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2005's Naturally was a pivotal moment in the history of soul music. It was the first Daptone album tracked at the renowned "House of Soul", a recording studio handbuilt by Sharon and the rest of the Daptone family in a two story rental in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The album has gone on to sell over 200,000 records, with hit singles "How Long Do I Have To Wait?" and "This Land is Your Land" streaming in the hundreds of millions- staggering figures for a wholly independent release.

Up to this point Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings had yet to reach an audience outside of dingy, hole-in-the-wall clubs, dive bars, and underground DJ parties, attended by only the most in-the-know. This was the scene where the band began to flourish, developing the sound that would forever alter the musical landscape and set a lofty new bar for what could be considered real-deal soul music. It made Daptone a household name and opened doors for countless musicians and record labels to come. Naturally sparked a renaissance that is still vibrating today- a testament to Sharon Jones' legacy as the undisputed, reigning Queen of Heavyweight Soul.

LINKIN PARK—Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Phoenix, Joe Hahn, alongside new members Emily Armstrong of critically acclaimed band Dead Sara as co-vocalist and Colin Brittain songwriter/producer for G Flip, Illenium, One OK Rock as drummer—share their first brand new music in seven years.

The iconic band shared a new single “The Emptiness Machine,” which is also the herald for the arrival of LINKIN PARK’s first album since 2017, FROM ZERO, on November 15.

About the new era, Shinoda stated, “Before LINKIN PARK, our first band name was Xero. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we’re currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future—embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans. We are proud of what LINKIN PARK has become over the years, and excited about the journey ahead.”

Right out of the gate, “The Emptiness Machine” channels the DNA of LINKIN PARK, harnessing the band’s explosive energy and retaining the hallmarks of their instantly identifiable and inimitable sound. A chameleonic and catchy anthem, Shinoda’s hypnotic melodies hand off to Armstrong’s blistering chorus, over distorted riffs and head-nodding drums.

Ultimately, with FROM ZERO, the band is looking to harness the purest energy of their past, present, and future. The new era has officially begun.

Three LPs packed in a trifold jacket. Pressed on Deep Ocean Pearl, Gold & Dark Green Vinyl. Take up your sword, channel your magic or board your Mech. Chained Echoes is a 16-bit style RPG set in a fantasy world where dragons are as common as piloted mechanical suits. The game is set on the continent of Valandis during the time of a multi-generational war between three kingdoms, Taryn, Gravos and Escanya. After a great catastrophe caused by Grand Grimoire shakes the continent, the kingdoms agree to sign a peace treaty. One year later, an unknown force strives to begin a new war. A group of unlikely heroes joins forces and eventually becomes the clan of Crimson Wings in order to stop it. The outstanding soundtrack for Chained Echoes was passionately composed, arranged and recorded over four years by Eddie Marianukroh as well as many other musicians who worked under his direction. It includes 50 tracks at two hours in length. Even the game has been out for a while, Marianukroh's admiration and enthusiasm for the game and his addition to it remain undiminished: "It has been over two years now since the release of Chained Echoes, which is rather difficult for me to believe. Time really flies, and it's honestly a bit frightening when I think about it. But, despite that, when I listen to the music I've written for this game, I still very much remain proud of what I composed. I really did give my all for this soundtrack. I will forever be grateful to Matthias for trusting me with the music for his game. I can vividly remember how I felt when I first came across his project, and how I nervously reached out to him about the composer position. I truly, truly cannot thank him enough for giving me this memorable experience that I will always hold dear. Thank you, my friend."

In 2012 Gruff Rhys embarked on a solo 'investigative concert tour' through the heart of America following the route taken by his distant relative John Evans. Every night he presented songs augmented by a power point presentation that detailed his relative's unbelievable history, along with any new piece of information that had come his way during the day. He was ultimately looking for Evans's lost unmarked grave. Along with many major cities, the tour took him to play shows at the Mandan and Omaha tribe reservations, a Missouri vineyard, villages that no longer exist and lay at the bottom the Mississippi river and a New Orleans bordello. What transpired from that ‘investigative concert tour’ was a 2014 album, American Interior, plus a book, film and exhaustive tour of the same name. With the aid of the dusted-off power point presentation, Gruff Rhys and a full band revisits the project in 2025 to perform the songs that formed both the album, and the soundtrack to the film.

Gruff says of the reissue -

“Revisiting American Interior 11 years later, feels very prescient. In following the unusual story of explorer John Evans (1770-1799) it becomes clear that faked narratives can have profound and unpredictable consequences in real life. His barely believable journey of verification in searching through continental scale wilderness for a fictitious Welsh speaking tribe believed to be living on the Great Plains of North America (an ancient folk tale perpetuated by the Elizabethan court following the subjugation of Wales, to make colonial claims on behalf of the British on the Americas) had a dramatic political effect on the fledgling USA and a devastating impact on himself and some of those who helped him on his way. I wrote an album of songs inspired by his life; American Interior, which also served as a soundtrack to a documentary film based on a book that detailed his journey, intertwined with my own investigative concert tour, all three of which I worked on simultaneously during a 2-year fever 2012-14. By far the most ambitious undertaking I’ve ever attempted. Living with one foot in the 18th century, wearing the same clothes (for cinematic continuity) for that entire period, left me pretty exhausted. (Imagine a cold extra from The Revenant movie). It took me a while to process the whole experience and its lessons and feel I owe it to my former self to take these songs back on the road for a couple of months and re-tell the story for a new decade. To celebrate it further Rough Trade will reissue a remastered version of the album with previously unreleased tracks.”

REPRESS of the highly acclaimed album. After the mind blowing success of the Witchcraft's album Legend, 2012, mastermind Magnus Pelander out did himself with "Nucleus". Combining what made its predecessor the modern classic it quickly became with elements of the band's earlier days, "Nucleus" is a melancholic, raging, fragile, melodic and at times noisy masterpiece between classic rock, doom and ambient music. With an all new line-up (Rage Widerberg on drums and Tobias Anger on bass) the band sounds more hungry and powerful than ever. In combination with the thrilling, yet very down-to-earth production by Pelander, Philip Gabriel Saxin and Anton Sundell, "Nucleus" throws you in dreamy sonic landscapes that will mesmerize and haunt you alike.

Magenta coloured vinyl, limited to 200 copies. REPRESS of the highly acclaimed album. After the mind blowing success of the Witchcraft's album Legend, 2012, mastermind Magnus Pelander out did himself with "Nucleus". Combining what made its predecessor the modern classic it quickly became with elements of the band's earlier days, "Nucleus" is a melancholic, raging, fragile, melodic and at times noisy masterpiece between classic rock, doom and ambient music. With an all new line-up (Rage Widerberg on drums and Tobias Anger on bass) the band sounds more hungry and powerful than ever. In combination with the thrilling, yet very down-to-earth production by Pelander, Philip Gabriel Saxin and Anton Sundell, "Nucleus" throws you in dreamy sonic landscapes that will mesmerize and haunt you alike.

Tarja Turunen is a Finnish singer-songwriter and one of the most iconic voices in symphonic metal. She blends her classically trained soprano with metal and rock influences, creating a unique style. Since launching her solo career, Tarja has released critically acclaimed albums spanning genres from symphonic metal to classical and Christmas music. Her powerful live performances, theatrical stage presence, and global fanbase solidify her as a pioneering artist in modern music.
THE PRODUCT
The “Circus Life” concert was an unforgettable live experience, recorded with 16 musicians in a unique “In the Round” format at the circus in Bucharest. Tarja was joined by talented vocalists, including her brother Toni, and a mix of musicians from various stages of her career.
The concert captured the joy and camaraderie among the performers, with Tarja opting for a minimalistic approach to her wardrobe to prioritize the music. The whole experience, marked by togetherness and spontaneity, became a cherished memory before the world shut down in 2020. The setlist spans her career, featuring greatest hits such as “I Walk Alone”, “Until My Last Breath” and “Innocence”, as well as fan favorites like “Victim Of Ritual” and “Demons In You”, showcasing her evolution as an artist.
The show was originally included as bonus content in the strictly limited and sold-out Mediabook and Box Set of Tarja’s 2022 “Best Of: Living The Dream” release. It is now made available stand-alone as “Ltd. 2CD+Blu-ray Digipak”, featuring the 2-hour live show as audio and video, “Ltd. Black 3LP Gatefold”, including a LP-sized booklet and Blu-ray softcase.

A faithful police dog and his human police officer owner are injured together on the job, triggering a harebrained but life-saving surgery that fuses the two of them together,

and Dog Man is born. DreamWorks Animation’s adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s New York Times bestselling literary phenomenon is directed by Emmy winner Peter Hastings

(The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness), and stars the voice talents of Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, Isla Fisher, Poppy Liu,

Emmy nominee Stephen Root, Billy Boyd and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Ricky Gervais.



Dog Man composer Tom Howe has scored over 100 projects for film and television, including Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Daisy Jones and the Six, and The Great British Bake-Off.

“Because Dog Man doesn’t talk and I wanted to capture his high energy, I incorporated hand-clapping percussion, vocal layering of dog pants and mouth trumpets.

I recorded all of these mad mouth sounds myself in the studio. And as a contrast to Dog Man, the police chief and action cues are accompanied by wah-wah guitars, sax and afro flute.

It’s like Bullet meets Shaft, blending elements of Lalo Schifrin and Isaac Hayes. This thread of classic ̛60s and ̓70s crime thrillers is woven throughout the score.” Tom Howe

Für viele Fans auf der ganzen Welt gilt Paul Di’Anno bis zum heutigen Tag als der einzig wahre Maiden Frontmann. Während seiner langen Solokarriere veröffentlichte er auch zwei Alben auf Metalville Records. "In Memory Of" enthält, neben den Highlights aus diesen beiden Alben, zwei bisher nie in physischer Form veröffentlichte Songs. Dazu bietet das Booklet unveröffentlichtes Fotomaterial sowie exklusiv für dieses Album verfasste Liner Notes durch den bekannten Rock Hard Autor und Maiden-Biografen Matthias Mader.

AAA Gripper have seemingly dropped out of nowhere but the story goes back. The idea was conjured in the summer of 2023 at the first Wrong Speed Records festival in the town of Glastonbury. Inspired by a weekend of radical sounds and fine company a decision was made - 'let's try something'.
Recording hours and hours of bass and drums in deep Somerset then editing it down to a sharp and concise 32 minutes. From Can's Lost Tapes boxset to No Means No's 0+2=1 via a thousand song structure decisions. Wild guitar strafe and precise hyper vocal added. Nine tight tunes magically appeared. The band raised a glass of tea. The band was born. The 'something' had worked.
We Invented Work For The Common Good is a deep dive into the world of the working person. How we end up. Why we climb onto the conveyer belt and never get off. The front cover is one of many of the same photo taken every day, on the walk to work, the dark mills looming - KEEP THEM BUSY, THEY WON'T RISE UP.
Music is therapy. They think it's part of the bread and circuses. We know it's armour. We know it's weaponry.
Gigs being planned.

Prayer Meeting' is an incredible early document from the dark space rock collective from North Carolina. Remastered by Ivan Pjevcevic in 2024. Psych to post metal to prog and folk and heavy weirdness unite under USX's unique approach.
"Prayer Meeting" was originally the very first unreleased record by the pastoral psychedelic congregation U.S. Christmas, hailing from Marion NC, in the middle of the Appalachian region. USX have a long career and several released on the mighty Neurot Recordings, published just after an ultra-limited demo batch of “Prayer Meeting” was around.
“Some bands make demos. We made a record. We didn't do this for a label, an agent, or anyone but ourselves. It was the first step toward what would become a series of connected works. This record marks a special time in my life, and I'm sure the other dudes agree. Those days in the little trailer in Marion, NC were electric and filled with building power. Listen up, these are the sounds of our foundation.”
Nate Hall

There are bands that you feel you have known forever -- recent ones, new
ones even -- because you are already so familiar with what you know they are
going to offer, familiar with the anticipation and the need, with the pleasure
you expect them to, quite rightfully, provide the masses (by which I mean
people who have once considered calling their first-born Kang)
VERDICT is such a band. It has members of MEANWHILE, NO SECURITY,
WARCOLLAPSE, 3- WAY CUM, TOTALITAR, and too many other bands, and even
though I have never actually met any of them, I still have had more interactions with
them through (over)playing and rocking to their records than I have had with some
members of my family, which, to be honest, is definitely for the best. VERDICT is a
rather new (but experienced in the things of the D) kang hardcore band, and they know
exactly what they are doing and how to do it. Had they produced something different,
that would have completely taken me aback -- something horrendous like ska- punk
would have made so little sense that I would have had to quit punk altogether. Alright,
what about The Rat Race, then. This is the follow-up to last year's Time to Resign, and
this one has even more punch, fury, and pummeling power than its predecessor.
Unoriginal, in a good way, and thoroughly checking all the correct boxes: the
drumming is pure and relentless, the riffs' efficiency is religiously executed in a
"Scandicore 101" way, the vocals are angry, direct, and raspy. Think a joyous orgy
between NO SECURITY, UNCURBED, and TOTALITAR.
This is the kind of record that makes the world a better place to rock. Thank you
Phobia Records. Kang up your life.

Die 1997 gegründeten Hard Oi!/Streetpunker Non Servium aus Madrid präsentieren eine komplett remasterte Best-Of in Form der neuen Vinyl-Compilation "Street Songs Since 1997", veröffentlicht auf Loikaemiess Fettfleck Records. Die aktuelle Besetzung der Band besteht aus Sänger Carlos und Gitarrist Snoker plus Ivi Bass, Gordo Gitarre und Niño Drums, wobei Carlos und Snoker während der gesamten Bandkarriere und auf allen Alben die Kernmitglieder waren. Der Sound von Non Servium ist Oi! oder "Brutal Oi!" mit Einflüssen aus Punk, Street Punk und deutlich Hardcore Punk. Ihre schnellen Schlagzeugrhythmen und starken Bass- und Gitarrenlinien sind ein charakteristisches Merkmal. Ihre Texte sind meist politisch verortet, obwohl auch Songs über Punk-, Skinhead- und Hooligan-Kultur dabei sind. Sie sind neben Bands wie Kaos Urbano und Núcleo Terco die größten Spanisch-singenden Vertreter von Oi! mit einem explizit antifaschistischen/antirassischtischen Haltung. Die Band hat bisher sieben richtige Studioalben veröffentlicht, wobei ein leichter Stilunterschied zwischen dem Debütalbum und den nachfolgenden Alben festzustellen ist, die sich durch einen kraftvolleren, dem Hardcore näheren Sound auszeichnen. Vor vier Jahren wurde eine ,Greatest Hits" auf CD veröffentlicht, aber diese neue Zusammenstellung ist nur auf Vinyl erhältlich, hat eine andere Tracklist und alle Titel wurden neu gemastert. LP klassisch schwarz!

It's 2022. The world lockdown is finally over. Imagine a picturesque lake in Tuscany. Now imagine a floating state of the art studio on that lake with two maverick rock icons creating a wild, alchemical concept album: Hugo Race, frontman of Australian post-punk legends The Wreckery and guitarist for the Bad Seeds and leader of True Spirit and Fatalists, and Gianni 'Marok' Maroccolo, producer of Italian alternative music and film soundtracks since the 1980s Florence darkwave scene with Litfiba, CSI & CCCP. Together, they fuse an existential narrative made up of individual stories in the style of Boccaccio's Decameron with psychedelic soundscapes framed by experimental electronica, rock instrumentation and decades of experience as cutting edge musicians and studio producers to bring you an album that defies categorization - The Vigil… "We all knew the situation was inauspicious, the planets lined up overhead like a firing squad and this empty silence roaming around our town, cut off from the other mountain towns by an electrical blackout. Without power, there was no way of knowing what was happening anywhere else. Left alone with our thoughts until help came from outside, a group of us gathered around a blazing fire in the abandoned city hall, feeding it with documents and broken furniture. Scientific progress had long told us we were parcels of dumb atoms and that consciousness and the soul were merely human projections. Now science had failed itself..."

Amber Broos, the rising star of Belgium's techno scene, has released a thrilling remake of the iconic anthem 'Arpegia'. Originally released in 1995 by Belgian dance act The Mackenzie, this legendary track has captivated clubgoers for decades and earned its place as a true cult classic. Amber Broos, known for her dynamic fusion of techno and Belgian retro influences, breathes new life into 'Arpegia' with a powerful, energy-infused version on the Belgian label Serious Beats Classics. Her reimagined version for a new generation of dance music lovers features an epic breakdown, driving beats, and an electrifying intensity that cements her reputation as the next-generation artist to watch. With this bold and electrifying remake, Amber Broos continues to carve her path as one of the most promising female artists in the electronic music scene.

Amber Broos: "'Arpegia' is a track that has shaped Belgium's dance scene, and I'm honoured to bring it back to life with my own twist. It's a tribute to the past, but also a vision of the future."

At just 22 years old, Amber Broos is already a force to be reckoned within the global electronic music industry. She has made waves with her radio shows on Belgium's leading station Studio Brussel and Tomorrowland's One World Radio, and has become a favourite among fans for her energetic performances and happy dance vibes. Her impact was undeniable at Tomorrowland Belgium, where she not only hosted her own stage at the Atmosphere tent but also performed on the iconic Mainstage for the second time in her career - a historic moment as the youngest female DJ ever to achieve this milestone.

Soul Jazz Records’ new Secret Superstar Sounds brings together a wealth of incredibly catchy tunes from late-70s/early-80s British groups that you have probably never heard of! Powerpop mixed together a love of lyrical and melodically beautiful 60s pop and garage sounds, together with the energy and attitude of 70s punk. Almost completely out of kilter with the fashions of the day (punk, new wave and post-punk) these bands managed to fall between the musical cracks at almost every step of the way – leaving them practically unknown to all but a few.

Inspired by the D-I-Y messaging of bands like The Desperate Bicycles, Sniffing Glue fanzine and early UK punk labels like Stiff, Chiswick and Rough Trade, these bands chose mainly to go into a studio and make their own private press/D-I-Y records themselves – then try to work out everything else (promotion, marketing, etc) afterwards. As mainly outsiders to the mainstream music industry, and usually unable to make any inroads into it, save for sending their own record to John Peel, most of these bands fell at the first hurdle.

These records remain both beautifully crafted 3-minute musical gems, and long-lost micro-histories of an essentially hidden genre.
Featured bands here include The Squares, The Meanies, The Monitors, Plummet Airline, Tours, Gobblinz, Krypton Tunes and more. Most of these records were self-published D-I-Y releases made in very limited-editions and were often the only tracks ever released by these groups.

Hyldon, Brazil’s highly revered vocalist, musician and producer, has partnered with Adrian Younge to create a new psychedelic soul album, HYLDON JID023. The duo, highly inspired by Hyldon’s seminal work in the ‘60s and ‘70s, revisits’ the spirit of this epoch while creating a modern-day classic. Hyldon’s unique voice and lyrical depth, combined with Younge’s innovative analogue production, ensures this album will not be forgotten. JID023 is one of the last recordings featuring Hyldon’s long-time collaborator and friend, the late drummer Ivan “Mamao” Conti of Azymuth.

Hyldon, a musical pioneer and early contributor to the “Black Rio” movement is a genius in synthesizing the sounds of MPB, Tropicália and Black American R&B. His unique voice, coupled with his rich arrangements and laid-back grooves set him apart from the contemporaries of the time. In ’75, his remarkable debut album, Na Rua, Na Chuva, Na Fazenda changed the sound of Brazil forever. Hyldon’s earnest and experimental approach in creating that album served as the inspiration for Younge’s production on the new JID023.

Months before Mamão's untimely passing, Adrian Younge and Hyldon invited the legendary drummer to join them at Younge’s Linear Labs studio in Los Angeles. Mamão and Hyldon shared a rich musical history — Azymuth, Mamão’s group, served as the rhythm section for much of Hyldon’s work, including his iconic 1975 LP, Na Rua, Na Chuva, Na Fazenda. Their goal was ambitious: to craft an album that would stand alongside Hyldon’s finest achievements, one that would captivate fans who love his unique blend of psychedelic and soulful “Música Brasileira.” The result is nothing short of remarkable.

“Producing a Hyldon album was a dream come true. I’ve studied his catalogue for so many years and highly respect the way he mixed the sound of The Beatles, with that of Marvin Gaye and Tim Maia. I’m still enamored by the fact that he is even a better singer now than he was, in what many deem, his prime. Also, we greatly miss our dear friend and contributor Mamão, the late drummer of Azymuth. We dedicated this album to his memory, and we wish he could have had the chance to hear the finished album.” – Adrian Younge

Songs such as “Olhos Castanhos” evoke the ethereal nature of The Beatles “Strawberry Fields” as the mellotron flutes and Hyldon’s vulnerable performance captivates our hearts. Mamão’s gritty and funky drumming on “Nhanderuvucu (The Creator of God)” showcase what made him a leading pioneer in Brazil’s samba funk scene. Apart from the remarkable drumming, multi-instrumentalist Younge accomplishes the unthinkable by playing every other instrument on JID023. The experimental fusion of horns, analog synthesizers and acoustic instrumentation on songs like “Viajante de Planeta Azul” take listeners on a funky journey to the blue planet; a fictional space that Hyldon lyrically describes with passion and conviction.

Hyldon JID023 is an unexpected, yet remarkable addition to the canon of Brazilian Music. Hyldon’s emotional resonance, coupled with Younge’s sophisticated production and Mamao’s outstanding drumming make this a standout album within the deep catalogue of Jazz Is Dead.

Part 2 of our 1980 Taxi showcase, and it's heavier than the first. Here is one of Sly & Robbie's most loved productions, in its initial raw dubplate form. In August 1980, this raw cut of the haunting lovelorn classic first started to make its way out there on dubplate, in this spare, cavernous heavy mix without the synthesizer and syndrum sounds that would eventually adorn the final released mix. As tapes of these type of early mixes made for sound systems more often than not were not saved or archived, we're overjoyed to have located this one and brought it out. Like our previous Viceroys Taxi releases, this is some of the heaviest music of its day, in its pure initial form like you would have heard Shaka or other serious sounds playing thru the end of 1980.

Previously unreleased; four track 12" with two different vocal takes, each w/ dub. Comes in Bond Export company sleeve.

Another cold case solved! One of DKR's early victories was finding a tape of the drum & bass cut of the legendary dubplate 'Rocks & Mountains.' Rumor had said the artist was the Mighty Travellers, but this didn't really add up chronologically or audibly. More astute listeners mostly agreed the artist was likely the Majesterians, a little recorded group who had made a couple other records for Taxi circa 1980. When we first issued the song on a 10" back in 2011, even Sly himself couldn't recall for sure who sang the tune. Like with other 'mystery' projects which we eventually came to realize, we never gave up digging on this one. There were two mysteries at work here - one, confirming the identity of the group, and two - finding the other cut of the tune, which features fuller instrumentation and a different vocal take. Both cuts were around on dubplate circa '80/'81, and the latter cut can be heard ever so briefly in the infamous UK "Sound Business" documentary film from '81. In the course of a mere 13 years, both questions came to be solved - we obtained a pretty clean plate cut of the fuller mix, and we confirmed the identity of the group. The Majesterians were a vocal trio consisting of Everton Dacres, Roderick Perkins and Paul Mitchell. While the latter two gentlemen don't seem to have done much otherwise, we are sure the roots heads and hopefully all DKR followers know Everton Dacres, who made some fine roots music in the 1970s prior to fronting the Majesterians. We spoke to Everton and he confirmed 'Rocks & Mountains' was their tune, cut in Channel 1 at a Taxi session featuring a host of other artists. Indeed, these were the heady days of 1980 with Channel 1 booked round the clock for locked-in sessions, with the Taxi Gang and the Roots Radics laying down future classic after future classic. All that said, we're happy to re-present this tune now with not only proper accreditation, but also both known mixes and the drum & bass mix in improved fidelity over its previous issue.

Killer previously unreleased mid '80s Tetrack tune finally out on road. Astute dubplate fiends may have heard this played by Rodigan back in the day, and others may know the Mighty Diamonds' later recording of the song. But the original cut is this one, written by Carlton Hines and performed by his group, the great Tetrack. Here it is in pristine quality straight from Gussie Clarke's master tapes, and mixed faithfully in style to the original dubplate cut, by Music Works' associate Curtis Lynch. Comes on the lovely "Dubwise Made in Jamaica" version of the Music Works label, which was used exclusively for dubplates cut at Gussie's original studio back in the early to mid '80s.

Proudly presenting our reissue of the sought-after 1978 album 'Ritmo Y Sabor' from Cuban, master bongo player, Manteca. A deep, hypnotic, sonic excursion of Afro-Cuban/mambo rhythms to get lost within. Released in 1978, there are a number of different pressings of the album coming out on labels including GRC, Desca Records and Sound Triangle Records. Stripped-back and low-fi, this is a pulsating hit of instrumental Latin-jazz dance magic.

Predominantly made up of just percussion and bass, the album comes courtesy of Carlos "Rico" Ramirez on bass, Carlos Patato on congas, timbales by Nelson Padron and Lazaro Pla aka Manteca as band leader. A Cuban legend, Manteca rose to fame playing with Ernesto Lecuona and the Cuban Boys. Although he featured on numerous recordings in his home of Cuba, only a handful exist of his as featured soloist or band leader.

A whirlwind of percussive brilliance, ‘Ritmo Y Sabor’ is brimming with energy regardless of the tempo of the track. An instantaneous ability to make you move, the grooves come alive with each new rhythm introduced. Take for instance, the track 'Afro Funky' that more than lives up to its name. A breakbeat Latin-funk workout, with a mighty fine walking bass line that provides the basis for the drummers to vibe off. Elsewhere, 'Rumbon En Casa De Cando' is fast and furious perfect for the jazz dance specialist, whilst 'Sabor A Mantecado' keeps you on your toes with its trance-like repetitive bassline and percussive interplay. 'Cosa De Manteca' is another heavy-Latin funk gem with a rough and raw feeling of relentless yet groove-driven percussion.

A must-have Afro-Cuban, rhythmic funk triumph, that shows Manteca and his band in full flight

In the madrigal-strewn world of neo folk-psychedelia, the queen of drones holds court…In this late teen decade, as green men are burnt, resources dwindle and naturalists plunder for authentic Englishness, the hunt for the grail-like Silver Globe continues. Back in 2014, the story was first whispered; A mythical jaunt set to a motorik rhythm, played out in an overgrown forest of ideas: Jane Weaver’s ‘The Silver Globe’ was a conceptual delicacy – “a synth-ridden post-apocalyptic prog-pop opus based on tightly embroidered, non-linear recurring themes inspired by esoteric stories, cosmic imagery and re-filtered past experiences”. Since those heady beginnings, our heroine has time travelled to darker times and been celebrated for her glorious ‘Modern Kosmology’ (top album of 2017, here, there, everywhere).
“A full-scale leap into the cosmic void of contemporary space rock” The Quietus

“As a child of the 1970’s I can thank my friends’ brothers for their space rock record collections and concept album sleeves that I would spend hours looking at, then my first love for Kate Bush followed by a heavy dose of disco and synth pop. I guess ‘The Silver Globe’ is just a subconscious inspired imprint of those things that have never left me, married with an accidental viewing of a vintage Polish sci-fi film that was so bizarre I couldn’t stop thinking about it and so it became my muse...” Jane Weaver. Set the controls…

The Catenary Wires are a group comprising Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey and Ian Button. Their critically acclaimed third album ‘Birling Gap’ was released in 2021. Since then, they have been focusing on their other bands, playing around the world with Heavenly (stars of the 90s indiepop scene) and Swansea Sound.
A couple of years ago, word reached Rob and Amelia that Brian had been spotted wearing a Heavenly t-shirt at one of his shows, and was a big fan of their music. Given that they, in turn, were fans of Brian’s poetry, introductions were made, friendships were formed, and ‘Sounds Made By Humans’ took shape.
The album isn’t a set of readings with musical backdrops: it’s a collection of songs, where words and music have become completely intertwined. There are verses, and there are choruses. There is no ‘riffing’, no improvisation. In many ways, Brian’s poems are already like pop songs: brief, direct, and witty; sometimes poignant, sometimes biting and political; but always economical, and always accessible.
Rob took thirteen of Brian’s poems and created melodies and arrangements, which are then played by a full band, with Ian Button on drums and Fay Hallam on keyboard. Sometimes the words of the poems are sung by Amelia or Rob. Sometimes they are spoken by Brian. Sometimes both these things happen at once. This is a pop record where the poetry and the music are equal partners: sounds made by humans in perfect artistic alignment.
Brian Bilston and The Catenary Wires will be performing at selected UK venues in November 2025.

“Underground” is a relative term. One could argue that all the ‘60s San Francisco psychedelic bands were underground, because the music they made was so far removed from the pop and rock sounds that came before them. But of all the bands in the scene, Lamb was perhaps the most underground of them all. It wasn’t just that their blend of rock, folk, classical, country, blues, and gospel was as hard to classify as any of the era. It was also their vibe. Along with classically trained guitarist and songwriting partner Bob Swanson, Barbara Mauritz’s versatile vocals paced material often imbued with a haunting, mystical aura. Yet they could also be earthy and rootsy, occasionally drifting into spacey psychedelia with hints of raga-rock. Released in the early ‘70s, Lamb’s first two albums, A Sign of Change and Cross Between, did indeed offer some of the most intriguing and eclectic music of any San Francisco rock band on the psychedelic scene. But Lamb’s history predated the release of those records by a good couple of years or so. So prolific were Mauritz and Swanson that quite a few of their original compositions didn’t make it onto their albums, though these were often on par with the songs that did find official release. Unlike many bands of the time who had a bounty of surplus quality tunes, Lamb often taped these in studios and studio-like rehearsal conditions, as well as making some professional tapes of their live performances. Fortunately, many of those tapes survive, including a good number of songs that didn’t find a place on their LPs, as well as substantially different versions of some that did. The best of these from the late 1960s find release for the first time on An Extension of Now: Unreleased Recordings 1968-1969. This collection not only rounds out our picture of one of San Francisco rock’s finest underappreciated acts, but also serves as a first-class document of Lamb as they made their transition from a more standard rock outfit to a group not easily comparable to any other in the region, or indeed any other anywhere. Our black vinyl and CD (with extra tracks, limited to 500) releases feature liner notes by Richie Unterberger drawn from an interview with Bob Swanson, who has also contributed photos and memorabilia from his private archive. Produced by noted Bay Area archivist Alec Palao…if you’re a fan of late-‘60s S.F. psych, you have to hear this!

Die 1997 gegründeten Hard Oi!/Streetpunker Non Servium aus Madrid präsentieren eine komplett remasterte Best-Of in Form der neuen Vinyl-Compilation "Street Songs Since 1997", veröffentlicht auf Loikaemiess Fettfleck Records. Die aktuelle Besetzung der Band besteht aus Sänger Carlos und Gitarrist Snoker plus Ivi Bass, Gordo Gitarre und Niño Drums, wobei Carlos und Snoker während der gesamten Bandkarriere und auf allen Alben die Kernmitglieder waren. Der Sound von Non Servium ist Oi! oder "Brutal Oi!" mit Einflüssen aus Punk, Street Punk und deutlich Hardcore Punk. Ihre schnellen Schlagzeugrhythmen und starken Bass- und Gitarrenlinien sind ein charakteristisches Merkmal. Ihre Texte sind meist politisch verortet, obwohl auch Songs über Punk-, Skinhead- und Hooligan-Kultur dabei sind. Sie sind neben Bands wie Kaos Urbano und Núcleo Terco die größten Spanisch-singenden Vertreter von Oi! mit einem explizit antifaschistischen/antirassischtischen Haltung. Die Band hat bisher sieben richtige Studioalben veröffentlicht, wobei ein leichter Stilunterschied zwischen dem Debütalbum und den nachfolgenden Alben festzustellen ist, die sich durch einen kraftvolleren, dem Hardcore näheren Sound auszeichnen. Vor vier Jahren wurde eine ,Greatest Hits" auf CD veröffentlicht, aber diese neue Zusammenstellung ist nur auf Vinyl erhältlich, hat eine andere Tracklist und alle Titel wurden neu gemastert. LP klassisch schwarz!

Blue Sky Vinyl. Teethe is a band from Texas. The members of Teethe met while attending the University of North Texas in Denton, TX, a small college town outside of Dallas with a fertile music scene. Before forming Teethe, its core members Boone Patrello, Grahm Robinson, Madeline Dowd, and Jordan Garrett all played in various other groups in Denton, releasing music under different pseudonyms. Patrello released solo music via his Dead Sullivan moniker, while Robinson released under MAH KEE OH. Patrello and Robinson linked up with Dowd to record an album for her project, Crisman, in 2019. They all eventually moved in together, leading the group to start recording more as a whole unit, and subsequently Teethe was born.Made over the course of 2020, Teethe's eponymous debut album is a collection of songs pieced together over time - a sonic collage of fragmented recordings and half finished tracks made whole in the midst of isolation. Initially self-released in November of 2020 with little fanfare, the album's warm, lo-fi aesthetic and slow, calming songs spread by word of mouth. Roughly one year later, at the top of 2022, the band returned with "Tag", a new single that caught the attention of slowcore fans and garnered shout outs from unlikely celebrities. Tours soon followed with Charlie Martin of Hovvdy, Momma, Milly, Waveform, and They Are Gutting A Body of Water. The band continued to record their own music, releasing another single, "Lucky," in the fall of 2022, and most recently partnered with Saddle Creek for their 7-inch series to release their newest single, "Moon," in October of 2023. Now spread between Dallas and Austin, the Texas band has recently signed with Winspear and will be re-issuing their self-titled debut LP this winter, along with a pressing of "Tag," "Lucky," and never before released b-side "Thanks" on 7-inch vinyl.

The Scream, Siouxsie & the Banshees' first album, was released late enough in the punk era to bear some claim as the first post-punk album, with only a minor traces of 'punk' (one lingering early song, "Carcass" comes to mind) and enough hints of what had come even earlier, Andy MacKay-like saxophone flourishes - to feel utterly new. Not to mention the effort producer Steve Lillywhite must have put into the album, his first fully-credited major label production.
Siouxsie was clearly the focus of the band, with her unique vocal style and lyrics, but the real star, we've always known, was John McKay, who wrote most of the album's music (as well as singles like "Hong Kong Garden"), creating a wholly new guitar sound - harsh and brittle, yet melodically intoxicating . . . best articulated by a somewhat confounded Steve Albini years later ". . . only now people are trying to copy it, and even now nobody understands how that guitar player got all that pointless noise to stick together as songs". McKay's influence lives on; many of the most influential guitarists of the past four decades credit him as a major influence - Geordie from Killing Joke, Jim Reid of The Jesus And Mary Chain, U2's The Edge, Thurston Moore, Johnny Marr and even the two guitarists - The Cure's Robert Smith and Magazine's John McGeoch - who followed him in The Banshees.
McKay's burgeoning status as the anti-guitar hero was halted when he and Banshees drummer Kenny Morris - at odds with Siouxsie and bassist Steve Severin - fled the band just after the start of a tour supporting the group's second album, Join Hands. It was a weekly music paper scandal, later the subject of a BBC documentary, and Siouxsie's vitriol working its way into the lyrics of a later Banshees b-side, "Drop Dead / Celebration". Aside from a solitary single on Marc Riley's In Tape label nearly a decade later, no music was heard from McKay again. So it comes as a major surprise to learn of a pile of excellent recordings made in the years just after he left The Banshees, unheard by all but a very few, some of which feature drummer Kenny Morris, plus Mick Allen from Rema Rema, Matthew Seligman of the Soft Boys and longer-term collaborator Graham Dowdall and John's wife Linda . . . the latter three of whom now all sadly deceased.
Sixes And Sevens is an historic lost album. Brazenly genius and bearing fair claim as the lost treasure of the post-punk era, the album collects eleven studio tracks, carefully mastered from original tapes. It's a masterpiece which best speaks for itself. John McKay will be made available for a limited number of interviews . . . and yes, there are surprises in store.

LEPER COLONY kreuzen den deutschen und schwedischen Death Metal Stil mit klassischen Einflüssen aus der US-Szene. Die Band entstand aus der langjährigen Freundschaft und der gemeinsamen Liebe zum Death Metal der alten Schule, die den deutschen Sänger Marc Grewe und den schwedischen Gitarristen Rogga Johansson dazu brachten, im Jahr 2020 ein gemeinsames Album zu produzieren. Das Duo holte sich CONSUMPTION-Schlagzeuger Jon Skäre und Lead-Gitarrist Kjetil Lyngahug (PAGANIZER) ins Boot, um das selbstbetitelte Debütalbum aufzunehmen, welches im Jahr 2023 veröffentlicht wurde. Das Werk wurde von Kritikern und Fans gleichermaßen positiv aufgenommen. Es wurde schnell klar, dass es sich bei LEPER COLONY keineswegs bloß um ein weiteres "Superprojekt" handelte, sondern dass eingefleischte Death Metal Fanatiker mit einer Vielzahl von frischen Ideen aufwarten. Marc Crewe hat sich als ehemaliger Frontmann von MORGOTH, und später mit INSIDIOUS DISEASE sowie ASINHELL einen klangvollen Namen in der Szene erworben. Gitarrist und Bassist Rogga Johansson prägte den schwedischen Death Metal in einer Reihe von Bands wie PAGANIZER, RIBSPREADER und REVOLTING entscheidend mit. WOMBBATH-Gitarrist Håkan Stuvemark übernahm mittlerweile die Leadgitarre und Jon Rudin wurde ebenfalls als neues Mitglied verpflichtet. Der britische Schlagzeuger ist unter anderem von MONSTROUS und DEAD SUN bekannt. Mit "Those of the Morbid" geben LEPER COLONOY allen Old School Death Metal Fans exakt das brutale und kompromisslose Album, auf das sie lange warten mussten!

Wilson Tanner return to dry land with Legends, a wine-soaked agricultural fantasy, made among the grapevines at Manon Farm in South Australia. Where their earlier works settled into the sun-struck torpor of a suburban Perth backyard (69) or drifted off-course on a riverboat on Port Phillip Bay (ii), Legends trades salt air for vineyard sweat, the scrape of boots on dry earth and workers’ radios humming with the summer test cricket season.

Through this agricultural haze an image of a working vineyard emerges - ducks, dogs and plovers intrude; tractors and quads fly-by; stainless steel gleams at the edges. Recorded without mains power, the Manon demos overflow with farmyard ingenuity. Wind, brass, balalaika, balloon, pipe and synth are trained onto the staff with wire, tape and string.

A caricature of Australian viticulture, Legends is packed to the horns with the mythology and manure of natural wine. Swigging and belching in camaraderie, Wilson Tanner press their surroundings into something raw and unfiltered, letting bum notes, leftovers and sediment linger in the bottle. A cornucopia of biodynamic sounds.

Die Liverpooler RATS sind knallhart der Wahrheit und den Beats verpflichtet. Furchtlos, gelegentlich wild und häufig zärtlich kommt dieser mitreissende Pöbel auf der Debüt-LP "Rule The World" zusammen, nachdem die Single "Patsy Decline" (2021) ein neugieriges Publikum zu ihren lebhaften Liveshows lockte. Der direkte und optimistische Mix der Band aus unerschrockener lyrischer Ehrlichkeit und Crossover-Rock, R&B und Ska ist der Soundtrack des modernen innerstädtischen Grossbritanniens. Frontmann/Texter Joe Maddocks wird mit Mike Skinner (Jamie T, The Streets) verglichen, und die Band ergatterte einen frühen Supportslot für Liam Gallagher bei seinem Auftritt in der Royal Albert Hall 2022. Der gewundene Weg zu einem vollständigen Album wurde geduldig beschritten, RATS brauchten über zwei Jahre, um den Spass und die Wut ihrer prickelnden Liveshows auf Band zu bannen. "Es ist eine Mischung aus unseren individuellen Charakteren, die zusammenkommen", sagt Drummer Alan Phillips. "Da sind Lowells Dub und Ska, Joes scharfe, fast schon Hip-Hop-artige Texte, und dann sind da noch Mikey und Chris mit ihren mitreissenden Indie-Gitarrenriffs. Es ist eine Mischung aus den unterschiedlichsten Melodien in uns."

Die Liga der gewöhnlichen Gentlemen, vulgo DLDGG, 2012 aus den Ruinen der verblichenen Superpunk entstanden, bestechen auf ihren nun sieben regulären Alben (+einer Best Of) mit ihrer Version von Popmusik an der sie mit einer erfrischenden Sturheit festhalten. Beherzt setzen sie sich seitdem zwischen alle Stühle. Beseelt von der Idee des ursprünglichen Punk (Man muss kein Virtuose sein um tolle Musik zu machen), veröffentlichen sie seit Jahren großartige Popsongs, stark beeinflusst von den drei großen "M"s (Madness, Motown, Modern Lovers). Mit einer herzerfrischenden Kompromisslosigkeit Umarmen und Zementieren sie ihren Außenseiterstatus gleichermaßen. Auf Anbiederung an den Zeitgeist zwecks Erfolgsmaximierung haben sie entweder keine Lust oder, was auch sein kann, da haben sie einfach noch nicht drüber nachgedacht. Ziel der Liga war und ist es immer, dass jeder Albumtrack auch eine Single sein kann. Auf "Egg Benedict" haben sie es eigentlich geschafft. Erfrischend weit weg ist DLDGG vom zeitgenössischem Staatstheater- und Feuilletonrock welcher hierzulande so beliebt ist. Immer wenn ein neues Liga-Album erscheint ist es so, als würde in einer etwas vermufften Wohnung am ersten warmen Frühlingstag das Fenster geöffnet werden und eine herrlich leichte Brise weht herein. Toll, dass es sie gibt!

Die Liga der gewöhnlichen Gentlemen, vulgo DLDGG, 2012 aus den Ruinen der verblichenen Superpunk entstanden, bestechen auf ihren nun sieben regulären Alben (+einer Best Of) mit ihrer Version von Popmusik an der sie mit einer erfrischenden Sturheit festhalten. Beherzt setzen sie sich seitdem zwischen alle Stühle. Beseelt von der Idee des ursprünglichen Punk (Man muss kein Virtuose sein um tolle Musik zu machen), veröffentlichen sie seit Jahren großartige Popsongs, stark beeinflusst von den drei großen "M"s (Madness, Motown, Modern Lovers). Mit einer herzerfrischenden Kompromisslosigkeit Umarmen und Zementieren sie ihren Außenseiterstatus gleichermaßen. Auf Anbiederung an den Zeitgeist zwecks Erfolgsmaximierung haben sie entweder keine Lust oder, was auch sein kann, da haben sie einfach noch nicht drüber nachgedacht. Ziel der Liga war und ist es immer, dass jeder Albumtrack auch eine Single sein kann. Auf "Egg Benedict" haben sie es eigentlich geschafft. Erfrischend weit weg ist DLDGG vom zeitgenössischem Staatstheater- und Feuilletonrock welcher hierzulande so beliebt ist. Immer wenn ein neues Liga-Album erscheint ist es so, als würde in einer etwas vermufften Wohnung am ersten warmen Frühlingstag das Fenster geöffnet werden und eine herrlich leichte Brise weht herein. Toll, dass es sie gibt!

Europe's first lady of House is back on Heist with a massive new EP and a Demi Riquísimo remix.

Cinthie’s 2023 Piano Heaven EP on Heist was a big release for both her and the label, getting tons of airplay and support from the likes of Pete Tong, Danny Howard, Chloe Caillet and Blessed Madonna. The Dam Swindle remix of ‘Won’t u take me’ that followed on that year’s Round Up is still among her top tracks on any platform. Cinthie now returns to Heist with an EP full of dancefloor weapons that range from classic grooving house to quirky rave.

With her frequent plays at renowned clubs all over the world, as well as spots in her Berlin back yard like Panorama bar, Cinthie has the ideal testing grounds for new peak-time material. And that’s exactly what the A1 ‘Deep inside love’ is: an epic peaktime weapon. With a stomping beat and signature uplifting keys, she serves up themes of classic 80s and 90s house music with a modern aesthetic. With that, Deep inside love has all the ingredients to become an instant Heist classic.

The A2 shows us Cinthie’s rave side, where we see her inspiration from the current dancefloor high octane energy. Or maybe it’s just her early rave days that are finally back in the limelight after her well received ‘Rave Baby’ release on Aus Music. Either way, ‘Higher’ is a fun tune with an infectious beat, classic rave stabs and a female vocal telling us to take her higher. We’re sure that this won’t be a problem, cause this track is built for those clubby highs.

‘Get up’ is a lovely organ-led track with long ethereal strings and dubby vocal chops. The breakdown deepens the mood with some heavy chords tuned in true house style before a free-flowing drum roll (crashes and claps included) catapult you into back into the full groove.

We asked close friend Demi Riquísimo, a man not unfamiliar with dancefloor wizardry himself as head honcho of Semi Delicious records, for a remix on ‘Higher’. His version is exactly what you’d expect from a class producer like him: it’s a breezy, effortless, mildly throwbacky and most definitely fun remix to conclude an EP that navigates through all kinds of moods with one clear goal in mind: Make people dance.

Enjoy the music and as always, play it loud!

Lars & Maarten

Berlin-based French-Irish multimedia artist Zoe Mc Pherson levels up on their third full-length "Pitch Blender", mangling years of experience DJing and performing live into a tight set of cybernetic soundsystem experiments that flicker between the rave and the art space.

Cast your mind back to February 2020 for a moment, when Mc Pherson released their last album "States of Fugue". The world seemed less tangled somehow, and yet Mc Pherson's precision-engineered fusion of exploratory sound design and visceral club pressure seemed to hint at a cataclysmic event none of us were really expecting. Only a few weeks after its release the world changed forever, and the majority of us were grounded - forced to consider our lives and the movement (or lack thereof) surrounding us. The philosophy of this extended time period is welded into the bones of "Pitch Blender", Mc Pherson's supple third album. They have learned plenty in the last two years, and infuse all of that anxiety and spiky emotionality into a spread of tracks that sound as powerful in headphones as they do over a well-tweaked soundsystem, soldering vocals, environmental recordings and instrumental flourishes to unpredictably pneumatic, cybernetic beats.

Anyone that's caught one of Mc Pherson's energetic live performances over the last few months will have an idea of what "Pitch Blender" is made of. They're an artist who's somehow able to match the raw energy of post-punk and no-wave music with the brain-altering potential of the best experimental club tracks, vocalizing an incongruous post-lockdown reality over beats that sound as if they're in a permanent state of flux. 'On Fire' splutters to life in a frenetic patter of drums that blur into oddly soothing hoover sounds, snaking lysergically towards a drop that's teased constantly, and never comes. We're forced to wait until 'The Spark' for that, fighting through choppy, pitch-mangled guitar and rolling beats until a gruesome kick drum forces its way through the psilocybin mists and heaving Bristol-inspired bass clonks. Backed up with just the inverted traces of recognizable breaks, this vigorous pulse lies at the heart of "Pitch Blender", the driving force that powers Mc Pherson's sound even when it's only hinted at.

'Blender' is the moment where Mc Pherson show their full hand, using crackling sound effects, ghost vocals and uneven rhythms to build a textural landscape that's so evocative you can almost taste it. Squealing modular synth effects sound like gameshow buzzers being triggered in another dimension and propel the track forward - it's club music, just about, but Mc Pherson's motivation is world-building, and their world is colorful, abstract, and dizzyingly surreal. "Obsolete user," their voice echoes over driving airlock kicks. But they take a swift left turn with 'Lamella', reducing the kinetic club rhythms to a longing simmer and letting loose with powerful vocals, intoning with robotic, gender-fluxed intensity. On 'Wait', New York City's clacking crosswalk signal - already an effective club track on its own - is transformed into a reminder to slow down, juxtaposed with booming sub-heavy kicks, acidic synths and effervescent percussion that rattles in time with the vibrations. It's foley rave, built for pure psychedelic intensity to blur the line between real life and sonic fiction.

One of the album's most galvanic tracks, 'Power Dynamics' curves a double-time rhythm around breathless HQ sound design squiggles until it hits a polyrhythmic crescendo, striking a queasy balance between rave hedonism and ritualistic hand drum energy. It all builds towards eerie closing track 'Outside' that acts as an important wind down, spotlighting Mc Pherson's ability to operate outside of the rhythmic spectrum, using cinematic scrapes and flickering neon synths to create music that's tense but never terrifying. The track feels like the end credits of a particularly bewildering movie - something between the cyberpunk dystopia of "Ghost in the Shell" and the vivid, sky-scraping beauty of "Koyaanisqatsi". Mc Pherson has managed something special with "Pitch Blender": mashing together genres with rare focus, and sharpening their engineering skills to a fine point, they've concocted an antidote to contemporary malaise - a wakeup call that's begging us to loosen our limbs and move.

Originally released on Ben Chasny's own Pavilion imprint in 2011.

"I was invited by the Incubate Festival and the city of Tilburg to participate in an artist residency where I would explore the region’s unique chapels built for the Virgin Mary. After writing the music for about six months by drawing on memories of the encounters with the chapels and using techniques inspired by Gaston Bachelard’s Poetics Of Reverie, I flew back to Tilburg to perform the music at the Incubate Festival. We recorded the evening and I released the result on my Pavilion label. Each cover was hand painted white on white in the old Pavilion style. I created a stencil and used graphite powder to make the design that is inspired by the sun imagery in Athanasius Kircher diagrams."

Roadside chapels express the identity of the inhabitants of North Brabant, a Dutch province, bordering on Belgium. Roman Catholicism has been the dominant religion in this southern part of the Netherlands since the eighth century. For about a century and a half this religion was strongly suppressed. Only when the French revolutionaries preached freedom of belief around 1800 could the people of North Brabant exercise their faith again. This was the start of a very strong emancipatory development from which a special form of the Roman Catholic faith arose that fully determined everyday life of the people here. This faith was the determining factor in life and the measure of all things. After the second Vatican Council (1962-1965) the reins of the catholic faith in Brabant were loosened as well. This was the start of a revolutionary process of secularisation. Within a decade hardly anything was left of the almighty influence of the Roman Catholic Church and this situation has lasted up to the present day.

In spite of the almightiness of the official, Vatican ruled, Roman Catholic faith, North Brabant has always and perhaps notoriously fostered an undercurrent of popular belief as well. This is a kind of belief in which elements of the official faith and age-old pre-Christian traditions are combined. Worshipping relics, holding pilgrimages and processions, the use of water from holy wells, popular art, recitations and songs, festivals, rituals, folk traditions, superstition and the like are all examples of popular devotion. These matters have strongly influenced and formed the identity of the present-day population of North Brabant. It is part of their immaterial heritage.

An obvious and still very much visible form of popular devotion are the roadside chapels. In Brabant some 400 can be found, most of which have been devoted to Mary. Chapels are small buildings in which Mary or other saints are worshipped. They can be found within villages or towns or in natural surroundings. Always at the finest spots! The beauty of the environment adds a primary religious or mystical feeling to the visitor. Local people attach great value to their chapels. In spite of the overall secularisation in society they are still at the centre of cultural and social life. Where people in North Brabant can hardly be found in the churches nowadays, this doesn’t mean at all they are no longer religious. On the contrary, religious feelings are perhaps stronger than ever, but now people have to find their own expression of them. That’s why they fall back on the age-old popular belief in which chapels play an important role. We can even witness new forms of popular belief with chapels as their focal point. An example of this is the scattering of ashes of people who have been cremated. Chapels clearly also play a role in the lives of young people. On an average five new chapels are added every year.

I have studied the popular culture and belief and the identity of the inhabitants of North Brabant for over thirty years. I have published over forty books on these subjects. In 2010 I was approached by the organisation of the Incubate Festival in the North Brabant town of Tilburg. Their request was for me to lead the American composer and guitarist Ben Chasny around a number of chapels in the province devoted to Mary. He had been invited to North Brabant to write some new compositions. Ben Chasny then chose to be inspired by these chapels and that’s how we met. I was especially curious how an American would react to something as specific and small as a roadside chapel in North Brabant, since we tend to think here of (people in) America in terms of ‘big-bigger-biggest’. Would an inhabitant of this enormous country with this prevailing culture be able to grasp and respect the identity of some 2.5 million people in North Brabant with their chapels? The answer to this question lies hidden in the compositions he made and that can be listened to on this album. Yes, Ben Chasny has been able to convert the phenomenon of a simple chapel devoted to Mary into music. The physical and the spiritual have found each other. What a beautiful world…just listen! - Paul Spapens

Extending the melodious and mad, three-decade story of Super Furry Animals projects by adding another bombastic and beautiful chapter, Huw Bunford, Cian Ciarán, Daf Ieuan and Guto Pryce reconvene to announce the release of their second album, Pando.

Meeting every pummelling motorway mile with the beat of their psychedelic-soul-house blend since the release of their debut, Official UK Breakers Album Chart No.1 album, DK.01, in late 2023, Das Koolies’ energetic return to festival fields, intimate venues and service station shopping has affected no distraction from their mission. Committing to more time on the road at the same time as sharing rich spoils from the studio, Das Koolies include Newport, Nottingham, London and Manchester in their live plans. Determinedly exploring capability and ambition, the band’s continued, restorative return to wired and wonderful, man-and-machine-based music, following years of psych-folk-rock experimentation as four Furries, hasn’t meant forgetting the past. Som Bom Magnífico’s tour story, combining wistful and weary memory, rests the band’s case.

Taking on the lead lyrical and vocal role, Daf Ieuan, says: “Hindsight and rose-tinted glasses. It’s a song about a time when it was normal to order a veggie breakfast in hotels as a concession to a healthier life style, then following up by requesting to see the ‘Breakfast Wine Menu’. As Lou Reed sang: "Wine in the morning!".
Everyone should live like that for a while. Could be for a couple of days or a couple of decades. We’ve never laughed so much, but never again.”

Extending the melodious and mad, three-decade story of Super Furry Animals projects by adding another bombastic and beautiful chapter, Huw Bunford, Cian Ciarán, Daf Ieuan and Guto Pryce reconvene to announce the release of their second album, Pando.

Meeting every pummelling motorway mile with the beat of their psychedelic-soul-house blend since the release of their debut, Official UK Breakers Album Chart No.1 album, DK.01, in late 2023, Das Koolies’ energetic return to festival fields, intimate venues and service station shopping has affected no distraction from their mission. Committing to more time on the road at the same time as sharing rich spoils from the studio, Das Koolies include Newport, Nottingham, London and Manchester in their live plans. Determinedly exploring capability and ambition, the band’s continued, restorative return to wired and wonderful, man-and-machine-based music, following years of psych-folk-rock experimentation as four Furries, hasn’t meant forgetting the past. Som Bom Magnífico’s tour story, combining wistful and weary memory, rests the band’s case.

Taking on the lead lyrical and vocal role, Daf Ieuan, says: “Hindsight and rose-tinted glasses. It’s a song about a time when it was normal to order a veggie breakfast in hotels as a concession to a healthier life style, then following up by requesting to see the ‘Breakfast Wine Menu’. As Lou Reed sang: "Wine in the morning!".
Everyone should live like that for a while. Could be for a couple of days or a couple of decades. We’ve never laughed so much, but never again.”