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Audio taken from a live performance by Anar Band (Jorge Lima Barreto and Rui Reininho) with E.M. de Melo e Castro in November of 1978 at Cooperativa Árvore, Porto. The performance was filmed. A segment was included in »Obrigatório Não Ver«, a weekly programme presented by Ana Hatherly on Public Television’s Second Channel. It was not possible to determine the exact date of the event, and no documentation seems to be available in the relevant archives.

»Encontro que Tenho« and »Profissões«: these titles are specific to this release. Having failed to locate the respective poems after a thorough search in E.M. de Melo e Castro’s body of work, it was deduced both texts were created for the occasion.

Even without a full contextualisation, the sound transmits the spirit of cultural agitation proper to these sessions. When this show happened, Anar Band were Jorge Lima Barreto (ARP Odyssey synthesizer) and Rui Reininho (Ibanez double-neck guitar), with the addition of E.M. de Melo e Castro, whom we shall call a poet but whose creative intervention was far reaching. Besides poetry, also continued his efforts in linking up diverse artistic areas (painting, drawing, collage, performance, video) and his official training in textile engineering. He was one of the artists featured in Henri Chopin's »OU Revue« in 1966, establishing his natural connection to the European concrete/visual/sound-poetry avant-garde. Melo e Castro was also proficient in the agitation of minds and political awareness. A good example in »Profissões«, where initially separate professionals (an intellectual, a fisherman, a soldier, a factory worker) are gradually mixed in a show of interdependency. Symbolically, through his words one listens to a transformation of society, although the same conclusion arises twice: surplus always finds its way to the hands of the capitalists.

That was the state of affairs many were looking to change, an economic and social malaise that the 1974 Revolution in Portugal fully uncovered, when dissident voices could finally be heard in public. Each in his own way, all three participants in this recording were non-believers in the structure of society such as it was presented. Through his books and press writings, mainly concerned with Jazz, Jorge Lima Barreto pushed his way into Portuguese artistic and critical circles since the late 1960s. Consciously and unwittingly, he collected enemies and pointed them by name, people he labelled as reactionary, people who delayed progress, social and cultural mixes, the avant-garde; they even delayed the chaos from which new forms and attitudes arise.

Rui Reininho, a non-conformist by heart, experienced incomprehension from an early age. His anarchic ways, a tendency to baffle others, were revealed through the choice of clothes and accessories, public behaviour, and »real life« performances. Just as Lima Barreto, and even together with him, he enjoyed provoking the extremes: Maoists on one side, right-wing conservatives on the other. He translated leftist books and joined Anar Band precisely on the day a duck or swan or goose (one of them) was thrown on stage in Porto, 1976.

This record documents a concrete action, a snapshot of the agitation, something we have no problem calling punk activism, something which allowed two people with little to no musical training to play and record music. By then, Anar Band had managed to release their only LP in 1977. It’s this performance, however, that reveals the naked rawness of the music: improvisation, mutual listening, and choice of intervention between both musicians and Melo e Castro, clearly sensing when the synth has to change tone, the voice has to make pauses, the guitar punctuates both and finds the space to… scream. The sound was captured by the film crew, adding to the rawness: the instruments are palpable, the voice often too close to the mic. Everything was preserved. First time on disc.

On her debut LP 'Memoria', songwriter/producer Lilian Mikorey aka PILLBERT contemplates themes of identity and belonging, hardships and heartbreak in her signature blend of bendy folk guitars, field recordings and intimate vocals.
Moving to London from Munich, not yet 20 years old, Mikorey realized she was leaving her home behind for good. The subsequent state of being lost and alone in a place too temporary to start building the foundation for a new one led her to question the concept of home itself.
Is it friends? Family? A house?
"I started collecting objects, bones, sticks, stones and kept them close", she says, as to create a cosmos traveling with her.
"I was tracing the actual feeling of being home to the point where I built a dreamhouse in my head, as an idea, just to evoke that feeling." Soon enough she would learn that yielding to the yearning of actually going to that house, must be an inevitably sad experience.
A photo she took on a family visit to East-Munich became a reference and starting point for Memoria. It was a small house in her neighbourhood, the windows lit as dusk sets in. To Mikorey, it looked haunting, radiating warmth but somehow looking abandoned at the some time.
"I wanted to make music that sounds like this photo"
She started recording the sounds of the objects she had gathered and of her surroundings, building an archive and sonic material to work with.
From her mid-teens she had learned to produce with Ableton and now she picked up the guitar, too, learning it autodidactically by playing around, creating sounds.
At some point in the process, she realized it's okay to be lost for a while and by enduring the feeling, there's room for something new to grow, far off from any general idea of what home should mean.

The album, over the course of 10 tracks, traces these three phases of building a home in your head, realizing it's not a remedy, nor forever and coming to terms with it. You've grown in the process and the album is a guiding light for everyone who strives to do so, too.

“My auntie asked me what’s my path?” spits Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon on his debut from the celebrated Lex Records. The lyric relatably references the cross roads he’s at in his current life, especially as someone right on the cusp of rap stardom. “Recently I’ve been thinking more and more about what comes next in my life,” the artist reveals.


It’s fair to say Ogbon’s Lex LP features less of the sh*t-talking court jester of old. Instead, there’s more of an imperfect man re-examining past mistakes so he can avoid any future forks in the road. There’s a particular focus on overcoming heartbreak, inspiring Ogbon to admit he’s haunted by an ex so badly he now needs to call up the Ghostbusters for assistance.

Since emerging in the late 2010s, Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon has consistently lit up America’s underground rap scene and this is thanks to a refreshingly honest writing style. Amid the exquisitely wavy strings of 2021’s The Missing Link / The Sneaky Link, for example, he rapped: “Everyone thinks they’re player, until their bitch doesn’t come home.” Biting and snappy, the nasally vocals carry the playful verve of comedian Richard Pryor bravely excavating personal Demons to solicit giggles.

All this brash, wry Redman-inspired storytelling continues on the new project. Its first single is titled I’m Signed to Lex, Now I’m Up – a name that mirrors what a big moment releasing a project on the label that once housed MF DOOM represents for Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon’s legacy. “I’m really driven by being able to level up and give my family more financial freedom,” he hopes.
And, if auntie asked what his path was right now, what exactly would the rapper say? Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon concludes: “Auntie: this rapping thing feels like it’s finally about to pay off!”

Barry Walker Jr. is a pedal steel player and guitarist whose roots in Americana, Country and Folk traditions influence his melding of minimalism, ambient and spiritual music. The Portland-based instrumentalist is also a member of the Rose City Band, known for his gorgeous phrasing and deft interplay with guitarist Ripley Johnson. On Paleo Sol, Walker demonstrates his singular voice as a pedal steel player and composer. Evoking the American western ranges and basins, the album embodies a longer, geologic view of time that patiently marvels at the ripples of change throughout lifetimes and ages. Walker is joined on Paleo Sol by drummer Rob Smith (Rhytion, Pigeons) and bassist and Mouth Painter bandmate Jason Willmon (Fruited Planes). Paleo Sol"s tranquil landscapes glide, built on warm finger-picked guitar figures and pedal steel swells coupled with deft percussion and bass touches by Smith and Willmon respectively. The trio plays with exceptional fluidity either completing each others phrasing or working together to build momentum. Smith notes: "The drums are not keeping time as much as evidencing its elasticity, mixing into the other instruments, changing phase states." Every gesture on the album is rich with intention, moving with grace and playing with timbre and time.

First-ever vinyl edition of Magic Castles' 2014 cult album The Lore Of Mysticore. A hypnotic blend of shimmering psych pop, hazy drones, and kaleidoscopic guitar textures, this record captures the Minneapolis band at the height of their creative powers. Originally released in 2014, The Lore Of Mysticore stands as one of the most compelling documents of the contemporary psychedelic underground. Minneapolis-based Magic Castles craft a hypnotic and immersive sound that blends shimmering psych-pop, hazy drones, and kaleidoscopic guitar textures into expansive, sun-drenched songs. This first-ever vinyl edition brings the band's beloved debut album to wax for the very first time, offering fans a chance to experience its swirling, cinematic beauty in a format that truly does it justice. Essential listening for fans of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Asteroid #4 and Spacemen 3

The musical legacy of a night that will live on for years - Fermin Muguruza's 40th anniversary roar! Under the title "Akelarre Antifascista" (which literal translation would be "Anti-Fascist Witches' Coven", but loosely translated as Anti-Fascist Celebration), in a reference to the legendary Akelarre, a wild gathering of Basque witches, this album distils all the intensity, sweat and collective excitement of a night when thousands of voices joined together to celebrate not just a career, but a way of seeing art as resistance. On 15th February 2025, Madrid saw more than just a concert: it was a collective ritual, an anti-fascist demonstration in which thousands of voices came together as one to emphasize the tenacity of a voice that never surrendered. Four decades after lighting the fuse of combative rock in Euskal Herria, the Basque Country, Fermin Muguruza chose the capital of Spain, a city that closed its doors to him so many times and that he has described as "the heart of the beast", to make the definitive record of his 40th anniversary tour. The result is "Akelarre Antifascista", a live album that distils the history of a musical and political resistance that has spanned generations, languages and frontiers. The concert, sold out with 15,000 people, was an explosion of energy, memory and future. Right from the first chord, the Sports Palace of Madrid became an open setting, a free territory where bodies, rhythms, languages and flags mixed freely. Triple 180gr vinyl LP in trifold sleeve.

Five years after legendary Dutch rock band Golden Earring called it a day (after 50 years of recording and touring), their ten most loved songs and worldwide biggest hits have been brought together on one album: Essential Earring

A little pearl from Italy, printed sleeve and nice cut with a Pumpin & acidulant tribe sweeties inside !

With a GRAMMY nomination and years of touring experience, this female- forward string band releases a career- defining album with Magic Accident . Longtime supporters of women in roots music, Della Mae teamed up with producer Alison Brown for this new release, their first on Nashville-based Compass Records. Magic Accident showcases the band's range of talents, from Americana songs that evoke early Chicks to energetic bluegrass and dreamy indie folk-inspired tunes.

The band's vocal power and instrumental skill shine throughout this mostly original collection, with standout tracks including "Out Run 'Em," written by guitarist Avril Smith and featuring champion fiddler and band founder Kimber Ludiker, "Lifeline," sung by bassist Vickie Vaughn, and the title track, written and sung by Celia Woodsmith. Guest artists on the project include Mary Bragg (vocals) and Jen Gunderman (accordion), with Brown playing banjo and guitar throughout. Since forming in Boston in 2010, Della Mae has proved to the roots music world that an all-women band is no novelty. Their 2013 Rounder Records release, This World Oft Can Be, earned them their first GRAMMY nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. That same year, the International Bluegrass Music Association named them Emerging Artist of the Year. Della Mae has performed in over 30 countries on behalf of the U.S. State Department. They are favorites on the roots music circuit, where their highenergy performances always get audiences on their feet, inspired by the power of their music and message. Available on turquoise coloured vinyl with 4-page folder and digipak CD editions

“Yeah Yeah Yeah just arrived out of the blue. I just took a chance. I had some ideas for a new album I’d been working on, but we weren’t planning on recording until the year after. It all happened very fast. There was a window of opportunity- youth was free, the studio was free, and the band were free- and I thought, let providence prevail. No one had heard the songs apart from myself and Alan McGee, but we both thought that we had something. You could feel it, even though none of the songs were really finished, and so we decided to roll with it and go and record them. I think with Yeah Yeah Yeah it was more than just trying to capture a vibe- it was about trying to record something majestic, which is how youth describes the record. There are gospels and strings on tracks like Free Love and don’t look away, which have kind of turned into these massive anthems. It has P.P. Arnold as a featured vocalist on a couple of tracks- the first, the single poison vine, which has a groove and a blistering chorus. She’s also on another song that’s a psychedelic funk track: the way it’s gotta be (oh yeah). Songs like Teardrops or Birds Heading South- we’ve tried to capture that classic, slightly
Wistful theme- whereas the weight of the world just rocks out. There’s also a little acoustic track to break it all up called the devil and the deep, which is a favourite of mine. We recorded the album over in Spain at space mountain, Youth’s studio, way up in the mountains, just as the almond trees were in blossom- which I took as a good omen for the session”.

“Yeah Yeah Yeah just arrived out of the blue. I just took a chance. I had some ideas for a new album I’d been working on, but we weren’t planning on recording until the year after. It all happened very fast. There was a window of opportunity- youth was free, the studio was free, and the band were free- and I thought, let providence prevail. No one had heard the songs apart from myself and Alan McGee, but we both thought that we had something. You could feel it, even though none of the songs were really finished, and so we decided to roll with it and go and record them. I think with Yeah Yeah Yeah it was more than just trying to capture a vibe- it was about trying to record something majestic, which is how youth describes the record. There are gospels and strings on tracks like Free Love and don’t look away, which have kind of turned into these massive anthems. It has P.P. Arnold as a featured vocalist on a couple of tracks- the first, the single poison vine, which has a groove and a blistering chorus. She’s also on another song that’s a psychedelic funk track: the way it’s gotta be (oh yeah). Songs like Teardrops or Birds Heading South- we’ve tried to capture that classic, slightly
Wistful theme- whereas the weight of the world just rocks out. There’s also a little acoustic track to break it all up called the devil and the deep, which is a favourite of mine. We recorded the album over in Spain at space mountain, Youth’s studio, way up in the mountains, just as the almond trees were in blossom- which I took as a good omen for the session”.

Back in 2002 British producers Fingaz and Skillz teamed up to create a project showcasing the current state of London’s R&B and hip-hop artists. In collaboration with different artists, they produced the compilation Big Brovaz Watching You, which led to the eventual formation of the group Big Brovaz. The group was referred to as a softer version of the So Solid Crew. The group enjoyed huge success, particularly with their debut album, which made big waves in the UK charts, with four singles reaching the Top 10. “Nu Flow”, the debut single, even reached the top 3 in Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, Netherlands, Sweden and Turkey. Similar successes were also achieved by the “Favourite Things” and “Baby Boy”. Big Brovaz became one of the most notable UK R&B / Hip-Hop acts of the early 2000s and are still loved by fans of the genres to this day. Their debut album is now available on vinyl for the first time and features the bonus track "OK (Rock Remix)" and the hidden track "My Favourite Things (Original Version)".Nu Flow is available as a limited edition on translucent green coloured vinyl and includes an insert.

Through crushing riffs and haunting vocals, it reflects on loss, the forces of nature, and existential struggle. The production balances raw intensity with a deep, immersive atmosphere, enhancing the album's emotional depth. The album opens with a song in Latin, setting the tone with a ritualistic invocation. As its title suggests, it serves as a reminder to preserve one's inner purity in a decaying world, weaving ancient echoes into the album's foundation.

Todeslied follows as a hymn to death, carrying a solemn mood. The record also draws upon literary inspirations: one track is based on The Road by Cormac McCarthy, evoking apocalyptic desolation and the desperate fight for survival, while Dress in flames gives voice to the fury and imprisonment of Bertha Mason, the tormented character in Charlotte Bronte's victorian novel Jane Eyre. Compared to her previous release, which was more personal, Moonstone marks a shift towards greater collaboration within the band, with a more unified approach to songwriting and arrangements. The album, featuring two tracks by bassist Francesca Papi, has been arranged and refined together with Davide Rosa (guitar) and Fabio Orticoni (drums). The release also includes a powerful tribute to Bathory with a reinterpretation of Shores in Flames.

Recorded at Produzione Rumorose, mixed by Maurizio Baggio, and mastered by Giovanni Versari, this record represents a powerful evolution in the band's sound, sharpening their identity and pushing the boundaries of their musical expression.

Through crushing riffs and haunting vocals, it reflects on loss, the forces of nature, and existential struggle. The production balances raw intensity with a deep, immersive atmosphere, enhancing the album's emotional depth. The album opens with a song in Latin, setting the tone with a ritualistic invocation. As its title suggests, it serves as a reminder to preserve one's inner purity in a decaying world, weaving ancient echoes into the album's foundation.

Todeslied follows as a hymn to death, carrying a solemn mood. The record also draws upon literary inspirations: one track is based on The Road by Cormac McCarthy, evoking apocalyptic desolation and the desperate fight for survival, while Dress in flames gives voice to the fury and imprisonment of Bertha Mason, the tormented character in Charlotte Bronte's victorian novel Jane Eyre. Compared to her previous release, which was more personal, Moonstone marks a shift towards greater collaboration within the band, with a more unified approach to songwriting and arrangements. The album, featuring two tracks by bassist Francesca Papi, has been arranged and refined together with Davide Rosa (guitar) and Fabio Orticoni (drums). The release also includes a powerful tribute to Bathory with a reinterpretation of Shores in Flames.

Recorded at Produzione Rumorose, mixed by Maurizio Baggio, and mastered by Giovanni Versari, this record represents a powerful evolution in the band's sound, sharpening their identity and pushing the boundaries of their musical expression.

Elvis Back In Memphis is an album by Elvis Presley, released in 2023. Elvis Back In Memphis includes a.o. the following tracks: “ Inherit The Wind”, “ Stranger In My Own Home Town”, “ You'll Think Of Me”, “ Without Love (there Is Nothing)” and more. The album is a Coloured Vinyl, High Quality rock & roll LP.

Helsinki bassist Antti Lötjönen follows up his 2020 We Jazz Records debut LP with a new 7" introducing a fresh version of key album cut "Erzeben Strasse" and throws in a wild treatment by Petter Eldh's Koma Saxo on the flipside. "Erzeben Strasse" presents Lötjönen's Quintet East lineup in fine form, swinging steadily but also adding enough sideways movement to blur the lines just a little bit. The band features a stellar Finnish cast in Lötjönen (bass), Verneri Pohjola (trumpet), Mikko Innanen (baritone sax), Jussi Kannaste (tenor sax) and Joonas Riippa (drums).

The Koma Saxo treatment of the track, dubbed here as "Erzeben Koma" is full of fire. Uplifting, a bit hectic, beat-driven and jubilant, Eldh's band of brothers double the ensemble heard on Side A, both sampling and adding new recording into the mix. The entire Koma Saxo live band is featured here: Eldh (bass/production), Otis Sandsjö (tenor sax), Jonas Kullhammar (tenor sax), Innanen (alto sax) and Christian Lillinger (drums). The modern sound of Helsinki meet Mauerpark Liquid Jazz.

We Jazz Records is delighted to present the first ever vinyl release for two modern classic tracks by Swedish organist Eric Malmberg. Originally released in 2007 by the label Häpna on Malmberg's second solo album "Verklighet & Beat", the pair of tunes herein serve as proof of Malmberg's remarkable artistic vision, echoing both the pure pastoral beauty and the irresistible groove of his work. This release, part of the ongoing 7" series by We Jazz Records, follows the label's Artistic Director Matti Nives's 10+ years of obsession with the aforementioned Malmberg album after an initial chance encounter with the side A track on a WIRE Magazine compilation in 2007.

"Eric Malmberg's music is a small miracle. I don't want to call him a genius, because I don't want to jinx him. But I will say that he's a complete original, in addition to being a vastly talented musician. I will also say that his recordings and the two performances that I saw by Sagor & Swing merit a place on a short list of most enjoyed musical experiences of the last half decade. I could bleat about the quality of the work, but "most enjoyed" to me carries the stronger charge." – David Grubbs, New York, March 2007

"A special mention needs to go out to the phenomenal and totally bonkers 'Till minne av Lilly Lindström' a track which starts with a clean break, builds into dancefloor abusing Hammond-hammering mayhem and then ends up with lush string orchestrations and disco-lite sweeps. Insane and more enjoyable than you could possibly imagine - an album to totally lose yourself in, and one for anyone looking for something just that little different. Huge recommendation." – Boomkat

SPIRIT!, the third LP from HUNNY, is about embracing the weird-an album born from uncertainty and built on instinct. It"s a testament to breaking free, starting over, and tuning out the noise. Now the sole project of longtime frontman Jason Yarger, HUNNY has shed its past shape to become something more fully itself. SPIRIT! doesn"t reinvent the wheel so much as keep it spinning forward. Across 15 tracks, the album-co-produced by Yarger and former bassist Kevin Grimmett with drums by former drummer Joey Anderson-leans into the sounds that have always lit HUNNY"s fuse: hooky post-punk, gleaming synths, and shout-along choruses praised by Alternative Press, Kerrang!, and Rock Sound. But it also pushes further-into abstraction, playfulness, and freedom. It"s the latest turn for HUNNY, a band long celebrated for shapeshifting through genres and decades with style on fan-favorite releases like Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. (2019) and new planet heaven (2023)-always evolving, yet unmistakably themselves. That dynamic energy carries into their high-voltage live show, sharpened on tours with Joywave, Mom Jeans, Waterparks, and State Champs.

The frankly ridiculous Burnski is back as Instinct with more face-melting garage and bassline slammers that update the classic sound with just the right amount of evolution. All of these on his latest for his self-title label are 10/10 weapons: 'Halt' is hurried, swinging and syncopated to perfection. 'Choose One' is less streamlined; instead, there are warped and squelchy lines, bursts of static and a more futuristic twist getting you going. 'Crazy' brings brilliantly chosen and well-deployed samples to the fore over a beat that harks back to percussive UK funky at its finest. The flip side offers a trio of slick bouncers, body-popping movers and brightly lit vibes. Superb.

Summer might be over in a literal sense, but there is no finer way to keep its vibes alive than with another scorching drop from Scruniversal, especially when it is focused on Brazilian sounds. This latest comes from a trip of talents and first up is 'Inspetores De Umidade,' a lithe and funky break that rolls on fat drums with organic percussion and Portuguese raps turning up the sunshine. On the flipside is 'Acido Brasil', another ass-wiggling delight with big horns, wiggly 303 details and a funk to spare. Pure heat on a very tasty 7".

Grad_U returns to his legendary Redscale imprint with a re-press of one of the label’s most sought-after 12-inches. Originally released as part of the series that helped define modern dub techno, Redscale 02 showcases the Lithuanian artist’s unmistakable sound, deep, analog, and endlessly evolving.
Both sides carry Grad_U’s signature weight: hypnotic low-end movement, rolling chords, and perfectly balanced textures that blur the line between club tool and meditative listening piece. Once again, Redscale reminds us why it stands as one of the most respected labels in the global dub techno scene: no hype, no compromise, just deep, timeless sound.

Challenger was the debut and unique album from the iconic and unique italo disco band Baby's Gang. Altough oficially it had only two singles (Happy Song and Challenger), some other labels found extra tracks to be released as single (America) when Memory Records decided to focus on new releases. Produced by Anfrando Maiola (KOTO), Stefano Cundari and Alessadro Zanni, 'My LIttle Japanese Boy' is one of those tracks so it was worth buying the album. The album did not neither included the original version for Happy Song, but a 'Remix'. Probably someone back in the days should have made this EP including both track...now we have done it. This 12" included the original versions plus two Razor's Edit to make it more DJ Friendly.

Multi-platinum, BRIT Award-winning, and GRAMMY®-nominated global pop visionary MIKA ushers in a bold new era with his seventh studio album, Hyperlove. Produced by MIKA alongside Nick Littlemore (Empire of the Sun) , with additional production by Peter Mayes (PNAU), Hyperlove is a vibrant and emotionally charged collection that embodies MIKA’s signature fusion of theatricality, honesty, and irresistible melody. The album captures the sound of an artist forever redefining and transcending pop on his own radiant terms. Written almost entirely by MIKA, Hyperlove also features select co-writing collaborations with Nick Littlemore, Renaud Rebillaud (GIMS), Matthieu Jomphe (Billboard) (Madonna, Dua Lipa, Ariana Grande), and Amy Wadge (Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud”). Adding a distinctive cinematic flair, Hyperlove includes narration by the legendary American filmmaker John Waters, bringing his unmistakable wit and presence to the album’s world. With Hyperlove, MIKA continues his lifelong mission to craft pop music that is as bold and heartfelt as it is timeless, a celebration of emotion, identity, and imagination in their most vivid forms.

Groggy, engrossing new work from Ulla under their newly minted U.e. tag, riffing to the sublime on a set of (mostly) acoustic reveries that tap into the kind of smokey vapours favoured by the likes of Vincent Gallo, Voice Actor, Jonnine.

A new year, label, album and handle for Ulla, a multifaceted artist who has draped our pages with wonder, under numerous aliases and collabs, for almost a decade. On ‘Hometown Girl’ they distill transience and flux into a quiet set of chamber works subtly resembling the room recorded nuance of their ‘Jazz Plates’ side with Perila - here taken a step further into more elusive, low-lit dimensions.

In a mode that’s wistful and melancholic, listening to the album’s dozen discrete pieces feels like leafing thru a journal of hand-written notes, reflecting on the feelings that come with separation from loved ones and displacement from familiarity. Ulla performed and recorded all of the instruments themselves, lending a tangible tactility to layered arrangements of woodwind, keys, strings, drums and voice, lightly speckled with electronics and perfused with open window field recordings.

They locate a crackling frisson of personality in the voice notes and day-dreaminess of their mottled inscapes, gauzily demarcating lines between past and present selves. In that aesthetic and approach we can also hear similarities to Jonnine’s blue-skied ‘Southside Girl’ or crys cole’s poetic sensuality, often leaning into the domestic surreal.

A frayed, opening salutation ‘Good Morning’ signals a delirious half hour in Ulla’s company, variously swaying to the downstroked jazz swing of a ‘Lavender (NF)’ spritzed with clarinet, whilst ‘Froggy Explorer’ stirs the air like Jan Jelinek on a barely-there tip. The Basinski-esque fritz of degraded loops really snags the imagination along with a twinkling nightlight ‘Ball’, as the album opens out into its most fully resolved songs with a closing couplet of disarming wonders ‘Drawing of Me’, and a blurry ‘Mute’ that feels like Ulla 〜almost〜 reveals too much before retreating back into the shadows.

Brooklyn-born David Forman was steeped in soul music and Brill Building songcraft in the early 1970s while earning his living as a Hollywood set builder. He developed a soul singing style through his friendship with Aaron Neville, with whom he used to sing and jam on his apartment rooftop. He met Jack Nitzsche through his work on the 1972 film Greaser’s Palace (for which Nitzsche created the soundtrack) and later asked Nitzsche to produce this album. Forman’s original record deal with Davis was shepherded by the critic Stephen Holden of Rolling Stone and later the New York Times, and later by Paul Nelson, also of Rolling Stone.Fun fact about Forman: He was an assistant to Phillip Petit on his daring tight rope walk between the twin towers in 1974. And Forman later became a jingle writer and wrote and sang the famous Tums theme song (“Tum tum-tum-tum, TUUUUMS."This release features remastered audio, a plethora of archival photos, and a 24-page booklet with a 5500-word essay from noted journalist and producer Joe Hagan, a staff writer at Vanity Fair and producer of the 2022 compilation 'Earl's Closet' for Light In The Attic. Hagan is also fully committed to promoting the release through his network of key media gatekeepers, as well as his personal connections with legendary musicians, writers, and other cultural tastemakers.

Searows—aka Pacific Northwest singer-songwriter and guitarist Alec Duckart—is pleased to announce his new album Death in the Business of Whaling, set for release on Friday 23rd January 2026 via Last Recordings On Earth. Though Death in the Business of Whaling arrives as Searows’ second album, it’s the product of many firsts, including his first time recording outside the creative cocoon of his bedroom. His 2022 debut Guard Dog was written, recorded and self-produced in Duckart’s Portland home and independently released with little expectation as to how it would be received. The music soon found a passionate audience that were already sharing snippets of Duckart’s music via communities on TikTok and received co-signs from prominent artists such as Ethel Cain and Gracie Abrams, both of whom he went on to support on tour.

The second cover album, released in 2013, is now available on vinyl for the first time! It features songs from a variety of genres, both Japanese and Western,
arranged in Clammbon's signature style.



[c] a3. U & I (After School Tea Time [Yui Hirasawa, Mio Akiyama, Ritsu Tainaka, Tsumugi Kotobuki, Azusa Nakano])

“The GRILL will fucking rule things…” – Backengrillen’s debut album out in January "Backengrillen's music is a paean to chaos and destruction. The basic idea is to take a death/doom metal, or noiserock riff and play it until it loses meaning and then break it apart like a ravenous cat would a tiny forest mouse. It's filled to the brim with the self-hatred endemic to the province of Västerbotten from whence the member’s hail. The record was written on a Thursday during their first ever rehearsal, performed live on a Friday and recorded on a Saturday, so what you're hearing is raw, stupid, gut instinct music played by seasoned purveyors of hardcore punk, metal, free jazz, noise et cetera. Record no 2 is in the making, less stupid, more ugly. Stay tuned and fuck the pigs." - Backengrillen, November 2025 Backengrillen is a new ensemble with their roots in HC, punk, noise and free Jazz. All members from Umeå, with roots in the original version of Refused – and one with starting points in the jazz-rock ensemble Nirvana (1980). With a solid and yet varied background in the creativities of Refused, TEXT, INVSN, Fire Orchestra, The International Noise Conspiracy, The End, Serpent, The Thing, Final Exit and other classic jazz combos we will now start our journey of 4 colliding locomotives, creating a new form of beauty and energy. Antifascist, antiracists free form death – jazz – in the memory of Lars Lystedt – Backengrillen arrives with new perspectives on jazz. And punk. In-your-face HC jazz inspired by The Cramps, Little Richard, Albert Ayler, Polly Bradfield, Entombed, John Zorn, Misfits, Stooges, Lars Gullin, Can and much more. Backengrillen’s self-titled debut album is out on January 23rd, 2026 on vinyl, CD, and digitally on Bandcamp via Svart Records. Backengrillen Dennis Lyxzén – vocal and effects Mats Gustafsson – saxophones, flutes and live electronics Magnus Flagge – bass David Sandström – drums and electronics

“The GRILL will fucking rule things…” – Backengrillen’s debut album out in January "Backengrillen's music is a paean to chaos and destruction. The basic idea is to take a death/doom metal, or noiserock riff and play it until it loses meaning and then break it apart like a ravenous cat would a tiny forest mouse. It's filled to the brim with the self-hatred endemic to the province of Västerbotten from whence the member’s hail. The record was written on a Thursday during their first ever rehearsal, performed live on a Friday and recorded on a Saturday, so what you're hearing is raw, stupid, gut instinct music played by seasoned purveyors of hardcore punk, metal, free jazz, noise et cetera. Record no 2 is in the making, less stupid, more ugly. Stay tuned and fuck the pigs." - Backengrillen, November 2025 Backengrillen is a new ensemble with their roots in HC, punk, noise and free Jazz. All members from Umeå, with roots in the original version of Refused – and one with starting points in the jazz-rock ensemble Nirvana (1980). With a solid and yet varied background in the creativities of Refused, TEXT, INVSN, Fire Orchestra, The International Noise Conspiracy, The End, Serpent, The Thing, Final Exit and other classic jazz combos we will now start our journey of 4 colliding locomotives, creating a new form of beauty and energy. Antifascist, antiracists free form death – jazz – in the memory of Lars Lystedt – Backengrillen arrives with new perspectives on jazz. And punk. In-your-face HC jazz inspired by The Cramps, Little Richard, Albert Ayler, Polly Bradfield, Entombed, John Zorn, Misfits, Stooges, Lars Gullin, Can and much more. Backengrillen’s self-titled debut album is out on January 23rd, 2026 on vinyl, CD, and digitally on Bandcamp via Svart Records. Backengrillen Dennis Lyxzén – vocal and effects Mats Gustafsson – saxophones, flutes and live electronics Magnus Flagge – bass David Sandström – drums and electronics

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera is one of the most celebrated musicals of all time, and this original London cast recording from 1986 remains the definitive recording. Michael Crawford’s Tony Award-winning performance as The Phantom and Sarah Brightman’s portrayal of Christine Daaé helped make this the best-selling cast recording in history. Re-issued for the first time in decades, this classic album brings the unforgettable score to a new generation of listeners. From the title song to “The Music of the Night” and “All I Ask of You,” every track reflects the power and beauty that continue to make The Phantom of the Opera a global phenomenon nearly forty years after its debut. Since its premiere, The Phantom of the Opera has been seen by more than 160 million people in 195 cities and has received over 70 major theatre awards. It holds the record as the longest-running show in Broadway history and was the first British musical to debut at number one on the music charts. The recording has been certified Platinum in six countries.

First Word Records are proud to bring you 'Penny Ballads', a 5-track EP from Royce Wood Junior. Royce Wood Junior is a Grammy & Mercury Award-nominated musician, songwriter and record producer from London, currently based in Brighton. As a multi-instrumentalist, he's collaborated with a litany of brilliant artists over the years, such as Jamie Woon, Nao, Disclosure, Jessie Ware, Olivia Dean, Joy Crookes, Jamie Lidell and Jordan Rakei, additionally to touring with the likes of the legendary Thomas Dolby. He's released two acclaimed solo albums to date ('The Ashen Tang' in 2015, and 'No Two Blue Ticks' in 2021). 'Penny Ballads' demonstrates RWJ's varied talents, with a collection of alternative soul compositions, each one as unique as the next. It includes the first two singles, the Poplife-Prince era flavoured 'Go Get Your Money', and the double-time future funk adrenaline shot, 'Clean Up', along with three previously-unreleased tracks. 'Beretta' is low-slung soul funk, beginning with quirky squelchy synths, before the soulful lead vocal of feature artist Lucey Way breezes in to melt everyone's hearts. 'Things' sweeps in next, an infectiously soulful midtempo heavy soul bop, with an instant earwork of a hook, like a modern-day Steely Dan / Doobie Brothers, complete with a head-nodding string section to end the track. The collection concludes on a more melancholy downtempo tip with 'Rolling'; an almost-folktronic anthem, with a key refrain that wouldn't be out of place on a 70's Stevie piece. RWJ (aka Jim Wood) says of this project… "Back in the 17 and 1800's Troubadours and minstrels would go from Tavern to Tavern selling Penny Ballads, single sheets of music and lyrics written quickly and frivolously to make a quick buck.. It strikes me that we're in a similar phase in the way we value music in 2025. An old Penny Ballad was cheap and dog-eared, ink-smudged, sung aloud by firelight, Now songs live in the digital ether, dissolved in the air, a ghostly breath paid in micro cents. The new era of Penny Balladry is here, and weird. This EP is a snapshot of my writing over a two year period. Focussed on minimal recording styles, one mic on the drums, generally first or second takes on parts and vocals, I wanted the music to feel like small moments with lyrics that talk about the weird nuances of being alive as a latter stage human on the cusp of the Ai revolution. Culturally so evolved, but physiologically still just a bunch of mammals walking about with primitive fears and needs. Just trying to reconcile it all moment to moment…" Previous support for Royce's music has included Radio 1's Future Sounds, BBC 6 Music's New Music Fix, Annie Mac, Clara Amfo, Jo Whiley (BBC Radio 2), Mary Anne Hobbs, Jamz Supernova, Tom Robinson, Huw Stephens (BBC 6 Music), Zane Lowe and MistaJam. There have been sessions previously for the likes of Red Bull and press from Huck, Line of Best Fit, Clash, Aesthetica & DIY magazine. Entirely self-written and self-produced, this EP gives a solid taste of RWJ's talents. A deeply funky diverse set of music from an immensely talented individual. 'Penny Ballads' is due to be released on vinyl & digital, 24th October 2025. The vinyl version also includes an exclusive additional mix of the first single 'Go Get Your Money'. TRACKLIST: 01: Clean Up (EP Mix) 02: Go Get Your Money 03: Beretta (feat. Lucey Way) 04: Things 05: Rolling 06: Go Get Your Money (B-Sharp Mix) Deconstructed Mixes

Straight from the pantheon of techno greats, John Beltran’s Placid Angles project enters Kalarahi orbit.

Revived after a 22 year hiatus, PA has since become our main source for new Beltran material. Buy-on-sight stuff for those seeking ambient techno of a rarified calibre. There’s an inevitable pinch-me moment whenever a producer of undeniable influence jumps on the label, and safe to say, this is one of those moments.

Expect sun-kissed Balearica and sublime, acid-fuelled romance. Sometimes we levitate, bathing in the glow of JB’s beatific harmony and sanguine tenderness. The slow-burn simmer of 303, the lithe gliding of his breaks; all of it demonstrating effortlessness of execution.

Choral vocals ascend, vistas pristine and closer listens reveal even greater levels of detail. You might say it’s the gift that keeps on giving.