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Produced by Amir Amor (Rudimental) , the album sees the Kaiser Chiefs return with a fresh and bold new sound. From the Nile Rodgers co-write of new single 'Feeling Alright', to the frantic 'Beautiful Girl', horn-laden Kaiser Chiefs throwback 'Job Centre Shuffle' and joyous punch in the gut that 'Jealousy', these ten tracks are a true statement of intent from a band that continues to deliver the goods again and again. Where 2019's Duck straddled the tide between Northern- Soul euphoria and early '00s antithesis, 2024 will see Kaiser Chiefs stepping into a renewed spotlight; a hook- heightened universe in which Ricky Wilson, Andrew "Whitey" White (guitar), Simon Rix (bass), Keyboardist Peanut and Vijay Mistry on drums, come together to once again create what they craft best; breakthrough belters for the world's dancefloor.

One of the most respected British bands in the mid 80's post punk era, Sad Lovers & Giants played highly atmospheric music made of melancholic melodies and epic guitar riffs. An overtly romantic attitude that slowly developed towards an even more open (pop) sound approach. Originally released in 1987 on Midnight records »Mirror Test«, the band's third studio effort, arrived as the fruit of an updated line up and a clear step in such direction. A very harmonious collection of songs, some of which are still recognized among the best in the band's entire catalog.

This is it. Poly dance theatre 006 arrives. Fresh arrival. For the 6th POLY DANCE THEATRE release, androo has decided to release exclusive dubplates from NS Kroo sound system (androo & baba). Yes. 2 tracks from the smoky, always intense and sometimes very special sessions of the NS Kroo sound system over the last 10 years. Exxxperienceee. Wave Dub style is a blend of synth wave, dub stepper and club elements. A side: Fast Dub, tribute to Kitachi, (Iration steppas). Indeed, NS Kroo didn't wait for the recent re-issues to play Kitachi tracks, and has been inspired by this vibe from the outset. Club meets Dub! Fast Dub is trance, it's raw, it's sporty, it's for the legs, it's good support (aducteurs), it's for nimble feet, it's a book whose last sentence ends on the first, it's repetition, it's different style, it's dance, it's wild, it's club rhythm, it's baba operator, it's androo selector, it's sound system vibes, it's NS Kroo in 2019, it's a discreet, slightly punkish non-chalance, it's distortion, it's "we don't give a fuck about codes", it's that and lots of other things... B side: Wave Dub Style Is Back. It's all in the title. This track is probably from 2014? Wave dub... A mix of new wave/synth pop and dub, with a club mix feel. Again, trance music, the kind you play when the night never ends to end, an epic end-of-session odyssey. Soft and strange synth with strong 808 rhythm. 2 mixes. 1st mix: pop synth experience. 2nd mix: raw trance club mix. Wave Dub Style Is Back was remastered by androo in 2023 with the support of poly dance theatre compagnie.

»Other Rooms« is an uncompromisingly adventurous and engaging listen. It manages the rare feat of remaining concise while brimming with detail and inventiveness.

Ten years into a multifaceted career in experimental sound, Belgium’s Adriaan de Roover presents »Other Rooms«, his second solo album and a product of the thoroughly unexpected things we all experience, from societal freeze to the dissolution of individual relationships. Originally recorded for a performance with Fennesz at Église Notre-Dame de Laeken in 2020, »Other Rooms« was reworked into its final form in 2023. De Roover notes an inspiration from »looking at different versions of a life, sitting in a space between them; a constant focus on those alternate things... What if, what if.« It is introspective music informed by a desire for connection to oneself, to others, and to the boundless scale of everything else.

»Other Rooms« is Adriaan’s second outing through the acclaimed Dauw imprint, which is also the home to Midori Hirano, Dylan Henner, H.Takahashi, Lieven Martens and Taylor Deupree. Stepping back from rhythm-oriented motifs, this latest work is a concise but varied collection of weightless melodies and expertly sculpted, computerized soundscapes.

An interesting insight into some of the diverse dancefloor oriented sounds going on in Canada during the 80s sitting somewhere between electro, italo disco and proto house. A-side starts off on a slow paced 80 bpm pop/rock italo-disco crossover track featuring lyrics in english with an unidentifiable accent, very much reminiscent of Italian local neighbourhood private press ventures featuring someone's sister on the vocal. 3 versions later, on the B side, things step up a notch coming in at 130 bpm with "Heat In Africa's" drum machine propelled rhythmic mayhem pulling out all the latest studio bells and whistles of the time. Big electric guitar solo build up on the "Dance Mix" and additional Bonus Beats mix by Castro. Remastered and officially re-released almost 4 decades later.

Dancefloor fire bombs from Kolt, a DJ and producer thus far mostly operating under the crew name Blacksea Não Maya (with Perigoso and Noronha). This is his first Retirement record. No quotation marks here, Kolt is actually stepping down from a fruitful decade-long career as DJ and producer.

Fat, techno-ish, idiosyncratic big room afro mind melt sounding like no other hyped or non-hyped dance cuts out there. Futuristic and decidedly non-European in structure, this set of 4 tracks carries a more synthetic DNA than previous material, if we exclude his quasi-gothic slow burners in BNM's "Máquina de Vénus" LP. But in "Verdadeiro" Kolt is all virtual open arms and bare chest, appearing to satirize this idea of the megastar DJ. But what comes across is distinctive and alive (consequently deadly on the club sound system), wiping out the floor of any zombie-preset-DJ vibes.

Take "Bateste" as an example: an evil bassline, wtf beeps, a vocal snippet prodding the dancers and a final blissful 30 seconds to ease you out. "Shaman" is the final track, its title just maybe nailing the atmosphere felt by people on the dancefloor. Shamelessly epic and in your face, a simulation of a throwback to a more clichéd clubland but just so left of centre that one can't find a complete correlation to fit the picture. Yes, we all go OMG.

The fresh-faced folk pop band Stornoway seem promising: They play with guileless vigor, have a light-stepping chemistry as a unit, harmonize well. Their lead singer Brian Briggs has a lovely, pure high tenor, the kind of voice that effortlessly conveys simple longing. And yet, on their second album, Tales from Terra Firma, they continue to be almost crushingly dull, making well-appointed and cheerfully empty music that successfully communicates next to nothing.

Their Achilles Heel is a simple and unfortunate one, the same on Tales as it was on 2010's Beachcombers Windowsill. Stornoway are clearly in love with Celtic and British folk, and yet they can't write a memorable melody to save their lives. Try to sing along to the verse melody of "Zorbing", their most well-known tune, and pay attention to what your face muscles are doing; most likely furrowing with the effort of recall. Each of Tales' painstakingly arranged nine songs sinks underneath the weight of this insurmountable problem, which is a shame.

If you're making folk-pop, an inability to write a catchy melody is a difficult deficiency to overcome. Stornoway try valiantly with their complex arrangements, which quickly grow exhausting. “You Take Me as I Am” is cluttered with horn charts and pointlessly banging piano. “(A Belated) Invite to Eternity” builds to a full Explosions in the Sky crescendo, with glimmering tremolo guitar and a “Tonight, Tonight”-style sweeping string section, but having built zero momentum and generated zero heat until that point, their planned fireworks display fizzles.

“Farewell Appalachia” follows the same pattern, with celesta, finger-picked acoustic and electric guitar all tracing an emptily pretty circle with nothing in the center. The melody of "The Great Procrastinator" is almost cleanly written enough to be memorable-- and then the ersatz Dixieland jazz interlude crashes in. Stornoway are deft players, and the transitions are tightly managed, but this is praise on the same order as praising the brushwork in a hotel-room painting.

Briggs’ lyrics are filled with uncomplicated images of the good old British countryside, but his lyrics trample over all these dew-covered fields with wordy, awkward phrasing: "And in the gathering dew, I was lucid as a floodlight,” goes a line from “(A Belated) Invitation to Eternity”. “There's a hunger in the air/ A lemon swollen in the trees" he bleats on “Knock Me on the Head”. On “The Great Procrastinator”, he sings that he is “a scientist with far too many metaphors and far too little data to conclude in time.” They don’t read particularly well, and they don’t sound much more natural when sung.

Tales From Terra Firma is a peculiar record-- carefree music that feels leaden; tuneful-sounding songs that offer no tunes to hold onto. They seem an odd fit for 4AD, a label mostly home to singular voices. They may be a mercenary signing, an attempt to ride the coattails of Mumford and Sons' success. But Mumford and Sons, as head-smack simple and pandering as they are, have a pretty crucial ingredient in their arsenal: they write anthems. In that regard, they have Stornoway pretty thoroughly beat.

One of New Zealand’s fastest-rising electronic producers, Sanoi aka Jonas Fischer announces the release of his new album, ‘Echoes Of Home’. Rooted in melodic house and techno, the album is a journey through electronic music, one that is as at home on the dancefloor as it is on headphones.  Having previously released on labels such as Bar 25, Stil Vor Talent, Beat & Path, Magician On Duty, Sounds Of Sin and Tube & Berger’s Zehn Records, Loop are proud to present Sanoi’s second full-length. The New Zealand-based, German-born producer has crafted deeply personal electronic music that pushes the boundaries of creativity, skill and production techniques, while influenced by organic deep house and electronic techno from Berlin.  Created at his home in Auckland, and road tested across countless live performances across New Zealand and Australia over the past two years, ‘Echoes Of Home’ sees Sanoi’s songwriting step up to another level. Constantly developing as an artist and finding expression through music are some of the key factors that drive him, whether it be in the studio or behind the decks. His deeply danceable, meticulous though mischievous DJ sets see him move seamlessly across warm, melodic, groove-driven techno and beyond.  Featuring vocals by Beacon Bloom on ‘Silver’.

Repress!

Jurassic 5 flexed serious old-to-the-new muscles in the '90s, beginning with their independently released single Unified Rebelution' in 1994, and book-ending with their stellar debut full-length: 2000's Quality Control. They walked a tightrope between underground and mainstream hip-hop, and toured alongside rap peers as well as punk rockers on the Vans Warped Tour. With double the pleasure of your average hip-hop group - two DJs and producers (Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark), and four MCs (Chali 2na, Akil, Marc 7 and Zaakir aka Soup) - they brought the late 1970s unison MC' style of pioneering groups like the Fantastic 5 and the Force MCs to a new generation. Even more surprisingly, they did so out of Los Angeles, whose hip-hop flavors generally leaned towards Gangsta, G-Funk or Electro lines. Musically inventive and lyrically forward-thinking, each song on Quality Control is a new adventure, exploring engaging territory, delivered via one of the best live hip-hop shows fans had seen in years. From singles like the strutting groove of the title track to the throwback doo-wop samples on The Influence' and the catchy, keyboard groove-driven World of Entertainment (WOE Is Me),' to deeper album tracks like the lyrical gymnastics of Jurass Finish First' and the thought-provoking Lausd,' Jurassic 5 consistently stepped to the plate and their fans responded in kind, nearly pushing the album to Gold status. Add the innovative DJ-and-sample workout which closes out the album, Swing Set,' and you have one of the 2000s' most unique and solid full-length platters.

Numa Crew and the ’London City Warlord’ Riko Dan join forces on this dancefloor banger called ‘Babylon’.

When it comes to the influence of Ragga in the MCing styles of Grime, one of the undisputed pioneers is Riko Dan - most famously associated with Roll Deep, one of the most important collectives in the history of Grime.

The original track is an explosive mix of Grime and Dubstep sounds spiced with a Dancehall flavor that gives Riko the perfect platform to spin raw and punching lyrics.

The flip side is a remake of the original ‘Babylon’ in a pure Dub stepper style, heavyweight bassline, hypnotic skanks and mystical atmospheres that fuse the two worlds of Grime and Dub in a unique sound. Certified sound system material.

Utrecht (NL) based Tusky proves that punk-rock is alive and well in 2024, with the release of their fist-in-your-face-but-you-love-it new album: ‘Tusky’. Their third studio album will be released March 8th 2024 on Suburban Records
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On previous releases, the band has been known to be in charge of their own recordings and productions, but with the new album they took it a step further: They converted their rehearsal space into a studio. By doing this, they have built a space in which they were able to record their new album in peace. “Having your own space is awesome! A place where you can take all the time you need, to experiment with different amps, pedals, guitars, mics. Each day we could go on as long as we wanted, but we could also decide to take a break and go for a swim in a nearby lake,” singer Vladimir Stevic elaborates.

Tauchen Sie ein in eine harmonische Mischung aus rauen Emotionen und musikalischer Brillanz. 'The Color Purple (Music From and Inspired By)' verspricht ein Hörerlebnis, das zutiefst nostalgisch und erfrischend neu zugleich ist. So trumpft das Album mit einem Ensemble auf, das seinesgleichen sucht - der für den Golden Globe nominierten Fantasia mit ihren gefühlvollen Melodien, Taraji B. Henson mit ihrer emotionalen Tiefe, Colman Domingo mit seiner fesselnden Energie, der für den Golden Globe nominierten Danielle Brooks mit ihrer kraftvollen Resonanz, H.E.R. mit ihrer zeitgenössischen Kunst und Hallie Bailey mit ihrem strahlenden Gesang. Und Musik von den Grammy-prämierten Songwritern des Musicals - Brenda Russell, Allee Willis und Stephen Bray. Doch hört die Magie nicht bei den zeitlosen Klassikern auf. Tauchen Sie noch tiefer ein und lassen Sie sich verzaubern von einem neuen Kapitel und neuer Musik von Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Coco Jones, Jorja Smith, Celeste, Mary Mary und October London sowie einer atemberaubenden Kollaboration von Usher & H.E.R. Von Liebe und Schmerz bis hin zu Widerstandskraft und Erlösung - diese Songs fangen die Essenz von 'The Color Purple' ein und ebnen gleichzeitig den Weg für eine neue musikalische Ära. Und für diejenigen, die einen modernen Twist suchen, gibt es Remixe von Missy Elliot featuring Megan Thee Stallion und Timbaland featuring Black Thought. So schlägt 'The Color Purple' auch eine Brücke zwischen Generationen von Musikliebhabern.

Zed Bias has been a bass, dub and garage king since forever, but his star shows no signs of diminishing any time soon. For this one he has worked with Shumba Youth on a new single that finds him dipping into a world of dancehall and ragga. 'London Town' is heavy, with real bass weight, churning drums and fizzing digital synths under the superb bars from Shumba who muses on the state of London right now. Next to that are slithering leads and sci-fi pads to make for a fine future vibe. The acappella is served up on the flip for DJs who want to play.

Italian hard techno DJ-producer MAIKE DEPAS announces EP "Rave the Planet" (out 29 February) ahead of MAIKE DEPAS 2.0 audio-visual makeover

"Depas strikes a fine balance between raw energy and subtle melodic hooks." (DMY)

"Throughout the pounding track Midnight Ride, the Italian beatsmith expertly blends lush synths with intricate rhythmic components and gritty bass." (EDM com)

"Depas' approach to techno is a veritable melting pot of influences, blending sounds from the 80s and 90s with contemporary symphonic and cinematic elements." (Magnetic Mag)

Upon the return from the dark and dreamy regions of his previous EP "Euphoria", Milanese hard techno DJ-producer MAIKE DEPAS (Michelangelo De Pasquale) announces new EP "Rave the Planet", out 29 February via The Innovation Studio, ahead of MAIKE DEPAS 2.0 audio-visual makeover. Sending tremors through the electronic underground scene, Depas joins Kobosil and In Verruf in carrying the torch of uncompromising Berlin techno while keeping his feet firmly planted in the melodic 1990s trance of Push, Jam & Spoon, and Cygnus X.

Introducing his new heavy-duty fusion of face-melting techno and trance carrying "Go Hard or Go Home" warning sign, Depas makes the crowd grind their teeth with a behemoth of an opener "Heartbreaker" only to fill the dancefloor with dread on the shiver-inducing "Vortex", a power move designed to set the scene for the title track"s fervent rave sermon delivered in a cyborg voice by Depas, followed by the erotic undertones of throbbing closer "Float Together" including the blistering remix by the Italian DJ Amstra.

"Rave the planet / Stay together / In techno we trust / Rave the planet" - MAIKE DEPAS, Rave the Planet

At its core, "Rave the Planet" is Depas" personal paean to the true spirit of the original rave culture as represented by Lukas Havlik"s (Ludenworks) Luis Royo-esque artwork of a pulsating cybernetic planet of complex, interconnected nerve fibres wrapped around the Depas globe logo. “As a raver, you feel this sense of unity with community and it"s similar to a religion we"ve had for thousands and thousands of years,” Depas compares. “We are the planet, we are the culture, so both are the reflection of ourselves in the wider world.” For Depas, the concept of solidarity runs deep within techno culture. Coming right from the heart, Depas is driven by the opportunity to bring people together for one thing and one thing only: “Just for the love of techno and to celebrate the music in a club.”

"As a raver, you feel this sense of unity with a community similar to a religion we"ve had for thousands and thousands of years." - MAIKE DEPAS

"Rave the Planet" is released in conjunction with MAIKE DEPAS 2.0, a tectonic audio-visual shift that entails a wide array of digital content as varied as DJ sets live streamed from Berlin"s Teufelsberg and other dystopian locations around Europe as well as enhanced PR-photos featuring cyberpunk-inspired outfits designed by Demobaza, a cyberpunk-inspired casual couture brand best known for their sustainable Dune X Demobaza collection. Over the course of upcoming metamorphosis from a flesh-and-blood individual into a mysterious CGI character, Depas is another step closer to revolutionising the dance music scene through the metaverse.

Following a first iteration which set the tone for our newly-minted Heimat series in explosive fashion, here comes the much anticipated second batch of our zeitgeistian take on today's scene's, its current potential and destination. Showcasing productions from artists keen to roll up their sleeves and sail into the impassible status quo, this new number packs the kind of red-hot hammering and cutting-edge punch we've been so adamant to push and defend over the past decade. Berlin-based French producer Arkan steps in first with a proper magnetic depth charge. Dwelling the darker layers of our ocean floor as its name suggests, 'Submarine' is pure hypnotic material geared up for heavy-duty boogie in the warehouse. Filling its ballast tanks with a hefty deluge of muscular bass onslaughts, sonar-like bleeps and untamed cascades of loopy arps, this one rolls and pitches like a haunted ship on predator mode. Adding his dynamic pulse and mind-bending spin to the A-side, Frameworks & Untertwegs bossman Decka cuts a path of straight mental obliteration as he smashes the doors of the club wide open and parades all guns blazing with the unapologetic crusher that is 'Circumvent'. A no-holds-barred workout for the strong stomachs, churning out fiery bars of kick-drum/squelchy bass contrast with in-your-face swagger. Switching on to the flip side, there's Manchester's Yant cruising with the ebulliently dynamic (no shit, Sherlock) tune, 'Moving'. A multidirectional concerto of pong-like modularity and racing synth arpeggios flying off like coloured bricks in a Tetris game gone absolute batshit. The kind of hi-intensity burner that'll awaken any lukewarm mid-set flow with its bouncy unpredictability and ruthless forward-pushing thrust. Rounding it off on a further minimal note, Amsterdam up-and-comer Hitam treats us to an inch-perfectly engineered finale with a stripped-back - yet, absolutely not hollow - bomb, 'Venusian Winds'. Gutsy that one sure is, with its metronomic step ticking at near-cyclonic speed and cleverly arranged, subtly FX-coated funk keeping things both suspenseful and focussed thru and thru. A sleek combo of pared-down brutalism and masterly executed analogue tailoring altogether. All dressed in clear purple marbled wax for the occasion, "Heimat II" shall please both the techno purist and visual aesthete in you with its velvet touch and effortless chic.

Longtime friends and musical collaborators Max Essa and Eddie C join the RNT fold with a 4 tracker of melancholic and exquisitely produced chilled out disco. Begun as a lockdown project, the We Live In The Hills EP explores a vast palette of sonic soundscapes, from the shimmering guitars and acid lines of Melon Stepping, to the insistent rolling bass and whimsical synths of Save Me, the deep funk of the EP’s title track, and the late nite driving soundtrack stylings of Sixth Bridge. This EP tells a hopeful story of emerging from isolation and doubt, like a lovely musical sunrise after a long dark night.

More Than Ten Years Since He First Emerged On Skull Disco, Appleblim Presents His Debut Album. The Label He Co-founded With Shackleton Was The First The World Heard Of His Productions, But Laurie Osborne's Innate Relationship With Electronic Music Culture Reaches Back Much Further Than Those Groundbreaking Early Days Of Dubstep. Early Days Spent Soaking Up Hardcore, Jungle, Techno And Plenty More Besides Were Fundamental Foundations From Which To Spring Into The Then-unknown Realms Of Sub-low Half-step Club Music. At That Time Fwd>> And Dmz Were The Church For This Ritualistic Sound, And Appleblim Was A Regular Fixture At Both.

As Dubstep Matured, Magnified, Mutated And Meandered, So Appleblim Moved Beyond Skull Disco To Explore Different Avenues Of Expression In The New Many- Layered Club Music Landscape. His Own Apple Pips Imprint Was A Natural Vessel On Which To Explore The Emergent Fusions Of Hardcore-derived Sounds And The Us-born House, Techno And Electro, While Labels Such As Aus Music Equally Provided A Home For His Work (often Alongside Komonazmuk). Meanwhile Long-standing Collaborations With Alec Storey (al Tourettes / Second Storey) Finally Manifested In The Hyper-modern Mind-twist Of Also, Captured As An Album On Legendary Rave Label R&s.

More Recently It's Been Possible To Hear Appleblim Delve Into Electro-acoustic And Ambient Production Alongside Bassweight Sounds On Tempa, One Of The Original Bastions Of Dubstep Culture. As The Existing Boundaries Between Genres, Cultures, Eras And Scenes Continue To Dissolve, On His Debut Album Appleblim Offers Up A Fresh Approach That Brings Some Of The Foundational Sound Ethics Of Rave Culture Into A Modern Framework.

Hardcore Breaks Are Still A Regular Sound Source In Contemporary Club Tracks, But On Life In A Laser It's Instantly Apparent That Appleblim Has Moved Beyond Choosing Popular Drum Samples To Truly Tap Into The Elusive Feeling Engendered By The Music Of The Era. It's A Tricky Feat To Manage, But In The Pie-eyed Chords Of ignite', The Subby 808 Tom Basslines On nci' Or The Mr. Fingers Synth Flex On manta Key' The Sonic Finish Sports The Same Understated Grit And Grime That Made Those Early Records So Timeless. There's Still Space For Modernism, Not Least On Snaking 2-step Killer i Think We'll Let The Gas Sort This One Out', But It's Offset By A Layer Of Dust, Not To Mention An Inherent Moodiness That Can't Be Faked.

This Fine Balance Of Rave Romanticism And Future-minded Approaches Binds Together In A Cohesive Conceptual Statement. First And Foremost It's Appleblim's Personal Reflection On The Music That Has Moved Him On Countless Dancefloors Since His First Flirtations With Soundsystem Culture. At The Same Time The Canny Influx Of Modern Ideas Into The Soundworld Of The 90s Genuinely Results In A New Proposition, Making For A Perfect Fit On The Modern-day 'ardcore Fetishists Label Of Choice, Sneaker Social Club. Many May Claim To Draw On Old-skool Influences In Their Modern Trax, But Take One Listen To flows From Within' And You'll Feel The Same Time-slipping Surge Of Future-shock As The Ravers At Lost, Dreamscape, The Dungeons, Clink Street, Blue Note And All Those Other Iconic Spots.

We are pleased to introduce our new single coming out on 16th of February featuring ever productive Guiding Star Orchestra eleven-man roots reggae ensemble from Copenhagen, Denmark and young, upcoming, Jamaican roots Artist Azizzi Romeo (son of legendary Max Romeo) on “In Jah Sight” riddim. Coming out on both vinyl and as a high quality digital release.

The song contains conscious lyrics on top of a meditating steppas riddim with beautiful arrangements from GSO horn section and includes an amazing dub version made by the great Roberto Sanchez from A-Lone Ark Music Studio. Two wicked collaborations on both sides of a heavy slab of 7” record!

The song is an uplifting statement about putting trust in your faith. “When thirst cover your mouth, Jah will send the Rain!” A strong message from a young Artist who’s ready to take over the world of conscious roots reggae music. This is the first time Orchestra has done a collaboration with a vocalist and we have many more collaborations planned for the future as well as some brand new solo material coming this year. Stay tuned!

Grilchy Party presents another epic from Da Buze Bruvaz own Clever 1 and mysterious production wizard Lord Beatjitzu. This new adventure follows where the last one, Perverted and Drunken, left off. They have cooked up another album following the footsteps of their classic Perverted and Drunken LP. This new adventure follows where the last one left off. Introducing Master Sip, Legendary Teacher Of Bruce Lo Da First Drunken. It is illuminating one of the many chambers of their Drunken Fly Chi style, the martial arts mind states of Clever 1 and Lord Beatjitzu combining as the "Fly Chi School Of Da Drunken Artz". The duo pops the listener in the face With vicious, bloody Nunchuck Lyrics over high-velocity, swift kick-in-the-chest production. With these seasoned masters of their perspective arts, they form a powerful, unstoppable combo and truly take no prisoners in this Action-Packed sophomore foray. It's a pure Saturday morning Kung Fu sound theater where Wing Chun enters the world of Drunken Fist on Wax. Beware as you enter the Dojo and watch your step!

Albert Hammond is one of the most prolific, versatile songwriters and performers of his or any generation. His earliest solo hits include “It Never Rains in Southern California” and “The Free Electric Band.” His contributions to popular music (writing and and/or contributing to hit songs by Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias, Diana Ross, Starship, The Hollies, Joe Cocker, Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin) cross genres and generations.  Body of Work is an all-new, original, and essential addition to this iconic canon. Written during a time of tumultuous change, Body of Work is the moment a master songsmith takes a step back to reflect on the world, “This is the first step I had to take and the album is what I discovered about me and all of us once I started here,” says Albert. “I can feel the discomfort and impatience in it. That’s just the honest feeling when the world changes for you from oasis to desert, from beauty to chaos… freedom to fences.” From gutsy opener “Don’t Bother Me Babe” through the wistful “Looking Back” and closing with the reflective “Goodbye LA,” Body of Work is an album for the ages, crafted with 50 years of words, experience, and wisdom.

Das neue Monkeytown-Signing, das NYC-via-Berlin-Duo Sha Ru, schöpft aus der in Protest und Befreiung verwurzelten Punk- und Dancemusik, gefiltert durch die Erweiterung und Fluidität der queeren Identität. Erste aufrührerische EPs und mitreißende Auftritte haben die Band zu einer ausgesprochenen Kraft der in elektronischen Musik gemacht, die dunkle Schattierungen und basslastige, zukunftsweisende Klänge erforscht, die ebenso an Post-Punk-/Industrial-Pioniere wie an alles im Club-Kanon erinnern. Die neue EP, ihre bisher gewagteste, ehrlichste und verletzlichste Arbeit, ruft eine Palette überwältigender Emotionen hervor, von platonischer und romantischer Liebe bis zu Herzschmerz und psychischem Leid, wiedergegeben in cleveren rhythmischen Architekturen und grollendem Bass, ausbalanciert mit sinnlichen Melodien und sanfteren Texturen.

REKORDER is "a kind of retrospective of myself", says M.RUX about his second, long-awaited solo album. For over 10 years, Marten Rux aka M.RUX appears as a DJ, producer, editor, remixer and multi-instrumentalist all over the world and has developed an idiosyncratic sound that opens up subtle fields of tension: M.RUX mixes a sound between experimental sound design and hooklines that stay in your ears forever. Between wild percussion and contemplative harmonies, between ecstasy and meditative calm. In his DJ and live sets, M.RUX usually steps up to the controls with a smile, discreetly bobbing his head, while the audience goes wild. He circumnavigates clichés with trustworthy certainty and develops his very own guiding threads in his selection beyond BPM or genre straitjackets. One constant is his warm, often stoically slow kick drum, which holds all that playfulness together. REKORDER is a manifestation of this typical M.RUX sound. Similar to his concept album "Vermonische Melodien" from 2020 (on the Pingipung label), the artist's curiosity is directed towards the musical visions of the past. When new music technology projected great visions of the future and when new sounds had not yet solidi ed into clichés. REKORDER refers to the recording device, spelled in a German way, because most of the recordings were made in Germany (and in England as well). Phonography is a miracle that has only been around for 150 years: Technology gifts upon us prosthetics for remembering sound. Every recording is a process, and every playback a new performative act. Recordari (Latin) is a beautiful word. It literally means to take something to heart (cor) once again (re-). This doesn't just refer to remembering, but also to a ponderous, loving, sometimes doubtful contemplation. It is a perfect headline for M.RUX’ approach to processing sound. REKORDER draws deeply from its own archive, which has ourished quite splendidly during the pandemic. Multi-instrumentalist M.RUX mixes his own recordings of banjo, guitar, auto-harp, synths, percussion and jews harp with fragments from sessions with friends that have accumulated since 2020. They unfold in the process of re-listening in the mix and transform into a solid musical tapestry. A typical gesture for this album? M.RUX bows deeply to the history of pop music - especially the blues and its melancholy, coolness and shuf ing groove. The harmonic framework of the album is based on blues scales throughout. Instead of conveying blue emotions via lyrics or the tone of the voice, as the original genre does, the synthesizer takes on this role on REKORDER. With his sound design, M.RUX achieves an ecstatic sorrow in his melodies, this gurgling portamento that is reminiscent of R&B (or even the ingenious title melody of the series "Bojack Horseman”). If voices are heard on REKORDER, then as hypnotic fragments that guide us through the groove as conjunctions: "Because...", says the voice in the track of the same name. That's enough. There are no lyrics, no literal weariness, no love-songs or storytelling, REKORDER processes all of this into timbres and groove as vessels for the album’s individual, contemplative melancholy. Never forgetting, with a gentle smile, to swing a leg.

LIMITED RED COLOURED VINYL!
REKORDER is "a kind of retrospective of myself", says M.RUX about his second, long-awaited solo album. For over 10 years, Marten Rux aka M.RUX appears as a DJ, producer, editor, remixer and multi-instrumentalist all over the world and has developed an idiosyncratic sound that opens up subtle fields of tension: M.RUX mixes a sound between experimental sound design and hooklines that stay in your ears forever. Between wild percussion and contemplative harmonies, between ecstasy and meditative calm. In his DJ and live sets, M.RUX usually steps up to the controls with a smile, discreetly bobbing his head, while the audience goes wild. He circumnavigates clichés with trustworthy certainty and develops his very own guiding threads in his selection beyond BPM or genre straitjackets. One constant is his warm, often stoically slow kick drum, which holds all that playfulness together. REKORDER is a manifestation of this typical M.RUX sound. Similar to his concept album "Vermonische Melodien" from 2020 (on the Pingipung label), the artist's curiosity is directed towards the musical visions of the past. When new music technology projected great visions of the future and when new sounds had not yet solidi ed into clichés. REKORDER refers to the recording device, spelled in a German way, because most of the recordings were made in Germany (and in England as well). Phonography is a miracle that has only been around for 150 years: Technology gifts upon us prosthetics for remembering sound. Every recording is a process, and every playback a new performative act. Recordari (Latin) is a beautiful word. It literally means to take something to heart (cor) once again (re-). This doesn't just refer to remembering, but also to a ponderous, loving, sometimes doubtful contemplation. It is a perfect headline for M.RUX’ approach to processing sound. REKORDER draws deeply from its own archive, which has ourished quite splendidly during the pandemic. Multi-instrumentalist M.RUX mixes his own recordings of banjo, guitar, auto-harp, synths, percussion and jews harp with fragments from sessions with friends that have accumulated since 2020. They unfold in the process of re-listening in the mix and transform into a solid musical tapestry. A typical gesture for this album? M.RUX bows deeply to the history of pop music - especially the blues and its melancholy, coolness and shuf ing groove. The harmonic framework of the album is based on blues scales throughout. Instead of conveying blue emotions via lyrics or the tone of the voice, as the original genre does, the synthesizer takes on this role on REKORDER. With his sound design, M.RUX achieves an ecstatic sorrow in his melodies, this gurgling portamento that is reminiscent of R&B (or even the ingenious title melody of the series "Bojack Horseman”). If voices are heard on REKORDER, then as hypnotic fragments that guide us through the groove as conjunctions: "Because...", says the voice in the track of the same name. That's enough. There are no lyrics, no literal weariness, no love-songs or storytelling, REKORDER processes all of this into timbres and groove as vessels for the album’s individual, contemplative melancholy. Never forgetting, with a gentle smile, to swing a leg.

Now-Again Records presents catalog-wide reissues of Latin music propellant Joe Bataan’s legendary Ghetto Records. The series concludes with Drug Story - Rare and unreleased material from Joe Bataan and his Ghetto Records vaults, including an entire side of Bataan’s neverbefore-issued Latin Funk that spans the gamut from Salsa to Soul. Drug Story was inspired by true events and ranks highest among Bataan’s finest achievements as the poet laureate of El Barrio. Ghetto Records was Joe Bataan’s way to get over on “The Man” and out of the ‘hood, a bold move by an artist looking for independence and creative control in an industry that had exploited his talents and treated him like chattel. As Bataan puts it today, “Ghetto Records was part of my journey, a stepping stone to everything else that I’ve done. I learned enough that it enabled me to get out of the box with my thinking, it showed me how to deal with adversity.” Like many dreams and schemes born of the street, this one was audacious, perhaps even reckless to a fault. Hatched from desperation yet full of hope Ghetto Records came crashing down shortly after its inception. The seven albums in its discography languished out of print - until now. These are the definitive reissues of these albums, licensed from Joe Bataan, with his oversight and input into a 16 page oversize book by Pablo Yglesias that details Bataan’s larger-than-imagination life and his little Latin label that could.

Fire! have always been about finding the essence by getting to the core of the music. Their 8th album sees the trio - for the first time on record - stripped down to the bare-bones essentials; with no flutes, no electronics, no guests and no extras, recorded live in the studio to analogue tape - the Steve Albini way - with the master himself at the controls in Electrical Audio in Chicago. Thus, this album stands as a true testament to the group's expressive power and glowing intimacy. Musically, Testament can be seen as an extension of their previous full length album Defeat, released two years ago, to the month. A solitary bass figure from Johan Berthling, quickly joined by a stout drum groove, gets it all going in a familiar fashion before Gustafsson adds desolate cries and whispers from his baritone sax. This approach is even more honed on the second track, with the most simplistic groove you're likely to hear in jazz and Gustafsson shifting between extended, lonely, tortured lines, only once abrupted by a series of short bursts. The third track starts with loose and relatively lively drums that continue throughout, but the mournful saxophone maintains a subdued atmosphere. Track four is a real beauty with the trio slipping into a trance-like dream state before shifting gear halfway into its nine minutes. The final track is the most dynamic of the lot, shifting between bursts of energy and lyrical beauty. Fire's debut album, You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago, was released in 2009 to wide international acclaim. "The basic strategy of pairing the expressive energy of free jazz with a sturdy sense of groove has yielded something potent and self-contained" (New York Times). Between this and Testament there's been six albums, including collaborations with Jim O'Rourke (Unreleased?) and Oren Ambarchi (In The Mouth A Hand), as well as the Requies EP with Stephen O'Malley and David Sandström in 2022. Testament was recorded and mixed during a three-day stint at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio in Chicago in December 2022. Mats Gustafsson - baritone sax Johan Berthling - bass Andreas Werliin - drums.

Fire! have always been about finding the essence by getting to the core of the music. Their 8th album sees the trio - for the first time on record - stripped down to the bare-bones essentials; with no flutes, no electronics, no guests and no extras, recorded live in the studio to analogue tape - the Steve Albini way - with the master himself at the controls in Electrical Audio in Chicago. Thus, this album stands as a true testament to the group's expressive power and glowing intimacy. Musically, Testament can be seen as an extension of their previous full length album Defeat, released two years ago, to the month. A solitary bass figure from Johan Berthling, quickly joined by a stout drum groove, gets it all going in a familiar fashion before Gustafsson adds desolate cries and whispers from his baritone sax. This approach is even more honed on the second track, with the most simplistic groove you're likely to hear in jazz and Gustafsson shifting between extended, lonely, tortured lines, only once abrupted by a series of short bursts. The third track starts with loose and relatively lively drums that continue throughout, but the mournful saxophone maintains a subdued atmosphere. Track four is a real beauty with the trio slipping into a trance-like dream state before shifting gear halfway into its nine minutes. The final track is the most dynamic of the lot, shifting between bursts of energy and lyrical beauty. Fire's debut album, You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago, was released in 2009 to wide international acclaim. "The basic strategy of pairing the expressive energy of free jazz with a sturdy sense of groove has yielded something potent and self-contained" (New York Times). Between this and Testament there's been six albums, including collaborations with Jim O'Rourke (Unreleased?) and Oren Ambarchi (In The Mouth A Hand), as well as the Requies EP with Stephen O'Malley and David Sandström in 2022. Testament was recorded and mixed during a three-day stint at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio in Chicago in December 2022. Mats Gustafsson - baritone sax Johan Berthling - bass Andreas Werliin - drums.

Behold the timeless, elegant, sophisticated man that is Donny Benet.

More than a decade since the world first fell for his charms, Donny Benet is taking charge of his destiny like never before. His new album, number six, is called Infinite Desires, and it’s his most complete musical statement yet.

Across eight tracks, Donny sets out a vision that embraces a diversity of experience, from elation to introspection, from disquiet to unbridled ecstasy. Take the brash slapped bass of the opening track, Multiply; or American Dream, his meditation on warped dreams and distractions; or the self-empowerment at the heart of So Long, an ode to stepping away from toxic relationships; or Wait Until it Rains Tomorrow, a moving, cathartic tale of acceptance folded within Donny’s trademark sound, a smooth wave of harmonies and rhythm that makes you feel like everything is going to be ok.

Several unique features set the debut studio album by folk rock supergroup Crosby, Stills & Nash, released in 1969 by Atlantic Records, apart. It's the only album by the band before adding Neil Young to their lineup. The album spawned two Top 40 singles, "Marrakesh Express" and "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," which peaked respectively at No. 28 during the week of August 23, 1969, and at No. 21 during the week of December 6, 1969, on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The album itself peaked at No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. It has been certified four times platinum by the RIAA for sales in excess of 4 million copies.

Instantly lifting the group to stardom, along with the Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo and the Band's Music from Big Pink, the previous year, the album is cited by music reviewers for initiating sweeping changes in popular music. In 2021 the album held the rank of No. 161 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

Crosby, Stills & Nash was "the perfect blend of David Crosby's social conscience, Stephen Stills's virtuoso musicianship and Graham Nash's ability to craft the perfect pop melody for radio," writes Rolling Stone, in its review.

The band was brought together after Crosby was fired from The Byrds, Stills's band, Buffalo Springfield had broken up (a band which also featured later member, Neil Young) and Nash's departure from The Hollies. The three decided to form a band after an informal jam led them to discover how well their voices harmonized. Released in May 1969, the band would perform nine of the album's 10 songs at Woodstock, which was the second time they ever did, in August of the same year.

The album features some of CSN's most well known and iconic songs; "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Marrakesh Express," "Guinnevere," "Wooden Ships," "Helplessly Hoping" and "Long Time Gone." This album saw a shift in sound to what was popular at the time — blues based rock, opting for a more folk rock, and sometimes jazz-based sound. It would lay the foundations for the California Sound that would be popularised out of Laurel Canyon in the ‘70s. Artists such as The Eagles, Jackson Browne and Fleetwood Mac would take inspiration from the sound of this record.

All the hallmarks of a top-notch Analogue Productions reissue are here for you to savor: Mastered directly from the original master tape by Bernie Grundman and cut at 45 RPM. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Quality Record Pressings, and housed in tip-on old style gatefold double pocket jackets with film lamination by Stoughton Printing.

Warehouse Find!

A true studio visionary and son of Incognito's Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick, Daniel Maunick virtually grew up behind the mixing desk and worked his way through the scenes of drum n' bass, acid-jazz, disco, samba, deep house and beyond. As Far Out's in-house producer his work is a key component in the consistency and transience of the label's sound, with key albums include Azymuth's Fênix, Marcos Valle's Estatica, Sabrina Malheiros' Dreaming and Far Out Monster Disco Orchestra. His latest credit on the catalogue is the next chapter of his Dokta Venom alias, Moodswings.Each track brings you a visceral dancefloor experience both sonically and structurally. Opener 'See the Sun' evokes an elevated, cloudy ether, with each kick drum another step up to the sky. Title track 'Mood Swings' deploys components of broken beat, garage, house, IDM and boogie, but shrouds them into a hazy deepness, like a dream through Maunick's musical memories. Whilst keeping the same intensity, 'I Owe u Something' ups the tempo and swings the mood. Propulsive percussion blurs the acoustic with the electric, glowing synths and anguished vocals formulate this eruptive full-floor belter that lodges somewhere in between early Pepe Bradock and Azymuth.With a solo album from Azymuth drummer Ivan 'Mamao' Conti, a collaboration between Sean Khan and Hermeto Pascoal, along with a long awaited new record from Sabrina Malheiros, 2017 is set to be an exceptional year for Maunick and Mood Swings is an inspired prelude of things to come.

Available on viny for the first time, Demon Records and Fascination proudly presents the three original Steps Studio
albums. Steps are the most successful co-ed group in British chart history. Irresistible and inimitable, their unique
blend of perfect pop anthems, dynamic dance moves and a sheer sense of fun has been delighting fans for over 25
years.
Pressed on Neon Yellow Vinyl, 4x platinum 1999 #1 album Steptacular includes the UK number one Tragedy, plus the
classic hits Love’s Got a Hold on My Heart, Deeper Shade of Blue, Say You’ll Be Mine, After the Love Has Gone and
When I Said Goodbye.
All editions feature painstakingly rebuilt original artwork, complete with additional images and full lyrics.

Available on viny for the first time, Demon Records and Fascination proudly presents the three original Steps Studio
albums. Steps are the most successful co-ed group in British chart history. Irresistible and inimitable, their unique
blend of perfect pop anthems, dynamic dance moves and a sheer sense of fun has been delighting fans for over 25
years.
Pressed on Neon Yellow Vinyl, 4x platinum 1999 #1 album Steptacular includes the UK number one Tragedy, plus the
classic hits Love’s Got a Hold on My Heart, Deeper Shade of Blue, Say You’ll Be Mine, After the Love Has Gone and
When I Said Goodbye.
All editions feature painstakingly rebuilt original artwork, complete with additional images and full lyrics.

Step One is the debut album by British pop group Steps. It was released in the UK and Europe on 14 September 1998. The album charted at number two on the UK Albums Chart upon its release, going on to spend 64 weeks in the chart. It was beaten to number one by This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours by Manic Street Preachers, who also beat Steps' single "One for Sorrow" to number one on the UK Singles Chart with the song "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next". In February 2000, the album was re-released in the US, containing songs from both Step One and its successor, Steptacular. The tracks "5,6,7,8", "Last Thing on My Mind", "One for Sorrow", "Heartbeat" and "Better Best Forgotten" were released as the singles in UK. The album contains some covers; "Last Thing on My Mind" was originally released in the 1980s as a single by British girl group Bananarama, while "Love U More" was originally recorded by techno/house band Sunscreem. "Experienced" was originally recorded by boybands The Bario Boys & Worlds Apart, and "Stay With Me" appears on Romeo's Daughters' self-titled début album.

Step One is the debut album by British pop group Steps. It was released in the UK and Europe on 14 September 1998. The album charted at number two on the UK Albums Chart upon its release, going on to spend 64 weeks in the chart. It was beaten to number one by This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours by Manic Street Preachers, who also beat Steps' single "One for Sorrow" to number one on the UK Singles Chart with the song "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next". In February 2000, the album was re-released in the US, containing songs from both Step One and its successor, Steptacular. The tracks "5,6,7,8", "Last Thing on My Mind", "One for Sorrow", "Heartbeat" and "Better Best Forgotten" were released as the singles in UK. The album contains some covers; "Last Thing on My Mind" was originally released in the 1980s as a single by British girl group Bananarama, while "Love U More" was originally recorded by techno/house band Sunscreem. "Experienced" was originally recorded by boybands The Bario Boys & Worlds Apart, and "Stay With Me" appears on Romeo's Daughters' self-titled début album.

Available on viny for the first time, Demon Records and Fascination proudly presents the three original Steps Studio
albums. Steps are the most successful co-ed group in British chart history. Irresistible and inimitable, their unique
blend of perfect pop anthems, dynamic dance moves and a sheer sense of fun has been delighting fans for over 25
years.
Pressed neon violet vinyl, double platinum 2000 album Buzz includes the UK number one Stomp, plus the classic hits
It’s the Way You Make Me Feel, Summer of Love, Better the Devil You Know, Here and Now and You’ll Be Sorry.
All editions feature painstakingly rebuilt original artwork, complete with additional images and full lyrics.

Available on viny for the first time, Demon Records and Fascination proudly presents the three original Steps Studio
albums. Steps are the most successful co-ed group in British chart history. Irresistible and inimitable, their unique
blend of perfect pop anthems, dynamic dance moves and a sheer sense of fun has been delighting fans for over 25
years.
Pressed neon violet vinyl, double platinum 2000 album Buzz includes the UK number one Stomp, plus the classic hits
It’s the Way You Make Me Feel, Summer of Love, Better the Devil You Know, Here and Now and You’ll Be Sorry.
All editions feature painstakingly rebuilt original artwork, complete with additional images and full lyrics.

Long-time associate, LT, inputs the expected value—supplied in demand.

When Mick Mars stepped back from touring with Motley Crue - the band he co-founded more than 40 years ago - following their massive summer 2022 Stadium Tour, it seemed like the end of an era.

It was really the beginning of a new one...

The legendary guitarist, whose riffs, solos and overall devastatingly heavy sound powered the L.A. icons through four decades of world-conquering, multi-platinum sonic mayhem is, as he demonstrates on his debut solo effort, still a serious force to be reckoned with. Only now, listeners are reckoning with more Mars than ever before. "When it comes to my playing, there's the Motley side and the Mars side," the guitarist says. "Either way, I always have a very clear vision of what I want to do."

On the aptly- titled 'The Other Side of Mars', fans get that vision in its full, multifarious glory. To be sure, there are plenty of characteristically riff- tastic, tough-as-nails hard-rock anthems (the rampaging "Loyal to the Lie," the deep-in- the-pocket groove-rocker "Ain't Going Back," the hooky and melodic "Right Side of Wrong") to be heard on the record. But 'The Other Side of Mars' also shows the 71- year- old guitarist heading into new and uncharted territory, tearing through caustic, modern metal ("Broken On the Inside"), conjuring gothic- tinged soundscapes ("Undone"), digging into anguished, slow- burning power balladry ("Killing Breed") and unspooling bluesy, cinematic instrumental workouts (the album- closing guitar showcase, "L.A. Noir"). The music throughout the 10- track collection, meanwhile, is otherwise studded with slide guitars, violins, violas, keyboards, glitchy freak-outs and all manner of sonic surprises

Alanna Royale, for fans of Amy Winehouse, Lady Wray, and The Monophonics. Introducing "Trouble Is," an album that is years in the making. Produced by Kelly Finnigan of The Monophonics, this LP showcases Alanna's powerhouse voice and emotional lyrics. This is an album that you need to deep listen to. Get swept away from the lush string arrangements and feel the beat from an A-list rhythm section. This album is steeped in the sounds of the incredible R&B artists that have came before her. Come experience Alanna's vision through the incredible sounds on "Trouble Is." You might discover something new about yourself.

- The Black Angels' classic sophomore album - Special color edition pressed on Metallic Silver Wax. - Triple LP housed in a Stoughton tri-fold gatefold jacket // "The Black Angels bring the aura of mid-1966 the drilling guitars of early Velvet Underground shows, the raga inflections of late-show Fillmore jams, the acid-prayer stomp of Austin avatars the 13th Floor Elevators everywhere they go, including the levitations on their second album, Directions to See a Ghost. Mid-Eighties echoes of Spacemen 3 and the Jesus and Mary Chain also roll through the scoured-guitar sustain and Alex Maas' rocker-monk incantations. But he knows what time it is. 'You say the Beatles stopped the war," Maas sings in `Never/Ever.' `They might've helped to find a cure/But it's still not over.' Even so, this medicine works wonders." - David Fricke, Rolling Stone Last time we met The Black Angels, they were staring into the desert sun somewhere outside of Austin, Texas. Two years later, night has fallen and the spirits have come out. It's time for The Black Angels to provide Directions On How To See A Ghost. If you're familiar with Passover, the band's 2006 debut, you'll know that The Black Angels's music alone is enough to invoke spirits. There's a name for the band's sound; they call it `hypno-drone 'n roll'. It's the sound of long nights on peyote, of dreams of a new world order, and of half-invented memories of the seamy side of '60s psychedelia. While the Iraq war is still a major influence on the band's lyrics, there are new forces at work here, including Eugene Zamyatin's dystopian novel We and in Christian Bland's words "psychic information from the past and future." See, The Black Angels really are in contact with ghosts. "Civil War battlefields are prime spots for seeing ghosts," says Bland. "One time at Kennesaw mountain in Georgia, I was climbing the mountain in the middle of June and it must have been close to 100 degrees, but in this one particular spot it was very cold. The hairs on my neck stood up and I knew something strange was happening. Then the wind whispered something like `retreat,' and I did. I later learned that the spot where I was on the battlefield was known as `the dead angle', the place where the fiercest fighting took place. The confederates ended up retreating from the mountain towards Peachtree Creek." The Black Angels formed in Austin, Texas, in 2004, comprising from six people (now five) from very different backgrounds. Singer/vocalist Christian Bland is the son of a Presbyterian Pastor and was raised in a devoutly religious household. Bassist / guitarist Nate Ryan was born on a cult compound and drummer Stephanie Bailey claims she's a descendent of Davy Crocket. She and Alex Maas (vocals/guitar) believe a little girl in a red linen dress haunts the group's home. The band released Passover in 2006 to critical acclaim for both the album and the song "The First Vietnamese War". Most of all, Passover established The Black Angels as a band with brains, balls and a strong message. And this time around, the message is there to read in a 16-page booklet that comes with the album. "Our central theme is that people need to open up their minds and let everything come through, and to learn from past mistakes," says Christian. "Only then will we understand the reality of this world and progress beyond where we are now as humans. We've built upon that theme with Directions to See a Ghost. We want people to study the booklet we are providing with the album in hopes that they will be able to relate each song to something in their life." _"War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. Keep Music Evil."_

marbled green vinyl

A1 - The Cartographer
JLM Productions opens the EP with an inspiring, uplifting intro leading wonderfully towards an intricate old school atmospheric drum loop, laden with sprightly deep bass tones with crisp, clear hats and cymbals. Luscious, long swaying strings weave their magic on the ears as catchy keys sneak around the movements of a cartographer far from silent, to create a composition which will rightly sit atop your playlist for some time to come.
A2 - Fata Morgana
Showcasing his diversity in the genre and an immense ability to seamlessly mix old school jungle sensibilities with a modern atmospheric twist, Fata Morgana sees JLM Productions fuse a medley of swirling, enveloping atmospheric pads and a tight two-step breaks to form a collage of inspired vibes which will fit perfectly within a synth wave-style dancefloor set - or a good old throwback jungle mix.
AA1 - The Navigator
Breaks are on the agenda immediately with The Navigator, bringing forth a myriad of fluid drum samples, filtered and chopped with old school sensibilities shining through. Tense pad work builds the vibe with washes of synths before the breaks switch up, throwing in more surprises to the mix alongside along early 90's jungle inspired melody. We are continually treated with layers of detail and intricacies with FX as the breaks reach their final form. A real treat.
AA2 - Aleya
Closing out the EP, we see JLM Productions deftly toying with the legendary Apache break, which features heavily in the varied cluster of classic jungle breaks on display. A diverse selection of pads and keys tint the engulfing atmospheric soundscape with a quiet Sci-Fi intensity, developing and
evolving towards a stunning breakdown before the breaks
return, eventually exhaling towards a fittingly epic outro.