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Soul Jazz Records’ 200% Dynamite! set the benchmark for reggae meets funk compilations that has never been bettered. Out of print for over 15 years this new 2023 edition with new tracks and is being released in a one-off limited-edition heavyweight special-edition coloured vinyl pressing + download code exclusively for Record Store Day 2023.
Jam-packed with reggae tunes that crossed-over to become dancefloor hits such as Tenor Saw’s sound boy anthem ‘Ring the Alarm,’ K.C. White’s classic cut of the seminal ‘No, No, No’ and Augustus Pablo’s ‘Rockers Rock’, 200% Dynamite explores the links between reggae, jazz, funk and soul.
Carrying on perfectly from 100% Dynamite, this second compilation continues to trace the history of Jamaican reggae and the influence of American styles such as funk and jazz had on this music.
Featured here are serious funk and rocksteady tunes from the likes of The Skatalites and Johnny Osbourne through to Jamaican jazz from masters such as Tommy McCook and Byron Lee, as well as some serious dub from the likes of Augustus Pablo, King Tubby and Jackie Mittoo.
New bonus tracks on this new 2023 edition include seminal dancehall party cuts Sister Nancy’s ‘One Two’ and Chaka Demus and Pliers’ ‘Murder She Wrote’, alongside classic soul to reggae covers including cuts of Marlena Shaw’s ‘Women of the Ghetto’ and Odyssey’s ‘Don’t Tell Me Tell Her’.






‘Once again, Soul Jazz goes digging through the reggae vaults and produces another sterling compilation. If you’re looking for a primer on the music of the island, you could do worse than buying every one of the records in this superb compilation series.’ All Music
‘In Soul Jazz’s outstanding Dynamite! series 200% is the head-turner. The label has its finger on the pulse of the now just as surely as it does on that of the past.’ Pitchfork
‘Soul Jazz Records ‘Dynamite’ series has quickly become a
rewarding guide to reggae’s most infectious back pages. Every home
needs some Dynamite.’ Irish Times
‘Soul Jazz Records’ long-running series
of highly-regarded reggae albums.’
Rough Trade

- Betty's classic third album, originally released by Island Records in 1975 - New vinly pressing on Metallic Gold colored wax - Featuring Betty's band Funk House - Booklet includes liner notes by John Ballon interviewing Betty plus full lyrics - Newly remastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio // In the 1970s, Betty Davis defied genre and gender by pushing her voice to extremes and embracing the erotic. She articulated a kind of pre-punk, funk-blues fusion that had yet to be normalized in mainstream music - a style that few musicians have come close to replicating. As one of the first Black women to write, arrange, and produce her own albums, Betty was a visionary who disregarded industry boundaries and constraints. Raw, unapologetic, and in full control, Betty paved the way for generations of future artists who said 'funk you' to the music industry and social norms. In 1975, Betty Davis's star was on the rise. With the backing of Island Records and a new band, Funk House, Betty's third album, Nasty Gal, leans into the hyper-sexualized persona with which her critics were so obsessed. She raps, purrs, shrieks, and moans on top of Funk House's manic funk-rock and lays claim to the "bad girl" anthems that now saturate the music industry. Mastered from the original tapes, Nasty Gal showcases Betty's groundbreaking work as a performer, writer, and producer.

For 46 minutes Alex Zhang Hungtai punctures our perception of linearity, working like a conductor, encouraging percussive flurries to trip and fall over each other, sometimes tempered by contact mic feedback to help skewer the chronology. He’s assisted by three additional percussionists - Wet Hair’s Ryan Garbes and Shawn Reed, and Leonard King - while Signal Decay’s Nick Yeck-Stauffer plays trumpet, with each extra voice blurred into the middle distance, curling like pipe smoke into convulsive whorls.

The piece is frankly astonishing in its grasp of the maelstrom. Initially tentative, searching, with higher register hits like moths butting lone lightbulbs in an abandoned apartment block, the distant, plangent peal of twin brass wafts between rooms to impart a distinctly floating, OOBE- like feel for space. The brass recedes while the drums’ low end thickens and roils like a gamelan tempest, blurring impressions of knackered buildings or the temple rituals of ancient epochs, with sounds wafting in from other rooms to mess with the stereo field like ghosts of worshippers doing their thing. Remarkably, it conjures a fever dream miasma of ricocheting, thunderous polymetric clatter and proprioceptive fuckry without ever losing its head.

Hungtai’s canny use of contact mic feedback drone and cymbal saw gives the whole thing a sense of gauzy delirium that unites the grouches like mildewed grout and cobwebs, coarsely gelling the elements in a way that resonates with Pauline Oliveros and co’s Deep Listening band acousmagique as much as Basil Kirchin’s keeling ‘World Within World’ classic, the ghosts of Sun Ra’s ‘Nuclear War’, the possessed atmosphere of the cabin where Harley Gaber recorded ‘Wind Rises in the North’, and no doubt Harry Bertoia’s massive metallic sculptures, agitated at midnight.

Humid, menacing, and wraithlike, the album’s’ sense of keening chronics belies a visionary hand at the tiller, here tightened by Rashad Becker’s mastering, which faithfully brings to light, and shadow, the depth of perception and wild but concentrated energies at play, sealing in place a truly staggering session for adventurous ears, cineastes and Lynchian acolytes alike.

What can you say about the bass playing (and way more) legend that is Ade Shaw? During a long and mind-altering career, Ade has played with many outfits, most notably psych warlords Hawkwind, for whom he provided his trademark basslines for several years in the mid 70s. He has also played with Atomic Rooster (albeit briefly), Magic Muscle, Rustic Hinge, The Hawklords, Keith Christmas, Mike Moorcock’s Deep Fix and many more. More recently, (well, the last 30 years actually!) he has been the bass player in The Bevis Frond. For the last year or two, however, he has had to stand down from touring and gigging for personal reasons, but happily this has not prevented him from recording a new album. So it is with great pride and delight that we are now able to release ‘A Dark Reflection’ on Blue Matter. Eleven brand Adrian Shaw new songs ranging from out and out psychedelia, through rock to even a splash of lilting balladry. With Ade playing all the instruments bar a couple of guest appearances from Nick Saloman & Bari Watts, this is the Ade Shaw album we’ve all been waiting for. It’s a real stormer, and it’s a great privilege to be able release it on our label. Give it a listen & hopefully you’ll see what we mean

Felix Machtelinckx is a singer, composer, producer and lyricist from Belgium. Featuring an array of film scores, dance soundtracks, pop, folk and electronic music, Felix's music resonates with a familiar, almost nostalgic patina, applied with a distinctly crooked touch. Through artistic collaboration, coaching and production, Felix has cut a dash in the pop and indie cult scenes of Belgium, especially with his band Tin Fingers, who are feted as one of the most promising indie acts of the moment. Night Scenes, Felix’s solo debut is, in contrast to his other work, more humble and less traditional, roughly hewn from a series of ambient soundscapes, earthy textures and playful structures. Felix’s voice, normally the flagship of his music, becomes more of a distant memory, an indistinct emotion feathered throughout the music. Many lyrics are improvised, sometimes unintelligible, conjuring haunted, uncertain undertones. Similarly, the album is innately peripatetic to the core, being created, written and recorded in Lithuania, Belgium, France, mastered in the US, and finally released in the UK. In the first instance, some of the tracks were created for the contemporary dance piece Doggy Rugburn by Brandon Lagaert of Kaiho and Peeping Tom; others were created enigmatically for a film that never surfaced; while the remainder are the product of more personal work and research. As Felix began to collect and review these disparate parts, the concept of a unified album began to evolve. With 'night' featuring as a suitably dark leitmotif, or backdrop to a series of emotionally fraught 'scenes', each track depicts a form of trauma, locked within the confines of the mind. Felix observes: "Imagine yourself in a dusty old room unable to sleep. Emotions, fears and other demons haunt your mind. This in-between state makes your mind reach for other worlds. This is Night Scenes." For the most part, Night Scenes was created using a variety of old, and rare, analogue equipment. With almost no digital editing, the record was primarily mixed through a vintage cassette desk, giving it a nostalgic character with a noisy undertone. Felix fully embraced the synergy of his emotional themes and retrograde gear, enthusing: "A lot of textures were created on an old Soviet synthesizer that causes a blackout when you hit the lowest note on the keyboard. The dysfunctionality of the synths was often used to create rhythm and texture." This unnerving ability Night Scenes has to comfort and confound the listener is summed up by Jordan Hudson, House Of Media producer, and music podcaster, when he concludes: "Some songs on the album have this sort of fleeting comfort and tonality, which dissolves into a subtle rhythmic/structural or modulated disarray the moment I settle into them - this really fits with my experience of the night .. This record is a winner, and will be something I'll listen to a lot from here on

Hi-NRG synth pioneer Patrick Cowley moved away from his usual robotic steeliness on 1982’s “Primitive World,” drawing instead on the groove rock of early 1970s gay discos. It’s a percussion track influenced by Baba- tunde Olatunji’s 1959 hit “Jin-Go-Lo-Ba,” made more famous by Santana’s 1969 cover. Cowley updated the sound for the 1980s with electronics and drum machines but kept the playful attitude of the original. Two choirs of voices chant back and forth to each other, giving Cowley a chance to include many of his friends from the San Francisco dance music community.

This has been DJ Hifi Sean’s year, with a best-selling album with David McAlmont , count- less live gigs and high-profile remixes to his name. His interpretation of Cowley’s “Primitive World” can be counted among his best, bringing an intense TB-303 acid house vibe that perfectly complements Cowley’s weird electronic blips and bleeps. The effect is a disorienting mix of psychedelic 70’s groove, 80s synth pop, and 90s tacky house vibes. “Primitive World,” is one of the brilliant standouts on Cowley’s final record, Mind Warp, the so-called “death album” written as his health was rapidly sinking. Hifi Sean’s new remixes pay tribute to Cowley’s genius while fusing the track even more strongly to dance music’s electronic future.

Heels & Souls Recordings roll into reissue number eight with a double dose of early '90s UK street soul magic, splitting the sides between two sought-after cuts from Elaine Vassell and 3rd Zone.

Step back to 1993, house music has hit, UK Soul is in full flow and its rawer, DIY street soul sibling is making its mark across the UK’s underground. Fuelled by accessible, affordable production gear and ignited through enthusiasm and an influx of ideas and sounds, two acts drew inspiration from a melting pot of genres they were exposed to, providing their take on soul as they saw it.

Up first, Elaine Vassell - ‘Never Give Up’. A rough breakbeat-driven, mid-tempo groover from a North West London production triple threat, made up of Longsy D, Pinky and Murray. Utilising Pinky’s home studio with its DX7, Juno 106, LinnDrum and 808, they masterminded a track that sits at the intersection between soulful house, hip hop and R&B. Its crunching drum loop, chest-rattling low-end and serene synth lines, lay the foundation for Elaine’s powerful yet emotive voice to take centre stage. ‘Never Give Up’ should have been a future classic, but never quite found its feet.

On the flip side another 1993 gem, as Sansel Ali and twin brothers Mark and Stephen Anglin joined forces to form 3rd Zone. Conceived in Mark’s makeshift bedroom studio, the trio laid down their first foray into recorded music, ‘You Stole My Heart’. Originally promoed as a limited whitelabel in 1991, it officially landed on the group's one and only EP ‘No Real Reason' in '93.

Armed with a handful of synth modules, a drum machine and a Korg M1, Mark, Stephen and Sansel hit with a tough but tender, underground triumph. Part dance, part romance, layering synth strings, chunky breaks and M1 stabs underneath Sansel’s heartstrung vocals and Stephen’s hip house rap interlude, it provides another perfect example of house seen through the street soul prism.

Two timeless tracks that fly the flag for the fact that big studios and big budgets aren't necessary to create songs that really resonate. Each side also contains an alternate version, with the A housing a beatless reprise of ‘Never Give Up’ and the B a tougher, bassier remix of ‘You Stole My Heart’.

Licensed from Pinky Music and 3rd Zone respectively and remastered from the original DATs by Justin Drake.

London band Those Unfortunates release their second album, Welcome to Woodberry Down, on October 27th through Gare Du Nord Records, on LP accompanied by a limited edition photobook.
Welcome to Woodberry Down is a collection of songs about the eponymous housing estate in the London Borough of Hackney. Singer/lyricist Ben Brill’s family were among Woodberry Down’s first residents in 1950. Dubbed the estate of the future, and built on land that had previously been the preserve of the wealthy, Woodberry Down’s social homes were emblematic of a new post war optimism.
Brill’s family called Woodberry Down home for over 50 years, eventually seeing the estate fall into managed decline. Not long after his grandmother’s death in 2006, the bulldozers moved in, and the foundations were laid for a new, privately owned housing development.
Brill started work on this project in 2016. At the time a Hackney resident, he spent countless early mornings walking round the condemned – but still not quite empty - estate, and watching a new version of the future rise in its place. He took photographs, and started writing songs, inspired equally by the liminal spaces he explored, and the utopian ideals of the London County Council planners.

The band will be celebrating the album’s launch with friend Paolo Ruiu at Margate’s Tom Thumb Theatre on October 27th, and London’s Betsey Trotwood on October 28th.

A cycle of songs about dead dogs. Dealing with loss, grief and loneliness, they recount the tales of lost dogs both real, metaphoric and mythic, and use our relationship with and treatment of dogs as a measure of our humanity.

Collaborating as The Unattached on this record are Joad R Wren, sister Gwenifer Raymond, uncle Neil White, and daughter Celia, along with friends Darren Hayman, Ian Button, John McGrath and Holly Rogers.

Joad notes: "The album was written and recorded during the height of the pandemic. I've no idea why it's taken so long to release it. I do know that it's a great pleasure to work – even at a distance – with such talented musicians, with many amazing albums in their back catalogues."

The final song was a surprise – especially to Joad – as Neil wrote it years ago about a forgotten dog, and it fitted beautifully as a coda here.

The songs are at once lush, sensitive, bleak and unflinching - there's a similar feeling to something like Lou Reed's 'Berlin', or the darker moments of Roy Harper. The LP comes in a numbered, hand-printed linocut sleeve with a 20 page booklet of lyrics and art.

The sleeve is a bit special. The oil-based ink used on this hand-printed sleeve may feel sticky to touch, and can potentially transfer to other surfaces. Please handle and store this record carefully.

It's an edition of 100, and because of the hand-printing process each cover is imperfectly unique and uniquely imperfect (and hand numbered).

From out of nowhere - if nowhere is the febrile, warped and twilit imagination of Julia McFarlane - comes Whoopee, the second album by J.McFarlane’s Reality Guest. Whoopee is an esoteric, kaleidoscopic movie in music form directed by Julia McFarlane and co-conspirator Thomas Kernot. Full of life, breakbeats and smokey vignettes on the fragile nature of interpersonal relationships, Whoopee is a stylistic evolution from everything McFarlane has done before. Surreal, beautiful in parts and replete with the aching wisdom McFarlane’s songwriting has always promised, this Reality Guest pulls back the curtain on a whole scene of naked truth. Recorded in Melbourne in bursts since the release of 2019’s Ta Da, Whoopee features a new sound palette and band member in Kernot. The duo dive deep into electronic pop tropes, mining digital synths, samples, breakbeats and deep bass grooves, largely dispensing with live instrumentation. If Ta Da took twists and turns with your expectations, offering a Dada-ist, monochromatic take on pop music, Whoopee is McFarlane’s subterranean love-sick pinks, reds, greens, purples and blues. Becoming something of a tradition, the album starts with an instrumental intro pilfered from a 90s’ spy film or cinema intro music, puffing up the listener for the heart-squeezing bathos of Full Stops. Over a bleary backdrop of walking bass lines, jazz- inflected keys and smoked-out atmosphere, McFarlane’s poetry narrates the fragile state of a relationship: “You put a full stop where I thought there’d be a comma, I want the story to continue even with all the drama.” Over a palpable pain, the narrator is revelling in the drama of a relationship, addicted to tumult and heightened emotion. On Sensory, a space age bachelor lounge pad ballad, the converse state of the previous song is explored, here the narrator is battling the numbness of being out of the drama, stuck in a sensory-deprivation tank, anaesthesized and battling to emerge from the fog. Wrong Planet explores an otherworldly pop music, hewing a bright hook out of a sense of confusion. A bona-fide, sing-along chorus bursts out of the narrator musing on the absurdity of existing in this reality. It speaks of one of Julia McFarlane’s main talents, her knack of inspecting human relationships and states with a clear perspective, like an alien visiting Earth and realising everything we are is really, really strange. Whoopee is both more accessible than previous Reality Guest work and somehow more obfuscated. Where the production on Ta Da was dry, sharp and strange, this Reality Guest is blurred, almost smeared with the effluvium of 90s+00s culture and existence. Through it all, it’s hard to deny the undeniable pull of the songs. Precious Boy carries on the lounge theme with a whole sampler of cut up sounds fading in and out of the haze as McFarlane’s voice is right up to the speaker cooing and free- associating, maybe in love or maybe in confusion... maybe they’re the same thing? Sometimes the listener is invited to just bathe in the tone of the vocal, as on Apocalypse, where the texture and timbre of the vocal is luxurious, bathing in piano tinkles and double bass throb. On lead single Slinky, a cut up beat reminiscent of Washingtonian Go-Go drum patterns leads, the song slipping through your fingers, elusive and presenting sound as pure pleasure. Closer Caviar jumps back into the broken breakbeats of a surreal funk, fuelled by the sensory pleasure of the music, a hedonistic whirl in rapture, the narrator now living life to the fullest in all its giddy heights and deep troughs. This is the album’s main character fully-actualised and in the terrible, beautiful moment.

Following on from their contribution to theButter SessionsCome Togethercompilation released in March this year, Melbourne'sPolitodeliver their debut EPUltraparallel.Politois the collaboration between musicians Robert Downie and Finnian Langham and dancers Arabella Frahn-Starkieand Hillary Goldsmith. The ensemble integrates improvised techno and contemporary dance to form well-considered and captivating performances. The spirit of these performances are masterfully captured on the 12" record. On the transition between mediums, the group states; "we always aim to capture the unpredictability and liveliness of our improvised performances when we record, and try to sculpt the feeling of continuous movement which is so intrinsically tied to Polito's identity."

Ultraparallelconsists of four tracks that were extracted from studio sessions, emerging organically whilst jamming. The EP's introductionHornet's Webwields mutilated samples of vocals and spoken word, paired with abrupt rhythms to forge anomalous techno. The eponymous trackUltraparallel, recorded in 2018, is a dark and brooding arrangement with a murmuring melody and an infectious recurring bassline. Polito reflects; "this track is from the first batch of studio sessions we had as Polito where our intention was to create more discrete 'tracks' which could be played by DJs, rather than the longform compositions more similar to the live performances which we had recorded up to that point."

Turning the record over,Seventh Limbembodies the music for dance nuance by infusing dub with sounds from outer-space. Polito reveals; "we wanted to explore creating something more in line with the mood of our live performances, which are typically slower and have a rather meditative atmosphere. The more relaxed tempo allows the dancers to move at a sustainable pace and gives the musicians more space to prepare and manipulate the various musical elements in real-time. The result is our first formal exploration of 'the chugger.'"Ultraparallel'sfinaleSublunaryis a playful sequence mingling electronics with an airy clarinet and saxophone.

Attuned to their audience,Politoimagines how their music will be consumed throughout the creative process. They comment "while making music in the studio, we try to transport ourselves mentally to hypothetical dancefloors the music we're making could be played on, adding moments and sounds which would excite, energise, disorient, or have some other desired somatic effect. We're also considering not just how the music sounds, but how it would 'feel' when played on large sound systems."Ultraparallelultimatelypresents a refreshing visual take on literal dance music; a considered and holistic approach to enhancing the experience of listening and moving.

Reggae and Jamaican music have long embraced a symbiotic relationship with the movies. Rooting back to the island's golden era, countless arrangements have either been direct covers, or inspired by, the musicality and mood found in both cinema and television. These reinterpretations would become part of the backbone of the instrumental sound that accompanied the Jamaican record industry's acceleration from the mid-60s and beyond. Talented young musicians, rising from Alpha Boys School and the early studios of Coxsone, Duke Reid and others, found a showcase for their unique playing style on hundreds of different recordings, while appealing to the country's own love affair with Westerns, James Bond canon, and other rebellious themes and motifs that were projected from Hollywood during this time.

In this same tradition, in a new interval, arrives the debut release of Anant Pradhan and Larry McDonald, the latter a master percussionist with direct participation in some of Jamaica's earliest recordings. McDonald, although often uncredited, was a legitimate influence in helping to bridge the Afro-Caribbean sound from calypso into ska and later reggae with his iconic style on hand drums and percussion. A kindred spirit of McDonald, despite 50 years separating them, Anant Pradhan is a bonafide member of the next generation. Although this is his first "solo" record, the talented saxophonist has already played on dozens of incredible sessions for the likes of Victor Axelrod, The Inversions, Andy Bassford, Channel Tubes, Ralph Weeks and Combo Lulo. As an official member of the current touring group of the legendary Skatalites, Pradhan has honed his musicianship under some of the greats of reggae music. His particular soulful, instrumental arrangements are an homage to that influential era of Jamaican music. Pradhan and his band's performance retain the skill and innovation of the old vanguard, and like the generations before, capture a magic that may only be possible when cinema goes reggae.

A cult favorite from A Nightmare Before Christmas, Danny Elfman's "Sally's Song" was immortalized in Tim Burton's 1993 classic stop-motion film. It's immediately recognizable in all its haunting charm, and now, Pradhan and McDonald have managed to transform it into an irrefutable reggae classic, reinvented with its melancholic lead sax and bombastic percussion. The prolific Henry Mancini is already entrenched in the Jamaican canon, yet nobody has knowingly attempted to recreate one of his most magical numbers, "Meglio Stasera" aka "It Had Better Be Tonight," that of the riveting one-take scene in 1963's The Pink Panther. The galloping percussion of the original is transposed through a cloud of smoke, slow and low in a roots style at the hands of McDonald. Pradhan's sax leads the way over the locked-in rhythm section, both deep and cheeky all at once. These first two productions of Anant Pradhan and Larry McDonald are a deserving entry into the canon of reggae covers, and are equally adept to be heard on the screen and or at the dance alike.

Cassete comes with 3 extra panels of artwork from Ciaran Birch

Outerwordly collaboration between two great artists at the forefront of their scene, a release that was sparked by a commission from the BBC!

Dali de Saint Paul is known for her vast amount of collaborations, most notably with Moor Mother & Valentina Magaletti.

Maxwell Sterling's previous work includes sublime & diverse albums on The Death Of Rave & AD93.

When they met to create an improvised session for the famous experimental music radio show Late Junction on BBC Radio 3. Their encounter was so prolific that day that a lot of their music was not played on the show, so they have decided to give their audience the chance to listen to the fragile, brilliant and dark composition they have produced together.

Escape Music is pleased to announce the release date for the much-anticipated album D’Luna title “Monster” Featuring on lead vocals Jeff Scott Soto (W.E.T/Yngwie Malmsteen/Journey/Axel Rudi Pell/Talisman/Sons Of Apollo), and with special guest dUg Pinnick (King’s X/The Mob). The Vinyl will be limited edition of 300 copies only! “Cool Blue” colour, all will be numbered 1-300, 180g Audiophile Vinyl. The band is: Jeff Scott Soto - Vocals (W.E.T/Yngwie Malmsteen/Axel Rudi Pell/Talisman/Sons Of Apollo) / special guest dUg Pinnick (King’s X/The Mob) on “Monster” / Philip Bynoe - Bass (Steve Vai/Ring Of Fire/Warlord) / Dan Meyers – Keyboards / Oren Halmut – Drums / Dave De Luna – Guitars / Produced by Dave De Luna / Mixed and Mastered by Rich Mouser (Dream Theatre/Spock’s Beard/Roxanne). D’luna is an entity instituting the music and songwriting of its founder, namely guitarist David De luna. David and his songs are a very personal individual journey that represents incredible strong guitar riffs, a true Texas groove and a high level of energy. The opening track ‘Monster’ lives up to its name and has a very strong King’s X influence which is hardly a surprise as it features dUg Pinnick of that very band. An explosive start to the album. ’Monster’ as an album is a superb slice of rock / metal and with David’s guidance and themes the whole thing has developed into a great working relationship between himself and vocalist Jeff Scott Soto. Jeff, of course, has worked with so many big names in the past, such as Malmsteen, Journey, Talisman and Sons of Apollo, he is a much-loved vocalist in the world of rock music. Philip Bynoe (Steve Vai) is on bass along with Dan Meyers on keyboards and Oren Halmut on drums. The line-up is now complete and with engineer Rich Mouser (Spock’s Beard / Roxanne) at the helm the mixes are brought to perfection and “Monster” is complete. D’Luna’s Monster greets the listener with a gravity strong enough that even light cannot escape it. The audience will be drawn into the unique sound, heaviness and level of virtuosity with undeniable hooks and melodies

Spectre is the third album by the late West Coast composer, healer, and medium Pauline Anna Strom. First released in 1984, the album finds Strom exploring the darker corridors of human mythology under the influence of vampiric lore, evoking a hushed gothic solitude and showcasing

her breathtaking dexterity of sound design. Despite its shadowy hues, Spectre offers generous glimpses of a vivid light that could only have come from a heart wide open to the cosmos. Restored and mixed from the original reels by Marta Salogni, and newly remastered, this is the album’s first ever official reissue, and the definitive edition of a visionary statement.

For the first time, Brandt Brauer Frick’s seminal album Mr. Machine is being reissued on coloured vinyl.

‘Mr. Machine’ is a record that put them alongside names as Steve Reich and Philip Glass, but with considerably more groove. More than anything, Daniel, Jan and Paul are keen that the Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble are not written off as a curiosity.

“Often people focus a lot on this whole "cross-over" aspect,” says Brauer. “We wish people would simply notice we have good chords, melodies etc. and take the music as it is. Because we make it the way we feel, and not for other, let's say purely conceptual reasons. Some only seem interested in how it’s made. Some reviewers perceive us as minimal techno, some as modern classical, some as nu jazz and so on. But we don’t divide the world into techno and nontechno.”

V.I.V.E.K returns to SYSTEM MUSIC with a 3 track EP exploring new grooves within the 140 scope. Following on from his SHAPES EP he continues to try something different within the boundaries of tempo.

U Dub harks back to old school jungle territory, ambient synths with heavy distorted 808 bassline.

Voices explores an Amapiano style at 140 with heavy log drum bass and whispering synths .

While 108 works to bashment style bounce but is heavy on the bass .

Dark Machine Funk is delighted to welcome the first guest producer into the fold, Head Front Panel. A huge source of inspiration to DMF since those highly sought after HFP 12”s hit the record store racks in 2014, Head Front Panel delivers a superb well rounded 4 track EP titled ‘Tactile’ for DMF’s 5th release.

The opening track 'Panama' opens with some otherworldly pads, sweeping resonances tickle the ear before signature HFP drums hit you with pure engaging energy. Broken kick drums and rattling percussion perfectly sit on this hypnotic tribal-esque sonic dream, a depth and area that we've not heard from HFP before. 'Tactile' brings the perfect tool, loopy rhythms that stretch the perception of time whilst getting lost in subtle rides and eerie door creaking atmospheres, deep listening will provide a new journey on every repeat. 'Surdo' open's side B, and we're catapulted into the fire with shaker/hi hat percussions that grab your attention immediately and vocal samples scatter across the stereo field. Shimmering pads take the track into deeper territory but all while keeping in a constant state of forward motion accented by the occasional double kick drum. A huge baseline swings the track to give it it's funk. 'Them' probably the most recognisable HFP track hammers with a thunderous kick drum and a subtle repetitive synth line, groove is king here where percussion elements are pushed and modulated to create enough interest to carry the track through till close.

We are more than honoured to present ‘Head Front Panel - Tactile’ on DMF!

Happy we can introduce a new addition to our catalog THINNER005, an EP called

“ & . . “

as the title tells, it’s a joint release by our friends, KOOLMFL, Sonic Weapon &. . Lemmi Ash

“& . . “ EP includes three club tracks, which been power played by Powder over these years in many different moment.

Each track can add a distinctive touch to the night, as like completing your cocktail with lemon and/or lime.

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KOOLMFL, fka K-LINE and Sonic Weapon is our regular suspects from Nagoya, motor city of JAPAN.

Some may know them putting out a shared EP “G” before on Thinner Groove and now they back to it again.

atonbow by KOOLMFL features words of a space traveller in state of peaceful sorrow, seemingly communicating their honest thought to the loved one who might not be hearing, Can you hear me ? … Hi astronaut, at least we can :)

KOOL’s clicky drum work pass the words to the floor, and the party breaks down with sudden synth and take all of us home.

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On track HOMIE, Sonic Weapon shows his signature fast boogie style again in a new approach with much dubbed out, ear pleasing, filtering, minimalistic, and stylistic way. The texture keeps changing but keeping the groove.

Feels like the beauty of watching a bridge getting slowly collapsing after somehow you made it to the other side.

& . .



We also want to introduce Lemmi Ash, a Swedish duo formed by Samo DJ and Martinou, newly joining the TG spectrum,

The duo previously had a release from ESP institute and each of them countless solo appearance on various releases . . .

Nonetheless, they a good long time friend and perfect fit for this release.

The duo features comfy calming ear tickling electronic sound with some kiddish, animalistic, or primitive humor in their own balance. This track Presence grooves with a leaning forward racing gamey phrase drifting around the mini synth explosion, feels like a joyful cruise during regardless the intense highway.

Back in 2020 The Whole Truth dropped a heap of gospel inspiration on Parkway in the shape of “Lord, Quench my Soul.” Three years later and they’re back stronger than ever.

The original Believe is an intense call for hope, featuring some amazing hooks and instrumentation that reference the sound of classics yet still bring new flavors.

Parkway boss Mark Seven has stretched the piece out into two further mixes, injecting time and space to create club friendly mixes that are high on hope!

Altogether it’s more timeless magic from the label you rely on

“Music gives us a place to be lost. Washing away thought, place, time and identity. It’s in the falling into the river, the dream, that we find just who we could be”.

Classically trained cellist, composer and storyteller Lihla (Lih-Qun Wong) presents her debut album, ‘Socha’ for A Strangely Isolated Place. Combining a vast instrumental skillset of piano, cello, electronics and spoken word, she crafts intensely immersive aural-hallucinatory worlds of intricately shifting landscapes.

A deeply personal work, Socha explores the ‘diaspora of time and space, and why we all feel so displaced.' Piano chapters capture the meeting place between memory and longing, while explorational vocal and cello textures invoke and echo the ancient, the feminine, and the otherworldly.

Lihla’s voice guides us, weaving through electronics and field recordings of the ‘real-world' to set the path for a poetic and deeply haunting journey through the internal psyche that is truly transportive and escapist.

‘Socha’ will be available on transparent smoke 12” and digital.

7” vinyl single w/ colour sleeve. For Fans Of Garage Punk, Power Pop, New Wave, Cheap Trick, Dollyrots, Pretenders, Go-Gos, Kate Bush, The Muffs, The Bangles, Larkin Poe. Josie Cotton’s Kitten Robot label issues their first 45 rpm 7”, and it’s a split between two of the label’s fave ladies: Josie her own bad self and Hayley and the Crushers. Josie’s song is the title track of her latest full-length, the Crushers issue a rowdy Iggy Pop cover that is also their latest digital single, releasing on Halloween of this year. Said Thoughts Words Actions of Day of the Gun, “The result is Josie Cotton’s signature sound, both timeless and contemporary, showcasing her ability to stay true to the roots while also pushing the envelope in new directions. Day Of The Gun is a masterclass in musical creativity and musicianship where Josie Cotton’s experience, talent, and ideas have come together to create an album that is both diverse and cohesive.” Meanwhile, Faster and Louder had this to say about Hayley’s recent LP. “Modern Adult Kicks makes it sound like Hayley and the Crushers have fast-forwarded ten years since 2020. This album doesn’t wallow in misery, but it confronts some heavy stuff...all the while reminding us to keep dancing no matter what happens

Available on vinyl LP & CD (with extra tracks). Robin Way has been making psychedelic music for decades under the name Oak Acetator. Mostly home recorded, Oak Acetator’s world of sound encompasses an intoxicating mix of psychedelia, punk, space rock and pop, with the emphasis strongly on hallucinogenic psych. ‘Power Trip’ is Robin’s seventh album, his previous six coming out on the hallowed Dig The Fuzz label, though strangely, none of his work appears on Discogs! Robin wrote, produced and played everything on ‘Power Trip’ in his Folkestone attic studio, and it is a work of crazed brilliance. Respected musician and writer Louis Wiggett summed it up succinctly when he said of Power Trip ‘Oh, that bonkers genius from Folkestone, can’t get enough of it. So good, almost sounds like a cosmic Stooges with synths and deadpan humour. Love it!’ And he’s absolutely right. Robin exudes his unique, very British style from the first moment to the last, sounding at times like Johnny Rotten backed by Hawkwind, but with touches of Gong and Krautrock thrown in for good measure, but really just like himself. It’s a total joy to be able to put this deranged masterpiece out on Blue Matter. We adore it, and we hope you will too

Whatdufaque?! Dutch artist Renée Van Trier is back on Swiss label CAF? for another record! Following her first album released in early 2020, she comes back with “HUMBLE,” the soundtrack of her new eponymous show performed at De Pont Museum (NL) and Arsenic (CH).

“At birth you are a promise, but at the same time also the greatest possible risk.” Inspired by children’s dances on TikTok where happy facades coexist with exploitative backgrounds, Renée Van Trier creates a fantasy world that’s anything but Disneyland. You’re invited to experience its soundtrack, taking you through dark atmospheres, eerie voices, glitched techno, and uplifting climaxes. Over the course of the 11 tracks, Renée Van Trier morphs into a dolphin, a puppet, and many other different characters, maintaining a blurry border between amazement and creepiness. Everyone wants the best for their children, but sometimes it doesn’t end well.

Transistor Radio: the fourth M. Ward album. Listening to M. Ward's breezy ode to radio's forgotten heydays is a lot like taking in a huge breath of dust-bowl wind -- however, its charms are rooted in the hazy lemonade-sipping of summer rather than the great depression-obsession of the post-O Brother, Where Art Thou? mainstream

Transistor Radio: the fourth M. Ward album. Listening to M. Ward's breezy ode to radio's forgotten heydays is a lot like taking in a huge breath of dust-bowl wind -- however, its charms are rooted in the hazy lemonade-sipping of summer rather than the great depression-obsession of the post-O Brother, Where Art Thou? mainstream

Available on viny for the first time, Demon Records and Fascination proudly presents the three original Steps Studio
albums. Steps are the most successful co-ed group in British chart history. Irresistible and inimitable, their unique
blend of perfect pop anthems, dynamic dance moves and a sheer sense of fun has been delighting fans for over 25
years.
Pressed on Neon Yellow Vinyl, 4x platinum 1999 #1 album Steptacular includes the UK number one Tragedy, plus the
classic hits Love’s Got a Hold on My Heart, Deeper Shade of Blue, Say You’ll Be Mine, After the Love Has Gone and
When I Said Goodbye.
All editions feature painstakingly rebuilt original artwork, complete with additional images and full lyrics.

Available on viny for the first time, Demon Records and Fascination proudly presents the three original Steps Studio
albums. Steps are the most successful co-ed group in British chart history. Irresistible and inimitable, their unique
blend of perfect pop anthems, dynamic dance moves and a sheer sense of fun has been delighting fans for over 25
years.
Pressed on Neon Yellow Vinyl, 4x platinum 1999 #1 album Steptacular includes the UK number one Tragedy, plus the
classic hits Love’s Got a Hold on My Heart, Deeper Shade of Blue, Say You’ll Be Mine, After the Love Has Gone and
When I Said Goodbye.
All editions feature painstakingly rebuilt original artwork, complete with additional images and full lyrics.

Repress on Galaxy Blue Vinyl. Limited to 500 copies. On their second long player, FIRES IN THE DISTANCE further expand on their musical foundations of wistful melodicism, crushingly heavy guitar work and intricate atmospherics. Across Air Not Meant For Us' six tracks, FIRES IN THE DISTANCE tie together intensely personal ruminations on mental health and themes of existentialism in the form of mortality salience, without losing sight of the importance of perseverance. Teaming up with Salt Lake City producer Randy Slaugh (Devin Townsend, Tesseract, White Moth Black Butterfly), FIRES IN THE DISTANCE's chief songwriter Yegor Savonin (composition, guitars, programming, lyrics) sought to reach even greater dynamics within the band's core sound of melodic death and doom metal. With live orchestration in the form of violas, violins, cellos, as well as piano work, proving to be an incredibly fruitful collaborative process for both band and producer.

The romantic side of Maestro Morricone contrasts the dramatic side of Thriller and Crime genre where dissonances always dominate.

For TIE ME UP! (1989) Morricone composed a delicate love theme for his one and only collaboration with the great Spanish film director Pedro Almodovar.

For FOR LOVE (1976) he created a motif for piano and orchestra as a back- ground to a love triangle.

The first sexual experiences of a teenager with older women at the end of the war in DISOBEDIENCE (1981) are accompanied by piano, strings and oboe.

“Desperate love theme” from MAKING LOVE (2000) is a very nostalgic classic tune for violin and orchestra. “Per le antica scale (Preludio)” from

DOWN THE ANCIENT STAIRS (1975) is a captivating, slow and sensual, love tune for piano and orchestra with a predominant flute solo.

“Beata and Joe” from THE STAR MAKER (1995) a sentimental theme for the two protagonists performed by an orchestra with the intervention of a classical guitar in the second part.

The crystal voice of soprano Edda Dell’Orso appears very frequently in Ennio Mor- ricone’s soundtracks as in the case of THE GOOD THIEF (1980),

THE MASTER AND MARGARITA (1972), WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SOLANGE? (1972), ORIENT EXPRESS (1979).

Neue Vinylfarbe 2024, klare LP, im Klappcover mit bedruckter Innenhülle! 16 Jahre nach dem letzten Studioalbum kommt das neue Album von LOIKAEMIE mit Namen "Menschen"! "Anschnallen! Unglaublich, aber wahr! Verdammte Axt!" Die Worte von Sachsens größtem Punkfestival hätten keinen Funken kleiner sein dürfen. Mit ihrem Überraschungs-Headliner verkündete das Back To Future 2019: LOIKAMIE ist wieder da! Innerhalb von fünf Jahren ging so gleich zweimal ein Ruck durch die europäische Oi!- und (Street-)Punk-Szene: Schwer die Emotionen beim Abschied 2014, umso größer die Euphorie beim Live-Comeback! Und noch größer angesichts 12 neuer Songs! Seit 2019 ist LOIKAEMIE wieder eine feste Größe, weit oben in den Lineups der Festivals und den Clubs, und das weit über Deutschland hinaus. Thomas, Eddie, Paul und Bruno konnten live nicht nur nahtlos anknüpfen, sondern eine Stufe empor steigen, auf den Konzerten trifft sich jung und alt in seiner ganzen subkulturellen Vielfalt, LOIKAEMIE ist eine Band, auf die sich - im besten Sinne - alle einigen können. Auch die Kreativität ist wieder erwacht: 2022 erschienen mit "Lumpenmann" und "Tief im Herzen" die ersten neuen Songs seit 2007 (digital und als limitierte 7"-Single), dazu gesellenen sich bisher "Was Soll Die Ganze Scheisse?" und "Lasst Uns rein", alles Vorboten des nun erscheinenden fünften Studioalbums "Menschen" und schon auf einer Menge Playlists zuhause. Kein Wunder, dass nach 16 Jahren die Erwartungen riesig sind, bei den Fans wie der Band selbst. Und ,Menschen" ist nicht weniger als ein Manifest dessen, wie Punkrock im Jahr 2023 klingen muss: Rotzig und melodisch, kompromisslos und reflektiert, politisch und gut gelaunt. Alle zwölf Ohrenfräsen atmen den unverkennbaren LOIKAEMIE-Spirit und doch ist ,Menschen" ein Riesenschritt nach vorn. Schon der überaus modern klingende Opener "Wenn wir alle so wären" fegt alles weg, was derzeit belanglos auf Allgemeinplätzen durch den Punk pogt, vom anschließenden hymnischen Titeltrack bis zur abschließenden Selbsteinladung "Lasst und rein" bleibt die Energie ganz oben, gleichzeitig ist das Album vielschichtig wie nie zuvor in der Bandgeschichte. Zu Streetpunk- und Rock'n'Roll-Brettern gesellt sich Reggea, Sprechgesang, Ballade und Melodien, die sich auch im Pop nicht verstecken müssten. Statt markiger Statements erzählen die Texte pointierte Geschichten, teilen durchdachte Gedanken zu aktuellen Miseren in der Welt, der Szene oder des eigenen Kopfes. Aber es gibt auch keine Scheu vorm hymnischen Refrain, den fortan volle Konzertsäle gemeinsam intonieren können. Oi!, was sind das knallende Hits!

Joyce Harris was born in Kentucky in 1939 and moved to New Orleans with her family when she was 13 years old. Harris learned to play guitar, write songs and was soon performing duets with her younger sister Judy. They released three singles – ‘He’s The One’ / ‘Hey Pretty Baby’, ‘Washboard Sam’ / ‘Nursery Rock (Beedle De Bop)’ and ‘Hey Little Baby’/ ‘Rock And Roll Kittens’ – as Judy and Joyce in 1958. When her sister got married, Harris spent a year singing in restaurants in Mexico and a first solo single ‘It’s You’ / ‘The Boy In School’ was released on New York’s U.T. Records at the end of 1959. A talent spotter saw her in Mexico and was impressed enough to secure her an audition with the Austin, Texas-based Domino label. Harris was soon in the studio with Tommy Kaspar and Don Burch of Domino’s vocal quartet, the Slades, to record ‘I Cheated’ / ‘Do You Know What It’s Like To Be Lonesome?’ (R-903) in October 1960. ‘No Way Out’ / ‘Dreamer’ (R-905) followed in January 1961 and sold strongly enough to be licensed to Infinity Records. On 7 April 1961, Harris performed ‘No Way Out’ live on TV on American Bandstand. Three more singles would be issued on different labels between 1963 and 1966.

Harris’ cover version of ‘I Got My Mojo Working’ – backed by Sonny Rhodes’ group the Daylighters –was recorded at the ‘No Way Out’ session and remained unissued until Ace put it out on our “The Domino Records Story” in 1997 (CDCHD 506). With renewed interest in Harris we are delighted to pair this ‘Trailer’ version of ‘I Got My Mojo Working’ with ‘No Way Out’ as a 7” single.

Drop the needle and shake your stuff.

Neben ihrer Zusammenarbeit mit Modern Cosmology, dem unglaublichen What Will You Grow Now? aus dem letzten Jahr und ihren fortgesetzten Tourneen mit den neu formierten Stereolab ist Laetitia mit Rooting For Love solo plus The Choir zurück in der Welt und ruft uns erneut dazu auf, uns auf unsere innere Ausrichtung und unsere Herzenskraft zu besinnen, um besser gerüstet zu sein für das, was kommen wird. Das regelmäßige Auftauchen von The Choir während Rooting For Love erinnert daran, dass diese Musik von einem Volk in der kritischen Masse stammt, zusätzlich zu einer Entwicklung, die die reichen harmonischen Felder, in denen Laetitia spielt, weiter vertieft. Die diversen musikalischen Arrangements tragen dazu bei - Orgel, Synthesizern, Gitarre, Bass, Posaune, Schlagzeugprogrammierung, Vibraphon und Zither, die alle auf verschlungenen Pfaden von Akkord- und Tempowechseln arbeiten. Der melodische Funk des Bassisten Xavi Muñoz führt zu gelegentlichen Dancefloor-Vibes und No-Wave-Rockouts, während Hannes Plattemier und Emma Mario abwechselnd die Tracks abmischen und das Material mit Vibes, zusätzlichem Drum-Programming und Synthesizern zusammen mit einer talentierten Besetzung von Spielern und Sängern aus Laetitas Source Ensemble und darüber hinaus bereichern. Ob sie sich Laetitia Sadier nun von der eigenen Zen-Shiastu-Ausbildung oder von den Texten von Véronique Vincent (Texterin und Sängerin von Aksak Maboul und einst Leadsängerin der Honeymoon Killers) inspirieren lässt, immer stellt sie sich der Wahrheit, ohne mit der Wimper zu zucken. Die Schatten, aus welchem Stoff sie auch immer bestehen - individuelle und kollektive, gegenwärtige und uralte - müssen erkannt und anerkannt werden, denn je mehr wir in uns selbst heilen, desto ungeteilter werden wir angesichts der drohenden neofaschistischen/neoliberalen Narrative, die die inneren und äußeren Landschaften verschmutzen. Wie das Titelbild des Winterbaums, das sich in den Wortmustern von Rooting For Love widerspiegelt, behauptet Laetitia, dass die Art und Weise, wie wir die kommende Welt heilen, und was wir daraus machen, eine Ko-Kreation sein wird. Die Qualität unserer Vorstellungskraft, die Ausrichtung, die wir unseren Gedanken geben, und die Fähigkeit, uns selbst und der Welt Liebe zu bringen, sind ein erster Schritt.

A very "MGMT MGMT album" which the band describes as "a group of songs about love and change, first and foremost." Descriptors from the band include: bold, flavorful, playful, sincere, optimistic, perceptive. Loss Of Life was produced by MGMT and Patrick Wimberly (Solange, Lil Yachty, MGMT), with mixing and additional production by Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Interpol, Spoon). The album includes the first ever MGMT song with a feature, courtesy Christine and the Queens. The album artwork has been licensed from John Baldessari's estate and is an artwork titled Noses & Ears, Etc. (Part Two). Formed in 2002, MGMT released their era-defining debut album Oracular Spectacular in 2007. One of the most influential albums of the '00’s - it went on to sell over 2 million copies worldwide and was certified Gold or Platinum in over 10 major territories, including double platinum in UK, Platinum in Australia, Gold in France and Platinum in the USA. It gave the world evergreen hits such as “Kids”, “Electric Feel” and “Time to Pretend” which have inspired, and continue to inspire new generations of artists and music fans alike to this day - those three songs combined have been streamed over 2 billion times on audio streaming platforms since released. Always taking an unexpected creative turn at every new record, but always maintaining their cultural and commercial relevance over the subsequent 15 years, MGMT later released three further studio albums: “Congratulations” (2010), “MGMT” (2013) and “Little Dark Age” (2018).

Das erste Live-Album von Van Halen - das Doppel-Platin-Album Live von 1993: Right Here, Right Now - feierte sein Vinyl-Debüt am Record Store Day als 4-LP-Set in limitierter Auflage. Aufgenommen im Mai 1992, als die Band ihre große Welttournee zur Unterstützung ihres klassischen, mit dreifachem Platin ausgezeichneten Albums For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge beendete, liefern Sänger Sammy Hagar, Gitarrist Eddie Van Halen, Schlagzeuger Alex Van Halen und Bassist Michael Anthony über zwei Stunden lang die typischen Van Halen-Hits.

For more than 30 years, singer-songwriter and guitar hero Mary Timony has cut a distinctive path through the world of independent music, most recently as vocalist and guitarist of acclaimed garage-pop power trio Ex Hex (Merge) but also as a member of seminal postpunk band Autoclave (Dischord), celebrated leader of the deeply influential Helium (Matador), multifaceted solo artist (Matador, Lookout!, Kill Rock Stars), and a co-founder of supergroup Wild Flag (Merge). Described by Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein as "Mary Shelley with a guitar" and dubbed "a trailblazer and an innovator" by Lindsey Jordan a.k.a. Snail Mail, Timony has distinguished herself as one of her generation's most influential. Although she has remained a cult hero and critical favorite since the early '90s, Timony's many triumphs have long been counterbalanced by crippling doubt and self-nullification. Her fifth solo album, Untame the Tiger, approaches these emotions head on. Her first solo release in 15 years is a startling document of an artist fully coming into her own power during the fourth decade of her career. It is the product of lessons learned during life-altering struggle. The mystical, acoustic-driven Untame the Tiger emerged after the dissolution of a long-term relationship and was bookended by the deaths of Timony's father and mother. The album was recorded during a two-year period during which she was the primary caregiver for her ailing parents. The tectonic psychic shift Mary experienced due to this loss informs many of her lyrics. Standout track "No Thirds" "is a song about losing everything and having to keep on going," says Timony. "I wanted the verses to sound like a wide-open barren space, like driving across a desert, because that is what the song is about - losing people and the feeling that your future is a giant, wide-open blank space." The stripped-back acoustic instrumentation of "The Guest" conjures Sweetheart-era Byrds. Timony describes it as a song sung directly to loneliness: "I was imagining loneliness as a house guest who keeps knocking on your door. I thought it would be funny to say loneliness is the only one who always comes back." Untame the Tiger does not eschew Timony's guitar hero reputation; in fact, "Summer" relishes in it, a straight-up banger that you'd be half tempted to call "no frills" until its initial garage rock stomp breaks into the unexpected bliss of a twin guitar solo conclusion. "I wanted the recording to have the energy of the Kinks, early Dio and Elf, or Rory Gallagher," she explains. "I was also listening to a lot of Gerry Rafferty's first solo album and was inspired to have two simultaneous guitar solos." Untame the Tiger picks up the thread woven through Timony's freak-folk-anticipating solo albums of the early '00s. Basic tracks were recorded at Studio 606 in Los Angeles, with Timony backed by Dave Mattacks, drummer of legendary British folk-rock band Fairport Convention. "Mattacks is a hero of mine and one of my favorite musicians of all time. He is a true legend. I never in a million years thought he'd agree to play on my record," says Timony. "Before the session, I had a panic attack and had to go sit alone in the parking lot_ Once we started playing together, it felt so great that the fear subsided and turned into excitement. His playing felt instantly familiar, which makes sense because it's the foundation of many of my favorite records." Untame the Tiger was produced by Mary Timony, Joe Wong, and Dennis Kane. The album was recorded over the course of two years at Studio 606, Magpie Cage, 38North, and in Mary's basement Additional engineering by J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines). Musicians include Chad Molter (Faraquet, Medications), David Christian (Karen O, Hospitality), and Brian Betancourt (Cass McCombs, Devendra Banhart, Hospitality). The album was mixed by Dave Fridmann (MGMT, The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev), Dennis Kane, and John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Vile, Waxahatchee).

For more than 30 years, singer-songwriter and guitar hero Mary Timony has cut a distinctive path through the world of independent music, most recently as vocalist and guitarist of acclaimed garage-pop power trio Ex Hex (Merge) but also as a member of seminal postpunk band Autoclave (Dischord), celebrated leader of the deeply influential Helium (Matador), multifaceted solo artist (Matador, Lookout!, Kill Rock Stars), and a co-founder of supergroup Wild Flag (Merge). Described by Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein as "Mary Shelley with a guitar" and dubbed "a trailblazer and an innovator" by Lindsey Jordan a.k.a. Snail Mail, Timony has distinguished herself as one of her generation's most influential. Although she has remained a cult hero and critical favorite since the early '90s, Timony's many triumphs have long been counterbalanced by crippling doubt and self-nullification. Her fifth solo album, Untame the Tiger, approaches these emotions head on. Her first solo release in 15 years is a startling document of an artist fully coming into her own power during the fourth decade of her career. It is the product of lessons learned during life-altering struggle. The mystical, acoustic-driven Untame the Tiger emerged after the dissolution of a long-term relationship and was bookended by the deaths of Timony's father and mother. The album was recorded during a two-year period during which she was the primary caregiver for her ailing parents. The tectonic psychic shift Mary experienced due to this loss informs many of her lyrics. Standout track "No Thirds" "is a song about losing everything and having to keep on going," says Timony. "I wanted the verses to sound like a wide-open barren space, like driving across a desert, because that is what the song is about - losing people and the feeling that your future is a giant, wide-open blank space." The stripped-back acoustic instrumentation of "The Guest" conjures Sweetheart-era Byrds. Timony describes it as a song sung directly to loneliness: "I was imagining loneliness as a house guest who keeps knocking on your door. I thought it would be funny to say loneliness is the only one who always comes back." Untame the Tiger does not eschew Timony's guitar hero reputation; in fact, "Summer" relishes in it, a straight-up banger that you'd be half tempted to call "no frills" until its initial garage rock stomp breaks into the unexpected bliss of a twin guitar solo conclusion. "I wanted the recording to have the energy of the Kinks, early Dio and Elf, or Rory Gallagher," she explains. "I was also listening to a lot of Gerry Rafferty's first solo album and was inspired to have two simultaneous guitar solos." Untame the Tiger picks up the thread woven through Timony's freak-folk-anticipating solo albums of the early '00s. Basic tracks were recorded at Studio 606 in Los Angeles, with Timony backed by Dave Mattacks, drummer of legendary British folk-rock band Fairport Convention. "Mattacks is a hero of mine and one of my favorite musicians of all time. He is a true legend. I never in a million years thought he'd agree to play on my record," says Timony. "Before the session, I had a panic attack and had to go sit alone in the parking lot_ Once we started playing together, it felt so great that the fear subsided and turned into excitement. His playing felt instantly familiar, which makes sense because it's the foundation of many of my favorite records." Untame the Tiger was produced by Mary Timony, Joe Wong, and Dennis Kane. The album was recorded over the course of two years at Studio 606, Magpie Cage, 38North, and in Mary's basement Additional engineering by J. Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines). Musicians include Chad Molter (Faraquet, Medications), David Christian (Karen O, Hospitality), and Brian Betancourt (Cass McCombs, Devendra Banhart, Hospitality). The album was mixed by Dave Fridmann (MGMT, The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev), Dennis Kane, and John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Kurt Vile, Waxahatchee).

orange marbled vinyl

A1 - The Construct
Opening the EP in style with a slew of darkly FX, The Construct sets a suspenseful tone before a thorough atmospheric amen on slaught takes center stage - solid, weighted breaks are chopped and edited to the standards fans have come to expect from ASC with a morose, anxious energy to the vocal samples and synthy backdrops punctuating the track in style. A banger for the club as well as the phones.
A2 - Tidal Lock
Distinctive thumping quadruple kicks thunder like a furious heartbeat as Tidal Lock mixes up the vibe and experiments with off-key tones and delivers a neurotic energy to the breaks. Rapid hats and snares accelerate the mix with deep undertone sub bass, as ASC crafts a cacophony of detail and delirium to a track that somehow fuses both calm and a tenacious ferocity in one. Unique, stylish and a joy to listen to.
AA1 - Centurion
A DJ-friendly intro opens Centurion with initially simple breaks which are soon joined with detail and a forceful finesse. Curious, inquisitive FX and melodies bristle melancholically as a stunning deep bassline seizes the attention and the atmosphere elevates. Familiar classic atmospheric signatures add to the complexity later in the track, with all layers continuing to breathe throughout.
AA2 - Nexus
ASC concludes the EP with a deep, rapid fire workout in Nexus -a track which quickly exudes a moody, tense vibe driven by a nervous vigor - inviting you to explore its immersive tapestry of quality modern atmospheric breaks. Persistent hi-hats and snares dominate the mix with vocal samples and otherworldly
effects, and parallel high horn notes complement the composition perfectly.

2024 REPRESS

RAWAX proudly welcomes The Legend Adonis the the Family!
We're very honoured to present you on the 30th edition of our Chiwax Classic series the man who produced 1986 his fist of many House Anthems, "No Way Back"! Now in the rebound: The 1989 originally on Jack Trax released "Do You Wanna Jack/ Lost In The Sound". As bonus track Adonis gave us "My Space". Another outstanding track, he did with Virgo aka Marshall Jefferson! This release is quite unique in this combination - so don't sleep on it! We'll have it on black solid vinyl and also on purple vinyl - it's up to you!