Pop & Rock News

Brooklyn trio Forma's latest LP continues their mission to 'broaden the idea of what an electronic music ensemble can sound like.' Semblance emerged from exploratory sessions at The Schoolhouse, the Bushwick loft where members Mark Dwinell and John Also Bennett live, then was tracked at Gary's Electric studios, where their previous album Physicalist was also recorded.
Inspired by polyrhythmic composition, the human voice, and conceptual improvisation strategies, the songs are striking in their textural detail and emotional nuance, alternately synthetic and sentient, futuristic and intuitive. Incorporating flute, piano, guitar, saxophone, acoustic drums and cymbals alongside an array of synthesizers, the record persuasively demonstrates the group's unique playing abilities and fluid chemistry - attributes they credit to 'techniques we've developed to trick our electronic machines into mimicking the spontaneous character of live instruments.'
Members George and John Also Bennett also cite as an influence their recent stint in minimalist composer Jon Gibson's ensemble, performing his 1973 proto-ambient masterwork Visitations. The long- form modal piece requires restraint and deep listening to execute, qualities especially apparent in the more muted moments of Semblance, such as 'Rebreather' and 'New City.'
The group states the intent of the new album as 'to be more direct and exacting', which it is. Over half a decade spent writing and recording together has distilled Forma's hybrid electro-acoustic interplay into an attuned and astounding language, capable of articulating impossible symmetries and reflective states.
The stunning visuals of the artwork are by frequent collaborator of the group Peter Burr.

Originally released in 1982 on the DRO label, "La Marca De Anubis" was the debut album by LOS INICIADOS, an obscure project related to legendary Spanish synth-pop band AVIADOR DRO. Always shrouded in mystery, Los Iniciados decided to hide their identities behind masks. The only visible and confirmed member was Arco Iris (aka Marta Cervera, also on Aviador Dro) and according to rumours, behind the other nicknames we find Biovac N (Servando Carballar, founder of Aviador Dro and the DRO label) plus members of Alphaville (the Spanish post-punk band).

On "La Marca De Anubis" we also find Jesús Arias (of punk band T.N.T.) on electric guitar. The album was produced by Servando Carballar (Aviador Dro). Dark & eerie MINIMAL SYNTH / DARK WAVE sounds with a POST-PUNK edge, highly influenced by THE RESIDENTS, Dadaism, performance art and ancient Egyptian cults. Including cult classics like 'Peter Pan', 'Soy el vacío' and more!

Dark minimal synth electronics & experimental sounds by LOS INICIADOS, a mysterious project - highly influenced by The Residents - related to legendary Spanish synth-pop band AVIADOR DRO.

This is their rare and sought-after second album, originally released in 1983 on the DRO label as the soundtrack to a puppet stage play, based on ALFRED JARRY'S 'UBU ROI'.

If you want to know what Gabe Gurnsey's debut album
'Physical' sounds like, the first thing you should do is forget all
about Factory Floor, the group he co-founded 13 years ago.
Gone are the cold, lengthy, stripped back deconstructions of no
wave electronica and industrial techno, abandoned in favour of
something altogether warmer, torrid and succinct.
'It's a real departure from Factory Floor,' he explains. 'Yeah,
that was the intention. There's only one track over six minutes
long! There's only one crossover point on the song 'Night
Track', which is 6'33' - that's probably as close to Factory Floor
as it gets. What I wanted to get into with 'Physical' had more to
do with exploring songwriting and structure. The album is very
escapist in one sense even though I don't want to escape from
Factory Floor but what I do on my own has to be separate and
it has to explore new avenues.' Gurnsey started writing tracks in his downtime from the group early 2017 and by the start of that Summer he had 30 demos ready for work. He admits he worked very quickly initially but then gave the tracks 12 months to develop fully into a new sound.
And that new sound - a 21st Century take on muscular electro,
Balearic synth pop, EBM, proto-Hacienda militant funk, early
Chicago house and minimal, Neptunes-referencing beats - can
be experienced in full on 'Physical' the album released on Erol
Alkan's Phantasy label. The album features additional production from Erol Alkan, who also mixed the record.
Double LP format includes printed inner sleeves and digital
download code. Press - Reviews in Q, Loud & Quiet, The Quietus, Record Collector, Uncut.
Features in Loud & Quiet, Electronic Sound, Q, Clash, The Quietus, Gigwise, Silver Soundz.








[]I C2 | I Get
[]J C3 | Version

FEATHERED SUN is the collaborative experiment from Acid Pauli, NU, Jo.Ke, Raz Ohara, Chris Schwarzwalder and Iannis Ritter. They fuse a celebration of spirit with moody atmospheric melodies, trying to celebrate moments in time through their music.
Friends for years, they hang out, with or without kids, and cook, eat, breathe, record and produce in different combinations and locations, with Berlin and Peru as their main bases. With a wide ranged sound that is at the same time familiar, they start to draw ever bigger circles, touring the world and accumulating hits, especially NU with the still topical "Who loves the Sun", sung with Jo.Ke's haunting voice.

The Long Now is a duo featuring Richard Norris and Finnur Bjarnason, with special guests. They mix piano, voice, string section and electronics with the sound of the Icelandic breeze. The music sits within the post ambient, electronic, contemporary classical genre, with a strong sense of landscape, mood and melody. Richard Norris One half of the Grid, alongside Soft Cell's Dave Ball, one half of Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve with Erol Alkan... Richard Norris has a thing about working as a duo. With many productions and remixes under his belt, including tracks for Warpaint, Brian Eno, Tame Impala and many more, Richard brings an electronic sensibility to the Long Now. He has a long term passion for ambient, electronic, drone, soundtrack and modern classical music. Finnur Bjarnason Finnur Bjarnason is an Icelandic musician whose background is in classical music. Having trained to be an opera singer, rst in his native Reykjavík and later at the Guildhall School of Music and National Opera Studio in London, he then pursued an international career as an operatic tenor for over a decade, appearing in many of the world's most prestigious opera houses, singing everything from Montiverdi to Wagner to modern opera. As he has become ever more interested in where the boundaries between musical worlds get blurry, and particularly how the sound world of 'acoustic' singing world could best intersect with electronic music, he has begun an earnest exploration of the 'other side'. The Long Now play the Blue Dot Festival on Sat July 21st, with more dates to follow. The performance will be accompanied by a lm by BAFTA award winning director Kieran Evans, recently shot in Iceland. The band are currently preparing an album and series of live performances featuring piano, voice, electronics and string quintet.

All tracks of the EP are accompanied by Idil Meºe's soft as summer rain vocals and lyrics rhyming on stories of streets. The EP will be released under Kanto Records label, the newly established contemporary platform focused primarily on experimental music and the arts, founded by Oceanvs Orientalis himself. Featuring many esteemed musicians such as Ilhan Ersahin, Idil Mese, Hasan Gozetlik and Ali Ceyhun Kartalsuna, 'General Tales of Ordinary Madness' EP consists four tracks, recorded over a year in New York and Istanbul.

Komponist und Produzent Ben Chatwin kreiert in seinem Heimstudio in South Queensferry, Schottland eine eigene musikalische Sprache im Spannungsfeld zwischen
elektronischen und akustischen Sounds. Heraus kommt eine gewagte, lebhafte und emotionale Mischung mit traditioneller Struktur. Der Nachfolger zu The Sleeper Awakes (2015) und Heat & Entropy (2016), Staccato Signals, ist Bens drittes Album unter seinem eigenen Namen. Es ist verwegener und ambitionierter als Alles, was er zuvor geschrieben hat. Eine fast schon aggressive Dunkelheit wird von melodischem Lichtschimmer durchsetzt. Diese Balance zwischen akustisch und elektronisch gibt Staccato Signals den besonderen
Charakter. 'Staccato Signals' wird Fans von Ben Frost, Board of Canada und Tim Hecker gefallen. Ben trat schon mit bekannten Künstlern wie William Basinski, Hauschka, Tim Hecker,
Oneohtrix Point Never und Loscil auf.

Last Part Of This Irresistible Chic-Tribute Trilogy. Killer Killer Killer !

New Album by Honne!

On Video Age's forthcoming album Pop Therapy, out June 22nd via Inflated Records, longtime friends and songwriting partners Ross Farbe and Ray Micarelli conjure up a thrilling assortment of experimental pop songs. Using a palette of vintage synthesizers and the propulsion of a Sequential Circuits Drumtraks drum machine, the New Orleans-based group's buoyant synth-pop echoes from some imagined vision of the past, leaning on an invented nostalgia to soundtrack an ideal future that never arrived. Video Age brings that future fully to life on Pop Therapy. Emerging from New Orleans' DIY scene and label collectives, Farbe and Micarelli were intrigued by each other's songwriting among several curiously satisfying guitar pop bands. As a producer and prolific engineer, Farbe has helmed some of the most exciting releases from genre-pushing New Orleans artists, whose singular visions are made possible with his gifted ear and love of tape recording. Micarelli's talent for crafting simple, tangible melodies complements Farbe's studio world-building, letting ideas drift until they emerge into impressive arrangements. The pair's seemingly effortless gift for crafting earworm hooks was glimpsed on their 2016 debut Living Alone, a gorgeous collection of guitar-driven melancholy. On Pop Therapy, they're joined by Duncan Troast, Nick Corson and Jordan Odom, taking inspiration from the limitless possibility on sonic canvases of the late 1970s and early 1980s (Yellow Magic Orchestra, McCartney II, Donald Fagen's The Nightfly). Where Living Alone catalogued the solitude of reflecting on what was and could have been, the sentimental love songs on Pop Therapy gaze longingly at the likeliness of a brighter tomorrow.

New Album From Critically-acclaimed Band Who Recently Featured On Public Service Broadcasting's Uk No. 4 Album 'every Valley'

There Is No Elsewhere Is Haiku Salut's Third Album And Sees The Acclaimed Trio From Derbyshire Continue Their Distinctive Re-imagining Of Dreampop And Rural Electronica. Influenced By The Evocative Film Soundtracks Of Yann Tiersen And Benoît Charest, The Genre-melting Electronica Of Early Múm, And The Impressionistic Writing Of Haruki Murakami, The Band Have Previously Released Two Critically Acclaimed Albums Whilst Last Year They Collaborated With Public Service Broadcasting On The Track 'they Gave Me A Lamp', Which Featured On The Psb's Top Five Album, Every Valley.

RAVEDIT presents dance/pop music in the style of Rian Treanor. Across four radical edits, familiar and obscure ohrwurms are dissected and flipped in thrilling new ways, rendering razor sharp
and playfully nutty updates of Pakistani film music, Eurodance set-pieces and seminal synth-pop classics.
Rian extracts and accentuates their hooks in series of jabbing, asymmetric reductions for the 'floor with results intended to rewire muscle memories and inject the club with a healthy dose of
advanced daftness. In each part Rian exerts a singular spin on timeless evergreens, demonstrating his roots in hip hop and UK dance music's sampling cultures, while exemplifying an inexorable, personalised push for new patterns of dancefloor possibility.
All material has been thoroughly disruptive in a variety of situations, from midsummer rites at IMMA to Radio 1Xtra to freak raves in Salford and, most recently, as part of Rian's Boiler Room
performance in Helsinki, the latter of which drew opposing criticism from its YouTube viewers; prompting Wayne Cloete to remark 'what do you call this cos it aint music its like a production
that went wrong or still trying to figure out the beat', whereas Viktor Štech claimed Rian to be a 'genius with rhythm.' To be fair they're both right, but only one of them knows it.
Basically the A-side is mental party fuel - especially if you like alcopops, Lollywood soundtracks or Ferris Bueller's Day Off - while the B-side turns 3 mins of '80s pop brilliance into a 14 minute+ monster cannily riffing on the idea of deferred gratification.

The first of two wonderful new full lengths for Polytechnic Youth for the first week in July. This is a debut release on vinyl for Spanish based Jordi Navarra whose musical oeuvre stretches between 'Surf, Hippie / Space Rock and crude electronic music' often different yet coated in tons of reverb and echo for 'it's final catalepsy'! 'Micromundos,' needless to say for PY devotees, concentrates on his cruder electronic soundscapes; incredible often ambient, drone themed pieces that on one hand dip their toes into the revered works of Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Moebius, and the sky back catalogue whilst equally conjuring up a collision of Spacemen 3 psych meets Wire, early Cabs or Magazine darker more atmospheric, post punk industrial / experimental workouts. Eight abstract, kosmische fuelled pieces that act as an interesting sister release to the label's other July offering, the more overtly 'in-yr-face' synth pop themed Mitra Mitra LP. Two beautiful releases expected to sell out pretty swiftly, and released together first week of July.

Miley, what's good The lunatic pop princess dropped her surprise new album for free at the end of her hosting gig a few years ago at the MTV Awards. And it's a doozy: a psychedelic concept trip about sex, drugs and her dead blowfish, mostly created in collaboration with the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne. The songs reference this exciting new drug called "pot," which Miley has discovered and would like to explain to the rest of us. Result: The ex-Disney moppet moans, "How dare you bring another chick in our bed/You lucky I'm doing my yoga or you might be dead."

"Something About Space Dude" is the real killer here — an aching acoustic sex ballad about a Bowie boy who isn't even there, leaving her to sob, "I want to be there skateboarding in a space dude's evil lair." Most of Dead Petz sounds pretty much like the Lips' latter-day output — she aims for Coyne-like high notes that don't suit her lowdown voice. But she scores wacko successes like "Milky Milky Milk," "Cyrus Skies" and "Slab of Butter (Scorpion)," along with cameos from Big Sean, Ariel Pink and producer Mike Will Made It. Her best line: "Your lips get me so wet/While I'm singing all the verses from the Tibetan Book of the Dead." Relax and float downstream, girl.

- 23 TRACKS
- HEAVYWEIGHT VINYL

/ABRINA & SAMANTHA is the newest Ed Banger records signature a brand new project born from the meeting of confirmed producers Julien Briffaz (Bot'ox) and Laurent Bardainne (Poni Hoax) where mental and dancing techno collide, obviously influenced by tribal tones and the most radical grooves (be reassured! didgeridoo is prohibited)

2LP+CD 180g

- 380gr Deluxe Sleeve LP incl. CD, Download & Postcard
- Limitierte Edition von 333
Das Düsseldorfer Duo BAR, bestehend aus Stabile Elite Musiker Lucas Croon und Christina Irrgang, debütiert mit einer musikalische Klasse zwischen New-Wave, Balearic, Shoegaze, Dream-Pop und Noir-Songwriting. Croon singt dazu mit einer Noblesse als hätte er bei Nick Cave, Brian Ferry und Chris Isaac studiert. Irrgangs Gesang indes erinnert an die magische Gefühlskälte einer Claudia Brücken von der Düsseldorfer Synthpop-Band Propaganda, deren kühn kühler Gesang ja eine extrem faszinierende Form von weißem Soul war.
Eingespielt, produziert und emotional arrangiert haben sie ihre stark melodiebetonten Lieder auf der Blockflöte, diversen Synthesizern, dem Schlagzeug, mit Filmsoundtracksamples, Stimmcollagen und Instrumenten wie dem Pocket-Piano, auf das Croon und Irrgang in Los Angeles durch ihre Bekanntschaft mit Diva Dompé, der Tochter des Bauhaus Drummers Kevin Haskins, aufmerksam wurden. In allem was sie sagen, singen und spielen, ist Leidenschaft zu spüren. Leidenschaft für die Liebe, für Nächte im Neonglanz, dunkle pulsierende Bassläufe, schwarz-weiß Romantik, treibende Synthbeats und einem zärtlich verspielten - À rebours'- Ästhetizismus, der nichts gegen das Natürliche einzuwenden hat.

1LP (+poster + download card)

2LP gatefold, Poster insert, Download card to high-quality WAV, Reverse board finish with US spot gloss logo

Hell Yeah’s summer will be all about Passages, a brand new and fantastic album from Quiroga that shows off his unique take on the Neapolitan sound. It is a soothing mix of real musicianship, laid back funk, soul and jazz stylings that wash over you, fill your heart with warmth and take you to a faraway beach where all your worries melt into the ether.

It is 11 years since Walter Del Vecchio’s last album on Cactus Island Recordings and since then he has put out a steady stream of sublime EPs on the likes of his own Really Swing as well as, of course, Hell Yeah. Label boss Marco calls him “a delicate musician” and it’s true that his deft sound is filled with beauty and detail.

A lot of attention is currently on his native Naples scene, but Quiroga doesn’t fit with the usual narrative thanks to his left of centre take on the breezy Mediterranean sounds of the city. This new album features six brand new cuts as well as six of his favourites that have previously been put out Really Swing, and is a fantastic showcase of his sound, with two of the tracks already getting big support from Italian ensemble 291out.

Gentle groove undulations and refrained vocal euphoria define opener Got Your Love, while fat bass twangs and nodding keys light up the jazzy-soul-funk fusion that is Martinica Feelings. Things get even more horizontal and romantic on The Zoist, with its steamy female coos and delicate keys, and North Hollywood Witches is a glorious bit of slow motion boogie with squelching bass and effervescing keys.

Elsewhere there are the lazy tumbles of Non Dire Notte, which is awash with acid gurgles, while glistening dreamscapes like Citto Di Mare shuffle on lush live drums and new age melodies. There are hippie vibes on Luzhin Defence which evokes sun beams breaking through the clouds, then Chiaia Sunset will melt your heart with its diffuse keys and rippling rhythms and ambient closer Bava casts you adrift into the clouds.

With many other gems along the way, this a perfect summer album that will temporarily rid you of whatever problems you may have.

We're coming up with something to break boundaries and strengthen the spirit of artistic freedom."The Fall" by the Belgian-born Berlin-based singer, songwriter and producer Cook Strummer - aka Maxime Donnet - is an evocative ode to lost love and forgotten spirituality.Channeling the post-punk synth sound of his home country's Cold Wave movement of the late '70s and early '80s, Donnet has absorbed the sounds of his adopted home in Germany, taking that all-pervasive electronic music that is all around him and morphing it into something new. The result is "The Fall".Recorded in a cell located in the basement of an old Stasi Prison (Studio K61 in Berlin), it's an album with one eye on the dancefloor, but one that works just as well when the party is over. It's an album that blends the organic with the synthetic, mixing guitars and synths with post-dubstep flourishes and drum machines. It's an album about something. The name of the album has been chosen in reference to first single Fallen, the idea of falling in life and waking up again. It's also about the fact that it's not the fall that kills you. A fall can be graceful. A fall can improve a life perspective and create new paths. It can and does make you strong. The main metaphor in there is one of reincarnation. Indeed, it's the story of a soul negotiating with God to not reincarnate on earth again, but being forced to do it anyways.Experience something different!Composed, written and produced by Maxime DonnetRecorded and Mixed by Mario Engelter at Studio K61 BerlinMastered by Sasse Lindblad at BlackHead Studios

Some of the earliest works from a truly groundbreaking composer in the realms of electronic music, musique concrete, electo-acoustic, 20th century classical, and more. The Romanian-born, Greek-French composer Iannis Xenakis was instrumental in the introduction of mathematical models into composition and helped revolutionize electronic music in the middle 20th century. Collecting some of his earliest works in electronic and electro-acoustic music this is a crucial set for any fans of 20th century classical experimentation.

Underworld And Iggy Pop Announce Details Of A 4 Track Ep, Teatime Dub Encounters, Due For
Release On July 27th Via Caroline International.

While Overseeing The Soundtrack For T2 Trainspotting, Underworld's Rick Smith Arranged A
Meeting With Iggy Pop In A Room At The Savoy Hotel On London's Strand To Discuss Working On
Collaborative Music For The Filmhe first track from Teatime Dub Encounters - Bells & Circles - was premiered live as part of
Underworld's recent headline performance at the BBC Biggest Weekend Belfast. A second track -
I'll See Big - is streaming everywhere now. Something of a flipside to Bells & Circles, I'll See Big is a
wash of gorgeous ambient sound that features Iggy recounting how friends - however
dysfunctional - have saved him from a lifetime of bad decisions. The lyric for I'll See Big was
inspired by a conversation Iggy had with Danny Boyle about the subtext of both Trainspotting films.

Singer/musician/producer Aisha Chaouche is set to release debut album 'Safe', a deeply emotional document of heartbreaking and spine tingling hymns that have helped bring peace to traumatic events experienced earlier in her life. Her delicate piano playing features prominently and is bolstered by balanced production of her own massed vocals, programmed drums, sub-bass, cello, violin and an obsession with reverb and delay.

Aisha spent her childhood growing up in Swansea before moving to Bristol where she studied at BIMM music college. Signing to Late Night Tales' sister label Night Time Stories on the strength of a Soundcloud demo, Chaouche's debut single 'I'll Lose My Head' was released in May 2017. Her music has been described as 'heartbreaking and spine tingling hymns' by Wonderland Magazine, 'channelling the hymnal qualities of Cat's Eyes with the dense vocals of Medúlla-era Björk' by The Line of Best Fit and a 'songwriter of real strength and subtlety' by Clash. Bristol Live Magazine has hailed her "the city's most exciting new act". Support has also come from BBC 6 Music's Lauren Laverne, saying she'd played her "on a loop all week" and Radio 1's Huw Stephens who's called her music 'beautiful".

Mexican Radio, a synth punk trio out of Berlin, make an argument for an analog world in a digital age. When everyone else is playing guitars, they play cheap keyboards through distorted amps while singing post-punk songs about surreal Japanese advertisements (Magic Eye), Berlin nightlife (White Trash, Techno Kitchen) and performance art (Rest Energy 1980).
Singers/synth players Nathaniel Fregoso and Dyan Valdés are founding members of critically-acclaimed indie band The Blood Arm (thebloodarm). Drummer and singer Hannes Neupert is formerly of Berlin garage band The Mokkers (themokkerss). The three played together in a German-language cover band of The Fall called Der Sturz, and decided to form Mexican Radio to write original music in a post-punk style influenced by The Fall, Wire and Suicide.
Working within a strict set of rules, the band only appear live in uniform: white shirts with a red lightning bolt spray-painted across and black jeans, and exclusively play synths: no guitars allowed. The band take their name from the synthy new-wave Wall of Voodoo song 'Mexican Radio,' which coincidentally features a sampled recording of Fregoso's late father, a renowned Spanish-language radio presenter. This is the band's debut release. It was recorded completely live to tape in two days in an analog studio in the former East Berlin by renowned Berlin producer Mischkah Wilke (Gurr).

[Q b10 | Die Fesche Lola

Since the release of his first album in 2013, Lucas Arruda has quickly established himself as one of the most talented young artist and composer from Brazil. His music is filled with fusion style, mixing influences and elements from his Latin musical background, with his genuine admiration for Jazz, Soul and Funk music.

In spring 2015, it was also not surprising to find Lucas Arruda back with a new LP called SOLAR, receiving great supports and feedbacks from international medias and tastemakers. One of the highlight of SOLAR was the track 'Melt the Night', on which Lucas asked legendary producer Leon Ware for his help, reminding his collaborations in the 80s with Marcos Valle, when they perfectly merged together the sophisticated Boogie and AOR touch from California, with the blazing sense of rhythm from Brazil.

Willing to enlighten even more this timeless song, which could easily be produced in the early-mid 80s, Favorite Recordings decided to give it a brand new suit and found the perfect tailor with Nu-Funk raising producer, XL Middleton. Part of the modern-funk movement and based in Pasadena, XL has released volumes of work, the sound of which embodies the party feel, bringing music back to where it was before it found its way into upscale clubs, while at the same time mixing it with a futuristic brand of funk inspired by legends such as George Clinton, Roger Troutman, or Morris Day.

The result is a stunning remix, bringing 'Melt the Night' into a futuristic Boogie-Funk world with massive basslines and heavy beats!! This great vinyl 12inch comes with Original and Instrumental Versions on the B-Side, to finalize a perfect package for DJs and diggers.

"The Paris Tapes" sind bislang unveröffentlichte Aufnahmen von Robert Görl, eine Hälfte des legendären Electro-Wave-Duos DAF, die Mitte der 1980er in Paris entstanden, wohin er sich nach der DAF-Trennung zurückzog. Die Tracks entstanden mit dem damals gerade auf den Markt gekommenenen Synthesizer ESQ-1, der insbesondere die tiefen Töne zischender und schmutziger klingen lässt. "The Paris Tapes" enthält 10 musikalische Skizzen, dramatisch, strahlend, manchmal gifitg zischend, aber immer zärtlich wirkend, die gleichzeitig einen Wendepunkt in für den Künstler schwierigen Zeiten markieren, was an dem Licht zu erkennen ist, das über dem dunklen Grund der giftigen Beats schimmert und in die Zukunft weist.

In den letzten drei Jahren haben sich Lucas Croon, Nikolai Szymanski und Martin Sonnensberger einen Kosmos aus
treibenden Bässen, tanzbaren Rhythmen, schwebenden Flächen, analogen Synthesizern und reissenden Gitarren geschaffen. Nach Compilation Beiträgen für das Düsseldofer DIY-Label - Themes for Great Cities' und das amerikanische Label - Mathematics' von Jamal Moss feierten die Rheinländer 2011 mit der GOLD EP ihr Debüt und gaben schon einen Vorgeschmack auf Ihr aktuelles umjubeltes erstes Album DOUZE POUZE (Album der Woche/Monat u.a. in F.A.Z. und Musikexpress. Features und Reviews in allen großen Musikmagazinen und im Feuilleton).

2x12"

It's the return of the sexual vigilante Sex Judas and his trusted sidekick Ricky. This time in full album mode. Norwegian producer Tore Gjedrem of Ost & Kjex fame, channels his love of comix, bohemia and fascination with human vice, the unspoken, the Red Light districts, the alleys of the mind into his alter ego.

Sex Judas is no bad character but certainly says what it's author cannot.

'I wanted to create a world where any musical idea is possible, wound together by the world and word of Judas, the ultimate sinner, reborn as a child of Venus.'

Inspiration ranges from Africa to 80's NYC, from Bohannon to Quasimoto, from Norwegian New Wave to Acid House. With contributions by friends in the Oslo scene as hometown legend Dj Pål Strangefruit Nyhus, composer Ole-Henrik Moe, jazzpianist Bugge Wesseltoft, Sidiki Camara from Mali playing that beautiful Ngoni, and multi instrumentalist Ivar Snuten Winther, the album touches anything from blues, funk, disco and post-punk to IDM, acid house and electronic explorer music.

The New Chanson Generation, Remodernised And Reshaped

Attention - Here Comes The Off Spring! A New Generation Of Artists Is Born To Shake Up The French Pop Scene. Disrespectful, Full Of Musical Ideas And Enormously Talented. It Isn't Without Reason That The Le Pop 9 Compilation Is Undertitled - au Début : 16 New French Artists, None Of Which Have Ever Appeared On A Le Pop Compilation Before, Hereby Introduce Themselves. Despite Some Artists Still Awaiting Their Debut Album All Are Already Enjoying Success Having Caused Sensation In Their Home Countries. Meanwhile - le Pop 9: Au Début Blows Fresh Wind From The Outside. The Modern Sound Of The Current French Pop Scene Allows For Us To Rediscover The Creativity Of Chanson-pop In All Its Different Facets.

French Chanson Is An Unbroken Tradition - An Expert Could Easily Draw A Linear Series From Piaf To Pomme, A Young Newbie Part Of Le Pop 9 . But In Following The Scene Closely, As Does The Le Pop Series, One Recognises How New Timbres And Influences Have Shaped And Transformed The Chanson Scene Over Time.
The First Le Pop Compilation Was Born In 2002 With The Previous Generation. At The Time The Scene Experienced A Spring Clean With Cocktail-pop, Minimalismus And Indie Replacing Traditional Accordion Sounds And Yéyé-beat. The 2018 Generation Follows In These Steps But Is In Turn All The More Influenced By Electronic Sounds And Production Styles Deriving From R&b And Hiphop.

Le Pop 9 Compilation Certainly Provides Much Evidence For This Musical Shift: The Two Brains Behind Polo&pan Are Djs, Hollydays' Singer Is A Rihanna Fan Whilst Her Partner Prefers Amon Tobin And Aphex Twin. Whoever Sees The High Achieving Angèle On Stage Will Be Perplexed By Her Dance Moves - Until One Finds Out Her Brother Is The Famous Belgian Rapper Roméo Elvis. And There's More: Ezéchiel Pailhès First Appeared In Electronic Duo Nôze Whilst The George Moustaki Prize Winner Laurie Darmon Drifts From Chanson Into Speech Song And Stands Beside A Human Beatbox Performer On Stage. La Femme, Awarded Twice By The Victoire De La Musique, Showcases Their Francophone Indiepop With Four Keyboards On The Stage. No Trace Of Guitar Rock Nostalgia Of The Old Times. And In - poésies The Singer Chaton's Voice Is Made Foreign Through Autotune Effects, So That The Song Becomes A Subtle Reminiscence Of Modern Dancehall.

In Comparison To The Cool Naturalness Of Flavien Berger, Arguably The Central Figure Of The New Scene, Many Bands Aiming For International Success With Their Average English Are Made To Look Like Wannabe Hipsters. The Wealth Of Ideas Hidden Behind Ali Danel, Who For Instance Reinterprets A Paul Éluard Poem Onto An Afro-beat Backdrop, Seem In Line With A Contemporary Reappropriation Of Gainsbourg's - percussions Principle - Without Making It Sound A Little Out Of Date.

But The Special Thing About It All Is That, In Its Very Essence, The Music Remains Chanson. The Language And Words Define The Genre, With Voices Central To The Production And Melodies Remaining Frameworks In Which The Songs Are Structured. And So - le Pop 9: Au Début Is Simply Another Piece Of Evidence Of The Vitality And Vibrancy Of A Genre That Is Being Constantly Renewed Musically Amidst Changing Frameworks And Thus Remaining Perpetually Fascinating.
However Little A Francophile You Are, You Can't Miss This Compilation. This Album Assembles The Various But Connected Aesthetics Of This Generation And Thus Radiates A Very Special And Timely Atmosphere.

Nach Einer Siebenjährigen Auszeit Meldet Sich Us-produzent Sam Grawe Aka Hatchback Mit Seinem Dritten Longplayer "year Of The Dragon" Auf Lo Recordings Zurück Und Dringt In Neue Horizonte Aus Electronica, Prog-rock, Balearischen Rhythmen Und New Age-atmosphären Vor. Das Album Komplettiert Nach "colors Of The Sun" Und "zeus & Apollo" Seine "california Cosmic Sound Series" Trilogie.

A near-perfect record, White Magic was the lauded CD-only debut album by Sorcerer (Californian native Dan Judd, one half of Windsurf with Hatchback). Just in time for Spring/Summer, we present the first ever vinyl issue, released as a deluxe double LP.

Back in summer 2007, this majestic set gently nestled itself into the Balearic soundtrack-to-summer slot for many, making him a household name for Cosmic Disco heads alongside the likes of Lindstrom, Metro Area, Todd Terje, Mudd, Studio and Quiet Village. In the intervening years, exceptional producers have created vibrant variations on the dreamy, dubby, melodic nu-disco theme. Happily, the emergence of such luminaries as Jex Opolis, Harvey Sutherland, Suzanne Kraft, Tornado Wallace et al has only served to make the master - Sorcerer - sound ever more brilliant and vital.

Utilising his array of guitars, drum machines, synths, and trusty MPC, the loved-up Sorcerer sound inspires halcyon memories of warm days, endless sunsets and pure youthful abandon. Influenced by surf, 80s dance pop, acid-R&B, space jazz, krautrock, disco, dub, and am radio gold, his music maps a tour through a uniquely Californian lifestyle. Yet when music so vividly captures a vibe and a feeling, it can make writing about it appear almost redundant. Instead, to glean the full colour of what your turntable will soon gratefully radiate, we prescribe the generous soundclips presented here.

And, for a unique insight into the process behind the wonderful sounds conjured up, here's Sorcerer himself:

"White Magic is a reflection of personal freedom and discovery. Having been in bands for years, this was a chance to develop music that stood alone and for me to be in full control.

I was living alone and worked on jams whenever I could. I was highly inspired by a new openness to music as a pure inspiration, not being part of any scene. I tapped into the mixes I was hearing coming out the UK where deejays were playing "cosmic" sounds that were so strangely familiar.

I was picking up all kinds of $1 vinyl and throwing bits of it into my sampler almost randomly to see what would come out.

In my mind, I was making music to be played at my friend's Broker/Dealer Pop nights where they fused golden German techno sounds with the new disco emerging at the time. Also, I took vacations and reconnected with the Pacific Ocean where I spent so much time as a kid: it spilled out into the sounds.

Lastly, I forged a partnership with Hatchback (Sam Grawe) who was working on music in the same way. I learned so much about arrangement and the colors of music. We began recording together as Windsurf and released our own stuff. It all seems like a small glorious moment in time, so I am so excited to keep the legacy alive and I continue to work on my music with these spirits inside of me."

Lovingly remastered by the esteemed Simon Francis, cut reassuringly loud on to heavyweight double vinyl and presented in a deluxe gatefold jacket with freshly commissioned artwork throughout from original designer Rich Robinson, this limited edition of 500 copies is sure to fly.

A continuation of his kaleidoscopic sun-dappled cosmic-disco, Neon Leon was the much-loved CD-only sophomore album by Sorcerer. Just in time for Spring/Summer, we present the first ever vinyl issue, released as a deluxe double LP.

A perfectly formed suite of ten tracks featuring soft guitars, subtle synths and lightly grooving percussion, Neon Leon magically evokes that elusive summer feeling throughout. The guitar-driven "Algorhythm" serves as the album opener, blasting bold, sun-drenched jazz chords atop bright synths and groove-based drum programming. "Ride The Serpent" and "Distort Yourself" are guided by a more sultry, slo-mo disco impulse whilst the staggering "Chemise" and strident "Face It" merge 80s West Coast production sheen with Sorcerer's trademark laid back, gentle disco. "Raydio"'s undeniable head-nod groove adds a rare vocal to the proceedings, joyously combining with the bubbling cosmic funk.

Since its initial release in 2009, exceptional producers have created vibrant variations on the dreamy, dubby, melodic nu-disco theme. Happily, the emergence of such luminaries as Jex Opolis, Harvey Sutherland, Suzanne Kraft, Tornado Wallace et al has only served to make the master - Sorcerer - sound ever more brilliant and vital.

Utilising his array of guitars, drum machines, synths, and trusty MPC, the loved-up Sorcerer sound inspires halcyon memories of warm days, endless sunsets and pure youthful abandon. Influenced by surf, 80s dance pop, acid-R&B, space jazz, krautrock, disco, dub, and am radio gold, his music maps a tour through a uniquely Californian lifestyle. Yet when music so vividly captures a vibe and a feeling, it can make writing about it appear almost redundant. Instead, to glean the full colour of what your turntable will soon gratefully radiate, we prescribe the generous soundclips presented here.

And, for a unique insight into the process behind the wonderful sounds conjured up, here's Sorcerer himself:

"Neon Leon's is the name of a bar in a Elmore Leonard book I was reading on a vacation to Belize with my future wife. I was soaking up his brand of noir during the making of the songs on this record, along with another favorite Ross Macdonald. We were living in a small apartment in the Mission District of San Francisco where i had my own room to jam. It was painted Orange and Turquoise and was a very inspiring place to create and focus. I could walk out of my house to any number of hole in the wall bars where people were deejaying, hanging-out, and knew about me and my music.

After White Magic I developed more confidence in my style and process so I stuck with it and I believe it shows in the tunes I selected for the record. The sounds are rich and I dug deeper into sampling from obscure dollar records and getting looser musically. I made a handful of collage videos for the tracks at this time as well, which represent where my mind was at visually. In my mind it's Cosmic Funk that rules the day and I am thankful to have the opportunity to share it with the world again."

Lovingly remastered by the esteemed Simon Francis, cut reassuringly loud on to heavyweight double vinyl and presented in a deluxe gatefold jacket with freshly commissioned artwork throughout from original designer Rich Robinson, this limited edition of 500 copies is sure to fly.

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Benin City, bestehend aus Sänger und Dichter Joshua Idehen, Sängerin Shanaz Dorsett und Multi-Instrumentalist Tom Leaper, setzen sich auf ihrem Album "Last Night" mit den Abgründen, Tiefen und Höhen des Londoner Nachtlebens und dem schleichenden Sterben der Londoner Clubkultur auseinander. Musikalisch wird dieser Prozess mit zahlreichen Hooks und Wortgewandtheit im Afro-Dance-Pop- und Elektro-Gewand umgesetzt.

The Micronaut creates the soundtrack for those moments when the screeching of the subway and the steps on the wet pavement have echoed away into the dark city sky. Those moments when the ghosts of fumes and stop lights haunt the empty streets, when behind glowing windows dreams and urban exit strategies get ready for bed. When everybody is close to each other, but everyone is on his own. When the city comes to a standstill, but the wheels inside the heads of its inhabitants keep spinning. Stefan Streck discovers the musical equivalent for this epic atmosphere somewhere between Bass Music, Electronica and Pop. The cinematic soundscapes of his nocturnal City Blues have a somewhat tragic vibe, which is very noticeable both during the impulsive, passionate live shows of The Micronaut and on 'Forms', his third studio album on Acker Records, distributed through Kompakt. Between moments of deep melancholy and sudden eruptions of blissful euphoria he creates a feverish state of tension.

Isle Of Jura's second longplayer reissue is an album from Ingleton Falls that touches upon Ambient, Dub, House and Balearic styles and was originally released in 1991 as a limited run of 100 self distributed cassette tapes
Ingleton Falls are Andy Hannam Seymour and Andy Eardley from Tyne and Wear in Newcastle. Having come from a more traditional band background originally, Ingleton Falls was their electronic project and the result of a love of acts like Dub Syndicate, African Headcharge, Gary Clail, The Orb and The KLF.

Andy Hannam Seymour remembers 'It was a very creative time musically, there was a lot going on around us that used new technology. I was excited by the possibilities. Up until then I'd been playing guitar with a more traditional drums/bass/guitar/vocal band with all the 'musical differences' that entailed (the two bands ran side by side for a while). I also liked the idea that you could write and record a piece of music that was ready to release yourself, rather than it being a demo or having to pay a lot of cash for studio time. That DIY aspect was a lot of fun.'

The album is split into 2 parts, 'Aware' and 'Unaware'. Andy explains 'We decided that 'side1' and side2' were pretty dull and came up with the aware and unaware division based on a kind of enlightened and unenlightened mind kind of idea. The unaware side had the tunes with themes like necrophilia and samples of christians and the aware side was more expansive mindful themes.'Equipment used the make the album included a Cheetah SX16 sampler, Alesis HR16 Drum Machine, Yamaha FG440 Acoustic Guitar, Tokai Stratocaster Guitar and an Atari ST computer running a Steinberg Pro 24 sequencing program (from floppy disk!). Due to a lack of sampling memory sounds were added live from cassette into the final mixes.