Поиск:la dreams

JTQ experimentieren ständig mit verschiedenen Musikstilen, nach Soul- und Jazzalben, einem Chor- und einem Orchesteralbum, nehmen sie jetzt ein Funk-Rock-Album auf, das eigentlich die nächste The Prisoners-LP hätte sein können. Funky, teils punky Rock-Elemente wechseln sich ab mit Hammond-Funk-Instrumentals im Stil von Jimmy McGriff. James Taylor nahm viel mit Billy Childish und The Prisoners auf und fand es an der Zeit, seine Jazzband auch an diesem eher rock'n'rolligen Sound auszuprobieren. Während die Funk-Rock-Tracks auf BBC 6 laufen, spielt Jazz FM die Instrumentals.

Despite having never released his own album, Terry Marshall remains one of the most ubiquitous and influential individuals in modern music; this of course comes from the guitar amplifiers which bear his name. Debut album ‘Living The Blues’ by Terry Marshall and Friends, including Laurence Jones, Emma Wilson, Alice Armstrong, Krissy Matthews and Zoe Schwarz as well as an array of talented blues musicians, the album is the embodiment of a lifetime of dedication to music and a revitalising take on blues classics.

erste Vinylveröffentlichung eines Metalklassikers der 2000er
Jahre
-remasterte Doppel LP im Gatefold mit 4-Seiten-Booklet
-enthält eine Manilla Road Coverversion und weitere rare
Bonustracks
-einige Mitglieder spielten später bei u.a. Manilla Road,
Savage Grace und Trance
Aus den Überresten des True Metal-Projektes SEDUCTION,
welches von einem Management initiiert wurde, entstand
2004 eine richtige Band: VIRON. Im Gegensatz zu SEDUCTION
klangen VIRON direkt erwachsener und bodenständiger.
Einflüsse des US-Metal und der NWOBHM mischten sich mit
Europäischem Metal, was 2004 durchaus etwas Besonderes
für eine deutsche Gruppe war. Der traditionelle Heavy Metal
kam nach Grunge, Crossover und Gothic langsam wieder auf
die Füße und VIRON waren bei dieser Entwicklung früh dabei.
Die erste, von der Band veröffentlichte EP, die auch schon
den Namen NWOGHM (New Wave Of German Heavy Metal)
trug, schlug im Underground ein wie eine Bombe und man
spielte noch ohne Plattenvertrag einige Shows, u.a. beim
Headbangers Open Air in der Nähe von Hamburg. Das rief
die Labels auf den Plan und man entschied sich 2006 für die
griechische Firma Sonic Age (aka. Cult Metal Classics). Die EP
wurde um weitere Songs, die im gleichen Studio (Kohlekeller
Studio) aufgenommen wurden, aufgestockt und zum Album.
Nach durchweg traumhaften Albumreviews folgten Auftritte
beim Sworbrothers Festival, United Metalheads und mit Bands
wie Sabaton, Custard oder Solemnity.
VIRON wechselten 2007 zu Metal Heaven Records und
veröffentlichten 2008 den erfolgreichen Nachfolger „Ferrum
Gravis“. Der damalige Slogan „Underground Metal für die
Massen“ passt wie die Faust aufs Auge, denn das druckvoll
aber natürlich produzierte Album schlägt den Spagat zwischen
der Undergroundszene und, nennen wir es „gängigem Heavy
Metal“. Insider würden vielleicht sagen „zwischen LaudaKönigshofen und Wacken“. Das zeigt auch die gekonnte
Coverversion des Manilla Road Klassikers „Dreams Of
Eschaton“. Leider zerfielen Viron einige Monate nach dem
Release von Ferrum Gravis, aber die Band wurde zu einem
Sprungbrett für drei Mitglieder von Viron, die später u.a. bei
Manilla Road, Trance, Savage Grace, Roxxcalibur, Bonfire und
Jameson Raid auftauchten.

2000 pressed. First time on vinyl for the gorgeous 'Late December', with a second LP featuring rare recordings from her Live Acoustic LA tour in 2006, the package includes new liner notes and a download of the studio album and live show. An album that's broader than Broadway, a panoramic view of life, love and loss filled with drama and theatricality. Plus a live set that's heart-on-sleeve time, bringing together songs from Lone Justice, plus covers of the traditional country anthem 'The World Is Not My Home', Richard Thompson's 'Has He Got A Friend For Me' and three songs that show the bittersweet beauty of her brother Bryan MacLean's song writing. In total, it's Kurt Weill, Springsteen, it's the million-selling global hit 'A Good Heart' delivered by the songwriter herself in all its Phil Spector-like baroque beauty.

Giuseppe Scarano, an Italian Artist Based in Antwerp, Belgium, Has Established Himself as a Prolific Figure in the Music Scene. Over the Recent Years, He Has Released a Multitude of Vinyl Records on Labels Such as Nice People, Disco Disco Records, and Core Cardiology. His Work Aligns With the Emerging Italian Wave, a Movement Spanning From Rhythm of Paradise to St. David and Gourmet De Funk. What Sets Scarano Apart Is the Distinctive Punchiness of His Style, Which Seamlessly Fits Into This Musical Landscape. an Exemplary Demonstration of His Talent Is the Ep That Kickstarts the Groove With "De Folies," a Jubilant 90s House Track That Artfully Combines the Vibes of Artists Like Sneak and Dimitri From Paris. This Record Is a Clear Invitation to the Dancefloor, Poised to Get Feet Tapping and Bodies Moving. the Ep Maintains Its Momentum With "Pleasure Dreams," Continuing to Weave a Musical Narrative That Captivates the Listener. Flipping to Side B, We Are Treated to the Disco-Infused Hit, "Walking on Music," and the Closing Gem "Timeless." This 12-Inch Record Is a Manifestation of Spontaneity and Boundless Energy, Guaranteed to Captivate and Delight Audiences. Scarano's Music Exudes Happiness and Is Designed for People Who Revel in the Joy of the Moment. as a Nod to His Roots and Influences, He Also Pays Homage to the Legendary Folie's Pigalle Club, Where Skylax Once Held Court and Organized Memorable Evenings Under the Banner of "House De Folies."...

Speckled Dragon Egg Color Vinyl. Being Dead knows how to make an entrance - within the first several seconds of EELS, the duo's new record, the bright, hard-strummed guitar line on "Godzilla Rises" conjures cinematic immediacy, a creature emerging from the depths of the ocean in campy, freaky stop motion, fittingly so. Being Dead's records are mosaics, technicolor incantations, each song its own self-contained little universe. And while the dreamlike EELS probes further into the depths of the duo Being Dead's psyche, it is, most importantly, in the year of our lord 2024, a 16-track record that is genuinely unpredictable from one track to the next: a joyous and unexpected trip helmed by two true-blue freak bitch besties holed up in a lil' house in the heart of Austin, Texas. They decamped to Los Angeles for two weeks to record with GRAMMY-winning producer John Congleton, writing songs for the record until days before they left. The radical shift in process was welcome - a good balance and a challenge, Congleton helping them find new ways to work and helping peel back the layers on the core of their songwriting. Being Dead has grown from a duo to a trio live, including bassist Ricky Motto (who is immortalized finally on record here, particularly in the giggles on "Rock n' Roll Hurts") The resulting EELS is a darker record, tapped more into the devilishness within, but it's also a more raucous, rougher ride sonically. There's heartbreak, excitement, enchantment, dancing - we move through it all at a high-octane pace. Falcon Bitch and Smoofy never want to do the same thing twice on any song, and they don't. From the pummeling garage rock distortion of "Firefighters" to "Dragons II," which appears in its demo form taped on a hand recorder, it's unexpected but intuitive, and, most importantly, singularly Being Dead. Like its animal namesake suggests, the songs on EELS are malleable, the record like slithering through murky waters or strange half dreams, mysterious and beautiful in how it moves, reflective in a wavering sheen. Dipping into each song feels like uncovering a new cavern, plunging into depths unknown but fully open to what will be revealed. On the album artwork, an illustration by the artist Julia Soboleva, there are some weird disparate spectral creatures, a stark glimmer against a cloudy darkness. It's a fitting encapsulation of Being Dead, exuding a welcoming, playful energy even if something foreboding lurks just beyond the pale - more out of frame that's left to uncover, no path unexplored, strange and beautiful in the light.

Kindred spirits Passepartout Duo and Inoyama Land embody the essence of play - charting a new chapter and reinvigorating the environmental music and electronic landscape.

Passepartout Duo is formed of Nicoletta Favari (IT) and Christopher Salvito (IT/US), who since 2015 have been on a continuous journey travelling the world's corners, engaged in a creative process they term "slow music". Having been guests of many notable artist residencies and with live performances in cultural spaces and institutions, their evocative music escapes categorisation. With no fixed abode their musical pilgrimage brought them to Japan first in 2019, which prompted a deep connection to Kanky? Ongaku 'environmental music', a genre in which Inoyama Land is often associated with, soundtracking the duo's first immersive experience. In 2023 the duo revisited Japan and set out to reconnect in particular with the music of Inoyama Land, performed by Makoto Inoue and Yasushi Yamashita. The highly revered album 'Danzindan-Pojidon' (1983) produced by Haruomi Hosono amongst other well publicized and acclaimed reissues (Light in The Attic Records' Grammy-nominated compilation 'Kanky? Ongaku'), produced a global resurgence and admiration of the environmental music movement. Nicoletta took the lead to seek out Inoyama Land and in making contact successfully their intrigue and eagerness to meet was warmly reciprocated, and the group scheduled to meet in the form of a spontaneous improvisation session. "We're deeply concerned with what it means to be a duo, and what it means for people to connect through music."

Radio Yugawara is a unique one-off transmission from a specific place and point in time, unlikely to ever occur again. The respective duo's approach can really be described as "tuning in", a tuning into each other, to themselves, and to the surrounding nature of Yugawara. Like waves that travel off-world, sounds travel through the universe and can be lost forever if we don't seek them out. In finding a harmonic affinity within their instruments and a spiritual kinship in their interwoven performance, Radio Yugawara at its core is an interpretation of feeling, of close human interaction and the true essence of discovery.

"The album is both a transmission from a location, but also a tuning into the surroundings and to each other. Music in this kind of ephemeral moment is much less about active creation and more about discovering something which is already there in the air."

Der Afrobeat-Virtuose Seun Kuti bereitet sich darauf vor, sein neuestes musikalisches Meisterwerk, das von Lenny Kravitz produziert wurde und auf dem Damian Marley und Sampa The Great zu hören sind, auf die Welt loszulassen. Sein Album “Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)“ erscheint sechs Jahre nach dem Grammy-nominierten Album "Black Times" und einen entscheidenden Moment in Seun Kutis glanzvoller Karriere und zeigt seine Entwicklung als Künstler und Aktivist. Produziert von dem legendären Musiker Lenny Kravitz und Fela Kutis ursprünglichem Tontechniker Sodi Marciszewer (künstlerischer Produzent), verspricht „Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)“ ein Klangerlebnis wie kein anderes. Mit der Expertise von Kravitz und Sodi und dem unvergleichlichen Talent von Seun Kuti bleibt das Album den Wurzeln des Afrobeat treu und definiert gleichzeitig die Grenzen der zeitgenössischen Musik neu. Die sechs elektrisierenden Songs auf „Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)“ verkörpern den Geist des Widerstands, der Resilienz und der Revolution. Jeder Song handelt davon, sich Herausforderungen zu stellen und für Veränderungen zu kämpfen. So wie die Einzelsingles „Dey“ feat. Reggae-Ikone Damian Marley, beschrieben als "ein Song über das Umarmen und Verfechten dessen, was wir sind, ungeachtet dessen" und „Emi Aluta“ "ein Song über den Kampf (Aluta bedeutet Kampf), der eine Hommage an alle großen Revolutionäre ist", mit dem sambischen Sänger, Rapper und Songwriter Sampa The Great, einem der besten und innovativsten Lyriker unserer Zeit. Der Song „T.O.P.“ handelt davon, "wie die Gesellschaft Geld und Erfolg mehr schätzt als Menschen". Seun Kuti möchte dies ändern, indem er Empathie fördert und die Verbindung zur Natur wiederherstellt. In einem anderen Song, „Love & Revolution'“, drückt er seine Liebe zu seiner Frau aus und glaubt, dass wahre Liebe die Menschen dazu inspirieren kann, die Welt zu einem besseren Ort zu machen. "Dieses Projekt war für mich etwas ganz Besonderes, von dem Moment an, als ich es konzipierte und mit Lenny Kravitz sprach, der mir so viel brüderliche Liebe und Respekt entgegenbrachte", sagt Seun. "Er hat mich in sein Haus eingeladen. Ich habe seine Tochter Zoe kennengelernt und er hat uns mit Feuereifer geführt. Seit wir vor drei Jahren über das Album gesprochen haben, war er als ausführender Produzent dieses Projekts immer an unserer Seite und hat uns sehr unterstützt". "Ich möchte mich bei Craig Ross und Sodi, dem Produzenten dieses Projekts, bedanken. Wir hatten eine großartige Zeit. Es war das erste Mal für mich, dass ich mit Sodi im Studio war und ich war wirklich beeindruckt von seiner Arbeit und seinen väterlichen Ratschlägen und seiner Hingabe". Jeder Song auf dem Album ist ein Beweis für Seun Kutis unerschütterliches Engagement, Musik als Werkzeug für sozialen Wandel und Empowerment einzusetzen. Mit seinen kraftvollen Texten und ansteckenden Grooves führt er das Erbe seines Vaters, des legendären Fela Kuti, fort und bahnt sich gleichzeitig seinen eigenen Weg in der Welt der Musik.



Seun Kuti ist ein nigerianischer Musiker, Sänger und Songwriter, der für seine fesselnden Auftritte und seine gesellschaftskritische Musik bekannt ist. Er ist der jüngste Sohn des Afro-Beat-Pioniers Fela Kuti. Seun hat die meiste Zeit seines Lebens damit verbracht, das politische und musikalische Erbe seines Vaters zu bewahren und zu erweitern, und zwar als Leiter der ehemaligen Band seines Vaters, Egypt 80. Als aufstrebender Saxophonist und Schlagzeuger trat er in die formellen Reihen der Band ein, bevor er 12 Jahre alt war. Als Fela 1997 starb, übernahm Seun Kuti auf Wunsch seines Vaters die Leitung von Egypt 80, die er seither innehat. Im Laufe seiner Karriere hat Seun Kuti 4 Alben mit Egypt 80 veröffentlicht: `Many Things' (2008), `From Africa with Fury: Rise for Knitting Factory Records" (2011), koproduziert von Brian Eno und John Reynolds, "A Long Way Beginning" (2014) und das für einen Grammy nominierte "Black Times" (2018), das ein Feature von Carlos Santana enthält. Außerdem haben sie zahlreiche EPs veröffentlicht. Seun hat vor einem begeisterten Publikum auf der ganzen Welt gespielt und mit vielen großen Künstlern zusammengearbeitet. Im Jahr 2022 schloss er sich für die EP "African Dreams" mit dem Roots-Frontmann und MC-Extraordinarius Black Thought zusammen. Im Jahr 2023 arbeitete Seun an Janelle Monaes "The Age of Pleasure" (Grammy-Nominierung für das Album des Jahres) mit den beiden Singles "Float" und "Knows Better" mit, tat sich mit Talib Kweli und MadLib für deren Album "Liberation 2" bei dem Song "Nat Turner" mit Cassper Nyovest zusammen und veröffentlichte eine neue Version der Single "Bad Man Lighter" mit Black Thought und Vic Mensa.

Der Afrobeat-Virtuose Seun Kuti bereitet sich darauf vor, sein neuestes musikalisches Meisterwerk, das von Lenny Kravitz produziert wurde und auf dem Damian Marley und Sampa The Great zu hören sind, auf die Welt loszulassen. Sein Album “Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)“ erscheint sechs Jahre nach dem Grammy-nominierten Album "Black Times" und einen entscheidenden Moment in Seun Kutis glanzvoller Karriere und zeigt seine Entwicklung als Künstler und Aktivist. Produziert von dem legendären Musiker Lenny Kravitz und Fela Kutis ursprünglichem Tontechniker Sodi Marciszewer (künstlerischer Produzent), verspricht „Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)“ ein Klangerlebnis wie kein anderes. Mit der Expertise von Kravitz und Sodi und dem unvergleichlichen Talent von Seun Kuti bleibt das Album den Wurzeln des Afrobeat treu und definiert gleichzeitig die Grenzen der zeitgenössischen Musik neu. Die sechs elektrisierenden Songs auf „Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)“ verkörpern den Geist des Widerstands, der Resilienz und der Revolution. Jeder Song handelt davon, sich Herausforderungen zu stellen und für Veränderungen zu kämpfen. So wie die Einzelsingles „Dey“ feat. Reggae-Ikone Damian Marley, beschrieben als "ein Song über das Umarmen und Verfechten dessen, was wir sind, ungeachtet dessen" und „Emi Aluta“ "ein Song über den Kampf (Aluta bedeutet Kampf), der eine Hommage an alle großen Revolutionäre ist", mit dem sambischen Sänger, Rapper und Songwriter Sampa The Great, einem der besten und innovativsten Lyriker unserer Zeit. Der Song „T.O.P.“ handelt davon, "wie die Gesellschaft Geld und Erfolg mehr schätzt als Menschen". Seun Kuti möchte dies ändern, indem er Empathie fördert und die Verbindung zur Natur wiederherstellt. In einem anderen Song, „Love & Revolution'“, drückt er seine Liebe zu seiner Frau aus und glaubt, dass wahre Liebe die Menschen dazu inspirieren kann, die Welt zu einem besseren Ort zu machen. "Dieses Projekt war für mich etwas ganz Besonderes, von dem Moment an, als ich es konzipierte und mit Lenny Kravitz sprach, der mir so viel brüderliche Liebe und Respekt entgegenbrachte", sagt Seun. "Er hat mich in sein Haus eingeladen. Ich habe seine Tochter Zoe kennengelernt und er hat uns mit Feuereifer geführt. Seit wir vor drei Jahren über das Album gesprochen haben, war er als ausführender Produzent dieses Projekts immer an unserer Seite und hat uns sehr unterstützt". "Ich möchte mich bei Craig Ross und Sodi, dem Produzenten dieses Projekts, bedanken. Wir hatten eine großartige Zeit. Es war das erste Mal für mich, dass ich mit Sodi im Studio war und ich war wirklich beeindruckt von seiner Arbeit und seinen väterlichen Ratschlägen und seiner Hingabe". Jeder Song auf dem Album ist ein Beweis für Seun Kutis unerschütterliches Engagement, Musik als Werkzeug für sozialen Wandel und Empowerment einzusetzen. Mit seinen kraftvollen Texten und ansteckenden Grooves führt er das Erbe seines Vaters, des legendären Fela Kuti, fort und bahnt sich gleichzeitig seinen eigenen Weg in der Welt der Musik.



Seun Kuti ist ein nigerianischer Musiker, Sänger und Songwriter, der für seine fesselnden Auftritte und seine gesellschaftskritische Musik bekannt ist. Er ist der jüngste Sohn des Afro-Beat-Pioniers Fela Kuti. Seun hat die meiste Zeit seines Lebens damit verbracht, das politische und musikalische Erbe seines Vaters zu bewahren und zu erweitern, und zwar als Leiter der ehemaligen Band seines Vaters, Egypt 80. Als aufstrebender Saxophonist und Schlagzeuger trat er in die formellen Reihen der Band ein, bevor er 12 Jahre alt war. Als Fela 1997 starb, übernahm Seun Kuti auf Wunsch seines Vaters die Leitung von Egypt 80, die er seither innehat. Im Laufe seiner Karriere hat Seun Kuti 4 Alben mit Egypt 80 veröffentlicht: `Many Things' (2008), `From Africa with Fury: Rise for Knitting Factory Records" (2011), koproduziert von Brian Eno und John Reynolds, "A Long Way Beginning" (2014) und das für einen Grammy nominierte "Black Times" (2018), das ein Feature von Carlos Santana enthält. Außerdem haben sie zahlreiche EPs veröffentlicht. Seun hat vor einem begeisterten Publikum auf der ganzen Welt gespielt und mit vielen großen Künstlern zusammengearbeitet. Im Jahr 2022 schloss er sich für die EP "African Dreams" mit dem Roots-Frontmann und MC-Extraordinarius Black Thought zusammen. Im Jahr 2023 arbeitete Seun an Janelle Monaes "The Age of Pleasure" (Grammy-Nominierung für das Album des Jahres) mit den beiden Singles "Float" und "Knows Better" mit, tat sich mit Talib Kweli und MadLib für deren Album "Liberation 2" bei dem Song "Nat Turner" mit Cassper Nyovest zusammen und veröffentlichte eine neue Version der Single "Bad Man Lighter" mit Black Thought und Vic Mensa.

Good Neighbours release their self-titled debut EP on 4th October. The EP includes their huge debut hit single ‘Home’ which has had over 300 million streams globally alongside follow-up feel-good singles Keep It Up, Daisies and Bloom. Since playing their debut headline show in November 2023, the band consisting of Scott Verrill and Oli Fox have come together to create an indie-euphoric dreamscape of sound and vision, racing through the London gig circuit and beyond with likes of Reading & Leeds Festival, Latitude, Boardmasters, and All Points East. Available as a Limited edition CD edition includes cover of Taylor Swift’s Wildest Dreams recorded for BBC Radio 1. The Limited edition Blue Vinyl includes mash up cover of MGMT’s Time To Pretend with Lorde’s Perfect Places recorded for BBC Radio 1 earlier in 2024 (doesn't include Taylor cover)

With the debut album "Mechanical Spin Phenomena", MNEMIC introduced themselves to the metal world impressively: Their music, made of heavy Thrash riffs, Progressive elements, modern synthesizers and electronic samples created both a hard and spacy atmosphere – therefore the band decided to describe their sound as Fusion Future Metal. Crushing songs like 'Ghost' and 'Liquid' got stuck in your head so easily and the comparisons to bands like FEAR FACTORY, MESHUGGAH or STRAPPING YOUNG LAD were drawn soon. But MNEMIC are not a simple copy of those acts – they are a band with their own ideas and self-contained style. "The Audio Injected Soul" shows MNEMIC grown and more mature. Less complex than "Mechanical Spin Phenomena", the band worked a lot with melodies and set a high value on creating catchy refrains. The result is amazing songs like 'Dreamstate Emergency', 'Door 2.12' or 'Deathbox' groove like hell and unify brutality with melody. Finalized by a dynamic cover version of DURAN DURAN's 'Wild Boys', "The Audio Injected Soul" is all in all a perfect package of ten punishing Modern Metal songs that will catapult MNEMIC to the major league of the genre! Tue Madsen, who again took care of the producing in his Antfarm Studios in Aarhus/Denmark, additionally provided the album with a clear and explosive sound that displays the effect of each track fully.

Produced by Lenny Kravitz (Executive) and Fela Kuti’s original engineer Sodi Marciszewer (Artistic). Worldwide tour in 2024 / 2025 (North America, Europe, Australia). New album from 2018 Grammy nominated album “Black Times”. Seun Kuti set to release highly anticipated album ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ featuring guests Damian Marley and Sampa The Great on October 4th. Afrobeat virtuoso Seun Kuti is gearing up to unleash his latest musical masterpiece upon the world with the upcoming release of his album that will be set to make waves globally via Milan independent label Record Kicks. Coming 6 years after the Grammy nominated album ‘Black times’, this album marks a pivotal moment in Seun Kuti's illustrious career, showcasing his evolution as an artist and activist. Executive produced by legendary musician Lenny Kravitz and Fela Kuti’s original engineer Sodi Marciszewer (artistic producer), ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ promises to deliver a sonic experience like no other. With both Kravitz's and Sodi’s expertise together with Seun Kuti's unmatched talent, the album is poised to redefine the boundaries of contemporary music while staying true to the roots of afrobeat. Featuring a tracklist of six electrifying songs, each track on ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ embodies the spirit of resistance, resilience, and revolution. Each song talks about standing up against challenges and fighting for change. Like the standalone singles ‘Dey’ feat reggae icon Damian Marley, described as “a song about embracing and championing who we are, regardless” and ‘Emi Aluta’, “a song about struggle (Aluta means struggle) that pays homage to all the great revolutionaries”, that features Zambian singer, rapper and songwriter, Sampa The Great, one of best and most innovative lyricists of our time. The song ‘T.O.P.’ is about “how society values money and success more than people”. Seun Kuti wants to change this by promoting empathy and reconnecting with nature. In another song, ‘Love & Revolution,’ he expresses his love for his wife and believes that true love can inspire people to make the world a better place. “This project has been very special to me from the moment I conceived it, speaking to Lenny Kravitz, who has shown me such a brotherly love and respect” Seun says. “He has brought me to his home. I met his daughter Zoe and he has guided us with fierceness. Since we spoke about the album, three years ago, as the executive producer of this project, he has always been by our side and very supportive”. “I want to thank Craig Ross and Sodi, the producer of this project. We had a great time. It was the first time for me in the studio with Sodi and I was really impressed by his work and his fatherly advice and dedication”. Each song on the album is a testament to Seun Kuti's unwavering commitment to using music as a tool for social change and empowerment. Through his powerful lyrics and infectious grooves, he continues to carry on the legacy of his father, the legendary Fela Kuti, while carving out his own path in the world of music. As a musician and pan-African activist, Seun has been involved in a number of campaigns in recent years, including #EndSARS – a social movement against police brutality in Nigeria. Significantly, he’s revived the Movement of the People (M.O.P.), the political party his father set up in 1979, which was quashed by the military government not long after Fela’s failed presidential bid. Fans can expect an album that not only entertains but also inspires and ignites a spirit of activism and liberation. Seun Kuti is a Nigerian musician, singer, and songwriter renowned for his captivating performances and socially conscious music. He is the youngest son of Afro beat pioneer Fela Kuti. Seun has spent most of his life preserving and extending his father's political and musical legacy as the leader of his father's former band Egypt 80. As a developing saxophonist and percussionist, he entered the formal ranks of the band before he was 12. In 1997 when Fela passed, in fulfilment of his father's wishes, Seun assumed the mantle as head of Egypt 80 and he has run it ever since. During his career, Seun Kuti released 4 albums with Egypt 80: ‘Many Things’ (2008), ‘From Africa with Fury: Rise for Knitting Factory Records’ (2011), coproduced by Brian Eno and John Reynolds, ‘A Long Way Beginning’ (2014) and the Grammy nominated ‘Black Times’ (2018) that included a feature from Carlos Santana. They also released numerous EPs. Seun has played for enthusiastically receptive audiences globally and collaborated with many great artists. In 2022, he joined forces with Roots frontman and MC extraordinaire Black Thought in the EP ‘African Dreams’. In 2023, Seun collaborated on Janelle Monae's ‘The Age of Pleasure’ (Grammy nominee for Album Of The Year) with the two singles 'Float' and 'Knows Better', teamed up with Talib Kweli and MadLib for their album ‘Liberation 2’ on the song ‘Nat Turner’ featuring Cassper Nyovest and released a new version of the single ‘Bad Man Lighter’ with Black Thought, featuring Vic Mensa

CECILIA is a nomadic soul. Like in an existentialist epic that traverses different ages on a phantom thread of love, spirituality, desire and rage. She inhabits different bodies, inserts herself in a whole array of different characters. Some are fictional, some are as real as the artists that inspired her, and whose influence appears in CHOEUR under the guise of tiny fragments, direct quotes, dedications and spectral presences. Cecilia channels the poetry of different lives that might have been her own or might have only existed in dreams, and does so within a collection of songs that twist the path of traditional French and Italian songwriting into the inmost recesses of electronic mysticism. The composition of CHOEUR took place mostly around January 2023, a pretty precarious time in the artist life, and happened in a spontaneous and ritualistic manner that could appear as somewhat odd in the realm of electronic music production. Birthing out of ego-free solo jams in hyphened states of consciousness and audience-less performances, these moments of do-or-die energy intake served to funnel the wilderness of her emotions into extremely tight arrangements, ultimately allowing a dramaturgy of fierce and beautiful songs into existence. Striving for the sublime, CECILIA trained her whole body for a paradoxical procedure of disconnection and reconnection. A crucial pin in Melissa Gagné’s system of 7-year creative cycles, CHOEUR marks her debut on Haunter Record as much as the first step towards the possibility of a new artistic identity. A labour of love if there ever was one. CHOEUR is made of Awe, Chants and Ravishment, of Pain until Vision. CHOEUR prays Earth, Water, Stars, Sea. CHOEUR feels Spirits, Lightning, Thunder, Dawn, Dusk, Blood, Flowers. CHOEUR invokes a Return, to Grace. CHOEUR loves Mud and longs to Play. CHOEUR lives in a Dream created by a Dream. CHOEUR lives in a Body created by Love. CHOEUR is about a broken heart, open and ecstatic, about the beauty and the sadness that all is not what could be, about wandering and wondering why were the stars made so beautiful?

“Live In Liverpool” was recorded during the last night of the “New Adventures” tour at Grand Central Hall, Liverpool, UK, on October 18th, 2019. It features true P.P. Arnold classics, like “The First Cut Is The Deepest” and “Angel Of The Morning”, as well as special live versions of the songs from “The New Adventures of... P.P. Arnold”, such as “I Believe”, “Hold On To Your Dreams”, Paul Weller’s “Shoot The Dove”, the Northern Soul classic “You Got Me”, and Steve Cradock’s “Still Trying” and “Magic Hour”. This special live performance is a true testament to P.P. Arnold’s versatility as a vocalist and her charisma as a performer, and shows just how effortlessly her rich, soulful voice lends itself to various genres, from soul to rhythm and blues to rock and pop. “Live In Liverpool” will be released as a CD Digipak edition and 180g black double vinyl, packed in a high- quality gatefold jacket on October 18, 2024, via earMUSIC.

Ein Album wie eine Nacht in Paris: Eli & Fur zwischen Introspektion und Euphorie.

Das in London gegründete und in LA lebende Duo Eli & Fur gehört zur Speerspitze der modernen House- und Techno-Szene. Ihr zweites Album 'Dreamscapes' entfaltet sich in den introspektiven und doch transformativen Räumen, die zwischen der Dämmerung und dem Morgengrauen lebendig werden. In diesem nächtlichen Zwischenspiel wird der Schleier zwischen dem Selbst und der Umgebung dünn und die Zeit steht plötzlich still. Wenn die Außenwelt verblasst, stellt sich ein Gefühl von Trost und Zuflucht ein, das dem Gewöhnlichen den Weg zum Außergewöhnlichen öffnet. 'Dreamscapes' ist ein elektrisierendes Werk, das das komplizierte Zusammenspiel von Gedanken und Emotionen anregt. Es ist eine Hommage an die kathartischen Grübeleien unserer einsamsten Wanderungen durch alle Ecken der Nacht und die Blitze dazwischen, mit 15 Tracks.

Dieses neueste Werk, das über das traditionelle Hörerlebnis hinausgeht, bestätigt Eli & Furs unvergleichliche Fähigkeit, verschiedene musikalische Elemente mit universell verbindenden Themen in Einklang zu bringen. 'Dreamscapes' ist mehr als ein Album, es ist ein Gefühl. Es ist das durchschlagende Gefühl einer Nacht in Paris, die man in Erinnerungen an die Sterne schwelgt. Es ist die Aufregung und die Beklemmung, wenn man sich fragt, was einen am nächsten Horizont erwartet. Es ist die anhaltende Euphorie, wenn man jemanden vermisst, den man liebt, und es ist eine Solo-Taxifahrt nach einer durchzechten Nacht, bei der man dem Sonnenaufgang hinterherjagt, während das erste Licht der Morgendämmerung naht.

- Ltd. Col. 2LP: (White Vinyl)

"In partnership with Milan Records, Waxwork Records is proud to release KINDS OF KINDNESS (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK) with music by multi-instrumentalist, producer, and Oscar®-nominated composer JERSKIN FENDRIX. The album reunites Fendrix with director Yorgos Lanthimos following the breakout success of Poor Things, which earned the first-time composer an Oscar® nomination and marked Lanthimos’ first-ever collaboration with a composer. For Kinds of Kindness, Fendrix has crafted a soundscape rooted in solo piano and choral music, peppering the 22-track collection with hymnals throughout. Rounding out the soundtrack album are pop tracks like Cobrah’s “Brand New Bitch” and Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” both of which were featured in the film’s trailers, plus a cover of “How Deep Is Your Love” by film star Margaret Qualley as well as a demo from Fendrix’s personal discography. Searchlight Pictures’ Kinds of Kindness is available in theaters now.

Similar to Poor Things, Fendrix began working on Kinds of Kindness with relatively few materials, utilizing only the film’s script, black and white photographs from set, and conversations with Lanthimos as a guide. This time around, however, Lanthimos provided Fendrix with specific guidance on instrumentation, instructing the composer to craft a soundscape rooted in piano and choral music.

“I love working with Jerskin, and I guess he’s the reason why I am now working with a composer – I’ve found someone that works for me,” says director Yorgos Lanthimos, continuing, “Jerskin worked on this in the same way he worked on Poor Things, which is before even seeing a frame of the film. I gave him the script and started sending him black and white pictures that I shot on set. Our agreement in the beginning was, ‘This time, I want to use piano and choir, and go down that direction,’ which was very different to Poor Things. When I went into the edit, he had this library of music that he created to work with, and it turned out great.”

Also helpful to Fendrix at the start of the project was a conversation with Kinds of Kindness star Jesse Plemons, who helped the composer wrap his mind around the complexity of Lanthimos’ triptych story.

“I was very lucky to go on set at the very beginning of filming, and I asked Jesse about the emotions because I was struggling to understand where so many of these characters were coming from,” composer Jerskin Fendrix confesses. “He spoke to me about his interpretation, and how he planned to embody his characters, which was great. I ended up thinking about the abstract space between the emotions and whether that space was empty or noisy. From there, I utilized the piano and choir to explore those spaces.”

Waxwork Records is thrilled to release KINDS OF KINDNESS as a picture disc featuring artwork and design by Vasilis Marmatakis housed in a crystal clear poly-bag.

ABOUT KINDS OF KINDNESS

KINDS OF KINDNESS is a triptych fable, following a man without choice who tries to take control of his own life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife who was missing-at-sea has returned and seems a different person; and a woman determined to find a specific someone with a special ability, who is destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader."

Skinshape (aka Will Dorey) releases his ninth studio album titled Another Side Of Skinshape on 27th September via Lewis Recordings. As the album title suggests, Dorey’s latest body of work is somewhat unlike anything in his prior discography. However, there is always a consistent Skinshape thread which pulsates throughout all of his music - a kind of sonic dreamscape which echoes a mystical nostalgia for a sun dappled afternoon.

Taking inspiration from childhood memories, Ethiopian rhythms, and even calls to prayer, Another Side Of Skinshape gained access to the most esoteric corners of Dorey’s mind. Whilst ‘It’s About Time’ and ‘Ananda’ display a slightly more synthesised palette than we typically hear of a Skinshape tune, singles ‘Stornoway’ and ‘Lady Sun’ (which features the hazy soul vocals of West London’s Hollie Cook) replicate the same lifeblood heard on albums Nostalgia, or Craterellus Tubaeformis.

Speaking on the album, Dorey says “Some songs pay homage to the 90s whilst others the 60s and 70s. Yet you may not perceive all of these in the form that they are presented. In any case I hope that the album is enjoyable and will fit casually into the flow of your day.”

Whilst making this album, Dorey experimented with various keyboards and drum machines, which are at times layered over the excellent drumming of Thomas Blunt, who played live onto tape. Blunt is well versed in the Skinshape vernacular, also being part of Dorey’s live band. Indeed, Another Side Of Skinshape is due for release just before a run of UK and US live dates, which will be the first time the band has ever hit the open road.

Dorey is a former member of the band Palace, has played Glastonbury, BBC Maida Vale and Shepherd’s Bush Empire to name a few. Skinshape’s ‘I Didn’t Know’ has streamed over 50 million times. He is proudly from Swanage, Dorest.

Perpignan Burning: the Southern French capital of garage rock in search of the riff. Or as Lou Reed would put it: "You can"t beat two guitars, bass, and drums." Content: 27 previously unreleased tracks on the double LP and six digital-only bonus tracks. All tracks on this compilation were recorded in or around Perpignan, France, and go to the musical extremes of an extreme city. Whether garage punks or freakbeat mods, country punks or city rockers, whether pioneers or new to the scene: the only thing that counts is the riff. Pascal Comelade, infamous riff explorer since the 1970s, is the unlikely godfather of this bunch of punks and rockers. He opens the trip with his emblematic cover design and closes it with his own Riffifi orchestra to the ultimate riff of The Stooges" "I Wanna Be Your Dog".

From Cape Town to Cairo, and now to fans, stages and screens around the world, PJ Morton shares his newest album, fully made in the motherland. Cape Town to Cairo is a collection of songs that he created in 30 days throughout 4 countries in Africa — South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Egypt. Described as the best trip of his life, this transformative journey began as just the seed of an idea last fall, but instantly grew into his most sonically-sprawling and immediately-inspired record to date. With no music, lyrics or preconceptions, he stepped foot onto the continent with two thoughts: a wild dream to write and record his next LP in less than a month, and a mission to immerse himself in as many different cultures, stories and communities as he could.

Surrounded by featured collaborators like Fireboy DML, Mádé Kuti, Asa, Ndabo Zulu, and Soweto Spiritual Singers, as well as additional producers including P.Priime and The Cavemen., his own live band and local musicians, PJ Morton used music as his common language. Always his greatest way of communicating, he expressed his feelings and experiences of Africa through songs he and others were forming together on the spot, side-by-side in different studios, cities and towns for the very first time. None of the tracks were written before he arrived or after he left, and the arrangements showcase both the countries’ native genres as well as the innate, stylistic instincts that have made Morton a 5x GRAMMY-winner and 20x GRAMMY-nominee, whether it be his soul, R&B and gospel roots, or the pop prowess he has further honed as a member of Maroon 5.

“When you’ve been in music as long as I have, you’re constantly looking for inspiration,” says PJ Morton. “And you’re looking for the things that made you want to do it in the first place. I’ve made albums every type of way you can think, so I wanted to try something I hadn’t done before. As a Black American who had never been to South or West Africa, I knew there was something there waiting for me. So I put a little pressure on myself to make a full record in a month, but I also said, ‘If I’m gonna go to Africa, I want to see Africa.’ We made music, but we also formed connections. We made new friends, and this is just the start.”

ESSENCE adds, "This trip is not just a physical move, it's a spiritual return…The soul of Africa pulses through every note he plays and every word he sings,” and VIBE adds that “the multi-faceted artist is fully embracing a new phase in his life.” Cape Town to Cairo marks PJ Morton’s first album since 2022’s Watch The Sun, which featured collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Nas, JoJo, Wale, Jill Scott, Alex Isley and more. Since then, Morton has become the first Black composer to write an original song for a Disney attraction, having just finished making the music for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, opening on June 28th, 2024 at Disney World and Fall 2024 at Disneyland. He also won his latest GRAMMY earlier this year, worked with Samara Joy on “Why I’m Here” for Regina King’s Netflix film Shirley, and landed a cover of his song “Don’t Let Go” as the soundtrack to Apple’s iPhone 15 commercial.

PJ Morton recently returned from headlining his debut shows in Asia, New Zealand and Australia, and announced an extensive Cape Town to Cairo Tour for North America summer and fall 2024. Following iconic performances at New Orleans Jazz Fest, The Kennedy Center, Roots Picnic and Newport Jazz Fest, Morton will embark on a run of more than 25 dates across the country, including New York City’s Beacon Theatre, Chicago’s Chicago Theatre, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Los Angeles’ The Wiltern, and dozens of others.

On the heels of his headline tour and Maroon 5’s Las Vegas residency, PJ Morton will publish a life-spanning new book titled Saturday Night, Sunday Morning. The memoir sees him recounting and reflecting upon a trailblazing path that continues to defy expectations and straddle the tensions of music and faith, race and culture, expression and identity. As the son of two pastors and gospel artists, Morton grew up grounded by the sound of the Church, but soon found himself drawn to R&B, pop and soul, writing songs that the industry, his family and community struggled to understand. In the face of mounting pressure, rejection and constant miscategorization, he committed himself to a steadfast path of independence: making music on his own terms, launching his own record label, joining one of the biggest bands in the world while staying true to his New Orleans roots. The risks he took paid off, and through his transformation from preacher's kid to the busiest man in showbiz – performing everywhere from his local congregation to the Super Bowl, collaborating with everyone from his father to Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Jon Batiste and Lil Wayne – he hopes to encourage readers and listeners to overcome obstacles as they seek their dreams.

Speckled Dragon Egg Color Vinyl. Being Dead knows how to make an entrance - within the first several seconds of EELS, the duo's new record, the bright, hard-strummed guitar line on "Godzilla Rises" conjures cinematic immediacy, a creature emerging from the depths of the ocean in campy, freaky stop motion, fittingly so. Being Dead's records are mosaics, technicolor incantations, each song its own self-contained little universe. And while the dreamlike EELS probes further into the depths of the duo Being Dead's psyche, it is, most importantly, in the year of our lord 2024, a 16-track record that is genuinely unpredictable from one track to the next: a joyous and unexpected trip helmed by two true-blue freak bitch besties holed up in a lil' house in the heart of Austin, Texas. They decamped to Los Angeles for two weeks to record with GRAMMY-winning producer John Congleton, writing songs for the record until days before they left. The radical shift in process was welcome - a good balance and a challenge, Congleton helping them find new ways to work and helping peel back the layers on the core of their songwriting. Being Dead has grown from a duo to a trio live, including bassist Ricky Motto (who is immortalized finally on record here, particularly in the giggles on "Rock n' Roll Hurts") The resulting EELS is a darker record, tapped more into the devilishness within, but it's also a more raucous, rougher ride sonically. There's heartbreak, excitement, enchantment, dancing - we move through it all at a high-octane pace. Falcon Bitch and Smoofy never want to do the same thing twice on any song, and they don't. From the pummeling garage rock distortion of "Firefighters" to "Dragons II," which appears in its demo form taped on a hand recorder, it's unexpected but intuitive, and, most importantly, singularly Being Dead. Like its animal namesake suggests, the songs on EELS are malleable, the record like slithering through murky waters or strange half dreams, mysterious and beautiful in how it moves, reflective in a wavering sheen. Dipping into each song feels like uncovering a new cavern, plunging into depths unknown but fully open to what will be revealed. On the album artwork, an illustration by the artist Julia Soboleva, there are some weird disparate spectral creatures, a stark glimmer against a cloudy darkness. It's a fitting encapsulation of Being Dead, exuding a welcoming, playful energy even if something foreboding lurks just beyond the pale - more out of frame that's left to uncover, no path unexplored, strange and beautiful in the light.

Mount Athos, known as the «Holy Mountain,» is a monastic peninsula in northeastern Greece, central to Eastern Orthodox monasticism for over a millennium. Its twenty monasteries house around 2,000 monks dedicated to prayer and worship, which songs have echoed across the Aegean Sea for centuries, heard only by visiting pilgrims, isolated from conventional time and global events.

After several years of research, and several visits to the retired community, we are happy to present our new project «Athos : Echoes from the Holy Mountain» dedicated to this liturgic music and repertoire that seems to be evolving outside the usual boundaries of time and space. Rooted in Byzantine chant, this a cappella tradition essential to monastic life featuring intricate yet serene melodies designed to facilitate prayer and contemplation, using a system of modes and scales to create a meditative atmosphere.

Trans-disciplinary, this effort of documentation also comprehends an artistic re-interpretation aspect inviting contemporary Greek and foreign artists to reflect on the subject.

A musical compilation which captures original field recordings from the 1960s and from today capturing the essence of liturgical music on Mount Athos, but also new compositions inspired by them by artists such as Holy Tongue (UK), Jay Glass Dubs (GR), Prins Emanuel & Inre Kresten Grupp (SWE), Jimi Tenor (FI), Gilb’r (FR), Daniel Paleodimos (GR), Esma & Murat Ertel (TUR) and Organza Ray (GR/US).

A trilingual book in English, Greek and French, featuring essays, articles, photographs and artistic comissions reflecting around the theme giving a voice to contributors such as , Stratos Kalafatis, Theodore Psychoyos, Tefra90, Father Damaskinos Ulkinuora, Prof. Thomas Apostolopoulos, Makar Tereshin, Phaedra Douzina-Bakalaki, Michelangelo Paganopoulos and Alberto Cameroni.

The release of the book and the record will be followed by a cycle of exhibitions and conferences, deploying FLEE’s year-long research on Mount Athos, as well as its numerous commissioned artworks.

CAR CRASH SET were one of the very few electropop acts coming out of New Zealand and have released several vinyls nationally between 1983 and 1986. Basically, the CAR CRASH SET consisted of synthesists/composers David Bulog and Nigel Russell and guitarist/producer Trevor Reekie, and was formed in late 1981, then still with Nick Jenkins on synths. They created such outstanding electropop songs with a Roland TR-606/808 and such lovely sequencing, – e.g. “Fall from Grace” is definitely a song that Anna will take with her into her grave – that it is indeed a shame that they didn’t receive more attention. Anyway, their 1983 12” ‘Two Songs’ (including “Outsider” and “Fall from Grace”) and the V/A ‘We’ll do our best’ LP (including CAR CRASH SET’s “Toys”) are at least highly collectible items amongst electropop connoisseurs and many people will be happy to see these tracks being available again as well as four previously unavailable demos from both their earliest and later days and seven more songs added to this CD version. CAR CRASH SET are currently recording again together though not only with the original Roland gear (“nothing else will do” as Dave once said): TR-606, Jupiter-4, MC-4, System 100m modular and System 104 sequencer as well as Nigel’s Korg MS20, Poly-61, Polysix and way more!

LP (3rd edition) features: limited edition of 317 copies, 180 grams yellow flame vinyl, A3 poster/revised lyrics sheet, sticker, revised hand-numbered double-sided postcard.

Ruby Wine Vinyl. Manchester UK's Space Afrika make music of what they term "overlapping moments" - oblique mosaics of dialogue, rhythm, texture, and shadow, half-heard through a bus window on a rainy night. Honest Labour, the group's first full-length since 2020's landmark hybtwibt? (have you been through what i've been through?) mixtape, expands the project's palette with classical strings, shimmering guitar, and visionary vocal cameos, leaning further into their enigmatic fusion of ambient unrest and cosmic downtempo. It's a sound both fogged and fragmented, at the axis of song craft and sound design, born from and for the yearning solitudes of life under lockdown.The album title is tiered, alluding to a legendary patriarch from co-founder Joshua Inyang's Nigerian family tree (who was lovingly called "Honest Labour" for his loyalty and resilience) as well as the nature of self-designated work, such as Space Afrika's music - a "labor of love" in its truest sense. With fellow co-founder Joshua Reid recently relocated to Berlin, the pair began sharing files last fall, piecing together poetic vignettes of looping haze and found sound, inspired by the notion of "records that leave an impression, and help the listener deal with their life." As the isolation of Covid compounded with the worsening winter, the songs skewed increasingly introspective and emotive, reflecting a mood of dissipating futures and the infinite nocturnal unknown.The artists cite two core motivations for Honest Labour: to transcend the sum of their influences, and "to show what we're capable of." Both ambitions are entirely realized. The collection's 19 tracks flow with a synergy and sophistication as rare as they are radical, untethered to the dusty dub-techno templates of Space Afrika's early years. These are interstitial anthems, expressionistic and open-ended, delirious but deliberate, attuned to the drift and dreamstate of the present moment: "Ultimately this is an homage to U.K. energy, and an album about love and loss."

For the past two decades, Dr Roman Belavkin (Solar X) has been deeply involved in AI research and mathematics at British universities. His albums from the 1990s are a testament to an era defined by the early internet-bulletin boards, FTP sites and mailing lists. In keeping with this, Solar X's music sounds surprisingly futuristic, a romantic artifact of a time eagerly anticipating tomorrow.

Following the re-issue of Solar-X's "Xrated" in 2019, GALAXIID is releasing his debut "Outre X Mer". All tracks are from the original DAT tapes and have been remastered for this release. "Pozdno Utrom", "Dileg" and "Solar X" were originally released on the "Outre X Mer EP" on Defective Records in 1995. Other tracks are out on vinyl and digital platforms for the first time.

"I was homebound for two years between 1992 and 1994, and the only way I could escape was through computer networks and writing," Belavkin recalls. Before the nasty car accident he was a member of the USSR/Russia national wushu team. Confined to his home, Belavkin started creating tracks based on ideas from his school days in the late 1980s, when he first recorded melodies on cassette tapes. This time, however, he fused those sounds with Soviet analogue synthesizers and PC sound cards. He shared these tracks via email with friends in different countries, becoming part of the "Analogue Heaven" mailing list, a community of enthusiasts united by their passion for analogue synthesis dating back to the 1960s.

During his initial pursuit of a PhD in Computer Science, Roman wanted to explore the intersection of what electronic music could offer humanity, the potential for AI to experience emotions, and whether emotions enhance or hinder intellect. These themes resonate in the music of Solar X. The album embodies ambient techno with intricate rhythms and ear caressing melodies, choppy percussion and blissful synths, making it both tranquil and danceable. Like a shimmering spaceship navigating between anxious dreams and visions, it transports the listener to a naively hopeful era yet to come.

FFF’s music exemplifies the Dystopian Dreamstates vibe through its ability to evoke exploration of futuristic and alienated themes, and creation of surreal sonic landscapes. His work resonates with listeners seeking music that challenges traditional structures and transports them into haunting, introspective realms. This EP evokes a complex blend of haunting dystopian elements with the surreal, shifting qualities of dream states. Such music creates an auditory landscape that can be both unsettling and hypnotic, often exploring themes of alienation, technology, and subconscious experiences.

Strange Sensations is a new EP from Paul Renegade.
In between Lazerdrome / Phonomena releases (news on that soon) and with a folder full of spare tunes, this 4 track EP comes on white vinyl on sister label DragonDrop Records
This release features a mix of happy pianos, dark synths, ruff beats and Jungle Tekno vibes, all at various BPMs so there’s a bit of something for everybody.
On the A-side, Zer0 Gravity Fire is fast-paced ’94-style stompy hardcore (160BPM) with rushy pianos, while the synths and piano lines of Mind Over Mind slow the pace down a bit at 140BPM in an early ‘92 style.
On the flip side, Weird Dreams (160BPM) takes you between the worlds of happy and the darkside and Danger: Battledroid is an experimental dark hardcore track at 165BPM, mixing well in either a hardcore or jungle set.

a A1. SECOND HAND NEWS* 4:05
b A2. THE CHAIN [6:33]
[c] A3. DON'T STOP** [3:52]
[d] A4. DREAMS** [4:13]
[e] B1. OH WELL** [3:34]
[f] B2. RHIANNON [8:02]
[g] B3. BROWN EYES* [4:21]
[h] B4. EYES OF THE WORLD [4:10]
[i] C1. GYPSY [4:32]
[j] C2. LOVE IN STORE [3:19]
[k] C3. NOT THAT FUNNY [9:06]
[l] D1. NEVER GOING BACK AGAIN** [4:25]
[m] D2. LANDSLIDE** [4:13]
[n] D3. TUSK [5:57]
[o] E1. SARA** [6:12]
[p] E2. HOLD ME* [4:14]
[q] E3. YOU MAKE LOVING FUN [4:43]
[r] E4. I'M SO AFRAID [6:29]
[s] F1. GO YOUR OWN WAY [6:28]
[t] F2. BLUE LETTER [4:43]
[u] F3. SISTERS OF THE MOON [8:03]
[v] F4. SONGBIRD [3:33]

[a] A1. SECOND HAND NEWS* [4:05]
[b] A2. THE CHAIN [6:33]
[c] A3. DON'T STOP** [3:52]
[d] A4. DREAMS** [4:13]
[e] B1. OH WELL** [3:34]
[f] B2. RHIANNON [8:02]
[g] B3. BROWN EYES* [4:21]
[h] B4. EYES OF THE WORLD [4:10]
[i] C1. GYPSY [4:32]
[j] C2. LOVE IN STORE [3:19]
[k] C3. NOT THAT FUNNY [9:06]
[l] D1. NEVER GOING BACK AGAIN** [4:25]
[m] D2. LANDSLIDE** [4:13]
[n] D3. TUSK [5:57]
[o] E1. SARA** [6:12]
[p] E2. HOLD ME* [4:14]
[q] E3. YOU MAKE LOVING FUN [4:43]
[r] E4. I'M SO AFRAID [6:29]
[s] F1. GO YOUR OWN WAY [6:28]
[t] F2. BLUE LETTER [4:43]
[u] F3. SISTERS OF THE MOON [8:03]
[3:33]

[a] A1. SECOND HAND NEWS* [4:05]
[b] A2. THE CHAIN [6:33]
[c] A3. DON'T STOP** [3:52]
[d] A4. DREAMS** [4:13]
[e] B1. OH WELL** [3:34]
[f] B2. RHIANNON [8:02]
[g] B3. BROWN EYES* [4:21]
[h] B4. EYES OF THE WORLD [4:10]
[i] C1. GYPSY [4:32]
[j] C2. LOVE IN STORE [3:19]
[k] C3. NOT THAT FUNNY [9:06]
[l] D1. NEVER GOING BACK AGAIN** [4:25]
[m] D2. LANDSLIDE** [4:13]
[n] D3. TUSK [5:57]
[o] E1. SARA** [6:12]
[p] E2. HOLD ME* [4:14]
[q] E3. YOU MAKE LOVING FUN [4:43]
[r] E4. I'M SO AFRAID [6:29]
[s] F1. GO YOUR OWN WAY [6:28]
[t] F2. BLUE LETTER [4:43]
[u] F3. SISTERS OF THE MOON [8:03]
[3:33]

a A1. SECOND HAND NEWS* 4:05
[b] A2. THE CHAIN [6:33]
[c] A3. DON'T STOP** [3:52]
[d] A4. DREAMS** [4:13]
[e] B1. OH WELL** [3:34]
[f] B2. RHIANNON [8:02]
[g] B3. BROWN EYES* [4:21]
[h] B4. EYES OF THE WORLD [4:10]
[i] C1. GYPSY [4:32]
[j] C2. LOVE IN STORE [3:19]
[k] C3. NOT THAT FUNNY [9:06]
[l] D1. NEVER GOING BACK AGAIN** [4:25]
[m] D2. LANDSLIDE** [4:13]
[n] D3. TUSK [5:57]
[o] E1. SARA** [6:12]
[p] E2. HOLD ME* [4:14]
[q] E3. YOU MAKE LOVING FUN [4:43]
[r] E4. I'M SO AFRAID [6:29]
[s] F1. GO YOUR OWN WAY [6:28]
[t] F2. BLUE LETTER [4:43]
[u] F3. SISTERS OF THE MOON [8:03]
[v] F4. SONGBIRD [3:33]

[a] A1. SECOND HAND NEWS* [4:05]
[b] A2. THE CHAIN [6:33]
[c] A3. DON'T STOP** [3:52]
[d] A4. DREAMS** [4:13]
[e] B1. OH WELL** [3:34]
[f] B2. RHIANNON [8:02]
[g] B3. BROWN EYES* [4:21]
[h] B4. EYES OF THE WORLD [4:10]
[i] C1. GYPSY [4:32]
[j] C2. LOVE IN STORE [3:19]
[k] C3. NOT THAT FUNNY [9:06]
[l] D1. NEVER GOING BACK AGAIN** [4:25]
[m] D2. LANDSLIDE** [4:13]
[n] D3. TUSK [5:57]
[o] E1. SARA** [6:12]
[p] E2. HOLD ME* [4:14]
[q] E3. YOU MAKE LOVING FUN [4:43]
[r] E4. I'M SO AFRAID [6:29]
[s] F1. GO YOUR OWN WAY [6:28]
[t] F2. BLUE LETTER [4:43]
[u] F3. SISTERS OF THE MOON [8:03]
[3:33]

Born in Aldershot on 11 September 1947, Catley's family moved to the Tile Cross area of Birmingham when he was young. He went on to attend the nearby Central Grammar School for Boys (Birmingham) and left to start an apprenticeship at the GPO before deciding on a musical career shortly after meeting similarly minded individuals at college. Whilst at college he joined several bands, such as The Smokestacks (Jeff Clark-guitar, Ron Savage-guitar, Derek Danks-bass & Brian Worrell-drums, Life and Clearwater). His first professional band was when he joined local outfit The Capitol Systems. The initial line-up was Bob Catley (vocals) Paul Sargent (guitar) Paul Whitehouse (bass), Dave Bailey (keyboards) and Bob Moore (drums). Shortly afterward they changed their name to Paradox, inspired by a science-fiction novel. A one-off deal was arranged with Mercury after Paradox had come to the attention of Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt. The tracks were "Ever Since I Can Remember", backed with "Goodbye Mary". In addition, they recorded "Mary Colinto" and "Somebody Save Me". All of these songs were written by Dave Morgan. Paradox played festivals in the Netherlands and Italy before splitting up upon their return to the UK in 1970. Formed in 1972, Magnum throughout the next 16 years consisted mainly of Bob Catley on vocals and Tony Clarkin on guitar. Magnum began as the house band at Birmingham's famous Rum Runner night club (later the home of Duran Duran). They began to develop their own style by playing Clarkin's songs at a residency at The Railway Inn, in Birmingham's Curzon Street, in 1976. Joining Clarkin and Catley were drummer Kex Gorin and bassist Dave Morgan (later a member of ELO). Their most notable success during these early years was the Jeff Glixman produced Chase The Dragon (1982) which reached No. 17 in the UK, and included several songs that would be mainstays of the band's live set, notably ‘Soldier of the Line’, ‘Sacred Hour’ and ‘The Spirit’. Their breakthrough album came in 1985 with On a Storyteller's Night which featured the single ‘Just Like an Arrow’. This success continued in the following years with the Roger Taylor (Queen) produced Vigilante in 1986, the top 5 album Wings of Heaven in 1988, and the Keith Olsen produced Goodnight L.A. reaching No. 9 in the UK album charts in 1990. Subsequently, Clarkin decided to maintain a tighter control, and after their initial mainstream success, the band lost their major label backing and returned to a more personal level of production. This finally found the band splitting and the formation of Hard Rain in 1995, which saw Clarkin pursue a more Pop orientated direction with a band that included Sue McCloskey on lead vocals. This new direction didn’t sit well with Catley, and after a headline performance at The Gods in the late 90s, a conversation with Bruce Mee of Now & Then Records saw Catley agree with a decision which eventually led to his debut solo album, ‘The Tower’. This release was completely written by Gary Hughes of Ten, with the writing completely decided to be in the vein of classic Magnum. The album itself was recorded by various members of Ten, including the amazing Vinny Burns (Dare) on guitar. On release, the many positive reviews concluded that the release of ‘The Tower’ had succeeded beyond its wildest imagination…..and Bob Catley’s solo career had been launched with amazing success!! With a lyrical intricacy and majestic pomp, songs like ‘Far Away, ‘Fear of the Dark, ‘Madrigal’ and ‘Deep Winter’ take you back to that glorious period of Magnum between ‘Chase The Dragon’ and ‘Wings Of Heaven’ whilst hard melodic rockers such as ‘Scream’, ‘Dreams’ and title track ‘The Tower’ show just what Magnum would have sounded like if they’d gone a little bit harder. Another absolutely brilliant album that totally deserves to be filed alongside those mid-period Magnum classics.

Son Goku is back to face a new threat that is descending upon Earth. Synopsis: Goku goes to train with Master Kaio, who informs him that a powerful enemy has awakened from a 39-year slumber: Beerus, God of Destruction. Beerus is searching for a warrior who appeared to him in a dream, the Super Saiyan God, whom he wishes to challenge. The vinyl includes numerous BGM from the Future Trunks and Universe Survival arcs. They range from dark to epic in a very orchestral style with the legendary Norihito Sumitomo composing (DBZ: Battle of Gods, the film, as well as video games like Gran Turismo). Some BGMs were created by Kazuya Yoshii and Takafumi Iwasaki, the latter having worked on musical projects for spin-offs of Digimon and Konosuba.

Ever-evolving the mythologies and magic of Dialect's sonic sphere, Andrew PM Hunt returns with Atlas of Green, elegantly molding unexacting details of memory and mistranslation into the framework of the British musician and composer's creative pursuit. The album imagines a young musician named Green working in a future dawning era where lost signals and enduring impulses are unearthed from the sediments of technology and time. Across twelve compositions, Green becomes the compass in an epoch of transition; one shaded with pastoral patinas and studded with the fragments of allegorical ruin. As tattered as it is tender, Atlas of Green is a patchwork of scavenged relics and bygone hues, cast through the iridescent shimmers of a mid-future in flux. Growing up on the Wirral Peninsula in North West England, Hunt was surrounded by stone age landmarks and rock carvings that infused the landscape with legend. It was beside those carvings on a residency at Bidston Artistic Research Center where he began the journey of Atlas of Green, experimenting with tape loops and exploring the center's library of sci-fi. Here Hunt also encountered the work of Italian philosopher Federico Campagna, a writer who believes we're at the end of our current world. This encouraged Hunt's exploration of how the fabric and fantasies of our current era might endure into the future of Green, as they try to make sense of the riddles of the past, utilizing broken electronics and simple acoustic instruments to create new mythic forms. This question of endurance led Hunt to inscribe Atlas of Green with its own lucid markings - sometimes almost anthemic adornments - which unfurl through the album's melancholic air as possible new metaphors for how the human spirit might persist through dark days and regain lost wisdom. As Hunt reflects, "We're not just on an endless procession through constantly better worlds. Our lack of action (on climate and inequality) feels hopeless at times. I find some comfort in the idea that maybe the world needs a new song in order to tell a new story about itself". The image of Green as a journeying adolescent in-between eras developed out of a burgeoning interest in the fantasy writing of Ursula K. Le Guin and Gene Wolfe and occurred at a point in Hunt's life where the question of starting a family was looming. Green became a device for thinking about the future, or futures, putting someone in another world and granting access to a slightly longer timeframe than one's own life. What would this person, in this as-yet-unsung world do with something as powerful as music? As Hunt notes, "I imagined them doing what we've always done with music - using it to build a map of feeling, providing boundaries and tracing the edges of our emotions, defining a space of possibility and giving voice to our intuition. This is an alternative future to the one of endless growth but one which still holds space for hopes and dreams." Mapping new folds in the passage of time, Atlas of Green is traced with an aura of sonic urgency which arises through its process-led construction. Following a series of live shows in early 2023, the record was created with an assemblage of analogue electronics and acoustic instruments, including scratched records and a broken four track, collaging studio work with recorded live recordings featuring work in progress. Where the indeterminate energies of Under~Between (2021) appeared through digital processing, Atlas of Green embraces chance encounters within the malfunctions of physical media and glitching gear. Within these interwoven clusters of organic and blemished sound, Dialect reclaims the joyfulness of the inner amateur and creates a soft landing for new seeds of magical possibility - rooted in the bounds and abundance of realism. "As a planet of people we have to deal one way or another with our finite existence. We have to deal with that loss with hope still in our hearts - our capacity to love cannot be contingent on things lasting forever, and so this image of Green is not a vision of dystopia, nor utopia but an expression of trust and an acceptance of limits."

For years, Benjamin Herman has formed a frighteningly tight trio with Ernst Glerum and Joost Patočka. Whether its compositions from Misha Mengelberg, jazz evergreens or original works, these are all interpreted with vision and “rollicking virtuosity’’ (Volkskrant). Erupting from Herman's creative spirit and the two worlds of Glerum (ICP Orchestra) and Patočka (Rita Reys), the formation’s work is always of the highest class.

The new album Trouble with the young and exceptionally talented singer/pianist Daniel von Piekartz adds a new chapter to their collaboration. Songs from Fats Waller, Henry Mancini and Sly Stone get a postmodern make-over that will inspire many concert-goers to willingly miss that last tram home. And naturally, the musical fireworks that we’ve come accustomed are still

The Heads’ Simon Price returns to his kandodo project with 'theendisinpsych'; "primitive pieces of psychedelic tuneage+years of wasted time=43 minutes of headphone bliss." It's the follow up to the 2019 collaboration with Wayne Maskell and Hugo Morgan, Kandodo 3 – K3, but this time back in solo-mode. He is now relocated in Northumbria, and has recorded the album himself in his home studio, drawing on his wide collection of music/instruments and the rural environment for inspiration. The new album fizzes and crackles with a verve that will activate the “turn on, tune in, drop out” sense in all listeners… Simon explained the album in a focused/out of focus track by track way… is this Price’s paean to his obsession with Bowie? chamba7 - octave mandolin through fuzz, tambo beat, in praise of Bowie compilations. chamba is malawian weed theendisinpsych - bought a reel to reel tape off ebay in 2005, ('Bowie radio interview tape, USA, 1970, 3 minutes?') then bought a machine to play it on in 2015. Heard the words and laid them onto a fuzzy break bed. Thought it all too relevant to today, prophetic David from his 'hippy' days (not a prophet or a stone age man) fuzzy oceans - played on 1 string spamjo, bouncing echo over 70's drum machine, 'we've fucked the oceans' freefalling - rolling cello and hissing cymbals with vocoder dreams comes with african/stationtostation artwork stylings for the sleeve..pre-apocalypse blues (and pinks), the world isn't going a good way a sumptuous 4 course sonic supper, tuck in.

Death and the Maiden’s Uneven Ground draws back the velvet curtain on the trio’s crepuscular dreamworld with nine songs of their distinctive shadowy slow-motion fusion of underground electronic dance music and post-punk guitars washed through with psychic unease. The trio’s name is taken from that of a nineteenth century engraving by Edvard Munch: an artwork steeped in mythology, exploring the dark boundaries between love and death, strength and frailty, beauty and decay. Their three albums to date each reinforce the symbolism of the name, and Uneven Ground’s title could apply as much to their own journey in the years since Wisteria, their previous album, as to the times in which we live. Bassist and vocalist Lucinda King is the bedrock, guide and storyteller. Guitarist Hope Robertson weaves swooping, soaring motifs and sometimes deconstructed layers of noise to build analogue atmosphere for these alternate worlds. Danny Brady’s beats mix old-school drum machines with electronic tones and distortion, while his synth arrangements blend elements of psy-trance and acid house with more amniotic ambient and industrial textures. While Uneven Ground may be the most overtly “pop”-sounding album in their catalogue, it also ratchets up the ominous atmosphere, noise and experimentation. Once again King’s evocative lyrics appear as cryptic stories, built from events, memories, dreams, moments, warnings, regrets; where questions raised are left unanswered, and possibilities remain open.

Geschrieben wurden die Hauptteile der Songs auf 'Fever Dreams' im Laufe von zwei Jahren, aufgenommen wurden sie in einer Reihe von Full-Band-Studio-Sessions Ende 2019 und Anfang 2020. Während der langen, entschleunigten Pandemie-Tage verfeinerte O'Brien sie in seinem winzigen Heimstudio in Dublin. Gemischt wurde das Album von David Wrench (Frank Ocean, The XX, FKA Twigs). Ursprünglich erschien das Album im August 2021.

Format: Orangene Vinyl inkl. Downloadkarte

ercury Rev take you on a swan dive into the mystic: a rapture of ballad-dreams and emotional memoir at the crossroads of The Dharma Bums, Pet Sounds and Side Three of Electric Ladyland. A profound, transcendant trip from the psychedelic explorers who brought you Deserter's Songs.
David Fricke In upstate New York, deep in the seam between the Catskills mountains and the Hudson Valley, a richly swelling, spellbound sound emerges, eddying and flowing like the local Esopus Creek, or in the slipstream of the grander Hudson river, carrying the flotsam and jetsam of our hopes, dreams, fears. A sound composed of organic and electronic; guitars, keys, brass, strings, woodwind, drums - and a voice of incantations, tapping streams of consciousness that similarly eddy and flow.
Spiritually, literally, psycho-geographically: where else does Mercury Rev’s ninth album Born Horses spring from? This cascade of gleaming, glistening psych-jazz-folk-baroque-ambient quest that searches its soul but can never truly know the answer? A sound and vision linked to their exalted past whilst quite unlike anything they have created before?
The answer is somewhere between the homes of founder members Jonathan Donahue (the hamlet of Mt Tremper) and Grasshopper (the town of Kingston), in their veins and brains of their now-legendary tapping of musical cosmology, and the vital presence of new permanent member Marion Genser (keys), plus long-term ally Jesse Chandler (keys) and guests Jeff Lipstein (drums), Martin Keith (double bass) and Jim Burgess (trumpet). A place that feeds off the levitating mood of their last album, 2019’s expansive tribute Bobbie Gentry's The Delta Sweete Revisited, and the instrumental psych explorations under the names of Harmony Rockets and Mercury Rev’s Clear Light Ensemble, and the spiritual guidance of avant-garde artist Tony Conrad and Beat poet Robert Creeley, to whom Born Horses is
dedicated.

Air, Nico, St Etienne, Kid Loco, Young Marble Giants, Sandy Denny, Vashti Bunyan, Andrew Weatherall, Robert Wyatt and Serge Gainsbourg. Limited edition first pressing of 500 copies on "Mock Turtle" Blue. International collaboration between artists in Glasgow, London, Paris & New York. Mastered by Shimmy-Disc founder Kramer. Accompanying visual art work by Film and art director Tim Saccenti. Inspired by the intensity of lockdown, the self-titled debut album by electro-pop project Gates of Light, is the result of a collaboration between five artists across four cities, three time zones and two continents. Hailing from Glasgow, singer-songwriter Louise Quinn and producer Bal Cooke teamed up with London-based DJ and producer Scott Fraser; Parisian musician, DJ and producer Kid Loco; and film director and photographer, New York’s Tim Saccenti - who has previously worked with Run The Jewels and Pharell- to create a sublime, electro-pop reflection on the grief, insularity and peculiar highs of lockdown. Immediately after hearing the album, revered post-punk musician and producer Kramer offered to release the vinyl edition on his iconic cult label Shimmy-Disc, which boasts an impressive back catalogue of artists including Daniel Johnson, Low and Galaxie 500. A project grounded on collaboration - born from a period of disconnect - Gates Of Light perfectly amplifies the longing, confusion, lucid dreams and appreciation of the outdoors that the pandemic ignited in so many over the last couple of years. Originally written and recorded by Louise and Bal from their bedroom studio in Glasgow whilst their one-year-old twins slept, the tracks were then sent to Scott and Kid Loco who remixed the tracks from home studios in London and Paris before Tim created the artwork and a video for the track ‘When The Leaf Falls’. Gates Of Light is the latest project from Louise and Bal who have released music in the past as A Band Called Quinn and DAWNINGS. Louise and Scott Fraser have also previously collaborated following a chance encounter at a nightclub in Glasgow. Their single ‘Together More’ was released on Andrew Weatherall’s renowned Birdscarer vinyl imprint in 2019 and featured a remix by the Guv’nor himself who described the track as “sublime magik”.

Ltd Edition - 200 copies**

Canadian-currently-residing-in-Berlin and multi intstrumentalist Aidan Baker teamed up with Dutch demolition duo Dead Neanderthals late 2023 to work on the collaborative album entitled Cast Down and Hunted.

Cast Down and Hunted is an abstract affair. Angular and dark, droney and lush. Two lengthy tracks, Subterfuge and Paranoia, each fill one side of the LP, which will be released by the Dutch label Moving Furniture Records.
The artwork was made by Steven Kenny and the album layout was done by Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek).

The album was mixed and mastered by Marlon Wolterink at White Noise Studio.

ABOUT AIDEN BAKER
Aidan Baker is a classically-trained multi-instrumentalist focusing on the electric guitar as his primary instrument. Using prepared and alternate methods of playing the guitar, along with various electronic effects, Baker creates music which generally falls within the ambient/experimental genre but draws on influences from post-rock, shoegaze, electronica, neo-classical, and jazz.
A highly prolific artist, Baker has released numerous recorded works, both solo and with various group projects—most notably his dreamsludge duo, Nadja—and including collaborations with Tim Hecker, Carla Bozulich, Jussi Lehtisalo, and Andrea Belfi, among others—on such independent labels as Karlrecords, Gizeh Records, Important Records, and his own imprint, Broken Spine Productions. A frequent live performer, Baker has toured extensively around the world, including appearances at such international festivals as FIMAV, SXSW, Incubate, Unsound, Roadburn, and Mutek.
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Baker currently resides in Berlin, Germany.

ABOUT DEAD NEANDERTHALS
Dead Neanderthals have spent more than a decade putting together an eclectic and envious back catalogue that spans multiple genres – from free-jazz to grindcore to doom drone by way of psychedelia – and continuously throwing curve balls that defy expectations. You never know what you’ll get, but you know it’ll be heavy.


ABOUT MOVING FURNITURE RECORDS
Moving Furniture Records is a label based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands specialized in releasing experimental electronic music, run by Sietse van Erve, started in October 2008. We are mostly interested in drones, minimalist, microtonal and field-recordings music.
Moving Furniture Records has released music by both renowned, musicians such as Richard Chartier, BJNilsen, Jos Smolders, Gareth Davis & Merzbow and Machinefabriek, as (young) new talent such as Gagi Petrovic, Fani Konstantinidou, and Ryan van Haesendonck.
Aside from the regular releases Moving Furniture Records has two special series: Eliane Tapes: music inspired by and dedicated to the work of Éliane Radigue. Contemporary Series: contemporary music written for acoustic and electro-acoustic ensembles and solo artists.
Moving Furniture Records also organizes concerts in various venues in Amsterdam. For all our releases and more information

Coming out on September 6th on Sharptone Records, Sundiver is Boston Manor’s fifth album and one that represents a glimmering dawn for the Blackpool five-piece. Grown from a seedbed of optimism and sobriety, the LP celebrates new beginnings, second chances and rebirth. With two members recently stepping into fatherhood, hope is baked into every note. “Datura came out of these really dark few years over the hangover of the pandemic,” Henry reflects. “I'd been struggling a lot with drinking and not taking care of myself and bad mental health and stuff. We wanted Sundiver to be the next morning of the following day.” He explains that it feels good this time round to write through the lens of positivity. “The themes began to emerge, of rebirth, spring, dawn, sunshine and then other elements just started to fit into that.” It was during the making of Sundiver that Henry found out he was going to be a dad. This album is a significant one for the band. Originally coming out of the emo and pop punk scene, they’ve explored sonics and genres throughout their career, taken risks and achieved more than they could ever had dreamed of. They’ve grown up as Boston Manor – their lives and the world changing around them. They’re now taking stock, at a crossroads of the band they were and the band they could be.
While writing the album, they revisited the bands that shaped them in the late 90s and early 00s. “I was listening to the music I loved when I was a teenager and I just thought, why don't we make music like our favourite bands?”, guitarist Mike Cuniff remembers with a smile. “So we brought our interests to the table that way. Y2K kind of vibe. There are elements of Deftones, there are elements of Portishead in there, some Garbage, The Cardigans.” He laughs and adds NSYNC to the list of inspirations. From this cocktail of classics comes a dynamic and ambitious record, rich with depth, groove and more hooks than Peter Pan’s nightmares. Lyrics that foxtrot from parallel universes to personal growth, vivid dreamscapes to raw grief. Individually they’re single strokes full of meaning and magic. Together they’re a landscape.
Container (out Feb 15th) is the first single and it’s them at their best – impassioned and infectious. “This song is about the stagnancy of life creeping up on you & how that can bring about change.,” Henry explains, citing Ocean Song by US band Daughters as an inspiration.

The concept of the butterfly effect is present on Sundiver – how small actions can lead to big changes. This is no clearer than on their second single, Sliding Doors (out April 5th). It has the golden sound of late 90s Lollapalooza rock – think Smashing Pumpkins - rebooted with crisp 2024 production and a potent heaviness. In the lyrics Henry wonders, what if?, pondering on what could be. The idea that there are infinite versions of you whose lives splinter off in different directions at every decision you make. That there’s another you out there somewhere right now reading this sentence, and another me writing it. “So much is down to chance and circumstance,” Henry says. “You might catch that train and your life totally changes. Or you might miss it and things stay the way they are.”
Heat Me Up (out May 30th) is defiant and victorious, the audio equivalent of quitting your shit job and driving into the hot summer sun with a head full of dreams. “The lyrics are about love and gratitude,” Henry shares. “Another theme on the record is just appreciating what you have. It’s about not taking for granted the things that you've been afforded.”
There was some natural magic in the creation of Sundiver. They worked with their usual producer, Larry Hibbitt, and engineer, Alex O’Donovan, but instead of recording in London again they ended up in the green pastures of Welwyn Garden City. “Because Larry lives out in the countryside now, it was a way different environment and way different experience recording this time,” Mike remembers. “That contributed a lot to the brighter sound of the record.” The daily barbecues they had during their recording sessions imbued the process with harmony – five old friends spending quality time together and making quality music.
However, the album is by no means one-note. Birthing this new world they’ve created wasn’t without it’s pain, and that can be heard in the heavier moments on Sundiver. What Is Taken Will Never Be Lost is the most-stripped back on the album, a slow rock number seasoned with the downtempo Portishead influence. The heartfelt lyrics are Henry’s way of processing the loss of his grandfather, who died in a hospice last year(?). “It was just fucking horrible. It was always cold when I went there and they were always trying to get rid of me. The song title, What Was Taken Can Ever Be Lost, is the idea of his memory fading at the time because of dementia.” Henry goes onto explain that shoeboxes of photographs, diaries and a legacy is what he’s left behind. “He lived a really rich life and it has really impacted me and my father. His legacy is etched into the fabric of history in a very small way.” This song continues the connection between his grandfather and the band, as his painted face is emblazoned on the cover of the very first Boston Manor EP, Driftwood. As well as emotionally heavy themes, there’s heaviness in the music of Sundiver too. The closing song, Oil In My Blood, descends into an intense shoegaze outro with Debbie Gough from Heriot screaming hellfire. It’s in moments like this that the band show us aggression and fury can be as much a part of positive change as quiet introspection. The last lyrics of the song, “It resets and starts again,” leaves us in contemplation as the final chord rings out.
Touring the US, Europe and Japan over the years makes for an impressive CV, but if you know anything about Boston Manor you’ll know that they’re all about their hometown. Their choice to work with Blackpool-based photographer Nick Barkworth is testament to that. They’ve been working with him since the pandemic. “He captures Blackpool in a light that really reflects the weirdness and quirkiness of the town,” Henry says.” He's got a really good way of presenting that.” For the Sundiver cover, Nick photographed a 30ft tall abstract glass sculpture made by the local artist John Ditchfield. A striking and bewitching monolith that’s familiar to them but unusual to most people. “It has such kind of a gravity and power to it,” Henry describes the sculpture which stands in a field just outside of the seaside town. “It reminds me of either an explosion or a star or a supernova. To me it represents new life, power and radiance.” Boston Manor have got a knack for that - connecting the otherworldly and the everyday, the stars and the streets.
They’re a band known for using their music to make bigger statements about society. This time round they’re harnessing the uplifting power of music, and the communion it creates, as an antidote to the daily doom and isolation. “It seems like absolute chaos out there at the moment,” Henry says. “You’ve got Gaza and Israel, you've got Russia, you've got the fact that 40% of the world is going to have an election this year and increasingly most governments are leaning very far to the Right. The internet is dividing everybody, people are getting poorer and more desperate. It's really, really scary.” They considered trying to tackle the weight of it all in their music. “We could’ve written Welcome to the Neighbourhood on steroids, where it's just absolute darkness and misery”. He’s referring to their 2018 concept album that deals with class, inequality and the bleaker side of Blackpool. “But I think it's really important to write something that people can be immersed in and find some sort of solace in. Somewhere they can escape to from the modern day pressures and everything that’s going on. We’re all in this together.”

Between December 2022 and January 2024, the collective De Niemanders (producer Rick Wiegerinck joined the team) visited asylum seekers' centers in the Netherlands with a mobile studio, searching for singers, musicians, and their music and stories. The music sessions were mostly filled with pure joy, while the conversations were heavy, hopeless, hopeful, cheerful, and everything in between. The collective connected with creative individuals from all over the world, who in turn introduced them to even more artists, writers, and storytellers. Rocco, Wout, and Rick quickly realized that they needed to offer more than ‘just’ the music album as a platform, so a completely unique Niemanders newspaper was born, and journalist Christianne Alvarado joined for a six-part podcast series.

Following their instincts, they created a new Niemanders album that became a genuine collaboration between the people they met and themselves. A significant difference from the prisons was that this time, the singers and musicians could be recorded in a mobile studio. As a result, the album is a mix of many singers and languages, telling the stories of their journeys, dreams, families, past lives ‘back home,’ and their current situation as refugees. There are songs inspired by the stories that residents of asylum seekers' centers told or wrote down, sung by Rocco, while other tracks emerged from writing sessions with singers Isma IP, Guy-El Mabiala, Q-Mars, and Hamid Reza Behzadian, and are also sung by them. The song material is a creative melting pot of colorful music that ranges from swinging afrobeat, highlife, desert rock, and rootsy psychedelia, but the alternative rock for which Ostermann and Kemkens are known also seeps through. You could say that, with few exceptions, each song is a film soundtrack for the text.

Unfortunately, the harsh reality of asylum procedures also intruded into some of the blossoming musical friendships. Due to a negative decision by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND), one of the great singers was forced to leave the Netherlands. This is just one example of the lack of control over—and the nerve-wracking wait for—an IND decision, which unfortunately seems to be something every person in an asylum procedure must endure. The asylum process can bring years and years of uncertainty and waiting, or sudden deportation.