Pop & Rock News

Not everything is known and explained. On the fall of 18th century Mesmerism managed to transform simple suggestions into the modern hypnotism known today, throwing the basics for other scientific disciplines largely diffused in our times, as psicotherapy, psychology, music therapy. But the animal magnetism conceived by Mesmer was only a pseudo scientific practice, it worked for other causes than those believed by its own discoverer. Sometimes things work perfectly for reasons man cannot understand.

L.A.S.'s Crime, an italian duo fascinated by electronic music, started its activity in 80's with a long list of demotapes, partecipating to several compilations and later recording two vinyls for well known european labels.Mesmérique is their third album reissued for Domestica Records, created with 11 original recordings taken from their '80s 4tracks demotapes, but restored today in a professional studio: you will be scattered into a path of 11 vivid and hypnotic visions never reissued before on vinyl. Tracks are ordered chronologically, from the first to the last years of 80s, showing the creative travel of the band towards the decade.Listening after listening, you will gradually become more conscious of the hypnotic nature of this music, full of contrasts, filled with endless repetitions echoing into memory in mysterious ways: a concise and minimalistic style who has kept alive this music during the last 30 years, by porting it from tape to cd, and later through internet, from a fan to another, from a musical genre to another, from a decade to another. This music has been jealously preserved by those who knew and loved it: but the simplicity of its structures, the oblique melodies, the small length of the songs, are apparently weak reasons for this 30 years long devotion, it is somehow plausible there can be other reasons, far more complex to explain than it would be legitimate to believe. So no coincidence that the tape is also called magnetic stripe, and that the turntable is a magneto acustic device.

Sonnenklang auf dem neuen Schiller-Album. Der Meister des Global Pop, Christopher von Deylen, entwirft in neuen Songs einen opulenten Klangkosmos.
Internationale Gastkünstler geben Schillers Sonne ihre ganz persönliche Stimme. Der Graf von Unheilig singt den kraftvollen Titelsong "Sonne", der amerikanische Elektronik-Künstler Owl City das poppige "Alive". Ihre ganz eigene Sonnensphäre entfaltet die norwegische Singer/Songwriterin Kate Havnevik, die schon auf dem letzten Schiller-Album und der Live-Tournee die Fans begeisterte.
Eintauchen in Schillers Sonnenwelten: Das neue Album Sonne besticht durch eine Klarheit, die das Licht auf so wundervolle Weise einfängt. Auf Schillers Sonnenreise neue Klang-Horizonte entdecken. Überraschende Gastkünstler, bewegende Kompositionen. "Jedes Album ist wie eine neue Reise. Ich lasse mich gerne überraschen - von der Anmut dieser Welt und von den Menschen, die ich unterwegs treffe", sagt der Musiker und Komponist von Deylen.

1. Pitbull Feat. Osmani Garcia & Sensato -El Taxi
2. Nicky Jam, J Balvin, De La Ghetto -Travesuras (Remix)
3. Farruko Feat. El Mayor - Chapa de Callejon
4. Pitbull Feat. Don Miguelo - Como Yo Le Doy
5. Jacob Forever (from Gente De Zona) - La Dura
6. Daddy Yankee & Paramba - Que Se Mueren De Envidia'
7. Secreto -Maldito Cupido
8. Divan - Vamo' A Pelearnos
9. Ilegales Feat. Shelow Shaq - No Me Diga Que No
10. El Super Nuevo - Tu No Me Da Nota
11. Black Jonas Point & J Alvarez -Tus Hormonas
12. Secreto - De Amor Nadie Se Muere
13. Osmani Garcia Feat. Pitbull & Sensato -El Taxi' (Original Extended)
14. Nicky Jam -Travesuras (Original Mix)

Montreal's Young Galaxy have unleashed the second single from their upcoming new album Falsework. Listen to the "Factory Flaws" here. The band will release Falsework world-wide on Paper Bag Records on October 30th. The album is the follow-up to the Polaris Music Prize short-listed Ultramarine and their third album produced by Dan Lissvik (Studio, Atelje). Watch the trailer for Falsework here.

The winter of 2014/2015 took Young Galaxy from their studio in Montreal to Gothenburg and back. The band's brilliant new full length Falsework completes the sound they have been mining on their past two albums Shapeshifting (2011) and Ultramarine (2013) with producer Dan Lissvik. The album is undeniably synth pop without the simplicity and was informed and inspired by 80's electro, acid house and r&b, music that was well ahead of its time. Falsework was made using machines from the past to sound like music from the future.

During the writing and recording of the Falsework. Young Galaxy and Paper Bag Records commissioned Scotiabank Giller Prize winning novelist/blogger/journalist Sean Michaels to write a story that would work as a campaign piece to the album.

- Long awaited debut album from Mike Connelly and his wife, Tara, recording together as Clay Rendering.
- Additional production by Dominick Fernow, additional vocals by Becka Diamond
- Mastered by Paul Corley
- A delicate yet uncompromising set of songs drifting somewhere between Gothic, Ambient, Black Metal and Dream Pop.

Perhaps the most compelling of all the many projects started by one-time members of Wolf Eyes, Clay Rendering came to life in 2013 and have since released a trio of singles for Hospital Productions that have gained them the admiration of followers spanning both electronic and metal communities.

Their material occupies unique terrain, recalling The Cure's widescreen Disintegration-era instrumentals meets Cocteau Twins/Xmal Deutschland, cut through with a Black Metal palette and an appreciation of electronic music that imbues their production (notably assisted by Dominick Fernow) with an end-of-world quality that's impossible to pin down. Evoking Nine Inch Nails one moment, you find yourself in a smoke- filled, strobe-lit Road House the next; bleary-eyed, head spinning, coming down.

Guitar, Accordion, Piano and electronics underpin these songs, opening with the whirling death march of 'Maps on The Floor' and the funereal trudge of 'Swallow The Century' before the grinding fuzz of 'Sight From Up There' changes pace with the addition of a forlorn piano melody and Becka Diamond's distant vocal zooming in on half-remembered songs, rendered here with hazy definition.

'Fall Of The Bed' and 'Memory Loses Momentum' find Clay Rendering at their most visceral and catchy; a reminder that they are first and foremost a band that write incredible songs, often submerged in fuzz and atmosphere, but here left exposed, bare, on display.

And yet the title track 'Snowthorn', 'River Without' and the incredible album closer 'Night To Perish' edge the album from the bleak and into the sublime, turning away from the snowy landscapes their music so often evokes, instead pulling you deep into night...

The fifth and final studio album from 80s New Romantic pioneers Visage. Featuring the studio songs that Steve Strange was working on with Visage prior to his untimely death in Feb 2015. Album cover art by Boy George. Launched to coincide with the inaugural "Steve Strange" New Romantic music festival in Wales. All Royalties from the album to be donated to the Steve Strange Statue fund. Musical contributions by Mick Macneil (Simple Minds) and Didier "Space" Marouani ("Magic Fly").

Born in the early 60s as 'Herr Mussita e i Nomadi' by initiative from bassist / singer Franco Mussita, the group soon altered its name to 'Nomadi' until, not to clash with the namesakes of the famous authors of 'Dio è morto', they eventually and permanently changed into 'I Raminghi'.

Under this name the band began to play several stage and even TV appearances, and in the wake of a growing success they finally managed to record and release their only LP in 1971. The typical vehemence of their live performances is perhaps only partly transferred on the album tracks, but "Il lungo cammino dei Raminghi" is still a remarkable job, packed with beat, psychedelic, progressive and folk music, which certainly impressed the lucky ones who were able to listen to it at the time of its release.

This album was in fact printed in very few copies, and is now among the rarest items of the early seventies Italian scene. Already reissued by Vinyl Magic in a CD papersleeve version, which is now out of print, "Il lungo cammino..." is now proposed in a faithful reproduction of the original release, with a 30x30cm mini-poster and a completely unheard song, "Non Farlo"!
A beautiful work, to be rediscovered and re-evaluated as soon as possible!Including a bonus track

BAMBOO is a sublime new project from Nick Carlisle (of Peepholes, Don't Argue) and Rachel Horwood (of Trash Kit, Halo Halo). Their music is vivid and deeply poignant, locking into a magnetic attraction between between Rachel's flawlessly resonant folk cadence and Nick's pristine synth pop production. Far from being a one off, or dare we say side-project, BAMBOO is very much a fully realised pursuit, with the band working on multiple records simultaneously from their Brighton and London base camps.

'Prince Pansori Priestess' is the first album to see the light from this pairing of talents.  'Prince Pansori Priestess' was recorded between spring 2014 to spring 2015, this was before the band expanded to a four piece for live performances, showcasing BAMBOO as a very original duo with a sound-world very much their own. The title references a Korean genre of musical storytelling alongside notions of majesty and faith which are all streams that weave their way through the record.

'Auroch' opens this debut album and slowly unpacks all the qualities that make BAMBOO such an incredible band. At first the pitched-banjo paces out a chiming circle allowing Rachel's entrancing vocal to follow the line, then Nick's pristine beats and synth clusters blossom into almost sub-aqua realms of lush swirling melody. 'Made me feel like I'm the stone that drowned you in this well' sings Rachel cyclically throughout 'Stone', an aching song of self-reflection set amidst flourishes of reverberating keyboard that at times sound like gamelan, at others like fireworks in the daylight. There are strong parallels to be made between their desire to let a story unfold in their work and the questing nature of the music itself. Central to this sound is the meeting of the warmer tones evident in the vocals, acoustic drums and banjo with the immaculate, spatial nature of the synths and beat-scapes. It feels very pure, prismatic and even mystical at moments without losing any of its human touch.

'Hexagonal' appears to conjure Kate Bush using a ritual of cycling waves of sound, sparks fly, crystals form and a thawing is felt within. 'It's real' Rachel affirms over and over, revolving to mesmeric effect. 'Sangokushi Love Theme' was written by Haruomi Hosono of Yellow Magic Orchestra, and in the hands of BAMBOO begins to shine with even brighter colours. The all-encompassing sensitivity conveyed in the track is enough to lift you into the clouds before falling as snow on a distant mountain. It's beautiful, serene and nothing short of spellbinding. The kinetic virtuosity displayed on 'Khene Song' and 'On Bohol' are also worthy of note. There's a robust propulsion at play, unafraid to use silence to punctuate the speeding marimbas and dense stratas of analog drone.

'Be Brothers' is another highlight from the second half of the album. The first part of the song begins very vulnerably, 'Can't look back, can you see, something over there looks pretty good to me' admits Rachel honestly over her fragile plucked banjo motif, a sense of hope returning grows, underscored by drifts of blushing ambience. Halfway through and the percussion picks up, allowing the rippling synths to walk hand in hand with Roedelius towards the horizon. Verity Susman (of Electrelane) guests towards the end of the 'Be Brothers' on saxophone, helping the song reach its more resolved future. 'Prince Pansori Priestess' is an album born of first fruits and tastes all the sweeter for it. There's no finding of feet, just an effortless acknowledgement that both their planets have aligned. BAMBOO hit the ground running with this debut record, sounding as unique and mercurial as the gift of song itself.

Limited handnumbered Edition of 250 + 250 12inch/45rpm coloured Vinyl in PE Plasticsleeve - Ralf Hildenbeutel Remixes! Brand new release by Kult Kraut Band Fred Banana Combo with Remixes by no less than Ralf Hildenbeutel, known as the legendary innovative mastermind behind Sven Väth´s early works (Esperanza, Accident in Paradise, Harlequin, Robot, Ballet Dancer,—) as well as as well as one main ingredient of Eye Q. of Eye Q Records. With both of his (rare) remixes Hildenbeutel goes back to the roots of techno and underground dancefloor driven by electronica and his appealing ultramodern style stands out still and could easily showcase a finer PAMPA (etc) label Release. His 2 mixes flag a string of Fred Banana 'Club' reworks with no less that Richie Hawtin and Luciano to follow right after him. Fred Banana Combo, who are friends with all the mentioned remixers, haves a new longplay release available, too while Ralf Hildenbeutel will release his own album 'Moods' on his private label Rebecca & Nathan Label later this year

A compilation of classic 70s/80s AOR tracks, that make up the genre of Yacht Rock - smooth rock at its best!

So what of AOR, in fact what do we even mean by Adult Orientated Rock It's the music that sold albums by the truckload in the 70s and 80s, to an audience of rock fans who had graduated college and were getting stuck in to grown up jobs whilst listening to singers wearing per-ironic mullets. It was well-produced and nicely performed and just a little glossy. (...)These records could contain a hell of a lot of soul. Singers such as Daryl Hall or Michael McDonald had the best blue-eyed soul voices in the US and when they had hits many others tried to copy them.' (AOR Breaks liner notes).

Features all of the biggest artists, including Christopher Cross, The Doobie Brothers, Hall & Oates, Michael McDonald, Carly Simon, Seals and Crofts, America, Rickie Lee Jones & many more.

The sophomore EP 'Occupations' from San Francisco based synth trio INHALT. Consisting of European and East Coast natives - Matia Simovich, Bryan Gibbs, and Philip Winiger - INHALT's core operative strategy is of sonic fidelity and integrity rather than nostalgia.
Living through the rise of a surveillance society, neo-liberal agendas, and the permeation of the ephemeral into popular culture, INHALT return with a focused commentary in the form of the 'Occupations' EP. The record was produced over a year and a half, and mixed in both Austria and California, employing the best of modern and vintage techniques and technology. The sound is INHALT's interpretation of the border between the voice driven song form and the expansive, extended 12" arrangement. It is informed equally by the soundtracks of John Carpenter, as much as the vastness and sheen of Trevor Horn.
All tracks were written, produced and mixed by the band at The Bunker Studio in San Francisco. Additionally the tracks on SIde B were mixed with the help of Werner Freistätter in Türnitz, Austria. The tracks were then mastered by Paul Lavigne in London, England at Walls of Sound Mastering. The final EQ curve for vinyl by was done by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Each LP is housed in a specially designed jacket by Leo Merz and includes an insert with lyrics.

London-via-Humberside dream-pop perfectionists Night Flowers announce their return with shimmering new single 'Sleep'.

Bright and airy, 'Sleep' is the sound of a band ready to embrace their glowing future, as they welcome new vocalist Sophia Pettit to the fold. The track shines with Night Flowers irresistible cocktail of transatlantic, intertwining male/female vocals, backed by wistful but powerful guitars and nineties shoegaze atmospherics.

'Sleep' is released via Dirty Bingo Records, on limited white 7' vinyl and digitally.

Cubist blues is considered as one of the best recordings Alan Vega ever did. The combination of 3 great talents, Alan, Alex Chilton and Ben Vaughn, who deicided to spend 2 nights in a recording studio and just follow their instincts, their inspiration, and combine the experience they acquired
during their impressive careers gives a surprising and amazing result.

If a music critic could design their own supergroup, it might look something like the one that released the experimental, unique, and pulse-quickening 1996 album, Cubist Blues. The trio-Suicide's Alan Vega, Big Star's Alex Chilton, and singer-songwriter Ben Vaughn-are outsiders each and cult heroes in their own right. Their unlikely union happened in December 1994 in a fog of cigarette smoke at two barely-lit, all-night improv sessions at Dessau Studios in New York.

After that fateful session, the three reunited to play one NYC show and promptly flew to Rennes, France to play Trans Musicales 1996. Vaughn recalls, 'the place went wild. It was a great reaction. Alan is truly famous in France, so they were going nuts. For the encore, Alex called out 'I Remember,' an old Suicide song. It immediately fell into place, and the vocal Alan delivered was astounding. The memory of listening to his voice through the monitors during that song still kills me. What a gift he has.'

The next day, as the musicians we were being dropped off in Paris for their flight home, the driver handed them a DAT tape of their set from the festival. Vaughn states, 'I put it in my guitar case where it stayed for over ten years.'

'Looking back, it was magic to work with those guys,' continues Vaughn. 'Two nights in the studio, two live shows, and then it was over. That material was never performed again.'

Take Me Babe became a big hit in Europe as Warp Record licensed the track and released it as a single in 1996.Here we have 3 versions of the track all recorded at the same session at Jimi's home in Union Avenue NYC in summer 1993. The Original Version first appeared on Tenor's debut album Sähkömies on Sähkö Recordings in 1994. Two other previously unreleased versions were recently found on the original session tape. Sun Ra cover Travellin Dem Spaceways was recorded in the same night too.

Joey Negro is the most well-known pseudonym of master British DJ/producer/remixer Dave Lee. Under a plethora of other monikers including Jakatta, Akabu, Doug Willis, Raven Maize, The Sunburst Band, Sessomatto, and Z Factor, Dave was one of the first artists to incorporate disco samples in house music when he began his production career in 1988.

His discography is undoubtedly as impressive as his knowledge of seminal house and disco, and now Joey/Dave puts it to good use with this album; a revisit to some of disco's most sparkly moments.

Rather than remixes in their modern definition this is a body of re-edits with the tracks given a new dimension to make them relevant and playable now. In many cases he has changed the drums, added percussion and sometimes keyboard parts but not totally ditched the music and started again as is often the way with straight up house remixes. This project is about utilising some of those fantastic original parts in a different way hat takes advantage of many of the songs classic status subtly teasing in familiar elements and dubbing them out.
LP Part A:

'My last record was a break up record and if I had to label this one I would call it a make up record. I'm making up with myself. making up for lost time. making up for everything I ever did and never did.'

Adele is set to release '25,' her highly anticipated new album, which will be available globally on Friday November 20th and is the first new music from her since her Oscar winning single 'Skyfall' in 2012. 

'Hello,' the debut single from '25,' will be available to buy and stream on Friday October 23rd. The cinematic video for 'Hello' will also be revealed on Friday October 23rd. It was shot in the countryside surrounding Montreal and is directed by the celebrated young Canadian director Xavier Dolan (Mommy, Tom at the Farm).

Classic and crucial French new wave masterpiece. Absurdly out of print and quite rare to find an original at this point. Contains the amazing 'Disco Rough' single as well as 8 more gems. Excellent remastering of the source material from the master tapes by Gilbert Castro at Celluloid in France. It sounds fantastic! This prize will be limited to 1000 copies and released on 180gram colored vinyl.

Special Remarks: Beautifully designed 12'' EP in Sleeve 1 hole on the back and 3mm spine

AV is the work of young French artist Adrien Viot
Limited edition of 500 clear red vinyl copies in a printed sleeve

Also features download card

French Cold Wave was divided in two camps: on one side you had the underground dogs that were inspired by bands like Joy Division, The Cure, Virgin Prunes... represented by acts like Guerre Froide, Les Maîtres, Opera Multi Steel, etc. And there was the poppier/synth side with artists like Taxi Girl, Octobre, Martin Dupont, Deux, Celluloid bands (Mathematiques Modernes, Nini Raviolette, Suicide Romeo...).
AV is definitively inspired by the second ones: the energy rush of the post-punk era with a synth-pop touch and great sense of melodies. AV is the work of young French artist Adrien Viot and Venus Bar his first release. Rather than lighting candles to his old 80's glory he prefers to invite them inside the chaos of his generation. The synth from Suicide, Kraftwerk's DNA & Taxi Girl are tatooed in AV, but he's far from being one of those 80s revival nostalgia project, his production is current, dirty but rigorous all this helping his cheeky texts. AV describes Paris and his own spiritual wandering. Often carnal and vicious, his texts have something from Serge Gainsbourg meets French cult singer Christophe.

Immer wieder keimten in Baio Gedanken an ein Soloprojekt auf, inbesondere während der Auszeiten
zwischen den ausgedehnten Touren mit seiner Band Vampire Weekend, wo er seit 2006 Bass spielt.
Rastlosigkeit und der Drang danach, selbst einmal mit seiner Stimme zu experimentieren und abseits
der Band-Pfade aktiv zu werden, machten sich während dieser Phasen in ihm breit. Nachdem er
bereits einige EPs veröffentlichte (Sunburn EP (2012), Mira EP (2013)), erfüllt sich Baio nun diesen
Traum mit seinem Debütalbum The Names, Der Umzug aus den USA nach Großbritannien bildet
quasi den thematischen Rahmen: Baio erkundet darauf diverse Konzepte von Raum, Zugehörigkeit,
Identität und der Suche nach einem Platz in der Welt. Wie erschlagen fühlte er sich zunächst, als er in
London ankam, von all dem Grün, dem weiten Himmel über der Stadt, der globalen Bedeutung dieser,
auch wenn er ähnliches aus New York gewohnt war. All diese Elemente ließ er in den Sound von "The
Names" einfließen. Musikalisch knüpft Baio damit an alte College-Tage und die elektronischen Klänge
an, die er damals als DJ auflegte. Textlich und stimmlich erkundet er auf The Names völlig eigene
Gefilde und kreiert etwas, das sich nicht so leicht einordnen lässt.

Das zweite Mixtape - Thursday', das 2011 nur durch die Website des Kanadiers erhältlich war,
erscheint nun endlich als doppel LP. Hinter "The Weeknd" verbirgt sich Abel Tesfaye, der durch seine
Zusammenarbeit mit dem ebenfalls aus Toronto stammenden Rapper Drake und seine
Veröffentlichungen auf YouTube bekannt wurde.

Anyone with affection for treasure of a particularly luminous dream-pop vintage will know about Joe Cassidy and his alias Butterfly Child.

Having recorded three albums and a handful of EPs in the Nineties, in 2012 a brand new Butterfly Child single 'No Longer Living In Your Shadow' (with video) was released without any fanfare, as Cassidy wasn't then sure of what he was shaping up for. This is now resolved, as the first Butterfly Child album in 18 years is here.

Futures refutes any fears that Cassidy couldn't match past glories with an epic, radiant 54-minute journey invested with his usual melodic richness - both musical and vocal - and a more widescreen production, even though the record was recorded at Cassidy's LA home. Sonically, the album lives somewhere between The Beach Boys and dreampop, but with a much more direct emotional impact, between bliss and melancholy. It combines new songs with unreleased older material, reaching as far back as Cassidy's very first demos as a teenager, and lyrics inspired by relationships past and present, and where Cassidy is now, 24 years after Butterfly Child's first release.

In the early Nineties, a Butterfly Child demo had ended up with the celebrated noise/dream-pop adventurists A.R.Kane. The duo were signed to Rough Trade (UK) and Luaka Bop (US) but were starting their own label H! Ark. Cassidy recorded the Toothfairy EP (1991) and the Eucalyptus EP (1992) for H.ark! before he moved to Rough Trade himself for the Ghetto Speak EP and debut album Onomatopoeia (both 1993).

But Rough Trade's collapse saw Butterfly Child move again, to Dedicated for the Beaujolais EP (1994) and The Honeymoon Suite album (1995). It was then Dedicated's turn to implode. Cassidy - battling Britpop's tide, which I found woefully uninspiring' - was given a fortuitous way out by Chicago label Hitit!, which had licensed both Butterfly Child albums for the US, and invited Cassidy over to make use of studio space. I just fell in love with Chicago,' he recalls. I recorded eight tracks in a week, and then the label asked if I wanted to make an album. So I went back, and stayed for ten years! I've always gone where the chance to make music has been afforded to me.'


Hence the lush, sun-dappled climes of LA, which can be felt in the expansive folds and grooves of Futures, both on the softer, heartache-y side and pop-centric songs such as 'A Shot In The Dark' and 'Holding On'. The latter has a fascinating genesis: Sirman sent a string loop to Cassidy, which reminded him of Dionne Warwick, though the eventual track was inspired by Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell. This being LA, Cassidy could call on his pals Justin, James and Christiaan, Webb's three sons, to add backing vocals, while Campbell's son Cal plays guitar and percussion.

The track also features drummer Matt Walker (he's also on 'Shot In The Dark') and keyboardist Brian Liesegang. Other Futures guests are Ryan J Rapsys (Euphone, drums), Pendle Poucher (a Butterfly Child accomplice back in the Nineties, on 'glitch' guitar), Merritt Lear (another Butterfly Child accomplice, and Assassins co-singer, on violin and backing vocals) and Oliver Kraus (strings and horns on the exquisite finale 'Beauty #2'). Assassins producer Stephen Hague (of Pet Shop Boys and New Order fame too) has done a remix of 'A Shot In The Dark' that will be released as the next Butterfly Child single.

Just as Futures gathers songs from past and present, so the lyrics follow suit. A lot of songs are about past relationships - like most everyone, I've gone through happy and sad times, and you rebuild and move forward, toward the future, which is where the album title comes from. It's like I'm looking for light at the end of the tunnel.'

Having waited 18 years, Cassidy might only wait another one for the next album: I told Guy, I have a great Phil Spector-style pop record here! There's little point in repeating myself.' There might be live shows in the interim, but it's not like I'm going to jump into a van and tour. I feel I need a string section to do it properly. We'll see. But we're making some videos. All I can do is hope that people out there are into slow heartache music, and will get it!'
- Martin Aston slow heartache music, and will get it!'
- Martin Aston

Anyone with affection for treasure of a particularly luminous dream-pop vintage will know about Joe Cassidy and his alias Butterfly Child.

Having recorded three albums and a handful of EPs in the Nineties, in 2012 a brand new Butterfly Child single 'No Longer Living In Your Shadow' (with video) was released without any fanfare, as Cassidy wasn't then sure of what he was shaping up for. This is now resolved, as the first Butterfly Child album in 18 years is here.

Futures refutes any fears that Cassidy couldn't match past glories with an epic, radiant 54-minute journey invested with his usual melodic richness - both musical and vocal - and a more widescreen production, even though the record was recorded at Cassidy's LA home. Sonically, the album lives somewhere between The Beach Boys and dreampop, but with a much more direct emotional impact, between bliss and melancholy. It combines new songs with unreleased older material, reaching as far back as Cassidy's very first demos as a teenager, and lyrics inspired by relationships past and present, and where Cassidy is now, 24 years after Butterfly Child's first release.

In the early Nineties, a Butterfly Child demo had ended up with the celebrated noise/dream-pop adventurists A.R.Kane. The duo were signed to Rough Trade (UK) and Luaka Bop (US) but were starting their own label H! Ark. Cassidy recorded the Toothfairy EP (1991) and the Eucalyptus EP (1992) for H.ark! before he moved to Rough Trade himself for the Ghetto Speak EP and debut album Onomatopoeia (both 1993).

But Rough Trade's collapse saw Butterfly Child move again, to Dedicated for the Beaujolais EP (1994) and The Honeymoon Suite album (1995). It was then Dedicated's turn to implode. Cassidy - battling Britpop's tide, which I found woefully uninspiring' - was given a fortuitous way out by Chicago label Hitit!, which had licensed both Butterfly Child albums for the US, and invited Cassidy over to make use of studio space. I just fell in love with Chicago,' he recalls. I recorded eight tracks in a week, and then the label asked if I wanted to make an album. So I went back, and stayed for ten years! I've always gone where the chance to make music has been afforded to me.'


Hence the lush, sun-dappled climes of LA, which can be felt in the expansive folds and grooves of Futures, both on the softer, heartache-y side and pop-centric songs such as 'A Shot In The Dark' and 'Holding On'. The latter has a fascinating genesis: Sirman sent a string loop to Cassidy, which reminded him of Dionne Warwick, though the eventual track was inspired by Jimmy Webb and Glen Campbell. This being LA, Cassidy could call on his pals Justin, James and Christiaan, Webb's three sons, to add backing vocals, while Campbell's son Cal plays guitar and percussion.

The track also features drummer Matt Walker (he's also on 'Shot In The Dark') and keyboardist Brian Liesegang. Other Futures guests are Ryan J Rapsys (Euphone, drums), Pendle Poucher (a Butterfly Child accomplice back in the Nineties, on 'glitch' guitar), Merritt Lear (another Butterfly Child accomplice, and Assassins co-singer, on violin and backing vocals) and Oliver Kraus (strings and horns on the exquisite finale 'Beauty #2'). Assassins producer Stephen Hague (of Pet Shop Boys and New Order fame too) has done a remix of 'A Shot In The Dark' that will be released as the next Butterfly Child single.

Just as Futures gathers songs from past and present, so the lyrics follow suit. A lot of songs are about past relationships - like most everyone, I've gone through happy and sad times, and you rebuild and move forward, toward the future, which is where the album title comes from. It's like I'm looking for light at the end of the tunnel.'

Having waited 18 years, Cassidy might only wait another one for the next album: I told Guy, I have a great Phil Spector-style pop record here! There's little point in repeating myself.' There might be live shows in the interim, but it's not like I'm going to jump into a van and tour. I feel I need a string section to do it properly. We'll see. But we're making some videos. All I can do is hope that people out there are into slow heartache music, and will get it!'
- Martin Aston slow heartache music, and will get it!'
- Martin Aston

Bathed in swampy psychedelia, 'The House on the Hill' is the brand new single from rootsy, London quintet The Hanging Stars.



A prelude to their forthcoming debut full-length (tentatively titled 'Over the Silvery Lake' and due out in early 2016 also on The Great Pop Supplement), the track further embraces their transatlantic influences, sounding like some unearthed lost gem of 60's Americana, whilst clinging to their pastoral English folk roots. The missing link between between the California Desert sun and the grey skies of London Town, the tracks were laid down between LA and Walthamstow, each of these vastly diverse locations leaving an indelible mark on the recordings.



'The House on The Hill' is a murder ballad about a poor girl who drowns herself in the sea after having her heart broken. Partly a true story, the track was also inspired by an entry in a book of traditional songs gathered by folk music archivist Alan Lomax. Both 'The House on The Hill' and the first B-side 'Endlessly Aimless' were recorded in Lake Hollywood, LA with Rob Campanella (The Quarter After, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Tyde, Gospelbeach etc) and features San Franciscan legend Chrystof Certik on lead guitar.



The second B-side 'Mother of Earth' is a cover of The Gun Club song recorded with Brian O'Shaughnessy (The Clientele, Comet Gain, My Bloody Valentine) in Walthamstow and is already a firm live favourite.



Featuring members of The See See and Dan Michelson and the Coastguards, The Hanging Stars are essentially a loose collective of musicians aiming to 'bliss you out whilst you shuffle your feet'. The core band is made up of singer, songwriter and guitarist Richard Olson, with Sam Ferman on bass and Paulie Cobra on drums, also featuring Horse Phillips on pedal steel and Phil on Keyboards.



This time round the band have turned the volume down and cleaned up their act, making the sound less dense and creating more space in order to embrace the wider expanse of their vision. For the creative process they jam rather than write, hang out rather than rehearse, which adds a certain kind of soulful fuel to their gloriously fluid psychedelic tapestry.

Die Musik ist eine Bühne auf der ich meine Geschichten erzählen kann", sagt Elenka. Klar, dass es auf ihrem selbstbetitelten Debütalbum von Geschichten wimmelt. Es sind märchenhafte Stories, aber auch Geschichten, die von Elenkas Zurechtkommen in der Welt, von Grenzerfahrungen in der Großstadt, von Selbstfindung und -aufgabe handeln. In den Songs treffen die sprachverliebten Texte von Elenka auf die pluckernde und glitzernde Electronica von Feeling Valencia und Robot Koch. Herausgekommen ist dabei mit "Elenka" ein Album, die Natur und das Urbane, den Freigeist und den Feierdrang gekonnt miteinander vereint - und dieser krasse Kontrast kommt nicht von ungefähr.

12' is released on green vinyl and will include a download code for the full remix package (also inc. RAC / xxxy remixes).

'Restless' is the first single and opening track from new album 'Music Complete'. The 10-year studio layoff - and loss of longtime bassist Peter Hook - does little to slow the band down. From its elegant, atmospheric opening and bright, anthemic choruses to frontman Bernard Sumner's trademark guitar tone and the welcome return of keyboardist Gillian Gilbert, 'Restless' recalls New Order's 1985 LP 'Low-Life'.

There are synthesizers, there are guitars, bass guitars, real drums and vocals in the first song. Components of rock and pop unite here in this lone 1977 effort and make way for elements of dark slow funk and soul that take you a couple of years back to the early seventies. The garment of swirling synthesizers keep it all together. The atmosphere can be soft and gentle like the touch of a lover's hand but it can also become more and more mysterious and gloomy generating a feeling of paranoia as if you're on the run and have no idea what are you running from. Some passages have these big and catchy melodies you would have loved to find with many of the later synthie pop acts. There must not necessarily be vocals on this album but they do a fine job of churning up your emotions in the opening song, just wanted to add this. Despite the lightweight groove in some compositions there is always a thought provoking melancholy present. From many of the synthesizer albums I have been listening to lately on my trip to discover a musical world still strange to me this is one of the most catchy but still rather wicked ones. It takes a turn from the pop and rock elements in the beginning and chooses a more epic direction with each song. The great late Edgar Froese (TANGERINE DREAM) or Klaus Schulze would certainly raise their hats to this project in deep respect. A beautiful little obscurity from a scene that seems so utterly strange and magical to me, the rock and acoustic music fan. This album gives you more than just a pleasant time listening. This is an experience!

There are synthesizers, there are guitars, bass guitars, real drums and vocals in the first song. Components of rock and pop unite here in this lone 1977 effort and make way for elements of dark slow funk and soul that take you a couple of years back to the early seventies. The garment of swirling synthesizers keep it all together. The atmosphere can be soft and gentle like the touch of a lover's hand but it can also become more and more mysterious and gloomy generating a feeling of paranoia as if you're on the run and have no idea what are you running from. Some passages have these big and catchy melodies you would have loved to find with many of the later synthie pop acts. There must not necessarily be vocals on this album but they do a fine job of churning up your emotions in the opening song, just wanted to add this. Despite the lightweight groove in some compositions there is always a thought provoking melancholy present. From many of the synthesizer albums I have been listening to lately on my trip to discover a musical world still strange to me this is one of the most catchy but still rather wicked ones. It takes a turn from the pop and rock elements in the beginning and chooses a more epic direction with each song. The great late Edgar Froese (TANGERINE DREAM) or Klaus Schulze would certainly raise their hats to this project in deep respect. A beautiful little obscurity from a scene that seems so utterly strange and magical to me, the rock and acoustic music fan. This album gives you more than just a pleasant time listening. This is an experience!

Three years after her previous English-language album "Sweet Silence", Barbara Morgenstern is in possession of a marvellous new metaphor for a shining new principle for her work. The concept was actually a hint from Justus Köhncke, who appears on this pre-album EP "Beide" right with the very first track. This vocal duet can truly be described as a physical phenomenon. Also featured is a collaboration with Robert Lippok and Lucretia Dalt. Finally, "Kein Weg" was created in the studio of Schneider TM, and is the most intense and kraut-oriented track on this EP.

Seit den 90er-Jahren weiß man in der Buddha-Bar aufs Trefflichste, elektronische Musik mit einer World- und
Lounge-Atmosphäre zu verbinden. Sei es Claude Challe in den 90ern oder nun DJ Ravin: Die Elektronik
spielte bei der Auswahl der Musik für die Compilations und in den Locations unter diesem Namen immer eine
große Rolle. Dies war der Grund für das kleine Pariser Label George V, den Club-Aspekt in einer Compilation
mal ganz in den Vordergrund zu stellen. An den Turntables steht DJ Ravin, der einige der besten Tracks der
Deep-Electronic-Szene zusammenfügt - und sie mit einigen geheimnisvollen Zutaten aufpeppt.

01. Viken Arman: You're Mine (Feat. Be Major)
02. Mahmut Orhan: Age Of Emotions
03. Simion: Lost Feat. Roland Clark
04. Andrea Arcangeli / Asal: Los Imprescindibles
05. Moogers: Wings Of The Dawn (Prem Kavita)
06. RedSoul: You'll Never Find
07. Darko De Jan: Shaolin
08. Papa & Soul: Drama
09. Zepherin Saint Feat. Adama: Obanla
10. Cosme Martin / Christian Vila: Children Of The Sun
11. Chus & Ceballos / Leonardo Gonnelli: Abisinia Feat. GiGi (Original Mix)
12. Stan Kolev Featuring Albena Veskova: Vertigo
13. Worakls: Cerisier Blanc
14. Toco: Mané

Schluss ist, wenn wir es sagen! Somit endet das (musikalische) Jahr schon am 23. Oktober. Nach
den Frühlingshits und erfolgreichen Sommerhits präsentiert Best Of 2015 - Die Hits des Jahres die
größten Songs des Jahres 2014, gepaart mit aktuellen Chartstürmern! Wie schön du warst und noch
bist! Das musikalische Jahr 2015 nähert sich seinem finalen Höhepunkt und Best Of 2015 präsentiert
den ersten Jahresrückblick mit den größten Chartstürmern und Newcomern die uns 2015 unter unsere
Haut gingen. Angeführt von SARAH CONNOR und ihrem #1 Hit Wie schön du bist wussten auch
Newcomer wie PHILIPP DITTBERNER & MARV, GLASPERLENSPIEL, FELIX JAEHN und viele
weitere lokale Musiker zu überzeugen. Wie ein Astronaut schossen SIDO feat. ANDREAS
BOURANI an die Spitze der Charts und im Frühjahr sorgte eine erotische Roman-Verfilmung für lange
Schlangen an den Kinokassen und ELLIE GOULDING sorgte mit ihrem musikalischen Bestseller Love
Me Like You Do für einen Höhepunkt in den Charts. Bald ist es an der Zeit dem Jahr Bye Bye zu
sagen - bis dahin feiern wir jedoch gemeinsam mit CRO und vielen mehr Die Hits des Jahres!

[0] VORLÄUFIGES TRACKLISTING - ACHTUNG: NICHT
FINAL
[1] Love Me Like You Do - Ellie Goulding
[2] Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better) - Felix Jaehn feat.
Jasmine Thompson
[3] Stole The Show - Kygo feat. Parson James
[4] Cheerleader (Felix Jaehn Remix) - Omi
[5] For A Better Day - Avicii
[6] Intoxicated - Martin Solveig & GTA
[7] I Really Like You - Carly Rae Jepsen
[8] El Mismo Sol - Alvaro Soler feat. Jennifer Lopez
[9] Avenir - Louane
[10] Bye Bye - Cro
[11] What Do You Mean - Justin Bieber
[12] Show Me Love - Sam Feldt feat. Kimberly Anne
[13] Good To Be Loved - M-22
[14] California Dreamin - Freischwimmer
[15] Riva (Restart The Game) - Klingande feat. Broken Back
[16] Wish You Were Mine - Philip George
[17] Outside - Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding
[18] Dessert - Dawin
[19] Omen - Disclosure feat. Sam Smith
[20] You Know You Like It - DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge
[21] Here - Alessia Cara
[22] So wie du bist - MoTrip feat. LARY
[0] VORLÄUFIGES TRACKLISTING - ACHTUNG: NICHT
FINAL
[1] Astronaut - Sido feat. Andreas Bourani
[2] Wie schön du bist - Sarah Connor
[3] Wild And Free - Lena
[4] Lieblingsmensch - Namika
[5] Geiles Leben (Madizin Single Mix) - Glasperlenspiel
[6] Wolke 4 - Philipp Dittberner & Marv
[7] Unter meiner Haut - Gestört aber GeiL & Koby Funk
feat. Wincent Weiss
[8] Reality - Lost Frequencies feat. Janiek Devy
[9] Supergirl - Anna Naklab feat. Alle Farben & Younotus
[10] Fade Out Lines - The Avener
[11] Hold Back The River - James Bay
[12] Lucifer - XOV
[13] Flashlights - Jessie J
[14] Stay With Me - Sam Smith
[15] Auf anderen Wegen - Andreas Bourani
[16] Was wirklich bleibt - Christina Stürmer
[17] Ich will nur dass du weißt - SDP feat. Adel Tawil
[18] Lieber so - Yvvonne Catterfeld
[19] Unsere Lieder - Adel Tawil
[20] Armour - Rea Garvey
[21] Shine - Years & Years
[22] Dos Bros - The BossHoss

10YEARS RE EDITION WITH CD

Re Release with new catalogue number /ean and uincluding CD for the first time! Syd Matters, whose real name is Jonathan Morali, combined the names of two members of Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett and Roger Waters, to create his stage name. For songwriter Jonathan Morali and his band Syd Matters, song-writing can best be described as an adventure. Listen to the gentle persistence of Wolfmother or River Sister as they instil their entrancing melodies, reaching deep into the soul, while Hi Life and Lost, thanks to their arrangements, both sound like instant classics without forsaking any of their unquestioned originality. The five travellers in Syd Matters chose not to weigh themselves down with any unnecessary baggage and their album only goes to prove how right they were. The fluency of the texts, the beauty of each musical gesture and the imagination behind every note meet the needs of anyone who wants to live their life freely and harmoniously in music. - download card with a unique code to get the mp3 of the complete album

Abgesehen davon, dass ihnen der Erfolg Recht gibt, für Plattenaufleger gibt's bekanntlich kein Rentenalter.
Und genau deshalb denkt das DJ-Gespann Bart & Baker auch nicht ans Aufhören. Zum Glück, denn so
kommen wir endlich wieder in den Genuss der neuesten "Electro Swing"-Ausgabe. Standesgemäß wurde
auch die 8. Runde dieser weltweit verkauften Kompilationsserie von den beiden "oldest DJ's still active" in
Form gebracht. Auf "Electro Swing VIII" hält das - von Marc Jacobs, Dita von Teese und Max Raabe
umschmeichelte - DJ-Duo am bewährten Erfolgsrezept fest: Man nehme alte und neue Swing-Sounds, pimpe
diese mit elektronischen Beats auf und verknüpfe das Ganze zu einem mitreißenden Mix. Mit von der Partie
sind Parov Stelar, Fort Knox Five, Swingrowers, Marcella Puppini u. v. a. Das schwingt!

PAROV STELAR: Clap Your Hands
CARAVAN PALACE: Rock It For Me
CHINESE MEN: Don't Scream (Smokey Joe & The Kid Remix)
THE GENTLEMEN CALLERS OF LA: Showgirl (Bart&Baker Remix)
SOVIET SUPREM: French Romance (Bart&Baker Remix)
PRESERVATION JAZZ HALL BAND: St James Infirmary (King Britt Remix)
SWINGROWERS: Enjoy The Moment (Bart&Baker Remix)
MARCELLA PUPPINI: I'm In The Mood For Trouble (Bart&Baker Remix)
JIVE ME: Doing The Uptown Downtown
EXTRA MEDIUM: That Lady
SWAHN: Rugged Tango
FORT KNOX FIVE: Swinging On A Rhyme (Bart&Baker Remix)
BUDAPEST BAR: Money Money Money
TRAKTORORKESTAR: Gavotte De Carotte (Klishée Remix
ELLE & THE POCKETBELLES: Swinging Together (Cat @ The H@Q Remix)
HARRY ROY & HIS ORCHESTRA: Wah De Dah (Louie Prima & Wolfgang Lohr Remix)
ODJBOX FEAT. LUCINDA BELLE: Don't Get Me Wrong
JENOVA COLLECTIVE 1 CLAYFACE: Trouble
SMOKEY JOE & THE KID: Schön
S STRONG : Whitestick
SWAHN: Looney Swing (Original Mix)
SCOTT BRADLEE & POST MODERN JUKEBOX: Careless Whisper (Bart&Baker Remix)

Introverted Dancefloor ist das Projekt von Bevan Smith, einem umtriebigen Neuseeländer, der in den
vergangenen zehn Jahren auch schon unter Namen wie Signer und Aspen Musik gemacht hat und in Bands
wie den Ruby Suns und Skallander spielte. Für die 14 Dancetracks, die er als Introverted Dancefloor abliefert,
hat Smith sich auf zwei Synthesizer und ein wenig Zubehör beschränkt - mit einem äußerst facettenreichen
Ergebnis, denn es ist alles da: Elektro und Ambient, Detroit-Techno, Pop-House und Leftfield-Disco. Das
Album (ent)hält, was der Titel verspricht - zurückhaltende, sophisticated Tanzmusik. Vinylversion inklusive
Downloadcode.