Cerca:h jones

7" mit zwei Standout-Tracks aus dem Album "Soul Woman". Zeitgenössischer Retro-Soul vom Feinsten. Für Fans von Durand Jones & The Indications, Thee Sacred Souls, Jalen Ngonda, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, Mavis Staples.

Grady Steele (Formant Soundsystem) debuts on FELT with the tender spectre of Nausea, poignant patterns captured through the dusk-hued window pane.

Co-founder of the Formant Soundsystem, a travelling rig that’s powered forward-thinking dances in London and Paris, Grady Steele has championed both experimental and club music at the cutting edge. Concurrently to this, he debuted his own productions back in 2024 for Archaic Vaults. Uniquely intimate, his music shone lowkey and warm with an assured glow. It’s no surprise then to find his inimitable sounds land neatly on Fergus Jones’ FELT imprint.

Nausea extends across seven movements, narrating sentimental parallels of familiarity. Grady posits concentrated pangs of post-rave nostalgia with rich melodic sustenance, a vivid introspection tempered with field recordings and live instrumentation. Strummed guitars and aching pads move purposefully with the suspended pace, an immersive beatless vista from its opening quiet moments through to the guttural noise-laden finale. It’s a brief, beautiful collection from Grady Steele and another string to FELT’s unpredictable bow.

Written, recorded and produced by Grady Steele

Mastered by Miles Whittaker

Cover photo by Alex Kurunis

The record is largely sung in Scots language, one of Scotland’s three official languages along with Gaelic and English. “Scots gives me a way of expressing myself which is connected directly with the landscapes I love. It brings the songs alive and it is a fascinating language. The name of the record is in Scots - Forefowk means the people who came before, or ancestors. When we say ‘mind me,’ we can mean a few things- remind, remember, watch over or care for me. The record explores how tradition needs to be constantly reconnected with, built upon, looked after, and shared.”
Quinie sings with a style inspired by Scottish Traveller singers. “I began singing unaccompanied Scots Song in 2015 after hearing Scots Traveller singer Sheila Stewart on the radio. Initially I felt like I shouldn't sing these songs because I'm not a Traveller, and I saw people around me doing that in a way that made me uncomfortable. But on the other hand this music made sense to me and I felt driven to learn. Over the years I have met Traveller friends who taught me that settled people sharing these songs could contribute to raising awareness. Scottish Travellers are marginalised and discriminated against in modern Scotland, despite being custodians of so many of our important traditions. So I started to perform them and tell this story. From there I built on my repertoire and started writing my own songs”.
To develop this record, Quinie travelled across Argyll with her horse. They went on a pilgrimage of sorts through the ancient landscapes of the West of Scotland to explore the interconnected relationships between people, ancestors, animals, and place. The album’s vinyl release is accompanied by a book and film, documenting this unusual research process.
Forefowk, Mind Me was recorded in August 2024 at The Big Shed in Highland Perthshire with support from Creative Scotland. Quinie is accompanied by an ensemble of musicians: Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh (viola), Oliver Pitt (duduk, bouzouki, percussion), Harry Górski-Brown (small pipes, violin), and Stevie Jones (double bass, recording, and mixing). Each of these artists brings their own distinctive voice, bridging contemporary experimental practice with worlds of traditional and early music.

The record is largely sung in Scots language, one of Scotland’s three official languages along with Gaelic and English. “Scots gives me a way of expressing myself which is connected directly with the landscapes I love. It brings the songs alive and it is a fascinating language. The name of the record is in Scots - Forefowk means the people who came before, or ancestors. When we say ‘mind me,’ we can mean a few things- remind, remember, watch over or care for me. The record explores how tradition needs to be constantly reconnected with, built upon, looked after, and shared.”
Quinie sings with a style inspired by Scottish Traveller singers. “I began singing unaccompanied Scots Song in 2015 after hearing Scots Traveller singer Sheila Stewart on the radio. Initially I felt like I shouldn't sing these songs because I'm not a Traveller, and I saw people around me doing that in a way that made me uncomfortable. But on the other hand this music made sense to me and I felt driven to learn. Over the years I have met Traveller friends who taught me that settled people sharing these songs could contribute to raising awareness. Scottish Travellers are marginalised and discriminated against in modern Scotland, despite being custodians of so many of our important traditions. So I started to perform them and tell this story. From there I built on my repertoire and started writing my own songs”.
To develop this record, Quinie travelled across Argyll with her horse. They went on a pilgrimage of sorts through the ancient landscapes of the West of Scotland to explore the interconnected relationships between people, ancestors, animals, and place. The album’s vinyl release is accompanied by a book and film, documenting this unusual research process.
Forefowk, Mind Me was recorded in August 2024 at The Big Shed in Highland Perthshire with support from Creative Scotland. Quinie is accompanied by an ensemble of musicians: Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh (viola), Oliver Pitt (duduk, bouzouki, percussion), Harry Górski-Brown (small pipes, violin), and Stevie Jones (double bass, recording, and mixing). Each of these artists brings their own distinctive voice, bridging contemporary experimental practice with worlds of traditional and early music.

Midway through Martin Luther King, Jr's historic speech at the 1963 March on Washington, a voice rang out from behind him: "Tell them about the dream, Martin!" That voice belonged to Mahalia Jackson, King's close friend and one of the most revered gospel singers of the 20th century - Glorious Mahalia, a visionary tribute to Jackson's life by the internationally renowned Kronos Quartet, uses that moment as a springboard to explore the depth of Jackson's musical craft and its impact on the Civil Rights Movement, including her relationship with Clarence Jones and Studs Terkel, other luminaries of the time

First released in 2009, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II stands as Raekwon’s celebrated sequel to the Purple Tape, expanding his cinematic mafioso rap universe.

This newly designed instrumental edition removes the vocals to place full focus on the album’s production, featuring beats by J Dilla, Dr. Dre, RZA, Pete Rock, The Alchemist, and more.

For the first time ever on vinyl, the instrumentals are presented as a standalone listening experience, revealing the album’s grit, mood, and layered sound design.

Pressed on classic black vinyl and housed in a heavy matte-finish jacket with spot gloss text, the Shaolin Noir Edition keeps the spotlight on the music itself, serving as a clean, essential companion to one of Raekwon’s most acclaimed releases.

Mit der neuen Ausgabe der Vintage Sounds Vinyl Collection kehrt ein echter musikalischer Schatz zurück - diesmal ganz im Zeichen der Bossa Nova. Diese liebevoll kuratierte Zusammenstellung präsentiert 16 zeitlose Klassiker, die den unverwechselbaren Klang Brasiliens geprägt haben und bis heute weltweit für entspannten Groove und federleichte Eleganz stehen. Auf dem Album versammeln sich die wichtigsten Künstler einer Ära, die Musikgeschichte geschrieben hat: Joao Gilberto, Baden Powell, Silvia Telles, Quincy Jones und natürlich Antônio Carlos Jobim, dessen Kompositionen bis heute als Herzstück des Genres gelten. Freuen Sie sich auf unvergängliche Perlen wie "Chega De Saudade", "Garota De Ipanema", "Desafinado", "Corcovado", "A Felicidade", "Soul Bossa Nova", "O Barquinho" oder "Meditaçao" - alle sorgfältig ausgewählt und auf hochwertigem Vinyl neu erlebbar gemacht.

Backyard Babies was formed in 1987 in Nässjö and can by rights be called Sweden’s most influential glam punk act. Between 1994 and 2019 they released eight studio albums of which Stockholm Syndrome is their fifth. Here we have another collection of bangers brought to you by the babies with reckless abandon. This time they invited a whole slew of guest musicians such as the Ramones, Danko Jones, The Cardigans, Turbonegro, and The Hellacopters, elevating the whole affair to another level with no signs of stopping. This is the first time the album is available again on vinyl since ten years and features the songs "Minus Celsius", "A Song for the Outcast", and "Everybody Ready?!". Stockholm Syndrome is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on crystal clear & black marbled vinyl and includes a 4-page booklet with lyrics.

40th Anniversary No.1 Edition

Those not familiar with Jones' style will listen slack-jawed at the sheer anticipatory nature of his sound collage. The five extended tracks are based on hypnotic and somewhat menacing grooves: a repetitive dub bass beat, waves of Middle Eastern strings and voices, layers of building hand percussion. The washes of sound and percussion come and go, often creating a sense of motion and change. All of the tracks are similar and even share elements. Mid-East tension is so accurately captured through the use of the region's instrumentation (especially percussion), sinister electronics, samples of men chanting, women crying, sounds culled from the horrors of war, and occasional angry distortion that the listener will be transported to the belly of the beast.

»Mullah Said« displays two aspects of the work of Muslimgauze. Firstly, musically, it is in the delightful drifting ambient vein. The percussion is mainly acoustic hand drums - providing a rhythm of aural features - the trademark shimmering string sound heard on a number of releases is much in evidence, rhythms are generally slower, there are lots of samples of people speaking in conversation, markets wherever. 'Mullah said' opens the disc with the lovely mix of these sounds. »Every Grain of Palestine Sand« continues the mood, with a slightly faster tempo, and more emphasis on the beat. But it soon locks into a mesmeric lassitude as various effects echo or smear the sounds, drums come in for short moments, different string sounds enjoin the play. »Muslims Die India« follows the mood though the voices seem darker, sadder, and then comes »Every Grain of Palestinian Sand« followed by »Muslims Die India«. Yes - not a typo, these tracks are repeated. Muslimgauze trend – to remix himself. Prime Muslimgauze middle eastern ambience - if you like that side you will love this album. The final track is short and different, a crackling ground over which a singer chants a song interrupted by machine-gun percussive bursts - »An End«.

xm Black talk [Part 1]
[xn] Hörprobe Track 8: Black talk [Part 1]



[xr] Thank you [Part 1]
[xs] Hörprobe Track 9: Thank you [Part 1]




























[yv] Listen here [Part 1]
[yw] Hörprobe Track 15: Listen here [Part 1]








[h] B4 | Charles Earland - Black talk [Part 1]
[i] B5 | Melvin Sparks - (Jazz) Thank you [Part 1]





[o] D2 | Freddie McCoy - Listen here [Part 1]

As the world sinks deeper into screens and algorithms blur the line between creation and imitation, Nubiyan Twist return with Chasing Shadows, a record that reclaims the pulse, warmth and spontaneity of human connection.
The band’s fifth studio album is a rich and restless blend of jazz, afrobeat, hip hop and electronic textures, exploring the space between the organic and the digital. It’s music that moves, sweats, and breathes, made by real people in real rooms with heavyweight features bringing together varied voices from the music community which they inhabit.
Bandleader and producer Tom Excel explains: “We wanted to make something that felt joyous and defiantly human — something that couldn’t exist without that connection between people. You can get an AI to write a fugue in seconds, but it can’t capture the chemistry and chaos that happens when musicians lock in together. Chasing Shadows is our way of holding onto that.”
Folowing 2024’s acclaimed Find Your Flame, praised by Roling Stone, Jazzwise, NPR and more, Chasing Shadows pushes the band’s sound further into new soulful territory under Exce l’s expert guidance, featuring bright new vocalist Eniola and a glowing cast of icons and innovators. Malian star Fatoumata Diawara lights up the title track on a powerful slice of Afrobeat, Joe Armon Jones leads the dub workout ‘Rhythm Of You’ and the band take it back to their hip hop roots on great colabs with The Pharcyde’s Booty Brown, Ghanaian MC M.anifest and London dancehal favourite, Mr Wi liamz.
On Chasing Shadows, Nubiyan Twist continue to look outwards with their music but keep the focus firmly on humanity and positivity. It is an album which crosses continents and which shamelessly celebrates our co lective strength.
Fifth album from UK-based co lective Nubiyan Twist led by bandleader & producer Tom Excel (Africa Express, Onipa)
Featuring Booty Brown, Fatoumata Diawara, M.Anifest, Mr Wi liamz and Joe Armon Jones.
Pressed on Yelow Vinyl LP, or Green & Yelow splatter Vinyl LP (exclusively for UK indies).

London quartet The Leaf Library return with their bold new album After The Rain, Strange Seeds. A luminous collection of pastoral indiepop, drawing inspiration from suburban isolation, unreliable memories and the surreality of the weather. Their most immediate and melodic work to date, the richly evocative songs brim with chiming guitars, buzzing organs and warm, dulcet strings, evoking Yo La Tengo’s more contemplative moments, The Clientele’s autumnal jangle pop and early Stereolab’s motorik melodicism. The sound of the album is defined by mixer John McEntire, whose work with Stereolab and Yo La Tengo (as well as a member of Tortoise/The Sea And Cake) have been major inspirations to the band.
The album explores themes of memory and place, albeit through an abstract haze – returning again and again to specific moments frozen in time: midsummer bright hot days in the Chilterns (“Sun In My Room”), meteorology and the strange movement of the weather (“Colour Chant”), red kites circling over suburban motorways (“Some Circling”), and the uncanny feeling of dusk and nighttime creatures on “The Reader’s Lamp” (titled by celebrated film director Peter Strickland). The lyrics are vivid yet elliptical, strung with abstract ideas and imagery, conjuring a gently unsettling, though never unwelcoming atmosphere. Not quite trusting your own recollection of things, while marvelling at the oddness of the natural world, the album’s title a good summation of the mix of strangeness and hope contained within.

As on past albums the band - founded by singer Kate Gibson and ex-Saloon guitarist Matt Ashton in the mid 2000s, and now completed by drummer Lewis Young and bassist Gareth Jones - have involved their extended musical family, including guitarist Mike Cranny (of fellow drone pop travellers Firestations) and keyboardist Irina Shtreis, both members of the Leaf Library live band. The album also sees the return of James Underwood’s Iskra Strings, a quartet that features on 4 tracks, with sumptuous arrangements by Daniel Fordham, as well as regular contributor Melinda Bronstein on vocals and Will Twynham (Dimorphodons) on harpsichord. They also welcomed Paddy Milner (on Hammond organ) and Scott McKeon (guitar) – both current members of Tom Jones’ band – for a startlingly delicate rolling crescendo to closing track “There Was Always A Golden Age”.
After The Rain, Strange Seeds is their 4th studio album. The result is The Leaf Library’s most accomplished and affecting work, John McEntire’s mix bringing a bold clarity to the band’s meticulous arrangements – closer to how they sound live than anything they’ve done before.

In 1955 Miles Davis played an all-star jam session at the Newport Jazz Festival with Thelonious Monk on piano, Gerry Mulligan on baritone sax and Zoot Sims on tenor sax. This performance immediately drew the attention of Columbia Records' George Avakian, who was so impressed that he immediately offered Davis a contract if he could form a regular band. The group he then assembled would go down in history as Davis' so-called "First Great Quintet", consisting of John Coltrane on tenor sax, Red Garland on piano, Philly Joe Jones on drums, Paul Chambers on bass and of course Miles himself on trumpet. 'Round Midnight is Miles Davis' first record for Columbia and also the first studio recording of the First Great Quintet. The recording sessions began on October 26 1955 but the album wasn't released until 1957 as Davis was still under contract at Prestige at the time. These respective sessions yielded Steamin', Workin', Cookin' and Relaxin'; albums that would go down in history as quintessential blueprints of late 1950s hard bop.

The record is made up of a collection of standards and one traditional song ("Dear Old Stockholm", from the 19th century). Notably, it features what may be considered the most well-known versions of Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight" and "Bye Bye Blackbird". That Avakian made a golden signing was sufficiently clear from the start, but no one could foresee that it would be this quintet on Columbia that would go on to change the course of modern jazz forever with Kind of Blue. 'Round Midnight is available as a limited edition of 1500 individually numbered copies on crystal clear vinyl.

Field Green Vinyl. Big Crown Records is proud to present the instrumental version of El Michels Affair's 2025 instant classic 24 Hr Sports. The roster of vocal features on 24 Hr Sports is amazing, Clairo, Norah Jones, Florence Adooni, Shintaro Sakamoto, two different choirs, and even some singing from the man himself, Leon Michels. The background vocals contributions are amazing; Lady Wray and Kevin Martin from Brainstory to name a few. But alas, there's a new energy that shows up in the listen when you pair it down to the impeccable musicianship and Leon's tried and true "Midas Touch" production. Leon plays a ton of instruments across the album and is joined by the regular cast of heavy hitters; Homer Steinweiss, Nick Movshon, Dave Guy, Marco Benevento, Hether, and more. There is even a saxophone solo by the late, great Rahsaan Roland Kirk.Some would argue this is some of the best music being made by some of the best musicians of our time. We wouldn't argue with anyone...we let the music do what it does.

"Purveyor of finest low notes”, Robin Mullarkey is a UK bassist and producer, renowned for his edgy bass playing with the likes of Jordan Rakei, Jose James, Zero 7 and Jacob Collier. His first solo release takes new twists away from the intricately weaved arrangements of his Brotherly project and into new realms of pure improvisation with a selection of the greatest musicians in the country. With Richard Spaven (Loyle Carner, Platinum Pied Pipers) - drums, Dave Okumu (Rosie Lowe, Jamie Woon, Tony Allen) - guitars and ESKA (Grace Jones, Zero 7) on vocals you can begin to imagine the scope of this wild selection of head-nodders and chin-strokers.
4/5* - Jazzwise Magazine

Mahjong Room is the second album Cameron Lew released under the artist name Ginger Root which explores his coming of age and discovery of his own signature sound; self coined as Aggressive Elevator Soul. Self Produced and Performed, this album marked the beginning of Ginger Roots' rise in popularity outside of his Huntington Beach hometown. Lew was still in film school at the time of recording and releasing Mahjong Room. His attention was equally focused on the music videos that were made for singles `Two Step', `Call it Home', `Jeanie', `Mahjong Room', and `Ohio'. Becoming a signature of Ginger Root releases, the video treatments of songs were humor-filled and directed and produced by Lew himself. Catching the attention of other touring indie acts Ginger Root spent most of the fall of 2018 on tour with artists Khrunagbin, Duran Jones & The Indications, The Marias, and Omar Apollo.

John Hollier (pronounced OH-LEE-AY) is a powerful new folk rock artist with French-Cajun roots, blending rock and roll, heartland grit, cinematic storytelling, and southern country soul. His twelve-track album reflects his Louisiana upbringing on a crawfish farm, exploring love and heartache through raw, live energy and vivid narratives. John Hollier & The Rêverie features Hollier alongside Teddy Thibedoux Jones (sax), Zachary Scott Kline (lead guitar), Ray Akers (bass), and Brian Cox (drums).

Opaque Pink Version

Bubble Bath for Giants is an ode, a Tribute, a reverence for Oceans, for the Mighty Magnificent Power of Fairies, to the energy that we are all everything, whole, well, but in different sized and shaped vessels at times . . . It is a Celebration of Gentleness and of incredible Force, and Charge . . . These, I sea as the same. The Yang Springs from the Yin and together they ever reflect, dance, and express themselves . . .

Many Bells, Bowls, Ceramics, Chimes, Cymbals, Drums (Bass, Sakara, Surdo, Tom, and many more,) Gongs (Chao, Cup, Indonesian, Sun, and Symphonic,) Keyboards (Metal, Synthesizer, and Wooden,) Percussion, Plant Leaf Bundles and Fronds (Bamboo, Eucalyptus, and Palm,) Ratlles, Shakers, Voice, Whistles, and Sound Design by Carlos Niño.

Featuring:
Luis ​Pérez Ixoneztli, Bernard Xolotl, ​Aaron ​Shaw, Surya ​Botofasina, Nate Mercereau, Laraaji, Darius ​Jones, Sheila Govindarajan, ​Idris Ackamoor, Deantoni ​Parks, André 3000, ​Marshall Allen, Sam ​Gendel, Sibusile ​Xaba, Mia ​Doi Todd, ​Anisia Uzeyman, Saul Williams, Jojo Abot, Jowee ​Omicil, Aztlan ​Unearthed

///

Cover Photo by Carlos, from in the Maui Waters
Art Direction, Design and Original Art by Nep Sidhu
Layout Production by Jonny O'Hara

Recorded by Carlos Niño in Topanga, California, and by some of the Artists named above, from their Homes . . .

Mastered by David Allen

///

Crackazat returns to Freerange for his latest EP entitled Shine, and sees the artist in his finest form to date! An absolute anthem in the making the title track appears here in Club Mix and Mana’s Dub form, plus an amazing flip of Crouching Tiger from Baltimore legend Karizma Shine is a soulful, jazz-inflicted epic which will have any dance floor worth it’s salt fully locked in. Crackazat’s own vocals bring hints of Jamiroquai whilst his production calls golden era MAW and Blaze to mind. Add an incredible arrangement, live horns, bass and drums to this already heady concoction and you get an idea of why we’re so excited about this release. These kind of club tracks are few and far between these days! Next up we have one of Crackazat’s own Mana’s Dubs of Shine.

A chance for Ben to strip things back, loop things up and dub things out. Keeping the funk intact, we’re treated to a feelgood party-starting house track which has a classic sound that can’t fail to warm the cockles! Flip over for a proper curve-ball from everyone’s favourite Baltimore house hero Karizma who turns Crouching Tiger into the kind of twisted, rolling, jazzy and leftfield workout we love him for. A driving force of the city’s underground, he always comes with the raw energy and fearless creativity. A staple of the dance floor and a leader beyond it, Karizma represents the past, present, and future of Baltimore House and once again proves why he’s such a don.

Drop this one and run for cover whilst the dancers throw crazy shapes! Closing out the EP we have Crackazat’s Mana’s Dub take on previous single Watchu Say. Looping up the killer piano hook and his live bass line, Ben manages to craft the kind of warm, uplifting slice of house music which simply works. And for those who love a big drop, this one should fit the bill with a trademark Mana’s Dub seratonin-boosting build that hits all the right buttons.

The Golden Age of southern soul lasted from about 1962 to 1975, when disco ripped the heart out of it. And although it may seem as though the blend of country, gospel and R & B that emerged from the great studios in Memphis and Muscle Shoals in that decade was entirely fresh and new, like any other genre classic, southern soul picked up musical cues and absorbed influences from a whole variety of sources: horn lines from Louisiana's swamp pop, lyrical themes from the blues, songs from country music, and of course so, so much from the black churches. Part of the 'History of Soul' series, this LP reveals the musical antecedents that gave southern soul its inspiration. The music here will tell you the real story - and it will knock your socks off too! Notes by John Ridley.

"The Sophs sind quasi aus dem Nichts aufgetaucht", sagen Rough-Trade-Mitgründer Geoff Travis und Jeannette Lee über ihr neuestes Signing: eine sechsköpfige Band aus L.A. mit dem feinsinnigen Namen The Sophs. Die kompromisslose Ehrlichkeit und der weite Soundkosmos der Band überzeugten sofort. Als Sänger Ethan Ramon ein Demo an seine Lieblingslabels schickte, rechnete er nicht mit einer Reaktion - doch schon am nächsten Tag meldete sich Rough Trade mit der Bitte um ein Gespräch. In den frühen Songs hörte das Label genau jene Kreativität, Vielseitigkeit und den draufgängerischen "Don"t expect me to act pretty"-Spirit, den The Sophs auf jede Bühne bringen: Ethan Ramon (Gesang), Sam Yuh (Keyboards), Austin Parker Jones (E-Gitarre), Seth Smades (Akustikgitarre), Devin Russ (Drums) und Cole Bobbitt (Bass). Die fünf Demo-Tracks bildeten die Blaupause für ihr Debütalbum "GOLDSTAR". Musikalisch bewegen sich The Sophs im Zickzack: Pop-Punk trifft auf Funk, Delta Blues auf ZZ Top. Ramons warme, kraftvolle Stimme wandert dabei wie ein vokales Chamäleon durch die Genres. "Wir versuchen nie, so vielseitig zu sein, wie wir am Ende klingen", sagt Ramon. Songwriting verstehen sie als Pop Art - ein spielerisches Zitieren, Verformen und Neuerschaffen. Oft entstehen Songs aus spontanen Ideen, die im Bandprozess eine völlig neue Richtung nehmen. Der Track "THE DOG DIES IN THE END" erinnert an 2000er-Pop-Punk, getragen von düsteren Gedankenspiralen und Akkordeon. "DEATH IN THE FAMILY" kombiniert sonnigen Rock mit bitterem Humor und der Sehnsucht nach Mitleid als Schutz vor Verantwortung. "GOLDSTAR" stellt dabei einfache, aber unbequeme Fragen nach Anerkennung und Moral. Weitere Highlights wie "SWEETIEPIE" und "BLITZED AGAIN" zeigen die Band zwischen Selbstentlarvung und euphorischer Energie - roh, lebendig und kompromisslos kreativ.

Fast-rising Los Angeles band The Silvertone make a splash on the modern soul scene with Mistakes—their most soulful statement yet. Retro-laced and dripping with smoky vocals, dusty grooves, and late-night cool, this souldie record blends vintage R&B, classic soul, and a touch of psych—Sam Cooke meets Durand Jones under neon lights.

"The Sophs sind quasi aus dem Nichts aufgetaucht", sagen Rough-Trade-Mitgründer Geoff Travis und Jeannette Lee über ihr neuestes Signing: eine sechsköpfige Band aus L.A. mit dem feinsinnigen Namen The Sophs. Die kompromisslose Ehrlichkeit und der weite Soundkosmos der Band überzeugten sofort. Als Sänger Ethan Ramon ein Demo an seine Lieblingslabels schickte, rechnete er nicht mit einer Reaktion - doch schon am nächsten Tag meldete sich Rough Trade mit der Bitte um ein Gespräch. In den frühen Songs hörte das Label genau jene Kreativität, Vielseitigkeit und den draufgängerischen "Don"t expect me to act pretty"-Spirit, den The Sophs auf jede Bühne bringen: Ethan Ramon (Gesang), Sam Yuh (Keyboards), Austin Parker Jones (E-Gitarre), Seth Smades (Akustikgitarre), Devin Russ (Drums) und Cole Bobbitt (Bass). Die fünf Demo-Tracks bildeten die Blaupause für ihr Debütalbum "GOLDSTAR". Musikalisch bewegen sich The Sophs im Zickzack: Pop-Punk trifft auf Funk, Delta Blues auf ZZ Top. Ramons warme, kraftvolle Stimme wandert dabei wie ein vokales Chamäleon durch die Genres. "Wir versuchen nie, so vielseitig zu sein, wie wir am Ende klingen", sagt Ramon. Songwriting verstehen sie als Pop Art - ein spielerisches Zitieren, Verformen und Neuerschaffen. Oft entstehen Songs aus spontanen Ideen, die im Bandprozess eine völlig neue Richtung nehmen. Der Track "THE DOG DIES IN THE END" erinnert an 2000er-Pop-Punk, getragen von düsteren Gedankenspiralen und Akkordeon. "DEATH IN THE FAMILY" kombiniert sonnigen Rock mit bitterem Humor und der Sehnsucht nach Mitleid als Schutz vor Verantwortung. "GOLDSTAR" stellt dabei einfache, aber unbequeme Fragen nach Anerkennung und Moral. Weitere Highlights wie "SWEETIEPIE" und "BLITZED AGAIN" zeigen die Band zwischen Selbstentlarvung und euphorischer Energie - roh, lebendig und kompromisslos kreativ.

2026 Repress

Turbotito and Ragz's electrifying Naya Beat label has curated a cultured list of remixers to add their spin to the work of legendary Indian vocalist Asha Puthli. This essential remix album features Yuksek, Maurice Fulton, Psychemagik, Kraak & Smaak, Jitwam, and Turbotito & Ragz.

Naya Beat, which translates from Hindi as 'new beat', is focused on uncovering foundational electronic sounds from the subcontinent and South Asian diaspora through reissues, remixes and compilations. It found quick success with its first release, 'Naya Beat Volume 1: South Asian Dance and Electronic Music 1983 - 1992', followed by a rare 1985 Hindi New Wave album by Pinky Ann Rihal and more recently a ground-breaking compilation ‘Awaaz’ uncovering Bollywood electro and leftfield 80s original soundtrack recordings.

Hot off their highly sought after EP of Dimitri From Paris’ seminal remixes of Asha Puthli’s iconic track ‘Space Talk’, the label now offers up the first of two full-length releases based around her music. Cosmic disco pioneer, Studio 54 icon and jazz improviser Asha Puthli has recorded, sung or shared the stage with the likes of Roy Ayers, Alice Coltrane, Grace Jones, Barry White, Andy Warhol and many more. From David Mancuso's The Loft, to Giorgio Moroder's early work with Donna Summer, to hip-hop where she has been sampled extensively, Asha's musical influence and impact is profound. She was the first artist of South Asian descent to successfully crossover and make a mark on dance, jazz and pop culture in the West.

For this LP, Naya Beat tracked down the long mythologised original stems and recordings of Puthli's most seminal albums, including ‘The Devil is Loose’, and working closely with Asha, they have tasked a series of producers inspired by her work to remix her music.
Yuksek opens up with a pumping disco remix of 'I Am Song (Sing Me)' awash with uplifting synths and big claps next to the original vocals, which soar to the heavens. The seminal 'Space Talk' is remixed by Maurice Fulton into super steamy and late-night territory. The live drums and jumbled percussion are lit up with soulful chords as Puthli's carefully delivered vocals seduce up top. 'Lies' (Kraak & Smaak Remix) rides on fat-bottomed drums and bass that unfold with a dub swagger beneath a nebulous eco-system of cosmic synths and dramatic vocals. Label heads Turbotito & Ragz flip 'One Night Affair' into a leggy disco celebration with sweeping synths and bright effects, and Psychemagik's 'Right Down Here' is a pulsating mix of dark, snaking bass and drums with deep space ambience and raw hits making for a turbulent and tense atmosphere. Lastly, Jitwam closes out with a smooth disco sound laced with dynamic drums and cruising chords next to another sensuous top line from Asha Puthli.

Limited Green LP is for Indies only. all LPs include a DL card. Island Family is the fifth album from Isle-of-Eigg dwelling electro-acoustic psych-pop wonder Pictish Trail, AKA Johnny Lynch. A strange, unpredictable, sardonic and yet deeply personal record inspired by all from Fever Ray to The Flaming Lips, Liars, Mercury Rev and Beck, Island Family is Pictish Trail's contrarian view of arcadia; a search for the euphoric in the bucolic, bound up in sometimes conflicting ideas and feelings around nature and environment, sincerity and artifice, escapism and belonging. It's an album about how no man can remain an island, however hard he might try. Released by Fire Records, with support from Johnny's own label Lost Map, and produced by long-term collaborator Rob Jones (The Voluntary Butler Scheme, The Gene Dudley Group), 'Island Family' opens with its title track, a song of death, ghosts and the ties that bind, fusing abrasive electronic beats with a tongue-in-cheek fireside folk refrain and the haunted ice cream van melody of a digitally reincarnated traditional Scottish jig. A purgative surrender to nature's whim driven by a clattering machine drumbeat rolled in a puddle of filthy dirty fuzz, 'Natural Successor' is five-and-a-half-minutes of cathartic churning bass. 'In The Land of The Dead' is an eight-bit glitch-core reflection on island party excesses spasming into existential dread and regret, suitably accompanied by a funereal mariachi band. It's followed by the epic 'It Came Back', the understated verses and arms-aloft falsetto chorus of which are accompanied by a tense, foreboding bass-driven electro hip hop instrumental with (spoiler) a brain-shattering industrial-metal meltdown. 'Melody Something' is the album's purest moment, a cautiously uplifting solar-powered-ballad about losing track of time in the cycle of the seasons, and the gap between memory and reality. Shapeshifting closer 'Remote Control' is a channel hopping cabin-fever-dream flipping from warped boyband ballad to deep-fried fuzz pop. "One of my favourite artists" Lauren Laverne, BBC 6 Music

Belgian artist, label boss and DJ, End-jy, glances back at one of his most revered releases to date, the 2003 ‘Red Alert’ EP, originally released on Lupp Records it marked a defining moment, earning widespread support from scene-shaping artists including Carl Cox, Tiësto, Marco Bailey, Dave Clarke and Mark Broom. Long regarded as a personal milestone, the track now returns in renewed form on the artist’s own label as MV08. This forthcoming EP revisits the original with fresh perspective, featuring a powerful remix from Pig&Dan alongside a newly reworked version by Dimitri Andreas and the artist himself, bridging the track’s enduring legacy with a contemporary evolution.

Pig&Dan take the reins first, extracting fragments of the original version of ‘Red Alert’ and reshaping them into a dub tinged, deep techno cut fuelled by circling synth stabs, robust percussion, tension building atmospherics and a driving bottom end. Following on is ‘Red Alert’ (Dimitri Andreas & End-jy 2026 Remix), the pair lay down a deeper, more hypnotic and minimalist interpretation courtesy of crisp, stripped-down drums and oscillating resonant synth flutters underpinned by the original’s dark, dubby aesthetic.

The original version of ‘Red Alert’ opens the flip side, capturing the essence of the underground at the turn of the millennium, the track fuses, gritty stabs with organic percussive elements, hypnotic siren like synths and a subtly evolving feel throughout.

‘Flexibeat’ then concludes the release, a composition that veers into the realms of early Detroit techno and electro via an amalgamation of twitchy synth pops, cinematic strings, saturated 808 drums and murky bass tones.

Already Supported by Jamie Jones, Calao, Amé, Marco Faraone, Timo Maas, Nick Varon, Steve Parry, Just Her, Dax J, Perc, Massimiliano Pagliara, Alex Neri.

In the pantheon of classic free jazz, Noah Howard's The Black Ark looms large. Recorded at Bell Sound Studios in New York City in 1969 – just prior to the alto saxophonist's relocation to Europe – the album was eventually released in 1972.

The Black Ark exhibits not only the power and imagination of Howard's playing, but also his breadth as a composer and bandleader. Listeners expecting unrelenting blasts of "energy music" might be surprised to find a cohesion atypical of free jazz; amidst the wild, impassioned solos, Howard weaves in Latin rhythms and fat-bottomed grooves.

The first side, consisting of "Domiabra" and “Ole Negro,” sets the album's tone. Both tracks sound as if they could have appeared on some of Blue Note's proto-spiritual jazz, groove-heavy releases – evoking the likes of Lou Donaldson or Horace Silver – before ceding the floor to the horn players' anarchic firepower.

As John Corbett writes in the liner notes, "Two players stand out. Bassist Norris Jones – who would soon consolidate his name into a one-word reversed amalgamation/permutation of the two, Sirone – is given ample room, largely unaccompanied; his corporal approach foreshadows later work with the Revolutionary Ensemble. But the secret weapon on The Black Ark is Arthur Doyle. Straight from basement rehearsal sessions with Milford Graves, whose ensemble he had joined and who remained a favorite of the drummer for decades, Doyle is a human flamethrower."

Trumpeter Earl Cross' guttural, vocal effects complement Doyle's take-no-prisoners approach, while the estimable combination of Muhammad Ali (Rashied's brother) on drums and Juma Sultan on congas adds an ever-shifting propulsion. The septet is rounded out by the enigmatic pianist Leslie Waldron, who anchors the group with imaginative accompaniment and occasional boppish flourishes.

Every bit worthy of its reputation as an "out-jazz" holy grail, The Black Ark only sounds better with age. It remains the ideal record to convert the remaining free-jazz skeptics.

On Days Like These , is a respectful and soulful interpretation of Quincy Jones ' masterpiece, while Warren original, Jenny, concerns a hope for assistance from Rod Serling and H.G. Wells, in a time-travel romance. Michael Warren's voice is joined by the creative team from Mariocki, Keiron Phelan (Peace Signs, State River Widening) Flute / Guitar, James Stringer (Peace Signs, Hilbert Space) Piano / Keyboards, with indie luminaries Ian Button (Papernut Cambridge, ex- Death In Vegas) Drums / Percussion, and Giles Barrett (The New Starts, Moebius Delta ) Bass.

"Originally released in 1979 on Sly & Robbie's Taxi label, this album was Black Uhuru's second LP. Recorded at Channel One it set forth a new sound in recorded music technology. The songs blend into dub versions and the mixing is simply stunning. The track Shine Eye Gal also features guitarist Keith Richards"
(but hey, nobody's perfect).

"Hear the meticulous song writing of Michael Rose, joined by Puma Jones & Duckie Simpson, to complete the vocal line-up.

Sly & Robbie and the Taxi Gang created a sublime sonic masterpiece at Channel One studio in Jamaica. They were at their absolute peak of their powers, before being launched as global superstars with Grace Jones.

Black Uhuru went on to be an extremely popular live outfit, touring endlessly around the world, breaking down barriers and making new inroads to territories previously unknown to Jamaican artists.

This Classic reissue is a must for all reggae collectors."

Clear Vinyl in limitierter Auflage von 1500 Stück. Die renommierte US-niederländische Gospel-Soul-Künstlerin Michelle David & The True-tones läuten mit ihrem neuen Album ,Soul Woman", das am 27. Februar 2026 bei Record Kicks erscheint, ein neues Kapitel ein. Aufbauend auf dem von Kritikern gefeierten Album ,Brothers & Sisters" aus dem Jahr 2024, das die Komplexität der Welt widerspiegelte, wendet sich die neue LP ,Soul Woman" nach innen - eine zutiefst persönliche Auseinandersetzung mit Identität, Heilung und spiritueller Widerstandsfähigkeit. ,Wie kann ich andere bitten, sich Zeit zu nehmen, um über ihr Leben nachzudenken, wenn ich das selbst nicht tue?", fragt Michelle David. Dieser Geist der Selbstreflexion und Erneuerung steht im Mittelpunkt von ,Soul Woman" - einem Album, das Verletzlichkeit zulässt und gleichzeitig Stärke ausstrahlt. Musikalisch verfeinert ,Soul Woman" die charakteristische Mischung der Band aus Gospel, Soul und Vintage-Rhythm & Blues und schöpft dabei aus einer breiteren Palette von Einflüssen. Anklänge an Curtis Mayfield, Bobby Womack und The Four Seasons pulsieren durch die Grooves, während das Gospel-Feuer der Blind Boys of Alabama und die fröhliche Ausstrahlung von Diana Ross & The Supremes dem Album sowohl Schwere als auch Glanz verleihen. Im Mittelpunkt steht Michelle Davids unverwechselbare Stimme - rau, warm und voller Entschlossenheit -, umhüllt von reichhaltigen, analog geprägten Arrangements ihrer langjährigen Mitstreiter Paul Willemsen (Gitarre, Bassgitarre), Onno Smit (Gitarre, Bassgitarre) und Bas Bouma (Schlagzeug). Gemeinsam stehen Michelle David & The True-tones an der Spitze der Retro-Soul-Szene - sie verbinden zeitlose Grooves mit moderner Dringlichkeit, unerschütterlicher Authentizität und herzlicher Leidenschaft. Eine Stimme, geboren in der Kirche, geschliffen auf der Straße. Michelle David wurde in New York geboren und wuchs in der Kirche auf. Mit nur vier Jahren begann sie zu singen und trat mit fünf Jahren ihrer ersten Gruppe, The Mission of Love, bei. Ihre kraftvolle Stimme führte sie um die ganze Welt, wo sie in gefeierten Broadway-Produktionen wie Mama, The Sound of Motown, Glory of Gospel und Mahalia mitwirkte und mit Legenden wie Diana Ross und Michael Bolton Aufnahmen machte - alles bevor sie ihre gefeierte Reise mit The True-tones begann. Gemeinsam haben Michelle David & The True-tones sieben von der Kritik gefeierte Alben veröffentlicht und die Bühnen Europas erobert, von Pinkpop über North Sea Jazz bis hin zum London Jazz Festival. Die Band ist bekannt für ihre mitreißenden Live-Auftritte, hat von Spanien bis Skandinavien Standing Ovations erhalten, ist in großen Fernseh- und Radiosendungen aufgetreten und hat sogar bei den Olympischen Winterspielen 2022 gespielt. Ihre Aufnahmen wurden ebenso gelobt: The Gospel Sessions wurde für einen Edison Award (das niederländische Pendant zum Grammy) nominiert, während Truth & Soul aus dem Jahr 2020 von Craig Charles' BBC Radio 6 Music zum Album des Jahres und von FIP (Radio France) zum Album des Monats gekürt wurde. Ihr jüngstes Album, Brothers & Sisters (2024), markierte ihr Debüt bei Record Kicks und wurde zu einem Durchbruch - gefeiert von Rolling Stone France, KEXP, Jazzthing Magazine (Deutschland), De Volkskrant (Niederlande) und BBC 6 Music. Ein Zeugnis der zeitlosen Kraft des Soul: Mit ,Soul Woman" bieten Michelle David & The True-tones mehr als nur eine neue Platte - es ist ein musikalisches Zeugnis der Widerstandsfähigkeit, eine Feier des spirituellen Wachstums und eine Bekräftigung der Fähigkeit der Soulmusik, zu heilen, zu verbinden und zu inspirieren. Gleichzeitig in klassischen Traditionen verwurzelt und neue Wege beschreitend, ist dies zeitgenössischer Soul vom Feinsten. Für Fans von Durand Jones & The Indications, Thee Sacred Souls, Jalen Ngonda, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, Mavis Staples.

The buzz about the Crystal Teardrop that has been growing for the past two years looks set to reach fever pitch with the release of their debut album _IS FORMING. Featuring a dozen memorable compositions by the bands Alexandra Rose and Leon Jones, the album more than lives up to the promise of their 2024 single releases and their ecstatic live performances on stages across the UK and Europe. The band formed in Stoke-on-Trent in early 2023, "inspired," explains Alexandra Rose, "by a mutual passion for the sights, sounds and creative experimentation of the late 1960s." In addition to Alexandra on lead vocals on guitar, the band comprises Leon Jones (guitar, sitar), Stuart Gray (keyboards, Mellotron), Ed Quigley (bass, vocals), and Huw Woodward (drums, percussion). Intuitively blending elements of garage rock, folk-rock, power pop and psychedelia, the band have created an appealing concoction infused with their own perspectives and personalities. To best capture their sound, they recorded at an all-analogue facility, Tilehouse studio in North London, working closely with White Stripes producer Liam Watson of Toe Rag Studios fame.

Nothing waren schon immer Regelbrecher. Shoegaze-Rebellen, die das typischerweise leichtgewichtige Genre nach ihrem eigenen, knallharten amerikanischen Image neu erfunden haben. Outlaw-Poeten, die existenzielle Ängste auf kilometerbreiten Leinwänden aus Fuzz und Hall ausbreiten. Angefangen als Solo-Projekt in einem Schlafzimmer in Philadelphia im Jahr 2010, hat die Musik von Nothing immer die ganze Bandbreite des Menschseins eingefangen, sowohl die schreiende Wut als auch die flüsternde Traurigkeit. ,A Short History of Decay", das fünfte Soloalbum von Nothing und das erste für Run For Cover Records, erweitert diesen Horizont noch weiter und bietet die bisher hochauflösendste Darstellung von Nothing. Die Band hat noch nie so kolossal geklungen, sich noch nie so intim angefühlt, war noch nie so ehrlich. Mit dem stärksten Arsenal in der sich ständig verändernden Besetzung von Nothing - Gitarrist Doyle Martin (Cloakroom), Bassist Bobb Bruno (Best Coast), Schlagzeuger Zachary Jones (MSC, Manslaughter 777) und dem dritten Gitarristen Cam Smith (Ladder To God, ebenfalls von Cloakroom) - wusste Singer-Songwriter Domenic ,Nicky" Palermo wusste, dass er die nötige Manpower hatte, um das bisher ambitionierteste Album der Band aufzunehmen. Mitgeschrieben und produziert wurde es zusammen mit Whirr-Gitarrist Nicholas Bassett, zusätzliche Produktions- und Mixing-Arbeiten übernahm Sonny Diperri (DIIV, Julie). a short history of decay ist das musikalisch ausgereifteste Statement im Katalog von Nothing. Songs wie ,Cannibal World" und ,Toothless Coal" sind katastrophale Ausbrüche mechanisierten Industrial-Gaze, die wie My Bloody Valentine klingen - nur extremer. Am anderen Ende des Spektrums steht das kunstvoll-düstere ,Purple Strings" mit einem wunderschönen Streicharrangement, an dem die Harfenistin und zweifache Nothing-Mitwirkende Mary Lattimore beteiligt ist. Diese barocke Zartheit durchdringt auch andere Höhepunkte von ,A Short History of Decay", insbesondere ,The Rain Don't Care", eine beschwingte Ballade, die die abgenutzte Eleganz von Mojave 3 kanalisiert, sowie ,Nerve Scales", ein prasselnder Bop, der in seiner Verbindung von jenseitiger Atmosphäre und tödlicher Präzision an Radiohead erinnert. Palermo bezeichnet das neue Album als ,letztes Kapitel". Nicht das Ende von Nothing, sondern der Abschluss einer Geschichte, die mit dem Debütalbum von Nothing aus dem Jahr 2014, Guilty of Everything, begann - einem weiteren Album über Zeit, Reue und die Konfrontation mit unangenehmen Wahrheiten - und nun mit A Short History of Decay ihren Abschluss findet. Es ist ebenso sehr eine Momentaufnahme von Palermos Vergangenheit wie ein Sprung in die Zukunft von Nothing.

Nothing waren schon immer Regelbrecher. Shoegaze-Rebellen, die das typischerweise leichtgewichtige Genre nach ihrem eigenen, knallharten amerikanischen Image neu erfunden haben. Outlaw-Poeten, die existenzielle Ängste auf kilometerbreiten Leinwänden aus Fuzz und Hall ausbreiten. Angefangen als Solo-Projekt in einem Schlafzimmer in Philadelphia im Jahr 2010, hat die Musik von Nothing immer die ganze Bandbreite des Menschseins eingefangen, sowohl die schreiende Wut als auch die flüsternde Traurigkeit. ,A Short History of Decay", das fünfte Soloalbum von Nothing und das erste für Run For Cover Records, erweitert diesen Horizont noch weiter und bietet die bisher hochauflösendste Darstellung von Nothing. Die Band hat noch nie so kolossal geklungen, sich noch nie so intim angefühlt, war noch nie so ehrlich. Mit dem stärksten Arsenal in der sich ständig verändernden Besetzung von Nothing - Gitarrist Doyle Martin (Cloakroom), Bassist Bobb Bruno (Best Coast), Schlagzeuger Zachary Jones (MSC, Manslaughter 777) und dem dritten Gitarristen Cam Smith (Ladder To God, ebenfalls von Cloakroom) - wusste Singer-Songwriter Domenic ,Nicky" Palermo wusste, dass er die nötige Manpower hatte, um das bisher ambitionierteste Album der Band aufzunehmen. Mitgeschrieben und produziert wurde es zusammen mit Whirr-Gitarrist Nicholas Bassett, zusätzliche Produktions- und Mixing-Arbeiten übernahm Sonny Diperri (DIIV, Julie). a short history of decay ist das musikalisch ausgereifteste Statement im Katalog von Nothing. Songs wie ,Cannibal World" und ,Toothless Coal" sind katastrophale Ausbrüche mechanisierten Industrial-Gaze, die wie My Bloody Valentine klingen - nur extremer. Am anderen Ende des Spektrums steht das kunstvoll-düstere ,Purple Strings" mit einem wunderschönen Streicharrangement, an dem die Harfenistin und zweifache Nothing-Mitwirkende Mary Lattimore beteiligt ist. Diese barocke Zartheit durchdringt auch andere Höhepunkte von ,A Short History of Decay", insbesondere ,The Rain Don't Care", eine beschwingte Ballade, die die abgenutzte Eleganz von Mojave 3 kanalisiert, sowie ,Nerve Scales", ein prasselnder Bop, der in seiner Verbindung von jenseitiger Atmosphäre und tödlicher Präzision an Radiohead erinnert. Palermo bezeichnet das neue Album als ,letztes Kapitel". Nicht das Ende von Nothing, sondern der Abschluss einer Geschichte, die mit dem Debütalbum von Nothing aus dem Jahr 2014, Guilty of Everything, begann - einem weiteren Album über Zeit, Reue und die Konfrontation mit unangenehmen Wahrheiten - und nun mit A Short History of Decay ihren Abschluss findet. Es ist ebenso sehr eine Momentaufnahme von Palermos Vergangenheit wie ein Sprung in die Zukunft von Nothing.

Nothing waren schon immer Regelbrecher. Shoegaze-Rebellen, die das typischerweise leichtgewichtige Genre nach ihrem eigenen, knallharten amerikanischen Image neu erfunden haben. Outlaw-Poeten, die existenzielle Ängste auf kilometerbreiten Leinwänden aus Fuzz und Hall ausbreiten. Angefangen als Solo-Projekt in einem Schlafzimmer in Philadelphia im Jahr 2010, hat die Musik von Nothing immer die ganze Bandbreite des Menschseins eingefangen, sowohl die schreiende Wut als auch die flüsternde Traurigkeit. ,A Short History of Decay", das fünfte Soloalbum von Nothing und das erste für Run For Cover Records, erweitert diesen Horizont noch weiter und bietet die bisher hochauflösendste Darstellung von Nothing. Die Band hat noch nie so kolossal geklungen, sich noch nie so intim angefühlt, war noch nie so ehrlich. Mit dem stärksten Arsenal in der sich ständig verändernden Besetzung von Nothing - Gitarrist Doyle Martin (Cloakroom), Bassist Bobb Bruno (Best Coast), Schlagzeuger Zachary Jones (MSC, Manslaughter 777) und dem dritten Gitarristen Cam Smith (Ladder To God, ebenfalls von Cloakroom) - wusste Singer-Songwriter Domenic ,Nicky" Palermo wusste, dass er die nötige Manpower hatte, um das bisher ambitionierteste Album der Band aufzunehmen. Mitgeschrieben und produziert wurde es zusammen mit Whirr-Gitarrist Nicholas Bassett, zusätzliche Produktions- und Mixing-Arbeiten übernahm Sonny Diperri (DIIV, Julie). a short history of decay ist das musikalisch ausgereifteste Statement im Katalog von Nothing. Songs wie ,Cannibal World" und ,Toothless Coal" sind katastrophale Ausbrüche mechanisierten Industrial-Gaze, die wie My Bloody Valentine klingen - nur extremer. Am anderen Ende des Spektrums steht das kunstvoll-düstere ,Purple Strings" mit einem wunderschönen Streicharrangement, an dem die Harfenistin und zweifache Nothing-Mitwirkende Mary Lattimore beteiligt ist. Diese barocke Zartheit durchdringt auch andere Höhepunkte von ,A Short History of Decay", insbesondere ,The Rain Don't Care", eine beschwingte Ballade, die die abgenutzte Eleganz von Mojave 3 kanalisiert, sowie ,Nerve Scales", ein prasselnder Bop, der in seiner Verbindung von jenseitiger Atmosphäre und tödlicher Präzision an Radiohead erinnert. Palermo bezeichnet das neue Album als ,letztes Kapitel". Nicht das Ende von Nothing, sondern der Abschluss einer Geschichte, die mit dem Debütalbum von Nothing aus dem Jahr 2014, Guilty of Everything, begann - einem weiteren Album über Zeit, Reue und die Konfrontation mit unangenehmen Wahrheiten - und nun mit A Short History of Decay ihren Abschluss findet. Es ist ebenso sehr eine Momentaufnahme von Palermos Vergangenheit wie ein Sprung in die Zukunft von Nothing.

Mit Brazil Greatest Hits veröffentlicht Wagram eine musikalische Reise durch die farbenfrohe Welt Brasiliens - von zeitlosen Bossa-Nova-Klassikern bis zu modernen Latin-Grooves. Auf zwei sorgfältig zusammengestellten Vinyl-LPs versammeln sich legendäre Aufnahmen und internationale Club-Favorites, die den Spirit von Rio, die Leichtigkeit des Samba und den warmen Sound des Tropenlands einfangen. Die erste LP präsentiert ikonische Stimmen und Instrumentalstücke der goldenen Bossa-Nova-Ära - voller Eleganz, Rhythmus und Melodie. Auf LP 2 geht es moderner und tanzbarer weiter: brasilianische Funk-Einflüsse, Remix-Perlen und energiegeladene Tracks zeigen, wie lebendig und vielfältig die Musikszene Brasiliens bis heute ist.

With `The devil's door' And Also The Trees, one true original Post-Punk/New Wave band, presents a quiet storm of an album. At times filmic, poetic and intense with an undercurrent of dark psychedelia. It completes a trilogy of works `The Bone Carver', `Mother-of-pearl Moon' and now `The devil's door' created by the current line-up. Here there are signature `And also the trees' poetic lyrics, orchestral guitar and soundtrack influenced songs inspired by newsreel, oil paintings and folklore. But with this work we have the addition of some surprising instruments that skew the album towards a world where John Barry meets Bela Bartok. And also the trees (AATT) formed during the original post-punk era in rural Worcestershire, an environment that has provided a constant inspiration to a group whose music has often explored the dark underbelly as well as the beauty of the British countryside. They are renowned for their captivating live performances, a unique style of mandolin-like electric guitar, evocative lyrics and dark jazz rhythms - not to mention a creative independence fiercely preserved for over four decades. Back then AATT immediately caught the attention of Robert Smith of The Cure, who invited them to tour with his group on several occasions. Smith was also involved with their early recordings alongside his bandmate Lol Tolhurst, who produced their first records. This longterm friendship and mutual respect was further solidified when AATT were invited to perform at the Robert Smith curated 2018 Meltdown festival in London. This July AATT appear as The Cure's special guests at the Nimes festival. Founded by singer Simon Jones and his guitarist brother Justin, AATT have maintained a continuous presence on the post-punk, and alternative rock scenes worldwide, with a solid fanbase e.g. in Germany.

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, XL Recordings today announce a special, expanded version of Leila’s acclaimed second album Courtesy Of Choice. Originally released on 11th September 2000, the album followed the success of her Rephlex Records debut Like Weather and felt like a broadcast from a futuristic radio station no one else could tune into. Twenty-five years on, alongside collaborations with the likes of Bjork, Aphex Twin and Terry Hall and iconic performances at the likes of the V&A and Venice Biennale, more and more listeners have found the frequency. While Courtesy of Choice's influence continues to transmit through contemporary culture. the Iranian-born, London-raised producer remains utterly singular:

"I realised very early on that people don't really belong anywhere. That's what gives me the freedom to do any kind of music...I don't feel any commitment or loyalty to anything. My commitment is to noise." – Leila


This new version, Courtesy Of Choice… asides and besides, re-presents the original 14 track album — including the previously vinyl-only “Relax the Pleasuredome” — alongside a wealth of unreleased material. Leila chose to re-edit rather than remake the album (she has all the original data… midi and audio), choosing to set the parameters of only recovering buried details while preserving its spirit. “I wanted this reissue to be honest,” she explains. “Nothing added, just making sure the performances came through as they were meant to.” Among the twenty unheard tracks are Roya Arab’s striking collaboration on Cabaret classic “Mein Herr,” the surrealist collage “A Reasoning” with a sample of Max Ernst, the hypnotic “Acid Frog Fave,” the digi rave blowout “Birdie Rave,” and “techyarr”’s future forever funk from the realm of primetime Neptunes. Together they reveal both the breadth of Leila’s vision and the enduring power of an album that continues to sound ahead of its time.