Cerca:melo x

In a trajectory full of about-faces, Music for Four Guitars splices the formal innovations of Bill Orcutt's software-based music into the lobe-frying, blown-out Fender hyperdrive of his most frenetic workouts with Corsano or Hoyos. And while the guitar tone here is resolutely treble-kicked—or, as Orcutt puts it, 'a bridge pickup rather than a neck pickup record'—it still wades the same melodic streams as his previous LPs (yet, as Heraclitus taught us, that stream is utterly different the second time around). Although it's a true left-field listen, Music for Four Guitars is bizarrely meditative, a Bill Orcutt Buddha Machine, a glimpse of the world of icy beauty haunting the latitudes high above the Delta (down where the climate suits your clothes)..."—Tom Carter

Second VHF solo LP from the Pelt/Black Twigs mainstay, following 2022’s acclaimed “Evening Measures.” “April is Passing” builds on the striking solo Hardanger-style fiddle performances on the previous LP to take the music even further out, with deep drones and extended techniques defining a vocabulary that is Americana-adjacent, but a unique and special sound that Mike is pursuing almost alone. Joined on selected tracks by Cara Gangloff’s Sruti and Kaily Shenker’s sonorous Cello, the all-original, all-live performances are resonant with both overt melody and a cloud of thick string overtones, whether on the more upbeat tunes like “Ironto Dancer” or the epic 11+ minute LP closer “Helen’s Song.” “September Air” is a mournful slow build, the fiddle embroidering a minor-key melody over the drone of the Surti box and a low cello counter point. “A Fallen Palace of Snowville” is a solo performance where the additional sympathetic strings of the hardanger fiddle are strongly heard as a ghostly accompaniment, as Mike’s elegant melody switches back and forth from minor to major. “Helen’s Song” closes side 2 with a complex, ever-changing swirl of melodic and harmonic invention, with Mike’s keening, languorous bowing leading the way through multiple moods and sounds.

Memorial Waterslides" ist das Debütalbum von MEMORIALS, dem Duo bestehend aus Verity Susman und Matthew Simms (zuvor bei Electrelane und Wire). Es handelt sich um ein surrealistisches Pop-Album, das sowohl zeitlos als auch zeitgemäß ist und eine seltene Mischung aus klassischem Songwriting und Avantgarde-Attitüde aufweist. MEMORIALS kreieren einen Panorama-Pop, der auf Vertrautes und Fremdes zurückgreift, aber bekannte Pfade aber auch neue Wege beschreitet. Mit ihrem verspielten und experimentellen Stil, kombiniert mit einer Liebe zu Melodien, stehen sie in einer Reihe mit Broadcast, Portishead, Arthur Russell, The Velvet Underground, Yo La Tengo und Tortoise. Das Album ist voll von Bildern, die eine verlorene Zukunft, eine verschleierte Gegenwart und eine tagträumerische Vergangenheit heraufbeschwören, wobei jeder Song eine Rolle bei der Schaffung einer wirbelnden Breitwandatmosphäre spielt und den Hörer mit auf die Reise nimmt. Der Sound des Albums, das die beiden komplett selbst produziert haben, wurde von den Experimenten mit Tonbändern inspiriert, mit denen sie zunächst auf der Bühne herumspielten, als sie begannen, ihre vielschichtigen Aufnahmen für Live-Auftritte als Duo zu entwickeln. Nach ihren gefeierten 2023-Soundtracks "Women Against The Bomb" und "Tramps!", einer Europatournee mit Stereolab (sie wurden als "Stereolabs böser Zwilling" bezeichnet) und einem neuen Musikauftrag des Centre Pompidou in Paris kamen Verity und Matthew auf MEMORIALS in umgekehrter Richtung an, indem sie ihren Soundtrack-Alltagsjobs entflohen, um kosmische Reisen durch den Gartenschuppen in psychedelischen Rock, abgefahrenen Folk und wilde analoge Elektronik zu unternehmen. "Exciting and unpredictable" The Guardian. "Everything you'd expect from a duo adept in the strange and esoteric, while also in thrall to pop music's melodic bent." The Quietus. (Limitiertes) Pink farbenes Vinyl mit DLC sowie Digisleeve-CD!

A special ‘Submerge” 12” EP featuring a bunch of reworks of this pivotal track from Apta's forthcoming ‘The Pool’ album on Castles in Space.

Kicking things off, Apta's own rework of the original sees the shadowy textures and droning wall-of-sound backdrop turned into a static-strewn dreamland of a piece, underpinned by a flickering guitar riff, cracked snare drums and fuzzed-out Odyssey strokes before launching into the euphoric half-time vocal refrain.

The follow-up sees Clay Pipe boss, illustrator and musician step into her Hardy Tree guise for a beautifully hypnotic waft of wistful folk-tinged electronics and shimmering ambient textures. It's warmly nostalgic, and packed full of all the feel of a lovely Clay Pipe release.

Following on from that, modular wizard Polypores takes pieces of the original and stretches them into an organic swell of texture and movement, warping the low basses and flickering modular plinks (and / or plonks) into a beautiful, undulating wall.

Flip over and It's none other than the brilliant Pye Corner Audio, providing an organically blooming suite of saturated percussion and woozy drifting oscillators, in peak PCA fashion. There are few artists that can do as much as with little as Martin Jenkins can, and hearing his audio sunshine underpinning the vocal line is breathtaking.

It's good to get the ears nice and soothed too before the aural assault and hypnotic spirit-cleansing heft of the legendary Gnod. Dubby throbbing bass and cavernous reverb tear the original into shards and piece it together as a churning, industrial powerhouse before shooting the rest into the endless reaches of space.

Closing things out on a space theme is the ideal way to do things too, with Field Lines Cartographer's remix taking things waaay into the outer reaches. Grounding bass churns and stellar synth sweeps float below the modulated vocal line, resulting in a perfectly crafted drone, rich in melody but untethered to the earth.

Prolific Norwegian trumpeter and ECM veteran Arve Henriksen returns with Estonian guitarist/composer Robert Jürjendal in tow, matching his idiosyncratic shakuhachi-style melodic condensations with Jürjendal's glassy electro-acoustic soundscapes and sonorous percussion.

Henriksen releases a lot but is remarkably reliable; his playing is so versatile that hearing it dematerialise into different ensembles and individual methodologies is always a treat. Jürjendal is a veteran guitarist, but doesn't approach his instrument from a purely classical standpoint, taking a Fripp-inspired path towards texture, processing and looping his sounds until they're barely recognisable. The duo share a similar love for Hassell's Fourth World ambience, and here inject new life into that mood.

Jürjendal's percussion is impressive: he offsets cascades of oddly-tuned electronics on 'Tuonela' with booming, ritualistic tom hits that punctuate Henriksen's melancholy phrases; and on the brilliant 'Ancient Bells', plays a set of gongs and gamelan-style instruments, creating swirling hammered tonal clusters that quiver beneath Henriksen's echoed-out, spirited improvisations. It's not always that corporeal, either; on 'A Remarkable Flow', he loops guitar phrases, creating gentle vibrations that rumble in the background while he mirrors Henriksen's pitchy zig-zags with high-pitched oscillator vamps.

Even on the peaceable 'Miraculous Lake', discreet kalimba loops set a celestial tempo that anchors the duo's gaseous soundscapes. And although they veer towards end-credits loveliness on the Göttsching-influenced 'Reunion Hymn', it’s balanced by the album's darker passages, like 'Rebirth' and 'Another Me'. On the latter, Henriksen's trumpet is transformed into a voice-like warble, while Jürjendal replies with glacial E-bowed drones that resonate creepily alongside his lysergic FM pads.

SHOLTO's 'Letting Go of Forever' is an expansive double LP that digs deep into his other-worldly blend of cinematic soul, and psychedelic library music. Drawing on influences spanning Mozart, Arthur Verocai, Piero Umiliani and David Axelrod, the record sits alongside contemporaries including Robohands, The Ironsides and Surprise Chef.

A captivating listen, well worth the investment of time across its 26-track run time, SHOLTO explores the concept of letting go as a painfully natural ritual, characterising the art of being able to do so as riddled with complexities and anguish. Morbid to some, but beautifully freeing to others, the art of letting go of the idea that anything should be forever can be relieving, allowing us to cherish what is in front of us in the moment.

Be it in the face of the deaths of friends and loved ones or weddings and celebratory moments, everything is just passing, and SHOLTO spins a delicate balance between this dark and light on the record, pursuing the narrative that you can always turn a negative into a positive.

"Way Out West" is the debut studio album by the English electronic music duo Way Out West, released on 1 September 1997. The album peaked that same year at # 42 on the UK Albums Chart. It features four singles: "Ajare," "The Gift," "Domination," and "Blue." Several tracks incorporate samples from other music. Most notably, "Blue" includes a melody loosely based on the theme from the film "Withnail and I," while "The Gift" samples Joanna Law's cover of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (titled "First Time Ever"), and "Ajare" features a sample from "Do Your Dance" by Rose Royce.

Loyle Carner will release his highly anticipated sophomore record, 'Not Waving, But Drowning' on 19 April via AMF Records.

'Not Waving, But Drowning' follows Loyle's BRIT (Best Male, Best Newcomer) and Mercury Prize nominated, top 20 debut 'Yesterday's Gone'. The bedrock of honest and raw sentimentality that you heard on 'Yesterday's Gone' left an inextinguishable mark on music in general and UK Hip Hop in particular, standing out as an ageless, bulletproof debut.

'Not Waving, But Drowning', Loyle's new album, gives yet more evidence - as if it were needed - of his razor-sharp flow and his unique storytelling ability. Yes, he can rap, but he allies that with the sensitivity of a poet, the observational skills of a novelist, and warmth of your best friend. The album opens with 'Dear Jean', a letter to his mother in which he's telling her that he has found the love of his life, 'a woman from the skies', and he's moving out.

It goes without saying that Loyle's music is hard to categorise, but what is even more impressive is that for someone who grew up listening to Mos Def, Biggie Smalls, Roots Manuva, and Wu Tang Clan, he doesn't sound like any of them. Although he might from time to time give lyrical nods to them, he's no imitator.

Loyle loves cooking. There are two tracks on this album named after chefs. The British-Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi, and the now deceased Italian chef Antonio Carluccio. 'Ottolenghi' the first single from the album was featured on the BBC Radio 1 B-list, BBC 6 Music A-list and has already been streamed over 5 million times.

Loyle refers to real life for everything, the title of 'Yesterday's Gone' came from a song of his step father, the title of his new album 'Not Waving, But Drowning' comes from a poem by his grandfather, which in turn came from a Stevie Smith poem. What you hear on the track 'Krispy' is real. He is pouring his heart out to his best friend Rebel Kleff after their relationship went downhill, he invites him on the track to say his piece but he doesn't turn up, so we get a flugel solo instead.

Loyle also has his own personal black consciousness movement. When he refers to his 'fathers' in the track 'Looking Back' he really is referring to two fathers. His biological father, a black man who he knows, but knows very little of, and his step father, a poet and musician who happens to be a white man but died a sudden unexpected death from epilepsy (SUDEP). With no real emotional ties to his biological father, but a deep connection with a deceased step-father, where does a young child turn He succinctly captures many of the great, unspoken, cultural and historical paradoxes of multicultural Britain on 'Looking Back'.

An album like this is hard to find. It is for those who like their Hip Hop to have soul, and their soul to have spirit. This is because it works on so many levels, but it is reflecting the personality of its creator. There are a host of collaborators here, Jorja Smith, Rebel Kleff, Kiko Bun, Kwes, Jordan Rakei, Sampha, Tom Misch and more, but none are overpowering. They blend righteously into place.
Loyle is not bitter with people who have let him down, or a society that lets so many down, but the combination of anger and love he has gives his voice the perfect blend of strength and vulnerability. This might be a coming of age album, but it's also a coming of ageless album. Loyle's 2019 Spring tour - which includes London's Roundhouse - sold out within 20 minutes of being on sale.

Not Waving, But Drowning



A rapper that raps about family is hard to find. The boys in the 'hood' tend not to be that interested in how much a 'brother' loves his mother, or how much he misses his dad, or even how much he misses his best friend. The boys in the 'hood' tend to be obsessed with the size of their cars, girls, bank accounts, and other personal 'possessions'. Loyle Carner's Mercury and BRIT Prize nominated debut 'Yesterday's Gone' (Released 2017), made it clear that he wasn't that kind of rapper. In fact, every time I talk to him about his work we talk about the world, and we tended to confuse ourselves by calling his work rap, poems, or songs, sometimes in the same sentence. They are in truth all of these things.



Here's some poetry.



Honestly I need them.

I hate them but I grieve them

I think I've finally found the reason

Trust

Like the fire needs the air.

I won't burn unless you're there.





'Not Waving, But Drowning', Loyle's forthcoming new album, gives us yet more evidence, (if it were needed), that he still has what rappers call, flow, but he hasn't lost any of his story telling qualities. Yes, the boy can rap, but a rapper with the sensitivity of a true poet, the observational skills of a novelist, and warmth of your best friend. The album opens with 'Dear Jean', a letter to his mother in which he's telling her that he has found the love of his life, (a woman from the skies), and he's moving out. He really loves the woman from the skies, but he still loves his mum, and so he reassures her that there is no competition, and tells her that 'She's not behind me or behind you, but beside we and beside two', his words. Or to put it another way, moving out without moving out. My words.



It goes without saying that Loyle's music is hard to categorise, but what is even more impressive is that for someone who grew up listening to Mos Def, Biggie Smalls, Roots Manuva, and Wu Tang Clan, he doesn't sound like any of them. Although he might from time to time give lyrical nods to them, he's no imitator. He says finding his own voice was something he always found easy. Although young, (in terms of a musical career), he has confidence in his own words and his own voice, and has never been tempted to sound like he's been hanging out in the USA, or rolling in 'Grime' on the mean streets of East London. And so when it comes to the creative process he doesn't simply find a beat to jump on and ride. Beats are important, but they are tenderly layered with samples, keyboards, or live drums, all imaginatively assembled for the laying on of words. Some tracks start with the idea, some with poetry, and some with a verse from a singer or some other melodic inspiration, but there is no formula.



Here's some poetry.



Don't hold any memories of us

Rather hold you everyday until the memories are dust

Yo we only caught the train

Cos you know I hate the bus





A prolific reader, who has dyslexia is hard to find. Add ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) to that and life should become even more difficult. To deal with your difficulties you devise coping strategies, which can differ from person to person. Loyle loves cooking. There are two tracks on this album named after chefs. The British-Israeli chef Ottolenghi, and the now deceased Italian chef Antonio Carluccio. Loyle describes himself as 'weird' because he is happy to read a cookbook as if he was reading a novel or a book of poetry. He has opened a cookery school for young adults not just because he loves food and wants to make more of it, but because it is one of the few things that can focus the ADHD mind. And when it comes to his other love, football, his approach is the same. Focus. He wanted to be a striker he says, up front scoring goals, but found his best position was in midfield because he was able to focus, check options, and see passes ahead of time, providing passes for other players just when they needed them. He says, 'You don't grow out of ADHD, you grow into it.' Loyle is also working with Levi's® on their music project where he is mentoring young musicians over a six month period, culminating at Liverpool Sound City festival.



More poetry.



When the going is tough

I wait till it falls on deaf ears

Hearsay

Without the boundaries of love



He also said, 'Ask most people and they will say that they love their mothers, but most are not going to rap about her'. On his first album Loyle's mum Jean wrote about the 'scribble of a boy' that growing up would take things apart to see how they worked. On this album she speaks with pride about a man who has found his place in the world.



Yes, poetry.



I'm still looking for the answers

Trying to find the right questions

Still waiting for my fathers

But can't break them in to sections



This poetry is serious. Loyle has his own personal black consciousness movement. He told me that he always felt safe at home, and being the darkest one in the family never meant a thing, but then when he had to face the outside world he felt hostility. It shook him up. Now he had to start asking questions, but what were the questions. This is serious. When he refers to his 'fathers' in the verse above taken from the track 'Looking Back' he really is referring to two fathers. His biological father, a black man who he knows, but knows very little of, and his step father, a poet and musician who happens to be a white man but died a sudden unexpected death from epilepsy (SUDEP). So to whom would a young black (or mixed race) kid turn He succinctly captures many of the great, unspoken, cultural and historical paradoxes of multicultural Britain when he says, 'My great grandfather could of owned my other one.' We are a people descended from enslaved people on one hand, and enslavers on the other, something we are still struggling to come to terms with, and this can be apparent in one family. A big book could have told you that, but here we get it in one line on the track, Looking Back.





Loyle refers to real life for everything. The album is peppered with captured moments that he records on his phone. These moments can range from conversations with taxi drivers, to capturing the moment when England scores a goal in the world cup. The title of 'Yesterday's Gone' came from a song of his step father, the title of his new album 'Not Waving but Drowning' comes from a poem by his grandfather, which in turn came from a Stevie Smith poem. What you hear on the track 'Krispy' is real. He is pouring his heart out to his best friend after their relationship went downhill, he invites him on the track to say his piece but he doesn't turn up, so we get a flugel solo instead. Yes people, this is real.



An album like this is hard to find. It is for those who like their Hip Hop to have soul, and their soul to have spirit, this is an album for those who have, (I'm sorry, I'm going to say it), emotional intelligence. This is because it works on so many levels, but it is reflecting the personality of its creator. There are a host of collaborators here, Jorja Smith, Rebel Kleff, Kiko Bun, Jordan Rakei, Sampha, Tom Misch and more, but none are overpowering. They blend righteously into place. Loyle is not bitter with people who have let him down, or the society that has let him down, but the combination of anger and love he has gives his voice the perfect blend of strength and vulnerability. This might be a coming of age album, but it's also a coming of ageless album. His first album worked, and this second album is a continuation of that work. Not creating a form, but being formless, as someone like Bruce Lee once said.

And here's some poetry from mum.



We talked long in to the darkest hours

Until we saw the burnished sky

And our eyes stung

As our words blurred and became thoughts

As we were silenced by the dawn

We clung to each other like sailors in a storm

Cape Verdean singer Mayra Andrade's multi-layered music embraces a blend of radiant, dancing colors, velvet beats and spicy melodies. Her voice is subtly seasoned with pepper, as if the Europe of pop had always been atropical archipelago. Andrade is arguably the front-runner of the many talents that have emerged from Cape Verde over the years.

Her vividly-hued music which is full of energy and a warm, adventurous upredictability is sung in Cape Verdean creole, English and Portuguese. Mayra’s pop spans the world’s entire vast sweep from Western romanticism, Southern sensuality, domestic reggae and African. It is topical, tropical, traveling pop that, in the words of Mayra, is “music that reflected my life”.

On this live album recorded at Union Chapel Mayra Andrade presents her new guitar and vocal collaboration ‘reEncanto’. The Cape Verdean singer performs her repertoire alongside musician Djodje Almeida, inviting us to discover the source and the essence of her songs which she was the author all along her discography – since Navega (2006), to Manga (2019).

Mayra Andrade se revisite en duo voix et guitare dans une ambiance intimiste appelée reEncanto. La chanteuse capverdienne accompagnée uniquement de son collègue musicien Djodje Almeida, nous invite à redécouvrir l’origine et l’essence de certaines de ses chansons dont elle a été l’auteur et compositrice tout au long de sa discographie – de ‘Navega’ (2006), à ‘Manga’ (2019). Cet album a été enregistré live en novembre 2023 à Union Chapel à Londres durant la tournée du même nom.

'Erotic Probiotic 2' is Nourished By Time’s debut album on Scenic Route, following up from last year’s two track EP, Erotic Probiotic, which had support from Jamz Supernova on BBC 1Xtra and NTS shows; Yaeji, Shy One, Macca, Anu, and more. 2023 has already been a busy year for the singer/songwriter/producer, supporting 4AD’s sardonic post-punk band, Dry Cleaning on their 20 stop tour of North America. As well as remixing their playful album track, Gary Ashby, dropping on March 1st. Nourished By Time also collaborates with progressive electronic artist Yaeji on her debut album, With A Hammer, out on April 7th on XL Recordings.

Erotic Probiotic 2 showcases the range of this rising Baltimore pop star, telling his transformative story through impeccable songwriting, infectious ear worm melodies, vivid storytelling and intimate DIY production. The album traveresses a broad spectrum of sound, allowing his songwriting to dictate the ever changing mood he orchestrates; whether it is love or loss. Sitting somewhere between indie, pop, alternative RnB, ultimately carving out a fresh sound defined by his vulnerable vocals, raw guitar licks and undeniable groove. Quantum Suicide is the lead single with a bitter sweet sentiment brought to life through fuzzy shoegaze guitar riffs, glimmering synths and beautiful melancholy vocals, leaving you with a dizzying sense of possibilities.

The album was recorded mostly in 2021 - 22 in his parents basement in Baltimore. “At this time, I was in a beautiful and formative relationship that was running its course. Songs like ‘Unbreak My Love’ and ‘Rain Water Promise’ come from that place of dealing with the end. A story of lovers parting and making sense of the battling feelings of resentment and longing. As well as the existential aspect of having to end of a relationship. All while with dealing long-time depression, songs like lead single “Quantum Suicide” and “Shed That Fear” exhibit the importance of choosing to live and that getting out of pits of despair requires tremendous amounts of effort and intention and is a very difficult lifelong task. Whilst other tracks such as ‘The Fields’ and ‘Daddy’ and ‘Workers Interlude’ are attempts at trying to aim my anger at productive targets like Capitalism which both songs are a critique of.”

Tomu DJ’s debut on CST Imprint shares ten atmospheric wistful ruminations on being, living, and the spiritual undercurrents that alchemize these experiences into song. Hazy memories recalled through glitchy lush lullabies, moving through whispered skittery percussive states into warm melodic vocal confessions. Playful yet exacting productions ebb and flow between pensive indietronica pop interspersed with blissful club tracks that swing from ambient, drum and bass, breaks and house for the dancers. A sanguine daydream, to be free.

Her fourth album since 2021 but first on vinyl, Tomu’s deceptively simple compositions bely complex emotions. Minimal, every element just so, nothing unnecessary. Her ability to create ideal environments for collaboration on full display.

Includes download code and riso-printed insert.

"In a reality where the sun is neon and the streets are lit with lasers...where the message of love is communicated through soaring synths and haunting vocals, you'll find the music of Causeway"

American synth-wave project, Causeway, is the brainchild of Marshall Watson and Allison Rae.
Through sophisticated downbeat melodrama, lyrical motifs of isolation, and an ultra-vivid wall of sound, the two bring a sizzling synth-laden take on the dream wave genre.

Coming to the fore with support from Italians Do It Better, Causeway released their first full length album 'We Were Never Lost' to immediate acclaim, soon landing spots in tv shows Never Have I Ever, and Riverdale.

Fast forward to the here & now and they've returned with an updated sound and a new label relationship with Manchester's Sprechen, on which their new album 'Anywhere' is welcomed to the fold.

The enigmatic duo has brought forth a reverb drenched cosmic journey across 10 tracks. Where narratives of dark & light are conveyed via emotional synthesizer soundscapes alongside captive melodies and ethereal vocals to take you on a diverse and cinematic listening experience.

Hints of post punk, new wave and 80's noir run throughout the album where influences such as The Cure, Cocteau Twins, OMD and New Order are embraced by Causeway's own unique sonic stylings of electronic music neatly wrapped around each track.

REPRESSED !!

Vibraphone and keyboard player, master arranger and bandleader, Mulatu Astatke is one of the all-time greats of Ethiopian music and the creator of his own original music form, Ethio jazz. Through the acclaimed Ethiopiques album series and through featuring on the soundtrack to the Jim Jarmusch film Broken Flowers, his music has belatedly reached a global audience and a new, younger generation of fans. In November of last year, he recorded an inspired new album with London psych jazz band The Heliocentrics for Strut's 'Inspiration Information' studio collaboration series. Now, Strut are proud to present, for the first time anywhere, the definitive Mulatu career retrospective covering his landmark 60's and 70's recordings.
Mulatu is a true pioneer of African music. He was the first Ethiopian musician of his generation to travel extensively and to record abroad - he studied in the UK in Wales and at Trinity College Of Music in London, cutting his teeth on the buoyant London jazz scene of the early 60's. He became the first African student to attend Harvard and he lived and recorded in New York, developing a unique sound that fused Western jazz with traditional Ethiopian melodies.
Tracing the progression of his Ethio jazz experiments with full access to all of the labels for whom he recorded, Mulatu Astatke: New York-AddisLondon is the essential Mulatu. Covering his first recordings in the UK during 1965, his groundbreaking fusions for the small Worthy label in New York and his key '70s recordings back in Addis on Amha, Phillips and Axum, the album features comprehensive sleeve notes by Miles Cleret, boss of the excellent Soundway Records imprint, and rare, previously unseen photos from Mulatu's personal archive.

Ltd Edition!

Mit diesem sechsten Studioalbum schließt Richard Dawson den Kreis und knüpft an seine ersten Solo-Veröffentlichungen vor mehr als einem Jahrzehnt an!

War The Ruby Cord (2022) eine Studie in üppigen Arrangements und epischem, fantasievollem Songwriting, so kehrt Dawson mit End of the Middle sowohl klanglich als auch thematisch in die Heimat zurück. Der Fokus des Albums auf alltägliche häusliche Geschichten durch das Prisma eines „typischen englischen Mittelklasse-Haushalts“ spiegelt sich in der sparsamen
Instrumentierung - nur Gitarre, Schlagzeug und Gesang - und den sanften, sich windenden Melodien wider. Mit diesem Album, das an seine ersten Solo-Veröffentlichungen vor mehr als einem Jahrzehnt anknüpft, hat Dawson einen Kreis geschlossen: das Ende der Mitte.

Ltd Edition!

Mit diesem sechsten Studioalbum schließt Richard Dawson den Kreis und knüpft an seine ersten Solo-Veröffentlichungen vor mehr als einem Jahrzehnt an!

War The Ruby Cord (2022) eine Studie in üppigen Arrangements und epischem, fantasievollem Songwriting, so kehrt Dawson mit End of the Middle sowohl klanglich als auch thematisch in die Heimat zurück. Der Fokus des Albums auf alltägliche häusliche Geschichten durch das Prisma eines „typischen englischen Mittelklasse-Haushalts“ spiegelt sich in der sparsamen
Instrumentierung - nur Gitarre, Schlagzeug und Gesang - und den sanften, sich windenden Melodien wider. Mit diesem Album, das an seine ersten Solo-Veröffentlichungen vor mehr als einem Jahrzehnt anknüpft, hat Dawson einen Kreis geschlossen: das Ende der Mitte.

Transparent Red Vinyl

Produced by Dynazty themselves and mixed by Swedish pioneer Jens Bogren, Game of Faces takes you on a journey exploring the essence of the human mind and existence with lyrical themes such as self-discovery, spiritual death, rebirth and re-invention.
Formed in 2008, Dynazty has over the years evolved from its humble beginnings rooted in the Scandinavian Hard Rock scene into now being a powerhouse and formidable force to be reckoned with on the top shelf of the modern melodic metal scene.
Career milestones include the 2020 chart breaking album The Dark Delight, certified for gold status in the bands home country Sweden and neighbours Finland. With single tracks Heartless Madness reaching platinum status and Presence of Mind featured in DC comics and HBO’s Peacemaker series.
Tours in recent years together with bands like Sabaton, Powerwolf, Battle Beast, Pain and Kissin Dynamite has showcased and established the band on the European continent as one of the most prominent live acts of its generation. Fast forward to August 2024 where Dynazty concluded an extensive run of European summer festivals with releasing a new song, Devilry of Ecstasy as a precursor and first taste of a yet unannounced new album

Soul Quest are proud to present the latest release from Berlin based DJ and producer Jean-Jez, who continues on with a musical journey with flourishing roots and a bright, bright future.

Jean-Jez has made waves in Berlin’s underground for a good while now, with his Kedi Bounce parties (whom he co-founded) quickly becoming a celebratory cornerstone of community and culture. His DJing style and production approach act as a core expressional loop, with Jean-Jez embracing a multitude of styles and sounds with both. Bridging the gap between house, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Afro-Latin and beyond, Jean-Jez is all about nurturing the collective joy found within music - either through his own tunes or deep in the mix at a Kat Nip party.

‘Soul Notion’ wears its heart on its sleeve, and embodies the core musical principles to which Jean-Jez holds so very dear. ‘Did you want to dance!’ kicks things off with a deep melodic embrace, before spreading outwards with brassy frills, evocative simmering drumming patterns and vocal samples which kick the inner consciousness into another gear.

‘Take me to the moon’ contains an up and front piano lead, with uptempo drums providing a twist and flair to proceedings. Some inspired vocals add further to the atmosphere, one of airiness and emotional escapism.

‘What is it tell me’ stirs into life with a wide scope through the low ends, but Jean-Jez cooks up a storm with some wondrous jazz guitar that weaves one final spell to get lost deep within.

To wrap things up, Jean-Jez enlists his own collective: Kedi Bounce to put an Acid twist on ‘Did You Want To Dance’ to close the ep in style. This mix is exclusive to the vinyl mix and won’t be released digitally.

Jean-Jez looks to celebrate and resonate through his music, and this EP is a full demonstration of his abilities to bring things together. Seamlessly blending some of his favourite styles, this record contains all the feels to be wished for, and an experience that leaves plenty of room for return visits, this EP has you covered.

Diamond Dogs may be a bunch of renaissance rockers deeply rooted in the early 70s British rock and roll, but just like our forerunners, we owe
almost everything to Little Richard, the architect of it all! It's impossible to even imagine rock and roll without him.

Little Richard is the soul, spirit and passion of the Diamond Dogs lifestyle, and I was six years old when I first heard 'Rip It Up' with love at first feel.
The raw energy and the blood screaming lyrics over that manic hammering piano embodied everything I craved in music, straight from the speakers to my young heart. Even if I discovered a lot of other influences later on in life, I always kept Little Richard close to where he once hit me. One of Diamond Dogs' early tunes is called 'Lunatic Eye-Rolling Delivery' which is a line nicked from a concert review of Little Richard, and we believe it sums up the essence of his greatness pretty well. He was much more than a rock pioneer, the way he dressed up and spoke was something the world had never experienced before.

Little Richard got Paul McCartney to write 'I Saw Her Standing There', got James Brown a new haircut, and put a silly little mustache on Prince!
So, the idea of recording a homage to the true king of rock and roll had been with all of us for many years when Chris Spedding one day called me
and asked if we should record something together. Of course, I immediately said yes, and then asked him to join Diamond Dogs in the upcoming
studio session to record some well selected Little Richard gems for an LP. All said and done, and Chris was extra thrilled that his favorite 'Send Me
Some Lovin'' was among the songs we picked.

And on a cold and windy January day we gathered the Dogs and the new old puppy in the sweet premises of Dog Pound Studios, along with our
beloved friend and engineer Jonas Åhlén.

So, when the room is geared up, we do our melodies as we normally do it, no rehearsals, all live, straight to tape. One hour per track is usually a
good thing! An amazing energy and swagger filled the atmosphere as Diamond Dogs and Chris fulfilled my dream.

Now that I'm listening through the vinyl, I must say that I've never been prouder of anything we've achieved with this shady bunch so far. It's like
walk the full circle, like I've been graduating from the 12-bar rock and roll academy.
Sulo, Stockholm/Sweden, 2024

Sound Like: The Faces, Rod Stewart, Frankie Miller, Elton John, Mott
The Hoople, J Geils Band, The Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf, Little
Richard

Diamond Dogs may be a bunch of renaissance rockers deeply rooted in the early 70s British rock and roll, but just like our forerunners, we owe
almost everything to Little Richard, the architect of it all! It's impossible to even imagine rock and roll without him.

Little Richard is the soul, spirit and passion of the Diamond Dogs lifestyle, and I was six years old when I first heard 'Rip It Up' with love at first feel.
The raw energy and the blood screaming lyrics over that manic hammering piano embodied everything I craved in music, straight from the speakers to my young heart. Even if I discovered a lot of other influences later on in life, I always kept Little Richard close to where he once hit me. One of Diamond Dogs' early tunes is called 'Lunatic Eye-Rolling Delivery' which is a line nicked from a concert review of Little Richard, and we believe it sums up the essence of his greatness pretty well. He was much more than a rock pioneer, the way he dressed up and spoke was something the world had never experienced before.

Little Richard got Paul McCartney to write 'I Saw Her Standing There', got James Brown a new haircut, and put a silly little mustache on Prince!
So, the idea of recording a homage to the true king of rock and roll had been with all of us for many years when Chris Spedding one day called me
and asked if we should record something together. Of course, I immediately said yes, and then asked him to join Diamond Dogs in the upcoming
studio session to record some well selected Little Richard gems for an LP. All said and done, and Chris was extra thrilled that his favorite 'Send Me
Some Lovin'' was among the songs we picked.

And on a cold and windy January day we gathered the Dogs and the new old puppy in the sweet premises of Dog Pound Studios, along with our
beloved friend and engineer Jonas Åhlén.

So, when the room is geared up, we do our melodies as we normally do it, no rehearsals, all live, straight to tape. One hour per track is usually a
good thing! An amazing energy and swagger filled the atmosphere as Diamond Dogs and Chris fulfilled my dream.

Now that I'm listening through the vinyl, I must say that I've never been prouder of anything we've achieved with this shady bunch so far. It's like
walk the full circle, like I've been graduating from the 12-bar rock and roll academy.
Sulo, Stockholm/Sweden, 2024

Sound Like: The Faces, Rod Stewart, Frankie Miller, Elton John, Mott
The Hoople, J Geils Band, The Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf, Little
Richard

It’s written in the Agreement Terms. There’s no getting out alive in Life. And yet, mankind keeps striving for eternal life; through art, through power, through cryogenics, through singularity. In that misguided quest against the inevitable, we all fall into the category of lost travellers. No one is exempt. In that understanding, Confucius MC and producer Bastien Keb offer no misgivings about the destination on the somber “Time Will Come”: Time will come for all of us / try to take your time.

Songs For Lost Travellers is a collaborative album by Con and Bastien Keb that merges unexplored pathways between rap, folk, and jazz into a spiritual triumvirate. Each genre is a balancing force within the record. The result is an album unlike either artist have made previously, possibly unlike any record in existence. Songs For Lost Travellers opens with bedtime stories and fairytales. Both “Tell Me Lies” and “Fairytale” present the creature comforts that trick us into forgetting the truth. Con’s first words spoken are “tell me lies ‘til I swear I can’t remember” over Keb’s lo-fi plucking that feels like it was lifted from a handheld recorder capturing a nursery mobile above a crib. Third track “Time Will Come” resets the album after acknowledging on “Fairytale” there’s “no nourishment in half-truths / no sustenance in eating lies.”

Honest and direct, Con and Keb imbue Songs For Lost Travellers with knowledge and truth from their lived experiences. There is grief hidden in the notes, an inherent sadness that is balanced with an awareness that grief is a protest against the social machinery of remaining numb. The record lingers in a meditative state, unafraid of restlessness and embracing solitude, with the expectation that peace is just as imminent as death.

The production contains a complimentary authenticity. Neither Con nor Keb bothered much with the professional studio in making Songs For Lost Travellers. Instead they opted for the raw state of their home recordings and first takes, matching the intimacy of being alone and reflective in their creative energies. Room static on “Tell Me Lies” makes it feel like you’ve entered their apartments. The immediacy continues on “Gutters,” as Keb plays guitar while watching the tele and Con hums along to the vocal melody in search of the proper pocket for his verse. Someone snaps their finger to mark a cue, but the snap never returns to the mix to keep time.

More drawn to Keb’s recent folk recordings on the Songs For Lilla EP than his funk roots circa Dinking In The Shadows of Zizou or the cinematic soul of The Killing of Eugene Peeps, Con leaned into the spacial freedom he heard in Keb’s lo-fi production cobbled from field recordings and voice notes. Both artists placed their families into the tableau. Con wrote “Little Man” for his son, hoping to add a positive contribution to the canon of parental rap songs. Later, his son appears at the end of “Paramount” to deliver a passage from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet. Keb secretly recorded his mum playing saxophone and sampled his cousin playing sax as well. The result is a near-drumless album (save for “Toulouse” and light tapping on “It Would Speak”) in which Keb’s raw production (plus a few sessions with Kofi Flexxx) gave Con a liminal zone, unencumbered by beats per minute, to craft melodies that turn his philosophical rhymes into mantras.

Perhaps there’s a message in the presence of family? It would be one of many. Con and Keb’s reflective, somber approach to Songs For Lost Travellers does not wallow in the mire. Music is action and it’s taking them through a portal to the other side of grief. We are welcome to join (which is also in the fine print of the Agreement Terms), but first there’s a password in the final song, a single request to answer: Tell me what you care about.

Biography by Blake Gillespie
credits

The Velveteers bring a visceral energy to their explosive sophomore album, A Million Knives. The album is a blistering rock anthem infused with melodic indie songwriting. With GRAMMY Award-winning producer Dan Auerbach at the helm, the Boulder, CO trio encapsulates the raw, forceful, and profoundly heavy energy of their live performances and laser-focuses a spotlight on tightly crafted songs as they carve out their own distinctive niche. Driving The Velveteers is the commanding presence of frontwoman Demi Demitro, a no-bullshit, five-foot-something spitfire with thunderous guitar riffs and soaring vocals, backed by the incendiary duo of Baby Pottersmith and Johnny Fig on drums. The band's signature dual drum setup creates a thunderous foundation that propels their gritty, dynamic garage rock sound. On A Million Knives, this setup melds seamlessly with a more modern indie rock influence-the attitude of Wolf Alice, the colossal sound of Queens of the Stone Age, and the singular lyrical voice of Hole. The Velveteers have built a dedicated following through relentless touring and electrifying performances, sharing stages with renowned acts such as Smashing Pumpkins, The Black Keys, Greta Van Fleet, Guns N' Roses, and Des Rocs. With A Million Knives, The Velveteers offer a compelling testament to their rising stardom, a rock 'n' roll album as beautiful as it is terrifying.

2023 was a whirlwind year for Oracle Sisters. The trio—Julia Johansen, Chris Willatt, and Lewis Lazar—followed the release of their debut album Hydranism with a globe-spanning tour that captivated fans and critics alike. From the highways between Knoxville and Nashville to sold-out clubs in rain-soaked Seattle, and festival stages across the UK, they logged countless hours on the road. Their journey was a tapestry of exhaustion and exhilaration, falling apart, brawls and disputes, love and acceptance. By the year’s end, just two days before Christmas, they found themselves in Tokyo, reflecting on the fleeting nature of time and the fragments of inspiration gathered along the way. It was there the seeds for their next album, Divinations, began to sprout. Composing as a true trio for the first time, Oracle Sisters pieced together sketches formed during stolen moments on tour. These fragments coalesced into Divinations, an album shaped by the band’s nomadic existence. The recording sessions spanned cozy Parisian studios, a barn in northern France, and the storied Valentine Studios in Los Angeles. Their creative process embraced experimentation—swapping primary instruments, playing with toy drum machines, and crafting melodies on quirky tools like the OP-1 and a baby Casio keyboard. This spirit of discovery lent the album a sense of spontaneity and wonder. At its core, Divinations channels mysticism and timeless storytelling. The band’s songwriting draws on diverse influences, from the surrealist poetry of Baudelaire and Rimbaud to the introspective philosophies of Carl Jung. Musically, echoes of Talking Heads, Air, and Leonard Cohen resonate throughout the album and tracks like “Riverside” delve into existential questions— “How far are you going? Is it more than money can buy?” Elsewhere on the album “Marseille,” born in the city that gave the song its name, kicks off as a trance with lyrics that play between the sincere and desperate self-help affirmations, we give ourselves while trying to find a bridge between our individual lives and a universal feeling. Lead-single “Alouette” is Oracle Sisters at their most direct; propelled by a driving bassline and exuberant strings, the track summons the sound of 80’s, 90’s, and early 2000’s rock n roll as they sing about “getting out of dodge, finding a pirate ship and sailing home.” Inspired by the book Caliban and the Witch, “Blue Left Hand” is a lyrical tapestry weaving together history, philosophy, and cultural critique. The lyrics, “It’s in the harbor of every page / It’s in the corner of the playwright’s stage / And every player and every fake / And every witch that we burned at the stake,” reflect on the forces that shaped the capitalist society we know today. Across Divinations’ 11 tracks it’s not only geographic boundaries that were crossed but also the boundaries of time and circumstance. While their work may not consciously reflect specific worldly events, they seek to embrace the universal and offer a space for healing. “Good music would make sense to a farmer in 17th century France as it would to a pastry chef in Slovenia in the 21st century,” shares Lazar. “It’s not written for any temporal powers that be. It’s about expressing our common humanity and taking it from there.” This intuitive approach fuels Oracle Sisters creative process - whether composing in a frozen French farmhouse or performing live with an ever-expanding lineup of collaborators, the band remains committed to exploring the unknown. Through Divinations, they hope to leave listeners feeling transcendent, levitating on waves of intuition and discovery.

Folk musician Seth Lakeman is set to release his self-produced new album The Granite Way, in February 2025 via his own label Honour Oak Records. It’s a collection of songs that was recorded within a week alongside a group of longtime collaborators of Seth’s, staying true to his roots and referring to ancient stories that inspired early West Country storytelling. Seth’s expert grasp of using folk music to convey a multitude of emotions in mere minutes cannot be overstated as he once again explores West Country folklore. ‘I made a point at the beginning of this writing period to stick with a narrative as best I can,’ he explains. ‘Each song feels strongly connected through history to the moors and the sea. I had written the stories and songs beforehand and had the melodic tunes ready for us all to explore when we recorded in the room, and the musical interplay between this lineup really displays their appetite for sounds and subjects within the folk tradition.’ While all the tracks on The Granite Way were written and produced by Seth Lakeman himself, the album was made possible with a group of musicians he has played alongside for many years, and will also be touring with them in early 2025 on his upcoming UK headline tour. They are Benji Kirkpatrick (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin and harmonica), Ben Nicholls (double bass and electric bass), Cormac Byrne (percussion and bodhrán), and Alex Hart (vocals), with additional studio contributions from Archie Churchill Moss on accordion and Dany Crimp on whistles.

Folk musician Seth Lakeman is set to release his self-produced new album The Granite Way, in February 2025 via his own label Honour Oak Records. It’s a collection of songs that was recorded within a week alongside a group of longtime collaborators of Seth’s, staying true to his roots and referring to ancient stories that inspired early West Country storytelling. Seth’s expert grasp of using folk music to convey a multitude of emotions in mere minutes cannot be overstated as he once again explores West Country folklore. ‘I made a point at the beginning of this writing period to stick with a narrative as best I can,’ he explains. ‘Each song feels strongly connected through history to the moors and the sea. I had written the stories and songs beforehand and had the melodic tunes ready for us all to explore when we recorded in the room, and the musical interplay between this lineup really displays their appetite for sounds and subjects within the folk tradition.’ While all the tracks on The Granite Way were written and produced by Seth Lakeman himself, the album was made possible with a group of musicians he has played alongside for many years, and will also be touring with them in early 2025 on his upcoming UK headline tour. They are Benji Kirkpatrick (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin and harmonica), Ben Nicholls (double bass and electric bass), Cormac Byrne (percussion and bodhrán), and Alex Hart (vocals), with additional studio contributions from Archie Churchill Moss on accordion and Dany Crimp on whistles.

Einige werden diesen Moment kennen: Plötzlich ist alles klar. Als sich Lulu (Electric Moon) und Oli (ex-Urlaub in Polen) bei einem Konzert im legendären Vortex Surfer Musikclub in Siegen über den Weg laufen, wissen beide noch am selben Abend: Wir sind eine Band. Sie erzählen es Falko, der gerade mit seiner instrumentalen Post-Metal-Band Sarkh den Club verwüstet hat. Wenige Monate später entstehen bei den ersten Proben die ersten Songs - von Oli geschriebene Gedichtfragmente und Wortspiele, Melodielinien und Ideen, die von der Band aufgegriffen und an den jeweiligen Instrumenten verfeinert wurden. Das Debüt WHITE CLOUDS entstand in weniger als einem Jahr - aufgenommen, gemischt und gemastert in Falkos Underground-Tonstudio Institut Für Angewandten Krach. Während dieser Zeit besucht die Band eines der letzten Konzerte der wunderbaren Noise-Post-Math-Rock-Band Shellac in Amsterdam. Alle drei sind gleichermaßen tief beeindruckt und bewegt von dieser Show und lassen den Geist von Steve Albini in ihr Debüt einfließen, dass sie ihm schließlich widmen. Hinzu kommt ihr ganz eigener Drift - Schmerz und Hoffnung, der unbedingte Wille zum Rock'n'Roll, Tiefgang und Steilflug, hochdynamische, verspielte, hypnotisch treibende Passagen und immer wiederkehrende Melodien mit Nachhall sowie die Verbindung zwischen den drei Musikern versprechen ein Debüt und Live-Konzerte mit Yeah-Faktor.

But Alive ist eine der wenigen Punkbands, denen es in den 90ern gelang, nicht ins Apolitische abzurutschen. Keine Politphrasen, keine MTV-Clownerien, die Systemkritik von ...But Alive blieb knallhart und präzise. Musikalisch setzen die Hamburger auf ihrem dritten Album "Bis jetzt ging alles gut..." (1997) vorwiegend auf griffigen Melodiepunk, zu dem sie dann Textzeilen bringen wie "Schreinemakers ist eine Quotenhure"(aus der Single "Ich möchte Ilona Christen die Brille von der Nase schlagen"). ...But Alive hassen den Zustand allwissender Coolness, der jegliche Gedanken an Revolte als abgesessene Peinlichkeit begreift. Und dies tun sie nicht mit dem Zeige-, sondern mit dem Mittelfinger. Produziert wurde das Album von Christian Mevs.

Major-label debut by You Me At Six, Hold Me Down, was released on Virgin Records in January 2010, after the success of their debut album Take Off Your Colours - Released on vinyl for the first time, hear the album that cemented their reputation pressed on high-quality 180g vinyl. Taking their name from an abbreviation of the time they would meet, You Me At Six were formed in Weybridge, Surrey in 2004 by vocalist Josh Franceschi, guitarists Max Helyer and Chris Miller, and bassist Matt Barnes. Drummer Dan Flint joined in 2007. They first broke through at 2007's Slam Dunk Festival with their brew of heavy, melodic, emo-tinged rock, and after two self-released singles, the band signed to Slam Dunk Records. By 2010, they had signed to Virgin. Working with producers John Mitchell and Matt O'Grady, the band crafted 12 new tunes for Hold Me Down, including the singles Kiss And Tell, Underdog and Liquid Confidence which won Best Single at the 2010 Kerrang! Awards. The album reached No 5 in the UK chart, and fully established them on the vibrant UK rock scene. With a stable line up since 2007, You Me At Six have become one of Britain's most-loved bands, and announced recently that they will be splitting up after playing the Slam Dunk Festival in 2025, with Franceschi stating "Let's have the opportunity to say goodbye properly, versus slipping out the back door."

Vinyl Only / Heavyweight Vinyl / Original Glued Prints tip-on by hand on Thick Cardboard 700 gram / 2 Separated parts handily gluing / PVC Outer Sleeve / Insert sheet Q&A with Lloyd Miller by Tony Higgins / Handcrafted silk-screen "Lloyd Miller 1938/2024" on Vintage paper with 100% natural "Persian Blue" color.

Personnel:
Manucher Paydar - Tar Drum
Lloyd Miller - Dulcimer Santur, Oud, Shamisen, Dhol, Tabla
Marilyn Miller - Flute
Tú Trinh Dàm - Voice
Dusdi Siwi Jarn - Voice

Notes:
Made with the intention of exploring and experiencing the various musical and cultural perspectives of a territory as vast as that of Persia, "Near And Far East" is a significant historical document that transcends the restrictive concept of territory but rather inhabits a space of absolute time. The album's content is not just window into faraway places, but a leap into the times and cultures that have now been swallowed up by the incessant movement of globalization and capitalism. Listening to it is turning your ear into the true musical culture of countries whose rapid change has eliminated the cultural peculiarities at their roots. Inspired by his long journeys in Iran, Lloyd Miller takes us on a journey through the instruments and sounds of a time, giving us his interpretations of a musical world that was - and that now remains - an historical document for future explorers who are curious about the mysterious musical arts of the middle and far east. Certainly a holy grail for samplers and loopers who can find exotic panoramas here! (Tony Higgins)

Schwermütige Mörderballaden schlingern die Straße entlang, tieftraurige Songs in wahnwitzigen Kostümen leuchten sich durch die dunkelsten Wege, unperfekte Hymnen neben melodieseligem Ennui und bodenständigen Geschichten. Aber scheiß auf alle Metaphern: ,Mein schöner Hals" von Musiker, Komponist, Sänger, Gastgeber und nicht zuletzt Schauspieler PAUL SIES erscheint am 14.02.2025 auf superpolrecords. Mit dabei und mit verantwortlich für das Album sind Künstler*innen wie: MOLA (auf ,Licht"), Marlo Großhardt (auf ,Auch die Hölle hat noch einen Keller"), Moritz Krämer (auf ,Geträumt"), Patrick Reising (Produktion), Liv Solveig (Geige), Christoph Bernewitz (Gitarre), Jörg Holdinghausen (Bass), das Kammermusikensemble Laubenheim oder auch ,Der Hund Marie" an den Drums.

Released via RCA Records - Louis Dunford is a story teller, with stories that need to be told. Born under Bow bells and raised in Islington, Louis' songs are chapters straight out of his lived experiences. Sometime raw, sometimes funny and always honest, the stories are all underpinned by infectious melodic hooks. To date, he’s best known for singles including ‘Lucy,’ ‘The Local’ and ‘The Angel (North London Forever)’—an ode to his hometown, which has been adopted by Arsenal FC fans as their official club anthem. Now comes Louis’ debut album, titled Be Lucky, featuring the above mentioned singles and 11 more tracks - weaving a story of his life and observations so far.

LRK Records is excited to announce the highly anticipated reissue of Claire Davis' iconic single, 'Thrive/Playground.' Originally released as a limited edition black vinyl 45, this pressing sold out in just 24 hours and has since become a highly sought-after collector's item. Due to overwhelming demand, we're bringing it back for a limited repress on blue coloured vinyl—so don't miss out again!

Featuring Claire's signature blend of emotive lyrics and captivating melodies, 'Thrive/Playground' showcases her undeniable talent and artistry. Whether you're a long-time fan or discovering Claire's music for the first time, this repress is a must-have for any vinyl collection.

The Red Vinyl version of Beabadoobee’s third studio album, ‘This Is How Tomorrow Moves’ will be available from One Nation from 14th Feb. This Is How Tomorrow Moves finds Beabadoobee stepping up to a new level in her abilities as a songwriter, crafting arresting melodies and pushing herself to develop and explore new frontiers of vulnerability, both in her storytelling and her relationship with herself.

Produced by legendary producer Rick Rubin and long term collaborator and bandmate Jacob Bugden, Beabadoobee swaps her bedroom for his infamous Shangri-La studio in Malibu to create a deeply self-assured record with a vast sonic scope of rock and pop.

Free jazz poetry by a spry, 85 year old Joe McPhee, adapting his renowned improvised practice to words - juxtaposed with Mats Gustafson’s sparing brass and electric gestures. It’s an utterly timeless and transfixing salvo, another shiny notch for Smalltown Supersound’s Le Jazz Non Series.

As a common ligature to the OG free jazz scene of ‘60s NYC, with formative binds to its European offshoots and the experimental avant garde, Joe McPhee is a true force of nature who has represented jazz at its freest over a remarkable lifetime. In duo with Swedish free jazz and noise standard bearer Mats Gustafson, he upends expectations with an astonishingly vivid and upfront example of his enduring contribution to freely improvised music. In 11 parts he variously reflects on everything from the neon sleaze and scuzz of NYC to contemporary US politicians and laugh out loud imitations of his previous sparring partners such as Peter Brötzmann, with a head-slapping immediacy that leaves you reeling, spellbound.

McPhee’s flow of rare, organic cadence, ranging from urgent to contemplative and dreamlike, is blessed with a unique turn-of-phrase that surely mirrors his decades of instrumental work. Gustafsson, meanwhile, dextrously takes up the mantle with a multi-instrumental spectrum of sounds, leaving McPhee unbound and able to float and sting on the mic. There’s obvious wisdom in his perceptively penetrative observations, as derived from a rich cultural life well spent, but also a playful naivety and levity in his ability to veer from almost melodic speech to explosive aggression and a knowing, bathetic wit. It’s perhaps hard to believe that McPhee only started incorporating and performing spoken word in his work in the past ten years, a half century since his declaration of “What Time Is It‽” announced his arrival on a legendary debut ‘Nation Time’ (1971), ushering in one of free jazz’s most singular characters in the process.

Oscillating between discordant reflections on life as a touring musician, set to Gustafsson’s skronk and culminating in a snort-worthy imitation of Peter Brötzmann’s gruff German accent, on ‘Short Pieces’ or the glowering growl and noise exhortations of ‘Guitar’, he evokes a more sweetly consonant calm in ‘When I Grow Up’ and eerie threat of ‘The Dreams Book’, and viscerality of ‘Disco Death’, where Gustafson’s tonal versatility comes into hugely mutable play, whilst McPhee’s extraordinary, unaffected voice is a constant. It’s perhaps McPhee’s balance of cool measuredness and wellspring of barbed energies that allows us, at least, to get the most out of this one; not stifling with mannered or manicured enunciation that can trigger certain icks; keeping close to the nature of spoken word in a way that avoids cliche and becomes inherently critical of it within his purposeful, non-hesitant clarity and unflinching approach.

Presenting the reissue of "Love & Death" by Finnish gothic metal pioneers Sentenced, now available on vinyl for the first time in years. This profound EP captures the essence of the band’s signature themes: love, loss, and the darker side of human emotion, delivered with haunting melodies and a unique blend of gothic and doom metal elements. Sentenced is celebrated for their melancholic soundscapes and introspective lyrics, with each band member contributing to a deep, immersive listening experience. Known for their evocative songwriting and atmospheric compositions, Sentenced became a staple in the gothic metal scene by pushing boundaries with each release. This vinyl edition preserves the haunting allure of "Love & Death," offering fans and collectors the chance to experience these unforgettable tracks in analog form. Don’t miss out on this exclusive reissue, a piece of gothic metal history, brought back to life.

Originally released and sold on their fall 2009 US tour, Flower-Corsano Duo’s “The Chocolate Cities” stands as one of the group's most spirited releases. Recorded live in Cambridge, England and Geneva, Switzerland these recordings capture the power and energy being harnessed by the duo at a time of frequent touring, just after the release of their monumental double-LP “The Four Aims.” Michael Flower is perhaps best known for his work in Vibracathedral Orchestra, along with a slew of other bands, collaborations, and solo work. Meanwhile, Chris Corsano is well known as one of the premier drummers of modern times, and a frequent collaborator of Joe McPhee, Bill Orcutt, Bill Nace, Paul Flaherty, and many more. As a duo Flower and Corsano present an endlessly shifting and transforming sound, meshing elements of free jazz, drone, and ecstatic psychedelia into something all its own. While Corsano guides with his nimble and dynamic drumming, Flower plays amplified Japan Banjo (also known as a Shahi Baaja) providing melody, lead, and drone, often simultaneously. Gripping even in its quietest passages, thoughtful even in its most unrestrained crescendos, “The Chocolate Cities” documents a duo at the height of their collective prowess. Saved from the obscurity of its original CDr format and presented for the first time on vinyl with stunning new artwork by Chris Corsano, “The Chocolate Cities” stands as testament to the power of two magnificent players even 15 years on.

The 2003 debut album and a collection of early rarities from the genuine treasure of the UK underground. Remastered and available on vinyl for the first time in over two decades. “Legendary angular rock…Edgar Allen Poe meets The Fall” (The Guardian 2003) “Jarvis Cocker fronting Fugazi” (Melody Maker 1994) Joeyfat, from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, are the daddy of all the Sprechgesang bands out there. We searched on Wikipedia; they're not even mentioned. Maybe not such a bad thing. There are young scamps climbing up festival line-ups all over the world with more than a passing sonic and aesthetic resemblance. Influence can be picked up in diluted ways, maybe the true source of the river has been forgotten. Foals heard the source, they were there. So were Everything Everything. Ask them. Black Midi heard it third hand. Life Without Buildings heard it. So did Yard Act. You can see the pattern. From the early '90s Joeyfat, led by Matt Cole and Jason Dormon, have been perfecting and re-perfecting the sound. They toured with Green Day in 1994. They released music on the Fierce Panda label. They recorded BBC Sessions for John Peel and Marc Riley and released four albums and countless singles. They flirted with being known and they didn't like what they saw so they kept it local, building a community by setting up the Tunbridge Wells Forum, one of the great UK small venues. Debut album The House Of The Fat is a masterpiece, the musical precision recalls The Sound or B52s. The spot-on attack of the vocal and lyrics makes us think of Fugazi or Zounds. The Unwilling Astronaut compiles early singles and compilation tracks. Going all the way back to 1993 it shows how close to a DC-inspired hardcore band they were, it's a thrilling listen. Joeyfat shouldn’t need a re-introduction but they’re going to get one. The source of the river. The top of the family tree. This is where the resemblance comes from

Burnski's Pilot label fires up the back burners once again here for some cruising tech house that oozes cool. Robin Graham is the man on the machines and his 'Like This" (Italo Summer mix) kicks off with some subtle prog vibes, a throwback bassline and bubbly synths that percolate through the mix to soothing effect. 'Set Me Free' has glistening and silvery hi-hats and a choppy groove with some big stabs and 'Enter 1' is the sort of cut you want to hear at the afters with its trippy melodic details and deft synth sequences dancing about the mix. 'Subject A' is a driving tech house number with plenty of astral synth sounds and fresh future feels.

Two underground artists with many years in the scene behind them in Darwin Chamber and DJ Spun come together for the second in their Episode series on Rong Music.

Once again they dig into the sounds of their formative years while also looking to the future as they blend dub, trance and techno into lithe new forms. 'The Revolution' is a mid-tempo and atmospheric roller with hypnotic vocals, while 'The Playa' is a deft bit of electronic minimalism with a deep space feel and ticking 808 sounds. Things get more loose with the warped synths and dusty tech beats of 'Dysfunction' while 'Acid Tounge' closes with trippy designs, a skeletal rhythm and a sense of late-night melodic and afterparty mischief.