quête:las

Mid-summer, 2021, Waleed quietly released his debut single 'Se Rompen'. The response was anything but, with the track immediately taking hold as a sleeper hit that summer, being played out by the likes of Four Tet, Floating Points, Daphni, DJ Boring, DJ Seinfeld, Tourist and more. With word already spreading, an inclusion in Ben UFO's winter Essential Mix solidified the desire for more from this surprising new producer.

Last month, Waleed announced his signing to City Slang (Caribou, Gold Panda) with a re-release of 'Se Rompen', offering the track on ultra-rare test pressings (50 / sold out already) for the first time.

Today, we announce the pre-order of a white label 12” with “Se Rompen” and his new single “SuenÞos”, limited to 300 units worldwide.

Born in Washington DC to Iraqi/Puerto Rican parents, Waleed works in coding by day. Built around ready-made for the dancefloor kick and chopped vocals, 'Se Rompen' is an ambitious debut that showcases his focus on sound design. Waleed’s meshing of cultures and references gives 'Se Rompen' a unique perspective on dance music. At once melancholic and high energy.

“A beautiful euphoric/melancholy fusion of cut-up vocals, soft electronics and two-step beats.” The Guardian

“Highly refreshing, 'Se Rompen' has a rare immediacy, a feeling that it has always been a part of your life." Clash

The legendary BORIS celebrate a 30 year career as one of experimental music's most forward-thinking, heavy, and innovative bands with the new album Heavy Rocks (2022). Continuing their series of Heavy Rocks records, BORIS once again channels the classic proto-metal sounds of the 70s into something all new. The album, 10 pulse-pounding tracks, highlight the very trajectory of BORIS and their storied career - from the driving, fuzzed out Rock N' Roll opener "She is Burning", to the punk, raucous "My Name is Blank", BORIS are heavier than ever before. "Question 1" is just kickass - D-beats give way to a doomed, spaced out and heavier-than-anything guitar wailing and feedback, before diving back into their Metal, sending the listener into a complete frenzy. This is unmistakably BORIS, and this is the band at the height of their powers. Elsewhere on the record, a more daring, "out there" side of the band begins to shine on tracks such as the aptly titled "Blah Blah Blah", the industrial "Ghostly Imagination" and the truly wild "Nosferatou". Noisy passages (not unlike prior collaborations with legendary artists like Merzbow,) collide with visceral vocal howls while a relentless, almost Zornian-saxophone shreds harder than any guitar solo ever could. In 2022, BORIS cement what Heavy Rock means to them, and release one of their most captivating records to date.

The experimental legends BASTARD NOISE and MERZBOW present their new collaborative album, RETRIBUTION BY ALL OTHER CREATURES. A lashing out against man-made institutions that perpetuate animal cruelty, every second of BASTARD NOISE's contribution to this collaboration is simply put - pitch-black, palpable fury. Elsewhere, the iconic MERZBOW's influence creeps in with a two part concept - the ZooNOsISE tracks, firing off MERZBOW's calling card - grainy, unsettling distortion that builds and builds, set against wretched technological wailing and alarming constants.

The record's intent is both a call to action, and a foreboding signal of end times. "Stand up against any form of animal abuse you witness at all cost," BASTARD NOISE mastermind Eric Wood writes in his liner notes. "Be part of positive, compassionate change and spit on the grave of the status quo." MERZBOW/Masami Akita's message is simple, but hits hard - "TIME IS RUNNING OUT. NOISE IS MUSIC"

Ajay Mathur lässt sich nicht in irgendwelche stilistischen Schubladen pressen. Statt sich auf nur ein einziges Genre zu limitieren, lebt der charismatische Sänger und Musiker seine fast kindliche Experimentierfreude und Forscherdrang furchtlos aus. Eine Eigenschaft, die ihn wohlmeinende Vergleiche mit Legenden wie Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Tom Petty, Leonard Cohen oder den Beatles einbringen.

Following several tragedies in his personal life, New York rapper El Gant had a decision to make—face those losses head on or bury them deep within. Luckily for us, he chose the former. The result is O.S.L.O., the emcee’s most gripping and personal project yet. It’s also his most relatable, because it shows what we’re all capable of when we’re equipped with the right tools to cope and, in El Gant’s case, transform that tragedy into something powerful.

The album arrives nearly a decade after his previous solo effort, 2014’s great Beast Academy, and after several years spent touring and recording with his group, Jamo Gang, with Ras Kass and J57. Despite the highs associated with that time, El Gant also experienced major personal losses. In particular, he lost three close friends—The Last Original, Bones, and Jim Misa—all of whom had a major impact on his life and career. In fact, the album’s title, O.S.L.O., references the Last Original, because it’s an acronym for “Our Sun the Last Original.”

But it wouldn’t be an El Gant project without some straight-up dope hip-hop, too. Tracks like “Avirex (feat. Innocent? & King Magnetic)” and “Chromed Out (feat. Ras Kass & Planet Asia)” are absolute bangers filled with shape-shifting flows and crazy wordplay.

There’s a reason for these tonal shifts, too; El Gant didn’t want to simply create a linear album. “I want to take the listener on a few ups and downs, just like life does for most of us,” the emcee says. It’s those qualities that make O.S.L.O. so immediately satisfying, and why it’s his most accomplished work to date.

"His music filled me with the urge to connect with the world," Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith says of Emile Mosseri. She first heard his work while watching the 2019 film The Last Black Man In San Francisco; just minutes in, she paused it to look up who did the score and wrote to him immediately. "I love Emile's ability to create melodies that feel magically scenic and familiar like they are reminding you of the innocence of loving life." Those talents saw recognition in 2020 with an Oscar nomination for Mosseri's original score to the film Minari. He was already a fan of Smith's and became increasingly intrigued by her impressionistic process as they started to talk. "The music feels so spiritual and alive and made from the earth," Mosseri says. "I think of her as the great conductor, summoning musical poetry from her orchestra of machines." I Could Be Your Dog / I Could Be Your Moon, their two-part collaborative album, introduces an uncanny fusion of their sonics. Constructed using synthesizer, piano, electronics, and voice, this soft-focus dream world is lush, evocative, and fleeting. It finds two composers tuning their respective styles inward as an ode to mutual inspiration, a celebration of the human spirit and its will to surrender to the currents of life. As a full album set, I Could Be Your Dog / I Could Be Your Moon moves fluidly from track to track, panning through textural vignettes. Two roughly 17-minute halves, the set evokes the bittersweet sense of something too bright or rare to last, a short-lived glimpse into a golden hour. There is a dreamy, elemental intention to this music, which Smith and Mosseri say came naturally, as they both embraced intuitive interplay throughout their creative back-and-forth. The stylistic threads of each composer are recognizable yet become more ambiguous as the album progresses, sewn into a singular vision.

With their ability to move seamlessly from the triangle to the donkey jaw, cymbals to Chinese gong, vibraphone to wind machine, percussionists are undoubtedly the most atypical members of the classical orchestra. Paul Changarnier, Nicolas Cousin and Alexandre Esperet are a case in point. Having set their sights on the marimba - Latin American xylophone, cousin of the African balafon - they decided to use it as the main vehicle for their artistic dreams. With the label No Format, they embarked on a project which would see them taking on pop hits of the kind that are produced in mega studios on the other side of the Atlantic and dazzle with a thousand lights and special effects. But they wanted to do it without leaving France or their beloved instruments. They wanted to make pop without machines, guitars, bass or synths. They ended up finding a hitherto unknown instrumental formula that belongs to them and them only, one conceived as the perfect fit for the voices from the well-known French artists that were called upon to interpret the songs. Camille, with her extraordinary energy, makes Rihanna"s "Don"t Stop the Music" waltz in a new organic mode; Blick Bassy redecorates Ariana Grande"s "One Last Time" in the colours of Bassa; Malik Djoudi envelopes Frank Ocean"s "Super Rich Kids" with a subtle ethereal texture; Camélia Jordana made her mark on this bonanza of reinvention by slowing down the tempo of "Dance Monkey"; The voice of Sandra Nkaké, imbued Lana del Rey"s "Video Games" with a solemn and sublime mystery. Like an old love that"s rediscovered with new eyes, an air that comes back from far away but could have been born today, somehow familiar but never seen before. Déjà vu but never heard until now. Déjà Vu: the name of this magnificent, unprecedented experience, this unidentifiable flying platter.

Highlights: Limey and the Yanks' A-side 'Love Can't Be A One Way Deal' is a garage song with a sound pitched somewhere between the Beau Brummels and the Beach Boys. 'Guaranteed Love', on the flipside, is an outstanding bluesy number with a stinging fuzz guitar, a concise harp solo and a rousing Bo Diddley-fied groove that has made its way to various compilations since the early 80s and now gets reissued for the first time on a 7" single. This release includes notes by Mike Stax (Ugly Things Magazine) Details: In California in the mid-sixties, with the British Invasion raging, having an authentic Englishman as the lead singer of your band was an ace in the hole that gave you an edge over the competition. Such was the case with Limey & the Yanks a quintet from Buena Park in Southern California's Orange County. Limey was young Steve Cook, and his Yanks by 1965 were guitarists Gregg DeLorto and Tim Gunne, bass player Bob Batman and drummer Wes Hunsinger. With his blonde Keith Relf-style hair, Steve was a striking front man who fortunately also possessed a decent voice, and with his father managing the group they were soon making waves throughout the area. A victory at a Battle of the Bands at the Hollywood Palladium put them on the map in Los Angeles, attracting the attention of producer Gary Paxton. By this time Wally Downing had joined on lead guitar, replacing Gregg DeLorto who had defected to the Spats. Paxton produced their debut single in late 1965, and it was released in January of the following year on his Starburst label. Paxton's business partner in Starburst was Lloyd Johnson, and the single's A-side was written by Lloyd's son Ken, who also recorded for Starburst with his group Ken & the Forth sic Dimension. Paxton had already produced a version of 'Love Can't Be A One Way Deal,' a couple of years earlier with the Rev-Lons, a girl group from Bakersfield, but the version by Limey & the Yanks took a completely different approach, turning it into a lovelorn garage number with a sound pitched somewhere between the Beau Brummels and the Beach Boys, with bright harmonies, mournful harmonica and a melodic twangy guitar solo. Swinging on a guitar hook based on Bobby Parker's 'Watch Your Step,' 'Guaranteed Love,' took a bluesier approach with a confident Limey vocal, stinging fuzz guitar, a concise harp solo and a rousing Bo Diddley-fied groove. The single was not a hit, but it added heft to the group's growing reputation. A second single, 'Out of Sight, Out of Mind,' was released in October, but it would be the group's last, although they did continue, through several lineup changes, into 1967. Limey's legacy lives on_

Grave Digger sind seit über 4 Jahrzehnten ein fester Bestandteil der deutschen Heavy Metal Szene. Chris Boltendahl, Axel Ritt, Jens Becker und Marcus Kniep sind nicht nur im Live-Bereich eine feste Größe, sondern liefern auch regelmäßig hochwertige Heavy Metal-Alben ab. Auf ihrem neuesten Album "Symbol Of Eternity" spinnen sie die Geschichte der Kreuzritter weiter... nachdem sie sich bereits auf dem Album "Knights of the Cross" damit befasst haben, widmen sie sich nun erneut der der sagenumwobenen Geschichte der Templer.

Messerscharfe Riffs, opulente Chorarrangements und die markante Stimme von Chris Boltendahl sind Bestandteile von Grave Diggers neuem Werk. Alle Markenzeichen, die die Band seit 4 Jahrzehnten auszeichnen, werdem auf dem neuen Album fortgeführt und machen "Symbol Of Eternity" zu einem originellen und harten Album. Und doch stehen neben den gnadenlosen Riffs, wie im eröffnenden Headbanger "Battle Cry", immer wieder melodische Refrains im Vordergrund... harte Doublebass-Attacken, gepaart mit Midtempo-Songs und dem fast schon doomigen Titeltrack lassen jedes Headbangerherz höher schlagen.

Grave Digger waren noch nie so abwechslungsreich und scheuen sich nicht, auch mal weit über den Tellerrand zu schauen - wie beim Bonustrack "Hellas Hellas", einer Coverversion des griechischen Superstars Vasilis Papakonstantinou, bei der Chris zum ersten Mal in seiner Karriere griechisch singt und für den die Band sogar Vasilis für einige Gesangspassagen gewinnen konnte!

Öffnet eure Ohren und Augen, wenn das neue Album am 26. August weltweit in den Läden steht und ihr eine weitere Reise in die geheime Welt der Templer unternehmen könnt. Der König ist tot… lang lebe der König!

Grave Digger sind seit über 4 Jahrzehnten ein fester Bestandteil der deutschen Heavy Metal Szene. Chris Boltendahl, Axel Ritt, Jens Becker und Marcus Kniep sind nicht nur im Live-Bereich eine feste Größe, sondern liefern auch regelmäßig hochwertige Heavy Metal-Alben ab. Auf ihrem neuesten Album "Symbol Of Eternity" spinnen sie die Geschichte der Kreuzritter weiter... nachdem sie sich bereits auf dem Album "Knights of the Cross" damit befasst haben, widmen sie sich nun erneut der der sagenumwobenen Geschichte der Templer.

Messerscharfe Riffs, opulente Chorarrangements und die markante Stimme von Chris Boltendahl sind Bestandteile von Grave Diggers neuem Werk. Alle Markenzeichen, die die Band seit 4 Jahrzehnten auszeichnen, werdem auf dem neuen Album fortgeführt und machen "Symbol Of Eternity" zu einem originellen und harten Album. Und doch stehen neben den gnadenlosen Riffs, wie im eröffnenden Headbanger "Battle Cry", immer wieder melodische Refrains im Vordergrund... harte Doublebass-Attacken, gepaart mit Midtempo-Songs und dem fast schon doomigen Titeltrack lassen jedes Headbangerherz höher schlagen.

Grave Digger waren noch nie so abwechslungsreich und scheuen sich nicht, auch mal weit über den Tellerrand zu schauen - wie beim Bonustrack "Hellas Hellas", einer Coverversion des griechischen Superstars Vasilis Papakonstantinou, bei der Chris zum ersten Mal in seiner Karriere griechisch singt und für den die Band sogar Vasilis für einige Gesangspassagen gewinnen konnte!

Öffnet eure Ohren und Augen, wenn das neue Album am 26. August weltweit in den Läden steht und ihr eine weitere Reise in die geheime Welt der Templer unternehmen könnt. Der König ist tot… lang lebe der König!

Grave Digger sind seit über 4 Jahrzehnten ein fester Bestandteil der deutschen Heavy Metal Szene. Chris Boltendahl, Axel Ritt, Jens Becker und Marcus Kniep sind nicht nur im Live-Bereich eine feste Größe, sondern liefern auch regelmäßig hochwertige Heavy Metal-Alben ab. Auf ihrem neuesten Album "Symbol Of Eternity" spinnen sie die Geschichte der Kreuzritter weiter... nachdem sie sich bereits auf dem Album "Knights of the Cross" damit befasst haben, widmen sie sich nun erneut der der sagenumwobenen Geschichte der Templer.

Messerscharfe Riffs, opulente Chorarrangements und die markante Stimme von Chris Boltendahl sind Bestandteile von Grave Diggers neuem Werk. Alle Markenzeichen, die die Band seit 4 Jahrzehnten auszeichnen, werdem auf dem neuen Album fortgeführt und machen "Symbol Of Eternity" zu einem originellen und harten Album. Und doch stehen neben den gnadenlosen Riffs, wie im eröffnenden Headbanger "Battle Cry", immer wieder melodische Refrains im Vordergrund... harte Doublebass-Attacken, gepaart mit Midtempo-Songs und dem fast schon doomigen Titeltrack lassen jedes Headbangerherz höher schlagen.

Grave Digger waren noch nie so abwechslungsreich und scheuen sich nicht, auch mal weit über den Tellerrand zu schauen - wie beim Bonustrack "Hellas Hellas", einer Coverversion des griechischen Superstars Vasilis Papakonstantinou, bei der Chris zum ersten Mal in seiner Karriere griechisch singt und für den die Band sogar Vasilis für einige Gesangspassagen gewinnen konnte!

Öffnet eure Ohren und Augen, wenn das neue Album am 26. August weltweit in den Läden steht und ihr eine weitere Reise in die geheime Welt der Templer unternehmen könnt. Der König ist tot… lang lebe der König!

Grave Digger sind seit über 4 Jahrzehnten ein fester Bestandteil der deutschen Heavy Metal Szene. Chris Boltendahl, Axel Ritt, Jens Becker und Marcus Kniep sind nicht nur im Live-Bereich eine feste Größe, sondern liefern auch regelmäßig hochwertige Heavy Metal-Alben ab. Auf ihrem neuesten Album "Symbol Of Eternity" spinnen sie die Geschichte der Kreuzritter weiter... nachdem sie sich bereits auf dem Album "Knights of the Cross" damit befasst haben, widmen sie sich nun erneut der der sagenumwobenen Geschichte der Templer.

Messerscharfe Riffs, opulente Chorarrangements und die markante Stimme von Chris Boltendahl sind Bestandteile von Grave Diggers neuem Werk. Alle Markenzeichen, die die Band seit 4 Jahrzehnten auszeichnen, werdem auf dem neuen Album fortgeführt und machen "Symbol Of Eternity" zu einem originellen und harten Album. Und doch stehen neben den gnadenlosen Riffs, wie im eröffnenden Headbanger "Battle Cry", immer wieder melodische Refrains im Vordergrund... harte Doublebass-Attacken, gepaart mit Midtempo-Songs und dem fast schon doomigen Titeltrack lassen jedes Headbangerherz höher schlagen.

Grave Digger waren noch nie so abwechslungsreich und scheuen sich nicht, auch mal weit über den Tellerrand zu schauen - wie beim Bonustrack "Hellas Hellas", einer Coverversion des griechischen Superstars Vasilis Papakonstantinou, bei der Chris zum ersten Mal in seiner Karriere griechisch singt und für den die Band sogar Vasilis für einige Gesangspassagen gewinnen konnte!

Öffnet eure Ohren und Augen, wenn das neue Album am 26. August weltweit in den Läden steht und ihr eine weitere Reise in die geheime Welt der Templer unternehmen könnt. Der König ist tot… lang lebe der König!

Grave Digger sind seit über 4 Jahrzehnten ein fester Bestandteil der deutschen Heavy Metal Szene. Chris Boltendahl, Axel Ritt, Jens Becker und Marcus Kniep sind nicht nur im Live-Bereich eine feste Größe, sondern liefern auch regelmäßig hochwertige Heavy Metal-Alben ab. Auf ihrem neuesten Album "Symbol Of Eternity" spinnen sie die Geschichte der Kreuzritter weiter... nachdem sie sich bereits auf dem Album "Knights of the Cross" damit befasst haben, widmen sie sich nun erneut der der sagenumwobenen Geschichte der Templer.

Messerscharfe Riffs, opulente Chorarrangements und die markante Stimme von Chris Boltendahl sind Bestandteile von Grave Diggers neuem Werk. Alle Markenzeichen, die die Band seit 4 Jahrzehnten auszeichnen, werdem auf dem neuen Album fortgeführt und machen "Symbol Of Eternity" zu einem originellen und harten Album. Und doch stehen neben den gnadenlosen Riffs, wie im eröffnenden Headbanger "Battle Cry", immer wieder melodische Refrains im Vordergrund... harte Doublebass-Attacken, gepaart mit Midtempo-Songs und dem fast schon doomigen Titeltrack lassen jedes Headbangerherz höher schlagen.

Grave Digger waren noch nie so abwechslungsreich und scheuen sich nicht, auch mal weit über den Tellerrand zu schauen - wie beim Bonustrack "Hellas Hellas", einer Coverversion des griechischen Superstars Vasilis Papakonstantinou, bei der Chris zum ersten Mal in seiner Karriere griechisch singt und für den die Band sogar Vasilis für einige Gesangspassagen gewinnen konnte!

Öffnet eure Ohren und Augen, wenn das neue Album am 26. August weltweit in den Läden steht und ihr eine weitere Reise in die geheime Welt der Templer unternehmen könnt. Der König ist tot… lang lebe der König!

Grave Digger sind seit über 4 Jahrzehnten ein fester Bestandteil der deutschen Heavy Metal Szene. Chris Boltendahl, Axel Ritt, Jens Becker und Marcus Kniep sind nicht nur im Live-Bereich eine feste Größe, sondern liefern auch regelmäßig hochwertige Heavy Metal-Alben ab. Auf ihrem neuesten Album "Symbol Of Eternity" spinnen sie die Geschichte der Kreuzritter weiter... nachdem sie sich bereits auf dem Album "Knights of the Cross" damit befasst haben, widmen sie sich nun erneut der der sagenumwobenen Geschichte der Templer.

Messerscharfe Riffs, opulente Chorarrangements und die markante Stimme von Chris Boltendahl sind Bestandteile von Grave Diggers neuem Werk. Alle Markenzeichen, die die Band seit 4 Jahrzehnten auszeichnen, werdem auf dem neuen Album fortgeführt und machen "Symbol Of Eternity" zu einem originellen und harten Album. Und doch stehen neben den gnadenlosen Riffs, wie im eröffnenden Headbanger "Battle Cry", immer wieder melodische Refrains im Vordergrund... harte Doublebass-Attacken, gepaart mit Midtempo-Songs und dem fast schon doomigen Titeltrack lassen jedes Headbangerherz höher schlagen.

Grave Digger waren noch nie so abwechslungsreich und scheuen sich nicht, auch mal weit über den Tellerrand zu schauen - wie beim Bonustrack "Hellas Hellas", einer Coverversion des griechischen Superstars Vasilis Papakonstantinou, bei der Chris zum ersten Mal in seiner Karriere griechisch singt und für den die Band sogar Vasilis für einige Gesangspassagen gewinnen konnte!

Öffnet eure Ohren und Augen, wenn das neue Album am 26. August weltweit in den Läden steht und ihr eine weitere Reise in die geheime Welt der Templer unternehmen könnt. Der König ist tot… lang lebe der König!

In many ways Kumoyo Island represents the culmination of a journey for Kikagaku Moyo. While their decade-long career can be summarized as a series of kaleidoscopic explorations through lands and dimensions far and near, there's a strong intention in each of their works to take the listener to a particular place, however real or abstract they may be. In that sense, the title and cover art for the band's fifth and final album draws you into a magical mass of land surrounded by water-but the couch suggests that Kumoyo Island may not be a fleeting stop, but rather a place of respite, where one could pause and take it all in. Reconvening at Tsubame Studios in Asakusabashi, Tokyo, where their earliest material had been recorded, the five members of Kikagaku Moyo found new inspiration in a familiar and comfortable environment. With their adopted homebase of Amsterdam under lockdown and their touring activities halted due to the pandemic, the band felt a renewed sense of freedom being back in shitamachi, or the old downtown area of their hometown. With unrestricted time in the studio, they began to build upon the demos and song fragments they'd amassed since their last tour. In the 1.5 months spent in Tokyo, everything started to come together. "Monaka", its name taken from a type of Japanese wafer sweets, takes melodic inspiration from traditional minyo folk styles, while "Yayoi Iyayoi" is a rare instance of the band singing in their native tongue, its evocative lyrics utilizing archaic words taken from old poetry and nature books found in one of the many secondhand bookstores of Tokyo. For "Meu Mar", an Erasmos Carlos cover, the original Portuguese lyrics were translated into English, then to Japanese. Strangely enough, the words seem to conjure an image of the protagonist floating among the clouds, looking down upon Tokyo Bay. In fact, it may be possible to draw a parallel between the topography of the band's home country-an island nation, surrounded by bodies of water-and the mysterious isle of Kumoyo. Are they one and the same? Has the band finally made it back home? It's up to the listener to decide.

With their sophomore full-length "Gotta Light?", dark rock innovators CRONE are cruising in a high octane fuelled hotrod. Channelling their personal musical inspirations that range from ALICE IN CHAINS, via KILLING JOKE, NEW MODEL ARMY, and JOY DIVISION to PINK FLOYD among many others, the Germans leave their very own and personal mark on the genre that has been brought back to the forefront of interest by acts such as GHOST in recent years. While composer, guitarist, and singer Phil Jonas had felt tired, burned out, and empty, working on new songs for CRONE provided the spark that kindled the firestorm of fresh ideas and led to the creation of "Gotta Light?". The album title was inspired by the haunting eighth episode of David Lynch's masterpiece TV series "Twin Peaks". A corresponding element of the mysterious and surreal permeates all of the new songs that revolve around topics such as the hope of receiving signals from the afterlife ('Waiting for Ghosts'), shattered dreams ('Abyss Road'), and a guiding last will ('Gemini'). CRONE was conceived out of a musical collaboration between Phil "sG" Jonas and EMBEDDED drummer and guitarist Markus Renzenbrink. Both musicians wanted to explore musical horizons beyond the metal limits of their regular bands at the time. As a result the "Gehenna" EP was released in 2014 and sparked a first wave of interest. Critics labelled the first effort post-rock, post-punk, and even as shoegaze. The well-received debut full-length 'Godspeed' hit the streets in 2018 and its more focussed and consistent songs got often filed under "post-rock". With CRONE having been elevated to the main band of each protagonist, the band's renewed focus and urgency is clearly audible on "Gotta Light?". With Christian Schmidt a permanent keyboard player has been added to the line-up that now also features lead guitarist Kevin Olasz for added sparkle and sonic depth. From the ashes of SECRETS OF THE MOON a dark reborn phoenix is rising with CRONE and this bird of prey is ready to rock humanity's unstoppable descent into madness: "Gotta Light?"

With their sophomore full-length "Gotta Light?", dark rock innovators CRONE are cruising in a high octane fuelled hotrod. Channelling their personal musical inspirations that range from ALICE IN CHAINS, via KILLING JOKE, NEW MODEL ARMY, and JOY DIVISION to PINK FLOYD among many others, the Germans leave their very own and personal mark on the genre that has been brought back to the forefront of interest by acts such as GHOST in recent years. While composer, guitarist, and singer Phil Jonas had felt tired, burned out, and empty, working on new songs for CRONE provided the spark that kindled the firestorm of fresh ideas and led to the creation of "Gotta Light?". The album title was inspired by the haunting eighth episode of David Lynch's masterpiece TV series "Twin Peaks". A corresponding element of the mysterious and surreal permeates all of the new songs that revolve around topics such as the hope of receiving signals from the afterlife ('Waiting for Ghosts'), shattered dreams ('Abyss Road'), and a guiding last will ('Gemini'). CRONE was conceived out of a musical collaboration between Phil "sG" Jonas and EMBEDDED drummer and guitarist Markus Renzenbrink. Both musicians wanted to explore musical horizons beyond the metal limits of their regular bands at the time. As a result the "Gehenna" EP was released in 2014 and sparked a first wave of interest. Critics labelled the first effort post-rock, post-punk, and even as shoegaze. The well-received debut full-length 'Godspeed' hit the streets in 2018 and its more focussed and consistent songs got often filed under "post-rock". With CRONE having been elevated to the main band of each protagonist, the band's renewed focus and urgency is clearly audible on "Gotta Light?". With Christian Schmidt a permanent keyboard player has been added to the line-up that now also features lead guitarist Kevin Olasz for added sparkle and sonic depth. From the ashes of SECRETS OF THE MOON a dark reborn phoenix is rising with CRONE and this bird of prey is ready to rock humanity's unstoppable descent into madness: "Gotta Light?"

Nach "Beware of the Dogs" von 2019 ist "Flood" Donnellys Album der Wiederentdeckung: es ist das Produkt monatelanger Experimente, schwieriger Momente der Introspektion und einer Menge Übergangsphasen. Wie die vielen Banded Stilt (zu Deutsch Stelzenläufer), die sich über das Cover verteilen, watet Donnelly in unbekanntem Terrain, lernt, wer sie als Künstlerin ist und wie umfassend ein Individuum sein kann. Während ihrer Zeit in den australischen Regenwäldern von Bellingen, entdeckte Donnelly ihre Liebe zur Vogelbeobachtung. Indem sie der Natur um sie herum mehr Aufmerksamkeit schenkte, konnte sie "das Gefühl verlieren, dass irgendjemand auf mich reagiert. Ich vergaß, wer ich als Musikerin war und es war eine überwältigende Erfahrung, einfach nur zu sein, mein kleines Ich zu sein." Sie schrieb 43 Songs, als sie Bellingen verließ und durch das Land zog. "Ich hatte so viele Gelegenheiten, an seltsamen Orten zu schreiben", bemerkt Donnelly. "Ich hatte oft keine Wahl, wo ich mich aufhielt. Es lässt sich nicht leugnen, dass die Schließung der Grenzen, wenn man keinen Zugang zu seiner Familie hat, den Blick auf die Teile des Lebens verengt, die einem wichtig sind." Wenn sie auf die Banded Stilt zurückblickt, schätzt Donnelly vor allem, dass "sie in einer Gruppe gesehen eine optische Täuschung erzeugen, aber für sich genommen sind sie ein einzigartiges Kunstwerk." Während jeder Song auf "Flood" ein einzigartiges Kunstwerk für sich ist, teilen sie im Kollektiv alles von Stella Donnelly im Überfluss: ihr inneres Kind, ihr liebevolles Selbst, ihr alptraumhaftes Selbst; alles von ihr selbst ist in die Entstehung dieser Platte eingeflossen, und obwohl man einen Ozean bräuchte, um alles zu ergründen, was sie fühlt, lohnt es sich, einzutauchen.

Nach "Beware of the Dogs" von 2019 ist "Flood" Donnellys Album der Wiederentdeckung: es ist das Produkt monatelanger Experimente, schwieriger Momente der Introspektion und einer Menge Übergangsphasen. Wie die vielen Banded Stilt (zu Deutsch Stelzenläufer), die sich über das Cover verteilen, watet Donnelly in unbekanntem Terrain, lernt, wer sie als Künstlerin ist und wie umfassend ein Individuum sein kann. Während ihrer Zeit in den australischen Regenwäldern von Bellingen, entdeckte Donnelly ihre Liebe zur Vogelbeobachtung. Indem sie der Natur um sie herum mehr Aufmerksamkeit schenkte, konnte sie "das Gefühl verlieren, dass irgendjemand auf mich reagiert. Ich vergaß, wer ich als Musikerin war und es war eine überwältigende Erfahrung, einfach nur zu sein, mein kleines Ich zu sein." Sie schrieb 43 Songs, als sie Bellingen verließ und durch das Land zog. "Ich hatte so viele Gelegenheiten, an seltsamen Orten zu schreiben", bemerkt Donnelly. "Ich hatte oft keine Wahl, wo ich mich aufhielt. Es lässt sich nicht leugnen, dass die Schließung der Grenzen, wenn man keinen Zugang zu seiner Familie hat, den Blick auf die Teile des Lebens verengt, die einem wichtig sind." Wenn sie auf die Banded Stilt zurückblickt, schätzt Donnelly vor allem, dass "sie in einer Gruppe gesehen eine optische Täuschung erzeugen, aber für sich genommen sind sie ein einzigartiges Kunstwerk." Während jeder Song auf "Flood" ein einzigartiges Kunstwerk für sich ist, teilen sie im Kollektiv alles von Stella Donnelly im Überfluss: ihr inneres Kind, ihr liebevolles Selbst, ihr alptraumhaftes Selbst; alles von ihr selbst ist in die Entstehung dieser Platte eingeflossen, und obwohl man einen Ozean bräuchte, um alles zu ergründen, was sie fühlt, lohnt es sich, einzutauchen.

Nach "Beware of the Dogs" von 2019 ist "Flood" Donnellys Album der Wiederentdeckung: es ist das Produkt monatelanger Experimente, schwieriger Momente der Introspektion und einer Menge Übergangsphasen. Wie die vielen Banded Stilt (zu Deutsch Stelzenläufer), die sich über das Cover verteilen, watet Donnelly in unbekanntem Terrain, lernt, wer sie als Künstlerin ist und wie umfassend ein Individuum sein kann. Während ihrer Zeit in den australischen Regenwäldern von Bellingen, entdeckte Donnelly ihre Liebe zur Vogelbeobachtung. Indem sie der Natur um sie herum mehr Aufmerksamkeit schenkte, konnte sie "das Gefühl verlieren, dass irgendjemand auf mich reagiert. Ich vergaß, wer ich als Musikerin war und es war eine überwältigende Erfahrung, einfach nur zu sein, mein kleines Ich zu sein." Sie schrieb 43 Songs, als sie Bellingen verließ und durch das Land zog. "Ich hatte so viele Gelegenheiten, an seltsamen Orten zu schreiben", bemerkt Donnelly. "Ich hatte oft keine Wahl, wo ich mich aufhielt. Es lässt sich nicht leugnen, dass die Schließung der Grenzen, wenn man keinen Zugang zu seiner Familie hat, den Blick auf die Teile des Lebens verengt, die einem wichtig sind." Wenn sie auf die Banded Stilt zurückblickt, schätzt Donnelly vor allem, dass "sie in einer Gruppe gesehen eine optische Täuschung erzeugen, aber für sich genommen sind sie ein einzigartiges Kunstwerk." Während jeder Song auf "Flood" ein einzigartiges Kunstwerk für sich ist, teilen sie im Kollektiv alles von Stella Donnelly im Überfluss: ihr inneres Kind, ihr liebevolles Selbst, ihr alptraumhaftes Selbst; alles von ihr selbst ist in die Entstehung dieser Platte eingeflossen, und obwohl man einen Ozean bräuchte, um alles zu ergründen, was sie fühlt, lohnt es sich, einzutauchen.

Was wäre, wenn man sich für die nächste Veröffentlichung nicht nur alleine aufnehmen, sondern auch die Songs alleine schreiben würde? Je ein Song pro Bandmitglied. So entstand das Konzept zu Solitaer, was “einzeln lebend” bedeutet und somit das Antonym zu gregär darstellt. Social-Distancing als Songwriting-Konzept. Die Meinung der anderen Bandmitglieder war zwar erwünscht, brauchte aber keinen Einfluss auf das Schaffen der drei Musiker zu nehmen. So sind drei Songs entstanden, die zwar alle typische Merkmale erkennen lassen, die Teil der Hirsch Effekt-Rezeptur sind, sich aber doch vom typischen The Hirsch Effekt-Material unterscheiden. Das Ergebnis klingt nicht nur nach einem extrem spannenden Experiment, sondern eben auch sehr extrem. Abgerundet wird Die Solitaer EP von einer Bandversion des Songs “Gregaer”, der ursprünglich als Orchesterversion geschaffen wurde.

Ein Symposium of Sickness, das keine Ader unberührt lässt, Gastvocals von Jeff Walker (Carcass)! Klassischer Grinding Death Metal der alten Schule!

Grinding Death Metal ist noch nicht tot und seine Zukunft ist hier in Form der schwedischen Band Consumption. Sie gaben uns allen einen netten Vorgeschmack auf ihr Debüt "Recursive Definitions of Suppuration", das weltweit gute Kritiken erhielt, aber niemand konnte erwarten, was noch kommen würde. Consumption ist eine neue schwedische Band, die zermalmenden, von Carcass beeinflussten Grind/Death produziert, und auf "Necrotic Lust" haben sie das Album gemacht, das Carcass nie gemacht haben "Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious". Dieses Projekt ist die Idee des Multi-Instrumentalisten Håkan Stuvemark, der für seine Arbeit mit einer ganzen Reihe von extremen Metal-Bands bekannt ist (und die
bekannteste davon ist Wombbath). Und er lud den erfahrenen Schlagzeuger Jon Skäre ein, seine Band zu vervollständigen und das nächste Level zu erreichen.

Consumption's knirschender Death Metal mit unheimlichen Melodien klingt wie Carcass in ihren 90er Jahren, hat aber auch eine ganz eigene Note. Und auf "Necrotic Lust" haben sie Jeff Walker (von Carcass) als Gastsänger eingeladen, der einen tollen Job gemacht hat. Der Gesamtsound des Albums ist nun aufgewertet, ungeschliffen und doch gut produziert, so wie es sein sollte, wenn man hohe Qualität liefert.

Geprägt vom „Fun-Punk“ bekannter Größen wie TERRORGRUPPE oder KOTZREIZ und Melodie-getrieben wie gängige
90er US-Punk-Bands, lassen sich PARKPUNK einfach mal
treiben und verzichten auf Schnickschnack wie GitarrenSoli. Das musikalische Ganze hat am Ende so viel Charme,
dass man es nur lieben oder hassen kann. So wie PARKPUNK eben: ein Wortspiel, subtil wie eine Leitplanke!

Grave Digger sind seit über 4 Jahrzehnten ein fester Bestandteil der deutschen Heavy Metal Szene. Chris Boltendahl, Axel Ritt, Jens Becker und Marcus Kniep sind nicht nur im Live-Bereich eine feste Größe, sondern liefern auch regelmäßig hochwertige Heavy Metal-Alben ab. Auf ihrem neuesten Album "Symbol Of Eternity" spinnen sie die Geschichte der Kreuzritter weiter... nachdem sie sich bereits auf dem Album "Knights of the Cross" damit befasst haben, widmen sie sich nun erneut der der sagenumwobenen Geschichte der Templer.

Messerscharfe Riffs, opulente Chorarrangements und die markante Stimme von Chris Boltendahl sind Bestandteile von Grave Diggers neuem Werk. Alle Markenzeichen, die die Band seit 4 Jahrzehnten auszeichnen, werdem auf dem neuen Album fortgeführt und machen "Symbol Of Eternity" zu einem originellen und harten Album. Und doch stehen neben den gnadenlosen Riffs, wie im eröffnenden Headbanger "Battle Cry", immer wieder melodische Refrains im Vordergrund... harte Doublebass-Attacken, gepaart mit Midtempo-Songs und dem fast schon doomigen Titeltrack lassen jedes Headbangerherz höher schlagen.

Grave Digger waren noch nie so abwechslungsreich und scheuen sich nicht, auch mal weit über den Tellerrand zu schauen - wie beim Bonustrack "Hellas Hellas", einer Coverversion des griechischen Superstars Vasilis Papakonstantinou, bei der Chris zum ersten Mal in seiner Karriere griechisch singt und für den die Band sogar Vasilis für einige Gesangspassagen gewinnen konnte!

Öffnet eure Ohren und Augen, wenn das neue Album am 26. August weltweit in den Läden steht und ihr eine weitere Reise in die geheime Welt der Templer unternehmen könnt. Der König ist tot… lang lebe der König!

Grave Digger sind seit über 4 Jahrzehnten ein fester Bestandteil der deutschen Heavy Metal Szene. Chris Boltendahl, Axel Ritt, Jens Becker und Marcus Kniep sind nicht nur im Live-Bereich eine feste Größe, sondern liefern auch regelmäßig hochwertige Heavy Metal-Alben ab. Auf ihrem neuesten Album "Symbol Of Eternity" spinnen sie die Geschichte der Kreuzritter weiter... nachdem sie sich bereits auf dem Album "Knights of the Cross" damit befasst haben, widmen sie sich nun erneut der der sagenumwobenen Geschichte der Templer.

Messerscharfe Riffs, opulente Chorarrangements und die markante Stimme von Chris Boltendahl sind Bestandteile von Grave Diggers neuem Werk. Alle Markenzeichen, die die Band seit 4 Jahrzehnten auszeichnen, werdem auf dem neuen Album fortgeführt und machen "Symbol Of Eternity" zu einem originellen und harten Album. Und doch stehen neben den gnadenlosen Riffs, wie im eröffnenden Headbanger "Battle Cry", immer wieder melodische Refrains im Vordergrund... harte Doublebass-Attacken, gepaart mit Midtempo-Songs und dem fast schon doomigen Titeltrack lassen jedes Headbangerherz höher schlagen.

Grave Digger waren noch nie so abwechslungsreich und scheuen sich nicht, auch mal weit über den Tellerrand zu schauen - wie beim Bonustrack "Hellas Hellas", einer Coverversion des griechischen Superstars Vasilis Papakonstantinou, bei der Chris zum ersten Mal in seiner Karriere griechisch singt und für den die Band sogar Vasilis für einige Gesangspassagen gewinnen konnte!

Öffnet eure Ohren und Augen, wenn das neue Album am 26. August weltweit in den Läden steht und ihr eine weitere Reise in die geheime Welt der Templer unternehmen könnt. Der König ist tot… lang lebe der König!

For Oleg Azelitskiy, known as DJ Slon, the nineties and the first half of the aughts were an era of "firsts". First squat parties on the banks of the Obvodny Canal and more legitimate ones at Tunnel, first proper techno club in Russia. First DJ sets, first vinyl records in his collection, first radio shows at Port FM. He is a true veteran of the Russian techno movement, who carried his love for the genre through three decades and inspired more than one generation of musicians. Album Nr. 1 is the first edition of his music on vinyl. It comprises the music that Azelitskiy made during 1995 - 2005, except for the track My 40th Vesna, produced in 2010.

Azelitskiy's love for techno was born out of contradictions. Thanks to the Soviet synth band Zodiac and the French pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre, he had loved electronic music since his childhood. When he grew up, he got into the dark, introspective pieces by Einsturzende Neubauten and Bauhaus. Not only does the wide-ranging palette on Album Nr. 1 reflect its creator's taste, it echoes the changing times of the Russian nineties. It was the time when confrontations with criminals were inseparable from the parties and get-togethers bustling with local artists.

His affection for various genres led to many monikers and projects, all represented here on Album Nr. 1. He recorded most of his music as DJ Slon. Then there was a project Zhutkiy Lazer (Scary Laser), where Azelitskiy made music that was more experimental but still techno-oriented, with the occasional help of his friend Aleksey Gaponenko (Lazer became a proper solo project of DJ Slon in 1999). There are also tracks under the aliases Mass Fatality, which combined techno and synth-pop, and Razrushiteli Mozgovych Uliev (Brain Hive' Destroyers), with its more direct tight techno tracks.

The music of DJ Slon sounds fresher and more alive on Album Nr. 1 than ever before.
Noticeably, this record, first and foremost, is dance music. As a voice on one of the album tracks boldly states, we came to dance.

Sometimes a band grows so exponentially from one record to the next, it’s almost jarring. Hell Fire has already established themselves as the preeminent masters of a new hybrid breed of Bay Area thrash and NWOBHM in just a few short years, but their fourth album Reckoning is the type of ascendance that truly sets a band apart.

Reckoning is their Master of Puppets, their Number of The Beast, their Defenders Of The Faith. From the very first notes of the album opening title track, you can feel a vital new energy and inspiration to their music. To say Hell Fire used the recent global downtime to dig within and fully refine their sound would be an understatement. It truly is a reckoning.

“This album is every aspect of our band amplified to its maximum potential,” says singer/guitarist Jake Nunn. “This is the record we've always wanted to make, and it feels like we're just getting started,” guitarist Tony Campos adds. “We wanted to push ourselves musically and capture some of our frustrations, anger, loneliness, and rage over being locked inside and dealing with life during a global pandemic in the days when no one really knew how to navigate,” says drummer Mike Smith.

With no touring on the horizon in 2020, the band hunkered down and recorded nearly a full album in preproduction home demos. “I set up a little studio in my garage to record guitar, bass, and vocal tracks,” Campos says. “While Mike bought an electronic drum set and we demoed every song so we were more prepared going into the studio.” Each of them found themselves practicing more on their own and ironing out every last detail and nuance before finally being able to once again play in a room together.

The band’s heightened professionalism also brings in guest bassist Matt Freeman (of Rancid and Operation Ivy fame) on the album after original bassist Herman Bandala departed the band amicably during the initial writing process. New bassist Kai Sun joined Hell Fire in Fall 2021. Reckoning was recorded and mixed at Atomic Studios in Oakland, CA with Chris Dugan.

The title track kicks things off with a slight nod to the layered melodies of acoustic and harmonized guitars of Metallica’s “Battery” before the band rips into its signature galloping guitar picks, soaring harmonies and blistering rhythms. It’s an anthem and a gauntlet thrown down with Nunn’s shimmering screams and guttural howls while dueling guitar solos and Smith’s relentless double bass drum shuffle bring home the point that Hell Fire is born anew. “Medieval Cowboys” hearkens to the epic attack of Iron Maiden’s Powerslave with glistening melodies and complexly interwoven musical shifts that showcase exactly how tight and precise the band has become. “Addicted To Violence” is blistering thrash and “Thrill Of The Chase” soars with rich harmonies while both songs lyrically reflect hard truths the band faced in isolation. The lush acoustic based ballad “A Dying Moon” shows the band effortlessly stretching out in new directions. “It Ends Tonight” is an epic anthem served as a mission statement to the band’s return wherein arpeggiated riffs, squealing pinch harmonics, group chant vocals and Smith’s octopus-armed beats will have legions raising their fists in the air in salute.

“It’s somehow the heaviest and most melodic work we’ve done, and I’m proud of the discipline it took,” Nunn says. “It’s a wild thing.”

Was für eine erstaunliche Verbesserung im Klang dieser 50 Jahre alten Aufnahme. Unter Zuhilfenahme der originalen, analogen Masterbänder und modernstem, technischem Equipment erscheinen die einfühlsamen Melodien der Originalbesetzung in einem wunderbaren Licht von Romantik und Empathie. Remastert in den Dierks-Studios, wo auch die Aufnahmen entstanden. Produziert unter Mitwirkung von Dieter Dierks.

1972-1985 KATEBEGIAK - Prog-Rock, Psych-Folk & Jazz-Rock Music from the BASQUE COUNTRY. The album KATEBEGIAK, now published by ELKAR, contains 13 tunes on double LP gatefold edition from Haizea, Izukaitz, William S. Fischer, Magdalena, Enbor, Itoiz, Koska, Itziar, Errobi, Lisker, Amaia Zubiria & Pascal Gaigne, Gontzal Mendibil & Taldea and Urria, and the CD-Book edition adds an extra bonus track by the great unknown artist Juan Arkotxa. Complied by Mikel Unzurrunzaga Schmitz aka DJ Makala. Music produced in the 70's in the Basque Country got trapped between two earth shattering artistic currents; Ez Dok Amairu in the 60s and Basque Radical Rock in the 80's, and unfortunately, most of the lovely discs and tunes created at that magical time have been pushed to a remote (and sometimes even despised) corner of our collective memory. 60's and 80's music currents are almost opposite, and both work as magnetic poles with a very strong power of attraction, and maybe also as a burden for any of the later artistic currents. 60's generation of artists searched within their rich and ancient cultural roots to acknowledge and update them, in proud, hopeful and unforgettable folk songs. The 80's one on the other hand, worked in a flammable environment in constant social and political conflict and found in punk the perfect way to express their anger and weariness for so many unfulfilled promises and the lack of opportunities into short, noisy, direct and corrosive songs, technically sparse but full of energy and expressive power. Most of the "classic" names engraved in our memory come from one or the other like Benito Lertxundi, Mikel Laboa, Lourdes Iriondo and Xabier Lete or Kortatu, Hertzainak, Zarama, Las vulpes, Eskorbuto or Cicatriz. 70's generation and their music work somehow as the "missing link" ("katebegia" in Basque) between the two. They loved folky tunes and don't forget their ancient roots, but they also look outside for inspiration and experimentation. Just as the 80's boys and girls found punk the 70's guys found a completely different sonic and aesthetic landscape in the works of Grateful Dead, Fairport Convention, King Crimson, Soft Machine, Gong_ and worked closely with keen souls in other neighboring regions such as Maquina!, Pau Riba or Sisa in Catalonia or Smash and Triana in Andalusia. This resulted in more abstract and poetic lyrical content, much longer psych-folk-prog-jazz tunes, full of complex instrumental passages and mesmerizing structures of sheer ambition and masterful execution in many cases. But, most important of all, they found a voice of their own, rich, unique, and fascinating, and that's what makes them so valuable to us. Not only to us, but also to lots of vinyl collectors and crate-diggers around the world, who have in many cases paid fortunes for some of the original editions of LPs that are the source of tunes in this compilation. Mikel Unzurrunzaga Schmitz aka DJ Makala, DJ and producer of worldwide scope and wisdom, noticed this fact first and decided to pay homage to these wonderful tunes through this masterful and dedicated selection for your pleasure and as an open invitation to dig deeper into your adventures in the dark and hidden side of Basque popular music.

Fast-emerging British singer, songwriter and pianist Reuben James’ virtuoso jazz techniques and soulful, evocative voice have led him to be widely regarded as one of the most exciting and creatively assured artists to have emerged in recent years.

He has written for and performed with an array of international star acts including the likes of Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Disclosure etc.

Reuben’s Sophmore EP ‘Slow Down’ landed to critical acclaim in 2020 we also have in stock (last few copies) in addition to his debut EP from 2019 ‘Adore’ which first brought us to his attention.

Reuben released his single ‘BBQ Energy’ in late 2020 followed by the star-studded ‘Tunnel Vision’ featuring Frida Touray, Daley with Tom Misch in early 2021.

Here we have his most recent and arguably most popular singles available for the first time on Vinyl as a Limited Edition release.

This is no easy listen... sparse, complex, often brooding arrangements coupled with Cassandra Wilson's deep, earthy voice and complicated phrasing demand your attention. Waver and you're lost. But... give this album the listening time & space it deserves and reap the rewards. Unusual, highly atmospheric tracks that combine superb singing and marvellously "distant" musical backings to weave real magic.

Cassandra Wilson's own excellent, jazz tinged compositions sit alongside a stunning set of ingenious covers from a highly diverse spectrum of composers. "Last Train To Clarksville" is transformed from a catchy pop song into a stripped-down and genuinely effective jazz vocal work-out. "Harvest Moon" slows down Neil Young's already wistful ballad to an almost painful level and, in so doing, takes it to an even higher level of gentle reflection. Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" & U2's "Love Is Blindness" are transformed into 3 in the morning jazz club classics. The vocals and backing to Robert Johnson's "32-20" are simplified to the point where only the essence of the blues is allowed to shine and, Lewis Allan's "Strange Fruit" becomes as desolate and challenging as it's horrific lyrics.

Charles Mingus has a fascinating way of offering music that is grounded in tradition while remaining startlingly original. The freshness of a piece like Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus, has the effect of rendering much of what passes for jazz as tedious. The band is small for Mingus, and includes Eric Dolphy on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, Ted Curson on trumpet, and Dannie Richmond on drums. It would be one of Dolphy and Curson's last recording dates with the artist, and they seem determined to go all out for it.


The leader's bass line kicks off "Folk Forms No. 1," followed by Dolphy outlining the melody, and then joined by Curson.
A simple riff develops into a lively New Orleans funeral march that's developed for 12 minutes. "Original Faubus Fables" is serious intent a political attack on segregation governor Faubus but Mingus and Richmond's singing is difficult to listen to with a straight face. Still, this doesn't distract from the wonderful music.

CHIWAX presents Guchon - Pistachio Party EP.
Let's dive back into glory days of Rave. This release makes fun from the first to the last minute!
Highly recommended!

What happens when you let go of something you've always been passionate about? Will it come back? And if so, in what ways and with what impact?
These questions laid the foundation for Toby Whyle's debut album 'Call It A Night'.

It is a journey to find out what feels right to him-this means escaping old patterns and allowing himself to try new things. Musically, he exposes himself unreservedly to the gravitational forces of electronic music and guitar pop by orbiting these points of attraction without ever really getting caught by either of them. Each song moves along its own trajectory, fueled by Toby's thoughts and experiences.

His first single, 'No One Moves', hitting number 1 on the FM4 charts in early 2021, marked the beginning of a new adventure-a journey upon which Toby embarks entirely on his own for the first time. After his first EP, 'A Mood Of Its Own', and the release of further singles, the debut album 'Call It A Night' will be out on May 20th, 2022, on Matches Music.

PRESSTEXT
Writing songs has always been quite natural and ever-present in Toby Whyle's life. And he's written plenty of them over the last decade. However, what's new is the realisation that songwriting is one of his few means to slow down the bright and fast-paced world surrounding us. Driven by the urge to create and develop something new, he started to write again. And suddenly, this feeling of being able to pause time came out more intense and immediate than ever.

In this way, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist manages to stand back from the constant rush, carving out space to move freely at his own pace. " Each song is an empty room, and I can decide for myself how I'm going to furnish it. It might get rather chaotic with stuff piled up to the ceiling, then again there's almost nothing in it", he describes his approach to songwriting. For him, creating melodies, crafting music and lyrics is not just a means of reflecting on situations he finds himself in but also a tool of handling them. Toby's music strives to affect and inspire people in all the different phases in life, as his songs are also a result of the diverse situations he's gone through.

Aesthetics and craftsmanship play a crucial role in Toby Whyle's creative process, from crafting songs, recording and producing them, and building and maintaining a particular visual language. He aims to create high-quality and exceptional music that enthuses and delights people, which sparks energy and conveys a certain feeling.

Spanish artist Helena Piti continues to establish her artful Argia alias with a mini-album on Atomnation. Across six superb tracks, the formally trained artist brings serenity, musicality and gorgeous melody to her stylishly designed sounds.

Piti has been immersed in music all her life. From a young age, she studied piano and double bass at the conservatory before evolving into the electronic world and quickly making her mark. She has released with the likes of Stil Vor Talent, Sincopat and DUAT while holding down her esteemed residency at Madrid's well-known Mondo Disko and touring places like Watergate and about:blank. This self-taught producer uses music as a way of expressing a wide range of inner feelings and she has plenty lined up for 2022 including this adventurous new release.

• 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
• DELUXE LIFT-OFF BOX SET
• INCLUDES 20-PAGE PHOTO ALBUM
• 4LP SET FEATURING “HEARTBREAK HOTEL”, “HOUND DOG”, “IN THE GHETTO”, “WOODEN HEART” & “VIVA LAS VEGAS”
• LIMITED EDITION OF 2500 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON GOLD & BLACK MARBLED VINYL

Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits Vol. 1 is a compilation box set by the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley. This four-album set was originally released in 1970, as his 38th album. The set peaked at #45 on the Billboard 200 and was certified double Platinum not long after its release. Of the 51 tracks that are featured, four made their album debut in this collection back when it was originally released: “Viva Las Vegas”, “Suspicious Minds”, “Don’t Cry Daddy” and “Kentucky Rain”.

Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits Vol. 1 is available as a deluxe lift-off box set containing 4LP’s and a 20-page photo album. It is available as a limited edition of 2500 individually numbered copies on gold & black marbled vinyl.

Bassist and composer Milo Fitzpatrick (Portico Quartet) launches new collaborative project with saxophonist Jordan Smart (Mammal Hands)

Vega Trails is a new project from double-bassist and composer Milo Fitzpatrick, a founder member of Portico Quartet, who has also performed with the likes of Nick Mulvey and Jono McCleary and features saxophonist Jordan Smart (Mammal Hands, Sunda Arc) in a richly powerful duo bringing together two powerfully charismatic musicians. The project which takes its name from Carl Sagan's science fiction novel 'Contact' (a book about signals of new life detected from the Vega system) andwas born out of a desire to bring the elements of bass and melody to the foreground in their rawest form and Fitzpatrick explains that he deliberatelychose the stripped back approach.

"There is so much in just one musician's sound; the emotional, the intellectual, the vulnerability and power of their character. But often these delicate nuances can be submerged in the quest for a group sound. In Vega Trails I wanted to grant the musicians space to breathe and be heard and for the listener to witness the intimacy and depth of a conversation between two voices, bass and melody. I was also interested in how the limitations would guide both the composition and performance and to push us both to places close to the limits of what we could play, and it is in this place where I believe the character of a musician blossoms and comes forward".

Tremors in the Static was composed during Lockdown as Fitzpatrick immersed himself in music that had space and sparseness such as Swedish fiddle music and Indian Classical music. Jan Johansson's legendary 'Jazz på Svenska' (jazz versions of Swedish folk songs) was another influence, as was a collection of ancient lullabies by Spanish soprano singer Montserrat Figueras. Through exploring the harmonic and textural possibilities on the bass, Fitzpatrick would cycle riffs and motifs whilst singing melodies, and he began to create the music debuted here. However, it was only after listening to Charlie Haden's album of duets, 'Closeness', that the project would come into focus as a duo, and Fitzpatrick immediately knew that the second musician had to be Jordan Smart.

"I saw Jordan play at two Gondwana Records events – in Berlin and Tokyo. Both times I was mesmerised by the intensity and conviction of his playing. His commitment to the cause of transcending himself and the listener made a lasting impression on me. When I began writing this record, I knew I needed a strong player who had equal conviction in their playing as me, but also someone who understood the importance of melody"

It was an inspired idea as Smart brought an openness and positivity which allowed the music to be both experimental and bold. Smart's ability to play tenor and soprano saxophone with equal command, as well as bass clarinet and Ney flute, allowed them to open up the pallet of sound and pull the melodies into varying emotional landscapes.The final piece of the puzzle was the performance space. Fitzpatrick knew that he wanted the two players to react off of a third element. The music was written for an ambient space which interacted with the notes: decaying and disintegrating them into silence. They found the perfect space in a church in Fitzpatrick's local neighbourhood of Stamford Hill.

"The recording space is the canvas on which the sound interacts and flows, it is the frame in which notes can live, breathe and die and is as important as the other elements. A resonant recording space, like a church, allows this stripped back sound to resonate, echo and linger, enough to create images and landscapes in which stories can play out".

This then is Vega Trails, a project that brings together two open-mined and communicative musicians for the first time, to tell beautiful winding stories together and to create something soulful and new.Something bigger than both of them and something that leaves us all richer for hearing it. Enjoy!

In the musical universe of the Brazilian singer-songwriter Raphael Gimenes, wild landscapes are metaphors for unspoken feelings. The Copenhagen-based artist writes hauntingly visual, and poetically surrealistic stories, in which he can be hunted by sun-kissing jaguars, chased by thirsty horizons, become a kaleidoscope of butterflies, or turn into dream-singing birds. His 2016 debut album, "Raphael Gimenes & As Montanhas de Som", was elected the best Brazilian album of 2016 by the Dutch website Written in Music, received 5 stars on Jazzism, and was hailed as a "conceptual masterpiece" by the Japanese magazine Latina. His sophomore release, "A tongue full of suns", is co-produced by the Faroese singer-songwriter Teitur, who also features on synths. On this new album, Gimenes explores his non-Brazilian influences and his life outside of Brazil. The songs are sung in English, a language that he learned when he lived in the United States as a boy. The lyrics are inspired by the mountainous landscapes of Jotunheimen, Norway, where he goes trekking on a yearly basis. The production and the arrangements draw heavily on sounds he heard on vintage European prog rock bands, particularly Yes and PFM. The music itself does not stray far from the universe of his debut album, but the songs do take more symphonic, progressive forms, while the Brazilian rhythms are substituted by the more meditative, minimalistic tabla played by the German musician Jan Kadereit. "A tongue full of suns" also features two guitar virtuosos from Argentina and the Netherlands: Matias Arriazu and Tim Panman. The fictitious story behind the concept album is presented as a poetic short text written by Gimenes himself: "These are the last songs written by The Painter, a broken-hearted sorcerer who disappeared on a journey of self-discovery in the vast canvas of the great wild. They were found floating above the silence of an ageless rock, in a valley of slumbering glaciers. It is said that on his odyssey, he learned the hypnotic dialects of the trees, and deciphered the translucent poetry of the moon; that he unearthed ancient vestiges of rhymeless metaphors, and mastered the alchemy of cosmic verbs. It is believed that The Painter could enter the memories of rivers, interpret the dreams of birds, and that his sun-gilded tongue carried melodies that filled entire horizons. Legend says that he is now a wanderer of the infinite; a sacred secret, revealed only by the colors of the solstice alpenglow on inaccessible, rugged peaks."

CHICAMACOMICO is a record about loss. Over a six-month span at the end of 2019/beginning of 2020, I lost my grandmother, my mother and watched as the world fell into a 2+ year pandemic that decimated businesses, relationships and dreams. This is a record about dealing with those losses. My hope is these songs serve a salve for anyone else experiencing loss. A reminder that you are not the only one that lost a friend this year, or a parent, or a loved one. There's a special kind of hope that comes from that realization. I am not alone. I wrote this record in the February 2020 on the northern coast of Hatteras Island in a small beach town called Rodanthe. In the summer, this area is an extremely popular vacation destination packed with tourists, but in the winter, it was a desolate ghost town. The perfect backdrop for the record I was trying to write. Over the course of two weeks these songs would take shape and come to life, and it quickly became obvious that the overall theme would be dark. During my stay I realized that the town used to be named Chicamacomico until the locals changed it in the name of ease and progress. In that moment, I knew I had the name of my record. We enlisted Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Nathaniel Ratliffe, Waxahatchee) to produce the record and traveled to Sonic Ranch, a world-renowned recording complex tucked in the middle of a 1,700-acre pecan orchard, in the Texas border town of Tornillo. Over the course of ten days, we watched these songs go from simple folk ruminations into fully formed band arrangements. In my sixteen-year career I have never been prouder of a set of songs, lyrically or stylistically. The songs have weight, but they aren’t weighed down. It’s a sad record, that makes you feel good. It's a culmination of nearly two decades of work. Chicamacomico sounds like nothing we've ever done yet it sits comfortably amongst the rest of our catalog. My records are chronological observations and I feel like this record perfectly represents the highs and lows of the last few years. Themes: Loss, Death, Darkness, Suicide, Divorce, Losing A Child, Losing A Parent, Losing A Spouse, Addiction, Recovery

Runhild Gammelsæter and Lasse Marhaug are two Norwegian musicians/sound artists. Both started in the early 1990s music underground and have worked in many constellations with a wide range of collaborators.

Despite knowing each other for a long time, Gammelsæter and Marhaug’s first collaborative work was the “Quantum Entanglement” LP in 2014. The album ignited a collective spark that both wanted to pursue further. Still, other commitments got in the way, and the project lay dormant until Stephen O’Malley, and Greg Anderson invited them to open for Sunn O))) for a special gig in the St. James Church of Culture in Oslo in the autumn of 2019. The two gathered for a long series of rehearsals, and after the successful performance, it was clear that it was time to start working on new compositions and recordings. That process initiated in late 2019 and continued to early 2021, encompassing before and after the world went through the lockdown. The result of this long development to be heard accumulated upon their new album “Higgs Boson” on Ideologic Organ Music.

Throughout the profound process of creating “Higgs Boson”, Gammelsæter and Marhaug drew inspiration from various subjects and artists. For Marhaug, it was concepts informed by the structuralist experimental cinema of Japanese directors Takashi Ito and Toshio Matsumoto, futurist worlds of French comic book artists Philippe Druillet and Jean Moebius Giraud, landscape photography of Fay Godwin, Kåre Kivijärvi, and Tamiko Nishimura, amongst others.

It became a metaphysical juxtaposition involving Gammelsaeter’s research and lyrical ideas based on several seemingly unrelated principles. A process of association inspired by “the Glass Bead Game” by Herman Hesse. The discovery of the Higgs Boson as a confirmation of the physical universe. The work of Ernst Schrödinger on the uncertainty principle. The four forces of physics. The Force. Helplessness under armed forces - as the war sailors in World War II. The influence of magic as expressed in tarot.

Gammelsæter experiments with a boundary involving the thresholds amongst various states of focus and legibility by forensic experimentation with techniques such as exclusive expression of consonants, syllabic repetition, retrograde text vocalisations and multi-lingual layering. Her vocal inspirational sources include Sidsel Endresen, Diamanda Galas, Natacha Atlas, the choral works of Rachmaninov, and the bands Carcass and Grave.

Two worlds coming together, making the music special. Mixing hard facts with science fiction helps create a kaleidoscopic cross point between the complex realities of the past and a possible future.

“Quantum Entanglement” featured two long-form pieces centred around a prepared piano and layered voice, while “Higgs Boson” developed a much more elaborate and ambitious compositional work. Across eight parts, the two artists brought a broad palette of instrumentation and sound. Electronic and acoustic, objects and field recordings, and pipe organ define the structures of which the centre is Gammelsæter’s magnificent voice. She has become known for her legendary voice, with her vast and unique range of inflective techniques and affective colour through her 30 years creating music. In the mix, Lasse approached the instrumental elements like landscapes, then Runhild’s vocals as characters that inhabit those worlds. Often, Gammelsæter multiple characters fused with the landscape. Make them occupy space, sometimes blend into it, sometimes dominate it. Constructing and setting visual guidelines helps set focus and open possibilities.

As an album, “Higgs Boson” is direct and focused, drawing on song structures. Within these tracks are vast strata of sound, an immersive multi-dimensional depth of music. Creating a feeling of depth while working with a flat two-channel stereo format - and how dimensions of texture and distortion can help develop the illusion of a space. The album structure is a story-like arc, a malleable subjective path, set as the album traverses oblique and suggestive areas, opening the concepts for the listener to unpack as they like.

– exclusive consultation with Gammelsæter & Marhaug, edited by Stephen O’Malley, June 2022