroughly oppressive state we currently find ourselves in (not specifically Texas, but yes, Texas, too). I could not be more proud to dub this their long-awaited MAGNUM OPUS, and not simply because doing so will totally fuck shit up for whoever puts out their next album.

The resistance continues! Sev Dah returns to PROLETARIJAT013 with a four-track weapon forged in the fires of relentless, old-school hypnotic techno spirit. Paljba and Juriš - names that echo the battle cries of past uprisings - unleashing raw, driving rhythms, spiraling loops, and relentless tensions straight to the frontlines.No compromise. No surrender!

‘Zeitgeist’, the debut LP from celebrated Italian electronic music producer Dukwa, begins with a timeless dancefloor equation; swung drums, a clattering cobwell and flickering hi-hats lurch forward into a serious bassline. Within seconds, dancers are flung into the house anthem ‘You Don’t Want It’ that’s equally raw and charismatic, sensual and powerful. For the next forty-five minutes of rhythm, melody and studio trickery, ‘Zeitgeist’ continues to bend time, eras and bodies.

Having released EPs on respected labels including Numbers, Gudu and Diynamic Records, invariably with the support of Jackmaster, Peggy Gou and Solomun, Dukwa folds into the Slacker85 philosophy with ease, laying down a statement of intent that’s squarely for the dancers. Indebted to a youth digging in Florence’s record stores, embracing the peerless Italian rave scene, as well as his recent appearances at Circoloco and Kappa Future, ‘Zeitgeist’ subverts it’s knowing title to dance between styles with an urgency you can feel in your heels.

Before long, Dukwa is smoothly oscillating between acid overdrive and weightless house on ‘Catch All’, while the balance between softness and severity is refined even further on ‘Show Me’, showcasing the record’s first euphoric breakdown, a heads down, hands up moment that sacrifices none of his organic flow. Ably mastering many corners of his record box, ‘Avec Moi’ makes a confident left turn into tunneling trance, interspersed with a sensual french vocal.

‘All You Need’ provides the record’s beating heart, Dukwa’s overarching philosophy front and center around layers of synthesised groove, build and release: “The world is full of fighting, ignorance and greed, but right here on the dancefloor - the rhythm’s all you need”. Meanwhile, ‘My Turn’ channels more cinematic instincts, zoning in on an elegant piano riff in order to unravel a quietly epic deep house trip.

As ‘Zeitgeist’ heads toward its conclusion, Dukwa effortlessly squeezes the most emotive juice from his well-oiled studio. ‘Sad Eyes’ possesses the emotional punch of many vintage end-of-night anthems, still driving yet touched with a wistful ecstasy. Finally, for closing passage ‘Stck1’, Dukwa truly lets the machines sing, capturing a brief symphony of harmonising modulations that dip into weirdo electronica, without ever skipping his signature beats.

For the quartet led by NIGHTRAGE frontman Konstantinos Togas, 2025 is shaping up to be a stellar year. In February, Greek progressive metallers HERTA toured Eastern Europe. On May 2, 2025, the playful Athens-based group will release their debut album, “Crossing The Illusion” (LIFEFORCE RECORDS). HERTA’s sound is characterized by groove- and rhythm-driven compositions that continually offer surprises and fresh impressions. Despite the complexity and technical prowess of their music, the songs remain accessible and catchy. The band’s keen sense of atmosphere and melody shines through, creating ten eventful tracks that captivate listeners from start to finish. “Crossing The Illusion” immediately enchants with its sophisticated creativity. The band delivers impressively majestic songs that blend heaviness and pathos in a compelling mix. Guest appearances by Sakis Tolis (ROTTING CHRIST) and George Prokopiou (POEM/MOTHER OF MILLIONS) further attest to HERTA’s approach to expanding the variability and complexity of their prog metal continuously. The album was produced and mixed by Fotis Benardo at Devasoundz Studios and mastered by Johann Meyer at Silver Cord Studios. FFO: GOJIRA, LAMB OF GOD, MASTODON and MACHINE HEAD

Seit ihrer Gründung im Jahr 1991 gehören Nightfall neben Rotting Christ und Septicflesh zu den Pionieren des griechischen Metal. Die legendäre Death-Metal-Band aus Athen klingt so rachsüchtig wie eh und je. Doch unterstützt von einer monumentalen Produktion und einer kraftvollen Botschaft ist ihr elftes Studioalbum ihr bisher düsterstes und epischstes Werk.
Wie ihre Zeitgenossen verweben Nightfall Gothic-Melodien mit geschwärztem Death Metal. Children of Eve enthält die infektiöseste Sammlung von Hooks, die die Band je geschaffen hat, dank des Mixings und Masterings von Jacob Hansen. Der maskierte Frontmann Efthimis Karadimas, bewaffnet mit Mantel und Dolch, befehligt die Leadsingle "I Hate" hinter Blastbeats, die wie ein Schwarm Pfeile fliegen.

Aber Children of Eve wäre nicht Nightfall, wenn sie nicht auch eine tiefere Botschaft hätten. Während "The Cannibal" vor göttlichem Tremolo-Picking nur so strotzt, geht es im Text darum, wie religiöse Strukturen und Fanatismus einen verschlingen können. "I hold the power / to explain your screams", heult Efthimis mit abschreckender Intensität.

FFO: Rotting Christ, Septicflesh, Behemoth, Paradise Lost, Amorphis, Moonspell