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Repress!

Back for a limited edition 12” single from The Future Sound of London comes the iconic original ‘12TOT17R’ collection of “Papua New Guinea” mixes. Mixes alongside the classic 12” Original include the full length Andrew Weatherall Mix, reissued here for the first time since 1992. Andrew Weatherall (1963-2020) was one of the key DJs on the acid house dance scene and this mix is one of his most highly regarded works next to Happy Mondays, New Order and Bjork. This edition is a limited edition to only 2000 copies only.

Generally regarded as the first true 'new age' record, Steve Halpern's 1975 private press LP has long been in demand by collectors. In particular, the very first pressing of the album included an extraordinary long-form jazz funk track called 'Something for Every Body Suite' that was removed from subsequent versions. Eating Standing is proud to reissue Halpern's classic long-lost original version of the album, officially licensed from Halpern himself that includes this heavy groove-laden masterpiece. This is the very first ever full reissue of the first press album with full reproduction of the artwork. Original copies cost over $700 (assuming you can even find one) but now this incredible landmark album is available once more to enjoy. "Reissued for the very first time since 1975 in its original format and track listing, a legendary album that is considered a game-changer in music. Steve Halpern's landmark album 'Christening For Listening (A Soundtrack For Every Body)' is considered by many to be a crucial and defining album that pointed the way ahead. Predating the ambient/experimental work of Brian Eno, Steve Hillage and even Mort Garson's 'Plantasia', Steve Halpern's 'Christening For Listening' was the first album to explore what became known as 'new age' or ambient music, exploring the effect of tones and rhythms on the human body and mind as well as plants and other organisms. Originally issued as a private pressing in 1975, the very first issue of this album had an extraordinary extended jazz funk track on the B side, a DJ/Samplers delight – DJ Gaslamp Killer is a huge fan. This track, 'Something For Every Body Suite', was never included on any of the subsequent represses making the very first pressing incredibly rare and almost impossible to find. It's reissued here for the very first time, with full repro of the original artwork plus a Q&A by Tony Higgins with Steven Halpern himself.

Franco Rosso’s epic cinematic opus of reggae social commentary, Babylon, landed in November of 1980. Moving through the film’s opening frames of grey dreary London, two spars – Blue and Ronnie – run with unrestrained anticipation to link with their Ital Lion Sound System brethren. Simultaneously the rest of the crew does what sound crews have done from time: Load them boxes up in the van and trod with vigor to the dance.

But that bassline…The soundtrack notes that carry the celluloid movements of the film’s opening scenes…That bassline…Upside down…Jazzy…Dubby…A bassline like no other reggae bassline the Ital Counselor has ever heard. The hook that got me deep into UK roots music from the band that is my number one inspiration.

If there is bassline that represents the core imperative of Ital Counselor Records, it would have to be Aswad’s Hey Jah Children. It seemed therefore only fitting to bring its absolutely resplendent glory to a new generation. Lovers of sounds and blues, it is time for the dread ital lion sound to once again rise to meet the day. So it is with the deepest of gratitude and respect to the legacy of Aswad (RIP Drummie Zeb) and Franco Rosso, that we present a deeper than deep next cut…Christened here…the Ital Lion Serenade.

In line with all IC releases, we have enlisted top tier session musicians and studio men. Long time IC collaborator, Inyaki BDF, is at the center of the action as the musical maestro. Hopping on the BDF sonic lorry are Aratz Diez on Trombone and James Zugasti on the dub mixes. This crew bring the original composition up-to-date with a heady dubwise weight. Syndrums ricochet while Inyaki’s bassline rumbles teetering as it does somewhere between a modern dubstep warble and its core roots-wise influence in Tony Gad’s original playing.

Diez’s trombone playing comes across like an x-ray of the Aswad Horn Section and keeps intact the jazzy abstraction of the original. In turn, Inyaki goes full 70s synth on the psychedelic dubwise of the B-side’s Operation Swamp 81. UK history buffs better you know the reference in that title and its thematic echoing significance from the UK depicted in Rosso’s film and carried on in remembrance on this here hotter than hot 12”.

A warning: the Zugasti dub cuts are devasting to speaker boxes.

REPRESSED !!

Vibraphone and keyboard player, master arranger and bandleader, Mulatu Astatke is one of the all-time greats of Ethiopian music and the creator of his own original music form, Ethio jazz. Through the acclaimed Ethiopiques album series and through featuring on the soundtrack to the Jim Jarmusch film Broken Flowers, his music has belatedly reached a global audience and a new, younger generation of fans. In November of last year, he recorded an inspired new album with London psych jazz band The Heliocentrics for Strut's 'Inspiration Information' studio collaboration series. Now, Strut are proud to present, for the first time anywhere, the definitive Mulatu career retrospective covering his landmark 60's and 70's recordings.
Mulatu is a true pioneer of African music. He was the first Ethiopian musician of his generation to travel extensively and to record abroad - he studied in the UK in Wales and at Trinity College Of Music in London, cutting his teeth on the buoyant London jazz scene of the early 60's. He became the first African student to attend Harvard and he lived and recorded in New York, developing a unique sound that fused Western jazz with traditional Ethiopian melodies.
Tracing the progression of his Ethio jazz experiments with full access to all of the labels for whom he recorded, Mulatu Astatke: New York-AddisLondon is the essential Mulatu. Covering his first recordings in the UK during 1965, his groundbreaking fusions for the small Worthy label in New York and his key '70s recordings back in Addis on Amha, Phillips and Axum, the album features comprehensive sleeve notes by Miles Cleret, boss of the excellent Soundway Records imprint, and rare, previously unseen photos from Mulatu's personal archive.

The third album Fort Sensible by Brisbane alt-rockers Tape/Off is a genuine labour of love, a passionate dose of opinionated heart-on-sleeve rock’n’roll representing not just a place but a time with its cache of meticulously-crafted guitars, robust rhythms and socially-conscious lyrics mining both the personal and the political.

While musically they veer seamlessly between intricacy and intensity their words cut straight to the quick, the songs caustic and catchy in equal measure, making Fort Sensible by far the most ambitious and accessible album in the band’s storied decade-plus history.

Tape/Off’s first two albums - Chipper (2014) and Broadcast Park (2018) - were both longlisted for the prestigious Australian Music Prize, yet Fort Sensible takes the tried and tested Tape/Off aesthetic to a whole new level as the band seek to both share the creative load and fully harness their innate collective chemistry.

The guitars of Nathan Pickels and Ben Green weave together like an electric tapestry, the resultant soundscapes both intricate and ambitious whilst still entirely capable of busting out massive riffs with the best of them, their inherent simpatico now built upon by years of experience playing off each other. From a rhythmic perspective Tape/Off's propulsive drummer Branko Cosic's immense power and Cameron Smith's robust, expressive basslines combine to provide the perfect rhythmic bottom-end throughout the record.

Excitingly Tape/Off's sonic palette has been broadened substantially on the new album, with Pickels' angry and angst-laden diatribes throughout Fort Sensible now augmented by Green and Smith taking vocal turns at junctures, adding a whole new dynamic and dimension to proceedings.

At a time when our leaders seem lacking and the world needs the redemptive powers of art and music more than ever, Tape/Off announce themselves as a serious force to be reckoned with the uncompromising power and beauty of Fort Sensible!

Ten years later, and with ve full-length records out, Vundabar-Hagen, bassist Zack Abramo, and drummer Drew McDonald-are marking their time together with a new 11-track collection called Good Old. Four of the songs are acoustic reinterpretations of previous Vundabar tracks, while the remaining seven were created during recording sessions between the releases of 2015's Gawk and 2018's Smell Smoke. The songs from these sessions are raw, loud, elastic, and energetic, crackling with the banged-up spirits of punk-, art-, pop-, grunge-, and indie-rock-and they've never been heard until now.

Berlin based label "Matasuna Records" kicks off the new year 2025 with a soulful 7inch featuring songs by Barcelona's "The Blaxound" and singer "John Vermont". Their common love for vintage soul from the 60s and 70s brought them together for this project to compose and record classic soul sung in Spanish. This 45 shows that the concept worked out wonderfully: Spanish Soul at its best, sounding authentic and contemporary at the same time!

Matasuna Records, known for its reissues of musical treasures from the past, also has an eye for exciting new discoveries in contemporary music. With "The Blaxound & John Vermont" the label has once again found an interesting project for soulful & contemporary music that fits perfectly into the label's sound spectrum and will appeal to lovers of authentic soul music.

The two songs "No Es Por Ti" and "Qué Más Te Da?" from their recently released album will be released for the first time as a 7-inch vinyl single on Matasuna Records. The instrumentation and the lovely harmonies are the ideal basis for John Vermont, who with his versatile voice, sometimes powerful, sometimes smooth - but always soulful - can fully develop his vocal spectrum and fill the songs with his presence. Instrumental and vocal arrangements are beautifully balanced and harmonious. Beatific!

Artist info


"The Blaxound" is a Barcelona-based music project with deep ties to the city's Funk and Soul sceney. The project started in 2003 under the direction of musician, songwriter and producer "Marta Roman". The Blaxound has released four studio albums between 2007 and 2024 on different labels.

Years ago, Marta focused on the idea of recording a classic soul album sung in Spanish, respecting as much as possible the original production and sound of the late 60s and early 70s. Luckily, she met singer "Ivan Espejo" aka "John Vermont", which was the turning point and led to the full vocal album "Déjalo Ir" released on "Love Soul Productions" in 2024.

All songs were composed, recorded and produced by Marta Roman in her own studio, Black Flamingo Recordings, in Barcelona, Spain.

Major-label debut by You Me At Six, Hold Me Down, was released on Virgin Records in January 2010, after the success of their debut album Take Off Your Colours - Released on vinyl for the first time, hear the album that cemented their reputation pressed on high-quality 180g vinyl. Taking their name from an abbreviation of the time they would meet, You Me At Six were formed in Weybridge, Surrey in 2004 by vocalist Josh Franceschi, guitarists Max Helyer and Chris Miller, and bassist Matt Barnes. Drummer Dan Flint joined in 2007. They first broke through at 2007's Slam Dunk Festival with their brew of heavy, melodic, emo-tinged rock, and after two self-released singles, the band signed to Slam Dunk Records. By 2010, they had signed to Virgin. Working with producers John Mitchell and Matt O'Grady, the band crafted 12 new tunes for Hold Me Down, including the singles Kiss And Tell, Underdog and Liquid Confidence which won Best Single at the 2010 Kerrang! Awards. The album reached No 5 in the UK chart, and fully established them on the vibrant UK rock scene. With a stable line up since 2007, You Me At Six have become one of Britain's most-loved bands, and announced recently that they will be splitting up after playing the Slam Dunk Festival in 2025, with Franceschi stating "Let's have the opportunity to say goodbye properly, versus slipping out the back door."

"Love Conquers All" is a collection of deeply moving songs by The Moody Blues’ John Lodge. All written during difficult times, yet reflecting the positive way in which John sees the world. As John explored his journey of healing, he invited different musicians to collaborate with him on each song, making each song unique, yet at the same time they all carry the same message... that love does conquer all. ‘Love will Conquer All’, ‘Whispering Angels’, and 'Sunset over Cocohatchee Bay’ were all written through personal health challenges, and 'In These Crazy Times’, and ‘The Sun Will Shine’, originally written in lockdown, have been reimagined and remixed for 2024, reflecting how this time is now firmly in the past. 'Whispering Angels' was written by John and his son-in-law Jon Davison, of YES, and Jon features on all the tracks on the release. ‘Love Will Conquer All’ isan almost Christmas song full of hope, plus there are guest appearances on the album by Geoff Downes of YES, Tim Maple, Dave Colquhoun, Ray Nesbit, John’s 10,000 Light Years Band, and also John’s wife, Kirsten and son, Kristian. As you journey with John through the songs, starting with the instrumental ‘Sunset Over Cocohatchee Bay’, and ending with the more anthemic ‘Whispering Angels’, you will be moved by these beautifully crafted songs, surrounded by the incredible musicianship, and feel the love brought to each song by John and his friends and family. This release truly is a journey of love and recovery and John is delighted to be able to share it with you today.

Wer Lacuna Coil kennt, weiss, dass jedes Album ihrer beeindruckenden Karriere mehr als nur einen typischen Bandsound liefer-te: Jedes Album ist ein reichhaltig strukturierter Soundtrack zur jeweiligen Epoche und zu einem bestimmten Ort. Bei "Sleepless Empire" ist dieser Ort düster, cineastisch und verströmt unverkennbar die Stimmung, die Lacuna Coil zu einem so gefeierten Eintrag in die Chronik der harten Musik gemacht haben. Ohne ihre spezielle Art von Gesang, Gitarrensound oder Schlagzeugarbeit wäre "Sleepless Empire" - der orchestrale Teil - ein cineastischer Soundtrack. Von den kolossalen Refrains des Album-Openers "The Siege" über das verrucht eingängige "I Wish You Were Dead" bis hin zum unbändig klassischen Feeling des Titeltracks von "Sleepless Empire" - die Souveränität von Lacu-na Coils neuestem Werk ist unüberhörbar, und doch hat es auch einige Überraschungen zu bieten. Sie erscheinen in Form zweier ganz besonderer Gastauftritte von niemand Geringerem als der New Years Day-Banshee Ash Costello auf ihrem Epos "In The Mean Time" und einem ohrenbetäubend überdrehten Beitrag von Lamb of God-Sänger Randy Blythe auf "Hosting the Sha-dow". Und wenn "Sleepless Empire" etwas Besonderes ist, dann ist es mehr als nur diese gesangliche Kreuzbefruchtung. Wie Sänger Andrea Ferro erklärt, liegt der Schlüssel zu Lacuna Coils ewig jugendlicher Ausstrahlung in ihrer Neugier und ihrer Fähigkeit, kreativ auf neue Inspirationen zu reagieren, ohne dabei die langjährigen Qualitäten aus den Augen zu verlieren, welche die Band zu dem machen, was sie ist - und er zählt Sleep Token, Spiritbox, Bad Omens und Bring Me The Horizon als Beispiele für andere Bands auf, die dasselbe tun, um die Szene und ihren eigenen Sound lebendig zu halten. Dieser unabhängige Geist ist der Schlüssel, um Lacuna Coils künstlerisches Vorrecht gegen das Gewicht der Erwartungen abzuwägen, und Ferro beschreibt mit Nachdruck, wie diese seltsamen Zeiten eine Fülle an Material hervorgebracht haben, die die gewichtigen Texte und die Stimmung von "Sleepless Empire" beeinflusst haben. Der Sound von Lacuna Coil ist düster, er spiegelt die Gesellschaft wider, in der wir leben - er ist ein Porträt unserer Zeit. Er zeugt von der Veränderung unserer Gesellschaft, dem "Sleepless Empire", in dem jeder immer am Handy ist, immer scrollt, immer et-was tut - von morgens bis abends, es hört einfach nie auf. Eine Philosophie, die sich in jedem Aspekt von "Sleepless Empire" widerspiegelt.

Wer Lacuna Coil kennt, weiss, dass jedes Album ihrer beeindruckenden Karriere mehr als nur einen typischen Bandsound liefer-te: Jedes Album ist ein reichhaltig strukturierter Soundtrack zur jeweiligen Epoche und zu einem bestimmten Ort. Bei "Sleepless Empire" ist dieser Ort düster, cineastisch und verströmt unverkennbar die Stimmung, die Lacuna Coil zu einem so gefeierten Eintrag in die Chronik der harten Musik gemacht haben. Ohne ihre spezielle Art von Gesang, Gitarrensound oder Schlagzeugarbeit wäre "Sleepless Empire" - der orchestrale Teil - ein cineastischer Soundtrack. Von den kolossalen Refrains des Album-Openers "The Siege" über das verrucht eingängige "I Wish You Were Dead" bis hin zum unbändig klassischen Feeling des Titeltracks von "Sleepless Empire" - die Souveränität von Lacu-na Coils neuestem Werk ist unüberhörbar, und doch hat es auch einige Überraschungen zu bieten. Sie erscheinen in Form zweier ganz besonderer Gastauftritte von niemand Geringerem als der New Years Day-Banshee Ash Costello auf ihrem Epos "In The Mean Time" und einem ohrenbetäubend überdrehten Beitrag von Lamb of God-Sänger Randy Blythe auf "Hosting the Sha-dow". Und wenn "Sleepless Empire" etwas Besonderes ist, dann ist es mehr als nur diese gesangliche Kreuzbefruchtung. Wie Sänger Andrea Ferro erklärt, liegt der Schlüssel zu Lacuna Coils ewig jugendlicher Ausstrahlung in ihrer Neugier und ihrer Fähigkeit, kreativ auf neue Inspirationen zu reagieren, ohne dabei die langjährigen Qualitäten aus den Augen zu verlieren, welche die Band zu dem machen, was sie ist - und er zählt Sleep Token, Spiritbox, Bad Omens und Bring Me The Horizon als Beispiele für andere Bands auf, die dasselbe tun, um die Szene und ihren eigenen Sound lebendig zu halten. Dieser unabhängige Geist ist der Schlüssel, um Lacuna Coils künstlerisches Vorrecht gegen das Gewicht der Erwartungen abzuwägen, und Ferro beschreibt mit Nachdruck, wie diese seltsamen Zeiten eine Fülle an Material hervorgebracht haben, die die gewichtigen Texte und die Stimmung von "Sleepless Empire" beeinflusst haben. Der Sound von Lacuna Coil ist düster, er spiegelt die Gesellschaft wider, in der wir leben - er ist ein Porträt unserer Zeit. Er zeugt von der Veränderung unserer Gesellschaft, dem "Sleepless Empire", in dem jeder immer am Handy ist, immer scrollt, immer et-was tut - von morgens bis abends, es hört einfach nie auf. Eine Philosophie, die sich in jedem Aspekt von "Sleepless Empire" widerspiegelt. Sleepless Empire ist erhältlich als Ltd. Deluxe CD Box mit Symbolwürfel-Orakel, als Ltd. CD Digipak, als schwarze LP + LP-Booklet, als limitierte farbige LP + LP-Booklet sowie als digitales Album.

Red w. Black Smoke Vinyl

After 25 years, eight albums, and countless gigs, BLEEDING THROUGH persist as a tried-and-true outlier in heavy music and culture. The Southern California stalwarts wield an enigmatic and unmistakable signature sound born at the cross roads of no-holds-barred hardcore, cutthroat thrash, and cinematic black metal.
Mastering a drastic push-and-pull, they have always occupied their own elevated realm in the extreme space, exhibiting a rare ability to not only incite a moshpit, but also invite complete immersion. It’s why they’ve endured changing tides and trends and stood strong as a force of nature with consistent critical acclaim and packed shows. However, the six-piece - Brandan Schieppati vocals, Derek Youngsma [drums], John Arnold [guitar], Ryan Wombacher [bass], Marta Peterson [keys, vocals] and Brandon Richter [guitar] - assuredly perfect this vision in 2025 on their aptly titled ninth full-length offering, NINE.

Everything in our world is intertwined, interconnected and mixed, something not fully explored from the past still influences the present and creates the future.

The spiral of time has caught its beginning on the ancient multicultural city, breaking through the multilayered chaos of history, met us at this very segment and crystallized this artefact — Babylon is ahead of you.

A blast from the past, a fleeting moment of falling in love, an inhumane apocalyptic metropolis, an icy deathbed or an eternal lost love…? The golden coast awaits you. Its crystal doors are there for you to open them. The deep, azure saltwater is here…forever…

By alone or not.

Serenades presents the second EP from talented producer BB. angel (fka baby angel) who has traveled a huge musical path.

Possessing lyrics heavily focused on political and social justice, inspired heavily by West Coast gang culture and Islam, Da Lench Mob made waves throughout the hip-hop scene when they first appeared on the track "Rolling With Da Lench Mob", off Ice Cube's famed 1990 solo record AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. Initially, the titular "Lench Mob" of the track namesake referred to Ice Cube as well as the other participating rappers, but J-Dee, Shorty, and T-Bone would adopt the name for their own in time. Their standout appearance on the Ice Cube track would earn the trio critical interest, (as well as shout-outs on Ice Cube's 1991 follow-up Death Certificate) and generate palpable anticipation for a studio album of their own. Guerillas In Tha Mist, their 1992 debut record, was recorded in the wake of the Rodney King riots, taking its name from infamous comments made during the riots. The record was uncompromising and confrontational in its depictions of urban decay and an unjust system wreaking havoc on an economically disadvantaged Black population. It was starkly realistic (bordering on abrasive) in the content of tracks like the armed revolution-advocating "Freedom Got An A.K.", the kill-your-idols style of "You And Your Heroes", and the anti-pusher anthem "All On My Nut Sac." These harsh manifestos were made all the more smooth via Ice Cube's jazzy G-funk and Bomb Squad-influenced production, which sampled heavily from classic songs by Parliament, Kool & The Gang, The Incredible Bongo Band, and even Vangelis. Cube himself would make guest appearances throughout the record, as well as an appearance by B-Real of Cypress Hill on the track "Ain't Got No Class." Guerillas In Tha Mist was a Billboard success upon its release, reaching #24 on the Billboard 200, and rendering rap radio hits out of its title track and "Freedom Got An A.K.", but Da Lench Mob would fall into obscurity over the years, eventually going their separate ways after creative differences, financial rifts, and the life conviction of rapper J-Dee for suspected murder in 1993. Despite their loss of commercial fortunes, Guerillas In Tha Mist would develop a strong reputation as an unheralded gem among hip-hop heads, and would be considered one of the great lesser-known releases of the era among critics (in 2018 Complex would declare the title track as one of the 100 Best L.A. Rap Songs). Decades after its initial release, and in tribute to the memory of Da Lench Mob member Shorty, who passed in 2019, Get On Down now presents an exclusive LP reissue of Guerillas In Tha Mist, which previously was only released officially on wax in Europe. The LP is pressed on a deluxe Green and Orange Splatter-colored vinyl, and features remastered audio and a painstakingly recreated full color jacket.

1st November saw the release of THE CURE's critically acclaimed album, 'SONGS OF A LOST WORLD,' the band’s first new studio record in 16 years and their first #1 album in the UK since 1992.

The night of the album's unveiling, The Cure performed it in full to 3000 fans at Troxy London and to more than a million on a free global stream.



The stunning live performance entitled 'SONGS OF A LIVE WORLD : TROXY LONDON MMXXlV’ will be released on the 14th Feb on vinyl on Fiction/Polydor, with all The Cure's royalties benefitting War Child and this will be opened up to Indie stores.



Initially formed in 1978, The Cure has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, headlined the Glastonbury festival four times and been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. They are considered to be one of the most influential bands to ever come out of the UK.



'SONGS OF A LOST WORLD' was written and arranged by Robert Smith, produced and mixed by Robert Smith & Paul Corkett and performed by The Cure - Robert Smith: Voice / guitar / 6string bass / keyboard, Simon Gallup: Bass, Jason Cooper: Drums / percussion, Roger O'Donnell: Keyboard, Reeves Gabrels: Guitar.

'SONGS OF A LIVE WORLD : TROXY LONDON MMXXlV’ includes Perry Bamonte: Guitar / 6string bass / keyboard.

New Omar S alert! The FXHE label boss wastes no time in dropping heat this New Year as he once again hooks up with vocalist Desire for this latest house gem. Up first is 'Something Real', in the classic Omar S mould of laying down a deep, heartfelt drum line and then topping it with a mad emotive vocal hook that is filled with r&b goodness and joined by the most subtle cosmic chord motifs. 'Hard Leaf Rag' follows next, so raw it will make your ears tickle with its busted drums and serrated stabs. Then flip it over for 'Conant Leaf Rag', which pairs warbling synth sounds with dusty hi-hats and tight kicks for a nice, full mind and body workout.

Emmanuel Mario returns to Karaoke Kalk with his third album under his Astrobal moniker for the Berlin-based imprint. »L’uomo e la natura« (»Man and Nature«) sees the prolific drummer and producer, who has worked with artists such as Laetitia Sadier and label mate Pink Shabab, take a different musical route than before. The French electronic music composer pays homage to the spirit of library music while also making concessions to different strains of pop and even classical music. With only two of the ten songs putting words to the music, »L’uomo e la natura« is a masterful exercise in the evocation of atmospheres: expressing much while saying very little outright—show, don’t tell.

The album was born out of a desire to push the envelope. »I wanted to make music that was both pop and ambitious in its chord progressions as well as surprising in its construction,« explains the Paris-based artist. Taking inspiration from library music artists such as Alessandro Alessandroni or Bruno Nicolai as well as the more cosmic strains of electronic instrumental music, he strove »to create a soundtrack that would immediately bring to mind outer space.« The first of the three singles released ahead of the full album, »L’abeille pourpre,« captures this spirit with funky rhythms and an overjoyed interplay of different melodies, all tied together by wordless yet terminally catchy vocals.

The second single, »Miami 2064,« traverses through many different moods in its six-minute run-time: Starting off as neo-noir synth-wave piece, it then proceeds to pay its dues to the masters of the cosmic music tradition such as Tangerine Dream or, of course, Jean-Michel Jarre before slowly descending back to Earth with guitars and dreamy synthetic vocals, playfully punctuated by a plethora of wistful melodies. It is the perfect encapsulation of the open-ended approach Mario follows throughout the entire album, taking full creative licence in regards to songwriting and arrangements. »I wanted to surprise myself,« he shrugs. He succeeded.

»L’uomo e la natura« rewards multiple listens not only emotionally, but also intellectually. »I also wanted to talk about politics and ecology, because it’s impossible not to,« Mario notes. Some of the track titles express this more openly than others and the two title tracks sung by Mario and Nina Savary use French and Italian lyrics, respectively. However, as a whole the album leaves things open to interpretation. Does »The End of Capitalism« sound elegiac or triumphant? And what do you actually make of this musical vision of the Floridian metropolis, whose mere existence is threatened by climate change already today, four decades from now? Mario doesn’t necessarily answer these questions—he doesn’t tell, he shows.

Hidden Harmony presents the first full-length LP from Estonian composer and keyboardist Volodja Brodsky. The six compositions on 'Whispering Ln.' were entirely recorded during Brodsky's trip to the USA in 2018-2019 and showcased his passion for the transformative power of minimalism as an art form. The follow-up to his keyboard duties on psych funk/rare groove Estonian outfits Estrada Orchestra, Centre El Muusa, Misha Panfilov Septet, on ‘Whispering Ln’ Brodsky reinventing himself as a minimalism evangelist in his own right. From space age pop shimmering sonatas to the monolithic drone/overtone hypnotics, Brodsky created an ascetic yet complex sonic landscape where less is more.

"During this period, I was deeply engaged in the study of this art form. The compositions are meticulously distilled to their most primitive form, crafting an immersive experience that beckons to embark on a journey into the very core of emotions and thoughts. Every pause and each meticulously chosen sound within the album serves a purpose, orchestrating a delicate interplay between simplicity and depth. I hope this music carries you to a place of introspection and serenity, where you may discover the profound beauty within the plainness of life" – Volodja Brodsky

As Jess Sylvester finished his Hardly Art debut as Marinero in the fall of 2020, he realized it was time for a change. Sylvester grew up in Marin County, on the doorstep of San Francisco. It was a nurturing community for a high-school punk with a pompadour and, later, for a sober songwriter with a proclivity for moody psychedelia. But he wanted to be challenged and inspired by a new setting and scenario around strangers who prompted him to approach his music in unexpected ways. So in September 2020, as the world continued to reel in lockdown, Sylvester headed several hours south to Los Angeles, a city that, despite the relative proximity, the film buff knew largely from classic and cult films situated there. When he arrived, he kept digging into that cinematic past-Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye, with John Williams' classic theme, or classic 90s movies about East LA, many featuring Edward James Olmos. They shaped his understanding of his new town just as it began to open. This is one pillar of the multivalent and endlessly lush La La La, Marinero's new album about sobriety, identity, and fantasy that is playfully named both for the city that helped shape it and the sophisticated pop it contains. Sylvester wrote about characters outside of himself, whether considering the heroine reckoning with her own version of keeping clean or the screenwriters whose work was deemed communist simply as a political convenience. He linked those songs with motivational anthems about self-acceptance and playful numbers about flirting through food, shaping a 12-song set rich with humor, empathy, and encouragement. Sure, La La La is a continuation of the slippery genre play Sylvester started with 2021's Hella Love, 2019's Trópico de Cáncer, or even before that. But it also feels like a fresh beginning for Marinero, as Sylvester realizes how boundless this project can be. He began to think about the music of his childhood, how his mother is from San Francisco with Mexican roots, and how he'd heard so much salsa growing up as an impetuous teenager. So he wrote "Taquero," a red-hot salsa tune that uses tacos and their trappings as a source of endless metaphors for come-ons. And then there was the Ray Barreto or Santana-inspired "Pocha Pachanga," with organ gliding and percussion pulsing beneath his yearning vocals, warped as if by desert winds. In Los Angeles, he found a wealth of players who spoke this music like language itself (including Chicano Batman's Eduardo Arenas), all ready to play with and push these familiar forms. Sylvester has also been sober for 21 years, since a cross-country sojourn to attend college in Boston ended in a chemical haze. Today, he sees friends facing the same decisions he made two decades ago, and he brings bits of that experience to bear in songs that feel like self-help anthems. Recorded with a musical hero (and labelmate) of his, Chris Cohen, "Sea Changes" feels like sunshine breaking through dark clouds, as Sylvester acknowledges the newfound confidence and clarity in a friend who has stepped away from destructive habits. In the past, Sylvester has been intractably linked to his identity as a Mexican-American, born to parents from Mexico and Irish- American descent who settled in San Francisco. That can be limiting, of course, tying him to notions of sound and style that aren't always correct. On La La La, he simultaneously steps into and out of those preconceptions, singing tracks above salsa in joyous Spanish or pondering the dynamics of the Hollywood Ten and blacklists above mysterious lap steel and teasing trumpet. His identity, then, should now be clear: He is a Californian, making music shaped by the diversity of encounters and experiences that are a central part of that state's fabric. Never before has he presented himself so fully and unabashedly on tape as with La La La, an album Sylvester built with new inspirations to deliver new charms.

We are glad to introduce you to our new full length album, sound designed and arranged by Spanish duo Crime as Service. Their musical output has always been solid and consistent, always offering diverse visions on techno sound.

For this particular work they have explored the deepest side of their sound palette, starting with the beatless intro Unlocked, made of subtle drones and field recordings.

Next track is Altered Circuits, a bass heavy groove on the first bars soon followed by mechanical components colliding with atmospheres and micro drone. A combination of pressure and deepness.

Shadow Crew follows with a continuous sequence over a shuffled beat, the usual textures appear on top of the main synth line spicing the mood, until bleeps and asymmetrical components complete the equation.

Zombie Botnet changes the mood drastically, adrenaline goes up and new sonic components add hypnosis to the overall feel as the track goes by.

Second slice of plastic opens with Lazarus Group, intense and dark with super effected synth lines running through the stereo field wisely.

Darknet Operation, as the title suggests, is opaque and gray but also liquid with water samples appearing randomly along the arrangement. The groove behind is relentless and effective, one more time mixing intensity with mindfulness.

Unknown Exploits shares similar feelings as the previous one, a combination of tension and sonic details.

Closing the release, Deconstructed Blockchain, aimed directly for the dancefloor with a psychedelic approach on the main sound, constantly mutating and evolving as the minutes go.

A solid collection of well-crafted techno tunes, aside from tendencies and hype, made to last.

Volume 1 of this expertly curated project of 90s Italian House - put together by Don Carlos.

If Paradise was half as nice… by Fabio De Luca.

Googling “paradise house”, the first results to pop up are an endless list of European b&b’s with whitewashed lime façades, all of them promising “…an unmatched travel experience a few steps from the sea”. Next, a little further down, are the institutional websites of a few select semi-luxury retirement homes (no photos shown, but lots of stock images of smiling nurses with reassuring looks). To find the “paradise house” we’re after, we have to scroll even further down. Much further down.

It feels like yesterday, and at the same time it seems like a million years ago. The Eighties had just ended, and it was still unclear what to expect from the Nineties. Mobile phones that were not the size of a briefcase and did not cost as much as a car? A frightening economic crisis? The guitar-rock revival?! Certainly, the best place to observe that moment of transition was the dancefloor. Truly epochal transformations were happening there. From America, within a short distance one from the other, two revolutionary new musical styles had arrived: the first one sounded a bit like an “on a budget” version of the best Seventies disco-music – Philly sound made with a set of piano-bar keyboards! – the other was even more sparse, futuristic and extraterrestrial. It was a music with a quite distinct “physical” component, which at the same time, to be fully grasped, seemed to call for the knotty theories of certain French post-modern philosophers: Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari, Paul Virilio... Both those genres – we would learn shortly after – were born in the black communities of Chicago and Detroit, although listening to those vinyl 12” (often wrapped in generic white covers, and with little indication in the label) you could not easily guess whether behind them there was a black boy from somewhere in the Usa, or a girl from Berlin, or a pale kid from a Cornish coastal town.

Quickly, similar sounds began to show up from all corners of Europe. A thousand variations of the same intuition: leaner, less lean, happier, slightly less intoxicated, more broken, slower, faster, much faster... Boom! From the dancefloors – the London ones at least, whose chronicles we eagerly read every month in the pages of The Face and i-D – came tales of a new generation of clubbers who had completely stopped “dressing up” to go dancing; of hot tempered hooligans bursting into tears and hugging everyone under the strobe lights as the notes of Strings of Life rose up through the fumes of dry ice (certain “smiling” pills were also involved, sure). At this point, however, we must move on to Switzerland.

In Switzerland, in the quiet and diligent town of Lugano, between the 1980s and 1990s there was a club called “Morandi”. Its hot night was on Wednesdays, when the audience also came from Milan, Como, Varese and Zurich. Legend goes that, one night, none less than Prince and Sheila E were spotted hiding among the sofas, on a day-off of the Italian dates of the Nude Tour… The Wednesday resident and superstar was an Italian dj with an exotic name: Don Carlos. The soundtrack he devised was a mixture of Chicago, Detroit, the most progressive R&B and certain forgotten classics of old disco music: practically, what the Paradise Garage in New York might have sounded like had it not closed in 1987. In between, Don Carlos also managed to squeeze in some tracks he had worked on in his studio on Lago Maggiore. One in particular: a track that was rather slow compared to the BPM in fashion at the time, but which was a perfect bridge between house and R&B. The title was Alone: Don Carlos would explain years later that it had to be intended both in the English meaning of “by itself” and like the Italian word meaning “halo”. That wasn’t the only double entendre about the song, anyway. Its own very deep nature was, indeed, double. On the one hand, Alone was built around an angelic keyboard pattern and a romantic piano riff that took you straight to heaven; on the other, it showcased enough electronic squelches (plus a sax part that sounded like it had been dissolved by acid rain) to pigeonhole the tune into the “junk modernity” section, aka the hallmark of all the most innovative sounds of the time: music that sounded like it was hand-crafted from the scraps of glittering overground pop.

No one knows who was the first to call it “paradise house”, nor when it happened. Alternative definitions on the same topic one happened to hear included “ambient house”, “dream house”, “Mediterranean progressive”… but of course none were as good (and alluring) as “paradise house”. What is certain is that such inclination for sounds that were in equal measure angelic and neurotic, romantic and unaffective, quickly became the trademark of the second generation of Italian house. Music that seemed shyly equidistant from all the rhythmic and electronic revolutions that had happened up to that moment (“Music perfectly adept at going nowhere slowly” as noted by English journalist Craig McLean in a legendary field report for Blah Blah Blah magazine). Music that to a inattentive ear might have sounded as anonymous as a snapshot of a random group of passers-by at 10AM in the centre of any major city, but perfectly described the (slow) awakening in the real world after the universal love binge of the so-called Second Summer of Love.

For a brief but unforgettable season, in Italy “paradise house” was the official soundtrack of interminable weekends spent inside the car, darting from one club to another, cutting the peninsula from North to centre, from East to West coast in pursuit of the latest after-hours disco, trading kilometres per hour with beats per minute: practically, a new New Year’s Eve every Friday and Saturday night. This too was no small transformation, as well as a shock for an adult Italy that was encountering for the first time – thanks to its sons and daughters – the wild side of industrial modernity. The clubbers of the so-called “fuoriorario” scene were the balls gone mad in the pinball machine most feared by newspapers, magazines and TV pundits. What they did each and every weekend, apart from going crazy to the sound of the current white labels, was linking distant geographical points and non-places (thank you Marc Augé!) – old dance halls, farmhouses and business centres – transformed for one night into house music heaven. As Marco D’Eramo wrote in his 1995 essay on Chicago, Il maiale e il grattacielo: “Four-wheeled capitalism distorts our age-old image of the city, it allows the suburbs to be connected to each other, whereas before they were connected only by the centre (…) It makes possible a metropolitan area without a metropolis, without a city centre, without downtown. The periphery is no longer a periphery of any centre, but is self-centred”.

“Paradise house” perfectly understood all of this and turned it into a sort of cyber-blues that didn’t even need words, and unexpectedly brought back a drop of melancholic (post?)-humanity within a world that by then – as we would wholly realise in the decades to come – was fully inhuman and heartless. A world where we were all alone, and surrounded by a sinister yellowish halo, like a neon at the end of its life cycle. But, for one night at least, happy.

Enter Now Brightness feels different for Nadia. It is an album, she says, of departure and questioning, that has reminded her how songwriting can be “the most useful thing to do with pain and joy and thoughts and feelings and anger.” That through music we can find great change. “I’m so much better off now that it exists,” she says. “Now feels like a new time.” On this record, Reid moves ever further from her earlier folk inclinations, establishing a sound that is distinctly her own. Enter Now Brightness is a record of poise and great beauty, the sound of a cellular shift, of pain giving way to tenderness and joy. It takes its title from a passage in a book Reid was reading from a line that seemed to call out to her from the page: ‘Brightness entered the study.’ “It was the image of opening the curtain, or turning the light on, or of standing in the wings of a theatre and waiting to go on stage. It’s the idea of life beginning now.” "Nadia embraces a full-bodied sound halfway between Haim’s sophisticated pop sparkle and Sharon Van Etten’s full-throated songcraft" - The Guardian

Berlin’s Moses Yoofee Trio have confirmed details of their first new material since their 2023 mini-album, Ocean. ‘WHIP.wav’ will be released digitally on October 18, 2024, and represents the first taster for their debut full-length, MYT, set to be released by Nils Frahm’s LEITER on February 7, 2025. The German group recorded much of the album over ten days in April 2024 at Glaswald Studios, in the countryside outside Stuttgart, before returning to Berlin to polish the results and record two further tracks at LEITER’s Funkhaus studio. Available on vinyl and via all digital platforms, the album was produced by the trio with long-time collaborator and mixing engineer oh.no.ty. ‘WHIP.wav’, the original version of which was previously shared to social media to great response, is a perfect showcase for the band’s unique brand of sophisticated jazz, its laidback summer grooves lit up by Moses’ fluid piano lines, while drummer Noah Fürbringer’s deft rhythms lock in with Roman Klobe-Barangă‘s understated bassline. At just 100 seconds long, it’s also as succinct and straightforward as MYT’s title – and indeed many of its tracks – which reveals a lot about the Moses Yoofee Trio. The new album’s tracks display a remarkable determination to distil their work to its essence, allowing their prodigious talents and graceful versatility to flourish in uncluttered surroundings. Their goals, they state concisely, are “emotions, moments and bangers”, and careful attention was paid to arrangements to ensure nothing superfluous made the cut. Before coming together as a band, all three members were already deeply involved in the music scene, touring, recording, and producing for a wide range of artists and bands. They connected in 2020 when Moses met Roman at Berlin’s Jazz Institute, and it was the latter who suggested they jam with his friend Noah, who was living in southern Germany at the time but frequently visited Berlin. Amid the extended lockdowns of the Covid-19 pandemic, the trio embraced the chance to fully immerse themselves in the creative process. Since then, Moses Yoofee Trio have cultivated an extraordinary reputation for their shows, and this year they won the German Jazz Prize’s prestigious Live Act of The Year award. Recent highlights include a 2,500-capacity Elbjazz Festival booking beside Hamburg’s harbour, a riotous appearance at London’s Jazz Festival, and an intimate gig before 200 people at the German capital’s now redundant Tempelhof Airport on the rooftop of an air traffic control tower. Despite their own work as a trio, all three musicians remain busy elsewhere, with Moses, like Roman, often working with chart-topping Berlin-based Peter Fox, a frontman for reggae/dancehall/hip hop crossover act SEEED, and accompanying him on his extensive solo tours. Noah, meanwhile, plays with another renowned artist, German-American rapper Casper, as well as Sweden’s acclaimed Petter Eldh and German comedian / actor / musician Teddy Teclebrhan.

Los Angeles-based experimental jazz collective High Pulp will release
their new album Days in the Desert in peak sweltering summer heat on
July 28
The titular desert is both literal and metaphorical: it's the Mojave Desert that the
band powers through on their many DIY tours around the country, and the band's
founder / drummer Bobby Granfelt perceives the desert as "a spiritual quest" as
well. Amid the trials of our present moment, you must look within, relying solely
on your own instincts to keep moving forward. "You're in the desert and it's a long,
lonesome process and a lot of times you have to check yourself to ask 'Is this
right? Is this good? Is it too out?'" he says.
High Pulp's Days in the Desert makes this vision come true, finding the West
Coast band fully emerging into their own sound. Rooted in the jazz tradition while
also smitten by indie- rock and electronic music, High Pulp was willing to grab
from all these sounds at once to pursue something truly their own. Their third fulllength album (following 2022's promising Anti- debut Pursuit of Ends), Days in the
Desert reveals the band realizing their strengths, deepening their own bonds, and
pushing all these skills into a thrilling new sonic vista all but unimaginable just a
few years before

Young Kingz II marks Krept & Konan’s first album since top-5 charting Revenge Is Sweet, a project which cemented their place in music history as UK rap royalty and saw them become the first British rap act to headline the O2 London. It also follows the duo’s equally ground-breaking 2017 release of 7 DAYS and 7 NIGHTS, which saw them become the first act ever to have two mixtapes simultaneously enter the Top 10 of the Official UK Albums chart, and their 2015 debut album The Long Way Home which debuted at no. 2 on The Official UK Albums Chart, becoming the highest charting British Rap album in UK chart history.

With Young Kingz II, Krept & Konan are set to continue their legacy and undisputed relevance in the British music scene. Returning to their independent roots, they come full circle with the follow up to their 2013 released Young Kingz mixtape which catapulted the duo into the Top 20 of The Official UK Albums Chart, earning them a Guinness World Record for the highest charting UK album by an unsigned act.

Young Kingz was pivotal in establishing Krept & Konan as trailblazers in the UK rap scene, kickstarting their reputation for repeatedly breaking records and consistently breaking ground. With a broad-ranging rollcall of featured artists, it heralded their signature approach to collaborations of enlisting fledgling artists (such as s then little-known MC, Stormzy), alongside more established ones (George The Poet, Chip, Tine Tempah and Giggs). It also saw Krept & Konan gain traction across the Atlantic with US rappers French Montana, Chinx Drugz, Lil Durk stepping up on the remix of the mixtape’s second single release, "Don’t Waste My Time", and garnered them a BET Award (Best International Act) and MOBO Award (Best Hip-Hop Act).

‘Young Kingz II’ is poised to be yet another milestone in Krept & Konan's unstoppable career. As unapologetic pioneers in UK hip-hop, they continue to push boundaries and set new benchmarks in British music.

And pure full album of Jungle BIG TIME !!! Enjoy the pure pearl it is ! BOOM !

Blending influences from classical, film and electronic music, Angus MacRae's extensive musical output encompasses solo albums, concert performances, and award-winning scores for theatre, film, ballet, television and contemporary dance. His has scored internationally touring dance productions, Olivier Award winning shows heard across London's West End and on Broadway, and acclaimed films screened at international festivals. Drawing on themes of memory and imagination, his immersive solo work transcends its classical roots to create transportive, elegiac compositions of unflinching emotional honesty. Spanning three albums and a number of EPs, his work has reached a global audience.

Vivarium, his third full length studio album, is an otherworldly journey through the lost worlds of childhood imagination. A blend of intimate piano, soaring strings, ethereal voices and haunting electronic textures, Vivarium evokes what the artist describes as "a series of bell jars to be traveled between." Reflecting on the album's genesis, MacRae shares: "I spent years trying to capture the emotional resonance of my childhood imagination. As a child, the world felt as magical, mysterious, and boundless as my dreams. In time, fragments of music emerged that seemed to recapture that feeling—a glimmer in the dark, an echo of the magic, fear, and mystery of those early memories. Through Vivarium, I hope to offer a portal back into those worlds."

This exclusive double vinyl release also includes Bell Jar, an evocative bonus track on Side D, featuring a collaboration with acclaimed New York clarinetist Michael Winograd. In this new composition, MacRae reimagines themes from the album, weaving in Winograd's improvised melodies to create a fresh, expressive piece that brings a touch of Klezmer soul to Vivarium's ethereal soundscape.

Recorded in 1997, Mountain Top features the commanding vocals of Tony Roots, backed by the legendary Firehouse Crew and produced by the visionary Fada Waz (Clifton Carnegie). This record’s release was driven by the people, evidenced and encouraged by the countless wheel-ups and sing-alongs during King Original’s international tour dates over the last three years whenever this seminal recording was dropped in the set.

Tony Roots, known for his cultural and spiritual themes, delivers a powerful vocal performance, reminding us that life’s most important journey is overcoming obstacles to find ‘Jah Love on the Mountain Top.’ This message is as relevant in today’s fast-paced, easy-come-easy-go consumer culture as it was when recorded three decades ago.

The Firehouse Crew renowned for their work with iconic acts like Luciano and Sizzla—shine brightly on this riddim, with the MPC drum machine-centered sound of 90s Jamaican roots reggae. An up-tempo 4/4 steppers beat layered with rich analogue textures and soulful instrumentation defines this timeless recording.

The first of many collaborations between Studio 55, Before Zero Records, and Footsie, the King Original legacy continues into the future, honouring the enduring contributions of Fada Waz and his collaborators.

Clifton Carnegie aka Ras Wazair aka Fada Waz - Clifton Carnegie, known as Ras Wazair, founded King Original Sound System in 1973, establishing it as East London’s foremost reggae sound. Operating under his Studio 55 moniker, he collaborated with legends like Johnny Osbourne, Barry Brown, Michael Prophet, Cornell Campbell, and Frankie Paul through imprints such as Original Sounds, Studio 55, and Original International. A mentor to many of the UK’s top sound systems and a key figure in London’s RasTafari community, Ras Wazair’s connections with prominent Jamaican artists, bands, and producers like Fattis Burrell ensured that Jamaican music remained an influential force in the UK sound system scene.

King Original
Founded in 1973 by Fada Waz, King Original Sound System shaped East London’s reggae scene for over two decades. Fada Waz and his son Footsie—a UK Grime pioneer who in later years expanded the legacy through his KO LP series and sold-out King Original mixed-genre events at London’s top venues—worked together until Footsie assumed full control following Fada Waz’s passing in 2021. Having worked with artists such as Dizzee Rascal, Arctic Monkeys, The Prodigy, D-Double E, Wiley, and Skepta, Footsie’s dedication to King Original has reinvigorated the legacy that underpins all UK bass music—the reggae sound system. Joining Footsie is his brother, Wazair’s last born Ras D also Jah Model, and long-time collaborator Sir Spyro, producer of two UK number-one hits with Stormzy and son of UK reggae stalwart Nerious Joseph. Armed with cutting-edge QSS sound system technology, King Original continues to set trends, shaping the future of UK bass music.

Tony Roots
Hailing from Manchester, Jamaica, in the 1980s, Tony Roots emerged alongside iconic figures like Garnet Silk and Tony Rebel. While his peers remained in Jamaica, Tony moved to the UK, where he went on to release ten albums and numerous singles, including hits like Grow Your Natty Dread Locks and Hola Zion. A steadfast champion of Rastafari, Tony has collaborated with legends such as the Firehouse Crew, earning worldwide respect and a devoted following within both the reggae community and the UK sound system scene.

The Firehouse Crew
Formed in 1986, The Firehouse Crew became a cornerstone of the 1990s roots-reggae revival. Initially associated with King Tubby’s Firehouse label before establishing their own, the band rose to prominence through collaborations with producer Philip “Fattis” Burrell at Xterminator Records. Their contributions to timeless albums like Luciano’s Where There is Life highlight their extraordinary musicianship. Over the years, The Firehouse Crew has backed iconic artists such as Sizzla, Buju Banton, and Beres Hammond, cementing their legacy as masters of roots reggae.

Who are they?

Craig Clouse (Shit And Shine, Todd)
King Coffey (Butthole Surfers)
Nate Cross (Marriage, Water Damage)


Limited edition 300 only white vinyl LP housed in full colour outer sleeve with hype sticker, and polylined inner bag. Non-Returnable.

In the Spring of 2024, Texas trio USA/Mexico crossed the pond for only the second time, playing just three shows in three days, taking in Geneva, Paris and London. This album is the result.

A brutal, dirge fest recorded live in Paris.

No song titles, just slabs of hellish noise.

Co release with US label 12XU who will be handling the release over in North America (different pressing plant/different colour vinyl)

Rare Seventies Big City Street Soul

In 1971, film producer David Gil and his business partners Robert S Sinn and Paul Frankenberg launched a film company called GSF. Over the next few years, it would be involved in a small number of productions. But, in 1971 the movie business was kind of old-hat, music was where it was at, and so GSF Records, a well-funded label, headed by Larry Newton was formed. Today Newton is largely remembered for his attempts to prevent Louis Armstrong from recording 'What A Wonderful World' but that didn’t stop him from growing ABC from a second division company to an industry leader. As he approached his 52nd birthday he was unveiled as GSF Records’ president a full-service music company, involved in records and publishing across all genres. Through a joint venture with drummer Bernard Purdie the label targeted the R&B charts and soul & funk dominated GSF's release schedule.

Black music ruled and this was reinforced by the hiring of Lloyd Price as head of A&R (veteran R&B star), and producers George Kerr (All-Platinum), Mickey Stevenson (Motown) and Jerry 'Swamp Dogg’ Williams. No wonder then, unintentional as it was, that GSF left behind such an extraordinary legacy of rare soul treasures.

NEW YORK’S BEST KEPT SOUL SECRET Features legendary Northern Soul classics courtesy of Anderson Brothers, Skull Snaps and Connie Laverne Produced by hit makers George Kerr and Motown veteran Mickey Stevenson Starring the Whatnauts and Eddie “Hey There Lonely Girl” Holman

Time for the second release in our series with the super OG, Mr. Bobby Aitken. Bobby and his band the Carib Beats produced a whole lot of stuff for release thru WIRL back in the late '60s. One of the best is this great rocksteady adaptation of Curtis’ classic “Keep On Pushing”, with Lloyd (Robinson) and Glen (Brown) on vocals. On the flip side of this is one of the rarest Carib Beats tunes, titled “Soul Special.” This is a cool instrumental with some charming flute playing (we love flute!), only ever released as the flip of “Crying Time” (still available), a brutally rare 45 that only exists in tiny numbers as a UK test pressing, never making it to full release.

The Tonarium is an idiosyncratic instrument comprising of two sets of modular synthesizers: Serge by Random Source, and another one by Bugbrand, both of which operate alongside a mixer constructed by Piotr Ceglarek and Jan Dybała. This intertwinement facilitates precise control over audio and CV signals and integrates technology with analog sound, offering the artists a distinctive sonic palette to delve into.

The present record unfolds in two parts, each exploring the fluctuating nature of sound. Both equally contribute to the work’s immersive imaging characterized by sound intensity, continuity and endless flow. Within its sonic tapestry lies a space for listeners to uncover subtle nuances, pulsations, and moments of harmony flickering through each chord’s firm surface.

In Part I, a formidable force consisting of chord progressions pierced by abrupt shifts and transitions unfolds. This deliberate disruption of harmonic continuity invites listeners to immerse themselves fully in each musical entity, uncovering the intricate details of the chords’ overtonal structure, drifting and steadily glimmering inside their glowing cores.

Part II, on the other hand, presents a more closed form—a recurring four-chord motif that evolves and transforms with each iteration until it finally fades out into whisper-like serenity. Here, the bass pulsates with greater intensity, like a wave enveloping the listener in a froth of feelings, which prevails and swells throughout the composition. In contrast to Part I, it exudes a sense of warmth and intimacy, inviting listeners to reflect over the dimensions of their own inner landscapes.

The Tonarium is to serve as a conduit for expression—a vessel through which the artist Aleksandra Slyz is enabled to channel her creativity and emotion into the music. Both Part I and II of the work have the capacity to drag listeners into a sonic odyssey that transcends time and space, therefore leaving an indelible impression on one’s trembling soul.

Performed & recorded on December 18-19th 2023 while in residence at The New Media Laboratory in Katowice, Poland.

Organized by The Soundscape Foundation

Composed & produced by Aleksandra Słyż

Mastered by Rashad Becker

Photographies by Kacper Krzętowski

Design by Maks Posio

Executive production by Christian Di Vito

’之 / OF is a word that can be used as a preposition to express the relationship between a part and a whole. It is an unfinished tone, a broken sentence, a start and a whole. It is sustainable, full of potentials and longings.’’

London based performance and sound artist Li Yilei shared an experience familiar to many migrants during the past year of COVID-19 chaos. With their UK visa set to expire, and family back in China, Li made a last-minute dash to return to their nation of birth. Able to board one of the last few flights to China during the initial turmoil of the coronavirus outbreak, Li made it back to Shanghai for a two-week stint in a quarantine hotel.

Though Li had already begun creating OF, the reality of the pandemic began to seep into the recordings. Each of the 12 tracks is a study in horology, using metaphorical sound transcriptions and atmospheric extractions to focus on the temporal relationship between experience and surroundings. Li’s awareness of their own understanding of time became increasingly heightened during quarantine and the emotional involvement found within these new realities informed many of the sounds created.

‘’I tried to portray each song as a short, scattered poem - a moment that I captured to represent each hour.’’

Composed using analogue synthesisers, vocal samples, field recordings and string instruments such as the violin and guqin, Li indulges in moments of grief, panic, healing, cessation, melancholy, vastness, hope, joy and emptiness as they explore the acoustic relations between humans and the many forces of nature.

The art of the Song Dynasty, with its ancient traditions of poetry and timekeeping, were also great sources of inspiration for the album - whilst paintings from the period, specifically those of flowers and birds, are common themes throughout the tracks. Indeed, it is within the vastness of time that the album artwork comes to relevance. The eighth emperor of the Song Dynasty, Huizong, was a revered artist and a scene from his work ‘Finches and Bamboo’ adorns the album cover.

Action Bronson, the Flushing, Queens chef-turned-rapper / food show personality releases his major label full length debut 'Mr. Wonderful,' via Vice / Atlantic. The album features production from Noah '40' Shebib, three time Grammy Award winner Mark Ronson, The Alchemist, 88 Keys and long time collaborator / cohort Party Supplies. 'Mr. Wonderful', which also includes guest spots from Chance the Rapper, Party Supplies, Big Body Bes and Meyhem Lauren, catapults Bronson into new territory with sonically voluminous production while staying true to the mixtape aesthetic that has made him so popular in the hip hop community and beyond. This is an album that is the sum of its parts, with meticulously crafted segues into each track creating a fluid, tightly woven work. Notably the album includes a Billy Joel sample approved by the man himself on 'Brand New Car' due to a hand written note from both Action Bronson and Mark Ronson exclaiming their admiration to the New York legend; a rare feat achieved by few. The atmospherically layered second single 'Action Crazy' shows how far Bronson has come since his highly lauded mixtape Blue Chips 2 and is just a piece of the puzzle that is 'Mr. Wonderful'.LP - US vinyl. Comes with CD.

Repress!

Glitterbox resident Dimitri From Paris and remixing pioneer Tom Moulton present their retouched mixes of Ron Hall & The Muthafunkaz modern day soul classic 'The Way You Love Me' now available on 12' vinyl. Initially released in 2006, Marc Evans provides velvet-smooth vocals complimented by background harmonies and timeless disco production. For his iconic T.S.O.P. remix Dimitri From Paris enlisted the help of Salsoul Orchestra founder Vincent Montana, Jr. for fresh strings as well as a new full orchestra arrangement in his version, and here he gives it an update with his previously unreleased 'Dim's T.S.O.P. Version - Dimitri from Paris Glitterbox Retouch'. Tom Moulton's retouched sweet-sounding 'Philly Re-Grooved Remix', previously released on Harmless in 2013, comes laden with guitar riffs, dreamy harps and xylophone for even more instrumental glory. Two disco legends come together under one stunningly soulful Glitterbox release leasing new life into this timeless record.

Aphelion Recordings marks its 30th anniversary with the release of a long-awaited EP featuring the iconic track Arrest and remixes by techno legends

Zugzwang's debut EP was released in 1995 on their own Aphelion Recordings, sounding like an instant classic. Four tracks of fully formed ambient techno: deep, immersive and richly textured. Despite being hitherto unknown, this music held its own against the best of its peers: Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, etc. With original copies changing hands for over £250, it is today recognised as an iconic, timeless piece of British electronica. The heart-stoppingly beautiful Euphonic was recently included in arbiters of good taste Ivan Smagghe and Ivan Ivkovic's IDMEMO compilation.

Zugzwang, also working under the aliases Aphelion and Replicant, went on to become electronic cult heroes. They released on Worm Interface and Ambient Soho Records and were featured on the celebrated ALT Frequencies compilation alongside artists like Gescom and Autechre. They were on the cusp of signing a deal with Jeff Mills Axis Recordings, and Tom Middleton once called the family landline to wax lyrical about their work.

Now, 30 years after APH001, Aphelion Recordings is proud to announce APH003. This is both a vital historical document and a forward-looking statement of intent. This new EP revives the legendary Arrest track in its original form, sounding as timeless as it did in 1995. Alongside the original mix, the EP features three killer remixes by some of electronic music's most celebrated figures: Nuron, Voyance (Ben Sims & Nick Dunton), and Mike Golding of B12.

2024 Repress alert

Space Ghost is excited to announce the release of Dream Tool, a four track 12” EP produced by Space Ghost himself. Dream Tool offers up four spacious house tunes exploring Space Ghost’s signature style of dance music. Each track is equipped with groovin’ drums, atmospheric pads, catchy piano melodies, and bouncy basslines. Dream Tool is the debut release of Space Ghost’s new label, Peace World Records.

With the launch of Peace World Records, Space Ghost aims to harness his passion for music to create a unique platform for like-minded artists in the Bay Area and beyond. Since moving to Oakland in 2009, Space Ghost has been a consistent fixture in the Bay Area music scene, DJing regularly and refining his production skills. For Space Ghost, honing his craft and creating enduring, high-quality art is essential, making the establishment of his new label a natural progression in his artistic journey.

Space Ghost has garnered an international following over the years by steadily dropping a diverse array of LPs and EPs. He has collaborated with Danish label Tartelet Records for multiple projects and has also put out music with acclaimed labels such as Apron Records, Pacific Rhythm, and PPU. Across his releases, Space Ghost’s production style weaves between ambient and dance music, drawing inspiration from the underground scenes of the '80s and '90s while adding a contemporary touch.

The launch of Peace World Records and its debut release, Dream Tool, marks Space Ghost’s inaugural step towards his goal at a full-time music career. Embodying his journey, this debut release truly is his Dream Tool.

Ocean Moon - alias of producer Jon Tye (MLO).

In addition to running the long-standing label Lo Recordings, Tye has recorded under various names and been involved in numerous projects over the past three decades. Keen fans of the label may also notice that this isn't Tye's first collaboration with MFM; his work during the 1990's as part of UK ambient group MLO captured our attention years ago, leading to the release of their retrospective album 'Oumuamua' in 2021.

Releasing archival work alongside new material from an artist has been a fundamental aspect of Music From Memory's identity since we began the label, and is something that continues to bring us immense joy. With Jon continuing to produce work under a wide range of names to this day, the short step to releasing this new work was organic and natural. Working under the name Ocean Moon Jon carries echoes of his work with MLO into the modern day, weaving an ambient electronic music that radiates gentle positivity.

The title 'Ways To The Deep Meadow' is inspired by the poem 'Universal Solar Calendar' written by poet, mystic, shaman, and visionary Angus Maclise. Maclise began as the percussionist in an early iteration of La Monte Young's Theatre Of Eternal Music and later played with the Velvet Underground before moving to Nepal, where he wrote and published an impressive collection of poetry and music.

Side one of the album was created at a time when Tye had been exploring ideas around artificial intelligence, delving into books such as 'The Physics Of Immortality' by Frank J. Tippler, 'Novacene' by James Lovelock, and '12 Bytes' by Jeanette Winterson, seeking an alternative to the prevalent, negative views of AI. He was also inspired by the Buddhist perspective of AI as an integral part of consciousness evolution, as evidenced by the creation of a Buddhist robot that preaches in the Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto.

Side two consists of two long-form pieces, one composed for Janine Rook's 'Made In Dreams' exhibition and the other for Vix Hill Ryder's 'Wild Edges' film. For 'Made In Dreams', text from the exhibition catalogue was processed via the Holly Herndon Holly + app to create an environment that is simultaneously otherworldly and warm.

As with much of Jon's work, this music seeks to nurture an optimistic outlook in the listener, something he achieves here with subtlety and a truly delicate touch. The immersive ambient music of 'Ways To The Deep Meadow' reaches out to the listener like gentle trails of light, offering it's spells,invocations and enchantments to all who choose to listen.

'Ways To The Deep Meadow' will be released on 31st January 2025 on LP as well as digitally. Sleeve art and design by Michael Willis.

Limited Edition White Vinyl

At the forefront of a rising wave of Brazilian artists captivating international audiences, Nyron Higor brings a quiet yet potent sense of wonder to his new self-titled album. Born in Maceió, Higor’s latest work is rooted in the traditions of Northeastern Brazilian music and golden-era MPB. Within the peaceful surroundings of his home, Higor weaves these roots together with global influences and contemporary production techniques, for a uniquely dreamlike vision of hope.

Following the success of his self-released debut Fio de Lâmina—an instrumental record of delicately balanced rhythmic and harmonic patterns, which earned support from tastemakers like Mr. Scruff, Gilles Peterson, and John Gomez—Higor’s new album is a move towards a more expansive, lyrical exploration of transcendence and triumph. As Higor explains, “This album is a test of resistance and a big event in my life as a young Black man from the Northeast and coming from a humble background, financially speaking, its context is political.”

Taking his demos and unfinished tracks to São Paulo, Higor worked alongside friends and collaborators from Brazil’s vibrant contemporary music scene—including fellow Maceioense artists Bruno Berle, Batata Boy, and New York-based Brazilian vocalist Alici Sol—assembling a rich musical landscape and a cutting edge development on the musical world from which he emerges.

For Higor, the process of recording and producing in close collaboration with Berle and Batata Boy allowed him to fully cultivate the emotive power of his compositions. Album opener "Ciranda" sets the tone with a slow frevo rhythm, as wistful trombone melodies and melancholic acoustic guitar harmonies create an atmosphere both intimate and grand. Lead single "São Só Palavras," featuring Alici Sol and Bruno Berle, captures both the lightness and depth of young love in an all too fleeting minute-and-a-half moment of soaring brilliance.

Building upon the instrumental sound of his debut, “Louro Cantador” with its playful organ, birdlike whistles and elegant acoustic guitar, emanates a kind of rare natural beauty, as each sound dances amidst the gentle pulse of Higor's bass—his main instrument.

Through ten carefully crafted tracks, Higor’s acuity for sound and silence draws listeners into a place that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant. “Above all, I value making music that brings me genuine satisfaction. I’m always looking for depth in the things I create.”

This album is a testament to the timeless themes that define Higor’s artistry, as well as his creative drive to overcome the obstacles he faces. Conveying his feelings of jubilance for his work, Higor notes, “This work is liberating, contemplative and victorious!” Each track invites the listener to experience the raw intimacy, the joy and longing, and the otherworldly ingenuity of Brazilian music, which seems to endlessly keep us coming back for more.

CREDITS

Ciranda (Nyron Higor)
Tico Lima: Trombone, Nyron Higor: Drums, Bass, Synthesizers, Electric Piano, Guitar, Molho de Jatobá, Ganzá, Caxixi, and Indigenous Whistle

Louro Cantador (Nyron Higor)
Nyron Higor: Drums, Bass, Keyboards, Guitar, Percussion, and Direct Sound

Demo Love (Nyron Higor)
Nyron Higor: Drums, Bass Synth, Keyboards, and Synthesizers

São Só Palavras feat. Alici, Bruno Berle (Nyron Higor, Batata Boy, Alici Sol, and Bruno Berle)
Alici Sol: Vocals, Bruno Berle: Vocals and Bass, Nyron Higor: Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Synthesizers, and Whistles

Estou Pensando Em Você feat. Johanna (João Menezes, Rubens Adati)
Nyron Higor: Vocals, Johanna: Vocals. Bruno Berle: Vocals, Rubens Adati: Piano, Guitar, Programming, Stefan Costilhes: Bass, Batata Boy: Programming

Maravilhamento feat. Nathalia Grilo (Nyron Higor, Nathalia Grilo)
Nathalia Grilo: Vocals, Nyron Higor: Drums, Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, and Synthesizers

Som 24 (Nyron Higor)
Nyron Higor: Sampler, Keyboard, Bass Synth, Vocoder, and Steel Guitar

Pizzicato (Nyron Higor)
Nyron Higor: Double Bass and Keyboards

Eu Te Amo (João Menezes)
Nyron Higor: Vocals and Bass, João Menezes: Guitar, Batata Boy: Rhodes Piano, Bruno Berle: Xylophone

Me Vestir De Você feat. Johanna (Paulo Novaes and João Menezes)
Nyron Higor: Vocals, Johanna: Vocals, Bianca Godoi: Drums, Bruno Berle: Bass, Guitar, Percussion, and Rhodes Piano, Batata Boy: Rhodes Piano and Guitar

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Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 were recorded by Nyron Higor in Maceió

Track 4: Bass and Synthesizers recorded by Ico dos Anjos. Vocals recorded by Batata Boy at Estúdio Rural

Track 5: Guitars, Bass, Programming, and Pianos recorded at Inhame Estúdio. Coproduced by Rubens Adati

Tracks 9 and 10 Recorded and Co produced by Ico dos Anjos

Mixed by Batata Boy, Ico dos Anjos, Bruno Berle, and Nyron Higor

Mastered by Batata Boy

Produced by Batata Boy, Bruno Berle, and Nyron Higor

Lacquer Cut by Caspar Sutton Jones @ Gearbox Records

Cover photo by Claudio Virginio

Vinyl centre label artwork by Tadáskía

Sleeve design by Alessandro Renaldin