Cerca:heal

For RE:WARM 006 we present a collection of music from one of San Francisco’s best kept secrets, Dr Robert Blackman. “The Unimaginable DreamWorks” is a collection of five tracks from three musical masterpieces he put out between 1983-1985 on his own ‘Riverwinds’ imprint. A practising chiropractor by day with his own holistic health centre in San Francisco, these songs became his love, passion and focus. Together with Michael Pluznick, a very accomplished percussionist they painstakingly put together an ensemble of musicians to bring the tracks to life. The melting pot for this body of work was Hyde Street Studios which still today is based in deepest San Francisco and has seen names such as Neil Young, Earth Wind & Fire and John Waters to name a few grace its studio space. Singers and musicians alike came together from all over the world to bring Robert’s vision to reality. This included an Australian didgeridoo player, an electric violin and piano player from Paraguay as well as singers and a choir from the surrounding local churches. Together through Dr Robert Blackman’s eyes they created a fabulous sound of twisted disco punk funk like no other that still sounds relevant today as it did back in the eighties. The energy and the stories are clear to hear throughout the five tracks which make up “The Unimaginable DreamWorks” of Dr. Robert Blackman 1983-1985. Artwork was key to the releases and the “Peace Is Alive” painting incorporated on the label of the release appeared in TIME magazine in 1984 when Dr Robert Blackman was treating combat vets, suffering from PTSD and this was the name of the job fair for veterans he set up. To promote the album at the time Dr Robert Blackman flew up over San Francisco in a single engine prop airplane loaded with 50,000 leaflets

Mara TK, a golden voiced, Maori-Scottish world-wandering citizen of Aotearoa (New Zealand) announces his debut solo album 'Bad Meditation', released 7th May on Extra Soul Perception. Stepping out on his own, Mara TK is the former frontman of the acclaimed Kiwi future soul trio Electric Wire Hustle. Written and produced by Mara himself, 'Bad Meditation' is his 13 track opus, a deeply personal account of heritage, love, loss and healing.

An alumnus of Red Music Academy in Toronto, Mara TK's work beyond Electric Wire Hustle has seen him collaborate with critically lauded names including Om'Mas Keith of Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Detroit producer and J Dilla collaborator Waajeed, and Steve Spacek.

Extra Soul Perception is a collaboration and community music platform that started life between the UK, Kenya and Uganda but is now continuing to grow and connect independent musicians worldwide. Now with Mara TK added to the roster, Extra Soul Perception has released music by Lex Amor, K15, Maxwell Owin, Lynda Dawn, Hibotep, Karun, Labdi, Faizal Mostrixx and more.

*Nb: The solo version of 'Met At The River' is a digital exclusive only.

Flunk is a quartet from Oslo making downbeat acoustic music. From their debut in 2002, they have built a steady following around the world. They have about 55K followers on Spotify, with the top 5 countries being USA, Turkey, Germany, UK and Poland. Flunk is known for their downbeat version of New Order's Blue Monday (their best selling track by far).

Flunk is now building up towards their next album, their seventh ordinary album. They released two digital singles in the autumn of 2020, and three more are out or planned winter/spring as a buld-up towards the album. The singles are pushed by targeted pre- and post-release world wide promotion in social media. The album will be markeded the same way. Their new album will be out on digital, vinyl and CD. The album patches together trademark elements of soul-healing downtempo electronics and naive pop, infused in Nordic mystique and faded Americana tropes.

LTD. BLUE SEAGLASS WAVE TRANSLUCENT VINYL

Last spring, Devendra Banhart and Noah Georgeson started to make a record that was like nothing they had made before _ an ambient album that would be both a haven from a suddenly terrified world and a heartfelt musical dialogue between two artists who have been friends and collaborators for over two decades. Refuge is an album of profound meditative beauty which offers the listener a much-needed sense of peace and renewal. But while it was recorded in 2020 its roots go back much further _ all the way to the start of their friendship and, beyond that, to the shared sounds and ethics of their childhoods. Devendra grew up in Venezuela while Noah, six years older, is a native of Nevada City, California. But as they got to know each other, they realised that they had a similar history in the New Age subculture of the 1980s: a world of meditation, Eastern music, the Bhagavad Gita and The Whole Earth Catalog. Childhood memories were coloured by the aromas of health food stores and the sound of New Age labels like Windham Hill Records. Noah, whose production and mixing credits include Joanna Newsom and the Strokes, came on board as co-producer of Devendra's 2005 album Cripple Crow and they have been working together ever since. It was while making Devendra's 2019 album Ma that the pair finally decided to make their ambient record. Despite complicating logistics, 2020 created an emotional craving for music with this contemplative, therapeutic quality. Inspired by both memories of the past and the needs of the present, Refuge is an act of companionship and generosity which gives the listener room to breathe. "We're hoping to create a sense of comfort and coming back to the moment," Devendra says. "It's really important to have a little bit of space between us and our anxieties and impulses. What you do with that space is up to you." Dorian Lynskey May 2021

BBE Music is thrilled to announce the release of Modern Love, a diverse compendium of specially commissioned cover versions of rarities and classics in tribute to David Bowie. Featuring an array of artists such as Jeff Parker, We Are KING, Meshell Ndegeocello, Helado Negro, Khruangbin, Matthew Tavares, Nia and more, Modern Love seeks to champion Bowie’s lesser-known connection to soul, R&B, jazz, funk, and gospel. The prominent jazz influences throughout Bowie’s final album, Blackstar, were a key inspiration for curating this collection of reimagined Bowie songs with these artists. The resulting album is an eclectic tribute featuring a group of artists who not only fit together creatively, but who, like Bowie, straddle different worlds musically, with soul and jazz at their core. Modern Love offers a fresh look at Bowie's trailblazing career, aiming to highlight the often overlooked relationship between his back catalogue and musical genres traditionally pioneered by artists of color. The project was curated by music executive and DJ Drew McFadden, alongside BBE Music founder Peter Adarkwah. "I felt that the connection between Bowie and R&B, jazz, funk, gospel and all things soulful, had never really been explored before — at least not so much in covers, which tend to lean more towards rock and pop,” says McFadden. “Certainly, there's been plenty of Bowie covers over the years, but none that have really tapped into what seems to have been a big part of his core musical style and direction

In September of 2019, Deliluh took flight with sights set on new horizons.
A long plotted scheme to uproot the group from their Toronto home and
airlift them into the touring bastion of Europe seemed like a pot worth
gambling their stack on.
Their future in the old world was read with wide-eyed optimism, emboldened
by two albums newly waxed and tour dates rolling in. Greener pastures with
foreign allure, a promised land chalk full of experimental art and sound, and a
plethora of unconventional venues ripe for the picking... it’s open season, what
could possibly go wrong?
Well, the best laid plans... ‘Amulet’ is the first release since Deliluh’s departure
from Toronto, an opening document of the group’s transition to Europe. Mirrored images of the same composition occupy each side; ‘A’ performed by their
previous four-piece lineup (Kyle Knapp, Julius Pederson, Erika Wharton, Erik
Jude) and ‘B’ by the current active two-piece (Knapp and Pederson). ‘Amulet’
is set to be released July 30th on 10” via Tin Angel Records.
The lyrics depict a jewel thief committing crimes with the conviction of a merciless zealot, and justifying them with a spite for the status quo. The protagonist
amuses with the threat of being “caught”, a fate seemingly imminent and yet
laughable in the crooked context of societal greed. Knapp delivers sharp criticisms with a swagger liberated of fear, imploring us all to root for the anti-hero
in a time when danger is craved en masse.
The tonal contrasts between both versions testify to the group’s versatility.
The A side pulls tension by way of minimalism, leaning into a sinister synth
sequence that navigates a pitch dark sonic terrain. Swooning guitar, plucking
violin, whispering synths and darting tape effects peek in and out of the periphery, circling with unsettled starkness around Jude’s gloomy bass drone, through
until Wharton-Shukster’s string soaring climax.
Flip to the B side, and the immediate motorik groove turns the sequence on its
head, snapping to a gritty dance track for nights long yearned for. Pedersen’s
modular synth takes on a fresh persona of dusted drums and otherworldly high
hats, cracking on the beat while guitar scratches, processed sax, and string
synths build with harmonic euphoria, all until the tape slips and pulls the rug
from under the DIY dance floor.
‘Amulet’ demonstrates Deliluh’s potential growing fearlessly in the face of a
tight game. They promise a plentiful stash of recordings soon to be unearthed,
giving the sense that their recently tested process of creation has been far from
hindered. What comes next is anyone’s guess, though Amulet at the very least
reassures that we’re still, as always, in trusted hands.
Knapp: “It’s ‘adapt or parish’ these days.. We’re fortunate to be safe and
healthy, and thankfully, we’re not afraid of taking risks or evolving.”
Pedersen: “It isn’t the end goal that matters, but what you learn while exploring the paths that lead into unexplored terrain.”

Introducing a brand new label of mutant, fusioneering styles from the pulsating brain that rules from the centre of the Firecracker constellation.

The maiden voyage by Healing Force Project traverses further and deeper into the wormhole that was first explored in his Gravitational Lensing EP on Firecracker.

A full panoply of bubbling, semi-submerged, electro-acoustic abstraction, lysergic drones and oblique, polymetric time signatures recalling the work of Italian avant-jazz outfit Gruppo d’Improvvisazione while simultaneously picking up distant echoes from 'Pangaea' era Miles Davis, 23 Skidoo, Source Direct, Squarepusher, The Heliocentrics, This Heat and Mosquitoes.

'Fizz-cracking drum machines and sparring breakbeats knitted with eyes-shut chord progressions and a seemingly mystic sampler that spits pure magick vibes'.

This is electrified, psychozoic jazz fusion for tomorrow's unlocked vortices!

Electrifying Rockshow meets bluesy film noir-mood!
Daniel Welbat sings as if he had hung out in the darkest bars for years.
With his five-man band, the extroverted frontman brings a brilliant 8222;Rock Noir”-sound to the stage that thrills both the audience and the press. Most of the songs were recorded in october 2019 by the NDR at the Hamburger Nochtspeicher. Shortly after that the concert was awarded by the OXMOX-Leserumfrage and chosen for the TOP 10 BEST CONCERTS in 2019 (next to P!nk, Robbie Williams und Udo Lindenberg) NDR and DLF are Radio Presenters. Print Presenters: MusiX, SCHALL, eclipsed, ROCKS, Good Times OXMOX-Leserumfrage picked the concert (next to P!nk, Robbie Williams und Udo Lindenberg) for the Top 10 best concerts in 2019.
WellBad is a “Live Band” and the people are craving for LIVE MUSIC!

Serious UKG pressure from the year 2000 on the reissue tip.

S.i.A. gave us 'Little Man' from her debut album 'Healing Is Difficult' on Long Lost Brother records and the mighty Exemen aka Jason Chue aka Wookie gave us these peerless remixes that are now rightfully considered bonafide classics. Easily one of the biggest underground UKG tunes at the turn of the millennium, the Exemen 'works' and instrumental versions were caned by the most discerning DJs and selectors of the time and now, tens of thousands of rewinds later..... plus famously part of DJ EZ's classic Boiler Room... here we go again!

'Little Man' is back on the streets with a fresh, legit and welcome 2021 remaster from Beau Thomas and repressed onto a nice and heavy 12" slab of wax. Bearing all the hallmarks of the classic Exemen / Wookie style, 'Little Man' is complex, soulful and heavyweight, you will want this essential UKG burner in your record bag. A true piece of history brought back courtesy of Long Lost Brother records and Above Board Distribution. Often imitated....

LP on white vinyl! What if a song was not a culmination but a singe, an imprint, or a crater left in the wake of creative process? On her new record "Jade", Pan Daijing composes at a different scale than that we've come to know. Since the release of her groundbreaking LP "Lack" in 2017, Daijing has expanded her operatic vision into a series of major commissioned exhibition-performances at institutions including the Tate Modern, Martin Gropius Bau, and the Haus der Kulturen der Welt. Developed for full casts of opera singers and dancers, and reaching for an all-encompassing durational experience of intensity for both performer and audience, the development of these works was for Daijing as emotionally disarming as it was thrilling. In order to continue accessing her own limits, Daijing had to develop a place of sanctuary within her own practice. Its nine tracks written and recorded over the last three years, "Jade" is the sound of solitary release and refuge, of creative self-sustenance. Written without the imperatives of direct address to performers or audience, "Jade" speaks inward, while inviting a kind of rhetorical listening. The artist draws on materials familiar from her previous work: namely, ascetic electronic textures that rumble and pierce, and voice bent in irreverent directions. In place of catharsis, however, her arrangements here linger in tension, extending curiosity towards the delicate void that nourishes extremes. They toy with the minor capacities of song: repetition, chant, observations that conclude without resolving. "Jade" comes from a vulnerable place, tender as in an undressed wound caught in the midst of healing over. Vocals, mostly Daijing's own, arrive as wordless sequences of notes soaring alongside a drone, or plain laughter, or in a few places spoken word. What is said or sung provides fragments of experience and reflection. In the process of piecing together these fragments, the listener is confronted with the tender parts of her own. "Solitude is like an immense lake you're swimming through," says Daijing of these songs. "Sometimes you dip your head in and sometimes you lift it above. On album centerpiece "Let," she speaks to us over the sound of rippling water, returning between anxious scenes to a refrain: "I take my bath in the ocean." We are not just consuming Daijing's story; we are being invited to join her in the water. The album is mixed and mastered by Rashad Becker, featuring artwork by Pan Daijing, cinematography by Dzhovani Gospodinov & design by NMR.

Music in Exile is excited to announce a new 12” maxi-single release from the “King of Music”, GORDON KOANG. Titled Coronavirus / Disco, this double-A-side release share’s Gordon’s messages of peace, love and positivity, and is his first original offering since his acclaimed Unity album was released in late 2020.

The first single, Coronavirus, was penned by Koang in July 2020 as a response to his personal experiences of the global pandemic. As his hometown of Melbourne went into lockdown, Gordon resided in the outer suburbs of Melbourne with his cousin, Paul, and his four-stringed, guitar-like instrument, the thom. Throughout this single, Gordon offers his condolences to those affected by the pandemic, alongside messages of his faith in frontline workers and the hope that circumstances will improve soon. “People suffer a lot. I ask that God gives the doctors the big wisdom to defeat the coronavirus. When people hear my song, I hope that this music counsels them. The song has a lot of meaning, it is telling them to be hopeful.”

With the cancellation of a national tour and numerous festival appearances, Covid-19 had not only impacted Gordon’s career here in Australia but also his opportunity to visit family he hadn’t seen in five years. After receiving Australian permanent residency, Gordon and Paul were now able to visit family in Uganda, however this was made incredibly difficult due to border closures and the potential health risks. Taking a last minute opportunity, Gordon and Paul travelled to Africa and whilst excited to visit their families, they also experienced the impact of the pandemic on their home communities. “In Africa, it is not like us here, there is no medicine and in Africa there is also no Centrelink if you are in lockdown. It is difficult getting services. Even getting food is difficult.”

After two weeks in hotel quarantine, Gordon and Paul returned to Melbourne, eager to record music once more. With lockdown lifting, Gordon headed to the studio with a new band featuring Zak Olsen (ORB, Traffik Island) Jack Kong (Baked Beans, Traffik Island), David “Daff” Gravolin (ORB), and Jesse Williams (Leah Senior, Girlatones). This new release is the result of these studio sessions, jamming and recording at Button Pusher in Preston, Melbourne.

For the DJ’s out there, both tracks will feature on a limited edition, 12” maxi single vinyl complete with pull-out poster from Gordon, encouraging listeners to stay positive during this difficult time.

“My condolences to you, my audience in lockdown. We are all suffering from coronavirus. Let us stand firm and be strong. Let us look after each other, until the time comes when God brings us together. I give my condolences to people who have died of coronavirus, in aged care and disability. We are heartbroken for everyone. Let us take it easy, and pray in our houses, all around the world. If you believe in God, pray to the God you believe in, and they will help you. God will give us the chance to go back to normal and open all events. Even if it is a bad time now, there will be a change and it will be a good time for us. Thank you to everyone.” - Gordon Koang

New York, NY –March 12th, 2021 –Multi-Platinum DC trio SHAED has announced the title and release date for their highly anticipated debut album. High Dive is set for release on May 14th via Photo Finish Records. The trio has teamed up with mental health organization Teen Line–who provides personal teen-to-teen education and support using a national hotline, current technologies and community outreach-and will be donating a portion of proceeds from album sales and pre-order bundles.

WOLF Music welcomes Amsterdam’s Retromigration to the family with a five-track summertime sizzler, ready-made for hazy parkside sunsets and beach jaunts alike.

Hotly tipped and rarely skipped, Retromigration has been lighting up the scene with a string of killer releases over the past 18 months on labels like Healthy Scratch, Ltd, W/Lbl, GLBDOM and Ravanelli Disco Club.

Flexin’ that signature chopped and looped style across the EP, the A side is a double dose of house joints via ‘Bloom Street’ and ‘Brining It’, the former a bumpin’ New York nodding cut, the latter an synth heavy roller.

Flip it to find a more jazz-tinged affair but with its feet still firmly in the house domain. ‘Free Spirit’ channels a groove that could last forever, with a bass and keys combo that riffs away any creeping anxieties, before Arthur Dudley joins for ‘One Night With Colin’ a late night, smoked out, jazz joint trip.

‘Slick Walkin’' closes out the EP – a lesson in how to make samples dance any which way you want them to, as piano melodies flicker over a double nice bassline and tasty synth touches.

'Triage' offers a rare look inside of the songwriter. This album finds Rodney Crowell introspectively looking for answers and for healing, resulting in what he has called his most personal record yet. This new collection of songs was written during the great political, environmental and economic upheaval that has marked recent years. The noise of that chaos encouraged Crowell to look inward for solace and answers. The result is this series of songs that contend with these themes, but approaches them from a place of healing, love and solution. That they are being released while we find ourselves walking through a global pandemic, is a gift of perfect timing.

Crazy hardfloor tribe, oldschool hardtek streetwize style...
With a real cool political message... oups... massage.

Certain Sound Records are pleased to announce the release of the brand-new album from Montener The Menace – Anyone Home?

Anyone Home is the hotly anticipated follow-up to “I Have a Hidden Hobby” and is comprised of 14 superb tracks featuring an ensemble of legendary figures from both the US and UK Hip Hop scenes with appearances by Masta Ace, Rah Digga, Craig G, Keith Murray, Edo.G, Micall Parknsun, Cracker John, AG & Guilty Simpson to name just a few.

Production is handled by such heavyweights as Domingo, Roccwell, Keynotez and all cuts are provided by the legendary JabbaThaKut.

The album campaign was launched with the release of 3 excellent singles – High Noon, The Struggle and Take it Back all of which were met with extremely positive reviews from blogs and magazines alike, in addition to this acclaim the tracks have received airplay on a global scale via stations such as Shade45 and Itch FM.

Montener showcases his massive progression as an artist since his previous release with great confidence while still maintaining his trademark sense of humour that fans have come to love and adore. He demonstrates great diversity throughout by being able to touch on some difficult subjects such as suicide and mental health and parenthood as well as his more traditional upbeat content.

“Its gonna make a great impact on the scene, just what we need, when we need it most.” – Skinnyman

‘Code of Conduct EP’ the second instalment from Obia Records takes the labels sound through a darker path. Sinful acid spirits are summoned to drive out the past period of solitary confinement in which we all linger. ‘Discharge’ the records main cut is built by a solid acid line and crispy clear drums that highlight the slow tempo. ‘Code of Conduct’ continues on a similar pattern but with adverse drum programming that shapes the feeling of inner conflict. ‘Ethic of Reciprocity’ completes the cycle of healing with a more rhythmic and uplifting vibe and warm pad. All tracks were made with an original Roland TB-303.

Dark Nights: Death Metal war eine siebenteilige DC-Comicserie mit einer Erstauslieferung von 250k Einheiten, die an über 1,2 Tausend Graphic Novel- und Fachgeschäfte verteilt wurde. Um die hemmungslose
Ehrfurcht vor der Comic-Serie zu untermalen, präsentieren Tyler Bates und Loma Vista Recordings den ”Dark Nights: Death Metal-Soundtrack” mit Beiträgen von u.a. Rise Against, HEALTH, Denzel Curry, Soccer Mommy oder Manchester Orchestra.

Tyler Bates ist nicht nur ein Meister im Entwerfen von Musik für Film, Fernsehen und Videospiele, sondern auch ein gefragter Multiinstrumentalist, Autor und Produzent. Zu seinen Filmen zählen Dawn of
the Dead (2004), 300 (2007), Watchmen (2009), mehrere Kollaborationen mit Rob Zombie, darunter The
Devil’s Rejects (2005), Halloween (2007) und Halloween II (2009), die Guardians of the Galaxy-Saga (2014,
2017), die John Wick-Serie (2014, 2017, 2019), Atomic Blonde (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Fast & Furious
Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019 ), und viele mehr.

Dark Nights: Death Metal war eine siebenteilige DC-Comicserie mit einer Erstauslieferung von 250k Einheiten, die an über 1,2 Tausend Graphic Novel- und Fachgeschäfte verteilt wurde. Um die hemmungslose
Ehrfurcht vor der Comic-Serie zu untermalen, präsentieren Tyler Bates und Loma Vista Recordings den ”Dark Nights: Death Metal-Soundtrack” mit Beiträgen von u.a. Rise Against, HEALTH, Denzel Curry, Soccer Mommy oder Manchester Orchestra.

Tyler Bates ist nicht nur ein Meister im Entwerfen von Musik für Film, Fernsehen und Videospiele, sondern auch ein gefragter Multiinstrumentalist, Autor und Produzent. Zu seinen Filmen zählen Dawn of
the Dead (2004), 300 (2007), Watchmen (2009), mehrere Kollaborationen mit Rob Zombie, darunter The
Devil’s Rejects (2005), Halloween (2007) und Halloween II (2009), die Guardians of the Galaxy-Saga (2014,
2017), die John Wick-Serie (2014, 2017, 2019), Atomic Blonde (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Fast & Furious
Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019 ), und viele mehr.

Dark Nights: Death Metal war eine siebenteilige DC-Comicserie mit einer Erstauslieferung von 250k Einheiten, die an über 1,2 Tausend Graphic Novel- und Fachgeschäfte verteilt wurde. Um die hemmungslose
Ehrfurcht vor der Comic-Serie zu untermalen, präsentieren Tyler Bates und Loma Vista Recordings den ”Dark Nights: Death Metal-Soundtrack” mit Beiträgen von u.a. Rise Against, HEALTH, Denzel Curry, Soccer Mommy oder Manchester Orchestra.

Tyler Bates ist nicht nur ein Meister im Entwerfen von Musik für Film, Fernsehen und Videospiele, sondern auch ein gefragter Multiinstrumentalist, Autor und Produzent. Zu seinen Filmen zählen Dawn of
the Dead (2004), 300 (2007), Watchmen (2009), mehrere Kollaborationen mit Rob Zombie, darunter The
Devil’s Rejects (2005), Halloween (2007) und Halloween II (2009), die Guardians of the Galaxy-Saga (2014,
2017), die John Wick-Serie (2014, 2017, 2019), Atomic Blonde (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Fast & Furious
Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019 ), und viele mehr.

LTD. COLORED VINYL

In the fall of 2016, having overcome serious health issues, Marco Repetto – Bigeneric – begins to weave new delicate soundscapes from a place of stillness, unaware of his emerging role in the fabled magic web of the fairy queen Helva. Inspired by an encounter with the storyteller Andreas Sommer and the legend of Helva, the fairy queen who lives on the Gantrisch mountain, and another gentle message from the universe, Marco Repetto merges his electronic strands of magical sounds into a tender and mystical composition he names Helva. Helva is a cinematic work of sound with long, hypnotically mesmeric tonal progressions and subtle ambient colors, combining influences from the electronic avant-garde and the futuristic spectrum of contemporary electronic music. This is the spiritual soundtrack of the Heart Rebels Gang who ceaselessly radiate into the world a powerful and profound force of beauty

Jazz Montez is a music collective from Frankfurt, Germany dedicated to spreading the gospel of jazz throughout the universe. To them, jazz does not describe a particular style of music but an attitude, mindset and an approach to art and life that can manifest itself in a variety of ways. For their first vinyl release, they invited seven of the most talented and ambitious young groups from all over Germany to Frankfurt to record a track in the renowned studio Lotte Lindenberg. Despite the band's various influences, ranging from classic jazz, afrobeat and funk to hip hop, electronic music and rock, "Jazz Montez Presents Vol. I", mixed in its entirety by Drum&Bass legend Kabuki, works as a cohesive album. Pressed on high quality 180g vinyl, the record comes packaged in a beautiful and eco-friendly bagasse gatefold cover, designed by artist Clara Sipf. It features a 20 page booklet that includes a comic on the making of the album, texts by and information on the participating musicians, an interview with the sound engineers and an essay on the contemporary relevance of jazz. May this record inspire us to go through life guided by a spirit of open-mindedness and collaboration so that we may create a better, healthier and more beautiful world.

DEATH's landmark Spiritual Healing record is nothing short of genre-defining. Originally released in 1990, Spiritual Healing marked a new turn in the DEATH discography, one which ushered in cleaner production, a new level of boundary pushing musicianship and songwriting skills that were previously unimaginable from a metal band. Spiritual Healing sets the standard for riffs, insane time changes and of course mainman Chuck Schuldiner's masterful guitar solos. Includes Digital Download

Blissful ambient scapes alternated with dark tones and spacious IDM trips: Nous'klaer proudly present the third album by the Rotterdam via Sydney producer Nadia Struiwigh. After her Oooso EP earlier this year, Nadia returns with nine healing tracks to dream to. Artwork courtesy of Yan Cook.

More excellence from the Basin Rock label following albums from Nadia Reid, Julie Byrne, Aoife Nessa Frances, Jim Ghedi, Alex Maas..
With a special knack for balancing bright pop melodies with a drifting sense of melancholy, LA based Johanna Samuels new album Excelsior! is a tender, honest document of the importance of companionship above all else. Named after Dylan’s “Visions of Johanna”, Samuels grew up on the classic songwriters of yesteryear (George Harrison, Tom Petty, Neil Young) and after a healthy dose of Elliott Smith and Jon Brion, has spent the best part of the last decade honing her craft.

her band and producer Sam Evian but it's songs are full of West Coast sunshine. It's Evian's first full album production at his own Flying Cloud Studios. Recorded mostly to tape, the album is as a gorgeous combination of vintage instrumentation, strong melodic hooks, killer harmonies and Samuels’ elegant voice.
Samuels seeks those answers through companionship, exploring the depths of her relationships and then calling upon a handful of womxn to provide the album’s backing vocals - a task she’d always performed herself until now. As such, Excelsior! makes a space for the voices of Courtney Marie Andrews, Hannah Cohen, Lomelda’s Hannah Read, A.O. Gerber, Louise Florence and Olivia Kaplan.
The album takes its name from the signature that Samuels’ grandpa would use before he sadly passed away last December. “He was a very important person to me and he helped raise me,” Johanna explains. “He signed all of his letters and emails ‘Excelsior!’, including the exclamation point. It means ‘ever upward’ and that’s what I wish for everyone: to grow from listening with more empathy and from hearing each other out. I hope this record makes people want to be gentler with each other and themselves.”

Pink Sweat$ has finally arrived with the unveiling of his highly anticipated debut album, PINK PLANET via Atlantic Records. PINK PLANET is a 16-track testament (plus 2 bonus tracks) to the Philadelphia rising superstar’s sonic abilities, luring in fans with ballads about his highs and lows, many successes and a heart-warming number from Pink along with family members. For his heartwarming debut, production credits include D Mile (Lucky Daye, H.E.R.), John Hill (Khalid), Rogét Chahayed (Drake, Miguel) and Michael Keenan.




PINK PLANET CD and vinyl will be available on 9th July. “Pink Planet is about love, it’s about inclusivity, and it’s about creative freedom. “As an artist you should have the ability to make whatever music feels good to you, and that’s what I tried to do with this album. Top to bottom, I’m giving a glimpse into my creative world; and I hope there’s a little something for everybody in it.” – Pink Sweat$




The new album includes eight brand new songs alongside six stellar tracks released in 2020 as THE PRELUDE EP, a token to fans adjusting to a new landscape surrounding the pandemic. His debut embodies a world that we aren’t living right now, with a purpose to heal and gift fans with a stellar project that speaks to listeners’ daily experiences. PINK PLANET further includes such captivating tracks as “Icy,” “17,” and the powerful “Not Alright,” all joined by official music videos streaming now at YouTube.




In 2021, Pink Sweat$ welcomes the year with a brand new remix to “At My Worst” featuring Kehlani, along with today’s release of his debut album, Pink Planet. Ultimately, Pink Sweat$ makes a statement by unapologetically bringing love to the forefront.

Grouplove announce surprise release of their fifth studio album, This Is This, featuring lead single “Deadline” - celebrated with a live performance of the single on CBS’ The Late Late Show with James Corden.
“We hope this album gives people the permission to fucking scream or headbang or punch walls,” says Grouplove. “It's important to stay emotional. The whole rainbow is important. If we just live in the light blues, are we really alive? I'm not. I need to feel it all.”

Following their GRAMMY-nominated album Healer, This Is This was produced by Grouplove and collaborator Ricardo Acasuso – with additional songs produced by Dave Sitek (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Malay (Frank Ocean). The album was written and recorded during the global pandemic, fueled by all the upheaval and hardship of the past year. Recording this album proved both cathartic and powerfully creative for Grouplove, the sound of five friends finally letting go of all the anxiety, sadness, and frustration they’ve all had to endure.

Grouplove is: Hannah Hooper, Christian Zucconi, Andrew Wessen, Daniel Gleason, and Benjamin Homola.

Action/Adventure (A/A) is a pop-punk band hailing from Chicago ready to shatter the decades-long stereotypes of the scene. As a band comprised solely of BIPOC, their mission is to create #PopPunkInColor and ensure pop punk is a genre where everyone is represented on and off stage. Playing collectively together since 2014, the band has gotten the attention of alt scene tastemakers like Alt. Press and Kerrang!, garnered nearly 20k monthly listeners on Spotify, over one million plays on TikTok, and even secured a slot at the final Vans Warped Tour in 2018. The band consists of Adrian Brown (drums), Blake Evaristo (lead vocals), Manny Avila (bass), Oren Trace (guitar), and Brompton Jackson (vocals/guitar). Pulling Focus will be the bands fourth EP joining Going Heal (2018), Last Minute Stuntman (2016), and Ruble Pak (2016). The dynamic five-piece collectively write music that slides along the vast spectrum of pop punk, typically landing in the area of melodic hardcore. Poppy lyrics and melodies bring an air of familiarity that are simultaneously bringing a fresh perspective through a new lens, and gripping riffs and trashing breakdowns that you can nod your head to. A/A has now successfully planted their flag into the national landscape of the pop-punk scene following the release of their powerful 60-second single, “Barricades,” which details the discrimination the band has faced while gigging at pop-punk shows across the country. On a whim at the suggestion of a friend, the band posted the impactful music video for “Barricades” onto TikTok one afternoon with their hashtag #PopPunkInColor, and uninstalled the ap shortly after. By the end of the day, they had over 60k plays #PopPunkInColor. Within three weeks, the guys had over one million plays and an email from their dream label in their inbox.

Binding a deep social and political conscious with rigorous musical experimentation, the Brussels based, Italian pianist, performer, composer, Giovanni Di Domenico, delivers Downtown Ethnic Music, the 4th instalment of Die Schachtel’s Decay Music series, focused on inspired contemporary experimental efforts in the ambient, ethereal, and emotively abstract music.

Over the last decade or so, Giovanni Di Domenico has carved a deep path through a diverse number of discrete fields within experimental music, working in various ensembles - Abschattungen, AufHeben, Bonjintan, Cement Shoes, Delivery Health, Going, etc. - as well as producing a discography of critically heralded solo efforts, and intimate collaborations with Jim O'Rourke, Tatsuhisa Yamamoto, Akira Sakata, Arve Henriksen, Tatsuhisa Yamamoto, Alexandra Grimal, Nate Wooley, Chris Corsano, and others.

Downtown Ethnic Music encounters Di Domenico reimagining the future of urban music, pluming the mysterious and emotive depths of self, to arrive at vision of sonorous utopia, radically divergent from those of the past. Hybridizing numerous forms of musical practice, while making a conceptual nod to Jon Hassell’s notion of the "fourth world”, as well as the cross-temporal transnationalism of Roberto Musci, Aktuala, Futuro Antico, and the Third Ear Band, Di Domenico’s vision of democracy - rendered through the creative metaphors of sound - is a true to life, bristling conflict, as open-ended as it is ordered, and as dramatic and tense as it is beautiful, playful, and refined.

A colorful tapestry of ideas, experiences, histories, and reference points, woven from a pallet of electronics, synthesis, and various acoustic sources - the intervening rhythms of drummer João Lobo, vocals by Pak Yan Lau and Patshiva CIE women choir, the horns of Ananta Roosens and Jordi Grognard etc. - across the length of Downtown Ethnic Music, the boundaries between idiom, expressive concept, collective, and individual blur, giving way to a visionary, forward-thinking rendering of electroacoustic music, that subtly reminds us of the social and political potential of art.

Seamlessly incorporating bubbling electronic abstraction, sprawling ambience and long tones, throbbing kosmische, acoustic free improvisation, and the human voice, Giovanni Di Domenico’s Downtown Ethnic Music represents a high-water mark in an already astounding career. Issued by Die Schachtel in a one-time edition of 250 copies, pressed to 180g marble vinyl and housed in a pro-printed inner sleeve and jacket, contained in a silk-screen PVC sleeve.

70s/80s influenced ambient mixed up with a healthy dose of UFO's, abduction, occultism, paranoia, astral flow, new age and long lost Atlantis. 2020 was the year when Albert Kuningas debut vinyl on Escape From Synthesis was released and now the second part of this ambient/
dark ambient masterpiece is available! Finally it's time to get physical vinyl copies of legendary Bandcamp-only release "Music for UFO document programs 2" with a never before heard bonus track called 'Sateenkaarisilta 2'! Don't sleep on this one as it's limited release of 200pcs only.

Giancarlo Erra Returns With Spellbinding New Lp ‘Departure Tapes’ On
Kscope. Gatefold Oxblood Coloured Vinyl Edition.
UK based Italian composer, multi-instrumentalist and visual artist Giancarlo
Erra started his career in 2005 with one man studio project Nosound. In 2008
Erra signed with Kscope and released a string of albums under the Nosound
banner before recording the first album under his own name ‘Ends I-VII’ in
2019.
He now returns with a new album ‘Departure Tapes’, reflecting what has been
a difficult year with the loss of his father to cancer.
In Giancarlo’s own words “The end result is the most experimental (and darkest at times) material I ever wrote, without compromise or set plan. It contains
all the elements of my music in a very unconscious free flow way. It’s the first
album I wrote without knowing I was writing it, intrinsically linked to one of the
hardest and yet more healing parts of my life.”
‘Departure Tapes’ is an album of contemplative recordings, written while travelling between the UK and Italy. Most of these tracks have been recorded live
by Erra, so for the most part they are totally unique and hold a sincerity which
cannot be replicated.
Max Richter, Olafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm and the more electronic / ambient
recordings of Brian Eno may offer a reference point by which to enter Erra’s
world, but the depth within these recordings is truly original.
‘Departure Tapes’ is available in a gatefold sleeve on oxblood coloured vinyl and
The DVD-A/V includes high resolution stereo & 5.1 mix: DVD-V: stereo 24/48
LPCM lossless mixes, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, DTS 96/24 5.1 Surround DVDA: 5.1 Surround 24/48 LPCM lossless mixes

Strut presents one of the most in-demand and significant albums from the archives of Jimmy Gray's Black Fire Records, 'Bow To The People' (1976 )by theatre collective Theatre West, based out of Dayton, Ohio. Recorded at Arrest studios in Washington in '76, 'Bow To The People' brought together songs from several of Theatre West's best known plays including Bow To The People, The System and Black Love and unflinchingly explored serious issues around drug addiction, mental health and cultural awareness. "The whole idea of Bow To The People was to honour our black forefathers," explains Dillard. "It was important to do that for the kids that didn't know." Shelved following the original recording, the Bow To The People album eventually surfaced on a limited CD on Black Fire in 1993. Now receivingits first full international release, the album features the previously unreleased tracks 'Man Of Many Means' and 'I Don't Know Much About Love'

RIYL MELVINS/GOATSNAKE/NEUROSIS/ASCEND

Asclepius comprises two long-form tracks, “Healing The Ouroboros” and ‘Dahlia Rides the Firebird’, the latter is based on an old traditional Greek tune. With some members majoring in classics/philosophy, music/composition and studying ethnomusicology - classic mythology has always been a key reference point for the themes of their music. That the new record is named after the god of healing and medicine and arriving at this moment in time is coincidence, as the band comments, “It felt like we needed healing even before this pandemic hit.”

The line-up on Asclepius represents the core of Iceburn through the early formative years. Iceburn, later the Iceburn Collective, initially existed from 1990 to 2001. Later reuniting in 2007 with this current lineup again at the core. The band's initial output slowly evolved from hardcore and metal to free improvisation and noise, The 10 year arc saw the band following their own path and becoming more and more obscure as they got deeper into unknown musical worlds. By 2000 the cycle seemed complete and Iceburn did their final tour in Europe 2001. In 2007 this early core crew reunited to play a local anniversary show focused on the earliest material. Every few years since they would get together for another 'reunion' until that word became more of a joke, it was clear the band was back, getting together every week, and working on new material.

ICEBURN LINE UP:

Joseph 'Chubba' Smith - drums, founding member of Iceburn from 1990-'93 then 2007-present
James Holder - guitar, was also a founding member from '90-'95 and '07 to present
Cache Tolman - bass, '91-97 off and on, and '07 to present
Gentry Densley - guitar and vocals, 1990 to present

Asclepius was recorded and engineered by Andy Patterson (SubRosa, INVDRS, Insect Ark, and The Otolith) a collaborator also for Gentry's other band's Eagle Twin and Ascend.

‘Miracle’ is the new album from Manchester singer songwriter Francis Lung,
released on Memphis Industries.
“For me, ‘Miracle’ is about the struggle between my self-destructive side and my
problem-solving, constructive side,” says Francis. “I suppose through a lot of
these songs I’m dealing with these emotional problems, acknowledging the
negative aspects of my behaviour instead of burying them, and providing an
alternative point of view for myself.”
Despite its serious subject matter, ‘Miracle’ is far from austere in sound, marrying
the cinematic, dreamlike quality of Francis’s earlier music with the pared-back
charm of great singer-songwriters like Judee Sill, Jeff Tweedy and Elliott Smith.
The album opens with ‘Bad Hair Day’, a relentlessly catchy - and deceptively
upbeat - ode to hangovers and missed connections. “I’ve been calling on you all
night / But I never get through, I just get in the way” Francis laments; “I am a
cloud in the sun’s light / Whatever I do, whatever I say.”
Elsewhere, the title track finds him pondering the fickle nature of the music
industry: “I think of [‘Miracle’] as acknowledging and even encouraging the
feelings we’re not supposed to succumb to - giving up, giving in - just because it
can be comforting to hear it from someone else. ‘Why am I climbing these social
ladders and jumping through the hoops of this creative industry? Does this make
me happy?’”
These themes of longing and lacking, missing and being missed, reoccur
throughout ‘Miracle. “When I die / Will I be missed / Or am I missing the point?”
asks ‘Say So’; while ‘Lonesome No More’, inspired by the Kurt Vonnegut book of
the same name, begs the question: if loneliness was eradicated, would we miss
it?
By confronting these feelings, Francis is able to move forward, as triumphant
album closer ‘The Let Down’ proves. Its lyrics serve as a call to action, as
Francis wills himself (and the listener) to “Get up / Get something going / Do
something, do it / Do it now.”
‘Miracle’ was produced by Francis in collaboration with Brendan Williams (Dutch
Uncles, Matthew Halsall, Kiran Leonard) and Robin Koob (who co-arranged and
performed strings). The opportunity to take creative control was one Francis
relished. “I’m quite bad at delegating,” he admits, noting that he played every
instrument except strings on ‘Miracle’. The result is a cohesive, deeply personal
record, which is as vital as it is vulnerable. “I don’t want to be defined by my
anxiety, my depression or any history of substance abuse,” Francis says, “but I
do want to reach out to other people who have had similar experiences,
especially if it’s in a way that helps them feel a little better. To me, this music is
celebrating healing as much as it focuses on the darker sides of the human
psyche.”

Released on RCA Records - debut studio album by US singer/songwriter (was released in the US by Access Records/Epic Records on February 26th 2021). Created in the midst of Beer's major depressive episode and diagnosis with borderline personality disorder, the album deals with themes such as mental health, grief and heartbreak, as of Beer's experiences with public scrutiny inside the music industry and building resilience during the making of the record. Musically the album is a pop record with elements of R&B and alternative. Includes four singles "Good In Goodbye"(released as the album's lead single), "Selfish", "Baby" and "Boyshit". The album debuted at number 65 on the Billboard 200 and reached the top 40 digitally in the UK, Canada, and other countries around the globe. This is a 17 song vinyl format.

Repress

Punctual like a Swiss watch, Driftmachine presents a new album that once again astounds and delights. We know their trademark: solid mechanical percussions, forceful bass and melodies systematically built around circular patterns. "Spume & Recollection" is the sixth Umor Rex album by the Berlin duo, and what better way to celebrate the label's 15th anniversary than with a new record from the masters of labyrinthine cables and patches. Regarding "Nocturnes" (UR 2014), their debut album, we described their sound as precise and symmetrical, identical concrete blocks mounted and articulated in a random order. Their already obsessive style continued to evolve with their third record, "Colliding Contours" (UR 2016), now pushing further into abstract dub, ultra-tense grooves, and even more kinetic loops, moving further away from conventional musical structures. Between these two albums they released the remarkable "Eis Heauton" (UR 2015), a kind of hypnotic experiment informed by shadowy atmospheres, chance, and an intuitive dialogue with their musical machines, a unique situation in which they acted as bemused observers in hunt for epiphanies, resulting in an exquisite amalgamation of lucid dream-logic and mechanical precision. A one-of-a-kind soundtrack for minute and wordless scenes unfolding in pitch-black back alleys and hidden, alchemical basements. A similar map was explored with "Shunter" (UR 2018), a superb secret meeting between avant-garde phantasmagoria and concrete experimentation. "Radiations" (UR 2017) offered B-sides and bonus tracks, in addition to collaborations with Shackleton and The Sight Below, a kind of preamble that united Driftmachine’s different expressions and leanings.

When Andreas Gerth and Florian Zimmer come up with new material, one listens with high expectation. Looking back on their discography, one could safely anticipate a high quality album densely layered with their familiar leitmotifs. And yet, "Spume & Recollection" takes us by surprise and finds a new way to transfix. Fresh methods and ideas are introduced to their dynamics and formula. Yes, of course, you can still expect a healthy dose of kosmische, which is one of the dominant features in Driftmachine’s DNA; but this is now entwined with novel materials, semi-material patterns of alien code stretching over exhilaratingly tense and detailed grooves, clouds of gas shifting on top of deep dub architecture and blocking out the sun for prismatic effect. Even more of a surprise is the immediate, streamlined nature of these tracks, making "Spume & Recollection" their most accessible record and, perhaps, the most addictive (and this without sacrificing the essential mystery and strangeness at the core of Driftmachine’s sound).

We have previously described their work as post-industrial-dub; right now, we might just call it hypno-music for man and machine to dance and dream together. "Spume & Recollection" takes this concept as far as it can go without breaking, and finds some strange new feelings, and weirdly danceable grooves, to shed some light on this dark and dazzling ride.

All songs written & produced by Andreas Gerth & Florian Zimmer in Berlin Mastered by John Tejada Artwork & Photos by Daniel Castrejón