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With its tenth record from Fortunato Durutti Marinetti, Quindi continues to celebrate songwriting and storytelling framed by curious musicality. In keeping with the label's trajectory to date, this is an album which draws on a universal human sentimentality and presents it with an uncommon flair. In the case of Toronto-based Daniel Colussi, the man behind Eight Waves In Search Of An Ocean, his melancholic poetry cuts through with a clarity which calls to mind all-time greats from Anette Peacock through to Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen.
Turin-born Colussi has drifted through various bands, guises and styles over the past 20 years, but since settling into Fortunato Durutti Marinetti as a vehicle for his songs, he's found a strong expressive impetus which transcends genre to become entirely hinged on the power of his words and melodies. The first album under this alias was a 2020 cassette album, Desire, later pressed on vinyl due to demand in tandem with the release of 2022's Memory's Fool. On each record, Colussi has found distinct arrangements of players to set the mood, ranging from gently lilting art and folk rock through to orchestrated balladry, but Eight Waves In Search Of An Ocean widens the palette of Fortunato Durutti Marinetti to create an album in which each song feels like a tale unto itself.
Colussi's renewed approach is instantly apparent as album opener 'Lightning On A Sunny Day' unfurls, informed greatly by producer Sandro Perri's input pursuing a hybrid electro-organic sound. The addition of drum machines and synths to the musical palette bring with them the strong connotations of pop while the sax and violin sounds similarly smooth and silky, and one can't help but think of John Martyn's slide into the digital sound of Sapphire or Kraftwerk's bittersweet synthetic tenderness.
Within this sound, there's still space for the energy to fluctuate according to the whims of songs. 'The Flowers' turns inward with a soft-touch composition as delicate as the petals Colussi describes falling to the floor. 'Misfit Streams' and first single 'Clerk Of Oblivion' savour the fluid, luxuriant tone of fretless bass with all the 80s connotations intact. Colussi remains the central focus whatever happens around him, in possession of the kind of unforced charisma which drives a song deep into the listener's heart. It's at once entirely his own style and yet comforting and familiar. The lyrics might sweep you into the singer's inner world, similarly to the experience listening to late 60s Tim Buckley, or you might well inhale the mellow jazziness of the harmonic movement like you would Joni Mitchell on Hejira.
The emotional direction of each track is never linear - 'Smash Your Head Against The Wall' snarls its rhythm section before the strings sow their aching beauty to cool the song's temper, winding up as a track of distinct halves jabbing at each other. "I Need You More' leaves space for spiralling flute solos and strangely stiff, militaristic drum rolls in the midst of a sweet, slightly sad synth ballad, the final wave receding back into the tidal undulations of Colussi's unique exploration of his muse.
The artist himself dubs his musical expression as "poetic jazz rock" with a sideways glance - it's not exactly poetry, far from trad jazz and it doesn't really rock, yet the tag feels uncannily like it fits, just like the curious music it's used to describe.

Mit "Urlaub in der Bredouille" erscheint Ende 2023 der 12. Longplayer von DRITTE WAHL. Die Rostocker Punk-Rock-Institution begeht ihren 35 Geburtstag also nicht mit einem Best-Off Rückblick sondern mit neuen Songs und einem Ausblick in die Zukunft. Thematisch bleibe das Quartett wieder am Puls der Zeit. Viele aktuelle Themen finden sich in den Texten der Band wieder. Musikalisch geht die Reise quer durch die Punk-, Metal- und Indiewelt. Da treffen skalastige Beats auf harte Gitarren, Hochgeschwindigkeit auf Up-Tempo und DRITTE WAHL signalisieren mit ihrem neuen Album dass sie lange nicht am Ende ihres Weges sind

Mit "Urlaub in der Bredouille" erscheint Ende 2023 der 12. Longplayer von DRITTE WAHL. Die Rostocker Punk-Rock-Institution begeht ihren 35 Geburtstag also nicht mit einem Best-Off Rückblick sondern mit neuen Songs und einem Ausblick in die Zukunft. Thematisch bleibe das Quartett wieder am Puls der Zeit. Viele aktuelle Themen finden sich in den Texten der Band wieder. Musikalisch geht die Reise quer durch die Punk-, Metal- und Indiewelt. Da treffen skalastige Beats auf harte Gitarren, Hochgeschwindigkeit auf Up-Tempo und DRITTE WAHL signalisieren mit ihrem neuen Album dass sie lange nicht am Ende ihres Weges sind

Mit "Urlaub in der Bredouille" erscheint Ende 2023 der 12. Longplayer von DRITTE WAHL. Die Rostocker Punk-Rock-Institution begeht ihren 35 Geburtstag also nicht mit einem Best-Off Rückblick sondern mit neuen Songs und einem Ausblick in die Zukunft. Thematisch bleibe das Quartett wieder am Puls der Zeit. Viele aktuelle Themen finden sich in den Texten der Band wieder. Musikalisch geht die Reise quer durch die Punk-, Metal- und Indiewelt. Da treffen skalastige Beats auf harte Gitarren, Hochgeschwindigkeit auf Up-Tempo und DRITTE WAHL signalisieren mit ihrem neuen Album dass sie lange nicht am Ende ihres Weges sind

Mit "Urlaub in der Bredouille" erscheint Ende 2023 der 12. Longplayer von DRITTE WAHL. Die Rostocker Punk-Rock-Institution begeht ihren 35 Geburtstag also nicht mit einem Best-Off Rückblick sondern mit neuen Songs und einem Ausblick in die Zukunft. Thematisch bleibe das Quartett wieder am Puls der Zeit. Viele aktuelle Themen finden sich in den Texten der Band wieder. Musikalisch geht die Reise quer durch die Punk-, Metal- und Indiewelt. Da treffen skalastige Beats auf harte Gitarren, Hochgeschwindigkeit auf Up-Tempo und DRITTE WAHL signalisieren mit ihrem neuen Album dass sie lange nicht am Ende ihres Weges sind

Introducing Moy, the Visionary Uk-Based Producer Whose Sonic Alchemy Transcends Boundaries and Genres. in His Latest Masterpiece, the 'Heard in a Field' Ep on Syncrophone Records, Moy Delves Deep Into the Realms of Melancholic Braindance and Electrifying Breakbeat-Infused Electro. With Cosmic Acid Melodies That Spiral Through the Cosmos, This Ep Is a Captivating Journey Through the Outer Reaches of Electronic Music.

a True Highlight of 'Deepening991' Is the Exceptional Remix by the Uk Electro Maestro Carl Finlow, Adding His Signature Touch to an Already Mesmerizing Soundscape. Moy's Artistry Shines Brightly as He Effortlessly Merges Nostalgia With Futurism, Crafting an Ep That Is as Emotionally Resonant as It Is Dancefloor-Ready. Dive Into the Sonic Universe of Moy and Experience the Ethereal Landscapes of 'Heard in a Field'—a Testament to His Boundless Creativity and Mastery of Electronic Soundscapes....

Not a lot is known about the mysterious Mayz Road Kartel. They only created this outstanding underground joint in the mid 90's in the concrets of Memphis. For many this is the sound of Memphis in his purest form.

All tracks produced by no other than Blackout and backed by featured rappers Playa Posse. The first time on vinyl for this whole planet served for you by Hole in One.

2023er Reissue des 2019er Live-Albums der Deutschen Black Metal Institution DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT! Reduziert auf das Wesentliche repräsentiert diese Live-Aufnahme den wahren Charakter und Sound der Band. 80 Minuten voller Live Energie mit Songs aus der kompletten Diskografie, live mitgeschnitten am 14. Oktober 2017 im Lido, Berlin und professionell für Vinyl gemischt und gemastert. 180 Gramm schweres, farbiges Doppel-Vinyl (Transparent Rot mit Schwarz) im Gatefold Cover! Für Fans von Deafheaven, Emperor, Dark Funeral, Wiegedood, Helrunar

Referred to as "one of Reggae's quietest superstars" Jackie Mitto aka "The Keyboard King" had a remarkable path in Reggae music, a protege of Sly Stone, he started his career as part of Studio One's in house recording band and later went on to work with artists such as Bob Marley, UB40, Barry White, Peter Tosh and Oscar Peterson. This album was the result of a rare occasion of being on tour in Africa and establishing musical connections with musicians from Ghana, recorded in Accra and mixed in London. Predominantly instrumental, this album is essential to any dub conscientious record collection, as it culminates the career of a Reggae legend whilst under new influences in West Africa resulting in an unmistakably characteristic modern dub sound. Re-issued on vinyl with remixes previously only availably on CD format.

»In Words« is the first solo album by the Danish musician, composer, and visual artist Alexander Tillegreen. The album represents a series of varied electronic music pieces while also carrying examples of ongoing work with psychoacoustic phenomena. Composed partly of material taken from his artistic practice as an installation artist and his ongoing interdisciplinary artistic research into psychoacoustic phenomena, Tillegreen investigates subjective sonic perception and the negotiation of language. Particularly, these investigations are done through the use of the phantom word illusion, originally discovered by music psychologist Diana Deutsch. Parts of the album were conceived when Tillegreen was the first artist ever in resident at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. Triggering the brain’s tendency to interpret language-based auditory illusions as meaningful information and as words within the mind of the listener, Tillegreen’s unique sound works unfold like a kaleidoscope of phonetic mirrors which render possibilities to reflect upon the listener’s own psychological and culturally situated linguistic embeddedness. Gender-distorted voice perception, speech and language borders are all challenged and thematized throughout Tillegreen’s work. The listener’s head and bodily movement drastically affect the listening and the word interpretation. Their psychological subconsciousness, recent events, memories, and expectations as well as the listener’s motion in space all become co-creative and co- composing factors in a reactive and choreographic process of listening. The polyrhythmic seriality of spatialized syllabic structures is accompanied by elements of heavy bass drops, high-frequency tensions, undulating synth lines, and hypnotic effects. Some of the many compositional potentials of the phantom word illusions are exercised and unfolded in selected tracks throughout the album. The notion of language borders is approached from an entirely different and even more “anti-logocentric” perspective on the “eponymous” closing track »Assimilate (in Words)«, where the listener experiences the struggle and collapse of interpersonal communication through conversation. Other parts of the album represent more diverse approaches to abstract electronic music. »In Words« morphs soundscapes into glacial, spherical passages of ambient backdrops, while at other times emphasizes raw tectonic blocks of hyper-panning drones that erupt into high-velocity outlets of energetic, granular fields. Tillegreen is alternating between cyclical, minimalist, hypnotic approaches and complex, glitchy polyrhythmic melodic structures that shift and melt into evocative ambiences. The phantom words and the nature of Tillegreen’s musical visions progressively demand more of the listener’s attention and represent the artist’s ongoing artistic work and scientific research into psychoacoustics and language. While »In Words« is a highly conceptual album, the musical bandwidth is extensive.

Limited Edition Vinyl Reissue mit 8-seitigem Songbook mit Texten und Akkorden, den 68-seitigen Locas In Love Winter Chronicles / Tour-Diary + Foto-Druck.



Ende 2008 veröffentliche die Kölner Band Locas In Love ihr drittes Album „Winter“ als Follow-Up zum Überraschungserfolg "Saurus" (2007). Geschrieben und aufgenommen wurde es innerhalb von zwei Monaten im Sommer 2008, es sollte unkompliziert, schnell und unmittelbar passieren und konsequenterweise wurde "Winter" als erstes komplett selbstproduziertes Album der Band in Wohnzimmern zwischen dem Kölner Gereons-Viertel und Brooklyn, NY produziert. Durch das titelgebende Thema ist es nach wie vor das geschlossenste ihrer Alben, und es ist das Dokument einer Freundschaft.



Anlass für das Vinyl-Reissue ist nur in zweiter Linie das 15jährige Release-Jubiläum oder die Tatsache, dass das Album lange vergriffen war, sondern vorrangig der unerwartete Tod von LD Beghtol im Jahre 2020. Den New Yorker Ausnahmekünstler lernten Locas In Love als Fan seiner Musik (u.a. als Mitwirkender und Sänger der Magnetic Fields auf "69 Love Songs") kennen. Auf „Winter“ trat er als Quasi-Mitglied und Co-Producer in Erscheinung und kann so auch zukünftig von neuen Musikfans u.a. mit seiner meisterhaften Song-Miniatur "Packice" entdeckt werden, dieser herzzerreißenden Mischung aus Winter-Blues und Kryogenik-Science-Fiction.



Und so erscheint nun beim Berliner Label Staatsakt (das soeben sein eigenes 20jähriges Bestehen ausgiebig feierte) das luxuriös ausgestattete Reissue. Die handnummerierte Limited Edition samt neuem Artwork von Stefanie Schrank enthält das von LD Beghtol gestaltete Scrapbook, das auch der Erstpressung beilag, ein 8-seitiges Songbook mit Texten und Akkorden, sowie die 68-seitigen Locas In Love Winter Chronicles, in denen Tour-Tagebücher und andere Texte aus der Zeit mit einem aktuellen Selbstinterview der Band zusammengefasst sind. Im umfangreichen Bonusmaterial geht es weniger um Mythen oder kleinteilige Schreib- und Aufnahmeprozesse, sondern darum, was es heißt eine Band zu sein, mit einander und der eigenen Musik zu leben – und zu altern.

This electrifying album captures all of the grit, sweat and devastating guitar playing that has propelled Sue Foley to the top of the Blues world in 2023. Here, Sue reaches back and delivers first-ever live recordings of some of her early hits, deep covers, and some surprises too!

First arriving in Austin in 1991 at the urging of nightclub impresario Clifford Antone, it's in that era of Austin where she cut her teeth amongst infamous Texas guitar slingers like Albert Collins and The Vaughan Brothers. It's all come down to this one hot Friday night in Austin, playing to a packed club. It's real. And it's tough as nails. That's Sue at the top of her game. This past May, Foley was awarded the Blues Music Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist (Koko Taylor Award) in Memphis TN -- an award she also won in 2022 and 2020. She was also recently honored with Guitarist of the Year and
Blues Act of the Year at the 2023 Austin Music Award, and Guitarist of the Year at the 2023 Maple Blues Awards. Her last album, Pinky's Blues took home Best Traditional Blues Album at the 2022 Blues Music Awards.

Ltd. Gold LP. In den Annalen der Rockmusik gibt es nur wenige Sänger, die eine so ausdrucksstarke Stimme haben wie Dan McCafferty. Als charismatischer Frontmann der schottischen Band Nazareth war McCafferty an mehr als 25 Alben beteiligt, veröffentlichte Hits wie 'Love Hurts', 'Dream On', 'This Flight Tonight' und 'Morning Dew' und tourte auf der ganzen Welt. Nach einer einzigartigen Karriere von 50 Jahren ist Dan McCafferty am 8. November 2022 im Alter von 76 Jahren gestorben. Sein Name wird in Erinnerung bleiben, seine großartigen Songs werden weiterhin auf unzähligen Rock-Radiosendern auf der ganzen Welt gespielt. Unentdeckte musikalische Schätze wurden in McCaffertys Privathaus Archiv aufbewahrt. Einige davon sind nun auf der posthumen Hommage zu finden: 'No Turning Back - In Memory of Dan McCafferty'. Die bisher unveröffentlichten Songs "Occident" und "No Turning Back" sind Originalaufnahmen aus den späten 1990er Jahren, die McCafferty mit dem deutsche Regisseur, Komponist und Musikproduzent Christoph Busse aufnahm. Der bisher unveröffentlichte Track 'Children's Eyes' stammt aus einer Kooperation mit dem Komponist und Produzent Detlef Wiedeke. Alle drei Titel zeigen die stilistisch enorme Bandbreite seiner rauen Rockstimme. Mit 'Into the Ring", "Starry Eyes" und "Sunny Island" folgen drei Stücke aus einer besonders ereignisreichen Karrierephase des schottischen Musikers. Die Songs wurden 1987 auf seinem inzwischen längst vergriffenen Soloalbum "Into the Ring" veröffentlicht. Das Album entstand zwischen den beiden Nazareth Klassiker "Cinema" (1986) und "Snakes'n'Ladders" (1989. Abgerundet wird "In Memory of Dan McCafferty" mit "Going Home" aus dem Jahr 1993 und aus dem gleichnamigen Album des kurzlebigen Projekts Seasons, mit original schottischem Dudelsack, Fiddles, Flöten und Schlaginstrumenten. Das Lied basiert auf dem Stück "Largo" aus der 9. Sinfonie "Aus der Neuen Welt" von Antonín Dvo?ák. Außerdem gibt es zwei aktuelle Coverversionen der Nazareth-Evergreens 'Love Hurts' und 'Dream On' als Bonustracks, gesungen von dem griechischen Sänger Panos Kalifis, dessen Stimmfarbe der von McCafferty verblüffend ähnlich ist. Last but not least: Auf dem Albumcover prangt ein Foto des jungen Dan McCafferty, während das Booklet zwölf Bleistift- und Kohleillustrationen enthält. "No Turning Back - In Memory of Dan McCafferty" ist ein musikalisches Must Have für jeden McCafferty/Nazareth und Hard Rock Fan.

Indie pop quartet Melenas hail from Pamplona, Spain, a picturesque region nestled just south of the Pyrenees. Such beauty can't help but inform the band's songwriting, but Melenas aren't content to just sit placidly & take in the scenery. Since they burst onto the scene in 2016, the band has hit the ground running, playing incessantly both locally & on the stages at national festivals like Primavera Sound & Eurosonic as well as releasing a debut full length (2018's "s/t" album) and a 7-inch single both triple-released on local labels Elsa, Nebula & Snap! Clap! Club. Trouble In Mind is honored to be releasing their new album Dias Raros and is the first label outside of Spain to release Melenas music to the world.Dias Raros hums right from the get-go, peppering their garage-pop punch with elements of lysergic dream pop, melancholic indie rock and strident guitar jangle. The album title translates to "Strange Days" an acknowledgement - according to the band - of "...those days where you spend more time inside than outside. Inside your own self, inside your bedroom and your own universe thinking about your wishes, dreams, memories, obsessions or fears." The lyrics - sung entirely in their native Spanish - reference "those interior dialogues where sometimes you fight to escape from a situation, you wonder what another person will be thinking about or feeling, you gotta say goodbye, or you just enjoy the time by yourself. Days that, for different reasons, you're feeling different, they are strange". Opener "Primer tiempo" buzzes with an urgent organ drone, unfolding into a yearning ballad of modern guitar-pop bolstered by the group's lush harmonies & sets the tone for the rest of Dias Raros. Songs like "No puedo pensar" "3 Segundos" and "Despertar" follow suit, with the rhythm section galloping headlong into an insistent guitar strum, while ballads like the tender "El Tiempo ha Padsado" rely on the band's melodious voices bolstered by a lilting guitar riff and gentle organ swells. Elsewhere mid tempo rockers like the stomping "Los alemanes", the simmering "Ciencia Ficción" and "Ya no es Verano"s insistent jangle recall underground greats like The Pastels, R.E.M. and Shop Assistants. "Vals" ("Waltz") closes the album in 3/4 time, named for the ballroom dance as well as the last name of a close friend - a dedication to her. Its dreamy sway alluding to classic Brill Building songwriting; dusted with melancholy, but lifted by cascading voices, and organ and guitar waves and guitars that twinkle and shimmer over a cracking backbeat. Dias Raros is the perfect introduction to a band bursting with promise, confidently inhabiting their own space built upon the foundation of their influences both geographically and culturally, as well as musically.

Re-Release von One Foot In The Grave, das Album der deutschen Thrash Metal Legende Tankard, das ursprünglich am 2017 über Nuclear Blast Records veröffentlicht wurde. One Foot In The Grave war das dritte Tankard Album für Nuclear Blast. Das Album wird in limitierter Auflage als Gatefold Black/White/Red Splatter LP veröffentlicht.

Recorded in 2022 for the BBC Gideon Coe show whom put The Delines previous album The Sea Drift as his best album of 2022.

This is the band"s first Christmas track, and a classic Willy Vlautin one it is too, released just in time to battle it out for a Christmas Number 1. The single features two other exclusive tracks that will also not feature on the next album.

The 1994 demo "In The Shades Of Life" captures and breathes the unmatched unique mid nineties (Norwegian) black metal atmosphere and sound.

Soulseller Records proudly presents the official re-issue with artwork of the 1996 CD edition as created by Shagrath for Hot Records, including lyrics and early pictures properly documenting what once was.

Pictures for this release were provided by Tjodalv whereas the original DAT master tape has been provided by Grusom (aka Galder) !! In addition the 2 tracks from the sessions MCMXCVI previously released on the 1997 Hot Records compilation 'The Rape Of The Holy Trinity' are included as bonus tracks.

A true gem not to be missed.

The 1994 demo "In The Shades Of Life" captures and breathes the unmatched unique mid nineties (Norwegian) black metal atmosphere and sound.

Soulseller Records proudly presents the official re-issue with artwork of the 1996 CD edition as created by Shagrath for Hot Records, including lyrics and early pictures properly documenting what once was.

Pictures for this release were provided by Tjodalv whereas the original DAT master tape has been provided by Grusom (aka Galder) !! In addition the 2 tracks from the sessions MCMXCVI previously released on the 1997 Hot Records compilation 'The Rape Of The Holy Trinity' are included as bonus tracks.

A true gem not to be missed.

The 1994 demo "In The Shades Of Life" captures and breathes the unmatched unique mid nineties (Norwegian) black metal atmosphere and sound.

Soulseller Records proudly presents the official re-issue with artwork of the 1996 CD edition as created by Shagrath for Hot Records, including lyrics and early pictures properly documenting what once was.

Pictures for this release were provided by Tjodalv whereas the original DAT master tape has been provided by Grusom (aka Galder) !! In addition the 2 tracks from the sessions MCMXCVI previously released on the 1997 Hot Records compilation 'The Rape Of The Holy Trinity' are included as bonus tracks.

A true gem not to be missed.

The 1994 demo "In The Shades Of Life" captures and breathes the unmatched unique mid nineties (Norwegian) black metal atmosphere and sound.

Soulseller Records proudly presents the official re-issue with artwork of the 1996 CD edition as created by Shagrath for Hot Records, including lyrics and early pictures properly documenting what once was.

Pictures for this release were provided by Tjodalv whereas the original DAT master tape has been provided by Grusom (aka Galder) !! In addition the 2 tracks from the sessions MCMXCVI previously released on the 1997 Hot Records compilation 'The Rape Of The Holy Trinity' are included as bonus tracks.

A true gem not to be missed.

2023 Repress

Neuauflage des zweiten Jose Gonzalez Albums aus 2007. Inklusive seines genialen Covers des Massive Attack-Hits "Teardrop".

Milky Chance erzielten mit ihrem Debütalbum "Sadnecessary" einen bemerkenswerten Erfolg, der sie zu internationaler Anerkennung katapultierte. Der 2013 veröffentlichte Hit "Stolen Dance" wurde zu einem globalen Phänomen und zeigte ihre einzigartige Mischung aus Folk, Elektronik und Reggae-Einflüssen. Das Album war bei Kritikern und den frisch gebackenen Fans ein Erfolg, erreichte in mehreren Ländern Platinstatus und festigte den Status von Milky Chance als bahnbrechenden Act. Auch 10 Jahre später wirkt die Fähigkeit des Albums, eingängige Melodien, poetische Texte und innovative Produktionstechniken nahtlos miteinander zu verbinden, so frisch wie eh und je und macht deutlich, warum Milky Chance seither ein fester Bestandteil der Charts geblieben ist.

After releasing heavyweights like Patrice Scott and Dego, Forbidden Dance Records continues its story with a new release from Chicago don Specter with a 4-track EP. Highly recommended!

There’s a big clue to the pacific wisdom of The Orchestra in the Sky in the artist name – Hochzeitskapelle + Japanese Friends. For this is, indeed, music based in, and resonating with, friendship, camaraderie, collaboration, and creative exchange. Across two albums – one documenting recordings from Tokyo, the other an expansive double album of sessions from Kobe – Hochzeitskapelle gather around them some of the finest voices in Japanese independent and underground pop music, like Tenniscoats, Eddie Marcon, Yuko Ikema, and Kama Aina, and explore an open field of music, full of creative encounters.

You may already know Hochzeitskapelle as the German instrumental quintet formed by members of The Notwist, Alien Ensemble, and friends from the jazz scene. Across three albums, one a collaboration with Kama Aina (2018’s Wayfaring Suite), they’ve developed a way of playing together that’s intimate and playful, rich and human; it’s a music that’s deliberately rough around the edges, and that nestles cosily into the everyday. Their relationship with Japanese indie has developed over the years, doubtless encouraged by Saya´s „Minna Miteru“, compilations series of Japanese indie pop for Morr Music. A peripatetic gang, Hochzeitskapelle also recently backed Japanese singer-songwriter Makoto Kawamoto on her new album, Hikari.

In many ways, The Orchestra in the Sky feels like the culmination of a set of ongoing cross-cultural exchanges: the Minna Miteru compilations; tours of Japan by Hochzeitskapelle and The Notwist; and indeed, Markus Acher’s Spirit Fest group with Saya and Ueno of Tenniscoats. The latter are present throughout much of The Orchestra in the Sky, and Saya’s voice is particularly winning on songs like “Tsuki no oto”, where the two outfits are joined by brass ensemble Zayaendo. There are several lovely turns from singer-songwriter Yuko Ikema, and Eddie Marcon appear twice; their songs are still beautiful, spectral acid folk, but with Hochzeitskapelle filling the details with lush, sad brass and strings.

But it’s also the potentially lesser-known names that shine through The Orchestra in the Sky, like the frail folk of Gratin Carnival; the delightful, gentle pop songs by sekifu and Zayaendo member, Kanako Numata; a trio of beautiful, stumble-drunk melodies played in swaying consort with popo. That group, along with the presence of Zayaendo, Fuigo, and Mitamurakandadan?, make strong connections with the Japanese underground’s love of brass bands, partly informed by the tradition of chindon’ya, marching bands that walk the streets of Japanese cities. They also all appeared on the recent Alien Parade Japan compilation of such groups, assembled by Acher and Saya.

All things converge, then, on The Orchestra in the Sky, a smart, spirited collection of heavenly pop songs, intimate folk melodies, lungfuls of joyous brass, deep weeping strings, and swooning sighs. The last words go to Acher himself: “Many things we did in the last years come together here and it feels like something special was captured.” We hope you like what you hear.

There’s a big clue to the pacific wisdom of The Orchestra in the Sky in the artist name – Hochzeitskapelle + Japanese Friends. For this is, indeed, music based in, and resonating with, friendship, camaraderie, collaboration, and creative exchange. Across two albums – one documenting recordings from Tokyo, the other an expansive double album of sessions from Kobe – Hochzeitskapelle gather around them some of the finest voices in Japanese independent and underground pop music, like Tenniscoats, Eddie Marcon, Yuko Ikema, and Kama Aina, and explore an open field of music, full of creative encounters.

You may already know Hochzeitskapelle as the German instrumental quintet formed by members of The Notwist, Alien Ensemble, and friends from the jazz scene. Across three albums, one a collaboration with Kama Aina (2018’s Wayfaring Suite), they’ve developed a way of playing together that’s intimate and playful, rich and human; it’s a music that’s deliberately rough around the edges, and that nestles cosily into the everyday. Their relationship with Japanese indie has developed over the years, doubtless encouraged by Saya´s „Minna Miteru“, compilations series of Japanese indie pop for Morr Music. A peripatetic gang, Hochzeitskapelle also recently backed Japanese singer-songwriter Makoto Kawamoto on her new album, Hikari.

In many ways, The Orchestra in the Sky feels like the culmination of a set of ongoing cross-cultural exchanges: the Minna Miteru compilations; tours of Japan by Hochzeitskapelle and The Notwist; and indeed, Markus Acher’s Spirit Fest group with Saya and Ueno of Tenniscoats. The latter are present throughout much of The Orchestra in the Sky, and Saya’s voice is particularly winning on songs like “Tsuki no oto”, where the two outfits are joined by brass ensemble Zayaendo. There are several lovely turns from singer-songwriter Yuko Ikema, and Eddie Marcon appear twice; their songs are still beautiful, spectral acid folk, but with Hochzeitskapelle filling the details with lush, sad brass and strings.

But it’s also the potentially lesser-known names that shine through The Orchestra in the Sky, like the frail folk of Gratin Carnival; the delightful, gentle pop songs by sekifu and Zayaendo member, Kanako Numata; a trio of beautiful, stumble-drunk melodies played in swaying consort with popo. That group, along with the presence of Zayaendo, Fuigo, and Mitamurakandadan?, make strong connections with the Japanese underground’s love of brass bands, partly informed by the tradition of chindon’ya, marching bands that walk the streets of Japanese cities. They also all appeared on the recent Alien Parade Japan compilation of such groups, assembled by Acher and Saya.

All things converge, then, on The Orchestra in the Sky, a smart, spirited collection of heavenly pop songs, intimate folk melodies, lungfuls of joyous brass, deep weeping strings, and swooning sighs. The last words go to Acher himself: “Many things we did in the last years come together here and it feels like something special was captured.” We hope you like what you hear.

POWER MUSIC RE-ISSUES SEX MANIA 01 BY PLEASURE DOME AKA DJ DUKE FROM 1993, HIGHY RECOMMENDED!