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Kaijupop is conceived as a record created by an international
supergroup operating under the umbrella of Soft-Bodied Humans. Over the past decade, UK producer David McNamee has curated an impressive series of releases under the Blue Tapes label that highlight various aspects of minimal music, ranging from grime to gugak, American primitivism to Japanese ambient, and released his own longform minimal music under the name Cut A Lonely Figure

McNamee now unveils on vinyl his latest project, Soft-Bodied Humans, a supergroup that transcends boundaries, drawing inspiration from grime, minimalism and industrial alike. Soft-Bodied Humans brings together an eclectic ensemble of like-minded producers, vocalists, and performers, resulting in a diverse and mesmerizing album.

Collaborators on this spellbinding album include L.A. avant-garde
artist Anna Homler, rising Ugandan MC Swordman Kitala, Brazilian
artist and musician Cadu Tenorio, Japanese grime artist PAKIN,
throat-singer and doom metal auteur Abysmal Growls of Despair, and
Chicago-based producer Fire-Toolz.

This groundbreaking album explores a dynamic range, effortlessly
transitioning from abstract moments to intense sonic experiences.
While grime-inflected beats form its core, Kaijupop fearlessly mutates
and diverts this foundation into uncharted territories. The result is
an immersive sonic journey that pushes the boundaries of the genre.
With each track, the album offers a fresh perspective and an
adventurous exploration of sound.

Soft-Bodied Humans stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and experimentation. This international supergroup definitely breaks the mould of traditional music-making, delivering a groundbreaking and boundary-pushing album that will leave listeners eager for more.

rand, the exciting new collaboration between pianist Jan Gerdes and electronic music producer Frank Bogdanowitz, is proud to present their debut album "Peripherie".

With Gerdes' background working alongside renowned composers such as Karl-Heinz Stockhausen, Wolfgang Rihm, and Helmut Lachenmann, and Bogdanowitz's extensive touring experience as Dr.Nojoke in the experimental minimal techno scene, rand brings together the worlds of acoustic and electronic music in a unique and captivating way.

Recorded live in 2019 at Berlin's Chez-Cherie Studios with no overdubs, the pieces were created through both improvisation and composition with Gerdes having access to three pianos during the recording process.

The resulting music is characterized by atmospheres that exist away from the conventional limelight, with musical elements blending together in a fluid indeterminacy.

The album showcases rand's ability to blur musical edges and create a wide ocean of sound, with piano and electronics taking listeners on a journey between detachment and connection.

rand's "Peripherie" represents the next step in their musical journey, following the release of EPs "I" and "II" on Bandcamp, a one-hour music improvisation for The POOL Berlin collective,
and a track on the Nonclassical label's "I hope this finds you well in these strange times Vol. 4" sampler.

The cover painting for "Peripherie" was created by Jan Gerdes, adding another layer of artistic expression to the project.

With their debut album, rand is set to make a name for themselves on the international stage and push the boundaries of what is possible in the world of contemporary music.

“My mother” says HDSN “is my biggest idol to date. She gave me the roots to grow and the wings to fly and pretty much dedicated her life to my sister and i. She has been holding herself accountable day in day out for more than twenty years to raise two kids as a single mom. Although my dad couldn´t be there she always kept the cable long and so we lacked of nothing - she literally gave us all that she got. It´s been her strength, her humbleness and her relentless effort which has made me and my sister the beautiful human beings we are today. Most importantly it was her acknowledgement of my passion for music that saw me being able to pursue what i call my destiny today. She has been my biggest supporter since day one even she couldn’t understand at first. She oftentimes called my music too “esoteric” little did we know how many peoples hearts these songs would touch on the way. From the very beginning i wanted to dedicate a song to her but as she was pretty delicate when it comes to my tracks i knew i needed to find the right notes to hit the right spots. It´s been eight years now since i started out to make music and with very much excitement i can announce i finally been able to thrill her soul. It´s with little hesitation that i dedicated this song which i ended up calling “Stronger” to her. I come from a family full of fighters, there have been many ups and downs for all of us but we stood strong to the struggle and managed to keep our shine. This goes especially for my sister as life dealt her a couple of rough patches early on. She was fighting her own war marching through the valley of death from a very young age. She never gave up though, thrived out of darkness into light like a poppy seed and now eventually became a mother, too. Life kinda neglected us over the year. I had to leave my loved ones behind to live my dream but there has always been a part of me that tried to find his way back home, which i finally stopped denying. “No Place Like Home” is dedicated to most important women in my life, my mother, my sister and her newborn child. This record is an homage to my family and the beauty that lies within our tribe.”

“In the Flesh” is the brainchild of Egyptian-born, New York-based conceptual artist Nader Sadek. Known for his impressively twisted sculptures, masks, and installations used for example by bands such as MAYHEM and SUNN O))), Sadek is now venturing into the realm of recorded music- including songwriting credits on this album! The band NADER SADEK emerges out of a collaboration between Sadek and some of extreme music’s most talented artists with its core made up out of songwriter/vocalist Steve Tucker (ex-MORBID ANGEL), CRYPTOPSY drummer Flo Mounier and Norwegian composer/guitarist Rune Eriksen (AVA INFERI, ex-MAYHEM). A host of guest-appearances lends additional weight to the musical impact of “In the Flesh” by leading artists such as Attila Csihar (MAYHEM), Travis Ryan (CATTLE DECAPITATION), Tony Norman (MONSTROSITY), Descructhor (MORBID ANGEL), and Nick McMaster (KRALLICE). “In the Flesh” is firmly based on a technically masterfully executed unique style of Death Metal with a pitch black twist that creates a multi-cultural symphonic abyss where melody and corrosion meet. As a work conceptual art “In the Flesh” is best explained like this: NADER SADEK invite you on a journey to the depths of the earth, where substances of a repulsive nature dwell. Beneath the earth’s crust, over millions of years creatures have disintegrated and decayed until taking on ghastly new life as petroleum. Like a return of the undead, petroleum and its derivates have wrought cross-cultural conflict, environmental pollution, and economic distress. With a visual and aural assault, Sadek’s new work “In The Flesh” re-interprets petroleum’s sinister insinuation into our everyday lives. Nine songs and a series of original drawings video works explore several aspects of the commodified resource we find ourselves fatally dependent on. “In the Flesh” exploits the sonic links between death metal and gasoline-dependent heavy machinery such as automobile and airplane engines. These links shaped the process of musical composition itself: The album opener, “Petrophilia”, kicks in with a sound evoking an engine starting up. Another song, “Of This Flesh (novus deus)”, follows the sonic structure of a car shifting gears. While continuing to link musical composition to mechanical transformations, other songs depart from engine-based references. The outro to the album, “Nigredo in Necromance” which is already accompanied by a video, dwells on an individual’s recognition that he must die in order to reunite with his deceased lover. The song riffs on the life-in-death of an oil-drenched society, as the lovers’ reunite in their decomposition and rebirth as petroleum. This theme also drives the track “Mechanic Idolatry”, which channels the uncanny thrust of Sadek’s recent artistic output, as live human beings provide the fuel for machines transforming themselves into flesh.

CALAMITA = KARKHANA members TONY ELIEH, SHARIF SEHNAOUI and Lebanese drummer MALEK RIZKALLAH join forces with the Egyptian singer AYA METWALLI - the result is the improbable meeting between free jazz / improv, punk rock & Oum Kalthoum!

CALAMITA is the "rock project" of SHARIF SEHNAOUI and TONY ELIEH, two of the most active musicians on the Lebanese experimental scene (among others projects, both are members of the "free Middle Eastern music" collective KARKHANA). SEHNAOUI comes from a jazz and improv music background, ELIEH is primarily a rock musician and founding member of the Lebanese post-punk band THE SCRAMBLED EGGS whose work in the last decade has covered many directions from pop-rock to plain experimental. They are joined by Lebanese drummer MALEK RIZKALLAH (WHO KILLED BRUCE LEE, ex THE SCRAMBLED EGGS). As trio they develop instrumental pieces that draw their inspiration from artists as diverse as Tony Conrad, Last Exit or Oum Kalthoum.

AYA METWALLI is an Egyptian singer/songwriter, composer and sound artist currently based in Beirut. Grown up in Cairo, her father would play non-stop Oum Kalthoum songs on road trips to the beach and Aya's mother; known to have the most beautiful voice in the family, she always sang at home and at family gatherings, so long before Aya was able to form her own music taste, immense amounts of Arabic classic songs and melodies already settled in her subconsciousness …

After her first EP "Beitak" in 2016, Metwalli (named "a musical enigma" by The Guardian) started to integrate more experimental and eerie sonic excursions into her avant-pop, so the collaboration with CALAMITA feels like a natural or logic step.

The roots for "Al Saher" ("stay awake") were laid when SEHNAOUI and METWALLI first worked together in "Night", a dance piece by ALI CHAHROUR which included a wide collection of Arabic songs and ancient poems, later Sehnaoui invited her to work with CALAMITA. The four met in a recording studio in Beirut, using songs by "The Voice of Egypt" Oum Kalthoum as starting point.Together they aim to fully revisit the song format and explore the possibilities of classical Tarab songs, extracted from their origins and reframed within the music of the twenty-first century. The result is a mix of various styles and influences that often seek to stretch the contrasts to towering extremes - animprobable blend between free jazz & improv, punk rock & Oum Kalthoum!

The third vinyl release from Seattle/LA imprint Rhizome Records comes from label cofounder Kristijan Risteski aka Kinjo. Previous productions from Kinjo include a single on sublabel Rhizome Forms and a 3-track release on SF’s P.U.N.C.H.I.S. With his first vinyl pressing, Kinjo perfects a signature deep vibe while recruiting the talents of Uruguay’s Z@p and Romanian Dragomir for a pair of remixes.

“Marxian” rolls out a techy percussive architecture along with the alluring yet dissonant call of dystopian synths. The subsurface layers crackle and shift, revealing a never-ending array of sophisticated effects.

Z@p provides the remix on side A, wasting no time to transform the original with his moody yet playful excavation. An expertly crafted electro pulse supercharges the alluring tones of the original to unleash a dance floor ready weapon.

Side B features a long form remix treatment by Romanian minimal technician Dragomir. At over 13 minutes, Dragomir’s interpretation extends the original’s chemistry across a vast landscape, carefully examining each element. A deeply psychedelic gem, the Dragomir remix synthesizes afterhours aesthetics with the dark side of jazz.

Nigeria is known as ‘The Giant of Africa’. It’s the most populated country in Africa with more then 250 ethnic groups and many different languages and dialects that gives to the country a rich diversity. This diversity also affects music which plays an important role in every aspect of social life. We, at DTW’s stable are happy to announce the reissue of “Narg Funk Machine” an explosive nigerian “black beat” disco originally released on Coconut in 1979. If you are looking for something weird here you’ve found it. Basically these four tracks are well represents the tangle of richness of nigerian music in this period, They are a melting pot of styles and sounds , where afrobeat, funk, highlife, juju, and psych rock are mixed all together in a cozy and captivating sound. Ready to bring some warmth and hypnotic sound to the dancefloor around the world.

To need, to be needed, in four corners. Sleep and privacy, gases come and gases go, and now you are the only one in the room you sit in, you are one with the room you sit in, as if there are no negatives and no positives--did you know that you are an extension of your apartment? Did you know that you are in a codependent relationship with your apartment? Did you know that your apartment knows and appreciates all of your secrets?--I feel safe, which is not a new need for human beings, but a very ancient one, almost the first one. It is enacted by the possibility of sound, humming or strumming something mostly. But the quiet apartment makes its own sounds: a single longing note of birdsong told to the beat of restful breathing, the angelic insistence of tinnitus, the neighbours. Sometimes I wonder if silence means nobody's home. How still I sit. Sometimes I return to silence and feel hugged by the cool lightness of its touch, like sleeping with just a sheet in summertime. Like turning the key. Like a visit from the cat next door. Like a somnambulant ray reaching across the room, asking if you'd like to step outside. Reste Envie is a desirous message to oneself, made from a place of lived solitude: the parameters of home. Roger 3000 is a painter and a musician from Brussels, Belgium. Rest En Vie follows his 2020 release on his own imprint Tundra Records, Fiftine. His first solo EP, UFO Love Letters, was released by JJ Funhouse in 2014, followed by a contribution to Ekster's 2017 compilation album EXO3. Roger 3000 frequently collaborates with other musicians and artists, most recently with Lawrence le Doux (with whom he released the EP Chou Chou on Lexi Disques in 2021); with Carole Louis as Ondine & Turbotin for the EP Club Solitude, as well as with Bitsy Knox, with whom he released the LP OM COLD BLOOD in 2018 on Tanuki Records. Text by Bitsy Knox

Two years after his acclaimed ‘Darkos LP’, Jonquera is back to Charlieu’s surrounding vales for his second album on Bamboo Shows.

Through ‘La Croix des Cros’, the French Musician delivers a loner-folk eclogue about the fantasized inner demons of a country dweller. Just like clay, audio recordings here are a malleable substance, slowly reworked over a year, following a sinuous production process where all mishaps are welcomed as breaches to step into.

Far from the spaghetti western myth of the reckless bounty hunter, riding his faithful horse in the great outdoors to spill blood; this 14-track album is the grieving lament of a wistful cowboy, longing for a simple patch of peace where one’s free to cultivate the earth and noodle on the guitar.

Heldon’s cosmic space-rock, Badalamenti’s Twin-Peaksesque foggy jazz or Morricone’s glorious soundtracks, so many references to portray another fertile imprint by Jonquera, available from February 13, 2023 on a 12” vinyl.

Recently created Guatemalan label Identidata is extremely proud to present Sacratávica, the very first collected survey of Joaquín Orellana’s compositions. With a career spanning over 50 years of activity across contemporary art, performance, theater and sound art, Orellana is a highly singular figure in Guatamalan culture. Often considered to be the sole avant-garde composer in the country, his work has a deeply interdisciplinary quality. Most of his music was created using an orchestra of his self-built instruments, also known as Útiles Sonoros. Sitting at the border of sculpture, sound installation and musical instrument, these Útiles Sonoros, which he’s been building and developing since the late ‘60s, are at the center of his artistic activity.

Aside the obvious formal aspect, his compositions also have a strong political message, while being deeply rooted in Guatemalan history, folklore and various identities, both indigenous and modern. Playful opener “Híbrido a presión” was one of the first of his compositions to be performed entirely using the Útiles Sonoros. However, due to its technical complexity the piece was seldom reproduced, except for a later staging that Orellana directed in Louisville, Kentucky. “Ramajes”(1984), initially titled “Evocación profunda y ramajes de una marimba” , tracks the many incarnations of the marimba across history, before reaching its final form as one of Orellana’s instruments by combining vibrational percussion with melody and poetry fragments.

The title track, ‘’Sacratávica’’, represents one of the most ambitious and emotionally charged pieces from the album. An expansive 22 minute composition mixing textures that mimick field recordings and multi-layered vocal melodies culminating in choral catharsis, ‘’Sacratávica’’ deals in baroque maximalism without ever feeling cluttered. For the casual listener, the track immediately stands out, not only because of the moving vocal layered harmonies, but also through its epic scale and strong sonic narrative. Dubbed “Las voces del Rio Negro”, the piece references the massacres that took place in Coban during a period where the army massacred numerous towns, throwing the bodies in the nearby Rio Negro (the Black River).

Final track, “Fantoidea”, a glistening, metallic ambient improvisation, was a reimagining of Disney’s Fantasia using Paul Dukas’s “The Sorcerer's Apprentice” as inspiration.

Despite his work being presented in numerous exhibitions and concerts in various prestigious museums and theaters across the world, very few quality recordings exist to date. The only previously available recordings so far or either of very poor quality or did not receive enough attention. This is why, although The compositions presented not being previously unheard, having them all together in a high quality audio object represents a key moment In Guatemalan and Latin American culture.

Recorded on August 31st 2016 during a historical concert attended by over 1000 people at the Centro Cultural Miguel Angel Asturias, designed by Efrain Recinos, one of Guatemala’s leading contemporary artist from the last century, the four pieces were performed by a selection of over 90 musicians (including 60 vocalists) who were already familiar with Orellana’s instruments, cherry-picked from the Guatemalan Conservatory.

For the people behind Identidata, it has been a long and arduous process to put together these pieces. Trying to offer a panoramic view of Orellana’s work, the curators have selected pieces ranging from different decades and artistic periods. Sacratávica is a portrait of a singular artist whose work speaks not only to his culture, but carries strong aesthetic sensibilities that resonate universally.

Since Interstellar Space, John Coltrane's posthumously released duo album with Rashied Ali, the combination of sax and drums has received an aura of sublime spiritual ambition. It is where tireless truth seekers come together to aim for something transcendental. Something too big for words. Of course, a lot has happened in the meantime.

The available options - philosophically, stylistically, temperamentally - are endless. Musicians are aware of those historical turning points, yet they also try to add their own twists and interpretations. Some of them succeed. One of reed player Mattias De Craene's many projects - MDC III - is a project involving drums and saxophone. A striking difference: De Craene invited two drummers (Simon Segers, Lennert Jacobs), that have been active in the worlds of jazz, pop, free improvisation and experimental music. They are the ideal foil for De Craene's vision, which seems to exclude no opposites. While the use of a recorder, electronics and percussion steers the music beyond the classic acoustic limitations, the result becomes strikingly rich with contrasts. What is abstract and introspective the first moment can switch - gradually or abruptly - to moments of fierce ecstasy the next.

The music feels free (free from limitations, free to choose its own logic), but also invites. Shifting moods and textures are combined with intricate rhythmical patterns, as the drummers lock together in dense, complex and/or ritualistic grooves. A minimal pulse, accompanied by murmuring hisses of brushes and a serenading sax is contrasted with moments of exuberance. The result is many things at once, but despite these wildly varying colors, sounds, textures, rhythms and moods, they are all linked, part of a generous, iridescent whole.

The trance-inducing trio MDCIII is back. And that equals yet another delicious load of modular drums, wildly processed saxophone sounds, improvisation & pulsating grooves.

After their first EP, MDCIII ft. Sylvie Kreusch, and their subsequent first (internationally) acclaimed album 'Dreamhatcher', the 'double drums' saxophone trio with Mattias De Craene, Simon Segers & Lennert Jacobs is all set to show what angle rock 'n roll can really come from. On their new album 'Drawn In Dusk' (release: end of September via W.E.R.F records) the trio delivers a whole new palette of sounds that are just as mystical, energetic and wild as 'Dreamhatcher'.

*MILKY CLEAR VINYL - 300 COPIES ONLY FOR WORLD!!* Technology + Teamwork’s fizzling synths, interweaving textures and punchy rhythms are beguiling on their long-awaited debut album We Used To Be Friends. However, at the heart of it all it’s the connection between the group’s two members, Anthony Silvester and Sarah Jones, the friendship the much-travelled duo have managed to maintain for nearly 15 years and a showcase of the slow-burning construction of the electronic world that they’ve surrounded themselves with. We Used To Be Friends is ultimately the tale of two storied artists in their own right, holding onto each other through personal and career twists and turns, relocations and broader movements through respective phases of their lives. Silvester and Jones first met and then collaborated as part of biting post-punk five-piece XX Teens in 2008, eventually breaking off to forge their own path together even as the latter’s demand as a drummer grew. Performing with everyone from Hot Chip, Harry Styles and Bloc Party among many others, Jones has been a constant percussive presence across the sphere of alternative UK pop music – she’s also found time for her own solo project Pillow Person and played on records by the likes of Puscifer and Kurt Vile. Silvester meanwhile has performed in art galleries across Europe including: Fridericianum in Kassel, Kölnischer Kunstverein in Cologne, and Vleeshal in Middelburg, as well as providing sound design and composing work for several art films. Technology + Teamwork is the constant throughout all of that though. “Technology + Teamwork's name perfectly describes how we work” Silvester explains. “Sometimes the teamwork is between each other and sometimes it’s between us and the technology.” Although going by the name Technology + Teamwork as far back as 2014, two events conspired that pulled the project into focus for the pair of them: firstly, Silvester spent a year constructing a soundproof studio shed on the border of London and Essex where he lives. Secondly, inevitably, the pandemic brought the globe-trotting Jones back home to just seven miles away from her long-time collaborator and friend. “We probably hung out more than we had for a few years” says Silvester. “Also, after all her Pillow Person releases Sarah had gotten really good with recording vocals and knowing what did and didn’t work and had a really good home studio set up. We still worked separately though, exchanging ideas via email and WhatsApp.” As with many artists through 2020 and early 2021, working separately was a new necessity that they were forced to adapt to. However, it became clear that there were creative benefits to it. “It really changed our sound and our sounds became a lot more focused as a result” Jones says. “I wanted to use the same ideas of improvisation that I might use while playing the drums for myself and apply that to melodies and lyrics.” The album bristles with hyperpop modernity. You can hear it in the manipulated vocals most prominently on Big Blue’s disco strut and on Moving Too’s heady mix of pitched up voice and burrowing sub bass. However, the pair also looked to San Francisco and the West Coast synthesis movement of the 60s, Silvester inspired by the likes of Suzanne Ciani and Don Buchla. The plaintive lo-fi and melancholy of Amsterdam incorporates Mutable Instrument’s Marbles by Émilie Gillet which – inspired by Buchla’s own synthesis work – outputs random voltages to give the track an air of unpredictability. It’s something that occurs throughout the album, the duo revelling in the happy accidents that disrupt the flow of their hook-laden pop. “The ‘Buchlian’ ideas of music having randomness and uncertainty, completely freed us up” Silvester explains. “It felt a bit like having more members in the band, machines that didn't do what you expected or intended.” Perhaps more subtly, is the influence of 17th and 18th century Baroque music, with Silvester drawing a line between it and the 90’s R’n’B he and Jones both love – exemplified perhaps best on K+B’s percussive claps and sultry grooves. The portentous juddering synthpop of the title track, meanwhile, alludes specifically to Handel’s Sarabande. It’s typical of an album that only needs a scratch of its seemingly glossy surface to unearth a myriad of contorted touchstones and reference points that’ve fermented beneath it. Thematically there’s an anxious sense to the record, with tracks often balancing above a quiet sense of unerring tension even at their most bombastic. Moving Too is the result of an existential doubt that hit Silvester while out cycling, with the outro refrain "it's not enough to die you also have to be forgotten" a take on something Samuel Beckett once said. These worries are echoed on the album’s closing track What A Year, which borrows a lot of lines from the late drag performer and fashion designer Dorian Corey including the grimly defiant "you're gonna leave your mark somewhere in this world just by getting through it”. Those clouds offer a counter point to We Used To Be Friends, but then isn’t that what great pop albums do? Technology + Teamwork undoubtedly love the craft of the hook and the song, but they always position themselves left of centre, prepared to scuff things up, pull something out of shape or manipulate something to leave it sounding warped. Much like their friendship, nothing here is particularly linear – and it’s all the better for it. Bio: Anthony Silvester & Sarah Jones first collaborated as part of biting post-punk five piece XX Teens in 2008, eventually breaking off to forge their own path together even as the latter's demand as a drummer grew. Performing with everyone from Hot Chip, Bat for Lashes, Harry Styles and Bloc Party (among many others), Jones has been a constant percussive presence across the sphere of alternative UK pop music - she's also found time for her own solo project Pillow Person and played on records by the likes of Puscifer and Kurt Vile. Silvester meanwhile has performed in art galleries across Europe including Fridericianum in Kassel, Kölnischer Kunstverein in Cologne, and Wleeshal in Middelburg, as well as providing sound design and composing work for several art films. Technology & Teamwork is the constant throughout all of that though. "We Used To Be Friends" proves that Technology & Teamwork undoubtedly love the craft of the hook and the song, but they always position themselves left of centre, prepared to scuff things up, pull something out of shape or manipulate something to leave it sounding warped. Much like their friendship, nothing hear is particularly linear - and it's all the better for it.

Vincentiulian is the kind of name that needs no introduction. He is one of the best-known DJs and producers from the famous Romanian scene, and his evolution throughout the years tells its own story. He has played alongside the biggest names in the industry, shared the decks with household DJs like Priku, Rhadoo, or Cezar, and played the most important festivals out there.

His Subbass EP on Vivus Records cements his aura even more as a wonderful producer.

The opening track, Works, kicks things off wonderfully and subtly. It’s certainly a perfect track for the warm-up moments in the club, but its intricate background noises add a lovely layer of complexity as the track goes on.

Then we head off in a different direction: At Chalet is a much stronger track with an imposing bassline that dominates the sound and perfectly complements the mysterious vocals.

The titular track, Subbass, has a natural futuristic vibe and feels like a
ready-made club banger. The spacey atmosphere is something that only adds charm to it. The Tobias Laun Remix is a more chill but equally powerful way to end this mesmerizing EP, with Tobias showing his prowess at adjusting the pace just at the right rhythm for the dancefloor. The strong bass complements superbly with the sublime background noises to make this the perfect last chapter.

The eccentric beat ambassador Alexander Skancke showcases his sound once more on his Quirk label, diving into spring with his debut LP, “Kingdom Couch”. The Norwegian has crafted a versatile yet cohesive body of work between 2020 and 2023, parallel to when he began attending sessions with a therapist. The 10 track double 12” traverses between meticulously arranged minimal moods, shuffling jazz rhythms and ethereal experimental textures. In its few years of existence Quirk has become a safe haven for a freedom of expression as Skancke and his affiliates share their wild side on the label, but the LP marks a milestone on the imprint and for Alexander himself whose lifelong dedication to sound has built towards this moment, utilising the vast influences has absorbed over the years.

“Therapy Session I” teases you into the LP, shimmering blissfully as it grows, blossoming into a dream-like world, tuning your ears for the trip you are about to encounter. Constructed upon slick jazzy drums is “Lost In Time” loosening your senses as the pulsating bass swallows up your train of thought. “Dumbo Move” blurs the lines perfectly between the atmospheres the Berlin based producer has captured within the album. Dark, mysterious and mind bending material in “Purple Lucy” a chugging sub heavy bass driving the track forward as precise beeps and bleeps whirr throughout. On a more playful note is the B2, “Extravagance” animated drum patterns converse with the elastic groove perfectly. Closing off the first vinyl is “Therapy Session II”, another extended exploration of otherworldly ambience, drifting deeper in the world of Quirk.

“The Magnificent Tree Hut” stirs consistently throughout, crisp percussion combined with the psychedelic vocal samples which continue to flash in and out. Transitioning now into “Therapy Session III” sophisticated sounds, enticed further into the full bodied experience by the storytelling sounds of a female voice. Your eyes begin to close and you wake up in a hazy club setting, immersed in the after hours; that’s the immediate impact of “New Dawn”, pensive and hypnotic as it rumbles quietly in the realms of the underground. At just over ten minutes long Alexander Skancke brings you down for landing with the final “Therapy Sessions IV”, transcending movements crammed full of raw emotion, floating you calmly
out of the seventh outing on the label, and the thriving talents finest work to date.

The “Kingdom Couch” is an amalgamation of Skancke’s undying passion and burning desire to create outside of the norm, this can be heard throughout this masterpiece and will undoubtedly inspire its listeners to search for the bigger picture.

Artwork: Johann 3000
Mastering: Mike Grinser, Manmade Mastering

Next up via the Herrensauna collective’s expansive record label imprint is a six-track LP of euphoric tension and mutant electro from alien boogie commander Volruptus. Unruly drums, erratic arpeggios, glitchy bass, high speeds. What more is there to say...

Reissue of this cult 1972 album which featured on the infamous Nurse With Wound List.

During the long, dark hangover of the Summer of Love, the classically-trained Essex prodigy approached CBS Records with demo recordings. A forward-thinking A&R executive must have seen a potential revenue stream in Don Bradshaw-Leather's avant-classical noise. The artist was given an advance to record an album. He used the funds to create a large studio in Sussex with many instruments including an actual church organ. Here, on his own, without the use of any electronic sequencing, he recorded "Distance Between Us" using simply multitrack tape, layering each part of the composition. Upon hearing the product of their financial investment - four side-long tracks of blurry organ drones, frantic piano tinkling, and ritualistic percussion - CBS got cold feet.

The album was self-released on Bradshaw-Leather's own Distance imprint; a vanity label established for the sole purpose of releasing the album. The sleeve art is full of mysteries, from the misspelling of "Bradshaw" ("Bradsham"), to the coal-blackened visage of the bohemian madman on the cover (DBL himself?), to the rear photo collage depicting the same madman accosting a nude woman. The music isn't any less mysterious; shapeless symphonies of smeared-out Mellotron, tribal drums, and wordless vocals. Don Bradshaw-Leather passed away in the 90's.

Presented in a matt-laminate gatefold digisleeve.