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Faun Fables, the long-running collaboration between Dawn McCarthy and Nils Frykdahl, have returned with Counterclockwise, the follow-up to 2016"s Born of the Sun. With the longest space between albums in the band"s twenty-seven year history, the nature of time and experience spent raising a family and negotiating life"s changes have much to do with the incredible listening companion Faun Fables have gifted us here. Counterclockwise"s songs and production are the most encompassing, richly lived-in sonic world of their seven full-length albums. From start to finish, it is an exquisitely etched portrait of their aesthetic and worldview: colourfully studded with fine-hewed jewels of song, tinged with the traditional sounds of past and future nations. Their timeless "songtelling" practice is entwined with a holistic view of a life in music - embracing and celebrating the mundane details of home, partnering and family, elevated by a mystical and fantastical perspective. The new discovery here is their creative relationship with time.

Drei Jahre nach der Veröffentlichung ihres Debütalbums "caroline" kommt jetzt ihr neues Album "caroline 2". Die Gruppe verbrachte 18 Monate mit verschiedenen Schreibsessions in Großbritannien, wobei die Aufnahmen hauptsächlich in den Big Jelly Studios in Ramsgate stattfanden. Produziert wurde das Album von Jasper Llewellyn, Casper Hughes, Mike O"Malley und Syd Kemp, gemischt von Jason Agel und gemastert von Heba Kadry. Das neue Album "caroline 2" beginnt mit einer lauten Gitarre, die den Sound und gleichsam die Marschroute für das neue Album vorgibt. Dabei gibt sich der Klangkosmos von caroline weiterhin als unergründlich. Voller euphorischer Tiefen und musikalischer Fallstricke, die einen zurück auf einen gemütlichen Soundteppich ziehen. Und dennoch klingt auch das neue unverkennbar nach der Band, die man nicht in Schubladen stecken kann. In gewisser Weise macht das zweite Album von caroline somit da weiter, wo sein Vorgänger aufgehört hat - das grandiose, selbstbetitelte Debüt von 2022 endete mit "Natural death", auf dem sie ebenfalls die Möglichkeiten von hypnotischen Gitarrenmustern erkundeten -, aber in vielen anderen Bereichen betreten sie Neuland. Das Ergebnis ist ein Album von außerordentlicher Tragweite, auf dem das Organische und das Künstliche, das Raue und das Schöne, das Ursprüngliche und das Verschwommene aufeinanderprallen und sich miteinander verbinden.

Fit for Consequences: Original Recordings, 1984–1987 is the first ever archival release from Repetition Repetition, the “two-man electric minimalist band” consisting of Ruben Garcia and Steve Caton hailing from Los Angeles in the mid 1980’s. Repetition Repetition’s unique blend of cosmic art-rock minimalism / maximalism was self-released across a series of cassettes produced in micro editions, and while garnering the attention and participation of luminaries such as Harold Budd, remained under the radar during the band’s existence. Fit for Consequences: Original Recordings, 1984–1987 collects select material from across the duo’s catalog.

It was over a plate of Mexican breakfast food when Ruben Garcia and Steve Caton first told Harold Budd of Repetition Repetition and the worlds they intended to explore by respective way of synthesizers and guitars --- a rendezvous instigated by the former’s fan mail to the legendary composer. If the upstarts entered this restaurant from a one-way street of admiration, they would leave with not only Budd’s interest but, sometime later, a blessing in the wake of many hours shared by the three in Garcia’s Los Angeles home recording studio: “This is going to be difficult, but God help them, I think they’re great,” noted Budd in a USC lecture in 1985. Now several degrees removed from prior rock music aspirations, the real game was afoot.

Between 1984 and 1988, Repetition Repetition operated within something akin to the underground of the experimental underground, although even that designation perhaps overstates the case. The duo’s sparse output consisted of three cassettes self-released on Garcia’s Third Stone Music label: Repetition Repetition (1985), Lakeland (1987), and The Machinist (1987). Their songs would also be included during this period on Trance Port Tapes’ vital scene-scanning compilations assembled by A Produce. Live performances occurred with similar infrequency, but Garcia and Caton counted converts in quality over quantity, numbering among them the aforementioned Budd, a Chambers Brother, and, judging by a memorably drop-jawed reaction following a rare Repetition Repetition gig, Jackson Browne.

Likewise, critical support materialized in the form of KCRW deejays Brent Wilcox and Dean Suzuki, whose steady airplay positioned Repetition Repetition’s music amidst fearless company like Jon Hassell, Hiroshi Yoshimura, and Richard Horowitz. Yet, to hear fellow Trance Port featured players like Tom Recchion and Bruce Licher of Savage Republic tell it, Garcia and Caton moved as ghosts --- a notion more vexingly endorsed by the silence of record companies that failed to come knocking --- and therein lies an overarching truth to the work itself.

Journey to the heart of Repetition Repetition and one discovers a collective ear impossibly attuned to the hypnotic possibilities of stylistic convergence, the resulting music possessed of seamless multimodalities which beckon to a glimmering plane of the disembodied. Where Caton sought his artistic fixes at an intersection of popular genres, Garcia zoned in on the sonically spare, drawing from the same wellspring as the Enos and Rileys of his personal avant-garde pantheon, and in their coming together the two tapped into a deeper cosmic source. Synthetic walls of keyboard sound in forever states of reprise met waves of shimmering --- and at times even punishing --- guitar in reply, their soundscapes hovering convincingly between, as suggested in fittingly dualistic fashion in a press kit assembled by Garcia, such disparate sensations as bird flight in one song and oil drilling in the next.

But don’t call it a push-pull dynamic, as this was a creative partnership founded upon fluidity and organicism by way of, naturally, repetition. In contrast to, say, the Bressonian ideal of repetitive motion as a great stripping away, the concept in the hands of Garcia and Caton equated to ascendancy via continuous unfolding, a maximal route to minimalism. To be sure, their recording philosophy morphed over the course of the act’s short history, and what started as a process defined by consistent in-person interplay developed into a more isolated method formulated by Garcia, who eventually took to his own one-man bedroom-studio sessions in order to fully chart any and all potential ostinato-loaded paths which he could travel down, the Tascam-captured resonances subsequently provided to Caton as blueprints from which to take flight himself, adding layer upon layer of steel to the proceedings.

If the practice and execution changed, however, the evidence certainly didn’t rest in the results: The seamlessness remained, and, despite the brevity of their time together, so has Repetition Repetition. With this finely calibrated collection of songs in Fit for Consequences: Original Recordings, 1984–1987, Freedom To Spend sees to it that the private worlds of Garcia and Caton can now be visited by all rather than just the count-‘em-on-both-hands lucky few whose musical endeavors or collector vocations carried them into this once-distant dimension.

Repetition Repetition’s Fit for Consequences: Original Recordings, 1984–1987 will be released on Freedom To Spend in vinyl and digital editions on May 30, 2025. The collection includes extensive liner notes from Bill Perrine, and wil be offered alongside Over & Over, a supplemental collection of music available exclusively as a mail order cassette from Freedom To Spend and RVNG Intl.

Spectral Bounce’s fifth instalment comes courtesy of L.A.’s rave archivist and dancefloor operative Dreams, A.K.A. Jesse Pimenta. Throughout his decade-long career the California native has inspected, dissected and concocted all manner of dance musics, leaving his mark with drops on Apron Records, Pinkman, BANK NYC and his own imprint Dance Data. On SPEC05 — Dangerous When Wet — he hijacks the synapses with 4 accomplished productions, plotting a high BPM course through manifold styles using the raw aesthetic that characterises his output.

“Losing Control” is a frenetic dancefloor invitation, immediately locking into a pacing groove. Beneath wild hand drums, Dreams plays with an insistent 303 bassline alternating between rasping buzz and oily squelch, while stern vocals are layered on top of breaks that have been processed to a viscerally satisfying end.

Taking things from delirious dance circle to underwater biosphere, the EP’s eponymous track explores a submerged 1980s Miami. Weighty & enveloping, “Dangerous When Wet” is pure aquatic pop-n-lock — hydraulic electro for a drowned world. Ocean floor caustics are transmuted into auditory form: arpeggios bubble up; drones shimmer mystically; hi-hats hiss like air from an open valve. Amongst the sonar bleeps, a barrage of pummeling low-end is sure to give subwoofers a workout.

“XTC Messenger” delivers an infectious paranoid dispatch, astutely balancing the sensual with the deranged. A slow-mo dial tone unfolds languidly, running counter to nervously twitching high frequencies. Its punchy percussion is tuned for maximum dopamine release; the track’s abrupt vocal chops and mechanical kick-snare pulsation evoke the leather jackets and jagged edges of 1980s industrial discotheque.

“Pressure Points” closes the EP on a heady and mesmerising polymetric trip. The parting track is a lithe yet spacious number, propelled by a rattling break. Here Dreams follows from track 2, creating an immersive environment in which sounds tightly twist and twirl. Shifting oscillators call out like tiny creatures as the bass throbs and wriggles further into your brain, long after the needle hits the runout groove.

The album "Plural" celebrates the remarkable encounters and partnerships that have shaped Gabriel Grossi"s 25-year career as a harmonica player, composer, arranger, and producer. Featuring 10 of his own compositions, Grossi"s renowned virtuosity flows with deep sensitivity through various genres, reflecting the solid trajectory of one of the greatest instrumentalists and most creative musicians in Brazilian music. Collaborating with prominent names from both the national and international music scenes, "Plural" showcases Grossi"s music without borders, offering the world a glimpse of his extensive career. For this celebration, outstanding guests were invited to join the musical journey. Including Jacob Collier, Ed Motta, Hermeto Pascoal, Seamus Blake, Omar Sosa and others.

Rituals, out May 30th, is the newest full length album from Watchhouse (Andrew Marlin & Emily Frantz). This is the first release of all new, original songs since their 2021 self-titled album, which found the duo embracing a new name and a new chapter for the band. Recorded close to home in 2024 with co-producer Ryan Gustafson (the Dead Tongues), Rituals explores the boundaries between identity and awareness, and how we often confuse our patterns with our truths. The album muses on the endless nature of our evolution, asking questions like: how can we have a positive relationship with change, how can we meet our ends gracefully, and 'is the world on fire or at home in the sun?

Die Modern Folk-Künstlerin Jensen McRae hat das Veröffentlichungsdatum ihres mit Spannung erwarteten zweiten Albums „I Don't Know How But They Found Me!“ bekannt gegeben, das am 25. April über Dead Oceans erscheinen wird. Zusammen mit der Ankündigung hat sie auch ihre neueste Single und das Video „Praying For Your Downfall“ veröffentlicht, ein Meisterwerk der Offenheit, das Witz und Charme verbindet, während McRae darüber nachdenkt, wie sie den Drang nach Rache an jemandem, der ihr das Herz gebrochen hat, loslassen kann.



Jensen McRae - Praying For Your Downfall (Official Video)



Vor dem Hintergrund von Herzschmerz, Selbstfindung und der Komplexität der Liebe ist „I Don't Know How But They Found Me!“ eine mutige Entwicklung für die junge Künstlerin. Das elf Titel umfassende Album, das in North Carolina mit Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Bon Iver) aufgenommen wurde und an dem Nathan Stocker (Hippo Campus), Matthew McCaughan (Bon Iver) und ihr Bruder Holden McRae mitgewirkt haben, ist eine lebendige Sammlung von Songs, die von messerscharfen Texten und zeitlosen Pop-Melodien getragen werden. McRaes Stimme ist so vielseitig wie ihr Songwriting - mal flüsternd und strukturiert, dann wieder klar und hell. Es ist eine Stimme, die sowohl den Herzschmerz des Verlassenwerdens als auch die Stärke des Verlassens verkörpert.



Von Anfang an haben sich die Fans in Jensen McRae verliebt, für ihre scharfsinnigen, aufrüttelnden und klarsichtigen Songs. Ihr Songwriting ist verletzlich, ja, aber es ist auch stark, weil es sich nicht zurückhält. „I Don't Know How But They Found Me!“ zeigt McRaes Entwicklung von einer vielversprechenden jungen Künstlerin zu einer echten Songwriterin und Star. „Die tiefgreifendsten Entscheidungen meines Lebens“, sagt McRae, “haben sich oft wie Dinge angefühlt, die ich getan habe, bevor ich dazu bereit war, und in die ich hineinwachsen musste.“ „I Don't Know How But They Found Me!“ handelt davon, was folgt, wenn man dem widerstanden hat, von dem man dachte, dass es einen vernichten würde. Es geht darum, seine Grenzen kennenzulernen und zu erfahren, wozu man fähig ist. „Ich verband mich mit dem Gedanken, dass ich leicht unter dem Gewicht dessen, was mir widerfahren ist, hätte zusammenbrechen können, aber ich tat es nicht. Ich wusste es nicht einmal“, sagt sie, ‚aber ich war die ganze Zeit kugelsicher“. Jensen McRae ist in L.A. geboren und aufgewachsen und hat fast ihr ganzes Leben lang Musik studiert und gemacht. In der High School nahm sie am Grammy Camp teil und schloss ihr Studium an der USC Thornton School of Music mit einem Abschluss in Popular Music ab. McRaes Debütalbum „Are You Happy Now?“ schrieb sie größtenteils im Alter von 21 Jahren und war der erste Schritt zum Aufbau einer treuen Fangemeinde. „Are You Happy Now?“ navigiert die Identität von ihren tiefsten Grundlagen - dem Leben als junge, gemischtrassige schwarze und jüdische Frau - bis hin zu ihren persönlichsten Überlegungen - vertraue ich dir, vertraue ich mir selbst. McRaes Vertrauen in sich selbst hat sich mehrfach bestätigt, zuletzt und vielleicht am bekanntesten in Form des Songs „Massachusetts“. McRae postete eine Solo-Strophe und einen Refrain, kaum mehr als ein Stück eines Demos, und es fing Feuer im Internet. Covers, Duette und eine Lawine neuer Fans folgten, und McRae krönte den Moment mit einer fertigen Version und einer sommerlangen Tournee als Support von Noah Kahan. „I Don't Know How But They Found Me!“ nimmt McRaes mittlerweile beachtliche Fähigkeiten auf und macht sie massentauglich. „Savannah“ ist ein Song für alle, die schon lange dabei sind. Der pulsierende, an Country angelehnte Song erinnert sofort an das Beste von Phoebe Bridgers, wobei McRae in einem akrobatischen Flüsterton über einer federleichten akustischen Gitarre singt. Wenn „Savannah“ sein Crescendo erreicht, wird klar, dass McRae eine Künstlerin mit einer ganz eigenen Kraft ist, wenn sich Klavier und Gitarre überlagern und McRae eine Reihe bissiger Anklagen mit Schärfe und Überzeugung vorträgt: "You swore you'd raise our kids to end up just like you / well you're a false prophet / and that's a goddamn promise." Währenddessen ist „Let Me Be Wrong“ eine echte Hymne, eine beschwingte Ode an die Ablehnung von Perfektionismus. Wiederum auf einem einfachen Gesang und einer Akustikgitarre aufbauend, steigert sich „Let Me Be Wrong“ Schritt für Schritt in seinem Trotz; die Gitarren schichten sich, das Schlagzeug nimmt das Tempo auf, und McRae macht Platz für die Fehler aller. Wenn McRae knurrt „fuck those girls got everything“, ist das ein Schlag voller Kraft und Verletzlichkeit, der darum bettelt, unisono so laut wie möglich gebrüllt zu werden. Der ungewöhnliche Titel ihres zweiten Albums? Er stammt aus einer Zeile in McRaes Lieblingsfilm „Zurück in die Zukunft“. Ein Hauptdarsteller überlebt einen Kugelhagel, und dieses Bild hat McRae sehr beeindruckt. „Ich habe mich mit dem Gedanken angefreundet, dass ich leicht unter dem Gewicht dessen, was mir passiert ist, hätte zusammenbrechen können, aber das habe ich nicht. Ich wusste es nicht einmal“, sagt McRae, “aber ich war die ganze Zeit über kugelsicher.“

This one-off Belgian New Beat project from The Zodiacs at first glance seems like standard fare from this time and place in dance music history - even with call to action, commanding listeners to ‘Move & Dance To The New Beat!’ that could well have earned a place at one of the slogans of the entire movement in an alternative universe where this record was a hit. However, a hit it was not - what we have here is an obscure piece of music shrouded in mystery, previously released only on 7 inch, and its enigmatic nature only adds to eerie quality of the children’s voices throughout the record. This, alongside its higher tempo not usually associated with New Beat as a musical form, come together to bring forth a bizarre oddity of the genre that also has the potency of a modern, peak time weapon. Anatolian Weapons on remix duties takes the material and reduces the speed but increases the malevolence and is a testament to his skills as one of the great producers working today!

Native Call explores the roots of ancient Latin America, weaving five hypnotic tracks inspired by the myths and mysticism of the Maya civilisation. Each piece is a fragment of Maoh's universe; a world where past and present collide, evoking sacred rituals, celestial beliefs, and the hidden lore of a lost era.

Deep rhythms and haunting atmospheres guide the listener through a soundscape where ancient traditions meet contemporary electronic expression.

"I loved Julia Sabra’s Natural History Museum—it was released at the end of the year and is quietly devastating. Her lyricism and sensitivity in timbre and harmony is akin for me to the great Linda Perhacs. The songs are intimate and infinite feeling at the same time—I love the raw and soft poetic settings of love and death." Julia Holter (Best album 2024- Fader)

“This album is a collection of songs written between 2020 and 2024 in Beirut. I wanted to capture them the way they were written by keeping the rawness and fragility intact, like the late-night voice memos I send to my bandmates as soon as I have a first draft of a song. Fadi and I decided to record them live on tape, with no overdubs, barely any effect - with all the imperfections. Most of the tracks were done in one take only. Some were recorded in the studio, and some in the church I grew up going to every summer in Dhour Shweir.

This is a collection of songs that slipped through the cracks, and some of the most personal ones I ever wrote. Songs about the port explosion, its aftermath, picking up the pieces and trying to move on, coming to terms with the past, regret and nostalgia for a childhood that lives only in memory, the uncertain future, learning to love, getting married, watching a genocide unfold on my phone screen, having it fill my every waking moment, imagining a better send off for all the dead, processing the violence and terror, and finding solace in community.
These songs would’ve probably stayed in my “songs in limbo” folder on my laptop had it not been for Pascal and Fadi, who pushed me to release them. And for this I’m eternally grateful.”









[h] 8.Dis, quand reviendras-tu? [Barbara cover]

More than 20 years after their debut, Witchcraft's seventh album, 'IDAG,' is an awaited full accounting of who they are as a band. Those who have clamored for the return to an earlier sound rooted in '70s classic progressive and heavy rock will delight to the strut of "Irreligious Flamboyant Flame" while the eight-minute opening title-track is the heaviest the band have ever sounded, and a succession of interspersed acoustic-based pieces helps create a vision of a new, soulfully folkish doom taking shape as they continue to move inexorably forward. Founding guitarist/vocalist, Magnus Pelander, says of 'IDAG': "This album will reap souls and destroy wicked minds. And perhaps mend a couple of broken ones." These enigmatic few words from the Swedish band's main songwriter give clues as to the songs' intentions; a reference dropped to Coven's 1969 album, 'Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls.' Coven also had a folkish, proto-doomed take at that point in their history, and that multifaceted nature has been a part of Witchcraft all along. On one level, Magnus is winkingly telling you it's a Witchcraft record. The actual meaning of that becomes clear when you hear the album and find out just how much 'a Witchcraft record' can encompass. The storyline of Witchcraft's growth, from Pelander's starting the band in Örebro in 2000 in the wake of his prior outfit Norrsken's disbanding. A generational landmark of a 2004 self-titled debut helped spark a retroist movement that has become its own subgenre, but Witchcraft never stopped growing. 2005's 'Firewood' and 2007's 'The Alchemist' introduced more progressive sounds, and five years later, the pointedly modern 'Legend' established in 2012 that they had moved beyond the analog worship they had been a part of pioneering within the contemporary heavy rock and doom scene. In 2016, the 2LP 'Nucleus' introduced fuller-toned doom, and 2020's 'Black Metal' diverged into moody acoustic minimalism familiar to some fans from Pelander's early solo work, but different from anything Witchcraft had done prior. 'IDAG,' then, is the tie that draws all of this - more than two decades of exploring and growth - together. Whatever they've done in the past and whatever they'll do in the future, 'IDAG' feels like a nexus for defining who and what Witchcraft are. Even crazier, that might be the point of the thing. JJ Koczan

More than 20 years after their debut, Witchcraft's seventh album, 'IDAG,' is an awaited full accounting of who they are as a band. Those who have clamored for the return to an earlier sound rooted in '70s classic progressive and heavy rock will delight to the strut of "Irreligious Flamboyant Flame" while the eight-minute opening title-track is the heaviest the band have ever sounded, and a succession of interspersed acoustic-based pieces helps create a vision of a new, soulfully folkish doom taking shape as they continue to move inexorably forward. Founding guitarist/vocalist, Magnus Pelander, says of 'IDAG': "This album will reap souls and destroy wicked minds. And perhaps mend a couple of broken ones." These enigmatic few words from the Swedish band's main songwriter give clues as to the songs' intentions; a reference dropped to Coven's 1969 album, 'Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls.' Coven also had a folkish, proto-doomed take at that point in their history, and that multifaceted nature has been a part of Witchcraft all along. On one level, Magnus is winkingly telling you it's a Witchcraft record. The actual meaning of that becomes clear when you hear the album and find out just how much 'a Witchcraft record' can encompass. The storyline of Witchcraft's growth, from Pelander's starting the band in Örebro in 2000 in the wake of his prior outfit Norrsken's disbanding. A generational landmark of a 2004 self-titled debut helped spark a retroist movement that has become its own subgenre, but Witchcraft never stopped growing. 2005's 'Firewood' and 2007's 'The Alchemist' introduced more progressive sounds, and five years later, the pointedly modern 'Legend' established in 2012 that they had moved beyond the analog worship they had been a part of pioneering within the contemporary heavy rock and doom scene. In 2016, the 2LP 'Nucleus' introduced fuller-toned doom, and 2020's 'Black Metal' diverged into moody acoustic minimalism familiar to some fans from Pelander's early solo work, but different from anything Witchcraft had done prior. 'IDAG,' then, is the tie that draws all of this - more than two decades of exploring and growth - together. Whatever they've done in the past and whatever they'll do in the future, 'IDAG' feels like a nexus for defining who and what Witchcraft are. Even crazier, that might be the point of the thing. JJ Koczan

Purple Vinyl, limited to 450 copies. More than 20 years after their debut, Witchcraft's seventh album, 'IDAG,' is an awaited full accounting of who they are as a band. Those who have clamored for the return to an earlier sound rooted in '70s classic progressive and heavy rock will delight to the strut of "Irreligious Flamboyant Flame" while the eight-minute opening title-track is the heaviest the band have ever sounded, and a succession of interspersed acoustic-based pieces helps create a vision of a new, soulfully folkish doom taking shape as they continue to move inexorably forward. Founding guitarist/vocalist, Magnus Pelander, says of 'IDAG': "This album will reap souls and destroy wicked minds. And perhaps mend a couple of broken ones." These enigmatic few words from the Swedish band's main songwriter give clues as to the songs' intentions; a reference dropped to Coven's 1969 album, 'Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls.' Coven also had a folkish, proto-doomed take at that point in their history, and that multifaceted nature has been a part of Witchcraft all along. On one level, Magnus is winkingly telling you it's a Witchcraft record. The actual meaning of that becomes clear when you hear the album and find out just how much 'a Witchcraft record' can encompass. The storyline of Witchcraft's growth, from Pelander's starting the band in Örebro in 2000 in the wake of his prior outfit Norrsken's disbanding. A generational landmark of a 2004 self-titled debut helped spark a retroist movement that has become its own subgenre, but Witchcraft never stopped growing. 2005's 'Firewood' and 2007's 'The Alchemist' introduced more progressive sounds, and five years later, the pointedly modern 'Legend' established in 2012 that they had moved beyond the analog worship they had been a part of pioneering within the contemporary heavy rock and doom scene. In 2016, the 2LP 'Nucleus' introduced fuller-toned doom, and 2020's 'Black Metal' diverged into moody acoustic minimalism familiar to some fans from Pelander's early solo work, but different from anything Witchcraft had done prior. 'IDAG,' then, is the tie that draws all of this - more than two decades of exploring and growth - together. Whatever they've done in the past and whatever they'll do in the future, 'IDAG' feels like a nexus for defining who and what Witchcraft are. Even crazier, that might be the point of the thing. JJ Koczan

Oasis Records is a Portuguese outlet that marks its 10th release with its first vinyl outing, and the music is certainly deserving of that treatment. Vros is a collaboration between three siblings who use real instruments to blend hypnotic sounds from the worlds of deep and dubby electronica. Each track symbolises an elementiwind, earth, fire, and wateriso has a real connection with nature and encourages self-reflection as well as plenty of shape-shifting. 'Space Marimba' is perfect for outdoor dancing with its happy marimba melodies and elastic bass, 'Don't Be Afraid' is pure Balearic house bliss and 'Fusion' brings subtly trance induing chords while 'Release Your Mind' is a deep, mind-bending opener.A

WOW. Daniel O'Sullivan's transcendent new album, Eros, is one of the greatest things we've ever heard. A simply stunning song cycle of hypnotic, experimental contemporary chamber music composed for a 14-piece ensemble. Combining minimalism, complex syncopation, detailed acoustic textures, weird intervals and samurai precision, this record will elegantly blow your mind. When Daniel first sent us this, he pitched it as “Liquid Swords meets Michael Nyman”. Trust us, he wasn't wrong. A "unique hybrid orchestral music", it presents a confluence of Daniel's longstanding fixations; indeed, there's elements of Nyman, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Magma, Aaron Copland and RZA. But this is wholly O'Sullivan's. Originally commissioned for the Sonoton Music Library in Munich, Eros now receives a deluxe vinyl release courtesy of Be With Records, bringing this meticulously crafted work to a wider audience. Limited to just 500 copies for the world, these are gonna fly.

An English composer and multi-instrumentalist, Daniel O'Sullivan’s career has been marked by versatility and innovation. In addition to his work with Sonoton, he has composed extensively for the legendary KPM music library, contributing to its storied legacy of production music. As a deep virtuoso and collaborator, O'Sullivan has also played in a number of influential projects, including Ulver, Sunn O))), This Is Not This Heat, Grumbling Fur and Miracle (with Steve Moore), leaving an indelible mark on the contemporary experimental music landscape.

O’Sullivan’s first foray into classically informed chamber music, Eros is a culmination of his long-standing fixations and expansive musical influences. The album features arrangements that are as detailed as they are emotionally resonant, showcasing his unparalleled ear for intervals and mastery of counterpoint. The music brims with complex rhythmic syncopation and a sensitivity to texture and space, resulting in a soundscape that is both intoxicating and dauntingly precise.

Recorded June 2023 and February 2024, in Brussels, London and Carmarthenshire, Wales, Eros features members of Echo Collective (Neil Leiter and Margaret Hermant), Thighpaulsandra (from seminal post-industrial band Coil), and jazz pioneer Oren Marshall. Daniel's sonic weapons of choice, in his own inimitable words, were "Big Bad Drum, Pee Anne Oh, Low End Brass, Willowy Winds & Samurai Strings." You get the picture. As a cyclical suite, this is a record that really needs to be heard in its entitreity, from start to finish, to truly appreciate the genius at work here.

A jaw-dropping statement of intent, the minimalist "Golden Verses" sets the tone with its complex cue which has your neck snapping right when it feels like it needs to. Listen and you'll understand. A syncopated tangle of sharp strings, crunchy bass, drums percussion and bright piano and mallets vie for position with French horn and woodwind melody in the most compelling and unexpected ways. Quite simply, it's one of the finest album openers I've ever heard. It's followed by the atmospheric rippling minimalism of "Lyre Lyre", a gorgeous gem with shimmering chimes, bright melody, human percussion and syncopated pizzicato strings. It kinda comes on like a less-abstract Boards Of Canada, bursting with typical wonderment. The piano and string-drenched "Dolorous Stroke" effortlessly builds its warm, pastoral orchestration with flowing piano arpeggio, steadfast drums, expressive string quartet, rich low brass, woodwind and lyrical flute. Just sublime.

The insistent frenetic propulsion of "Plain Paper" is utterly beguiling, featuring a determined string motif, urgent drums and percussion, driving low brass and breathless, energetic flute. The haunting, interweaving string arpeggios that propel "Grapes Draped" presents a claustrophobic minimalism for chaos and darkness, with growling low woodwind and brass, spiky harpsichord, skittering flutes and tight drums. Up next, "Xanix Annum" is a stately minimalist waltz with expressive lyrical string quartet and delicate woodwind, anchored by drums and percussion. "Painting Rose" is a bouncy stop-start track with angular syncopated strings and a piano pulse underneath bright harpsichord and flutes. "Rotunda Garden" presents ethereal textural minimalism for landscapes and reflection with flowing string arpeggios, warm, low woodwind drones, floating choir and cymbal swells. Closing out this extraordinary side of music, the glowing, flowing minimalism of "Flowry Orb" features urgent organ, piano and woodwind arpeggios, half-time drums with shimmering cymbals, a soaring, beautiful violin solo and hypnotic vocal chant.

Side 2 opens with "Theia Mania" a determinedly off-kilter, angular track featuring low wind, brass and drum stomp in dialogue with lively string trio, woodwind and solo horn. The light, airy minimalism of "Painting Percy" is built around an interplay of rhythmic motifs for piano, low brass, bassoon, fluttering flutes, urgent strings, drums and percussion whilst "For Archetypes" is a delicate, gently syncopated chamber cue for nostalgia, nature, reflection and moments of calm, with steady piano motif, intimate woodwind and French horn, and warm, graceful strings. The urgent Ars Memoriae is a propulsive march for progress, processes and industry, underpinned by driving tuba, with determined strings, resolute drums, and vivid, expressive flute, clarinet and French horn.

The syncopated energetic minimalism of "Mirrored Seven" presents layers of melodic and cyclical piano, drums, low brass, harp, flute and strings. "Pure Ornament" follows, a slowly evolving chamber cue with flowing clarinet, string and harp arpeggio, plodding tuba and percussion, fluttering flute and graceful, lyrical solos. Stunning! Up next, "Brave Boy" moves from its tender, warm, lullaby-like intro with lyrical flute, clarinet and strings before opening into a playful backend driven by a bouncy tuba riff and syncopated piano, woodwind, string trio, and drums and percussion. Rounding out this astonishing piece, "Waxen Waned" is a warm, pastoral chamber cue with light lyrical woodwind, tender French horn and subtly pulsing string trio.

The album's title is a reference to Plato’s conception of Eros, which is more than romantic or physical desire. It is a dynamic and creative force that drives individuals to seek perfection whether in art, relationships, philosophy or the pursuit of truth. Wholly appropriate, here, we think. When asked what his influences were in making this astounding record, he answered thusly: "Non-musical: Householding, Pythagoras, Goethe, Grail romances, Hermeticism, Doctrine of Signatures (Parcelsus, Bohme, Pliny), Eric Rohmer, John Stezaker, Yasujiro Ozu. Musical: Duke Ellington (late suites), Smile-era Brian, early RZA, Wagner (Parsifal Overture), Magma, Mancini, Axelrod, YMO, Hildegard, Nyman, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Jobim (Stone Flower), Alessandro Alessandroni, Tavener, Moondog, Orthodox Music, Secular Music." That's some pretty deep shit. Makes you want to dive in, no?

Mastering for this vinyl edition was overseen by Be With regular Simon Francis, and it was cut by the esteemed Cicely Balston at Abbey Road Studios to be pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry. Truly, Eros is a work of extraordinary depth and sophistication. It invites listeners to immerse themselves in its intricate layers, to lose themselves in its hypnotic rhythms, and to marvel at the precision of its execution. With this release, O’Sullivan reaffirms his position as one of the most inventive and uncompromising voices in contemporary music. Do. Not. Sleep.

In 2005, Headphones arrived as a seismic shift in David Bazan's already formidable canon- a collection of synth-driven confessions that push the boundaries of narrative songwriting. Stripped down to its barest essentials, the album finds Bazan and collaborators Tim Walsh and Frank Lenz constructing an audaciously raw soundscape: no guitars, just synthesizers, live drums, and Bazan's unmistakable vocals. Twenty years later, it remains a masterwork of emotional excavation and geopolitical reckoning, as relevant today as the day it was released. This 20th Anniversary edition, remastered by Christopher Colbert at National Freedom (The Walkmen, Richard Swift, Pedro the Lion), is housed in a gatefold jacket with expanded artwork by Grammy-nominated designer Jesse LeDoux, plus liner notes by writer and Belmont University Associate Professor David Dark. The self-titled album threads a delicate needle, simultaneously personal and prophetic. Songs like "Major Cities" tackle the macrocosm of American imperialism with clarity and anger, while tracks like "I Never Wanted You" unearth the raw wounds of interpersonal defeat. These are stories of inner and outer collapse, of bullies (both personal and political) wreaking havoc, yet rendered with humanity. Even in its darkest moments, though, Headphones pulses with the hope that honesty might light a way forward if only we'll bear witness to the truth. On its twentieth anniversary, Headphones feels more vital than ever. For those who've lived with it since 2005, this reissue is a chance to revisit an old wound, to press on it and see what's healed and what still aches. For new listeners, it's a chance to sit with something audacious and true an album that invites us to reckon with the ways we fail each other-and the ways we might still be good. Twenty years on, Headphones remains a rare album that doesn't just speak to you, but asks you to listen harder. + PROJECT FROM DAVID BAZAN OF PEDRO THE LION + DELUXE 20TH-ANNIVESARY REMASTERED REISSUE WITH BONUS TRACKS + DELUXE FIRST PRESSING ON LIMITED EDITION OPAQUE YELLOW VINYL LIMITED TO 750 COPIES + EXPANDED GATEFOLD ARTWORK BY GRAMMY-NOMINATED ARTIST JESSE LEDOUX + LINER NOTES BY DAVID DARK + REMASTERED BY CHRISTOPHER COLBERT (THE WALKMEN, RICHARD SWIFT, PEDRO THE LION) + LP INCLUDES BONUS 7" ON BLACK VINYL WITH TWO BONUS TRACKS

An EP that’s killer from start to finish - no filler, just relentless energy. Spanning from hypnotic techno to slamming electro, with atmospheric and ethereal undertones throughout, these tracks echo the enigmatic nature of the artist. Created in the depths of the ether, they’re grounded and brought back to earth through hard hitting basslines, crisp percussion, and vocals laced with a slight northern English edge.

Denmark's premiere outlet for forward-thinking modern jazz, April Records proudly presents the debut of a brand new quartet featuring some of Scandinavia and the UK's most celebrated instrumentalists: Mathias Heise, Anton Eger, Rasmus Sørensen and Conor Chaplin. Meeting for the first time on a spring day in 2023, the quartet quickly discovered a natural synergy.Their debut performances that summer were met with resounding acclaim, with Politiken music editor Thomas Michelsen calling them a "supergroup" and awarding their concert at Balders Plads five hearts. Buoyed by their success, the group headed into the studio to record their eponymous debut album. THE ACTION 4s thrives at the intersection of jazz, rock, funk, fusion, and electronica. Their music is a dynamic interplay of raw energy and masterful artistry, seamlessly blending the acoustic and the electronic. The chromatic harmonica's soulful tone meets the rich textures of piano and synthesizer, while the foundation laid by the electric bass and dynamic drumming creates a playful arena for ever-evolving spontaneity. Their compositions pulse with rhythm, melody and interplay, pushing the boundaries of genre and tradition to forge an exciting new direction for Danish jazz. The quartet brings together four internationally acclaimed musicians, each a master of their craft: Mathias Heise: Chromatic Harmonica, Synthesizer Anton Eger: Drums, Percussion Rasmus Sørensen: Grand Piano, Synthesizer Conar Chaplin: Electric Bass

Seit ihrer Gründung 2015 haben sich Biertoifel (ganz und gar nicht) "klammheimlich, still und leise" zu eine der beliebtesten deutschsprachigen Street-Ounk / Oi-Bands gemausert. Von ihrem Debüt "unsere Straßen, unsere Lieder", dem Nachfolger "Skinhead Party" bis zur Split mit "Springtoifel" war jede Vinyl-Auflage innerhalb kürzester Zeit vergriffen! Kein Wunder, denn ihr eingängiger "Fäuste hoch und Spaß dabei"-Stil ist schlichtweg "Oi der alten Schule" mit jeder Menge Singalongs und mitreißenden Melodien. Das Leben ist kompliziert genug und ganz ehrlich: Wenn Du die Welt erklärt bekommen möchtest neben all der Fake-News Scheisse, oder jedes Wort bierernst nimmst, dann bist Du falsch hier! Das hier ist die Welt von Biertoifel: Hier gehts um Freundschaft, Spaß und Zusammenhalt von Punx & Skins, Pogo, Party und Skinheadkult mit einem kleinen bißchen Droogie-Romantik! Und zum zehnjährigem Jubiläum dürft ihr auf dem neuen Album "Spaß und Krawalle" genau das erwarten! Spieltechnisch haben Biertoifel sich bei den 13 neuen Liedern natürlich auch diesmal weiterentwickelt. Der Rest bleibt beim Alten: Keine aufgesetzten Attitüden, sondern einfach nur "Kinder dieser Stadt" und "Working Class Anti Heroes"! Keine Ambitionen zum "Popstar" zu werden und die "Stiefel auf Asphalt" bleiben das gewohnte Klangbild. Wem das zu einfach ist, hat's halt einfach nicht kapiert. "Take back the Oi!" ist die Devise, basta und Glückwunsch zum Jubiläum, Biertoifel! Digipack-CD mit Booklet sowie klassisch schwarzes oder mehrfarbiges Vinyl im Klappcover mit Insert gibt's!

Seit ihrer Gründung 2015 haben sich Biertoifel (ganz und gar nicht) "klammheimlich, still und leise" zu eine der beliebtesten deutschsprachigen Street-Ounk / Oi-Bands gemausert. Von ihrem Debüt "unsere Straßen, unsere Lieder", dem Nachfolger "Skinhead Party" bis zur Split mit "Springtoifel" war jede Vinyl-Auflage innerhalb kürzester Zeit vergriffen! Kein Wunder, denn ihr eingängiger "Fäuste hoch und Spaß dabei"-Stil ist schlichtweg "Oi der alten Schule" mit jeder Menge Singalongs und mitreißenden Melodien. Das Leben ist kompliziert genug und ganz ehrlich: Wenn Du die Welt erklärt bekommen möchtest neben all der Fake-News Scheisse, oder jedes Wort bierernst nimmst, dann bist Du falsch hier! Das hier ist die Welt von Biertoifel: Hier gehts um Freundschaft, Spaß und Zusammenhalt von Punx & Skins, Pogo, Party und Skinheadkult mit einem kleinen bißchen Droogie-Romantik! Und zum zehnjährigem Jubiläum dürft ihr auf dem neuen Album "Spaß und Krawalle" genau das erwarten! Spieltechnisch haben Biertoifel sich bei den 13 neuen Liedern natürlich auch diesmal weiterentwickelt. Der Rest bleibt beim Alten: Keine aufgesetzten Attitüden, sondern einfach nur "Kinder dieser Stadt" und "Working Class Anti Heroes"! Keine Ambitionen zum "Popstar" zu werden und die "Stiefel auf Asphalt" bleiben das gewohnte Klangbild. Wem das zu einfach ist, hat's halt einfach nicht kapiert. "Take back the Oi!" ist die Devise, basta und Glückwunsch zum Jubiläum, Biertoifel! Digipack-CD mit Booklet sowie klassisch schwarzes oder mehrfarbiges Vinyl im Klappcover mit Insert gibt's!

Lately, if you blink you may miss Goose fly by. Attributing much of their success to a dedicated and exponentially expanding fan base, steady creative output, and a collective commitment to improvement, the band is now universally recognized as a premier musical act nationwide. Dripfield, Goose's forthcoming studio offering, is a tale of introspection, carefully dissecting the details of the journey. Produced and engineered by D. James Goodwin at The ISOKON in Woodstock, NY, Dripfield is the band's first full-length project completed exclusively with an executive producer. Known for his unconventional recording style and eclectic equipment collection, Goodwin guided Goose through an entirely new process of album creation. Undoubtedly the product of multiple sold out concerts and consistent recording and songwriting, Dripfield is anchored by the theme of balance. Fittingly, the project features a mix of unheard originals and re-imagined catalog staples.

After his critically acclaimed EP LOOP (national press coverage, playlist support, a sold-out tour with Odezenne, opening for Zaho de Sagazan and Pomme, winner of the 2024 iNOUïS of Printemps de Bourges), Jean unveils an ambitious and cohesive debut album, conceived as a complete work of art. Created without guest features or compromise, this 12-track record delves deep into introspective songwriting, raw yet poetic, at the crossroads of rap, melancholic pop, and modern French chanson. Jean isn’t trying to please, he exposes himself with no filter.



The album stands out for its strong narrative and visual identity, where each track plays like a film sequence, a resurfacing memory. It explores universal themes: love, solitude, escape, addiction, aging, through a deeply personal and always lucid lens. The imagery reflects this universe: the album cover, shot in a movie theater, introduces an ambiguous character, somewhere between absurdity and allegory, perhaps a manifestation of the artist’s inner demon. A disturbing yet familiar presence, intentionally open to interpretation, like a key without a lock.



Musically, the album spans multiple aesthetics without losing its coherence: each track asserts a distinct tone and balance. Jean positions himself within a new, demanding francophone scene, free from cynicism or affectation. He delivers a unique, sincere project, both accessible and profound, that invites listeners to experience it in one sitting, from start to finish.

Something different from Causa Sui. While Causa Sui have always had one foot in heavy psychedelic rock, they've had the other one deep in a wide variety of esoteric styles. On this new double LP set, that other dimension of the band is being explored full-scale. "Szabodelico" paints with a colourful palette, both compositionally and sonically - digging deep into an assortment of cultures, eras and sounds with a true crate-digger mindset. Throughout their 15 year life-span Causa Sui has always been about seeking out new directions, exploring the past and the present in a way that's unique at each step of their subtle progression - forging new paths into an existing map. "Szabodelico" feels like discovering a small room under the stairs of your own house: familiar, yet new and exciting. Their latest vision is an elegantly zoned-out version of itself: a turn inward. Anti-bombastic, yet rich with ecstatic harmonics and dynamics. The band stringed together a long series of sessions in 2019 and early 2020 in their studio in Odense, often prioritizing playful first takes and good vibes rather than clinical perfection.Sparsely dubbed and mixed with a natural, full bodied flavour by Jonas Munk during the summer of 2020, each track has its own aesthetic. There's no simple equation to sum up the 13 individual parts of the album, but as a whole it creates an entity that's as complete as each of its parts. From the windblown opener "Echoes of Light", to the closing slow-motion epic "Merging Waters" you'll find yourself asking where did the time go? The answer of course is: Szabodelico.

Beat Revolution is the new 14-song album by MUCK AND THE MIRES available April 25 from Dirty Water Records (London), featuring their smash radio singles “Cool Imposter” and “Beat Revolution” + 12 brand new revolutionary tracks.
On BEAT REVOLUTION, their 7th full-length album, we find the band marching forward into the sounds of Powerpop (“Overnight Delivery”), Punk Rock (“Julia’s Got a Boyfriend”), and pure Nuggets-era Garage Rock (“She’s Too Good For You”).
“With a blend of ‘50s kitsch, late ‘60s garage rock guitar and one of the most repetitious hooks ever, ‘Cool Imposter’ quickly marked out a place as one of their strongest tracks to date.”- Real Gone
“Now here's a political campaign we can all get behind! “ ‘Beat Revolution’ features the signature Muck sound — recalling '64 era Beatles if they'd somehow time travelled into the future and heard the Ramones. Be sure to volunteer today! Faster and Louder
“’Beat Revolution’ is pure classic early garage rock 'n' roll, and who doesn't need that sound more often? - If It’s Too Loud
Boston's Muck and the Mires, have been described as a blend of the HAMBURG era BEATLES and the CBGBs era RAMONES. They have built a worldwide following through relentless touring, radio and satellite airplay and a string of recordings (considered by many to be cult classics) produced by Kim Fowley and Jim Diamond. The band gained worldwide recognition when they were featured on MTV as the winners of Little Steven Van Zandt's (E-Street Band/Underground Garage) national battle of the garage bands contest. Beat Revolution is the followup to their highly successful album, Greetings From Muckingham Palace, which earned a Coolest Song in the World (“I’m Your Man”) on the Underground Garage SIRIUS XM show.

Forrest VanTuyl is a Western songwriter, poet, and working cowboy based in the Inland Northwest. His work has been featured in the New York Times, at The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, and he has written music for the US Forest Service.

As Planka Records continues its relentless pursuit of sonic exploration, delving deeper into the shadows of the underground. PLNK004 showcases a seamless blend of fresh, boundary-pushing talent alongside solid contributions from familiar artists. Together, they craft a soundscape where hypnotic rhythms, ethereal textures, and bold experimentation merge to redefine what we know about the underground.

These tracks transcend the confines of time and place, speaking to the moments where the music wraps around you, drawing you closer into its enigmatic energy. Whether it’s the pulse of the club at midnight or a reflective session in solitude, PLNK004 is a testament to the transformative power of sound.

With this release, Planka reaffirms its commitment to nurturing innovation and pushing the scene forward, always evolving, always underground.

wetdogg was born in a grotto in Detroit, Michigan with a mission to information to the masses. Through sonic awakening, wetdoggs mission is to enlighten the subconscious and shine light on the deepest crevices of the human psyche. Allowing pathways back into animalistic intuition and away from the technocracy, dig a hole, plant a seed, run in circles and free your mind.

Coming out of Detroit based label Hold Me Records started by Detroit Techno aficionado MGUN and Underground don of all dons Ryan Spencer, wetdogg releases her first Album pssssssp…

From the artist:
"When a dog runs into a river and comes out and shakes itself dry, there is no data collected, technology does not aim to control those that it cannot. Numbers are definite and infinite, a linear path to doomsday. With every move we make, we are tracked and traced and categorized in order to sell ourselves into data hell. Intimacy used to have meaning, the present moment, truth and love but so much of it has been taken captive by technology that seeks to psychologically manipulate and control. A dog runs into the water because that is what dogs do, but it seems these days we are starved from our natural instincts, instead relying on someone else's answer that we of course seek online. "

Using the primitive technology of the password journal (often marketed to little girls to keep their secrets) wetdogg uses the idea of the password journal to imagine a utopia free of the surveillance state in her upcoming album pssssssp…

Founded in 2022, Hold Me Recordings is an independent record label based in southwest Detroit, MI. It is run by Manuel Gonzales (MGUN) & Ryan Spencer, who with a deep-rooted connection to the city's musical history, showcase innovative sounds that challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of contemporary electronic music. Focused on promoting both emerging and established artists, Hold Me is releasing genre-defying tracks that blend unconventional productions with the sincerity of Detroit's legacy. From experimental techno, to downtempo and ambient, Hold Me is committed to offering music that sounds fresh, exciting, and unlike anything you've heard before.

GOLD DISC CLASSIC SERIES


The biggest and baddest Vibronics anthem of all time featuring the original clarion call from Professa Natti. The Professa rose to fame
as mic chanter on the Jah Tubbys Sound System. This tune was first released back in 2012 and immediately sold out, the vinyl record has
now become a serious collectors item. Here we re-issue it with a never before heard dub mix on the b-side. Part of the SCOOPS Gold Disc Classic Series !!


Vibronics is one of the most established names in UK Dub/Reggae music achieving millions of views on YouTube, millions of Spotify
streams and many tens of thousands of vinyl record sales. Collaborators include Michael prophet, Macka B, Iration Steppas, Soom T,
Aba-Shanti and more.

'the fun years', comprised of multi-instrumentalists Ben Recht and Isaac Sparks, have been making music together since the turn of the century, producing intriguing interrogations of ambient, drone, post-rock, and turntablism. Originally released in 2008 on the now-defunct Barge Recordings, 'baby it’s cold inside' is perhaps the high watermark of their discography. Equally concerned with microtonal nuance and harmonic intensity, it is both a product of its time and something well past it. The chief protagonist is surely the turntable, deployed to create woolly, evocative loops from unidentifiable source material that recall, at times, the work of Philip Jeck or Jan Jelinek—churning, roiling, hissing, atrophied textures further articulated with nuanced processing and buoyed by baritone guitar drones and anti-riffing.

The title of opener "my lowville" feels like a wink to the famed slowcore duo, with spare post-rock motifs hovering in a dusty ether, slowly consumed by distorted washes of rich, harmonic sound. One of the most satisfying aspects of the album is that despite the recumbent nature of most of their sound design choices and compositional proclivities, Recht and Sparks are loath to sit still. "auto show of the dead" is a serpentine piano/guitar exploration full of subtle detail, preceding the immaculately titled "fucking milwaukee’s been hesher forever," in which the tactile delights of clicks+cuts are liberated from the laboratory and allowed to slum it in the world of tape gunk and '90s plate reverb. Later, "re: we’re again buried under" presents an inky black ambience that feels truly expansive and almost overwhelming, and closer “The Surge is Working” tears apart an anthemic shoegaze dirge at the seams, leaving only billowing filtered noise and negative space in its wake.

Presented here with a brilliant remaster by LUPO, 'baby it’s cold Inside should be considered alongside records like Belong’s October Language and Polmo Polpo’s Like Hearts Swelling—an arresting early aughts ambient marvel that warrants ongoing investigation.

'Quiet Pieces' initiates Abul Mogard’s personal imprint Soft Echoes with a definitive self-portrait of calm, contemplative, and discreet inner landscapes made audible. It is the first solo album on vinyl in four years. RIYL Alessandro Cortini, William Basinski, The Caretaker.

While sifting through archived material left idle from earlier projects, a chance encounter with a late uncle’s trove of beloved 78rpm classical and opera records prompted the reworking and completion of what would eventually become the album. Spinning dusty records at 33 and 45rpm, Abul Mogard recombined their enduring spectres with unfinished sketches from his archive. The resulting soundscape blurs distinctions between his memories and those of another, exquisitely short-circuiting the senses with its waking, dream-like lucidity.

This was a process I hadn’t explored in my earlier works. I began sampling brief moments from these records, altering them with studio effects and playing them at slower speeds. In many cases, I wasn’t entirely sure how the original music sounded. These fragments, once further processed, became a source of inspiration for my new compositions. Over time, I realised that the old pieces from the archive and the new material derived from the samples naturally complemented each other.”

The resulting pieces hover over a threshold, a liminal space that harmonises the old and older material. Voluminous waves of quiet and loud undulate between consonance and dissonance, conjuring imagery of a decaying grandeur that humanity’s decadence has surrendered to the elements. Abul Mogard’s seemingly abandoned yet vast landscapes are nevertheless intimate with timbral frissons of red-lined distortion. Elusive, yet as tangible as sea spray or smog, they affect the olfactory senses with a rarified, synesthetic quality that modestly engages one’s emotional register – a hypnotic, distinguishing feature long hailed as one of the hallmarks of his work. A fidelity to memory and dream recall is sensitively probed in the journey from the stately symphonic stasis of 'Following a dream' to the almost industrial, untethered brutality evoked by a looming silhouette that’s never fully visible in 'Constantly slipping away', culminating in the foreboding coda of 'Like a bird'. Those pieces appear to shield the album’s sentimental core, where the tempestuous play of light and shadow of 'In a studded procession' escalates to breathtaking, panoramic climax, while 'Through whispers' evokes an out-of-body-like experience encountered with visceral poignancy.

Looking back, Mogard notes an unexpected influence: “I realise being inspired by Phill Niblock, whose work I had barely known at the time but explored after his passing in 2024. His album 'Boston Tenor Index' changed the way I approached dissonance. It encouraged me to push my sound further, to the edge of a space where I began to feel uncomfortable.”

The album artwork, created by longtime collaborator Marja de Sanctis, features a photograph taken at the Temple of Jupiter Anxur, an archaeological site overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Captured with an iPhone, the image traces the residual presence of construction techniques and architectural forms of the Romans, where material history is transcribed through contemporary tools. The convergence of ancient and modern technology aims to reverberate the site’s lasting spiritual presence – an echo persisting in what is now perceived as a quiet, emptied space. The spiral gestures towards infinity and light. Past and present dissolve into one another, reflecting 'Quiet Pieces' meditation on sound, memory, and time.

RIYL Alessandro Cortini, William Basinski, The Caretaker

The most pivotal moment yet in the journey of one of dance music's most in-demand duos, Shogun Audio are proud to present 'Overgrown', the highly-anticipated fourth studio album from Pola & Bryson.
Having always strived to encapsulate the experience of euphoria they felt in their early raving days, ‘Overgrown’ is Pola & Bryson’s way of paying homage to music that’s shaped their lives. Across all fifteen tracks, the UK-based duo showcase their stunning approach to electronic music production like never before. Innovative, unique, and just as addictive on the hundredth listen as the first, the UK-based duo continue to cement their position as some of the best in the business.
Featuring one of drum and bass' most notable recent singles, the scene-shattering 'Phoneline w/ Emily Makis', an incredible slice of euphoric drum and bass in the form of 'The One I Need w/ Kelli-Leigh', the massive crossover hit 'Want It w/ IYAMAH', and the sound-system destroying sounds of ‘This Chance w/ Break & Cimone’, the singles released before the full album drop have already accumulated over 75M streams, mass DSP editorial support, consistent UK specialist and playlist radio support, and 100s of millions of views online.
Fresh cuts, including ‘Listen w/ goddard.’, ‘How It Was w/ Monroe & Charli Brix’, ‘Falling 4 U w/ MPH’, as well as superb solo offerings like ‘Insomnia’, ‘Temple Stomp’, and ‘Aurora’, all flawlessly gel together under the umbrella of big synths and pure euphoria to create what is sure to be one of the most talked about and repeatedly listened to moments in electronic dance music this year.
“This album is the evolution of us branching off to a more euphoric and club-orientated sound, which heavily influenced the album title. ‘Overgrown’ as a title also represents the relationship between the digital and organic sounds in our music, which in turn, also represents the contrasting factors of nature and urban environments that we both grew up in, both of which have influenced our sound massively.” - Pola & Bryson
A coming-of-age moment for some of the most talented artists the scene has to offer, the act that Sub Focus once claimed was "leading the new wave of liquid drum and bass" has now taken centre stage.

Born at Theme Ltd, one of London’s most exciting new music studios in the heart of Camden, ‘Driver’s Seat’ is an unapologetically bold and enduring work. MICHAEL, staying true to his name, delivers a debut project that is authentic and unfiltered, offering a glimpse into his true self. Staying true to the ethos of Theme Ltd, he channels his optimistic spirit into tracks that radiate hope and possibility. ‘Driver’s Seat’ combines infectious raw technique with a mesmeric, intimate journey into the mind of a true artist. The collaboration with Theme Ltd is unmistakable, evident in the crisp precision of the audio. This is elevated by the use of their new Live Studio, acoustically treated to perfection by audio legend Paul Gilleron, who also lent his expertise to iconic venues like the O2 and Roundhouse.

‘Drivers Seat’ opens with ‘In The Rain,’ where veteran vocalist Chili graces the track with her soothing yet powerful voice, perfectly complementing a timeless R&B instrumental reminiscent of Anita Baker / Patrice Rushen. MICHAEL uses this introduction to immerse listeners in his musical utopia. The next track, ‘Drivers Seat’—the project's namesake—oozes effortless cool, with a memorable chorus and a captivating melody that leaves listeners both intrigued and enamoured by the enigmatic MICHAEL character. The B side continues the motif of positive self-expression and praise with ‘Satisfaction’ an optimistic celebration of love. The prospect of joy is more ambiguous in the ultimate track ‘And I Love You’ cruising down an infectious baseline, crafted in collaboration with resident producer Theme, the soft beautiful vocals take us to the natural end of a uniquely wonderful debut project.

In a world where physical experiences are becoming rarer, artists are looking to connect their process to something more tangible, and with A/V rinsed, scent is an obvious next sense to plunder. Florian TM Zeisig - who last appeared on Somewhere Press as Angel R, goes the extra mile, teaming up with perfumer Angel Paradise to develop a suite of music that plays like a bouquet of memory-triggering aromas, coupled with a fragrance that captures the oily essence of their bucolic alpine setting. The project came about when both artists were living in Hinang, a small farming village in the rural Bavarian alps. Paradise was studying alpine plant behaviour and using her research to inform her approach to scent creation, developing natural perfumes based on the landscape. Zeisig, meantime, composed his own response to the mountains and forests that surrounded them. He wrote ‘Spool’ as a poignant farewell (or spiritual rebirth) as they prepared to leave, considering teenage nostalgia as well as the idyllic locale, and the pastoral suite of lulled loops, field recordings and dissociated instrumental vamps plays like a contemporary Heimatfilme soundtrack, locking into the genre’s idyllic, fantastical simplicity and romance. Drunken horn loops and mushy piano chords concertina around a wobbly axis on ‘Oneandhalf’, met by dreamy guitars and whispered, lysergic vocals. The sweet-smelling notes form an enigmatic compound, prompting us to think of Codeine or Galaxie 500 without solidifying completely. It’s music that works with outlines and traces, catching us off guard with flickers of samples and veiled base notes: the Cocteau Twins-like phased piano on ‘Threeandhalf’ that’s drowned out by gunked tape fog, or the smudges of ‘Spirit of Eden’ ambience on ‘Alright’ that creep between tweezed piano phrases. There’s depth too; Zeisig doesn’t restrict himself to Romance-cum-Basinski loopmuzak, he intersperses his GASeous orchestral waves with serene, relatively demure reflections that capture the pristine beauty of a dewy alpine morning. ‘Four’ is an ASMR-rich blend of crunching leaves and mossy, decelerated pads, and ‘Plus’ burns its drones down to crackling embers, letting the faint harmonies flicker through the coal dust. Importantly, it’s emotional music, but not overly melodramatic, finding peace in nostalgia and the calm of nature.

Wairunga finds the Freddy juggernaut digging deep to debut five songs and revisit two classics captured in an outdoor performance sans audience but with wild weather elements playing an important creative role in producing this unique live album.

Recorded in Wairunga, high above Waimarama Beach in New Zealand, it is place etched into the DNA of Fat Freddy’s Drop who’ve roamed here for over 20 years; to party, relax between tours, make a song Wairunga Blues in its honour and even to get married. Farmed by the Parker family for a century, Wairunga is an oasis of green pasture and native tree filled valleys that fall away to the ocean below.

In inimitable Freddy's fashion the new tunes run a gamut of genre busting styles. Coffee Black is layered with cosmic hot buttered soul and cinematic wigged out psyche-blues while Shady continues Freddy's Afro-Acid adventures with Fitchie’s beat-making tapping into a South African township brand of techno Freddys experienced on tour.

Bush Telegraph is a reggae classic featuring MC Slave aka Mark Williams on the mic with freshly minted yum char spiced rhymes of hope. The other new tracks Leave Your Window Open and Dig Deep are loose rhythmic experiments that the band have been working on for a long time. Versions were developed, rehearsed, but then set aside – dismissed, demonised - only to be revived with new energy in some future moment of creative cohesion. The results are loose-limbed; broken and bruised beats smashing into subterranean bass and twisted up melodies.

Bones and Wairunga Blues are the two classics from Freddy's vast back catalogue. Off the Blackbird album, Bones has aged beautifully - like a fine wine - the song’s component parts matured and melded together in harmony and balance. DJ Fitchie rates this 2021 vintage superior to the 2013 original. Wairunga Blues has been a work-in-progress since it was released on Bays in 2015. Kuki dials up some appropriately off-kilter keys to match the wonky-funk laid down by Fitchie’s bass line and the horns. It’s a mighty comeback – and a fitting tribute to this magical place.

Claire Chicha aka Spill Tab is feeling more free than ever before. The LA-based, French-Korean songwriter and producer,has spent the past five years as spill tab honing a sound that is as raw-edged as it is refined, channelling low-slung guitar-strumming confessionals as well as the earworming melodic hooks of anthemic pop to produce a heady and distinctive mix.

Following the 2019 release of her intimate and infectious debut single “Decompose”, Spill Tab has evolved her spill tab project through three EPs: 2020’s synth-pop influenced Oatmilk, 2021’s playful, uptempo Bonnie, featuring Gus Dapperton and Tommy Genesis, and 2023’s co-produced, sonically-intricate Klepto, which gleefully meanders from the Hiatus Kaiyote-influenced jazz freakouts of “CRÈME BRÛLÉE!” to the guitar-chugging thump of “Splinter”. Live, meanwhile, Spill Tab has been tapped for her explosively energetic presence to open the North American leg of popstar Sabrina Carpenter’s tour, as well as touring through Australia with alt-rock trio Wallows.
With “PINK LEMONADE”, opening single from her forthcoming debut album “ANGIE” , spill tab’s freewheeling sound finds its fullest expression, harnessing this onstage experience and recorded experimentation with her bass-weight and pitched-up vocals. Here we find Chicha only ever chasing that “weird thing”, fizzing with an infectious enthusiasm and intricate musicianship. “The best songs come from writing the main idea in a day, as it’s so instinctual,” she says, such as “PINK LEMONADE” recorded “from a clip taken out of a 40-minute jam that we then chopped and spliced”.
Born to her French Algerian composer father and Korean pianist mother, Claire Chicha spent her early childhood in the mixing room of her parents’ LA post-production studio, bringing coffees to artists as they tracked scores for exciting new projects. “I hung out in that studio all the time until I was around 10 years old, absorbing jazz music my dad was into and classical music that my mom loved,” Chicha says. “My mom had a big hand in making me an adventurous kid, always trying new things from piano to harp and violin, forever soaking up new sounds.”

At 12, Chicha’s life was uprooted as she relocated to Thailand to live with her mother’s family following the collapse of her parents’ business after the 2008 recession. What followed was an unstable and formative few years of early teenagedom, navigating new cultures and life changes. In Thailand, Chicha began learning guitar to cover the Paramore and Green Day tracks she had grown to love while also becoming immersed in Thai traditional music. After a year, she moved once more to live with her aunt in Paris and there she was introduced to the classic sound of Serge Gainsbourg and Édith Piaf before ultimately returning to LA following the untimely death of her father.

“I had to become a real people person to fit in everywhere I was moving, and it immersed me into so many different styles of music,” she says. “I went from listening to the nasal singing of Thai traditional music at muay thai fights in Bangkok, to emotive classic French songs. It definitely informed the need to experiment with my sound as I became more interested in making music.”

At high school in LA, Chicha joined one of the country’s foremost show choirs and realised a natural aptitude for stagecraft and performance as she sang medleys in competitions throughout the US. Going on to study Music Business at NYU, Chicha found a love for the alternative soul and singer-songwriting of the likes of Moses Sumney and Bon Iver, as well as developing her own sound while spending summers interning as an A&R at Atlantic Records and being exposed to the gamut of New York’s live music scene.

“I was going to so many shows as an A&R intern and seeing just how much a lot of music sounded alike,” she says. “It made me realise I wanted my music to feel different, to cut through the noise but still make something that felt honest to me.”

Beginning to independently release tracks, Soill Tab gradually built a loyal fanbase with the release of wistful early numbers “Calvaire” and “Cotton Candy” and soon found herself signed to a major label. Yet, as her career progressed through the COVID pandemic the demands of a corporate major began to conflict with her own searching style. “My last two EPs were under contract and it felt like I was always chasing the carrot,” she says, “I felt a certain pressure to put out tracks quickly and find that ‘hit’. It wasn’t the right environment to truly make what I wanted.”

Ultimately parting ways with her label, Chicha began work on a new album, exploring new sounds and ideas with her LA-based community of collaborators like producer David Marinelli, Solomonophonic, Wyatt and Austin and John DeBold, without expectation. “It became this beautiful experience of only following ideas that I really believed in and exploring all the musical avenues I hadn’t before,” she says. “I’ve never been more excited about songs and I’ve never felt like a project is more mine.”

Writing and recording while touring with Sabrina Carpenter and Wallows, Chicha road-tested her new tracks to see what might land best with an audience who had likely never heard her music before. “You have to win people’s hearts as an opener and you can see what resonates and what doesn’t,” she says. “I would watch people fall in love or not and it’s usually always the song you’re having the most fun with that does the best. That’s what I put on the record.”

« Angie », Spill’s Tab debut album is relased on because Music and expected for May 16th release.

Waltari war noch nie eine Band, die sich an Regeln gehalten hat. Mit »Nations' Neurosis« beweisen sie einmal mehr, dass ihre charakteristische Mischung aus musikalischer Freiheit, mutigen Experimenten und ungefiltertem Ausdruck aktueller denn je ist.

Das Herzstück der klanglichen Reise von Waltari ist Kärtsy Hatakka, Mastermind und treibende Kraft der Band. Hatakka, der für Lead- und Backing-Gesang, Bass, Programmierung, Keyboards und Perkussion zuständig ist, hatte während der Entstehung dieses Albums mit einem persönlichen Sturm zu kämpfen - dem Verlust seiner Mutter, einer schmerzhaften Trennung und der Tatsache, dass er mit ansehen musste, wie die Welt immer tiefer in Chaos und Spaltung versank. Die Frustration und der emotionale Aufruhr dieser Zeit sickern in jede Note von »Nations' Neurosis« ein und machen es zu einem von Waltaris bisher aufgeladensten und zum Nachdenken anregenden Werken.