Playlists 

Die neue Welle des Indie-Pop. Die Band ,Touch Girl Apple Blossom" aus Austin ist dafür bekannt, ihr Herz auf der Zunge zu tragen. Und vielleicht liegt es ja an ihrem Namen, dass die Leute bei K Records das Gefühl haben, sie hätten bei K. ihren richtigen Platz gefunden.

There's a tendency in metal to mistake aggression for honesty, volume for depth. To confuse the performance of darkness with its actual weight. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest, the new album from San Francisco-based post-black metal band Bosse-de-Nage, sidesteps this entirely. It’s the group’s most fully realized work yet, precisely because it refuses to be pinned down.

Bosse-de-Nage have been working with The Flenser for over fifteen years. They were one of the first bands the label ever partnered with and have the longest active relationship in the label's history. But unlike most bands who build momentum through constant touring and visibility, Bosse-de-Nage has largely existed apart from the music world's usual machinery. They've evolved on their own terms, in relative isolation, allowing the work to develop without outside pressure or influence. What began rooted in black metal anonymity has mutated into something that actively defies categorization. The aggression is still there, but it's no longer the point. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest finds the band treating emotions like physical objects, feelings with spatial properties. “No Such Place"" describes a space that can't exist but does anyway, somewhere between thought and location. ""Immortality Project"" examines infinite possibility not as promise but as problem, endless options collapsing under their own weight. These songs don't use metaphor to describe emotion. They make emotion into something you could theoretically touch.
Tracked by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Oathbreaker) at Atomic Garden East and mixed and mastered by Richard Chowenhill of Agriculture, Hidden Fires Burn Hottest was years in development, with some tracks beginning in 2018.

The long writing process offered time that most records don't get. Time to live with ideas, revise endlessly, to let structures settle. For the first time, lyricist Bryan Manning wrote everything in advance, creating a surplus to pull from rather than working under deadline pressure. The difference shows.
Coming off Further Still, an album built on constraint and economy, Bosse-de-Nage sought the opposite: sprawl, strangeness, fewer rules. Space for ideas to develop without rushing them. Dynamics that move through quiet as much as noise. Presence earned through atmosphere instead of volume. The record even includes ""Mementos,"" which might be considered the first love song the band has ever written.

Nothing here coheres into a theme. These are pieces pulled from low moments and private feelings made public through sound. The band has never been interested in positivity, in music that resolves cleanly or offers comfort. But bleakness doesn't mean humorlessness. There's something darkly funny running through much of it, even when it shouldn't be.
Hidden Fires Burn Hottest doesn't explain itself. It just insists: what you feel is as real as what you can see."

Superb 4 tracker with a nice french speech on the drop the Akouphen tune ^^
Then goes 3 mental Eletro Acid Tribe kind of... Very Balistik style... Notice that FreePoui sounds a bit like good old school sound as if it was a meeting between Crystal and Dee and Noisebuilder ^^

There's a tendency in metal to mistake aggression for honesty, volume for depth. To confuse the performance of darkness with its actual weight. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest, the new album from San Francisco-based post-black metal band Bosse-de-Nage, sidesteps this entirely. It’s the group’s most fully realized work yet, precisely because it refuses to be pinned down.

Bosse-de-Nage have been working with The Flenser for over fifteen years. They were one of the first bands the label ever partnered with and have the longest active relationship in the label's history. But unlike most bands who build momentum through constant touring and visibility, Bosse-de-Nage has largely existed apart from the music world's usual machinery. They've evolved on their own terms, in relative isolation, allowing the work to develop without outside pressure or influence. What began rooted in black metal anonymity has mutated into something that actively defies categorization. The aggression is still there, but it's no longer the point. Hidden Fires Burn Hottest finds the band treating emotions like physical objects, feelings with spatial properties. “No Such Place"" describes a space that can't exist but does anyway, somewhere between thought and location. ""Immortality Project"" examines infinite possibility not as promise but as problem, endless options collapsing under their own weight. These songs don't use metaphor to describe emotion. They make emotion into something you could theoretically touch.
Tracked by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Oathbreaker) at Atomic Garden East and mixed and mastered by Richard Chowenhill of Agriculture, Hidden Fires Burn Hottest was years in development, with some tracks beginning in 2018.

The long writing process offered time that most records don't get. Time to live with ideas, revise endlessly, to let structures settle. For the first time, lyricist Bryan Manning wrote everything in advance, creating a surplus to pull from rather than working under deadline pressure. The difference shows.
Coming off Further Still, an album built on constraint and economy, Bosse-de-Nage sought the opposite: sprawl, strangeness, fewer rules. Space for ideas to develop without rushing them. Dynamics that move through quiet as much as noise. Presence earned through atmosphere instead of volume. The record even includes ""Mementos,"" which might be considered the first love song the band has ever written.

Nothing here coheres into a theme. These are pieces pulled from low moments and private feelings made public through sound. The band has never been interested in positivity, in music that resolves cleanly or offers comfort. But bleakness doesn't mean humorlessness. There's something darkly funny running through much of it, even when it shouldn't be.
Hidden Fires Burn Hottest doesn't explain itself. It just insists: what you feel is as real as what you can see."

Superb 4 tracker with a nice french speech on the drop the Akouphen tune ^^
Then goes 3 mental Eletro Acid Tribe kind of... Very Balistik style... Notice that FreePoui sounds a bit like good old school sound as if it was a meeting between Crystal and Dee and Noisebuilder ^^

Two fantastic tracks that Guacamayo Tropical has released in seven-inch format.

Foundations Records brings you their hotly anticipated third release from Sonar's Ghost on Rinse Out EP - a bold four-tracker of breakbeat jungle, atmospheric jungle and jungle-tekno.

Sonar's Ghost

Starting out DJing in the peak hardcore era of 1992, Dominic Stanton rose as a post-hip-hop and ragga kid, cutting his teeth at free parties across the Shires. Drawn into the new directions of hardcore and jungle, he earned early gigs at the legendary Sanctuary, Milton Keynes, performing as Dom-unique.

Learning the art of beat-chopping on the Amiga 500, Dom landed his first release on Reinforced Records in 1995 and continued releasing into the 2000s as Static Imprints and Sonar Circle. Inspired by Dego and the evolving trajectory of 4hero, Dom began moving into more unexplored territory, producing eclectic, soulful beats under the name Domu.

After a brief hiatus, Sonar's Ghost was born - an outlet to explore the years Sonar Circle missed, from 1991 to 1995. Creating alternate journeys through that era, Sonar's Ghost reimagines the original sound palette using original sources, new blends of beats, and a lifetime of musical influence. For Dom, Sonar's Ghost is his happy place.

The Foundations release blends the eras and directions Dom loves most - from '93 bouncy darkside through to '03 drum funk - with authentic drums and samples integral to the vibe.

Here's the support on radio:

- Makossa (Radio FM4 Vienna)
- Distant Planet (Infrared FM)
- Sun People (Sub FM)
- Alex Ruder (KEXP Seattle)
- Haus of Beats (Txapa Irratia)
- Haus of Beats (Txapa Irratia)
- Tom Ravenscroft (Rinse FM)
- Jon1st (Subtle Radio)
- Martha (NTS / BBC R1)
- Harper (Czworka Polskie Radio)
- Gremlinz (89.5FM Toronto)
- N-Type (Rinse FM)
- Michelle (NTS)
- Mathieu Schreyer (KCRW, LA)
- Darkerthanwax (The Lot Radio)
- Bevin Campbell (PBSFM Aus)
- Errol Anderson (NTS)
- Ian (94.9 CHRW)
- OPR8 (Sub FM)
- Tramma (Noods)
- Carlos Contreras (Tilos Radio Budapest)
- Jay Scarlett (BR Puls Munich)
- DJ Tuco (91.90FM Prague)
- Ed2000 (Cashmere / The Face)
- Vinyl Junkie (Eruption Radio)
- Klaus Fiehe (1WDR)
- Benji B (BBC 1Xtra)

Mit Sexistential meldet sich Robyn mit ihrem bislang poppigsten Album zurück. Nach dem atmosphärischen Honey (2018) rückt sie wieder klar strukturierte Popsongs ins Zentrum - neun prägnante Tracks, entstanden an einem persönlichen Nullpunkt. Nach dem Ende einer langen Beziehung ordnete Robyn ihr Leben neu, entschied sich bewusst für eine alleinerziehende Mutterschaft und setzte sich intensiv mit Sexualität, Nähe, Unabhängigkeit und Identität auseinander. Die Arbeit am Album begann 2020 und wurde von der Pandemie geprägt. Aufgrund geschlossener Grenzen arbeitete Robyn ausschließlich mit schwedischen Weggefährten, allen voran Produzent Klas Âhlund. Ergänzt wird das Album durch Co-Writes mit Max Martin - die erste Zusammenarbeit seit Body Talk - sowie eine neu bearbeitete Version von Blow My Mind, ihrem Sohn gewidmet. Klanglich verbindet Sexistential klassische Popstrukturen mit einer hypermodernen Produktion. Thematisch kreist das Album um Lust, Verletzlichkeit und Kontrollverlust - und um das Spannungsfeld zwischen Emotion und Biologie. Die Single Dopamine beschreibt Verlangen zugleich als Gefühl und chemischen Prozess, geprägt von Robyns Erfahrungen mit IVF. Humor und Selbstironie durchziehen den Titeltrack, während Songs wie Sucker for Love romantische Liebe verteidigen, ohne naive Rollenbilder zu reproduzieren. Sexistential steht für künstlerische Integrität, bewusste Offenheit und einen selbstbestimmten Neubeginn - riskant, ehrlich und voller Hoffnung.

As Selofan's fifth studio album, Vitrioli, from 2018, is a testament to the tragedy of life. The Greek duo, Joanna Pavlidou and Dimitris Pavlidis, who recorded the album in the Fabrika Records home studio, continue on in their poetic, but heartbreaking, music set to a dance beat. Between languages (Greek, English, German, and Spanish), Selofan feels on the brink of mania with Vitroli. However, the madness is controlled, the songs are restrained hysterics that culminate into the alchemic perfection of the band's specific moody sound.
From synthpop to synthpunk elements, the twelve-track LP leads listeners through dark corridors and into haunted, empty beds. There is a resignation to a doomed destiny with Vitroli—a trait that connects all Selofan releases—as a bitter pain and loneliness that cannot, or will not, subside.

The album begins with "Give Me a Reason" whose lyrics feel universal in this day and age: Give me a reason, to get out of bed / I could just watch the ceiling instead. Its heartbreak is profound as bells and voice pads echo under Joanna's voice. The adjacent music video for the song was directed by Dimitris Chaz Lee, and the band describes the video as "depicting the fragile nature, conflicts, emotional demands, and vulnerability of each person in a relationship."
"Billie Was a Vampire" is a story about an undead creature who works at a nightclub followed by the urgency of "Black Box." Brass sounds moan against the fast beat and suggest a frenzied need to escape.

"I'm Addicted" became the second single for the LP. I am addicted, you are mine, Joanna demands of the lover. The music video, also directed by Dimitris Chaz Lee, depicts a clean, white photoshoot primed for the most beautiful creatures of the Athenian wave scene. Alex Macharias, from the legendary Greek band In Trance 95, acts as the photographer for the session, as the models pose and flail under the bright bulbs. The director states: "Addiction is a mental state, something inside all of us. It altered our perception and created a parallel world of avant-garde beings and flashy lights making us part of this everlasting bond."

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The second album from Big Owl, Bird T, Rusty Take-Off & Deformed Wing has been repressed on an all new 2 x 12” ‘Mask’ colourway (never to be repressed in this colourway).

Home to classics including ‘Assassination’ feat. Dirty Dike, ‘Old Earth’ and the legendary ‘Think Twice’ produced by DJ Premier, the 16-track album changed the game for the Owls and is a certified High Focus classic.

Limited edition pressing of 500 copies.

The Four Owls debut album ’Nature’s Greatest Mystery’ returns on 2x12” Black and Yellow Galaxy Repress across 500 copies (never to be repressed in this colourway).

Celebrating FIFTEEN YEARS since the original release (and with rumours of a new album in the works) ’Nature’s Greatest Mystery’ Black and Yellow Galaxy Repress is a critically acclaimed UKHH classic!

The Four Owls are Big Owl (Fliptrix), Rusty Take-Off (BVA), Bird T (Verb T) and Deformed Wing (Leaf Dog) who also handles all of the production.

’Nature’s Greatest Mystery' features guest appearances from Q-Unique (Arsonists), Dirty Dike and Jam Baxter. A critically acclaimed modern day UKHH classic!

Limited edition pressing of 500 copies.

Black and yellow galaxy vinyl, full colour 350gsm reverse board gatefold sleeve. 14-track album. Shrink wrapped.

Campbell Owens, Douglas MacIntyre and Mick Slaven worked on the album alongside founding members Robert 'Bobby Bluebell' Hodgens, David McCluskey and Ken McCluskey to create the new collection of tracks. The result is a stunning body of work; rich, melodic, thoughtful and infectious. First single No Pasaran! premiered on BBC Radio Scotland and in The Herald in September 2025. The Bluebells rose to fame in the 1980s as jangle-pop pioneers of the Sound of Young Scotland era with their three hits Young at Heart, Cath and I'm Falling.

Despite only releasing one readily-available album during their initial run (Sisters, 1984) the band have remained as one of Scotland's most beloved bands, currently boasting over 144,000 monthly Spotify listeners. The band enjoyed a post-breakup revival in 1993 after a Volkswagen advert featured Young at Heart, pushing the single to No.1 for 4 weeks. They have since reunited over the years, to play various festival slots and develop new material. In 2023, the band released The Bluebells In The 21st Century, their first LP in decades. In 2025, The Bluebells played Glastonbury.

Three next level remixes with corresponding instrumentals all done by the legendary PREFUSE 73: "BUTTERFLIES" feat. STEVE SPACEK, "BLAMO!" feat. COL RED, and "GO TO SLEEP" feat. COL RED. Vocals on the A-side, instrumental mixes on the B-side. Custom die cut sleeve.

Internationally acclaimed producer INKSWEL makes a vibrant return to his house and club foundations with a powerful new 7 track EP. Featuring reworks from ANTON ZAP & SEAN McCABE and a never heard before collaboration with the late great ERIK RICO.

This genre-bending 4 track EP blends organic, instrumental performance with the electronic production of ORNETTE HAWKINS' previous dnb offerings. Opening with a deceptively straight-ahead sound before collapsing into soundscapes of futuristic realms. Full pic sleeve.

TMAC returns with a raw Chicago house banger inspired by tape-deck tracks From the early days of house. One-sided cut with two mixes on colored wax, this joint delivers funky synths, hard-hitting drums, and peak dance floor pressure.

ROOTS RECORDINGS takes some of their stand out digital releases and drops them on this 4 track EP. LOVE ATHLETICS & SEAN MCNULTY's "QUEEN" is on here in two bumpin' tech house mixes b/w DAN LAINO's bumpin' house track "UNDER THE LIGHT", original mix and the CORY WELLS remix. Funky, jackin' and deep!

With ASN002, Any Second Now presents the label’s second release. Sitting somewhere between Tech House and Deep House, this EP blends stripped-back grooves with warm, atmospheric depth. Featuring “The Sun” on the A-side and “The Rainfall” on the B-side, Zcelli Forever delivers two tracks that work just as well in the club as they do in more focused listening environments. Clear in rhythm, subtle in arrangement, and rich in mood, the record unfolds with both drive and emotional texture.

After that album, in addition to an intense schedule of headlining shows, she was invited to support prestigious artists such as experimental folk paladins Heilung and the historic gothic rock band The Cult on their extensive tours across Europe and the United Kingdom. It was during her performance at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, as part of the tour with Heilung and Eivor, that the album "Live in London" (2024) was recorded -- a testament to her overwhelming performative power, a cathartic ritual capable of transcending genres and styles.

Blending folk metal, dark ambient, pagan ritual, psychedelia and operatic elements, and entirely composed, performed and sung by Lili Refrain, "Nagalite" combines in its title two words: "Naga," from Sanskrit, meaning "serpent," bearer of ancient knowledge; and "Lite," from the Greek lithos, "stone," something that endures beyond space and time, embodying earth, world and family. From this fusion emerges a symbolic being -- a stone- serpent -- the living body of metamorphosis, emblem of an imaginary transformation through four serpentine alchemical states, the four tracks that make up the suite. It is a sonic reflection on an era marked by war and horror, in which the artist traces a possibility of resilience and new life.

This is the second studio album by American soul singer-songwriter and producer Bill Withers, released in 1972. The rhythmic music produced for the record features soul, funk, and blues sounds, backing lyrics that explore themes of human nature, emotion,

Rooted in the deeper corners of minimal house and micro-driven grooves. UTROWAX001 marks the first wax chapter from Utro Records with Hive Minded EP, a refined and elegant three-track selection by Peter Zherebtsov, Vid, and Herck. Rooted in the deeper corners of minimal house and micro-driven grooves, this release brings together subtle textures, reduced rhythms, and a strong sense of late-night atmosphere. Wrapped in beautiful artwork and backed by a great minimal track selection, UTROWAX001 is a tasteful debut that captures the essence of understated dancefloor functionality and timeless after-hours appeal.

GALA announce Ten Years of GALA – a compilation marking a decade of independent culture

Ten Years of GALA is both an archive and a horizon: a reflection on where GALA has come from, and a signal of what lies ahead.

Founded in 2016 as a one-day gathering in South London, GALA has grown into a global point of reference for dancers, artists and collectives drawn together by a shared commitment to independence, collaboration and underground music culture. Rather than charting success through scale alone, the festival has consistently prioritised integrity, community and musical curiosity – values that underpin this release.

Spanning fifteen tracks, Ten Years of GALA unfolds as a considered journey. It opens with an intimate spoken contribution from Charlie Dark, grounding the compilation firmly in GALA’s home of Peckham before gradually expanding outward into fuller, club-focused terrain. From there, the record moves between moods and tempos, tracing a path from reflective moments into the physical language of the dancefloor.

The compilation brings together longtime friends of the festival alongside newer voices drawn into its orbit in recent years. Each artist contributes a distinct perspective, but collectively the tracks form a coherent portrait – not of a single sound, but of a shared ethos shaped over ten years of gatherings, collaborations and days spent dancing together.

Rather than a retrospective in the conventional sense, Ten Years of GALA functions as a living document. It captures fragments of past editions, scenes and relationships, while remaining firmly oriented toward the future. These are not museum pieces, but records designed to be played, shared and folded back into the spaces from which they came.

Together, the compilation holds a piece of GALA’s first decade – not as a closed chapter, but as a foundation for what comes next.

ACTIVITY FM returns with AFM004, a four-track various artists release that cuts across electro, techno, house and Detroit-inspired machine funk. Each artist brings a distinct voice, yet the EP holds together as one focused statement for the floor: raw, futuristic and full of movement. Stripped-back but powerful, rooted in machine soul yet open to different regional energies and approaches. The result is a VA that feels cohesive without losing the individuality of its contributors, a versatile and high-impact 12” aimed squarely at adventurous dance floors.

ACTIVITY FM returns with AFM004, a four-track various artists release that cuts across electro, techno, house and Detroit-inspired machine funk. Each artist brings a distinct voice, yet the EP holds together as one focused statement for the floor: raw, futuristic and full of movement. Stripped-back but powerful, rooted in machine soul yet open to different regional energies and approaches. The result is a VA that feels cohesive without losing the individuality of its contributors, a versatile and high-impact 12” aimed squarely at adventurous dance floors.

A deep and sophisticated addition to the catalogue of one of Germany’s oldest House labels. With Rhythm Puzzle, Bass Cab returns to Cabinet Records, one of Germany’s longest-standing and most respected House labels, continuing a legacy that has shaped underground dance music with quiet confidence and unmistakable identity for decades. Few labels have managed to preserve such a clear artistic vision over such a long period of time. Cabinet Records has always stood for depth over trends, substance over spectacle, and a deeply rooted connection to the essence of House music.

Analogue Audio Archive, Issue One (AAA001VA) moves between focused listening and the dancefloor, exploring the correlation between machine-made sound and human feeling. Featuring Linear System, Hugo Rolan, Translate, and Ben Behrendt.

Raw, focused, and deeply machine-driven, a record that embraces the essence of hardware-based production with confidence, energy, and character. There is no excess here, no unnecessary decoration, just a direct and powerful sound shaped by tension, movement, and the unmistakable warmth of true analog gear. Techno record built for dark rooms, serious systems, and lovers of authentic machine music. A powerful release that captures analog techno in its most direct and effective form.

PLEASURE ZONE welcomes Johnny D to the label family!

A man who don't needs any introducion delievered here two great tracks with this significant own sound. very strong debut and highly recommended!

GAEREA ist nichts weniger als ein fantastisches Rätsel, tief verwurzelt in Extremen und leidenschaftlicher Hingabe. In weniger als einem Jahrzehnt hat das maskierte Kollektiv, das in der portugiesischen Stadt Porto gegründet wurde, unzählige dunkle Facetten des Metal getestet und präsentiert nun mit "Loss" sein fünftes Album sowie Debüt bei Century Media Records.
"Wir haben das getan, was wir immer getan haben - wir sind unserem Instinkt gefolgt", sagt der anonyme Sänger von GAEREA. "Doch etwas sagt mir, dass dieses neue Album Elemente hat, die sowohl unsere neuen als auch unsere alten Fans lieben werden - aber es ist nicht gerade genau das, was sie von uns erwarten."
"Loss" definiert GAEREA neu und verquickt Elemente aus ihrer Post-Black-Metal Vergangenheit mit eindringlichen Melodien zu raffinierten Klanglandschaften. Dabei schlüpft die Band aus dem kreativen Kokon, um sich in etwas ebenso Mitreißendes wie Unerwartetes zu verwandeln: Es gibt Klargesang. Es gibt Refrains, die so eingängig und leidenschaftlich sind wie die besten Rock- und Metal-Songs. Und doch ist es unverkennbar GAEREA.
Die maskierte und ritualisierte Bühnenpräsenz der Band ist nicht nur Teil einer Show, sondern ein integraler Bestandteil von GAEREA, der ihre musikalische Extremität auf ein philosophisches, avantgardistisches Level hebt. Ihre Uniformen bieten dabei eine gesichtslose und androgyne Leinwand, die es ihnen erlaubt, sich in vollkommen in ihre Performance zu stürzen, die nicht zuletzt durch eine gewisse Körperlichkeit in ihren Bann zieht. Trotz ihrer dunklen Präsenz versprüht die Band stets einen Hauch von Transzendenz und Positivität. Mit "Loss" verschmelzen GAEREA die Ästhetik des Extreme Metal, die Offenheit des Post-Rock und einen freigelegten, emotionalen Nerv zu einem neuen musikalischen Paradigma.
Das ist GAEREA.
"Loss" ist erhältlich als: Ltd. CD Digipak in O-Card, LP, Digital Album

Featuring legendary artists and studio collectives including The Revolutionaries, The Aggrovators, Niney & The Observers, Twelve Tribes of Israel, Ken Boothe, Gregory Isaacs, Jimmy Riley and Phil Pratt , this release delivers deep basslines, spacious mixes and timeless rhythms.

Released in time for April, the album naturally aligns with long-established countercultural tradition , while remaining a serious, archival document of roots reggae and dub at its most atmospheric and powerful. An essential vinyl dub released on 180-gram incl. sleeve notes for reggae collectors, sound-system enthusiasts and vinyl buyers alike.

This EP marks a natural convergence for Primal Instinct. Built around pure dancefloor intent, it presents a focused spectrum of moods, unified by intent. Each track is unmistakably Temudo, and unmistakably Primal Instinct: physical, driven, and designed to move bodies first and foremost.
The release is the result of close collaboration between Temudo and the label. A shared framework took shape, allowing Temudo to adapt to the vision without altering his sound, forming a joint effort where two aesthetics align.
Visually, an image rooted in memories of Carnival in Temudo's hometown becomes the perfect symbol: chaotic, social, and in constant motion, reflecting the absurdity of life and the human condition.

He was trying to survive. The album was born from loss, written in the quiet aftermath of his closest friend Dean Jendoubi's passing. In that stillness, Burnside stripped everything back. Gone were the dense textures and surreal folk tales; what remained were bare, trembling songs that told the truth.

RAWAX welcomes Demuja to the artist family!
We are very happy to present you this outstanding artist from Austria with his first release on CHIWAX. Great house vibes full of groove and good vibrations!
Highly recommended!

While many have tried to emulate the ancient German (black)thrash sound, CRUEL FORCE brimmed with an authenticity that could not be denied, as well as songwriting that added to that noble tradition rather than lazily picking at its corpse. Their two successive albums, 2010's The Rise of Satanic Might and 2011's Under the Sign of the Moon, made CRUEL FORCE a certifiably CULT name in the international metal underground. Sadly, the band fell into a hiatus following that second album, but returned reinvigorated with the comeback 7" EP Across the Styx in 2022 and, a year later, the glorious full- length Dawn of the Axe at the hands of new label home SHADOW KINGDOM. Continuing to make up for lost time, CRUEL FORCE storm back with swords gleaming high on their fourth full- length, Haneda.

Where a line could be drawn between the band's "first era" of The Rise of Satanic Might / Under the Sign of the Moon, so continues this Second Era that began with Dawn of the Axe - one that harkens to the "Jurassic period" of heavy metal, when everything was rawer, less polished, and more energetic and powerful. As displayed by that pivotal predecessor, Haneda further proves that CRUEL FORCE are more so an old-style speed metal band, largely bereft of that blackened edge during their First Era. The tradeoff is that there's a prominent mysticism coursing through that speed, and the blue-collared aspect of Dawn of the Axe is now spit-shined to a lethal slickness that makes Haneda hit that much harder.

However, it must be stressed that, while it follows logically from Dawn of the Axe, Haneda is very much its own headspace, its own continuation of a still-vital aesthetic. At times more epic, exuding both more and different atmospheres, CRUEL FORCE here take the listener on a journey from old temples to desert planes, from deep jungles to mountain tops, and other mysterious locales beyond; indeed, the whole record is like a journey through mystical realms. Although no concept album, Haneda is very conceptual in its aesthetics, even down to its production: BIG and naturaltoned, from the guitars to especially the drums, everything here is as '80s and authentic as possible, underlining

First issued in 1990 on the UK's 'Faze 1 FM' label, Trevor Dale's SMILING / SUMMER 88 has become somewhat of a holy grail house record. This is the first time these tracks have been re-issued in any form.

Also included here are two other tracks from his Torrington Foe side-project: 'Take Me Back' from 1990 (featuring vocals from Chicago's Robert Owens) and the deep acid cut 'Morning Shuffle' from 1994.

Dale had the ability to create timeless tracks that still echo decades later - this release will leave you nostalgic for the early London club days.