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The Go! Team return with their new album ‘Get Up Sequences
Part One’ out via Memphis Industries and featuring the singles
‘Cookie Scene’, ‘World Remember Me Now’ and ‘Pow’.
On ‘Get Up Sequences Part One’, Ian, Ninja, Nia, Simone, Sam
and Adam have created a musical world distinctly of their own
making. A place where routine is outlawed and perfection is the
enemy. Where Ennio Morricone meets The Monkees armed
with flutes, glockenspiels, steel drums and a badass analogue
attitude. We’re talking widescreen, four-track, channel hopping
sounds that are instantly recognisable.
In The Go! Team's world, old’s cool, the future’s bright and
melody is the star. Just check the second cut ‘Cookie Scene’
with a bouncing flute and junk shop percussion it introduces
guest rapper Indigo Yaj, who delivers an old school vocal that
continues this sonic trip. ‘Pow’ channels Curtis Mayfield and
enter stage centre, the inimitable Ninja in full flow and you don’t
stop, you won’t stop to this flute driven free for all.
By way of demonstrating The Go! Team’s old’s cool manifesto
comes the ‘needle-in-the-red’ ‘I Love You Better’, a defiant
message to an ex love, spelling out exactly how he’s messed
up - and then there’s those steel drums. Following that comes
the soda fountain soul courtesy of ‘A Bee Without Its Sting’, a
groovy protest song that makes its point with a tambourine.
The musical wagon train then takes you into the widescreen
windswept Western that is ‘Tame The Great Plains’, heading off
into a polyrhythmic panorama that’s full of hope. Slappin’ you
back to reality comes ‘World Remember Me Now’, a timely
reminder that when you’re lost in the routine of life, you can
always count on The Go! Team.

The Go! Team return with their new album ‘Get Up Sequences
Part One’ out via Memphis Industries and featuring the singles
‘Cookie Scene’, ‘World Remember Me Now’ and ‘Pow’.
On ‘Get Up Sequences Part One’, Ian, Ninja, Nia, Simone, Sam
and Adam have created a musical world distinctly of their own
making. A place where routine is outlawed and perfection is the
enemy. Where Ennio Morricone meets The Monkees armed
with flutes, glockenspiels, steel drums and a badass analogue
attitude. We’re talking widescreen, four-track, channel hopping
sounds that are instantly recognisable.
In The Go! Team's world, old’s cool, the future’s bright and
melody is the star. Just check the second cut ‘Cookie Scene’
with a bouncing flute and junk shop percussion it introduces
guest rapper Indigo Yaj, who delivers an old school vocal that
continues this sonic trip. ‘Pow’ channels Curtis Mayfield and
enter stage centre, the inimitable Ninja in full flow and you don’t
stop, you won’t stop to this flute driven free for all.
By way of demonstrating The Go! Team’s old’s cool manifesto
comes the ‘needle-in-the-red’ ‘I Love You Better’, a defiant
message to an ex love, spelling out exactly how he’s messed
up - and then there’s those steel drums. Following that comes
the soda fountain soul courtesy of ‘A Bee Without Its Sting’, a
groovy protest song that makes its point with a tambourine.
The musical wagon train then takes you into the widescreen
windswept Western that is ‘Tame The Great Plains’, heading off
into a polyrhythmic panorama that’s full of hope. Slappin’ you
back to reality comes ‘World Remember Me Now’, a timely
reminder that when you’re lost in the routine of life, you can
always count on The Go! Team.

To celebrate 20 years of the record label Jamaican Recordings,Jah Floyd has cut a track telling the story of its beginnings and the people involved. The initial meeting of legendary Reggae producer Bunny `Striker’ Lee in Jamaica and the various artists that became part of the labels catalogue. Such greats as Tapper Zukie, Niney The Obsever, Black Solidarity producer Ossie Thomas. Artists and Producers who music helped define the labels sound. A great collection of releases for all involved alongside its other label Kingston Sounds.

What would have been the labels 20th year and Bunny Lee’s 80th birthday celebrations have sadly been curtailed by the sad passing of Mr Lee in late 2020.

But makes this 500 only 7’’ all the more poignant and comes with a dub version as its B-Side,which for the Reggae label Jamaican Recordings the dub versions was its driving force.
As the track says in its lyrics… `Hope you enjoy the ride respect… Jah Floyd’.

678 records are proud to present an historical concert recording of the legendary ethnic kraut-jazz formation Pork Pie. It is difficult to define the music of Pork Pie. It ranges from rhythmic Jazz-rock and meditative Indian sounds to Brazilian songs, and from acoustic improvisations to electric “space” sounds. Paris, December 1973: Pork Pie was founded by piano player Jasper van 't Hof (then 27 years old) and guitarist Philip Catherine (then 31 years old). They had met up with Charlie Mariano, who was 51 years old then, and whom they knew from his playing with Charles Mingus in the fifties and sixties. He had left America, lived in India for some years and founded his new home in Europe. Jasper and Philip were nervous to ask him if he would like to start a band with them but he immediately accepted the invitation. After some concerts in Holland, Germany and France the group recorded their debut album Transitory in May 1974 in the studio of the legendary engineer Conny Plank for MPS-BASF. It became an immediate success and Pork Pie were subsequently booked for many European jazz festivals. Their legendary concert on the first of November 1974 in the Berliner Philharmonie during the Berliner Jazztage was a milestone in the bands existence. The concert hall was packed to the rafters with 2500 over enthusiastic people who were totally overwhelmed by the amazing live sound of Pork Pie in which each of the five individual musicians took his own part, but never once lost the unique togetherness.

In the past 44 years Jasper van 't Hof always retained fond memories about this special concert. Fortunately, in his personal archive (which was for a while stored under a tarpaulin in his garden!) a master tape was discovered & had survived intact. P-Dog & Zembie (a.k.a. Sander Huibers & Frank Jochemsen) dug it up, played it on a tape machine, were totally blown away by the music and initiated this limited vinyl only release. It comes in a hand silkscreened cover designed by Piet Schreuders.

line up

On her second album Ursgal Mongolian singer Enji creates a unique blend of Jazz and Folk with the thousand-year-old traditions of Mongolian music. Currently based in Munich, her lyrics tell personal stories about unbearable distances, the oddness of being on earth and the simple truths in life.
She's accompanied by Paul Brändle on guitar and Munguntovch Tsolmonbayar on double bass.
Born in Ulaanbaatar, Enji grew up in a yurt to a working-class family. Having always been drawn to music, dance and literature, she initially wanted to become a music teacher with little ambitions to compose or be on stage. A program by the local Goethe Institute sparked her passion for Jazz and eventually led her to become a performing artist. Inspired by the music of Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald and Nancy Wilson, Enji started writing songs of her own, cherishing this newfound means of expression. Ursgal is the first record featuring her original compositions.

With his ongoing commitment to like-minded archivist label Finders Keepers Records, industrial music pioneer Steven Stapleton further entrusts us to lift the veil and expose “the right tracks” from his uber-legendary and oft misinterpreted psych/prog/punk peculiarity shopping list known as The Nurse With Wound List.
Following the critically lauded first instalment and it’s exclusively French tracklisting both parties now combine their vinyl-vulturous penchants to bring you the next ‘Strain Crack & Break’ edition which consists of twelve lesser-known German records that played a hugely important part in the initial foundations of the list which began to unfold when Stapleton was just thirteen years old.
From the perspective of a schoolboy Amon Düül (ONE) victim, at the start of a journey that commenced before phrases like kosmische and the xeno-ignant Krautrock tag had become mag hack currency, this compendium is devoid of the tropes that united what many would accurately argue to be the greatest progressive pop bands in Europe
(namely CAN, Neu! and Kraftwerk) and rather shatters the ingredients across a ground zero landscape for both inquisitive fans and socially rehabbing musos to begin to assemble a unique self-styled identity. If Krautrock was the music that journalist told us lurked behind schlager (German pop) in the 1970s, then this record includes the music that skulked behind Krautrock and perhaps refused to polish its backhanded name belt.
Including lesser-known artists like the late Wolfgang Dauner, whose career proceeded and outlived the kosmische movement while consistently informing and outsmarting them whenever they got stuck in their metronomic ruts, or how about Fritz Müller, the man who
was to Kraftwerk what Stuart Sutcliffe was to The Beatles but had more in common with Yoko and quite rightly couldn’t give a stuff about the Fab Four’s Hamburg roots.
Elsewhere we have a plethora of German bands made for German audiences as they try and shed secondhand flower power Americanisms and feel the benefits of much harder drugs and the realisations of difficult second album budgets while Kommune 1
newsflashes wipe smiles from everybody’s faces and replace them with opioid chic or acid-sarcastic grins. Bonzo Cockettes show us their Big Muffs and drummers ask for extra mics while Conny Plank goes for parliamentary office and gives babies good firm handshakes for the camera.
‘Strain Crack & Break: Volume Two’ is the sound of Steve Stapleton’s sponge-like mind and the dividends of anyone who was brave enough to even peek inside those brick-thick gatefold covers never mind drop the needle.
Over forty years since Nurse With Wound’s first album was released, Finders Keepers Records and Steve Stapleton take connoisseurs of our kind of music back to the disused elevator shaft towards ground zero. Arriving at the same checkout from different departments, Finders Keepers and Nurse With Wound continue to sing from the same hymnal with this ongoing collaborative attempt to officially, authentically and legally compile the best tracks from Steve’s list, where many overzealous erds have faltered (or simply, got the wrong end of the stick).
After ‘Strain Crack & Break: Volume One’ merely scratched the surface of this DIY dossier of elongated punk-prog peculiarities, this second lavish metallic gatefold double vinyl compendium drives a much deeper groove which, in accordance with Steve’s wishes, focusses exclusively on individual tracks of German origin - the country whose music forged the prototype of the NWW inventory in the form of his secondary school vinyl wantlist in the early 1970s, comprised of disassembled free jazz, unshowered stoner psych, hypnotic prog, deranged monk funk and fuzzed out Deutschmark bin bonzo beats.

His last solo album for Beggars, Cascade came after a time of change for Peter Murphy. He had dissolved his longtime backing band and moved to Turkey with his family. After a year of soul-searching and re-discovery, the songs flowed. He said "It confirmed my belief that writing - like painting or any art form - comes from a very silent place that's not dependent on outside stimulus. It was like rediscovering the initial innocence and purity that's there when you join your first band." The album was written with Paul Statham and produced by Pascal Gabriel. It also contains guitar work by noted artist Michael Brook. The four bonus tracks added to Cascade are: Mercy Rain (production rough mix) Gliding Like A Whale (backing track) Sail on White (backing track) Wish (backing track)

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.

Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Grateful Dead’s first album to be certified Gold, this 2021 Remaster pressed onto 180g Black vinyl features all newly remastered tracks, remastered by GRAMMY ® Award winning engineer, David Glasser with Plangent Process Speed Correction.

Originally released in 1971, this is the American rock band’s second live album, known by fans as Skull and Roses due to the iconic cover art. The album was originally released without a title after the band initially submitted the album name “Skull Fuck”, but the band, fans and almost everyone who knows the Grateful Dead fondly refers to the album as Skull and Roses.

The album was their first album to be certified Gold in the US by the RIAA and is their second best-selling album. Pressed here onto 180g black vinyl, this remaster transports the listener back to the Dead’s residency at The Fillmore East, New York and, as with the first release, features three tracks previously unreleased on the studio album, “Bertha, “Playing In The Band” and “Wharf Rat”.


[a] a1. Bertha (Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, April 27, 1971) [2021 Remaster]
[b] a2. Mama Tried (Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, April 26, 1971) [2021 Remaster]
[c] a3. Big Railroad Blues (Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, April 5, 1971) [2021 Remaster]
[d] a4. Playing in the Band (Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, April 6, 1971) [2021 Remaster]
[e] b1. The Other One (Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, April 28, 1971) [2021 Remaster]
[f] c1. Me & My Uncle (Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, April 29, 1971) [2021 Remaster]
[g] c2. Big Boss Man (Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, April 26, 1971) [2021 Remaster]
[h] c3. Me & Bobby McGee (Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, April 27, 1971) [2021 Remaster]
[i] c4. Johnny B. Goode (Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, March 24, 1971) [2021 Remaster]
[j] d1. Wharf Rat (Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, April 26, 1971) [2021 Remaster]
[k] d2. Not Fade Away / Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad (Live at The Fillmore East, New York, NY, April 5, 1971) [2021 Remaster]

Beautiful orange & yellow sunburst vinyl - Solstice '21 sees twelve bright lights of independent electronic music mark the coming Summer Solstice. In such dark days, the age-old practice of celebrating the move from shadow to light, feels steeped in a renewed symbolic power. Solstice '21 marks this significant moment with a rich array of musical offerings. Reflective, lively, and always powerful, this collection is spun with modern twists of an ancient thread. Rotator - This is the first outing under this moniker from Justin Owen, also known under the alias Licit, as well as being a protagonist in the world of modular synthesis as the man behind the Abstract Data modules; Letters from Mouse - "Bubbling analogue synthesis from Scotland." This analogue synth maestro and inimitable broadcaster (aka The Magic Window), boasts a string of quality releases, including the recent highly acclaimed album An gàrradh, also on Subexotic; Cub/cub - "Cub/cub explores the world in-between nostalgia and nihilism, analogue and digital, real and false; creating evocative and mournful musical collages." First discovered on Boards of Canada forum Twoism, Cub/cub's two debut releases with Subexotic demonstrated his considerable talent to mix fascinating texture with beguiling melody. With an astonishing follow-up album coming soon, his rising star feels unstoppable; Orbury Common - "aural ephemera from the home of the orbs." This mysterious duo from the West of England are blessed with delightful musical cunning; their brilliant debut on Subexotic lifted the lid, and this offering reaffirms exciting times lie ahead; Onepointwo - "Minimal electronics, abstract radio signals and dystopian soundscapes are proceeded from both digital and analogue sources." A creator of intricate yet powerful collage, with finely wrought motifs that repeat and build to create a shimmering psychedelic impact. This is Onepointwo's glorious trademark. Spell-binding releases already exist on Woodford Halse, Poeta Negra, Lotus, as well as an imminent powerhouse album forthcoming on Subexotic; Giants of Discovery - "Experimental electronica with the occasional noisy guitar thrown in." Giants of Discovery's ability to get to grips with the musicality of his subject, has lead to previous exquisite sojourns into realms such as Victorian cosmic horror and Greek mythology, as well as an equally fantastical, towering follow up album on Woodford Halse; Wonderful Beasts - "A Wonderful collaboration between boycalledcrow and Xqui." Their playful interaction finds ways of crafting acoustic fragments into unexpected kaleidoscopes of sound. With beguiling debuts on cult label Wormhole World (soon to be followed up by an extraordinary new album on Subexotic), there is a kind of breathless magic about everything they do; Dogs versus Shadows - Electronic Sound Magazine says "A rare example of gamekeeper turned poacher...a welter of impressive electronica." Lee Pylon's ability to straddle a wealth of uncompromisingly inventive creations, and his broadcasting prowess as the much loved Kites & Pylons, is already the stuff of legend. A multitude of releases across many labels including Subexotic, Woodford Halse, Miracle Pond, Third Kind, Submarine Broadcasting, Sensory Leakage, provide a glittering treasure trove of work; Counter Silence - A stalwart of Subexotic, Counter Silence's sparkling and wistful musical work very much stands alone in temperament and style. 2020's Pathways EP on Subexotic remains a precious oasis, imbued with a haunting solitude that lives on in the memory; Transient Visitor - "All music unlocked by Alex Cargill (C.O.I. Central Office of Information) and Martin Jensen (The Home Current)." These two intercontinental maestros (well Sidcup & Luxembourg) boast impressive solo back catalogues across many labels (including Castles in Space, Polytechnic Youth, Woodford Halse). Their newly conceived collaborative Transient Visitor project, brought about the superb TV1 album in 2020 - we can see the sparks fly again in this welcome 2021 return; Simon Klee - "Natural, Electric, Organic Psychedelic - Sounds, noise and psychedelic beats." Klee's playful alchemy engages the mind and spirit, as witnessed in a flurry of top quality releases in recent times (e.g. Subexotic, ANR, Woodford Halse), and there is a visceral joy in his work that is perfectly placed for a midsummer celebration. Klee also produces a truly excellent mixcast and increasingly essential tape label, both under the guise of Anticipating Nowhere; Rupert Lally - "Hailing originally from England but now based in Switzerland, Guitarist, Percussionist and Electronic Musician Rupert Lally began his career as a Sound Designer and Composer for Theatre and TV, before launching his solo career in 2005. Since then his releases have blurred the boundaries between electronic and acoustic music." Lally's consistently brilliant work is always a highlight of the electronic music calendar, including recent stellar works across many labels such as Spun Out Of Control, Third Kind, Woodford Halse, and Modern Aviation.

Bring Me The Head of Kyle Bobby Dunn is a full length triple vinyl reissue of the original 2012 double compact disc album from Canadian composer Kyle Bobby Dunn. It was recorded at Bunce Cake studios in Brooklyn and remote parts of Ontario. The compositions are mostly long, slowly evolving minimal ambient and drone based works created from electric guitar processing. Perhaps more cinematic than previous albums, some pieces have since appeared in BBC documentaries and independent films over the years since its release. The original recordings on this Diggers Factory vinyl edition, however, have been remastered and practically rebuilt from the fog of their initial masters which have often been considered the composer's most quiet and even translucent works. Iranian composers and engineers, Milad Bagheri and Maryam Sirvan have brought out a certain clarity and freshness to the music and Dunn has considered it an almost completely different listening experience from the originals.
The album was critically praised and became a favourite of most fans and even after several subsequent albums later it remains a favourite and of the composer's as well.

‘It Still Moves’’ 2021 repressing features remixed and
remastered audio pressed on two ‘golden smoke’ coloured LPs
and housed in a premium gatefold jacket. My Morning Jacket’s
reverb-drenched, landmark third studio album ‘It Still Moves’
boasts some of the great American rock music of our time.
Remastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering in 2016,
each track has an increased strength and clarity while retaining
the album’s classic shimmering grandeur. Everything would shift
for My Morning Jacket after ‘It Still Moves’ - as the conclusion to
their initial trilogy of albums, it remains one of their most pivotal
and enduring releases.

Rose City Band is the solo project of Ripley Johnson (Wooden Shjips, Moon
Duo).
Stepping out from behind the psychedelic haze that envelops his other
output, Rose City Band’s lean yet richly textured arrangements lay bare the
beauty of his songcraft. On ‘Earth Trip’, Johnson reveals more of himself
than ever before, colouring the project’s country-rock twang with a
melancholic, wistful undertone. It charts a journey of personal growth and
introspection with surprising honesty, from pining for summers spent with
friends to meditations on space, stillness and the splendour of the natural
world.
It continues Rose City Band’s celebration of summer warmth and the great
outdoors, seen from a new vantage point and with newfound appreciation for
the freedom and joy that nature provides.
Through its daring honesty and masteful arrangements, ‘Earth Trip’ cements
Johnson’s place as a singular songwriter of inimitable skill. Its message of
mindfulness and our interconnectedness to the environment expands on a
long country and blues music tradition that draws a symbiotic relationship
between storyteller and the land, capturing the beauty of the natural world
while also emphasising our responsibility in preserving it for future
generations.
‘Earth Trip’ features an incredible line up of guests including drummer John
Jeffrey (Moon Duo), Sanae Yamada (Moon Duo) on piano, Ryan Jewell and
Barry Walker on pedal steel guitar.
Mixed by Cooper Crain (Bitchin’ Bajas, Cave) at Electrical Audio and
mastering by Amy Dragon at Telegraph Mastering.
Deluxe mini gatefold CD package.
Forest green coloured vinyl and black vinyl are available in deluxe LP
packaging, die-cut jacket with 4-colour printing on both the outside and inside
of the jacket. Also with fully artworked heavy-weight cardstock printed inner
sleeve and digital download card.
“Ripley Johnson has been responsible for some of the past decade’s most
mesmeric and beguiling albums.” - The Guardian
“Johnson’s Rose City Band incarnation may be his most dazzling and
uplifting so far... transforms the fuzz-drenched thrust of Johnson’s usual
music into a beatific choogle, a modest but potent means of escape from the
realities of 2020” - MOJO

Rose City Band is the solo project of Ripley Johnson (Wooden Shjips, Moon
Duo).
Stepping out from behind the psychedelic haze that envelops his other
output, Rose City Band’s lean yet richly textured arrangements lay bare the
beauty of his songcraft. On ‘Earth Trip’, Johnson reveals more of himself
than ever before, colouring the project’s country-rock twang with a
melancholic, wistful undertone. It charts a journey of personal growth and
introspection with surprising honesty, from pining for summers spent with
friends to meditations on space, stillness and the splendour of the natural
world.
It continues Rose City Band’s celebration of summer warmth and the great
outdoors, seen from a new vantage point and with newfound appreciation for
the freedom and joy that nature provides.
Through its daring honesty and masteful arrangements, ‘Earth Trip’ cements
Johnson’s place as a singular songwriter of inimitable skill. Its message of
mindfulness and our interconnectedness to the environment expands on a
long country and blues music tradition that draws a symbiotic relationship
between storyteller and the land, capturing the beauty of the natural world
while also emphasising our responsibility in preserving it for future
generations.
‘Earth Trip’ features an incredible line up of guests including drummer John
Jeffrey (Moon Duo), Sanae Yamada (Moon Duo) on piano, Ryan Jewell and
Barry Walker on pedal steel guitar.
Mixed by Cooper Crain (Bitchin’ Bajas, Cave) at Electrical Audio and
mastering by Amy Dragon at Telegraph Mastering.
Deluxe mini gatefold CD package.
Forest green coloured vinyl and black vinyl are available in deluxe LP
packaging, die-cut jacket with 4-colour printing on both the outside and inside
of the jacket. Also with fully artworked heavy-weight cardstock printed inner
sleeve and digital download card.
“Ripley Johnson has been responsible for some of the past decade’s most
mesmeric and beguiling albums.” - The Guardian
“Johnson’s Rose City Band incarnation may be his most dazzling and
uplifting so far... transforms the fuzz-drenched thrust of Johnson’s usual
music into a beatific choogle, a modest but potent means of escape from the
realities of 2020” - MOJO

Transmeridian is the first album from Departure Lounge (ex-Bella Union) in 19 years. It features all four original members plus a guest appearance from legendary REM guitarist, Peter Buck, one of many long-standing admirers of a band that embodied a lost age of reflective, experimental pop music coming to the fore at the turn of the Millennium alongside The Beta Band, Tunng, Boards Of Canada and Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci.

The surprise new album, named after the defunct ‘golden age of aviation’ cargo airline for which singer/guitarist Tim Keegan’s dad was chief pilot, is released on Violette Records (formed by Michael Head (Shack, The Pale Fountains) and Matt Lockett ) on digital and vinyl formats on Fri 26 March 2021.
Originally scooped up by Simon Raymonde’s Bella Union label (labelmates with John Grant’s Czars) following the self-funded release of their debut album Out Of Here (1999), Departure Lounge’s sophomore outing, Too Late To Die Young (2002) was equally acclaimed and was honoured as the first ever Album Of The Week on the emergent BBC 6 Music. The band toured extensively in the UK, Europe and the US, including outings with The Go-Betweens, Morcheeba, Paul Heaton and Robyn Hitchcock, peers whose stylistic contrasts reflect the eclectic nature of Departure Lounge themselves.

Calling a halt in late 2002, citing family and geographical reasons (drummer Lindsay lives in Nashville, where their second album Jetlag Dreams (2001) was recorded), the four members remained firm friends and occasional collaborators, before reuniting in late 2019 for shows at The Green Door Store, Brighton and The Lexington, London, ostensibly to support the digital reissues of their first three cult-classic albums. With no plans other than to make some new music, the next day they set off for Middle Farm Studios, Devon.
Tim Keegan (vocals/guitar), Chris Anderson (lead guitars/keyboards/bass), Lindsay Jamieson(drums/keyboards) and Jake Kyle (bass/guitar/drums) channelled their evident joy at being back together into a complete 13-track album, largely conceived and recorded in just one 24-hour session in the company of studio owner and co-producer, Peter Miles. Ranging from soulful Americana to piano and mellotron-fuelled melancholia via pastoral musings on the nature of post-youth and eerie Spaghetti Western-tinged instrumentals, the next leg on the Departure Lounge journey is a multi-mood expression of pure artistic freedom.
The ‘leak’ of instrumental track Al Aire Libre (remixed by Parisian groovemeister Kid Loco) in October 2020 gave little away as to what fans could expect from a new Departure Lounge record, the track going gracefully everywhere and nowhere on a whistled Latino breeze. First single proper, Mercury In Retrograde, covered in the twinkling lights of a music box Casio CZ101 melody, turned the clock back - this was an old live favourite that never got past the studio door. Unfinished business brought to a happy conclusion, the single returned Keegan’s honest and distinctive lyrical voice back to British music at just the time listeners needed it.
It was an emotional thread, rather than one musical style, which gave the first three Departure Lounge albums their coherence. The songs told the story of the band. Transmeridian has the same sense of deeply connected musical energy. The purring, campfire acoustica of Timber and So Long bear no obvious resemblance to the ethereal, end-of-the-evening, piano-led interlude Paging Marco Polo, whilst the quasi-glam stomp of Mr Friendly would normally have no business sharing space with the strange, spacey Gurnard Pines (named after an abandoned holiday camp on the Isle Of Wight). Yet the journey’s ebb and flow, accelerations and pauses make for compelling, grown-up listening. Australia, showcasing the chiming Rickenbacker 12-string of Athens, GA’s finest guitar slinger, leaves no doubt that Departure Lounge’s pop sensibilities also remain solidly intact.
These four friends from different musical backgrounds came together originally with the stated aim of ‘creating music to soothe the troubled soul’. Citing their love of (and placing on record their debt to) influences including Robert Wyatt, Nick Drake, Talk Talk, Lou Reed, Arvo Pärt and Cocteau Twins, the band’s diversity of taste is reflected in the music they create.
Transmeridian is only the second full-length LP released by Violette Records, formed by Michael Head (Shack, The Pale Fountains) and Matt Lockett as a platform for Head’s work and developing into a respected independent label as well as multi-disciplinary event organiser, drawing in outsiders working in music, literature, art and design. The label continues to host live events whenever possible and recently initiated an ELP (halfway between and EP and an LP) vinyl series, putting out acclaimed releases by The Pistachio Kid and Studio Electrophonique.

After more than a decade at the forefront of the global club music scene withseveral celebrated albums and EPs under their belt, Peruvian duo DengueDengue Dengue's seminal 2014 Enchufada EP 'Serpiente Dorada' is still oneof the most impactful of their exciting career. Capturing the vitality of theirearly genre-defining work, where the traditional and hypnotic rhythms ofcumbia were modernised through a collage of electronic music styles,'Serpiente Dorada' is still at the top of their most played music on streamingplatforms to this day, and has motivated their fanbase to continuouslydemand a physical edition since its initial digital release. The wait is finallyover as in 2021, just as the band completed 10 years of activity, we arepressing a beautiful 12'' vinyl edition in black and gold colours, freshlyremastered for vinyl to give this essential release the quality it deserves. 'Serpiente Dorada' remains an absolutely infectious and colourful mixture ofglobal sounds, where genres and styles are used as a starting point on theirongoing hybrid exploration of the interaction between traditional LatinAmerican music and modern electronic music, where the total is much morethan the sum of its parts.

Question everything. Consider your sources. Be wary of ulterior motives, insidious media narratives and even your own unconscious bias. Trust sparingly and try to make smart, informed choices. As the world slides further into ruin, it’s more important than ever to be vigilant and fight back. Luckily, Hacktivist are back to help cut through the noise and bullshit, tooled-up and ready to attack with renewed vigour and reinforced ranks. With Jot Maxi and J. Hurley now sharing the vocal and lyrical load, drummer Rich Hawking and bassist Josh Gurner bringing the beats and rhythms, and guitarist and production don James Hewitt fleshing out the group’s genre-fluid muscle, new album Hyperdialect arrives less like a mission statement and more as a flaming musical Molotov, declaring all-out war. “Hyperdialect isn’t an album for people to just casually listen to,” J insists, “we’ve taken things to the next level, which I didn’t even think was possible. We spit the truth. *We are the truth.*” In 2016, when Hacktivist initially set sights on their enemies with debut album Outside The Box, the world wasn’t fully equipped to heed their warnings and pay attention to its timely rallying cries. They return into a very different one, however – a world that’s sadly now all-too-finely-attuned to the horrors they first forecasted four years ago. “It’s becoming clear that we are on the brink of some type of revolution,” says Jot, with no small dose of conviction or optimism. “Hacktivist are here to bring truth and positivity – the silver lining of a society clouded in poisonous fear. Hacktivist also represents a voice that isn’t afraid of saying what needs to be said. We’re already living in the future. We have the choice to either be shaped by it or to stand up and shape it ourselves. Which path will you take?” It was with those battle lines clearly drawn and ambitions duly set that Hacktivist entered into the creation of Hyperdialect. Starting almost two years ago and developing on the acerbic sonic filth introduced by 2019 singles Reprogram and Dogs Of War, the five-piece felt fired up by their new working dynamic and the collective process involved, with each member actively encouraged to contribute ideas until the best outcome was reached. Unusually, for such a group of bloody-minded insurrectionists, this democratic approach worked wonders – a testament to how much they were all on the same page on these 12 tracks.

Svart Records reissue of Morbus Chron’s game-changing atmospheric Death Metal album “Sweven”, together with the remastered ltd ed. EP “Saunter Through The Shroud”. Gatefold sleeve with original Sweven booklet included. Pressed on black vinyl and limited dark green vinyl (400 copies). On “Sweven”, Morbus Chron carved out their very own territory of unorthodox death metal, far beyond their raw and simple initial style, adding many uncanny acoustic parts to create a nightmare world of utter horror. Together with producer Fred Estby (ex- Dismember), the band found a warm, yet haunting sound to go with their vision. The resulting soundscapes spread out like a wasteland of death and terror, sending chills down the hardest of spines. Guitar and drum patterns flow in various directions, building cathedrals of darkness in which tormented vocals echo in agony. The EP ‘A Saunter through the Shroud’, was a revelation upon its release in July 2012, displaying tremendous progression from previous efforts. Instead of playing it safe, sticking to traditional death metal patterns, Morbus Chron had started to transcend the genre to incorporate elements of progressive rock as well as black metal. With patterns oozing of Voivod, Atheist and Darkthrone, as well as Death and Autopsy, Morbus Chron was on their way to something majestic. Possessing unrelenting integrity, the band shunned all trends to go further into the unknown with “Sweven”. Smell the coffin with these two pioneering recordings, available in one lush package for the first time! Morbus Chron’s idiosyncratic legacy has never sounded or looked finer.

Svart Records reissue of Morbus Chron’s game-changing atmospheric Death Metal album “Sweven”, together with the remastered ltd ed. EP “Saunter Through The Shroud”. Gatefold sleeve with original Sweven booklet included. Pressed on black vinyl and limited dark green vinyl (400 copies). On “Sweven”, Morbus Chron carved out their very own territory of unorthodox death metal, far beyond their raw and simple initial style, adding many uncanny acoustic parts to create a nightmare world of utter horror. Together with producer Fred Estby (ex- Dismember), the band found a warm, yet haunting sound to go with their vision. The resulting soundscapes spread out like a wasteland of death and terror, sending chills down the hardest of spines. Guitar and drum patterns flow in various directions, building cathedrals of darkness in which tormented vocals echo in agony. The EP ‘A Saunter through the Shroud’, was a revelation upon its release in July 2012, displaying tremendous progression from previous efforts. Instead of playing it safe, sticking to traditional death metal patterns, Morbus Chron had started to transcend the genre to incorporate elements of progressive rock as well as black metal. With patterns oozing of Voivod, Atheist and Darkthrone, as well as Death and Autopsy, Morbus Chron was on their way to something majestic. Possessing unrelenting integrity, the band shunned all trends to go further into the unknown with “Sweven”. Smell the coffin with these two pioneering recordings, available in one lush package for the first time! Morbus Chron’s idiosyncratic legacy has never sounded or looked finer.

Since first emerging in the latter half of the noughties, Guillaume Metenier’s Soul Sugar project has evolved considerably. Initially a trio built around the virtuoso organist’s love of ‘60s and ‘70s soul-jazz and Hammond funk – Metenier studied under jazz organ legend Dr Lonnie Smith – Soul Sugar is now a collaborative collective that draws just as much influence from classic Jamaican dub and reggae as the works of Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff.

The outfit’s musical evolution comes into sharp focus on Excursions in Soul, Reggae, Funk & Dub, a collection of hard-to-find tracks that have been released at different points, and on different vinyl formats, over the last three years. Taken as a whole, the set offers a stunning snapshot of Soul Sugar’s rapidly expanding catalogue of classics. Metenier is once again at the controls but this time round Soul Sugar’s cast list of contributing musicians includes Sly & Robbie, Blundetto, Lone Ark, Slikk Tim, Thomas Naim and honey-voiced soul singer Leo Carmichael. Metenier also stars as a musician, providing lively and ear-catching organ solos under his now familiar Booker Gee alias.

What’s most noticeable from the off is the richness of the reggae riddims, the warmness of the instrumentation and the effortlessly soulful nature of the music. This is particularly evident on the collective’s stunning covers of Luther Vandross’s "Never Too Much" and Marvin Gaye’s "I Want You": effortlessly sunny and life-affirming interpretations that re-imagine the tracks as sumptuous slabs of reggae-soul and provide a platform for Leo Carmichael’s inspiring and comforting voice. Metenier and friends’ take on dub reggae – toasty, authentically bass-heavy and seeped in analogue effects – can also be admired on "Matumbee" and "Cool Down", the latter a digi-dub influenced affair rich in colourful synths sounds, echoing delay trails and sub-bass so deep it will rattle your teeth. Both also contain lusciously jazzy guitar licks and some incredible keys-work from Metenier.The guiding hand of Spanish multi-instrumentalist and producer Lone Ark can be heard on album opener "Aximites" – think Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry producing Jimmy Smith – and "Faith", an expertly breezy concoction that sports Jackie Mittoo-esque Hammond B3 solos from Metenier over a luscious backing track that sounds like something that may have emerged from Studio One in the mid 1970s. The collective’s love of Studio One is explored further on a sweaty, reggae-funk cover of "Greedy" that features fabulous drums, bass and guitar from Slikk Tim, while "Out In The Rain" is an authentically sparse, spaced-out dub number laden with fluid instrument solos and devilishly heavy riddim.
Part compilation, part artist album, part collaborative celebration of dub-soul fusion, Excursions in Soul, Reggae, Funk & Dub is the strongest statement yet of who Soul Sugar are, and where they’re going.

African, funky, sarcastic, bewitching, green, ecstatic: these words collide to describe Vaudou Game and all of them are true.

Noussin is the fourth album of the french Afro Funk band. Forced into lockdown, like much of the planet, Peter Solo and his Vaudou Game had no choice but to retreat into the studio. A reunion to once again invoke the spiritual forces of the Voodoo Deities. A reunion that was Initially imagined for an EP…yet these spiritual forces behind that imagination yearned for something more, and as we all know, these forces are impossible to push away once they have decided to stay.

Under the strain enforced by the current socioeconomic climate, as much as by the environmental peril that faces us all today - they diverted the course of the groove towards daring new vibrations. Without extinguishing or diminishing its highly communicative power, they released Vaudou Game from its origins of pure Afro-Funk to gradually engage into compositions which crystallized themselves into tones resembling more rock than funk.

On this fourth album, with an entirely revisited line-up, Peter Solo separates for the first time in his career from his brassy guard, leaving saxophone, trumpet and trombone outside to invite an arsenal of keyboards to define, with him, this new voodoo sound. A sound, as usual, built on vintage and precise analogical material - grime even on the white side of the tape, a blunt instrument used to blanket anything that strived to shine too much in the mix.

Graced with tapered guitars stringing out rhythmic bumps or withdrawing a few beats to indulge in infectious solos, this album is boisterously alive with vintage 70's Funk, infused with a few digressions into other ethers of the funk timeline, nicking different sounds and frequencies to render the black and white keys of an inspired keyboard to reach new euphoric levels of melodic acidity.

Tearing off the enigmatic mask to reveal his true face: on a few titles, Peter Solo ventures outside of his sacred voodoo range to reconnect with his London years, these titles feature small nods to the time he spent in “The Smoke” where the incantations of British music culture were written within him.

Noussin which means “Stay strong” in Mina, a dialect spoken in the south-west of Togo. Noussin, a message of hope as much as a call to come together to weather the turmoil and to come out better on the other side. Don’t let them grind you down…Noussin!

The Journey is the autobiographical account of Folamour's last two years, spent between airports and stages, London, France and the rest of the world, between crowds and solitudes, between highs and lows. The album, due out in June, is composed of metropolises and no-man's-land, inspired by moments that surprised and touched the artist. To express all these emotions, Folamour puts aside samples and computers to concentrate on writing lyrics, recording strings and brass, drums and vocals in order to be as close as possible to the moment. No limits of format, nor of genre, the total freedom to choose the tool adapted to the picture. This album is the sum of chance and encounters, an initiatory rite, as much in form as in content, the tale of a life with all that it can contain of joys and trials, as much in its writing and production as in its message, "The Journey" mixes contemporary sadness, isolation of artists, but also wonder at the simple pleasures of life and the discoveries it brings with it, it is neither a joyful nor a sad and disillusioned tale, it is the sum of all that and the rest too. Cover album adapted from a painting by Tomás Sánchez "Meditador en la laguna" from 1995. Edited by Koria

Punk parodists Splondgenessabounds achieved more than most in the early 1980s, with three chart hits, including a top-ten smash and another in the top thirty. Formed above a mini-cab office in Peckham, southeast London, they scored a contract with major label Deram through a Battle of the Bands contest, debut single B-side ‘Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps’ hitting number 7 on the singles chart in June 1980. An equally unlikely cover of Boer War saga ‘Two Little Boys’ hit the top thirty and initial single A-side ‘Simon Templar,’ based on the theme from The Saint, was also popular. This incredible debut album has each of these tracks and so much more, with plenty of fart songs and a closing dub of ‘Two Pints.’ This is the sound of the band at their magnificent best, a pick of the bunch for all Splondgs fans.

Punk parodists Splondgenessabounds achieved more than most in the early 1980s, with three chart hits, including a top-ten smash and another in the top thirty. Formed above a mini-cab office in Peckham, southeast London, they scored a contract with major label Deram through a Battle of the Bands contest, debut single B-side ‘Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps’ hitting number 7 on the singles chart in June 1980. An equally unlikely cover of Boer War saga ‘Two Little Boys’ hit the top thirty and initial single A-side ‘Simon Templar,’ based on the theme from The Saint, was also popular. This incredible debut album has each of these tracks and so much more, with plenty of fart songs and a closing dub of ‘Two Pints.’ This is the sound of the band at their magnificent best, a pick of the bunch for all Splondgs fans.

Simoncino is back on the iconic label that launched his career: SKYLAX RECORDS. In the meantime, he has become a benchmark artist in particular for his passion, his extreme mastery of analog material and his ability to craft dream like soundscapes and mystical house atmospheres; who has seen him collaborate in recent years with the biggest names in house: Larry Heard, Boyd Jarvis, Tevo Howard and Robert Owens on excellent labels such as Lies, Vibraphone, Crème organization, Hotmix or Mathematics. For this new release, the fruit of a maturation of several months in his studio, the made in Perugia prodigy has once again surrounded himself with the master of chicago house, the legendary Merwyn Sanders of Virgo Four (who already appeared as a remixer on the Warrior Dance part 4 in 2012 on SKYLAX) on vocals. Its inimitable style is a clever mix of chicago house tinged with the most classy techno touches, “on the dance floor” will delight both fans of the purest house but also those who are also followers of the original techno made in detroit. A mix brilliantly revealed by the golden voice of Merwyn Sanders. On the B-side, the pair reward us with a high-end remix signed by the brilliant and bulimic producer from La Hague, the furious madman Danny Wolfers aka Legowelt. To conclude, the title In Viaggio reminds us how much Simoncino is also able of creating real house bombs that send us straight into the stratosphere. ON THE DANCEFLOOR we tell you.

Valtari is Sigur Rós’ sixth studio album which was initially released in 2012 on XL Recordings. Sigur Rós started recording Valtari, described by the band as ‘an avalanche in slow motion’ in 2009 co-producing it themselves with Alex Somers in Reykjavik, Iceland. The title means ‘roller’ in English with Jónsi saying it kind of fits with the album because it's “big and slow and rolls over you slowly."
Completely out of print worldwide Valtari will now be re-released via the bands own label, Krunk released on double heavy weight vinyl (gatefold sleeve, heavyweight reverse board and gold foil blocking on front cover).

Almost all records are a snapshot, a musical ribbon bow that documents a very specific moment in time or simply ties-off everything up to that point. Indigo De Souza’s I Love My Mom, her debut LP initially released in 2018, was the latter; a collection of the best songs she’d written in the few years that preceded it, recorded quickly and breathlessly and thrown out into the world.

Consisting of ten songs, I Love My Mom feels both raw and unabashed. Indigo pulled a band together for the first time, and was quickly encouraged to commit her songs to tape. Recorded at her friend’s house, they played almost everything live in just a few days, and released the record naturally, with little fanfare. That the record quickly took on a life of its own, deeply resonating with those who heard it, is a testament to Indigo’s songwriting which took inspiration from the unique worlds created by Arthur Russel, Sparklehorse, The Microphones, as well as contemporaries such as LVL UP and Happyness.

Two of the songs have racked up more than a million streams each on Spotify: “Take O Ur Pants” and “How I Get Myself Killed.” The former balances an often breezy lead vocal with gnarly undercurrents of guitar before the whole thing lets rip in its punchy chorus, while the latter, the album’s opening track, finds a different mood entirely, a slacker rock gem that repeats its chorus as a chest-beating mantra. Elsewhere, “Good Heart” furthers the dichotomy which sits at the record’s core, each moment of quiet introspection soon met by a cacophonous burst of energy.

Very limited LP on Cream / Blue twist vinyl. Emma Houton is a timeless, celestial voice from New York City. We felt an urgency to share this incredibly calming product of Lockdown with the wider world, Trapped Animal Records. // "her ambient soundscapes brim with escapism _and enchantment" Highclouds Magazine // "a truly bewitching, gorgeous sonic tapestry." Beats Per Minute // Composed after ethnographic study into her Irish folk song roots, and recorded as part of her senior thesis in experimental electronic music, Emma originally wrote The Bath as a piece for eight voices to be performed live. Due to the COVID pandemic, she ended up recording all eight parts alone in her childhood bedroom, mixing and producing it herself. On recording the piece, Emma says: "When composing the album I had an interest in recreating the feelings I had hearing folk tales as a kid. We had a giant book of Irish folk tales my grandmother gave me, and I was both fascinated and scared shitless by them! I intended this to be a live performance initially and so the whole album is scored. I write most of my music by constructing layered loops of my voice using a loop pedal and then singing a melody line over them, and I was trying to translate that practice into a live performance in which each "loop" is sung and repeated, creating the effect of looping without actually recording loops. I was hoping to create something where voice is used as an instrument, rather than standing apart from instruments as it often does I took source material from hymns and traditional folk songs, with the lyrics centering on water-related themes like drowning, baptism, and purification, which I tried to reflect in the sonic environment of the piece through enveloping delays, cavernous reverb, and a general sense of being completely immersed in sound. The concept for the piece in its live form is much more of a production than the album itself, which became more of a "how do I record something written for an ensemble alone with an SM58?" project, and I've figured out how to perform these pieces solo with the loop pedal, in a very coming-full-circle turn." Emma found her way to Trapped Animal Records after a quirk in the Bandcamp algorithm led her to listen to - her now label mate - Maija Sofia's similarly named debut "Bath Time". Signed within a fortnight of making contact with the label at the end of 2020, during a bleak winter, the label quickly ploughed ahead to schedule release of "The Bath". Label partner Kerry Devine says "there was a feeling of urgency to share this incredibly calming product of Lockdown with the wider world, we felt compelled".

More a family than a band, BANDA MAJE formed in a home studio in the historic district of Salerno, in Southern Italy, on the initiative of Peppe Maiellano (composer and keyboards) and Tonico Settanta (producer, rapper and DJ). The collective has an ever-changing number of members, all of whom – a bit like the lively port city they are from – exist at the crossroads between Italian melodies and imported genres like funk, soul and disco.

Released by Four Flies Records, a label specializing in vintage Italian soundtracks and brand new productions with a strong cinematic feel, Banda Maje's debut album "Ufo Bar" transports you to an imagined version of Salerno that combines local tradition and 70s pop and film culture.

Listening to the album's eight funk- and soul- infused tracks also means seeing stories unfold in the streets of this re-imagined city: from the jubilant uprising organised by the women from the Rione Fornelle neighborhood in "Fornellesse", to the cigarette smuggling story in "P' ciel, p' mar, p' terr"; from the distinctly southern Italian pucundria (bittersweet melancholy) in "Sunday Embarcadero", to the saga of provincial nightlife in "Living Disco Club".

While the LP's Side A is sunny and cheerful, its Side B is more nostalgic, almost nocturnal, with bittersweet vibes in "2010" and new wave-influenced synths in "Ago". This variety of moods reflects the emotional depth behind the music of Banda Maje: "We want to leave a trace of what we experience: the narrow little streets brimming with life; our love for Neapolitan music, for Italian soundtracks from the 70s, for B-movies and the saga of cigarette smugglers; our passion for vinyls and cassette mixtapes, not to mention second-hand love affairs and dusty afternoons spent watching third-division football."

Incredible Bongo Band was formed by MGM A&R Michael Viner in 1972 to record the soundtrack to a now virtually anonymous B-Movie entitled 'The Thing With Two Heads'. "The IBB" transformed from a loose studio collective to an instrumental pop covers consortium, interpreting classics of the day in their inimitable percussive fashion. Viner recorded them at MGM studios during downtime, assembling line-ups from whichever musicians were available at the time, leading to a unique blend of multi-talented musicians that included Jim Gordon, King Errisson, Jerry Scheff, and Perry Botkin Jr. The full bands' line-up is shrouded in mystery, but their legacy is undeniable. They spawned cult-classic records that would become a goldmine for hip hop breaks and attain sampling immortality.

'Apache', which was written and made famous by the British band The Shadows, is legendary in the worlds of dance music and hip hop. It was a staple for DJs such as Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash as they invented their world-shaking take on the art of DJing at the Bronx block parties of the ‘70s. Over the years it has become a hip hop and breakers anthem and is revered as 'the break' of all time (at least in the top three) with the rhythms of this LP even helping to coin the term 'breakbeat'.

“Bongo Rock” is significant, for being one of the musical cornerstones of rap ... it is certainly one of the most sampled LP’s in history, if not the most sampled. Almost every history-minded hip-hop DJ has a copy, and the first few bars of “Apache,” can send crowds into overdrive.” According to Kool Herc, the stylistic pioneer many people consider to be the father of hip-hop music, the Bongo’s “Apache” is “the national anthem of hip-hop.” NY Times.

Sampled over 600 times, including... Nas, Beastie Boys, Moby, Mick Jagger, Kanye West, Sugarhill Gang, Jay-Z, Aphex Twin, DJ Shadow, Massive Attack, Ultramagnetic MC’s, Unkle, LL Cool J, 2 Live Crew, 4 Hero, Fatboy Slim, to name a few…

The real story of “The IBB” is far greater than the recordings themselves and ultimately shows how a distinctly powerful musical performance can get the recognition it deserves, no matter how anonymous its origins.

Originally released in 1985, the debut full-length album of the legendary Los Angeles Speed Metal pioneers SAVAGE GRACE stands on the top of the greatest US Power / Speed Metal albums of all time.
NEW REISSUE! Special 2021 vinyl audio mastering faithful to the original recordings, and liner notes by the founder Christian Logue

Shura announces a deluxe version of her acclaimed 2019 album
‘forevher’, released via Secretly Canadian.
‘forevher: Deluxe Edition’ is released on cassette and features the
eleven original album tracks with nine extras. These include acoustic
versions of five album tracks recorded and produced with Sam Evian
and featuring Hannah Cohen on backing vocals, previous Bandcamp
single ‘magazine launch (demo)’, last year’s collaborative single
‘elevator girl’ featuring Ivy Sole and two unreleased tracks including
‘obsession’.
On ‘obsession’, Shura explains: “‘obsession’ was one of the songs I
wrote whilst I was writing ‘forevher’. I always wanted it to be a duet
between two women but it never came to fruition during the recording
process. Then, when I toured ‘forevher’ in Europe, Rosie Lowe came
with us and we’d always spoken about wanting to collaborate on
something together and I suddenly remembered this song, which I loved
but had somehow never finished. I sent the track across to Ro and when
she sent back her rough take I was like ‘YES. this is it.’”
With ‘forevher’, Shura’s immediately identifiable way with love, touch and
how we talk about it reached even greater creative heights. Having
moved from West London to New York following her adored 2016 debut,
,Nothing’s Real,, it’s all mirrored in a lyrical journey from rejection and
loss to desire, long-distance love and the prospect of how we make
something real actually work.
In 2020, Shura emerged as one of contemporary pop’s accidental
trailblazers. A frank, funny voice in the LGBTQ+ community whose
contribution to the paradigm-shift in the cultural landscape cannot be
underestimated.
Written primarily about Shura’s relationship with her girlfriend and their
long-distance conception, ‘forevher’ traces everything from the initial pull
of desire to that first real life meeting (‘the stage’), before recognising
when the connection develops into something scarily meaningful. It’s a
classic NYC-to-London love story but one told through the totally modern
filter of dating apps, unanswered texts, Skype chats and MUNA gigs.
And whilst how to live - and love - as a queer woman has always been
integral to Shura, it’s remarkable to hear these stories twisted through
such a gorgeous amalgam of influences: Joni Mitchell and Minnie
Riperton, Bon Iver and Frank Ocean, Prince and Ariel Pink. Through
these inspirations, Shura’s own modern, outlier perspective found a
newer, more daring approach to sound and song.

Grammy nominated guitarist, composer, and producer, Chuck Loeb has had a musical career that spans over four decades. He was one of the most sought-after jazz recording artists and composer of over
250 published songs.
In 1984 Chuck Loeb joined the all-star group Steps Ahead. In 2010 he replaced Larry Carlton at Fourplay. In 1988 Chuck Loeb started his solo career and was initially under contract with the innovative label DMP. During this time the album Life Colors was recorded. Life Colors is certainly one of Chuck Loeb’s best albums. It is very reminiscent of his days with Steps Ahead. It’s packed with fusion-driven songs with incredible dynamics. The melodic riffs make this album a very special one.
Chuck Loeb passed away in 2017 at the age of 61. The album by Chuck Loeb, which is still legendary today, was no longer available in mint condition for over a decade. Now Life Colors is emerging again - as a Double-LP.

"Can you say it again" is the result of a multidisciplinary project between pieter dudal and brussels based photographer marlies van wielendaele. the latter offered a series of pictures taken on one of her trips to india with the initial aim of combining these with sounds recorded during the same trip. while working with these images and sounds, dudal found himself more and more alienating from the source material. the context in which these has been registered was unknown to him and made it almost impossible to create a set of new meanings within the Indian context surrounding the source material.

Hence, he radically erased and deleted all recordings he had and started all over again. instead of trying to understand the image and making connections with the sound material, dudal relied on the technique of free association to create his own narratives linked to the images. these small stories formed the basis to envision music and resulted in this album which heavily relies on tapeloops and piano recordings.

Dudal is the moniker of Belgian based musician pieter dudal. in 2014 he founded dauw, a label with a strong focus on the interaction between music and visual art. Beside running the label, he also makes music and has released his first ep in 2014 while individual tracks appeared on several compilations.

Following on from Vince Watson’s sell-out 2020 release, that saw tracks lifted from his 9th studio album ‘Via’ taken to a whole new level with remixes by the mighty Joe Clausell, Steve Bug & Langenberg, Osunlade and Manoo, he unleashes two fresh, new, feel-good cuts on Everysoul Audio!

Defining them as House or Techno would be a mistake, as Vince effortlessly bridges the gap between both worlds in a way that he does so very well. ‘Make A Wish’ was born out of the same studio session as his ‘Teardrops’ track for Sacred Rhythm, taking the initial sketch into a different direction with powerful drums, big basslines and silky synth stabs, adding to the orchestral strings that build. ‘Forever’ was originally a studio jam that made it into his live shows pre-covid, but this gave him the chance to finish it the way he always wanted. It’s an upbeat, jazzy cut with funky 909 drums and acid bassline.

It’s a given that timing is everything in music – most obviously in terms of composition and production but often just as much in regard to conception and release – the latter two doubly poignantly so in the case of this massive DOOM vs The Sugarcubes mash-up LP from turntablist and producer Krash Slaughta.

Which is why the tale of this project’s gestation is perhaps what should be told about it before anything else.

Begun last August and finished on 25 October, the album started life as an idea born from a casual listen to final Sugarcubes album Stick Around For Joy that Krash had bought a copy of years before in a charity shop. Contemplating the cover art while listening to the LP and the track Hit in particular, it came to him that here might be the musical basis for a concept LP in the grand tradition of the hip-hop mash-up album. Thus the project was born, becoming something of an obsession as lockdown restrictions recommenced through a sanity-testing autumn. As it developed, the provisional title of Stick Around For DOOM morphed into Sugar Coated DOOM and Brighton artists Leigh Pearce and Rob Crespo were roped in to create the artwork. So pleased was Krash with the results that he decided to self-finance the pressing of the LP to vinyl which in turn would allow him to send a copy to DOOM in the most fitting format. On that basis, along with his dad’s advice that if you want something done properly; do it yourself’, he initiated the process for a limited press run as soon as the project wrapped and telephoned his dad (who’d been shielding and who he hadn’t seen for months) to say he’d done precisely that. In a tragic twist, this turned out to be their last ever conversation, for Krash’s dad died suddenly the next day. Two months later of course, while waiting for the Covid-slowed vinyl pressing process to complete, came a further tragic twist as the world received the delayed news that DOOM himself had also passed away back in October – in the event, only five days after Krash’s father. So it’s no understatement to say that Sugar Coated DOOM carries significant emotional resonance for its maker, forever linked as it will be to the deaths of two of his personal heroes.

Which brings us to the content. The album contains seven vocal tracks, with an alternate version of one and instrumental versions of five of the seven across two sides of an album with the music, track names, LP title and cover art mashing up musical, lyrical/ textual and visual elements of The Sugar Cubes’ Stick Around For Joy with DOOM acapellas, track names and references. Listeners won’t need long to appreciate that Krash Slaughta was right to be proud of his creation, almost certainly correct in thinking DOOM would dig it and no doubt The Sugarcubes too. Also, who would have thought The Sugarcubes had so much potential for beat-mining? But then seeing potential in the unexpected was always a vital skill from the golden era of sampling in hip-hop and those who follow in the tradition. The first track proper, for example, swipes Madlib’s lo-fi beat from underneath the vocals for Figaro and replaces it with the looped and beefed-up opening bars of the Cubes’ I’m Hungry. The result is a natural fit. But then the blending of elements in every track on this release provides evidence of the effort and love put into its creation, reinvigorating DOOM’s classic vocals while re-purposing The Sugarcubes in a manner that will delight. Indeed, if you’d didn’t know the work of Bjork’s former band, you’d be unlikely to pin an early 90s alt-rock LP as the sample source. I imagine listeners will have a hard time picking a favourite too. Perhaps Hit It (based on the track which triggered the project idea in the first) which splices the Bond-theme-ish Hit with My Favourite Ladies might prove the most popular, or the monkey’s favourite, Nurse Chong, which blends Happy Nurse with Raedawn (named for Tommy Chong’s daughter) from Viktor Vaughn LP Vaudeville Villain. Whichever one punters pick though, anyone who hears anything off this will know it’s one to rank alongside your other favourite hip-hop mash-up albums. And who knows – perhaps even Mr Daniel Dumile himself might have considered it a not unfitting epitaph.

As a band, The Cobbs are virtually unknown but its members were in fact the Revolutionaries i.e. the 1970s CHANEL ONE studio band!

Check this line-up: Sly Dunbar: Drums, Rad Bryan: Guitar, Ranchie McLean: Bass, Ansel Collins: Keyboards!

Initially released separately on Trojan‘s Amalgamated label in 1969 and never repressed since, these two organ driven wild instrumentals were produced by Joe Gibbs.

These two rare tracks exemplify the Skinhead reggae style and are a prime example of the very best Boss Reggae instrumentals of the time.

Folk-minimalists announce vinyl issue for breakthrough album, Animalia.

"The semi-classical drums/sax/piano trio Mammal Hands mutate into a high-volume rave act" The Guardian

Captivating, ethereal and majestic, Mammal Hands (saxophonist Jordan Smart, pianist Nick Smart and drummer and percussionist Jesse Barrett) has carved out a refreshingly original sound from adisparatearray of influences: drawing on spiritual jazz, north Indian, folk and classical music to create something inimitably their own.

Hailing from Norwich, one of Britain's most isolated and most easterly cities, they have forged their own path away from the musical mainstream and their unique sound grew out of long improvised rehearsals. All three members contribute equally to the writing process: one that favours the creation of a powerful group dynamic over individual solos. Their recordsare entrancing and beautiful affairs,while their hypnotic live shows have seen them hailed as one of the most exciting bands in Europe as they push their unique line-up to the outer limits of its possibilities.

Over the course of three albums, Animalia, Floa and Shadow Work they have built a committed following and established themselves as one of the finest live bands in Europe. But while Floa and Shadow Work were both issued on vinyl this is the first time that Animalia has been committed to wax.

Produced by Matthew Halsall and recorded at 80 Hertz Studio, in Manchester, and engineered by George Atkins, Animalia features the band breakthrough hits Mansions of Million Years, a slow building tune that takes it's name from Egyptian mythology and draws the listener into the band's distinctive sound world. And the gorgeous hooky Kandaiki which makes stunning use of looped melodies in different time signatures, creating a wonderful interplay between the parts.

Other highlights include Snow Bough a short, melancholic, but moving, ambient composition, the Irish folk music inspired Spinning the Wheel, which also features drum beats inspired by chopped up electronic drum patterns and hip hop instrumentals. The jaunty Bustle and delightful Inuit Party and Street Sweeper. Finally the album closes with Tiny Crumb, which explores melodic ideas inspired by Alice Coltrane and Joe Henderson and builds in intensity from a quiet start to a powerful collective improvisation and heavily features Jesse's Tabla.

When most musicians reach a career milestone they take it on tour. Texas, whose debut album turned 30 last year, had bigger ambitions. Rather than simply perform their old songs, the Scots set out to meet their old selves – the wide-eyed kids who made Southside, their two million-selling, Top 3 debut, and the band who bounced back eight years later with the six times platinum White On Blonde.
The vaults at Universal were raided for recording sessions for both albums, stored on tape and DAT and never digitised. Top of Texas’ list was their first, failed attempt at I Don’t Want A Lover, scuppered by Chic bassist Bernard Edwards.
“Just after we signed, we were in the studio with Bernard and Chic’s drummer Tony Thompson,” recalls guitarist Johnny McElhone. “Bernard got coked up and ended up running away to Mexico before Sharleen even started her vocals. But that’s a whole other story.”
Late in 2018, the aborted version was found, alongside several songs recorded during different sessions which didn’t make their debut. The biggest revelation, however, was a 15-strong batch of tracks from the White On Blonde sessions which both Johnny and Sharleen Spiteri had forgotten existed.
“When we made that album, no one in Britain gave a shit about Texas,” says Sharleen. “We were still doing really well in Europe, but here we couldn’t get arrested.
“No one at our label was asking to hear any music or pushing us, so we just kept writing and recording and trying out new stuff until we felt the record was ready. Hence we ended up with a lot more material than usual.”
So good were the songs that Texas initially planned to release them as a ‘lost’ album, possibly to be called Blonde On White. But working with their old recordings inspired them to start writing new songs.
“Tweaking the old stuff was so much fun,” says Sharleen. “It felt like us, now, collaborating with ourselves of 25 years ago. It was amazing to go back there – my voice was so young! – and to hear how much energy and passion we had. We were fighting for our careers at the time, trying to prove that Texas were still relevant.
“Our excitement at finding this treasure trove of songs collided with our excitement from back then and, unplanned, new songs started coming. You could say we were inspired by ourselves, if that didn’t make us sound insanely big-headed.”
Hi, Texas’ tenth album, is the result of that bonkers journey back but has its eyes firmly fixed on the future. The title track and sensational first single aptly fuses the two. A brand new collaboration with Wu Tang Clan, it finds a soulful Sharleen nestled next to boisterous raps from RZA and Ghostface Killah over a cinematic backdrop of lush beats and acoustic guitar.

Known for the soulful jazz-grooves of their self-titled 2020 debut album, Matti Klein’s Soul Trio actually began as an idea rather than a group.
However, in early 2018 three master musicians met in Berlin’s Lovelite Studio with producer/engineer Jochen Str h (Tony Allen, Ebo Taylor, Pat Thomas, Jimi Tenor) and recorded a set of well-planned and even better executed live sessions, each finding their desired space live and direct, locking into the immediacy of the groove. ‘Soul Trio Live On Tape’ contains these very first sessions of the Matti Klein Soul Trio and comprises new arrangements of songs that had primarily been composed for Klein’s band Mo’ Blow; favourites already back then, timeless classics now thanks to these exciting ‘deep-fried contemporary soul jazz’ versions.
Their leader, known for his work as musical director for the Brazilian superstar Ed Motta as well as Mo ‘Blow, can be heard on Wurlitzer and Rhodes Bass; Lars Zander (The Ruffcats, El Cartel, Lucasonic, STEREOFYSH) not only proves he is the most soulful tenor saxophonist in Berlin, but also why he has earned kudos for a bass clarinet sound that is enhanced with analog tape delays, Wah-Wah and Harmonizer-sweetenings; and drummer Andr Seidel also shows his chops, incorporating elements of rock, hip-hop, odd meter fusion and the sound of New Orleans into his own unique groove jazz style.
As for the music, ‘Rocket Swing’ is a tenor sax feature in which a hip-hop vibe meets a jazzy fifth fall, while ‘Ray’ (dedicated to Mr. Charles) is a Meters-inspired shuffle in 7/8 time. ‘No Particular Way’ showcases the funky side of the band, with singer Pat Appleton in top form over a wonderfully creaky Rhodes bass. ‘Sunsqueezed’ is created in a wide compositional arc, evoking a ray of sunshine peeking through the clouds during a long and grey 10-month Berlin winter, giving hope for the next two months.
‘Eleven Feels Like Heaven’ is a joyful, uproarious gospel blues with a brilliant odd meter drum solo. ‘Grandpa’s Fairytale’ is a hitherto unreleased piece that is dedicated to the bandleader’s grandfather, a former school headmaster who loved to read him stories and is a Wurlitzer-warmth meets bass clarinet groove in an atypical dynamic arc. Summarising their efforts, Klein states somewhat cryptically that “the band rolls in a warm, soft couch whenever there is a risk of having to sit between the chairs.”
Initially available as a limited fan item only at live shows, this document is now being released officially with the addition of ‘Grandpa’s Fairytale’. It is a journey through time, absolutely contemporary and yet wonderfully back to the future.